Moore, S. R. W. (1969).Brit. J. industr. Med.,26, 1-24. The occupation of trawl fishing and the medical aid available to the Grimsby deep sea fisherman. The mortality of fishermen is twice that of coalminers. Because of the method of fishing the mortality of the trawlerman is probably higher. Outside the industry little is known about the occupation of trawl fishing. Its size, the number of men employed, and the number and distribution of trawlers are therefore described, with particular reference to the port of Grimsby. As near, middle, and deep water trawlers sail from Grimsby, its industry gives a good representation of conditions in the industry as a whole. The port and the fishing grounds are described. The composition of the trawler crew, their conditions of work, accommodation, and remuneration are explained. A description is given of the trawl apparatus, fishing operations, and the hazards involved, and extracts from the writer's diary of a fishing voyage are appended. The United Kingdom has ratified the Accommodation of Crews (Fishermen) Convention 1966 of the International Labour Organisation, and an informal survey of a modern trawler fleet showed that it fell short of the requirements of this Convention. Accommodation is confined and the crew live and work in close proximity and in conditions of physical discomfort. Trawlermen work for long hours under conditions which would not be tolerated by the shore worker. The method of payment is such that trawlermen may take unnecessary risks. Earnings depend on team work so that illness and injury are often not reported with consequent deterioration of the condition. Physical fatigue and lack of sleep contribute to an increased accident rate. It is therefore recommended that more men per trawler should be employed to allow shorter working hours. As the skipper and mate are paid wholly on a share basis, the remainder of the crew receiving, in addition, a basic wage, it `pays' the trawlermen to take risks. A different method of payment, not dependent on the yield of the voyage, is therefore recommended. The medical aid available to trawlermen is described and is usually by radio link with shore or a ship with a doctor on board. Although the skipper has some training in first aid and may use The Ship Captain's Medical Guide and the contents of the medicine chest, it is shown that most skippers prefer the radio link or to put into port for medical assistance. In 1963, 165 Grimsby trawlermen were put ashore. The medical aid given to 120 trawlermen by the Icelandic patrol of the Fishery Protection Squadron is described. Diagnosis and treatment by radio-telephone was difficult and not always successful and medical officers boarded trawlers whenever possible.


wingless and decapentaplegicsignaling establishes the proximal-distal axis of Drosophilalegs by activating the expression of genes such asDistalless and dachshund in broad proximal-distal domains during early leg development. However, here we show thatwingless and decapentaplegic are not required throughout all of proximal-distal development. The tarsus, which has been proposed to be an ancestral structure, is instead defined by the activity of Distalless, dachshund, and a distal gradient of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–Ras signaling. Our results uncover a mechanism for appendage patterning directed by genes expressed in proximal-distal domains and possibly conserved in other arthropods and vertebrates.


The paper investigates, for site-specific indoor scenarios, the attainable improvement of the MIMO capacity by using one or more radio frequency (RF) adaptive techniques. For a scenario-specific (4,4) MIMO system in a corridor, we predict the channel matrix between the transmit and receive ports through image ray tracing (IRT) simulations. We show results for different orientations of transmit/receive arrays and for various positions of the receive array. We demonstrate the dependence of the predicted MIMO capacity on the site-specific scenario over a range of receive end locations. In various specific situations, adaptive techniques can enhance capacity only to a certain extent depending on the original channel matrix. The normalized singular values demonstrate that the capacity enhancement is due to better use of the eigen channels. Combining more than one adaptive technique does not provide further capacity improvement.


Once considered 'weird wonders' of the Cambrian, the emblematic Burgess Shale animals Anomalocaris and Opabinia are now recognized as lower stem-group euarthropods and have provided crucial data for constraining the polarity of key morphological characters in the group. Anomalocaris and its relatives (radiodonts) had worldwide distribution and survived until at least the Devonian. However, despite intense study, Opabinia remains the only formally described opabiniid to date. Here we reinterpret a fossil from the Wheeler Formation of Utah as a new opabiniid, Utaurora comosa nov. gen. et sp. By visualizing the sample of phylogenetic topologies in treespace, our results fortify support for the position of U. comosa beyond the nodal support traditionally applied. Our phylogenetic evidence expands opabiniids to multiple Cambrian stages. Our results underscore the power of treespace visualization for resolving imperfectly preserved fossils and expanding the known diversity and spatio-temporal ranges within the euarthropod lower stem group.


The influence of the addition of propylene glycol or monensin to diets of dairy cows during the transition period on return to ovarian cyclicity was evaluated. Forty two multiparous Holstein cows with an average milk production of 8,000kg were distributed in a split-plot design and were divided into groups receiving either control diets or diets increased with 30ppm of monensin or 300ml of propylene glycol during the transition period. Ovaries were evaluated by ultrasonography between days 4 and 46 post-partum. On days 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 post-partum, blood samples were taken to assay progesterone. The addition of propylene glycol showed to be more efficient in accelerate the return to cyclic ovarian activity. Cows that received propylene glycol just during pre-partum, post-partum or during the hole transition period showed intervals from parturition to first ovulation of 29.0, 44.0 and 27.2 days, respectively. The intervals from parturition to conception for the same groups were 98.3, 90.8, and 100.0 days, respectively. The addition of monensin to diets did not show positive effects on post-partum return to ovarian cyclicity. Cows that received monensin just during pre-partum, post-partum or during the hole transition period showed intervals from parturition to first ovulation of 43.6, 39.3, and 42.8 days, respectively. The interval from parturition to conception for cows that received monensin pre and post-partum were 173.2 and 126.1 days, respectively.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the clinical characteristics of hepatic B virus (HBV) mutations related to adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) among patients with chronic HBV infection in eastern Zhejiang province and provide some reference values on normative usage of antiviral drugs.

METHODS
The data of chronic HBV-infected patients with HBV mutations related to ADV (n = 88) and non-mutation (n = 202) from June 2008 to August 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. The gene resistance mutations of HBV P region were analyzed by gene sequencing. And the HBV genotypes, HBV serum markers, HBV DNA levels and liver imaging findings were also analyzed.

RESULTS
There were 9 cases with pre-existing mutations in 88 patients. The mutated sites were multiple and complicated. And the mutated sites related to other antiviral drugs were all accompanied by ADV-related mutations. The single mutated site was mostly at rtA181T (46.59%) and at rtV214A (11.36%). There were 27 cases (30.68%) with ≥ two mutated sites. The constituent ratios of males, end-stage liver diseases, complicated nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and HBV genotype C infection in the mutation group were higher than those in the non-mutation group (P < 0.01, < 0.01, 0.019, 0.045). The average ages in the mutation group were also higher than those in the non-mutation group (P < 0.001). But the constituent ratios of HBeAg positivity and the levels of HBV DNA were lower (P = 0.002, 0.02).

CONCLUSION
There may be some cases with pre-existing ADV-related mutations in ADV treatment-naive patients. The mutated sites occur at multiple loci, mostly at rtA181T and rtV214A. The male patients and those with a longer history of HBV infection, HBeAg negativity, HBV genotype C infection, illness progression and complicated NAFLD may be more susceptible to mutation. It is important for patients to accept and implement standardized regimens of antiviral drugs so as to prevent resistance and avoid salvage therapy.


In this paper, a CPW-fed antenna-in-package (AiP) operating at millimeter wave (mmWave) based on a wafer-level packaging technology with through silicon via (TSV) interconnections is proposed, designed, and measured. The designed antenna consists of two-stacked high-resistivity silicon (HRSi) substrates. One is the bottom HRSi substrate with thickness of 750 μm, which carries the slot radiator and the CPW feeding. The other one is the top HRSi substrate with thickness of 200 μm carrying a patch, which is placed on the radiating element for antenna gain and efficiency improvement. The vertical interconnects in this structure are designed using the TSVs built on a HRSi wafer, which are designed to carry the radio frequency (RF) signals up to mmWave. RF path transitions are carefully designed to minimize the return loss within 10 dB in the frequency band of concern. The designed AiP is fabricated and measured, and the measured results basically match the simulation results. It is demonstrated that a wider bandwidth and less-sensitive input impedance versus the fabrication process accuracy are obtained with the designed structure in this paper. The measured results show the radiation in the broadside of the structure with gain around 2.4 dBi from 76 to 93 GHz.


Primary Gliosarcoma is a rare malignant tumour of central nervous system in adults. It is usually a variant of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH) wild type glioblastoma. Its incidence is approximately 2% of glioblastomas and has a dismal prognosis. Most common age group is between 40-60 years of age is commonly seen in males. Paediatric gliosarcoma is even rarer than adults ones. Most common location is temporal and frontal lobes (cerebral hemisphere). Histologically it shows biphasic pattern and is composed of both glial and mesenchymal components. Both these components has monoclonal proliferations. Here, a 20-month-old boy resident of Gorakhpur presented with persistent crying for short duration in neurosurgery emergency. On magnetic resonance studies a frontotemporal lesion was found, for which he underwent tumour excision. The tumour proved to be a primary gliosarcoma. Due to malignant nature of tumour patient did not survive. Gliosacrcoma is rare adult tumour but can rarely occur in children. A differential diagnosis of gliosarcoma should be kept in mind while dealing with congenital tumours in children due its aggressive nature with poor survival outcome.


This paper is an exploratory analysis in which we will focus on how the internet and information and communication technologies (Ict's) are shaping the relationships structure of the distribution channel and how do channel members perceive the impact of consumer's participation on the value creation process. The conceptual starting point is the framework in which interdependence and environmental uncertainty act as the main drivers of relationship intensity. An exploratory empirical analysis provides some additional points to structure the ongoing research. Both for goods and in the tourism industry, Ict's and internet favour the adoption of more complex relationships although some channel positions, in tourism, look less favourable. The impact of consumer participation is not so clear although some findings point in the negative direction: some intermediaries might be put at risk.


Nowadays, the characterization of many materials using transmission electron microscopy at low voltage is very attractive. In this work, we present set of images with atomic-level resolution of the in-situ coalescence phenomenon of gold nanoparticles using a spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) at 80 kV acceleration voltage. High-angle annular dark-field (HAADF)-STEM images with an atomic resolution was successfully obtained. HAADF-STEM images show the coalescence evolution of the gold nanoparticles, where some interesting image contrast characteristics were observed. The main mechanism of the coalescence phenomenon is the surface diffusion, where the twin boundaries of the nanoparticles act as barrier to the deformation. Molecular dynamics study of the coalescence of the Au nanoparticles at low temperature has been carried out. Molecular dynamical simulation of the coalescence phenomenon predicts rotations and surface diffusion of the nanoparticles. Simulated HAADF-STEM images of the coalescence evolution were obtained. Good agreement between simulation and experimental images was found.


The basic Vehicle Routing and Scheduling Problem (VRSP) is described followed by an outline of solution approaches. Different variations of the basic VRSP are examined that involve the consideration of additional constraints or other changes in the structure of the appropriate model. An introduction is provided to Green Logistics issues that are relevant to vehicle routing and scheduling including discussion of the environmental objectives that should be considered. Particular consideration is given to VRSP models that relate to environmental issues including the timedependent VRSP, the transportation of hazardous materials and dynamic VRSP models. Finally some conclusions are drawn about further research needs in this area and the relation to road pricing.


Abstract Graft infection with secondary aortic fistula is a rare complication following implantation of aortic prostheses, frequently occurring after emergency procedures and reoperations. The condition is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Curative treatment consists of explantation of the infected graft followed by fistula revision and implantation of a new graft in combination with antimicrobial therapy. Non-curative treatment with aortic stentgraft and long-term substitution treatment with antibiotics may be an option in cases where graft explantation is deemed too risky. We present an elderly patient with aortoenteric fistula following surgery for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Implantation of an aortic stentgraft and fistula revision was performed but the original aortic prosthesis was not explanted. The aortoenteric fistula recurred twice, but the patient has survived more than 12 years following non-curative surgery with good quality of life.


On June 1st, 2016, Xintai Electric Co., Ltd. released an announcement that China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSCR) had finished its investigation for the company's suspicion of fraudulent issuing and illegal information disclosure, according to the administrative penalty and market access prohibition notification from CSCR. Xintai became the first company to be delisted due to fraudulent issuing, which drew concerns from numerous investors and regulators. August 25th, 2017 was the last day Xintai occupied an A-share market. From listing to delisting, going through three and a half years, Xintai left the market with a serious warning that the first company to be forcibly delisted in growth enterprise market for fraudulent initial public offering (IPO) will never appear on the market again. The present article conducts research into the internal control structure of listed company, in view of Xintai's financial fraud case. After reviewing the case and analyzing Xintai's current inner control situation, the paper tries to figure out deep links between financial fraud and internal control, and then put forward some measures to improve internal control, from the perspectives of COSO risk management framework and corporate governance.


Aims and Objectives: Supraclavicular approach (SC) is less popular route of subclavian vein catheterization than infraclavicular approach (IC). The aim of the study was to compare the advantages and disadvantages of subclavian vein catheterization by either approach and also record the incidence of complications, if any. Methods: In the study, 50 patients enrolled were randomly divided into two groups of 25 patients each. In Grp. SC, Subclavian vein catheterization was performed using SC approach and in Grp. IC catheterization was performed using IC approach. Access time, success rate of cannulation, number of attempts to cannulate vein, ease of guidewire and catheter insertion and length of catheter inserted and any associated complications were recorded. Conclusion: SC approach offers distinct advantage that catheter is always guided downwards with greater ease in contrast to IC approach where catheter may be guided upwards. Secondly, it can be used intraoperatively and on mechanically ventilated patients duo to it's cephalad access. Sometimes when IC approach fails, anesthetists awareness of this alternate approach helps in successful placement of central venous catheter.


Maltese, the national language of Malta, is, without doubt, the dominant language of most Maltese in most domains of language use in Malta. It however shares official status with English, which is also in regular use. Most Maltese can, in fact, be said to be bilingual to differing degrees. This article begins by providing some background information and a brief outline of the geographical and historical origins of Maltese. This separate 'entity' – one which also has its own dialects – has developed by melding elements from different sources. The internal heterogeneity of Maltese can be seen to be a reflection of the complex external situation of language use on the Islands. Official bilingualism in fact gives rise to a rich linguistic context of use within which Maltese speakers, bilingual and/or bidialectal to different degrees, operate. The notion of a continuum of use is employed as a means of explaining the complex linguistic behaviour of bilingual Maltese speakers. The effects of regular use of English alongside Maltese on the English of speakers of Maltese are also discussed briefly.


The oil crisis in the early 1980s has triggered the necessity of finding oil reserves among non - oil producing countries. India and Thailand are both oil consumption countries. Because of the rapid economic development and high vehicular fuel consumption, India has become one of the top five oil consumption countries in the world. Thailand though has less population but the demand for oil energy is still increasing. From the geopolitics perspective, Myanmar is country with abundant oil resource that located between Thailand and India, become a vital geo – economics subject for both countries. Bilateral cooperation, between India - Myanmar and Thailand-Myanmar attests the importance of Myanmar in both regards. By visiting Myanmar, India's ministry of energy has strengthened the energy cooperation between India and Myanmar. Meanwhile, Thailand, as a natural gas consumer from both the Yadana and Yetakun, in the Gulf of Mottama or Arakan, Myanmar, has hiked up her import of natural gas from Myanmar. The agreements in the 1990s have resulted in the increase of oil imports to India and Thailand. The oil demand for both countries could lead India and Thailand into competitors. Thanks to the policy of energy cooperation between India and Thailand, their attempts are to build multilateral partnership in order to increase the capability to strengthen energy connectivity from Myanmar. By making the connectivity more convenient and efficient has led to the creation of BIMSTEC Gas Pipeline project. Myanmar as the energy leader in BIMSTEC has placed Thailand, Myanmar, India and others countries in the framework of cooperation. In the future energy will play an important role to strengthen the cooperation in BIMSTEC which highly oil consumption still continuously. This article aims to show that the cooperation like BIMSTEC can guarantee the energy dependence for Thailand and India in the future. It will also analyze their related policy formulation, such as the plan for an alternative energy security.


Whole-body manipulation is necessary for a humanoid robot to achieve tasks such as carrying large objects. One difficulty for achieving a whole-body manipulation is that the robot needs to select the appropriate operation from a list of candidates, such as lifting, pushing, and tilting. The appropriate operation depends upon the target object's physical properties, including its mass, center of mass, and friction coefficient, which are difficult to measure directly. In order to select the appropriate manipulation motion online, we propose a method of estimating the object's physical properties and evaluating the feasibility of the object operation. We calculate the likelihood of the object's physical properties from sensor information during manipulation and update these properties' probabifity distribution periodically based on Bayesian methods. The operational feasibility probability is evaluated by physics-based stability determination, allowing the robot to perform manipulation tasks by selecting the appropriate operation. We show the effectiveness of the proposed method by an experiment in which a life-sized humanoid robot carries a large object.


The audit aimed to investigate improvement in the clinical and processing quality of periapical and bitewing radiographs taken within the service,when compared to the original audit. One-hundred and sixty-three radiographs taken during June 2004were obtained from 11 clinics and 17 dentists. Each clinician returned a questionnaire. Three authors reviewed the radiographs, using set guidelines produced by Faculty of General Dental Practitioners (FGDP). Of the 163 radiographs taken, 120 (74%) scored 1, 33 (20%) scored 2 and 10 (6%) scored 3. Substantial improvement in quality of radiographs was observed with 94% of the films meeting the FGDP criteria as against 71% in the original audit. The improvement in quality may be due to dentists being more aware of quality issues


What is the appropriate unit of analysis for the study of classroom discourse? One common analytic strategy employs individual discourse moves, which are coded, counted and used as indicators of the quality of classroom talk. In this article we question this practice, arguing that discourse moves are positioned within sequences that critically shape their meaning and effect. We illustrate this theoretical claim through exploration of a corpus of over 7000 discourse moves in primary literacy lessons. First, we use conventional measures such as the proportion of open and closed questions, and show how these indicators can be misleading when abstracted from the sequences in which they are embedded. We propose a complementary method, lag sequential analysis, which examines how discourse is sequentially structured-i.e. which discourse moves are followed by which other moves, and which chains of moves occur more frequently than expected by chance. We illustrate this method through re-analysis of our corpus of literacy lessons, examining differences between the sequential patterns found in the different classrooms observed. While lag sequential analysis does not resolve all problems inherent in systematic observation of classroom discourse, it does shed light on critical patterns in the data-set that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.


Acoustic tomography of the atmospheric surface layer (ASL) is based on measurements of the travel times of sound propagation between sources and receivers which constitute a tomography array. Then, the temperature and wind velocity fields inside the tomographic volume or area are reconstructed using different inverse algorithms. Improved knowledge of these fields is important in many practical applications. Tomography has certain advantages in comparison with currently used instrumentation for measurement of the temperature and wind velocity. In this paper, a short historical overview of acoustic tomography of the atmosphere is presented. The main emphasis is on recent progress in acoustic tomography of the ASL. The tomography arrays that have been used so far are discussed. Inverse algorithms for reconstruction of the temperature and wind velocity fields from the travel times are reviewed. Some results in numerical simulations of acoustic tomography of the ASL and reconstruction of the turbulence fields in tomography experiments are presented and discussed. Zusammenfassung


Written in a simple and lucid language, this book discusses the major events of the Ramayana, analysing and interpreting them from different angles. This volume should fascinate readers who want to gain a fresh perspective on the glorious Ramayana tradition. Based on the Valmiki Ramayana, this book discusses the major events of the Ramayana including those in the Uttara-Kanda, analyzing and interpreting them with a fresh approach. Written in a simple and lucid style, the work deals with the birth of Rama, his destruction of rakshasas accompanied by his brother Lakshmana, of Dasaratha, Rama s exile, the many developments that led to the war between Rama and Ravana and the later events like Rama s coronation, his abandonment of Sita and the last journey of Lord Rama. It brings out the many qualities of Rama like virtuousness, courage, compassion, equanimity of mind, devotion to duty and truth, and selflessness that make Rama a glorious, divine figure and the story in the Ramayana an unparalleled epic of the world. It also discusses the controversial acts of Rama like his killing of Vali and humiliation of Sita after her rescue. It underlines the importance of the example of Rama and the teachings of the Ramayana in the contemporary world. The volume will fascinate a range of readers general readers as well as scholars of Indian religion and culture.


There is increasing evidence that free radical scavengers play an important role in the aging process and the control of cellular growth. We purified a free radical scavenging protein, the water-soluble protein (WSP) from broad beans (Vicia faba). In this study, we examined the effect of WSP on cellular growth and in vitro life span in old human fetal lung fibroblasts (WI-38 and PDL 37-40, 78–84% of the maximum life span). Since WSP increased the cellular growth, we also examined the effect of WSP (1.25–5 µg/ml) on cytosolic antioxidant enzyme activities in the old cells treated or not with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (BHP) to elucidate the mechanisms of cell proliferation in the old cells. The cellular growth of old fibroblasts was greatly increased by WSP. In 1.25 and 2.5 µg/ml of WSP, the cell proliferation increased by 32 and 35%, respectively, as compared with controls. The maximum population doubling levels of the cells did not increase. In the cells incubated with BHP, the cytosolic superoxide dismutase activity was returned to its control value by WSP treatment (1.25–5 µg/ml). The cytosolic glutathione peroxidase activity progressively increased with increasing concentrations of WSP. On the other hand, the cytosolic superoxide dismutase activity after 1.25- and 2.5-µg/ml WSP treatment without BHP was increased by 189 and 144%, respectively. Similarly, the cytosolic glutathione peroxidase activity was increased by 67 and 53%, respectively. These results suggest that cytosolic antioxidant activities in old cells can be modulated by WSP treatment. We concluded that there was a correlation between the optimum WSP concentrations for the increase of cellular growth and the WSP concentrations required to exhibit these maximum enzyme activities.


Neuroblastoma is a pediatric tumor of the peripheral adrenergic lineage, which is neural crest derived. During embryogenesis cells delaminate from the neural crest, migrate ventrally, and differentiate to (nor)-adrenalin producing cells. Neuroblastoma typically expresses differentiation markers of the adrenergic lineage. High-stage neuroblastoma usually goes in complete remission upon therapy but often relapses as resistant disease. Several tumor types were recently found to include phenotypically divergent cell types, resembling lineage development stages. We have found that most neuroblastoma includes two types of tumor cells with shared genomic defects, but highly diverging gene expression profiles. Undifferentiated mesenchymal cells (MES-type) and more differentiated adrenergic cells (ADRN-type) can interconvert and may relate to normal lineage differentiation stages. ChIP-seq analysis of isogenic pairs of MES- and ADRN-type cells revealed distinct, highly consistent super-enhancer landscapes for each cell type. Lineage identity has been proposed to ensue super-enhancer (SE)-associated transcription factor (TF) networks. We identified two SE-associated TF networks that potentially master each cell type. Accordingly, the mesenchymal TF PRRX1 could reprogram the SE- and mRNA-profiles of ADRN-type cells towards an MES-state. Assessment of the clinical relevance of this biphasic system revealed that MES-type cells were more chemoresistant in vitro and were enriched in post-therapy and relapsed tumors. The super enhancer-associated TF networks, probably meant for lineage control in normal development, thus could impose two cellular states of neuroblastoma that shape intratumor heterogeneity. Citation Format: Rogier Versteeg, Tim van Groningen, Jan Koster, Linda J. Valentijn, Johan van Nes. Neuroblastoma is a biphasic tumor [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Pediatric Cancer Research: From Basic Science to the Clinic; 2017 Dec 3-6; Atlanta, Georgia. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(19 Suppl):Abstract nr IA10.


Libya is free from local malaria transmission and has been reported as one of malaria free countries. The last local reported case in Libya, according to literature, was 1973. In this paper, we present a case of a 25-year-old Libyan male Patient who came to Sebha Medical Center on 14-09-2017. He complained from high-grade fever, rigors, sweating and fatigue for one week, he had showed a history of travel to an endemic area for malaria (Niger). The laboratory investigations were positive for Plasmodium falciparum Malaria. The course of the disease was complicated with multiorgan Failure.The following is a review of literature for malaria associated with complications.


Remarkable progress has been achieved in understanding the vorticity source responsible for tornado- genesis. Nevertheless, the answer to this question remains elusive, particularly after introducing surface friction in realistic tornado simulations. In this study, a simulation using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model is conducted based on the F3 supercell tornado that hit Tsukuba City, Japan, on 6 May 2012. The simulation uses triply nested domains, and the tornado is successfully reproduced in the innermostdomainwith 50-m horizontal grid spacing.The circulation analysesrevealthat the frictionalterm is the dominant vorticity source responsible for the vortices at both the pretornadic and tornadogenesis times. The detailed vorticity source analyses of the air parcels show that the vorticity of the tornado at the genesis time mainly originates from the frictionally generated crosswise vorticity near the ground. The crosswise vorticity is directly tilted (or first exchanged into streamwise vorticity and then tilted) into vertical vorticity whentheairparcelsenterthetornado.Arear-flankdowndraft(RFD)surgefromthesouthandwestsidesofa primary low-level mesocyclone (LMC) may trigger tornadogenesis by increasing the convergence near the ground. The RFD surge is not necessarily associated with the baroclinically generated vorticity. In this study, the baroclinity is weak across the hook echo, which may cause a lack of baroclinically generated vorticity in the RFD surge.


The present status of observations of hard X-ray bursts is reviewed in terms of the light they shed on alternative source models and on general characteristics of electron acceleration in flares. Special attention is given to the requirements of total energy release, and the time scale of its release, into energetic electrons on the basis of the normal bremsstrahlung interpretation of bursts. It is particularly emphasized that, since these electrons may dominate the energy balance in many flares, they provide on the one hand an attractive heating mechanism for the thermal flare but, on the other, put severe demands on acceleration mechanisms. A reassessment of the relative merits of synchrotron and inverse Compton source mechanisms is suggested, along with other possibilities, as an escape from this apparent difficulty. Observational characteristics of soft X-ray flares are cursorily reviewed. The importance of a non-isothermal approach to the physics of the soft X-ray plasma is then illustrated in terms of flare energy flow. It is argued however, that high spectral resolution is not the key to this problem since ill conditioning of the problem prevents useful inference of temperature structure. Instead high resolution imaging with moderate spectral resolution is advocated.


Bacillus cereus is widely distributed in foods, especially dairy products, and can lead to diarrhea (non-emetic B. cereus) and emesis (emetic B. cereus). Although diarrhea due to B. cereus is usually mild, emesis can lead to acute encephalopathy and even death. To develop rapid and sensitive detection methods for B. cereus in foods, specific primers targeting the gyrase B (gyrB) and cereulide synthetase (ces) genes were designed and screened using recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA). Probes and base substitutions were introduced to improve specificity and eliminate primer-dependent artifacts. The 5′ ends of the reverse primers and probes were modified with biotin and fluorescein isothiocyanate for detection of RPA products on a lateral flow strip (LFS). The developed RPA-LFS assay allows detection within 20 min at 37°C with no cross-reactivity with other foodborne pathogens. The limit of detection was 104 copies/ml and 102 CFU/ml in pure cultures and milk, respectively. Comparisons with established methods using cream obtained similar results. A specific, rapid, and sensitive RPA-LFS assay was successfully developed for on-site detection of B. cereus in dairy products to distinguish emetic from non-emetic strains.


Provided is an adhesive protective film having a hard coat film having a Martens hardness at the surface of 240 to 300 N/mm 2 , and an adhesive layer having a 180° peel adhesive force of 4 to 15 N/25 mm obtained when peeled at a peeling rate of 300 mm/min after being left to stand for 240 hours under an environment at 60°C and 90% humidity. When pressure is applied topically on the surface of the adhesive protective film as a result of an impact or the like, depressions in the film attributable to the presence of the adhesive film are appropriately mitigated despite the small thickness of the adhesive protective film. Cracks do not easily occur in the hard coat layer when the adhesive protective film is peeled, an increase in the peeling force due to the fracture stress of the cracks can be reduced, and the adhesive protective film can be suitably peeled during peeling.


The victims of natural disasterswho commit theft cannot be immediately punished penalty in accordance with Islamic criminal law or positive law as contained in the Criminal Code. This study aims to analyze the problem of theft in the event of a natural disaster using the maqasid ash-sharia. This type of research is library research with descriptive analytical methods. The results showed that the daruriyyat aspect related to punishment for the perpetrators of theft was the aspect of maintaining property (ḥifz almal). This aspect is an aspect that is related to the obligation in the search for property lawfully without depriving others of their rights and managing property so that assets are maintained and functional in accordance with religious law. Keywords: Islamic Criminal Law, Positive Law, Maqasid ash-Sharia.


Fahr's syndrome is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by bilateral basal ganglia calcification. The exact incidence of Fahr's syndrome is still unknown but estimated to be <1/1,000,000. On routine non-contrast-CT scan examination, 0.3-1.2% cases of intracranial calcification can be incidentally detected. It is caused by several medical conditions, with hypothyroidism as the most common one. Patient may come with neurologic or psychiatric symptoms. CT scan is the main supportive examination; it is used to determine the location and extension of calcification. Therapy is directed to the underlying etiology and usually symptomatic. A female, 46 years old, came with stiffness on both hands. This symptom appeared multiple times during past decade but with mild intensity. CT scan revealed calcification in both cerebral hemisphere and cerebellum. Blood test showed low calcium concentration. Patient was diagnosed with Fahr's syndrome and given anticonvulsant and calcium supplementation. She was getting better during hospitalization and then discharged 4 days later with oral home medication.


Reliability issues currently hamper the commercialization of capacitive RF MEMS switches. The most important failure mode is parasitic charging of the dielectric of such devices. In this paper we present an improved analytical model that enables us to calculate and understand the effect of insulator charging on the behavior of capacitive RF MEMS switches, and to describe the way they fail, and their reliability. Emphasis is placed on a shift of the pull-out voltage to predict failures. Tests with capacitive RF MEMS switches have been performed that validate the most important features of the model.


To identify the pathogenic gene variation in a Chinese family with Hereditary Multiple Exostoses (HME). By examining blood‐sourced DNA and clinical manifestations of the proband and his family members, the whole exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing were used to detect possibly pathogenic mutations. A novel heterozygous mutation (c.325dup) was identified in exon 1 of the exostosin 1 (EXT1) gene from the proband and the affected family members. And we found this mutation was absent in all the unaffected family members. This c.325dup mutation is in the exon 1 domain of the EXT1 gene and the change of p.C109Lfs*80 cause the early termination of protein translation. The identification of the novel frameshift insertion mutation (c.325dup) expands the mutation spectrum of HME, which provides new evidence for HME diagnosis.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Heparins, including unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH), are glycosaminoglycans that are largely used as anti-thrombotic drugs. While the mechanisms of their anticoagulant actions in blood have been extensively studied, their effects on the hemostatic properties of the endothelium are still under investigation. The aim of this study was to compare the antithrombotic effects of a LMWH, i.e. dalteparin, with UFH on both microvascular (human microvascular endothelial cells [HMEC-1]) and macrovascular (human umbilical vein endothelial cells [HUVEC]) endothelial cells.

DESIGN AND METHODS
Endothelial cells were incubated with dalteparin or UFH and exposed to an inflammatory stimulus (i.e. lipopolysaccharide [LPS]). The following parameters were evaluated: tissue factor (TF procoagulant activity, antigen and mRNA), tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), and thrombomodulin (TM).

RESULTS
In HMEC-1 and HUVEC, both heparins inhibited LPS-induced endothelial cell TF expression. However, in HMEC-1, dalteparin was significantly more effective than UFH. Both heparins increased TFPI antigen release in HMEC-1 and HUVEC. Dalteparin also reversed LPS-induced reduction of TM in HMEC-1, while UFH did not.

INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS
These data show that both dalteparin and UFH suppress inflammatory-mediated TF expression and increase the anticoagulant properties of macro- and micro-vascular endothelial cells. However, dalteparin has significantly greater effects than UFH in the microvascular endothelium, a site that plays a central role in many processes involved in inflammation and thrombosis.


This study aimed to investigate the impact of human resources development strategy on achieving the sustainable organizational excellence in the Yemeni banks. To achieve this objective, the analytical descriptive method was used. The study population consisted of 1314 employees from 10 Yemeni banks. The study sample of (306) was selected by using a non-stratified random method. The data were collected by a questionnaire. The collected data were processed and analyzed using the SPSS. The results of the study revealed that there was a discrepancy in the impact of the variables of the human resources development strategy on achieving the sustainable organizational excellence in the Yemeni banks. The highest degree of impact was found in the variable of innovation development strategy, whereas the lowest degree of impact was found in the human resources training strategy. In light of the findings, the study recommends that the Yemeni banks need to enhance the emphasis on achieving the sustainable organizational excellence of all dimensions and increase their attention to the implementation of human resource development strategy of all dimensions as this has a positive impact on achieving the sustainable organizational excellence.


Recently, with the rapid growth of industry, environmental condition became worse. In addition to outdoor insulators in seashore are polluted due to salty wind. Also this pollution causes the flashover and failure of electric equipments. Especially the salt contaminant is one of the most representative pollutants, and known as the main source of the accident by contamination. As well known, the pollution has a close relation with meteorological factors such as wind velocity, wind direction, temperature, relative humidity, precipitation and so on. In this paper we have statistically analyzed the correlation between the pollution and the meteorological factors. The multiple regression analysis was used for the statistical analysis; daily measured equivalent salt deposit density(dependent variable) and the weather condition data(independent variable) were used. Also we have developed an expert program to predict the pollution deposit. A new prediction system using this program called SPPP(salt pollution prediction program) has been used to model accurately the relationship between ESDD with the meteorological factors.


The results are described of the study carried out with the aim of assessing doses received by the Cuban population due to the external exposure to environmental radiation sources. Contributions of cosmic radiation's ionising and indirectly ionising components to these doses, as well as the fraction resulting from terrestrial radiation, were also assessed as part of this study. Measurements made enabled us to estimate representative effective average doses received by the Cuban population from external exposure to cosmic and terrestrial radiation. Both outdoor and indoor permanency were taken into account for this estimate as well as the distribution of the Cuban population by altitude. The average representative dose due to cosmic radiation was estimated to be 298 +/- 17 microSv per year, while the dose received by terrestrial radiation represented 180 +/- 14 microSv per year, for a total annual dose of 78 +/- 20 microSv. These values are within the range of those reported throughout the world by other authors.


Quantum key distribution (QKD) can provide unconditional security to next-generation communication networks guaranteed by the laws of quantum physics. This article studies the secret key rate (SKR) of a continuous variable QKD (CV-QKD) system using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission and operating at terahertz (THz) frequencies. Distinct from previous works, we consider a practical "restricted" eavesdropping scenario in which Eve can collect only a fraction of photons lost in the environment. We propose a system model for the MIMO THz CV-QKD system that accounts for restricted eavesdropping via a lossy wireless channel between Alice and Eve. We derive for this system new SKR expressions for both coherent-state-based and squeezed-state-based CV-QKD protocols. Our results show that previous analysis assuming unrestricted eavesdropping leads to overly pessimistic SKRs, and that in practice, the achievable SKR can be significantly increased under restricted eavesdropping. The increase in the SKR is quantified by the simplified SKR expansions derived in this article. Our results also reveal that squeezing is beneficial for improving the SKR only for unrestricted eavesdropping. However, in a practical setting with restricted eavesdropping, increased squeezing leads to a reduction in the SKR.


The main aim of the present study was to implement an exergame program that uses Fitlight technology to identify the impact on motor, recognition, and cognitive reaction times in junior athletes practicing team sports: basketball, handball, and volleyball. The second aim was to identifying differences in progress of the three types of reaction time between female and male players through computerized tests. The study included 360 subjects for basketball, 130 athletes of which were 68 male subjects and 62 female subjects; for handball, 124 athletes of which 64 were male subjects and 60 female athletes; for volleyball, 106 athletes of which 48 male were subjects and 48 female athletes. Characteristics of the experimental players: average age ± SD 13.60 ± 1.07; average sports experience ± SD 6.24 ± 0.92. The research included an initial and a final test between which a program of exergames was implemented over a period of 3 months focused on optimizing human reaction times. The evaluation of the reaction times was carried out through three computer games, the results being processed in SPSS 22. The relevant results of the research: for the simple motor reaction time (MSRT), the greatest progress between tests was the volleyball group, and for women, it was the basketball group; for the recognition reaction time (RRT), the male handball group and the female basketball group recorded the greatest progress; for the cognitive reactive time (CRT), the greatest progress was achieved by the male and female volleyball players. In all tests, the progress of the female basketball, handball, and volleyball players showed superior progress to similar male players. The results of the research highlighted the effectiveness of the experimental exergame program by using Fitlight technology in optimizing human reaction times in junior team-game athletes. Using computer games to evaluate reaction times allowed us to differentiate the evaluation on the types of human reactions under both standardized conditions but also under conditions of efficiency and attractiveness.


Suddenly, at the end of the last century, classical optics and classical electrodynamics became fashionable again. Fields that several generations of researchers thought were comprehensively covered by the famous Born and Wolf textbook and were essentially dead as research subjects were generating new excitement. In accordance with Richard Feynman's famous quotation on nano-science, the optical community suddenly discovered that 'there is plenty of room at the bottom'—mixing light with small, meso- and nano-structures could generate new physics and new mind-blowing applications. This renaissance began when the concept of band structure was imported from electronics into the domain of optics and led to the development of what is now a massive research field dedicated to two- and three-dimensional photonic bandgap structures. The field was soon awash with bright new ideas and discoveries that consolidated the birth of the 'new optics'. A revision of some of the basic equations of electrodynamics led to the suspicion that we had overlooked the possibility that the triad of wave vector, electric field and magnetic field, characterizing propagating waves, do not necessarily form a right-handed set. This brought up the astonishing possibilities of sub-wavelength microscopy and telescopy where resolution is not limited by diffraction. The notion of meta-materials, i.e. artificial materials with properties not available in nature, originated in the microwave community but has been widely adopted in the domain of optical research, thanks to rapidly improving nanofabrication capabilities and the development of sub-wavelength scanning imaging techniques. Photonic meta-materials are expected to open a gateway to unprecedented electromagnetic properties and functionality unattainable from naturally occurring materials. The structural units of meta-materials can be tailored in shape and size; their composition and morphology can be artificially tuned, and inclusions can be designed and placed at desired locations to achieve new functionality. Among important developments in the new optics was the discovery that a metal film with arrays of small holes in it could be transparent to light beyond any intuitive expectations and that a properly designed metallic structure could be made completely 'invisible' at certain wavelengths. A strong technological drive towards device miniaturization (or, perhaps we should say 'nanoturization'?) has breathed new life into plasmonics—a field many thought had matured some time ago. Surface plasmon polarition waves have come to be seen as potential broadband information carriers for highly integrated photonic devices with research now concentrating on routing and controlling plasmon–polariton signals. Among other new topics in optical electrodynamics are frequency selective surfaces, optical effects of low-dimensional chirality and electrodynamics of toroidal structures. This Special Issue of Journal of Optics A: Pure and Applied Optics on 'Nanostructured Optical Meta-Materials: Beyond Photonic Bandgap Effects' is a very representative cross-section of research in 'new optics', with papers covering essential issues in meta-materials research, surface plasmons, nanostructured surfaces, sub-wavelength imaging, nanostructured and random laser media and nonlinearities in nanostructured films. As the Guest Editors of this Special Issue, we are deeply grateful to all contributing authors for their efforts and their willingness to share recent results within the framework of what promises to be a landmark collection of papers in the field of 'new optics'. We are especially proud that the authorship includes pioneers and newcomers to this intriguing and fertile field of research.


The arrival of a new form of Coronavirus at the end of 2019 and its subsequent expansion to multiple countries has already caused severe consequences whose final extent we are unfortunately still far from seeing. In our geographical context, Italy has been particularly affected by this threat. In such circumstances, it is worth asking what the EU could do to help any of its Member States (MS) to cope with such a situation. This paper will try to answer it. To this end, we will focus on the most important legal instrument: the so-called, "Solidarity Clause" and the most relevant political tool, the Integrated Political Crisis Response arrangements (IPCRs).


Pathogens deploy effector proteins that interact with host proteins to manipulate the host physiology to the pathogen's own benefit. However, effectors can also be recognized by host immune proteins leading to the activation of defense responses. Effectors are thus essential components in determining the outcome of plant-pathogen interactions. Despite major efforts to decipher effector functions, our current knowledge on effector biology is scattered and often limited. In this study, we conducted two systematic large-scale yeast two-hybrid screenings to detect interactions between Arabidopsis thaliana proteins and effectors from two vascular bacterial pathogens: Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum and Xanthomonas campestris. We then constructed an interactomic network focused on Arabidopsis and effector proteins from a wide variety of bacterial, oomycete, fungal and animal pathogens. This network contains our experimental data and protein-protein interactions from 2,035 peer-reviewed publications (48,200 Arabidopsis-Arabidopsis and 1,300 Arabidopsis-effector protein interactions). Our results show that effectors from different species interact with both common and specific Arabidopsis targets suggesting dual roles as modulators of generic and adaptive host processes. Network analyses revealed that effector targets, particularly effector hubs and bacterial core effector targets, occupy important positions for network organization as shown by their larger number of protein interactions and centrality. These interactomic data were incorporated in EffectorK, a new graph-oriented knowledge database that allows users to navigate the network, search for homology or find possible paths between host and/or effector proteins. EffectorK is available at www.effectork.org and allows users to submit their own interactomic data. Author summary Plant pests and diseases caused by bacteria, oomycetes, fungi or animals are threatening food security worldwide. Understanding how these pathogens infect and manipulate the host is key to develop sustainable crop resistance in the long term. Effector proteins are secreted by pathogens to subvert the host immune responses. The roles of several effector proteins have been described; however, it is yet poorly understood how effectors interact with host proteins at a global level. To address this issue, we have generated EffectorK, an interactive database focused on the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. This database contains manually curated Arabidopsis-effector protein interactions from the available literature on a wide variety of pathogens. It also contains new experimental data on effectors from two vascular pathogens: Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum and Xanthomonas campestris. This work integrates all the gathered knowledge over the last decades and allows to identify general patterns of how effectors interact with the host proteome. This knowledge is easily accessible and searchable at www.effectork.org.


KNOWLEDGE of early radiation-induced changes in the lens epithelium and of their significance for the development of cataractous lesions has advanced greatly in recent years. The high radiosensitivity of the germinative zone of the lens epithelium, particularly of the cell nuclei in this area, has been demonstrated in x-ray studies1; in other experimental series the slow progression of damage wrought by various forms of ionizing radiation has been followed, from the microscopically visible changes in the chromatin material of the nuclei to the ophthalmoscopically distinguishable opacities in the lens. On the basis of this enriched understanding of the pathogenesis of radiation cataract, the present study of the effects of beta particles on the lens was undertaken. Although ophthalmologists who have used and recommended beta-ray therapy for various diseases of the eye2have been aware of the danger to the lens when the doses of radiation have had to


The emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) have significant influence on the global economic and environmental trajectories. They have carbon intensive economic systems, which contribute significantly to total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to climate change. However, BRICS have joined the race to net-zero emissions by 2050 in the quest for a climate neutral and sustainable global economy. The journey, however, is not without challenges and opportunities. The proliferation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had mixed reactions from scientists regarding its implications on net-zero trajectories. While statistical data show a correlation between COVID-19 and a decrease in total emissions, it is envisaged that COVID-19 compromised the efforts to develop carbon neutral economies. Hence, there is still need for more scientific examination of COVID-19′s impact on net-zero ambitions, especially in the emerging economies. This study focuses on India and South Africa's trajectories. Statistical analysis of secondary data from authentic interactive web-based dashboards for COVID-19 data repositories, namely Our World in Data and Climate Action Tracker was performed in conjunction with the document analysis approach following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. Some of the COVID-19 challenges as indicated by the results of the study include curtailing the technology transfer staircase in the energy sector, retaliatory emissions for recovery and resource diversion. The opportunities presented by COVID-19 in the quest for carbon neutrality include behavioural changes in investment, production and consumption patterns with a focus on low carbon options. Governments and stakeholders need to focus on addressing the barriers whilst riding on the opportunities presented by the pandemic to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.


Abstract. Spatiotemporal distributions of dissolved acrylic acid
(AAd) and related biogenic sulfur compounds including dimethylsulfide (DMS)
and dissolved and total dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPd and DMSPt) were
investigated in the Bohai Sea (BS) and Yellow Sea (YS) during summer and
winter. AAd and DMS production from DMSPd degradation and AAd degradation
were analyzed. Significant seasonal variations in AAd and DMS(P) were
observed. AAd exhibited similar distributions during summer and winter;
i.e., relatively high values of AAd occurred in the BS and the northern YS,
and the concentrations decreased from inshore to offshore areas in the
southern YS. Due to strong biological production from DMSP and abundant
terrestrial inputs from rivers in summer, the AAd concentrations in the
surface seawater during summer (30.01 nmol L−1) were significantly
higher than those during winter (14.98 nmol L−1). The average
concentration sequence along the transects during summer (AAd > DMSPt > DMS > DMSPd) showed that particulate DMSP
(DMSPp) acted as a DMS producer and that terrestrial sources of AAd were
present; in contrast, the sequence in winter was AAd > DMSPt > DMSPd > DMS. High values of AAd and DMS(P) were
mostly observed in the upper layers, with occasional high values at the
bottom. High AAd concentrations in the porewater, which could be transported
to the bottom water, might result from the cleavage of intracellular DMSP
and reduce bacterial metabolism in sediments. In addition, the
production and degradation rates of biogenic sulfur compounds were significantly
higher in summer than in winter, and the removal of AAd was primarily
attributed to microbial consumption. Other sources of AAd existed aside from
the production from DMSPd.


Hadamard matrix is defined as a square matrix where any components are −1 or +1, and where any pairs of rows are mutually orthogonal. In this study, we consider the similar matrix on finite field GF (p) where p is an odd prime. In such a matrix, every component is one of the integers on GF (p)\{0}, that is, {1, 2,…, p – 1} Any additions and multiplications should be executed under modulo p. In this paper, a method to generate such matrices is proposed. In addition, the paper includes the applications to generate n-shift orthogonal sequences and complete complementary codes. The generated complete complementary code is a family of multivalued sequences on GF (p), where the number of sequence sets, the number of sequences in each sequence set and the sequence length depend on the various divisors of p − 1. Such complete complementary codes with various parameters have not been proposed in previous studies.


Rice blast is a destructive disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, and it has a large impact on rice production worldwide. Compared with leaf blast resistance, our understanding of panicle blast resistance is limited. The japonica landrace Jiangnanwan from Taihu Lake region in China shows highly resistance to panicle and leaf blast. In this study, three generations (F2:5, F2:6, F2:7) consisting of 221 RILs (recombination inbreeding lines), developed from the cross of Jiangnanwan and Suyunuo, a susceptible-blast japonica variety, were evaluated for panicle blast resistance in the fields and leaf blast resistance in greenhouse in Nanjing in 2013, 2014 and 2015. A blast resistance gene Pi-jnw1 referring to panicle blast resistance and leaf blast resistance was identified in the three generations and located in the region of RM27273 and RM27381 in chromosome 11. The RIL18 line harboring Pi-jnw1 was selected to be backcrossed with Suyunuo to develop BC2F2 populations. According to the genotyping of 1,150 BC2F2 individuals and panicle blast and leaf blast resistance evaluation of 47 recombinants between RM27150 and RM27381, Pi-jnw1 was finally mapped to the 282 kb region between markers W28 and BS39. This study revealed that Jiangnanwan harboring a panicle blast and leaf blast resistance gene Pi-jnw1 could be a genetic source for breeding new rice cultivars with panicle blast resistance.


A wireless Energy Harvesting Sensor (EHS) needs to send data packets arriving in its queue over a fading channel at maximum possible throughput while ensuring acceptable packet delays. At the same time, it needs to ensure that energy neutrality is satisfied, i.e., the average energy drawn from a battery should equal the amount of energy deposited in it minus the energy lost due to the inefficiency of the battery. In this work, a framework is developed under which a system designer can optimize the performance of the EHS node using power control based on the current channel state information, when the EHS node employs a single modulation and coding scheme and the channel is Rayleigh fading. Optimal system parameters for throughput optimal, delay optimal and delay-constrained throughput optimal policies that ensure energy neutrality are derived. It is seen that a throughput optimal (maximal) policy is packet delay-unbounded and an average delay optimal (minimal) policy achieves negligibly small throughput. Finally, the influence of the harvested energy profile on the performance of the EHS is illustrated through the example of solar energy harvesting.


Nitric oxide (NO) has been proposed as a mediator of postnatal mammary gland development. We investigated the immunohistochemical localization of three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes, neuronal NOS (nNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS), in the mouse mammary gland during reproductive cycle. The NOS isoforms detected in normal mouse mammary glands were the constitutive forms of NOS (nNOS and eNOS). nNOS was localized to the alveoli, myoepithelia, lactiferous ducts and blood vessel endothelia, while eNOS was localized in the alveoli, lactiferous ducts and blood vessel endothelia. The strongest immunoreactivity for both constitutive NOS isoforms was observed in pregnant mice. The differential staining intensity of NOS enzymes in the mammary gland led us to conclude that nitric oxide in the mouse mammary gland is mainly synthesized by constitutive NOS isoforms, and suggest that NO has functional roles in post-pubertal growth and differentiation of the mammary gland.


Multiple feedback loops are often found in gene regulations for various cellular functions. In mammalian circadian clocks, oscillations of Period1 (Per1) and Period2 (Per2) expression are caused by interacting negative feedback loops (NFLs) whose protein products with similar molecular functions repress each other. However, Per1 expression peaks earlier than Per2 in the pacemaker tissue, raising the question of whether the peak time difference reflects their different dynamical functions. Here, we address this question by analyzing phase responses of the circadian clock caused by light-induced transcription of both Per1 and Per2 mRNAs. Through mathematical analyses of dual NFLs, we show that phase advance is mainly driven by light inputs to the repressor with an earlier expression peak as Per1, whereas phase delay is driven by the other repressor with a later peak as Per2. Due to the complementary contributions to phase responses, the ratio of light-induced transcription rates between Per1 and Per2 determines the magnitude and direction of phase shifts at each time of day. Specifically, stronger Per1 light induction than Per2 results in a phase response curve (PRC) with a larger phase advance zone than delay zone as observed in rats and hamsters, whereas stronger Per2 induction causes a larger delay zone as observed in mice. Furthermore, the ratio of light-induced transcription rates required for entrainment is determined by the relation between the circadian and light-dark periods. Namely, if the autonomous period of a circadian clock is longer than the light-dark period, a larger light-induced transcription rate of Per1 than Per2 is required for entrainment, and vice versa. In short, the time difference between Per1 and Per2 expression peaks can differentiate their dynamical functions. The resultant complementary contributions to phase responses can determine entrainability of the circadian clock to the light-dark cycle.


Galactic cosmic ray (GCR) changes have been suggested to affect weather and climate, and new evidence is presented here directly linking GCRs with clouds. Clouds increase the diffuse solar radiation, measured continuously at UK surface meteorological sites since 1947. The ratio of diffuse to total solar radiation—the diffuse fraction (DF)—is used to infer cloud, and is compared with the daily mean neutron count rate measured at Climax, Colorado from 1951–2000, which provides a globally representative indicator of cosmic rays. Across the UK, on days of high cosmic ray flux (above 3600×102 neutron counts h−1, which occur 87% of the time on average) compared with low cosmic ray flux, (i) the chance of an overcast day increases by (19±4) %, and (ii) the diffuse fraction increases by (2±0.3) %. During sudden transient reductions in cosmic rays (e.g. Forbush events), simultaneous decreases occur in the diffuse fraction. The diffuse radiation changes are, therefore, unambiguously due to cosmic rays. Although the statistically significant nonlinear cosmic ray effect is small, it will have a considerably larger aggregate effect on longer timescale (e.g. centennial) climate variations when day-to-day variability averages out.


Glucocorticoids (GCs) are routinely used as anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of asthma. They act through binding to glucocorticoid receptor α (GRα), which represses numerous genes encoding pro-inflammatory mediators. A hormone binding deficient GR isoform named GRβ has been isolated in humans. When overexpressed by transfection, GRβ may function as a dominant negative modulator of GRα. However, to act as such, GRβ has to be more abundant than GRα, and conflicting data have been obtained concerning the relative levels of the two isoforms in cell lines and freshly isolated cells. Moreover, the dominant negative effect was not confirmed by independent laboratories. In GCresistant asthmatics, GRβ was expressed by an increased number of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), airway T cells, and cells found in skin biopsies of tuberculin responses. However, the relative amounts of GRα and GRβ in these cells were not determined. In GC-dependent asthmatics, PBMCs expressed GRα predominantly. No cells containing higher levels of GRβ than GRα have yet been reported in asthmatics. Even if the existence of such cells is demonstrated, the role of GRβ in asthma will remain a matter of controversy because functional studies have given discrepant data.


details. The recovery staff must at all times be aware of the identity of an anaethetist responsible for each patient whom they can call upon in case of difficulties. The smooth running of operating lists depends upon the availability of competent recovery room nursing staff. We are leaving them with the sole charge of the patient whcn the patient is at their most vulnerable. It is behoven to us to furnish them with all relevant details verbally at time of handover; the nurse's attention should not be distracted


The metal–organic frameworks UiO-66 with single or binary −(OH)2 and −NO2 functional groups were synthesized, and their structures and properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Their performances in CO2 and CH4 adsorption at high pressures and different temperatures (273 and 298 K) were also determined. Singly functionalized UiO-66-(OH)2 had a lower thermal stability than UiO-66-NO2, but the thermal stability of binary UiO-66-(OH)2-NO2 significantly improved to 650 K. The binary-functionalized samples UiO-66-(OH)2-NO2 and UiO-66-NO2-(OH)2 displayed higher CH4 and CO2 adsorption than UiO-66-(OH)2 and UiO-66-NO2. The CO2 adsorption capacities of UiO-66-(OH)2-NO2 and UiO-66-NO2-(OH)2 were 4.65 and 7.35 mmol/g, respectively, at 273 K and 900 kPa. UiO-66-(OH)2 had a higher separation factor for selective separation of CO2 from CH4, especially at low pressures up to 100...


Although a large number of patients with unruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms (AN) have been treated by surgical clipping in Japan, there has yet been no comprehensive study investigating the surgical risks based on a quantitative evaluation of the extensive existing body of patient records. This systematic review was conducted to determine morbidity of the procedure by performing a meta-analysis of the literature. The authors used a PubMed and J-stage search from 2000 to 2011 for studies containing the surgical clipping of the unruptured MCA AN. There were 21 articles, containing a total 1,323 cases of unruptured AN with morbidity specifically located in the MCA. 54 cases indicated significant neurological deficits for a morbidity rate of 4.1% (95% CI; 3.0-5.1). A limited number of studies disclosed an incremental increase in morbidity with the size of the aneurysm. Smaller MCA AN (7±3 mm) presented a lower morbidity of 1.48%, whereas giant MCA AN (>25 mm) corresponded with a higher morbidity of 27.8%. Factors consistently associated with high morbidity included incorporated MCA branches, plaque at the neck of the AN, an unclippable configuration, and M1 superior wall AN. Complex aneurysms required a wide array of intracranial bypass procedures, yielding morbidity of 23.4% (95% CI; 20.9-25.9). This is the first systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis of the surgical complications related to unruptured MCA AN.


The fault location in underground cables is characterized as the technical difficulties due to complexities in cables. Based on the direct circuit analysis, a fault location algorithm for underground cables with no laterals is presented in this paper. The single-end phasor measurements, including the voltages and currents sampled in the substation side, are utilized to locate the single phase faults in the typical single-conductor cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cables rated at the medium voltage (MV) levels. The distinctive cable characteristics are considered, such as relatively large capacitance, effects of sheaths and sheath bonding methods. The different fault scenarios are taken into account as well. The effect of changes of cable parameters and application of static response load model are also investigated. The simulation studies demonstrate the proposed algorithm can achieve the high accuracy under various system and fault conditions.


In this note we discuss vacant set level set percolation on a transient weighted graph. It interpolates between the percolation of the vacant set of random interlacements and the level set percolation of the Gaussian free field. We employ coupling and derive a stochastic domination from which we deduce in a rather general set-up a certain monotonicity property of the percolation function. In the case of regular trees this stochastic domination leads to a strict inequality between some eigenvalues related to Ornstein-Uhlenbeck semi-groups for which we have no direct analytical proof. It underpins a certain strict monotonicity property that has significant consequences for the percolation diagram. It is presently open whether a similar looking diagram holds in the case of Z^d, with d bigger or equal to 3.


The design and operation of coal preparation plants are governed by the inherent quality of the raw coal to be processed, market specifications and the saleable tonnage requirements. Topography influences the layout of the plant but does not affect the process design. The coal market comprises many sectors, each having specific requirements with respect to both size and quality. In turn, these have led to different levels of preparation and the development of specific types of coal preparation plant design. Developments in processing techniques and processing equipment have also influenced the design and now give the preparation engineer numerous permutations in process and equipment selection. This paper gives an overview of the coal industry in general and summarizes some of the developments in the design of plants and technical developments in the areas of dense medium processing, fine coal treatment and equipment design.


The informer network was a part of the human capital of the communist police state, which had the property of dissolving the freestanding social capital of ordinary citizens. How was it built, and what was the agency of the informers in the process? A few documents from the archives of the Soviet security police allow us to see good practices as the KGB saw them. They show some of the routes by which informers came to the attention of the KGB, their varied motivations, and their social and psychological strengths and weaknesses. The pivot of the process was a contract for counter-intelligence services. The contract itself was partly written, partly verbal or implied, and highly incomplete. Before the contract, searching and due diligence were required to identify potential recruits. After the contract, to turn a recruit into a productive informer involved a further period of training and monitoring, often extending to renegotiation and further investments by both sides in the capabilities of the informer and the relationship of trust with the handler. Trust and deception were two sides of the informer's coin.


Abstract The Jiaodong Peninsula or eastern Shandong Province, the most important gold producing in region China, is located in the southeastern margin of the North China Craton. The gold deposits in the Jiaodong Peninsula are divided into three gold belts, from west to east, the Zhaoyuan–Laizhou, Penglai–Qixia and Muping–Rushan belts. The deposits occur as gold-bearing quartz veins and disseminated- and stockwork-style ores adjacent to fault zones. Most of the gold deposits can be classified in four stages: stage I, quartz–(minor) pyrite; stage II, pyrite–quartz–gold; stage III, quartz–base metal sulphide minerals; stage IV, quartz–carbonate. Ar–Ar ages, Rb–Sr isochrons, and hydrothermal zircon sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U–Pb ages obtained from these deposits suggest a gold mineralization time of 120±10 Ma. The Sr–Nd isotopic compositions of pyrites and the associated rocks suggest that the ore-forming materials were probably derived from a mixed source. Fluid inclusion studies show that ore-forming fluids of gold deposits are consistent throughout the Jiaodong Peninsula, with similar mineralizing temperature and pressure conditions. Ore-forming fluids are characterized by H2O–CO2–NaCl±CH4. The optimal mineralizing temperature and pressure ranges are 170–335 °C and 0.7–2.5 kbar. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope data show that ore fluids are of magmatic origin. Gold deposits in the Jiaodong Peninsula formed in the same mineralizing–geodynamic conditions, and are related to the Mesozoic tectonic transition in the eastern North China Craton. Gold metallogeny is only one expression of the Mesozoic tectonic transition.


This research tested hypotheses concerning attachment, social support, and grief responses to the loss of animal companionship. Participants whose companion cat or dog had recently died (N = 429) completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire, the Inventory of Complicated Grief, and the Multidimensional Health Profile-Psychosocial Functioning questionnaires. Both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were found to be positively associated with respondents' grief, depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. Social support was found to be negatively associated with these outcomes as well as with attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. In multiple regression analyses, attachment anxiety incrementally predicted grief, anxiety and somatic symptoms, attachment avoidance incrementally predicted grief and depression, and social support incrementally predicted all outcomes. Interaction effects of attachment and social support in relation to outcomes were not found. The present study's implications and limitations are discussed, as are directions for future research.


In this paper the concept of fuzzy nearly C-compactness is introduced in fuzzy topological spaces and fuzzy bitopological spaces. Several characterizations and some interesting properties of these spaces are discussed. The properties of fuzzy almost continuous and fuzzy almost open functions are also discussed.


Before gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) became available, approximately 20% of stimulated cycles within an in vitro fertilization (IVF) program were cancelled due to premature LH surges. By using the GnRHa to prevent LH surges via gonadotrope GnRH receptor down-regulation and desensitization, this percentage decreased to about 2%, and concomitantly, the IVF and pregnancy rates per cycle initiated were increased. Several treatment schedules currently are in use, including the so-called "long protocol," in which the GnRHa is begun in the luteal phase and down-regulation occurs before the start of the gonadotropin-stimulation treatment phase. This is generally the most effective regimen and is presently the most frequently used protocol. However, it has some disadvantages, such as hypoestrogenic side effects and an increase in the number of ampules of FSH or hMG required for adequate stimulation. There is a new generation of GnRH antagonists now clinically available, that has been able to minimize the potential side effects and provide reliable antagonism at the GnRH receptor. These agents seem better suited than GnRHa for assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles inasmuch as they can prevent LH surges without requiring complete gonadotropin suppression. We have reviewed the current literature concerning their use in IVF cycles. Target Audience: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians Learning Objectives: After completion of this article, the reader will be able to summarize the data surrounding the use of GnRH antagonists in IVF cycles, to list the potential treatment protocols for using GnRH antagonists, and to outline the side effects of GnRH antagonists.


The evolution of China into a modern nation-state has seen few episodes more meaningful than the Taiping Rebellion occurring in the latter half of the last century. In the leader of this rebellion, Hung Hsiu-ch'üan, there is much that is of special interest to the sociologist and the psychiatrist. In the origin of this vast movement can be seen the great importance of individualpsychological factors which elevate a leader and help to precipitate a revolutionary social transformation—for Hung is known to have suffered an acute mental disturbance which undoubtedly moulded his destiny. The rebellion has been interpreted variously as a peasant uprising against official corruption, a protest against intolerable economic distress, or simply a nationalistic revolt against the Manchu dynasty. Be that as it may, there is general agreement that it was a movement unique in Chinese history because it instituted a radical change in the political system which existed for more than two thousand years, and brought about economic, social, cultural, and religious reforms over the greater part of Central and South China between 1851 and 1864.


The purpose of this study is to evaluate the psycholexical study by Tsuji (2001) in terms of the Big Five personality factors. First, the study by Tsuji is described after reviewing shortly the history of psycholexical studies in Japan, and the need for the re-evaluation of his result by confirmatory factor rotation is stressed. Second, after obtaining the Factor Parsimony solution for Tsuji's psycholexical data, the application of the orthogonal incomplete procrustes factor rotation method discussed by Browne (1972) and Kashiwagi (1989) is proposed. Finally, the result is examined in terms of the Big Five personality traits. Although some differences appeared compared to the past works in Japanese adjectives for personality traits, the Big Five personality factors hypothesis has been confirmed through the present work in the sense of the markers discussed by Goldberg (1992).


Materials scientists have taken another step toward mimicking biological structures. They have assembled groups of lipid molecules into structures resembling cells, with an outer membrane encasing a series of vesicles. The artificial cells may boost efforts to use lipid spheres for delivering drugs to tumors and other tissues: By slowing the release of the drugs, the double membranes could lengthen the time between doses.


Objectives: To determine gene-gene interactions and missing heritability of complex diseases is a challenging topic in genome-wide association studies. The multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) method is one of the most commonly used methods for identifying gene-gene interactions with dichotomous phenotypes. For quantitative phenotypes, the generalized MDR or quantitative MDR (QMDR) methods have been proposed. These methods are known as univariate methods because they consider only one phenotype. To date, there are few methods for analyzing multiple phenotypes. Methods: To address this problem, we propose a multivariate QMDR method (Multi-QMDR) for multivariate correlated phenotypes. We summarize the multivariate phenotypes into a univariate score by dimensional reduction analysis, and then classify the samples accordingly into high-risk and low-risk groups. We use different ways of summarizing mainly based on the principal components. Multi-QMDR is model-free and easy to implement. Results: Multi-QMDR is applied to lipid-related traits. The properties of Multi- QMDR were investigated through simulation studies. Empirical studies show that Multi-QMDR outperforms existing univariate and multivariate methods at identifying causal interactions. Conclusions: The Multi-QMDR approach improves the performance of QMDR when multiple quantitative phenotypes are available.


Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), therefore it is essential to give preference to a glucose-lowering drug having optimal cardioprotective properties. A comparative study of the various sodium-glucose co-transporter inhibitors representatives' protective effects in experimental MI was not carried out within the framework of one study.Aim: To evaluate the influence of empagliflozin (EMPA) and canagliflozin (CANA), in comparison with sitagliptin (SITA), on hemodynamic parameters and myocardial damage area in rats with diabetes type 2 model in experimental MI.Materials and methods: Type 2 DM was modelled in Wistar rats by means of 4-week high-fat diet followed by nicotinamide 230 mg/kg and streptozotocin 60 mg/kg administration. 4 weeks after DM induction the following groups were made: «DM+SITA» — treatment with SITA 50 mg/kg, «DM+EMPA» — treatment with EMPA 2 mg/kg, «DM+CANA» — treatment with CANA 25 mg/kg per os once daily for 8 weeks. Animals in «DM» group remained untreated for the following 8 weeks. Rats in control group were fed with standard chow. 16 weeks after the experiment beginning transient global myocardial ischemia was modelled in all rats. Hemodynamic parameters and myocardium necrosis area were evaluated.Results: The necrosis area was larger in «DM» group, than in control one (p=0.018). Infarction size in «DM+SITA» did not differ from that in «DM» group (62.92(41.29;75.84) and 57.26(45.51;70.08)%, р=0.554). Necrosis area in «DM+EMPA» and «DM+CANA» groups was smaller than in «DM» group (37.90(20.76;54.66)%, 46.15(29.77;50.55) vs 57.26(45.51;70.08)%, р=0.008 and р=0.009, respectively). Necrosis size did not differ between «DM+EMPA» and «DM+CANA» groups (p=0.630). Ischemic contracture in «DM+CANA» group was less prominent than under the use of all other glucose-lowering drugs. We observed increase of coronary blood flow in «DM+EMPA» group, in comparison with «DM», «DM+CANA» and «DM+SITA» groups.Conclusions: SITA does not have cardioprotective effect in ischemia-reperfusion injury in diabetic rats. EMPA and CANA have similarly prominent infarct-limiting properties. EMPA is able to increase coronary blood flow, whereas cardioprotective action of CANA is associated with ischemic contracture diminishing.


In this paper we present various new inequalities for tail proabilities for distributions that are elements of the most improtant exponential families. These families include the Poisson distributions, the Gamma distributions, the binomial distributions, the negative binomial distributions and the inverse Gaussian distributions. All these exponential families have simple variance functions and the variance functions play an important role in the exposition. All the inequalities presented in this paper are formulated in terms of the signed log-likelihood. The inequalities are of a qualitative nature in that they can be formulated either in terms of stochastic domination or in terms of an intersection property that states that a certain discrete distribution is very close to a certain continuous distribution.


This article describes some recent developments in physiological measurement since the last `special issue' in 1978. Nine examples are given covering mature applications, new techniques and some `ideas for the future'. The need for good scientists in this interesting and challenging area is stressed. Physiological measurement is challenging because human physiology is complex. The examples described in this article illustrate some areas where cooperation between basic scientists, engineers, clinicians and, not least, patients has led to remarkable advances in our understanding of man and his physiology. Many challenges still lie ahead. There is no doubt that good quality graduates, with fresh minds and fresh enthusiasm, are needed to build on the foundation that has already been laid.


Background & Aims : ABO blood group antigens are well known genetic risk factors for various diseases. These antigens were reported as a non-modifiable risk factor for the development of hypertension independent of conventional modifiable risk factors. These findings were based on populations with pre-existing hypertension; however, such a relationship was rarely evaluated in normal healthy subjects. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of 400 healthy adolescents (203 males and 197 females) aged 17 to 25 years. The slide agglutination method was used for the determination of ABO blood typing. A standardized mercury sphygmomanometer was used for recording BP. Pulse Pressure (PP) and Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) were also calculated. JNC-8 guidelines were used for calculation of the prevalence of elevated BP across ABO groups. ANOVA test was used to compare BP values in ABO blood groups. Chi-square correlation was used to assess frequency distribution of ABO blood groups among hypertensive and normal subjects. Results : Blood group B was most prevalent (35.2%) in our study. The highest average values of SBP DBP, PP, and MAP were recorded in blood group AB. The observed differences in the mean values of BP indices across ABO blood groups were statistically insignificant. Maximum subjects with elevated blood pressure were found in blood group A (n=12;10.81%) but no significant association was observed between ABO blood groups and elevated blood pressure. Conclusion : Tendencies for developing elevated BP levels have no significant association with ABO blood groups in young healthy subjects of any gender.


The concept and development of magnetic energy storage has been studied recently. It has been found that large single-layer superconductive energy storage solenoids are economically attractive if they are buried in tunnels in bedrock. The radial forces can be transferred directly through low-thermal-conductivity, high-compression stress struts. To reduce the cold structure required to support axial forces, the concept of segmented solenoids was proposed. The authors present a study of various cost parameters regarding the solenoid aspect ratio and the separation distances between tunnels. The amount of axial structure required is calculated by the virtual work method. To reduce the mechanical strain in the conductor, it has been suggested that the conductor be rippled: an analytical expression for the increase in the magnetic field due to rippling is derived.


Key problems in dependability and performance analysis of highly parallel fault tolerant computer systems include the combined evaluation of performance and dependability and the largeness of the underlying (semi-)Markov models. During the course of this grant, we have obtained major results in three distinct areas: novel solution methods for large performance and dependability models, on the methods of combined evaluation of performance and dependability and application of our methods to practical problems.


Children spend an average of 1.3 hours per day on video game and problematic video gaming prevalence is set between 2% and 8%. High levels of intensity and frequency of video gaming are associated with lower school achievement. Home is the most preferred place to play. Therefore parental monitoring is crucial. Objective: To analyse gaming patterns and to identify significant relationships between parental monitoring and academic performance. Method: Participants: 610 students of Secondary Education mean age 13.84 years (SD=1.27; range 12-16). Ad hoc scales were developed to analyse gaming frequency and intensity, school performance and parental monitoring. Results: Children, whose parents control gaming time and show interest in the contents continuously, play significantly fewer days, fewer hours and with adjusted contents to their age. Those with discontinuous parental control ("sometimes"), show a higher gaming frequency and intensity, and the proportion of unadjusted content, and do not differ from those without parental control. In addition, a greater number of hours of play are related to lower academic achievement. Discussion/ conclusions: This work helps in defining gambling problem behaviour. Results indicate that parental control is effective, on condition that it must be continuous and consistent.


There is a growing prevalence of silicone breast implant rupture and need for removal. This article identifies a novel method of removing silicone gel breast implants which addresses issues identified with the current methods. Our technique is an efficient and effective method but most importantly complies to strict Therapeutic Goods Administration guidelines for equipment used in surgery.


Analogie e mimesi tra scienze computazionali e sociologia: l'Intelligenza Artificiale in Achille Ardigo - This essay is about the 80th-90th Italian sociological context when the second order cybernetic and the theory of the complexity introduced a new perspective. That context produced a convergence between social sciences and Artificial Intelligence (AI) theory. The paper focuses on 3 perspectives: 1. the sociocultural change: AI is a cultural approach that produces an imaginary about the mutation introduced by the informatic evolution. It opens people's concerns and hopes about the relation between "man" and cybernetic "machine". 2. The analogy between the theory that produces intelligence machines and the social system theory that thinks the society in an abstract and artificial way, by producing consequences on epistemological level and governance. 3. the social impact of the AI outputs in relational live and in the production of the reality. On the one hand the interest is about the Expert Systems that can support analytical and decision-making processes - here the risk is an emerging attitude to the abstract process rather then to the practices; on the other hand the interest is about two kinds of interactions: human-machine and human-machine-human. Keywords: Achille Ardigo, Artificial Intelligence, artificial culture, micromacro link, human-computer interaction, web 2.0. Parole chiave: Achille Ardigo, Intelligenza Artificiale, cultura dell'artificiale, micro-macro link, comunicazione uomo-macchina, web 2.0.


In a seminal work, Gupta and Kumar derived the conditions for the asymptotic connectivity of a network composed of nodes uniformly distributed over a disc of unit area, as the number of nodes goes to infinity [l]. In this work, we incorporate the channel fading and we provide the conditions for the network connectivity, in case of single or multi-antenna transceivers. In particufar, we derive closed form, albeit approximate, expressions for the spatial density with which the nodes must be deployed in order to insure the network connectivity with a desired probability. Finally, we show how to improve the connectivity by allowing nearby nodes to transmit in a cooperative manner, using a distributed space-time coding strategy, in order to get spatial diversity gain.


Innovative mobile money services have grown tremendously in the East African market. While there are positive effects of technology-enabled financial inclusion, risks exist. This study sought to strengthen the capacity of technology risk management by proposing practices and strategies that can protect the financial technology ecosystem. Applying the ISACA Risk IT Framework, data was collected in June 2019 from the leading digital lenders in Kenya. The study found that while regulated mobile lenders have an IT risk management environment that is viewed as a critical success factor, unregulated entities have minimal integration of IT risk management essentials. This study is useful to many developing countries where governments are working towards having secure and strong financial systems that contribute to the Millennium Sustainable Development Goals. Regulators and practitioners must ensure the financial technology lending ecosystem is protected from risks that could reverse gains made from witnessed developments in financial inclusion.


The concept of four-level context by Ruth Wodak is to provide triangulation and minimize the risk of being biased. Simultaneously the analysis of this concept in combination with the research programme of HDA is an expression of interdisciplinarity's importance in this approach. One should notice that interdisciplinarity is not an aim itself and it is a subject to limitations. The most specific limitations are those which result from triangulation on the interdiscursive level.


The Gershon review of efficiency recommended that target improvements in efficiency should be met both through financial savings and through improvements in quality of outputs. This paper reports on a pilot project designed to feed into an approach for local authorities to quantify in monetary terms quality gains in the provision of personal social services (PSS), with a specific application to the provision of home care for older people.

 There are a number of practical and theoretical problems with attributing monetary values to aspects of quality. The approach described here builds on ongoing work into the measurement of PSS outputs for the purposes of National Accounts and measuring changes in productivity and efficiency more widely. This approach distinguishes what services could provide (capacity for benefit) from the quality of what is provided in practice. By attaching a financial valuation to capacity for benefit we are able to attribute a monetary valuation to changes in the quality of provision measured (in the case of home care) through service user experiences of their care.

 Capacity for benefit (CfB) is defined in terms of eight domains of outcome that services address and four levels of need (no needs, all needs met, low needs, high needs) within these domains. In addition we identify whether people are living in their own homes, as a key attribute of care provision. The characteristics of the service (in terms of domains of outcome and whether living at home) and service users (in terms of level of need that need to be met) determine the CfB of a given service.