A list is given of 137 species of minerals which are found in the region near Franklin, New Jersey. It is shown that these may be classified genetically into five groups of varying importance. Of the whole number of species, 111 are found in the zinc ore-bodies and 98 in these only; 13 are found in granite pegmatities; 18 in iron ores of pegmatic origin; 26 in the Pre-cambrian limestone and 5 in the Paleozoic limestone. These five paragenetic groups are described, those of less importance first and then the main group of the zinc-ore minerals. A paragenetic table for this group shows four main subdivisions viz: 1. Primary Ores: 2. Pegmatite Contact Minerals, (a) Skarns and Recrystallization Products; (b) Pneumatolytic Products: 3. Hydrothermal Vein Minerals: 4. Surface Oxidation Products. Each of these groups is described with examples of characteristic mineral associations. The origin of the zinc ores is discussed. The author's theory is that metasomatic deposits of hydrated oxides and silicates of iron, manganese and zinc were formed by replacement in the white limestone and that these ore-bodies were changed to their present mineral composition during the Pre-cambrian regional metamorphism simultanmusly with the recrystallization of the enclosing limestone. Subsequent intrusions of pegmatites produced recrystallization of the primary minerals near contacts , and formed skarns by interaction of ores and magmatic materials. PneumatolyLic products of the pegmatite magma also reacted with the primary ores to produce numerous vein minerals and as the temperature fell hydrothermal veins of great variety were formed in the ore-body. These products of pegmatite intrusion are extremely diverse mineralogically but of minor importance compared to the great mass of the primary franklinite-willemite-calcite-ores.


Piperine (PIP), a compound found in Piper longum, has shown promise as a potential chemotherapeutic agent for breast cancer. However, its inherent toxicity has limited its application. To overcome this challenge, researchers have developed PIP@MIL-100(Fe), an organic metal–organic framework (MOF) that encapsulates PIP for breast cancer treatment. Nanotechnology offers further treatment options, including the modification of nanostructures with macrophage membranes (MM) to enhance the evasion of the immune system. In this study, the researchers aimed to evaluate the potential of MM-coated MOFs encapsulated with PIP for breast cancer treatment. They successfully synthesized MM@PIP@MIL-100(Fe) through impregnation synthesis. The presence of MM coating on the MOF surface was confirmed through SDS-PAGE analysis, which revealed distinct protein bands. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images demonstrated the existence of a PIP@MIL-100(Fe) core with a diameter of around 50 nm, surrounded by an outer lipid bilayer layer measuring approximately 10 nm in thickness. Furthermore, the researchers evaluated the cytotoxicity indices of the nanoparticles against various breast cancer cell lines, including MCF-7, BT-549, SKBR-3, and MDA. The results demonstrated that the MOFs exhibited between 4 and 17 times higher cytotoxicity (IC50) in all four cell lines compared to free PIP (IC50 = 193.67 ± 0.30 µM). These findings suggest that MM@PIP@MIL-100(Fe) holds potential as an effective treatment for breast cancer. The study's outcomes highlight the potential of utilizing MM-coated MOFs encapsulated with PIP as an innovative approach for breast cancer therapy, offering improved cytotoxicity compared to free PIP alone. Further research and development are warranted to explore the clinical translation and optimize the efficacy and safety of this treatment strategy.


The present investigation explains and gathers various analysis variables for the theoretical understanding of the political marketing and its incidence over the people of the city of Sucre, taking as a parameter the rural and urban population.
The text sustains that the influence of the political marketing on the population happens through its affectation in the environment of the political communication and the effort of the actual government to make it.s acts believable in all the actions that performs.
It exposed from an economic interpretation, how much the government invest in publicity in the different media (television, radio and newspapers) in a relation with the credibility that it is creating in the mind of the population able to vote.


Anti-CRIT-ed1 (recognising the first extracellular domain of CRIT) was passively transferred into mice which were subsequently challenged with 500 trypomastigotes of T. brucei subsp. brucei. At a peak of infection, eight days after challenge infection, mice that had received 0.5 mg anti-CRIT-ed1 (ascites) had significantly reduced levels of parasitaemia compared to control mice. This inhibiton was also found to be dose-dependent. As passive transfer of anti-CRIT-ed2, the antibody recognising the second extracellular domain did not reduce parasitaemia, the protection was deemed specific. The protection afforded by passive transfer of anti-CRIT-ed1 also delayed mortality. To exclude the possibility that the reduction in parasitaemia was due to intact IgG inducing complement-mediated lysis of trypomastigotes we found that whereas anti-CRIT-ed1 was unable to induce complement-mediated lysis of cultured trypomastigotes, the sera from T. brucei subsp brucei-infected mice induced lysis.


Diabetes is currently one of the most common, dangerous, and costly diseases in the world that is caused by an increase in blood sugar or a decrease in insulin in the body. Diabetes can have detrimental effects on people's health if diagnosed late. Today, diabetes has become one of the challenges for health and government officials. Prevention is a priority, and taking care of people's health without compromising their comfort is an essential need. In this study, the Ensemble training methodology based on genetic algorithms are used to accurately diagnose and predict the outcomes of diabetes mellitus. In this study, we use the experimental data, real data on Indian diabetics on the University of California website. Current developments in ICT, such as the Internet of Things, machine learning, and data mining, allow us to provide health strategies with more intelligent capabilities to accurately predict the outcomes of the disease in daily life and the hospital and prevent the progression of this disease and it's many complications. The results show the high performance of the proposed method in diagnosing the disease, which has reached 98.8%, and 99% accuracy in this study.


A method to locate periodic structures in general three-dimensional Stokes flows with time-periodic boundary conditions is presented and applied to mixing cavity flows. Numerically obtained velocity fields and particle tracking schemes are used to provide displacement and stretching fields. From these the location and identification of periodic points can be derived. The presence or absence of these periodic points allows a judgement on the quality of the mixing process. The technique is general and efficient, and applicable to mixing flows for which no analytical velocity field is available (the case for all three-dimensional flows considered in this paper). Results are presented for three different mixing protocols in a three-dimensional time-periodic cavity flow, serving as an accessible test case for the methods developed. A major result is that periodic lines are obtained for these three-dimensional flows. These lines can be complex in geometry and their nature can change along a line from hyperbolic to elliptic. They can serve as practical criteria in the optimization of three-dimensional mixing processes.


OBJECTIVE
To detect the expression patterns of Notch(1) and Jagged(1) in the hippocampus of focal ischemia and find out whether the Notch pathway is involved in the regulation of the differentiation of the proliferated neural precursor cells in the dentate gyrus under ischemic conditions.

METHODS
42 SD rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) group undergoing MCAO by intraluminal thread technique so as to cause focal cerebral infarction, sham operation group, and normal control group.19 and 28 days after the operation 6 rats in each group were killed with their hippocampus taken out. The protein and mRNA levels of Notch(1) and Jagged(1) in hippocampus were assayed respectively by Western blotting and real-time reverse-transcription PCR.

RESULTS
The protein and mRNA expression levels of Notch(1) on the 19th day of the MCAO group were up-regulated, both significantly higher than those of the sham operation and control groups (all P < 0.05). The protein and mRNA expression levels of Notch(1) on the 28th day of the MCAO group were both significantly lower than those of the same group on the 19th day (both P < 0.01), and were lower than those of the sham operation and control groups on the 28th day, however, not significantly (all P > 0.05). The protein and mRNA expression levels of Jagged(1) on the 19th and 28th days of the MCAO group were significantly higher than those of the sham and control groups (all P < 0.05), however, there were not significant differences in the protein and mRNA expression levels of Jagged(1) on the 19th and 28th days of the MCAO group (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION
The protein and gene expression of Notch(1) and Jagged(1) vary dynamically in the hippocampus of focal ischemia, which suggests that the Notch pathway may be a potential mechanism in the regulation of the neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus.


The surgical treatment of severe hypospadias can be very challenging. In selected cases with severe lack of tissue, cultured autologous urothelial cells can be used to create a transplanted neourethra. The algorithm for using tissue-engineering techniques for the surgical repair of the male urethra includes 3 main steps. First, the autologous urothelial cells are harvested from the patient, e.g. by bladder washing through a catheter with sterile saline. Second, the cells are propagated and expanded in the laboratory environment. Finally, the cells are transplanted back to the patient in the final surgical repair. We have used this technique in a clinical setting in severe hypospadias. Transplants for creation of the neourethra were used ventrally in an on-lay fashion with remaining skin dorsally in the urethra. Our follow-up shows a good clinical result including data concerning voiding position, urinary flow, artificial erection, cosmetic appearance, urethroscopy and biopsies. Tissue-engineering techniques can, however, benefit from further improvement and, thus, be developed for additional applications. We conclude that in hypospadias repair with cultured autologous urothelial cells is an option for the surgical treatment when there is a lack of local tissue for the repair.


This article argues that the teaching of English as an international language (EIL) should be based on an entirely different set of assumptions than has typically informed English language teaching (ELT) pedagogy. To begin, several defining features of an international language are described. Because these features have altered the nature of English itself, the author maintains that the pedagogy for teaching English must also change. The author then describes how two developments – a dramatic increase in the number of second language speakers of English and a shift in the cultural basis of English – have significantly altered the nature of English. These changes challenge several common assumptions of ELT pedagogy, namely that: interest in learning of English is largely the result of linguistic imperialism; ELT research and pedagogy should be informed by native speaker models; the cultural content for ELT should be derived from the cultures of native English speakers; the culture of learning that informs communicative language teaching (CLT) provides the most productive method for ELT. The article ends by positing major assumptions that should inform a comprehensive theory of EIL pedagogy.


Water demand is increasing day by day in the entire world, which is why waterscarcity is among the most disturbed issues in current time. Crop water requirementsestimation is a reliable way of managing water used by agriculture. This research wasconducted to determine the crop water requirements of the major crop (Maize) grow inNigeria, at four aridity zones which are, Semi-Arid, Moist Sub-Humid, Dry Sub-Humid andHumid zones and to compare the difference in water demands of the maize in the four zonesin order to come out with best region to grow maize in Nigeria with more efficiency and lesswater demands. CROPWAT 8.0 was used in carrying out the research using Penman-Monteith method which was regarded as the best method by FAO. The result showed thateffective rainfall was sufficient to provide the crop (Maize) with the required water it neededto grow in both Moist Sub-Humid, Dry Sub-Humid, and Humid zone while irrigation waterwas needed to be added to rainfall water in order to achieve the crop water requirements ofthe maize in Semi-Arid zone. Thus, the three (3) zones were more efficient in Maizeproduction.


The 71Ga and 129Si magic angle spinning(MAS) NMR and some 1H NMR (CRAMPS) investigations were carried out on H(Ga)ZSM5 zeolites. Quantification of the 71Ga NMR responses, obtained for the acid form of the zeolite, showed that .apprx.70 +- 2% of the theor. signal intensity was measured, based on the total Ga content of the samples. Only signals from tetrahedral Ga were obsd. in a reproducible manner. The lack of Ga NMR response, which is ascribed to the presence of large elec. field gradients on part of the Ga nuclei, was found to depend on the nature of the counter ion in the zeolite. Max. NMR signal intensities were obtained for Rb+- and Cs+-exchanged zeolites. A model to explain these phenomena is presented. The gallosilicates were thermally stable up as ?600 Deg but in the presence of steam a loss of framework Ga was obsd. at >550 Deg. [on SciFinder (R)]


This paper explores how Early Career Academics (ECAs) come to understand their future and the nature of their academic labour at a time when the profession as a whole faces increasingly uncertain and challenging working conditions. Focusing on a group of 20 ECAs with an allegiance to Critical Management Studies (CMS), we explore how they attempt to find their feet and to practise in ways compatible with their own values within environments and evaluation systems potentially at odds with their CMS agendas. We draw on Bourdieu's theory of practice and his concepts of 'hysteresis' and 'illusio' to understand the various transitions they have to make to practise in this academic field and why they feel the investment is nevertheless worthwhile. In so doing we paint a rich description of the often painful experiences of this group and identify a series of disjunctures between their habitus and the current field. We then explore how they use these disjunctures as springboards for learning how to manoeuver within the field through developing what we term a 'critical' habitus. We argue that their role as outsiders and their experiences of disjuncture might help these ECAs to negotiate the complex field, not only in working out the rules of the game but also in developing a facility to bend them and develop their own personal rules.


We have constructed a stochastic transmission model for lymphatic filariasis caused by Wuchereria bancrofti, and have analyzed its prevalence using computer simulations. In Pondicherry, India, where Wuchereria bancrofti has been spreading, the Vector Control Research Centre has carried out an integrated vector control strategy against malaria and filariasis for five years (1981~1985) with good results reported. Our study was aimed at evaluating the effect of vector control in the context of Pondicherry, and in particular the continuous effect for the post-control period. In this paper, we have used the LYMFASIM model proposed by Plaisier et al., the carrying capacity model by Rochet and the population dynamics model by us. In the LYMFASIM model and the carrying capacity model, we have modified the quantities of parameters in order to fit the models to the parasitological, entomological and epidemiological data in Pondicherry. We have combined the improved LYMFASIM model with the other models. Through simulations of our combinated model, we have compared the prevalence rate in the human population as well as the mean number of L3-larvae in the mosquito population, with and without vector control. As a result, the simulations show that the prevalence rate would be restrained for a long time even if only a small continuous effect of the vector control remains in the post-control period. However, the mean number of L3-larvae would recovered within a short time comparatively. This is because of the differences in life spans between human and mosquito as well as the incubation periods between the adult worm in the human host and L3-larvae in the mosquito vector.


Expectant management was studied in 35 patients representing 4.9% of all ectopic pregnancies during an 8 year period. Laparoscopy was performed in a first period to define the inclusion criteria: hematosalpinx < or = 2 cm and hemoperitoneum < or = 50 ml. In a second period, inclusion criteria used a predictive pretherapeutic score < or = 11 with a sonographic visualization of the ectopic pregnancy. This score involved six criteria graded on a scale from 1 to 3: gestational age, hCG and P level, existence of abdominal pain, size of hemoperitoneum and diameter of hematosalpinx assessed sonographically. The patients were on out-patients basis. Success rate was 85.7% (30/35 patients). When the pretherapeutic score was < or = 11 and the initial hCG level < 1,000 mUl/ml the success rate increased to 96%. Thirteen patients (87%) had patent tubes evaluated by hysterosalpingography on the side of the ectopic pregnancy. Twelve patients delivered one miscarriage occurred and none ectopic pregnancy was observed. Expectant management is a useful form of treatment for ectopic pregnancy in selected cases.


Intraperitoneal rupture of the bladder is an uncommon condition that is usually caused by pelvic fractures. This is a true surgical emergency managed conventionally by open laparotomy with single or double layer repair. We present a case of successful laparoscopic repair of an intraperitoneal bladder rupture secondary to blunt abdominal trauma and pelvic fracture in a 37 year-old man. The repair was done using single layer repair, with successful results.


Introduction Surveillance of cirrhotic patients for HCC is recommended by numerous national and international guidelines. However many patients are still diagnosed de novo with this malignancy. Data on the benefits of surveillance remains relatively limited. Our aim was to compare stage at diagnosis and patient outcome for those diagnosed on surveillance and those who were not. Methods Using our regional HCC MDT database, we analysed patients diagnosed with HCC between January 2009 and January 2012. All patients were staged using the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) system. We compared the stage at diagnosis, the treatment strategy after MDT discussion, and the survival in those diagnosed in surveillance with those diagnosed de novo. Statistical comparisons were made using CHI-squared or Kaplan Meier analysis as appropriate. Results 190 patients were diagnosed with HCC at MDT during the study period. We had full follow-up data on 169 patients which were used for analyses, with mean follow up 10 months. Mean age was 68 years and 82% patients were male. Aetiology was alcoholic liver disease in 32% and HCV in 15%. 38 (22%) patients were in surveillance programmes at diagnosis of HCC and 132 (78%) were not. Tumours were BCLC stage A at diagnosis in 28.9% patients in surveillance, compared with 6.1% not in surveillance (p = 0.0003). 15.8% those diagnosed in surveillance underwent transplantation or resection, compared with 2.3% who were not (p = 0.004). Survival for those diagnosed in surveillance was greater than those diagnosed de novo (p = 0.01) Conclusion Most patients diagnosed with HCC in our region were not in surveillance programmes. Patients diagnosed on surveillance were more likely to have potentially curative disease and had higher overall survival. Disclosure of Interest None Declared References EASL Clinical practise guidelines: Management of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol 2012; 56:908–943 AASLD Practice Guidelines management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An update. Hepatol 2010; 53(3):1021–1022 APASL consensus on HCC. Hepatol Intern 2010; 4:439–74


Young glasshouse grown seedlings, 18-months-old, of several species within the Cupressaceae were inoculated with the canker-causing pathogens Seiridium cardinale, S. cupressi and S. unicorne at two positions: position 1, 35‐40 cm above the root colar and position 2, 1.5‐2.0 cm a.r.c. In terms of the lengths of lesions caused on inoculated stems, S. cardinale proved more virulent than S. cupressi or S. unicorne on all Cupressus species. S. cupressi was more virulent than S. unicorne only on C. macrocarpa. C. macrocarpa was the most susceptible to S. cardinale (at position 1 and 2), C. sempervirens and C. torulosa were also susceptible whereas C. arizonica was moderately susceptible to this pathogen (position 1). In contrast, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana was highly resistant to S. cardinale (position 1 and 2) but was more damaged by S. cupressi at position 1 and S. unicorne at position 2. Intraspecific variation in susceptibility to S. cardinale was found in C. sempervirens seedlings (inoculated at position 2) from four different seed sources which developed different canker lengths after 50 days, although this variation was lower than between species variation. Cankers developed more rapidly when inoculations were made 35‐40 cm above the root collar, where the periderm had formed recently, than when made 1.5‐2.0 cm above the root collar, where rhytidome development had occurred, suggesting that older bark is more resistant than younger bark to growth of Seiridium. Inoculation of seedlings of C. sempervirens (Krete provenance) with 8 different isolates of S. cardinale showed the relatively low variability in virulence within this pathogen species. Only single isolate caused lesions <10 mm in length around the inoculation points 30 days after inoculation, whereas the other 7 isolates caused lesions of approximately 30 mm in length in the same time period. These results correlate well with those published from previous studies where inoculations were made on older trees and demonstrate the utility of this method in the early screening of Cupressus seedlings for resistance to Seiridium canker and testing the virulence of the three fungus species.


Several targeted advertising platforms offer transparency mechanisms, but researchers and civil societies repeatedly showed that those have major limitations. In this paper, we propose a collaborative ad transparency method to infer, without the cooperation of ad platforms, the targeting parameters used by advertisers to target their ads. Our idea is to ask users to donate data about their attributes and the ads they receive and to use this data to infer the targeting attributes of an ad campaign. We propose a Maximum Likelihood Estimator based on a simplified Bernoulli ad delivery model. We first test our inference method through controlled ad experiments on Facebook. Then, to further investigate the potential and limitations of collaborative ad transparency, we propose a simulation framework that allows varying key parameters. We validate that our framework gives accuracies consistent with real-world observations such that the insights from our simulations are transferable to the real world. We then perform an extensive simulation study for ad campaigns that target a combination of two attributes. Our results show that we can obtain good accuracy whenever at least ten monitored users receive an ad. This usually requires a few thousand monitored users, regardless of population size. Our simulation framework is based on a new method to generate a synthetic population with statistical properties resembling the actual population, which may be of independent interest.


Summary The studies reported here were carried out in an effort to extend our previous observation that the cholesterol negative feedback system is deleted in 3 varieties of hepatoma. In the present study the status of this feedback system has been examined in 10 additional transplantable hepatomas and in 1 human hepatoma. Although active cholesterol synthesis could be demonstrated in each of these tumors, in every case the cholesterol feedback system was found to be absent. Furthermore, the deletion of this feedback system from the highly differentiated Morris hepatoma 7787 suggests that this derangement of cholesterol feedback control may be a property of malignancy per se rather than a nonspecific effect of dedifferentiation. In conclusion, the deletion of the cholesterol feedback system in a total of 14 hepatomas so far examined, together with the demonstration of this lesion in a very highly differentiated liver tumor, suggests that the loss of this feedback system may be characteristic of malignancy in the liver.


The goal was to identify performance indicators predicting attack efficacy in volleyball's game phase denominated Complex II, i.e., the counter-attack. 28 games from the 2007 Men's World Cup were analyzed. Attack efficacy was predicted by three primary variables: Attack tempo, Attack type, and Number of blockers. Power attack and Attack tempo 1 increased the probability of an Attack point. The supremacy of Attack tempo 3 and the high frequency of Two blockers and Three blockers reflected the difficulty of efficient attack during Complex II. Despite unfavourable conditions, attackers managed to execute Power attacks in the majority of the situations, and score a high frequency of Attack points.


Abstract Background: There is paucity of information on mechanisms constituting adverse birth outcomes. We assessed here the relationship between vascular integrity and adverse birth effects. Methods and results: Third trimester maternal plasma (n = 144) from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study (MIREC) was analysed for vascular, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers by HPLC-fluorescence, protein array and EIA method. Analysis of the <25th and >75th percentile birth weight subgroups revealed markers associated with birth weight (ETs, MMP-9, VEGF, and 8-isoPGF-2α) and gestational age (ET-1, MMP-2, and VEGF). Conclusions: Mechanistic insights into adverse birth outcome pathways can be achieved by integrating information on multiple biomarkers, physiology using systems biology approach.


Serious instability and deadly political violence have surrounded several recent elections and gained global media coverage. Do elections in general make such incidents more likely? Are elections especially dangerous in partially democratic or ethnically divided states? Elections are among the most common and well-studied of political events. Nevertheless the academic literature is divided on this topic. Our quantitative analysis suggests that elections are rarely dangerous, even when they occur in difficult political or ethnic contexts. On the contrary, we find that elections tend to decrease the chance of instability in states with high ethnic fractionalization. We argue that during election periods, high levels of ethnic fractionalization lower the expected payoffs for violent methods of political gain relative to the expected value of minority, opposition or coalition status. Elections, we posit, provide inducements that are particularly appealing to ethnic groups seeking limited power or autonomy within a state, while such limited gains through institutionalized mechanisms controlled by the state are also less threatening to incumbent governments or other ethnic groups in the society. We point to the importance of both our statistically significant and insignificant findings. We conclude by drawing out some theoretical and policy implications of the lack of evidence for a general effect for elections, and the apparently robust evidence for a pacifying effect in ethnically divided states.


A proven and tested method for helping improve completion design during well stimulation is formally presented. Systematic changes in terms of cluster spacing, fluid design, proppant design, and perforating scheme were evaluated and implemented in real time. Post completion evaluation led to a series of design improvements applied to active and future projects.
 The ultimate goal of the project was to identify an improved completion design both in terms of productivity and economic efficiency in real time. A formal approach of beginning at the cluster level and expanding to the asset level was followed. The project focus progressed from the optimal stage completion to well completion and then section. For stage and well optimization, the target was to meet or exceed the type curve for the area while maintaining economic discipline. This paper will focus on the near wellbore aspect of asset optimization.
 The diagnostic pad consisted of six wells configured in a wine rack spacing design. A single diagnostic well "Wildcat No. 1" was completed individually and included a fiber-optic cable installed on casing. During completion downhole, microseismic monitoring and tilt were recorded from nearby vertical wellbores.
 The cluster-level flow profiles were recorded at each stage using fiber-optics. This data, provided in real time, enabled a dynamic workflow to test, assess, and immediately apply learnings. For example, stage length was tested, evaluated, and adjusted until a favorable length was identified.
 Improvements in the completion design around the fluid system, cluster spacing, shots per foot (spf), injection rate, and execution parameters were identified based on the Uniformity Index (UI). Temporal changes to the completion design were also reviewed and identified. This approach is as significant as the technologies that enable it and is discussed in detail.


Gas phase solid freeform fabrication research at The University of Connecticut focuses on two main procedures, Selective Area Laser Deposition (SALD) and Selective Area Laser Deposition Vapor Infiltration (SALDVI). A SFF research laboratory is under construction at UCONN, with two new operation systems. These systems possess temperature control, data acquisition capabilities, in-situ video monitoring, and the ability to fabricate SALDVI parts up to four inches wide by four inches long. The procurement of a harmonic generating Nd: YAG six watt laser, capable of producing output at 532, 355, and 266 nanometer wavelengths, as well as a coupled effort with the Photonics Center at the University providing laser diodes at a variety of wavelengths, presents the opportunity to explore interactions involved in gas reactions driven by lasers. Investigations of material systems will include ceramic carbides, nitrides, and their composites, as well as metals.


This study examines how journalistic content can be affected when a local newspapers website changes its business model to what is commonly known as a premium paywall.This study is based upon data provided by the local newspaper Barometern. The data concerns the number of online articles included in fifteen subject and geographically defined categories. The data was collected from two three month long periods, one before and one after the introduction of the news paper paywall that was installed in October of 2014.The study finds that the total number of articles published after the introduction of the paywall was significantly higher than before but that the share of articles included in the different subject categories did not change considerably for paying readers. For non- paying readers however, the data show that the share of articles for the different subject and geographical categories changed significantly.Even though the data from this study cannot confirm a correlation, it does highlight a possible connection between media competition in different local markets and subject matters and the amount of articles that are placed behind the newspapers online paywall in that category. This means that non-paying readers in this case got access to a large number of articles included in some categories and only a small portion of articles included in some other categories. Non-paying readers not only got access to a smaller number of articles but also to a different content profile than paying readers.


Partial client participation has been widely adopted in Federated Learning (FL) to reduce the communication burden efficiently. However, an inadequate client sampling scheme can lead to the selection of unrepresentative subsets, resulting in significant variance in model updates and slowed convergence. Existing sampling methods are either biased or can be further optimized for faster convergence.In this paper, we present DELTA, an unbiased sampling scheme designed to alleviate these issues. DELTA characterizes the effects of client diversity and local variance, and samples representative clients with valuable information for global model updates. In addition, DELTA is a proven optimal unbiased sampling scheme that minimizes variance caused by partial client participation and outperforms other unbiased sampling schemes in terms of convergence. Furthermore, to address full-client gradient dependence,we provide a practical version of DELTA depending on the available clients' information, and also analyze its convergence. Our results are validated through experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets.


The term Urmetazoa, as the hypothetical metazoan ancestor, was introduced to highlight the finding that all metazoan phyla including the Porifera [sponges] derived from one common ancestor. Analyses of sponge genomes, from Demospongiae, Calcarea and Hexactinellida have permitted the reconstruction of the evolutionary trail from Fungi to Metazoa. This has provided evidence that the characteristic evolutionary novelties of Metazoa existing in Porifera share high sequence similarities and in some aspects also functional similarities to related polypeptides found in other metazoan phyla. It is surprising that the genome of Porifera is large and comprises substantially more genes than Protostomia and Deuterostomia. On the basis of solid taxonomy and ecological data, the high value of this phylum for human application becomes obvious especially with regard to the field of chemical ecology and the hope to find novel potential drugs for clinical use. In addition, the benefit of efforts in understanding molecular biodiversity with focus on sponges can be seen in the fact that these animals as "living fossils" allow to stethoscope into the past of our globe especially with respect to the evolution of Metazoa.


We describe a patient with stenosis on the left main stem and severe impairment of the left ventricular function. Because of reversible myocardial ischaemia in a patient whose clinical situation prohibited surgery, angioplasty on the left main stem was performed, leading to considerable improvement of the ventricular function. Improvement was slow, however, probably due to "stunning" of the myocardium. We underline the importance of early angiography in patients when it is suspected that a larger part of the myocardium is affected by severe, reversible ischaemia.


&NA; We analyse the estimation of values of a survey variable throughout a continuum of points in a study area when a sample of points is selected by a probabilistic sampling scheme. At each point, the value is estimated using an inverse distance weighting interpolator, and maps of the survey variable can be obtained. We investigate the design‐based asymptotic properties of the interpolator when the study area remains fixed and the number of sampled points approaches infinity, and we derive conditions ensuring design‐based asymptotic unbiasedness and consistency. The conditions essentially require the existence of a pointwise or uniformly continuous function describing the behaviour of the survey variable and the use of spatially balanced designs to select points. Finally, we propose a computationally simple mean squared error estimator.


Developing highly efficient and stable noble-metal-free catalysts toward catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB) for hydrogen storage is highly desirable, but still remains challenging. We report a simple and in situ co-reduction approach to synthesize bimetallic NiCoP nanoparticles (NPs) supported on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Thanks to the strong electronic interaction between Ni, Co, and P, the as-synthesized Co89.8 Ni10.2 P11.7 /rGO catalyst exhibits superior catalytic performance towards hydrolysis of AB, with the turnover frequency value (TOF) of 18.6 min-1 , which is about 2.5 times higher than that of NiCo/rGO.


Forced convection of insulation oil is the main heat transfer mode in large power and ultra high voltage (UHV) transformers. The electrification risk caused by friction between mineral oil and pressboard has been suspected to be responsible for several failures. The electrification measurement was carried out in a rotation system. The influences of oil temperature, rotation speed, time, and applied electric field of fresh and dry transformer oil have been investigated by a measurement system, respectively. A comparison between these results has been made, and the related theory can be used to explain the physical and chemical processes which take place on the interface between the oil and pressboard. The results from the rotation system indicate that interface charge density increases with the increase of the pressboard thickness, rotation time and speed. The electrification phenomenon can lead to reduction of the breakdown strength of the oil/pressboard. It is concluded that some effective measures should be taken to restrain the possible harm caused by the streaming electrification in UHV converter transformer.


Milk production is essential for optimal feeding of infants. The most common lactogenic drugs are dopamine 2 antagonists, oxytocin, recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) and estrogenic drugs. However, many medicinal plants possess lactogenic effects in humans and animals. The current review focused on medicinal plants with lactogenic effect as natural sources of galactogogues characterized by efficacy and safety.


This study purpose was to investigate sex differences in multilevel factors associated with smoking experimentation and age of initiation among Korean adolescents. Based on the ecological model, this cross-sectional study used data from the 2016 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (N = 65,528). Among 33,803 males (51.6%) and 31,725 females (48.4%), a greater proportion of males (21.9%) than females (7.1%) engaged in smoking experimentation. Males started smoking earlier than females (males: 12.7 years, females: 12.9 years, respectively, p < .05). In both sex groups, common factors associated with smoking were age, depression, suicidal ideation, academic achievement, household economic status, and having friends smoking and a specific person to talk with about their personal concern (all p values <.05). There were significant sex differences in psychological, family, and school factors of smoking initiation and experimentation. It is necessary to develop smoking interventions considering both individual and environmental factors with sex-specific strategies.


Abstract The rheological behaviour of two different molecular weights of a thermotropic liquid crystalline cellulose derivative, acetoxypropylcellulose (APC), at T=120°C, has already been reported [1]. In this work we present the temperature dependence of the rheological properties of two molecular weights of APC. The shear viscosity, η, and first normal stress difference, N1, were measured at temperatures T=120, 130 and 140°C, for MW = 94000 g/mole, and T=120 and 140°C for MW = 129000 g/mole, and for shear rates, γ, between 0.01 and 10 s-1. The shear viscosity η(γ) decreases with increasing T, for both samples, showing a strong shear thinning behaviour at all temperatures and over the whole range of γ studied, except for shear rates between about 0.2 and 1 s-1 (depending on MW and T), where a quasi-Newtonian plateau is observed. The first normal stress difference N1 (γ) also decreases with increasing T at a given γ. It increases with shear rate over the whole γ range studied, and shows an inflection at γ values slightly above γ = 1/τ, where τ is the relaxation time of the polymer memory function. The temperature dependence of the shear viscosity was fitted to an Arrhenius law, giving an apparent activation energy (Ea) in the order of 8–15 kcal/mole, depending on molecular weight and shear rate. The activation energy was found to increase with molecular weight (at a given γ). The variation of Ea with γ, for MW = 94000 g/mole, shows a minimum at γ η 2 s-1. Using a continuum theory for nematic polymers, proposed by Martins [2], some fundamental parameters were obtained from the fit of the theory to the experimental data. Using these parameters it was possible to construct a ``master curve" for the viscosity, η(γ), in good agreement with the experimental data.


Includes audio DVD Clinical Heart Disease: Recordings of Heart Sounds from Actual Patients (2,788 heart sounds); video DVD Introduction to Clinical Auscultation (Dr. Harvey demonstrates the auscultation techniques described in the book); and video DVD America's Contribution to the Treatment of Heart Disease in the Twentieth Century (by David and Anne Canfield).

W. Proctor Harvey, MD, with Julius Bedynek, MD, & David Canfield. 640 pages, 654 figures. Fairfield (NJ): Laennec Publishing, Inc.; 2009. US $185. ISBN: 978-1-886128-10-1. Available from: Laennec Publishing, 253 Passaic Ave., Fairfield, NJ 07004, USA. www.laennecpublishing.com.

Fields of Medicine: Adult and pediatric cardiology, internal medicine.

Format: Hardcover book. Trim size: 7 × 9 inches. Includes 3 DVDs.

Recommended Readership: Clinicians old and young, students, and house officers.

Purpose: The purpose of this book and DVD set is to enable the clinician or student to gain confidence and accuracy in the examination of the heart by listening to a large number of patients with one-on-one guidance by Dr. Harvey.

Content: The easily read text is extensively illustrated with clinical observations, phonocardiograms, and electrocardiograms from the patients whose heart sounds and murmurs are heard on the accompanying DVD. Of special merit are the descriptions and interpretations of the findings by Dr. Harvey in his soft, readily recognizable voice, guiding the listener through each detail of the physical examination. Dr. Harvey's presentation on the DVD, patient after patient, is reminiscent of his teaching conferences over the years. It is a wonderful memorial to this great physician and teacher.

This book, together with the audio and video DVDs, should be part of the library of any clinician who examines the hearts of adults or children, as well as any physician or student who has ever attended a "Proctor Harvey" conference, marveled at his teaching acumen, and sought to emulate his technique. To any clinician who has not had the opportunity to attend one of these teaching conferences, this set of text and DVDs presents a not-to-be-missed occasion to experience a learning session with Dr. Harvey, who unquestionably was the "Laennec" of the 20th century. The many students whom Proctor Harvey has taught, and this opportunity to teach still more, are his legacy.

Strengths: The combination of text and audio provides a unique learning experience. The DVDs contain over 7 GB of data, divided into 402 tracks, many with the heart sounds and murmurs of multiple patients. The text and audio can be used either for thorough and systematic study or for intermittent reading and listening, when information on a particular malady is sought. The text refers throughout to the applicable track on the DVD. Currently, few medical students and even fewer residents are taught the art and science of examination of the heart. The text and DVD fill this void, providing the opportunity to study at the foot of a master teacher.

Weaknesses: Maximal appreciation of the auscultatory findings recorded on the DVD is best served by using high-quality headphones; the use of standard audio speakers produces a less-than-satisfactory rendition of the heart sounds and murmurs. It is possible, however, to connect headphones to output jacks on most good home stereo systems, or to transmit the audio to headphones via a wireless connection.

Overall Grade: ****


To the best of our knowledge, there is no description on immunocytochemical study of sclerosing pneumocytoma (SP) using a cell transfer method. In this article, we report imprint cytological and immunocytochemical findings of SP. Three cases of SP possessing both imprint cytological and histological materials were examined. All tumors showed well‐defined margin grossly. On microscopic examination, the tumor consisted of surface and stromal round cells. Cytologically, surface and stromal round cells showed fragments or clusters of papillary configuration with low N/C ratio and cell clusters of small to medium‐sized cells with high N/C ration. Immunocytochemically, surface cells showed the positive reaction for surfactant apoprotein A (SPA), but stromal round cell exhibited the negative reaction for SPA. Cytologists and pathologists should steadily recognize cytological findings of surface and stromal round cells of SP. Immunocytochemistry of SPA may be useful in the discrimination of both cells. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:274–278. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Objective. Ion radiotherapy with protons or carbon ions is one of the most advanced clinical methods for cancer treatment. To further improve the local tumor control, ion radiotherapy using multiple ion species has been investigated. Due to complexity of dose distributions delivered by multi-ion therapy in a tumor, a validation strategy for the planned treatment efficacy must be established that can be potentially used in the quality assurance (QA) protocol for the multi-ion treatment plans. In previous work, we demonstrated that the microdosimetric approach using the silicon on insulator (SOI) microdosimeter is practical for validating cell surviving fraction (SF) of MIA PaCa-2 cells in the independent fields of helium, carbon, oxygen, and neon ion beams. Approach. This paper extends the previous study, and we demonstrate a microdosimetry based approach as a pilot study to build the QA protocol in the multi-ion therapy predicting the cell SF along the spread-out Bragg peak obtained by combined irradiations of He+O and C+Ne ions. Across the study, the SOI microdosimeter system MicroPlus was used for measurement of the lineal energy in individual ion fields followed by deriving the lineal energy of combined ion fields delivered by a pencil beam scanning system at HIMAC. Main results. The predicted cell SF based on derived lineal energy and dose in the combined fields was in good agreement with the planned cell SF by our in-house treatment planning system. Significance. The presented results indicated the potential benefit of the SOI microdosimeter system MicroPlus as the QA system in the multi-ion radiotherapy.


Performance, including sport performance, appears to transpire in a series of connected and sequentially related moments. The time-oriented context of performance is characterized by the interplay of complex array of behaviors consisting of emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological factors. Some studies have focused on the stress-oriented variables that are embedded within the manifestation of performance configuration (see, for instance, Craft et al., 2003). On the other hand, the analysis of a given performance may suggest that a performance may fall into a low, middle, or high level of excitement. At low levels, performance levels are slow, and at high levels, performance may suffer too since the performance is intensely overwhelmed by the excitement level. The Yerkes-Dodson Curve (Yerkes & Dudson, 1908) indicates that optimal task performance occurs at the mid-level of excitement or diffuse psychological arousal. In defining a peak performance, scholars have focused on special extraordinary features of a performance, which on the one hand embodies the previously achieved level of competencies and functionality and on the other hand exceeds and supersedes the quality of the past positive experiences in connection with the given task (see Privette 1981, 1983, 1991). An in-depth exploration of the constituents of a peak performance may highlight the interconnectedness of positive features in the wholeness of a performance, including relaxation, confidence, high energy, present-centered focus, extraordinary awareness, a feeling of being in control, and detachment from distractions (see Cohn, 1991; Garfield & Bennett, 1984). When it comes to sport performance, sport psychology has displayed an interest in exploring the relationship between positive self-talk, emotional regulation, and heightened performance (for instance, see Kornspan, Overby, & Lerner, 2004). In line with the sport psychology studies, Csikszentmihalyi's (1975, 1979, 1990) conceptualization of flow has inspired the field with continued interest in looking into facilitating factors that can contribute to an enhancement of performance. Flow refers to those experiences in which you become so indulged in an activity that you lose awareness of everything else around you. You feel "in the zone," and time flies. The activity itself becomes a reward in and of itself. Csikszentmihalyi's model of flow, which was earlier called autotelic experiences, originated from his interviews with many people who experienced a full engagement in their activities, such as rock climbers and chess players.


This study attempts to develop a clean and high efficiency combustion system utilizing reactions in supercritical water. This study is aimed at the establishment of the measuring techniques of transport properties of gas and observing techniques of reaction zone in supercritical water. The refractive index of water in supercritical region was measured first because previous values were not available. The measurements were made under the conditions from ambient temperature to 420°c and from atmospheric pressure to 27MPa. The results showed that the index was constant at the whole range of the condition within experimental errors. The mass diffusivity of gas in supercritical water was measured on the assumption that the mixture was an ideal mixture. Nitrogen was employed as an alternative media of oxidizer gases in this experiment to avoid the effects of reaction. The mass diffusivity of nitrogen in supercritical water was calculated from the fringe shift measured by a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The value of the measured diffusion coefficient was intermediate between gas and liquid's one. The effect of excess volume phenomena on the diffusivity was discussed using the experimental results.


This conversation analysis study investigates facilitators' simultaneous use of speech and aided means in instructional interaction with children with complex communication needs (CCN), who use aided communication in an everyday setting. The participants were children with severe speech impairments and their everyday communication partners. The analysis focused on facilitators' aided turns immediately following aided turns by the children, within so-called retro-sequences. Retro-sequences were found in interactions involving four out of nine children. The facilitators systematically combined a spoken turn with an aided turn, a speaking and pointing (SAP) practice. The pointing consisted of a single graphical word, mostly a noun. The multimodal practice generally highlighted, emphasized, or exposed graphical words that increased noticeability and understandability within the local context. Adult repeats were treated as requests for confirmation of a candidate understanding and were responded to by the child using vocal and embodied resources. Reformulations (recasts) were treated as profferings of candidate understandings and were responded to using the communication device. The findings indicate that the partner's use of a spoken and aided follow-up action shaped the immediate context for device use. The findings are relevant for the design of naturalistic interventions and may be used to improve treatment descriptions in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions.


UNLABELLED
Running Title: Sympathetic Block for Ventricular Tachycardia Storm.

INTRODUCTION
We present the case of a patient with ventricular tachycardia storm refractory to medical therapy and multiple catheter ablations, successfully managed by percutaneous left inferior cervical sympathetic ganglion block.

SUMMARY
A 70-year-old man with a history of ischemic cardiomyopathy and previous placement of implantable defibrillator developed intractable ventricular tachycardia recalcitrant to intravenous amiodarone, lidocaine, and multiple catheter ablations with radiofrequency energy and direct current. The patient received numerous defibrillator shocks that did not result in sustained restoration of sinus rhythm. A percutaneous inferior cervical sympathetic ganglion block was performed under fluoroscopic guidance, with the administration of bupivacaine by infiltration of the tissue between the left internal carotid artery and the cervical vertebral bodies.

RESULTS
Two and a half hours after the procedure, ventricular tachycardia converted to sinus rhythm. One month after discharge from the hospital, the patient remained free from sustained ventricular tachycardia and did not report discharges from his implantable defibrillator.

CONCLUSION
Percutaneous cervical sympathetic ganglion blockade appears to be an effective intervention in the treatment of ventricular tachycardia storm. Additional data are required before incorporating this technique into the management algorithm of incessant ventricular tachycardia.


The spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) method has been applied to ambient seismic noise measured by arrays of translational seismometers for inverting phase-velocity dispersion curves of Rayleigh or Love waves for shallow S-wave velocity structure. Recently, it is becoming possible to observe wave spatial gradients such as strain, rotation and tilt owing to the development of dense seismic networks and improving measurement technologies. Therefore, it is desirable to extend the formulation of the SPAC method to strain, rotation and tilt. This study presents analytical expressions of cross-spectra and coherence of the strain, rotation and tilt components that are measured on the free surface. According to the results, both Rayleigh and Love waves contribute to most components of strains. The exceptions are the areal strain and the vertical axial strain (ezz) on the free surface that are affected by only Rayleigh waves. Only Rayleigh waves contribute to the tilts and rotations around the horizontal axes on the free surface, too. On the other hand, only Love waves contribute to the rotation around the vertical axis. Therefore, different kinds of wave spatial gradients are helpful to separate Rayleigh and Love waves correctly. For practical applications, the analytical expression for the radial axial strain (err) component will be applied directly to distributed acoustic sensing data measured with straight sections of a fibre-optic cable. On the other hand, dense observations of rotation and tilt may still be difficult to carry out at present. However, an application of analytical formulations in this study to arrays of at least several three-component rotational seismometers is attractive because it enables us to separately estimate the phase velocities of Rayleigh and Love waves.


Genital herpes simplex is a common sexually transmitted disease in our society. A genital infection complicating pregnancy can result in the vertical transmission of a devastating neonatal illness. The appropriate obstetric management of women with a history of genital herpes remains controversial. Past management protocols have stressed frequent third trimester viral cultures in an attempt to identify those at risk for asymptomatic viral shedding at delivery. Cesarean section was recommended if asymptomatic shedding was suspected. Subsequent research has shown that surveillance schema aimed at identifying asymptomatic shedding in term gestations will fail to identify antepartum the majority of cases of neonatal herpes. Furthermore, weekly surveillance cultures have failed to predict intrapartum viral shedding accurately. The current literature supports mode of delivery decisions based on clinical history and careful intrapartum examination. The development of rapid diagnostic tests for intrapartum diagnoses of viral shedding as well as the prophylactic use of antiviral agents will influence future recommendations.


1 Climate warming increases the cover of deciduous shrubs in arctic ecosystems and herbivory is also known to have a strong influence on the biomass and composition of vegetation. However, research combining herbivory with warming is largely lacking. Our study describes how warming and simulated herbivory affect vegetation, soil nutrient concentrations and soil microbial communities after 10–13 years of exposure. 2 We established a factorial warming and herbivory‐simulation experiment at a subarctic tundra heath in Kilpisjärvi, Finland, in 1994. Warming was carried out using the open‐top chamber setup of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX). Wounding of the dominant deciduous dwarf shrub Vaccinium myrtillus L. to simulate herbivory was carried out annually. We measured vegetation cover in 2003 and 2007, soil nutrient concentrations in 2003 and 2006, soil microbial respiration in 2003, and composition and function of soil microbial communities in 2006. 3 Warming increased the cover of V. myrtillus, whereas other plant groups did not show any response. Simulated herbivory of V. myrtillus cancelled out the impact of warming on the species cover, and increased the cover of other dwarf shrubs. 4 The concentrations of –N, and microbial biomass C and N in the soil were significantly reduced by warming after 10 treatment years but not after 13 treatment years. The reduction in –N by warming was significant only without simultaneous herbivory treatment, which indicates that simulated herbivory reduced N uptake by vegetation. 5 Soil microbial community composition, based on phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, was slightly altered by warming. The activity of cultivable bacterial and fungal communities was significantly increased by warming and the substrate utilization patterns were influenced by warming and herbivory. 6 Synthesis. Our results show that warming increases the cover of V. myrtillus, which seems to enhance the nutrient sink strength of vegetation in the studied ecosystem. However, herbivory partially negates the effect of warming on plant N uptake and interacts with the effect of warming on microbial N immobilization. Our study demonstrates that effects of warming on soil microorganisms are likely to differ in the presence and absence of herbivores.


We present an analysis of data published recently on coherent optical transition radiation interferometry (COTRI) angular distributions made on the Argonne experiment on microbunching [l]. These COTRI distributions exhibited some intriguing characteristics: highly enhanced lobe patterns in the +/- 6, direction, instead of circularly symmetric fringes; and asymmetries in intensities in +e, vs. -0, in some cases. We have done calculations that produce patterns consistent with those observed. The role of the microbunch's elliptical transverse beam profile in accounting for the ex-Oy asymmetry is illustrated. Similarly, a beam profile with a +/-y asymmetry gives a lobe asymmetry in +ey vs. -ey. The interplay of the interference fringe pattern and the microbunch's transverse form factor accounts for the angular positions of the lobes. The fringe visibility was calculated by convolving the beam divergence distribution with the COTRI pattern. Thus, we have shown that COTRI angular patterns can be used to characterize the effective transverse size, microbunch length, divergence, and the bunching fraction.


Abstract The growing international trend toward greater community control of mental health programs in indigenous communities illuminates ongoing discursive and material pressures that shape the development of locally responsive and culturally relevant health services. In this article, I apply insights derived from practice theory and critical psychological anthropology to the ethnographic example of a substance abuse program on a Northern Plains reservation. This analysis suggests that by attending to how addiction and its psychotherapeutic transformation are represented in various community and institutional discourses impacting local services, ethnographers can accomplish two vital tasks: (1) documenting social, cultural, and psychological diversity within contemporary Native American communities, and (2) illuminating forces that undermine recognition of this diversity by federally funded mental health services. These forces include the often subtle but persistent power inequalities in relationships between local communities and federal health agencies. [mental health, substance abuse, Native North America]


Historians have neglected the impact of female enfranchisement on Australian electoral outcomes. This papers employs multivariate analysis to explore electoral behaviour in New South Wales during the Great Depression. It argues that women were less prone to support Labor than men, but that women in paid employment constituted a partial exception to this pattern. In 1932 the conservative parties significantly eroded Labor's working-class support. Part of this success was due to the ability of employers to coerce workers with the threat of dismissal. Female wage earners were particularly vulnerable to this coercion. Conservative electoral appeals recast masculinity in terms of family responsibility rather than class assertion. Conflict in the household economy possibly influenced women to vote against Labor due to its identification with the cause of male breadwinners. Overall female voting behaviour was more stable than that of men and this despite the high profile of issues that would have been expected particularly to influence female voters.


This paper proposes a practical approach for extracting approximate inductances of on-chip interconnect. This approach, which we call the method of return-limited inductances, is based on performing the inductance modeling of signal lines and power-ground lines independently and on taking advantage of the power-ground distribution of the chip to localize inductive coupling. Results from representative on-chip interconnect examples demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of this approach over other sparsification techniques.


In this work, multiple supercontinuum spectrum generation using single pulsed seed fiber laser is demonstrated. A mode‐locked laser that operates at 17.6 MHz repetition rate is filtered into six different wavelengths with 1 nm full‐width‐half‐maximum over the range from 1560.4 nm to 1565.4 nm using a tunable band‐pass filter. Each filtered wavelength is amplified and launched into a highly nonlinear medium to generate supercontinuum. The multiple supercontinuum spectra span a bandwidth of over 1000 nm each—in the wavelength range from 1200 nm to 2200 nm.


. The management of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Turkey is mainly through chemical control. In this study, the effectiveness of the integrated pest management (IPM), mass trapping and chemical control were compared in an orange orchard in Tarsus (Mersin) during 2015 and 2016. The IPM program was based on the use of the synthetic food attractant lure Biolure, paired with sanitation of infected fruits and chemical control if necessary. In mass trapping plots the female targeted attractant lure Biolure and the male targeted sex attractant lure Trimedlure were used. Chemical control was based on bait treatments with Spinosad. The efficiency of the applications was evaluated according to the rate of infected fruits during harvest. The highest number of flies was detected in the Control plot as 404 flies/trap/week in 2015 and in Chemical Control plot as 429 flies/trap/week in 2016. No statistical difference was found between the applications regarding the number of male flies weekly captured and number of infected fruits. However, it was determined that the ratio of infected fruits in the IPM plot was lower than that of other plots (1.57% in 2015 and 0.89% in 2016) at harvest, followed by Biolure, Trimedlure and Spinosad, respectively. It was concluded that IPM, which included the application of several methods, was the most effective control practice for C. capitata.


Ample scientific research has confirmed significant linguistic differences between truthful and deceptive discourse in both laboratory and field experiments. That literature is reviewed, followed by presentation of an experiment that tested the effects of veracity on a wide array of linguistic indicators and tested which effects were moderated by motivation and modality. A 2 (veracity: truthful/deceptive) × 2 (incentives: high/low) × 3 (modality: FtF/audio/text) factorial experiment revealed that linguistic indicators of quantity, immediacy, vividness/dominance, specificity, complexity, diversity, and hedging/uncertainty were all affected by veracity, and veracity interacted with motivation in the latter four cases. Only personalism and affect failed to differ between truth and deception. Modality also affected language use but did not interact with veracity. Four linguistic indicators together successfully classified 76% of text-based deception and 76% to 78% of truthful responses from text, audio, and face-to-face interaction. The importance of context in predicting linguistic patterns is emphasized.


Aluminum matrix composites are often preferred in automotive, aerospace, and ship building, owing to their enhanced properties over conventional aluminum alloys. Aluminum metal matrix composites reinforced with particulates extend improved wear resistance and mechanical properties. In this article, the test inferences of physical, mechanical, and tribological properties of Al6061 matrix reinforced with boron carbide (B4C) are explained. Composites were processed that contained 0 to 3 % B4C by weight, in steps of 1 %. The method used for manufacturing the casting is the stir casting route (liquid metallurgy). All testing was conducted according to ASTM standards. The results of density obtained from the experiments are compared with the density as calculated from the rule of mixtures. The resistance to deformation and ultimate tensile strength improved with the addition of particulate reinforcement, but not at the cost of ductility. The ductility has been stored, to some extent. The effect of reinforcement on composites has been further confirmed by a Pareto chart, an interaction plot obtained from Minitab software. The tests were conducted in randomized order. The dry sliding wear of the composites with B4C reinforcement displayed the greater resistance to wear in comparison with unreinforced Al6061 alloy.


Accurate and early predictions of students' performance could significantly affect interventions during teaching and assessment, which gradually could lead to improved learning outcomes. In our research work, we seek to identify and formalize temporal parameters as predictors of performance ("temporal learning analytics"-TLA) and examine students' temporal behaviour (i.e. in terms of time-spent) during testing. The goal is to specify a functional set of parameters that will be embedded in an adaptive assessment system in order to contribute to personalization of feedback services. We adopted the Partial Least-Squares (PLS) analysis method for formulating the causal dependencies between latent variables and the relations to their indicators. In this paper we present the motivation and rationale of our work, along with the followed methodology, initial results and contributions so far, and our plans on future work.


Cheng and Li (2013) investigate whether income smoothing improves earnings informativeness for Chinese firms by replicating the research design of Tucker and Zarowin (2006). The results suggest that the relation still holds for a more recent sample of US firms but the relation is different for Chinese firms. These results are interesting, and the authors argue that the poorer information environment in China is a possible culprit for the different results. This discussion raises the issue of what role accruals play in Chinese accounting. I replicate the study by Dechow (1994) in the Chinese market and find evidence consistent with the prediction that earnings exhibit less short-term noise than cash flows and greater associations with stock prices as the performance benchmark. These findings are indicative of accruals playing a similar role for Chinese firms as for US firms but also draw attention to some unresolved questions and areas for future research.


Antenatal intrauterine cerebrovascular events were found to play an important role in the pathogenesis of perinatal brain damage. Changes in placental vascular resistance, cardiac contractibility, vessel compliance, and blood viscosity alter the normal dynamics of fetal cerebral circulation. The circulatory mechanisms described in animal fetuses also operate in the human fetus. The isthmus of the aorta represents a watershed area reflecting the redistribution of blood during increased peripheral resistance and hypoxia. The fetal cerebrovascular system acts locally within the skull and interacts with the other components of fetal circulation to compensate by redistribution of blood in case of shortage in resources. The introduction of various sonographic techniques and the collection of data from the arterial and venous cerebral circulation have improved our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms involved in fetal cerebral hemodynamic events. Anatomical and physiological considerations of cerebral vasculature in health and disease are relevant in the research of variations in fetal brain blood perfusion. Changes in flow characteristics in fetal cerebral vasculature can be used for clinical decisions. However, caution is advised before applying research data into practice. The clinical utility is well established in situations of fetal compromise such as growth restriction and anemia.


In this paper, two rotor configurations including different amount of magnet and reluctance parts are presented. The rotors are constituted by means of a flexible hybrid motor structure. Considerable features of the hybrid structure are that the combination of the magnet and reluctance parts can be suitably modified and the mechanical angle (β) between the parts can also be varied. Two hybrid rotor configurations have been considered in this study. First, finite element (FE) simulations were carried out and the torque behaviors of the motors were predicted. The average torque (Tavg) and maximum torque (Tmax) curves were obtained from FE simulations in order to find suitable β. Mathematical model of the motors was formed in terms of a,b,c variables considering the amount of the magnet and reluctance parts on the rotor and simulations were performed. Rotor prototypes, motor drive and drive method were introduced. Torque profiles of the motors were obtained by static torque measurement and loaded tests were also realized. Thus, simulation results were verified by experimental study. There is a good match between predictions and measurements. The proposed motors are operated with electrical 120° mode as a brushless DC motor (BLDC) and torque versus speed characteristics show a compound DC motor characteristic. The motors can be named as brushless DC compound motors.


We introduce a process algebra containing the coordination primitives of Linda (asynchronous communication via a shared data space, read operation, nonblocking test operators on the shared space). We compare two possible semantics for the output operation: the former, that we call ordered, defines the output as an operation that returns when the message has reached the shared data space; the latter, that we call unordered, returns just after sending the message to the tuple space. The process algebra under the ordered semantics is Turing powerful, as we are able to program any random access machine. The main result of the paper is that the process algebra under the unordered semantics is not Turing powerful. This result is achieved by resorting to a net semantics in terms of contextual nets (P/T nets with inhibitor and read arcs) and by showing that there exists a deadlock-preserving simulation of such nets by finite P/T nets, a formalism where termination is decidable.


The health reforms in England have entered a phase in which greater emphasis is being placed on market-like mechanisms. The ability of the commissioners of care to negotiate on equal terms with providers will be of critical importance in the emerging market. The government has set out plans to develop 'world class commissioning' and this essay reviews experience in Europe, New Zealand and the United States to understand what is involved in working towards this goal. The evidence reviewed shows that in no system is commissioning done consistently well and highlights the obstacles to the development of world class commissioning. The reasons for this centre on the complexity of health care and the inherent difficulty of commissioning health services in publicly financed systems. Commissioners will need to be able to access a range of expertise and are likely to incur significant expenditure in so doing. There are warning signs from other systems of health reforms that result in adversarial and legalistic approaches, and do not give sufficient attention to relational contracting. Even if world class commissioning is developed, it may fall short of its potential in the absence of other changes in the design of the reforms, such as autonomous providers and appropriate payment systems. In view of these challenges, a more promising alternative would be to develop competing integrated systems.


We describe how Embosonic Sketching, a novel approach to qualitative data sonification, was employed in the design of a sound art installation. The method was conceived to minimise designer bias in the creation of sound artworks which seek to faithfully represent the lived experience of a sample group. The 'Her[sonifications]' project was driven by the notion that much exists beyond sight, yet remains undiscovered, and explored bringing the unseen to light through the transformative medium of sound. We ran a series of workshop and focus group sessions to engage with women from a range of backgrounds including artists, writers, designers and researchers to explore how we could harness the emotive qualities of sound to communicate the visceral experience of womanhood. We contribute insight into how Embosonic Sketching can be employed to enrich the process of qualitative data collection in group-based settings; to produce sound sketches to inform the sound design process; and most significantly, to create self-actualised sonifications of visceral and experiential phenomena. Our findings demonstrate that Embosonic Sketching is a useful and accessible tool for exchanging ideas about sound and promotes heightened participant engagement with participatory design processes.


In the context of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the debate on whether climate change should be included and how has been ongoing since 2007. This article contributes to existing research on this problem by expounding a three-fold analysis. First, it assesses the conceptual approach to the climate-security nexus from the joint statement of 10 UNSC member states in 2020. Second, it critically exposes the confusion of different climate-security conceptions and uncovers shared assumptions of the UNSC-member states in 2020 by comparing their different positions, which makes a soon-to-come agreement likely. Third, it critically evaluates whether the proposal to include climate change into the UNSC will lead to a transformative change of the institution, of the meaning of security, and on how this would correspond to the existential threats outlined in the Anthropocene context. The theoretical framework of analysis draws on critical security studies. It takes as its empirical basis the primary sources of the UNSC debate of 2020 and is also informed by the secondary literature on climate and security and the Earth System Sciences descriptions of the state of the planet.


Traceability is a fundamental component of the modern software development process that helps to ensure properly functioning, secure programs. Due to the high cost of manually establishing trace links, researchers have developed automated approaches that draw relationships between pairs of textual software artifacts using similarity measures. However, the effectiveness of such techniques are often limited as they only utilize a single measure of artifact similarity and cannot simultaneously model (implicit and explicit) relationships across groups of diverse development artifacts. In this paper, we illustrate how these limitations can be overcome through the use of a tailored probabilistic model. To this end, we design and implement a HierarchiCal PrObabilistic Model for SoftwarE Traceability (Comet) that is able to infer candidate trace links. Comet is capable of modeling relationships between artifacts by combining the complementary observational prowess of multiple measures of textual similarity. Additionally, our model can holistically incorporate information from a diverse set of sources, including developer feedback and transitive (often implicit) relationships among groups of software artifacts, to improve inference accuracy. We conduct a comprehensive empirical evaluation of Comet that illustrates an improvement over a set of optimally configured baselines of ≈14% in the best case and ≈5% across all subjects in terms of average precision. The comparative effectiveness of Comet in practice, where optimal configuration is typically not possible, is likely to be higher. Finally, we illustrate Comet's potential for practical applicability in a survey with developers from Cisco Systems who used a prototype Comet Jenkins plugin.


Abstract Simulium undecimum sp. nov. is described from Thailand. This new species is assigned to the Simulium multistriatum species-group, one of the 20 species-groups of the subgenus Simulium in the Oriental Region. It is characterized by the female cibarium with minute processes, male ventral plate with a narrow body having two vertical rows of distinct teeth on the posterior surface and without setae on the anterior and lateral surfaces, pupal gill with eight short filaments decreasing in length from dorsal to ventral, and divergent at an angle of around 90 degrees when viewed laterally, spine-combs only on abdominal segments 7 and 8, and cocoon wall-pocket shaped with anterolateral windows. Taxonomic notes to separate this new species from related species in Thailand and other countries are given. This new species is the 11th nominal member of this species-group recorded in Thailand. An analysis of the COI gene sequences shows that it is most closely related with S. malayense Takaoka & Davies (cytoform A) from Thailand but they are distantly separated by 3.01–8.87%.


Why do legislators engage in geographic representation in party-centred electoral systems, where they face weak re-election incentives to cultivate a personal vote? Existing research offers cross-pressuring incentive structures and intrinsic localism motivations as individual-level factors to explain this puzzle. In this article, we propose an alternative argument based on the principle of collective action within party-internal structures of labour division. We argue that legislators elected in the same multi-member district and under the same party label (party delegations) share collective vote-seeking incentives to collaborate with each other in order to strike a balance between the collective benefits and individual costs of constituency-oriented activities. Results from a comparative study of written parliamentary questions in Germany and Spain support our argument. Specifically, the study suggests that individual localism attributes interact with the team composition of party delegations to shape constituency-orientated behaviour.


Species are influenced by multiple environmental stressors acting simultaneously. Our objective was to compare the expected effects of climate change and invasion of non-indigenous rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) on cisco (Coregonus artedii) population extirpations at a regional level. We assembled a database of over 13,000 lakes in Wisconsin, USA, summarising fish occurrence, lake morphology, water chemistry, and climate. We used A1, A2, and B1 scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of future temperature conditions for 15 general circulation models in 2046–2065 and 2081–2100 totalling 78 projections. Logistic regression indicated that cisco tended to occur in cooler, larger, and deeper lakes. Depending upon the amount of warming, 25–70% of cisco populations are predicted to be extirpated by 2100. In addition, cisco are influenced by the invasion of rainbow smelt, which prey on young cisco. Projecting current estimates of rainbow smelt spread and impact into the future will result in the extirpation of about 1% of cisco populations by 2100 in Wisconsin. Overall, the effect of climate change is expected to overshadow that of species invasion as a driver of coldwater fish population extirpations. Our results highlight the potentially dominant role of climate change as a driver of biotic change.


Lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of Leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis in America and Colombia. Taxonomically belongs to the subgenus Lutzomyia, which includes other vector species that exhibit high morphological similarity to the female species difficult to identify vectors in leishmaniasis foci and suggesting the search for molecular markers that facilitate this task, further researchs with mitochondrial genes, chromosome banding, reproductive isolation and pheromones evidence the existence of species complex. The aim of this study was to predict the secondary structure of mitochondrial transfer RNA serine (tRNASer) for UCN codon of Lutzomyia longipalpis as molecular marker for identify of this species. Sequences recorded in Genbank of L. longipalpis sequences were aligned with tRNA′s from previously described species and then tRNASer secondary structure was inferred by software tRNAscan-SE 1.21. The length of tRNASer was 67 base pairs (bp). Two haplotypes were detected in the five sequences analyzed. The L. longipalpis tRNASer showed 7 intrachain pairing in the acceptor arm, 3 in the DHU arm, 4 in the anticodon arm and 5 in the TψC. The size of the loops corresponded to 5 nucleotides in the DHU, 7 in the anticodon, 4 in the variable and 7 in the TψC. L. longipalpis is distinguished from other species at subgenera Lutzomyia by the secondary structure and substitutions inferred tRNASer evidenced in the primary sequence.


Al-Qur'an as a guide to Muslim thought provides many lessons that need to be developed philosophically and scientifically, as a framework for building Islamic education. One of the methods used by the Koran to provide a journey for humans is by describing the stories that exist in the Koran itself. This research is a research library research using the Muqarin (comparative) method in its analysis. The results of the research analysis show 1) Interpretation of M. Quraish Shihab and interpretation of Ahmad Mustafa Al-Maraghi. Quraish uses the method of writing tahlili and maudhi (thematic) interpretations and explains the content in the verse with a beautiful editorial then pays attention to vocabulary or language to highlight the Koran in human life, explaining the contents of the verse one by one first then globally reviewed the contents of the letter in general. While Al-Maraghi uses the tahlili method which is based on a combination of bi al-ma'sur and bi al-ra'yi, by explaining in detail the incidents and events per verse. In the interpretation of Al-Maraghi, he often connects events or words in the verse logically so that the story in the verse seems logical and sequential. 2) The values of education in general are about the command to study until the end of life, so that mankind does not have an arrogant character to learn from anyone and does not fast fast when gaining knowledge. Educational values for teachers about how to implement good teaching strategies and characteristics that an educator or teacher must have, such as being patient, forgiving when students make mistakes, making him a worthy person to be imitated. Then the educational values for students about morals for teachers must be curious, polite, unyielding and willing to learn from anyone regardless of rank and degree


Purpose: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) employ self-disclosure in normative social interactions and in promoting identity development. Disclosure is associated with numerous psychological and physical benefits. Little research has examined how AYA cancer survivors diagnosed during adolescence disclose their cancer history. Methods: Using a qualitative design, this study explored cancer-related disclosures among survivors (N=26) 16-24 years old at study (M=19.6 years), 14-18 years old at diagnosis (M=15.6 years), and currently at least 6 months post-treatment (M=3.2 years). Semi-structured interview guides were developed and used. Disclosure-related topics included survivorship communications and others' responses to AYAs' disclosure of their cancer experiences. Results: Grounded theory and thematic content analysis guided analyses, with an inductive data-driven approach. Three themes and eight subthemes emerged: "it depends" decision-making processes (don't ask/don't tell, shared experience, relationship potential), perceptions of others' responses (perceived apprehension, positive responses), and methods of disclosure (verbal, written, behavioral). No thematic differences were found by gender or age, although females reported greater frequency of disclosures. Conclusion: Disclosure emerged as a nuanced and complex process. "It depends" decision-making processes were most frequently endorsed, consistent with developmental complexities of this age group. This reflects social and psychological changes and highlights unique challenges for AYA survivors. This also reflects the importance of peers and social interactions as variables that influence disclosure. In the context of AYA cancer survivorship, understanding ways in which disclosure may bolster or hinder social support can assist survivors, clinicians, and families navigate survivorship. Implications for future research are discussed.


The prefusion epithelium of human palatal processes was examined for evidence of specialization which might facilitate epithelial adherence with the opposing palatal process. A surface coat stained with ruthenium red (RR) was found on all apical aspects of the palatal epithelium. In the prefusion regions, RR staining was also observed in the spaces between the superficial cells of the epithelium and in necrotic cells. Adjacent oral and nasal epithelium excluded the RR below the level of the apical junctional complex. In the absence of RR, a dense material was observed in the most superficial intercellular spaces of the prefusion region. Many superficial cells in the area were in various stages of necrosis. The combination of degenerating surface cells and an accumulation of a poly‐anionic substance such as glycoprotein may facilitate epithelial adherence between opposing human palatal processes.


Many polysaccharides isolated from mushroom are considered to be biological response modifiers and have been shown to enhance various immune responses. Paecilomyces cicadae have been reported to have immunomodulatory properties. In this study, we investigated the membrane receptor and intracellular signaling responsible for the activation of macrophage by polysaccharide (PCP) isolated from P. cicadae. PCP induced the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in RAW 264.7 cells. To investigate the membrane receptor involved in the activation of NO production, we examined the effect of PCP on primary macrophages isolated from C3H/HeN mice having normal-TLR4 and C3H/HeJ mice having mutant-TLR4. PCP induced NO production and cytokine gene expression in macrophages from C3H/HeN, but not from tlr4-mutated C3H/HeJ mice, which suggests that TLR4 is the membrane receptor for PCP. As a mechanism of action, PCP induced the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38, and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p50/p65, which are the main signaling molecules down-stream from TLR4. In addition, p38 and NF-κB inhibitor attenuated PCP-mediated induction of NO production by macrophages. These results indicate that PCP activates macrophages through the TLR4 signaling pathway


Considered as a geophysical fluid, the polluted atmosphere shares the shallow domain characteristics with other natural large‐scale fluids such as seas and oceans. This means that its domain is excessively greater horizontally than in the vertical dimension, leading to the classic hydrostatic approximation of the Navier–Stokes equations. In the past there has been proved a convergence theorem for this model with respect to the ocean, without considering pollution effects. The novelty of this present work is to provide a generalization of their result translated to the atmosphere, extending the fluid velocity equations with an additional convection–diffusion equation representing pollutants in the atmosphere.


Within recent years there has been a significant amount of interest in applying the new and developing photonics technology for telecommunications switching. As the transmission plant has converted its facilities to fibre there is an economic interest in completing the optical path through the switching system to the terminal facilities without requiring optical-to-electrical conversions. This paper reviews some of the proposed switching systems that use time-multiplexed switching and discusses how, and if, they could fit into current telecommunications networks.


The (Sn-9Zn0.05Ce)xBi solders with different Bi contents were prepared by a new process. The characteristics of solders about microstructure, tensile strength, elongation and microhardness were studied. The results showed that addition Bi can induce acicular or granular Zn-rich precipitated phase in Sn-9Zn0.05Ce solder. To increasing Bi content caused more Zn-rich phase distributed disorderly. When the Bi content was added to 4%, the granular Bi precipitated phase was observable. The tensile strength and hardness of (Sn-9Zn0.05Ce)xBi solder will raise, but elongation descend significantly due to the Bi content increasing. It can be funded that there was a more obvious turning point as w(Bi)=2wt﹪.


The shape that organic molecules such as biopolymers form within organic systems largely determines the function said molecules perform. RNA is a biopolymer that plays a central part in several stages of protein synthesis, and also has structural, functional, and regulatory roles in the cell. In an ab initio case where only a single RNA sequence is determined, the most common structure prediction techniques employ minimization of the free energy of a given RNA molecule via a thermodynamic model. Regrettably, the minimum free energy structure is rarely the native structure; typically the native structure can be found within 5 percent of the minimum free energy. While suboptimal energy structures may also be predicted, there is no still no method to determine which suboptimal fold best represents the native fold. One possible technique is to apply clustering algorithms to a population of potential structures. This thesis presents the hybridization of an evolutionary algorithm (EA) with a clustering algorithm. The effects of two additional thermodynamic models on the EA, including a pseudoknot enabled model, are also investigated. Finally, the prediction sensitivity, specificity, and F-measure of RnaPredict is evaluated through comparison to known structures. Comparisons are also made with existing prediction algorithms including sfold, mfold, and HotKnots. RnaPredict offers comparable performance to these algorithms and can outperform these algorithms on specific sequences.


Abstract: Some surfaces, like metallic and varnished ones, can only be properly controlled, if they are inspected under different illumination directions. This requires a three-dimensional input signal: a series of images, where each image shows the same surface but is illuminated from a different angle. This paper presents a method to extract translation and rotation invariant features from such a series to detect and classify topographic irregularities on the inspected surfaces. Invariant features are represented by 3D fuzzy histograms and classified by a support vector machine (SVM). The proposed method performs successfully on varnished wooden surfaces to detect and classify defects on the varnish film. This sort of defects is extremely difficult to recognize, which makes it appropriate to demonstrate the robustness of the method.


A man in his 50s with an incomplete cervical spinal cord injury underwent a 3-week occupational therapy programme using a computer-assisted robotic device for the upper limbs (Diego) in an acute care spinal injury unit. The patient and their partner reported their experience. Range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, pain, fatigue, independence and occupational performance are reported. Improvements occurred in upper limb ROM (shoulder and elbow), muscle strength (right elbow extensors), fatigue and functional status. Whether the results in this patient with the Diego were the same or better than standard care could not be determined. Preliminary findings suggest that the Diego was feasible for rehabilitation in an acute setting in our patient. However, it may not be suitable for all patients and a large comparative study with other therapies is needed. A limitation in the use of the Diego relates to the initial cost of the device ($A150 000).


The paper presents novel embeddings of various classical topologies into the OPAM multicomputer. OPAM consists of a large number of processors that are connected by a two level, crossbar based interconnection network. The network combines a large, optical circuit-switched crossbar (reconfigurable network), with many small, packet-switching crossbars. The necessary embedding is very different than classical approaches. The goal in our case is to minimize routing decisions, so that communication requests can be satisfied by passing through two small crossbars. We show how to map parallel programs to this architecture using graph contraction notations. The family of parallel programs that we consider consists of multiple processes and communication links that are represented by connected, regular graphs such as rings, trees, two dimensional grids, cube connected cycles and hypercubes. In each case we show how to partition the vertex set of the program's graph to subsets, and how to assign each subset a cluster of processors in order to realize the topology of the given problem. In some of the cases we also prove that our partition and assignment algorithms are optimal.


The paper reviews the generic characteristics of ephemeral rivers compared with seasonal and perennial systems in the context of southern Africa. The difficulties of estimating the natural characteristics of ephemeral systems are discussed as well as the difficulties of estimating the impacts of water resource management strategies. Many of the problems are associated with the potentially discontinuous occurrence of flow in both time and space and the fact that static pools, as well as flowing water, may be of ecological importance. The most obvious impact of water resource developments on ephemeral rivers may be a reduction in the number and size of flow events. However, delays in the onset of flow in seasonal rivers and changes in the duration, quantity and quality of in‐channel pool storage may be of equal importance. In a number of South African ephemeral channels the major impacts have been caused by the importation of water from elsewhere and a consequent reduction in streamflow variability. The paper suggests that there are a number of gaps in the understanding of the hydrology of ephemeral rivers, but perhaps more importantly, in the methods that are available to supply the type of information required by ecological specialists to be able to determine ecological water requirements under managed flow situations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The chemical composition
of extracts from the green alga Chaetomorpha
linum (Miller) Kutz., growing wild in Corsican pond, were investigated by
GC-MS (derivatisation) and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Eighteen compounds
have been identified from both pentane and ethyl acetate extract. Fatty acids,
mainly saturated (SFA) are the main compounds from the pentane extract, whereas
components of the sterols family are major compounds from the ethyl acetate
extract. Besides usual fatty acids founds in green alga extract, we report
herein the identification of unusual compounds. Indeed 12 compounds (3, 7-18) were identified for the first time
in a Chaetomorpha species. Among them
three diterpenes bearing the abietane skeleton (abietic acid 12, dehydro-abietic acid 13 and methyl dehydro-abietate 14) were identified for the first time
from a marine source. This chemical composition could be a chemotaxonomic characteristic
from the linum species found in the
Corsican area.