The ongoing miniaturization of digital circuits makes them more and more susceptible to faults which also complicates the design of fault tolerant systems. In this context fault injection plays an important role in the process of fault tolerance validation. As a result many fault injection tools have emerged during the last decade. However these tools only operate on specific domains and can therefore be referred to as hardware- or software-, simulation- or emulation based techniques. In this paper we present FuSE, a single fault injection tool which covers multiple domains as well as different fault injection purposes. FuSE has been designed for usage with the SEmulator® - an FPGA-based hardware accelerator. The created tool set has been fully automated for the fault injection process and only requires a VHDL description and a testbench of the circuit under test. FuSE can then perform fault injection experiments with a diagnostic resolution that is known from simulation-based approaches, but at a speed that even handles long running experiments with ease.


Cattle, herd animals who live in extensive environments surrounded by herd mates, can present a significant challenge to handlers tasked with sending the cattle through confined processing facilities, which often resemble an obstacle course. There are design elements that are cattle friendly, and those that are not cattle friendly which significantly impacts the technique and skill required to successfully move cattle through these processing facilities. Assessment tools and critical control point use allow handlers to create a strategy for successful movement of cattle through processing facilities.


Septic arthritis is a serious and sometimes fatal complication of rheumatoid arthritis. We have examined the clinical characteristics of 16 patients with infectious arthritis seen during an eight-year period. This represented 0.5% of all admissions to our hospital for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Although rheumatoid arthritis is considered a predisposing factor for joint sepsis, 15 of our patients had other conditions that most likely increased their susceptibility to infection. Many patients lacked distinctive features of joint sepsis (fever, chills) and only one half had leukocytosis. Six had polyarticular complaints despite documented monarthric sepsis. Delay in diagnosis of joint infection and persistent effusions of the infected joints portended a poor prognosis.


Due to the advancement in technology and consumer electronics, automotive infotainment system is growing rapidly. More and more new technologies and devices are integrated into the system. All the infotainment electronic control units (ECUs) are networked in the automotive platform. Therefore, it has always been a challenging topic for researchers and engineers to find an appropriate network architecture which can adjust with the newly added ECUs and user demands. Until the last few years, automotive devices were integrated using Controller Area Network (CAN) technology. Due to the slow speed of data transfer in Controller Area Network (CAN) (generally up to few hundred Kilo Bytes per second), a new technology named as MOST (Media Oriented System Transport) was introduced. Here, the data is transferred optically. For the last few years, more and more applications including Navigation system, Multi Media Player, iPod, SD Card, USB Memory, Instrument Cluster, Digital Tuner sand Telephony have been integrated into the MOST system. Data transfer rate of up to 150 MB its per second is realizable using MOST. In this paper, MOST network architecture which is the backbone of modern infotainment platform, network management protocols and related devices are presented.


Influenza is one of the most important emerging and reemerging infectious diseases, causing high morbidity and mortality in communities (epidemic) and worldwide (pandemic). Here, Classification of human vs. non-human influenza, and subtyping of human influenza viral strains virus is done based on Profile Hidden Markov Models. The classical ways of determining influenza viral subtypes depend mainly on antigenic assays, which is time-consuming and not fully accurate. The introduced technique is much cheaper and faster, yet usually can still yield high accuracy. Multiple sequence alignments were done for all human HA subtypes (H1, H2, H3 and H5), and NA subtypes (N1 and N2), followed by profile-HMMs models generation, calibration and evaluation using the HMMER suite for each group. Subtyping accuracy of all HA and NA models achieved 100%, while host classification (human vs. non-human) has accuracies varied between (55.5% and 97.5%) according to HA subtype.


In hydraulic engineering fields, optimization is an important means to save investment and shorten construction time, however, traditional optimization methods based on gradient often confront with such problems as non-convergence or convergence to local optimum when it is applied in large-scale complicated hydraulic engineering problems. It is necessary to develop a new optimization method that possesses more ability to seek a global optimum. In this paper, an improved PSO (particle swarm optimization) method is used to optimize body of gravity dam and select steel members for the tumble gate. Since the PSO method uses forward calculation process, and the process is performed by ANSYS calculation (calculation program compiled by APDL), the interface problem between exterior PSO program of C language and ANSYS should be solved. Two application examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method.


In experiments in dogs it has been found that testing electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus (duration of this stimulation--5-7 s), of the ventromedial hypothalamus and of the substantia grisea centralis of mesencephalon reproduced earlier elaborated acid-defensive instrumental conditioned reflex. This fact takes place due to the activation of the brain structures of negative emotion.


Shea's list for further reading attests, but it's safe to say that no picture book sports the combination of fl uent text and startling artwork that this title boasts. While Shea covers the expected ground—from de Laboulaye's conception of the statue, through Bartholdi's design and execution, to the monument's fi nal installation on Bedloe's Island—she also notes several details that other accounts overlook, such as design-tweaking to assure wind resistance, the economic benefi ts to Parisian businesses near the noisy work site, the designation of "lighthouse" that allowed the U.S. government to help pay for the installation of the statue. Nothing could be further from the cool, distanced majesty of Lynn Curlee's Liberty (BCCB 5/00) than Zahares' perspective-bending scenes in saturated, scorching greens, blues, and coppery oranges. With backgrounds forced forward and points of view reeling abruptly from above and below, the audience is swept into a more emotional ride than one usually associates with sedate Lady Liberty, and a double-page foldout is nearly guaranteed to evoke a gasp or an "Ooh!" Yes, you already have Liberty books on your shelf, but yes, you probably need this one too. A timeline of interesting facts and a brief pronunciation guide are included, along with a list of recommended books. EB


Many blunt trauma injuries have multiple bleeding points and are accompanied by coagulopathy. In contrast, in a non-traumatic injury, the patient often demonstrates a single bleeding site that is rarely accompanied by coagulopathy. Thus, resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is considered more effective in non-traumatic cases than in traumatic cases. In addition, in non-traumatic cases, REBOA may be used for central blood flow control during definitive hemostasis and prevention of expected massive bleeding. In such cases, REBOA should be used carefully to avoid complications. We describe the indications for and uses of REBOA in non-traumatic cases based on existing evidence.


Motivation MaGplotR analyzes multiple CRISPR screen datasets, identifies common hits, couples the hits to enrichment analysis and cluster plots, and produces publication-level plots. Output plots give information on the quality control of the screen data (e.g., sgRNA distribution) and show the best hits by aggregation from multiple screen experiments. To maximize comparability, rank is used to identify common hits. MaGplotR can also be used to analyze experiments where a control condition is used for multiple treatment conditions. MaGplotR is easy to use, with even just one argument. Availability and implementation MaGplotR is open-source code under MIT license. It is available at https://github.com/alematia/MaGplotR. Contact email@example.com


In this paper, the researcher has studied the Igbo idea of lunar time which is reckoned by events and activities as against the linear dimension of Euro-American time. Regrettably the European especially in the colonial era who did not grasp the Igbo calculation of time concluded that the Igbo have no idea of time. This work investigated this claim by the European and therefore argues that such expression may be erroneous because the Igbo have idea of time. Time in the Igbo cosmology is beyond clocks and watches with calibrations from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm, it is more than Monday to Saturday or January to December, it is cyclic which influences and is influenced by visible and invisible beings calculated in day and night, market days, moon, season and weather and are marked with rituals. The study revealed that time is highly priced and like any other thing in Igboland has religious overtone.


Based on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act passed in 2015 and the carbon neutral target in 2050, Taiwan will most likely follow international trends by imposing carbon taxes and establishing carbon offset markets. The positive and negative effects of carbon taxes and carbon offset markets on the economy and the environment merit further investigation. Accordingly, this study adopted a carbon emission reduction (CER) cost prediction model to assess the carbon abatement costs under three scenarios: (1) a carbon offset market exists, and forest carbon sequestration can be used as carbon offsets; (2) a carbon offset market exists, but forest carbon sequestration cannot be used as carbon offsets; and (3) a carbon offset market does not exist. Forests in Taipei (with low carbon emissions) and Kaohsiung (with high carbon emissions) were selected as research sites to explore the benefits of carbon emissions trading and forest carbon sequestration. The results show that CER costs are the lowest in scenario 1 and are the highest in scenario 3. The CER costs of Kaohsiung are higher than those of Taipei. The higher the carbon price, the greater the difference in CER costs between the two cities.
 Study Implications: The objective of this study was to identify the optimal policy for Taiwan to effectively slow climate change. This study showed that the opening of carbon offset markets and the use of forest carbon sequestration as carbon offsets may prompt regions to increase their forest stock to lower their emission reduction costs. However, achieving 2050 carbon neutral target by solely using forest carbon sequestration is not sufficient in Taiwan.


Cystic fibrosis (CF) may present during neonatal period with classic clinic symptoms related to the disease. The severity of the disease is multifactorial, one of the factors depends on the level of activity of the CFTR protein, which is related with the mutation type that affects the patient. An infant is presented who developed recurrent episodes of vomiting, anorexia, weight loss, dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities, such as metabolic alkalosis, hyponatremia, hypokalemia and hypochloremia. CF was diagnosed after the third episode showing an unusual and not very publicized presentation of the disease. Mutations !F 508 and 2789+5G-A were found. CF should be considered in patients of any age, but particularly in infants, presenting with anorexia, vomiting, failure to thrive, that are associated with recurrent episodes of hyponatremic hypochloremic, dehydration with metabolic alkalosis unexplained by other causes, even in the absence of respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms or failure to thrive.


International investment is sensitive to environmental policies, and developing countries are worried about the withdrawal of foreign capital when adopting climate policies. This study treats the pilot policy of low-carbon cities as a quasi-experiment and uses urban panel data from 2006 to 2019 to investigate how climate policy affects foreign direct investment (FDI). Results show that climate policy has significantly reduced the FDI in Chinese cities but has promoted the quality of FDI. The regulatory pressure and innovation incentives brought about by climate policy change the quantity and quality of FDI in cities. Climate policy mainly reduces FDI in large cities and improves the quality of FDI in small cities. Moreover, the quality of FDI in capital outflow cities decreases, whereas that in capital inflow cities increases, thereby suggesting a potential transfer of FDI from large to small cities. In addition, the climate policy in innovative cities improves the quantity and quality of FDI but has a negative impact on FDI in non-innovative cities.


Life Skills Education was introduced in the Kenyan School Curriculum to foster the development of all round individuals upon graduating from school. All public Early Childhood development centres in Kenya including those in Igembe North Sub-County are mandated to teach lifeskills. However, its implementation still in the Sub-County remains low. This study therefore intended to focus on investigating the schools' strategies used to enhance the implementation of life skills curriculum in public ECD canters in Igembe North Sub-County in Meru County. The objectives of this study were to establish the influence of training, provision of instructional resources, supervision and timetabling of LS lessons on implementation of LS in public ECD centres in Igembe North Sub-County. This study used a mixed method approach and a concurrent triangulation design. The target population for this study was 592 respondents comprising of 84 head teachers, 504 ECD teachers, 3 TAC tutors or curriculum support officers and 1 QASO in Igembe North Sub-County, Meru County. The sample size was 120 respondents which represented 20% of the target population. It comprised of 100 ECD teachers, 16 head teachers, 1 QASO and 3 TAC tutors. Random sampling chose the schools to participate in the study. The study used a questionnaire for ECD teachers, an interview schedule for head teachers, QASO and TAC tutors to collect data. Piloting of instruments was conducted in Igembe South sub-county with 12 respondents representing 10% of the sample size to ascertain the applicability of the instruments. Purposive sampling was used to select the CSOs and census for QASO. That is, 2 head teachers, 8 ECD teachers, 1 QASO and 1 CSOs. Reliability was ascertained using the test-retest method. Reliability coefficient was measured using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. If the coefficient value was .7, the instruments' reliability was accepted and if less, it was revised.


Initial conceptualizations of violence and trauma in forensic nursing have remained relatively narrowly defined since the specialty's inception. The advent of trauma-informed care has been important but has limitations that obfuscate social and structural determinants of health, equity, and social justice. As forensic nursing practice becomes more complex, narrow definitions of violence and trauma limit the effectiveness of trauma-informed care in its current incarnation. In keeping with the nursing model of holistic care, we need ways to teach, practice, and conduct research that can accommodate these increasing levels of complexity, including expanding our conceptualizations of violence and trauma to advance health equity and social justice. The objective of this article is to introduce the concepts of structural violence and trauma- and violence-informed care as equity-oriented critical paradigms to embrace the increasing complexity and health inequities facing forensic nursing practice.


Context. Malin 1 is the largest known low surface brightness (LSB) galaxy, the archetype of so-called giant LSB galaxies. The structure and origin of such galaxies are still poorly understood, especially because of the lack of high-resolution kinematics and spectroscopic data.
Aims. We use emission lines from spectroscopic observations of Malin 1 aiming to bring new constraints on the internal dynamics and star formation history of Malin 1.
Methods. We extracted a total of 16 spectra from different regions of Malin 1 and calculated the rotational velocities of these regions from the wavelength shifts and star formation rates from the observed Hα emission line fluxes. We compared our data with existing data and models for Malin 1.
Results. For the first time we present the inner rotation curve of Malin 1, characterised in the radial range r < 10 kpc by a steep rise in the rotational velocity up to at least ∼350 km s−1 (with a large dispersion), which had not been observed previously. We used these data to study a suite of new mass models for Malin 1. We show that in the inner regions dynamics may be dominated by the stars (although none of our models can explain the highest velocities measured) but that at large radii a massive dark matter halo remains necessary. The Hα fluxes derived star formation rates are consistent with an early-type disc for the inner region and with the level found in extended UV galaxies for the outer parts of the giant disc of Malin 1. We also find signs of high metallicity but low dust content for the inner regions.


Both obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, two major components of metabolic syndrome, become health epidemics in the world. Over the past decade, advances in understanding the role of some regulators participating in lipid and carbohydrate homeostasis have been made. Of them, SIRT1, the mammalian orthologue of the yeast Sir2 protein has been identified. SIRT1 is a nuclear NAD+-dependent deacetylase that targets many transcriptional modulators, including PPAR-α and -γ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors α and γ), PGC-1α (PPAR-γ coactivator-1α), FOXO (forkhead box O proteins), and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), thereby this enzyme mediates a wide range of physiological processes like apoptosis, fat metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and neurodegeneration. In this article, we discuss how SIRT1 regulates lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and insulin secretion in different metabolic organs/tissue, including liver, muscle, pancreas, and fat. Additionally, the role of this enzyme in reduction of inflammatory signalling is highlighted.


Modern mobile technologies have become widespread in our lives. All of us use them every day. The use of mobile phones in education is a topical issue too. This paper presents the methodological features of the use of mobile technologies in the astronomy's class. Modern methods offer a lot of techniques and innovative forms of teaching methods in order to improve students' knowledge. These innovations are aimed to increase using activity-based and person-centered approaches to learning and also, they will help to intensify students' training activities therefore. The including mobile technology in education process will be engage and productive. We used mobile technologies for the organization of practical tasks from astronomy, as well as the possibility of individualization of education is shown. The such tasks help to increase students' cognitive activity. It is presented in the article, as an example for astronomy studying, there is example of mobile phone using for the Moon research.


In mouse kidney, the conventional protein kinase C (PKC) isoenzyme alpha is expressed in glomeruli, the cortical collecting duct (intercalated cells only), and medullary collecting duct. To get insights on its function, PKC-alpha knockout (-/-) and wild-type (+/+) mice were studied. When provided free access to water, PKC-alpha -/- mice showed approximately 50% greater urine flow rate and lower urinary osmolality in 24-h metabolic cage experiments despite a greater urinary vasopressin-to-creatinine ratio vs. PKC-alpha +/+ mice. Renal albumin excretion was not different. Clearance experiments under inactin/ketamine anesthesia revealed a modestly reduced glomerular filtration rate and showed a reduced absolute and fractional renal fluid reabsorption in PKC-alpha -/- mice. The sodium-restricting response to a low-sodium diet was unaffected in PKC-alpha -/- mice. Urinary osmolality was reduced to similar hypotonic levels in PKC-alpha -/- and +/+ mice during acute oral water loading or application of the vasopressin V(2)-receptor antagonist SR-121463. In comparison, the lower urinary osmolality observed in PKC-alpha -/- mice vs. wild-type mice under basal conditions persisted during water restriction for 36 h. In conclusion, PKC-alpha appears not to play a major role in renal sodium reabsorption but, consistent with its expression in the medullary collecting duct, contributes to urinary concentration in mice. Considering that PKC-beta I and -beta II are coexpressed with PKC-alpha in mouse medullary collecting duct, the present results indicate that conventional PKC isoenzymes cannot fully compensate for each other.


Posiva Oy carries out a programme for spent nuclear fuel disposal. Subsurface characterization work is underway at the ONKALO tunnel, in Olkiluoto. Detailed hydrological conductivity properties in an averagely fractured rock mass are studied in the HYDCO niche. Crosshole mise-à-la-masse survey was carried out between the two 23-24 m long horizontal drillholes, ONK-PP262 and ONK-PP274 that are 3 m apart from each other, and between the drillhole and the access tunnel. The field work was carried out in AprilMay 2011. The survey was aimed to define continuity of the fractures between the drillholes. Nine current earthing stations in drillhole ONK-PP262 and 13 stations in ONK-PP274 were used. Earthings were placed at fractures or conductive layers detected in core logging, assessed with geophysical logging and imaging, and with Posiva flow log measurement. Earthing used a 0.5 m long electrode assembly operated with a wireline. The potential profile was measured in the adjacent drillhole at 0.1 m spacing, using a similar electrode assembly and wireline. Potential was measured also on 130 m long profile along the tunnel wall from the earthings in drillhole ONK-PP262. The remote voltage reference and the current earthing were placed offset from the survey area. The equipment used in survey consists of ABEM Terrameter resistivity tool, as well as software, cable winch and downhole probes belonging to Posiva Flow Log tool. The high resistivity bedrock, and electrically fairly weakly conductive fractures residing in the rock mass provide rather small conductivity contrast. Nevertheless there are connections between several fractures or groups of fractures between the drillholes. Several fractures merge together in the electrical potential response. Interpretation defined six zones between the drillholes where fractures indicate continuity, and may serve as hydraulic interference pathway. One of the zones is extending also to the tunnel wall. Measurements and interpretation served as a tool in definition of the local geological model. Information of the fractures, their orientations and continuity is useful in designing and assessing the hydrological investigations in the drillholes.


Purpose: to investigate the association between socioeconomic status and the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in public schools in the city of Montes Claros-MG. Methods: this is a cross-sectional study, analytical. We evaluated 382 children between 10 and 16 years from the cluster sampling. Socioeconomic status was divided into high and low and MS was diagnosed using the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation. For data analysis, we used the chi-square test (p <0.05) and odds ratios (with 95% confidence). Results: the students of lower socioeconomic class showed changes in nutritional status and laboratory tests, which contributed to the presence of MS in 8.7% school. Conclusion: the low socioeconomic status contributes significantly to opportune diagnosis of MS and also operates in the incidence of this disease, because their belong ingare more exposed to risk factors.


Background: Triple negative (TN) breast cancers account for 15% of all breast cancers, are two-fold higher in African American women, have high histological grade, a poor prognosis and until recently no viable therapeutic targets. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is over-expressed in more than 50% of triple negative breast cancers, but the use of agents blocking EGFR has produced disappointing results in metastatic breast cancer. Inhibitors of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) have demonstrated moderate activity as single agents in metastatic breast cancer. mTOR inhibitors have been demonstrated to activate the Akt pathway by a possible feedback mechanism, which could potentially sensitize TN breast cancer cells to upstream inhibitors. We have previously demonstrated synergistic antitumor effects with combined mTOR and EGFR inhibition in TN breast cancers. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF4E) is a protein downstream of mTOR and a target of PI3K/Akt and Erk signaling, and is important in mRNA translation, cell proliferation and apoptotic resistance. We evaluated the effects of EGFR and mTOR inhibition on apoptotic markers, and correlated these effects with eIF4E protein expression.Methods: Apoptotic assay and colony formation analysis were performed following mTOR inhibition with rapamycin and EGFR inhibition with lapatinib or erlotinib in TN breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, HCC1806). Effects of EGFR and mTOR inhibition on downstream proteins in TN breast cancer in vitro and in vivo were examined through western blotting analysis with p-EGFR, pAkt, p-Erk, p-S6, and p-eIF4E.Results: We observed differential apoptotic effects of EGFR and mTOR inhibition in TN breast cancers cells. The combination resulted in a significant increase in apoptosis in MDA-MB-468 cells in vitro, but no increase in apoptosis was seen in MDA-MB-231 or HCC1806 cells. As expected, correlating with the apoptotic effects, expression of p-eIF4E was decreased in MDA-MB-468 cells treated with the combination of mTOR and EGFR inhibition in vitro. In contrast, both MDA-MB-231 and HCC1806 cells had high baseline levels of eIF4E, which increased in response to treatment with EGFR and mTOR inhibitors. Using a colony forming assay, we demonstrated that the combination of EGFR and mTOR inhibition resulted in cytostatic effects in HCC1806 cells. The combination of EGFR and mTOR inhibition did not result in apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cancers in vivo, and these xenograft tumors had high level of eIF4E at baseline.We are currently evaluating the effects of lapatinib and rapamycin on apoptotic pathways in MDA-MB-468 cancers in vivo.Conclusion: Based on our previous findings, we are developing a clinical trial in which patients with metastatic TN breast cancers are treated with lapatinib and everolimus. These results suggest that this combination may be more effective in TN breast cancers with low levels of eIF4E, and this will be explored using metastatic research biopsies. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 5078.


Application of a high-performance liquid chromatography-based muramic acid assay with precolumn fluorescence derivatization to quantification of root-associated bacteria was studied both in pure cultures and in the rhizosphere of axenic Festuca rubra seedlings. Quantities of muramic acid from acid-hydrolyzed cells of Frankia strains, Streptomyces griseoviridis, Enterobacter agglomerans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas sp., and Bacillus polymyxa were mostly proportional to the respective cell protein and carbon quantities, but in some strains, culture age and particularly sporulation affected these ratios considerably. The muramic acid/cell protein ratio was generally 2 to 4 times higher in strains of the two actinomycete genera, Frankia and Streptomyces, than in the rest of the strains. Quantification of Frankia strains, S. griseoviridis, E. agglomerans, and Pseudomonas sp. was also attempted from the rhizosphere of F. rubra seedlings which had been inoculated with pure cultured bacteria and incubated briefly. It was possible to quantify Frankia cells by use of the muramic acid assay from both the root and the growth medium, whereas cells of the rest of the bacterial genera could only be detected in the medium. The detection limit for muramic acid was about 10 ng/ml hydrolysis volume, and from the Festuca rhizosphere, 28 to 63% of the muramic acid in the Frankia inoculum was recovered.


The reduction in gastric acid secretion by 10 mg and 30 mg omeprazole was studied in 12 patients with ulcer disease in a randomized, double-blind, two-way balanced crossover study. A standardized pentagastrin test was performed before the study and 24 h after each treatment period of 6 days. Treatment was followed by a washout period of 7 days. Omeprazole, 30 mg/day, significantly reduced basal acid output (BAO) by 90% and pentagastrin-stimulated acid output (PAO) by 45% (p less than 0.01), whereas BAO and PAO were not significantly reduced by omeprazole, 10 mg/day.


A gasketed plate heat exchanger that has a seal pressure of 6.5 MPa or more has been developed. This heat exchanger can be applied to heat exchangers (design temperature: 182°C, design pressure: 3.43 MPa) for the residual heat removal (RHR) systems of boiling water reactors (BWR).Practical use of gasketed plate heat exchangers under the condition of higher temperature and higher pressure has been achieved by developing a high-pressure-retaining plate and frame, as well as a heat- and radiation-resistant gasket. Various element tests related to strength and performance were conducted in the process of this development. A verification test using a prototype heat exchanger was also conducted, and pressure resistance, heat resistance, radiation resistance, endurance against thermal transients, and heat transfer performance have been confirmed.As a result of this development, gasketed plate heat exchangers can be applied for use under the condition of higher temperature and higher pressure, and various effects such as lower system flow, smaller footprint, easier maintenance, and lower cost for weld inspection are expected, compared to conventional shell & tube heat exchangers.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


In this article, we discuss pediatric cervical spine anatomy and congenital variants that may mimic upper cervical spinal injuries. In addition, we identify the imaging modalities and imaging utilization to evaluate cervical spine trauma. We review the role of plain radiographs and CT scans for bony and joint injuries and MRI for evaluation of ligamentous involvement and purely ligamentous injury. Finally, we illustrate, with case examples, injuries most often encountered in pediatric cervical spine trauma; and pitfalls, including ossification centers, variable degrees of fusion, and pseudosubluxation.


Context Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in Europe characterized by disappointing tumor response rates and high levels of resistance to standard treatments. Understanding genomic variations in pancreatic cancer is crucial, as they are known to contribute to pancreatic carcinogenesis and may provide fundamental knowledge for new and effective treatment strategies. Objective The main purpose of this exploratory study was to try to characterize the genomic profile of nine pancreatic tumors of patients treated at our institution. Methods Primary or metastatic tumor samples from patients with pancreatic cancer were analysed by FoundationOne CDx (F1CDx) Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) diagnostic test and clinical data were retrieved from the patients electronic medical record. Results Nine patients with cytological or histological documentation of pancreatic cancer treated at the Medical Oncology Department of Hospital da Luz Lisboa between October and December of 2017 were included. F1CDx NGS identified genomic variants with clinical significance in all 9 samples in the following genes: KRAS (7/9), TP53 (5/9), SMAD4 (3/9), CTNNB1 (1/9), CDKN2A (1/9), MDM4 (1/9), ARID1A (1/9), ARID2 (1/9), PIK3C2B (1/9) and FANCA (1/9). No tumor sample had microsatellite instability or high mutational burden. Actionable genomic alterations were identified in 7 tumors. However, no patient underwent targeted therapy. Conclusion This exploratory cohort, although small in size, documents the genetic heterogeneity of pancreatic carcinoma and confirms RAS, TP53 and SMAD4 as the most common genetic alteration in this tumor type. However the utility of this test to foster inclusion in clinical trials is also conditioned by their accessibility (at the time no such trials were open in Portugal). Further studies are needed to validate the clinical utility of F1CDx in clinical practice. Received May 12th, 2021; Accepted May 17th, 2021


Author(s): Huang, Kevin | Advisor(s): Fan, Guoping | Abstract: The regulatory capacities of epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, have seen a rising interest in recent years. These epigenetic marks are pervasive and non-randomly distributed across the genome, raising intriguing questions on how epigenetics contributes to genomic features that define cellular identity and function. Unlike fixed genetic information that is shared between all cell types, epigenetics involve multiple layers of regulation and can vary dramatically across different cell types and genomic contexts. Thus, much more effort is required to procure a complete perspective of the manifold epigenetic landscape. The body of work in this dissertation focuses on epigenetic studies in the mammalian pluripotent stem cell model system. We utilize high-throughput technologies such as microarrays and next-generation sequencing (NGS) as well as leverage existing epigenetic maps to address a wide range of molecular questions on a comprehensive global scale. This dissertation is organized into three overarching themes:First, we employed genome-wide gene expression and DNA methylation profiling tools to determine whether different cell types display unique biomarkers that can be used to distinguish them from other cell types (Chapters 2-5). We found that human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) carry distinct features in both gene expression and DNA methylation patterns, arguing in favor of the idea that these two pluripotent cell types are different. Furthermore, we compared pluripotent stem cell derived retinal pigmented epithelium (hESC-RPE and hiPSC-RPE) with fetal and adult RPE and found that all RPE cells share a core set of signature genes that distinguishes them from all other cell types. We propose these signature genes will be useful for evaluating the quality of stem-cell derived RPE. Finally, novel corneal endothelial cells (CECs) biomarkers were identified through comparing 12 other tissue types, paving the way for future studies to evaluate properties of stem-cell derived CECs.We next examined how molecular features of pluripotent stem cells are altered during the differentiation process of stem cells (Chapters 6-8). Using the RPE differentiation paradigm, we profiled both microRNA and DNA methylation patterns in intermediate stages between pluripotent stem cells and mature RPE. These two separate studies identified subsets of dynamically regulated epigenetic marks, some of which are associated with RPE signature gene expression. Furthermore, we used a highly innovative and powerful single-cell RNA-sequencing approach to profile transcriptional changes in the early embryo beginning from mature oocyte to morula stages. This study identified a conserved genetic program describing a highly dynamic transcriptional architecture during early embryogenesis.Finally, we took a focused analysis on how DNA methyltransferases contribute to shaping the pluripotent stem cell epigenome (Chapters 9-10). Using mouse ESCs null of DNA methylation, we determined DNA methylation regulates a large set of genes through action with H3K27me3. Furthermore, we determined shared and unique genomic targets of each DNA methyltransferase, including novel de novo methylation activity for Dnmt1 in vivo. In the human model system, we generated iPSCs from ICF Syndrome patient fibroblasts which carry double heterozygous mutations in DNMT3B. We found DNMT3B is involved in a wave of de novo methylation during the reprogramming process and has unique genomic targets.


OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of platelet reactivity (PR) in predicting the response to treatment and outcome in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention assisted by glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibition. BACKGROUND There is limited prognostic information on the role of spontaneous or drug-modulated PR in STEMI patients. METHODS The PR was measured with Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA)-100 and light transmission aggregometry (LTA) using adenosine diphosphate as agonist in 70 consecutive STEMI patients at entry (PR-T0), 10 min after GP IIb/IIIa bolus (PR-T1), and discharge (PR-T2) and in 30 stable angina (SA) patients (PR-SA). Complete platelet inhibition (CPI) was based on closure time 300 s by PFA-100 and percentage inhibition of platelet aggregation 95% by LTA. Clinical, electrocardiographic, and angiographic responses to treatment during 1-year follow-up were collected. RESULTS According to both techniques, PR-T0 was higher than: 1) PR-T2 and PR-SA; 2) in those without CPI at T1; and 3) in patients with final Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade 3. The PR-T0 assessed with PFA-100 correlated with: 1) corrected TIMI frame count (r 0.6, p 0.001); 2) ST-segment resolution (r 45, p 0.001); and 3) creatine kinase-MB (r 0.47, p 0.001). At 1 year, patients with high PR-T0 showed an adjusted 5- to 11-fold increase in the risk of death, reinfarction, and target vessel revascularization (hazard ratio [HR] 11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5 to 78 [p 0.02] in PFA-100; HR 5.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 23 [p 0.03] in LTA). CONCLUSIONS The PR at entry affects response to GP IIb/IIIa inhibition, mechanical treatment, and long-term outcome in STEMI patients undergoing primary intervention. (J Am Coll Cardiol 2006;48:2178 – 85) © 2006 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation


Suicide and attempted suicide are recognized neuropsychiatric complications of HIV/AIDS and one of the risk factors is recent notification of seropositivity. A case of attempted suicide in a recently diagnosed HIV positive subject without adequate counseling is reported. Subject presented at a government hospital with symptoms of recurrent vaginal discharge. She was not adequately counseled on the need to undertake HIV screening which she was asked to do. The result came out positive and she received the result with disbelief, shock and sad feeling, consequently she attempted suicide on two occasions. The subject was managed and subsequently referred to AIDS relief centre of St Gerard Catholic Hospital, Kaduna for disease confirmation and comanagement. Subject revealed that the counseling was not properly handled before and after the test. Therefore the need for adequate pre and post test counseling, an integral part of HIV/AIDS management should not be ignored as its importance cannot be overemphasized Key Words : Suicide Attempt, HIV/AIDS, Pre and Post test Counseling.


Medical student stress is most often related to difficulties of adjusting to university academic standards, and work–social life balance. Faculty systems identify academically failing students for counselling, whilst the majority of students do not have opportunities for individual discussion about progress. This study reports a pilot formal appraisal process for first-year undergraduates. Preparatory material required students to reflect on their academic performance, factors contributing to their university life and satisfaction with career choice. Individual appraisal sessions were held with trained, experienced senior faculty staff, with completion of an appraisal record to document agreed outcomes. Individualized study skills advice was the commonest documented outcome on appraisal records. Students were overwhelmingly positive about the experience, reporting both enhanced perceptions of faculty and reduced anxiety about academic performance. Medical schools have responsibilities to consider ways to optimize students' performance; attainment can be related more to personal and motivational factors than academic ability.


This thesis works to deepen my understandings of empathic intelligence in relation to leadership. It builds upon experiences I have had as an education leader and as a fellowship holder in the United States where I discussed strategy and practice with key theorists, visited and observed at selected schools, and interviewed students and teachers, as well as principals who uniquely led their educational communities. The professional relationships formed during this experience provoked questions about my own leadership style and practice as principal of a rural Tasmanian High School. From these experiences I have developed a thesis that excellent school leaders demonstrate high degrees of empathic intelligence. This work explores the theory of empathic intelligence and how it can elucidate understanding of teaching and leadership. This thesis is structured by five key intentions, which are to:
•unfold an understanding of empathic intelligence informed by Arnold (2005);
•explore how empathic intelligence might be understood and enacted in a Tasmanian high school;
•use these understandings to unfold a concept of effective leadership at a range of levels in the Tasmanian system;
•reflect upon how I might extend my ability as an empathic leader; and
•critique and deepen the theory of empathic intelligence (Arnold 2005).
To inform this study and support my personal theorising of highly effective empathic leadership, I critique theories of intelligence and leadership developed by Duignan (2004, 2003, 2002), Arnold (2005), Gardner (2000, 1993, 1991), Blythe et al. (1998) and Perkins (1992).
I respond to my thesis intentions through processes of interpreting conversations (Davis et al. 2000; Van Manen 1990), narratives (Eakin 1999; Richardson 2000) and fictionalised letters (Ospina & Dodge 2005; Ellis & Bochner 2000). The processes of inquiry support me to: uncover four key elements of powerful empathic leadership (enthusiasm, engagement, expertise and, of course, empathy); deepen this theory by including the additional elements of trust and honesty; and suggest that links need to be developed through professional relationships.
The inquiry then uncovers new questions about how empathic leadership is enacted in a Tasmanian High School. This inquiry suggests how powerful empathic leadership might work at personal, school and systemic levels. The inquiry is drawn to a close as I unfold a set of new questions that reflect my deepened understanding of empathic leadership.


The electromagnetic (EM) shielding effectiveness (SE) of plain weave, balanced twill weave, and uniform direction (UD) conductive carbon fibers (CFs) were studied. The experimental results show that the SE of woven CFs composites is higher than that of UD CF under the same weight percentage filled. The SE of two overlapped woven conductive CFs plates is higher than that of single plate. The highest SE measured is 96 dB for two balanced twill weave CFs plates. The new developed structure of CFs composites can be applied to optoelectronic devices later.


Two three-month-old, male Irish wolfhound siblings were diagnosed with breed-typical left divisional congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunts consistent with patent ductus venosus. The shunts were amenable to surgical dissection at a posthepatic location. Both dogs had cellophane banding for shunt attenuation. One dog was euthanased after developing post-ligation neurological dysfunction, which was refractory to treatment. The other dog survived and demonstrated shunt attenuation. Successful surgical management using cellophane banding of a patent ductus venosus has not been previously described in a large-breed dog.


This paper presents a follow-up study to Manikonda et al. (2021), which identified the best machine learning (ML) models for classifying the flow regimes in vertical gas-liquid two-phase flow. This paper replicates their study but with horizontal, gas-liquid two-phase flow data. Many workflows in the energy industry like horizontal drilling and pipeline fluid transport involve horizontal two-phase flows. This work and Manikonda et al. (2021) focus on two-phase flow applications during well control and extended reach drilling.
 The study started with a comprehensive literature survey and legacy data collection, followed by additional data collection from original experiments. The experimental data originates from a 20-ft long inclinable flow loop, with an acrylic outer tube and a PVC inner tube that mimics a horizontal drilling scenario. Following these data collection and processing exercises, we fit multiple supervised and unsupervised machine learning (ML) classification models on the cleaned data. The models this study investigated include K-nearest-neighbors (KNN) and Multi-class support vector machine (MCSVM) in supervised learning, along with K-means and Hierarchical clustering in unsupervised learning. The study followed this step with model optimization, such as picking the optimal K for KNN, parameter tuning for MCSVM, deciding the number of clusters for K-means, and determining the dendrogram cutting height for Hierarchical clustering.
 These investigations found that a 5-fold cross-validated KNN model with K = 50 gave an optimal result with a 97.4% prediction accuracy. The flow maps produced by KNN showed six major and four minor flow regimes. The six significant regimes are Annular, Stratified Wavy, Stratified Smooth at lower liquid superficial velocities, followed by Plug, Slug, and Intermittent at higher liquid superficial velocities. The four minor flow regions are Dispersed Bubbly, Bubbly, Churn, and Wavy Annular flows. A comparison of these KNN flow maps with those proposed by Mandhane, Gregory, and Aziz (1974) showed reasonable agreement.
 The flow regime maps from MCSVM were visually similar to those from KNN but severely underperformed in terms of prediction accuracy. MCSVM showed a 99% training accuracy at very high parameter values, but it dropped to 50% - 60% at typical parameter values. Even at very high parameter values, the test prediction accuracy was only at 50%. Coming to unsupervised learning, the two clustering techniques pointed to an optimal cluster number between 13-16.
 A robust horizontal two-phase flow classification algorithm has many applications during extended reach drilling. For instance, drillers can use such an algorithm as a black box for horizontal two-phase flow regime identification. Additionally, these algorithms can also form the backbone for well control modules in drilling automation software. Finally, on a more general level, these models could have applications in production, flow assurance, and other processes where two-phase flow plays an important role.


This paper presents an investigation of low oxide breakdown voltage on Polysilicon-Oxide-Diffusion (POD) capacitor. The dielectric was 7nm thermal oxide which was grown simultaneously for MOS transistor as gate oxide. The V-Ramp measurement showed bimodal distribution of Vbd with one circular patch having ≪7V instead of the target Vbd (10V). The size of the patch depends on the POD capacitor area. This behavior was not observed on gate oxide of MOS transistor and 22.5nm POD capacitor. Process partition check, including wafer orientation and wafer slot arrangement was conducted. The specific process step causing the patch signature has been identified successfully.


B4 Purpose: Indibulin is a novel oral tubulin inhibitor that arrests tumor cell growth at the G2/M phase. Its binding site overlaps with but is distinct from colchicine. It does not bind acetylated (neuronal) tubulin, and the neurotoxicity normally observed with other tubulin binders such as taxanes has not been seen in preclinical studies.
 We are performing two Phase I studies (Phase I, Phase Ib) in the US that administer indibulin capsules to patients diagnosed with solid tumors. The two studies are designed to determine the safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), and preliminary metabolic and clinical efficacy of this investigational drug.
 Procedures: In the Phase I study, indibulin is administered continuously for 28 days (4-week cycles) at a starting dose of 400 mg twice daily (BID). In the Phase Ib trial, indibulin is given for either 21 or 28 days (4-week cycles) at a fixed dose of 600 mg BID. Patients remain on study until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs. Efficacy evaluations are regularly performed using either CT/MRI or both CT and PET scans.
 Results: Thirty patients have been treated to date and all are evaluable for safety. Twenty-one (70%) have received at least 2 cycles and are evaluable for efficacy. Baseline ECOG was ≤2. Baseline demographics (median values given, with range in parentheses) are: age=63 years (23-90); number of prior therapies=2 (0-12); and number of cycles administered=2 (0.67 to ≥11; total=79). Twelve patients were older than 65 years. The most common tumor types include sarcoma (13), pancreatic (3), ovarian and lung (2).
 No DLTs have been observed and an MTD has not been reached. Common (>10% of patients) toxicities that are considered possibly study-drug related include mild to moderate fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and anorexia. Grade 3 neutropenia was reported in 1 patient.
 Disease stabilization for ≥4 months has been reported in 6 patients, of whom 4 (66%) were dosed on the 28-day continuous schedule. Early PET scans (following 2 months of treatment) show a mean reduction in SUV (standard uptake value), with 5 metabolic stabilities, 1 complete metabolic response, and 1 partial metabolic response.
 Conclusions: Indibulin has been well tolerated and demonstrates preliminary evidence of metabolic and clinical activity. Most reported toxicities are mild to moderate, and there has been no drug-related neurotoxicity. Both studies are ongoing and updated data will be presented.


ABSTRACT This article examines the life and works of Robert Blakey, author of the first English-language history of political thought. Studies of Blakey have typically concentrated on one aspect of his life, whether as an authority on field sports or as an historian of philosophy. However, some of Blakey's lesser-known ventures, particularly his early Radical politics, his hagiographies, and his attempts to write a biography of Charlemagne, heavily influenced his more famous works. Similarly, Blakey's upbringing in a Calvinist tradition, rooted in the Scottish School of Common Sense philosophy helps makes sense of his philosophical and theological commitments, yet has been largely ignored. This article provides a sketch of Blakey's life, tying these disparate strands together, and explaining their influence upon, and relevance to, the first history of political philosophy.


Background: The current environment of modern computation can offer a smart healthcare monitoring for the early prediction of disease detection. For the domain of healthcare services, the Internet of Things (IoT) has a vital role, and also aids in the enhancement of the data's processing as well as predictions. The transfer of data or reports from one location to another will consume a lot of energy as well as time, and also does result in issues of high energy as well as latency. With edge computing, the disadvantages can be easily resolved. Objectives: This work presents a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based model of prediction which employs edge computing as well as IoT paradigms. The term edge computing will refer to a distributed environment framework that facilitates swift resource accessibility and response times by means of the local edge servers for processing at the end of the IoT devices. With this model, there can be an analysis of the health data which has been gathered by the IoT devices. Additionally, the edge devices will employ the edge servers for offering the patients as well as the doctors health-prediction reports in a timely manner. Methods: This work has proposals of an optimized CNN with Tabu Search (TS), Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) as well as the hybrid TS-ABC algorithms. Results: Analysis of these proposed algorithms is done with the parameters of performance such as the rate of error and the accuracy. Also, these algorithms' simulated outcomes have been able to demonstrate their superior performance in comparison to the other technologically advanced approaches.


Background: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the chief microvascular complications of diabetes and it has turn into the main cause of end-stage renal disease nictitate dialysis.Aim of work: To observe the effects of garlic supplementation on STZ induced diabetic nephropathy in Albino rats using histological and immunohistochemichal stains.Material and Methods: Three groups were included, control group of 5 rats served as control, experimental group of streptozotocin- induced diabetes with dose of 50 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneal for eight weeks and third group is the diabetic rats supplemented with garlic orally with a dose of (500 mg/kg body weight) for 6 weeks starting two weeks after diabetes induction.At the end of the experiment, rats were sacrificed then kidneys were dissected out and processed for paraffin blocks. Sections were stained with haematoxylin & eosin and immunohistochemistry for vimentin, nuclear factor kappa and desmin.Results: Increased diameter of glumeruli in diabetic rats. These changes were decreased in the diabetic group treated with garlic. Desmin, vimentin and NF-κB expression were induced in diabetic group but they decreased after garlic supplementation.Conclusion: The changes in diabetic group were regressed with garlic supplementation. It is advisable to give natural products like garlic to diabetic patients as they help to ameliorate diabetic complications.


Technological and industrial evolution generated an increased demand for natural resources as well as destruction of the global biodiversity at unprecedented rates. Worldwide projections evaluate an extinction ratio of species up to10 times higher than the current rate Up to 2020 EU has establish targets for mapping and assessment of the ecosystem services including all the main stakeholders, covering forests, agro-ecosystems, freshwater and marine ecosystems, urban, arid zones and wetlands. The general mapping approaches for the EU member states involved in the process consist in using GIS instruments and work flows on land cover/land use data through ESRI's ARCGIS Platform. About 80% of the EU member states have started the MAES process (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem Services) at national, regional or case-study level. The essence of the MAES process is to maximize the use of scientific knowledge and technology available in order to make a significant contribution for the ecosystem services and policy decisions to improve and protect biodiversity and life quality, as well as getting an accurate evaluation of the associated costs. The paper integrates scientific data over the MAES targets using Geographic Information Systems by the evaluation of multiple ecosystems types and services, on different temporal stages and synergies in different layers of information. Ecosystems services provide to the human kind nutrition, clean air, water, safety and healthy environment. This is why, mapping and assessing these services would allow determining the direct connections and dependency on biodiversity and its functions.


The structural and microwave studies of lead-free barium niobates ceramics prepared by the high temperatures solid state reaction technique are reported. The structural parameters such as the lattice constants, average crystallite size (D), texture coefficients (TC), dislocation density, and microstrain have been determined using X-ray diffraction data. Surface morphological studies were carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. The strong absorption bands at ~816 cm−1, 641 cm−1, and 482 cm−1 are associated with the coupling mode between Nb–O stretching modes observed in FTIR studies. The electromagnetic transmittance, absorption, studies of barium niobates in the X band frequency range frequencies using waveguide reflectometer technique are reported.


Currently, General Santos City is identified as a growing city in terms of population and economic development. However, taking into account the downside of progress, pollution and garbage generation need to be controlled to circumvent menace to the environment. One means to address these problems is by conducting a study on solid waste pollution. Corollary to this, the study: identified the respondents' practices on proper waste management; determined the projected the total waste generated in General Santos City; and proposed a closure enforcement policy framework as prompt action in protecting people's health for any untoward contamination. The research design was descriptive-analytic, which utilized questionnaire and documentary analysis. Triangulation of data was made through interview. There were 1, 246 randomly selected respondents from 22 local communities. Results revealed that the majority of the people in General Santos City often practice proper waste management. The finding implies that they have not completely imbibed proper waste management practices. Based on the projected total waste, it crafted a closure policy framework as a primary response for equitable well-being of the residents in Banualan. This framework will ensure the health security of the people once the dumpsite closes. Keywords - Solid waste pollution, closure enforcement policy framework, policy formulation, solid waste practices, waste analysis, General Santos City, Philippines


Objective To evaluate the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) and individuals at-risk of RA. Methods 150 participants were recruited in three groups (50 per group): (1) patients with ERA (2010 EULAR criteria) (2) at-risk individuals and (3) healthy controls. All participants were tested for seropositivity of rheumatoid factor and anticitrullinated protein antibodies. A possible TMD diagnosis was determined according to the standardised and validated diagnostic criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) in five categories: myalgia, arthralgia, articular disc displacement, degenerative joint disease and headache attributed to TMD. Results were tested for the prevalence of TMD (all categories combined) and TMD pain (myalgia and/or arthralgia). To investigate a possible role for bruxism, a probable sleep and/or awake bruxism diagnosis was determined based on self-report and several clinical features. Results The prevalence of any TMD diagnosis did not differ between the three groups. However, at-risk individuals more often had a TMD-pain diagnosis than healthy controls (p=0.046). No such difference was found between the ERA group and the control group. However, within the ERA group, seronegative patients had a TMD-pain diagnosis more often than seropositive patients (4/12 (33%) vs 3/38 (8%), p=0.048). Participants with a TMD-pain diagnosis were more often diagnosed with probable sleep bruxism than those without a TMD-pain diagnosis. Conclusion The prevalence of TMD pain is increased in individuals at-risk of RA and seronegative ERA patients, and is associated with bruxism signs and symptoms. These results suggest that health professionals should be alert to TMD pain in these groups.


In order to optimize their assets, electrical power distribution companies seek out various techniques to improve system operation and its different variables, like voltage levels, active power losses and so on. A few of the tools applied to meet these objectives include reactive power compensation, use of voltage regulators, and network reconfiguration. One target most companies aim at is power loss minimization; one available tool to do this is distribution system reconfiguration. To reconfigure a network in radial power distribution systems means to alter the topology changing the state of a set of switches normally closed (NC) and normally opened (NO). In restructured electrical power business, a company must also consider obtaining a topology as reliable as possible. In most cases, reducing the power losses is no guarantee of improved reliability. This paper presents a multiobjective algorithm to reduce power losses while improving the reliability index using the artificial immune systems technique applying graph theory considerations to improve computational performance and Pareto dominance rules. The proposed algorithm is tested on a sample system, 14-bus test system, and on Administración Nacional de Electricidad (ANDE) real feeder (CBO-01 23-kV feeder).


Dr. Robert L. Van de Castle passed away on January 29, 2014, at the ripe age of 86. To me he was a very memorable man. I met him first at the Spring Review Meeting at the Foundation for Research on the Nature of Man (Institute for Parapsychology) in Durham, North Carolina during the year that I spent there in 1969-1970. Rhine held review meetings twice a year and invited a dinner speaker from outside. This time the speaker was Robert (Bob) Van de Castle, who had in the mid-50s spent some time with Rhine at the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory. There he investigated personality correlates of PK performance and was a research assistant to Gaither Pratt in his project for the military involving homing behavior of pigeons. After Bob's talk at the review meeting, we got into a conversation. This conversation had a decisive effect on my life, for which I will always be grateful. He invited me to join a 1-year internship program in clinical psychology that was being established at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He also guaranteed me time to work on my doctoral dissertation that 1 was writing with Professor Hans Bender in Freiburg, Germany. That was the begining of a long friendship. Whenever 1 visited Charlottesville in the ensuing years 1 always made it a point of seeing Bob and to spend some time with him. Bob was born in Rochester, New York, on November 16, 1927, as the son of Omar Van de Castle (translates to "Omar from the castle"), who was born in Belgium, and a Canadian mother. He studied at the Universities of Syracuse and Missouri and obtained his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina in 1959. A turning point in Bob's life was his pionering work with Calvin Hall at his Institute of Dream Studies in Miami, Florida. Their joint book The Content Analysis of Dreams (Hall & Van de Castle, 1966) became a classic on quantitative research on dreams. It established norms and revealed prominent differences in the content of dreams between men and women, just to mention one of their findings. When Bob was invited to join the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia, he was offered the opportunity for further research on dreams and sleep, and the Sleep and Dream Research Laboratory of the University of Virginia Medical Center was establised with Bob as director. There I took part in weekly research meetings and found it an enriching experience to follow what research Bob and Peter Hauri--his associate--were doing at the time. Apart from his clinical work, Bob's life was divided between his research and writing on dreams and on the paranormal, of which the dream part was much greater. He was the author of Our Dreaming Mind (Van de Castle, 1994), which was described as a "landmark" by Monte Ullman, a "masterpiece" by Henry Reed, and "a sweeping compilation unsurpassed in the literature for its scope" by Stanley Krippner. Bob published over a hundred papers in peer-reviewed journals, wrote articles in many leading newspapers and popular magazines, and discussed dreams on national TV and radio shows. He felt it important to familiarize the public with research on the fascinating realm of dreams. He played a prominent role in the International Association for the Study of Dreams, was their president in 1985, and presented regularly at their conferences, both in the US and abroad. He conducted numerous workshops on dreams on both sides of the Atlantic. I read in his bibliography that his first publishing venture--on May 14, 1950--was in no less a newspaper than The New York Times. The title of the article was "Honeymoon Abroad: Cycling and Hitch-hiking Helped to Stretch $100 All the Way Across Europe" (Van de Castle, 1950). Bob was always an enterprising man; he travelled widely and knew how to enjoy life. For the readers of the JP, Bob's involvement with the paranonnal will be of particular interest. …


We initiate the study of Cartan subalgebras in C*-algebras, with a particular focus on existence and uniqueness questions. For homogeneous C*-algebras, these questions can be analyzed systematically using the theory of fiber bundles. For group C*-algebras, while we are able to find Cartan subalgebras in C*-algebras of many connected Lie groups, there are classes of (discrete) groups, for instance non-abelian free groups, whose reduced group C*-algebras do not have any Cartan subalgebras. Moreover, we show that uniqueness of Cartan subalgebras usually fails for classifiable C*-algebras. However, distinguished Cartan subalgebras exist in some cases, for instance in nuclear uniform Roe algebras.


We reported a case of bronchial atresia requiring differentiation from the intralobar sequestration. A 42-year-old man was referred to our institution with suspicion of intralobar sequestration, based on a 3-dimensional computed tomography (CT) angiography that showed abnormal blood vessels from the right inferior phrenic artery flowing into the right lower lobe. CT revealed a lesion between S9 and S10 wherein there were refluxed blood vessels from A9 without an accompanying bronchus, with polycysts and emphysematous changes. Ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy revealed a reduction in uptake in the same sites. He was diagnosed as congenital bronchial atresia preoperatively, and we performed a right basal segmentectomy. Pathological examination confirmed the bronchiectasis and emphysematous changes in the lung parenchyma, but malignant findings were not confirmed.


Abstract—The current European Directive on radiation protection requires that exposure of air crew to cosmic radiation should be assessed if it is likely to exceed 1 milliSievert per year. The approach to this problem in the European Union is described and the relative merits of experimental measurement and computer based assessment are discussed. The particular importance of protection against cosmic radiation exposure in the case of female air crew during pregnancy is described.


We often hear warnings and see calculations proving that South Africa will experience increasing water supply problems. Various dates are touted as when the availability of water for the growing population will not be enough anymore. Irrigation, the math shows, uses at least 50% of the available water in the country.
The aim of this article is to make farmers with existing irrigation systems aware of this fact, and to encouragethem to ensure that their systems are as functional as possible. On the other hand, farmers who are considering anirrigation system, can ensure that it is properly designed so that the application of water onto the crop can be as effective as possible.


A bit and power allocation algorithm is proposed to maximizing the throughput given the total power and target bit error rate (BER). Because closed form expressions can be derived, the algorithm is of very low complexity, lower than the algorithms proposed by Krongold and Alexander. Furthermore the algorithm can achieve faster throughput than Krongold's and Alexander's algorithms.


A weakness exists in the design of Windows unsalted password hashing mechanism. The static nature of this password hash provides the means for someone to masquerade as another user if the victim's hash can be obtained. While the concept of passing a Windows password hash has been around for some time, the release of publicly available tools has taken the first major step towards harnessing the true power of this attack. Although such tools have not yet targeted Microsoft's implementation of Kerberos, all organizations are strongly encouraged to move towards pure Kerberos deployments in preparation for PKI integration. The evolving nature of this attack puts under pressure the issue of passwords as a valid identifier thus requiring organizations to use an alternate credential form such as digital certificates.


The Euler-Lagrange equations corresponding to a Lagrange density which is a function of the metric tensor gij and its first two derivatives together with the first derivative of a vector field ψi are investigated. In general, the Euler-Lagrange equations obtained by variation of gij are of fourth order in gij and third order in ψi. It is shown that in a four dimensional space the only Euler-Lagrange equations which are of second order in gij and first order in ψi are the Einstein field equations (with an energy-momentum term). Various conditions are obtained under which the Einstein-Maxwell field equations are then an inevitable consequence.


The plethora of base-mental alloys and metal-free restorations and ever rising cost of palladium alloys has given this full-feature PFM system a definite place in modern dentistry. Thanks to the minimum tooth reduction necessary, GES PureGold has a number of clinical and aesthetic advantages. The system's gold substructures are my choice because they provide natural color beneath ceramics, a high degree of biocompatibility, and exquisite marginal integrity.


Global climate models and numerical weather prediction models are divided into horizontal grid cells that range in size from a few kilometers to 100 km (e.g., Collins et al. 2006; Hunke et al. 2010; Bromwich et al. 2009; Tastula et al. 2012). The working assumption in such models is that atmospheric variables have the same value over an entire grid cell. For example, the 2-meter air temperature is taken to be the same value over a climate model grid cell that may be 100 km on a side. We have data from the experiment to study the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA; Uttal et al. 2002) to assess how appropriate this assumption of grid cell uniformity is over Arctic sea ice. During the year-long SHEBA deployment (October 1997 to October 1998), the Atmospheric Surface Flux Group (ASFG; Andreas et al. 1999; Persson et al. 2002) maintained five sites with separations from one another of up to 12 km. By correlating simultaneous data between pairs of sites, we can evaluate the spatial autocorrelation function and, thereby, see how quickly various near-surface atmospheric variables lose correlation with increasing separation. The variables that the five ASFG SHEBA sites measured include near-surface barometric pressure, wind speed, direction, air temperature, and relative humidity; surface temperature; the four broadband radiation components, incoming and outgoing longwave and shortwave radiation; and the turbulent surface fluxes of momentum and sensible heat. For each site, we were also able to run the bulk flux algorithm that Andreas et al. (2010a, 2010b) developed to compute the surface


Evaluation of group support is a complex task and its design must be carefully planned in order to produce useful results. Many factors may influence evaluation design, some of which have been suggested in the literature. However, in a particular evaluation context, additional factors may arise, influencing and even compromising the evaluation design. We argue that preliminary evaluations must be performed before they are conducted in a real setting in order to verify if its design will provide the expected measurements and results. This paper presents the evaluation process of awareness information resources within software diagram peer reviews. The paper describes the evaluation context, objectives, plan and design together with enactment of a preliminary case study following this design. From this preliminary study, we outline issues that arose during its enactment that influenced refinement of the evaluation design.


Foreign exchange and monetary gold reserve is a very important factor to determine nominal exchange rate for the countries whose currency has very little use as reserve currency. Whereas, for the reserve currency countries it is not so important ?it is primarily because of their greater money pulling power internationally through rate of interest change. They have this power because their currencies are having greater use as international money. Though the international monetary systems have changed from fixed exchange rate of Gold Standard period to independent float or managed float exchange rate systems of today?s world, this asymmetry between the reserve currency countries and the other countries has not change. Though, ideally under flexible exchange rate system, the importance of foreign exchange reserve in determining nominal exchange rate should be very little. This paper takes an historical review of all the International Monetary System to establish the importance of foreign exchange reserve in determining exchange rate for developing countries; but it is not be the case with the reserve currency countries.


Measurable levels of anticancer agents are still detected on work surfaces in health-care settings. However, application of recent guidelines for the protection of workers' safety and health has resulted in lowered contamination levels. To assess occupational exposure to antineoplastic agents, very sensitive and specific procedures for environmental sampling and analysis are therefore needed. In the present study an assay for simultaneous determination of gemcitabine, taxol, cyclophosphamide, and ifosfamide in wipe samples, using two internal standards (trofosfamide and cephalomannine), was developed and validated by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS). Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used for sample concentration and cleanup. The assay was found to be linear up to 1000 ng/wipe, with limits of quantitation of 25.0 ng/wipe for gemcitabine and taxol, and 12.5 ng/wipe for cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the surface sampling, removal efficiency tests were repeated on different types of surfaces. Recovery rates of between 62 and 81% were obtained at two contamination levels (50.0 and 250 ng/100 cm2). Precision and trueness were determined on three different days. The within-day precision was found to be always less than 12.1% for all the analytes. The overall precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), was always less than 9.4%. Recoveries varying from 75.0 (gemcitabine) to 95.0% (taxol) were obtained at three levels. In order to obtain a quantitative indication of the quality of the result, the overall uncertainty of measurement (UOM) was evaluated according to the EURACHEM/CITAC guide. The relative combined uncertainty was found to be always less than 9.5%. The relative expanded uncertainty was also calculated, at three contamination levels.


Diagnostics of developmental speech- and language disorders is based primarily on the criteria severity of involvement and pattern. Regarding phonological disorders single word articulation tests are widely used because of efficiency considerations. However they are insufficient for ICD-10 diagnostics, because severity of involvement and pattern are influenced from the fact that children are spontaneously talking or giving single word responses. "Percentage of Consonants Correct (PCC)" and "Percentage of Consonants Correct for early, middle and late consonants" are described as an articulation competence metric, whereas "Natural Process Analysis" is proposed to describe the pattern of the disorder. Three case studies are used to outline the methods. Data show that "Percentage of Consonants Correct" is a good metric to index severity of involvement and "Natural Process Analysis" is a prerequisite to describe the pattern of the disorder.


This paper presents an analysis on the power characteristics of standard and high-efficiency induction motor. The parameter of induction motor play an important role in the expression of machine's performance characteristics. Induction motor can be differently found its characteristics parameters with the operation under the same capacity. So it is very difficult to detect correct parameter of induction motor. For the analysis, we discovered the motor parameters by the technical program with nameplate data. In this paper, we analyzed that how power and torque characteristics of induction motor would be changed for two kinds of motor parameters.


Development of digital technologies has resulted in the creative and cultural industries having to adapt business models in light of evolving consumer preferences. This paper aims to examine how independent cinemas can transform their delivery in light of the challenges posed by digital disruption, and more specifically, whether this has to focus entirely on digital transformation. This conceptual paper examines one independent cinema in Scotland, concluding that digitalisation should be used to complement existing activities, along with exploring other innovative business models. It is crucial to understand that the old-time patterns of running a business have irrevocably changed. DOI: 10.15458/ebr.88


Edge computing is focused on devices and technologies that are attached to the internet of things (IoT). Identifying IoT use across a range of industries and measuring strategic values helps identify what technologies to pursue and can avoid wasted resources on deployments with limited values. The Handbook of Research on Edge Computing and Computational Intelligence Paradigms for the IoT is a critical research book that provides a complete insight on the recent advancements and integration of intelligence in IoT. This book highlights various topics such as disaster prediction, governance, and healthcare. It is an excellent resource for researchers, working professionals, academicians, policymakers, and defense companies.


Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a life-threatening condition characterized by the herniation of abdominal organs into the thorax, resulting in hypoplastic lungs and pulmonary hypertension. The impact of the first cry, a crucial event for lung transition during birth, on CDH patients remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of the first cry during birth on CDH patient survival, along with other prognosis factors. A multi-institutional retrospective study assessed CDH patient characteristics and survival rates by analyzing factors including the first cry, disease severity, birth weight, Apgar scores, oxygenation index (OI) and surgical closure. Among the CDH patients in the study, a positive first cry was linked to 100% survival, regardless of disease severity (p < 0.001). Notably, the presence of a positive first cry did not significantly affect survival rates in patients with worse prognostic factors, such as low birth weight (<2500 g), high CDH severity, low Apgar scores (1 min ≤ 4), high best OI within 24 h after birth (≥8), or those who underwent patch closure. Furthermore, no significant association was found between the first cry and the use of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). In conclusion, this study suggests that the first cry may not have a negative impact on the prognosis of CDH patients and could potentially have a positive effect.


This thesis seeks to provide a novel interpretation of Heidegger's project in the late twenties and of its breakdown and transformation around the turn of the decade. I argue that Heidegger develops a unified project in the late Marburg period that is constructed around the question of the unity of the concept of being in light of its regional multiplicity. Furthermore, I argue that Heidegger's conception of the framework of this project is highly influenced by his reception of Kant in this same period. Specifically, I identify the elements of the Kantian framework that Heidegger retains and appropriates for his project, as well as those elements that he rejects. In the former case, Heidegger takes up primarily Kant's framework of a priori transcendental conditions that are to make empirical experience possible, which Heidegger reformulates in terms of the pre-understanding of being that makes possible the apprehension of entities. In the latter case, I isolate two primary criticisms that will serve as desiderata for the execution of Heidegger's project, namely: that the categories have an excessively subjectivistic status, and that they are based solely on logical functions of judgement. The former constitutes a problem because the location of the categories on the subject side make s difficult their applicability to the objective realm, and lead Heidegger to reject both the quid juris form of posing the question as well as the results of the transcendental deduction in general. The latter, though closely connected, points to a different set of problems, and targets not the applicability claim but the exhaustiveness claim of the metaphysical deduction. In articulating a theory of categories based on logical functions of judgments, Kant's resulting theory of possible objects of experience is limited merely to objects of explicit judgement, roughly the objects of the natural sciences, at the expense of other kinds of objects. Paradigmatic of these 'other kinds of objects', for Heidegger, are ready-to-hand entities, which are neither spatio-temporally individuated, nor fit into the Kantian conditions for what it would be to count as an object of possible experience. I argue that Heidegger develops his late Marburg project as a development of the Kantian-inspired framework of pre-understanding of being in a manner that responds to the two above problems. Specifically, Heidegger seeks to ground the understanding of being in temporal schemata rather than in logical functions of judgement, which is intended to provide both a wider range of possible objects and to provide a unified backdrop against which the subject can apprehend objects. I end with an assessment of Heidegger's project, arguing that while it is ultimately unsuccessful in its aims, it nonetheless represents a philosophically interesting and innovative post-Kantian project that sheds exegetical light both on Heidegger's middle period as well as on his later works.


Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer are the most common prostate diseases. The possible role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of BPH and prostate cancer in recent years has begun to be widely studied. Although many studies have focused on T lymphocytes on the development of BPH and prostate cancer, the role of regulatory T-cells in the pathogenesis of BPH and prostate cancer is still not well known. Objective: To determine the amount of regulatory T-cells in prostate cancer and BPH so that it can contribute to the concept of understanding the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and BPH. Methods: This study used cross-sectional design study. Total samples were 24 patients, with 13 subjects prostate cancer group, and 11 subjects BPH group. Furthermore, peripheral blood samples are taken and then the amount of regulatory T-cells is calculated. After obtaining data on the amount of CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T-cells in the blood, data analysis was performed between groups of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Results: The average amount of regulatory T-cells in the CRPC group was 53.44±29.43, prostate cancer group was 57.02±22.49 and the BPH group 89.71±9.31. One Way ANOVA test results showed that the average amount of regulatory T-cells between treatment groups gave a significant difference in regulatory T-cells with a p-value (0,003) <0.05. It can be concluded that there are differences in the average amount of regulatory T-cells, so we continued the testing with Tukey test. We continue to Pearson correlation study and resulted in significantly correlated with p value = 0.011 (P<0.05) and r = 0.414. Conclusions: It can be concluded there was significant difference between the average number of regulator T-cells in the BPH group compared with prostate cancer and CRPC patient. Further research is needed regarding the number of regulator T-cells CD4 + CD25 + FOXP3 + in prostate cancer patients (grouped according to Gleason score) and benign prostatic hyperplasia before and after therapy with bigger samples.


We study the determinants of sovereign default risk in Colombia by focusing on different time spans of risk which are indicated by yield spreads of government bonds with different maturities. Cointegration regressions are performed to analyze whether the drivers of short-run default risk are different from those of long-run default risk. Our results show that government indebtedness indicators are important determinants of default risk for yield spreads of bonds with maturities shorter than 7 years. In contrast, increases in investment and output growth indicators lower default risk at all maturities. A lower current account balance or a higher exchange rate volatility increase default risk for maturities lower than 10 years. Finally, an openness indicator is found to have positive effects on default risk for maturities longer than 7 years. This last effect is probably due to the increasing external vulnerability that results when a country becomes more integrated to the global economy.


This paper examines the relationship between the internationalisation of firms in services and their innovation performance. We use firm-level data over the period 2004- 2006 and estimate an augmented structural model to account for the role of foreign direct investment and exporting on the innovation performance of services firms in Ireland. Our research shows that in comparison to firms serving only the Irish market, domestic exporters were more likely to engage in R&D and innovation and they were more likely to be successful in terms of innovation output, over and above firm characteristics such as size and distance to the technology frontier. Further, we find that adoption of information and communication technologies was positively associated with innovation output. Co-operation with suppliers was positively associated with all innovation types, while knowledge flows from customers and from the government or public research institutes were positively linked to product innovation. Co-operation with universities was positively linked to innovation measured by patents.


Developing countries lack effective infrastructure: transportation, telecommunications, financial systems, etc. The positive economic impact of the improved telecommunications infrastructure has been demonstrated. The ability of microfinance has been shown to stimulate and enhance economic activity. Now a hybrid of the technologies has begun to emerge: mobilemoney. The ubiquity of cell phone service, coupled with the notion of microfinance offers the possibility of service in remote areas of a country where it would be otherwise economically unsustainable to provide banking services. Mobilemoney has all of the attributes of money including store of value and medium of exchange. This paper addresses the economics and policy issues of mobile money: What are the economics of mobile money? What policy issues does it raise? Is it a threat to the traditional banking system? How should it be regulated? What can we learn from the microfinance literature? Do we have empirical evidence of its impact on growth and development?


Following the realization of Weyl semimetals in quantum electronic materials, classical wave analogues of Weyl materials have also been theorized and experimentally demonstrated in photonics and acoustics. Weyl points in elastic systems, however, have been a much more recent discovery. In this study, we report on the design of an elastic fully-continuum three-dimensional material that, while offering structural and load-bearing functionalities, is also capable of Weyl degeneracies and surface topologically-protected modes in a way completely analogous to its quantum mechanical counterpart. The topological characteristics of the lattice are obtained by ab initio numerical calculations without employing any further simplifications. The results clearly characterize the topological structure of the Weyl points and are in full agreement with the expectations of surface topological modes. Finally, full field numerical simulations are used to confirm the existence of surface states and to illustrate their extreme robustness towards lattice disorder and defects.


The axisymmetric functionally gradient materials (FGMs) subject to nonuniform temperature variations were studied with the combined use of homogenization and inhomogeneous eigenstrained media analysis. The material properties and the temperature variations were assumed to depend on the radial coordinate only. The inhomogeneous material properties of the FGM cylinder can be obtained by modulating the concentration level of spherical alumina particles in an aluminum matrix. The resulting stresses due to the temperature variation are presented for numerous distribution functions of alumina particles. It is shown that the particle distribution extensively influences the intensity and profile of the thermal stresses.


A major feature of the human eye is the compressed sensitiveness of the retina. An image coder, which makes use of this, can heavily encode the parts of the image which is not close to the focus of our eyes. Existing image coding schemes require that the gaze direction of the viewer is measured. However, a great advantage would be if an estimator predicts the focus of attention (FOA) regions in the image. This report presents such an implementation, which is based on a model that mimics many of the biological features of the human visual system (HVS). For example, it uses a center-surround mechanism, which is a replica of the receptive fields of the neurons in the HVS. An extra feature of the implementation is the extension to handle video sequences, and the expansion of the FOA:s. The test results of the system show good results from a large variety of images.


The Perforate, Wash and Cement technique has been widely applied to remediation of annular cement in recent years. Since 2012, extensive experience in the different technologies currently available on the market has been obtained across ten fields in the Danish and UK sectors of the North Sea and the data obtained has been used to attempt to better understand the effective operational window for the technique, and also further enhance reliability and tool robustness.
 The run data obtained from several wells has been calibrated against cement bond logging (CBL) responses so that the degree of annular bonding as inferred from the logs may be expressed in terms of the degree to which hydraulic communication or circulation is permitted via perforations and along the annulus. This in turn helps clearer decision criteria to be defined prior to execution that aids in the selection of the most appropriate method for remediating the cement, since Perforate, Wash and Cement may not be the most suitable technique in every case.
 Given the criticality of cement remediation to the long-term success of zonal isolation, it is important to demonstrate that effective hydraulic communication with the annulus has been established during the washing phase to ensure that the zonal isolation medium (cement) can be effectively placed and the hydraulic seal re-established, resulting in successful remediation.
 Post-execution verification of the effectiveness of remediation is typically performed via Cement Bond Logging. However, this may not always be a definitive verification step since Cement Bond Logging interpretation does have its limitations (both physical and interpretative), and hence annuli have occasionally been known to develop Sustained Casing Pressure even shortly after positive log interpretations following well-executed cementations.
 This paper therefore further demonstrates how Sustained Casing Pressure monitoring can be used as a further criterion to verify the integrity of the remediated annulus and hence conclusively demonstrate whether the washing and later cementing of the annulus has been effectively performed. This in turn is used as definitive confirmation that zonal isolation has been performed within the operating limits of the tool and hence qualify Perforate, Wash and Cement as a robust and viable remedial method.


The main goal of this chapter is to discuss the value of the Construction Grammar framework to solving perceived problems with diachronic syntax. As such, one part of this chapter provides a condensed review of previous research in diachronic syntax, including a brief discussion of why many linguists have doubted the value of such work. While most of this early work did not emphasize the importance of constructions to our understanding of either synchronic or diachronic syntax, we do identify earlier examples of work for which the notion of construction was crucial, although not richly developed. The bulk of the chapter then proposes ways in which a constructional perspective/theory allows us to address some of these perceived problems with the study of diachronic syntax, hence providing a research context for the individual studies published in this volume.


A spacecraft is a confined system that is inhabited by a changing microbial consortium, mostly originating from life-supporting devices, equipment collected in pre-flight conditions, and crewmembers. Continuous monitoring of the spacecraft's bioburden employing culture-based and molecular methods has shown the prevalence of various taxa, with human skin-associated microorganisms making a substantial contribution to the spacecraft microbiome. Microorganisms in spacecraft can prosper not only in planktonic growth mode but can also form more resilient biofilms that pose a higher risk to crewmembers' health and the material integrity of the spacecraft's equipment. Moreover, bacterial biofilms in space conditions are characterized by faster formation and acquisition of resistance to chemical and physical effects than under the same conditions on Earth, making most decontamination methods unsafe. There is currently no reported method available to combat biofilm formation in space effectively and safely. However, antibacterial photodynamic inactivation based on natural photosensitizers, which is reviewed in this work, seems to be a promising method.


Gene imprinting is a widely observed epigenetic phenomenon in maize endosperm; however, whether it also occurs in the maize embryo remains controversial. Here, we used high-throughput RNA sequencing on laser capture microdissected and manually dissected maize embryos from reciprocal crosses between inbred lines B73 and Mo17 at six time points (3-13 days after pollination, DAP) to analyze allelic gene expression patterns. Co-expression analysis revealed sequential gene activation during maize embryo development. Gene imprinting was observed in maize embryos, and a greater number of imprinted genes were identified at early embryo stages. Sixty-four strongly imprinted genes were identified (at the threshold of 9:1) on manually dissected embryos 5-13 DAP (more imprinted genes at 5 DAP). Forty-one strongly imprinted genes were identified from laser capture microdissected embryos at 3 and 5 DAP (more imprinted genes at 3 DAP). Furthermore, of the 56 genes that were completely imprinted (at the threshold of 99:1), 36 were not previously identified as imprinted genes in endosperm or embryos. In situ hybridization demonstrated that most of the imprinted genes were expressed abundantly in maize embryonic tissue. Our results shed lights on early maize embryo development and provide evidence to support that gene imprinting occurs in maize embryos.


Because when fed to an on-line computer the ECG information carries a good deal of noise, of prime importance is devising a method for representation and filtration of the useful asignal. It is shown that in order to separate the ueful signal with a protracted direct ECG input from the patient to a computer the use of the proposed modified method of coherent accumulation is advisable. This modification envisages a step-wise solution of the following problems: current diagnosis of arrhythmic contractions exclusion of arrhythmic contractions from the accumulation procedure, automatic search of the normal duration of the RR intervals, equalization of the RRh intervals duration, statistical averaging of the obtained quantum values. The devised modification of the coherent accumulation method, while considerably increasing the noise-immunity of the algorhythm, enables it to effect a direct long-term automatic analysis of the ECG at intensive care units. The identification and measurement of the ECG waves and intervals are done through and automatic selection of the curve elements search zones, finding local maxima and also of the commencement and end of waves by using the method of the "moving window" with an adaptive evaluation of the first signal derivative intensity.


The term "deciduosis" is used to describe the severe pregnancy-associated occurrence of ectopic decidua with a usually asymptomatic course. We report on two cases of massive maternal intra-abdominal bleeding due to such symptomatic changes. The complications arose at different time points for the two cases: prepartum (26th week of pregnancy) or, respectively, - reported here for the first time - seven days postpartum. As well as differential diagnostic aspects we describe the management of the disease and its possible effects on subsequent pregnancies.