This study develops an economic model for a social planner who prioritizes health over short-term wealth accumulation during a pandemic. Agents are connected through a weighted undirected network of contacts, and the planner's objective is to determine the policy that contains the spread of infection below a tolerable incidence level, and that maximizes the present discounted value of real income, in that order of priority. The optimal unique policy depends both on the configuration of the contact network and the tolerable infection incidence. Comparative statics analyses are conducted: (i) they reveal the tradeoff between the economic cost of the pandemic and the infection incidence allowed;and (ii) they suggest a correlation between different measures of network centrality and individual lockdown probability with the correlation increasing with the tolerable infection incidence level. Using unique data on the networks of nursing and long-term homes in the U.S., we calibrate our model at the state level and estimate the tolerable COVID-19 infection incidence level. We find that laissez-faire (more tolerance to the virus spread) pandemic policy is associated with an increased number of deaths in nursing homes and higher state GDP growth. In terms of the death count, laissez-faire is more harmful to nursing homes than more peripheral in the networks, those located in deprived counties, and those who work for a profit. We also find that U.S. states with a Republican governor have a higher level of tolerable incidence, but policies tend to converge with high death count.


Multilingual BERT (mBERT) provides sentence representations for 104 languages, which are useful for many multi-lingual tasks. Previous work probed the cross-linguality of mBERT using zero-shot transfer learning on morphological and syntactic tasks. We instead focus on the semantic properties of mBERT. We show that mBERT representations can be split into a language-specific component and a language-neutral component, and that the language-neutral component is sufficiently general in terms of modeling semantics to allow high-accuracy word-alignment and sentence retrieval but is not yet good enough for the more difficult task of MT quality estimation. Our work presents interesting challenges which must be solved to build better language-neutral representations, particularly for tasks requiring linguistic transfer of semantics.


This survey investigates the increasing importance of global public goods (GPGs) in today's interdependent world, driven by ever-growing, cross-border externalities and public good spillovers. Novel technologies, enhanced globalization, and population increases are among the main drivers of the rise of GPGs. Key GPGs include curbing climate change, instituting universal regulatory practices, eradicating infectious diseases, preserving world peace, discovering scientific breakthroughs, and limiting financial crises. The survey presents a compact theoretical foundation for GPGs, grounded in the provision of public goods. Because countries may be contributors or noncontributors to a particular GPG, coalition formation and behavior play a role, as do strategic interactions between a contributor coalition and other countries. In the survey, recurrent themes include strategic considerations, alternative institutional arrangements, GPGs' defining properties, new actors' roles, and collective action concerns. The four properties of GPGs—benefit non-rivalry, benefit non-excludability, aggregator technology, and spillover range—influence the GPGs' supply prognoses and the need for and form of provision intervention, which may affect the requisite institutional changes. Three representative case studies illustrate how theoretical insights inform policy and empirical tests. Regional public goods are shown to involve a question of subsidiarity and different actors compared to GPGs. (JEL C71, C72, D62, D70, H41, Q54)


Influencer Marketing has become a widely used strategy wherein social media influencers partner with businesses to create awareness about their brand and promote their products. XYZ (not real name) Cosmetics, an international cosmetics company that provides affordable, high-quality products to the Philippine market, is one such company that embraces the trend. It has integrated influencer marketing to better connect with its customers. This study determines the relationship between the three aspects of influencers: Source Characteristics (Attractiveness and Popularity), Psychological-Related Influential Factors (Self-Congruency and Product Match-Up), and Content Attributes (Quality and Uniqueness) with XYZ's Customer Purchase Intention (CPI). Through using a case study survey research design, the study chose 387 respondents, randomly sampling the Instagram followers of XYZ. An online questionnaire consisting of seven-point Likert scale items was administered. The results show that Attractiveness, Uniqueness, and Self-Congruency significantly affect customer purchase intention, while Popularity, Product Match-up, and Quality do not. The study has implications for brand managers and entrepreneurs, underscoring how an influencer should be selected, especially for cosmetics companies like XYZ. The researchers recommend choosing an attractive and unique influencer known to possess credibility, an amiable personality, and good values while focusing less on assessing how well the influencer vlogs, how popular the talent is, and how matched the person is with the company's products.


Revised objectives for the World Hunger Programme and a new sub-programme structure came into effect on 1 January 1981. They are the product of a review by the Programme of its objectives, direction, and activities which began more than a year ago, and are based on advice provided by the Programme Advisory Committee and other bodies, including especially a group which met in Bellagio, Italy, in April 1980 to discuss the conceptual basis of the Programme.


AIM
Anaemia caused by acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is treated with blood transfusion or iron, but patients usually face a two-month recovery period from post-haemorrhage anaemia. This prospective, randomised, open, pilot study was designed to investigate whether recombinant human erythropoietin (Epoetin) therapy accelerate haematocrit increase in the post-bleeding recovery period.

METHODS
We studied hospitalised patients admitted because of acute ulcer bleeding or haemorrhagic gastritis, who had a haematocrit of 27-33% and did not receive blood transfusions. One day after the endoscopic confirmation of cessation of bleeding, they were randomised either to erythropoietin (20 000 IU Epoetin alfa subcutaneously, on days 0, 4 and 6) plus iron (100 mg im, on days 1- 6, (G(1)) or iron only (G(2)). Haematocrit was measured on days 0, 6, 14, 30, 45, and 60, respectively.

RESULTS
One patient from G(1) and two from G(2) were lost to follow-up. Therefore, 14 and 13 patients from G(1) and G(2) respectively were analysed. Demographic characteristics, serum iron, ferritin, total iron binding capacity, reticulocytes, and haematocrit were not significantly different at entry to the study. Median reticulocyte counts were significantly different between groups on day six (G(1): 4.0, 3.0-6.4 vs G(2): 3.5, 2.1-4.4%, P=0.03) and median haematocrit on day fourteen [G(1): 35.9, 30.7-41.0 vs G(2): 32.5, 29.5-37.0% (median, range), P=0.04].

CONCLUSION
Erythropoietin administration significantly accelerates correction of anemia after acute ulcer bleeding. The haematocrit gain is equivalent to one unit of transfused blood two weeks after the bleeding episode.


57 infertile couples with "unknown" or "therapy resistant" infertility were investigated by the double crossed sperm-penetration-meter-test (SPM-test). The results of the SPM-test were compared with the results of the postcoital-tests, the duration of infertility, and the male and female diagnosis of infertility. Postcoital tests and SPM-tests showed only in 63% of cases corresponding results. The ability of the spermatozoa to penetrate cervical mucus was directly depending from the number of progressively motile spermatozoa per ml, and no connection could be found between the results of the SPM-test and the gynecological findings. The investigations showed that the primary diagnosis of infertility can be extended by the SPM-test respectively in many cases of so-called "unknown infertility" where a disturbed spermatozoa-mucus-interaction has to be postulated.


Epalrestat (EPL) is an aldose reductase inhibitor with poor aqueous solubility that affects its therapeutic efficacy. The research study was designed to prepare epalrestat-cyclodextrins (EPL-CDs) inclusion complexes to enhance the aqueous solubility by using beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and sulfobutyl ether₇ β-CD (SBE7 β-CD). Furthermore, polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) of EPL-CDs were developed using chitosan (CS) and sodium tripolyphosphate (sTPP). The EPL-CDs complexed formulations were then loaded into chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) and further characterized for different physico-chemical properties, thermal stability, drug-excipient compatibility and acute oral toxicity studies. In-silico molecular docking of cross-linker with SBE7 β-CD was also carried out to determine the binding site of the CDs with the cross-linker. The sizes of the prepared NPs were laid in the range of 241.5–348.4 nm, with polydispersity index (PDI) ranging from 0.302–0.578. The surface morphology of the NPs was found to be non-porous, smooth, and spherical. The cumulative percentage of drug release from EPL-CDs loaded CS NPs was found to be higher (75–88%) than that of the pure drug (25%). Acute oral toxicity on animal models showed a biochemical, histological profile with no harmful impact at the cellular level. It is concluded that epalrestat-cyclodextrin chitosan nanoparticles (EPL-CDs-CS NPs) with improved solubility are safe for oral administration since no toxicity was reported on vital organs in rabbits.


Many countries have passed environmental laws aiming at preserving natural ecosystems, such as the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in the United States. Although those regulations seem to have improved preservation, they may have had unintended consequences in energy production. Here we show that while environmental constraints on hydropower may have preserved the wilderness and wildlife by restricting the development of hydroelectric projects, they led to more greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental regulations gave rise to a replacement of hydropower, which is a renewable, relatively low-emitting source of energy, with conventional fossil-fuel power, which is highly polluting. Our estimates indicate that, on average, each megawatt of fossil fuel power-generating capacity added to the grid because of environmental constraints on hydropower development led to an increase in annual carbon dioxide emissions of about 1,400 tons. Environmental regulations focusing only on the preservation of ecosystems appear to have encouraged electric utilities to substitute dirtier fuels for hydropower in electricity generation.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the risk for residual adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) or cervical adenocarcinoma in women undergoing loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP)/conization as the initial management for AIS.

STUDY DESIGN
A retrospective chart study was conducted from 1990 to 2005. Patients with AIS were identified from a pathology database.

RESULTS
Forty-three patients were identified with AIS of the cervix who were initially treated with LEEP/conization. Twelve cases of invasive adenocarcinoma (28%) were identified on LEEP/conization. Margin status was available for 41 patients. Twenty (49%) patients had a positive margin, and 21 (51%) patients had a negative margin. Nineteen women with positive margins underwent definitive surgical therapy; 68% had residual AIS. Eleven women with negative margins underwent hysterectomy; 45% had residual AIS. Women with positive and negative margins were compared and found to differ significantly in regard to diagnosis of adenocarcinoma on LEEP/conization.

CONCLUSION
Women status post-LEEP/conization for AIS have a high risk of residual AIS, even with negative conization margins. If definitive hysterectomy is deferred, close follow-up is mandatory.


BACKGROUND
Nephropathic cystinosis is the most common cause of inherited renal Fanconi syndrome, caused by mutations in lysosomal cystine carrier cystinosin that result in lysosomal cystine accumulation throughout the body. How defects in cystinosin cause proximal tubular dysfunction is not known. We hypothesized that cystine accumulation could cause disturbed proximal tubular endocytosis by megalin and cubilin.

STUDY DESIGN
Megalin, cubilin, and their ligands were studied in kidney tissue by means of immunohistochemistry. Urinary protein excretion pattern was evaluated.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS
Kidney tissue from a patient with cystinosis was compared with minimal change nephrotic syndrome tissue, end-stage renal disease tissue, and control renal tissue. Urine from 7 patients with cystinosis was compared with 6 control samples.

RESULTS
Expression of megalin, cubilin, and ligands (transferrin, albumin, vitamin D-binding protein, alpha(1)-microglobulin, retinol-binding protein, and beta(2)-microglobulin) in convoluted proximal tubules of cystinotic kidney was similar to that in other kidney specimens. In straight tubules, low-molecular-weight proteins were present in only cystinotic kidney samples. Next to low-molecular-weight proteins and albumin, urinary excretion of immunoglobulin G was increased in patients with cystinosis with Fanconi syndrome compared with controls. This was already observed at an early age, suggesting enhanced glomerular permeability in patients with cystinosis.

LIMITATIONS
This study is essentially observational, and immunohistochemical data are based on 1 cystinotic kidney.

CONCLUSION
Our findings indicate that low-molecular-weight proteinuria in patients with cystinosis is not caused by decreased megalin and cubilin expression, and glomerular damage might already be present at early stages of the disease.


In this study, the authors investigate the control problem of switched singular systems aiming to compress their inconsistent state jumps when switch occurs between two different singular subsystems. The proposed hybrid impulsive controller consists of a feedback controller and an impulsive controller. With introduction of the impulsive controller, the state at each switching instant for the closed-loop system can be changed. Based on the given controller structure, some sufficient conditions are derived under which the closed-loop system is admissible (regular, impulse free and stable) and such a controller has the capability of eliminating or minimising the instantaneous state jumps at switching instants. The validity and advantage of the proposed hybrid impulsive controller are illustrated using two examples.


Today, Brazil is poised to reverse the considerable gains made between 1988 and 2008 in the land rights of Indigenous Peoples and other traditional communities. Such a reversal would have disastrous consequences for such communities in Brazil and elsewhere, and also for the globally important Amazonian forests. This paper looks at the historical development of land rights in Brazil and explains why Brazil is now at a critical turning point.


A lot of technologies have been developed in order to design and construct the product easily and economically. Rapid Prototyping (RP) technology is one of the most utilized technologies when it comes to creating the prototype parts. RP refers to the automated construction of three dimensional prototypes which goes through the processes that involve Computer Aided Design (CAD). The design that needs to be fabricated is fed into the machine which transforms it to its physical three dimensional models via an automated mechanical process. The rapid prototyping technology enables quick and easy transition from concept generation in the form of computer images to the fabrication of physical models. With the introduction of this prototyping technology, the utilization of a much wider application suddenly became a possibility which includes the medical industry. Having actual prototypes of anatomical parts could be very beneficial not only for doctors to have better understanding of certain strategies and effectively discuss it, it is also helpful in the sense that doctors now have a simple way of explaining complex procedures to their patients with the use of these aids.


BACKGROUND
Multicomponent processes have played powerful roles in achieving complex structures, which are also aligned with green chemistry. Thus, MCRs have attracted considerable interest due to their atom economy, simple experimental procedures, automated synthesis, convenience and synthetic efficiency. Isocyanides are one of the crucial starting material in designing MCRs methods. They are unique building blocks in many cycloaddition reactions since they are able to react with both nucleophiles and electrophiles at the same carbon. Furthermore, ammonium chloride is an inorganic compound that is highly soluble in water, inexpensive and commercially available. Solutions of ammonium chloride are mildly acidic and have been used in various reactions.

OBJECTIVE
This article focuses on design a convenient and straightforward method for assembling important scaffolds such imidazolidinones through one-pot three-component strategy.

CONCLUSION
The straightforward and efficient one-pot three component method for the synthesis of 4-(cyclohexylmethylene)-5-phenylimidazolidin-2-one derivatives is described. This reaction exploits the formation of imine, which undergoes spontaneous intermolecular cycloaddition with isocyanide, and generates the desired products in a good yield.


Abstract
 Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were sampled in conventional and genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) corn, Zea mays L. (Poaceae), planted under rotation with canola, Brassica L. (Brassicaceae), or continuously cropped corn to investigate the influence of corn variety and rotation on the structure of carabid assemblages. Corn variety, cultivation regime, and their interaction all influenced overall carabid activity density. Weed management associated with corn variety influenced the activity density of a few carabid species and this was attributed to changes in vegetation. Some smaller bodied carabids such as Bembidion quadrimaculatum L. were less abundant in GMHT plots, probably because weed density was higher in midseason, but the opposite was observed for larger bodied carabids such as Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger). Overall, rotating corn with canola had a stronger effect on carabid community structure than did corn variety. We suggest that GMHT corn has little impact on the overall carabid fauna but may influence the activity of certain species through effects on the weed community.


Faculty strikes over salaries have become a regular feature in Kenya's public universities. The article identifies the preponderance of union-negotiated pay increase, absence of a merit pay system and the lack of differentiated pay tied to institutional context as key contributing factors. It recommends a more robust compensation scheme that includes pay-for-performance system, context-based differentiated pay for university executives and the democratization of the university budget processes.


Conventionally, the marginalised population was considered to engage in child labour due to poverty, education or lack of other options, but indeed, a few children work voluntarily. However, a growing number of scholars, in recent years, have drawn their attention to the valuable question, "why children are engaged in child labour in the informal economy". Even though a few studies have explored the motives of informal workers, to our knowledge not a single paper has explored the motives of child labourers working in the informal economy. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by evaluating the motives of child labourers, through three competing theorisations of the informal economy.,In this study, face-to-face structured interviews of 45 child labourers were conducted, who worked in different automobile workshops in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. Respondents were selected using the snowball sampling technique as this strategy is suitable for researching sensitive issues and is feasible for small sample sizes.,The main finding is that no single explanation is universally applicable to all child labourers. Some (27 per cent) justify their participation in the informal sector as driven by necessity (structuralist perspective), majority (40 per cent) explain their participation in the informal economy as a rational economic choice (neo-liberal perspective) and finally, more than a quarter of respondents (31 per cent) engaged in child labour due to their own free will or voluntarily to work for their family (post-structuralist perspective). This study also revealed that entrepreneurial spawning is a key determinant of child labour as the majority of children, in our study, working in automobile workshops intended to start their own workshop business in the future.,This article shows that children early engaged in work with entrepreneurial intention/spawning. Entrepreneurial education is very important in a child's life. Entrepreneurial education will be a ticket to fulfill their dreams and learn new things with entrepreneurial attitude.,Government should develop the vocational training institutes for children who left the schools.,This study contributes to the body of literature by providing a better understanding of why children work in informal employment, an occupation generally perceived as constituting exploitative working conditions. This study also contributes to the wider literature of entrepreneurship by exploring "entrepreneurial spawning" as one of the major reasons underlying the participation of children in informal work.


Hurricane Katrina will have an enormous impact on people and the economy of the United States. The hurricane affected over a half million people located in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and has resulted in one of the largest natural disaster relief and recovery operations in United States history. In terms of public health, standing water and high temperatures have created a breeding ground for disease, and public health advisories have warned about the spread of disease in the affected areas. Hurrican Katrina also resulted in environmental challenges, such as water and sediment contamination from toxic materials released into the floodwaters. In addition, our nation;s energy infrastructure was hard hit; it affected 21 refineries. In terms of telecommunications, Hurricane Katrina knocked out radio and television stations, more than 3 million customer phone lines, and more than a thousand cell phone sites. GAO prepared this testimony to highlight past work on government programs related to Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, and to provided information on plans and coordination among the accountability community--GAO, the Inspectors General, and other auditors at the state and local level.


Aim of the study was the determination of mini-mum mass optimal shape for a hexagon-type (tetrapod-like) lattice superelement. The optimization was shape parameterization based and accomplished by metamodel-ing approach, also termed subproblem approximation. Prior to it, Latin hypercube type experimental designs were utilized for the study of correlation between selected geo-metric and structural parameters, which was subsequently used for making predictions as to what limits should be chosen for the constraining deformation parameter and what kind of geometries should be obtained. Additional topology optimization results were used as reference for defining thickness distribution functions for the intended shell geometry. The resulting geometries were in accor-dance with the expectations.


Aim. To carry out comparative assessment of the efficiency of complex treatment of patients with chronic generalized periodontitis using drugs for osteotropic therapy. Materials and methods. Complex examination and treatment of 112 patients with chronic generalized periodontitis aged 20–49 was performed. In the main group (72 patients), complex treatment included the course of osteotropic therapy using a new drug «Calcium-vit D 3C» containing calcium carbonate 750 mg (equivalent to 300 mg of calcium), cholecalcipherol (vitamin D 3) 100 ME, ascorbic acid 50 mg, hips and licorice root extracts followed by gel «Holisal» application. In comparison group (40 patients), treatment was conducted applying the drug «Calcium D 3» (Nikomed , Norway) and 3% aspirin ointment. Results. Positive effect of treatment manifested by stabilization of pathological process in periodontium tissues of 75% of patients of the main group in the nearest and remote terms, reliable improvement of clinical roentgenological and biochemical indices was stated. Conclusion. Safety and efficiency of using «Calcium-vit D 3C» regarding blood serum total calcium, inorganic phosphorus and active-alkaline phosphatase content as well as dynamics of cytokine indices influencing periodontium bone tissue status was proved.


Most of the enzymes involved in glycolysis are readily reversible and are also active in gluconeogenesis. However, three reaction steps are irreversible, i.e., those catalyzed by hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase; for in each of these reactions there occurs a large negative free-energy change, and these are reactions thus bypassed by alternate enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Pyruvate kinase (EC 188.8.131.52, PK) plays an important role in controlling glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. To clarify the characteristics of glycolysis in dental pulp, we examined the enzymatic properties of pyruvate kinase from pig dental pulp and compared them with those of the enzyme from pig brain. 1) Pyruvate kinase from dental pulp and brain were purified by use of ammonium sulphate fractionation, phosphocellulose colum chromatography, and isoelectric focusing. The prepared enzymes showed a single protein band on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 2) The subunit molecular weight of dental pulp and brain enzymes was determined to be 63,000 and 59,000, respectively. 3) Substrate inhibition of dental pulp and brain enzymes by phosphoenolpyruvate was not observed, and the relationship between reaction velocity and substrate concentration at pH 7.2 was explained by the Michaelis-Menten equation. Fructose-1,6-diphosphate had no observable effect on either enzyme. 4) Effect of amino acids on dental pulp and brain enzyme activity were examined, and no significant relationship was observed between the side chain structure of amino acids and their potency in inhibiting dental pulp and brain enzyme activity. Glutamic and aspartic acids markedly inhibited dental pulp and brain enzymes at pH 7.2. 5) Oxalate showed inhibitory activity against dental pulp and brain enzymes, and the Ki value was determined to be 50 microM and 80 microM, respectively. The inhibition of dental pulp and brain enzyme activity by oxalate was competitive with respect to phosphoenolpyruvate. 6) Both dental pulp and brain enzymes were clearly inhibited by malate at concentrations higher than 1.0 mM: 50% and 100% inhibition occurred at 2.2-2.3 mM and 3.0 mM malate, respectively.


Ferric sulfate is used as an additive in biomass combustion to convert the released potassium chloride to the less harmful potassium sulfate. The decomposition of ferric sulfate is studied in a fast heating rate thermogravimetric analyzer and a volumetric reaction model is proposed to describe the process. The yields of sulfur oxides from ferric sulfate decomposition under boiler conditions are investigated experimentally, revealing a distribution of approximately 40% SO3 and 60% SO2. The ferric sulfate decomposition model is combined with a detailed kinetic model of gas-phase KCl sulfation and a model of K2SO4 condensation to simulate the sulfation of KCl by ferric sulfate addition. The simulation results show good agreements with experiments conducted in a biomass grate-firing reactor. The results indicate that the SO3 released from ferric sulfate decomposition is the main contributor to KCl sulfation and that the effectiveness of ferric sulfate addition is sensitive to the applied temperature conditions. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 4314–4324, 2013


Deleuze and Guattari's global smooth space of capital, coupled to the war machine and Hardt and Negri's 'Empire' and 'multitude,' serve as jumping-off points for an exploration of the tools and techniques used by the 'secret state' to achieve Pax Americana and Full Spectrum Dominance—contemporary militarist and 'intelligence' doctrines associated with the rise of the US Neoconservative movement, but rooted in a deeper geohistory of globalization and post-fascist transnational corporatism. The basic argument put forth is that Hardt, Negri, Deleuze, and Guattari do not sufficiently explicate (nor barely even acknowledge) the cryptic rhizomatics of the global corporatocracy, thus their support of global resistances and revolutions falls short and is theoretically weakened. This article explores a diverse array of 'conspiratorial' topics, largely through 'geopolitical forensics' lenses suggested by a materialistic reading of A Thousand Plateaus. The 'spectral networks' of International Communism and International Terrorism are presented as doppelgangers of the multitude—networks of bogeymen largely in the employ of Empire. The conclusion offers suggestions for several tunnels of approach to rhizomatic revolution, including confederated 'vacuoles' and holey spaces as foils to Full Spectrum Dominance. It is argued that neither 'Empire' nor the worldwide smooth space of peaceful terror take into account the continued existence of the 'deep' power centers of Russia and China, both of which, while drawn deeply into global capitalism, resist submission to the one-world, onesystem model projected by the West as a necessary state of security for the planet. Beyond these two are other emerging vacuoles of nation-state resistance that manage to maintain just enough separation from Western destabilization to be able to devise new modes of revolution at the state level—a prime example being Bolivia.


Deciding how much to save for retirement is a difficult task surrounded with many uncertainties. In this paper we study the impact of uncertainty about one's savings adequacy on retirement savings contributions and information search. We combine ideas from literature in psychology and economics that have opposing predictions for the impact of uncertainty on retirement savings contributions. Accordingly, our results show that the effect of uncertainty is moderated by two factors: an individual's perceived adequacy of current savings and financial constraints. In particular, we find that uncertainty triggers retirement contributions for those who think they save adequately. At the same time it hinders retirement contributions for those who think they save inadequately. This effect of uncertainty is further moderated by the availability of financial means: a reduction in uncertainty results in more savings contributions only when financial constraints are absent. Concerning the effect of uncertainty on savings information search, we find that uncertainty not only has an indirect effect – because uncertainty affects individuals' intention to save more for which individuals need to engage in purchase-oriented information search – but that uncertainty also has a direct effect because individuals engage in ongoing information search to directly reduce uncertainty. Implications of these findings are discussed.


The two chief characteristics of the blood platelets are their marked tendency to undergo speedy dissolution in shed blood and their property of adhering to one another and to foreign objects. These characteristics explain the difficulties that have been experienced in attempts to count accurately the number of platelets. The early investigators used various preserving fluids in their attempts to prevent the disappearance of the platelets from freshly drawn blood, and the counts were made with the ordinary hematocytometer. The results were regarded as so unsatisfactory by Halla 1 that he concluded from his study that it was impossible to determine the absolute number of blood platelets, and that the relative number could be estimated best in fresh preparations. Only a few years ago Turck 2 employed the same procedure, evidently because he regarded even the newer methods of counting the platelets as quite untrustworthy. The investigations of Eberth and


Transbronchial lung biopsy is an indispensable method for the diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions; however, the diagnostic yield still remains unsatisfactory. Endobronchial ultrasound with guide sheath (EBUS-GS) is an excellent method for the decision of biopsy points and has contributed to improvements in diagnostic yield, but the decision of choosing the proper bronchus depends on the individual ability of each bronchoscopist. To clarify the usefulness of the virtual bronchoscopic navigation system (VBN), we evaluated the diagnostic yield and time required to determine the target lesion. Fifty-seven cases using EBUS-GS with VBN (VBN/EBUS-GS group) and 55 cases using EBUS-GS (EBUS-GS group) were compared. In the VBN/EBUS-GS group, computer software detects the air density in the bronchi from the computed tomography image and imports a detailed virtual Bronchoscopic Image. After inserting the starting position and the peripheral target lesion, the software depicts the most ideal route to the target lesion during the bronchoscopic procedure. EBUS is then used to confirm the accuracy of the route. Diagnostic yield was 84.2% for the VBN/EBUS-GS group and 80.0% for EBUS-GS group. The required time to determine the biopsy position was significantly less in the VBN/EBUS-GS group (5.54±0.57 min in VBN/EBUS-GS group vs. 9.27±0.86 min in EBUS-GS group, P<0.01). In conclusion, VBN proved useful in shortening the time needed to determine the biopsy position.


To assess the role of the CALM-AF10 fusion gene in leukemic transformation in vivo, we generated transgenic mice that expressed a CALM-AF10 fusion gene. Depending on the transgenic line, at least 40% to 50% of the F(1) generation mice developed acute leukemia at a median age of 12 months. Leukemic mice typically had enlarged spleens, invasion of parenchymal organs with malignant cells, and tumors with myeloid markers such as myeloperoxidase, Mac1, and Gr1. Although most leukemias were acute myeloid leukemia, many showed lymphoid features, such as CD3 staining, or clonal Tcrb or Igh gene rearrangements. Mice were clinically healthy for the first 9 months of life and had normal peripheral blood hemograms but showed impaired thymocyte differentiation, manifested by decreased CD4(+)/CD8(+) cells and increased immature CD4(-)/CD8(-) cells in the thymus. Hematopoietic tissues from both clinically healthy and leukemic CALM-AF10 mice showed up-regulation of Hoxa cluster genes, suggesting a potential mechanism for the impaired differentiation. The long latency period and incomplete penetrance suggest that additional genetic events are needed to complement the CALM-AF10 transgene and complete the process of leukemic transformation.


Diabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis demonstrate much worse survival rates than do nondiabetic patients undergoing hemodialysis. To search for risk predictors, a prospective cohort study was performed with 245 hemodialysis patients, including 84 with diabetes mellitus, for 2 yr. C-reactive protein, troponin T (TnT), total, HDL, LDL, and lipoprotein(a) cholesterol, apoA2, apoB, triglyceride, fibrinogen, D-dimer, albumin, and creatinine levels and clinical characteristics at the time of entry were recorded. Survival rates were compared with Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Forty-three diabetic patients and 30 nondiabetic patients died. Among diabetic patients, oliguria (<200 ml/d) (relative risk, 3.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.63 to 6.41; P = 0.001), elevated C-reactive protein levels (relative risk, 2.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 6.18; P = 0.035), and elevated D-dimer levels (relative risk, 2.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 5.01; P = 0.025) predicted all-cause mortality rates. Oliguria was by far the most important predictor, particularly for infectious disease-related death (relative risk, 23.35; 95% confidence interval, 2.60 to 209.97; P = 0.005). Among nondiabetic patients, elevated TnT levels (relative risk, 4.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.58 to 10.10; P = 0.003), elevated D-dimer levels (relative risk, 3.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.27 to 9.33; P = 0.015), and low cholesterol levels (relative risk, 3.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.34 to 9.71; P = 0.011) predicted all-cause mortality rates. Subdivision of the causes of death among nondiabetic patients revealed that TnT levels predicted cardiovascular mortality rates (relative risk, 5.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 26.10; P = 0.037) and infectious disease-related mortality rates (relative risk, 12.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.42 to 191.96; P = 0.023). In conclusion, mortality predictors among patients undergoing hemodialysis differed substantially between diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Strategies to reduce mortality rates should consider these differences.


The expected consequences of a Score on an Ability test can constrain individual performance. The authors predict that status processes, including status differences and the differences in rewards and costs that result, will produce differences in ability test scores between high‐status and low‐status individuals. In three controlled experiments, participants randomly assigned low status scored lower on a standard test of mental ability (the Raven Progressive Matrices) than did participants assigned high status. For both men and women, the difference in ability test score between low‐status and high‐status participants was about half a standard deviation. The results suggest the need to account for status differences in any attempt ot measure mental ability accurately.


In the areas of transportation, commercial, recreational, residential, and educational design, Grimshaw excels at delivering workable spaces that will serve its clients' needs for years to come. Among the many British projects featured in this book are the International Railway Terminal for Eurostar trains at Waterloo, the Eden Project in Cornwall, the Financial Times building in London Docklands, and the Regional Headquarters for the RAC at Bristol. The practice has also completed projects in Germany, such as the Frankfurt Exhibition Hall and VITRA furniture offices; the Ijberg Bridge in Amsterdam; the Plant Science Center in St Louis; and the Southern Cross Railway Station in Melbourne, Australia, for which the practice recently won the Lubetkin Prize. Other projects in Spain, Mexico, and Zurich are included as well. Beautifully presented, these projects reveal the evolution of a firm that is quickly growing in influence, and clearly shows that the ideals of economy, sustainability and integrity continue to inform their work.


This paper investigates a new concept for the CO2 emission mitigation in the ceramic industry based on carbon reduction and methane formation. The concept is analysed as a retrofit to the natural gas fuelled ceramic kiln that represents the main responsible of this industry in terms of energy consumption and exhaust emissions. The carbon dioxide conversion to methane is obtained by reduction with hydrogen on a Ni catalyst and thus methane is used to fuel the standard burners that equip the kiln. The paper addresses different sources for the hydrogen used as a feedstock for the proposed concept as well as alternative catalysts are explored and compared in terms of reduction efficiency and costs. A lumped and distributed parameter simulation of the entire ceramic kiln is combined to the CFD simulation of the reactor to estimate the efficiency of the CO2 reduction and the corresponding methane production for a reference ceramic kiln. The results of the numerical simulations are then employed to discuss the potential benefits of the proposed concept in terms of carbon dioxide emission reduction for the ceramic production. An economic assessment of the system analysed is also carried out concept to determine the investment necessary to implement the technology in an existing ceramic kiln. The potential replicability for other industrial sector is also addressed.


Fluorophotometric measurements of blood–aqueous barrier permeability after intravitreal injection of perfluoropropane gas in rabbit eyes revealed fluorescein leakage immediately after injection; 3 days later, recovery of barrier integrity had begun to occur and 7 days and 14 days after gas injection, when the gas bubble was still in the eye, anterior chamber fluorescein concentrations were normal. Similarly, in eyes undergoing vitrectomy and injection of silicone liquid or vitrectomy only, anterior chamber fluorescein levels were elevated 3 days and 1 week after surgery. Nevertheless, normal barrier integrity was reestablished in both the silicone-filled eyes and the vitrectomized eyes after 1 week. Since there was no difference between the group injected with silicone and the group that underwent vitrectomy only with respect to anterior chamber fluorescein concentration at any of the times studied, it is concluded that the temporary disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier is associated with the surgical procedure rather than the presence of silicone liquid in the vitreous cavity.


Social, economic, and environmental benefits of sustainable buildings result in increasing demand and supply of green office space and governments adopt green buildings requirements as policy instruments. Effect of public (local, state) policies on construction and diffusion of sustainable buildings have been analyzed in few research (e.g. (Choi 2010a), (R. Simons, Choi, and Simons 2009)), demand for sustainable offices (e.g. (Zieba, Belniak, and Gluszak 2013), motivations for investing (Fuerst and McAllister 2009)(Popescu et al. 2012) were the subject of research but the impact of public policies and tools used by local governments, in the form of development plans and zoning maps, on the location decisions of investors realizing green buildings still requires more insight.
The objective of this paper is to verify whether local development plans (zoning maps) facilitate location of sustainable office buildings on sites that are best-choice using the criteria of green buildings' certification and most beneficial from the point of view of sustainable urban development.
Authors assume that local governments would support choice of best sustainable location by investors, as it's beneficial for local community, economy and environment. Also, we state that real estate developers' choice of location is the function of firm's own criteria, zoning map restrictions, availability of land for new developments.
This paper proposes a methodology to identify the best areas to locate sustainable offices in Cracow district Zabłocie, using spatial data analysis.
Zablocie was selected because the zoning map exists for the whole district and the area - postindustrial district, still provides many sites for new developments and it's featured by high concentration of sustainable office buildings.
The evaluation criteria was based on BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) green building certification categories. The data was collected and processed in ArcGIS. The locations, identified in spatial analysis process, were compared with locations available in Zablocie for commercial (office) developments as indicated by local development plan.


Plasmapheresis, also known as therapeutic plasma exchange, is used in the treatment of several disorders. Temporary improvement after plasmapheresis in cases with thyrotoxicosis has been reported. A 55‐year‐old woman presented with agranulocytosis induced by propylthiouracil and clinical signs of heart failure. Three sessions of plasmapheresis were performed. We observed an improvement of thyroid hormone levels and clinical findings as well. Plasmapheresis can be an option when drug treatment of thyrotoxicosis fails. J. Clin. Apheresis 19:148–150, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The authors put forward a new method of structural analysis of images, based on an automatic search for regularities of signs of colonic diseases in the shape of contours of colonic segments. The regularities obtained were used as diagnostic signs. The results of analysis of the shape of contours of the 1st (cecum and the ascending colon) segment and the 5th (the rectum) segment in 83 patients. The results of CT diagnosis coincided with verified clinical conclusions.


Traditional medicine is an important source of potentially useful new compounds for the development of chemotherapeutic agents. Moringa oleifera is the most widely cultivated species of a monogenetic family, it is now widly cultivated and has become naturalized in many locatons in the tropics. It is a perennial softwood tree with timber of low quality, but which for centuries has been advocated for traditional medicinal and industrial uses as well as used in treatment of Anti inflammatory, Antioxidant, Coagulant. The Natural remedies are more exceptable in the belief that they are safer with fewer side effects than synthetic ones herbal formulation have growing demand in the world market. it is very good attempt to establish the herbal ointment and liniment containing ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera seed powder.


IPPF does not advise that periodic abstinence be considered an equal alternative to more effective family planning methods because of findings from recent, carefully conducted trials that show unusually high failure and discontinuation rates compared with other methods. Periodic abstinence for family planning depends upon identifying the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle which occurs around the time of ovulation and avoiding sexual intercourse during that time. Abstinence is sometimes necessary during a large part of the cycle because of the difficulty of accurately predicting the fertile phase. In recent major studies, almost 20% of women using the sympto-thermal method became pregnant within a year, as did about 25% of those using the cervical mucus method, compared with less than 5% of those using oral contraceptives or IUDs. The sympto-thermal method appears more effective than the cervical mucus method, but both show wide ranges of pregnancy and discontinuation rates among different groups of women. Nevertheless, family planning associations should familiarize themselves with the periodic abstinence techniques for couples for whom periodic abstinence techniques for couples for whom periodic abstinence is the only choice. Such couples should be clearly informed that the method is not considered an effective method of family planning. Periodic abstinence is better than no method, however, and various other benefits can be obtained, such as knowledge of female physiology. Couples may identify the fertile phase to use barrier methods only on days estimated to be fertile, and it may lead to use of more effective contraception. Methods of detecting ovulation are also useful in diagnosis and treatment of infertility.


Although the decisions of our daily lives often occur in the context of temporal and reward structures, the impact of such regularities on decision-making strategy is poorly understood. Here, to explore how temporal and reward context modulate strategy, we trained 2 male rhesus monkeys to perform a novel perceptual decision-making task with asymmetric rewards and time-varying evidence reliability. To model the choice and response time patterns, we developed a computational framework for fitting generalized drift-diffusion models, which flexibly accommodate diverse evidence accumulation strategies. We found that a dynamic urgency signal and leaky integration, in combination with two independent forms of reward biases, best capture behavior. We also tested how temporal structure influences urgency by systematically manipulating the temporal structure of sensory evidence, and found that the time course of urgency was affected by temporal context. Overall, our approach identified key components of cognitive mechanisms for incorporating temporal and reward structure into decisions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In everyday life, decisions are influenced by many factors, including reward structures and stimulus timing. While reward and timing have been characterized in isolation, ecologically valid decision-making involves a multiplicity of factors acting simultaneously. This raises questions about whether the same decision-making strategy is used when these two factors are concurrently manipulated. To address these questions, we trained rhesus monkeys to perform a novel decision-making task with both reward asymmetry and temporal uncertainty. In order to understand their strategy and hint at its neural mechanisms, we used the new generalized drift diffusion modeling framework to model both reward and timing mechanisms. We found two of each reward and timing mechanisms are necessary to explain our data.


Across the United States, a growing number of school districts are turning to matching algorithms to assign students to public schools. The designers of these algorithms aimed to promote values such as transparency, equity, and community in the process. However, school districts have encountered practical challenges in their deployment. In fact, San Francisco Unified School District voted to stop using and completely redesign their student assignment algorithm because it was frustrating for families and it was not promoting educational equity in practice. We analyze this system using a Value Sensitive Design approach and find that one reason values are not met in practice is that the system relies on modeling assumptions about families' priorities, constraints, and goals that clash with the real world. These assumptions overlook the complex barriers to ideal participation that many families face, particularly because of socioeconomic inequalities. We argue that direct, ongoing engagement with stakeholders is central to aligning algorithmic values with real world conditions. In doing so we must broaden how we evaluate algorithms while recognizing the limitations of purely algorithmic solutions in addressing complex socio-political problems.


This paper analyzes a discrete-time $Geo/Geo/c$ queueing system with multiple working vacations and reneging in which customers arrive according to a geometric process. As soon as the system gets empty, the servers go to a working vacations all together. The service times during regular busy period, working vacation period and vacation times are assumed to be geometrically distributed. Customers waiting for service are subject to reneging and the reneging times are also assumed to be geometrically distributed. The explicit expressions for the steady-state probabilities are obtained recursively from the difference equations that represent the model. Closed form expressions of the system size are also derived both during regular busy period and during $WV$. In addition, we obtain some other performance measures and a cost model is formulated to determine the optimal service rate during working vacation.


Event detection over RFID event streams is one of the most important applications of RFID based monitoring systems. Event detection over data stream extracts meaningful complex patterns from high volume, fast speed and real time raw event streams. This research aims to detect RFID event patterns by introducing context information to reduce event instances effectively. Context of an RFID application is modeled and merged into event query optimization framework. Context information is further applied into evaluation of pattern detection. Experimental results show that context information can optimize complex event detection process both on CPU time and memory consumption.


Case:A 27-year-old immunocompromised man with Crohn disease presented with bilateral septic hip arthritis due to Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi. The diagnosis was confirmed by synovial membrane and effusion culture specimens that were obtained during arthroscopic debridement of both hips. Conclusion:Prolonged antimicrobial therapy, bilateral femoral head resection, and placement of cement spacers for 5 months, followed by bilateral total hip arthroplasty, was a radical and effective treatment for a patient with Crohn disease and bilateral Salmonella septic arthritis of the hip.


The effects of neurological diseases (e.g. stroke) can severely affect the subject's quality of life and independence. In the last decades, many robotic devices have been developed to flank standard rehabilitation therapies. Here, we present a new Supernumerary Robotic Hand designed to be used in close coordination with the natural hands, as a "third hand". The SoftHand X system (where X stands for eXtrathesis) is suitable for the assistance of impaired people and is composed of different sub-parts conveniently assembled for the patients' needs. In this paper, the design is described as well as the clinical testing already performed. A first idea to exploit the system in the rehabilitation field is also presented.


PURPOSE
In patients with metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell cancer (NSGCT), residual masses after chemotherapy (CTX) can consist of vital carcinoma, mature teratoma, or necrosis. This prospective trial has evaluated the accuracy of [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for the prediction of histology compared with computed tomography (CT) and serum tumor markers (STM).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
A total of 121 patients with stage IIC or III NSGCT scheduled for secondary resection after cisplatin-based CTX were included. FDG-PET was performed after completion of CTX. All results were confirmed by histopathology and correlated to STM and CT.

RESULTS
Prediction of tumor viability with FDG-PET was correct in 56%, which did not reach the expected clinically relevant level of 70%, and was not better than the accuracy of CT (55%) or STM (56%). Sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET were 70% and 48%. The positive predictive values were not significantly different (55%, 61%, and 59% for CT, STM, and PET, respectively). Judging only vital carcinoma as a true malignant finding, the negative predictive value increased to 83% for FDG-PET.

CONCLUSION
The presence of vital carcinoma and mature teratoma is common (55%) in residual masses in patients with NSGCT, and CT and STM cannot reliably predict absence of disease. In contrast to prior studies, this prospective trial, which is the only with histologic confirmation in all patients, demonstrated that FDG-PET is unable to give a clear additional clinical benefit to the standard diagnostic procedures, CT and STM, in the prediction of tumor viability in residual masses.


Clients entering a therapeutic community (TC)-oriented drug treatment program were randomly assigned to day or residential conditions and interviewed at 2 weeks and 6 months after admission. Outcomes included Addiction Severity Index composite scores and summary scores for the Beck Depression Inventory, Symptom Checklist-90-R, and a social support scale. Only clients who remained in treatment for at least 2 weeks were included. The mean age of the sample (N = 261) was 32.9 (SD = 6.7 years) and the mean education level was 12.1 years (SD = 1.9 years); 30% were women. Comparison of outcome scores at 6 months between groups, while controlling for baseline values, indicated greater improvement for residential clients on social problems and psychiatric symptoms. The groups were similar on the 8 remaining outcomes, including measures of alcohol and drug problems. Overall, the level of improvement among day treatment clients was not significantly different from that of residential clients.


This article presents the results of the application of different measures of complexity based on nonlinear dynamics techniques, to evaluate the effect of a neurofeedback therapy in patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) utilizing electroencephalographic (EEG) registers as unique source of information. Every EEG register analyzed in this study contains 26 channels and was acquired in closed- and opened-eyes conditions, during pre- and post-treatment states. Four measures of complexity were applied: largest Lyapunov exponent, correlation dimension, Lempel-Ziv complexity and Hurst exponent. The purpose was to determine if these measures detect quantitative changes from the information contained in the EEG registers as consequence of the neurofeedback therapy. The results of this work indicate that Lempel-Ziv complexity and largest Lyapunov exponent could have a potential utility to detect quantitative differences between pre- and post-treatment in some specific channels. In contrast, correlation dimension and Hurst exponent provided scarce information about these differences. The most noticeable results were found in opened-eyes condition.


The Mankiw–Romer–Weil (1992) augmented Solow–Swan (Solow 1956; Swan 1956) model is extended to incorporate the financial sector in this study. Distinguishing between financial capital, physical capital and human capital, the research attempts to identify, in particular, the effects of financial capital on economic growth. The effects of financial sector efficiency on economic growth are also examined. The financial sector augmented model is tested on a cross-section of 35 economies. Strong support is found for the model.


Myocardial scintigraphy may be performed at rest or after stress testing using potassium-like cations, labeled metabolites or infarct-fixing tracers. It is an in vivo method of studying myocardial ischaemia and infarction and may provide diagnostic information when other techniques fail. The diagnostic possibilities of myocardial scintigraphy have been increased by the introduction of tomographic techniques and new radioisotopes with very short half lives.


Modeling laryngeal aerodynamics requires specification of the glottal geometry. Changing the glottal exit radius alters the intraglottal pressure distributions in the converging glottis [Scherer et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 110, 2267-2269 (2001)]. This study examined the effects of the glottal entrance radius on the intraglottal pressure distributions for divergent angles of 5°, 10°, 20°, 30°, and 40°. Glottal airflow and minimal glottal diameter were held constant at 73.2 cm(3)/s and 0.02 cm, respectively. The computational code FLUENT was used to obtain the pressure distributions. Results suggest that a smaller glottal entrance radius tends to (1) lower the transglottal pressure (reduce glottal flow resistance), although this is angle dependent, (2) make the pressure dip near the glottal entrance more negative in value, (3) increase the slope of the pressure distribution just upstream of the glottal entrance, and (4) make the initial pressure recovery (rise) in the glottis steeper. A general empirical equation for transglottal pressure as a function of radius, angle, and separation point location is offered. These results suggest that glottal entrance curvature for the divergent glottis significantly affects the driving pressures on the vocal folds, and needs to be well specified when building computational and physical models.


According to the X-ray structure analysis of an EcoRI-oligodeoxynucleotide complex [McClarin et al. (1986) Science 234, 1526], sequence specificity is mediated by 12 hydrogen bonds, 6 from each of the two identical subunits of the dimeric enzyme to the recognition site -GAATTC-: Arg200 forms two hydrogen bonds with guanine, while Glu144 and Arg145 form four hydrogen bonds to adjacent adenine residues. Changing the hydrogen-bonding potential at the recognition site without perturbing the rest of the interface should lead to the recognition of degenerate sequences [Rosenberg et al. (1987) in Protein Engineering (Oxender, D. L., & Fox, C. F., Eds.) pp 237-250, Liss, New York]. We have shown previously that replacing Glu144 by Gln and Arg145 by Lys affects the activity of the enzyme, not, however, its specificity [Wolfes et al. (1986) Nucleic Acids Res. 14, 9063]. We show now that also the mutation of Arg200 to Lys, the double mutation Glu144Arg145 to GlnLys, and the triple mutation Glu144Arg145Arg200 to GlnLysLys do not lead to a detectable degeneracy of the specificity of cleavage by EcoRI but significantly impair the catalytic activity of this enzyme. A detailed analysis of the steady-state kinetics of cleavage of pUC8 DNA and a tridecadeoxynucleotide substrate demonstrates that the reduction in activity for all DNA binding site mutants investigated so far is mainly due to a decrease in kcat, with the exception of the Arg200 to Lys mutant, which is only impaired in its KM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


ABSTRACT Preliminary studies of the Upper Jurassic Bossier sandstone play, East Texas Basin, suggest that the Bossier may be a self-sourced low-permeability continuous-type accumulation similar to those found in the Rocky Mountain Region. Reservoirs consist of isolated sandstone bodies informally designated, in ascending order, as the Bonner, Shelly, Moore, and Taylor. These sandstone are interpreted by others as turbidite deposits that resulted from a high influx of deltaic debris. Initial characterization of gases produced from the Bossier sands, the underlying Cotton Valley Lime reservoirs, and overlying sandstones in the Travis Peak in Freestone County, Texas suggest the presence of either two source facies or distinct periods of gas charge. Gas in the Cotton Valley differs from that in the Bossier and Travis Peak, whereas gas in the Bossier and the Travis Peak may be genetically related. Gas produced from the Cotton Valley Lime is dry, has a C2+ hydrocarbon content less than 1.0 percent, and a 13C of methane between -32 and -37 per mil. Shale in the Bossier may serve as both the source of and seal to gas. Gas produced from the Bossier is wet; C2+ hydrocarbon content is between 1.5 and 5.5 percent and 13C of methane is between -37 and -40 per mil. Gas from the Travis Peak Formation has C2+ hydrocarbon content between 1 and 1.6 percent and 13C of methane around -36 per mil. Analyses of condensates from the Bossier and Travis Peak reservoirs are similar suggesting a genetic affinity and derivation from aromatic kerogen. End_of_Record - Last_Page 836-------


The properties of a 2 × 2 block matrix M over a field for which (M)11 = (M)11 are examined. This "fire-wall" property will be characterized by the vanishing of the sequence of moments Fi = CDiB.


This paper proposes a new concept of IDSP(Intelligent Digital Switchgear Panel) which can solve the problem of the safety, the reliability and the convenience to correspond to the requirement of the general electric customer or electric power company under the ubiquitous-based home automation environments. By analyzing their requirement functions, a 32-bit micro processor is adopted as main controller to support the designed functions efficiently. The DSP-based single phase power management device is utilized to collect the electric power information and the ethernet convertor to communicate through internet among the IDSPs and the remote computer system. In the proposed IDSP, the several functions are implemented such as the earth leakage level display and waveform transmission, the electric fee display, the voltage management, the load management and the load control function. Finally, the prototype of the IDSP is made experimently based on the designed results, and then the effectiveness is verified by testing its basic functions.


Aspects of contemporary monarchy and government in relation to religion are out of step with contemporary society and require systematic reform. The removal of religious and gender discrimination in the arrangements for succession to the monarchy would be in conformity with modern anti-discrimination attitudes. The monarchy should also consider stepping back from its religious role. The monarch has an official role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England but less than a quarter of the population identify as Anglican and in its current attempts to be inclusive the monarchy seeks to respect and support other religions whose beliefs and practices are at variance with those of the C of E and the general population. In Scotland a new settlement could be promoted by the disestablishment of the Church of Scotland (comparable to the situation in Wales and Northern Ireland) and the ending of separate Roman Catholic state education.


Konnakkol (or South Indian vocal percussion) is an important part of the classical music curriculum in South India. In that tradition, every music student (instrumentalists and vocalists alike) must be familiar with its concepts and theory. The unique aspect of this pedagogical tool is that it is also a performance medium on its own. Classical concerts in India have featured a konnakkol soloist performing a vocal percussion solo in the same way that a jazz concert may feature a drum solo. As a student of mridangam (the predominant percussion instrument in South Indian or Carnatic music), I have discovered that the rhythmic ideas of konnakkol are very relevant for a global music curriculum and have used these ideas in my teaching of Western musicianship at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory (National University of Singapore). Although there have been books published specifically about konnakkol as a South Indian art, there has not been much written about how this art could be applied in the teaching of Western music. In this article, I will introduce the basic syllables of konnakkol to those without prior exposure to this art form and describe how konnakkol can be used in teaching Western musicianship. I will also explain how I have taught it as a memory aid for musical score study and as an improvisational device. The exercises I have used in my classroom teaching are based on traditional Carnatic practiceI inherited from my teachers; while the use of konnakkol in score study is part of my ongoing research and experimentation. Konnakkol is appealing in its beauty and allows students to express their musical rhythms in performance tempo (even when it is very fast). This relates directly to how music is felt internally by a performer and is precisely why it is of great use in Western music education.


Here, we report the complete genome sequence of Weissella cibaria M2, a potential probiotic strain isolated from the feces of a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The genome consists of one chromosome of 2.56 Mb and two plasmids. ABSTRACT Here, we report the complete genome sequence of Weissella cibaria M2, a potential probiotic strain isolated from the feces of a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The genome consists of one chromosome of 2.56 Mb and two plasmids. The genome contains 2,420 genes which make up 86.17% of genome.


Since the 1980s, social and cultural changes have grown rapidly, so the local culture has grown rapidly. So, people's interest in culture, art, and history has increased. Brand hotels, including domestic brands and design hotels, such as Starwood, Marriott, Hilton, and Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts also feature the characteristics of Korean traditions. Hotel design has become another basis for enhancing the value of domestic brands as well as enriching the cultural tourism by prioritizing the customer's need. This study is an analysis of interior design in domestic hotels engaged with unique traditonal Korean design. The study aims to analyze the interior space featured in the domestic hotels as a case of applying Korean traditional design features. Therefore, the hotel features a uniquely built hotel that embodies the characteristics of Korean traditional design. The analysis analyzes the characteristics of the Korean traditional design expression and the hotel's relationship with the hotel and provides directions.


This study adopts two assumptions about abstract lexical structure. One is that lexical structure is modular: lexical information is organized into subsystems pointing to different levels of linguistic structure, and parts of lexical structure can be split and recombined. The other concerns the sources of morphemes actually occurring in surface strings. As commonly recognized, abstract lexical structure contains three levels: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns. This study argues that abstract lexical structure becomes "complex" because the bilingual mental lexicon contains lemmas (i.e., abstract entries about lexemes) from different sources, such as learners' first language, their target language, and their interlanguage. By adopting a multi-layered speech production model (Levelt, 1989; Myers-Scotton & Jake, 2001; Wei, 2002, 2015, 2020), it further argues that different types of morphemes are accessed at different levels of language production, resulting in different degrees of learning difficulty (an implicational hierarchy of second language morpheme acquisition) and different types of learner errors in interlanguage production. The typical instances of learner errors for the study are collected from interlanguage performance by adult second language learners with various first language backgrounds. This study aims to explore the nature of the bilingual mental lexicon and mechanisms of interlanguage development.


Most instruments - formalisms, concepts, and metrics - for social networks analysis fail to capture their dynamics. Typical systems exhibit different scales of dynamics, ranging from the fine-grain dynamics of interactions (which recently led researchers to consider temporal versions of distance, connectivity, and related indicators), to the evolution of network properties over longer periods of time. This paper proposes a general approach to study that evolution for both atemporal and temporal indicators, based respectively on sequences of static graphs and sequences of time-varying graphs that cover successive time-windows. All the concepts and indicators, some of which are new, are expressed using a time-varying graph formalism.


Introduction The impact of sex on hospital readmission rate after cardiac surgery is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to analyse sex-specific differences and underlying factors in 30-day readmission rate after cardiac surgery. Methods We conducted a single center study including all patients after major cardiac surgery (excluding aortic dissection and left ventricular assist device implantation) from January 2012 to September 2020. Reasons for readmission were adjudicated according to all available medical records. We calculated incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for female sex with re-admission crude and adjusted for plausible confounding factors using negative binomial regression. Results 4,868 patients were included in the analysis. The median [Interquartile range] age was 68 [60 to 74] years and 24% (n = 1,149) of the patients were female. Female patients were significantly older (median [IQR] age 70 (63 to 76) vs. 67 (59 to 74), p < 0.001) and had lower body mass index and fewer cardiovascular risk factors compared to men. Isolated valve surgery was more frequent in female while coronary artery bypass grafting was more often in men. 30-day readmission was comparable between both sexes (7.0% [n = 81] in female vs. 8.7% [n = 322] in men; p = 0.078). Cardiac related readmissions and infections were the most common reasons for readmission in both groups. The overall incidence rate ratios of female sex with readmission (0.80, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.03, p = 0.078) remained robust after adjustment for EuroSCORE 2 (0.78, CI 0.61 to 1.0, p = 0.051). Conclusion Readmission rate and reasons for 30-day readmission after major cardiac surgery were similar between men and women.


A case report is given of a girl who, at the age of 17 years, lost her total posterior part of her perineum in a traffic accident. She was left with out an anal sphincter mechanism and a diverting sigmoidostomy was performed. Two years after the accident a new anal sphincter was constructed using bilateral transposition flaps of the gluteus maximus muscles. After 6 months of active training of this new "reanastomosed". The patient thereafter regained complete fecal continence by the natural route.


In this work, the impact of ultra-violet (UV) irradiation on the mechanical behaviour of amorphous biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films is analysed. PLA films were submitted to UV irradiation for increasing exposure time. Two kinds of experiments were conducted, chemical and mechanical. The chemical degradation was measured by gel permeation chromatography technique. The PLA films were mechanically investigated by stretching experiments before and after UV exposure. Their mechanical properties were obtained by a video-controlled system. Our purpose is to establish the relationship between macroscopic mechanical response and molecular parameters such as the molecular weight, and external solicitations such as temperature, strain rate and UV irradiation. The interactions between photodegradation and changes in polymer properties are discussed.


Taking as a starting point a crucial passage of Aristotle's Poetics where poetical technique is declared to be different from all other disciplines in human knowledge (25, 1460b8–15), I try to determine in what sense and up to what point poetry can be seen as an autonomous or sui generis creative activity. On this path, I come across the so-called "likely and necessary" rule mentioned many times in Aristotle's essay, which might be seen as a limitation of the poet's literary freedom. I then endeavour to show that this rule of consistency does not preclude the many means by which the poet can astonish his or her audience, bring them into error, introduce exaggerations and embellishments on the one hand (and viciousness and repulsiveness on the other), have the characters change their conduct along the way, etc. For Aristotle, the poetic art—and artistic activities in general—is concerned not with what in fact is or what should be (especially ethically), but simply with what might be. Accordingly, one can see him as historically the very first theorist fiction, not only because he states that poetry relates freely to the possible, but also because he explains why poetry is justified in doing so.


A study is made of a general boundary value problem for systems elliptic in the Douglis-Nirenberg sense with constant real coefficients in domains with smooth boundary. A representation is obtained for regular solutions of these systems by means of solutions of (canonical) elliptic systems, and a formula is given for the index of the problem. Certain boundary value problems for the Stokes system are studied as an illustration.


An erudite introduction by the editor (David R. Oldroyd) outlines the intellectual climate in which major advances in our knowledge of both the inside and outside of the Earth have taken place during the last century. Broadly, these include markedly improved understanding of the various processes involved in the modification of the Earth and knowledge of the history and age of the Earth. The chapters deal with only a few aspects, with no attempt to cover the whole field of geology which would not be possible in any depth in one book. Nevertheless, a number of very important topics are dealt with in a most absorbing and interesting way.

The first study will interest many Mineralogical Magazine readers. U.B. Marvin's masterful summary of what meteorites, the Moon and Mars have told us about planetary science cuts through the mind-numbing detail of thousands of papers to outline how these bodies – and the Earth – developed. A gripping story, superbly written, of the astonishing advances of knowledge made and the recognition of the importance of both the early heavy meteorite bombardment of the Earth and Moon and the catastrophic effects of more recent collisions, the identification of fragments of Mars and the Moon and how all this understanding was achieved, and by whom, is written …


As a dominant childhood model structured by repeating general representations of the child throughout a longer period of history, the socially ingrained image of the child has changed substantially in the course of history. Traditional ideas of the child as an adult, only small in size, who is by nature vicious or at least easily corruptible and should therefore be kept under tight supervision, was replaced by modern ideas of the child as a competent social agent whose opinion is respected and who makes decisions about matters that directly concern him/her. This image of the child, which is ingrained in the modern society may, but need not correspond with the image of the child every parent fosters (parental image of the child). It is extremely significant from a pedagogical perspective as it is on this image that the parent bases his/her approach to the child, defines his/her child rearing goals, chooses which child-rearing practices to apply and shapes the family environment. Thus the paper defines and theoretically delineates two constructs of the (parental) image of the child, and this is followed by the presentation of the results of the research, the aim of which was to reveal the parental image of the child in Croatian families in the early 21st century. The obtained results indicate that the parents perceive children as unique, active, competent, independent, responsible, good, peaceful and obedient beings with their own rights, which means that the subjects' image of the child predominantly contains characteristics of the modern image of the child. The results also show that the parental image of the child is significantly related to the variables for the subjects' gender and the subjects' satisfaction with their own life as well as variables for the time subjects have for active interaction with the child and the level of mother's and father's education. The research has contributed to the pedagogical theory, but its results will also be used as a basis for planning the work with parents.


Objective: Mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles in the development of cardiovascular disease highlighting the need for novel targeted therapies. This study assessed the potential therapeutic benefit of combining the mitochondria-specific antioxidant, MitoQ10, with the low-dose angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), losartan, on attenuation of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy. In parallel, we investigated the impact of MitoQ10 on cardiac hypertrophy in a neonatal cardiomyocyte cell line. Methods and results: Eight-week-old male stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSPs, n = 8–11) were treated with low-dose losartan (2.5 mg/kg per day); MitoQ10 (500 &mgr;mol/l); a combination of MitoQ10 and losartan (M + L); or vehicle for 8 weeks. Systolic pressure and pulse pressure were significantly lower in M + L rats (167.1 ± 2.9 mmHg; 50.2 ± 2.05 mmHg) than in untreated SHRSP (206.6 ± 9 mmHg, P < 0.001; 63.7 ± 2.7 mmHg, P = 0.001) and demonstrated greater improvement than MitoQ10 or low-dose losartan alone, as measured by radiotelemetry. Left ventricular mass index was significantly reduced from 22.8 ± 0.74 to 20.1 ± 0.61 mg/mm in the combination group (P < 0.05). Picrosirius red staining showed significantly reduced cardiac fibrosis in M + L rats (0.82 ± 0.22 A.U.) compared with control (5.94 ± 1.35 A.U., P < 0.01). In H9c2 neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, MitoQ10 significantly inhibited angiotensin II mediated hypertrophy in a dose-dependent manner (500 nmol/l MitoQ10 153.7 ± 3.1 microns vs. angiotensin II 200.1 ± 3.6 microns, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Combining MitoQ10 and low-dose losartan provides additive therapeutic benefit, significantly attenuating development of hypertension and reducing left ventricular hypertrophy. In addition, MitoQ10 mediates a direct antihypertrophic effect on rat cardiomyocytes in vitro. MitoQ10 has potential as a novel therapeutic intervention in conjunction with current antihypertensive drugs.


A patient with malignant melanoma (RL) received a course of 28 immunizations with autologous, irradiated cultured melanoma cells plus Bacillus Calmette-Guerin . The postimmune serum and the preimmune plasma were tested for their reactivity in mixed hemadsorption microassays against five allogeneic melanoma cell lines and five non-melanoma lines. No reactivity was detected in the preimmune plasma against any of the cell lines tested, while strong reactivity against 5 of 5 melanoma lines (1:2,560 to 1:40,960) and 2 of 5 non-melanoma lines (1:320 and 1:1,280) were found in the unabsorbed postimmune serum. After absorption with human AB erythrocytes, pooled peripheral blood leukocytes, and spleen homogenate of normal adults, reactivity against these cell lines did not alter. Further absorption with cells of a human laryngeal carcinoma (KB) line resulted in 4- to 16-fold reduction in antibody titer and yet retained reactivity (1:160 to 1:5,120) directed against all five melanoma lines. The same absorbed serum no longer reacted with any of the five non-melanoma lines. Removal of reactivity against fetal calf serum by absorption with insolubilized fetal calf serum reduced the reactivity against melanoma cell lines to the same extent as did absorption with KB cells, but failed to remove reactivity against non-melanoma cell lines completely. Further absorption of the postimmune serum with human fetal homogenate or Bacillus Calmette-Guerin had no effect on the reactivity against melanoma lines. Blood group isoantigens, HLA antigens, and fetal calf serum were ruled out as causes of the observed seropositivity against melanoma cell lines in the final two stages of sequential absorptions. These data provide further evidence for the existence of common melanoma-associated antigens.


A method to disintegrate photocopied or laser printed waste office paper by weak agitation and using kerosene as a toner softening agent was investigated. Under the conventional method using only sodium hydroxide, 3.8% of toner was liberated from paper. This figure increased to 98.1% by using undiluted kerosene, and to 80.1% by using 1% kerosene emulsion. Residual toner particles adhered to only one or a few paper fibers after these kerosene treatments. If residual toner was also included in this figure, toner liberation would reach 100%. The use of surfactants as dispersion agents for kerosene decreased the degree of liberation because it interferes with the softening of toner. It was also confirmed that sodium hydroxide treatment in advance of the kerosene treatment is important to increase toner liberation.


UNLABELLED
Nonvolatile components influence overall flavor volatility and perception in alcoholic beverages. However, little information has been reported about the nonvolatile compounds in Chinese distilled spirits. For the first time, we isolated and identified a cyclic lipopeptide "lichenysin" as a novel nonvolatile compound in Chinese liquors, using preparative high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer and nuclear magnetic resonance. The concentrations of lichenysin were quantified in 14 main types of bottled Chinese liquors by using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The concentrations of lichenysin in Chinese liquor ranged from 0.01 to 111.74 μg/L, where the concentration was the highest in Dongjiu liquor. Furthermore, we found that lichenysin selectively affected aroma volatility in the Chinese liquor, using the headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The headspace concentrations of 2-phenylethanol, phenol, and 4-methylphenol significantly decreased by respectively 58%, 76%, and 59% in 3 Chinese commercial liquors with an increase in lichenysin. These results indicated that lichenysin could be a novel nonvolatile compound that selectively affected aroma volatility in Chinese liquors.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
This was the first report that lichenysin was isolated, identified, and quantified as a nonvolatile compound in traditional Chinese liquors. Lichenysin selectively affected the volatility of the aroma compounds in Chinese liquors. So far, there is no report on lichenysin in other alcoholic beverages. It would give a new insight into flavoromics in food and help to improve aroma quality of Chinese liquors.


Purpose Decision making is one of the ways in which parents serve as stewards of their children with cancer, but barriers to informed decision making among parents of children with cancer have been identified. We sought to evaluate the extent to which parents feel satisfied with, or regretful of, decisions made for their child's cancer treatment and to identify factors associated with heightened regret. Methods We surveyed 346 parents of children with cancer within 12 weeks of their initial cancer treatment decision and the children's physicians at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Our main outcome measure was heightened regret as measured by the Decisional Regret Scale. Results Sixteen percent of parents (N = 54) met our definition of heightened decisional regret. In a multivariable logistic regression model, race/ethnicity was associated with regret, with black (odds ratio [OR], 6.55; 95% CI, 2.30 to 18.7), Hispanic (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, .69 to 6.65), and other race parents (OR, 4.68; 95% CI, 1.58 to 13.8) at increased risk for regret relative to whites ( P = .001 across all categories). In contrast, parents who reported receiving high-quality information (OR, .45; 95% CI, .23 to .91; P = .03) and detailed prognostic information (OR, .48; 95% CI, .24 to .96; P = .04), who trusted the oncologist completely (OR, .32; 95% CI, .17 to .63; P = .001), and who held their ideal role in decision making (OR, .49; 95% CI, .25 to .95; P = .04) were less likely to experience regret. Conclusion Although many parents are satisfied with decisions made for their children with cancer, racial and ethnic minority parents are at heightened risk for regret. Clinicians may be able to reduce this risk by providing high-quality information, including prognostic information, involving parents in decision making in the ways they wish, and serving as trusted providers.


Infection of CV-1 cell cultures with HSV-2 at MOI 5 respectively 1PFU/cell resulted in markedly different patterns of DNA-synthesis. Isolation and separation of cellular and viral DNA on CsCl equilibrium density gradients during the "late" phase after infection with 5PFU/cell revealed a rapid increase in synthesis of virus-specific DNA (which banded at density q25 = 1.729 g/ccm) while synthesis of host cell DNA (banding at 1.705 g/ccm) was constantly inhibited. 15 hours after infection and incubation with labelled medium, around infection and incubation with labelled medium, around 75% of total isolated DNA was virus-specific. On lowering the MOI to 1 PFU/cell, however, synthesis of host cell DNA continued and was even partially stimulated during the late phase whereas synthesis of virus-specific DNA advanced only slowly. 16 hours after infection, approximately 25% of the total assayed after infection, approximately 25% of the total assayed DNA was virus-specific and the amount of host cell DNA approached values of uninfected control cells. 24 hours after infection and incubation, virus specific DNA rose to approximately 45% of overall DNA assayed, and synthesis of host cell DNA was completely inhibited. However, infectivity rose constantly and reached 106.8 TCD 50/ml at 22 hours p.i. These findings were independent of passage number of CV-cell culture, and there were no alterations in karyotype and morphological behaviour of the cells.


Deviant behavior is detrimental to adolescents, and parental monitoring is necessary to forestall this act. Consequently, this study investigated the influence of parental monitoring on adolescents' deviant behavior as expressed by married adults in the Ilorin metropolis. This study also investigated moderating variables, including gender, age, family type, and religion, on the respondents' view. It employed a descriptive survey method where 200 married adults were selected through simple random and purposive sampling techniques. The participants responded to a questionnaire titled 'Influence of Parental Monitoring on Deviant Behavior Questionnaire' (IPMDBQ).' The instrument's validity was conducted by a team of five experts from Nigeria, and the reliability yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.72. Besides, t-test and ANOVA statistical tools were employed to test the hypotheses at an alpha level of 0.05. The result revealed a positive influence of parental monitoring on adolescents' deviant behavior. It was found that there was no significant difference in the respondents' views based on gender, age, family type, and religion. Therefore, it is recommended that parents should monitor their wards appropriately to forestall deviant behavior among adolescents in Nigerian society.


The physical hardware of magnetic bearing systems has a very strong impact on the application of sliding mode control to this technology. Finite current slew rates affect the character of achievable reaching conditions; flexible rotors demand the use of state observers which then affect achievable robustness; finite controller throughput and use of switching power amplifiers has substantial impact on how chatter should be addressed. This paper formulates the sliding mode control problem for realistic rotor/magnetic actuator systems considering rotor flexibility and finite amplifier voltages. The structure of the resulting class of controllers is examined for both rigid and for flexible rotors. It is demonstrated that, fundamentally, these controllers are conventional linear state observer-based controllers acting through high-speed switching amplifiers as in conventional magnetic bearing technology.


In a commercial contract with an arbitration clause, the parties may fail to determine any applicable law, in which case the arbitral tribunal is expected to identify the rules applicable to the merits of the dispute. A modern approach suggests that localizing legal issues originated from an international contract is inappropriate and that the tribunal should conduct an assessment to identify international or non-national rules or practices appropriate to the issues at hand. This approach, which grants the tribunal maximum freedom in choosing the applicable law with no reference to any choice-of-law rules, is adopted in a few institutional rules such as the Article 21(1) of the ICC Rules. This article seeks to introduce an evaluative framework informing the tribunal's methodical task in identifying the most suitable legal regimes. The evaluative framework seeks to assess the relationship of legal doctrines to commercial considerations and expectations regarded by businesses. A significant issue that befalls the arbitrators is that of pleading, proving, and measuring monetary damages. Yet, damages have remained an issue that is inaccurately dealt with by arbitral tribunals. This article aims to examine the principles governing damages available to an innocent commercial party under significant legal regimes widely applied in international commercial arbitration in an attempt to offer guidance on which legal regime has provided the most appropriate set of principles reflecting the essential needs and interests of commercial parties.


In this paper we present a pose estimation algorithm based on four coplanar point correspondences. Given four coplanar points and their corresponding image points under a perspective camera, plus the camera's intrinsic matrix, the camera's rotation and translation relative to the object plane is determined directly. In essence, the pose estimation problem is converted to the calculation of a planar homography between the object plane and the image plane. Experiments with both synthetic data and real images verify the correctness of this algorithm.


This article reports ongoing investigations into phonetic change of dialect groups in the northern Netherlandic language area, particularly the Frisian and Low Saxon dialect groups, which are known to differ in vitality. To achieve this, we combine existing phonetically transcribed corpora with dialectometric approaches that allow us to quantify change among older male dialect speakers in a real-time framework. A multidimensional variant of the Levenshtein distance, combined with methods that induce realistic phonetic distances between transcriptions, is used to estimate how much dialect groups have changed between 1990 and 2010, and whether they changed towards Standard Dutch or away from it. Our analyses indicate that language change is a slow process in this geographical area. Moreover, the Frisian and Groningen dialect groups seem to be most stable, while the other Low Saxon varieties (excluding the Groningen dialect group) were shown to be most prone to change. We offer possible explanations for our findings, while we discuss shortcomings of the data and approach in detail, as well as desiderata for future research.


The piston seal that separates the hostile environment of the combustion chamber from the crankcase that contains the lubricant is an essential machine element in reciprocating engines. The sealing force pressing the piston rings against the cylinder liner varies with the combustion chamber pressure to form an effective self-adjusting mechanism. The conjunctions between piston rings and cylinder liners are thus subjected to cyclic variations of load, entraining velocity and effective lubricant temperature as the piston reciprocates within the cylinder. Recent theoretical and experimental studies have confirmed that piston rings enjoy hydrodynamic lubrication throughout most of the engine cycle, but that a transition to mixed or boundary lubrication can be expected near top dead centre. The purpose of the present paper is to examine the suggestion that elastohydrodynamic lubrication might contribute to the tribological performance of the piston seal, particularly near top dead centre. The mode of lubrication in eight four-stroke and six two-stroke diesel engines is assessed in terms of the dimensionless viscosity and elasticity parameters proposed by Johnson (1970), and the associated map of lubrication régimes. The survey indicates unequivocally that elastohydrodynamic action can be expected during part of the stroke in all the engines considered. In the second part of the paper a detailed examination of the influence of elastohydrodynamic action in one particular engine is presented to confirm the general findings recorded in the study of lubrication régimes. Current analysis of the lubrication of rigid piston rings already takes account of the variation of surface temperature along the cylinder liner and its influence upon lubricant viscosity. It is shown that, when the enhancing influence of pressure upon viscosity is added to the analysis of rigid piston rings, the predicted cyclic minimum film thickness is more than doubled. Full elastohydrodynamic action, involving both local distortion of the elastic solids and the influence of pressure upon viscosity, results in a fourfold increase in film thickness. It is further shown that it is necessary to take account of the variation of squeeze-film velocity throughout the lubricated conjunction at each crank angle if reliable predictions of film shape and thickness are to be achieved. It is thus concluded that the wave of elastic deformation, which ripples up and down the cylinder liners many times each second in diesel engines, together with the associated local elastic deformations on the piston rings themselves, combine with the influence of pressure upon lubricant viscosity to enhance the minimum oil film thickness in the piston seal by elastohydrodynamic action.


Wake of a circular cylinder subjected to acoustically driven disturbances introduced from sinusoidal slits was investigated at Reynolds number of 24,000 and 40,000. Results showed that the amplitude of the primary shedding frequency was eliminated when the forcing frequency was twice the fundamental frequency. This is attributed to the mechanism of redistribution of energy from the large coherent structures to the smaller ones. Furthermore, the introduction of three dimensional disturbances accelerated the separating shear layers which narrowed the wake and made it uniform in terms of mean velocity and reduced drag.


Migrating a family of software systems from ad-hoc development approaches such as `clone-and-own' towards software product lines (SPL) is a challenging task. Software architecture recovery techniques can play a crucial role in such a migration. However, it is to date still unclear how these techniques, which have been mostly developed for single system architecture recovery in mind, can be utilized in an SPL context most effectively. In this paper, we present a mapping study examining 35 research articles with the purpose of discussing the current state of the art in applying software architecture recovery techniques for SPL and identifying potential research gaps in this area. The results provide evidence that currently used approaches do not seem to consider the potential architectural degradation that might exist in the family of systems to be migrated. Moreover, it is hard to generalize across empirical studies as currently it seems difficult to compare and benchmark the approaches applied for software product line architecture (SPLA) extraction/reconstruction.