The southern stingray, Hypanus americanus, is a common coastal ray, ranging from New Jersey to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. It is an important resource for ecotourism in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands. It is a hardy species that survives many years as well as commonly reproduces in captivity. Despite the fact that many aspects of its life history have been described from captive as well as wild conspecifics, the mating system is not well understood. Behavioral polyandry has been well documented in both groups. While genetic polyandry or multiple paternity appears to be common in many species of elasmobranchs, it has not been reported in the southern stingray. The goal of this investigation is to document multiple paternity as an aspect of the mating system in this species based upon a population of reproductively active southern stingrays that were maintained at the National Aquarium. Amplicon deep-sequencing using next generation sequencing (NGS) technology was used to determine multiple paternity. The two-step PCR approach combined Illumina's dual indexing strategy and species-specific primers. Results confirmed multiple paternity, and that two to three potential sires were involved. Since it was documented in this group of captive rays, it is likely to occur in wild conspecifics given the similar polyandrous mating events. Although the southern stingray is not a species of concern for extinction, it is an important consideration for population management. This investigation provided the first documented case of multiple paternity in a dasyatid ray, and only the second case in a viviparous batoid.


ADHESION OF THIN COATING ON ALUMINUM ALLOYS . Adhesion of thin coating on aluminum alloy was studied. Adhesion of thin coating on a substrate is a key parameter in surface engineering. Adhesion testing becomes interesting thing to be applied in characterization of a coating, even though the fundamental understanding of the process is still limited. Adhesion evaluation of a coating can be carried out using many methods and one of them is scratch method. Scratch was performed on a surface of coating by means of an indenter. The indenter should be very hard such as a diamond. Scratch was obtained by moving the sample under indenter slowly with a constant speed. A progressive increase or step wise load was given. The scratches were evaluated by means of a scanning electron microscope. In this study, adhesion of metallic coating-copper, nickel, chromium and ceramic coating-titanium nitride, chromium nitride on aluminum alloy and that on nickel deposited aluminum alloy were evaluated. Scratch testing with a step wise load was applied. Three parameters of adhesion-critical load, adhesion index and interface toughness were discussed. The results show that scratch testing is suitable for evaluating the above coating.Adhesion of duplex coating is higher than that of single coating and adhesion of duplex nickel coating is the highest.


A study was conducted to investigate the possibility of employing a single intramuscular injection of a synthetic hormone analogue, ovupin on the induced breeding of two major carps, viz. rohu (Labeo rohita), mrigala (Cirrhinus mrigala) and an endangered minor carp, bata (Labeo bata). Three breeding trials of each species were performed. In case of major carp, the females were injected with single dose of ovupin solution at a rate of 0.5 mL kg-1 body weight, while the minor carp received ovupin solution at a dose of 0.3 mL kg-1 body weight, whereas males received extracted PG hormone at a dose of 2 and 1.5 mg kg-1 body weight for major carps and minor carp, respectively. All the three species were successfully bred using ovupin through a single injection. In case of major carps, the latent period was 9-10 h while 12-14 h for minor carp. The breeding response of females was 100% in major carps, whereas it was approximately 90% in minor carp. Fertilization rate varied between 87.07 and 89.94% for the major carps and between 87.6 and 89.9% for minor carps. Major carps showed higher hatching rates (77.21 to 80.19%) than minor carp (64.9 to 66.56%). The present study indicated that ovupin could be effective as alternative of PG in carp's breeding in Bangladesh.


An osmosensitive mutant of Escherichia coli was isolated and shown to harbor two mutations that were together necessary for osmosensitivity. One (ossB) was an insertion mutation in the gltBD operon, which encodes the enzyme glutamate synthase (GOGAT), involved in ammonia assimilation and L-glutamate biosynthesis. The other (ossA) was in the fnr gene, encoding the regulator protein FNR for anaerobic gene expression. Several missense or deletion mutations in fnr and gltBD behaved like ossA and ossB, respectively, in conferring osmosensitivity. A mutation affecting the DNA-binding domain of FNR was recessive to fnr+ with respect to the osmotolerance phenotype but was dominant-negative for its effect on expression of genes in anaerobic respiration. Our results may most simply be interpreted as suggesting the requirement for monomeric FNR during aerobic growth of E. coli in high-osmolarity media, presumably for L-glutamate accumulation via the GOGAT-independent pathway (catalyzed by glutamate dehydrogenase [GDH]), but the mechanism of FNR action is not known. We also found that the spoT gene (encoding guanosine 3',5'-bispyrophosphate [ppGpp] synthetase II/ppGpp-3' pyrophosphohydrolase), in multiple copies, overcomes the defect in NH4+ assimilation associated with GOGAT deficiency and thereby suppresses osmosensitivity in gltBD fnr strains. Enhancement of GDH activity in these derivatives appears to be responsible for the observed suppression. Its likely physiological relevance was established by the demonstration that growth of gltBD mutants (that are haploid for spoT+) on moderately low [NH4+] was restored with the use of C sources poorer than glucose in the medium. Our results raise the possibility that SpoT-mediated accumulation of ppGpp during C-limited growth leads to GDH activation and that the latter enzyme plays an important role in N assimilation in situ hitherto unrecognized from studies on laboratory-grown cultures.


We provide a general framework to study differentiability of SRB measures for one dimensional non-uniformly expanding maps. Our technique is based on inducing the non-uniformly expanding system to a uniformly expanding one, and on showing how the linear response formula of the non-uniformly expanding system is inherited from the linear response formula of the induced one. We apply this general technique to interval maps with a neutral fixed point (Pomeau-Manneville maps) to prove differentiability of the corresponding SRB measure. Our work covers systems that admit a finite SRB measure and it also covers systems that admit an infinite SRB measure. In particular, we obtain a linear response formula for both finite and infinite SRB measures. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that contains a linear response result for infinite measure preserving systems.


Patient safety improvements demand a complex system-wide effort, involving a wide range of actions in performance improvement, environmental safety and risk management, including infection control, safe use of medicines, equipment safety, safe clinical practice and safe environment of care. Healthcare accreditation is one of the major steps towards improving quality and patient safety. Amongst the several accrediting agencies across the world, the Joint Commission International, (JCI) stands out as the gold standard in healthcare accreditation. The patient safety journey for hospitals like the Apollo Group, formally started with Apollo Hospitals, Delhi becoming the first JCI accredited Hospital in India, in 2005. In the years to come, eight hospitals of the Group also became JCI accredited; taking the number of hospitals accredited by JCI to twenty-three in the country. The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare providers (NABH) was formed thereafter and today nearly three hundred hospitals are accredited by NABH across the country. There is more to patient safety and healthcare quality beyond just accreditation. With a view to further improve patient safety; Apollo Hospitals have taken several initiatives.


Background The T-cell receptor T3 zeta chain (CD3ζ), also called CD247, is essential for assembly, surface expression and signaling cascade of the T-cell receptor-CD3 complex (TCR/CD3 complex). Abnormalities in this pathway can result in T-cell dysfunction and development of autoimmune disorders [1]. Regarding this, previous reports have demonstrated an association of CD247 variants with systemic lupus erythematosus [2, 3] and systemic sclerosis [4, 5]. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), one meta-GWAS found no association between CD247 gene and RA at a genome-wide level of significance [6], however, a more recent meta-analysis of GWAS on RA and celiac disease (CeD) identified CD247 gene as a new susceptibility locus for RA [7]. Objectives In order to better clarify the role of this gene in RA susceptibility, we aimed to analyze CD247 gene variants previously associated with other autoimmune diseases (rs1052237, rs2056626 and rs864537) in a large independent European Caucasian population. Results However, no evidence of association was found for these three CD247 SNPs with RA and with the anti-cyclic citrullinated polypeptide (anti-CCP) status. We performed a meta-analysis including GWAS data for the rs864537 from previously published data, reveling an overall genome-wide significant association between rs864537 and RA with anti-CCP (OR 0.90 [0.87 to 0.93], Poverall= 2.1 x 10-10). Conclusions Our results described for first time at GWAS-level the association of this CD247 variant and RA risk References Takeuchi T et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2012; 71:i78-i81. Gorman CL et al. J Immunol. 2008; 180: 1060-70. Warchol T et al. Tissue Antigens. 2009; 74:68-72. Dieude P et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2011;70:1695-6. Radstake TR et al. Nat Genet. 2010; 42:426-9. Stahl EA et al. Nat Genet. 2010; 42:508-14. Zhernakova A et al. PLoS Genet. 2011; 7:e1002004. Acknowledgements This work was supported by two Spanish grants from RETICS Program, RD08/0075 (RIER) from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), within the VI PN de I+D+i 2008-2011 (FEDER) and also by grants from the European IMI BTCure Program. MT was supported by Spanish Ministry of Science through the program Juan de la Cierva (JCI-2010-08227). Disclosure of Interest None Declared


The main claim of this paper is to show how Plato's views on hermeneutike techne are more relevant to the contemporary discussions on hermeneutics than it is commonly regarded. We will elucidate and critically discuss whether Plato's understanding of the grounds, methods and merits of the hermeneutics in the Protagoras is adequate, consistent and still relevant. Also, we will attempt to find out which position in the contemporary discussion of hermeneutics is the closest to Plato's own ideas and claims on the essence and meaning of the art of interpretation.


Abstract We present infrared imaging from IRIS2 on the Anglo–Australian Telescope that shows the barred spiral galaxy IC 4933 has not just an inner ring encircling the bar, but also a star-forming nuclear ring 1.5 kpc in diameter. Imaging in the u′ band with GMOS on Gemini South confirms that this ring is not purely an artifact due to dust. Optical and near-infrared colours alone however cannot break the degeneracy between age, extinction, and burst duration that would allow the star formation history of the ring to be unraveled. Integral field spectroscopy with the GNIRS spectrograph on Gemini South shows the equivalent width of the Paβ line to peak in the north and south quadrants of the ring, indicative of a bipolar azimuthal age gradient around the ring. The youngest star-forming regions do not appear to correspond to where we expect to find the contact points between the offset dust lanes and the nuclear ring unless the nuclear ring is oval in shape, causing the contact points to lead the bar by more than 90°.


A comprehensive development of a miniaturized thermally activated cooling system is reported here. This study represents the first ever conceptualization, design, fabrication and successful experimental demonstration of a thermally activated microscale absorption heat pump for miniaturized or mobile applications. A 300 W nominal cooling capacity ammonia-water absorption heat pump with overall dimensions of 200 × 200 × 34 mm and a mass of 7 kg was fabricated and successfully tested over a range of heat sink temperatures from 20 to 35°C and desorber thermal input rates ranging from 500 to 800 W. Measured evaporator coolant heat duties ranged from 136 to 300 W, while system COPs ranged from 0.247 to 0.434. At a nominal rating condition of 35°C heat sink temperature, the maximum thermal input of 800 W produced a cooling effect of 230 W, representing a COP of 0.29.


A thermodynamic model was derived to evaluate the surface tension of molten ionic mixtures by considering the ratio of the radius of cation to that of anion. The present model reproduces the following characteristics of the composition dependence of surface tension in molten alkaline–halide ionic mixtures precisely.• almost linear change with the composition in common cation systems:• large concave feature of the composition dependence in common anion systems.The present model can be applied to evaluate the surface tension molten ionic mixtures with complex anion such as sulfate as well as molten SiO2 based binary systems considering effective ionic radii for complex anions.


The software has been developed for thematic processing of data of Russian satellite systems. It is based on the algorithm of atmospheric correction developed by IAO SB RAS. The software allows retrieval of the reflection coefficients of the Earth's surface with the RTM atmospheric correction algorithm in the visible and near-IR range on the assumption of a uniform surface. The software includes converters for reading and unpacking input formats of satellite data and related metadata, an atmospheric correction module, and an auxiliary module for formation of the atmospheric model. The atmospheric correction includes procedures for statistical simulation of the Earth's surface illumination and for calculation of the spherical albedo of the atmosphere, intensity of radiation noninteracting with the surface, and intensity of radiation reflected by the surface.


The purpose is to study antibacterial and antimycotic properties of produced granular carbon sorbents. Material and methods. A VNIITU-1 carbon sorbent was used as a starting material, which was modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone and lactic and glycolic acids oligomers. Microbiological bench tests were carried out to determine the antibacterial and antimycotic activity of these granulated carbon hemosorbents. Antibacterial properties of sorbents were studied in relation to pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic microorganisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus agalactiae as well as their mixtures: mixture No. 1 — S. aureus and E. coli; mixture No. 2 — S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Results. Presented data demonstrate that the modified VNIITU-1 exhibits significant antibacterial and antimycotic activity against most of the studied microorganisms compared to original sorbent.  Conclusion. Modified sorbents as antimicrobial and detoxifying drugs may further be employed in treatment of obstetrical-gynecological and surgical diseases. The carbon sorbents are promising materials for medicine, as they expand the potential of sorption therapy in clinical practice.


A considerable amount of public money is spent on pavement maintenance every year, as pavements continuously deteriorate over time due to traffic loadings and climatic factors. For efficient use of maintenance resources, it is necessary to estimate the future condition or deterioration level of the different pavement sections in a specific network. This estimate is only possible if the pavement engineer or planner has available reliable predictive models. Predictive models of this type can be used to identify those road projects most in need of preventive and corrective maintenance or rehabilitation. Pavement predictive models also find their application in pavement management systems, in which all the activities involved in providing pavements are considered in an integrated, coordinated manner. A major highway research project has been conducted in Brazil since 1975, and has the objective of yielding parameters, methods, and models to permit the optimization of investments in highway construction and maintenance so as to minimize the total road transportation cost. To accomplish this, considerable data have been collected in Brazil on pavement behavior and performance. Pavement attributes have been monitored for up to three years and include measurements of roughness, cracking and patching, rutting, and Benkelman beam deflections. Test pits were dug to measure in-situ density, CBR, and moisture while laboratory testing produced material gradings, atterberg limits, laboratory CBR and density of the road materials, as well as asphalt surfacings resilient moduli. These data, predictive models, and test results are analyzed in this paper.(a) for the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 815640.


Background : World Health Organization (WHO) announced that during 2017, 325 million people worldwide were infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). Street children community is a part of society that is susceptible to HBV and HCV transmission, yet no data available about the prevalence. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections in street children community of Malang during 2017. Method : This cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2017 with subjects of street children who were members of the East Java Humanitarian Network (EJHN) group. They were interviewed, got vital signs examined, and performed HBsAg and anti HCV tests using the ECLIA method. Results : There were 90 subjects, with more male than female (60%). The most frequent age range was between 21 to 30 years (35.6%). Most of them do not have permanent jobs (37.8%). The level of education varied, with 30% were at the level of primary education and 56.7% were married. There were 4.4% hepatitis B positive and 1.1% of hepatitis C positive among the subjects. Subjects with positive results had history of free sex, tattoos, and intravenous drugs abuse as the risk factors of HBV and HCV transmission. Conclusion : The prevalence of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in the population of street children in Malang city, East Java, were 1.1% and 4.4%, respectively. The most common risk factors were free sex and tattoos.


Aim: The aim of our study was to evaluate the computed tomography (CT) imaging features of splenic artery aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm and to identify the disease conditions related to the same. We also wanted to ascertain any relationship between these associated disease conditions and the imaging features of the aneurysms. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed to have splenic artery aneurysms on contrast-enhanced CT examination between January 2001 and January 2016. Data were obtained from the picture archiving and communication system. The size, number, location, morphology, the presence of thrombosis, calcification, and rupture of the aneurysms were evaluated. Results: A total of 45 patients were identified with a mean age of 45 years. Splenic artery aneurysms were idiopathic in 12 (26.6%) patients. In the remaining patients, the main associated disease conditions included pancreatitis 15 (33%), chronic liver disease with portal hypertension 8 (18%), and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO) 6 (13%). Statistically significant findings included the relationship between EHPVO and multiple aneurysms (P = 0.002), chronic liver disease and fusiform aneurysm (P = 0.008), and smaller size of idiopathic aneurysms (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Based on this study, splenic artery aneurysms were associated with a variety of etiologies. The characteristics of the aneurysms such as size, location, and morphology vary with the associated disease conditions. These variations may have implications for the management.


With the advances of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology as one of IMT-Advanced features, it has become feasible to adopt the technology into the mobile location scenario. By exploiting the multipath characteristics of the MIMO system, it is possible to estimate the position of mobile stations (MS) by considering the capability of MIMO to mitigate the non line of sight (NLOS) conditions that deteriorate the accuracy of location estimation. In this paper we developed geometric approach by utilizing the advantages of MIMO system and employ the time of arrival (TOA) as range measurements for improving location estimation. The performance of the proposed method has been evaluated through computer simulation. The results of our simulation demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is significantly more effective in location accuracy than the conventional technique (LLS algorithm) and MIMO antenna configurations can achieve high accuracy for location estimation which meets the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements.


Western Buddhist travel narratives are autobiographical accounts of a journey to a Buddhist culture. Dozens of such narratives have since the 1970s describe treks in Tibet, periods of residence in a Zen monastery, pilgrimages to Buddhist sites and teachers, and other Asian odysseys. The best known of these works is Peter Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard; further reflections emerge from thirty writers including John Blofeld, Jan Van de Wetering, Thomas Merton, Oliver Statler, Robert Thurman, Gretel Ehrlich, and Bill Porter. The Buddhist concept of 'no-self' helps these authors interpret certain pivotal experiences of 'unselfing' and is also a catalyst that provokes and enables such events. The writers' spiritual memoirs describe how their journeys brought about a new understanding of Buddhist enlightenment and so transformed their lives. Showing how travel can elicit self-transformation, this book is a compelling exploration of the journeys and religious changes of both individuals and Buddhism itself.


Journal Compilation © 2020 Acta Dermato-Venereologica. doi: 10.2340/00015555-3605 Chronic itch is a debilitating symptom with a significant impact on quality of life and function (1). Interestingly, the behavioral response to itch (i.e. scratching) can be pleasurable, and patients often report scratch pleasurability (2). Scratch pleasurability may vary depending on the underlying etiology causing itch, however data on the pleasurability of scratching according to chronic itch diagnosis is unfortunately currently lacking. In a large study of atopic dermatitis and psoriatic patients, scratching was considered pleasurable in both diseases, and pleasurability correlated weakly with itch intensity in atopic dermatitis (3). Scratch pleasurability also differs in body locations and may be associated with topographical differences of itch (2, 4). Its characteristics amongst other common pruritic skin conditions have not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in scratch pleasurability ratings amongst different pruritic conditions. A secondary outcome of this study was to examine the overall association of scratch pleasurability to itch intensity.


Recently, many research activities have targeted at reducing energy consumption of computer systems through software optimizations. By using the functions of dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) and turning off unused system units (TOSU), some software techniques can be used to reduce the wasted energy consumption, and one of the techniques is the compiler-directed method. Many hardware details are complex and fuzzy about DVS and TOSU, and so the paper has established an analytic model for compilation. Based on analyzing the model, the paper gives the idea about localizing the use of system units. If the systems have functions of DVS and TOSU, localizing the use of system units is an effective method of low-power compilation optimization.


The OBJECTIVE of the study was to improve the results of treatment in patients with cholecystocholedocholithiasis complicated with acute cholangitis and biliary sepsis by analyzing the possibilities of hybrid surgery.MATERIAL AND METHODS. 126 patients with acute cholecystitis, cholangitis and biliary sepsis on the background of the cholecystocholedocholithiasis were treated during the period 2015–2018. We performed the comparative analysis of treatment results in different groups for evaluating the effectiveness of various hybrid operations.RESULTS. When analyzing the comparison of treatment results we determined that single-stage laparoscopic biliary tract lavage was more effective in the case of large or multiple bile ductus stones. Endoscopic transpapillary management performed by «Rendezvous» method was more effective than endoscopic papillosphincterotomy.CONCLUSION. With the development of acute cholecystitis, cholangitis and biliary sepsis on the background of cholecystocholedocholithiasis, the implementation of single-stage hybrid surgical interventions taking into a specificity for each of the methods was indicated.


Microtubules are dynamic polymers of αβ-tubulin that form diverse cellular structures, such as the mitotic spindle for cell division, the backbone of neurons, and axonemes. To control the architecture of microtubule networks, microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and motor proteins regulate microtubule growth, shrinkage, and the transitions between these states. Recent evidence shows that many MAPs exert their effects by selectively binding to distinct conformations of polymerized or unpolymerized αβ-tubulin. The ability of αβ-tubulin to adopt distinct conformations contributes to the intrinsic polymerization dynamics of microtubules. αβ-Tubulin conformation is a fundamental property that MAPs monitor and control to build proper microtubule networks.


We develop a model to explain why some firms make acquisitions, while other firms with equal performance expectations do not. We argue that the decision to acquire is not strictly a function of expected abnormal returns, but also depends on a firm's unique acquisition threshold. Our model posits that the threshold is determined by governance, managerial competence, synergy with assets in place, and synergy with growth options. Our empirical findings, drawn from a sample of over 27 000 US acquisitions, offer strong support for the model, suggesting that firms with low thresholds may choose to invest despite comparatively low abnormal returns. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Career success is a way for individuals to fulfill their needs for achievement and effort during work, even career success is someone's goal in working. The sample in this study were 65 production department employees with quantitative analysis approaches. In this study using PLS (Partial Least Square) analysis with SmartPLS 3.0 software. Research on career success benefits both individuals and organizations. At the individual level, career success can be observed from the objective (extrinsic) and subjective (intrinsic). Knowledge of career success helps individuals de- velop the right strategies to commit to careers in their working days. At the organizational level, knowledge of the relationship between proactive personality and organizational support for career development towards career success can help companies to design effective career systems. Compa- nies that want to get competent human resources must understand the factors that affect their employees' career success, one of these factors is self-efficacy. The self-efficacy variable in this study is positioned as a moderator that influences the relationship between career success and career commitment. The purpose of this paper is to develop conceptual models and propose hy- potheses that connect proactive personality and organizational support for career development in career success through career commitment that is moderated by self-efficacy.


Climate models predict the further intensification of global warming in the future. Drylands, as one of the most fragile ecosystems, are vulnerable to changes in temperature, precipitation, and drought extremes. However, it is still unclear how plant traits interact with soil properties to regulate drylands' responses to seasonal and interannual climate change. The vegetation sensitivity index (VSI) of desert scrubs in the Qaidam Basin (NE Tibetan Plateau) was assessed by summarizing the relative contributions of temperature (SGST), precipitation (SGSP), and drought (temperature vegetation dryness index, STVDI) to the dynamics of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) during plant growing months yearly from 2000 to 2015. Nutrient contents, including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in topsoils and leaves of plants, were measured for seven types of desert scrub communities at 22 sites in the summer of 2016. Multiple linear and structural equation models were used to reveal how leaf and soil nutrient regimes affect desert scrubs' sensitivity to climate variability. The results showed that total soil nitrogen (STN) and leaf carbon content (LC), respectively, explained 25.9% and 17.0% of the VSI variance across different scrub communities. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that STN and total soil potassium (STK) mediated desert scrub's VSI indirectly via SGST (with standardized path strength of −0.35 and +0.32, respectively) while LC indirectly via SGST and SGSP (with standardized path strength of −0.31 and −0.19, respectively). Neither soil nor leave nutrient contents alone could explain the VSI variance across different sites, except for the indirect influences of STN and STK via STVDI (−0.18 and 0.16, respectively). Overall, this study disentangled the relative importance of plant nutrient traits and soil nutrient availability in mediating the climatic sensitivity of desert scrubs in the Tibetan Plateau. Integrating soil nutrient availability with plant functional traits together is recommended to better understand the mechanisms behind dryland dynamics under global climate change.


Proliferation in vitro of the committed granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cell (CFUC) is inhibited by cholera toxin (CT) in a dose-dependent manner. This inhibition is reduced and counteracted by higher doses of colony stimulating factor (CSF), an obligatory growth stimulator of CFUC. Mixing of CT with its specific receptor, the monosialoganglioside, GM1, before exposure to bone marrow (BM) cells, blocks the toxin's effect, and a restoration of colony formation is achieved. A dose-dependent inhibition of CSF-induced colony formation is also observed in the presence of choleragenoid, the B subunit of the toxin which binds to the specific receptor on the cell surface, but is biologically inactive. Incubation of BM cells with CT prior to cloning in soft agar cultures supplemented with CSF inhibits clonal proliferation of CFUC, whereas a brief in vitro exposure of BM cells to CSF prior to CT protects the cells against subsequent CT inhibition. The ability of CT to inhibit the CSF-induced clonal proliferation of CFUC and the effectiveness of CSF in reducing and even counteracting CT inhibition suggests that CT, by binding to BM cells through the B subunit, might either directly or indirectly interfere with the stimulatory activity of CSF upon its target cells.


Cold rolled (40, 60 and 80% thickness reductions from hot-band) interstitial free (IF) steel samples were recovered at 500°C for different times (15 min to 32 h). The recovery kinetics, studied through a combination of X-ray line profile analysis and high resolution electron diffraction, were best represented by logarithmic relationship. Though the kinetics was dependent on the prior deformation, γ (ND//<111>) fibre clearly had stronger recovery than θ (ND//<100>) fibre. Recovery was observed, statistically to create grain interior strain localizations: an orientation independent phenomenon. Increase in misorientation across such strain localizations was, however, orientation dependent. This was responsible for enhanced in-grain misorientation in recovered γ-fibre grains/bands. Extended recovery of 80% pre-deformed samples also led to coarsening of γ-fibre bands: strain induced boundary migration (SIBM) or uniform movement of γfibre boundaries into neighbouring non γ-fibre orientations.


Background: Mothers of children with a predisposition to atopic diseases are generally recommended extended breastfeed. However, recent studies indicate that long duration of breastfeeding increases the risk atopic dermatitis and the evidence for a protective effect on sensitization remains elusive. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the duration of exclusive and total breastfeeding on the development of sensitization in preschool children. Method: 411 children were included from the Copenhagen Prospective Study of Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC2000) birth cohort born of mothers with a history of asthma. SPT and sIgE were simultaneously measured when the children were 6mo, 18mo, 4yrs and 6yrs old against 22 specific allergens. Allergic sensitization was defined as a SPT with a wheal size ≥ 2 mm at young age (6 and 18 months) and ≥ 3 mm at age 4 and 6 years or sIgE ≥ 0,35 IU/mL. Information on breastfeeding was gathered by interview at the clinic when the children were 12 months old. Results: Neither breastfeeding exclusively for more than 4 months or 6 months showed any significant difference with regards to development of allergic sensitization in the children. Partial breastfeeding for more than 4 months compared to less than 4 months did not affect the development of sensitization either. Sub-analyses of food sensitization and sensitization to milk and egg alone was not associated with breastfeeding either. Conclusion: Breastfeeding does not affect the risk of sensitization in high-risk children.


To provide rigorous uncertainty quantification for online learning models, we develop a framework for constructing uncertainty sets that provably control risk—such as coverage of confidence intervals, false negative rate, or F1 score—in the online setting. This extends conformal prediction to apply to a larger class of online learning problems. Our method guarantees risk control at any user-specified level even when the underlying data distribution shifts drastically, even adversarially, over time in an unknown fashion. The technique we propose is highly flexible as it can be applied with any base online learning algorithm (e.g., a deep neural network trained online), requiring minimal implementation effort and essentially zero additional computational cost. We further extend our approach to control multiple risks simultaneously, so the prediction sets we generate are valid for all given risks. To demonstrate the utility of our method, we conduct experiments on real-world tabular time-series data sets showing that the proposed method rigorously controls various natural risks. Furthermore, we show how to construct valid intervals for an online image-depth estimation problem that previous sequential calibration schemes cannot handle.


SUSTAINABILITY AND GOVERNANCE OF PALM OIL DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: EVIDENCE FROM CAMEROON Steffi Hamann Advisor: University of Guelph, 2017 Professor Adam Sneyd This doctoral dissertation contributes to the academic literature on the politics of agrarian change by exploring effects of agro-industrialization processes on rural livelihoods and food security. In the African context, debates about the local impacts of different modes of agricultural production are wrought with controversy. Powerful stakeholders in support of large-scale farming favour economies of scale and private investments as pathways to rural development. Those who are critical of this development orthodoxy emphasize the socioeconomic and environmental limits of capital-intensive monoculture plantations. To address these conflicting arguments, this research presents an in-depth study of the Republic of Cameroon. It focuses on the country's palm oil sector – one of the major drivers of agribusiness investments and agro-industrialization in tropical Africa. The study details the historical evolution and contemporary politics that envelop efforts to govern the sector. It assesses the impacts of different modes of agricultural production through an empirical study, conducted in the oil palm basin of Cameroon's Sanaga-Maritime Division. The multidimensional research design combines the complementary strengths of semi-structured key-informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a comprehensive survey of four hundred households. The comparison and analysis of the livelihoods and food security situation of rural smallholders and salaried workers generate novel insights into local realities within the palm-oil-producing sector. Findings indicate that the average smallholder enjoys a higher standard of living than the average worker in a commercial plantation. Salaried workers are faced with food access challenges, and the majority of plantation employees engages in food cultivation as a coping mechanism to ensure their food security. In light of the research results, this study questions the dominant growthdriven paradigm of agrarian change and discusses governance implications for the sustainable development of the palm oil sector in sub-Saharan Africa.


Abstract The Guarani (GAS) and Serra Geral (SGAS) aquifer systems are the main groundwater sources in southern Brazil. We investigated the crucial relationship between the primary, intergranular pore system in the GAS and the secondary pore system associated with fractures in the SGAS in order to understand better the compartmentalization and connection, water storage, and productivity of both aquifers. Data from 375 wells that produce from both aquifers was used to evaluate the hydrodynamic characteristics of the GAS-SGAS contact. The integration of data using remote sensing, structural data, and thin section analysis support interpretations about the compartmentalization and potential connection of the aquifers. Fault zones trending NW, EW, and NNE demarcate six structural blocks in which the GAS-SGAS contact varies more than 400 m in elevation. Thin section analysis of sandstone texture and composition allowed us to determine the relationship between the type of porosity and cement type and content. The surface demarcating the Guarani-Serra Geral contact is highly productive in 93% of the wells that reach both aquifers. The integration of our results allowed us to propose a conceptual hydrogeological model for the GAS and SGAS aquifers in the study area.


Advantage Learning (AL) seeks to increase the action gap between the optimal action and its competitors, so as to improve the robustness to estimation errors. However, the method becomes problematic when the optimal action induced by the approximated value function does not agree with the true optimal action. In this paper, we present a novel method, named clipped Advantage Learning (clipped AL), to address this issue. The method is inspired by our observation that increasing the action gap blindly for all given samples while not taking their necessities into account could accumulate more errors in the performance loss bound, leading to a slow value convergence, and to avoid that, we should adjust the advantage value adaptively. We show that our simple clipped AL operator not only enjoys fast convergence guarantee but also retains proper action gaps, hence achieving a good balance between the large action gap and the fast convergence. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified empirically on several RL benchmarks with promising performance.


The prediction errors of WAsP are analysed by use of five 50 m measuring masts and the differences in the RIX-values in a mountainous site of wind energy development at the Norwegian coast. The RIX-values range from 13% to 18% thus the terrain is quite complex. High correlation (0.96) is found between the prediction error of WAsP and the differences in the RIX-values. The inclusion of a coastal background station contributes strongly to this correlation. Predictions errors of 10%–15% are found based on the background coastal site. One should therefore be careful in applying background meteorological stations to wind resource assessment at the coastal mountains. Adjustments of the wind speed predictions based on the present findings are recommended. For the measuring stations within the wind farm area only a rather high correlation (0.76) between prediction errors and differences in the RIX-values are also encountered. Prediction errors are in the range 0%–6%, which is considered quite low taking the complexity of the terrain into account. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This study examined the profitability and technical efficiency of local dairy milk processing in Kwara State using budgetary analysis and stochastic frontier model. Data set for the study was obtained through a randomly selected one hundred nomadic households in the state. The results of the budgetary analysis showed that local dairy milk processing was profitable in the study area with a net farm income of N683.25 per day. Results of the stochastic frontier efficiency model revealed the percentage efficiency to be 50-95 per cent with a mean of 76 per cent. The level of education of the nomadic household heads, the household size, as well as the years of experience in milk processing significantly reduced the inefficiency of local dairy milk processing in the study area. Improvement in the level of education of the milk processors will have positive implication on their technical efficiency. Keywords: Technical efficiency, costs and returns, local milk processing, nomadic households, stochastic frontier model.


Abstract. Grayscale lithography is a widely known but underutilized microfabrication technique for creating three-dimensional (3-D) microstructures in photoresist. One of the hurdles for its widespread use is that developing the grayscale photolithography masks can be time-consuming and costly since it often requires an iterative process, especially for complex geometries. We discuss the use of PROLITH, a lithography simulation tool, to predict 3-D photoresist profiles from grayscale mask designs. Several examples of optical microsystems and microelectromechanical systems where PROLITH was used to validate the mask design prior to implementation in the microfabrication process are presented. In all examples, PROLITH was able to accurately and quantitatively predict resist profiles, which reduced both design time and the number of trial photomasks, effectively reducing the cost of component fabrication.


Alpha emitting is treated as a particular case of the nucleus decay. The classical Hamiltonian of the nuclear system is constructed, accounting for the Coulomb inner-nuclear interaction and strong interaction approximated by the "Yukava plus exponent" potential. The effective quantization in terms of the collective variable T (elongation) is performed. The effective mass, adjacent to T, depends on T and is of tensor character; its tensor character, is shown, can manifest itself in the collisional experiment as the "dependence of the potential barrier height" on the incident particle energy. The numerical calculations for 210Po show that the mass tensor character is of principal value for the spectrum of the emitted alpha-particles. The possible consequences for the secondary processes in the atomic electron shell and for the electron-positron pair production are discussed.


Background: Exposure to the excessive levels of occupational noise is one of the principal harmful agents affecting the workers' health. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the occupational noise exposure and the hearing loss caused by working in small-scale service industries in the city of Damavand, close to the metropolitan capital city of Tehran, Iran.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study investigated the occupational noise levels within the 90 small-scale industries (mainly service industries and workshops) working under the supervision of Damavand healthcare network governed by the Iranian ministry of health and medical education. A sound level meter (Bruel and Kjaer 2250) was employed to determine the noise
exposure levels based on the dB A, and according to the standard ISO 9612: 2009. The audiometric exam tests were performed by an audiometer (model MEVOX SA-900). The obtained data were then analysed by SPSS 16, using linear regression and t-test.
Results: The highest measured 8-hour equivalent continuous sound pressure levels (Leqs) were associated with auto body mechanics (89.2 dB A), foundry and casting workers (88.8 dB A), aluminium products fabrication workers (86.32 dB A), blacksmiths and forging (85.8 dB A) carpenters (84.93 dB A), and cabinet manufacturers, respectively (84 dB A). Results from the hearing threshold shifts of the workers from the studied occupational groups revealed that the highest work related hearing loss associated with the right
ear occurred among the auto body mechanics, aluminium products fabrication workers and carpenters. However, the most significant work-related hearing loss associated with the left ear was noticed among carpenters, aluminium products fabrication workers, and auto body mechanics, respectively. Pearson correlation coefficient was tested between Leqs, work experience and hearing loss,
and the results implied that the progress of workers' hearing loss was correlated with the increase in work history and experience.
Conclusions: The 8-hour Leqs and work experience were, respectively, the most important factors affecting the rate of hearing loss among the participants of this study.
Keywords: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, Sound Pressure Level, Small-Scale Industries


Copyright intersects with every field of Library and Information Science (LIS) from archival and preservation practices to reference services and academic librarianship. However, copyright instruction is still lacking in many Information Science programs across the country ( Cross & Edwards, 2011 ; Schmidt & English, 2015 ). The sudden move to remote online education in the spring of 2020 due to a global pandemic highlighted the importance of understanding copyright exceptions and, especially, the power of fair use to quickly provide resources to a wide variety of patrons with novel needs. The need for accessible copyright education for all information professionals has never been stronger. However, engaging with copyright often provokes cognitive as well as affective uncertainty, likely due to the fear and anxiety that can come from the threat of serious financial and reputational consequences. Logically, it seems that librarians might feel less anxious about copyright if they had participated in formalized training about copyright focused on legal issues impacting library and information professionals. To understand this likely correlation, the researchers queried students using a qualitative survey both before and after taking an eight-week intensive copyright course that paired legal expertise with an everyday approach to material designed to demystify the law. Using phenomenographic methodology, the investigators asked their information science students how they attempt to answer copyright questions and how they feel about doing so. The results provide evidence supporting the need for more robust copyright education in schools of information science, as such training to help future librarians to feel more prepared to answer copyright questions and less anxious about intersections between copyright and their field of librarianship before they enter the workforce.


In this work, a new fast decoding technique that is based on dimensionality reduction for the search tree is presented for the high-rate space-time block coding. By the use of the proposed technique, the high-rate Golden codes and various WiMAX codes can be efficiently decoded with the optimal ML detection. In the sphere decoding algorithm, 8 dimensional search tree for 2 × 2 Golden code can be separated into 2 semi dependent, 6 dimensional sub trees. For the recommended X4 code in the WiMAX systems, 4 semi dependent, 5 dimensional sub trees can be obtained. By the proposed method, the computational complexity of the sphere decoding can be reduced by about %80 and the speed of the decoding can be increased about 5 times.


Interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-2 is a transcription factor involved in type I (IFN- α/β) signaling. It has been reported that IRF-2 deficiency results in various immune dysfunctions. However, the role of IRF-2 in B-cell functions needs to be elucidated. Unlike wild-type (WT) B cells, IRF-2(-/-) B2 cells were refractory to anti-IgM, but not LPS. Such a defect in proliferation was dependent on IFN- α/β receptor (IFNAR). Marginal zone B cells increased in the proportion relative to B2 cells in IRF-2(-/-) mice produced IgM normally to LPS stimulation. However, IRF-2(-/-) B2 cells were defective in IgM production in an IFNAR-independent manner, although both B-cell subsets differentiated phenotypically to plasma cells at elevated efficiencies. Class switch recombination of IRF-2(-/-) B2 cells by LPS plus IL-4 was also impaired. Their reduced IgM production was conceivably due to an inefficient up-regulation of Blimp-1. Consistent with these in vitro observations, specific antibody production in vivo to a T-dependent antigen by B2 cells was severely impaired in IRF-2(-/- )mice. However, a low, but significant, level of IgG was detected at a late time point, and this IgG exhibited comparable binding affinity to that in WT mice. Follicular helper T-cell development and germinal center formation were normal. A similar tendency was observed when µ chain(-/-) mice were reconstituted with IRF-2(-/- )B cells. These results revealed a multi-faceted role of IRF-2 in the function of B cells, particularly B2 cells, through regulating proliferation in an IFNAR-dependent manner and antibody production via up-regulation of Blimp-1.


The objective of the research were (1) To obtain an empirical evidence for the lack of knowledge we have right now about how TBLT is used in developing Marine and Fisheries students' English speaking proficiency. (2) To find out students' perceptions on the implementation of TBLT whether learning with TBLT is helpful to understand the lesson or not. The research method was quasi experimental. This research assigned two groups, experimental and control group. Each group consisted of 25 students. The sample was chosen by applying purposive sampling technique. The data obtained through the test were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistic. Then the data on the students' perception in learning speaking by using TBLT approach was collected through questionnaire. The research result showed that there was a positive development on the students' speaking achievement. It was proved by the mean score of the students' posttest in experimental group that showed 67.64 while the mean score of the students' posttest in control group was 56.08. It means that there was a positive development in experimental group. With those several benefits, TBLT ensures that students have a high positive perception. It was proved with majority students' perception which is 76%. It was classified as high and it can be concluded that TBLT is helpful approach. Key word : Task-Based Language Teaching, Marine and Fisheries' Speaking Skill.


Static output-feedback stabilizing controllers for nonlinear systems represented by discrete-time Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy models are studied. The main result concerns the stabilization based on the parallel distributed compensation (PDC) approach. Sufficient conditions are provided for quadratic and nonquadratic stability. To design static output-feedback stabilizing controllers, a numerical procedure based on the cone complementarity algorithm is given. It is shown that the relaxed conditions proposed in the nonquadratic case outperform those for the quadratic case. Two numerical examples are given to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed approach.


Survey evidence shows that investor expectations on future market realizations are highly
correlated with in
ows into mutual funds and tend to extrapolate information from past
returns. This work investigates cyclical determinants of net aggregate fund
ows in Emerging
Markets, it measures the profitability of market-timing strategies of Italian investors in equity
mutual funds and provides first insights about the effects of these strategies on asset prices.
Chapter 2 investigates how cyclical variables drive net aggregate fund
ows towards
Emerging Markets (EMs). Through the aggregation of net
ows of all open-end dedicated
funds, the analysis finds that
ows in equity and fixed income are driven by recent past
performance in both developed and emerging economies. Further analysis confirms that
much of the evidence comes from US and EU larger mutual funds. A structural VAR
shows that
ows become more responsive through time to market uncertainty and rates.
In particular, after the Great Recession
ows exhibit a lower reaction to the S&P index,
becoming more responsive to market volatility and to US interest rates. Furthermore the
US consumer sentiment index has a key role in the explanation of fund
ows and it increased
through time with an effect that is more sluggish and persistent with respect to other cyclical
determinants.
Chapter 3 shows that simple buy-and-hold strategies beat the market-timing strategies
effectively used by Italian investors in equity mutual funds. Therefore, investors should re-
consider their investment behavior and choose cheaper, in terms of fees, and simpler, passive
strategies. The analysis estimates returns from market-timing strategies using aggregate
data on a large sample of equity mutual funds' net
ows and considers funds investing either
in Europe and the Euro Area, or the US, or Emerging Markets. In all cases, buy-and-hold
wins with extra returns that go from 0.24% per quarter (Europe and Euro Area) to 0.87% per
quarter (US market). Differences in the performance of the two strategies are not explained
by differences in risk and risk exposure.
Chapter 4 presents future research developing a discrete asset pricing model with het-erogeneous agents. Some of them, called chasers, develop their demand of the risky asset
relying on extrapolative subjective beliefs, in equilibrium this has effects on the asset price.


Thank you for reading aeronautics educator guide. Maybe you have knowledge that, people have search numerous times for their chosen readings like this aeronautics educator guide, but end up in harmful downloads. Rather than reading a good book with a cup of tea in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some harmful bugs inside their laptop. aeronautics educator guide is available in our book collection an online access to it is set as public so you can get it instantly. Our books collection spans in multiple locations, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Merely said, the aeronautics educator guide is universally compatible with any devices to read.


The authors review the theory of resonant passive mode locking (RPM) lasers and present experimental results for an improved Nd:YLF RPM laser that produced stable pulses as short as 3.7 ps at a repetition rate of 250 MHz. The average output power was 550 mW with 1.3-W average pump power from a Ti:sapphire laser. It was possible to couple 85% out of the nonlinear coupled cavity and still maintain stable mode locking. In RPM and amplitude nonlinearity such as absorption bleaching in a semiconductor reflector introduces an intensity-dependent reflectivity which strongly mode locks the laser. The reduced carrier lifetime in a low-temperature MBE-grown (LT) InGaAs-GaAs quantum-well reflector produces a sufficiently fast saturable absorber in the coupled cavity. >


In the present investigation iontophoretic permeation of risedronate sodium (RS) through optimized gel based formulation was evaluated with respect to various electrical parameters like Current density and type of current. The study also involved enhancement the iontophoretic permeation of RS in combination with electroporation and chemical penetration enhancers with its in‐vivo Pharmacokinetic evaluation.The permeation studies were carried through the human cadaver skin by using modified Franz diffusion cell and microcontroller based devices for iontophoresis and electroporation developed in the laboratory. In‐vivo Pharmacokinetic studies were carried out in hairless rats. One way ANOVA followed by Tukey‐Kramer test for multiple comparisons. The permeation of RS was significantly increased with iontophoresis at 0.5 mA/Cm2 current density.The iontophoretic permeation was found depend on current density and ON:OFF ratio.The pulsatile current resulted in high permeation than continuous current. Maximum permeation was obtained at 0.5 mA/cm2 with 1:1 pulsed current. When iontophoresis was coupled with chemical penetration enhancers and electroporation for 100 ms at 220V, synergistic enhancement in permeation was observed with shortened lag time and high flux. The required flux was achieved with area of application 1.55 cm2. In‐vivo studies in hairless rats revealed high Cmax, low tmax and increased area under the curve with electroporation, followed by iontophoresis indicated increased bioavailability. Relative bio‐availability was 4.6 when calculated in comparison to passive studies. Key words: Electroporation, iontophoresis, penetration enhancers, risedronate sodium


Different from the study optimization of land use model of a watershed that has been exist; this research aims to get the model of the use of agricultural land in the lake Toba catchment area based on maximum economies advantage. Calculation of the maximum economical agricultural land use based on two things, which are wide cropping who guided by land evaluation suitability and analysis of farmer's agricultural commodities that are cultivated on the lake Toba catchment area. This research was conducted with methods of survey and regression analysis. The results show that there is diversity and farmer advantage and if sorted then: mango > red onion > clove>hazelnut> bunded rice> peanuts >Arabica coffee > cassava > corn. Only 18 of the total 36 Land units on land area of study that suit to be area cropping commodities are tested with an area of 137847.90 ha. Land use in the catchment area of Lake Toba achieving profitability with optimal combination of farmer cropping mango (89.28%), the onion (9.27%) and bunded rice (1.45%).


Objective: To compare the results of silicone oil removal (SOR) 2 months after vitrectomy for retinal detachment with delayed removal for 6 months or more. Study: Prospective and retrospective study. Patients and Methods: A total of 32 patients (32 eyes) in the prospective series of early SOR and 19 patients (22 eyes) in the retrospective series of late removal. The two groups were compared as to the condition of the eye at the time of SOR and 6 months following SOR. Results: Patient compliance with the scheduled time for SOR was more in the early removal series. The outcome was comparable in the two groups as to the risk of retinal re-detachment, while cataract, increased intraocular pressure, oil emulsification, keratopathy, and anterior segment inflammation were more frequently encountered at the time of removal in the late removal series, particularly when it was delayed beyond 6 months. Conclusion: A protocol of early removal of silicone oil after 2 months did not increase the risk of re-detachment, and ensured a better compliance of the time of removal. It can be particularly recommended when patients are less likely to comply with a protocol for delayed removal.


OBJECTIVES
To compare implant and prosthesis survival rates between full-arch immediate prostheses supported by 4 hydrophilic implants with bicortical anchorage and by 5 or 6 hydrophilic implants placed without bicortical anchorage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The sample was retrospectively selected and comprised completely edentulous patients treated with full-arch immediate prostheses supported by Morse Taper hydrophilic implants. The selected patients were divided into four groups, according to the region of implant placement and type of anchorage. Differences in implant and prosthesis survival rates between groups, as well as the influence of bicortical anchorage on implant primary stability, were verified using Fisher´s exact tests (significant at P<0.05).

RESULTS
the sample comprised 392 implants, 72 were placed in the maxilla with bicortical anchorage and 85 were placed without. In the mandible, 140 implants were placed with and 95 were placed without bicortical anchorage. The follow-up period was up to 24 months. A 98.8% implant survival rate was observed for the group of implants placed without bicortical anchorage in the maxilla, and of 100% for the other groups. The overall implant survival rate was 99.7% (391 of 392 implants). Prosthesis survival rate was 100% for all groups. No differences were observed between groups with respect to implant and prosthesis survival rates. Significantly higher primary stability was observed for implants placed with bicortical anchorage in both jaws.

CONCLUSION
Predictable results and high survival rates were achieved within the period evaluated by the present retrospective study, with immediate full-arch prostheses when only 4 hydrophilic implants are placed bicortically.


"The complex causes of the current food and agriculture crisis require a comprehensive response. In view of the urgency of assisting people and countries in need, the first set of policy actions— an emergency package—consists of steps that can yield immediate impact: 1. expand emergency responses and humanitarian assistance to food-insecure people and people threatening government legitimacy, 2. eliminate agricultural export bans and export restrictions, 3. undertake fast-impact food production programs in key areas, and 4. change biofuel policies. A second set of actions—a resilience package—consists of the following steps: 5. calm markets with the use of market-oriented regulation of speculation, shared public grain stocks, strengthened food-import financing, and reliable food aid; 6. invest in social protection; 7. scale up investments for sustained agricultural growth; and 8. complete the Doha Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. Investment in these actions calls for additional resources. Policymakers should consider mobilizing resources from four sources: the winners from the commodity boom among countries; the community of traditional and new donor countries; direct or indirect progressive taxation and reallocation of public expenditures in the affected countries themselves; and mobilization of private sector finance, including through improved outreach of banking to agriculture. Because of countries' diverse situations, the design of programs must be country driven and country owned. Accountability for sound implementation must also rest with countries. At the same time, a new international architecture for the governance of agriculture, food, and nutrition is needed to effectively implement the initiatives described, and especially their international public goods components. Global and national action is needed, through existing mechanisms, well-coordinated special initiatives, and possibly a special fund." from Text


Antiphospholipid antibodies, including anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), are strongly associated with recurrent thrombosis in patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). To date, reports about the binding specificities of ACA and their role(s) in causing and/or sustaining thrombosis in APS are conflicting and controversial. The plasmas of patients with APS, usually containing a mixture of autoantibodies, vary in binding specificity for different phospholipids/cofactors and vary in in vitro lupus anticoagulant activity. Although in vivo assays that allow assessment of the pathogenic procoagulant activity of patient autoantibodies have recently been developed, the complex nature of the mixed species prevented determination of the particular species responsible for in vivo thrombosis. We have generated two human IgG monoclonal ACA from an APS patient with recurrent thrombosis. Both bound to cardiolipin in the presence of 10% bovine serum, but not in its absence, and both were reactive against phosphatidic acid, but were nonreactive against purified human beta-2 glycoprotein 1, DNA, heparan sulfate, or four other test antigens. Both monoclonal autoantibodies lacked lupus anticoagulant activity and did not inhibit prothrombinase activity. Remarkably, one of the monoclonal antibodies has thrombogenic properties when tested in an in vivo mouse model. This finding provides the first direct evidence that a particular antiphospholipid antibody specificity may contribute to in vivo thrombosis.


This work presents a Green's function approach, originally implemented in graphene with well-defined edges, to the surface of a strong 3D topological insulator with a sequence of proximitized superconducting (S) and ferromagnetic (F) surfaces. This consists of the derivation of the Green's functions for each region by the asymptotic solutions method and their coupling by a tight-binding Hamiltonian with the Dyson equation to obtain the full Green's functions of the system. These functions allow the direct calculation of the momentum-resolved spectral density of states, the identification of subgap interface states and the derivation of the differential conductance for a wide variety of configurations of the junctions. We illustrate the application of this method for some simple systems with two and three regions, finding the characteristic chiral state of the quantum anomalous Hall effect at the NF interfaces, and chiral Majorana modes at the NS interfaces. Finally, we discuss some geometrical effects present in three-region junctions such as weak Fabry–Pérot resonances and Andreev bound states.


Audio transmission in restricted area can bring different possibilities and be explored for education, arts and entertainment purposes. This paper presents an ongoing project that has developed an open-based technology device prototype to broadcast audio to portable devices such as smart phones and tablets called Gambiarradio Educacional. The goal of this project is to take advantage of low-cost equipment based on free software philosophy, as Raspberry Pi, and make it available to be used in education, providing inclusion of visual impairment students, by transmitting audiodescription when working with audiovisual material. The main features of the project, the prototype characteristics and the next steps of the research are as detailed as possible in this article. Keywords— ICT. FM transmission. Free Hardware and Software. Inclusion. Education.


Low density polyethylene (LDPE) or, more generally, branched polyethylene exhibits excellent processing properties thanks to its complex molecular structure. The branches on the polymer backbone are distributed by location and size and these molecular properties determine the crystalline/amorphous morphology of the crystalline, semi-crystalline and amorphous components. In the present study, the molecular complexity of branched PE is correlated to its thermal properties and morphology. The study follows the multiple fractionation protocol established on a representative LDPE resin, whereby, narrowly dispersed branched fractions having broad molar mass distributions are generated using preparative temperature rising elution fractionation (pTREF). Alternatively, broadly branched fractions having narrow molar mass dispersities are obtained via preparative molar mass fractionation (pMMF). The molecular structure of the fractions and the bulk resin are investigated using solution crystallization analysis by laser light scattering (SCALLS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and successive self-nucleation and annealing fractionation (SSA) to describe the thermal properties and the morphology of the different molecular species. Since these techniques are biased towards the analysis of the crystallisable components, solvent gradient high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is used as a complementary technique to account for both the crystalline and amorphous components. A comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography technique coupling HPLC and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) is used to investigate the bivariate distributions of branching and molar mass. SEC-MALLS and SEC-IR5 are used to determine long chain branching and total branching of the fractions and the bulk resin.


Methods which measure masticatory performance include gravimetric, volumetric and direct observation which depend on the weight, volume and size, respectively, of a test food once chewing is completed. Almonds, one of the most common test foods used, have a convenient size and texture. However, due to their oily content and mixing with saliva, washing and drying is required to overcome the clumping of chewed particles. A method has been developed using bagged almonds to exclude saliva and preventing loss of almond particles in the mouth. In addition, microwaving the whole almond reduces the oil content of the almond, reducing clumping, and potentially eliminating the need for washing and drying the particles. A dentate volunteer was asked to chew seven blanched almonds and seven microwaved almonds. The chewed particles were separated using two sieves, weighed and optically scanned to measure the number and area of the particles. Results were obtained both before and after washing and drying of the chewed particles. The overall results for the test of masticatory performance is very similar whether or not a washing stage is used for microwaved almonds. For untreated almonds washing has a more noticeable effect and may still be considered necessary.


Post‐traumatic epilepsy is prevalent, often difficult to manage, and currently cannot be prevented. Although cooling is broadly neuroprotective, cooling‐induced prevention of chronic spontaneous recurrent seizures has never been demonstrated. We examined the effect of mild passive focal cooling of the perilesional neocortex on the development of neocortical epileptic seizures after head injury in the rat.


In this article, we take as inspiration the labor division into scouts and workers in an ant colony and propose a novel approach for automated cell tracking in the framework of multi-Bernoulli random finite sets. To approximate the Bernoulli parameter sets, we first define an existence probability of an ant colony as well as its discrete density distribution. During foraging, the behavior of scouts is modeled as a chaotic movement to produce a set of potential candidates. Afterwards, a group of workers, i.e., a worker ant colony, is recruited for each candidate, which then embark on gathering heuristic information in a self-organized way. Finally, the pheromone field is formed by the corresponding worker ant colony, from which the Bernoulli parameter is derived and the state of the cell is estimated accordingly to be associated with the existing tracks. Performance comparisons with other previous approaches are conducted on both simulated and real cell image sequences and show the superiority of this algorithm.


"Refractory" ascites was drained off by combinations of antialdosterone (spironolactone, canrenone) and pseudoantialdosterone (triamterene, amiloride) drugs inducing as high sodium excretion as 100 mEq per day in two patients with liver cirrhosis kept on a 9 mEq Na diet. Potentiation of the natriuretic effects of the two types of antikaliuretic drugs occurred by real synergism rather than addition. Although natriuretic acitivity showed a typical dose-related pattern, potassium excretion was unpredictable. Significant increase in potassium excretion (reversal of the suppression) occurred when 300 mg triamterene was combined with 200 mg canrenone in one of the two patients and when the dose of spironolactone or canrenone was increased from 200 mg to 600 mg within the combinations with 300 mg triamterene or 20 mg amiloride in the other. Parallel increase in sodium and potassium excretions might be caused by a proximal tubular effect or by inhibition of potassium reabsorption along with sodium in Henle's loop. The vasopressin (DDAVP) refractory distorsion of the relationship between osmolal clearance and free water reabsorpton (induced by pseudo-antialdosterone agents and potentiated by antialdosterone drugs) observed in all the 6 cases of the present patient material favoured the "loop hypothesis".


Purpose of review Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors were recently approved for the treatment of patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline pathogenic variants and metastatic breast cancer. PARP inhibitors have also demonstrated activity in early stage breast cancer, and this review discusses completed and ongoing trials of PARP inhibitors in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting. Recent findings A recent phase II trial of neoadjuvant talazoparib monotherapy in patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline pathogenic variants and early stage breast cancer demonstrated a pathological complete response in 10/19 (53%) patients. Previous trials of PARP inhibition in early stage breast cancer included the I-SPY-2 and BrighTNess trials, which ultimately failed to show a benefit for adding the PARP inhibitor veliparib to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. Investigators are building on these results by designing novel clinical trials for patients with BRCA1/2-deficient tumors and/or triple-negative breast cancer. Summary The OlympiAD and EMBRACA trials that led to the recent approval of PARP inhibitors for metastatic breast cancer patients with BRCA1/2 germline pathogenic variants are practice changing. Investigators are now working to translate this success into the early breast cancer setting where ongoing trials incorporate new dosing schedules, PARP inhibitor monotherapy, and novel PARP combinations.


Borings in shells are evident throughout the fossil record, and are commonly used as evidence of predation. Modern predatory borings are site-specific, often leaving a circular Oichnus boring —similar forms are known as early as the Ordovician. Here, drilled holes in Phanerotrema (Gastropoda) from the Silurian Jupiter Formation on Anticosti Island, Quebec, are documented.Holes occur in 4 of 19 specimens (21%), with a total of 12 completed holes (diameter 0.3-3 mm). They are stout and narrowing conically with depth, and multiple borings within the same shell mostly cluster along the selenizone of the conch (67%). The angle of penetration relative to the surface is variable, but two holes cut into the sediment infilling the shell. The borings in Phanerotrema are interpreted as Trypanites dwelling cavities excavated within a sediment-filled shell. Trypanites is common in skeletal material and hardgrounds from Anticosti, where site-specific distributions occur, especially favouring high-profile substrates. Large shells of Phanerotrema likely resisted complete burial, and were exposed longer to the water column and settling larvae of bioeroders. The highlysculptured selenizone was the preferred target, as it was the highest point on the recumbent conch. The rugosity of the site also may have favoured settling and initiation of boring larvae. Viewed individually, some of the borings could convincingly be interpreted as resulting from predation, but they provide a cautionary example against hasty interpretation.


The objective of this work is speaker diarisation of speech recordings 'in the wild'. The ability to determine speech segments is a crucial part of diarisation systems, accounting for a large proportion of errors. In this paper, we present a simple but effective solution for speech activity detection based on the speaker embeddings. In particular, we discover that the norm of the speaker embedding is an extremely effective indicator of speech activity. The method does not require an independent model for speech activity detection, therefore allows speaker diarisation to be performed using a unified representation for both speaker modelling and speech activity detection. We perform a number of experiments on in-house and public datasets, in which our method outperforms popular baselines.


Oxygen consumption and swimming rates are given for 200 open water swims of varying distance. Average oxygen consumption was 1.3–1.9 l/min. at average swim rates from 0.7–0.9 mph. A wide variation in oxygen consumption was observed under these field conditions. The range was not narrowed when converted to liters of oxygen per square meter of body surface and may result primarily from differences in individual swimming ability. Frequent subjective symptoms of CO2 accumulation in the breathing equipment were reported.

Submitted on April 9, 1956


Seatbelts and child restraints can reduce deaths resulting from road traffic crashes, and are one of the risk factors being targeted by the Road Safety in 10 Countries project in Mexico. This study quantifies the prevalence of restraint use in two of the intervention sites (Guadalajara-Zapopan and León) and one comparison site (Cuernavaca). Three rounds of roadside observations were conducted between November 2010 and January 2012. The overall prevalence of seatbelt use was 45.0% (95% CI = 44.3–45.7) amongst all occupants ≥10 years of age in the three cities. Child restraint use in children <5 years of age ranged from 7.9 to 17.4%. Two rounds of surveys were administered to all road traffic injury (RTI) victims presenting at a tertiary hospital in each city; RTI victims had lower seatbelt use than the general population (31% vs 42%, p = 0.037). This study demonstrates the need for further targeted intervention to increase use of these highly efficacious safety devices in Mexico.


In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the lead mining industry of the Northern Pennines passed through a managerial and industrial revolution. Superficially, life in the lead mining dales changed less between 1750 and 1850 than in the neighbouring coal fields and shipyards. The wild and romantic Pennine scenery remained little corrupted by industrialisation. Mining continued to be governed by an apparently unchanged elaborate system of sub contract. But population increased by a factor of three or four, and below the surface ( metaphorically speaking ) social institutions changed fundamentally. Technological advances in underground haulage and in ore dressing at the beginning of the nineteenth century forced organisational changes on the mine owners. In these fields sub-contracting was either abolished, or regulated so closely that the sub-contractors were direct employees in all but name. The contracts governing actual ore getting became tighter, reducing the practical status of the theoretically independent miner to that of an employee. The proportion of agents to workmen increased, allowing greater supervision. The miners were paid more regularly - and were expected to work more regularly. Outside working hours there was little of their social life not influenced by the mine owners by 1850. Education, churches and chapels, benefit societies, even organised amusements were provided or subsidized by the mining companies. But, misdemeanours in private life - drunkenness, fathering a bastard child, etc. - were as much the province of managerial discipline as any offence during working hours. By 1850, at work and outside, the lead miner was dominated by his employer.


The theoretical basis for conventional acquisition of bandlimited signals typically relies on uniform time sampling and assumes infinite-precision amplitude values. In this paper, we explore signal representation and recovery based on uniform amplitude sampling with assumed infinite precision timing information. The approach is based on the delta-ramp encoder which consists of applying a one-level level-crossing detector to the result of adding an appropriate sawtooth-like waveform to the input signal. The output samples are the time instants of these level crossings, thus representing a time-encoded version of the input signal. For theoretical purposes, this system can be equivalently analyzed by reversibly transforming through ramp addition a nonmonotonic input signal into a monotonic one which is then uniformly sampled in amplitude. The monotonic function is then represented by the times at which the signal crosses a predefined and equally-spaced set of amplitude values. We refer to this technique as amplitude sampling. The time sequence generated can be interpreted alternatively as nonuniform time sampling of the original source signal. We derive duality and frequency-domain properties for the functions involved in the transformation. Iterative algorithms are proposed and implemented for recovery of the original source signal. As indicated in the simulations, the proposed iterative amplitude-sampling algorithm achieves a faster convergence rate than frame-based reconstruction for nonuniform sampling. The performance can also be improved by appropriate choice of the parameters while maintaining the same sampling density.


The paper presents an extensible Petri Net Markup Language (xPNML), which is an extended version of PNML. The xPNML format overcomes limitations associated with PNML structure for simulation and analysis of stochastic Petri nets. In addition, the proposed format supports modular concepts for creating specific models (for example, a module for machine operation including working, failed and repair states). These modules can be used as templates and exchanged among different net models. The paper provides the ontology of xPNML model and overview of its JAVA based implementation for simulation and analysis of stochastic Petri nets.


There are currently several methods described for the administration of a cardioplegic solution.(I-4) In our institution we have chosen to follow the method advocated by Dyson and associates. (S) In the description of their technique Dyson, et al, use a two-pump system which adds extra equipment to an already complicated system. A simple and safe one-pump system was devised and has been in use in our institution for over a year.


The ever-growing concern of population about the risks associated with electromagnetic fields from power systems (and in particular from overhead transmission lines) emphasizes the importance of a proper determination of continuous exposure of human beings to power frequency magnetic fields. Possible uncertainties and errors in the calculation of continuous exposure of the general public to magnetic field from ac overhead transmission lines are investigated and discussed in this work, resorting to both an analytical treatment and numerical applications. The analysis highlights that an accurate evaluation of exposure that is really representative of typical operation of the lines requires not only the availability of measuring instruments, line databases and computer codes for field calculation, but also the knowledge of fundamentals of power system operation.


Background
Our laboratory uses matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI) and the VITEK 2 system (DV2) directly from positive blood cultures (BC) for organism identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Our objective was to compare direct MALDI-DV2 with a commercial BC ID-AST platform, the Accelerate Pheno system (AXDX), in the ID-AST of clinical and seeded BC positive for gram-negative bacilli (GNB).

Methods
BC positive for GNB were collected over a 3-mo period and tested using AXDX and direct MALDI-DV2 and compared with conventional methods. A subset of sterile BC were seeded with multi-drug-resistant GNB.

Results
Twenty-nine clinical samples and 35 seeded samples were analyzed. Direct MALDI had a higher ID failure rate (31.0%) than AXDX (3.4%; p < 0.001). Time to ID-AST was 1.5-6.9 h, 5.8-16.5 h, and 21.6-33.0 h for AXDX, direct MALDI-DV2, and conventional methods, respectively (p < 0.001). For clinical samples, AXDX and DV2 had essential agreement (EA) or categorical agreement (CA) of more than 96%. For seeded samples, AXDX had EA, CA, VME, ME, and minor error (mE) of 93.2%, 89.0%, 2.2%, 0%, and 9.2%, respectively. AXDX had a large number of non-reports (6.1%) stemming from meropenem testing. DV2 had EA, CA, VME, ME, and mE of 97.5%, 94.7%, 1.3%, 0%, and 4.1%, respectively.

Conclusions
Direct MALDI-DV2 and AXDX both had high agreement for clinical samples, but direct MALDI-DV2 had higher agreement when challenged with MDR GNB.


In this paper, a new nano-adhesive which has been improved the conventional epoxy resin widely using in automobile industries was introduced. This nano-adhesive is organically composited with multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNT) (from 1%-4% by weight) as reinforcement. In order to optimize its quality and performance, electric and mechanical characteristics of the joints taking account the geometrical parameters of bonded layer into were assessed. The electric resistance of the nano-adhesive decreased with increase of the nano-tube weight percentage, and decrease of the thickness of the bonded layer. And in order to evaluate the overloading behaviors of the nano-adhesives and compare the results with the original epoxy resin, tensile tests were conducted on different bonded layer thickness and overlapped length of the bonded joints. From the results, the ultimate tensile strength remarkably increased at 2% weight percentage. Also surface treatment condition of the plates affected the ultimate tensile strength of the bonded joint.


: The author discusses the recognition and initial management of fractures, including open and pathologic fractures; wounds, including gunshot wounds; dislocations and fracture-dislocations; peripheral nerve and vascular injuries; sprains and ligament injuries; and musculoskeletal injuries in the multiply injured patient.


Vesiculated tuffs are tuffs that contain vesicles between the ash particles. Formation of the vesicles is the result of trapping of steam, the transporting agent of volcanic base surges, in wet, muddy or sticky ash deposited by the base surges. Vesiculated tuffs are described from various maars and tuff-rings in Europe (Iceland, France, Germany) and USA together with associated surface features such as: gravity flowage ripples, mud flow channels, current ripples, and current ridges. Other features described are: plastering of ash against obstacles and vesiculated accretionary lapilli, the latter containing vesicles in the outer layer.

Vesiculated base surge deposits probably contained as much as 20–30% of interstitial water and fell out of the base surge clouds en masse owing to non-free flow and consequent accretion.


This paper presents the optimal design of an electromagnetic vibration-based generator using the simulated annealing method (SA). To optimally extract the vibrational energy of a system vibrating at a specific frequency, the selected mass and spring stiffness of a resonant vibration is required. The relationship between induced energy and the generator's structure, its permanent magnet height and diameter, number of turns, and wire diameter in a single air coil are discussed. Also, a prototype of the vibrationbased electrical generator is built and tested via a shaker excited at resonance frequency and input amplitude of 0.06mm. Consequently, results reveal that the design parameters (permanent magnet height and diameter, number of turns, and wire diameter) play essential roles in maximizing electrical power.


The diffusion gradient in thin-film hydrogel (DGT) probe is a promising tool for metal speciation work. Based on a passive sampling principle, it provides the potential for large data sets in complex regimes. DGT probes were deployed in waters characterized independently using competitive ligand exchange-adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (CLE-ACSV). The CLE-ACSV used benzoyl acetone as the competitive ligand in discrete water samples collected during the deployment of the DGT probes. The DGT probes used a 15% polyacrylamide/0.4% bis-acrylamide cross-linker hydrogel and a Na-form of Chelex-100 to complex metal that fluxed into the probe through the hydrogel. Probes were deployed in locations characterized by the degree of pollution impact: the relatively pristine Vineyard Sound, MA, [Cu]total approximately 6 nM, small seasonally active harbors on Cape Cod, MA, [Cu]total = 12-64 nM, as well as a large polluted estuary, the Elizabeth River, VA, [Cu]total = 44-58 nM, and a large polluted port, San Diego Harbor, CA, [Cu]total = 23-103 nM. This is the first study where DGT probes have been compared with an independent speciation technique in marine systems and used to establish the diffusion coefficient of Cu-complexing ligands in situ. Results showed that the probes produced highly precise data sets, with substantial differences in copper accumulation between contaminated and pristine waters. Comparison of DGT results with CLE-CSV indicate that at least 10-35% of the organically complexed copper derived by CLE-ACSV measurements was DGT-labile. Diffusion coefficients (corrected to 25 degrees C) of organically complexed DGT-labile Cu through the hydrogel ranged from 0.77 x 10(-6) cm2 s(-1) in Vineyard Sound to 2.16 x 10(-6) cm2 s(-1) in the Elizabeth River estuary. Accumulation rates of copper were substantially higher in contaminated waters than in pristine waters, suggesting that the probes in their current form may be useful as tracking tools to detect episodic sources of contamination.


Plasma-induced radicals formed on a variety of conventional polvmers were studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) with the aid of systematic computer simulations. The polvmers which are classified to crosslinkable polymers on a radiation effect give the mid-chain radical as a major component while the degradable polvmers give the end-chain radical. The controlled-release tablets were formed by oxygen plasma-irradiation on the doublecompressed tablet which consists of theophylline as a core material and a mixture of plasma degradable and crosslinkable polymers as a wall material.


Purpose There is a shortage of primary care and rural physicians in the United States. In 1974, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSU-CHM) created the Rural Physician Program (RPP) to address these issues and increase primary care physicians in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (UP). The authors describe the program and analyze 30 years of outcomes. Method Using American Medical Association Masterfile data, authors performed cross-sectional analysis of all MSU-CHM graduates from 1978 to 2006. Logistic regression was used to compare specialty choice and practice location for RPP graduates and all other MSU-CHM graduates. RPP graduate outcomes were compared over time. Results In 2011, RPP graduates were more likely to practice primary care (RPP 88/168 [48%]; MSU-CHM 1,143/2,610 [44%]; P = .04), practice a rural high-need specialty (RPP 122/168 [73%]; MSU-CHM 1,612/2,610 [62%]; P = .006), practice in Michigan (RPP 89/168 [53%]; MSU-CHM 1,119/2,610 [43%]; P = .01), practice in the UP region (RPP 44/168 [26%]; MSU-CHM 28/2,610 [1%]; P < .001), practice in a Health Professional Shortage Area (RPP 106/168 [63%]; MSU-CHM 1,279/2,610 [49%]; P < .001), and practice in a rural area (RPP 76/168 [45%]; MSU-CHM 361/2,610 [14%]; P < .001). Percentages of graduates meeting program goals and from the UP region have increased as the program has matured. Conclusions Program characteristics, including targeting rurally interested students, primary care focus, and substantial clinical training within a rural region, can successfully foster rural physician careers. The greatest benefit is to the rural region where the program is based.


We investigate the use of bootstrapping in the bandit setting. We first show that the commonly used non-parametric bootstrapping (NPB) procedure can be provably inefficient and establish a near-linear lower bound on the regret incurred by it under the bandit model with Bernoulli rewards. We show that NPB with an appropriate amount of forced exploration can result in sub-linear albeit sub-optimal regret. As an alternative to NPB, we propose a weighted bootstrapping (WB) procedure. For Bernoulli rewards, WB with multiplicative exponential weights is mathematically equivalent to Thompson sampling (TS) and results in near-optimal regret bounds. Similarly, in the bandit setting with Gaussian rewards, we show that WB with additive Gaussian weights achieves near-optimal regret. Beyond these special cases, we show that WB leads to better empirical performance than TS for several reward distributions bounded on $[0,1]$. For the contextual bandit setting, we give practical guidelines that make bootstrapping simple and efficient to implement and result in good empirical performance on real-world datasets.


Cloud computing introduces a new level of flexibility and scalability for providers and clients, because it addresses challenges such as rapid change in Information Technology (IT) scenarios and the need to reduce costs and time in infrastructure management. However, to be able to offer quality of service (QoS) guarantees without limiting the number of requests accepted, providers must be able to dynamically and efficiently scale service requests to run on the computational resources available in the data centers. Load balancing is not a trivial task, involving challenges related to service demand, which can shift instantly, to performance modeling, deployment and monitoring of applications in virtualized IT resources. In this way, the aim of this paper is to develop and evaluate the performance of different load balancing heuristics for a cloud environment in order to establish a more efficient mapping between the service requests and the virtual machines that will execute them, and to ensure the quality of service as defined in the service level agreement. By means of experiments, it was verified that the proposed heuristics presented better results when compared with traditional and artificial intelligence heuristics.


Mine soils on central Appalachian coal-mined lands are currently classified by the Soil Taxonomy as Typic Udorthents, which does not distinguish these unique anhropogenic soils from other weakly developed natural soils. Our overall objectives were (i) to critically evaluate currently available USDA-NRCS mine soil series for classifying a range of mine soil pedons in southwest Virginia, and (ii) to compare two different approaches for detailed Order 1 soil mapping of these highly altered landscapes. Using established series concepts, we mapped and classified 450 ha of mine soils in an area that had been recently reclaimed, and we used these same series concepts to reclassify mine soils in an older adjacent and overlapping 250-ha mine area that had been mapped using nontaxonomic mine soil classification criteria in 1980. Established mine soil series provided adequate information on particle-size and reaction class, but did not adequately describe drainage class, rock type, or parent materials. Classification differences occurred on well-drained soils primarily at the family level and below. There are no established series that describe mine soils with impeded drainage, densic layers, and shallow or moderately deep depth classes, all of which commonly occurred in this study area, and are important criteria for separating soil series. Cambic horizons were also described, and generate classification issues at the order level. Because reaction dass, drainage class, densic contacts, and soil depth directly affect soil management, we feel that it is important to recognize these features by establishing new mine soil series or phases of established series. Detailed Order 1 map scales (≤=1:12 000) are required to adequately resolve and delineate strongly contrasting mine soil landscapes, particularly on older (pre-1977) mined lands.


This paper describes the design and analysis of planar dual-band bandpass filters using stepped impedance resonators. In the proposed filter configurations, dual-band bandpass filters are designed, and realized by using inverted stepped impedance (SIR) resonators. The conventional half wavelength open circuited stub single frequency resonators are replaced with dual band simple two section stepped impedance resonators. Simple equations to design the dual-band SIR's are derived using transmission line analysis. To increase the performance of the filter, and to reduce the size, compact resonators are proposed. This resonator with compact coupling and size reduction are proposed by using split ring stepped impedance resonators with two inner coupling. The performance of the filter structures is investigated using IE3D electromagnetic simulators, where good agreement with the theoretical prediction is observed.


Computer vision application is a broad-spectrum sophisticated technique of high accuracy, which can be used efficiently to detect objects from a video footage. The principle of feature detection is being implemented through this technique for the recognition of desired behavioural patterns. Our results demonstrate a competent function of SURF (Speeded Up Robust Features), a computer vision algorithm in assessing animal behaviour from a recorded video. In the present study, we have applied this algorithm for accurate quantification of grooming behaviour in aquatic arthropods, using a semi-transparent freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium lamarrei as a model organism. Grooming behaviour is considered as an index of neuronal stress in several animals. We predict the effective application of this method in the area of behavioural ecology and neuroethological research in diverse group of animals.


This report presents a five-year-old girl with mucolipidosis Type III disease who had bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and eight trigger fingers. Bilateral open carpal tunnel release was performed. The trigger fingers were treated with A1 and A3 pulleys release and the ulnar slips of the flexor digitorum superficialis tendons were removed.