With Data Science continuing to emerge as a powerful differentiator across industries, organisations are now focused on transforming their data into actionable insights. This task is challenging as in today's knowledge-, service-, and cloud-based economy, businesses accumulate massive amounts of raw data from a variety of sources. Data Lakes introduced as a storage repository to organize this raw data in its native format (supporting from relational to NoSQL DBs) until it is needed. The rationale behind a Data Lake is to store raw data and let the data analyst decide how to cook/curate them later. In this paper, we present the notion of Knowledge Lake, i.e. a contextualized Data Lake. The Knowledge Lake will provide the foundation for big data analytics by automatically curating the raw data in the Data Lake and to prepare them for deriving insights. We present CoreKG-an open source Data and Knowledge Lake service- which offers researchers and developers a single REST API to organize, curate, index and query their data and metadata in the Lake and over time. CoreKG manages multiple database technologies (from Relational to NoSQL) and offers a built-in design for data curation, security and provenance.


In June 2013, Mexico reformed its Constitution to promote competition, diminish entry barriers, and strengthen its telecommunications sector. The Economic Competition Federal Law marked Mexico's most radical move yet to revamp its telecommunications institutional framework, fight vested interests, and change the competitive landscape in hopes to boost investment and improve services. This report evaluates the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) policy decisions and looks at market indicators in the fixed and mobile markets to assess change. The IFT has had important institutional wins effectively implementing most asymmetric regulations. The courts have upheld its decisions, and –amid some controversy– selected a winner for the 700MHz band PPP contract. While three years is hardly enough time for structural change to take effect, evidence shows overall sector growth but little or no change in the competitive landscape trend. Market concentration remains high, broadband coverage and internet access remain at lower income country levels, and while mobile telephony prices have decreased, broadband prices have not. Furthermore, total investment and investment per revenue increased in the fixed market, although not in the mobile market. Finally, eliminating foreign investment caps has already benefited consumers with AT&T entering the mobile market and its subsequent removal of national and international roaming fees. This report concludes that, despite their shortfalls, the 2013 Constitutional Reform and Telecommunications Law have contributed to overall institutional stability and sector growth. vi Table of


Objective To determine the cellular localization and expression pattern of AR and FSHR in adult rat testis must be helpful to understand the action site and mechanisms that T and FSH regulate spermatogenesis. Methods We applied in situ Hybridization to detect the expression of AR and FSHR on adult testis, in which Dig labeled cRNA probe was used to carry out the experiment on frozen sections; at the same time, following the technique of transillumination assisted microdissection we separated seminiferous epithelium into four stages(Ⅱ Ⅵ,Ⅶ Ⅷ,Ⅸ Ⅻ and ⅩⅢ Ⅰ), extracted total RNA and carried out dot hybridization, using α 32 P labeled cDNA probe, in order to test qualitatively and quantitatively the location of AR and FSHR mRNA and their expression pattern in adult rat testis. Results Our results showed that the positive signal of AR mRNA was located in Sertoli cells and Leydig cells. The signal in Sertoli cells began to appear in Ⅱ Ⅵ stages, strongest in Ⅶ Ⅷ stages and weakest in Ⅸ Ⅰ stages ( P 0 01). The positive signal of FSHR mRNA was located in Sertoli cells strongest in ⅩⅢ Ⅰ stages, weakest in Ⅶ Ⅷ and intermediate in the other stages ( P 0 01). The different pattern of stage specific expression of AR and FSHR in adult rat testis suggested that T and FSH act on different stages during spermatogenesis. Conclusion We suppose that there is a coaction at regulation spermatogenesis between T and FSH. From this point of view, it may provide new ideas for designing contraceptive strategies and treating human infertility.


In this paper, the a static experiment of on two reinforced concrete (RC) frame sub-assemblages was conducted to evaluate the seismic behaviors of existing RC frames that were not designed to support a seismic load. The specimens were a one span and actual-sized. One of them had two columns with the same stiffness, but the other had two columns with different stiffness values. As Regarding the test results, lots of many cracks occurred on the surfaces of the columns and beam-column joints for the two specimens, but the cover concrete splitting hardly occurred was minimal until the test ends. In the case of the specimen with the same stiffness offor the two columns, the flexural collapse of the left-side column occurred. However, in the case of the specimen with different stiffness values for of the two columns, the beam-column joint finally collapsed, even though the shear strength of the joint was designed to be strong enough to support the lateral collapse load. The nonlinear Nonlinear static analysis of the two specimens was also conducted using the uniaxial spring model, and the analytical results successfully simulated the nonlinear behaviour of the specimens in accordance with the test results.


This work aims to investigate the reliability of software products as an important attribute of computer programs; it helps to decide the degree of trustworthiness a program has in accomplishing its specific functions. This is done using the Software Reliability Growth Models (SRGMs) through the estimation of their parameters. The parameters are estimated in this work based on the available failure data and with the search techniques of Swarm Intelligence, namely, the Cuckoo Search (CS) due to its efficiency, effectiveness and robustness. A number of SRGMs is studied, and the results are compared to Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and extended ACO. Results show that CS outperformed both PSO and ACO in finding better parameters tested using identical datasets. It was sometimes outperformed by the extended ACO. Also in this work, the percentages of training data to testing data are investigated to show their impact on the results.


Contemporary methods for assessing information security risks have adopted mainly technical views on information and technology assets. Organizational dynamics of information management and knowledge sharing have gained less attention. This article outlines a new, genre-based, approach to information security risk assessment in order to orientate toward organization-and knowledge-centric identification and analysis of security risks. In order to operationalize the genre-based approach, we suggest the use of a genre-based analytical method for identifying organizational communication patterns through which organizational knowledge is shared. The genre-based method is then complemented with tasks and techniques from a textbook risk assessment method (OCTAVE Allegro). We discuss the initial experiences of three experienced information security professionals who tested the method. The article concludes with implications of the genre-based approach to analyzing information and knowledge security risks for future research and practice.


ABSTRACT Aims: To explore the potential influence of the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) on social support in Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: This was a quasi-experimental mixed methods design. Volunteers with PD (n = 27) and care partners (n = 6) completed the CDSMP, questionnaires of social support and self-management outcomes, and an interview about social support in relation to CDSMP participation. PD participants (n = 19) who did not participate in the CDSMP completed the questionnaires for quantitative comparison purposes. Results: Regarding the quantitative data, there were no significant effects of CDSMP participation on social support questionnaire scores; however, there were some positive correlations between changes in social support and changes in self-management outcomes from pre- to post-CDSMP participation. Three qualitative themes emerged from the interviews: lack of perceived change in amount and quality of social support, positive impact on existing social networks, and benefit from participating in a supportive PD community. Conclusions: Although participants did not acknowledge major changes in social support, there were some social support-related benefits of CDSMP participation for PD participants and care partners. These findings provide a starting point for more in-depth studies of social support and self-management in this population.


Nonlinearity must be considered with some porous granular media because of the large deformation under seismic waves. In this study, the propagation of nonlinear waves in porous media is studied based on the Biot theory and the governing equations are obtained by the Lagrangian formulation. Three new nonlinear parameters are introduced to consider the coupled nonlinearity between the solid and fluid components in porous media. It is shown that an additional nonlinear wave with a double frequency is generated by the coupling effect of linear fast and slow waves. When only a shear wave is applied at the source, no double-frequency nonlinear wave is predicted and three nonlinear longitudinal waves are generated. On the basis of the practical case studies, the effect of strong nonlinearity is computed under the influence of a one-dimensional single longitudinal wave source and a single shear wave source.


Biological rhythms and their temporal organization are adaptive phenomena to periodic changes in environmental factors linked to the earth's rotation on its axis and around the sun. Experimental data from the plant and animal kingdoms have led to many models and concepts related to biological clocks that help describe and understand the mechanisms of these changes. Many of the prevailing concepts apply to all organisms, but most of the experimental data are insufficient to explain the dynamics of human biological clocks. This review presents phenomena thai are mainly characteristic ofand unique to - human chronobiology, and which cannot be fully explained by concepts and models drawn from laboratory experiments. We deal with the functional advantages of the human temporal organization and the problem of desynchronization, with special reference to the period (τ) of the circadian rhythm and its interindividual and intraindividual variability. We describe the differences between right- and left-hand rhythms suggesting the existence of different biological clocks in the right and left cortices, Desynchronization of rhythms is rather frequent (one example is night shift workers). In some individuals, desynchronization causes no clinical symptoms and we propose the concept of "allochronism" to designate a variant of the human temporal organization with no pathological implications. We restrict the term "dyschronism" to changes or alterations in temporal organization associated with a set of symptoms similar to those observed in subjects intolerant to shift work, eg, persisting fatigue and mood and sleep alterations. Many diseases involve chronic deprivation of sleep at night and constitute conditions mimicking thai of night shift workers who are intolerant to desynchronization. We also present a genetic model (the dian-circadian model) to explain interindividual differences in the period of biological rhythms in certain conditions.


This Thesis is concerned with model-based control, where models of linear nonminimal state-space (NMSS) and nonlinear state-dependent parameter (SDP) form are considered. In particular, the focus is on model-based predictive control (MPC) in conjunction with the linear NMSS model and on proportional-integralplus (PIP) pole-assignment control in conjunction with the SDP model. The SDP-PIP pole-assignment controller is based on a nonlinear SDP model, however, the approach uses a linear pole-assignment controller design technique. This 'potential paradox' is addressed in this Thesis. A conceptual approach to realising the SDP-PIP pole-assignment control is proposed, where an additional conceptual time-shift operator is introduced. This allows the SDPPIP, at each sampling time instance, to be considered as an equivalent linear controller, while operating, in fact, in a nonlinear overall context. Additionally, an attempt to realise SDP-PIP control, where the SDP model exhibits equivalent linear system numerator zeros, is proposed. Regarding the NMSS MPC, emphasis is on square, i.e. equal number of inputs and outputs, multi-input multi-output (MIMO) modelled systems, which exhibit system output cross-coupling effects. Moreover, the NMSS MPC in incremental input form and making use of an integral-of-errors state variable, is considered. A strategy is proposed, that allows decoupling of the system outputs by diagonalising the closed-loop system model via an input transformation. A modification to the NMSS MPC in incremental input form is proposed such that the transformed system input system output pairs can be considered individually, which allows the control and prediction horizons to be assigned to the individual pairs separately. This modification allows imposed constraints to be accommodated such that the cross-coupling effects do not re-emerge. A practical example is presented, namely, a DC-DC boost converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), for which a SDP model is developed. This model is based on measured input-output data rather than on physical relationships. The model incorporates the output current so that the requirements for the load, driven by the converter, is constrained to remain within a predefined output current range. The proposed SDP model is compared to an alternative nonlinear Hammerstein-bilinear structured (HBS) model. The HBS model is, in a similar manner to the SDP model, also based on measured input-output data. Moreover, the differences as well as the similarities of the SDP and HBS model are elaborated. Furthermore, SDP-PIP pole-assignment control, based on the developed SDP model, is applied to the converter and the performance is compared to baseline linear PIP control schemes.


Lubricant oil from Pump motors, automobile engines and engines of boats and ships constitute an important pollutant of water and soil ecosystems, leading to devastating damage to the aquatic ecosystem at times of accidents. There are wide varieties of microorganisms in water and soil known to utilize petroleum hydrocarbons as an energy source and degrade them. Hydrocarbon utilizers (HCUs) found to be useful in the remediation of oil pollution in soil and water, includes certain species of Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Bacillus. This work is primarily based on degradation study of engine oil and evaluation of the effectiveness of indigenous microorganisms in the process. Microbes isolated from polluted sites have been screened for their ability to grow under in vitro culture, where used engine oil was the sole carbon source. Evaluation of residual oil content and percentage degradation of oil in culture medium was measured at regular intervals of 7 days for a period of 28 days. Residual oil was estimated by the toluene cold extraction method, percentage degradation of hydrocarbons was evaluated using Gas Chromatography (GC). And heavy metals in the sample before and after remediation were also analyzed by Energy diffraction spectroscopy (EDS) and characterised using Scanning Electron microscope (SEM). Results of the study have indicated that microbes are potential agents studied under in vitro conditions for restoring oil contamination and thereby biodegrading the harmful hydrocarbon pollution


Cooperative diversity is an emerging and powerful solution that can significantly improve the diversity order and link reliability over the harsh wireless fading channels. Although there has been a lot of work on achieving full diversity by using advanced space-time coding or signal processing schemes, how to increase the spectral efficiency or multiplexing gain with half-duplex relays has not received much attention so far. In this paper, we will present a spectral efficient cooperative diversity method, which adopts our recently proposed Network Interference CancEllation (NICE) to thoroughly mitigate the inter-relay interference in successive relaying, where a source and a relay may send different messages simultaneously. We shall also investigate the optimal diversity multiplexing tradeoff of the proposed method, and show that its diversity gain is strictly greater than that of the two-timeslot relaying protocols for large multiplexing gains. Moreover, the decoding algorithm for the relays and destination has a similar complexity as that of the decision feedback equalizer.


A total of 37 new sugarcane clones were tested in four replicated yield trials in the coastal and inner plains of eastern Puerto Rico during the period 1 97377 . Results obtained from plant cane and the following two ratoon crops were encouraging. It was found that three clones (PR 67-1070, PR 67-3129, and PR 67-245) are highly prom ising for the humid Humacao-Yabucoa area. PR 671 070 appears to be the variety most adapted to well-drained soils with high permeability . PR 67-3129 and PR 67-245, on the contrary , seem better adapted to soils with high water-holding capacity and high fert il ity . Efforts were also made to determine the relative maturity-pattern for the three clones together with the exist ing commercial varieties in the area. Appropriate harvest schedules for these varieties are discussed .


The use of standardised intermodal containers, which enhances the safety of goods in transit and reduces operating costs, has caused multimodal transport to become a global phenomenon. Despite its practical success, however, the proliferation of this type of transport has up until now not been matched by suitable uniform legislation. Political discord and the fact that the use of more than one mode of transport under a single contract complicates the legal situation exponentially probably lie at the root of this deficiency. And, to add insult to injury, EU law that is not strictly meant to regulate transport complicates matters since there are overlaps between the various transport law conventions and some of the legislation stemming from Brussels. This paper succinctly discusses the ambiguity with regard to the applicable law in multimodal transport per transport mode, and attempts to reconcile the framework that emerges with the Rome I Regulation.


Spermatozoa from dextrally and sinistrally coiled races of Limnaea peregra were examined by the use of an electron microscope. Helical fibres in the middle and tailpieces of the sperm were found to be dextrally coiled in preparations from individuals of both races. It is concluded that the genes which determine the direction of spiral cleavage in Limnaea do not control coiling in the sperm. The structural features of the sperm are discussed in the light of limitations imposed by geometrical considerations on the form of the helical fibres.


The control based on online optimization, popularly known as model predictive control (MPC), has long been recognized as the winning alternative for constrained systems. The main limitation of MPC is, however, its online computational complexity. For discrete-time linear time-invariant systems with constraints on inputs and states, we develop an algorithm to determine explicitly the state feedback control law associated with MPC, and show that it is piecewise linear and continuous. The controller inherits all the stability and performance properties of MPC, but the online computation is reduced to a simple linear function evaluation instead of the expensive quadratic program. The new technique is expected to enlarge the scope of applicability of MPC to small-size/fast-sampling applications which cannot be covered satisfactorily with anti-windup schemes.


Uncertainty exists with corn (Zea mays L.) N management due to year-to-year variation in crop N need, soil N supply, and N loss from leaching, volatilization, and denitrification. Active-optical reflectance sensing (AORS) has proven effective in some fields for generating N fertilizer recommendations that improve N use efficiency. However, various sensors utilize different wavebands of light to calculate N fertilizer recommendations making it difficult to know which waveband is most sensitive to plant health. The objective of this research was to evaluate across the US Midwest Corn Belt the performance and sensitivity of the red (R) and red-edge (RE) wavebands. Forty-nine N response trials were conducted across eight states and three growing seasons. Reflectance measurements were collected and topdress N rates (40 to 240 lbs N ac-1 on 40 lbs ac-1 increments) applied at approximately V9 corn development stage. Both R and RE wavebands were compared to the at-planting N fertilizer rate, V5 soil nitrate-N, and end-of-season calculated relative yield. In every comparison the RE waveband demonstrated higher coefficient of determination values over the R waveband. These findings suggest the RE waveband is most sensitive to variations in N management and would work best for in-season AORS management over a geographically-diverse soil and weather region.


- The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationships between preovulatory follicle (POF) and corpus luteum (CL) diameters, and POF and CL vascular perfusion with progesterone production, ovulation, and pregnancy in Nellore cows subjected to timed artificial insemination (TAI). Nellore cows (n = 201) were subjected to ovulation synchronization and later to ultrasound evaluation of POF and CL at the time of insemination (D0) and seven days later (D7), respectively. Females were divided into three categories according to the POF diameter assessed at the time of insemination: small (SF), medium (MF), and large (LF) follicles. The LF group had a greater number and intensity of pixels in the POF ultrasound exam compared with the SF group. The CL flow intensity and progesterone concentration were also higher in the LF group. The SF group showed lower flow intensity and lower ovulation rate compared with the others. When non-pregnant females were compared to pregnant ones, no difference was observed in any of the analyzed variables. The results show for the first time in Nellore cattle the relationship between the size of ovarian structures and blood flow (quantity and intensity) as well as the ability of the CL to produce progesterone. The intensity of the POF pixels proved to be relevant, demonstrating correlations with the size and flow of the CL, which were not found when evaluating only the number of pixels, thus revealing the importance of evaluating complementary characteristics of the flow.


This paper proposes a method for automatically generating postcards that reflect each visitor's museum experience by analyzing the log of our original iPad app that supports and guides personalized navigation in the National Museum of Ethnology. Museum experiences have become more personalized with the evolution of guiding devices. Each visitor views the different exhibits in a different order. Souvenirs serve to remind visitors of their museum experience and cement it in their memories; thus, souvenir postcards should be tailored to each visitor's museum experience. Such tailored postcards can effectively remind visitors of their experiences, deepen their impressions when they look back at them, and promote post-learning. In this paper, we proposed a system that automatically generates a postcard for each visitor for each visit by selecting the five most relevant and impressive exhibits based on the search and navigation logs on our museum guide app. We analyzed the search logs of the guide devices based on the psychological effects on impressions and memory to estimate which exhibits had the strongest impact on the visitors. We then conducted an in laboratory controlled user experiment with 16 participants to check what exhibits had made an impression on visitors by using the implemented system. The results showed that the exhibits that were seen frequently and the exhibits that participants added to their favorites were the most memorable.


1. Whales swim by oscillating the tail and the flukes in a vertical plane. Tail and flukes move out of phase, the flukes leading on the tail by quarter of a wave-length. Photographic evidence is given and anatomical evidence referred to. Previous accounts of the movement are reviewed. 2. A theoretical treatment of the dynamics of swimming gives results in fair agreement with the only known observation of the frequency of tail-beat. 3. Support is given to Gray9s suggestion that the drag of an actively swimming whale is less than that of a rigid model. 4. The possibility that whales develop more power (weight for weight) than man without going into oxygen debt is discussed. It is concluded to be unlikely.


Presynaptic inhibition is a powerful mechanism for selectively and dynamically gating sensory inputs entering the spinal cord. We investigated how hindlimb mechanics influence presynaptic inhibition during locomotion using pioneering approaches in an in vitro spinal cord-hindlimb preparation. We recorded lumbar dorsal root potentials to measure primary afferent depolarization-mediated presynaptic inhibition and compared their dependence on hindlimb endpoint forces, motor output, and joint kinematics. We found that stance-phase force on the opposite limb, particularly at toe contact, strongly influenced the magnitude and timing of afferent presynaptic inhibition in the swinging limb. Presynaptic inhibition increased in proportion to opposite limb force, as well as locomotor frequency. This form of presynaptic inhibition binds the sensorimotor states of the two limbs, adjusting sensory inflow to the swing limb based on forces generated by the stance limb. Functionally, it may serve to adjust swing-phase sensory transmission based on locomotor task, speed, and step-to-step environmental perturbations.


Most previous work on the recently developed language-modeling approach to information retrieval focuses on document-specific characteristics, and therefore does not take into account the structure of the surrounding corpus. We propose a novel algorithmic framework in which information provided by document-based language models is enhanced by the incorporation of information drawn from clusters of similar documents. Using this framework, we develop a suite of new algorithms. Even the simplest typically outperforms the standard language-modeling approach in precision and recall, and our new interpolation algorithm posts statistically significant improvements for both metrics over all three corpora tested.


A 51‐year‐old man with type IV skin presented for evaluation of a generalized rash associated with multiple ulcerated, nodular lesions on his legs. The nodular lesions occurred approximately 18 months after the initial onset of generalized rash, which had been diagnosed as plaque/patch stage mycosis fungoides. He continued to develop further nodular lesions on his trunk in the weeks following presentation. The nodular lesions were shown to be squamous‐cell carcinoma on histopathology. He had received only topical hydrocortisone prior to the development of the second cutaneous malignancy and had no past exposure to carcinogens. His squamous cell carcinomas were treated with surgical excision and split‐skin grafting. He received total skin electron‐beam therapy to treat the mycosis fungoides. Second malignancy in mycosis fungoides is a recognized phenomenon and usually occurs after potentially carcinogenic therapy. This case demonstrates the occurrence of second malignancy in the absence of a precipitating factor, suggesting that there are innate, immune‐mediated mechanisms in the development of cancer in patients with mycosis fungoides.


Summary form only given. When simulating hybrid discrete-continuous dynamical systems a key problem is the discontinuous model behavior. The state derivatives may change in a discontinuous way depending on the discrete state of the model. Conventional simulation algorithms are not suitable to integrate such hybrid system models with high accuracy and reasonable computational effort. In this paper we present results obtained with the simulation tool HYSIM we are developing. HYSIM can efficiently and accurately simulate hybrid systems including state and time events and sliding modes.


Tandem affinity purification coupled with mass-spectrometry (TAP/MS) analysis has been increasingly used to identify novel endogenous protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in a high-throughput manner. Computational analysis of TAP/MS data is critical, however, and remains challenging because of the noisy nature of the data. We developed an advanced method for identifying PPIs from TAP/MS data. Our approach APPIC, which stands for Advanced Protein-Protein Interactions Capturing, incorporates an improved statistical method and is more powerful than existing tools.


Previous research has found emotion interpretation biases in individuals with social anxiety (SA) when emotions are ambiguous. Additionally, research has shown that face masks impair emotion recognition. The present within-subjects, quasi-experimental study examined the impact of face masks on emotion identification in individuals with SA. After pre-screening using a brief SA scale (the SIAS-6, a shortened version of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale), 92 undergraduate students with qualifying SA scores completed an emotion identification task. The task included images of masked and unmasked individuals expressing four emotions. Results indicated impaired accuracy for all types of masked trials. When examining incorrect choice selections, it was found that neutral masked faces were misinterpreted as sad or fearful significantly more than their unmasked counterparts, suggesting a mask-specific interpretation bias. In relation to previous research on SA and hypervigilance for threat faces, when considering all masked trials, accuracy was highest for masked angry trials. While this study was limited in that it did not include a non-anxious group, the results have interesting implications. Importantly, the present findings suggest that some previously identified SA-related emotion interpretation characteristics persist when viewing masked faces (e.g., hypervigilance for threats), while others do not (e.g., default bias for interpreting neutral as hostile). Future research should focus on elucidating the causes of the present results, which are important to this population and clinicians, as socially anxious individuals attribute greater social cost to negative emotions; thus, misinterpretation of emotions as negative may be detrimental to their mental health.


IMPORTANCE
Microphthalmias are rare disorders whose genetic bases are not fully understood. HMGB3 is a new candidate gene for X-linked forms of this disease.

OBJECTIVE
To identify the causative gene in a pedigree with an X-linked colobomatous microphthalmos phenotype.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Whole-genome sequencing and chromosome X-exome-targeted sequencing were performed at the High Throughput Sequencing Laboratory of the Genetic Resources Core Facility at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine on the DNA of the male proband and informatically filtered to identify rare variants. Polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing were used to confirm the variant in the proband and the carrier status of his mother. Thirteen unrelated male patients with a similar phenotype were also screened.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Whole-genome and X-exome sequencing to identify a frameshift variant in HMGB3.

RESULTS
A 2-base pair frameshift insertion (c.477_478insTA, coding for p.Lys161Ilefs*54) in the HGMB3 gene was found in the proband and his carrier mother but not in the unrelated patients. The mutation, confirmed by 3 orthogonal methods, alters an evolutionarily conserved region of the HMGB3 protein from a negatively charged polyglutamic acid tract to a positively charged arginine-rich motif that is likely to interfere with normal protein function.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this family, microphthalmia, microcephaly, intellectual disability, and short stature are associated with a mutation on the X chromosome in the HMGB3 gene. HMGB3 should be considered when performing genetic studies of patients with similar phenotypes.


Objectives. The present study aimed at determining cut-off points of visceral fat to predict NAFLD and analyzed metabolic disorders of obese adolescents. Methods. Cross-sectional study involved 165 obese adolescents ranged in age from 15 to 19 years. Glycemia, hepatic transaminases, lipid profile, and insulin resistance were analyzed. Visceral and subcutaneous fat were measured by ultrasound and body composition by plesthysmography. Results. The NAFLD adolescents had significantly higher values for body mass, BMI-for-age, BMI, total fat, waist circumference, and visceral fat when compared with non-NAFLD obese adolescents in both genders. Moreover, there were significant positive correlations between visceral fat with the variables BMI-for-age (r = 0.325,), TG (r = 0.277), AST (r = 0.509), ALT (r = 0.519), WC (r = 0.390), and visceral/subcutaneous ratio (r = 0.790) for NAFLD group. Total fat, triglycerides, and visceral fat were the independent predictors to NAFLD. Analysis of the ROC curves revealed cut-off points of visceral fat of 4.47 cm for girls and 4.21 cm for boys. Conclusions. The results may suggest that abdominal ultrasonography procedure may be a safe alternative method of assessing visceral adiposity aiming to be considered to the development of preventive and treatment strategies in obese individuals. This clinial trial is registered with ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT01358773).


A 28-year-old male patient with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) underwent a liver transplantation from a heart-beating cadaveric donor in Sweden. He had suffered from the disease for 2.5 years. It took 5.5 hours to carry out the operation without blood transfusion. After the liver transplantation, serum amyloidgenic variant transthyretin (TTR) levels became extremely low and diarrhea stopped after the 7th day. On day 13, the patient was discharged from the hospital and one month after the transplantation, his general condition remained quite good. This is the first case of a Japanese patient with congenital metabolic disorders as well as FAP to receive a liver transplantation from a heart-beating cadaveric donor.


Blockchains are a new approach to creating distributed networks that were first introduced in 2008. It allows the formation of peer-to-peer networks based on consensus, forming chains from accepted blocks without requiring a central authority or centralized controller. A prominent application of this technology is its use in decentralized storage systems. Individuals in decentralized storage networks rent unused hardware storage space to other individuals. A decentralized network utilizing end-to-end encryption eliminates the risk of data loss associated with centralized data control by enabling clients to transmit their files securely. The storage providers must prove that they have kept unaltered files in this network for this time. Many studies have been conducted in this specific domain, most targeting storage capacity and efficiency, but a security, integrity and privacy loophole need to be addressed. This paper presents an overview of blockchain-based storage systems and how they work, followed by a comparison with cloud-based storage networks and a survey of various decentralized storage networks like SIA, File coin, and Storj available on the market. Next, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of blockchain-based storage. In our final discussion, we examine the security problems of decentralized storage networks and explore potential solutions and research directions for the future.


Abstract : The fractal dimension of a surface is a measure of its geometric complexity and can take on any non-integer value between 2 and 3. Normally, the topological dimension of surfaces is 2; however, their fractal dimensions increase with greater amounts of complexity or roughness. For example, a fractal dimension of 2.3 is found to be a common value in describing the relief on the earth. This paper discusses and presents examples of an algorithm designed to measure the fracticality of surfaces. The algorithm was developed at The Ohio State University and is shown to be reliable and robust. It is placed in an interactive setting and is based on the premise that the complexity of isarithm lines may be used to approximate the complexity of a surface. The algorithm operates with the following scenario: Starting with a matrix of Z-heights, an isarithm interval is selected and isarithm lines are constructed on the surface. A fractal dimension is computed for each isarithm line by calculating their lengths over a number of sampling intervals. The surface's fractal dimension is the result of averaging the fractal dimensions of all the isarithm lines and adding 1. Potential applications for this technique include a new means for data compression, a quantitative measure of surface roughness, and be used for generalization and filtering.


Author(s): Yang, Hyojik | Advisor(s): Cheng, Quan | Abstract: The development of effective assays to determine enzyme activity is fundamental to biochemical research and has broad industrial applications including high-throughput screening (HTS). In this Thesis, we have focused our effort on the development of new enzymatic assays using novel surface chemistry that enables selective capture of analytes and label-free technologies for characterization and quantification. Both covalent and non-covalent capture methods for selective enrichment of target analytes have been employed in this research. The binding process between the target analytes and the substrate surface was monitored in real time with Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) spectroscopy, and further confirmed and quantified with Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS).In the first part of this work, the non-covalent capture method was developed and employed to determine enzyme activities for two glyco-enzymes. First, α-glucosidase (α-GD) activity was studied using maltose as a substrate. A new carbohydrate probe has been synthesized and attached to a perfluorodecanethiol (PFDT)-covered surface via van der Waals interactions in a microarray format, followed by characterization by MALDI-MS. Using a ratiometric approach, we have determined the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of inhibitors such as acarbose and epigallocatechin gallate on α-GD. In addition, N-acetylglucosamine-perfluorodecane probes have been synthesized and immobilized on PFDT-covered surface for β-1, 4-galactosyltransferase (β-GT). The design enables desalting and immobilization of carbohydrate-conjugated probes to be completed in one step. The simplicity of this approach is a high advantage for the quantification of enzymatic activity. In the second part of this work, we have developed a robust and facile method for the fabrication of functional biochips with gold thin films. Using surface modification by self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of lipoic acid derivatives, we have performed enzymatic reactions using droplet deposition method. The functional surface is primarily characterized by Self-Assembled Monolayers Desorption/Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (SAMDI-MS). Lipoic amido (LA)-undecaethylene glycol (PEG11)-maleimide (MAL) has been used as a model ligand to determine the binding strength between the ligand and the surface with SPR spectroscopy. Measurement of the molar mass of ligands on the surface was performed using SAMDI-MS. The maleimide moiety in the ligands allowed facile immobilization of various molecules on the surface. In addition, lipoic amido (LA)-octaethylene glycol (PEG8)-2, 3, 5, 6-tetrafluorophenol (TFP) was characterized for surface modification of the ligands by SAMDI-MS. These labeled biomolecules are then used as substrates for measurement of enzyme activities by SAMDI-MS. From the results, we have shown that LA derivatives bind effectively onto gold surfaces, providing a simple platform for surface modification of various biomolecules and as substrates for MALDI-based enzymatic assays.


Scientific thinking is more than just critical thinking. Teaching the full range of ways to think like a scientist who practices high quality science is rare. A new core subject in the Bachelor of Science at the University of Newcastle was developed to allow students to explore six different ways to thinking scientifically through understanding what high-quality science is and contrasting it with poor science and non-science (pseudoscience). Our evaluation indicates that learning about how to think scientifically and be a scientist who practices high quality science is a skill that is valued by and relevant to first year undergraduate students. An evidence-based pedagogy including active learning, participatory learning, student-centred learning, constructive alignment and quality formative and summative feedback to students can support high learning outcomes.


Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a distinct clinical entity within a spectrum of adverse cutaneous drug reactions. It is characterized by >30% of the body surface area of skin detachment with an average reported mortality of 25-35%. Drug induced TEN is associated with various antibiotics, anticonvulsants and other drugs. While adverse cutaneous drug reactions are common with antidepressants, the majority eruptions are benign and easily treated. TEN is rarely reported in association with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's). We describe TEN in a 34-year-old patient from Mozambique associated with the addition of fluoxetine for a major depressive episode with psychotic features.


Infusion of cells into the fetus is a new form of intrauterine therapy for several genetic disorders. The effect of in utero infusion routes on labelled lymphocyte distribution in fetal rat organs was investigated. Fetuses, 14–16 days of gestation, were infused in utero with a Hoechst 33342 (bis-benzamide) labelled lymphocyte and FITC-labelled polystyrene bead mixture via four routes: intraperitoneal, intraplacental, intra-amniotic, and intravenous. The distribution within tissues was evaluated in frozen sections of placenta and fetal organs. Our results suggest that among the four routes tested, the intravenous route offered the possibility to reach easily fetal organs without any cell loss and yielded higher cell and bead concentrations in fetal organs, especially in the liver and in the kidney. In conclusion, the intravenous route seems to be appropriate for hematopoietic cell transplantation in the developing fetus.


This paper examines the "Baby Factory" Syndrome in Nigeria, a country already plagued by several cases of human rights violations especially in the area of human trafficking. It evaluates the nature and modus operandi of the baby factories operative in Nigeria. The paper examines the motivations and causes of the illicit trade in children, the fate of children from baby factories and the different forms of abuse that children born in the baby factories suffer. An analysis of the legal implication of operating a baby factory in Nigeria is carried out and the paper makes several far reaching recommendations that include reworking the legal framework of childrelated issues, alleviating poverty and orientating the masses as ways through which the operation of baby factories in Nigeria can be drastically reduced and eventually eliminated.


A new simple way for tuning the phase transition temperature (PTT) of VO2 thin films has been proposed to solve the problem of changing the doping ratio by using the dual-target co-sputtering method. A series of samples with W doping ratios of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% have been fabricated by sputtering V films with the power of pure and 2% W-doped V targets from 500 W: 0 W, 500 W: 250 W, 500 W: 500 W, 250 W: 500 W to 0 W: 500 W respectively and then annealed in an oxygen atmosphere to form VO2. The XRD results of both pure and W-doped VO2 samples reveal that VO2 forms and is the main component after annealing. The PTT can be tuned by controlling the sputtering power ratio of the pure and doped targets. It can be tuned easily from 64.3 °C to 36.5 °C by using the pure and 2% W-doped targets for demonstration, with W doping ratios from 0% to 2%. It is also valid for other doping elements and is a promising approach for the large-scale production of sputtering.


Watersheds are a widely accepted scale for water governance activities. This paper makes three contributions to current understandings of watersheds as governance units. First, the paper collects recent research identifying some of the challenges associated with the policy framework understood as the watershed approach. These challenges are boundary choice, accountability, public participation, and watersheds' asymmetries with 'problem-sheds' and 'policy-sheds'. Second, the paper draws upon this synthesis and on a review of the development and evolution of the concept of watersheds to suggest that the challenges associated with the watershed approach are symptoms of a broader issue: that the concept of watersheds was developed as a technical tool but has been taken up as a policy framework. The result of this transition from tool to framework, the paper argues, has been the conflation of governance tools, hydrologic boundaries, and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Third, the paper calls for an analysis of watersheds as separate from the governance tools with which they have been conflated, and presents three entry points into such an analysis.


Regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) is an emerging material derived from natural silk. Thin RSF films are transparent, biocompatible and biodegradable, which makes them suitable for many applications, such as flexible/conformal and transient electronics, bioresorbable devices, bioresists for lithography, and edible food protective coatings. To realize these applications, controlling and tuning the properties of RSF films is required to fully exploit their unique mechanical, optical, and degradation properties. Here, a new approach for tuning these properties is presented based on inducing rapid molecular structure transformations in fibroins via microwave heating. Transparent RSF films were post-treated by microwave irradiation, resulting in the transition of amorphous silk fibroin structure to a more α-helix dominant secondary structure. By increasing the microwave irradiation duration, an increase of helix secondary structure was observed. We use amide-I band Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of the films to characterize the secondary structure of fibroins. Moreover, we show that silicon substrates coated with 100 nm thick RSF films by spin casting, exhibit higher stability in water after microwave irradiation for up to 10 minutes, confirming a conformational change in the RSF secondary structure towards more stable α-helical rich motifs. Our results show that microwave treatment can be a new high throughput approach for tailoring the properties and structure of functional RSF-based films in a scalable and sustainable manufacturing process, when compared to other post processing techniques.


This paper presents a novel cross-coupling (CC) controller to effectively enhance the contouring accuracy for spatial contours in a multi-link direct-drive (DD) robot under gravity. A cross-coupling control (CCC) scheme based on Lyapunov theory and the recursive updating technique is proposed to reduce the contouring error by coordinating the motion of multiple axes in spite of considerable model uncertainties, disturbances, and gravitational effects. Experimental results on a three-degree-of-freedom (3DOF) DD robot also show that the proposed CCC significantly enhances the contouring accuracy in spatial contouring tasks.


Medicare for All plans have many advantages over the status quo. Yet the challenges facing such plans are immense, reflecting their ambitions to achieve universal coverage through a single federal plan and their disruption to existing insurance and financing arrangements. Medicare for All will not become viable unless it can meet the daunting political, economic, and administrative realities that govern US health care.


Abstract Background: The adoption of evidence-based practice is fundamental to good medical care; it ensures that intervention is clinically effective and safe. In a world of limited healthcare resources, consideration of cost-effectiveness must, unfortunately, restrict clinicians' choice. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has, for over 10 years, developed guidance to achieve a national consensus on best practice. Objectives: This review describes the Institute's methodology, examines guidance relevant to otolaryngology and presents more recent research to update the evidence.


Traditionally, viscous flow based on Darcy's law has been considered as the primary transport mechanism in petroleum reservoirs. In the micropores of tight sands and nanopores of shale, fluid transport is more complicated than Darcy flow. In unconventional gas reservoirs, in addition to viscous flow, diffusion can play a significant role in gas transport especially in ultra-low permeability reservoirs.
 An easy-to-use dual mechanism approach that accounts for the contribution of both Darcy flow and diffusion to apparent permeability in tight sandstone and shale formations is developed in this paper. The study elaborates on how the traditional Darcy permeability is modified to account for the effect of diffusion. This is achieved through an additional term that accounts for diffusion contribution as a function of gas viscosity, compressibility, and diffusion coefficient. The proposed model is then applied to experimental data of tight gas and shale gas reservoirs.
 For the case of tight gas reservoirs, Mesaverde sandstone data from the United States Basins are analyzed. For the shale gas case, Duvernay formation in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin is studied. Laboratory measured permeability supplemented with petrographical SEM images and MICP data is investigated. The application of the proposed methodology is demonstrated for estimating the percentage of diffusion contribution to total gas transport in the rock matrix.
 The transition from viscous flow to diffusion is identified with the use of Knudsen number. Viscous flow is usually observed in larger pores and higher pressures where continuous flow is driven by a pressure gradient. In micropores, and especially nanopores of shale formations, diffusion driven by a concentration gradient becomes the major transport mechanism.
 The results indicate that in extremely tight reservoirs with nanodarcy permeability, diffusion is the dominant transport mechanism for gas delivery from matrix nanopores to natural fractures. This is important and should not be ignored in engineering applications. Practical guidelines and recommendations are provided for the proper use of the proposed methodology.


The significant volume of data traffic, ultimate data rates, reduced latency, more transmissions with efficient energy, spectrum consumption, and novel technological use cases must all be considered using the fifth generation (5G) mobile network. Future 5G networks will connect billions of objects, known as the Internet of Things (IoT) or massive Machine-T Communications (mMTC), in addition to standard Mobile Broadband (MBB) services. Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) may serve connection requests anywhere and anytime by offering wide-area coverage and preserving service continuity, availability, and scalability. The satellite platform is a crucial NTN for integrating with the 5G network and delivering the necessary services. Soon, 5G network development will depend on satellite access, as stated in the 3Gpp Release 16 specification. This paper provides options for incorporating satellite systems into a 5G network design to increase capacity and extend coverage in 5G mobile networks. In addition, 5G networks must address a network model to resolve outage, congestion, and cell edge context issues. The last phase is the simulation of the problem formulation for the investigation of capacity and traffic in hybrid satellite-terrestrial 5G mobile backhauling networks.


Although the ionic liquids (ILs) are considered as green solvents, mainly due to their negligible vapor pressure, the effects on the environment are scarcely studied.
In this work, effects of the IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium triflate, [BMIN] [OTf], on germination and on growth during the seedling stage of two herbaceous forest species with wide geographical distribution: Daucus carota L. and Avena sulcata (Gay ex Boiss.) was determined. Changes on soil microbial activity of Quercus robur L. oakland as consequence of the addition of different concentrations of this IL were also studied.
Different effects of this IL on plants and soil have been found. Thus, in terms of germination, the dose of 10% (of IL in distillated water) presented total inhibition in the germination of both species; whereas this dose presented a stimulant effect on soil microbial activity. The effect of IL on plant growth is similar to that obtained in the germination test. Concentration of 50% of IL provoked the total inhibition of the soil microbial activity.


The aim of this paper is the low-cost experimental implementation of a field oriented control strategy for a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) by using an Atmel SAM3X8E microcontroller, mounted on an Arduino DUE board. In this electrical drive for PMSM, a resolver is used in order to measure the rotor position and speed: therefore, the low-cost Arduino DUE performs not only FOC algorithm and phase currents data acquisition, but also a resolver-to-digital converter process, rotor position and speed data acquisition, and resolver signals management. The code has been implemented in the open source Arduino IDE, using C language, whereas the control and plot visualization interfaces have been developed by using an open source software. In order to make currents and resolver conditioning signals, a double-layer printed circuit board (PCB) has been created. The electrical drive has been experimentally tested and the main results reported in this work show high performance in terms of rotor speed response and compilation and execution speed of the code, validating the use of Arduino DUE for PMSM drives.


The purpose of this research was to apply vacuum foam drying (VFD) for processing of LaSota virus and to screen formulation additives for its stability. The aqueous dispersion of harvest containing sucrose or trehalose in combination with additive (monosaccharides, polymers, N-Z-amine) was prepared. The diluted dispersions in vials were vacuum concentrated, foamed to form a continuous structure, and vacuum dried. The products were evaluated for foam characteristics, residual moisture, virus titer, x-ray diffraction pattern, and stability profile. The foamability increased with solid content in solutions. The foamability of sucrose was enhanced with incorporation of N-Z-amine (10% and 15% wt/vol) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP K30, 3% wt/vol). The fructose- or galactose-containing mixtures were deposited irregularly on the vial surface. The virus titer increased with disaccharides in the formulation. Sucrose provided better protection than trehalose. Unlike lyophilization, N-Z-amine with sucrose protected the virus from Millard's Browning. Amino acids do not have a catalytic effect on hydrolysis of sucrose during VFD. Monosaccharides were ineffective. A synergistic effect of PVP K30 or polyethylene glycol 6000 (3% wt/vol) with N-Z-amine provided the maximum virus titer (6.97 and 7.15, respectively). This formulation retained the desired virus potency at 5°, 25°, and 40°C. The diffraction pattern revealed that a threshold concentration of N-Z-amine was required for inhibiting crystallization of sucrose during VFD. VFD was successfully applied to produce a solid LaSota formulation. The products were amorphous and did not devitrify on storage.


The extent to which a Wikipedia article refers to external sources to substantiate its content can be seen as a measure of its externally invoked authority. We introduce a protocol for characterising the referencing process in the context of general article editing. With a sample of relatively mature articles, we show that referencing does not occur regularly through an article's lifetime but is associated with periods of more substantial editing, when the article has reached a certain level of maturity (in terms of the number of times it has been revised and its length). References also tend to be contributed by editors who have contributed more frequently and more substantially to an article, suggesting that a subset of more qualified or committed editors may exist for each article.


The objective of this article is to undertake a deep analysis of the pedagogical aspects related to the teacher's dialogical ability under teaching conditions. The work begins with a study of the outline, content and meaning of activities that are considered to be able to stimulate an effective dialogue with students, according to opinions expressed by teachers. The contextualized results were then analysed and interpreted on the basis of contributions from a psychoanalytical reference frame. Although these considerations undoubtedly contain a strong theoretical option, our perspective may work as a stimulus for other didactic alternatives and also for a reanalysis of previous research.


Specific IgE and IgG4 have been reported to play key roles in the context of IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy (CMA), but the persistence of their epitopes in milk hydrolysates has not been evaluated. Using sera from 32 CMA patients, 6 CMA patients treated by epicutaneous therapy (CM-treated), and 4 CM-tolerant peanut allergic patients, we analyzed the IgE and IgG4 binding capacities related to major milk allergens in processed milk. Different proteases (plasmin, chymosin, α-chymotrypsin, or pepsin) were used progressively and selectively to hydrolyze β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) and casein (CN) in milk. We then showed that proteases differentially affect IgE or IgG4 immunoreactivities of CN and β-LG and also that we could not relate IgE and/or IgG4 levels or specificities to milk hydrolysates to the clinical status of the patients.


The 3D scanning of human faces is an important tool to acquire accurate shape and texture information of heads and faces for both animation and recognition purposes. One of the most popular scanning tools is Cyberware head and face 3D colour scanner. Currently, 3D face databases scanned using the Cyberware head and face 3D colour scanner databases are publicly available and have been used in many face recognition system as the training data, one of which is USF human ID 3-D database. The mechanism of facial texture capturing, however, remains unclear due to the special settings of the light sources during scanning. The direct application of the acquired texture intensity as the albedo of the face surfaces leads to suboptimal modelling results. This paper analyses the lighting configuration of the scanner and proposes an appropriate reflectance model to describe the reflecting mechanism when scanning. The texture modifications can be carried on in the existing scanning results without any further scans. Experiment results show that the proposed reflectance model can better approximate the reflecting situation of scanning so that the acquired textures can be directly used as diffuse reflectance coefficients and achieve better rendering results. Key words: 3D face model, 3D scanner, facial textures, lighting condition, reflection model.


The study looked at the impact of scheduling configurations on middle-level social studies student achievement. Results of South Carolina's accountability assessment system's social studies mean test scores, at the school level, from seventh grade students in 117 schools as well as a survey completed by the principals of those schools were analyzed. After adjusting for poverty, the highest mean score for all demographic groups was for those using the 61-79 minute block all year configuration. However, there was no statistically significant difference found between scheduling configurations used and social studies accountability test results. Findings do show a statistically significant difference between scheduling configurations used and principals' perceptions of students' preparedness for the next grade level in social studies.


Based on contrast effects studies from psychology, we predicted that movers arriving from more expensive cities would rent pricier apartments than those arriving from cheaper cities. We also predicted that as people stayed in their new city they would get used to the new prices and would readjust their housing expenditures countering the initial impact of previous prices. We found support for both predictions in a sample of 928 movers from the PSID. Alternative explanations based on unobserved wealth and taste, and on imperfect information are ruled out.


This article is devoted to the development of an optimal speed profile for autonomous vehicles in order to cross a signalized intersection without stopping. The design objective is to achieve both a short travel time and low energy consumption by taking full advantage of the traffic light information based on vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. The eco-driving problem is formulated as an optimal control problem. For the case where the vehicles are in free-flow mode, we derive a real-time on-line analytical solution, distinguishing our method from most existing approaches based on numerical calculations. Under mild assumptions, the optimal eco-driving algorithm is readily extended to cases where the free-flow mode does not apply due to the presence of interfering traffic. Extensive simulations are provided to compare the performance of autonomous vehicles under the proposed speed profile and human-driven vehicles. The results show quantitatively the advantages of the proposed algorithm in terms of energy consumption and travel time. Note to Practitioners—This article is motivated by the requirements for increased safety, increased efficiency in energy consumption, and lower congestion in signalized intersections. We take advantage of the traffic signal phase and timing information based on vehicle to infrastructure communication, and use the information to plan the vehicle's trajectory to avoid the red traffic signal. An optimal speed profile is developed to achieve a trade-off between minimizing trip time and avoiding unnecessary braking and acceleration which corresponds to minimizing energy consumption. We then show how such a speed profile can be efficiently computed and control the motion of an autonomous vehicle (or serve as an intelligent speed advisory system for human-driven vehicles) leading to a safe, time-efficient, and energy-efficient trip. A video of a real autonomous vehicle test implementing our control algorithm can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ao4szeLYo.


The recent crash demonstrated (once again) that the description of the financial market by present financial mathematics cannot be considered as totally satisfactory. We remind that nowadays financial mathematics is heavily based on the use of random variables and stochastic processes which are described by Kolmogorov's measuretheoretic model for probability ("classical probabilistic model"). I speculate that the present financial crises is a sign (a kind of experiment to test validity of classical probability theory at the financial market) that the use of this model in finances should be either totally rejected or at least completed. One of the best candidates for a new probabilistic financial model is quantum probability or its generalizations, so to say quantum-like (QL) models. Speculations that the financial market may be nonclassical have been present in scientific literature for many years. The aim of this note is to move from the domain of speculation to rigorous statistical arguments in favor of probabilistic nonclassicality of the financial market. I design a corresponding statistical test which is based on violation of the formula of total probability (FTP). The latter is the basic in classical probability and its violation would be a strong sign in favor of QL behavior at the market.


Background: We evaluated circulating exosomes isolated from the serum of malignant glioma patients enrolled in a completed phase I clinical trial of an anti-survivin vaccine (SurVaxM). Exosomes are microvesicular bodies with potential mechanisms for cell-cell communication. Identifying circulating exosomes from cancer patients as potential indicators of disease status and response to therapy is of interest. The inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) survivin (SVN) promotes cancer cell proliferation and resistance to chemotherapy. Survivin is expressed in many cancer types including malignant gliomas and is a potential target for active immunotherapy. In the above mentioned clinical trial, five patients experienced early tumor progression with a mean of 2.8 months (1.9-5.4 months) from study entry, while three patients had either late (20.5-22.5 months) or no tumor progression (no evident disease at 48 months in one patient). Methods: To determine whether changes in CD9+/GFAP+/SVN+ exosomes correlated with disease progression, patient serum was evaluated prior to treatment (study entry), 8-10 weeks after initial vaccination, and at the time of MRI-defined tumor progression. By employing ImageStream flow cytometry technology we were able to analyze multiple markers on individual exosomes, identifying highly specific populations of survivin+ exosomes which co-expressed the brain/tumor marker protein GFAP. The combination of these markers made it possible to differentiate patient exosomes from those of healthy individuals. Results: The levels of CD9+/GFAP+, CD9+/SVN+, and CD9+/GFAP+/SVN+ (SVN+) exosomes were significantly increased in patients. Serum from three patients who experienced the longest progression-free intervals, showed 98-99% decreases in SVN+ exosomes after treatment with SurVaxM, and maintained similarly low exosome levels over several months. Five early progressing patients experienced a detectable persistence of, or increase in SVN+ exosomes at 9 weeks following initial vaccination. One patient had rising SVN+ exosomes detectable 16 weeks prior to the discovery of tumor progression by brain MRI scan. One patient with no tumor progression sustained a 99% reduction in serum SVN+ exosomes which was sustained over 48+ months. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that increased numbers of CD9+/GFAP+/SVN+ specific exosomes appear to be associated with early tumor progression in recurrent malignant glioma patients. Larger studies are needed to determine whether the correlation between SVN+ exosome levels and disease progression is specific to SurVaxM treatment, and whether rises in SVN+ exosomes levels are predictive of generalized glioma progression. Our study suggests that levels of circulating SVN+ exosomes may be altered during anti-survivin immunotherapy and could serve as a potential biomarker for clinical trials and tumor monitoring. Citation Format: Michael J. Ciesielski, Phillip Galbo, Sheila Figel, Laura Wiltsie, Cheryl Frank, Jingxin Qiu, Robert A. Fenstermaker. Circulating CD9-GFAP-survivin exosomes during active specific immunotherapy, a potential biomarker for glioma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2725. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2725


A theoretical study relying on the thermal modelling of a Curie wheel, used for the conversion of low-grade waste heat into electrical power, is presented in this paper. It allows understanding the thermal behaviour of a Curie wheel operating in steady state in order to optimise its design. To this end, a stationary one-dimensional analytical thermal model, based on a Lagrangian approach, was developed. It allows determining the local distribution over time of the temperature in the magnetocaloric material exposed to a periodic sinusoidal heat source. Thanks to this model, the effects of different parameters (nature of the magnetocaloric material, nature and temperature of the fluid) were highlighted and studied.


It was the goal of this research to examine the dynamics of Croatian transformation to market orientation and test whether the market orientation model changes with time as the business environment changes. Based on the literature analysis, we proposed a hypothetical model which relies on behavioural approach in understanding market orientation. To empirically test the hypothetical model, we used data previously collected for 2001, and by replicating the same questionnaire now collected data for 2011. Data was analyzed by hierarchical regression analysis on the two sets of data. Our findings reveal that Croatian organizations reached the level of moderate market orientation leaving space for improvement. Findings also reveal that higher level of market orientation correlates with higher business performance. Furthermore, with development of ICT, the model of market orientation modified in time in a way that in predicting successful market oriented reaction, specific information on consumer satisfaction gains importance, while general information from competitor and consumer databases lose importance. Despite the changes in the relationships among the elements of market orientation, the model itself similarly predicts performance today as it did ten years ago. Managers are advised to increase implementation of market orientation especially focusing on market responsiveness as such behaviour will lead to better performance.


The vertical distributions of aerosols are obtained based on the micro-pulse LiDAR. We analyzed coefficients at different altitudes in January and February 2013. The results show that aerosol vertical distributions of clear days are non-homogeneous with multiple layers at different altitudes,while aerosols are concentrated in the layer below than about 1 km during severe haze days. Analyses show that aerosol extinction coefficients are larger in heavy haze days,reaching up to five times of that of medium polluted days and 50 times of that of clear days. It is also found that Aerosol Optical Depth( AOD) is in good relation to aerosol e xtinction coefficients at 400 m during this haze event.


Presently, power systems have the capacities to accommodate different framework for incorporating economic dispatch, transmission, storage, and electricity consumption. This can provide an efficient energy management for controlling, coordinating, planning and operations. This paper focuses on coordinating the behaviors of a typical energy management of microgrid which is an issue on energy interconnections. A setup of microgrid, electricity users, storage and utility company is designed. Initially, optimal solution is formulated as a three stage Stackelberg game in which each player is allow to maximize its payoffs, while ensuring load stability and reliability. The method of backward induction is applied to examine the non cooperative game problem. We further proposed an efficient Jaya-based conditional restricted Boltzmann machine for microgrid power output forecasting which enable the microgrid make strategic decision. Simulation results validate the fact that accurate prediction of renewable energy can influence the choice of microgrid strategies.


. Currently, there are great perspectives for the technology of manufacturing products and aggregates from PCM based on prepregs. Thus, the use of prepregs makes it possible to manufacture complex configuration parts in one technological operation. High competition and the increasing necessity of mass production of large-sized parts from PCM determines the emerging need for the use of automated layout equipment. The replacement of traditional, manual methods of layout by automated methods provides significant advantages, such as an increase in the quality of the resulting parts, a significant reduction in labor intensity of their production, an increase in accuracy and repeatability of the technological process of layout (reduction of defects) and, consequently, reduction of the cost of the finished product.


Particle acceleration in relativistic shocks is not a very well understood subject. Owing to that difficulty, radiation spectra from relativistic shocks, such as those in GRB afterglows, have been often modelled by making assumptions about the underlying electron distribution. One such assumption is a relatively soft distribution of the particle energy, which need not be true always, as is obvious from observations of several GRB afterglows. We describe modifications to the afterglow standard model to accommodate energy spectra which are 'hard'. We calculate the overall evolution of the synchrotron and compton flux arising from such a distribution and test the model predictions against afterglow observations.


From 1972 and the Meadows report to 1997 and the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by most of the countries in the world, the global energy policy framework has undergone a paradigm shift, as human societies have been leaving aside the sole economic growth to embrace the broader concept of sustainable development. As new electrification vectors, modern renewable power systems, such as solar PV, have sprung up in the wake of this major mutation and have typically been following an exponential growth since the mid-nineties. Electricity as well as its lack indeed holds a central position within the human development apparatus, from highly interconnected centralized power networks reaching 100 % of the population in developed countries, to the almost 500 millions people without access to electricity in the multidimensionally poor rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The encounter of the worldwide energy context being changed with each of these specific social-energy paradigms has ended up considering two strategies for integrating renewable resources in power systems: the grid-connected architecture for meeting the sustainable development requirements, and the rural off-grid electrification for settling the lack of human development. By means of a historical and cross-sectional overview, we depict here the ins and outs of this protean pattern and, using the case of solar PV, analyze how it has eventually affected the development and sustainability of renewable power systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.


Thin-film photovoltaic technologies have an enormous potential to reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, because thin photoactive layers are used, optical absorption is incomplete unless light-trapping strategies are employed. Since conventional light-trapping approaches based on geometric scattering are less effective in thin-film cells, coherent light-trapping approaches that exploit the wave nature of light are being explored to enhance optical absorption. In this article, we look at the various strategies for coherent light trapping in thin-film solar cells, including photonic crystals, metal nanostructures, and multilayer stacks. The suitability of a particular strategy depends on factors such as configuration of the solar cell, process compatibility, cost, desired angular response, and materials usage. We also discuss the physical limits of light trapping in thin films.


Spatial factors and location are often missed, but critical, pieces of the puzzle in developing public and private policies that support working families. This paper summarizes factors determining locational decisions of businesses and workers, as well as local economic growth, and suggests how employer needs as well as opportunities for low income workers might be served by successful policies in the areas of housing, transportation, education and workforce development. There are notable differences in the patterns of work and employment within and across metro areas, implying that there is no single strategy or national blueprint that will work everywhere.


For the manufacture of double curvature shell the technology of stretch forming press is used. The quality of the obtained part during automated shaping will depend on the shape of the equipment and the path of sheet blank deformation. The shape of the tool sets the anticipate panel shape, which provides the necessary residual curvature. Criteria for optimizing deformation processes are introduced that provide minimal damage and maximum residual deformations. Under the condition of the specified equipment, the optimal control task is set to find the best trajectory moving of the tool clamps. A discrete optimal control problem is formulated, which is solved by the dynamic programming method. The calculation of elementary operations in the search for the optimal solution is performed by analyzing the nonlinear deformation of the panel with contact restrictions by the finite element method. The algorithms of the numerical method implemented in MSC.Marc allow you to calculate the optimal operating parameters of the stretch forming press. The software implementation of the algorithm is performed in serial and parallel mode. Based on computational experiments, the efficiency of parallel computation on a cluster of computers has been shown.


Anxiety can have deleterious effects on sports performance, particularly in high stress situations. Penalty shootouts in soccer are one such example. Therefore, understanding how anxiety can impact the penalty taker in addition to developing coping strategies for such a situation could lead to more successful outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide recommendations that can help coaches teach soccer players (kickers) how to cope with the anxiety likely to be experienced during penalty shootouts. Training methods that include inducing anxiety scenarios are discussed, and a rationale for developing psychological intervention training is provided.


The recording mode of a GeTe/Sb2Te3 superlattice phase change material (GeTeSL) was studied electrically and optically. In the electrical studies, the RESET current decreased when the pulse width was shortened, while the RESET voltage was almost equal for any pulse width considered. Optical studies using femtosecond laser pulses revealed that the reduction of the RESET power in GeTeSL was not observed with the z-polarized laser light, while it was observed with the xy-polarized laser light. Accordingly, it has been proposed that the reduction in the RESET power of GeTeSL is achieved by the in-plane electric field instead of thermal recording.


Anglicanism, as Countryman argues, is unusual among forms of Western Christianity in being defined primarily in terms of community rather than by authoritative theological principles. In the end, Anglicanism may be characterized by a poetic imagination well reflected in the work of many of the great lyric poets of the English language. Poets ranging from Herbert, Donne, and Vaughn, to Blake, Wordsworth, Owen, Eliot, and Auden, for all their differences, show a common reverence for scriptural and liturgical language, an appreciation for the created world, a sense of the presence/absence of God, and the power of grace.


The purpose of this study is to investigate the management of education courses of the major Taekwondo, based on students' awareness level on them and from the point of view of students themselves, into four categories: education courses, education purposes, education contents, and education course management. Based on the analysis, an improvement scheme on the problems found is to be made in order to lay a foundation for Taekwondo's growth in quality and establishing its identity and systemizing it as a science, and to provide basic data for developing new training courses for raising qualified and specialized leaders. For this study, total 247 students were selected, by the convenience sampling method, from juniors and seniors of four universities having Taekwondo department and located in metropoli tan area. All data for this study were through frequency analysis and cross analysis per item as well as x₂ test for testing significance between each group. The results collected through above mentioned study methods and data analysis are as follows: Even though there is significant difference among students' awareness on education course operation, overall awareness is quite negative. And it is perceived that the prerequisite for efficient operation of education courses is to reinforce administrative supports to Taekwondo departments from Kukkiwon, Korea Taekwondo Association, and World Taekwondo Federation, and to develop materials for lectures and studies and new attitudes of both the faculty and the student. In conclusion, students perceive that improvements in circumstances and systematical supports are required.


When designing passively magnetically stabilized rotor systems, introducing sufficient damping is key. We investigated two different dynamic systems—with one mass and two masses—to determine their theoretical optimal behavior and how they can be realized considering real-world specifications and limitations. Based on dimensionless formulations of reduced dynamic systems, we present fundamental correlations between, and the optimal choice of, physical parameters. Furthermore, we compare the two systems in terms of feasibility and efficiency of different damping methods. Our investigations used an eddy current damper and viscoelastic damping elements as exemplary damping methods for the one-mass and two-mass systems, respectively. Passive stabilization was realized by means of permanent magnetic bearings. We found that the two-mass system is preferable due to the broader range of damping possibilities.


Initial experiments and theory describing the operation of gel-coated Lamb wave sensors are described. The lowest-order flexural Lamb wave can propagate in gel-coated plates with low attenuation. This allows some novel sensing approaches to be investigated, such as: using gels as filters for larger particles and molecules, while allowing smaller analytes to diffuse through to the sensor surface, and realizing sensors based on gel density and viscoelastic changes. The authors develop two theories to predict the response of the sensor to the viscoelastic properties of the gel, and find excellent agreement predictions from these theories and those from a numerical simulation program for waves in multilayered media. One uses a Rayleigh-type solution with modified boundary conditions to derive the mechanical radiation impedance presented to the plate surface by the gel, and from this impedance calculates the phase velocity. The other uses a transmission line theory originally developed by A. Oliner et al.<<ETX>>


Sign language is used as a communication medium among deaf and dumb people to convey the message with each other. A person who can talk and hear properly (normal person) cannot communicate with deaf and dumb person unless he/she is familiar with sign language. Same case is applicable when a deaf and dumb person wants to communicate with a normal person or blind person. In order to bridge the gap in communication among deaf and dumb community and normal community, lot of research work has been carried out to automate the process of sign language interpretation with the help of image processing and pattern recognition techniques. This paper proposes optimized approaches of implementing the famous Viola Jones algorithm with LBP features for hand gesture recognition which will recognize Indian sign language gestures in a real time environment. The performance analysis of the proposed approaches is presented along with the experimental results. An optimized algorithm has been implemented in the form of an android application and tested with real time data.


ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the formal knowledge of taxpayers and taxpayer awareness on compliance of motor vehicle taxpayers in the company SAMSAT POLDA South Jakarta. The data used is primary data by distributing questionnaires to the Motor Vehicle Taxpayer registered in the Office of South Jakarta Police SAMSAT. The population that will be the object of research are all motor vehicle taxpayers registered in the Office of SAMSAT POLDA South Jakarta until the period of December 2016. The sampling technique used is accidental sampling. This research uses linear regression analysis method. The results showed that the formal knowledge of taxpayers have a significant positive effect on compliance of motor vehicle taxpayers . The results of this study also concluded that together the formal knowledge of taxpayers, and awareness of taxpayers significantly affect the compliance of motor vehicle taxpayers. KeyWords: Formal Knowledge of The Taxpayer, The Consciousness of The Taxpayer, The Compliance of The Motor Vehicle Taxpayer


Density-functional calculations of electronic structure, total energy, structural distortions, and magnetism for hydrogenated single-layer, bilayer, and multilayer graphenes are performed. It is found that hydrogen-induced magnetism can survive only at very low concentrations of hydrogen (single-atom regime) whereas hydrogen pairs with optimized structure are usually nonmagnetic. Chemisorption energy as a function of hydrogen concentration is calculated, as well as energy barriers for hydrogen binding and release. The results confirm that graphene can be perspective material for hydrogen storage. Difference between hydrogenation of graphene, nanotubes, and bulk graphite is discussed.


The purpose of this study is to reveal the meaning of the concept of moral education according to KH. Hayim Ash'ari in the book Adab al-Alim wa al-Muta'alim and its relevance to education today. This type of research is library research with deductive and inductive methods with the data collection tool is documentation and the data source consists of primary data, namely the book of Adab al-Alim wa al-Muta'alim by KH. Hasyim Asy'ari and secondary data from other references. The results of the research and discussion, it is concluded that: Based on the discussion and analysis above, the researcher concludes that the concept of moral education in KH. Hasyim Asy'ari contained in the book Adab al'Alim wa al-Muta'allim includes moral education for education and students. Moral values emphasize the arrangement of the heart. These values are more religious in nature, with strong Sufism nuances, and the basis is that every behavior is designed to approach and seek blessings from Allah SWT. Such as: straightening intentions, wara behavior, qonaah behavior, good use of time, being ta'dzim, tawadhu (humble), patient, establishing good cooperation, being istiqomah, likes to read, istiqomah (consistent), maintaining relationships, expanding knowledge , adab in asking questions, has the nature of affection, active, and diligent, polite to the teacher. KH. Hasyim Asy'ari in the book Adab al-Alim wa al-Muta'allim on moral education related to education in Indonesia KH. Hasyim Asya'ari in Adab al-Alim wa al Muta'allim Moral values in the book prove this and can still be applied today, and can support the government initiated by the following institutions to strengthen moral education or character although the percentage in question is more religious, because the concept of moral education KH. Hasyim Asy'ari is more inclined to the values of Sufism.
Keyword: Hasyim Asyari, Sufism, Ta'lim Muta'alim


As the method of providing information is getting multimedia, the synthetic voice is used in not only CTI(Computer Telephony Integration), information service for the blind, but also applications on internet. But properties of synthetic voice, such as speech rate, pitch, timbre and so on, are not adjusted to customers` preference but providers` preference. In order to consider customers` preference, this study proposed four subjective factors of voice through the evaluation of voice using the method of sensibility ergonomics. And the relation synthetic voice to be agreeable to the ear with emotional images was formulated as a fuzzy model. Consequently, this study proposed the speech rate and pitch of synthetic voice which is agreeable to the ear.


We use a discrete-field model for the quantum evolution of distributed superconducting circuits to calculate the effective capacitance for a radio-frequency-SQUID magnetometer: a large-capacitance superconducting ring containing an ultra-small-capacitance weak link. We demonstrate that the self-capacitance of the weak link can dominate the behaviour of the circuit.


This data set contains allele sizes for 30 individuals of 9 previously published and 20 novel microsatellite loci and the molecular sex verification (n = 31) of Emperor Geese (Chen canagica) from various locations across Alaska. The allele sizes for the 20 microsatellite loci developed in this study are included for 10 White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) from Selawik, 11 Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) from Kigigak Island, 10 Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) from Copper River Delta, and 9 Cackling Geese (Branta hutchinsii) from lower Kashunuk River (Hock Slough) and Tutakoke River.


Currently, there is a growing interesting in emotion recognition. Representation of emotional states is a very challenging issue. Considering the calculation cost and generalization capability for practical application, a series of features which contain common time and frequency domain are extracted from physiological signals to represent different emotional states. To reduce feature dimensionality and improve the emotion recognition accuracy, a two-stage feature optimization method based on feature correlation analysis (FCA) and ReliefF algorithm is proposed to select critical features. Firstly, FCA is employed to analyze the redundancy between features, then ReliefF is adopted to analyze the correlation between features and categories, and the optimal feature subset is obtained using the two-stage FCA-ReliefF feature optimization method. Support vector machine is employed as the classifier to evaluate classification performance in this investigation. The effectiveness of the method which is proposed is validated by testing on two publicly available multimodal emotion datasets, Augsburg Biosignal Toolbox (AuBT) and Database for Emotion Analysis Using Physiological Signals (DEAP). Compared with recent similar reported studies, the method developed in this research for emotion recognition is stable and competitive, and its accuracy reaches to 98.40% (AuBT) and 92.34% (DEAP).


Abstract Several approaches were explored to develop a high throughput procedure for relative determination of 14 different carbon-centered free radicals, both acyl and alkylaminocarbonyl type, in cigarette smoke. Two trapping procedures using 3-cyano-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolidinyloxy, or 3-cyanoproxyl radical (3-CNP) were designed for this study: a) trapping in solution and b) trapping on a solid support which was a Cambridge filter pad. Fresh whole smoke and vapor phase smoke from mainstream cigarette smoke from Kentucky Reference Cigarettes 2R4F, as partitioned via an unadulterated Cambridge filter pad, were transferred into each trapping system in separate experiments. The 3-CNP coated Cambridge filter pad approach was shown to be superior to the impinger procedure as described in this study. Gas chromatography coupled with mass selective detection (GC-MS) was employed for the first time as an alternate means of detecting several relatively highly concentrated radical adducts. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with precursor ion monitoring and selected ion monitoring (SIM) was used for detecting the large array of radicals, including several not previously reported: formyl, crotonyl, acrolein, aminocarbonyl, and anilinocarbonyl radicals. Relative quantitation was achieved using as external calibration standards of 4-(1-pyrrolidino)benzaldehyde and nicotine. It was determined that the yield of carbon-centered free radicals by reference cigarette 2R4F was approximately 265 nmoles/cigarette at 35 mL puff/60 sec interval/2 sec duration smoking conditions.


Mentorship is vital for early career researchers in training positions, allowing them to navigate the challenges of work and life in research environments. However, the quality of mentorship received by trainees can vary by investigator and by institution. One challenge faced by those hoping to improve trainee mentorship is that the extent to which mentorship is offered to and experienced by research trainees is not well characterized. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a survey to examine the quality of mentorship received by trainees in research environments, to identify characteristics of positive and negative mentorship, and to highlight best practices to improve trainee mentorship. We received 2,114 responses from researchers at graduate and postdoctoral career stages worldwide. Quantitative analysis showed that at least ∼25-45% of respondents were dissatisfied with some aspects of their mentorship. Qualitative responses revealed that common issues in mentorship include unclear expectations in research and mentoring interactions, lack of guidance, and inadequate support of trainee independence and career goals. Our findings also identified key mentorship elements desired by trainee mentees. Based on trainee suggestions, we describe strategies for individual mentors, departments, and institutions to improve the training experience for graduate and postdoctoral researchers.


1 James I. Mills, Ph.D., Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 email@example.com 2 Elda D. Zounar, Ph.D., Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 email@example.com Abstract—The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) is dedicated to finding solutions to problems related to the environment, energy, economic competitiveness, and national security. In an effort to attract and retain the expertise needed to accomplish these challenges, the INEEL is developing a program of broad educational opportunities that makes continuing education readily available to all laboratory employees, beginning in the K–12 environment and progressing through post-graduate education and beyond. One of the most innovative educational approaches being implemented at the laboratory is the application of STELLA© dynamic learning environments, which facilitate captivating K–12 introductions to the complex energy and environmental challenges faced by global societies. These simulations are integrated into lesson plans developed by teachers in collaboration with INEEL scientists and engineers. This approach results in an enjoyable and involved learning experience, and an especially positive introduction to the application of science to emerging problems of great social and environmental consequence.


: Kandy district in Sri Lanka has small scale and rain-fed paddy farming, and highly vulnerable to climate change. In this study, the status of climate change was assessed using meteorological data and compared with the perceptions of paddy farming community. Factors affecting the adaptation to the climate smart farming were also assessed. Meteorological data for 33 years were collected and the changes over time compared with the perceptions of farmers. The temperature, rainfall and number of rainy days have increased in both locations. The onset of rains also has shifted. The perceptions of the majority of the farmers were in line with the actual changes. The knowledge and attitudes about the causes of climate change and adaptation were medium and related to level of adoption. Formulating effective communication strategies, and a collaborative approach involving state, private sector, civil society to make Sri Lankan agriculture 'climate-smart' is urgently needed. a