CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) is an error detection method commonly used in data communication systems, computer networksand storage environments. In this method, the transmitter divides the message by an agreed upon polynomial called the generator and concatenates the calculated residue to the message. The properties of the generator determine the range of errors which are detectable in the receiver side. The division operation is currently performed using serial circuits called Linear Feedback Shift Registers especially in the Ethernetnetwork access protocol. Developing methods for parallel computation of the residue makes CRC suitable for higher layer protocols and software applications. This paper studies a case for parallel CRC computation using special generators which have special multiples called OZO (One-Zero-One) polynomials are divisible. We first provide a system atic approach to finding such polynomials and then design and evaluate the algorithm and the hardware required to perform the parallel division.


In this note, the instruments supporting risk retention and risk financing at the national and regional/international levels will be the sole focus. Risk transfer, including insurance, is a very broad subject and requires a separate discussion; however, when a hybrid solution involves a transfer of risk or an instrument at the household or community level, a brief explanation of the instrument ensues. To this end, the note reviews examples generally considered to be good practices in the sector and seeks to elucidate well-regarded risk retention instruments and financing. The choice of instruments in disaster risk financing depends on many factors. One way of looking at it is to classify the disasters in terms of their expected severity and frequency. More frequent disasters with low expected severity are better financed by retaining the risk, as the cost of transferring such risk will be disproportionately high compared to the expected damages or payments. On the other hand, risk associated with low frequency-high severity disasters is best transferred to the international reinsurance market, as government may not have the capacity and resources to sustain the damages caused by such disasters. Finally, as the case studies in this note indicate, the uptake of risk retention and risk transfer mechanisms has made countries more resilient to natural disaster.


This article presents the implementation and comparison of fruit fly optimization (FOA), ant colony optimization (ACO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms in solving the mobile robot path planning problem. FOA is one of the newest nature-inspired algorithms while PSO and ACO has been in existence for a long time. PSO has been shown by other studies to have long search time while ACO have fast convergence speed. Therefore there is need to benchmark FOA performance with these older nature-inspired algorithms. The objective is to find an optimal path in an obstacle free static environment from a start point to the goal point using the aforementioned techniques. The performance of these algorithms was measured using three criteria: average path length, average computational time and average convergence speed. The results show that the fruit fly algorithm produced shorter path length (19.5128 m) with faster convergence speed (3149.217 m/secs) than the older swarm intelligence algorithms. The computational time of the algorithms were in close range, with ant colony optimization having the minimum (0.000576 secs).
Keywords:  Swarm intelligence, Fruit Fly algorithm, Ant Colony Optimization, Particle Swarm Optimization, optimal path, mobile robot.


ABSTRACT The mean residual life of a non negative random variable X with a finite mean is defined by M(t) = E[X − t|X > t] for t ⩾ 0. One model of aging is the decreasing mean residual life (DMRL): M is decreasing (non increasing) in time. It vastly generalizes the more stringent model of increasing failure rate (IFR). The exponential distribution lies at the boundary of both of these classes. There is a large literature on testing exponentiality against DMRL alternatives which are all of the integral type. Because most parametric families of DMRL distributions are IFR, their relative merits have been compared only at some IFR alternatives. We introduce a new Kolmogorov–Smirnov type sup-test and derive its asymptotic properties. We compare the powers of this test with some integral tests by simulations using a class of DMRL, but not IFR alternatives, as well as some popular IFR alternatives. The results show that the sup-test is much more powerful than the integral tests in all cases.


Economics focuses on choices that people make and the factors that influence them. Most of these choices are micro-economic in character- decisions to purchase one good rather than another good. But there are two choices which have clear and direct implications for the whole economy. The first is the choice between work and leisure and the second is the choice between consumption and saving. The choice between work and leisure is a proximate determinant of the level of economic activity. In a small open economy, such as the UK, the amount of capital employed per worker is determined internationally by rates of return in capital markets; thus, for any given level of overall productivity it is fair to say that the work/leisure choices normally determines output. By contrast the consumption/saving choice has little influence on output in the short term, if the economy is not suffering from recessionary unemployment. But in the longer term it determines how much of the domestic capital stock is owned by domestic residents rather than by foreigners. If the capital stock is owned by foreigners property income has to be paid to them out of domestic output, so that national income is lower than domestic output. Conversely if domestic saving runs ahead of the need to finance the domestic capital stock the country will be a net recipient of income from abroad and income will exceed output. In either case it is fair to say that, while saving has no impact on output it does determine future national income and thus consumption opportunities.the last twenty-five years policy-makers' attention has been focused on policies designed to alter the balance between work and leisure; indeed the government has an explicit aim of delivering high labour force participation from people of working age. By contrast it has no explicit policy with reference to overall saving in the economy although policy has referred to some specific forms of saving by households (such as pension saving) and the government's macro-economic framework established clear target rules for government saving, i.e. the surplus or deficit on the government's current account. For the government to adopt overall saving as a formal policy goal would mean that it would have to settle on an appropriate definition of saving. As this paper shows, there are several possible definitions of saving. However, for a government taking a long-term view of the nation's affairs, this report argues that of some of the possible definitions are unsuitable, facilitating the choices which might be made for a policy goal. This report begins by discussing different measures of saving and, in particular the way in which they treat capital gains. The UK's saving record is then put in an international context and more detailed sectoral and historical data are discussed. The concept of savings adequacy is then explored. Finally conclusions are drawn.


Abstract. In this note, two important decisions of the House of Lords which have restricted the development of the law of negligence are reviewed in a comparative perspective. They consider the professional liability of auditors for statements affecting 'third' parties and the liability of builders and local authorities for defective buildings. On the basis of a comparative survey, doubts are raised about the desirability of the apparently obsessive hostility of the House of Lords to allowing recovery for economic loss. The conclusion is drawn that these decisions are unlikely to halt the incremental development of the common law.


Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a DNA virus from Papillomavirus family, and is one of  the most widely reported sexual infection, which is not only related to ano-genital malignancies, but also associated with head and neck cancers, with chronic periodontitis being one of the risk factor for the same. Chronic periodontitis leads to loss of tissue structures of and around periodontium and is clinically detectable in the form of periodontal pocket and loss of alveolar bone. A variety of other systemic diseases have also been found to be linked to chronic periodontitis, such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, etc., and recent data show that it is also related to malignancies of oral cavity. Junctional epithelium of periodontal pocket helps HPV to survive by facilitating the cellular functions to grow and hence, acts as a reservoir for the virus. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaero bic bacteria and HPV interacts both directly and indirectly in a  series of  complex reactions and as a result of some inflammatory reactions, this association further leads to commencement and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma or oral squamous cell carcinoma. This article reviews the pathophysiology of oral human papillomavirus infection and its role in head and neck cancers, with chronic periodontitis as one of the causative factors. HIV AIDS Rev 2020; 19, 2: 74-77 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/hivar.2020.96430


Objective Staphylococcal exotoxins have been reported in the pathogenesis of many chronic inflammatory diseases. Recent reports have hypothesized that staphylococcal exotoxins might be related to inflammatory mucosal changes seen in chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps (CRS-NPs). Staphylococcal exotoxins have the capacity to act as superantigens (SAgs), bypassing normal antigen processing and directly stimulating a massive inflammatory response. The objective of this study was to analyze polyp tissue samples from patients with antrochoanal polyps (ACPs) and CRS-NPs for the presence of staphylococcal exotoxins. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Tertiary medical center. Subjects and Methods Tissue samples were obtained from 29 patients and 16 controls. Thirteen of 29 patients had ACPs, and 16 had CRS-NPs. Specimens were analyzed for the presence of 5 staphylococcal exotoxins (SEA, SEB, SEC, SED, and toxic shock syndrome toxin–1) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results At least 1 toxin was detected in 7 of 13 patients with ACPs and in 13 of 16 patients with CRS-NPs, whereas it was detected in only 4 controls. There were no statistically significant differences between ACP and control groups (P = .063). Our results showed a statistically significant association between toxin detection and patients with CRS-NPs (P = .003). Conclusion Inflammatory triggers in ACP remain a subject of debate, and this study does not support the hypothesis that staphylococcal exotoxins may play a role in ACP ethiopathogenesis. Our research is consistent with the possibility of SAgs as etiological agents in the development of bilateral nasal polyposis.


In this study, Seasonal variations in the liver and muscle fatty acid composition of Barbus sharpeyi were determined. The samples were collected in the middle month of each season during 2014-2015 and Total fatty acid compositions were investigated by a gas chromatographic method. The most abundant fatty acids in the (SFAs) of the liver and muscle were at the highest in the winter and not significant difference with summer, autumn (P≥0.05). The total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) were at the highest in the autumn for liver and muscle (P<0.05).The n-3 PUFA to be at the highest levels in the spring and summer for liver and muscle, respectively. Ratio of n-3 to n-6 fatty acids were at the highest in the spring for muscleand not significant difference with summer. In total, the highest amount of PUFA and omega-3 fatty acids in muscle and liver tissue were obtained in spring and summer, respectively.


The impetus to advocate alternative modes of education through online platforms has begotten the media's attention and to date, major research universities have instituted online content for worldwide consumption. Originally conceptualized as a means for escalating the reach and accessibility of learning materials, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been seen as the forefront of the 21 century education. However, the development of MOOCs has stagnant over the recent years. This is especially the case for variability of assessments styles in MOOCs, vital in regulating the quality of education. Thus, this paper examines the natures of emerging assessment styles in MOOCs and their respective outcomes. Eight samples were derived based on their relevance and established priori to probe on the assessments' designs in which the magnitude of effect size (ES) for the selected samples were tabulated according to the Cohen's d formula and benchmark (1988; 1992). The outcomes were organized according to four categories of variables: Performance, Attitude, Interaction and Satisfaction. Additional qualitative data was also recorded. Findings juxtapose that the majority of outcomes were within the Performance variable, measured with significant number of small effect sizes. Medium and large effect sizes were also yielded from multiple outcomes; however, the generated negative effect sizes were also noticeably present. Overall, the effect sizes suggest an all-encompassing positive repercussions of quality assessment employed within the MOOCs context. Nonetheless, this paper acknowledges the limitations and possible confounds within the current landscape of MOOCs assessment styles; thus, further researches are indispensable to grasp the complete functionality.


The sound-source separation and localization (SSL) problems are addressed within a unified formulation. Firstly, a mapping between white-noise source locations and binaural cues is estimated. Secondly, SSL is solved via Bayesian inversion of this mapping in the presence of multiple sparse-spectrum emitters (such as speech), noise and reverberations. We propose a variational EM algorithm which is described in detail together with initialization and convergence issues. Extensive real-data experiments show that the method outperforms the state-of-the-art both in separation and localization (azimuth and elevation).


Giant paratesticular liposarcoma (PLS) is an uncommon tumour, often misdiagnosed pre-operatively, which presents as a painless scrotal mass. Early detection and prompt surgical management provide the best outcome. We present an 87-year-old patient with gradually enlarging, painless left scrotal swelling. Ultrasound on initial presentation suggested a benign hernia, resulting in an 11-month treatment delay. Computed tomography (CT) thereafter showed paratesticular scrotal mass measuring 14 x 8 x 7cm. Radical inguinal orchidectomy with high ligation of the spermatic cord was performed. Histopathology and cytogenetics confirmed PLS with both de-differentiated and well-differentiated features involving the spermatic cord margin. The patient had rapid progression to fatal lung metastasis within three months of surgery. Our case highlights that any suspicious fat swelling should be investigated thoroughly and excised promptly if paratesticular liposarcoma is suspected, as delayed management gives poor outcomes.


Increasing evidence suggests that gut dysbiosis plays vital roles in a variety of gut–brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, alterations of the gut microbiota as well as their correlations with cognitive scores and host immunity have remained unclear in well-controlled trials on Chinese AD patients. In this study, samples from 100 AD patients, and 71 age- and gender-matched, cognitively normal controls were obtained to explore the structural and functional alterations of the fecal microbiota targeting the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene by MiSeq sequencing, and to analyze their associations with clinical characteristics. Our data demonstrated a remarkably reduction in the bacterial diversity and alterations in the taxonomic composition of the fecal microbiota of the AD patients. Interestingly, the abundant butyrate-producing genera such as Faecalibacterium decreased significantly, where this was positively correlated with such clinical indicators as the MMSE, WAIS, and Barthel scores in the AD patients. On the contrary, abundant lactate-producing genera, such as Bifidobacterium, increased prominently, and were inversely correlated with these indicators. This shift in the gut dysbiosis of the microbiota, from being butyrate producers to lactate producers, contributed to immune disturbances in the host that could be used as non-invasive biomarkers to distinguish the controls from the AD patients. Moreover, several predicted functional modules, including the biosynthesis and the metabolism of fatty acids, that were altered in the microbiota of the AD patients could be utilized by the bacteria to produce immunomodulatory metabolites. Our study established the structural and functional dysbiosis of fecal microbiota in AD patients, and the results suggest the potential for use of gut bacteria for the early, non-invasive diagnosis of AD, personalized treatment, and the development of tailor-made probiotics designed for Chinese AD patients.


In 2009 the regulatory framework and the business environment for the construction sector has changed significantly in order to reduce the CO2-emissions of existing and new buildings. New buildings have to be net-zero after 2020, some public buildings already after 2018. Several national Governments try to achieve a net-zero primary energy balance for the complete building stock until 2050 which is truly a grand challenge. In order to reach these goals two things have to be done: increase the efficiency, especially in case of existing buildings cover the remaining energy demand with renewable sources. The two most challenging aspects resulting from these goals are: the number of buildings which have to renovated is really huge, which means that a lot of investments have to be done and which also means that much more labour for construction works is needed than currently available. in many cases, current processes and building components are not ready for a widespread and cost-effective implementation of energy-harvesting functionalities in the building skin. Therefore a fundamental transformation of the construction sector is necessary in order to streamline the fragmented responsibilities and to develop business models which are attractive for third-party financing. The main objective of the EU Cost Effective project is to convert facades of existing high-rise buildings into multifunctional, energy gaining components. This target includes new façade components, business models, technical concepts and the demonstration in two pilot buildings.


Plant heme oxygenase (HO), which catalyzes conversion of heme to biliverdin, being further converted to photo-receptive phycobilins, had been known only in the cell extracts of primitive red algae and cyanobacteria for these twenty years. Recent development of gene analysis, however, has shown that HO is ubiquitously contained in variety of living species. We have succeeded for the first time in obtaining recombinant HO protein of cyanobacteria and in characterizing the HO protein and its heme complex by spectroscopic analyses. Here, we review the existence, role, and characteristics of cyanobacterial and plant HOs in comparison with those of mammalian and bacterial HOs.


A new spectrophotometric technique for the determination of both ordinary and extraordinary complex refractive indices (CRIs) of a stretched polyethylene terephthalate (Mylar) film is proposed. The sample was placed between two identical polarizers, and the transmission spectra of two different configurations (incident polarization parallel and perpendicular to the Mylar film optical axis) were recorded. Ordinary and extraordinary complex refractive indices are then extracted by fitting the experimental spectra with a theoretical model that we had elaborated in advance. A new formula for transmittance dispersion, based on the Fresnel's coefficients formalism and using the Cauchy model, was derived to describe n and κ wavelength dependence. The suggested theoretical model succeeded in reproducing the Mylar transmission spectra across the entire visible spectral range (400, 750 nm) for both configurations, and the retrieved dispersion curves of the refractive indices, extinction coefficients, and the birefringence are comparable to results found in the literature. The proposed method is fast, straightforward, easy to set up, and cost-effective. It proved to be an excellent alternative to more conventional methods such as spectroscopic ellipsometry.


Recent political disputes in liberal democratic states involve the concerns of immigrants and concerns about immigration. These developments include protests across Europe related to the depiction of the prophet Mohammed; the 2005 London underground bombing; debates in Europe about proposed laws banning Islamic headcoverings; and ongoing debates in the U.S. about the influx of Spanish speakers. These developments suggest that recent immigration has potentially caused social disunity in states that strive to be tolerant of diversity. Many native-born citizens are now troubled by cultural and social changes stemming from immigrants. These citizens fear that some immigrants engage in practices antithetical to liberal values. They also fear that increased immigration will cause the loss of valuable national traditions. In addition to the concerns of the native-born, there are also concerns on the part of many immigrants about their acceptance in their new state. Immigrants face a difficult transition of integration, and they often feel stigmatized and alienated from native-born citizens. They also confront potentially discriminatory social or legal pressures to relinquish aspects of their identity or existing cultural practices. In this project, I investigate the concerns of native-born citizens and of immigrants to arbitrate some of the political disputes. I develop a philosophical model of social unity appropriate for liberal states based on the concept of the nation. This model of the nation is developed by determining the sorts of relationships that must exist between citizens for the state to be legitimate. I claim that citizens can share a commitment to the state and to tolerate one another through the operation of civic trust, developed and sustained through a history of cooperative interactions. I employ this model to clarify the reasonable demands on immigrants to assimilate into the receiving state, and the reasonable demands on the receiving state and native-born population to accommodate certain values and traditions of immigrants. I argue that these demands are `bi-directional' and involve reciprocal changes for both immigrants and the native-born. I apply this model to address some of the political debates described above, including the legitimacy of laws banning headscarves, the role of Islamic courts in liberal societies, and the value of a shared language within a state.


An analysis of cancer morbidity pattern was conducted in Ile-Ife city, with the aim of identifying the associative factors. Retrospective cancer cases from 1987 to 1996 were retrieved from the national cancer registries of tertiary hospital located in the city. The information on age, sex, cancer site and residential area of cancer patients was used to portray demographic and geographical distribution of cancer morbidity. Furthermore, questionnaire was administered to residents of sampled residential areas in order to elicit information on socio-economic, behavioural and environmental characteristics of selected areas. Out of the 2027 cases reported at Ife/Ijesha registry within the study period, breast cancer was the highest, followed by bone and glandular cancer (15% – 17%). Cancer cases vary significantly among age-groups with concentration among 46–60 years. Apart from high burden of cervical and breast among females, they equally reported higher cases of all cancer groups. Breast, prostate, gastro-intestinal, liver and skin cancers were higher in relatively modern areas while low socio-economic areas had significant proportions of urinary, gastro-intestinal and cervical cancers. Regular use of kerosene stove, alcohol consumption, indices of nativity and low socio-economic status showed significant correlation with selected cancer groups (P<0.05). Intervention programmes for cancer control should take cognizance of these variations at community level.


IL-25 is a member of IL-17 cytokine family and is highly expressed in gastrointestinal epithelial cells. The biological activities of IL-25 have been associated with promotion of Th2 but inhibition of Th1/Th17 immunity. Whether IL-25 plays a role in the development of colonic inflammation is unresolved. In this study, we investigated the contribution of IL-25 to DSS-induced colitis in mice. C57BL/6 WT and IL-25-/- mice received 3% DSS in the drinking water ad libitum and were euthanized eight days later. When compared to WT mice, IL-25-/- mice lost significantly less body weight and had delayed appearance of diarrhea and bloody stool, as well as less shortened colon length. Histological evaluation of H&E-stained tissue sections of colon showed that IL-25-/- mice had only mild inflammation, while severe inflammation developed in WT mice based on the extent of focal crypt lesions, loss of goblet cells, and infiltration of inflammatory cells. IL-33 purportedly contributes to intestinal inflammation and qPCR analysis of colonic cytokine expression showed an up-regulation of IL-33 in DSS-treated WT but not IL-25-/- mice. In addition, there were significantly fewer transcripts of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-6, IL-17A) in the colon of DSS-treated IL-25-/- than WT mice. Overall, these data suggested that a deficiency in IL-25 partially protected mice from DSS-induced colitis, revealing a previously unidentified pro-inflammatory role for IL-25 in colonic inflammation.


Electrochemical polymerization has proven very effective in fabricating flexible organic/inorganic composite films with high thermoelectric (TE) performance. In this work, dynamic 3-phase interfacial electropolymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) combined with physical mixing of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and tellurium nanowires was employed to prepare PEDOT/Te/SWCNT thermoelectric composites. Upon changing loadings of Te and SWCNT, the electropolymerized PEDOT exhibited great capability of improving TE properties of the resultant composites with highest electrical conductivity (σ) of 900.3 ± 20.5 S cm-1 and Seebeck coefficient (S) of 43.4 ± 0.6 μV K-1, affording maximum power factor (PF) of 169.8 ± 7.8 μW m-1 K-2 at room temperature.


In this paper the classification of n-dimensional knots in S"+2, bounding /--connected manifolds, where 3r>n + l>6, in terms of stable homotopy theory is suggested. The problem of isotopy classification is the fundamental one of knot theory. It was solved by A. Haefliger and J. Levine for knots of codimension > 3. The first step in reduction of a classification of knots of codimension two to a homotopy problem was made by R. Lashof and J. Shaneson [6]. They showed that in the class of «-dimensional knots with group Z for n > 5 there are at most two different knots having homotopy equivalent exteriors. In 1970 J. Levine [10] gave an algebraic classification of (2q — l)-dimensional knots in S2q+X bounding (q — 1)connected manifolds. It turned out that the only invariant determining the isotopy type of such knots is the Seifert matrix considered to within 5-equivalence. Later Trotter [16] and C. Kearton [5] obtained a classification of knots, studied by J. Levine, in terms of Blanchfield pairing. C. Kearton has partially analyzed the more difficult problem of classification of 2^r-dimensional knots in S2q+2 bounding (q — l)-connected manifolds. In the present paper the classification of a wider class of higher-dimensional knots is obtained. It is the class of «-dimensional knots in S"+2 bounding r-connected manifolds, where 3r > n + 1 > 6. The main result of this paper is the construction of a one-to-one correspondence between the set of isotopy types of such knots and some set described in purely homotopic terms. The plan of the paper is as follows: In §1 submanifolds of the sphere of codimension one are considered. Such a submanifold is assigned some pairing in the sense of the Spanier-Whitehead theory. This pairing describes the homotopy linking of the submanifold with its copy translated in the direction of the positive normal field. This pairing induces the usual Seifert pairing on middle dimensional homology groups and is called the homotopy Seifert pairing. The main result of § 1 is the construction of a one-to-one correspondence between the set of isotopy types of such submanifolds and the set of homotopy pairings. Received by the editors August 7, 1979. AMS CMOS) subject classifications (1970). Primary 57C45, 57D35; Secondary 55A25, 55D25.


There is ongoing debate as to whether Saturn's main rings are relatively young or ancient— having been formed shortly after Saturn or during the Late Heavy Bombardment. The rings are mostly water-ice but are polluted by non-icy material with a volume fraction ranging from ∼0.1 to 2%. Continuous bombardment by micrometeoroids exogenic to the Saturnian system is a source of this non-icy material. Knowledge of the incoming mass flux of these pollutants allows estimation of the rings' exposure time, providing a limit on their age. Here we report the final measurements by Cassini's Cosmic Dust Analyzer of the micrometeoroid flux into the Saturnian system. Several populations are present, but the flux is dominated by low-relative velocity objects such as from the Kuiper belt. We find a mass flux between 6.9 · 10−17 and 2.7 · 10−16 kg m−2s−1 from which we infer a ring exposure time ≲100 to 400 million years in support of recent ring formation scenarios.


Human life is not free from problems. Each and every person has to face difficulties during his life time because of his existence. We go to doctors, psychologists and counsellors or even astrologers to get rid of above problems. But in fact many of our problems can be over come by becoming conscious of those and coordinating with the inside natural forces within us with the outer world nature. There are both positive and negative forces in us. Faith, love, confidence, endurance, patience etc are positive or constructive forces whereas fear, hostile attitude, inferiority and guilty feelings are the negative forces which may cause psychological problems.Where there is a problem,there is a solution.So for every problem of our life,we must correct the cause to eliminate the difficulties.To achieve this ,we need absolute control and mental discipline ,i.e.,we should try to train our mind totally aware of our thought,sppech and action.This is what ,that has been explained in ancient yogic texts and practice of Asana and Pranayama will help to attain success in our path.


Spring (March to May) is a crucial season for crop seeding and grass growth in Inner Mongolia (IM), China. Yearly harvests of agriculture, and animal husbandry, are controlled partially by spring precipitation. Based on the observations at 104 stations in IM, the spring precipitation during 1961–2010 was investigated and analysed. The results show that the amount of spring precipitation displays a trend associated with an increasing frequency of effective spring precipitation events (ESPE, with more than 10 stations among all observatories with over 10 mm daily precipitation). In addition, the synoptic conditions of the 141 ESPEs were studied through analysis of the sea level pressure (SLP), and 850, 700 and 500 hPa charts. They were classified into five types and named for the source positions of the frontal cyclones over the Eurasian continent on the SLP chart. Most of the Hetao, Mongolian and Huanghe cyclones in spring time, in general, bring strong wind, decreasing temperature or dust storms to IM. Sometimes they may also cause effective precipitation when the moisture transportation is favourable along the cyclone paths. The Northeast China cyclone mainly influences Northeast China and can lead to rainfall with adequate moisture supplies. In most cases, cold air from Siberia forms a frontal cyclone or a trough around Lake Baikal, and then heads eastward or southeastward, producing precipitation over large areas in IM in spring. Typical features of the synoptic evolutions of those five types are summarized and presented through analysis of representative ESPEs. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society


Congenital macular coloboma is characterized by defined punched out atrophic lesions of the macula. The present study aimed to investigate the genetic alterations of one Chinese sporadic patient with bilateral large macular coloboma. Complete ophthalmic examinations, including best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, fundus examination, fundus photograph and fundus fluorescein angiography imaging, Pentacam, and optical coherence tomography were performed on the patient. Genomic DNA was extracted from leukocytes in a peripheral blood sample collected from the patient, the patient's unaffected family members and from 200 unrelated control subjects from the same population. Next-generation sequencing of the known genes involved in ocular disease was performed. The functional effects of the mutation were analyzed using Polymorphism Phenotyping (PolyPhen) and Sorting Intolerant From Tolerant (SIFT). One heterozygous bestrophin 1 (BEST1) mutation c.1037C>A (p.Pro346His, p.P346H) in exon 9 and one heterozygous regulating synaptic membrane exocytosis 1 (RIMS1) mutation c.3481A>G (p.Arg1161Gly, p.R1161G) in exon 23 were identified in the patient being investigated, but not in the unaffected family members or unrelated control subjects. Polyphen and SIFT predicted that the amino acid substitution p.P346H in the BEST1 protein is damaging. In addition, Polyphen predicted that the amino acid substitution p.R1161G in the RIM1 protein is damaging. The results of the current study have increased the mutation spectrums of BEST1 and RIMS1, and are valuable for improving the current genetic counseling process and developing novel therapeutic interventions for patients with macular coloboma.


A network analysis was established to model the array of evaporative microchannels with possible nonuniformity heating as well as branching of the channels. Iterative solution of the evaporative microchannel network can be obtained using the Hardy–Cross method together with accurate two-phase head-loss correlations. Based on the experimental evidence, cross-cutting microchannels reduce the uneven flow distribution in parallel microchannels at nonuniform heating. Through this network analysis, it is also evident that cross-cutting grooves on parallel microchannels are effective in reducing nonuniform heating effects and enhancing the uniform wall temperature distribution.


Relates to a board control reagent system of this invention is the so-called on-analysis of the elements, in particular test strips containing the organic N- oxide or a nitroso compound. The present invention also provides a reagent system for the detection reaction and the on - directed to analysis element including a reagent system control board. In addition, the present invention on which an optical inspection or electrochemically by using a measuring apparatus with respect to changes that may indicate a stress analysis of the element relates to a method to determine the elements in the analysis control board reagent system.


Recent advances in automatic speech recognition and related technologies allow computers to carry on conversations by telephone. We developed an intelligent dialog system that interacts with hypertensive patients to collect data about their health status. Patients thus avoid the inconvenience of going for frequent visits that monitor some clinical variables they can easily measure at home; the physician is facilitated in acquiring and reviewing patient information and related risk indicators, which are evaluated from the data according to noted guidelines. The system described here is a prototype of future configurable and component-based dialog systems, which may allow a new modality for users and physicians to access electronic health records.


This document aims at offering a concise look into the co-existence of Underwater Telephone and JANUS digital communication methods. This topic is of particular interest as both methods (one a well-established STANAG and the latter in the process to become a STANAG) have partially overlapping frequency bands. The two techniques are briefly described and the specific interference mitigation strategies built-in in JANUS are presented. The document then focuses on a series of experiments conducted during the REP14-Atlantic sea trials. These experiments had two main objectives: 1) Measuring the impact of an interfering JANUS signal on the intelligibility of voice messages and 2) assessing the capabilities of both techniques under similar conditions and validation of the JANUS Medium Access Control scheme. Experimental setup, analysis and results are presented for the different activities.


This paper shows a strategy for optimal tuning of a fuzzy controller to deal with time-varying delay based on simulated annealing. The main goal is to minimize the integral time absolute error (ITAE) performance index for a drilling force control system. The proposed strategy is applied in real-time force control of a high- performance drilling process. The results demonstrate that simulated annealing provides an optimal tuning of the fuzzy controller that means less ITAE and better transient response (less overshoot).


In the Dutch emergency care in 2001 about 8.2% of the ambulance services
exceeded the standard 15 minutes response time, or 13 minutes actual
travel time. This report identifies possibilities for improved
availability of ambulance services. Two scenarios were developed explore
ways of increasing this coverage. In the first scenario, ambulance posts
are added to the present set. In the second scenario a number of
existing posts are moved to more optimal positions whereafter posts were
added. At present, a theoretical 93% of the Dutch population can be
reached within 13 minutes driving time from the existing 195 ambulance
posts. In the first scenario this coverage is improved to 95% by adding
15 posts; 97% coverage is achieved with a total 235 posts. In the
second scenario, we show that by moving 50 posts the coverage can already
be increased to almost 95%. The capacity model determined that, compared
to the current situation, the capacity needed to meet the demand for
ambulances ranges from 10% less in the minimum variant to 9% more in the
maximum variant. An improved spatial coverage can be accomplished by
adding new and/or relocating current posts. This improved distribution
will solve the response-time failures for 21% at the most, however.
Furthermore, increasing the capacity of ambulances in selected regions
may contribute to a further decrease in response-time failures. If
ambulance services would make more use of 'mobile availability', the
number of failures could decrease even more. Yet, mobile availability is
not an option for all regions. The quality of the currently available
data on Dutch ambulance performance limits the interpretation of our
modelling results. Although the model provides directions for solving
the distribution problems, the data and methods do not allow to draw
detailed conclusions on allocation or reallocation of
ambulances.


Background and Objective:

Behavioral procedures have proven to be effective with elderly adults in nursing home. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a shaping procedure as a means of increasing writing performance. More specifically, our aim was to reeducate a motor behavior in a patient for whom the behavior was no longer present.
Materials and Methods:

The participant was an elderly (76-year-old) who had sequelae from a cardiovascular accident since 2011, and was asked to write some selected words. Data were collected though face-to-face interviews then analyzed using cotation methods.
Results:

The shaping and chaining procedures were efficient and performance of writing increased, even for infrequent words.
Conclusion:

Increasing writing performance is possible for the elderly people, even if they have suffered from cardiovascular accidents in the past. Here we used a successful brief shaping procedure to enhance quickly that ability.


The agricultural use of polyacrylamide, PAM, as an additive
in irrigation water has grown rapidly since commercial
introduction in 1995, with over l million acres treated in 1998.
PAM provides both economic and environmental benefits by
improving water infiltration and reducing up to 98% of erosion-induced
soil losses — a yearly saving of tons of topsoil per acre.
With as little as 5 ppm of PAM in the first irrigation water to run
across the field, soil cohesion increases enough to prevent
particle detachment and erosion. Stable soil/polymer flocs result
from PAM's high molecular weight (typically > 12 million) and
its affinity to soil via coulombic and Van der Waals attraction.
Although water soluble linear PAM is the only class of
commercial polymer presently used to reduce erosion during
irrigation, other polymer additives have shown some potential.
Biopolymers such as chitosan, starch xanthate, cellulose
xanthate, and acid-hydrolyzed cellulose microfibrils reduce
shear-induced erosion; however concentrations at least 6-10
times higher than PAM are required to obtain the > 90% runoff
sediment reduction shown by commercial PAM. The application
of PAM in agricultural irrigation water and potential biopolymer
alternatives to PAM are discussed


Implementation of Mayor Rules Number 20 Years 2010 about City Worthy of Children Policy with village friendly with children approach is an action to create the environment which could ensure the children's right which is implemented by all stakeholders, start from Government, society and privat sector. The purpose of this research is to describe how is Implementation of Mayor Rules Number 20 Years 2010 about City Worthy of Children Policy in Sendangguwo Village, Tembalang Disrict in Semarang City which can be rated through village friendly with children's indicators based on Pasal 4 scope, which cover the preparation and implementation of the policy. Researcher also some factors which influence the policy implementation in Van Meter and Van Horn model theory and taking 4 variabels from 6 variabels. The methods of this research is using descriptive-qualitative type. The result of the Implementation of Mayor Rules Number 20 Years 2010 about City Worthy of Children in Sendangguwo Village, Tembalang District in Semarang City is still be found some obstacles in some field of children's right based on indicators which has been determined. The supporting factors in this policy are standard and purpose variable, relation between organizations and social, economy and political condition. On the other hand, the inhibitors factors is the resources that must be improved from quantity and quality side.


Background/Context Most research on "elite" schools has focused on the private sector. However, as a result of economic residential segregation, a number of public school districts exist which may plausibly be construed as socioeconomically elite. Districts of this sort remain relatively understudied. In particular, few researchers have noted the fact that the same mechanism that concentrates substantial wealth in elite districts—the real estate market—also tends to concentrate substantial noneconomic resources. Purpose/Objective Our paper examines the consequences of the abundance of cultural, social, and symbolic capital held by parents in one elite district, which we call Kingsley. During the period in which we collected data, the district administration sought to re-draw attendance boundaries for the two high schools in Kingsley. We show how shifting coalitions of parents made use of the full range of available resources in opposing, or in some instances supporting, district officials' plans. Research Design, Data Collection, and Analysis We carried out a qualitative case study of the year-long redistricting process. Our data include copies of letters and emails sent to the district during the redistricting process, transcriptions of all school board meetings that took place during the process, and over 1,800 postings to two online discussion boards devoted to the process. These data were systematically coded by the research team. We also draw on articles in the press, observational data, and interviews for background information. Findings/Results District administrators were subject to a torrent of "data" and "research findings" that parents used to criticize the district's proposed plans. Parents frequently employed their professional expertise to directly challenge arguments put forth by officials in order to justify proposed policies. Furthermore, they drew on elaborate interpersonal networks in order to pool complementary forms of expertise and to mobilize large numbers of like-minded residents. Behind their challenges lay a sense of entitlement that rendered them unwilling to defer to the authority of the administration to make decisions concerning the needs of the system. While no single criticism was decisive, the ongoing challenges to proposed policies forced the district into a permanently defensive posture, resulting in a reduction of the board's ability to use its own expert knowledge to decide which institutional policies would best serve students' needs. Conclusions/Recommendations We suggest that elite districts may be prone to a distinctive type of conflict between residents and policymakers. As economic segregation increases, it is possible that more districts will experience these challenges.


As it was shown in the Part I of this work, the driving of our life is determined by series of YES/NO - type elemental decision, which is actually the information unit (Bit), so we operate actually in an informational mode. The informational analysis and modeling of consciousness reveals seven informational systems, reflected at the conscious level by the cognitive informational centers suggestively called Iknow (Ik - memory), Iwant (Iw decision center), Iove (Il-emotions), Iam (Ia-body status), Icreate (Ic-informational genetic transmitter and educator), Icreated (I-cd genetic generator inherited from the parents) and Ibelieve, (Ib - connection to the informational field of the universe). As the mind can operate in a bipolar mode, we dispose of two alternatives to use our free will: in a positive (YES) or negative (NO) mode. Such modes can be applied as a function of the personal criteria, especially that inhered from the family, which are the fundamental ones, but also from that acquired during the life. The persistence to operate in a positive or a negative mode is fundamental for the designing of our personal trajectory and therefore for our destiny. The destiny and the role of our free will in deciding the course of our own life are analyzed therefore with respect to our YES/NO attitude, which is an integrated informational output composed by the contribution of all cognition centers, showing that when this is favorable to the life rules, it is avoided its deterioration determined by a permanently negative attitude and thinking mode. It is shown that our intervention should be directed both to the operating mode but also to the decision criteria, when it is ascertained that they do not correspond to the reality, allowing a favorable adaptation. As parents and therefore as forming and educator of the next generation, an activity specific for the center Ic, it is necessary to observe, discover and encourage the talents and predispositions of their Children, to put them on a privileged way of the destiny, because they will benefit of an advanced informational "budget" with respect to their generation and a certain sort of preparation. The comparative analysis between personal operating mode and the reality for adaptation necessities should guide permanently the selected trajectory way, to include new criteria, to change the older, or to reprogramming the operation mode, with the participation of all centers. The stereotype thinking chains triggered by repetitive negative thoughts acts on the informational system as stressing agents, leading to chronic, sometime serious disorders. Such thinking operation forms should be therefore detected and substituted or eliminated without delay, according to some recommended suggestions. Furthermore, it is shown that a specific self-control of the thoughts as positive or negative information and of the lifestyle, helps the health maintenance and the life prolongation under high qualitative conditions.


The Taho Formation in western Shikoku Island, Japan, consists of Triassic carbonates that formed on a seamount in the Panthalassic Ocean. In order to investigate the stratigraphy and paleoceanography of this carbonate succession, we analyzed the biostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy of a 17.6 m‐thick section of the upper Taho Formation at the stratotype area in Tahokamigumi, Seiyo City. This section comprises bioclastic limestone containing Triassic bivalves, ammonoids, and conodonts. We recognized six conodont zones (in ascending order): the Novispathodus pingdingshanensis, Novispathodus brevissimus, Triassospathodus symmetricus, Triassospathodus homeri, Chiosella timorensis, and Magnigondolella cf. alexanderi zones. Thus, the studied carbonate succession is latest Smithian to Aegean in age. A δ13C profile of this section shows elevated values during the lowest Spathian followed by a gradual negative excursion, a subsequent positive excursion near the Spathian–Aegean boundary, and relatively constant values during the Aegean. The characteristic series of negative and positive excursions correlates with other δ13C records for this period, including the peak of the upper Smithian–lowest Spathian positive excursion (P3), lower to middle Spathian negative excursion (N4), and middle Spathian–lowest Aegean positive excursion (P4). This represents a new high‐resolution Spathian–Aegean δ13C record of the Panthalassic Ocean, for which ages are constrained by conodont biostratigraphy. The Taho δ13C profile exhibits a consistent positive offset of ~2 ‰ as compared with those from other regions (i.e., mostly in the Tethyan Ocean). This can be explained by preferential removal of 12C from seawater during photosynthesis and calcification by marine organisms over the platform, and/or the relatively high δ13C values of dissolved inorganic carbon in the Panthalassic Ocean due to less influence of 12C‐enriched terrestrial waters and high marine organic production/burial as compared with the more restricted Tethyan Ocean.


The Multi-species Baseline Initiative (MBI) is a collaborative of organizations which is conducting a comprehensive inventory for fisher (Martes pennanti) and other wildlife species across the Idaho Panhandle and adjacent mountain ranges. From 2010-2012, MBI partners established 112 forest carnivore bait stations to collect photographs and DNA from 22 wildlife species including fisher in the Purcell, Selkirk, and West Cabinet Mountains. We detected fisher at one bait station in the Selkirks and 32 bait stations in the West Cabinets. We did not detect fisher in the Purcells. We used molecular techniques to genotype individual fisher from the Selkirks (n = 1) and West Cabinets (n = 28). During the winters of 2013-15 we plan to establish an additional 364 bait stations across the Idaho Panhandle and northeastern Washington.


In continuation of our search for drug leads from Red Sea sponges we have investigated the ethyl acetate fraction of the organic extract of the Red Sea sponge Hyrtios species. Bioassay-directed fractionation of the active fraction resulted into the identification of three new alkaloids, hyrtioerectines D–F (1–3). Hyrtioerectines D–F belong to the rare marine alkaloids in which the indole and β-carboline fragments of the molecule are linked through C-3/C-3 of both moieties. The structures of the isolated compounds were established based on different spectroscopic data including UV, IR, 1D and 2D NMR (COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) and high-resolution mass spectral studies. The antimicrobial activity against several pathogens and the free radical scavenging activity of the compounds using DPPH reagent were evaluated. In addition, the growth inhibitory activity of the compounds against three cancer cell lines was also evaluated. Hyrtioerectines D–F (1–3) displayed variable antimicrobial, free radical scavenging and cancer growth inhibition activities. Generally, compounds 1 and 3 were more active than compound 2.


An explicit finite difference iteration scheme is developed to study harmonic sound propagation in aircraft engine nacelles. To reduce storage requirements for large 3D problems, the time dependent potential form of the acoustic wave equation is used. To insure that the finite difference scheme is both explicit and stable, time is introduced into the Fourier transformed (steady-state) acoustic potential field as a parameter. Under a suitable transformation, the time dependent governing equation in frequency space is simplified to yield a parabolic partial differential equation, which is then marched through time to attain the steady-state solution. The input to the system is the amplitude of an incident harmonic sound source entering a quiescent duct at the input boundary, with standard impedance boundary conditions on the duct walls and duct exit. The introduction of the time parameter eliminates the large matrix storage requirements normally associated with frequency domain solutions, and time marching attains the steady-state quickly enough to make the method favorable when compared to frequency domain methods. For validation, this transient-frequency domain method is applied to sound propagation in a 2D hard wall duct with plug flow.


It is of nutritional significance to fortify processed dairy products (e.g., cheese, yogurt, and ice cream) with vitamin D3; however, the inherent complexity of these foods may influence the stability and bioavailability of this nutrient. In the present study, the interactions of vitamin D3 with beta-lactoglobulin A and beta-casein were investigated under various environmental conditions (i.e., pH and ionic strength) using fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopic techniques. The results indicated that vitamin D3 was bound to both beta-lactoglobulin A and beta-casein depending on the solution conditions. The apparent dissociation constants ranged from 0.02 to 0.29 microM for beta-lactoglobulin A, whereas the beta-casein apparent dissociation constants ranged from 0.06 to 0.26 microM. The apparent mole ratios were also comparable, i.e., 0.51-2.04 and 1.16-2.05 mol of vitamin D3 were bound per mole of beta-lactoglobulin A and beta-casein, respectively. It was concluded that these interactions may strongly influence vitamin D3 stability and, hence, bioavailability in processed dairy products.


The widespread emergence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms in clinics and natural environments has attracted public concern. Especially, microorganisms inhabiting natural environment is considered as a source responsible for increasing the abundance of antibiotic resistant genes in ecosystem. In this study, the diversity of culturable bacteria resistant to ampicillin was investigated with water samples collected from seven locations in Korea. The genera belonging to Aeromonas and Acidovorax were dominant among the isolated 498 strains. The 66% of isolates showed multi-drug resistance against more than six antibiotics among tested fourteen ones and isolates resistant to seven antibiotics were the most prevalent with 19.7% abundance. Using the antibiotics susceptibility results, the intrinsic resistance profile was suggested for the most dominant genera, Aeromonas, Acidovorax, Pseudomonas, and Elizabethkingia.


Abstract Individuals with dementia increasingly rely on caregivers for daily oral care over time. This study explored the experience of family caregivers of community-dwelling individuals with dementia in providing oral care and their interest in caregiver oral education using the concepts of Social Cognitive Theory. Twenty-three caregivers ages 19-80 participated in a semi-structured qualitative interview that also included a structured questionnaire. Majority of caregivers were female (83%) with an average age of 56 years; 29% were spouses. Fifty-four percent of care recipients had natural teeth only, 42% had teeth and dentures, and 4% had dentures only. Caregivers were generally knowledgeable about the importance of oral health, but some expressed a lack of knowledge in how to perform oral care for others. Caregivers reported high levels of outcome expectation, agreeing that providing oral care would improve care recipient's oral health. Caregivers expressed mixed levels of self-efficacy; many cited reduced self-efficacy due to resistance or refusal of care. Quantitative data showed that higher confidence in knowledge and oral care skills was associated with greater confidence in providing oral care (r=0.726, p<0.001). Intent to participate in a caregiver oral health education program was associated with positive outcome expectations (r=0.73, p=0.007) and desire to learn the signs and symptoms of mouth pain and infection (r=0.72, p=0.009). Increasing family caregiver's oral health knowledge and skills, outcome expectations, and self-efficacy to provide care may help improve the oral health of persons with dementia. Additional qualitative and quantitative data and implications for practice will be presented.


Near‐ and far‐uv CD spectra of microtubule protein preparations have been examined to study the possible role of protein conformation in relation to the kinetics of the self‐assembly of these proteins into microtubules in vitro. Although tubulin can form conformations with high helical content under apolar solution conditions, this transformation is apparently not involved in self‐assembly. There is no major perturbation of tubulin near‐uv CD by reagents and solution conditions favoring assembly. Thus, in these preparations, tubulin, as dimer and as oligomer with MAPs, is effectively in the conformation in which it undergoes self‐assembly. This conclusion is consistent with a hybrid model of assembly of microtubule protein involving direct incorporation of oligomeric species as an alternative to the condensation polymerization of tubulin dimer as the exclusive assembly mechanism.


Working memory, the ability to store and manipulate information is of great importance for scholastic achievement in children. In this study, we report four studies in which preschoolers were trained on a visual-spatial working memory span task, namely the Corsi Block Task. Across all four studies, we found significant training effects for the intervention groups compared to active control groups. Confirming recent research, no transfer effects to other working memory tasks were found. Most importantly, our training effects were mainly brought about by children performing below the median in the pretest and those showing median performance, thereby closing the gap to children performing above the median (compensation effect). We consider this finding of great interest to ensure comparable starting conditions when entering school with a relatively short intervention.


ABSTRACT Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) uses hyaluronidase 2 (Hyal2) as a cell entry receptor. By making inactivating mutations to the catalytic residues of human Hyal2, we found that hyaluronidase activity was dispensable for its receptor function. The affinities of the JSRV envelope glycoprotein for Hyal2 and the Hyal2 mutant were similar, and hyaluronan did not block either high-affinity interaction or virus infection. While generating the Hyal2 mutant, we discovered that our previous analysis of the hyaluronidase activity of Hyal2 was affected by a contaminating hyaluronan lyase, which we have identified as the occlusion-derived baculovirus E66 protein of the recombinant baculovirus used to produce Hyal2. We now report that purified human Hyal2 is a weak acid-active hyaluronidase.


This paper studies the role of long-term unemployment in the determination of prices and wages. Labor market theories such as insider-outsider models predict that this type of unemployed are less relevant in the wage formation process than the newly unemployed. This paper looks for evidence of this behavior in a set of OECD countries. For this purpose, I propose a new specification of the Phillips Curve that contains different unemployment lengths in a time-varying NAIRU setting. This is done by constructing an index of unemployment that assigns different weights to the unemployed based on the length of their spell. The results show that unemployment duration matters in the determination of prices and wages, and that a smaller weight ought to be given to the long-term unemployed. This modified model has important implications for the policy maker: It produces more accurate forecasts of inflation and more precise estimates of the NAIRU. JEL Classification: C22, E31, E50, J64


Organizational Practices Leading to a Positive Safety Culture: A Delphi Approach By Andy M. Cwalina A positive safety culture has been shown to contribute to a firm's ability to avoid or reduce the occurrence of occupational accidents and injuries. In American workplaces alone 3,582 people died and 5.1 million people were disabled in 2009 and the cost to corporate America was $169 billion and an additional productivity loss of 95 million work days. The economic cost to each American household is about $1,200. Firms that establish and maintain a positive safety culture are able to achieve a competitive advantage in the market. While much research exists showing the relationship between safety culture and accident reduction, less guidance is found on how companies might achieve such improvement through cultural change. Attempts have been made to determine the factor structure of safety culture, that is, the identification of the antecedents of a positive safety culture. However, to date no general consensus has emerged among researchers about the exact elements of the factor structure. Research methodologies have been blamed for biasing the research results and thereby causing the lack of consensus. This dissertation uses a different methodology, the Delphi method combined with Hofstede's well-known onion model of organizational culture, to determine those organizational practices that lead to a positive safety culture. Delphi is a mixed methodology that begins with an exploratory approach followed by the more traditional quantitative method. The exploratory front-end was deemed appropriate given that prior traditional survey instruments most likely introduced researcher bias through a myopic view of safety culture. Delphi also differs by utilizing purposeful sampling versus random sampling which provides a high level of expertise to inform the research. After four rounds of inquiry with a panel of experts, a consensus was reached on 18 organizational practices that lead to a positive safety culture. This research adds to the understanding of safety culture, provides useful information for both practitioners and academic researchers, and offers launch points for extensions of the research.


Porteresia coarctata (Roxb.) Tateoka is an endemic halophyte growing all over the coastal belt of Bangladesh, propagating through rhizomes and setting a few ricelike grains. So exploiting the genetic potential of this wild rice as salt tolerant donor in possible wide crosses with rice (2n = 24) could be useful. We attempted intergeneric hybridization between Oryza sativa L. and P. coarctata. The survival rate of hybrid progenies in embryo culture was low but among them 2 hybrid plants were successfully matured from the intergeneric cross between the cultivated induced tetraploid of rice, Latisail (2n = 4x = 48) and P. coarctata (2n = 48). The hybrid plants could be successfully established in soil and were not like either of the parents in morphology although some of their features were similar to their maternal parent, Latisail (4x). Both of the hybrids were investigated through physiological analysis under salinity stress and molecular analyses with rice specific SSR markers. Molecular analysis of the F1 DNA with only 3 SSR markers, RM581, RM20224 and RM25271, out of 36 others tested, showed bands specific to both of the parents, while all had common bands with the maternal parent. Dendrogram analysis of the hybrids with the 36 SSR markers, show that P. coarctata forms a different clade and is clearly separated from Latisail and the hybrids. The putative hybrids however made a subgroup with Latisail. These observations could be possibly explained if chromosome loss of the paternal parent had occurred or may be it was a pleotropic effect of intergeneric hybridization. Physiological screening of the hybrid progenies at the F2 generation in seedling stage showed better result in leaf damage score (LDS) and salinity tolerance than their maternal parent Latisail (4x) at 150 mM salt stress for 10 days. F2 plants from one of the hybrid plants (H‐2) showed better performance but there was a large variation in response from each of the individual progenies. So, it is likely that some of the salt tolerant characteristics of the pollen parent might have been transferred to the recipient Latisail (4x). For introgression of better salt tolerant loci from P. coarctata, more wide hybrids will need to be produced and repeatedly crossed with P. coarctata.Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 27(1): 63-76, 2017 (June)


Dengue virus (DENV) is a major global health problem, with over half of the world's population at risk of infection. Despite over 60 years of efforts, no licensed vaccine suitable for population-based immunization against DENV is available. Here, we describe efforts to engineer epitope-based vaccines against DENV non-structural protein 1 (NS1). NS1 is present in DENV-infected cells as well as secreted into the blood of infected individuals. NS1 causes disruption of endothelial cell barriers, resulting in plasma leakage and hemorrhage. Immunizing against NS1 could elicit antibodies that block NS1 function and also target NS1-infected cells for antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity. We identified highly conserved regions of NS1 from all four DENV serotypes. We generated synthetic peptides to these regions and chemically conjugated them to bacteriophage Qβ virus-like particles (VLPs). Mice were immunized two times with the candidate vaccines and sera were tested for the presence of antibodies that bound to the cognate peptide, recombinant NS1 from all four DENV serotypes, and DENV-2-infected cells. We found that two of the candidate vaccines elicited antibodies that bound to recombinant NS1, and one candidate vaccine elicited antibodies that bound to DENV-infected cells. These results show that an epitope-specific vaccine against conserved regions of NS1 could be a promising approach for DENV vaccines or therapeutics to bind circulating NS1 protein.


This paper describes using thermoelectric generators to power wireless sensors to monitor spent nuclear fuel during dry-cask storage. OrigenArp was used to determine the decay heat of the spent fuel at different times during the service life of the dry-cask. The Engineering Equation Solver computer program modeled the temperatures inside the dry-cask during its service life. The temperature distribution of a thermoelectric generator and heat sink was calculated using the computer program Finite Element Heat Transfer. From these temperature distributions the power produced by the thermoelectric generator was determined as a function of the service life of the dry-cask. To investigate the ability to provide wireless signal transmission using this power source, CST Microwave Studio was used to determine the scattering parameter S2,1 for a horizontal dry-cask. Important parameters that can influence the transmission of the signal are antenna orientation, antenna placement, and transmission frequency. This analysis estimates that a thermoelectric generator can produce enough power for a sensor to function and transmit data from inside the dry-cask throughout its service life.


The paper presents the design of scientific-methodological fundamentals of the region economy stable development. While determining basic directions of region stable development and competitiveness provision, Akmolinskiy region in particular, economic specializations of development were singled out, complex research of social-economic situation was completed, revealing functioning conditions of strategic regional industrial structures and factors, influencing region stable development.


Although cognitive-behavioural therapy has demonstrated effectiveness in improving mental health outcomes for sexual minority young people (SMYP), existing interventions are primarily designed and evaluated in Western contexts, and their acceptability and responsiveness to culturally relevant issues in the Chinese contexts is uncertain. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring how a manualised community-based cognitive-behavioural intervention (AFFIRM) could be culturally reconsidered for SMYP in Taiwan and Hong Kong and suggest recommendations for future adaptation. Following an empirical, community-based participatory approach, qualitative data were collected between August and September 2018 through five focus groups with 15 SMYP and 18 frontline practitioners in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Thematic analysis revealed that at the surface structural level, translation and examples, and promotion strategies can be fine-tuned to better fit the Chinese context. On the deep structural level, self-differentiation and a pragmatic plan to come out to parents were identified as two concerns of cultural importance for Chinese SMYP. This study exemplifies an empirical, collaborative approach to identifying areas of cultural adaptation for mental health intervention for SMYP in the Chinese cultural milieu. The rationale and strategy for adapting existing intervention protocols to accommodate divergent cultural values are described.


Network reconfiguration is a switching action process for altering the distribution network structure. It is an efficient method for line loss reduction in power systems and though uncommon, it can also be employed for voltage sag mitigation. In this paper, a method for improving bus voltage magnitude during voltage sag is presented. It is done by applying network reconfiguration to the exposed weak area in distribution systems. In the process of reconfiguration, genetic algorithm with a new encoding method is used to maintain the radial structure of distribution network while reaching the optimal solution. The simulation results show that the proposed method is efficient and feasible for improving the bus voltage profile during voltage sag. The proposed method may assist utility engineers in taking the right decision for network reconfiguration.


Depending upon the site of the tooth, accessibility of oral hygiene products like toothbrush, tooth floss etc. different teeth have varying susceptibility to getting infected by cariogenic bacteria. Plaque accumulation, occlusal morphology, oral hygiene practices etc. play an important role in determining the susceptibility of teeth towards caries. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using patient records from the Dental College, Chennai after reviewing and analysing the data of 86000 patients between June 2019 and March 2020. The variables involved were age, gender and site of carious teeth. Data were then exported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows (Version 19, 2010) for further analysis. The total sample size was 19014. The sample had a gender distribution of 55.56% males and 44.44% females. Class 1 dental caries was found to be most prevalent in sextant 6 that is the lower right posterior teeth region. Least incidence of class 1 DC was noted in sextant 5, which is the lower anterior teeth. Young adults (18-35 years) had the highest incidence of class 1 dental caries (p<0.05). Among males and females, respectively, class 1 caries was most prevalent in sextant 6 (p<0.05). Within the limits of the study, it can be concluded that caries experience is highest in mandibular posteriors. There was a slight male predilection in the prevalence of class 1 dental caries. Young adults in the age group, 18-35 years, have the highest incidence of class 1 DC.


A growing body of research has examined the perceptions of written corrective feedback, which is defined as correction or advice on students' written work (Tatawy, 2007; Lee, 2008; Ellis, 2009; Baleghizadeh & Rezaei, 2010; Lightbown & Spada, 2013). Corrective feedback (CF) can be given in six different forms, namely: direct, indirect, focused and unfocused, metalinguistic, electronic and reformulation (Ellis, 2009). The research for this paper studied the perceptions of written corrective feedback on grammar in English writing and has been conducted among 11 international students on a foundation course at a university in Northern England. This qualitative research aimed to examine students' perceptions and preferred types of CF, as well as how they made use of CF, by means of one-to-one interviews and think-aloud protocols. It concluded that the participants' perceptions of CF were primarily positive, the preferred type was direct and unfocused CF, and students did not always make revisions. Pedagogical implications of the study are discussed. This study recommends that teachers consider each student's motivation, English proficiency level, and preferred type of CF before providing the feedback.


The objectives of this study are to investigate the impact different biomasses,Empty Fruit Bunches(EFB)and Palm Kernel Shells(PKS),reaction temperature and air damper setting to the conversion of bio-oil and to determine the compatibility of direct fired reactor used in this system with the electric heated fired used in pyrolysis study worldwide.In this study,pyrolysis of EFB and PKS were investigated by using a direct heated pyrolysis reactor.The comparison of the conversion bio-oil obtained from this two different type of sample were studied.Since,a good EFB samples are very limited, the study of effect on reactor temperature and heating rate to the conversion of bio-oil was investigated by using PKS sample.The reaction temperature examined in this study was varied in the range of 300-500oC.Meanwhile, air damper setting in the range of 2.0-4.0 with a constant fuel setting at 19 mmbar were studied.In addition,the competiveness of the direct heated reactor also was investigated by making the comparison in term of percentage of bio-oil conversion with electric heated reactor used worldwide.For the conversion of bio-oil between EFB and PKS, PKS recorded higher yields of bio-oil compared to EFB.The highest conversions of bio-oil were gained at the reaction temperature of 400oC and air damper setting at 4 respectively.The study of the compatibility of direct fired reactor showed that the direct fired reactor was competitive since the conversion of bio-oil was in the range recorded by the electric heated reactor.This study concluded that the conversion of bio-oil was obtained by using PKS sample at the moderate reactor temperature and highest setting of air damper.This study also determined that the direct fired reactor able to become the new potential alternatives in the pyrolysis process since this kind of reactor is cost,energy and time effective compared to the electric heated reactor.


Objective: To identify the impact of hospital volume according to Charlson Comorbidity Index (ChCI) on postoperative mortality (POM) after rectal cancer surgery. Background: A volume–outcome relationship has been established in complex surgical procedures. However, little is known regarding the impact of hospital volume on POM according to patients' comorbidities after rectal cancer surgery. Methods: All patients undergoing proctectomy for cancer from 2012 to 2016 were identified in the French nationwide database. Patient condition was assessed on the basis of the validated ChCl and was stratified into 3 groups according to the score (0–2, 3, and ≥4). Chi-square automatic interaction detector (CHAID) was used to identify the cut-off values of the annual proctectomy caseload affecting the 90-day POM. The 90-day POM was analyzed according to hospital volume (low: <10, intermediate: 10–40, and high: ≥41 cases/yr) and ChCI. Results: Among 45,569 rectal cancer resections, the 90-day POM was 3.5% and correlated to ChCI (ChCI 0–2: 1.9%, ChCI 3: 4.9%, ChCI ≥4: 5.8%; P < 0.001). There was a linear decrease in POM with increasing hospital volume (low: 5.6%, intermediate: 3.5%, high: 1.9%; P < 0.001). For low-risk patients (ChCl 0–2), 90-day POM was significantly higher in low and intermediate hospital volume compared with high hospital volume centers (3.2% and 1.8% vs 1.1%; P < 0.001). A significant decrease in postoperative hemorrhage complication rates was observed with increasing center volume (low: 13.3%, intermediate: 11.9%, and high: 9.4%; P < 0.001). After multivariable analysis, proctectomy in low [odds ratio (OR) 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.71–2.58, P < 0.001] and intermediate (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.2–1.75, P < 0.001) hospital volume centers were independently associated with higher risk of mortality. Conclusion: The POM after proctectomy for rectal cancer is strongly associated with hospital volume independent of patients' comorbidities. To improve postoperative outcomes, rectal surgery should be centralized.


The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a protein-rich beverage leads to a differential response in appetite, satiety and subsequent energy intake compared with an energy- and macronutrient-matched solid version in young people. A total of fifteen adolescents (eight girls and seven boys; age 14 (sem 1) years, BMI percentile 79 (sem 4) %) randomly completed two testing days that included protein-rich (PR) breakfast meals (38 % of energy as protein, 48 (sem 2) g/meal) provided as a solid (S) or beverage (B). Breakfast was 24 % of estimated daily energy needs (2146 (sem 96) kJ/meal). Perceived appetite and satiety responses were collected over 5 h followed by an ad libitum lunch buffet. The PR-S meal led to greater reductions in 4 h postprandial appetite ( − 6221 (sem 1171) mm × 240 min) v. the PR-B meal ( − 3570 (sem 957) mm × 240 min; P < 0·05). When examining the data according to hourly responses, the PR-S meal led to greater reductions in appetite during postprandial hours 2, 3 and 4 v. the PR-B meal (all comparisons, P < 0·05). No differences in postprandial hourly or total (4 h) fullness were observed following the PR-S v. PR-B meals. The PR-S meal led to approximately 480 kJ less energy consumed at the ad libitum lunch buffet (1418 (sem 222) kJ) v. the PR-B meal (1900 (sem 326) kJ; P < 0·05). These data indicate that, although the food form of the PR breakfast meals had little, if any, effect on satiety, the appetitive responses were diminished and the subsequent food intake was greater when protein was consumed as a beverage v. a solid meal.


This chapter describes the possibility of attaining pure enantiomers through enantioselective crystallization. Focus is set on demonstrating options to realize separation processes operating continuously. Introductions are given to solid–liquid equilibria, the various types of phase diagrams of chiral systems, relevant kinetic phenomena, including metastable zones, and possible process options for batch and continuous separation of enantiomers. In the main part, results of case studies carried out in our laboratory are presented. Racemic mixtures of two conglomerates, namely D-/L-threonine and D-/L-asparagine monohydrate, were resolved by exploiting different variants of preferential crystallization, including two continuous operation modes.


The influence of human activities on water quality of Quttina lake (an important water resource in the middle region of Syria), has been evaluated and correlated with pollution source situated at lake banks; namely, phosphate fertilizer factory, agriculture and wastewater drainages. Surface and deep water samples from different sites in the lake have been collected and analyzed during the period of April to October 2009 to study the effects of pollution sources on Quttina lake eutrophication. Water quality parameters include temperature, pH, EC, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), ammonium, phosphate and nitrates ions, total nitrogen and total phosphorous. The results have shown that these parameters varied from one site to another, where the highest concentrations were found to be in those sites close to phosphate factory discharges and in the northern part of the lake. Moreover, seasonal variations in pollution parameters were clear, especially for ammonium, phosphate and nitrates ions in addition to oxygen parameters (DO, COD and BOD). Moreover, mean total phosphorus concentration in Quttina lake surface water varied between 0.51 mg/l and 2.2 mg/1, where the highest values were found to be near the phosphate fertilizer factory discharges in addition to sites close to wastewater and agriculture runoffs situated at the western side of the lake. In addition, N:P ratio varied between 1.1 and 22.9 during the sampling period; the natural ratio being 16:1. On the other hand, the parameter distribution with depth in two sites has been studied. The results have shown that there are no clear differences between the deep and surface samples, and this is due to lake shallow depth and water flow. Furthermore, positive relationships have been found between total phosphors and nitrogen and oxygen indicators (BOD and COD), which indicates the increase of organic pollution and the algal bloom.


It is noted that the transport of sputtered atoms can be described in terms of three pressure regimes: low pressure, where no collisions occur during the trajectory of the atom; intermediate pressure, where the atom undergoes perhaps several collisions but does not completely thermalize; and high pressure, where the sputtered atom effectively stops and begins a density-gradient-driven conventional gas-phase diffusion process. The intermediate region is the most complicated to model, given the dependence of the energy on the collision cross-section, the various distributions in energy and angle of the sputtered atoms, and the extended nature of most sputtering sources. Experimental studies reported here have measured the transport probability by observing the distribution of atoms around a chamber following sputtering. The transport is found to be quite dependent on the mass of both the sputtered atom and the background gas, as well as the particle density and geometry of the vacuum system. A strong effect of sputtered-atom-induced gas rarefaction has also been observed. This results in power-dependent transport of sputtered atoms, and as a result may also lead to power-dependent compositional variation in alloy depositions. The general result is that high discharge powers tend to correlate with lower power operation at a significantly lower operating pressure than had been assumed. >


The extensive involvement of glycan-binding proteins (GBPs) as regulators in diverse biological phenomena provides a fundamental reason to investigate their glycan-binding specificities. Here, we developed a glycoconjugate microarray based on an evanescent-field fluorescence-assisted detection principle for investigation of GBPs. Eighty-nine selected multivalent glycoconjugates comprising natural glycoproteins, neo-glycoproteins, and polyacrylamide (PAA)-conjugated glycan epitopes were immobilized on an epoxy-activated glass slide. The GBP binding was monitored by an evanescent-field fluorescence-assisted scanner at equilibrium without washing steps. The detection principle also allows direct application of unpurified GBPs with the aid of specific antibodies. Model experiments using plant lectins (RCA120, ConA, and SNA), galectins (3 and 8), a C-type lectin (DC-SIGN) and a siglec (CD22) provided data consistent with previous work within 4 h using less than 40 ng of GBPs per analysis. As an application, serum profiling of antiglycan antibodies (IgG and IgM) was performed with Cy3-labeled secondary antibodies. Moreover, novel carbohydrate-binding ability was demonstrated for a human IL-18 binding protein. Thus, the developed glycan array is useful for investigation of various types of GBPs, with the added advantage of wash-free analysis.


. The aim of the present paper is twofold. We study directed porosity in connection with conformal iterated function systems (CIFS) and with singular integrals. We prove that limit sets of finite CIFS are porous in a stronger sense than already known. Furthermore we use directed porosity to establish that truncated singular integral operators, with respect to general Radon measures µ and kernels K , converge weakly in some dense subspaces of L 2 ( µ ) when the support of µ belongs to a broad family of sets. This class contains many fractal sets like CIFS's limit sets.


Medicinal plants are used by tribals& local people in shopian (j&k) in the treatment of various skin diseases, like dandruff, rash hairfall, Dermatitis etc. Traditional methods of disease treatment using medicinal plant is predominant among rural & tribal communities of shopian Kashmir. The district shopian has a rich flora of medicinal plants with diverse biological properties. Ethnomedicinal survey with respect to use of local medicinal plants for curing skin problems was carried out during the summer seasons of 2015-2016. Present investigation reveals that 25 Ethnomedicinal plant species belonging to 21 families are being commonly used for skin diseases. An inventory of traditional knowledge about medicinal plants used in skin diseases by local & tribal people as home remedies/ folk medicine has been complied.


The twistorial definitions of quasilocal mass, momentum and angular momentum are satisfactory in some interesting cases, but there are situations in which ambiguities are present in the definitions. It has been unclear whether these difficulties are essential. The author shows that for conformally flat spacetimes it is generically impossible to find an 'infinity twistor' which reduces the kinematic quantities to those of Minkowski, de Sitter or anti-de Sitter space. This means there is no way to extract the quasilocal momentum and angular momentum (or their (anti-) de Sitter analogues). In fact, the author shows that the kinematic twistor takes all values in an open set. This implies too that the determinant of the kinematic twistor is complex, which rules out one of the suggested definitions of quasilocal mass.


Submitted to the Joint Program in Applied Ocean Science and Engineering
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
June 2006


Background: Thought field therapy (TFT) is used for many psychiatric conditions, but its efficacy has not been sufficiently documented. Hence, there is a need for studies comparing TFT to well-established treatments. This study compares the efficacy of TFT and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with agoraphobia. Methods: Seventy-two patients were randomized to CBT (N = 24), TFT (N = 24) or a wait-list condition (WLC) (N = 24) after a diagnostic procedure including the MINI PLUS that was performed before treatment or WLC. Following a 3 months waiting period, the WL patients were randomized to CBT (n = 12) or TFT (n = 12), and all patients were reassessed after treatment or waiting period and at 12 months follow-up. At first we compared the three groups CBT, TFT, and WL. After the post WL randomization, we compared CBT (N = 12 + 24 = 36) to TFT (N = 12 + 24 = 36), applying the pre-treatment scores as baseline for all patients. The primary outcome measure was a symptom score from the Anxiety Disorders Interview Scale that was performed by an interviewer blinded to the treatment condition. For statistical comparisons, we used the independent sample's t-test, the Fisher's exact test and the ANOVA and ANCOVA tests. Results: Both CBT and TFT showed better results than the WLC (p < 0.001) at post-treatment. Post-treatment and at the 12-month follow-up, there were not significant differences between CBT and TFT (p = 0.33 and p = 0.90, respectively). Conclusion: This paper reports the first study comparing TFT to CBT for any disorder. The study indicated that TFT may be an efficient treatment for patients with agoraphobia. Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT00932919.


We demonstrate in this paper the relationship between viewer QoE (quality of experience) and MOS (Mean Opinion Score) and the HTTP Adaptive Streaming Video Quality (VQ) rate. We will show that MOS scores are impacted by the variance (or standard deviation-SD) of the VQ rate more so than the mean VQ level. Correlation between MOS and the standard deviation of the delivered VQ rate is 2:1 greater than between MOS and the mean VQ rate. In other words users care more about maintaining a consistent VQ level than they do in a higher bit rate. We also show that inelasticity exists between the mean VQ rate and MOS scores, where multi megabit changes in VQ rates result in only modest changes in MOS scores. Finally we demonstrate that we can accurately predict MOS scores incorporating both the mean VQ level and the SD of the VQ level. Two analytical methods are given for predicting MOS, and are shown to have a high correlation and low error.


The Authors discuss their experience with the use of various flaps (radial artery, groin and abdomen) in the primary or delayed cover of skin defect in the hand, in a total number of 20 cases. All the three types of flaps took up well in 3-4 weeks with minimal complications. The Authors preferred the radial artery flap to the groin and abdominal flaps, in that order.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) predict poor patient outcome and increased CTC detection is correlated with higher risk of metastasis. The efficiency of cancers to metastasize depends on the survival and reattachment of CTCs in distant tissues. Our lab has demonstrated the significance of microtubule based cellular extensions, termed microtentacles, in enhancing CTC aggregation and reattachment to the endothelial wall. Microtentacles (McTNs) are highly dynamic protrusions formed in free-floating suspended cells and occur at higher frequencies in more metastatic cell lines. Recently, there has been interest generated in using ROCK as a therapeutic target in cancers based on emerging data that over-activation of Rho/ROCK pathway plays a role in tumor development and metastasis. ROCK inhibitors are being considered for clinical trials because of their pre-clinical success in reducing tumor cell migration, invasion and metastasis. However, the effect of Rho/ROCK inhibition on CTC reattachment and metastasis has not been well established. ROCK promotes cellular contraction by phosphorylating non-muscle myosin II (NMII), allowing it to crosslink actin, as well as by phosphorylating and inhibiting the activity of Myosin Light Chain Phosphatase (MLCP). In a normal, noncancerous cell, the outward expansion of microtubules is balanced by the inward contraction of the actin cortex. ROCK inhibition decreases cell contractility and shifts the balance towards a looser, more relaxed actin cortex that is unable to contain the outward growth of microtubules. Western blot analysis of attached and suspended cells treated with a ROCK inhibitor showed a decrease in phosphorylated MLCP and NMII in the breast cancer cell lines, BT549 and Hs578T. Treatment with ROCK inhibitor significantly increased the number of cells expressing McTNs. The increase in McTNs corresponded with increased in vitro cell reattachment, measured by the xCelligence, Real-Time Cell Analyser. Knocking down ROCK1 and ROCK2 with silencing RNAs also resulted in increased McTN counts. Conversely, increasing cell contractility by treating cells with a Rho pathway activator led to a reduction in McTNs and cell attachment. These results show that ROCK inhibitors could actually promote metastasis by increasing attachment of CTCs to the vasculature. A better understanding of the effect of cancer therapies on all stages of metastasis will prevent the use of drugs that could reduce tumor growth and motility in the short-term but result in increasing circulating tumor cells and elevating metastatic potential in the long-term.

Citation Format: Lekhana Bhandary, Michele I. Vitolo, Rebecca A. Bettes, Monica S. Charpentier, Amanda E. Boggs, Jana Slovic, Keyata Thompson, Stuart S. Martin. ROCK inhibition promotes microtentacle formation and reattachment of breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3160. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3160


Experimental results of the development of a negative discharge in a 16.7 m rod-plane air gap are presented. Similarities with the cloud-to-earth discharge are found and some characteristic parameters are compared. Use of an image converter linked to two still cameras allows quite accurate analysis of the discharge propagation. Information relative to the space leader inception is provided. The current pulse shapes are related to the mechanisms of propagation and the thermal channel diameter of the discharge in the vicinity of the rod, which is measured with the help of schlieren records.


Anaerobic fermentation of carbohydrates can yield a range of alcohols, fatty acids, esters and the gases hydrogen and methane. In the microbial conversions for ethanol and methane, 93—95 % of the calorific value of the carbohydrate is retained in the product. However, the capital and energy costs of operating microbial conversions industrially are generally high. At present, fermentation processes for fuels are generally uneconomic without waste disposal credits, or tax credits. The developments required to improve the economics of bioconversion are (i) higher rates of fermentation, (ii) fermentations at higher concentrations of raw material and products, (iii) product recovery methods which consume little energy. Ethanol production is unlikely to contribute to liquid fuel supplies in Britain unless cellulose-based processes using crop wastes or urban refuse are developed. Methane is already produced from some wastes and further development of the anaerobic digestion technology can be expected to make a small but significant contribution to energy supplies. Since the scale of use is much smaller and the value higher, products of anaerobic fermentation could make a more significant contribution to supplies of chemicals.


The current conventional method of hydrocarbon production allocation of reservoir fluids' contribution to the separate producing strings from commingled production in the oil and gas industry considers some rigid assumptions that make the allocated volume mostly unreasonable. This uncertainty is usually due to the fixed decline rate assumption normally adopted for a specified period until a new well test of the contributing strings is available to generate a new allocation factor anytime production allocation is required.
 This paper presents an artificial intelligence approach in the determination of real-time allocation factors for determining contributing production flow performance from commingled production using a machine learning algorithm with the fixed rate assumption using well flow parameters such as the flowing tubing head pressure, flowline pressure and other well parameters to generate transient rates for the producing strings, to create new allocation factor when required.
 Data from marginal fields in the Niger Delta were used as case studies and the results generated from this exercise after proper data pre-processing depict reasonable output with precision of high confidence level. Results from this approach can also be used in the absence of a reliable well test.


Test pattern generation and diagnosis algorithms that target realistic bridging faults must be provided with a realistic fault list. In this work we describe FedEx, a bridging fault extractor that extracts a circuit from the mask layout, identifies the two-node bridges that can occur, their locations, layers, and relative probability of occurrence. Our experimental results show that FedEx is memory efficient and fast.


As a result of the demise of the two-tier system of clinical teacher and lecturer, all teachers were assigned to clinical areas in which they facilitate the development of an educational milieu to support student learning in practice. This article highlights the role of the link lecturer within the perioperative environment. It focuses on how this multi-faceted position can assist students to link theory and practice, and addresses key issues relating to mentorship, clinical credibility and educational audit.


This work investigates the effectiveness of features from the spectral envelope such as the frequency and bandwidth of the first peak obtained from a 30th order Linear Predictive Coefficients (LPC) to identify pathological voices. Other spectral features are also investigated and tested to improve the recognition rate. The value of the Relative Power of the Periodic Component is combined with spectral features, to diagnose pathological voices. Healthy voices and five vocal folds pathologies are tested. Decision Tree classifiers are used to evaluate which features have pathological voice information. Based on those results a simple Decision Tree was implemented and 94% of all the subjects in the database are correctly diagnosed.