Introduction: Chronic pain after spinal surgery (CPSS), formerly known as failed back surgery syndrome, encompasses a variety of highly incapacitating chronic pain syndromes emerging after spinal surgery. The intractability of CPSS makes objective parameters that could aid classification and treatment essential. In this study, we investigated the use of cerebral diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Methods: Cerebral 3T diffusion-weighted (DW-) MRI data from adult CPSS patients were assessed and compared with those of healthy controls matched by age and gender. Only imaging data without relevant artefacts or significant pathologies were included. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were calculated from the b0 and b1000 values using nonlinear regression. After skull stripping and affine registration of all imaging data, ADC values for fifteen anatomical regions were calculated and analyzed with independent samples T-tests. Results: A total of 32 subjects were included (sixteen CPSS patients and sixteen controls). The mean ADC value of the spinothalamic tract was found to be significantly higher in CPSS patients compared with in healthy controls (p = 0.013). The other anatomical regions did not show statistically different ADC values between the two groups. Conclusion: Our results suggest that patients suffering from CPSS are subject to microstructural changes, predominantly within the cerebral spinothalamic tract. Additional research could possibly lead to imaging biomarkers derived from ADC values in CPSS patients.


MOF-199/Fe3O4 nanoparticles were explored for the first time to purify environmental water samples and adsorb neonicotinoid insecticides as hybrid adsorbents. The composites were successfully synthesized by an in situ method at room temperature with electrostatic interaction to chemically stabilize the nanoparticles and metal ions. The nanoparticles were uniformly encoded with metal organic frameworks (MOFs). With the lowest loading amount of Fe3O4 applied to magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of six neonicotinoid insecticides in environmental water samples followed by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis, the extraction efficiency was the highest. The main influencing factors including the solution ionic strength, solution pH, extraction time, desorbing organic solvent, and solvent volume, were also evaluated. Considering the adsorbing conditions and insecticide structures, the adsorbing mechanism was preliminarily discovered to be largely dependent upon the π–π interaction with the benzene ring in MOF-199 and delocalized large π bonds in the insecticide molecules. Under optimal conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) were 0.3–1.5 ng mL−1 with a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 3. All the analytes exhibited good linearity with correlation coefficients (r2) of higher than 0.9947. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) for six neonicotinoid insecticides in environmental samples in five replicates ranged from 1.5% to 11.6%, and good recoveries from 88.0% to 107.0% were obtained, indicating that the MOF-199/Fe3O4 composites are feasible for analysis of trace analytes in environmental water samples.


The aim of the study was to determine changes of serum cortisol and biochemical, haematological and antioxidant enzyme variables in the blood of horses sampled during the pre-slaughter period (in the lairage and in the stunning box) and during exsanguination. A total of 24 Slovenian warm-blooded horses were observed. Blood samples for determination of serum cortisol and biochemical, haematological (red blood cell count, haematocrit, haemaglobin concentration) and antioxidant enzyme (whole blood superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) variables were collected by venipuncture of the left jugular vein in the lairage pen, 60 min before stunning (lairage) and immediately before stunning (stunning box). At exsanguination, blood samples were collected from the wound at the time of jugular vein sticking. During blood collection in the lairage pen and in the stunning box, horses were gently restrained with a halter. They were stunned using a penetrating captive bolt pistol impelled by air and were bled by jugular vein sticking. Horses were physically active in the lairage pen and in the race before entering the stunning box. After stunning, the horses showed paddling movements with their legs. In horses, the plasma lactate and glucose concentrations, the serum potassium concentration, the activities of the serum muscle enzymes aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase, and values of most of the other biochemical (Table 1) and haematological variables (Table 2), were significantly (P < 0.05) higher at exsanguination, than in blood sampled while they were in the lairage and in the stunning box. The serum concentrations of cortisol and chloride and the activities of alanine aminotransferase and antioxidant enzymes were not significantly different between the pre-slaughter period and exsanguination. All selected blood variables were not significantly different between the lairge and the stunning box sampling time, indicating no physiological stress responses of the investigated horses to stressors, such as novelty of the pre-slaughter environment and handling, present in the slaughterhouse between the lairage and the stunning box. However, the significantly higher values, at exsanguination, for the plasma lactate and glucose concentrations, serum muscle enzyme activities and haematological variables, than during the pre-slaughter period, might partially be attributed to stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, caused by stunning and bleeding.


Gonadotropin-independent, male-limited precocious puberty is caused by a variety of mutations in the lutropin/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHR) that produce constitutive receptor activation. Two of these mutations encode replacement of conserved aspartate residues at positions 564 and 578 with glycine. We previously used site-directed mutagenesis to study the functional role of the Asp578 side chain in transmembrane helix 6, and concluded that it is its ability to serve as a properly positioned interhelical hydrogen bond acceptor, rather than its negative charge, that is important for stabilizing the inactive state of the LHR. We now report the effects of substituting seven different amino acids for the Asp564 residue located at the carboxyl terminus of the third intracellular loop. Glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, and asparagine produced constitutive activation in a COS-7 cell expression system (3-5-fold increase in basal cAMP), but glutamate did not, indicating that a negative charge at position 564 may be important for maintaining the inactive LHR conformation. Characterization of double-mutant receptors showed that certain substitutions at Asp564 and Asp578 have a cumulative effect on basal receptor activity, perhaps because they mimic different aspects of the activation process normally triggered by hormone binding.


ABSTRACT Pandi, G.; Rathnakumar, K.; Velayutham, P.; Shakila, R.J.; Anand, S., and Arone, B.N., 2019. Extruded fish snack from low valued fatty fish: An evaluation of nutritional and organoleptic characteristics. In: Jithendran, K.P.; Saraswathy, R.; Balasubramanian, C.P.; Kumaraguru Vasagam, K.P.; Jayasankar, V.; Raghavan, R.; Alavandi, S.V., and Vijayan, K.K. (eds.), BRAQCON 2019: World Brackishwater Aquaculture Conference. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 86, pp. 61- 64. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. As the quantum of snack consumption increases, the efforts to increase its nutritional quality also gain popularity in this modern era. Incorporation of fish protein in snacks can improve the nutritional quality and mineral profile of the product. In the present study, 7% of blanched dried oil sardine powder was incorporated in extruded snacks, and the proximate composition and its organoleptic quality were analyzed in addition to find the values of calcium, phosphorus and iodine. The content of moisture, protein, ash, fat and carbohydrate of control food was 1.13±0.10%, 5.70±0.08%, 0.199±0.001%, 2.82±0.02% and 90.15±0.03% respectively. The sardine powder mixed extruded food contained 1.75±0.17% of moisture, 8.98±0.12% of protein, 1.75± 0.17% of ash, 4.81± 0.12% of fat and 83.56±0.28% of carbohydrate. The mineral composition of control food included calcium (38±2 mg/100g), phosphorus (4.67±0.58 mg/100g) and iodine (nil), while that of sardine powder mixed extruded food contained 84.33±1.15 mg/100g of calcium, 62±2 mg/100g of phosphorus and 0.011±0.001 mg/100g of iodine. This study revealed that the incorporation of 7% fish powder into the extruded snack product lead to the development of nutritionally enriched functional food with consumer acceptability.


Thirty adult subjects learned to associate nonsense names varying in word length with nonsense visual stimuli varying in visual complexity. Simple reaction times (SRTs), visual duration thresholds (VDTs), matching response latencies (MRLs), and naming response latencies (NRLs) were then obtained from these subjects. The data indicate that SRTs, VDTs, and NRLs are significantly related to word length and that VDTs and NRLs are significantly related to visual complexity. There is also a tendency for MRLs to increase with increases in word length, particularly for "no" responses. However, the effects of word length on VDTs, MRLs, and NRLs may be confounded with the number of trials needed to learn the paired associates or with the number of overlearning trials. The data are consistent with an interpretation that motor planning or some form of implicit speech process may be a part of the total time required for the naming response.


One of the best methods of disobedience nowadays is the Internet as a platform for conducting business and acting as a business person. Here, both new and established firms create their websites in addition to the size trends and network idea needs that are needed to move forward and better realisation. As the internet can be used directly for advertising and buying, it is important for website owners to sell useful and educational websites. PR, sales, and customer service. The first attempts at e-commerce between vendors and consumers occurred more than ten years ago. Future purchasers are a topic that both academics and e-commerce specialists are always working to better comprehend.


The optical transmission and UV-VIS absorption spectra have been recorded in the wavelength range (200-1100m) for different composition of polyaniline and polyvinyl Alcohol(PVA ) blends thin films. Polyaniline was prepared in acidic medium to enhancement the solubility and processibility, The optical energy gap (Eopt) refractive index and optical dielectric constant real and imaginary part have been evaluated. The effects of doping percentage of prepared polyaniline on these parameters was discussed and the non –linear behavior for all these parameters was investigated.


ICAR-CMFRI Kochi through its various centres conducts research and transfers the developed technologies to the end users under its technical guidance. Tuticorin research centre of CMFRI is a well known centre for carrying out pioneered researches on various fields of marine fisheries and mariculture in the past and present and the technology has been transferred to fisher folks and entrepreneurs. Recently, ICAR-CMFRI has successfully developed and demonstrated the Sea cage farming technique for fin and shell fishes of food value in the coastal villages i.e. Vizhinjam, Karwar, Goa, Mangalore, Chennai, Mandapam and Rameswaram etc. The diffusion of cage culture of food fishes at different fishing villages is quite encouraging during these years.

The above account details the 'Success Story of Adoption of Sea Cage Culture' by the fisher folk of Sippikulam with the Technical guidance of ICAR-CMFRI, Tuticorin.


Phylogenetic hypotheses are presented for Pultenaea based on cpDNA (trnL-F and ndhF) and nrDNA ( ITS) sequence data. Pultenaea, as it is currently circumscribed, comprises six strongly supported lineages whose relationships with each other and 18 closely related genera are weak or conflicting among datasets. The lack of resolution among the six Pultenaea clades and their relatives appears to be the result of a rapid radiation, which is evident in molecular data from both the chloroplast and nuclear genomes. The molecular data provide no support for the monophyly of Pultenaea as it currently stands. Given these results, Pultenaea could split into many smaller genera. We prefer the taxonomically stable alternative of subsuming all 19 genera currently recognised in Pultenaea sensu lato (= the Mirbelia group) into an expanded concept of Pultenaea that would comprise similar to 470 species.


Abstract : Detection, classification, and localization (DCL) research on marine mammal vocalizations has been in development for decades, and methods for marine mammal population density estimation using acoustic data have been in development since at least 2007. These efforts have been supported by MobySound, an archive of cetacean sounds used for studying call detection and localization that are annotated to facilitate research in DCL. This project was aimed to begin development of high-performing automatic detection methods for the sounds of beaked whales and other odontocetes. Specifically, this report [1] details the newly collected odontocete recordings that have been added to the MobySound archive; [2] documents continuing development of methods for detection and classification, including improvements to the Energy Ratio Mapping Algorithm (ERMA) method for use on gliders and its extension to new species and populations; [3] reports on development of a new method for estimating the population density of baleen whales using the summed energy in a frequency band in which they vocalize; and [4] also reports on the successful production of datasets focused on odontocete whistles and clicks and baleen whale calls for the Fifth Workshop on Detection, Classification, Localization, and Density Estimation of Marine Mammals using Passive Acoustics


Security of linear ramp secret sharing schemes can be characterized by the relative generalized Hamming weights of the involved codes. In this paper, we elaborate on the implication of these parameters and devise a method to estimate their value for general one-point algebraic geometric codes. As it is demonstrated, for Hermitian codes, our bound is often tight. Furthermore, for these codes, the relative generalized Hamming weights are often much larger than the corresponding generalized Hamming weights.


The Capacitated m-Ring-Star Problem (CmRSP) is the problem of designing a set of rings that pass through a central depot and through some transition points and/or customers, and then assigning each nonvisited customer to a visited point or customer. The number of customers visited and assigned to a ring is bounded by an upper limit: the capacity of the ring. The objective is to minimize the total routing cost plus assignment costs. The problem has practical applications in the design of urban optical telecommunication networks. This paper presents and discusses two integer programming formulations for the CmRSP. Valid inequalities are proposed to strengthen the linear programming relaxation and are used as cutting planes in a branch-and-cut approach. The procedure is implemented and tested on a large family of instances, including real-world instances, and the good performance of the proposed approach is demonstrated.


A case of necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum (NLD) in a 12-year-old male patient is described. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was diagnosed at the age of 1.5 years. The onset of the first NLD lesion had been previously observed at the age of 7, on the back of the left foot. Three new lesions appeared at the age of 8, one on the left leg, the others on the thighs. At the age of 12, four infiltrated, reddish patches, with slight central atrophy were evident on his lower extremities. Histopathological features showed foci of collagen degeneration with sclerosis, surrounded by a chronic, mainly perivascular, granulomatous infiltrate, made up of lymphocytes and histiocytes. The patient is now 19-year old, with no eye or kidney failure, owing to a constant metabolic control of DM. A constant follow-up of the patient demonstrated a self-resolution of NLD plaques, with no evidence of further lesions.


Phase change memory (PCM) features nonvolatility, high density, and superior power efficiency, making it one of the most promising candidates for future memory systems. This paper studies the impact of process variations on PCM based on a fast analytical model for determining PCM failure probability. The proposed analytical model takes PCM physical dimensions, programming-current amplitude, and programming duration as inputs and produces the corresponding cell resistance. Whether a PCM cell is functional can be determined by comparing the calculated cell resistance with the reference resistance. We further estimate the overall PCM failure probability and demonstrate strategies on how to minimize memory failures. The proposed model thus provides early stage estimation on memory yield.


Quality-of-life assessments in neurooncology are becoming more relevant with the proliferation of intensive research into brain tumors and their therapy. In this review, the authors examined several aspects and problems associated with the past, present, and future applications of quality-of-life assessments in neurooncology. The inadequacy of the almost exclusive use of physical functioning assessments, image-documented tumor response to therapy, and patient survival time as endpoints when evaluating therapeutic regimens is becoming increasingly apparent. In therapies in which outcome using traditional endpoints are only marginally different, specific (neurological) toxicity and social and psychological outcomes must be evaluated as well to determine valid treatment options. Also becoming widely accepted is the consideration of patient values of specific health states in justifying treatment resources. There is ongoing research in brain tumor patients to address these issues.


Humanopathogenic parasites represent a health risk for travelers to tropical countries. They can be picked up by direct contact, via contaminated food and drink, the bites of blood-sucking insects and leeches, as also via direct penetration through the skin. Not only the bite and sting wounds themselves are unpleasant. The true danger to the victim is represented, in particular, by the bacteria, viruses or parasites that are transmitted in this way. They can give rise to protracted diseases such as hepatitis B, cutaneous or intestinal disorders. The most effective preventive measure is exposure prophylaxis.


The purposes of the study were to describe the vocal repertoire of the Red-crested Korhaan, (Lophotis ruficrista) and the nature and intensity of male call rivalry during the breeding season. Many hours of field sound data were recorded and behavioural observations were recorded in the field. During the breeding season two or three adult male Red-crested Korhaans group together in close proximity to one another at established sites (∼2.4 ha), calling simultaneously and continuously, while performing aerial displays. The Red-crested Korhaan's repertoire consists of three basic calls. One of these, the peep call, was often uttered in four identifiable variations. The main function of these peep calls is to facilitate courtship and hence reproduction. The peeping call of males overlap to mask one another's calls. Alternate calling, and variations of the peep call, suggest that females are attracted to males that group together. Females respond to male peep calls at the start of the breeding season.


Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN), a key enzyme of lipid biogenesis, is significantly up regulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its activity is associated with poor prognosis. Mitochondrial metabolism plays a crucial role in cancer cells proliferation and survival. However, very little is known about the role of de novo fatty acid synthesis in production of ATP via beta-oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation in CRC. The purpose of the present study was to determine: (i) the role of aberrant activation of FASN in cellular respiration, (ii) contribution of endogenously synthesized lipids to fatty acid oxidation, and (iii) consequences of FASN inhibition on mitochondrial properties and redox homeostasis in CRC. METHODS. We utilized KM20, HT29, and HCT116 CRC cells with stable knockdown of FASN. Cellular oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) were measured using XF Cell Mito Stress and XF Glycolysis Stress tests, respectively. The XF Palmitate-BSA conjugate was used to assess oxidation of fatty acids (FAO). OCR, ECAR and FAO experiments were performed using the Seahorse XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer (Seahorse Bioscience, North Billerica, MA, USA). Intracellular ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by DCFDA and TMRE assays. RESULTS. We found that stable inhibition of FASN is associated with a significant decrease in glycolysis in all tested CRC cell lines. The glycolytic capacity and glycolytic reserve were significantly decreased in HCT116 cell line; however, no significant differences in these parameters were observed in HT29 and KM20 cells. Knock-down of FASN led to a significant decrease in OCR in CRC cells that is consistent with a decrease in cellular proliferation. Treatment with etomoxir demonstrated that CRC cell lines have the different level of dependence on fatty acid oxidation. Furthermore, using the Palmitate-BSA substrate we showed that CRC cells primarily utilize endogenously synthesized fatty acids and knockdown of FASN significantly decreases the capacity of cells to oxidize fatty acids. Finally, our data suggest that FASN regulates mitochondrial membrane potential and ROS production in CRC. CONCLUSIONS. Fatty acid oxidation is a dominant bioenergetic pathway in many cancers. This study suggests that up regulation of FASN and an increase in the level of de novo synthesized lipids are crucial for modulation of mitochondrial oxidative capacity in CRC cells. Furthermore, our results proposes that inhibition of FASN and a decrease in mitochondrial ATP production impair glycolysis in CRC cells. Together, our work demonstrates an importance of FASN in re-programming cellular energy metabolism, in particular, beta-oxidation. Further investigations into the mechanisms of regulation of mitochondrial function by FASN and interconnection with other metabolic pathways will uncover new therapeutic approaches in CRC. Citation Format: Yekaterina Zaytseva, Mihail Mitov, D. Allan Butterfield, Tianyan Gao, B. Mark Evers. Inhibition of fatty acid synthase reduces mitochondrial respiration and addiction of colorectal cancer cells to glycolysis. [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 4343. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4343


An approach that mixes numerical and analytical techniques is proposed for modeling the circuit discontinuities and the power-dividing networks that feed the T/R modules in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). This approach is based on a combination of mode matching and boundary integral techniques, and suitable for modeling a wide range of N-port microwave networks made with waveguide, coaxial and microstrip components. While it offers the possibility of handling complex shaped junctions, it converges much faster than other numerical methods implemented in commercial software package such as FEM, FD, MoM and others.


Using consumerism as a lens, this qualitative study examines volunteering vacations with 'poor' children in Siem Reap, Cambodia by considering just what is being consumed in these popular tourist choices alongside those factors in contemporary 'First World' society that allow and encourage their consumption. Through the use of caring mantras such as 'change lives forever' and 'make a world of difference', vacation providers of what are considered to be a mass-niche product in the competitive global tourism marketplace, offer Siem Reap to potential consumers as one choice from an increasing range of 'Third World' destinations. However, using the concepts of commodification and objectification, I argue that it is the bodies of children that have become the commodities in these vacations, their lives and circumstances objectified as needy and available, in part to fulfil the vacation fantasies of holidaymakers who choose to use consumerism as both a vehicle for the enactment of their compassion, as well as the means by which to satisfy their own search for pleasure and reward. Furthermore, I also argue that privilege - often justified and taken-for-granted as a tool in the good-deed vacation tool-kit - works to obscure significant issues such as race, colonial continuities, global injustice and potential abuse. Through critically engaging volunteer tourism as commodity and consumption I have reframed the often asked questions around these vacations in order to offer a different commentary and perspective to these experiences. The research takes a longitudinal view of volunteer tourism in Siem Reap through the use of semi-structured interviews with potential and past consumers as well as interviews with and observations of vacationers in situ 'doing volunteering'. An exploration of the grey literature from both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors, as well as photographs, add to the arguments presented here.


Twenty children aged 2–10 years (mean age 6 years) with pelvic fractures, most of them after having had road traffic accidents (RTA) and a fall from height were reviewed, with a follow-up of 3–13 years (mean 8 years). Initial treatment consisted of intensive care and cardiorespiratory stabilization of the patients. In all children, conservative treatment of pelvic fractures was used, consisting mainly of skin traction of the lower limb of the affected side. Follow-up results in 19 of 20 children were excellent or good with regard to function and range of motion (ROM) of both hips, despite radiographic evidence of pelvic deformities. In our experience, the guidelines for treating children with pelvic fractures differ from those for adults. Surgery, either internal or external fixation, should be used only as a last resort when conventional means are exhausted. Various aspects of pelvic fractures in children are reviewed and discussed.


CpG-cytosine methylation, the only epigenetic modification in mammalian DNA, is established and maintained by three DNA methyltransferases (DNMT): DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B. Although essential for development and differentiation, DNA methylation patterns are frequently disrupted in cancer and contribute directly to carcinogenesis. Recent studies linking polycomb group (PcG) repression complexes (PRC1 and PRC2) to the DNMTs have begun to shed light on how methylation is targeted. By comparing genes regulated by DNMT3B, which we identified in previous studies, with known polycomb group target genes, we chose a panel of genes co-regulated by DNMT3B and PRC1/PRC2 to test whether these criteria (DNMT & PcG co-regulation) could accurately identify novel targets of epigenetic silencing in human colon cancer. Using reverse transcription-PCR, bisulfite genomic sequencing, and pyrosequencing, we show that the majority of these genes are frequently silenced in colorectal cancer cell lines and primary tumors. We then analyzed the histone code, DNMT, and PRC1/PRC2 binding by chromatin immunoprecipitation at epigenetically silenced loci to reveal a novel link between DNMT3B and PRC1, which was further confirmed by siRNA knockdown assays. Specifically, loss of DNMT3B resulted in significant reductions in ubiquitinated histone H2A levels, a mark catalyzed by the RING2 subunit of PRC1. Taken together, these studies suggest that patterns of epigenetic modifiers and the histone code influence the propensity of a gene to become hypermethylated in cancer and that DNMT3B plays an important role in regulating PRC1 function. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4874.


The safety, feasibility, and hemodynamic effects of mild hypothermia (MH) induced by transnasal cooling were studied in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). MH is a common therapy following cardiac arrest and seems to have favorable effects in myocardial infarction and on hemodynamic stability. In TAVR, hemodynamic instability is common during rapid pacing. Twenty subjects undergoing TAVR were randomized 1:1 to hypothermia or normothermia. Hemodynamic endpoints were mean arterial blood pressure and required dosage of vasoactive and inotropic drugs. Patients were followed up at 6 months. All patients in the MH group (n=10) reached the target temperature of 34°C before first rapid pacing. Tympanic and urinary bladder temperature remained significantly lower in the MH group during the procedure. No adverse effects of cooling were observed. Mean arterial pressure was higher in the MH group (90±20 mm Hg) than in the control group (71±13 mm Hg) at the start of the procedure, at first rapid pacing (94±19 vs. 80±16 mm Hg), and at balloon aortic valvuloplasty (90±17 vs. 73±14 mm Hg). Less norepinephrine was administered to the hypothermia group. Transnasal cooling during TAVR was safe and well tolerated. We observed a more stable hemodynamic profile in the MH group, indicated by higher blood pressure and lower levels of vasoactive drugs required. A larger study of patients with severe ventricular dysfunction is required to more comprehensively investigate the hemodynamic effects of transnasal cooling in TAVR.


Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogenous group of diseases characterized by a clonal proliferation of myeloid progenitors. Its poor prognosis with conventional chemotherapy justifies seeking for adjuvant immunotherapeutic approaches to eliminate minimal residual disease. We evaluated an immunotherapeutic strategy that bypass the need for epitope identification and the limitation due to HLA restriction. Naturally processed peptides were extracted by acid elution from AML cells at diagnosis, and loaded on mature dendritic cells (mDCs) derived from autologous monocytes obtained when the patients were in complete remission (CR). We evaluated i) the feasibility to elute naturally processed peptides from AML cells at diagnosis, ii) the capacity of mDCs loaded with eluted peptides (mDC/EP) to stimulate specific T cell lines in vitro. We showed that stimulation by mDC/EP was able to generate anti-leukemic T cells lines from PBMC of 6 AML patients in CR. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were isolated from T cell lines of 5 patients and analyzed for their proliferation, INF-γ production and cytotoxicity in response to autologous or allogeneic AML targets, or to normal autologous PBMC. We showed that both CD4+ and CD8+ leukemia-specific T cells were generated in vitro by mDC/EP stimulations since proliferation of CD4+ T cells, IFN-γ secretion by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and cytotoxicity mediated by CD8+ T cells were induced in response to stimulation with autologous AML cells. Furthermore, we could not detect auto-immune recognition of autologous normal PBMC, consistent with the specificity of the T cell response induced by mDC/EP. These results provide the proof of concept for using mDC/EP to vaccinate patients with poor-risk AML, and will soon be evaluated in a phse I/II clinical trial.


We consider agents in a social network competing to be selected as partners in collaborative, mutually beneficial activities. We study this through a model in which an agent i can initiate a limited number ki > 0 of games and selects the ideal partners from its one-hop neighborhood. On the flip side it can accept as many games offered from its neighbors. Each game signifies a productive joint economic activity, and players attempt to maximize their individual utilities. Unsurprisingly, more trustworthy agents are more desirable as partners. Trustworthiness is measured by the game theoretic concept of Limited-Trust, which quantifies the maximum cost an agent is willing to incur in order to improve the net utility of all agents. Agents learn about their neighbors' trustworthiness through interactions and their behaviors evolve in response. Empirical trials performed on realistic social networks show that when given the option, many agents become highly trustworthy; most or all become highly trustworthy when knowledge of their neighbors' trustworthiness is based on past interactions rather than known a priori. This trustworthiness is not the result of altruism, instead agents are intrinsically motivated to become trustworthy partners by competition. Two insights are presented: first, trustworthy behavior drives an increase in the utility of all agents, where maintaining a relatively modest level of trustworthiness may easily improve net utility by as much as 14.5%. If only one agent exhibits modest trust among self-centered ones, it can increase its average utility by up to 25% in certain cases! Second, and counter-intuitively, when partnership opportunities are abundant agents become less trustworthy.


This paper is concerned with computationally efficient learning of homogeneous sparse halfspaces in $\mathbb{R}^d$ under noise. Though recent works have established attribute-efficient learning algorithms under various types of label noise (e.g. bounded noise), it remains an open question when and how $s$-sparse halfspaces can be efficiently learned under the challenging malicious noise model, where an adversary may corrupt both the unlabeled examples and the labels. We answer this question in the affirmative by designing a computationally efficient active learning algorithm with near-optimal label complexity of $\tilde{O}\big({s \log^4 \frac d \epsilon} \big)$ and noise tolerance $\eta = \Omega(\epsilon)$, where $\epsilon \in (0, 1)$ is the target error rate, under the assumption that the distribution over (uncorrupted) unlabeled examples is isotropic log-concave. Our algorithm can be straightforwardly tailored to the passive learning setting, and we show that the sample complexity is $\tilde{O}\big({\frac 1 \epsilon s^2 \log^5 d} \big)$ which also enjoys the attribute efficiency. Our main techniques include attribute-efficient paradigms for instance reweighting and for empirical risk minimization, and a new analysis of uniform concentration for unbounded data -- all of them crucially take the structure of the underlying halfspace into account.


Limited empirical work has been done to compare the effects that health knowledge and advice from doctors have on smokers' intentions to quit. This paper examines the association of smokers' intentions to quit with health knowledge, advice from doctors, and self-perceived health. A sample of 2509 smokers aged 15–69 years old in Ningbo was used from China's National Health Literacy Surveillance survey, conducted in 2018 and 2019. Respondents were asked whether they agree smoking causes stroke, heart attack, lung cancer; and heart diseases in adults, lung illnesses in children, and lung cancer in adults, by secondhand smoke, respectively. Using the logistic model, we found that knowing that smoking causes stroke and lung cancer more than doubles the odds of one's intention to quit (OR = 2.705, p < 0.01), the effect of which is much greater than knowing that smoking causes lung cancer only (OR = 1.795, p < 0.01). Doctors' advice to quit is more important than health knowledge, in terms of predicting smokers' past cessation behaviours. In addition, smokers' self-perceived health is negatively associated with their decisions to quit. This paper highlights that more resources should be directed towards training health care providers to advise smokers to quit, which might be more effective than health education alone.


The inter-domain routing system is the critical infrastructure of the Internet. For this complex macrosystem, improving the ability of self-organization and cooperation is more adapted to the solid growth of the scale to the center-control. In this work a novel notion of AS alliance' is introduced, which is a group of self organized AS that can work together for some common profit. Based on it, two enhanced mechanism for BGP are proposed. The security enhanced mechanism has very low cost of certificate management and good scalability. While the stability enhanced mechanism has better isolation property.


The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), launched in February 2006 was renamed in October 02, 2009 as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (henceforth, MGNREGA). It is an anti-poverty flagship programme of the Government of India. The key purpose of MGNREGA is to enhance wage employment in the rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed employment to every household in a financial year. The MGNREGA implementation status report for the financial year 2012-2013 unfolds that the programme has already provided employment to 44.9 million households across 28 districts and five union territories. Hence, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the impact of MGNREGA on women beneficiaries. A plethora of research argues that MGNREGA, which promotes inclusive growth, is a vehicle of change, a lifeline for rural women. So far, however, there has been very little discussion about the impact of MGNREGA on women beneficiaries of Assam. This research is an attempt to examine the participation of women in MGNREGA, Assam. It critically looks at the issues, problems and challenges confronted by the women while working at MGNREGA. Written from a feminist perspective on gender, poverty and women's empowerment, the research seeks to address the problems of the women beneficiaries through their lived experiences. For this, we conducted in-depth interviews with the women beneficiaries in the months of August and September, 2009 in four remote areas namely, Burka, Chandrapur, Barbhang and Muguriya, the first two situated in Kamrup, while the third and the fourth in Barpeta districts of Assam, where the programme of MGNREGA is on-going. The findings of the research suggest measures so that the programme can be made more effective in the long run.


In the aviation industry, it is essential to use parts that are lightweight but durable, and aluminum alloys generally provides effective solutions. In manufacturing processes, automation-based production techniques and robotic and efficient processing processes such as Computer Numeric Technique (CNC) are used, and it is important to define optimum production parameters. In this study, parametric optimization values of machining criteria were developed for the milling operation of AL 6068 aluminum alloy. For this purpose, Response Surface Method (RSM) was used for optimal solutions of parametric values and evaluation of relationships. According this, optimum processing parameters were determined to be 1521 rpm revolution speed, 0.4 mm depth of cut, and 197 mm/min federate. These manufacturing parameters were evaluated. A quadratic regression equation giving the surface roughness was created for this operation. At the end of the study, some suggestions were made regarding the improvement of production efficiency based on the parameters defined.


This paper describes the case of a 48 year old man who presented with acute hyperlipidaemia following pulmonary embolism. Subsequent investigation revealed that the hyperlipidaemia was secondary to nephrotic syndrome of glomerulonephritis. The case illustrates the importance of investigating acute hyperlipidaemia for its underlying causes.


Background. Ischemia reperfusion injury leading to acute renal failure (ARF) and delayed graft function is an important problem in organ transplantation. CD4+ T cells, essential for transplant rejection, may mediate ischemic ARF. We have demonstrated that the caspase-1 mediated production of IL-18 is pathogenic in ischemic ARF in mice. A potential source of IL-18 in ischemic ARF is the CD4+ T cell. We therefore examined the effect CD4+ T cell depletion on the development of ischemic ARF and the activation of IL-18. Methods. Functional and histological correlates were examined in two groups of mice with ischemic ARF: 1) CD4 T-cell depleted with the antibody GK1.5, and 2) T-cell receptor α-chain deficient (TCRα −/−) mice. TCRα −/− mice lack the α chain of the T-cell receptor and therefore lack functional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Results. Flow cytometry of lymph nodes and immunohistochemistry of kidneys demonstrated complete depletion of CD4+ T cells in mice with ischemic ARF treated with GK 1.5. CD4+ T-cell depletion did not confer functional (serum creatinine, BUN and FITC-labeled inulin clearance) or histological protection against ischemic ARF. Likewise, TCRα −/− mice were not protected against ischemic ARF. Renal caspase-1 activity and IL-18 protein were similar in CD4+ T-cell depleted and wild-type postischemic reperfusion. Conclusions. Ischemic ARF can occur in the absence of classical T-cell function. The evaluation of other inflammatory mediators (e.g., macrophages or NK cells) as a source of IL-18 and mediator of ischemic ARF warrants further investigation.


Polylactide (PLA) is the most widely used biopolymer, but its poor ductility and scarce gas barrier properties limit its applications in the packaging field. In this work, for the first time, the properties of PLA solvent-cast films are improved by the addition of a second biopolymer, i.e., poly(decamethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PDeF), added in a weight fraction of 10 wt%, and a carbon-based nanofiller, i.e., reduced graphene oxide (rGO), added in concentrations of 0.25–2 phr. PLA and PDeF are immiscible, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, with PDeF spheroidal domains showing poor adhesion to PLA. The addition of 0.25 phr of rGO, which preferentially segregates in the PDeF domains, makes them smaller and considerably rougher and improves the interfacial interaction. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirms the immiscibility of the two polymer phases and highlights that rGO enhances the crystallinity of both polymer phases (especially of PDeF). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) highlights the positive impact of rGO and PDeF on the thermal degradation resistance of PLA. Quasi-static tensile tests evidence that adding 10 wt% of PDeF and a small fraction of rGO (0.25 phr) to PLA considerably enhances the strain at break, which raises from 5.3% of neat PLA to 10.0% by adding 10 wt% of PDeF, up to 75.8% by adding also 0.25 phr of rGO, thereby highlighting the compatibilizing role of rGO on this blend. On the other hand, a further increase in rGO concentration decreases the strain at break due to agglomeration but enhances the mechanical stiffness and strength up to an rGO concentration of 1 phr. Overall, these results highlight the positive and synergistic contribution of PDeF and rGO in enhancing the thermomechanical properties of PLA, and the resulting nanocomposites are promising for packaging applications.


Demand Response Resource (DRR) curtailments are generally triggered in response to economic signals, such as the locational marginal prices (LMPs). However, consideration of only the economic signals leaves out important information about the impact of the location of DRR curtailments on the system-wide carbon emissions. In this work, we use the marginal carbon intensity (MCI), the carbon emissions analogue of the LMP, to develop a metric which may be used by the Independent System Operator ISO to identify nodes at which DRR curtailments have the greatest impact on both LMP (and thereby consumer payments) and system-wide carbon emissions. Through illustrative simulations, we compare the outcome of various DRR cases and show the usefulness of the identification metric.


We propose an automata theoretic learning algorithm for the identification of black-box switched linear systems whose switching logics are event-driven. A switched system is expressed by a deterministic finite automaton (FA) whose node labels are the subsystem matrices. With information about the dimensions of the matrices and the set of events, and with access to two oracles, that can simulate the system on a given input, and provide counter-examples when given an incorrect hypothesis automaton, we provide an algorithm that outputs the unknown FA. Our algorithm first uses the oracle to obtain the node labels of the system run on a given input sequence of events, and then extends Angluin's $L^{\ast}$ -algorithm to determine the FA that accepts the language of the given FA. We demonstrate our learning algorithm on a numerical example.


An algorithm based on the concept of an adaptive notch filter is proposed for the frequency estimation of three-phase power signals. The algorithm permits direct estimation of frequency and its rate of change for power system signals. The proposed method uses the information of all three-phase signals together. The structure, mathematical formulation, and theoretical stability analysis of the proposed technique are presented, and its performance is studied in a variety of scenarios where three-phase power signal attributes such as frequency and amplitude undergo variations over time. This study confirms the desirable transient and steady-state performances of the proposed algorithm. In contrast to the conventional three-phase PLL-based frequency estimator, the proposed method is less sensitive to distortions such as harmonics and interharmonics and is not sensitive to unbalanced system conditions.


The content of the paper consists of the following issues: essence of innovation networks and conditions of their functioning, basics activities of the innovation network in agriculture and their scope. The aim of the article was to show that innovation networks are a tool to shape the development and structural changes in accordance with the directions of innovation policy. The observations – based on the analysis of relevant literature, selected documents of the EU (including Poland) and the author's own reflections – confirm this relationship, especially with regard to the preparation of changes, which sets out the following priority areas of innovation networks in agribusiness: increased agricultural productivity, output, and resource efficiency, innovation in support of the bio-based economy, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and soil functionality, innovative products and services for the integrated supply chain and also quality and safety of food.


The ore-yielding main iron-formation of the Cuyuna district is stratigraphically overlain by approximately 300 feet of titaniferous sedimentary rocks, and a field test for titania has been an effective supplement to customary stratigraphic studies. The titanium is in leucoxene.The sedimentary rocks of the district are highly folded, and the main iron-formation serves as the reference for relative stratigraphic position. The strata older than the main iron-formation are light-gray argillite and siltstone with local lenses of quartzite near the upper contact; the older strata contain about 0.5 percent titania. The main iron-formation is a persistent layer of chemically precipitated ferruginous sediments that contain about 0.2 percent titania. The strata younger than the main iron-formation are gray or black argillite, partly carbonaceous, partly ferruginous, and are transitional into lenses of lean upper iron-formation. At the base of the younger strata, 250-350 feet of argillite and slate contain 1-3.7 percent titania and average 2.0 percent. This titaniferous argillite is similar to argillite higher in the younger sequence which contains less than 1.5 percent titania and averages about 1 percent. There are weathered rocks interpreted as tuffs and basalt flows locally interlayered near the bottom of the titaniferous zone. The basalt contains 1-2 percent titania. The high titania content of the 250-350-foot zone suggests a volcanic origin; the argillite probably is reworked basaltic pyroclastics. A few titaniferous bodies have been found in rocks below, within, and above the main iron-formation and thin titaniferous argillaceous layers occur within the main iron-formation.


Field observations suggest that Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray is more heat and drought tolerant than P. vulgaris L. Since high temperature stress and water stress are difficult to separate in field experiments, we do not know if P. acutifolius is more high temperature tolerant than P. vulgaris. The goal of our research was to determine whether P. acutifolius is more heat tolerant than P. vulgaris in the absence of water stress. Plants grown at 25°C for 13 d in controlled environment chambers were separated into two groups ; one group was maintained at 25°C for 8 d and the other at 32°C for 8 d. Air vapor pressure deficit at the two temperatures was maintained at 1.1 kPa. Phaseolus vulgaris growth was significantly decreased at 32°C compared with growth at 25°C. The decrease included total leaf area, total dry weight, root weight, and net assimilation rate. Phaseolus acutifolius grew similarly at both temperatures. Separate experiments investigated the effects of temperature on seed germination and early seedling growth. Seed germination of both species was reduced by about 11% at 32°C compared with germination at 25°C. Initial P. vulgaris radical growth was inhibited at 32°C whereas radical growth of P. acutifolius was not affected. Our results indicate that at the tissue level P. aculifolius is more heat tolerant than P. vulgaris.


It is well known today that mechanical forces are one of the important factors that induce a variety of cellular responses including morphological changes, protein synthesis, and gene expression and which are involve in tissue remodelling. We studied the effect of uniaxial cyclic stretching on the proliferation, collagens, and tenascin C mRNA expression of fibroblasts under different concentrations of foetal bovine serum. Proliferation was studied by cell cycle analysis, mRNA expression of collagen and tenascin C was studied by RT-PCR. Human fibroblasts were grown in silicon sheet coated with 1% gelatin. Cyclic stretching (5% elongation) was applied at 0.5 Hz (30 cycle/min), for 24 h with two concentrations of the serum (0.5%, 10% FBS). We showed that stretching enhances the synthesis of collagen and tenascin C, but do not act on the proliferation. In contrast, higher concentration of serum enhances the proliferation. These findings suggest that both mechanical stretching and serum concentration can modulate proliferation and extra cellular matrix synthesis in human fibroblasts.


This paper looks at the design and operation of the main program in Maryland, the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Fund (MALPF). We examine the features of the program in comparison to possible alternative designs. Our broader purpose is to examine the nature of farmland preservation and the implications for how to best design farmland preservation programs.


Large Stokes shift (LSS) fluorescent proteins (FPs) exploit excited state proton transfer pathways to enable fluorescence emission from the phenolate intermediate of their internal 4-hydroxybenzylidene imidazolone (HBI) chromophore. An RNA aptamer named Chili mimics LSS FPs by inducing highly Stokes-shifted emission from several new green and red HBI analogues that are non-fluorescent when free in solution. The ligands are bound by the RNA in their protonated phenol form and feature a cationic aromatic side chain for increased RNA affinity and reduced magnesium dependence. In combination with oxidative functionalization at the C2 position of the imidazolone, this strategy yielded DMHBO+ , which binds to the Chili aptamer with a low-nanomolar KD . Because of its highly red-shifted fluorescence emission at 592 nm, the Chili-DMHBO+ complex is an ideal fluorescence donor for Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to the rhodamine dye Atto 590 and will therefore find applications in FRET-based analytical RNA systems.


Whenever there is a thought in mind of the world's leading brands, there is a thought of Pepsi, Coke, Nokia, Samsung etc. The question arises how these brands became brands in today's world. Is it only the advertising capabilities of these companies which has made them become brands or are the events conducted by these companies are a result of their being branded? For understanding that we need to know that what is a brand and how a brand is formed


President Herndon, Second President- Elect Simon, members of the American Orthopaedic Association, and guests: it is a great honor to be elected President of this Association. I am pleased to accept this distinguished office, but the honor is not mine alone. It also belongs to those who made this possible: the teachers, physicians, and scientists who inspired and prepared me to contribute to the profession of medicine; my faculty colleagues at the University of Iowa, who taught and supported me; my children, Jody, Andrea, and Abigail, who have made being their father easy; and my wife, Kitty, who has encouraged and guided me for nearly thirty years.

One of the pleasant tasks of the presidency is selecting the topic for the President-Elect's address. In 1887, the founders of the American Orthopaedic Association dedicated their new Association to advancing the science and art of orthopaedics14,98. Their choice of this purpose, more than a century ago, may seem unimportant now, but thoughtful consideration suggests otherwise. Today, I appreciate the opportunity to comment on the role of science in the development of medicine, orthopaedics in particular, and on the importance of a commitment to advancing the science and art of orthopaedics for our future.

At the time that this Association was founded, the American public and medical profession did not recognize orthopaedics as a medical specialty and physicians in the United States did not enjoy their current high social and economic status14,31,92,127. Most physicians in the United States learned medicine and received the title of doctor from proprietary schools. To make the largest possible profit, these schools maximized the number of students and minimized the quality of education. Few faculty members had more than a high-school degree. The schools were not …


The identification of unknown parameters of mechanical systems is a typical case of inverse problem treated in engineering. Depending on the application, the parameters can be either constant or varying with respect to time. The present contribution is dedicated to the use of orthogonal function to expand the excitation and the responses together with the expansion of the time-varying parameters in such a way that by using an operational matrix of integration, the equations of motion are written as an algebraic equation. It is expected that the proposed technique can be used for the identification of crack parameters in rotating machinery. For this aim, two case-studies are provided: the first one deals with the identification of a nonlinear time varying stiffness element of a 3 d.o.f mechanical system; the second is focused on the identification of a cracked rotor.


BACKGROUND
Penetration of the aminoglycosides gentamicin and tobramycin and chinolones ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin applied as eyedrops and soaked disposable lenses (ACUVUE), used as antibiotic prophylaxis, was investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
217 patients received before undergoing cataract extraction 0.3% solutions of these antibiotics as eyedrops or by soaked ACUVUE-lenses. During surgery 50-100 microliters aqueous humor was aspirated; concentration of gentamicin and tobramycin was analysed by fluorescence polarisation immuno assay, concentration of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin was analysed by high pressure liquid chromatography.

RESULTS
After application of gentamicin and ofloxacin as eyedrops and via soaked ACUVUE-lenses as drug delivery system (DDS) we found higher concentrations than after application of tobramycin and ciprofloxacin by the same modes. After using of soaked lenses as DDS the aqueous humor concentrations of all tested substances were higher than the concentrations after the frequent instillation of eyedrops.

CONCLUSIONS
Penetration of gentamicin through normal human cornea is higher than penetration of tobramycin; penetration of ofloxacin through normal human cornea is higher than penetration of ciprofloxacin. The aqueous humor concentrations of ofloxacin applied as eyedrops and DDS, of ciprofloxacin and gentamicin applied as DDS allow their use as antibiotic prophylaxis in cataract surgery.


Global trade governance is increasingly characterized by a growing fragility in multilateral institutions and a preference for bilateral negotiations. The literature on such negotiations focuses primarily on successful agreements. Academic research on unsuccessful or stalled bilateral talks is limited, although better understanding of such outcomes may provide lessons for future negotiations. This article contributes to such understanding by proposing a revised open economy politics (OEP) framework, adapted to 'second generation' OEP analysis. Our framework highlights the multidirectional linkages between the trinity of interests, institutions and international interactions within trade negotiations, while adding the role of power and ideas to the analysis. We leverage our revised framework to explore why the European Union–India Free Trade Agreement (EUIFTA) negotiations stalled, thus providing insights as negotiators seek to revive them. Drawing on 45 semi-structured interviews conducted over a seven-year period in the EU and India, we examine what impact these different factors had on the progress of talks. Our results suggest that our revised OEP approach provides a multi-layered and integrated framework which enables us to better understand negotiating outcomes. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the shifting balance between emerging economies and developed economies as a result of the geopolitical (power) shifts and ideational change will affect future trade negotiations.


ABSTRACT The purpose of this three-year, multi-phase community-based participatory research (CBPR) programme was to explore how to support Indigenous youth activity programmes and programme planners in Alberta, Canada. This CBPR programme was comprised of five phases: (1) Identifying mutual interests and learning how to partner, (2) Building culturally-relevant activity programmes with and for youth, (3) Defining CBPR programme goals and understanding our roles, (4) Exploring how to support Indigenous youth activity programmes, and (5) Applying and informing practices for supporting Indigenous youth activity programmes. Phases Four and Five of this CBPR are the focus of this paper. Phase Four was an exploration of programme planners' experiences of, and recommendations for, building partnerships and programmes to identify how to support Indigenous youth activity programmes and programme planners. Fifteen programme planners from four urban areas in Alberta participated in one-on-one interviews. Findings are represented by three themes: (1) Building capacity for collaboration and programme planning, (2) Connecting partners and existing programmes, and (3) Aligning and integrating goals and resources with existing programmes. Phase Five, the application phase of this CBPR, involved the co-development of a gathering event to apply areas of support (i.e. themes) from Phase Four of this CBPR, as well as to reflect on the strengths and challenges of applying such supports. Partners can use implications from the research programme processes and outcomes to explore their role in and practices for supporting these programmes.


A new borosilicate zeolite |N2H36C16|[Si22B2O48]·H2O, denoted as EMM-26, has been synthesized by employing a linear dicationic organic structure directing agent 1,6-bis(N-methylpyrrolidinium)hexane (OSDA). EMM-26 has a novel zeolite framework and contains two-dimensional (2D) intersecting 10 × 10-ring channels. Its structure was solved from sub-micrometer sized crystals using rotation electron diffraction (RED) and refined against both the RED and synchrotron powder diffraction data. We have shown for the first time that RED data alone can be used to accurately determine zeolite structures. The OSDAs can be removed from the framework generating permanent pores. EMM-26 shows good CO2 uptake and CO2/CH4 selectivity.


Purpose: NCS(National Competency Standards) is a systematic organization of knowledge, skills, and literacy required for performing tasks in industrial settings. This research aims to search for keywords that are important to us and to present key directions of education for the fourth industrial age in the future.
Methods: The systematic classification system of NCS was investigated and the classification code structure was analyzed. Among them, the frame and structure analysis of the classification code of quality was analyzed using R-program.
Results: This study grasped the quality classification situation of NCS and suggested improvement plan from the operational aspect of the fourth industrial revolution era.
Conclusion: In conclusion, this study suggested the idea of education direction of SMEs(Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) in the era of the 4th industrial revolution by understanding NCS which reflects Korean characteristics.


The annual presentation of the Society's Medal is a major event. This year's medalist is known worldwide to most in the profession, at least by reputation. There are doubtless few who have not encountered either the man—an inveterate attender of national and international meetings and congresses—or one or more of his numerous publications. Few actively engaged in work with brachiopods or with Silurian-Devonian biostratigraphy and paleoecology have not collaborated with him over the years or encountered him during his peripatetic field work wherever there is a Silurian-Devonian outcrop.

Boucot came from a Philadelphia family that valued academic and professional achievement, and with the encouragement received as a child from his mother, one might have predicted his ultimate contributions to paleontology and evolution. When he was very young, his mother took an elementary geology course at the Wagner Free Institute of Science and encouraged his interest in geology. At the age of five Boucot collected and recognized from a picture in his mother's textbook a brachiopod that turned out to be a Late Devonian spiriferid. During a year at Pennsylvania State College, where his mother was completing her premedical requirements and Art was about 10, he was encouraged in fossil collecting by Frank M. Schwartz and in mineral collecting by Arthur Honess. From 1935 through 1938 he took an elementary course in Physical and Historical Geology, taught by Benjamin F. Howell, at the Wagner Free Institute of Science (his "diploma" hangs on his office wall).

Despite a promising beginning, Art was a freshman dropout from the University of Pennsylvania who went to work as a crystal finisher for RCA in 1942. A childhood enthusiasm for mineralogy had been encouraged by Samuel G. Gordon, curator of the mineral collection at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. Appropriately, Boucot's first published papers were …


ABSTRACT Implant-related infections are serious complications of trauma and orthopedic surgery and are most difficult to treat. The bacterial biofilms of 34 clinical Staphylococcus sp. isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, n = 14; coagulase-negative staphylococci, n = 19) were incubated with daptomycin (DAP; 5, 25, or 100 mg/liter), vancomycin (VAN; 5, 25, or 100 mg/liter), tigecycline (TGC; 1, 5, or 25 mg/liter), fosfomycin (FOM; 100, 250, or 1,000 mg/liter), and cefamandole (FAM; 50, 100, or 500 mg/liter) for 24 h at three different ambient temperatures: 35°C, 40°C, and 45°C. To quantify the reduction of the biomass, the optical density ratio (ODr) of stained biofilms and the number of growing bacteria were determined. Increasing the temperature to 45°C or to 40°C during incubation with FAM, FOM, TGC, VAN, or DAP led to a significant but differential reduction of the thickness of the staphylococcal biofilms compared to that at 35°C (P < 0.05). Growth reduction was enhanced for DAP at 100 mg/liter at 35°C, 40°C, and 45°C (log count reductions, 4, 3.6, and 3.3, respectively; P < 0.05). A growth reduction by 2 log counts was detected for FAM at a concentration of 500 mg/liter at 40°C and 45°C (P = 0.01). FOM at 1,000 mg/liter reduced the bacterial growth by 1.2 log counts (not significant). The antibacterial activity of antimicrobial agents is significantly but differentially enhanced by increasing the ambient temperature and using high concentrations. Adjuvant hyperthermia may be of value in the treatment of biofilm-associated implant-related infections.


Steelpans are musical percussions made from steel barrels. During the manufacturing, the metal is stretched and bended, to produce a set of thin shells that are the differ-ents notes of the instrument. In normal playing, each note is struck, and the sound reveals some nonlinear characteristics which give its peculiar tone to the instrument. In this paper, an experimental approach is first presented in order to show the complex dynamics existing in steelpan's vibrations. Then two models, based on typical modal interactions , are proposed to quantify these nonlinearities. Finally , one of them is observed in free oscillations simulations , in order to compare the internal resonance model to the steelpan vibrations behaviour in normal playing. The aim is to identify the important modes participating in the vibrations in view of building reduced-order models for modal sound synthesis.


The article provides a conceptual assessment of the existing definition of the term "project" and improved its management interpretation. The main essential characteristics of the project are formulated, the corresponding categorical device is given, which allows to systematize the project activity and adapt it to different objects of the application. In particular, an attempt was made to clarify the definition of the project in cybersecurity and cyberdefense. The processes influencing project activity at the level of the state, regions, and separate enterprises are defined. It is proved that although the problems of cybersecurity are gradually shifting to the state level in the context of national security, project activities in this area occur primarily at the level of the individual business. The peculiarities of cybersecurity projects such as increased level of state influence, the complexity of the initiation stage, critical implementation deadlines, significant budget differentiation, unlimited number of possible participants, high level of personalization, difficulty in calculating efficiency indicators are highlighted. The key tasks of project management in cybersecurity are defined: formulation of the main goal of the project and ranking of its goals, determination of necessary volumes and sources of financing, assessment of project risks, selection of project executors, scheduling of project implementation, resource requirements, control, etc. Proposals for optimizing project management processes in the field of cybersecurity have been formed. Emphasis is placed on the prospects of using consistent project management methods, due to simplified communication with customers, the ability to divide the process of implementing cybersecurity systems into certain stages, as well as to introduce an effective monitoring and control mechanism at these stages.


Cancer or malignant tumor is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread other parts of the body. According to World Health Organization 2012, cancer comprises 63% of annual global mortalities, claiming the lives of 7.6 million people each year. In search for anticancer drugs, a study about the angiogenic activity of Bignay (Antidesma bunius) dried leaf extract was further examined and studied. This study focuses on Bignay's content of polyphenols and its anti-angiogenic role against cancer. To determine the total amount of phenolic acid present, quantitative phytochemical analysis was performed using Folin-Ciocalteau reagent. The result shows 0.65 mg/g being expressed in Gallic Acid Equivalent/g. The median lethal concentration (LC 50 ) as antiangiogenic agent was at 53.71%. Duck Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) Assay was conducted to determine the anti-angiogenic property having 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% concentrations were used for comparison. Result shows that 40% concentration had the greatest anti- angiogenic activity in terms of the decrease number of blood vessels developed against positive control, Bevacizumab. It found out that there was no significant difference between the antiangiogenic effect in high concentration and Bevacizumab as positive control in 3-day old duck chorioallantoic membrane.


The objective of the work was to verify the earwig occurrence in orchards of peach trees, as well as its population fluctuation. Hundred and twenty strip traps were installed in four peach orchards, located municipality of Araucaria, Parana, from October of 2005 to October of 2006. The species of earwig found was Doru lineare (Eschs. 1822). The largest populations of D. lineare were registered between May and August, during the dormancy period of peach and the absence of the insect in the traps was verified during the vegetative period of the plants.


It was confirmed that samples of RCoSn (R=Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er) compounds have the orthorhombic NiTiSi-type structure. They all order antiferromagnetically with transition temperatures TN decreasing along the series: 20.5 K, 10 K, 7.8 K, and 4 K, respectively. Their complex non-collinear magnetic structures result in a multicomponent appearance of the Mossbauer spectra recorded for 23.8 keV gamma -transition of 119Sn at temperatures below TN. In the case of DyCoSn the hyperfine-split spectra are observed above TN due to the non-vanishing transferred fields at the tin sites in the paramagnetic state. A change in the type of magnetic ordering of TbCoSn at 1 1.6 K may be inferred from both magnetic and Mossbauer measurements. Mean values of the saturation transferred hyperfine fields at tin nuclei scale roughly with the square root of magnetic transition temperatures TN.


Density functional theory (DFT) cluster calculations have been used to investigate the interaction of various oxametallacycle intermediates with the Ag(110) surface, with an emphasis on connecting oxametallacycle structure to the mechanism of olefin epoxidation. These studies indicate that two types of oxametallacycle structures may be formed on Ag(110):  the OMME structure, which incorporates a silver dimer in the oxametallacycle ring, and the OME structure, which incorporates a single silver atom. Although OMME-type intermediates are calculated to be more thermodynamically stable for monofunctional epoxides (such as ethylene oxide), transition-state calculations suggest that OME oxametallacycles may be more likely structures along the reaction coordinate for olefin epoxidation. OME structures have also been identified as likely intermediates in the synthesis of multifunctional epoxide molecules such as 1-epoxy-3-butene (EpB). In these cases, the extra functional group can also bind to the surface to inc...


In a grammar book, there are rules reflecting structures of mental thought and also examples used for the explanation of the rules as well. It can be postulated that they show perceptions of life. Taking this as our point of departure, this article considers and researches books written to teach Arabic Grammar. For this reason, the book named al-'Avâmil of al-Birgivî (d. 981/1573) was taken as a sample for this research. The main purpose in many of his books is, as can be determined, to send a message to create Muslim character in its readers. This aim can be seen in his al-'Avâmil too. This article purposes to show that al-'Avâmil was designed in a structural system and exemplified in a way aiming to create Muslim character for learners of Arabic. It is shown that all of the examples were also made for this purpose, especially for beginners. As a conclusion, following analysis and comparison, this work shows that the author wrote his book to construct a religious scholarly Muslim character. And it can be said that this book can act as an example for new works in this context.


The main objectives of this study are to investigate the effects of different temperatures on osmotic dehydration of red cubical pitaya fruit and subsequently physical quality evaluations, in developing dried pitaya cubes as a new healthy snack product. Two major steps were involved (i) an osmotic dehydration process was used as a pre-treatment and (ii) an air drying process in a cabinet dryer was used for further drying. The effect of sugar solution concentration (40, 50 and 60%), temperature (25, 30 and 35 ˚C) and air velocity (1 and 3 ms־¹) and also air temperature for the air drying process (40, 50 and 60 ˚C) were studied. Sampling was performed every 15 minutes for 2 hours, then at 4, 6, 24, 48 and 72 hours of immersion. Then pitaya slices were removed from the solution in order to investigate dehydration efficiency and equilibrium stage of dehydration. Osmotic dehydration kinetics was modelled according to Peleg, and Page equations. Both models were evaluated using two statistical measures, correlation coefficient, and root means square error. The statistical parameters (R² and RMSE) indicated that both models can predict good fitting with moisture content, weight reduction, and sugar gain and water loss. But the best fitting for weight reduction and sugar gain were obtained using Peleg equation. The Page empirical model presented a good fit of the water loss experimental data.
Addition of sucrose to osmotic solutions decreased the driving force of the process and resulted in higher water loss and sugar gain. Colour saturation values increased, denoting colour intensification during the process of osmotic dehydration. Lightness of the pitaya cubes decreased as the sugar concentration increased. The greatest changes in Total Colour Difference of osmotic dehydrated samples occurred in 50 and 60% sugar solutions. An increase of concentration and passing time cause softer texture in product compared to the fresh pitaya. However, based on the air drying process, the best osmotic dehydration condition was a sugar concentration of 60% at 35 ˚C with a contact time of 2 hours. This treatment could remove more water of the samples, therefore air drying time reduced.
Pitaya samples were air dried in a cabinet dryer at 40, 50 and 60 ˚C with two different air velocities of 1 and 3 ms־¹ for 8 hours. Among the pre-treatment conditions, the sucrose concentration, temperature and immersion time significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the air drying time. Osmotic dehydrated pitayas that were air dried at 60 ˚C showed a large moisture decline in the early drying periods similar with the drying rates of untreated samples. At the beginning of the drying process of fresh pitaya, drying rate was influenced by air temperature. Air dried samples at 40 ˚C showed lower drying rates attributed to sugars concentration on the outer layers of pitaya tissue and their crystallization during drying, but had better colour retention during drying. In the air dried osmotic dehydrated samples at 60 ˚C a greater texture hardening was observed.
The best product was obtained in the following operational condition: air temperature of 60 ˚C, air velocity of 1 and 3 ms־¹ and contact time of around 5 hours (with 22.78% to 22.3% moisture content) for air drying. Because of the short time of drying these conditions help to improve colour and texture of the osmotic dehydrated pitaya cubes. This study provides an extensive understanding of osmotic dehydration of red cubical pitaya at lower temperatures. The results indicate that the process is feasible and may represent a new product for pitaya fruit


In this paper, four instrumentation ampli ̄er (IA) topologies, one of which is current-mode (CM) while the others are voltage-mode (VM), are presented. Three of the IAs use one to two current feedback operational ampli ̄ers (CFOAs) while the other one employs only a single NMOS transistor. One of the IA circuits, given as an example, is simple while others are novel. The CM IA is composed of only grounded resistors which have some advantages in integrated circuit (IC) process. Non-ideality e®ects such as non-ideal gain and parasitic impedances on the performance of introduced IAs are discussed. In order to show the performance of the circuits, we perform experimental tests and simulations by using SPICE program.


Maps help people find their way in both a real and a metaphorical sense. Material maps are flanked by mental maps. What does the literary map of Europe display for informed readers willing to invest their newly acquired knowledge in it? Does what is displayed depend only on the nationality of those holding the map, or on the constraints of their educational canons? The pilot study presented in this article was carried out in 2011-2012, by the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia and the Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz. Residents of Europe who have at least secondary education were asked to convey their spontaneous literary-historical associations regarding individual European countries. The results are represented in a number of typified geographical maps which help focus on the differences, commonalities and peculiarities that characterise the respective groups' associations and the mental maps behind them.


Abstract Microbiologically influenced corrosion and biofouling of steels depend on the adsorption of a conditioning film and subsequent attachment of bacteria. Extracellular deoxyribonucleic acid (eDNA) and amino acids are biologically critical nutrient sources and are ubiquitous in marine environments. However, little is known about their role as conditioning film molecules in early biofilm formation on metallic surfaces. The present study evaluated the capacity for eDNA and amino acids to form a conditioning film on carbon steel (CS), and subsequently, the influence of these conditioning films on bacterial attachment using a marine bacterial strain. Conditioning films of eDNA or amino acids were formed on CS through physical adsorption. Biochemical and microscopic analysis of eDNA conditioning, amino acid conditioning and control CS surfaces demonstrated that organic conditioning surfaces promoted bacterial attachment. The results highlight the importance of conditioning the surface in initial bacterial attachment to steel.


The article is devoted to research of the art of folk instrumental music of the Volga region connected with the existence of the Saratov accordion, which has been determined as the sonic ideal of ethnic regional culture. The article discloses the genre of repertoire and the stylistic peculiarities of archaic playing, as well as of the later instrumental tradition formed under the inluence of the urban folksong tradition and directed towards concert performance. The contemporary style of the performance of accordion players, based on musical tradition, reveals an innovative approach, an enrichment of performance with new means of articulation and sound expression. The research has been carried out with the assistance of the grant of the Russian Humanitarian Scholarly Foundation, project No.14-04-18012-е. Keywords: folklore, traditional instrumentalism, Saratov harmonica, archaic traditions, urban culture, genres of instrumental tunes


A new interferometric measurement of the caesium D2 resonance line wavenumber has been performed. The source is a diode laser stabilized on the fluorescence light of a caesium beam. Its wave number is measured with an improved interferometric wavemeter (lambdameter). The σD2 wavenumber is determined with an accuracy of 3.5 × 10-8.


Existing measures of productivity were designed to measure productivity in industries in which both input and output are tangible standardised quantities. They are inadequate for productivity measurement of professional services, where intangible and specialised factors of production are in use. This paper seeks to address the difficulties associated with the measurement of productivity of professional service firms and to propose a more adequate measure of productivity in these industries. This measure is tested on a sample of Swedish management consulting firms, and is assessed in relation to several performance indicators of these firms. The findings illustrate the inadequacy of the manufacturing‐based measurement procedures and demonstrate that a measure which acknowledges the unique characteristics of professional services correlates better with firms' performance. As this field of research is in its infancy, these findings are only suggested as indications for direction in which future research is needed.


A counterbalancing mechanism has been devised for use with highly sensitive semiconductor force gauges. This device is destined to balance any constant stress, especially if it over-passes the normal range of use of the gauge, leaving the instrument able to record accurately weak transient force variations superimposed on an initial value. It has been designed and used initially to record isometric contractions of striated fibres, selected from whole muscles by microelectrode stimulation.


Fluorescence properties of 1-pheny1-3-(4'-nitrophenyl) pyrazoline (PNP) were studied inbulk polymerization process of methylmethacrylate (MMA). The fluorescence intensity of PNPwas enhanced and the emission maximum was blue shifted with the polymerization progress. Inthe period of auto-acceleration of the polymerization the enhancement of fluorescence intensityand blue shift of peak wavelength in spectra could be observed evidently. This means that thesolvatochromic properties of PNP are influenced not only by the solvent polarity but also by theviscosity of the medium (especially by the phase transitiott). In solid state PNP emits from thecharge transfer excited state without solvent relaxation. The transient emission spectra and theresults from Bakhshiev model of solvent relaxation coincide with that from the polymerizationexperiment.


Numerous epigenetic studies have revealed that the acetylated status of histone as well as methylated status of cytosine is closely involved in gene transcription. Preclinical and clinical studies demonstrate that changes in levels of various genes in the brain including BDNF, play a role in the pathophysiology of depression. It is well known that the levels of BDNF mRNA and protein in the rat brain, such as frontal cortex and hippocampus, was decreased in response to stress, but the precise mechanism of stress-induced downregulation of BDNF has yet to be characterized. In this context, we examined the influence of a single immobilization stress (SIS) on the levels of total BDNF mRNA with each exon mRNA by real-time PCR and acetylated histone at the promoters of the BDNF gene by chromatin immunoprecipitaion assay in the rat hippocampus. SIS significantly decreased the levels of total BDNF mRNA with significant reduced levels of exon I and IV mRNA. Significant decreases in acetylated histone H3, but not H4, were found at the promoters of exons I, IV, and VI. On the other hand, antidepressant-like effects has been reported with sodium butylate (SB), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, promoting gene transcription. We also found antidepressant-like effect of repeated administration of SB in the forced swim test using rats. In addition, we found that upregulation in transthyretin mRNA in the rat hippocampus is, at least in part, associated with this effect using DNA microarray and real-time PCR. Based on these findings, it is postulated that epigenetic regulation of the BDNF gene by stress and antidepressants may be involved in the pathophysiology of depression.


Subpopulations of thymocytes have been characterized phenotypically and functionally in relation to their expression of the marker defined by the monoclonal antibody J11d. Cortical-type L3T4+, Lyt-2+ thymocytes are all J11d+. Thymocytes that share the phenotype L3T4-, Lyt-2+ with peripheral Lyt-2+ T cells contain a J11d+ and a J11d- subset. These J11d- cells behave like peripheral Lyt-2+ T cells in two functional assays: they form clonal growth bursts in response to immobilized antibody against the T cell antigen receptor, and they act as precursors of alloreactive cytotoxic T cells. The J11d+ cells are inert in both of these assays. In contrast, L3T4+, Lyt-2- thymocytes do not contain a J11d+ subset.


Clinical observations for 49 diabetic patients who required chronic hemodialysis or renal transplantation during a four year period are presented. Twenty-seven dialysis patients had a two year cumulative survival of 74% compared to 54% for 22 transplantation patients. The cumulative survival of live-related donor recipients (77%) was similar to that of the dialysis group and significantly better than that of cadaveric allograft recipients (36%). While the incidences of cardiomegaly and of motor neuropathy were high among live-related donor recipients, dialysis patients more often demonstrated peripheral vascular disease. Causes of death in hemodialysis patients included cardipulmonary arrest and patient decision to discontinue therapy; in the transplantation group included cardiopulmonary arrest, sepsis, and stroke. Living-related transplantation remains the preferred mode of therapy because of the potential for rehabilitation. In terms of patient survival, the risks of cadaver transplantation must be weighted against the discomforts of chronic dialysis.


Background: Septic shock is among the most common causes of admission to medical intensive care units (ICU) and is associated with mortality of 20-40%. The white blood cell count (WBC) at time of admission correlates with prognosis in septic shock but it is not known if the change in WBC over time (i.e. the WBC trajectory) impacts survival.
 Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the trajectory of the WBC count in septic shock can identify distinct clinical groups and be an independent predictor of 30-day mortality.
 Objectives: 1) To identify groups of patients with different WBC trajectories using group-based trajectory analysis; 2) To evaluate patient and illness factors associated with WBC count trajectories; and 3) To estimate the association of WBC trajectory with mortality in septic shock.
 Methods: We completed a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with septic shock admitted to an ICU in Winnipeg, Canada between 2006-2014. We used group-based trajectory analysis to analyze the trend of WBC over the first 7 days of ICU admission to group patients according to stastically similar trajectories. Group-based trajectory analysis is a statistical method that can be used to describe the pattern of a variable over time. Rather than pre-specifying groups within a population, or using methods to measure an average trajectory for the entire population, group-based trajectory analysis allows for different groups with different trajectories to emerge. We used the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) and clinical validity characteristics to select the optimal trajectory model. We developed a multinomial logistic regression model to evaluate the association of patient and illness factors with WBC trajectories. We constructed a multivariable Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, comorbidities, infection type and antibiotics to evaluate the association of WBC trajectory on 30-day mortality.
 Results: Our final study cohort comprised 917 patients with septic shock. The favoured model identified 7 distinct trajectories of WBC (Figure 1). We found that only baseline platelet count and sex were associated with WBC trajectory. The 30-day mortality of the entire cohort was 26.3%, and ranged from 23.1% in group 4 to 63% in group 5 (rising WBC trajectory). In a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model, group 5 was independently associated with an increased hazard of death (Hazard Ratio 3.48, 95% CI 1.92 to 6.35, p<0.01).
 Conclusions: We found seven unique and clinically relevant groups of patients with septic shock using trajectory analysis of the WBC count. Routine baseline characteristics are poor predictors of trajectory group assignment. The rising WBC trajectory is associated with an increased risk of death in septic shock. Further studies are required to fully describe the clinical characteristics and prognosis associated with distinct WBC trajectories and whether this information can inform level of care decisions and anticipated response to treatments. In the era of Big Data, trajectory analysis will be broadly applicable to the field of hematology where trends in blood counts or biomarkers of disease may provide valuable clinical or prognostic information. Examples could include analysis of the M-protein trajectory in Multiple Myeloma, and the trajectory of platelet counts in immune thrombocytopenia.
 Figure 1. Figure 1.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


An extract from Escherichia coli containing the L-alanine-adding enzyme with a high specific activity was prepared. Several compounds structurally related to L-alanine were tested as inhibitors of this activity. Intact amino and carboxyl groups were necessary for an interaction with the enzyme. Certain halogenated (haloalanines) or unsaturated (L-vinylglycine, L-propargylglycine, 3-cyano-L-alanine) amino acids were good inhibitors. Radioactive glycine, serine and 1-aminoethylphosphonic acid were tested as substrates. Whereas glycine or L-serine gave rise to the formation of the corresponding nucleotide product, no synthesis of UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-L-1-aminoethylphosphonic acid could be detected.


Tabular parsers can be de£ned as deduction systems where formulas, called items, are sets of complete or incomplete constituents (Sikkel, 1997; Shieber, Schabes and Pereira, 1995). Formally, given an input string w = a1 . . . an with n ≥ 0 and a grammar G, a parser IP is a tuple (I,H,D) where I is a set of items, H is a set of hypothesis ([ai, i − 1, i] with 1 ≤ i ≤ n) that encodes the input string, and D is a set of deduction steps that determines how items are combined in order to deduce new items. The deductive approach allows us to establish relations between two parsers in a formal way. One of the most interesting relations between parsers are £lters because they can be used to improve the performance of tabular parsers in practical cases. The application of a £lter to a parser yields a new parser which performs less deductions or contracts sequences of deductions to single deduction steps. One well-known example of a £lter is the relation between Earley and Left Corner (LC) parsers for ContextFree Grammars (CFGs). A LC parser reduces the number of items deduced by Earley's parser using the left corner relation. Given a CFG, the left corner of a non-terminal symbol A is the terminal or non-terminal symbol X if and only if there exists a production A → Xν in the grammar, where ν is a sequence of symbols. In the case of A → e, we consider e as the left corner of A. The notion of the left corner relation allow us to rule out the prediction performed on X by an Earley's parser. Most tabular parsers for Tree Adjoining Grammars (TAGs) are extensions of well-known tabular parser for CFGs. For example, we can cite a number of tabular parsers for TAGs de£ned on the basis of the Earley's algorithm (Alonso Pardo et al., 1999; Lang, 1990; Joshi and Schabes, 1997; Nederhof, 1999). Although several approaches have been described to improve the performance of TAGs parsers, most of them based on restrictions in the formalism (Schabes and Waters, 1995) or compilation into £nite-state automata (Evans and Weir, 1998), to the best of our knowledge, no attempt has been made to improve the practical performance of Earley-based parsers for TAGs by introducing the left-corner relation.


Transmission line capacity enhancement by series compensation is commonly used in power systems, which consequently faces potential subsynchronous interaction (SSI). In this work, faster-than-real-time (FTRT) simulation based on the field-programmable gate arrays is proposed to mitigate the disastrous SSI in a hybrid AC/DC grid integrated with wind farms. Dynamic simulation is applied to the AC system to gain a high speedup over real-time, and a detailed multi-mass model is specifically introduced to the synchronous generator to show the electrical-mechanical interaction. Meanwhile, the DC grid undergoes electromagnetic transient simulation to reflect the impact of power converters' control on the overall grid, and consequently, the EMT-dynamic co-simulation running concurrently due to FPGA's hardware parallelism is formed. As the two simulations are inherently distinct, a power-voltage interface is adopted to separate them which enables their coexistence in one program. It shows that following the detection of a contingency, the FTRT hardware platform can generate an optimum solution with precisely quantified power flow changes in advance to keep the hybrid AC/DC grid stable. The FTRT efficacy is proven by a number of cases where the accuracy is validated by offline simulation tool Matlab/Simulink.


Three pedons each of Clermont (Typic Glossaqualfs) and Avonburg (Aeric Fragiaqualfs) soils were investigated on the Illinoian till plain of southwestern Ohio in order to evaluate parent material stratigraphy and to determine if paleosols were substantially altered following burial by a thin mantle of loess. The relationship between fragipan development and paleosol properties was also examined. The soils were found to have formed in 57 to 69 cm of Late Wisconsinan (Peoria) loess overlying a composite Early Wisconsinan and Sangamon paleosol. The Sangamon paleosol, which was most strongly developed at approximately 150 to 200 cm, was formed in Illinoian till. The material from about 70 to 140 cm consisted of a mixture of Early Wisconsinan loess and Illinoian till with till characteristics dominating. Evidence for a mixed zone in the upper paleosol included (i) a higher silt content than the lower paleosol, (ii) a maximum in elemental Ca in the total silt fraction, and (iii) an abundance of pedotubules in up to 50% of some horizons suggesting that mixing was caused by bioturbation. Modification of the paleosols has occurred as evidenced by recharge with secondary carbonates and bases leached from the overlying loess. A fragipan was identified in only one Avonburg pedon that had a clay content of 27% in the upper part of the paleosol as compared to 31 to 38% for the other pedons. Fragipans appear to have formed in these soils only if the clay content of the upper part of the paleosol is currently less than about 30%.


This study focuses on the role of natural amenity in spurring the permanent settlement of elderly migrants in China, in the period from 2009 to 2017. Based on a combination of NASA's Global Annual PM2.5 Grid data, and a nationwide China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS) dataset, a binary logit model was used to investigate the settlement intention of migrants over 60 years old, across 291 cities in China. The empirical results revealed that there was a significant inverted U-shape between the annual temperature and permanent settlement, and prefectures with warmer winters and higher air quality were more attractive to elderly migrants when controlling for the urban endowment and economic conditions. In addition, the coefficient of the interaction term of air quality and precipitation was negative, indicating that the hindrance of precipitation on permanent settlement intention decreased with the enhancement in better air quality. Furthermore, there was significant group heterogeneity in the elderly's migration reasons. The group of active movers cared more about environmental quality, whereas for the passive group, air quality had no effect on their permanent settlement.


Detecting deception in unstructured texts has many applications but faces serious obstacles. Recent research has shown that linguistic traces of deception can be extracted from texts, such as political speech, and a number of theoretically derived features have been linked to deception. In this paper, we explore methods to extract and select computationallyderived linguistic features in order to improve the performance of deception detection in political speech. We extract semantic features from different language tools and use feature selection techniques to select the optimal feature set. The selected features include both theoretically expected features (e.g., negative emotion tone) and empirically-derived features (e.g., narrative and cohesion). Using the selected features can significantly improve deception detection performance compared with a theoretical approach that uses a limited set of features.


In this article, we introduce the "dwelling paradox" to explore how the state actively produces water insecurity for people experiencing homelessness in the Global North. We explain that the dwelling paradox is (1) produced by a modernist ideology of public service delivery that privileges water provision through private infrastructural connections in the home; (2) is reproduced by the welfare‐warfare state, which has increasingly weaponized public water facilities and criminalized body functions in public space; and (3) is actively contested by some houseless communities, who challenge hegemonic ideals of the "home"—and its water infrastructure—as a private, atomized space. In advancing a relational and spatial understanding of water insecurity, we use the dwelling paradox to illustrate how unhoused people are caught in a space of institutional entrapment that is forged by state power and amplified by anti‐homeless legislation. Such spaces of entrapment make it extremely difficult for unhoused people to achieve a safe, healthy, and thriving life—the basis of the human rights to water and sanitation.