Purpose To compare the vascular measurements obtained from fovea including foveal avascular zone (FAZ) with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) between patients with exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) and healthy controls. Methods This cross-sectional comparative study included 54 XFG patients and 94 healthy subjects. All subjects were given a complete ophthalmological examination including visual field testing, retinal nerve fiber layer and macular ganglion cell complex analysis. OCTA was performed to evaluate the vascular features of fovea including FAZ. The measurements of vessel density (VD), perfusion density (PD) and FAZ values were segmented and calculated using the inbuilt software on OCTA. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to determine the best cut-off values to detect the disease. Results In the XFG group, decreased VD, PD and FAZ values were observed. ROC analysis showed an obvious separation, differentiating the patients with XFG from the healthy controls at cut-off value of 19.55 with a sensitivity (sen) of 92.3% and a specificity (spe) of 81.9%) for VD total and 21.20 (sen:100 and spe:78.7) for VD parafoveal; 0.36 (sen:98.1and spe:76.6) for PDtotal and 0.378 (sen:96.2and spe:84) for PDparafoveal; 0.635 (sen: 79.3 and spe:72) for FAZ circulatory index. Conclusion The results support the findings of decreased microvascular density on foveal region in XFG. The cut off values of the changes in the foveal parameters in patients with exfoliation may be useful in evaluation of future glaucoma management to show how far a particular exfoliative eye is positioned from an healthy eye and how close to XFG.


Abstract. Over the years data assimilation methods have been developed to obtain estimations of uncertain model parameters by taking into account a few observations of a model state. However, most of these computationally affordable methods have assumptions of Gaussianity, e.g. an Ensemble Kalman Filter. Ensemble Transform Particle Filter does not have the assumption of Gaussianity and has proven to be highly beneficial for an initial condition estimation and a small number of parameter estimation in chaotic dynamical systems with non-Gaussian distributions. In this paper we employ Ensemble Transform Particle Smoother (ETPS) and Ensemble Transform Kalman Smoother (ETKS) for parameter estimation in nonlinear problems with 1, 5, and 2500 uncertain parameters and compare them to importance sampling (IS). We prove that the updated parameters obtained by ETPS lie within the range of an initial ensemble, which is not the case for ETKS. We examine the performance of ETPS and ETKS in a twin experiment setup, where observations of pressure are synthetically created based on the know values of parameters. The numerical experiments demonstrate that the ETKS provides good estimations of the mean parameters but not of the posterior distributions and as the ensemble size increases the posterior does not improve. ETPS provides good approximations of the posterior and as the ensemble size increases the posterior converges to the posterior obtained by IS with a large ensemble. ETKS is very robust while ETPS is very sensitive with respect to the initial ensemble. An issue of an increase in the root mean square error after data assimilation is performed in ETPS for a high-dimensional test problem is resolved by applying distance-based localization, which however deteriorated the posterior estimation.


The need for reducing time of crop exposure to pests has given emphasis to cultural changes in row widths and plant densities for upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., and this has challenged available cultivars to avoid losses in yield and fiber quality. Four genotypes, HYC72-234/320 (very early), 'Auburn M' (early), MO63-277 BR (medium early), and 'Stoneville 213' (medium early to full-season) were drilled and hill-drop seeded in rows 51 cm apart on beds 203 cm wide on Tiptonville silt loam (fine silty-mixed-thermic typic argiudolls). Four planting methods and rates were used to establish the average within-row plant populations of one, five, and nine plants per 31 cm of row. Eleven agronomic characteristics of upland cotton were measured in relation to the four within-row populations. Lint yields, combining genotypes, were significantly reduced by 90–131 kg/ha in stands of nine or more plants compared with stands of one and five plants in 31 cm of row. The percent of barren plants increased and the numbers of open bolls for four rows 1 m long prior to harvest decreased as number of plants per 31 cm of row increased. The lint yields of Auburn M and HYC72-234/320, early and determinate cultivars, were not influenced significantly by the within-row plant densities. Stoneville 213, a full-season indeterminate cultivar, produced significantly lower yields when within-row plant population was highest. Only minor differences were noted in lint fraction, seed size, boll size, and fiber properties due to the various within-row plant densities. Our findings suggest that cultivar fruiting efficiency potential and within-row plant population should be considered when planting dates are delayed or row-widths modified for cotton culture in the northern extremes of the Mississippi Delta.


Serum vitamin E levels were measured in 17 very low-birth weight infants in the first 2 wk of life, before and after the institution of intravenous vitamin E supplementation in a dosage of 4.5 mg/day, as a component of MVI Pediatric multivitamin preparation. Serum vitamin E levels were 0.22 +/- 0.16 (SD) mg/dl before supplementation, and rose to 2.55 +/- 0.65 (SD) mg/dl in nine infants more than 899 g birth weight, and rose to 3.68 +/- 0.70 (SD) mg/dl in six infants less than 900 g at birth. These postsupplementation serum vitamin E levels are in the range in which a reduction of incidence or severity of retinopathy of prematurity and intraventricular cerebral hemorrhage has been reported by others. No toxic effects of the preparation or of the increased vitamin E levels were found.


Abstract Elastic properties are an important issue in explaining the behavior of seisms and to ascertain the mineralogical composition of the Earth's shells through which seismic waves pass. Computational methods can yield an additional, detailed, free-of-heterogeneity model knowledge of the mineral series of interest. Therefore, a computational study on the influence of the interlayer cation in the muscovite-paragonite (Ms-Pg) series on the crystal cell, internal geometry, and the elastic properties was made to shed light on the mineralogical, geophysical, and geochemical properties of the series. These properties have been calculated by means of Density Functional Theory (SIESTA2.0.2 code). The crystal structure and internal geometry agreed with the range of experimental values in the literature. In general, elastic stiffness constants (EC) agreed with the known experimental values. ECs of different interlayer cation configurations for the middle concentration sample showed very similar values, except for C33, The majority of ECs, with the exception of C33 and C66, decreased as a function of Na′ [Na/(Na+K)], many of which showed ideal crystalline solution behavior, and some showed mixing terms. The polycrystalline bulk modulus registered similar values for the end-members of the series and a minimum at Na′ = 0.5, although an estimate of the value at room temperature made the Pg stiffer than Ms; while the shear modulus showed a decreasing trend as a function of the Na′. Velocities of the sound waves lowered as a function of Na′. Local deformabilities were also studied, where the highest deformability was found for the interlayer space. The results are discussed in the framework of the mineralogical, geochemical, and geophysical knowledge of the series.


A new subject repository, Economists Online (EO), has recently been launched. The pioneering model upon which it is built, aggregating the subject specific content of a consortium of participating institutions and their repositories, is examined in this article. An overview of existing subject repositories is given, along with an analysis of the scholarly communications landscape in economics and how the new EO subject repository fits into this environment. This paper makes a case for collaboration between institutional repositories as a way of increasing Open Access (OA) access to research.


To ensure control, present lifts use the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus for transmitting commands between components. Although it is largely adopted in the industrial process, CAN is not able to guarantee a sufficient throughput to transmit multimedia data or to meet the requirements of some safety standards. In this paper, we present a transition case from electrical/electromechanical components to a networked control system. The main element we focus on in the lift system is the safety chain. We propose to build the lift communication system around real-time Ethernet for more efficiency, smartness and safety. Furthermore, the use of the openSAFETY protocol as a safety layer over the real-time Ethernet allows the achievement of the required Safety Integrity Level (SIL). This adopted solution should meet the adopted standard IEC 61508 requirements.


IWELCOME you to the first issue of the IEEE COMMUNICATIONS SURVEYS AND TUTORIALS in 2020. This issue includes 25 papers covering different aspects of communication networks. In particular, these articles survey and tutor various issues in "Wireless and Cellular Communications," "5G Communications," "Vehicular and Sensor Communications," "IoT and M2M," "SDN and NFV," "Internet Technologies," and "Network Security." A brief account for each of these papers is given below.


OBJECTIVE
To study the application of degrading multi-enzymes from Ganoderma lucidum in extracting effective constituents from fibrous roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza.

METHOD
Effective constituents were extracted from fibrous roots by degrading multi-enzymes of wood fiber. The enzymatic parameters were optimized by the orthogonal design.

RESULT
The extraction efficiencies of total tanshinones and total salvianolic acids in the extracts of fibrous roots of S. miltiorrhiza was obtained using optimum enzymolysis process reached 11.923%, 12.465%, respectively, which were 62.794%, 56.086% more than that by conventional non-enzymatic hydrolysis.

CONCLUSION
Degrading multi-enzymes of wood fiber can be used to fully extract effective constituents from fibrous roots of S. miltiorrhiza, which provides a new approach for recycling wastes of traditional Chinese medicines.


The spread of a virus or the outbreak of an epidemic are natural examples of stochastic processes. Classical mathematical descriptions of such phenomenon include various branching processes such as the SIR (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered) model and the SIS (Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible) model. The basis of this thesis consists of giving a comprehensive overview of the mathematical theory behind these models with an emphasis on the SIR model and its evolution on complex networks. Further, following [1],[2],[3], we consider the evoSIR on three network structures (Erdös Rényi Graph (ER graph), configuration model network and the preferential attachment model) in which a susceptible after learning the status of his neighbour breaks that connection at rate ρ and rewire to a randomly chosen individual in the population. We show through simulations that, delSIR can reduce the final size of an outbreak of a diseases with a higher probability. Finally, we show that the network structure crucially influences the measures to control the outbreak of diseases at the population level.


This article addresses the criticism that critical disability studies (CDS) is morally relativistic and politically unhelpful. Written from the perspective of a current CDS practitioner, this response foregrounds political approaches to disability that are based on materialist and intersectional modes of analysis derived from CDS insights. Recent CDS scholarship is assessed through a historiographical review, and relevant political trajectories are contrasted with the call for "clear ethical guidelines" and approaches to advocacy based on a politics of identity, vulnerability, and reified difference. Throughout this discussion, binary framings of postmodern/modern, discursive/materialistic, theory/praxis, among other pairings, are challenged through a review of existing overlaps, and a consideration of constructive directions stemming from these syntheses.


The activity of two chlorine derivates, sodium hypochlorite in water solution with NaCl (product A) and electrolytic chloroxidant (product B) has been tested in vitro against potentially human pathogenic fungi (Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Microsporum gypseum, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, Epidermophyton floccosum, Trichophyton rubrum, Sporotrix schenkii). For A. niger, the relation of the two compounds has also been considered between mycelial and sporidial forms. Dilutions used ranged from 0.15 to 10% (corresponding to 17.2-1150 ppm of active principle for product A, and to 18.3-1220 ppm of active principle for product B). These were applied for different times in order to assess the minimal inhibitory concentration (M.I.C.) and to evaluate the survival time of the microorganisms tested, which were strains from the collection of the Institute of Mycology, (Faculty of Agrarian Science, Perugia) and recently isolated ones from animal and vegetable tissues, cultivated on Sabouraud medium. The cell suspension to be tested was obtained on nutrient broth in shaken flasks (120 rpm) at 28 degrees C for 48 h, and was separated by centrifugation and 10000 rpm at 5 degrees C for 20 min, repeatedly washed with sterile physiologic saline and resuspended in sterile water where it was submitted to delicate pressure in order to fragment the mycelium. Activity tests were carried out on Sabouraud broth and Sabouraud agar with controls for every case without the active principle. Aliquots of the suspensions (microrganism++ + disinfectant) were transferred at regular intervals (1, 3, 5 and 10 minutes) to the two substrates in liquid and solid state, and the growth of microorganisms was followed at 28 degrees C for 48-72 h in the case of yeasts, and for up to 21 days in the case of sower growing fungi. The cell content of the different suspensions was found to range from 10(4) to 10(9) UFC/ml. The active chlorine contents of the two compounds was evaluated by iodometry simultaneously with the pH of the different solutions. Useful data were obtained from the comparison of the two systems of activity assessment of the fluid and agarized substrate. It was thus found that the two compounds were equally active against the species tested. Some of these (A. fumigatus, M. gypseum, A. niger, C. albicans, C. neoformans) were less sensitive to the compounds examined (doses for cell inactivation 0.62-2.5% for product A, and O.15-1.25% for product B) where at any rate product B was more active.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Results are highlighted of the study into the pulmonary surfactant in healthy subjects. as well as in those afflicted with pulmonary tuberculosis who abused alcoholic drinks, with the aid of the chromotography techniques. It has been ascertained that activity of the pulmonary surfactant is dependent upon the clinical form of tuberculosis, its extension and presence of alcoholism. The lipid polyunsaturated fatty acids, with the linoleic (C18:2) and arachidonic (C20:4) acids being the most sensitive ones to the process of lipid peroxidation (LPO), and the study into the spectrum of lipid fatty acids in the expired air consensate suggest intencity of LPO in the pulmonary surfactant and permit carrying out its correction in a timely fashion during the process of treatment.


After oral administration of a single dose of ofloxacin (100, 300 or 600 mg) to 13 healthy male volunteers in an open, randomized crossover study, concentrations of the unchanged drug were estimated at various times in serum and urine, over 28 hours and 48 hours, respectively. Each dose was followed by a wash-out period of 1 week. Ofloxacin concentrations were determined using both high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and a microbiological assay. The measurements obtained were compared by linear distribution independent regression, and were found to be equivalent, indicating no major metabolism of ofloxacin. Maximum serum concentrations (Cmax) of ofloxacin after administration of 100, 300 or 600 mg were, respectively, 1.0, 3.4 and 6.9 mg/ml (HPLC, median values). A linear relationship between Cmax and dose was demonstrated within the range tested (coefficient of correlation r = 0.88). The same applied to AUC0-28 (r = 0.98) and to urinary recovery of the drug (r = 0.98). Time to reach Cmax varied between 0.5 and 1.1 hours (median values), indicating rapid absorption of the drug. Biological half-life (t1/2 beta) was determined by fitting a two-compartment open model to the date: t1/2 beta was in the range 5.6 to 6.4 hours (HPLC, median values) and was not relevantly dose-dependent. Urinary concentrations of ofloxacin remained above 1 microgram/ml, i.e. above the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC90) for most bacterial strains at all dosages tested, for at least 36 hours after drug administration. General tolerability was good; no side-effects were reported.


The two earlier papers of this series discussed more particularly the conditions governing the start of the high voltage corona. This line of investigation is continued to some extent in the present paper. In addition some interesting observations of the properties of the full-formed corona itself are recorded.


An integrated approach to the design of an automatic control system for canals using a Linear Quadratic Gaussian regulator based on recursive least squares estimation was developed. The one-dimensional partial differential equations describing open channel flow (Saint-Venant) equations are linearized about an average operating condition of the canal. The concept of optimal control theory is applied to drive a feedback control algorithm for constant-level control of an irrigation canal. The performance of state observers designed using the recursive least squares technique and the Kalman filtering technique is compared with the results obtained using a full-state feedback controller. An example problem with a multi-pool irrigation canal is considered for evaluating the techniques used to design an observer for the system. Considering the computational complexity and accuracy of the results obtained, the recursive least squares technique is found to be adequate for irrigation canals. In addition, the recursive least squares algorithm is simpler than the Kalman technique and provides an attractive alternative to the Kalman filtering.


For classical Hamiltonian with general form we find a new convenient way to obtain its normal coordinates, namely, let H be quantised and then employ the invariant eigen-operator (IEO) method (Fan et al. 2004 Phys. Lett. A 321 75) to derive them. The general matrix equation, which relies on M and L, for obtaining the normal coordinates of H is derived.


Abstract. In this study, we use sunphotometer (AERONET) data as reference to evaluate MODIS, Himawari-08, and MERRA-2 aerosol products over China. AERONET data from Beijing, Xianghe, Xuzhou, Taihu and Hong Kong are used. The results indicate that aerosol optical depths (AODs) obtained from MODIS, Himawari-08, and MERRA-2 from 2015-2017 over China are consistent with the AERONET observations. The accuracy of these AOD products shows a spatial and temporal variation. MODIS aerosol products tend to overestimate the AODs at Beijing, Xianghe and Xuzhou, with stronger overestimation in winter. For Taihu and Hong Kong, MODIS only overestimates the AODs in winter. Himawari-08 and MERRA-2 underestimate the AODs in autumn over almost all stations except Taihu.


This paper explains the design decisions and the different measurements we have done in order to characterize the thermal coupling and the characteristics of temperature sensors embedded in a integrated circuit implemented in a CMOS 65nm technology. The circuit contains a 2GHz linear power amplifier, MOS transistors behaving as heat sources and two differential temperature sensors. Temperature measurements performed with the embedded sensor are corroborated with an Infra-Red camera and a laser interferometer used as thermometer.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the properties of HBsAb in occult hepatitis B virus infection and its affinity to different serotypes of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg).

METHODS
Long-term follow-up was conducted in 2 HBsAb positive patients with occult hepatitis B virus infection. HBsAg was detected using multiple diagnostic kits and the HBsAb subtype was determined by performing neutralization experiments with different serotypes of HBsAg. The viral S gene was PCR-amplified and mutation analysis was conducted. Plasmids expressing HBsAgs were constructed by inserting these PCR products into an eukaryotic expression vector and were then transfected into HepG2 cells. The cell culture supernatant and cellular extracts were detected for HBsAg respectively. Neutralization experiments were carried out in the cell culture supernatant from HBsAg plasmids transfected HepG2 cells and serum samples from these patients and others who had been confirmed to be positive for HBsAb.

RESULTS
Multiple tests using various diagnostic kits showed that the 2 patients were negative for HBsAg and the three different serotypes of HBsAg (adr, adw, ay) could neutralize 82.1%-100% of HBsAb existed in the 2 patients. Sequence analysis of S gene cloned from these patients revealed that the homology to reference strain were 95.13%-97.79% and 92.04%-95.58% respectively at the nucleotide and amino acid levels. Quantitation of HBsAg showed that the expression levels of HBsAg from the two patients were 41.1% and 22.6% respectively of that of control HBsAg in cell culture supernatant and 48.1% and 59.3% respectively in cellular extract, and the supernatant/cell lysate ratios were 0.85 and 0.38 respectively. In neutralization experiments, HBsAg could be totally absorbed by control serum, whereas could only be partially neutralized by HBsAbs from the two patients (F = 353.6 and 645.2, P is less than 0.01).

CONCLUSION
Both the antigenicity and the ability of HBsAg secreted outside of the cells are decreased in these HBsAb-positive patients with occult HBV infection. The HBsAbs are mainly specific for common epitopes among different serotypes of HBsAg and are probably different as compared with those produced by vaccine inoculation.


We present the result of a symbolic machine learning system, ALLiS 2.0 for the CoNLL-2001 shared task. ALLiS 2.0 is a theory refinement system using hierarchical data. Results are F=89.04 for subtask 1, F=68.02 for subtask 2 and F=67.70 for subtask 3 (development test). Adding manual rules improves considerably results specially for task 2 (F=79.44). For the test data, results are slightly worst (F=62.27 for subtask 3).


Two different copper and gallium arylcorroles have been functionalized using the Vilsmeier-Haack reaction. A further Knoevenagel reaction with cyanoacetic acid was performed on both complexes, affording the desired products with yields above 90 %. The newly synthesized compounds have been thoroughly characterized by a combination of spectroscopic methods, optical analyses, and X-ray crystallography. Moreover, they have been tested as anchoring groups for the hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles. The morphology of the heterogeneous composites has been studied by SEM, EDS and fluorescence microscopy analyses, thus confirming the presence of the corrole macrocycle in the hybrid material.


Understanding the flow of information in Deep Neural Networks is a challenging problem that has gain increasing attention over the last few years. While several methods have been proposed to explain network predictions, only few attempts to analyze them from a theoretical perspective have been made in the past. In this work we analyze various state-of-the-art attribution methods and prove unexplored connections between them. We also show how some methods can be reformulated and more conveniently implemented. Finally, we perform an empirical evaluation with six attribution methods on a variety of tasks and architectures and discuss their strengths and limitations.


OBJECTIVE
This article examines the mechanisms through which peer educator (PE) intervention targets and reduces internalized stigma. There is substantial evidence that internalized stigma negatively impacts the lives of those suffering with mental health concerns, and has been identified as 1 of the most significant barriers to seeking professional mental health services. There has been a push toward identifying interventions and programs that effectively reduce and mitigate the impact of internalized stigma. Research suggests that contact with other individuals who share a stigmatized condition may be a promising approach to targeting and reducing internalized stigma. However, there is a dearth of research that has identified the mechanism through which this contact impacts internalized stigma.

METHODS
Study participants (n = 19) completed a 3-month PE intervention. Each participant was matched with an older adult with a history of depression currently in recovery who provided psychoeducation, social support, and motivational interviewing. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, public stigma (PDD), and internalized stigma (Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness, ISMI) scales pre- and post-PE intervention. They further participated in a brief semistructured qualitative interview to attain in-depth information about their perceptions of stigma and of working with a PE.

RESULTS
Overall, internalized stigma scores were significantly reduced after participating in the PE intervention. In addition, participants identified 4 mechanisms through which contact with their PE impacted their stigmatized beliefs: age related concerns, shared understanding, improved mental health literacy, and mutual support.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
This study suggests that PE is a potentially valuable approach toward reducing internalized stigma among older adults with depression.


While many recovery programs for threatened species focus on acute sources of mortality, understanding some of the evolutionary processes of these species may lead to more effective recovery efforts, especially in cases where human-induced disturbances have resulted in artificial selection pressures. We developed a Monte Carlo test to determine whether Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) experienced selective mortality as a function of their juvenile length and timing of downstream migration. Actively migrating juvenile fish (smolts) were captured, tagged, and released in 1995 and 1996 approximately 700 km upstream from the Pacific Ocean, and returning adults were detected at the same location. We analyzed data from two groups of fish: those that migrated downstream in-river and those that were barged downstream as part of the juvenile-salmon transportation program. These groups were further separated into wild and hatchery fish. Length at release was significantly greater in returning adults than in the general population for fish that migrated downstream in-river (both wild and hatchery) or were transported (hatchery only). From the 1995 seaward migration, adult returns of both wild and hatchery fish that migrated in-river were composed of fish released significantly earlier than the general population. In contrast, the opposite trend existed for wild and hatchery transported fish. From the 1996 seaward migration, no significant difference in release date was found between returning adults and the original population for any of the groups analyzed. Fish length at migration is a result of factors encountered in early life stages but selectively determines mortality in the smolt-to-adult stage. Thus freshwater habitat improvements, such as salmon carcass supplementation, directed at increasing nutrient levels and thus fish length may result in an increase in overall survival. The development of hydroelectric dams in the migratory corridors of these fish has disrupted their arrival timing to the estuary. Mitigation efforts designed to shift arrival timing toward that experienced prior to impoundment may confer considerable survival benefits.


This study explored the feasibility of training school teaching assistants to provide the treatment, Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing to treat childhood apraxia of speech (CAS, also known as developmental verbal dyspraxia). The study used a single case experimental design across behaviours and a qualitative evaluation of teaching assistant experiences using interviews. Two student-teaching assistant dyads participated. One child was aged 6;2 (6 years 2 months) and the other 5;6 at the time of the study. Both participants had speech characteristics consistent with the features outlined in the 2007 Technical Report on CAS from the American Speech and Language Hearing Association (ASHA). These included lengthened and disrupted coarticulatory transitions between sounds and syllables, inappropriate prosody and inconsistent errors on consonants and vowels. Treatment outcomes were measured using visual analysis and calculations of total-change improvement rate difference (TC-IRD) and composite IRD (C-IRD) based on percent of phonemes correct. Fidelity to the treatment protocol was measured using a Fidelity Score. Visual analysis of both child participant's data showed an upward trend for all treatment and similar words and a flatter trajectory for control words. Both child participants had a TC-IRD score of 100% for all treatment words. One child also had a TC-IRD score of 100% for their similar words and a TC-score of 25% for their control words. The second child had a TC-score of 67% for similar and control words. Both teaching assistants had a Fidelity Score of over 90%. Both teaching assistants reported positive experiences in conducting the program. Training teaching assistants may be an effective means of providing treatment to children with CAS while they are at school. Training teaching assistants also helps to improve their capacity which may have positive implications in their interactions with other children with speech sound disorders.


Bob Dylan (b. 1941) became known as an enfant terrible and a regenerator of rock lyrics already in the tumultuous 60´s. His constantly shifting roles as musician and songwriter, combined with his notable reserve, have led to the growth of a plethora of myths surrounding his person and work. His lyrics, accompanied by an increasingly original rock backing, based on folk music and rhythm & blues, built his reputation not only as a song writer and stage artist, but more importantly as a poet of a whole new breed. It is the lyrics and poems by Dylan, the rock poet, from the years 1961-67 that is the topic of this thesis. The emphasis lies on Dylan´s rapid development from celebrated protest singer and rock idol, to less accesible modernist song writer and poet during a few years in the mid 60´s. This thesis is structured chronologically and thematically in eight chapters that aim to elucidate significant thematic complexes in his songs and poems. An introductory expose places Dylan´s early career in a socio cultural context. Chapter 2 sums up Dylan´s first years in New York and defines his relation to his role-model Woody Guthrie. Chapter 3 examines Dylan´s representation of American society as a symbolic father. As the influence from Guthrie on Dylan´s song writing diminishes, new and more literary advanced influences from the Beat Poets, such as Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti, becomes discernible. These are explored in chapter 4. In the following three chapters, three artistic identities are projected - "The Prophet", "The Satirist" and "The Iconoclast" - that convey different dimensions of Dylan´s poetic strategy. The concluding chapter examines the album John Wesley Harding from 1967 and the transformation of Dylan´s song writing that it signifies. The album may be regarded as a comment to the increasing social unrest evident in America during the years 1966-68. The regeneration of Dylan´s writing here is fuelled by an attempt at assimilating the past and coming to terms with his own double cultural background - the Jewish and the Christian American.


Dimeric M-proteins (M-Prt) in group A Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) are surface-expressed virulence factors implicated in processes that contribute to the pathogenicity of infection. Sequence analyses of various GAS M-Prts have shown that they contain a highly conserved sortase A-dependent cell wall-anchored C terminus, whereas the surface-exposed N terminus is highly variable, a feature used for identification and serotyping of various GAS strains. This variability also allows for strain-specific responses that suppress host defenses. Previous studies have indeed identified the N-terminal M-Prt B-domain as the site interacting with antiphagocytotic human-host fibrinogen (hFg). Herein, we show that hFg strongly interacts with M-Prts containing highly variable B-domains. We further demonstrate that specific GAS clinical isolates display high affinity for the D-domain of hFg, and this interaction allowed for subsequent surface binding of human-host plasminogen (hPg) to the E-domain of hFg. This GAS surface-bound hPg is then activated by GAS-secreted streptokinase, leading to the generation of an invasive proteolytic bacterial surface. Our results underscore the importance of the human fibrinolytic system in host-pathogen interactions in invasive GAS infections.


Studies on brain abscess are hampered by single-centre design with limited sample size and incomplete follow-up. Thus, robust analyses on clinical prognostic factors remain scarce. This Danish nationwide, population-based cohort study included clinical details of all adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with brain abscess in the Danish National Patient Registry from 2007 through 2014 and the prospective clinical database of the Danish Study Group of Infections of the Brain covering all Danish departments of infectious diseases from 2015 through 2020. All patients were followed for 6 months after discharge. Prognostic factors for mortality at 6 months after discharge were examined by adjusted modified Poisson regression to compute relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Among 485 identified cases, the median age was 59 years (IQR 48-67) and 167 (34%) were female. The incidence of brain abscess increased from 0.4 in 2007 to 0.8 per 100,000 adults in 2020. Immuno-compromise was prevalent in 192/485 (40%) and the clinical presentation was predominated by neurological deficits 396/485 (82%), headache 270/411 (66%), and fever 208/382 (54%). The median time from admission until first brain imaging was 4.8 hours (IQR 1.4-27). Underlying conditions included dental infections 91/485 (19%) and ear-nose-throat infections 67/485 (14%), and the most frequent pathogens were oral cavity bacteria (59%), Staphylococcus aureus (6%), and Enterobacteriaceae (3%). Neurosurgical interventions comprised aspiration 356/485 (73%) or excision 7/485 (1%) and was preceded by antibiotics in 377/459 (82%). Fatal outcome increased from 29/485 (6%) at discharge to 56/485 (12%) 6 months thereafter. Adjusted RRs for mortality at 6 months after discharge was 3.48 (95% CI 1.92-6.34) for intraventricular rupture, 2.84 (95% CI 1.45-5.56) for immuno-compromise, 2.18 (95% CI 1.21-3.91) for age >65 years, 1.81 (95% CI 1.00-3.28) for abscess diameter >3 cm, and 0.31 (95% CI 0.16-0.61) for oral cavity bacteria as causative pathogen. Sex, neurosurgical treatment, antibiotics before neurosurgery, and corticosteroids were not associated with mortality. This study suggests that prevention of rupture of brain abscess is crucial. Yet, antibiotics may be withheld until neurosurgery, if planned within a reasonable time period (e.g. 24 hours), in some clinically stable patients. Adjunctive corticosteroids for symptomatic perifocal brain oedema was not associated with increased mortality.


P seudoaneurysm of an artery in close proximity to fractured bone is a well-recognized entity, and various cases involving different sites have been reported in the literature1-5. We report the case of a patient in whom a pseudoaneurysm of the posterior tibial artery developed following a closed fracture of the calcaneus. As far as we are aware, only one such case has previously been reported6.

Our patient was informed that data concerning this case would be submitted for publication.

A thirty-two-year-old manual laborer sustained injuries of the spine and foot following a fall from a height. He was admitted with a Chance fracture7,8 at the L1 level with paraparesis consisting of weakness mainly in the right lower extremity as well as a right-sided intra-articular calcaneal fracture. A computerized tomographic scan showed a grade-IV fracture according to the classification system of Sanders and associates9 (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
Transverse computerized tomographic scan showing the calcaneal fracture.

The spinal fracture was stabilized on an emergent basis. The calcaneal fracture was treated nonoperatively because of the severe comminution. Postoperatively, the patient had development of a deep-seated infection with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus at the site of the spinal procedure; the infection was treated successfully with multiple debridements and intravenous and oral antibiotics.

Approximately four weeks after the injury, a pulsatile mass was noticed on the medial aspect of the ankle, posterior to the medial malleolus. The mass corresponded with the anatomical course of the posterior …


Since the photons transfer momentum much more efficiently to electrons through Thomson scattering, selective acceleration of electrons will take place in an anisotropic radiation field, thus contributing to an electric current generation. The authors consider an optically thick, fully ionized, hydrogen plasma with the temperature gradient (dT/dZ) and the velocity shear (dVx/dZ) in a slab geometry (no spatial dependence in x- and y-directions). They calculate the current generation rate in the direction of the plasma flow velocity (x-direction) as the function of dT/dZ and dVx/dZ.


Maize (Zea mays L.) var.Giza 151 was intercropped for 2008 and 2009 seasons between hedgerows of leucaena ( Leucaena leucocephala L.) spaced 3 or 5 m apart, while maize was planted in hills 40 cm apart in rows spaced 75 cm, in loamy sand soil at Kom-Ombo Tropical Farm, Aswan Botanical Garden, Hort. Res. Inst., Agric. Res. Center, Egypt. The leucaena was cut at a height of 30 or 60 cm, 2 or 3 times per season and the fresh prunings spread as a mulch between the rows of maize. The yield of maize from mulched plots was measured and compared with that from plots fertilized with nitrogen as urea at 0, 30 or 60 kg N/fed.year. In the two seasons, leucaena dry yield was significantly affected by leucaena mulch treatments with the highest values 1131.28 g/ m row and 6787 g/ plot were due to 30 cm height and two cuts per season for hedgerow spacing of 3 m, while the lowest values 723.9 g/ m row and 4343.6 g/ plot were recorded with the 60 cm height, 3 cuts, 5 m treatment. However, the effect of leucaena pruning treatments was differed for N and protein contents in leucaena leaves, while the concentrations of N and protein were increased by using 30 cm height and 3 cuts per season of 5 m spaced leucaena. On the other hand, 60 cm height with two cuttings/ season in 5 m spaced leucaena increased cellulose content in leucaena prunings compared to the other treatments. Higher maize yields were obtained with supplementation with 60 kg N/ fed. Addition of leucaena prunings was able to sustain maize yields at moderate levels, for two consecutive years with no N addition. Addition of leucaena prunings improved soil fertility as increment of organic matter percentage and decreased the values of pH and E.C in the soil. (the results which are mentioned at the means of to seasons )


ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus (HSV) has often been suggested for development as a vector, particularly for the nervous system. Considerable evidence has shown that for use of HSV as a vector, immediate-early (IE) gene expression must be minimized or abolished, otherwise such vectors are likely to be highly cytotoxic. Mutations of vmw65 which abolish IE promoter transactivating activity may also be included to reduce IE gene expression generally. However, when vmw65 mutations are combined with an IE gene deletion, such viruses are hard to propagate, even on cells which otherwise complement the IE gene deletion effectively. We have found that vmw65 mutants can be effectively grown on cell lines expressing equine herpesvirus 1 gene 12, a non-HSV homologue of vmw65 with little sequence similarity to its HSV counterpart. This prevents repair by homologous recombination of vmw65 mutations in the virus, which would occur if mutations were complemented by vmw65 itself. The gene 12 protein is not packaged into HSV virions, which is important if viruses grown on such cells are to be used as vectors. These results not only further strengthen the evidence for direct functional homology between and similar modes of action of the two proteins but have allowed the generation of gene 12-containing cell lines in which ICP4 and ICP27 expression is induced by virus infection (probably by ICP0) and which give efficient growth of viruses deficient in ICP27, ICP4, and vmw65 (the viruses also have ICP34.5/ORFP deleted). Efficient growth of such viruses has not previously been possible. As these viruses are highly deficient in IE gene expression generally, such virus-cell line combinations may provide an alternative to HSV vectors with deletions of all four of the regulatory IE genes which, for optimal growth, require cell lines containing all four IE genes but which are hard to generate due to the intrinsic cytotoxicity of each of the proteins.


Estimates of marginal tax rates (MTRs) faced by individual economic agents, and for various ggregates of taxpayers, are important for economists testing behavioural responses to changes in those tax rates. This paper reports estimates of a number of personal marginal income tax rate measures for New Zealand since 1907, focusing mainly on the aggregate income-weighted average MTRs proposed by Barro and Sahasakul (1983, 1986) and Barro and Redlick (2011). The paper describes the methodology used to derive the various MTRs from original data on incomes and taxes from Statistics New Zealand Official Yearbooks (NZOYB), and discusses the resulting estimates.


A counterintuitive approach to electrophilic aromatic substitution with silicon electrophiles is disclosed. A strong Brønsted acid that would usually promote the reverse reaction, i.e., protodesilylation, was found to initiate the C-H silylation of electron-rich (hetero)arenes with hydrosilanes. Protonation of the hydrosilane followed by liberation of dihydrogen is key to success, fulfilling two purposes: to generate the stabilized silylium ion and to remove the proton released from the Wheland intermediate.


The arrival of affordable, high-quality digital video in Language Centres, via MPEG compression, coincides with a growing sophistication in the quality of in-house production for language learning in the university sector. Authoring tools, as Rapido' has shown, are simpler, more powerful and more flexible. The use of templates is becoming standardised. The design skills of higher education software developers are advancing steadily. Indeed, some university produced software compares favourably with that of the large multimedia publishing houses. The recognition and status of such production, however, and its integration with more traditional learning activities, still present complex problems which Language Centres are struggling to resolve. The image of a cottage industry may be wearing off but what lies beyond needs to be defined. University Language Centres have finally arrived at a technological and pedagogical turning point. The path to improved efficiency, credibility and an intelligent use of enabling technologies lies through an increased attention to the learning environment: the documents, films and activities prepared and made available to students for language learning. It is not a question of more teaching hours or less teaching hours but simply a change of emphasis, working upstream rather than downstream. This paper describes a possible model for in-house production through the use and integration of video-based hypertexts generated with the new PC version of Smart Alex.2 It outlines the problems of hypermedia development in the context of French universities and draws on the conclusions of the recent RAPIDO report in defence of an innovative approach to language learn ng.


The oxygen isotopic ratio 18O/16O has been measured in cometary gas for a wide variety of comets, but the only measurements in cometary dust were performed by the Stardust cometary sample return mission. Most such measurements find a value of the ratio that is consistent with Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) within errors. In this work we present the result of a measurement, using the COSIMA (the COmetary Secondary Ion Mass Analyser) instrument on the Rosetta orbiter, of the oxygen isotopic ratio in dust from Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Measuring the 18O/16O ratio with COSIMA is challenging for a number of reasons, but it is possible with a reasonable degree of precision. We find a result of 2.00 × 10−3 ± 1.2 × 10−4, which is consistent within errors with VSMOW.


The rust fungi Melampsora larici-populina (Mlp) and Melampsora allii-populina (Map) are the main phytosanitary constraints for commercial poplar cultivation in Europe. Although Mlp is more aggressive and prevalent than Map, the two species may co-infect the same poplar tree or even the same poplar leaf, making the epidemiological surveys of each species difficult to achieve. In this study, a new duplex real-time PCR assay targeting each species was developed, based on single-copy genes. This test proved to be specific, inclusive and was successfully used to detect and quantify each species, starting from urediniospore samples or directly from infected poplar leaves, with or without visible symptoms. This new molecular tool was also assessed for comparative studies of time-course infection experiments on artificially inoculated poplar leaf discs. These studies showed that the growth dynamics of Map were significantly slower when the two species were co-inoculated on the same leaf disc, confirming that Map is less aggressive than Mlp.


The basic and dynamic mechanical properties and thrermal conductivity of rubber composites filled with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and various particle-sized carbon blacks (CB) were investigated. Results indicated that tear strength and modulus at a definite elongation of rubber composites filled with CNTs were enhanced compared to the conventional CB filler. However, tensile strength and elongation at break became lower. Thermal conductivity of rubber composites partly filled with CNTs is higher than those filled with CB. Rubber filled with the combination of CNTs and the bigger CB particles was beneficial to improve wet-resistant performance and roll resistance of elastomer such as tire.


In the forms of either herbs or functional foods, plants and their products have attracted medicinal, culinary, and nutraceutical applications due to their abundance in bioactive phytochemicals. Human beings and other animals have employed those bioactive phytochemicals to improve health quality based on their broad potentials as antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-aging effects, amongst others. For the past decade and half, efforts to discover bioactive phytochemicals both in pure and crude forms have been intensified using the Caenorhabditis elegans aging model, in which various metabolic pathways in humans are highly conserved. In this review, we summarized the aging and longevity pathways that are common to C. elegans and humans and collated some of the bioactive phytochemicals with health benefits and lifespan extending effects that have been studied in C. elegans. This simple animal model is not only a perfect system for discovering bioactive compounds but is also a research shortcut for elucidating the amelioration mechanisms of aging risk factors and associated diseases.


Previous experiments using the polyoma middle T (PyMT) mouse model of mammary tumorigenesis have demonstrated that host germline variation modulates metastasis in breast cancer. Recent work using the PyMT model has identified novel metastasis susceptibility genes, an example of which includes Rrp1b (ribosomal RNA processing 1 homolog B). Over-expression of Rrp1b in a mouse mammary tumor cell line induces a gene expression signature that predicts survival in a well characterized Dutch breast cancer dataset. Additionally, a polymorphism was identified within human RRP1B (G1421A; P436L), which is associated with differential survival in multiple breast cancer cohorts. Here we extend the analysis of RRP1B function by demonstrating that the Rrp1b activation gene expression signature accurately predicts survival in three additional publicly available breast carcinoma gene expression datasets. We have also investigated the mechanism of action of RRP1B by defining protein binding partners for this germline-encoded metastasis modifier. Tandem affinity purification demonstrated that RRP1B physically interacts with many nucleosome binding factors, all of which have been implicated in regulation of gene expression. Examples include the linker histone H1X, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1, tripartite motif-containing 28 (TIF-1β/KAP1), and cold shock domain protein A. These interactions were confirmed by co-immunofluorescence (Co-IF) and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). Additionally, co-IF experiments demonstrated that RRP1B is localized to the perinuclear and perinucleolar regions, which is a particularly interesting given that factors localized to these regions are often involved in heterochromatinization and gene silencing. Furthermore, co-IP and co-IF demonstrated that RRP1B interacts with heterochromatin protein-1α and acetyl-histone H4 lysine 5, suggesting that RRP1B may well regulate gene expression through interactions with heterochromatin and euchromatin. Finally, we investigated the effects of ectopic expression of the 436Pro and 436Leu RRP1B allelic variants that have previously been associated with differential survival in breast cancer. Gene expression analyses demonstrate that, compared with ectopic expression of wildtype 436 Pro RRP1B in HeLa cells, the variant 436Leu RRP1B differentially modulates various transcription factors controlled by TRIM28 and CSDA. These data suggest that RRP1B, a tumor progression and metastasis susceptibility candidate gene, is potentially a dynamic modulator of transcription and chromatin structure. 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 2372.


The rapid growth in internet technology and the innovations in smart devices has had its impact on how businesses used to operate a decade ago to how consumers followed traditional shopping behavior when goods or services was required. The rise in internet users presents the opportunity of Electronic Commerce, the idea of providing and accessing goods and services using internet, such as selling goods and services, performing financial transactions and even booking an appointment. The two leading theories - perceived ease of use and usefulness have been employed in numerous information systems research studies to help understand consumer behavior in e-commerce environments. As the acceptance of e-commerce in Fiji is relatively low, this paper integrates the findings of previous researches with the perceived trust and perceived risk of consumers to provide a comprehensive framework of online shopping behavior based on the Technology Acceptance Model. To gain an in-depth understanding of consumers' acceptance of e-commerce an online questionnaire was used with questions which focused on these disciplines. The outcome of which verified that there were correlations between trust, perceived risk, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and usage of e-commerce. Through the use of this research, businesses in Fiji may incorporate features as per user expectations and have a good background before venturing into e-commerce.


In 12 cows, transvaginal interstitial laser treatment (TILT) of the ovaries was performed using a neodynium:yttrium aluminium-garnet laser to investigate the feasibility of a new treatment approach for clomiphene-resistant patients with chronic hyperandrogenic anovulation. Powers of 1 and 2 W during 5 min of exposure were used. Sonographic changes of thermal damage during TILT, the extent and healing of the lesions by light microscopy and ultrasound during 3 month follow-up and adhesion formation were studied. During laser irradiation, a hyperechogenic zone developed around the fibre tip, with a mean +/- SD diameter of 4.4 +/- 2.0 mm at 1 W and 6.9 +/- 1.5 mm at 2. W. The mean diameters of the histological lesions 2 days after treatment were 7.3 +/- 2.5 mm at 1 W and 13.0 +/- 2.1 mm at 2 W. During follow-up, the mean diameter of both the histologically and the sonographically assessed lesions decreased, although transvaginal sonography (TVS) systematically and significantly underestimated the thermal damage. Lesions healed by fibrosis and no adhesions were present. TILT of the ovaries in cows is easy to perform and produces central or subcapsular necrosis without adhesions. TVS gives an indication of thermal damage but underestimates the extent of tissue damage in cow ovaries. Obviously, this study does not allow conclusions to be drawn concerning its safety and efficacy in man.


Abstract Glacio-meteorological data obtained during the Greenland Ice Margin Experiment (GIMEX) investigations in West Greenland (the Søndre Strømfjord transect) have been used to test and calibrate energy-balance/mass-balance models for the ice/snow surface. The region is characterised by the development of a wide zone of low surface albedo in the course of the melting season. This zone was simulated in one of the energy-balance models by including the effect of surficial meltwater on albedo. Observed mass-balance and albedo data were used to constrain the models. Although all the models are capable of predicting the transect balance reasonably well, only the model with the meltwater albedo coupling, is able to reproduce the observed albedo pattern and mass-balance profile along the transect. By including the feedback between surficial meltwater and albedo in the model, the sensitivity of the specific balance to changes in air temperature is found to be greatest just below the equilibrium line (in contrast to what is generally found for valley glaciers). A 1 K warming of the air temperature would increase the mean ablation along the transect by 0.5 m w.e.year −1.


Background: Early interventions that improve vital organ perfusion will reduce the number of lives lost from blood loss injuries. We have shown that generating 10 second (~0.1 Hz) fluctuations or "oscillations" in arterial pressure and blood flow during simulated hemorrhage protects cerebral tissue oxygenation. Lower body negative pressure (LBNP) was used to both simulate hemorrhage, and induce the hemodynamic oscillations in these previous studies. However, the magnitude of cerebral tissue ischemia is limited to 20-30% with LBNP due to the onset of pre-syncopal symptoms. To examine the effect of 0.1 Hz hemodynamic oscillations on blood flow delivery and tissue oxygenation of severely ischemic tissues, we developed a limb ischemia model. Hypothesis: Oscillatory arterial pressure and blood flow will attenuate reductions in brachial artery blood flow and forearm tissue oxygenation in a severely ischemic limb. Methods: Nine healthy human subjects (5M, 4F; 27.2 ± 4.1 y) completed two experimental protocols separated by ≥48 h. In both conditions, ischemia of the forearm was induced with a pneumatic cuff on the upper arm to decrease brachial artery (BA) blood velocity by ~70-80% from baseline. In the oscillation condition (OSC), 0.1 Hz oscillations in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and BA blood flow were then induced by inflating and deflating bilateral thigh cuffs every 10 seconds (0.1 Hz) throughout the forearm ischemia period. In the control condition (CON), the thigh cuffs were in place, but were inactive throughout the forearm ischemia period. BA blood flow was measured via duplex ultrasound, forearm muscle tissue oxygenation (SmO2) was measured via near infrared spectroscopy, and arterial pressure was measured via finger photoplethysmography. Results: The magnitude of forearm ischemia, indexed by the reduction in BA blood velocity, was matched between protocols (CON: -75.2 ± 8.4 % vs. OSC: -78.3 ± 7.8 %, p=0.20). Power spectral density of 0.1 Hz oscillations in MAP (CON: 19.4 ± 22.8 mmHg2 vs. OSC: 716.8 ± 514.6 mmHg2; p<0.001) and BA blood velocity (CON: 0.7 ± 1.0 cm/s2 vs. OSC: 10.6 ± 7.1 cm/s2, p=0.02) were greater with oscillatory thigh cuff compression compared with the control condition. While oscillatory thigh cuff compression during forearm ischemia had no effect on absolute MAP (CON: 94.3 ± 6.6 mmHg vs. OSC: 94.4 ± 10.8 mmHg, p=0.99), BA blood flow (CON: 9.7 ± 5.8 ml/min vs. OSC: 9.5 ± 7.3 ml/min, p=0.82), or BA conductance (CON: 0.10 ± 0.06 ml/min/mmHg vs. OSC: 0.09 ± 0.06 ml/min/mmHg, p=0.39), the reduction in SmO2 was attenuated (CON: -38.7 ± 8.3 % vs. OSC: -28.4 ± 9.7 %; p=0.04). These data provide further evidence for the use of 0.1 Hz hemodynamic oscillations as a therapeutic intervention for conditions associated with severe vital organ ischemia such as hemorrhage, stroke, myocardial infarction, and sepsis. National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging T32 Ruth Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award (T32AG020494); American Heart Association Transformational Project Award (19TPA34910073) This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.


Abstract Using feminist disability studies and intersectionality, this article draws upon the ongoing resource extractions in Labrador, Canada to argue for examining local communities and relationships as one way to understand gender and global social, economic and environmental crises. The article explores how crises in Labrador have been constituted and maintained around global agendas of economic and resource development, historical and current colonial practices and a limited and constrained international relations with local Indigenous nations. The lives of women and their communities in Labrador illustrate one wave of a global crisis that extinguishes diversity and connection to the land in a race to extract natural resources, maintain global military power and gain profit in the global economy. The actions over the past thirty years by NATO and the Canadian federal, provincial and municipal governments, coupled with transnational mining corporations such as Vale, have "normalized" crisis in the communities and reduced the capacity of these communities and Indigenous nations to respond to the issues arising as a result of the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric development project. Yet the women and their communities illustrate their agency and reject an analysis of them exclusively as victims. Together with researchers and activists, the women in Labrador have built a community of practice in the Feminist Northern Network.


A number of physical factors have been introduced to improve limited area model forecasts. The factors include land surface fluxes, shallow convection and radiation. The model including these additional physical factors (modified physics) is run for five cases of monsoon depression which made landfall over the Indian coast, and the results are compared with those of the control run. The forecasts are verified by computing the root mean square and mean errors. The differences in these skill scores between the two model runs are tested for their statistical significance. It is found that the modified physics has a statistically significant effect on the model skill with the maximum impact on the mean sea level pressure and the temperature. Detailed analyses of mean sea level pressure, wind, rainfall and temperature further confirm that the modified physics has maximum impact on mean sea level pressure and temperature and marginal impact on wind and rainfall. Furthermore, analyses of some model parameters related to physics at a grid point for one case of depression were done. The results show that the inclusion of the land surface physics, shallow convection and radiative processes have produced a better precipitation forecast over the grid point.


In dense molecular clouds, the birthplace of stars and planets, interstellar atoms and molecules freeze onto extremely cold dust and ice particles. These ices are processed by ultraviolet light and cosmic rays forming hundreds of far more complex species, some of astrobiological interest. Eventually, these rain down on primordial planets where they take part in the young chemistry on these new worlds. Although the IR spectroscopy and energetic processing of interstellar ice analogs have been studied for nearly 30 years, similar studies of PAH containing ices have only just begun. This paper presents recent results from laboratory studies on the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photochemistry of PAHs in water ice at low temperatures to assess the roles they play in the photochemical evolution of interstellar ices and their relevance to astrobiology. A number of "surprises" were found in these studies on PAH containing water-rich ices, indicating that PAHs likely play very important, unexpected roles in cosmic ice chemistry, physics and astrobiology.


Sound corporate governance practices have become essential for efficient, viable and sustainable growth of Islamic financial institutions. Accordingly, there is a shift from the traditional shareholder value centred view of corporate governance in favour of a corporate governance structure that looks after the interest of a wider circle of stakeholder. Extant literature suggests that a good corporate governance practices depends on how well companies manage the diverse expectations and interests of various stakeholder groups. Nevertheless Western scholars have noted that constructing a model to devise a principle for making trade-offs among diverse stakeholders is the toughest problem of ethics that usually emerged. For Islamic financial institutions, this issue becomes more acute especially when corporate governance objectives would include reassuring stakeholders that they are likely to receive a fair return on their investments and equally important, that the business practices are in conformity with Shari'ah. This paper, therefore attempts to address this issue by providing Shari'ah prescription that provides a framework for managers to resolve problems arising from potential conflicting responsibilities towards various stakeholders. In particular, the pyramid of maslahah may serve as a viable and effective model to devise a decision framework for managing conflicts and interest of various stakeholder groups.


We introduce a new type of data for classification of regional segments of myocardium. We have analyzed strain measurements taken throughout the cardiac cycle from the echocardiograms of pigs. Classifications by both principal component analysis (PCA) and by neural network (NN) are combined for a data mining operation. Differences in strain waveforms between normal and diseased myocardium may further elucidate the corresponding changes in physiology. Altered functioning of the heart muscle is reflected by strain, and objective computer analysis should aid in the diagnosis of ischemia. We hypothesize that the entire strain waveform over one heart cycle can be classified to functionally determine whether or not a myocardial region is perfused.


We present THEMIS observations of a small‐scale secondary magnetic island within the Hall electromagnetic field region at the dayside magnetopause. The reconnecting magnetic fields are nearly symmetric and anti‐parallel, whereas the ion plasma density is ∼8 times higher in the magnetosheath than in the magnetosphere. In the event, the Hall magnetic and electric fields are asymmetric and stronger on the magnetospheric side of the magnetopause. The small‐scale magnetic island was immersed in the out‐of‐plane Hall magnetic field on the magnetosheath side. We derive a map of the cross section of the magnetic island by use of magnetohydrostatic Grad‐Shafranov reconstruction under the force‐free assumption. The reconstruction shows a right‐handed magnetic island with a length of ∼200 km and a width of ∼100 km.


Large scale deployment of digital multimedia applications requires effective and efficient image and video representations for indexing. We present a hierarchical representation of video objects based on their motion. The proposed representation enables both low and semantic level description of object motion. At the low level, we consider a parametric description of the dominant motion of video objects, and define elementary motion units (EMU) where the dominant motion of the object is coherent and does not undergo considerable change. A group of EMUs forms an action unit which carries semantic information. Interactions between objects are also considered by calculating the relative motion between objects in an object-based framework. Experimental results for retrieval of EMUs based on similarity of dominant object motion are demonstrated.


Chorioarcinoma of the Fallopian tube is a rare genital malignancy tumor. The diagnosis is difficult. Treatment is managed by chemotherapy following surgery. A 37 years-old patient, was admitted to the emergency room, accusing lower abdominal pain, accompanied by vaginal bleeding without amenorrhea. A tubal ectopic pregnancy was suspected, the patient underwent laparotomy. Histological examination revealed a choriocarcinoma of the fallopian tube. Our aim reporting this case is to show the importance of performing histopathological exam of the tubal specimen in the patients with ectopic pregnancy. Since this pathology is extremely rare, highly aggressive, but still curable.


Up to 90% of children and adults with atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin disease, present with mild-to-moderate disease. Crisaborole Topical Ointment, 2%, is a novel, nonsteroidal, topical, anti-inflammatory, phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor being studied for the treatment of AD. The efficacy and safety of crisaborole was assessed in 2 identically designed, multicenter, vehicle-controlled, double-blind Phase 3 studies (301 and 302) that enrolled patients ≥2 years old with mild-to-moderate AD affecting ≥5% of body surface area (BSA). Patients were randomized 2:1 to receive crisaborole or vehicle twice daily and evaluated on Days 8, 15, 22, and 29. The primary endpoint defined success in the Investigator's Static Global Assessment (ISGA) as "almost clear/1" or "clear/0" with ≥2-grade improvement from baseline at Day 29. Secondary endpoints analyzed the time to success and the percentage of patients achieving "almost clear/1" or "clear/0" on ISGA. At Day 29, more crisaborole-treated patients achieved ISGA success than vehicle (301: 32.8% vs 25.4%, P = 0.038; 302: 31.4% vs 18.0%, P < 0.001), with a greater percentage of "almost clear/1" or "clear/0" ISGA scores (301: 51.7% vs 40.6%, P = 0.005; 302: 48.5% vs 29.7%, P < 0.001). Success in ISGA scores was achieved earlier with crisaborole than vehicle (P < 0.001). Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were usually mild and included upper respiratory tract infection (pooled data, crisaborole vs vehicle: 3.0% vs 3.0%) and application site pain (4.4% vs 1.2%). AE-related discontinuation rates were low for both groups (1.2%). 2 large Phase 3 studies demonstrated crisaborole may represent a novel, safe, and efficacious treatment for patients with mild-to-moderate AD.


We explore two fundamental questions at the intersection of sampling theory and information theory: how channel capacity is affected by sampling below the channel's Nyquist rate, and what sub-Nyquist sampling strategy should be employed to maximize capacity. In particular, we derive the capacity of sampled analog channels for three prevalent sampling strategies: sampling with filtering, sampling with filter banks, and sampling with modulation and filter banks. These sampling mechanisms subsume most nonuniform sampling techniques applied in practice. Our analyses illuminate interesting connections between undersampled channels and multiple-input multiple-output channels. The optimal sampling structures are shown to extract out the frequencies with the highest SNR from each aliased frequency set, while suppressing aliasing and out-of-band noise. We also highlight connections between undersampled channel capacity and minimum mean-squared error (MSE) estimation from sampled data. In particular, we show that the filters maximizing capacity and the ones minimizing MSE are equivalent under both filtering and filter-bank sampling strategies. These results demonstrate the effect upon channel capacity of sub-Nyquist sampling techniques, and characterize the tradeoff between information rate and sampling rate.


Abstract: The specialized university curriculum for medical informatics at the University of Heidelberg/School of Technology Heilbronn described in this paper is one of the oldest educational approaches in the field of medical informatics, and has been successful for more than 20 years with more than 600 graduates (Diplom-lnformatiker der Medizin). It is based on the concept of medical informatics as an independent medical discipline, and covers the total spectrum ranging from health care economics, biosignal and medical image processing, model building in medicine, to information and knowledge processing in medicine. It is a program of 4.5 years duration with a strong emphasis on the methodological foundations of medical informatics and on practical education in a number of specific laboratories. Thirty-five students are admitted each semester, and in total about 390 students enrolled. The faculty consists of 17 full-time members and about 25 part-time lecturers.


There have been many discussions of the creative role of metaphors and similes in the scientific imagination, particularly of the 17th century. Metaphors become sense-loaded when they cross the uncertain boundaries between the sciences and religion, philosophy and literature: such was the metaphor of light, so fashionably used in Newton's lifetime to eulogize his discoveries. I do not refer only to the literary exploitation of the experiments on colours. Ever since the first edition the text of the Principia was preceded by Halley's verses, containing some typical metaphors. The secrets of the heavens were finally laid open: ' Intima panduntur victa penetralia caeli... Matters that vexed the mind of ancient seers.../Now are seen in reason's light; the clouds of ignorance/ Dispelled at last by science' (1)*. The Halley ode, stuffed with fragments borrowed from Lucretius, is one of the sources of a copious and repetitive stream of variations on the theme. As Moses revealed the Tables of the Law or, reading between the lines, as Epicurus exorcized the fear of celestial phenomena, so Newton introduced mankind to the banquet of the gods by revealing the main mystery of nature. Roger Cotes, in his authorized preface of 1713, echoed the same note: ' Dici vix potest quanta lux accedat... The gates are now set open, and by the passage he has revealed we may freely enter into the knowledge of the hidden secrets and wonders of natural things ' (2).


Purpose To validate and explore the application of a rat model of chronic constriction injury to the partial sciatic nerve in investigation of acupuncture analgesia. Methods Chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI) and chronic constriction injury of the partial sciatic nerve (CCIp) models were generated by ligating either the sciatic nerve trunk or its branches in rats. Both models were evaluated via paw mechanical withdrawal latency (PMWL), paw mechanical withdrawal threshold (PMWT), nociceptive reflex-induced electromyogram (C-fiber reflex EMG), and dorsal root ganglion immunohistochemistry. Electroacupuncture (EA) was performed at GB30 to study the analgesic effects on neuropathic pain and the underlying mechanisms. Results Following ligation of the common peroneal and tibial nerves, CCIp rats exhibited hindlimb dysfunction, hind paw shrinkage and lameness, mirroring those of CCI rats (generated by ligating the sciatic nerve trunk). Compared to presurgery measurements, CCIp and CCI modeling significantly decreased the PMWL and PMWT. EA at GB30 increased the PMWL and PMWT in both CCI and CCIp rats. Calcitonin gene-related polypeptide and substance P expressions were apparently increased in both CCI and CCIp groups, but were not different from each other. The C-fiber reflex EMG of the biceps femoris was preserved in CCIp rats, but it could not be recorded in CCI rats on the 5th day after nerve ligation. The C-fiber reflex EMG was reduced at 0, 1, and 2 minutes after EA in CCIp rats, but only at 0 and 1 minute after EA in normal rats. Conclusion The CCIp model is better than the CCI model for studying acupuncture analgesia on chronic neuropathic pain and the underlying mechanisms.


A balanced cross-correlator, the optical equivalent of a balanced microwave phase-detector, is demonstrated. Its use in synchronization of a sub-10 fs Ti:sapphire laser and a 40 fs Cr:forsterite laser yields 300 attoseconds timing jitter measured from 10 mHz to 2.3 MHz.


Background Obesity is a risk factor for complications from SARS-CoV-2 infection, increasing the need for effective weight management measures in primary care. However, in the UK, COVID-19 restrictions have hampered primary care weight management referral and delivery, and COVID-19 related weight gain has been reported. The present study evaluated outcomes from a multicomponent weight loss and health promotion programme in UK primary care, delivered remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions. Method Patients with obesity, type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes attended six 90 min sessions over 10 weeks on Zoom. The dietary component comprised a low-carbohydrate 'real food' approach, augmented with education on physical activity, intermittent fasting, gut health, stress management, sleep and behaviour change. Anthropometric and cardiometabolic data were self-reported. Mental well-being was assessed with the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Subjective outcomes and participant feedback about the programme were collected with an anonymous online survey. Results Twenty participants completed the programme. Weight loss and improvements in body mass index, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and mental well-being achieved statistical and clinical significance. Mean weight loss (5.8 kg) represented a 6.5% weight loss. Participants' subjective outcomes included weight loss without hunger (67%) and increased confidence in their ability to improve health (83%). All participants reported the usage of Zoom to access the programme as acceptable with 83% reporting it worked well. Conclusion A multicomponent weight loss and health promotion programme with a low-carbohydrate dietary component, clinically and statistically significantly improved health outcomes including weight status, blood pressure and mental well-being in a group of primary care patients when delivered remotely. Further research is warranted.


Recently, the security of heterogeneous multimedia data becomes a very critical issue, substantially with the proliferation of multimedia data and applications. Cloud computing is the hidden back-end for storing heterogeneous multimedia data. Notwithstanding that using cloud storage is indispensable, but the remote storage servers are untrusted. Therefore, one of the most critical challenges is securing multimedia data storage and retrieval from the untrusted cloud servers. This paper applies a Shamir Secrete-Sharing scheme and integrates with cloud computing to guarantee efficiency and security for sensitive multimedia data storage and retrieval. The proposed scheme can fully support the comprehensive and multilevel security control requirements for the cloud-hosted multimedia data and applications. In addition, our scheme is also based on a source transformation that provides powerful mutual interdependence in its encrypted representation—the (𝑡, 𝑛) Share Generator slices and encrypts the multimedia data before sending it to the cloud storage. The extensive experimental evaluation on various configurations confirmed the effectiveness and efficiency of our scheme, which showed excellent performance and compatibility with several implementation strategies.


Stress urinary incontinence is defined as the symptomatic loss of urine related to increases in intra-abdominal pressure. A variety of nonsurgical therapies with varying degrees of effectiveness and patient acceptance are available. If nonsurgical therapies fail, then multiple surgical options exist, including retropubic urethropexy, bulking agents, pubovaginal slings, and sling variants. A surgical algorithm based on the amount of anterior vaginal wall prolapse (including urethrovesical mobility) and urethral sphincter function utilizing these procedures is reported herein.


The present study deals with the comparison of removal of dyes and metals using natural adsorbents such as rice husk, jack fruit leaf powder, coconut shell etc. The study deals with various research papers in which variety of biosorbents are used for the removal of dyes and metals. The entire working principle uses fixed bed column system for isolating and removing the impurities such as dyes and metals from the water sources. Dyes such as acid dyes, reactive azo dyes, food dyes, crystal violet dyes etc. and heavy metals such as lead, copper, cadmium etc. can also be effectively removed by adopting fixed bed column system through different adsorbing materials. The comparison between the various adsorbents is given in table. The adsorbing materials used here are Activated carbon, Rice husk, jack fruit leaf powder, coconut shell etc.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse whether and to what extent the labour market situation of young Italians affects their chances of exiting the parental home, differentiating between leaving parental home with or without a partner. The paper also considers whether contextual factors, such as the occurrence of the economic crisis and family-related characteristics, might play a moderating role. The main focus is to understand if new modes of becoming adult are emerging in a country in which leaving home occurs relatively late and where family ties are at the same time a source of protection and a source of reproduction of inequalities.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses longitudinal data from European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions for the period 2007–2014 and applies Event History Analysis techniques for discrete time data. The analyses estimate the hazard rate of leaving the parental home for a sample of Italian individuals in the age range of 16–40 who, at the beginning of the observation period, were living with their parents.FindingsThe empirical analyses highlight a negative association between exclusion from the labour market and housing autonomy, robust and consistent across gender and across types of transition. On the contrary, a situation of objective job insecurity does not emerge as being associated to lower chances of housing autonomy, compared to individuals with job stability. Moreover, the educational background of the family of origin does not show any mediating role on the relative disadvantage of unemployed and inactive individuals, while the relative disadvantage of inactive individuals tends to further worsen in the period after the economic crisis (2010–2014).Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the study of transitions to housing autonomy by differentiating between two modes: in couple or alone. Moreover, by introducing information on the educational background of parents and the time effect, the paper aims to combine different traditions of research coming from the sociology of work, family and inequalities.


Abstract A multidisciplinary approach including biometric, ecological, and molecular genetic analyses was employed to test species status of the Black Moray Muraena augusti (Kaup, 1856) and the Mediterranean Moray M. helena Linnaeus, 1758. Relevant differences were identified in their habitat, bathymetric range, color pattern, vertebral formula, growth parameters and lifespan, reproduction strategy, size/age at first maturity, and distribution. Intra- and interspecific genetic divergences (based on a region of the rhodopsin gene and the complete cytochrome b gene) also suggest that both moray eels are different species. Mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data place these two species into different clades. Phylogenetic analyses among an additional five species of moray eels occurring in sympatry in the eastern central Atlantic resolved M. helena, M. augusti, and M. melanotis as closely related species in a well supported clade, while M. robusta emerged as a more divergent species within the Gymnothorax clade. Based on these findings, Muraena augusti is a valid species and should be resurrected.


Abstract This article explores the role absurdist humour fulfils in the narrative structure of novels as well as its impact on the process of literary interpretation. Tracing the historical and philosophical roots of absurdist humour, the article emphasises the importance of the concept of incongruity. It then critically evaluates current and influential cognitive and linguistic theories of humour, specifically incongruity-resolution theories and their purported suitability for literary analysis. Drawing on schema-theory, the article examines a passage from Douglas Adams's The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980; henceforth The Restaurant) and illustrates why literary humour cannot be analysed in the same manner as short, often specifically designed, joke texts as is common practice in most humour research. Subsequently, the traditional classification of absurdist humour as a type of humour where resolution cannot be achieved is also challenged as the analysis reveals how absurdist humour is part and parcel of the narrative structure of The Restaurant and how the incongruity is resolved at the moment of literary interpretation.


Immunology was discovered by Edward Jenner's that vaccination for animal disease protects against variola major. Therefore the response of system was confirmed by the observations of the many scientists and that an equivalent unwellness didn't get for a second time to a recovered people. By the popularity of Friedric Henle the germs that caused unwellness, and therefore the isolation of infectious bacterium by his pupil Robert Koch, the stage was set to look at however Associate in nursing immunologic response was achieved. New medicine begins with the analysis of Metchnikov, development of bodily process in sea star and cypher it to macrophages in humans as cells that engulf infectious agents and this was the start of cellular medicine. Paul Ehrlich was investigated the formation of antibodies recognized as later as proteins that destroyed infectious agents. The system consists of things that give innate and bought immunity, and has evolved to become additional advanced, specific, regulated and economical. The principal functions of the human system is to defend against infecting and alternative foreign agents by distinctive non-self foreign antigens and self from and to marshal alternative protecting responses from leukocytes. The system, if dysregulated, will react to self antigens to cause reaction diseases or fail to defend against infections. Virtually all organisms have a minimum of one style of defense which helps in repel disease-causing organisms. a bunch that features humans, Advanced vertebrate animals, defend themselves against such microorganisms by suggests that of a fancy cluster of defense responses together known as the system.


This small volume is one in a series of postgraduate pediatric publications, and according the book jacket, is not offered to specialists but is prepared rather as a working guide for the practicing clinical pediatrician. Although the author is a truly distinguished pediatrician and endocrinologist, this contribution leaves much to be desired.
 All facets of the subject are succinctly described, from diseases of the hypothalamus through the several other hormone-secreting organs. Appropriate clinical tests and recommended further reading are included.


Background: Disparities in diversity, equity and inclusivity are endemic in American society, and in the United States (US) healthcare system. As US population diversity increases, physical therapists (PTs) must be able to provide equitable care for all people, regardless of their cultural or personal identity. Culturally-humble Hospice and palliative Care (HPC) PT practice, with vigilant awareness of cultural complexities and commitment to approaching cultural understanding with humility, is essential to provide optimal end of life care for all persons. Purpose: This Perspective paper will 1) provide an overview of the role of PT in HPC, 2) describe culturally-related disparities in HPC, and 3) suggest evidence-based strategies for cultural humility in HPC PT best practice. Specific challenges in the delivery of culturally-humble end of life care will be discussed, including advanced care planning, truth telling, and death beliefs/practices.


In this paper, entropy is a term used in the learning phase of a neural network. As learning progresses, more hidden nodes get into saturation. The early creation of such hidden nodes may impair generalisation. Hence an entropy approach is proposed to dampen the early creation of such nodes by using a new computation called entropy cycle. Entropy learning also helps to increase the importance of relevant nodes while dampening the less important nodes. At the end of learning, the less important nodes can then be pruned to reduce the memory requirements of the neural network.


The study discusses the quality of life concept and its relation to the right to lead an independent life as a social service recipient. The combination of these concepts can be found in various strategic documents at the national and international level. The study articulates the thesis that the concept of capabilities is the basic concept for both the defi‐ nition of quality of life and the definition of the right to independent living, as the level of freedom and capability (capabilities) provides information on real opportunities and possibilities of individuals to make free decisions as well as allows to identify disparities caused by the social structure that disadvantages, marginalises or discriminates certain groups. The aims of the study are to provide a clear definition of the right to lead an independent life and to explicate the link between the concepts of quality of life, self‐ de termination, autonomy, competence in the context of the rights of disabled people to the integration and social inclusion. Reflecting on the experience from the Slovak Republic, the study suggests that the social service transformation process does not always imply an improvement in the life quality of the disabled. Instead, an ill‐prepared deinstitutionalisation of the social services might dissolve the available system without providing an adequate replacement.


A general problem in tissue engineering is the poor and insufficient blood supply to guarantee tissue cell survival as well as physiological tissue function. To address this limitation, we have developed an in vitro vascularization model in which a decellularized porcine small bowl segment, representing a capillary network within a collagen matrix (biological vascularized scaffold [BioVaSc]), is reseeded with microvascular endothelial cells (mvECs). However, since the supply of mvECs is limited, in general, and as these cells rapidly dedifferentiate, we have applied a novel technology, which allows the generation of large batches of quasi-primary cells with the ability to proliferate, whilst maintaining their differentiated functionality. These so called upcyte mvECs grew for an additional 15 population doublings (PDs) compared to primary cells. Upcyte mvECs retained endothelial characteristics, such as von Willebrandt Factor (vWF), CD31 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression, as well as positive Ulex europaeus agglutinin I staining. Upcyte mvECs also retained biological functionality such as tube formation, cell migration, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake, which were still evident after PD27. Initial experiments using MTT and Live/Dead staining indicate that upcyte mvECs repopulate the BioVaSc Scaffold. As with conventional cultures, these cells also express key endothelial molecules (vWF, CD31, and eNOS) in a custom-made bioreactor system even after a prolonged period of 14 days. The combination of upcyte mvECs and the BioVaSc represents a novel and promising approach toward vascularizing bioreactor models which can better reflect organs, such as the liver.


The expediency in determining the efficiency of beef heifers rejected, in addition to the known economic indicators take into account the percentage of energy saving factor increase in body weight and obtaining alternative energy sources. Application maintenance Loose rejected heifers under 12 months of age and keeping a leash on them achieves near 480 kg live weight of 823 g average daily increments of energy and feed costs per 1 kg increase 8.99 feed. units in its accumulation in the body heifers MJ 3481.56. It is advisable to keep heifers rejected Loose groups of 10 goals on deep litter. Group size cells 9 × 2,65 m or 2.38 m2 per head. Telicka hodivelnyh freely approach the table eat the feed and if desired can rest on deep litter. Using the evaluation of the effectiveness of beef production profitability indicators showed that most effectively retain heifers from 12 to 18 months of age. The percentage of energy saving factor increase in body weight reduced to 12 months of age at 0.73% and then to 18 months increased by 0.32%.


Abstract In this work, neutral stochastic functional differential equations with infinite delay (NSFD-EwID) have been addressed. By using the Euler-Maruyama scheme and a localization argument, the existence and uniqueness of solutions to NSFDEwID at the state space Cr under the local weak monotone condition, the weak coercivity condition and the global condition on the neutral term have been investigated. In addition, the L2 and exponential estimates of NSFDEwID have been studied.


We study the inelastic neutron scattering cross section in the vicinity of touching points in magnon bands. Among the possible touching points are magnon Weyl points in three dimensional ordered magnets with significant spin-orbit coupling that are characterized by a linear dispersion in their vicinity. A Weyl point is topologically protected by its net chirality and here we show that this leads to a characteristic form for the dynamical structure factor. To address this question, we show that scattering intensities in the vicinity of arbitrary magnon two-band touching points are identical to expectation values of the pseudospin polarization along some direction $\hat{\boldsymbol{n}}$ in momentum space fixed by the magnetic Hamiltonian. This approach applied to Weyl points shows that they are singular points in the intensity of the form $\hat{\boldsymbol{n}}\cdot \delta\hat{\boldsymbol{k}}$ regardless of the magnetic ground state. We make specific predictions for the experimental signatures of such intensity singularities in several spin models hosting Weyl magnons applicable to candidate materials.


Communicative impairments during adolescence pose a serious barrier to participation and personality development. The article summarizes relevant disorders of language and hearing in this vulnerable phase of life. A case study exemplifies challenges and potentials in the clinical practice with adolescent patients.


In this paper we propose a modified Medium Access Control (MAC) mechanism for PLC multimedia traffic, which is based on a combination of features from the Homeplug and the IEEE 802.11e standard that supports video with QoS. PLC access priority and Contention Window (CW) parameters are used in conjunction with IEEE 802.11e QoS parameters to provide improved access control for video traffic as well as higher priority traffic at various nodes in a PLC network. Simulation results of the proposed mechanism show higher video throughput. Moreover, voice and data delay is not influenced even if video delay decreased. The frame drop rate of data traffic due to limited buffer size is also reduced.


This study aims to analyze the role of FDI in the success of commercialization high tech innovation in Asia countries. The success was marked by the increasing contribution from Asia countries to the export value of high tech products in the world.
 From 49 sovereign countries in Asia, 21 countries have been selected as research samples. The result SEM analysis shows that FDI inflows to Asia countries generally pure investment from multinational companies to gain profits from the low cost of production factor in Asia, therefore increase their profit margin.
 In other words, FDI in Asia countries only increase production quantity of high tech products without increasing innovation activity in the countries, which innovation activity can be measured by R&D expenditure, number of resident patent application and number of scientific journals international publication.


Division between academic and vocational education is a predominant feature of both upper secondary and higher education in Finland as well as in many other country contexts. This article focuses on a minority of higher education students, those who have not proceeded to higher education through the traditional academic track but have enrolled through the vocational route. We deploy the concept of institutional habitus and utilize Eurostudent VI survey data (N=7318) to analyse the backgrounds and study experiences of higher education students with different kinds of educational backgrounds. Our findings indicate that those enrolling through the vocational route are more often mature students from lower parental educational backgrounds. They have often completed a longer study path and began to see themselves as future higher education students later in their life course. There are also differences in how students with diverse educational backgrounds experience their sense of belonging to the higher education community. This paper focuses on Finland but has relevance for other European countries as the institutional structures and practices discussed in this paper are evident internationally.


The conventional perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing boundary condition is shown to be unstable when it is extended to truncate the boundary of the double negative (DNG) medium. It is a consequence of the reverse directions of the Poynting and phase-velocity vectors of plane waves propagating in such material. In this paper, a modifled uniaxial PML (UPML) which is stable for the DNG medium is derived. The auxiliary difierential equation technique is introduced to derive the discrete fleld-update equations of DNG-UPML. Numerical results demonstrate the efiectiveness and stability of the new UPML for the DNG medium.


The objective of the analysis was to determine the failure of the Vent and Purge (V&P) Machine due to potential explosion in the Transuranic (TRU) drum during its venting and/or subsequent explosion in the V&P machine from the flammable gases (e.g., hydrogen and Volatile Organic Compounds [VOCs]) vented into the V&P machine from the TRU drum. The analysis considers: (a) increase in the pressure in the V&P cabinet from the original deflagration in the TRU drum including lid ejection, (b) pressure wave impact from TRU drum failure, and (c) secondary burns or deflagrations resulting from excess, unburned gases in the cabinet area. A variety of cases were considered that maximized the pressure produced in the V&P cabinet. Also, cases were analyzed that maximized the shock wave pressure in the cabinet from TRU drum failure. The calculations were performed for various initial drum pressures (e.g., 1.5 and 6 psig) for 55 gallon TRU drum. The calculated peak cabinet pressures ranged from 16 psig to 50 psig for various flammable gas compositions. The blast on top of cabinet and in outlet duct ranged from 50 psig to 63 psig and 12 psig to 16 psig, respectively, for various flammable gas compositions. The failure pressures of the cabinet and the ducts calculated by structural analysis were higher than the pressure calculated from potential flammable gas deflagrations, thus, assuring that V&P cabinet would not fail during this event. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 68 calculations showed that for a failure pressure of 20 psig, the available vent area in the V&P cabinet is 1.7 to 2.6 times the required vent area depending on whether hydrogen or VOCs burn in the V&P cabinet. This analysis methodology could be used to design the process equipment needed for venting TRU waste containers at other sites across the Department of Energy (DOE) Complex.