BACKGROUND AND AIMS
The latitudinal differences in the growth characteristics of Typha are largely unknown, although a number of studies have pointed out the effects of climate on the growth and productivity of Typha. Therefore, a dynamic growth model was developed for Typha to examine the effects of latitudinal changes in temperature and radiation on partitioning of the total biomass during the growing season into rhizomes, roots, flowering and vegetative shoots, and inflorescences.

METHODS
After validating the model with data from growth studies of Typha found in past literature, it was used to investigate the dynamics of above- and below-ground biomasses at three latitudes: 30 degrees, 40 degrees and 50 degrees.

KEY RESULTS
Regardless of the initial rhizome biomass, both above- and below-ground biomass values converged to a latitude-specific equilibrium produced by the balance between the total production and respiration and mortality losses. Above-ground biomass was high from 10 degrees to 35 degrees latitude with sufficient radiation, despite high metabolic losses; however, it decreased markedly at higher latitudes due to a low photosynthetic rate. Below-ground biomass, on the other hand, increased with latitude up to 40 degrees due to decreasing metabolic losses, and then markedly decreased at higher latitudes. Above-ground biomass was enhanced with an increasing number of cohorts regardless of latitude. However, although more cohorts resulted in a larger below-ground biomass at low latitudes, the largest below-ground biomass was provided by a smaller number of cohorts at high latitudes. This difference is due to low production rates of late-season cohorts in high latitudes, compared with consumption for shooting and establishing foliage.

CONCLUSIONS
The model could be used to predict the potential growth of Typha in given conditions over a wide range of latitudes and is useful for practical applications such as wetland management or wastewater treatment systems using Typha.


It is increasingly clear that law and its enforcement in Victorian Britain was quite effective in tackling formative industrial environmental problems. What is unclear is the political philosophy, if any, underlying this achievement. Dicey's analysis of nineteenth century law-making public opinion with reference to the 'age' of Coleridge being superseded by that of Bentham focused attention on factory safety regulation. It thus ignored exceptionally important common law and statutory provisions applicable to industrial pollution and nature conservation, through which the first industrial nation (Britain) established itself as the pioneer of modern environmental law. Those who have explored this lacuna have argued that environmental laws expose a fundamental weakness in Dicey's historiography. Environmental statutes, it is claimed, show little evidence of being shaped by intellectual ideas of any kind. By contrast, in this article it is argued that Victorian-era environmental laws support Dicey's thesis of ideas-driven legal intervention. However, some adjustment is needed in relation to the ideas that are to be understood as being dominant. Contrary to Dicey, the age of Coleridge was not eclipsed by that of Bentham; the two co-existed. The principal conduit through which Coleridge's organic, natural law theory enjoyed its extended afterlife was Disraeli's 'Young England' movement.


Trust is one of key factors which influence the development of mobile P2P networks. However, current trust evaluation models are not applicable to mobile P2P networks properly due to some of its characteristics such as heterogeneous nature of the peers, limited-range as well as unreliability of wireless links. In the paper main factors that influence the trust in mobile P2P networks are identified. Based on the analyzed result, we propose a novel trust evaluation model, which helps the networks to operate normally with high probability. Our model does not employ cryptographic approaches or certification mechanisms, so it is light enough to fit well with mobile P2P networks without great overheads. In addition, it also effectively solves the trust problem when no prior interaction history exists, an issue that has not been addressed in many models. The proposed model is shown to be robust in the presence of attackers through simulation.


Immediately after the abolition in 1814 of the academies of Brussels and Liege, a struggle broke out in the Southern Netherlands between several cities to secure the establishment of a university within their walls. Particularly the advocates of Leuven and Brussels pushed forward the ideal of one university, although it appeared to be impossible to reach a consensus about where to establish this single university. From the start, the ideal met with all kinds of conflicting local interests. However, the idea of one university actually never left the scene again. Certainly in reaction to the university expansion in the 1960s and the subsequent need of rationalization of the university landscape from the 1970s, the idea of one university (in this period for Flanders) gained in attraction again. By comparing the debate in Belgium with that in Finland, the article will make clear that the outcome of the discussions was not determined by arguments with regard to pedagogy and science, but rather by local, regional, ideological, economic and not the least political priorities, which besides, changed only very little during the whole period.


The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of profitability, leverage and company size on tax avoidance in the automotive sector manufacturing companies in the 2012-2019 period. The sample in this study consisted of four companies that entered consistently during the research year. The period used in this research is eight years, from 2012 until 2019. The analysis data technique is panel data regression. The method used is purposive sampling method. The results of this research indicate that partially the profitability variable has a negative effect on tax avoidance. Leverage has a positive effect on tax avoidance. Company size has no effect on tax avoidance. While simultaneous testing shows that the variable profitability, leverage and company size affect tax avoidance.


A new development in the application of sequence stratigraphic concepts in subsurface hydrocarbon exploration, development and production is the recognition of high-frequent cyclic patterns in rock successions. Numerous studies of subsurface rock successions from different geological periods show an intimate relationship between the high-frequent cycles and sequence organization. Comparisons between a simulation modeling and the Exxon's third order curve show that a major part of the curve is a composite of these higher-order cycles. Some of the results from our studies can be summarized as follows: An intimate relationship exists between climate changes and sea level fluctuations. Changes in climate within the time dimensions of the third-order Exxon chart are for a large part responsible for the sequence stratigraphic organization. Fourth and higher-order cycles (mainly Milankovith cycles) are the major controlling parameters for changes in sedimentary facies and/or subfacies. For continental basins, a climate-forcing model is used in sequence analysis, while in transitional and marine basins an integrated climate-forcing and sea level model is used. This interrelationship allows an accurate quantitative evaluation of each sequence and/or systems tract. The InterGeos' cyclicity analysis tool (MILABAR) was designed for well analysis using wireline logs. A zonation into sequences where the sequence boundaries more » can be calibrated as well as the net duration and net accumulation rate of each measured sequence can be estimated. The results are summarized in a Well Composite Chart, which include e.g. Interval Time Estimates (ITE), Net Accumulation Rate (NAR), etc. In correlations an accuracy of 500-100 Ka can be obtained. Vertical as well as lateral continuity of lithofacies (e.g. reservoirs, permeability barriers, etc.) can be computed and predicted. « less


Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type IIb is a cortical malformation characterized by cortical architectural abnormalities, dysmorphic neurons, and balloon cells. It has been suggested that FCDs are caused by somatic mutations in cells in the developing brain. Here, we explore the possible involvement of somatic mutations in FCD type IIb.


The incidence of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) in the world is increasing due to poor family behavior. Family behavior is influenced by various factors including efficacy. The purpose of this study was to develop a model of family-based foot care by family efficacy in improving family behavior in the prevention of DFU. A cross-sectional approach with 108 people with multistage cluster random sampling. This research instrument used a questionnaire modified NIHM Family efficacy scale and foot care behavior scale for diabetes (FCBS). Data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on variance or Partial Least Squares (PLS). Development of a family efficacy-based foot care by family model, after the path analysis study and formulate strategic issues through focus group discussions and expert discussions in accordance with the research conducted. The influence of family factors (p=0,00), DM patient factors (p=0,01), health facilities (p=0.04) and information factors (p=0,00) showed a t-statistic > 1.96 and p-value <0.05. This means that there was a significant influence on all of these variables on family efficacy. The resulting coefficient was positive 0.285 and it means the development of efficacy-based foot care by family tends to improve family behavior in the prevention of DFU. The model of developing foot care by family has a major influence on family behavior in the prevention of DFU. Family factors become the strongest factor affecting efficacy-based foot care by family, thus families with strong efficacy are important in improving family behavior in the prevention of diabetic foot ulcer.


Dynamic semirigid stabilization of the lumbar spine was introduced in 1994 in an attempt to overcome the drawbacks of fusion. It is supposed to preserve motion at the treated levels, while avoiding hypermobility and thus spondylosis at the adjacent levels. Although the early reports showed promising results, the long term effects are still debated. We retrospectively compared outcomes of Dynesys dynamic stabilization with those of the traditional fusion technique. Thirty-two patients who had undergone Dynesys between 2004 and 2006 (group 1) were compared to 32 patients who had been treated with fusion between 2005 and 2006 (group 2). VAS for back and leg pain, and ODI improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.001). These scores were all better in the fusion group, and even significantly so as far as VAS for back pain was concerned (p = 0.014). Similarly, more patients were satisfied or very satisfied after fusion than after Dynesys: 87.5% versus 68.8% (p = 0.04). Interestingly, in the Dynesys group scatter plot graphs showed a positive correlation between older age and improvement in the two VAS scores and in ODI. Dynamic stabilization with Dynesys remains controversial. Older patients are relatively more satisfied about it, probably because of their low level of demands.


Advancements in nuclear reactor core modeling and computational capability have encouraged further development of in-core neutron sensors. Measurement of the neutron-flux distribution within the reactor core provides a more complete understanding of the operating conditions in the reactor than typical ex-core sensors. Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors (MPFDs) have been developed and tested previously but have been limited to single-node operation and have utilized highly specialized designs. The development of a widely deployable, multi-node MPFD assembly will enhance nuclear research capabilities. In-core neutron flux measurements include many challenges because of the harsh environment within the reactor core. Common methods of in-core neutron measurement are also limited by geometry and other physical constraints. MPFDs are designed to be small and robust while offering a real-time, spatial measurement of neutron flux. Improvements to the MPFD design were developed based on shortcomings of prior research in which many of the theoretical considerations for MPFDs were examined. Fabrication techniques were developed for the preparation of MPFD components and electrodeposition of fissile material. Numerous arrays of MPFDs were constructed for test deployments at the Kansas State University TRIGA Mk. II research nuclear reactor, University of Wisconsin Nuclear Reactor, Transient REActor Test facility at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and Advanced Test Reactor at INL. Preliminary testing of a single MPFD sensor at KSU yielded a linear response to reactor power between 10 kWth and 750 kWth and followed both positive and negative reactivity insertions in real-time. A $1.50 reactor pulse was monitored from the Intra-Reflector Irradiation System, located in reflector region of the KSU TRIGA Mk. II core with 1-ms time resolution. Improved multi-node MPFD arrays were then designed, fabricated, and deployed in flux ports between fuel rods and within an iron-wire flux port which was inserted into the central thimble of the KSU TRIGA Mk. II research nuclear reactor. Work continues to develop MPFDs for deployment at research reactors at INL and elsewhere. Results from the MPFD measurements will be useful for future validation of computational modeling and as part of advanced nuclear fuel development efforts. Micro-pocket fission detectors: development of advanced, real-time, in-core, neutron-flux sensors


Sarcopenia, defined as the loss of muscle mass, strength, and function with aging, is a geriatric syndrome with important implications for patients and healthcare systems. Sarcopenia increases the risk of clinical decompensation when faced with physiological stressors and increases vulnerability, termed frailty. Sarcopenia develops due to inflammatory, hormonal, and myocellular changes in response to physiological and pathological aging, which promote progressive gains in fat mass and loss of lean mass and muscle strength. Progression of these pathophysiological changes can lead to sarcopenic obesity and physical frailty. These syndromes independently increase the risk of adverse patient outcomes including hospitalizations, long-term care placement, mortality, and decreased quality of life. This risk increases substantially when these syndromes co-exist. While there is evidence suggesting that the progression of sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and frailty can be slowed or reversed, the adoption of broad-based screening or interventions has been slow to implement. Factors contributing to slow implementation include the lack of cost-effective, timely bedside diagnostics and interventions that target fundamental biological processes. This paper describes how clinical, radiographic, and biological data can be used to evaluate older adults with sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity and to further the understanding of the mechanisms leading to declines in physical function and frailty.


The day hospital proved effective for diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cancer. It is more cost-effective and less emotionally traumatic for patients than the usual hospital.


Reactivities of 5-formyl-2'-deoxyuridine (fdU) and its 5'-monophosphate (fdUMP) to amino acids, amines and thiol compounds in neutral aqueous solution have been studied to elucidate the postmodification of the 5-formyluracil (fU) moiety in cells. fdU and fdUMP specifically reacted with cysteine and its analogs to form thiazolidine derivatives. The reaction involved condensation of the formyl group of fU with both alpha-NH2 (or NH2 at the equivalent position) and SH groups of cysteine derivatives.


These pages combined with the ADP/DCE Library Services link, the Research Tips and Bite Size Tutorials should give you the background you need to use your libraries' resources. You will also have customized Library Class Pages in some of your classes.


This paper describes the method involved and results obtained in using an oscillograph for plotting photographically vacuum-tube characteristics. The main requirement is an alternating voltage of fairly pure wave-form with as few harmonics as possible. The "dynatron" action of vacuum tubes is shown very clearly when large alternating e.m.f.'s are applied to the grid. Static and dynamic characteristics can also be quite easily recorded.


• The most common complication resulting from Ascaris infestation is obstruction of the small intestine. While medical treatment can usually prevent serious complications, complete intestinal obstruction by this helminth can result in death. Because of the dangers of perforation, volvulus, and strangulation and the increasing toxic effects of ascariasis, the surgeon should not temporize unduly when medical treatment is, or seems likely to be, ineffective. physical and x-ray findings, and especially one's over-all judgment, should contribute to the decision to intervene surgically, and gross operative findings should determine further surgical procedures.


The next generation of electromagnetic and gravitational wave observatories will open unprecedented windows to the birth of the first supermassive black holes. This has the potential to reveal their origin and growth in the first billion years, as well as the signatures of their formation history in the local Universe. With this in mind, we outline three key focus areas which will shape research in the next decade and beyond: (1) What were the "seeds" of the first quasars; how did some reach a billion solar masses before z$\sim7$? (2) How does black hole growth change over cosmic time, and how did the early growth of black holes shape their host galaxies? What can we learn from intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs) and dwarf galaxies today? (3) Can we unravel the physics of black hole accretion, understanding both inflows and outflows (jets and winds) in the context of the theory of general relativity? Is it valid to use these insights to scale between stellar and supermassive BHs, i.e., is black hole accretion really scale invariant? In the following, we identify opportunities for the Canadian astronomical community to play a leading role in addressing these issues, in particular by leveraging our strong involvement in the Event Horizon Telescope, the {\it James Webb Space Telescope} (JWST), Euclid, the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE), the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), the Cosmological Advanced Survey Telescope for Optical and ultraviolet Research (CASTOR), and more. We also discuss synergies with future space-based gravitational wave (LISA) and X-ray (e.g., Athena, Lynx) observatories, as well as the necessity for collaboration with the stellar and galactic evolution communities to build a complete picture of the birth of supermassive black holes, and their growth and their influence over the history of the Universe.


The indoor climate of a greenhouse provides the plants with favorable growing conditions that can result in faster growth and higher yields. Important parameters to control in a greenhouse are the temperature, the humidity, and the level of CO 2 concentrations. In southern Europe, both heating and cooling are required to control the greenhouse temperatures throughout the year. In this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations is employed to study the fluid flow through air distribution hoses (ADHs) in a research greenhouse in Bucharest, Romania. The ADHs are part of a novel, energy-efficient concept at the greenhouse, comprised of an integrated heat pump system, air handling units (AHUs), a dry cooler, and borehole thermal energy storage. The heat pump system provides both heating and cooling, while the greenhouse humidity is controlled by the AHUs. CO 2 -enrichment to the greenhouse is provided from installed CO 2 tanks. The CO 2 -enriched air is circulated from the AHUs to the ADHs, which have a series of perforated holes along their lengths. In these preliminary simulations, different configurations of the perforated holes are simulated to optimize the mixing of the climate-controlled air with the greenhouse air. Both the diameters of the holes and the opening of the ADH outlet are varied to study the mass flow rates out of the holes. The CFD simulations provide suitable design criteria for the installation of ADHs in a greenhouse environment and for optimizing the efficiency of ADHs.


The increasing occurrence of cyanobacterial bloom in freshwaters worldwide is of great importance because of public health risks. In addition, they are very likely to have negative impact on ecological and economic aspects. In this study, the seasonal succession of phytoplankton population in Lake Karaoun in Lebanon was monitored from May 2009 to June 2011. The physicochemical parameters of lake water were then monitored for 1 year, from June 2010 until June 2011, to correlate the physicochemical parameters with the phytoplankton population in the lake. Our results showed, for the first time in Lebanon, that the eutrophied Lake Karaoun has been under the invasion of toxic cyanobacterial blooms since May 2009. The cyanobacterial bloom was persistent from late spring (May) until late fall (December) for 2 consecutive years. The high water temperature in the summer season is the main factor that has been affecting the growth of the cyanobacteria. The most frequently encountered bloom‐forming species were Microcystis aeruginosa and Aphanizomenon ovalisporum, which were either present individually or coexistent. The obtained results showed that during the period of cyanobacterial bloom, a deterioration of water quality defined by low levels of dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, and electric conductivity was reported. During cyanobacterial bloom period, the concentration of the orthophosphate–P (PO4‐P) was very minimal. The measured high value of chlorophyll‐a concentration during cyanobacterial bloom period (48.6 μg/L) was attributed to high photosynthetic activity. Cyanobacterial blooms can cause a variety of water‐quality problems in Lake Karaoun in addition to human health risk.


Abstract The application of the 3D printing approach in medicine is currently becoming increasingly popular. The management of fetuses and newborns with congenital heart defects is often difficult, primarily due to the complexity of the anatomy. Here we report a newborn with a complex congenital malformation (absent pulmonary valve syndrome associated with tetralogy of Fallot), which could be clinically interpreted in different ways. 3D printing allowed to elucidate the exact anatomy more precisely and direct the cardiosurgeon to a definitive treatment.


Graphene oxide (GO) is a versatile material obtained by the strong oxidation of graphite. Among its peculiar properties, there is the outstanding ability to significantly alter the fluorescence of many common fluorophores and dyes. This property has been exploited in the design of novel switch-ON and switch-OFF fluorescence biosensing platforms for the detection of a plethora of biomolecules, especially pathological biomarkers and environmental contaminants. Currently, novel advanced strategies are being developed for therapeutic, diagnostic and theranostic approaches to widespread pathologies caused by viral or bacterial agents, as well as to cancer. This work illustrates an overview of the most recent applications of GO-based sensing systems relying on its fluorescence quenching effect.


OBJECTIVES:Our aim was to examine a possible correlation between drinking water nitrate concentration, recurrent stomatitis, and cytochrome b5 reductase activity. Dietary nitrate can form nitrite in vivo. This can cause methemoglobinemia in the red blood cells. Cytochrome b5 reductase is an enzyme in the red blood cells that reduces methemoglobin back to hemoglobin.METHODS:Five areas were selected in the State of Rajasthan, India, having drinking water nitrate concentration (as nitrate) of 26, 45, 95, 222, and 459 mg of NO3/L. House schedules were prepared in these areas in accordance with a statistically designed protocol. We selected 193 age- and weight-matched persons, representing 10% of the total population in each of these areas. Detailed history was taken for recurrent stomatitis, medical examination was conducted, and blood samples were taken to ascertain cytochrome b5 reductase activity in the selected population. Collected data were statistically analyzed to ascertain a relationship between nitrate concentration, cytochrome b5 reductase activity, and percent stomatitis, using Microsoft Excel software.RESULTS:This study suggests that there is a significant interdependence between drinking water nitrate concentration, cytochrome b5 reductase activity, and recurrent stomatitis.CONCLUSION: Increased cytochrome b5 reductase activity primarily induced by the presence of high nitrate concentration in drinking water could be the cause for recurrent stomatitis.


This paper sets out to explore how to teach Chinese business writing with a combined approach based on schema theory and genre analysis. Very little research has been done in the area of teaching business Chinese except for the 'recipe' style textbook advice which fails to reflect a complete picture of business practice in mainland China. In order to fill this gap, this paper proposes a combined approach and exemplifies its application in teaching the writing of sales letters. The emphasis is placed on the teaching of communicative purposes of this genre. In addition, the learning of business Chinese is viewed as a dynamic process of establishing knowledge structures. The teacher can help the students in this process by providing them with authentic materials and by integrating the views of the enterprise managers.


We studied the overexpression of c-erbB-2 and p21 oncoproteins in human radiation-induced skin ulcers using immunohistochemistry. We found that the positive rate of overexpression of c-erbB-2 and p21 oncoproteins was 92.0 and 92.9%, respectively. The overexpression of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein was observed mainly in the cell membrane of squamous epithelial cells and in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts, endothelial cells, leiomyocytes in the media, and in fibrocytes of the adventitia of mesenchymal arterioles. The location of the p21 oncoprotein overexpression was mostly similar to that of c-erbB-2 with stronger staining in the cytoplasm of squamous epithelial cells and weaker staining in mesenchymal arteriolar walls. The overexpression of c-erbB-2 and p21 oncoproteins may be corresponding to the cancer transformation and poor healing of radiation-induced skin ulcers.


undamental problem of heat transfer within a half-space due to moving heat source of hyperelliptical geometry is studied in this ork. The considered hyperelliptical geometry family covers a ide range of heat source shapes, including star-shaped, rhombic, lliptical, rectangular with round corners, rectangular, circular, nd square. The effects of the heat source speed, aspect ratio, orners, and orientation are investigated using the general soluion of a moving point source on a half-space and superposition. electing the square root of the heat source area as the characeristics length scale, it is shown that the maximum temperature ithin the half-space is a function of the heat source speed (Peclet umber) and its aspect ratio. It is observed that the details of the xact heat source shape have negligible effect on the maximum emperature within the half-space. New general compact relationhips are introduced that can predict the maximum temperature ithin the half-space with reasonable accuracy. The validity of the uggested relationships is examined by available experimental nd numerical data for the grinding process, for medium Peclet umbers. For ultrafast heat sources, an independent experimental tudy is performed using a commercial CO2 laser system. The easured depth of the engraved grooves is successfully predicted y the proposed relationships. DOI: 10.1115/1.4003155


With the growing size of large-scale structures, composite materials are being increasingly used due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. As structures get larger, so too does the necessity for a robust health monitoring system; a well-founded and reliable method of doing so is by monitoring acoustic emissions. However, such a method encounters significant problems when employed on composite structures; such as high dispersion of extensional modes, propagation distance-dependent wave velocity and highly subjective characteristic frequencies of failure modes. Ultrasonic guided waves offer the abilities of location and severity detection to a more accurate level, whereas acoustic emission involves a more efficient passive approach. By analysis of ultrasonic waves in a carbon-fibre-reinforced-polymer (CFRP) plate, information is show here that will provide the stepping stones for the development of a robust health monitoring system for composite structures using ultrasonic guided waves. Advanced signal processing is used to show information on selected features of an acoustic burst as it propagates through the composite material, as well as how damage affects these features. It was found that both the energy of the burst and the first asymmetric mode are affected by the orientation of fibres in a composite, although in differing ways. However, the time of flight of an acoustic burst is unaffected. Subsequently, damage affects all of the above mentioned features, and this knowledge can be utilised to identify damage. Finally, the one-dimensional propagation of a wave along the length of the fibres is tested against various statistical-based models to showcase the potential of this method for use in modelling the propagation of an acoustic wave in a composite material.


We present a general framework to study the solution of first-kind integral equations. The integral operator is assumed to be compact and nonself-adjoint and the integral equation can possess a nonempty null space. An approach is presented for adding contributions from the null space to the minimum-energy solution of the integral equation through the introduction of weighted Hilbert spaces. Stability, accuracy, and nonuniqueness of the solution are discussed through the use of model resolution, data fit, and model covariance operators. The application of this study is to inverse problems that exhibit nonuniqueness.


Abstract.
 The ages of the holotype and a referred molar of Elephas maximus buski described by Matsumoto in 1927, and a molar supposedly of the same subspecies described by Makiyama in 1938 from Higashi Betsuin temple in Nagoya, were investigated by AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) dating. The holotype (IGPS 7266) may date from any of four periods between 1676 and 1941 cal AD, with 1732–1777 cal AD being the most probable (40.7% likelihood). The referred specimen (IGPS 5845) most likely dates from 1784–1796 cal AD (39.4% probability), and the specimen from Higashi Betsuin from 1454–1494 cal AD (52.9% probability). The present specimens, including the holotype are, therefore, not fossils. Historical records show that Asian elephants did not inhabit Japan at these times. These molars must have been imported into Japan in some fashion during historical times and do not represent a subspecies distinct from extant Asian elephants, E. maximus. Although the nominal subspecies E. maximus buski is clearly invalid, it is not clear which of the three extant subspecies of Asian elephant is its senior synonym in this research.


Objectives
 Little is known about how the COVID-19 pandemic (C19) has affected food security and farmers' livelihoods in Sri Lanka. In this study, we assessed food security, perceived impacts of C19 and coping mechanisms to deal with these impacts.

 Methods
 As part of a baseline survey for an evaluation of the World Food Programme's Nutrition-Sensitive Food Assistance for Assets Program in Sri Lanka, we conducted ∼1300 quantitative household phone surveys across five districts between December 2020 and February 2021. Food insecurity was assessed using the 8-item Food Insecurity Experience Scale and categorized as moderate or severe using the Rasch model. Perceived impacts of C19 and the coping mechanisms used to deal with these shocks were assessed via questionnaire. Additionally, we explored how these experiences varied by wealth quintile, highest attained education level in the household, and district.

 Results
 Despite having had a relatively low burden of C19 cases in Sri Lanka compared to other countries, 85% of respondents in our sample reported being affected in some way by C19 or its associated control measures. Reported impacts include those on income (77% overall, 89% in lowest quintile, 62% in highest quintile) and agriculture activities (76% overall, 65% in lowest quintile, 87% in highest quintile), among others. Normal crop cultivation and harvesting was adversely impacted due to being advised to stay home (42%), being unable to purchase inputs (33%) and poor demand in the market (56%). In response to COVID shocks, about 30% of respondents in the lowest two wealth quintiles reported selling their livestock and about 20% of respondents across all wealth quintiles reported selling other assets. Half of the households interviewed were either moderately (36%) or severely (14%) food insecure. The proportion of households experiencing food insecurity varied by wealth quintile (mod: 55%-21%; sev: 27%-5%) and district (mod: 46%-29%; sev: 21%-10%).

 Conclusions
 High levels of food insecurity and disruptions across domains such as income, asset ownership, and agriculture could have short- and long-term effects on people's health, nutrition and well-being. Control measures enacted in Sri Lanka should consider the potentially devastating effects on smallholder farmers and introduce measures to mitigate these issues in those most affected.

 Funding Sources
 A4NH and WFP


A series of transition metal-substituted aluminium oxide borates, MxAl20−xB4O36 (M–10A2B), were investigated as supports for Pd catalysts. The Ni-substituted compound (Ni–10A2B, x = 1.0) exhibited the highest metal dispersion and catalytic activity under simulated three-way catalysis conditions. X-ray absorption fine structure analysis and density functional theory calculations suggested that Ni2+ occupies an octahedral Al site in the bulk structure. Although Ni2+ ions exposed on the surface of the support are unlikely to contribute to chemisorption under stoichiometric and/or lean conditions, considerable NO adsorption on the Ni sites occurred when the catalyst was partially reduced under rich conditions. Because the as-formed nitrosyl species on Ni–10A2B reacted with hydrogen, which was generated by C3H6–H2O and CO–H2O reactions, and subsequently activated by Pd, the Pd/Ni–10A2B catalyst significantly promoted NO conversion under rich conditions.


A general statement of the function of the inferior colliculus is lacking, even after more than three decades of electrophysiological investigation. A neuroethological theory is proposed that accounts for a large and diverse body of evidence. Although aimed at characterizing the inferior colliculus in mammals, the theory also applies generally to the auditory midbrain in vertebrates. The theory has two hypotheses: (1) Tuning processes in the inferior colliculus are related to the biological importance of sounds. (2) There is a change in timing properties at the inferior colliculus, from rapid input to slowed output; this transformation is related to the timing of specific behaviors. Expressed in neuroethological terms, at least some neurons in the inferior colliculus are tuned to sign-stimuli, and the processing of these sign stimuli triggers fixed action patterns for hunting, escape or vocal communication. The resulting temporal transformation adjusts the pace of sensory input to the pace of behavior. Evidence for the theory comes from anatomical, neurophysiological and behavioral studies and includes: (1) massive convergence of parallel auditory pathways at the inferior colliculus, (2) interaction of the inferior colliculus with motor systems, (3) tuning of auditory midbrain neurons to biologically important sounds, (4) the slow pace of neural processing at the inferior colliculus, (5) the slow pace of motor output. The theory has the following implications. Neurons in the inferior colliculus are filters for sounds that require immediate action, such as certain sounds made by prey, predators or conspecifics. Neural processing in the inferior colliculus is species specific, resulting in filtering for these kinds of sounds. Specific action patterns should be correlated with the activity of neurons in the inferior colliculus. Motor activities may modify neural processing in inferior colliculus neurons. The rate at which information is transmitted to the thalamus is regulated by the inferior colliculus.


Colloidal quantum dots are promising next-generation phosphors to enhance the color rendition of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) while minimizing the brightness droop. In order to exploit the beneficial tunability of quantum dots for highly efficient devices, optimization and determination of the performance limit are of crucial importance. In this work, a facile preparation process of red-emission quantum dot films and simulation algorithm for fitting this film with two commercial LED flat lamps to the optimized performance are developed. Based on the algorithm, one lamp improves from cold-white light (8669 K) with poor color rendition (Ra = 72) and luminous efficacy (85 lm/W) to warm-white light (2867 K) with Ra = 90.8 and R9 = 74.9, and the other reaches Ra = 93 ∼ 95. Impressively, the brightness droop is only about 15 ∼ 20% and the luminous efficacy of 68 lm/W is achieved. Furthermore, our device shows reliability over 1000 hours with only PET (polyethylene-terephthalate) films as the barrier, indicating that this auxiliary red-emission film can be easily applied to improve the color rendition of most commercial LED flat lamps.


Abstract CoCoA Summer School, which has been initially run for four seasons (2006- 2009) by the Faculty of Law of the University of Trento under the European Marie Curie Programme, has been offered again in 2014 furthering the previous profitable experiences and keeping the same main features and purposes like providing an opportunity for senior (guest speakers) and junior scholars (tutors), legal advisors to Constitutional Court judges as well as younger researchers, post-doc students and PhD candidates (participants) to meet, interact, train and being trained and plan future research in comparative constitutional adjudication. The Summer School aims at comparing judicial decisions from national and European (ECtHR, ECJ) jurisdictions on selected constitutional issues. This year the topic was 'Constitutional Adjudication in Education Law: A Comparative Approach within the Council of Europe'.


Three principal types of proposed solution to the urban solid waste problem are critically examined: a ban on one-way beverage containers, reclamation programs, and a weight-based tax. Then legislation involving a disposal tax is designed which increases the ability of communities to handle solid waste effectively and which produces a control system that learns from its own experience and adapts to changing conditions.


Objective: To analyze the impact of work-related psychosocial factors on the health and work ability of municipal transit agents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 118 subjects at the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, during 2014. They answered two questionnaires: Work Ability Index – WAI and Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire - COPSOQ. These questionnaires collected information regarding how well a worker is able to perform his or her work; and on the psychosocial factors related to their work, health status, and welfare. The statistical analyses were carried out using the calculation of central tendency and dispersion measures. Results: The analysis of objectivity, acceptance, practicability, sensitivity and content validity of the questionnaires as a whole did not show any problematic result, with some limitations regarding their length. A significant association between WAI and COPSOQ was observed. The prevalence of good capacity for work was among the subjects aged between 31 and 50 years (p=0.012). However, concerning the job satisfaction, 28 (23.73%) denoted being satisfied, 74 (62.71%) partly satisfied, and 16 (13.56%) were dissatisfied. The ability index was 36.8 points, and the prevalence of good capacity for work was 76.27%. Conclusion: The results revealed that better physical and mental health are associated with greater work ability, representing that, the better the worker's health, the greater his work ability. The psychosocial work environment and, especially, the decision-making autonomy were thus important determinants of self-rated quality of life in this group of transit agents.


Abstract. In order to improve an existing network, a field seismologist would have to add some extra sensors to a remote station. However, additional ADCs (analogue-to-digital converters) are not always implemented on commercial dataloggers, or, if they are, they may already be used. Installing additional ADCs often implies an expensive development, or the purchase of a new datalogger. We present here a simple method to take advantage of the ADCs of an embedded computer in order to create data in a seismological standard format and integrate them within the real-time data stream from the station. Our first goal is to plug temperature and pressure sensors on the ADCs, read data and record them in mini-seed format (seed stands for Standard for the Exchange of the Earthquake Data), and eventually transfer them to a central server together with the seismic data, by using seedlink, since mini-seed and seedlink are standard for seismology.


This article contains an investigation into the terminology profession in Canada in the 21st century. Terminologists themselves have their own opinion about the state of the profession, but the aim of this study is to investigate terminology from the perspective of those who employ terminologists by analyzing a corpus of job advertisements for a variety of terminology- and translation-related positions that were collected between January 2000 and June 2002. Spurred on by the effects of globalization, the language industry, including terminology, is in a period of change. Based on empirical evidence collected from the corpus, this article attempts to evaluate the current state of the profession in Canada and to determine what employers are looking for.


A bibliometric analysis of 1337 papers from the Web of Science database published between 2000 and 2023 (January) was conducted to provide an overview of climate literacy. The study's objectives were to survey the body of literature on climate literacy, examine the connections among the authors, organizations, and nations that were active in the subject, and ascertain the rate of growth in that field during the previous 23 years. To find the current research interests, thematic and keyword analysis were done. With a total of 1337 articles published over the last three years, the data revealed a rising trend in the number of publications about climate change. The study discovered that Hong, Huang-Yao was the most prolific author and that the United States of America, China, the United Kingdom, and Australia had the greatest influence on the research produced on climate literacy. Prestigious universities contributing to climate literacy publications included the Australian National University, the University of Leeds and the University of Oxford. The journal with the most significant number of papers related to climate literacy was Sustainability, ranking first in the Web of Science. Based on the bibliometric study, the authors recommend that future research focus on climate literacy among youth and the associations between the various components of climate literacy.


In this paper, MXene (Ti2AlC) doped Nb2O5 cathodic coloration materials have been deposited by thermionic vacuum arc thin film deposition technology to obtain the enhanced performance and best stability electrochromic (EC) device. Surface and EC properties have been investigated. They are very interesting. In Particular, nano-sheet-planes and nano-wormholes have been observed. These surface structures have the key importance, because they have changed the intercalation/deintercalation of the ions. Finally, it was found that the nano-sheet-planes and nano-holes should be important for the enhancement properties and long cycle period. Obtained results show that MXene doping is a good choice for the high performance, long life cycle performance and stability. So, MXene will solve many problems and disadvantages in ionic applications such as EC, battery and sensors.


The increase of the percentage of elderly population in Brazil and the increase in longevity incite a demand for information on the quantity of years spent in good health. The aim of the present study is to measure the life expectancy for the elderly of 60 years and above, by sex and age, in the year of 2003. The Sullivan method was used, which combined the life-table with the current experience of mortality and the self-perceived health. The mortality information was obtained from the life tables published by the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), 2003. The self-perceived health was used and it was dichotomized in good and bad. This information came from the National Research of Household Sample (PNAD), 2003. The results indicate that women live longer, but spend a higher number of years perceiving their health as bad, as compared to men. The results also highlights to the need of considering the differences between sexes in relation to the demand for health care. It is also important to consider the need to have policies designed to allow the increase in the number of years that the elderly can live in good health conditions.


Chrysophyllum albidum (Linn) belongs to Sapotaceae family and commonly called African star apple. It is traditionally used for the treatment of various ailments. This study aimed at investigating in vitro antidiabetic and antioxidant properties of three edible parts of Chrysophyllum albidum fruit extracts. Lyophilized C. albidum fruit pulp, skin and seed shell pericarp powders were extracted using aqueous and methanol as solvents. In vitro antioxidant (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl: DPPH, Ferrous Ion chelating, Antilipid peroxidation, Hydroxyl radical and Hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay as well as estimation of total phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant contents) assay and antidiabetic (α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory assay) activities of extracts were evaluated. The study revealed that methanol skin extract of C. albidum fruit contained the highest levels of total phenolics (19.0 ± 0.16mg GAE/g dry weight), flavonoids (41.27 ± mgQE/g dry weight) and antioxidant (98.51 ± 0.10mg AAE/g dry weight) and exhibited comparable scavenging property with standards using DPPH, deoxyribose and hydrogen peroxide as substrates. Significant α-amylase (86.45 ± 0.97) and α-glucosidase (85.07 ± 0.71) inhibitory activities were also observed in methanol skin extract of C. albidum fruit, which was comparable with acarbose standard drug -99.04 ± 0.04 and 98.99 ± 0.05 respectively. Results demonstrate the antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of methanol skin extract of C. albidum fruit and indicate that C. albidum fruit skin could have therapeutic value in diabetes and the related condition of oxidative stress. Hence, further study by in vivo model would be required for the plant's potential in the management and/or prevention of diabetes.


Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp), the primary pathogen causing Mycoplasma pneumonia of swine (MPS), brings massive economic losses worldwide. Genomic variability and post-translational protein modification can enhance the immune evasion of Mhp, which makes MPS prone to recurrent outbreaks on farms, even with vaccination or other treatments. The reverse vaccinology pipeline has been developed as an attractive potential method for vaccine development due to its high efficiency and applicability. In this study, a multi-epitope vaccine for Mhp was developed, and its immune responses were evaluated in mice and piglets. Genomic core proteins of Mhp were retrieved through pan-genome analysis, and four immunodominant antigens were screened by host homologous protein removal, membrane protein screening, and virulence factor identification. One immunodominant antigen, AAV27984.1 (membrane nuclease), was expressed by E. coli and named rMhp597. For epitope prioritization, 35 B-cell-derived epitopes were identified from the four immunodominant antigens, and 10 MHC-I and 6 MHC-II binding epitopes were further identified. The MHC-I/II binding epitopes were merged and combined to produce recombinant proteins MhpMEV and MhpMEVC6His, which were used for animal immunization and structural analysis, respectively. Immunization of mice and piglets demonstrated that MhpMEV could induce humoral and cellular immune responses. The mouse serum antibodies could detect all 11 synthetic epitopes, and the piglet antiserum suppressed the nuclease activity of rMhp597. Moreover, piglet serum antibodies could also detect cultured Mhp strain 168. In summary, this study provides immunoassay results for a multi-epitope vaccine derived from the reverse vaccinology pipeline, and offers an alternative vaccine for MPS.


In traditional public good experiments participants receive an endowment from the experimenter that can be invested in a public good or kept in a private account. In this paper we present an experimental environment that uses participants time as their natural endowment, which can be invested in the public good experiment. The experiment runs for several days and participants can make contributions to the threshold public good by logging into a web application and performing virtual actions. Like traditional experiments we find an initial high level of contributions that decreases over subsequent days. We compared two treatments, with and without leaderboards, which compared the real-time performance of groups. We find that the leaderboard increases contributions during the first day, but in subsequent days no significant positive effect is found. Groups with low performances on the first day may have given up when confronted with the leaderboard rankings. These findings show the double-edged effect of information feedback.


Purpose: Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) is a well-established endovascular treatment option for pararenal abdominal aortic aneurysms in which balloon-expandable covered stents (BECS) are used to bridge the fenestration to the target vessels. This study presents midterm clinical outcomes and patency rates of the Advanta V12 BECS used as a bridging stent. Methods: All patients treated with FEVAR with at least 1 Advanta V12 BECS were included from 2 large-volume vascular centers between January 2012 and December 2015. Primary endpoints were freedom from all-cause reintervention, and freedom from BECS-associated complications and reintervention. BECS-associated complications included significant stenosis, occlusion, type 3 endoleak, or stent fracture. Secondary endpoints included all-cause mortality in-hospital and during follow-up. Results: This retrospective study included 194 FEVAR patients with a mean age of 72.2±8.0 years. A total of 457 visceral arteries were stented with an Advanta V12 BECS. Median (interquartile range) follow-up time was 24.6 (1.6, 49.9) months. The FEVAR procedure was technically successful in 93% of the patients. Five patients (3%) died in-hospital. Patient survival was 77% (95% CI 69% to 84%) at 3 years. Freedom from all-cause reintervention was 70% (95% CI 61% to 78%) at 3 years, and 33% of all-cause reinterventions were BECS associated. Complications were seen in 24 of 457 Advanta V12 BECSs: type 3 endoleak in 8 BECSs, significant stenosis in 4 BECSs, occlusion in 6 BECSs, and stent fractures in 3 BECSs. A combination of complications occurred in 3 BECSs: type 3 endoleak and stenosis, stent fracture and stenosis, and stent fracture and occlusion. The freedom from BECS-associated complications for Advanta V12 BECSs was 98% (95% CI 96% to 99%) at 1 year and 92% (95% CI 88% to 95%) at 3 years. The freedom from BECS-associated reinterventions was 98% (95% CI 95% to 100%) at 1 year and 94% (95% CI 91% to 97%) at 3 years. Conclusion: The Advanta V12 BECS used as bridging stent in FEVAR showed low complication and reintervention rates at 3 years. A substantial number of FEVAR patients required a reintervention, but most were not BECS related.


Accurate representation of artificial recharge is requisite to calibration of a ground water model of an unconfined aquifer for a semiarid or arid site with a vadose zone that imparts significant attenuation of liquid transmission and substantial anthropogenic liquid discharges. Under such circumstances, artificial recharge occurs in response to liquid disposal to the vadose zone in areas that are small relative to the ground water model domain. Natural recharge, in contrast, is spatially variable and occurs over the entire upper boundary of a typical unconfined ground water model. An improved technique for partitioning artificial recharge from simulated total recharge for inclusion in a ground water model is presented. The improved technique is applied using data from the semiarid Hanford Site. From 1944 until the late 1980s, when Hanford's mission was the production of nuclear materials, the quantities of liquid discharged from production facilities to the ground vastly exceeded natural recharge. Nearly all hydraulic head data available for use in calibrating a ground water model at this site were collected during this period or later, when the aquifer was under the diminishing influence of the massive water disposals. The vadose zone is typically 80 to 90 m thick at the Central Plateau where most production facilities were located at this semiarid site, and its attenuation of liquid transmission to the aquifer can be significant. The new technique is shown to improve the representation of artificial recharge and thereby contribute to improvement in the calibration of a site‐wide ground water model.


The present work is concerned with the mathematical formulation of the boundary value problem of dislocation dynamics. The boundary conditions for the elastic and dislocation fields are derived for two cases which are currently treated by dislocation dynamics simulation models. In the first case, the crystal space under consideration is a representative subvolume of a much larger crystal undergoing statistically homogeneous plastic distortion. The second is the case of a crystal which is bounded by a free surface. For the former case, the condition of statistical homogeneity of the elastic stress and the plastic distortion fields is used to derive local traction and dislocation flux boundary conditions on the surface of the deforming crystal space. When the crystal is bounded, the formation of slip traces is connected with the dislocation flux and dislocation emission at the free surface. Three theorems are derived, two on conservation of the total Burgers vector and the dislocation flux in a deforming crystal, and the third on image interactions. Some important mathematical ideas related to the geometry of deforming crystals are also discussed.


Biliary tree of gastrectomized patients was examined with ultrasonography to investigate the factors affecting post-gastrectomy gallstone formation. Only gallbladder stone was found in 57 (18.9%). In 11 (20.0%) of 55 patients, stones had developed within 2 years after surgery, but no difference in incidence were observed by sex and age. Sixty four gastrectomized gallstone patients were examined in respect to the kind of gallstone. Patients with cholesterol gallstones were 18 (28.1%), patients with black gallstones were 29 (45.3%) and patients with calcium bilirubinate gallstones were 17 (26.6%). The incidence rate of cholesterol gallstones was lower and the rate of black gallstones and calcium bilirubinate gallstones was higher than that of non-gastrectomized patients. In conclusion, the incidence of pigment gallstones is very high in gastrectomized patients.


Objective: Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injury-related fatalities in China and pose the most serious threat to driving safety. Driver personality is considered as an effective predictor for risky driving behavior and accident liability. Previous studies have focused on the relationship between personality and risky driving behavior, but only a few of them have explored the effects of personality variables on accident involvement. In addition, few studies have examined the effects of personality on Chinese drivers' risky driving and accident involvement. The present study aimed to examine the effects of personality variables on Chinese drivers' unsafe driving behaviors and accident involvement. Methods: Two hundred and twenty-four Chinese drivers aged 20 to 50 were required to complete questionnaires assessing their personality traits (anger, sensation-seeking, altruism, and normlessness), risky driving behaviors (aggressive violations, ordinary violations), and accident involvement (all accidents, serious accidents, at-fault accidents). Multivariate regression analyses, adjusting for gender, age, and overall mileage, were conducted to identify the personality traits related to risky driving behaviors and accident involvement. Results: Participants' personality traits were found to be significantly correlated with both risky driving behavior and accident involvement. Specifically, the traits of anger and normlessness were effective predictors for aggressive violations. The traits of anger, sensation-seeking, normlessness, and altruism were effective predictors for ordinary violations. Moreover, altruism and normlessness were significant predictors for the total number of accidents participants had during the past 3 years. Conclusions: Consistent with previous studies, the present study revealed that personality traits play an important role in predicting Chinese drivers' risky driving behaviors. In addition, Chinese drivers' personality characteristics were also associated with accident involvement. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Traffic Injury Prevention to view the supplemental file.


These proceedings highlight a selection of recent results by the ATLAS, CMS and LHCb collaborations. The majority of the featured analyses make use of the large set of √ s = 13 TeV proton-proton collision data collected during the successful second run of the LHC. A particular focus is placed on analyses of Standard Model processes involving either hadronic jets or W / Z bosons. Searches and cross-section measurements involving top quark signatures are also given prominence, as are those targeting highly boosted objects such as W/Z and H bosons, and which feature the use of large-radius jets and substructure techniques.


Introduction: Composite resin is one of the most common materials used in dentistry. Some modifications have been done to the resin matrix and fillerin order to solve the secondary caries problem. A recent development is resin composite containing glass ionomer filler particles. The purpose of this study is to examine the antibacterial activity of composite resin containing glass ionomer filler particles to Streptococcus mutans compared with conventional composite resin in vitro. Method: This study was an experimental study with randomized post test only control group design. This study has been done in Microbiology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University. The subjects of this study were Streptococcus mutans ATCC 35668, conventional composite resin and composite resin containing glass ionomer filler particle. Some composite resins were placed in Mueller Hinton Agar, then incubated for 24 hours. Datas were tested normality by Shapiro-Wilk test and homogenity by Levene's test, then tested using One Way ANOVA and continued with post-hoc test to seek the differences between in pair between group.Result: The result showed the formation of clear zone around each sample, with diameter in control group was 4.23 mm, conventional resin composite group was 8,31±0,10 mm and glass ionomer resin composite was 11.77±0.16 mm. The diameter in glass ionomer composite resin seemed wider than conventional composite resin. Conclusion: It is concluded the difference in diameter were resulted from four factors such as type of filler, size of filler, the amount of fluor, and the initial fluoride burst effect.


This study was carried out to determine effect of sixteen different organic nutrition sources to grain yield of popcorn (Zea mays L. everta) in Cermik district of Diyarbakir province of Turkey between 2010 and 2011 years. The research was established according to Randomized Complete Block Designs (RCBD) with 3 replicates and Ant-Cin 98 popcorn variety was used as crop material in the study. Organic nutrition sources were torf, compost, cattle manure, chicken manure, horse manure, sheep manure, pigeon manure, vermicompost, seaweed + cattle manure, compost + humic acid, cattle manure + humic acid, chicken manure + humic acid, horse manure + humic acid, sheep manure + humic acid and torf + humic acid except conventional. In both years, applications affected significantly popcorn yield (P≤0.01). According to average of two years, the highest popcorn grain yields were found at seaweed + cattle manure, horse manure + humic acid and sheep manure + humic acid applications. Grain yields of these applications were 526.54 kg da-1, 516.85 kg da-1 and 497.07 kg da-1, respectively. Seaweed + cattle manure, horse manure + humic acid, sheep manure + humic acid and pigeon manure of applications were caused a 9.47%, 7.45%, 3.34%, 0.52% increase in yield compared with the conventional application, respectively. Also economic analysis was performed in this study. The greatest net profits were obtained from horse manure + humic acid application (2280.64 TL da-1) in 2010 while horse manure (2545.82 TL da-1) application in 2011. According to yield, quality and economic net profit; horse manure, chicken manure, compost, cattle manure, sheep manure and humic acid applications can be used in organic popcorn farming.


Within 4 days, two oncology patients in the Clinical Research Unit had bacteremia causes by group Y Neisseria meningitidis. Three additional patients, identified by prevalence survey, were found to have nasopharyngeal colonization with that serogroup, compared with only one employee (not associated with patients) and no family contacts. Infected and colonized (case) patients were located in the same or adjacent rooms but did not have close contact. A comparison of host and risk factors showed no significant differences between case patients and the other (control) patients located in the same rooms. In retrospect, the index patient, who had marked sputum production but was not isolated, had unrecognized meningococcal pneumonia and probably was the hospital source of a heavy, airborne dispersal of organisms to other patients. Respiratory isolation is warranted for patients with suspected N. meningitidis infection.


The received view about emergence and reduction is that they are incompatible categories. I argue in this paper that, contrary to the received view, emergence and reduction can hold together. To support this thesis, I focus attention on dynamical systems and, on the basis of a general representation theorem, I argue that, as far as these systems are concerned, the emulation relationship is sufficient for reduction (intuitively, a dynamical system DS1 emulates a second dynamical system DS2 when DS1 exactly reproduces the whole dynamics of DS2). This representational view of reduction, contrary to the standard deductivist one, is compatible with the existence of structural properties of the reduced system that are not also properties of the reducing one. Therefore, under this view, by no means are reduction and emergence incompatible categories but, rather, complementary ones.


OBJECTIVE
The aim: To search for new and improvement of known methods of diagnosis and surgical treatment of atypical forms of acute appendicitis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Materials and methods: There were analyzed the results of diagnosis and surgical treatment of 852 patients with atypical course of acute appendicitis, which amounted to 25.3% of the total number of patients in this category. Depending on the chosen diagnostic and treatment tactics, patients with acute atypical appendicitis were divided into two groups: control (n=423) and main (n=429).

RESULTS
Results: It was found that among atypical forms of acute appendicitis retrocecal location of the appendix is 61.2% of cases, pelvic - 24.3%, medial - 11.2%, subhepatic - 3.4%. Destructive forms of atypical acute appendicitis occurred in a total of 92.5% of cases, 77.7% of patients had various types of peritonitis.

CONCLUSION
Conclusions: Authors improved and tested a number of diagnostic (rectal thermometry, ethanol test) and operative methods for destructive forms of acute appendicitis complicated by typhoid (including laparoscopic). The proposed diagnostic and treatment algorithm allowed to optimize the treatment tactics of this category of patients and reduce the incidence of complications in the early postoperative period from 9.9% to 3.5% (p<0.001).


We adress the question of remunicipalization of water services in France. Gathering information on the 1998-2015 period concerning the way more than 1 200 French municipalities are organizing their water services at contract renewal time, we identified nearly 130 remunicipalization cases. Using an endogenous switching regression model in a two-stage probit estimation we found that the choice of municipalities is driven by expectations concerning price and leak: efficiency consideration are thus important drivers. However we also find evidence of mimetic behaviors suggesting that municipalities that are uniformed or not skilled enough to anticipate the consequence of their choice on efficiency might rely on observed decisions coming from municipalities from the neighborhood. (JEL: H0, H7, K00, L33)


Automatic recognition of human faces irrespective of the expression variations is a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a novel method for face recognition based on `edge-strings'. Experimental studies on face perception have shown the significance of edge features in visual perception and learning. In the proposed technique, the edges of a face are identified, and a feature string is created from edge pixels. This forms a symbolic descriptor corresponding to the edge image referred to as `edge-string'. The `edge-strings' are then compared using the Smith-Waterman algorithm to match them. The class corresponding to each image is identified based on the number of string primitives that match. Local string alignment algorithm is more robust to noise than global alignment algorithm; it gives better performance even if the input image is noisy. In addition, this method needs only a single training image per class. The proposed technique is a good solution for expression invariant face recognition. The effectiveness of the proposed method is compared with state-of-the-art algorithms on the Yale Face database, the Japanese Female Face Expression database (JAFFE) and CMU AMP Face EXpression database.


In the present work, the growing awareness in engineering of the responsibility towards the poor is considered. The following approach is taken: a brief overview of the issues of poverty particularly in the U.S. is provided; and recent developments in engineering related to the issue of poverty are discussed. The purposes of the work are: to bring an awareness of the plight of the poor that live here in the United States; to point to some new efforts in engineering and engineering education that begin to address our responsibilities towards the poor; and to encourage a vigorous and ongoing conversation focused on our responsibilities as engineers and educators towards the poor.


Estrogen receptors (ERs) comprise several nuclear and membrane-bound receptors with different tissue-specific functions. ERα and ERβ are two nuclear members of this family, whereas G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), ER-X, and Gq-coupled membrane estrogen receptor (Gq-mER) are membrane-bound G protein-coupled proteins. ERα participates in the development and function of several body organs such as the reproductive system, brain, heart and musculoskeletal systems. ERβ has a highly tissue-specific expression pattern, particularly in the female reproductive system, and exerts tumor-suppressive roles in some tissues. Recent studies have revealed functional links between both nuclear and membrane-bound ERs and non-coding RNAs. Several oncogenic lncRNAs and miRNAs have been shown to exert their effects through the modulation of the expression of ERs. Moreover, treatment with estradiol has been shown to alter the malignant behavior of cancer cells through functional axes composed of non-coding RNAs and ERs. The interaction between ERs and non-coding RNAs has functional relevance in several human pathologies associated with estrogen regulation, such as cancers, intervertebral disc degeneration, coronary heart disease and diabetes. In the current review, we summarize scientific literature on the role of miRNAs and lncRNAs on ER-associated signaling and related disorders.


This is an exploratory study of the use of wh-questions in Swedish children with typical and impaired language development. Swedish is a verb-second (V2) language where inverted word order is not unique to wh-questions, but occurs in all utterances that begin with a constituent other than the subject. The purpose was to investigate types and frequency patterns in the use of wh-questions, wh-word and verb combinations, and simplifications. Analysis of spontaneous data from 14 Swedish children with SLI, 14 age-matched and 14 MLU-matched controls showed that the children with SLI used the same types of wh-questions and wh-word and verb combinations with similar frequencies as the controls. The most frequent simplification in all groups was omission of the wh-word. The children with SLI tended to make more non-target productions in general than the control groups, but differed significantly in most respects only from the age controls. Non-inversion was found only in the data from the children with SLI, but was less frequent in wh-questions than in non-subject initial declaratives from the same children. Due to a large inter-individual variation conclusions are hard to draw. However, the results clearly show that wh-questions are a structure which is interesting to study cross-linguistically.


In this paper we describe a new approach to sharp boundary geophysical inversion. We demonstrate that regularized inversion with a minimum support stabilizer can be implemented by using a specially designed nonlinear parametrization of the model parameters. This parametrization plays the same role as transformation into the space of the weighted model parameters, introduced in the original papers on focusing inversion. It allows us to transform the nonquadratic minimum support stabilizer into the traditional quadratic minimum norm stabilizer, which simplifies the solution of the inverse problem. This transformation automatically ensures that the solution belongs to the class of models with a minimum support. The method is illustrated with synthetic examples of 3D magnetotelluric inversion for an earth conductivity structure. To simplify the calculations, in the initial stage of the iterative inversion we use the quasi-analytical approximation developed by Zhdanov and Hursán (2000 Inverse Problems 16 1297–322). However, to increase the accuracy of inversion, we apply rigorous forward modelling based on the integral equation method at the final stage of the inversion. To obtain a stable solution of a 3D inverse problem, we use the Tikhonov regularization method with a new nonlinear parametrization. This technique leads to the generation of a sharp image of anomalous conductivity distribution. The inversion is based on the regularized conjugate gradient method.


UNLABELLED
Differential equations are of basic importance in molecular biology mathematics because many biological laws and relations appear mathematically in the form of a differential equation. In this article we presented some applications of mathematical models represented by ordinary differential equations in molecular biology.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The vast majority of quantitative models in cell and molecular biology are formulated in terms of ordinary differential equations for the time evolution of concentrations of molecular species. Assuming that the diffusion in the cell is high enough to make the spatial distribution of molecules homogenous, these equations describe systems with many participating molecules of each kind.

RESULTS
We propose an original mathematical model with small parameter for biological phospholipid pathway. All the equations system includes small parameter epsilon. The smallness of epsilon is relative to the size of the solution domain. If we reduce the size of the solution region the same small epsilon will result in a different condition number. It is clear that the solution for a smaller region is less difficult. We introduce the mathematical technique known as boundary function method for singular perturbation system. In this system, the small parameter is an asymptotic variable, different from the independent variable. In general, the solutions of such equations exhibit multiscale phenomena. Singularly perturbed problems form a special class of problems containing a small parameter which may tend to zero.

CONCLUSIONS
Many molecular biology processes can be quantitatively characterized by ordinary differential equations. Mathematical cell biology is a very active and fast growing interdisciplinary area in which mathematical concepts, techniques, and models are applied to a variety of problems in developmental medicine and bioengineering. Among the different modeling approaches, ordinary differential equations (ODE) are particularly important and have led to significant advances. Ordinary differential equations are used to model biological processes on various levels ranging from DNA molecules or biosynthesis phospholipids on the cellular level.


The emerging cloud computing model has recently gained a lot of interest both from commercial companies and from the research community. XtreemOS is a distributed operating system for large-scale wide-area dynamic infrastructures spanning multiple administrative domains. XtreemOS, which is based on the Linux operating system, has been designed as a Grid operating system providing native support for virtual organizations. In this paper, we discuss the positioning of XtreemOS technologies with regard to cloud computing. More specifically, we investigate a scenario where XtreemOS could help users take full advantage of clouds in a global environment including their own resources and cloud resources. We also discuss how the XtreemOS system could be used by cloud service providers to manage their underlying infrastructure. This study shows that the XtreemOS distributed operating system is a highly relevant technology in the new era of cloud computing where future clouds seamlessly span multiple bare hardware providers and where customers extend their IT infrastructure by provisioning resources from different cloud service providers.


Beagle dogs inoculated with the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Rickettsia rickettsii, developed a clinical syndrome that extended from febrile exanthema to death and appeared to be dose related. Infected dogs were anorectic and lethargic and developed cutaneous lesions characteristic of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, including petechia, ecchymosis, edema, and necrosis. Hematologic changes after inoculation included anemia, leukopenia proceeding to leukocytosis, and thrombocytopenia. Changes in blood chemistry values included increases in serum alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol, and hyponatremia and hypochloremia. The prominent histopathologic change was necrotizing vasculitis. The canine disease is comparable with human Rocky Mountain spotted fever on a clinical, hematologic, biochemical, and pathologic basis, and may provide a model system for this disease in man. The results suggest the dog may be involved in the epidemiology of R rickettsii infections.


gynecological cancers remains a significant challenge worldwide. Since 2019, the International Gynecological Cancer Society has been offering pathology support to underserved countries through monthly multidisciplinary conferences involving local and expert pathologists. We describe the format of this intervention. Methods An expert pathologist joins conferences at 3–5 sites from underserved countries and discusses the clinical management of challenging cases selected by local gynecologic oncologists. Local and expert gynecologic surgical oncologists participate at each meeting, with occasional participation from radiation oncologists. Local pathologists from two sites consistently participate in these conferences; only these two sites submit pathology images and reports for review by an expert pathology consultant, who provides feedback on the accuracy of the diagnosis and the completeness of the pathology report. Other sites provide only a summary of the pathology diagnosis for discussion. All discussed cases are recorded in an Excel spreadsheet and include details on the management recommendations and the diagnostic pathology reports. Results A pathology report remains a major challenge for local pathologists. The details important for tumor staging and management are often scarce or not present. The sites with involved local pathologists are starting to use International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) checklist for completeness of the report. Conclusions Successful collaboration between local pathologists and international consultants is the first step towards improving the quality of pathology at many sites. The involvement of the local pathologists in the multi-disciplinary conferences and the collaboration with expert pathology consultants is crucial for the advancement of diagnostic oncology in underserved countries.


The genetic relationships among the twenty parental silkworm, Bombyx mori strains authorized in Korea were evaluated using RAPDs-PCR(Random Amplified Polymorphic DNAs-Polymerase Chain Reaction). Twenty-six different 10-mer oligonucleotide primers were used to screen genetic characteristics of parental twenty silkworm strains by RAPD-PCR analysis. 24 primers showed different banding patterns among the strains. Based on these RAPD patterns, the genetic relationships among the silkworm strains were analyzed by UPGMA(Unweighed Pair-Group Method with Arithmetic average) method. The phylogenetic relationships in the twenty silkworm strains were classified into two major sub-groups at the genetic similarity coefficient of 0.60. The first sub-group included Jaml13, Jaml 19, Jaml20, Jam123, Jam1 25 and Jam 127. Jamll4, Jam1 2 I, Jam 122, Jam 124, Jam1 26, Jam 128, Jam129, Jam 130, Jam 131, Jam1 32, Jam133, Jam134, Jam301 and Jam302 were included in the 2nd group. The genetic distance values among Jam1 14, Jam120 and Jam127 were lower than those among the other strains, while Jam129 is very closely related to Jam131 as showing coefficient value of 1 .O.


A recent recall of generic warfarin tablets was expanded to include 6 other drug products prepared on the same packaging line.


Existing studies have traced China's high political trust to three sources: traditional culture, the state's success in fostering economic growth, and ideological propaganda. We identify a fourth source: perceived social mobility. We argue that when people perceive a reasonable chance for upward mobility based on personal initiatives and efforts, the status quo becomes more justifiable because individuals are responsible for their own successes and failures. Perceived social mobility thus instills a sense of optimism and fairness and exonerates the regime from many blames, thereby enhancing political trust. Regression analysis of the China portion of the 2007 World Values Survey data shows that respondents who saw themselves as having choices and control in life were indeed more likely to trust the ruling communist party. The respondents' overall level of perceived social mobility is also high, which is consistent with the massive shake-up of the preexisting social order in China's reform era.


Two new blind, cave-dwelling species of the genus Acipes Attems, 1937, are described from the Algarve, southern Portugal: A. machadoi n. sp. and A. bifilum n. sp. Acipes andalusius Enghoff & Mauriès, 1999, is reported from the mesovoid shallow substratum in Alicante (Spain), 250 km from the type locality in Andalusia.


The strategy field has generally been viewed as somewhat fragmented with the primary 'fault line' stemming from the divide between economic and behavioral approaches. It is argued here that this is a false divide as any but the most trivial problems require a behavioral act of representation prior to invoking a deductive, 'rational' approach. In this sense, all approaches are behavioral. Once we recognize rationality as a process, then the pragmatic question becomes which among the imperfect mechanisms to guide choice and behavior may be more or less preferred. Such a viewpoint not only serves to help span the chasm of behavioral and economic approaches, but it may also connect the applied normative frameworks and approaches within the field to more theoretically grounded approaches. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The main objective of the FIBRESHIP project is to enable the building of the complete hull and superstructure of large-length seagoing and inland ships in FRP materials by overcoming few technical challenges. In order to achieve this objective, the project will develop, qualify and audit innovative FRP materials for marine applications, elaborate new design and production guidelines and procedures, generate efficient production and inspection methodologies, and develop new validated software analysis tools. Clear performance indicators will be designed and applied in the evaluation of the different solutions developed for three targeted vessels categories. Finally, the different technologies generated in FIBRESHIP will be first validated and then demonstrated by using advanced simulation techniques and experimental testing on real-scale structures. This paper is dealing with the presentation of the project scope and progress of the FIBRESHIP project over the first six months.


In recent years, two trends has excelled in the universe Brewer: getting beer from concentrated musts and the elaboration of beer using special assistants, which may or not aromatize the same, in order to obtain unique sensory attributes in products obtained. The honey of Apis mellifera, is raw material quite favorable to the alcoholic fermentation for being rich in carbohydrates, minerals and low acidity. The present study aimed to develop artisanal beer, using honey as malt and partial substituent as natural flavouring of craft beers. Four different formulations were made of beer, being a replacement for malt-free honey and three other formulations, with respectively 10%, 20% and 30% of honey. Based on the results observed it was concluded that the use of honey in the three levels of substitution allowed obtaining higher-alcohol beers (5.21, 5.76 and 5.57% v/v) in respect of conventional beer (4.86%, v/v). According to the sensory tests the drink proved with consumption potential, since the beers showed distinct features and samples containing honey were the most accepted. Considering that this type of beer is not traditionally consumed in Brazil, this work aims to broaden scientific knowledge in the area of manufacturing technology of honey beers, since the subject is of great importance to enlarge the market of this product.


A prototype single-mode fibre-based Fizeau interferometric medical pressure and temperature sensor system using coherence reading signal recovery is demonstrated. These sensors have been designed in such a way that they have similar optical path differences and hence problems associated with multiplexing are greatly reduced. For the pressure sensor, a range to resolution ratio of about 6.7*103:1 and an overall measurement accuracy of better than +or-1% over a pressure range of 0-360 mmHg have been achieved. For the temperature sensor, a measurement resolution of 0.006 degrees C and a 1% span linearity over a temperature range of 27.3-62.5 degrees C have been achieved. The performance of both sensors meets or exceeds established medical requirements, and the dimensions of the probes are compatible with commercial electric probes. Hence this new sensor system is expected to be a practical approach for many medical applications.


The not so recent distribution of the Abu Ghraib photos throughout the United States and the world brought forth the detection of a practice that is commonly used by the U.S. and its "satellite states." For the mainstream U.S. American public, it was a shocking and horrifying discovery.  For others, such as Carlos Mauricio who "had flashbacks when he saw the guy with the hood (at Abu Ghraib)," the photos were a terrible reminder of a "counter terrorism" practice that is implemented to subdue "communist/terrorist insurgents." Following the publication of the Abu Ghraib photos, U.S. representatives, with the help of the media, "manufactured consent" by dismissing the photos as "not representing America" and blaming the atrocious acts committed within the photos on a "few bad apples".`  There are those who were not fooled, as well as others who would like to know how we, as a society, can end this dreadful practice. This piece will expose some ideas that may, in fact, contribute to ending the practice of torture by the United States.  It will analyze and critique institutions and ideologies, such as racism and capitalism that are so fundamental to the U.S. and create conditions ripe for torture to thrive.

 Key words: Abu Ghraib, american exceptionalism, capitalism, Torture, War, White man's burden.


PURPOSE
We studied the hypothesis that possibly via shared inflammatory mechanisms, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is associated with increased prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) conditions.

METHODS
Among a multiethnic population of 76,465 men and women with known demographics, we studied all persons (n = 99) with confirmed outpatient diagnoses of PsA. Associations of PsA with CV diagnoses were studied in the entire population by logistic regression with six covariates. With two matched control study subjects for each study subject with PsA, selected risk traits for CV conditions at time of PsA diagnosis were compared with findings on t-tests.

RESULTS
Study subjects with PsA did not exhibit more atherothrombotic disease (coronary and cerebrovascular) or diabetes mellitus but had increased prevalence of systemic hypertension and heart failure compared with study control subjects. In the case-control analysis, study subjects with PsA had a lower mean blood cholesterol, a higher mean body mass index, and a higher mean blood pressure compared with study control subjects; mean blood glucose was similar in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS
In this analysis the associations of PsA with CV risk factors and CV conditions are mixed. Except for increased systemic hypertension, it is unclear whether PsA is related to higher prevalence of CV disease.


We present an analysis and comparison of magnetization and remanence data from two particulate systems: commercial CrO/sub 2/ audiotape and a frozen suspension of magnetoferritin particles. The measurements were performed over a range of temperatures, 25/spl deg/C/spl les/T/spl les/120/spl deg/C for CrO/sub 2/ and 5 K/spl les/T/spl les/10 K for magnetoferritin, and over a range of fields sufficient to saturate the remanence at each temperature. The CrO/sub 2/ tape was prepared by both ac demagnetization and by thermal demagnetization from above the Curie temperature, while the magnetoferritin was thermally demagnetized from above its highest blocking temperature. The data were analyzed within the framework of a scalar Preisach model that included thermally activated relaxation and a reversible nonlinearity. In the case of CrO/sub 2/, our fits showed that changes in hysteresis with temperature were due primarily to thermal variations in the spontaneous moment and the anisotropy of the particles, and in their magnetostatic interaction fields, and hence to changes in the free-energy landscape. In magnetoferritin, the temperature dependence of the magnetic response was due almost exclusively to changes in the relative populations of blocked and unblocked particles which relax by thermal activation over a fixed distribution of energy barriers. Our analysis of interaction effects was based on the Wohlfarth-Henkel parametric plot of the principal magnetizing and demagnetizing remanences. These plots showed curvature indicative of demagnetizing-like interactions in both thermally demagnetized magnetoferritin and ac-demagnetized CrO/sub 2/, but essentially no curvature in thermally demagnetized CrO/sub 2/. Our analysis revealed that there were no long-range, mean field interactions in either system, but that thermal demagnetization of CrO/sub 2/ produced a random initial state that was insensitive to fluctuations in the interaction field due to disorder, provided that mean field effects were absent, while thermal demagnetization of magnetoferritin produced a highly asymmetric initial state resembling that induced by ac demagnetization, which was sensitive to these fluctuations.


CORRECTION: Due to a number of formatting and layout issues, the PDF of this paper was replaced on 10th October 2016. The page numbers of this article have changed from 94-96 to 99-101. The study aimed to isolate arsenic (As) oxidizing-reducing bacteria from As contaminated soil and water and to determine their ability to remove As from broth culture. Soil and water samples were collected from As contaminated area of BRRI farm, Bhanga, Faridpur. Arsenic oxidizing and reducing bacteria were isolated from the As contaminated soil (13 mg kg -1 ) and water (410 μg/L) using spread plate count method in minimal salt (MS) medium after seven days of incubation. The oxidation activity of the bacteria as well as reclamation of As [III] was determined from NaAsO 2 supplemented broth using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The As-oxidizing bacteria population was present only in one soil sample, while in all water samples both oxidizing and reducing bacteria were present. A total of 36 As oxidizing-reducing bacteria were isolated. As-oxidizing bacteria removed 71-99% of applied As [III] in broth culture. Two out of 10 As-oxidizing bacterial strains appeared more efficient than others to remove As [III] under broth culture conditions. Bangladesh Rice j. 2015, 19(2): 99-100


The determination of geographical origin is a requirement of traceability system of import and export of food products. To this end, molecular techniques using 16S, 26S rDNA profiles generated by PCR-DGGE were used to detect the variation of the microbial community (bacteria, yeasts) structures of Pangasius fish from Viet Nam harvested in different aquaculture farms and during different seasons and two fruits from Physalis. If Physalis, the ecology of the yeast was also studied in the same purpose. Bacterial band profiles and mandarin fish, yeast and the Gaza Physalis specific profiles for each location and can be used as a bar code to certify the origin of fish and fruit. This method is a new tracking tool, which provides organic food with a unique bar code and an audit trail of food to their original location. (Resume d'auteur)


Future data-intensive intelligent applications are required to traverse across the cloud-to-edge-to-IoT continuum, where cloud and edge resources elegantly coordinate, alongside sensor networks and data. However, current technical solutions can only partially handle the data outburst associated with the IoT proliferation experienced in recent years, mainly due to their hierarchical architectures. In this context, this paper presents a reference architecture of a meta-operating system (RAMOS), targeted to enable a dynamic, distributed and trusted continuum which will be capable of facilitating the next-generation smart applications at the edge. RAMOS is domain-agnostic, capable of supporting heterogeneous devices in various network environments. Furthermore, the proposed architecture possesses the ability to place the data at the origin in a secure and trusted manner. Based on a layered structure, the building blocks of RAMOS are thoroughly described, and the interconnection and coordination between them is fully presented. Furthermore, illustration of how the proposed reference architecture and its characteristics could fit in potential key industrial and societal applications, which in the future will require more power at the edge, is provided in five practical scenarios, focusing on the distributed intelligence and privacy preservation principles promoted by RAMOS, as well as the concept of environmental footprint minimization. Finally, the business potential of an open edge ecosystem and the societal impacts of climate net neutrality are also illustrated.


Nowadays, almost every market has an intense competition environment. Naturally, in order to survive in such an environment, decision maker must understand accurately their costumer wants and needs, even must generate individual solutions, not only massive. The way to understand costumers is through determining the factors well that affect purchasing decision-making of costumers. An emotion that can directly affect human behaviour such as shyness is a question mark on the frame of consumer behaviour, although purchasing decision-making process is examined with many different approaches. The aim of this study is to illuminate whether shyness has an effect on online purchasing decision-making process or not. In the literature, although a lot of studies have been done about shyness in different fields, a sufficient level of study was not encountered about shyness in the field of marketing. The fact that shyness has not been addressed in terms of marketing, especially on the internet, reveals the importance of this study.


DensePose estimation task is a significant step forward for enhancing user experience computer vision applications ranging from augmented reality to cloth fitting. Existing neural network models capable of solving this task are heavily parameterized and a long way from being transferred to an embedded or mobile device. To enable Dense Pose inference on the end device with current models, one needs to support an expensive server-side infrastructure and have a stable internet connection. To make things worse, mobile and embedded devices do not always have a powerful GPU inside. In this work, we target the problem of redesigning the DensePose R-CNN model's architecture so that the final network retains most of its accuracy but becomes more light-weight and fast. To achieve that, we tested and incorporated many deep learning innovations from recent years, specifically performing an ablation study on 23 efficient backbone architectures, multiple two-stage detection pipeline modifications, and custom model quantization methods. As a result, we achieved 17× model size reduction and 2× latency improvement compared to the baseline model.1


Electrical power industry restricting has created highly vibrant and competitive market that altered many aspects of the power industry. In this changed scenario, scarcity of energy resources, increasing power generation cost, environment concern, ever growing demand of electrical energy necessitate optimal economic dispatch. Practical economic dispatch (ED) problems have nonlinear, non-convex type objective function with intense equality and inequality constraints. The conventional optimization methods are not able to solve such problems as due to local optimum solution convergence. This work proposes a novel metaheuristic optimization methodology aimed at solving economic dispatch problem considering valve point loading effects. The differential evolution (DE) may occasionally stop proceeding toward the global optimum even though the population has not converged to a local optimum. This situation is usually referred to as stagnation. DE also suffers from the problem of premature convergence, where the population converges to some local optima of a multimodal objective function, losing its diversity. Shuffled frog leaping algorithm (SFLA) is a newly developed memetic metaheuristic algorithm for combinatorial optimization, which has simple concept, few parameters, high performance, and easy programming. SFLA and its variants have been successfully applied to various fields of power system optimization. The proposed approach is based on a hybrid shuffled differential evolution (SDE) algorithm which combines the benefits of SFLA and DE.