Apple replant disease (ARD) is a common problem in major apple planting areas, and biological factors play a leading role in its etiology. Here, we isolated the bacterial strain QSB-6 from the rhizosphere soil of healthy apple trees in a replanted orchard using the serial dilution method. Strain QSB-6 was provisionally identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens based on its morphology, physiological and biochemical characteristics, carbon source utilization, and chemical sensitivity. Maximum likelihood analysis based on four gene sequences [16S ribosomal RNA gene (16S rDNA), DNA gyrase subunit A (gyrA), DNA gyrase subunit B (gyrB), and RNA polymerase subunit B (rpoB)] from QSB-6 and other strains indicated that it had 100% homology with B. amyloliquefaciens, thereby confirming its identification. Flat standoff tests showed that strain QSB-6 had a strong inhibitory effect on Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium solani, Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Phoma sp., Valsa mali, Rhizoctonia solani, Penicillium brasilianum, and Albifimbria verrucaria, and it had broad-spectrum antibacterial characteristics. Extracellular metabolites from strain QSB-6 showed a strong inhibitory effect on Fusarium hyphal growth and spore germination, causing irregular swelling, atrophy, rupture, and cytoplasmic leakage of fungal hyphae. Analysis of its metabolites showed that 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid and benzeneacetic acid, 3- hydroxy-, methyl ester had good inhibitory effects on Fusarium, and increased the length of primary roots and the number of lateral roots of Arabidopsis thaliana plantlet. Pot experiments demonstrated that a QSB-6 bacterial fertilizer treatment (T2) significantly improved the growth of Malus hupehensis Rehd. seedlings. It increased root length, surface area, tips, and forks, respiration rate, protective enzyme activities, and the number of soil bacteria while reducing the number of soil fungi. Fermentation broth from strain QSB-6 effectively prevented root damage from Fusarium. terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays showed that the T2 treatment significantly reduced the abundance of Fusarium in the soil and altered the soil fungal community structure. In summary, B. amyloliquefaciens QSB-6 has a good inhibitory effect on Fusarium in the soil and can significantly promote plant root growth. It has great potential as a biological control agent against ARD.


In this paper, we consider the experiences of mathematics lecturers in higher education and how they moved to emergency remote teaching during the initial university closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted in May–June 2020 which received 257 replies from respondents based in 29 countries. We report on the particular challenges mathematics lecturers perceive there to be around teaching mathematics remotely, as well as any advantages or disadvantages of teaching mathematics online that they report. Over 90% of respondents had little or no prior experience teaching mathematics online, and, initially, 72% found it stressful and 88% thought it time-consuming. 88% felt there was a difference between teaching mathematics in this way compared with other disciplines. Four main types of challenges were associated with emergency remote teaching of mathematics: technical challenges; student challenges; teaching challenges; and the nature of mathematics. Respondents identified flexibility as the main advantage of online teaching, with lack of interaction featuring strongly as a disadvantage. We also consider respondents' personal circumstances during this time, in terms of working conditions and caring responsibilities and conclude by summarizing the impact they perceive this experience may have upon their future teaching. Forty-six percent% of respondents self-identified as having caring responsibilities, and 61% felt the experience would affect their future teaching.


The issue of timing is addressed in a game between managerial  ̄rms. The choice over timing can be taken either by managers or by entrepreneurs. It is shown that (i) delegation drastically modi ̄es the owners' preferences concerning the distribution of roles, as compared to the setting where  ̄rms act as pure pro ̄tmaximizers; and (ii) the ability of moving  ̄rst in the market game entails that, at least observationally, the owner of the leading  ̄rm prefers not to delegate. I show that the choice of the timing by managers entails the same pro ̄t owners would achieve by specifying the timing in the delegation contract. J.E.L. Classi ̄cation Numbers: D43, L13


This study consists of two parts. First part is about the through via in printed circuit board (PCB). In the PCB, signal transmission between different layers occurs by way of through via. The excessive capacitance is generated near the through via. Such capacitance influences the signal transmission between different layers. Through via also cause return current path discontinuous. It excites parasitic transverse electromagnetic modes in PCB. Both excessive capacitance and return current path discontinuous cause the power loss. Some techniques solving this problem are discussed. Finite element method (FEM) is used to simulate the high frequency electromagnetism and extract the S-parameters. S-parameters are used to describe the electrical behavior of through via. By these model, we want to predict the signal transmission performance of the through via structure. Second part is about through silicon via (TSV). TSV which is used to connect stacked chips in a vertical fashion become the heart of this technique, because there are big signal attenuation in the wire bonding approach and large solder balls in the flip-chip. When a high frequency signal is transmitted vertically through the substrate via, low resistivity silicon substrate will cause significant signal attenuation and lead poor ratio frequency (RF) performance. 3D electromagnetic field solver is employed to build up finite element models. Equivalent circuit model is also used to simulate the electrical performance of TSV. The impact of different TSV shapes and materials on electrical performance is evaluated by using S-parameters. By these models, we want to propose an accurate finite element model to predict electrical performance of TSV and easily design 3D IC integration for designer.


A central pursuit of cognitive neuroscience is to find neural mechanisms of cognition, with research programs favoring different strategies to look for them. But what is a neural mechanism, and how do we know we have captured them? Here I answer these questions through a framework that integrates Marr's levels with philosophical work on mechanism. From this, the following goal emerges: What needs to be explained are the computations of cognition, with explanation itself given by mechanism-composed of algorithms and parts of the brain that realize them. This reveals a delineation within cognitive neuroscience research. In the premechanism stage, the computations of cognition are linked to phenomena in the brain, narrowing down where and when mechanisms are situated in space and time. In the mechanism stage, it is established how computation emerges from organized interactions between parts-filling the premechanistic mold. I explain why a shift toward mechanistic modeling helps us meet our aims while outlining a road map for doing so. Finally, I argue that the explanatory scope of neural mechanisms can be approximated by effect sizes collected across studies, not just conceptual analysis. Together, these points synthesize a mechanistic agenda that allows subfields to connect at the level of theory.


A new method for the study of drug-cell interaction is suggested. It is based on optical monitoring of cell response to drug impact. To detect this response, a high sensitive photothermal imaging technique has been developed. This technique is based on irradiation of the cells with a focused short pulse double-frequency pump laser (532 nm, 8 ns) and monitoring the laser-induced local thermal effects. This is realized with a second collinear dye laser pulse (630 nm, 6 ns) that probes the heated cell absorbing zones. The temperature-dependent variations of the refractive index in the absorbing zones in cross section of probe beam are recorded with phase-contrast technique. The photothermal (PT) image represents a two-dimensional depth-integrated temperature distribution in the irradiated volume and correlates with the conventional optical absorption images. It was experimentally shown that the introduction of NaN(3) or anti-tumor drug in the cell suspension led to a change in the structure of PT images of human lymphocytes and human lympholeukemia cells, respectively. It was hypothesized that the observed effects could be associated with the change of redox state of respiratory chain component.


The characterization, analysis and validation of evidence that concludes the description of an intentional act of biocrime or bioterrorism represent the main target of microbial forensics. But, even nowadays with the most recent tech- nical advances, it remains extremely difficult, labour-demanding and time consuming to investigate and confirm the origin of microbial strains and to identify the person or motif behind the crimes. The true extent of microbial diversity in indoor or outdoor environments may still be underestimated, but its origin and maintenance is starting now to be better under- stood. Biogeographic patterns and proves of endemism had been occasionally described for few bacterial communities, as well as for fungal populations. Other researchers sustain that microbes are simply so abundant that dispersion and migra- tion capacities support a probable global distribution. Additionally, they possess a remarkable tolerance and adaptation abilities to the most unfavourable environmental conditions. Human body represents other sort of microbial community different from soil and water communities that may be ruled by other variables, particularly the individual genetic back- ground. Nowadays, there is no doubt that molecular markers are important for microbe discriminating and, thus, genotyp- ing methodologies are increasing interest for forensic sciences. The advent of large-scale genotyping studies on microbial populations may provide a unique opportunity to compare genetic diversity within and among populations. The present mini-review focus the most recent developments regarding microbial genetics and population diversity, both community richness and genotype diversity, and its application for criminal cases and forensic evidence.


The establishment of anteroposterior identity in the vertebrate neural plate has been a subject of investigation for decades, but molecular explanations of posteriorization were only revealed beginning in the late 1980s. A model has emerged from several key studies that identifies Wnt signaling as a key posteriorizing agent, which evidence suggests specifies anteroposterior fates in a concentration‐dependent manner. In this review, we consider the historical context of posteriorization studies and evaluate models for Wnt‐dependent posteriorization. With new information about the mode of delivery of many signaling ligands, we propose alternative scenarios to reconcile the Wnt gradient model with the complex process of gastrulation and potential non‐secretory mechanisms of Wnt delivery. Developmental Dynamics 244:507–512, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The article discusses issues related to the development and acceptance of administrative decisions in the enterprise. The large number of publications in the field of research of the process of managerial decision-making demonstrates its relevance for effective management of the enterprise. The article presents the author's approach to the disclosure of the nature and concepts of the term «management decision», a substantive analysis of the main elements of the theoretical aspect of managerial decision-making. The increased competition associated with market liberalization and globalization of world economy, requires from senior management of an effective control system. The authors revised classification criteria and allocated them accordingly the kinds of management decisions; identifies the main stages of development and adoption of management decisions. The article is devoted to finding new ways of making decisions to improve the efficiency of enterprise management. It is noted that for optimal decision making, it is required to calculate the impact of its implementation on the value of the enterprise as a whole or the size of its economic effect.


Background: In Ethiopia, workers are not well informed about the health effects of their work environment and occupational related respiratory symptoms are extensively high especially, in cement factories. Objective: This study was designed to determine prevalence of respiratory symptoms and associated factors among Cement Factories Workers and Civil Servants. Methods: An organization based comparative cross sectional study were done on 266 cement factories and 269 civil servant workers, using pre-tested questionnaire. Simple random sampling method was used to select participants from Civil Servants, while working section stratification with simple random was applied to select participant Cement Factories Workers. The data were entered to Epi-info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. In the bivariate logistic regression variables with p≤0.2 were fitted to multivariate logistic regression and finally, variables with p<0.05 was considered as significantlly associated. Result: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was 66.2% in cement factories workers and 31.2% in Civil Servants with a significant difference (p<0.001). The odds of developing respiratory symptoms were higher among exposed groups (AOR=7.60, 95% CI: 4.93-11.89). Respiratory symptoms were higher in ≥45years old workers (AOR=4.67, 95% CI: 1.16-18.74) than <25years old workers. Night shift workers were more likely to develop respiratory symptoms (AOR=2.07, 95% CI: 1.02-4.18) than their counterpart. Having trained in occupational health and safety (AOR=0.18, 95% CI: 0.09- 0.36) and education above secondary school (AOR= 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03-0.78) were protective for respiratory symptoms in the exposed groups. Smoking was positively associated with respiratory symptoms in both cement factories workers (AOR=11.7, 95% CI: 1.6- 85.76) and unexposed groups (AOR=3.4, 95% CI: 1.19-9.05). Conclusion: Respiratory symptoms were higher among cement factories workers than civil servants, so engineering and administrative control measures are needed to reduce the exposure of workers to cement dust.


Biomass systems are based on a wide range of feedstock, like food and agricultural waste. The quest for bio-adsorbents that are environmentally benign is the rationale for this study. Thus, the research is aimed at the isolation, physicochemical, and BET analysis of cellulose obtained from Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth Pod (PMBP) biomass waste. The powdered PMBP was dewaxed with toluene and ethanol (2:1) and, thereafter, treated with aqueous sodium hypochlorite (7.5% at 70oC) and sodium hydroxide (17.5%w/v at 80oC) to obtain isolated cellulose. Proximate, ultimate, and chemical composition analysis reveals the presence of cellulose (42.7%), hemicelluloses (7.8%), lignin (38.5%), silicon (40.72%), aluminium (17.10%) and elements. The FTIR and Raman spectroscopic analysis revealed some of the functional groups associated with isolated cellulose and raw PMBP. The presence of hemicelluloses and lignin in the isolated cellulose implies that the isolation process did not remove all the impurities. The BET analysis reveals a better specific surface area, pore volume, and average pore diameter or size of the isolated cellulose, and could serve as a better adsorbent than the raw. As a result of the increased surface area and high percentage of isolated cellulose in PMBP, it can be used as a sustainable energy source as well as for the environmental remediation of heavy metals.


Yellow nail syndrome is a relatively rare disease that is characterized by yellow nail, lymphedema and pleural effusion. These symptoms occur to various degrees, but occasionally pleural effusions are interactive and can become life-threatening. We report the case of a 15-year-old girl with yellow nail syndrome with interactive bilateral pleural effusions who was treated with pleuroperitoneal shunting. Drainage from the pleural cavity to the peritoneal cavity improved oxygenation and permitted removal of bilateral chest tubes that had been inserted for long term relief. We discuss the benefits and difficulties of this procedure and define the characteristics of patients with yellow nail syndrome who were treated with pleuroperitoneal shunt for pleural effusions, based on a literature review. The procedure may be an alternative rescue strategy for patients with interactive pleural effusions. doi:10.4021/jmc202w


Generally, crowd datasets can be collected or generated from real or synthetic sources. Real data is generated by using infrastructure-based sensors (such as static cameras or other sensors). The use of simulation tools can significantly reduce the time required to generate scenario-specific crowd datasets, facilitate data-driven research, and next build functional machine learning models. The main goal of this work was to develop an extension of crowd simulation (named CrowdSim2) and prove its usability in the application of people-tracking algorithms. The simulator is developed using the very popular Unity 3D engine with particular emphasis on the aspects of realism in the environment, weather conditions, traffic, and the movement and models of individual agents. Finally, three methods of tracking were used to validate generated dataset: IOU-Tracker, Deep-Sort, and Deep-TAMA.


Surgical treatment of L5-S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis consists of a combination of decompression and fusion. One previously discussed mode of fusion is via transdiscal screws. Biomechanical studies of transdiscal screws have demonstrated greater rigidity than traditional pedicle screw fixation, which theoretically translates to a higher fusion rate. Furthermore, when compared to pedicle screw fixation, transdiscal screw fixation also demonstrates improved functional and radiographic outcomes. However, transdiscal screw placement can be technically difficult. At this time, a detailed surgical technique has yet to be reported in the literature. Our surgical technique for transdiscal screw placement using intraoperative C-arm at L5-S1 is described. We include considerations for preoperative planning including necessary imaging and appropriate patient selection. We also discuss intraoperative concerns such as setup, surgical approach, proper screw trajectory, and our method for achieving indirect decompression. The results of thirteen consecutive patients treated with transdiscal screw fixation are described. One patient had subcutaneous seroma requiring reoperation (7.7%), three patients had implant failure (23.1%), and one patient had nonunion (7.7%). Our results suggest that transdiscal screw fixation is a safe and acceptable alternative for stabilization and indirect decompression of L5-S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis. Recent innovation in intraoperative navigation and robotic surgery may lessen the technical difficulty of transdiscal screw placement and make it even more effective.


This article describes a melding of a government-sponsored architecture for complex systems with open systems engineering architecture developed by the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Our experience in using these two architectures in building a complex healthcare system is described in this paper. The work described shows that it is possible to combine these two architectural frameworks in describing the systems, operational, and technical views of a complex automation system. The advantage in combining the two architectural frameworks lies in the simplicity of implementation and ease of understanding of automation system architectural elements by medical professionals.


We herein report 2 eyes with significant loss of vision after glaucoma filtering surgery that was accompanied by progressive macular thinning detected on macular optical coherence tomography imaging. The findings provide evidence that progressive retinal ganglion cell loss is one of the causes of visual loss after uncomplicated glaucoma surgery.


Objectives To assess the utility of the display standardisation of diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) and to compare the effectiveness of DWI and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI for the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD). Design A reliability and agreement study. Setting Thirteen MRI observers comprising eight neurologists and five radiologists at two universities in Japan. Participants Data of 1.5-Tesla DWI and FLAIR were obtained from 29 patients with sCJD and 13 controls. Outcome measures Standardisation of DWI display was performed utilising b0 imaging. The observers participated in standardised DWI, variable DWI (the display adjustment was observer dependent) and FLAIR sessions. The observers independently assessed each MRI for CJD-related lesions, that is, hyperintensity in the cerebral cortex or striatum, using a continuous rating scale. Performance was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). Results The mean AUC values were 0.84 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.87) for standardised DWI, 0.85 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.88) for variable DWI and 0.68 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.72) for FLAIR, demonstrating the superiority of DWI (p<0.05). There was a trend for higher intraclass correlations of standardised DWI (0.74, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.83) and variable DWI (0.72, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.81) than that of FLAIR (0.63, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.74), although the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions Standardised DWI is as reliable as variable DWI, and the two DWI displays are superior to FLAIR for the diagnosis of sCJD. The authors propose that hyperintensity in the cerebral cortex or striatum on 1.5-Tesla DWI but not FLAIR can be a reliable diagnostic marker for sCJD.


Effects have been studied of the technogenic and biogenic stress-factors on the myocardial phospholipid composition in white rats. It has been ascertained that the action of the technogenic stressor on the organism results in derangement of adaptive mechanisms in the myocardium, that of the biogenic stressor causes activization of adaptive mechanisms. The obtained results suggest to us an important ethiopathogenetic role of technogenic stressors in the development of myocardial pathologies.


During a field experiment to test effects of changes to leaf height and density of Zostera capricorni on associated fish and decapods, more than one-third of the substratum at some sites was covered by the epiphytic brown alga Giffordia mitchelliae. This paper reports apparent effects of the alga on the 13 most abundant species of fish and decapods, and interactions between effects of the alga and those due to height and density of the seagrass leaves. Abundances of three species were significantly lower, and those of two species were significantly greater where the alga occurred. There were interactions between effects of the alga and those of leaf height and/or density for another four species. In all four cases, when the alga had an effect, it was to decrease abundance. The effects of Giffordia were generally opposite to those reported for drift algae in seagrass habitats elsewhere. The lower abundances of seven species where algal cover was great are best explained by an existing model for seagrass habitats that predicts reductions in abundance of individuals when the ratio of plant material to substratum is very high.


Research subject . This article presents data on the age, material composition, petrogenetical and geochemical properties of morion-containing granites in the Etytei and Khamnigadai massifs of Central Transbaikalia. Materials and methods. The composition of rock samples was investigated using the methods of chemical analysis, XRD and ICP-MS; the age was determined by the zircon U–Pb method using SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS; the mineral composition was studied using an LEO-1430 electron microscope. Results . The massifs composed of morion-containing granites belong to Early Jurassic (190–185 Ma) and form the peripheral area of the Early Mesozoic Khentei-Dauria magmatic region. Conclusion . According to their petrochemical and mineralogical characteristics, the morion-containing granites under study differ from typical intra-plate granitoids and correspond to the "oxidized" A-type granites. The black smoky colour of quartz contained in granite samples is associated with a relatively high radioactivity of rocks caused by the presence of accessory thorium and uranium-containing minerals.


Reactivation of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a life-threatening complication in transplant patients. Natural Killer (NK) cells are the first lymphocyte lineage to reconstitute following an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Amongst them, NK cell Group 2 isoform C/Killer cell lectin-like receptor subfamily C, member 2 (NKG2C)-expressing NK cells contribute significantly to patient protection upon HCMV reactivation. NKG2C+ NK cells are capable of immunological memory, albeit NK cell memory is not restricted to them. Hepatic C-X-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 6 (CXCR6)-expressing NK cells also mediate memory responses in mice and humans. Small numbers of them circulate and can thus be studied in peripheral blood samples. We hypothesize that NKG2C+ and CXCR6+ NK cell subsets are distinct. To test our hypothesis, we used multi-parametric flow cytometry to determine the phenotypes and effector functions of CD56bright vs. CD56dim and NKG2C+ vs. CXCR6+ human NK cell subsets in the peripheral blood (PB) of pediatric transplant recipients monthly while monitoring patients for HCMV reactivation. Interestingly, we did not find any NKG2C+CXCR6+ NK cells in the transplant recipients' peripheral blood, suggesting that NKG2C+ and CXCR6+ NK cells are distinct. Also, NKG2C–CXCR6– NK cells, rather than NKG2C+ NK cells, made up most NK cells post-transplant, even in transplant recipients with HCMV viremia. In contrast to NKG2C+ NK cells, CXCR6+ NK cells appeared phenotypically less differentiated but were highly proliferative and produced IFN-γ and TNF α . Our findings contribute to our understanding of post-transplant NK cell development and its implications for human health.


The aim of this study was to find a proper method for improvement of ischemic condition in the rat hind limb and also to observe the efficacy of cell engraftment with alginate/gelatin three-dimensional scaffolds. Eighteen male Wistar rats weighing 200 to 250 g were randomly divided into three groups (n = 6) including a) ischemia group; in which femoral artery was removed after ligation at the distance of 5 mm, b) scaffold group; in which hydrogel scaffold was added to the site of transected femoral artery and c) test group; in which in addition to hydrogel scaffold, mast cells (MCs) were also added (1 × 106 cells). Analysis of capillary density, artery diameter, histomorphometric parameters and immunohistochemistry in transected location were done on day 14 after femoral artery transection. The average number of blood capillary was significantly higher in the test group than other groups. Also, the average number of medium and large blood vessels was significantly higher in the test group compared to ischemia and scaffold groups. Application of MCs through the use of hydrogel scaffolds (alginate/gelatin) can be considered as a new approach in the application of stem cells for therapeutic angiogenesis under ischemic conditions which can improve the angiogenesis process in patients with peripheral artery diseases.


Evaporation of ultra-thin layers of refractory metals onto glass substrates represents a relatively simple method of fabricating discontinuous metal films. The utility of these films in nanotechnology is based on the ability to control their morphology. In this thesis, control of discontinuous palladium films is demonstrated as the morphology is tailored for various applications. First, the films are successfully engineered to provide molecular scaffolding in the NanoCell. A dependency of the film morphology on the pattern density is observed which potentially could be exploited to provide wafer-scale morphology tuning with only a single evaporation. Next, electrical characterization of gold nanocrystal capacitors showed significant increases in the flat band voltage shift as the gold particle density increased. The density scaling of gold and palladium films was investigated revealing a linear dependence of gold on decreasing evaporation thickness and an exponential dependence for palladium. A palladium particle density of 1.03 x 10¹² particles cm⁻² was achieved, exceeding the theoretical target density for non-volatile memory applications. A novel technique to further increase this particle density is demonstrated.

Another application for discontinuous metal films is for stochastic interface strategies. Interfacing the nanoworld with the microworld represents a critical challenge to fully integrated nanosystems. Unfortunately, not all applications can tolerate random or incomplete connectivity that can result from stochastic solutions. Therefore, a novel structure is presented that permits complete and deterministic cross-connect of orthogonal wiring arrays without the need for any critical translational alignment. Deterministically connecting 10nm wires directly to 3 µ wires would require a translational alignment to within only about 6 µ. It is shown that there is no restriction placed on the minimum nanowire pitch and that the design is independent of the technology used to fabricate the nanowires. The process is relatively simple and is presented from a fabrication perspective, critically evaluating the effect of potential processing errors on the design. A proof-of-concept structure is fabricated and analyzed, demonstrating the feasibility of this design.


ABSTRACT While social mate choice is an obvious point where sexual selection acts on males, cryptic selection can occur based on how much females invest in a male's offspring. I tested 4 hypotheses about the relationship between female investment and social mate attractiveness by manipulating a sexually selected trait, white tail feathers ("tail white"), in male Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis thurberi): (1) the differential allocation hypothesis predicts that females optimize lifetime reproductive success by maximizing parental investment in the offspring of ornamented mates and minimizing investment when mated to less attractive males; (2) instead of positive differential allocation, females could show negative differential allocation by investing more in less attractive males to compensate for their lower quality; (3) female care could also be influenced directly by paternal investment, in particular what appears to be positive differential allocation could be compensation for reduced care by attractive males; or (4) females could reduce care when paired with socially attractive males that are "good parents". To evaluate these hypotheses, I examined the impact of tail white manipulation on clutch size, female incubation and brooding, and female and male provisioning. Females did not differentially allocate in relation to social mate attractiveness, nor were females responsive to patterns of male investment, even although artificially attractive males provisioned offspring significantly more than did controls. Naturally bright males, who were also the largest males, did not provision at higher rates, highlighting the need to experimentally separate the role of specific traits from other correlated factors. Tail white-manipulated males were involved in rare cases of polygyny and at times were actively guarded by their mates. Together, these results suggest that tail white influences reproductive behaviors in this junco population, but because of the potential for extrapair paternity, additional data are needed to accurately investigate the trait's role in female investment.


Different from the surface survey, the vertical seismic profile (VSP) survey deploys sources on the surface and geophones in a well. VSP provides higher resolution information of subsurface structures. The faults that cannot be imaged with surface seismic data may be detected with VSP data, and detailed analysis of fracture zones can be achieved with multicomponent VSP. However, one of the main problems is that the sources seldom are acquired on a regular grid in realistic VSP surveys. The irregular samplings cause serious artifacts in migration or imaging, such that data regularization must be implemented first. We have developed a compressive sensing (CS)-based method to regularize nonstationary VSP data. Our method directly operates on irregularly gridded data sets, which is a key contribution compared to the existing CS-based reconstruction methods that work on regular grids. The CS framework consists of a sparsity constraint and a penalty term. We have used the curvelet transform for sparsity constraint of nonstationary events in the regularization term and the nonequispaced Fourier transform to regularize the VSP data in a penalty term. An alternative directional method of multipliers is used for solving the optimization problem. Our method is tested on synthetic, field 2D and 3D VSP data sets. Our method obtains improved reconstructions on continuities of the events and produces fewer artifacts compared to the well-known antileaking Fourier transform method.


Nitric oxide (NO) is emerging as a key regulator of gene expression, capable of playing either positive or negative roles. The results of this study indicate that NO exerts a dual effect on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in human mesangial cells (HMC). Treatment of HMC with NO synthase inhibitors attenuated interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta/tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-elicited COX-2 protein and mRNA expression, suggesting a positive role of endogenous NO on COX-2 induction. However, NO donors (sodium nitroprusside [SNP] and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine [SNAP]) amplified cytokine-elicited COX-2 expression at early time points of treatment (up to 8 h for mRNA and up to 24 h for protein expression), but were inhibitory at later times. Oligonucleotide decoy experiments confirmed the importance of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation for COX-2 induction by IL-1beta/TNF-alpha. Treatment with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) did not affect initial activation of NF-kappaB by IL-1beta/TNF-alpha, but unveiled an inhibitory effect of NO generation on NF-kappaB activity after 4 h. In HMC supplemented with SNP, cytokine-induced NF-kappaB activation was potentiated at early times of induction (5 to 15 min), but inhibited at later times (1 to 4 h), suggesting a dual effect of NO donors on NF-kappaB activation. Interestingly, IkappaBalpha protein levels followed a reciprocal pattern of expression: IkappaBalpha levels were lower at early times of induction in NO donor-supplemented cells; however, after 1 h of treatment, IkappaBalpha levels became higher than in cells treated only with cytokines. In the presence of SNP, cytokine-elicited IkappaBalpha mRNA induction was initially delayed, but was amplified at later times. These changes in IkappaBalpha expression could contribute to the dual effects of NO donors on NF-kappaB activation and COX-2 expression in HMC.


A bold exploration in fiction of the years Gerard Manley Hopkins, one of England's foremost Victorian poets, spent in Ireland - of his torments, his ecstasies, his fears, and his loves. The last sonnets of Gerard Manley Hopkins, fraught as they are with despair, have long intrigued readers and critics alike. In this fascinating and challenging novella, we discover that the poet's inner agony is the result of his homosexual inclinations, which he was compelled to hide from his fellow Jesuits. This is the story of a man who loves greatly, but because of the life he has chosen, he must always dissemble


This study is based on two years evaluation research on Comprehensive Kampung Improvement Program (C-KIP) in Surabaya, Indonesia. The program was implemented from the year 2000 until 2008 and more than 40 kampungs have some benefits from it. However, there was no comprehensive evaluation of the C-KIP results after eight years of its implementation. For this reason the evaluation in this study include the aspects: improvement of houses and infrastructure in the kampung, improvement of economic condition, and people participation in the C-KIP. Many researches about the kampung improvement have been done by the Laboratory of Housing and Human Settlements, Department of Architecture, ITS. This study supports the available research, based on the laboratory research road map.It is hoped that this book can contribute to comprehensive solution to the improvements of the kampungs, particularly on physical, economical,social conditions and kampung residents' participation in development.


The world is changing and changing fast. Contemporary students live in a world full of impressions, fast changing viewpoints, ubiquitous information, zapping behaviour, play and joy etc. They use facilities such as MSN, on-line gaming, and SMS. They expect a seamless access to information, mostly in a social context. At the same time we see drastic changes in learning environments, moving them to rich, multi-media, collaborative, experiential, and individualised environments. Though starting from different angles, these two developments seem to come together. Modern learning environments such as WISE (Slotta, 2004) or BioLogica (Hickey, Kindfield, Horwitz, & Christie, 2003) combine all kinds of opportunities to learn and communicate in a facilitative setting.


Abstract. Ionospheric anomalies before earthquakes have become the subject of one of the most intensive studies in the area of ionospheric variation. The ionosphere has a large class of disturbances under quiet geomagnetic conditions, i.e., quiet time disturbances (Q disturbances). Hence, the characteristics of seismo-ionospheric anomalies obtained by statistical analysis should be compared with those of Q-disturbance events. Using the data of foF2 (F2-layer critical frequency) during the whole interval of 1978–2008 (~3 solar cycles), the local time (LT) variation in Q disturbances is investigated. The results showed that a well-pronounced nighttime peak took place for positive disturbances induced by Q-disturbance events, while positive disturbances related to earthquakes predominately occurred in the daytime, especially in the afternoon LT sector. This remarkable difference in local time variation in foF2 between the earthquake-triggered and Q-disturbance events is of great significance for the identification of ionospheric precursors.


Class C β-lactamases or AmpC enzymes are an important group of proteins that are broadly disseminated; they are encoded in the chromosomes of most Gram-negative rods, being constitutively or inducibly expressed although they may also be found as stable derepressions. Recently they have also been increasingly encountered as plasmid-mediated enzymes, therefore complicating the treatment of bacterial infections. It is also worth mentioning that these enzymes: (i) usually show a broad spectrum of β-lactam hydrolysis; (ii) may be overproduced in a bacterial cell (for the reasons cited above); (iii) are usually refractory to the action of classical β-lactamase inhibitors; and (iv) like other β-lactamases, can evolve by single amino acid mutations, thereby extending their substrate specificity. For all of these reasons, special attention must be paid to these β-lactamases in order to understand the specificity of their mechanism of action as well as their lack of response to the action of classical inhibitors. The search for pharmacological inhibitors of these enzymes must become a priority in future.


The goal of this study is to find an appropriate control law for a constellation of two spacecraft
in flight formation that constitutes a virtual telescope for Sun's corona observation. During
scientific operations, both satellites should be aligned with the Sun, thus, one of the spacecraft
projects its shadow to the other while orbiting the Earth on a High Eccentricity Orbit. This
mission characteristic has a direct impact on the relative dynamics, since the relative Solar Radiation
Pressure between spacecraft has a higher effect to the dynamics than the Earth's gravity
harmonics and the Sun and Moon perturbations. Based on this result, we explore the applicability
and performances of several continuous controls based on pole placement techniques.


A strong (by a factor of almost 100) narrowing of the spectrum was observed in quasi-stady operation of a solid-state laser with neodymium-doped potassium gadolinium tungstate when the cavity contained a negative feedback loop and a slow-response saturable absorber. The role of a nonlinear narrow-band selector, which reduced the width of the spectrum, was played by a periodic saturated-absorption grating formed by a standing intracavity laser radiation wave in a lithium fluoride crystal containing F2- colour centres and used as a saturable absorber.


In this paper, an improved augmented Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy control design applied to the system of converting wind turbine energy was proposed. The wind generator used is based on a permanent magnet synchronous wind power generator (PMSG) under varying operation of the wind speed. The proposed T-S fuzzy control strategy aims to maximize wind energy in low wind speed. A part of our contribution lies in the limitation of the power output of the wind generator in high wind speed. Through the concept of the virtual desired variables, the design of the output tracking controller is achieved. In light of this concept, the developed T-S fuzzy control was designed via parallel-distributed compensation (PDC) approach with H ∞ performance. Sufficient conditions for the stability of the closed-loop system affected by external disturbances are proved from Lyapunov's direct method and the feedback gains of the controller strategy are determined by linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) tools. Another contribution is in showing the robustness of the Takagi-Sugeno based control strategy, with a focus on a set of system parameters with model uncertainties. The simulation results show the high performance of the proposed controller strategy for a 5MW (PMSG) obtained through simulation.


Shesop is an integrated system to make human lives more easily and to help people in terms of healthcare. Stress and influenza classification is a part of Shesop's application for a healthcare devices such as smartwatch, polar and fitbit. The main objective of this paper is to classify a new data and inform whether you are stress, depressed, caught by influenza or not. We will use the heart rate data taken for months in Bandung, analyze the data and find the Heart rate variance that constantly related with the stress and flu level. After we found the variable, we will use the variable as an input to the support vector machine learning. We will use the lagrangian and kernel technique to transform 2D data into 3D data so we can use the linear classification in 3D space. In the end, we could use the machine learning's result to classify new data and get the final result immediately: stress or not, influenza or not.


Background: Despite its importance for acute stroke management, little is known about the underlying pathophysiology when patients with acute stroke are classified using clinical methods. Objective: To examine the relation between the magnetic resonance defined stroke subtype and clinical stroke classifications using diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), perfusion weighted imaging (PWI), and angiographic magnetic resonance techniques. Methods: Consecutive patients with clinical syndromes consistent with acute anterior circulation stroke were assessed clinically within six hours of onset and scanned as soon as possible using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patients were classified clinically into total or partial anterior circulation syndromes using the Oxford classification, or according the severity of the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) (severe > 15; mild/moderate ≤ 15). At day seven, patients were classified by combining clinical course and MRI data as misdiagnosed, misclassified, suffering transient ischaemic attack, infarct with recanalisation, or infarction with persisting occlusion. Patients with occlusion were further divided on the basis of a large diffusion–perfusion mismatch. Results: 84 patients with clinical anterior circulation syndromes were studied. Using the NIHSS, 42 were mild to moderate (0–15) and 42 were severe (> 15). There were 42 with partial anterior circulation syndromes (PACS) and 42 with total anterior circulation syndromes (TACS). Patients with TACS or severe stroke were more likely to have actually suffered a stroke (Fischer's exact test, p = 0.01), to have a correctly classified stroke (χ2 28.2, p < 0.01), to have persisting occlusion (χ2 30.6, p < 0.01), and to have a large DWI–PWI mismatch (χ2 17.1, p < 0.01). Conclusions: There is more inaccuracy in patients presenting with acute PACS or clinically mild to moderate anterior circulation stroke than in those with TACS or severe acute stroke syndromes. The latter appear more likely to be the targets for acute stroke interventions, as they include a significantly higher proportion of patients with persisting occlusion and diffusion/perfusion mismatch.


In a mobile telecommunications network, the period when a mobile station (MS) resides in a cell (the radio coverage of a base station) is called the cell residence time of that MS. The period between when a call arrives at the MS and when the MS moves out the cell is called the excess life of the cell residence time for that MS. In performance evaluation of a mobile telecommunications network, it is important to derive the excess life distribution from the cell residence times. This distribution determines if a connected call will be handed over to a new cell, and therefore significantly affects the call dropping probability of the network. In mobile-telecommunications-network simulation, generating the excess-life random numbers is not a trivial task, which has not been addressed in the literature. This paper shows how to generate the random numbers from the excess life distribution, and develop the excess-life random number generation procedures for cell residence times with gamma, Pareto, lognormal, and Weibull distributions. This paper indicates that the generated random numbers closely match the true excess-life distributions


INTRODUCTION
Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) smoke at rates 2-3 times greater than the general population but are less likely to receive treatment. Increasing our understanding of correlates of smoking cessation behaviors in this group can guide intervention development.

METHODS
Baseline data from an ongoing trial involving smokers with SMI (N=482) were used to describe smoking cessation behaviors (i.e., quit attempts, quit motivation and smoking cessation treatment) and correlates of these behaviors (i.e., demographics, attitudinal and systems-related variables).

RESULTS
43% of the sample did not report making a quit attempt in the last year, but 44% reported making 1-6. 43% and 20%, respectively, reported wanting to quit within the next 6 months or the next 30 days. 61% used a smoking cessation medication during their quit attempt, while 13% utilized counseling. More quit attempts were associated with lower nicotine dependence and carbon monoxide (CO) and greater beliefs about the harms of smoking. Greater quit motivation was associated with lower CO, minority race, benefits of cessation counseling and importance of counseling within the clinic. A greater likelihood of using smoking cessation medications was associated with being female, smoking more cigarettes and receiving smoking cessation advice. A greater likelihood of using smoking cessation counseling was associated with being male, greater academic achievement and receiving smoking cessation advice.

CONCLUSIONS
Many smokers with SMI are engaged in efforts to quit smoking. Measures of smoking cessation behavior are associated with tobacco use indicators, beliefs about smoking, race and gender, and receiving cessation advice.

IMPLICATIONS
Consideration of factors related to cessation behaviors among smokers with serious mental illness continues to be warranted, due to their high smoking rates compared to the general population. Increasing our understanding of these predictive characteristics can help promote higher engagement in evidence-based smoking cessation treatments among this sub-population.


Low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was used to observe a mixed NH3-O2 overlayer on Pt(111). At adsorption temperatures below 50 K, the chemisorbed O2 molecules form an ordered network at high coverages. The STM images reveal that this network features a distributed set of holes corresponding to on-top sites of the Pt lattice that are surrounded by two or three O2 molecules. Different hole-hole distances are observed with 0.73 nm most common. These holes in the O2 network act as preferential adsorption sites for the ammonia molecules leading to the formation of an NH3-O2 complex that serves as a precursor to ammonia oxydehydrogenation.


Open space is essential part of city life because it provides an opportunity for recreation, playing, religious activities, political activities, cultural activities and so on. This paper discusses the types of open space and its distribution in Pokhara Lekhanath Metropolitan City (PLMC). An inventory of open spaces was prepared based on the available analog maps with intensive field verification. There are eight major and 32 subtypes of open spaces with a total number of 246 within the PLMC. The main types of open spaces are park, playground, religious site, water surface, cave, aesthetic view point, river strip and messy places. Those open spaces vary in form, size, ownership and functions. The distribution of open spaces is not uniform among the 33 Wards in the Pokhara Lekhanath Metropolitan City. The number of open space varies from only one to twenty-one and total area of open space varies from only 51 ha to 4786 ha among those Wards. Per capita area of open space ranges from 0.16 to 659 m² among those wards. In many wards, per capita area of open space is less than 9 m² which is recommended by FAO. Such a poor situation is created mainly due to the lack of public land use planning, encroachment in open space for development of infrastructure such as public buildings, and lack of knowledge about the importance of open spaces among decision makers and local people and weak capacity of local people to protect and conserve open space from encroachment. The Geographical Journal of Nepal Vol. 11: 25-44, 2018


Bladder cancer (BC) is the second most common genitourinary cancer and a leading cause of death globally. Muscle invasive BC (MIBC) has high mortality (>85% patients) leading to death within 2 years of diagnosis, if untreated. Although new treatment options were approved recently, it is still very challenging and most expensive to manage. Preventing BC is highly desirable to reduce recurrence, mortality and improve quality of life. Inactivation of p53 signaling and chronic inflammation are frequent hallmarks of MIBC. In spite of the promising chemopreventive effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), their clinical translation is hampered due to side-effects associated with their chronic intake and higher doses. Here we investigated a combinatorial approach to modulate inflammation with NSAIDs (licofelone or NO-Naproxen) and p53 signaling pathways using CP-31398 (CP) for preventing MIBC bladder in-vivo. Transgenic UPII-SV40T mice developing spontaneous MIBC were generated and fed control or experimental diets containing the licofelone (150ppm), NO-naproxen (300 ppm), CP (150ppm) alone or in combination starting at early tumor stage (6 weeks age). After 34 weeks of agent administration, mice were euthanized and urinary bladders were evaluated. Control diet fed transgenic mice developed high grade, muscle invasive, urothelial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) leading to 3-5 fold increase in bladder weights (140.2±9.8 mg Vs 27.3±0.8 mg; p Citation Format: Venkateshwar Madka, Yuting Zhang, Nandini Kumar, Gopal Pathuri, Nicole Stratton, Stanley Lightfoot, Adam S. Asch, Vernon E. Steele, Altaf Mohammed, Chinthalapally V. Rao. Pharmacological modulation of inflammation and p53 signaling synergize to prevents muscle invasive bladder cancer in-vivo [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5065.


Biennial bearing has been investigated longer and more extensively in apple than in any other fruit tree; however, it remains a serious problem in commercial apple production all over the world. Trees that have become biennial flower profusely and carry a heavy crop in the "on" year, and flower sparsely or not at all and carry little or no crop the following year, the "off" year. Fruit in the "on" year tend to be small, poorly colored, and of low quality, while the few fruit in the "off" year are usually too large, become susceptible to physiological disorders, and also are of poor quality. Without intervention, the crops in both the "on" and "off" years are undesirable and uneconomical. The most common method used by commercial apple growers to try to prevent biennial bearing is chemical fruit thinning, which is an "on" year method of removing a part of the crop before it matures on the tree. In general, growers don't do anything in the "off" year to prevent biennial bearing with the exceptions of fertilizing and pruning lightly. In this study, several experiments were conducted with the cultivars 'Braeburn', 'Golden Delicious', 'Ramey York', and 'Fuji' in the "off" year to try and suppress FBI and thus prevent a biennial bearing situation in the following year. The first set of experiments studied the effect of whole-tree and partial-tree defoliation on suppressing spur and lateral flowering and fruit set. Flowering and fruit set were suppressed with defoliation in most cases. Defoliation in early July caused the least amount of flowering the following year and in some cases it was zero. As the defoliation timing and severity was delayed, there was less suppression of flowering and fruit set. Ammonium thiosulfate and Endothal increased flowering but decreased fruit set compared to a control. Gramoxone suppressed flowering and fruit set. In another set of experiments, gibberellic acid (GA) treatments were evaluated to suppress FBI in "off" or light crop years. The GA4+7 treatments suppressed return bloom of both spur and lateral flowers more than the GA3 treatments. The effectiveness of GA declined with delayed application. Both GA treatments reduced lateral flowering the most on the basal 1/3 of the shoot. In a four year study, apple trees were thinned to one fruit per flowering cluster every year from 1997 to 2000. Other trees were thinned to zero fruit or two fruit per flowering cluster in alternate years from 1997 to 2000. Trees thinned to one fruit per flowering cluster had moderate flowering and fruit set the following year. Trees thinned to two fruit per flowering cluster had very little to no flowering the following year. Trees thinned to zero fruit per flowering cluster had a "snowball" bloom the following year. Trees that were alternately thinned to two or zero fruit per flowering cluster were in a biennial bearing situation.


Ethephon [ETH (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid, an ethylene-releasing compound)] has been used as a plant growth regulator in turfgrass management. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of ETH seed treatment on drought tolerance of kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) seedlings. Seeds of two kentucky bluegrass cultivars, Midnight and Nuglade, were exposed to ETH treatment or untreated as controls. Seedlings were then exposed to two water regimes: well-watered conditions and polyethylene glycol (PEG)–induced drought conditions. ETH-treated plants exhibited better turf performance relative to the untreated control under PEG-stressed conditions illustrated by higher relative water content (RWC) and lower lipid peroxidation and lower electrolyte leakage (EL). In both cultivars, ETH treatment increased enzyme activity of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT); proline content; and soluble protein content under PEG-induced drought conditions. The results suggest that ETH seed treatment can improve drought tolerance in kentucky bluegrass seedlings.


I. INTRODUCTION In the fall of 1998, the people of South Dakota were placed on the front lines of the national debate over control of agricultural production in the new millennium. On one side of the conflict stood multi-billion dollar agricultural corporations pushing for the continued integration of the state's agricultural industry. On the other side stood rural activists and traditional family farmers fighting to halt the expansion of global conglomerates in the field of agricultural production. Many young farmers and rural communities were caught in the middle of this complex debate, forced to choose between desperately-needed financial options and a traditional way of life. Following in the footsteps of their neighbors in Nebraska, the voters of South Dakota initiated and overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that severely restricts corporate investment in agricultural production. The measure simultaneously reaffirms South Dakota's commitment to family-controlled agriculture by carving out important exceptions for family farm corporations and cooperatives controlled by family farmers. Proponents of the anticorporate farming amendment welcome the restrictions as the last, best hope for the continuing viability of South Dakota's family farms and rural communities. Opponents of the measure claim that it unwisely and unconstitutionally discriminates against nonresident agricultural investment and impermissibly interferes with interstate commerce. They condemn the anticorporate farming amendment as a desperate, isolationist measure that will only exacerbate the economic crisis threatening South Dakota's agricultural economy. Part II of this Note explains, to the extent possible, the social, economic, and legal circumstances that preceded the adoption of South Dakota's anticorporate fanning amendment. Part III is broken down into three distinct sections. The first section analyzes South Dakota's anticorporate farming amendment and explore the amendment's heightened restrictions on corporate farming. The second section analyzes the constitutional objections made by opponents of South Dakota's anticorporate farming amendment, focusing on claims raised under the equal protection and commerce clauses. Finally, the third section addresses the measure's probable impact on agriculture in South Dakota and concludes that the long-term effects of the state's anticorporate farming amendment, if any, will depend in large part on the measure's influence on the ongoing debate over the direction of national farm policy. II. BACKGROUND South Dakota is a state largely defined by its agricultural economy and rural tradition. While the state has been able to attract and retain some degree of nonagricultural industry,1 South Dakota's greatest national significance is as a leading producer of farm commodities.2 Even today, slightly more than fifty percent of South Dakota's residents live in rural communities.3 Consequently, many South Dakotans rely on agriculture as the cornerstone of educational, economic, and social stability. Not surprisingly, prolonged downturns in the national farm economy have been especially troublesome for South Dakota. In recent decades, traditional family farms have encountered hard times. In the 1980s, adverse weather conditions, depressed land values, and high interest rates combined with falling commodity prices to create a farm debt crisis of national proportions.4 New and expanding family farms were particularly vulnerable to this financial calamity.5 Faced with perceived indifference at the federal level, many state governments reacted to the farm debt crisis by enacting programs designed to alleviate debt, subsidize commodity production, and otherwise support traditional family farms.6 By 1986, these state programs had combined with renewed federal support to spur a reverse of the farm debt crisis and stem the tide of farm foreclosures.7 While the negative fiscal effects of the debt crisis lingered for some producers, the next decade was marked by a general improvement in the overall financial condition of family farmers. …


The Turnagain Area covers the continental shelf and slope off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand between Napier and Castlepoint. Its late Quaternary stratigraphy, tectonic history, sedimentation and foraminiferal distribution are described with the aid of continuous seismic profiles, sediment samples and cores. Results are presented in seven papers and a chart. The first three papers deal mainly with sub-bottom layers revealed by continuous seismic profiles; the next three papers describe dried sediment samples and cores and the last paper is a study of foraminifera in alcohol-preserved sediment samples. The topics discussed in each of the seven papers are as follows: 1. stratigraphy, sedimentation rates and origin of present topography on the continental shelf and upper slope; 2. rates of tectonic processes; 3. slumping; 4. distribution of sediments; 5. ages of indurated sediments; 6. ash horizons and rates of deposition on the lower part of the continental slope. 7. the distribution of living and dead foraminifera. The chart shows bathymetry and nature of sediment at the seabed. The sediments beneath the sea have been folding since Miocene times in the same way as marine sediments on the adjacent land. On the seabed anticlinal crests are preserved as ridges and banks and synclines form depressions. The present land area is rising and much of the seabed is sinking; the zero isobase between then is situated on the inner continental shelf. It has been at about the same position throughout Late Quaternary times, being always close to the dividing line between net erosion and net deposition. Rates of tilting have ranged from 2 to 36 microdegrees/thousand years and rates of vertical movement from +1.7 to -1.5 m/thousand years. Seaward of the zero isobase the continental shelf and upper slope has been built upwards and outwards by prisms of sediment, each prism representing a phase either of low sea level or of high sea level. Prisms deposited during periods of glacially lowered sea level are at their thickest beneath the upper slope; prisms deposited during periods of relatively high sea level are at their thickest beneath the continental shelf. Parts of the youngest prism on the upper slope have slumped on gradients as low as 1 [degree]. The topography and sediments formed during the last 20 thousand years have received the most attention. The present continental shelf if a composite feature. The inner part has been formed by wave-planation of hard rock near shore and deposition of the latest prism of sediment offshore. The outer part and the shelf break were formed by wave-planation and by deposition during the last low sea level about 20 thousand years ago. At that time the shelf break ranged in depth from about 40m to about 70m, being shallowest where eroded into soft sediment and deepest where deposited beyond the seaward edge of erosion. In adjacent areas the shelf break was probably formed at depths of less than 20m being eroded into hard rock. The inner part of the wave-planed surface formed at that time is now deeply buried by the latest prism of sediment but the outer part is covered by only a thin veneer. The outer shelf is still essentially a drowned low sea level feature. At the thickest part of the prism on the mid continental shelf, rates of deposition above an 8 thousand year old seismic reflector range from about 1 to about 4 m/thousand years, being most rapid south of major rivers. Rates are too slow to be measured at some places near the shelf break and at ridges on the continental slope. In depressions on the continental slope, sedimentation rates are indicated by the depth of the 3.4 thousand year old Waimihia ash and range from 0.36 m/thousand years in a depression relatively near land to 0.02 m/thousand years in the depression furthest from land. Sediments range from fine sand near shore to clayey fine silt on the lower slope. Many sediments are bimodal because they were deposited as a mixture of floculated and unfloculated grains. Rapidly deposited sediment on the continental shelf is predominantly detrital sand and silt; slowly deposited sediment near the shelf break and on ridges consists mostly of volcanic ash, foraminifera, and glauconite Muddy sediment in continental slope depressions contains sandy turbidite layers. Different environments are characterised by sediment types and foraminiferal faunas that can be matched in Tertiary Rocks.


The brake system performs an important, safety-related function in aircraft operation throughout the world nowadays. However, the requirement of an acceptable performance and satisfactory reliability has become stricter as the aircraft landing weights and speeds increased substantially along the last decades and the regulatory authorities improved their certification basis requirements aiming a safer operation. Therefore, the brake system design, architecture and functionalities have evolved through the years and the development of the antiskid system, part of the brake system of several aircraft since 1940s, comprised an important milestone in aircraft brake system history. Besides the main function of preventing the locking of braked wheels, the antiskid system is normally also responsible for avoiding wheel braking at the instant of the first contact of the tires with ground during landing. The system also provides indication to the crew in case of system failure and helps minimize the inadvertent yaw suffered by the aircraft in case of passage of the tires on surfaces with different friction coefficients. As a result, the appropriateness of the brake system performance, which is mostly supplied by hydraulic power in recent commercial and military aircraft, shall be completely verified in normal and faulty conditions, as well as in all expected operational envelope. For that purpose, model simulations, rig tests and flight test campaigns are usually applied. Therefore, the present work aims to demonstrate the use of a computational model of a hydraulic brake system, parameterized in LMS Amesim software, to assess the behavior of system relevant variables in normal operational conditions and the potential effects of typical failures in system performance. In addition to help support the verification process of system compliance with performance and safety requirements, such approach could also be applied for early identification of failures and operational problems still during the product development phase, highlighting the gains of applying the aforementioned tool in the context of aeronautical systems engineering.


AIM
To study a corrective influence of a complete blockade of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) on right ventricular failure in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).

MATERIAL AND METHODS
91 COPD patients were randomised into 3 groups who received standard therapy (ST), ST + losartan, ST + losartan + aldactone. The duration of the follow-up was 24 months.

RESULTS
A complete RAAS blockade produced a significant decline in the pressure in the pulmonary artery, improved diastolic and systolic right ventricular function. This led to decreased number of hospitalizations because of progressing right ventricular failure.

CONCLUSION
Safety of therapy with ACE inhibitor and aldactone was proved by a comparison of the number of side effects in the three groups.


Diversity of Forest and Shrub Communities as a Result of Site History and of Extensive and Intensive Forest Management (Glinno Ługi Case Study) The paper presents the diversity of natural and anthropogenic forest communities occurring in post-cultivated fields in Glinno Ługi. An impoverished fresh pine forest association (Leucobryo-Pinetum) and nine secondary forest communities have been distinguished in the transect line (1.16 km in length). Factors influencing the structure and species composition of recent forest communities, such as habitat properties, previous land use forms and the intensity of forest management, are described.


.This is a time of unprecedented change in higher education. Across Europe and North America, the role of universities has been transformed. The increase in student numbers and constraints on public expenditure have not only seen an increased emphasis on cost-effectiveness; they have also led to a transformation in the nature of the student body in higher education and to its institutional structures. The challenges which higher education faces are discussed in this collection from a radical perspective: that of universities contributing to the re-creation of their own communities and, in turn, being re-made by those communities. This perspective also involves questioning the notion of community. There is an evident contradiction between a university which services a local economic community through business links and one which defines services to the community as the empowerment through education of the diverse groups of people living in its neighbourhood. The contributors to this collection look to what the very notion of a university might be in the late-20th century.


A difficulty with previous treatments of the gravitational self-force is that an explicit formula for the force is available only in a particular gauge (Lorenz gauge), where the force in other gauges must be found through a transformation law once the Lorenz-gauge force is known. For a class of gauges satisfying a 'parity condition' ensuring that the Hamiltonian center of mass of the particle is well-defined, I show that the gravitational self-force is always given by the angle average of the bare gravitational force. To derive this result I replace the computational strategy of previous work with a new approach, wherein the form of the force is first fixed up to a gauge-invariant piece by simple manipulations, and then that piece is determined by working in a gauge designed specifically to simplify the computation. This offers significant computational savings over the Lorenz gauge, since the Hadamard expansion is avoided entirely and the metric perturbation takes a very simple form. I also show that the rest mass of the particle does not evolve due to first-order self-force effects. Finally, I consider the 'mode sum regularization' scheme for computing the self-force in black hole background spacetimes, and use the angle-average form ofmore » the force to show that the same mode-by-mode subtraction may be performed in all parity-regular gauges. It appears plausible that suitably modified versions of the Regge-Wheeler and radiation gauges (convenient to Schwarzschild and Kerr, respectively) are in this class.« less


Saw singulation is an indispensable process to singulate the Micro Carrier Device (MCD) strips into individual units in assembling Quad Flat No-lead (QFN) packages. Mechanical saw, cutting the MCD strip along saw streets using dicing blade, is a mainstream mode in the saw singulation process. The growing variety and complexity of leadless packages present a true challenge to Back-End processes. Recent customer demand for a lead with side solder-able or wet-able pocket to ease their AOI has led to new challenges for conventional blade and dicing process. Due to this reason, this paper will reveal the challenges in singulation process to meet customer requirement over corner wet-able pocket design. All the activities towards burr-removal process on the corner lead involving process and method optimization through conventional sawing and advanced dicing method will be shared in this paper. Process and method optimization via mechanical dicing involving various blade selection, additional cut channel, different cut method and direction only able to minimize the occurrence of the burr but not eliminate the symptom. As part of the recommendation for future works, an advanced approach in dicing technology, namely laser singulation and water jet was proposed to mitigate the risk of burr on wet-able pocket. On one hand laser dicing showed better response over burr removal but on other hand pose a risk of laser ablation mark on EMC surface. In addition, suitable laser method selection is important to ensure the best performance. Finally, by performing water jet in between the singulation process, significant results were achieved with an improved and way better dicing responses and cutting quality-burr. Water jet pressure of max 600Bar and conveyor speed max 2m/min in combination with half cut mechanical sawing process found to be able to meet the expectation.


Hemicellulose is one of the most common polysaccharides found in nature. Its use as a green and sustainable raw material for industries is desirable. In this work, an alkaline-alcoholic method was used to extract hemicelluloses from sugarcane bagasse. After extraction, films with 2%, 3% and 4% (w/v) hemicellulose were produced. The films' morphology, thickness, water solubility, tensile properties and thermal stability were evaluated. The Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) results reveal that the method used removes the hemicellulose from bagasse with a low concentration of lignin. The films presented a compact and dense structure with uniformity in thickness associated with higher solubility in water. The increase in hemicellulose content increased tensile strength, but reduced the tensile strain of the films. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the increase in hemicellulose content reduced the films' thermal stability. Thus, these films may act as useful, biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials for engineering applications.


Suicidal ideation is a common medical term and refers to the thoughts one has about taking his or her own life, with some degree of intent. Although a person may experience suicidal thoughts, it does not mean he or she is in imminent danger of committing suicide.it is influenced by many risk factors like gender, age, depression, family support and others. Suicidal ideation and suicidal attempt are significant among college students. Suicide ideation is considered to be an important precursor to later attempted and completed suicide [52] and is of major public health significance. So the purpose of the study is to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation and its risk factors among 7 Eritrean colleges. This study was conducted on 466 college students and employed a cross sectional study design with stratification sampling. Students self-completed a questionnaire which included a brief demographic section and a section with MID, HADS, AUDIT, MSSPS and MSSI. THE data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. The overall occurrence of suicidal ideations in the study sample was 25.9%. The risk factors identified in the study were depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse and perceived social support, attending religious activity and satisfaction with the credit hours assigned were significantly associated with suicidal ideation and they were found to be as protective factors. While no significant differences among those with suicidal ideations in terms of gender, religion, study program, where you live. The results of this study highlight the importance of establishing prevention and intervention programmers on university campuses to create more awareness about suicide and offer more education to students on this topic in general, as well as to specifically offer counseling and support to students suffering from suicidal ideations.


In recent years, supervised or unsupervised learning-based MVS methods achieved excellent performance compared with traditional methods. However, these methods only use the probability volume computed by cost volume regularization to predict reference depths and this manner cannot mine enough information from the probability volume. Furthermore, the unsupervised methods usually try to use two-step or additional inputs for training which make the procedure more complicated. In this paper, we propose the DS-MVSNet, an end-to-end unsupervised MVS structure with the source depths synthesis. To mine the information in probability volume, we creatively synthesize the source depths by splattering the probability volume and depth hypotheses to source views. Meanwhile, we propose the adaptive Gaussian sampling and improved adaptive bins sampling approach that improve the depths hypotheses accuracy. On the other hand, we utilize the source depths to render the reference images and propose depth consistency loss and depth smoothness loss. These can provide additional guidance according to photometric and geometric consistency in different views without additional inputs. Finally, we conduct a series of experiments on the DTU dataset and Tanks $&$ Temples dataset that demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of our DS-MVSNet compared with the state-of-the-art methods.


Abstract Housework and childcare have been considered mechanisms for 'doing gender' through the allocation of different functions to women and to men. Women continue to devote more time and effort to this type of work, in spite of their progressive incorporation into the labour market. Same-sex couples escape this gender binarism, and so this study set out to learn the distribution criteria work, as well as the influence of gender socialization when it comes to establishing this distribution. A qualitative investigation was carried out with 21 Spanish same-sex families. The results indicate that the majority of couples position themselves in an egalitarian discourse based on the absence of differentiated gender roles and a low level of specialization. No differences were found between male and female couples. Nevertheless, the female couples show higher levels of discontent when the distribution was not egalitarian. In conclusion, it is proposed that the effects of gender socialization are perpetuated beyond heterosexual relationships and also affect same-sex couples.


Summary Microcomputers can be used in laboratory testing either for data logging alone or for both data logging and controlling a test. For such applications a microcomputer should possess a larger memory than may be envisaged at the planning stage and incorporate a real-time clock. A full range of interfaces and peripherals should be available. Consideration should be given to built-in obsolescence and the manufacturer's support of the microcomputer. Soil testing with the aid of a microcomputer is a real-time activity; a stable power supply, appropriate software and physical protection are essential. A database program to aid the selection of design parameters is described; basic field and laboratory data can be stored and subjected to simple manipulations. Both the stored and manipulated data can be selectively plotted. An example of its use in assessing the undrained shear strength of a glacial clay is described. Single entry of the data and a less biased assessment based on all possibly useful data combinations are advantages of the microcomputer approach. Significant time and cost savings can result.


BACKGROUND
Hematological changes are the most common complications occurred in malaria pathology. Anemia, thrombocytopenia, and mild-to-moderate atypical lymphocytosis are the main hematological changes occurred in malaria infection. Therefore, this study aimed to compare hematological profiles of malaria-infected adult patients in the Raya Alamata Hospital, Northeast Ethiopia from February 1, 2019, to April 30, 2019.

METHODS
The hospital-based comparative cross-sectional study was done to compare the hematological profiles of a total of 238 study participants, consisting of 119 malaria-infected patients as cases and 119 malaria negatives as controls. Malaria diagnosis was done by thick and thin blood film microscopy. We determined the hematological parameters using an automated DiRUi BCC/3000B hematology analyzer. Data for the different hematological parameters were expressed as mean (± SD). A binary logistic regression model was constructed for categorical dependent variables to see the associations with predictors.

RESULTS
In this study, the mean values of red blood cell count, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, platelet count, and eosinophil count were significantly lower in the cases than the controls. The prevalence of anemia and thrombocytopenia in malaria patients were 39.5% and 56.3%, respectively. Being female, and having high malaria parasitemia were found significantly associated with thrombocytopenia. The odds of developing thrombocytopenia was 8.4-fold higher in malaria patients with high malaria parasitemia.

CONCLUSIONS
Anemia and thrombocytopenia were the common hematological abnormalities observed in malaria patients. Therefore, malaria patients should be assessed for the presence of such hematological abnormalities and need to be managed timely.


Dual energy computed tomography, which consists of the acquisition of two images of a given region of interest using two different x-ray energies, has been used to decompose images. For example, it has been proposed to estimate the degree of stenosis of blood vessels with calcified plaques. Pragmatic realities, though, such as beam hardening, scattered radiation and mostly quantum noise, reduce the ideal of a perfect decomposition. In this study, a dual energy separation method for iodinated contrast media, cortical bone and soft tissue was implemented; afterwards, it was tested in simulated noiseless and noisy situations. The noise propagation was modeled mathematically, and an image-quality optimization technique regarding the right distribution of radiation dose between the high and low energy images was proposed. The results obtained suggest that in the absence of noise and using mono-energetic beams, an accurate separation is possible, but when noise is added and poly-chromatic spectra used this decomposition becomes more challenging.


In this paper, the chemoselective hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones, catalyzed by Zinc(II) complexes [ k 2 -(PyCH=NR)ZnX 2 ] [R = CPh 3 , X = Cl ( 1 ) and R = Dipp (2,6-diisoropylphenyl) and X = I ( 2 )], in the presence of pinacolborane (HBpin) in ambient temperature and solvent-free conditions, which produced corresponding boronate esters in high yield, is reported. Zinc metal complexes 1 and 2 were derived in 80-90% yield from the reaction of iminopyridine [PyCH=NR] with anhydrous zinc dichloride in dichloromethane at room temperature. The solid-state structures of both zinc complexes were confirmed using X-ray crystallography. Zinc complex 1 was also used as a competent pre-catalyst in the reductive amination of carbonyl compounds with HBpin under mild and solvent-free conditions to afford a high yield (up to 97%) of the corresponding secondary amines. The wider substrate scope of both reactions was explored. Catalytic protocols using zinc as a pre-catalyst demonstrated an atom-economic and green method with diverse substrates bearing excellent functional group tolerance. Computational studies established a plausible mechanism for catalytic hydroboration.


This study aims to compare the performance values of U-16 development league football players. The research was carried out according to the experimental research model. A total of 25 football players of a super league football team (age: 16, height: 170,36±7,31cm, weight: 56,89±8,88kg), all competing in the U-16 elite development league, participated voluntarily. The players wear Polar watches on the grass football field; Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 test was applied and aerobic endurance levels, maximal heart rate, and heart rate recovery times were measured. Tests and measurements were applied 1 week before the start of the league. After the first test, the competition period general training program was applied for 9 weeks, 4 days a week, and after that, the same tests and measurements were carried out again. After a 9-week competition training program, there were statistically significant differences in aerobic endurance levels and heart rate recovery times at the 1st minute (p<0.01), no statistically significant differences were found in maximal heart rate and heart rate recovery times at the 2nd minute (p>0.01). In conclusion, it can be said that the 9-week training program applied during the competition period is effective on the aerobic endurance level and heart rate recovery time in the 1st minute.


This report provides an approach to the reduction of the adjusting weights space dimension in two-layer multioutput feedforward artificial neural networks training. Our approach is based on linear-nonlinear network structure with respect to weights. Two training algorithms based on the Newton and Gauss method with pseudo-inversion for optimization were deduced. Training algorithms are extended to multilayer networks. The report carries the information about the analysis of the proposed training algorithms. Results of numerical experiments are also included.


Summary form only given. Coupled semiclassical Maxwell-Bloch equations are originally derived, based on the generalized pseudospin formalism for description of the dynamics of the resonant coherent interactions of ultrashort light pulses with degenerate three-level quantum system in 2D. The full-wave vector Maxwell equations are considered to be coupled to the three-level atom model for the active medium, therefore two distinct sets of pseudospin equations are derived corresponding to the TM and TE optical waves. In order to account for the polarization induced both along the propagation axis and in transverse direction in two spatial dimensions, we introduce a dipole-coupling interaction Hamiltonian allowing Rabi flopping of the population difference along and perpendicular to the propagation axis with frequencies depending on the corresponding field components. Relationship between the polarisation induced and the state vector components, describing the population difference dynamics, is derived in order to couple the quantum system equations to the Maxwell's curl equations. The pseudospin equations are phenomenologically extended to include relaxation effects.


This chapter uses the methodology of previous chapters to illustrate and explain comparable sentiment in Scotland and Ireland. In Scotland, men and women are shown to have remained sympathetic to the Covenants and Work of Reformation. In Ireland, sympathies for the Cromwellian Conquest of the 1650s remained. These sympathies are explained once more with reference to the extent to which the Restoration was ushered in by attempts by royalists in both kingdoms to control how the civil wars and revolution were remembered.


Pain is very common throughout the world and is an increasing problem in the ageing population. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely prescribed to treat pain and many are also available without prescription, or over the counter. These drugs are effective painkillers, but they can also have severe adverse effects, particularly on the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Therapeutic decisions should be made using the best available evidence and there is a growing body of evidence showing that the new specific cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, or coxibs, are effective pain killers that do not cause GI harm. The risks associated with the use of NSAIDs are substantial, with a 1 in 1200 chance of dying from a major GI adverse effect after 2 months of NSAID therapy. These risks increase with age and are avoidable. The costs associated with the prevention and treatment of NSAID-induced GI adverse effects can more than double the cost of the original therapy and should be included when costing NSAID interventions. Taking these costs into account, the expense of switching from a conventional NSAID to a coxib is relatively modest. Compared with other interventions that society may be willing to consider to prevent one death, such as those for the rail (15 million Pounds) and road (100,000 Pounds) networks in the UK, the cost of preventing one death by switching to a coxib is much lower, with a high estimate being 20,000-30,000 Pounds, which is in line with the accepted benchmarks for the cost-effectiveness of medical interventions.


CONTEXT
Stress fractures are common in endurance athletes. Whereas studies have described distal tibia bone structure in athletes, there are few data regarding hip geometric parameters. Hip structural analysis (HSA) using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is a validated technique to assess hip bone structure.

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to compare hip geometry in young oligoamenorrheic athletes (AAs), eumenorrheic athletes (EAs), and nonathletes using HSA. We hypothesized that AAs would have impaired bone structure compared with that of EAs.

DESIGN
This was a cross-sectional study.

SETTING
The setting was a clinical research center.

SUBJECTS
We enrolled 55 AAs, 24 EAs, and 23 nonathletes of normal weight who were 14 to 22 years old. Athletes ran ≥20 miles/wk or were engaged in weight-bearing sports for ≥4 hours/wk.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used for HSA and hip areal bone mineral density (aBMD).

RESULTS
Hip aBMD Z-scores were lower in AAs and in nonathletes than in EAs (P = .002). A larger proportion of AAs than EAs and nonathletes had hip Z-scores <-1 (30.9, 4.2, 17.4%, P = .01). At the narrow neck, trochanteric region, and femoral shaft, subperiosteal width, cross-sectional moment of inertia, and section modulus were higher in EAs than in nonathletes; values in AAs did not differ from those of nonathletes. Cross-sectional area was lower in AAs and in nonathletes than in EAs. Groups did not differ for cortical thickness or buckling ratio. Group differences were lost after adjustment for lean mass but not aBMD.

CONCLUSIONS
In an eugonadal state, athletic activity confers benefits for hip structure independent of aBMD. This advantage is lost in AAs, who do not differ from nonathletes for most parameters and fare worse than EAs for cross-sectional area.


Abstract. Blood transfusions are associated with clinical phenomena which are attributable to immune suppression. Since suppression of immune function is associated with a high risk of spontaneous malignancies, we studied T cell subsets and natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity in colorectal cancer patients and correlated the results with patients' transfusion histories. Twelve percent (14) of the 115 patients had been transfused an average of 19 years previously. Recipients of blood transfusions had low levels of peripheral lymphocytes (p=0.191), T cells (p=0.015), helper cells (p=0.016) and suppressor cells (p=0.2651) compared to previously untransfused patients. NK cytotoxicity was also significantly reduced in transfusion recipients although NK cell numbers were comparable in both groups. These results support previous studies indicating that blood transfusions cause lifelong immune modulation in the recipient. Since blood transfusions have numerous beneficial effects and immune modulation is often beneficial, longitudinal studies are necessary to define the lifetime risks and benefits.


If we wish to embed assessment for accountability within instruction, we need to better understand the relative contribution of different types of learner data to statistical models that predict scores and discrete achievement levels on assessments used for accountability purposes. The present work scales up and extends predictive models of math test scores and achievement levels from existing literature and specifies six categories of models that incorporate information about student prior knowledge, socio-demographics, and performance within the MATHia intelligent tutoring system. Linear regression, ordinal logistic regression, and random forest regression and classification models are learned within each category and generalized over a sample of 23,000+ learners in Grades 6, 7, and 8 over three academic years in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. After briefly exploring hierarchical models of this data, we discuss a variety of technical and practical applications, limitations, and open questions related to this work, especially concerning to the potential use of instructional platforms like MATHia as a replacement for time- consuming standardized tests.


The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (Board) has been following closely the the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) plans and progress with regard to the dismantlement of the B53 weapon system . The results of onsite review activities by the Board's staff, as well as a review of correspondence between the Pantex Site Office and site contractor (B&W Pantex), indicate that the planning for the B53 system departs from conventionaldismantlement strategy .


Aqueous extract of seven species of marine macroalgae were screened for their antimicrobial
potency against ten pathogenic bacterial strains. Ulva fasciata, Gracilaria corticata, Sargassum
wightii and Padina tetrastromatica showed significantly higher activity against 70% of the
tested bacterial isolates. The maximum zone of inhibition was noted for the red alga G.corticata
against Proteus mirabilis (17mm) and brown alga P. tetrastromatica against the pathogens
Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio harveyi (15mm). The general trend of inhibitory activity
was higher towards Gram negative bacteria.


When people think of Sabbatarianism as the final destination of the Transylvanian Reformation, what first comes into our mind is usually an emphatically Szekler religious sect which was even more radical than Antitrinitarianism/Unitarianism. This study, relying on documents from the Archives of the Unitarian Church, and on the works of Mihaly Balazs and Reka Ujlaki-Nagy, focuses on the identity problem, and argues that the vast majority of the early Sabbatarian copyists were not Szekler, and they, usually as teachers, pertained to the Unitarian Church. Therefore the paper proposes that further research could benefit a lot from the practical approach of Lajos Demeny and Levente Toth. Their work is based on archival documents, and aims to identify the schoolmasters in the 17th century in Szeklerland, for example in the Sabbatarian Centers. This is interesting to us because thus we might be able to identify some unknown Sabbatarian copyists.


This article advocates for using game-based learning in the classroom. Some topics are difficult to teach because they require an entirely different mindset. Studies show that game-based learning can provide a new structure of learning to teach these new skills. Research from around the world demonstrates that using games in the classroom allows students to stretch to a new kind of thinking that improves their performance on assessments and their ability to think at higher levels. Particular attention must paid to game selection, which should focus on learning objectives. When no pre-made game fits the lesson, teachers can design their own games. Another focus must be the post-game discussion, in which the teacher can connect the activity to the core material.


Material defects like shrinkages, dross, pores and chunky graphite are likely to occur in thick-walled castings and are a challenge for the foundries and their customers. These defects are mostly detected with handheld ultrasonic testing (UT) or X-ray analysis. Within a research project done at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, the fatigue of Dross, shrinkages and chunky graphite in thick-walled cast material GGG-40 was estimated based on X-ray and fatigue tests on bending specimens. High fatigue reductions were received for the different material imperfections. Based on these impressions a further research project was executed at the Fraunhofer LBF to get an estimation of the informational value of UT in relation to fatigue of shrinkages in thick-walled castings of the material EN-GJS-400-18U-LT, EN-GJS-450-18 and EN-GJS-700-2. With the help of X-ray analysis and the UT technique Sampling Phased Array (SPA) information about geometry and density were derived for a numerical analysis of shrinkages in thick-walled castings concerning fatigue. The following text summarizes the fatigue results achieved in the two research projects with the help of the X-ray and UT analysis.