In this study we summarize the possibilities and limitations of a conductometric measurement principle for soot sensing. The electrical conductivity of different carbon blacks (FW 200, lamp black 101, Printex 30, Printex U, Printex XE2, special black 4, and special black 6), spark discharge soot (GfG), and graphite powder was measured by a van der Pauw arrangement. Additionally the influence of inorganic admixtures on the conductivity of carbonaceous materials was proven to follow the percolation theory. Structural and oxidation characteristics obtained with Raman microspectroscopy and temperature programmed oxidation, respectively, were correlated with the electrical conductivity data. Moreover, a thermophoretic precipitator has been applied to deposit soot particles from the exhaust stream between interdigital electrodes. This combines a controlled and size independent particle collection method with the conductivity measurement principle. A test vehicle was equipped with the AVL Micro Soot Sensor (photoacoustic soot sensor) to prove the conductometric sensor principle with an independent and reliable technique. Our results demonstrate promising potential of the conductometric sensor for on-board particle diagnostic. Furthermore this sensor can be applied as a simple, rapid, and cheap analytical tool for characterization of soot structure.


Epiphyseal replacement was performed via knee transplantation using donor tissue of different developmental times in a murine model. The performance of syngeneic donor tissue in a resection defect in 4-day-old mice of the same inbred strain was assessed over 2 weeks for cell viability, tritiated thymidine incorporation, and ability to attract a host blood supply, and at 2 months, with the existence of a joint and growth. Although there was variability within experimental groups, the syngeneic transplant was able to survive pending vascular invasion from the host. Growth occurred, although it never equaled normal growth. One possible approach to the difficult problem of joint reconstruction in the immature skeleton is to divide the endeavor into two parts: develop models of syngeneic joint transplantation in inbred strains of animals to assess the various problems that would occur were this tissue available and develop models of joint "synthesis" with autogeneic chondrocytes.


Assistive robots should have the ability to understand the intent of humans, predict their behavior, and plan to provide anticipatory assistance in complex real-life environments. In this thesis, we present adaptive and efficient algorithms for recognizing human intent. We develop adaptive models for human intent recognition in a simulated search and rescue scenario. Humans vary widely in their behavior style due to different preferences, initial beliefs, internal world models, and planning mechanisms. A generic (non-adaptive) prediction model, therefore, has limited utility in this setting. Our adaptive model can recognize a rescuer's behavior patterns online and make better predictions. We show that adaptive models trained on a wide variety of simulated planning-based agents can transfer to humans and outperform generic models trained on limited human data. We also present an efficient inverse reinforcement learning algorithm, called f-IRL, which directly optimizes a parameterized reward function to match the demonstrator's state distribution. We show that f-IRL can efficiently learn the demonstrator's intent it can learn to imitate control policies from just a single demonstration. In addition, we show that the learned reward can be used to transfer policies to different dynamics.


The Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) like any other public sector companies is not spared from financial control irregularities in the form of fraud, unauthorised expenditure and misappropriation of funds. This has been evident during the audits by the Ministry of Defence internal audit and reports from the special investigations branch of the AFZ. Despite having an internal control system in place these practices continued to take place on an increasing scale. This has motivated the researcher to carry out a study on the impact of the internal control environment on the financial management of the AFZ. The research sought to establish the relationship between internal control environment and financial management. The appropriateness of the personnel involved in the financial management of the AFZ was to be determined as well as the challenges faced in ensuring an effective internal control environment. Relevant literature was reviewed in pursuance of the said objectives and a COSO model of the internal control environment was adopted for the purpose of this study. In line with the COSO model, the internal control environment was therefore broken down into the elements which include; Integrity and ethical values, management philosophy and operating style, organizational structure, assignment of authority and responsibility, human resource policies and practices and competence of personnel. After reviewing the existing literature it was concluded that the internal control environment is the foundation of the internal control system which in turn has a direct impact on financial management. This relationship therefore connected the internal control environment with the financial management. A descriptive approach was used during the study based on a sample. The sample was based on a judgemental sampling using the convenience sampling technique. Data was gathered through questionnaires and interviews. A triangulation of questionnaires and interviews ensured that data was verified and some objectives that were difficult to meet through the use of one method were achieved through the employment of the other method. Conclusions were drawn from data that was collected, presented and analysed. It was realised that an improvement in internal control environment was going to cause an improvement in the financial management of the AFZ. The research also revealed that most of the personnel in the finance section of the AFZ were under-qualified. Lack of funding came out as the major challenge in ensuring an effective internal control environment in the AFZ. It was recommended that the delegation of authority in the financial management be based on professional qualification rather than on military ranks.


Anti-individualists claim that concepts are individuated with an eye to purely external facts about a subject's environment about which she may be ignorant or mistaken. This paper offers a novel reason for thinking that anti-individualistic concepts are an ineliminable part of commonsense psychology. Our commitment to anti-individualism, I argue, is ultimately grounded in a rational epistemic agent's commitment to refining her own representational practices in the light of new and surprising information about her environment. Since anti-individualism is an implicit part of responsible epistemic practices, we cannot abandon it without compromising our own epistemic agency. The story I tell about the regulation of one's own representational practices yields a new account of the identity conditions for anti-individualistic concepts.


ABSTRACT Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Clonostachys rosea (strain YKD0085). The functional annotation of C. rosea provides important information related to its ability to produce secondary metabolites. The genome sequence presented here builds the basis for further genome mining.


The purpose of this study is to develop assessment tools to diagnose the child friendly level in a given community. To develop such assessment tools, the literature related to this issue was reviewed, and in order to reflect Korea specific social and cultural characteristics, 198 children and adolescents and 104 parents were interviewed in depth. The questionnaires were classified as objective tools and subjective tools by means of a content validity test by experts and a verification by preliminary survey. Objective tools are defined as those which are used by professionals to check facts based on laws and institutions. 20 objective questionnaires were created and completed. In contrast, subjective tools were used to check the subjective perceptions of children, adolescents and parents on their community environments. Subjective tools were collected as the basis for the data for construct validity and was calculated to verify the validity. For this purpose, 432 children and adolescents between 11 and 18 and 201 parents living in Seoul, Daejeon and Hwaseong (n


For wireless channels, a number of information-theoretic secret key exchange protocols have been proposed and analyzed for their efficiency in the literature. We contend that for such protocols in a realistic adversarial model that includes an active adversary, average number of message-bits that need to be exchanged to obtain one-bit of secret key is an important performance metric, which has been previously overlooked in the literature. Using this insight, we analytically study a recently popular class of information-theoretic secret key exchange protocols that is based on wireless channel fading. We obtain analytical results for specific cases and provide fundamental insights into the competitive performance of this class of information-theoretic secret key exchange protocols.


Anemia is a frequent extraenteric complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis). A systematic review of the literature shows that the overall prevalence of anemia ranges from 8.8% to 73.7% but differs whether in a setting of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. A disabling complication of IBD, anemia worsens the patient's general condition and quality of life, and increases hospitalization rates. Different factors, including vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency, bone marrow suppression secondary to drug therapy, autoimmune hemolytic anemia and the coexistence of myelodysplastic syndromes are involved in the pathogenesis of anemia in IBD. The main types of anemia in IBD are iron deficiency anemia and anemia accompanying chronic diseases. Correct diagnostic definition of anemia is a fundamental step in guiding the choice of therapeutic options, since the co-presence of different pathogenetic factors may sometimes require a more complex treatment plan. A review of anemia in IBD, its pathogenetic features, epidemiology, diagnosis and therapy based on evidence from recent studies is the focus of this article.


The phenotypic findings of three patients whose karyotypic interpretations were uncertain were compared to patients with trisomy 9 (pter → ql to q3). One with an extra, small acrocentric chromosome and another with a trisomy due to an inherited C/G translocation have a phenotype compatible with the trisomy 9 (pter → ql) syndrome. In a third patient reported with 47, XY, ?16+, the trisomy 9p probably extends past the ql region.


The presence of nitric oxide (NO) greatly accelerates the rate at which hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) kills Escherichia coli. Workers have suggested that this effect may be important in the process of bacteriocide by phagocytes. The goal of this study was to determine the mechanism of this synergism. The filamentation of the dead cells, and their protection by cell‐permeable iron chelators, indicated that NO/H2O2 killed cells by damaging their DNA through the Fenton reaction. Indeed, the number of DNA lesions was far greater when NO was present during H2O2 exposure. In the Fenton reaction, free intracellular iron transfers electrons from adventitious donors to H2O2, producing hydroxyl radicals. Although NO damaged the [Fe‐S] clusters of dehydratases, this did not increase the amount of free iron and was therefore not the reason for acceleration of Fenton chemistry. However, NO also blocked respiration, an event that previous studies have shown can stimulate oxidative DNA damage. The resultant accumulation of NADH accelerates the reduction of free flavins by flavin reductase, and these reduced flavins drive Fenton chemistry by transferring electrons to free iron. Indeed, mutants lacking the respiratory quinol oxidases were sensitive to H2O2, and NO did not have any further effect. Further, mutants that lack flavin reductase were resistant to NO/H2O2, and overproducing strains were hypersensitive. We discuss the possibility that H2O2 and NO synergize when macrophages attack captive bacteria.


Suprachoroidal hemorrhages, both expulsive and delayed non-expulsive, are among the most devastating complications of intraocular surgery. We reviewed the charts of 13 patients with a delayed non-expulsive suprachoroidal hemorrhage (DNSCH) after cataract extraction (3 patients), glaucoma filtering surgery (6 patients), penetrating keratoplasty (3 patients), or vitrectomy (1 patient). All had large hemorrhagic choroidal detachments with nine eyes presenting kissing choroidal detachment, five eyes with associated retinal detachment, and one eye with intravitreous hemorrhage. All patients were treated with systemic corticosteroids before surgery. Eleven eyes underwent anterior drainage sclerotomy, followed by SF6 gas injection in eight eyes, and pars plana vitrectomy with silicon oil tamponade in three eyes. Mean follow-up was 22 months. These procedures gave good anatomical results in eleven cases and good visual results in nine. The results suggest that not all DNSCH need to be drained surgically but that, when surgical drainage is indicated, the use of gas to maintain internal tamponade appears to be beneficial.


The present work mainly aimed to synthesize different weight percentages (0.25-1.00 wt%) of Manganese (Mn2+) and Magnesium (Mg2+) bimetal ions doped TiO2 nanomaterial assisted with different weight percentages (5-15 wt%) of Gemini Surfactant (GS) using sol-gel method. The bimetal doped and undoped TiO2 photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-Visible Diffused Reflectance Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analyzer, and Photoluminescence Spectroscopy. Characterization results evinced that Mn2+/Mg2+ bimetal ions doping and encapsulation of GS on TiO2 nanoparticles promote the formation of mesoporous multi-particle anatase TiO2 nanocatalysts with a narrowed band gap, less particle size, and high surface area. The surface elemental composition of the 0.25 wt% Mn2+& 1.00 wt% Mg2+ bimetal doped TiO2 in presence of 10 wt% of Gemini surfactant (after calcination) revealed the presence of both the metal dopants Mn2+ and Mg2+ along with the Ti and O and their chemical interactions were further confirmed by FT-IR results. The photocatalytic activity of these catalysts was assessed by the degradation of Methyl Red (MR) using visible light irradiation. To understand the effect of different reaction parameters on the photocatalytic activity of the nanocatalysts such as the dopant concentration, GS concentration, catalyst dosage, solution pH, and initial dye concentrations were investigated and optimized to achieve the best performance. The photoluminescence results conclude that OH radicals are the crucial reactive species responsible for oxidative photocatalytic degradation of MR.


ABSTRACT The reed frog Hyperolius tuberilinguis is a prolonged breeder with an advertisement call that varies in complexity from one to six click notes. Call complexity increases with chorus size, but calls containing more than three notes are rare. In playback experiments to males, subjects responded by increasing the complexity of their calls, without closely matching the stimulus and rarely exceeding the stimulus in complexity. Stimuli less complex than their own evoked a reduction in complexity. Call repetition rate remained unchanged in the responses. In two-choice phonotaxis experiments, females discriminated against one-note calls, and two- and three-note calls were the most attractive. Males thus adjust their calling in the presence of neighbours to a pattern most preferred by females. Calls of higher complexity may be more easily detected or located by females in the noisy environment of a chorus.


Sodium channel Nav1.9 is expressed in peripheral nociceptive neurons, as well as visceral afferents, and has been shown to act as a threshold channel. Painful peripheral neuropathy represents a significant public health challenge and may involve gain-of-function variants in sodium channels that are preferentially expressed in peripheral sensory neurons. Although gain-of-function variants of peripheral sodium channels Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 have recently been found in painful small fibre neuropathy, the aetiology of peripheral neuropathy in many cases remains unknown. We evaluated 459 patients who were referred for possible painful peripheral neuropathy, and confirmed the diagnosis of small fibre neuropathy in a cohort of 393 patients (369 patients with pure small fibre neuropathy, and small fibre neuropathy together with large fibre involvement in an additional 24 patients). From this cohort of 393 patients with peripheral neuropathy, we sequenced SCN11A in 345 patients without mutations in SCN9A and SCN10A, and found eight variants in 12 patients. Functional profiling by electrophysiological recordings showed that these Nav1.9 mutations confer gain-of-function attributes to the channel, depolarize resting membrane potential of dorsal root ganglion neurons, enhance spontaneous firing, and increase evoked firing of these neurons. Our data show, for the first time, missense mutations of Nav1.9 in individuals with painful peripheral neuropathy. These genetic and functional observations identify missense mutations of Nav1.9 as a cause of painful peripheral neuropathy.


Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) microscopy is an emerging technique with a wide range of imaging applications and unique properties in terms of high spatial resolution, surface confinement and favourable signal-to-noise ratio. Despite its successful analytical applications, tuning the depth of field (i.e., thickness of the ECL-emitting layer) is a crucial issue. Indeed, the control of the thickness of this ECL region, which can be considered as an "evanescent" reaction layer, limits the development of cell microscopy as well as bioassays. Here we report an original strategy based on chemical lens effects to tune the ECL-emitting layer in the model [Ru(bpy)3]2+/tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) system. It consists of microbeads decorated with [Ru(bpy)3]2+ labels, classically used in bioassays, and TPrA as the sacrificial coreactant. In particular we exploit the buffer capacity of the solution to modify the rate of the reactions involved in the ECL generation. For the first time, a precise control of the ECL light distribution is demonstrated by mapping the luminescence reactivity at the level of single micrometric bead. The resulting ECL image is the luminescent signature of the concentration profiles of diffusing TPrA radicals, which define the ECL layer. Therefore, our findings provide insights into the ECL mechanism and open new avenues for ECL microscopy and bioassays. Indeed, the reported approach based on a chemical lens controls the spatial extension of the "evanescent" ECL-emitting layer and is conceptually similar to evanescent wave microscopy. Thus, it should allow the exploration and imaging of different heights in substrates or in cells.


Background Pateclizumab (formerly MLTA3698A), a novel humanized IgG1 antibody against soluble and membrane isoforms of lymphotoxin-alpha, is being investigated as a targeted therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives To compare the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous Pateclizumab (PTZ) vs placebo (PBO) and adalimumab (ADA) in patients with active RA and an inadequate response to DMARDs. Methods RA patients on oral DMARDs were randomized (2:2:1) to receive PTZ 360 mg, ADA 40 mg, or PBO every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint, DAS28-ESR, was evaluated at 12 weeks. Pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and immunogenicity of PTZ were assessed. Results 217 patients were enrolled, 85 received PTZ, 85 received ADA, and 44 received PBO. Baseline demographics [mean (±SD)], age 50 years (±13.3), disease duration 8.7 yrs (±8.1), and clinical characteristics, were balanced across treatment arms. Mean baseline characteristics included a SJC of 18.6/17.4/15.8, TJC of 28.6/28.1/23.2, HAQ scores of 1.8/1.7/1.8, CRP values of 2.2/2.2/2.4 mg/dL, and DAS28-ESR scores of 6.95/6.82/6.79, for PTZ/ADA/PBO, respectively. RF/anti-CCP status and use of methotrexate or leflunomide as DMARD agent were comparable across groups at baseline. 86% of PTZ, 87% of ADA, and 77% of PBO subjects completed 10 weeks of dosing for the efficacy analyses. PTZ 12wk DAS28-ESR response (-1.96) was not significantly different from PBO (-1.66), while ADA (-2.63) differed significantly from both PBO (P<0.01) and PTZ (p<0.01). PTZ 12wk ACR20 response (60%) differed significantly (P=0.03) from PBO (40%), but ACR50 or ACR70 did not. ADA 12wk ACR20 (68%), ACR50 (51%) and ACR70 (31%) differed significantly from PBO (40%, 21%, and 7.0% respectively). CXCL13, a PD biomarker that decreases with TNFα or lymphotoxin-alpha blockade [Emu et al, 2011], significantly decreased at 12wk with PTZ (p<0.01) or ADA (p<0.01) compared with PBO, demonstrating pharmacological target engagement. The PK profile of pateclizumab was comparable to popPK model predictions [1]. Overall, adverse events (AE) and infectious AE were comparable between PTZ, ADA, and PBO groups. 1% of PTZ patients, 6% of adalimumab patients and 2% of PBO patients discontinued due to AEs. Infections were the most common AE, occurring with comparable frequency in PTZ (29.1%), ADA (36.5%), and PBO (34.9%) patients. Serious AEs occurred in 0% of PTZ, 5.9% (n=5) of ADA, and 2.3% (n=1) of PBO patients, with serious infection in 2.3% (n=1) of ADA patients and none in PTZ and PBO patients. Treatment-emergent anti-therapeutic antibodies were uncommon in PTZ-treated patients (4 positive / 86 total exposures) and were not associated with changes in PK or safety. Conclusions Pateclizumab treatment of DMARD-IR RA patients was associated with modest improvement in the signs and symptoms of RA, and was inferior to adalimumab after 12 weeks of treatment. Statistically significant treatment effects of pateclizumab were only detected for the secondary endpoint of ACR20. Pateclizumab had a safety profile comparable to PBO in this Phase 2 study in DMARD-IR patients. References Emu B, et al. Arthritis Res Ther. 2012 14(1):R6. Disclosure of Interest W. Kennedy Employee of: Genentech, Inc., P. Horn Employee of: Genentech, Inc., Z. Su Employee of: Genentech, Inc., K. Basu Employee of: Genentech, Inc., A. Herman Employee of: Genentech, Inc., A. Song Employee of: Genentech, Inc., M. Townsend Employee of: Genentech, Inc., J. Xiao Employee of: Genentech, Inc., J. Grogan Employee of: Genentech, Inc., M. Derby Employee of: Genentech, Inc., J. Simon-Campos: None Declared, J. Davis, Jr. Employee of: Genentech, Inc.


This field guide covers the area of the Gambia, a country which is very popular with a large number of birders. The Gambia shelters many migrants from the Western Palearctic, from September to April, as well as having a significant list of resident West African birds. The guide also covers Senegal, which almost entirely surrounds The Gambia. The colour plates depict 570 species - virtually every species recorded in The Gambia - and the text covers every species on the Senegambian list, as well as a few which are likely to turn up in the future. In total, over 660 species are described in the book.


Women in the second stage of labour instinctively bear down for short periods of four to six seconds. Most of these spontaneous bearing down efforts are accompanied by the release of air, with several breaths being taken between each effort. Conventional pushing techniques with sustained breath holding compromise fetal well being by reducing maternal arterial pressure and the oxygenation of maternal blood. Adequate progress may be made in labour, with the delivery of a healthy baby, when the management encourages spontaneous maternal efforts.


We investigate which terms in Reduced-Dimensionality Semiclassical Transition State Theory (RD SCTST) contribute most significantly in rate constant calculations of hydrogen extraction and exchange reactions of hydrocarbons. We also investigate the importance of deep tunneling corrections to the theory. In addition, we introduce a novel formulation of the theory in Jacobi coordinates. For the reactions of H atoms with methane, ethane, and cyclopropane, we find that a one-dimensional (1-D) version of the theory without deep tunneling corrections compares well with 2-D SCTST results and accurate quantum scattering results. For the "heavy-light-heavy" H atom exchange reaction between CH3 and CH4, deep tunneling corrections are needed to yield 1-D results that compare well with 2-D results. The finding that accurate rate constants can be obtained from derivatives of the potential along only one dimension further validates RD SCTST as a computationally efficient yet accurate rate constant theory.


Using data collected from surveys and in-depth interviews with same- and different-sex couples, this brief summarizes two studies that analyze gendered marital dynamics around care work for physical illness. Led by PRC Director Debra Umberson, authors include PRC NICHD Trainee Rachel Donnelly and PRC alumnae Mieke Beth Thomeer, Corinne Reczek, and Rhiannon A. Kroeger. The authors found differences by gender and union type in the ways women and men give care to and receive care from their spouses in lesbian, gay, and heterosexual marriages.


Education
In the United States, teacher recommendations are crucial in deciding which students will be referred for placement in gifted programs. Nicholson-Crotty et al. used data from a nationally representative early childhood study to look at factors underlying differences in placement. Self-identified black students were recommended more by black teachers, but recommendation was not increased by having more black teachers in the school. The authors propose that more minority teachers be hired and that all students automatically be considered for gifted programs.

J. Publ. Adm. Res. Theory 10.1093/jopart/muw024 (2016).


A high surface area and the possibility of high charge separation and transportability make the two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials very special in many applications, particularly in the field of catalysis. The usefulness of 2D nanomaterial is positively demonstrated in this study by employing it as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst in Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction, where the later one is well known for the formation of carbon–carbon bonds. 2D nanosheets of CuCo2S4 are synthesized using a hydrothermal synthesis and the average thickness of the sheets is found to be in the range of 10−15 nm. The transparent nanosheets are interconnected to form thick sheets and then aggregated to form a highly open three-dimensional hierarchical structure. This study explores the Sonogashira reaction very efficiently in water/ethanol at room temperature using hydrothermally synthesized CuCo2S4 nanosheets as catalyst for the C-C coupling reaction for the first time. The developed method is found to be economic, green, high yields, low catalyst loading and reusability of the catalysts. This present CuCo2S4 nanosheet heterogeneous catalyst afford the Sonogashira coupling of various aryl halides with terminal alkynes, giving a variety of aryl acetylenes in excellent yields and can be recovered by a simple filtration and reused for at least ten consecutive reactions with almost constant yield and activity.


We prove local convergence results for the spectra and pseudospectra of sequences of linear operators acting in different Hilbert spaces and converging in generalised strong resolvent sense to an operator with possibly nonempty essential spectrum. We establish local spectral exactness outside the limiting essential spectrum, local ε-pseudospectral exactness outside the limiting essential ε-near spectrum, and discuss properties of these two notions including perturbation results.


Abstract Objective: To determine if changes in natriuretic peptide levels [propeptide of atrial natriuretic peptide (proANP) and N-terminal propeptide of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)] can be demonstrated in fetuses with serious growth restriction and Doppler ultrasonographic findings of hemodynamic compromise. Method: Natriuretic peptides of the umbilical vein (proANP and NT-proBNP), arterial and venous blood gases, as well as lactate levels of the umbilical vein were determined in 38 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) fetuses, and 24 intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) fetuses with absent (zero-flow) and 17 IUGR fetuses with reversed end-diastolic flow (reverse-flow) of the umbilical artery. Results: A continuous increase in natriuretic peptides in the presence of progressive deterioration was shown. ANP concentrations were significantly lower in the AGA group (mean 818 fmol/mL; range 508–991 fmol/mL) than the zero-flow group (mean 19,680 fmol/mL; range 13,680–25,080 fmol/mL) and the reverse-flow group (mean 33,880 fmol/mL; range 24,365–41,786 fmol/mL). Significant differences were further demonstrated in BNP concentrations of the AGA group (mean 32 fmol/L; range 25–38 fmol/L), zero-flow group (mean 1191 fmol/L; range 908–1655 fmol/L), and reverse-flow group (mean 3063 fmol/L; range 1281–4968 fmol/L). Additionally, significant differences in lactate concentrations were observed for the three groups: AGA, 2.6 mmol/L (range 2–3 mmol/L); zero-flow group, 4.1 mmol/L (range 3.3–5 mmol/L); and reverse-flow group, 7.7 mmol/L (range 5.9–13.7 mmol/L). Increased ANP levels correlated with the arterial base excess and lactate concentrations, as well as with the flow velocities in the ductus venosus during atrial contraction (a-wave), and both ductus venosus indices (S–a)/D and (S–a)/V mean. No correlations were established for BNP. Conclusions: As components of a compensatory mechanism, natriuretic peptides exert an influence on the cardiovascular function of the fetus.


We examine loss aversion in the context of professional golf at US Open tournaments. In particular, we analyze data from two courses, Pebble Beach Golf Links and Oakmont Country Club, where they have hosted six and five US Opens, respectively. The United States Golf Association changed the par rating of a hole on each course from a par 5 to a par 4, without fundamentally altering the hole, in each US Open hosted by these courses since 2000. In this natural experimental setting, we find evidence of significant loss-aversive behavior in the world's best golfers based solely on par rating.


In the summer of 2015, Los Angeles-based creatives Kate Dwyer and Penelope Gazin were fed up with the censorship of "risqué" goods and artwork sold on the popular online marketplace Etsy. Even though they lacked technical experience and had never built a website before, the two friends committed themselves to building a censorship-free artists' marketplace, which they would call Witchsy.com.After Dwyer and Gazin had bought the domain name www.witchsy.com and researched the construction of multiple-seller websites using Google, the entrepreneurs quickly realized they'd need to bring in outsiders to help. Turning to Craigslist to post ads on their required work and solicit resumes, Gazin and Dwyer eventually began engaging with various male developers willing to build the technical aspects of their site. Early on in these interactions, however, an upsetting pattern started to emerge wherein the entrepreneurs constantly felt they were faced with disrespect, condescension, and poor collaboration from their male contractors.Hoping to mitigate this treatment, Dwyer and Gazin decided to create a fake male colleague they could rope into their email interactions with outsiders. They named this "colleague" Keith Mann and gave him an email address and Twitter personality. As soon as Mann started to engage with contractors and developers over email, the entrepreneurs were amazed to see the different tone and respect that was paid to Mann.When Witchsy finally launched in the summer of 2016, Dwyer and Gazin didn't have to wait long to see markers of success—within a year, their platform already had 45,000 Instagram followers and was generating a monthly profit. Even though Mann had existed only by name over email and was put to rest shortly after the site's launch, Dwyer and Gazin looked back on their experience of building Witchsy and had to wonder, would they have succeeded without Mann? Why had they faced so much antagonism without him, and was there a way to make sense of it?To help tackle these questions, readers are presented with four examples of email communications Dwyer and Gazin engaged in before and after Mann was created. These email exhibits maintain the founders' names and circumstances but disguise the identities of all third parties. Excerpt UVA-OB-1255 Rev. Feb. 14, 2019 A Phantom Man(n) at Witchsy—Casting a Spell via Email? When Kate Dwyer and Penelope Gazin launched their artsy, online marketplace, Witchsy.com (Witchsy), in the summer of 2016, success quickly followed. By September 2017, Witchsy had 45,000 Instagram followers, was generating a monthly profit, and media outlets such as The Guardian and Fast Company had run articles on the unlikely success of the Los Angeles–based newcomer that was attempting to contend with its more mainstream competitor, Etsy.com (Etsy). . . .


As already stated, I could not find evidence of glandular involvement, but surely it had occurred. It must be remembered that the lymphatics from the ovary drain into the lumbar and renal glands and into the small accessory glands along their path. Further, anastomosis with the uterine lymphatics is free and it may reasonably be believed that extensive invasion has already occurred and renders the prognosis distinctly grave.


In this paper, we study the form over the minimum spanning tree problem (MST) from which we will derive an intuitively generalized model and new methods with the upper bound of runtimes of logarithm. The new pattern we made has taken successful to better equilibrium the benefits of local and global when we employ the strategy of divide and conquer to optimize solutions on problem. Under new model, we let the course of clustering become more transparent with many details, so that the whole solution may be featured of much reasonable, flexibility, efficiency and approach to reveal or reflect the reality. There are some important methods and avenues as fruits derived from discussions or trial which can be broad usefulness in the fields of graphic analysis, data mining, k-means clustering problem and so forth.


Bronchogenic carcinoma is in the Czech Republic the most frequent malignant tumour in males. For practice the classification into non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma (NSCLC) and small cell bronchogenic carcinoma (SCLC) is most useful. Views on chemotherapy of NSCLC were before 1980 rather pessimistic. In untreated patients with advanced NSCLC the median survival is 6 months and one-year survival in 10 %. In the nineties, due to the introduction of cytostatics of the IIIrd generation into treatment of NSCLC, the median survival was prolonged to 10 - 12 months and one-year survival is reported in 40 - 50 % patients. The importance of chemotherapy in SCLC was never doubted. By concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy the total period of treatment of patients with SCLC was reduced and the percentage of objective responses increased. Introduction of cytostatics of the third generation is important in particular in treatment of line II SCLC. Basic prognostic factors of successful chemotherapy in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma are the stage of the disease, body weight loss, presence of paraneoplastic symptoms, immune state and clinical and sociodemographic characteristics.


Manufacturing in Kenya account for the greatest share of industrial production output characterized by relatively low value addition of 7.5 per cent recorded in 2010 to 2.3 per cent recorded in 2011, low employment and capacity utilization and a paltry 25 percent export volumes. However, the share of Kenyan products in the regional market is only 7 percent of the US $11 billion regional market and its contribution to the GDP has remained at about 10 percent since the 1960s. This has given rise to the concern that practicing managers have put little effort to improve the situation. This study therefore sought to establish the relationship between Human Resource Practices and firm performance in the manufacturing firms in Kenya. Used a census survey of the 68 medium and large manufacturing firms whose core activities involved in production and marketing of edible oils, soaps and detergents, beverages or sugar registered in the Kenya Association of Manufacturers directory 2012. Data was collected through self administered questionnaires sent to the Production Manager, Brand Manager, Human Resource Manager, Marketing Manager, or the relevant manager dealing with innovations. The main findings of this study reveals that manufacturing firms apply human resource management practices to different extents. For instance, some models of human resource management practices such as licensing are not commonly used, while others like hiring of skilled employees and teaching company schemes are very common with average composite mean score of 4.00 and 4.08 out of the best score of 5.0 respectively.


This paper arose out of the retrospective de-accreditation of the journal MJSS by DHET. DHET has always had a clear policy for subsidising research: publication in an accredited journal will lead to the payment of subsidy to the university and in most instances to the academic.
The first part of the paper addresses the issue of online publications, including predatory publications, and what due diligence academics should engage in prior to submitting their research to an unknown journal for publication. In particular, the article sets out the possible criteria that could be used in assessing new journals. Ultimately, the process is fraught with uncertainties and difficulties, as many predatory publishers deliberately set out to scam academics in order to garner financial profits. These problems are illustrated by comparing two online journals: MJSS and PER.
The second part of the article deals with the nature of the decision by DHET to deaccredit MJSS retrospectively - in deciding that it is a potentially predatory journal. It is submitted that DHET could be estopped from denying the truth of its own representation that the MJSS is a scholarly journal. In addition, their decision to retrospectively change their own policy without adequate notice or a proper opportunity for representations, is unconstitutional, unlawful and unfair based on the legitimate expectation of the academics and universities created by the department's policies and practice. In addition, by de-accrediting a journal retrospectively, DHET destabilised its own policy.


Summary: The use of a continuous Percoll gradient in a procedure for the rapid isolation of bacteroid- containing vesicles from French bean nodules is described. The purified vesicles appeared to be free from contamination by naked bacteroids and plant mitochondria and suitable for physiological studies. The metabolite uptake activities of vesicles isolated by this method were compared with those of free bacteroids. Succinate was transported through both peribacteroid and bacteroid membranes: the K, values were 320 p. and 57 p, respectively. For glucose K, values were 142 p. for the peribacteroid membrane and 102 p. for the bacteroid membrane, indicating that glucose could act as an energy-yielding substrate in functioning nodules. Experiments with inhibitors showed the involvement of ATPases in these transport processes and suggested that a proton-motive force was probably associated with them. The regulatory role of the peribacteroid membrane in the movement of the metabolites from the plant cytosol to bacteroids was demonstrated by its impermeability to glutamate, aspartate, citrate and benzoate.


In 115 normal children (3 to 14 years old) and 143 children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (6 to 15 years old), the urinary C-peptide immunoreactivity) was measured for evaluation of the pancreatic B cell function. The urinary C-peptide excretions during O-GTT corresponded to the change of serum C-peptide levels in normal children (n = 27) and the mean value of the excretions in younger children was significantly low. Age did not significantly affect basal serum C-peptide levels (ng/ml) and urinary C-peptide excretions (micrograms/h) before O-GTT, but significant differences in serum sigma C-peptide (ng/ml) and urinary C-peptide (micrograms/3 h) during O-GTT were noted between the younger group and the older group (p less than 0.01). In 39 normal children on an inactive routine, mean values of the 24 h urinary C-peptide for children aged from 3 to 6, 7 to 10 and from 11 to 14 years old, were 28.2 +/- 12.6 micrograms/day, 32.3 +/- 8.4 micrograms/day and 37.6 +/- 10.6 micrograms/day (mean +/- SD) respectively with significant differences according to age (younger group vs older group, p less than 0.05). The effects of daily routine on 24 h urinary C-peptide were studied in normal children. In children on an active routine, the C-peptide excretion was significantly less than in the same individuals on an inactive routine (26.9 +/- 9.9 micrograms/day vs 34.3 +/- 14.5 micrograms/day, p less than 0.01). In children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, 24 h urinary C-peptide excretion was studied to evaluate residual pancreatic B cell function. Urinary C-peptide was measurable in 47 of the 143 diabetic children, suggesting that most of the pancreatic B cells had deteriorated in the other 96 patients. In the 96 patients without B cell function, the averages of daily dose of insulin and 24 h-U.glucose/TAG ratio were significantly higher than those in the 47 patients who had pancreatic B cell function estimated by measuring urinary C-peptide (p less than 0.001). In additional studies on the 43 diabetic children with residual pancreatic B cell function, who had had the disease for five years or less, the 24 h urinary C-peptide excretion (micrograms/day) correlated weakly but significantly with the duration of the disease (r = -0.28, p less than 0.05). Patients who had had the disease longer and who were controlled with larger doses of insulin had less of the 24 h urinary C-peptide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


This study investigated the relationship between the distinctness of vowels in speech and impressions of the speaker's personality and speech style. Vowel sounds are considered to carry mainly phonetic information. For the experiment, formant frequencies of vowel sounds in original speech were altered to synthesize speech stimuli into four levels of formant contrast among different vowels. In Experiment 1, 36 university students listened to the speech stimuli and evaluated the speaker's personality using the Big Five scale. In Experiment 2, 35 participants evaluated the speech style. As the phonetic contrast between vowels became bigger, the trait evaluations of "conscientiousness" showed an asymptotic increase. "Agreeableness" was evaluated as high when the vowel contrast was somewhat bigger than the original before beginning to decrease. Regarding speech styles, "naturalness" and "fluency" were evaluated highest when vowel contrasts were somewhat bigger. "Pleasantness" was evaluated equally high for original and somewhat big contrasts, but lowest for the smallest contrast. In conclusion, vowel distinctness conveys not only phonetic information but also contributes to impressions of speech style and the speaker's personality systematically.


This paper presents a method of encoding medical images with artificial edges at a perceptually lossless quality. Based on the JPEG2000 coding framework and embedded with an advanced perceptual distortion metric, the proposed coder can identify and remove visually insignificant/irrelevant information. In addition, an artificial edge segmentation algorithm complements the perceptual distortion metric by enabling it to adaptively identify and prune artificial edges. Compared with the state-of-the-art JPEG compliant LOCO lossless coder, current results have shown an improvement in bit-rate without any loss of visual fidelity.


Energy modelling of houses and other buildings helps the designers to determine the energy performance of the building at an early stage. It furthermore gives the advantage of altering the building's design early in the planning phase to ensure that it fulfils requirements of increasing energy demands. Energy models also serve as a tool to predict the energy consumption and thereby energy cost of running the building. Energy modelling is becoming widely used but there are many uncertain parameters associated with any energy model that should be validated for accuracy. In this study a house was equipped with measuring equipment to verify the results from two different energy models, an excel model developed by Iceland Innovation Center and a 3D-model from Autodesk Revit using Autodesk Green Building Studio for Revit. It furthermore serves the purpose of testing the quality and usability of the measuring equipment used. The report is conducted with a non-engineering approach which serves the purpose of considering the energy models and their complexity from a non-engineering angle. This is important, with lawmakers dictating the use of energy calculations and simulation to some extent within the architecture profession.


We start from a continuous extension of a mean field approach of the quorum percolation model, accounting for the response of in vitro neuronal cultures, to carry out a normal form analysis of the critical behavior. We highlight the effects of nonlinearities associated with this mean field approach even in the close vicinity of the critical point. Statistical properties of random networks with Gaussian in-degree are related to the outcoming links distribution. Finite size analysis of explicit Monte Carlo simulations enables us to confirm the relevance of the mean field approach on such networks and to show that the order parameter is weakly self-averaging; dynamical relaxation is investigated. Furthermore we derive a mean field equation taking into account the effect of inhibitory neurons and discuss the equivalence with a purely excitatory network.


The influence of a small hole at the tip of a crack on the compliance of a cracked specimen is examined. It is shown that the compliance of the specimen with a hole is the same as the compliance of a specimen with an infinitely sharp but slightly longer crack, the increment of length being proportional to the radius of the hole. In the case of mode III straining (the tearing mode) the equivalent sharp crack extends beyond the edge of the hole a distance equal to the radius of the hole. The results are pertinent to the experimental measurement of stress intensity factors.


The records of 28 patients who underwent 37 ray resections at Hines Veterans' Administration Hospital and Loyola University Medical Center were reviewed. Indications included localized gangrene, osteomyelitis, or both. Underlying medical diagnoses included diabetes, chronic ethanol abuse, arteriosclerosis obliterans, and gout. The overall success rate was only 34%. These results suggest that the usefulness of ray resections as a definitive procedure in such cases may be limited.


We consider a family of non-local and non-convex functionals, and we prove that their Gamma-liminf is bounded from below by a positive multiple of the Sobolev norm or the total variation. As a by-product, we answer some open questions concerning the limiting behavior of these functionals. The proof relies on the analysis of a discretized version of these functionals.


ABSTRACT Automated recording units (ARUs) are an integral instrument in a broad range of applications such as invasive species management, behavioural studies, and environmental impact assessments. They have become particularly important in conservation programmes for a range of cryptic threatened bird species. While the fundamental issues of signal attenuation and degradation are well known, understanding how environmental factors influence detectability of calls on ARU recordings in particular circumstances is essential for the accurate interpretation of their results. Using five transects spaced at equal angles running from a central playback source we tested the detectability of Pezoporus flaviventris (Western Ground Parrot) and Atrichornis clamosus (Noisy Scrub-bird) calls on Wildlife Acoustics SM2 and SM4 devices. Both species call from on or near the ground in moderately dense heathlands. Detectability of calls was affected by wind direction: fewer calls were detected on an ARU that was up-wind of the broadcast source compared with another on a down-wind unit. More calls were detected on ARUs deployed at higher relative elevation, and detectability decreased with increased distance from the playback source. Calls were detected at a greater distance from the playback source when using SM4 ARUs, compared to SM2 ARUs. Inconsistency in the detection of bird calls through space and time could lead to errors in metrics calculated from acoustic data. Further investigation is required to determine how environmental factors such as wind direction can be accounted for in data analysis.


A new method to generate color texture images is proposed in this paper, which derived from our previous works to generate the gray texture. The method is based on the olfactory system bionic model to generate the gray texture. The model architecture mimics that of mammal olfactory neural system. Period function is used as the activity function of nodes in the model to realize the periodic repetition of texture. Chaotic mapping is used to adjust the model parameters to assure the model being in non-convergence state. The previous input is introduced as the noise to simulate the background noise of neural system. One color image is used as seed image. In HSV space, the Hue (H), Saturation (S) and Value (V) of each pixel is used as the model input and the model output is composed as the H, S and V of corresponding pixel in generated texture. Experimental results show that the proposed method can generate many beautiful color textures, whose textures are different from the original texture.


Dications of p-substituted 3-phenylindenylidenefluorenes were prepared to examine the response of the resulting indenyl and fluorenyl cationic systems to magnetic measures of antiaromaticity. All measures, (1)H NMR shifts, nucleus independent chemical shifts (NICS(1)(zz)), and magnetic susceptibility exaltation, Lambda, supported the antiaromaticity of the dications 3a-f2+. The 1H NMR shifts and NICS(1)(zz) showed that the indenyl ring system was less antiaromatic than the fluorenyl ring system, contrary to the antiaromaticity of indenyl monocations compared to fluorenyl monocations. The presence of a phenyl substituent in the 3-position was able to stabilize the indenylidene cation through resonance, decreasing its antiaromaticity, but even in the absence of the 3-phenyl substituent, the indenyl system of indenylidenefluorene dications was less antiaromatic than the fluorenyl system. The decreased antiaromaticity of the 3-phenylindenylidenefluorene dications over the unsubstituted indenylidenefluorene dication was supported by (anti)aromatic (de)stabilization energy calculations, ASE.


In her article "Women's Worlds in the Novels of Kandukuri and Gilman" Suneetha Rani discusses Veeresalingam Kandukuri's Satyaraja Poorvadesayatralu (Satyaraja's Travel to the Distant Lands) and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Herland. While the novels were published in two different contexts — one in pre-independence India and the other in pre-World War I in the U.S., one in Telugu and the other in English, one by a man and the other by a woman — there is an interesting connecting thread that brings them together. Both were satires on the contemporary male chauvinistic world. While the Telugu novel pleads for a better treatment of upper-caste Indian women, the US-American novel looks hopefully towards an ideal world where men do not exist. Rani discusses the strengths and weaknesses of both novels while at the same time her analysis suggests the relevance of both authors' work today. Suneetha Rani, "Women's Worlds in the Novels of Kandukuri and Gilman" page 2 of 8 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 14.2 (2012): <http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb/vol14/iss2/10> Thematic Issue New Work in Comparative Indian Literatures and Cultures. Ed. M.G. Ramanan and T. Mukherjee


The representational history of disabled people can largely be characterized as one of being put on display or hidden away. Self-representations have been a powerful part of the disability rights and culture movement, but recently scholars have analysed the ways in which these run the risk of creating a 'single story' that centres the experiences of white, western, physically disabled men. Here we introduce and theorize with Project Re•Vision, our arts-based research project that resists this singularity by creating and centring, without normalizing, representations that have previously been relegated to the margins. We draw from body becoming and new materialist theory to explore the dynamic ways in which positionality illuminates bodies of difference and open into a discussion about what is at stake when these stories are let loose into the world.


Metallic cuprate systems, La2-xSr1+xCu2O6+y, La8-xSrxCu8O20-y and La4BaCu5O13+y were investigated through transport, magnetic and structural measurements. La2-xSr1+xCu2O6+y does not show superconductivity in a wide range of carrier density in spite of the presence of the antiferromagnetic ordering in the carrier depleted sample. In La8-xSrxCu8O20-y, an anomaly in the magnetic susceptibility accompanied by a structural change was found in a narrow range of the strontium content. A large magnetic field dependence of the resistivity and the Hall coefficient in La4BaCu5O13+y indicate the presence of a band with a small effective mass.


Identification of uncontrolled accumulation of abnormal blood cells ( lymphoblasts ) considered to be a challenging task. Despite a wide variety of image processing and deep learning techniques, the task of extracting the features from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) images and detection of ALL cells is still challenging and complex issue due to morphological variations in cells. In order to overcome these drawbacks, in this study, we proposed a new framework with a combination of spiking and residual network for the detection and classification of lymphoblasts cells from healthy ones in blood sample images. According to this, features are extracted using a novel First-Spike-based approach, and then the Gaussian function is applied to remove the low-intensity edges. To reduce dimensionality, Principal Component Analysis ( PCA ) is used and finally, a developed deep residual architecture is employed to diagnose the ALL blood cells from the reconstructed images. To show the effectiveness of the proposed model, it is evaluated on microscopic images of blood samples from ALL Images (ALL- IDB ) and ISBI -2019 C- NMC dataset. The results show the superiority of the model to be an appropriate choice for future biomedical imaging tasks.


SUMMARY In the semiarid region of Brazil, inadequate management of cropping systems and low plant biomass production can contribute to reduce soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks; therefore, management systems that preserve C and N must be adopted. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in soil C and N stocks that were promoted by agroforestry (agrosilvopastoral and silvopastoral) and traditional agricultural systems (slash-and-burn clearing and cultivation for two and three years) and to compare these systems with the natural Caatinga vegetation after 13 years of cultivation. The experiment was carried out on a typical Ortic Chromic Luvisol in the municipality of Sobral, Ceara, Brazil. Soil samples were collected (layers 0-6, 6-12, 12-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm) with four replications. The plain, convex and concave landforms in each study situation were analyzed, and the total organic C, total N and densities of the soil samples were assessed. The silvopastoral system promoted the greatest long-term reductions in C and N stocks, while the agrosilvopastoral system promoted the smallest losses and therefore represents a sustainable alternative for soil C and N sequestration in these semiarid conditions. The traditional agricultural system produced reductions of 58.87 and 9.57 Mg ha-1


We reduce the complex mechanics of an Intrinsic Localized Mode (ILM) on an infinite monodirectional nonlinear coupled oscillator array. By using Hamiltonian Mechanics, we derive two systems – a simple case when only the position of the ILM is allowed to vary, and the more complex case where both position and amplitude are allowed to change with time. We arrive at a systems of nonlinear equations of motion. For the position-only system, the dynamics are determined solely by the level sets of the Hamiltonian. The four-variable system has a richer structure. We also analyze the effect of a defect, or an impurity, on the motion of the ILM within our framework.


The authors report a case of posterior hyperplastic primary vitreous which was associated by chance with a central serous choroidoretinopathy. Examination of the left eye revealed a dense white vitreous condensation attached to the optic disc associated with retinal folds. Fluorescein Angiography showed a typical central serous choroidoretinopathy. No treatment was required as retinal complications due to the posterior hyperplastic primary vitreous were not found; central serous choroidoretinopathy had a satisfactory course. Posterior hyperplastic primary vitreous is a rare disease, different from Reese's anterior form and may mimic congenital abnormalities of the optic disc. Clinical appearance, clinical course and treatment are discussed.


We present a method for simulating makeup in a face image. To generate realistic results without detailed geometric and reflectance measurements of the user, we propose to separate the image into intrinsic image layers and alter them according to proposed adaptations of physically-based reflectance models. Through this layer manipulation, the measured properties of cosmetic products are applied while preserving the appearance characteristics and lighting conditions of the target face. This approach is demonstrated on various forms of cosmetics including foundation, blush, lipstick, and eye shadow. Experimental results exhibit a close approximation to ground truth images, without artifacts such as transferred personal features and lighting effects that degrade the results of image-based makeup transfer methods.


Hybrid/integrated network architectures provide ubiquitous and broadband IP-based services to the end users experiencing mobility in Next Generation Network (NGN). This paper deals with the hybrid/integrated satellite and terrestrial systems like Complimentary Ground Component (CGC) or Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC) that allows an efficient interworking. In this paper, we introduce integrated network architecture and a discussion on the technical challenges for realization. We also present a cross-layer based simulation results of physical layer interaction with the application layer in a hybrid network. In particular, the effect of fading on dynamic resource allocation and QoS parameters i.e. delay and jitter on multimedia applications e.g. VoIP, video conferencing, FTP and HTTP is studied. The system architecture used for the simulation experiments consists of Digital Video Broadcasting — (DVB-S2) for the forward link and DVB-RCS for the return link of satellite network segment. We also propose using WiMAX and WiFi wireless networks for the terrestrial segment. The simulation results demonstrate the advantages of the cross layer designs in terms of throughput and delay performance.


Prompting interfaces allow users to quickly adjust the output of generative models in both vision and language. However, small changes and design choices in the prompt can lead to significant differences in the output. In this work, we develop a black-box framework for generating adversarial prompts for unstructured image and text generation. These prompts, which can be standalone or prepended to benign prompts, induce specific behaviors into the generative process, such as generating images of a particular object or generating high perplexity text.


Carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNT-FETs) with graphitic carbon (G-C) contacts were fabricated and the electrical properties of the G-C contacts were studied. The CNT-FETs showed p-type conduction in air. However, the conduction type has changed to ambipolar in vacuum after annealing at 200 °C. This suggests that the p-type conduction in air is attributed to the adsorbed oxygen. The barrier heights at the G-C/CNT contacts in vacuum were ∼400 meV for electrons and ∼310 meV for holes. These values suggest that the Fermi level of G-C contacts is located at slightly below the midgap of the CNTs in vacuum.


A Break-through in Marxian Economic Theory Pranab Bardhan A General Theory of Exploitation and Class by John Roemer; Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1982, A WELL-KNOWN economist, who is not easily given to praise, told me last year that he had served as a pre- publication referee for Harvard University Press for this book and that in his judgment this was the best work in Marxian economics in the last fifty years or so. Clearly this was in part a comment on the relative stagnation in Marxian economic theory in many years (let alone the sorry spectacle of cliches and shibboleths that pass for Marxian economics in many circle'). But there is no doubt that this book will remain an important landmark in any further development in the Marxian conceptual framework of exploitation and class. After a brief exposition of the main ideas in the book I shall offer some general critical comments.


We study time-delayed feedback control of noise-induced oscillations analytically and numerically for the paradigmatic model of the Van der Pol oscillator under the influence of white noise. We focus on the regime below the Hopf bifurcation where the deterministic system has a stable fixed point and does not exhibit oscillations. Analytical expressions for the power spectral density and the coherence properties of the stochastic delay differential equation in dependence upon noise intensity, delay time, and feedback strength are derived on the basis of a mean-field approximation, and are in good agreement with our numerical simulations of the full nonlinear model. Our analytical results elucidate how the correlation time of the controlled stochastic oscillations can be maximized as a function of delay time and feedback strength.


Abstract Sulbactam-durlobactam is a β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combination currently in development for the treatment of infections caused by Acinetobacter, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates. Although sulbactam is a β-lactamase inhibitor of a subset of Ambler class A enzymes, it also demonstrates intrinsic antibacterial activity against a limited number of bacterial species, including Acinetobacter, and has been used effectively in the treatment of susceptible Acinetobacter-associated infections. Increasing prevalence of β-lactamase–mediated resistance, however, has eroded the effectiveness of sulbactam in the treatment of this pathogen. Durlobactam is a rationally designed β-lactamase inhibitor within the diazabicyclooctane (DBO) class. The compound demonstrates a broad spectrum of inhibition of serine β-lactamase activity with particularly potent activity against class D enzymes, an attribute which differentiates it from other DBO inhibitors. When combined with sulbactam, durlobactam effectively restores the susceptibility of resistant isolates through β-lactamase inhibition. The present review describes the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationship associated with the activity of sulbactam and durlobactam established in nonclinical infection models with MDR Acinetobacter baumannii isolates. This information aids in the determination of PK/PD targets for efficacy, which can be used to forecast efficacious dose regimens of the combination in humans.


For nurses working in mental health service settings, it is a priority to perform patient assessments to identify patients' general and behavioural risks and nursing care complexity using objective criteria, to meet the demand for care and to improve the quality of service by reducing health threat conditions to the patients' selves or to others (adverse events). This study highlights that there is a relationship between the complexity of psychiatric patient care, which was assigned a numerical value after the nursing assessment, and the occurrence of psychiatric adverse events in the recent histories of the patients. The results suggest that nursing supervision should be enhanced for patients with high care complexity scores.


– Recent finds of garlic from Late Bronze Age Akrotiri, Thera have led to research related to the historical, economic and social aspects of its use in the archaeological narrative. Garlic is an important domesticated plant in our lore, medicine, mythology, cooking, and ethnography, and is now ubiquitous in everyday use. Previously, we knew of its importance in historical periods, especially since Roman times, when its use extended to all of Europe and beyond. Archaeobotanical investigations have extended the prehistoric and historical knowledge of this crop, providing some evidence as to how it was regarded, what were its possible uses and its changing status, diachronically. Here, therefore, it is an attempt to provide an overview of the related archaeological finds and, briefly, its references in ancient texts.


Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most frequent cause of major neurocognitive disorders with a huge economical and medical burden. Several studies pointed out that AD is associated with a high risk for developing epileptic seizures. The aims of our review were to evaluate and to summarize the current literature (ending in September 2015) of animal and human studies in the relation of AD and epileptic seizures. It seems likely that epileptic hyperexcitation could be partially responsible for the progression of AD due to the increased rate of amyloid deposition. Pathologic changes in animal models of AD are similar to those seen in human temporal lobe epilepsy. Antiepileptic treatment had a positive effect on cognitive function in animal and human studies. Because the detection of seizures in patients with cognitive decline is extremely difficult because of methodological problems, the true prevalence of seizures has remained unclear. Nonconvulsive seizures with no overt clinical symptoms may be frequent seizure types in AD. These are difficult to detect by clinical observation and with standard scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) methods. We propose that long-term EEG recording and video-EEG monitoring is necessary to prove the presence of epileptiform activity in demented patients.


Semiconductor-diode fault-current limiters, suitable for limiting subtransient and transient currents in an alternator system during symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults, are investigated. Experimental results covering the time response of line currents, diode current and current through the limiting inductor, as well as voltages across the diode and limiting inductor, are presented. In the laboratory experimental setup a microprocessor-based controller was made use of for fault initiation. Results of computer-aided analysis of a specific case of fault are discussed.


Hydropericardium syndrome (HPS) is a fatal disease of broiler chickens causing high mortality and heavy economic losses in various countries. More than 100 million birds have been affected by this destructive disease in less than two years worldwide. As it is a viral disease, the only solution is to vaccinate chickens. Different types of vaccines are being used against this disease in different areas of the world. Liver organ inactivated vaccines are more extensively used to control the disease initially. These vaccines have many drawbacks regarding their dose, un-predictable immune response and secondary bacterial infections. Following this, oil adjuvant vaccine was used to control the disease, however the handling stress and the formation of granuloma at the site of injection remains a problem. Consequently there is a need for cell culture adapted and attenuated vaccines, which can be administered through oral routes. A chicken embryo-adapted inactivated vaccine has shown good results but requires a continuous supply of specific, pathogen-free chicken embryos and a continuous life killing process. The continuous cell lines are a more promising solution for the production of cell culture-adapted and attenuated vaccines, which are safer, more economical and easy to administer. The following review discusses the development of modern HPS vaccines.


In the scientific literature, the term aqueous environment is loosely employed as it encompasses a broad range of different buffering agents. While there is an increasing number of experimental evidence that point toward specific buffer effects extending far beyond pH, the impact of the chemical nature of the buffering ions is often disregarded, especially in photochemical studies. Herein, we highlighted the importance of buffer specific effects on both the photobleaching and the singlet oxygen quantum yields of a dye in aqueous environments. For this study, we chose erythrosine B (EB) as our model photosensitizer as its photochemistry and photobleaching are well documented in the literature. We followed EB's photobleaching via absorption spectroscopy in four different aqueous solvents, including pure water, phosphate, Tris and HEPES buffer. These buffer systems were selected because they are commonly used in biochemical and biological applications. Our results show that specific buffer effects cannot be neglected. Indeed, the singlet oxygen quantum yield for EB is significantly different in HEPES compared to the other solvents. Furthermore, we showed that EB's photoproduct is highly dependent on the nature of the chemical buffer being used.


Blackwood's Responses to Hawthorne in Light of Its Mid-Nineteenth Century Transatlantic Reputation Holly Young Boud Department of English, BYU Master of Arts Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine was arguably the most important and widely published literary magazine of the nineteenth century. Its readership extended from Britain to America, shaping literary tastes across the Anglophone literary marketplace. BEM wrote two reviews of Nathaniel Hawthorne's fiction during the author's most prolific years. The first was published in 1847 and contained a lengthy reflection of the state of American literature that prefaced its review of Mosses from an Old Manse. In 1855, BEM reviewed Hawthorne's novels. The language of these reviews encouraged BEM's transatlantic readership to interpret Hawthorne in a very particular light: a dark, intense, and deeply psychological Hawthorne. In other words, BEM promoted a version of Hawthorne that would ultimately stick and become the standard Hawthorne adopted by twentieth-century historians of the "American Renaissance." I argue that BEM's reviews reveal a relationship with American literature predisposed to appreciate a dark, symbolic, gothic literature, and that Hawthorne, like Irving before him, succeeded in becoming one of the greatest writers of mid-nineteenth-century American literature because he was able to appeal to and please a transatlantic, and particularly a British, audience. By transcending geographic boundaries, at least in BEM's reviews, Hawthorne was ironically identified as an iconic "American" writer.


A vaccine consisting of lethally irradiated human fetal lung fibroblasts (Medical Research Council 5 or MRC-5) transfected with autologous tumor DNA derived from a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with potential immunostimulatory and antineoplastic activities. Upon intradermal administration, the autologous HNSCC DNA-transfected semi-allogeneic fibroblasts MRC-5 vaccine expresses HNSCC tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), which may activate the immune system to induce a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against HNSCC cells. The MRC-5 cell line, established in 1966, is a human diploid lung fibroblast cell line derived from the human lung tissue of a 14-week-old male fetus.


Reference is regularly made to the power of new genomic sequencing approaches. Using powerful technology, however, is not the same as having the necessary power to address a research question with statistical robustness. In the rush to adopt new and improved genomic research methods, limitations of technology and experimental design may be initially neglected. Here, we review these issues with regard to RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq). RNA‐seq adds large‐scale transcriptomics to the toolkit of ecological and evolutionary biologists, enabling differential gene expression (DE) studies in nonmodel species without the need for prior genomic resources. High biological variance is typical of field‐based gene expression studies and means that larger sample sizes are often needed to achieve the same degree of statistical power as clinical studies based on data from cell lines or inbred animal models. Sequencing costs have plummeted, yet RNA‐seq studies still underutilize biological replication. Finite research budgets force a trade‐off between sequencing effort and replication in RNA‐seq experimental design. However, clear guidelines for negotiating this trade‐off, while taking into account study‐specific factors affecting power, are currently lacking. Study designs that prioritize sequencing depth over replication fail to capitalize on the power of RNA‐seq technology for DE inference. Significant recent research effort has gone into developing statistical frameworks and software tools for power analysis and sample size calculation in the context of RNA‐seq DE analysis. We synthesize progress in this area and derive an accessible rule‐of‐thumb guide for designing powerful RNA‐seq experiments relevant in eco‐evolutionary and clinical settings alike.


ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effectiveness of single Mosquito Magnet® traps to consistently reduce biting midge populations in a coastal northwest Florida residential neighborhood. Midge abundance from 5 backyards, each with a Mosquito Magnet trap, was compared with 3 backyards without traps (controls). Midge populations were sampled once weekly for 24 h in each backyard by using a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suction trap baited with carbon dioxide. In addition, midge accumulations from Mosquito Magnet traps were collected once a week at the time of CDC trap operation while biting midge populations were manually sampled from each backyard by using a "sand fly bat" (i.e., a wire-handle flyswatter fitted with a 10.5-cm2 plastic 14 × 14 mesh screen). Eighteen midge species were collected during the study but the majority (99.9%) collected from all backyards were (in descending order): Culicoides mississippiensis, C. furens, and C. melleus. Midge populations from CDC traps in yards with Mosquito Magnets were significantly lower on 2 of 45 wk (March 28 and April 3) when compared with control backyards. Weekly reduction attributed to Mosquito Magnets was not consistent and ranged from 4.2 to 85.3%. No significant difference was found in mean midge abundance on sand fly bats from yards with Mosquito Magnets compared with control yards. On the average, cooperators with Mosquito Magnet traps reported that their seasonal level of midge reduction (as related to a monthly ranked degree of annoyance) was variable and often not consistently below their threshold.


CP-logic is a probabilistic extension of the logic FO(ID). Unlike ASP, both of these logics adhere to a Tarskian informal semantics, in which interpretations represent objective states-of-affairs. In other words, these logics lack the epistemic component of ASP, in which interpretations represent the beliefs or knowledge of a rational agent. Consequently, neither CP-logic nor FO(ID) have the need for two kinds of negations: there is only one negation, and its meaning is that of objective falsehood. Nevertheless, the formal semantics of this objective negation is mathematically more similar to ASP's negation-as-failure than to its classical negation. The reason is that both CP-logic and FO(ID) have a constructive semantics in which all atoms start out as false, and may only become true as the result of a rule application. This paper investigates the possibility of adding the well-known ASP feature of allowing negation in the head of rules to CP-logic. Because CP-logic only has one kind of negation, it is of necessity this ''negation-as-failure like'' negation that will be allowed in the head. We investigate the intuitive meaning of such a construct and the benefits that arise from it.


In safety-critical and high-integrity computing, it is important to guarantee both performance and time-predictability of I/O operations. However, with the continued growth of hardware and architectural complexity, satisfying such real-time requirements has become increasingly challenging because of complex I/O transaction paths and extensive hardware contention. This paper proposes a systematic framework with a novel I/O controller and a reconfigurable NoC, effectively optimising I/O transaction paths to encounter reduced contention. Moreover, we present a theoretical model and optimisation process to further improve real-time performance. The evaluations show that our approach outperforms state-of-the-art I/O processing techniques on a range of metrics.


We construct and analyze active learning algorithms for the problem of binary classification with abstention. We consider three abstention settings: \emph{fixed-cost} and two variants of \emph{bounded-rate} abstention, and for each of them propose an active learning algorithm. All the proposed algorithms can work in the most commonly used active learning models, i.e., \emph{membership-query}, \emph{pool-based}, and \emph{stream-based} sampling. We obtain upper-bounds on the excess risk of our algorithms in a general non-parametric framework and establish their minimax near-optimality by deriving matching lower-bounds. Since our algorithms rely on the knowledge of some smoothness parameters of the regression function, we then describe a new strategy to adapt to these unknown parameters in a data-driven manner. Since the worst case computational complexity of our proposed algorithms increases exponentially with the dimension of the input space, we conclude the paper with a computationally efficient variant of our algorithm whose computational complexity has a polynomial dependence over a smaller but rich class of learning problems.


Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proved to play important roles in carcinogenesis and development of numerous cancers, but their biological functions in glioblastoma remain largely unknown. In this study, we found HOXB-AS1 was highly expressed in human glioblastoma tissues and cell lines, and was associated with survival time of patients. Our results showed HOXB-AS1 knockdown inhibited proliferation via inducing S phase cell cycle arrest, and suppressed migration ability of cells. In terms of mechanism, HOXB-AS1 were mainly located in cytoplasm and functioned as ceRNA via sponging of miR-885-3p. We proved inhibition of miR-885-3p antagonized the effects of HOXB-AS1 konckdown and promoted the proliferation and migration of glioblastoma. Finally, we found the sponging of miR-885-3p by HOXB-AS1 could further affecting the expression of HOXB2. Taken together, we demonstrated that HOXB-AS1/miR-885-3p/HOXB2 axis could regulate the proliferation and migration of glioblastoma, which could serve as a potential biomarker for glioblastoma patients.


Juvenile (postnatal day 16) mice lacking Nav1.6 channels (null‐mutant Scn8admu) have reduced photoreceptor function, which is unexpected given that Nav channels have not been detected in mouse photoreceptors and do not contribute appreciably to photoreceptor function in adults. We demonstrate that acute block of Nav channels with intravitreal TTX in juvenile (P16) wild‐type mice has no effect on photoreceptor function. However, reduced light activity by prolonged dark adaptation from P8 caused significant reduction in photoreceptor function at P16. Injecting TTX into the retrobulbar space at P16 to specifically block Nav channels in the optic nerve also caused a reduction in photoreceptor function comparable to that seen at P16 in null‐mutant Scn8a mice. In both P16 null‐mutant Scn8admu and retrobulbar TTX‐injected wild‐type mice, photoreceptor function was restored following intravitreal injection of the TrkB receptor agonist 7,8‐dihydroxyflavone, linking Nav‐dependent retrograde transport to TrkB‐dependent neurotrophic factor production pathways as a modulatory influence of photoreceptor function at P16. We also found that in Scn8admu mice, photoreceptor function recovers by P22‐25 despite more precarious general health of the animal. Retrobulbar injection of TTX in the wild type still reduced the photoreceptor response at this age but to a lesser extent, suggesting that Nav‐dependent modulation of photoreceptor function is largely transient, peaking soon after eye opening. Together, these results suggest that the general photosensitivity of the retina is modulated following eye opening by retrograde transport through activity‐dependent retinal ganglion cell axonal signaling targeting TrkB receptors.


Currently, enhancing the performance of modular multiplication is very important for high performance microprocessors. Multiplication is inherently a slow operation as a large number of partial products. In this paper, Implementation of MSB modular multiplication using 4-2 compressor using the last two most significant bits is introduced. Using the two most significant bits (MSB's) for reduction in this technique, we will avoid the use of the carrier so, no carry store. However, we don't need to use the feedback which used in Montgomery Multiplication [13]. The total power-efficiency (power-delay-product) is reduced using low-power low-voltage 4-2 compressors. The circuits implemented using Matlab simulation.


A fundamental shift in the way society operates is approaching due to the prevalent adoption of self-learning technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI). Defined by the well-pronounced incongruence between their initial purpose and the values delivered to their multifaceted users, AI-powered systems are already being deployed in crucial social institutions such as hospitals, banks and courtrooms. To solve this tension, we first identify design practices that are suitable for the context of AI. Then we introduce a framework of three logical inferences that could aid designers to deliberately and continuously identify and address unintended values AI-powered solutions produce. The paper is concluded by three directions for future research.


The valence shell photoelectron spectrum of purine has been studied experimentally and theoretically. Synchrotron radiation has been used to record spectra at photon energies of 45 and 85 eV. Photoelectron angular distributions have been determined and these provide an experimental means of distinguishing between σ-and π-type orbitals. Vertical ionization energies and photoelectron spectral intensities have been evaluated using the many-body Green function method. The calculated spectra agree well with the experimental results in the outer valence region and have proved to be indispensable for interpreting the structure at higher binding energies where the single particle model of ionization breaks down. The photoelectron spectrum of pyrimidine has also been studied and is compared to that of purine.


This paper reports on a survey on the environmental conditions in three small-scale enterprise clusters in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. The survey attempted to identify the existence and contribution of environmental innovation networks that influence the behaviour of clustered enterprises. It also sought to measure the extent of the enterprises' exposure to regulatory, market, and community pressure in relation to government initiatives aimed at persuading them to adopt clean technologies. It appears that the most important influence is that of the enterprises' customers (many of which are located overseas), who are most likely to be the source of knowledge in relation to new environmental technologies. The Vietnamese media (in particular, national television) are the next most important source of such knowledge, followed by trade associations. Statistical findings show that the adoption of new, clean technologies is influenced by the enterprises' location. It was also established that community pressure to reduce pollution is mostly ineffectual, as are regulatory measures and monitoring by local authorities.


We introduce an efficient algorithm for performing distributed principal component analysis (PCA) on directed Gaussian graphical models. By exploiting structured sparsity in the Cholesky factor of the inverse covariance (concentration) matrix, our proposed DDPCA algorithm computes global principal subspace estimation through local computation and message passing. We show significant performance and computation/communication advantages of DDPCA for online principal subspace estimation and distributed anomaly detection in real-world computer networks.


A relationship exists between metabolic control and the development of late complications of diabetes. Recently, new strategies of insulin therapy have been developed to normalize blood glucose control, with a view to preventing late complications of diabetes and increasing patients' well-being. Intensified insulin therapy can be performed by multiple insulin injections or by continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion with a pump; regular self-monitoring of blood glucose is mandatory with these types of treatment. Results obtained with both forms of insulin therapy are comparable, although in some cases pump treatment is superior. Intensified insulin therapy is principally aimed at young, motivated and compliant diabetic patients without advanced complications, and at diabetic women before and during pregnancy. The potential risks of intensified insulin therapy are reviewed.


Stabilization is a traditional strategy used to improve soils with the main objective of ensuring that this base is compliant with the technical specifications required for the subsequent development of different infrastructures. This study proposes the use of commercial nanomaterials, based on a solution of silicates, to improve the technical characteristics and bearing capacity of the expansive soil. A physical–chemical property study was carried out on the additive nanomaterial. Subsequently, different mixtures of expansive soil, selected soil and artificial gravel with quicklime and commercial nanomaterials were developed to evaluate the improvement obtained by the use of nanomaterials in the technical characteristics of the soil. Compressive strength and the Californian Bearing Ratio index were considerably increased. A full-scale study was carried out in which the nanomaterial product was applied to two different sections of stabilized road compared to a control section. The results obtained showed that the use of nanomaterial led to the possibility of reducing the control section by 30 cm, thus achieving less use of quicklime and a mechanical means for preparing the road section. The use of commercial nanomaterial improved the behavior of the stabilized sub-base layer. Through life cycle assessment, this study has shown that the use of nanomaterials reduces the environmental impact associated with soil stabilization.


In the operant conditioning experiment described by HEFFERLINE et al. (1959) a subject terminates or postpones an aversive noise stimulation by producing a particular myoelectrical activity (operant response : OR). These authors observe an increase of OR occurrence frequency in subjects ignoring the aim of the experiment (naive subjects), and they come to the conclusion that this method is efficient. Nevertheless, the validity of this conclusion is questioned by the lack of control experiments. Hence, this work has to be restudied. We have submitted 13 subjects to a control experiment. Subjects were placed under conditions similar to those used by HEFFERLINE et al., but without any contingency relating the myoelectric activity with the aversive stimulus. The results of these open-loop experiments showed that in a given subject, OR occurrence frequency may vary in large proportions as a function of time. In HEFFERLINE's naive subjects, the increase of occurrence frequency remained completely within the limits of spontaneous variations observed in our control subjects. Therefore, this increase is not significant. We have submitted 18 subjects to a conditioning experiment. 14 subjects among them produced more OR than those of the control subjects during the closed-loop experiment. We conclude that these 14 subjects have been actually conditioned.


Imaging genetics is an emerging field for the investigation of neuro-mechanisms linked to genetic variation. Although imaging genetics has recently shown great promise in understanding biological mechanisms for brain development and psychiatric disorders, studying the link between genetic variants and neuroimaging phenotypes remains statistically challenging due to the high-dimensionality of both genetic and neuroimaging data. This becomes even more challenging when studying gene-environment interaction (G×E) on neuroimaging phenotypes. In this study, we proposed a set-based mixed effect model for gene-environment interaction (MixGE) on neuroimaging phenotypes, such as structural volumes and tensor-based morphometry (TBM). MixGE incorporates both fixed and random effects of G×E to investigate homogeneous and heterogeneous contributions of multiple genetic variants and their interaction with environmental risks to phenotypes. We discuss the construction of score statistics for the terms associated with fixed and random effects of G×E to avoid direct parameter estimation in the MixGE model, which would greatly increase computational cost. We also describe how the score statistics can be combined into a single significance value to increase statistical power. We evaluated MixGE using simulated and real Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data, and showed statistical power superior to other burden and variance component methods. We then demonstrated the use of MixGE for exploring the voxelwise effect of G×E on TBM, made feasible by the computational efficiency of MixGE. Through this, we discovered a potential interaction effect of gene ABCA7 and cardiovascular risk on local volume change of the right superior parietal cortex, which warrants further investigation.


Protecting the passengers' safety and increasing ridership are two never ending pursuits of public transit agencies. One of the proposed methods to achieve both goals for subway service is to implement real time train arriving countdown clocks in subway stations. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York City (NYC) chose to install such countdown clocks in their stations starting from 2007 on a selection of subway lines. Due to the recent development of Bluetooth Beacon technology, the MTA could now install countdown clocks and train trackers in a non intrusive manner with much faster speed. As a result, the MTA is aiming to install countdown clocks in every subway station on every line. However, with such an aggressive plan, the impact of countdown clocks on subway ridership has not been fully studied. This paper proposes using Panel Regression methods, specifically, Random Effect (RE) model and Fixed Effect (FE) model to quantify the impact of countdown clocks on subway ridership. Machine Learning methods, namely Random Forest (RF) with AdaBoost and Decision Tree (DT) Regression, are also used as alternative data driven approaches for the FE and RE model. The results show that for the G line service, which runs between Brooklyn and Queens, the introduction of countdown clocks could increase weekly ridership by about 1783 per station. The study also found that the machine learning methods provide better accuracy in predicting the ridership than RE and FE models.


Theories of gravity in the beyond Horndeski class encompass a wide range of scalar-tensor theories that will be tested on cosmological scales over the coming decade. In this work, we investigate the possibility of testing them in the strong-field regime by looking at the properties of compact objects-neutron, hyperon, and quark stars-embedded in an asymptotically de Sitter space-time, for a specific subclass of theories. We extend previous works to include slow rotation and find a relation between the dimensionless moment of intertia, ($\bar{I}=Ic^2/G_{\rm N} M^3$), and the compactness, $\cal{C}=G_{\rm N} M/Rc^2$ (an $\bar{I}$-$\cal{C}$ relation), independent of the equation of state, that is reminiscent of but distinct from the general relativity prediction. Several of our equations of state contain hyperons and free quarks, allowing us to revisit the hyperon puzzle. We find that the maximum mass of hyperon stars can be larger than $2M_\odot$ for small values of the beyond Horndeski parameter, thus providing a resolution of the hyperon puzzle based on modified gravity. Moreover, stable quark stars exist when hyperonic stars are unstable, which means that the phase transition from hyperon to quark stars is predicted just as in general relativity, albeit with larger quark star masses. Two important and potentially observable consequences of some of the theories we consider are the existence of neutron stars in a range of masses significantly higher than in GR, and $\bar{I}$-$\mathcal{C}$ relations that differ from their GR counterparts. In the former case, we find objects that, if observed, could not be accounted for in GR because they violate the usual GR causality condition. We end by discussing several difficult technical issues that remain to be addressed in order to reach more realistic predictions that may be tested using gravitational wave searches or neutron star observations.


The impact of various energy efficiency upgrade scenarios on the annual energy consumption of the Canadian housing stock is assessed using the Canadian Residential Energy End‐use Model (CREEM). The energy efficiency upgrade scenarios that are considered include major retrofits, such as the improvement of the house envelope by adding insulation, and the replacement of the existing heating system and appliances by higher efficiency units, as well as minor retrofits, such as lighting fixture, thermostat, showerhead and aerator upgrades that reduce energy consumption. The economic feasibility of each upgrade was assessed using the indicator 'energy savings per dollar investment'. The results indicate that the energy savings potential of the retrofits is rather small, resulting in savings of 0–8 per cent of the total energy consumption of the Canadian housing stock. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Abstract: In modern days, many people have fish as their pets at home. The fishes have been fed by the aquarist in the aquarium tanks which demands a proper setup for maintenance. The problems faced are changes in water quality, feeding the fish, maintaining the temperature, controlling the lights, and difficulty checking the conditions of an aquarium manually. Therefore, it's necessary to monitor the physical parameters closely and enhance the water condition. So, this project proposes a system that is equipped with sensors to be operated in real-time. It performs temperature monitoring, water pH level detection, turbidity detection, and fish feeding. An IoT-based system is implemented to monitor and deliver the status of the aquarium to the user's web application. Thus, intelligent aquarium management has been implemented with a temperature sensor, pH sensor, and turbidity sensor so that the fish is neither over nor underfed and thereby reducing the manual effort required in the maintenance of the aquarium. Keywords: IoT (Internet of Things)


Cerebrovascular disease in children is more common than was once recognized. It is typically associated with an underlying anatomic anomaly or systemic disease. The most common underlying anomaly found with thrombotic or embolic stroke is congenital or acquired heart disease, while the most common predisposing factors to intracranial hemorrhage in children, other than trauma, are the leukemias and arteriovenous malformations. Many of the disorders associated with childhood stroke are treatable. Children tend to show more recovery after a stroke than adults do.


Redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) were collected from Martin Lake in east Texas. For at least 8 months, 1 year earlier, aqueous selenium-laden effluent from man-made sources was released into this 5,000-acre reservoir (unpublished data). Redear sunfish from a reference lake, 8 km upstream, were collected for comparison to Martin Lake fish. The hepatopancreas (i.e., liver and associated, disseminated exocrine pancrease), mesonephros (i.e., kidney), gonads, heart, spleen, stomach, and gill arches were preserved for histopathological examination using optical and/or transmission electron microscopy. Livers from Martin Lake redear sunfish (which had accumulated approximately 20 ppm selenium in the liver) showed central necrosis, reduced quantities of rough endoplasmic reticulum and glycogen particles, and increased numbers of lysosome-like structures. Kidneys showed proliferative glomerulonephritis, and exocrine pancreas showed marked hypertrophy at the optical level. Ultrastructurally, architectural disorganization, reduced rough endoplasmic reticulum, increased cisternal space, and proliferation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum were evident. The stomach, spleen, gill, heart, and gonads showed no abnormalities.