Background Of around 36 million people infected with HIV globally, one in three has a TB co-infection. It is estimated that a HIV-positive person has 50–60% lifetime risk of developing TB, whereas for HIV-negative persons this risk is only 10%. In India, around 40% of over five million HIV-positive people present a TB co-infection. In this context, the present study was undertaken to understand local issues in collaborative activities under the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) and the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) in Alwar district of Rajasthan. The study objectives were: (1) to assess co-ordination mechanism between NACP and RNTCP at district level; (2) to understand status of services available under TB-HIV collaborative efforts at district level; (3) to assess involvement of NGOs in TB-HIV collaborative activities; and (4) to understand perceived hurdles and their probable solutions for programme managers regarding TB-HIV collaborative activities. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Alwar district, Rajasthan. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Records and reports from Districts AIDS Prevention and Control Units (DAPCU, under NACP) and District TB Officers (DTO, under RNTCP) were reviewed to gather information to assess programmatic interventions happening at district level. In-depth interviews were conducted with programme managers of both programmes, and other stakeholders such as NGOs, to understand issues regarding TB-HIV collaborative activities. Findings In Alwar district, one in four of HIV-positive persons are co-infected with TB. The district has poor implementation of TB-HIV collaborative activities, especially so in rural settings. Though basic services (screening, diagnosis and treatment) are available in both programmes, supervised cross-referral services demand for improvement. Awareness among patients of HIV or TB also hampers cross-referral; particularly TB patients hesitate for HIV screening. Counselling of TB patients along with HIV cases in relation to rationale of cross referral is utmost needed. The district is having very little integration of NGOs for TB-HIV. Local operational issues have to be tackled with clear guidelines and an action plan is needed for integration and collaborative activities along with determination of senior programme officers. Vacant posts of all cadres are having a negative impact on both programmes and collaborative activities, whereas capacity and staff attitude is another concern. Issues related to human resources along with conflict of interest among stakeholders involved are key hurdles in TB-HIV collaboration. Discussion TB-HIV collaboration in the district calls for improvements that can only be achieved addressing issues of availability of dedicated, skilled and permanently available human resources, plus supportive supervision with commitment of integration of administration and all stakeholders involved in the process. Involvement of NGOs in collaborative efforts will help to ensure service delivery. An action plan has to be prepared locally that considers local context and the complex interests of all stakeholders involved. No competing interest.


Ocean waves are a renewable energy source with abundant reserves in Indonesia. With the vast waters of Indonesia, the development of a sea wave power plant needs to be developed. This research focuses on the development of easy-operated and maintained ocean wave converter–pendulum system (OWC – PS). The numerical simulation and experimental analysis were conducted to obtain the relation between the motion response of the pontoon array and its pendulum. The pontoon used is the trimaran type, which consists of a cylindrical pontoon as the main hull and two outriggers on its side. This study analyses the most stable array arrangement that produces maximum pitching motion and pendulum deviation. The simulation results show that the largest pitching value is in array 1, i.e., 27.91° for pontoon 1 and 38.92° for pontoon 2, which results in a maximum pendulum deviation of 100 ° for pendulums 1 and 56.2 ° for pendulum 2 over a wave period of 9 seconds. The backward motion of the pendulum in both array configurations tends to have a greater deviation than that of the forward motion. The pendulums of array 1 have different motion characteristics, represented by different deviation values in both pendulums. This phenomenon does not occur in array 2, since both pendulums in array 2 have the same deviation (with only a small discrepancy).


High-performance cluster networks achieve very high throughput thanks to zero-copy techniques that require pinning of application buffers in physical memory. The Open-MX stack implements message passing over generic Ethernet hardware with similar needs. We present the design of an innovative pinning model in Open-MX based on the decou-pling of memory pinning from the application. This idea eases the implementation of a reliable pinning cache in the kernel and enables full overlap of pinning with communication. Performance evaluation shows that both these optimizations bring interesting throughput improvements .


Stories play a crucial role in our day-to-day lives. Apart from the entertainment sector, they are also being utilized in different areas of games, education and training. The ability to generate rich stories similar to human authored ones is of significance in story generation research. Along with the content of the story the manner in which it is presented is an important factor in effective storytelling. Though a lot of development happened in automatic story generation, most of it ignored the way in which the story could be presented. This thesis deals with a presentation aspect of the story, the order in which the events could be narrated, in order to make it more engaging than that of the chronological versions generated by many story generation systems. We hypothesize that cognitive engagement is manifested when a narrative is deviated from its chronological order without affecting the ease of comprehension. Narratives with events presented in out of chronology are termed non-linear. From a computational perspective, given n events of a story, the total orderings possible are n!. Generating an order in random would affect the comprehension of the material. We have studied how the comprehension of the viewers was affected upon changing the presentation order of the events, by employing a commercial feature film. Using these experimental results along with previous theory from narrative comprehension, we arrive at an algorithm that generates different presentation orders of a story by assessing the amount of processing load required for processing an order of events. Using the principles of the event-indexing model, a cognitive model of narrative comprehension, a function was devised that calculates the processing load, by taking input, the desired amount of non-linearity that could be imparted into the story. An experimental evaluation is undertaken in order to test the generated narratives by our system, corresponding to the different input levels of non-linearity, in terms of engagement. We have obtained results that, for the story employed, increasing the non-linearity up to a medium level did not produce any change in the difficulty in comprehension and thus contributing to engagement. However, it was observed that higher levels of non-linearity led to a decrease in engagement and that, character inconsistencies present in the story had a negative affect on the engagement of the material.


The isomorphous title complexes, dichlorido[4-(3,5-dimethyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)benzoic acid-kappaN(1)]zinc(II) dihydrate, [ZnCl(2)(C(11)H(11)N(3)O(2))(2)].2H(2)O, and dibromido[4-(3,5-dimethyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)benzoic acid-kappaN(1)]zinc(II) dihydrate, [ZnBr(2)(C(11)H(11)N(3)O(2))(2)].2H(2)O, were synthesized and crystallized by slow evaporation of the solvent from a solution of the ligand and either zinc chloride or zinc bromide, respectively, in water/ethanol. The Zn(II) ions occupy twofold axes in the noncentrosymmetric orthorhombic space group Fdd2. The metal ion is approximately tetrahedrally coordinated by two monodentate triazole groups of the ligands and additionally by two halide ions. The water molecules incorporate the complexes into a three-dimensional framework made up by hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, each complex possesses two hydrogen-bond-donor sites represented by the carboxy groups and two acceptor sites at the noncoordinating N atoms of the triazoles.


Background: Malaria is a life-threatening acute febrile illness which is affecting the lives of millions globally. Its distribution is characterized by spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal heterogeneity making detection of the space-time distribution and mapping high-risk areas useful to effectively targeting hot spots of malaria for intervention. Methods : Time series cross sectional study was conducted using data obtained from weekly malaria surveillance reports stored in the Amhara Public Health Institute from 1 July 2013-30 June 2018. Climatic variables were obtained from West Amhara Meteorological Agency. All districts were included and geo-coded and the spatial data was created in ArcGIS10.2.2 software. Global and local spatial autocorrelation were used to test the hypothesis and to detect hot spots respectively. The Poisson model was fitted to determine the purely spatial, temporal, and space-time clusters using SaTScan™9.6 software. Spearman correlation, bivariate, and multivariable negative binomial regressions were used to analyze the relation of the climatic factors to count of malaria incidence. Result: The study revealed spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of malaria incidence. Jabitenan, Quarit, Sekela, Bure, and Wonberma were high rate spatial cluster of malaria incidence hierarchically. Spatiotemporal clusters were detected. A temporal scan statistic identified one risk period from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2015. Monthly average temperature was positively but monthly average rainfall and monthly average relative humidity were negatively correlated to count of malaria incidence at all lag-months. The adjusted incidence rate ratio showed that monthly average temperature and monthly average rainfall were independent predictors for malaria incidence at all lag-months. Monthly average relative humidity was significant at 2 months lag. Conclusion: Malaria incidence had shown spatial, temporal, spatiotemporal variability in West Gojjam zone. Mean monthly temperature and rainfall were directly and inversely associated to count of malaria incidence respectively. Considering these space-time variations and risk factors (temperature and rainfall) would be useful for the prevention and control and ultimately achieve elimination. Keywords: Spatiotemporal Variation, Malaria Incidence, Risk Factor, West Gojjam, Ethiopia


A 67-year-old man was admitted with right heart failure. He had severe peripheral edema of his lower limbs. The heart failure was treated by diuretics, but after 3 months, he was re-admitted with facial edema and pleural effusion. At this time, the pericardium thickened diffusely and rapidly, constricting the heart. Pericardiectomy was performed to alleviate symptoms of heart failure. The thickened pericardium firmly adhered to the epicardium, from which it was inseparable. A partial pericardiectomy was done. The diagnosis was not confirmed during operation, but primary malignant pericardial mesothelioma was diagnosed on immunohistological examination with carletinin. The patient died from massive pleural effusion and heart failure on the 22nd postoperative day. Primary malignant pericardial mesothelioma is an extremely rare pathology, which is difficult to diagnose and has a poor prognosis. However, this pathology is the disease which we should always mention as a cause of constrictive pericarditis. Jpn. J. Cardiovasc. Surg. 42 : 480 - 484 ( 2013 )


WIG-craft (Ekranoplanes) are taking up the transition between ships and aero planes and they are supposed to take the significant part of the projected air traffic growth without constructing new airstrips and aerodromes. Nowadays some countries have taken deep interest in this technology and started to work in the development of this promising and advanced kind of transport. The Venezuelan WIG Effect craft project called BUCHON-1 is one of them and it is projected to be used as a transport vehicle in the Caribbean Sea. However, a trouble-free flight at very low altitude over the disturbed sea surface and also for marine landing requires the application of special methods and means of motion control which are capable to solve the corresponding specific problems. Methods of providing stability to WIG Effect flight by special automatic control systems and the development of special altimeters are analyzed especially considering the BUCHON-1 and the experiments and tests extensively carried out using its prototype. The control means and algorithms developed especially for ekranoplanes are described.


Abstract The debate about religious experiences has recently been shaped by the question of whether they exist or if they are a myth. One of the most compelling arguments for the non-existence of religious experience was put forward by Nick Zangwill. In his "The myth of religious experience" (2004) he argued that God can be perceived neither by our ordinary five senses nor by some special sixth sense. While I agree with Zangwill that God cannot be perceived with our ordinary five senses (or a sixth religious sense), I do not think his argument shows that religious experience - based on Zangwill's own understanding of the term - is a myth. In this paper, I offer in two steps a philosophical defence - in the analytical tradition - of the possible existence of religious experience as perceptual experiences. In the first step, I adumbrate Zangwill's argument for the myth of religious experience, which fails because it ultimately begs the question - as I argue in the second step, by presenting a Berkelean answer to Zangwill's challenge.


Electromigration in 0.23 /spl mu/m wide Cu dual-damascene lines connected to W underlayers has been investigated. Void growth at the vicinity of the cathode end of the line/via was determined to be the cause of the line failure. The distribution of failure lifetimes was found to be closely represented by a two-log-normal function. Focused ion beam analysis showed that the two failure populations had distinct difference in the location of the void growth.


In the face of great environmental adversities, "green chemistry" has immersed increasingly important day by day. Ionic liquids have overwhelming potential to be posited as solvents for industrial applications to be more environmental friendly. Ionic liquids are basically solvents that can be applied for various applications. One of the most popular advantage of ionic liquids over volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as solvents is the low vapour pressure demonstrated by ionic liquids.
Epoxy or polyepoxide is a thermosetting polymer formed from reaction between a resin and harderner (curing agent). Nowadays, epoxy coating is applied widely as corrosion preventive application. Storage tanks and pipes in the industry apply epoxy coating to avoid or slowdown corrosion problem in many cases. Epoxy coatings are normally cured in room temperature condition. However in some occasions, several epoxy coatings are cured in the oven at high temperature.


This paper presents a super-resolution (SR) method with unpaired training dataset of clinical CT and micro CT volumes. For obtaining very detailed information such as cancer invasion from pre-operative clinical CT volumes of lung cancer patients, SR of clinical CT volumes to $\m$}CT level is desired. While most SR methods require paired low- and high- resolution images for training, it is infeasible to obtain paired clinical CT and {\mu}CT volumes. We propose a SR approach based on CycleGAN, which could perform SR on clinical CT into $\mu$CT level. We proposed new loss functions to keep cycle consistency, while training without paired volumes. Experimental results demonstrated that our proposed method successfully performed SR of clinical CT volume of lung cancer patients into $\mu$CT level.


This paper deals with the free vibrations of elastica shaped arches. The elastica shaped arches are formed by the post-buckled column whose arc length is always constant. The equations governing free, planar vibration of general arch in open literature are modified for applying the free vibrations of elastica shaped arch and solved numerically to obtain frequencies and mode shapes for hinged-hinged, clamped-hinged and clamped-clamped end constraints. The effects of rotatory inertia, rise ratio and slenderness ratio on natural frequencies are presented. The frequencies of elastica shaped arches are greater than those of parabolic shaped ones. Also, typical mode shapes are presented in figures.


Background/Objectives: Due to a case where Bulk Jupiter, which was carrying 46,400 tons of bauxite from Kuantan sank about 150 nautical miles off the coast of Vung Tau, Vietnam, with 18 fatalities and only one survivor, where liquefaction has been identified as the main cause of the capsize of the bulk cargo; has embarked the idea for this study. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Laboratory test had been done to three different locations from bauxite mines and one from stockpile in Gebeng, Kuantan to identify its basic properties; particle size distribution, moisture content, specific gravity and its morphological properties. Results are then compared with International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code; an international standard for cargo transportation for exporting purpose to ensure those raw materials are passing the standard so that the tendency for the material to liquefy is low. Findings: From laboratory test conducted, the average value of moisture content from air-dry and oven-dry method are 20.45 % and 23.33 %, respectively. Average particles size of Kuantan Bauxite smaller than 2.5 mm is 35% means bauxite samples collected consists of fine particles more than lumps and images obtained from SEM test proved that there is abundance of fine particles attached to the bauxite ore. Application/Improvements: Referring to the IMSBC Code, it can be stated that bauxite sample collected from Gebeng mines does not qualify to be classified under Group C as its basic properties are not within the limits imposed by IMSBC Code. This is due to the presence of high fine particles which tend to absorb water more than granular particles that may lead to liquefaction to occur. Liquefaction in bulk cargoes is very dangerous since the probability for the cargoes to capsize is very high. In order to ensure the bauxite is passing the standard, 'beneficiation' process should be conducted to eliminate fine particles.


New Zealand has a legal 3D cadastre, and has done since the inception of its cadastral survey and tenure systems around 150 years ago. However, the digital representation of the cadastre is 2D with 3D situations handled via static plan, section and elevation images and supporting textual information. Work is currently underway to develop a 3D digital cadastre that will enable the 3D spatial extents of property rights, restrictions and responsibilities to be captured, validated, lodged, integrated with existing data, visualised, and made available for use in other systems. This article presents the approach that is being promoted by regulators of New Zealand's cadastral survey system in discussions with suppliers of land administration systems. Previous research concluded that the most appropriate way for New Zealand to develop a 3D digital cadastre is to build upon its existing system. The 2D digital cadastre would continue to be the default layer with 3D situations incorporated as and where necessary. To enable this requires a new approach to handling parcels defined in 3D. The representation of a 3D parcel as a spatial object is being proposed to allow parcels limited in height to be integrated into the digital cadastre and subsequently maintained. While the authors discuss how New Zealand's digital cadastre may be transitioned to 3D, it is suggested that the generic nature of spatial objects could be applied to other jurisdictions. For this reason, the international appeal of the approach is considered as other jurisdictions and providers of software applications may benefit from New Zealand's efforts.


We have implemented several fast and flexible adaptive lapped orthogonal transform (LOT) schemes for underdetermined audio source separation. This is generally addressed by time-frequency masking, requiring the sources to be disjoint in the time-frequency domain. We have already shown that disjointness can be increased via adaptive dyadic LOTs. By taking inspiration from the windowing schemes used in many audio coding frameworks, we improve on earlier results in two ways. Firstly, we consider non-dyadic LOTs which match the time-varying signal structures better. Secondly, we allow for a greater range of overlapping window profiles to decrease window boundary artifacts. This new scheme is benchmarked through oracle evaluations, and is shown to decrease computation time by over an order of magnitude compared to using very general schemes, whilst maintaining high separation performance and flexible signal adaptivity. As the results demonstrate, this work may find practical applications in high fidelity audio source separation.


The posterior cerebral arteries and posterior communicating arteries were dissected in 180 human brains. The origin and diameter of vessels were determined with consideration to age, sex and body side. In 30 brains of humans aged 0 to 60 years microscopic structure of arteries was described. There is no histological difference in the structure of arterial wall in different age periods.


Alemtuzumab is effective for CLL patients previously treated with purine analogues and/or alkylating agents. Currently, pretreated or refractory CLL receive iv alemtuzumab 30 mg 3 times/week for 12 wk. During alemtuzumab an increase of infections (particularly CMV) and a long term reduction of lymphoid subset were described. Some authors have used alemtuzumab 10 mg (4–8 weeks) for minimal residual disease or in combination with fludarabine. Primary endpoint was to assess the efficacy of alemtuzumab, iv at the targeted dose of 10 mg. Secondary endpoints were duration of remission, infectious complications and immune recovery. Twelve CLL patients either in relapse or refractory were treated with alemtuzumab 10 mg for 10 wks (total dose 300 mg). All patients were previously treated with at least two lines of chemotherapy. Median age of the patients was 61.5 years. At the time of treatment 5 patients were in stage B/II, 6 in stage C/IV and 1 in stage A/progressive, the median of lymphocytes in peripheral blood (PB) was 45,030/ μl and 80 % in bone marrow (BM). Six patients showed unmutated V H status, 3 patients had mutated V H status and 3 patients were not evaluable. FISH analysis was evaluable in 11 patients and detected in 1 patient 17p- and 13q-, in 1 patient 11q-, in 1 patient 17 p-, in1 patient 13q-. Trisomy 12 was not detected in any samples. Patients were weekly monitored for CMVAg and CMV PCR and monthly physical examination and BM until the end of the study. Immunological subset (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16/56, IgG, IgM, IgA) were studied on day 60, 120, 180 and 240 after the end of treatment. Two months after the end of treatment 2 patients obtained CR, and 3 patients PR (OR 41%). At this time 2 patients are in continuous CR at 10 and 15 months. One patient died in continuous PR at 11 months from pneumonia with persistent lymphopenia (200/mmc). One patient in PR showed progression at 5 months and is alive at 21 months, the other is in continuos PR at 11 months. Among 7 patients not responsive to alemtuzumab 2 patients died for progression at 4 and 15 months, while 5 patients are alive at a median of 9 months. Eight patients (66%) showed CMV reactivation by antigenemia and/or CMV DNA. No patient showed CMV disease. Patients were immediately treated, after discontinuation of alemtuzumab, with oral ganciclovir 1000 mg tid. After a median of 14 days all patients achieved negativization of CMV PCR and/or antigenemia. Until the end of the study no patients showed further CMV reactivation. Before treatment all lymphoid subsets, except for total lymphocytes and NK cells, showed median values into the normal range. Total T lymphocytes and CD4 subset rapidly decreased achieving minimum level on day +60; thereafter a mild recovery was noticed but until day +240 median values were constantly below the normal range. CD8 subset showed a trend to normalization even if at the end of the study the median values were below the normal range. NK cells (CD16/56) showed median values above the normal range during the study period, IgA, IgG, IgM showed normal values before and after treatment. Low-dose alemtuzumab in this heavily pre-treated group of patients, was well tolerated and induced good response rate (OR 41%) similarly to standard dose but high incidence of CMV reactivation and the delay of immune reconstitution, still remain a maior issue.


The fringe-belt concept has been recognized as an effective means of investigating the growth and transformation of urban physical form. Hitherto case studies of fringe belts have been mainly conducted in fairly homogeneous cultural environments. In this paper the fringe-belt concept is investigated in a city characterized by a Sino-Western admixture of cultures. The investigation of three fringe belts in Macao Peninsula reveals major factors influencing their formation and modification processes, especially in relation to socio-economic conditions, land reclamation from the sea and industrial development. Understanding the characteristics of fringe belts has implications for the appreciation and management of urban landscapes.


Summary Initiation of transcription for ribosomal RNA (rRNA) by RNA polymerase I requires TATA-binding protein (TBP) and TBP-associated factors (TAF1A, TAF1B and TAF1C). p53 tumour suppressor inhibits rRNA transcription by blocking TAF1C-UBF interaction, but alterations of TAF1C itself in tumorigenesis remain unknown. The aim of this study was to explore whether TAF1C gene was mutated in gastric (GC) and colorectal cancers (CRC). In a public database, we found that TAF1C gene had a mononucleotide repeat (C8) in the coding sequences that might be a mutation target in the cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI). We analysed 79 GC and 124 CRC by single-strand conformation polymorphism and DNA sequencing analyses. In this study, we found TAF1C frameshift mutations (8.8% of GC and 10.1% of CRC with MSI-H), which were not found in stable MSI/low MSI (MSS/MSI-L) (0/90). In addition, we analysed intratumoural heterogeneity (ITH) of TAF1C frameshift mutations in 16 CRC and found that three CRC (18.8%) harboured regional ITH of the TAF1C frameshift mutations. Our results indicate that TAF1C gene harboured not only somatic frameshift mutations but also the mutational ITH, which together might play a role in tumourigenesis of GC and CRC. Our data also suggest that multi-regional mutation analysis is needed for a better evaluation of the mutation status in CRC.


University of Ghana is Ghana's premier university and has a mission to develop world-class human resources and capabilities to meet national development needs and global challenges through quality teaching, learning, research and knowledge dissemination in the areas of Business, Science, Technology and Commerce. This paper is a descriptive research which adopts a case study analysis of the perceptions some Bachelor Degree students in University of Ghana have about Online Social Networking Sites (SNSs). The paper also outlines the importance of online SNSs in education. The research methodologies adopted for this paper were literature review and quantitative approaches. Questionnaires were administered to Bachelor Degree students of University of Ghana in order to solicit information about their perceptions on the use of online social networking in their education. Results and outcome of the study revealed that online SNSs are currently being used by students of University of Ghana mostly for a variety of purposes other than education, therefore training of students regarding usage of online SNSs for the purposes of education is required.


Attempts to avoid gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in the presence of renal dysfunction assume that the nephrotoxicity threshold is unchanged from that of the normal patient. The purpose of the present study was to compare the response of the subclinically diseased kidney to the normal kidney when exposed to identical serum concentrations of gentamicin. This study used exponentially declining infusions based on preinfusion pharmacokinetics to achieve identical serum gentamicin concentration profiles in intact (intact-gentamicin) and subtotally nephrectomized (nephrectomized-gentamicin) beagle dogs. After 10 daily 12-hr infusions, relative nephrotoxicity was compared using serum chemistries and histopathologic analysis in intact- and nephrectomized-control (untreated) dogs. For intact-gentamicin and nephrectomized-gentamicin dogs, respectively, infusion steady-state serum concentrations were 5.3 +/- 0.3 vs. 5.5 +/- 0.5 (microgram/ml) and elimination rates were 0.19 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.20 +/- 0.01(hr-1) (mean +/- S.E.M.). Postinfusion histopath scoring of renal lesions (0-30, with 30 being most severe) were 11 +/- 5 (nephrectomized-gentamicin), 4 +/- 2 (nephrectomized-control), 2 +/- 2 (intact-gentamicin) and 0 +/- 0 (intact-control). Gentamicin-induced renal dysfunction in nephrectomized dogs was characterized further by administering nonindividualized multiple dosage regimens. Toxicity in the subclinical disease state was marked by oliguria and acute renal failure in contrast to the mild polyuria seen in intact animals. These findings support increased sensitivity to gentamicin nephrotoxicity in dogs with mild renal dysfunction secondary to subtotal surgical nephrectomy.


A sample of 48 penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) strains recovered between January 1989 and May 1991, primarily from infected children in Houston, was characterized by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and repetitive extragenic palindromic-polymerase chain reaction genomic profiling. A heterogeneous array of 22 clonal genotypes was identified, but 64% of the PRSP strains in the sample were assigned to five clones that are closely similar in overall chromosomal character and express serotype 6 capsule. A close genetic association between these five clones and penicillin-resistant 6B clones recovered in Alaska, Iceland, and Spain was identified by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. Taken together, the results suggest either that the common resistant 6B clones in Alaska, Iceland, Spain, and Houston have a recent ancestor or that isolates of a certain pneumococcal phylogenetic lineage are more likely to develop penicillin resistance.


Phosphatidic acid (PA) is a putative novel messenger in signal transduction and membrane traffic. We have synthesized a photolyzable derivative of PA, termed caged PA (cPA), which may be utilized as a new tool in studies of PA-mediated cellular events. 1-(2-Nitrophenyl)diazoethane, synthesized from 2-nitroacetophenone, was reacted with dipalmitoyl-PA to yield a 1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethyl ester of PA. Photolysis of the compound by ultraviolet light resulted in the formation of phosphatidic acid. The structure of the compound and of its photolytic products was verified by NMR spectroscopy. The utility of cPA was examined in HT 1080 metastatic fibrosarcoma cells, in which the formation of PA by phospholipase D was implicated in laminin-induced release of gelatinase A (matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2)). The uptake of cPA by HT 1080 cells reached a plateau after 120 min of incubation. Ultraviolet illumination of cPA-loaded cells for 5 s resulted in photolysis of 1.8% of the cell-incorporated cPA. The photolysis of cPA caused a 2-fold elevation in the release of MMP-2 to the medium, whereas nonphotolyzed cPA caused no change in MMP-2 release. Moreover, the effect of cPA photolysis was significantly higher than that obtained with extracellularly introduced PA. Thus, the effect of laminin on MMP-2 secretion can be mimicked by photolysis of cPA, suggesting a pivotal role for phospholipase D in laminin-induced cancer cell invasiveness and metastasis. These results indicate that cPA could serve as a unique tool for studying the cellular roles of PA.


One key issue with biological weapons (BW) using Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) (aka invasive species) is to differentiate a deliberate attack from a natural outbreak or accidental introduction via commerce or other means.
The methods to detect a Non-Indigenous Species based Biological Warfare (NIS BW) attack as well as discern accidental introductions from a deliberate attack are diverse and challenging. They include a multi-tiered analysis to rule out the following: possible routes of accidental releases from commercial trade; escapes from exotic breeders; releases of exotic pets; and release or dispersal of NIS from catastrophic storms, prevailing wind currents or animal migrations. Other keys to determine a deliberate NIS BW attack are detection of uncommon routes of entry; widespread dissemination of the NIS; extremely high rates of propagules found; or evidence of genetic alternation of NIS, especially to enhance invasiveness, reproduction, or colonization traits as well as human intelligence of a planned BW attack using the introduced organism; and evidence of culturing of the NIS organism by a nation state or terrorist facility.
In all cases of NIS BW, it is a violation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) as the NIS is considered a biological agent used for hostile purposes. This paper also briefly explores other international treaties that would prohibit use of NIS BW.
The recommendations for countermeasures (either as prevention or as remediation) to a NIS BW attack include the following tasks; expansion of NIS databases, improvements to the APHIS Port Information Network (PIN) data collection and database availability, and enhancements to NIS research in experimental controlled field trials. Another important counterstrategy is to expand research on potential NIS organisms including enhancements to Environmental Niche Modeling software. The enhancements on the software and data processing accuracy would improve the predictive potential of these tools. Next, although NIS genomic mapping is still in its infancy, expansion of genomic maps of NIS organisms would serve several purposes. First, it would expand understanding of the role that genetic variability plays in invasion survival and colonization in naive niches as well as locate specific genes necessary for successful invasion and colonization. Also, genomic maps would accelerate the development of gene-based diagnostics for NIS BW detection. Second, NIS genomic maps would help in the detection of genetically engineered NIS organisms. The detection of genetically altered NIS would strongly indicate that a NIS BW attack had occurred. Furthermore, regardless of whether the identity of the originator of the NIS BW attack was known or not, the revelation of a NIS BW attack with genetically engineered traits must be reported to the BTWC committee for follow up investigation.


Histology.-Sections were taken from a portion of skin removed from a patch on the outer part of the right thigh. There is a very dense cellular infiltration occupying the outer half of the corium. The papillwe are immensely swollen, and the inter-papillary processes elongated and thinned. The surface epidermis is markedly thinned, the basal layer is cedematous and the cells are becoming disintegrated. There is a patchy hyperkeratosis and parakeratosis. In the papille the capillaries are engorged, and there is in some parts a closely packed lymphocytic infiltration, though in most parts large numbers of lymphocytes are found in a loose-meshed network in which broken-up collagen bundles are also present. No pigment granules were seen. In the deeper layers of the corium there is slight lymphocytic infiltration around the vessels, and the vessels are engorged and their walls thickened.


This paper discusses some challenges that user mobility imposes over the user-centric protection model against security threats. This model is based on the idea of offloading the security applications from the end user device, and placing them in a trusted network node at the network's edge. Our research perspective is particularly centered around three interrelated mobility challenges, i) the allocation of the security applications "close" to the user, i.e., on network nodes with enhanced processing capabilities, ii) seamless mobility with negligible disruption of ongoing network connections, and iii) dynamic orchestration and management with support of security applications migration. Based on our arguments, we expose the main requirements and trade-offs to be considered in the attempt to support mobility in such environment. We propose a flexible solution that leverages Software Defined Networking, Network Function Virtualization and Computing at the Network Edge to offer a seamless on-path security protection to mobile users. Our preliminary experiments' results considering a WiFi mobile user show that seamless security migration and mobility are feasible in a simple real scenario. Vertical mobility and more complex use cases scenarios are envisioned for future research.


Lack of Euro-American disturbance, except fire suppression, has preserved the patterns of forest structure that resulted from the presettlement disturbance regime in a ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir landscape at Cheesman Lake in the Colorado Front Range. A mixed-severity fire regime and variable timing of tree recruitment created a heterogeneous forest age structure with considerable old growth. Surrounding forests subjected to human alteration since the late 1800s are younger, denser, and more continuous. We present preliminary data from a study of fire history and age structure. We mapped forest patches based on tree size and density using color-infrared aerial photos, then randomly sampled 10 percent of these patches across the 35 km2 landscape for the ages of the five apparent oldest trees. Trees older than 200 years were found in 70 percent of sampled stands. Trees older than 400 years were found in 30 percent of sampled stands, suggesting that old growth was common and widespread in historical landscapes in the Front Range. We compared the stand ages with locations of known fire dates derived from fire scars. Concentrations of trees that postdate known fires indicate a past stand-replacing fire. Such postfire cohorts are discernible as far back as 1531 A.D. Of 21 fires recorded by scars between 1531 and 1880, 16 appear to have had a stand-replacing component, and seven known fires predate 71 percent of the postfire cohorts. Time between stand-replacing disturbance and tree establishment varied considerably between sites, but generally ranged from 20 to 50 years. Some openings began to regenerate within 10 years after fire, while others remain unforested 150 years later.


In this paper, ranging based on UWB signals is investigated for indoor dense multipath environments. To this end, a large set of time domain measurements covering the 3.1-10.6 GHz frequency band is carried out. Different approaches to detect the time of arrival of the first path are evaluated. Ranging results based on time estimation are compared to those based on signal strength. Additionally, the effect of the bandwidth on the range estimates is analyzed. Generally, the results show that high ranging accuracy can be achieved for both LOS and NLOS propagation when UWB is used. Analysis of the data points out that additional delay introduced by propagation through walls is the main source of range error in NLOS indoor environments


Current efforts in the biomedical sciences and related interdisciplinary fields are focused on gaining a molecular understanding of health and disease, which is a problem of daunting complexity that spans many orders of magnitude in characteristic length scales, from small molecules that regulate cell function to cell ensembles that form tissues and organs working together as an organism. In order to uncover the molecular nature of the emergent properties of a cell, it is essential to measure multiple-cell components simultaneously in the same cell. In turn, cell heterogeneity requires multiple-cells to be measured in order to understand health and disease in the organism. This review summarizes current efforts towards a data-driven framework that leverages single-cell technologies to build robust signatures of healthy and diseased phenotypes. While some approaches focus on multicolor flow cytometry data and other methods are designed to analyze high-content image-based screens, we emphasize the so-called Supercell/SVM paradigm (recently developed by the authors of this review and collaborators) as a unified framework that captures mesoscopic-scale emergence to build reliable phenotypes. Beyond their specific contributions to basic and translational biomedical research, these efforts illustrate, from a larger perspective, the powerful synergy that might be achieved from bringing together methods and ideas from statistical physics, data mining, and mathematics to solve the most pressing problems currently facing the life sciences.


The ministry of Education Department, since the removal of USBN, mandates every school to conduct a school final exam that should made by the teachers. In this study, the writer focuses on the English Junior High School Final Exam made by EFL teacher distributed in Mojokerto academic year 2021/2022. In order to know the quality of the item test, the analysis can be done by investigating the validity, reliability, item difficulty, item discrimination, and item distractors. This study used descriptive quantitative. The respondents of this study were taken from English school final exam of 9th-grade students in MTS Bahrul Ulum which consists of 50 multiple choice items from 31 students. The instrument are the test question, the students' answer sheet, and the answer key. It will be analyzed by using ITEMAN 4.3 program as an effective solution for item test analysis. The result indicates that the content validity still do not cover the whole material in the syllabus. The reliability of the test is 0.91 which is categorized as reliable. The difficulty level of the item test is 0.60 or 60% which is considered good. The item discrimination is 0.38 considered as satisfactory. The effective item distractors is 48%, smaller than the percentage of ineffective items. In conclusion, the quality of English Junior High School Final Exam made by EFL teacher distributed in Mojokerto academic year 2021/2022 in terms of validity, reliability, item difficulty, item discrimination, and item distractors absolutely needs improving.
Keywords: item analysis, validity, reliability, item distractor, item discrimination, item difficulty, descriptive quantitative


Antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Randia dumetorum leaves were carried out for proving its utility in free radical mediated diseases including diabetic, cardiovascular, cancer etc. The ethanolic extract was screened for in vitro antioxidant activity by oxygen radical scavenging such as DPPH, total antioxidant assay, superoxide metal chelation and iron reducing power activity at different concentrations. Throughout the studies leaves extract showed marked antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity of the leaves extract may be due to the phytochemicals present in it. The antioxidant activity was found to be concentration dependent and may be attributed to the presence of bioflavonoids content in the leaves of Randia dumetorum. Overall, the plant extract is a source of natural antioxidants which might be helpful in preventing the progress of various oxidative stress mediated diseases including aging.


An electrochemical and sensitive sensing of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) propane [bisphenol A (BPA)] was developed based on a didodecyldimethylammonium bromide-modified expanded graphite paste electrode (DDAB-EGPE). The DDAB-EGPE was prepared by suspending an EGPE in a DDAB aqueous solution, and allowing the DDAB to form a hydrophobic film on the expanded graphite surface. Compared with the EGPE, the DDAB-EGPE showed improved electrochemical response of BPA because of the preconcentration of BPA in DDAB via hydrophobic interaction. Due to the electrocatalytic activity of BPA, a sensor for BPA was constructed based on the DDAB-EGPE. The DDAB-EGPE exhibited a wide linear response to BPA ranging from 6.0 × 10(-8) to 2.0 × 10(-5) mol/L with a detection limit of 7.1 nmol/L at S/N = 3. The designed sensor showed good reproducibility and stability. The proposed sensor was successfully applied to the determination of BPA in three types of real plastic product samples. This sensor presented a simple, rapid, and sensitive platform for the determination of BPA and could become a versatile and powerful tool for food safety.


Superbroadband near-infrared (NIR) emission covering 1250 to 1680 nm wavelength has been obtained in praseodymium (Pr(3+)) singly doped bismuth gallate glasses. The emission originates from the (1)G(4)→(3)H(5) and (1)D(2)→(1)G(4) transitions at 1330 and 1490 nm wavelengths, respectively, and is due to the extremely low phonon energy (∼690 cm(-1)) and the unique ligand field of the glasses. It is shown that the emission line shape can be modified by adjusting the Pr(3+) concentration and the energy transfers involved. The results confirm that other than bismuth (Bi), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and other chemical elements, Pr(3+) singly doped system is a promising alternative in achieving superbroadband NIR emission.


Consumption of flavan‐3‐ols, notably (−)‐epicatechin (EC), has been highly recommended in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) due to reports that flavan‐3‐ols boost antioxidant activity, support vascular function, and prevent cardiovascular disease. To date, in vivo efficacy and mechanisms of action for many CAM therapies, including EC, remain elusive in brain ischemia. In contrast to its purported direct antioxidant role, we hypothesized protection through activation of the endogenous transcriptional factor Nrf2. To screen cellular protection and investigate Nrf2 activation, we adopted a pretreatment paradigm using enriched primary neuronal cultures from mice and washed out EC prior to oxygen glucose deprivation to attenuate direct antioxidant effects. EC protected primary neurons from oxygen glucose deprivation by increasing neuronal viability (40.2 ± 14.1%) and reducing protein oxidation, effects that occurred concomitantly with increased Nrf2‐responsive antioxidant protein expression. We also utilized wildtype and Nrf2 C57BL/6 knockout mice in a permanent model of focal brain ischemia to evaluate glial cell regulation and complex sensorimotor functioning. EC‐treated wildtype mice displayed a reduction or absence of forelimb motor coordination impairments that were evident in vehicle‐treated mice. This protection was associated with reduced anatomical injury (54.5 ± 8.3%) and microglia/macrophage activation/recruitment (56.4 ± 13.0%). The protective effects elicited by EC in both model systems were abolished in tissues and neuronal cultures from Nrf2 knockout mice. Together, these data demonstrate EC protection through Nrf2 and extend the benefits to improved performance on a complex sensorimotor task, highlighting the potential of flavan‐3‐ols in CAM approaches in minimizing subsequent stroke injury.


This study aimed at identifying the physical and human Constituents for university environment as seen by female students, determining the relationship between the university environment and life skills, and identifying the differences between university environment and life skills according to the following variables: academic specialization and academic level. The sample of the study consisted of 181 female students, 146 were from special education department and 35 female students from art education department, the researcher applied the descriptive analytical approach. To achieve the goal of the study the researcher prepared a questionnaire for university environment consisted of 19 fields and a questionnaire for life skills included 5 skills Prepared Alrabani (2008). The following statistical treatments were applied: arithmetic means, standard deviation, T- test, one- way Anova, Scheffe test, the findings of the study indicated the following results: there is a highly significant correlation between mean of the grades of university environment questionnaire and life skills questionnaire, there is no significant differences attributed to the academic specialization between the mean of the grades of the university environment questionnaire except one field "the central library", there are significant differences attributed to the academic level on some fields of the university environment questionnaire, there are no significant differences between the grades of the life skills questionnaire. In light of these findings the researcher proposed some recommendations and suggestions.


Method for monitoring a selected airspace associated with local area network computer devices are provided. The method includes providing one or more segments of the legacy local area network to be protected within the designated area. Legacy local area network characterized in airspace unsafe in the specified area. The method includes determining a security policy relating to one or more segments of the legacy local area network. Defense policy is what kind of wireless activities are allowed in the airspace at least not safe, is rejected, it characterizes either ignored. Additionally, the method includes connecting one or more detection devices to the legacy local area network. One or more detection devices, as part of the airspace at least not safe is protected according to the security policy, are spatially arranged in the specified area. Furthermore, the method also includes connecting to legacy local area network security devices. Further, the method includes one or more detection devices, to determine whether sufficient to protect the part of the airspace unsafe to be protected. Additionally, the method comprises using one or more detection devices for monitoring the radio activities of airspace, whether radio activity, to communicate with at least one of the one or more segments to be protected to determine, includes a portion of the information associated with the monitoring of the radio activity by using a classification process, automatically classifying it, the. Furthermore, the method, the violation of the security policy, at least, it is detected based on the part of the classification of the information from the radio activity monitoring, and, one or more segments of the legacy local area network to be protected be processed automatically measures against the violation of the defense policy in the, also be included.


Waves such as drift waves and lower hybrid oscillations in a plasma are sensitive to the degree to which charge neutrality can be maintained by electron flow along the magnetic field. When the plasma is bounded axially, the sheath conditions on the end plates determine the parallel wavelength. It is found that the nature of the bounded modes depends on whether the motion of electrons is resistive or inertial. If it is resistive, the sheath matching conditions can be satisfied by standing waves with the proper wavelength. If it is inertial, pure standing waves are not possible; there must also be a variation of phase along B. Application is made to two-ion hybrid waves in connection with isotope separation.


Randomized factorial combinations of fertilizer and irrigation treatments (rate and/or source) are essential to test best management practices (BMP) for vegetables grown with plasticulture. This requires fertilization and irrigation to be applied independently from one another. In the past few years, five types of drip-irrigation systems have been used in different experiments. Their selection and design are presented here, as well as their respective advantages and disadvantages. In Type I systems, single drip tapes of different flow rates are used to create simultaneously water and fertilizer rates, thereby confounding the effects of irrigation and fertilization. When irrigation or fertilization treatments involve sources, treatments need to be delivered independently to each plot. In this case, a Type II system includes several injectors connected to separate main lines. When treatments are rates only, a set of valves and water meters at each plot are used to apply treatments based on operating time (Type III). This type is simple, but requires an operator to close the valves at predetermined times. Type IV and V systems involve the use of multiple main lines and different apparent flow rates for each treatment. Different apparent flow rates may be created with drip tapes of different nominal flow rates or with multiple drip tapes bundled together. A single injector (Type V) may be used for small numbers of treatments ( 10), but larger tests require the use of multiple injectors (Type IV). In all cases, changes in pressure and flow rate need to be monitored throughout operation. Because of their relatively low labor requirement for operation, Type I (with confounding of water and fertilizer effects) and to a lesser extend Type V (without confounding) are best suited for onfarm demonstrations.


BACKGROUND
Prescription opioid-acetaminophen products account for the majority of cases of acetaminophen-related acute liver failure in the United States. We sought to examine the frequency of opioid-acetaminophen overuse at the Providence VA Medical Center and improve the quality and safety of opioid-acetaminophen prescription practices in a system employing electronic health records and e-prescribing.

RESULTS
During fiscal year 2011, the Providence VA pharmacy dispensed a total of 19,841 acetaminophen prescriptions to a total of 4455 different patients. There were only 15 acetaminophen prescriptions dispensed in excess of 4g/day, and there were only 14 patients exposed to a potential maximum daily dose of acetaminophen greater than 4g.

CONCLUSIONS
The Providence VAMC appears to have a low rate of prescription acetaminophen misuse, in contrast to rates seen in previous studies. The VHA electronic health record, accessible to all healthcare providers, appears to offer considerable benefit in reducing the overuse of acetaminophen containing opioid products.


Hantavirus-induced acute viral infection of the inner ear of guinea pigs is reported. Guinea pigs were inoculated directly into the inner ear through the round window, or intraperitoneally with hantavirus (B-1 strain), and the cochlea was examined using an immunohistochemical technique for the localization of viral antigens. Virus-specific antigens were detected prominently in the stria vascularis and to a lesser degree in other inner ear structures of the infected guinea pigs. The morphological changes in the inner ear structures of these guinea pigs were observed. Virus was isolated from the blood of some infected guinea pigs. These data suggest that hantavirus can infect the inner ear of the guinea pig via viremia. The effect of immunosuppression by ciclosporin A or cyclophosphamide is discussed.


Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome is a rare neuro-degenerative disorder characterized by high levels of iron deposits in the brain. Patients
exhibit extrapyramidal and cognitive impairment and dystonia, seizures, spasticity, dysarthria, rigidity of limbs and visual disturbances. We report a case of a patient with this syndrome, who had multiple carious lesions and self-inflicted injuries of the mucosa of the lower lip and tongue, produced during periods of intense orofacial spasms. Oral rehabilitation was performed under general anesthesia. Dental treatment was given to promote dental hygiene, pain relief, and elimination of infections.


Currently, to satisfy the stringent requirements on the physical properties of sculptured surfaces, workpiece machining attempts to guarantee the level of machining accuracy while improving the efficiency as much as possible. Because of the characteristics of the sculptured surfaces, the machine tool is usually run at a lower feedrate to avoid large impact forces. However, this sacrifices machining time and still may not meet the requirements. This article presents a novel minimum-time feedrate schedule method to improve the machining efficiency for five-axis machining considering the surface characteristic constraints. First, the mapping relationship between the surface characteristic and the kinematical parameters is constructed by analyzing the following error on each axis. After that, the new constraint conditions on machine tool kinematics limitation and its continuity constraints are given to address changes in the curvature. Next, a new acceleration/deceleration feedrate schedule method is presented based on quintic feedrate smooth profile to minimize the impact force as much as possible. Thus, a novel minimum-time feedrate schedule based on the bidirectional feedrate schedule algorithm is proposed to improve machining efficiency while respecting various constraints. Finally, a sculptured surface with varied curvature is used to illustrate the significant reduction in processing time and improvement in surface quality in large curvature region after scheduling. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method can improve the machining efficiency while guaranteeing the machining accuracy.


High-resolution datasets offer the potential to improve our understanding of spatial and temporal precipitation patterns and storm structures. The goal of this study is to evaluate the similarities and differences of object-based storm characteristics as observed using space- or land-based sensors. The Method of Object-based Diagnostic Evaluation (MODE) Time Domain (MTD) is used to identify and track storm objects in two high-resolution merged datasets: the Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG) final product V06B and gauge-corrected ground-radar-based Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) quantitative precipitation estimations. Characteristics associated with landfalling hurricanes were also examined as a separate category of storm. The results reveal that IMERG and MRMS agree reasonably well across many object-based storm characteristics. However, there are some discrepancies that are statistically significant. MRMS storms are more concentrated, with smaller areas and higher peak intensities, which implies higher flash flood risks associated with the storms. On the other hand, IMERG storms can travel longer distances with a higher volume of precipitation, which implies higher risk of riverine flooding. Agreement between the datasets is higher for faster-moving hurricanes in terms of the averaged intensity. Finally, MRMS indicates a higher average precipitation intensity during the hurricane's lifetime. However, in non-hurricanes, the opposite result was observed. This is likely related to MRMS having higher resolution; monitoring the hurricanes from many viewing angles, leading to different signal saturation properties compared to IMERG; and/or the dominance of droplet aggregation effects over evaporation effects at lower altitudes.


ABSTRACT Service members (SMs) who sustain traumatic brain injury (TBI) during deployment have increased risk for mental health issues. Mental health treatment can be challenging in military settings where treatment seeking is often stigmatized. Adequate care relies on accurate interpretations of SMs' verbal accounts of distress, but little is known about how SMs, embedded in a culture that values resilience and self-reliance, relay emotional distress. We performed qualitative analyses of recordings from a telephone-based intervention with 25 SMs who sustained deployment-related mild TBI (mTBI) to elucidate thematic and dialectal patterns. Consistent with our expectations, SMs rarely used explicit depressive terms while discussing their emotional distress. More prevalent was language suggestive of an overarching theme of loss of control, whereby SMs' stress, anxiety, and anger were often attributable to SMs' perceptions that they had incomplete jurisdiction over their own lives. This study may help mental health providers improve engagements with SMs and Veterans, preventing misunderstandings and even improper diagnoses or referrals that could result from a strict reliance on the more customary expressions of distress.


There is no reason to continue to exempt financial services and products from Value Added Tax in the UK, and indeed elsewhere. Its introduction in the UK would help to precipitate the end of the iniquitous and inefficient 'free banking' system. Its demise should be enforced by a retail banking and insurance utility regulator that would assure that charges to customers reflect costs incurred by banks and thus eliminate the cross-subsidisation underpinning 'free banking'. Further, the shareholders and senior bondholders of 'too big to fail' banks enjoy a guarantee from taxpayers which they are not paying for. This puts them at a competitive advantage in relation to smaller banks and exposes taxpayers to losses in crises. The big banks should thus pay regulatory and fiscal taxes commensurate with the insurance they enjoy and these taxes should be carefully calibrated so as not to overburden domestic banks relative to international competitors. The taxes paid should relate to a bank's risk exposure and the risks a bank poses to the financial system as a whole. The banks should thus contribute proportionately (with other taxpayers) to producing the Public Good, financial stability. The issue of the tax bias caused deductibility of interest, but not dividend payments, as business expense is also explored. To achieve equal treatment of debt and equity, deductibility could be extended to dividends, but the tendency toward over indebtedness might be curbed if tax deductibility of interest was eliminated, perhaps starting with banks!


Class III b-tubulin is presented as a specific marker for the cells of neuronal origin as well as for the tumours originating from these cells. Its expression is considered one of the earliest events that appear in the cells revealing neuronal differentiation. Using monoclonal antibody TU-20 in an immunohistochemical analysis, we studied the expression of class III b-tubulin in gastrointestinal carcinoid tumours. Paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tissue sections from 49 tumour samples obtained from following locations: stomach (4 cases), small intestine (8 cases), appendix (18 cases), rectum (3 cases), pancreas (5 cases), liver metastases (7 cases) and lymph node metastases (4 cases) were used in the study. In 41 of the 49 tumour samples (83.7%), positive staining for class III b-tubulin was detected, while 8 tumour samples (16.3%) were negative. Expression of class III b-tubulin was prominent in all three rectal carcinoids and in three atypical carcinoids located in small intestine. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours revealed either weak immunostaining (2 cases), or were negative for this marker (3 cases). The intensity of class III b-tubulin immunolabelling was not related to the degree of tumour differentiation. The results of this study suggest that class III b-tubulin could be a perspective marker for gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumours. Moreover, the differences in its expression could also elucidate some aspects of histogenetic relationships of neuroendocrine tumours of gastrointestinal tract.


This study examines primary mechanisms that gave rise to the basin‐wide variations of the sea surface temperature (SST) in the Indian Ocean during the 1997–98 El Niño by using multi‐source data sets. The evolution of some key atmosphere‐ocean variables indicated that the SST variability in the Indian Ocean was largely attributable to the ENSO impact on the large‐scale atmospheric circulation. During June‐December 1997, when the El Niño in the Pacific was maturing, the Indian Ocean experienced the reversal of the Walker Circulation and the prolonged equatorward displacement of the southeast trades. The resultant changes in surface wind influenced the SST through the following means. In the equatorial region, the easterly winds associated with the reversed Walker Circulation forced equatorial Kelvin/Rossby waves, which then affected the equatorial ocean heat balance (mainly through upwelling/downwelling) and led to the reversal of the zonal SST gradient in the fall of 1997. The negative SST anomalies in the east and positive anomalies in the west in turn helped maintain and prolong the equatorial easterlies, a clear indication of coupled atmosphere‐ocean interactions in operation. Outside of the equatorial waveguide, changes of latent heat flux induced by wind speed variations played a major role in the broad‐scale warming. The effect was most significant during the summer/fall of 1997 when the southeasterly trade winds weakened considerably, leading to a dramatic reduction of latent heat release and subsequently a rapid surface warming in the southern ocean.


The implementation of ERP systems in the organizations is a complex process and a challenging task. Various factors may affect ERP system implementation leading to its success or failure in the organization. The on-going case study attempted to understand how and why different factors impeded successful ERP implementation in a public organization that outsourced the development and implementation of ERP system to a multi-national software company. The case study analysis explains that lack of consideration of certain factors such as top management support, user involvement, vendor support, overlooking of change management aspects, turnover of vendors team member, transfer/posting of top management of beneficiary organization affected ERP systems implementation in the organization and the project run over cost, behind schedule and was unable to meet user requirements. The findings are expected to provide valuable guidelines to the organizations planning to implement ERP systems.


Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is a monolayer slide preparation technology that has outperformed conventional Pap smears because of improved fixation, decreased obscuring factors, and standardized cell transfer. In LBC, samples are collected by completely immersing the sampling device into the company vial containing preservative fluid, whereby the cells are preserved and fixed simultaneously unlike conventional smears where the sample is smeared onto the glass slide and fixed separately. To date, two major liquid-based preparation methods are known – ThinPrep and SurePath. These two methods are different in their principles of cell harvesting but produce similar preparations. SurePath works on the principle of density gradient sedimentation. In this, a sample is vortexed and strained to break the mucus and large cell groups and then is treated through a density gradient centrifugation process to remove blood and debris. The cell pellet is resuspended and is allowed to sediment onto a glass slide. This is followed by staining on the PrepStain instrument. Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, India, uses the SurePath method which was approved by FDA in the USA in 1999. Our institution uses Rovers Cervex-Brush to collect the cells from the transformation zone. This chapter describes the principle of SurePath and the processing of cervicovaginal specimen using the fully automated system in the laboratory.


It has been shown that mobile-to-mobile (M2M) communications, where scatters are both around the transmitter and the receiver, may experience more severe channel fading than the fixed-to-mobile (F2M) communications. Double Nakagami-m fading is adopted to provide a realistic description of the M2M channel. By using the moment generating function (MGF) based approach, the exact symbol error rate (SER) expression, which can be numerically evaluated, is derived for the considered mobile-relay-based M2M system. Moreover, the asymptotic SER bound is provided at a high SNR regime for the insight of our approach. According to our analysis, an asymptotic diversity order of 2 × min(m1, m2) can be achieved in case of independent identically distributed (i.i.d) channels. Numerical studies illustrate that analytic results exactly match the simulations.


The generation of plasma which can absorb microwaves is currently a research topic of interest. This kind of plasma is often produced by the discharge or electron-beam impact of noble gases. In this paper an alternatice approach, combustion plasma, is studied. The plasma is produced by combusting solid grains prepared specially. Six groups of powders were made and used to generate the plasma. The transmissivity of the wave in plasma was measured by employing a microwave scalar network analyser system. In addition, the electron density and the collision frequency of the plasma were examined by microwave double-frequency diagnosis. The measurement results showed that the plasma could absorb microwaves remarkably with an average transmission attenuation being more than 18 dB in a frequency range of 2 GHz to 15 GHz. The diagnosis indicated that the electron density of the plasma varied from 1017 m−3 to 1019 m−3 and the collision frequency was about 5×1010 s−1.


Soils surrounding energy geostructures (e.g., energy piles and borehole heat exchangers) always have different overburden pressures and void ratios. Their thermal conductivities are important for analysing the performance of energy geostructures such as the heat exchange rate between soils and geostructures. So far, however, the coupled effects of stress state and void ratio on thermal conductivity have not been fully understood. In this study, six series of tests were conducted to measure the thermal conductivity of three different soils at various stress states and void ratios, including reconstituted kaolin clay, compacted silt from Hong Kong and compacted Toyoura sand. The results indicate that when the stress increases from 0 to 1200 kPa, the thermal conductivity increases by 60% for the clay, 25% for the relatively looser silt, 20% for the relatively denser silt, 10% for the relatively looser sand and 7.5% for the relatively denser sand. The increment is attributed to not only a reduction of the void ratio, but also an enhancement in the inter-particle contact. Based on the experimental results, a new equation for thermal conductivity was proposed. It is able to well capture the variation of thermal conductivity with stress and void ratio using a single set of parameters.


Environmental firms are faced both with the prospect of liability claims that may arise long after activities at a project have been completed and the impact of catastrophic events that can severely threaten a firm's financial resources. The inadequacy in most cases of site-specific data, the lack of scientific understanding of the complex processes' interaction at a contamination even, and the limited cost-effective technological solutions that exist compound the problem. This condition has led many environmental firms to explore alternatives for risk management through the use of innovative insurance policies, training and selection of specialized staff for high-risk projects, careful screening of potential projects and customers, self-funded risk pools, partial involvement in projects as members of a consortium, and option payments. Payment of a one-time amount for the option to limit a firm's maximum liability to a fixed amount has been used in many cases to facilitate financial transactions, mergers, and acquisitions and to set well-defined limits to future risks. This study focuses on the alternative of option payment as a method for managing risk. Two general methods to evaluate the maximum option amount are presented and illustrated with the use of a hypothetical numerical example. Consideration of an option alternative makes management teams sharply aware of future unknown remediation or liability costs and guides them in bracketing the range of these costs. Correspondingly, according to an environmental firm's risk tolerance, limits can be set on future potential liabilities and optioning out of payment.


The recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge incineration ash as well as the separation of heavy metals from ash was investigated by using the biotechnological process of bioleaching and bioaccumulation of released phosphorus by newly developed population of bioleaching bacteria, Acidithiobacillus sp. strains, and polyphosphate (poly-P) accumulating bacteria, the AEDS-population (Acidithiobacillus sp. enriched digested sludge). The biologically performed solubilization of phosphorus from sewage sludge incineration ash is accompanied by the release of toxic metals. Therefore a combined process to separate phosphorus from heavy metals by achieving a plant available phosphorus-enriched product and a metal depleted ash was designed. Leaching experiments were conducted in laboratory scaled leaching reactor containing a bacterial stock culture of Acidithiobacillus sp.. Next step was the enhancement of P-recovery in combining bioleaching with simultaneous bio-P-accumulation by AEDS-population. The uptake of phosphorus in biomass reaches up to 66 % of the mobilized phosphorus by bioleaching. The combined biologically performed technology of phosphorus leaching and separation from toxic metals by simultaneous bioaccumulation developed in this study is a promising process for economical and ecological recovery of phosphorus from waste solids.


Like most African countries, Cameroon benefits from the advantages of the use of Information and Communication Technologies. Faced with the emergence of the digital economy that influences all of contemporary society, there is the emergence and high consumption of computer, technological and electronic equipment by urban and rural populations in Cameroon. In Yaounde, this situation is observed in the popularisation of the mobile phone, the creation of startups, multimedia centers and especially the use of computers of all kinds. This digital economy is at the origin of the emergence of new actors whose main role is the maintenance of this increasingly sophisticated technological equipment.In the city of Yaoundé, these actors work daily in centers or structures that ensure the maintenance of the said devices in case of breakdown or mishandling. This research analyses the socio-economic and spatial implications of handling these technological equipment in Yaoundé. It is based on ab survey of 203 Yaounde's technology and electronics repair workshops conducted between 2014 and 2017, as well as direct interviews with 192 customers who solicited and obtained the services of these micro-enterprises. Thus, the implantations of the micro-computer and technological maintenance companies in this city have considerable socio-economic and spatial consequences through the creation of jobs and incomes as well as the undeniable strategies of the actors both in the conquest of the market and the occupation of urban space and the territory of Yaounde.


This paper summarises some of the content and conclusions of a new book which discusses the innovation, design and evolution of six consumer products – bicycles, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, electric lamps, television and mobile (cell) phones – from their original inventions to the present. It discusses common patterns of innovation, how environmental concerns and legislation have influenced design, and some of the effects these products have had on the environment and society. The paper also uses lessons from the successes and failures of examples of these products to draw out guidelines for designers, engineers, marketers, managers and educators on how to design successful new products and to design for the environment. It concludes with trends and sustainability challenges for future consumer product design and innovation.


Privatization and decentralization of public advisory and extension services (AES) are raising increasing concerns worldwide. However, the way farmers re-act to this reform, and how they select the most appropriate AES still remain puzzling and relatively under-explored. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to analyze the factors affecting the likelihood of farmers to use different types of AES. We analyze the decisions to use three different types of AES made by a sample of famers (443) in Italy (Marche region). This decision-making mechanism is related to the use of AES introduced by Marche Regional Administration (MRA) in a policy reform in 2005. By adopting this approach, we highlight the relevance of social capital and local networks in driving the decision to use services more related to information, knowledge sharing and diffusion, while the agricultural specialization remains the main factor affecting farmers` likelihood to use specialized and targeted services.


Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and malignant brain tumor. These tumors display a uniform and very short survival time even with treatment, but are highly heterogeneous at the histological and genomic level. To identify effective treatments and dependencies, we profiled the sensitivity of a panel of cancer cell lines to a small molecules and integrated this with systematic analysis of genetic and non-genetic determinants associated with chemical response. Methods. We profiled 381 drugs described in the Cancer Therapeutics Response Portal (CTRP) at 16 different duplicated concentrations across 78 GBM cell lines belonging to two different models: Patient-Derived GBM Cell Lines (PDGCL) and Long-Term GBM Cell Lines (LTGCL) previously included in the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE). Cell lines were deeply characterized as to genotype and phenotype. As non-genomic determinants we considered: model, growth rate, behavior, stem cell and differentiation markers. Genomic determinants included mutations and somatic copy number alterations (SCNA) computed from whole exome sequencing. Each of these were integrated to determine oncogene and tumor suppressor gene pathway disruption (p53, RB and RTK signaling). At transcriptomic level we considered expression of 20.647 genes and patters described in GBMs (proneural, neural, classical, mesenchymal). Overall we correlated 10,859,643 pharmacogenomic features to discover associations with drug sensitivity. Summary. We developed a brain tumor living tissue bank as platform for preclinical pharmacogenomics analysis. Large-scale phenotypic characterization of GBM models showed increased cellular and molecular heterogeneity among PDGCLs compared to LTGCLs. PDGCLs better recapitulated patient GBM copy-number profiles. GBM cell lines exhibited all major driver mutations in human GBMs, except IDH1. PDGCLs and LTGCLs enriched for proneural and mesenchymal phenotypes, respectively. We identified NAMPT inhibitors as among the compounds with highest activity across cell lines. Integrative pharmacogenomic analyses showed MDM2/4 inhibitors were able to effectively suppress TP53 wild type GBM models, being CDKN1A (p21) expression a robust predictor of drug response in vitro and in vivo. Overall drug resistance across the screen in lines was highly associated with TP53 mutation, however a specific subset of TP53 mutant cell lines bearing simultaneous CDKN2A/B deletions were sensitive to CHK1/2 inhibitors, revealing a potential synthetic lethal interaction of clinical significance in these highly refractory cells. Analysis identified genetic alterations associated with vulnerabilities targeted by small molecules. About 85% of GBM patients display p53 pathway disruption, our results suggest independent pharmacological strategies for two genetic subtypes of GBM determined by TP53 and CDKN1A status. Our analyses provide molecular insights to drive targeted therapies in the new era of precision medicine. Citation Format: Ruben Ferrer-Luna, Shakti H. Ramkissoon, Karl H. Olausson, Lori A. Ramkissoon, Steven Schumacher, Rebecca Lamothe, Jaime H. Cheah, Kristine Pellton, Sam Haidar, Yun J. Kang, Brenton R. Paolella, Cecile Maire, Wenyu Song, Alice Meng, Ahmed Idbaih, Mikael L. Rinne, David A. Reardon, Patrick Y. Wen, Paul A. Clemons, Stuart L. Schreiber, Alykhan F. Shamji, Rameen Beroukhim, Keith L. Ligon. Pharmacogenomic interactions in glioblastoma cell line models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4974. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4974


Background: Despite sharing a common causal agent and viral oncogenes, HPV-positive head and neck cancer (HPV+ HNC) and cervical cancer (HPV+ CC) have markedly distinct natural histories and therapy responses. Here we sought to elucidate how the tissue of origin and oncogenic etiology drive molecular and microenvironmental differences between these two malignancies. Methods: Somatic mutation and RNA expression data for HPV+ HNC, HPV+ CC and HPV-negative head and neck cancer (HPV- HNC) were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Mutation data were used to define repertoires of somatic mutations and mutational signatures. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to identify enriched immune signatures. Immune cell infiltration levels were estimated using xCell. Comparisons were primarily made between HPV+ HNC and HPV+ CC samples, with comparisons between HPV+ HNC vs. HPV- HNC tumors serving as a control to distinguish molecular/immune signatures driven by tissue of origin versus viral etiology. Results: Exome and RNA-sequencing data were available for 72 HPV+ HNC, 139 HPV+ CC, and 415 HPV- HNC tumors, and 70 HPV+ HNC, 139 HPV+ CC, and 413 HPV- HNC cases, respectively. Recurrently altered genes in head and neck and cervical cancer were not statistically significantly different between HPV+ HNC and HPV+ CC, although as previously reported HPV+ HNC and HPV- HNC differed by the higher frequency of TP53, CDKN2A, FAT1, and NOTCH1 mutations in the later. An evaluation of mutational signatures revealed that although both HPV+ HNC and CC had evidence of APOBEC mutagenesis (Signatures 2 and 13), Signature 2 and 13 exposures were both significantly higher in HPV+ CC relative to HPV+ HNC. APOBEC enrichment scores confirmed that HPV+ CC had higher APOBEC signal than HPV+ HNC despite both being virally driven. While both cancers were commonly affected by mutagenesis from aging and showed no differences in Signature 1, HPV+ HNC exhibited a higher correlation with Signature 5. Immune de-convolution evaluating 36 cell populations identified 13 cell types with different frequencies between two cancers (q < 0.1). The abundance of B-cell lineages, CD4+ naïve T-cells, and Tregs significantly differed in HPV+ HNC and HPV+ CC (p<0.001). These findings led us to investigate expression signatures of tertiary lymphoid structures, which we identified as markedly higher in HPV+ HNC versus HPV+ CC or HPV- HNC (p < 0.001, for both comparisons). Activated T-cells, however, did not appear to differ between HPV+ HNC or CC as determined by the previously defined cytolytic score. Conclusion: We find that while tissue of origin seems not to influence recurrently mutated oncogenes in HPV-related malignancies, it has significant effects on phenotypic consequences in these tumors including influencing both mutational signature exposure and the tumor microenvironment. These findings may inform further investigations into the unique molecular and microenvironmental characteristics of these virally driven tumors.
 Citation Format: Reith R. Sarkar, Xin Pei, Andrea Gazzo, Yingjie Zhu, Nancy Lee, Jorge Reis-Filho, Dmitriy Zamarin, Britta Weigelt, Nadeem Riaz. The effect of tissue of origin on oncogenesis in HPV-related malignancies: Comparative analysis of molecular and immune signatures in HPV-positive head and neck cancer and cervical cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-AHNS Head and Neck Cancer Conference: Innovating through Basic, Clinical, and Translational Research; 2023 Jul 7-8; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2023;29(18_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-025.


This paper describes a color measurement and control system designed to achieve the color uniformity for paper-making processes. The color control system utilizes online color measurements to control colorant additions to a paper making process. The article depicts a paper coloring process, on-line color measurement representations, a multivariable color-control scheme, and the implementation to manage color control for paper machines. The practical application results are also highlighted in the discussions.


A method of continuous zoom multiple configuration, with a micro lens array and core optics is attempt to establish model by novel principle on resonance energy transfer and high accuracy localization, by which the system resolution can be improved with a level of a few nanometers. A comparative study on traditional vs modern methods can demonstrate.


Abstract Drilling and geophysical logging of Deccan basalt during groundwater exploration in Central India demonstrated that the Deccan lavas comprise a series of simple lava flows, 15–20 m thick, having a porous upper cooling surface with thin clay development and a layered structure. Geophysical logging has proved capable of resolving the layering and produced consistent log responses. Gamma-ray logs were especially useful to identify the weathered flow surfaces but further revealed certain lavas have distinctly higher radioactivity. The higher radioactivity flows were found to be of regional significance. The resolution of the layering and positive identification of flows by geophysical logging permitted individual lavas to be recognized and traced over distances of at least 100 km with no apparent displacement. The logs provided a framework for a detailed stratigraphic sub-division of the lava sequence, and also a key to investigate lateral and vertical variation in aquifer properties.


Introduction.Inadequate study of the organization of construction in the project documentation is one of the factors that contravene the planned dates for putting objects into operation. Probabilistic graphs make it possible to obtain more justified timeframes for performing individual works, and even the entire project by proceeding a given level of reliability.Methods.The research illustrates the process of building bridges as a complex hierarchical system, functioning in conditions of the initial data stochastic uncertainty. The feature of the proposed integrated approach to the construction organization design is the combination of different methods' elements of computer-aided design in the MS Project environment. The simulation is based on the generalized network model, calculated on the basis of the matrix (type of work - private work front) by the critical path method. Thus, positive and negative bonds' stretching in the work interaction as well as organizational breaks could be deterministic, random and probabilistic. The application of the PERT methodology at the stage of preliminary risk assessment in investment projects of bridge construction is substantiated.Results.As a result, the duration of the construction of the real object by calculation in the MS Project was determined under pessimistic, optimistic, normative and expected work duration. The risks' evaluation of the project implementation in the established time frame was presented. In addition, the example of organizational and technological solutions for bridge crossing by using summer and winter construction seasons was considered.Discussion and conclusions.The algorithm for informational modeling of bridge construction organization is developed. The purpose of such simulation is reliable forecast of construction dates in conditions of statistical uncertainty of time parameters of technological processes. Therefore, the direction of further research would be connected with the justification of the choice of solutions based on the set of acting random factors.


Many Penicillium species produce enzyme systems with good performances in lignocellulose degradation. In our laboratory, lignocellulolytic enzyme-producing Penicillium oxalicum (formerly classified as Penicillium decumbens) strains have been studied for more than 30 years. High cellulase-producing mutants have been obtained through random mutagenesis and genetic engineering, and the components in the enzyme systems have been elucidated using systems biology tools. The effects of different carbon sources on the production level of lignocellulolytic enzymes have been studied, and the related molecular mechanisms have been investigated. When compared with the widely used cellulase producer Trichoderma reesei, some unique features have been found in P. oxalicum, including higher β-glucosidase activity, higher numbers of lignocellulolytic enzyme gene, and different response of cellulase gene expression to some disaccharides. To boost the economic potential of the biorefineries using lignocellulosic biomass, P. oxalicum strains need to be further improved regarding the performance and production level of the enzyme systems.


A 67-year-old man recently diagnosed as having Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) presented with an asymptomatic cutaneous eruption on his shins, ankles, and feet for several days. The diagnosis of WM was based on findings from immunoelectrophoresis, which demonstrated a monoclonal IgM spike, and a bone marrow aspirate that revealed lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma with extensive plasmacytic differentiation. The volume percentage of quantitative cryoglobulins was 1% (reference range, 0%-0.5%). He reported a history of peripheral neuropathy. Findings from physical examination showed several shiny, erythematous, dome-shaped papules on the anterior aspect of the shins, ankles, and dorsa of the feet (Figure 1). Many lesions were scaly and hemorrhagic. A biopsy specimen was obtained from the left shin (Figure2) and was evaluated by electron microscopy (Figure 3). What is your diagnosis?


is an important and painstaking study of fundamental significance to all those interested in human cytogenetics and its relation to developmental anomaly


The manuscript 'plot' of the play The Second Part of the Seven Deadly Sins is a valuable document for theatre historians, but its date and company have been a matter of dispute. It was long thought to originate with Strange's Men in the early 1590s, but David Kathman argued in a 2004 article, using a variety of evidence including apprenticeship records, that it is actually from the Lord Chamberlain's Men in 1597-98. Andrew Gurr argued for the traditional date in his 2007 article 'The Work of Elizabethan Plotters and 2 Seven Deadly Sins ', challenging the relevance of Kathman's new evidence and claiming that his redating of the plot results in various problems. However, Gurr's rebuttal is itself marred by errors and faulty reasoning, and does nothing to weaken Kathman's argument. In particular, Gurr's claims about London apprentices are refuted by a wide array of documentary evidence.


The aim of the analysis in this essay will be divided into two cases. In the first, I will study the formation of a new State and why a geographic area of a country decides to make an secession. The focus will be on the secession of Biafra from Nigeria in 1967 and how the causes and explanations behind this secession, get in the Swedish literature as well as the international literature. In Case 2, I will use a explanation games, as a means to give pupils more understanding and to make it more clear, why a geographical area chooses to make a secession, and where I will use the secession of the Biafra from Nigeria as my example (Case 1). To more easily understand and answer the question, why the geographical area of Biafra in south-eastern Nigeria chose to do an secession, I have chosen to study my Case 1 from a social and political context. The broader aim of this essay is, during the use of theories to search which role the ethnicity and the ethnic pattern had in the decisions of the Biafra to do an secession and create a new state. But also to explore the didactic elements and methods in history teaching, we as teachers can use, in order to more clearly describe and explain why a geographical area decides to do an secession?Results from case 1 showed that ethnicity was a motivation for me to respond to the social and political events in Nigeria and to be able to explain why Biafra chose to break away. There are other reasons, but to me it was ethnicity and ethnic pattern the main causes and it became an ethnic breakaway from the Biafra. In case 2 the explanations games, need not be the only method for the teacher to more clearly explain for example why Biafra chose to break away from Nigeria but it can be a way to understand more.


Content-based retrieval (CBR) promises to greatly improve capabilities for searching for images based on semantic features and visual appearance. However, developing a framework for evaluating image retrieval effectiveness remains a significant challenge. Difficulties include determining how matching at different description levels affects relevance, designing meaningful benchmark queries of large image collections, and developing suitable quantitative metrics for measuring retrieval effectiveness. This article studies the problems of developing a framework and testbed for quantitative assessment of image retrieval effectiveness. In order to better harness the extensive research on CBR and improve capabilities of image retrieval systems, this article advocates the establishment of common image retrieval testbeds consisting of standardized image collections, benchmark queries, relevance assessments, and quantitative evaluation methods.


Sediment incubation experiments have been a cornerstone in limnology for improving our understanding of sediment processes in aquatic ecosystems. Experiments are usually performed in the laboratory, which has several limitations, including: additional handling that may disturb the integrity of the sediments, the financial expense of purchasing and maintaining growth chambers and anaerobic gloveboxes, and the inability to exactly recreate the ambient environmental conditions experienced by sediments in natural ecosystems. Furthermore, laboratory-based techniques are simply not possible with flocculent sediments from eutrophic ecosystems that are highly prone to separation following changes in pressure. Here, we describe a field-based technique for incubating sediment cores that is simple, versatile, and inexpensive. Our in situ incubation technique is highly effective for exposing sediments to natural temperature, pressure, and light regimes, and easily maintaining sediments under anaerobic conditions.


Many problems are easily expressed as an attempt to fulfill some goal while laboring under some set of constraints. Prior planning algorithms have addressed this in part, but there are few fast ways of working with more than just a few constraints. Extending algorithms designed for one constraint to multiple constraints is difficult due to the NP complete nature of the problem, prompting a switch to an approximation algorithm. This paper presents K2, a multiply-constrained planning algorithm which is an amalgamation of parts of H/spl I.bar/MCOP and Focussed D*. It accepts additive constraints over the path or over any fixed length section of the path. K2 operates quickly and produces results of acceptable quality.


This study reports on the ac Stark effect of nitric oxide electron-vibration (vibronic) levels dressed by an intense, bichromatic laser field. The aims of the work are to make quantitative measurements of the magnitude of the ac Stark shift of vibrational levels connected by the A2Σ+ ← X2Π1/2 transition and to map out the cycle-averaged level separation during the Stark field. In pump–probe experiments at intensities up to 30 TW cm−2, the ac Stark shift of the A2Σ+ vA = 2 ← X2Π1/2 vX = 0 transition is found to be Δ(S)2←0(800 nm) = 0.34 ± 0.05Up, where Up is the ponderomotive energy. By varying the time delay between component fields, the time dependence of the population in the A2Σ+ vA = 2 state is mapped out under different intensity conditions. Fluorescence monitoring of the upper level serves to identify the Stark-shifted transition and reveals that real population remains in the upper level after interacting with the short-pulse laser fields. Semiclassical calculations of NO irradiated by a bichromatic field indicate the direction of the A2Σ+ and X2Π1/2 level shifts and show that the population promoted to and retained in the A2Σ+ state is determined predominantly by intra-Rydberg state interactions rather than by multiphoton loss processes. The calculations also indicate that the magnitude of the ac Stark effect of the A2Σ+ ← X2Π1/2 transition depends on the spatial orientation of the molecule with respect to the linear polarization sense of the applied laser field.