The Smart X-ray Optics project is a UK based consortium of eight institutions investigating active/adaptive X-ray optics for both large and small scale applications. The consortium is funded by a basic technology grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The large scale application is aimed towards future high angular resolution, large X-ray telescopes for X-ray astronomy. The first prototype mirror incorporates piezoelectric devices to a standard X-ray shell to enable the surface to be actively deformed. The aim is to achieve an angular resolution better than that currently available (e.g. Chandra 0.5"). The initial design is based on a thin nickel ellipsoid segment on the back of which a series of thirty, curved piezoelectric actuators have been bonded. The small scale application is aimed at providing an X-ray focusing device, capable of producing a focused spot of ∼10μm, the same size as an average biological cell for cancer research and studies. Current small scale devices, zone plates, are limited by their focal length and aperture, and cannot be used at energies greater than 1keV . In order to increase the workable X-ray energies, whilst still providing small spot sizes over short distances, a new optic was designed. Micro Optical Arrays are based on polycapillary or Micro Channel Plate optics (MCPs) and consist of a series of parallel channels, etched into silicon wafers. By the attachment of piezoelectric devices, a device with a variable focal length can be created. The work presented within this thesis describes the design, metrology, modelling and X-ray testing of the first large adaptive X-ray optic and the theory, modelling and X-ray testing of the small scale optic. Summaries, conclusions and future work are also outlined.


ANALYSIS OF FEED CONCENTRATE FACTOR ON LAYING HEN AMINO ACIDS CONSUMPTION. Laying hens require a number of elements in which nutrients such as protein containing the amino acids are balanced in quality. Recently, there are various types of commercial ration (concentrate) for laying hens produced by the company. Quality of protein is expressed either high or low composition of amino acids depending on the essential amino acids contained in these feeds. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different types of commercial concentrates on the consumption of amino acids in laying chicken. The research was conducted on laying chicken farms located in Matali Village, district of East Kotamobagu, Kotamobagu Municipality. Laying hens of Silver Strains as many as 240 heads at 78-week-old were used in this study. This study applied a completely randomized design (CRD) consisting of three treatments and eight replications at each treatment. The treatments were using commercial concentrations of the amino acids for commercial Concentrate A (RA), commercial concentrate B (RB) and commercial concentrate C (RC). The laboratory analysis showed that the majority amounts of essential amino acids (Arginine, Lysine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, threonine and phenylalanine) of 80% was higher in RC than RB and RA, indicating that the composition of both quality and quantity of amino acids in commercial concentrates C (RC) is sufficient and more balanced than commercial concentrates A (RA) and commercial concentrate B (RB). These complete amino acids in RC increased more feed consumption of laying hens compared with those in RA and RB.Key words: Laying hens, amino acids, commercial concentrate


Magnesium phosphate-based bone cements, particularly struvite (MgNH4PO4∙6H2O)-forming cements, have attracted increased scientific interest in recent years because they exhibit similar biocompatibility to hydroxyapatite while degrading much more rapidly in vivo. However, other magnesium-based minerals which might be promising are, to date, little studied. Therefore, in this study, we investigated three magnesium-based bone cements: a magnesium oxychloride cement (Mg3(OH)5Cl∙4H2O), an amorphous magnesium phosphate cement based on Mg3(PO4)2, MgO, and NaH2PO4, and a newberyite cement (MgHPO4·3H2O). Because it is not sufficiently clear from the literature to what extent these cements are suitable for clinical use, all of them were characterized and optimized regarding setting time, setting temperature, compressive strength and passive degradation in phosphate-buffered saline. Because the in vitro properties of the newberyite cement were most promising, it was orthotopically implanted into a partially weight-bearing tibial bone defect in sheep. The cement exhibited excellent biocompatibility and degraded more rapidly compared to a hydroxyapatite reference cement; after 4 months, 18% of the cement was degraded. We conclude that the newberyite cement was the most promising candidate of the investigated cements and has clear advantages over calcium phosphate cements, especially in terms of setting time and degradation behavior.


The proposed true random number generator (TRNG) exploits the jitter of events propagating in a self-timed ring (STR) for generating random bit sequences at a very high bit rate. It takes advantage from a special feature of STRs allowing to adjust the time elapsed between successive events as short as needed, even in order of picoseconds. If the time interval between the events is set in concordance with the clock jitter magnitude, a simple entropy extraction scheme can be applied for generating random numbers. The proposed STR-based TRNG (STRNG) follows AIS31 recommendations: by using the proposed stochastic model, the designer can compute the lower entropy bound as a function of the STR characteristics (number of stages, oscillation period and jitter magnitude). Using the obtained entropy assessment, he can then set up the compression rate in the arithmetic post-processing block in order to reach the required security level determined by the entropy per output bit. Implementations of the generator in two FPGA families illustrate its feasibility in digital technologies and conrm that it can provide high quality random bit sequences letting pass the statistical tests required by AIS31 at rates as high as 200 Mbit/s.


One of the most important problems confronts hospitals is the strains emergence  of Enterococcus spp. with multiple resistance to antibiotics, which propel researchers to modify or produce new antibiotics or combination between two antibiotics so that to be more effective against Enterococcus . This study was aimed to susceptibility some of local Enterococcus spp. Isolates with of 21 antibiotic using  disc diffusion method. The results showed absolute resistant 100% toward (Cephalexin , Gentamycin , Amikacin ,Erythromycin and Nalidixic acid), while showed a high sensitivity toward (Vancomycin and Impenem ) at percentage of 92.3% for each . Also highly inhibitory activity were observed by using penicillins antibiotics groups against most Enterococcus  isolates . which contribute to that non of the isolates showed it is ability to produce beta – lactamase enzymes by iodometric tube method. Also susceptibility to some new and synergetic antibiotic like Gentamicin High level(synergy), Streptomycin High level (synergy), Linezolid, Tigecycline, Levofloxacin, Quinupristin /Dalfopristin was conducted by Vitek-2 system. the results showed the absolute sensitivity (100%) of isolates toward ( Linezolid and Tigecycline).
 All isolates showed multiple –resistant prescription to antibiotics , the number of antibiotics that every isolates resisted range between 6-12 antibiotic .


The localization of carbonic anhydrase (CA) was studied in rat skeletal muscles with the use of immunohistochemical (peroxidase-antiperoxidase) method. CA was observed in all those fibers that also showed pH 4.3 stable actomyosin adenosine triphosphatase activity (type I fibers), but the reverse did not necessarily hold. More specifically, CA was apparently localized in I-bands, and a weak reaction was also observed in sarcolemma. The function of CA in muscle fibers is possibly connected with the greater demands on CO2 transport and buffer system in muscles adapted to long-lasting contractions.


This paper describes the need for organisations to develop adaptive capacity in the face of environmental challenges. It argues that "knowledge transfer" can provide a useful mechanism for developing this environmental adaptive capacity and outlines the experiences of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between North Tyneside Council and Northumbria University. Initial findings from the partnership suggest that the knowledge and skills transferred to the local authority through knowledge transfer, are already building capacity within the organisation, and beginning to filter down to private sector companies involved with the authority and the communities who they represent.


The research was conducted in order to improve the hydrogen generation efficiency of the electrical plasma technology from tap water by using TiO₂ photocatalyst, mixed Cu - TiO₂ powder, and mixed Ni - TiO₂ powder as the catalysts. Experiments were performed with the pulsed power and nitrogen carrier gas. The result has shown that the hydrogen concentration with the presence of TiO₂ powder was created higher than that of without using photocatalyst. The hydrogen concentration with using TiO₂ was 3012ppm corresponding to the applied voltage of 16㎸, while it without using the TiO₂ was 1464ppm at the same condition . The effect of TiO₂ powder was strongly detected at the applied voltages of 15㎸ and 16㎸. This phenomena might be resulted from the co-effect of the pulsed power discharge and the activated state of TiO₂ photocatalyst. The co-effect of the mixed catalysts such as Cu-TiO₂ and Ni-TiO₂ (the mixed photocatalyst TiO₂ and transition metals) were also investigated. The experimental results showed that, Cu and Ni powder dopants were greatly enhancing the activity of the TiO₂ photocatalyst. Under these experimental conditions the extremely high hydrogen concentrations at the optimal point were produced as 4089ppm and 6630ppm, respectively.


Facial emotional recognition is something used often in our daily lives. How does the brain process the face search? Can taste modify such a process? This study employed two tastes (sweet and acidic) to investigate the cross-modal interaction between taste and emotional face recognition. The behavior responses (reaction time and correct response ratios) and the event-related potential (ERP) were applied to analyze the interaction between taste and face processing. Behavior data showed that when detecting a negative target face with a positive face as a distractor, the participants perform the task faster with an acidic taste than with sweet. No interaction effect was observed with correct response ratio analysis. The early (P1, N170) and mid-stage [early posterior negativity (EPN)] components have shown that sweet and acidic tastes modified the ERP components with the affective face search process in the ERP results. No interaction effect was observed in the late-stage (LPP) component. Our data have extended the understanding of the cross-modal mechanism and provided electrophysiological evidence that affective facial processing could be influenced by sweet and acidic tastes.


This manufacturing system of optical member laminates is provided with a first bonding device which bonds, on one surface of an optical display component, a first optical member sheet larger than the display region of the optical display component. Further, this manufacturing system is provided with a cutting device which cuts and separates a first region, which is the region of the first optical member sheet bonded by the first bonding device and which is opposite of the display region of the optical display component, from a second region, which is a region of the first optical member sheet outside of the first region.


State governments, with federal subsidies under the Medicaid program, are the source of the largest share of expenditures to support patients in the long-term institutional nursing care. A major state policy tool that has been evolving is the authority to approve or deny expansions in bed capacity. This paper is an analysis of how the behavior of physicians and nursing homes operates, given present reimbursement policies, could determine the allocation of beds among patients. Both general evidence of inefficient allocation and the detailed experience in the State of Rhode Island before and after a period of rapid expansion of bed capacity lend support to the conceptual model of home-operator behavior. Some alternative structural reforms in Medicaid and in the rationing of beds are suggested in the final section.


While the severe underrepresentation of women and non-binary people in open source is widely recognized, there is little empirical data on how the situation has changed over time and which subcommunities have been more effectively reducing the gender imbalance. To obtain a clearer image of gender representation in open source, we compiled and synthesized existing empirical data from the literature, and computed historical trends in the representation of women across 20 open source ecosystems. While inherently limited by the ability of automatic name-based gender inference to capture true gender identities at an individual level, our census still provides valuable population-level insights. Across all and in most ecosystems, we observed a promising upward trend in the percentage of women among code contributors over time, but also high variation in the percentage of women contributors across ecosystems. We also found that, in most ecosystems, women withdraw earlier from open-source participation than men.


Development of computer programs and features of its use in calculations of the dynamics of the concentration of flotation reagent for the introduction of flotation technology at the GOK, which allows you to effectively carry out multiple calculations of concentration from the influencing factors is given in this article


In the last twenty-five years many changes have taken place in the Spanish University system and, as a consequence, the university lecturer's role has evolved and a new teaching style prevails. The present paper focuses on University teachers of Economics and Business. It explores the teachers' perception about the new methodologies that they have implemented, the extent to which the process of change has modified their way of working and, finally, the benefits and drawbacks encountered. Moreover, we examine whether differences of opinion arise depending on the distinct personal and professional characteristics of each teacher. The results reveal that most of the methodological changes undergone by the teachers stem more from the new profile of their students than by regulatory obligations. There is a unanimous opinion that the time and effort dedicated to teaching is now notably greater and that it is necessary to develop a rigorous system of teaching evaluation. In addition, two clear aspects can be observed: on the one hand, staff with a wider experience has carried out more changes and uses new technologies to a greater extent, and, on the other hand, the use and promotion of English in class is still a crucial issue.


We studied the influence of the statistical properties of soil moisture changes on the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) coherence and closure phase to determine whether the InSAR coherence and closure phase can be used to estimate soil moisture changes. We generated semi-synthetic multi-looked interferograms by pairing n real single-looked pixels of an observed SAR image with n synthetic single-looked pixels. The synthetic SAR data are generated from the real SAR data by applying soil moisture changes with a pre-defined mean and standard deviation of changes. Our results show that the diversity of soil moisture changes within the multi-look window gives rise to decorrelation, a multi-looked phase artifact, and a non-zero phase triplet. The decorrelation and closure phase increase by enlarging the diversity of soil moisture changes. We also showed that non-soil moisture changes can lead to larger decorrelations and closure phases. Furthermore, the diversity of phase changes, decorrelation, and closure phases are correlated with land cover type. We concluded that the closure phase and coherence are independent of the magnitude of soil moisture changes and are inappropriate tools to estimate soil moisture changes. Coherence, however, can be used as a proxy for soil moisture changes if the diversity and magnitude of soil moisture changes within a multi-looked pixel are strongly correlated.


Critical Care Medicine • Volume 46 • Number 1 (Supplement) www.ccmjournal.org Learning Objectives: Ebstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection is common and usually causes mild, self-limited infection in children. EBV-related neurologic manifestations, including aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, cerebellitis, transverse myelitis, and seizures, are rare. These manifestations can occur alone or in conjunction with the clinical picture of primary EBV infection. Here we report a unique presentation of EBV meningoencephalitis complicated by status epilepticus in an immunocompetent child. Methods: A 2 year old healthy female presented with 7 days of fever and associated petechial rash, mucosal changes, and cervical lymphadenopathy. Shortly after admission, she developed status epilepticus originating from the right temporal lobe. Benzodiazepines, Fosphenytoin, and Phenobarbital were required for seizure resolution. CT was concerning for diffuse cerebral edema. CSF examination showed a lymphocytic pleocytosis and empiric treatment with Vancomycin, Ceftriaxone, and Acyclovir was initiated. Given concern for Atypical Kawasaki's, IVIG was given. MRI revealed multifocal areas of signal abnormality throughout the cortical and central gray matter. Cultures remained negative and empiric antibiotics were discontinued. Viral testing for Enterovirus, Parechovirus, and HSV were negative. EBV PCR was positive from the CSF. Serum evaluation was also consistent with primary EBV infection. Anti-viral therapy was not continued. The patient's course was complicated by bradycardia and hypertension from encephalitis-related dysautonomia. She showed gradual improvement with no further seizures, however demonstrated mild impairments in mobility and feeding at discharge. She was continued on Levetiracetam. At 2 month Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation follow-up, she had no residual deficits and a normal neurologic exam. Results: This case illustrates an unusual presentation of primary EBV infection with meningoencephalitis, status epilepticus, and transient autonomic dysfunction. Presentation of EBV infection is not always easily recognized or characterized by the classic symptoms. EBV meningoencephalitis must be considered in the setting of unexplained neurologic symptoms, especially in the presence of viral symptoms. Despite radiographic evidence of diffuse cerebral involvement, patients can have a limited disease course with favorable outcome.


Education
Mentoring is a critical component for retaining diverse talent in the STEM field. However, despite their best intentions, mentors may be unaware of how racial or ethnic differences may influence their mentees' research experience. To further investigate this potential disparity, Byars-Winston and Butz developed a scale to assess cultural diversity awareness related to race and ethnicity in research-mentoring relationships informed by multicultural counseling theory and social cognitive theory. Instrument validity yielded a three-factor mentor scale assessing attitudes, behavior, and confidence and a two-factor mentee scale assessing attitudes and behavior. This scale can be used as a self-assessment to prompt mentors' reflection on their mentoring practices and to encourage new ways of acknowledging and appreciating cultural diversity in their research-mentoring relationships.

CBE Life Sci. Educ. 10.1187/cbe.19-06-0127 (2021).


The formation of quasiparticles, such as polarons, in a condensed-matter system usually proceeds in an extremely fast way and is very difficult to observe. In Innsbruck, Rudolf Grimm's physics research group, in collaboration with an international team of theoretical physicists, has simulated the formation of polarons in an ultracold quantum gas in real time. The researchers have published their findings in the journal Science. [14]


This paper explores the ways in which introductory textbooks portray the complexity of the American political process. Consequently, this analysis serves as an important stepping stone to an understanding of how we as a discipline influence the political education of our students. While previous scholarship suggests that "American government textbooks are more alike than they are different" (Stroup and Garriott 1997: 73), an examination of the market's most frequently adopted texts suggests that this consistency does not extend much further than the subjects of major chapters. Research in other related disciplines suggests that we as social scientists communicate much about our understanding of the world through our curriculum (Bowman, Berman, and West 2001). Heeding the advice of Adams (1974), we develop the following questions. To what degree do our major texts provide a standardized curriculum for introductory courses in American government? What do our texts communicate about the values of the discipline and the importance of our subject? Finally, how might we understand the implications of this diversity through a focused examination of one core topic across multiple texts? The analysis first uses content analysis to examine the substantive coverage of a core topic, the American presidency across four major introductory texts of American government and politics. In this section, we draw from the approach utilized by Cigler and Neiswender in their analysis of the treatment of bureaucracy in the introductory textbook (1991). The analysis then turns to a rhetorical analysis of the sample set utilizing Kenneth Burke's Pentad as a framework for analysis (1945). Burke provides five fundamental perspectives to disclose rhetorical emphasis: Act, Scene, Agent, Agency and Purpose. Probing an author's treatment of these narrative elements is an effective means of characterizing an author's perspective. If political science does uniquely socialize students to democratic citizenship (Esaiasson 2008), then the substance of political science texts as key purveyors of political information is of critical importance to the future of American civic engagement. We would do well to know what content as well as what perspective it is we are purveying.


Phellinus baumii Pilat is a kind of macrofungi with abundant ingredients of polysaccharide, flavones, coumarin and so on, it has high nutritional value and activities of anti-tumor, immune regulation, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Solid fermentation of Phellinus baumii Pilat could not satisfy the market need and submerged fermentation may be an alternative way for the production of the fungus metabolites. The active ingredients and their pharmaceutical activities, the production rate of submerged fermentation and extraction method were reviewed in this article and submerged fermentation and aqueous two-phase extraction methods were prospected in Phellinus baumii Pilat production and utilization.


The binderless fiberboard was manufactured using defibrated poplar fiber as a raw material, without adding any additives, holding pressure-cooling process was used before unloading the boards out of the press. The effects of hot-pressing temperature, pressure, mat moisture content and hot-pressing time on the physical and mechanical properties of product, were evaluated and the relation between density and product properties in the test range was also discussed. The binderless poplar fiberboard produced under the conditions of hot-pressing temperature 200°, pressure 6MPa and mat moisture content 10% recorded: MOR 52.8MPa, MOE 6413MPa, IB 0.92MPa and 24h TS 7.56%.


During a 10‐year survey of 667 workers producing the detergent enzyme Esperase®, derived from an alkolophilic strain of Bacillus licheniformis, 31 were found to have been sensitized. All but one were at the same time sensitized to subtilisins, with which they also had been working. No distinction could be made between symptoms attributed to Esperase and symptoms attributed to enzymes derived from Bacillus subtilis (licheniformis) or other enzymes. Symptoms, when present, were mainly from the lower respiratory tract. Nine sensitized workers were symptom‐free. Sensitization was by IgE antibodies and detected by the RAST test. Twenty‐one sensitized workers were transferred for precautionary measures or left the company. All 26 sensitized workers, whom it was possible to follow and reinvestigate, were no longer RAST‐positive. Ten workers remained in their jobs. No signs of deteriorating lung function or permanent lung damage were found. The study indicated that, when strictly enforced, recommended operating procedures for workers handling hitherto well‐known detergent enzymes are sufficient for dealing with Esperase. The data suggest there is no significant risk of consumer Sensitization.


Recent publications have shown that the concentrations of minor metabolites such as formestane and 6a-hydroxy-androstenedione (6aOHADION) are import parameters, capable of increasing the specificity and efficiency of steroid abuse screening. The importance of such minor metabolites has been recognized for some time, but setting up concentration thresholds is not that straightforward with a single quadrupole gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) because of the low concentrations; this is especially the case for 6aOH-ADION. The main aim of this study was to propose a concentration threshold above which the detected 6aOH-ADION is considered suspicious and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) is recommended. Routine doping control samples (2128) from athletes that entered our lab and were not found suspicious for the intake of any doping substance were used to determine the baseline concentrations of 6a-OH-ADION. For this purpose, the more sensitive gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was used, capable of quantifying these low concentrations with high reliability. A urinary concentration threshold of 5 ng/mL was set. Concentrations above this threshold are considered suspicious and are forwarded to IRMS for confirmation in routine practice. In addition, an IRMS method was developed, capable of determining the 13C value of 6aOH-ADION. If a urine sample has an elevated 6aOH-ADION concentration and normal 13C values for the traditional IRMS target compounds, we are still able to check the 13C value of 6aOH-ADION. Six excretion studies were executed to stress the applicability of the threshold by visualizing the concentration and δ13C value time profiles of 6aOH-ADION.


Preparing for a customer-driven marketplace. The sands are shifting in the health care marketplace, and at least one Orlando, FL-based company is betting that in the not-too-distant future consumers will have much more control over their health care, and DM in particular. To respond, the company is designing programs that put a premium on personalization and take a much broader view of ROI.


Ustekinumab (UST) is treated to moderate to severe adult ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. We conducted the SIRIUS study (Symptom Improvement of ulceRative colitis after an Injection dose of UStekinumab in Japanese clinical practice, measured using patient-reported outcomes (PRO)) to record daily symptoms for 8 weeks after the introduction of intravenous ustekinumab in moderate to severe UC patients, which aimed to reveal early response patterns of symptoms during the induction of remission period with ustekinumab, and to explore symptoms suitable for monitoring and predicting treatment effect. This interim analysis focuses on stool frequency (SF) and rectal bleeding (RB) scores in the PRO-2 during the 8-week induction period.

 This single-arm prospective observational study conducted in 23 centers in Japan aimed to recruit 140 patients with moderate-to-severe UC between July 2021 and July 2022. RB score, SF score, abdominal pain, nocturnal diarrhea, tenesmus, and patient perception of improvement were recorded daily using a smartphone app. To be eligible for the study, participants must have a documented diagnosis of UC, be ≥16 years of age, have UC (partial Mayo score of 5~9), have had an inadequate response or intolerance to prior UC therapies, and be able to understand and complete PRO instruments using a smartphone. Patients who had prior exposure to UST, history of extensive colectomy, or were hospitalized when UST was started were excluded.

 In this analysis,137 patients were included. Seventy-four (54.4%) patients were male and the median age was 35 years. Seventy-six (55.9%) patients were Bio-naïve. This high proportion of Bio-naïve patients reflects the fact that UST can be used for Bio-naive patients without restrictions in the Japanese health insurance. At weeks 2 and 4, 56 (41.2%) and 57 (41.9%) patients attended outpatient clinics, respectively. The data collection rate of the PROs was 95%. Mean SF and RB scores were demonstrated stratified by prior treatment with Bio (Figure 1&3). Significant decreases in mean SF and RB scores were observed within 1 week in both Bio-naïve and -experienced patients. the time-course change in SF was similar between Bio-naïve and -experienced patients, but the decrease in RB scores was greater in the Bio-naïve patients than the Bio-experienced patients.

 A daily PRO-based analysis was conducted in the Sirius study to monitor symptoms during the first 8 weeks after the introduction of UST in patients with moderate-to-severe UC. This interim analysis revealed that SF and RB scores started to decrease within 1 week, demonstrating a rapid symptomatic response to UST. The analysis of the other PROs and predictors of efficacy will be performed in further studies.


A CMOS fingerprint sensor is presented with a self-biasing automatic local contrast adjustment technique for image binarization realized with a passive capacitive network. Pixel-parallel cellular logic is embedded into the sensor array and extracts the characteristic features of the fingerprint image without any additional area consumption. This single-chip sensing and encoding system is suited for low-power and low-cost applications.


The measurement of in vivo using EPR has some features which have already led to very useful applications and this approach is likely to have increasingly wide and effective use. It is based on the effect of oxygen on EPR spectra which provides a sensitive and accurate means to measure quantitatively. The development of oxygen-sensitive paramagnetic materials which are very stable, combined with instrumental developments, has been crucial to the in vivo applications of this technique. The physical basis and biological applications of in vivo EPR oximetry are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the use of EPR spectroscopy at 1 GHz using particulate paramagnetic materials for the repetitive and non-invasive measurement of in tissues. In vivo EPR has already produced some very useful results which have contributed significantly to solving important biological problems. The characteristics of EPR oximetry which appear to be especially useful are often complementary to existing techniques for measuring oxygen in tissues. These characteristics include the capability of making repeated measurements from the same site, high sensitivity to low levels of oxygen, and non-invasive options. The existing techniques are especially useful for studies in small animals, where the depth of measurements is not an overriding issue. In larger animals and potentially in human subjects, non-invasive techniques seem to be immediately applicable to study phenomena very near the surface (within 10 mm) while invasive techniques have some very promising uses. The clinical uses of EPR oximetry which seem especially promising and likely to be undertaken in the near future are long-term monitoring of the status and response to treatment of peripheral vascular disease and optimizing cancer therapy by enabling it to be modified on the basis of the measured in the tumour.


Abstract Introduction The occupational risk due to high levels of noise in the hospital environment has been recognized, and the National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance of the Ministry of Health recommends evaluation and control of noise in hospital areas. Objectives To assess the sound environment in the emergency ward of a general trauma reference hospital in the city of Curitiba, Parana State, Brazil. Methods In this descriptive study, noise levels were assessed on mornings, afternoons, and evenings using an integrating Bruel & Kjaer (Denmark) calibrated sound level meter, type 2230. Ten indoor points in the emergency ward were assessed; the helicopter as well as several available pieces of equipment in the ward were assessed individually. Results Noise levels in sound pressure level ambiance [dBA] ranged from 56.6 to 68.8. The afternoon period was the noisiest. The helicopter at 119 dBA and the cast saw at 90 dBA were the noisiest equipment, and the lowest noise level found was the activated oximeter at 61.0 dBA. Conclusion In all assessed points, noise levels were above the comfort levels recommended by the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (1987), which may harm users' and professionals' health as well as influence professional performance in the emergency ward. Sound pressure levels of the helicopter and cast saw reach high hearing hazard levels, requiring professionals to use individual protection equipment, and point to the need for creation and implementation of effective control measures of noise levels in emergency wards.


Cooperative is a model of cooperation, production and business that emerged quite early and very popular in Vietnam. However, from current business practices, the development of cooperatives is showing signs of decline. It hence raises a concern as to if the cooperative model is still suitable for the commercial environment in Vietnam in the current development stage? Therefore, article research the compatibility between cooperative and the current commercial environment in Vietnam to propose for the laws to be improved and to promote the strong development of cooperative.


Background Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is a valid alternative to carotid endarterectomy in selected patients. Periprocedural risk of complications is the main determinant for CAS validity. Certain patients' features may increase the risk of complication. Purpose To assess the management and outcome of the CAS in high-risk patient population. Patients and methods Clinical, treatment, and outcome variables of consecutive high-risk CAS candidates between January 2011 and June 2016 in one center were analyzed. Results Among 29 patients, 21 patients had successful CAS, and only one (3.45%) patient had minor periprocedural stroke. In total, six (20.69%) patients were shifted to carotid endarterectomy, and two (6.90%) patients were managed with medical treatment. Regression analysis showed that bovine arch was independent predictor of CAS infeasibility (P=0.006). The mean follow-up duration was 21.38±15 months. Follow-up duration passed uneventfully. Conclusion CAS in high-risk patients appears to be technically safe. The adverse outcome in high-risk patients is low and accepted. The morbidity and mortality is avoidable with better patient selection and the avoidance of aggressive manipulation whenever possible. CAS should be avoided in patients with certain anatomic risk factors such as type III arch and bovine arch.


A hybrid indirect and direct adaptive fuzzy output tracking control schemes are developed for a class of nonlinear multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems. This hybrid control system consists of observer and other different control components. Using the state observer, it does not require the system states to be available for measurement. Assisted by observer-based state feedback control component, the adaptive fuzzy system plays a dominant role to maintain the closed-loop stability. Being the auxiliary compensation, H/sup /spl infin// control and sliding mode control are designed to suppress the influence of external disturbance and remove fuzzy approximation error, respectively. Thus, the system performance can be greatly improved. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid fuzzy control system can guarantee the system stability and also maintain a good tracking performance.


After a brief review of the dysgenetic abnormalities which may affect the ear, branchial arches and pouches and the kidneys, the authors summarise those syndromes associating abnormalities of the ear and kidney on the one hand, and secondly abnormalities of the ear and facial and cervical fistulae. However, they are specifically interested in the branchio-oto-renal syndrome, reporting 5 cases. The syndrome combines deafness (middle ear and inner ear), pre-auricular and cervical fistulae and renal abnormalities. They attempt to summarise the syndrome by combining these 5 cases with the 15 published previously (4 initial cases of Melnick in 1974, 4 cases of Fitch in 1976, 7 of Fraser in 1978). The genetically transmissible nature of the syndrome would appear to be beyond doubt. The branchio-oto-renal syndrome was described for the first time in 1974 by Melnick, Bixter and Silk, who reported its existence in a father and three of his children, with an association of a malformation of the middle ear (block of the stapes), of the inner ear (cochlear hypoplasia), bilateral pre-auricular fistulae, bilateral cervical fistulae and renal hypoplasia with or without displasia. In 1974, Fitch and Srolowitz reported 4 new cases, and Fraser, Ling, Ologe and Nogrady a further 7 in 1978. The 5 cases published here bring the total known number to 20.


Complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) is the most hyper-variable region in B cell receptor (BCR) and T cell receptor (TCR) genes, and the most critical structure in antigen recognition and thereby in determining the fates of developing and responding lymphocytes. There are millions of different TCR Vβ chain or BCR heavy chain CDR3 sequences in human blood. Even now, when high-throughput sequencing becomes widely used, CDR3 length distributions (also called spectratypes) are still a much quicker and cheaper method of assessing repertoire diversity. However, distribution complexity and the large amount of information per sample (e.g. 32 distributions of the TCRα chain, and 24 of TCRβ) calls for the use of machine learning tools for full exploration. We have examined the ability of supervised machine learning, which uses computational models to find hidden patterns in predefined biological groups, to analyze CDR3 length distributions from various sources, and distinguish between experimental groups. We found that (a) splenic BCR CDR3 length distributions are characterized by low standard deviations and few local maxima, compared to peripheral blood distributions; (b) healthy elderly people's BCR CDR3 length distributions can be distinguished from those of the young; and (c) a machine learning model based on TCR CDR3 distribution features can detect myelodysplastic syndrome with approximately 93% accuracy. Overall, we demonstrate that using supervised machine learning methods can contribute to our understanding of lymphocyte repertoire diversity.


The efficacy of Action Recognition methods depends upon relevance of the action (Verb) with respect to the subject (Noun). Existing methods overlook the suitability of Noun-Verb combination in defining an action. In this work, we propose an algorithm called Reduced Verb Set Generator (RVSGen) to reduce the number of possible verbs related to the actions, based upon the relevance of noun-verb combination. A dual modal fusion model for egocentric activity recognition is proposed here to combine the features extracted from the RGB channels and the Optical flow vectors for an egocentric video to recognize the human activity. Unlike state-of-the-art methods, where the key objects and temporal cues are extracted simultaneously, the proposed model first extracts the spatial features i.e., object information (Noun) from the RGB channels and then relates the Noun with the suitable action (Verb) obtained from motion information (Optical Flow). The verbs are predicted by an ConvLSTM architecture with the help of a modified softmax. The notion behind the modified softmax is to estimate the probability distribution with the reduced verb set obtained from RVSGen and the feature vector obtained from the ConvLSTM. With the help of an end-to-end trained architecture, the noun and verb are predicted which are then concatenated together constituting an action. The experiments are performed on a benchmark dataset. The results show the efficacy of the proposed method compared to the state-of-the-art. The codes related to this work can be found at: https://github.com/mpLogics/EgoAR-RVSGen.


In this paper, a new technology which can be used to diagnose 3-D temperature distribution of argon arc plasma is proposed. Compared with current technologies, two aspects have been improved. First, a new hybrid reconstruction technique [max-entropy, least square, and flatness reconstruction technique (MLFRT)] is presented as an algorithm system, where the numerical simulation of the MLFRT has been realized. The results show that the MLFRT has good convergence, stability, and efficiency. Second, two orthographic double-wavelength light paths have been designed in the experimental setup, which can collect intensity data in real time. Based on these data, we reconstruct the emission coefficient using the MLFRT. Then, a spectral line relative intensity method was chosen to calculate the 3-D temperature distribution, where the spectral analysis of argon arc plasma was introduced. This new technology can acquire good result by just two orthographic intensity data sets. Therefore, the experimental system is simple, and the experimental cost is low. The result is beneficial to understand the working principle of argon arc plasma, improving the level of craftsmanship. It also has good application advantages over other 3-D flow field testing, such as density field, pressure field, velocity field, etc. It shows great academic and economic value.


An embodiment of the present invention relates to a transmissive multi-layer stereoscopic image display device. A solution for a technical objective is to complexly display a sense of depth distance and a sense of spatial distance by means of depth and a stereoscopic image from 2D video and 3D video data when displaying on a device a display structure comprising a multi-layer image and a stereoscopic image and, moreover, to prevent moire effects. To this end, disclosed is a transmissive multi-layer stereoscopic image display device comprising: a first screen which is for displaying a first image comprising a left-eye image and a right-eye image; a second screen which is disposed so as to come in contact with the first screen and is for displaying a second image; a slit member which is adhered on the first screen facing the second screen, is obliquely formed, and is for projecting the left-eye image and right-eye image to the left eye and right eye of a user in front of the second screen; and a backlight member which is disposed on the other side of the first screen, the opposite side of one side thereof, and projects light on the first screen.


It is often the case that the best performing language model is an ensemble of a neural language model with n-grams. In this work, we propose a method to improve how these two models are combined. By using a small network which predicts the mixture weight between the two models, we adapt their relative importance at each time step. Because the gating network is small, it trains quickly on small amounts of held out data, and does not add overhead at scoring time. Our experiments carried out on the One Billion Word benchmark show a significant improvement over the state of the art ensemble without retraining of the basic modules.


In the article a comparative analysis of different variants of structured schemes of static converters for traction drive of the promising multi-system electric locomotive is performed. As a criterion of comparison estimation it is offered to use the values of main parameters of unification of functional units included in the converter.


Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War drew on the selective conscription of additional manpower through 16 biannual ballots. 20-year-old men were liable to serve if their date of birth was drawn out. The random nature of the ballot was seen as an equitable method of selection for a system of labour coercion that was potentially life-threatening. We investigate the various stages of conscription of these 'national servicemen' to undertake service in Vietnam throughout the war and evaluate the extent to which the processes provided for fair and equitable selection. Comparisons are drawn with a similar process of Vietnam-War era conscription in the United States.


Based on NASA Eos data panel analyses, an architectural concept is described in terms of elemental composition, top-level functions, and external and internal interfaces. This concept has been evaluated through the use of realistic user-generated scenarios consistent with existing plans for the 1990s and the Space Station. Developmental approaches for the requisite Eos data and information system are presented and a hybrid methodology for implementing this system is discussed. >


We investigate to what extent the models trained to detect general abusive language generalize between different datasets labeled with different abusive language types. To this end, we compare the cross-domain performance of simple classification models on nine different datasets, finding that the models fail to generalize to out-domain datasets and that having at least some in-domain data is important. We also show that using the frustratingly simple domain adaptation (Daume III, 2007) in most cases improves the results over in-domain training, especially when used to augment a smaller dataset with a larger one.


A monolithic quartz actuator fabricated by anisotropic etching and operated by means of piezoelectric effect at resonant frequency is reported. Quartz actuators with large displacement had not previously been developed, because quartz has small piezoelectric constants compared to materials such as PZT. However, the authors have demonstrated a mechanism that provides displacements of up to 200 mu m with a millimeter-size suspended actuator using the piezoelectricity of quartz. As examples, bellows-type actuators and optical choppers have been fabricated and their mechanical characteristics measured. It has been shown that the bellows-type actuator can displace a small object statically by hitting it repeatedly. This woodpecker motion can be applied to move a small optical component such as a mirror and prism to switch the path of light.<<ETX>>


The daily schedule of women is dictated by various requirements, and consequently their activity–travel patterns are often more complex and heterogeneous than those of their male counterparts. The problems associated with women's mobility have highlighted the need to treat males and females separately when travel behavior is represented, especially when transportation policy interventions are concerned. Because of the substantial differences between men's and women's activity and travel behavior, they may respond differently to policy changes. This paper describes an activity-based approach to women's travel behavior analysis, where time is allocated to in-home and out-of-home nonwork activities. A mixed joint probit–Tobit model was developed for daily time allocation to a set of nonwork activities; it allows for two-stage choice: first a woman decides whether to engage in activities outside the home (discrete choice), then she chooses which nonwork activities to participate in and allocates the time for them (discrete–continuous choice). Data used for model estimation were from the Mobility and Equal Opportunities Survey conducted in Cagliari, Italy, in 2006 by Centro Interuniversitario Ricerche Economiche e Mobilità in collaboration with Cagliari Provincial Authority's Department of Gender Equality. The survey results highlight the dual roles of women who have to divide their time between work and family and indicate how transportation system efficiency plays a pivotal role in women's schedules and imposes constraints on their leisure time more than does any other individual or household characteristic.


We investigated the neighbourhood-scale effect of weeding on native plants in Lance McCaskill Nature Reserve, Canterbury, New Zealand. The reserve is an unproductive basin of limestone debris. Originally set up to protect the Castle Hill buttercup, Ranunculus crithmifolius var. paucifolius , the reserve also offers protection for nationally endangered species: Myosotis colensoi and Lepidium sisymbrioides . Our aim was to investigate whether removal of introduced plants increased the cover of remaining native species. We removed introduced plants, by hand, every year for 6 years from half of the plots. We used nonparametric multivariate analysis to compare overall species cover.The results suggest that weeding does benefit the native plants in this area. There was a significant difference in the mean of the overall native species cover between the weeded and the non-weeded plots. For the ten species measured, the mean area covered per square metre was higher in the weeded plots than in the non-weeded plots...


Radiation-driven, low-adiabat, cryogenic DT layered plastic capsule implosions were carried out on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to study the sensitivity of performance to peak power and drive duration. An implosion with extended drive and at reduced peak power of 350 TW achieved the highest compression with fuel areal density of ~1.3±0.1 g/cm2, representing a significant step from previously measured ~1.0 g/cm2 toward a goal of 1.5 g/cm2. Future experiments will focus on understanding and mitigating hydrodynamic instabilities and mix, and improving symmetry required to reach the threshold for thermonuclear ignition on NIF.


U.S. federal drug policy has long emphasized criminalization and incarceration, and many negative policy outcomes have disproportionately impacted communities of color and Blacks in particular. The framework of harm reduction informs a range of alternative policy strategies from decriminalization to legalization, treating drugs more as a public health than a criminal justice issue. While Black communities are seen as opposing harm reduction with illicit drugs, Black leadership has recently supported ending the war on drugs. Using in-depth interviews with 21 substance abuse service providers in a Northeastern U.S. urban hub, this study explores views toward the potential impact of, and support for, harm reduction illicit drug policies in Black U.S. communities. Cognizant of the racially skewed impact of drug policies, respondents endorsed policy changes but were generally mixed on harm reduction, opposing liberalization of "hard" drugs, yet supporting it for marijuana given its link to race-based policing. Respondents indicate many Black communities need more than drug policy change, at best seeing harm reduction as only part of larger scale reinvestment. Findings inform considerations of reforming drug policy strategies and priorities for these communities, given views toward illicit drugs and racially skewed outcomes of current drug policy.


Simmentaler cross (SX), Bonsmara cross (BX) and Nguni (NG) steers were raised on natural sweet veld pastures and slaughtered at 18 or 30 months of age. Slaughtering occurred at the end of the wet summer season. Live weight and carcass traits were significantly influenced by breed and slaughter age. The amount as well as percentage kidney and omental fat differed significantly between the respective slaughtering ages, but only between breeds at 30 months of age. Breed and slaughter age affected back-fat thickness. All fat parameters were lower at 18 months than at 30 months of age. Breed did not have a large influence on meat quality attributes, but age did. Drip loss was similar for the breeds and slaughter age groups. The meat was darker and more red at 30 months than at 18 months of age. The pH24 of the longissimus muscle was 5.51 and 5.67 at 18 and 30 months of age, respectively. No breed differences were detected for sensory panel attributes or Warner-Bratzler shear force values. Sensory panel tenderness and Warner-Bratzler shear force values indicated tougher meat from 30-month old steers than from 18-month old steers. Differences in meat quality were probably due to the combined effects of fatness, pH and collagen characteristics. It is concluded that in sweet veld areas steers from small- to medium-framed breeds can be raised successfully and slaughtered at 30 months of age without supplementation of natural pastures. Slaughtering steers at younger ages may require supplementary feeding or feedlot finishing.


We discuss the SM Higgs discovery potential of the LHC in the channels and when the jet or lepton is observed at sufficiently high and a small rapidity to be reliably identified. We calculate all the signal subprocesses and the irreducible background with realistic kinematical cuts. The reducible QCD background is also estimated. We conclude that the channel can give about 120-200 signal events for Higgs mass 100140 GeV at the integrated luminosity of 30fb . This signal rate should be compared with only 330-600 events for the irreducible background per two-photon invariant mass interval of 2 GeV. We estimate the QCD reducible background at the level of % of the irreducible one. Thus, one may hope that the Higgs boson can be discovered already after 1-1.5 years of LHC operation at a low luminosity. At a high luminosity of 10 cm s the observation of high Higgs bosons in this channel will be possible with significance higher than 15 for 100fb .


Simple Summary The sawfly, Athalia rosae, exploits a haplodiploid mode of reproduction, in which fertilized eggs develop into diploid females, whereas unfertilized eggs parthenogenetically develop into haploid males. The doublesex (dsx) gene is a well-conserved transcription factor that regulates sexual differentiation in insects. In the present study, we knocked down the A. rosae ortholog of dsx (Ardsx) during several developmental stages with repeated double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) injections. As a result, knockdown of Ardsx in haploid males caused almost complete male-to-female sex reversal, but the resulting eggs were infertile. The same knockdown approach using diploid males caused complete male-to-female sex reversal; they were able to produce fertile eggs and exhibited female behaviors. The same RNAi treatment did not affect female differentiation. These results demonstrated that dsx in the sawfly is essential for male development and its depletion caused complete male-to-female sex reversal. This is the first demonstration of functional depletion of dsx not causing intersexuality but inducing total sex reversal in males instead. Abstract The doublesex (dsx) gene, which encodes a transcription factor, regulates sexual differentiation in insects. Sex-specific splicing of dsx occurs to yield male- and female-specific isoforms, which promote male and female development, respectively. Thus, functional disruption of dsx leads to an intersexual phenotype in both sexes. We previously identified a dsx ortholog in the sawfly, Athalia rosae. Similar to dsx in other insects, dsx in the sawfly yields different isoforms in males and females as a result of alternative splicing. The sawfly exploits a haplodiploid mode of reproduction, in which fertilized eggs develop into diploid females, whereas unfertilized eggs parthenogenetically develop into haploid males. In the present study, we knocked down the A. rosae ortholog of dsx (Ardsx) during several developmental stages with repeated double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) injections. Knockdown of Ardsx via parental RNA interference (RNAi), which enables knockdown of genes in offspring embryos, led to a lack of internal and external genitalia in haploid male progeny. Additional injection of dsRNA targeting Ardsx in these animals caused almost complete male-to-female sex reversal, but the resulting eggs were infertile. Notably, the same knockdown approach using diploid males obtained by sib-crossing caused complete male-to-female sex reversal; they were morphologically and behaviorally females. The same RNAi treatment did not affect female differentiation. These results indicate that dsx in the sawfly is essential for male development and its depletion caused complete male-to-female sex reversal. This is the first demonstration of functional depletion of dsx not causing intersexuality but inducing total sex reversal in males instead.


Postmortem decay causes fingertip decomposition, desiccation, shriveling, and rigidity, reducing the possibility of obtaining sufficiently clear fingerprints for identification. In this study, five rehydration solutions (ammonium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, urea, and warm water) followed by three fingerprint recording methods (photograph, inking roll, and dusting tape) were investigated to process mummified fingertips from an unidentified cadaver. The results show that sodium carbonate treatment is the most effective for minutiae restoration, followed by ammonium hydroxide treatment. This study also demonstrates that even those fingertips that previously failed in urea solution, 1% potassium hydroxide solution, and warm water treatment could be further improved with sodium carbonate solution to obtain qualified minutiae for fingerprint matching. The optimal procedure is rehydrating the desiccated fingertips with sodium carbonate solution for 24 h followed by dusting the finger and transferring the print to adhesive tape.


The use of a low temperature grown GaAs (LT GaAs) buffer layer in GaAs FETs is shown via computer simulation and experimental measurement to reduce ion-induced charge collection by two to three orders of magnitude. This reduction in collected charge is associated with the efficient reduction of charge-enhancement mechanisms in the FETs. Error rate calculations indicate that the soft error rate of LT GaAs integrated circuits will be reduced by several orders of magnitude when compared to conventional FET-based GaAs ICs.


Many commonly used force fields for protein systems such as AMBER, CHARMM, GROMACS, OPLS, and ECEPP have amino-acid-independent force-field parameters for main-chain torsion-energy terms. Here, we propose a new type of amino-acid-dependent torsion-energy terms in the force fields. As an example, we applied this approach to AMBER ff03 force field and determined new amino-acid-dependent parameters for ψ (N-C(α)-C-N) and ζ (C(β)-C(α)-C-N) angles for each amino acid by using our optimization method, which is one of the knowledge-based approach. In order to test the validity of the new force-field parameters, we then performed folding simulations of α-helical and β-hairpin peptides, using the optimized force field. The results showed that the new force-field parameters gave structures more consistent with the experimental implications than the original AMBER ff03 force field.


Persons with prolonged and heavy alcohol use generally suffer from alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) and develop physical, sexual as well as psychiatric co-morbidity. Successful recovery to normalcy depends on multiple factors including patient's motivation. To study clinico-demographic profile, reasons for initiating alcohol use, sexual and psychiatric disorders and eagerness for treatment and quitting alcohol in ADS inpatients. Fifty consecutive ADS inpatients with matching controls were enrolled. Clinico-demographic profile, factors for initiating alcohol use, psychiatric and sexual co-morbidity and want for treatment and being abstinent was studied applying relevant scales. All subjects were males with a mean age of 37.5 years, 80% were married, majority were Hindu (88%) and from nuclear families (56%). Fifty two percent had an education level of Graduation or more and 68% of patients reported peer pressure to be the initiating factor for alcohol use. Seventy six percent had psychiatric co-morbidity including personality Problems and other Psychiatric disorders 19(38%), delirium tremens 14 (28.00%) and Mood disorders 12(24%).Depression being most common mood disorder (14%). Nicotine was the most common other substance of use 32 (64%). Sixty eight percent of the patient reported one or another sexual dysfunction. 68% of ADS inpatients acknowledged of having problems related to their drinking, expressed desire for change and were eager to avail treatment and to remain abstinent. ADS patients commonly suffer from psychiatric co-morbidity and sexual dysfunctions. They also wish to have effective treatment and to quit alcohol.


Oral cavity and head and neck cancer occurs most often between the fifth and sixth decade of life and is generally attributed to the indiscriminate use of substances such as alcohol and tobacco snuff for a considerable amount of time. However, recent studies show an increased incidence in younger patients who have never been exposed to these and other risk factors such as occupational risk, genetic predisposition and diet.


High search costs weaken market integration in developing country agricultural markets, harming both farmers and consumers. We present evidence from a large-scale experiment designed to reduce search costs in randomly selected subcounties in Uganda by introducing a mobile phone-based marketplace for agricultural commodities. The intervention drives increases in trade ows and reductions in price divergence across treated markets. Entry by traders into treated markets increases, and profits of incumbents decrease. However, small-scale farmers find it diffcult to reach the scale necessary to find buyers on the platform; only the largest farmers use the platform. As a result, we are only able to detect significant increases in revenues among the farmers most likely to use the platform. Point estimates suggest effects that are meaningful in magnitude, but not statistically significant for the majority of farmers. Since farmers are so numerous and the cost per-farmer is low, these income gains per household aggregate to make the intervention strongly cost-beneficial from an overall welfare perspective.


Overall, most of the studies on career aspiration were focused on college students and very rarely on working adults. There were yet very few empirical investigations that studied about factors that contributed to aspiration of advancing to upper level position especially the aspiration to top management among working women in middle management. The purposes of this study were to find out the relationship of self-efficacy, work family conflict, social support, gender role attitude, role model and career aspiration to top management among women in middle management at the manufacturing line. Besides, this study intended to determine the contribution of each factor to career aspiration.
Using questionnaires, data were obtained from 109 married women in middle management at eight private manufacturing companies located in Bangi and Nilai. The staff in middle management included executives, senior executives and assistant managers. Descriptive statistical analysis, Pearson Product-Moment correlation and regression analysis were employed to analyze the data.
This study found that self-efficacy, social support, gender role attitude and role model were significantly related to career aspiration (p<0.05). Specifically, self-efficacy and gender role attitude were the most significant antecedents of career aspiration among women in middle management at the manufacturing line. Overall there was 41.4% of the variability in career aspiration was explained by self-efficacy, work family conflict, social support, gender role attitude and role model influence.
Strengthening support system and confidence stimulation program could be the most effective way to improve the career aspiration among working women in the middle management. Given the importance of self-efficacy, it is crucial for career counselors to develop interventions that build up the middle management women's confidence and increase their self-efficacy.
Further studies are expected to compare the antecedents of career aspiration among different age, religious or ethnic groups of middle management women. Nevertheless, future studies should be carried out for other service sectors such as banking, education and insurance in which female staff are the major composite.


When grown in medium containing ascorbic acid and β‐glycerol phosphate, mouse MC3T3‐E1 cells express an osteoblast phenotype and produce a highly mineralized extracellular matrix. The purpose of this study was to independently examine the role of the collagenous matrix and functional osteoblasts on the mineralization process. Cultures with and without an extensive collagenous matrix were prepared by growing MC3T3‐E1 cells in the presence and absence of ascorbic acid. Matrix‐rich cultures mineralized at much lower calcium phosphate ion products than nonmatrix cultures. At higher ion products, spontaneous precipitation in the medium and cell layers of nonmatrix cultures were observed. In contrast, mineral in matrix‐rich cultures was still exclusively associated with collagen fibrils and not with ectopic sites in the cell layer or medium. To examine the effect of cell viability on matrix mineralization, cells were grown 8 or 16 days in the presence of ascorbic acid, then killed and incubated in a mineralizing medium. Significant mineralization was not observed in the collagenous matrix of 8‐day killed cultures or age‐matched controls. At 16 days mineral was associated with collagen fibrils at specific foci in the matrix of both viable and killed cultures. This observation is consistent with the concept that collagenous matrices must undergo a maturation process before they can support mineral induction and growth. It further shows that osteoblast‐like cells are not required for mineralization of mature matrices, but are required for matrix maturation.


The Common Core State Standards Initiative seeks to prepare all students to graduate high school without remedial needs, to improve transparency across states' accountability systems, and to foster efficiencies in the development and distribution of educational resources. The reform was adopted in more than 40 states and has been described as state-led. We examined federal and philanthropic funding for the reform through a conceptual lens of resource dependence theory. Our document analyses surfaced eight pathways along which funding for the Common Core traveled into, through, and around the public education system. We consider clusters of pathways according to their purposes and the consequences of such clustering for the reform. We conclude by discussing benefits derived from this funding for different types of entities that grant and receive it.


Tansen is renowned for its natural settings, historic buildings and a living cultural heritage that have remained, from medieval period until now. By UNWTO statistics,internationally, cultural tourism comprises 39% of the total tourism arrivals. This reaffirms that offering greater access to the cultural and heritage assets would give Tansen a competitive edge over the other tourist destinations and increase its attractiveness as a top tourist destination in Nepal. This article is related to study of how the heritage sites could be revived to make the cultural heritage tourism sustainable and regain Tansen's economic vibrancy that has been depleting in the recent times. The purpose of the study is to examine the current state of the cultural heritage management in Tansen, to examine the prospect of revitalizing the cultural heritage assets and; to examine the role of the local communities in these aspects. The methods used in the study were site observations, a key informant interview of experts including the city Mayor, tourism entrepreneurs, site mangers and opinion survey of tourists and the local community resident. The study shows that local population has a positive opinion and initial enthusiasm on the emerging tourist arrivals after the restoration of Rani Mahal, but their role is marginalized in the process. This is the key proposition to start an initiative for the local communities to actively participate in tourism development projects. 'Revitalizing the Rani Mahal heritage' launched through the Public Private Partnership with support from UNESCO could build the trust amongst the high end international as well as domestic tourist and attract more investments to conserve, protect and promote the heritage capital stocks for the Tansen tourism development.


Low-income housing plays an important, but frequently overlooked, role in energy use reduction. Barriers persist for low-income households to participate in energy efficiency programs and adopt efficient lifestyles. However, there has been only limited research into energy efficiency barriers faced by low-income households. Existing energy research studies primarily focus on homeowners whose demographic and socio-economic profiles are likely to be very different from low-income households or renters—limiting the applicability of previous findings to low-income households. This study aims to identify and evaluate the importance of the energy efficiency barriers faced by low-income households. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 212 low-income households in Australia. After randomly dividing the data into calibration and validation samples, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the calibration sample identifies four energy efficiency barrier factors of financial, decision-making, information, and split incentives. These four factors are then validated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the validation sample in terms of goodness-of-fit, reliability, and validity to confirm financial as the most highly rated energy efficiency barrier. This research contributes to bridging the knowledge gap of the energy efficiency barriers of low-income households and providing a validated CFA model as a tool for assessment. The results provide a better understanding of the barriers involved and research evidence to facilitate the formulation of policies to overcome them.


For several decades the only type of growth regulator believed to move with strong polarity through plants was the endogenous auxin indole-3-acetic acid (9, 15, 25). After it had been demonstrated that both naphthalene-acetic acid (8, 16) and the weed killer 2,4-D also moved with strong polarity when tested under the same conditions as IAA (17, 18), investigations were started on other types of growth regulators. Several cytokinins have been tested for polar movement through excised sections. The first reports of polarity in the movement of benzyladenine (1, 20) could not be confirmed in more detailed investigations by Fox and Weis (7). If kinetin moved at all through excised sections, it usually moved without polarity (14, 24). Adenine, a weak cytokinin, also moved without polarity through Coleus petiole sections (24). The two authors who have studied gibberellin movement through excised sections concluded that gibberellin moved through pea stems, but without polarity. Kato (13) used primarily ultraviolet absorption to estimate the gibberellic acid extracted from receiver blocks of agar.3 Presumably forced to do so because of the insensitivity of this method, he used extremely high concentrations of GA34 in the donor blocks (1.4 grams per liter, in contrast to the milligram per liter concentration of GA3 typically used in physiological experiments). Clor (3), purporting to confirm Kato, added tritium-labeled gibberellin of unstated purity, concentration, or even structure and then counted the label extractable from tissue slices. No evidence was presented that any of the label thus counted was still with the "gibberellic acid." Basipetally polar movement has been reported for both synthetic and natural abscisic acid isolated from tomato fruits in transport experiments with explants, petiole, and internode segments of Coleus rhenaltianus (6). Milborrow (19) has stated that abscisic acid labeled with radioisotope moves with 3: 1 basipetal polarity through petiolar sections. By analogy with the active transport systems studied in cell physiology (22), we could expect more than just two plant hormones to show polar movement. The two negative reports with GA3 did not convince us that this expectation was unfoundedClor's because of its cited inadequacies, and Kato's because the levels of GA3 in the donor were so high. (The polarity of IAA


In this study we investigate the deployment of a model for IT governance named pm 3 in a large healthcare organisation. We are especially interested in if and how the basic goals, the inherent rationality, of the pm 3 model-in-concept change in translation during the model deployment process. The concept of model rationality is suggested as a beneficial approach for analysing differences between pm3-in-concept and pm 3 -in-use. We have identified three main contributions with the suggested approach that are of benefit for both research and practice: 1) We can define and express the rationality in the pm3 model for IT and governance in a clear manner, 2) we have used the pm3 rationality as an evaluation tool that has proven to be useful in practice, and 3) we have also identified the main problems in deploying pm 3 in the investigated healthcare organisation.


Abstract. Ethical issues, with respect to computer‐based information systems, are important to the individual IS practitioner. These same issues also have an important impact on the moral well‐being of organizations and societies. Considerable discussion has taken place in the Information Systems (IS) literature on specific ethical issues, but there is little published work which relates these issues to mainstream ethical theory. This paper describes a range of ethical theories drawn from philosophy literature and uses these theories to critique aspects of the newly revised ACM Code of Ethics. Some in the IS field on problematic ethical issues which are not resolved by the Code are then identified and discussed. The paper draws some implications and conclusions on the value of ethical theory and codes of practice, and on further work to develop existing ethical themes and to promote new initiatives in the ethical domain


The subjective and objective results in seven patients with symptomatic Kienböck's disease treated by radial shortening demonstrate that this procedure is simple and effective in the early stages of the disease, when there is no arthrosis, wrist collapse or translation. By decompressing the shear stress imposed on the lunate bone, pain was relieved and function improved in almost all patients.


During the summer of 1945 to 1980 when the military dictatorship was prevalent in Korea, Taiwan's literature society focused on Korea's anti communism, economic growth and cultural heritages. That was because there were limited communications between clubs such as pen club and writers' associations between both counties. This kind of inactive communication between two countries got a turnaround when Taiwan's writers watched the democratization movement in Korea. Chen Ying-Zhen's report (Reporting literature) and other liberal writers' translation works helped Taiwanese people to watch Korea in different viewpoint. The description of Korea by traditional Taiwanese writers helped people find new image of Korea in 1980s. Especially, the in-depth description on the death of President Park Jung Hee by Ye Rong-Zhong in his essay is a good example showing that Taiwanese writers will get good impression on korea. The new recognition of history by pioneer writers is more actively successes to other writers when the new age begins to appear. For example, the Zhan Che's works on the construction of TMD in the Korean peninsula shows that his work exceeds the limit of works on 38th parallel military line by Luo Men. Recently Mr. Zhong Qiao, who is a playwriter and poet translated the works of Kim Nam Ju into Chinese and created and performed the plays related to the Korea's May 18th freedom movement. It showed that Taiwanese writers start to watch Korea with new viewpoint of history.


In this paper we present a scalable range-free algorithm for localization in wireless sensor network. Accurate and distributed localization algorithms are needed for a wide variety of wireless sensor network applications. Our algorithm finds neighbor nodes by comparing RSS and estimates the location from these neighbors' location. We also provide an evaluation of our algorithm on a simulated sensor network.


With the quick development of E-commerce development, Cross Border business activity via the Internet which was as the complicated business model now has the new development situation and strategies in China. In this paper, we divided the business process of Cross Border E-commerce into five parts. They are marketing capability part, logistics part, payments part, tariff policy part and transaction rules part. We analyze each part development situation, advantage aspects, and problems in nowadays. Based on this analysis and case study, we try to find more effective development strategies for Cross Border E-commerce of China in the worldwide competition. Therefore, five kinds of strategies which most of them from the government perspectives we have found in the following parts. For the government, we advise them to create favorable environment for Cross-Border E-Commerce, to vigorously promote the development of electronic payment industry, to optimize logistics and distribution services of electronic commerce, to make the e-commerce credit service system perfectly and to improve the information infrastructure and security system. Marketing Capability in Cross Border Ecommerce It refers to enterprises' market activities such as supply and demand analysis, parity ability, customer recognition and quick judgment, international sales and other capabilities. Many cross-border companies believe that the current international e-commerce platforms can't fully meet the needs of cross-border e-commerce enterprises, and can't significantly enhance the import and export capacity through the platforms online. Now it's urgent to cultivate the local cross-border service platforms to guide more and more small and medium enterprises to settle in these platforms, to expand the scale and enhance the efficiency of the import and export through the Internet. Logistics in Cross Border Ecommerce In the cross-border logistics, the electronic logistics, the transfer speed and the transaction cost are all far from expectation, which seriously affect the development of cross-border e-commerce in China. Therefore, if we could integrate domestic and international logistics resources and take their advantages, these measures will enhance the speed of development of the cross-border e-commerce and lead to larger scale of cross-border transactions. Payment in Cross Border Ecommerce As the development of the electronic settlement, third party payment, transaction security, electronic credit development, in particular, Paypal, Alipay and other online financial instruments, cross-border payments are no longer bottlenecks that restrict the development of cross-border e-commerce. Tariff Policy in Cross Border Ecommerce At present, most of the cross-border e-commerce platforms export through express parcels. Thus export enterprises can only obtain the transport bills, but they cannot provide Customs Export Declaration and other legal documents. Under the guidance and support of the government, the tax exemption policy for small bills not only provides a policy support for the export of these products in a standardized and orderly environment, but also attracted a large number of small and medium enterprises to involve in and thus promote the development of cross-border e-commerce in China. Transaction Rules in Cross Border E-commerce Business rules of cross-border e-commerce transactions is imminent, which includes the rights and obligations of both parties, the standard level of cross-border trading platform services, the information security of cross-border e-commerce transactions, online contract mechanism and disputes, the legal and regulatory services in cross-border transactions, the trade body, the specification of credit rating and evaluation behavior, the laws and regulations supervision of the third party payment platform, the punishment of the transaction order destruction, the standardization of cross-border e-commerce poundage and the needs for cross-border e-commerce disputes processing. The Strategies of Cross Border E-commerce in China


Background: The development of gallstones, also known as cholelithiasis, is one of the most common diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract. In developing countries 10% to 15% of men and >25% of women experience gallstones. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcomes following percutaneous transhepatic cholecystolithotomy by holmium laser in non–high-risk patients with symptomatic gallbladder stones. Methods: This was an intervention study without control and with longitudinal follow-up. Subjects included patients who had only gallbladder stones, a normal gallbladder contractility index, and required a conservative treatment. Results: The study included 44 patients (20 men, 24 women), with a mean age of 41.5 ± 13.4 years. The success rate was 97.7%, and only 1 of 44 patients required follow-up laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Gallstones were successfully removed from 43 of 44 patients (97.7%). The complication rate was 13.6% (6/44 patients), and only minor complications were reported for 5 of the 6 patients with complications. In 34 of 43 patients, follow-up examinations were performed after 1 and 6 months. The gallstone recurrence rate at six-month follow-up was 11.8%, and a collapsed gallbladder was detected in 1 of 34 patients, with the remaining 33 patients retaining normal gallbladder contractility indices (>40%). Conclusion: Percutaneous transhepatic cholecystolithotomy by holmium laser has a high gallstone removal rate (97.7%); however, recurrence remains a major problem. The complication rate was about 13.6%, most of which were minor complications. Cases associated with treatment failure or serious complications should be detected and treated promptly.


A brother and sister suffering from hyperostosis corticalis generalisata familiaris (van Buchem's disease) are described. Both presented in early adult life with signs and symptoms of raised intracranial pressure and underwent partial craniectomy. Following surgery normal intellectual function was maintained and both survived to old age. In later life one showed cerebellar deficit due to bony encroachment of the posterior cranial fossa, while the other had a spastic paraparesis due to spinal cord compression. Several other siblings were affected by this disease which appears to be transmitted as an autosomal recessive gene.


The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the entire world population. During the first spread, most governments have implemented quarantine and strict social distancing procedures. Similar measures during recent pandemics resulted in an increase in post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression symptoms. The development of novel interventions to mitigate the mental health burden are of outmost importance. In this rapid review, we aimed to provide a systematic overview of the literature with regard to associations between physical activity (PA) and depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. We searched major databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Sportdiscus, Web of Science) and preprint servers (MedRxivs, SportRxiv, ResearchGate and Google scholar), for relevant papers up to 25/07/2020. We identified a total of 21 observational studies (4 longitudinal, one cross-sectional with retrospective analysis and 16 cross-sectional), including information of 42,293 (age range = 6-70 years, median female = 68%) participants from 5 continents. The early evidence suggests that people who performed PA on a regular basis with higher volume and frequency and kept the PA routines stable, showed less symptoms of depression and anxiety. For instance, those reporting a higher total time spent in moderate to vigorous PA had 12% to 32% lower chances of presenting depressive symptoms and 15% to 34% of presenting anxiety. In order to maintain PA routines during Covid-19, specific volitional and motivational skills might be paramount to overcome Covid-19 specific barriers. Particularly, web-based technologies could be an accessible way to increase motivation and volition for PA and maintain daily PA routines.


Vertical Double-Gate (DG) Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) is capable to minimize various short channel effect (SCEs) problems. Vertical DG-MOSFET is constructed by having two gates that are able to control the channel from both sidesand has better electrostatic control over the channel. Meanwhile, the drive current (ION) should be maintained above 0.2mA in order to decide the driving capability of the device. The drive current (ION) must be set at high value so that the transistor acquires superb driving characteristicsthat are capable to switch the device into on-state condition. This paper describes the design of a vertical DGMOSFET, while keeping the drive current (ION) as maximum as possible, by utilizing both SILVACO TCAD software and statistical methods. Based on the ANOVA method, factor E (Halo Implant Energy –45%), factor F (Halo Implant Tilt –22%) and factor L (Compensation Implant Energy – 15.78%) were recognized as the most significant factors. The maximum value of drive current (ION) was observed to be at 0.3291 mA/µm with signal-to-noise ratio of -10.00dB.


Infections remain a frequent complication in the care of patients with cancer, especially in those patients who sustain neutropenia during their disease course. Risk factors for infection in these patients include not only therapy-related myelosuppression, but also immune defects inherent to the underlying disease process. The bacterial spectrum of infection in these patients has changed over the decades, with infections caused by Gram-positive organisms now being more common than those infections because of Gramnegative isolates. Candida and Aspergillus species remain the most common causes of fungal infections. The approach to the antimicrobial management of these patients has been aided by the development of guidelines for care by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA). The advent of new antimicrobial agents, especially antifungals, has impacted the care of these patients. In this article, the risk factors for infection, spectrum of infection, and approaches to antimicrobial management will be reviewed.


The study explored administrative strategies for effective teaching in basic schools in the era of frozen moment in Rivers State, Nigeria. Three research questions were answered while three hypotheses were tested. The study adopted an analytic survey research design with a population of 247 headteachers in 247 public basic schools in Rivers State. The sample size is 172 headteachers representing 70% of the population of the headteachers. The sample size was arrived at using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. An instrument titled Administrative Strategies for Effective Teaching Scale (ASETS) was used for data collection. Face and content validities were ensured by experts in Educational Management as well as Test and Measurement in the University of Port Harcourt. The internal consistency reliability coefficient of 0.83 was computed for ASETS through Cronbach alpha statistical method. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while z-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. It was found that the headteachers can use reward management system as well as online supervision of their teachers' academic preparation progress to enhance their teaching effectiveness. It was also found that the headteachers have the problem of time management and financial incapacity to carry out online administrative functions. It was recommended among others that the headteachers and local and state governments should assist the teachers in procuring electronic gadgets by giving them soft loans. The headteachers should cultivate the attitude of making use of online platform to disseminate information to the teachers for teaching effectiveness.


Wearable devices can be used to detect activities. The size of the wearable device is relativelysmall and easy to wear on clothing so it does not complicate the movement of its users. In thisstudy wearable devices or wearable systems were developed using a three-axis accelerometersensor. The detected activities are walking, sitting and lying down. The technique used todetect activity is to use a threshold value. For walking activities use the y axis accelerationwhose value has been reduced from the influence of gravity. The threshold value for thecurrent activity consists of two, namely: the lower threshold value and the upper thresholdvalue, the lower threshold value is between -1 to -2 and for the upper threshold value rangesfrom 1 to 2. The sitting and lying activity uses the value acceleration on the x, y, and z axes.For sitting activity the x-axis threshold value is between -0.5 to 0.5, the y-axis value is between9 and 10, and the z-axis value is -0.5 to 0.5. The threshold value of lying activities on the xaxis is between -0.5 and 0.5, the y-axis is between -0.5 and 0.5, while the z-axis is between 9and 10. The test results on wearable devices used to detect walking, sitting and lying activitiesshow, the percentage of results of running activities by 60%, for testing sitting activity by 65,while for lying down activity by 60%, each test is carried out 20 times.


The Genesis-Lithology-Qualifier (GLQ) system of engineering geology mapping symbols provides a convenient and widely applicable means of documenting geologic and soils information in terms which have direct engineering significance. The purpose of this paper is to broaden the awareness in the engineering community of the existence of this relatively new descriptive system which appears to provide an excellent basis for standardization of mapping symbols. Unconsolidated surficial materials are documented by a series of capital and lower case letters which represent material genesis and lithology. Qualifying information, thickness, and modifying information may be added if understanding of engineering significance will be enhanced. Bedrock materials are documented by conventional geologic "shorthand." Stratigraphic sequence can be shown by simply stacking symbols. The GLQ system has great utility because: (1) it is simple and easy to memorize, (2) it is a means of documenting basic geologic data in terms of direct engineering significance, and (3) it is universally applicable. Engineering geologic maps using the GLQ system can be produced in the field as quickly as conventional geologic maps. (Author/TRRL)


Educators are showing an interest in media rich presentation systems as a means of giving additional material to a class or of showing concepts in a graphical fashion during class. Educators have concerns, however, about the length of time it takes to design and implement media rich or multimedia systems, about copyright issues, and whether the system will be used more than once. They also want to be able to design the system using sound instructional principles, but may not have any time for acquiring such specialized knowledge and, indeed, they probably did not take any education classes while working on their advanced degrees. To help educators and students design effective and instructionally sound systems quickly, a hypertext instructional design engineering process can be used to help them to concentrate on structuring their system and on monitoring design violations. The process includes a requirements stage, a specifications stage, an implementation stage, validation for each stage and evaluation of the resulting system. The products of these stages are developed with object-oriented techniques which will eventually result in a hypertext system for instructional usage.


We propose a method to improve DNN robustness against unseen noisy corruptions, such as Gaussian noise, Shot Noise, Impulse Noise, Speckle noise with different levels of severity by leveraging ensemble technique through a consensus based prediction method using self-supervised learning at inference time. We also propose to enhance the model training by considering other aspects of the issue i.e. noise in data and better representation learning which shows even better generalization performance with the consensus based prediction strategy. We report results of each noisy corruption on the standard CIFAR10-C and ImageNet-C benchmark which shows significant boost in performance over previous methods. We also introduce results for MNIST-C and TinyImagenet-C to show usefulness of our method across datasets of different complexities to provide robustness against unseen noise. We show results with different architectures to validate our method against other baseline methods, and also conduct experiments to show the usefulness of each part of our method.


Literature in advertising and information systems suggests that advertising in both traditional media and the Internet is either easily ignored by the audience or is perceived with little value. However, these studies assumed that the audience was passive and failed to consider the motives of the users. In light of this, the present study measures consumers' attitudes toward advertisements for different purposes/functions (brand building and directional) and different media (traditional and Internet-based). Literature suggests the following factors that contribute to consumers' perceptions of ads: entertainment, irritation, informativeness, credibility, and demographic. We believe that interactivity is also a factor that contributes to consumers' perceptions. By understanding consumers' attitude towards advertising, designers and marketers can better strategize their advertising designs. A better understanding of interactivity can also help to improve the effectiveness of interactive media such as the Internet. A methodology for studying the factors that contribute to consumers perceptions of ads is proposed and implications for Internet-based advertising and e-commerce is discussed.


About one-third of the countries in the world are on the verge of a cholera outbreak placing over a billion individuals at risk. Water sanitation and health (WASH) programs together with vaccination are preventive measures to eradicate cholera by 2030. While WASH takes a long time to successfully implement, vaccinations can reduce the cholera burden. 2030 is in less than a decade and yet the current WHO prequalified oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) failed to provide sufficient protective immunity to infants – the most affected age group in cholera outbreaks and cholera endemic regions, a shorter immunity in older children and adults, the requirement of multiple doses, and cold-chain for transport and storage are some of the limitations of OCVs and WHO recommends further research to provide better vaccines. DNA vaccine approach could be a potential approach in the future of cholera vaccines, providing ease of vaccine design and hence reducing production time, it is safer and cheaper, stable at room temperature, and can induce both humoral and cellular immune responses. Therefore, this can be a better alternative to the over-dependence on the first and second generations of vaccines.


The impact of a fish sanctuary on fisheries diversity was studied for two years in Chalan Beel, Tarash Upazila, Sirajganj district, where the sanctuary was established at the end of the first year. Seine net (Berjal) was used to collect data on a monthly basis. There were 42 species recorded from 8 orders and 18 families, including two exotic species, Cyprinus carpiro and Oreochromis mossambicus. Puntius puntio was the most common species (18.38%), followed by Colisa fasciata (9.73%) and Chanda nama (9.28%). The order Cypriniformes (16 species) was discovered to be the dominant order, accounting for 47.78% of the total order, followed by Perciformes (22.85%) and Siluriformes (21.40%). The Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H) ranged between 2.26 and 2.66. The average value was higher (2.53) after the sanctuary was established than before (2.39). The impact of the fish sanctuary may have resulted in an increase in the biodiversity index and total catch. As a result, sanctuary establishment can be expanded to address the gradual improvement of fisheries diversity.
J Bio-Sci. 30(1): 61-68, 2022 (June)


Multiple instance learning (MIL) can reduce the need for costly annotation in tasks such as semantic segmentation by weakening the required degree of supervision. We propose a novel MIL formulation of multi-class semantic segmentation learning by a fully convolutional network. In this setting, we seek to learn a semantic segmentation model from just weak image-level labels. The model is trained end-to-end to jointly optimize the representation while disambiguating the pixel-image label assignment. Fully convolutional training accepts inputs of any size, does not need object proposal pre-processing, and offers a pixelwise loss map for selecting latent instances. Our multi-class MIL loss exploits the further supervision given by images with multiple labels. We evaluate this approach through preliminary experiments on the PASCAL VOC segmentation challenge.