We study an ensemble of random waves subject to the Aharonov–Bohm effect. The introduction of a point with a magnetic flux of arbitrary strength into a random wave ensemble gives a family of wavefunctions whose distribution of vortices (complex zeros) is responsible for the topological phase associated with the Aharonov–Bohm effect. Analytical expressions are found for the vortex number and topological charge densities as functions of distance from the flux point. Comparison is made with the distribution of vortices in the isotropic random wave model. The results indicate that as the flux approaches half-integer values, a vortex with the same sign as the fractional part of the flux is attracted to the flux point, merging with it in the limit of half-integer flux. We construct a statistical model of the neighbourhood of the flux point to study how this vortex-flux merger occurs in more detail. Other features of the Aharonov–Bohm vortex distribution are also explored.


Biobanks that collect deep phenotypic and genomic data across large numbers of individuals have emerged as a key resource for human genetic research. However, phenotypes acquired as part of Biobanks are often missing across many individuals, limiting the utility of these datasets. The ability to accurately impute or "fill-in" missing phenotypes is critical to harness the power of population-scale Biobank datasets. We propose AutoComplete, a deep learning-based imputation method which can accurately impute missing phenotypes in population-scale Biobank datasets. When applied to collections of phenotypes measured across ≈ 300K individuals from the UK Biobank, AutoComplete improved imputation accuracy over existing 2 methods (average improvement in r2 of 18% for all phenotypes and 42% for binary phenotypes). We explored the utility of phenotype imputation for improving the power of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) by applying our method to a group of five clinically relevant traits with an average missigness rate of 83% (67% to 94%) leading to an an increase in effective sample size of ≈2-fold on average (0.5 to 3.3-fold across the phenotypes). GWAS on the resulting imputed phenotypes led to an increase in the total number of loci significantly associated to the traits from four to 129. Our results demonstrate the utility of deep-learning based imputation to increase power for genetic discoveries in existing biobank data sets.


Purpose: To present the early and long-term results of aortoiliac kissing stents implantation and evaluate the risk factors affecting patency. Methods: The data were retrospectively reviewed on 68 patients (64 men; mean age 55±11, range 32–77) who underwent kissing stents implantation during a 12-year period. The majority of patients (64, 94%) had claudication; 4 patients had rest pain. All were smokers. There were bilateral or unilateral stenoses in 42 (62%) patients, and unilateral occlusion and contralateral stenosis in 26 (38%). Lesions were treated with simultaneous implantation of self-expanding (n=52) or balloon-expandable (n=16) stents. After the procedure, patency was determined with Doppler ultrasonography or angiography at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months and annually thereafter. Primary, assisted primary, and secondary patency rates were calculated with Kaplan-Meier analysis on an intention-to-treat basis, and risk factors affecting the patency rates were determined with the Cox regression analysis. Results: All procedures were technically and clinically successful. Complications occurred in 12%, but none required surgery. The follow-up period was 35±31 months. Primary, assisted primary, and secondary patency rates, respectively, were 76%, 90%, and 94% at 1 year; 63%, 86%, and 92% at 3 years; and 63%, 64%, and 81% at 5 years. In multivariate analysis, age <50 years and presence of iliac occlusion were identified as risk factors for reduced primary and assisted primary patency; a crossed configuration of kissing stents was identified as a risk factor for reduced primary patency. Conclusion: Implantation of kissing stents is a safe and effective alternative in the treatment of aortoiliac obstructions. However, overall primary and assisted primary patency rates are inferior to those reported for surgery. Long-term patency comparable to surgery may be obtained in patients >50 years and in those without an iliac occlusion, particularly if a favorable stent configuration is achieved.


The aim of this paper is to examine the inner city decline in Turkey, by drawing on a field research, which was conducted in Izmir, Tuzcu District, in 2005. The paper places the inner city decline within the context of uneven development. Although inner city decline backgrounded by uneven and dual structure is very common for all capitalist cities in developed countries, this phenomenon incarnated as segregated and neglected areas, which become both socially and spatially declining parts of the city, is relatively new for Turkey. In order to explore this phenomenon in Turkey and to compare it to those in other countries, we had to consider the level and nature of segregation and deprivation indicators that have already been developed by the existing works elaborating on inner city decline. One of the mostly used tools for examining the declining inner-city residential areas is "deprivation index†formed by Townsend in 1990s. The general deprivation index comprises two fundamental sections: social deprivation and material deprivation. Social deprivation includes the indicators such as employment, family activity, integration, participation to social institutions, recreation, and education. Material deprivation consists of the indicators such as dietary, clothing, housing, home facilities, environment, location, and working conditions. The analysis of the data coming from 2005 field survey in the Tuzcu district of Izmir showed that some indicators such as poverty, unemployment, decline of physical environment, disinvestments and economic decline arise as having similar features with developed countries, and that segregation is visible when our research area, Tuzcu district, is compared to other parts of Izmir. However, regarding segregation within the district itself, it is not so acceptable feature. Moreover, findings of the survey indicated that segregation in Tuzcu District, as being different from the developed countries, is fundamentally defined by class or income structure, rather than ethnic or regional origins.


The cardiac Ca channel known as alpha1C or Ca(V)1.2 is shown to express a new longer first exon equivalent to that formerly reported in rabbit heart or rat aorta. Ribonuclease protection assay indicates that this exon is found in the majority of Ca(V)1.2 transcripts in human heart RNA. The presence of this exon also suggests that expression of this transcript is driven by a promoter immediately upstream of this exon and its 5' untranslated region. The putative promoter exhibits 69% homology to its rat counterpart and displays functional promoter activity when transfected into heart cells in culture in luciferase-expressing constructs.


Historically, multiplicity of actions in synthetic compounds is a rule rather than exception. The science of non-antibiotics evolved in this background. From the antimalarial and antitrypanosomial dye methylene blue, chemically similar compounds, the phenothiazines, were developed. The phenothiazines were first recognised for their antipsychotic properties, but soon after their antimicrobial functions came to be known and then such compounds were designated as non-antibiotics. The emergence of highly drug-resistant bacteria had initiated an urgent need to search for novel affordable compounds. Several phenothiazines awakened the interest among scientists to determine their antimycobacterial activity. Chlorpromazine, trifluoperazine, methdilazine and thioridazine were found to have distinct antitubercular action. Thioridazine took the lead as researchers repeatedly claimed its potentiality. Although thioridazine is known for its central nervous system and cardiotoxic side-effects, extensive and repeated in vitro and in vivo studies by several research groups revealed that a very small dose of thioridazine is required to kill tubercle bacilli inside macrophages in the lungs, where the bacteria try to remain and multiply silently. Such a small dose is devoid of its adverse side-effects. Recent studies have shown that the (-) thioridazine is a more active antimicrobial agent and devoid of the toxic side effects normally encountered. This review describes the possibilities of bringing down thioridazine and its (-) form to be combined with other antitubercular drugs to treat infections by drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and try to eradicate this deadly disease.


Central nervous system nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) are predominantly of the α4β2 subtype. Two isoforms exist, with high or low agonist sensitivity (HS-(α4β2)2β2- and LS-(α4β2)2α4-nAChR). Both isoforms exhibit similar macroscopic potency and efficacy values at low acetylcholine (ACh) concentrations, mediated by a common pair of high-affinity α4(+)/(-)β2 subunit binding interfaces. However LS-(α4β2)2α4-nAChR also respond to higher concentrations of ACh, acting at a third α4(+)/(-)α4 subunit interface. To probe isoform functional differences further, HS- and LS-α4β2-nAChR were expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes and single-channel responses were assessed using cell-attached patch-clamp. In the presence of a low ACh concentration, both isoforms produce low-bursting function. HS-(α4β2)2β2-nAChR exhibit a single conductance state, whereas LS-(α4β2)2α4-nAChR display two distinctive conductance states. A higher ACh concentration did not preferentially recruit either conductance state, but did result in increased LS-(α4β2)2α4-nAChR bursting and reduced closed times. Introduction of an α4(+)/(-)α4-interface loss-of-function α4W182A mutation abolished these changes, confirming this site's role in mediating LS-(α4β2)2α4-nAChR responses. Small or large amplitude openings are highly-correlated within individual LS-(α4β2)2α4-nAChR bursts, suggesting that they arise from distinct intermediate states, each of which is stabilized by α4(+)/(-)α4 site ACh binding. These findings are consistent with α4(+)/(-)α4 subunit interface occupation resulting in allosteric potentiation of agonist actions at α4(+)/(-)β2 subunit interfaces, rather than independent induction of high conductance channel openings.


This paper introduces a multi-paradigm dynamic system simulator based on discrete time and discrete event formalism for simulating a supply chain as a complex adaptive system. Little is known about why such a diversity of supply chain structures exist. Simulating dynamic supply chain networks over extended periods using the multiparadigm dynamic system simulator allows us to observe the emergence of different structures. The simulator is implemented using a software agent technology, where individual agents represent firms in a supply chain network. In this paper, we present an example scenario run on the simulator and the preliminary results that have been observed. This multi-paradigm tool provides a valuable investigation instrument for real life supply chain problems.


The research aims to define the role of the entrepreneurial administration in achieving the quality of institutional performance in the Baghdad Municipality by defining the role of the administration at its levels in achieving the quality of institutional performance, as the researcher has reached, through theoretical framing and related studies, to build a hypothetical scheme that clarifies the relationship and influence of the research variables, as that The dimensions of the entrepreneurial management as an independent variable consists of four dimensions (strategic orientation, resource orientation, management structure, and orientation towards growth), while the quality of institutional performance is included as a dependent variable of three dimensions (financial performance, internal operations, customer satisfaction). These variables constitute the framework around which the research revolves, and the research community consists of those with responsible administrative positions within the upper and middle management level, as the sample included (general managers, assistants general directors, directors of departments and divisions) in the Baghdad Municipality Center. Collecting data and information, and the research produced a set of results, among which is that the entrepreneurial management plays a major role in the quality of institutional performance. Or the upper and middle management with the effectiveness of the entrepreneurial management whenever the quality of performance of the services provided in the Baghdad Municipality rises, as well as the weakness of the planning process of the administration and the lack of a clear vision in the activities and work of the researched organization.


We apply textual analysis tools to measure the degree of optimism versus pessimism of the text that describes Federal Reserve Board forecasts published in the Greenbook. The resulting measure of Greenbook text sentiment, "Tonality," is found to be strongly correlated, in the intuitive direction, with the Greenbook point forecast for key economic variables such as unemployment and inflation. We then examine whether Tonality has incremental power for predicting unemployment, GDP growth, and inflation up to four quarters ahead. We find it to have significant and substantive predictive power for both GDP growth and unemployment, particularly since 1991: higher (more optimistic) Tonality presages higher GDP growth and lower unemployment, relative to the Greenbook point forecasts. We then test whether Tonality helps predict monetary policy and stock returns. Higher Tonality has some power to predict tighter than forecasted monetary policy, while it has substantial power for predicting higher 3-month, 6-month, and 12month stock market returns. JEL codes: C53, E17, E27, E37, E52, G40.


Long distance journeys are often undertaken by car or aeroplane even in cases where reasonable modal alternatives exist for the major stage of a journey. Reasons for such modal choices are in many cases the lack of integration of transport modes or the limited abilities of individuals to combine different modes by themselves. Additionally transport operators have only limited information about the market potentials for integrated transport services. Significant deficiencies still exist in the knowledge about current and potential intermodal demand and supply. One of the focuses of the European transport policy is the fostering of passenger intermodality. The KITE project addresses this goal by the collection and systematic arrangement of available information regarding passenger intermodality and the identification of gaps in this field. Therefore the project KITE is funded by the European Commission (DG TREN) as a strategic research project (STREP). The main outcome of the KITE project is the provision of a Knowledge Base for intermodal travel in Europe. This Knowledge Base comprises all relevant information about passenger intermodality, can be accessed easily and allows stakeholders to develop and evaluate intermodality related measures. The Knowledge Base uses the wide spread Wiki-technology which has been proven to be one of the current standards for knowledge management. Additionally the knowledge base makes use of semantic annotations which allows the interpretation of information by the computer and therefore allows for a search not only by keywords but also by general subjects. A starting set of general subjects has been defined and it forms the structure for the knowledge base. It is flexible and can be changed by all participating partners at any time. In February 2008 the knowledge base included roughly 150 articles and a thesaurus with over 100 intermodal-related definitions. In addition to the knowledge base an analysis of existing statistics and travel surveys gives insight in existing and latent market potentials. Various national surveys have been reassessed with regard to the degree of comparability with each other. Another project part develops a strategic approach for the collection of intermodal survey data for long distance journeys with a European perspective. The analyses of user needs and implementational requirements concerning interchange points as well as information and ticketing services provides a catalogue of measures to foster passenger intermodality. Various interchange points in the European Union are therefore analyzed and in depth interviews with interchange point providers compile valuable best practice scenarios. A tailor-made CBA-technique will enable the assessment of intermodal measures and strategies. This will provide politics, planners and operators with an easy-to-use instrument to show the impacts, the potential benefits and the economic feasibility of different intermodal measures. The KITE Knowledge Base will be a core element to support the complementary project European Forum on Intermodal Passenger Travel (LINK). The KITE partnership connects institutions from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Portugal and Switzerland. These partners are supported by a Board of National Experts from Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and United Kingdom. Further experts from USA and Japan complete the Board. For the covering abstract see ITRD E145999


In this paper we present a bimodal speech recognition system in which the audio and visual modalities are modeled and integrated using coupled hidden Markov models (CHMMs). CHMMs are probabilistic inference graphs that have hidden Markov models as sub-graphs. Chains in the corresponding inference graph are coupled through matrices of conditional probabilities modeling temporal influences between their hidden state variables. The coupling probabilities are both cross chain and cross time. The later is essential for allowing temporal influences between chains, which is important in modeling bimodal speech. Our bimodal speech recognition system employs a two-chain CHMM, with one chain being associated with the acoustic observations, the other with the visual features. A deterministic approximation for maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation is used to enable fast classification and parameter estimation. We evaluated the system on a speaker independent connected-digit task. Comparing with an acoustic-only ASR system trained using only the audio channel of the same database, the bimodal system consistently demonstrates improved noise robustness at all SNRs. We further compare the CHMM system reported in this paper with our earlier bimodal speech recognition system in which the two modalities are fused by concatenating the audio and visual features. The recognition results clearly show the advantages of the CHMM framework in the context of bimodal speech recognition .


Teaching students about race remains a challenging task for instructors, made even more difficult in the context of a growing "post-racial" discourse. Given this challenge, it is important for instructors to find engaging ways to help students understand the continuing significance of race and racial/ethnic inequality. In this article, we detail an exercise that asks students to analyze representations of race/ethnicity on network television for one week as a way of illustrating white dominance, white privilege, and racial inequality. As evidence of the exercise's effectiveness, we include student reports that demonstrate how students discover the persistence of these issues by conducting their own analysis of primetime television.


Objective To determine whether diuretics have direct vascular actions and to compare the in vitro effects of a loop diuretic with thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics. Design A randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled design was used to avoid experimenter bias. Methods Concentration-response curves to hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, indapamide, and furosemide were tested on the following male Wistar rat vascular smooth muscle preparations: rat aortic rings, rat pulmonary artery rings, and rat mesenteric portal vein. Results All four diuretics demonstrated no vasorelaxant action in Krebs solution. They all exhibited vasorelaxant actions in aortic and pulmonary artery rings when plasma was mixed with Krebs solution in a 50: ratio. The magnitude of the relaxation was greater in the aortic ring preparation. This direct vascular action was found to be concentration dependent and endothelium independent. The order of potency of the vasorelaxant action of the diuretics was (from most to least) indapamide, hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, and furosemide on both aortic and pulmonary artery rings. Conclusion Diuretics possess direct vasorelaxant effects that are dependent upon the presence of plasma; this action may contribute to their antihypertensive properties.


Based on the super-fermion representation of quantum kinetic equations we develop nonequilibrium, post-Hartree-Fock many-body perturbation theory for the current through a region of interacting electrons. We apply the theory to out of equilibrium Anderson model and discuss practical implementation of the approach. Our calculations show that nonequilibrium electronic correlations may produce significant quantitative and qualitative corrections to mean-field electronic transport properties.


Abstract : The inherent characteristics of a cross-flow fan allowing for easy thrust vectoring as well as potential airfoil boundary layer control make it an attractive propulsive means for a theoretical vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. However, to compete with current methods of aircraft propulsion, further performance improvements of the cross-flow fan are needed. A baseline model of a cross-flow fan geometry developed by Vought Systems in the 1970s was scaled from a 12- inch diameter rotor to a 6-inch diameter rotor as a more realistic size for integration into a fan-in-wing concept to provide both thrust vectoring and boundary layer control over the wing. Using the computational fluid dynamics software ANSYS CFX, baseline performance trends were verified against previous 12- and 6-inch diameter models. Data from this model was then used to design a configuration of inlet guide vanes in an effort to increase the loading on the first stage of the fan and gain an improvement in pressure ratio over the baseline cross-flow fan. The CFD results were then compared with experimental results from a cross-flow fan test assembly modified to replicate the CFD model with inlet guide vanes. While the application of the particular inlet guide vane configuration did not result in the desired performance improvements, it did validate that computational fluid dynamics can adequately predict the impact of various design changes on the performance of the cross-flow fan as well as provide valuable insight into the behavior of the cross-flow fan for future efforts in performance improvement.


We extensively investigated the physical origin of the threshold voltage VTH modulation by the Ge channel ion implantation (I/I) in HfO2/TiN/polycrystalline Si gate stack systems. The possible VTH modulation factors were carefully distinguished from each other by changing the channel dopant concentration and the thickness of the gate dielectric films. It was found that the changes in energy-band offset and dopant concentration in the channel region are minor factors of the VTH modulation. However, it was also found that ΔVTH is sensitive to the oxidation condition of the interfacial oxide layer; a longer oxidation induces a larger ΔVTH. From the X-ray spectroscopy, we found that a Ge pile-up at the interfacial layer/channel interface occurs, and that the VTH modulation range correlates well with the amount of piled-up Ge.


Bovine babesiosis also known as redwater, or tick fever is the worldwide most important arthropod-borne disease of cattle that causes significant morbidity and mortality. It is caused by intra-erythrocytic protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia, which is transmitted by ticks and affects a wide range of domestic and wild animals and occasionally humans. Two important Babesia species: B. bigemina and B bovis infect cattle. They are widespread in tropical and subtropical areas including Ethiopia and are vectored by one host tick Rhipicephalus species and transmission is manly transovarially. The objective of this paper are reviewing available literature in relation to epidemiology, diagnosis, public health importance, control and preventions of bovine babesiosis and highlighting the disease status in Ethiopia.  During the tick bite, sporozoites are injected into the host and directly infect red blood cells.  Babesia produces acute disease by hemolysis and circulatory disturbance mechanism. Microscopic examination is still cheapest and fastest methods used to identify Babesia parasites. But not reliable for detection of carrier animals; in these cases molecular detection methods, or serological diagnostic procedures to demonstrate specific antibodies, are required. Although some species of Babesia such as B. microti can affect healthy people, cattle parasites seem to cause disease only in people who are immunocompromised. Active prevention and control of Babesiosis is achieved by three main methods: immunization, chemoprophylaxis and vector control. Imidocarb is the drug of choice for bovine babesiosis. The use of genetically resistant cattle such as B. indicus is proposed as sustainable approach to decrease the incidence of disease. Keywords : Bovine babesiosis, Babesia, Ethipiopia, redwater, tick fever


Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005

4681

The gastric pathogen Helicobactor pylori (H. pylori) is associated with a progression to gastric cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of H. pylori on urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) expression, which has been known to correlate closely with gastric cancer invasion, and the underlying signal pathways in human gastric cancer AGS cells. H. pylori infection induces the uPAR expression in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. H. pylori infection also induced the activation of extracellular signal-regluated kinases (Erk)-1/2 and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Specific inhibitors of MEK-1 (PD980590) and JNK (SP600125) were found to suppress the H. pylori -induced uPAR expression and the uPAR promoter activity. Expression of vectors encoding a mutated-type MEK-1 (K97M) and JNK (TAM67) resulted in decreases in the uPAR promoter activity. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that H. pylori infection increased time dependently the DNA binding activity of AP-1 and NF-κB. Transient transfection studies using AP-1 decoy and inactive NF-κB induction kinase confirmed that the activation of AP-1 and NF-κB are involved in H. pylori -induced uPAR upregulation. The AGS cells treated with H. pylori were remarkably enhanced the invasiveness and this effect was partially abrogated by uPAR neutralizing antibodies. The above results suggest that H. pylori infection induces uPAR expression via Erk-1/2, JNK, AP-1, and NF-κB signaling pathways and, in turn, stimulates the invasiveness in human gastric cancer AGS cells.


We investigate the performance of channel assignment policies for cellular networks. The networks are given by an interference graph which describes the reuse constraints for the channels. In the first part, we derive lower bounds on the expected (weighted) number of blocked calls under any channel assignment policy over finite time intervals as well as in the average case. The lower bounds are solutions of deterministic control problems. As far as the average case is concerned, the control problem can be replaced by a linear program. In the second part, we consider the cellular network in the limit, when the number of available channels as well as the arrival intensities are linearly increased. We show that the network obeys a functional law of large numbers and that a fixed channel assignment policy which can be computed from a linear program is asymptotically optimal. Special networks like fully connected and star networks are considered.


A bare electrodynamic tether (EDT) is a conductive thin wire or tape tens of kilometres long, which is kept taut in space by gravity gradient or spinning, and is left bare of insulation to collect (and carry) current as a cylindrical Langmuir probe in an ambient magnetized plasma. An EDT is a probe in mesothermal flow at highly positive (or negative) bias, with a large or extremely large 2D sheath, which may show effects from the magnetic self-field of its current and have electrons adiabatically trapped in its ram front. Beyond technical applications ranging from propellantless propulsion to power generation in orbit, EDTs allow broad scientific uses such as generating electron beams and artificial auroras, exciting Alfven waves and whistlers, modifying the radiation belts and exploring interplanetary space and the Jovian magnetosphere. Asymptotic analysis, numerical simulations, ground and space tests and past and planned missions on EDTs are briefly reviewed.


Digital Image Processing is one of the basic and important tools in the image processing and computer vision. Gestures are expressive, meaningful body motions involving physical movements of the fingers, hands, arms, head, face, or body with the intent of conveying meaningful information or interacting with the environment. Gesture recognition has wide-ranging applications. Creating a virtual human computer interaction device such as mouse or keyboard using a webcam and computer vision techniques can be an alternative way for the touch screen. Many researchers in the human computer interaction and robotics fields have tried to control mouse movement using video devices. This kind of human-machine interfaces would allow a user to control a wide variety of devices through hand gestures. This paper proposes the controlling of an object in virtual 3D environment using the data fetched fromextracting and tracking gestures from live images.Cascade object detector will be used to detect the gestures. Cascade object detector can be trained to detect a variety of objects. Based on the detected hand gestures, we will control different operations on the object in 3D environment.


Internet of Things (IoT) is used for devices to interact with each other, and Femtocells are used to provide reliable communication by eliminating shaded areas where wireless signals have become weak. IoT security is crucial since the untethered nature of wireless networks primarily allows for eavesdropping threats to confidential information. Therefore, the interlock protocol is proposed to protect confidential information that is prone to eavesdropping due to the use of an unsecure public key. This paper addresses this limitation through a countermeasure that combines the time synchronization one-time password (OTP) and the interlock protocol. In the proposed method, we use OTP for authentication before transmitting the public key and data. In order to counter eavesdropping attacks, the OTP should be first used to detect the attacker. Simulations show that both methods have up to 46% of detection rate. However, our method has a prevention rate that is 54% higher than that of the interlock protocol. © 2016 TAF Publishing. All rights reserved.


A discussion of linear dynamics and nonlinear evolution of modes belonging to the shear Alfvhn branch is presented. Attention is focused to the modes which exist near the gap of the continuous spectrum. A discussion of the relative importance of mode-mode coupling, E x B trapping and stochastic losses is also presented.


Bahabad plain in central Iran contains vital groundwater resources, mainly used in agriculture. A well-field at the centre is discharging water for a further located mining and industrial site, results in a closed depression in water-table which divides the aquifer system into southern (S) and northern (N) zones. In this research, the sustainability of groundwater resources was evaluated by groundwater balance studies and safe yield analyses. The annual safe yields are estimated to be 22.3 and 3.7 million cubic meter (MCM) for the zones S and N, respectively. Based on balance studies, total annual abstractions (33.9 and 8.6 MCM, respectively) are greater than the total inputs, exceeding the safe yield, as well. So, the aquifer is over-exploited and groundwater is withdrawn from storage, declining water-table with an average rate of 50 cm annually. In contrast to the public perception of the major impact from well-field abstractions, this research clarifies the role of both industrial and agricultural abstractions in depletion of Bahabad aquifer. Therefore, safe yield must be considered in order to avoid further aquifer mining. It can be attained by decreasing industrial and agricultural abstractions and managing recharge to augment the aquifer storage, assuring the sustainability of the groundwater resources.


Nitrogen (N) limits crop and grass production, and it is an essential component of dietary proteins. However, N is mobile in the soil-plant system and can be lost to the environment. Estimates of N flows provide a critical tool for understanding and improving the sustainability and equity of the global food system. This letter describes an integrated analysis of changes in N in human diets, N use efficiency (NUE) of cropping and livestock systems, N pollution and N in traded food and feed products for 12 world regions for the period 1960–2050. The largest absolute change in consumption of animal proteins during the period 1960–2009 is seen in China, while the largest share of animal protein per capita is currently observed in North America, Europe and Oceania. Due to the substantial growth of the livestock sector, about three quarters of contemporary global crop production (expressed in protein and including fodder crops and bioenergy byproducts) is allocated to livestock. Trends and levels of NUE and N surpluses in crop production are also diverse, as some regions show soil N depletion (developing regions, e.g. Africa), improving efficiency (industrialized regions, e.g. USA and Europe) and excessive N use (e.g. China, India). Global trade between the 12 regions has increased by a factor of 7.5 for vegetable proteins and by a factor of 10 for animal proteins. The scenarios for 2050 demonstrate that it would be possible to feed the global population in 2050 with moderate animal protein consumption but with much less N pollution, and less international trade than today. In such a scenario, optimal allocation of N inputs among regions to maximize NUE would further decrease pollution, but would require increased levels of N trade comparable to those in a BAU scenario.


Here we report on the electromyographic (EMG) characteristics of young females (n = 23, 19.9 +/- 1.4 years) under varied environmental and physical conditions: 4 phases of menstrual cycle phase (early and late follicular, ovulation, and luteal), spring and autumn seasons, and type of the vegetative nervous system (VNS) regulation based on the linear and novel non-linear parameters of interference EMG (iEMG) in m. biceps br. Additionally, we characterize activity of motor units of m. triceps br. The major finding was that most of the variables of iEMG and MU activity significantly decreased in the ovulation phase in the spring season. Among types of VNS regulation, the vagotonic type exerted influence on the neuromuscular status of young women.


Epithelial cell cultures were initiated from explants of normal human oral mucosa. Growth parameters, cell type, and degree of maturation/cytodifferentiation were assessed by morphological and surface topographical criteria (light and scanning electron microscopy) together with immunofluorescence studies with a panel of antibodies to cytokeratins and extracellular matrix components. The effects of different media formulations were compared. Whereas stromal cell over-growth soon became apparent in media containing 10% serum, in low serum (0.5%) media containing insulin, hydrocortisone, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and/or cholera toxin (CT), epithelial growth was maintained with minimal or absent stromal cell contamination. Cell proliferation, maturation, and differentiation were modulated by EGF and CT: cultures maintained on EGF showed optimal growth but cells typically displayed only limited differentiation. By contrast, CT promoted considerably more cytodifferentiation but at the expense of proliferative capacity. Both factors together were complementary, resulting in maintenance of cells of a more mature phenotype of high proliferative capacity. Cytokeratins of normal oral epithelium in situ demonstrated characteristic changes in patterns of expression associated with differentiation. In culture, proliferative epithelial cells expressed keratins typical of the basal layer, whereas the most differentiated cells were identified by their strong reactivity with antibodies to epidermal keratins. Less mature cells showed expression of keratins associated with nonstratified epithelia. In cultures maintained with CT but no EGF, there was a tendency for weaker expression of basal type keratins, further suggesting that these cells were maintaining a more differentiated phenotype. Extracellular matrix components (fibronectin, laminin, collagen type IV) were not expressed by any epithelial cells in culture. Irrespective of medium composition, cultures did not survive beyond 100 days (5 or 6 subcultivations) before undergoing an irreversible 'crisis' of growth arrest and onset of degenerative changes.


The paper presents a case study of gravel transshipment in RTC Luka Leget in Sremska Mitrovica, R. Serbia. Problems that led to the incorrect operation of conveyors used in the transshipment of gravel from barges to the separation plant were analyzed. They included activation the safety switch of the conveyor drive, backward movement of the material on the belt, fracture of the connection tension pulley – axle, etc. It was found that ignorance of the actual force in the conveyor belt leads to most of the problems and the need of a solution for this problem was highlighted. At the end, proposed solutions were given in order to establish the normal operation of the plant and to prevent delays in gravel transshipment.


Three-dimensional virtual environments have gained wide popularity due to improvement in graphic rendering technology and networking infrastructure. Many education institutions have been trying to leverage the potential of 3D virtual environments in their application in education. In this research, we aim to evaluate the students' perception of virtual environments in teaching and learning activities. We set up a virtual classroom, where a short presentation was delivered to students through virtual projectors in Second Life, the most widely adopted 3D virtual environment. The students filled in a questionnaire after the class. We found that the students gave a statistically higher evaluation to 3D virtual environments in terms of satisfaction and enjoyment, while comparable scores between 3D and traditional learning environment in terms of concentration, perceived usefulness, and learning and understanding were obtained. Our results show that virtual learning environment is of great potential in e-learning. Some recommendations in using the virtual environment for learning activities are given. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2013.05.023


Thirty years ago, in the late 1970s, I spent some time hovering over a possibility suggested by Adrienne Rich in Of Woman Born. Could it be, Rich asked, that women are "even now thinking in ways which traditional intellection denies, decries or is unable to grasp?" I had no use for the special graces of "women's intuition" or "feminine sensibility," gifts that marked the absence of mind, not its distinction. Women could reason with the best of "us"; the capacity to reason was a human good. The ways of women's thinking that intrigued me would arise from the activities in which women engaged and that strengthened them. Women bear a disproportionate responsibility for the labor required by people who are ill, illiterate, frail, despairing, very young or very old - who are, in sum, in need of care. I set out to elucidate the "rationality of care," x taking mothering, and the maternal thinking it expresses, as a primary instance. Now, thirty years later, I am returning to my question, only with more specificity. Could it be, I ask, that practices of mothering prompt or require distinctive cognitive capacities, metaphysical attitudes, and conceptions of virtue? If so, to what uses could this maternal thinking be put? Three feminist thinkers have joined me in reflecting on this question: Ranjana Khanna, Andrea O'Reilly, and Amy Richards. I am grateful for their generous attention, which helps me to understand my ideas. Andrea O'Reilly gives us an opening by providing a scene for reading that is also a motherhood scene. With little money and no car, Andrea has left her partner at home and traveled with four children, six years old and younger, to her mother's small cottage. Her intention is to rest and prepare for an upcoming eight-hour exam. But her mother, who adores her grandchildren, is too overwhelmed by the crowd in the small cottage to offer much help. Andrea can barely study or rest. She does, however, begin to read Maternal Thinking. Sometimes she sneaks off with the book, like "an addict in need of a hit." Other times, her children play in the near distance, as she watches closely but not too closely, "scrutinizing" as she reads about scrutinizing in the book. The cover of the edition Andrea reads portrays a woman of indeterminate ethnicity who is somewhat lost in thought. The blurb on the cover describes the book as "the first attempt to describe from a philosophical perspective the thinking that grows out of the work that mothers do." Andrea cites from the book Unes that she beUeves were Ufe changing for many women: "The work of mothering demands that mothers think; out of this need for thoughtfulness, a distinctive discipUne emerges" (24). Andrea writes: "The Unes are underUned, and the page number circled twice and the paragraph remains soiled by sand and water. Yes, mothers think!" Elsewhere, Andrea has said that she is drawn to the details of Maternal Thinking. "I love scrutinizing, I love holding, I love concrete thinking, welcoming change, humiUty and so forth." I love Andrea for loving the details. But here she outUnes major organizing themes of my account of maternal practices, more clearly and energeticaUy than I could manage. I beUeve, however, that I have sowed a confusion that needs neatening. I have said, and Andrea emphasizes, that the work or practice of mothering is distinct from the identity of the mother. Mothering may be performed by anyone who commits him- or herself to the demands of maternal practice. Mother is as mother does. Nonetheless, it makes sense to say, "This mother mothers other mothers' children at a distance from her own children whom she mothers indirectly" (I describe a famiUar situation of immigrant mothers). The self of mothering should not be sUghted. It is inherently relational and generational - marking temporal identities that are at once past and future, legacy and promise. Our maternal stories teU us who we are as weU as what we do. Raising children righteously up - a marvelous phrase left us by Grace Paley - signals relationship, identities, and, emphaticaUy, the work that we do. …


The presence of lysosomal acid phosphatase (LAP) in coated pits at the plasma membrane was investigated by immunocytochemistry in thymidine kinase negative mouse L-cells (Ltk-) and baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells overexpressing human LAP (Ltk-LAP and BHK-LAP cells). Double immunogold labeling showed that at various stages of invaginating coated pits LAP colocalized with clathrin and plasma membrane adaptors (HA-2 adaptors). Quantitation of the immunogold label showed similar density of wild-type LAP in coated over non-coated areas of the plasma membrane, whereas an internalization-deficient, truncated mutant of LAP which lacks the cytoplasmic tail was less efficiently included into coated pits. Internalization of anti-LAP antibodies into endosomal vesicles was accompanied by rapid dissociation of the coat proteins as shown by an immunofluorescence assay. The role of clathrin-coated vesicles in internalization of LAP was further corroborated by microinjecting monoclonal antibodies against clathrin or HA-2 adaptors into BHK-LAP cells. Internalization of LAP as detected by an immunofluorescence assay was transiently blocked by microinjected antibodies against clathrin or HA-2 adaptors, whereas unrelated antibodies did not affect internalization. These data suggest that LAP is included into clathrin-coated pits of the plasma membrane for rapid internalization.


This paper studies the problem of control synthesis of a class of continuous nonlinear control systems, described by Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy models. Based on linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique, a new design method for stabilizing state feedback controllers is also developed for the class of T-S fuzzy systems via multiple Lyapunov function. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.


This paper presents a compact Address Event Representation AER-based CMOS image sensor for real-time focal-plane polarization imaging. The image sensor integrates a unique micropolarizer array, patterned using the well-controlled process of UV photolithography. Real-time Stokes parameters extraction is achieved using a novel time-to-first-spike (TFS) pixel architecture. The proposed implementation enables low power operation and efficient readout of polarization information. Moreover, it is scalable and well suited to the next generation of deep submicron CMOS technologies owing to decreased supply voltage and increased noise level.


BACKGROUND
There is a close relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and omega-3 fatty acids may have a key role in improving cardiovascular risk factors. We conducted the current systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with PCOS.

METHODS
We searched 4 databases including PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to February 2021. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported the effects of omega-3 fatty acid treatment for PCOS. According to the Cochrane system evaluation guide manual, 2 researchers independently assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. We pooled results using either a fixed effect model or random effect model.

RESULTS
We identified 314 articles, of which 10 met the criteria for inclusion, involving 778 participants. The pooled results suggested an association between the supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids and a reduction in serum insulin [-2.58 pmol/L, 95% confidence interval (CI): -3.34 to -1.82 pmol/L, P<0.00001, I2=0], homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (-0.57, 95% CI: -0.75 to -0.40 L, P<0.00001, I2=2%), serum total cholesterol (TC) (-6.87 mg/dL, 95% CI: -10.28 to -3.47 mg/dL, P<0.0001, I2=95%), serum triglyceride (-4.03 mg/dL, 95% CI: -5.53 to -2.52 mg/dL, P<0.00001, I2=97%), serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (-6.64 mg/dL, 95% CI: -11.58 to -1.70 mg/dL, P=0.008, I2=99%), serum very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) (-3.29 mg/L, 95% CI: -6.54 to -0.05 mg/L, P=0.05, I2=72%), serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (-8.97mg/dL, 95% CI: -17.66 to -0.28 mg/dL, P=0.04, I2=99%), an improvement in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (2.94 mg/dL, 95% CI: 0.63 to 5.26 mg/dL, P=0.01, I2=87%), but no effect on serum glucose (-0.76 mg/dL, 95% CI: -1.71 to 0.19 mg/dL, P=0.12, I2=73%) was found.

DISCUSSION
The current meta-analysis demonstrated that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation for women with PCOS resulted in a statistical improvement in insulin, HOMA-IR, TC, triglyceride, LDL-C, VLDL-C, and HDL-C, but did not affect serum glucose. The limitation of this paper is due to the lack of included research literature.


This paper explores the idea of environmental knowledge by focusing on the social construction of agricultural biodiversity. The fieldwork was conducted in 2003–2004 in Ghana. The research methodology consisted of interviewing and focus group discussions. The respondents varied from researchers and government officials to members of women's farming groups who cultivate rice. This paper argues that by understanding how agricultural biodiversity is constructed it is possible to highlight different ways of understanding the environment by different actors. The paper begins with an overview of the emergence of agricultural biodiversity as a global environmental issue. With this background in mind, this paper examines the different ways of construction and conservation of Oryza glaberrima, the indigenous rice variety of Ghana. Three different discursive positions, ranging from scientific to local knowledge, are identified. The Agric, Diversity and Local discourse frame and categorise rice and other crop varieties in a different manner. The categories identified reflect the visible characteristics of the varieties and their social meanings, related to their use or function in the wider social context. These different categories are corresponding and conflicting, as well as inclusive and exclusive, and have become institutionalised into social rules, norms and practices, which further establish the efforts to conserve O. glaberrima.


The read disturb is one of the most important issues in TLC NAND Flash memories since their usage model is predominantly based on read-intensive applications. The state-of-the-art testing and qualification of the memories against this issue is performed by uniformly stressing the memory blocks with same amount of reads. However, by analyzing several workloads, it appears that the read operations are mostly concentrated in specific page regions. In this work, we characterize the different behavior of a mid-1X TLC NAND Flash under uniform and concentrated read disturb. The results are used to speculate the implications of the workload usage model on the reliability of enterprise Solid State Drives using different error correction strategies and data management policies.


We present PCR, a new automatic patch generation system. PCR uses a new condition synthesis technique to efficiently discover logical expressions that generate desired controlflow transfer patterns. Presented with a set of test cases, PCR deploys condition synthesis to find and repair incorrect if conditions that cause the application to produce the wrong result for one or more of the test cases. PCR also leverages condition synthesis to obtain a set of compound modifications that generate a rich, productive, and tractable search space of candidate patches. We evaluate PCR on a set of 105 defects from the GenProg benchmark set. For 40 of these defects, PCR generates plausible patches (patches that generate correct outputs for all inputs in the test suite used to validate the patch). For 12 of these defects, PCR generates correct patches that are functionally equivalent to developer patches that appear in subsequent versions. For comparison purposes, GenProg generates plausible patches for only 18 defects and correct patches for only 2 defects. AE generates plausible patches for only 27 defects and correct patches for only 3 defects.


ABSTRACT: The growing use of arbitration as a mechanism to resolve international commercial disputes has been significantly increasing the number of foreign arbitral awards brought for recognition to Brazil's Superior Tribunal of Justice. In this process, the STJ must ascertain, among other aspects, whether the foreign arbitral award is in conformity with material public policy. The present study proposes, based on the international experience, what notion of public policy should be considered by the judiciary at the time of this analysis, and the extent of the judiciary's powers in reaching such a decision. The solution suggested seeks to assure the efficacy of international arbitration while also respecting the fundamental interests of the State.


i,f: or both 87-1 and 11-12 but no B7-1 alone. BNL/B7 and BNLIB7-Iiilinsri geiie iheiapy 11:127-138 (jaiioary 1, 2000) 1-1112 showed similar enicacy in these experiments. Antitumour immunity induced by 87, with or without IL-12, was found to To investigate the cooperative effect of 87.1 and 11-12 in the depend mainly on CD4tT cells with a minor contribution of a induction of antitumour activity, we have developed retroviral non-T cell mechanism; whereas the effect of 11/12 was depen-vectors encoding human 87.1, murine IL-12, or both 137.1 and dent on CD8tT Cells and on non T cell effectors. lmmunization IL-12 coordinitely. Murine transformed liver cells (BNL) were of mice with IL-12 modified BNLcells induced secretion of aThl engineered to stably express 87.1, 11-12, or both by infection pattern of cyiokines while immunization with cells expressing with corresponding retroviruses. No tumour was observed in both 11-12 and 87-1 resulted in inhibition of IFN-y production. 20, 75, and 95% of mice receiving, respectively, B7-1, 11-12, and lmmunization with BNLIB7-1-IL-12 cells in the presence of anti-87-1/11-12 modified tumour celis after 250 days of inoculation. in animals injected with BNLIIL-12 cells. To in lethal tumour progression in al1 mice. Protection against in our model coexpression of 87-1 and 11-12 in rechallenge with parental tumour cells was observed only in tumour cells does not result in improved antitumoral activity as mice who had rejected BNLIIL-12, but in animals that reject-compared with expression of 11-12 alone. This may be related ed BNL/B7-1 or BNL/B7-l-IL-l2. Growth of parental tumour the fact that B7-1 changes the mechanisms of antitum0Ur cells was significantly delayed by simultaneous injection in a immunity and inhibits IFN-y y productions induced by 11-12 in distant site of irradiated tumor cells engineered to express 11-12


At a time of sociocultural changes that started questioning established Islamic learning traditions (independence years, post-Cold War/book market liberalization), printing diasporas exerted influence on the circulation of Islamic texts in East Africa: published overseas (Cairo, Beirut, and the Indian subcontinent) and/or locally reprinted on the Swahili-speaking Islamic coast, they came to play a seminal role in negotiating Swahili Muslim literary culture. How have transoceanic religious and intellectual networks operating beyond national borders become intertwined? In this paper, the beginnings of Swahili Muslim book publishing—and the entities underpinning it, such as Nairobi's Islamic Foundation Center, a Pakistani-oriented charitable foundation—will be outlined. I will then delve into the history of Indian-and-Swahili family-run publishers Adam Traders based in Mombasa in order to tackle hitherto neglected transoceanic connections and patterns of influence across the sea.


We investigate Bernstein-von Mises theorems for adaptive nonparametric Bayesian procedures in the canonical Gaussian white noise model. We consider both a Hilbert space and multiscale setting with applications in $L^2$ and $L^\infty$ respectively. This provides a theoretical justification for plug-in procedures, for example the use of certain credible sets for sufficiently smooth linear functionals. We use this general approach to construct optimal frequentist confidence sets based on the posterior distribution. We also provide simulations to numerically illustrate our approach and obtain a visual representation of the geometries involved.


Abstract This special issue addresses a major gap in the literature by providing comprehensive, credible reviews of the psychometric evidence for and legal status of some of the most commonly-used psychological and personality assessment measures used in forensic evaluations. It responds to Neal and colleagues' (2019) call for research to improve the state of and access to knowledge about psychological assessments in legal contexts, and encourages critical thinking about forensic assessment in the spirit of improvement. These articles offer clarity about the strengths and weaknesses of a number of assessment instruments to inform psychologists' preparation for expert testimony, lawyers' preparation for direct and cross-examination, judges' evidence admissibility determinations, and scholars' future research. We assembled teams of authors with different perspectives and areas of expertise to review each tool fairly, including several adversarial collaborations. Articles on the Rorschach and R-PAS, MMPI-3, PCL-R, MCMI-IV and MACI-II, PAI and PAI-A, SIRS-2, HCR-20V3, TSI and TSI-2, and the MacCAT-CA, ECST-R, and CAST*MR are included. To increase visibility, accessibility, and impact, this issue is published as free access, meaning the articles are available to download without charge. We anticipate these articles will be widely read and useful to scholars and practitioners in both psychology and law. Video Abstract Read the transcript Watch the video on Vimeo © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC


A general effective organocatalyzed synthesis of enantioenriched morphans with up to 92% ee was developed. The morphan scaffold was constructed in a one-pot tandem asymmetric organocatalyzed Michael addition followed by a domino Robinson annulation/aza-Michael intramolecular reaction sequence from easily available starting materials.


A simple and low-cost method of generating the pulse width modulation specific harmonic elimination (PWM-SHE) switching signals to drive the three-phase voltage source inverter (VSI) is presented. This novel approach computes the switching angles online using a PC and provides the flexibility of eliminating different sets of VSI output harmonics in a quick and easy manner without any hardware change. The validity of selected results has been verified experimentally.


The purpose of our work is to carry out plant community ordination by means of multidimensional scaling to reveal optimum ways of preliminary transformation of data and the similarity/dissimilarity measure, to identify multidimensional dimensions in terms of edafic properties and phytoindicator scales and to reveal character of interrelations of matrixes of plant community, phytoindicator scales and edafic properties. The received results testify that edafic and climatic scales matrixes bear the complementary information on edaphotop properties and possibly climatop. Most possibly that climatic scales at large-scale level bear the specific information on properties of environment. It is difficult to confirm, whether character of this information to adequate nominative properties of a scale at macrolevel is. But with confidence it is possible to say that climatic phytoindicator scales allow to differentiate ecological conditions in biogeocoenosis at large-scale level. Thus, at the given stage we tend to phenomenological interpretation of value of climatic phytoindicator scales at large-scale level. Keywords : multidimensional scaling, community structure, phytoindicator scales, Mantel test


We report far-field profile measurements of an optical-field-ionized high-order harmonic-seeded soft x-ray laser. We show that the beam transverse profile can be controlled between a regular Gaussian shape and a Bessel profile exhibiting several rings via the infrared laser pump intensity. These experimental data are supported by a complete numerical modeling including a two-dimensional plasma amplifier simulation and a two-level soft x-ray amplification using a Maxwell–Bloch treatment. This model takes into account the experimental high-order harmonic wavefront and intensity before it is numerically amplified.


A new interaction was observed between human alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M) and selected strains of streptococci. The streptococci bound alpha 2M. After its elution from the bacteria, alpha 2M was demonstrated by immunoelectrophoresis against anti-human alpha 2M. The binding of alpha 2M to one streptococcal strain of serological group C and two of group G was confirmed by radial immunodiffusion. Treating the streptococci with trypsin reduced their reactivity with alpha 2M. On the other hand, prolonged treatment with 6 M guanidine-HCl had no effect on the alpha 2M binding. Binding sites for alpha 2M were most likely protein structures on the streptococcal surface.


Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents is an ever-increasing problem. The in-vitro activity of sparfloxacin compared with that of currently available antimicrobial agents against pathogens implicated in respiratory tract infections is reviewed. Sparfloxacin is a fluoroquinolone active against both penicillin-susceptible and -resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae. It is also active against many other respiratory tract pathogens and may be a suitable alternative for empirical therapy of community-acquired respiratory tract infections.


The caste system is social stratification system that has been used over the last 3 millennia. This review aims to investigate caste-based inequity in health care utilization in South Asia, particularly focusing those at the bottom of the caste hierarchy, commonly known as Dalit communities. A systematic methodology was followed; key databases (including CINAHL, Medline, SocINDEX, PubMed, Nepjol, JSTOR, and ASSIA) were searched for relevant articles published before October 2019, using comprehensive search strategy in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. In total 15,109 papers were found, and from these, nine selected papers were included in the review. The papers focused on studies in both India (n = 7) and Nepal (n = 2) and utilized a range of methods including qualitative (n = 2), quantitative (n = 3), and mixed methods (n = 4) approaches. The review identified four main themes: stigma, poverty, cultures and beliefs, and health care. Caste-based inequity impacts upon all aspects of an individual's well-being including violence and everyday life risks. Caste also impacts upon individuals' opportunities to access education, employment, and health care. Dalits appear to experience this more significantly due to both poverty and their caste status, which increases their vulnerability to health risks.


A new flavoprotein enzyme, l-glutamate oxidase, was purified to homogeneity from an aqueous extract of a wheat bran culture of Streptomyces sp. X-l 19–6. It showed absorption maxima at 273, 385 and 465 nm and a shoulder around 490 nm, and contained 2 mol of FAD per mol of enzyme. The enzyme had a molecular weight of approximately 140,000 and consisted of three sizes of subunits with molecular weights of 44,000, 16,000 and 9,000. Balance studies showed that 1 mol of l-glutamate was converted to 1 mol of α-ketoglutarate, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide with the consumption of 1 mol of oxygen. In addition to l-glutamate, l-aspartate was oxidized by the enzyme but only to an extent of 0.6% at pH 7.4; the Michaelis constants were as follows: 0.21 mM for l-glutamate and 29 mM for l-aspartate. The isoelectric point was pH 6.2, and the enzyme activity was optimal between pH 7.0 and 8.0. When the enzyme was heated at pH 5.5 for 15 min, the remaining activity was 100% of the original activity level at 65°C, 87% at 75...


In this paper, a novel equivalent circuit and modeling method for a defected ground structure is proposed to design an optimized DGS lowpass filter circuit. The equivalent circuit presented in this paper has parallel capacitance to explain the fringing fields due to the defects on the metallic ground plane. Several comparisons between the EM-simulations on the DGS circuits and circuit simulations on its equivalent circuits are demonstrated to show the validity of the proposed model. Optimization for the DGS circuit is carried out by using the proposed equivalent circuit. Simulation and measurements on the fabricated DGS lowpass filter show optimized passband and stopband performance.


General-purpose graphics processing units (GPUs) have been found to be viable solutions for large-scale numerical computations with an inherent potential for massive parallelism. In contrast, only few is known about using GPUs for small-scale computations. To have the GPU not be under-utilized for small problem sizes, a meaningful approach is to perform as many small-scale computations as possible in a concurrent manner. On NVIDIA Fermi GPUs, the concept of Concurrent Kernel Execution (CKE) allows for the execution of up to 16 GPU kernels on a single device. While using CKE in single-threaded CUDA programs is straightforward, for multi-threaded programs it might become a challenge to manage multiple host threads interacting with the GPU device, and in addition to have the CKE concept work properly. It can be observed that CKE performance breaks down when multiple host threads each invoke multiple GPU kernels in succession without synchronizing their actions. Since in real-world applications it is common that multiple host threads process their data independently, a mechanism is needed that helps avoiding CKE breakdown. We propose a producer-consumer principle approach to manage GPU kernel invocations from within parallel host regions by reordering the respective GPU kernels before actually invoking them. We are able to demonstrate significant performance improvements with this technique in a strong scaling simulation of a small molecule solvated within a nanodroplet.


This article explains the condition of Indonesia related to diversity, conflict, and violence. It also discusses the religious phenomenon in some parts of Indonesia regions in relation to the conflict and violence. Thus, this article proposes the important of multiculturalism concept to be implemented in Indonesia, concerning social and spiritual capital in the discourse of the concept. There is the need to create synergy of another capitals in a community with social capital.


As robotic technologies rapidly enter our everyday lives, we are compelled to consider the ethical, legal, and societal (ELS) challenges that arise in connection to these changes. In this workshop, we will present a novel methodological approach to HRI that will: help to identify ELS issues through ethnographic research methods, encourage interdisciplinary collaboration, and broaden the scope of existing HRI research while providing concrete tools for addressing these ELS challenges. We aim to introduce ethnographic methods and unfold the benefits and challenges of conducting ethnographic research. We will engage participants through speaker presentations, lightning talks, moderated group discussions, and a group-work session focused on integrating new methods into attendees» own research practices. Workshop topics will draw on the content of selected position papers, centered around how we can use ethnographic methods in HRI research so that we can: better understand users, workplaces, and robots; identify and address ELS issues; and ultimately ensure the design of more ethical, sustainable, and responsible robotics.


According to Indian Menopause Society research, there are about 65 million Indian women over the age of 45. The present observational, cross-sectional study was carried out in rural women (n = 220) in the district of Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, to evaluate the common types of menopausal symptoms. The mean age of the study was 51.13 years. The majority of the patients were in age group of 50–55 years which may be treated as high risk of menopausal age group. The mean age of menopausal patients was calculated as 51.13 years. The percentage of patients according to various symptoms was recorded in paper. Keywords: Menopausal symptoms, hot flushes, cold sweats,  sampling error Cite this Article: Singh Pankaj, Dhungana Hom Nath, Mohan Sumit. A community based cross sectional study on common menopausal symptoms in northern Indian population. Research and Reviews: Journal of Medical Science and Technology (RRJoMST) . 2015; 4(1): 1–4p.


PurposeRanking and comparing grey numbers represent a very important decision-making procedure in any given grey environment. The purpose of this paper is to study the existing approaches of ordering interval grey numbers in the context of decision making by surveying existing definitions.Design/methodology/approachDifferent methods developed for comparing grey numbers are presented along with their disadvantages and advantages in terms of comparison outcomes. Practical examples are employed to show the importance and necessity of using appropriate methods to compare grey numbers.FindingsMost the available methods are not suitable for pointing out which number is larger when the nuclei of the grey numbers of concern are the same. Also, these available methods are also considered in terms of partial order and total order. Kernel and degree of greyness of grey numbers method is more advantageous than other methods and almost eliminates the shortcomings of other methods.Originality/valueDifferent methods for ranking grey numbers are presented where each of them has disadvantages and advantages. By using different methods, grey interval numbers are compared and the results show that some methods cannot make grey number comparisons in some situations. The authors intend to find a method that can compare grey numbers in any situation. The findings of this research can prevent errors that may occur based on inaccurate comparisons of grey numbers in decision making. There are various research studies on the comparison of grey numbers, but there is no research on the comparison of these methods and their disadvantages, advantages or their total or partial order.


Silicon carbide has many desirable properties that make it a high demand product. Some of these properties make it difficult to machine silicon carbide for industrial use. This work demonstrated the ability to machine silicon carbide using Electrical Discharge Machining, Water Jet Machining, and diamond grinding.


An investigation on "Effect of biofertilizers on growth and yield of Spinach (Beta vulgaris L.)" was conducted at the experimental farm, College of Horticulture, V.N.M.K.V Parbhani, during kharif season 2016-2017. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with ten treatments replicated thrice by using the variety Pusa All Green. The treatment comprises of control (T1), Azotobact er@10kg/ha (T2), PSB@10kg/ha (T3), Azotobacter+PSBeach@10kg/ha (T4), Azotobacter +PSB as seed treatment (T5), Azotobacter @ 2lit/ha (T6) PSB @2lit/ha (T7), Azotobacter +PSB each @ 2lit /ha (T8), Azotobacter @ 10kg and PSB @2lit/ha (T9), and Azotobacter @2lit +PSB @10kg/ha (T10). Regarding the growth attributes it is observed that, the maximum values of growth parameters like plant height (26.66 cm), number of leaves per plant (19.33), number of branches per plant (1.32) and minimum days required for maturity (28.12 days) were recorded with the application of Azotobacter + PSB each @2lit/ha (T8).The yield attributes like maximum fresh weight of whole plant (98.11 g) was recorded in treatment of Azotobacter + PSB each @2lit/ha (T8) weight of shoot (69.11 g) and shoot root ratio (2.47) was recorded in treatment PSB @ 10kg/ha (T3). However, the minimum values for all other characters and maximum root weight (44.33 g) was recorded in control (T1) treatment. Significantly maximum yield (3.8 kg/ plot) and yield (63.34 q) per hectare was recorded in the treatment (T8) i.e. application of Azotobacter +PSB each @ 2lit /ha and it was at par with treatment of Azotobacter + PSB each @ 10kg/ha(T4) and the application of Azotobacter @ 10kg+ @ 2lit/ha (T9).


Summary: Several strains of Acetobacter xylinum were screened for in vivo cellulose and acetan production, and for in vitro synthesis of a prenyl-diphosphate-hexasaccharide, using UDP-Glc, UDP-GlcA and GDP-Man as sugar donors. The lipid-bound saccharide was synthesized only by acetan-producing strains. Previous work has shown that the in vitro-synthesized lipid-linked saccharides have the same structure as the acetan repeating unit. The present results strongly suggest a precursor-product relationship. The strains that produced acetan lost their ability to do so by ageing of the culture.


Abstract The field of humanitarian action is far from static, and the ICRC has worked over the years to evolve and respond to changing needs and changing circumstances. The past several decades have seen a proliferation of humanitarian actors, protracted, complex conflicts, and the rapid rise of new technologies that have significantly impacted how humanitarian work is done. The ICRC has been continually challenged to adapt in this changing environment, and its core work of supporting separated families – through restoration of family links and through support to the families of the missing – provides insight into ways that it has met this challenge and areas in which it may still seek to improve.


Antibacterial efficacies of various thermoplastics, such as medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) containing nano-silver colloids were studied under a wide range of testing conditions. The effects of nano-silver colloid content and the silver-polymer contact time were of our main interests and quantitatively assessed by shake flask method coupled with a plate-count-agar (PCA) technique using Escherichia coli as testing bacteria. Two different methods were used for incorporating the nano-silver colloids into the thermoplastics, these being spray-coating and melt-blending techniques. The experimental results suggested that all neat thermoplastics alone could not generally inhibit the E. coli growth, suggesting that all thermoplastics exhibited nonbactericidal behavior. However, neat PVC appeared to show a retarding effect for the E. coli growth. In addition, coating silver colloid onto all types of thermoplastic substrates could inhibit the E. coli growth up to 99.9% at the optimum silver content of 50 ppm for PS, PET and PVC and of 75 ppm for MDPE. The optimum contact time for all thermoplastics was 150 min. Among the thermoplastics used, PVC exhibited the highest % E. coli reduction, and this was confirmed by the higher silver content via Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) technique. For a given silver content, the spray-coating technique could give better dispersion level of silver throughout the thermoplastic films and this led to more effective antibacterial performance as compared with the dry-blending technique. In PVC sample, the contact angle value appeared to increase with the addition of silver content for both incorporating techniques. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011.


The subduction zone under the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand comprises, from east to west, a frontal wedge, a fore-arc basin, uplifted basement forming the arc and the Central Volcanic Region. Reconstructions of the plate boundary zone for the Cainozoic from seafloor spreading data require the fore-arc basin to have rotated through 60° in the last 20 Ma which is confirmed by palaeomagnetic declination studies. Estimates of shear strain from geodetic data show that the fore-arc basin is rotating today and that it is under extension in the direction normal to the trend of the plate boundary zone. The extension is apparently achieved by normal faulting. Estimates of the amount of sediments accreted to the subduction zone exceed the volume of the frontal wedge: underplating by the excess sediments is suggested to be the cause of late Quaternary uplift of the fore-arc basin. Low-temperature—high-pressure metamorphism may therefore be occurring at depth on the east coast and high-temperature—low-pressure metamorphism is probable in the Central Volcanic Region. The North Island of New Zealand is therefore a likely setting for a paired metamorphic belt in the making.


Detecting continuous nanohertz gravitational waves (GWs) generated by individual close binaries of supermassive black holes (CB-SMBHs) is one of the primary objectives of pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). The detection sensitivity is slated to increase significantly as the number of well-timed millisecond pulsars will increase by more than an order of magnitude with the advent of next-generation radio telescopes. Currently, the Bayesian analysis pipeline using parallel tempering Markov Chain Monte Carlo has been applied in multiple studies for CB-SMBH searches, but it may be challenged by the high dimensionality of the parameter space for future large-scale PTAs. One solution is to reduce the dimensionality by maximizing or marginalizing over uninformative parameters semianalytically, but it is not clear whether this approach can be extended to more complex signal models without making overly simplified assumptions. Recently, the method of diffusive nested (DNest) sampling has shown capability in coping with high dimensionality and multimodality effectively in Bayesian analysis. In this paper, we apply DNest to search for continuous GWs in simulated pulsar timing residuals and find that it performs well in terms of accuracy, robustness, and efficiency for a PTA including (102) pulsars. DNest also allows a simultaneous search of multiple sources elegantly, which demonstrates its scalability and general applicability. Our results show that it is convenient and also highly beneficial to include DNest in current toolboxes of PTA analysis.


Although many technologies, such as an electronic portal imaging device, a software-based quality assurance system, an ion chamber array, etc., have been developed for the purpose of quality assurance of radiotherapy planning, radiochromic film is still one of the most reliable technologies and is being widely used. In particular, compared with other technologies, EBT3 film has unique advantages, including its unlimited spatial resolution, relatively small volume and waterproof quality, which means it can be used inside the patient's body. The main obstacle to using EBT3 film is that various equations have to be used in the calibration process, which makes it very sensitive to the results. The manufacturer provides a fitting function, but many software programs and researchers use their own functions. In this study, some functions normally used for calibrating EBT3 films are compared by analyzing a couple of characteristics in the course of fitting the function to the measured values. Although our study shows the lack of a suitable fitting function that works well in every situation, it can provide valuable insight into selecting suitable functions for fitting in a clinical setting.


Background The Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) is an important measure of diabetes-related emotional distress that has been widely used in the Western world. In Thailand, there is a lack of reliable and valid scales for assessing distress levels in diabetes patients, specifically in older adults. Objectives The main objectives of this study were to adapt the DDS for use in Thai diabetic elderly and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods The 17-item DDS was linguistically adapted using forward–backward translation and administered to 170 diabetic patients ≥60 years selected from diabetes outpatient clinics of four hospitals in Buriram, Thailand. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency, convergent validity, and test–retest reliability. Results During factor analysis, a three-factor solution was found to be reasonable for the sub-dimensions of emotional and regimen-related burden (ten items), physician- and nurse-related distress (four items), and diabetes-related interpersonal distress (three items). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total score was 0.95 and varied between 0.85 and 0.96 in the three subscales. The results provided evidence that supports the convergent validity of the Thai version of the DDS as well as its stability. Conclusion The Thai version of the DDS has acceptable psychometric properties. It enables assessment of diabetes-specific distress in elderly patients and has the advantage of being easy to use in both clinical and research settings.


The scientific community increasingly appreciates the importance of the gut microbiota in promoting health and causing disease. At the AIDS 2016 meeting in Durban, Brent Palmer (Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus) presented data from his research on the gut microbiome. His analysis of 145 US participants (41 untreated individuals with HIV, 51 antiretroviral therapy(ART)treated individuals, and 53 uninfected individuals) suggests that (1) many of the microbiome alterations that have been documented in association with HIV infection – including a loss of anti-inflammatory bacteria – are also present among uninfected men who have sex with men and practice high-risk behaviors and (2) even controlling for this observation, HIV infection is associated with a loss of anti-inflammatory bacteria. These findings are consistent with the chronic inflammation observed in HIV-infected patients. Furthermore, Palmer reports that incubating lamina propria mononuclear cells with HIV-associated gut bacteria increases the vulnerability of these immune cells to infection by the virus. These results suggest 'that gut microbiota could be driving disease progression in HIV-infected individuals and potentially putting high-risk individuals at even greater risk of contracting HIV,' says Palmer.


Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of surface electromyography (sEMG) spectral decomposition in evaluating muscle performance, motor learning, and early diagnosis of muscle conditions. However, decomposition techniques require large data sets and are computationally demanding, making their implementation in real-life scenarios challenging. Based on the hypothesis that spectral components will present low inter-subject variability, the present paper proposes the foundational principles for developing a real-time system for their extraction by utilizing a pre-defined library of components derived from an extensive data set to match new measurements. The model library was tailored to fulfill specific requirements for real-time system application and the challenges encountered during implementation are discussed in the paper. For system validation, four distinct data sets comprising isotonic and isometric muscle activations were utilized. The extracted during validation showed low inter-subject variability, suggesting that a wide range of physiological variations can be described with them. The adoption of the proposed system for muscle analysis could provide a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing different motor conditions and neuromuscular disorders, as it allows for the measurement of these components in various daily-life scenarios.


This paper considers optimization of routing track segmentation for Channelled Architecture FPGAs. An algorithm has been developed which generates channel segmentation (with fixed length tracks) which approximates a given segment length distribution. Different channel architectures are evaluated using a segmented channel router which uses a bounded search algorithm for optimum channel routing.


The combinations of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs have proven effective in controlling the progression of AIDS, but these benefits can be compromised by drug resistance. Thus, drug-resistance testing has become an important tool in the management of HIV-infected individuals.1 Drug resistance develops when mutations in the HIV virus proteins occur due to amino acid substitutions.2 Drug resistance testing is done in two ways: phenotypic test and genotypic test.3 In the first method, virus proliferation is measured in the presence of different concentrations of the drugs. In the second, the genetic structure of viral genome sequences are investigated.4 Although, the first case of HIV infection in Iran was identified 23 years ago (1988), there is still no study published on its drug resistance. The main purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of drug resistance mutations in patients with HIV/AIDS attending Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran. The secondary objectives of the study were to determine the frequency of drug resistance to specific drugs such as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and protease inhibitors (PI). We collected plasma samples from 25 patients with HIV/AIDS and immunological failure. After the extraction of the viral RNA from plasma, genomic sequencing was performed. Finally, the data for determining drug resistance were analyzed by the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database (http://hivdb.stanford.edu) software. Out of the 25 patients under study, 20 were male (80%) and five were female (20%). Routes of HIV transmission were: 56% by needle sharing among injecting drug users (IDUs), 20% through sexual contact, 12% through blood transfusions and 12% by unknown routes. High-level drug resistance for ARV drugs included: 24% to NRTIs, 28% to NNRTIs and zero percent to PI drugs. In addition, 15 patients had been infected with genotype A and 10 patients with genotype B of the virus subtypes. More than half of the patients (56%) had HCV co-infection and 44% had prison histories. Overall, the prevalence of drug resistance was 28% which is lower to those of other countries which range from 30% to 90%. Among NRTI drugs, 24% had high-level drug resistance to Lamivudin while no resistance was witnessed against Tenofovir. Among NRTI drugs, 8% had high-level and 68% had low-level resistance to Stavudine. Among NNRTI drugs, 24% and 28% of the patients showed high-level resistance to Efavirenze and Nevirapine, respectively, although the resistance rate in the present study was much lower in comparison to similar studies in China, Venezuela and Chile with respective resistance rates of 61%, 38% and 84%. In this study, no resistance was seen against PI drugs, while the resistance rates in other countries, such as Venezuela, Chile, Brazil and the U.S. have been respectively reported to be 47%, 45%, 45% and 41%.5 With higher genetic barriers than NNRTI drugs, and lack of resistance to them, PI drugs can be used effectively in health care systems in triple drug regimens. With a compliance rate of 32% in our study, 2NRTI+PI combination seems to be preferable to 2NRTI+NNRTI combination for the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients.


INTRODUCTION :
A decade ago, the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and
Hypertension was expected to eliminate CAD by the end of the 20th century. Lately, however, that optimistic prediction has needed revision. Cardiovascular diseases are expected to be the main cause of death globally Within the next 15 years owing to a rapidly increasing prevalence in Developing countries and Eastern Europe and the rising incidence of obesity, Diabetes and Diabetes related complication like chronic kidney disease (CKD) in both the developing world and the Western world.
Cardiovascular diseases cause 38 percent of all deaths in North America and are the most common cause of death in European men under 65 Years of age and the second most common cause in women. These facts force us to revisit cardiovascular disease and consider new strategies for prediction, prevention, and treatment.
AIM :
We set out to investigate the hypothesis that elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels a marker of an (altered immune response) inflammation, would correlate with coronary artery disease in patients with diabetic chronic renal disease.
MATERIAL AND METHODS :
This study is of Observational Study Design. Inclusive of a total 50 patients. Between 2004 – 2006 at P.S.G. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.
Inclusion Criteria:
Patients with Stage 1 to stage 3 chronic kidney disease (according to NKF- DOQI Guidelines)of Diabetic etiology.
Diabetes mellitus both type 1 and type 2.
Exclusion Criteria:
• Advanced stages of renal disease.
• Congestive cardiac failure.
• Hypoproteinemia.
• Inter current infection in the past 3 weeks.
• Connective tissue disorder.
RESULTS :
Characteristics of the Cases and their Relationship with Cardiovascular Events.
There is no statistically significant between the mean age of patients with cardiovascular events and normal cases.
DISSCUSSION :
1. Our data suggest that the elevated C-reactive protein level is a predictor of cardiovascular events in Diabetic Renal Disease population. Unlike other markers of inflammation (ICAM, IL-6etc), C-reactive protein levels are stable over long periods, have no diurnal variation, can be measured inexpensively with available high-sensitivity assays, and have shown specificity in terms of predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease.
2. C-reactive protein is a stronger predicter of cardiovascular events than the LDL cholesterol level. The same was suggested by Paul M Ridker and Co-workers and several other workers also and our study demonstrates the same observation(33).THE addition of crp to standard cholesterol evaluation may thus provide a effective and inexpensive and non invasive method to improve clobal risk prediction and compliance with approaches.
3. Tighter glycemic controls are associated with better cardiovascular outcomes.
CONCLUSION :
CRP level is independently associated with Coronary artery disease in our study group of Diabetic CKD patients and is useful predictive marker for Cardiovascular events (IHD)in the study population.


Language Learning Beliefs (LLB) are an important area for foreign and second language learning research that has grown considerably over the last decade, and which spans multi-disciplinary fields across education, linguistics and psychology (Martinez Agudo, 2014). These beliefs have become more important as they affect motivation and perhaps even language learning strategies (Zare-ee, 2010), though more research must be done in the latter area (Martinez Agudo, 2014). One understudied branch of LLB is that of language aptitude. Beliefs concerning language aptitude are not new, given that they appeared as a staple area of Horwitz's seminal research for the BALLI questionnaire (Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory) (1987). However, beliefs on language aptitude need to be revisited given the multiple studies in social psychology on how beliefs affect learning when considering a given quality as innate or learned (Dweck, 2014). These studies show how believing intelligence to be fixed or incremental has a variety of consequences for learners that are fundamental for their long-term success in the classroom. Our aim in this paper is to merge these pertinent concepts to the foreign language classroom, in particular because the belief that intelligence is fixed or incremental mirrors the long-standing debate over language aptitude as innate or learned.


To the Editor.— In the MayArchives(1980;116:517-518), Witkowski et al unduly criticized the article by Cook et al. 1 Lesion counting is a cumbersome, time-consuming, archaic method of measuring acne activity. Besides, data evaluation is difficult because most of the published clinical studies do not properly handle the statistics derived from lesion counting. For example, an investigator may count 50 papules on one visit and on the next visit may count 40 papules. The acne is somewhat improved. Should the change be expressed as a 20% reduction in activity or should it simply be stated as a reduction in the lesion count of ten? Another patient has ten papules and on the next visit has only five papules. Does this represent a 50% reduction in activity or simply a reduction in the lesion count of five? How the investigator handles these numbers obviously will greatly influence the statistical evaluation.


One of the key challenges in the battle against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is to detect and quantify the severity of the disease in a timely manner. Computed tomographies (CT) of the lungs are effective for assessing the state of the infection. Unfortunately, labeling CT scans can take a lot of time and effort, with up to 150 minutes per scan. We address this challenge introducing a scalable, fast, and accurate active learning system that accelerates the labeling of CT scan images. Conventionally, active learning methods require the labelers to annotate whole images with full supervision, but that can lead to wasted efforts as many of the annotations could be redundant. Thus, our system presents the annotator with unlabeled regions that promise high information content and low annotation cost. Further, the system allows annotators to label regions using point-level supervision, which is much cheaper to acquire than per-pixel annotations. Our experiments on open-source COVID-19 datasets show that using an entropy-based method to rank unlabeled regions yields to significantly better results than random labeling of these regions. Also, we show that labeling small regions of images is more efficient than labeling whole images. Finally, we show that with only 7\% of the labeling effort required to label the whole training set gives us around 90\% of the performance obtained by training the model on the fully annotated training set. Code is available at: \url{this https URL}.


Summary This work introduces the design of finite-gain  1 interval observers based on an event-triggered mechanism for linear continuous-time systems in the presence of unknown-but-bounded uncertainties with a priori known bounds (state disturbances and measurement noises). In addition, the times when the measurements are required in the estimation procedure are driven by an event-triggered mechanism. A dynamic event-triggered condition, which depends on the width of the feasible domain of the system's uncertainties and the width of the estimated state enclosures, is established. The proposed event-triggered strategy guarantees the existence of a positive lower bound on the inter-event times, which avoids the Zeno phenomenon. Moreover, the  1 -stability of the estimation error is ensured while using as less as possible sensors data. Finally, simulation results are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


Smart materials and structures are inspired in nature and try to mimic adaptive characteristics of natural systems. In brief, it is possible to say that smart materials have special properties that couple mechanical and non-mechanical fields, conferring adaptive characteristics. Smart systems and structures use this kind of material as sensors and actuators. In general there are four major groups of smart materials: piezoelectric, shape memory alloys, magnetostrictive materials, electro-magneto rheological fluids. Nowadays, several fields of science and technology are exploiting the remarkable properties of smart systems and structures including bioengineering, aerospace engineering, robotics and vibration/shape control. Therefore, several applications have been developed, giving the increasing importance to this kind of system. In order to consolidate this new design paradigm in Brazil, several research groups from different Brazilian Universities and also international partners created the National Institute of Science and Technology of Smart Structures in Engineering (INCT-EIE) . Moreover, the Brazilian community created the Committee of Smart Materials and Structures of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering (M&EInt/ABCM) . In order to celebrate the consolidation of this area in Brazil, we are producing this Special Issue on Smart Materials and Structures of the Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering. This special issue presents a general overview of the activities of the Brazilian community together with the international partners. Applications of piezoelectric materials and shape memory alloys are mainly discussed in the contributions. Kalamkarov and Savi (2012) presented a review of micromechanical modeling of smart composite structures reinforced by a periodic grid that can exhibit piezoelectric behavior. The asymptotic homogenization is employed. Trindade and Benjeddou (2012) developed a parametric analysis of effective material properties of thickness-shear piezoelectric macro-fibre composites. Finite element homogenization method is employed evaluating the influence of several parameters on material properties. Medeiros et al. (2012) presented a procedure to evaluate effective properties on smart composite materials with piezoelectric fibers. Finite element method is applied for unidirectional periodic piezoelectric composites. Nitzsche (2012) discussed the realization of semi-active actuators employed for application in structural control. The general idea is applied for an actuator using piezoelectric material as adaptive material. Motter et al. (2012) discussed vibration-based energy harvesting employing piezoelectric materials. Different rectifier circuits are of concern, analyzing numerical and experimental results. Abreu et al. (2012) presented a discussion about active vibration control of a cantilever beam using a model-based digital controller and piezoelectric sensor and actuators. The main focus of the paper is the design of the controller, showing experimental results that assure its efficacy. Martins et al. (2012) treated the structural health monitoring for aeronautical applications by using piezoelectric materials. Electromechanical impedance measures are employed to perform nondestructive inspection. The paper discussed a case study of an aluminum aircraft window with satisfactory results. De Paula et al. (2012) investigated the nonlinear dynamics of large-scale space structures with embedded shape memory alloy actuators. The investigation considered an archetypal model composed of a single mass connected by SMA elements. This system has a complex behavior including chaos. The paper discussed some aspects of the system dynamics giving special attention for the influence of geometrical imperfections. Lima et al. (2012) discussed the control of a beam using shape memory alloys as actuators. A PI controller is employed to an experimental rig showing its applicability for the deformation control.