In this work, we use the concept of quaternion time and demonstrate that it can be applied for description of four-dimensional space-time intervals. We demonstrate that the quaternion time interval together with the finite speed of light propagation allow for a simple intuitive understanding of the time interval measurement during arbitrary relative motion between a signal source and observer. We derive a quaternion form of Lorentz time dilation and show that the norm corresponds to the traditional expression of the Lorentz transformation and represents the measured value of time intervals, making the new theory inseparable from the theory of measurement. We determine that the space-time interval in the observer reference frame is given by a conjugate quaternion expression, which is essential for proper definition of the quaternion derivatives in the observer reference frame. Then, we apply quaternion differentiation to an arbitrary potential, which leads to generalized Lorentz force. The second quaternion derivative of the potential leads to expressions similar to generalized Maxwell equations. Finally, we apply the resulting formalism to electromagnetic and gravitational interactions and show that the new expressions are similar to the traditional expressions, with the exception of additional terms, related to scalar fields, that need further study and experimental verification. Therefore, the new mathematical approach based on Hamilton's quaternions may serve as a useful foundation of the unified theory of space-time and matter.


Literacy rates in African nations continue to rise as the nations pursue various educational programmes in their bid to promote social development. But, have the improvements in literacy rates been matched by commensurate book industry and readership development in the countries? If increased literacy actually translates into improved readership, then book industries in Africa should be expected to expand sufficiently to meet the book needs of different groups in the countries. However, the findings of this study indicate that growth in book production in African countries does not seem to reflect the achievements in literacy development in the countries. The study therefore recommends that literacy development programmes in African countries should emphasise strategies that promote functional literacy and healthy reading habits among Africa's increasingly literate populations. Keywords: Book development, book output, culture, literacy, readership, reading habits


Due to unpredictable noise and ambient interference along high-speed railways (HSRs), it is challenging to provide reliable Internet services in severe HSR network environments. Most existing research that requires expensive modifications for large-scale already in-used base stations cannot be immediately deployed into the existing HSR systems. In this paper, we propose a quite lightweight but effective solution to improve the Internet experience for HSR passengers. Different from other existing approaches, we employ a data-driven link state prediction (LSP) mechanism for HSR reliable transmission, called LSP4HSR, which directly operates in HSR's on-board routers. In particular, we conduct an extensive measurement of network status on several realistic HSR lines and collect a first-hand dataset in terms of round-trip time and packet loss rate. By analyzing this real dataset, we find that HSR link quality presents obvious two-time-scale variation characteristics. We execute a lot of in-depth studies to explore potential reasons for this interesting phenomenon. Furthermore, based on the two-time-scale Markov chain, we establish an accurate HSR link prediction approach, which brings an LSP-based transmission enhancement mechanism to alleviate the impact from poor link status along HSR lines. Extensive experiments verify that the proposed solution can not only improve the packet transmission reliability in HSR networks but can be also deployed in existing HSR systems quite smoothly and easily.


The purpose of work is determination of the rational system of maintenance of the hydromechanical transmission of diesel locomotives of a series ТГМ4 for the beforehand set reliability of locomotive fleet with minimum expenses of funds and labour capacity.


We characterize a ruler's decision of whether to censor media reports that convey public information to citizens who decide whether to revolt. We find: (1) a ruler gains (his ex ante expected payoff increases) by committing to censoring slightly less than he does in equilibrium: his equilibrium calculations ignore that censoring less causes citizens to update more positively following no news; (2) a ruler gains from higher censorship costs if and only if censorship costs exceed a critical threshold; (3) a bad ruler prefers a very active media to a very passive one, while a good ruler prefers the opposite.


AIM
The inclusion of biomaterial particles used for alveolar bone regeneration in a carrier or in binding agents such as collagen gel or fibers is of interest as a means to help with surgical handling. However, the possible influence of collagen on bone tissue response to biomaterials is poorly studied. The objective of the present study was to investigate, in a sub-sinus bone augmentation model in rabbits, the effect of collagen at different stages of the osteogenesis process. Histologic, histomorphometric and volumetric analyses were performed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Rabbits underwent a double sinus lift procedure using bovine hydroxyapatite (BHA), collagenated bovine hydroxyapatite (BHAColl), and prehydrated and collagenated porcine hydroxyapatite (PHAColl). Animals were sacrificed at 1 week, 5 weeks or 6 months. Samples were subjected to X-ray micro-tomography and histology. Qualitative analysis was performed on the non-decalcified sections and quantitative histomorphometric analyses were conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Volume variations of bone augmentations were calculated at different time points.

RESULTS
The three biomaterials allowed an optimal bone formation and were able to equally withstand sinusal reexpansion. A comparable percentage of new bone, as well as 3D volume stability, was found between the groups at each time point. However, the PHAColl resorption rate was significantly higher than the rates in other groups (P = 0.0003), with only 3.6% of the particles remaining at 6 months. At 1 week, both collagenated groups displayed the presence of inflammatory cells although BHA did not show any sign of inflammation. At 5 weeks and 6 months, the inflammatory process had disappeared completely in the BHAColl groups, whereas some inflammatory-like cells could still be observed around the remaining particles of PHAColl.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Within the limitations of this study in rabbits, the findings showed the presence of inflammatory-like cells at the early stage of bone regeneration when collagenated xenogenic biomaterials were used compared to xenogenic granules alone. Nevertheless, similar bone formation occurred and comparable 3D volumes were found at 6 months in the different groups.


Sharing hardware and software resources among networked workstations has become common practice. Resource management in such systems is complex because of physical distribution of the resources, communication delays and the lack of global state informations. This paper describes a scalable load monitoring service and a scalable resource query service developed in the Warp project to provide necessary state information for resource management. Scalability is achieved by reducing the network traffic. Techniques include exploiting the IP multicast for one-to-many communications, using supply-driven and demand driven approaches for disseminating different classes of information, compressing information, and tailoring servers only to publish information when certain conditions are met. GUI tools, statistical analysers, and job scheduling are example clients of the services.


Background and objectives: In recent years, a growing body of research has focused on identifying possible biological markers for suicidal behavior, including infective and immunological markers. In this paper, our aim was to review available evidence concerning the association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and suicide. Materials and Methods: A systematic search according to the PRISMA statement was performed on Pubmed. After the screening procedure, we identified five relevant papers. Results: We found inconsistent evidence linking CMV infection and suicide, with some papers reporting an association between CMV seropositivity and suicidal behavior, and others not finding the association. Conclusions: With the evidence available presently, it is not possible to infer whether there is a correlation between suicide and CMV infection.


An intercomparison of eye lens dosemeters has been conducted in terms of the quantity Hp(3). For the first time, besides photon radiation also beta radiation qualities were included. Three dosemeter types designed for the quantity Hp(3) and ten for Hp(0.07) took part in the intercomparison. As shown in a previous intercomparison for photon radiation only, the dosemeters designed for Hp(0.07) and calibrated in terms of Hp(3) performed well in photon radiation fields. But for beta radiation, it turned out that Hp(0.07) dosemeters over-responded up to a factor of 5 000 (with respect to the true Hp(3) dose) in the medium beta energy range (85Kr with a beta endpoint energy of 0.69 MeV), while some Hp(3) dosemeters performed quite well. For medium (57 keV) and high (662 keV) energy photon radiation, all dosemeter types showed response values well within the trumpet curve according to the current draft of ISO 14146.


The purpose of this study is to examine school counsellors' awareness of their advocacy responsibilities in relation to distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. The participants in this case study were 14 school counsellors working in secondary schools. They were selected using criterion sampling and maximum variation. Research data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using content analysis. According to the findings, school counsellors described their school environments as fair considering the democratic attitudes of principals and teachers. Participating counsellors reported that students complain about various issues regarding favoritism, discriminatory attitudes, problematic communication, and unfair grading. They also reported that when students experience injustice at school, they show emotional reactions such as anger, unhappiness, and helplessness, in addition to aggression towards teachers, school objects, or themselves. School counsellors stated that they encourage such students to share their feelings, claim their rights, and talk to their teachers. However, school counsellors who encouraged students to claim their rights rarely talked to teachers to solve such problems. It can be said that school counsellors who strive to prevent student victimization have played a mediating role rather than being an advocate. Future studies can explore the advocacy practices at private and public schools.


Abstract Objectives: Patients refractory to older therapies for neuropathic pain (NeP) have few remaining therapeutic options. This study evaluates the cost-utility of pregabalin in the treatment of patients with refractory neuropathic pain in Sweden, from a healthcare and a societal perspective. Study limitations: The use of non-randomized (observational) data to determine the effectiveness of treatments for NeP. The use of non-Swedish data for some input parameters in the model. Methods: A previously constructed discrete event simulation model was adapted to compare pregabalin combined with usual care to usual care alone in a Swedish setting. Pain profiles were generated using clinical data from five non-randomized pregabalin studies in refractory NeP patients. Utility data were generated from a UK survey of patients with NeP. Cost data were generated from the Swedish Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Board (TLV's) product price database, a national NeP register, and a regional registry study. Indirect costs were estimated from published sources. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses evaluated uncertainty in the model's output. Results: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for pregabalin plus usual care treatment compared to usual care was 51,616 SEK/€5364 and 123,993 SEK/€12,886 with and without indirect costs, respectively. One-way sensitivity analyses confirmed the clinical input data as the main driver of the model; even considerable changes to all other input parameters had only a modest effect on the ICER. The ICER remained well below a conservative threshold of 347,495 SEK /€36,113/£30,000 in all scenarios modelled. Conclusions: This study found pregabalin combined with usual care to be cost-effective compared to usual care in patients with refractory NeP from a Swedish Health Care perspective. Moreover, sensitivity analysis showed pregabalin's cost-effectiveness to be robust in all scenarios modelled.


The study investigated the relationship between head teachers' leadership styles and their teachers' commitment. The 'full-range leadership theory' by Bass and Avolio (1995) and the 'organizational commitment model' guided the study. The study employed a crosssectional survey design by collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. Data were collected by an adapted version of Bass and Avolio's (1997) Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Meyer and Allen's (1991) Organizational Commitment Questionnaire to gather quantitative data, and self-constructed semi-structured interview guide was used to gather qualitative data. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 254 head teachers and their teachers from public basic schools in Ekumfi District. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics like Pearson's moment correlation and multiple regressions were generated whiles the qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The findings revealed a weak but significant positive correlation between leadership styles and commitment (r=.41, p=.00). Further, a weak but significant positive relationship was established between transformational(r= .36,p=.00, transactional(r=.43, p=00) and laissez-faire(r= .13, p= .05) type of leadership and overall teacher commitment. The study disclosed that head teachers' demographic factors do not significantly impact on their leadership styles. It was recommended that the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service should pay attention to leadership styles of head teachers so as to heighten commitment of teachers in Ekumfi District.


summary Micro‐credit programmes have emerged as an antipoverty instrument in many low‐income countries. They target the poor, especially women, with financial services to help them become self‐employed in rural non‐farm activities of their choice. In contrast, micro‐credit programmes of the village banks supported by Accion International or Women's World Banking provide financial services in response to market failures in which formal financial institutions failed to cater financial services to small‐ and medium‐scale enterprises. No matter whether they are instruments for poverty reduction or market failure, micro‐credit programmes practice financial intermediation for their targeted clienteles. The article reviews the methodologies practiced to evaluate micro‐credit programmes, provides a unified framework for anlaysis, and discusses future research directions.


The question of whether a pluvial lake existed in Fish Lake Valley, Nevada and California, has been debated for more than 100 yr. New stratigraphic evidence indicates that a lake did exist in this valley at intervals during late Pliocene to middle Pleistocene time. This lake may have drained northward, or it may have been periodically contiguous with a pluvial lake to the north in Columbus Salt Marsh.

Proof of the existence of this lake, informally named Pluvial Lake Rennie, is derived from three principal outcrops of shallow-water deposits, two outcrops of deep-water deposits, and several drilling logs. The deposits contain beds of silicic tephra, which provide age control. On the basis of thickness, grain size, major-oxide chemistry of glass shards, and paleomagnetism, three of the shallow-water deposits, including deltaic(?), beach, and siliceous hot-spring sediments, consist mainly of Bishop ash derived from the 0.77 Ma eruption of the Long Valley caldera. A fourth shallow-water deposit(?) is associated with ∼1 Ma Glass Mountain tephra beds. The exposed deep-water deposits consist of green claystone, siltstone, and fine-grained sandstone containing tephra derived from the eruptions of the ∼2.1 Ma tuff of Taylor Canyon and the ∼2.0 Ma Huckleberry Ridge Tuff. The drilling logs record numerous thick beds of clay and sandy clay inferred to be deep-water lacustrine deposits.

Pluvial Lake Rennie fluctuated in size and depth beginning prior to 2 Ma and continuing until sometime alter 0.77 Ma. At about 0.77 Ma, the lake had a highstand at an elevation of ∼1,460 m, covered an area of 400-500 km2, and had a maximum depth of ∼250 m. The lake level dropped just after the eruption of the Bishop ash, but the lake may have persisted at a lower level until ∼0.5 Ma. No large, long-lived lake existed in Fish Lake Valley in late Pleistocene time, probably due to the increasing rain-shadow effect caused by the relative uplift of the White Mountains and Sierra Nevada in the Pleistocene. These results indicate that the late middle to late Pleistocene history of Pluvial Lake Rennie is similar to that of Lake Tecopa but is quite different from those of Lake Lahontan and Searles Lake.


Motivation: Modeling biological signaling networks using ordinary differential equations (ODEs) has proven to be a powerful technique for generating insight into cellular dynamics, but it typically requires estimating rate parameters based on experimentally observed concentrations. New measurement methods can measure concentrations for all molecular species in a pathway, which creates a new opportunity to decompose the optimization of rate parameters. Results: In contrast with conventional methods that minimize the disagreement between simulated and observed concentrations, the BPPE method fits a spline curve through the observed concentration points, and then matches the derivatives of the spline-curve to the production and consumption of each species. Whereas traditional methods follow the ODEs exactly and then attempt to match the data, BPPE follows the data exactly and then attempts to match the ODEs. The new objective function is an extreme decomposition of the problem because each factor in the function is enforcing the equality of one ODE at one timeslice. A "loopy belief propagation" algorithm solves this factorized approximation of the parameter estimation problem providing systematic coverage of the search space and unique asymptotic behavior; the run time is polynomial in the number of molecules and timepoints, but exponential in the degree of the biochemical network. The implementation is a global-local hybrid optimization, and we compare with the performance of local, global, and hybrid methods. BPPE is demonstrated for a novel model of Akt activation dynamics including redox-mediated inactivation of PTEN. Availability: Software and supplementary information are available at this http URL . Contact: email@example.com . Keywords: probabilistic graphical models, physico-chemical modeling, systems biology, signal transduction.


This paper presents a design of AES (advanced encryption standard) with parallel architecture. The proposed architecture maintains throughput as it is but consumes lower power than the original architecture by using 1/2 clock-rate and reducing supply voltage. Models were designed using VHDL and verified by both functional and gate-level simulation. They were logically synthesized using 0.25 um, 90 nm cell library by Synopsys Design compiler. Power consumption was computed by Synopsys PrimePower.


A radically different approach to the teaching of verb form and function is proposed. The acquisition of the ability to use verb forms in communicative situations is seen as a gradual process facilitated by involving the student in Affective Acquisition Activities of various sorts rather than through traditional cognitive grammar-focused 'explanation-practice-application' paradigms. One affective acquisition activity model, the Association Model, is proposed to focus the student on verb acquisition. In this model the students learn the meaning of a large number of verbs in a single form before they learn to control a person-number paradigm. In addition, it is proposed that forms be taught according to communicative need, i.e., the substitution of semantic criteria for grammatical ones. In particular, the student will not learn paradigmatic forms, but rather will acquire certain tense forms before other person-number forms. A teaching order is proposed.


Polythiophenes functionalized with polar groups at the end of side-chain have emerged as an alternative method to obtain good compatibility between this class of conjugated polymers and electron acceptor compounds. The aim is to prevent phase segregation and to improve the efficiency of the polythiophene technological devices. However, homopolymers synthesized from thiophene rings with high polar groups at the end of the side-chain, such as hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups, are poorly soluble in common volatile organic solvents. We report on a systematic preparation of copolymers of 3-hexylthiophene (HT) and thiophene-3-acetic acid (TAA), using different feed ratios. The chemical structures of the copolymers were confirmed by FTIR and 1H-NMR. The TAA content in these copolymers were 33, 38 and 54 mol %. HPSEC results did not show any remarkable correlation with TAA contents in the copolymers. In contrast, the thermal analyses showed a decrease in the thermal stability and an increase in rigidity of their backbones, for the copolymers with high amounts of TAA. The solubility and optical property of copolymers were also related to the TAA contents. Thus, the properties of these copolymers can be modulated by a simple control of feed ratio of TAA in the copolymerization.


Acoustic vibration signal analysis and coal bunker level recognition system in ball mill is used as a tool of acoustic vibration signal analysis system to extract characteristic variable to control the coal bunker level. With this system, the ball mill can operate in a safely condition, and work efficiency can be improved. In this paper, the development of acoustic vibration signal analysis, coal bunker level recognition system, and the result of test in practice are introduced. Hilbert transform and the working principle of the ball mill is analyzed. By the envelope of acoustic vibration signal is extracted. The most important part of the paper is the envelope analysis of acoustic vibration signal. Using wavelet transform we extract characteristic vector and using BP neural network is made by the mapping between the characteristic and the coal bunker level actualize the coal bunker level recognition


In crystalline silicon, irradiated with 60 and 80 MeV energy silicon ions, regions of high defect densities were located by repeatedly etching the sample and measuring the lifetime of minority carriers, τ. The values of τ  before etching were 10 and 8 μs in the 60 and 80 MeV ion irradiated sides, respectively, and 19 μs in the unirradiated side. On etching the samples, these values of the irradiated side initially increased slowly but later on, as the total thickness of the etched silicon approached the ion ranges, they increased steeply. However, the value of τ in the unirradiated side remained unchanged even after etching. These results show that the regions of high defect densities are situated below the surface at depths of 20 and 27 μm, respectively, in 60 and 80 MeV ion irradiated samples. These coincide, respectively, with the projected depth in silicon at which the 60 and 80 MeV silicon ions deposit a maximum amount of energy through nuclear collisions.


The article presents mathematical models allowing to describe the level of vibration generated by ball bearings 6304-2z type depending on the value of roughness and waviness deviations of inner and outer bearings races. This models will allow to estimate what type of shape deviations have dominant influence on the vibration level generated in specific frequency ranges.


This study focused on the uniformity of Web sites operated by local emergency management agencies (EMAs) as they pertain to the availability of relevant emergency preparedness and response information. Of the 3,128 counties (or county equivalents) in the United States, we found Internet homepages for 1,612 local EMAs (51.5%). We reviewed each homepage to document the presence (or absence) of nine elements deemed to be essential for effective communications during emergency or disaster situations. Local EMA Web site homepages had a mean of 4.5 (± 1.5) elements. Among the findings, this review revealed that about four out of five (82.3%) of the local EMAs included the agency phone number, more than half (52.0%) provided links to other agencies with emergency preparedness information, and about two in five (38.3%) listed an agency email address. A few more than one in five (21.1%) of the local EMA homepages reviewed allowed visitors to sign up for automatic alerts or notifications. The nine communication elements identified in our study provide a minimal standard for content. We suggest that these results be used as a starting point in developing a uniform template containing the nine homepage elements. Such a template compliments National Incident Management System (NIMS) protocols and can provide a recognizable source of consistent and reliable information for people during emergency or disaster incidents.


Major libraries have large collections and circulation. Managing libraries electronically has resulted in the creation and management of large library databases. The interconnection of libraries and sharing resources across libraries has resulted in the management of very large databases. Most large and/or multinational industries worldwide have exploited such opportunities by applying data warehouse technology to their data repositories to discover knowledge that had helped them to gain competitive advantage through decision making. The same can be done for libraries using the available large databases. This paper identifies the changes that had taken placed in libraries due to technology and how the data warehouse technology could assist them to discover knowledge and improve services. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/sllim.v2i1.438 Sri Lankan Journal of Librarianship and Information Management Volume 2, No.1 pp.22-29 The full text of this article is available on the NILIS website .


In this study, the microstructure of two kinds of diamond-like carbon films was studied. These films were produced during the deposition of two kinds of hydrocarbon gas plasma by a newly developed technique called plasma based ion implantation (PBII). Microstructural analysis was performed by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). An amorphous DLC film was obtained by using C2H2 plasma. The crystal structure of carbon ( (C 168H ) was generated inside the DLC film when C5H6CH3 plasma was used. The effect of the precursor gases used in the present experiment on the microstructure of the DLC film was also studied.


Abstract Understandings of class have often been highly racialized and gendered. This article examines the efforts of white workers' organizations in Southern Africa during the 1940s to forge such a class identity across the region and disseminate it among the international labor movement. For these organizations, the "real" working class was composed of white men who worked in mines, factories, and on the railways, something pertinent to contemporary understandings of class. The focus of these efforts was the Southern African Labour Congress, which brought together white trade unions and labor parties and sought to secure a place for them in the postwar world. These organizations embodied the politics of "white laborism," an ideology which fused political radicalism and white domination, and they enjoyed some success in gaining acceptance in the international labor movement. Although most labor histories of the region have adopted a national framework, this article offers an integrated regional labor history.


Summary: Washed suspensions of Epidinium spp. grown in vitro and incubated anaero-bically in salts medium engulfed all the bacteria tested at rates ranging from 60 to 7000/protozoon/h at a density of 109/ml. The rate of uptake of bacteria was also compared by the volume of medium cleared of bacteria/h. On both bases Proteus mirabilis was taken up most rapidly. Some of the bacteria were killed and digested inside the protozoa. The Epidinium spp. took up a wide range of amino acids at rates varying from 6 to 250 nmol/106 protozoa/h and incorporated them into protein, mostly without conversion to other amino acids. The protozoa also incorporated purines and pyrimidines into nucleic acid and interconverted adenine and guanine and also uracil and cytosine.
Epidinium ecaudatum caudatum took up [14C]gIucose more rapidly than Entodinium caudatum and used the glucose carbon for the synthesis of an intracellular glucose polysaccharide and at least eight amino acids, 15 % of the 14C in the protozoa appearing in protein. The protozoa also synthesized protein from starch grains. Evidence has been obtained that Epi. ecaudatum caudatum cannot obtain all the protein it requires for growth from bacteria, free amino acids, glucose or starch and must incorporate protein from the wholemeal flour on which it is grown.


This paper presents the approach and reasoning behind two central conceptual diagrams relating tourism and climate change. The first diagram describes a typical polarisation in tourism and climate change knowledge management. It is argued that this polarisation restricts the collective body of knowledge and obscures important causal links between tourism and climate change phenomena. Developments are proposed in a second conceptual model which counters the tendency of scientists, policymakers, the tourism industry and NGOs to polarise along two research interests by discussing climate's influence on tourism vs. tourism's influence on climate; either of which could be interpreted as a primary limitation to the sustainability of tourism. The paper places into context key perspectives in the tourism–climate change discussions, addresses the difficulty of including system feedbacks between human activity and climate interactions, and draws attention to the underlying drivers of unsustainable trends. New strategic conceptual models are advocated to support long-term non-territorial collaboration, to incorporate adaptation and mitigation in ways which are not mutually exclusive, and to address the following paradox: that the cross-section of the global population driving the demand for tourism resources threatened by climate change are also disproportionately responsible for increased radiative forcing.


This paper aims at highlighting the fabrication procedures and proof-of-concept tests of a Kirigami inspired multi-stable composite laminate. Bistable composites consisting of asymmetric fiber layout have shown great potentials for shape morphing and energy harvesting applications. However, a patch of such a bistable composite is limited to very simple deformation when being snapped between its two stable equilibria (or states). To address this issue, this study investigates the idea of utilizing Kirigami, the ancient art of paper cutting, into the design and fabrication of bistable composite laminates. Via combining multiple patches of laminates and cutting according to prescribed Kirigami pattern, one can create a structure with multiple stable states and sophisticated deformation paths between them. This can significantly expand the application potentials of the multi-stable composites. This paper details the fabrication procedures for an elementary unit cell in the envisioned Kirigami composite and the results of proof-of-concept experiments, which measure the force required to switch the Kirigami composite between its different stable states. Preliminary results confirm that the Kirigami unit cell possesses multiple stable states depending on the underlying fiber layout. Each patch in the Kirigami composite could be snapped independently between stable states without triggering any undesired snapping in other patches. Moreover, a transient propagation of curvature change is observed when a patch in the Kirigami composite is snapped between its stable states. Such a phenomenon has not been reported in the bistable composite studies before. Results of this paper indicate that Kirigami is a powerful approach for designing and fabricating multi-stable composites with a strong appeal for morphing and adaptive systems. This paper highlights the feasibility and novelty of combining Kirigami art and bistable adaptive composites.


Several strategies have been identified for designing effective persuasive technologies that encourage people to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. However, there are no general guidelines for implementing these strategies to motivate elders to exercise, neither they have been evaluated to determine how effective they are for the elderly. To design appropriate persuasive technology prone to be adopted by elders, we are following a user-centered approach. In this paper, we report the design and evaluation of an ambient information system for mobile phones, which supports the following strategies for persuasion: abstraction, historical information and reflection, triggers for exercising, and positive and playful reinforcement.


Problem statement: Clustering and visualizing high-dimensional dynami c data is a challenging problem. Most of the existing clusterin g algorithms are based on the static statistical relationship among data. Dynamic clustering is a me chanism to adopt and discover clusters in real time environments. There are many applications such as i ncremental data mining in data warehousing applications, sensor network, which relies on dynam ic data clustering algorithms. Approach: In this work, we present a density based dynamic data clust ering algorithm for clustering incremental dataset and compare its performance with full run of normal DBSCAN, Chameleon on the dynamic dataset. Most of the clustering algorithms perform well and will give ideal performance with good accuracy measured with clustering accuracy, which is calcula ted using the original class labels and the calculated class labels. However, if we measure the performance with a cluster validation metric, then it will give another kind of result. Results: This study addresses the problems of clustering a dynamic dataset in which the data set is increasing in size over time by adding more and more data. So to evaluate the performance of the algorithms, we used Generalized Dunn Index (GDI), Davies-Bouldin index (DB) as the cluster validation metric and as well as time taken for clustering. Conclusion: In this study, we have successfully implemented and evaluated the proposed density based dynamic clustering algorithm. The performance of the algorithm was compared with Chameleon and DBSCAN clustering algorithms. The proposed algorithm performed significantly well in terms of clustering accuracy as well as speed.


On January 20, 1994, at 1443 UT, the momentum wheel control circuitry of the Intelsat K spacecraft at geostationary orbit suffered an operational anomaly causing a loss of attitude control. The system was switched to the backup circuitry, and control was reestablished. The same day, at 1735 UT, the Anik E-l spacecraft, also at geostationary orbit, suffered the same kind of operational anomaly in the momentum wheel control circuitry [Rostoker, 1994].

According to newspaper accounts the next day, Telesat Canada operators struggled for 8 hours to regain control of the Anik E-1 satellite. They were able to finally switch to the backup momentum wheel controller and resume reasonably normal operations.


: This paper addresses the verification of software components in the context of their orchestration to build cloud-based scientific applications with high performance computing requirements. In such a scenario, components are often supplied by different sources and their cooperation rely on assumptions of conformity with their published behavioral interfaces. Therefore, a faulty or ill-designed component, failing to obey to the envisaged behavioral requirements, may have dramatic consequences in practice. Certifier components, introduced in this paper, implement a verification as a service framework and are able to access the implementation of other components and verify their consistency with respect to a number of functional, safety and liveness requirements relevant to a specific application or a class of them. It is shown how certifier components can be smoothly integrated in HPC Shelf , a cloud-based platform for high performance computing in which different sorts of users can design, deploy and execute scientific applications.


Highly fluorinated, dihydridobis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolyl)borate ligand, [H(2)B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(2)](-) has been synthesized and characterized as its potassium salt. The copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes, [H(2)B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(2)](2)Cu and [H(2)B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(2)](2)Zn, have been prepared by metathesis of [H(2)B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(2)]K with Cu(OTf)(2) and Zn(OTf)(2), respectively. All the new metal adducts have been characterized by X-ray diffraction. The potassium salt is polymeric and shows several K.F interactions. The Cu center of [H(2)B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(2)](2)Cu adopts a square planar geometry, whereas the Zn atom in [H(2)B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(2)](2)Zn displays a tetrahedral coordination. Bis(pyrazolyl)borate ligands in the Zn adduct show a significantly distorted boat conformation. The nature and extent of this distortion is similar to that observed for the methylated analog, [H(2)B(3,5-(CH(3))(2)Pz)(2)](2)Zn. This ligand allows a comparison of electronic effects of bis(pyrazolyl)borate ligands with similar steric properties. Crystallographic data for [H(2)B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(2)]K: triclinic, space group P&onemacr;, with a = 8.385(1) Å, b = 10.097(2) Å, c = 10.317(1) Å, alpha = 104.193(9) degrees, beta = 104.366(6) degrees, gamma = 91.733(9) degrees, V = 816.5(3) Å(3), and Z = 2. [H(2)B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(2)](2)Cu is monoclinic, space group C2/c with a = 25.632(3) Å, b = 9.197(1) Å, c = 17.342(2) Å, beta = 129.292(5) degrees, V = 3164.0(6) Å(3), and Z = 4. [H(2)B(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(2)](2)Zn is triclinic, space group P&onemacr;, with a = 9.104(1) Å, b = 9.278(1) Å, c = 18.700(2) Å, alpha = 83.560(6) degrees, beta = 88.200(10) degrees, gamma = 78.637(9) degrees, V = 1538.8(3) Å(3), and Z = 2. [H(2)B(3,5-(CH(3))(2)Pz)(2)](2)Zn is monoclinic, space group C2/c with a = 8.445(1) Å, b = 14.514(2) Å, c = 19.983(3) Å, beta = 90.831(8) degrees, V = 2449.1(6) Å(3), and Z = 4.


The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is an evidence-based family skills training intervention developed and found efficacious for substance abuse prevention by U.S researchers in the 1980s. In the 1990s, a cultural adaptation process was developed to transport SFP for effectiveness trials with diverse populations (African, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American). Since 2003, SFP has been culturally adapted for use in 17 countries. This article reviews the SFP theory and research and a recommended cultural adaptation process. Challenges in international dissemination of evidence-based programs (EBPs) are discussed based on the results of U.N. and U.S. governmental initiatives to transport EBP family interventions to developing countries. The technology transfer and quality assurance system are described, including the language translation and cultural adaptation process for materials development, staff training, and on-site and online Web-based supervision and technical assistance and evaluation services to assure quality implementation and process evaluation feedback for improvements.


Background: Various multimodal techniques have been employed time and again to allay visceral pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the postoperative pain relief in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with intraperitoneal administration of bupivacaine, magnesium sulfate and their combination. Materials and Methods: Patients were randomly divided into four groups of 20 each. Patients in group I "C" received 50 ml of 0.9% saline, group II "B" received 50 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine, group III "M" received 50 ml of 30 mg/kg magnesium sulfate, while patients in group IV "MB" received 0.125% of bupivacaine with 15 mg/kg of magnesium sulfate to a total volume of 50 ml after surgery. Postoperatively pain was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS) and postoperative pain (VAS > 3) was managed with intravenous tramadol 50 mg. Time to the first request of analgesia, the total number of analgesic doses of tramadol, the incidence and severity of postoperative shoulder pain in 24 h and presence of complications if any were noted. Results: Demographic profile of patients of all the four groups was comparable and statistically nonsignificant. Intraperitoneal instillation of 0.25% bupivacaine provided longest duration of analgesia for 541.5 ΁ 131.48 min with a significant reduction in the number of doses of intramuscular tramadol in 24 h. Intraperitoneal instillation of 30 mg/kg magnesium sulfate provided analgesia for 82.25 ΁ 35.37 min with no significant reduction in a number of doses of intramuscular tramadol in 24 h when compared to control. Intraperitoneal instillation of mixture of bupivacaine and magnesium sulfate in reduced doses, that is, 0.125% bupivacaine and 15 mg/kg magnesium sulfate provided analgesia for 305 ΁ 65.64 min with a significant reduction in a number of doses of intramuscular tramadol in 24 h. There was reduced incidence and severity of shoulder pain, which was comparable in all the four groups. No significant side-effects were seen in any of the groups. Conclusion: Intrape-ritonel administration of bupivacaine, magnesium sulfate and their combination in reduced doses provides effective postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients though their combination when the doses of both the drugs were reduced to half was less effective than bupivacaine group alone. Furthermore, bupivacaine and magnesium sulfate serve as useful adjuncts to postoperative analgesics.


This is an Open Access article originally published in the journal Action, criticism, & theory for music education. The article can be accessed at the following location: http://act.maydaygroup.org/articles/Vestad13_1.pdf


In our paper "Long-Term Results for Clinical Stage IA Lung Cancer: Comparing Lobectomy and Sublobar Resection", we used an enhanced dataset from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to compare 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease recurrence in propensity matched patients undergoing lobectomy or sublobar resection for clinical stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (1). We found that 5-year OS was similar between cohorts. However, those undergoing sublobar resection were identified to have a 39% increased risk of cancer recurrence.


The genus Prosopis comprises 44 species. Extensive introgression and hybridization is suspected in the genus, which makes identification of the species very difficult. Accurate identification of the species is crucial in controlling invasive species, within this genus. That is so because the method of control is species specific. The objective of the study was to determine the taxonomic structure of Prosopis species in Southern Botswana. A systematic qualitative approach was used to sample the species such that specimen selection was based on observable morphological discontinuities. The morphological characters were subjected to multivariate analysis since the analysis has been reported to be good at identifying hybrids. The multivariate analysis included anova, cluster analysis, factor analysis and canonical correlation. The study revealed four pure lines of Prosopis and nine hybrid species. The pure lines are Prosopis chilensis, P. juliflora, P. velutina and P. glandulosa and they all belong to one section, ALGAROBIA. The observed hybrids were P. chilensis x P. glandulosa, P. glandulosa x P. chilensis, P. juliflora x P. glandulosa, P. chilensis x P. juliflora, Acacia karroo x P. juliflora, P. glandulosa x P. pallida, P. juliflora x P. pallida, P. chilensis x P. juliflora x P. glandulosa and P. chilensis x P. pallida. It was therefore concluded that the Prosopis species in Southern Botswana have formed a hybrid swam. And for the hybrids P. chilensis x P. glandulosa and P. glandulosa x P. chilensis it was concluded that gene flow between P. chilensis and P. glandulosa is bidirectional. For the hybrid P. juliflora x P. glandulosa it was concluded that gene flow was from P. juliflora to P. glandulosa. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


This paper portrays the importance of aesthetic experience within transformative learning. We review theoretical approaches that have been developed within various scientific fields as well as by transformative learning scholars. Next, we present a method concerning the utilization of aesthetic experience in the process of transformative learning. Survey of the Literature The contribution of the aesthetic experience, as acquired through our contact with art, to the development of critical reflection, has been examined within the framework of many scientific fields such as philosophy, pedagogy, psychology, neurophysiology and adult education. Of particular importance are the views of Kant. He claimed (1790) that the aesthetic situation, that is the sum of the relations among the artist, his work and the recipient, constitute a field in which a particular thinking mode prevails, which he termed "aesthetic rationality", that is different from the model of rationality upon which the social reality is organised. Within the broader aesthetic framework, this thinking mode is expressed by deep, authentic, human emotions. It is a thinking mode "unprejudiced", "global" (holistic) and "extending" (as it includes the opinions of others). Consequently, the aesthetic experience offers its recipients the possibility to organize their cognitive competences in a manner which is different from the dominant pattern and to conceptualize the empirical reality through an alternative perspective. Dewey claimed (1934) that the aesthetic experience constitutes the primary means for the growth of imagination, which he considered as a fundamental element of the process of learning. The works of art are permeated with the imaginary dimension that the artist provides. On the other hand, in order to comprehend their meanings, we need to exceedingly mobilize our imagination. For these reasons, the aesthetic experience is wider and deeper than the usual experiences we acquire from reality and it constitutes an important challenge for thought. At the same time, the meeting of our old perceptions with new ones, which emerge through the contact with art, strengthens our ability to construct new ways of comprehension. Another fundamental contribution was provided by Howard Gardner (1983, 1990) who suggested that the person possesses many kinds of intelligence. In each kind a different symbolic system corresponds, that is to say a system of representations and conceptualisations of various concepts, ideas, and facts. Therefore, in order to achieve a multifaceted reinforcement of our intelligence, we need an extended use of symbols. The aesthetic experience serves this aim, because it offers the participants the possibility to process a variety of symbols through which it is possible to articulate holistic and delicate meanings, to draw on emotional situations, to use metaphors and in general to express different perspectives of reality – leading thus to the awareness of issues which may not be easily comprehended through rational argumentation. A parallel view to Gardner's perspective was developed by the scholars of Harvard Graduate School of Education (Broudy, 1987; Perkins, 1994 and others) who implemented since 1967 more than 60 programs which aimed at highlighting the important role of art in education. The theoretical views of the scholars of the Palo Alto Mental Research Institute (Watzlawick, Beavin Bavelas, & Jackson, 1967۠; Watzlawick, 1986), based on research of anatomy and neurophysiology, contributed significantly to the documentation of Gardner's approach. They showed that in order for a person to have a complete thinking process, the equivalent and cooperative function of both hemispheres of the brain is needed. The left hemisphere has rationalization as its main operation and offers a reason-based interpretation of reality. The right hemisphere is specialised in the holistic recognition of complex situations, relations and structures. It offers the possibility of understanding multifunctional phenomena, of perceiving alternative ways of seeing, and of reconciling with the alien and the untold. The encounter with artwork, which includes a wide range of elements that correspond to the right hemisphere's ways of operation, (pictures, allegories, parables, similes, synecdotes, analogies, variants, ambiguities, puns, paradoxes etc) contributes significantly to its activation and strengthens the transformation process. The contribution of critical theory An important approach of the role of art in the growth of critical reflection was realised by Adorno and Horkheimer, the founders of the critical theory which started its development in the 1930s in the Institute of Social Research in Frankfurt (widely known as the "Frankfurt School"). In a series of papers (inter alia, Adorno 1997 [1941], Adorno 2000 [1970], Horkheimer & Adorno 1984 [1947] and Horkheimer 1984 [1938]). They elaborated on Kant's view that the aesthetic experience provides the possibility of a thinking mode that is distinct from the dominant one, and re-wrote this idea claiming that contact with authentic art contributes in the process of human liberation. The core of their reasoning was that the spiritual content and the structure of art masterpieces contains attributes that are rarely identified in other mechanisms of social reality which are dominated by instrumental rationality and conformism. Works of great art, due to their anti-conventional character, their holistic dimension, the authentic meaning of life that they display and the multiple interpretations that they are susceptible to, are in contrast to the instrumental rationality that is incorporated in the mechanisms of social reality. The characteristics of authentic art differ from the stereotyped forms of behaviour, the alienated relations and the closed systems of perception that govern the established order. Therefore, the contact with art functions as a field where critical consciousness is cultivated. It offers criteria that help us disembody by the dominant norms, to doubt the predispositions and assumptions that are established in the social and productive procedures and to conceive a perspective of a world that is better than the one we live in. This emancipating potential of art was pointed out later by another representative of the "Frankfurt School", Herbert Marcuse, who supported (1978) that contact with the masterpieces of art makes possible the inversion of the established experience and regenerates the desire for human liberation. Approaches within the framework of Transformative Learning Concerning the theoretical approach of transforming problematic perceptions through learning, Freire (1970, 1978) was the first scholar of adult education who profoundly developed the concept of critical awareness. Regarding the issue that we examine in this paper, Freire (1970) laid the foundations for the utilisation of aesthetic experience at the heart of the transformative learning process. He placed at the epicentre of this educational method the examination of "codifications" by participants, which were frequently works of art (mainly sketches that were created from painters such as Francisco Brenand) (Freire 1978, p. 129). These codifications represented situations that were relative to the experiences of the participants and were specifically prepared so that they could become incentives for critical analysis of various issues of social reality. Each codification contained elements that represented a sub-subject of each issue. The dialogic analysis ("decoding") of the elements that were contained in each codification rendered the critical comprehension of the subsubject achievable by the participants. Finally, through synthetic and holistic analysis of the total of the sub-subjects the participants reconstructed their perception of the issue at hand. The Freirian method was widely spread – a variety of examples may be found in the books of Brookfield (1987) and Shor (1980), but towards the end of the 20 century it gradually lost the range of its application. Nevertheless, within the framework of the theory of transformative learning, which was founded by Mezirow, theoretical approaches and case studies have continued to appear that focus on the role of aesthetic experience in transformative learning. Mezirow himself pointed out this dimension in various texts. For example: «In communicative learning the approach is one in which the learner attempts to understand what is meant by another through speech, writing, drama, art or dance» (1990, p. 9). «Art, music, and dance are alternative languages. Intuition, imagination, and dreams are other ways of making meaning» (2000, p. 6). Maxine Green (2000) has written a number of essays regarding the role of art in the growth of imagination and of a multidimensional viewing of the world. Her main idea is that systematic analysis of artwork allows us to discover various dimensions of reality, as well as various ways of perception and behaviour that characterize personality types or social groups. On the other hand, Boyd (1991) and Dirkx (2000, 2001) also pointed out the transformative potential of art, but from a different point of view. They consider that the basic path leading to the transformation of perceptions is not the rational assessment of assumptions but the examination of the unconscious, emotionally charged pictures that we shape for ourselves and the world. In order to achieve this, we need to emphasize the emotional and imaginative dimensions of the learning process, in which forms of art such as literature, poetry, theatrical plays and films may significantly contribute. Another interesting approach from Tisdell (2008) discusses the means through which the systematic observation of works of pop culture and mass entertainment can lead to transformative learning regarding social relationships and issues. However, Tisdell does not include in her inqui


Clinical experience with high calorie intravenous infusion therapy in 51 infants and children, including 35 newborn (19 premature) infants is described. The most common diagnoses were gastroschisis and omphalocele (17), intestinal atresia (9), and complicated esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (7). A major post-operative complication was the primary indication for starting high calorie parenteral therapy in 15 patients. A solution consisting of 20% to 25% glucose, 2% to 5% nitrogen source (hydrolysate or synthetic amino acid solution), minerals, trace elements, and vitamins provided 95 to 105 calories/kg/day in infants and 65 to 90 calories/kg/day in children. It produced positive nitrogen balance and weight gain for long periods in infants with gastrointestinal anomalies and children with catastrophic diseases of all types. Clinical sepsis associated with the use of the central venous catheter occurred in six patients.


Direct Heteroarylation Polymerization (DHAP) is becoming a valuable alternative to classical polymerization methods being used to synthesize π-conjugated polymers for organic electronics applications. In previous work, we showed that theoretical calculations on activation energy (Ea) of the C–H bonds were helpful to rationalize and predict the selectivity of the DHAP. For readers' convenience, we have gathered in this work all our previous theoretical calculations on Ea and performed new ones. Those theoretical calculations cover now most of the widely utilized electron-rich and electron-poor moieties studied in organic electronics like dithienyl-diketopyrrolopyrrole (DT-DPP) derivatives. Theoretical calculations reported herein show strong modulation of the Ea of C–H bond on DT-DPP when a bromine atom or strong electron withdrawing groups (such as fluorine or nitrile) are added to the thienyl moiety. Based on those theoretical calculations, new cyanated dithienyl-diketopyrrolopyrrole (CNDT-DPP) monomers and copolymers were prepared by DHAP and their electro-optical properties were compared with their non-fluorinated and fluorinated analogues.


Morphologically diverse carbon nitride micro-/nanoclusters (nanowires, nanoribbons, and nanosheets) were synthesized by polycondensation of cyanamide on diatom substrates. The formation mechanism is speculated to be one dimensional growth and two dimensional extensions on diatom frustules with high curvature. Platinum deposited micro-/nanoclusters showed good performance for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.


In light of the relevant merits and defects of translation practice over sixty years, this article presents a critical history of the Chinese translation of the work of Samuel Beckett. The article argues that the history may be divided into two periods: the pre-1980 period and the post-1980 period, with China's reopening to the outside world in the late 1970s as the watershed. The first period is dominated by the politically propelled translation of Waiting for Godot and harsh criticism of Beckett as a 'decadent' author. The second period, characterized by a more complex aesthetic response, may be further divided into three stages: the first stage is marked by the pioneering Proust as a booklet on irrationalism and the debatable Collection of Samuel Beckett translated from French; the second stage by the annotated Complete Works of Samuel Beckett; the third stage by the scholastically motivated Letters of Samuel Beckett. In retrospect, the transition between the two periods is a dramatic one from political misreading to aesthetic appreciation. Or, rather, the progress of the Chinese translation since the turn of the twentieth century mirrors both the re-evaluation of Beckett as an innovative artist and the 'inward turn' of Chinese intellectual circles.


It is desireble for the power system planner to understand the voltage characteristics of power system without computational burden or with a munimum number of load flow calculations and dynamic simulations. The authors have been studying the voltage stability problem by means of voltage sensitivity, which can be easily obtained in the load flow calculation. First, this paper proposes a voltage sensitivity map which can visualize the characteristics of the power system from the viewpoint of voltage stability. The planner can easily identify the weak busses from the viewpoint of voltage stability by the map. Second, the paper clarifies the mechanism of the improvement of voltage stability by various apparatus such as shunt capacitor and Static Var Compensator (SVC) using the voltage sensitivity. The paper demonstrates that the effective location of such apparatus to improve the voltage stability can be found by the help of the voltage sensitivity.


We hypothesize that an interdisciplinary approach integrating computational modeling with experimental measurements enables rational design of cancer nanotherapy using tumor-associated macrophages targeting hypo-vascularized tumor lesions. Background : Hypovascularization in liver metastases, typically surrounded by macrophages, has been shown to correlate with poor chemotherapeutic response and higher mortality. Poor prognosis is linked to impaired transport into the lesions of both high- and low-molecular weight drugs as well as high washout rates. Further, macrophage infiltration is known to provide a mix of cancer-suppressing and cancer-promoting signals through the M1 and M2 subtypes, respectively. Experimental Procedures : In vitro multi-cellular tumor spheroids mimicking hypovascularized lesions were established using magnetic 3D bioprinting. In vivo studies were performed in breast cancer liver metastasis models in mice characterized by low vascularization patterns. We employ a multi-stage nanovector system encapsulating albumin-bound-paclitaxel (nAb-PTX) into nanoporous biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles, which promote nAb-PTX retention in macrophages. The M1-M2 transition was assesed following several treatment schedules. The concentration of inflammatory chemokines in the microenvironment of breast cancer liver metastases was measured using MILLIPLEX MAP 25-Plex Mouse Cytokine/Chemokine Magnetic Bead Panel, and the transition between the two macrophage subtypes was assessed using F4/80 antibody to recognize a total number of macrophages and CD204 antibody as M2 macrophage marker. The infiltration of macrophages into the spheroids and their respective subtypes were anlyzed in response to therapy. The reaction-diffusion equation-based mathematical model simulates hypovascularized tumor tissue and the associated intra-tumoral transport barriers, as well as macrophage infiltration and related nanotherapy effects. Viable and necrotic tumor tissue are represented with transport of molecules and macrophages through this tissue, and with structure similar to liver metastasis. Tumor growth is calculated based on the balance of cell proliferation and death. Proliferation depends on adequate cell nutrients, oxygen, and is promoted by M2 macrophages. Death is induced by levels of oxygen below a certain threshold as well as paclitaxel above a certain level of cytotoxicity released from nAb-PTX carried by the macrophages. Death is also induced by interaction with M1 macrophages. We calibrate the model parameters from the experimental data in vitro, and then validate the computational simulation results by comparing with the in vivo experiments. Results : The longer-acting and spatially focused drug release from macrophages achieves a more pronounced lesion regression over the course of therapy than bolus injection. Balance of M1 (cytotoxic) vs. M2 (tumorigenic) macrophages can be manipulated based on therapeutic modality to maximize tumor cytotoxicity. Fine-tuning of the therapeutic parameters with the mathematical model shows that lesion eradication is attainable, and that it depends on the specific tumor parameters. Conclusion : An interdisciplinary approach combining experiments with computational simulation enables assessment of tumor-associated macrophage-based nanotherapeutic performance targeting hypo-vascularized tumor lesions, thus providing a platform for potential clinical assessment based on patient tumor-specific parameters. Citation Format: Fransisca Leonard, Louis T. Curtis, Elias Nassar, Xuewu Liu, Mauro Ferrari, Kenji Yokoi, Biana Godin, Hermann B. Frieboes. Computational modeling of therapy using nanovectors altering macrophage subtypes to treat hypo-perfused tumor lesions. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Engineering and Physical Sciences in Oncology; 2016 Jun 25-28; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B39.


This paper is devoted to studying the long-term behaviour of a continuous time Markov chain that can be interpreted as a pair of linear birth processes which evolve with a competitive interaction; as a special case, they include the famous LotkaVolterra interaction. Another example of our process is related to urn models with ball removals. We show that, with probability one, the process eventually escapes to infinity by sticking to the boundary in a rather unusual way.


Understanding the antecedents and consequences of a firm's agility in cloud software applications is important. This papers draws on the competitive dynamics perspective to develop a model that explains the relationships between collaboration with vendors, agility, and competitive performance in software-as-a-service (SaaS) context. Collaboration reflects a firm's ability to leverage interfirm resources, characterized as knowledge sharing and process alignment. Agility is measured by a firm's strategy-oriented agility and service-oriented agility. This study also investigates the moderating effect of environmental turbulence. The proposed hypotheses are supported by the empirical data. The results show that competitive performance is affected by ability, which, in turn, is impacted by collaboration. Environmental turbulence positively moderates the relationship between agility and performance. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results.


Today's technology is based on the binary number system-based circuitry, which
is the outcome of the simple on and off switching mechanism of the prevailing transistors.
Consideration of higher radix number system can eradicate or lessen many limitations of
binary number system such as the saturation of Moore's law. The most substantial potential
benefits of higher radix approaches are the decrease of wiring complexity. Excessive
scaling of the technologies has led the researchers beyond Binary Logic and MOSFET
technology.
TFET considered as one of the most promising options for low-power application
for beyond MOSFET technologies. Graphene Nano Ribbon, due to its high-carrier
mobility, tunable bandgap and its outstanding electrostatic control of device gate becomes
ideal choice for channel material of TFET. This paper proposes double gated ultra-thin
body (UTB) TFET device model using Graphene nano ribbon as the channel material. In
this paper evaluation of the model by performing the comparative analysis with InAs as
the channel material in terms of Ec-Ev on and off state and Id-Vg characteristics is
presented.
The feasibility of multi valued logic system in real-world rests on two serious
aspects, such as, the easiness of mathematical approach for implementing the multivalued
logic into today's technology and the sufficiency of synthesis techniques. In this paper, we
have focused on the different technology available for implementing multivalued logic
especially ternary logic. Ternary logic devices are expected to lead to an exponential
increase of the information handling capability, which binary logic cannot support.
Memory capacitor or memcapacitor is an emerging device that exhibits hysteresis
behavior, which can be manipulated by external parameters, such as, the applied electric
field or voltage. One of the unique properties of the memcapacitor is that by using the
percolation approach, we can achieve Metal-Insulator-Transition (MIT) phenomenon,
which can be utilized to obtain a staggered hysteresis loop. For multivalued logic devices
staggered hysteresis behavior is the critical requirement. In this paper, we propose a new
conceptual design of a ternary logic device by vertically stacking dielectric material
interleaved with layers of graphene nanoribbon (GNR) between two external metal plates.
The proposed device structure displays the memcapacitive behavior with the fast switching
metal-to-insulator transition in picosecond scale. The device model is later extended into a
vertical-cascaded version, which acts as a ternary device.


In this paper, the embedding type novel liquid metal strain gauge was developed for measuring the deformation of wind turbine blades. In general, the conventional methods for the SHM have many disadvantages such as frequency distortion in FBG sensors, the low gauge factor and mechanical failures in strain gauges and extremely sophisticated filtering in AE sensors. However, the liquid metal filled in a pre-confined micro channel shows dramatic characteristics such as high sensitivity, flexibility and robustnes! s to environment. To adopt such a high feasibility of the liquid metal in flexible sensor applications, the EGaIn was introduced to make flexible liquid metal strain gauges for the SHM. A micro channeled flexible film fabricated by the several MEMS processes and the PDMS replication was filled with EGaIn and wire-connected. Lots of experiments were conducted to investigate the performance of the developed strain gauges and verify the feasibility to the actual wind turbine blades health monitoring.


The purpose of the present study was to noninvasively evaluate left (LV) systolic and diastolic function in patients with atrial septal defect (ASD) using the phonomechanocardiogram. We studied 40 patients with atrial septal defect, 16 males and 24 females, ages ranging from 6 to 56 years (mean 21.1 years), consecutively observed before surgery in our institution, during a four year period. We measured the systolic time intervals (Q-A2c, Q-S1, ICT, PEP, LVETc, PEP/LVET), the Apex Cardiographic (ACG) diastolic parameters A2-Oc and A/H and the hemodynamic variables Qp/Qs, Pulmonary Vascular Resistance (PVR) and Left Ventricular End Diastolic Pressure (LVEDP). We compared the data with 74 normal individuals using the Student t-test and linear regression analysis. We found significant Q-S1 lengthening (81.2 +/- 16.4 ms, p < 0.001); PEP, ICT and A2-Oc were significantly reduced (101.2 +/- 21.7 ms, p < 0.001, 20.0 +/- 5.3 ms, p < 0.05 and 117.1 +/- 26.3 ms, p < 0.001, respectively) and A/H was significantly increased (17.4 +/- 12.1%, p < 0.005). Except for the case of Q-S1, where there was a weak positive linear correlation with Qp/Qs (r = 0.37), we found no correlation between the other parameters and Qp/Qs or PVR. Sixty-seven percent of the patients had Q-S1 prolongation and a Q-S1 > 76.2 ms identified left-right shunts > 2 with a positive predictive value of 82%; 62% of the patients had a reduced A2-Oc and a A2-Oc < 110 ms identified shunts > 2 with a positive predictive value of 90%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


We present: a) an analysis of the past mortality from Primary Pleural Tumors (PPT) occurred in Italy between 1968 and 1992 by an age-cohort-period model, using a Poisson regression model, estimating the risk of dying by birth cohort, the Lifetime Cumulative risk (25-84 years) by birth cohort, the risk by calendar period and testing the full model (age-cohort-period effects); b) a summary of the incidence of mesothelioma as recorded in Italy by Cancer Registries and Mesothelioma Registries. The highest Lifetime Cumulative Risk of dying from TTP is recorded for the birth cohort 1946-'50 (6.2 per thousand among males, 1.64 among females). Whereas the risk by birth cohort becomes flat among females born after 1936, among males the risk is increasing up to the youngest birth cohorts. By calendar period, the highest risk of dying is observed in the last period (1991-'92). The inclusion in the full model of the calendar period term increases significantly the goodness-of-fit of the model among females, but not among males. The highest incidence of mesothelioma in both genders registered by 150 Cancer Registries all over the world is currently recorded among the population of Genoa and Trieste, where large ship-building plants are located. Even higher incidence mesothelioma rates have been recently recorded in other areas of Italy. The trend in PPT mortality in Italy could have been influenced, but not explained, by the increased awareness over time of the disease, but it fits well with the pattern occurring in most industrialized countries of western Europe, with the unprotected industrial use of asbestos which occurred in Italy, and also with the gender characteristics of the work-force employed in asbestos-exposing activities. A ban of asbestos use has been introduced in Italy in 1992. However, considering that asbestos seems to act as an initiator for mesothelioma, the trend in male mortality for PPT will not peak until two or three decades.


G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs) activate numerous cellular signals through the combined actions of G proteins, GPCR kinases, and arrestins. Although arrestins have traditionally been thought of as mediating GPCR desensitization, they have now been shown to play important roles in the internalization, trafficking, and signaling of many GPCRs. We demonstrate that in cells devoid of arrestins, the stimulation of numerous GPCRs including the N-formyl peptide receptor (FPR) initiates rapid cell rounding, annexin V positivity, and caspase activation followed by cell death. The apoptotic response is initiated by G protein signaling and involves activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and c-Src resulting in cytochrome c release from mitochondria and ultimately caspase 9 and caspase 3 activation. Reconstitution with either arrestin-2 or arrestin-3 is completely sufficient to prevent FPR-mediated apoptosis. Surprisingly, a non-desensitizing and non-internalizing mutant of the FPR is unable to initiate apoptosis, indicating that receptor phosphorylation and internalization, but not solely chronic activation due to a lack of desensitization, are critical determinants for the induction of apoptosis by the FPR. We further demonstrate that this response is not unique to the FPR with numerous additional GPCRs, including the V2 vasopressin, angiotensin II (type 1A), and CXCR2 receptors, capable of initiating apoptosis upon stimulation, whereas GPCRs such as the β2-adrenergic receptor and CXCR4 are not capable of initiating apoptotic signaling. These data demonstrate for the first time that arrestins play a critical and completely unexpected role in the suppression GPCR-mediated apoptosis, which we show is a common consequence of GPCR-mediated cellular activation in the absence of arrestins.


Mahfouzs literary fame is mainly based on his novels which become the main source for the critics to understand his whole literary visions. Mahfouzs short stories, on the other hand, are considered secondarily valuable by the critics as the remainder of the ideas from his novels. This paper proposes that Mahfouzs short stories are as important as his novels in a sense that they highlights or magnify particular aspects of Mahfouzs visions. From the analysis of three Mahfouzs short stories entitled Zaabalawi, A Day for Saying Goodbye, and The Answer is No, some of his essential themes and literary visions, which developed further in his novel, are identified. In Zaabalawi, the persistence in maintaining hope of finding meaningful life in spite of the persisting tragedy in human life is emphasized by Mahfouz. In A Day for Saying Goodbye, Mahfouz depicts the futility of modernity without adherence to religious values. In The Answer is No, by depicting the shift of gender relations and accomodating the marginalized womens resistence to patriarchy, Mahfouz encourages the reformation of unjust societal structure. Keywords: womens resistance, existential meaning, social justice


In order to study the pathways of biosynthesis of flavonoids in Sophora japonica, 113 797 unigenes were obtained by Trinity software, with an average length of 803 bp, of which 72 752 unigenes were obtained from the database by high-throughput sequencing, and a total of 38 891 SSR loci were searched. Through the metabolic pathway analysis, we found that there were 135 unigenes involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoids and 959 unigene involved in other secondary metabolic pathways. Further analysis of genes involved in rutin biosynthesis revealed that 24 were associated with CHS, 52 were associated with FLS, and 11 were associated with UFGT. The obtained data of S. japonica transcriptome lays the foundation for studying the pathways of biosynthesis of flavonoids in S. japonica and provides theoretical basis for the formation of the quality of S. japonica.


Choanal polyps can be defined as benign, solitary, inflammatory soft tissue masses, that extends towards the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx. Unusual origins such as the sphenoid sinus, ethmoid sinus, nasal septum, hard and soft palate have been reported in the literature. This report describes a polyp that arose from the middle turbinate and extended through the choana into the nasopharynx and removed by an endoscopic surgery technique. The computed tomographic findings are described and the literature is reviewed.


Automotive suspension system is important part of car comfort and safety. In this article automotive active suspension with linear motor as actuator is designed using H-infinity control. This paper is focused on comparison of different controller designed for quart, half or full-car model (and always used for "full" car). Special attention is placed on energy demand of the whole system. Each controller configuration is simulated and then verified on the hydraulic quarter car test bed. Keywords—active suspension, linear motor, robust control


Electron impact excitation rates for the Na-like ions Al III, S VI, Ti XII, Fe XVI and Ni XVIII, calculated with the R-matrix code, are used to interpolate data for the ions between P V and Co XVII. Results for all 10 transitions among the 3s 2S, 3p 2P, 3d 2D, 4s 2S and 4p 2P levels are presented in the form of polynomial fits in log Te to the effective collision strengths (γ) for each transition. These fits, which lead to results estimated to be accurate to ± 10%, are applicable over an electron temperature range of log Tmax − 0.8 ≤ log Te ≤ log Tmax + 0.8, where Tmax is the temperature of maximum fractional abundance in ionization equilibrium of the relevant species.


Mental health courts are relatively new to the scenes of therapeutic jurisprudence and problem-solving courts. Research is necessary to determine how to evaluate this unique subset of courts and their clients. This research uses a mixed methodology to develop grounded theories explaining the differences found in more successful courts whose jurisdiction saw a statistically significant decrease in crime rate after the mental health court was established and less successful courts that did not. Eleven Oklahoma-based mental health courts were researched. More successful courts prioritized intensive monitoring methods, multiple specially tailored treatment options, and additional program supports. More successful courts also used a diverse court team, emphasized proper program assessment, visibly divided compliant and noncompliant participants in court, and gave "tangible symbolic incentives." The found successful theories were compared with the published Essential Elements of a Mental Health Court and Cesare Beccaria's Essay on Crimes and Punishment for possible future validation efforts.


It was found that emoxypin (40 mg daily) with nitrates of prolonged action and corinfar used in 87 patients with chronic cardiac insufficiency (CCI) reduces the concentration of primary and secondary products of lipid peroxidation to control levels which is not observed when only corinfar and nitrates of prolonged action were used. Simultaneous use of prazosin and emoxypin favoured balanced oxidant-antioxidant system of the body.


The assessment of image quality is very important for numerous image processing applications, where the goal of image quality assessment (IQA) algorithms is to automatically assess the quality of images in a manner that is consistent with human visual judgment. Two prominent examples, the Structural Similarity Image Metric (SSIM) and Multi-scale Structural Similarity (MS-SSIM) operate under the assumption that human visual perception is highly adapted for extracting structural information from a scene. Results in large human studies have shown that these quality indices perform very well relative to other methods. However, the performance of SSIM and other IQA algorithms are less effective when used to rate amongst blurred and noisy images. We address this defect by considering a three-component image model, leading to the development of modified versions of SSIM and MS-SSIM, which we call three component SSIM (3-SSIM) and three component MS-SSIM (3-MS-SSIM). A three-component image model was proposed by Ran and Farvardin, [13] wherein an image was decomposed into edges, textures and smooth regions. Different image regions have different importance for vision perception, thus, we apply different weights to the SSIM scores according to the region where it is calculated. Thus, four steps are executed: (1) Calculate the SSIM (or MS-SSIM) map. (2) Segment the original (reference) image into three categories of regions (edges, textures and smooth regions). Edge regions are found where a gradient magnitude estimate is large, while smooth regions are determined where the gradient magnitude estimate is small. Textured regions are taken to fall between these two thresholds. (3) Apply non-uniform weights to the SSIM (or MS-SSIM) values over the three regions. The weight for edge regions was fixed at 0.5, for textured regions it was fixed at 0.25, and at 0.25 for smooth regions. (4) Pool the weighted SSIM (or MS-SSIM) values, typically by taking their weighted average, thus defining a single quality index for the image (3-SSIM or 3-MS-SSIM). Our experimental results show that 3-SSIM (or 3-MS-SSIM) provide results consistent with human subjectivity when finding the quality of blurred and noisy images, and also deliver better performance than SSIM (and MS-SSIM) on five types of distorted images from the LIVE Image Quality Assessment Database.


The concept of ``equivalence,'' as it relates to comparing man and automaton, is explored and the notions of response equivalence and process equivalecne are contrasted. Some areas of psychological research are reviewed from the perspective of whether or not they concentrate on response or process identification. Finally, some questions concerning the description of biological automata are raised.


Understanding the distribution patterns of vegetation, species richness and plant life-forms along elevational gradients can suggest important implications for developing optimal strategies for conservation of species diversity, sustainable managing and utilizing plant resources. We explored the relationships between vegetation, species richness and plant life-forms and the separate elevational gradients on the south slope and the north slope of Taibai Mountain. Eight plant communities were clearly identifiable on each slope and these communities presented zonational distributions along elevational gradients, however, the elevational ranges occupied by different communities had more overlaps at middle elevations (c. 2250 - 3350 m a.s.l.) than at two extremes. Three communities (Quences spinosa, Acer caesium subsp. giraldii and Carex capilliformis var. major communities) were first found in the area. Total species richness demonstrated a significant hump-shaped relationship with elevations on both slopes. Overall, phanerophytes, geophytes and hemicryptophytes were the most dominant life-forms, while camaephytes and therophytes were the rarest life-forms. Species richness of phanerophytes on the south slope and hemicryptophytes on both slopes exhibited a significant hump-shaped relationship with elevations, while that of therophytes on both slopes exhibited a significant reverse-hump-shaped relationship; Species richness of phanerophytes on the north slope declined with increasing elevation, however, that of chamaephytes and geophytes on both slopes increased with increasing elevations.

 Key words: Elevational gradients, plant community, species richness, plant life-forms, Taibai Mountain


Malawi is one of the countries in the sub-Saharan Africa with high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. This paper ana- lyzes socio-demographic effects using estimates and projections by the United Nations Population Division. It compares estimates and projections for both short term (2005-2020) and also long term (1980-2050), with the reality of HIV/AIDS and without the scenario of it. Detailed comparisons are made on population structure and main demographic processes for Malawi (mortality and fertility). The paper compares stock and period indicators, including life expectancy, crude birth rates, crude death rates, age specific fertility rates and child dependency ratios. Considerable effects of HIV/AIDS on mortality and child dependency ratios are observed with the highest point of impact around 1995. With the HIV/AIDS scenario, there is about 6-13 years of reduction in life expectancy at birth for the period from 1995 to 2050. Most likely, persisting HIV/AIDS demographic impacts will continue perpetuating socio-demographic impacts.


Distribution of interstitial phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and ammonia and adsorbed phosphate in the sediments near Bombay and Gulf of Kutch areas were studied. The fractionation of phosphorus and nitrogenous compounds in the sediments seems to be related to the texture of the sediments and their proximity to the coast. High concentration of adsorbed phosphate was found near Bombay, at the mouth of Gulf of Cambay and in the Central Gulf of Kutch. In general, the interstitial phosphate of the sediments was higher in the Gulf of Kutch. Among the nitrogenous compounds, ammonia was dominant in the interstitial waters. The variance in the levels of these compounds in the sediments and in the overlying waters suggests controlled exchange of the compounds between the mud water and surface


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Chinese herbal medicine is a major aspect of traditional Chinese medicine, which focuses on restoring a balance of energy, body, andspirit to maintain health rather than treating a particular disease or medical condition. Some of Chinese herbs have shown therapeutic effects in cancer patients. Yunnan Baiyao (White Medicine from Yunnan, YNBY) and Snow daisy are popular Chinese herbs for routine clinical usage. YNBY is a Chinese herbal medicinal powder used to stop bleeding, reduce swelling and improve circulation in traumatic injuries. While Snow daisy has effects on maintaining blood pressure and reducing coronary heart diseases and inflammation when consumed in form of tea. Although it has been hypothesized that both YNBY and Snow daisy flower tea (SDFT) may help to prevent tumor proliferation and even reduce tumor growth, yet no systematic study and analysis have been carried out. Therefore, in this study the effects of YNBY and SDFT on tumor cell proliferation were evaluated and the signal transduction pathways mediating the effects were also determined. We tested tumor cells (lung, breast and oral cancer cell lines) and normal human fibroblast cells with different YNBY and SDFT dilution in cultured medium. Then the proliferation ability of these treated cells was tested by MTT assay and visualized via Dil (1,1′-Dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-Tetramethylindocarbocyanine Perchlorate) staining. Subsequently, several apoptosis factors (Fas pathway related, i.e., Fas/CD95, Fas Ligand, Caspase-8) which may be secreted by YNBY and SDFT treated tumor cells were tested using ELISA and Western Blot. The results showed that YNBY and SDFT can significantly inhibit lung tumor cells proliferation when its concentration was above 0.4mg/mL and 2mg/mL, respectively (P<0.01). The data indicated that YNBY could induce lung tumor cells apoptosis through Fas related pathway. The expression of Fas/CD95 and caspase-8 in treated lung tumor cells was much higher than which in control groups (P<0.01) suggesting that YNBY and SDFT may provoke tumor cells death by inducing cell apoptosis through Fas pathway. YNBY and SDFT may constitute potential therapeutic effects for lung cancer patients.

Citation Format: Xufei Zhang, Hao Li, Herschel Angela Espiritu, Anita Kim, Li Zhong. Emerging effects of Chinese herbal medicines on human cancer cells proliferation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4551. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4551


Article history: Received: 01 January, 2020 Accepted: 19 March, 2020 Online: 23 March, 2020 In recent years, several projects which are supported by information and communications technologies (ICT) have been developed in the agricultural domain to promote more precise agricultural activities. These projects account for different kinds of key ICT terms such as internet of things (IoT), wireless sensors networks (WSN), cloud computing (CC). These projects are used for different agricultural products; and it is a well-known fact that they can be essential to perform precise agricultural activities for the relevant agricultural products. The implementation of these projects successfully depends on the extent to which various stakeholders provide support by leveraging relevant data, gathered from heterogenous data sources. Agriculture domain has a great number of stakeholders. These stakeholders need sophisticated data and appropriate intelligence to get benefits in order to perform precise agricultural activities. Authors agreed with scholars that "Open Data" idea, which means accessing data published on the web and available in a machinereadable format is an appropriate way to get benefits for precise agriculture by relevant stakeholders. In this paper, authors shall investigate the open data term in an agricultural context, create an open data processing model, and develop an IoT-based solution to gather environmental data from agricultural fields. Authors also show viability of the proposed model by developing an ICT-based solution. Considering the socioeconomic importance of hazelnut for Turkey, the stakeholders of hazelnut domain still have problems such as availability, meaningful, accuracy of the hazelnut related data. Therefore, authors shall focus on hazelnut within the scope of this paper.


Communication is a powerful factor in times of peace and confl ict alike. This article analyses the communications of political elites in the United States and Germany in the ›War on Terrorism‹. Both states are engaged in countering the threat of international terrorism, but do so with distinct policies, and this is mirrored in their discourses. The different approaches are infl uenced by self-image and historical experience, by a different understanding of terrorism, and by national interests. They also have different potentials for escalating or deescalating the confrontation with international terrorism.


A new species of the rare burrowing mud shrimp genus Naushonia has been found at Inhaca Island, in southern Mozambique. This is the sixth species in the genus, the first one found in the southern hemisphere and the second one found in the Indian Ocean. It was obtained from the entrance of its burrow in low water on a tidal flat. The species of the genus Naushonia have a confusing systematic history. Perhaps be cause of the subchelate first pereiopods and simple second pereiopods, de Man (1920) incorporated Naushonia crangonoides Kingsley, 1897, and Coralliocrangon perrieri Nobili, 1904, in the Crangonidae. Al though the "linea thalassinica" was pointed out as a similarity between the two genera, no comments were made about the trans verse suture of the uropods, which was used in the description of the family Laomediidae (see de Man, 1928). The reptant ap pearance with stiff antennae, a short and broad rostrum, and an unfortunate loss of all pereiopods caused Rathbun (1901) to erect a new genus, Homoriscus, for the new species H. portoricensis . Using branchial structure and the above mentioned criteria, Chace (1939) synonymized these genera with Naushonia, in the subfamily Naushoniinae, family Laomediidae. The genus seems to be rare, and very few findings of specimens be longing to these species have been reported. Four of the five species in this genus are found on American coastlines: A^. crango noides, east coast of the U.S.A. (Kingsley, 1897); N. portoricensis (Rathbun, 1901) Caribbean Sea (Rathbun, 1901); N. macginitiei (Glassell, 1938) Mexico and Cali fornia (Glassell, 1938); A^. panamensis Martin and Abele, 1982 Pacific coast of Panama (Martin and Abele, 1982). The fifth, N. perrieri, is known from the Red Sea and Somalia coast line (Nobili, 1904). The pres ent finding is the first from the southern hemisphere and the second from the Indian Ocean.


The use of rails as an earth connection device for overhead line masts without interfering in the track circuit operation is discussed. Earth connection through the impedance bonds, as well as direct earth connection on the rails are investigated. Mathematical models of earthed track circuits are proposed. Computations are carried out, and standard values of acceptable earth resistances are given.


OBJECTIVE. We examined whether mild traumatic brain injuries in children and adolescents, especially when associated with acute clinical features reflecting more severe injury, result in different postinjury trajectories of postconcussive symptoms compared with mild orthopedic injuries. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS. Participants in this prospective and longitudinal cohort study were 8- to 15-year-old children, 186 with mild traumatic brain injuries and 99 with mild orthopedic injuries, who were recruited from consecutive admissions to emergency departments in 2 large children's hospitals. Parents rated current postconcussive symptoms within 3 weeks of injury and at 1, 3, and 12 months after injury. At the initial assessment, parents also provided retrospective ratings of preinjury symptoms, and children with mild traumatic brain injuries received MRI of the brain. Clinical features examined as predictors of postconcussive symptoms included loss of consciousness, Glasgow Coma Scale score below 15, other injuries, acute symptoms of concussion, and intracranial abnormalities on the MRI. RESULTS. Finite mixture modeling identified 4 longitudinal trajectories of postconcussive symptoms (ie, no postconcussive symptoms, moderate persistent postconcussive symptoms, high acute/resolved postconcussive symptoms, high acute/persistent postconcussive symptoms). The mild traumatic brain injuries and orthopedic injuries groups demonstrated a different distribution of trajectories. Children with mild traumatic brain injuries were more likely than those with orthopedic injuries to demonstrate high acute/resolved and high acute/persistent trajectories relative to the no postconcussive symptoms group. The 2 trajectories with high acute levels of postconcussive symptoms were especially likely among children with mild traumatic brain injuries whose acute clinical presentation reflected more severe injury. CONCLUSIONS. Mild traumatic brain injuries, particularly those that are more severe, are more likely than orthopedic injuries to result in transient or persistent increases in postconcussive symptoms in the first year after injury. Additional research is needed to elucidate the range of factors, both injury related and non–injury related, that place some children with mild traumatic brain injuries at risk for postconcussive symptoms.


The annual water storage changes at 12 watersheds in Illinois are estimated based on the long‐term soil moisture and groundwater level observations during 1981–2003. Storage change is usually ignored in mean annual and interannual water balance calculations. However, the interannual variability of storage change can be an important component in annual water balance during dry or wet years. Annual precipitation anomaly is partitioned into annual runoff anomaly, annual evaporation anomaly, and annual storage change. The estimated annual storage change ratios vary from −60% to 40% at the study watersheds. The interannual variability of evaporation is not strongly correlated with the interannual variability of precipitation, but is correlated with the interannual variations of effective precipitation. As a response to the interannual variability of precipitation, the interannual variation of evaporation is smaller than those of runoff and storage change. The effect of annual water storage change increases the correlation coefficients between annual evaporation ratio and climate dryness index. Therefore, interannual water storage changes need to be included in the estimation of evaporation and total water supply in the Budyko framework. Effective precipitation can be used as a substitute for precipitation when computing evaporation ratio and climate dryness index.


In this paper we tackle the problem of deformable object manipulation through model-free visual reinforcement learning (RL). In order to circumvent the sample inefficiency of RL, we propose two key ideas that accelerate learning. First, we propose an iterative pick-place action space that encodes the conditional relationship between picking and placing on deformable objects. The explicit structural encoding enables faster learning under complex object dynamics. Second, instead of jointly learning both the pick and the place locations, we only explicitly learn the placing policy conditioned on random pick points. Then, by selecting the pick point that has Maximal Value under Placing (MVP), we obtain our picking policy. This provides us with an informed picking policy during testing, while using only random pick points during training. Experimentally, this learning framework obtains an order of magnitude faster learning compared to independent action-spaces on our suite of deformable object manipulation tasks with visual RGB observations. Finally, using domain randomization, we transfer our policies to a real PR2 robot for challenging cloth and rope coverage tasks, and demonstrate significant improvements over standard RL techniques on average coverage.