Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the cleanliness of root canal walls after retreatment using ProTaper Next (PTN), ProTaper Universal Retreatment (PTR) nickel-titanium (NiTi) systems and Hedström hand files in curved mesial canals of mandibular molar teeth and the time required for gutta-percha and sealer removal. Materials and Methods: Ninety mandibular molar teeth with curved mesial roots were instrumented up to #35.04 with Mtwo NiTi rotary instruments and obturated using the continuous wave of condensation technique. Removal of gutta-percha and sealer was performed using one of the following: PTN and PTR NiTi systems and Hedström hand files. Samples were placed on the VistaScan phosphor plates in the mesio-distal direction and the radiographs were taken. The digital radiographs were analyzed using AutoCAD software. Also, the total time required for gutta-percha removal was calculated by a chronometer. Results: The total retreatment time was significantly shorter in the PTN and PTR groups compared with the manual group (p<0.05). There was a significant difference between the groups according to the total residual gutta-percha and sealer (p<0.05). The PTN and PTR groups left significantly less gutta-percha and sealer remnant than the manual group (p<0.001). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the PTN and PTR groups showed less residual gutta-percha and sealer than the manual group. The NiTi rotary systems were significantly faster than the manual group in the time required for gutta-percha and sealer removal.


The long-term effect of pacemakers in the management of bradycardic heart failure with or without syncope was tested on 337 patients. The cumulative survival rate of patients with Adams-Stokes attacks without heart failure (group I) was 91% at the end of one year, 73% at the end of three and 35% at the end of eight years. Among patients with Adams-Stokes attacks and accompanying heart failure (group II) 81% survived one year, 64% three and 46% five years, but only 25% eight years. Among patients in whom heart failure was the only indication for pacemaker implantation (group III), 70% were still alive after one year, 56% after three and 17% after five years. Related to the severity of heart failure before and after pacemaker implantation, most of the patients of group II (mild or moderately severe failure) had definite improvement, while of those in group III (mainly severe failure) only about half had less cardiac failure. In patients with severe heart failure and bradycardia (without syncope) long-term results are not likely to be very good, as regards both duration of survival and physical capacity.


prostacyclin production if the non-precursor fats are peroxidised.4 Certainly, to choose a margarine with a high content of C18:2co6 in the cis form needs more information than is provided on the label, and none exists with a high content of eicosapentaenoic acid, which may be preferable. From the point of view of a healthy cardiovascular system, it could be that we should be debating a fat intake based on fish rather than meat, instead of butter versus margarine.


Many studies on the recent anti-immigrant backlash in Europe show that education level is a strong predictor of anti-immigrant sentiment. Lower educated natives are on average more anti-immigration than their higher educated counterparts. However, it is as yet unclear what role different kinds of immigrant integration, or lack thereof, play in the increase or decrease of the education gap. This chapter uses ESS and LFS data to study the effects of different characteristics of immigrant integration on the immigration attitudes of low and highly educated natives in 25 European countries between 2002 and 2017. The empirical results indicate that better integration of immigrants decreases the education gap, but there are interesting differences in natives' opinion on immigration, depending on their level of education and the type of integration. Besides education, the unemployment gap between natives and migrants also has a negative effect on the anti-immigrant attitudes of higher educated natives. Further analyses show that high employment numbers of natives increase the employment gap between natives and migrants and decreases anti-immigrant sentiment among higher educated natives. Lower educated natives are more negative about immigration if the cultural divide between migrants and natives is big. This supports the notion that lower and higher educated natives view immigrant integration from different perspectives.


Since duration works best for only small changes of the interest rate, convexity helps to improve the estimation accuracy. Traditionally, convexity is displayed with a formula, which depends on the number of outstanding payments. Closed-form solutions do exist, typically building on the work of Chua (1984). Based on the slightly different approach of Kruschwitz and Schobel (1986a), who also developed a closed-form equation for the duration, I derive a shorter closed-form solution for convexity than previously known.


Purpose
This paper aims to provide an overview of an expanded, workable conception of rural youth and adult education that will move Brazil closer to a fair, egalitarian society focused on human development.

Design/methodology/approach
This research uses a qualitative bibliographic perspective, analyzing historical data extracted from bibliographic and empirical research on rural education – assumptions for thinking about lifelong learning for young and adult peasants – and education and learning for all throughout life.

Findings
Education is critical in a democracy, forming the foundation of social, cultural and political citizenship, critical decision-making and an informed populace. Therefore, teacher education policies aimed at rural education in Brazil must be strengthened, funded and improved.

Research limitations/implications
This research does not present similarities and differences compared to European experiences; instead, it suggests expanding studies on this topic in other international contexts through developmental research to widen the discussion.

Practical implications
Providing high-quality, customized training for the teachers who teach the vastly diverse body of rural students is essential in terms of empowering and recognizing young and adult peasants' right to learn.

Social implications
"Education for all throughout life" has become a recognized right. Democracies must universalize this right by developing public policies, implementing them throughout the entire population and monitoring progress to verify that everyone – including the poorest peasant in the remotest countryside – has the tools to learn effectively.

Originality/value
By placing this study in the context of youth and adult learning, the study complements research that has addressed this topic in different international contexts, contributing broadly to knowledge regarding teacher education for rural areas and, more generally, to the implications of lifelong learning.


Despite the fact that text-to-video (TTV) model has recently achieved remarkable success, there have been few approaches on TTV for its extension to video editing. Motivated by approaches on TTV models adapting from diffusion-based text-to-image (TTI) models, we suggest the video editing framework given only a pretrained TTI model and a singlepair, which we term Edit-A-Video. The framework consists of two stages: (1) inflating the 2D model into the 3D model by appending temporal modules and tuning on the source video (2) inverting the source video into the noise and editing with target text prompt and attention map injection. Each stage enables the temporal modeling and preservation of semantic attributes of the source video. One of the key challenges for video editing include a background inconsistency problem, where the regions not included for the edit suffer from undesirable and inconsistent temporal alterations. To mitigate this issue, we also introduce a novel mask blending method, termed as sparse-causal blending (SC Blending). We improve previous mask blending methods to reflect the temporal consistency so that the area where the editing is applied exhibits smooth transition while also achieving spatio-temporal consistency of the unedited regions. We present extensive experimental results over various types of text and videos, and demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method compared to baselines in terms of background consistency, text alignment, and video editing quality.


Purpose Residents are responsible for the majority of medical student teaching and directly supervise, instruct, and evaluate students. Residents also serve as important role models. The LCME and other organizations now recommend that resident training programs include more venues specifically designed to develop resident teaching skills. To create a Residents as Teachers and Leaders (RATL) Program that may be applied across all resident specialty training, we used a nominal group technique (NGT) to identify and rank the content and best delivery format for such a program. Methods We enlisted the help of all seven core student rotation residency program directors from Baylor College of Medicine. They recommended new PGY 2 residents from each program to make up an interdisciplinary group of residents to participate in a small-group needs assessment using NGT. The 2-hour session was composed of part 1, a large group overview, and part 2, two small groups using an NGT focusing on either content or format. Residents were randomly assigned to either the content or format group. Results Sixteen new PGY 2 residents participated in the 2-hour session and represented residency programs in internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, and psychiatry. Nine residents participated in the content group and seven residents in the format group. The content group identified 52 items, clarified and grouped these items into 50, and ranked 26. They ranked items as important and necessary in a RATL program. The format group identified 38 items clarified and grouped them 15 and ranked and regrouped 9 items into 3. Residents identified 12 items and ranked 3 items they wish to exclude. Conclusions Using an NGT, we identified key content areas and formatting issues to help in the development of a RATL program for Baylor. This technique was very effective in generating ideas and ensuring equal participation within the group and equal representation of each member9s opinions.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with a poor prognosis worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of HCC remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that NOL12 was significantly overexpressed in independent HCC datasets from TCGA database. We confirmed that the expression level of NOL12 was upregulated in human HCC tissues and cell lines by RT-qPCR. High expression of NOL12 is associated with worse reduced overall survival (OS), high pathological grade, node metastasis, and advanced clinical stage in patients with HCC. Moreover, knockdown of NOL12 dramatically inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. CIBERSORTx analysis revealed that twelve types of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) are correlated with NOL12 expression. The risk signature based on 8 NOL12-related genes is an independent prognostic factor for patients with HCC. The OS rate of patients in the low-risk score group was better than that in the high-risk score group. In addition, the total tumor mutation burden (TMB) in the high-risk score group increased significantly, and the risk scores could be used as an alternative indicator of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) response. In conclusion, our findings indicated that NOL12 might be involved in the progression of HCC and can be used as a potential therapeutic target. Moreover, the NOL12-related risk signature may have predictive relevance with regard to ICI therapy.


Neuroblastoma, a common tumor of nervous system origin in young children, is usually detected in children only after the primary tumor has metastasized and the chances of its complete removal are low. Metastatic neuroblastoma cells commonly suppress expression of the gene encoding caspase-8. In a neuroblastoma murine model, expression of caspase-8 and integrin ?3?1 was dramatically reduced during tumor development. Analysis of clinical biopsies supported the observation that expression of both genes is low in human patients with metastatic disease. These data suggest that loss of expression of both caspase-8 and unligated integrins contribute to the survival of tumor cells migrating from the primary tumor. Integrin receptors that are unable to find appropriate ligands can form a large molecular complex containing caspase-8, explaining why cells that have diminished expression of either of these two genes have a significant survival advantage in foreign microenvironments. Thus, up-regulating expression of caspase-8 and integrins, or alternatively, antagonizing integrins within the primary tumor may be an important therapeutically in halting neuroblastoma metastasis.


—This paper studies the two-hop co-located transmission architecture that incorporates simultaneous wireless information and power transfer in radio relay networks. Joint robust precoding design of the information and power transfer that can minimize the overall relays' power consumption while satisfying our predefined quality-of-service and energy-harvest requirements is provided. By using SemiDefinite Relaxation technique, the non-convex initial problem can be converted to be convex. Additionally, the dual problem of the relaxed problem is investigated, and the closed-form optimal solutions of the relaxed problem can be achieved by our proposed method. Finally, approximate solutions show the effectiveness of our proposed robust precoding design.


Declining birth rates, increasing number of diseasesand injuries among children, socio-economicalchange in the situation of the country, as well as othersocial, health - and economics-related factorsare the main reasons for greater interest of scientistsin research on the social and health disparities inthe counties (municipalities and districts). This paperanalyzes the inequalities in first-time recognizedchildren's disability in counties of Lithuania duringthe period of 2007-2011.Aim of the study. To analyze incidences of the firsttimerecognized children's disability in Lithuaniafrom 2007 to 2011 and to compare the parametersof the first-time recognized children's disability incidencein 10 counties, taking into account variabilityof disability incidence inside the counties.Methods. The study used the data on the initial determinationof disability in children, taken fromDisability and Working Capacity Assessment Officeunder the Ministry of Social Security and Laborfrom 2007-2011. For the usage of further statisticalindex, the information on the number of citizenswas taken from the database of Department of Statisticsof the Republic of Lithuania. The indicatorswere age-standardized using the direct standardizationmethod and the statistical program "WinPepi".For the variation analysis of country's regionaldisparities the One-way ANOVA test was applied.Results. During the analyzed period (2007-2011)in Lithuania some form of disability was found in10649 children under the age of 18, of whom 6,219- boys (58,0 percent) and 4,430 - girls (42,0 percent).The largest newly-recognized children's disabilityaverages in 2007-2011 were found in the regionof Siauliai (43,68 ± 1,70), Panevėžys county(41,55 ± 1,96) and Utena county (41,53 ± 6,27). Inboys' group - Siauliai county (51,64 ± 1,53), Telsiaicounty (47,72 ± 10,61), Utena county (46,69 ± 7,83)and Panevėžys county (45,61 ± 2,59). In girls' group- Panevėžys (37,14 ± 2,31 ), Siauliai (35,33 ± 2,47),and Utena (36,16 ± 5,11) c o unties. In both girls'and boys' groups statistically significant differences(p<0.05) in newly recognized children's disabilityincidence in the country's counties were found.Conclusions. The conducted variation analysis ofchildren's disability at t h e age of 0-17 y.o. in theperiod of 2007-2011 throughout the country's counties,revealed inequalities among the counties. Thebiggest differences in newly determined disabilityin children in comparison with other counties of thecountry were found among Siauliai, Utena, and Panevėžyscounties.


Effect Of Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Employee Motivation To Employees Performance PT Batara Titian Kencana (Xtrans) Branch Menteng - Jakarta Pusat. Based on the results of research conducted on Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and Work Motivation on Employee Performance of PT Batara Titian Kencana (XTRANS) Menteng Branch - Central Jakarta, the writer can draw the following conclusion: 1. Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and Employee Performance PT Batara Titian Kencana Xtrans showed a correlation coefficient of 0.736 which means a strong influence between OCB on employee performance, while the diversity of respondents based on OCB variables that have been studied by the authors are dominated by indicators to colleagues who do not understand I am willing to tell about how the use of work tools yag well and true in carrying out all the work we do. 2. Motivation and Performance of employees of PT Batara Titian Kencana Xtrans showed a correlation coefficient of 0.711 which means a strong influence between work morivation variable on employee performance, while the diversity of respondents based on motivation variables that have been studied by the writer dominated by indicators I always try to improve work productivity . 3. In the result of correlation analysis between Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB), and Work Motivation to Employee Performance is strong and significant, it is shown figure in table R = 0,736. So it can be concluded that there is a strong influence between OCB variables work motivation together to employee performance. That is, employees can provide the best for companies or organizations, thus will affect both the performance of the employees themselves. Keywords: Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Employee Motivation To EmployeesPerformance


Purpose of review Pulmonary infection by Nocardia spp. has been recognized for the past 100 years. The number of cases of pulmonary nocardiosis reported in the literature is increasing, and in some cases, a diagnosis is reached even postmortem. This increase is partly due to the growing number of patients with depressed cellular immunity. The diagnosis of this infection, which has a high rate of mortality, is usually delayed, due to a nonspecific clinical–radiological presentation and the difficulties in cultivating the bacteria. This review analyzes the current situation, in order to better understand this infection and enhance awareness and clinical suspicion that would lead to further specific microbiological studies and treatment. Recent findings The number of case series in the literature is increasing. This development may be due to an absolute increase in the number of immmunocompromised patients, but also to improvements in laboratory techniques and molecular methods to detect nocardiosis. Summary It is important to keep in mind, and suspect the presence of pulmonary nocardiosis in the immunodepressed patients with clinical pulmonary infection. Furthermore, the laboratory should be notified when Nocardia is suspected in a clinical specimen so that measures can be taken to optimize recognition and recovery of the organism.


In this work, the primal-dual interior point method is studied and developed to solve the predispatch DC (direct current) problem that minimizes losses in the transmission and costs in the generation of a hydroelectric power system, formulated as a network flow model. The matrix obtained by the application of the interior point method is reduced of such form that the final linear system can be implemented of efficient form. Moreover, a modification of this method is made on the basis of a heuristic that determines a new perturbing parameter. This modified method(VPMPD) showed to be efficient in the practical and achieved convergence in fewer iterations when compared with an existing implementation of the network flow model, that does not take in consideration such perturbing parameter.


Eleven strains of benthic dinoflagellates ( Amphidinium carterae (D1), Prorocentrum rhathymum (D2), S ymbiodinium sp. (D3), Coolia malayensis 1 (D4), Ostreopsis ovata 1 (D5), Ostreopsis ovata 2 (D6), Coolia malayensis 2 (D7), Amphidinium operculatum 1 (D8), Heterocapsa psammophila (D9), Coolia malayensis 3 (D10) and Amphidinium operculatum 2 (D11)) were collected in Jeju Island, Korea and cultured in 20 L carboys after establishing unialgal cultures. Their growth potential and biomass productivity were evaluated using two different culture media (IMK and f/2 medium); it was found that IMK medium has the potential to culture benthic dinoflagellates compared to commonly used f/2 medium. Among the benthic dinoflagellates, A. carterae (D1) had the maximum cell density (148.6 × 103 cells mL-1), growth rate (0.317 ± 0.01 divisions day-1) and biomass (0.260 ± 0.03 g L-1 dry weight) in IMK medium at 20 days of culture. Also, screened bioactivities among the methanolic extracts of cultured dinoflagellates showed A. carterae (D1) to have the highest antioxidant and  anti-inflammatory effect and O. ovata 1 (D5) had the highest anticancer activity compared to the other strains. Taken together, this is the first report on the growth potential and biomass production of benthic dinoflagellate strains isolated from Jeju Island in appropriate culture medium as well as their importance in potential pharmacological applications. Key words : Amphidinium carterae, benthic dinoflagellates, biomass, bioactivities, culture conditions, Jeju Island.


The state-of-the-art in computing technology is rapidly attaining the performance necessary to implement many early vision algorithms at real-time rates. This new capability is helping to accelerate progress in vision research by improving our ability to evaluate the performance of algorithms in dynamic environments. In particular, we are becoming much more aware of the relative stability of various visual measurements in the presence of camera motion and system noise. This new processing speed is also allowing us to raise our sights toward accomplishing much higher-level processing tasks, such as figure-ground separation and active object tracking, in real-time. This paper describes a methodology for using early visual measurements to accomplish higher-level tasks; it then presents an overview of the high-speed accelerators developed at Teleos to support early visual measurements. The final section describes the successful deployment of a real-time vision system to provide visual perception for the Extravehicular Activity Helper/Retriever robotic system in tests aboard NASA's KC135 reduced gravity aircraft.


Background. Asthma and COPD patients included in controlled clinical trials are usually well trained in their use of the inhaler. Inability to use inhalers correctly is an important reason for poor disease control. Real-life studies are necessary for estimation of every day inhaler competence and patient satisfaction. Aim. To study the use of a dry powder inhaler (Easyhaler®, Orion Pharma, Espoo, Finland) in real-life situations. Material and methods. We performed two open multicentre trials with Easyhaler in 1017 patients with asthma or COPD: A) a 3-month study in adults (age ≥18 years; n=799) with twice-daily inhalations of formoterol, and B) a 1-year study in children (3-11 years old; n=138) and adolescents (12-17 years old; n=80) with salbutamol Easyhaler used as-needed. All types of patients prescribed a long-acting (study A) or a short-acting β 2 -agonist (study B) were included. No exclusion criteria except study drug hypersensitivity were applied. Physicians assessed the patients' ability to learn how to use the inhaler correctly. Patients filled in questionnaires and reported their experiences with the device. Results. Of the physicians (n=52), 87% found Easyhaler easy to teach with repeat instructions necessary in only 26 % of the cases. Nearly all patients (98%) found Easyhaler easy to learn, and were satisfied or very satisfied with the device (52% and 43%, respectively). No significant differences in patient-reported experiences were seen between age groups or between asthma and COPD patients. C onclusion. Easyhaler was found easy to teach by the majority of physicians. Most patients found Easyhaler easy to use and their satisfaction with the device was high.


Measurements have been made of the small signal gain of CO2-N2-He laser amplifiers excited either by short pulses or a 50 Hz rectified a.c. waveform. A model, based on the known vibrational energy-level scheme appropriate to this laser, is developed and applied to the data. The relaxation times of the upper and terminal laser states, the relaxation rate of the first vibrational state of nitrogen and the nitrogen to carbon dioxide energy transfer rate are determined. Gas heating which limits laser gain is described in terms of a phenomenological thermal time constant, and the value of this quantity is deduced from the a.c. data under various conditions. The data presented permits the excitation conditions for optimum amplification of pulses from a Q-switched oscillator to be determined under non-saturating conditions.


Experiments on two coupled chaotic electrochemical oscillators with different frequencies are presented. We consider two types of coupling. The first is imposed through a set of external resistors. The second arises from the potential drop in the electrolyte and generally depends on cell geometry and reaction rate. Phase synchronization is observed with the addition of weak coupling of both types. Along with the onset of phase synchronization an increase in the amplitude of the mean current oscillations occurs. Simulations using a coupled form of an electrochemical model support the experimental findings.


Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems are smart networks composed of multiple devices sensing or acting in the physical world. These devices interact together to provide data to value-added services or applications developed by various stakeholders. M2M infrastructures aim at being deployed in city wide area. They have to handle and support an increasing number of services and applications. A dynamic sharing of M2M infrastructure between applications is thus a strong requirement. To answer to such a challenge, we propose to use the multi-agent paradigm and related programming languages. Adopting a multi-agent oriented programming approach, we define an adaptive and agile layer to govern M2M infrastructures supporting different applications.


3D printing is a manufacturing process that is usually used for modeling and prototyping. One of the most popular printing techniques is fused deposition modeling (FDM), which is based on adding melted material layer by layer. Although FDM has several advantages with respect to other manufacturing materials, there are several problems that have to be faced. When setting the printing options, several parameters have to be taken into account, such as temperature, speed, infill percentage, etc. Selecting these parameters is often a great challenge for the user, and is generally solved by experience without considering the influence of variations in the parameters on the mechanical properties of the printed parts.This article analyzes the influence of the infill percentage on the mechanical properties of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) printed parts. In order to characterize this influence, test specimens for tensile strength and Charpy tests were printed with a Makerbot Replicator 2X printer, in which the infill percentage was varied but the rest of the printing parameters were kept constant. Three different results were analyzed for these tests: tensile strength, impact resistance, and effective printing time. Results showed that the maximum tensile force (1438N) and tensile stress (34,57MPa) were obtained by using 100% infill. The maximum impact resistance, 1,55J, was also obtained with 100% infill. In terms of effective printing time, results showed that printing with an infill range between 50% and 98% is not recommended, since the effective printing time is higher than with a 100% infill and the tensile strength and impact resistance are smaller. In addition, in comparing the results of our analysis with results from other authors, it can be concluded that the printer type and plastic roll significantly influence the mechanical properties of ABS parts.


In the present paper, development of an automatic spinach harvester is discussed. Our research group has been developing a prototype harvester and many filed tests have been successfully executed. The field test results show that spinach can be picked up automatically without being grasped after their roots being cut at specified position in soil. The harvester equips two degrees of freedom control units, such as the arm length control unit and the arm angle control unit, for controlling a root-cutting blade which follows the specified path under the ground. In the present paper, modeling and control design for the arm length control is discussed. First, a control design model is developed by several system identification techniques. Next, an I-PD controller is designed by the robust control design procedure. Control performance is verified by numerical simulations and field tests.


Objectives: There are approximately 300 million HBV carriers where 25-30% of them had deceased due to cirrhosis or PHK. Universal vaccination is suggested worldwide against HBV because it is proven that vaccinating only the risk group is useless to reduce or eradicate the HB. However, the high costs limit its extensive usage. One way to reduce high costs is vaccinating in low dose. The purpose of this study is to determine the dependable, effective and low-cost dose as the result of evaluating the antibody titers against recombinant HB vaccine in three routes. Materials and methods: Antibody titers against three times intramuscularly (IM), subcutaneous (SC) and intradermal (ID) in different doses like 4µg, 10µg or 20µg were detected. Results: Totally, 96 newborn were chosen from HBsAg negative mothers and greater than 2500 gram in birth weight. They were randomly distributed into 7 groups. The recombinant HB vaccine (20 µg/0.5 ml. Gen-Hevac B. Pasteur Merieux) is applied as IM 20 µg (IM20) to 15, IM 10 µg (IM10) to 18, IM4µg (IM4) to 12, SC 20 µg to 12, SC 10 µg to 14, SC 4 µg to 10 and finally IM 4 µg to 15 babies after birth, at first month and sixth month. Six month af ter the third dose, the protective antibody titers gathered from the first four groups (100%, 93.4%, 91.6%, and 88.9% respectively) are accepted as sufficient. Conclusion: The application of low dose (4 pg) Hepatitis-B Vaccine via intradermal resulted in desired immunization level without reducing immune response and by reducing the cost five times. J Clin Exp Invest 2011; 2 (3): 277-281. OZET


It is well-known that continuous conduction mode (CCM) operation at certain frequency yields nearly load-independent voltage gain in practical series-series compensated inductive wireless power transfer links (SS-IWPTL). Such an operation is usually referred to as "load independent voltage output" (LIVO). Residual load dependence is due to the presence of non-zero equivalent series resistances in both transmitter and receiver. On the other hand, it has been shown that voltage gain remains load-dependent at the same operating frequency in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) irrespectively of equivalent series resistances values. Consequently, the output voltage of SS-IWPTL operated at LIVO frequency resides within a range with lower bound corresponding to rated load and upper bound corresponding to zero loading for a given input voltage. The upper bound expression (typically attained in CCM) is derived using the first harmonic approximation (FHA) based equivalent circuit and is well-established by previous works. On the contrary, derivation of the lower bound (achieved in DCM) requires differential equation (DE) based analysis and was barely treated in the literature. The paper demonstrates that lumped capacitance of receiving side coil and input capacitance of receiving side rectifier must be taken into account during DE-based analysis since they impose significant receiving side voltage oscillations, which may give rise to safety issues. In order to damp these oscillations and keep the output DC voltage below a predetermined limit, minimal loading should be applied at the SS-IWPTL output, creating an RCD-snubber equivalent. Guidelines for the minimal load sizing are derived in the paper analytically. Simulations and experiments based on a 400V, 1kW SS-IWPTL operating at LIVO frequency demonstrate excellent matching, validating the proposed analysis.


Nowadays, web services have to accommodate a significant and ever-increasing number of requests due to high interactivity of current applications. Although the built-in elasticity offered by a cloud can mitigate this challenge, it is highly desirable that applications can be built in a scalable fashion. State-of-the-art Web Application Frameworks (WAFs) focus on the creation of application logic and do not offer integrated cloud scaling concepts. As the creation of such scaling systems is very complex, we proposed in our recent work the concept of Web Scaling Frameworks (WSFs) in order to offload scaling to another layer of abstraction. In this work, a detailed design for WSFs including necessary modules, interfaces and components is presented. A mathematical model used for performance rating is evaluated and enhanced on a computing cluster of 42 machines. Traffic traces from over 25 million real-world applications are analysed and evaluated on the cluster to compare the WSF performance with a traditional scaling approach. The results show that the application of WSFs can substantially reduce the number of total machines needed for three representative real-world applications-a social network, a trip planner and the FIFA World Cup 98 website-by 32, 63 and 92 percent, respectively.


Background: Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Screening for colorectal cancer has been shown to be effective in reducing incidence and mortality from the disease. Yet, Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System data has shown that minority populations (African American, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander) are less likely to report being up to date with colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and having a colonoscopy within 10 years (60.0, 46.0, and 49.9%), when compared to whites (62.5%). Many barriers (lack of transportation, lack of access, fear, fatalism, low levels of health literacy, and lower levels of English proficiency) to CRC screening among minorities have been reported. However, studies have also demonstrated navigators, which include lay persons and health professional from the community to be effective at increasing screening among minority populations. Purpose: To increase capacity for navigators to promote colorectal cancer prevention and control in their community and/or health care setting. Methods: Twenty-two multiethnic navigators from partnering organizations that provide healthcare services for African American, Asian, and Latino communities were invited to participate in the "A Walk through the Cure" intervention. Participants were led on a walking tour of colorectal cancer care related centers, including Colorectal Health Center, Colorectal Surgery, Oncology Clinic and Infusion Center, Oncology Radiation Center and Cancer Resource Center at the University of Chicago Medicine. Each stop of the tour was staffed by a faculty member. A mini lecture was given by the faculty at each stop and participants were encouraged to ask questions. The tour lasted about two hours. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a survey with open-ended questions. Findings: All participants demonstrated an increase in colorectal cancer control related knowledge, by comparing a pre and post self-assessment. Additionally, the navigators reported that their increased knowledge and familiarity with the CRC screening and treatment process facilitated increased levels of confidence to encourage patients or community members to screen for CRC. "I have accurate statistics related to CRC and the importance of screening, which helps me encourage patients or people in my community to do screening without any fear." Conclusion: This data indicates the importance of innovative strategies to facilitate increased capacity among navigators to promote colorectal cancer prevention and control in minority communities. Citation Format: Lisa Hinton, Helen Lam, Karen Kim. Developing an intervention to promote colorectal cancer control among multiethnic minorities. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A12.


We present results and analyses from flume experiments investigating the infiltration of sand into immobile clean gravel deposits. Three runs were conducted, each successive run with the same total sediment feed volume, but a 10‐fold increase in sand feed rate. The highest sand feed rate produced less sand infiltration into the subsurface deposits than the other two runs, which had approximately equivalent amounts of sand infiltration. Experimental data, combined with simple geometric relations and physical principles, are used to derive two relations describing the saturated fine sediment fraction in a gravel deposit and the vertical fine sediment fraction profile resulting from fine sediment infiltration. The vertical fine sediment fraction profile relation suggests that significant sand infiltration occurs only to a depth equivalent to a few median grain diameters of the bed material.


In the preface the authors state, as reasons for producing this book, the need for an appropriate undergraduate-level text on water chemistry and the desire to provide broader coverage of atmospheric and environmental chemistry than is found in other existing books on this topic. They have attempted to write a book that could be understood by almost anyone with an elementarv knowledge of science, yet could still serve as a source of geochemical and environmental data for researchers in a variety of fields. The authors have succeeded admirably in achieving these difficult goals.


Endophytic fungi were isolated from healthy stems and pods of cacao ( Theobroma cacao ) trees in natural forest ecosystems and agroecosystems in Latin America and West Africa. These fungi were collected for screening as a potential source of biocontrol agents for the basidiomycetous pathogens of cacao in South and Central America, Moniliophthora roreri (frosty pod rot) and Moniliophthora perniciosa (witches' broom). Many of these isolates were morphologically unidentifiable as they failed to form fruiting structures in culture, or only produced arthrosporic stages. Affinities with basidiomycetes were suspected for many of these based on colony morphology. Fifty-nine of these morphologically unidentifiable isolates were selected for molecular identification by DNA extraction and sequence analysis of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The large subunit (LSU) was chosen for initial sequencing because this region has been used most often for molecular systematics of basidiomycete fungi, and comprehensive LSU datasets were already available for sequence analyses. Results confirmed that the majority of the isolates tested belonged to the Basidiomycota, particularly to corticoid and polyporoid taxa. With LSU data alone, identification of the isolates was resolved at varying taxonomic levels (all to order, most to family, and many to genus). Some of the isolates came from rarely isolated genera, such as Byssomerulius , whilst the most commonly isolated basidiomycetous endophyte was a member of the cosmopolitan genus Coprinellus (Agaricales). The role of these fungi within the host and their potential as biological control agents are discussed.


Introduction Patients with multimorbidity plus additional impairments (eg, mobility limitations, disability, cognitive impairments or frailty) are at the highest risk for poor healthcare outcomes. Advanced care planning (ACP) provides patients and their surrogates the opportunity to discuss their goals, values and priorities for healthcare—particularly in the context of end-of-life care. ACP discussions promote more person-centred care; however, it is currently underused. There is a tremendous need for systematic, scalable approaches to individualised ACP that promotes patient and family engagement. Here we describe the study protocol for a randomised effectiveness trial of a nurse navigator and informatics intervention designed to improve the documentation and quality of ACP discussions. Methods and analysis This is a randomised, pragmatic, effectiveness trial; patients aged 65 years and older who have multimorbidity plus impairments in either physical function (eg, mobility limitations or disability) or cognition, and/or frailty within an affiliated Accountable Care Organization were eligible. The electronic health record was used to develop an automatic prescreening system for eligible patients (n=765) and participants were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to either the nurse navigator-led ACP pathway or usual care. Our primary outcomes are documentation of ACP discussions within the EHR along with the quality of ACP discussions. Secondary outcomes include a broad range of ACP actions (eg, usage of ACP billing codes, choosing a surrogate decision-maker and advance directive documentation). Outcomes will be measured over 12 months of follow-up. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the appropriate Institutional Review Boards and is guided by input from patient and clinical advisory boards. The results of this study will inform a scalable solution to ACP discussions throughout our healthcare system and statewide. Trials registration number NCT03609658.


The i(12p) chromosome marker has been shown to be a diagnostic and prognostic marker of human male germ cell tumors (GCTs). An analysis of the i(12p) and chromosome 12 aneuploidy was performed in five primary cell cultures and three established cell lines derived from human male GCTs by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a chromosome 12 centromere‐specific α‐satellite DNA probe. Distinct differences in the centromeric signals originating from the i(12p) and normal chromosome 12 were detected, which were found to be useful for unambiguous distinction between the i(12p) and normal chromosomes 12 at interphase as well as at metaphase in these cultures. This method can be used for rapid screening of large numbers of interphase cells, eliminating the main limitation of conventional karyotypic analysis, namely, frequent inability to obtain sufficient numbers of dividing cells in direct preparations or in short‐term culture of fresh biopsies. Our analysis of chromosome 12 centromeric signal size along with karyotypic data and results of analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) on 12q in four GCTs suggested that the i(12p)s are formed by nonreciprocal centromeric interchanges between nonsister chromatids of homologous chromosomes.


Introduction:

Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) of the skin and gut are relatively common following allogeneic transplant for haematological malignancies but GVHD affecting the lung can be subtle.

In this study, we evaluated patients who developed lung GVHD post stem cell transplant (SCT) to determine early warning signs and response to treatment.

Method:

Patients undergoing SCT for haematological malignancies were monitored with serial pulmonary function (PFT). Symptoms of increased breathlessness (SOB) or fall in PFT prompted investigation with high resolution CT scan(HRCT).

Results:

11 patients developed lung GVHD following allogeneic SCT for lymphoma (n=7) or leukaemia (n=4). 6 had adjuvant chemotherapy, and 7 total body irradiation. 10 had exertional SOB. 3 developed pulmonary GVHD within 1 year of SCT.

PFT changes are shown.

![Figure][1]

All patients had mosaicism with gas trapping on HRCT at diagnosis, and were commenced on steroids, with 6 having other immunosuppressants.

The post-treatment HRCT showed clearance in 10 patients (1 died due to relapse of malignancy).

Conclusion:

Exertional SOB and changes in PFT are important early indicators of developing GVHD which can be confirmed on HRCT. Treatment with with immunosuppressants results in successful resolution in the majority, particularly in those who were diagnosed early in the course of this complication.

 [1]: pending:yes


Objectives: assess the risk of falls in adult hospitalized patients and verify the incidence of the event in this environment. Method: cohort study, with approval by the Research Ethics Committee, which monitored 831 patients hospitalized at a university hospital. The Morse Fall Scale (MFS) was used to assess the risk and patients with high risk (≥45 points) were considered exposed to falls. Results: the mean MFS score was 39.4 (±19.4) points. Between the first and the final assessment, the score increased by 4.6%. The first assessment score presented a strong and positive correlation with the final assessment score (r=0.810; p=0.000). Conclusion: the higher the risk score for falls when the patient is admitted, the higher the score at the end of the hospitalization period and vice-versa. The incidence rate corresponded to 1.68% with a higher percentage of patients classified at high risk of falls.


A new recording and readout technique for land and groove recording on a magnetic super-resolution (MSR) disk is described. The technique uses specifically premastered clock marks. To generate a stable clock signal, the clock marks are fabricated with short bursts in grooves by wobbling at a different frequency from address information. The clock marks and the address information can be separated from a track error signal. When the extracted clock signal is applied to precise recording and readout of the magneto-optical data marks, the bit error rate becomes lower than that of the conventional clock recording/readout system. Additionally, the crosstalk of the wobbled address information to the magneto-optical signal can be canceled out electronically. This new format is not only suitable for high-density recording but also convenient in the disk manufacturing process.


PURPOSE
AZD1775 (adavosertib) is an inhibitor of the Wee1 kinase. In this study, we built on our preclinical studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AZD1775 in combination with gemcitabine and radiation in patients with newly diagnosed locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Thirty-four patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer were enrolled with the intention to receive four 21-day cycles of gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2 days 1 and 8) with AZD1775 (once daily on days 1, 2, 8, and 9). Cycles 2 and 3 were administered concurrently with radiation, and cycles 5 to 8 were optional. AZD1775 was dose escalated using a time-to-event continual reassessment method on the basis of the rate of dose-limiting toxicities within the first 15 weeks of therapy. The primary objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of AZD1775 given in conjunction with gemcitabine and radiation. Secondary objectives were to estimate overall and progression-free survival and determine pharmacodynamic activity of AZD1775 in surrogate tissues.

RESULTS
The recommended phase II dose of AZD1775 was 150 mg/d. Eight patients (24%) experienced a dose-limiting toxicity, most commonly anorexia, nausea, or fatigue. The median overall survival for all patients was 21.7 months (90% CI, 16.7 to 24.8 months), and the median progression-free survival was 9.4 months (90% CI, 8.0 to 9.9 months). Hair follicle biopsy samples demonstrated evidence of Wee1 inhibition with decreased phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 staining by immunohistochemistry after AZD1775 administration at the recommended phase II dose.

CONCLUSION
AZD1775 in combination with gemcitabine and radiation therapy was well tolerated at a dose that produced target engagement in a surrogate tissue. The overall survival is substantially higher than prior results combining gemcitabine with radiation therapy and warrants additional investigation.


Both in 'Bleak House' (Dickens) and 'A Change of Climate' (Mantel), depictions of children in states of poverty and destitution take centre stage. Yet, these children are viewed through the eyes of outsiders who appear better off and therefore have limited personal experience of poverty. In 'Bleak House', these outsiders react to the poverty in front of them with shock and horror whilst Anna in 'A Change of Climate' carries a sense of resignation towards the destitution she witnesses day in, day out.


INTRODUCTION
The current issue is dedicated to nuclear medicine in Israel. It contains articles concerning various fields in nuclear medicine including imaging and treatment. These articles provide a glimpse into the vast scope of nuclear medicine. Over the years, the nuclear medicine profession has undergone many changes and developed extensively. Currently, it is not just part of the imaging domain, but rather, it is an independent entity, that continues to grow and develop. This profession has had a great influence on patient health because of advanced imaging technologies, the possibility of treating with unique radioactive materials, and theranostics (imaging the therapeutic material) that enables the combination of diagnostic imaging and targeted treatment personally tailored for the patient. Today, nuclear medicine is considered one of the most dynamic and advanced professions. Research in nuclear medicine points to a future with ultrafast imaging technology. This includes a seemingly limitless number of new radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and treatment and collaborations with other scientific fields.


One considers the behavior of the degree of a rational map under specialization of the coefficients of the defining linear system. The method rests on the classical idea of Kronecker as applied to the context of projective schemes and their specializations. For the theory to work, one is led to develop the details of rational maps and their graphs when the ground ring of coefficients is a Noetherian domain.


We utilized inverse design to engineer the point-spread function (PSF) of a low-f-number, freeform diffractive microlens in an array, so as to enable extended depth of focus (DOF). Each square microlens of side 69 µm and focal length 40 µm (in a polymer film, n∼1.47) generated a square PSF of side ∼10 µm that was achromatic over the visible band (450 to 750 nm), and also exhibited an extended DOF of ∼ ± 2 µm. The microlens has a geometric f/# (focal length divided by aperture size) of 0.58 in the polymer material (0.39 in air). Since each microlens is a square, the microlens array (MLA) can achieve 100% fill factor. By placing this microlens array (MLA) directly on a high-resolution print, we demonstrated integral imaging with applications in physical security. The extended DOF preserves the optical effects even with expected film-thickness variations, thereby increasing robustness in practical applications. Since these multi-level diffractive MLAs are fabricated using UV-nanoimprint lithography, they have the potential for low-cost large volume manufacturing.


Purpose
This paper aims to present a literature review of the health workforce, hospital and clinic systems, infrastructure, primary care, regulatory climate, the pharmaceutical industry and community health behavior of the Kenyan health-care system with the purpose of providing a thorough background on the health-care environment in Kenya.

Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was conducted using Pub Med, searching for "Kenya" in the title of articles published from January 1, 2015 to February 24, 2016; this provided a broad overview of the type of research being conducted in Kenya. Other data provided by governmental agencies and non-governmental agencies was also reviewed to describe the current state of population health in Kenya.

Findings
An initial review of 615 Pubmed articles included 455 relevant articles. A complete review of these studies was conducted, resulting in a final sample of 389 articles. These articles were categorized into three main subject areas with 14 secondary subject areas (Figure 1).

Research limitations/implications
The narrow scope of the search parameters set for the systematic review was a necessary limitation to focus on the most relevant literature. The findings of this study provide a thorough background on health care in Kenya to researchers and practitioners.

Originality/value
This compilation of data specific to Kenya provides a detailed summary of both the country's health-care services and health status, focusing on potential means of realizing increased quality and length of life.


The literature on the populist radical right has underlined the party family's influence on a variety of issues, such as immigration, welfare, and the EU. However, scholars have hardly studied its influence in the field of democracy reform, even though populist radical right parties strongly criticize how democratic systems currently function. In an exploratory and qualitative study of four cases, we analyze the adaptation (or lack thereof) of mainstream parties to populist radical right parties' challenge in the field of democracy reform in Austria, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, focusing on direct democracy. In contrast to other policy issues, we find limited adaptation of mainstream parties in the field of democracy reform: Instead of being a driver on democracy reform, the populist radical right is merely a fellow passenger. Where it has an effect, that effect is mostly negative, turning mainstream parties away from direct democracy.


The microscopic mechanism of deuteron formation in high-energy collision with nuclei is discussed. The formula for the deuteron emission cross section is derived in two ways: in the first the wavefunction description is used, while in the second the author applies the density matrix formalism.


The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), human T-lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1/2), Torque teno virus (TTV) and Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Surakarta, Indonesia, and the risk factors and sexual behavior associated with these infections. A cross sectional study was performed from October 2009 to October 2011 among 143 MSM by face-to-face interviews to complete an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Subjects were tested for ,HIV, HBV, HCV, HDV, HTLV-1/2 and toxoplasma infection using serology and for TTV using molecular detection. The seropositive rates for anti-HIV, HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-HDV, anti-HTLV-1/2, IgM anti-T. gondii, IgG anti-T, gondii and TTV DNA were 9.1%, 9.8%, 28.0%, 0.7%, 0.7%, 1.4%, 30.8%, and 26.6%, respectively. Risk factors associated with HIV infection were a history of injecting drug use (IDU) [adjusted OR (aOR) 6.0; 95% CI: 1.10-33.01] and a receptive role in sexual activity (aOR 8.1; 95% CI: 1.30-50.04) [corrected]. Having a tattoo (aOR 3.2; 95% CI: 1.28-7.98) and practicing both anal and vaginal sex without a condom (aOR 2.3; 95% CI: 1.06-4.92) were associated with toxoplasma infection. A history of IDU (aOR 32; 95% CI: 5.93-177.93) was associated with TTV infection. The subjects examined in this study were found to be infected with HIV, HBV, HCV, HDV, HTLV-1/2, TTV, and T. gondii. These infections were associated with high-risk behavior.


Studies on defence mechanisms in mice and farm animals are demonstrated. The results indicate that selective breeding might become a more important tool in disease control. But intensive research work is required before a "General Disease Resistance Index" can be used in animal breeding. More common efforts of research workers in veterinary medicine and animal breeding are necessary.


AIM: To study the plasma des-γ -carboxy protein C activity, antigen and prothrombin levels in patients with liver diseases and their clinical significance.

METHODS: Plasma protein C activity (PC:C) was detected by chromogenic assay and antigen (PC:Ag) and des-γ -carboxy protein C (DCPC) were detected by ELISA. Total prothrombin and unabsorbed prothrombin in plasma were detected by ecarin chromogenic assay.

RESULTS: Compared with the control, the levels of PC:C and PC:Ag in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis (LC) were lower (PC:C: 104.65 ± 23.0%, 62.50 ± 24.89%, 56.75 ± 20.14%, PC:Ag: 5.31 ± 1.63 µg/mL, 2.28 ± 1.15 µg/mL, 2.43 ± 0.79 µg/mL, P 0.05). The levels of DCPC in patients with HCC were remarkably higher (0.69 ± 0.29 µg/mL, 1.18 ± 0.63 µg/mL, 0.45 ± 0.21 µg/mL, P < 0.05) and its average was up to 50% of total PC:Ag. But those of DCPC in patients with AVH were not significantly different from the control. The levels of total prothrombin were lower in patients with LC, but higher in patients with HCC. The levels of unabsorbed prothrombin were predominantly higher than those of other groups.

CONCLUSION: PC:C and PC:Ag in patients with liver diseases (except PC:C in AVH) were lower. The total prothrombin was lower in patients with LC. The higher level of unabsorbed prothrombin may be used as a scanning marker for HCC. DCPC may be used as a complementary marker in the diagnosis of HCC.


This paper offers an overview of the relation of low back pain (LBP) to occupational exposures to whole-body vibration (WBV) and mechanical shocks. LBP is a condition of multifactorial origin and is a very common health problem in the general population. Among occupational risk factors, epidemiological studies of driving occupations have provided evidence for strong associations between LBP and occupational exposures to WBV and mechanical shocks. Since it is hard to separate the contribution of WBV exposure to disorders in the lower back from that of other individual, ergonomic or psychosocial risk factors, a quantitative exposure-response relationship for WBV cannot be outlined precisely. Experimental research has provided biodynamic support to the findings of epidemiological studies, showing that in controlled laboratory conditions exposure to WBV can cause mechanical overload to the human spine. The EU Directive on mechanical vibration has established daily exposure action and limit values to protect the workers against the risk from WBV. There is some evidence that the EU exposure limit values are excessive, so much so that an elevated risk of LBP has been found for WBV exposures beneath the EU limit values. In the Italian arm of the EU VIBRISKS prospective cohort study of professional drivers, measures of internal lumbar load (compressive and shear peak forces), calculated by means of anatomy-based finite-element models, were found better predictors of the occurrence over time of low back disorders than the metrics of external exposure suggested by the EU Directive on mechanical vibration. Further biodynamic and epidemiological studies are needed to validate the findings of the VIBRISKS study.


Metal complexes, ML (M=Ni, Cu, Co and Zn) of unsymmetrical tetradentate schiff base have been synthesized by the template reaction of the half-units N-(1-hydroxy-2-acetonaphthone)-1-amino-2-phenyleneimine)(HL1) with 2-Pyrroleca-rbaldehyde. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H NMR and UV spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the Ni(II) complex has
been determined by X-ray and exhibits distorted square-planar conformation. Crystals of NiL are orthorhombic, space group P212121, with a = 7.1635(6), b = 11.6815(10), c = 20.7217(17) ? and Z = 4. The Ni-O and Ni-N bonds have very similar lengths and form a regular square-planar structure.


We report first-Stokes vibrational conversion efficiency of 21% and 35%, respectively, in high-pressure O2- and N2-stimulated Raman cells. Broadband superfluorescence is employed to seed these Raman cells, significantly increasing the conversion efficiencies with no measured effect on the Raman spectrum. The addition of helium buffer gas reduces competition from stimulated Brillouin scattering and improves the pulse-to-pulse stability and spatial mode quality by increasing the thermal conductivity. Further improvement of the spatial mode quality is achieved by use of gentle heating on the bottom of the cell to induce convection.


Acanthagrion hildegarda Gloger, 1967 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) is a common inhabitant of lentic environments in Argentina and Uruguay. However, precise georreferenced data are scarce in the literature. This work provides the first updated georreferenced list of localities and map of distribution of A. hildegarda , including new country records for Brazil and departamental records for Uruguay, accompanied by illustrations and scanning photographs of its main diagnostic characters.


The crystal structure and electrochemical properties of LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (NMC) synthesized from a lithium ion battery recovery stream have been studied previously. In this report, we study the Cu impurity effects on NMC in detail. The difference in crystal structures and electrochemical properties were examined for pure and copper impurity included products. Scanning electron microscopy figures show that the precursor particles of NMC are slightly bigger than that of NMC with copper impurity. After undergoing 150 cycles at 2C, X-ray diffraction refinements results show that the lattice parameters for impurity containing NMC and pure NMC change to different extents. Furthermore, due to the minor change of lattice parameters, copper-containing NMC offers a more stable capacity retention compared to pure NMC.


Artificial pacing for chronic heart block has not yet dramatically improved the expectation of life, though the quality of life has undoubtedly been improved. The 1-year survival rate for untreated patients with chronic complete heart block is possibly 60 per cent (Friedberg, Donoso, and Stein, 1964; Johansson, 1966), but an accurate estimation is difficult to determine from the published reports (Siddons and Sowton, 1967). The 1-year survival rate for 108 patients paced at St. George's Hospital is 78 per cent, which is comparable to other centres (Chardack et al., 1965; Elmqvist and Senning, 1960; Nathan et al., 1963; Taylor, 1966; Zoll et al., 1961). In an attempt to find an explanation for this still relatively high mortality (22%), an analysis has been made of the clinical and pathological findings in all patients who came to necropsy following pacing in the past 4 years.


In 1993, a handwritten envelope arrived in Khalida Messaoudi's mailbox. In it was an official communique announcing that she had been condemned to death by the Islamic Salvation Front. This letter came after a series of threats and an attempt on her life in retaliation for her role as a leader of the feminist and democratic movements in Algeria and a fierce opponent of Islamic fundamentalism. Messaoudi did not flee from this threat by seeking refuge outside her country. Instead, she went into hiding within Algeria, where she continues her fight for emancipation and independence from religious extremism. Her battle continues today with the same goal-to restore in Algeria what she describes as "the basics of dignity"-a woman's right to pursue her studies, practice a profession, make a living, marry and divorce freely, and walk the streets without a veil. Readers of Unbowed will have the unique opportunity to sit in on a series of intensely personal conversations between Messaoudi and renowned journalist Elisabeth Schemla. In their discussions, Messaoudi gives a first-hand perspective of the situation in her homeland. She remembers the Algeria of her youth, recounts the changes that have gradually consumed her country, and laments the horrifying realities that face Algerian women today. She also tells her own story of terror, despair, hope, and determination.


Optical Coherence Elastography (OCE) is a non-invasive testing modality that maps the mechanical property of soft tissues with high sensitivity and spatial resolution using phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PhS-OCT). Shear wave OCE (SW-OCE) is a leading technique that relies on the speed of propagating shear waves to provide a quantitative elastography. Previous shear wave imaging OCT techniques are based on repeated M-B scans, which have several drawbacks such as long acquisition time and repeated wave stimulations. Recent developments of Fourier domain mode-locked high-speed swept-source OCT system has enabled enough speed to perform KHz B-scan rate OCT imaging. Here we propose ultra-high speed, single shot shear wave imaging to capture single-shot transient shear wave propagation to perform SW-OCE. The frame rate of shear wave imaging is 16 kHz, at A-line rate of ~1.62 MHz, which allows the detection of high-frequency shear wave of up to 8 kHz. The shear wave is generated photothermal-acoustically, by ultra-violet pulsed laser, which requires no contact to OCE subjects, while launching high frequency shear waves that carries rich localized elasticity information. The image acquisition and processing can be performed at video-rate, which enables real-time 3D elastography. SW-OCE measurements are demonstrated on tissue-mimicking phantoms and porcine ocular tissue. This approach opens up the feasibility to perform real-time 3D SW-OCE in clinical applications, to obtain high-resolution localized quantitative measurement of tissue biomechanical property.


In this study, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and the graph theory approach were used to access the functional connectivity (FC) of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in a resting state and during increased mental workload. For this very purpose, a pattern recognition-based test was developed, which elicited a strong response throughout the PFC during the test condition. FC parameters obtained during stimulation were found increased compared to those in a resting state after correlation based signal improvement (CBSI), which can attenuate those components of fNIRS signals which are unrelated to neural activity. These results indicate that the cognitive challenge increased the FC in the PFC and suggests a great potential in investigating FC in various cognitive states.


Monte Carlo simulations are widely used to study the behavior and detection of gamma photons in medical imaging devices. Such simulations are computationally expensive. This is why geometrical importance sampling, a variance reduction technique, was recently incorporated into the GEANT4 Monte Carlo code. In order to use this technique for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging, it needed to be made compatible with pulse height tallies. These tallies correspond to the number of detected pulses in distinct energy bins, covering an energy spectrum relevant to SPECT. Since each pulse is the combination of different detector hits, the tally bin is not known until the end of an event. In an analog simulation (without variance reduction) this poses no problems as each detected hit can be stored and the pulse can be calculated at the end of each event. Geometrical importance sampling combined with Russian Roulette however introduces branches into the particle history, which results in a much more complicated pulse calculation. This work describes how pulse height tallies are adjusted to geometrical importance sampling and Russian Roulette within GATE, a medical imaging and simulation application based on GEANT4. The validation of this technique is done through SPECT simulations comparing the analog result with the new method.


We propose a computer-aided design tool of complex passive microwave devices in rectangular waveguide technology by hybridizing the finite element method and a modified multimodal variational formulation. The finite element method characterizes waves in the arbitrarily shaped discontinuities and the total response of the circuit is obtained by applying the modified multimodal variational formulation. The size of the scattering matrix of the total circuit depends only on the number of accessible modes in the beginning and the end of the overall structure. This feature makes the computation time of our hybrid method independent from distances between discontinuities of the circuit. The proposed hybrid method is successfully applied to the full-wave analysis of filters with great practical interest (i.e., multimode filters), thus improving computation time and memory storage against several full-wave finite element method based computer aided design tools.


Clogging phenomenon in drainage system is one of the important problems and this phenomenon would be bad effect to structure of tunnel, so it needs a remedy urgently. Recently, scale in drainage pipe is removed by water jet cleaning and other treatment. But these treatments need much cost and regular management. In this study, magnetic device was used to solve this problem and an effect of prohibiting scale in accordance with array of magnetic device was investigated. Analysis method was visual analysis and measuring weight of each pipes. As a result, interior top and out-bottom (CASE II) was the most effective array to prohibit scale. and interior left and right (CASE III), interior top and bottom (CASE I) was effective for prohibiting scale in order.


Over the past few years, a wealth of biochemical and functional data have been gathered on mammalian cGMP-dependent protein kinases (cGKs). In mammals, three different kinases are encoded by two genes. Mutant and chimeric cGK proteins generated by molecular biology techniques yielded important biochemical knowledge, such as the function of the NH(2)-terminal domains of cGKI and cGKII, the identity of the cGMP-binding sites of cGKI, and the substrate specificity of the enzymes. Genetic approaches have proven especially useful for the analysis of the biological functions of cGKs. Recently, some of the in vivo targets and mechanisms leading to changes in neuronal adaptation, smooth muscle relaxation and growth, intestinal water secretion, bone growth, renin secretion, and other important functions have been identified. These data show that cGKs are signaling molecules involved in many biological functions.


National cohesion is a process where multi-national states endeavour to embrace one another in the spirit of statehood, an experience that drives citizens to uphold common values binding them in the bigger state framework as opposed to the micro-societal values that go with their diverse cultures. This process in its entirety often requires that different nations shed off part of their long cherished allegiance to the cultural cocoon while trying to inculcate a new kind of society developed through historical territorial ties either by choice or forceful conglomeration. At 44 years old (in 2007) into independence, Kenya's statehood seemed to have raised a number of question marks and dawning a realization that indeed the existing nations in this state needed to craft for themselves a modus operandi befitting a state (i.e. cohesion).


The efficacy of cochlear implants in children who are deaf has been firmly established in the literature. However, the effectiveness of cochlear implants varies widely and is influenced by demographic and experiential factors. Several key findings suggest new directions for research on central auditory factors that underlie the effectiveness of cochlear implants. First, enormous individual differences have been observed in both adults and children on a wide range of audiological outcome measures. Some patients show large increases in speech perception scores after implantation, whereas others display only modest gains on standardized tests. Second, age of implantation and length of deafness affect all outcome measures. Children implanted at younger ages do better than children implanted at older ages, and children who have been deaf for shorter periods do better than children who have been deaf for longer periods. Third, communication mode affects outcome measures. Children from "oral-only" environments do much better on standardized tests that assess phonological processing skills than children who use Total Communication. Fourth, at the present time there are no preimplant predictors of outcome performance in young children. The underlying perceptual, cognitive, and linguistic abilities and skills emerge after implantation and improve over time. Finally, there are no significant differences in audiological outcome measures among current implant devices or processing strategies. This finding suggests that the major source of variance in outcome measures lies in the neural and cognitive information processing operations that the user applies to the signal provided by the implant. Taken together, this overall pattern of results suggests that higher-level central processes such as perception, attention, learning, and memory may play important roles in explaining the large individual differences observed among users of cochlear implants. Investigations of the content and flow of information in the central nervous system and interactions between sensory input and stored knowledge may provide important new insights into the basis of individual differences. Knowledge about the underlying basis of individual differences may also help in developing new intervention strategies to improve the effectiveness of cochlear implants in children who show relatively poor development of oral/aural language skills.


Tumours with skeletal-muscle differentiation are rare in companion animals. They are differentiated into benign rhabdomyomas and malignant rhabdomyosarcomas. A female German Holstein calf displayed a congenital, spherical, subcutaneous mass at the lateral side of the head. Histology revealed an encapsulated, expansile, highly cellular mass consisting of a reticular meshwork of moderately pleomorphic, small spindle-shaped to round cells within a fibrovascular to myxoid stroma as well as multifocal, large, blunt, multinucleated myotube-like cells (strap cells). Electron microscopy demonstrated characteristic cytoplasmic bundles of myofilaments and Z-stripes within the strap cells. Immunoreactivity for vimentin was observed in the small spindle-shaped cells and for desmin in the strap cells. The results are consistent with the spectrum of findings characteristic for a bovine congenital embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.


Water cooling occurs since the heat energy of water is transferred to the air. Water is placed in a thin transparant vessel can reduce the effects of heat transfer by radiation and conduction, so the most dominant heat transfer is convection. Newton's law of cooling states that the rate of cooling is directly proportional to the temperature difference between the object and room temperature. By knowing the value of constant cooling, the air convection coefficient can be calculated. This study using three different sizes of cups, each of which is filled with hot water. In each glass inserted temperature sensors that connected to the interface, recording the temperature every 60 seconds using pasco capstone 14.1. The resulting graph was analyzed by exponential regression, in order to find the value of constant cooling, from this value can be calculated the air convection coefficient. The research result shows air convection coefficient value of W/m 2O C, that mean if there is an object that has an area of 1 m 2 and 1 O C higher than room temperature, the thermal energy of the object will be lost of 19.9 J for each second. Keywords : Water cooling, heat transfer, air convection coefficient.


The personal archive of Adam Tarn (1902–1975), the first editor-in-chief of the Dialog monthly and a translator, critic, novelist, and playwright, includes notes with loose ideas for plays, notes to his unfinished book on Chekhov, and minor literary attempts, which he corrected, set aside and later expanded. This material, which Tarn's heirs kindly offered me for study, constitutes a valuable proof the creative process and the evolution of the writing of the Dialog's editor-in-chief. In the context of Obraz ojca w czterech ramach [Father's Image in Four Frames] (1934), Tarn's début novel and the only one he completed, the novel Kameleon [Chameleon] is an intriguing item in the author's collection of unfinished works. In this article I shall discuss the material contained in Tarn's personal archive. This study offers an insight into his "internal laboratory" of writing and enables one to read it from, e.g., the biographical perspective. The dating of the collected material can be only approximated. The earliest surviving prose attempt written in French probably came from the interwar period, while the final notes were composed during his émigré period after 1968, when Tarn was working on his unfinished book on Chekhov.


HTC has incurred losses for 27 consecutive months with declining revenue from NT$ 289 billion (US$ 9.7 billion) in 2012 to NT$ 203.4 billion (US$ 6.8 billion) in 2013, a decrease of 29.6 per cent compared to 2012. Its market share fell below 2 per cent in 2013. As a result, Chairman Cher Wang stepped in to monitor marketing and customer services. She wanted to make HTC a thought leader. As a measure to reverse the decline, she embarked on more 'purposeful' marketing, including the launching of a 'Power to Give' app and focused on design and craftsmanship rather than specific features. HTC introduced innovative HTC One Android line of products. Cher Wang has made a decision to go for a dual strategy of making high- and low-end hardware to cater the demand of both high- and low-end customers.


Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and its accumulation has been associated with cardiovascular disease. We aimed to investigate the role of ADMA in endothelial cell senescence. Endothelial cells were cultured until the tenth passage. ADMA was replaced every 48 hours starting at the fourth passage. ADMA significantly accelerated senescence- associated β-galactosidase activity. Additionally, the shortening of telomere length was significantly speeded up and telomerase activity was significantly reduced. This effect was associated with an increase of oxidative stress: both allantoin, a marker of oxygen free radical generation, and intracellular reactive oxygen species increased significantly after ADMA treatment compared with control, whereas nitric oxide syn thesis decreased. Furthermore, ADMA-increased oxidative stress was accompanied by a decrease in the activity of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase, the enzyme that degrades ADMA, which could be prevented by the antioxidant pyrroli dine dithiocarbamate. Exogenous ADMA also stimulated secretion of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and interleukin-8. Co-incubation with the methyltransferase inhibitor S-adenosylhomocysteine abolished the effects of ADMA. These data suggest that ADMA accelerates senescence, probably via increased oxygen radical formation by inhibiting nitric oxide elaboration. This study provides evidence that modest changes of intracellular ADMA levels are associated with significant effects on slowing down endothelial senescence.


The solution properties of wheat beta-glucan were investigated by light scattering and viscometric methods. The hydrodynamic radius (R(h)), weight average molecular weight (M(w)), radius of gyration (R(g)), and the second virial coefficient (A(2)) of wheat beta-glucan were determined by both dynamic and static light scattering methods, whereas the critical concentrations (c) of the solution were derived from [eta] via viscometric method. The structure sensitive parameters, rho (1.52-1.62), the conformation parameter nu (0.62), and the Mark-Houwink-Sakurada exponents alpha (0.78) confirmed the random coil conformation of wheat beta-glucan in 0.5 M NaOH solution. The characteristic ratio (4.97) was obtained by the random flight model, and the statistical segment length (8.83 nm) was derived from the wormlike cylinder model. It was found that the wormlike cylinder model could explain the chain stiffness better than the random flight model, which suggested an extended random coil conformation of wheat beta-glucan in 0.5 M NaOH solution. The study also revealed that the structure feature of wheat beta-glucan; that is, the higher trisaccharide-to-tetrasaccharide ratio contributed to the stiffer chain conformation compared with other cereal beta-glucans.


Technology is a systematic application of physical forces for production of goods and services. It is the knowledge, process, tools, methods and systems employed in the creation of goods and in providing services. Technology is made up of the hardware software, and brain ware. The hardware is the physical structure and logical layout of equipment and machinery. The software is the knowledge of using the hardware to carry out the required tasks and the brain ware is the reason for using technology in a particular way. All these depend on the know-how of the human element and the environment in which he operates and live. It is imperative for organizations and nations that would like to cope with the changes of the 21st century to employee various methods that could influence their human resources to innovate at all times. Most developing nations have not really promoted technological innovation hence their underdevelopment and poverty. This paper examines the relationship between technological innovation and organizational performance. It also explains how employee relations strategies could be employed for technology innovation for improved organizational performance and for national advances in economic and social changes. Technological Innovation and Organizational Performance: Employee Retention Strategies Namex International Journal of Management Research 116 Vol. I, Issue No. 1, December 201


Monique Schatzman EARLY MALADAPTIVE SCHEMAS MEDIATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEPTIONS OF EARLY PARENTING AND DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY 2007/08 Dr. James Haugh Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling/Applied Psychology Abstract This study examined how EMS's mediate the relationship between perceptions of early parenting and depressive and anxious symptoms. The overall hypothesis was that EMS's based on the total score of YSQ-S3 would mediate the relationship between parental styles based on the YPI and depressive and anxious symptoms. Results indicated support for the mediating effects of EMS's in the relationship between perceptions of early parenting and depressive and anxious symptoms. EMS's mediated the overprotective,This study examined how EMS's mediate the relationship between perceptions of early parenting and depressive and anxious symptoms. The overall hypothesis was that EMS's based on the total score of YSQ-S3 would mediate the relationship between parental styles based on the YPI and depressive and anxious symptoms. Results indicated support for the mediating effects of EMS's in the relationship between perceptions of early parenting and depressive and anxious symptoms. EMS's mediated the overprotective, belittling, pessimistic/fearful, and punitive mother with depression. EMS's mediated the emotionally depriving, overprotective, belittling, pessimistic/fearful, controlling, and emotionally inhibited father with depression. EMS's also mediated the emotionally depriving, overprotective, emotionally inhibited, and conditional/narcissistic father with


The historiography of the entanglement of mission and empire in India has often taken the inclusion of the so-called "pious clause" in the East India Company's 1813 charter to mark the end of a ban on missions in Company territories, and the beginning of a period of co-operation between church and company. This neglects the importance in this debate of the mission founded by German Lutherans in the Danish settlement of Tranquebar in south India in 1706. The mission received direct patronage from the Company for almost a full century before 1813, and was invoked by both sides in the debate over the pious clause. A work published anonymously in 1812, purporting to be a new translation of dialogues between the first missionaries in Tranquebar and their Hindu and Muslim interlocutors, is shown here to be a skilful and savage satire on the dialogues published by the first missionaries.


Hydrogen production from palm oil mill effluent
(POME) by Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum PSU-2 was
investigated both in batch and continuous reactors using anaerobic sequencing
batch reactor (ASBR) and continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The hydrogen
production determined from batch experiment of POME at an inoculum size of 0%,
10%, 20% and 30% (v/v) was 161, 201, 246 and 296 mL H2/g-COD with
COD removal efficiency of 21%, 23%, 23% and 23%, respectively. Continuous
hydrogen production was start-up with 30% (v/v) inoculum in both ASBR and CSTR
reactors and more than 30% COD removal could be obtained at HRT of 4 days,
corresponding to OLR of 11.3 g COD/ L·day.
Similar hydrogen production rates of 2.05 and2.16 LH2/L. day
were obtained from ASBR and CSTR, respectively. COD removal efficiency of ASBR
was 37.7%, while it was 44.8% for CSTR. However, ASBR was stable in term of
alkalinity, while the CSTR was stable in term of hydrogen production, soluble
metabolites concentration and alkalinity. Therefore, the CSTR was found to be
more stable in hydrogen production than ASBR under the same OLR.


Topiramate (TPM) has been shown to be effective for epileptic spasms (ES) in children, but there is little clinical experience with TPM use in Japan. We report three tuberous sclerosis (TS) patients with relapsed ES, who became spasm-free while receiving TPM treatment. All three patients were treated with a starting dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day. The dosage was increased by 0.5 mg/kg/day every 2 weeks. Although the dose of TPM and the period until the relapsed ES subsided differed among these patients, spasm frequency was clearly reduced by a 1 mg/kg/day dose of TPM. Therefore, efficacy against relapsed ES appeared within one month in all three patients. All three became spasm-free, and there have been no ES relapses for more than 5 months to date. In case 2, seizures were well controlled by TPM alone. Cases 2 and 3 were able to discontinue zonisamide treatment. No adverse effects occurred in any of these patients.


He was much moved by her gentleness and affection, as he was whenever he was lucky enough to meet her. It was an affection of a kind he had never known except from what he had heard about mother-love. If his mother had lived she would have been about this woman's age, about forty. How wonderful this quality seemed in an alley that took pride in strength and violence. The only thing more wonderful was her shy beauty and the joy it breathed into him. It was not like the hot-blooded adventures in the desert with their blind, burning hunger and their sad, transient satisfaction.1


Prevalence of hepatitis G virus among Tunisian blood donors Hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) is a recently identified virus which occurs worldwide. The prevalence of GBV-C/HGV in Tunisia has not been previously studied. We aimed to assess the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV infection in Tunisian blood donors. A total of 912 blood donors were tested for anti-E2 antibodies of GBV-C/HGV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and 600 were tested by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. GBV-C/HGV RNA was found in 5.3% of the sample and HGV antibodies occurred in 4.9%. A correlation was noticed between GBV-C/HGV infection and hepatitis C virus (P = 0.006). The prevalence of GBV-C/HGV is similar to that reported worldwide.


Researchers in computer vision and pattern recognition have worked on automatic techniques for recognizing human faces for the last 20 years. While some systems, especially template-based ones, have been quite successful on expressionless, frontal views of faces with controlled lighting, not much work has taken face recognizers beyond these narrow imaging conditions. Our goal is to build a face recognizer that works under varying pose, the difficult part of which is to handle face relations in depth. Building on successful template-based systems, our basic approach is to represent faces with templates from multiple model views that cover different poses from the viewing sphere. To recognize a novel view, the recognizer locates the eyes and nose features, uses these locations to geometrically register the input with model views, and then uses correlation on model templates to find the best match in the data base of people. Our system has achieved a recognition rate of 98% on a data base of 62 people containing 10 testing and 15 modeling views per person.<<ETX>>


A fundamental robustness theorem for robust eigenvalue assignment of multivariable feedback systems is derived. The theorem determines whether a perturbed multivariable feedback system has its characteristic polynomial zeros located in the same regions as the nominal system does. It can be applied to continuous systems as well as to discrete systems. The theorem can handle nonsquare transfer matrices as well as dynamic output feedback. Conditions are discussed under which the proposed theorem reduces to a fundamental theorem for stability robustness analysis. >


The photochemical behavior of 2-halo-N-pyridinylbenzamide (1-4 in Chart 1) was studied. The photoreaction of 2-chloro-N-pyridinylbenzamides 1a, 2a, 3a, and 4 afforded photocyclized products, benzo[c]naphthyridinones (6-9 and 16), in high yield, whereas the bromo analogues 1b, 2b, and 3b produced extensively photoreduced products, N-pyridinylbenzamides (1c, 10, and 11), with minor photocyclized product. Since the photocyclization reaction of 2-chloro-N-pyridinylbenzamide is retarded by the presence of oxygen and sensitized by the presence of a triplet sensitizer, acetone or acetophenone, a triplet state of the chloro analogue is involved in the reaction. Since several radical intermediates, particularly n-complexes of chlorine radical, are identified in the laser flash photolysis of 2-chloro-N-pyridinylbenzamide, an intramolecular cyclization mechanism of phenyl radical assisted with n-complexation of chlorine radical for the cyclization reaction is proposed: the triplet state (78 kcal/mol) of the chloro analogue (1a), which is populated by the excitation of 1a undergoes a homolytic cleavage of the C-Cl bond to give phenyl and chlorine radicals; while chlorine radical holds the neighbor pyridinyl ring with its n-complexation, the intramolecular arylation of the phenyl radical with the pyridinyl ring proceeds to produce a conjugated 2,3-dihydropyridinyl radical and then the conjugated radical aromatizes to afford a cyclized product, benzo[c]naphthyridinone by ejecting a hydrogen. The photoreduction product can be formed by hydrogen atom abstraction of the phenyl sigma radical from the environment.


Affect-aware socially assistive robotics (SAR) tutors have great potential to augment and democratize professional therapeutic interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) from different socioeconomic backgrounds. However, the majority of research on SAR for ASD has been on teaching cognitive and/or social skills, not on addressing users' emotional needs for real-world social situations. To bridge that gap, this work aims to develop personalized affect-aware SAR tutors to help alleviate social anxiety and foster social grit-the growth mindset for social skill development-in children with ASD. We propose a novel paradigm to incorporate clinically validated Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) with personalized SAR interventions. This work paves the way toward developing personalized affect-aware SAR interventions to support the unique and diverse socio-emotional needs and challenges of children with ASD.


The Educator as a Technician, the Technology of Pedagogy
The article reconstructs the ambivalent history of dealing with the metaphor of technology between educational philosophy, practical knowledge of educationalists and empirical educational research. The sharp rejection of technology and a relatively unproblematic reflection and use of pedagogical technologies characterize the historical situation. The diagnosis of the simultaneity of technology deficit and technology verdict has redefined the subject and above all has shown that, despite new research, there is still no universally recognized understanding of the practices of education or clarity about the connection between knowledge, science and action in basic theory and educational philosophy. The metaphor codes fractions, but complicates the formation of theory.


In this paper we present extremely flexible and low power digital binary ASK, PSK, and FSK demodulator architectures for short-range applications that use a limiter amplifier (i.e. high gain comparator) at the front-end. The limiter amplifier can be used at the front-end when the SNR of the received signal is high. This technique converts the analog signal to digital via one bit processing and eliminates mixers, PLL and AGC devices or replaces them with very low power digital counterparts. The rest of circuit is then implemented using digital signal processing (DSP) technique. Detailed system analysis of such demodulators are carried out in this paper. In addition, some new low-size and low-power modulators/demodulators are also described and analyzed for low-power short-range applications


For automated vehicles to be allowed to join the modern car fleet, and, in the future, replace human drivers, they must be able to handle adverse weather, including snowy conditions. This literature review focuses on how automated vehicles utilize the road and how this use is suitable for winter maintenance strategies. Where global navigation satellite system (GNSS) service is unavailable, automated vehicles need bare roads to perform relative navigation based on real-time data about lane markings, obstacles, and road infrastructure. Snow-covered tracks hinder vehicle navigation and lane marking detection, which might generate wheel slippage that in turn causes emergency stop and challenging friction estimates. Although the entry of automated vehicles into the car fleet does not demand change in the strategies of winter maintenance, it does demand higher level of service than today. Maintaining an entire road network on which autonomous vehicles always can operate is tremendously expensive and likely not feasible. One solution could be to add another maintenance class in a bare road strategy, that is, an automated vehicle maintenance class with a high level of service and a set of operational criteria allowing automated vehicles to operate. The maintenance class should be used for certain main routes where there is a high frequency of automated vehicles. A model that recommends preferable routes to the destination based on current road conditions within the operational envelope should be provided to the automated vehicle system.