Background Scabies is a global health concern disproportionally affecting vulnerable population such as refugees and asylum seekers. Greece is a main geographical point of entry in Europe for refugees, but epidemiological data on scabies in this population is scarce. We aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of scabies, including trends over the study period. Methodology/Principal findings Data were collected from June, 2016 to July, 2020, using the surveillance system of the Greek National Public Health Organization. Staff at health centers for refugees/asylum seekers compiled daily reports on scabies and other infectious diseases. Observed proportional morbidity for scabies was calculated using consultations for scabies as a proportion of total consultations. There were a total of 13118 scabies cases over the study period. Scabies was the third most frequently observed infectious disease in refugees/asylum seekers population after respiratory infections and gastroenteritis without blood in the stool. The scabies monthly observed proportional morbidity varied between 0.3% (August 2017) to 5.6% (January 2020). Several outbreaks were documented during the study period. An increasing number of cases was observed from October 2019 until the end of the study period, with a peak of 1663 cases in January 2020, related to an outbreak at one center. Spearman correlation test between the number of reported scabies cases and time confirmed an increasing trend ({rho}=0.67). Conclusions/Significance Scabies is one of the most frequently reported infectious diseases by health care workers in refugee/asylum seekers centers in Greece. Consultations for scabies increased over time and there were several outbreaks. The current surveillance system effectively detects new cases in an early stage. Public health interventions, including mass drug administration, should be considered to reduce the burden of scabies in refugee/migrant populations.


Objective To observe the serum levels and clinical significance of solubel Fas (sFas) and soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) in patients with acute allograft rejection after kidney transplantation. Methods sFas and sFasL concentrations of control group and test group were measured by ELISA. Sera of the test group were determined before and after dialysis. Results sFas and sFasL concentrations in control group were ( 256.8±72.0)ng/L and ( 227.9 ±65.9)ng/L respectively; In patients before and after dialysis, sFas concentration was ( 1 225.7 ±467.6)ng/L and ( 1 225.8 ±464.0)ng/L respectively, sFasL concentration was ( 227.9 ±147.2)ng/L and ( 226.9 ±109.6)ng/L respectively. There was statistically significant difference in sFas concentration between control and test group (P 0.01). There was no significant difference of sFasL between two groups (P 0.05). Conclusions The high sFas level in serum plays an inhibition role in apoptosis, and dialysis can not improve Fas-FasL mediated apoptosis.


This document is a Research Project report for the Master education in System and Network Engineering at the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The main focus of the study is on how random sampling can contribute to rapid forensics investigation of hard disk drives. Forensically investigating several terabytes of data, bit per bit, requires large computing resources. Not only is it inherently long to extract all the data of a hard drive, but any automation tool aimed at parsing, organizing, and encoding all the data for human readability, also demands high amount of memory and computation capabilities. The ever-increasing capacity of digital storage devices, along with new forensics and law-enforcement challenges, raise new concerns: time has become a critical investigation factor. This requires techniques of rapid analysis for digital storage devices, and also balances a trade-off between time and certainty. This document presents a thorough modeling and evaluation of random sampling applied to data analysis on hard disk drives. The influence of most parameters in play are determined, based on general observations on modern digital storage mechanisms, and the precision and scalability of the technique are evaluated. Instructor Prof. C. de Laat University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Supervisors Dr. E. van Eijk, Dr. Z. Geradts Netherlands Forensics Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands


SUMMARY: The base compositions of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribo-nucleic acid (RNA) of three strains of Mycoplasma laidlawii and one of Mycoplasma mycoides var. mycoides have been determined. The adenine (A) + thymine (T) content of all the samples examined was much greater than the guanine (G) + cytosine (C) content, the values for % GC ranging from 34.4 to 32.5 for the sample of M. laidlawii to 30.0 for M. mycoides var. mycoides. The adenine + uracil/guanine + cytosine value for the RNA of all the samples was in the range 1.17–1.20.
The amino acid content of the protein of Mycoplasma laidlawii was also determined. This agrees closely with the values obtained by Sueoka (1961) for the amino acid composition of the protein for a bacterium having the same DNA base composition.
The values given in a previous communication (Jones, Tittensor & Walker, 1965) for the amino acid composition of the protein of Mycoplasma mycoides var. capri were incorrect since a protein fraction had precipitated from the medium during the growth of the organism because of the decrease in pH value of the culture which occurred. The correct values are now given and they agree closely with the values predicted from the work of Sueoka (1961).


InGaN/GaN p—i—n solar cells, each with an undoped In0.12Ga0.88N absorption layer, are grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by metal—organic chemical vapor deposition. The effects of the thickness and dislocation density of the absorption layer on the collection efficiency of InGaN-based solar cells are analyzed, and the experimental results demonstrate that the thickness of the InGaN layer and the dislocation density significantly affect the performance. An optimized InGaN-based solar cell with a peak external quantum efficiency of 57% at a wavelength of 371 nm is reported. The full width at half maximum of the rocking curve of the (0002) InGaN layer is 180 arcsec.


No organ of the body is safe from infection by tuberculosis, but the relative immunity of muscle tissue in general and heart muscle in particular excites interest and speculation. Although reports of myocardial tuberculosis have appeared in the literature with increasing frequency in recent years, positive proof of the causation is often lacking and the pathologic appearance varies greatly. In the case reported, tubercle bacilli were demonstrated in sufficient numbers to identify the lesion beyond question and the mode of entrance into the heart muscle was clearly not extension from the pericardium in the usual manner. The gross and histologic characteristics were definitely those of tuberculosis. J. M., a white youth aged 19, was admitted March 3, 1937, to the White Haven Sanatorium in the service of Dr. Edward Bixby of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Examination revealed extensive bilateral pulmonary tuberculosis complicated by laryngeal tuberculosis. The patient's clinical course was one of


THIS PAPER is a continuation of the investigation on the characteristics and power requirements of spinning frames presented at the AIEE North Eastern District meeting, Springfield, Mass., May 3–5, 1939, and published in this volume of AIEE Transactions, pages 1–4 (January section).


This paper examines cross-country patterns of economic growth by estimating a stochastic frontier production function for 80 developed and developing countries and decomposing output change into factor accumulation, total factor productivity growth, and production efficiency improvement. In addition, this paper incorporates the quality of inputs in analyzing output growth, where the productivity of capital depends on its average age, while the productivity of labor depends on its average level of education. Our growth decomposition involves five geographic regions - Africa, East Asian, Latin America, South Asia, and the West. Factor growth, especially capital accumulation, generally proves much more important than either the improved quality of factors or total factor productivity growth in explaining output growth. The quality of capital positively and significantly affects output growth in all groups. The quality of labor, however, only possesses a positive and significant effect on output growth in Africa, East Asia, and the West. Labor quality owns a negative and significant effect in Latin America and South Asia.


Theoretical analysis and psychophysical measurements on human ability to lateralize sounds indicated that both interaural-time-difference (ITD) and interaural-level-difference (ILD) are significant cues for localization. In the present study we have used neural stochastic analysis for estimating the just noticeable difference (JND) of the ITD and ILD. The suggested model is founded upon the fine structure of the lower parts of the brainstem auditory pathway. The model calculations yielded the need for neural coincidence detection in various levels of the auditory pathway. Neural coincidence was introduced between neighboring ipsi lateral nerve fibers in the cochlea nuclei (CN), and between ipsi and contra lateral nerve fibers in the superior olivary complex (SOC). The model is consistent with experimental results as well as anatomical structure of the auditory pathway.


At the Center for Socio-Political Data of Sciences Po, DDI-documented data is published on several repositories. The publication workflow is not user-friendly for the data managers, as it has several entry points and duplicated processes. Additionally, there is an important risk of having platform-dependent versions. In order to preserve the system's consistency and integrity, a Single Source of Truth (SSOT) is needed. To solve this problem, we designed a new infrastructure and workflow, coherent and interoperable by design, and compliant with both DDI and the FAIR principles. We focused on a flexible, upgradable infrastructure. After a thorough review of available solutions, we opted for a Dataverse repository as our SSOT. We are currently in the process of building a tailor-made data ecosystem, through the use of APIs querying our single repository. This presentation will focus on the processes and technologies used to set up this viable DDI-compliant platform and on the reasons for choosing this solution.


Introduction/Background Lymphadenectomy is an integral part of operative staging and treatment of gynaecological malignancies. Since its introduction over 25 years ago, laparoscopic lymphadenectomy has proven to be feasible, safe and oncologically adequate in comparison to open surgery while morbidity is lower and hospital stay is considerably shorter. Methodology In this retrospective study we analysed our prospectively collected data of laparoscopic pelvic and/or paraaortic lymphadenectomies performed between 1994 and 2018 by one team of gynaecological oncology surgeons. Data was analysed with regards to operation time, intra- and postoperative complications, number of harvested lymph nodes and influence of BMI. Previously published data of the first 650 patients treated after introduction of the method between 1994 and 2003 (period 1) was compared with the data of the latest 524 patients treated between 2014 and 2018 (period 2). Results Indications for pelvic and/or paraaortic lymphadenectomies in the 2535 patients were cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, vulvar cancer with positive groin nodes, early ovarian cancer, vaginal cancer, uterine carcinosarcoma and others in a number of 1893, 361, 62, 99, 28, 13 and 79 patients, respectively. The learning curve for the two procedures was already completed during the first 650 cases. Since 1999 a steady and oncologically adequate number of lymph nodes were harvested in both areas independent of patients' BMI. OR-time for paraaortic lymph node dissection was shorter in period 2 (69 vs 100 min). In contrast to period 1 (2.9%), there were no intraoperative complications in period 2, whereas postoperative complications are similarly frequent (5.8 vs 7.6%). Conclusion In this large cohort of patients who underwent laparoscopic lymphadenectomy the oncological equivalency and minimal morbidity of this approach was once again demonstrated. With growing experience intraoperative complication rates can be minimised. Teaching and integration of new team members does not impair surgical results when performed under supervision. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.


Tens of millions of young children were left behind by their migrant parents who left to find a job elsewhere to gain a better income and improve their families' living standards. Many studies suggest that migrant parents should bring their children rather than leave them behind, especially EU internal migrants. In this short note, we give an economic reasoning for the choice of migrant parents. Our finding shows that emotionally, bringing the children makes both children and parents better off; however, economically, that may not be the case. The ambiguity depends on the forgone opportunity cost, relocation cost of children, children's motivation, and the quality of the public school at the origin and destination.


The development of various r-allophones and their distribution in today's German classical singing INTRODUCTION Wenn mitten in einer tragischen Rede sich ein Provinzialismus eindrangt, so wird die schonste Dichtung verunstaltet und das Gehor des Zuschauers beleidigt." - Goethe, "Regeln fur Schauspieler" (1803)1 GOETHE IS CONSIDERED one of the earliest Germans to have worked out rules for the artistic use of the German language, including also to some extent the pronunciation. Anyone committed to classical singing-singers, pedagogues, devoted listeners, or even linguists dealing with this musical genre-will feel addressed by the quotation above. It erodes the singers performing credibility and thus the listeners ability to fully enjoy the song and its message, if the singers pronunciation has a dialect influence or, maybe even more important today, if he or she has a strong foreign accent. Not only is good diction important in singing, but also an authentic pronunciation, in order for the song to be conveyed to the audience without evoking irritation or frustration about the text. Good diction and authenticity require rules; but rules are subjected to change over time, and good diction and authenticity are not always one and the same thing. A good example to illuminate this is the pronunciation of /r/ in German classical singing. Earlier, the apical trill was required in all /r/-positions in singing, and this is no doubt a very prominent and audible variant. Among younger German singers today, we often hear variants that are less prominent, maybe often even hard to perceive at all, but more in accordance with the spoken German of today and thus sounding less archaic and hence more authentic to the ears of younger listeners. There has been a rapid change in the pronunciation of /r/ in German (and also in several other languages) over the last fifty years, especially within speech, but slowly also within singing, where one seeks to approximate the spoken pattern. The result is that we have a diversity of /r/-variants among German singers, the older generation sticking more to the apical trill in all positions, the younger ones using "modern" /r/-allophones to a large degree. For young singers who want to perform a German lied, it is not easy to know when to use the more "modern" variants and when to choose the apical trill. Not only foreign singers are challenged by this, but also German singers are, and one is tempted to ask: is there total chaos when it comes to pronouncing /r/ in German classical singing today? In this article we want to describe the development of the use of different /r/-variants in the German lied, based on an auditory investigation of a large body of recorded material, and try to present a pattern of how the distribution of these /r/-variants is today. We wish to show that there is not total chaos in the usage of /r/-allophones in the German classical singing of today's young singers, and that it is possible to formulate a set of rules for their distribution in a way that can make it easier, especially for foreign singers, to use them in a natural and authentic way. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE /R/-PRONUNCIATION IN SPOKEN GERMAN [r]: Apico-dental(/alveolar) trill. The tip of the tongue vibrates two or more times against the upper teeth or the alveolar ridge. [r]: Apico-dental(/alveolar) flap. This is a variant of the first one, but the tip of the tongue hits the teeth or the alveolar ridge only one time. [R]: Dorso-uvular trill. The back of the tongue is raised and the uvula vibrates in the air stream in the narrow passage. The development of the variants of /r/ in spoken German has first of all been a shift from the front area to the back area of the mouth, and from the tip of the tongue to the back of the tongue. Among the back variants, the fricative ("gescharrtes r") is today often considered the main variant, whereas the approximant and the vocalic /r/ are considered to be allophonic variations of the fricative. …


BACKGROUND
The NNIS risk index has been largely recommended because it consists of a simple additive scale. Nevertheless, it has been seldom validated in populations other than the NNIS participating hospitals

OBJECTIVES
To investigate the occurrence of Surgical Site Infection ( SSI ) using the traditional variables of the NNIS Index, and to approach the suitability of this methodology when applied to a smaller public university hospital (HU/UFSC) in Florianópolis, South Brazil.

METHODS
A retrospective chart review of 9322 patients undergoing surgical procedures in the period of January 1993 to December 1998.

RESULTS
The composite index showed to be a better predictor of SSI than Surgical Wound class (SWc) and presented a predictive power comparable to the ASA index. ASA together with length of surgery seemed to be the main contributors for the final performance of the composite index.

CONCLUSIONS
The composite index using the variables of the traditional NNIS system showed to adequately predict the risk of SSI in our university hospital. Larger samples using different hospitals with similar characteristics are needed to approach the risk of SSI associated to specific surgical procedures.


Abstract Agricultural development research and policy has to address climate change. Against the mainstream focus on adaptation, this article reports on public policy implications for climate change mitigation of a project measuring environmental, social and economic aspects of India's rice economy: greenhouse gases (GHGs), energy and water; the quantity and quality of work and a systematic analysis of market and social costs and returns. A detailed life cycle assessment of GHG production generates four different kinds of technological possibilities helping the transition towards lower-carbon agriculture: rain-fed rice production (RR), System of Rice Intensification (SRI), solar pumps (SPs) and halving transmission and distribution (T&D) losses in the electricity grid. Through quantitative ranking and qualitative discursive analysis, a new method, multi-criteria mapping (MCM), is trialled in which the benefits of alternatives are evaluated by incommensurable criteria. These are costs, employment and GHGs. This experimental application crosses two languages (English and Tamil), compares participants with expert knowledge (EKs) with agrarian participants with situated knowledge (SKs), and explores the influence of identity (urban-rural, gender, and education).


Variable speed wind energy system uses mostly doubly-fed induction generators(DFIGs) for its application which gives better performance, maximum power output etc. Various control scheme is used for both machine-side converter control and grid-side converter control. In this paper stator-flux oriented vector control scheme is used in machine-side converter by which decouple control of active and reactive of DFIG is achieved. Grid voltage oriented vector control is used in grid-side, which maintains the dc-link voltage and improves the power factor at rotror-side. Dynamic modelling of DFIG is described first in this paper. Vector control scheme for both grid-side and machine- side using P-I controller is modeled in Matlab and the results are analysed.


Fault slip distribution is usually retrieved from geodetic data assuming that the local crust is an elastic, homogeneous and isotropic half‐space. In the last decades spatially dense geodetic data (e.g., DInSAR maps) have highlighted complex patterns of coseismic deformation that require new modeling tools, such as numerical methods, able to represent rheological and geometrical complexities of the Earth's crust. In this work, we develop a procedure to perform inversion of geodetic data based on the finite element method, accounting for a more realistic description of the local crust. The method is applied to the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake (Mw 6.3), using DInSAR images of the coseismic displacement. Results highlight the non‐negligible influence of the medium structure: homogeneous and heterogeneous models show discrepancies up to 20% in the fault slip distribution values. Furthermore, in the heterogeneous models a new area of slip appears above the hypocenter. We also perform a resolution study, showing that the information about fault slip distributions retrieved from geodetic data should be considered as averaged on surrounding patches.


Edentulous mandible fractures present a unique and challenging surgical problem, particularly because of lack of occlusive dental surfaces to capitalize upon maxillomandibular fixation (MMF). We present a novel technique to achieve MMF using rigid plates spanning the oral cavity to fixate the maxilla to the mandible. The process is rapid and allows stability using the established principles of rigidity, external fixation, and osteosynthesis. This technique allows for a faster MMF than with a Gunning splint and allows for easier oral hygiene. An illustrative case and pre- and postoperative imaging are provided.


The aims are to unify big data management among various departments in smart city construction, establish a centralized data collection and sharing system, and provide fast and convenient big data services for smart applications in various fields. The national grid industry is taken as the research object. A new electricity demand prediction model is proposed based on smart city big data's characteristics. This model integrates meteorological, geographic, demographic, corporate, and economic information to form an intelligent big database. The K-mean algorithm mines and analyzes the data to optimize the electricity user information. The electricity prediction model is established using the Backpropagation (BP) neural network algorithm. The electricity market is evaluated through an in-depth exploration of data relationships to verify the effectiveness of the model proposed. Results demonstrate that the K-mean algorithm can significantly improve electricity user segmentation accuracy, separate the different regional electricity consumption, and categorize different electricity users. The electricity demand network model constructed can significantly improve the prediction accuracy, and the mean error rate is 3.2671%. The model's training time improved by the additional momentum factor is significantly reduced, and the mean error rate is 2.13%. The above results can provide a theoretical and practical basis for electricity demand prediction and personalized marketing, as well as development planning for the electricity sector.


In Australia, many Enrolled Nurses (EN) complete vocational education training (VET), undertake clinical work, and then progress into a tertiary, Registered Nurse (RN), program. Transition into university for ENs is typically into the second year of degree programs, with credit awarded for first year courses including basic bioscience subjects,predicated on recognition of prior learning. However, in educational literature ENs report that their prior study left them feeling unprepared for university and that VET,even coupled with work experience,may not adequately reinforce foundational science knowledge sufficient to support direct entry to second year biosciences. Moreover, bioscience subjects are internationally acknowledged as central to nursing students' 'science anxiety,' and are 'gate-keeper' subjects in pre-registration programs, providing critical underpinning of theoretical knowledge for many other subjects. Indeed, a recent (2015) Australian government report on pathways into higher education highlighted concerns around modes of transition into university, citing significantly lower success rates for students from a low socio-economic status (LSES) background who frequently enter the tertiary sector via vocational pathways. This paper will explore, using a case study approach, the issues of transition from vocational training to the university programs across multiple Bachelor of Nursing (BN) programs (tertiary institutions) in both rural and metropolitan contexts from several Australian states. It will highlight challenges reported by these EN students that limit their capacity to engage in traditional tertiary programs including concomitant shift work requirements. ENs are typically female,mature age students with carer responsibilities, who study in isolation, online and via distance learning, further compounding issues of tertiary transition. The paper will describe a multi-institutional project designed by a multidisciplinary academic team, to enhance transition skills and build academic resilience for these ENs, to assist with their engagement and success in their BN studies.


SUMMARY This article forwards a model of ministry specifically designed to include persons with Alzheimer's Disease in worship at care facilities. Validation techniques, which are compatible with Biblical teaching and principles, are found to be a viable means of engaging residents in meaningful worship.


CONTEXT
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is often undiagnosed and untreated.

OBJECTIVE
To estimate the costs and possible savings of screening for Type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Wisconsin Medicare population from a population health perspective.

DESIGN
The costs and benefits of community screening were analyzed using various primary and secondary data sources. Data on the community screening were obtained by MetaStar, collaborators at the screening site, and published material. Results from a Monte Carlo simulation model, developed by the CDC Diabetes Cost-Effectiveness Study Group, and recent developments in diabetes research were used to estimate the incidence levels of major complications for Type 2 diabetes.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
Medicare beneficiaries in central Wisconsin residing in the Wausau Hospital Service Area, which is composed of 14 zip codes.

RESULTS
Of 826 Medicare patients screened, 32 were diagnosed as having diabetes. If we use the same assumptions offered by the CDC Study Group, we find that the excess lifetime costs from screening and early treatment ($4850) exceed costs saved from preventing complications ($378), costing an average of $4471 per diabetic. However, if we alter assumptions on cardiovascular disease reduction risk and routine care costs, we find that screening could save an average of $619 per diabetic detected.

CONCLUSIONS
The costs of community screening, using the CDC Study Group's assumptions, are greater than the costs of diabetes without screening in this population. However, recent evidence on cardiovascular disease risk and routine care costs could alter the results, leading to lower costs and greater benefits in the future. More research is necessary, particularly in the area of quality of life measures, to more accurately reflect the benefits of screening.


A new approach is developed for predicting strain-controlled, low cycle fatigue life at elevated temperature using a proposed energy measure of fatigue damage. This measure of damage, defined as the net tensile hysteretic energy of the fatigue cycle, can be approximated by the damage function σTΔep, where σT is the maximum stress in the cycle and Δep is the inelastic strain range. The damage function is applied to predicting effects of hold time and frequency, when time-dependent damage occurs, through failure relations incorporating a variation of Coffin's frequency modified approach. Failure equations are developed for two postulated categories of time-dependent damage.


BACKGROUND
Reflux in deep veins is an important pathophysiological factor of post-thrombotic syndrome which can be demonstrated by colour-coded duplexsonography. This study investigates the effect of different compression therapies on the reflux velocity in deep veins in patients with a post-thrombotic syndrome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Sixty patients with a post-thrombotic syndrome-confirmed by phlebography, in the deep veins of the calf and the thigh were investigated in two groups: In group A, 30 patients (mean age 58 +/- 10 years) received compression stockings (calf compression class II and III, thigh compression class II) and in group B 30 patients (mean age 58 +/- 14 years) received a Sigg short traction bandage of the calf. The velocity at the time of the greatest reflux in the popliteal vein was determined as reflux parameter with the colour-coded duplex sonography using a cuff applied at the calf. All patients stood upright and were measured with and without different kinds of compression therapies. The reflux velocities were graded as low, moderate and high.

RESULTS
A significant decrease of the reflux velocity by about more than 45% with compression therapy was found in both groups. The decrease of the refluxes in group A (mean 47.9%) did not differ significantly from the decrease of refluxes in group B (mean 55.8%). The greatest decrease of the reflux velocity under compression therapy was found in high-grade refluxes in both groups.

CONCLUSION
A significant decrease of the reflux velocity in post-thrombotic syndrome can be readily demonstrated with different kinds of compression stockings as well as with bandages by means of colour-coded duplex sonography.


Environmental impact assessment, as practiced in Alberta, includes considerable social impact assessment requirements. The author, while favouring a comprehensive assessment and project approval process, argues that the Minister of the Environment Jacks the legal authority to require project proponents to carry out socio-economic impact assessments. According to the author, the Energy Resources Conservation Board's power to require and consider social impact assessment in the approval process is also doubtful. Legislative clarification is desirable.


The spin polarisation components of photoelectrons from atomic ytterbium have been measured over the photon energy range from 15.5 to 22.5 eV. The measurements were performed by making use of circularly polarised synchrotron radiation from the storage ring BESSY in conjunction with an angle-resolved electron spectrometer. Theoretical predictions based on the relativistic random-phase approximation (RRPA) are in fair agreement with the experimental data even though a certain offset between theory and experiment exists.


To obtain high-precision for focal length fitting and improve the visible-light camera autofocusing speed, simultaneously, the backlash caused by gear gaps is eliminated. We propose an improved RBF (Radical Basis Function) adaptive neural network (ANN) FUZZY PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) position closed-loop control algorithm to achieve the precise positioning of zoom and focus lens groups. Thus, the Levenberg–Marquardt iterative algorithm is used to fit the focal length, and the improved area search algorithm is applied to achieve autofocusing and eliminate backlash. In this paper, we initially adopt an improved RBF ANN fuzzy PID control algorithm in the position closed-loop in the visible-light camera position and velocity double closed-loop control system. Second, a similar triangle method is used to calibrate the focal length of the visible-light camera system, and the Levenberg–Marquardt iterative algorithm is used to fit the relation of the zoom potentiometer code values and the focal length to achieve the zoom position closed-loop control. Finally, the improved area search algorithm is used to achieve fast autofocusing and acquire clear images. The experimental results show that the ITAE (integrated time and absolute error) performance index of the improved RBF ANN fuzzy PID control algorithm is improved by more than two orders of magnitude as compared with the traditional fuzzy PID control algorithm, and the settling time is 6.4 s faster than that of the traditional fuzzy PID control. Then, the Levenberg–Marquardt iterative algorithm has a fast convergence speed, and the fitting precision is high. The quintic polynomial fitting results are basically consistent with the sixth-degree polynomial. The fitting accuracy is much better than that of the quadratic polynomial and exponential. Autofocusing requires less than 2 s and is improved by more than double that of the traditional method. The improved area search algorithm can quickly obtain clear images and solve the backlash problem.


BACKGROUND A transient postoperative drop in platelet count is an expected finding after aortic valve replacement using extracorporeal circulation. The implantation of the Perceval valve has been associated with a more intense drop of platelet count compared to other bio-prostheses. This study analyses and compares the platelets progression associated with the Perceval and Intuity valves. METHODS The data was collected retrospectively for patients submitted to isolated aortic valve replacement with the Perceval valve (80 patients) and the Intuity valve (141 patients) in our institution between March 2014 and December 2018. The groups were further divided into those who receive platelet transfusion and those who did not. RESULTS The minimum values of platelet count were 54% and 67% of the preoperative platelet count in the patients treated with a Perceval and an Intuity valves, respectively (p<0.001). In the patients transfused with platelets, the minimum values were 52% and 79% of the preoperative platelet count, respectively (p<0.01). Recovery of the count was faster in the patients treated with an Intuity valve. Abnormal bleeding and transfusion of packed red blood cells were not significantly different between groups (without platelet transfusion: p=0.71 and p=0.99, respectively; with platelet transfusion: p=0.58 and p=0.99, respectively). CONCLUSION Compared to the Intuity valve, the Perceval valve is associated with a transient, but significant, drop in platelet count. This drop was not associated to an increased risk of bleeding. Platelet transfusion, in this setting, should be judicious and not only ruled by absolute values.


Laminin, a basement membrane glycoprotein, is a heterotrimer with alpha, beta, and gamma chains held together by a triple-stranded alpha-helical coiled-coil structure. Recently, a short peptide sequence at the C-terminus of the alpha-helical domain of each chain was identified as a critical site for the initiation of laminin chain assembly. Synthetic peptides, B1 and B2 (51-mers from the mouse laminin beta 1 and gamma 1 chains respectively) and M (55-mer from the laminin alpha 2 chain), containing these sites were able to assemble into a triple-stranded coiled-coil structure with chain-specific interactions [Nomizu, M., Otaka, A., Utani, A., Roller, P. P., & Yamada, Y. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 30386-30392]. Here we focus on the mechanism of laminin assembly and examine the conformation and stability of the peptides under various conditions using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Dependence on chain length for the conformation and stability of trimers suggests that 51-mers for laminin beta 1 and gamma 1 chains and a 55-mer for the laminin alpha 2 chain are critical to attain high thermal stability (T m = 62 degrees C), similar to the larger fragments (approximately 200-mers) and to intact laminins. Since the conformation and stability are dependent on pH and the B1 and B2 monomers and the B1-B2 dimer conformations are partially destroyed at neutral pH, it is likely that they contain intra- and/or interchain repulsions by acidic residues. Moreover, the B1-B2 dimer was significantly more stable under acidic conditions, while the B1-B2/M trimer appears to dissociate into separate B1-B2 and M peptides at pH 2. Urea-induced denaturation showed that the B1-B2/M was more stable than the B1-B2, while both complexes showed virtually identical guanidine hydrochloride denaturation curves. Our data indicate that ionic interactions between B1-B2 and M are critical for the specific trimer formation. We propose a mechanism for laminin assembly: (1) A heterodimer B1-B2 is preferentially formed and creates an acidic pocket which provides a less stable structure due to intra- and intermolecular repulsions between acidic amino acids. (2) A basic site in the M peptide interacts specifically with the acidic pocket of the B1-B2 dimer and results in assembly into a more stable triple-stranded coiled-coil structure.


The purpose of this study is to examine how fine art is received in fashion, and to contribute to the development of a creative fashion culture. In order to do this examination, this study focuses on the formative ideas of De Stijl which appeared in the early 20th century. In addition, this study presents examples of today's fashion that still reflects the formative ideas of De Stijl. The De stijl movement did not last for a long time, but it has had significant influence on modern art, and has been a source of inspiration to fashion designers since the Mondrian look was presented by Yves Saint Laurent in 1965. The study on the basis of De Stijl such as Neo-Plasticism of Piet Mondrian and Elementalism of Theo van Doesburg, has been conducted in this study. As a result, this study presents formative characteristics of the De Stijl group in fashion as follows: First, contemporary fashion designers have searched for proportion and thickness of lines and the side split using lines, a stylistic trait of an artist in the De Stijl group. Second, color scheme defined by the De Stijl group has been applied with modification to contemporary fashion. Modification and selective choice of the limited colors are for a contemporaneous style. Third, formative ideas of De Stijl, which strives to achieve the vision of Utopia, has turned up in contemporary fashion as a simple and minimal silhouette. Contemporary fashion has enhanced their aesthetic value by deriving not only a superficial expression but also plastic principle and philosophy from De stijl. It can be regarded as the fashion's ideal way to embrace style of art and it might be so described as a key to edifying artistic and creative attributes of fashion.


We build, calibrate and simulate a stylised energy-economy model designed to evaluate the level of carbon tax that would allow the French economy to reduce its CO2 emissions by a factor of four over a forty-year horizon. We estimate the substitution possibilities between fossil energy and other factors for households and firms. We show that if energy-saving technical progress continues at its recent historical pace, the initial level of the carbon tax recommended by the Quinet report is totally inadequate.


Shocks transmitted from productivity leaders to lagging economies are systematic sources of risk. Global technology and knowledge diffusion leads to predictable patterns in productivity dynamics across countries and industries. Technology gaps determine the level of exposure to the systematic productivity shocks. Firms in a country-industry with larger technology gaps relative to the world leader are more dependent on the leader's innovations compared to their own productivity improvements. They thus have higher loadings on the leader productivity shocks and higher average stock returns. For OECD panel data, a country-industry's technology gap significantly predicts the stock returns of the country-industry: holding the quintile of country-industry portfolios with the largest gaps and shorting the quintile with the smallest gaps generates annual returns of 9.8% (6.7% after risk adjustment with standard factors). A factor representing the technological productivity gap explains country-industry portfolio returns substantially better than standard factor models. Loadings on leader-country productivity shocks have substantial correlation with technology gaps, and leader productivity shocks are more important for stock returns than idiosyncratic productivity shocks. These findings support that the technology gaps and associated higher average returns are indeed linked to systematic risk.


College certificate detention by the company have negative impacts, one consequence is the loss of a diploma belonging to workers due to negligence on the part of companies. This resulted in a loss for workers who wish to obtain another job that is more feasible. For that we need the compensation of the company to the workers about the negligence eliminate the certificate, the aim of this study to determine the proper form of responsibility given to workers. The method used in the study of this law is a normative legal method, which focuses on the positive legal norms in the form of legislation in this Book of the Law of Civil Law. Research results obtained by the compensation given by the company to workers for damages in material and immaterial. Materially, the company provides a sum of money as compensation due to the negligence of former workers who lose diploma can not obtain a decent job for a period of three years. Is immaterial, the company replace the missing certificate with a letter of certificate replacement


The development of the video-on-demand industry has made many new players want to jump right in, which was originally just a movie vendor to Netflix, now it is a competitor such as Disney+ Hotstar, HBO, and Amazon Video Premiere, VIU, & Vidio. The Information reported that 60 percent of subscribers canceled Netflix subscriptions in Q4 2021 and in Q1 2022 Netflix lost 200,000 subscribers and is projected to lose 2.5 million subscribers by 2022. This study aims to determine how sales promotion, CRM, & Service Innovation affect customer loyalty. The research method used in this study is a quantitative method with multiple regression analysis. The population in this study were people who had been or were using the Netflix service. The sampling technique used in this study was Nonprobability sampling and the size of the sample in this study was calculated by Bernoulli's formula with a total of 100 respondents, with the SPSS25 for Windows test tool. The results showed that promotion, customer relationship management, and brand satisfaction affect Netflix customer loyalty. The magnitude of the influence of promotion, service innovation, and brand satisfaction on customer loyalty is 37%.


Accurately forecasting a tropical cyclone's (TC) track and intensity remains one of the top priorities in weather forecasting. A dynamical downscaling approach based on the scale-selective data assimilation (SSDA) method is applied to demonstrate its effectiveness in TC track and intensity forecasting. The SSDA approach retains the merits of global models in representing large-scale environmental flows and regional models in describing small-scale characteristics. The regional model is driven from the model domain interior by assimilating large-scale flows from global models, as well as from the model lateral boundaries by the conventional sponge zone relaxation. By using Hurricane Felix (2007) as a demonstration case, it is shown that, by assimilating large-scale flows from the Global Forecast System (GFS) forecasts into the regional model, the SSDA experiments perform better than both the original GFS forecasts and the control experi- ments, in which the regional model is only driven by lateral boundary conditions. The overall mean track forecast error for the SSDA experiments is reduced by over 40% relative to the control experiments, and by about 30% relative to the GFS forecasts, respectively. In terms of TC intensity, benefiting from higher grid resolution that better represents regional and small-scale processes, both the control and SSDA runs out- perform the GFS forecasts. The SSDA runs show approximately 14% less overall mean intensity forecast error than do the control runs. It should be noted that, for the Felix case, the advantage of SSDA becomes more evident for forecasts with a lead time longer than 48 h.


Since the first decade of the twentieth century, Italian demography, in jointly dealing with both quantitative aspects – with the benefit of an excellent training in statistics and mathematics – and the qualitative aspects of demographic development, has sought a synthesis in this mutual tie. Corrado Gini may have been the first to fully understand the need to combine the analysis of demographic phenomena with the study of social, economic and biological factors. This new approach was called "Demografia Integrale" (Integral Demography), which much of Gini's own work is an example of, as is that of almost all the demographers of that period, as well as those who were, directly or indirectly, his "pupils". What is left of that approach among the "grandchildren" and "great-grandchildren", those who arrived from the 1960s onwards? Amid all the continuities and discontinuities, has demography in the second half of the twentieth century and after kept alive Gini's teaching, whether in its content or in its approaches? In what follows we shall try to answer the questions raised, following the main lines of the long development of demographic research from Gini to the present. In the first part of this essay we shall try to outline the main points of Gini's demographic work in sequence, considering what is the main object of his enquiry, the research that proved so important both nationally and internationally. In the second part we shall give a broad account of Italian demography in the years following the second world war down to our own day, trying to point out the continuities and discontinuities with the past, both in relation to topics and analytic approaches, and to methodological developments. The last part, which appears as an Appendix, will deal with the history of a research project that is still relevant internationally, and that started from the idea of checking ex post the contrasting theories of Gini and Mortara on the effects of lack of selection due to a decline in infant and adolescent mortality. The Appendix will also present a collection of witnesses: one from Antonio Golini, who came to demography in the new Institute of Demography and whose first work underwent the influence of demographic topics dear to Gini; another, very short one from Marcello Natale, who was Gini's temporary assistant for one year; and the last one from Giuseppe Leti, one of Gini's students of Statistics in Rome.


ABSTRACT This study examined the contribution of gender role ideology to explaining emotional wellbeing among working parents as evaluated by positive and negative affect. The research sample included 611 working parents in Israel. Of these, 311 are women and 300 are men who were employed in diverse organizations. An egalitarian gender role ideology was found to be positively related to emotional wellbeing among both genders. It was further found that a large number of hours devoted to housework or to paid work is positively related to the emotional wellbeing of participants with a traditional gender role ideology. Family-work conflict was found to be negatively related to emotional wellbeing among participants with an egalitarian gender role ideology. The findings present an egalitarian gender role ideology as a resource that contributes to explaining emotional wellbeing. However, the power of a traditional gender role ideology in reducing the harmful effects of objective load on emotional wellbeing was found to be more salient than an egalitarian gender role ideology.


Immigration is the essential American story. From London or Lvov, Bombay or Beijing, Dublin or Dusseldorf, people have come to America to remake themselves, their lives, and their identities. Despite political obstacles, popular indifference, or hostility, they put down roots here, and their social, cultural, and entrepreneurial energies helped forge the open and diverse society we live in. The history of American immigration has often been told by those already here. "Becoming Americans" tells this epic story from the inside, gathering for the first time over 400 years of writing-from 17th-century Jamestown to contemporary Brooklyn and Los Angeles-by first-generation immigrants about the immigrant experience. In sum, over 80 writers create a vivid, passionate, and revealing firsthand account of the challenges and aspirations that define our dynamic, multicultural democracy. In nearly a hundred entries-poems, stories, novel excerpts, travel pieces, diary entries, memoirs, and letters-"Becoming Americans" presents the full range of the experience of coming to America: the reasons for departure, the journey itself, the shock and spectacle of first arrival, the passionate ambivalence toward the old country and the old life, and above all the struggle with the complexities of America. Arranged in chronological order by date of arrival, this unprecedented collection presents a collective history of the United States that is both familiar and surprisingly new, as seen through the fresh eyes and words of newcomers from more than forty different countries. Features: Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, Gottlieb Mittelberger, St. John de Cr?vecoeur, Phillis Wheatley, Lorenzo Da Ponte, John James Audubon, Fanny Kemble, Jacob Riis, Abraham Cahan, O. E. R?lvaag, Henry Roth, Claude McKay, Charles Chaplin, Felipe Alfau, Carlos Bulosan, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Vladimir Nabokov, W. H. Auden, Frank McCourt, Edward Said, Charles Simic, Julia Alvarez, Czeslaw Milosz, Luc Sante, Eva Hoffman, Jamaica Kincaid, Chang-rae Lee, Jhumpa Lahiri, Joseph Brodsky, Junot D?az, Gary Shteyngart, Dinaw Mengestu, Edwidge Danticat, Norman Manea, Anita Desai, Lara Vapnyar, Richard Rodriguez, and many more...


Experimental studies on low frequency noise in bipolar junction transistors (BJT) including polysilicon emitter, hetero-junction transistors (HBTs) and SiGe HBTs are reviewed. The validity of a new empirical relation between the 1/f noise corner frequency f/sub c/ (the frequency where the 1/f noise and shot noise are equal) and the cutoff frequency f/sub T/ is investigated. The coherence-method to investigate the most dominant low-frequency noise source in the equivalent circuit is described.


This paper is an attempt to contribute to the ongoing debate: should central bank of Pakistan adopt inflation targeting or continue with the monetary targeting as a monetary policy strategy? A pre-requisite for monetary targeting strategy is a stable money demand function, which in turn requires stability in velocity. Instability in velocity on the other hand is believed to stem from the volatility of the interest rate. The paper explores the stability of velocity of money in Pakistan. The results show that the base and broad money velocities are independent of the interest rate fluctuations. It is also found that all the three velocities (with respect to M0, M1, and M2) have stable relationship with their determinants. These findings validate use of monetary aggregates as nominal anchor.


Background & Objective: Motivation is the driving force beyond all human activities Without motivation human species are not capable of implementing any planned activity The more ones motivation is in line with her interests and skill sets the higher chance the individual has to achieve success in her professional and educational endeavors This study was performed to determine midwifery students motivation and related factors about their field Methods: This descriptive crosssectional study was conducted on all midwifery students who were studying at Islamic Azad University of Rasht in the first semester of academic year 20112012 The information was gathered through a questionnaire which has two parts personal information and questions about motivation for choosing field of study The data was analyzed by SPSS software version 16 using descriptive and analytical statistics Results: The mean score of students motivation for choosing field of study was 4985 ± 614 which was higher than the acceptable score There no significant relationship between score of motivation and research variables (job and education of parents marital status and university entry quotas living place diploma score economic situation and students age) Conclusion: Our research shows that the students of midwifery are highly motivated and have great enthusiasm for studying this academic discipline Therefore it is imperative for the authorities to seize this opportunity and make an allout effort to improve the educational standards of promising students in order to maximize their productivity


This Precis entitled, Aga Khan rural support program (AKRSP) : looking to the future, complements the Bank's Operations and Evaluation Department (OED), Evaluation Study, The Aga Khan rural support program : A third evaluation, by Denis Purcell, Report No. 15157, dated December 11, 1995. OED recommends for AKRSP to build further on its solid foundation and, in particular, for strengthening the links between village-level organizations and government agencies.


Azoheteroarene photoswitches offer functional advantages over their more conventional azobenzene counterparts by virtue of their heteroaromatic ring(s). Here we report that azobis(2-imidazole) functions as a photoswitchable base due to the additional proton stabilisation that is possible in the protonated Z isomer, facilitated by the basic imidazole nitrogens. This thermodynamic difference in stability corresponds to a 1.3 unit difference in pK(a) values between the E and Z isomers. This pK(a) difference can be used to reversibly control solution pH.


ABSTRACT Much has been and will continue to be made of 'official responses' to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly around the varying success of prescribed isolation practices and how well (or not) people, taken in aggregate, complied with them. This paper examines a more spontaneous response to COVID-19 isolation: bread-porn. Taken literally, bread-porn is the competitive display of gratuitous pictures of home-baked bread across social media (particularly in the 'west'), shared by people isolated at home. On the surface, such pictures perfunctorily depict bread; yet, it is argued that these pictures are more nuanced than that, and that the bread itself is almost immaterial. 'COVID bread-porn' was a jockeying for social standing and represented one of many unique, if temporary, forms of do-it-yourself (DIY) cultural currency while people were less able to access other extant systems of representational social stratification. The paper discusses the value and significance of the suffix 'porn' with respect to struggles to understand the extremities of new systems of value, by linking how temporary COVID culture fit into the flow of the cultural changes that preceded it. The paper argues that the world faced the COVID pandemic at a tumultuous time marked by liminality between historically 'physical' and emerging 'cerebral' cultural practices in many societies (i.e. the move from manufacturing to 'knowledge' economies). Thus, it situates bread-porn as an attempt to 'win' at isolation by demonstrating prowess with available domestic resources, and highlights the productive tension of bread-porn that extends and potentially resists the social imperatives of pandemic self-management.


This Innovative Practice Full Paper presents several educational simulation designs to transform learning in the earth and environmental sciences. In recent years, K-12 education has seen a widespread pedagogical shift from traditional textbook-based learning to a student-centered interactive learning environment. Innovative teaching technologies including games and simulations are exploited to make learning fun and engaging for students at various grades. As technology continues to advances, stakeholders such as teachers, parents, and educational policymakers are motivated to know the most effective technology platform to engage students in active learning. In this paper, we discuss some useful simulation techniques from the perspectives of users' experience, system deployment and developers' point of view. In addition, we also present the design and implementation of some Earth and Environmental Science simulations that are developed using NetLogo and JavaScript. Some student assessment results are also provided to compare the learning effectiveness between the traditional textbooks and computer simulation-based lessons. Our results show that computer simulation can help enhance the student's content retention and graph interpretation skills.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression and procoagulant activity of phosphatidylserine (PS) on the normal peripheral blood cells of adults.

METHODS
Normal peripheral blood samples were collected from 10 healthy volunteers (5 ml from each volunteer), platelets, neutrophils, lymphocytes and erythrocytes were isolated. The expression and procoagulant activity of PS on normal blood cells were identified by flow cytometry, inhibition test with lactadherin as PS probe and coagulation anticoagulant, respectively.

RESULTS
There was PS expression on a few normal blood cells (9.1%, 5.4%, 3.9% and 3.2% in platelets, neutrophils, lymphocytes and erythrocytes, respectively). The PS on these normal blood cells in vitro showed significant procoagulant activity. The plasma recalcification time was shortened by 47%, 36.5%, 25% and 12.5% by platelets, neutrophils, lymphocytes and erythrocytes, respectively; the formation of factor Xa (through both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways) and thrombin was also increased by 13% - 26% by platelets, neutrophils, lymphocytes and erythrocytes, respectively.

CONCLUSION
The PS on normal blood cells in vivo may play a crucial role in the coagulation cascade.


The Luciola lateralis larva took 5.3 days from climbing on the land to the pupal cocoon formation. It took 6.6 days for a larva to eventually transform to a pupa after building a pupal cocoon. The size of pupal cocoon was 10.1 mm in length, 4.7 mm in width and its wall thickness was 1.3 mm. The mean pupal period was 10.5 days. The adult stayed 6.8 days in the pupal cocoon before escaping the cocoon. The peak adult emergence appeared around 9 p.m., and decreased after 10 p.m. The optimal soil temperature for emergence was . The female adult of the natural population (Nat-type) lived shorter, laid fewer eggs, and the oviposition frequency was fewer than that of the Lab-type individuals. However, a few individuals from the natural population laid 200-400 eggs. The less number of oviposition in the natural population may be due to the fact that the female adults might lay eggs before the collection for the experiment.


For a finitely generated discrete group Γ acting properly on a spin manifold M , we formulate new topological obstructions to Γ-invariant metrics of positive scalar curvature on M that take into account the cohomology of the classifying space BΓ for proper actions. In the cocompact case, this leads to a natural generalisation of Gromov-Lawson's notion of higher Â-genera to the setting of proper actions by groups with torsion. It is conjectured that these invariants obstruct the existence of Γ-invariant positive scalar curvature on M . For classes arising from the subring of H∗(BΓ,R) generated by elements of degree at most 2, we are able to prove this, under suitable assumptions, using index-theoretic methods for projectively invariant Dirac operators and a twisted L-Lefschetz fixed-point theorem involving a weighted trace on conjugacy classes. The latter generalises a result of Wang-Wang [21] to the projective setting. In the special case of free actions and the trivial conjugacy class, this reduces to a theorem of Mathai [15], which provided a partial answer to a conjecture of Gromov-Lawson on higher Â-genera. If M is non-cocompact, we obtain obstructions to M being a partitioning hypersurface inside a non-cocompact Γ-manifold with non-negative scalar curvature that is positive in a neighbourhood of the hypersurface. Finally, we define a quantitative version of the twisted higher index, as first introduced in [10], and use it to prove a parameterised vanishing theorem in terms of the lower bound of the total curvature term in the square of the twisted Dirac operator.


UNLABELLED
Survival of lung cancer patients remains poor despite increasingly aggressive treatment. Conventional staging has well-described limitations. (18)F-FDG PET has been shown to stage lung cancer more accurately than does CT scanning, but the impact on patient treatment and outcome is poorly defined. This study evaluated this impact in routine clinical practice within a tertiary oncology facility.

METHODS
For 153 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer, the treatment plan based on conventional staging methods was compared with the treatment plan based on incorporation of PET findings. Survival was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model.

RESULTS
For broad groupings of stage, 10% of cases were downstaged and 33% upstaged by PET. When assessable, the PET stage was confirmed in 89% of patients. PET had a high impact on 54 patients (35%), including 34 whose therapy was changed from curative to palliative, 6 whose therapy was changed from palliative to curative, and 14 whose treatment modality was changed but not the treatment intent. For 39 patients (25%), a previously selected therapy was altered because of the PET findings. The Cox model indicated that the pre-PET stage was significantly associated with survival (P = 0.013) but that the post-PET stage provided much stronger prognostic stratification (P < 0.0001) and remained significant after adjustment for treatment delivered.

CONCLUSION
Staging that incorporated PET provided a more accurate prognostic stratification than did staging based on conventional investigations. Further, the additional information provided by PET significantly and appropriately changed management in the majority of patients.


Recently, a new line of works has emerged to understand and improve self-attention in Transformers by treating it as a kernel machine. However, existing works apply the methods for symmetric kernels to the asymmetric self-attention, resulting in a nontrivial gap between the analytical understanding and numerical implementation. In this paper, we provide a new perspective to represent and optimize self-attention through asymmetric Kernel Singular Value Decomposition (KSVD), which is also motivated by the low-rank property of self-attention normally observed in deep layers. Through asymmetric KSVD, $i$) a primal-dual representation of self-attention is formulated, where the optimization objective is cast to maximize the projection variances in the attention outputs; $ii$) a novel attention mechanism, i.e., Primal-Attention, is proposed via the primal representation of KSVD, avoiding explicit computation of the kernel matrix in the dual; $iii$) with KKT conditions, we prove that the stationary solution to the KSVD optimization in Primal-Attention yields a zero-value objective. In this manner, KSVD optimization can be implemented by simply minimizing a regularization loss, so that low-rank property is promoted without extra decomposition. Numerical experiments show state-of-the-art performance of our Primal-Attention with improved efficiency. Moreover, we demonstrate that the deployed KSVD optimization regularizes Primal-Attention with a sharper singular value decay than that of the canonical self-attention, further verifying the great potential of our method. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that provides a primal-dual representation for the asymmetric kernel in self-attention and successfully applies it to modeling and optimization.


A method for calculating constant volume'' pair potentials in Al-rich transition-metal compounds is presented. The method is based on a combination of a Green's-function analysis of the interaction between transition-metal [ital d] shells, and a perturbative treatment of the Al and transition-metal pseudopotentials. In addition to the [ital d]-shell interactions, the pair potentials include terms describing interactions between pseudopotentials on different atoms, as well as interactions between the pseudopotential on one atom and the charge density induced by the [ital d] shell on another atom. The potentials are parametrized by use of both [ital ab] [ital initio] total-energy results and experimental inputs. The methodology is tested by calculating the energies of many different structures at the Al-rich end of the Al-Co phase diagram. The potentials correctly predict the sequence of complex phases that occurs with increasing Co content, with just one exception. The complex phases are favored relative to simpler fcc-based phases by a large energy due mainly to short-ranged spacing constraints. The Co-Co potential has a secondary minimum at 4.4 A which coincides with the Co-Co spacings in the complex structures, and thus further enhances their stability.


This work deals with study of dynamics of a viscoelastic rotor shaft system, where Stability Limit of Spin Speed (SLS) and Unbalance Response amplitude (UBR) are two indices. The Rotor Internal Damping in the system introduces rotary dissipative forces which are tangential to the rotor orbit, well known to cause instability after certain spin speed. There are two major problems in rotor operation, namely high transverse vibration response at resonance and instability due to internal damping. The gyroscopic stiffening effect has some influence on the stability. The gyroscopic effect on the disc depends on the disc dimensions and disc positions on the rotor. The dynamic performance of the rotor shaft system is enhanced with the help of gyroscopic stiffening effect by optimizing the various disc parameters (viz. disc position and disc dimension). This optimization problem can be formulated using Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMI) technique. The LMI defines a convex constraint on a variable which makes an optimization problem involving the minimization or maximization of a performance function belong to the class of convex optimization problems and these can incorporate design parameter constraints efficiently. The unbalance response of the system can be treated with HiÞ norm together with parameterization of system matrices. The system matrices in the equation of motion here are obtained after discretizing the continuum by beam finite element. The constitutive relationship for the damped beam element is written by assuming a Kelvin ¨C Voigt model and is used to obtain the equation of motion. A numerical example of a viscoelastic rotor is shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique.


Research into finding environmentally friendly, efficient and economic viable nanophosphors is still ongoing as the incorporation of radioactive substances into phosphors to improve their short time luminescence poses serious environmental concern. The present paper investigates the effect of particle size on the, morphology and photoluminescence of environmentally friendly CaAl2O4: Mn nanocrystals. The phosphor was prepared by the high temperature reaction technique. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed monoclinic structure. Average crystal size of the unpassivated nanomaterial (CAU) was found to be higher (41.49 nm) than that of the passivated (CAP) one (34.81 nm). Photoluminescence investigation at 345 nm excitation showed emission wavelengths that match Mn emission. Both the emission color and intensity of the nanocrystals were observed to be crystal-size dependent with high luminescence intensity and deep blue emission peaks coming from CAP; while low luminescence intensity, prominent violet peaks and a weak blue emission peak were registered on CAU. Investigation of the samples responds to different excitation wavelengths revealed that both materials received corresponding colour emission and maximum intensity at 465 nm excitation.


The numerous insular features (islands/rocks) and low-tide elevations (reefs, shoals, etc.) within the South China Sea have long been the centre of attention and dispute involving Brunei, China (the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan)), Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. This contribution focuses on said maritime features from the perspective of the law of the sea. A general overview is provided of the international legal rules that apply to islands, rocks and low-tide elevations with reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, customary international law and international adjudications. The article then examines what the littoral states have said and done respecting the insular features in the South China Sea and offers some reflections in the context of the Philippine-China arbitration.


This study on the needs analysis aimed at understanding the actual and immediate English needs of International Relations department (IRD) students at an Indonesia university. The adapted version of Ekici's (2003) and Mazdayasna and Tahririan's (2008) questionnaire was used as the main instrument of the study to explore the perception of 340 IRD students about their needs in learning English in the framework of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). These students consisted of sophomores, juniors and seniors. Their responses were analyzed statistically by calculating the mean, standard deviation and percentage of the response. This study also employed interviews as the instrument to further investigate the results of the questionnaire. Head of IRD, IRD lecturers and ESP lecturers were involved in the interview. The results revealed the list of perceived needs that were classified into three categories, namely strongly-perceived, less strongly-perceived and irrelevant needs. From the list, it could be learned that most of the IRD students' needs were associated with an expectation of being able to understand and use English during their undergraduate study. In other words, the ESP program in the particular university has to be in the form of EAP or ESAP so as to facilitate the students' needs. This recommendation had also been acknowledged and approved by the head of IRD and IRD lecturers as the content-related experts and the ESP lecturers as the language experts although a slight different view point about this matter is also identified.


A study was conducted to determine whether N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR) affects the development of new mammary tumors subsequent to the surgical removal of the first palpable tumor. Sprague-Dawley female rats were injected i.v. with 35 mg N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) per killogram body weight at 50 days of age. The first palpable tumor was removed when 0.3-0.5 cm in diameter, and the animals placed on diets containing either 1, 2 or 3 mmol 4-HPR/kg diet. Placebo diet without 4-HPR served as control. Some animals were killed at the time of surgical removal of the first tumor and whole mounts of the mammary glands were prepared. Moreover, five animals per group were bled at 1, 3 and 6 months after commencing the 4-HPR diet and the levels of 4-HPR and N-(4-methoxyphenyl)retinamide (4-MPR) were determined. 4-HPR decreased tumor multiplicity in a dose-related manner, but cancer formation was only inhibited at the 2 and 3 mmol levels of 4-HPR. Whole mounts of mammary glands of rats treated with MNU demonstrated the presence of nonpalpable microscopic tumors in addition to the palpable tumor which was excised. Plasma levels of 4-HPR and 4-MPR increased with increasing dietary dose levels, but a linear relationship was not evident. However, the increase in plasma 4-HPR was directly correlated with an increased survival of the tumor-bearing animals. The results indicate that 4-HPR effectively inhibits the appearance of subsequent mammary tumors following excision of the first palpable tumor, and thus may be suitable for use as a chemopreventive agent in patients at increased risk for breast disease.


Peptide sequences modified with lanthanide-chelating groups at their N-termini, or at their lysine side chains, were synthesized, and new Ln(III) complexes were characterized. We show that partial folding of the conjugates to form trimer coiled coil structures induces coordination of lanthanides to the ligand, which in turn further stabilizes the 3D structure.


B ECAUSE triploid females form large numbers of chromosomally unbalanced eggs it is possible to recover complementary types of unbalanced sperm. This technique revealed the occurrence of autosomal nondisjunction in males (STERN 1934; PONTECORVO 1940) and was also used by MULLER and PONTECORVO ( 1940) and PONTECORVO (1943) to recover sperm where radiation induced chromosome breaks caused one or more paternal chromosomes to be lost in the embryo. The same technique was employed for the present study of autosomal nondisjunction in males. There were two reasons for undertaking such a study, the first of which was to discover how males differed from females with respect to interchromosomal effects of inversions on segregation. Heterozygous inversions in females are known to have interchromosomal effects on crossing over and segregation, and COOPER, ZIMMERING and KRIVSHENKO ( 1955) have suggested that the interchromosomal effect of inversions on the frequency of X chromosome nondisjunction is caused by non-homologous pairing between the sex chromosomes and autosomes. If similar interchromosomal effects on segregation occurred in males, where crossing over is absent, the influence of inversions on segregation could be studied apart from their influence on crossing over. It was also hoped that a simultaneous study of sex chromosomal nondisjunction and autosomal nondisjunction might serve to test for the occurrence of non-homologous pairing. The second reason for studying autosomal nondisjunction in males was to reconsider STERN'S results. Over half the exceptions recovered by STERN required for their explanation the fertilization of a nondisjunctional egg (nullo I1 or nullo 111) from a triploid female, by a nondisjunctional sperm (diplo I1 or diplo 111) from a diploid male, and the number of exceptions recovered indicated that autosomal nondisjunction was fairly frequent. In order to understand the type of interchromosomal effects on segregation that might be expected in males, it will be necessary to review briefly the present knowledge of such effects in females. In females with structurally heterozygous X chromosomes the frequency of primary nondisjunction is increased when a


Objective The optimal treatment of patients with acute and severe decompensation of aortic stenosis is unclear due to recent advances in transcatheter interventions and supportive therapies. Our aim was to assess the early outcome of emergency transcatheter aortic valve implantation (eTAVI) versus emergency balloon aortic valvuloplasty (eBAV) followed by TAVI under elective circumstances. Methods Emergency conditions were defined as: cardiogenic shock with requirement of catecholamine therapy, severe acute dyspnoea (NYHA IV), cardiac resuscitation or mechanic respiratory support. The data were collected according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 (VARC-2) criteria. Results In five German centres, 23 patients (logistic Euroscore 37.7%±18.1) underwent eTAVI and 118 patients underwent eBAV (logistic Euroscore 35.3%±20.8). In the eTAVI group, immediate procedural mortality was 8.7%, compared with 20.3% for the eBAV group (p=0.19). After 30 days, cardiovascular mortality for the eTAVI group was 23.8% and for the eBAV group 33.0% (p=0.40). Analyses adjusting for potential confounders did not provide evidence of a difference between groups. Of note, the elective TAVI performed after eBAV (n=32, logistic Euroscore 25.9%±13.9) displayed an immediate procedural mortality of 9.4% and a cardiovascular mortality after 30 days of 15.6%. Major vascular complications were significantly more likely to occur after eTAVI (p=0.01) as well as stroke (p=0.01). Conclusion In this multicentre cohort, immediate procedural and 30-day mortality of eTAVI and eBAV were high, and mortality of secondary TAVI subsequent to eBAV was higher than expected. Randomised study data are required to define the role of emergency TAVI in tertiary care centres with current device generations.


Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β (GSK3β) is a serine/threonine kinase, known to regulate various cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, survival, apoptosis as well as TRAIL-resistance. Thus pathways that can modulate GSK3β axis are important targets for cancer drug development. Our earlier studies have shown that combinatorial treatment with Troglitazone (TZD) and TRAIL can induce apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant cancer cells. The current studies were undertaken to investigate whether GSK3β pathway was modulated during this apoptosis. Our results indicated an increase in inhibitory GSK3βSer9 phosphorylation during apoptosis, mediated via AKT. At a later time, however, TZD alone and TRAIL-TZD combination produced a dramatic reduction of GSK3β expression, which was abolished by cycloheximide. Luciferase assays with GSK3β-luc promoter reporter showed that TZD can effectively antagonize GSK3β promoter activity. Since TZD is a ligand for transcription factor PPARγ and can activate AMPK, we determined their roles on antagonism of GSK3β. Knockdown of PPARγ was unable to restore GSK3β expression or antagonize GSK3βSer9 phosphorylation. Although pretreatment with Compound C (pharmacological inhibitor of AMPK) partially rescued GSK3β expression, knockdown of AMPKα1 or α2 alone or in combination were ineffective. These studies suggested a novel PPARγ-AMPK-independent mechanism of targeting GSK3β by TZD, elucidation of which might provide newer insights to improve our understanding of TRAIL-resistance.


We analyze a discretization method for a class of degenerate parabolic problems that includes the Richards' equation. This analysis applies to the pressure-based formulation and considers both variably and fully saturated regimes. To overcome the difficulties posed by the lack in regularity, we first apply the Kirchhoff transformation and then integrate the resulting equation in time. We state a conformal and a mixed variational formulation and prove their equivalence. This will be the underlying idea of our technique to get error estimates.
A regularization approach is combined with the Euler implicit scheme to achieve the time discretization. Again, equivalence between the two formulations is demonstrated for the semidiscrete case. The lowest order Raviart--Thomas mixed finite elements are employed for the discretization in space. Error estimates are obtained, showing that the scheme is convergent.


Abstract A phase 1 study of IPI-504 (retaspimycin hydrochloride) administered intravenously twice weekly for 2 weeks at 22.5, 45, 90, 150, 225, 300 or 400 mg/m2 followed by 10 days off-treatment was conducted to determine the safety and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of IPI-504 in patients with relapsed or relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Anti-tumor activity and pharmacokinetics were also evaluated. Eighteen patients (mean age 60.5 years; median 9 prior therapies) were enrolled. No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were reported for IPI-504 doses up to 400 mg/m2. The most common treatment-related adverse event was grade 1 infusion site pain (four patients). All other treatment-related events were assessed as grade 1 or 2 in severity. The area under the curve (AUC) increased with increasing dose, and the mean half-life was approximately 2–4 h for IPI-504 and its metabolites. Four patients had stable disease, demonstrating modest single-agent activity in relapsed or relapsed/refractory MM.


Conventional multiple breath-hold two-dimensional (2D) balanced steady-state free precession (SSFP) presents many difficulties in cardiac cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Recently, a self-gated free-breathing three-dimensional (3D) SSFP technique has been proposed as an alternative in many studies. However, the accuracy and effectiveness of self-gating signals have been barely studied before. Since self-gating signals are crucially important in image reconstruction, a systematic study of self-gating signals and comparison with external monitored signals are needed. Previously developed self-gated free-breathing 3D SSFP techniques are used on twenty-eight healthy volunteers. Both electrocardiographic (ECG) and respiratory bellow signals are also acquired during the scan as external signals. Self-gating signal and external signal are compared by trigger and gating window. Gating window is proposed to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of respiratory self-gating signal. Relative deviation of the trigger and root-mean-square-deviation of the cycle duration are calculated. A two-tailed paired t-test is used to identify the difference between self-gating and external signals. A Wilcoxon signed rank test is used to identify the difference between peak and valley self-gating triggers. The results demonstrate an excellent correlation (P = 0, R > 0.99) between self-gating and external triggers. Wilcoxon signed rank test shows that there is no significant difference between peak and valley self-gating triggers for both cardiac (H = 0, P > 0.10) and respiratory (H = 0, P > 0.44) motions. The difference between self-gating and externally monitored signals is not significant (two-tailed paired-sample t-test: H = 0, P > 0.90). The self-gating signals could demonstrate cardiac and respiratory motion accurately and effectively as ECG and respiratory bellow. The difference between the two methods is not significant and can be explained. Furthermore, few ECG trigger errors appear in some subjects while these errors are not found in self-gating signals.


Making the traffic more efficient, safer and eco-friendly are important global aims for a sustainable future. To reach these goals electro mobility and V2X-communication are important key technologies. To reduce the emissions the automobile industry presented a quantity of electric car models during the last years. While the range of electric cars with about 150 km is adequate for inner city use, the battery-systems are not suitable for truck purpose. To enable electric driving also for long distance heavy goods vehicles (HGV) SIEMENS developed the eHighway technology. While using the overhead contact line it is possible to continuously provide electric energy to the vehicle and thus drive environmentally cleaner and more energy efficient. With the V2X-equipment of the eHighway and the connection to the traffic control centre (Conduct+) it is possible to increase the safety, the road capacity and to provide additional information for eHighway-user and all other V2X-equipped road users. While using the information from existing road sensors combined with the V2I-status-information of the road users, Conduct+ generates a holistic overview of traffic events. Via I2V Conduct+ advises the participants about changes in the traffic flow using in-vehicle signage. On a purpose-build test track SIEMENS and the DLR are proving the interaction of Conduct+, eHighway-infrastructure and V2X-equipped-eTrucks. This paper provides an insight into the eHighway-components and the functionality of the system components which enables the accumulation of traffic-data to enable an intelligent traffic control using V2X.


Summary This study investigates the socio-demographic differentials in mortality during the 1974–75 famine in a rural area of Bangladesh. It is based on household socioeconomic information collected in the 1974 census and registration data on births, deaths and migrations for the period 1974–79 from the Demographic Surveillance System of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. Ownership of selected household items was considered in the analysis as an indicator of household socioeconomic status. Mortality was 62% higher during the famine period and 31% higher during the post-famine period compared to the non-famine period. The mortality of both the poor and the rich increased during the famine period, by 117% and 28% respectively compared to the non-famine period. The poor suffered significantly in all age groups except 5–14 years, while the rich suffered only for ages 65 and over. Poor males suffered more than poor females except for ages 65 and over, while rich females suffered more than rich males except for ages under 1 year.


BackgroundIn the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, several factors such as age, chronic disease or obesity have been associated with adverse outcomes and mortality from Covid-19. However, the social distribution of Covid-19 infection among men and women was largely neglected in France, mainly due to a lack of data. The aim of this study is to describe and analyse the risk of Covid-19 infection in relation to sex, and the influence of other social factors, specifically occupation, in this association.MethodsWe used data from the citizen science initiative 'Barometre Covid-19'. Each week, an internet survey was administered to a sample of 5,000 people representative of the French mainland population aged 18 and over, using the quota method. A total of 25,001 participants were interviewed between 7 April and 11 May 2020. We used multivariable nested logistic regression modelling to study the relationship between sex, occupation and Covid-19 infection. Confounders included age, region of residence, population density, whether you worked outside of home during the lockdown, house overcrowding, comorbidities and body mass index.ResultsWomen reported a medical diagnosis of Covid-19 infection more often than men (4% vs. 3.2%). In a model adjusted for confounders, women were 23% more likely to report a medical diagnosis of Covid-19 infection than men (OR=1.23 [95%-CI=1.06–1.42]). Controlling for sex and socioeconomic variables (occupation), the risk of infection for women was reversed (OR=0.84 [95%-CI=0.59–1.19]). While most men, other than executives, were less likely to report the infection, this association was not observed amongst women.ConclusionOccupation was found to influence the relationship between sex and Covid-19 infection suggesting a gender effect. The differences in the risk of infection between men and women require exploration with regard to socioeconomic factors. The social roles of women and men are associated with a non-random distribution of the virus, potentially reflecting structural societal inequalities.


Lawrence (Laurie) Walter Nichol FAA was Vice Chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU) from 1988 to 1993, and before that, of the University of New England (UNE) from 1985 to 1988. His independent academic career began in 1963 at the ANU as a Research Fellow in the Department of Physical Biochemistry in the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR). The department was headed by Professor Alexander (Sandy) G. Ogston FRS. Thus, Laurie's career finally circled back, after overseas sabbaticals and other appointments at Australian universities, to the ANU.


The goal of this work is to design an acoustic mode converter. More precisely, the wave number is chosen so that two modes can propagate. We explain how to construct geometries such that the energy of the modes is completely transmitted and additionally the mode 1 is converted into the mode 2 and conversely. To proceed, we work in a symmetric waveguide made of two branches connected by two thin ligaments whose lengths and positions are carefully tuned. The approach is based on asymptotic analysis for thin ligaments around resonance lengths. We also provide numerical results to illustrate the theory.


In December 2019, the outbreak of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to a serious pandemic in China and other countries worldwide. So far, more than 460,000 confirmed cases were diagnosed in nearly 190 countries, causing globally over 20,000 deaths. Currently, the epidemic is still spreading and there is no effective means to prevent the infection. Vaccines are proved to be the most effective and economical means to prevent and control infectious diseases. Several countries, companies, and institutions announced their programs and progress on vaccine development against the virus. While most of the vaccines are under design and preparation, there are some that have entered efficacy evaluation in animals and initial clinical trials. This review mainly focused on the progress and our prospects on field of vaccine development against SARS-CoV-2.


We present a characterization of heuristic evaluation functions which unifies their treatment in single-agent problems and two-person games. The central result is that a useful heuristic function is one which determines the outcome of a search and is invariant along a solution path. This local characterization of heuristics can be used to predict die effectiveness of given heuristics and to automatically learn useful heuristic functions for problems. In one experiment, a set of relative weights for the different chess pieces was automatically learned.


The Iskut River area of northwestern British Columbia is a relatively small (approx 100 x 60 km) but metallogenetically significant portion of the Canadian Cordillera. In the Iskut River area, Mesozoic volcanic-arc rocks and related intrusions of the Stikine terrane are host to a wide variety of mineral deposits, most of which formed in Early to Middle Jurassic time. Porphyry-style mineralization includes the Kerr Cu-Au porphyry deposit, the Mitchell-Sulphurets porphyry deposits, and the Red Bluff prospect, all related to calc-alkaline to subalkaline Early Jurassic intrusions. Precious metal-rich veins at the Johnny Mountain and Snip mines are spatially and genetically associated with the Red Bluff intrusion. These deposits show a progression from shear-hosted laminated mesothermal veins at deeper levels (Snip mine) to thick, tabular dilational veins at higher levels (Johnny Mountain mine). In the Sulphurets camp, vein-hosted mineralization of the west zone exhibits a variety of vein textures suggesting a relatively shallow level of formation. The timing and stratigraphic setting of advanced argillic alteration at the Treaty Glacier prospect indicates near-surface formation. Finally, the Eskay Creek mine is presently producing from high-grade, precious and base metal volcanic massive sulfide-sulfosalt mineralization that formed on the sea floor in the Middle Jurassic. In addition, several other styles of mineralization are recognized in the Iskut area including the Triassic Granduc volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit, gold-rich skarns such as McLymont Creek of probable Early Jurassic age, and gabbro-hosted magmatic nickel sulfide mineralization at Nickel Mountain of uncertain age.Integrated regional mapping, deposit-specific studies, geochronology, lithogeochemistry, and biostratigraphy have demonstrated that Early to Middle Jurassic mineralization developed within the evolving Hazelton Group volcanic arc. Volcanism during early stages of arc evolution ( approximately 200-180 Ma) is characterized by calc-alkaline andesites to dacites. Most Jurassic intrusions in the region are coeval with this episode of volcanism and are dominated by a potassium feldspar megacrystic suite of granitic to granodioritic plutons. Mineralization which is temporally and spatially associated with this period of magmatism includes porphyry-style deposits and precious metal-rich vein systems, which often show strong structural localization. A younger period of volcanism ( approximately 180-170 Ma) is bimodal (rhyolite-dacite and basalt-basaltic andesite) and contains both calc-alkaline and tholeiitic signatures. Mineralization during this later stage of the arc includes high-level alteration systems and submarine exhalative mineralization. Regional contractional deformation in mid-Cretaceous time resulted in significant structural modification of individual deposits, obscuring many of the primary field relationships.


The purpose was to optimize the vitrification for porcine embryos cryopreservation. Blastocyst/Morula (5-6th day-embryos) were collected from superovulated Bama mini-pigs (sows/gilts). We compared different cryopreservation methods, cryopreservation tools, thining of zona pellucida (ZP) and recipient breeds on the efficiency of porcine embryo cryopreservation. The results showed that: in embryo survival rate and blastocyst cell number, there were no significant differences between cryopreservation method I [embryos were vitrified by two step method with open pulled straw (OPS) and glass micropipette (GMP) in solution 1 (TCM199 + 20% FBS + 10% EG + 10% DMSO) for 3 min, and solution 2 (TCM199 + 20% FBS + 20% EG + 20% DMSO + 0.4 mol/L SUC) for 1 min, stored in liquid nitrogen] and method II[Blastocysts were cultured for 25 min in NCSU23 + 7.5 microg/mL cytochalasin B, centrifuged at approximately 13 000 xg for 12-13 min, and recovered back into pNCSU23. They were then equilibrated for 5 min in 2 mol/L ethylene glycol in pNCSU23, washed quickly in the vitrification medium, 8 mol/L ethylene glycol, 7% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in pNCSU23, loaded into OPS/GMP, and plunged into liquid nitrogen]. GMP vitrification method was more suitable and efficient than OPS method (P < 0.05) in embryo survival rate (83.8% vs 77.6%) and blastocyst cell number (53.1 vs 47.5) after thawing. Thining of ZP did not increase the survival rate, but significantly improved blastocyst cell number in the survival blastcysts (60.1 and 46, P < 0.01). Local pig breeds (Fengjing sows) were more suitable as recipients for embryo transfer of vitrified/warmed blastcysts, which can improve pregnant rate and embryo efficiency.


A PIN Light Emitting Diode (LED) was fabricated from the n-Ge/i-Ge/p-Si heterojunction structure grown by using Rapid Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition (RTCVD). Ge buffer layers were grown at 350 °C with a thickness of ~110 nm in the first step. Then, high-temperature i-Ge layers were grown at 500 °C with a thickness of ~1.40 μm in the second step. The phosphorusdoped n-type Ge layers were grown at 500 °C with a thickness of ~0.61 µm in the third step. The surface morphology of the n-Ge/i-Ge layer was mirror like and the n-Ge/i-Ge layer was under a tensile strain of ~0.071%. Current-voltage characteristics of the PIN LED indicated a reasonable reverse saturation current of 140 μA at −1V. Electroluminescence characteristics showed a shift of the direct band gap to lower energies based on the depending of maximum peak position on the injection current. The direct band gap of the tensile-strained LEDs was found to be 0.746 eV.


Some salts have been recently shown to decrease the sum frequency generation (SFG) intensity of the hydrogen-bonded water molecules, but a quantitative explanation is still awaited. Here, we report a similar trend for the chloride salts of monovalent cations, that is, LiCl, NaCl, and CsCl, at low concentrations. Specifically, we revealed not only the specific adsorption of cations at the water surface but also the concentration-dependent effect of ions on the SFG response of the interfacial water molecules. Our thin-film pressure balance (TFPB) measurements (stabilized by 10 mM of methyl isobutyl carbinol) enabled the determination of the surface potential that governs the surface electric field affecting interfacial water dipoles. The use of the special alcohol also enabled us to identify a remarkable specific screening effect of cations on the surface potential. We explained the concentration dependency by considering the direct ion-water interactions and water reorientation under the influence of surface electric field as the two main contributors to the overall SFG signal of the hydrogen-bonded water molecules. Although the former was dominant only at the low-concentration range, the effect of the latter intensified with increasing salt concentration, leading to the recovery of the band intensity at medium concentrations. We discussed the likelihood of a correlation between the effect of ions on reorientation dynamics of water molecules and the broad-band intensity drop in the SFG spectra of salt solutions. We proposed a mechanism for the cation-specific effect through the formation of an ionic capacitance at the solution surface. It explains how cations could impart the ion specificity while they are traditionally believed to be repelled from the interfacial region. The electrical potential of this capacitance varies with the charge separation and ion density at the interface. The charge separation being controlled by the polarizability difference between anions and cations was identified using the SFG response of the interfacial water molecules as an indirect probe. The ion density being affected by the absolute polarizability of ions was tracked through the measurement of the surface potentials and Debye-Hückel lengths using the TFPB technique.