Aim: To explore Mexican American men and women9s opinions of what would be the content and structure of informative and effective decision aids for colorectal cancer (CRC) that would optimize decision making of preventative measures and screening procedures. Methods: A qualitative study consisting of 5 focus groups (3 of women and 2 of men) was conducted. The criteria for eligibility consisted of being 50 years or older, El Paso county resident, Hispanic, and fluent in English. All focus groups were held at the University of Texas at El Paso and lasted on average 1 hour. Upon arrival, participants were asked to sign a consent form stating their voluntarily participation and completed a demographic questionnaire. After each focus group session, participants were debriefed and received a $20 gift certificate. A trained moderator led each focus group session, using as a guide a set of questions previously established by the team of researchers. All focus group sessions were recorded with the consent of all participants and kept confidential. All recordings were transcribed by two different assistants and evaluated to find major themes and sub‐themes. The transcriptions and themes were then entered into the program ATLAS.ti 5.2. A coding framework was developed based on the participants9 comments. Broad topics and salient points were identified to evaluate overlapping themes. Results: A total of 23 individuals participated in the focus groups. The majority of the participants (73.9%) were married women, almost half were employed (43.5%), and more than a third had some college training (40%). There were 6 major themes found across focus group sessions: current knowledge, barriers, external controls, desired information, decision aid tools, and elements of persuasion. We found that not only participants lacked education about CRC and screenings but across focus groups, participants had some misleading information such as Hispanics are not at risk for CRC, men are more prone to CRC, CRC isnot hereditary, and CRC cannot be diagnosed on its early stages. Furthermore, participants shared, based on their past experience, various means to communicate and educate the community in an effective manner. Conclusion: In spite of the large body of information on CRC and screening, there were many misconceptions and lack of meaningful knowledge across focus groups. However, faith, fate, and family play a large role as decision aid tools in getting screened. Perhaps, future studies might focus their efforts on one or all three components. Furthermore, networks of family and friends seem effective dissemination tools to advocate CRC screening. These networks would be efficient in dissipating misinformation and reducing fear of procedures with the accurate information. Furthermore, according to their suggestions, several decision aid tools should be incorporated and presented together as one large and more comprehensive decision aid tool to help individuals make informed decisions. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B10.


Purpose To retrospectively analyze the clinical data of large samples of YAG laser posterior capsulotomy, and to explore the influencing factors of time from cataract surgery to YAG laser capsulotomy (TFCSTLC), so as to provide reference for the occurrence and treatment of real-world posterior capsular opacification (PCO). Methods 1093 patients (1093 eyes) with PCO who underwent YAG laser posterior capsulotomy from 2014 to 2019 in the largest eye center of northwest China were analyzed retrospectively. The gender, age, systemic complications, material, and design of intraocular lens (IOL) and TFCSTLC were recorded. The test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were applied to analyze and compare the average TFCSTLC values under different factors, and the relationship between each factor and TFCSTLC was analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results The average TFCSTLC was 19.2 (range, 7.9 ∼ 31.2) months. There were significant statistical differences in TFCSTLC among the implanted single focus versus multifocal IOLs (P < 0.001), diabetic versus non-diabetic patients (P < 0.001), high myopia versus non-high myopia patients (P = 0.003). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that TFCSTLC was negatively correlated in patients with diabetes mellitus versus with no history of diabetes mellitus (coefficient, −5.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], −8.30 to −2.41; P < 0 .001), and multifocal IOL versus a single focus IOL implanted (coefficient, −5.56 ; 95% CI, −9.01 to −2.11; P = 0.002). Conclusions TFCSTLC may be affected by many factors in the real world. The YAG laser posterior capsulotomy time was sooner in patients with a history of diabetes mellitus and multifocal IOL implanted.


In this study of the relationship between the natural landscape and human storytelling, Phillip Round brings together a century of stories produced in and about California's Imperial Valley, a 6,000-square-mile desert region along the borders of Mexico and Arizona. One of America's driest and most barren areas, the Imperial Valley was transformed at the beginning of the twentieth century when irrigation made it an agricultural oasis. The story neither begins nor ends there, however.In Round's investigation of storytelling in this valley, he finds a wide range of styles and subjects, from tales credited with establishing a "desert aesthetic" movement in America, to stories that mythologized desert reclamation as America's moral imperative, from memoirs of dustbowl refugees, Japanese-Americans, and Chicanos, to the migration stories of Native peoples.Round's analysis of the relationship between the regional and the national, the personal and the political, the romantic and the real in western American literature provides readers with a new vantage point from which to view such twenty-first century challenges in the West as illegal immigration, ecological disaster, scientific innovation, and cultural displacement.


New sensors are required to be small, cheap, and smart. This paper deals with intelligent sensors embedded in a single chip: a VHDL model of an IEEE1451.2 Smart Sensor is proposed to obtain a portable STIM block suitable for customizable compact solutions and allowing low-cost, large-scale production. In order to evaluate performances of the proposed model, working prototypes have been built and some tests have been carried out in a real case (chemical detection sensors). The proposed VHDL model has been compared with traditional, software-based, microcontroller solutions showing that a timing performance improvement greater than 50% can be obtained. Finally, to exemplify effectiveness of a portable VHDL model, a single-chip sensor with USB interface and integrated IEEE1451 structures has been realized and experimentally characterized


A 59-year-old male patient with local sinus tract formation due to residual foreign body was admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University College of Medicine on December 17, 2018. The examination showed that the residual foreign body was the component of a sticky cloth implanted when the patient underwent appendectomy 27 years ago. Hypertrophic scar developed at the right-lower abdominal incision for appendectomy 23 years ago and the secondary infection after cicatrectomy resulted in non-healing of the wound. The chronic refractory wound healed completely after surgical treatment in our hospital after this admission. The postoperative pathological examination revealed local inflammatory granuloma. This case suggests that chronic refractory wound is likely to form when secondary infection occurs following the surgical procedure near the implant, and aggressive surgery is an effective way to solve this problem.


Purpose – This article aims to underline that Generation Y have specific traits, needs and expectations and that it is vital that organizations understand these when looking to engage and support them and support in their development.Design/methodology/approach – The article deals with defining who Generation Y are – how they behave and what motivates them. Based on these insights, it then explores what this means for an organization's culture, its working environment, the learning and development methods it deploys plus its overall management and especially its leadership.Findings – The paper explains how understanding what motivates Generation Y and accommodating this does not require huge amounts of extra effort, just a different way of thinking and will increase their performance within companies and ultimately corporate success.Originality/value – Engaging and developing Generation Y employees may seem like an onerous task. The paper shows that it is not about pandering to them but about eliminating ...


This study aimed to analyze whether the relationship between regional and whole-body fat-free mass (FFM) and strength is related to FFM distribution and area according to limb involvement. Thirty well-trained male young adults underwent one-repetition maximum test (1RM) to assess the strength in arm curl (AC), bench press (BP), seated row (SR), leg press 45° (LP45), knee extension (KE), and leg curl (LC). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to evaluate FFM. The values for 1RM in AC, BP, and R correlated to FFM in upper limb (R2 = 0.69, 0.84 and 0.75), without an effect of appendicular mass index (API) or area. For 1RM in KE, the correlation with FFM in lower limb increased with thigh area (R2 = 0.56), whereas 1RM in LC and LP45 correlation to whole-body FFM increased with API (R2 = 0.64 and 0.49). The upper limb's FFM may be reliable for indexing the arms and upper trunk strengths, whereas the relationships between FFM and strength in lower limb improve as muscle mass and thigh area increases between subjects.


We analyse the stellar populations in the host galaxies of 53 X-ray selected optically dull active galactic nuclei (AGN) at 0.34 10^10.5 M_sun) and that the observed fraction of galaxies hosting an AGN increases with the stellar mass. A careful selection of random control samples of inactive galaxies allows us to remove the stellar mass and redshift dependencies of the AGN fraction to explore trends with several stellar age indicators. We find no significant differences in the distribution of the rest-frame U-V colour for AGN hosts and inactive galaxies, in agreement with previous results. However, we find significantly shallower 4000 AA breaks in AGN hosts, indicative of younger stellar populations. With the help of a model-independent determination of the extinction, we obtain extinction-corrected U-V colours and light-weighted average stellar ages. We find that AGN hosts have younger stellar populations and higher extinction compared to inactive galaxies with the same stellar mass and at the same redshift. We find a highly significant excess of AGN hosts with Dn(4000)~1.4 and light weighted average stellar ages of 300-500 Myr, as well as a deficit of AGN in intrinsic red galaxies. We interpret failure in recognising these trends in previous studies as a consequence of the balancing effect in observed colours of the age-extinction degeneracy.


The thermal emission of strongly magnetized neutron-star atmospheres is thought to be highly polarized. However, because of the different orientations of the magnetic field over the surface of the neutron star (NS), it is commonly assumed that the net observed polarization will be significantly reduced as the polarization from different regions will cancel each other. We show that the birefringence of the magnetized QED vacuum decouples the polarization modes in the magnetosphere: therefore, the direction of the polarization follows the direction of the magnetic field up to a large distance from the stellar surface. At this distance, the rays that leave the surface and are destined for our detectors pass through only a small solid angle: consequently, the polarization direction of the emission originating in different regions will tend to align together. The net observed polarization of the thermal radiation of NSs should therefore be very large. Measurement of this polarization will be the first direct evidence of the birefringence of the magnetized vacuum due to QED and a direct probe of behavior of the vacuum at magnetic fields of order of and above the critical QED field of 4.4 x 10 13 G. The large observable polarization will also help us learn more about the atmospheric properties of NSs.


Recessive X-linked ichthyosis (RXLI) has its biochemical basis in a defect of the enzyme steroid sulfatase. Since several studies have reported a simultaneous deficiency of arylsulfatase C and steroid sulfatase it has been hypothesized that both enzymes are identical. In human hair follicles, however, hydrolytic activity for 4-methylumbelliferone sulfate, the substrate for arylsulfatase C, is found, while dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate is not hydrolyzed at all. These findings suggested the possible existence of two different enzymes. In the present paper structure-activity studies and molecular energy calculations are used for the demonstration that the remaining sulfatase activity in hair follicles of RXLI patients can be explained on the basis of the assumption that the enzyme has not lost its total function but has become less efficient.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the current clinical presentation of complete (CHM) and partial (PHM) hydatidiform mole in a Swedish setting.

STUDY DESIGN
A retrospective analysis of medical charts from 331 women with hydatidiform mole (HM) between 1991 and 2010 was performed. Demographics and clinical features were analyzed, and symptoms in women with CHM were compared to those from a historic group (1988 to 1993) from the New England Trophoblastic Disease Center.

RESULTS
In women with CHM, bleeding was more common than in women with PHM (57% vs. 41%, p < 0.001) but significantly less common as compared to the historic group (84%). Women with CHM and PHM were diagnosed before the onset of symptoms in 32% and 53%, respectively, compared to the previously reported 10% (p < 0.001). There was a significantly higher proportion of women 240 years of age with CHM than with PHM (23% vs. 7%). Ultrasound predicted the molar diagnosis in 73% of CHMs and 35% of PHMs (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION
In our study a large proportion of molar pregnancies were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. This confirms earlier reports of the changing clinical presentation of HM and shows that this trend continues. Age, ultrasound findings and hCG levels can add valuable information.


The process of CNC incremental forming is suitable for small-lot production of thin shell parts, since a variety of forming configurations can be realized by changing only the tool-path contour. A suitable tool-path schedule has been found for cylindrical shell having non-uniform wall-thickness, but has not been illuminated previously for those having uniform wall-thickness. In order to produce the cylindrical shell having uniform wall-thickness, a new tool-path schedule in which a cylindrical shell is formed from a flat blank by means of conical stretch-expanding with a single tool-path at first stage and subsequent incremental forming with parallel multi tool-path at second stage is proposed and its possibility is experimentally investigated using blanks of 1100 commercially pure aluminum sheet. It is found that the cylindrical shell having uniform wall-thickness could be formed from the aluminum blank by means of the proposed tool-path schedule. Experimental results also shows that the success of the process depends much on the condition of moving direction of tool at the second stage.


This paper aims to analyze the technical efficiency of the Brazilian food and beverage industry post productive restructuring, under the hypothesis that for- eign firms would be more efficient than the Brazilian ones. The analytical framework for efficiency was Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Tobit model. DEA only measures the "relative" technical efficiency; that is to say that there is evidence of huge variance in technical efficiency, but we cannot conclude that the absolute level of efficiency is low. It was observed that the companies with high efficiency levels were those with the highest volume of sales. Thus, efficiency was not determined only by the nationality of the firms, since the possibility of the accomplishment of profitable businesses, mainly in association with great retail networks, could be indicated as a determinant for greater efficiency. As for the determinants of ef - ficiency, it was observed that a proper financial administration, characterized by a good use of investments within these companies, was the main factor responsible for an improvement in performance.


A major limitation of using synthetic scaffolds in tissue engineering applications is insufficient angiogenesis in scaffold interior. Bioactive borate glasses have been shown to promote angiogenesis. There is a need to investigate the biofabrication of polymer composites by incorporating borate glass to increase the angiogenic capacity of the fabricated scaffolds. In this study, we investigated the bioprinting of human adipose stem cells (ASCs) with a polycaprolactone (PCL)/bioactive borate glass composite. Borate glass at the concentration of 10 to 50 weight %, was added to a mixture of PCL and organic solvent to make an extrudable paste. ASCs suspended in Matrigel were ejected as droplets using a second syringe. Scaffolds measuring 10 x 10 x 1 mm3 in overall dimensions with pore sizes ranging from 100 - 300 μm were fabricated. Degradation of the scaffolds in cell culture medium showed a controlled release of bioactive glass for up to two weeks. The viability of ASCs printed on the scaffold was investigated during the same time period. This 3D bioprinting method shows a high potential to create a bioactive, highly angiogenic three-dimensional environment required for complex and dynamic interactions that govern the cell's behavior in vivo.


Kasai operation is widely performed for biliary atresia (BA), as it improves the prognosis. Biliary tract cancer has rarely been reported as a complication after Kasai operation. A 17‐year‐old man underwent liver transplantation for progressive jaundice and liver dysfunction after Kasai operation for BA. A macroscopic examination of the explanted liver revealed a 3.6‐cm‐diameter mass in the hilus of the explanted liver. The tumor consisted of an atypical proliferation of glandular cells in the collagenous stroma. The differential diagnosis included a florid ductular reaction and primary adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the glandular cells were diffusely positive for IGF2BP3 and S100P, but negative for CDX2. A diagnosis of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma arising from the liver hilus was made. To our knowledge, this is the third case of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma after Kasai operation for BA. The previously reported cases had a poor prognosis, but the current case did not recur during a 15‐year follow‐up. Cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma can occur as a late complication of BA after Kasai operation, and early detection and liver transplantation may improve the prognosis.


To the Editors of THE CLASSICAL REVIEW. SIRS,—My friend Dr. J. M. Keegan, R.A.M.C., has suggested to me that the moulding of the abdominal region of the ' Venus' of Milo points to imperfect uterine contraction, thus showing that a child had but recently been born, and he would reconstruct the statue as holding an infant up in its arms. This view is, as far as I know, new; he would explain the robe, so uncomfortably and restlessly on the point of slipping down, as so arranged to display the muscular study ; though, at first thought, the hypothesis that the figure grasped with its left hand the top of a shield, the bottom of which rested on the robe on the projecting left thigh, would seem more satisfactory. The question of date remains, from what I make of it, as obscure as ever.—I am, Sirs, yours, etc.,


Federated Generative Adversarial Network (FedGAN) is a communication-efficient approach to train a GAN across distributed clients without clients having to share their sensitive training data. In this paper, we experimentally show that FedGAN generates biased data points under non-independent-and-identically-distributed (non-iid) settings. Also, we propose Bias-Free FedGAN, an approach to generate bias-free synthetic datasets using FedGAN. Bias-Free FedGAN has the same communication cost as that of FedGAN. Experimental results on image datasets (MNIST and FashionMNIST) validate our claims.


A survey of the incidence in Western Australia of amblyopia assessed through the school vision screening programme and Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) eye clinics shows the figure to be 0.12%, being new cases detected in primary school children each year. Occlusion methods of treatment for amblyopia acceptable in the younger age-group are much less tolerated by both parents and child in the school-age group. The PMH series involving 240 children between the ages of four and 12 years showed that an amblyopic eye with macula or paramacula fixation can be successfully treated up to the age of 10 years without constant occlusion. Also, eccentric fixation can be cured up to the 7th birthday, but no alternative has been found for the mandatory constant occlusion. Medical, developmental and behavioural problems can influence the management and response in the four to twelve-year-old child; if these are not recognized and the child treated as a whole during the critical stages of natural development of the visual system, these children can be left with an unnecessary visual disadvantage for the next 70 years of their life.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Flower resources are prerequisites for survival and reproduction of aphidophagous hoverflies adults. It is, therefore, necessary to evaluate their foraging behavior with regards to different flowering species in order to utilize hoverflies to enhance conservation biological control (CBC) of aphids.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The foraging behavior of the female hoverfly, Sphaerophoria macrogaster (Thomson) was observed in coriander (Coriandrum sativum Linnaeus) and blue salvia (Salvia farinacea Bentham) flower patches using a focal sampling method combined with continuous recording. The sequences and durations of all foraging bouts were recorded during the residence of observed S. macrogaster in each flower patch.

RESULTS
Significantly more transitions from searching to assessment of flowers were noted in coriander than in blue salvia flower patches (χ2 = 4.55, p<0.05). However, approaching to probing transitions were significantly more frequent in blue salvia than in coriander flower patches (χ2 = 9.59, p<0.05). Foragers showed significantly prolonged inter plant movement but shorter probing durations in coriander flower patches. Of interest, total duration of time spent in patches by S. macrogaster did not differ significantly between coriander and blue salvia.

CONCLUSION
Results from the present study illustrated that both flowering plant species were apparently attractive to Sphaerophoria macrogaster females but these foragers preferred coriander flowers. This finding may form the basis of flower selection in and around the crop fields for enhancement of this aphidophagous natural enemy to maximize the biological control of aphids.


A first-year undergraduate course in Information Systems in a South African university includes an opportunity for students to reflect on their own use of information and personal information systems. Their reflections provide data about the technologies and tools that they use to find and manage everyday life information, as well as academic information, and about the sources of information they draw on. This paper analyses data collected over three years and reports on the dominant technologies and information sources that students use. We then adapt the ecological model of information seeking and use developed by Williamson (1998) to make sense of the diversity of information sources and students' choices in engaging with them. The results show that students rely to a very small degree on traditional university information sources. The study offers insights into the information contexts and behaviour of students and argues for the importance of a flexible range of information sources to support students in the complex process of managing information for academic success. The results will be of interest to those involved in designing and delivering undergraduate programmes, as well as those providing information services and infrastructures.


Humans and other animals routinely identify and attend to sensory stimuli so as to rapidly acquire rewards or avoid aversive experiences. Emotional arousal, a process mediated by the amygdala, can enhance attention to stimuli in a non-spatial manner. However, amygdala neural activity was recently shown to encode spatial information about reward-predictive stimuli, and to correlate with spatial attention allocation. If representing the motivational significance of sensory stimuli within a spatial framework reflects a general principle of amygdala function, then spatially selective neural responses should also be elicited by sensory stimuli threatening aversive events. Recordings from amygdala neurons were therefore obtained while monkeys directed spatial attention towards stimuli promising reward or threatening punishment. Neural responses encoded spatial information similarly for stimuli associated with both valences of reinforcement, and responses reflected spatial attention allocation. The amygdala therefore may act to enhance spatial attention to sensory stimuli associated with rewarding or aversive experiences. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04478.001


The object-oriented paradigm has been used extensively both in CASE tools for modeling and design of distributed real-time systems as well as in software tools for developing supervisory control systems. Supervisory tools are very useful in the context of real-time industrial automation systems. Recent researches prove that the use of object-orientation paradigm in the development of these systems tend to produce better-structured and more reusable programs. This paper analyses, using case studies, some of the widely used commercial tools for modeling and supervisory control generation. After that, some case studies using the analyzed tools are reported and finally a proposal of an integrated object-oriented environment for application development and monitoring is made. This work is part of an ongoing research project that has been developed at the Industrial Automation Lab. of Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.


We studied among-individual variation in developmental instability (DI) and fitness-related parameters in 80 individual plants of Fucus vesiculosus (Phaeophyta). To minimize differential environmental effects, plants were sampled from one environmentally homogenous population. DI was measured as fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of four bilaterally symmetric traits (branch length, receptacle length and width, and bladder width) for an average total of 30 structures per individual. FA levels varied significantly among individual plants, consistent with a coefficient of variation of 0.12 for organism-wide DI or 0.13–0.21 for trait-specific DI. These values are lower than estimates for other organisms, suggesting that the genetic heterogeneity in DI was low. The data provide some evidence for organism-wide DI, but simulations show that organism-wide and trait-specific variation cannot be conclusively separated. Growth rate of branch tips was determined experimentally, demonstrating significant variation among individuals. FA was not significantly correlated with growth rate or with morphological variables associated with fecundity, age, size, and health. At the same time, the signs of all the correlation coefficients were consistent with the expectation of a negative relationship between DI and fitness. The simulations indicated that the correlation between FA and the underlying DI was comparatively strong (high hypothetical repeatability), implying that the lack of significant associations between FA and fitness variables reflected a weak relationship between DI and these fitness parameters. This weak relationship may be related to the low amount of DI variation in the study population. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 92, 277–286.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship of uric acid levels in the last one year with exitus due to heart failure (HF) with clinical and demographic data of patients.

STUDY DESIGN
Cross-sectional, descriptive study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY
Bilecik State Hospital, Bilecik, Turkey, from January 2019 to January 2020.

METHODOLOGY
The files of 90 people who had exitus due to HF were scanned retrospectively. Demographic data and echocardiography results were recorded. Serum uric acid levels were noted in the 2nd month, 6th month, and 12th month by taking the baseline in the last year before exitus. Mean repeated measurements of uric acid levels that changed over time in patients were compared with ANOVA variance analysis. P <0.05 were accepted as statistically significant.

RESULTS
The mean of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of the patients was 35.6±6.6%. Mean serum uric acid levels of the patients for one year before excitus were 5.6±2.2 mg/dL (baseline), 6.1±2.3 mg/dL (2th month), 7.1±2.6 mg/dL (6th month), 8.5±3.0 mg/dL (12th month) respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the basal uric acid mean with the 6th and 12th month uric acid levels both p <0.001. Age and LVEF were not significantly associated with the uric acid increase over time (p=0.250 and p=0.327, respectively) but were statistically different according to gender (p=0.036).

CONCLUSION
In heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), the uric acid level increases progressively towards the last periods before exitus. This increase is more pronounced in men. Key Words: Heart failure, Serum uric acid levels, Prognosis, Gender.


Automated, unattended camera systems used for various transportation applications such as toll collection and photo enforcement need to capture high quality images in a variety of outdoor scenarios. In particular, they need to remain functional in low ambient illumination conditions (nighttime and cloudy day situations) to enable identification of objects or persons involved in incidents being monitored or extracting relevant information. Over time, for installed camera systems in the field, several problems can develop, such as external flash unit failures, focus drifts, and exposure issues. Thus, it is important to periodically monitor the nighttime images/videos taken by the camera system to ensure nominal functionality. However, due to constantly changing scene elements, it is not practical to compare a historical reference image with an identical scene against current camera output to detect problems. To address this, we present image quality metrics that can be extracted without a nominal reference image and can be used to characterize these problems. These can be incorporated into algorithms that can enable automated camera diagnostics for intelligent transportation systems.


Multi-agent systems (MAS) have long been envisioned as a key enabling technology in manufacturing, but this promise is yet to be realized: the lack of proper models, architectures, tooling, and the high level of expertise required for designing and programming agent-based manufacturing systems have hindered their large-scale acceptance. The emerging Web of Things (WoT), now being standardized at the W3C and IETF, provides new research opportunities that could help MAS enter the mainstream. In this paper, we present an approach to design scalable and flexible agent-based manufacturing systems that integrates automated planning with multi-agent oriented programming for the WoT: autonomous agents synthesize production plans using semantic descriptions of Web-based artifacts and coordinate with one another via multi-agent organizations; engineers can program and repurpose the systems on the fly via an intuitive Web user interface. The systems use the Web as an application architecture (and not just as a transport layer), which facilitates the seamless integration of geographically distributed production cells. To demonstrate our approach, we implemented a prototypical production cell that uses industry-grade robots and an augmented reality interface for human workers. Together, these contributions demonstrate a means to achieve an intriguing vision for the forthcoming fourth industrial revolution: a global collective intelligence for manufacturing.


Muhammad Salim Pajri. 14111330143. THE APPLICATION OF SPEED READING AT INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (A Case Study of Qualitative Research in One of Senior High School at Majalengka)
Reading is the important things in education, because people can get knowledge and information from reading. Without reading people cannot absorb many sciences. Here, the researcher use speed reading technique as the tool of analyzing to know the learning and teaching process at intermediate level. Moreover, the aims of this research are (1). To know the teaching and learning process of speed reading. (2). To know students' attitude towards teaching and learning speed reading. (3). To know overcome of the difficulties of speed reading. Theoretically, is regarding to the reading area, especially in the reading comprehension by using speed reading technique. Practically, the researcher will analyze of speed reading in one of Senior High School at Majalengka which has benefit for teacher to know students' ability in school.
The research finding and discussion told about the teaching and learning process of speed reading at intermediate level. There are three activities of speed reading techniques. (1) Preparation Activity: teacher begins with greetings, deliver material and prepare students by warming up to focuss in learning process. (2) Core Activity: teacher teaches all the materials of speed reading. (3) Follow-up Activity: teacher gives exercise as the activity to know students score of speed reading test.
The result of the analysis shows there are 5 students' attitude towards teaching and learning speed reading. then, the finding shows that (1). Students' feeling towards teaching and learning using speed reading in general: students like speed reading then also comfortable. (2). Students' feeling towards the process of teaching and learning speed reading: they get comprehension of this technique. (3). Students' difficulties in learning using speed reading: there are unfamiliar word on athe text. (4). Students' feeling towards their comprehension in learning using speed reading: they get purpose in speed reading learning. (5). Students' motivation in learning using speed reading: they can read books in fast time.
It was found the overcome of difficulties of speed reading technique they are the process of the teaching speed reading and response the students' response towards it, difficulties, disadvantages and teaching using speed reading technique and the result, usefulness, critics, and suggestions of teaching using speed reading technique.
From the research that has been done, it can be concluded that there is way to apply speed reading by using steps of speed reading. From this technique will increase students' ability in reading process. It can help students to read fast and efficient time.
Keywords: Reading Comprehension, Speed Reading, Intermediate Level


OBJECTIVE
Describing the occurrence of dental caries in preschool children from the Boquilla neighbourhood in Cartagena and relating it to risk factors reported in the medical literature.

METHODS
The sample consisted of 238 preschool children aged 3 to 5. Average age was 4.1. Regarding gender, there were 116 boys and 122 girls. The children were individually selected in a probabilistic way, bearing in mind the size of the population from the chosen educational institution; a questionnaire and clinical instrument were used. The data was analysed according to outcome using Odd ratios for bivariate analysis and logistical regression for multivariable analysis.

RESULTS
Caries prevalence was 60 %, mainly occurring amongst 5 year old children. The major risk factors observed were parents having not progressed to more than secondary level studies and a background of caries. A 26.6 OR was obtained at the moment of adjusting the logistical regression estimators for having a background of caries, 3.37 OR for daily candy consumption and 2.17 OR for non-exposure to fluorides.

CONCLUSIONS
The presence of caries in this population could be explained by means of the three associated risk factors mentioned above. This evidence may become changed when other circumstances, moments and places are involved in children having the same characteristics.


Mycobacterium marinum is a slow-growing atypical mycobacterium. It is a photochromogen; when exposed to light, it produces yellow pigment. In humans, it manifests as a localized granuloma or sporotrichotic lymphangitis. Patients at risk include anglers (commercial, recreational), oyster workers, swimmers, aquarium workers, and individuals with aquariums in their homes. Herein, we report a case of a Mycobacterium marinum infection which was misdiagnosed because there was no histopathological evidence of acid-fast bacilli and the slow growth rate in cultures.


Developing countries commonly adopt reforms to improve their governments yet they usually fail to produce more functional and effective governments. In this book Matt Andrews argues that reforms often fail to make governments better because unrealistic initiatives do not fit developing country contexts and are not considered relevant by implementing agents. Maria Kuecken finds this is a must-read that makes a substantial contribution to the field of institutional reform.


Olfactory abilities are crucial in the development and maintenance of alcoholism, but while they have been widely explored in other psychiatric states, little is known concerning this sensorial modality among alcoholics. The present study explored the brain correlates of the olfaction deficit in alcoholism. Ten alcoholics and ten matched controls took part in psychophysical and electrophysiological olfactory testing. At behavioural level, we showed odor identification deficits in alcoholism, for orthonasal and retronasal testing. Electrophysiological data showed abnormalities (in latency and amplitude) for N1 and P2 olfactory components among alcoholics, which constitutes the first description of the cerebral correlates of olfactory impairments in alcoholism. This deficit appears associated with alterations in the brain structures responsible for the secondary, "cognitive" processing of odors. These results underline the need to take into account olfactory deficits in clinical practice and in studies exploring brain correlates of craving by means of alcohol odors. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


The Purpose of this study was to examine the difference in perception among parents of Preschoolers, parents of school aged children, teachers of child care centers and elementary school teachers regarding testing on the level of preparation for attending elementary school. Firstly, the results of the study revealed that elementary school teachers had notions regarding the level of preparation for entering school that were more specific than day care teachers and parents. Second, it was shown that effort and a sense of responsibility were most important for the improvement of the level of preparation for elementary school level studies. Third, the results of this study revealed that many respondents thought that there needs to be some form of testing of the level of preparation for school and the respondents further stated that this testing needed to be conducted by child care center teachers or experts in the field. Finally, it was shown that such a test of the level of preparation for school attendance should be developed by including questions on different areas of the intelligence, adaptability, function, tendencies and regulations in relation to the needs of preschoolers.


Preface 1 Introduction 2 Basic Statistics 3 Prediction and Interpolation 4 Characterizing Spatial Processes: The Covariance and Variogram 5 Modelling the Variogram 6 Reliability of the Experimental Variogram and Nested Sampling 7 Spectral Analysis 8 Local Estimation or Prediction: Kriging 9 Kriging in the Presence of Trend and Factorial Kriging 10 Cross-Correlation, Coregionalization and Cokriging 11 Disjunctive Kriging 12 Stochastic Simulation (new file) Appendix A Appendix B References Index


Following neurological trauma the evaluation of locomotion characteristics and quality are integral aspects for the proper allocation of therapy dosage and evolution of therapy strategy. With a suitable system for quantifying gait characteristics, strain on limited medical resources may be alleviated. Present standard devices for gait quantification incorporate optical sensors, EMG, electrogoniometers, ground reaction force sensors, footswitch stride analyzers, and metabolic energy expenditure devices. The present standard devices for gait quantification have inherent limitations. These devices are generally confined to a clinical environment, such as a gait evaluation laboratory. There are spatial constraints, line of sight requirements, and specialization issues for the operation of the present gait quantification systems. An alternative solution for quantitatively evaluating gait involves the incorporation of wireless 3D MEMS accelerometers. Wireless 3D MEMS accelerometers are attributed as light weight with minimal intrusion on the gait cycle. An expansion of autonomy is possible with wireless 3D MEMS accelerometers for gait quantification, as the system can be applied to real world conditions, such as a home based setting, beyond the confines of a laboratory environment. Specialization issues are reduced by positioning the wireless 3D MEMS accelerometers to a standard and readily identifiable anatomical anchor. Initial test and evaluation of the wireless 3D MEMS accelerometer system is conducted in a home based setting.


The paper presents a small patch antenna with a folded patch feed and double shorting walls. In order to enhance the impedance bandwidth further, an additional aperture is introduced on the upper patch. The proposed antenna exhibits a measured impedance bandwidth of more than 70% for VSWR/spl les/2. It is applicable to modern wireless applications.


Considering great demands for the energy as inside also outside Kosovo, it is very necessary to open the mine of Sibovc for coal exploitation, for existing thermo-plants, as well as for those which will be built in future in order to have a stable economic development. The exploitation of the coal in surface mines especially in our mines it is a problem that requires professional and scientific approach, since not recognizing this problem often has resulted with sequences in the term of material. In this context, thankfully to the technological revolution, today is possible to use a range of methods for the slope stability calculations. We use these methods, too, mainly for the purpose of defining geotechnical safety at the border slope systems as well as at the advance slope systems Taking into account all geological – engineering data, including tectonic movements, surface and underground water, seismic factors etc. Today there are a lot of contemporary approaches, development and improvement of which enable input of all geological – engineering data (geo mechanical parameters) in order to analyze and design slopes in generally.


During two decades encompassing three epochal events - the collapse of European communism in 1989, NATO membership in 1999, and accession to the European Union in 2004 - the legal system of Poland has emerged with remarkable maturity and stability. In an exemplary blend of its democratic heritage from the era between the World Wars, proven effective legislation from the communist era, and the vibrant 1997 Constitution, Polish law dramatically reflects new social, economic and political realities. With eleven lucid chapters written by fifteen academic experts from the Warsaw University School of Law and Administration, each in his or her respective field of law, this deeply informed but succinct and practical volume is the ideal starting point for research whenever a question of Polish law arises. The authors clearly explain the legal concepts, customs and rules surrounding such essential elements as the following: principles and practices of constitutional law; administrative law and procedure; civil procedure; courts and special judicial bodies; judicial review; enforcement of foreign judgments; family, succession and inheritance matters; formation and conduct of corporations and partnerships; contract formation, interpretation and termination; environmental protection; harmonizing Polish economic law with EU standards; competition law and regulatory framework of market processes; special regulation of energy, telecommunications and financial markets; copyrights, patents, utility models and industrial designs; licence agreements; the labour relationship and types of employment contracts; and criminal law and procedure. Each chapter includes its own detailed bibliography. English-speaking legal practitioners and academics have here an ideal introduction to the basic institutions, principles and rules of Polish law. Encompassing all the major fields of legal practice, "Introduction to Polish Law" provides an essential understanding of the Polish legal system, so that users can become familiar with law and legal processes in Poland and pursue further research on specific Polish legal matters. Practitioners will find it of great value for both counselling and courtroom use.


This article examines the patterns of history-writing in Geoffrey Keating's retellings of the tales from the Ulster cycle in Foras Feasa ar Éirinn. The study illustrates how Keating's familiarity with Irish medieval sources, his clerical education, which placed considerable emphasis on rhetoric, and his awareness of the English and continental traditions of history-writing, influenced the composition of the fragment of Foras Feasa ar Éirinn dedicated to the tales from the Ulster cycle. The author shows that in this fragment Keating tended to apply native narrative strategies more. As regards authorial intentions, Keating used the selected tales from the Ulster cycle as exempla of sin and its drastic consequences, which may explain his particular interest in the death tales.


Background:Gastroenteritis is the inflammation in gastric and small intestinal mucosal membrane indicated by the symptoms as diarrhea, nausea, vomit and light fever accompanied by appetite loss and uneasy feeling in the stomach. Gastroenteritis in infants is caused by several factors, including bacterial or viral infections, and food intolerance. This study aimed to investigate the associations of maternal care practices and immunization with the incidence of gastroenteritis among infants in North Tapanuli, North Sumatera.
Subjects and Method: This was a case control study conducted in North Tapanuli, North Sumatera. A sample of 94 infants aged 7 to 12 months was selected for this study, consisting of 47 infants with gastroenteritis and 47 infants without gastroenteritis. The dependent variable was gastroenteritis. The independent variables were maternal care practice(dietary and health) as well as immunization status. The data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by a multiple logistic regression model.
Results:The incidence of gastroenteritis in infants was associated with incorrect mater¬nal dietary care practice(OR=8.20; 95% CI=2.58 to 26.31; p<0.001), improper maternal health care practice (OR=5.02; 95% CI= 1.54 to 16.32; p= 0.007), and absence of immunization (OR= 4.60; 95% CI= 3.42 to 15.96; p= 0.016).
Conclusion: Maternal dietary and health care practices and immunization are associated with the incidence of gastroenteritis among infants.

Keywords: gastroenteritis, dietary, health, maternal care practice, immunization, infant.


Organisational behaviour can be defined as the study of the 'structure, functioning and performance of organisations, and the behaviour of groups and individuals in those organisations'. There are two main reasons to study organisational behaviour: to investigate factors associated with the effectiveness and efficiency of organisations, and to investigate both how organisations affect the people who work in them and how workers affect organisations. "Organisational Psychology: Research and Professional Practice" brings together the research of 15 leading Australian and New Zealand researchers and educators to produce a research and professional practice textbook for postgradudate and undergraduate students of organisational psychology.


New approach to investigation of combustion engine technical state is vibroacoustics as a diagnostic tool. The main idea of vibroacoustics investigation is following the changes of vibration estimators as a result of engine maladjustment, waste, damages or its failure. Combustion engines technical state diagnostic investigations with use of vibration are very difficult and only few proposed methods could have wider technical use in diagnostics. The combustion engine No. 138C.2.048 with 1.4l. swept capacity, power 55 kW / 75 KM, generally applied to Fiat and Lancia is the investigation object. The engine is situated in the investigative laboratory of combustion engines in UTP Bydgoszcz. It makes possible to introduce generated vibration signals as well as the investigation of his adjustment influence on the combustion engine vibration signals change. As a validation of investigation results in this paper is shown presentation of Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) method. The SVD method is the appropriate tool for analysing a mapping from one vector space into another vector space, possibly with a different dimension. Thanks to SVD methods we could decide which symptom given in observation matrix is the best to recognize a set of combustion engine technical state. Relationships cause - consecutive expressing quantitative relation between studied variable symptoms results were qualified using the function of the multiple regression. Introduced in this paper results of investigations are only the part of realized investigative project and they do not describe wholes of the investigative question, only chosen aspects.


Elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are a hallmark of cancer progression and thus inhibition of ALP could serve as an effective approach against cancer. Herein, we developed a novel prodrug approach to tackle cancer that bears self-inhibiting alkaline phosphatase-responsiveness properties that can enhance at the same time the solubility of the parent compound. To probe this novel concept, we selected apigenin as the cytotoxic agent since we first unveiled, that it directly interacts and inhibits ALP activity. Consequently, we rationally designed and synthesized, using a self-immolative linker, an ALP responsive apigenin-based phosphate prodrug, phospho-apigenin. Phospho-apigenin markedly increased the stability of the parent compound apigenin. Furthermore, the prodrug exhibited enhanced antiproliferative effect in malignant cells with elevated ALP levels, compared to apigenin. This recorded potency of the developed prodrug was further confirmed in vivo where phospho-apigenin significantly suppressed by 52.8% the growth of PC-3 xenograft tumors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.


BACKGROUND
To characterise the association between demographic and clinical factors and levels of total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) and its molecular derivatives complexed PSA (cPSA), free PSA (fPSA) and the ratio of free to total PSA (%fPSA)] in New Zealand Maori, Pacific Islanders and Europeans, in order to determine whether reported ethnic differences in PSA can be explained by lifestyle and social factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Demographic and clinical factors were examined in relation to tPSA, fPSA and cPSA levels, in 1405 Maori, Pacific Island and New Zealand European men with no clinical evidence of prostate cancer, in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Any associations between levels of PSA and PSA derivatives and body mass index, smoking status, family cancer history, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory/vitamin supplement usage, number of sexual partners, age at first intercourse, previous vasectomy, marital/partnership status, educational level and socioeconomic status were investigated by backwards stepwise regression analysis, correcting for age, ethnicity and urinary symptoms.

RESULTS
Not being married/partnered was associated with increased tPSA, fPSA and cPSA. tPSA and cPSA decreased with regular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory use. cPSA was decreased in subjects with a first degree relative with any form of cancer. tPSA and fPSA were decreased if the body mass index was > 34. fPSA and %fPSA were decreased in current and former smokers.

CONCLUSION
Demographic and clinical factors appear to have a significant effect on levels of PSA and its various derivatives and may account for previously observed ethnic differences. It is important that these associations are taken into account when comparing individual PSA results with standard reference ranges.


Since the 2010 foot and mouth (FMD) epidemic, the Korean government has applied a FMD vaccination to pigs. A FMD vaccine is injected to pigs by intramuscular (IM) route. One of the drawbacks in FMD vaccine IM injection is that it would result in an abnormal meat on the injection spot. An abnormal meat due to FMD vaccine IM injection would cause economic loss to pig farmers. An intradermal (ID) injection would be an alternative method for FMD vaccination. The goal of current study was to compare the antibody formation rate between FMD vaccine IM injection and ID injection. The antibody formation rate was measured by the FMD serotype O vaccination percent inhibition (PI) value. In total 350 pigs (175 for FMD vaccine IM injection and 175 for FMD vaccine ID injection) were included in the study. In results, the PI values of FMD vaccine IM injection group were significantly higher than it of FMD vaccine ID injection group. However, the proportions of pigs with PI value was higher than 50, which is a legislative requirement for marketing pigs, for both FMD vaccine IM and ID injection groups at week 20 or 23 were not significantly different. The current results indicated that a FMD vaccine ID injection could be an alternative method of IM injection.


The engineering of advanced multicellular behaviors, such as the programmed growth of biofilms or tissues, requires cells to communicate multiple aspects of physiological information. Unfortunately, few cell-cell communication systems have been developed for synthetic biology. Here, we engineer a genetically-encoded channel selector device that enables a single communication system to transmit two separate intercellular conversations. Our design comprises multiplexer and demultiplexer sub-circuits constructed from a total of 12 CRISPRi-based transcriptional logic gates, an acyl homoserine lactone-based communication module, and three inducible promoters that enable small molecule control over the conversations. Experimentally-parameterized mathematical models of the sub-components predict the steady state and dynamical performance of the full system. Multiplexed cell-cell communication has applications in synthetic development, metabolic engineering, and other areas requiring the coordination of multiple pathways amongst a community of cells. One Sentence Summary We have engineered a synthetic genetic system that enables bacteria to have two separate conversations over a single chemical "wire" by separating the conversations in time.


ABSTRACT Here, we report the identification of a novel hydrolase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Ldh1p (systematic name, Ybr204cp) comprises the typical GXSXG-type lipase motif of members of the α/β-hydrolase family and shares some features with the peroxisomal lipase Lpx1p. Both proteins carry a putative peroxisomal targeting signal type1 (PTS1) and can be aligned with two regions of homology. While Lpx1p is known as a peroxisomal enzyme, subcellular localization studies revealed that Ldh1p is predominantly localized to lipid droplets, the storage compartment of nonpolar lipids. Ldh1p is not required for the function and biogenesis of peroxisomes, and targeting of Ldh1p to lipid droplets occurs independently of the PTS1 receptor Pex5p.


Ultraconserved elements (UCEs) are deoxyribonucleic acid sequences of at least 200 base pairs in length and perfectly conserved in human, mouse and rat genomes. Exonic UCEs are significantly associated with splicing regulator genes, whereas nonexonic UCEs are significantly associated with transcriptional regulator genes. UCEs are highly conserved among all jawed vertebrates, with primitive instances having originated in the ancestral vertebrate genome and subsequently constrained in jawed vertebrates. UCEs are under extreme purifying selection and are implicated in functions such as transcriptional enhancers, exons of noncoding ribonucleic acid transcripts, alternatively spliced 'poison cassette exons' and cryptic introns that regulate the expression of certain classes of proteins. UCEs may have maintained their perfect identity over a long period of evolution due to the layering of multiple functions on the same element and increased selective constraint.

Key Concepts:

Human genome contains ultraconserved elements (UCEs) that are 200 bp or longer and 100% identical in mouse and rat genomes.

The majority of UCEs were present in the last common ancestor of jawed vertebrates.

UCEs have experienced high purifying selection, possibly due to the 'multiplexing' of multiple functions on the same element.

UCEs are depleted among segmental duplications and copy number variants in the human genome.

UCEs may be protein-coding sequence, transcriptional enhancers, exons of noncoding RNA, alternatively spliced 'poison cassette exons' and/or adjacent flanking sequence of cryptic introns.

The majority of UCEs are transcribed as either protein-coding transcripts or ncRNA transcripts.

A fraction of transcribed UCEs are aberrantly expressed in human cancers. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in UCEs are associated with increased risk to human diseases.

Keywords:

ultraconserved element;
human genome;
purifying selection;
transcriptional enhancer;
poison cassette exon;
cryptic intron


In this paper we propose a programmable hardware architecture for real-time ray tracing, which can be programmed with arbitrary ray-object intersection tests, thus taking advantage of ray tracing's well known flexibility and potential Ray-object intersection calculations require 3D vectors and the usual linear algebra operations. Many of the algorithms also require branching, and looping through data; a Turing-complete processor is necessary to support any type of primitive. This processor is called ROIP (Ray-Object Intersection Processor), designed to calculate ray-object intersections. Today's rasterization Graphic Processing Units still do not allow new triangles to be created by shaders, which is a severe limitation. Another common complaint is the lack of support for higher-order surfaces and other more general objects. With ROIP these problems are solved, as the program running on it has freedom to modify the object data as it pleases and use sophisticated models instead of triangles


Many machine learning problems can be reduced to learning a low-rank positive semidefinite matrix (denoted as $Z$), which encounters semidefinite program (SDP). Existing SDP solvers are often expensive for large-scale learning. To avoid directly solving SDP, some works convert SDP into a nonconvex program by factorizing $Z$ as $XX^\top$. However, this would bring higher-order nonlinearity, resulting in scarcity of structure in subsequent optimization. In this paper, we propose a novel surrogate for SDP-related learning, in which the structure of subproblem is exploited. More specifically, we surrogate unconstrained SDP by a biconvex problem, through factorizing $Z$ as $XY^\top$ and using a Courant penalty to penalize the difference of $X$ and $Y$, in which the resultant subproblems are convex. Furthermore, we provide a theoretical bound for the associated penalty parameter under the assumption that the objective function is Lipschitz-smooth, such that the proposed surrogate will solve the original SDP when the penalty parameter is larger than this bound. Experiments on two SDP-related machine learning applications demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is as accurate as the state-of-the-art, but is faster on large-scale learning.


We have studied the effects of irradiation with He+ at 80 keV on the properties of YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) grain boundary Josephson junctions (GBJs) and superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) made on bicrystalline substrates. He+ irradiation produces a shift in the position of the Fiske and flux-flow resonances and consequently changes of the Swihart velocity and the ratio between the dielectric constant and the barrier thickness. Interestingly IC of GBJs can be raised over 10% of its value by irradiation. The modification of the barrier properties depends on the dose and on the particular distribution of the current inside the barrier. By selecting the appropriate doses from the detailed analysis of the shape of the critical current versus magnetic field curve, irradiation offers the possibility to induce a posteriori controlled variations in the properties of YBCO GBJs. These variations imply a decrease in the critical temperature of the electrodes. At this stage of our study, this is the most important inconvenience in using helium irradiation for applications related with nitrogen cooled devices based in GBJs. However, as an interesting example from a scientific point of view, we show the evolution by irradiation of dc SQUID voltage modulation curves, the shape of which are altered by the presence of Fiske steps.


Accreditation of undergraduate medical education programs aims to ensure the quality of medical education and promote quality improvement, with the ultimate goal of providing optimal patient care. Direct linkages between accreditation and education quality are, however, difficult to establish. The literature examining the impact of accreditation predominantly focuses on student outcomes, such as performances on national examinations. However, student outcomes present challenges with regard to data availability, comparability, and contamination. The true impact of accreditation may well rest in its ability to promote continuous quality improvement (CQI) within medical education programs. The conceptual model grounding this paper suggests accreditation leads medical schools to commit resources to and engage in self-assessment activities that represent best practices of CQI, leading to the development within schools of a culture of CQI. In line with this model, measures of the impact of accreditation on medical schools need to include CQI-related markers. The CQI orientation of organizations can be measured using validated instruments from the business and management fields. Repeated determinations of medical schools' CQI orientation at various points throughout their accreditation cycles could provide additional evidence of the impact of accreditation on medical education. Strong CQI orientation should lead to high-quality medical education and would serve as a proxy marker for the quality of graduates and possibly for the quality of care they provide. It is time to move away from a focus on student outcomes as measures of the impact of accreditation and embrace additional markers, such as indicators of organizational CQI orientation.


Various applications of beams of antiprotons and positronium in atomic-collision processes are discussed. By a more detailed presentation of a recent collision experiment involving MeV antiprotons, it is demonstrated how valuable information on atomic interaction can be obtained by comparing equivelocity proton/antiproton results. Methods of forming thermal beams of positronium are reviewed, and plans for a few first-generation experiments are presented.


Prestwich, as long ago as 1859, described the raised beach between Arundel and Chichester under the title of 'The Westward extension of the old Raised Beach of Brighton'. Clement Reid, referring to the same deposits, writes, 'The work of the survey having thoroughly corroborated Prof. Prestwich?s view that these deposits all belong to one period, [the italics are my own] there will be no occasion here to discuss the question' (Reid, 1892, p. 346). As a result of the general acceptance of this view of the continuity between the Brighton and Chichester deposits, it has been inferred that the underlying solid formations were not elevated horizontally, but with a considerable eastward lag; for the beach at the Brighton end is only some 15 feet above sea-level, while that at the Chichester end is 115 feet higher, though the distance between the two places is less than 30 miles. I do not know, however, of any indication of such differential movement, and it is far more likely that there are two distinct raised beaches here in Sussex, the one at about 15 feet, and the other at about 100 feet above existing sea-level. Clement Reid appears to give some support to this view, for he states (1892, pp. 355-6; and 1903, p. 40) that his Bed 5 at Selsey contains deposits probably of the same age as the Brighton 15-foot stage, and he also thought the beach deposits in the Waterbeach pit to be of


Medicinal plants are very important in sustainable economic development, in the pharmaceutical industry and in promoting the conservation of biodiversity. The main objective of this work was to obtain extracts and hydrolytes of flowers, leaves and bark of Sambucus nigra, and analyse their possible uses. Two sampling areas in a field were chosen, and collection was carried out at different times, according to the selected parts of the plant. Two techniques were chosen, steam distillation and ethanol and glycerol extraction. The hydrolytes of the different parts of Sambucus nigra can be used in therapeutic applications due to their pH. Distillations of the stems and leaves gave no indication of essential oil, at least with the quantities used. Therefore, the highest percentage of essential oil was found in the flowers. Ethanol was a better extraction solvent than glycerine, with yields of 99% and 90%, respectively. Flower extracts prepared with ethanol showed a total phenolic content of 59.3 ± 2 mg gallic acid equivalent/g and a total flavonoid content of 16.2 ± 0.2 mg quercetin equivalent/g. This research could contribute to the valorisation of this species giving a boost to its reuse from a circular economy perspective.


The theme of the work presented here is performance comparison of texture pattern based image retrieval techniques using Haar transform with binary image maps and ternary image maps. Different texture patterns namely '4-pattern', '16-pattern', '64pattern' , '256-pattern' and '1024-pattern' are generated using Haar transform matrix and then compared with the two image maps binary and ternary (one a time) to generate the feature vector as the matching number of ones & minus ones (in case of binary image maps) and ones, zeros and minus ones (in case of ternary image maps) per texture pattern. The proposed content based image retrieval (CBIR) techniques are tested on a generic image database having 1000 images spread across 11 categories. For each proposed CBIR technique 55 queries (randomly selected 5 per category) are fired on the image database. To compare the performance of image retrieval techniques, crossover point of average precision and recall values of all the queries are computed per image retrieval technique. Ameliorated performance (higher precision and recall values) has been observed with the ternary image maps. Further the performance of proposed image retrieval methods is enhanced using the combination of original image and even image part. In the discussed image retrieval methods, the combination of original and even image part for 16-pattern texture with ternary image maps gives the highest crossover point of precision and recall reflecting better performance.


Is it possible to achieve thermal radiation excited by surface waves having a coherence length much larger than what one might anticipate from the behavior of surface waves on a flat interface? We demonstrate an extraordinary coherent thermal radiation from coupled resonant cavities; each of them supports standing wave surface polaritons. The coupling is implemented by surface standing waves between the cavities. As a result, the spatial coherence length is increased by an order of magnitude compared with that of delocalized surface waves.


Implantable left ventricular assist devices(I-LVADs)are approved only for bridge to transplantation (BTT) in the Japanese health insurance system, and paracorporeal Nipro-LVAD is the only one therapeutic choice for bridge to decision( BTD) and bridge to candidacy(BTC).Destination therapy(DT)with an I-LVAD is also not approved in Japan yet. Because average waiting period for heart transplantation is over 2 years, bridge to bridge( BTB) surgery, conversion from Nipro-LVAD to an I-LVAD, is often considered after the patient with Nipro-LVAD is approved by the committee as a heart transplantation recipient. Infection at the exit sites of Nipro-LVAD is a strong risk factor for pump pocket infection after BTB, and therefore BTB is not recommended for patients with Nipro-LVAD who have some infection at the exit sites. To achieve successful BTB, some attention should be made in Nipro-LVAD surgery. For instance, the heart and the outflow vascular graft should be covered with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) sheet for next safe redo-sternotomy, and the inflow and outflow conduits should be placed appropriately to prevent infection at exit sites. In addition, several examinations and consultation for approval as a heart transplantation recipient should be scheduled as soon as possible after Nipro-LVAD implantation.


The brain of Antarctic fish of the perciform suborder Notothenioidea was analysed with lightand electronmicroscopical methods. The overall organization and ultrastructure of the optic tectum is very similar to that of fish from temperate climates. However, unusual structures were observed in neurons and glial cells, sometimes in high frequencies. The structures are ovoid or elongated, about 200-600 nm in diameter and surrounded by two layers of membranes in a uniform distance of about 30 nm. The enclosed inter-membrane space is similar to extracellular space, both in size and in cytochemical calcium precipitation, while the interior of the structures resembles cytoplasm. These structures are sometimes connected to neuronal processes, so that they seem to originate by a sort of budding process, but most of them are isolated as can be concluded from thick sections of up to 800 nm thickness, analysed with energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). These unusual objects are present in high abundance in members of the white-blooded Antarctic fish family Channichthyidae. These so-called icefish lack haemoglobin and exhibit the highest degree of cold adaptation. The red-blooded notothenoid fish had smaller amounts of these structures and they were observed even in fish from temperate climates (trout, carp, cichlid fish). In fish from temperate climates the unusual substructures were more abundant during adaptation to cold water temperatures (winter) than to warm conditions (summer). Therefore, the findings may indicate a general phenomenon of cold adaptation with unusual interactions of neurons and glial cells, but the precise function is not yet understood.


Abstract Titanitcs rich in antimony (up to 12.59 wt.% Sb2O5; equal to 0.165 Sb5+ per Si4+ = ] 1.000) arc described for the first time. They coexist with various grcenschist-facies minerals in three different petrographical environments in the manganese concentrations at St. Marcel-Praborna in the Aosta Valley, Italy. These titanites arc chemically zoned, the Sb-richest parts generally occurring alongside grain boundaries, microfractures, pores or inclusions. Moderately-good positive correlations exist between the Sb, Al and Fe contents, with negative correlations of each of these elements with Ti. Cr has perturbed the Al and He contents since a better negative correlation with Ti is obtained with [Al + Cr + Mn + Fe]. The Sr, Ba, Mn and F contents are rather small and vary irregularly. Several crystal-chemical hypotheses are presented concerning the method of structural formula calculation and the valencies and site distributions of Sb and the companion additional minor elements. The favoured interpretation is to place: Sr2+ ,Ba2+ ,Mn2+ ,Fe2+ and possibly also Sb3+ in the viiCa2+ site; Sb5+ ,Cr3+ ,Al3+ ,Sb3+ ,Fe3+ and possibly also Mn3+ in the viTi4+ site; and Al3+ in the ivSi4+ site; this indicates the existence of a natural silicate containing not only both trivalent and pentavalent Sb, but also both valencies in the same site. The principal ionic substitution is believed to be: 2 viTi4+ = vi[Al3+ + Cr3+ + Mn3+ + Fe3+] + viSb5+ accompanied by a substantial minor proportion of: 2 viTi4+ = viSb3+ + viSb5+, or possibly = 2 viSb4+ The data indicate a very late stage penetration of pre-existing titanites by mobilized Sb, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, F and presumably also (OH) at this locality, whereas Sr and Ba were mobile at an earlier stage. Manganese, which existed in the sedimentary protoliths, did not enter the titanite structure in very significant quantities.


Abstract Body size, pectoralis composition, aspect ratio of the wing, and forward speed affect the use of intermittent flight in birds. During intermittent non-flapping phases, birds extend their wings and glide or flex their wings and bound. The pectoralis muscle is active during glides but not during bounds; activity in other primary flight muscles is variable. Mechanical power, altitude, and velocity vary among wingbeats in flapping phases; associated with this variation are changes in neuromuscular recruitment, wingbeat frequency, amplitude, and gait. Species of intermediate body mass (35–158 g) tend to flap-glide at slower speeds and flap-bound at faster speeds, regardless of the aspect ratio of their wings. Such behavior may reduce mechanical power output relative to continuous flapping. Smaller species (<20 g) with wings of low aspect ratio may flap-bound at all speeds, yet existing models do not predict an aerodynamic advantage for the flight style at slow speeds. The behavior of these species appears to be due to wing shape rather than pectoralis physiology. As body size increases among species, percent time spent flapping increases, and birds much larger than 300 g do not flap-bound. This pattern may be explained by adverse scaling of mass-specific power or lift per unit power output available from flight muscles. The size limit for the ability to bound intermittently may be offset somewhat by the scaling of pectoralis composition. The percentage of time spent flapping during intermittent flight also varies according to flight speed.


Short-range wireless communications continually attract interest from both industry and academia, and it is changing our life in every aspect in the last decade. The design of wireless transceivers is the bottleneck for a variety applications, due to RF modeling inaccuracy, stringent FCC regulations over the transmitted power spectrum, interference, multi-path reections, modulation scheme, receiver sensitivity, and synchronization. In addition, energy efficiency is always one of the most important design goals. Ultra-Wideband(UWB) is found to be very energy-efficient due to its low duty cycle and potentially high data rate due to its wide bandwidth. However, there still remain unsolved issues with UWB transceivers, such as pulse shaping, multi-path re ections, and receiver clock synchronization. To address these, novel techniques such as wireless multi-path equaliza- tion, pulse injection-locking for receiver clock synchronization, reconfigurable pulse shaping, low power wireless clock distribution, and an ultra-low-power super- regenerative receiver are implemented and verified on silicon. Three chips are designed and verified: a 3-5GHz Impulse-Radio(IR) UWB transceiver, a 3-60GHz al


Ann D. Christy, PE, is a professor of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering and a professor of Engineering Education at the Ohio State University (OSU). She earned both her B.S. in agricultural engineering and M.S. in biomedical engineering at OSU, and her Ph.D. in environmental engineering at Clemson University. She worked for an engineering consulting firm before entering academia and continues to collaborate with the consulting industry. She has taught courses in bioenergy, biological engineering, capstone design, HVAC, thermodynamics, waste management, professional development, and engineering teaching. Her research interests include energy, the environment, and engineering education. She is assistant dean for teaching and learning in the College of Engineering. She is a second-generation woman engineer.


Markov Logic Networks (MLNs) define a probability distribution on relational structures over varying domain sizes. Many works have noticed that MLNs, like many other relational models, do not admit consistent marginal inference over varying domain sizes. Furthermore, MLNs learnt on a certain domain do not generalize to new domains of varied sizes. In recent works, connections have emerged between domain size dependence, lifted inference and learning from sub-sampled domains. The central idea to these works is the notion of projectivity. The probability distributions ascribed by projective models render the marginal probabilities of sub-structures independent of the domain cardinality. Hence, projective models admit efficient marginal inference, removing any dependence on the domain size. Furthermore, projective models potentially allow efficient and consistent parameter learning from sub-sampled domains. In this paper, we characterize the necessary and sufficient conditions for a two-variable MLN to be projective. We then isolate a special model in this class of MLNs, namely Relational Block Model (RBM). We show that, in terms of data likelihood maximization, RBM is the best possible projective MLN in the two-variable fragment. Finally, we show that RBMs also admit consistent parameter learning over sub-sampled domains.


Introduction The purpose of this observational study was to compare the child protection referral pathways for Haringey children at two London hospitals. Aims This study has three main aims: to investigate whether the hospital with co-located social workers had more efficient child protection referral pathways; to gain descriptive information regarding the reasons behind the referrals, and how these cases were subsequently handled by the medical and social work teams; and to investigate possible causative factors that affect the numbers of referrals in different regions (such as poverty). Methods A period of 28 days of observation was spent at each of the two hospitals. During this time, every referral made by the medical team was identified, and followed up until its conclusion. Specific information was taken from the referral form using a proforma. The times of presentation, referral to social services, admission (if applicable) and discharge were all recorded. Information regarding the management of the cases by social workers was obtained by attending weekly meetings. Results The hospital with co-located social workers had a shorter average inpatient stay, fewer inpatients with delayed discharge, and shorter average delay time than the hospital without co-located social workers. However these differences were not significant at the p≤ 0.05 level. Relative affluence was found to be a significant factor (p≤ 0.05 level) in relation to the number of child protection referrals made. Conclusions Although there were differences between the two hospitals, these were not statistically significant meaning that it is possible that the differences observed may not be solely attributable to the co-located social workers. Areas that were less financially affluent had significantly higher numbers of child protection referrals than areas with greater financial affluence; and physical assaults on children on the street was identified as a significant and yet untackled issue in child protection.


Measurable value of the vegetation cover is an important parameter widely used to estimate the yield, to estimate the agricultural loss (because of illness, pests, freezing, etc.), to be informed about land use, vegetation analysis, desertification and degradation etc. The current methods of measuring vegetation cover are performed into two ways; field measurements and remote sensing techniques. Traditionally, field measurements are made subjectively by visual assessment and it is very time consuming. Use of digital camera images for measuring vegetation cover is flexible and low cost method for monitoring the change of the land surface. In this work, the aim is to determine the rate of vegetation cover of wheat fields by benefiting from images captured at different phenological periods of wheat using image processing techniques.


A robust servo system is presented for the purpose of maintaining a good speed tracking, load regulating responses and unknown disturbance regulating responses. The proposed system, based on a feedforward control theory, consists of fuzzy sliding adaptive controller (FSAC), sliding mode torque observer (SMTO) and parameter controller (PC). FSAC is a sliding mode controller whose structure is continuously changed by fuzzy logic such that the controller makes the system response quickly, and the speed tracking well. SMTO is an observer that is used to compensate load torque. SMTO is more robust to the parameter deviations of observer and sensor noise than other types of observers. PC is a parameter controller which selects a moment of inertia J in responding to a load torque to control the system response. Finally a microcomputer-based system is implemented. Then simulation and experimental results are described to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.


Extreme climate events such as heat waves, drought, and heavy rainfall are occurring more frequently and are more intense due to ongoing climate change. This study evaluated the early growth performance of one-year-old Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carr. seedlings under open-field extreme climate conditions including experimental warming and different precipitation regimes. We recorded the survival rate, root collar diameter, height, biomass, shoot-to-root ratio, and seedling quality index using nine treatments (three temperature levels, i.e., control, warming by 3 °C and by 6 °C, × three precipitation levels, i.e., control, drought, and heavy rainfall) in July and August 2020. The survival rate of seedlings did not differ between treatments, showing high values exceeding 94% across treatments. The measured shoot height was largest under warming by 3 °C and high rainfall, indicating that moderate warming increased seedling height growth in a moist environment. Heavy rainfall decreased stem volume by 21% and 25% under control and warming by 6 °C treatments, respectively. However, drought manipulation using rain-out shelters did not decrease the growth performance. Overall, extreme climate events did not affect the survival rate, biomass, shoot-to-root ratio, and seedling quality index of L. kaempferi. We thus conclude that, regarding growth responses, L. kaempferi seedlings may be resistant to short-term extreme warming and drought events during summer.


Ologamasus lucasi n. sp. and Ologamasus delaliberai n. sp. are described from adults collected from litter and soil in the State of Alagoas, northeastern of Brazil. A key for the separation of females of the 20 recognisable world species of Ologamasus is provided.


Metal oxide composites are enabling materials for many energy conversion systems such as chemical looping and photocatalysis. Their synthesis into electronic materials and operation in chemical looping technologies are based on reduction and oxidation reactions that involve exchanges of ions and electrons. These processes result in the creation and diffusion of defects that determine the nanoscale crystal phases and morphologies within these materials and their subsequent bulk chemical and electrical behavior. In this study, samples of metal oxide composites undergoing cycles of reduction and oxidation are examined at the nano- and micro-scale; the interfacial characteristics of dissimilar metals and metal oxides within the composites are examined. Specifically, structural transformations during redox processes involving pure Fe, FeNi alloy, and CuNi alloy microparticles are investigated. In Fe and FeNi systems, nanowires and nanopores are observed to simultaneously form on the microparticle surface during oxidation, while no such structuring is observed in the CuNi system. Additionally, uniform FeNi microparticles are transformed into particles with a NiO-rich core and a Fe2O3-rich shell during oxidation, due to differences in the oxidation and ion diffusion rates of Ni and Fe. In all material systems, the oxidized form of the microparticles exhibited porous cores due to ion transport described by the Kirkendall effect. A fundamental understanding of these phenomena will help direct the fabrication of electronic oxide materials and the development of metal oxide-based oxygen carriers for chemical looping applications.


A national audit conducted by the Centre for Science Development in 1997 aimed to ascertain the research and teaching status of women in academia. Among the recommendations emerging from the audit was the need to review institutional policies, and focus on networking and support. Using the audit as a point of departure, the article draws on narrative research that was conducted with five tertiary educators who teach English from a feminist perspective at various universities in Southern Africa. Through narrative research comprising autobiographical essays, and post lesson interviews the study investigated the specific contribution of feminist pedagogy to the task of reconceptualising English language teaching in multilingual classrooms. In reflecting on the various factors that continue to shape their feminist and socio-linguistic identity construction, the participants almost organically reflected on institutional factors that enabled or disabled their participation in academic life. Drawing on these reflections, this article explores the notion of academic citizenship as it relates to the status and practice of these five educators who teach at various institutions of higher education in Southern Africa. The article is divided into two parts.
a)   Part 1 identifies the barriers impacting the participants. It draws on the British sociologist T H Marshall's tripartite conceptualization of citizenship, viz. civic citizenship, political citizenship and social citizenship as a framework that explores the constituent factors comprising an individual's citizenship status and membership in society. Based on macro notions of citizenship, the article adapts these to the micro context of academia to explore the status of women's academic citizenship.
b)   Part 2 explores the ways the participants in the study are responding to the barriers impacting them by attempting to negotiate the tightrope of rights and justice and the morality of ethics and care.
(South African Journal of Higher Education: 2003 17 (1): 74-82)


traffic as well as imports, while the Akkadian miksu, to which reference is made, means simply a percentage impost on produce. The author argues that NTirU! K^WlXrO must mean " in the Farmyards of Light ", because the Akkadian bel tarbasi applied to Tammuz refers to the god's characteristic connection with domesticated animals. It is true that, e.g. akil tarbasi in the Amarna letters is applied to the superintendent of the stables. But Uirbasu means a courtyard of a house, or any enclosure where animals lie. The connection in Akkadian with the moon, in astrologers' reports, might have warned the author against this precise translation : " courts of light " is far preferable. There is throughout the book a tendency to use the wrong word, although the great, sometimes unrecognized, difficulties of using a language not one's own should induce caution, not least in criticism.


Palavras- chave. Composicao quimica, constituintes estruturais, producao de forragem Abstract. The objective was evaluate the biomass production, root growth and chemical composition of fractions leaf, stem and root of Brachiaria brizantha cv. MG-5 Victoria, derived from seeds coated or treated with insecticides. Were tested four treatments, SP: pure seeds, SR: coated seeds, SPI: pure seeds treated with insecticide and SRI: coated seeds and treated with insecticide, in four evaluation periods, P15: 0-15 days, P30: 0-30 days, P45: 0-45 days and P60: 0-60 days after germination of the seeds. The methodologies for assessment of biomass production was based on measurements at the beginning and end of each period, of the plant height and at tiller number; followed by cutting the plant and morphological separations of leaf, stem and root. The samples of the fractions separated were chemically analyzed. On average were observed content of DM, CP, NDF and MM for at portion air (leaf and stem) of 20.56, 9.04, 66.61 and 4.32 %, respectively. Until the 60 days after at germination the beneficiation of seeds, through of the coating or of the treatment with insecticide, did not affect significantly the biomass production, the number of tillers, the root growth and at nutritional quality.


This paper discusses what could be done to expand services trade and investment through a multilateral agreement in the WTO. A distinction is made between market access liberalization and the regulatory preconditions for benefiting from market opening. We argue that moving forward on multilateral services liberalization requires a shift from bilateral request-offer negotiations to a model schedule approach that sets ambitious objectives - ideally full national treatment for the major backbone services. Attainment of such objectives, especially by smaller and poorer members, requires procompetitive regulation and strengthened regulatory institutions in developing countries. This suggests linking implementation of liberalization commitments to the provision of development assistance ('aid for trade') to bolster regulatory capacity and enforcement could enhance the relevance of the WTO for developing countries. Bolstering WTO mechanisms to monitor the actions of both developing and high-income country governments could make the institution much more relevant in promoting not just services liberalization but, more importantly, domestic reform of services policies.


Introduction: Escherichia coli is one of the important pathogens in human with global importance. Because of the necessity for identification and the use of novel antibacterial compounds against E. coli , in this present study we focused on the antibacterial effects of synthesized thiazole, imidazole and tetrahydropyridine derivatives on E. coli . Methods : For evaluation of antibacterial effect, the disk diffusion method was applied to measure the growth inhibition zone diameter and broth micro-dilution was performed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Results : Assessing the antibacterial effect showed that only 6d derivative of thiazole had inhibitory effect on E. coli and the other thiazole, imidazole and tetrahydropyridine derivatives lacked any inhibitory result on this organism. The inhibitory effect of 6d derivative of thiazole was MIC=125 and growth inhibition zone diameter of 16±0.1. Discussion : The antibacterial effect of thiazole, imidazole and tetrahydropyridine derivatives differs from each other and chemical linkages such as oxygen to thiazole ring in 6d derivative, could have reinforced this effect. The next step is determination of the toxicity and therapeutic effects in the laboratory animals.


Abstract Weeds are a significant problem in crop production and their management in modern agriculture is crucial to avoid yield losses and ensure food security. Intensive agricultural practices, changing climate, and natural disasters affect weed dynamics and that requires a change in weed management protocols. The existing manual control options are no longer viable because of labor shortages; chemical control options are limited by ecodegradation, health hazards, and development of herbicide resistance in weeds. We are therefore reviewing some potential nonconventional weed management strategies for modern agriculture that are viable, feasible, and efficient. Improvement in tillage regimes has long been identified as an impressive weed-control measure. Harvest weed seed control and seed predation have been shown as potential tools for reducing weed emergence and seed bank reserves. Development in the field of allelopathy for weed management has led to new techniques for weed control. The remarkable role of biotechnological advancements in developing herbicide-resistant crops, bioherbicides, and harnessing the allelopathic potential of crops is also worth mentioning in a modern weed management program. Thermal weed management has also been observed as a useful technique, especially under conservation agriculture systems. Last, precision weed management has been elaborated with sufficient details. The role of remote sensing, modeling, and robotics as an integral part of precision weed management has been highlighted in a realistic manner. All these strategies are viable for today's agriculture; however, site-specific selection and the use of right combinations will be the key to success. No single strategy is perfect, and therefore an integrated approach may provide better results. Future research is needed to explore the potential of these strategies and to optimize them on technological and cultural bases. The adoption of such methods may improve the efficiency of cropping systems under sustainable and conservation practices.


Due to the increased use of digital computers, PWM adjustable speed drives, andautomated controllers in industries, utilities are faced with rising concerns about the quality of power supplied. This paper, based purely on simulations, focuses on the application of current limiting devices on radial distribution systems to enhance the voltage quality at the distribution buses. The first section of the paper demonstrates the effectiveness of the limiting devices in reducing the dips in voltages and associated phase-angle jumps. Because the current devices need to be introduced to the systems almost instantaneously after the occurrence of a fault, the secondsection introduces a new adaptive fault-sensing scheme for use with these devices. This scheme utilizes wavelet packets analysis as a preliminary feature extractor and a neural network as a pattern classifier. Simulations show that the scheme required no user interference and can be applied to any network configuration.


We are interested in the relationship between learning efficiency and representation in the case of supervised neural networks for pattern classification trained by continuous error minimization techniques, such as gradient descent. In particular, we focus our attention on a recently introduced architecture called recursive neural network (RNN) which is able to learn class membership of patterns represented as labeled directed ordered acyclic graphs (DOAG). RNNs offer several benefits compared to feedforward and recurrent networks for sequences. However, how RNNs compare to these models in terms of learning efficiency still needs investigation. In this paper we give a theoretical answer by giving a set of results concerning the shape of the error surface and critically discussing the implications of these results on the relative difficulty of learning with different data representations. The message of this paper is that, whenever structured representations are available, they should be preferred to "flat" (array based) representations because they are likely to simplify learning in terms of time complexity.


If structural damage remains undetected and is allowed to grow, structure's load-bearing capacity deteriorates, which can lead to costly repairs or in extreme cases its collapse. Modal analysis is widely used to detect structural damage because, when damage, such as cracks, is introduced, structure's geometrical and/or mechanical properties change, and these changes can be used for damage detection. Peridynamics is a non-local alternative to the continuum mechanics theory that represents forces and displacements using integral equations, which are defined even with discontinuous displacement fields, thus making this theory an attractive option for damage modeling. In this paper, authors verify peridynamic (PD) modal analysis against finite-element (FE) results, and validate it against experimental modal analysis results. The modal solver was implemented in the open-source program Peridigm and four different damage configurations were considered for verification and validation. The results show close agreement between the PD and the FE results, and the PD and the experimental results. Moreover, PD modal frequencies are shown to have similar accuracy to experimental data as the FE results. It is also shown that the frequency shifts are comparable between all three types of modal analysis. The PD mode shapes agreed well with both the FE and the experimental mode shapes at all considered damage configurations. Furthermore, the change in mode shapes from the introduced damage is similar in all three analyses.