We present a gas monitoring system for detecting the gas concentration in ambient air. This sensor is based on a 1D photonic crystal formed by alternating layers of magnesium fluoride (MgF2) and silicon (Si) with an empty layer in the middle. The lamellar cavity (defect layer) will be filled with polluted air that has a refractive index close to that of pure air, varying between n0  =  1.00 to n0  =  1.01. The transmission spectrum of this sensor is calculated by the Green function approach. The numerical results show that the transmission peak, which appears in the gap, is caused by the infiltration of impure air into the empty middle layer. This transmission peak can be used for detection purposes in real-time environmental monitoring. The peak frequency is sensitive to the air-gas mixture, and a variation in the refractive index as small as Δn  =  10−5 can be detected. A sensitivity, Δλ/Δn, of 700 nm per refractive index unit (RIU) is achieved with this sensor.


For several decades, context effects in picture naming and word reading have been extensively investigated. However, researchers have found no agreement on the explanation of the effects. Whereas it has long been assumed that several types of effect reflect competition in word selection, recently it has been argued that these effects reflect the exclusion of articulatory responses from an output buffer. Here, we first critically evaluate the findings on context effects in picture naming that have been taken as evidence against the competition account, and we argue that the findings are, in fact, compatible with the competition account. Moreover, some of the findings appear to challenge rather than support the response exclusion account. Next, we compare the response exclusion and competition accounts with respect to their ability to explain data on word reading. It appears that response exclusion does not account well for context effects on word reading times, whereas computer simulations reveal that a competition model like WEAVER++ accounts for the findings.


In recent years, the utilization of information technology has been magnificently increased in service industries, particularly, education institution, which by using Information Technology related products such as academic information system and learning management system. In Indonesia, universities invest enormous resources in information technology (IT), with little evidence of the latter's effectiveness. Stakeholders struggle with gauging how effective or ineffective making these investments truly is, given the lack of instruments of measurement by which to establish, for instance, an internal rate of return or a period of recovery on investments. This paper investigates the impact of investment in information technology on the return on assets (ROA) of selected private universities in Indonesia for the period 2008 2014 using Adapted Information Economics. By using this method, it is possible to implement into other university. Primary and secondary data were collected during this research. The study recommends that universities should increase investments in software, hardware and infrastructure which will enhance their Management Information System and profitability.


Given that ODMG 3.0 specifications do not address the definition of external schemas, we are developing an external schema definition methodology for ODMG databases. In this paper, an extension of ODMG metadata is proposed to support the definition of external schemas. In particular, metadata for derived classes and derived interfaces are defined, as well as some modifications to define inheritance relationships depending on the schema. The extension to ODMG metadata proposed in this paper maintains the structure of the ODMG schema repository as an object-oriented schema, and can be used by most of the existing external schema definition methodologies. The proposed extension is illustrated using our methodology.


The molecular structure of Vitamin D is closely allied to that of classical steroids such as cholesterol. Technically Vitamin D is a seco-steroid hormone. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is normally produced by exposure to sunlight of the precursor (7-dehydrocholesterol), present in the skin. Vitamin D supplementation vary between 200 IU to 1000 IU. Serum levels of 25(OH)D are generally consider as a indicator of Vitamin D status. Vitamin D plays an essential role in healthcare, related not only with developing and maintaining a healthy skeleton. Its adequate supplementation reduce even the risk of caries and oral infections. Furthermore Vitamin D as a steroid hormone, modulates many gene transcription and has anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protective effect. Uncertainly low serum levels of 25(OH)D are associated with misbalance in lipid profile and dyslipidemia, sacropenia and muscle weakness. Its insufficiency is also a risk factor for enhanced reception of pain, risk of type 2 diabetes, and often falls occurrences. Adequate Vitamin D status is protective against musculoskeletal disorders, infection disease, depression, diabetes mellitus, autoimmune diseases and neurocognitive dysfunctions. In sport activities and athletic population adequate serum levels of 25(OH)D increase muscle strength, and physical performance, and should be monitored.


Focused cardiac ultrasonography is performed by clinicians at the bedside and is used in time‐sensitive scenarios to evaluate a patient's cardiovascular status when comprehensive echocardiography is not immediately available. This simplified cardiac ultrasonography is often performed by noncardiologists using small, portable devices to augment the physical examination, triage patients, and direct management in both critical care and outpatient settings. However, as the use of focused cardiac ultrasonography continues to expand, careful consideration is required regarding training, scope of practice, impact on patient outcomes, and medicolegal implications. In this review, we examine some of the challenges with rapid uptake of this technique and explore the benefits and potential risk of focused cardiac ultrasonography. We propose possible mechanisms for cross‐specialty collaboration, quality improvement, and oversight.


Average soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] yields in North Dakota remain below north central USA averages, and crop yield potentials. The effect of planting date (PD), cultivar relative maturity (RM), and seeding rate (SR), on yield, were evaluated in 821 producer fields in 2014-2016 seasons. Crop management varied by location. State average PD was 19 May, and planting after 1 May reduced yield average 0.4% d-1. Planting a cultivar with 0.1 RM earlier than recommended reduced yield by 1.3%. Producers estimated seedling mortality at 10%; when observed, it was 12.3%. An additional 7.9% reduction of established population occurred in-season. In-season plant reductions of 4.5% were also observed in research trials. North Dakota producers should plant closer to 1 May if conditions are favorable, select latest-maturing cultivars adapted for area, maximize established plant population relative to seeding rate, and determine causes of in-season plant reductions to adapt management practices if necessary.


In this modern society of ours alcohol has become a tradition and this relationship is deeply rooted. Apart from other health risk issues, its use has also emerged as a possible risk factor for periodontitis in reported recent reviews. Numerous prospective studies are already reported in literature but lack of such longitudinal studies to review the association of alcohol consumption on periodontal health status of the patients are rare. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of alcohol consumption as a potential risk factor on periodontal attachment loss. It is a population-based cohort study conducted for a period of 4 years. A total of 1385 individuals were included in the study and only 730 individuals were left for the follow up after 4 years. Alcohol consumption and clinical examination for clinical attachment loss was recorded for each patient. Majority of subjects belonging to age group 35-44yrs, 45-54 yrs and 55-64 yrs showed high frequency intake of alcohol. Overall when measured, alcohol consumption and CAL progression was found to be significantly higher in males as compared to females. The subjects who were high and chronic drinkers, had 40% higher risk for CAL progression than non-drinkers. We concluded a positive linear relationship of alcohol consumption and periodontal attachment loss with more pronounced effect on males as compared to females. Thus alcohol proves to be a potential risk factor in progression of periodontitis in both high and chronic alcohol dosage.


The search for hydrocarbon-bearing Silurian Niagaran pinnacle reefs commenced when exploration technology became sufficiently advanced to accurately locate areally small reefs. Starting in 1947, gravity methods were used to locate 90 reefs in southwest Ontario and southeast Michigan but, as the reef trend was pursued westward, gravity data became unreliable owing to the presence of highly variable, surface glacial till. Initial efforts with single fold seismic were also unsuccessful for the same reason. It required the development of CDP seismic techniques with adequate surface static correction before exploration could successfully be expanded into the rest of the reef trend. First, it was necessary to define reef seismic characteristics as it was not possible to see the reef directly. A synthetic seismogram study of known reefs in southeast Michigan indicated the initial indirect criteria: (a) thinning of seismic intervals above the reef and (b) pull-up below the reef interval. A CDP seismic survey confirmed these criteria and allowed optimization of field parameters. The first prospect drilled satisfied the seismic criteria and, in addition, exhibited a salt-solution feature common above reefs in southeast Michigan. However, high-velocity infill material was drilled instead of a reef. A second prospect was selected with the additional criterion of an isochron thick around the reef interval. This feature proved to be a residual salt pillow inside the isochron interval. To reduce the risk of encountering salt features a third prospect was selected south of the salt limit (as defined by geologic mapping). The prospect was modeled with best fit of seismic data for the reef case. This resulted in the Mobil No. 1A Brown Niagaran discovery. Several similar seismic features were drilled confirming the reef seismic characteristics. End_of_Article - Last_Page 736------------


Ultrasonography has been used to detect fetal congenital heart disease since the 1980s, although there has been little uniformity in policy. In the UK, data published for 1993-1995 found an average detection rate of 23.4% with a Scottish rate of 9.6%. At the time of this study, 10 out of the 14 health boards in Scotland were implementing the 16-22-week fetal anomaly scan (FAS). The aims of this study were to determine the rate of antenatal diagnosis of major congenital heart disease (MCHD) throughout Scotland during 1 January to 31 December 2006, to document the regional differences in detection and to determine if implementation of a FAS significantly improved rates. Retrospective data were collected from the centralized Paediatric Cardiac Services in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The database contains information on all infants with cardiac disease in Scotland. All infants requiring cardiac intervention or dying in the first year of life were included. The results showed that the antenatal diagnosis rate for Scotland was 28% (95% CI 21.2%, 34.9%). The Scottish health boards that had implemented the FAS had a significantly higher antenatal detection rate (χ2 test P = 0.037). In conclusion, antenatal detection rate of MCHD varies widely throughout Scotland. Implementation of the FAS has made a significant difference to antenatal diagnosis


Male Long-Evans rat pups were either fed by continuous intragastric infusion of a milk formula to match the growth rate of their normally reared siblings, or overfed by continuous infusion of a fat-supplemented formula from d 4 through d 18 postpartum. The early overfeeding accelerated growth and the overfed rats remained significantly heavier than normally reared siblings as adults. Early overfeeding with this procedure led to an adult obesity at 14 mo characterized by significantly larger epididymal and retroperitoneal fat depots resulting from an increase of both fat cell size and number, and by an increase in adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity. Gastrostomy rearing per se, without overfeeding, resulted in adult rats that weighed the same as normally reared siblings but had significantly larger retroperitoneal fat depots because of more adipocytes. These findings suggest that the quantity of food consumed during early growth and development, and the quality of early nutrition and/or the early rearing environment affect adipose tissue development and have long-term consequences that persist in the rat.


We propose an architecture that increases the resiliency against DDoS attacks by leveraging virtual network functions (VNF) and software defined networking (SDN). In the first step, the proposed architecture places the virtual network functions (VNF) optimally by solving a linear program. In the second step, in order to add preemptive protection against DDoS attacks, special filter VNFs and secondary paths passing through these filter VNFs are set up by solving another linear program. Under a DDoS attack, SDN controller switches the routes affected by the attack to the secondary paths for filtering DDoS traffic in order to prevent over-utilization. The simulation results show that the proposed architecture can absorb higher amount of DDoS traffic with low impact on the average hop count.


Frequency-hopped OFDM (FH-OFDM) technology will provide the additional benefits of frequency diversity and inter-cell interference averaging. However, it is difficult to get the channel state information. In this paper, we propose a method of channel estimation over slow fading channels for FH-OFDM systems. In the algorithm, the channel impulse response is estimated by correlation operation, by using the cyclic shift zero- correlation of CAZAC (constant amplitude zero auto-correlation) sequence. In FH-OFDM systems, the influence of noise on channel estimation precision is restrained and inter-cell users' interference can be eliminated. At the same time, the algorithm is adapted to any hopping pattern.


Abstract Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtles, Apalone spinifera aspera (Agassiz, 1857) (Testudines: Trionychidae) from Canoe Lake (33°47′56.16″N, 86°29′25.02″W; Springville, Alabama) and Round Lake (32°41′50.91″N, 87°14′30.39″W; Perry Lakes State Park, Marion, Alabama), were infected by V. robustum Stunkard, 1928, Vasotrema longitestis Byrd, 1939, and Vasotrema rileyae n. sp. The new species differs from its congeners by having papillate suckers, a short testis, an ovary dextral to the oviduct, and a pre-ovarian genital pore that is lateral to the ventral sucker. We studied the newly collected specimens and museum specimens of all congeners to revise the diagnosis of Vasotrema Stunkard, 1926 and redescribe and provide an updated dichotomous key to all species of the genus.


Native ponies are at increased risk of obesity and metabolic perturbations, such as insulin dysregulation (ID), a key risk factor for endocrinopathic laminitis. Management and feeding practices can be adapted to maintain healthy body condition and support metabolic health, but owners may inadvertently provide their ponies with inappropriate management leading to obesity and exacerbating risk of metabolic disease. Adoption of preventative weight management approaches (WMAs), including regular monitoring of body condition, providing appropriate preserved forage, promoting seasonal weight loss, and using exercise accordingly, are key in supporting native ponies' metabolic health. The factors influencing the adoption of WMAs, such as owners' experience and confidence, require exploration. The aim of the current study was to understand factors influencing owners' likelihood to undertake certain WMAs, to develop our understanding of suitable intervention targets. A total of 571 responses to an online cross-sectional questionnaire were analysed. Mediation analysis revealed that whilst long term (≥20 years) experience caring for native ponies was associated with owners increased, self-reported confidence in identifying disease and managing their native ponies, this did not translate to an increased likelihood of implementing WMAs. Conversely, respondents who managed ponies with dietary requirements related to obesity, laminitis, or equine metabolic syndrome were more likely to use WMAs related to feeding, seasonal weight management and exercise. Owner confidence was assessed and rejected as a mediator of the relationship between experience and WMA use. These results highlight the need for further work that elucidates the pathways leading owners to undertake action against obesity without the need for ponies to develop overt disease, as well as suggesting a need for long term managers of native ponies to update management practices with preventative care as the focus.


Background: Pancreatic cancer is characterized by genomic complexity and chromosomal instability, and atypical mitotic figures are morphological features of this phenotype. Previously we have reported that approximately 30% of total mitosis in pancreatic cancer was atypical including multipolar, lag-type, ring and asymmetrical mitosis, and anaphase bridges, and the number of total mitosis and atypical mitosis in pancreatic cancers was correlated with aggressive phenotype and prognosis (Pancreatology, 2016). In the present study, we clarified the relation between atypical mitotic figures, telomere length, and genetic abnormality in the pancreatic cancer. Methods: We surveyed the mitotic figures of the normal epithelium, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias (PanINs), and pancreatic cancers using surgically resected pancreatic cancer specimens (n=40). Telomere length was analyzed using quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization technique. We also analyzed mutations of Kras codon 12 and 13 by PCR and microsatellite instability by immunohistochemical staining of MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. Results: Pancreatic cancer and duodenal epithelium showed significantly higher mitotic indices as compared with the duct, acinar cells, and PanINs. Normal mitosis was also higher in pancreatic cancers and the duodenal epithelium, while atypical mitosis was significantly elevated only in pancreatic cancers. Number of total mitosis and atypical mitosis were negatively correlated with telomere length, suggesting that telomere shortening plays important roles in cancer proliferation and chromosomal instability. In comparison with normal ducts, telomere length was decreased in PanIN-1, -2 and -3 and cancer. Furthermore, telomere length was gradually shorter among PanIN grades. Most of pancreatic cancers harbored mutations in Kras codon 12, and pancreatic cancer cases with Kras mutation showed shorter telomere length as compared with cases without Kras mutation. All pancreatic cancer cases in the present study were microsatellite stable. Conclusion: Our data strongly suggest that telomere shortening occurs in the early stages of pancreatic carcinogenesis and progresses with precancerous development. Telomere shortening and chromosomal instability in the duct epithelium plays key roles on carcinogenesis of the pancreas. Citation Format: Yoko Matsuda, Naotaka Izumiyama, Mutsunori Fujiwara, Naoshi Ishikawa, Junko Aida, Kaiyo Takubo, Toshiyuki Ishiwata, Tomio Arai. Telomere shortening in pancreatic cancer is correlated to KRAS mutation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3403. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3403


— In this paper, a generalized self-consistent scheme, or "three phase model", is used to set up a micro-mechanics model for rough surface contact with randomly distributed asperities. The dimensionless average real pressure p is obtained as function of the ratio of the real contact area to the apparent contact area, 0 / A A r . Both elastic and plastic materials are considered, and the influence of the plasticity of material on p is discussed. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional rough surface contact problems are considered.


During the nineties, investment funds recorded rapid development in most developed countries and became important agents on the financial markets. In the developing and transitional countries the investment funds industry, although it too has recorded accelerated rates of growth, is still essential lagging behind that of the developed countries. In Croatia the investment funds started developing with the appearance of the private investment funds; however, they did not, contrary to expectations, make a very significant contribution to the development of institutional investors on the capital market. The market is driven primarily by banking or financial conglomerates, which also dominate the investment fund industry. Today the Croatian investment fund market is a very enterprising and dynamic segment of the financial system and hence the establishment of adequate regulation and supervision as well as the development of the capital market must be the main determinants of its further growth and development.


INTRODUCTION
The Color Doppler echocardiography is a method of choice to detect the regional acceleration of flow in the left ventricle. The color study confirm it also in the right ventricle of infants with diseases other than hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

MATERIAL
We centered our attention in this finding observed in 16 infants with a mean age of 2.5 months (3 of whom were neonates) with several congenital heart malformations: 9 immediately after surgical ventricular septal defect closure (A-V canal type in 6, and isolated in 3); 2 with pulmonary atresia+intact septum+reconstruction of right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection; 2 with severe aortic stenosis; 1 with a double outlet right ventricle+pulmonary band; 1 with Jatene operation; finally 1 after balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty.

RESULTS
The phenomenon consisted in a late Doppler systolic signal in the right ventricular apex whose velocity ranged between 1.5 and 2.9 m/s. The jet was directed towards the tricuspid orifice, with a normal pulmonary flow. The turbulence was easily viewed in the apical four chambers and subcostal sagittal plane of the right ventricle, the spectral signal showed a morphology with left side concavity. An erroneous diagnosis of apical ventricular septal defect was suggested in 2 cases in whom the left ventricular angiogram performed before treatment excluded the lesion.

CONCLUSION
The dynamic nature of the jet suggest that an asynchronous order of myocardial contraction in hypertrophic right ventricule play a role in its genesis. With the increasing use of Doppler color technique, this finding can be observed with greater frequency in neonates and infants with operated or unoperated heart diseases and right ventricular hypertrophy. Apical ventricular septal defect will be included in the differential diagnosis.


The Northwest Lau Backarc Basin, consisting of the Northwest Lau Spreading Center (NWLSC) and the Rochambeau Rifts (RR), is unique in having elevated 3He/4He ratios (up to 28 Ra) in the erupted lavas, clearly indicating a hot spot or ocean island basalt (OIB)‐type signature. This OIB‐type helium signature does not appear in any other part of the Lau Basin. Water column plume surveys conducted in 2008 and 2010 identified several sites of active hydrothermal discharge along the NWLSC‐RR and showed that the incidence of hydrothermal activity is high, consistent with the high spreading rate of ∼100 mm/year. Hydrocasts into the Central Caldera and Southern Caldera of the NWLSC detected elevated3He/4He (δ3He = 55% and 100%, respectively), trace metals (TMn, TFe), and suspended particles, indicating localized hydrothermal venting at these two sites. Hydrocasts along the northern rift zone of the NWLSC also had excess δ3He, TMn, and suspended particles suggesting additional sites of hydrothermal activity. The RR are dominated by Lobster Caldera, a large volcano with four radiating rift zones. Hydrocasts into Lobster Caldera in 2008 detected high δ3He (up to 239%) and suspended particle and TMn signals, indicating active venting within the caldera. A repeat survey of Lobster in 2010 confirmed the site was still active two years later. Plumes at Lobster Caldera and Central Caldera have end‐member3He/4He ratios of 19 Ra and 11 Ra, respectively, confirming that hot spot‐type helium is also present in the hydrothermal fluids.


 One half-day Student Chapter Leadership Conference on September 20  One half-day Student program Student Program: "Making the Leap from Academia to Your Geoscience Career"  Reception with E&P Operators and Student Poster sessions on geology and geophysics on evening of September 19  Company sponsored Luncheon with Poster Award Presentation on September 20  Interviews and Recruiting from leading E&P Operators in the Appalachian Basin on September 20


from 1/2012 to 3/2019. Included patients had PSC, no prior sphincterotomy, and adequate MP images to assess for retraction. Three high volume ERCP experts created a grading system. After a teaching session on the grading system, 7 investigators (1 trainee and 6 high volume ERCP physicians) were tested on severity of retraction in 60 selected images. Reliability of individual observers was calculated using kappa, and reliability of all observers was calculated using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Kappa and ICC values .0.75 were deemed excellent. Results: 774 ERCPs were performed in 259 patients with PSC, with 103 done without prior sphincterotomy, and 93 with adequate MP pictures to use in creating the grading system. The created grading system included: normal MP, flattened MP (nearly in line with the duodenal wall), and retracted MP (within an inverted segment of duodenal wall appearing like a shallow diverticulum, Fig 1). Supportive criteria for retracted MP included suprapapillary concavity (intraduodenal segment of bile duct inverted above MP, Fig 1) and "squid sign" ( .3 folds of duodenal wall stretched inferiorly from the MP, Fig 1). Of 60 selected images used to assess reliability, 21 had normal MP, 21 had flattened MP, and 18 had retracted MP, with squid sign in 5/18 with retracted MP and suprapapillary concavity in 14/18. Reliability of observers (Table): good to excellent for retraction in 5/7; good to excellent for suprapapillary concavity in 4/7; poor for squid sign in 6/7. ICC was 0.63 for retraction, 0.45 for suprapapillary concavity, and 0.18 for squid sign. Conclusion: This is the first grading system that classifies retraction of MP in PSC. Reliability among ERCP experts for grading degree of retraction and suprapapillary concavity was high. This supports use of this grading system to be utilized in future study to determine if retraction is associated with disease features, difficulty of ERCP, and ERCP-related complications in patients with PSC.


This study presents the design of a robust active disturbance rejection (ADR) controller in order to improve low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability of wind farms connected with doubly fed induction generator (DFIG). The ADR controller is particularly effective in real-time estimation and mitigation of the total effect of various uncertainties against a wide range of parameter variations, model uncertainties and large disturbances. The performance evaluation of the designed controller is performed on an IEEE system under different test cases. The simulation results show that the proposed controller is robust against uncertainties in operating conditions and successfully improves the damping and voltage stability and thus the LVRT capability of DFIGs.


The histoblot immunostaining technique for locating and characterizing amyloidogenic proteins was used to obtain information about the relationship of cerebral ischemia/hypoxia to the accumulation of amyloid beta protein (A beta). We investigated brains of 131 subjects (ages 25-94 years, mean 72 years). Three distribution patterns of A beta immunoreactivity were identified: (1) colocalization with diffuse and neuritic plaques of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and aging; (2) diffuse punctuate deposits in the cerebral cortex in association with small vessel cerebral vascular disease ; and (3) cerebral cortical accumulation localized to arterial boundary zones and other regions susceptible to ischemic/hypoxic injury designated "stress-induced deposits" (SID). SID were not identified in tissue sections by immunohistochemical, Congo red or Bielschowsky silver techniques; no histological abnormalities were present in adjacent formalin-fixed tissue sections, SID occurred in subjects with histories of cerebral ischemia, and severe orthostatic hypotension. There was also an association with aging in general and with the incidence of neuritic plaques specifically. These latter findings are consistent with the hypothesis that brain ischemia/hypoxia plays a role in the pathogenesis of AD.


In what direction has the prohibition of age discrimination been heading since the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in Rosenbladt that there are almost no limits to the discretion of Member States in adopting mandatory retirement rules? This article argues that the general labour market policy of Member States will probably continue to be exempt from strict judicial scrutiny when long-standing features of employment law that are shared by many States are concerned. However, in the case of rules for specific occupations or specific age-related entitlements, the margin of discretion left to the Member States is narrowed down considerably. This article argues that there is a need to bridge the gap between the different control standards. Especially since the entry into force of the European Union (EU) Charter of Fundamental Rights, the interest of some employees to continue in employment and to pursue their chosen occupation needs to be balanced more evenly against the labour market policy of Member States. A suggestion about how to reconcile these interests is put forward.


Moving beyond the borders of the city centre, Bucharest reveals itself as a city of both urban development and decay. Within this fragmented city lies forgotten, isolated and forbidden spaces often being appropriated by groups on the edge of our society. The issue of decay is often portrayed as a negative quality that should be shielding from sight. However this 'dystopic' quality that is found in many spaces of abandonment offer a rich grounds for observation. They become a hub of radical activity as temporal visitors seek out spaces with no rules and no order so that they can begin to engage with, play in and transgress these spaces. The lack of accessibility to these spaces that allow free play remains unaddressed within the fabric of Bucharest and the negative connotations of decay prevent us from seeking out spaces of play. The design proposal therefore seeks to build within the centre of Bucharest, in an area that has been radically altered itself by the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The destruction and scars that are present in the landscape has lent itself to the design of an institute of memory. This collection of continually accumulating buildings seeks to address the memory of the pre-1980s site and interweave functions that embody the multiple understandings of the word memory.


Previous research conceptualises posttraumatic growth (PTG) as a phenomenon experienced by some people after breast cancer. In this thesis, I consider an alternative understanding of PTG; as discursive identity performance in the context of breast cancer survivorship. First, a critical review of literature on PTG after cancer is presented, with attention to rigour and methodological diversity and also with regard to the fit between existing research and counselling psychology values. It is concluded that much of the existing research is framed within a realist perspective, and accordingly, accounts of PTG are viewed as stable internal beliefs rather than socially constructed ways of managing identity. The social context in which survivorship occurs has not been adequately explored and there is a paucity of work from within the UK, and especially from amongst counselling psychologists, who, arguably, have a significant contribution to make within the psycho-oncology arena. An area for research is marked out, from the epistemological position of social construction, to explore women's accounts of life after cancer, and how they orient to and make use of PTG in this context. Following consideration of the approach taken (a synthesis of two forms of discourse analysis), I present my research with four women who were interviewed about their experiences of life after breast cancer. The analysis highlights the fine grained features of the women's talk as they manage their post-cancer identities discursively negotiating the social and moral obligation to survive well. A number of discourses, including the 'PTG discourse' are drawn upon, making a number of subject positions available. Notably, the PTG discourse closes down talk of troubles. Implications for theory, and for counselling psychology practice within psycho-oncology, are discussed.


In the last decade, useful information extraction from moving objects has become widespread in the spatial-temporal data mining field with the increasing use of devices such as RFID and GPS. For this purpose, the outlier detection method, which is a subfield of data mining, was applied to the trajectory of patients and diseases in the dental health service. In this article, TRAOD and TOD-SS algorithms combining distance and density-based methods were preferred. These algorithms do not handle the moving object trajectory as a whole unlike other outlier detection techniques. They investigate whether each piece exhibits different behavior according to its neighbors by separating trajectories into pieces. So, they detect outlying trajectory pieces that other algorithms cannot locate. Algorithms preferred in this study were used in a COMB-O model we developed and their performances were compared. In addition, according to the region and clinic, the classification of patients was made. Also, clustering, which is another branch of spatial-temporal data mining, was performed for trajectory. When the COMB-O model was executed, results showed sub-trajectories that deviated from the trajectory data were successfully detected with the help of the trajectory outlier detection algorithms. Inconsistent trajectories perceived provided significant data. In addition to this, successful classification was performed by making use of non-linear classification features of DVM. Moreover, stops and moves in the Faculty of Dentistry were detected by using CB-SMoT and DB-SMoT which are clustering algorithms.


The Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis predicts that ornament expression is a signal of the ability of individuals to resist parasite infection. Thus, across a population (i.e., between-individuals) more ornamented individuals should have lower levels of parasitism. Numerous studies have tested this prediction and the results are mixed. One reason for these conflicting results may be that many studies have examined this relationship at the between-individual level, which may be affected by confounding factors such as selective mortality. Using within-subject centering we examined the relationship between male ornamentation and avian blood parasites at both the between- and the within-individual level. These relationships focus on differences in genetically-based resistance to parasites and the trade-off in resource allocation between parasite resistance and ornament expression within an individual, respectively. We studied male common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas), which have two plumage ornaments, a yellow, carotenoid-based bib (throat and chest) and a black, melanin-based facial mask. Surprisingly, within-individuals, an increase in parasitism between years was associated with an increase in mask size and, potentially, greater concentration of carotenoids in the yellow feathers. This suggests that males may be able to tolerate an increase in parasitism and still increase ornament expression. In contrast, ornamentation was not related to parasitism at the between-individual level. Thus, our study revealed relationships between ornaments and parasitism at the within-individual level that were not present at the between-individual level. Our results highlight the importance of examining both within- and between-individual relationships as correlations between variables, such as ornaments and parasites, may depend on the level of analysis (i.e., within- or between- individuals).

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Humans routinely learn new concepts using natural language communications,even in scenarios with limited or no labeled examples. For example, ahuman can learn the concept of a phishing email from natural language explanationssuch as 'phishing emails often request your bank account number'.On the other hand, purely inductive learning systems typically require a largecollection of labeled data for learning such a concept. We believe that advancesin Computational Linguistics and the growing ubiquity of computing devicestogether can enable people to teach computers classification tasks using naturallanguage interactions.Learning from language presents some key challenges. A preliminary challengelies in the basic problem of learning to interpret language, which refersto an agent's ability to map natural language explanations in pedagogical contextsto formal semantic representations that computers can process and reasonover. A second challenge is that of learning from interpretations, which refersto the mechanisms through which interpretations of language statements canbe used by computers to solve learning tasks in the environment. We addressaspects of both these problems, and provide an interface for guiding conceptlearning methods using language.For learning from interpretation, we focus on concept learning (binary classification)tasks. We demonstrate that language can define rich and expressivefeatures for learning tasks, and show that machine learning can benefit substantiallyfrom this ability. We also investigate assimilation of linguistic cuesin everyday language that implicitly provide constraints for classification models(e.g., 'Most emails are not phishing emails'). In particular, we focus onconditional statements and linguistic quantifiers (such as usually, never, etc.),and show that such advice can be used to train classifiers even with few or nolabeled examples of a concept.For learning to interpret, we develop new algorithms for semantic parsingthat incorporate pragmatic cues, including conversational history and sensoryobservation, to improve automatic language interpretation. We show that environmentalcontext can enrich semantic parsing methods by not only providingdiscriminative features, but also reducing the need for expensive labeled dataused for training them.A separate but immensely valuable attribute of human language is thatit is inherently conversational and interactive. We also briefly explore thepossibility of agents that can learn to interact with a human teacher in a mixedinitiativesetting, where the learner can also proactively engage the teacher byasking questions, rather than only passively listen. We develop a reinforcelearning framework for learning effective question asking strategies in contextof conversational concept learning.


The resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) is a basic problem in project management. The net present value (NPV) of discounted cash flow is used as a criterion to evaluate the financial aspects of RCPSP in many studies. But while most existing studies focused on only the contractor's NPV, this article addresses a practical extension of RCPSP, called the payment scheduling negotiation problem (PSNP), which considers both the interests of the contractor and the client. To maximize NPVs of both sides and achieve a win–win solution, these two participants negotiate together to determine an activity schedule and a payment plan for the project. The challenges arise in three aspects: 1) the client's NPV and the contractor's NPV are two conflicting objectives; 2) both participants have special preferences in decision making; and 3) the RCPSP is nondeterministic polynomial-time hard (NP-Hard). To overcome these challenges, this article proposes a new approach with the following features. First, the problem is reformulated as a biobjective optimization problem with preferences. Second, to address the different preferences of the client and the contractor, a strategy of multilevel region interest is presented. Third, this strategy is integrated in the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) to solve the PSNP efficiently. In the experiment, the proposed algorithm is compared with both the double-level optimization approach and the multiobjective optimization approach. The experimental results validate that the proposed method can focus on searching in the region of interest (ROI) and provide more satisfactory solutions.


Species are disappearing from the earth at a rate of hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of times greater than every before witnessed. According to many scientists, this rapid destruction will lead to irreversible changes in the earth's ecosystem. The Expendable Future provides a comprehensive and critical evaluation of the politics of biological diversity in the United States and of state and federal policies on endangered species from the early 1960s to the present. Drawing on congressional hearing and debates, previously unpublished public opinion surveys, interviews with state officials and employees of the Department of the Interior, and internal documents from this and other government agencies, Tobin provides an in-depth analysis of the policies on endangered species and the policy relationships among the different units of government involved in implementation. He examines the resources that are available for the protection of endangered species and the way in which those resources are matched to the priorities. Tobin also discusses the processes by which species are classified as endangered, how these species' critical habitats are determined and protected, and the successes, and mostly failures, of current recovery programs.


The luminosity distance measurement of GW170817 derived from gravitational-wave analysis in Abbott et al. (2017a, hereafter A17:H0) is highly correlated with the measured inclination of the NS–NS system. To improve the precision of the distance measurement, we attempt to constrain the inclination by modeling the broadband X-ray-to-radio emission from GW170817, which is dominated by the interaction of the jet with the environment. We update our previous analysis and we consider the radio and X-ray data obtained at t < 40 days since merger. We find that the afterglow emission from GW170817 is consistent with an off-axis relativistic jet with energy Ek ∼ 1048 −3 × 1050 erg propagating into an environment with density n ∼ 10−2–10−4 cm−3, with preference for wider jets (opening angle θj = 15°). For these jets, our modeling indicates an off-axis angle θobs ∼ 25°–50°. We combine our constraints on θobs with the joint distance–inclination constraint from LIGO. Using the same ∼170 km s−1 peculiar velocity uncertainty assumed in A17:H0 but with an inclination constraint from the afterglow data, we get a value of km s−1 Mpc−1, which is higher than the value of km s−1 Mpc−1 found in A17:H0. Further, using a more realistic peculiar velocity uncertainty of 250 km s−1 derived from previous work, we find km s−1 Mpc−1 for H0 from this system. This is in modestly better agreement with the local distance ladder than the Planck cosmic microwave background, though such a significant discrimination will require ∼50 such events. Measurements at t > 100 days of the X-ray and radio emission will lead to tighter constraints.


Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a potentially high-value lignin extraction methodology. DESs prepared from choline chloride (ChCl) and three hydrogen-bond donors (HBD)—lactic acid (Lac), glycerol, and urea—were evaluated for isolation of willow (Salix matsudana cv. Zhuliu) lignin. DESs types, mole ratio of ChCl to HBD, extraction temperature, and time on the fractionated DES-lignin yield demonstrated that the optimal DES-lignin yield (91.8 wt % based on the initial lignin in willow) with high purity of 94.5% can be reached at a ChCl-to-Lac molar ratio of 1:10, extraction temperature of 120 °C, and time of 12 h. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) , 13C-NMR, and 31P-NMR showed that willow lignin extracted by ChCl-Lac was mainly composed of syringyl and guaiacyl units. Serendipitously, a majority of the glucan in willow was preserved after ChCl-Lac treatment.


Nowadays, a current controller in a structure vibration, mostly in building is always focused on the velocities or full state feedback strategies. In fact, efficiency and accuracy is necessary needed such as a displacement and velocities of the structure are intricate to achieve straightly during the seismic activity. This phenomenon happen because the transducer used inside the controller are inexpensive and provided a reliable measurement of the structural accelerations. In this study, a new controller, Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) has been designed where it used to change the current state feedback controller. This PID controller is tuned using Ziegler-Nichols method. This method is used to tune the characteristic of the dynamics response of the controller. The PID controller had been tested using Quanser Active Mass Damper System (AMD) where AMD is a flexible structured that can swing without any friction. The Matlab SIMULINK has been used to create a simulation between the PID controller and the AMD. The result shows that the PID controller gives a good response to reject the disturbance produced by the structure vibration and it also able to absorb the vibration, respectively. Using the conventional controller, the value of phase margin, delay time and peak gain are 90.3 degree, 0.000381 second and 74.7 dB. But, using the PID controller there are 90 degree, 0.0000127 second and 75.6 dB for value of phase margin, delay time and peak gain, respectively. The result shows that the PID controller is more suitable to react with AMD to reduce the level of vibration.


The world is consuming large amounts of energy in various forms like electric energy and mechanical energy. Since the electrical energy is an important factor for the development of the world, many researchers tried to generate electricity from renewable energy sources collected by sensors in order to overcome the shortage of electrical energy for household appliances and industrial areas. In this paper, we develop Internet-of-Things (IoT) based system to generate electrical energy from multiple sensors for household appliances and industrial areas. Different sensors namely piezoelectric sensor, body heat to electric converter and solar panel are utilized and connected to the power storage circuit for generation of electrical energy. Two different Artificial Intelligence (AI) models such as Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Adaptive Network based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) are utilized for the total power generated from renewable energy resources. Validation is done through the statistical parameters such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and R2 coefficient of correlation. Result outcome from the models shows that ANN performance is better than ANFIS.


A new configuration is proposed for the auto-resonant peniotron oscillator (ARPO) consisting of an oscillator part with a low output power and an amplifier part, and a report is given of the analytical results of its operational characteristics using some computer simulations. The results show that it should be possible to develop a multi-megawatt oscillator tube with an extremely high conversion efficiency, even in the millimetre and submillimetre wave regions.


Multi-Armed Bandit (MAB) framework has been successfully applied in many web applications. However, many complex real-world applications that involve multiple content recommendations cannot fit into the traditional MAB setting. To address this issue, we consider an ordered combinatorial semi-bandit problem where the learner recommends S actions from a base set of K actions, and displays the results in S (out of M) different positions. The aim is to maximize the cumulative reward with respect to the best possible subset and positions in hindsight. By the adaptation of a minimum-cost maximum-flow network, a practical algorithm based on Thompson sampling is derived for the (contextual) combinatorial problem, thus resolving the problem of computational intractability.With its potential to work with whole-page recommendation and any probabilistic models, to illustrate the effectiveness of our method, we focus on Gaussian process optimization and a contextual setting where click-through rate is predicted using logistic regression. We demonstrate the algorithms' performance on synthetic Gaussian process problems and on large-scale news article recommendation datasets from Yahoo! Front Page Today Module.


The metathesis polymerization of monomers containing two diphenylacetylene units [Me3SiC6H4CCC6H4CCR; R = o-SiMe3C6H4 (1a), o,o-(SiMe3)2C6H3 (1b), o,o,p-(SiMe3)3C6H2 (1c), and o-CF3C6H4 (1d)] was performed using TaCl5/n-Bu4Sn. The polymerization of 1a–c containing SiMe3 group at the ortho position of a benzene ring afforded solvent-soluble products (2a–c) without crosslinking since the reaction of one acetylene was suppressed by steric hindrance. In contrast, the polymerization of 1d containing CF3 group afforded a solvent-insoluble product (2d). Polymers 2a–c exhibited similar thermal stability with a high decomposition temperature (T0 = 380 °C). Upon excitation with 400 nm light, 2a–c exhibited emissions (530 nm) at a longer wavelength than that of poly(diphenylacetylene) without a phenylacetylene on the side group. In addition, 2b and 2c exhibited intense fluorescence. The oxygen permeability coefficients of 2a–c were 54.3, 268, and 375 barrer, respectively. Gas diffusivity and solubility increased with increasing number of SiMe3 groups in the repeating unit.


On the basis of hyperdiploidy, often involving trisomies of chromosomes 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15, 19 and 21, and chromosomal translocations multiple myeloma (MM) can be separated into two broad groups. Neither the mechanism leading to the development of these trisomies nor their effect on myeloma pathogenesis is fully understood. With the aim of understanding these two questions further we have analysed the zygosity status and chromosomal copy number of 39 samples from the MRC Myeloma IX trial (9 t(4;14), 15 t(11;14), 15 hyperdiploid) and two cell lines using the Affymetrix 50K SNP mapping arrays. Plasma cells were selected using CD138+ MACS beads to purity greater than 95%. There was a good correlation between the FISH based detection of copy number change and that defined using SNP mapping arrays indicating that the SNP array methodology was robust. In the 24 non-hyperdiploid cases there are examples of chromosomes that are diploid by FISH and by copy number analysis, using a WGSA programme, however in some of these chromosomes there is loss of heterozygosity (LOH) across the whole or part of the chromosome indicating uniparental disomy (UPD). In addition, we demonstrate where there are large regions of UPD on one chromosome there will often be regions of UPD on other chromosomes. In the hyperdiploidy cases we find that large regions of UPD are rare on the trisomic chromosomes, but small regions of LOH exist in all 15 hyperdiploid samples indicating uniparental trisomy which is in agreement to MM cell lines where uniparental trisomy can also be found. In four out of 15 hyperdiploid samples LOH is also seen on tetraploid chromosomes. UPD, therefore, represents an important new mechanism for gene inactivation in myeloma whereby tumour suppressor genes can be inactivated even in the presence of increased copy number. The mechanism underlying this gene activation relies on the loss of one functional allele leaving only a single allele which may be defective. Duplication of the defective allele gives a normal chromosomal number but an abnormal phenotype, which would not be detected by FISH or conventional CGH. Such regions of LOH may arise through gene conversion events and somatic recombination during mitosis. The order in which these events occur in hyperdiploid cells can help in the understanding of the clonal evolution of myeloma. We demonstrate that gene inactivation methods such as deletions or UPD occur prior to chromosome copy number gain as areas of LOH are present on diploid and trisomic chromosomes. In order to understand how such regions of LOH contribute to the pathogenesis of MM and to define critically deregulated genes within these regions, where mutation and methylation may be important, we are currently comparing the SNP mapping arrays with expression patterns using the Affymetrix U133 plus 2 expression microarrays.


Palabras clave: Calidad del servicio, lealtad, lealtad intencional, lealtad accion, restaurantes. ABSTRACT. The objective of this research is to provide certain explanation about how the factors that compose service quality are predictors of the general customer opinion and his loyalty toward a restau- rant. The data collection was conducted by a structured questionnaire in a 111 seating restaurant's customer sample. Six dimensions of service quality was included in this study, four of them -facilities, food, personnel and, consistency and honesty- explain properly the general opinion about the restaurant; while accessibility and environment are the two dimensions that don't explain it. None of the quality service variables, one by one or together, explain properly the customer loyalty; that means that there is no evidence about the incidence of any of them in the loyalty generation. However, the general opinion, associated with tangible and intangible aspects, tends to explain the intention to return to the restaurant. The academic contribution of this research is helping the understanding of the relationship between multidimensional constructs as service quality and loyalty. In the other hand, the practical contribution takes place because the managers could focus their efforts in the critical areas of the restaurant to improve its quality service.


Studies were made on the effects of in vivo administration of anti-CD4 mAb, anti-CD8 mAb, or a combination of both mAbs on multiplication of bacteria, the levels of serum transaminases, and mortality in mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes. Results showed that in sublethal infection, CD8+ cells enhanced the peak of bacterial multiplication and liver cell necrosis, and CD4+ cells suppressed CD8+ cell-mediated enhancement. Results also showed that either CD4+ or CD8+ cells were necessary for, and capable of, mediating clearance of the bacteria. CD8+ cells were more efficient than CD4+ cells, but for optimal clearance both were necessary. In lethal listeriosis, treatment of mice with anti-CD8 mAb or a combination of both anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 mAbs, but not anti-CD4 mAb only, protected mice from death by decreasing multiplication of bacteria in the liver and spleen after a peak of approximately 10(8) CFU, and lowering the elevated serum levels of transaminases. These findings indicated that CD8+ cells were responsible for causing irreversible systemic Listeria infection and severe liver necrosis. In lethal listeriosis, administration of rMuIFN- gamma markedly prolonged survival by decreasing multiplication of bacteria and promoting recovery from liver necrosis.


: Donna Bacchi, MD, stood before a group of Austin business and community leaders hoping they would be disturbed by what they were about to see and hear. How would they react when an 18-year-old, 7-month-pregnant girl told them about living in the backseat of her aunt's car? Or the tale of a 16-year-old mother who had been living on the streets before finding shelter in a drug house?


SINCE the subject of "Rationalization of Transmission-System Insulation Strength"1 was first presented in a comprehensive manner in 1928, a great deal of constructive study and analysis have been devoted to the problem, and outstanding progress has been made in placing the insulation of an electric system on a more rational basis from the lightning or impulse viewpoint. Three groups have been most active in this work; the equipment manufacturers, the laboratories, and the users of equipment. Particular attention has been given by the manufacturers to increasing and protecting the impulse strength of various types of commercial apparatus. The laboratories have worked on obtaining fundamental impulse data on equipment impulse strength, and have set up approved methods of testing. Both the above groups as well as the users of equipment have co-operated in field investigations to determine the characteristics of natural lightning. Finally, the users, in co-operation with both the other groups, have worked untiringly to co-ordinate the entire work into a rationalized insulation system. This principle of insulation rationalization should not be lost sight of in the individual or group efforts on insulation co-ordination to develop particular equipment to meet definite impulse strengths. That is, the fundamental problem is one of rationalizing system insulation strength by co-ordinating the insulation strength of the various items of equipment constituting or forming a part of the transmission or distribution system.


As a part of an ongoing biodiversity survey of aseptate gregarine fauna of oligochaete hosts of West Bengal, an expedition was carried out in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal and most of the earthworms collected were found to be infested with a species of Monocystis Stein, 1848. The monocystid species was collected from the seminal vesicles of the earthworm and was identified as a new species, Monocystis amynthae sp. nov. The gamont of the new species is characterized by having an elongated body with broad anterior end, separated from the narrow posterior end by a prominent constriction measuring 49.0-77.0 (66.0+/-1.3) microm x 32.0-41.0 (37.0+/-2.8) microm. The gametocysts are oval-shaped, measuring 40.0-65.0 (58.0+/-2.1) microm. The oocysts are navicular, measuring 8.0-12.0 (10.5+/-1.1) microm x 4.0-6.0 (5.5+/-1.1) microm.


Ostracods from the Sourd d'Ave section have been collected in the Moulin Boreux and Fort Hulobiet Members (Fromelennes Fm., Givet Group) and in the Pont d'Avignon Member (Nismes Fm., Frasnes Group). Ostracods collected in the Fromelennes Fm. by Milhau (1983a) and in the Nismes Fm. by Casier (1987a) have been also reviewed. Forty-four ostracod species are identified in the Fromelennes Fm. and 25 in the Nismes Fm. They belong exclusively to the Eifelian Mega-Assemblage, and several assemblages indicative of restricted and shallow marine, sometimes agitated, environments are recognized in the Fromelennes Fm. The great rarity of ostracods in the upper part of this formation provides evidence for less favourable lagoonal conditions probably related to increasing aridity at the end of the Givetian. In the Frasnes Group, assemblages are exclusively open marine and indicative of increasing water depth. The majority of ostracod species recognized in the Givet Group are missing in the base of the Frasnes Group as a consequence of the Frasnes Event. A systematic list of ostracods identified in the Fromelennes Fm. at Sourd d'Ave is published as an annex. Systematic sampling has been carried out in order to establish the sedimentological evolution of the environments and to detail the Givetian-Frasnian (G/F) transition. This allowed recognition of 13 microfacies types that replicate the standard sequence of Preat & Mamet (1989) from open marine shallow subtidal to restricted supratidal near emersion. The Boreux Member and the Fort Hulobiet Member display restricted facies (Amphipora, spongiostromid and algal bafflestones and bindstones, loferites with desiccation lumps) with poorly fossiliferous beds interbedded with higher energy peloidal and sometimes oolitic grainstone facies. Laminite horizons, sometimes with small-sized lateral linked hemispheroid stromatolites are uncommon, and are associated with dolomicrites showing pseudomorphs of evaporite minerals. These evaporitic facies become common in the upper part of the Fort Hulobiet Member suggesting the palaeoclimate became more arid at the G/F transition. Metre-scale cyclicity is pervasive throughout the Givetian part of the section. The boundary between the Givet Group and the Frasnes Group is very distinctive in the field, and is characterized by a transition from restricted evaporative lagoonal facies to open marine interbedded marly shales and nodular limestones. The upper part of the Fort Hulobiet Member consists of interbedded biostromes (semi-restricted stromatoporoid boundstones) followed by Amphipora floatstones, then fossil-poor units and restricted supratidal laminites with well-developed fenestral fabrics. The Frasnian Pont d'Avignon Member contains a rich faunal assemblage (bryozoans brachiopods, molluscs, nautiloids, tentaculitids) suggesting an abrupt drowning from the marginal Givetian carbonate platform into a Frasnian distal ramp or deep basinal environment below or near storm wave base.


Unarmored dinoflagellates consist of species in the division Pyrrhophyta and class Dinophyceae. They are
found in all types of aquatic system including freshwater and marine. Some of the marine species are best known to cause harmful algal brooms (HABs) that often kill fish and/or shellfish by clogging the animal gills and deplete oxygen in the water column when the algae proliferated. Some of the species produce neurotoxins that cause human intoxication by consumption of contaminated shellfish. In this study, species specific oligonucleotide probes of harmful and/or toxic unarmored dinoflagellates were designed in silico for rapid detection by using whole-cell Flourescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Species-specific rRNAtargeted oligonucleotide probes were designed toward the known sequences of the large subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA region based on the sequence signatures of each target species. A total of 44 sequence
signatures were defined for 32 of unarmore inoflagellates, of which 6 species are harmful and/or toxic. The probe information in this study will be useful in future application of FISH in the natural environment. In parallel with the study, dinoflagellates from Borneo were isolated and established into clonal cultures. A total of 14 clonal cultures of dinoflagellates were successfully established and the morphology of each species was documented. Among the strains isolated, a few are potentially harmful and some are toxic. The major
outcome in this study is the finding of a toxic dinoflagellate, Alexandrium tamiyavanichii from Samariang
estuary. This is the first report of the occurrence of this species in Sarawak waters.


Spatial structures have the different dynamic characteristics from general rahmen structures and many studies on dynamic behavior of it is conducted. But most studies was conducted about the particular shape of spatial structures and, directly, the usable results of studies are very limited for seismic design of spatial structures with the lower structure. So, this study is conducted about the truss arch structure that the basic dynamic characteristics of spatial structure is inherent in, and the change of its seismic response is analyzed when columns have different length on both ends of it. According to the difference of column's length on both ends, the vertical acceleration response of truss arch structure is affected more than the horizontal acceleration response of it. Therefore, when the stiffness of lower structures that support the upper structure is different, the consideration of the vertical response is significantly required for the seismic design of spatial structures.


Lab assistant from assistant forum STMIK AMIKOM Yogyakarta is active student who selected from couple step recruitment like administratif selection, writing selection, communication and microteaching. On the selection lab assistant who pass the test, manually selected from Forum Assistant or Lecture. That's why the selection step still have weakness, there are subjective, doesn't have standaritation and hard to decide who can pass if they are have almost same competency. Decision support system for selection lab assistant in this riset using simple additive weighting method. This application will create alternative ranking for lab assistant from the highest score that's selected for the best solution. There are nine criteria used in this method : courses score, semester, recomendation, GPA, how many be an assistant, assistant in the same courses, academic test score, communication test score and microteaching score. Systm build using programing language PHP and MySQL. Testing using training data and testing data that have 90% accuracy of system. With this decision support system hopefully can help lecture and assistant forum to select lab assistant.


Abstract. The NASA Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) mission built a photochemical climatology of air parcels based on in situ measurements with the NASA DC-8 aircraft along objectively planned profiling transects through the middle of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. ATom measured numerous gases and aerosols, particularly the gaseous species driving the chemical budgets of O3 and CH4: i.e., O3, CH4, CO, C2H6, higher alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, NOx, HNO3, HNO4, peroxyacetylnitrate, other organic nitrates, H2O, HCHO, H2O2, and CH3OOH. From the 10 s (2 km) merged observations, a modeling data stream (MDS) based on observations of the core species, consisting of 146,494 distinct air parcels has been constructed from the 4 ATom deployments, providing a continuous data stream for initializing global chemistry models and calculating the 24-hour chemical tendencies. Tendencies derived from 6 chemistry models using the ATom-1 MDS tend to agree and show a highly heterogeneous troposphere where globally 10% of the parcels control as much as 40% of the budget of O3 and CH4. Surprisingly, modeled probability distributions (100-km cells) match ATom statistics (2 km parcels), indicating that the majority of the observed heterogeneity can be resolved with current global chemistry models. On the other hand, the models' own chemical climatologies underestimate O3 production below 4 km in both Pacific and Atlantic basins because they have lower NOX levels than observed.


Abstract : Islam permeated throughout the military institutions of Malaysia, Pakistan and Indonesia and replaced the Western and foreign military cultures the military had inherited due to society becoming Islamized following the revival of Islam. The implementation of true Islamic model practices and values differ slightly from country to country depending first on the level piousness of its existing military personnel, new personnel input and the military leadership. The second factor is the degree of motivational drive of the head of state in encouraging Islam. Islamized military institutions are also faced with the challenges created as a result of sects and schools that emerge in the form of Islamic parties and extremists groups. The argument will be that Islamic teachings in military affairs can result in peace, solidarity and solve the Civil military Relations (CMR) problems. In the final analysis, 'guided moderate Islamic influence' bring harmony to CMR in Malaysia, while the uncoordinated influence of Islam in the Indonesian military made the CMR problematic. It is different in Pakistan because the strong influence of Islam has encouraged the generals to wrest political power from civilians.


The mixed-state magnetization M(H||c,T) of a Bi-2212 single crystal has been investigated with high resolution using a SQUID magnetometer. In the high-temperature region (50 K < T < Tc = 80.2 K), we found that the slope ∂M/∂H|T vs. H shows a positive step at Htrans(T) ≈ H0×(1 − T/Tc)n with H0 = 2340 Oe and n = 1.28. This observation is compatible with a first-order phase transition with a distribution of internal fields, and is attributed to the melting of the 3D vortex lattice. The estimated entropy jump is 1 kB/vortex/layer CuO. However, when T is lower than 50 K, we observe radical changes in M(H); the 3D melting line divides into a decoupling line at a temperature-independent field and the onset of the irreversibility.


Abstract Based on bidder-target asymmetry, our study investigates the source of synergy gains derived from corporate takeovers and their specific contribution to bidder value creation. Prior researches have focused on the relevance of only one source of potential synergy. We find that French takeovers tend to create long-term operating and financial synergies. These two synergy components are positive and significant with a large contribution of the former. Furthermore, cutbacks in investment expenditures represent the most significant source of operating synergies, while post-acquisition market power is non-significant. Moreover, both total and operating synergies are higher in focused takeovers initiated by "value" as opposed to "glamour" bidders. Lastly, financial synergies are likely to arise from bidder leverage level and target relative size.


In this work, we present a novel routing protocol for energy constrained multi-hop wireless sensor networks. The proposed mechanism exploits the broadcast nature of the wireless channel to enable cooperative relaying in an on-demand manner. It also introduces the concept of leapfrogging that aids in circumventing links with weak channels. Further, in order to achieve energy efficiency, we define a novel metric that takes into account both location as well as channel state information for next-hop selection. The protocol is completely decentralized and preliminary analysis shows that the proposed approach offers significant benefits by reducing the number of (re)transmissions required to reach a destination. This translates into network-wide energy savings that can potentially increase the network lifetime.


Usability testing is a technique that allows for the examination of a specific user's effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in achieving goals (Law, Hvannberg, 2002). This user-focused design process has been found to be particularly important in early site development. In this study, multiple interfaces of the knowledge base will be examined comparatively, changing only the aesthetics. Using a think-aloud process, users will be walked through seven scenarios in the IUPUI Chemistry Knowledge Base, and asked to vocalize their thoughts as they attempt each situation. Completion of user questionnaires and a post-test System Usability Scale (SUS) will provide recommendations from which improvements may be made to the design, layout and management of the Knowledge Base (Brooke, 1996).


Energy has been propelling the development of human civilization for millennia, and technologies acquiring energy beyond human and animal power have been continuously advanced and transformed. In 1964, the Kardashev Scale was proposed to quantify the relationship between energy consumption and the development of civilizations. Human civilization presently stands at Type 0.7276 on this scale. Projecting the future energy consumption, estimating the change of its constituting structure, and evaluating the influence of possible technological revolutions are critical in the context of civilization development. In this study, we use two machine learning models, random forest (RF) and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), to simulate and predict energy consumption on a global scale. We further project the position of human civilization on the Kardashev Scale in 2060. The result shows that the global energy consumption is expected to reach 928-940 EJ in 2060, with a total growth of over 50% in the coming 40 years, and our civilization is expected to achieve Type 0.7474 on the Kardashev Scale, still far away from a Type 1 civilization. Additionally, we discuss the potential energy segmentation change before 2060 and present the influence of the advent of nuclear fusion in this context.


Problem statement: Nowadays a large number of various medical images are generated from hospitals and medical centers with sophisticated image acquisition devices, the movement toward digital images in radiology presents the problem of how to conveniently and economically store, retrieve and transmit the volume of digital images. Thus digital image data compression is necessary in order to solve this problem. So in a wide range of medical applications such as disease diagnostic and during the compression process, the loss of information is unacceptable; hence medical images are required to be at high resolution as possible. Instead of lossy compression with relatively high compression ratio, mathematical lossless compression methods are favored in this field. Approach: In this study, an efficient new lossless image coding algorithm using a simple technique was presented. Our coding algorithm was based on pixel redundancy reduction by formulating two matrices only, which were Gray Scale Matrix (GSM) and Binary Matrix (BM). These matrices had been used for coding and decoding processes. Results: Results showed that the maximum compression ratio achieved using the proposed method was 4:1, which was more efficient than the present lossless techniques, moreover the computational complexity is greatly simplified; therefore producing very fast coding and decoding. Conclusion: This algorithm was most suitable for those images where lossy compression was avoided such as medical images used for teleradiology and other telemedicine purposed and it can be applied to other medical modalities.


In this paper, the concept of 'affordance' is given an ontological and epistemological explication building on a Merleau-Pontian view of human being as always already being-in-the world in a non-thematized, pre-reflective correspondence of body and world in the concrete activity. A dynamic, agent-centred, cultural-, experience- and skill-relative, but perception-independent, ontology is proposed for affordances. It is argued that this is more in line with the original Gibsonian understanding of the concept than a recent attempt by McGrenere and Ho, because the latter fall back upon the subject-object-dichotomy that Gibson was trying to transcend.


Criminologists and other developmental researchers have long acknowledged the importance of both continuity and change in antisocial and criminal behaviour over the life‑course. To the extent that young offenders having contact with the police will persist with offending into adulthood is an important social issue with significant implications for the ongoing development and implementation of early intervention and prevention programs. Using data from New South Wales, this paper tracks a cohort of 8,797 juvenile offenders over ten years and is among the first of its kind to use multivariate techniques to examine the long‑term outcomes of those who were cautioned, conferenced or convicted in that state. The study finds that just over half of all juvenile offenders were reconvicted in court of a further offence and that reconviction rates were higher for young males and Indigenous offenders than for females or non‑Indigneous offenders. In concluding, this paper draws attention to the need for improved assessment and early intervention efforts that more accurately target those young people most at risk of persisting with offending into adulthood.


Abstract Objective Clear aligner treatment (CAT) provides orthodontic patients with a comfortable treatment alternative; however, this device has limited capacity to facilitate tooth movements. Although composite attachment has been proposed to facilitate tooth displacement, some of its aspects, such as aligner thickness, can influence CAT's precision. This work aimed to compare the stress distribution patterns produced by clear aligners with different thicknesses and composite attachment shapes during anterior retraction. Materials and Methods Maxillary models consisting of clear aligners, maxillary teeth, and various attachments to the upper central incisor's labial surface were generated. Three models were built to mimic the retraction of the upper central incisors. Each had a distinct attachment design (rectangular attachment, ellipsoid attachment, and pyramidal attachment) and various aligner thicknesses (0.75, 0.85, 0.95, 1.05, and 1.15 mm). Upper central incisor retraction was accomplished using clear aligners. Finite element analysis was used to examine the built models. Stress distribution pattern was examined. Results The greater the thickness of the aligner, the higher the stress experienced by the teeth. The 0.75 mm-thick aligner induces the lightest stress with a minimum of 0.0037623 MPa and a maximum of 0.32859 MPa. Meanwhile, the 1.5 mm-thick aligner has the highest stress with a minimum of 0.004679 MPa and a maximum of 0.43858 MPa. The force distribution on rectangular attachments appears evenly distributed. The maximum pressure force on rectangular attachments has a minimum of 0.38828 MPa, which is smaller than the maximum on ellipsoid and pyramidal attachments at 0.40933 and 0.45099 MPa, respectively. Conclusion The best aligner thickness is 0.75 to 0.85 mm for anterior retraction. An aligner with 0.95 mm thickness can still be used when a remarkable amount of tooth movement force is needed; however, this exception is only applicable to a limited number of clear aligner trays. The ellipsoid attachment is the best type of attachment because the resulting force is substantial and evenly distributed.


Background: The first case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. In India, the first case was reported on 30.01.2020, and first COVID-19 death occurred on 10.03.2020. The case fatality rate (CFR) was 3.4% estimate by the World Health Organization (WHO) as of 03.03.2020. All age groups had significantly higher mortality compared with the immediately younger age group. The largest increase in mortality risk was observed in patients aged 60 to 69 years compared with those aged 50 to 59 years. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of age on COVID-19 patient's outcome. Methods: All the secondary data were collected either from the Indian institute statistics, Bangalore website, or COVID-19 india website, or GitHub website, or Indian government websites. The effect of age on COVID-19 patient's outcome was determined. Results: Age at first quartile was 50 years in the deceased group, whereas in recovered, it was 25 years. The median age in the deceased group and recovered group were 59 and 34 years, respectively. Significant difference was observed in age between the deceased and recovered group. Age was showing a medium effect size (0.574) in the outcome of the COVID-19. The cut-off value of age for estimating risk of death was established by using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. The cut-off value was 48 years. The sensitivity was 77.5% and the specificity was 78.8%. More than 48 years age group had a 13 times higher risk than the less than 48 years age group. Area under the curve was 0.855 (95% CI: 0.846–0.864). Conclusions: This study suggests that the strong association between the age and outcome of COVID-19 patients. We can predict the outcome of COVID-19 patient based on their age. The outcome of COVID-19 patient prediction may give better results with associated comorbid conditions. The cut-off value of age for outcome was 48 years.


The Nuosu are a subgroup of the so-called Yi ethnic group. Today around two million Nuosu live in Liangshan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province and translocal urban contexts, such as Chengdu and Beijing. For many centuries, the Nuosu have cultivated a belief system composed of a combination of animism and ancestor worship. Since the resurrection of religious activity across China that began in the early 1980s, this faith – represented by the three types of religious practitioners known as bimo, sunyi, and monyi – has reportedly been experiencing a comprehensive revival at folk level. For the bimo, this revival has been paralleled and increasingly overlaid by a scholarly reappraisal of Nuosu religion under premises other than religious. Bimo practice and identity have thus become subsumed under the illustrious concept of "bimo culture". In this article, I trace the genealogy of the concept of "bimo culture" as part of a cultural canon of and for the Yi which is intended to promote development at the local level but which is also contributing to a weakening of the status of the bimo and Nuosu ritual life in Liangshan today.


A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the rapid detection and typing of molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) was developed. The target DNA was a 393 base pair (bp) segment, which is present in the coding region of the MCV p43K gene product. Release of MCV DNA from skin lesions was performed by using a simple procedure that provided suitable template DNA for amplification, and allowed detection of MCV directly in clinical material. The PCR yielded a unique 393 bp product when MCV DNA was used as template. This product was not shown with DNA from other viruses and bacterial pathogens causing skin diseases. The specific PCR product was obtained with individual lesions from all patients clinically diagnosed with MCV infection, whereas no products were detected with skin samples from healthy individuals. Sequencing of this PCR product allowed determination of the virus subtype on the basis of previously described nucleotide differences between subtypes MCVI and MCVII. To avoid the sequencing process, a second PCR assay was developed, in which the target DNA sequence included a MCVI‐specific recognition site for the restriction endonuclease BamHI. This PCR assay yielded a unique 575 bp product with lesions from either MCVI‐ or MCVII‐infected patients. However, only the MCVI‐derived product was susceptible to BamHI digestion, which generated two fragments of 291 and 284 bp, respectively. Amplification of specific MCV DNA sequences from single, individual lesions provides a sensitive and reliable method for laboratory diagnosis and molecular epidemiology studies of molluscum contagiosum. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a multifunctional protein associated with energy homeostasis and body weight regulation. GDF15 has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target to treat obesity-related metabolic disorders. GDF15 reduces food intake with a unique mode of action via its receptor GDNF family receptor α-like (GFRAL) and the co-receptor RET. YH34160 is an engineered GDF15 variant-Fc fusion protein to have extended half-life and potent functional activity by enhancing binding affinity to GDF15 receptors (GFRAL/RET) . Based on rodent and monkey pharmacokinetic (PK) data, YH34160 is expected to have an optimal PK profile for once-weekly dosing in humans. In efficacy studies using obese mouse models, YH34160 demonstrated a potent and sustained weight-lowering effect. After a single subcutaneous injection in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice, YH34160-treated groups showed sustained and dose-dependent body weight (BW) reduction compared to long-acting glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) . Following a 6-week multiple-dose study in DIO mice, YH34160-treated groups exhibited a greater and more prolonged BW loss compared to the group of GLP-1RA. Marked BW reduction and improved lipid profile by YH34160 were also proved in leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice compared to GLP-1RA. In addition, YH34160 caused significantly better anti-obesity effects, and a much more improved metabolic profile than that of albumin-GDF15, and dual GLP-1/Glucagon receptor agonist. Interestingly, YH34160 in combination with GLP-1RA or dual GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor agonist (GIPRA) achieved more potent and greater BW loss compared to each mono-treated group. Overall, these findings indicate that YH34160 would be a promising therapeutic candidate, as well as in combination with GLP-1-based therapeutics, for the treatment of obesity and obesity-related comorbidities.

 S. Lim: None. D. Kim: None. J. Yang: None. M. Ju: None. S. Kim: None. B. Sim: None. J. Kim: None. S. Oh: Employee; Yuhan, Stock/Shareholder; Yuhan.


Circulation promotions can improve single-copy sales. (1) However, one customer satisfaction survey found newspapers decreasing in customer satisfaction at a rate greater than tobacco products. (2) Now, publishers are looking to the newsroom for help, and reaching the occasional reader "will be at least as much a challenge for editors as it will be for circulation managers." (3) Design elements are seen as part of this promotional scheme. (4) Seen as a product, the front page is packaged and page designers use visual elements to guide the eye. (5) Readers prefer these modern designs and pay greater attention to and are more likely to remember pages with large photographs. (6) When photographs fail to complement stories, information processing can be interrupted. (7) While readers clearly prefer such design elements, little is known about whether this preference translates into actual purchase behavior. (8) The Study I recruited three daily newspapers to participate with a promise of confidentiality. Over three months circulation directors provided single-copy sales figures and a copy of the newspaper's main city edition for that day. (9) Analysis of the front page was limited to above the fold. Key variables, based on previous research and professional concerns, were the size of the photograph, whether local or not, the association with the lead story of the day and the nature of the content. Only weekday circulation figures were used. Findings The average depth for dominant photographs was 4.2 inches (SD=1.4) while the average width was 3.3 columns (SD=0.9). Local photographs made up nearly 55 percent of the photographs studied, followed by international, national and state, respectively. The most dominant photographs were associated with a news story and 62.8 percent were associated with the lead story. Nearly half of the newspapers placed their main photograph beneath a six-column story (48.6 percent). The next most popular location was in the center of the page with stories on the left and right (28.4 percent). Analysis failed to find any direct influence of photograph features on single copy sales. One exception was from Paper 1 near the traditional level of statistical significance, and in this case local photographs resulted in fewer single copy sales (2,826) than non-local photographs (3,017, p Other than size and placement, powerful content can also generate reader interest. Two types of analyses are reported, the first examining the standard feature versus hard news dichotomy, where no effects were found, and the second looking at the three categories of tragedy, politics and children. Paper 1 again demonstrated intriguing results that do not quite achieve the traditional level of statistical significance. For this newspaper, tragic photographs were associated with greater single-copy sales, while political photographs were associated with fewer single-copy sales. These bivariate analyses may miss significant findings. For example, a large hard news photograph may spark sales more than a comparable feature photograph. Analyses based on photograph size in combination with the factors discussed above resulted in one finding near the traditional level of statistical significance, that for Paper 3, where wider photographs had a positive impact on single-copy sales for hard news, but not feature news (F(1,50)=3.3, p Conclusions Contrary to common wisdom, the size and type of the photograph dominating the front pages of these three newspapers had little impact on single-copy sales. These results suggest what many social psychologists already know, that a wide gap often exists between what people say they prefer, their attitudinal responses and what they do, those actual behaviors. …


Archaea can produce special cellular components such as polyhydroxyalkanoates, carotenoids, rhodopsin, and ether lipids, which have valuable applications in medicine and green energy production. Most of the archaeal species are uncultivated, posing challenges to investigating their biomarker components and biochemical properties. In this study, we applied Raman spectroscopy to examine the biological characteristics of nine archaeal isolates, including halophilic archaea (Haloferax larsenii, Haloarcula argentinensis, Haloferax mediterranei, Halomicrobium mukohataei, Halomicrobium salinus, Halorussus sp., Natrinema gari), thermophilic archaea (Sulfolobus acidocaldarius), and marine group I (MGI) archaea (Nitrosopumilus maritimus). Linear discriminant analysis of the Raman spectra allowed visualization of significant separations among the nine archaeal isolates. Machine-learning classification models based on support vector machine achieved accuracies of 88-100% when classifying the nine archaeal species. The predicted results were validated by DNA sequencing analysis of cells isolated from the mixture by Raman-activated cell sorting. Raman spectra of uncultured archaea (MGII) were also obtained based on Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence in situ hybridization. The results combining multiple Raman-based techniques indicated that MGII may have the ability to produce lipids distinct from other archaeal species. Our study provides a valuable approach for investigating and classifying archaea, especially uncultured species, at the single-cell level.


Isolated rat dorsal root ganglia incorporated [3H]valine, [3H]serine, [3H]phenylalanine and [3H]histidine into a peptide which co-eluted with authentic substance K (neurokinin alpha) on reverse-phase HPLC. Confirmation of the identity of this peptide with substance K was obtained by demonstrating that the sulphoxide derivative of the peptide co-eluted with substance K sulphoxide. Substance P and substance K were synthesised in the ratio 2.6:1. The implications of these results for the co-synthesis of substance P and substance K in sensory neurones are discussed.


Ng YH, Ngadi E, Md-Zain BM, Md-Zairi Z, Abdul-Latiff MAB. 2020. A note on the new record of the amphibian fauna in Pulau Tinggi, Malaysia. Biodiversitas 21: 2425-2429. A survey of amphibian species in Pulau Tinggi was conducted from February to October 2019. The study was carried out using the Visual Encounter Survey method and the drift-fenced pitfall trap method. Based on previously published literature and the present survey, an updated checklist of amphibians is presented. In total, nine species were recorded that comprise three previously recorded species (Limnonectes blythii, Polypedates leucomystax and Odorrana hosii), and six new recorded species (Limnonectes deinodon, Polypedates dischantus, Microhyla heymonsi, Fejervarya limnocharis, Ingerophrynus parvus, and Kaloula pulchra).


With the widely acceptance of WiFi networks, and the highly regarded development of new indoor technologies like distributed antenna systems and femtocells, propagation models that take accurately into account the indoor channel characteristics are necessary for the purpose of network planning. Due to the complexity of such indoor environments made of obstacles causing numerous reflexions and diffractions, full 3D indoor propagation models are required. The MR-FDPF was recently proposed for indoor radio coverage but suffered from high complexity when trying to extends this model to 3D. That is why in this paper a solution to reduce the complexity of the MR-FDPF method is provided. In this new approach, the size of the matrices to be inverted is reduced, by neglecting the propagation modes that have low influence on the resulting coverage. It can be shown that propagation matrices of large MR-nodes can be divided into two classes, i.e. standard flow matrices and return flow matrices, each one having its possible simplifications. This new model allowed us to run full 3D simulations on a 3-floored building, with a RMSE of about 4dB between simulation and measurements.


The Phellinus noxius which are the plant pathogen caused brown root rot disease and harmful to the plantation industry. In Malaysia, disease was found in teak plantations in Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Melaka. A study was conducted to evaluate the antagonistic activities of selected fungal and bacterial species which included P. aeruginosa, B.subtilis, Trichoderma spp. TT1 actinomycete y TT2 actinomycete and TT3 actinomycete towards the plant pathogens. All the antagonists were found to have antagonistic activities against the fungal pathogens when evaluated by the dual culture assay on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and ISP-2 at 30°C. The Trichoderma spp. is the best antagonist due to the highest percentage inhibition ranging from 14.28% to 100%. There are 3 mechanisms of antagonisms has been done such as competitive inhibition, mycoparatism or antibiosis. For competitive inhibition, Trichoderma spp. showed the fastest growth which indicated it to be very competitive to the pathogens for the substrates, nutrients and space. Meanwhile mycoparasitic interactions were investigated by using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Under the microscopic observations showed that the hyphae of Phellinus noxius shrink, swell and become stunt. Activity of chitinolytic enzymes was detected when the antagonists formed clearing zone chitin yeast extract agar and only TT1 and TT3 actinomycete strains was produced a positive results with the significant clear zone (> 0.5cm of diameter). Activity of cellulolytic enzymes was detected when the antagonists formed halos on CMC plate assay and the highest secretion was showed by TT2 actinomycete with the halo diameter was 1.40cm. Under the antibiosis using cell-free culture filtrate by agar well diffusion bioassay, all antagonuists effectively against plant pathogen except TT1 actinomycete was not effective against Phellinus noxius due to the absence of inhibition zone. During the antibiosis using solvent extracts methanol extract gave a positive result. The methanol extract of P. aeruginosa produced the widest zone of inhibition among other antagonists.


Windstorms are a primary natural hazard affecting Europe that are commonly linked to substantial property and infrastructural damage and are responsible for the largest spatially aggregated financial losses. Such extreme winds are typically generated by extratropical cyclone systems originating in the North Atlantic and passing over Europe. Previous statistical studies tend to model extreme winds at a given set of sites, corresponding to inference in an Eulerian framework. Such inference cannot incorporate knowledge of the life cycle and progression of extratropical cyclones across the region and is forced to make restrictive assumptions about the extremal dependence structure. We take an entirely different approach which overcomes these limitations by working in a Lagrangian framework. Specifically, we model the development of windstorms over time, preserving the physical characteristics linking the windstorm and the cyclone track, the path of local vorticity maxima, and make a key finding that the spatial extent of extratropical windstorms becomes more localized as its magnitude increases irrespective of the location of the storm track. Our model allows simulation of synthetic windstorm events to derive the joint distributional features over any set of sites giving physically consistent extrapolations to rarer events. From such simulations improved estimates of this hazard can be achieved in terms of both intensity and area affected.


Palmoplantar hyperkeratosis with their many variants of infesta-tions are often resistant to therapy. This holds true for the hereditary forms as well as for the symptomatic forms. All possi-ble therapeutic options should therefore be exploited through targeted diagnosis of the cornification disorders. This includes intensive examination of the cornification disorder for fungal infections since tinea manuum et pedum might themselves lead to hyperkeratosis. Diagnosis of the mycotic infestation of the hyperkeratosis is not easy as anti-hyperkeratotic local therapy with high doses of urea and salicylic acid preparations itself act fungistatic leading to false negative cytological, histological and cul-tural results. The samples taken at the hands and feet should in-clude a wide area because the fungal structures might be loosely distributed over palms and soles in contrast to onychomycosis. Samples should also be taken from deep horny layers. Due to local fungistatic pretreatments, the fungal hyphae and spores are dystrophic and considerably smaller in the cytological and histological picture, with the result that these fine fungal elements might be detected only by thorough examination of the speci-mens. The known dyes PAS or fluorescence techniques should be applied. If fungal structures are detected in thehyperkeratosis, only intensive local and oral therapies over several months lead to an improvement in the clinical symptoms. According to our own experience, the fungal infections intensify the considerable cornifications of hyperkeratosis in almost 30% of cases. In isolat-ed cases, only a few residues of the previously considerable and for the patients distressing cornifications remain after intensive anti-mycotic therapy. Mycotic analyses of palmoplantar hyperkeratosis is mandatory as anti-mycotic therapy is a simple and often successful option for the treatment of these distressing and painful disorder. A mycotic cofactor leading to the cornification should be considered especially if the patient also exhibits ony-chomycosis.