The radiation induced bystander response is defined as a response in cells which have not been directly targeted by radiation, but which are in the neighborhood of cells which have been directly exposed. In many cases, the bystander response is saturated with increasing dose and is observed when only one cell in a population is targeted by high-LET particle radiations or ultrasoft X-rays (278 eV). However, in our studies using synchrotron X-ray microbeams (5.35 keV), the bystander cell killing effect in normal human fibroblast WI-38 cells had a parabolic relationship to the irradiating dose and was detected if 5 or more cell nuclei were irradiated. To evaluate the feature of the X-ray-induced bystander cell killing effect at a wider dose range and the existence of photon energy dependence, the effects were assessed by irradiating cell nuclei in confluent WI-38 cells with AlK X-ray microbeams (1.49 keV). The surviving fraction decreased when only a single cell nucleus was irradiated, suggesting the minimal number of targeted cells to induce the effect may depend on the energy of photons used. In this study, we found that the bystander cell killing effect showed a biphasic relationship to the irradiating dose. The decrease in bystander cell survival at the doses higher than 0.23 Gy was partially suppressed between 2.3 and 7.0 Gy, followed by level-off around 90% above 14 Gy, suggesting that the X-ray-induced bystander response is dose dependent. In addition, NO is one of chief initiators/mediators of the effect at least 0.47 Gy.


Considers a strategy for dealing with communication conflicts in omega networks. Specifically, the authors consider the problem of partitioning a set of conflicting messages into a minimum number of subsets, called rounds, each free of communication conflicts. In addition to standard omega networks, they consider this problem for a more general class of networks called bundled omega networks, where interconnection links in the network are replaced by bundles of wires. Although the partitioning problem has previously been considered in the literature, its computational complexity has remained open. The authors show that for a number of cases, the problem is NP-complete, but for certain special cases, it is solvable in polynomial time. In addition, they present a class of distributed, on-line heuristics for the problem. Finally, they give a lower bound of /spl Omega/(log N) on the performance ratio for one of these heuristics. >


The present study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of various extracts (viz. methanol, acetone and ethyl acetate) of Thuja orientalis and its preliminary phytochemical screening. In vitro antimicrobial activity was tested by agar well diffusion assay against human pathogenic microbes which are Gram positive (viz. S. aureus andB. subtilis), Gram negative bacteria (viz. P. aeruginosa, A. faecalis and K. pneumoniae) and fungi (A. flavus and A. niger). Methanol and acetone extract of leaf exhibited maximum activity against B. subtilis with zones of inhibition of 20.33 mm and 17.83 mm, respectively. All the extracts of stem were found to be most effective against P. aeruginosa. S. aureus was found to be sensitive to leaf extracts prepared in methanol, acetone and ethyl acetate with 13.66, 14.03 and 15.00 mm zone of inhibition, respectively.A. flavus and A. niger, both were found to be sensitive towards the methanol extract of leaf with inhibition zones of 15.50 and 16.00 mm, respectively compared to fungicides (viz. ketoconazole and fluconozole). Methanol extract of leaf and ethyl acetate extract of stem exhibit marked antimicrobial activity against B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa, which was comparable to standard antibiotics (that is, penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline and streptomycin). It was also observed that leaf extracts were more effective as compared tostem extracts of the plant. Thus, Thuja orientalis could be considered as potential source of natural antimicrobials used for the treatment of bacterial and fungal infections.

 Key words: Plant extracts, antibacterial activity, minimal inhibitory concentration, phytochemical screening.


The crystal structure of the metastable state of ferroelectric lead germanate, Pb5Ge3O11, was investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). It was concluded that the crystal structure of the metastable state is a result of the random piling up of isolated oxygen tetrahedra, GeO4, and double tetrahedra, Ge2O7, in layers perpendicular to the c-axis. Stacking faults between the layers with a relative shift parallel to them are included randomly in the structure.


Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and associated factors of obesity among high school adolescent students in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 10 September 2019 to 10 October 2019 in Bahir Dar town. A total of 1018 students were enrolled using a multistage sampling procedure. Epidata version 3.1 was used for data entry, and SPSS version 24 was used for data analysis. A bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: The magnitude of obesity among high school adolescents was 8.3%. Attending a private school (adjusted odds ratio = 6.52; 95% confidence interval: 3.13, 13.59), not participating in moderate- to vigorous-intensity activities (AOR = 3.08; 95% confidence interval: 1.44, 6.64), coming from a wealthy family (adjusted odds ratio = 7.03; 95% CI: 2.16, 22.89), and snacking frequency (adjusted odds ratio = 9.64; 95% confidence Interval: 4.79, 19.39) were all associated with obesity. Conclusions: Obesity was prevalent among students in private schools and wealthy families in the research area. Family size, household wealth, participation in moderate-to-striving activities, and snacking frequency were all found to be significant factors of obesity.


Anomaly detection in computer networks is an actively researched topic in the field of intrusion detection. The Internet Analysis System (IAS) is a software framework which provides passive probes and centralized backend services to collect purely statistical network data in distributed computer networks. This paper presents an empirical evaluation of the IAS data format for detecting anomalies, caused by attack traffic. This process involved the generation of labeled evaluation data based on the 1999 DARPA Intrusion Detection Evaluation data sets and two different supervised machine learning approaches for the assessment. The results of this evaluation conclude, that the IAS is not a convenient data source for advanced anomaly detection in the scope of our research.


The Steward Observatory SSA team developed the Pomenis Astrograph System as an alternative to more traditional narrow field of view small SSA systems. The astrograph is innovative with its fast optical design versus a traditional longer focal length found on commercial Cassegrain telescope that most "Raven class" systems are based on. Compared with other systems used for SSA, the Pomenis astrograph has an exceptionally wide 4.2°4.2° field of view and a fast readout CCD camera. These features enable synoptic survey of the deep space satellite population several times per night. The aperture and focal length were carefully selected to achieve sensitivity relevant to synoptic GEO SSA with an integration time short enough to allow high precision astrometric reference using the streaked background stars. With its 7-color filter wheel, Pomenis also performs multi-color photometric screening of deep space satellites looking for anomalous behavior and can identify objects for higher fidelity measurements and study. Pomenis is housed in a unique trailer mounted enclosure, which enables the system to be deployed with minimal infrastructure, operated remotely and autonomously, and quickly relocated as required. In addition to the SSA measurements described above, the astrograph is taking full-hemisphere night sky brightness (NSB) measurements in multiple color bands. These measurements will be compared to previously conducted each decade on Mt. Hopkins and Kitt Peak to study the increase in light pollution in southern Arizona. Pomenis will allow these measurements to be made on a more routine basis, and over a tighter spatial grid. This will facilitate our monitoring of the light pollution environment at the University's observatory sites and assess the impact of future development on the quality of the night sky. Additionally, Pomenis will be used for serendipitous astronomical surveys and to develop new techniques for precise photometric reduction over a wide field of view and high air mass.


The objective was to evaluate the effects of therapeutic dietary supplements and drugs on cognitive function in subjects with Down syndrome. The study design was a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of dietary supplements and/or drugs reporting any assessment of cognitive function in subjects with Down syndrome. Eleven trials were identified with 373 randomized participants. None of the trials reported cognitive enhancing effect in subjects with Down syndrome. Meta-analysis was not conducted due to the heterogeneous nature of the population, interventions and outcome measures used. Overall, the quality of the trials was poor with few subjects and generally inadequate allocation concealment of the treatments given. This comprehensive systematic review provides no positive evidence that any combination of drugs, vitamins and minerals enhance either cognitive function or psychomotor development in people with Down syndrome. However, because of the small number of subjects involved and the overall unsatisfactory quality of the trials, an effect cannot be excluded at this point. At present there is no justification for the use of such regimes outside the context of large well designed trials. Parents of children with Down syndrome should be actively discouraged from giving these 'miracle drugs' to their children.


In this paper, three-dimensional amplification of plane harmonic SH, SV, and P waves in multilayered alluvial valleys is investigated by using a boundary element method in frequency domain. It is shown that in order to achieve real responses, the problem must be analyzed and modeled three-dimensionally. Also, for exact evaluation of surface ground motions in alluvial valleys all key parameters such as layering, material and geometrical characteristics of each layer, stimulation frequency, wave type, plus angle and azimuth of incidence must be taken into account altogether. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed formulations for the computation of the surface displacement field amplification is verified by solving a number of problems.


The aim of this paper is to investigate how one third level college in Ireland has responded to economic change with the development of a multi-disciplinary entrepreneurship programme and to explore its impact on the development of entrepreneurial mind-sets amongst its current students and graduates. The findings are based on results of surveys from twenty graduates from the programme who have come from a cross section of engineering and science disciplines. Findings of this study indicate that a dedicated entrepreneurship programme specifically designed for nonbusiness students has had an overwhelming positive impact on their entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions. In particular, students" understanding of entrepreneurship has been significantly changed since completing the programme, their level of confidence towards starting a business has increased and collectively the group have embraced the culture of entrepreneurship. This paper can provide useful information to academics in developing third level entrepreneurship programmes for non-business disciplines. The study is an innovative example of entrepreneurship education and creates a framework for other third level institutions to develop similar initiatives to help lay the foundations for entrepreneurship to be the norm, and as such will also be of interest to researchers in this space.


The Lakeview, Oregon, office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) contracted Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to classify vegetation communities on Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Nevada. The objective of the mapping project was to provide USFWS refuge biologists and planners with detailed vegetation and habitat information that can be referenced to make better decisions regarding wildlife resources, fuels and fire risk, and land management. This letter report describes the datasets and methods used to develop vegetation cover type and shrub canopy cover maps for the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge. The two map products described in this report are (1) a vegetation cover classification that provides updated information on the vegetation associations occurring on the refuge and (2) a map of shrub canopy cover based on high-resolution images and field data.


DEAR SIB,—I have just seen A. Sutcliffe's article entitled " The Factors of Nl " (The Mathematical Gazette, Vol. L, no. 371, p . 34). Some years ago I discovered, with proof, the same theorem, only to learn that it was published by Legendre as long ago as the year 1808 (see Dickson's " History of the Theory of Numbers ", Vol. 1, Ch. 9, p263). I t is by no means a forgotten theorem, having been quoted in several recent papers, e.g. L. J . Mordell's " Integer Quotients of Products of Factorials " (Journal of the London Math. Soc, Vol. 34, pt. 2, April 1959, p. 137 (top paragraph) and H. W. Gould's " Exponential Binomial Coefficient Series " (West Virginia Univ., Technical Report No. 4, Sept. 1961, p. 16). Yours sincerely, Empire House, M. T. L. BIZLEY St. Martin's-le-Grand, London, E.C. 1.


WHO MAKES THE DECISION?: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF PICU NURSES USE OF LUNG RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES FOLLOWING ENDOTRACHEAL SUCTION J. Schults1, M. Cooke2, D. Long3, A. Schibler3, M. Mitchell2 1Griffith University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Nathan, Australia 2Griffith University, School of Nursing and MidwiferyMenzies Health Institute, Nathan, Australia 3Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, South Brisbane, Australia


Current view on a relationship between particle pollution, morbidity and mortality of lung carcinoma were discussed in the article. Published epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies suggest particle pollution, especially metal containing particulate matter (PM), to be a risk factor for lung carcinoma occurrence. PM-associated injury of epithelial cell genome and epigenetic lesions are an important part of pathogenesis of lung carcinoma. Systemic research findings and formalized reports could improve our knowledge on lung cancer pathogenesis and could be used in clinical practice for risk assessment, early detection and prognosis of lung cancer and improvement in treatment efficacy.


Sound absorption characteristics of specially designed high-loft nonwovens with minimum thickness were reported in this study. Three different polypropylene and polyester fiber-based high-loft, air-laid, and thermally bonded nonwovens varying in basis weight were produced. Heavier high-loft nonwoven samples at various thicknesses were formed using a specially designed mold. The sound absorption coefficients of samples with mass per unit areas ranging from 350 to 1575 g/m2 and with thicknesses ranging from 5 to 45 mm were measured. Acoustical absorptive behavior of the high-loft nonwovens was explained by analyzing the displacements of small air control volumes in a high-loft nonwoven and the air velocities in the impedance tube. Results indicate that the velocity and the total displacement of the small air volumes inside the fiber network have a major effect on sound absorption. High-loft nonwovens can be much more effective in terms of sound absorption if they are produced at the thickness at which average maximum velocity of the air is calculated highest. If there is a desire to absorb more acoustic energy, heavier nonwovens can be produced. It is suggested that relatively heavy nonwovens (from 700 to 1575 g/m2) can be produced thinner (5–10 mm) than the calculated thickness value based on the average maximum air velocity to get maximum sound absorption at lower thickness.


We study both analytically and numerically the decay of fidelity of classical motion for integrable systems. We find that the decay can exhibit two qualitatively different behaviors, namely, an algebraic decay that is due to the perturbation of the shape of the tori or a ballistic decay that is associated with perturbing the frequencies of the tori. The type of decay depends on initial conditions and on the shape of the perturbation but, for small enough perturbations, not on its size. We demonstrate numerically this general behavior for the cases of the twist map, the rectangular billiard, and the kicked rotor in the almost integrable regime.


Parental rights originate in patria potestas, the proprietary power of the Roman father, and its incidents of custody, control and corporal punishment. Parental rights as proprietary rights, as rights over another, cannot co-exist with children's rights. What, then, are parental rights in the age of children's rights? This Essay surveys the influence of Roman doctrine on modern law in and through the Supreme Court of Canada. The court acknowledges children's rights, views proprietary rights over children as a thing of the past and recognizes custody as the child's right, not the parent's. Yet the court vitiated the fiduciary standard for parents, limited state parens patriae jurisdiction and upheld two of the three incidents of patria potestas. By making childhood an excuse for avoiding principled rights analysis, conflating adult interests with children's rights and confusing assault with touch, the court upheld the proprietary rights of corporal punishment and control. If parental rights are understood as rights correlative to parental fiduciary duty, and if rights are seen as markers of relationship rather than its antithesis, then the law is rid of archaic notions of parental rights. The way is open to substantive judicial and social engagement with the rights of the child.


. In this article we consider the a posteriori error estimation and adaptive mesh refinement of discontinuous Galerkin finite element approximations of the hydrodynamic stability problem associated with the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Particular attention is given to the reliable error estimation of the eigenvalue problem in channel and pipe geometries. Here, computable a posteriori error bounds are derived based on employing the generalization of the standard Dual–Weighted–Residual approach, originally developed for the estimation of target functionals of the solution, to eigenvalue/stability problems. The underlying analysis consists of constructing both a dual eigenvalue problem and a dual problem for the original base solution. In this way, errors stemming from both the numerical approximation of the original nonlinear flow problem, as well as the underlying linear eigenvalue problem are correctly controlled. Numerical experiments high-lighting the practical performance of the proposed a posteriori error indicator on adaptively refined computational meshes are presented.


Many aerospace users of radiation hardened (RH) components have radiation performance requirements that are relatively minor compared to traditional RH requirements. By relaxing these requirements, users may be able to obtain a significant increase in performance in a standard (but more strict) high-reliability ASIC flow. In this paper we present an approach for evaluating an arbitrary commercial technology library and establishing guidelines to follow when designing an ASIC with limited, but important, radiation requirements targeting common aerospace applications. The approach is presented with Global Foundries 22 nm fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (22FDX) as the development example.


Р. 7. Vlavatskaya Marina V. Novosibirsk State Technical University. COMBINATORIAL LINGUISTICS (ON RAISING THE PROBLEM). Combinatorial linguistics is a branch of linguistic science that studies linear relations of language units and their combinatorial profile. This branch represents the synthesis of two fields: syntagmatics, that is the aspect of a language involving compatibility of single-level units, and combinatorics, the content of which is compiling and researching of word-combinations subordinated to definite communicative tasks under existing conditions of their realization, which can be formed from the given number of words. Combinatorial linguistics considers the problems of compatibility, correlation of semantics and syntagmatics between language units, their functions, combinatory properties and lexicographical description of language units' compatibility. Depending on the unit of analysis combinatorial linguistics is divided into combinatorial phonology, combinatorial morphology, combinatorial morphemics and combinatorial lexicology. Topicality of the given branch is conditioned by the following reasons: 1) demand of classifying systematic description of collocation properties of language units; 2) appeal to investigating the functional aspect of the language; 3) requirement to study the cognitive aspect of compatibility; 4) extension of teaching foreign languages that makes demand on comparative typological analysis in different languages; 5) need in compiling combinatory dictionaries in various spheres of language discourse. The aim of combinatorial linguistics represents the theoretical description and solution of the problems connected with syntagmatic relations and combinatory properties of language units, the nature of compatibility, the synthesis of semantics and compatibility of language signs; the functions of compatibility, as well as its applied aspect. The realization of the given aim implies the statement of the following problems: 1) to define the structure and content of combinatorial linguistics; 2) to denote the position of this branch in the structure of linguistic science; 3) to consider the doctrines about syntagmatic relations of words in Russian and foreign linguistics; 4) to work out terminological base of combinatorial linguistics; 5) to single out the branches of combinatorial linguistics; 6) to justify and describe combinatorial lexicology as one of the main branches of combinatorial linguistics. Thus, researches within combinatorial linguistics stimulate the problem of creating a new branch of linguistics with its own terminological base and probative scientific doctrine.


This monograph provides the first in-depth look at how mothers and young children talk about gender, to discover the potential role of language in fostering gender stereotypes. Mothers and their sons/daughters, who were 2- ,4- , or 6- years of age, were videotaped discussing a picture book that focused on gender. A consistent contrast was found between mothers' explicit endorsement of gender stereotypes and implicit emphasis on gender. Although mothers rarely expressed gender stereotypes directly, they emphasized gender concepts indirectly, by referring to gender categories, providing gender labels, contrasting males and females, and giving approval to their children's stereotyped statements. With increasing age, children were more focused on gender categories and stereotypes, but also more gender-egalitarian. Gender-egalitarian items (e.g., a female fire-fighter) were associated with less overt stereotyping, but also with more implicit talk about gender. Altogether, mothers' language input conveys a wealth of subtle messages about gender from which children may construct their own beliefs.


Objective: Calibrate two non-linear models, in three intermediate triple hybrids, by theoretically comparing the accumulation of dry matter in relation to the days after sowing.
Methodology: The cuts were every 14 days, from 30 to 170 das, and were adjusted to the Logistic and Richards models. The experimental design was a randomized block, with three replications.
Results: The models explained most of the total dry matter yield in corn, observed in the field at 83%. The best fit model was the logistic model in cultivar AN447 and the Richards model in cultivar A7573, both with R2=0.98. The maximum yield simulated with the Richards model was shown in AN447 with 22,616 kg DM ha-1 and the lowest in AN388 with 10,970 kg DM ha-1.
Limitations/Implications: Tests of other models in the same conditions and in other environmental conditions with the models under study.
Conclusion: The Logistic model allows to simulate with greater precision the yield of dry matter in corn, by using the days after planting as an independent variable.


An optical pulse train with a repetition rate in the gigahertz range has been successfully generated by an FM fiber ring laser that uses an optical circulator and a fiber grating for frequency filtering. The FM laser generates optical output with maximum chirping rate of more than 1.3×1021 Hz/s under intracavity phase modulation at 3.3 GHz. By shifting the frequency filtering window of fiber grating, the pulse repetition rate can be doubled, and optical pulses with a repetition rate of 6.6 GHz rate are obtained.


We develop a protocol adaptive Stacked transfer learning (STL) U-NET for soft tissue segmentation in dynamic speech MRI. Our approach leverages knowledge from large open-source datasets, and only needs to be trained on small number of protocol specific images (of the order of 20 images). We demonstrate the utility of STL U-NET in efficiently segmenting soft-tissue articulators from three different protocols with different field strengths, vendors, acquisition, reconstruction. Using the DICE similarity metric, we demonstrate segmentation accuracies with our approach to be at the level of manual segmentation.


Based on the hypothesis that interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) may have stimulating effects on survival of hematopoietic progenitor cells, we examined the effect of IFN-gamma on apoptosis of mature erythroid colony-forming cells (ECFCs) derived from human peripheral blood obtained from normal, healthy volunteers. When the cells were cultured in the presence of IFN-gamma, even without erythropoietin (EPO), the viability of the cells was maintained for at least 36 hours. When apoptosis of ECFCs was assessed by flow cytometric analysis', using annexin V, IFN-gamma reduced the extent of apoptosis of the cells, as well as EPO. DNA fragmentation of ECFCs was also reduced by IFN-gamma. In cells cultured with IFN-gamma alone, expression of Bcl-x was detected but the level of expression decreased gradually during incubation for 36 hours, and the expression level was lower than incubation with EPO. Fas expression and activation of downstream caspases were assessed by flow cytometric analysis or fluorometric protease assay. IFN-gamma induced Fas expression of the cells without the activation of caspase8 or caspase3 during 16 hours of incubation, while deprivation of EPO induced expression of Fas and the activation of both caspase8 and caspase3. We propose that IFN-gamma produces a stimulating signal for the survival of mature erythroid progenitor cells by reducing apoptosis through a mechanism other than modulating Fas and one related to the expression of Bcl-x. (Blood. 2000;95:3742-3749)


Purpose
There is a clear consensus that improving energy efficiency of existing housing stock is necessary to meet the UK's legally binding carbon emission targets by 2050. The purpose of this paper is to assess the energy saving potentials from building retrofit using an end-terrace house, similar houses represent about 30 per cent of the existing building stock in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach
The Salford Energy House – a unique pre-1919 Victorian end-terrace house built within an environmental chamber – was used. Retrofit modelling analysis was carried out using IESVE – a dynamic thermal simulation tool. The retrofitted model was also evaluated using future projected climate data (CIBSE latest release) to examine energy demands and overheating.

Findings
Findings show that improving building fabric thermal characteristics can reduce space heating demands substantially. Heating modes, set point preferences and infiltration level all have strong impact on heating demands. Space heating demand savings can be as much as 77 per cent when the property facades were upgraded to the similar requirements of Passivhaus standards. The research implicates that, for dwelling retrofit practices, a whole house holistic approach should be the preferred option to improve energy efficiency. With future climate scenarios where temperatures are potentially elevated, the heating demands can be potentially reduced as much as 27 per cent.

Practical implications
The likelihood of overheating in dwellings after a deep retrofit due to future elevated temperatures becomes apparent. Therefore, mitigation of overheating risk becomes a necessity for future domestic housing stock retrofit planning and policy making.

Originality/value
The research presented in this paper highlights the effectiveness of various retrofit measures individually as well as holistically, also the implications on energy demands and the likelihood of overheating in dwellings under future climate scenarios.


The paper discusses the policy approach for facilitating sustainable development of the tourism and recreation sector inside the Netherlands. Taking a national perspective, it reflects on the sustainability challenges facing the sector, and how the currently used governance and policy styles address them. It observes that a mismatch exists between the preferred governance policy-making style of the central government, and what numerous entrepreneurs and sub-national actors argue would be desirable. The central government prefers nationallevel, direct regulations and policies based on themes such as spatial planning, integrated water management, nature conservation, and environmental protection, for which the tourism recreation sector is just one of many target groups. Tourism businesses and many sub-national public actors and private stakeholders, on the other hand, consider new national level regulations targeted specifically at the tourism-recreation sector most desirable. The central government believes that policy measures of the 'new-modes-of-coordination' type are most appropriate to specifically target sustainable tourism. To underpin the possible contributions of such measures for sustainability, an analytical framework is proposed to evaluate the sustainability depth of instruments and initiatives. Two 'new-modes-of-coordination' instruments are then evaluated. The conclusion drawn is that these instruments had rather modest ambitions in design, insufficiently facilitating a shift towards sustainable patterns of tourism-recreation development. The paper argues that, under the general expectation of significant increase in demand for recreation and tourism in the Netherlands, there is a need to reconsider the administrative boundaries of the sector in terms of governance structure, policy-making styles, and policy instrument types that would adequately support sustainable development in the sector.


Radar satellite altimetry has revolutionized our understanding of the Earth's sea-level shape and its change over time, monitoring of the natural and human-induced water cycle, marine gravity computations, seafloor relief (bathymetry) reconstruction, tectonics, water mass balance change monitoring, etc., thus providing significant impact in geodesy. Today satellite radar altimetry is critical for unifying the vertical height systems, regional and global geoid modeling, monitoring of the sea level rise impact, monitoring of the ice sheet melting, and others. This chapter gives an overview of the technology itself and the recent developments including the SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) altimetry, coastal altimetry retracking methods, and new satellite missions (e.g. Sentinel-6). Besides, the chapter presents recent applied studies utilizing the altimeter data for ice sheet monitoring, vertical land motion estimating, bathymetric computations, and marine geoid modeling.


Radiotherapy plays a significant role in brain cancer treatment; however, the use of this therapy is often accompanied by neurocognitive decline that is, at least partially, a consequence of radiation-induced damage to neural stem cell populations. Our findings describe features that define the response of neural stem cells (NSCs) to ionizing radiation. We investigated the effects of irradiation on neural stem cells isolated from the ventricular-subventricular zone of mouse brain and cultivated in vitro. Our findings describe the increased transcriptional activity of p53 targets and proliferative arrest after irradiation. Moreover, we show that most cells do not undergo apoptosis after irradiation but rather cease proliferation and start a differentiation program. Induction of differentiation and the demonstrated potential of irradiated cells to differentiate into neurons may represent a mechanism whereby damaged NSCs eliminate potentially hazardous cells and circumvent the debilitating consequences of cumulative DNA damage.


We have reviewed the role of radiation therapy in the palliative treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The use of radiation treatment results in effective palliation of chest symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, hemoptysis, and chest pain. In addition, the pain and suffering associated with skeletal and hepatic metastases are effectively alleviated by radiation therapy with minimal morbidity. Devastating neurologic complications can be avoided or alleviated in a great proportion of patients undergoing radiation therapy for cerebral metastases and spinal cord compression. Therefore, radiation therapy is a potent modality in relieving or reducing the suffering of patients with lung cancer. This is also a modality that has wide applicability; very few patients are not suitable candidates for that has wide applicability; very few patients are not suitable candidates for treatment regardless of their performance status. The aim of the treatments should always be prompt intervention using radiation therapy schedules that will minimize treatment time yet produce the desired results in a high proportion of patients. Protracted radiation schedules are not warranted in such patients except in special clinical situations. Palliation with radiation therapy is achieved quite promptly, with minimal side effects and a very small risk of any long-term consequences in patients who have a limited life expectancy.


The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of the emotional content of words marking brief intervals on the perceived duration of these intervals. Three independent variables were of interest: the gender of the person pronouncing the words, the gender of participants, and the valence (positive or negative) of the words in conjunction with their arousing properties. A bisection task was used and the tests, involving four different combinations of valence and arousing conditions (plus a neutral condition), were randomized within trials. The main results revealed that when the valence is negative, participants responded 'short' more often when words were pronounced by women rather than by men, and this effect occurred independently of the arousal condition. The results also revealed that overall, males responded 'longer'more often than females. Finally, in the negative and low arousal condition, the Weber ratio was higher (lower sensitivity) when a male voice was used than when a female voice was used. This study shows that the gender of the person producing the stimuli whose duration is to be judged should be taken into account when analyzing the effect of emotion on time perception.


We show that, with indivisible goods, the existence of competitive equilibrium fundamentally depends on agents' substitution effects, not their income effects. Our Equilibrium Existence Duality allows us to transport results on the existence of equilibrium from transferable utility economies to settings with income effects. One consequence is that net substitutability-which is a strictly weaker condition than gross substitutability-is sufficient for the existence of equilibrium. We also extend the "demand types" classification of valuations to settings with income effects and give necessary and sufficient conditions for a pattern of substitution effects to guarantee the existence of competitive equilibrium.


An efficient practical packet scheduling algorithm for high data rate cellular services has to tackle two challenges: bandwidth efficiency and fairness, which are conflicting with each other. Existing methods, e.g., HSDPA, usually fail to strike an optimal balance of the two aspects. Recently, a highly practical scheme called MTA-ISIR has been suggested. While the MTA-ISIR scheme is considered to be a promising method for practical use, we find that it can be further improved. In this paper, we propose a new approach in which the power level threshold used for handling the fairness is dynamically adjusted. Our new approach also makes use of the "opportunistic scheduling" concept which enables the scheduler to optimize the bandwidth efficiency without sacrificing fairness. Simulation results indicate that our proposed method outperforms MTA-ISIR in various practical situations.


Four novel matrine-based alkaloids (1-4) were isolated from the seeds of Sophora alopecuroides. Compounds 1 and 2 possess unprecedented 6/6/6/4 and 6/5/6/6 ring systems, respectively, while 3 and 4 are a pair of stereoisomeric matrine-acetophenone alkaloids with an unusual skeleton. Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic methods and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Hypothetical biogenetic pathways for 1-4 are proposed, and their antiviral activities are also discussed.


The Holometer is designed to test for a Planck diffractive-scaling uncertainty in long-baseline position measurements due to an underlying noncommutative geometry normalized to relate Black hole entropy bounds of the Holographic principle to the now-finite number of position states. The experiment overlaps two independent 40 meter optical Michelson interferometers to detect the proposed uncertainty as a common broadband length fluctuation. 150 hours of instrument cross-correlation data are analyzed to test the prediction of a correlated noise magnitude of 7e-21m/Hz^.5 with an effective bandwidth of 750kHz. The interferometers each have a quantum-limited sensitivity of 2.5e-18m/Hz^.5, but their correlation with a time-bandwidth product of 4e11 digs between the noise floors in search for the covarying geometric jitter. The data presents an exclusion of 5 standard deviations for the tested model. This exclusion is defended through analysis of the calibration methods for the instrument as well as further sub shot noise characterization of the optical systems to limit spurious background-correlations from undermining the signal.


Feeding behavior and scar production of male and female F. occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) were studied in relation to transmission of tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV). Electrical penetration graph (EPG) analysis showed that females feed more frequently and intensively than males. The feeding intensity, reflected by silvery scar production and studied by an image analysis system, demonstrated that females induced more numerous scars than males. At the same time, males transmitted TSWV with a higher efficiency than females, indicating that TSWV transmission and scar production are not positively correlated. Furthermore, males produced significantly more local lesions of TSWV than females. These quantitative differences in scar production and transmission of TSWV can be explained by the lower mobility and higher consumption rate of females. The influence of the sex‐ratio on crop damage and virus transmission, and thus to the spread of TSWV, is emphasized.


Searchable symmetric encryption (SSE) is a special class of encryption schemes for computing directly over encrypted data. SSE aims to be significantly more efficient as compared to other solutions, such as fully homomorphic encryption (FHE), while leaking only minimal information to the adversary. SSE is particularly efficient and scalable for Boolean queries over large encrypted relational databases outsourced to third-party cloud service providers. However, practical implementations of SSE often suffer from performance bottlenecks due to randomised memory accesses for reads/writes and computation-intensive cryptographic operations. As a result, a gap exists today between theoretically efficient SSE algorithms and practically efficient SSE systems for real-world databases. In this paper, we address this longstanding open question that has otherwise hindered the widespread deployment of SSE over real cloud computing platforms. We propose <italic>CAMiSE</italic> –a fully associative memory-integrated framework for designing SSE systems with fast query processing over extremely large databases. We show a novel usage of custom-designed Content Addressable Memory (<italic>CAM</italic>), together with robust data access policies, to bridge the memory wall in traditional SSE implementations by minimising storage-access latencies due to randomised look-up operations during searches. Coupled with dedicated hardware accelerators for cryptographic operations, <italic>CAMiSE</italic> achieves extremely fast and scalable query processing over encrypted relational databases. We prototype multiple well-known SSE algorithms and SSE data structures within our proposed <italic>CAMiSE</italic> framework. Our experiments show that these implementations achieve around <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$5\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$7\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> speed-up over traditional software-based implementations while scaling smoothly to extensive real-world databases with millions of records.


Hypertension is a common disease in Indonesia and can affect all social, economic, and age groups. Hypertension patients whose blood pressure is consistently elevated will live dependent on drugs and regularly visit doctors for examinations and prescriptions. Cucumber has hypotensive properties because the water and potassium content in cucumber attracts sodium to the intracellular system and works by opening blood vessels (vasodilation), thereby lowering the blood pressure. This study aims to analyze the effect of giving cucumber juice on reducing blood pressure in patients with hypertension. This research is based on the literature review method. Articles were collected through an electronic database and Google Scholar, Garuda Portal, the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia, Academia.edu, and ResearchGate using the keywords: hypertension, blood pressure, cucumber juice. The results showed that the analysis of several studies conducted related to the administration of cucumber juice, namely five journals, concluded that it could reduce blood pressure in the intervention group, and also experienced a decrease in the control group. The control group experienced a less than maximal decrease in blood pressure. Frthe results of the study also showed that giving cucumber juice that was not according to the dose did not have an effect in reducing blood pressure. The results of the examination carried out in the intervention and control groups turned out to have differences in reducing blood pressure, even though the measurement results did not show the maximum value. But in general, measurements made in the intervention group were shown to decrease blood pressure.
Keywords: cucumber, blood pressure, hypertension


A COVID-19 diagnosis is usually based on PCR detection of viral RNA in airway specimens in a patient with typical clinical fea-tures. Histological features of the COVID-19 lung disease are reported from autopsies. Transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) is an evolving technique usually performed in the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease. We report a TBCB in a 76-year-old female patient who had repeatedly tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The pathological examination revealed the presence of interstitial pneumonia with lymphocytic infiltration. The qRT-PCR against SARS-CoV-2 from a pharyngeal swab was positive after performing the TBCB.


Although there are now many studies of managers, there has been little research on how gender relations in the private sphere are lived to accommodate the managerial career. The organisation of domestic life and the household division of labour has largely been neglected. This article examines the domestic basis of the managerial career. The data are drawn from a larger study of women and men senior managers in five multinational companies. The analysis reveals that the domestic arrangements necessary to sustain the life of a senior manager are very different for men and women, giving the lie to the myth that equality has been achieved. My argument is that for all the company initiatives designed to promote equal opportunities, the managerial career is still largely dependent upon the services of a wife at home, or a housewife substitute in the form of paid domestic services.


A central tenant of the World Health Organisation Framework on Integrated People-Centred Health Services (2017) is reframing  from health systems being designed around diseases and health institutions, towards health systems designed for and with people. South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) vision for Integrated Care is to develop a primary care-based system of person-centred care planning and coordination underpinned by client-care professional interactions that emphasises involvement, supported by multidisciplinary team care and appropriate care logistics (Stewart et al 2017). The SESLHD Integrated Care Action Plan (2015-18) has enabled progress in the 'middle-out' approach, focusing on building a shared narrative for Integrated Care and enhancing access to technical and functional enablers. In 2018, the focus for Integrated Care is evolving to meso-level activities, such as building stronger partnerships and encouraging innovation across SESLHD and Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network (CESPHN).                                                                Neighbourhoods for Wellbeing (N4W) is a novel small-scale test of change, drawing on the principles of codesign. A partnership between SESLHD & CESPHN, it aims to better understand the environment, skills and mindsets for supporting the new and different relationships and conversations that are critical for ensuring health and social needs of the person are the key determinants and focus for 1. planned service improvement and innovation within local primary care services, and 2. empowering communities and generating momentum for broader social change. Adopting complexity science perspective for planning change within the dynamic and change repellent health and social systems (Braithwaite 2014), N4W will start by working locally and engaging in iterative cycles of appreciative inquiry and participative collective action. Participants will include a change-ready general practice, enrolled patients (the community members who regularly access the practice) and other local primary care services identified as stakeholders. Complementing CESPHN Person Centred Medical Neighbourhood program based on Bodenheimer's ten building blocks of high performing primary care (Bodenheimer, et al, 2014), N4W will advise and coach participants in working with person-centred improvement approaches and building capability for leading change together. N4W is framed within a salutogenic orientation, whereby it is proposed that each person has ability and access to internal and external resources to live well, and when supported by an enabling environment can use them in a way that promotes health and well-being (Antonovsky, 1996). A person's orientation is influenced by how they see and experience the world around them, this is unique to each person and their life. With the intent of encouraging people to consider the benefits of reframing  or shifting their sense-making towards salutogenesis, requires a combination of cognitive, behavioural and motivational factors. Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) will ensure N4W evaluation rigorously explores each of these factors and their impact at an individual and collective level. This poster will illustrate the scope of the project, the methodology, the anticipated risks, knowledge capture strategies and the expected outcomes. As a place-based program of work, it is anticipated that the principles will be transferrable to other contexts and cultures.


BACKGROUND
High-frequency oscillations (ripples) are proposed to be involved in memory consolidation. Ripple oscillations persist in the absence of chemical synaptic transmission and inhibitors of gapjunctions were shown to block high-frequency oscillations in hippocampal slices. In this study we investigated the effects of carbenoxolone, as a gap-junction blocker, on spatial learning in the rat. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM).

MATERIAL/METHODS
Adult male rats were bilaterally cannulated into the CA1 region of their hippocampus. Carbenoxolone (1.23, 2.46, 4.92 microg/side), scopolamine (3 microg/side), and saline were injected through the cannulas before 4 consecutive training trials and one test trial that conducted 24 h after the training trials with the platform removed.

RESULTS
The results showed that carbenoxolone could significantly reduce the percentages of time spent, distance traveled, and entry into Q2 (the target quadrant) compared with the control group. The carbenoxolone group failed to use a selective search strategy during the final test trial, in which the platform was removed.

CONCLUSION
The results of this study suggest that carbenoxolone as a gap-junction channel blocker can decelerate the learning performances of rats in a spatial memory task, such as the MWM, that requires the integrity of the hippocampus.


Semiparametric Inference of Censored Data with Time-dependent Covariates Chi Wing Chu This thesis develops two semiparametric methods for censored survival data when the covariates involved are time-dependent. Respectively in the two parts of this thesis, we introduce an interquantile regression model and a censored quantile regression model that account for the commonly observed time-dependent covariates in survival analysis. The proposed quantile-based techniques offer a greater model flexibility comparing to the Cox proportional hazards model and the accelerated failure time model. The first half of this thesis introduces a censored interquantile regression model with timedependent covariates. Conventionally, censored quantile regression stipulates a specific, pointwise conditional quantile of the survival time given covariates. Despite its model flexibility and straightforward interpretation, the pointwise formulation oftentimes yields rather unstable estimates across neighbouring quantile levels with large variances. In view of this phenomenon, we propose a new class of censored interquantile regression models with time-dependent covariates that can capture the relationship between the failure time and the covariate processes of a target population that falls within a specific quantile bracket. The pooling of information within a homogeneous neighbourhood facilitates more efficient estimates hence more consistent conclusion on statistical significances of the variables concerned. This new formulation can also be regarded as a generalization of the accelerated failure time model for survival data in the sense that it relaxes the assumption of global homogeneity for the error at all quantile levels. By introducing a class of weighted rank-based estimation procedure, our framework allows a quantile-based inference on the covariate effect with a less restrictive set of assumptions. Numerical studies demonstrate that the proposed estimator outperforms existing alternatives under various settings in terms of smaller empirical bias and standard deviation. A perturbation-based resampling method is also developed to reconcile the asymptotic distribution of the parameter estimates. Finally, consistency and weak convergence of the proposed estimator are established via empirical process theory. In the second half of this thesis, we propose a class of censored quantile regression models for right censored failure time data with time-dependent covariates that only requires a standard conditionally independent censorship. Upon a quantile based transformation, a system of functional estimating equations for the quantile parameters is derived based on the martingale construction. While time-dependent covariates naturally arise in time to event analysis, the few existing literature requires either an independent censoring mechanism or a fully observed covariate process even after the event has occured. The proposed formulation extends the existing censored quantile regression model so that only the covariate history up to the observed event time is required as in the Cox proportional hazards model for time-dependent covariates. A recursive algorithm is developed to evaluate the estimator numerically. Asymptotic properties including uniform consistency and weak convergence of the proposed estimator as a process of the quantile level is established. Monte Carlo simulations and numerical studies on the clinical trial data of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group is presented to illustrate the numerical performance of the proposed estimator.


To exploit the potential applications of thermal neutron detection, yttrium aluminum garnet co-doped with 1 mol% Ce3+ and 5 mol% Li+ was vacuum sintered into a transparent ceramic through solid-state reaction. The transmittance of a 2 mm thick sample was measured to be as high as 80.3% in the visible range and the microstructural characterization indicated that Li ions could also act as a sintering aid. Excitation and emission spectra data further supported the assumption that the Li ions have substituted into the garnet lattice. Excitation and emission spectra data of the prepared ceramic were also obtained for use in the characterization of optical properties.


A novel computational framework for reconstructing spatial and temporal profiles of moving acoustic sources from wave responses measured at sparsely distributes sensors is introduced in this paper. This method can be applied to a broad range of acoustic-source inversion (ASI) problems for heterogeneous, complex-shaped coupled dynamic systems. The finite element method (FEM) is used to obtain wave response solutions due guessed moving sources. An adjoint-gradient based optimization technique iteratively improves the guesses so that the guessed moving sources converge on the actual moving sources. To reconstruct acoustic source profiles without a-priori knowledge of sources, we will employ high-resolution discretization of source functions in space and time. Because of such dense discretization, the order of magnitude of number of inversion parameters could range from millions to billions. Numerical experiments prove the robustness of this method by reconstructing spatial and temporal profiles of multiple dynamic moving body forces in a one-dimensional heterogeneous solid bar. The sources create stress waves propagating through the bar. The guessed source functions are spatially discretized by using linear shape functions with an element size of 1m at discrete times with a time step of 0.001s. Thus, the total number of control parameters in this example is 100,000 (i.e., 100 (in space) by 1000 (in time)). The convergence toward the target in the numerical examples is excellent, reconstructing the spatial and temporal footprints of the sources.


The Core organic II project HealthyGrowth assumes that present organic value chains seem either to operate in local markets with direct sale or in conventional retail chains where organic qualities are not properly communicated (HealthyGrowth (HG) proposal 2010). Within this statement lies an observation from previous research that local organic market chains have inherent problems in moving from niche to volume and mainstream large-scale market chains have inherent problems in securing and advancing organic values. Therefore, the aim of the HealthyGrowth project is to investigate a range of successful mid-scale organic value chains in order to learn how they are able to combine volume and values. Before the participants of the project start collecting data on such chains, the first major step was to develop a state-of-the-art review of research on successful mid-scale values-based chains (ibid.).
The objective of WP2 in HealthyGrowth is to compile the most current research on organic markets and value chains in a state-of-the-art review. The main focus has been on studies of mid-scale value-based food chains and growth processes in the organic food sector. The aim of the review is to learn more about growth processes with its challenges, options and risks. Moreover, the review is supposed to point out main mechanisms and organizational principles underlying the successful development of businesses or initiatives, and identify the theories and methodologies most commonly used in the field (HG proposal 2010).
This report is based on national state-of-the-art reports from the participating countries of the HealthyGrowth project, consisting of research on successful mid-scale values-based chains in the ten HealthyGrowth countries Germany, Denmark, Slovenia, Lithuania, Austria, France, Sweden, Finland, Turkey and Norway. Additionally, a review of research from other countries is carried out. This report presents an analysis and summary of these reviews.


Introduction: To describe the morphometric and geometric relationships of the orbital floor in a Caucasian population. Materials and Methods: Exenterations of 47 orbits from 24 formalin fixed cadavers were performed. Morphometric measurements were taken between anatomical landmarks located along the orbital floor and the orbital apex. The mean measurements were used to calculate geometric data. These results were analysed according to sex and side and compared to results from other ethnic populations. Results: The average distances from the infraorbital foramen to the nasolacrimal fossa, inferior orbital fissure, optic canal and inferior orbital rim were 20.67 mm (± 2.42), 25.40 mm (±2.70), 43.23 mm (±3.35) and 8.95 mm (± 1.53), respectively. The average distances from the tip of the infraorbital groove to the tip of the inferior orbital fissure, lateral aspect of the inferomedial strut, optic canal and the intersection with the inferior orbital fissure were 14.08 mm (±2.41), 12.12 mm (±2.42), 35.02 mm (±3.17) and 20.05 mm (± 2.87), respectively. The distances from the tip of the inferior orbital fissure to the optic canal and the intersection with the inferior orbital groove were 29.56 mm (±2.73) and 13.37 mm (±2.76), respectively. Discussion: Orbital surgeons should be aware of the morphometric relationships of the orbital floor due to the degree of variation that exists between different ethnic groups. Geometric data may be used to provide orbital surgeons with a navigational template that can be used to plan surgery and as a guide intraoperatively.


The membrane conductivity for K+ and Ca+2 ions was studied on bilayer phospholipid membranes formed by phospholipids extracted from the rat liver 1 hour, 1, 3, 7, and 15 days after burning. A pronounced increase in the membrane conductivity was noted. The most potent effects were seen by the 1t, 3d and 7th day of the experiment and the conductivity value varied depending on the medium pH. The process was accompanied by lipid peroxidation increase. Intraperitoneal administration of alpha-tocopherol at 1 mg/kg dose immediately after burning, followed by injections on the 3d, 7th and 12th day, normalized the characteristics studied. Bilayer membranes formed by healthy rat liver phospholipids previously added with an appropriate amount of methyl oleate or cumylhydroperoxide demonstrated higher conductivity as compared to the normal.


Heptylphysostigmine (HP) is a reversible cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitor with greater lipophilicity and longer inhibitory action than the parent compound, physostigmine (Phy). Single (0.1-0.6 mg/kg) and multiple 5-day (0.1-0.3 mg/kg) doses of HP were administered to 21 young normal volunteers. The relationship between logarithmic dose (mg/kg) and peak inhibition of red blood cell (RBC) ChE was linear with dose. In one subject given 0.6 mg/kg of HP, concentration in plasma was 0.68 ng/ml at 2 h and gradually declined to below the detection limit by 4 h. Peak plasma and RBC ChE inhibitions of 31.2% and 55.8% were achieved at 2 h for both with a 0.6 mg/kg dose. Chronic studies did not result in any accumulation of ChE inhibition up to 0.2 mg/kg b.i.d., whereas at 0.3 mg/kg b.i.d. 10-15% RBC ChE inhibition was maintained. Higher levels of ChE inhibition can be achieved with HP than with its parent compound, Phy. Red blood cell ChE inhibition recovered more slowly than plasma even though the maximum inhibition was similar for both enzymes.


The structural health monitoring device comprises a component (panel 30) formed of a fiber-reinforced composite material having a plurality of conductive fibers (conductor 32) specific to the composite material constituting the electrical path leading through the parts. The path acts as a sense path that goes through the material, the detector monitors the changes in the electrical characteristics showing a structure (of 8x8 LED array 36) event. Paths may be configured as open or closed grid node that electrical continuity is monitored directly or indirectly. Alternatively, the path may be a fiber having the pressure resistance characteristic can monitor the changes in resistance.


Immunotherapy, consisting of lymphocyte depletion or plasmapheresis in combination with cyclophosphamide and prednisone, was employed in three patients with refractory pure red cell aplasia and six patients with aplastic anemia of various etiologies. All three patients with pure red cell aplasia responded to plasmapheresis. One patient with atypical aplastic anemia showed partial recovery following lymphocyte depletion; the other five patients showed no evidence of a clinical response. The effect of patients' sera or bone marrow on formation of myeloid or erythroid colonies by bone marrow from normal individuals was determined in vitro. A decline in serum inhibition of erythroid colony formation was observed in the patients with pure red cell aplasia following treatment. Any changes in serum inhibition were less marked or unrelated to treatment outcome in the patients with aplastic anemia, although the single patient who responded to lymphocyte depletion exhibited reversal of coculture bone marrow inhibition. Our experience suggests that in vitro assay methods may not adequately predict the response of patients with aplastic anemia to this form of immunotherapy, and furthermore clinical improvement was too sporadic for this treatment to be recommended. Plasmapheresis may be a useful adjunct in patients with pure red cell aplasia, but remissions may not be dramatic or sustained.


Paleoecology
Primary producers and animal consumers interact to determine the structure and function of ecosystems, but how do their relative influences change over time? Jeffers et al. used the fossil record of the late Quaternary in Britain and Ireland to study whether the extinction of two-thirds of the native megaherbivores (including mammoths, giant deer, moose, and others) led to the observed expansion of woody plants at the end of the last glacial period. Instead, they found that more influential factors were a warming climate and reduction in fire, with an even more pronounced role for increasing shrub encroachment (followed by trees) in determining ecosystem structure. Plants and plant-soil feedbacks may have been more important than trophic interactions in driving the changes as northern ecosystems moved into the postglacial period.

Ecol. Lett. 10.1111/ele.12944 (2018).


Despite tremendous progress in speaker verification recently, replay spoofing attacks are still a major threat to these systems. Focusing on dataset-specific scenarios, anti-spoofing systems have achieved promising in-domain performance at the cost of poor generalization towards unseen out-of-domain datasets. This is treated as a domain mismatch problem with a domain adversarial training (DAT) framework, which has previously been applied to enhance generalization. However, since only one domain discriminator is adopted, DAT suffers from the false alignment of cross-domain spoofed and genuine pairs, thus failing to acquire a strong spoofing-discriminative capability. In this work, we propose the dual-adversarial domain adaptation (DADA) framework to enable fine-grained alignment of spoofed and genuine data separately by using two domain discriminators, which effectively alleviates the above problem and further improves spoofing detection performance. Experiments on the ASVspoof 2017 V.2 dataset and the physical access portion of BTAS 2016 dataset demonstrate that the proposed DADA framework significantly outperforms the baseline model and DAT framework in cross-domain evaluation scenarios. It is shown that the newly proposed DADA architecture is more robust and effective for generalized replay attack detection.


Device-to-device (D2D) communications integrated into cellular networks is a means to take advantage of the proximity of devices and thereby to increase the user bitrates and system capacity. D2D communications has recently been proposed for the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) system as a method to increase the spectrum- and energy-efficiency. Such systems support a wide range of power control schemes based on a combination of open-loop and closed-loop components and there is a need to set the associated control parameters such that spectrum- and energy-efficiency targets are met. In this paper we study the performance of various power control strategies applicable to D2D communications in LTE networks and compare them with a utility function maximization approach that balances spectrum efficiency and the total transmission power. Our reference scheme is based on a fully distributed algorithm that iteratively sets the signal-to-interference-plus-noise (SINR) targets and corresponding transmit power levels. We find that the LTE-based power control approach performs close to the optimal scheme provided that the associated parameters are properly set1.


Portable data acquisition (DAQ) toolkits can address issues faced by secondary Electronics curricula that employ benchtop laboratories. These issues include cost, overcrowding, lecture versus laboratory topic alignment, higher-level learning, and student/resource cultural mismatches. This paper presents updates to a Rapid Analysis and Signal Conditioning Laboratory (RASCL) toolkit which employs breadboarding resources, portable DAQ technology, and LabVIEW virtual instruments (VIs) that in aggregate allow a student to acquire circuit parameters and signals off campus. For the cost of two textbooks, this toolkit offers potential as a hands-on learning supplement for lecture material spanning multiple semesters, a hardware platform for distance-learning laboratories, and an alternative for traditional benchtop learning experiences. Hands-on exercises that incorporate these tools are being created and assessed in four courses at Kansas State University (KSU) (Electrical & Computer Engineering programs) and East Carolina University (ECU) (General Engineering program).


In this paper, we propose a speech-adaptive layered-coding (LC) scheme for the loss concealments of real-time CELP-coded speech transmitted over IP networks. Based on the ITU G.729 CS-ACELP codec operating at 8 Kbps, we design a loss-robust speech-adaptive codec at the same bit rate. Our scheme employs LC with redundant packetization in order to conceal losses and adapt to dynamic loss conditions characterized by the loss rate and the degree of burst, while maintaining an acceptable end-to-end delay. By protecting only the most important excitation parameters of each frame according to its speech type, our approach enables more efficient use of the bit budget. Our scheme delivers good-quality speech with a level of protection similar to full replication under medium loss rates, provides speech quality similar to the standard G.729 under very low loss rates, and outperforms both for low-to-medium loss rates.


Purpose. In transport engineering structures design, the primary task is to determine the parameters of foundation soil and nuances of its work under loads. It is very important to determine the parameters of shear resistance and the parameters, determining the development of deep deformations in foundation soils, while calculating the soil subgrade -upper track structure interaction. Search for generalized numerical modeling methods of embankment foundation soil work that include not only the analysis of the foundation stress state but also of its deformed one. Methodology. The analysis of existing modern and classical methods of numerical simulation of soil samples under static load was made. Findings. According to traditional methods of analysis of ground masses work, limitation and the qualitative estimation of subgrade deformations is possible only indirectly, through the estimation of stress and comparison of received values with the boundary ones. Originality. A new computational model was proposed in which it will be applied not only classical approach analysis of the soil subgrade stress state, but deformed state will be also taken into account. Practical value. The analysis showed that for accurate analysis of ground masses work it is necessary to develop a generalized methodology for analyzing of the rolling stock railway subgrade interaction, which will use not only the classical approach of analyzing the soil subgrade stress state, but also take into account its deformed one.


Purpose: When a bone is fractured it is usually necessary to employ a mechanical means to reduce and maintain the fragments in position. However, healing of the fracture is governed by biological principles, with which the mechanical measures must be coordinated to the end, such that a satisfactory bony union and restoration of form and function are obtained. We have studied the effect of Cissus quadrangularis (Harjor) and Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi), in the healing of mandibular fractures. Materials and Methods: A total of 29 cases having a fracture in the body of the mandible were included in the study and divided into three groups. Groups A and B were treated with Ocimum sanctum and Cissus quadrangularis, respectively, and fracture healing was assessed with biochemical markers and the bite force. Group C was the control group. Results: The period of immobilization was the lowest in the Group A followed by Group B. A significant increase in alkaline phosphatase and serum calcium was seen in Group B. The tensile strength in terms of the biting force was the maximum in cases of Group B. Conclusion: We conclude that Cissus quadrangularis and Ocimum sanctum help in fracture healing, and use of such traditional drugs will be a breakthrough in the management and early mobilization of facial fractures.


The purpose of the thesis is to examine the determinants of entrepreneurial growth aspiration in innovation-driven countries. Growth aspirations are measured by the percentage of total early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA) who expect to employ at least five employees five years from now. The higher growth aspiration could encourage employment and create more jobs. This paper means to find the factors positively affecting the growth aspiration of entrepreneurs and make efforts to schemes from policy makers. The dataset are from Adult Population Survey (APS) in Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) in 2007. Analysis of the factors to dependent variable are classified into three level: individual level, firm level and national level. The 17 explanatory variables includes personal information like gender, age, fear of failure and social network , industry category with or without high technology and innovation and evaluation of each nation to entrepreneurs and distribution of wealth. The logit regression model is used for the empirical analysis and all of the variables except the age variable are transferred into dummy variables. The results show that full-time business owners have more motivation to hire more labor than part-time entrepreneurs, and previous skills and knowledge are important to growth aspirations. In the view of industry level, entrepreneurial aspiration favors the ones in manufacturing industry and service industry excluding the agriculture sector. Generally the firms having more overseas customers and international market have larger potential to expand firm scale. The society that think highly of entrepreneurs and persons there receiving high social status from growing business also encourage this aspiration a lot. Among the 19 innovation-driven economies, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Israel, Iceland and Portugal have higher percentage of growth expectation in early-stage entrepreneurial activity.


In order to investigate how a superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) can enhance the performance of a power system, an accurate circuit model of the device needs to be introduced in power system simulators. In this paper, we present a finite-element numerical model to calculate the time evolution of the voltage across a magnetic-shield-type SFCL, when it is connected to an external circuit. The calculation of the voltage is carried out by using the energy conservation law, and requires the calculation, at any instant, of the current density distribution inside the superconducting tube and magnetization distribution inside the ferromagnetic core of the device. These distributions are determined by means of two coupled equivalent electric and magnetic circuits, whose topology and components are obtained through the spatial integration of quasi-static form of Maxwell equations. Comparisons between numerical and experimental results are shown.


Background: Popliteal artery injury is a severe condition that can lead to limb loss. Early intervention is essential to achieve optimal outcomes, including limb salvage. The Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS) is a scoring system used to predict amputation rates for mangled limb injuries. The effectiveness of the MESS in predicting amputation in patients with traumatic popliteal artery injury is unclear, particularly in settings with a high prevalence of motorcycle accidents. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a single center in Vietnam between January 2018 and June 2020. The study included 120 patients who underwent surgical treatment for popliteal artery injury. Data were collected from electronic medical records, radiology reports, and operative notes. Logistic regression model and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the predictive value of the MESS. Results: Patients with a MESS score of ≥8 had a higher rate of amputation compared to those with a MESS score of <8. However, the predictive value of the MESS was limited, with an AUC of 0.68. Higher skeletal/soft tissue injury score, limb ischemia score, and shock score were associated with a higher risk of amputation. The age score of the MESS was unexpectedly higher in the limb salvage group. Conclusions: The MESS score can be useful in predicting amputation rates in patients with popliteal artery injury, but its predictive value is limited. A team approach involving experienced surgeons is recommended for decision-making regarding amputation.


Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that exhibits various adverse effects in the human and animal organism. Its resemblance to essential metals such as calcium, iron, and zinc leads to an unintended uptake in cells after intake through inhalation and ingestion. In this study we investigated the toxicity and the immunomodulatory potential of Cd in nonactivated and activated murine macrophages (i.e., cell line RAW 264.7). Cadmium alone caused a dose-dependent decreased viability of exposed cells. Subtoxic Cd concentrations delayed cell death in macrophages, resulting from cytotoxic storm, producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), in response to their stimulation by bacterial antigens via pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs). In addition, production of selected pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, the chemokine CXCL1 (KC), and NO was determined. We observed that proinflammatory IL-1β and also CXCL1 were highly upregulated whereas anti-inflammatory or regulatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 were suppressed by 10 µM Cd. Also production of antibacterial NO was significantly reduced through exposure to 10 µM Cd, maybe explaining better survival of macrophages. Additionally, we could show by analysis via ICP-MS that different effects of Cd in nonactivated and activated macrophages definitely did not result from different Cd uptake rates.


Most human cancers are caused by toxic organic or inorganic chemicals. Environmental exposure allows these chemicals to enter the body and almost every body cell. Within the body cells, five multi-enzyme systems process these chemicals. The chemicals can be activated to their ultimate carcinogenic molecular structures (usually to free radicals) or they can generate free radicals from water molecules. As electrophilic radicals, they can attack and co-valently bind to guanine in G-C or other DNA base pair units within the chromosomes resulting in genomic alterations, possibly in mutations. As protection against this, the radicals can be inactivated and any altered/mutated genes may be repaired. The five carcinogen-processing systems contain more than 300 enzymes. Each enzyme is coded from inherited genes. Therefore, one inherits high versus low genetic susceptibility to the processing of toxic chemicals and the repair of damaged genes through these intracellular carcinogen-processing enzyme systems. Hence, carcinogenesis is a multifactorial process based on both environmental and genetic factors.


The purpose of this study is the realization of the high precision measurement technology (accuracy : 0.01%) of the large diameter lens for ultraviolet rays(wavelength:193nm). Transmittance measurement method with photoacoustic spectroscopy is proposed. This technology depends on only photothermal effect at a local minute area and is independent of lens size. Therefore, this proposed method can be applied to large diameter lens. Further, measurement time at one point is extremely short. So the features of this new method is that the transmittance distribution in-plane can be easily measured in a very short time. Using the small diameter lens, we obtain the equation of the relationship between the absorption coefficient and the amplitude of the photothermal effect by the conventional calorimetric measurement. And, based on this equation, it was experimentally verified that this photoacoustic spectroscopy could be applied to large diameter lens.


Sport and exercise medicine (SEM) is an exciting new medical specialty that thrives on interdisciplinary practice. The SEM physician will usually be found managing a wider, multidisciplinary team of specialists, orchestrating their various inputs to ensure that the most effective management plan is delivered to the patient. One key member of this team is the radiologist, with whom the SEM physician usually has a very close working relationship. Areas of SEM practice that commonly involve significant input from radiologists include the use of appropriate imaging to confirm an accurate diagnosis and to inform management planning (such as decisions on return to play in the elite athlete), various screening and pre-participation assessments and also technical assistance with certain procedures. This article discusses the relationship between the SEM physician and the radiologist across each of these areas, illustrating the important contribution made by imaging services to the specialty of SEM.


Electrocytes are muscle-derived cells that generate the electric organ discharge (EOD) in most gymnotiform fish. We used an in vitro preparation to determine if the complex EOD of Gymnotus carapo was related to the membrane properties of electrocytes. We discovered that in addition to the three Na(+)-mediated conductances described in a recent paper [Sierra F, Comas V, Buño W, Macadar O (2005) Sodium-dependent plateau potentials in electrocytes of the electric fish Gymnotus carapo. J Comp Physiol A 191:1-11] there were four K(+)-dependent conductances. Membrane depolarization activated a delayed rectifier (I(K)) and an A-type (I(A)) current. I(A) displayed fast voltage-dependent activation-inactivation kinetics, was blocked by 4-aminopyridine (1 mM) and played a major role in action potential (AP) repolarization. Its voltage dependence and kinetics shape the brief AP that typifies Gymnotus electrocytes. The I(K) activated by depolarization contributed less to AP repolarization. Membrane hyperpolarization uncovered two inward rectifiers (IR1 and IR2) with voltage dependence and kinetics that correspond to the complex "hyperpolarizing responses" (HRs) described under current-clamp. IR1 shows "instantaneous" activation, is blocked by Ba(2+) and Cs(+) and displays a voltage and time dependent inactivation that matches the hyperpolarizing phase of the HR. The activation of IR2 is slower and at more negative potentials than IR1 and is resistant to Ba(2+) and Cs(+). This current fits the depolarizing phase of the HR. The EOD waveform of Gymnotus carapo is more complex than that of other gymnotiform fish species, the complexity originates in the voltage responses generated through the interactions of three Na(+) and four K(+) voltage- and time-dependent conductances although the innervation pattern also contributes [Trujillo-Cenóz O, Echagüe JA (1989) Waveform generation of the electric organ discharge in Gymnotus carapo. I. Morphology and innervation of the electric organ. J Comp Physiol A 165:343-351].


Five hundred consecutive cases with histologic chorioamnionitis and umbilical cord inflammation were analyzed to develop a staging system for funisitis and to correlate stage of funisitis with stage of chorioamnionitis in order to estimate the timing of various stages of funisitis. Funisitis progresses through venous involvement (with or without Wharton's jelly inflammation) to arterial involvement without Wharton's jelly and then full involvement of all three vessels and surrounding Wharton's jelly. Arterial involvement and full funisitis are strongly associated with stage III/IV chorioamnionitis, and imply a significant time interval following the onset of amniotic cavity inflammation.


In this Letter, we propose a new approach to process high-dimensional quantum information encoded in a photon frequency domain. In contrast to previous approaches based on nonlinear optical processes, no active control of photon energy is required. Arbitrary unitary transformation and projection measurement can be realized with passive photonic circuits and time-resolving detection. A systematic circuit design for a quantum frequency comb with arbitrary size has been given. The criteria to verify quantum frequency correlation has been derived. By considering the practical condition of the detector's finite response time, we show that high-fidelity operation can be readily realized with current device performance. This work will pave the way towards scalable and high-fidelity quantum information processing based on high-dimensional frequency encoding.


BackgroundThe use of contraception among women aged 35 to 49 years is imperative due to the risk of unplanned pregnancy and poor obstetric outcomes. However, the use of contraceptives in this age group has been reported to be low. In Ghana, studies are limited that determine factors influencing contraception among women in this age group, in particular the influence of husbands. This study aims to ascertain factors that influence contraception among women aged 35 to 49 years and their male partners. ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to describe factors that influence contraceptive use among women aged 35 to 49 years and their male partners in Gomoa West District of Ghana.MethodsA total of 44 informants participated in the study. In-depth interviews were conducted remotely for 22 women, 15 male partners of women interviewed, and seven family planning service providers. 21 informants participated in four focus group discussions organized. A simple thematic analysis was undertaken. ResultsFactors that influenced the use of contraceptives were achieved desired family size, counselling by health professionals, experience and/or fear of side effects, health reasons and influence of male partner. Barriers to using modern contraceptives included religious or socio-cultural reasons, experience or fear of side effects, rumors or misconceptions, and the belief that contraceptive use is a matter for women. ConclusionsThis study described factors that influence contraception among women 35 to 49 years and their male partners. All informants used some form of contraception. Strengthening male involvement in family planning activities and health educational activities could alleviate fear and reduce misconceptions about using modern contraceptives.


NO TUBE of proper size, consistency, and length has been available for intestinal intubation of newborn and young infants. In the past only gastric intubation with a No. 8 F. catheter or a No. 10 F. Levin tube was possible. This note presents our experience with an intestinal tube suitable for newborn infants. The tube described is a modification of the Harris design,* made with a new polyvinyl tubing instead of rubber. It has the consistency of a rubber catheter of equal size, but its thinner wall provides a larger bore. Polyvinyl tubing can be boiled without damage, but autoclaving is impracticable, since it alters the physical properties of the tubing. The accompanying Table illustrates the comparative sizes of the No. 8 F. urethral catheter, No. 10 F. Levin tube, No. 12 F. Miller-Abbott tube, and our No. 8 F. polyvinyl intestinal tube. The No. 8 F. urethral catheter is


: Health development is expected to achieve a healthy Indonesia where everyone lives in a healthy and clean environment with healthy conditions and hygiene behaviors as well as can access health services and have a high level of health status. This study aims to identify teachers' interpretation and behavior levels in conducting a Clean and Healthy Lifestyle Program (PHBS) at elementary schools. This research is survey research using descriptive research designs. The population taken in this study were teachers in three elementary schools (3) in the working area of Ngletih Community Health Center, with a total of thirty-two (32) people. The samples in this study were elementary school teachers from Bawang Elementary School 1, Ngletih Elementary School, and Ketami Elementary School 2 District of Kediri City Islamic Boarding School. The results of the study found that several programs and activities had been well-implemented including the availability of school canteens and healthy snacks, the availability of latrines, sports activities, eradication of mosquito larvae in water storage, measuring body weight and height programs, and availability of measuring instruments for weight and height, availability of trash bins in every school and also waste sorting. The behavior of elementary school teachers in the Ngletih community health center's working area on school PHBS, for the most part, had carried out school clean hygiene behaviors but have not been perfect.


An explosion of information about drug and diet interactions has greatly complicated and confused the use of antidepressant drugs, yet if clearly understood, such information will actually enhance the safety and efficacy of these medications. The background against which antidepressants are discussed includes an overview of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) system (which now contains over 500 P450 genes), the concepts of enzyme specificity and selectivity, the roles of genetics and nonpharmacologic environmental factors, and examples of beneficial and detrimental drug and diet interactions. The comparative profiles of the various antidepressants are then presented with consideration given to their roles as substrates, inhibitors, and inducers of P450 enzymes such as CYP1A2, 2B6, 2C, 2D6, and 3A4. Examples of clinically important antidepressant drug/drug and drug/diet interactions are provided.


In this paper, the magnitude ratio of voltages applied to neighboring electrodes can be created to generate virtual channels. Our model is established by use of an Ineraid electrode array with three half turns of a human cochlea finite element model. The stimulation conditions generate related activating function peaks along the Basilar membrane and between the electrodes, representing different pitches as perceived by the cochlear implant users. The results also show the best performances in the three stimulation strategies are the four current sources stimulations. The position C at rotating angle 90 degrees is the best position for the three "half turn" models. Finally, the modeling results with virtual channel performances are consistent with experimental results.


Methicillin-resistant staphylococci were tested for susceptibility to cephradine, cephaloridine, cephalexin, and cefuroxime and 30 degree C and 37 degree C on ordinary media and on media of enhanced osmotic strength. The coagulase-negative strains were divided into Staphylococcus epidermis and Staphylococcus hominis. Generally the number of susceptible strains decreased with low incubation temperature and osmotic support. When Staphylococcus aureus was tested against cephalexin and cefuroxime, most were susceptible at 37 degree C whereas all were resistant at 30 degree C. A similar trend was found in the case of cephradine, where it was accentuated by osmotic support. While almost all strains of Staph. epidermidis were sensitive to all four drugs under all test conditions, the susceptibility of Staph. hominis was generally decreased by either lower incubation temperature or osmotic support or both.


Cell culture metabolomics has demonstrated significant advantages in cancer research. However, its applications have been impeded by some influencing factors such as culture media, which could significantly affect cellular metabolic profiles and lead to inaccuracy and unreliability of comparative metabolomic analysis of cells. To evaluate the effects of different culture media on cellular metabolic profiling, we performed NMR-based metabolomic analysis of the human gastric cancer cell line SGC7901 cultured in both RPMI1640 and DMEM. We found that SGC7901 cultured in the two media exhibited distinct metabolic profiles with obviously different levels of discrepant metabolites, even though they showed almost the same cellular morphology and proliferation rates. When SGC7901 originally cultured in RPMI1640 was gradually acclimated in DMEM, both the metabolic profiles and most of the discrepant metabolite levels gradually converged toward those of the cells originally cultured in DMEM without significantly altered cell proliferation rates. However, several metabolite levels did not show the converging trends. Our results indicate that the effects of culture media on metabolic profiling must be carefully taken into account for comparative metabolomic analysis of cell lines. This work may be of benefit to the development of cell culture metabolomics.


The aim of this study is report creativity of preservice physiscs teachers in design physics laboratory based on Arduino for learning STEM. Before design the project, they were involved in an introductory theoretical part, in which they were taught the basics of Arduino and its programming language, a hands-on section in four mini-projects and theoritical about sensors and data aquisition. The study used qualitative research with the narrative design. Data collection technique used is observation. Participants is 14 pre service physics teacher that consist of 5 males and 10 females in an LPTK that is located in Bandung, Indonesia. This course is part of the Sensor and Transducer subject. Implementation of the learning activity in online modes because of pandemic covid-19. Each of fifteen PPT were given an assignment to think about and design a laboratory activity in physiscs education for support learning physics where sensor and Aduino were used. The instrument that used to collect data is Creativity Product Analysis Matrix (CPAM). There are three creativity dimensions that used in this study which are resolution, elaboration and novelty dimension. With guidance instructor and amount of online resource related to Arduino, average of their design creativity of the physics laboratory in good category. © 2022 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.


The oral English teaching faces several common problems: the teaching method is very inefficient, and the learners are poor in oral English. The development of computer-aided language learning offers a possible solution to these problems. Based on techniques of speech recognition, cloud computing and deep learning, this paper applies the deep belief network (DBN) to recognize the speeches in oral English teaching, and establishes a multi-parameter evaluation model for the pronunciation quality of oral English among college students. The model combines the merits of subjective and objective evaluations, and assesses the pronunciation from four aspects: pitch, speech rate, rhythm and intonation. Finally, the proposed model was verified through speech recognition and pronunciation evaluation experiments on 26 non-English majors from a college. The results show that the proposed evaluation model output credible results, which are consistent with those of experts, as evidenced by consistency, neighbourhood consistency and Pearson correlation coefficient. The research provides a feasible way to evaluate the oral English proficiency of learners, laying the basis for improving the teaching and learning efficiency of oral English. Keywords—Computer-aided language learning, English, speech recognition, deep learning (DL), neural network (NN)


Although the wide integration of advanced metering infrastructure on distribution network facilitates the application of volt/var optimisation (VVO) in real-time circumstance, the contradiction between heavy computation load and low solution efficiency is still a big challenge, thus the system scales investigated in the literature are limited. In this study, the full AC real-time VVO is formulated based on particle swarm optimisation (PSO) framework and direct approach (DA) power flow method, where all components, such as distributed generator and on-load tap changer transformer, are formulated and integrated into the iterative DA process. Since both PSO and DA are suitable for parallel implementation, the graphics processing unit (GPU) is introduced for acceleration in order to achieve the possibility for real-time application. All the solution process is executed by GPU with the well-established data structure and thread organisation pattern, resulting in high efficiency by guaranteeing coalesced access within each warp. Case studies are conducted on four systems with sizes ranging from 136-bus to 1760-bus. Solution accuracy and convergence property are validated by the popular open source package Matpower. Based on the results from solution efficiency comparison between CPU sequential, CPU parallel, and GPU parallel programs, the promise of the proposed parallel implementation scheme for practical application is established.


The Sunbelt Melanoma Trial is a prospective randomized trial to evaluate the role of lymph node dissection and adjuvant interferon alfa-2b for patients with early lymph node metastases.


Light field rendering (LFR) is an image-based method for generating novel views from a set of camera images. When sample of camera array is sparse, conventional light field rendering would cause aliasing artifacts. We present a straightforward layer-based method that significantly removes the aliasing artifacts with no prior knowledge of the scene geometry. First, a sparse disparity map is generated to detect the depth layers of the scene. Then, for synthesized each pixel, using the color consistency constraint to detect the optimum focal plane from the layer depths, and rendering such pixel with selected focal plane by LFR method. Finally, a trick method is used to reduce flickering artifacts caused by the color consistency constraint. Experimental results show the effectiveness of our approach.


Original solution of gravity motion is curved 4 dimensional cosmic space. Massive objects move into direction of higher curvature of space. Quantum gravity introduces idea that cosmic space is made out of grains of Planck size. If space has granular structure one can consider space also has its density. According to the second low of thermodynamics in the universe distribution of energy tends to be homogeneous. More mass in given volume of quantum space less space is dense. Less space is dense more space is curved. Massive objects move always into direction of lover density in higher curvature of quantum space. Gravitational motion of massive objects is result of change of density of quantum space. Change of density of quantum space is a physical basis for change of its curvature.


As a first step fertilization requires that sperm bind to the extracellular coat of the egg. It is generally accepted that binding is mediated by complex carbohydrates on the egg coat, recognized by carbohydrate-binding proteins on the sperm surface. In the mollusc bivalve Unio elongatulus, the main functional epitope of the carbohydrate ligand has been determined, and it shares several characteristics with other sugar structures involved in the fertilization process in different animal models. A polyclonal antibody against the Unio epitope reacts with the human ZP3 glycoprotein and the Unio ligand binds human spermatozoa in an in vitro assay. These findings are discussed in the light of the species specificity of sperm-egg binding at fertilization.