Asthma afflicts about 10% of children and 5% of adults in Western populations and its prevalence is rising in developing world [1]. It is a complex heterogeneous disease, caused by an unknown number of interacting genes with critical environmental factors. Genetic factors contribute 30–60% of pre-disposition to asthma development [2]. It is likely that different asthma-related phenotypes are caused by different sets of genes; therefore, the predisposition to atopy, total serum IgE, eosinophilia, bronchial hyperreactivity, airway remodelling and epithelial dysfunction may be encoded by different genes [3]. Numerous genes and genetic loci have been implicated in asthma, but the magnitude of effect of each gene is unknown, while independent validation of many of the linked loci proved challenging. The fact that the same gene may have different effects in different settings such as different environments or through interacting with different genes, or through effect of age or sex complicates our ability to fully establish the role played by asthma genes. The secretoglobin 1A1 (SCGB1A1) gene encoding a 16 kDa protein (also known as CC16, CC10, CCSP and uteroglobin) has been implicated as a potential candidate gene for asthma because of its genetic location and biological function. SCGB1A1 (uteroglobin) is the founding member of the secretoglobin family of small, secreted, disulphide-bridged dimeric proteins found only in mammals [4]. It is expressed in various tissues, but constitutes one of the major proteins secreted by the respiratory epithelium (making up to 5% of the total protein recovered from bronchoalveolar lavage). It is the predominant product of the non-ciliated (Clara) cells based at the epithelial lining of the pulmonary bronchioles. The Clara cell also secretes several other proteins such as Clara cell 55 kDa protein; surfactant proteins A, B and D; Clara cell tryptase and b-galactoside binding lectine [5]. SCGB1A1 inhibits the chemotaxis of neutrophils and monocytes and controls fibroblasts proliferation and migration [6]. It also inhibits the activity of both secreted and intracellular phospholipase A2, a key regulatory enzyme in the synthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes [7]. SCGB1A1 also inhibits in vitro both the production and the biological activity of IFN-gamma, while conversely IFN-gamma itself has been found to increase expression of SCGB1A1 mRNA in mouse lung and the SCGB1A1 protein levels in cultured human airways epithelial cells [8]. SCGB1A1 may play a protective role against the pro-inflammatory response in the lung, and low activity variants of the SCGB1A1 protein may be associated with increased susceptibility to inflammatory lung disorders such as asthma. This view is supported by data showing that asthmatic individuals demonstrate significantly decreased levels of SCGB1A1 protein in the bronchoalveolar lavage and serum when compared with normal controls [9, 10]. The production of SCGB1A1 seems to peak early in life, and SCGB1A1 has an inhibitory effect on Th2 cell differentiation from human infants through an effect on dendritic cells [11]. The role of SCGB1A1 in protection against oxidant stress is also suggested by studies demonstrating a significant increase in lung inflammation and expression of bronchial airway inflammatory markers in SCGB1A1-defficient mice during acute viral infection, or when exposed to oxidant stress factors (ozone, hyperoxia), as compared with SCGB1A1-competent mice [12]. In addition to asthma, an anti-inflammatory role for SCGB1A1 has been reported in other respiratory diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Exploitation of SCGB1A1 as potential therapeutic target in asthma and airway disease does not seem feasible. However, effort has been made to use SCGB1A1 as Correspondence: Adel H. Mansur, Consultant Physician and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham B9 5SS, UK. E-mail: email@example.com Cite this as: A. H. Mansur, Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 2009 (39) 8–11. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.2008.03161.x Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 39, 8–11


Flame flashback from the combustion chamber into the mixing zone limits the reliability of swirl stabilized lean premixed combustion in gas turbines. In a former study, the combustion induced vortex breakdown (CIVB) has been identified as a prevailing flashback mechanism of swirl burners. The present study has been performed to determine the flash-back limits of a swirl burner with cylindrical premixing tube without centerbody at atmospheric conditions. The flashback limits, herein defined as the upstream flame propagation through the entire mixing tube, have been detected by a special optical flame sensor with a high temporal resolution. In order to study the effect of the relevant parameters on the flashback limits, the burning velocity of the fuel has been varied using four different natural gas-hydrogen-mixtures with a volume fraction of up to 60% hydrogen. A simple approach for the calculation of the laminar flame speeds of these mixtures is proposed which is used in the next step to correlate the experimental results. In the study, the preheat temperature of the fuel mixture was varied from 100 °C to 450 °C in order to investigate influence of the burning velocity as well as the density ratio over the flame front. Moreover, the mass flow rate has been modified in a wide range as an additional parameter of technical importance. It was found that the quenching of the chemical reaction is the governing factor for the flashback limit. A Peclet number model was successfully applied to correlate the flashback limits as a function of the mixing tube diameter, the flow rate and the laminar burning velocity. Using this model, a quench factor can be determined for the burner, which is a criterion for the flashback resistance of the swirler and which allows to calculate the flashback limit for all operating conditions on the basis of a limited number of flashback tests.© 2002 ASME


We develop a canonical dual approach for solving the MIMO problem. First, a special linear transformation is introduced to reformulate the original problem into a constrained quadratic programming problem. Then, we derive a canonical dual problem which is piecewise continuous problem with no duality gap. Under certain conditions, the canonical problem becomes a concave maximization dual problem over a convex feasible domain. By getting the stationary point of the canonical dual problem, we can find either an optimal or approximate solution of the original problem. A gradient decent algorithm is proposed to solve the MIMO problem and simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.


Medical librarians and historians of medicine-but especially the former-will be grateful for the new bibliography by Blake and Roos. It is a complete revision of the annotated booklist which appeared as an appendix in the 2nd edition of the Handbook of Medical Library Practice, and is in fact a companion volume to the 3rd edition of that work now in preparation. The compilers have organized their material in a uniform manner under the various medical specialties, making it easy for the reader to discover which reference works (bibliographies, dictionaries, abstracts , reviews, directories and histories) ought to be available in his medical library. Most of the entries are annotated. In addition there is a whole section devoted to general medical history, subdivided by period, nation and form. The National Library of Medicine has now brought out the third annual volume in its series of historical bibliographies. It is a vast improvement on volume 1 both visually and practically. Arrangement is more or less as before, with a few subjects added and the subdivisions happily rationalized. At the end appears a list of recent sixteenth-century book acquisitions, forming a supplement to R. J. Durling's published catalogue. The Supplement to the 3rd edition of World Medical Periodicals indicates that about 700 new and changed titles have appeared since 1961. This number includes-according to the index-seven historical journals, which is rather short of the truth. The fact that at least two titles have been omitted (Episteme; Annales de la Societe d'Histoire des H6pitaux), leads one to suspect the validity of this list for the medical historian. Clio Medica appears in the main section but is not indexed as a historical journal. no price stated. For the past few years certain American libraries have been blazing the trail in the matter of applying computers to library routines. Dr. Brodman at Washington University is one of the pioneers in this field, and by now her regular automated lists of new accessions are well known to most staff members in the Medical Faculty at St. Louis. She now wishes to extend the service by means of an annual catalogue which can be posted to people afar and which can also be used by national and international bibliographical centres. The catalogue and the concept behind it must 401


All the Coffea arabica L. cultivars developed by the IAPAR4 were resistant to rust ( Hemileia vastatrix ) when registered. However, with the appearance of new races these cultivars now present different resistance levels. The aim of this work was to assess the resistance to rust in coffee cultivars developed by the IAPAR. Resistance to the local leaf rust races was assessed in high disease intensity field conditions in August 2007. Twelve coffee cultivars, from IPR 97 to IPR 108, were evaluated. 'IAPAR 59' and 'Catuai Vermelho IAC 81' were used as resistance and susceptibility standards, respectively. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with nine replications and plots with seven plants. A scale from 1 to 5, based on rust severity, was used to evaluate resistance. Yield evaluation was based on the harvest carried out in June 2007. The cultivars IAPAR 59, IPR 97, IPR 98, IPR 104 and IPR 105 were almost 100 % rust resistant, while IPR 99, IPR 101, IPR 102 and IPR 107 presented approximately 75% of plants with complete resistance. Thus, the resistance gene(s) is probably in heterozygous condition. The cultivars IPR 103 and IPR 108 may present incomplete resistance, while the IPR 100 presented similar susceptibility to 'Catuai Vermelho IAC 81' and IPR 106 may also be susceptible.


Health care domain and related issues have evoked a lot of attention from researchers in the recent past. Ensuring the Security and Privacy of data of patients having classified disease is of utmost importance to the health care sector. From time immemorial cryptography and steganography techniques were used to provide data security. In health care domain, classified disease is the area of investigation as the patients having classified disease always prefer more
security and privacy. The objective of this research work is to extract the benefits of cryptography and steganography techniques and to apply the combination of these security
mechanisms to develop an algorithm that gives more security and privacy than existing techniques.
The proposed algorithm builds on Rivest, Shamir and Adleman (RSA)algorithm which is considered to be one of the classical algorithms in cryptography. RSA is widely used in the encryption-decryption process for data transfer in internet which ensures the security of data in transit. The data encrypted using RSA is provided with one more layer of protection by calculating the message digest of the same. The message digest of encrypted data is calculated using message digest (MD5) algorithm. The steganographic approach of spread spectrum gives better security as it is always robust against statistical attacks and provides added
security to the cryptographic protected data. Finally the Discrete wavelet transform (DWT) method is used for transformation. Combination of cryptographic technique and steganographic techniques offers higher level security to the data dealt in health care domain. Image type is a major factor contributing to the performance of the proposed algorithm. In recent years the open sources such as internet shows rapid usage of images especially Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) image format as it occupies comparatively less space and provides better image quality even after applying image transformation. So medical image format type selected for the discussed research work is of JPEG format. Medical images of patients like X-ray of lung, bilateral section of face etc. are taken as cover image for the developed algorithm. Patients personal data is very confidential which is in the textual format is encrypted using RSA algorithm, then message digest is incorporated to keep the encrypted data homogeneous and then it is embedded in the cover image using DWT technique.
The performance of the algorithm developed is measured on the basis of peak signal to noise which is a statistical method. The peak signal to noise ratio measurement is used as a visual quality measurement to simulate human perception as the difference between original image and embedded image seems to be identical as per developed algorithm. PSNR ratio is measured for various medical images selected. Noise ratio is also measured for Lena image as it is considered as a standard cover image in the steganography.
Noise ratio of the selected medical images are measured and compared against cropped medical images. The results of the above research exercise presented in the thesis, infers that the proposed algorithm "Raster Data protection algorithm" provides enhanced security to the embedded medical images dealt within the health care sector, with minimal side effect on the quality of the image. KEYWORDS: Cryptography, Steganography, Health care, Security, JPEG, PSNR.


Between 10 February 1983 and 9 November 1984 482 patients were investigated by digital subtraction angiography, mainly for carotid arterial disease and problems associated with transplanted kidneys. The use of abdominal compression and antispasmodics are essential to minimize bowel artefacts for intraabdominal arterial examinations. The apparatus is advantageous for interventional radiologists. Images are immediately seen, can be stored on analogue tape, digitalized and obtained with smaller volumes of contrast medium and without arterial catheterization. Movement artefacts, however, can cause problems.


Conventional design development and simulation methods provide a top-down approach towards exploration of design solutions. This research identifies this limitation and presents a bottom-up approach framework inspired by nature. Natural interaction processes operate based on component to component interaction. This research re-creates such natural interactions using principles of cellular automata and complexity. Developed simulation models represent the various components of the building fabric and re-create complex natural processes such as heat-loss. The result is an emergent pattern in response to the heat-loss process. This pattern can be utilised as a starting point by designers for design exploration. The contribution of this research is that, through this bottom-up approach it visualises the complex interaction processes of heat-loss and empowers built-environment professionals with a stronger understanding of the building behaviour.


Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder of unknown cause and with inevitably progressive character. The disease has a long preclinical period-premotor phase when the nonmotor symptoms are in the first plan and when is the time which neuroprotective therapy should start. One important biomarker for the premotor phase of idiopathic Parkinson's disease is olfactory dysfunction. This deficit is frequent, significant, small-changes once motor features are evident and it is independent of motor and cognitive status and medication use. Smell loss affects all areas of olfaction and is easily measured by standard quantitative tools. The objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency and character of olfactory dysfunction among 40 patients, recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, as well as to assess correlations between olfactory function and the stage, duration or type of Parkinson's disease. Olfactory function was assessed using a 12-marker Smell Test: Sniffi n' Sticks-Screening 12. This is a validated method of identification of sense of smell that can be used easily and quickly. The percentage summed of patients with hyposmia and anosmia at this testing was important and the study finds no correlation between olfactory function and duration or stage of Parkinson disease. Hyposmia is one of the cardinal early symptoms of Parkinson's disease and can be evaluated as marker of the premotor state.


Responses to simulated cross-country skiing were measured using the V-Scope, a new telemetric ultrasound motion monitor. Ten young male adults performed a total of 45 minutes of distributed practice on a Nordic-Track ski simulator. Over a period of three 15-minute sessions cadence and velocity were unchanged. Step and stride lengths decreased significantly (p < 0.05) after the first 15-minute session and then remained unchanged. There were no left-right limb differences across all sessions indicating a normal gait. Response variability in velocity, step lengths and stride length was dramatically reduced after the first exposure period. This study demonstrates that the V-Scope system is a useful motion analysing device and, on the basis of the data presented in this preliminary investigation, at least two 15-minute habituation sessions are required for initial habituation to simulated cross-country skiing.


This study aimed to address the lack of information on the male germ cell seasonal development of domesticated tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis). Testicular tissues were collected from 60 tree shrews (n=5 per month). The ultrastructures of the testes and spermatids were examined via transmission electron microscopy. Apoptosis of spermatogenic cells was measured through terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The expression of proliferation factors, namely, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki67, in testicular tissues was assayed through immunohistochemistry. Spermatids ultrastructure showed seasonal differences, and spermatogenesis was relatively active in June and July and relatively stagnant from October to November. The percentage of TUNEL-positive germ cells was less during October and November, while greater in July than other phases. The number of PCNA-nucleus-positive germ cells was most in June and July, but with cytoplasm staining from October to November. Ki67 presented positive expression in the testes from April to September, with highest expression in June, but with no expression from October to March. In summary, there are seasonal differences in tissue morphology related to spermatogenesis in domesticated tree shrews. PCNA expression and Ki67 expression are good indicators of seasonal differences in male germ cells.


Nowadays, the contents associated with deep score analysis is rarely involved in the existing secondary teaching management software, which is not conductive to fully develop the information implied by these data,without scientific teaching evaluation. Using data mining technology, multiple aspects of student score distribution will be shown accurately, identifying the regular factors affecting score changes. Standard score as the mathematical model is adopted in the system, choosing the standard SOA architecture model, and a scientific and efficient score analysis system based on JAVA, JSP is developed. The system provides decision support information for academic departments to promote better teaching work, and finally improve the quality of teaching.


In a domain average engineered sample of a multidomain ferroic, the sample is divided into a very large number of domains, representing m domain states where m is less than the theoretically allowed maximum number n of domain states. The response to external fields is described by tensorial properties averaged over all the involved domain states. We have developed a program to classify subsets of m < n domain states which can arise in a ferroic phase transition. We calculate properties of these subsets of domain states, including the symmetry of the subset, the subset domain polarizations and magnetizations, and, if they exist, the poling directions which gives rise to the subsets of domain states.


Experimental use of the IUD in Delaware started in July 1964 with the Birnberg Bow. Later Lippes Loops C and D were used. Pregnancy rates were 2% to 5% and the overall retention and maintenance rate 70% per initial year of use. The Shamrock device was originated by the senior author in 1967. After insertion of 900 of these devices results were considered satisfactory. Later a smaller and more flexible version was found to give improved performance. In September 1970 use of the Dalkon Shield was begun. Records from June 1965 show insertions of 212 Lippes Loops 1740 Shamrock devices and 1900 Dalkon Shields. No abdominal entry of any device was recorded. The copper content of the Dalkon Shield showed no differential depletion with length of use. Under identical test conditions all 3 of the radically different types of IUDs proved equally effective. Tables show details of expulsions removals pregnancies women completing first 12 months of use and total "unwanted events" under both clinic and physicians private office conditions. Failure to incorporate the differences in "lost to follow-up" factor for tests of one device versus another can lead to misinterpretation of effectiveness.


In this note the Weierstrass integral J is taken as L, the Riemann integral of length. Here M(n), n > 1, is a compact, connected manifold of class C(infinity) with a positive definite Riemann structure. Presentations (phi, U(phi)) in M(n) and geodesics (with the aid of the Euler-Riemann equations) are defined in Morse, M. (1976) "Global variational analysis: Weierstrass integrals on a Riemannian Manifold," Mathematical Notes (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ). Christoffel terminology is not suitable for our purposes. Conjugate points on a geodesic need a definition that does not distinguish between simple and nonsimple geodesics. Tubular presentations pi of an open neighborhood of a geodesic lead to such a definition. These presentations are locally biunique and "compatible" with the earlier biunique presentations in M(n). We shall use a presentation pi in proving Theorem A below. Theorem A is essential in computing the Fréchet numbers of product manifolds as we shall show in a later paper.


Europium-doped calcium tungstate (CaWO4:Eu) was synthesized by a modified Pechini method. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) was employed to probe the chemical and luminescence properties of CaWO4:Eu. XANES results demonstrate that the chemical environment around calcium in the doped CaWO4 is similar to that of undoped CaWO4. On the other hand, chemical environment around oxygen is very different. Moreover, the results suggest that contributions to luminescence in the sample are from both silica (from silica matrix) and CaWO4. Using XEOL, luminescence pathways and efficiency associated with the system can be identified.


The landmark Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) demonstrated that we can prevent diabetes (1). The DPP study in this issue of Diabetes Care (2) presents the costs of that intervention. The challenge is how to implement those findings in real-world clinical practice settings. I will first provide a framework for thinking about a cost study and then comment more specifically on the findings.

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) answer the first important question—is an intervention efficacious? That is, can it work? RCTs are carefully structured to optimize the opportunity to demonstrate that an intervention can work; hence, they are conducted in relatively idealized environments. Patients are carefully identified, not only for their clinical characteristics, but also because of their willingness to participate as subjects. Institutions with strong research and clinical support environments are selected to ensure that interventions are delivered as optimally as possible to enhance the likelihood that any real effect will indeed be found. If the trial demonstrates efficacy, we have proof of concept. Yet, we know that simply showing that there is an efficacious strategy is insufficient. Translating those findings into routine practice is a critical and daunting challenge. Only 25% of hypertensive patients have their blood pressure controlled despite over a quarter of a century of concerted effort. Thus, showing that interventions can work is simply not enough.

The questions we really want answered concern not the efficacy of an intervention, but its effectiveness—how well does intervention work in practice? What is the balance between its benefits and harms? These issues require an understanding of the barriers to implementation and the development of appropriate systems and incentives to ensure delivery of and adherence to regimens on the part of providers and patients.

One of …


We present SymForce, a library for fast symbolic computation, code generation, and nonlinear optimization for robotics applications like computer vision, motion planning, and controls. SymForce combines the development speed and flexibility of symbolic math with the performance of autogenerated, highly optimized code in C++ or any target runtime language. SymForce provides geometry and camera types, Lie group operations, and branchless singularity handling for creating and analyzing complex symbolic expressions in Python, built on top of SymPy. Generated functions can be integrated as factors into our tangent-space nonlinear optimizer, which is highly optimized for real-time production use. We introduce novel methods to automatically compute tangent-space Jacobians, eliminating the need for bug-prone handwritten derivatives. This workflow enables faster runtime code, faster development time, and fewer lines of handwritten code versus the state-of-the-art. Our experiments demonstrate that our approach can yield order of magnitude speedups on computational tasks core to robotics. Code is available at https://github.com/symforce-org/symforce.


Abstract There is a long-standing and widespread consensus that semi-presidentialism is bad for democratic performance. This article examines whether there is empirical evidence to support the arguments against semi-presidentialism. Examining countries that are incompletely consolidated and yet are not autocratic, we identify the relationship between democratic performance and the three main arguments against semi-presidentialism – the strength of the presidency, cohabitation, and divided minority government. We find that there is a strong and negative association between presidential power and democratic performance, but that cohabitation and divided minority government do not have the negative consequences that the literature predicts.


PurposeThe aim of this cross-disciplinary, year-long, longitudinal qualitative study was to gain useful insights into the experiences of undergraduates undertaking work placements, focussing particularly upon their emotional responses to the challenges facing them. The research involved a small group of students from an HEI in northwest Ireland, drawn from four very different programmes. They were interviewed at length both before and after their placement, and also made available their reflective learning journals, kept over the course of their placements. A critical examination of the data looks to the psychological and emotional demands of undergraduate work placement and argues the need for rigorous preparation pre-placement and good pastoral support before, during and after the exercise. Although based in Ireland, the findings pose generic dilemmas: the issues encountered (and the solutions suggested) are by no means exclusive to Irish HE, as the literature review indicates.Design/methodology/approachAs a means to capturing the thoughts, feelings, fears, and hopes of the participants' pre and post-placement, the core research questions were: "How effectively do work placements bridge the gap between HE institutions and the workplace?" and "Do placements prepare students emotionally for the workplace and /or lead to improved academic performance?" By answering from the perspective of their own experiences, several key themes emerged, namely: Expectations and preparation pre-placement; Contexts, remits and roles during placement; Learning gain (as enhanced employability and/or improved academic ability).FindingsThe findings suggest that a wide range of employer-valued transferable key skills (together with improved self-confidence, psychological resilience, and emotional maturity) may be gained via informal modes of workplace learning, but that some of the activities carried out by worker-learners during placement may vary widely. It is, therefore, important to prepare students thoroughly pre-placement, support them throughout the process, and act promptly upon their feedback. A draft checklist aimed at placement mentors, academic tutors and course leaders is offered here based upon the study's findings: its generic nature means that it looks beyond HE in Ireland, and could be of use in crafting meaningful work-based learning opportunities and tangible employability outcomes irrespective of jurisdiction or discipline.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough small in scale (eight participants) and based in Ireland this two-year study is cross-disciplinary and deals with generic issues of interest to those involved in Higher Education, namely, under-graduate employability, emotional maturity, learning gain, reflective learning, and the pastoral care of placement students (as learner-workers).Practical implicationsHaving undergraduate students complete some form of bespoke, enhanced pre-placement training (modular or extra-mural) could also potentially avoid: Misperceptions or misunderstandings over placement terms (structure, content, duration) between placement provider, student and college Concerns on the part of placement providers that they might not be taking on high-calibre undergraduate students, thereby risking their own practice or reputationSocial implicationsSuch "pre-employability" training could increase the likelihood of placement students being willing or able to take on extra-mural voluntary roles in profession-relevant organisations, e.g. charities, NGOs, with the associated benefits in terms of CV-building, maturity, personal development and reputation. Pre-placement preparation could include role-play, to help accustom students to the likely (or indeed unlikely) events and scenarios often associated with their future careers, and to thus embed a greater sense of self-confidence, and limit or prevent anxiety. Ensuring that students have had a good grounding in both the norms and potential demands of their chosen profession is key: this, in turn, would ensure that they are also keenly aware, pre-placement, of their own abilities, limitations and any knowledge gaps.Originality/valueThe work offers "front-row" insights into the student experience across four very different disciplines: it provides a useful platform for "the student voice" in terms of a pre and post-placement "snap shot" of their hopes, expectations, and not least, their emotional responses to the challenges of placement. It highlights the importance of robust preparation and comprehensive pastoral care.


The lattice parameters and magnetic properties of (R = Ho, Er) have been investigated. The deviation of the lattice parameters from Vegard's law indicates that the Ce valence in both systems fluctuates with the concentration of the dopant R. This fluctuation is directly relevant to the degree of localization of Ce 4f electrons, and is independent of the atomic size of the dopant element. The observed metamagnetic transition of has been analysed from the description in the band picture. The Ce valence fluctuation from the mixed-valence state to the localized state increases the moments of the Ce and Fe ions, and the Curie temperature. The changes in the mixed-valence state also affect the properties of the Ce-Fe coupling.


Dyspnea is the most common presenting symptom of patients with acute heart failure (AHF). Although dyspnea is an important target for treatment in clinical practice and clinical trials, there remains a lack of consensus on how to assess it. We describe and recommend to use absolute scales such the Likert 5-point or the Visual Analogue Scale rather than any comparator scale such as the Likert 7-point scale. We further recommend starting dyspnea measurements in sitting position and perform, if possible, similar measurements in lying position. The same set of measurements may be repeated as needed during the time course of disease and the treatment.


Background: Preeclampsia occurs more often in dichorionic than in monochorionic twin pregnancy. We hypothesize that serum concentrations of biomarkers: placental growth factor (PlGF), serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), and endoglin (Eng) differ between monochorionic and dichorionic twin pregnancies. Methods: A prospective observational study including 43 monochorionic and 36 dichorionic twin gestation was conducted. Blood samples were collected twice from all participants: between 11 + 0 and 13 + 6 and between 32 + 0 and 34 + 0 weeks of gestation. PlGF, sFlt-1 and Eng were measured using immnunoenzymatic assays. Results: We found a significantly higher concentration of sFlt-1 in dichorionic in comparison to monochorionic pregnancies in both the first and third trimesters. PlGF and sEng levels did not differ between mono- and dichorionic gestation in both study periods. sFlt-1 level was related to twin gestation chorionicity, while PlGF expression was not. PlGF, sFlt-1 and sEng concentrations increased significantly during gestation and were much higher in the third trimester compared to the values measured in the first trimester. Conclusions: Angiogenic biomarkers expression differ between dichorionic and monochorionic twin pregnancy. The sFlt-1 level is related to chorionicity of a twin gestation.


Soil liquefaction in seabed not only drives vertical sediment transportation but also weakens coastal infrastructures such as pipeline or underwater foundation. The damage of seabed liquefaction events had been documented in literature. Due to the threat to lives and environment, it is important to have an exhaustive analysis on the risk assessment of seabed liquefaction subjected to ocean waves. The objective of this study is to assess the critical wave condition triggering seabed liquefaction in oceanic environment through theoretical modelling. Our investigation focused on the wave condition of momentary liquefaction induced by periodic wave loading. The scenario considers a permeable seabed on which a wide range of ocean waves propagates, and the critical wave parameters of wave height and wavelength causing liquefaction are examined. A two-dimensional analytical solution of seabed response based on Biot's consolidation theory is applied with nonlinear water wave theory to predict the soil response and the consequence of liquefaction. In contrast to the previous studies of seabed response applying the analytical solutions which only valid for a restricted wave range, we use a numerical approach of finite-amplitude wave to reflect the nonlinearity effect in a wide range of water wave from deep water to shallow water. The present assessment of liquefaction is compared with the extant solution of seabed response under Stokes wave and cnoidal wave for validation. In additional, the potential of liquefaction instability is performed by a critical curve of wave condition covering the range of ocean waves from deep water to shallow water. Our study provides advanced theoretical framework and robust mathematical model for the assessment of wave-induced seabed instability under water waves, and the detailed analysis sheds insight into the impact of ocean waves on the seabed liquefaction.


Background People with osteoarthritis (OA) desire high quality care, support and information about OA. Quality indicators (QI) can set minimum standards of quality of care for OA. Following a literature review, researchers in the Musculoskeletal Pain in Ullensaker (MUST) study, Norway developed a patient questionnaire about the OA QIs reported by patients. This was reviewed by patient research partners and validated for Norwegian OA care (Østerås et al, 2013). At the same time, the Managing Osteoarthritis in Consultations (MOSAICS) study involved research users to develop a patient questionnaire about the OA QIs reported by patients for UK primary care. Objectives We report on 1) the development of the MOSAICS OA-QI questionnaire; and 2) the comparison of the content of both OA-QI questionnaires. Methods Members of an OA patient and public involvement (PPI) group at Keele University, UK were invited to meetings with researchers. From a list of OA-QIs considered suitable for primary care, which were identified by a systematic review (Edwards et al, 2013), PPI members discussed how relevant the OA-QIs are from a patient perspective and then each person chose their five most important. PPI members suggested wording and ways of answering for a draft MOSAICS OA-QI questionnaire. The PPI group then commented on the draft questionnaire and how it compared with the MUST OA-QI questionnaire. Results PPI members (5 males, 7 females; aged 52-80 years) attended up to five meetings. Of 30 QIs initially identified, PPI members chose 20 as important for inclusion in a questionnaire. These covered pain self-management, medication use and side effects, daily activities, information about OA, quality of life and level of support. PPI members then helped to develop the wording of 14 items and ways of answering the items for the MOSAICS OA-QI questionnaire (some similar QIs were combined into single items). In comparison, the MUST QI questionnaire contained 17 items, but the ways of answering were the same. PPI members commented that both questionnaires contained the same or similar QIs. They felt that all of the MUST OA-QIs were important, though some of the translated Norwegian words were not suitable for OA patients in the UK. Conclusions PPI members and researchers can agree on the important QIs for OA care. The UK PPI group produced quality indicators consistent with those chosen by researchers for Norwegian OA care. PPI in MOSAICS ensured that the OA-QIs were relevant and refined the item wording. The development of two OA-QIs questionnaires was a coincidence but it has provided a unique opportunity to compare QIs across European countries. This allows researchers to test how commonplace OA-QIs are in different populations and future research has been funded by EULAR to investigate this. References Edwards J et al. Quality indicators for the primary care of osteoarthritis: a systematic review. Ann of the Rheum Dis 2013 (Published online first: 27 Nov 2013) Østerås N et al. Patient-reported quality of care for osteoarthritis: development and testing of the osteoarthritis quality indicator questionnaire. Arthritis Care Res 2013;65:1043-51 Acknowledgements This presentation presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research Programme (Grant Reference Number: RP-PG-0407-10386). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.2115


Abstract BC200 is a long non-coding RNA primarily expressed in brain but aberrantly expressed in various cancers. To gain a further understanding of the function of BC200, we performed proteomic analyses of the BC200 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) by transfection of 3′ DIG-labelled BC200. Protein binding partners of the functionally related murine RNA BC1 as well as a scrambled BC200 RNA were also assessed in both human and mouse cell lines. Stringent validation of proteins identified by mass spectrometry confirmed 14 of 84 protein binding partners and excluded eight proteins that did not appreciably bind BC200 in reverse experiments. Gene ontology analyses revealed general roles in RNA metabolic processes, RNA processing and splicing. Protein/RNA interaction sites were mapped with a series of RNA truncations revealing three distinct modes of interaction involving either the 5′ Alu-domain, 3′ A-rich or 3′ C-rich regions. Due to their high enrichment values in reverse experiments, CSDE1 and STRAP were further analyzed demonstrating a direct interaction between CSDE1 and BC200 and indirect binding of STRAP to BC200 via heterodimerization with CSDE1. Knock-down studies identified a reciprocal regulatory relationship between CSDE1 and BC200 and immunofluorescence analysis of BC200 knock-down cells demonstrated a dramatic reorganization of CSDE1 into distinct nuclear foci.


As a member of the microRNA (miR)-17-92 cluster, miR-20a has been indicated to be involved in the regulation of the proliferation and invasion of various cancer cells. Previous studies have observed elevated plasma levels of miR-20a in patients with uveal melanoma (UM), compared with normal controls. In the present study, the potential function of miR-20a in UM was investigated. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to detect the expression levels of miR-20a in UM cells and tissues. The functions of miR-20a on cell proliferation, migration and invasion were determined in vitro using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and Transwell assays, respectively. The expression levels of miR-20a were significantly increased in the UM cells and tissues (P<0.05). Subsequently, miR-20a mimics were transfected into UM cells, which led to increases in cell growth, migration and invasion activities. By contrast, miR-20a inhibition markedly suppressed the viability and motility of UM cells in vitro. These data provided convincing evidence that miR-20a may function as an oncogenic miRNA, and may be involved in promoting cell growth and motility in the molecular etiology of UM, suggesting its potential as a candidate therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with UM.


In the article we explain in detail how to build a photorefractive oscillator (PRO), which is a laser-pumped nonlinear optical cavity containing a photorefractive crystal. The specific PRO whose construction we describe systematically, is based on a Fabry-Perot optical cavity working in a non-degenerate four wave-mixing configuration. This particular PRO has the property that the generated beam exhibits laser-like phase invariance and, as an application, we show how a suitably modulated injected beam converts the output field from phase-invariant into phase-bistable. While the emphasis is made on the making of the experimental device and on the way measurements are implemented, some introduction to the photorefractive effect as well as to the necessary concepts of nonlinear dynamics are also given, so that the article is reasonably self-contained.


The "0-1 knapsack problem" stands as a classical combinatorial optimization conundrum, necessitating the selection of a subset of items from a given set. Each item possesses inherent values and weights, and the primary objective is to formulate a selection strategy that maximizes the total value while adhering to a predefined capacity constraint. In this research paper, we introduce a novel variant of Cultural Algorithms tailored specifically for solving 0-1 knapsack problems, a well-known combinatorial optimization challenge. Our proposed algorithm incorporates a belief space to refine the population and introduces two vital functions for dynamically adjusting the crossover and mutation rates during the evolutionary process. Through extensive experimentation, we provide compelling evidence of the algorithm's remarkable efficiency in consistently locating the global optimum, even in knapsack problems characterized by high dimensions and intricate constraints.


At present, the creation of compact sources for power supply of high-current accelerators is connected with MCG usage. In spite of considerable progress in creation of capacitors with high specific characteristics, the capacitive storages are not competitive with MCG when energies of generated pulse are higher than several kJ. On the basis of the experience collected in HEDRC for a long time of design and experimental investigations of high-current REB accelerators supplied by MCG and literature analysis as well, the design of self-contained high voltage source (SCHVS) have been accomplished.


This paper deals with the practical applications and a novel method of calculation of linear induction motors (LIMs), and arched-stator induction motors, with open magnetic circuit of limited length inductors with flat, cylindrical, or rotating working bodies, translational or rotating moving under the action of a field of these inductors. The designs of three-phase flat motors, developed by the author for the special transport systems, working in the conditions of hermetic protective chambers with an aggressive radioactive environment are resulted. The theoretical part of the paper describes the author's unconventional approach to the calculation of tractive force components of the motors, taking into account the electromagnetic asymmetry of the phases of inductors due to the longitudinal edge effect. This asymmetry previously was not be taken into consideration in calculations and, as shown in the papers, published by the author of this article, it leads to large errors in calculations, particularly, for the motors with small number of poles. Thus, the LIMs have to be considered as an asymmetric system, which can be described theoretically with the application of a method of symmetrical components, allowing receive rather simple solutions which are suitable for engineering practice. This article presents the results of the extended analysis of the LIMs tractive force components, based on the author's novel calculation method, described in the author's papers published previously.


Abstract This paper deals with the mass transport induced by sea waves propagating over a sloping beach and fully reflected from a wall. It is shown that for moderate slopes the classical recirculation cell structure holds for small Reynolds numbers only. When the Reynolds number is large, the cells interact among themselves giving rise to the merging of the negative cells and the confinement of the positive ones near the bottom. Under such circumstances the fluid moves onshore near the bottom and offshore near the free surface. The seaward decrease of the vorticity produced at the bottom appears to be the reason for the merging phenomenon.


Thermo-efficient and thermo-sensitive mutants of pox viruses are obtained, without the aid of mutagens, only with difficulty. Kirn and his colleagues (1, 2) have described both a thermo-sensitive and a thermo-efficient mutant of vaccinia virus. This note reports the derivation and properties of two thermo-efficient strains of variola major virus.
The first strain (h) was adapted by serial passage in the chick chorioallantois (CAM) at temperatures which were increased from 37° to 39.8° in small steps as adaptation occurred. After 44 passes a clonal stock (ht) was prepared. The other strain (b) was adapted by a similar process except that occasional passes at 35° were made to increase the titre of the passage virus. This enabled bigger incremental steps to be made in the growth temperature than was possible when using continued passages at elevated temperature. After 22 passes a clonal stock (bt) was prepared.
Efficiency of pock formation at different temperatures. Suspensions containing 104 pock forming units (pk.f.u.) per ml. were prepared from the stocks of parent and adapted viruses and titrated with appropriate dilution on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) at different temperatures of incubation (Table 1).


The concepts on competitiveness and productivity have been analyzed from different perspectives. One of the most influential authors on these concepts is Michael Porter, who thanks to his work "The competitive advantage of nations" explains why some countries thrive and some others don't. Porter also explains the sources of the competitive advantages and how to keep them going. The article contrasts the use of the mentioned concepts from Porter's perspective with the current context of the region of Quindio, obtained on the investigation project International Prospective Business in Quindio from the investigation group PIB. The purpose of the article is to determine if the region of Quindio is or not competitive and productive


This Research to Practice Full Paper presents the gamification as a teaching and learning practice that can be applied as a positive result allowing students to develop the necessary skills for the content of the Algorithms subject. In this context, we have as a guiding question for this work: How to validate a gamified framework for the Algorithms subject or equivalent for undergraduate courses in Information Technology? Thus, the main goal of this work is to validate the gamified approach proposed for the Algorithms subject in undergraduate courses in Information Technology. The gamified framework for the Algorithms subject or equivalent is an alternative to the teaching and learning process, which provides greater performance, as well as a motivation for students to be interacting in their learning process. Through the validation process, we can see that compared to the previously acquired grades, students achieved a higher performance. In addition, through the analysis within the same class between forms in the professor's practice, that is, the comparison of how the subject is taught with the gamified approach, we perceive a greater engagement of the students for the delivery of activities and participation in the class.


A low-cost and low-power laser driver capable of delivering picosecond optical pulses is presented. Pulsewidth in the 150-350 ps range and pulse energies between 2 and 12 pJ with a maximum repetition frequency of 160 MHz were obtained from several laser diodes with different wavelengths and power ratings. The laser driver can be used in combination with integrated single-photon detectors in time-resolved optical sensing applications.


Summary: A bronchopleural fistula (BF) is a life-threatening complication. Optimal management of a BF is still debated although surgery remains the preferred treatment. Usually, the fistula is a result of inadequate healing at the bronchial stump after pneumonectomy. Successful closure of a BF after pneumonectomy depends on evacuation of empyema, coverage of the suture line after fistula closure with vascularized tissue, and obliteration of the residual pleural cavity. Extrathoracic muscles and omentum are the first choice for intrathoracal transposition. We report a unique case of a cachectic female patient with a BF from the left main stem bronchus complicated with empyema following right-sided pneumonectomy. Previous surgeries excluded the use of extrathoracic muscles or only omentum. The BF could not be closed with sutures. Using a parachute technique, omentum was sutured into the fistula opening resulting in a tension-free fistula closure. A well-vascularized breast was transposed into the residual pleural cavity to obliterate dead space and to support the omentoplasty, so it would be able to withstand changes in intrathoracic pressure. The postoperative course was uneventful. Tension-free closure of a BF can be obtained by suturing well-vascularized tissue into the fistula opening using a parachute technique. Intrathoracic breast transposition could be a new option in the treatment of a BF and associated empyema in a female patient. In selected patients, a large breast can obliterate the dead space after pneumonectomy and support the omentoplasty.


Brief sonication of whole erythrocyte plasma membranes (ghosts) from toads at 4 degrees does not inactivate adenylate cyclase [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing); EC 22.214.171.124] or destroy the receptor binding properties of hydroxybenzylpindolol or insulin. The hormonal (but not the fluoride-induced) stimulation of this enzyme is, however, lost. Fractionation of the small, resealed membrane fragments (vesicles) on discontinuous sucrose gradients results in the separation of vesicle populations differing grossly in size and protein composition. In addition, the distribution of the beta-adrenergic receptor, an insulin binding site, and adenylate cyclase among these vesicles fractions differs. The pattern of distribution of these functional structures can be altered differentially by manipulations of the ghosts before sonication. For example, brief preincubation with isoproterenol leads to a change in the relative distribution of beta-receptor (but not adenylate cyclase) among the various vesicle fractions; this effect is not obtained with beta-receptor antagonists, which block the isoproterenol effect. Exposure of the ghosts to different temperatures, changes in the divalent cation composition of the medium, or the addition of ATP also leads to changes in the distribution of surface markers of the subsequently formed vesicles. The results indicate gross asymmetries in the distribution of protein components within the plane of the membrane and raise important questions regarding the manner whereby functionally related and coupled components, such as hormone receptors and adenylate cyclase, interact.


Background: Crude oil exploration water is the major waste product generated from petroleum exploration and production activities and  is known to be a complex composition of numerous hazardous chemicals, including large quantities of heavy metals, inorganic, and  organic substances and naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs).
Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the physicochemical, biochemical and genotoxic profile of subchronic exposure of  Wister rats to treated crude oil exploration water (TCOEW).
Materials and Methods: Fifty rats were randomly assigned to five treatment groups, with ten rats per group, and treated with five  concentrations (1%, 5%, 10% and 20%) of TCOEW. Each TCOEW concentration was administered for 90 days ad-libitum as normal drinking  water to each group, while the control group was given tap water. Blood, liver, kidney, thymus, spleen and femoral bone of the animals  were collected at the end of exposure for biochemical and histological assessments. The pH, conductivity, and turbidity were carried out  on-site, while other physicochemical parameters were determined using standard laboratory methods. Data were analysed using  descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α 0.05.
Results: Treated crude oil exploration water caused a significant (p < 0.05) increase in RBC, PCV and Hb while other hematological and  biochemical parameters showed no difference. Also, TCOEW cause a significant increase in polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) in  genotoxicity test and no major lesion were seen in the histopathology studies. Treated Crude Oil Exploration Water does not comply with  FEPA standards of produced water due to high conductivity, salinity and total dissolved solid of the sample. The marked increase in  micronuclei polychromatic erythrocyte formation (MNPCE) showed that TCOEW might be genotoxic and this could be responsible for the significant increase RBC, parked cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin (Hb) observed.
Conclusion: Although TCOEW does not totally meet FEPA standard for effluent discharge, it has mild genotoxic effect.


This paper focuses on microbial fuel cell (MFC) waste valorization, electricity generation and practical applications. A custom electronic analyzer dedicated to MFCs is presented. The measuring system allows to set up a complete electrical characterization of a microbial fuel cell, useful to facilitate and accurately analyze the charge and discharge phase of an MFC. Moreover, it allows power performance analysis and measurement of any kind of MFC typology, using a custom software, which automatically sets up a series of tests over a long period of time. Electronics design and a flow diagram of the measuring instrument project are provided. MFCs are a zero-emission energy harvesting technology: a bioreactor that converts energy stored in chemical bonds of organic compounds into electrical energy. Due to these properties, MFCs could be useful to a wide range of applications in the context of bio-reactions, bio-remediation or bio-sensing.


El Salvador lies on the Central America Volcanic Front and harbours around 50 major volcanic centers, of which some, such as - Santa Ana, San Salvador, Izalco and San Miguel – are currently active. San Miguel (or Chaparrastique, its original local name) is part of El Salvador Volcanic Cordillera and lies 11 km from the country's second largest city, the eponymous San Miguel, in the eastern part of the country. This 2130-m-high stratovolcano has a central crater of about 900 m in diameter, as well as several adventive cones from which abundant lava and pyroclasts have erupted during the Holocene. San Miguel has erupted at least 28 times in the past 430 years (both effusive and low-medium explosive events). Several villages and cities including San Miguel, Quelepa, Moncagua, Chinameca, San Jorge, San Rafael Oriente and El Transito lie near the volcano. The estimated population in the surrounding area is over 330,000 people, 60% of whom reside within the volcano's zone of influence due to the fertile nature of the volcanic soils and the cooler and more humid local microclimate at altitude. In this context, studies focused on the reduction of the impact of future eruptions and on the improvement of resilience of the San Miguel socio-economic system should be a priority. Volcanic hazard and risk analyses pose the most useful tools for achieving that goal. Despite the great importance of these types of studies, they are scarce in the region, and the past history of the volcano and its eruption dynamics are still not well understood. Consequently, it is highly advisable to carry out volcanic hazard and risk analyses in order to improve the knowledge and awareness on the hazard potential of San Miguel volcano, at the time that these studies should be used as a guide to develop specific programs to reduce its related risk. The purpose of this PhD thesis is to evaluate the volcanic risk associated with San Miguel Volcano, through assessing volcanic hazard, that is, identify how a volcanic system (i.e., an active volcano or volcanic area) has behaved in the past and then use this information to infer how it may behave in the future. This task requires a compilation of all existing geological and geophysical information concerning the eruption style of the volcanic system in question, its eruptive recurrence, the structural constraints on the opening of new vents, and the characteristics and potential extent of its main hazards. The next step is to draw up eruption scenarios and hazard maps using the information gathered of the previous stage, which will constitute the basis for estimating exposure and vulnerability analysis, the third objective of this study. We followed a probabilistic methodology to conduct the volcanic hazard assessment and scenario simulations. Probabilistic models are widely used in volcanic hazard assessment due to: (1) the lack of precise knowledge of the physical processes governing the dynamics of most volcanic hazards; (2) the difficulties in getting complete parameterisation sets for each phenomena; (3) the normally short time and computational costs; and (4) the acceptable results that probabilistic models provide. Thus, probabilistic or stochastic volcanic hazard analyses provide probabilistic outcomes that reflect the degree of uncertainty in the simulation. We conducted the first systematic and comprehensive long-term hazard assessment for San Miguel using available geological data, past eruption records, stratigraphic information, and volcano-structural data, as well as new information gathered from fieldwork. We obtain a susceptibility map of the volcano and highlighted the areas with the greatest likelihood of hosting future eruptive vents. We conducted two temporal analyses, one with a forecasting time window of two years using information on volcanic activity over the past 430 years (historical period), and another with a forecasting window of six months, with information from the past 16 years (monitoring period). Then we calculated the most likely scenarios for each specific time windows. Secondly, we simulated: (1) the five most likely scenarios (ashfall scenarios, short-medium extent, and VEI 1-2); (2) other probable scenarios related to lava flows, both according to its historical record; (3) other possible scenarios related to PDCs with similar characteristics to those that occurred during its geological history; and (4) the most hazardous scenario (ashfall, lava flow, PDC) also deduced from its geological record. We also constructed a qualitative integrated volcanic hazard map through the combination of the simulated scenarios. Finally, we made an exposure analysis of San Miguel volcano area, considering population distribution, land use, as well as the distribution of the main infrastructures of the area. Moreover, we estimated a Vulnerability Index for the hazardous areas based on the characterization of the construction materials of walls and roofs of stocks. We constructed different exposure maps for 1) Population, 2) land use, 3) road network, 4) schools, and 5) health centers. For private houses and public infrastructures, we made an estimation of the Vulnerability Index in a village where lahars are frequent. This study was developed with the aim of improving land use and the already existing emergency plans, and pretends to be the starting point for the collaboration and coordination between scientists, the national observatory (OA-MARN), and the civil protection agency of San Miguel municipality, thus helping to strength this cooperation to face future volcanic crises related to San Miguel volcano.


In the past 15 years, volume crimes dropped substantially in most countries with reliable crime-trend estimates. In England and Wales, domestic burglary fell by 58 per cent between 1995 and 2008/09, the trend levelling off after 2005/06. Wider use of more and better security arguably contributed to these drops. The availability of enhanced and especially basic security increased between 1997 and 2005/06, while burglary risk fell for all population income groups. Considering, however, the financial cost of burglary-protection devices, it is not surprising that enhanced security continues to be more accessible to better-off households. In 2005/06, the most affluent households were 60 per cent more likely to have such devices compared to the poorest. This is consistent with the finding that nationally burglary drops have occurred least amongst the poorest segments of the population. The better-off continue to benefit most in terms of crime protection: burglary-risk differentials between the lowest and all other income groups widened during the decade up to 2005/06. Security Impact Assessment Tool analysis, however, shows that enhanced security confers greatest burglary protection for those who can least afford it. These results suggest that making enhanced security available to the poorest would further reduce national burglary rates. © The Author 2011.


A primary goal in volcano seismology is to characterize source motions internal to a volcano in terms of their representative forces. In a similar manner, much volcano infrasound research strives to recover eruptive force time histories corresponding to material accelerations occurring at Earth's free surface. These motions may correspond to explosive emission of gas and pyroclasts (e.g., Banister, 1984), rapid ground distensions of a volcanic dome (e.g., Johnson and Lees, 2010), and/or gravity driven rock fall or pyroclastic flows (e.g., Yamasato, 1997). When free surface motion is unsteady it imposes stresses upon the surrounding atmosphere, which are propagated as acoustic airwaves. Typically, the sounds produced by volcanic phenomena are recorded with low‐frequency infrasound sensitive microphones. The intervening atmosphere is relatively homogeneous and nonattenuating for infrasound propagation of a few kilometers, therefore the recorded excess pressures closely represent volcano source time functions. Such force time histories are equivalent to volumetric accelerations of the atmosphere at or near to the source.

Many volcano explosion signals begin with intense, impulsive bipolar pulses (compression followed by rarefaction) with durations of a few seconds or less (e.g., Morrissey and Chouet, 1997). These volcano explosion waveforms are often similar to chemical explosion signals recorded in the far field and are suggestive of a rapid release and expansion of gases (Kitov et al. , 1997). Several volcano infrasound studies have made use of the Lighthill (1978) simple acoustic source to characterize ejection of fluid from the volcanic vent (e.g., Johnson, 2003).

Volcanic explosions generate bipolar infrasound pulses with durations of a few seconds (Firstov and Kravchenko, 1996; Johnson, 2003) that have been attributed to simple acoustic sources. A simple acoustic source, or a monopole, corresponds to a point approximation of fluid injection or extraction. Although most volcanic vents possess length scales of tens of meters to …


ABSTRACT Crude glycerol from biodiesel production is not of high quality due to catalyst and alcohol contamination. A product that could utilize glycerol, excess alcohol and catalysts could enhance the value proposition for the biodiesel industry. Here, we show that glycerol can be reacted with methanol and tert-butanol in the presence of common transesterification catalysts to produce an ether-rich mixture that is miscible with biodiesel. Our studies cover the impact of type and concentration of catalysts, molar ratio of reactants, temperature, and reaction time on alcohol conversion, product yield, selectivity and select fuel properties. Results show both NaOH and H2SO4 are capable of producing etherified blends from glycerol that are miscible with biodiesel. We anticipate the results to be a starting point for the development of an effective fuel additive to recycle the byproduct glycerol and excess alcohol resulting from biodiesel production.


Abstract This paper presents a versatile and efficientmodeling and solution framework for free vibration analysis of composite laminated cylindrical and spherical panels modeled according to two-dimensional equivalent singlelayer and layerwise theories of variable order.Aunified formulation of the equations of motion is adopted which can be used for both thin and thick structures. The discretization procedure is based on the spectral collocation method and is presented in a compact matrix form which can be directly and easily implemented. The convergence and accuracy of the proposed approach is evaluated for panels having different boundary conditions, thickness and shallowness ratios, and lamination layups.


Background Tissue destruction of the upper respiratory tract related to Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (Wegener's) – (GPA) which may result in stigmatizing lesions of the face is still poorly understood. Nasal biopsies that contain cartilage and/or bone to study the destruction process are difficult to obtain. Recent findings in a xenograft model of GPA in immunodeficient mice suggest that fibroblasts mediate at least in part this destruction of cartilage. Objectives To compare morphological and immunohistochemical features of destruction in GPA patients and GPA tissues xenografted into immunodeficient mice. Methods Nasal biopsies from GPA patients containing cartilage and/or bone fragments were evaluated for destruction by conventional histology. Cellular components, markers of differentiation and proliferation were characterized by immunohistochemistry (vimentin, CD68, TRAP, MMP 1-3-13, ALP, Osteonectin, CD 31, Ki-67). Xenografts of nasal mucosa from GPA patients with active endonasal disease and from sinusitis control patients were co- transplanted with healthy human cartilage in immunodeficient pfp/rag2 -/- mice and were investigated in parallel. Results Samples of nasal biopsies from GPA patients as well as xenografted GPA tissues show GPA related cartilage/bone destruction mediated by invading cells, not by ischemic necrosis due to vasculitis or areactive geographical necrosis. Invading cells in xenografts were identified as predominantly human fibroblast, while human tissues showed a more complex and variable pattern of cartilage/bone destruction. However, the morphology of destruction was very similar in tissue samples from both sources. Conclusions Nasal cartilage/bone destruction in GPA is an active process related to a broad spectrum of cells. However, fibroblasts are the dominant cartilage destructing cells both in GPA patients and in GPA xenografts, thus validating the findings in xenografts to be relevant for the human pathophysiology. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


The demand for comfort and performance in vehicles requires more accuracy in clutch control of automatic transmissions. For the widely spread automatic transmission the main influence are caused by the fluid temperature as well as with different operation pressures besides control algorithm. It requires adequate experience and proper understanding to interpret the pressure response results in the presence of fluid temperature and operating pressure variations. Proper analysis of the pressure test result is only possible with an understanding of the physical behavior of the clutch actuator system in response to fluid temperature and operating pressure. A clutch actuator model, which describes the pressure response in the clutch chamber behavior, has been investigated in this paper. The values of the parameters of the fluid properties have been analysed from manufacture data. A differentiation has been observed with several fluid temperature and operating pressure that can be used as additional information for better interpretation of the clutch chamber pressure response results. This paper thus reports a detailed study on the effects of the fluid temperature and operating pressure on pressure response of a clutch actuator under controlled conditions. Some simulation results presented to demonstrate the influence of fluid temperature and operating pressure that may be introduced in clutch control analysis unless temperature and pressure variations effects are taken into consideration.


and explain and classify the various functions which representation can serve. Differing with Hanna Pitkin, Birch does not attempt a synthesis to show the &dquo;real nature of representation,&dquo; that all forms are part of the same thing. Building on Davis Apter's theory of representation, Birch develops four types: symbolic, delegated, miscrocosmic, and elective. Since representation has no central purpose or function, it cannot provide a criterion for the assessment of representative institutions and processes. Rather, representation can serve &dquo;eight&dquo; specific functions, although Birch does not indicate whether these are exclusive and exhaustive. Nor can he, given his approach. Although he argues his approach provides for clarity, facilitates value-free analysis, makes for generalizations about types and functions of representation, and helps construct conceptual frameworks for research, none-the-less it has limitation, as do all studies of concepts. The concept of representation receives its meaning only in relation to the entire conceptual system in which it is embedded, a change in one dimension is likely to produce a change in another dimension. If the eight functions of representation which Birch develops are not exhaustive, how will we identify a fully representative system? That may compel a synthesis. MYRON Q. HALE


The percutaneous penetration and metabolic disposition of 14C-3-4,4'-trichlorocarbanilide (triclocarban, TCC) after body showering has been determined in man. Single intravenous doses of trace amounts 14C-triclocarban were given to subjects to determine the pharmacologic disposition of the compound before conducting the shower study. Radioactivity was rapidly cleared from blood after intravenous administrations of 14C-triclocarban in propylene glycol with a blood clearance half-life of 8.6 hours. About 54% of the dose was excreted in the feces and 21% of the dose in the urine with a urinary elimination half-life of ten hours. No radioactivity was detected in the saliva. Subjects took a single shower employing a whole body lather with approximately 7 gm of soap containing 2% 14C-triclocarban on a soap basis. Special blood withdrawal and urinary/fecal collection techniques were utilized that minimized contamination of samples by extraneous 14C-triclocarban. About 0.23% of the applied radioactive dose was recovered in the feces after six days and 0.16% of the dose in the urine after two days. At all sampling times blood levels of radioactivity were below the detection limit of the method (10 part per billion).


In this work, a two-stage design optimization procedure is developed to explore the effect of optimal actuator placement and position on energy efficiency in morphing wings. Diamond-shaped cells similar to NextGen's Batwing concept are used to examine this procedure. The finite element model considers elastic skin, actuator, and aerodynamic loads. Force displacement and efficiency studies are conducted using one and two unit cells, respectively. The model is then expanded to include multiple unit cells and actuators. A two-stage optimization process using a Genetic Algorithm and gradient-based optimization is also developed. The two-stage optimization is used to optimize actuator position and placement for different constraints and load cases. Results show that placement and position optimization produce small gains in energy efficiency; morphing using a soft isotropic skin is more efficient than stiff isotropic or anisotropic skins. In addition, the GA did not use all of the available actuators to maximize energy efficiency. The total actuator mass is also considered and is dependent on the maximum applied force per actuator and the number of actuators in the mechanism.


The frequency of resistance and elevated resistance to teicoplanin and vancomycin among 689 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated in one year from clinical specimens was determined. Using ATB.STAPH test, a resistance was shown mainly among strains of S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus. The elevated resistance to teicoplanin was much more frequently observed than to vancomycin. About 27% of isolated strains of S. haemolyticus and 6.8% of S. epidermidis were classified as resistant. Among other species only single strains were recognised as resistant: one strain of S. xylosus, one of S. cohni and one of S. intermedius. 94.7% of S. epidermidis and 100% of S. haemolyticus strains classified as resistant to teicoplanin in ATB showed MIC values 14 mg/l. Moreover it was shown that 26.3% of these strains of S. epidermidis and 33.3% of S. haemolyticus had MBC of teicoplanin values equal to or higher than 32 mg/l.


With the progress of society and development of sexual medicine, the therapeutic effects of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) have been improved increasingly. This review summarizes the basic therapeutic approaches to FSD, including psychotherapy, sexual behavior therapy, mechanical skills, life style adjustment, physical exercise, acupuncture, medication, surgery, and gene therapy. It also points out the objective understanding of the limitations of the available therapeutic methods, with stress on patient-oriented comprehensive therapeutic principles and increased attention to recognition education among the patients so as to improve the present status of FSD treatment.


Ethylene gas for anesthesia was advocated early in 1923 by Luckhardt of the University of Chicago. The Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago then began to use it. Good results were reported. Thus far ethylene has been used principally to anesthetize adults and children. No report of its use for infants has been found in the literature. The four cases presented here constitute a preliminary report on ethylene-oxygen as an anesthetic for infants. The only noteworthy difference in these charts is the respiratory curve. These notes are additional to the charts, which are otherwise self-explanatory. Case 1. —A boy, aged 4 weeks, weighing 4 pounds, 12½ ounces (2.2 kg.), was in a critical condition. He had lost a large percentage of his best weight, and was emaciated, weak and blue. A diagnosis of pyloric obstruction was made. The pediatric surgeon, who operated in all four of these cases, left the choice of


Summary Camelina sativa is an oil crop with low input costs and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. The presence of glucosinolates, plant metabolites with adverse health effects, restricts the use of camelina for human and animal nutrition. Cas9 endonuclease‐based targeted mutagenesis of the three homeologs of each of the glucosinolate transporters CsGTR1 and CsGTR2 caused a strong decrease in glucosinolate amounts, highlighting the power of this approach for inactivating multiple genes in a hexaploid crop. Mutagenesis of the three homeologs of each of the transcription factors CsMYB28 and CsMYB29 resulted in the complete loss of glucosinolates, representing the first glucosinolate‐free Brassicaceae crop. The oil and protein contents and the fatty acid composition of the csgtr1csgtr2 and csmyb28csmyb29 mutant seeds were not affected. The decrease and elimination of glucosinolates improves the quality of the oil and press cake of camelina, which thus complies with international standards regulating glucosinolate levels for human consumption and animal feeding.


It has recently become clear that electron irradiation can recrystallize amorphous zones in semiconductors even at very low temperatures and even when the electron beam energy is so low that it cannot induce atomic displacements by ballistic collisions. We study the mechanism of this effect using classical molecular dynamics augmented with models describing the breaking of covalent bonds induced by electronic excitations. We show that the bond breaking allows a geometric rearrangement at the crystal-amorphous interface which can induce recrystallization in silicon without any thermal activation.


Recently, with the emergence of world pandemic called COVID-19 virus all over the world, dental practitioners have stood out as high risked front liners. The aim of this study is to analyse the knowledge and management of emergency and safety precautions implemented by dentists during the pandemic of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. An online survey was used for this cross-sectional study using google forms and was distributed to dental professionals who works in government hospitals, private clinics, and academic universities in Saudi Arabia. Statistical evaluation was done using the data that was obtained from 355 dentists (academicians, private practitioners, military and government employees), with the power of the sample being 0.85. Relevant awareness regarding the incubation period and symptoms of COVID-19 virus was observed among the dental professionals. Preparedness and perception among dental professionals seem to be satisfactory and statistically significant. Obligatory improvements should be provided through educational campaigns.


Aluminium matrix composites (AMCs) are commonly used as break pad materials for engineering applications because of the unique characteristics it possess which fit the necessary requirements. In this work, individual and combined effects of zirconium dioxide and graphite reinforcements on mechanical properties of Al 6061 composites were investigated. The matrix combination with Al6061 as base was varied in terms of weight percentages of zirconium dioxide (2.5%, 5% and 7.5%) and graphite (1% and 3%) separately and hybrid composite with zirconium dioxide(1 to 6%) and graphite(1%) producing specific test specimens suitable to specific test conditions. Experiments, such as, micro-structure, micro-hardness, tensile test, and izod impact test which determine mechanical behaviours were conducted both on the base metal (Al 6061) as well as on the composites. These results provide insight view of effects of reinforcements on particulate reinforced composites,


In a review of the literature, supported by six case studies, executive development for senior managers in public and private organisations is explored in depth. The study looks at the roles and responsibilities of the chairman, CEO, executive and non‐executive directors, the required capabilities to achieve successful performance, and the related executive development activity implemented to support these. Methods of delivery, development needs analysis and evaluation are explored in case organisations to ascertain current practice. A detailed review of the leadership and governance literatures is included to highlight the breadth of knowledge required at director level. Key findings of the study include the importance of focusing executive development on capability enhancement, to ensure that it is supporting organisational priorities, and on its thorough customisation to the corporate context. Deficiencies in current corporate practice are also identified.


Naticid gastropods are common predatory mollusks in marine systems where they feed on bivalve mollusks. Predation involves boring a hole through the shell of the prey, which provides the opportunity for beach collections of shells to be used to determine feeding preferences of predators in nature. We examined whether naticids exhibited preferences for prey size, valve side (left vs. right) and valve site (location on the shell) and whether these preferences differed between prey species (Mulinia lateralis, dwarf surf clam; Anadara brasiliana, incongruous ark clam). Random samples of A.brasiliana and M.lateralis were collected from Otter Island, South Carolina and preferences for body size, valve site, and valve side determined. We found that predators feeding on M. lateralis exhibited preferences for body size, valve site and valve side. In contrast, predators feeding on A. brasiliana exhibited preferences for body size and valve site but not valve side. These results indicate that predators appear to adopt species-specific feeding strategies, which are likely shaped by variation in the benefits and costs associated with feeding on the different prey types.


ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the level and effect of urinary clusterin (CLU) and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) proteins in normotensive and preeclamptic pregnant women with HIV infection. Methods: The urine concentration of CLU and GST in normotensive (n = 38) and preeclamptic pregnant (n = 38) women stratified by HIV status were estimated using the Bio-Plex® ProTM immunoassay. Results: Across the group, a significant down-regulation of CLU (p = 0.039) with a reduced trend in GST was shown in HIV positive preeclampsia. Conclusion: HIV infection affects the activity of urinary CLU protein in HIV positive preeclampsia. However, the cytoprotective role of these proteins neutralizes the oxidative radicals associated with preeclampsia development through complement response in HIV infection.


Motivated by the needs of estimating the proximity clustering with partial distance measurements from vantage points or landmarks for remote networked systems, we show that the proximity clustering problem can be effectively formulated as the Nystrom approximation problem, which solves the kernel K-means clustering problem in the complex space. We implement the Nystrom approximation based on a landmark based Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) process. Evaluation results show that the proposed method finds nearly optimal clustering quality on both synthetic and real-world data sets as we vary the range of parameter choices and network conditions.


BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents emphasizes the necessity to develop evidence-based treatment programs that are useful in a clinical setting. AIMS: The overall aim of the thesis was to develop and evaluate multidisciplinary approaches for management of children and adolescents with obesity. The focus was on generalizability of the treatment in a clinical setting as well as to analyze which factors might explain and influence the results. The development of treatment programs took into account clinical necessities such as the waiting list and available resources at the Childhood Obesity Unit in southern Sweden, a tertiary referral centre. The aim of Paper I was to assess the effects of low intensity solution-based single family therapy intervention on self-esteem and body mass index (BMI), BMI z-scores in obese pediatric subjects, and functioning in their families. The aim of the Paper II was to evaluate the efficacy of a Family Weight School – a one-year treatment model based on family therapy and brief solution-focused therapy in four group meetings with extremely and morbidly obese adolescents compared with waiting list controls. The aim of Paper III was to examine factors associated with self-esteem in a clinical sample of obese children. The findings could be used to improve family-based programs. The aim of Paper IV was to evaluate the effect on childhood obesity of a one-week sports camp followed by a six-month support program at local sports clubs. The aim of Paper V was to describe the implementation of the theory of family therapy in a clinical setting in order to provide tools for clinicians in the field of obesity who work with families, alone or in a multidisciplinary team. RESULTS: The single family therapy treatment (Paper I) resulted in a significant decrease in the degree of obesity of the child, as well as improvements in self-esteem and family functioning. These results were obtained after 3.8 sessions. Eighty-one percent of the children (44 out of 54) participated in the follow-up. The Family Weight School (Paper II) resulted in a significant decrease in the degree of obesity in adolescents with BMI z-scores of less than 3.5 (adult equivalent approximately BMI 40), but not in adolescents with BMI z-scores of more than 3.5, compared with a waiting list control group. Ninety percent of the intervention group (65 out of 72) completed the one-year-program. In Paper III we showed that self-esteem in a sample of severely obese children and adolescents referred for treatment is lower after the age of twelve, especially in girls. In Paper IV we have shown that one year after the camp the intervention group had significant decreases in BMI z-score. The control group had also reduced their BMI z-score. No differences were found in baseline values, follow-up values or changes in BMI z-score between groups, or between boys and girls. In Paper V we have described the key elements (approach, language, and process) of the family therapy-based program and tools that are helpful in treating children and adolescents with obesity in a clinical setting. CONCLUSIONS: Family therapy-based interventions may be useful in the treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity in a clinical setting. A future strategy might include the Family Weight School for those with BMI z-scores of less than 3.5 as a first step and the single family therapy for younger children and those who have BMI z-scores of more than 3.5. Treatment should start at a young age with special attention given to girls, since their self-esteem is particularly affected. Furthermore, the residential one-week sports camp combined with six-months of local club support has not proved to be an effective therapeutic intervention. (Less)


Introduction: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) combine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and diffusion measures. In DWI, the contrast is defined by microscopic motion of water protons. Nowadays, DWI has become important for early diagnostic of acute stroke. DTI images are calculated from DWI images acquired in at least six directions, which give information of diffusion directionality, making it possible to reconstruct axonal or muscle fiber images. Both techniques have been applied to study body structures in healthy and pathological conditions. Currently, it is known that these images and derived parameters are quite sensitive to factors related to acquisition and processing. Magnetic field inhomogeneity, susceptibility, chemical shift, radiofrequency (RF) interference, eddy currents and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can have a more harmful effect in diffusion data than in T1or T2-weighted image data. However, even today there are not reference phantoms and guidelines for DWI or DTI quality control (QC). Review: Proposals for construction and use of DWI and DTI QC phantoms can be found in literature. DWI have been evaluated using containers filled by gel or liquid with tissue-like MRI properties, as well as using microfabricated devices. DTI acquisitions also have been checked with these devices or using natural or artificial fiber structures. The head phantom from American College of Radiology (ACR) is also pointed out as an alternative for DTI QC. This article brings a discussion about proposed DWI and DTI phantoms, challenges involved and future perspectives for standardization of DWI and DTI QC.


Given that one of the Pan African Anthropology Association's principle lines of research is the monitoring of ethnic conflicts in Africa, the contribution African intellectuals have made to the subject of cultural diversity management is a matter of great interest. The case study chosen for this paper is Equatorial Guinea, and the paper aims to provide an analysis of arguments that are raised in intellectual texts that deal with issues of identity and the country's history. The paper will look at the legacy of colonialism in regards to the empowerment and discrimination of certain ethnic groups in relation to others, it will reflect on the construction of the post-colonial state and it will consider a reading of history that runs counter to the official one, that of the country being founded upon unity, by looking at examples of the 'hijacking' of the state and certain populations within a dictatorial context.


Aim of the Study: To study the incidence, diagnosis and the treatment aspects of genital malignancies in a group of young patients who were less than 35 years old. Materials and Methods: This study was based on the surgical biopsy materials which were received in the histopathology laboratory of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, from 1st January 2006– 31st December 2010. The sources of the specimens were: in-patients biopsy and surgical specimens from the Lady Goshen Hospital and the Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Mangalore. The demographic data which included the age of the patients, the site of the tumour and the diagnosis, were extracted from the request forms and the patients' case files. Results: The prevalence of cancer in the younger ages [<35yrs] was 14.2%. The mean age of the presentation was 28 years, (SD+5.12). Ovarian cancer was the most common (70.5%) cancer, followed by cervical cancer (16.3%), choriocarcinoma (7%) and endometrial cancer (2%). There is a rising incidence of cervical and endometrial carcinoma. Advanced stages pre-dominated (58.2%). Conclusion: Targetting younger women for cancer screening and considering the possibility of malignancy in them is a necessity. This study also provided the basis for the further analysis of the female genital malignancies. The high incidence and the average early mean age of the presentation underlies the importance of the screening programmes and awareness campaigns in our community. Early diagnosis and treatment may help to preserve the fertility and to decrease the mortality. High risk screening could help to reduce the burden of the disease. Education would undoubtly prove to be the most effective challenging remedy.


Infostation systems, based on pico-cells, provide intermittent but very high speed rates. Many problems appear because of discontinuous coverage and the mobile environment (mainly service disruptions). These problems directly affect applications performance. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical architecture that enables the network to resolve these problems. A new entity called access controller has been introduced and validated. Then, we focus on applications made possible using this architecture. Mainly, a distributed data storage model is described that proposes many classes of service to give more flexibility to users. Finally, we present a middleware adapted to the architecture that implements the storage model and class of services.


Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) is associated with outbreaks and sporadic cases of hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), the most severe form of these human diseases. In Argentina HUS is endemic, with 500 new cases per year and an incidence of 17/100,000 in children under 5 years of age. VTEC O157:H7 is the most frequently isolated serotype, although there are non-O157 serotypes that have been associated with human disease. VTEC produces verocytotoxins and accessory virulence factors such as intimin, an enterohemolysin and an autoagglutinating protein called Saa. Cattle are VTEC carriers and several studies in Argentina have confirmed that bovines are the main reservoir of serotypes O157:H7 and non-O157, many of them involved in HUS and HC worldwide. Transmission of VTEC to humans occurs through consumption of undercooked meat, vegetables and water contaminated by feces of carriers, person-to-person and contaminated environment contact. Dairy farms can contribute to the risk of VTEC infection in humans through the consumption of raw milk, dairy products, and contaminated meat from dairy cattle and through contamination of the dairy environment. There is wide distribution and high prevalence of VTEC serotypes in dairy cattle in Argentina; therefore, it is important to improve the measures of control and management and to prevent the transmission of VTEC strains among animals, environment and humans.


In general, adhesive is the chosen material by a relation between glue and surface peeling of outcrops. Various adhesive are in the market, and the choices are increasing. In these adhesive, a specific adhesive can bring new work to surface peel of outcrop. Because of, surface peel of outcrop need to spend certain degree of time, fast curing adhesive expected to something new performance. In this study, hot melt adhesive (HMA) was chosen as fast curing adhesive. HMA is usually stick shape and uses applicator called glue-gun. HMA could not apply large area peeling of outcrop. Therefore, the small area got easily (11 mm of diameter of HMA stick heated by directly turbo type gas lighter, without applicator, presses on outcrop) was chosen. It seemed something like sampling (called HMA sampling) rather than surface peeling, but HMA performed strong adhesion force on a dried outcrop and teared off easily to until the Neogene sedimentary rock. It was also possible to stick HMA samples on a text easily. HMA sampling has many advantages especially in the educational field and is expected becoming the 3rd sampling in lieu of the sickle and the hammer


We introduce a method to reduce constituent parsing to sequence labeling. For each word w_t, it generates a label that encodes: (1) the number of ancestors in the tree that the words w_t and w_{t+1} have in common, and (2) the nonterminal symbol at the lowest common ancestor. We first prove that the proposed encoding function is injective for any tree without unary branches. In practice, the approach is made extensible to all constituency trees by collapsing unary branches. We then use the PTB and CTB treebanks as testbeds and propose a set of fast baselines. We achieve 90% F-score on the PTB test set, outperforming the Vinyals et al. (2015) sequence-to-sequence parser. In addition, sacrificing some accuracy, our approach achieves the fastest constituent parsing speeds reported to date on PTB by a wide margin.


The brown bowel syndrome (BBS) is a rare disease characterized by malabsorption and accumulation of lipofuscin in the smooth muscle cells of the muscularis externa of the small intestine. Recently, we incidentally observed a case of BBS in a colon operated on because of a neoplasm. Our ultrastructural investigation, which demonstrated changes in the mitochondria, further supports the significance of mitochondrial damage in BBS.


In this paper the optimum design of high power high frequency magnetics is discussed based on a 50kW application operating at 50 kHz. An in depth theoretical explanation on minimizing the losses at high frequency is discussed. A novel approach to the windings that makes the high frequency conductor losses due to proximity effect almost frequency independent is presented. Theoretical explanation of this phenomenon is given. Further how this approach will make it possible to develop a new generation of magnetics that enable power electronics designers to go for significantly high operating frequencies is discussed. The challenge of handling high temperature rise due to high power density of such high power high frequency magnetics is addressed in this paper with a practical solution for that. The theoretical findings are verified based on a set of prototypes developed for a 50kW DC DC converter operating at 50kHz.