SUMMARY The hybrid solid-state DC circuit breakers (DC CBs) have become one of the most promising technologies to address the protection challenges within multi-terminal DC (MTDC) grids. Those breakers are designed in such a way that a large number of identical modules are connected in series to enable extinguishing the fault current with the arresters embedded in them. Conventionally, these modules are commanded to trip simultaneously, creating significant overvoltage and overcurrent stresses for the rest of the system. To attenuate these adverse impacts, in this paper, a sequential tripping method is proposed to improve the performance of hybrid DC CBs through commanding the main breakers to trip in a sequential manner. It has been verified that by the proposed method, fault clearance is expedited while the maximum overcurrent is reduced. To address the unbalanced energy absorptions among the different modules of the CB, a modified sequential tripping scheme is also proposed. By rescheduling the sequential tripping sequence, this method enables an equal redistribution of energy, which greatly reduces the risk of thermal overloading. Both of the proposed methods are evaluated and tested under a practical six-terminal DC grid in the PSCAD/EMTDC software environment. The performance and effectiveness of the proposed methods are confirmed by simulation results.


MOTIVATION
The programs currently available for the analysis of nucleic acid and protein sequences suffer from a variety of problems: Web-based programs often require inconvenient reformatting of sequences when proceeding from one analysis to the next, and commercial-console-based programs are cost prohibitive. Here, we report the development of DNASSIST:, an inexpensive, multiple-document, interface program for the fully integrated editing and analysis of nucleic acid and protein sequences in the familiar environment of Microsoft Windows.


Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease. Probiotics have been reported to modulate immune responses and thus are now being suggested as potential treatments for allergies. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of Lactobacillus sakei probio 65 isolated from Kimchi on artificially inducing AD in NC/Nga mice.


Our group has previously reported on performing single photon emission tomography (SPECT) studies on rats, using a GE Hawkeye millennium SPECT-CT scanner with pinhole collimators. The main challenge to obtaining quantitative physiological information from such data is the lack of X-ray attenuation data for the small animals. In this paper we present an experimental design in which a nonspecific clinical SPECT-CT scanner is used to collect both transmission and emission scan data for small animals. Necessary hardware enhancements include construction of a new animal bed and construction of a modified emission-transmission calibration object. An emission scan of this calibration object is used to determine the study-specific geometrical parameters of the gantry. In the past, we have shown that 25 adjustable parameters are needed to describe the angle-dependent positions of the detectors and pinhole collimators in order to obtain sufficient spatial precision. A CT scan of the calibration object is used to achieve three-dimensional image registration by aligning the transmission and emission fields of view. The emission system matrix is calculated by ray tracing. The algorithm corrects for X-ray attenuation and for the system geometric response that results from the finite sizes of the pinhole aperture and the detector pixels. The system matrix was applied to the reconstruction of static and dynamic SPECT images using the ML-EM algorithm with a total-variation regularization term. In future studies, time-varying data from the first minute of acquisition will be used to extract kinetic information about how radiopharmaceuticals interact with different tissue types.


Soft robotic fingers have shown great potential for use in prostheses due to their inherent compliant, light, and dexterous nature. Recent advancements in sensor technology for soft robotic systems showcase their ability to perceive and respond to static cues. However, most of the soft fingers for use in prosthetic applications are not equipped with sensors which have the ability to perceive texture like humans can. In this work, we present a dexterous, soft, biomimetic solution which is capable of discrimination of textures. We fabricated a soft finger with two individually controllable degrees of freedom with a tactile sensor embedded at the fingertip. The output of the tac- tile sensor, as texture plates were palpated, was converted into spikes, mimicking the behavior of a biological mechanoreceptor. We explored the spatial properties of the textures captured in the form of spiking patterns by generating spatial event plots and analyzing the similarity between spike trains generated for each texture. Unique features representative of the different textures were then extracted from the spikes and input to a classifier. The textures were successfully classified with an accuracy of 94% when palpating at a rate of 42 mm/s. This work demonstrates the potential of providing amputees with a soft finger with sensing capabilities, which could potentially help discriminate between different objects and surfaces during activities of daily living (ADL) through palpation.


Concentrations of glutathione S-transferase (GST; glutathione transferase; EC 126.96.36.199) B1 subunits, F protein, and the activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT; EC 22.214.171.124) were measured in sequential plasma samples taken from nine patients with self-administered paracetamol (acetaminophen) poisoning. GST exceeded the reference interval in all patients at the time of admission, and F protein was increased in seven. In contrast, abnormal activities of ALT in plasma were found in only one of the nine on admission, a patient admitted 12 h after poisoning. Subsequent to admission nine, eight, and five patients, respectively, had abnormal concentrations of GST, F protein, and ALT. When expressed as multiples of the upper reference limit, the highest values for GST measured in each patient always far exceeded the greatest abnormalities in ALT; this was true for F protein in only five patients. Patients in whom the concentration of GST exceeded 10 micrograms/L on admission subsequently went on to develop moderate or severe liver damage, despite treatment with N-acetylcysteine. F protein and ALT measurements on admission were not as efficient as GST at predicting the clinical outcome of the patients. We conclude that GST and F protein offer clear advantages over ALT for detecting minor degrees of acute liver dysfunction, particularly when only centrilobular damage may be involved.


Cavity optomechanics provides high-performance sensor technology, and the scheme is also applicable to liquid samples for biological and rheological applications. However, previously reported methods using fluidic capillary channels and liquid droplets are based on fixed-by-design structures and therefore do not allow an active free access to the samples. Here, we demonstrate an alternate technique using a probe-based architecture with a twin-microbottle resonator. The probe consists of two microbottle optomechanical resonators, where one bottle (for detection) is immersed in liquid and the other bottle (for readout) is placed in air, which retains excellent detection performance through the high optical Q (~107) of the readout bottle. The scheme allows the detection of thermomechanical motion of the detection bottle as well as optomechanical drive and frequency tracking with a phase-locked loop. This technique could lead to in situ metrology at the target location in arbitrary media and could be extended to ultrasensitive biochips and rheometers.


. Indian Malaysian students in Palembang looked quite secluded at the first time they started studying in Sriwijaya University. Instead of speaking Malay Language, they spoke English and Indian, and they also had a problem with adaptation and social interaction. based on that situation, this research raised the problem on the adaptation process of Indian malaysian students in Palembang and the obstacles in the process of adaptation. The subjects of this research were Indian Malaysian students of Sriwijaya University studying in medical faculty. This research used a qualitative approach and phenomenological method by Alfred Schutz's theory. Data collections were obtained by using observation, interviews and documentation. The results revealed that India students from Malaysia had a cultural identify issue that they were steeped in India culture. This phenomenon affected the process of adaptation during their stay in Palembang. In terms of social interaction, they were still influenced by the habits which they applied in India. So even though their residents were Malaysia and Indonesia particularly Palembang, the students still used a very strong Indian ethnic values, and it was quite difficult for them to adept in Palembang with Malay and Islamic culture.


We evaluated the correlation between HbA1C and Cognitive derangement of type 2 Diabetics in the current prevalence study.HbA1C as a Biomarker to predict Cognitive Derangement in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects based on the correlation findings in a prevalence study in urban Indian population. We further investigated the role of poor Diabetes control versus hypoglycemia episodes as independent predictors of cognitive derangement  in 240 type 2 Diabetics.In pilot phase ,comparison between Diabetics(n=30)and non-Diabetic subjects(n=30)for Cognitive derangement  using cognitive batteries: GPCOG, AI tool  and MIS was done. PET CT brain findings of  one of Diabetic subjects were also observed. Further study was conducted on 240 diabetic subjects using batteries validated in the pilot phase. Pilot study provided statistically significant results of correlation between HbA1C levels versus GPCOG Score, Pearson's Correlation r1= -0.448*, for AI Score Pearson's Correlation r2= -0.196*and for MIS score Pearson's Correlation r3= -0.472*. The prevalence ratio for both groups was calculated as 5.8125, which implies Diabetics had > 5 fold risk of deranged cognition as compared to the non-Diabetic group. Using independent T-test, mean GPCOG score in the Hypoglycemia group(n=162) and without hypoglycemia group(n=78) were found to be 3.02  and 4.63  respectively. Similarly, based on the independent T-test, the mean AI score in the Hypoglycemia group(n=162) and without hypoglycemia group(n=78) were found to be  2.068 and 2.564, respectively. PET CT brain findings were suggestive of reduced FDG uptake indicating Alzheimer's type of cognitive derangement.HbA1C can be linked to poor cognitive derangement in case of poor diabetes control. Hence HbA1C can be a useful biomarker to predict cognitive derangement in type 2 Diabetics.*Significance level <0.01, Negative correlations are indicative of lower the values of battery scores higher would be cognitive derangement.


This paper evaluates the likely benefits of adopting an aggregate financial stability index (AFSI) as an additional mechanism for monitoring the financial system in Botswana. Since the turn of the new century that brought a sequence of financial episodes, financial stability remains a topical issue among researchers and policymakers. To guard against financial instability, authorities continually look for mechanisms to effectively detect stress in the financial system. This paper builds on recent literature to develop an AFSI for Botswana constructed from sub-indices that reflect financial development, financial vulnerability, financial soundness, and external environment developments. To determine the existence, or absence, of effects from key macroeconomic variables on the AFSI, the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model is used. The study found that the synthetic AFSI constructed is robust and able to track the impact of different macroeconomic events on the stability of the financial sector in Botswana. As such, gains can be expected from the use of an AFSI. In this regard, policy makers will be able to unambiguously interpret the prevailing level of financial stress and respond accordingly.


Collaboration between the teacher and special education teacher is one of the important factors when working with students with special educational needs, who are included in school program with adapted performing and additional professional support. Various forms and ways of collaboration are used. Many researchers point to a great potential of team teaching, where the teacher and the special educator simultaneously, with the same goal, collaborate in teaching the same group of students. With this approach, students as well as teachers, benefit greatly. The nature and aims of art education offer many possibilities for this kind of collaboration, as pointed out by foreign researchers. In this master thesis, the focus is on the benefits that this kind of collaboration has for students with impairments in individual areas of learning who have specific impairments at the level of visual-motor processes (dyspraxia and nonverbal learning disability). Additionally, we have analysed how special educators and art teachers collaborate and how this collaboration affects their professional development. In this analysis we have included 57 special educators and 85 art teachers in the first, second or third educational level of elementary schools in different Slovenian regions. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used for data analysis. We also conducted nine interviews with school professionals who are already implementing this kind of collaboration. Empirical research has shown that most of the school professionals think that this kind of collaboration is necessary, but a large proportion of them have never participated in such collaboration, as they have not yet faced such a case in the classroom. Those who indicated that they have already collaborated, as well as the interviewed school professionals, most commonly rely on informally consulting in school corridors and on teamwork in the expert groups for individualized programs. The most common approach in this collaborative teaching is when the teacher conducts art lessons, and the special educator helps him, provides assistance to the student with learning disabilities and, if necessary, to other students. The school professionals also recognize many benefits for students (product satisfaction, persistence, motivation at work, better organization and work planning) and for themselves (new knowledge, ideas, support, help and division of labour) in this kind of collaboration. The analysis of the situation in practice, in conjunction with the findings of other researchers, can serve as a basis for the formulation of recommendations for the promotion of professional development in the field of collaboration among the aforementioned profiles of professionals in the field of education.


The purpose of this paper is to introduce the class of (a,b,c)-modified
 enriched Kannan pair of mappings (T,S) in the setting of Banach space that
 includes enriched Kannan mappings, contraction and nonexpansive mappings and
 some other mappings. Some examples are presented to support the concepts
 introduced herein. We establish the existence of common fixed point of the
 such pair. We also show that the common fixed point problem studied herein
 is well posed. A convergence theorem for the Krasnoselskij iteration is used
 to approximate fixed points of the (a,b,c)-modified enriched Kannan pair.
 As an application of the results proved in this paper, the existence of a
 solution of integral equations is established. The presented results
 improve, unify and generalize many known results in the literature.


When I heard curriculum theorist Madeleine Grumet confess at the 2006 AATC conference that she had not been reading lately because she had been watching the latest season of Project Runway, I immediately perked up, as I was an ardent fan of the first three seasons. Grumet proposed that curriculum theory courses should be taught in a manner similar to the show: students would be presented with a real problem and then be asked to provide solutions to that problem. I am not sure if she thought anyone in the audience would take her comment seriously (although fans of the show readily voiced our agreement), but I spent quite a bit of time pondering her suggestion. Aware of the criticism surrounding the use of popular television shows, like Survivor and Jeopardy, as models for delivering content in the classroom (Gustavson & Appelbaum, 2006), I know that "gimmicks" do not necessarily translate into successful learning experiences. A "reality" course might tap into the interests of my students (as well as my own) but not prepare them for the realities of teaching. Grumet's suggestion is somewhat related to problem-based learning (PBL), and I could see how this television-inspired approach might enrich students' engagement with education courses' texts and topics. Because of the opportunities to apply theoretical readings to practical applications, to encourage creative, autonomous approaches to actual classroom issues, and to challenge the traditional roles of teachers and students, Project Runway provides a useful, alternative model for teaching education courses. LESSON WRITING IN EDUCATION METHODS COURSES There seem to be a few assignments that many colleges and universities typically include in their teacher education courses: the teaching philosophy essay; the field experiences journal; and the teaching unit. In the Methods of Teaching English/Language Arts (one of the courses that I teach), we write lesson plans. Smagorinsky and Whiting's (1995) research of the syllabi used in English methods courses showed that 69% of those instructors required their students to write lesson plans and engage in teaching demonstrations as part of their coursework. Only four out of the 79 syllabi they examined, however, actually required students to teach the lessons they created in their cooperating teachers' classrooms. (1) This finding is understandable considering that many field experience students might find themselves having to use their cooperating teachers' lesson plans for the convenience of their schedules, continuity of the classes' schedules, and consistency in level of expectations. In order to address this limitation, some instructors incorporated into their courses presentations on lesson planning by master teachers or studies of " 'cases' of problematic teaching situations" (p. 16) as a means for exploring writing lessons for different contexts (Smagorinsky & Whiting, 1995). They also found that instructors adopted a "workshop approach," which required students to work in groups on lesson plans in a series of steps, culminating with the presentation and/or teaching of those lessons to their classmates. The limitations with these approaches are similar to the other limitations tied to writing lesson plans in methods courses: unless students are in the field working with a teacher who is able to make space for them to teach those lessons, they are unable to try out their ideas in "real" teaching situations. Eleven years later, Dickson, Smagorinsky, and a number of leaders in the field of English education (Dickson et al., 2006) presented components of successful English/Language Arts methods courses. Those components included teaching "purposeful observation," holding conversations with the various parties responsible for teacher education programs, and fostering mentor teacher relationships (p. 325). In order to create "exemplary programs," Dickson et al. (2006) proposed that teacher educators--along with their students--should "engage in more provocative research that can help us and our students articulate the ways our work has import, and to use that knowledge to help us continue to improve our programs" (p. …


Mapping the number, size, and species of trees in forests across the western United States has utility for a number of research endeavors, ranging from estimation of terrestrial carbon resources to tree mortality following wildfires. For landscape fire and forest simulations that use the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS), a tree-level dataset, or "tree list", is a necessity. FVS is widely used at the stand level for simulating fire effects on tree mortality, carbon, and biomass, but uses at the landscape level are limited by availability of forest inventory data for large contiguous areas. Detailed mapping of trees for large areas is not feasible with current technologies, but statistical methods for matching forest plot data with biophysical characteristics of the landscape offers a practical means to populate landscapes with a limited set of forest plot inventory data. We used a modified Random Forests approach with Landfire vegetation and biophysical predictors to impute plot data from the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA). This method imputes the plot with the best statistical match, according to a "forest" of decision trees, to each pixel of gridded landscape data. Landfire data was used in this project because it is publicly available, offers seamless coverage of variables needed for fire models, and is consistent with other datasets, including burn probabilities and flame length probabilities generated for the continental U.S. by Fire Program Analysis (FPA). We used the imputed inventory data to generate maps of forest cover, forest height, and existing vegetation group at 30-meter resolution for the entire western U.S. The results showed good correspondence between the target Landfire data and the imputed plot data. In future work, we plan to use the imputed grid of inventory data for landscape simulation studies to analyze a wide range of fuel management problems.


We consider combinatorial optimization problems with nonlinear objective functions. Solution approaches for this class of problems proposed so far are either highly problem-specific or they apply generic algorithms for constrained nonlinear optimization, which often does not yield satisfactory results in practice. Our aim is to develop, implement and experimentally evaluate exact algorithms that address the nonlinearity of the objective function and at the same time exploit the underlying combinatorial structure of the problem. To this end we follow two approaches. The first combines good polyhedral descriptions of the objective function and the feasible set in a branch and cut-algorithm. The second approach is based on Lagrangean decomposition. By decomposing the original problem into an unconstrained nonlinear problem and a linear combinatorial problem, we are able to compute strong dual bounds for the optimal value. The computation of lower bounds is then embedded into a branch and bound-algorithm. For many applications there already exist efficient algorithms for the combinatorial subproblem, thus an important aspect of this thesis is the study of the corresponding unconstrained nonlinear subproblems. Both approaches have the advantage that they can easily be adapted to a wide range of nonlinear combinatorial problems. We devise both polyhedral and decomposition-based algorithms for submodular applications from wireless network design and portfolio optimization and evaluate their performance experimentally. Exploiting the equivalence between unconstrained binary quadratic optimization and the maximum cut problem gives rise to a branch and cut-algorithm for quadratic combinatorial problems which we use to compute optimal layouts of tanglegrams, an application from computational biology. Additionally we study the effect of quadratic reformulation of linear constraints, both theoretically and experimentally. The last class of nonlinear combinatorial problems we consider are two-scenario problems. Here we propose a new technique to compute lower bounds in the unconstrained subproblem of the decomposition. Our computational study of the two-scenario minimum spanning tree problem shows that the new Lagrangean decomposition-based algorithm is able to solve significantly larger instances than the standard linearization approach.


ABSTRACT While populism is commonly considered antagonistic to democratic liberalism, recent research demonstrates how populist rhetoric may highjack traditional liberal discourses and opportunistically refashion them against the plight of minorities. Drawing on the concept of media populism, this research investigates how notions of 'democracy' and 'equality' were contested in debates on racism in New Zealand regional newspaper, The Taranaki Daily News, and further deployed to promote a populist agenda, against the representation of the Indigenous minority, Māori, in the local government. The analysis of letters to the Editor shows the prevalence of anti-Māori sentiment, articulated through such populist rhetoric as 'majority', 'whole community' and 'togetherness'; while the appeal for Māori representation was framed as 'special treatment', 'positive discrimination', 'separatism' and 'reverse racism'. Hence, by endorsing the populist discourse, media provide their audiences with the moral affinity to support racist and anti-minority policies; ultimately producing the political phenomenon of media populism.


This is the first part of a study on flight characteristics of birds and presents an annotated list of flight speeds of 139 western Palearctic species. All measurements were taken with the same tracking radar and corrected for wind influence according to radar-tracked wind-measuring balloons. Graphical presentation of the birds' air speeds emphasizes the wide variation of speeds within species and allows easy comparison between taxonomic groups, species, and types of flight. Unlike theoretical predictions, speeds increase only slightly with size. The larger species seem to be increasingly limited to speeds close to their speed of minimum power consumption Vmp',. Released birds, apparently reluctant to depart with migratory speed, fly at considerably lower speeds than migrating conspecifics. While large birds seem to be limited to speeds around Vmp', smaller birds seem to be capable of selecting between various speeds, approaching predicted Vmp, when tending to remain airborne at low cost, but flying at much higher speeds when tending to make best progress at low cost (around predicted speed of maximum range Vmr,). Predictions of air speeds by aerodynamic models proved to be too low for small birds because the models do not account for the gain in speed attained by the reduction in profile drag during bounding flight of small passerines. The models predict excessive speeds for large birds because the power output available for flight seems to decline much more with size than previously assumed.


The authors examine the performance implications of providing reliability in conjunction with multicast transport over a high speed wide area network. They use a block based acknowledgement and selective retransmission protocol to evaluate the impact of the loss rate and the multicast tree topology on the achievable throughput. Their results show that even when the buffer overflow probability at switches and receivers is low, the cumulative loss probability seen by a source may be quite high. They also demonstrate that the average throughput increases significantly if the transport protocol delivers packets to the application layer out-of-sequence. They investigate the scaling properties of the error control mechanism and show that the multicast tree topology that results in minimum transfer time is not necessarily the same as the one constructed using minimal bandwidth or shortest path algorithms.<<ETX>>


317 to unpleasant stimuli than the control participants. In fact, the BPD participants had signifi cantly lower skin conductance responses and showed an absence of the fear-potentiated startle response, suggesting a general state of underarousal. On the emotion regulation task, both groups showed similar startle responses when instructed to maintain or suppress their emotions. These results do not support current theories of emotion dysregulation in BPD, suggesting instead that those with BPD are hyporesponsive to affective stimuli.


The internet of things (IoT) is ushering a new age of technology-driven automation of information systems into the manufacturing industry. One of the main concerns with IoT systems is the lack of privacy and security preserving schemes for controlling access and ensuring the safety of the data. Many security issues arise because of the centralized architecture of IoT-based information systems. Another concern is the lack of appropriate authentication and access control schemes to moderate the access to information generated by the IoT devices in the manufacturing industry. Hence, the question that arises is how to ensure the identity of the manufacturing machinery or the communication nodes. This chapter presents the advantages of blockchain technology to secure the operation of the modern manufacturing industry in a trustless environment with IoT applications. The chapter reviews the challenges and threats in IoT applications and how integration with blockchain can resolve some of the manufacturing enterprise information systems (EIS).


PURPOSE
The authors present an evidence-based approach to quantify the effects of an array of patient anatomical features of the planning target volumes (PTVs) and organs-at-risk (OARs) and their spatial relationships on the interpatient OAR dose sparing variation in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans by learning from a database of high-quality prior plans.

METHODS
The authors formulized the dependence of OAR dose volume histograms (DVHs) on patient anatomical factors into feature models which were learned from prior plans by a stepwise multiple regression method. IMRT plans for 64 prostate, 82 head-and-neck (HN) treatments were used to train the models. Two major groups of anatomical features were considered in this study: the volumetric information and the spatial information. The geometry of OARs relative to PTV is represented by the distance-to-target histogram, DTH. Important anatomical and dosimetric features were extracted from DTH and DVH by principal component analysis. The final models were tested by additional 24 prostate and 24 HN plans.

RESULTS
Significant patient anatomical factors contributing to OAR dose sparing in prostate and HN IMRT plans have been analyzed and identified. They are: the median distance between OAR and PTV, the portion of OAR volume within an OAR specific distance range, and the volumetric factors: the fraction of OAR volume which overlaps with PTV and the portion of OAR volume outside the primary treatment field. Overall, the determination coefficients R(2) for predicting the first principal component score (PCS1) of the OAR DVH by the above factors are above 0.68 for all the OARs and they are more than 0.53 for predicting the second principal component score (PCS2) of the OAR DVHs except brainstem and spinal cord. Thus, the above set of anatomical features combined has captured significant portions of the DVH variations for the OARs in prostate and HN plans. To test how well these features capture the interpatient organ dose sparing variations in general, the DVHs and specific dose-volume indices calculated from the regression models were compared with the actual DVHs and dose-volume indices from each patient's plan in the validation dataset. The dose-volume indices compared were V99%, V85%, and V50% for bladder and rectum in prostate plans and parotids median dose in HN plans. The authors found that for the bladder and rectum models, 17 out of 24 plans (71%) were within 6% OAR volume error and 21 plans (85%) were within 10% error; For the parotids model, the median dose values for 30 parotids out of 48 (63%) were within 6% prescription dose error and the values in 40 parotids (83%) were within 10% error.

CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative analysis of patient anatomical features and their correlation with OAR dose sparing has identified a number of important factors that explain significant amount of interpatient DVH variations in OARs. These factors can be incorporated into evidence-based learning models as effective features to provide patient-specific OAR dose sparing goals.


Living in a dynamic environment, we must be able to make flexible plans that can handle ambiguity and changes in goals while acting. Recent studies suggest that brain builds multiple competing plans related to potential goals and use perceptual information to drive this competition, until a single policy is selected. We propose an extended optimal control framework to model human behavior in tasks with multiple goals and show that goal competition is a natural by-product of handling goal uncertainty. We show how an agent's optimal policy in the presence of goal ambiguity, can be expressed as a weighted mixture of multiple control policies, each of which produces a sequence of actions associated with a specific target. At any instant, weighting factor is an inference of which goal's policy is best to follow, starting from the current state. Simulations of our multiple-goal optimal control model replicated reaching strategies observed in several human studies. Finally, we made novel predictions about the effects of the spatial probability distributions of the candidate targets and their expected pay-off values on the optimal policy.


3D MESH ANIMATION SYSTEM TARGETED FOR MULTI-TOUCH ENVIRONMENTS Duygu Ceylan M.S. in Computer Engineering Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr. Tolga K. Çapın August, 2009 Fast developments in computer technology have given rise to different application areas such as multimedia, computer games, and Virtual Reality. All these application areas are based on animation of 3D models of real world objects. For this purpose, many tools have been developed to enable computer modeling and animation. Yet, most of these tools require a certain amount of experience about geometric modeling and animation principles, which creates a handicap for inexperienced users. This thesis introduces a solution to this problem by presenting a mesh animation system targeted specially for novice users. The main approach is based on one of the fundamental model representation concepts, Laplacian framework, which is successfully used in model editing applications. The solution presented perceives a model as a combination of smaller salient parts and uses the Laplacian framework to allow these parts to be manipulated simultaneously to produce a sense of movement. The interaction techniques developed enable users to carry manipulation and global transformation actions at the same time to create more pleasing results. Furthermore, the approach utilizes the multi-touch screen technology and direct manipulation principles to increase the usability of the system. The methods described are experimented by creating simple animations with several 3D models; which demonstrates the advantages of the proposed solution.


The zonal and meridional overturning circulations of buoyancy-forced basins are studied in an eddy-resolving model. The zonal overturning circulation (ZOC) is driven by the meridional gradient of buoyancy at the surface and stratification at the southern boundary. The ZOC, in turn, produces zonal buoyancy gradients through upwelling and downwelling at the western and eastern boundaries, respectively. The meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is driven by these zonal gradients rather than being directly driven by meridional gradients. Eddies lead to a broadening of the upwelling and downwelling limbs of the ZOC, as well as a decoupling of the locations of vertical and diapycnal transport. This broadening is more prominent on the eastern boundary, where westward-moving eddies transport warm water away from a poleward-flowing eastern boundary current. Most of the diapycnal downwelling occurs in the "swash zone"—the region where the isopycnals intermittently come in contact with the surface and lose buoyancy to the atmosphere. A scaling for the overturning circulations, which depends on the background stratification and the surface buoyancy gradient, is derived and found to be an excellent fit to the numerical experiments.


Objective: The substantial seasonal (winter [W] vs. summer [S]) difference in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity call for further research of its causes including the blood pressure (BP) phenotypes (BPPh) assessment. The aim of this study was to investigate BPPh in medicated hypertensive patients in W and in S. Design and method: The patients from the 2012–2014 database of the two regions of Russian Federation (Ivanovo [Iv] and Saratov [Sa], "northern" and "southern" regions respectively, n = 1630) were selected on the following criteria: antihypertensive treatment for two weeks or more (1–3 drugs), availability of clinical (CBP) and ambulatory BP (ABP) monitoring records in W and in S. BPPh definitions: normotension (NT; CBP<140/90 and ABP24<130/80 and ABPday<135/85 and ABPnight<120/80 mmHg), masked hypertension (MH; CBP<140/90 and ABP24>129/79 and/or ABPday>134/84 and/or ABPnight>119/79 mmHg), uncontrolled hypertension (UH; CBP>140/90 and ABP24>119/79 and/or ABPday>134/84 and/or ABPnight>119/79 mmHg) and white coat hypertension (WCH; CBP>139/89 and ABP24<130/80 and ABPday<135/85 and ABPnight<120/80 mmHg). Results: The total number of the patients was 237 in Iv and 245 in Sa: 73% vs. 44% men (p<0.0001), mean age 53.5 ± 9.3 vs. 58.6 ± 11.6 years (p < 0.0001), BMI 28.7 ± 4.3 vs. 28.0 ± 4.5 kg/m2, CBP 121.7 ± 7.9 and 74.4 ± 7.2 vs. 127.5 ± 14.9 and 75.6 ± 10.3 mmHg (p < 0.0001 for systolic BP, SBP), respectively. BPPh in Iv (W/S,%): NT–24/28, MH–66/66, UH–9/6, WCH–1/1 (ns). BPPh in Sa (W/S,%): NT–20/19, MH–37/52, UH–40/28, WCH–3/2 (p = 0.007). NT and MH patients seasonal differences in two regions are in table. Figure. No caption available. Conclusions: The high MH prevalence in treated patient with normal CBP in both regions may influence the overall prognosis. The increase of MH prevalence in Sa in S may create a false impression of adequate BP control. Both items identify the need for more intensive use of ABP measurement.


During the machining of free-form surfaces using three-axis numerically controlled machine (NC), several parameters are chosen arbitrary and one of the most important is the feed motion direction. The main objective of this study is to minimise the machining time of complex surfaces while respecting a scallop height criteria. The analytical expression of the machining time is not known and by hypothesis, it is assumed to be proportional to the path length crossed by the cutting tool. This path length depends on the feed direction. To have an optimal feed direction at any point, the surface is divided into zones with low variation of the steepest slope direction. The optimization problem was formulated aiming at minimizing the global path length. Furthermore, a penalty reflecting the time loss due to the movement of the tool from one zone to another one is taken into account. Several heuristics are used to resolve this problem: Clarke and Wrights, Greedy randomized adaptive search procedure, Tabu search and Nearest neighbour search. An example illustrates our work by applying the different heuristics on a test surface. After simulations, the results obtained present a significant saving of paths length of 24% compared to the machining in one zone.


System resilience implies practitioners' capacity to cope with unexpected events, i.e. cognitive resilience. To address it, we outline a framework based on the Skill-Rule-Knowledge model grounding it in the operators' sensitivity to the variety that normally occurs in complex systems activities. This variety can hide information enabling the organization to be proactive and to manage unexpected events. Each situation can be described with a SRK profile, according to the cognitive processes necessary to control it. Operators' reliability can therefore be analyzed by evaluating the match between their cognitive SRK profile and that demanded by the current situation. System resilience is ensured by the capacity of operators to: (i) choose the most suitable cognitive level; (ii) freely move along these levels according to the situation; (iii) be mindful towards variety; (iv) transfer their personal mindfulness into group dynamic adaptation. The outcome of these behaviors is a balance of mindfulness (constant attention to anomalous signals) and dynamic adaptation (organizational adjustment of existing rules according to the new information). This continuous equilibrium between chaos and order is the strategy followed by adaptive complex systems in order to evolve and can be successfully applied to high-risk organizations to enhance the emergence of resilient behaviors.


Emissions of trace gases originating from anthropogenic activities are vital input data for chemical transport models (CTMs). Other key input datasets such as meteorological drivers, and biogeochemical and physical processes have been subject to detailed investigation and research in the recent past, while the representation of spatio-temporal aspects of emission data in CTMs has been somewhat neglected. Arguably, this has less impact on the regional to hemispheric or global scale, where the grid sizes of currently applied CTMs represent well mixed average concentrations or deposition values. Evaluating model output against ground-based observations or remote sensing results on these spatial levels may not to be overly sensitive to the temporal (and spatial) profiles of emission input data.
With increasing level of detail and spatio-temporal resolution, CTMs applied to determine national or local scale air quality are likely prone to be more sensitive to the spatial and temporal patterns of anthropogenic emissions. The location and timing of emission events - for instance peaks of ammonia emissions following the spring and autumn application of manure and mineral fertilisers - may well determine local concentration or deposition episodes, while not necessarily affecting seasonal or even annual mean values. In a similar way, high levels of ambient ozone levels typically have very strong seasonal and diurnal variations, with effects on plants for instance varying greatly over time. In addition to that, the timing of occurrences of high ambient concentrations plays a vital role in the
This paper illustrates the general need for taking into account the spatial and temporal resolution of air pollutant emissions, using some examples of recent work conducted in the UK for national scale atmospheric dispersion modeling.


Abstract: The explosion in the literature on global constitutionalism in recent times has come at the cost of ever more, and more diverse, definitions of the concept of constitutionalism. The state of the current debate can therefore be characterised, conceptually speaking, as a 'constitutional cacophony'. This cacophony is the inevitable result of the 'problems of translation' in importing the state-based concept of constitutionalism to the global level. This article attempts to counter suprastate constitutional scepticism borne of these problems of translation and resulting cacophony by revisiting the concept of constitutionalism itself through the lens of legitimacy. Arguing that legitimacy provides both a key element of the concept of constitutionalism as well as a common denominator for the application of constitutionalism both at the state and suprastate levels, it develops a conception of 'constitutionalism as legitimacy' as a way of vindicating the role of constitutionalism in the context of global governance. It presents constitutionalism as a discursive 'mixed' form of legitimacy entailing both factual and normative components involving a blend of liberalism and republicanism. These theories are then reworked into a framework of reasons for the legitimacy of an authority centring around its origins, its aims and its methods. Tracing the relationship between constitutionalism and legitimacy in this way brings harmony to the global constitutional cacophony and allows for a plausible 'translation' of the concept of constitutionalism between the state and suprastate levels allowing for an effective 'mapping' and 'shaping' of legitimacy in global governance which is illustrated by reference to the legitimacy crisis surrounding the United Nations Security Council's 'war on terror'.


In electron cyclotron resonance ion sources it has been demonstrated that plasma heating may be improved by means of different microwave to plasma coupling mechanisms, including the "frequency tuning" and the "two frequency heating." These techniques affect evidently the electron dynamics, but the relationship with the ion dynamics has not been investigated in details up to now. Here we will try to outline these relations: through the study of ion dynamics we may try to understand how to optimize the electron cyclotron resonance ion sources brightness. A simple model of the ion confinement and beam formation will be presented, based on particle-in-cell and single particle simulations.


The purpose of this study is to investigate/evaluate how employment officers handle the refugees who have different backgrounds and therefore different conditions for entering the labour market. Semi-structured interview was used and a total of seven employment officers participated and the result shows that all the participants experienced cultural clashes in their work. Everyone has their own way for solving this issue, for example to inform the clients how the employment officer works or helping the clients with their issues and questions. The aspects of ethnicity and gender are important especially for female clients during conversation for establishment since the living conditions between the genders are not always equally. Depending on the clients individually qualifications the employment officers will decide how to help the clients. Furthermore, the employment officers considered that those efforts offered to the clients are sufficient. However, establishment within two years is hard to achieve, especially for clients who are illiterates and women who have been housewives their whole life. The result should be interpreted with caution due to the few participants.


Although photodynamic immunotherapy has been promoted in the clinical practice of cholangiocarcinoma, the insensitivity to photodynamic immunotherapy remains to be a great problem. This can be largely attributed to an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) manifested as immature myeloid cells and exhausted cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Here, a three-in-one oncolytic adenovirus system PEG-PEI-Adv-Catalase-KillerRed (p-Adv-CAT-KR) has been constructed to multiply, initiate, and enhance immune responses in photodynamic immunotherapy, using genetically-engineered KillerRed as photosensitizer, catalase as in situ oxygen-supplying mediator, and adenovirus as immunostimulatory bio-reproducible carrier. Meanwhile, PEG-PEI is applied to protect adenovirus from circulating immune attack. The administration of p-Adv-CAT-KR induces increased antigen presenting cells, elevated T cell infiltrations, and reduced tumor burden. Further investigation into underlying mechanism indicates that hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (Hif-1α) and its downstream PD-1/PD-L1 pathway contribute to the transformation of immune-suppressive TME in cholangiocarcinoma. Collectively, the combination of KillerRed, catalase, and adenovirus brings about multi-amplified antitumor photo-immunity and has the potential to be an effective immunotherapeutic strategy for cholangiocarcinoma.


This study investigates structural and vibration analyses due to the change of bolt Numbers on models 1 and 2 of flange couplings connected with both sides of axis. As maximum equivalent stresses of models 1 and 2 are 122.05 and 102.3 MPa respectively by the basis of bolt, these stresses are within the allowable stress of this model and the safety of bolt design is verified. As maximum equivalent stresses of models 1 and 2 are 196.2 and 196.4 MPa respectively by the basis of body, these stresses are within the allowable stress of this model and the safety of body design is verified. Through natural frequency analysis, maximum displacements of model 1 and 2 are shown at the frequencies of 6565.1 and 6614.9 Hz respectively. Maximum displacements in cases of models 1 and 2 are shown at harmonic frequencies of 7760 and 7840 Hz at real loading conditions. By putting these study results together, the durability of vibration at model 2 with bolt numbers of 8 becomes better than model 1 with bolt numbers of 6. These study results can be effectively utilized with the design on flange coupling by anticipating and investigating prevention and durability against its damage.


This volume of letters - the vast majority of which are previously unpublished - presents a remarkable, often moving, and extraordinary image of the Coleridge family during Samuel Taylor Coleridge's youth, particularly between 1772 and 1793, when the writer reached twenty-one. Revealing the strength of a family suffering repeated losses, James Engell places the Coleridge family letters in a larger biographical context, and offers a new, frank, yet sympathetic account of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's life. The letters provide illuminating insights into the formation of his adult character and patterns of behaviour, and specific implications both for his poetry and philosophic temperament. From a collection in the British Library never before cited, the letters are primary documents of family and social history. They encompass STC's formative relationships with his brothers and sister; the long military service of two of his brothers in India; the significant role of Molly Newbery, the family nurse; and the multiple deaths in the Coleridge family, including the suicide of Samuel Taylor's brother Frank. The Early Family Letters will be vital reading for anyone interested in Coleridge and English Romanticism in general.


Dietary supplementation is a widely adapted strategy to maintain nutritional balance for improving health and preventing chronic diseases. Conflicting results in studies of similar design, however, suggest that there is substantial heterogenicity in individuals' responses to nutrients, and personalized nutrition is required to achieve the maximum benefit of dietary supplementation. In recent years, nutrigenomics studies have been increasingly utilized to characterize the detailed genomic response to a specific nutrient, but it remains a daunting task to define the signatures responsible for interindividual variations to dietary supplements for tissues with limited accessibility. In this work, we used the hepatic response to omega-3 fatty acids as an example to probe such signatures. Through comprehensive analysis of nutrigenomic response to eicosapentaneoid acid (EPA) and/or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) including both protein coding and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) genes in human hepatocytes, we defined the EPA- and/or DHA-specific signature genes in hepatocytes. By analyzing gene expression variations in livers of healthy and relevant disease populations, we identified a set of protein coding and lncRNA signature genes whose responses to omega-3 fatty acid exhibit very high interindividual variabilities. The large variabilities of individual responses to omega-3 fatty acids were further validated in human hepatocytes from ten different donors. Finally, we profiled RNAs in exosomes isolated from the circulation of a liver-specific humanized mouse model, in which the humanized liver is the sole source of human RNAs, and confirmed the in vivo detectability of some signature genes, supporting their potential as biomarkers for nutrient response. Taken together, we have developed an efficient and practical procedure to identify nutrient-responsive gene signatures as well as accessible biomarkers for interindividual variations.


This article focuses on an analysis of the discourses produced during 34 semi-structured interviews (17 men and 17 women) conducted at the University of Granada (Spain) with undergraduate, Master, and Ph.D. students. The interviewees were between 20 and 44 years old. It was observed that the fact of having a high educational level did not prevent University students from eating unhealthily. There is a gap between the fact that 97.1% of 34 students interviewed (that is, 33 of them) know what healthy food is and their self-perception about whether or not what they are eating is healthy, since in 41.2% of them said self-perception is negative. This gap narrows as the interviewees' age increases and their socio-economic and vital situation is stabilizing which favors that their eating habits become more regular and healthier. Thus, all the interviewees aged 27 or over self-perceived that they were eating healthily. But the biggest differences are those that have to do with the gender of interviewees. Thus, while 23.5% of women interviewed perceived that they were not eating healthy, 76.5% of them felt that they were eating healthy. However, among the men interviewed, these percentages were somehow reversed, in such a way that 58.8% of them believed that they were not eating healthy, compared to 41.2% of them who indicated that they were eating healthy. Therefore, the investigation revealed that women tend to have the best chances of assuming healthy eating habits. Male students living outside the family home or without female partners exhibited greater feeding problems, while females living under similar conditions tended to display healthier eating habits. This is related to the fact that women have traditionally been in charge of acquiring and preparing food. So, women's food education has not been restricted to the mere transmission to them of knowledge about what healthy food is, but from their childhood they were food trained through their active involvement in practical experiences. Obviously, the solution proposed to this male disadvantage is to not perpetuate macho gender stereotypes that assign women the role of home caregivers, but to seek that both women and men have the opportunity and the duty to experience equally those practical experiences that involve the tasks of the acquisition and preparation of food. Working to achieve a situation like this, not only promotes progress in gender equality, but also helps to overcome the lower training of men to perform the tasks inherent in their diet.


There is wide agreement on the need for systems thinking to address complexity in chronic disease prevention but there is insufficient understanding of how such approaches are operationalised in prevention research. Ison and Straw propose that to address complexity, the right balance must be struck between 'systemic' and 'systematic' paradigms. We examined the nature and characteristics of this relationship in a series of six qualitative case studies of prevention research. Data comprised 29 semi-structured interviews with 16 participants, and online documents. The analysis combined inductive methods from grounded theory with a theoretically informed framework analysis. Systemic and systematic ways of working varied across each case as a whole, and within the dimensions of each case. Further, the interplay of systemic and systematic approaches was described along a dynamic continuum of variable proportions, with greater emphasis on systemic aspects balanced by less focus on the systematic, and vice versa. By expanding the boundaries for exploring prevention research, we gained empirical understanding of the potential and scope of systemic and systematic paradigms for addressing complexity in prevention research. There is inherent value in being more explicitly conscious and bilingual in both systemic and systematic paradigms so that their respective value and strengths may be utilised. Our findings propose a coherent theoretical frame to better understand existing approaches for addressing complexity in prevention research.


" Pyocyanea Colitis " SIR,-The report of the clinicopathological conference on "A Case of Haemolytic Anaemia" (June 24, p. 1820) included a description of an interesting and unusual form of colitis which was ascribed to pseudomonas infection. I should like to draw attention to the fact that there are several reports in the literature of a similar if not identical form of colitis which has been regarded as a variant of pseudomembranous enterocolitis. 1-3 This focal pseudomembranous colitis is a condition of uncertain relationship to the more common diffuse form of enterocolitis which can affect the small as well as the large intestine and is often a post-operative occurrence. The focal variety, too, may occur as a post-operative complication, but there is a more marked association with the previous administration of antibiotics, especially, as in the C.P.C. case, the tetracyclines. At least four of the seven cases of " pseudomembranous colitis" following antibiotic therapy reported by Reiner, Schlesinger, and Miller' presented colonic lesions resembling those in the recent C.P.C. case. Two of these were also post-operative deaths. All of the 17 cases of " pseudomembranous colitis " reported by Hartmann and Angevine2 showed small focal lesions in the colon, and all but one had been receiving antibiotic therapy. It is not stated whether any of them were post-operative deaths. Another report of 16 cases of " pseudomembranous enterocolitis " included two with focal lesions limited to the large intestine.3 One was a medical case treated with tetracycline, but the other received no antibiotics and died 10 days after an abdominal operation. Comparison of the illustrations accompanying these reports with those featured in the recent C.P.C. case report leaves no doubt as to the morphological identity of the lesions. It has not hitherto been suggested that the condition of focal pseudomembranous colitis is due to pseudomonas infection. The bacteriological findings in the stool are fully reported in only 6 of the 23 cases to which I have referred, and Ps. pyocyanea was present in only four of these. With regard to the C.P.C. case, it seems that the onset of diarrhoea preceded by some weeks the first isolation of Ps. pyocyanea from the stool. On the other hand, the focal lesions in the colon may have been only a few days old, for it is known that similar lesions developed in less than four days in one of the previously reported cases.1 In my view it is premature to attach the label "pyocyanea colitis" to this disorder. The confusion which still obtains regarding the distinction between pseudomembranous enterocolitis-that is, the diffuse form-and staphylococcal enterocolitis1 4-6 should be a warning and a deterrent. This confusion arose because pseudomembranous enterocolitis (proved at necropsy) may occur with or without culturable Staphi. aiireits in the intestine, and severe post-antibiotic staphylococcal enterocolitis may occur with or without obvious intestinal lesions.3-5 I do not wish to suggest that there is no such condition as " pyocyanea colitis," but I do suggest that its relationship to focal pseudomembranous colitis has still to be determined.I am, etc.,


One of the major public health problems in the Unites States is cancer, where over 1 in 4 deaths is due to this disease each year. As of 2010, lung and bronchus cancers are the leading types of cancer-related deaths in all ages for males and females in the US [1]. The chemotherapeutic treatment most often applied for lung cancer is intravenous paclitaxel (PTX) in the form of Taxol. Methods used to treat respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involve the use of aerosols devices. The first use of aerosolized chemotherapy was reported in 1968 [2]. The advantage of using aerosols treatment is the targeting directly to the lungs and the reduction of systemic side effects provoked by high doses of drug in the body. In this project we have developed a dry powder nanocomposite microparticle (nCmP) aerosol containing PTX-loaded nanoparticles comprised of acetalated dextran (Ac-Dex). Ac-Dex is easily biodegradable and results in fast release of therapeutic agents under acidic conditions as seen in tumor tissues [3]. In addition to the drug, a tumor-penetrating peptide (iRDG) was conjugated to Ac-Dex to help the targeting and penetration into the inner layers of solid tumors. Finally, we formulated nCmPs in mannitol via spray drying. The effectiveness of the complex drug produced was tested in lung cancer cells (A459 lung adenocarcinoma) in two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) cell culture studies.


Time dependent wave packet calculations have been performed for the H-+ H2nonreactive scattering, summed of elastic and inelastic probabilities, on the recent reported potential energy surface of the systems. The total probabilities for total angular momentum J up to 35 have been calculated to get the converged integral cross sections over collision energy range of 0.20 - 1.42 eV. Integral cross-sections and rate constants have been calculated from the wave packet transition probabilities for the initial states (υ = 0, j = 0) by means of J-shifting method and uniform J-shifting method for J > 0.


Recently, during use of a heavy current discharge tube for producing the continuous spectrum of hydrogen, it was observed that the well-known X 3360 band of NH was very well developed when there was a trace of nitrogen in the tube. I t was further observed that the band thus produced did not exhibit the strikingly symmetrical structure shown in the ammonia-oxygen flame. This loss of symmetry was found to be due to the presence of a second band at X 3240, degraded to the red and overlapping the R-branch of the X 3360 band. The new band also showed the open structure characteristic of light hydride molecules; the spacing of its lines indicating a molecular weight about that of NH. Considering the proximity of this band to the X 3360 band it seemed strange that it should not be equally well known. An examination of the NH spectrum as obtained under various other conditions was therefore made. A. Fowler and Gregory* have published photographs obtained from the oxy-ammonia flame and from imperfectly dried cyanogen burning in an atmosphere of oxygen. The X 3240 band is absent in both cases, although the X 3360 band appears with great intensity. On the other hand, it appears strongly together with the X 3360 band in the chemi-luminescence spectrum of N3C1 and HN3 obtained by K. Gleu.f I t was also obtained in spectra due to excita tion of ethyl and propyl iodides by active nitrogen in certain experiments made by Dr. H. T. Byck.J


The agonistic and sexual behaviour of the Cyprinodont fish Aphyoseznion bivittatum is described. Both males and females develop colour patterns which are useful in identifying the motivational state of the fish and these are also described. Aggressive encounters between males are prolonged and highly ritualised. They result in dominant - subordinate relationships being set up and this is probably associated with a hierarchical structure of social organisation in the wild. The data was analysed to show differences in the sequences of aggressive behaviour of dominant and subordinate males. The possible adaptive values of the differences found are discussed. The sequence of courtship behaviour is relatively simple due to the limited behavioural repertoire of females.


This study investigated the comparative effects of audio-visually prompted collaborative dialogue on the listening comprehension development of symmetrical, asymmetrical, and asymmetrical teacher-fronted EFL learner groups. Besides, it explored the attitude of the participants of the groups concerning the effectiveness of collaborative dialogue for their listening comprehension improvement. The participants of the study were 120 Iranian female EFL learners who were conveniently chosen from several English language institutes and put into three experimental and one control groups, each with 30 learners. In the first experimental group, coequal learners engaged in collaborative dialogue. In the second experimental group, the expert peer(s) and less knowledgeable peers applied collaborative dialogue, and in the third experimental group, in addition to the peers, the teacher was involved in collaborative dialogue with the group members. As for the control group, the collaborative dialogue was abandoned and the participants worked individually. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that collaborative dialogue in asymmetrical teacher-fronted, asymmetrical peer and symmetrical peer groups were respectively the most effective procedures for listening comprehension development of the EFL learners. Also, it was found that the participants of the asymmetrical teacher fronted group had a more positive attitude towards the efficacy of audio-visually prompted collaborative dialogue compared with asymmetrical and symmetrical peer groups. The findings underscore the cognitive and affective efficiency of a more knowledgeable source, either a teacher or a peer, in asymmetrical dyadic interactions for the less knowledgeable partners' ZPD sensitive development.


AIM
Hypocalcaemia is the most frequent complication after total thyroidectomy. The incidence of postoperative hypocalcaemia is reported with different percentages in literature.

METHODS
We report 227 patients undergoing surgery for benign thyroid disease. After obtaining patient's informed consent, we collected and analyzed prospectively the following data: calcium serum levels pre and postoperative in the first 24 hours after surgery according to sex, age, duration of surgery, number of parathyroids identified by the surgeon, surgical technique (open and minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy, i.e., MIVAT). We have considered cases treated consecutively from the same two experienced endocrine surgeons. Hypocalcaemia is assumed when the value of serum calcium is below 7.5 mg/dL.

RESULTS
Pre-and post-operative mean serum calcium, with confidence intervals at 99% divided by sex, revealed a statistically significant difference in the ANOVA test (p < 0.01) in terms of incidence. Female sex has higher incidence of hypocalcemia. The evaluation of the mean serum calcium in pre-and post-operative period, with confidence intervals at 95%, depending on the number of identified parathyroid glands by surgeon, showed that the result is not correlated with values of postoperative serum calcium. Age and pre-and postoperative serum calcium values with confidence intervals at 99% based on sex of patients, didn't show statistically significant differences. We haven't highlighted a significant difference in postoperative hypocalcemia in patients treated with conventional thyroidectomy versus MIVAT.

CONCLUSION
A difference in pre- and postoperative mean serum calcium occurs in all patients surgically treated. The only statistical meaningful risk factor for hypocalcemia has been the female sex.


To develop effective conservation measures, it is crucial that we understand how ecological and life‐history traits relate to risk of species extinction. Through the use of phylogenetic generalized least‐squares regression, this study assesses the relative importance of habitat specialization, life history, migration strategy and climatic niche as predictors of national threat level for 86 passerine bird species breeding in the Czech Republic. We found that, after controlling for variation in breeding distribution, slow life history increases the extinction risk in habitat specialist species, but reduces such risk in habitat generalists. The higher threat of habitat specialists is consistent with their higher sensitivity to human‐induced environmental perturbations, most notably to the habitat loss. However, our results suggest that the negative effects of habitat specialization appear to be somewhat compensated for by fast life history. For example, species with fast life histories typically display higher fecundity than species with slow life histories. At the same time, slow life history can be beneficial for habitat generalists that are not as badly affected by habitat destruction as habitat specialists. Such species are able to allocate more energy to future reproduction and could wait for optimal environmental conditions before breeding, leading to more favourable population status in the long term. Finally, we also found that species breeding in warmer areas experience higher extinction risk than species breeding in colder areas. Although the effect of climatic niche is usually attributed to the impact of climate change, we suggest that the habitat destruction is more likely an explanation because the warmer lowland regions are heavily exploited by intensive agriculture and industrial and urban development. Based upon these results, we suggest that current conservation effort, especially in warmer zones, may not sufficiently address the requirements of the habitat specialists with slow histories.


The article answers the question: "How does the agathos of Dasein-psyche and Dasein-Intelligent-Matter come into being?" or "How does the meaningful-presence of Dasein-psyche and Dasein-Intelligent-Matter come about?" The author turns to the philosophy of Plato and Heidegger and presents Dasein-psyche as an elementary structure or a Dasein-Intelligent-Matter actor. The Dasein-psyche's meaningful presence is significantly conditioned by the focus and limits of the arete potency, set by Dasein-Intelligent-Matter. The anthropologization of Dasein transforms the individual discourse and a way of life in accordance with the arete potency. The arete potency is the source of Dasein-psyche's meaningful presence. The anthropologization of Dasein sets free arete, providing the transforming of the arete existentials potency into the energy of Dasein-psyche's meaningful presence. The disclosedness of arete is an "ideal" state of the Dasein-psyche sustainable development and prosperity, the agathos of Dasein-psyche and Dasein-Intelligent-Matter.


When diabetic patients become unwell with another illness, hyperglycaemia will result and patients' usual self-management techniques may be inadequate. Education for patients with diabetes should be as much about planning how they would manage their diabetes during a period of illness as well as coping at the time. This article outlines the aims stated within the National Service Framework for Diabetes (Department of Health, 2001) and provides both theoretical background and practical application to preventing diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar non-ketotic syndrome.


Comprehensive assessment of the human proteome remains challenging due to multiple forms of a protein, or proteoforms, arising from alternative splicing, allelic variation, and protein modifications. As proteoforms can serve distinct functions and act as functional links between genotype and phenotype, proteoform-level knowledge is critical in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying health and disease. However, identification of proteoforms requires unbiased protein coverage at amino acid resolution. Scalable, deep, and unbiased proteomics studies have been impractical due to cumbersome and lengthy workflows required for complex samples, like blood plasma. Here, we demonstrate the power of the Proteograph™ Product Suite in enabling unbiased, deep, and rapid proteomics at scale in a proof-of-concept proteoform analysis to dissect differences between protein isoforms in plasma samples from 80 healthy controls and 61 patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Processing the 141 plasma samples with Proteograph yielded 22,993 peptides corresponding to 2,569 protein groups at a confidence of 1% false discovery rate. We extracted four proteins with peptides with significant abundance differences (p < 0.05; Benjamini-Hochberg corrected) in healthy control and cancer plasma samples. For one, the abundance variation can be explained by underlying annotated protein isoforms. For a second, we find evidence for differentially transcribed isoforms in the broader sequence data, but not in the known annotated protein isoforms. The others may be explained by novel isoforms or post-translational modifications. In addition, we sought to identify protein variants arising from allelic variation. To this end, we first performed whole exome sequencing on buffy coat samples from 29 individuals in the NSCLC study. Then, we created personalized mass spectrometry search databases for each individual subject from the exome sequences. From these libraries, we identified 422 protein variants, one of which has previously been shown to relate to lung cancer. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that Proteograph can generate unbiased and deep plasma proteome profiles that enable identification of proteoforms present in plasma at a scale sufficient to enable population-scale proteomic studies powered to reveal novel mechanistic and biomedical insights.


INTRODUCTION
The goal of this study was the evaluation of the periodontal health by means of CPI score in inhabitants of big and small cities in the age range from 65 to 74 and making comparison with previous Polish and European studies from XXI century. Also an average number of natural teeth, the edentulous persons percentage, the percentage of people with oral function maintenance and prevalence of oral mucosal diseases were evaluated. There were also attempts to evaluate essential behaviours related to the oral health and the percentage of people that are treated with use of non-reimbursed or reimbursed services.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Studies were conducted in 5 big cities: Warszawa, Szczecin, Wrocław, Białystok and Toruń, as well as in 4 towns, such as Oława, Police, Łobez and Ełk. From sampling 7400 people aged from 65 to 74 years for the study reported only 807 people. In the mouth evaluated CPI score, number of natural teeth and prevalence of pathological lesions on cavity mucosa. Answers for questions on selected attitudes and health-seeking behaviours related to the oral health and the range of dental treatment were also analysed.

RESULTS
Distribution of values of CPI codes in the whole group was as follows: CPI0-1.2%, CPI1-9.4%, CPI2-16.6%, CPI3-21.8%, CPI4-19.7% and the number of people excluded from examinations (1 tooth in the sextant or edentulous 31.3%). The state of the periodontium was worse in big cities and in men. An average number of teeth was 13.7 and was higher in big cities and in men. The percentage of edentulous persons was 28.9% and was higher in towns and in woman. The percentage of people with oral function maintenance was 25.15% and was higher in big cities and in men. The most three common pathologies of the oral cavity were leukoplakia and leukokeratosis that were found in 10.5% of examined people, candidiasis 5.82% and lichen planus 2.2%.

CONCLUSION
The state of the periodontium of Poles at the age from 65 to 74 has not been improved in XXI century, but also does not significantly differ from an average European level. An average number of remaining teeth of Poles at this age has increased, but remains under a European average; also the prevalence of edentulism has decreased, but still remains one of the highest in Europe. The percentage of people with oral function maintenance is very low, thus needs for prosthetic treatment and rehabilitation of masticatory ability remain high. Precancerous lesions in the oral cavity are quite common in this age group. Health-seeking behaviours related to the oral health of older Poles are inadequate and result from a low level of knowledge on dental prophylaxis.


This thesis is focusing on the diagnosis ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) from a social constructionistic and poststructuralistic point of view. These particular traditions, or theories of science, contribute to the concept that mental illness and diagnoses can be understood as social and linguistic constructed phenomenon. I am using Michel Foucault´s discourse theory -archaeological analytical strategy, and his term governmentality to examine the power structures within discourses and practices in society. From this point of view I exam the psychiatric practice´s description of this diagnosis ADHD and the position of power and child view, this discourse produces. To provide another discourse, another story to the debate about ADHD, I use the systemic family therapeutic discourse, which focuses on problems as discursively and linguistic constructed. Behavioral problems are seen as circular and relational issues, and not as a biological and neurological flaw inside the individual. It is the construction of the problem, of a diagnosis, that is located as the problem from a systemic point of view. And the mission is to provide with more resourceful stories in relation to the child. Knowledge and methods is not based on nature scientific and objective principles in this systemic discourse. This divergence as to what constitutes valid knowledge further deepens the gap between the discourses' definitions of objects and positions of subjects and the relation between these. It also deepens the gap in their praxis, which is based on the relation between object and subject.


Inconsistencies in lesion removal in secondary care dermatology Areej Karim, Daniel Shaw and Manu Shah East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Blackburn, UK Diagnostic accuracy in identifying and removing skin lesions is essential to conserve scarce healthcare resources, reduce unnecessary surgery and reduce psychological distress to patients. Clinician accuracy can be assessed by calculating benign to malignant ratios and diagnostic concordance. Data from 274 patients operated on in secondary care dermatology with a skin lesion(s) over a 4-month period were collected. Multiple parameters were recorded, including type of procedure performed and concordance between suspected clinical diagnosis and final histological diagnosis. Benign to malignant ratio for skin lesions was calculated, as well as the ratio between benign and malignant plus premalignant lesions. Data were analysed according to individual clinician. In total, 296 procedures were studied. Ten were excluded owing to inadequate data. The most common procedure performed was diagnostic punch biopsy (n = 125; 42 2%) followed by full excision (n = 116; 39 2%) and double curettage and cautery (n = 53; 18 0%). Lesions were defined as benign, malignant (melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, rare cancers) or premalignant (Bowen disease, actinic keratosis, melanoma in situ). Dysplastic naevi were defined as premalignant for the purpose of this study. Overall, 117 (39 5%) lesions excised were benign, 72 (24 3%) were premalignant and 107 (36 2%) were malignant. Overall concordance between suspected and histological diagnosis was 48%. Benign to malignant ratio of lesions was 1 67. Benign to malignant + premalignant ratio was 0 66. There was significant variation between clinicians. Clinicians with a lower diagnostic concordance had a higher benign to malignant ratio. The benign to malignant ratio varied between clinicians from 1 24 to 4 8 and the benign to malignant + premalignant ratio varied between clinicians from 0 48 to 1 07. Overall, the number of skin lesions needing to be removed to discover a malignancy was 2 66. This study has shown differences in diagnostic accuracy between clinicians. There was a significant variation between clinicians' benign to malignant ratio regarding operations on lesions. It may be possible to reduce the number of procedures on benign lesions through better diagnostic skills with dermoscopy and upskilling clinicians. Dermatology departments should strive to provide more education and training on lesion recognition and to reduce the differences between individuals. Mentoring and regular feedback may be helpful. DS24 Clinical outcomes of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas treated with Mohs micrographic surgery Yee Wei Phoon, Sanaa Butt, Amina Khalid and Colin Fleming Department of Dermatology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK There is limited literature on the long-term outcomes in cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). We aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and rates of local recurrence, metastasis and disease-specific death in cSCCs treated by our MMS service. We retrospectively reviewed 47 cases of cSCCs treated with MMS between 2008 and 2016 with available follow-up data over 5 years. Of these, 33 (70%) were male and 14 (30%) were female. Mean age was 74 5 years. High-risk anatomical location was the most common reason for MMS, cited in 33 (70%) cases. Other reasons cited were poorly defined clinical borders in 19 (40%) cases; incomplete excision in 15 (32%) cases; tumour size in five (11%) cases; immunosuppression in three (6%) cases; high-risk histological subtype in two (4%) cases and recurrence after previous MMS in one (2%) case. Sixteen (34%) of the cases had two or more high-risk features supporting the use of MMS. The most common location was the nose (n = 14; 30%), followed by the periocular area (n = 10; 21%), the temple (n = 8; 17%), the cheek (n = 5; 11%), the ear (n = 3; 6%), the forehead (n = 2; 4%), the lip (n = 2; 4%), the neck (n = 1; 2%), the scalp (n = 1; 2%) and the limb (n = 1; 2%). The average maximum tumour diameter was 14 1 mm. Histologically, tumour depth was > 6 mm in 18% of cases. Eleven per cent of the cases were well-differentiated SCCs, while 66% were moderately differentiated and 23% poorly differentiated SCCs. Forty-six cases (98%) were of the classical subtype and one (2%) was of the acantholytic subtype. Perineural invasion was detected in five (11%) cases. The mean number of stages required to achieve histological clearance was 1 6. MMS was abandoned after three stages in one case where tumour was seen extending into the auditory canal. Over the 5year follow-up period, local disease recurrence was seen in one case (2%), while nodal and distant metastasis were also seen in one case (2%). Disease-specific death was seen in a single case (2%). All-cause mortality was 28%. Our data support existing literature that MMS is an effective treatment for cSCC, conferring low rates of local recurrence, metastasis and disease-specific death. Posters 169


General cognitive ability (g) is a general mental ability to reason, solve problems, comprehend complex ideas, think abstractly, learn quickly and learn from experience. Currently used IQ tests are excellent predictors of g. Heritability estimates for g range between 0.30 and 0.75 making it one of the most heritable human behavioural traits. Many behavioural phenotypes, including g, can be described as complex traits. Inheritance of such traits is governed by a mixture of genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors contributing to total variance in g are likely to be numerous and additive in nature. In order to identify some of the genetic loci contributing to the total variance in g two approaches were employed. First, a genome-wide association study and second, candidate gene study. Genome-wide association study involved testing 1847 microsatellite markers with an average spacing of 2cM. Markers were initially screened on "original" DNA samples. This was followed by testing all positive findings on an independent "replication" sample set. Only one marker, D4S2460, was significant when all the stages of the study were completed. Investigation of candidate genes involved testing of known Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) promoter polymorphisms and Calcium/calmodulin dependant protein kinase II alpha (CaMKII-a) polymorphisms identified in our laboratories through mutation detection techniques. None of the polymorphisms in either of the two genes showed statistically significant association with a general cognitive ability.


Several microporous carbons were prepared by polyfurfuryl alcohol-impregnation and impregnation-acetonitrile chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using zeolite HY as a template, denoted as PFA carbons and AN carbons, respectively. These were used as electrode materials for supercapacitors. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show that the structural regularity of the zeolite was well-replicated by the carbon structures prepared by impregnation-CVD. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that the AN carbons possess abundant nitrogen-containing groups because of the CVD of acetonitrile. The prepared carbons were typical microporous materials as determined by N2 adsorption/desorption test and they had a high BET surface area and narrow pore size distribution. Electrochemical tests showed that the AN carbons had higher capacitance because of their evident pseudo-capacitance from the nitrogencontaining groups. AN8 had a high capacitance up to 210 F·g-1. The capacitance retention ratio of the AN carbons were determined to its electric conductivity and mesoporosity.


ABSTRACT This article examines how legality verification in Indonesia, as developed under the European Union (EU) Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), shapes who and what count as legal. A review of Indonesia's evolving legality verification system and in-depth stakeholder interviews reveal a process of commodification driven by international demand for an interchangeable label of "legality." This interchangeability is produced through a reduction of forest governance to a narrow set of legal standards and third-party, private auditing, which risks obscuring key governance challenges such as corruption and unclear tenure, and excluding most domestic and small-scale operators from economic and legal recognition. Given the market logic of legality licensing, it is more likely to "ratchet down" than "ratchet up" local access to, and benefit from, wood production, unless there is greater support and investment in legal and tenure reforms and improved local benefit capture.


Disruption-tolerant networks (DTNs) are groups of network assets connected with a suite of communication protocol technologies designed to mitigate the effects of link delay and disruption. Application of DTN protocols to diverse groups of network resources in multiple sub-networks results in an overlay network-of-networks with autonomous data routing capability. In space environments where delay or disruption is expected, performance of this type of architecture (such as an interplanetary internet) can increase with the inclusion of new communications mediums and techniques. Space-based optical communication links are therefore an excellent building block of space DTN architectures. When compared to traditional radio frequency (RF) communications, optical systems can provide extremely power-efficient and high bandwidth links bridging sub-networks. Because optical links are more susceptible to link disruption and experience the same light-speed delays as RF, optical-enabled DTN architectures can lessen potential drawbacks and maintain the benefits of autonomous optical communications over deep space distances. These environment-driven expectations - link delay and interruption, along with asymmetric data rates - are the purpose of the proof-of-concept experiment outlined herein. In recognizing the potential of these two technologies, we report an initial experiment and characterization of the performance of a DTN-enabled space optical link. The experiment design employs a point-to-point free-space optical link configured to have asymmetric bandwidth. This link connects two networked systems running a DTN protocol implementation designed and written at JPL for use on spacecraft, and further configured for higher bandwidth performance. Comparing baseline data transmission metrics with and without periodic optical link interruptions, the experiment confirmed the DTN protocols' ability to handle real-world unexpected link outages while maintaining capability of reliably delivering data at relatively high rates. Finally, performance characterizations from this data suggest performance optimizations to configuration and protocols for future optical-specific DTN space link scenarios.


With top-opened chamber system, this paper studied the responses of endogenous hormones abscisic acid (ABA), indoleacetic acid (IAA), zeatin riboside (ZR) and gibberellins (GA3) in gingko leaves to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (ambient + 350 micromol x mol(-1), EC). The results showed that EC could decrease the ABA content. After treated with EC for 120 days, the ABA content could be decreased by 63.0%, in comparing with the control. EC could also decrease the contents of IAA and ZR, and the decrement could reach significant with the extension of the treatment. The IAA content was 2 times higher after 100 days treatment, and ZR content was 2.5 times higher after 80 days treatment than those of CK. Under EC, the peak of GA3 appeared earlier. The (IAA + GA3 + ZR)/ABA ratio decreased gradually with the growth of gingko, and was obviously higher than the control at later stage (after 40-60 days treatment), indicating that elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration could promote the growth and development of gingko.


Several experimental measurements of reinforced concrete slab - subsoil interaction are compared with numerical analysis of shallow foundation by means of FEM. At the Faculty of Civil Engineering VSB - Technical University of Ostrava testing device was constructed so that the phenomena of soil - foundation interaction could be experimentally investigated and compared with numerical models. The experimental model was designed as a cutout of prestressed foundation slab-on-ground and the static load test was conceived as a simulation of local loading of a square shape column. During the static load test, measurements focused on observation of horizontal deformations, tension inside the slab and on the contact surface between foundation structure and subsoil. The described static load test was part of a series of experiments realized at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, VSB -Technical university of Ostrava.


The most serious issues in the world are a large amount of energy consumption and generation of greenhouse effect gas from iron-making industry. The main factors of energy consumption are reduction of iron ore and carburization of reduced iron at high temperature. If it is possible to accelerate the rates of iron ore smelting reduction and the succeeding carburization at low temperature, the technology will be very valuable to lower energy consumption in the blast furnace. It is well known that phenomena during smelting reduction are very complicated and the mechanism has not yet been clarified. Therefore, "in-situ" observation of smelting reduction and carburization of iron sample were carried out in our previous work. It was confirmed from the results that iron was carburized without a direct contact with carbonaceous material during smelting reduction. The mechanisms of this unique carburization were discussed and it was obtained a conclusion that formation rate of Fe-C particles caused by smelting reduction mainly determined the overall rate of iron carburization reaction.


This article describes Niger's community-based nutrition program. The program is based on assessment, analysis, and action. The aims are to improve household food security, to increase self-empowerment among villagers, and to improve child care and feeding and access to health services. The program operated in 75 villages with a population of 80,000, of which 17,000 were children aged under 5 years. The program has achieved a measure of success, and lessons have been learned from the experience. Community-based programs are important to program success and survivability. Integrated programs are necessary when conditions become less enabling. People and donors can become fatigued. Integrated programs represent a shelter from financial declines, competition between programs with identical target populations, and duplication of efforts. Coordinated activities allow for acceleration in the achievement of national objectives and more adequate responses to community needs. Coordinated approaches provide a rational use of human and financial resources and create synergy between various programs. Integrated programs can implement broad-based programs. Integrated community-based programs can be set up in stages and expanded throughout the country gradually.


In this paper, the local point interpolation method (LPIM) is used with a modified visibility criterion to handle material discontinuities. In general, visibility criterion is applied only to shape function generation over support nodes selection. We present a modified version where it is also applied to the integration process. The method is simpler and more robust than other techniques often employed on multimaterials problems, with a straight-forward implementation.


The regulation of mTOR and the dimethylation of histone H3 on lysine 9 (H3K9me2) H3K9me2 by Uhrf1 and the mechanism of autophagy regulation in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) were studied in vivo and in vitro. An in vitro I/R injury model was established using the primary mouse cardiomyocytes treated with H2O2. Subsequent analysis by qRT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence indicated that overexpression of Uhrf1 significantly inhibited apoptosis of the H2O2-treated cardiomyocytes, reduced expression of apoptosis factors caspase-3 and Bax, and increased expression of apoptosis inhibitory factor Bcl-2. Furthermore, Uhrf1 was found to increase cardiomyocyte proliferation and promote the expression of mTOR, while the four expression peaks of H3K9me2 on the mTOR gene were inhibited by overexpression of Uhrf1. The expression of autophagy factors LC3, Beclin-1, and p-mTOR in Uhrf1-overexpressed cardiomyocytes was dramatically increased, and P62 expression was dramatically decreased. When an H3K9me2 inhibitor was added to the Uhrf1-knockdown cardiomyocytes, the expression of mTOR was increased, the expression of LC3, Beclin-1, and p-mTOR was decreased, and P62 expression was significantly increased. In the present study, Uhrf1 exhibits a protective function in MIRI, reducing the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes while increasing their proliferation and viability.


Metastasis is one of the key steps in cancer, which is exposed to a large group of patients diagnosed with malignancy. Initiating the process of metastasis is to move the epithelial - mesenchymal cells wherein the cancer cells by blood and lymph vessels, penetrate to distant sites of the body to form secondary foci. Cancer biomarkers are group of molecules (typically proteins) secreted mainly by tumor cells themselves having use in diagnosis of cancer, determining the length of survival in patients or in the assessment of the body's response to treatment. Studies on the search for new cancer biomarkers are conducted nowadays more intensively. Examples of such molecules include S100A4, MACC1 or REG4, proteins, where elevated level in the body is associated primarily with the process of metastasis. Article briefly characterized above particles, presenting the most important functions performed by them in the body, thus drawing attention to the potential therapeutic use of these proteins.


In this thesis a feasibility study of a direct AC-AC converter for wind power application has been performed. Two three-phase voltages are converted to a single phase square wave for input to a high-frequency transformer and then rectified. No DC-capacitor is present in the converter and bi-directional switches consisting of two reverse blocking IGBTs allow the direct AC-AC conversion. Efficiency, silicon usage, price and output quality of the converter were to be compared with a reference case and conclusions to be drawn from the obtained results. The price comparison could not be finalized due to lack of price data. The efficiencies were found to be 97:7 % for both the converter setups while the silicon usage was 4:6 % lower for the direct AC-AC solution. A back-to-back converter was used as the reference case. The harmonic content was less in the back-to-back converter and DC-offsets in the phase currents caused power oscillations for both converters but they were higher in the direct AC-AC converter. The reference case needs more switches than the direct AC-AC solution if put in a split drivetrain configuration and DC-capacitors are also present in the former. The size is therefore expected to be lower for the AC-AC solution. The obtained results was used to conclude that the direct AC-AC solution is a feasible solution for a split drivetrain configurated wind turbine with multiple generators. The voltage of the square wave in the direct AC-AC converter needs to be two times higher than the DC-voltage in the reference case to obtain the same rated voltage in the generators when they are supplying power simultaneously. The switch voltage ratings must then be increased accordingly. Another application was proposed to better exploit the converter topology examined and to avoid the doubled voltage rating. An isolated power system with a time varying energy source such as a wind turbine needs an auxiliary power source to be able to supply the full load power when the other is unavailable. The double input converter can then control the two generators so that a constant output power is achieved. The square wave voltage amplitude can then be dimensioned from the load power only rather than for the total rated power in the two generators. It is therefore halved and the voltage stresses on the switches are similarly reduced.