Generative pre-trained language models (GPLMs) like ChatGPT encode in the model's parameters knowledge the models observe during the pre-training phase. This knowledge is then used at inference to address the task specified by the user in their prompt. For example, for the question-answering task, the GPLMs leverage the knowledge and linguistic patterns learned at training to produce an answer to a user question. Aside from the knowledge encoded in the model itself, answers produced by GPLMs can also leverage knowledge provided in the prompts. For example, a GPLM can be integrated into a retrieve-then-generate paradigm where a search engine is used to retrieve documents relevant to the question; the content of the documents is then transferred to the GPLM via the prompt. In this paper we study the differences in answer correctness generated by ChatGPT when leveraging the model's knowledge alone vs. in combination with the prompt knowledge. We study this in the context of consumers seeking health advice from the model. Aside from measuring the effectiveness of ChatGPT in this context, we show that the knowledge passed in the prompt can overturn the knowledge encoded in the model and this is, in our experiments, to the detriment of answer correctness. This work has important implications for the development of more robust and transparent question-answering systems based on generative pre-trained language models.


Girls in honour cultures have been the subject of many studies and are often debated in the media. The purpose with this study was to focus on boys in honour cultures. I wanted to understand the situation of boys in honour cultures with a perspective of the rights of children. My central questions were: How is it to be a boy in honour cultures? Are boys in honour cultures exposed? How are they exposed? My study was a qualitative study in which I interviewed four professionals who meet boys in honour cultures in their work. I also interviewed boys in a focus group interview. My study showed that boys in honour cultures have both freedoms and restrictions. They are exposed to violence and they are forced to do things. I tried to understand the situation for boys by analysing my result from the family structure in honour cultures. I argued that in order to understand honour related violence we have to see the violence as culture specific. My conclusion was that boys in honour cultures are exposed in a way that goes against human rights and the convention on the rights of the child.


Adaptively modeling the target birth intensity while maintaining the filtering efficiency is a challenging issue in multi-target tracking (MTT). Generally, the target birth probability is predefined as a constant and only the target birth density is considered in existing adaptive birth models, resulting in deteriorated target tracking accuracy, especially in the target appearing cases. In addition, the existing adaptive birth models also give rise to a decline in operation efficiency on account of the extra birth modeling calculations. To properly adapt the real variation of the number of newborn targets and improve the multi-target tracking performance, a novel fast sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) adaptive target birth intensity cardinality balanced multi-target multi-Bernoulli (CBMeMBer) filter is proposed in this paper. Through adaptively conducting the target birth probability in a pre-processing step, which incorporates the information of current measurements to correct the pre-setting of the target birth probability, the proposed filter can truly adapt target birth cases and achieve better tracking accuracy. Moreover, the implementation efficiency can be improved significantly by employing a measurement noise-based threshold in the likelihood calculations of the multi-target updating. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed filter.


The research surveyed computer self-efficacy as determinants to the use of online public access catalogue. Based on a detailed literature review, a total of three research questions were raised: What are the available access points for the use of OPAC by the library users? What are the various search methods/technique used by users to locate needed materials through the OPAC? And what is the level of the user's computer self-efficacy? The study adopted the descriptive survey design. The population of the study is made up of 18,332 registered under -graduate library users and the sampling size of 920. The findings from the study are as follows: The major access points through which information are accessed using OPAC are Author, Title and Subject access points, Keyword search, Simple search, basic search, Boolean search method and phrase searching ranked high in the search methods applied by the respondents in searching through OPACs and also the respondents seem to exhibit a positive computer selfefficacy and as such may be more akin to using OPAC. The study thus concluded by giving the following recommendations: Efforts should be geared towards inculcating on university students a practical training of the use of computer, Universities should be equipped with the enabling infrastructure such as adequate power supply, effective Internet connectivity etc. that will encourage the use of OPAC, University libraries should formulate policies that would encourage mandatory use of OPACs.


In-network Access Control List (ACL) is an important technique in ensuring network-wide connectivity and security. As cloud-scale WANs today constantly evolve in size and complexity, in-network ACL rules are becoming increasingly more complex. This presents a great challenge to the updating process of ACL configurations: network operators are frequently required to update "tangled" ACL rules across thousands of devices to meet diverse business requirements, and even a single ACL misconfiguration may lead to network disruptions. Such increasing challenges call for an automated system to improve the efficiency and correctness of ACL updates. This paper presents Jinjing, a system that aids Alibaba's network operators in automatically and correctly updating ACL configurations in Alibaba's global WAN. Jinjing allows the operators to express in a declarative language, named LAI, their update intent (e.g., ACL migration and traffic control). Then, Jinjing automatically synthesizes ACL update plans that satisfy their intent. At the heart of Jinjing, we develop a set of novel verification and synthesis techniques to rigorously guarantee the correctness of update plans. In Alibaba, our operators have used Jinjing to efficiently update their ACLs and have thus prevented significant service downtime.


Feedthroughs are used in latching ferrite phasers having control wires entering the microwave region. The feedthrough damps out the troublesome resonances that occur as a result of air gaps at the ferrite-waveguide wall interface and at the same time chokes out the radiation from the holes through which the latching wires pass. The equations and curves necessary to design the feedthrough are presented, as well as some experimental results obtained at C band on a practical production configuration.


We aimed to determine the infant mortality rates (IMRs) for monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins along with risk factors associated with these IMRs. Study design: IMRs of zygotic twins were estimated using vital statistics from Japan between 1995 and 2008.  Results: In 1995, IMRs were 21.7 for MZ twins and 15.6 for DZ twins per 1000 deliveries, and they significantly decreased to 9.8 and 5.8, respectively, in 2008. During the study period, IMRs were the lowest at maternal ages (MAs) of 35–39 years for MZ (14.4) twins and 30–34 years for DZ twins (8.2). The highest IMRs were for MZ (23.6) and DZ (24.9) twins at MAs of <20 years. At MAs of 20–24 and 35–39 years, IMRs were significantly higher for MZ than DZ twins. IMRs were also the lowest at gestational ages (GAs) of 37 weeks for MZ (3.0) twins and 39 weeks for DZ twins (1.9). At GAs of <29 weeks and 33–34 weeks, IMRs were significantly higher for MZ than DZ twins. Conclusion: IMR was significantly higher for MZ than DZ twins, although these rates significantly decreased each year. For both MZ and DZ twins, mortality risk factors were MAs of <20 years and GAs of up to 35 weeks.


BACKGROUND
In 2015, Kaiser Permanente Northern California implemented an intervention to improve follow-up for pulmonary findings on diagnostic chest computed tomography (CT). The intervention includes tagging CT reports with the prefix "#PUL" followed by a character (0-6 or X) to track specific findings. #PUL5, indicating "suspicious for malignancy," triggers automatic referral for multidisciplinary care review.

METHODS
Among patients who obtained an index chest CT exam from August 2015 to July 2017 without an exam in the previous 2 years, we computed the frequency of lung cancer diagnosis within 120 days of CT in relation to each #PUL tag. For #PUL5, we computed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and number needed to diagnose. We also performed a chart review to assess why some patients diagnosed with lung cancer were not tagged #PUL5.

RESULTS
Of the 39,409 patients with a tagged CT report, 1105 (2.8%) had a new primary lung cancer diagnosis within 120 days. Among the 2255 patients tagged #PUL5, 821 were diagnosed with lung cancer, with a sensitivity of 74% (95% confidence interval, 72%-77%). The positive predictive value was 36% (35%-38%), number needed to diagnosis was 2.7 (2.6-2.9), and specificity and negative predictive values were > 95%. Chart review identified opportunities to improve system defaults and clarify concepts.

CONCLUSION
The intervention performed well but needed improvement. Automating CT reports was simple and generalizable, and enabled reduction of care gaps and system improvement.


This paper uses mathematical statistics method and analyzes the main scoring techniques: the serve technique, the jump smash technique, the net lob technique, the pushing backcourt ball technique and the smash technique by analyzing the data of the 29th Olympic Games by He Hanbin/Yu Yang (China) and Nova/Nasir (Indonesia). The analysis shows that: in the badminton mixed doubles match, since both sides are partners for many years, in order to win the game you must have good badminton technique; particularly the error rate of the net lob technique and the pushing backcourt ball technique is high, which needs further practice. The study plays a certain role in promoting the development of badminton technique and the popularization of badminton sports.


India has been the Land of notable poets whose exemplary works are world renowned. One such great poet is Thirugnana Sambandhar. He is a saint, poet, philosopher, composer who belongs to 7th Century. He was born in Seerkaazhi of Tamilnadu. He had coined many Special Geometrical poetic structures like Thiru ezhukkootrirukkai (poem with mathematical Triangular Pattern), Maalai Maatru (a poem with palindromic Structure), Mozhi Maatru (a poem in which the meaning of the poem can be observed by a systematic Chane of words), Gomuthri (Flow of the poem in such a way it forms a wave line), Chakramaatru (a poem which is constructed in a circular form ). By the above mentioned amazing structure He has no parallels in the worlds poetry Thirugnana Sambandhar is the epitome of Tamil Literature has penned down many such extraordinary poems. A Mathematician is one who uses an extensive knowledge of Mathematics in their work. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space,models and change. Here in this poetic form Thiruezhukkootrirukkai Thirugnana Sambandhar had used numbers in a brilliant way to form a Triangle. This is called "Chitrakavi" in Tamil. By analyzing the whole poem we will get a geometrical structure. In this Thiruezhukkootrirukkai Thirugnana Sambandhar has constructed the words in such a way to form a symmetrical triangle. These triangle is arranged in a perfect mathematical calculation. This can be analysed through the law of binomial co- efficient. This is analysed and proved in this paper. Thirugnana Sambandhar belongs to 7th Century whereas the Scientist and Mathematician Pascal who discovered the law of Bi-nomial co-efficient belongs to 17th century. Other than this Mathematical diagram of triangle this poem has Palindromic numbers which add more beauty to this structure which is also a mathematical calculation. By constructing this amazing poetic structure Thirugnana Sambandhar proves beyond doubt that he is a "Mathematician" of India of the 7th Century itself who had applied the law of triangle earlier.


AgBr-modified Bi_2WO_6 nanosheets were successfully synthesized using a CTAB-assisted hydrothermal method followed by a facile deposition–precipitation procedure. The as-prepared photocatalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and photoluminescence emission spectroscopy (PL). AgBr nanoparticles were found evenly distributed on the surface of the Bi_2WO_6 nanosheets. The AgBr/Bi_2WO_6 nanocomposite demonstrated enhanced pollutant decolorization efficiency in eliminating Rhodamine B (RhB), methyl orange (MO), and phenol aqueous solutions under simulated solar light irradiation. It has been noticed that the adsorption performance of both Bi_2WO_6 nanosheets and AgBr-modified Bi_2WO_6 nanosheets played a more important role in the decolorization of pollutants, such as RhB and MO, than their photocatalytic ability. The high adsorption efficiency of the photocatalysts was mainly attributed to the increased surface area and the exposed reactive facets of the materials.


Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) represent a specific class of monooxygenases that are capable of catalyzing a variety of oxidation reactions, including Baeyer–Villiger oxidations. The recently elucidated BVMO crystal structures have provided a more detailed insight into the complex mechanism of these flavin‐containing enzymes. Biocatalytic studies on a number of newly discovered BVMOs have shown that they are very potent oxidative biocatalysts. In addition to catalyzing the regio‐ and enantioselective Baeyer–Villiger oxidations of a wide range of carbonylic compounds, epoxidations, and enantioselective sulfoxidations have also been shown to be part of their catalytic repertoire. This review provides an overview on the recent developments in BVMO‐mediated biocatalytic processes, identification of the catalytic role of these enzymes in metabolic routes and prodrug activation, as well as the efforts in developing effective biocatalytic methodologies to apply BVMOs for the synthesis of high added value compounds.


There is a strong ongoing debate about the impact of higher education experiences on political attitudes and behaviours. While some authors assume a direct socialisation effect of educational experience, others have argued that education should be seen as a mere proxy variable for socio-economic status and pre-adult socialisation experiences. In this article we use a 5-year Belgian panel study that tracked respondents between the ages of 16 and 21. Using a hierarchical linear model of repeated measurements, we are able to demonstrate that differences with regard to political trust between future students and non-students are already present and stable at the age of sixteen. Significant determinants were school track and educational goal. The inclusion of actual educational status in the model (at age 21), however, rendered the relation with educational goal not significant. The results suggest that during secondary education students already anticipate and acquire a value pattern that is congruent with their future status. Ultimately, however, this effect is dependent on whether they actually enrol in higher education or not.


The most fundamental parental right is the right to guide your child's education. This basic parental right was clearly enunciated by Pope John Paul II in Familiaris Consortio. But this is not only a Catholic view, but a universal one. In its famous 1948 Declaration on Human Rights, the UN declared, "Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education to be given to their children." Our country, unfortunately, has one of the worst records in the entire world in living up to this key principle, where education remains the last great unnatural monopoly. At a cost of over half a trillion dollars per year, U.S. education fares poorly compared to other industrialized nations. Competition, through parental choice, will improve the quality of education for all students, lower the cost for taxpayers and allow parents to better guide their child's moral development.


Contemporary education systems tend to subdivide learning groups into horizontal slices of similar age or similar levels of experience or skill. Architectural education programmes in most western countries generally follow this pattern and work in a horizontally stratified manner. Similarly, architecture and design practices tend to ossify in patterns around specialisations in work processes. To maintain all the qualities required of creative practice there is a need to shake up these patterns, to destabilize the obvious in order to constantly reinvigorate practice. As design educators and practitioners, we have long recognised a need for what we have called upsetter projects. In 2017 a Vertical Studio experiment involving final year BAS and first year MARCP students was initiated to try and shake things up and generate a stronger peer learning/peer assessment culture. The first half of the paper describes and analyses that original Vertical Studio and discusses the insights gained. The second half makes use of a matrix derived from that analysis and proposes two upsetter projects each using a different method of generation. The paper concludes that there is potential for further use of these methods in the development of upsetter projects designed to enrich both pedagogy and practice.


A previously healthy 8-year-old girl presented with flu-like symptoms, developed toxic shock-like syndrome, and died within 48 hours. At autopsy she was found to have purulent meningitis. The group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus isolated from her CSF was a member of clone ET 2. This strain produced a variant form of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin A (SPEA 2) that has recently been associated with widespread toxic shock-like syndrome.


In recent years there have been significant developments in satellite transmitter technology to follow the rapid innovation of sensors on-board new satellites. The CCSDS 131.2-B-1 standard for telemetry downlink, released in 2012, is part of the next generation of standards that aims to support the increased data-rate caused by these improvements in resolution. As a result of its relative novelty, this standard currently lacks in-depth analysis by researchers, but it is also strongly supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) for future missions. For these reasons, it seems important to evaluate how major receiver sub-components, such as timing recovery and carrier frequency correction, can be designed and implemented in new receivers that support this standard. The timing error detectors (TED) and frequency error detectors (FED) were therefore studied on the specific peculiarities of CCSDS 131.2-B-1 in its usual environment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Estimators have been evaluated highlighting performances, trade-offs and peculiarities of each one with respect to corresponding architectural choices. Finally, a receiver architecture derived from the paper considerations is proposed in the aim of supporting very different mission scenarios. Specifically, the realized architecture employs a parallel feedforward estimator for the timing recovery section and a novel multi-algorithm feedback frequency correction loop to efficiently cover both low symbol rates (5 Mbaud) and high data-rates (up to 500 Mbaud). This solution represents a good trade-off to support these scenarios in a very compact footprint by pushing the clock frequency to the FPGA limit. The FPGA resources occupation on a Zynq Ultrascale+ RFSoC XCZU28DR FPGA is 5202 LUT, 4851 FF, 5 BRAM, and 21 DSP for the timing recovery part, while the frequency recovery section occupies 1723 LUT, 1511 FF, 2.5 BRAM and 32 DSP.


Very complex systems occur nowadays quite frequently in many technological areas and they are often required to comply with high dependability standards. To study their availability and reliability characteristics, Markovian models are commonly used. Due to the size and complexity of the systems, and due to the rarity of system failures, both analytical solutions and "crude" simulation can be inefficient or even non-relevant. A number of variance reduction Monte Carlo techniques have been proposed to overcome this difficulty; importance sampling methods are among the most efficient. The objective of this paper is to survey existing importance sampling schemes, to propose some improvements and to discuss on their different properties.


We consider an M/G/1 queueing system where the customers may leave the queue if their services do not commence before an exponentially distributed random time. The (conditional) offered waiting time distribution is approximated by a gamma distribution via matching the first and second moments of the actual waiting time. A simulation study is conducted to assess the accuracy of the approximation and it reveals that the approximation performs satisfactorily under general conditions on service time distributions.


A generic test process should support all approaches "formal to informal" and mixed approaches within, and across, all test levels. But widely-accepted formal approaches, from current standards, certification syllabi and tools, have explicitly-defined test cases as the key underlying entity: not all real-life approaches use explicit test cases. Also, testing is maturing beyond merely "finding bugs" we need better control, informing stakeholders in a language they understand. So, we separate the "what" from the "how" in the test process, using a structure which accommodates existing views yet provides flexibility to support varied approaches. We consider test analysis and test design as distinct activities with differently-structured work products with complex inter-relationships. We question the current scope and usage of test design techniques. Rather, test analysis produces test conditions which form the "keystone" for a generic test process supporting optimised test design and execution, plus measurement, monitoring and control of test and development processes.


Learning to recognize a new object requires binding together dissimilar images of that object into a common representation. Temporal proximity is a useful computational cue for learning invariant representations. We report experiments that demonstrate two distinct psychophysical effects of temporal association via observed object motion on object perception. First, we use an implicit priming criterion to demonstrate that observation of a dynamic object induces generalization over close temporal neighbors. Second, in contrast to predictions from previous work, we find that shape discrimination between images actually improves following the same training procedure. We suggest that these apparently conflicting sets of results, one demonstrating blurring and the other demonstrating sharpening of the perceived distinction between temporally proximate frames, are consistent with a highly redundant code for object appearance.


The effects of particle size and shape of graphite dispersing in low-density polyethylene(LDPE)on percolation phenomena are reviewed. Flake and spherical shaped graphite with mean particle size from 2.1 to 82.6μm are used The value of critical volume fraction of particles, φc, increases linearly when the mean particle size of the graphit flakes increase. The maximum value of φc was given when a spherical particle was used. In addition influence of the polarity of polymer matrix on the degree of dispersion of hydrophilic SnO2 and hydrophobic spherical graphite particles and percolation phenomenon of conductive particles/polymer composites is reviewed. LDPE and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer(EVA) that vinyl-acetate content is 7 and 15 wt% are used as polymer matrix. The φc of SnO2/polymer composites increase by co-polymerization of polar vinyl-acetate groups in nonpolar LDPE. On the other hand, the φc of graphite/polymer composites are not related to vinyl-acetate content.


In order to meet the needs of high-performance and open CNC (computer numerical control) system, first of all, a variety of task features and the real-time response requirements of various tasks in the entire data processing of the CNC system are analyzed in-depth. Then, the data hungry problem in the existing architecture of CNC system is pointed out when the system is running on high speed and high precision processing. On the basis of this, a solution mechanism is proposed that the related task units of the CNC system must be further broken down and the task unit which involves the function of decoding and data transmission could be designed as an independent process or thread that has a fixed implementation cycle. At the same time the special scheduling mechanism provided by the Real-time operating system to improve the implementation of priority, which makes the data of decoding be transmitted to the underlying module uninterruptedly. Thus, the system performance is improved overall. Finally, the experiments results verify that the proposed method is reasonable and correct.


Due to advances in parenteral feeding the indications for creating access to the central veins in infants and young children have become less strict. The technique of establishing such access by puncture of the internal jugular or subclavian vein is reviewed. Venesection is now indicated only in exceptional cases. The technique of placing a catheter into the umbilical artery or vein is described.


Whilst UK schools move towards U.S 'big brother' style mentoring systems for children, are actual brothers and sisters becoming an invisible source of support to deal with bullying in everyday life? This paper reports on research with children aged 7–13 about their experiences and understandings of their relationships with their brothers and sisters, both at home and at school. Some children talked about the importance of having older and younger siblings in school as a source of support in times of bullying, particularly those children from minority ethnic backgrounds. However, some children welcomed the space school gave them to be separate from their siblings. Others talked of the difficulties that association with their siblings at school caused them.


Authentication ceremonies detect and mitigate Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks on end-to-end encrypted messengers, such as Signal, WhatsApp, or Threema. However, prior work found that adoption remains low as non-expert users have difficulties using them correctly. Anecdotal evidence suggests that security researchers also have trouble authenticating others. Since their issues are probably unrelated to user comprehension or usability, the root causes may lie deeper. This work explores these root causes using autoethnography. The first author kept a five-month research diary of their experience with authentication ceremonies. The results uncover points of failure while planning and conducting authentication ceremonies. They include cognitive load, forgetfulness, social awkwardness, and explanations required by a communication partner. Additionally, this work identifies and discusses how sociocultural aspects affect authentication ceremonies. Lastly, this work discusses a design approach for cooperative security that employs cultural transcoding to improve sociocultural aspects of security by design.


Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is poorly managed with currently available therapies. Accordingly, the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is an innovative and accessible treatment of pulmonary chronic diseases. These cells have an important therapeutic potential, being immune suppressive, anti-fibrogenic, promoters of tissue progenitor cells, anti-apoptotic. Thus, we investigated the effect of human tubal-derived MSCs (htMSCs) in the treatment of cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary inflammation in mice. To induce COPD C57Bl/6 mice were submitted to cigarette smoke for 75 days (2 times/day). Next, animals were treated with htMSCs by intraperitoneal (COPD+htMSC(ip) group) or intranasal route (COPD+htMSC(in) group) 7 and 15 days before the experiment on day 76 th , when mice were euthanized for morphologic and functional analysis of the lungs. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) analysis showed that COPD+htMSC(ip) and COPD+LLL+htMSC(in) groups had a significant decrease in total cells, neutrophils and macrophages when compared to COPD group. The number of lymphocytes was more reduced in COPD+htMSC(ip) than COPD+htMSC(in) group. Both routes reduce mucous secretion, collagen deposition and alveolar enlargement, associated with reduced IL-1beta, IL-6, KC and TNF-a in BAL. More interestingly, lung expression of NF-KB and NFAT were both reduced in the experimental groups. However, the lung expression of IL-10 is increased only in COPD+htMSC(in) group. These results demonstrate that both htSMSC routes have anti-inflammatory effect on COPD, and thus may be considered as possible therapeutic approaches. Financial Support: UNINOVE, FAPESP, CNPq.


Detection of viral antigens in specimens without prior cultivation in cell culture provides the most rapid method for specific viral diagnosis. A solid-phase, double-antibody enzyme immunoassay was developed for this purpose and tested with clinical specimens containing influenza type A and adenovirus. Polystyrene microtiter wells were the solid phase and were coated with virus-specific guinea pig immunoglobulins. Specimens were added, and bound viral antigens were detected by addition of virus-specific rabbit immunoglobulins followed by enzyme-labeled goat antirabbit immunoglobulin G. Two methods of labeling goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G with horseradish peroxidase were investigated: covalent attachment and a noncovalent, immunological binding of antibody to enzyme, the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. Both methods of labeling resulted in assays that could detect 10(3.5) 50% tissue culture infectious doses of influenza type A and 10(3.8) 50% tissue culture infectious doses of adenovirus. Equal sensitivity was noted with alkaline phosphatase-labeled goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G. An increase in sensitivity of three- to sixfold was achieved when virus-specific rabbit immunoglobulins and conjugate were diluted in 1% gelatin. The solid-phase, double-antibody enzyme immunoassay detected influenza type A and adenovirus in isolation-positive clinical specimens with 53% (21/40) and 62% (13/21) efficiency, respectively. The solid-phase, double-antibody enzyme immunoassay has considerable potential as a practical and rapid method for detection of respiratory viral antigens in nasal wash and throat swab specimens. For optimal value, however, greater sensitivity than was provided by the present methods is desirable.


Clusters containing nine lanthanide and six sodium ions are crystallized with the help of a tridentate ligand bearing a phosphonic acid group; the structure of the Eu(III) compound reveals a host-guest assembly Eu [symbol: see text] Na6Eu8L16 with a substantial quantum yield (32%). A similar Eu(III)-Yb(III) structure displays dual luminescence in the visible (Eu(III)) and NIR (Yb(III)) ranges.


BACKGROUND: Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) are often treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) to achieve complete obliteration (CO), prevent future hemorrhages, and ameliorate neurological symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To summarize outcomes after SRS for dAVFs and propose relevant practice recommendations. METHODS: Using a PICOS/PRISMA/MOOSE protocol, we included patients with dAVFs treated with SRS and data for at least one of the outcomes of the study. Relevant outcomes were CO, symptom improvement and cure, and post-SRS hemorrhage or permanent neurological deficits (PNDs). Estimated outcome effect sizes were determined using weighted random-effects meta-analyses using DerSimonian and Laird methods. To assess potential relationships between patient and lesion characteristics and clinical outcomes, mixed-effects weighted regression models were used. RESULTS: Across 21 published studies, we identified 705 patients with 721 dAVFs treated with SRS. The CO rate was 68.6% (95% CI 60.7%-76.5%) with symptom improvement and cure rates of 97.2% (95% CI 93.2%-100%) and 78.8% (95% CI 69.3%-88.2%), respectively. Estimated incidences of post-SRS hemorrhage and PNDs were 1.1% (95% CI 0.6%-1.6%) and 1.3% (95% CI 0.8%-1.8%), respectively. Noncavernous sinus (NCS) dAVFs were associated with lower CO (P = .03) and symptom cure rates (P = .001). Higher grade was also associated with lower symptom cure rates (P = .04), whereas previous embolization was associated with higher symptom cure rates (P = .01). CONCLUSION: SRS for dAVFs results in CO in the majority of patients with excellent symptom improvement rates with minimal toxicity. Patients with NCS and/or higher-grade dAVFs have poorer symptom cure rates. Combined therapy with embolization and SRS is recommended when feasible for clinically aggressive dAVFs or those refractory to embolization to maximize the likelihood of symptom cure.


ABSTRACT Despite calls from governments to clamp down on violent extremist material in the online sphere, in the name of preventing radicalisation and therefore terrorism research investigating how people engage with extremist material online is surprisingly scarce. The current paper addresses this gap in knowledge with an online experiment. A fictional extremist webpage was designed and (student) participants chose how to engage with it. . A mortality salience prime (being primed to think of death) was also included. Mortality salience did not influence engagement with the material but the material itself may have led to disidentification with the ingroup. Whilst interaction with the material was fairly low, those that did engage tended to indicate preference for hierarchy and dominance in society, stronger identification with the ingroup, higher levels of radicalism, and outgroup hostility. More engagement with the online extremist material was also associated with increased likelihood of explicitly supporting the extremist group. These findings show that indoctrination, socialisation, and ideology are not necessarily required for individuals to engage attitudinally or behaviourally with extremist material. This study is not conducted on the dependent variable, therefore shedding light on individuals who do not engage with extremist material.


─Implementation of constructability/buildability ideas in the construction industry has a potential return on investment concerning time and money. Literature shows that quantified assessment of constructible designs provides benefits to the owners, contractors, and designers. The potential use of new technology-based tools to assess constructability of a design has not been fully realized. A new methodology to evaluate the level of application of constructability principles in residential buildings was proposed. This methodology integrates the object-oriented Building Information Model (BIM) and the 4D CAD simulation model. Factors affecting constructability of building designs in Canada are identified from a questionnaire survey on constructability attributes. Multi-attribute decision analysis and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used to assess the overall constructability value. The new methodology was validated using a case study of a condo project in downtown Montreal. The outcome showed that integrating BIM with 4D CAD simulation models has many benefits to designers in which evaluation of different designs can be done in a more accurate and faster way


DFT calculations (B3LYP/LanL2DZ) of simplified models of [Mo(N(2))(2)(dppe)(2)] and the two protonated derivatives [MoF(NNH)(dppe)(2)] and [MoF(NNH(2))(dppe)(2)](+) (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) provide quantitative insight into the reduction and protonation of dinitrogen bound end-on terminally to transition metals. This "asymmetric" reduction pathway is characterized by a stepwise increase of covalency and a concomitant charge donation from the metal center during each protonation reaction. The major part of metal-to-ligand charge transfer occurs after the first protonation leading to coordinated diazenido(-). In contrast, addition of the second proton is accompanied by a minor change of covalency leading to a NNH(2) species which is neutral and hence corresponds to coordinated isodiazene. UV-vis data of Mo and corresponding W complexes support the calculated energy level schemes. Moreover, calculated vibrational frequencies and force constants show good agreement with experimental values determined in Part I of this series (Lehnert, N.; Tuczek, F. Inorg. Chem. 1999, 38, 1659-1670). The implications of the electronic structure description obtained for the above model complexes with respect to the reduction and protonation of dinitrogen in small-molecule systems and nitrogenase are discussed.


In Turkey, orchids are under a serious threat of extinction as a result of both excessive collecting and severe destruction of their habitats. Studies conducted have shown that the protection of orchids depends on the presence of mycorrhizal fungal biodiversity. The purpose of this study is to isolate the orchid mycorrhizal fungi in the roots of the individuals of 7 Orchis species taken from three different habitats in Samsun (Turkey) and to create a fungus bank after molecular identification is conducted. For this reason, the plant roots of Orchis species were collected at the spring and summer months of 2014 and 2015. Isolates were classified according to morphological characteristics and examined according to rDNA ITS sequences. Nine isolates were defined morphologically as Rhizoctonia-like, while one isolate was defined as nonRhizoctonia. Cluster analysis (UPGMA) method was used to find out the similarities and differences of morphological characteristics and cladogram was constructed. In order to be able to define the isolates of 3 clads formed with morphological data at molecular level, we obtained ITS1-5.8S-ITS4 area by using ITS 4 and ITS 5 primers. Based on DNA sequencing, it was found that 7 of the 9 Rhizoctonia-like isolates were associated with sequences of Tulasnellaceae species while 2 were associated with sequences of Ceratobasidiaceae species and 1 non-Rhizoctonia isolate was associated with sequences of Pezizaceae species.


The information on the mood included in behavior is classified into nonverbal information, and is included in behavior without necessarily being based on the intention of an agent. Consequently, it is considered that we can estimate the mood from the measurement of the behavior. In this work, we estimate the mood from the surface electromyogram (EMG) information of the muscles of the upper limb during walking. Identification of emotion and mood using EMG information has been done with a variety of methods until now. In addition, it is known that human walking includes information that is specific to the individual and be affected by mood. Therefore, it is thought that the EMG analysis of walking is effective in the identification of human mood. In this work, we made a subject walk in the various mood states and answer psychological tests that measure the mood. We use two types of tasks (music listening and numerical calculation) for evoking different moods. Statistical features of EMG signals are calculated using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). These statistical features are related with psychological test scores, using regression analysis. In this paper, we have shown the statistical significance of the linear model to predict the variation of mood based on the information on the variation in MPF of EMG data of the muscles of the upper limb during walking with different moods. This shows the validity of such a mapping. However, since the interpretability of the model is still low, it cannot be said that the model is able to accurately represent the mood variation. Creating a model with high accuracy is a key issue in the future.


Multiple-segment flexible and soft robotic arms composed by ionic polymer--metal composite (IPMC) flexible actuators exhibit compliance but suffer from the difficulty of path planning due to their redundant degrees of freedom, although they are promising in complex tasks such as crossing body cavities to grasp objects. We propose a learning from demonstration method to plan the motion paths of IPMC-based manipulators, by statistics machine-learning algorithms. To encode demonstrated trajectories and estimate suitable paths for the manipulators to reproduce the task, models are built based on Gaussian mixture model and Gaussian mixture regression, respectively. The forward and inverse kinematic models of IPMC-based soft robotic arm are derived for the motion control. A flexible and soft robotic manipulator is implemented with six IPMC segments, and it verifies the learned paths by successfully completing a representative task of navigating through a narrow keyhole.


As a reflection, when latHIVa was established as a non-structural institution at UIN Sumatera Utara (UiN SU) to tackle HIV and AIDS, the discovery of HIV and AIDS cases at the international level were around 34.3 million people living with HIV, while in 2019 it was estimated that 36.9 million people living with HIV. The cases of HIV and AIDS at the national level in 2000 were 1500 people living with HIV / AIDS (PLWHA) while in 2019 there were 349,882 PLWHA in North Sumatra, and in 2000 there were 30 people living with HIV, while the cases of HIV / AIDS at the level of North Sumatra Province up to August 2019 were 9362 PLWHA. The description of the HIV and AIDS case above describes the epidemic process since the formation of the UIN Sumatera Utara's latHIVa until August 2019. The HIV and AIDS epidemic is like an iceberg phenomenon, which means the numbers of HIV and AIDS cases found above are not the actual numbers. HIV and AIDS do exist. Therefore, WHO (World Health Organization) has formulated that to find out the real numbers, the numbers obtained must be multiplied by 100-200. Thus, if 9362 cases of HIV and AIDS in North Sumatra is  multiplied by 100, then there might be 936,200 cases of PLWHA in North Sumatra. Thus, there are around 900 thousand PLWHA who have not been found in North Sumatra.


This qualitative phenomenological study set forth to discover lived experience associated with becoming a leader. The researchers recruited four executive level leaders from multiple emergency and public service organizations to participate in the study. The study emerged from a thorough review of the literature and advances the knowledge of academic leadership theory. The study's participants willingly took part in audio-recorded interviews using a script developed by the researchers. To discover how different leaders interpreted their lived experience of becoming a leader, the researchers employed a phenomenological design, allowing for a rich understanding of the participants' experience. The coding and data analysis process revealed multiple themes from the words of the participants. The implications of this study seemingly address the lived experience in a way so as to offer leadership academic theory in the emergency services a pathway for strengthening leadership development amongst aspiring officers.


Glibenclamide is a second generation sulfonylurea that is orally active as a hypoglycemic drug. It exists as a crystalline powder which is sparingly soluble in water. It was investigated that the potential of glibenclamide to exhibit polymorphism. Three polymorphic modifications (form 1, form 2 and form 3) and three pseudopolymorphic modifications (form 4, form 5 and form 6) were obtained by crystallization from different organic solvents. The isolated crystal forms were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC), thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) and X-ray crystallography powder diffraction studies. Form 1 was the most stable and melt at 175.4℃. Form 2 was metastable and melt at 151.0℃. Form 3 was a new polymorphic modification because it was different from form 1 and form 2 in X-ray crystallography powder diffraction data. Form 4 was a 1 : 7(toluene : glibenclamide) toluene solvate : form 5 was a 1 : 5(toluene : glibenclamide) toluene solvate: form 6 was a 3:8(pentanol : glibenclamide) pentanol solvate. All forms were stable in 3-month storage under 0% or 100% humidity condition. The dissolution rate of form 4 was highest: those of form 2, form 3, form 1, form 5 and form 6 followed.


Gas station vapour is one of the most prominent sources of the volatile organic compounds in air of urban areas. This paper studied the current management statues of vapour recovery systems of stageⅡ at gas stations and suggested the improvement plans through analysis of case studies. Some 97.3%gas stations of target stations, which have to install the vapor recovery unit of stageⅡ, was completed by end of 2012. But approximately 18.5% of them did not pass the regular inspection caused improper operations and equipment obsolescence. There is a need for government"s technical support, regular training and management manual for gas station workers in order to be operating normaly of the vapor recovery unit of stageⅡ. Furthermore, it is necessary to expand the mandatory installation area for the vapor recovery unit of stageⅡ. For this, an expansion scenario analysis performed. The results showed that the expansion must be preferentially replied in 10 cities more than population of 500,000 when it was economic with a cost-benefit ratio was 1.43.


Asian doctors have launched a quarterly medical journal intended to focus on cancer prevention and treatment strategies in developing countries.

The Austral-Asian Journal of Cancer , released in India last week, will address cancer issues relevant to developing countries that are not always adequately discussed in current cancer journals, oncologists associated with the journal said.

Developing countries are expected to account for two thirds of an estimated 15 million new annual cancer cases by 2015, but they have to make do with just 5% of global resources for cancer control.

"The journal should stimulate a search for …