Viscoelastic contact interfaces can be found in various robotic components that are covered with a compliant surface (pad) such as anthropomorphic hands, biomimetic haptic/tactile sensors, prostheses, and orthoses. In all these cases, it is desirable to obtain thin and resistant pads with predetermined compliance and damping properties (e.g., mimicking the human skin and pulpy tissues). In order to overcome the limits of homogeneous layers of a soft viscoelastic material, which is commonly used in the aforementioned devices, this paper suggests the adoption of soft pads that are composed of a continuous external layer (skin) coupled with an internal layer having fluid-filled voids. The process to design the pad starts with the selection of a hyperelastic medium with proper tribological features, whose constitutive parameters are determined by numerically fitting nonlinear stress-strain curves under pure homogenous deformations. The optimization of the internal layer morphology is then achieved through nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) that provides an estimate of hardness and friction influence on the pad static compliance. Finally, the pad is filled with a viscous fluid that is chosen to modify time-dependent phenomena and to increase damping effects. The effectiveness of the procedure is proven by designing and modeling better-behaved artificial pads that mimic human-finger dynamic properties.


TRIMETHOBENZAMIDE hydrochloride is a compound introduced in 1959 as an antinauseant-antiemetic. Chemically unrelated to the phenothiazines it is structurally closer to the dimethylaminoethoxy antihistamines. It is widely used prophylactically and therapeutically in nausea and vomiting induced by drugs, radiation therapy, infection, and motion sickness. Studies based on large numbers of patients treated with this compound have emphasized that no serious side effects had been encountered. 1-2 Unlike the phenothiazines, trimethobenzamide hydrochloride has not been implicated as a cause of jaundice. 3-4 We are presenting a report of a case of hepatitis following the use of this drug. Report of a Case A 50-year-old white female patient was admitted to the Mount Auburn Hospital on Jan 18, 1966, with a painless mass in her left breast which she noticed about one month prior to admission. By medical history she had had pleurisy in 1955 but otherwise had been well. Her


Abstract Robotics is a powerful tool in education and it has gained a notable impact in the field of teaching computer science, engineering, math, physics and similar. As educational robotics laboratories stimulate many different abilities in students, such as problem solving and group working, it is possible to use robotics to promote soft skills as well. Soft skills are necessary to complement hard skills to build the 21st century professionalism, so it seems relevant to start promoting these skills as soon as possible. In this paper, we describe a lab for primary and first grade secondary schools in which robotics is employed to train soft skills in an informal context.


There are several motivations and rationales why socio-hydrology is emerging. Even though the responses of water on the earth to human activity are those the discipline of hydrology covers as UNESCO defined in 1964, hydrologists mainly pursued to observe and understand water cycles on the earth from natural scientific point of view. Typically, "naturalized flow" was estimated and simulated even for practical prediction of stream flow into reservoirs. In the 21 century, the recognition of the Anthropocene prevailed that "real" environment is modified by human influences and differs substantially from "natural" environment, mainly because the changes and the impacts of climate due to the increase of greenhouse gas emissions by human beings became apparent. Real land use and land cover, instead of potential or natural land cover and land use, should be given as boundary conditions for realistic simulation of climate system, and plausible future predictions of land use and land cover including the changes of vegetation should be given for reliable predictions of future climate. It was not apparent whether human activities, such as reservoir operations and water withdrawals for human needs, have significant impacts on the global hydrological cycles and feedbacks for climate systems, realistic consideration of human interventions have been required for realistic estimates of the impacts of climate change. These have been the major drivers to promote socio-hydrology on the global scale, and the human interventions on water cycle, such as reservoir operations and human water withdrawals from rivers and ground water, have been included in hydrological and water resources modeling. Owing to the development of socio-hydrologic modeling on the global scale, it was prevailed, for example, storing water in man-made reservoirs should have been suppressing the sea level rise with comparative rate with other causes such as glacier melt in Greenland and Antarctica, ground water in several regions in the world has been depleting substantially and pushing up the mean sea level as a result of mass balance of water in the hydrosphere, and the impacts of climate change on the water resources management would be less significant with autonomous adaptation by changing crop calendar and reservoir operations. Such a socio-hydrologic development in global hydrology is promising to promote scientifically relevant, socially expected, and personally dedicated studies. In the 20 century, hydrological science was expected to be objective and value-neutral, however, in the Anthropocene in the 21 century, it is expected to propose possible alternative options how to respond to natural and anthropogenic changes in hydrologic cycles even on the global scale. Overview on the socio-hydrologic modeling on the global scale will be presented.


Optoelectronic property of ZnO epitaxial layer grown by plasma-assisted epitaxy at temperature as low as 340°C using Ti2O3 buffer layer on a-sapphire were studied by low temperature photoluminescence at 10 K comparing to the layers on c-sapphire and a-sapphire without the buffer layer. The near band-edge emission consisting of free-exciton emissions and neutral-donor bound exciton emissions was significantly dependent on the buffer thickness and dominated by the free-exciton emissions in the layer grown on the very thin buffer layer about 0.8 nm, whereas the intense emissions by neutral-donor bound excitons were observed in the ZnO layer on c-sapphire. The structural behavior indicated the donor was originated from the three-dimensional growth of ZnO layer and details of the optoelectronic feature suggested the residual donors were Al and interstitial-Zn.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the total phenolic contents, antioxidant properties and phenolic composition of four edible mushroom species, Ganoderma lucidum, Morchella esculenta, Lentinula edodes and Hericium erinaceus. Extraction of phenolic compounds was carried out in an ultrasonic bath. Total phenolic contents were determined using Folin–Ciocalteu's reagent and the results were calculated using gallic acid equivalents (GAE). Ferric reducing antioxidant power and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical-scavenging antioxidant activities were also measured and Trolox was used as positive control. Phenolic composition was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography and comparisons with standards. Total phenolic contents were highest in G. lucidum (26.40 mg GAE/g), followed by M. esculenta, L. edodes and H. erinaceus. The same trend was observed in individual phenolic composition and antioxidant activities, these also were higher in G. lucidum compared with the other species.


This paper introduces a dynamically reconfigurable implementation of deblocking filtering for H.264/AVC coding. The basic idea is to use a scalable approach that allows dynamic hardware reconfiguration of different modes based on power (or hardware complexity), bitrate, and image reconstruction quality. The modes are arranged hierarchically. A complex mode includes all of the deblocking filtering options of simpler modes. This provides scalable performance where the use of additional hardware resources (or power) result in better rate-distiortion performance. Within each mode, the deblocking filter is selected based on boundary strength so as to balance computational complexity with performance improvement. An optimal mode approach is also introduced. In the optimal mode, the mode with the best reconstruction quality is selected for each video frame. The optimal mode provides an upper bound (in the rate-distortion sense) to what can be achieved with the current modes. The deblocking filters are implemented on a Virtex-5 FPGA. The results are validated over 11 commonly-used videos, where image quality is assessed using SSIM.


Philippe Steer presents a numerical solution scheme for the stream power incision model (SPIM) based on analytical solutions. This solution allows to reduce the computation time, and to preserve the shape of the knick-points, which are the two main advantages of this new model called Salève. The numerical solution proposed here does indeed offer perspectives for the inversion of topographies that would be demonstrably controlled by SPIM. Despite these interesting perspectives, I have several questions and remarks whose consideration could improve the clarity of this manuscript.


THE third German edition of "Human Heredity", by Professor Erwin Baur, Professor Eugen Fischer and Professor Fritz Lenz, has just appeared in an English dress.' The book, which is a veritable mine of information, and, at the sametime, easy to read, was originally written to provide a scientific foundation for a sequel to be called "Human Selection and Racial Hygiene". Section one, by Dr. Baur, gives a sketch of the ァ ・ ョ ・ セ 。 ャ theory of variation and heredity. This is in generalquite clear but the section on the coupling of factors is so eoncfseas to be obscureand would be greatly clarified by the inclusion of an illustration on the lines of Figure XX. In this section,as throughoutthe book, Mendelianheredity is alone considered,and Lamarckism (the doctrine of the inheritance of acquired characters) is utterly rejected. "Educability ... is inheritable. On the other hand t.he offspring of cultured families are often enough quite unable to assimilate the elements of a higher culture. Such facts tell strongly against the [Lamarckian] view ... but are perfectly comprehensiblein the light of the basic Mendelian law." Section two, by Dr. Fischer,deals with racial differences in mankind and contains an admirable survey of anthropology. Sectionthree,by Dr. Lenz, is devotedto morbific heredity factors and should be of the greatestuse to medical men. For as the author statesin dealingwith the inheritability of a susceptibility to tuberculosis, "at present... most medical practitioners . . . deny the existence of such a susceptibility. The reason for this scepticism is that, whereasmost doctorshaveclear ideasconcerninginfection, they have not as yet any such clear ideas concerning heredity." This section, which is profusely illustrated by most convincing family trees, explains the mode .of inheritanceof a long list of diseases,many of them quite common. Doctors are frequently askedby anxiouspatients whether a diseasesuffered by their parentsor themselves is likely to appearin themselvesor their children. Reference to this sectionwill show whethera particular disease is dominant or recessivein inheritanceand enable really valuable advice to be given. Unfortunately, this reference is not madeeasy by the amazing index to the work. This is chiefly composedof uselessreferencesto papersquoted in the text, and the actual subjectsdiscussedare listed in a most inadequate manner. The seeker gets a rough idea from the table of contentsas to where the information desired is likely to be, and then has to hunt about till he finds it. Such an index cannot be too strongly condemned, Dr. Lenz maintains that alcoholism can directly injure the germ plasm and that such injuries can continue to be transmitted. He quotes Stockard'sAmerican experiments in support of his view, evidently being unaware of the recently concluded British experiments,which have completely disproved Stockard'sconclusions. Moreover, it is at leastdoubtful whether the germ plasm can be similarly injured by the other agents he mentions, for example, mercury, lead, iodine or, indeed, by anything but radium and X rays. Section four, by Dr. Lenz, describesthe methods to be used in work on heredity. These demanda considerable knowledge of mathematics.


Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are an emerging mechanical energy harvesting technology that was recently demonstrated. Due to their flexibility, they can be fabricated in various configurations and consequently have a large number of applications. Here, we present a study on the influence of the thickness of the triboelectric layer and of the contact surface area between two triboelectrical materials on the electric signals generated by a TENG. Using the PDMS-Nylon tribo-pair, and varying the thickness of the PDMS layer, we demonstrate that the generated voltage decreases with increasing thickness. However, the maximum generated current presents an inverse behaviour, increasing with increasing PDMS thickness. The maximum output power initially increases with increasing PDMS thickness up to 32 um, followed by a sharp decrease. Using the same tribo-pair (but now with a constant PDMS thickness), we verified that increasing the contact surface area between the two tribo-materials increases the electrical signals generated from the triboelectric effect.


Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline purine derivative that closely related to adenine and guanine. Caffeine is used to reduce physical fatigue and to prevent or treat drowsiness. It produces increased wakefulness and focus, improves thought-processing, and better general body coordination. The amount of caffeine needed to produce these effects varies from person to person, depending on body size and degree of tolerance. Hence, it is of importance to estimate the quantity of caffeine present in various types of tea and coffee products. Accordingly, a simple and efficient approach has been done on a variety of tea samples from various places in the southern region of India to understand the quantity of caffeine with respect to the region of cultivation. Among the samples from Nilgiris/ Valparai/ Kodaikanal of Tamilnadu, Munnar of Kerala, and Coorg of Karnataka, the Garden green tea from Coorg (Sample 8 ) is the best in terms of caffeine quantity (2.37%).


Despite remarkable advancements in few-shot generalization in natural language processing, most models are developed and evaluated primarily in English. To facilitate research on few-shot cross-lingual transfer, we introduce a new benchmark, called BUFFET, which unifies 15 diverse tasks across 54 languages in a sequence-to-sequence format and provides a fixed set of few-shot examples and instructions. BUFFET is designed to establish a rigorous and equitable evaluation framework for few-shot cross-lingual transfer across a broad range of tasks and languages. Using BUFFET, we perform thorough evaluations of state-of-the-art multilingual large language models with different transfer methods, namely in-context learning and fine-tuning. Our findings reveal significant room for improvement in few-shot in-context cross-lingual transfer. In particular, ChatGPT with in-context learning often performs worse than much smaller mT5-base models fine-tuned on English task data and few-shot in-language examples. Our analysis suggests various avenues for future research in few-shot cross-lingual transfer, such as improved pretraining, understanding, and future evaluations.


Tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health threat in low TB incidence countries, through a combination of reactivated disease and onward transmission. Using surveillance data from the United Kingdom (UK) and the Netherlands (NL), we demonstrate a simple and predictable relationship between the probability of observing a cluster and its size (the number of cases with a single genotype). We demonstrate that the full range of observed cluster sizes can be described using a modified branching process model with the individual reproduction number following a Poisson lognormal distribution. We estimate that, on average, between 2010 and 2015, a TB case generated 0.41 (95% CrI 0.30,0.60) secondary cases in the UK, and 0.24 (0.14,0.48) secondary cases in the NL. A majority of cases did not generate any secondary cases. Recent transmission accounted for 39% (26%,60%) of UK cases and 23%(13%,37%) of NL cases. We predict that reducing UK transmission rates to those observed in the NL would result in 538(266,818) fewer cases annually in the UK. In conclusion, while TB in low incidence countries is strongly associated with reactivated infections, we demonstrate that recent transmission remains sufficient to warrant policies aimed at limiting local TB spread.


In this thesis, we propose new theoretical frameworks for the analysis of stochastic and distributed methods with error compensation and local updates. Using these frameworks, we develop more than 20 new optimization methods, including the first linearly converging Error-Compensated SGD and the first linearly converging Local-SGD for arbitrarily heterogeneous local functions. Moreover, the thesis contains several new distributed methods with unbiased compression for distributed non-convex optimization problems. The derived complexity results for these methods outperform the previous best-known results for the considered problems. Finally, we propose a new scalable decentralized fault-tolerant distributed method, and under reasonable assumptions, we derive the iteration complexity bounds for this method that match the ones of centralized Local-SGD.


BACKGROUND
Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have been widely used for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. GBCAs or AIS alone may cause the adverse effects on kidney tissue, respectively. However, whether GBCAs and AIS would generate a synergistic negative effect remains undefined.

PURPOSE
To evaluate synergistic negative effects of AIS and GBCAs on renal tissues in a mouse model of AIS, and to compare the differences of these negative effects between linear and macrocyclic GBCAs.

STUDY TYPE
Animal study.

ANIMAL MODEL
Seventy-two healthy mice underwent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) and sham operation to establish AIS and sham model (N = 36/model). 5.0 mmol/kg GBCAs (gadopentetate or gadobutrol) or 250 μL saline were performed at 4.5 hours and 1 day after model establishing (N = 12/group).

ASSESSMENT
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was performed to detect Gd concentrations. Serum biochemical analyzer was performed to measure the serum creatinine (Scr), uric acid (UA), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Pathological staining was performed to observe tubular injury, cell apoptosis, mesangial hyperplasia, and interstitial fibrosis.

STATISTICAL TESTS
Two-way analysis of variances with post hoc Sidak's tests and independent-samples t-tests were performed. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS
AIS groups showed higher Gd concentration than sham group on day 1 p.i. regardless of gadopentetate or gadobutrol used. Increased total Gd concentration was also found in AIS + gadopentetate group compared with the sham group on day 28 p.i. Significantly higher rates for renal dysfunction, higher tubular injury scores, and higher numbers of apoptotic cells on days 1 or 28 p.i. were found for AIS mice injected with GBCA. AIS + gadopentetate group displayed more severe renal damage than the AIS + gadobutrol group.

DATA CONCLUSION
AIS and GBCAs may cause increased total Gd accumulation and nephrotoxicity in a mouse, especially linear GBCAs were used.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 4.


IntroductionFor over twenty years the per-capita consumption of wine in Germany has been stable around 241 (including sparkling wine). In 2011 it was composed of 45% white, 12% rose, and 43% red wine. In recent years, red and rose wines have increased their share (DWI, 2012). As the majority of wine is bought from retailers one can assume that, in general, knowledge of wine and interest in wine are low. Hence, the majority of consumers choose wines with an easily understandable and asymmetric information reducing label (Schweickert, 2001). Thus, well-known well-known varieties and regions are important for the buying decision. As the majority of wine is bought from retailer chains, wine buyers are neither able to taste the wine, nor to receive a professional's opinion. Brands, however, are not very well established today (Hanf and Schweickert, 2014). Germany is a major import market for global brands such as Yellow Tail or Concha y Toro which have made some progress but are still not as successful as in other import markets such as the UK wine market. Nevertheless, many cooperatives as well as wineries have noticed the advantages of having a brand and are thinking about branding (Engelhard, 2012). In contrast, the German sparkling wine market is dominated by strong brands such as Henkell or Rotkappchen. Interestingly, since a few years ago Rotkappchen and Freixenet have been successfully increasing their activities to sell still wines under their brands (LZ, 2012). This might be interpreted as a sign of the increasing importance of strong brands as a means of differentiation.On the consumption side, the German wine market has a volume of roughly 20 million hectolitres. German wine production on average accounts for roughly 10 million hectolitres of wine, whereas roughly 15 million hectolitres are imported. The three main distribution channels are direct sales by producers (19% market share), specialized wine stores (8%), and food retailers with 70% market share (discount chains with 40% and general retailers 30%) (DWI, 2012). An increase in the sales of discounters and retailers has been observed for many years. However, in the last few years, the combined market share has remained stable. Hence, the vast majority of wine is purchased in the distribution channels of retailers (either discounters or supermarkets). Consequently, prices are very competitive; the average price is 2.55 Euro per litre (Hanf et al., 2012). As a result of the fierce retail competition over many years, retailers work hard to differentiate themselves from their competitors. In this context the wine assortment is being used to demonstrate their quality orientation and price fairness (Hanf and Schweickert, 2007). Consequently retail own branded wines gain importance in Germany, e.g. the retail chain of the Metro Group 'real' is offering organic wine under the brand "real-bio".In saturated markets firms develop, differentiate, and position brands and products to target desired buyer groups and to create value (Orth and Malekewitz, 2008). Careful brand management seeks to make the product relevant to the target group. Most importantly, awareness occurs when the brand is not only top-of-mind to customers, but also has easily observable distinctive qualities making it better than the other brands in the market. The distinctions that set the product apart from the competition are also known as the unique selling proposition (USP) (Meffert et al., 2012; Reeves, 1961).The German wine market can be described as very competitive, so successful companies have to create such a USP. Branding, with its prerequisites, could be a means of doing this. A further advantage is that successful branding generates a consumer pull that the brand owner can use in the listing or annual negotiations with their retail customers (Tomczak et al., 2005). Generating listing arguments is of high importance because the largest ten retailers are the gatekeepers to the consumers. …


A dietary supplement protects aging muscle The oxidized form of cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is critical for mitochondrial function, and its supplementation can lead to increased longevity. Zhang et al. found that feeding the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) to aging mice protected them from muscle degeneration (see the Perspective by Guarente). NR treatment enhanced muscle function and also protected mice from the loss of muscle stem cells. The treatment was similarly protective of neural and melanocyte stem cells, which may have contributed to the extended life span of the NR-treated animals. Science, this issue p. 1436; see also p. 1396 A dietary supplement protects muscle stem cells and increases mouse longevity. Adult stem cells (SCs) are essential for tissue maintenance and regeneration yet are susceptible to senescence during aging. We demonstrate the importance of the amount of the oxidized form of cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and its effect on mitochondrial activity as a pivotal switch to modulate muscle SC (MuSC) senescence. Treatment with the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) induced the mitochondrial unfolded protein response and synthesis of prohibitin proteins, and this rejuvenated MuSCs in aged mice. NR also prevented MuSC senescence in the mdx (C57BL/10ScSn-Dmdmdx/J) mouse model of muscular dystrophy. We furthermore demonstrate that NR delays senescence of neural SCs and melanocyte SCs and increases mouse life span. Strategies that conserve cellular NAD+ may reprogram dysfunctional SCs and improve life span in mammals.


JavaScript is emerging as the ubiquitous language of choice for web browser applications. These applications increasingly execute on embedded mobile devices, and thus demand responsiveness (i.e., short pause times for system activities, such as compilation and garbage collection). To deliver responsiveness, web browsers, such as Firefox, have adopted trace-based Just-In-Time (JIT) compilation. A trace-based JIT restricts the scope of compilation to a short hot path of instructions, limiting compilation time and space. Although the JavaScript limits applications to a single-thread, multicore embedded and general-purpose architectures are now widely available. This limitation presents an opportunity to reduce compiler pause times further by exploiting cores that the application is guaranteed not to use. While method-based concurrent JITs have proven useful for multithreaded languages such as Java, trace-based JIT compilation for JavaScript offers new opportunities for concurrency. This paper presents the design and implementation of a concurrent trace-based JIT that uses novel lock-free synchronization to trace, compile, install, and stitch traces on a separate core such that the interpreter essentially never needs to pause. Our evaluation shows that this design reduces the total, average, and maximum pause time by 88%, 97%, and 93%, respectively compared to the base single-threaded JIT system. Our design also improves throughput by 5% on average and up to 36%, because it delivers optimized application code faster. This design provides a better end-user experience by exploiting multicore hardware to improve responsiveness and throughput.


AbstractThe effect of an artificial kidney on the removal of acetaminophen and its metabolites (glucuronide and sulfate) was investigated in six chronic hemodialysis patients. Acetaminophen 650 mg was given orally 2 h prior to hemodialysis. Plasma and dialysate samples were collected periodically over 3 h and analyzed by hplc for acetaminophen content. Dialysis clearance was calculated by arterial-venous difference and simultaneous dialysate measurement. The extraction efficiency of the hollow-fiber dialyzers averaged 47.5 and 43% for the parent compound and the total metabolites, respectively. The mean dialysis clearance of 112 mL/min for acetaminophen measured with blood as the body fluid of reference was confirmed by calculation of clearance using dialysate measurement. A comparable dialysis clearance value of 105.8 mL/min was obtained for the total metabolites. A mean of 70.5 mg of acetaminophen of 11% of the administered dose was removed during the 3-h dialysis period. However, the total metabolites ...


BackgroundPrimary squamous cell carcinoma rarely occurs in parotid gland. Partial, superficial or total parotidectomy as well as radical resection is performed based on patients' conditions. For patients with symptoms of facial nerve weakness or dysfunction, facial nerve preservation is considered justifiably, whereas groundlessly if the malignancy is asymptomatic. We hereby reported a case of symptomatic primary parotid squamous cell carcinoma performed with total parotidectomy and facial nerve preservation.Case summaryWith the complaint of an asymptomatic mass in right parotid gland for five years and it grew aggressively and pricked recent months, a 46-year-old man visited the local hospital two week ago. A biopsy was performed and squamous cell carcinoma in right parotid gland was diagnosed. He was subsequently referred to Tongji hospital in Wuhan, China. Physical exam revealed a scar in the right parotid gland and impaired function of right facial nerves. An immoveable mass was touched in lower and posterior pole of right parotid gland. The mass was about 2.1*3.1 cm without clear boundary, and moderate pain was observed. No obvious enlarged lymph node was touched in right submandibular region and neck. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 1.6*2.4 cm nodular located in a diffuse suspicious mass in right parotid gland. Radical resection of the malignancy was rejected due to the inevitable facioplegia. Considering the short history of tumor aggressive behaviors, unique anatomical structure of parotid gland and absent sign of lymph node metastasis, total parotidectomy with facial nerve preservation and elective right neck dissection were performed. Finial pathological examination confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of right parotid gland. Post-operation radiotherapy was scheduled in the following month. Restoration of facial nerve function was observed in two months later, absent local recurrence and distant metastasis was observed in the three years' follow-up.Conclusion Primary parotid squamous cell carcinoma is rarely observed in clinical and facial nerve sacrifice requires great attention in treatment. Based on carefully evaluation of patients' conditions before treatment, individualized treatment is crucial for improvement of patients' quality of life while completely dissection of the malignancy.


The high temperature thermal transfer through concrete protected by a mineral fireproofing layer is studied. In order to model the thermal transfer, a numerical model has been developed taking into account the thermal properties and the thermal degradation kinetics. To circumvent some difficulties associated with the identification of thermo-physical materials parameters, a reverse method is presented. An iterative algorithm is developed to optimize the temperature deviation between numerical-experimental results of heat transfer. The method stability is firstly tested on simulated signals. Then, the heat transfer through the multi layer sample is studied. Experimental data are registered during laboratory fire tests realized following two types of standard fire curves (ISO 834 and HCM). The intrinsic parameters are calculated with the reverse method and numerical results are compared with fire tests experimental results for each standard fire curve. The obtained results appear very satisfactory and give a validation of the developed method.


type="graphical" xml:id="gpol12201-abs-0002"> The HLPF faces enormous institutional challenges. Its mandate is vast, but its legal authority and resources are highly constrained. In these circumstances, orchestration is the best available governance strategy.


Resonant Rayleigh scattering (RRS) in semiconductors is due to imperfections breaking the symmetry of translational invariance of the crystal: impurities, defects or interfaces. The RRS observed from semiconductor quantum wells (QWs) is mainly due to fluctuations in the lateral two-dimensional potential energy confining charge carriers and excitons. Time resolving the RRS allows us to extract the statistical properties of the disorder potential, including a certain degree of spatial correlation. Furthermore, the temporal coherence of RRS has been demonstrated by interferometric experiments with a single speckle, allowing us to discriminate RRS very clearly from incoherent fluorescence. This lively ongoing field of research has brought about generic fundamental notions readily applicable to spectroscopy of other semiconductor nanostructures or possibly inorganic crystals, which are worth compiling. This paper aims at reviewing a large fraction of the experiments carried out on GaAs QWs, which have contributed significantly to the understanding of the static and dynamic properties of RRS.


We studied the role of subjective and objective symptoms, cognitive impairment in patients in pre-and postoperative period. The data being obtained made it possible to predict the risk of postoperative complications in cardiac surgery patients. Before surgery on the heart it is necessary to examine thoroughly the state of neurological functions and cerebral hemodynamics to assess the risk of perioperative neurologic complications with the use of methods of drug prevention.


Within 4 months of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, more than 250 nucleotide mutations have been detected in ORF1ab of the virus isolated from infected persons from different parts of the globe. These observations open up an obvious question about the rate and direction of mutational pressure for further vaccine and therapeutics designing. In this study, we did a comparative analysis of ORF1a and ORF1b by using the first isolate (Wuhan strain) as the parent sequence. We observed that most of the nucleotide mutations are C to U transitions. The rate of synonymous C to U transitions is significantly higher than the rate of non-synonymous ones, indicating negative selection on amino acid substitutions. Further, trends in nucleotide usage bias have been investigated in 49 coronaviruses species. A strong bias in nucleotide usage in fourfold degenerate sites toward uracil residues is seen in ORF1ab of all the studied coronaviruses: both in the ORF1a and in the ORF1b translated thanks to the programmed ribosomal frameshifting that has an efficiency of 14 – 45% in different species. A more substantial mutational U-pressure is observed in ORF1a than in ORF1b perhaps because ORF1a is translated more frequently than ORF1b. Mutational U-pressure is there even in ORFs that are not translated from genomic RNA plus strands, but the bias is weaker than in ORF1ab. Unlike other nucleotide mutations, mutational U-pressure caused by cytosine deamination, mostly occurring during the RNA plus strand replication and also translation, cannot be corrected by the proof-reading machinery of coronaviruses. The knowledge generated on the mutational U-pressure that becomes stronger during translation of viral RNA plus strands has implications for vaccine and nucleoside analog development for treating COVID-19 and other coronavirus infections.


Original Research Paper Received 14 August 2016 Accepted 06 November 2016 Available Online 18 December 2016 The empirical mode decomposition method is a new technique to obtain constitutive components of a signal. Applicability to all kinds of signals including non-stationary and nonlinear is a main feature of this method. So far, many researches have been done in the literature to eliminate or reduce effects of multiple sources of errors such as stop criteria, end effects and interpolation function. This article focuses on end effects error for which many of the previous solutions have been proposed based on symmetry or similar methods to reduce it. The proposed combined method using auto-regressive (AR) models for short sections of signal edges, forecasts tails of maximum and minimum envelops. Some of the first intrinsic mode functions are initially calculated as a result of AR model application. The methods based on symmetry are then used to continue sifting algorithm for remaining signal that does not have enough extremums to employ AR model. Finally, by executing some examples, more accurate results obtained from proposed method are compared with those achieved from the mirror method. Noise is also added to signal time history in the last example, to simulate a more realistic situation.


In this paper, we shed light on short-horizon return reversals. We show theoretically that a risk-based rationale for reversals implies a relation between returns and past order flow, whereas a reversion in beliefs of biased agents does not do so. The empirical results indicate that returns are more strongly related to own-return lags than to lagged order imbalances. Thus, the evidence suggests that monthly reversals are not completely captured by inventory effects and may be driven, in part, by belief reversion. We do find that returns are cross-sectionally related to lagged imbalance innovations at horizons longer than a month.


OBJECTIVE
To examine a still-image store-and-forward teledermatology system for use in the care of nursing home residents.

DESIGN
Diagnosis and treatment plans made from a teledermatology system were compared with those made from an on-site dermatology consultation.

SETTING
This study involved the dermatologic care of nursing home residents.

PATIENTS
Dermatologic consultations sent to the senior author's office from the participating nursing home were eligible for the study. In a consecutive manner, 29 residents with a total of 30 skin conditions were enrolled.

INTERVENTION
A nurse collected and sent the histories and images using the teledermatology system. A diagnosis and treatment plan was determined by examining a transmitted still image and patient history alone and in combination by 2 to 3 dermatologists independently. An independent dermatologist made an on-site dermatologic consultation within 2 days after the images had been collected.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT
The diagnosis and treatment plans made from the teledermatology system were compared with those made by the on-site dermatologist.

RESULTS
Twenty-nine patients with 30 skin conditions were enrolled in the study. Correct diagnoses were made for 60 (67%) of 90, 51 (85%) of 60, and 53 (88%) of 60 patients given the history alone, image alone, and both, respectively. The correct treatment plan was seen in 63 (70%) of 90, 52 (87%) of 60, and 54 (90%) of 60 patients given the history alone, image alone, and both, respectively. No incorrect diagnoses or treatment plans would have given rise to substantial morbidity. The dermatologists felt comfortable in making a diagnosis and treatment plan in all cases in which they had access to both the image and patient history.

CONCLUSION
This study provides evidence that nursing home teledermatology consults may replace some on-site consultations by offering quality care in a cost-effective manner.


Previous analysis of the particle size distribution of lunar surface material has assumed a log-log particle size distribution. A distribution of this type means that, with no bounds set on particle size, the total volume of particles goes to infinity. If there are bounds set on particle size, the mode will be the size interval at one of the extremes. The author believes that this is a highly improbable size distribution and that a Gaussian size distribution is more realistic. Using a Gaussian particle size distribution and 50 percent porosity, plus a surface irregularity correction, the mean particle size at the Surveyor I site is 9.6μ, and the mean particle size at the Surveyor III site is 54μ.


The mortuary, on the left, that originally had a hawk-and-moon front plaque, was fully carved. The main figure on the support post was a grizzly bear, and above it a killer whale eating a man. The head of the man was upside down, and his arms emerged from the bear's ears. This pole was removed to Victoria in 1957 without the plaque, which had disappeared many years before, and now stands in the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. On the right, this short memorial pole depicted a seated human figure wearing a chief's hat. This memorial pole was purchased by the Totem Pole Preservation Committee and moved to the Royal BC Museum, Victoria in 1957.


Introduction The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is an important treatment option for heart failure patients, protecting against sudden cardiac death. Current guidelines highlight left ventricular (LV) systolic function as the principal measure, for most patients, used to decide which patients receive ICD implantation. Referral for ICD implant is dependent upon recognition of the indication by the patient's physician. It is also recognised that sudden death risk is not solely a function of LV systolic function and guidelines could potentially exclude patients at risk of sudden death. We wished to ascertain how many patients presenting with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias were already known to have an indication for ICD therapy, how many fell outside of current guidelines for primary prevention and, among the latter, what the underlying cardiac diagnoses were. Methods In a 5-year single-centre retrospective study within a large teaching hospital, we used the hospital electronic patient record to identify patients admitted with new presentation of ventricular arrhythmia, who did not have an ICD in-situ. Case-notes were reviewed to identify whether patients already had a known indication for ICD implant and to determine the cardiac background. Results Of 779 inpatient admissions with a code for ventricular arrhythmia, 302 patients were found to have had life-threatening arrhythmia. Of these, 79 had already received ICD implant. The clinical status of the remaining 223 patients is shown in Table 1. After excluding patients with acute provocation (68) and 21 patients with severe LV impairment deemed ineligible for ICD therapy, 128 surviving patients were considered eligible to receive ICD implantation. Among these, 23 patients (18%) had a previously known guideline-based indication for primary prevention ICD treatment, of whom 10 died without leaving hospital (43.5%). 53 patients (41%) had structural heart disease not meeting criteria for primary prevention ICD (Table 2). Conclusions Nearly one fifth of patients presenting to hospital with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia and eligible for ICD therapy already had an identified indication for primary prevention ICD that had gone unrecognised, leading to potentially avoidable deaths. Two fifths of patients had cardiac disease falling outside of primary prevention guideline criteria. More widespread understanding of guidelines for recommending ICD therapy is important for ensuring that this treatment is offered to all eligible patients. This study suggests that current guidelines are unsatisfactory in identifying a substantial proportion of patients who may benefit from primary prevention ICD implantation. Conflict of Interest none


The Favorskii rearrangement is the skeletal rearrangement of a alpha-halogenated ketones in the presence of certain nucleophilic bases, such as hydroxides, alkoxides, or amines to give carboxylic acid salts, esters or amides, respectively. Monohaloketones undergo the reaction to yield derivatives of saturated acids having the same number of carbon atoms. In a similar manner, suitable dihaloketiones produce unsaturated carboxylic acids. Analogous rearrangements of trihaloketones can give rise to unsaturated halo acids. The Favorskii reaction has found application for the preparation of highly branched acyclic carboxylic acids. It is a preferred route to various 1-cycloalkanecarboxylic acids and provides a direct method for ring contraction in simple alicyclic systems and in steroids.

Keywords:

Favorskii rearrangement;
haloketones;
unsymmetrical systems;
symmetrical mechanism;
steroids;
experimental conditions;
stereospecificity


Objectives : In the present study, we investigated anti-inflammatory effects of chloroform fraction of Coptidis rhizoma (CR-C) on the production of inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1) in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. Methods : Copriditis rhizoma was extracted with 80% methanol, and then extracted with chloroform. BV2 cells were pre-treated with CR-C, and stimulated with LPS. The cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay. The production of NO and cytokines was measured by Griess assay and ELISA. The mRNA expression of inducible nirtic oxide synthase (iNOS) and cytokines were determined by RT-PCR. Results : CR-C significantly inhibited the production of NO. TNF- and IL-1 in a dose-dependent manner in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells. In addition, CR-C suppressed the mRNA expressions of iNOS and inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS stimulation. These results indicate that CR-C was involved in anti-inflammatory effects in activated microglia. Conclusion : The present study suggests that chloroform extract of Coptidis rhizoma can be useful as a potential anti-inflammatory agent for treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases.


Research has shown that too many choices can lead to choice overload, causing people to disengage from making any decision at all. Otherwise put: Too many choices can be bad - especially in the context of retirement planning decisions. In such cases, less can literally equate to more. T. Rowe Price, in conjunction with choice expert Professor Sheena Iyengar of Columbia University, examines how participant behavior differs based on the services and investment options that plans offer. Specifically, participant behavior is analyzed in over 110 401(k) plans recordkept by T. Rowe Price. Plans are of all different sizes and offer a combination of Advice and Managed Account (MAs) services, as well as Target-Date Investment (TDI) options. Some plans included all three offerings, while other plans included only one or two. Different combinations of plan offerings are evaluated with regard to whether or not they:• Impact employees' tendency to participate• Affect participants' likelihood of using a particular offering• Alter participants' deferral rates• Change asset allocation mixes of participantsHere is what the research shows:Offering TDIs may positively impact participation. Plans that offer TDIs appear to have higher participation rates than those that do not offer TDIs.Some choice is good for participation. Plans that offer one of the two services in combination with TDIs see a boost in enrollment relative to plans that offer TDIs alone.More choice does not guarantee increased participation. Plans offering two services in combination with TDIs have similar participation rates relative to plans that offer only TDIs. In fact, for plans that automatically enroll employees into a TDI, offering two services is associated with lower levels of participation relative to offering neither service in conjunction with the TDI default.Usage of TDIs is high. When TDIs are offered as part of a plan, TDI usage for participating employees is about 70%. TDI usage is even higher when employees are automatically enrolled in a TDI.Usage rates for particular services and investment options are not cannibalized when offered together in one plan. Plans that offer only services, only investment options, or both have similar service and investment option usage rates.Deferral rates are similar regardless of the combination of services or investment options a plan offers. Plans that make one or all offerings available to participants - Advice, MAs, and/or TDIs - do not show different rates of saving.Asset allocation to stocks and bonds is higher in plans that offer TDIs. Plans that offer TDIs alone, or in conjunction with services, have stock allocations at least 15 percentage points higher and bond allocations at least three percentage points higher than plans that do not offer TDIs.


At the time that the analyses contained in this volume were performed, the avoided energy costs of California's regulated electric utilities were at historic highs and were projected to continue to increase at double-digit annual rates. Since that time, oil prices have slipped, the general rate of inflation has abated, domestic electric power consumption has fallen short of expectations, and a host of other economic elements have shifted in directions which have resulted in substantial reductions in current California avoided energy costs. The question of whether these changes are merely short-term aberrations or represent a fundamental shift in the long-term energy supply and demand balance is beyond the scope of this report. Although the present depressed avoided electric energy prices are not consistent with the projections on which this report's analyses are based, a fact which results in significant discrepancies between the absolute financial returns predicted and those achievable under current circumstances, the comparative results of the study remain valid. The basic thrust of the studies represented in this report was to compare the overall economics of the Gravity Head system with that of optimized conventional binary generating plants. The study is site-specific to the East Mesa geothermal reservoir. Itmore » begins with an analysis of optimum individual well production based on the known characteristics of the reservoir. The limiting factors at East Mesa are reservoir drawdown and maximum practical brine pump impeller setting depth. The individual-well production limit is achieved when brine pressure at the pump inlet is reduced to the point at which CO{sub 2} starts to come out of solution, and fouling and impeller cavitation become imminent. The optimum pumping rate was found to be 1300 gpm (at 360 F density) and required that the Gravity Head pump impeller be set 2,033 feet below grade. The required conventional plant pump setting was 1,887 feet below grade, a depth which is probably at the practical limit for shaft-driven conventional pumps. Using the 1300 gpm, 360 F resource as a starting point, detailed cost estimates and performance calculations were made for the Gravity Head and various conventional alternative well-head systems. The most cost effective of the conventional alternatives was found to be a 700 psi cycle using R114 as the working fluid (actually optimized at 682 psi). That system produced 3,805 kW busbar net vs. 4,995 kW busbar net for the Gravity Head unit. Since both the Gravity Head and conventional binary plant cost estimates for commercially mature units came out roughly equal, it was obvious that the Gravity Head system would produce more attractive financial returns--it became a question of degree. The study is in two parts. In Part I, emphasis is placed on the economic sensitivities of the compared systems to variations in capital cost, O&M cost, avoided energy inflation rates, and brine cost. In Part II, a somewhat more rigorous attempt is made to derive the actual economic performance of the systems under more realistic circumstances with contingencies, cost penalties, and multiple-unit developments added.« less


This reflection explores two loose social formations in contemporary Brazil that offer potentially inspiring political models. One consists of queer, Afro-descended activists invoking quilombos to curate welcoming spaces for community engagement and support. The other is the Primeiro Comando da Capital, or PCC, a prisoner organization that at times has evaded state violence as effectively as some quilombos did in their day. This uneven set illuminates possibilities for social organization that might escape the vicious disciplinary and labor regimes of racial capitalism operative across the Atlantic since the sixteenth century. All have historical relationships to slavery, although very dissimilar ones, and share little else, so the patterns they reveal involve not likeness but iterations of the fact that people beset by state violence seek to evade it, occasionally by struggling to forge what it might help to think of as places without police.


ABSTRACT Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been argued to offer a myriad of improvements in how we work and live. The notion of AI comprises a wide-ranging set of technologies that allow individuals and organizations to integrate and analyze data and use that insight to improve or automate decision-making. While most attention has been placed on the positive aspects companies realize by the adoption by the adoption and use of AI, there is a growing concern around the negative and unintended consequences of such technologies. In this special issue we have made a call for research papers that help us explore the dark side of AI use. By adopting a dark side lens, we aimed to expand our understanding of how AI should be implemented in practice, and how to minimize or avoid negative outcomes. In this editorial, we build on the notion of responsible AI, to highlight the different ways in which AI can potentially produce unintended consequences, as well as to suggest alternative paths future IS research can follow to improve our knowledge about how to mitigate such occurrences. We further expand on dark side theorizing in order to uncover hidden assumptions of current literature as well as to propose other prominent themes that can guide future IS research on AI adoption and use.


The objective of this study were analyze maternal care performedin newborn rooming. It is a descriptive and observational study in a quantitative approach. Interviews were carried out with puerperae in rooming-in at the Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro – UFTM, between October and December 2010. Data were collected through a questionnaire and were analyzed by using simple frequency. 194 women older than 18 years old took part in the study. They were interviewed after 6 hours after labor, during the 48 or 72 hours of internment, in adequate medical conditions. We identified that most mothers provided correct care and nurses were mentioned as advisors on how to take care of newborns during puerperium. The participation of the mothers on the cares to the newborns at the rooming-in and the nursing orientation and help to the mothers' needs, doubts and fears are fundamental.


Modal propagation constants for a magnetic atomic waveguide are obtained by WKB quantization. Propagation of cold atomic beams with Gaussian input transverse profile is simulated with the BPM (Beam Propagation Method). The spatial evolution of transverse monomode and multimode profiles is shown. Multimode Gaussian propagation corresponds to reported experimental conditions.


We studied the host transcriptional response to SARS-CoV-2 by performing metagenomic sequencing of upper airway samples in 238 patients with COVID-19, other viral or non-viral acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs). Compared to other viral ARIs, COVID-19 was characterized by a diminished innate immune response, with reduced expression of genes involved in toll-like receptor and interleukin signaling, chemokine binding, neutrophil degranulation and interactions with lymphoid cells. Patients with COVID-19 also exhibited significantly reduced proportions of neutrophils and macrophages, and increased proportions of goblet, dendritic and B-cells, compared to other viral ARIs. Using machine learning, we built 26-, 10- and 3-gene classifiers that differentiated COVID-19 from other acute respiratory illnesses with AUCs of 0.980, 0.950 and 0.871, respectively. Classifier performance was stable at low viral loads, suggesting utility in settings where direct detection of viral nucleic acid may be unsuccessful. Taken together, our results illuminate unique aspects of the host transcriptional response to SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to other respiratory viruses and demonstrate the feasibility of COVID-19 diagnostics based on patient gene expression.


Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANET) are liable to the Black, Worm and Gray Hole attacks because of the broadcast nature of the wireless medium and a lack of authority standards. Black Hole attack covers the situation when a malicious node uses its routing protocol in order to publicize itself for having the shortest route to the destination node. This aggressive node publicizes its availability of fresh routes regardless of checking its routing table. The consequences of these attacks could lead not only to the broken infrastructure, but could cause hammering people's lives. This paper aims to investigate and compare methods for preventing such types of attacks in a VANET.


Formations rich in organic matter occurred throughout most of the geologic history of the Bohemian Massif. Accumulation of organic matter was connected with basic submarine volcanic activity, with transgressive sedimentary regimes, and with limnic and paralic environments.The largest carbon-rich marine sediment accumulation occurred in late Proterozoic and early Paleozoic time. In these periods, substantial concentrations of trace elements and sulfur accumulated in black claystones, where the metal associations were determined mostly by synchronous volcanicity. In spite of the substantial amount of accumulated trace elements, only subeconomic concentrations of pyrite-pyrrhotite and U-V-Sb-Au mineralizations were formed in association with Proterozoic stromatolites. Subsequently, Cadomian and Variscan metamorphic processes caused substantial remobilization of metals and sulfur in black claystones and produced disseminated gold and uranium deposits. During the emplacement of postkinematic Variscan granitoids, organic matter and some metals were leached from the surrounding low metamorphic, carbon-rich sediments by hydrothermal solutions of deep crustal origin. A typical feature of these deposits is the presence of isotopically light bitumens (delta 13 C PDB = -40.8 to -56.5ppm) and the biological tracers phytane and pristane, indicating a biogenic origin. As a reducing agent, organic carbon (graphite) controlled the localization of Variscan hydrothermal uranium mineralization which occurs in graphitized shear zones in the highly metamorphosed basement of the Bohemian Massif. The crystallinity of the graphitized organic matter decreases sharply in these zones, probably due to hydrothermal decomposition of the graphite lattice. The low crystallinity of graphite and anomalously light isotopic composition of the hydrothermal carbonates in this type of deposit (delta 13 C PDB = -6 to -ppm) indicate that graphitized organic matter was involved in the reduction of uranium-bearing hydrothermal solutions.During the formation of sandstone-type uranium deposits in the carbon-rich platform sediments of the Bohemian Massif, the organic matter of host rocks became oxidized by the action of oxygen dissolved in ore-bearing solutions. This process gave rise to organic polymers similar to humic acids, which reacted with UO (super +2) 2 to form insoluble uranium organic compounds.


The condition and adequacy of the highway is often judged by the smoothness or roughness of the pavement; deficient pavement conditions can result in increased user costs and travel delays, braking and fuel consumption, vehicle repairs and probability of increased crashes. In this study the following processes were carried out: interview sessions with relevant parties, site observations, site pictures were collected during observation, Manual survey of pavement and geotechnical laboratory of road subgrade soil was carried out in accordance to B.S 1377. Road RD5 and RD4 are in good condition, RD1 and RD2 are in fairly good state condition while RD6 and RD7 are in poor state condition. Compaction test using British standard light; maximum dry density ranges from between 1420kg/m 3 and 1722kg/m 3 , while the optimum moisture content ranges between 8.7% and 20.1% , Unconfined compressive strength test ranges between 16.88 kN/�� 2 to 573kN/�� 2 The values of California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of un-soaked soil samples were within the range of 10% and 55%. Result of analysis Ifelodun local Government area shows the subgrade materials under failed and unfailed portion of the roads are suitable. On the basis of finding, the likely causes of failure may be due to inadequate drainage, poor design and construction, poor maintenances culture among others. It has been proposed that failed deteriorated beyond rehabilitation should be completely redesigned and reconstructed to standard, in addition, subsequent drains in Ifelodun Local Government should be constructed with reinforced concrete, and thickness of HMA asphalt subsequently increase.


4 retrospective case-control studies and a retrospective cohort study in addition to an ongoing prospective study of the relationship between contraceptive hormones and congenital heart disease have been conducted. The following observations are reported. No patient with transportation of the great arteries (TGAs) has been found in any VACTERL patient. In the first 100 patients of the prospective study there were no TGAs but there was 1 VACTERL syndrome. An increase of TGAs in 1 retrospective study was thought to be related to exposure in early gestation rather than to specific drug malformation. No unusual increase in TGAs was found in the other retrospective studies. It was thought that a history of drug exposure during pregnancies terminating more than a year prior to taking the history were unreliable especially with missed medication menstrual irregularities and hormonal agents used as pregnancy tests. In the Yasuda study a hypothetical teratogen producing malformations in only .6-1% of pregnancies would have been unnoticed.


The authors prepared YBa2Cu3O7-x(YBCO) samples with large size in c axis by powder melt procession (PMP) and measured Jcc,ab electrically and magnetically. The Jcc,ab of 2*104A/cm2 and field dependence are obtained. The microstructure of the PMP samples was examined. The authors found the sample with fewer normal particles and more apparent cracks in the ab planes had smaller Jcc,ab. The influence of normal particle on crack and Jc and the effect of pinning on anisotropy of Jc are discussed.


Analysis of response categories preference in spatial reasoning test using IRT Nominal Categories Model P. Kveton, M. Jelinek, D. Voboril, H. Klimusova Objectives. The presented study analyzes the preference of response categories in spatial reasoning test. The goal is to enhance comprehension of test behavior of respondents that determines the choice of certain response category in multiple choice items. Subjects and setting. The sample consisted of 2001 subjects (52 % females), who attended entrance exams to Masaryk university, i.e. the Learning Potential Test. Each of the items in the test consisted of one correct answer and four distractors. Five items of the Spatial reasoning subtest were analyzed. Statistical analysis. Using IRT Nominal Categories Model, for each response category conditional probabilities of their preference based on ability level estimate were computed. Results. On the basis of acquired information the authors suggested hypotheses about the roles of distractors in items. These hypotheses were further discussed in conjunction with information from test items reviewers and test-takers, who had the possibility to comment test items through official internet discussion forum. Study limitations. Suggested hypotheses about test behavior need to be further investigated.


This study was done to investigate the histopathological responses of the early phase during experimental Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis infection in white mice. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis strains were isolated from natural cases of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) in sheep. The experimental infection was done by using five isolates. These isolates were confirmed by PCR and they showed different biochemical characters. The experiment comprised five groups of five mice each; inoculated subcutaneously with C. pseudotuberculosis strains and observed for ten days following inoculation. There were different pathogical involvement of the isolates, these included; focal infiltration of polymorphoneuclear cells was seen in liver, lung, spleen, which indicated an acute infection process. Typical pyogranulomas with central necrosis and peripheral mononeuclear cells were observed in kidney clearly. These results illustrate the dual role of granulomatous lesions in chronic bacterial infections.


The study will focus on three northern migrant families in the United States with school-age children who returned to Portugal. The choice to inquire families connected by the continuum historic Portuguese landmark of migration (Casa-Nova, 2005; Matias 2014; Solar & Villaba, 2007) was to (re)collect the shared story of those who come to be simultaneously local and global. They talk about overcoming obstacles, integration and mobility in the "hybrid" society that they dwell and call "home." Telling stories is a natural part of life and all humans have stories about their experiences to communicate to others. The research puzzle focuses on the phenomenon of migration and everydayness family life bound with school. This text intertwines curriculum place with migrant families and school (Amthor, 2013; Gjoaj, Zinn & Nawyn, 2013; Sallaf, 2013; Whitlock, 2007). Metaphorically writing, each individual is an island belonging or urging to (be)long to a place. Skin, a versatile barrier that keeps the brain in touch with the outside world allowing an endless conversation between the inner self and the places we inhabit. According to Whitlock (2007) "place is a curriculum landscape that brings the particularity into focus by allowing us to examine ourselves […]: we can see ourselves as subjects within a particular setting" (p. 46). In this narrative inquiry (Amado, 2013; Clandinin & Connelly, 1991/2000, Clandinin 2013; Creswell, 2008; He & Phillion, 2008; Merriam, 2009), stories assumed different forms that were told, written, drawn, or painted. The stories (Clandinin & Rosiek, 2007) were the milieu that provided the way of thinking about an experience and a (con)text to the production of knowledge. It is therefore important the triangulation of the different field texts sources taken into consideration for the writing of the narrative to reflect the authenticity of the multiplicity of voices heard and words written, as well as the multiple ways of viewing the world. Knowing that the essence of a narrative study is an intrusion in the family's life, the questioning about power related tensions (Ludhra & Chappel, 2011) allowed the researchers to keep co-composed decisions. In this project, the researchers encountered participants that were willing to share their daily school life in the United States and Portugal and keen to find solutions for the challenges that emerged in their family daily life due to migration. We discovered in the individual family stories that the dual role of being a child and, also, a student bound the school ambiance to their family shared story. The major concern of these three families were not the policies on education but the way school everydayness blurred and changed their daily family lives. The key lies in a curriculum that allows each "place" to express itself from a past legacy, inherited through self-cultivation, self-reflective, self-regeneration, creates an "island" of knowledge where the "trees" are information, the "fruit and flowers" are meaning and the "seeds" are wisdom. School is a sum of multiple "places". We should not be afraid to look into a story and ask: "What does it mean to exist within (home)places?"


Two methods for the identification of irradiated eggs are presented. Electron spin resonance (ESR) detects radiation-specific radicals in the calcite matrix of eggshells. ESR gives unequivocal results for doses clearly below the technologically relevant dose. The stability of the radical in the calcite matrix was tested over a period of 6 weeks. Products that contain no or only low amounts of fat but a high percentage of protein can be identified by HPLC. Only in the chromatograms of irradiated samples is a peak of the amino acid ortho-tyrosine present. This HPLC method may be of great interest especially for the identification of irradiated pasteurized liquid egg white.


contrast to teleconferences (N = 7, 7%). The majority of respondents (N = 75, 74%) prefer face-to-face interaction while only 28% prefer web-based learning. Driving distance to programs does not appear to be a major barrier to attendance as 71% (N = 72) are willing to travel > 10 miles. Wednesday (N = 38, 38%) & Saturday (N = 43, 43%) are the most preferred days. Evening (N = 57, 56%) is the preferred time for live programs with the start time of 7 p.m. (N = 48, 48%). Those who prefer Saturday favored morning programs, 30% (N = 30) desired programs two hours in length, & 39% (N = 39) favored a program half-day in length. 64% (N = 65) of responders felt CME credits were either important or very important in the decision to attend a conference. 75% (N = 76) and 37% (N = 37) felt that both content & the speaker, respectively, would most likely cause them to attend a CME activity. The preferences & results do not differ based on years in practice. Unexpectedly web learning is not the preferred method of learning for younger physicians & there is a clear preference for hard copies of materials vs. web-based materials. Conclusion: Despite advancement in educational technology (i.e. web learning, video & tele-conferencing), the majority of respondents still prefer traditional learning formats. CME credits seem to play a significant role in the decision to attend a conference, while the most important factors influencing attendance at CME activities are the content of the program & the speaker responsible for conveying the information.


Context. Envenoming by some species of cobras (Naja species) may include cardiotoxic effects including various dysrhythmias. However, dysrhythmias leading specifically to ventricular bigeminy have not been previously documented. We report a case of cardiotoxicity and the development of ventricular bigeminy following a cobra envenomation. Case details. The patient was a 23-year-old man who presented to an emergency department following an alleged cobra bite. There was transient episode of nausea, vomiting, hypotension and tachycardia. The ECG showed infrequent ventricular ectopics that progressed to ventricular bigeminy and persisted even after the vital signs normalized. Complete resolution and resumption of normal sinus rhythm occurred following an empirical administration of monovalent antivenom against Naja kaouthia venom. The patient was discharged after 24 hours of uneventful observation. Discussion. The patient's concomitant local effects, episodic cardiovascular instability and evolution of ventricular bigeminy support the likelihood of a venom-induced disease. Ventricular bigeminy can develop following a cobra envenomation. Thorough clinical evaluation, close serial observation of vital signs and early continuous cardiac monitoring are important in Naja spp. bites.


The use of chloroaluminum phthalocyanine (ClAlPc) as a donor and C60 as an acceptor in planar double heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells with response extending into the near infrared is demonstrated. X-ray diffraction indicates that under the conditions used in this study ClAlPc grows as an amorphous film. Although the absorption and film morphology show no dependence on growth rate, device performance is optimized at a growth rate of 0.5A∕s, producing cells whose best performance gives an open circuit voltage of 0.68±0.01V, a responsivity of 0.062±0.007A∕W, a fill factor of 0.50±0.04, and a power conversion efficiency of 2.1±0.1% under simulated AM1.5G, 1 sun intensity illumination. This cell also displays low dark current under reverse bias, 2.4×10−8A∕cm2 at −1V.


Toroidal rotation of a tokamak plasma causes an outward major radial displacement of impurities. The physics of this effect is described and the distribution of impurities on a magnetic surface is calculated for the cases of practical interest


Sir/ Madam,
To produce a high impact paper brings us to the question which matters more, a researcher's oeuvre or the materials inside his/her article.Content is the total write-up and context is the theme or message behind the content. One can infer content from the context but not vice versa. In any article, context, includes the title as well as outcomes whereas content includes all, starting from introduction to conclusion part. Context provides a definite shape to the content and this idea or knowledge can be communicated by network of journals. During initial screening, the first thing an editor sees is the 'title' and then the content. If title is catchy, then only it attracts the reader/editor's interest. So, here again the context comes first. However, when higher technologies were used to describe or justify the same context or idea, the paper is mostly accepted by high-tier journal basing upon the content but not context. Now people rarely think the motto or purpose of a journal. There is only a kind of competition between authors for their scientific credits /academic carrier or between editors for their journal publicity. Instead, we should remember that a journal, even high or low impact is only for a medium of communication where ideas from every corner of the world are reaching to every corner of the world. Lastly, there is a message "give priority to new idea/s because if idea is there then content will also come but without context or idea, content is meaningless". Hence, the entire knowledge of ocean can only be filled by our drop by drop of collective contextual contributions.


In the present study, a new two-dimensional hybrid quarter-car model has been developed. The hybrid model takes into account the inertia of the discrete vehicle body mounted on suspension and the dynamics of the rotating tire modeled as a continuous ring. The contact force between the tire and road is defined as a function of the bounce vibration of the vehicle as well as a function of the radial and tangential displacements and accelerations of the tire. The effects of the vibrating system on the contact force are investigated. Three different types of solution are presented: the Galerkin method, the finite element method, and the exact analytical method. Different solutions are used to validate the accuracy of the results. The mode shapes of the center-fixed rotating ring are used as admissible functions in the Galerkin method. In the finite element method, a curved beam is used as the element. The equations are derived in a non-rotating coordinate system. In other words, the nodes do not rotate. However, the material of the ring does rotate by flowing through the non-rotating nodes. The analytical study presents the closed-form solutions of the horizontal displacement and of the vertical displacement of the center of the tire (unsprung mass) as well as the displacement of the vehicle body (sprung mass). This method also provides the radial displacement and the tangential displacement of the rotating ring in the non-rotating coordinate system, all the displacements of the ring being measured with respect to the center of the ring. The results obtained by the different methods are compared and discussed. The natural frequencies of this hybrid system are compared with those obtained for a center-fixed ring. Also the damped frequencies of the system are obtained for different velocities of the vehicle. The mode shapes of the hybrid model are complex because of the rotating tire. Moreover, the response of the hybrid model to the random excitation caused by the road is studied. Results show that the rotation of the tire and the bounce vibration of the vehicle body affect the dynamic forces at the contact point. These results are compared with those of the conventional 2-DOF quarter-car model.


A Kanne chamber has been redesigned to reduce its sensitivity to such contaminants as tritium water vapor and tritiated oil. The high voltage electrode has been replaced by a wire cylinder and the collection electrode has been reduced in diameter. The sensitivity to contamination of the chamber has been reduced by about a factor of 40. The design allows for decontamination of the chamber in place. The improved electronics used is also discussed.


In this paper, we propose a collaboration method of diverse agents each others in multi-agent model and describe a node migration algorithm of Mobile-Agent (MA) using by the metadata of Naming-Agent (NA). Collaboration work of multi-agent assures stability of agent system and provides reliability of information retrieval on the distributed environment. NA, an important part of multi-agent, identifies each agents and series the unique name of each agents, and each agent references the specified object using by its name. Also, NA integrates and manages naming service by agents classification such as Client-Push-Agent (CPA), Server-Push-Agent (SPA), and System-Monitoring-Agent (SMA) based on its characteristic. And, NA provides the location list of mobile nodes to specified MA. Therefore, when MA does move through the nodes, it is needed to improve the efficiency of node migration by specified priority according to hit_count, hit_ratio, node processing and network traffic time. Therefore, in this paper, for the integrated naming service, we design Naming Agent and show the structure of metadata which constructed with fields such as hit_count, hit_ratio, total_count of documents, and so on. And, this paper presents the flow of creation and updating of metadata and the method of node migration with hit_count through the collaboration of multi-agent.


ABSRACT Efficient projective-iterative versions of the finite element method (FEM) are developed to study structures with defects in the form of various breakdowns of continuity and inclusions under elastoplastic deformation. Corresponding numerical schemes are constructed. Used versions of FEM offer a considerable (several-fold) reduction in the time of computation of stress and strain fields in such structures. Schemes of successive approximations that account for plastic deformation are constructed. Developed calculated schemes may be used for simulation of the behavior various actual engineering structures and for diagnostics and monitoring in different problems of maintenance for structures with defects.


The article considers the basic conditions for the implementation for the provisions of decent work as productive employment and labor productivity. Man is the main value of social and labor relations. Global transformations, changes in the social and labor sphere require a rethinking the rules of labor law in accordance with the provisions of decent work, which provide for labor productivity in conditions of freedom, equality, security and respect for human dignity, safety at workplace, social protection of workers, fair earnings, equal attitudes and equal opportunities for everyone. The study concludes that, firstly, productive employment is an external form of implementation of the provisions of decent work, which depends on the state and government agencies that implement social policy. The state creates the starting conditions which allow individuals to be realized, benefiting both the society and the state. Secondly, labor productivity reflects the internal content of the concept of decent work, individual (own) needs of the employee and is realized through the main factors which include: material and technical (promoting the technical progress of the organization and employees); organizational and economic (streamlining of labor organization, optimization of the number of managers and employees); socio-psychological (creating the necessary motivation for the employee). An important motivational factor for the employee is establishing a normal psychological climate in the team, which affects labor productivity and means: non-discrimination; fair, loyal attitude to the employee taking into account professional abilities and benefits in the overall process; proportionality in realism of the set goals and the ability to achieve them; creation of disciplinary guidelines or general rules of functioning of the organization with provisions on stimulation of positive behavior by encouraging methods.


The manipulator design discussed here results from the examination of some of the reasons why redundancy is necessary in general purpose manipulation systems. A spherical joint design actuated in-parallel, having the many advantages of parallel actuation, is described. In addition, the benefits of using redundant actuators are discussed and illustrated in the design by the elimination of loci of singularities from the usable workspace with the addition of only one actuator. Finally, what is known by the authors about space robotics requirements is summarized and the relevance of the proposed design matched against these requirements. The design problems outlined here are viewed as much from the mechanical engineering aspect as from concerns arising from the control and the programming of manipulators.


Recent studies have extensively examined the hypothesis that a higher degree of common ownership relaxes competition. This approach has typically conducted comparative statics analysis based on exogenously given rates of common ownership. This study constructs a simple model in which common ownership emerges as an equilibrium outcome resulting from ownership acquisition. We characterize the equilibrium incentives of institutional owners to acquire common ownership of the firms operating in a duopolistic product market. Further, we explore the effects of common ownership on passive investors, consumer welfare, and total welfare.


The Service oriented architecture Modeling Language (SoaML) is a new specification from the Object Management Group (OMG) that provides support for modelling services. The SoaML specification defines three different approaches to specifying services; simple interfaces, service interfaces and service contracts. In this paper we provide an overview of the SoaML language constructs and discuss the three different ways to specify services. Furthermore, we provide practical modelling guidelines for how the different SoaML service specification approaches can be aligned and used as a baseline for specifying cloud-based services.


Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the third most common genitourinary cancer behind prostate and bladder cancer, accounting for 3% of all adult malignancies (Curti, 2004). It is a highly metastatic and heterogeneous disease with at least 16 histologic subtypes (Eble et al., 2001; Lopez-Beltran et al., 2006), among which clear cell (70-80%), papillary (10-15%) and chromophobe (5%) are the most common (Curti, 2004). Up to 25% of patients with RCC have distant metastases at presentation. Another 50% develop metastases or local recurrence during follow-up, despite treatment of the primary tumor (Thyavihally et al., 2005). The average survival, following metastatic RCC, is about 4 months, and only 10% of patients survive for one year. The global incidence of RCC per year is close to 300000, with a male to female ratio of 3:2 and an estimated mortality of approximately 100000 (Arai&Kanai, 2010; Ferlay et al., 2010). The incidence of RCC has been rising steadily, probably because of incidental findings from imaging techniques performed for other reasons. It can occur at any age, but is most frequently diagnosed in the 40-70 year old group (Eble et al., 2001; Pascual & Borque, 2008; Arai&Kanai, 2010).


In binomial sampling the standard beta is frequently used as a prior due to its conjugate property for a sample from a Bernoulli distribution. This article looks into the case when this prior is a general beta. Practical advantages in the elicitation of expert opinion (to obtain the prior) and a convenient expression of the posterior are presented. A computer program (in double precision) on an IBM-PC (or compatible) permits the simple use of the general beta. This program was used to solve the numerical examples, showing the advantages of using the general beta as a prior. >


Abstract
 Background
 Psycholinguistics or the psychology of language refers to the study of the psychological and neurobiological factors that enable humans to acquire, use, and understand language.

 Objectives
 This work aimed at designing and applying an Arabic Psycholinguistic Screening Tool on a group of native Egyptian students aged 7 through 9, 11 years old, enrolled in primary grade 1 through primary grade 4, and analyzing the obtained results in order to attain a better understanding of psycholinguistic skills in the studied age range and preliminarily study the constituent items of the tool.

 Participants and methods
 The sample in this study included 45 healthy native Arabic-speaking Egyptian children: 25 boys and 20 girls. The groups were as follows: group I (from 7 to 7; 11 years old), group II (from 8 to 8; 11 years old), and group III (from 9 to 9; 11 years old). They were attending regular classes in schools following the Egyptian Arabic National curriculum. The participants were enrolled in primary grade 1 through primary grade 4. Children were randomly selected from a cluster of children reported to be subjectively free from any hearing difficulties, delayed language development, medical problems, and intellectual, social, psychiatric, psychological, or serious academic difficulties. Psycholinguistic abilities for each child were evaluated using the Arabic Psycholinguistic Screening Tool designed in the current study. Tested parameters included oral similarity, morphological closure, proper word and nonsense word repetition, phonological deletion, phonological rhyming awareness and production, spoken and written vocabulary, sequencing events, sight and sound decoding, in addition to sight and sound spelling. The results obtained were then analyzed using descriptive, comparative, correlation, reliability, and validity studies.

 Results
 The results reflected internal consistency as well as the content, construct, and convergent validity of the Psycholinguistic Screening Tool for children aged 7 through 9; 11 years for those items covering oral similarity, morphological closure, proper word repetition, spoken and written vocabulary, proper word repetition, spoken and written vocabulary, sequencing of events, sight and sound decoding, and sound spelling. Although nonsense word repetition, sight spelling, phonological rhyming awareness, and production subtests were found to have convergent validity as well as internal consistency, statistical studies did not quite prove their construct validity.

 Conclusion and recommendations
 (a) The phonological rhyming awareness and production as well as nonsense word repetition and sight spelling subtests should be revised taking into consideration the Arabic educational curriculum applied in Egyptian schools. (b) Further studies should be carried out on the Arabic Screening Tool to study predictive validity on a larger group of children. (c) Studies should be carried out using the Arabic Psycholinguistic Screening Tool on a group of children with learning disabilities to examine its diagnostic sensitivity.


Although, happiness has been evaluated by many researchers, there are very limited studies on happy environment, specifically happy cities. In addition, different methods that have been introduced for measuring happiness by previous studies have several major shortcomings. Firstly, happiness is considered equivalent to satisfaction or the quality of life. Secondly, the majority of these methods are not easy to follow and it is difficult to connect them to design process. Furthermore, these methods support only a limited number of indicators and majority of them are not related to the happy environment. Thus, this paper reviews prominent studies on happiness evaluations and happy environment to identify effective indicators for happy cities. It also attempts to highlight current happiness evaluation methods that consider happy environment to determine how various studies assess cities for happiness. The weaknesses and strengths of different evaluation methods are discussed in this paper to propose a better way to assess happy cities. A systematic review is used to identify indicators for happy cities. Overall, socio-economic factors, environmental factors (e.g., air pollution and temperature), geographical location and facilities management are effective variables for happy cities. This study discusses the challenges in happiness evaluation and attempts to introduce new objectives for futures studies. The results of this study can be used to propose strategies to have happier cities.


Being a rich source of geometric forms, Chinese lattice designs have interested some scholars. With shape grammar and algorithmic approaches, the generation of Chinese lattice designs has been achieved except for that of irregular interdependently structured iceray designs. This paper introduced an algorithmic approach to solve the problem. The algorithm includes crack-track presetting, cracktrack cutting, crack correcting, and bad shape disposing, realized by programming with Grasshopper VB script component.


The Anabaena genus is a model organism of filamentous cyanobacteria whose vegetative cells can differentiate under nitrogen-limited conditions into a type of cell called a heterocyst. These heterocysts lose the possibility to divide and are necessary for the filament because they can fix and share environmental nitrogen. In order to distribute the nitrogen efficiently, heterocysts are arranged to form a quasi-regular pattern whose features are maintained as the filament grows. Recent efforts have allowed advances in the understanding of the interactions and genetic mechanisms underlying this dynamic pattern. Here, we present a systematic review of the existing theoretical models of nitrogen-fixing cell differentiation in filamentous cyanobacteria. These filaments constitute one of the simplest forms of multicellular organization, and this allows for several modeling scales of this emergent pattern. The system has been approached at three different levels. From bigger to smaller scale, the system has been considered as follows: at the population level, by defining a mean-field simplified system to study the ratio of heterocysts and vegetative cells; at the filament level, with a continuous simplification as a reaction-diffusion system; and at the cellular level, by studying the genetic regulation that produces the patterning for each cell. In this review, we compare these different approaches noting both the virtues and shortcomings of each one of them.


Dysregulated macrophage function is implicated in a wide range of disorders. In vitro hydrogel culture systems are often used as matrices to model and explore the effect of various external stimuli on macrophage polarization and behaviour. Here, we show that 3D alginate hydrogels are not "macrophage inert" and instead help to direct the maturation of primary human macrophages towards specific phenotypes. We compared polarization of M1-like and M2-like cells activated on planar substrates or in 3D alginate hydrogels (with or without adhesion motifs (RGD)). We show that culture in 3D alginate systems selectively alters M2 polarisation following activation; cells show a 2.6-fold increase in CD86 expression compared to cells matured on planar controls, and increase IL1β cytokine secretion even in response to an M2-like stimulus (LPS alone in the absence of IFNγ). Our results suggest that alginate materials may intrinsically stimulate M2 macrophages to acquire a unique polarization state (resembling M2b), characterized by enhanced expression of CD86 and IL1β secretion while retaining low IL12 and high IL10 secretion typical for M2 macrophages. This has important implications for researchers using alginate hydrogels to study macrophage behavior in culture and co-culture systems, as alginate itself may induce direct phenotypic changes independently or in conjunction with other stimuli.


Published by Palgrave Macmillan This chapter explores the thesis that the United Nations' (UN) most important contribution to the production of global public goods has been its role in creating the space and capacity to generate shared values. Starting with the UN Charter itself, the chapter traces the evolution of this contribution through different historical phases. It analyses the impact of globalisation on the role of the UN; in particular it identifies the quality of porousness as a product of globalisation which is critical to understanding the current challenges faced by the UN as well as central to the global public goods agenda. Through this lens the author briefly reviews the evolution of the UN's role in the fields of peace and security, human rights and development cooperation. He concludes by identifying eight levers for change that will determine the UN's ability to contribute significantly to the global public goods: the generation of norms and shared values, the quality of leadership, improved governance, innovative financing, institutional realignment, the further consolidation of legal instruments, focus, and the power of networks.


Recently, micromilling process has been progressed to meet the variety of the industry demands in micromolds and precision components. As a result, more and more commercialized micro tools and machines become available during last few years. This paper reviews the recent progress of micromilling technology in last five years. The results in process, machine tools, and micro tool fabrications are discussed.


Hypoxia plays an important role in the development of many infectious, inflammatory, and tumor diseases. The predisposition to such disorders is mostly provided by differences in basic tolerance to oxygen deficiency, which we discuss in this review. Except the direct exposure of different-severity hypoxia in decompression chambers or in highland conditions, there are no alternative methods for determining organism tolerance. Due to the variability of the detection methods, differences in many parameters between tolerant and susceptible organisms are still not well-characterized, but some of them can serve as biomarkers of susceptibility to hypoxia. At the moment, several potential biomarkers in conditions after hypoxic exposure have been identified both in experimental animals and humans. The main potential biomarkers are Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF)-1, Heat-Shock Protein 70 (HSP70), and NO. Due to the different mechanisms of various high-altitude diseases, biomarkers may not be highly specific and universal. Therefore, it is extremely important to conduct research on hypoxia susceptibility biomarkers. Moreover, it is important to develop a method for the evaluation of organisms' basic hypoxia tolerance without the necessity of any oxygen deficiency exposure. This can contribute to new personalized medicine approaches' development for diagnostics and the treatment of inflammatory and tumor diseases, taking into account hypoxia tolerance differences.


In Greece, the management of change in primary science education is perceived as a challenge for school leaders, and policy-makers are concerned that recent initiatives have failed. The research literature on the meaning of sustainable and systemic reform examines patterns of managing change as a means of accomplishing the objectives of learning communities, but how does this match up with the reality of implementing it?
This paper reports on a project to investigate the reform of primary science in Greece, where teachers and local school leaders, though they were not involved in the processes of initiation and planning, were asked to turn it to the advantage of students. The project focuses on teachers' reactions to change: a sample of primary school teachers, policy-makers, school consultants and university ITE tutors were interviewed. The data collected suggest that the Greek situation embodies some typical features of the subjective meaning (as well as the objective reality) of educational change as found in the literature; analysis of results describes the extent to which this was done effectively. Real change, whether desired or not, represents a personal and collective learning experience for the people involved and the most useful insights into the change process often come from close association with practice.


An improved genetic algorithm (IGA) was proposed. It can optimize the proportional-integral-derivative(PID) neural network decoupling controller's connecting weight value, so that it makes the PID controller's parameser to be optimized and realizes the decoupling control of multivariate nonlinearity systems. The IGA is superior to the elementary genetic algorithm. In the PID controller's parameter optimization, the IGA uses less calculations, is more efficient, and faster in convergence. When the optimized PID controller was applied to unified chaoticsystems, good control results were obtained by simulation experimentation, so t was proved that the PID controller when applied to unified chaotic systems wa effective.