A theoretical contradiction between the areas of the optimal pilot-pattern design and the optimal power loading algorithms has been found to exist for proposed NonContiguous Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (NCOFDM) Cognitive Radio (CR) systems. It has been found that the proposed, optimal pilot-patterns specify that the Secondary User (SU) should convert the two sub-channels adjacent to a Primary User (PU) to pilot sub-channels in order to ensure the lowest estimator Mean Squared Error (MSE) attainable. This algorithm has been found to contradict with the optimal power loading algorithm for CR systems should the Pilot-to-Data Power Ratio (PDPR) be greater than unity. The contradiction arises in that the optimal power loading algorithms for CR systems require that, in order for interference to the PU to be kept below an acceptable threshold, the sub-channels of the SU should have less power assigned to them the closer they are to the PU. In this paper, a proof of concept is demonstrated and evaluated such that the lowest MSE possible is achieved while maintaining interference threshold constraints in a simplistic environment. Keywords-Cognitive Radio; Power Loading; Pilot Patterns; Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing.


The article addresses the discursive process of othering in online news discussion forums. It is based on a comparative analysis of data from reader comments in British and Czech online newspapers on the topic of recent Roma immigration to the United Kingdom. Applying the discourse historical and the cognitive-pragmatic approaches to CDA, the analysis identifies several common patterns in the two data sets. The first similarity concerns the central importance of place, with the theme of relocation being very prominent. The second point involves the role that intertextual quotations from popular culture play in activating the commenters' search for relevant, implicitly communicated meanings. Finally, attention is paid to extensive narrativization of reader comments that contain elaborate discursive scripts of othering. It is argued that these strategies not only establish highly polarized collective identity of the ingroup but also postulate an absolute incompatibility between the ingroup and the outgroup. These extreme forms of differentiation appear to be particularly salient in discriminatory discourse involving the Roma.


Abstract Potential interactions between methanogenic archaea and nitrate- and sulfate-reducing bacteria were studied in anoxic incubations of excised rice roots as a model system, by following changes in the concentrations of electron donors and acceptors and in the methanogenic community structure. The relative abundances of methanogenic groups were determined by analyses of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism targeting archaeal SSU rRNA. Nitrate and sulfate amendment both resulted in suppression of CH(4) production. Suppression by nitrate was initially due to substrate competition for H(2) but eventually also resulted in the suppression of rRNA synthesis of methanogens, in particular of Methanosarcina spp., which was most probably caused by toxic N-compounds (e.g. nitrite). Sulfate-reducing bacteria also successfully competed with methanogens for H(2) and retarded the growth (and/or rRNA synthesis) of the methanogenic populations belonging to the hydrogenotrophic Rice cluster I/Methanomicrobiaceae-group. Our results thus show the potential effect of competition and substrate toxicity on growth and/or synthesis of ribosomes in the two major functional groups of methanogens in a natural habitat.


Time-dependent properties of the speckled intensity patterns created by scattering coherent radiation from materials undergoing spinodal decomposition are investigated by numerical integration of the Cahn-Hilliard-Cook equation. For binary systems which obey a local conservation law, the characteristic domain size is known to grow in time tau as R=[Btau](n) with n=1/3, where B is a constant. The intensities of individual speckles are found to be nonstationary, persistent time series. The two-time intensity covariance at wave vector k can be collapsed onto a scaling function Cov(deltat,t), where deltat=k(1/n)B(tau(2)-tau(1)) and t=k(1/n)B(tau(1)+tau(2))/2. Both analytically and numerically, the covariance is found to depend on deltat only through deltat/t in the small-t limit and deltat/t (1-n) in the large-t limit, consistent with a simple theory of moving interfaces that applies to any universality class described by a scalar order parameter. The speckle-intensity covariance is numerically demonstrated to be equal to the square of the two-time structure factor of the scattering material, for which an analytic scaling function is obtained for large t. In addition, the two-time, two-point order-parameter correlation function is found to scale as C(r/(B(n)sqaureroot[tau1(2n)+tau2(2n)]),tau1/tau2), even for quite large distances r. The asymptotic power-law exponent for the autocorrelation function is found to be lambda approximately 4.47, violating an upper bound conjectured by Fisher and Huse.


This report deals with space charge behavior in PE (polyethylene) under dc fields. Direct observation of time-dependent space charge profiles in 3-mm thick XLPE (crosslinked low-density polyethylene) cable insulation under dc electric fields was performed using the pulsed electroacoustic method. Stable hetero charges were formed when the field was as low as 0.2 MV/cm, and intermittent generation of packet shaped space charges and their propagation through the insulation were observed when the field was as high as 0.7 MV/cm. These phenomena were reproduced in sheet specimens of XLPE and LDPE (low-density polyethylene). It was found that hetero charges resulted from heat treatment of the XLPE specimen containing antioxidant and acetophenone, which is one of the crosslinking by-products, suggesting dissociation of the antioxidant through solvation at high temperature by acetophenone. The packet charges were easily detected when acetophenone was diffused into the LDPE specimen. However, uniformity of acetophenone distribution prevented the packet charge generation. It is suggested on the basis of several experimental results that local ionization of impurities in the insulation through solvation by acetophenone takes place assisted by high field and leads to the packet charge generation. A numerical simulation was carried out based on the above model.


The problem addressed is the distributed reconfiguration of the metamorphic robot system composed of any number of two dimensional robots (modules). The initial configuration we consider is a straight chain of modules, while the goal configuration satisfies a simple admissibility condition. Our reconfiguration strategy depends on finding a contiguous path of cells, called a substrate path that spans the goal configuration. Modules fill in this substrate path and then move along the path to fill in the remainder of the goal without collision or deadlock. In this paper, we address the problem of reconfiguration when a single obstacle is embedded in the goal environment. We introduce a classification for traversable surfaces, which allows for coherence in defining admissibility characteristics for various objects in the hexagonal grid. We present algorithms to 1) determine if an obstacle embedded in the goal fulfills a simple admissibility requirement, 2) include an admissible obstacle in a substrate path, and 3) accomplish distributed reconfiguration.


Blowdown events are a major natural disturbance in the central Amazon Forest, but their impact and subsequent vegetation recovery have been poorly understood. This study aimed to track post-disturbance regeneration after blowdown events in the Amazon Forest. We analyzed 45 blowdown sites identified after September 2020 at Amazonas, Mato Grosso, and Colombia jurisdictions using Landsat-8 and PlanetScope NICFI satellite imagery. Non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV), green vegetation (GV), and shade fractions were calculated for each image and sensor using spectral mixture analysis in Google Earth Engine. The results showed that PlanetScope NICFI data provided more regular and higher-spatial-resolution observations of blowdown areas than Landsat-8, allowing for more accurate characterization of post-disturbance vegetation recovery. Specifically, NICFI data indicated that just four months after the blowdown event, nearly half of ΔNPV, which represents the difference between the NPV after blowdown and the NPV before blowdown, had disappeared. ΔNPV and GV values recovered to pre-blowdown levels after approximately 15 months of regeneration. Our findings highlight that the precise timing of blowdown detection has huge implications on quantification of the magnitude of damage. Landsat data may miss important changes in signal due to the difficulty of obtaining regular monthly observations. These findings provide valuable insights into vegetation recovery dynamics following blowdown events.


Results from the June 1998 Combined Ionospheric Campaign (CIC) will be presented. The CIC represents an attempt to focus a large number of different instruments on one interesting geophysical region. One of the objectives of these campaigns is to develop suitable data sets for ingestion into data assimilative models and also to serve as validation sets for these models. The Center for Ionospheric Research (CIR) at Applied Research Laboratories, University of Texas at Austin, has had several computerized ionospheric tomography (CIT) receivers deployed in the Caribbean region since July 1997. Analysis of the CIT data from the first CIC will be presented, and comparison with other data sets will be made. Analysis will initially focus on examining the total electron content (TEC) data from the CIT receivers and ground‐based GPS TEC data and correlating it with other data sets. Subsequently, the analysis will shift to performing four‐dimensional electron density estimations using the Ionospheric Data Assimilation 3D (IDA3D) algorithm developed at CIR. The resulting electron density estimates will be compared with other data sources both for accuracy of the technique and scientific investigations.


A recently developed beta titanium alloy, Ti-29-13, for biomedical applications has been subjected to microstructure examination and tensile test. Band structure is observed both in the as-received and cold-rolled specimens. By EDX in SEM, the band structure is confirmed to originate from the segregation of beta stabilizer. Thermomechanical processings consisting of repeated solution treatment, water quenching and cold-rolling are performed to reduce the segregation. The considerable reduction of the band structure is found in the processed specimen. The elongation at high temperature of the processed specimen is larger than that of the cold-rolled specimen although no difference in the strain rate sensitivity is confirmed between them.


Refugees are more at risk for psychological problems. Around 41% of the Syrian refugees suffer from psychological problems, whereas among the Dutch population this rate is 15%. There are a lot of risk factors known, but there are not that many known protective factors for this particular group. A known protective factor for mental well-being in general is future perspectives, which has also been associated with resilience through traumatic events. Therefore, this study is exploring the following question: How do Syrian refugees in the Netherlands use hopeful future perspectives?
In total, 4 Syrian refugees above the age of 18 have volunteered to participate in this study. They were approached by either their contact person or the team leader from Vluchtelingenwerk. The participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview method. The topic list consisted of events in the past in which they remained hopeful, role models and how they have coped and how they currently look at the future. The analysis of the interview was based on the holistic content analysis, with a general impression, including the impression about resilience and optimism and pessimism, and the themes that consisted of four components of hopefulness from Nunn, namely (1) mastery of the future, (2) purpose in life, (3) future support and leadership, (4) view of future self and trajectory.
The results suggest that having a purpose in life is most important in remaining hopeful, since all participants mentioned this. However, mothers seemed to be more concerned with the future of their children than their own. Additionally, it was discovered that people who are in the mourning process are not occupied with their future. The second component, "view of future self and trajectory" showed that the participants believed language proficiency was the first step to achieve their goals, but there was uncertainty about the following steps. Within the component of "mastery of the future", it seemed most important to cope with adversity and to take responsibility. For the last component, "future support and leadership" only the female participants mentioned that they remained hopeful due to their faith in a God. Lastly, it was hard to recognize the different types of resilience and it appeared that they differed per situation.
A limitation of this study is that there was a limited time span and only one researcher, which could have influenced the results, for instance due to the small number of participants. The possible implications of this study is that refugees are able to have hopeful future perspectives. Moreover, the components of Nunn seem applicable to this, with adding temporarily support and negative role models in the component "future support and leadership". So it appears that this study might be the first step in discovering a suitable protective factor for the psychological problems of refugees.


This article is a longitudinal analysis of the relation between gendered labour divisions and new data processing technologies at the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Following social-constructivist and evolutionary economic approaches, the authors hold that the relation between technology and work organization is a two-way process. This means that technology does not only affect the relations between men and women at work, but that these relations also influence technological choices. The proportional numbers of men and women on the labour market and changing conceptions of which work is deemed appropriate for women have been important factors in the strongly varying extent to which women participated in office work. They have also been important factors in determining the course of technological development. Shortages of women on the labour market have even determined search heuristics for new technological solutions in specific directions.


Background The prognosis of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after resection is at great variance. We aimed to establish a novel prognostic nomogram in facilitating the risk stratification for these patients. Methods A total of 82 high-dimensional radiological and pathological data were analyzed by LASSO-penalized Cox regression analyses and the panels with the best predictive performance were selected. Specific nomograms were established based on the selected panels and were validated in both primary (n=292) and validation cohorts (n=107). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the concordance index (C-index) were used to compare the predictive ability of nomograms and other staging systems. Results The modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) was identified as the prognostic factor for both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The nomograms built on the prognostic factors showed powerful efficacy in survival prediction, with C-indexes of 0.800 (95% CI 0.767–0.833) and 0.752 (95% CI 0.718–0.786) for OS and PFS in the primary cohort, 0.659 (95% CI 0.586–0.732) and 0.638 (95% CI 0.571–0.705) for OS and PFS in the validation cohort, respectively. Compared with tumor-node-metastasis stage, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging score, Cancer of the Liver Italian Program score, and Okuda staging system, the nomograms had significantly higher values of AUC and C-indexes in survival prediction in the primary and validation cohorts. Conclusion Compared with currently used staging systems, the nomograms showed significantly higher efficacy in predicting survival of ICC patients after resection. The nomograms provide new versions of personalized management for these patients.


Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) constitute an important cell population of the bone marrow hematopoietic niche that supports normally hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) but eventually also leukemic cells. The alterations that occur in the MSC under leukemic stress are not well known. To deepen on this topic, we have used an in vitro model of the leukemic niche (LN) by coculturing MSC with an acute lymphocytic leukemia cell line (REH) and proceeded to evaluate MSC characteristics and functions. We found that leukemic cells induced in MSC a significant increase both in senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and in p53 gene expression. MSC in the LN also showed a persistent production of cytoplasmic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a G2/M phase arrest of the cell cycle. Another acute leukemic cell line (SUP-B15) produced almost the same effects on MSC. REH cells adhere strongly to MSC possibly as a result of an increased expression of the adhesion molecules VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and CD49e in MSC and of CD49d in REH cells. Although mesensphere formation was normal or even increased, multipotent differentiation capacity was impaired in MSC from the LN. A REH-conditioned medium was only partially (about 50%) capable of inducing the same changes in MSC, suggesting that cell-to-cell contact is more efficient in inducing these changes. Despite these important effects on MSC in the LN, REH cells increased their cell adhesion, proliferation rate, and directed-migration capacity. In conclusion, in this in vitro LN model, leukemic cells affect importantly the MSC, inducing a senescence process that seems to favour leukemic cell growth.


Incubation of RNA polymerase with poly[d(A-T)n] template results in a binary enzyme-DNA complex. Further addition of the dinucleotide UpA and [alpha-32P]UTP results in catalytic formation of the labeled trinucleotide UpApU until substrate exhaustion. In contrast, incubation of binary enzyme-DNA complexes with ApU and [alpha-32P]ATP results in labeled ApUpA formation to an extent that is stoichiometric with the amount of enzyme present despite an excess of substrates. The occurrence of ApUpA in a stable DNA-enzyme-RNA ternary complex is shown by gel exclusion chromatography, Millipore filtration, and the ability of ternary complexes to support subsequent RNA chain elongation. Radioactivity is not bound to Millipore filters when purified, labeled ApUpA is added to enzyme-DNA binary complexes. Hence, phosphodiester bond formation is required for stable ternary complex formation. The absence of the delta subunit of RNA polymerase or the addition of rifampicin to the reaction before ribonucleotide substrates results in catalytic ApUpA formation instead of stable ternary complexes.


To examine the effects of work stressors on alcohol use and drinking problems as well as a model of stress-induced drinking in Japanese male and female workers, a total of 2581 employees of a computer factory were surveyed using mailed questionnaires. Five psychosocial work stressors, overtime, rotating shift, frequency of drinking, amount of alcohol consumed per drinking occasion, and drinking problems, and depressive symptoms were assessed. The hierarchical linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted in 1043 male and 255 female current drinkers aged 20 years or older. The results suggested that overtime and lack of intrinsic work rewards are main factors for heavy and problem drinking in Japanese male workers and that ambiguity about job future is a factor for heavy drinking in Japanese female workers. However, the model of stress-induced drinking was supported neither in males nor in females, suggesting that the effects of these work stressors on heavy and problem drinking are not mediated by depressive symptoms.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha protein in the subcutaneous and visceral adipose tIssue in correlation with adipocyte cell Volume, serum TNF-alpha, soluble TNF-receptor-2 (sTNFR-2) and indirect parameters of insulin resistance in overweight/obese and lean healthy persons.

DESIGN
A cross-sectional case-control study was used.

PATIENTS
Twenty-eight overweight/obese probands with normal glucose tolerance (BMI>27 kg/m(2)) and 15 lean people (BMI<25 kg/m(2)), all of them undergoing planned surgical operation, participated in the study.

METHODS
Two to four grams of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tIssue were removed and studied using semi-quantitative immunohistochemical staining of the TNF-alpha protein. Serum TNF-alpha, sTNFR-2 (ELISA) and fasting C-peptide (RIA) were measured.

RESULTS
TNF-alpha protein was expressed in adipocytes of both depots. The expression was evaluated visually and found to be greater in the obese patients. Significantly higher serum TNF-alpha (5.58+/-0.87 pg/ml vs 4.21+/-0.55, mean+/-s.d., P<0.01, Mann-Whitney) and sTNFR-2 levels (7.84+/-3.56 ng/ml vs 4.59+/-1.35, P=0.005) were found in the obese subgroup in correlation with the fasting C-peptide level (r=0.49, P=0.003; and r=0.74, P=0.001) and the C-peptide/ blood glucose ratio (r=0.47, Spearman, P=0.005; and r=0.70, P=0.001). The cell Volume of both adipocyte depots was found to have a significant positive correlation with serum TNF-alpha and sTNFR-2 levels in the total group of patients (subcutaneous: r=0.52, P=0.0003; r=0.69, P<0.0001; visceral: r=0.65, P<0.0001; r=0.63, P<0.0001) and in both subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS
Adipocyte cell Volume of both the subcutaneous and visceral fat depots may be determinants of TNF-alpha, sTNFR-2 production and obesity-linked insulin resistance.


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In 2007, three rays identified as Rhinoptera brasiliensis based on tooth series counts were captured in the northern Gulf of Mexico, a region far outside their accepted range of the coastal waters of southern Brazil. Genetic analyses confirmed that these individuals were distinct from R. bonasus , the only recognized indigenous rhinopterid in the Gulf of Mexico. Further analyses of over 250 specimens confirmed the widespread occurrence of two species in the northern Gulf of Mexico and revealed that the anomalous individuals related most closely to vouchered specimens of R. brasiliensis from Brazil. Discriminant function analyses of morphological data identified several potential discriminating characters, but the degree of overlap of the measurements and counts between the two species rendered most impractical for identification purposes. However, the shape of the supracranial fontanelle appeared to be consistently reliable in differentiating between the two species. Tooth series counts ( R. bonasus = 5 to 15, R. brasiliensis = usually 7 to 13) were significantly different between the two species but exhibited considerable overlap. This is the first study to verify the occurrence of R. brasiliensis in the northern Gulf of Mexico; however, the close genetic relationships to other rhinopterid species, as well as the morphological similarity of the group as a whole, require additional research.


The Ir-catalyzed intramolecular reaction of 2',6'-diaryl-2-(hydrosilyl)biphenyls gave substituted tribenzosilepins by direct dehydrogenative C-H/Si-H coupling. This is the first example of catalytic construction of the tribenzosilepin skeleton. Enantiomerically pure tribenzosilepin was prepared by optical resolution using chiral HPLC, and its inversion barrier was calculated by measurement of rate of racemization using the Eyring kinetic equation under heating conditions.


Physicochemical techniques such as γ‐irradiation, membrane disruption by detergents like sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and fixation with formaldehyde or paraformaldehyde are routinely used to inactivate biological specimens from patients and animals infected with Filoviruses and Arena viruses that must be studied in BSL 4 facilities. The effects of these inactivation techniques on the levels of immunologically active proteins like cytokines and chemokines are not known. Therefore, we investigated the effect of several decontamination techniques on the immunoreactivity and bioactivity of the inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β, IL‐6, TNF‐α, IL‐12, and IFN‐γ, the anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10, and the chemokine IL‐8 in biological specimens. SDS (96%–100% reduction), paraformaldehyde treatment (11%–100% reduction), and heat denaturation (75%–100% reduction) were found to decrease markedly the levels of all cytokines and chemokines as measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. In contrast, γ‐irradiation was found to have little or no effect on the immunoreactivity of these cytokines/chemokines and on the biological activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α. Our data suggest that, of the agents tested, γ‐irradiation is the preferred technique for inactivation of biological specimens containing viral agents that require the use of BSL 4 for immunological studies. J. Med. Virol. 59:341–345, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The relation between the scattering wavefunction Psi (r1) and the propagator K(r1,t1 mod p0,t0) is established for a short-range potential by means of the Moller operator. The semiclassical approximation to the propagator provides the usual asymptotic formula for Psi (r1) where the scattering amplitude is substantiated by its semiclassical expression. An extension of this method to include a Coulomb potential provides similar results. The inelastic scattering case is then considered and the excitation wavefunction Psi beta alpha (r1) is expressed in terms of the reduced propagator Kbeta alpha (r1,t1 mod p0,t0). An expression for the excitation cross section in terms of Kbeta alpha (r1,t1 mod p0, t0) is finally obtained.


Piassava (Attalea funifera) fibers subjected to several surface chemical treatments and as-received raw fibers were compared with respect to their thermal and tensile behaviors. The thermal degradation of the raw fibers was characterized by three main stages that corresponded to water release at low temperatures, decomposition of hemicellulose, and decomposition of α cellulose. Mercerization acted mainly on hemicellulose removal, and there was no change in the hydrophilic behavior of the fibers. The removal of hemicellulose split the fibers into microfibrils and favored the thermal decomposition of α cellulose. The same behavior was observed when the fibers were subjected to mercerization and acetylation. The fibers subjected to only acetylation showed thermal behavior similar to that of the raw fibers. With the acetylation treatment, a minor decrease in the hydrophilic character of the fibers was noted. Despite some differences in the thermal behavior, the tensile strengths of the raw and treated fibers were statistically equal. Complementary Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy analysis corroborated the thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermogravimetry results. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011


ISO/IEC JTC1/SC24 are developing a standard for the presentation of multimedia objects, called PREMO (Presentation Environments for Multimedia Objects). PREMO is aimed at application developers who want to include multimedia effects into the applications, but do not want to restrict themselves to model of multimedia documents, which is prevalent in multimedia applications today. This report gives an overview of the current status of PREMO. AMS Subject Classification (1991): 68N15 CR Subject Classification (1991): D.1.5, D.2.0, D.2.6, H.5.1, I.3.2, I.3.6, K.1


This paper explores the relationship between brand image, customer satisfaction and loyalty intention in the context of Zoya cosmetics. This study aims to determine the influence of such dimensions of brand image: functional, symbolic, social, appearance enhance, and experiential on customer satisfaction and loyalty intention in the context of Zoya cosmetics. Data were collected using questionnaire-based survey consisting of 24 questions and distributed to 70 respondents from the consumer of Zoya cosmetics, especially the consumer of Zoya cosmetic who lives in Surakarta city. In order to analyze the data obtained from questionnaires, quantitative methods were employed. The findings discovered that brand image positively related to customer satisfaction and loyalty intention. Finally, the researcher suggest that the findings of this research can be used as reference for the future research in related field, also can be used as reference for the company to build an effective and efficient marketing plan strategy considering the importance of brand image to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty intention.

Keyword: Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction, Brand Loyalty.


It is crucial to properly describe the associating fluids in terms of phase equilibrium behaviors, which are needed for design, operation, and optimization of various chemical and energy processes. Pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) appears to be a reliable and efficient approach to study thermodynamic behaviors and phase transition of complex fluid systems. However, when cubic equations of state (EOSs) are incorporated into single-component multiphase LBM, simulation results are not well matched with experimental data. This study presents the utilization of cubic-plus-association (CPA) EOS in the LBM structure to obtain more accurate modeling results for associating fluids. An approach based on the global search optimization algorithm is introduced to find the optimal association parameters of CPA EOS for water and primary alcohols in the lattice units. The thermodynamic consistency is verified by the Maxwell construction and is also improved by the forcing scheme of [Q. Li, K. H. Luo, and X. J. Li, Phys. Rev. E 86, 016709 (2012)10.1103/PhysRevE.86.016709]. The spurious velocity is reduced with increasing isotropy in the gradient operator. Furthermore, an extended version of CPA EOS is introduced, which increases the system stability at low reduced temperatures. There is a very good match between the LBM results and experimental data, confirming the reliability of the model developed in the present study. The introduced approach has potential to be employed for simulating transport phenomena and interfacial characteristics of associating fluids in porous systems.


The Authors' reply: We naturally agree with Mr Hutchison that the overall relationships between acid and basic rocks are very different in orogenic zones from what they are in non-orogenic regions. We never maintained that the process of magma-production was the same for both; nor did we intend our diagram showing a possible situation in which a net-veined intrusion, a composite dyke, and a composite lava flow might originate to have any relevance to the production of syntectonic granites or batholiths with satellitic basic bodies. By our remark that we 'did not believe that the tectonic level was as important as Dr Bishop believed' (Blake et al. 1965, p. 45) we meant that, in our opinion, certain detailed relationships at the level represented by the igneous complex of Guernsey should not have to be given a different significance from similar detailed relationships in complexes that formed at higher levels. Specifically, we are convinced that granitic pipes in basic diorite occurring in Guernsey formed in the same way as granitic pipes in dolerite at Slieve Gullion; and that a net-veined complex in Guernsey in which the host diorite shows a progressive reduction of its grain-size against the veins was formed in the same way as certain high-level net-veined complexes having this and other features in common with it. We think that the finer-grained margins mean the same thing at the two levels. It is not clear to us what are the too-broad generalizations that Mr Hutchison says we have been tempted


This study provides the results of a 22-month project to research whether web technology can be used to provide the lay public with quality-assured, evidence-based journal literature previously only available to health care professionals. The study documents the development of the demonstrator product and the results of its trial and evaluation, using action research methodologies, in selected public libraries and health information points in the UK. The literature review provides the context for the development of the provision of health information for the lay public and considers the issues surrounding the provision of e-journals. The study also provides an assessment of the potential requirements for a viable future web-based resource to provide consumers with the full text of quality-assured health information selected from journals used by health care professionals.


In this study the personal life and professional career of Zsuzsanna Kossuth, the youngest sister of Lajos Kossuth, is discussed based on primary and secondary sources with special emphasis on her physical and emotional journey into exile, where she was surrounded by both Hungarian emigres and American intellectuals. By the time she arrived in the United States in 1853, her personal life had been full of ups and downs: she had lost her husband and baby son within a year of each other, spent months in prison twice and had become sick, with only a cough initially, then pneumonia and finally "pulmonary affections." In spite of the many setbacks she suffered, Kossuth also stands apart for the unusual reason that she had a career: in April, 1849, during the Hungarian War of Independence, she was appointed the Chief Nurse of camp hospitals. Although she has not become as famous as Florence Nightingale, viewed as the founder of modern nursing, Zsuzsanna Kossuth organized seventy-two camp hospitals and a network of volunteer nurses five years previous to the Crimean War. The year 2017 was dedicated in Hungary to her memory commemorating the bicentenary of her birth in particular and to the profession of nursing in general. Her legacy should be promoted globally.


Healthcare costs are spiraling out of control, a burden heavily felt by the general public, employers and the government. In the healthcare field, we are doing a dismal job at preventing disease and promoting active lifestyles; testimony to this is the fact that obesity rates have doubled in the last 30 years alone. Countless online health information systems exist, but their impact on behavior change or health promotion is often negligible. The health and wellness market makes over $66 billion dollars in sales every year, but the majority of this is not for services or education. Healthism is our signature web app where users can learn how to prevent major diseases through simple health questionnaires, promote personal wellness, facilitate lifestyle changes and interact with community health resources through a social networking platform linked with Facebook and Twitter. Our team has created a solution which emphasizes user-based design principles to provide a truly unique and secure interactive social experience, placing the user in charge of their own health within an online "community of health." We also push the envelope with a one-of-a-kind e-mail/SMS/voice-based system for the tracking of health and wellness goals. Our potential customers include the general public, businesses seeking affordable employee wellness programs, and health providers seeking a licensed solution to promote health to their customers. Using a unique "health marketplace" system we are able to provide geo-localized, contextual advertisements for health-related products which will help our users reach their personal health and wellness goals. As we learn more about our users through their interaction with site content, these recommendations and advertisements become more relevant, personalized and effective. Our highly motivated management team is led by myself, Damon Ramsey, a family doctor, IT innovator, and web programmer. Direction and inspiration is provided by Dr. Zamanzadeh who is a world renowned scientist and inventor holding 21 patents. Business expertise is provided by Carolyn Tome, a CPA and expert financial advisor. Our "dream team" is ready to redefine medicine through technology by encouraging prevention of disease and promotion of active lifestyles like it has never been done before. Come join us for our interactive presentation where we will officially demo and launch the Healthism web application for the first time. []


Several constraints and opportunities underpin the future possibilities for mobile learning technologies and applications at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Drawing on the work of Virilio (1986; Virilio & Lotringer, 1983), the authors analyse a focus group with five Faculty of Education academics as a microcosm of implications for broader policies and strategies at the university. These policies and strategies will not be effective without imaginative and sustained engagement with mobile learning pedagogies at both institutional and individual levels.


IRVING HEXHAM Tracing the rise and fall of racism among evangelical missionaries, Professor Hexham shows us that there are no categories that neatly fit the evidence and no answers to the questions that such a study provokes. However it is important for us with historical hindsight to ponder the racism of the 19th century in view of the fact that we still live with its effects.


The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC, United Nations General Assembly, 1989) is a transformative document which has already improved the lives of millions of young people worldwide. Ratified into law by the majority of the countries of the world, it is the first human rights treaty focusing specifically on the rights of individuals under 18 years of age. The rights described in the treaty, however, are often seen as more important for younger children than for adolescents. This policy statement reviews the germane research on the period of adolescence and affirms that the protections and entitlements in the CRC are as important for adolescents as for younger children. Recommendations for policy and research are included.


Aim: To perform a comprehensive phenotype-genotype correlation of all rare variants in Triadin leading to malignant arrhythmias in pediatrics. Methods: Triadin knockout syndrome is a rare entity reported in pediatric population. This syndrome is caused by rare variants in the TRDN gene. Malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death can be a primary manifestation of disease. Although pharmacological measures are effective, some patients require an implantable defibrillator due to high risk of arrhythmogenic episodes. Main Results: Fourteen rare genetic alterations in TRDN have been reported to date. All of these potentially pathogenic alterations are located in a specific area of TRDN, highlighting this hot spot as an arrhythmogenic gene region. Conclusions: Early recognition and comprehensive interpretation of alterations in Triadin are crucial to adopt preventive measures and avoid malignant arrhythmogenic episodes in pediatric population.


A review is presented of data and theoretical interpretations of the nuclear dependence of quark and antiquark distributions as observed in the deep inelastic scattering of neutrinos and charged leptons from nuclei. After a summary of the experimental situation and a survey of proposed explanations, I concentrate on interpretations in terms of conventional nuclear physics and on the Q2-rescaling approach. The review concludes with a list of desirable future experiments.


Nuclear receptors (NR) are ligand-modulated transcription factors that play diverse roles in cell differentiation, development, proliferation, and metabolism and are associated with numerous liver pathologies such as cancer, steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, cholestasis, and xenobiotic/drug-induced liver injury. The network of target proteins associated with NRs is extremely complex, comprising coregulators, small noncoding microRNAs, and long noncoding RNAs. The importance of NRs as targets of liver disease is exemplified by the number of NR ligands that are currently used in the clinics or in clinical trials with promising results. Understanding the regulation by NR during pathophysiological conditions, and identifying ligands for orphan NR, points to a potential therapeutic approach for patients with liver diseases. An overview of complex NR metabolic networks and their pharmacological implications in liver disease is presented here.


A sensitive immunohistochemical procedure was used to investigate the presence of prion protein (PrP) in the ileal Peyer's patch of PrP-genotyped lambs, including scrapie-free lambs and lambs naturally and experimentally exposed to the scrapie agent. The tyramide signal amplification system was used to enhance the sensitivity of conventional immunohistochemical procedures to show that PrP was widely distributed in the enteric nervous plexus supplying the gut wall. In scrapie-free lambs, PrP was also detected in scattered cells in the lamina propria and in the dome and interfollicular areas of the Peyer's patch. In the follicles, staining for PrP was mainly confined to the capsule and cells associated with vascular structures in the light central zone. In lambs naturally exposed to the scrapie agent, staining was prominent in the dome and neck region of the follicles and was also found to be associated with the follicle-associated epithelium. Similar observations were made in lambs that had received a single oral dose of scrapie-infected brain material from sheep with a homologous and heterologous PrP genotype 1 and 5 weeks previously. These studies show that the ileal Peyer's patch in young sheep may be an important site of uptake of the scrapie agent and that the biology of this major gut-associated lymphoid tissue may influence the susceptibility to oral infection in sheep. Furthermore, these studies suggest that homology or heterology between PrP genotypes or the presence of PrP genotypes seldom associated with disease does not impede uptake of PrP.


The influence of annealing at 1000 °C on the absorption and luminescence spectra of chromium in aluminosilicate and gallium silicate fibers at temperatures of 77 and 300 K is investigated. The spectra of initially weak luminescence with a maximum at 1100 nm and a quantum yield of approximately 10-5 at 300 K shift to the 790–880-nm range in annealed fibers. After annealing the quantum yield increases by as much as 10%. The luminescence lifetime is found to be approximately 20 μs. The luminescence changes are explained by a rearrangement of the nearest environment and recharge of chromium ions (Cr4+ to Cr3+). The results obtained hold promise for the creation of tunable and ultrashort pulse fiber lasers.


There are many emerging eScience applications. More and more scientists want to collaborate on their investigation with international partners without space limitation by using these applications. Since these applications have to analyze the massive raw data, scientists need to send and receive the data in short time. Most of applications use TCP for data transfer. But TCP was designed under low bandwidth network, therefore, general TCP, for example Reno TCP, cannot utilize the whole bandwidth of high capacity network. There are several TCP variants to solve TCP problems related to high speed networking. They can be classified into two groups: loss based TCP and delay based TCP. In this paper, I will compare two approaches of TCP variants and propose a hybrid approach for high speed networking


The expansion of water-intensive industrial activities and the impacts of climate change are jeopardising the sufficiency of safe drinking water in several Southeast Asian countries. One is Viet Nam, where geogenic arsenic contamination further limits the availability of freshwater resources with a simultaneous increase in water demand. Innovative and sustainable water treatment technologies are required to meet these challenges. Equally, we assume that the provision of safe drinking water requires tailored business models (BMs). In this study, we focus on the key stakeholders and framework conditions to design tailored BMs providing safe drinking water to the low-income and middle-income population in Viet Nam. We consider decentralised technologies to be suitable due to their lower investment costs for implementation and the avoidance of strong path dependencies. We therefore conducted a literature review and interviews with international experts in the domain of decentralised water treatment technologies. Our results show that relevant aspects include a lack of financial resources, specific characteristics associated with Vietnamese culture, e.g. the importance of relationships and trust in the business domain, lack of education and vocational training, market saturation suggesting co-operation with existing water suppliers, lack of suitable partners, and deficiencies in the institutional environment.


Summary
1Litter decomposition can be limited by nitrogen or phosphorus, but conditions under which either nutrient is limiting remain uncertain. We investigated whether this depends on nutrient limitation during plant growth, on N : P ratios of the litter, or on activities of C-, N- and P-mineralizing enzymes.
2Nine herbaceous species were grown at N : P supply ratios (N : Ps) of 5–160 (mass-based). Fresh leaf litter was incubated in the laboratory for 5–10 weeks, partly with N or P fertilization, to determine mass loss and activities of extracellular enzymes.
3Both plant growth and litter decomposition were N-limited for plants grown at N : Ps   22 always had P-limited decomposition.
4The activities of β-glucosidase, chitobiase and phosphatase differed widely among species but were poorly related to litter nutrient concentrations and mass loss. Within some species, phosphatase activity increased towards high litter N : P ratios, suggesting P limitation of decomposers.
5We conclude that there is no unique critical N : P ratio discriminating between N- and P-limited decomposition because this critical N : P ratio is species-dependent and may also depend on the physical conditions under which plants were grown.


There is a more consanguineous relation between nano-scale deformation of coal structure and metamorphic-deformed environment. In different metamorphic-deformed environments, deformation in the coal structure can occur not only at micro-scale, but also at nano-scale, and even leads to the change of molecular structure and nano-scale pore (< 100 nm) structure. The latter is the main space absorbing coalbed methane. Through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and liquid—nitrogen absorption methods, the characteristics of macromolecular and nano-scale pore structures of coals in different metamorphic-deformed environments and deformational series of coals have been studied. By combining with high-resolution transmission electron microcopy (HRTEM), the macromolecular and nano-scale pore structures are also directly observed. These results demonstrate that the stacking Lc of the macromolecular BSU in tectonic coals increases quickly from the metamorphic-deformed environment of low rank coals to that of high rank coals. For different deformed tectonic coals, in the same metamorphic-deformed environment, the difference of Lc is obvious. These changes reflect chiefly the difference of different temperature and stress effect of nano-scale deformation in tectonic coals. The factor of temperature plays a greater role in the increase of macromolecular structure parameters Lc, the influence of stress factor is also important. With the stress strengthening, Lc shows an increasing trend, and LaLc shows a decreasing trend. Therefore, Lc and LaLc can be used as the indicator of nano-scale deformation degree of tectonic coals. With increasing temperature and pressure, especially oriented stress, the orientation of molecular structure becomes stronger, and ordering degree of C-nets and the arrangement of BSU are obviously enhanced. For the deformation of nano-scale pore structure, in the same metamorphic-deformed environment, along with the strengthening of stress, the ratio of mesopores to its total pores volume of tectonic coals reduces to a large extent, the ratio of volume of micropores and the pores whose diameters are lower than micropores increases, and sub-micropores and ultra-micropores can be found. Moreover, the ratio of specific surface area of mesopores to its total pores reduces rapidly while the amount of sub-micropores increases more quickly. The ductile structure coal has a change in pore parameters similar to that of weak brittle deformation. There are differences in the deformation and evolution of nano-scale pore structure of different kinds of tectonic coals formed in different metamorphic-deformational environments. In short, temperature and confining pressure play some role in the change of nano-scale pore structure parameters, whereas stress has important influence on the evolution of characteristic parameters in nano-scale pore structure of tectonic coals.


Whiteness studies are trans-disciplinary, but here the focus is principally on sociology and social history. Firstly, I identify, elucidate and synthesize the major ways in which whiteness in this literature has hitherto been problematized, to provide a sociological view of the multidisciplinary work so far. Five interpretations are identified; whiteness as absence, as content, as a set of norms, as resources and as a contingent hierarchy. Secondly, I make some proposals regarding the whiteness problematic's degree of pertinence to European settings, with a brief discussion of the Irish case. Finally, I argue that whiteness is useful if conceptualized in a way that sets it within the parameters of studies of racism.


Pancreatitis caused by foreign bodies is exceptionally rare. It has been described: needles, surgical clips, sutures, belt buckles, toothpicks, spines of fish, chicken feathers and bezoars. This is the first case reported in world literature caused by a match ("cerillo"). A 73-year-old women, admitted with the diagnostic of severe necrotizing pancreatitis, APACHE score 12, during 36 hours following the admission she developed refractory hypotension, acute renal failure and finally died. The necropsy showed: extensive necrosis that compromise the whole pancreas and a match impacted in the duct of Wirsung. Microscopic evaluation revealed coagulative parenchymal necrosis, micro abscesses and a dense accumulation of acute inflammatory cells surrounding the match.


Seliciclib (CYC202, R-roscovitine) is a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor that competes for the ATP binding site on the kinase. It has greatest activity against CDK2/cyclin E, CDK7/cyclin H, and CDK9/cyclin T. Seliciclib induces apoptosis from all phases of the cell cycle in tumor cell lines, reduces tumor growth in xenografts in nude mice and is currently in phase II clinical trials. This study investigated the mechanism of cell death in multiple myeloma cells treated with seliciclib. In myeloma cells treated in vitro, seliciclib induced rapid dephosphorylation of the carboxyl-terminal domain of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II. Phosphorylation at these sites is crucial for RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription. Inhibition of transcription would be predicted to exert its greatest effect on gene products where both mRNA and protein have short half-lives, resulting in rapid decline of the protein levels. One such gene product is the antiapoptotic factor Mcl-1, crucial for the survival of a range of cell types including multiple myeloma. As hypothesized, following the inhibition of RNA polymerase II phosphorylation, seliciclib caused rapid Mcl-1 down-regulation, which preceded the induction of apoptosis. The importance of Mcl-1 was confirmed by short interfering RNA, demonstrating that reducing Mcl-1 levels alone was sufficient to induce apoptosis. These results suggest that seliciclib causes myeloma cell death by disrupting the balance between cell survival and apoptosis through the inhibition of transcription and down-regulation of Mcl-1. This study provides the scientific rationale for the clinical development of seliciclib for the treatment of multiple myeloma.


The traditional way of reducing electron reflection at metal surfaces is by the deposition of a layer of soot. The reflection coefficient for incident electron energies of less than 24 eV on such soot-covered surfaces has been measured and compared with surfaces coated with colloidal graphite. For electrons of <10 eV the reflection on graphite is about five times larger than on soot. The reflection of visible light on these surfaces suggests that the micro-geometry of covered surfaces is a controlling factor in the reflection of slow electrons.


Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) single unit monomer insertion (SUMI) of β-methylstyrene derivatives into diverse RAFT agents presented fast reaction kinetics, but significant degradation of the SUMI products occurred due to a hydrogen abstraction reaction. Fortunately, such degradation can be suppressed through appropriate design of initial RAFT agents attributed to effective chain transfer and selective photoactivation.


ABSTRACT Ambrosia beetles farm fungal cultivars (ambrosia fungi) and carry propagules of the fungal mutualists in storage organs called mycangia, which occur in various body parts and vary greatly in size and complexity. The evolution of ambrosia fungi is closely tied to the evolution and development of the mycangia that carry them. The understudied ambrosia beetle tribe Xyloterini included lineages with uncharacterized ambrosia fungi and mycangia, which presented an opportunity to test whether developments of different mycangium types in a single ambrosia beetle lineage correspond with concomitant diversity in their fungal mutualists. We collected representatives of all three Xyloterini genera (Trypodendron, Indocryphalus, and Xyloterinus politus) and characterized their ambrosia fungi in pure culture and by DNA sequencing. The prothoracic mycangia of seven Trypodendron species all yielded Phialophoropsis (Microascales) ambrosia fungi, including three new species, although these relationships were not all species specific. Indocryphalus mycangia are characterized for the first time in the Asian I. pubipennis. They comprise triangular prothoracic cavities substantially smaller than those of Trypodendron and unexpectedly carry an undescribed species of Toshionella (Microascales), which are otherwise ambrosia fungi of Asian Scolytoplatypus (Scolytoplatypodini). Xyloterinus politus has two different mycangia, each with a different ambrosia fungus: Raffaelea cf. canadensis RNC5 (Ophiostomatales) in oral mycangia of both sexes and Kaarikia abrahamsonii (Sordariomycetes, genus incertae sedis with affinity for Distoseptisporaceae), a new genus and species unrelated to other known ambrosia fungi, in shallow prothoracic mycangia of females. In addition to their highly adapted mycangial mutualists, Trypodendron and X. politus harbor a surprising diversity of facultative symbionts in their galleries, including Raffaelea. A diversity of ambrosia fungi and mycangia suggest multiple ancestral cultivar captures or switches in the history of tribe Xyloterini, each associated with unique adaptations in mycangium anatomy. This further supports the theory that developments of novel mycangium types are critical events in the evolution of ambrosia beetles and their coadapted fungal mutualists.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze technology-related librarian advertisements to examine the changing role of the systems librarian in today's modern, technology-filled libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examined 70 advertisements for technology-focused librarians posted on ALA's JobList in 2014. The ads were examined for area of focus and required knowledge and experiences.

Findings

The ads revealed three main areas of focus: traditional systems, digital initiatives, and web services. In addition to traditional computer and library systems skills, employers were seeking candidates with project management, digital collection, customer service, technology implementation, and problem solving skills and experience.

Practical implications

This study highlights how the adoption and expansion of library technology has altered the roles and responsibilities of systems librarians. Instead of solely focusing on maintaining library databases and ILSs, technology librarians have branched out and become more integrated within the library.

Originality/value

This study has implications for those entering the library field and LIS programs, as well as gaining insight into the expanding role of technology librarians today's library.


SURFACE TREATMENT SYSTEM AND EXTERIOR INSULATION COVERING MATERIAL (28) LEAKY INSULATION AIR, which is disposed between a layer (20) BLOCKING THE AIR AND A COATING (29,30,31) EXTERIOR. A portion (35) of an edge (32) of material (38) DUCT RESTS freeform, to allow the inrush current air to enter and exit THERMAL INSULATION AND THEREFORE WILL GET A BALANCED PRESSURE ACROSS EXTERIOR COATING.


Abstract Introduction: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a very common chronic disease, yet often overlooked by healthcare providers. Education of physicians may have a positive impact on better recognition and treatment of patients with CVI. Material and Methods: During the one year period (2011), we conducted a series of specialized courses on CVI for physicians in the South Bačka region. Before and after each course, the attendants were asked to complete entry and exit tests. During two three-year periods, before and after the education courses (2008 - 2010, and 2012 - 2014), data on hospital morbidity and number of patients with CVI, examined by physicians in general practice and in dermatological outpatient facilities in South Bačka region, Province of Vojvodina, were gathered and analyzed. Results: In the period 2008 - 2010, a total of 1.128 patients were hospitalized due to CVI with an average length of stay of 6.42 days. In the period 2012 - 2014, 1.296 patients were hospitalized and the average length of stay was 3.76 days. The number of hospitalizations increased in second period by 14.89%, and the average length of stay decreased by 41.43%. In the period 2008 - 2010, the total number of patients with CVI in the general practice was 13.624 and in the second period 14.931 patients. The number of examinations increased by 9.59%. In the period 2008 - 2010, there were 1.094 patients with CVI in dermatological outpatient facilities, and 1.165 patients in the second period,. A slight increase of 6.09% was noticed. After analyzing the entry and exit test results, on average, there were 7.35 correct answers in the entry test, and 8.89 correct answers in the exit test. An increase in knowledge by 20.95% was established. Conclusion: Education of physicians in primary and secondary health care facilities may have a positive impact on early diagnosis and better treatment of patients with CVI.


Introduction It is generally accepted that chromaffin cells release their contents by both exocytosis and piecemeal degranulation (PMD). Bronchial asthma and dexamethasone treatment might alter this secretory activity. Objective This study was designed to shed light on secretory activity in the normal adult rat chromaffin cells, in rats subjected to bronchial asthma and after treatment with dexamethasone. Materials and methods Rats were divided into three equal groups at random: group A (control), group B (asthmatic rats), and group C (dexamethasone-treated asthmatic rats). In rats of group B, the chronic asthma model was established by an intraperitoneal injection and challenge with ovalbumin. In group C, the rats were pretreated with dexamethasone before each challenge. Serum epinephrine and norepinephrine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was examined for the total leukocytic count and paraffin sections from the lung were stained with H&E. Specimens of the adrenal medulla were examined by transmission electron microscope and were morphometrically analyzed. Results Significant decreases in serum epinephrine and norepinephrine levels were recorded in asthmatic rats and corrected after dexamethasone treatment. The total numbers of adrenaline and noradrenaline granules were significantly lower in asthmatic rats. Features of PMD manifested as tail-like projections, altered granules with eroded contents, partially empty granules, large completely empty containers, and small cytoplasmic vesicles were observed in control rats and were augmented in rats subjected to chronic asthma. Conclusions Augmented features of PMD and biochemical changes in the conditions of chronic asthma could be corrected by dexamethasone treatment.


The automation of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) in 2008, among other reforms, was expected to improve the effi ciency of the market. The extent of this truism has, however, not been empirically established for the GSE. In this study, we attempt to assess the impact of the automation on the effi ciency of the GSE within the framework of the weak-form Effi cient Market Hypothesis (EMH) based on the before and after approach. The study was done both at the aggregate and micro-level. The aggregate result showed that automation of the exchange did not improve the overall effi ciency of the exchange. However, there is evidence that the number of market participants involved in the exchange has increased in the post-automation era. The results of the impact of the automation on the effi ciency of the microstructure are, however, mixed. Generally, the rejection of the null hypothesis under homoscedasticity was found to be robust to heteroscedasticity for some fi rms, but the reverse was the case for other fi rms. This implies that the rejection of the null hypothesis under homoscedasticity is due to both heteroscedasticity and serial correlation. Based on the fi ndings, a mix of strategies aimed at improving the effi ciency of the exchange are recommended.


OBJECTIVES
We examined sexual orientation disparities in physical activity, sports involvement, and obesity among a population-based adolescent sample.

METHODS
We analyzed data from the 2012 Dane County Youth Assessment for 13,933 students in grades 9 through 12 in 22 Wisconsin high schools. We conducted logistic regressions to examine sexual orientation disparities in physical activity, sports involvement, and body mass index among male and female adolescents.

RESULTS
When we accounted for several covariates, compared with heterosexual females, sexual minority females were less likely to participate in team sports (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.37, 0.53) and more likely to be overweight (AOR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.62) or obese (AOR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.43, 2.48). Sexual minority males were less likely than heterosexual males to be physically active (AOR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.46, 0.83) or to participate in team sports (AOR = 0.26; 95% CI = 0.20, 0.32), but the 2 groups did not differ in their risk of obesity.

CONCLUSIONS
Sexual orientation health disparities in physical activity and obesity are evident during adolescence. Culturally affirming research, interventions, and policies are needed for sexual minority youths.


Here, a case of a patient with incidental finding of a carcinoid tumor of the ampulla of Vater, who was treated with endoscopic snare papillectomy, is reported. A 62-year-old male was admitted to our hospital due to a carcinoid tumor of the ampulla of Vater, which was found during follow-up endoscopy after an endoscopic mucosal resection of early gastric cancer. No lymphadenopathy or visceral metastasis was found on an abdominal CT scan, In-111 octerotide scan and EUS. The ampulla was then en bloc removed by endoscopic snare papillectomy. The resected specimen revealed a 0.7×0.5×0.1 cm sized carcinoid tumor. All margins of resection were negative for tumor. After six months of follow-up, there was no evidence of recurrence and metastasis, either endoscopically or radiologically. To our knowledge, this case is the first report of an ampullary carcinoid tumor treated by endoscopic snare papillectomy in Korea.


This thesis aims to design an urban experiment for a Palestinian community in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in the hope to reclaim their identity through the ongoing conflict. Perspectives taken from Palestinians will provide the research background towards the interpretation of architecture that should be placed in the right context in history. Palestinians in Israel are restricted to many rights, including the lack of urban initiatives due to the occupation efforts of the Israeli State.
There is a continuing struggle to understand how culture should be expressed in Palestinian architecture due to the conflict and stagnation of rights. This remains as Palestinians have been disengaged with their identities due to the forceful occupation and volatile environments that surround them in the OPT. The lack of support in urban development marks their fragile existence within the country that previously contained a rich cultural heritage built from centuries of habitation. Improvement towards a brighter future can be looked at from a ground up perspective by engaging with first-hand voices and experiences, which could be used to transform the expectations of the urban fabric.
This thesis proposes that a definition of Palestinian identity and culture during a time of conflict should be considered to create a framework for design experiments. It argues that to provide a sufficient design experiment, ideas should be principled by understanding the background of the Palestinian exodus and how this continuous conflict has influenced the perceptions of their identities.
The design outcome of this thesis aims to project narratives from the last decades of life under occupation to inspire the liberation of the Palestinian community and to serve as a reminder that history imprints itself in architecture.
The architectural experiments should seek longevity and respond to integrating itself through urban boundaries and quality living spaces.
This research also aims to offer a definition for the way marginalised communities are approached by prioritising cultural identity to shift power in architecture towards the community it represents. It has applications for future contexts surrounding cultural approaches towards displaced communities and encourages design investigations to start at ground level.


Due to the American-led interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, theories surrounding counter-insurgency, or COIN, have aroused intense debate in political, military, and academic circles in the United States, Britain, and other Western countries. This article shows that current thinking about how to fight and defeat insurgent movements is based primarily on Cold War-era theories and conflicts. It traces the evolution in COIN thinking both before and during the Cold War—incorporating Western and Eastern bloc experiences of war against insurgents from Malaya to Afghanistan—but also illustrates the conceptual difficulties of applying doctrines based on the historical record of this era. The article concludes by arguing that theories derived from the experiences of states involved in COIN campaigns from 1945 to 1991 still retain utility, but that there are significant differences between Cold War insurgencies and current conflicts associated with the "war on terror"/"long war" which affect the applicability of doctrines based on historical analysis and the works of Thompson, Kitson, Galula, and other "classic" theorists.


With the exception of Virgil, Catullus is probably the Roman poet most widely read by both students of classical studies/classical civilization and non-specialists; Mulroy's new translation is therefore a welcome addition to the several versions already available. This nicely produced volume includes a thirty-page introduction and minimal explanatory notes (scarcely a 'commentary', as the title-page claims) on each poem. The translation itself reads well, and generally follows the Latin closely; M. does not attempt, however, to imitate the verbal structures of the original as closely as (for example) Guy Lee (Oxford, 1990). This makes for less stylized English than the sometimes mannered language of Lee's (otherwise excellent) version, and students will no doubt μnd M. more accessible. M. e¶ectively conveys something of the excitement and (apparent) immediacy of Catullus' poetry. The studied, formal elegance so characteristic of the elegiacs, in particular, is perhaps harder to convey in translation, though M.'s intermittent use of rhyme works well as a counterpoint to his colloquial diction; the metrical schemes employed (explained in detail on pp. xxiv–ix of the introduction) are also more strictly adhered to than is often the case in modern translations. The opening of poem 16, for example, is neatly rendered: 'I'm going to rape you, front and back, / you queer and you nymphomaniac'; and the epigrammatic conciseness of poem 70 is nicely captured in M.'s version: 'My woman says that she would prefer none other / to me, though Jupiter sought her. / She says, but a woman's words to her lover belong / on wind and rapid water.' Occasionally, M. strays over the μne line that separates the colloquial from the prosaic ('I feel it occur' for μeri sentio in 85.2, for instance, struck the reviewer as a false note); generally, however, the stylistic level is nicely pitched, and M. does not μght shy of obscene language where appropriate. The introduction is, on the whole, less satisfactory. This reads very much as a historian's— rather than a literary scholar's—take on the context and character of Catullus' poetry. It may be none the worse for that, and it is certainly useful to have the invective poems located within the framework of contemporary factional politics; but M.'s speculative comments on what Catullus 'must' have felt about particular events verge at times on crude biographical criticism of the kind from which the author seeks to distance himself on p. xvi. M. makes an e¶ective case (pp. xii–xvi) for the identiμcation of Lesbia with Clodia Metelli, though his attempts to date speciμc poems (pp. xvi–xvii) rely, inevitably, on circular arguments; nor does he take su ̧cient account of recent work on the representation of Roman women, which might incline us (like, for example, Suzanne Dixon, Reading Roman Women [London, 2001], pp. 133–56) to attribute apparent similarities between Lesbia and Clodia to the exploitation by both Catullus and Cicero of a common stereotype, rather than identify the two women. This part of the introduction concludes (pp. xxv–vii) with some curiously romanticized conjectures about the poet's ultimate fate (M. implies that Julius Caesar may have had him assassinated): the romantic 'novel' of the young poet dying of love is replaced here by the equally romantic image of Catullus the fearless political activist. Still more naïve is the section (pp. xxvii–xxxii) dealing with 'Catullus' Sincerity': M. μnds it 'di ̧cult to resist thinking that [Catullus] really was smitten' (p. xxix), but does not seem to have stopped to ask himself why this should matter (or, indeed, how Catullus creates this e¶ect of apparent sincerity). M.'s translation is, in short, readable and often felicitous; colleagues employing this volume in their teaching, however, would be well advised to issue a health warning to students against uncritical reading of the introduction.


A Simple Monte Carlo model has been developed to model the avalanche characteristics of Silicon. Good agreement with experimental results from Silicon p+-i-n+ diodes with i-regions ranging from 0.082 to 0.26 ?m, an n+-i-p+ diode with an i-region of 0.82 ?m and a p+n diode was obtained. Therefore our model can be used to model the avalanche process in diodes with varying electric field profiles. We also studied the competing effects of the ratio of electron to hole ionization coefficients and the dead space on excess noise factor, by varying these parameters in our simulations of ideal p+-i-n+ diodes with avalanche regions width of 0.05 to 0.3 ?m to cover the electric field range in the measured devices. As avalanche region width reduces from 0.3 to 0.05 ?m, the electron to hole ionisation coefficient ratio decreases from 3.42 to 1.23 while the dead space to avalanche width ratio increases from 0.19 to 0.49 for electrons. The former increases the excess noise while the latter suppresses the avalanche noise such that on balance, a weak dependence of excess noise on the avalanche width for w < 0.3??m was observed in these p+-i-n+ diodes, consistent with the excess noise results reported in thin Silicon p+-i-n+ diodes.


The main objective of this paper is to identify and analyse the major changes in the gender allocation of time and the timing of transitions over the life course that have occurred in Sweden during the last decade. By using register and time use data and a variant of the family cycle model we compare men's and women's employment trajectories over the life course. Our primary aim is to explore the potential links between the extent of labour market integration during different phases in the life course and the design of the prevailing welfare and employment regimes. We examine in particular how the transitions from the educational system to the labour market, union and family formation has evolved during the last decade and the extent to which the modifications in household composition over time affects both male and female labour supply and income developments over the life course. Special focus is placed on the prevailing legal possibilities or institutional barriers to adapt individuals' labour supply over different life phases. We argue that Sweden displays one of the most integrated and coherent system of time and income management over the life course.


The article discusses how the taboo theme of incest is narrated both visually and verbally in the controversial Norwegian picturebook Blekkspruten (The Squid) from 2016, authored by the famous Norwegian artists Gro Dahle, a writer, and Svein Nyhus, an illustrator. The duo had previously tackled numerous contentious themes in their books, such as domestic abuse, gender disparity and mental illness, but this time the subject seems particularly problematic to present in a children's book. Since both Dahle and Nyhus explicitly advocate a concept of allalderlitteratur (literature for all age groups), the implied readership of Blekkspruten includes young, inexperienced readers, too. The analysis focused on the mode in which the artists acquainted children with incest, and the answer was the intricate metaphorical message rendered both in the text and in the images. Their pregnant, yet subtle imagery and sophisticated interaction made it possible to narrate the difficult, challenging theme for children. Furthermore, the investigation responds to Dorte Karrebæk's suggestion to devote more reflection to the illustrators' work as a continuum. It juxtaposes Nyhus' illustrations from Blekkspruten with his previous works, showing both his new artistic solutions (different lines, shapes and colours) and references to some visual symbols employed before (open or closed containers, a monkey toy, a key). They recur in an intervisual, self-referential play, often participating in construction of open endings and implying the impossibility of giving unequivocal answers.


Background: Even though color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) imaging is reliable in assessing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in lower extremities, anatomical variations of tibial veins may limit the diagnosis and even lead to false positive results. Objective: To describe anatomic variations of the posterior tibial vein that may lead to false positive results in the CDUS diagnosis of chronic DVT. Methods: CDUS scans of patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities obtained from January to December 2012 were reviewed to record the presence, number and course of deep veins and arteries. Suspected anatomic variations of the posterior tibial veins were reviewed by another vascular sonographer to confirm findings. Anatomic variations, such as absence or hypoplasia of the posterior tibial veins, were recorded when the posterior tibial artery was not detected in any segments, as well as when the artery was also not visualized in the same segments. Results: A total of 1458 CDUS scans of patients with suspected DVT in the lower extremities were reviewed. In six patients (0.41%), the posterior tibial veins were absent or hypoplastic. Scans were unilateral for five patients and bilateral for one, at a total of 7 lower extremities (3 right and 4 left). Conclusion: Although a rare condition, found in only 0.41% of the cases, awareness of posterior vein absence may help to avoid misdiagnoses and false-positive results of DVT in patients with this variation.


This meeting report summarizes the proceedings of the "eGenomics: Cataloguing our Complete Genome Collection IV" workshop held June 6-8, 2007, at the National Institute for Environmental eScience (NIEeS), Cambridge, United Kingdom. This fourth workshop of the Genomic Standards Consortium (GSC) was a mix of short presentations, strategy discussions, and technical sessions. Speakers provided progress reports on the development of the "Minimum Information about a Genome Sequence" (MIGS) specification and the closely integrated "Minimum Information about a Metagenome Sequence" (MIMS) specification. The key outcome of the workshop was consensus on the next version of the MIGS/MIMS specification (v1.2). This drove further definition and restructuring of the MIGS/MIMS XML schema (syntax). With respect to semantics, a term vetting group was established to ensure that terms are properly defined and submitted to the appropriate ontology projects. Perhaps the single most important outcome of the workshop was a proposal to move beyond the concept of "minimum" to create a far richer XML schema that would define a "Genomic Contextual Data Markup Language" (GCDML) suitable for wider semantic integration across databases. GCDML will contain not only curated information (e.g., compliant with MIGS/MIMS), but also be extended to include a variety of data processing and calculations. Further information about the Genomic Standards Consortium and its range of activities can be found at http://gensc.org.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

BACKGROUND. Gliomas account for approximately 80% of all primary malignant brain tumors and, despite advances in clinical care, remain still associated with poor prognosis. They are currently classified by the WHO system in Low Grade Gliomas (LGGs, WHO I, II) and High Grade Gliomas (HGGs, WHO grade III, IV) based on histological features such as nuclear atypia, mitotic figures, microvascular proliferation and necrosis. LGGs and HGGs share several morphological traits and pathways abnormalities but have a different clinical behaviour. miRNAs have emerged as key regulators of many biological processes mediating genesis and dissemination of cancer. Molecular analyses based on miRNA measurements have shown to be able to better stratify and discriminate the two tumor types. We hypothesize the comparison of miRNA profile between LGGs and HGGs may lead to the identification of miRNAs associated with the most aggressive form, that is GBM (Glioblastoma Multiforme, WHO IV).

MATERIAL AND METHODS. miRNA expression profiling was performed in 8 LGGs, 24 HGGs, and 4 Normal Brain Tissues (NBT) by using the Affymetrix GeneChip® miRNA Array 1.0. Data analysis was performed by Partek Genomic Suite software, setting a significative p-value ≤ 0.01 and a fold change cutoff of 2. A relative quantification method (RT-qPCR) with standard curve was used to validate the 22 miRNA signature resulted by array analysis. The prognostic performance of the 13 validated miRNAs was estimated by using the Tumor Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). RESULTS. miRNA profiling identified 80 miRNAs differentially expressed in LGGs vs NBT and 71 in HGGs vs NBT. A panel of 22 miRNAs clearly differentiated HGGs and LGGs. RT-qPCR assay confirmed differential expression for 13 out of the 22 miRNAs in LGG vs HGG. In addition, 6 among our 13-miRNA signature (miR-21, miR-210, miR-22, miR-155, miR-223, miR-219-2-3p) were found to be significantly associated with GBM molecular subtypes when compared on TCGA dataset. Moreover miR-21 and miR-210 show correlation with worse overall survival in both univariate and multivariate Cox Regression analysis (HR 1.19 95% CI 1.008-1.406 p=0.04; and 1.18 95%C 1.018-1.375 p=0.03).

CONCLUSIONS. We show the comparison of LGGs and HGGs profiles is able to identify miRNAs associated with invasive phenotype. Our results support a direct involvement of miR-21 and miR-210 in glioma progression, suggesting they may represent promising targets for new therapeutic approaches in gliomas.

Citation Format: Raffaela Barbano, Barbara Pasculli, Orazio Palumbo, Marco Galasso, Stefano Volinia, Vincenzo D'Angelo, Michelina Coco, Lucia Dimitri, Massimiliano Copetti, Vanna Maria Valori, Evaristo Maiello, Massimo Carella, Vito Michele Fazio, Paola Parrella. A miRNA signature distinguishing low-grade and high-grade gliomas shows miR-21 and 210 as promising biomarkers of aggressive phenotype and prognosis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1479. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1479


In Sweden as in many other countries, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of health, social participation, and active leisure time for people with disabilities. Against this background, a three-year music education was started for a group of young adults with disabilities in order to enhance their wellbeing, learning, and emotional and social development. The aim of the study was to evaluate the results of a 3-year education program with set goals for young adults with disabilities using a qualitative method. The study was conducted from autumn 2014 to 2018. Four semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, the first at the beginning of the education, after the first year, second, and third year respectively. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. The teachers and care staff made process notes about the development of each participant. The transcribed interviews and process notes were analyzed using Thematic Content Analysis. The education achieved its purpose and goals as evidenced by participants, teachers, and staff. It showed that music education training may revitalize people with disabilities. Furthermore, it demonstrated that persons with disabilities can learn, develop, and even change on a personal level, if they are given the right conditions.


The aim of this work is to characterize the complexation ability of F-, BF4-, PF6-, and Tf2N- toward uranyl ions in aqueous solution. These anions were chosen as they represent the anionic part of the most studied room-temperature ionic liquids. Time-resolved emission spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy were used to retrieve structural data on the complexes formed. The results obtained were compared with computational data. Tf2N- does not complex uranyl, even at high concentration. Other fluorinated acids form inner-sphere complexes with U(VI), in a monodentate fashion in the case of BF4- and PF6-.


The continuous increase in the complexity of data networks has motivated the development of more effective Multistage Interconnection Networks (MINs) as important factors in providing higher data transfer rates in various switching divisions. In this paper, semi-layer omega-class networks operating with a cut-through forwarding technique are chosen as test-bed subjects for detailed evaluation, and this network architecture is modelled, inspected, and simulated. The results are examined for relevant singlelayer omega networks operating with cut-through or 'store and forward' forwarding techniques. Two series of experiments are carried out: one concerns the case of uniform traffic, while the other is related to hotspot traffic. The results quantify the way in which this network outperforms the corresponding singlelayer network architectures for the same network size and buffer size. Furthermore, the effects of the dimensions of the switch elements and their corresponding reliability on the overall interconnection system are investigated, and the complexity and the relevant cost are examined. The data yielded by this investigation can be valuable to MIN engineers and can allow them to achieve more productive networks with lower overall implementation costs.


Lontra longicaudis Olfers, 1818 (Neotropical Otter) has been poorly studied in El Salvador. We report sightings and traces of L. longicaudis which were found in Río Angue, in the department of Santa Ana, and Río Sapo, Río Negro, and Quebrada de Perquín, in the department of Morazán. Moreover, we review the sight records of the species in the scientific literature, the mammal collection of the University of California, Los Angeles, and citizen reports with verifiable evidence. This is the first compilation of information on L. longicaudis occurrences in El Salvador.


The action of synthetic detergents upon several strains of bacteriophage has been mentioned in a previous communication (Klein et al., 1945). With the exception of gamma coli phage, the bacteriophages tested were highly susceptible to the germicidal activity of the various test compounds. The gamma phage, on the other hand, proved to be resistant to the highest concentrations of the detergents tested. Because of this marked resistance of the gamma coli phage, various cationic detergents were used in attempts to isolate coli phage directly from sewage. Primarily, we were interested in ascertaining whether or not a coli phage may be isolated without the use of filtration.


We demonstrate experimentally local coupling of light from free space to exciton-surface plasmon polaritons (X-SPPs). This is achieved by using a single, sub-wavelength gold nanowire on top of a thin silver film which is covered with a 30 nm thick layer of J-aggregating dyes in polyvinyl alcohol. We show that the nanowire acts as an antenna that resonantly scatters light to X-SPPs states with a Rabi splitting of 0.1 eV. The locally excited X-SPPs properties are studied by angle resolved spectroscopy of the far-field leaky photons and are compared to the large-scale response through Kretschmann reflection measurements and to theoretical calculations. The nanowire scattering properties are studied by dark-field scattering measurements and finite-difference time-domain simulations. This method to locally excite X-SPPs can potentially be useful for future applications of hybrid light matter states.


Bone loss after spinal cord injury leads to increased fragility of bone and subsequent risk for low-trauma fractures in the sublesional parts of the body. Although in such injuries upper limbs are normally innervated, bone loss may occur in the upper extremities. The present study was designed to determine the systemic effects of spinal cord injury on the fracture healing of upper limbs in rabbits. Twenty nine skeletally mature New Zealand white rabbits received a transverse midhumeral open osteotomy in the left upper limb with the use of a standardized technique and spinal cord injury was done using forceps model at T8 level. The animals were divided into three groups: experimental (laminectomy, spinal cord injury, and osteotomy), sham (laminectomy and osteotomy), and control (osteotomy alone). The bone healing score was calculated using modified Sandhu system by two independent pathologists. The mean ( ±SD) of healing scores in experimental, control, and sham groups were 7.22 ( ± 3.6), 8.6 (± 3.3), and 8.5 ( ± 4.3) respectively (P=0.68). The percentage of mesenchymal (20%) and cartilaginous tissue (35%) showed a slightly higher value in the experimental group compared with the sham group (15% and 20% respectively). A reverse pattern was seen concerning the percentage of trabecular bone, though as a whole there was no significant difference regarding the percentage of selected components of bone healing between the three trial groups. Fracture healing in innervated upper limbs is not influenced by the systemic effects of spinal cord injury. Iran J Med Sci 2008; 33(2): 106-109.


The Choquet integral (ChI) is an aggregation operator defined with respect to a fuzzy measure (FM). The FM of a ChI encodes the worth of individual subsets of sources of information, and is an excellent tool for nonlinear aggregation. The monotonicity and boundary conditions of the FM limit the ChI to applications such as decision-level fusion. In a recent work, we removed the boundary and monotonicity constraints of the FM to propose a ChI-based regression (CIR) approach that enables capability beyond previously proposed ChI regression methods. However, the number of values in an FM scales as 2d, where d is the number of input sources. Thus, with such a large number of trained parameters, we tend to lose the explainability (or interpretability) of the learned solution–which comes readily with simpler methods like ordinary linear regression. In this paper, we enhance the explainability of CIR by extending our previously-proposed ChI visualization techniques to CIR. We also present a set of evaluation indices that quantitatively evaluate the importance of individual sources and interactions between groups of sources. We train CIR on real-world regression data sets, and the learned models are visualized and analyzed with the proposed methods. The demonstrations of the proposed visualizations and analyses are shown to significantly enhance the explainability of the learned CIR models.


Methylation is considered the detoxification pathway for inorganic arsenic (InAs), an established human carcinogen. Urinary speciation analysis is used to assess the distribution of metabolites [monomethylarsonate (MMA), dimethylarsinate (DMA), and unmethylated arsenic (InAs)], as indicators of methylation capacity. We conducted a large biomarker study in northern Chile of a population chronically exposed to high levels of arsenic in drinking water. We report the results of the methylation study, which focused on the effects of exposure and other variables on the percent InAs, MMA, DMA, and the ratio of MMA to DMA in urine. The study consisted of 122 people in a town with arsenic water levels around 600 micrograms/l and 98 participants in a neighboring town with arsenic levels in water of about 15 micrograms/l. The corresponding mean urinary arsenic levels were 580 micrograms/l and 60 micrograms/l, of which 18.4% and 14.9% were InAs, respectively. The main differences were found for MMA:DMA; exposure, smoking, and being male were associated with higher MMA:DMA, while longer residence, Atacameño ethnicity, and being female were associated with lower MMA:DMA. Together, these variables explained about 30% of the variability in MMA:DMA. Overall, there was no evidence of a threshold for methylation capacity, even at very high exposures, and the interindividual differences were within a much wider range than those attributed to the variables investigated. The differences in percent InAs were small and within the ranges of other studies of background exposure levels. The biological significance of MMA:DMA, which was more than 1.5 times greater in the exposed group, and its relationship to sex, length of exposure, and ethnicity need further investigation because its relevance to health risk is not clear. Imagesp620-aFigure 1.Figure 2.Figure 2.Figure 2.Figure 2.


ABSTRACT Arctic sea ice is going through a dramatic change in its extent and volume at an unprecedented rate. Sea-ice thickness (SIT) is a controlling geophysical variable that needs to be understood with greater accuracy. For the first time, a SIT-retrieval method that exclusively uses only airborne SIT data for training the empirical algorithm to retrieve SIT from Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) brightness temperature (TB) at different polarization is presented. A large amount of airborne SIT data has been used from various field campaigns in the Arctic conducted by different countries during 2011–15. The algorithm attempts to circumvent the issue related to discrimination between TB signatures of thin SIT versus low sea-ice concentration. The computed SIT has a rms error of 0.10 m, which seems reasonably good (as compared to the existing algorithms) for analysis at the used 25 km grid. This new SIT retrieval product is designed for direct operational application in ice prediction/climate models.


As a formal notation for telecommunication systems, SDL (Specification and Description Language, CCITT Z.100) has been widely used for modeling, analyzing, and simulations of communication protocols and/or real time systems. This paper first introduces a Timed-SDL to incorporate timing and probabilistic specifications into the original SDL functional descriptions. Then this Timed-SDL is used to specify, the formal models of communication protocols. These formal models also support validations and performance evaluations of communication protocols. The principles of the "observer" concept are adopted in the paper. The "observer" concept associates each SDL process in a system model with an observer process. Each observer process allows: (i) to date all the time stamps upon the occurrences of the inbound and outbound signals of the process being observed (Performance prospect); (ii) to describe the temporal properties that are needed to be validated on the process being observed (Validation prospect). By using the "observer" concept, both prospects of formal specification of communication protocols are investigated based on the Timed-SDL.


The immunoprophylactic effects of i.p. administration of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and methanol-extracted residue of BCG (MER) on the production of tumors by 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA) in C57BL/6 mice were investigated. At the dose level of MCA used (500 µg i.m.), almost all mice developed tumors. Pretreatment of the mice with BCG either 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after carcinogen administration provided a significant temporary protection, demonstrated by a decreased rate of tumor appearance. Administration of MER at a 0.5-mg dose level conferred relatively little protection against tumor production. In those mice receiving 2.5 mg MER, either on the day of carcinogen administration or both at that time and when the first experimental tumor was found, significant temporary protection against MCA carcinogenesis was obtained. This was demonstrated by a lengthened latent period before tumor production, although subsequently the rate of tumor production was similar to that of the controls.

It is concluded that BCG and MER are capable of affecting the induction of MCA-induced tumors.


In the framework of meaning representation in Natural Language Processing (NLP), we aim to develop a system that can be used for heterogeneous applications such as Machine Translation, Information Retrieval or Lexical Access. This system is based on six hypotheses which concern meaning representation and acquisition. In this paper, we discuss the related hypotheses that motivate the construction of a such system and how these hypotheses, together with NLP software engineering concerns, led us to conceive a distributed multi-agent system for our goals. We present Blexisma2, a distributed multi-agent system for NLP, its conceptual properties, and an example of inter-agent collaboration. The system is currently being tested on a Grid computing environment.


In this paper we present a fuzzy multidimensional approach for the measurement of the 'leaving no one behind' principle underlying the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in European countries. In particular, we consider a two-step procedure. First, we compute the degree to which an individual is 'left behind' in each specific dimension. We then propose alternatives to measure the extent to which an individual is 'left behind' in a multidimensional setting. We illustrate our proposal taking as a reference the 'at risk of poverty or social exclusion' (AROPE) framework (dimensions, indicators and union criteria). The results highlight that although the average 'left behind' (LB) level and AROPE are largely consistent across European countries, our fuzzy measure provides valuable additional information, both in individual and aggregate terms, on persons who are further away from those better positioned and how far they are.