The role of a well-designed method should not change frequently or significantly over its lifetime. As such, changes to the role of a method can be an indicator of design improvement or degradation. To measure this, we use method stereotypes. Method stereotypes provide a high-level description of a method's behavior and role; giving insight into how a method interacts with its environment and carries out tasks. When a method's stereotype changes, so has its role. This work presents a taxonomy of how method stereotypes change and why the categories of changes are significant.


The need for developing low cost one stop center for ASD patients is a crucial component of the growth equation between normal parents and parents with ASD children who are struggling financially. Unfortunately, the government cannot afford to spend on big investment projects for ASD's patients due to budget limits. In addition, worldwide economic recovery is slowing down and the increasing cost of living also worsening the condition. Despite that, basic wellbeing needs should maintain a right direction growth similar the demographic growth to satisfy the ASD population's demand. The insufficiency of fit resources brings a gap to this balancing rule by leaving the way to imbalance within the society which can put the stability of states in danger of loss, harm, or failure. Therefore, all sectors can play an important role by collaborating with the government to create partnerships in searching for enough sources. Waqf is suggested to be part of the solution for financing problems. The paper focuses on parents with ASD issues, but its conclusions are of broader interest. Institutions, public service and industries involved in ASD need to seek new configurations of collaboration and combine all available public and private experts to circumvent this financial problem.


A fast quantitative analysis method of soil potassium based on direct-focused laser ablation-laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (direct-focused LA-LIBS) was proposed and tested. A high single-pulse energy laser (200 mJ/pulse) beam was focused on the aerosols near the focus of the 10 kHz fiber laser to generate plasma spectra, and the analytical capability of the direct-focused LA-LIBS system was compared with traditional LIBS system using a high single-pulse energy laser (SP-LIBS). The result showed that for moist soil samples the data stability of the direct-focused LA-LIBS method was significantly improved and the R2 factor of the calibration curve improved from 0.64 to 0.93, the limit of detection improved from 159.2 μg/g to 140.9 μg/g. Three random soil samples from different areas of Beijing suburbs were analyzed by the direct-focused LA-LIBS method, and the results were consistent with AAS. The direct-focused LA-LIBS method proposed is different from the traditional double-pulse technology and laser ablation-assisted technology because it not only does not need carrier gas, but also can overcome the matrix differences better, especially the influence of moisture, which provides a new idea for the rapid detection of nutrient elements in field soils.


This study shows that purified murine monoclonal anti-DNA antibodies and human polyclonal anti-DNA antibodies (from systemic lupus erythematosus--SLE--patients), preincubated with DNA, acquire anti-histone reactivity. Conversely, DNAse I treatment of SLE patients' antibodies with anti-histone activity abolishes such activity. It has previously been demonstrated that anti-DNA antibodies bind to the cell membrane and recognize cell-surface polypeptides that have been identified with histones by partial sequencing. In a series of 33 sera from patients with clinically active disease and 29 sera from patients in clinical remission, positivity of an immunoblot analysis detecting antibodies against these polypeptides was associated with clinical activity of SLE (sensitivity, 0.88; specificity, 0.90). Anti-histone reactivity detected by ELISA appeared to be also a good marker of SLE activity (sensitivity, 0.64; specificity, 0.54). As expected, anti-native DNA antibody positivity and lowered complement dosage were also associated with clinical activity (sensitivity, 0.79 and 0.63, respectively; specificity, 0.48 and 0.93, respectively). Since anti-histone reactivity reflects, at least partly, the presence of anti-DNA antibodies complexed to DNA, which could bind to cell-membrane determinants, and is associated with disease clinical activity, it is suggested that this mechanism can contribute to explain the pathogenicity of anti-DNA antibodies.


Conflicting reports have been published regarding the influence of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) on the incidence of cancer. One meta-analysis reported a 1% absolute increase in the incidence of cancer associated with ARBs over 4 years. Contrasting findings were reported in an industry-sponsored meta-analysis and in another meta-analysis, both of which showed no difference in the incidence of cancer in ARB treatment groups relative to control groups. The US Food and Drug Administration has recently asserted that evidence does not support an association between ARBs and the development of cancer. The current review compares the 3 published meta-analyses assessing the association between ARBs and cancer and shows that outcome reporting bias contributed to the conflicting results. Given the prevalence of this form of bias in the scientific literature, the processes for systematic reviews and meta-analyses are under siege, and there is an important role for health care regulators to play. If all outcome data from clinical trials were to be reported in the public domain, independent analyses could be performed and the results of industry-sponsored trials verified. Furthermore, if regulators were to mandate the publication, in the public domain, of all clinical outcomes collected in clinical trials, outcome reporting bias could be eliminated.


Purpose: This study reports a case of a extensive odontoma causing maxillary sinusitis.
Case description: A 25-year-old man at clinical examination revealed discrete facial asymmetry and exposure of the lesion in the oral cavity. Imaging exams showed the presence of a well-defined radiopaque mass in the left maxilla, measuring approximately 7 cm and was intimately associated with the maxillary sinus and oral cavity. The mass was excised through an intraoral access under general anesthesia in the hospital and sent for histopathology, which was diagnosed as complex odontoma. The patient is under clinical follow-up and shows no signs of maxillary sinusitis and no oral sinus fistula.
Conclusion: The odontoma is a common injury in clinical dentistry, but in some aggressive cases may cause sequelae in the patient, thus, caution the dentist for proper diagnosis and treatment.


The crisis of ethical political leadership is responsible for Africa's underdevelopment and insecurity, and its social and structural injustices. Strengthening ethical political leadership is trepiditious, given the deeply engraved status quo that appeals to political elites who command power and benefi t from the system through semi-democratic, semi-authoritarian and authoritarian regime types. Using an interdisciplinary approach of peace and confl ict studies, the paper analyses the crisis and proposes a model for strengthening political leadership through African Ubuntu ethics and the involvement of local, national and international actors to achieve sustainable peace and social justice.


Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a thermoelectric process that believed the
EDM process will open up an opportunity for the machining of SKD 11 tool steel. This
paper represented a comprehensive study which investigated the influence of the
machining parameters in EDM to the surface topography, composition of the machined
surface and surface roughness of SKD 11 tool steel. The selected EDM parameters were
peak current (4, 6, 8 and 16A) and pulse on-time (6, 9, 12 and 15+s). EDM tests on SKD
11 tool steel were conducted on a Sodick 3 axis linear AQ35L EDM die sinking machine,
with peak current and pulse on-time varied. The electrode used is copper and produced
by lathe machining. The EDMed surface topography and composition of the machined
surface was examined with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Evo 50 and Energy
Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometer (EDX). Surface roughness was determined with a
Portable Surface Roughness Tester. It is observed from the SEM micrographs that the
surfaces generally have a matt appearance formed on the EDMed surface. These various
factors increased with the increasing of peak current and pulse on-time. There are no
cracks being observed on the EDMed surface since the setting of parameters are
considered in a small range and the high carbon and chromium contain of SKD 11 tool
steel. There are no significant different in composition of the EDMed surface been
observed under different EDM condition compared with non-EDM specimen. It was
also found that higher values of peak current and pulse on-time increased the surface
roughness. Lower peak current and lower pulse on-time produced a better surface finish.
Peak current has a major influence in defining the EDM surface topography and
composition of the machined surface. Meanwhile, surface roughness greatly affected by
the pulse on-time rather than peak current.


ABSTRACT:This article focuses on some of the intertextual poems and stories that Edgar Allan Poe and Frances Sargent Osgood published in the Broadway Journal and Graham's Magazine throughout 1845 and 1846, in a literary conversation that hinted broadly at romantic relationship. The works of the Poe-Osgood exchange—which I construe to include a number of well-known stories reprinted during the same period—are self-conscious about their transformation of supposed biography into art for mass consumption. This self-consciousness is, I argue, publicly enacted through the Pygmalion trope. In texts that center on the transformation of a work of art into life—or its reversal, the transformation of a living being into art—Poe and Osgood construct a public literary exchange that considers the era's blurring of the lines between literary celebrity, biographical reality, and art.


: The death of individual does not bring a loss of agency, but rather it develops into a new form that still has the ability to affect the living. The theoretical concept of postmortem agency is relatively new and has not been applied to the study of ancient Egyptian mortuary practices. However, the ancient Egyptians believed that the deceased as transformed entities could and would affect the living. The mummified human remains of Tutankhamun, the antepenultimate pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ca. 1550-1295 BCE), presents a unique case study in to examining the postmortem agency of an ancient Egyptian king. In 1922, Howard Carter uncovered the tomb of Tutankhamun and observed that the tomb reflected an intentional change of Tutankhamun's identity from mortal king into that of a god, Osiris, in attempt to return to normative mortuary practices after the Amarna period. This paper suggests that Tutankhamun's body was intentionally manipulated into a sacred image, a statue, of the chthonic gods in order to help with the restoration process, but more importantly to help with the legit-imatization of his successor, Ay, to the throne of Egypt.


This paper introduces a low-power wireless climate monitoring system with an RFID security access feature for mosquito and pathogen research. Mosquito-borne diseases, which are critical threats to human health, include malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, and West Nile Virus. The wireless monitoring system provides environmental data such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction. The measured data can be used to predict the habitat of mosquitoes and be used to recommend the amount and location of pesticide application. This paper describes the design and implementation of the low-power wireless climate monitoring system with various environmental sensors, 2.4-GHz wireless module, RFID reader for the security access control, audio system, and a solar charger system. The measured data was received and processed by a custom Windows application. The measured data was available through both desktop and mobile internet browsers and a mobile android application. Five wireless climate monitoring systems were used for multiple field tests. The analysis example of the pseudo climate data for the reduced use of pesticides is also presented.


COMMENTARY. For the article ''Reprogramming stem cells is a microenvironmental task,'' by Mina J. Bissell and Jamie Inman, which appeared in issue 41, October 14, 2008, of Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (105:15637–15638; first published October 8, 2008; 10.1073 pnas.0808457105), the authors note that due to a printer's error, ref. 4 was omitted and refs. 6–8 appeared out of order. The corrected references appear below.


In rats under urethane anaesthesia, changes in the extracellular activities of K+ and Ca2+ (alpha K and alpha Ca) evoked by fimbrial or entorhinal stimulation and recorded in area CA3 with ion-selective microelectrodes are maximal in the pyramidal cell layers. With 10/s stimulation, alpha K increases by 6--9 mM whereas alpha Ca falls by 0.5--1.0 mM. In contrast with the increase in alpha K, which is distributed over a wide range of depth, the reduction in alpha Ca is particularly sharply limited to the level of pyramidal cell bodies. It is regularly associated with a negative aferpotential in the extracellular field, which presumably reflects a large postsynaptic Ca2+ inward current, apparently predominant in the cell bodies. Repetitive stimulation sometimes evokes spreading depressionlike swings in potential, which are seen only near the pyramidal stratum and are accompanied by massive increases in alpha K (to 30--40 mM) and falls in alpha Ca (to < 0.1 mM). A large Ca2+ influx into pyramidal cells may be of significance for "plastic" aspects of hippocampal function and when excessive, as during repetitive convulsive activity, may be responsible for the necrosis of CA3 neurons.


Abstract The interaction of strong near-inertial frequency currents generated by a storm with preexisting subinertial frequency currents is investigated. For 10 days after the storm, the near-inertial currents remain in the mixed layer and the subinertial currents are steady, so their interaction is particularly simple. Linearized models predict that the frequency of the near-inertial currents should be shifted by ½ζ where ζ is the subinertial vorticity. This theory, combined with values of ζ estimated either from velocity measurements or from the vorticity equation, produces frequency shifts in the inertial currents at least five times larger than the confidence limits on the observations. Possible explanations include the concentration of ζ in narrow frontal zones and nonlinear wave-wave interactions.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the iron nutritional status of children from 6 to 59 months of age and its relation to vitamin A deficiency.

METHOD
Cross-sectional study involving 100 children, living in nine cities in the state of Paraíba, which were selected for convenience to form two study groups: children with vitamin A deficiency (serum retinol < 0.70 μmol/L; n = 50) and children without vitamin A deficiency (serum retinol ≥ 0.70 μmol/L; n = 50). The iron nutritional status was evaluated by biochemical, haematological and hematimetric indices. The cases of subclinical infection (C-Reactive Protein ≥ 6 mg/L) were excluded.

RESULTS
Children with vitamin A deficiency had serum iron values statistically lower than the corresponding values in children without deficiency. The other iron nutritional status indices showed no statistical difference according to presence/absence of vitamin A deficiency.

CONCLUSION
The interaction between iron and vitamin A deficiencies was evidenced in the case of circulating iron deficiency (serum iron), suggesting failure in the transport mechanisms of the mineral in children with vitamin A deficiency.


The patient was a 29-year-old woman. When she consulted a local physician with chief complaints of fever and fatigue of the extremities, cerebral infarction was detected on MRI, in addition to abnormalities found on ECG. Ultrasonic cardiography revealed the presence of a tumor in the left ventricle. Therefore, tumorectomy and endocardectomy were performed under extracorporeal circulation based on a diagnosis of cardiac tumor. Inflammatory cell infiltration into the ventricular wall was pathologically confirmed, and eosinophilia was observed preoperatively. Therefore, the patient was diagnosed as having endomyocardial fibrosis, which is rarely observed in Japan. The postoperative course of this patient was satisfactory, and the eosinophil count was normalized postoperatively. At present, this patient is being followed at the outpatient clinic.


In this chapter the thought-construct of skaggbarn ["beard children"] or, sometimes also skaggpojkar ["beard boys"], is explored. It constitutes a distinct form of hate speech, targeted against unaccompanied refugee minors in Sweden, and finds its outlet particularly on far-right internet sites (Hirvonen, 2013). By taking a cue from psychoanalysis and its two-way perspective on both inner world and society (Clarke, 2003), the meaning of facial hair in relation to the "racial" Other is interrogated as an example of how racist fantasies and caricatures can emerge. The analysis herein presented describes in what ways the Others, the "beard boys/children", are degraded, as they come to represent an obstruction that frustrates one's possible self belonging to a unified society.


ABSTRACT Introduction Alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a common hereditary disorder affecting mainly lungs, liver and skin has been the focus of some of the most exciting therapeutic approaches in medicine in the past 5 years. In this review, we discuss the therapies presently available for the different manifestations of AATD and new therapies in the pipeline. Areas covered We review therapeutic options for the individual lung, liver and skin manifestations of AATD along with approaches which aim to treat all three. Along with this renewed interest in treating AATD come challenges. How is AAT best delivered to the lung? What is the desired level of AAT in the circulation and lungs which therapeutics should aim to provide? Will treating the liver disease increase the potential for lung disease? Are there treatments to target the underlying genetic defect with the potential to prevent all aspects of AATDrelated disease? Expert opinion With a relatively small population able to participate in clinical studies, increased awareness and diagnosis of AATD is urgently needed. Better, more sensitive clinical parameters will assist in the generation of acceptable and robust evidence of therapeutic effect for current and emerging treatments.


A famous problem in birational geometry is to determine when the birational automorphism group of a Fano variety is finite. The Noether–Fano method has been the main approach to this problem. The purpose of this paper is to give a new approach to the problem by showing that in every positive characteristic, there are Fano varieties of arbitrarily large index with finite (or even trivial) birational automorphism group. To do this, we prove that these varieties admit ample and birationally equivariant line bundles. Our result applies the differential forms that Kollár produces on $p$-cyclic covers in characteristic $p > 0$.


'Reinventing your life' was not just the programmatic title of an introductory book on schema therapy written in the 1990s of the last century, reinventing everything, including ourselves, became a widely used slogan. Based on the assumption of a developmental imbalance between gratification and frustration of core emotional needs, personality appears to function as a complex of more or less rigid patterns (schemas). Such internal psychic constellations of need-regulation appear on an individual and on socio-cultural levels. In that sense the expression 'Borderline Times' became an intriguing denotation of what is going on in our time. Sulking, reinventing and shopping as a new kind of religion are three examples of this external expression of internal (borderline) need-regulation.


MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a class of small, highly conserved non-coding RNAs that can serve either oncogenic or tumor-suppressive roles in a wide variety of tumors. miR-200c is a member of the miR-200 family whose specific role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not yet been elucidated. The purpose of the present study was to detect the expression level of miR-200c in NSCLC, and to analyze its association with clinicopathological factors and patient prognosis. The present study determined the expression levels of miR-200c in 110 tumor samples collected from patients diagnosed with NSCLC who underwent complete tumor resection with regional lymph node dissection, as assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The association between the expression level of miR-200c and clinicopathological features and patient prognosis was also analyzed. The results showed that miR-200c overexpression was detected in 66 of the 110 cases and was significantly associated with positive lymph node metastasis (P<0.001). Univariate survival analysis demonstrated that high miR-200c expression, positive lymph node metastasis and advanced Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) classification stage significantly predicted decreased 5-year disease-free survival rates (all P<0.05) and poor 5-year overall survival rates (all P<0.01), respectively. The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that TNM stage and miR-200c expression retained its significance as an independent prognostic factor for unfavorable 5-year disease-free survival rates (P<0.05) and poor 5-year overall survival rates (P<0.01). The present findings suggest that miR-200c overexpression is significantly associated with poor survival rates in NSCLC and that miR-200c could play an oncogenic role. miR-200c may have clinical potential as a promising prognostic predictor for patients with NSCLC.


A powder was submitted to the author's laboratory for analysis on the presence of illegal drugs. Based on the structure elucidation performed by nuclear nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and analysis of the trimethylsilyl and trifluoroacetyl derivatives with gas chromatography mass spectrometry, the powder was found to contain the designer drugs 4-methylamphetamine, besides amphetamine and caffeine. The electron impact mass spectrum of 4-methylamphetamine obtained from the analysis of a methanolic sample solution showed a base ion of m/z 56 rather than the expected m/z 44, therefore no hit was found with an electron impact mass spectrum present in the mass spectral library and literature. The increase of 12 atomic mass units was explained by formaldehyde-adduct formation.


The vortical disturbance environment surrounding a laminar boundary layer affects the proceedings of transition to turbulence. The exponentially growing Tollmien–Schlichting wave is observed under low free-stream turbulence levels, and is replaced by the algebraically growing streaks upon further increase in the turbulence intensity. This scenario is significantly affected by the presence of wall films which introduce additional instabilities and alter the amplification of the streaks. In this work, the effect of wall films on the linear stability of boundary layers is investigated using the Orr-Sommerfeld, Squire and the interface displacement equations. A modal analysis is conducted first, in order to identify all the unstable modes and their respective regimes of dominance. Furthermore, the physical mechanisms contributing to disturbance growth are studied using the kinetic energy equation. No unstable eigenvalues are found for wall films less viscous than the outer stream. Under such conditions, the streaks are likely to dominate; their amplification being dependent on the penetration of the free-stream vortical disturbances into the boundary layer. The ingestion of the free-stream vorticity in the mean shear is explained using the continuous spectrum of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation. A unique parameter is identified to distinguish three asymptotic regimes representing complete, partial and negligible penetration into the boundary layer, respectively. The physical mechanism is a competition between viscous diffusion and convection by the mean flow. The wall film affects the penetration into the boundary layer by modifying the wall-normal wavenumber across the interface. The penetrating free-stream disturbances efficiently generate streaks by tilting the mean vorticity. Their amplification is investigated using an initial value problem that describes the evolution of a linear perturbation. Lower viscosity wall films reduce the amplification of the streaks. However, another growth mechanism arising from the interfacial displacement dominates at long time and is enhanced for lower viscosity films.


Positive intelligence (PI) training can produce a transformative impact on college students. PI, a branch of human psychology, provides a tool to identify significant compulsive habits that can inhibit students' learning potential and ability to understand others. This paper discusses the two training methods adopted for teaching graduate and undergraduate students. It is considered that including such training is fundamentally crucial for developing 21st century STEM workforce with a well-rounded personality. However, PI training may consume a significant class time allocated for covering course contents under the degree-specific curriculums. Starting a new course may increase the credit overload beyond the approved BS and graduate credits. This paper discusses introducing different modules in the existing classes to foster PI training. The PI training method for undergraduate students focuses on self-education via online videos and freely available content and self-assessment tests. Undergraduate students were given a set of questions to guide them about the important PI topics and to pay attention while self-learning the PI elements. The PI assignment starts with the familiarization of the Maslow hierarchy of needs governing the motivation behind human actions. This assignment mainly focuses on understanding the "sage" mode in which a human tends to utilize his/her latent and earned skills towards the attainment of goals and living life purposefully. The PI assignment had several questions on self-sabotaging "saboteurs" and judging traits that almost everyone develops as a survival mechanism while facing emotional and physical survival challenges for an extended period. During class discussion, students were exposed to their hidden/invisible saboteurs which could be easily triggered by unrealistic mental threats and thus compromise their learning function and performance. Students were asked to take free online self-assessment saboteur test to find the numerical values of their traits and do self-evaluation and plan to counteract the effect of self-sabotaging habits. PI training fulfills ABET student learning outcomes focusing on developing their life-long learning skills. This paper mainly discusses the PI training for graduate students under the mechanical engineering department. PI training is one of the first and essential modules in the mandatory MECH 500 Research Methods and Technical Communication course. Graduate students enrolled in this course are first introduced to the importance of PI and its potential impact in developing self-efficacy. After the initial introduction, graduate students are asked to do the following (a) Complete the abovementioned assignment given to the undergraduate student, (b) prepare a presentation on PI by including their insights for class discussion. After the PI training, students were asked to reflect on their competence in PI and the ability to apply it. In the survey and direct feedback, students expressed the value and appreciation for the PI training. Students also expressed the need to provide this training to large masses for developing an emotionally mature society of parents, teachers, and students, producing creative, innovative, and emphatic civilization.


This volume represents a significant breakthrough in the study of Hebrew prosody with important implications for understanding the formation of the canon of the Hebrew Bible. Duane Christensen, a renowned biblical scholar, offers a detailed analysis of the Hebrew text of Nahum and demonstrates the intricate literary structure and high poetic quality of the work. Nahum is a book about God's justice and portrays God as strong, unyielding, and capable of great anger. This view of God's nature stands in contrast to that found in Jonah, another book in the section of the Hebrew Bible known as the Book of the Twelve Prophets, which presents God as "compassionate, gracious ...[and] abounding in steadfast love." Christensen shows how Nahum and Jonah present complementary aspects of God's nature, each essential for an understanding of the divine being. The commentary includes the most extensive bibliography published to date of works cited.


River discharge influences ocean dynamics and biogeochemistry. Due to the lack of a systematic, up‐to‐date global measurement network for river discharge, global ocean models typically use seasonal discharge climatology as forcing. This compromises the simulated nonseasonal variation (the deviation from seasonal climatology) of the ocean near river plumes and undermines their usefulness for interdisciplinary research. Recently, a reanalysis‐based daily varying global discharge data set was developed, providing the first opportunity to quantify nonseasonal discharge effects on global ocean models. Here we use this data set to force a global ocean model for the 1992–2017 period. We contrast this experiment with another experiment (with identical atmospheric forcings) forced by seasonal climatology from the same discharge data set to isolate nonseasonal discharge effects, focusing on sea surface salinity (SSS) and sea surface height (SSH). Near major river mouths, nonseasonal discharge causes standard deviations in SSS (SSH) of 1.3–3 practical salinity unit (1–2.7 cm). The inclusion of nonseasonal discharge results in notable improvement of model SSS against satellite SSS near most of the tropical‐to‐midlatitude river mouths and minor improvement of model SSH against satellite or in‐situ SSH near some of the river mouths. SSH changes associated with nonseasonal discharge can be explained by salinity effects on halosteric height and estimated accurately through the associated SSS changes. A recent theory predicting river discharge impact on SSH is found to perform reasonably well overall but underestimates the impact on SSH around the global ocean and has limited skill when applied to rivers near the equator and in the Arctic Ocean.


Ruthenium red staining demonstrated the intercellular cement substance more distinctly and specifically than staining with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. The intercellular cement substance was seen in direct contact with the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. In the acantholysis of pemphigus vulgaris the cement substance underwent dissolution first in nondesmosomal areas and later in desmosomal areas and at intermediate junctions where the cement substance was present as a thicker layer and appeared condensed. Occluding zonules persisted even in degenerated acantholytic cells, indicating a high degree of resistance against separation. In separated desmosomal areas and separated intermediate junctions, the trilaminar structure of the plasma membrane remained intact. In early acantholyzed cells, the attachment plaques and tonofilaments appeared normal. Thus, acantholysis in pemphigus is initially an extracellular phenomenon. Fine fibrillar structures were found crisscrossing the space between the basal plasma membrane of the basal cell and the basal lamina. The presence of these fibrils partially explained why acantholysis does not occur in this space.


Migraine headache is a common, disabling clinical problem afflicting millions of Americans. Many dental problems are related to headaches and many conditions can cause orofacial pain and headaches, which complicates a definitive diagnosis. Temporomandibular joint disorders, toothache, jaw and sinus pain often coexist with headaches. A toothache of nonodontogenic origin may require a team of dentists and physicians to diagnosis and manage. It is important for the dentist to recognize and understand the management of common headaches, such as migraine, and be able to differentiate between a nonodontogenic headache and a "real" toothache.


Land use and corresponding habitat loss are major drivers of local species extinctions. Orthoptera as important grassland herbivores showed different responses to land-use intensity in different studies, and the susceptibility of this group remains unclear. We sampled annually for seven years 150 temperate grassland sites across three regions in Germany, for which land-use gradients were quantified as mowing, grazing, and fertilization intensity. We analyzed the effects of land-use intensity on orthopteran diversity and community abundance. To describe species-specific responses to environmental gradients, we employed a new approach termed "niche model," coupled with a randomization procedure, which is sensitive even for rare species for which trends may otherwise be difficult to detect. Based on abundance-weighted means for each species, we quantified the species' occurrence along land-use gradients and identified potential losers and winners of intensive land use. Overall, high land-use intensity negatively affected orthopteran diversity across years and regions, corresponding to decreases with high fertilization, mowing, and grazing intensity. Intensive mowing and grazing negatively affected abundance. Diversity and abundance increased with the time after the last cut. The niche model detected 15 of 29 Orthoptera species as losers of land use, showing significantly higher abundance in grasslands with low-intensity land use. Two species were winners of high land-use intensity, whereas the remaining 12 were assigned as opportunists. Most species were losers of high fertilization intensity, followed by frequent mowing. Grazing intensity was least detrimental at the species level. Omnivorous, herbivorous, and graminivorous species did not differ in their response to land-use intensity, whereas bryovorous/lichenivorous Tetrix species showed consistently negative responses to intensive land use. Our highly replicated, long-term and large-scale survey suggests that further land-use intensification threatens many Orthoptera and causes a consistent diversity loss. Low intensity of fertilization, infrequent mowing, and variable grazing will help to maintain a high diversity of orthopterans. The generality of our niche model approach advances studies on species' susceptibility in various study systems.


Recent developments in the materials technology have made possible the fabrication in dimensions of optical wavelengths. The progress in microfabrication techniques have resulted in increasing the requirement of more accurate models for understanding the behaviour of electromagnetic radiation in such small structures. Numerical simulations provide a low-cost feasibility study enabling one to optimize the design before actual device fabrication. Accurate simulations based on reliable models provide deep insight into complex phenomena related with optical microstructures. Micro ring resonators (MRR) are key micro-components for powerful communication and computation systems. Free Spectral Range (FSR), full width half maximum (FWHM), quality factor (Q) and finesse (F) are significant properties that characterize the performance of MRR. This thesis presents the modelling of multi-stage ring resonators, Side Coupled Integrated Spaced Sequence of Resonators (SCISSORs). The influence of design parameters including number of rings, ring radii, center wavelength and coupling coefficients is investigated over FSR and FWHM of the output signal in a proposed designed system based on SCISSORs. Computational investigations are performed using OptiFDTD (Finite- Difference Time-Domain), Matlab (2009a) and OptiWave Software V8.0. Double Channel SCISSORs is designed for optical filter application and power at input and output ports and circulated optical field within the ring resonator is simulated. The 2D model structure of SiO2 wafer is designed with refractive index equal to air's refractive index (i.e. 1.00). Design of the system consists of 4 micro-rings and a waveguide. The refractive index of waveguide is set to isotropic constant real value of 1.54 and no imaginary part. Validity of the model is extensively discussed and the transfer function of proposed micro ring resonator system is derived by using analytical treatment. The performance of SCISSORs is tested at input amplitudes of 1 V/m, 5 V/m, 10 V/m and 15 V/m. Power propagation is studied at input wavelengths of 1 μm, 1.25 μm, 1.55 μm, 2.9 μm and 4.25 μm which reveals a higher signal at Through port than Input port. A symmetric trend in 0.9-1.1 μm range with a higher gain was achieved by amplifying the input signal through SCISSORs. Investigations have shown the promise of SCISSORs as an optical filter that can be extremely useful in optical communication systems from transmission and security point of view.


Evaporation involves the change in state of a liquid to a vapour. The evaporation rate from salt‐water resources depends mostly on saturated vapour pressure above its surface. On the other hand, the saturated vapour pressure is affected by the ion activity coefficient, which stems from the chemical salt concentration of water. Thus, an increase in concentration of water results in a reduction of saturated vapour pressure. In order to acquire the actual rate of evaporation from salt‐water resources, a uniform set of evaporation pans with different but specified salt concentrations were used, in a meteorological station under the same conditions. The difference in evaporation rate of each pan can only stem from the difference in chemical salt concentration and, indeed, the molar fraction of water in each saline solution. Therefore, by applying the water molar fraction in the pressure term of fresh‐water evaporation measurement formulas, these equations were developed further for determination of evaporation rate from salt‐water resources. The proposed formulas using very simple terms seem to be suitable for determination of evaporation rate from any water (typically saline, semi‐saline and fresh water) with a satisfactory precision. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Traditional single-junction binary organic solar cells suffer from narrow absorption windows, limiting their ability to harvest photons. One promising approach to avoid this issue is through the construction of a ternary system to enhance the spectral response and efficiency. However, the complex morphology and photophysical processes within ternary blends leave the criteria of an effective third component unclear, and so they remain a challenge. In this work, we report on the fabrication of PTB7-Th:COi8DFIC-based ternary solar cells with enhanced efficiency by employing either a polymer donor or a nonfullerene acceptor as the third component. We demonstrate that the third component is highly associated with the condensed state of the host acceptor and is the primary factor in determining efficiency improvement. The π-π stacking molecular packing of COi8DFIC helps to maintain the optimal phase separation within the ternary blends and improves both the hole and electron charge mobilities, resulting in enhanced power conversion efficiency of over 14%, compared to 13.1% in binary devices. We also found an excessive amount of polymer donor or nonfullerene acceptor increases the phase separation and encourages lamellar crystallization with the host acceptor domain, resulting in reduced light-harvesting and external quantum efficiencies at long wavelengths. Our results provide a rational guide to selecting the third component to fabricate high-performance nonfullerene-based ternary solar cells.


Abstract Cobia, Rachycentron canadum, is an economically important migratory fish distributed in tropical waters worldwide and is a candidate fish species for aquaculture practices. The genetic stock structure of R. canadum distributed along the Indian waters was identified using mitochondrial ATPase 6 and 8 genes. A total of 842 bp sequence of ATPase 6/8 genes obtained in this study revealed 15 haplotypes with mean low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.001) and high haplotype diversity (h = 0.785). AMOVA indicated the genetic differentiation of 90.47% for individuals within the population. This is well supported by co-efficient of genetic differentiation (FST) values obtained for pairwise populations that were low and non-significant with an overall value of 0.002. The parsimony network tree revealed star-like phylogeny and all the haplotypes were connected with each other by single mutational event. The findings of the present study indicated the panmixia nature of the species which can be managed as a unit stock in Indian waters.


In previous studies from this laboratory, it was noted that opioids in vitro reduced human red blood cell deformability. The effect was found to be dose-dependent, naloxone reversible and preferentially selective kappa ligands exhibited the highest potency. To extend these findings studies were carried out using rat erythrocytes. The time required for erythrocytes to pass through a 5.0 um pore membrane was determined and used as an index of deformability. Opioids added in vitro produced inhibition of deformability in a dose-dependent, naloxone reversible manner. Injecting naive animals with morphine or nalbuphine also produced dose related reductions in red cell deformability. The degree of inhibition produced by nalbuphine correlated well with its plasma concentrations as measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Chronic morphine treatment by pellet implantation resulted in the development of tolerance as evidenced by a loss in the ability of morphine in vitro to inhibit red cell deformability. Addition of naloxone resulted in a decrease in filtration time. Thus, the data confirm and extend previous findings on human red blood cells. In as much as previous data from this laboratory demonstrated that opioids inhibit calcium flux from erythrocytes by inhibiting calcium-ATPase and calcium efflux is necessary for normal deformability, it is concluded that opioids act to reduce red cell deformability by inhibition of the calcium pump.


Indirect plant defence mechanisms enhance the effectiveness of natural enemies of herbivores. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) attract the parasitoids of insect herbivores as shown both in numerous choice tests conducted under laboratory conditions and in relatively few common-garden setups in agro-ecosystems. However, the importance of this indirect defence trait at higher levels of biological organization has yet to be investigated through natural field experiments. Here, we report a field experiment of larval parasitism of two cyclic geometrid defoliators in herbivore-damaged and fairly intact mountain birch Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii under natural conditions. Parasitism rates in larvae of the autumnal (Epirrita autumnata) and winter moth (Operophtera brumata) exposed for 30 h on defoliated trees were more than twice as high as those on control trees. This finding indicates that hymenopteran parasitoids were attracted to previously defoliated trees by some cues from the host plants, HIPVs being the most likely candidates. The third trophic level should thus be considered in natural plant herbivore interactions. Furthermore, parasitoids and food resources are key factors in the population regulation of forest insect pests, and indirect plant defences could be important in their interactions. Our research also emphasizes the quality of control treatments in field experiments, since immediate plant responses easily obscure the results as soon as control trees become infested by herbivorous insects.


Early childhood education has evolved from simply taking care of children to being an integrated stage within the development process. ICT are playing a key role to improve this process and to let families and educators to cooperate. A set of specific requirements of childhood education prevent ICT from a so deep penetration as at other levels. Despite of that, some electronic devices and software tools have been already applied to this educational domain. However, they have been used in isolation, lacking integration mechanisms that would have improved their efficiency. This paper describes the main features of a holistic framework aimed at providing support to ICT-based educational processes in early childhood. The main requirements, actors and relationships involved are presented altogether with a state-of-the-art technological platform that, based upon Standards and Specifications for Learning Technologies, facilitates the development and integration of ICT tools supporting early childhood education.


This paper aims at estimating Jordan's trade pattern using an augmented gravity model. This model will seek to analyze the relative importance of variables that drive trade flows in and out Jordan. Applying OLS to cross-section data for the period 2000-2005, the results show a consistency in Jordan's trade pattern over the period years, in addition to absence of any major change in the significance of variables that affect flows of trade. Contrary to the findings of previous studies, the distance factor was insignificant in affecting the trade volume of Jordan. This may suggest that with the worldwide developments in the shipments sector that reduced both the cost and needed time of shipping, distance becomes no longer a barrier to trade. On the other hand, the common language factor is still maintaining the highest contribution to trade volume.


A building self-shading shape impacts substantially on the amount of direct sunlight received by the building and contributes significantly to building operational energy use, in addition to other major contributing variables, such as materials and window-to-wall ratios. Deep Learning has the potential to assist designers and engineers by efficiently predicting building energy performance. This paper assesses the applicability of two different neural networks structures, Dense Neural Network (DNN) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), for predicting building operational energy use with respect to building shape. The comparison between the two neural networks shows that the DNN model surpasses the CNN model in performance, simplicity, and computation time. However, image-based CNN has the benefit of utilizing architectural graphics that facilitates design communication.


Background Persons with class II division 2 malocclusion are characterized by a very specific dento-skeletal and soft-tissue profile (a profile in which a protruding nose and chin, retruding lips, concave and shortened lower third of the face, and gummy smile are dominant), which is the opposite of the currently modern profiles (convex profile of protruding lips and small chin). The aim of this research was to determine the differences in parameters of harmonies of facial profiles between persons with class II division 2 malocclusions and class I, and to establish the significance of those differences. Material/Methods For this study, 50 patients with class II division 2 malocclusions and 50 patients with class I were selected; profile photos were recorded and a photometric analysis was done: a type of profile according to Schwarz, the shape of a nose, the prominence of chin, biometrical field, the position of lips in relation to the tangent Sn-Pg, S-line (Steiner), E-line (Riketts) and a facial angle according to Arnett. Results The significant differences in profiles of persons with class II division 2 compared to class I were: position and prominence of the chin, the position of the lower and upper lip in relation to the S-line, and smaller value of a facial angle in relation to persons with class I. Conclusions The differences seen in skeletal profiles were not associated with significant differences in the profiled facial contours of the examined groups. The compensatory role of the fullness of soft tissues of the lips is probably the reason why there were not significant deviations in all the examined parameters.


The current research aimed at identifying the effect of using the listening triangle strategy in providing the seventh-grade students with some listening comprehension skills in the arabic language subject for non-native speakers.
The researcher used the experimental curriculum and selected a sample of 84 students who were randomly distributed to two experimental and controlling (testing –controlled) groups, where the group studied the experimentation according to the strategy of the listening triangle and the control group in the usual way, and the researcher prepared an objective test of 72 paragraphs to measure the skill of listening understanding.
The results of the study showed a statistically significant difference between the average experimental group grades and the controlling group scores in the application of the remote test of the skill of understanding in the seventh-grade students.


This article discusses the differences and relations between witchcraft and shamanism among the Wauja Indians of the Upper Xingu river, focusing on the processes of body transformations, notions of lethal agency and the ontology of predation. Witchcraft is described as an accusation category referencing murder and also as an anti-power apparatus in the context of strong and relatively authoritarian chieftainships. Accusations, especially those of murder, weave a political plot that brings witchcraft to the center of Wauja sociality. Our main hypothesis is that witchcraft has a double political effect (simultaneous or successive) in the Wauja sociological landscape: it can serve to persecute, eliminate, or exile a chief's adversaries, but it also may turn against a chief, compromising his prestige and contesting his status. Witchcraft also has a double aesthetic effect: it is the most perfect incarnation of ugliness and of sadness/death and is thus opposed to ritual and to the very materials of the therapeutic projects that characterize Xinguano shamanism.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

Introduction: Zinc accumulates at levels 10-fold higher in the prostate than other soft tissues and this metal is implicated in prostate cancer (PCa) pathogenesis. Prostatic lesions have 6-fold lower concentrations of zinc than normal adjacent prostate tissue. Zinc levels are even lower in normal and malignant prostate tissue from African American (AA) men, who are 1.5 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than their Caucasian (Cauc) counterparts, thus highlighting the associative that that zinc could have in prostate cancer carcinogenesis. PAC-1 is a chemotherapeutic agent that induces cell death via zinc sequestration by activation of pro-caspase 3, which is a major player in cell death. We hypothesized that the low zinc levels in prostate cancer cells will cause the cells to be uniquely sensitive to cell death by PAC-1. Secondarily we hypothesized that AA patients, who have lower zinc in the prostate, may have enhanced response to PAC-1. Methods: PAC-1 cytotoxicity was investigated in LNCaP, PC-3, 957e/hTERT (immortalized normal primary cell line) and patient-derived normal and cancer primary epithelial cells (PrE) by treatment with 100, 50, 25,10,1, 0 micromolar concentrations of PAC-1 and PAC-1 analogs. Cell death was analyzed via the MTS colorimetric assay. Results and conclusion: Normal and cancer prostate cells are sensitive to PAC-1 and even more sensitive to PAC-1 analogs. PAC-1 was growth inhibitory and induced cell death at higher concentrations. Ongoing studies will examine zinc-dependency of PAC-1-induced death. PAC-1 and its analogs-induced cell death and caspase-3 activation will be measured in zinc-depleted, zinc sufficient and zinc-excess media. Studies will also determine PAC-1 cytotoxicity in normal and cancer prostatic epithelial cells. PAC-1 cytotoxicity levels in patient-matched prostate cancer cells (PrCa) from AA and Cauc men will also be studied to interrogate the disparate role of zinc in regards to sensitivity to PAC-1. These results may be translated to the clinic since a derivative of PAC-1 (S-PAC-1) has been shown to have positive effects in a Phase I clinical trial in pet dogs with lymphoma.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3801. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3801


Since, Pakistan achieved independence, socio-economic development has faced various challenges. The human development index (HDI), published annually, shows several weaknesses. Furthermore, the HDI does not take into account several important indicators, and is an inappropriate mechanism by which to measure human development. The present study assess the level of Pakistan's social economic development (SED) based on 20 developing countries and using new variables. Socioeconomic development is the process of social and economic development in a society which is measured by indicators, such as mean years of schooling, education expenditure (%GDP), life expectancy, health expenditure (%GDP), crime, corruption, GDP, level of employment, GINI index, agriculture, industries, services, exports, investment, and total reserves. In the light of these variables Pakistan's economic development is i n much better condition as compared to social development. Pakistan is socially and economically very backward in latest year.


Background Although the rate of maternal mortality has declined over the past few decades, pulmonary embolus (PE) remains an important cause of maternal deaths. Little is known about the associations of specific periods of gestational weight gain with detailed PE and deep venous thrombosis (DVT). We explored the incidence of pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism (VTE) in China and assessed the associations of maternal weight gain in different periods of pregnancy with VTE.Methods In a retrospective case-control study conducted in in Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital from January 1st, 2017 to July 31th, 2021, 151 cases (11.7 per 10000) of venous thromboembolism (VTE) within pregnancy or the first 6 postnatal weeks were identified. 302 controls without VTE who gave birth at the same time as the cases were selected. Maternal pre-pregnancy weight, weight in early, mid and late pregnancy and other maternal pregnancy and newborn characteristics were obtained. GWG was standardized into gestational age-specific z-scores stratified by body mass index (BMI) and categorized as low (z score <-1), normal (-1 to 1), and high (>1). The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated through log-binomial regression models. Interaction effects between gestational weight gain (GWG) and some other adjustment factors were tested, further stratified analyses were performed separately where interaction terms were significant. Results There were 65.6% (99 of 151) of pulmonary embolus (PE) alone and 34.4% (52 of 151) of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) alone or combined with PE. For all pre-pregnancy BMI categories (underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese), there was no statistical association between maternal weight gain of all gestational intervals and DVT or all VTE in this study. However, for PE, there was observed protective effects of low weight gain (aOR 0.79; 95% CI 0.37–1.68) and significantly increased risks of high weight gain (aOR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.03-2.09) among normal-weight women in early pregnancy. Similarly, a tendency towards decreased risk at lower weight gain throughout pregnancy (aOR 0.79; 95% CI 0.37–1.68) and significantly increased risk at higher values (aOR=1.52; 95% CI: 1.01-2.31) for PE was observed in normal-weight women. As for underweight and overweight women, results from the categorical model for early, late or total pregnancy weight gain indicated an increased risk in PE at both low and high weight gain, but confidence intervals were wide.Conclusion Chinese women have a higher risk of PE than the foreigner counterparts. Maternal weight gain in total or early pregnancy is an important risk factor for PE. In order to effectively improve maternal and child outcomes, intensive weight management that continues through pregnancy may be indispensable.


Growth rate-dependent regulation of the level of Escherichia coli glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, encoded by zwf, and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, encoded by gnd, is similar during steady-state growth and after nutritional upshifts. To determine whether the mechanism regulating zwf expression is like that of gnd, which involves a site of posttranscriptional control located within the structural gene, we prepared and analyzed a set of zwf-lacZ protein fusions in which the fusion joints are distributed across the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase coding sequence. Expression of beta-galactosidase from the protein fusions was as growth rate dependent as that of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase itself, indicating that regulation does not involve an internal regulatory region. The level of beta-galactosidase in zwf-lac operon fusion strains and the level of zwf mRNA from a wild-type strain increased with increasing growth rate, which suggests that growth rate control is exerted on the mRNA level. The half-life of the zwf mRNA mass was 3.0 min during growth on glucose and 3.4 min during growth on acetate. Thus, zwf transcription appears to be the target for growth rate control of the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase level.


Performance tests using dilute acid were carried out on 16 glass-reference electrode pairs. Recently marketed electrodes designed for use in dilute solutions and having high leakage rates at the reference junction performed well, but were no better than some others with low leakage rates. The determination of the second dissociation constant of phosphoric acid by potentiometric titration was a more demanding test of electrode performance: satisfactory results were only obtained using a renewable free diffusion junction. There are various indications that the Henderson equation may be inappropriate for calculating liquid junction potentials for dilute acids, but there is a lack of precise experimental work in dilute solutions. Consequently there is uncertainty regarding the errors involved in equating the measured pH of dilute acids to the calculated activity of the hydrogen ion.


It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the ACM SIGPLAN 2014 Workshop on Partial Evaluation and Program Manipulation -- PEPM'14, taking place in San Diego on January 20th and 21st, 2014. The PEPM Symposium / Workshop series aims to bring together researchers and practitioners working in the broad area of program transformation, which spans from refactoring, partial evaluation, super-compilation, staged programming, fusion and other meta-programming to model-driven development, program analyses including termination, inductive programming, program generation and applications of machine learning and probabilistic search.

The call for papers has attracted 22 submissions from all over the world. The program committee has accepted 17 papers, of which two are tool papers and one short paper. They cover theory and applications of various analysis and program manipulation techniques --- and, in the case of the tool paper --- show how this work is put into practice. Each paper got at least three reviews. Afterwards the PC voted to select the best paper accepted for PEPM '14. We are delighted to announce that the award for the best paper submitted to the workshop goes to Optimizing SYB is Easy! by Michael D. Adams, Andrew Farmer and Jose Pedro Magalhaes

This volume also includes the abstracts of the invited talks by two outstanding researchers: Manuel Fahndrich and Sven-Bodo Scholz.


Catheterization of the renal vein offers a safe and relatively simple method of obtaining blood as it leaves the kidney in the resting unanesthetized human subject. In preliminary observation on 8 subjects the renal arteriovenous oxygen difference varied from 1.9 to 2.8 volumes per cent., averaging 2.3 volumes per cent. Sodium para-amino hippurate, at low plasma levels, was 88 per cent. extracted during a single circulation through the kidney.


There has been an overall decline in copepod populations across the North Atlantic over the past few decades. Reasons for these declines are unclear, and several major species, including the cyclopoid copepod Oithona similis, have maintained stable populations at station L4 in the western English Channel. To identify the factors contributing to this stability, we conducted a 1-year intensive study of O. similis at L4 over 2017–2018, a period of high climatic variability. For context, dominant frequency state analysis was applied to the 30-year L4 time series to derive the baseline dynamics of the Oithona spp. population. The Oithona spp. baseline demonstrated stable densities and a bimodal annual cycle. These dynamics, as well as those of reproductive output and phaenological timings, were upheld in 2017–2018, indicating resilience to climatic variability. During 2017–2018, all life stages of O. similis were relatively scarce in the top 2 m of the water column, despite the presence of abundant food. Naupliar stages occurred predominantly around 10 m depth, with subsequent life stages progressively deeper. We suggest this vertical structuring may represent different trade-offs between feeding and mortality risk between ontogenetic stages. To determine the traits that contribute to population stability, we compare O. similis with the large, biomass-dominant copepod, Calanus helgolandicus. Despite having contrasting functional traits, both species have exhibited strong population stability over the time series. Our results provide evidence that mortality plays a major role in maintaining population dynamics.


Objective—Human pregnancy that courses with maternal supraphysiological hypercholesterolemia (MSPH) correlates with atherosclerotic lesions in fetal arteries. It is known that hypercholesterolemia associates with endothelial dysfunction in adults, a phenomenon where nitric oxide (NO) and arginase are involved. However, nothing is reported on potential alterations in the fetoplacental endothelial function in MSPH. The aim of this study was to determine whether MSPH alters fetal vascular reactivity via endothelial arginase/urea and L-arginine transport/NO signaling pathways. Approach and Results—Total cholesterol <280 mg/dL was considered as maternal physiological hypercholesterolemia (n=46 women) and ≥280 mg/dL as MSPH (n=28 women). Maternal but not fetal total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels were elevated in MSPH. Umbilical veins were used for vascular reactivity assays (wire myography), and primary cultures of umbilical vein endothelial cells to determine arginase, endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), and human cationic amino acid transporter 1 and human cationic amino acid transporter 2A/B expression and activity. MSPH reduced calcitonine gene–related peptide-umbilical vein relaxation and increased intima/media ratio (histochemistry), as well as reduced eNOS activity (L-citrulline synthesis from L-arginine, eNOS phosphorylation/dephosphorylation), but increased arginase activity and arginase II protein abundance. Arginase inhibition increased eNOS activity and L-arginine transport capacity without altering human cationic amino acid transporter 1 or human cationic amino acid transporter 2A/B protein abundance in maternal physiological hypercholesterolemia and MSPH. Conclusions—MSPH is a pathophysiological condition altering umbilical vein reactivity because of fetal endothelial dysfunction associated with arginase and eNOS signaling imbalance. We speculate that elevated maternal circulating cholesterol is a factor leading to fetal endothelial dysfunction, which could have serious consequences to the growing fetus.


BACKGROUND
The number of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) seeking treatment for degenerative spondylolisthesis is expected to increase. However, there is a paucity of studies examining the patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and subjective measures in patients with DM following minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF). The present study aimed to compare PROs, satisfaction, and radiological fusion between DM and non-DM patients following MIS-TLIF.

METHODS
The authors identified 30 patients with DM who underwent primary, single-level MIS-TLIF for degenerative spondylolisthesis from a spine registry. Each patient was matched 1:1 with 30 controls without DM using propensity scores to adjust for age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, and baseline PROs. Visual analog scale leg pain, back pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), SF-36 physical component score and mental component scores were compared at 1, 3, 6, and 24 months. Patients also completed a satisfaction questionnaire during these visits. Radiographic fusion was analyzed according to Bridwell grades.

RESULTS
There was no difference in PROs between non-DM and DM patients at 2 years. However, a higher proportion of non-DM patients attained minimal clinically important difference for ODI (90.0% vs 66.7% P = 0.028) and SF-36 physical component score (90.0% vs 53.3% P = 0.002) at 3 months and ODI (96.7% vs 80.0%) at 6 months. A similar proportion of patients in each group were satisfied and had expectations fulfilled. A higher proportion of non-DM patients attained a grade 1 or 2 fusion (93.3%), as compared with DM patients (80.0%), although this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.129).

CONCLUSIONS
DM patients have poorer initial PROs, which reach comparable levels to those in non-DM patients in the longer-term. Fusion rates of DM patients were poorer compared with non-DM patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3


We construct parallel finite element methods for the solution of hyperbolic conservation laws in one and two dimensions. Spatial discretization is performed by a discontinuous Galerkin finite element method using a basis of piecewise Legendre polynomials. Temporal discretization utilizes a Runge-Kutta method. Dissipative fluxes and projection limiting prevent oscillations near solution discontinuities. A posteriori estimates of spatial errors are obtained by a-refinement technique using superconvergence at Radau points. The resulting method is of high order and may be parallelized efficiently on MIMD computers. We compare results using different limiting schemes and demonstrate parallel efficiency through computations on an NCUBE/2 hypercube. We also present results using adaptive-and-refinement to reduce the computational cost of the method.


The aim of this research letter was to report the results of a pilot study designed to compare the real and virtual position of implants placed using computer-guided flapless implant surgery for single restorations in the premaxilla. A total of 8 patients (2 men and 6 women) with a mean age of 40 years old (range: 32-73 years) had a total of 11 implants inserted using a tooth-supported stereolithographic guide. After implant placement, the positions (coronal, central, and apical) and angulation of the implants installed in relation to those planned were determined via the superposition of pre- and postoperative 3-dimensional models using Dental Slice software (Bioparts, Brasília, Brazil). The mean angular deviation was 2.54° ± 0.71°. The deviations found for the coronal, central, and apical positions were 1.3 ± 0.77 mm, 1.49 ± 0.58 mm, and 2.13 ± 1.32 mm, respectively.


The quasi-classical trajectory (QCT) method based on the extended London—Eyring—Polanyi—Sato potential energy surface is used to investigate the product vibrational distribution, angular distribution and angle-resolved kinetic distribution of the reaction Ba+C3H7Br→BaBr+C3H7 at 2.58 kcal/mol. The calculated results show that the product BaBr vibrational distribution is quite hot, the vibrational population peaks are located at v = 12, and the angular product distribution tends to backward scattering. The calculated angle-resolved kinetic distribution shows that the kinetic distribution is obviously related to angle. The QCT results are always qualitatively acceptable and sometimes even quantitatively.


abstract:Moravian maps are important representations of the way eighteenth-century Moravians navigated, lived, and how they understood space and place. To explore these connections, the author discusses the benefits and limitations of examining and georectifying historical maps by cartographers such as Andreas Hoeger, Philipp Christian Gottlieb Reuter, and Georg Wenzeslaus Golkowsky.


The amino groups of amino acids, the constituents of proteins, are catabolized in the urea cycle. One intermediate of this cycle, ornithine, is a precursor molecule of polyamines. The influence of dietary protein intake on the production and excretion of polyamines in the urine is yet unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the excretion of polyamines in the urine following three days of creatine-free, creatine-free and low-polyamine diet in four persons. On the fourth day they were loaded with creatine-free, creatinine-free and low-polyamine high-protein diet (80 g/70 kg body weight). High-protein diet resulted in no increase of urinary polyamine excretion. The low-polyamine diet caused a non-significant decrease in urinary polyamine excretion (by 15%).


Regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is a hole transport polymer material used in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and can reach mobilities as high as 0.1 cm2 V−1 s−1. Factors that affect the charge mobility and the transport mechanisms of P3HT-based OFET systems are therefore of great importance. We use quantum mechanical methods to interpret the charge mobility and the transport properties of self-assembled P3HT molecules along the intra-chain and inter-chain directions. Our approach is illustrated by a hopping transport model, in which we examine the variation of charge mobility with torsional angle and the intermolecular distance between two adjacent thiophene segments. We also simulate packed P3HT structures via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The MD results indicate that the resultant mobility along the π−π inter-chain direction is significantly less than that along the intra-chain direction. Accordingly, the main charge-transfer route within the P3HT ordered domains is an intra-chain rather than an inter-chain one. The calculation result for the inter-chain hole mobility is around 10−2 cm2 V−1 s−1, which is consistent with experimental data from P3HT single fibril. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry


Machine learning potentials (MLPs) trained on accurate quantum chemical data can retain the high accuracy, while inflicting little computational demands. On the downside, they need to be trained for each individual system. In recent years, a vast number of MLPs have been trained from scratch because learning additional data typically requires retraining on all data to not forget previously acquired knowledge. Additionally, most common structural descriptors of MLPs cannot represent efficiently a large number of different chemical elements. In this work, we tackle these problems by introducing element-embracing atom-centered symmetry functions (eeACSFs), which combine structural properties and element information from the periodic table. These eeACSFs are key for our development of a lifelong machine learning potential (lMLP). Uncertainty quantification can be exploited to transgress a fixed, pretrained MLP to arrive at a continuously adapting lMLP, because a predefined level of accuracy can be ensured. To extend the applicability of an lMLP to new systems, we apply continual learning strategies to enable autonomous and on-the-fly training on a continuous stream of new data. For the training of deep neural networks, we propose the continual resilient (CoRe) optimizer and incremental learning strategies relying on rehearsal of data, regularization of parameters, and the architecture of the model.


Presentation given at 2016 Association for Learning Technology conference at University of Warwick (ALT2016).

This presentation shares key findings from my MSc thesis on discoverability strategies for OERs after a small scale study into Jisc UKOER projects.

The origins, key features and recent improvements to EdShare, the OER repository solution which is available through EPrints Services at the University of Southampton, is highlighted.

Repositories provide an excellent way of archiving, preserving and managing content, but is this enough for OERs. OERs are about more than simply sharing, and this presentation highlighted a number of development areas under consideration for EdShare, to become a more open digital space.


Student housing is essential to the attainment of quality education, most especially in higher institutions were students come from far distance to study. While research abounds on happenings with regards to student housing in public higher institutions, there is a paucity of information on this situation within the private higher institutions. This study, therefore, presents the result of an investigation of the satisfaction of students with housing facilities in private higher institutions in Nigeria. The study adopted a survey design and quantitative data were gathered through the use of a questionnaire administered to 216 students selected through stratified random sampling. The students' residence satisfaction was assessed from the physical, and social/management stands. Data gathered were analysed using percentage, mean score and Mann-Whitney U-Test. The study revealed that on a general level, while private institution students are more satisfied with the social and management characteristics of the residence than the physical characteristics. The study observed that although overall satisfaction is derived, there is still adequate room for improvement in order to deliver better housing for students. The outcome of this study provides a possible direction for the management of private higher institutions in improving their students' housing delivery in order to achieve higher students' satisfaction.


A time optimal-based discrete-time sliding mode control (DSMC) scheme with application to hard disk drives (HDDs) is developed in this study. In this approach, an approximate time optimal switching curve is adopted for the time-varying sliding mode design and the controller, which consists of an equivalent part and a discontinuous one, is designed such that the trajectory from any initial point is driven into a sliding region in the vicinity of the switching surface without chattering and thereafter remains inside it. By using the time-varying switching surface, one unified framework for both track seeking and following control is provided and smooth transition from seeking control to track following control is achieved as well. Simulation and experimental studies on the design of controller in HDDs were conducted to illustrate its feasibility and effectiveness. The simulation/experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme provides better performance during track seeking than the commonly used discrete-time proximate time-optimal servomechanism (PTOS) and sliding mode proximate time optimal servomechanism (SMPTOS). Moreover, the unified controller achieves better disturbance suppression in track-following than the proportional-integral-differential (PID) control.


This study investigates the adsorption mechanism of 2-butanone (ethyl methyl ketone) on the surface of graphene by using Density Functionals Theory (DFT). A 2-butanone molecule was chosen as a selected example of main volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath. To describe the absorption of 2-butanone and graphene substrate, the study performed DFT simulations including van de Waals (vdW) interactions implemented in the Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package (VASP). The global minimum energy configurations and binding energies for a 2-butanone molecule adsorbed on graphene were determined by using Computational DFT-based Nanoscope tool for imaging the binding possibility of the adsorbed molecules on the graphene surface. The adsorption energy profiles were calculated by three functionals of van der Waals interactions: revPBE-vdW, optPBE-vdW, and vdW-DF2. The study results show that the adsorption energy was highly sensitive to the vdW functionals. The study also provides a detailed discussion of fundamental insights of the interactions between 2butanone and graphene through molecular doping, i.e., charge transfer.


Introduction Rifaximin is an orally administrated, nonabsorbed, nonsystemic antibiotic recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for traveler's diarrhea. Its utility in eradication of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is currently being evaluated. Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate efficacy and safety of rifaximin for bacterial eradication and relieving symptoms in patients affected by SIBO. Methods Treatment with rifaximin 200 mg qid was undertaken for 4 weeks. Assessment of a symptom score consisting of frequency and severity of bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and bowel movements was calculated at the beginning and after treatment. Glucose breath test (GBT) was also performed. Standard demographics were assessed. Subjects Ten consecutive symptomatic patients (8 F and 2 M, mean age of 53, range 19-85) were prospectively studied in an open-labeled fashion. Seven patients (70%) presented with diarrhea, 3 (30%) with bloating and gas as a dominant symptom. All patients had a > 20 ppm concentration of hydrogen and/or methane within 90 minutes of ingesting 50 g of glucose in 150 cc aqueous solution (GBT). Three subjects were exclusive methane formers, 1 methane and hydrogen, and 6 produced only hydrogen. Results Among patients with diarrhea 5 (71%) noticed improvement of more then 50%; 2 (29%) between 25 and 50%; 1 had no response after 4 weeks of rifaximin. Among patients with bloating + gas as the main symptom: 1 (33) had improvement between 50 and 75%; 1 (33%) between 25 and 50%, and 1 (33%) had no response. Repeat GBT in 6 patients at the end of the 4 weeks showed 50% of hydrogen formers and 67% of methane producers were eradicated. No adverse effects were observed. Conclusions This study shows that rifaximin in a dose of 200 mg qid for at least 4 weeks seems to be effective and safe treatment in reducing diarrhea and to a lesser degree gas + bloating in patients with SIBO. Further studies of follow-up breath test results and longer-term outcome are the next step in assessing this promising new therapy for SIBO.


Artificial neural networks (ANN) have been recognized as a powerful tool for classification and pattern recognition in various fields of applications. This paper presents an overview of three ANN architectures and the results of applying those ANNs for the detection and classification of malfunction, wear and damage of a gearbox operating under steady state conditions. The ANN models studied are: feed forward back propagation (FFBP), functional link network (FLN) and learning vector quantization (LVQ). Three artificial defects were deliberately introduced to the gearbox and these are: (1) loose key, (2) single tooth flank wear and (3) full tooth breakage (missing tooth). Vibration signals, collected from extensive experimentation, were analyzed using time and frequency domain descriptors that were used as feature vectors to feed the ANNs. The results show that, for this study, the FLN learns more quickly and is more accurate in operation than the FFBP or the LVQ. The LVQ algorithm exhibits faster rate of convergence than the FFBP but suffers more from misclassifications.


In the Universe, everything is subject to certain Laws (principles, rules) and naturally that the process of gravity cannot be an exception. Gravitational energy regulates interactions in the universe: nuclear, chemical, electrical, and others. Each massive body generates a force gravitational field of attraction to it. Gravitational interaction spreads instantly. Masses or energy-carrying particles moving in gravitational fields emit gravitational waves. The signal from gravitational waves comes at about the same frequency as our inner speech. Gravitational waves carry information about energy, time and space. Humanity has long sought to overcome the power of gravity. If you shield the connection with the Earth's core, then there will be an attraction to another field in the Sky. The article discusses ways to overcome gravity on earth and in outer space. The approach of cosmic levitation to interstellar galactic travel in the universe is also being considered. To levitate spacecraft, you need to use the setting on the fields of attraction. To levitate a spacecraft from Earth to the Universe, it is necessary to bring its energy to such activity that its ether contours will absorb the energy sphere of the target gravitational field. The reason for levitation and infinite energy lies in the ethereal shell, which needs a complex of vibrations of the field of attraction.


3D multi-core architectures are seen to provide increased transistor density, reduced power consumption, and improved performance through wire length reduction. However, 3D suffers from increased power density, which exacerbates thermal hotspots. In this paper, we present a novel 3D multi-core architecture that reduces processor activity on the die distant to the heat sink and a core-level dynamic thermal management technique based on the architectural adaptation, e.g. dynamically adapting core-resources depending on diverse application requirements and thermal behavior. The proposed thermal management technique synergistically combines the benefits of the architectural adaptation supported by our 3D multi-core architecture with dynamic voltage and frequency scaling. Our proposed technique provides 19.4% (maximum 24.4%, minimum 15.5%) improvement in the instruction throughput compared to the state-of-the-art thermal management techniques [4, 5] applied to the thermal-aware 3D processor architecture without considering run-time adaptation [10].


Infections due to rare Cryptococcus species (other than C. neoformans species complex, C. gattii species complex, C. albidus or C. laurentii) are barely reported. The aim of this work is to present a comprehensive literature review of all the papers describing infections due to these species referenced in the main databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar). Clinical and epidemiological data together with laboratory findings (identification and antifungal susceptibility) of each isolate were analyzed. Fifty-eight cryptococosis due to rare species were described in 46 papers between 1934–2018. These reports included 16 rare Cryptococcus spp. that were generally associated with nervous system infections and fungemias. Some species are non-capsulated and are not able to grow at 37 °C. Few species were identified by commercially available methods, making internal transcriber spacer (ITS) and D1/D2 regions sequencing mandatory. The most potent antifungal was amphotericin B (although some species showed high MIC values). The studied strains showed high MICs values to 5-fluorocytosine (all >64 µg/mL), echinocandins (all >8 µg/mL), and fluconazole (>80% of the MICs >4 µg/mL). Due to the scarcity of the data and the absence of guidelines for the treatment of these infections, this review could be informative and could help in the diagnosis and treatment of these infections.


This chapter focuses on the sharp tension between the 'creep' of ethical regulation from medicine and psychology across the whole of social science and the practical requirements of doing ethnographic research in education in ways that are ethically satisfactory. One source of this tension is the essential role of phronēsis (wise judgment) in educational ethnography, as in other forms of research and professional activity. It has been argued that the sort of procedural 'transparency' demanded by ethical regulation is impossible, and that attempts to achieve it necessarily have undesirable effects: that they lead ethnographers to become primarily concerned with whether or not they are compliant with regulatory requirements, rather than with making good ethical and methodological judgments. This chapter discusses how ethics committees could facilitate the development of phronēsis on the part of ethnographers, by encouraging greater attention to the complexities of methodological and ethical issues and exposing individual researchers to diverse views about these.


This paper builds a new theory of euro area sovereign bond markets. The theory explains the anomalous bond pricing and increasing spreads during the 'Euro-Crisis'. I show that the malfunctioning of euro area bond markets is triggered by asymmetric information and weak reputation in economic and fiscal policy. Both factors trigger a standard bond market to turn into turmoil. In the end, those markets are prone to self-fulfilling bubbles due to animal spirits. Consequently, mispricing of sovereign debt is inherent in the Eurozone and creates more macroeconomic instability than in a stand-alone country.


A Library Guide to information about Deafspace, which is an architectural design concept for the Deaf Community. DeafSpace principles are followed to ensure buildings and other environments are essentially Deaf-friendly. Description of each existing principles of Deafspace


Background : Blood discards have not attracted much attention in transfusion practice in Nigeria, where pre-donation screening is the practice in most health facilities with its attendant deferral of donors reactive to transfusion transmissible infections. The National Blood Transfusion Service of Nigeria lays emphasis on voluntary blood donation and post donation enzyme linked immune-sorbent assay tests for infectious agents. Mass blood donations, post donation testing and storage are bound to generate blood discards. This study sought to determine the impact of centralized blood transfusion service on blood discards. Methodology : Records of discarded units of blood between April 2008 and March 2010 were reviewed for the presence of infectious agents, evidence of red blood cell lysis, volume out of range and expiration as reasons for disposal. The type of blood donation was also determined from records. Results : A total of 7286 units of blood from, voluntary (78.2%) and family replacement (21.8%) blood donors were collected during the period under review; (25.5%) were discarded. Twenty-three per cent (23%) of collected blood were discarded due to positive transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs), 1.4% expired and 1.0% of collected units were discarded due to volume out of range. Conclusion : Blood discards may be a problem associated with post donation screening, largely due to transfusion transmissible infections, requiring safe handling and disposal. Vaccination of safe donors and children against hepatitis viruses may reduce blood discards from future donations.


work is clearly a doctoral thesis and suffers many of the structural and technical weaknesses of this genre of monograph, including a failure to acknowledge and deal with a substantial corpus of recent literature on early medieval liturgical texts and commentaries. Nonetheless, the study provides a useful collection of primary snippets from patristic and early medieval commentaries on theater and the Mass and is a winsome demonstration that long before the age in which the medium became the message it was fully appreciated that the greatest form of the theater possible is the liturgy of the Eucharist.


The Eocene Memphis Sand aquifer is the major source of drinking water for municipalities in the upper Mississippi Embayment, with the city of Memphis, TN, being the largest consumer. Concerns about contamination of the Memphis aquifer from surface waters have primarily focused on local groundwater transmission through the Upper Claiborne aquitard and erosional windows through the aquitard. This study used recent fault mapping to show that faults extend upward from the Memphis aquifer to very near the surface in and adjacent to Memphis. The Meeman-Shelby and Cuba faults extend under the Mississippi River and upward to the base of the Mississippi River alluvium. Groundwater levels (potentiometric surface) in Memphis aquifer monitor wells H002 and LdF 004 and the Mississippi River water levels during the years of 2007 through 2011 show strong correlation (0.744829 and 0.779691, respectively). We believe this correlation may be due to direct connection through fault zones.


Aster is a large genus of the family Asteraceae (Compositae) comprising more than 200 species distributed around the world (1). Some of Aster species have been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of fever, cold, tonsillitis, snake bite and bee sting (2). Members of this genus are rich in triterpenoid saponins, two oleanan type saponins and three flavonoid compounds were isolated from Aster novi (3,4). Phytochemical investigation of the methanolic extract of Aster novi-belgii L. (Asteraceae) aerial part has led to the isolation and identification by spectroscopic means of four triterpenoid saponins, oleanolic acid 3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl (1→3)-α-L-arabinopyranoside; 3-O-β-D- glucopyranosyl- 3β, 16 α- dihydroxyolean- 12- en- 28-oic acid-28-O-α-L- arabinopyranoside; {3-O-β-D- glucouronopyranosyl- 3β,16 α- dihydroxyolean- 12-en -23-oic acid 28-O-β-D- xylopyranosyl- (1→3)-β-D- xylopyranosyl- (1→4)- α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(l→2)-α-L-arabinopyranoside} ester and {3-O-β-D-glucouronopyranosyl-3β,16 α- dihydroxyolean- 12-en- 23-oic acid 28-O-β-D- xylopyranosyl- (1→3)- β-D-xylopyranosyl (1→4)- [α-L- arabinopyranosyl- (1→3)] -α-L- rhamnopyranosyl- (l→2)- α-L-arabinopyranoside} ester, and four flavonoids; kaempferol, quercetin, kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside. Moreover, the extract showed a molluscicidal activity against Biomphalaria alexandrina snails. References: 1. Shao Y et al. (1997)J Nat Prod 60: 743–746. 2. Shao Y et al.(1995) Planta Med 61: 246–249 3. Abdel Khalik SM (2006) Bull Fac Pharm Cairo Univ 44: 85–89 4. Abdel Khalik SM (2006) Bull Fac Pharm Cairo Univ 44: 253–256


This paper relates to session management architecture and mechanism for implementing an FPGA-based stateful intrusion detection system. Our proposed architecture can help to perform Stateful Packet Inspection(SPI) in real time using a new session table management scheme that allows more efficient generation of session state information in intrusion detection system. SPI is an important technique to reduce false positive alerts in network intrusion detection system(NIDS). As the number of session increases, this technique requires a higher processing speed, thereby causing performance problems. However, existing software-based solutions cannot perform real-time packet inspection ensuring the wire speed. To guarantee both performance and functionality with respect to statefulness, we designed and implemented SPI-based intrusion detection module in a FPGA to help alleviating a bottleneck in network intrusion detection systems in this paper.


We introduce and describe a new conceptual framework for the design and analysis of audio for immersive first-person shooter games, and discuss its potential implications for the development of the audio component of game engines. The framework was created in order to illustrate and acknowledge the direct role of in-game audio in shaping player-player interactions and in creating a sense of immersion in the game world. Furthermore, it is argued that the relationship between player and sound is best conceptualized theoretically as an acoustic ecology. Current game engines are capable of game world spatiality through acoustic shading, but the ideas presented here provide a framework to explore other immersive possibilities for game audio through real-time synthesis.


Introduction: Although olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) are the most abundant sea turtles in the world, quantitative information is scarce and unevenly distributed among regions. There are many management and conservation programs for this species, and assessments are necessary to identify nesting trends and effectively manage current conservation programs. PROTORMAR-UAS is a Research and Conservation program for the olive ridley turtle created by the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, Mexico. The program utilizes two biological stations: Santuario Playa Ceuta (SPC) and Playa Caimanero (PC). Objective: To evaluate the nesting trend of olive ridley turtles on two beaches in Northwestern Mexico and to predict prospective nesting trends for the next 30 years. Methods: Using annual nesting data collected over 40 years at SPC (1976-2016) and 30 years at PC (1986-2016), we evaluated nesting trends, hatching success, predation and poaching of olive ridley turtles on the two beaches in Northwestern Mexico. Then, prospective nesting estimates for the next 30 years were calculated predictive time series model. Results: A positive and significant correlation was identified between the number of annual nests and time for both beaches (rho = 0.850, P ≤ 0.01 for SPC; rho = 0.677, P ≤ 0.01 for PC); the average hatching success rates were 65.09 at SPC and 60.72 % at PC. The predictive time-series model indicated that the numbers of nests will continue to increase through 2045, increasing three-fold at SPC and six-fold at PC with respect to the last year of monitoring. Conclusions: There was a clear positive trend in the number of olive ridley sea turtle nests at both sites, which is consistent with trends found in other recent studies from the region. Therefore, we suggest that PC be designated a legally protected nesting area since it is located within the latitudinal limits of olive ridley nesting and given the need for resources for camp operation considering increased nesting and current problems with predation and poaching. Because in Mexico operating a nesting beach without any protection status implies not having a budget for its management.


Energy efficiency on wireless communication is an important issue of the battery power based wireless communication devices. This paper presents the energy efficiency model for MIMO OFDM WLAN system with the block ack mechanism and also presents the analysis of the system. Several parameters are considered such as number of antennas, modulation, path loss, payload size and number of burst transmission in block ack mechanism. Our experiment results show that energy efficiency is higher at the lower number of antennas, higher modulation, larger data payload size and burst transmission environment


We introduce the new problem of hardware decompilation. Analogous to software decompilation, hardware decompilation is about analyzing a low-level artifact—in this case a netlist, i.e., a graph of wires and logical gates representing a digital circuit—in order to recover higher-level programming abstractions, and using those abstractions to generate code written in a hardware description language (HDL). The overall problem of hardware decompilation requires a number of pieces. In this paper we focus on one specific piece of the puzzle: a technique we call hardware loop rerolling. Hardware loop rerolling leverages clone detection and program synthesis techniques to identify repeated logic in netlists (such as would be synthesized from loops in the original HDL code) and reroll them into syntactic loops in the recovered HDL code. We evaluate hardware loop rerolling for hardware decompilation over a set of hardware design benchmarks written in the PyRTL HDL and industry standard SystemVerilog. Our implementation identifies and rerolls loops in 52 out of 53 of the netlists in our benchmark suite, and we show three examples of how hardware decompilation can provide concrete benefits: transpilation between HDLs, faster simulation times over netlists (with mean speedup of 6x), and artifact compaction (39% smaller on average).


This study examined the effects of individual, family, and career characteristics on retirees` life satisfaction and investigated the interactive effect of gender on the relations between retirement and life satisfaction. Data were drawn from 2 waves of Korean Retirement and Income Study (KReIS). The analytic sample included 158 retired men and 145 retired women in the second wave and all of whom had worked at the first wave. The results indicated that psychological and physical health conditions significantly affected retirees` life satisfaction. Also, family characteristics in terms of a spouse`s work status and children`s developmental stages, such as marriage and employment, influenced retirees` life satisfaction. Financial support from adult children living elsewhere also significantly affected retiree`s life satisfaction. The interaction effect of gender was only found in effects of living arrangement (living alone/with a spouse vs. multiple generations living together) on retirees` life satisfaction.