A mass spectrometry-based proteomic screen in ER+ breast cancer cells revealed that levels of P-REX1 are decreased upon loss of PTEN, and increased upon inhibition of PI3K. P-REX1 is a cytoplasmic protein that integrates signaling inputs from receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs)/PI3K (via the PI3K phospholipid product PIP 3 ) and G protein-coupled receptors (via Gβγ subunits) to drive guanine exchange factor (GEF) activity on Rac1, promoting cytoskeletal remodeling and cell migration. RNAi-mediated knockdown of PREX1 and overexpression of exogenous PREX1 in ER+ breast cancer cells, respectively, decreased and increased activation of insulin-like growth factor receptor-1 (IGF-1R)/insulin receptor (InsR), PI3K/AKT/SGK3, and MEK/Erk under steady-state and growth factor (IGF-1, Heregulin)-stimulated conditions. While the P-REX1 homologue P-REX2a was previously shown to inhibit PTEN phosphatase activity to activate the PI3K/AKT pathway, we did not detect an effect of P-REX1 on PTEN activity. PREX1 knockdown suppressed PI3K/AKT signaling in PTEN-null breast cancer cells; therefore, P-REX1 and P-REX2a may not be functionally redundant. Inhibition of signaling nodes downstream of PI3K (AKT, mTOR) derepresses feedback to activate RTKs and PI3K; knockdown of PREX1 abrogated the PI3K activation induced by inhibition of mTORC1/mTORC2. Structural analysis of P-REX1 revealed that the DH domain (which binds Gβγ and is required for GEF activity) is dispensable for P-REX1 effects on PI3K signaling, while the PH domain [which binds PIP 3 and PI(3,4)P 2 ] is required. These data place P-REX1 in a positive feedback loop, whereby PI3K generates PIP 3 and PI(3,4)P 2 , P-REX1 binds these phospholipids at the plasma membrane, P-REX1 promotes RTK activation, and RTKs activate PI3K/AKT and MEK/Erk signaling. Gene expression profiling of diverse types of solid tumors (n = 2,009) and cancer cell lines (n = 807) revealed that PREX1 mRNA is most abundant in ER+ breast tumors compared to other subtypes. Reverse-phase protein array (RPPA) analysis of lysates from 712 breast tumors revealed that P-REX1 levels are inversely correlated with markers of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation. Furthermore, P-REX1 levels are higher in ER+ tumors than ER- tumors. In another series of 1,293 carcinomas, PREX1 was amplified or mutated in 6.2% of cases, and in 5% of breast cancers. Finally, we tested whether PREX1 lesions co-exist with other PI3K pathway-activating lesions. Among genes encoding proteins implicated in RTK/PI3K signaling and phosphatidylinositol metabolism, we found a significant enrichment for PREX1 mutation/amplification in 54/79 (68%) genes across 1,523 carcinomas. We tested the effects of 7 PREX1 mutants found in breast tumors on PI3K signaling in vitro . A G344R mutation in the PREX1 PH domain conferred increased affinity for PIP 3 and PI(3,4)P 2 , and increased levels of phospho-AKT. These findings suggest that P-REX1 is an ER+ breast tumor-specific oncogene, and PREX1 mutations increase its oncogenic effects in breast cancer. We propose that neutralizing P-REX1 function is a novel therapeutic approach to selectively abrogate oncogenic signaling in ER+ breast cancers while sparing normal tissues. This abstract is also presented as Poster A060. Citation Format: Lloye M. Dillon, Jennifer R. Bean, Wei Yang, Justin M. Balko, W. Hayes McDonald, David B. Friedman, Ana M. Gonzalez-Angulo, Gordon B. Mills, Carlos L. Arteaga, Todd W. Miller. P-REX1 creates a positive feedback loop to activate growth factor receptor/PI3K signaling. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research: Genetics, Biology, and Clinical Applications; Oct 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2013;11(10 Suppl):Abstract nr PR05.


Bone injuries and fractures reliably heal through a process of regeneration with restoration to original structure and function when the gap between adjacent sides of a fracture site is small. However, when there is significant volumetric loss of bone, bone regeneration usually does not occur. In the present studies, we explore a particular case of volumetric bone loss in a mouse model of human periodontal disease (PD) in which alveolar bone surrounding teeth is permanently lost and not replaced. This model employs the placement a ligature around the upper second molar which leads to inflammation and bone breakdown and faithfully replicates the bacterially-induced inflammatory etiology of human PD to induce bone degeneration. After 10 days, the ligature is removed and the mice are treated with a timed-release formulation of a small molecule inhibitor of prolylhydroxylases (PHDi; 1,4-DPCA) previously shown to induce epimorphic regeneration of soft tissue in non-regenerating mice. This PHDi induces high expression of HIF-1α and the regenerative response is completely blocked by siHIF1a. Here, we observe that timed-release 1,4-DPCA rapidly and completely restores bone and soft tissue with normal anatomic fidelity and with increased stem cell markers due to stem cell migration into the site and/or de-differentiation of local tissue, PDL cell proliferation, and increased vascularization. In-vitro studies using gingival tissue show that 1,4-DPCA indeed induces de-differentiation and the expression of stem cell markers but does not exclude the role of migrating stem cells.


Metastases from other primary malignancies to the breast are extremely rare, with an incidence of up to 2%. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is known to form micrometastases in unusual organs. This report describes a case of a RCC metastasis to the breast that was identified 20 years after nephrectomy. The patient, a 68-year-old female, presented after a new abnormality was found on a screening mammogram. The biopsy, which was reviewed by several pathologists, revealed a renal cell carcinoma metastasis. Imaging confirmed no other metastases, and she was treated with a partial mastectomy. This case highlights how RCC metastases can be found many years after a nephrectomy, and staining for RCC should be considered in patients with this history and a newly identified breast mass.


Side Effect Mitigation Methods for Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation Margaret C. Thompson Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Dr. Howard J. Chizeck Electrical Engineering Advances in deep brain stimulation, such as the development of closed-loop algorithms that sense and respond to patient symptoms in real time, promise to deliver therapy that is increasingly tailored to individual patients and their day-to-day variations in symptoms. However, while the potential for better side-effect management through closed-loop deep brain stimulation (CLDBS) has been recognized, the majority of CLDBS research to date has focused only on tradeoffs between power savings and symptom reduction with little consideration for side-effects. Given that side-effects, when present, can be inconvenient for some patients and have a severe impact on well-being for others, developing a better understanding of side-effects and creating CLDBS algorithms for side-effect mitigation could greatly improve outcomes for recipients of DBS therapy. This dissertation describes research investigating two novel approaches to side effect mitigation for individuals with neurological movement disorders: first, the identification and use of involuntary neural biomarkers of sideeffects as triggers for changes in stimulation; and second, the use of voluntarily-controlled, brain-computer interface (BCI) methods to give patients the ability to consciously adjust stimulation parameters to balance trade-offs (such as those between symptom reduction and side effect mitigation). These approaches were designed and tested with two groups of human subjects: Parkinsons disease patients at University of California, San Francisco and essential tremor patients at University of Washington. In addition to piloting new approaches to CLDBS therapy, this research demonstrates the importance of such systems as investigative tools to better understand the underlying neuroscience of these disorders. In addition to presenting contributions to side-effect mitigation in CLDBS, this dissertation explores certain neuroethical challenges that arose within the aforementioned neural engineering research. The concept of BCI illiteracy is critiqued as a framework that is commonly used in BCI research that is intellectually and ethically problematic. Lastly, the structure and function of an ongoing ethics collaboration conducted during this research is described and recommendations are compiled for future neural engineering research teams who are considering ways to apply ethics considerations to their research projects. This research in neuroethics provides new insight into existing neural engineering topics such as BCI illiteracy; it also has potential to enable future science and engineering researchers to better approach neuroethics in their own areas of expertise.


Objective To assess the longitudinal curative effect and improvement of subjective symptoms by using intratympanic injection of Budesonide(BUD) for otitis media with effusion (OME) patients older than 12 years and adults. Study Design A single-blind, randomized, parallel-controlled prospective study. Setting Hospital, outpatient. Patients Ninety patients (112 ears) who were diagnosed as having OME were recruited and then randomized to BUD, dexamethasone (DEX), and sodium chloride (NS) groups, the latter two served as controls. Interventions The randomly allocated patients received intratympanic injection of BUD (0.5 mg/1 ml), DEX (2 mg/1 ml), or 0.9% NS solution (1 ml) once a week. Main Outcome Measures Survival analysis was applied to compare the longitudinal curative effects among the 3 groups. Meanwhile, the 6 main subjective symptoms were scored by 10-point visual scale, and physician's evaluations were preformed during treatment and follow-up. Results After adjustment for course of disease, volume, and characters of effusion, the relative risk (RR) of BUD is 0.139 (95% CI, 0.054–0.358) when compared with NS. Survival curve demonstrated that the rank of longitudinal therapeutic efficacy was BUD, DEX, and NS (p < 0.05). Both BUD and DEX showed improvements in subjective symptoms and quality of life compared with NS (p < 0.05). In the aspect of improving the symptom of stuffy ear, BUD showed advantage over both DEX and NS. During and after treatment, no serious complications or sequelae were observed. Conclusion Intratympanic injection with BUD for OME patients showed advantages in improving long-term therapeutic efficacy, it was a safe and effective intervention for adolescents and adults with OME.


As the context of work and the age composition of the workforce are changing, this raises several issues to the work capacity and participation of the older age groups in the workforce. With the growth of positive psychology researchers have begun to focus not only on the problems that mature workers encounter in the workplace, such as cognitive loss and discrimination deriving from stereotypes, but also on the potential strengths and resources. Despite the attention paid to this subject, there are still unresolved issues concerning factors and processes that contribute to enhance/inhibit older workers' well-being at work. According to this, this thesis presented two studies, aimed to understand the role of relevant antecedents and outcomes of older workers' well-being at work.


Ahmet Haşim is one of the important names of Turkish literature. The poet, who was influenced by the poems of Abdülhak Hamit and Muallim Naci, who were the artists of the Tanzimat, later wrote poems in accordance with the artistic understanding of Servet-i Fünun. French poetry, on the other hand, deeply affects his understanding of art. The poet, who preserved his sense of individual art with his poetry in his own time, published his first poetry book, Lake Hours , in 1921. Later, he wrote Piyale in 1926. Ahmet Haşim, one of the founders of modern Turkish poetry, influenced many artists after him, such as Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Ahmet Muhip Dıranas and Necip Fazıl Kısakürek. Many studies have been done on the artist's poems and books have been published. At the same time, his individual-oriented understanding of art caused him to be criticized by the artists of the period and the artists who came after him. Especially Haşim's spatial connotations such as "dream pool" are the target of such criticism. Generally, setting is seen as one of the elements of the novel and story. However, the concept of setting has gained a new meaning with various connotations in recent years, but also finds its place in poetry. Setting and people have a mutual interaction. Therefore, the setting and the poet are also in interaction. In Ahmet Haşim's poems, the concept of time is emphasized. On the other hand, there is a question of setting, intertwined with reality and imagination, embodied in poetry outside of time and with time, in Ahmet Haşim's poems. The aim of study is to determine the elements of setting based on Ahmet Haşim's poems and to examine how the elements of space are used in his art. The main purpose of the study is to reveal what the setting means for the poet -with reference to his biography.


Acute poisoning with mercury bichloride is not common today. Recently, we had the opportunity to treat a hospital employee within minutes after he ingested 4 to 8 gm of mercury bichloride. Nevertheless, he developed acute renal failure. In conjunction with peritoneal dialysis we were able to collect and analyze data on the peritoneal clearance of mercury. Patient Summary A 35-year-old male hospital pharmacy employee ingested 4 to 8 gm of mercury bichloride and several glutethimide (Doriden) tablets. He was immediately taken to the emergency ward; gastric lavage with sodium bicarbonate and milk was begun within five minutes of ingestion and 350 mg of dimercaprol (BAL) was given intramuscularly within 30 minutes. The gastric lavage initially returned copious amounts of bluish tinted material but soon turned bloody. Within several minutes the patient was complaining of burning abdominal pain and excessive salivation. The patient had been hospitalized for hypertension and mental depression


Infections caused by drug-resistant microorganisms have posed a medical challenge since the advent of antimicrobial therapy. With the emergence of resistant strains, new antibiotics were available and introduced with great success until this decade. The appearance of multiresistant microorganisms pose a real and immediate public health concern. Are we entering into the post-antibiotic era? Will we return to pre-antimicrobial-era conditions, with morbidity and mortality resulting from untreatable infectious complications? The race to stay ahead of multiresistance involves not only continued drug development and selective use but elucidation of bacterial regulation of resistance. One way to ensure continued success of antimicrobial therapy is the identification of new bacterial targets--genes and their products involved in regulating or mediating resistance. Discussion will focus on one well-defined resistance mechanism in Gram-negative bacteria, the chromosomally located amp operon, responsible for one mechanism of beta-lactam resistance.


This study evaluated the utility of the social competence scale (SCS)-parent version, a measure of social competence developed for children of elementary school age, for use with preschool-age children. Data were derived from two samples of preschoolers: a community sample assessed at enrollment to pre-kindergarten programs and a high-risk sample of children at familial risk for conduct problems participating in a preventive intervention trial. Using data from both samples, we assessed the factor structure, internal consistency, and stability of the SCS, and whether the SCS discriminated the high-risk sample from the community sample. Results support the utility and construct validity of the SCS for use in preschoolers. The total SCS scale was relatively stable over 24 months during the preschool period and was correlated with other measures of social competence, parent ratings of emotion regulation, lability and behavior problems, and tests of child cognitive ability.


Asthenozoospermia accounts for almost
50% of the cases of male infertility. Our study investigating
phosphoproteins differentially expressed in asthenozoosperm
has identified the phosphoproteins relevant to sperm motility
and the signature molecules likely to be altered in asthenozoospermia.
The 66 phosphoproteins differentially expressed
included four alpha tubulin isoforms which were differential
expressed in individuals with poor sperm motility; an increase
in TUBA3E and TUBA4A and decrease in TUBA3C
and TUBA8. Isoforms TUBA3C, TUBA4A and TUBA8 are
reported to be abundantly present in the testis. Of these, TUBA3C
and TUBA4A are known to be acetylable isoforms.
Their differential expression in asthenozoosperm prompted us
to investigate the role of reversible acetylation of alpha tubulin
in sperm motility..Alpha tubulin, acetylated α tubulin,
and isoforms TUBA3C, TUBA4A, and TUBA8 were
investigated in Percoll separated human sperm and HDAC6
in rat sperm by Western blot analyses, Flow cytometry, Realtime
RT-PCR and IIF localization and data statistically analyzed.
The observations were analyzed in silico for obtaining
further insights. Interaction between HDAC6 and α Tubulin
was elucidated by IIF co-localization and Co-immunoprecipitation
studies. Sperm HDAC6 activity, motility and status
of Ac α-tubulin was investigated in the presence of HDAC
inhibitors Trichostatin A, Tubastatin A and Sodium Butyrate..The differential expression of these isoforms was
validated in the normal- and asthenozoosperm at protein and
transcript level. Investigation of acetyl α tubulin expression
revealed a reduction in tubulin acetylation in asthenozoosperm.
The decrease in TUBA3C and increase in TUBA4A
transcripts, both being acetylable isoforms of alpha tubulin,
could be elucidated on the basis of transcription factors binding
to the promoters of the respective isoforms while the
reduction in acetyl alpha tubulin in asthenozoosperm could
be explained on the basis of decreased TUBA3C and the association
of HDAC6 with TUBA4A. However the presence
of HDAC6 on sperm had not been hitherto reported. In this
study we have demonstrated for the first time the presence of
HDAC6 transcript and protein in testicular- and caudal-sperm
of rat and further by co-localization and coimmunoprecipitation
studies we showed that HDAC6 interacts with alphatubulin
and they colocalize in the mid piece and principal
piece of sperm flagella. Using HDAC inhibitors we further
demonstrated that HDAC6 in sperm is catalytically active and
inhibitors of HDAC6 increase acetylation and restrict sperm
motility..Our data suggests an association between reversible
α tubulin acetylation and sperm motility. We show
that alpha tubulin acetylation is reduced in sperm of asthenozoospermic
individuals. Paradoxically, our experiments in
the rat sperm show that inhibition of HDAC6 increase alpha
tubulin acetylation but restrict sperm motility. The persistent
expression of HDAC6 on the sperm flagella in the presence of
HDAC6 inhibitor hints at a possible role for HDAC6 possibly
as a microtubule associated protein(MAP). On the basis of our
observations with the human and rat sperm and the available
literature on microtubule stability in atat1 KO mice, we conclude
that HDAC6 may act as a MAP and maintain dynamic
instability in sperm flagella, and that dynamic instability may
be a pre-requisite for normal sperm motility.


Freshly prepared aqueous extract of garlic was tested in mice for its possible in vivo protective effect against gamma-radiation-induced chromosomal damage. In the same animals, the changes in the sulphydryl content and glutathione S-transferase activity were evaluated. Three doses of garlic extract [125, 250 and 500 mg kg-1 body weight (bw)] were administered orally for five consecutive days and the animals were exposed to 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 Gy gamma-radiation 2 h after the final feeding. The results of the bone marrow micronucleus test revealed that pretreatment with garlic extract was effective in reducing gamma-radiation-induced chromosomal damage. Against 0.25 Gy gamma-radiation, a high dose of 500 mg kg-1 bw garlic extract was required to significantly reduce the chromosomal damage. All the three doses of garlic extract were effective in exerting a protective effect against 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 Gy gamma-radiation. However a dose-related effect was observed only against 2.0 Gy. The sulphydryl content and glutathione S-transferase activity registered a significant increase after either pretreatment with garlic with extract or irradiation. In the garlic extract pretreated irradiated animals, a significant reduction was observed in the sulphydryl content and glutathione S-transferase activity.


Forest management has evolved from a typically productive approach, which evaluates silvicultural techniques and planning methods according to wood production levels, to the current approach where sustainability becomes the aim and social and environmental variables are fundamental. Various questions related to biodiversity, preservation and active conservation of forest systems, are discussed. Active conservation of forest systems consists in systemic silviculture for natural forests, renaturalization for forests which have been heavily simplified by management in the past, and traditional silvicultural activities connected to local traditional knowledge where anthropologic, historical, cultural and landscape aspects are important. Systemic silviculture considers the forest a complex biological system where humankind can intervene within the limits of the system's functionality, without reducing complexity and biodiversity, i.e. respecting the rights of the forest.


Water Storage and Controlled-release Film (WSCF) material is a kind of composite film which can form a "small reservoir" in the soil to meet the need of plant growth when packed with water and embedded in soil around tree roots. Coated water-transmitting fiber is a kind of functional fiber which has effect of transmitting water in WSCF material. Different coated water-transmitting fibers were prepared by treating natural fiber using colloidal composite materials made of polyvinyl alcohol and inorganic clay such as Common clay, Kaolin or Bentonite. Furthermore, the water-transmitting capacity and surface morphology of coated water-transmitting fibers were studied by thermal multi-analyzer, instrument for quick moisture measure and SEM. The results show that coated water-transmitting fiber with continuous and compact surface has better water-transmitting capacity than those with uneven surface and the addition amount of clay also can affect the water-transmitting capacity of coated fiber. Additionally, coated water-transmitting fibers can regulate water transferring according to the variation of temperature or soil humidity.


Females frequently mate with several males, whose sperm then compete to fertilize available ova. Sperm competition represents a potent selective force that is expected to shape male expenditure on the ejaculate. Here, we review empirical data that illustrate the evolutionary consequences of sperm competition. Sperm competition favors the evolution of increased testes size and sperm production. In some species, males appear capable of adjusting the number of sperm ejaculated, depending on the perceived levels of sperm competition. Selection is also expected to act on sperm form and function, although the evidence for this remains equivocal. Comparative studies suggest that sperm length and swimming speed may increase in response to selection from sperm competition. However, the mechanisms driving this pattern remain unclear. Evidence that sperm length influences sperm swimming speed is mixed and fertilization trials performed across a broad range of species demonstrate inconsistent relationships between sperm form and function. This ambiguity may in part reflect the important role that seminal fluid proteins (sfps) play in affecting sperm function. There is good evidence that sfps are subject to selection from sperm competition, and recent work is pointing to an ability of males to adjust their seminal fluid chemistry in response to sperm competition from rival males. We argue that future research must consider sperm and seminal fluid components of the ejaculate as a functional unity. Research at the genomic level will identify the genes that ultimately control male fertility.


The legal literature reflects a widespread belief that taxpayers do not have standing to challenge government spending decisions in federal court - this study dispels that belief. Through an investigation of every published judicial opinion addressing a taxpayer's challenge to government spending between the years 1865 and 2002, this article demonstrates that taxpayer standing is alive and well in federal court; indeed, data indicate that federal courts have granted standing to the majority of taxpayers in the last twenty-five years. This article first describes the types of controversies that taxpayers bring into court and then investigates the legal rules that govern the court's decision to grant or deny standing. The study reveals a surprising finding: federal courts grant standing to federal, state, and municipal taxpayers to challenge government expenditures under the federal constitution. While the courts have devised a clear standard for determining when federal taxpayers have the right to bring a lawsuit, the same courts have failed to create a clear and coherent standard for state and municipal taxpayers seeking to challenge government spending decisions on constitutional grounds. A qualitative analysis of the cases, however, indicates that both the clear and the ambiguous standing rules produce illogical results in certain circumstances. Accordingly, the study ends with a normative discussion of the issues and problems that arise when we allow taxpayers to bring lawsuits in federal court, thereby enabling the judiciary to question the legislative decisions regarding the allocation of public revenue. This article raises questions about the judicial decision making process and federal courts' adherence to legal rules. I investigate these subsidiary questions using statistics to analyze the data in an article entitled, "Modeling Standing," NYU Law Review (forthcoming 2004).


A female patient is described with combined deficiency of sulphite, zanthine and aldehyde oxidase. She presented at the age of four weeks with intractable seizures. Initially the diagnosis was suspected because of a very low serum urate: level (23 μmol/l‐1). This condition can be easily missed and it is proposed that measurement of serum urate be included in the metabolic assessment of neonates with unexplained seizures and developmental delay.


In this work, we propose a Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) based approach to procedurally generate Sokoban puzzles. Our method generates puzzles through simulated game play, guaranteeing solvability in all generated puzzles. We perform a user study to infer features that are efficient to compute and are highly correlated with expected puzzle difficulty. We combine several of these features into a data-driven evaluation function for MCTS puzzle creation. The resulting algorithm is efficient and can be run in an anytime manner, capable of quickly generating a variety of challenging puzzles. We perform a second user study to validate the predictive capability of our approach, showing a high correlation between increasing puzzle scores and perceived difficulty.


This thesis investigates how play may benefit creativity in organizational contexts. Play and playfulness have previously been linked to creativity in children and adults, but empirical organizational research is scarce. A widely accepted definition of creativity is that it involves the production of something that is both novel and appropriate. Play is defined as a behavioral approach that is characterized by play being: voluntary, fun, frivolous, imaginative, and in some way bound by structure or rules. An important distinguishing feature of play is that it is frivolous, which means that play is done just for fun and no other results or outcomes are expected.

The first study was an exploration of how play is used by organizational consultants to promote creativity, how play was thought to enhance creativity, as well as how play is encouraged in organizational contexts. The results suggested that play promotes organizational creativity via the mediating factors openness, intrinsic motivation, and the collaborative relationships needed to co-create and innovate. The investigation also identified a number of encouragers and discouragers of organizational play. Playful contextual cues and explicit permission to play are examples of encouragers, while imposed play activities and a stressful work environment are examples of discouragers.

The second study explored the effect of playful cues introduced during a scheduled workplace meeting versus a control condition receiving a conventional refreshments. The findings suggested that playful cues are a promising means by which to enhance the creative climate and playfulness in workplace meetings. The findings furthermore indicated that introducing play-cues does not risk meeting productivity.

The third study investigated the impact of an intervention of playful improvisational theater on organizational creativity. Organizational teams participated in a play intervention that consisted of three workshops of playful improvisational theater. Compared with the control condition receiving no intervention, the intervention group reported an increase of workplace playfulness and scored higher on post-test measures of individual and group creativity.

The combined results of these three studies support previously proposed creativity enhancing effects of organizational play. The implications for organizations wishing to enhance creativity and innovation are that fostering a climate of playfulness may be a means of stimulating organizational creativity.


A MASTER'S THESIS
submitted in partial l fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Department of Animal Sciences and Industry
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Manhattan, Kansas
1979
Approved by:
Major Professor


Abstract A method of constructing 3D Earth models from a suite of 1D profiles is demonstrated using Delaunay triangulation. Accurate crustal models are required to correct for crustal contamination in seismic tomography of the mantle and can be used as starting points for higher resolution tomography of the lithosphere and asthenosphere. Using a simple input data set, 1D vertical profiles, provides for rapid prototyping, model building, and modification. Any structural length scale in the final 3D model is possible using this method through precise placement of 1D profiles and triangulation. Collections of layers within the 1D profiles are grouped and identified by keys, called superlayers, allowing for 3D discontinuities and variations along these important interfaces. The method was applied to the Gulf Extensional Province and Baja California regions to account for the laterally discontinuous crustal variations during a tomographic inversion for mantle structure. Use of the 3D model and appropriate regional crustal wave speeds minimizes wave‐speed variations in the tomographic model and assists interpretation of the final model.


With the development of reformation on teaching model of the course of computer networks, teaching resources construction is demanded more and more. It stares us in the face that teaching materials curricular or extracurricular; electronic or classic; on-line or out-line are needed to be set up. In this paper, the practice of tridimensional teaching resources construction is concluded according to the authors' experiences. The architecture of tridimensional teaching resources is proposed. Courseware development is exploited to illustrate rules which should be obeyed and right methods during the process of resources construction. This paper shoots at provide a helpful reference for resources construction of other similar courses.


Harun Farocki's 2001–2003 installation Eye/Machine tackles issues of surveillance surrounding the "intelligent" weapon systems deployed in the 1990/91 Gulf War. Farocki is especially interested in the image processing systems behind these weapons, their operational images that are both generated by machines and read by machines—images that require neither human creators nor human spectators. The article examines how Farocki turns these images into aesthetic artifacts even though they were never meant to be seen. Concomitantly, it interrogates our own status as spectators and explores how we can avoid complicity with the imagistic logic of war that Farocki confronts.


An intracerebral hematoma (ICH) developed in a patient during diagnostic evaluation for hemoptysis and guaiac-positive stools. Tissue obtained from colonic polyps, a pregastric mass, and cerebrum had features of poorly differentiated leiomyosarcoma. Only three other cases of pathologically confirmed cerebral metastasis of leiomyosarcoma are reported in the literature. The presence of cerebral metastasis at the time of the initial diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma and the associated ICH are features unique to this case.


The article considers communicative competence as a sum of several competences such as linguistic, paralinguistic, linguistic-sociocultural, substantial competences, etc. Linguistic sociocultural competence is specifically featured. The article describes linguistic cultural, psychosocial and cultural expertise and skills. The criteria of learning material selection for the formation of linguistic sociocultural competence.


Of the edible insects, lakeflies ( Chaoborus and Chironomus sp ) are least documented as items of human consumption. They are eaten by the Luo communities living within the Lake Victoria basin. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the importance of lake flies as a source of food and its role in cultural practices. Edible Diptera species were identified, indigenous knowledge documented, and its cultural value analyzed. Data was collected in Nyanza Province within the Lake Victoria region in Kenya. The most commonly consumed type are Chaoborus sp . and Chironomus sp . Emergence of the flies is used to predict rainfall, and the size of swarms to predict the amount of rain, and the villagers prepare accordingly for cropping. Women feed their weak children with the Chaoborids biscuits to gain strength. Witchdoctors claim to use flies as lucky charms in business and romance. Some traditional medicine practitioners also add the fly powder to their concoctions to cure certain ailments. They claim that adding a portion of the fly to herbal medicine enhances efficacy. Major challenge in utilization of insects is their seasonality and difficulties in collection. The flies have economic potential for the natives of clean lake waters region. Key words : Lakeflies, entomophagy, indigenous knowledge, cultural values, Lake Victoria.


I survey, for a general scientific audience, three decades of research into which sorts of problems admit exponential speedups via quantum computers -- from the classics (like the algorithms of Simon and Shor), to the breakthrough of Yamakawa and Zhandry from April 2022. I discuss both the quantum circuit model, which is what we ultimately care about in practice but where our knowledge is radically incomplete, and the so-called oracle or black-box or query complexity model, where we've managed to achieve a much more thorough understanding that then informs our conjectures about the circuit model. I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of switching attention to sampling tasks, as was done in the recent quantum supremacy experiments. I make some skeptical remarks about widely-repeated claims of exponential quantum speedups for practical machine learning and optimization problems. Through many examples, I try to convey the"law of conservation of weirdness,"according to which every problem admitting an exponential quantum speedup must have some unusual property to allow the amplitude to be concentrated on the unknown right answer(s).


ABSTRACT In Harun Farocki's lifelong study of the mute language of manual expressions, the human hand is explored not only as a versatile tool, but as a repository of social memory, a topos in the genealogy of the moving image, and a critical agent in the theory and practice of filmmaking itself. While cinema distinguished itself from previous artistic media through its capacity to salvage and store everyday gestures for later scrutiny, accruing a Bilderschatz for future anthropological and archaeological research, it was also integral to an ongoing process that spurred the progressive withdrawal of the human hand from the manufacturing of images. By adopting a double-pronged approach that considers the programming of bodies and images as integrally aligned, the article traces the gradual demise of craftsmanship and the increasing automation of imaging and perception as engaged across a wide range of Farocki's essay films, found-footage compilations and observational documentaries. Taken together, this body of work at once proffers an encyclopedia of gesturing hands, a form of chiro-praxis in its own right, and a search for alternative or forgotten modes of manual communication and collective imagination. Graphical abstract


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the pathogenic bacteria distribution and drug susceptibility in children with acute otitis media (AOM) in different age and different season in the Pearl River Delta region.

METHOD
Four hundred and forty-two children diagnosed as AOM were divided into three groups by age factor and four groups by season factor. Midge ear pus collecting and culturing were used for bacteria and antimicrobial susceptibility test.

RESULT
(1) Strains of bacteria were isolated from 356 children with the positive rate of 80.5%. Streptococcus pneumoniae (39.2%), staphylococcus aureus (25.9%) and haemophilus influenzae (7.4%) were the most frequently isolated pathogens. (2) Streptococcus pneumoniae was the main pathogenic bacteria in 0-1 year group and > 1-3 years group (P < 0.05), staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated pathogen in >3 years group (P < 0.05); (3) In the season groups, the number of children with AOM decreased significantly in July-September group. There was no significant difference of streptococcus pneumoniae distribution among the four groups (P > 0.05). Staphylococcus aureus was the main pathogen in January-March group (P < 0.05); (4) Drug sensitivity shown that linezolid and ofloxacin were most sensitive to streptococcus pneumoniae and staphylococcus aureus, and macrolides had a good therapy effect to haemophilus influenzae.

CONCLUSION
The pathogens distribution and drug susceptibility in children with AOM were varies in different age and different season. As a result, a treatment should be done based on the climate, environment, and pathogens distribution of a region.


Abstract In this study, the method of Becker and Li was proposed for the estimation of monthly global land surface temperature values from meteorological satellite (NOAA-AVHRR) data. This study introduces generalized regression neural network for the estimation of solar radiation. In order to train the neural network, meteorological satellite and geographical data for the period from 2002 for short term (Adana) and 1998–2002 for long term (İzmir) in Turkey was used. Meteorological satellite and geographical data (latitude, longitude, altitude, month, and mean land surface temperature) are used in the input layer of the network. Solar radiation is the output. Root mean squared and correlation coefficient data between estimated and ground values are found with artificial neural networks values. These values have been found to be 0.0144 MJm−2 and 99.75% (short term) and 0.1381 MJm−2 and 99.26% (long term), respectively. In recent studies, there are some effective techniques about prediction solar radiation data, which is useful to the designers of solar energy systems. Nevertheless, there is no study about the prediction of solar radiation, which has used the artificial neural networks method with land surface temperature data provided from meteorological satellite data.


Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory syndrome, amongst a larger family of ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses, that has infected humans, causing unprecedented numbers of deaths and substantial psychological distress across the globe. Aim(s): effect of COVID-19 On psychological state of elderly patient At Jazan. This research was applied on 125 respondents selected from Jazan community. We used the electronic questionnaire to reach them. The study findings are, respondent gender from female gender, Saudi nationality, 53% a suspected injury, Confirmed injury by 27%. The 56% of respondents psychological feeling after contracting the virus is supported by those around them, and only 20% feel depressed. Else the finding indicate to the feeling of the respondent family and those around him after he were infected with the virus is They feel psychologically supported by 41% and most of them receive the necessary health care after they contract the virus. This study concluded that nearly one-fourth of the sampled general population experienced moderate to severe psychological impact. Following specific precautionary measures appeared to have a protective effect on the individual's mental health. The findings can be used to construct psychological interventions directed toward vulnerable populations and to implement public mental health strategies in the early stages of the outbreak. This study recommended, Establish strategies to enhance elderly patient of healthy lifestyle by applying this study on a large sample in various region and accessibility to medical resources and the public health service system should be further strengthened and improved. Copyright © 2022, World Informations Syndicate. All rights reserved.


Workplace deviant behavior causes not only physical and mental harm to employees but also great losses to the enterprise where they are employed. Drawing on social cognitive theory, in this study we explored the mechanism of family-supportive supervisor behavior on employees' workplace
 deviant behavior. Analysis of data from 312 participants showed that family-supportive supervisor behavior negatively influenced employees' workplace deviant behavior, and that moral disengagement played a mediating role in the relationship between these two variables. Our findings not only
 enrich the literature on family-supportive supervisor behavior but also provide a reference for organizations to identify, prevent, and control employees' workplace deviant behavior.


Anomaly detection on time series data is increasingly common across various industrial domains that monitor metrics in order to prevent potential accidents and economic losses. However, a scarcity of labeled data and ambiguous definitions of anomalies can complicate these efforts. Recent unsupervised machine learning methods have made remarkable progress in tackling this problem using either single-timestamp predictions or time series reconstructions. While traditionally considered separately, these methods are not mutually exclusive and can offer complementary perspectives on anomaly detection. This paper first highlights the successes and limitations of prediction-based and reconstruction-based methods with visualized time series signals and anomaly scores. We then propose AER (Auto-encoder with Regression), a joint model that combines a vanilla auto-encoder and an LSTM regressor to incorporate the successes and address the limitations of each method. Our model can produce bi-directional predictions while simultaneously reconstructing the original time series by optimizing a joint objective function. Furthermore, we propose several ways of combining the prediction and reconstruction errors through a series of ablation studies. Finally, we compare the performance of the AER architecture against two prediction-based methods and three reconstruction-based methods on 12 well-known univariate time series datasets from NASA, Yahoo, Numenta, and UCR. The results show that AER has the highest averaged F1 score across all datasets (a 23.5% improvement compared to ARIMA) while retaining a runtime similar to its vanilla auto-encoder and regressor components. Our model is available in Orion1, an opensource benchmarking tool for time series anomaly detection.


A novel medium access control scheme, randomly addressed polling (RAP), is proposed and studied. RAP used in wireless networks allows that the base stations poll successfully only knowing the active mobile nodes via decentralized control without knowing the exact mobile nodes under coverage. Therefore, RAP can provide seemingless services for wireless (data) networks with good utilization of channel(s), transparent to multiple physical transmission, power efficiency for mobile nodes, and no handoff for data services (soft handoff for time-bounded services). In addition, the RAP protocol in infrastructured wireless (data) network architectures can be practically implemented with simple hardware and thus well suited for the medium access control protocol for wireless LANs and other personal communication systems,.<<ETX>>


The effect of an external magnetic field on the anodic arc root movement inside a dc plasma torch has been investigated. In this letter, a virtual instrument technology was used to measure the arc voltage of the plasma torch at atmospheric pressure, and the rotating frequency of the anodic arc root was estimated by high-speed photography. The arc voltage fluctuation which represents the degree of the arc instability was reduced. And a new peak, whose frequency is consistent with the rotating frequency of the anodic arc root, was found in the Fast Fourier Transform spectra of the arc voltage signal. From the results, the helical instability generated directly by anodic arc rotation is put forward, and only the appropriate external magnetic field could inhibit and reduce the instability of the plasma torch and prolong the life of the anodic electrode. Furthermore, the measured voltage waveforms indicated that the arc root attachment mode would be controllable by an external magnetic field.


The TH74KB41A camera is designed for the THOMSON-CSF Semiconducteurs Specifiques (TCS) TH7441A pyroelectric IR sensor, optimized for the wavelength range 8 to 14 micrometers. This monolithic area sensor is made of 128 by 128 pixels (85 micrometers by 85 micrometers) compatible with a one inch diameter optic, and operates at ambient temperature. The camera is optimized to operate with a short integration period -- 10 ms -- allowing 50 frames per second, then compatible with a wide range of applications, including real-time imaging. Three video outputs are available: one 10-bit unprocessed image output every 10 ms, one 8-bit processed image every 20 ms, and one composite analog video signal using a 128 by 128 zone of the display. Eight-bit and analog outputs are obtained by summing the two successive fields -- alternately positive and negative. The 10-bit output delivers successively these positive and negative fields, 10 ms each. It is possible to select an analog gain 3 or 6 and a digital gain of 1, half, quarter or an eighth. Offset may be adjusted to fit the temperature range to be viewed in accordance with the chosen gain. The camera also produces pixel, line, and frame pulses to ease synchronization of an optional frame grabber. Power consumption is as low as 12.5 W, including chopper power supply. The useful scene dynamic range is plus or minus 170 degrees around the ambient temperature. With an f/1 optic -- optics transmission is 0.8 -- the NETD is around 1.5 K and the recognition 0.75 K. The contrast transfer function at Nyquist frequency -- 5.9 line pairs per mm -- is 38%. The small size of this lightweight camera body (200 mm by 125 mm by 60 mm without lenses) together with its low power consumption allow easy use everywhere. This camera benefits from the pyroelectric area sensor and does not use any cooling. This camera, quite cheaper than a camera using a cooled detector, is well suited to a wide range of applications such as laser beam profile analysis, IR machine vision in the industrial field -- useful for process control, security, night vision, etc., -- fire fighting or prevention, search and rescue in poor vision environment, medical diagnosis, etc.


In this paper, we study the finite mixtures of autoregressive processes assuming that the distribution of innovations (errors) belongs to the class of scale mixture of skew-normal (SMSN) distributions. The SMSN distributions allow a simultaneous modeling of the existence of outliers, heavy tails and asymmetries in the distribution of innovations. Therefore, a statistical methodology based on the SMSN family allows us to use a robust modeling on some non-linear time series with great flexibility, to accommodate skewness, heavy tails and heterogeneity simultaneously. The existence of convenient hierarchical representations of the SMSN distributions facilitates also the implementation of an ECME-type of algorithm to perform the likelihood inference in the considered model. Simulation studies and the application to a real data set are finally presented to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed model.


This paper investigates the impact of knowledge capital stocks on total
factor productivity through the lens of the knowledge capital model proposed by
Griliches (1979), augmented with a spatially discounted cross-region knowledge
spillover pool variable. The objective is to shift attention from firms and
industries to regions and to estimate the impact of cross-region knowledge
spillovers on total factor productivity (TFP) in Europe. The dependent variable is
the region-level TFP, measured in terms of the superlative TFP index suggested
by Caves, Christensen and Diewert (1982). This index describes how efficiently
each region transforms physical capital and labour into output. The explanatory
variables are internal and out-of-region stocks of knowledge, the latter capturing
the contribution of cross-region knowledge spillovers. We construct patent stocks
to proxy regional knowledge capital stocks for N=203 regions over the 1997-
2002 time period. In estimating the effects we implement a spatial panel data
model that controls for the spatial autocorrelation due to neighbouring regions
and the individual heterogeneity across regions. The findings provide a fairly
remarkable confirmation of the role of knowledge capital contributing to
productivity differences among regions, and add an important spatial dimension
to the discussion, by showing that productivity effects of knowledge spillovers
increase with geographic proximity.


The coding metasurface integrated with tunable materials offers an attractive alternative to manipulate the THz beam dynamically. In this work, we demonstrate a THz programmable metasurface based on liquid crystal. The phase profile on the metasurface could be dynamically manipulated by switching the "0" and "1" states of each element. The programmable metasurface could deflect the THz beam using the designed coding sequence, and a maximum deflection angle of 32° has been achieved. The presented design opens a route of beamforming for THz communication.


We present a scheme to entangle fields in multiple cavities. Our scheme is based on the resonant interaction of a Ξ-type three-level atom with the cavity fields for precalculated interaction time, which enables us to generate a quantum entangled Greenberger–Horn–Zeilinger (GHZ) state of fields in multiple cavities. In principle, the scheme can be also generalized to generate N-party GHZ state. The required experimental techniques are within the scope of what can be obtained in the microwave cavity QED set up.


In a previous paper, we have found, at post-mortem examination of three cases of scleroderma, the oesophageal smooth muscle alterations already predicted by physiologists and reported by Treacy. These lesions mostly consist of a loss of the staining properties of the differenciated cytoplasm of the muscle cell, preceding any appearance of interstitial fibrosis. We have already reported these muscle lesions at all other levels of the digestive tract (stomach, small and large bowels), and also in the bladder muscle. In the present study, we have attempted to precise these notions in biopsies and have studied the arrector pili muscles in normal skin of 13 sclerodermic patients by means of histochemical (Regaud, Mallory, etc. ...) and enzyme stains. In all cases, we have been able to identify morphological alterations of the muscle fiber, mostly consisting in an irregular pattern of enzyme properties, especially when diaphorases, dehydrogenases and ATP ases were concerned. This work seems to confirm that the primary site of the sclerodermal lesions is situated in the smooth muscle fiber.


Secretory IgA (SIgA), which is one of the humoral factors responsible for the immune protection of large areas of mucosal surfaces, is produced by plasma cells resident in the submucosae and glandular stroma. However, specific induction of SIgA antibodies occurs largely through the common mucosal immune system, whereby antigens presented to the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues, such as intestinal Peyer's patches, stimulate B lymphocytes committed to IgA synthesis. These cells enter the circulation via lymphatics and finally home to several remote secretory tissues. The regulatory cells and factors that govern the mucosal immune response are beginning to be elucidated. Several bacterial and viral antigens have been used to evoke SIgA antibodies experimentally in humans, but only a few oral vaccines have been developed for clinical application. Considerable scope exists for the identification of appropriate immunogens and their formulation in delivery vehicles with suitable adjuvants to induce protective antibodies against a variety of pathogens that invade through mucosal surfaces. Several mucosal pathogens, however, secrete proteases that specifically cleave human IgA1. The full significance of this evasion mechanism and the ways of circumventing it must be addressed to maximize the effectiveness of mucosal immunity.


Abstract. Dykes are always closely coexisting with ore veins in deposit, they are of great significance in the revelation of regional geology evolution, prosperity of ore prospecting. This paper presents a method for the generalization of dykes as part of automated geological map generalization progress. Based on the principle of good continuation, dykes were amalgamated preliminarily. Then the reserve quota was calculated on the basis of radical law for the editing of dykes. Finally, the outer shape and internal construction of dykes were simplified. The experiment results show that the generalization method can avoid discontinuity as a prerequisite to retaining formation lithology and characteristics of geological structure. This method offers a new perspective for dealing with exceptional geographic elements while generalizing a geologic map.


Artists, advertisers, and photographers are routinely presented with the task of creating an image that a viewer will remember. While it may seem like image memorability is purely subjective, recent work shows that it is not an inexplicable phenomenon: variation in memorability of images is consistent across subjects, suggesting that some images are intrinsically more memorable than others, independent of a subjects' contexts and biases. In this paper, we used the publicly available memorability dataset of Isola et al. [13], and augmented the object and scene annotations with interpretable spatial, content, and aesthetic image properties. We used a feature-selection scheme with desirable explaining-away properties to determine a compact set of attributes that characterizes the memorability of any individual image. We find that images of enclosed spaces containing people with visible faces are memorable, while images of vistas and peaceful scenes are not. Contrary to popular belief, unusual or aesthetically pleasing scenes do not tend to be highly memorable. This work represents one of the first attempts at understanding intrinsic image memorability, and opens a new domain of investigation at the interface between human cognition and computer vision.


Through a dynamic analysis of the interplay between structure and agency, this article explores the factors shaping an inclusive approach to labour market activation for clients who experience multiple barriers to work. While previous studies argue that 'street-level bureaucrats' (SLBs), such as advisers and job coaches, have minimal agency to shape the services they deliver, the pilot programme that is the focus of this article allowed SLBs greater discretion to support clients and to use their entrepreneurial skills to build relationships with local employers. However, the unresolved tension between personalisation and swift labour market insertion meant that SLBs often reverted to engrained employability interventions that simply prepare clients to compete for low-wage entry-level jobs. We argue that the 'policy closure' around a work-first model of activation in the UK constrains social innovation among SLBs, and limits the freedoms of citizens to navigate their own transitions into paid work.


For decades, vitamin D has been known to be essential in the development, function, and maintenance of healthy bones through the regulation of calcium homeostasis throughout life. Sufficient vitamin D prevents the occurrence of rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. The adequate nutritional intake of vitamin D and calcium are the basis for the prevention and management of osteoporosis, a disease producing brittle bones that are prone to fractures. Vitamin D has been implicated in the regulation of neuromuscular function and in reducing the risk of falls, a major cause of bone fractures. Thus vitamin D may be a central component of musculoskeletal health through its beneficial effects on muscle function and bone stability. The action of vitamin D by the active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], however, is not limited to its endocrine function in bone metabolism. The active metabolite behaves as a hormone and binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) present in nearly all tissues of the human body. In addition, the 1-alpha-hydroxylase enzyme is present not only in the kidney but also in many other organs. Both vitamin and enzyme exert their biological effects via paracrine/autocrine actions related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and the immune system. Thus vitamin D may show favorable effects in many organs and play a significant role in the maintenance of general health.


The effect of comprehensive pharmaceutical services on drug consumption and cost in long-term care facilities was studied over an eight-year period. Medication administration records for 1970-1977 were obtained for all patients in three long-term care facilities served by a centralized pharmaceutical service. Services included unit dose drug delivery, drug use and chart review, and medical staff consultation. Data from a 10% sample of 4,004 patient records were analyzed. A significant (p less than 0.05) decline in the number of prescription drugs (42.8%) and the number of prescription doses (34.6%) consumed occurred over the eight-year period. The number of nonprescription drugs decreased significantly by 34.4%, but consumption of nonprescription drug doses was not changed significantly. When adjusted for inflation, the average monthly medication bill per patient decreased 28.9%, with the average for Medicaid patients being significantly (p less than 0.001) greater than that for private-pay patients. No significant changes occurred in the therapeutic categories of drug use. Centralized pharmaceutical services, pharmacist consultation and drug use review significantly reduced drug use and medication costs in the facilities studied.


This paper develops a theory of the credit cycle to account for recent evidence that capital is increasingly allocated to inefficiently risky projects over the course of the boom. The model features lenders who sell risk exposure to non-lender investors in order to relax borrowing constraints, but are tempted to produce and sell off bad assets when asset prices are sufficiently high. Asset prices gradually increase during the boom because non-lender wealth grows as their risk-taking pays off, triggering a fall in asset quality and precipitating an eventual crisis. I study the initial conditions that give rise to the credit cycle and consider policy implications. JEL Classification: G01, E32, E44


In this paper, a multiple features face tracking algorithm based on particle filter is proposed. Particle filter can effectively combine multiple face features information which supply robustness in different environments. Meanwhile, our approach makes use of the invariance to rotation and translation of color histogram central moment and statistical characteristic of multiple resolution Sobel Local Binary Pattern (LBP) histogram which shows the local and enhanced global information, then fuses multiple features information by a weight proportion in particle filter framework to propose a new human face tracking algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the algorithm and present a more robust face tracking performance compared with the method based on single feature.


A thirty-two-year-old married woman presented with pain abdomen and polymenorrhoea. Her uterus was bulky and one of the fornices was full. USG of abdomen revealed unilateral ovarian tumour associated with a mass in the uterus. Histopathological report revealed synchronous endometrioid carcinoma of the uterus and the ovary with morphological evidences in favour of independent primary carcinomas. With these perspectives the present case is reported where endometrioid carcinomas of uterus and ovary are two separate primary tumours.


Almost 20 years ago prone sleeping position was established as a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and with risk reduction campaigns which largely focused on this one factor, the incidence of SIDS has declined by 50-80% in most of the countries where campaigns were conducted. However, the pathophysiological cause or causes of SIDS are not yet known, although many theories have been proposed. This paper examines several of the more controversial theories for SIDS causation. In 1997 a link between Helicobacter pylori and SIDS was proposed. Initial positive results were not confirmed. More recently there is new evidence that H. pylori may play a role in some cases but these results need to be confirmed by others. Anaphylaxis caused by milk is an older theory, which has its merits, but needs to be verified with new methods. The toxic gas theory was interesting but had flaws. "Toxic gases" have not been produced in an environment remotely resembling that found in a cot. Proponents of the theory have recommended wrapping the cot mattress in polythene to prevent the postulated gases reaching the baby, but there is no evidence that this has had any effect. The proponents have been very vocal in the lay media despite evidence that disproves this theory. No further evidence is needed for the final rejection of this theory. The harm and benefits of immunisations are a controversial topic in the lay press, although seldom in the scientific literature. As the age of infants dying from SIDS is similar to that when immunisation is given, it has been postulated that there is a causal link. Several large case-control studies have shown that immunisations are not a risk factor for SIDS and recent a meta analysis in fact reported that immunisation halve the risk for SIDS compared with infants who had not been immunized. In conclusion, while the cause or causes of SIDS remains unknown new theories will be proposed and this is to be welcomed. These theories should be first discussed within the scientific community. Debating theories and preliminary findings in the lay media risks confusing parents of young infants and takes attention away from established risk factors and recommendations.


In our study, the change, development, and transformation of modern football game rules from the beginning to the present are examined. In the period from the 19th century to the 21st century, the reason for the fact that football is the number one sport is based on the changes formed by the game rules. The rules, first created in 1863, were put in writing in 1896 and it was asked to be interpreted and applied in a similar way all over the world. Thus, it was aimed to provide a standard understanding in the issue of the implementation of rules around the world and to introduce a set of rules that might apply in each country. The fact that the rules of the football game differ in practice is the primary of the most important features that makes football debatable and keeps it on the agenda. While the rules of the football game are changed by the International Football Association, criteria such as fairness, honesty, respect, the safety of players and officials, enjoyment of audiences, increasing the value of football, adding value, creating efficiency, and increasing fair outcomes by reducing marginal errors through technology are being effective. In industrial football, where the money is at the forefront, it is not possible to reach the belief, opinion, and conclusion that football is better with its mistakes. Therefore, technology has been allowed to tap into football.


Capacity decisions involve tradeoffs between the cost of capacity and the opportunity costs of lost sales. Accounting researchers posit that accounting performance provides sufficient information about these tradeoffs and thus can be used to formulate simple rules to assist capacity decisions. Empirical research has not examined the role of accounting information in capacity investment decisions at the department level in a multi-product firm in the presence of social costs. Empirical analyses using department-level data from California hospitals for the period 1998-2005 show that hospitals are more likely to make capacity investments in departments with high accounting performance. However, in the presence of demand variability, the association between accounting performance and capacity investment is attenuated because of the resulting increase in noise in accounting performance measures. Thus the weight on accounting performance as a decision tool for capital investments reduces when there is demand variability. Another factor that reduces the weight on accounting performance is capacity utilization. Higher capacity utilization can lead to turning away or rerouting of patients to other hospitals and negatively impacts reputation and quality of care, which increases the hospital's social costs. Hence, hospitals do not require high accounting performance before investing in a department with high capacity utilization. This empirical evidence of the role of accounting performance in capacity investment decisions fills a gap in the capacity investment literature and furthers our understanding of the interactions between accounting performance and the operational determinants of firms' capacity investment behavior.


Acute onset of encephalopathy is often due to infections or intoxications, but a high index of suspicion should exist for metabolic or autoimmune causes particularly in recurrent cases. A 6-year-old previously healthy Caucasian male presented with confusion and somnolence. He had several days of fever, myalgia, headaches, and rhinorrhea and was influenza-A positive. He was noted to have new urinary incontinence, inability to follow commands, and was responsive only to noxious stimuli. His neurological examination revealed bilateral ankle clonus. Laboratory results were significant for hypoglycemia and high anion gap metabolic acidosis. Cerebrospinal fluid was unremarkable and cultures remained negative. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed diffuse gray matter restricted diffusion. His presentation was attributed to acute influenza-A encephalitis. Four months later, he presented with emesis, abdominal pain, dehydration, and hypoglycemia. He subsequently developed dysarthria and confusion. A brain MRI was similar to his previous presentation. A repeat lumbar puncture was normal. A urine organic acid profile showed elevations of ketones and branched chain ketoacids, with mild elevations of N-acetylleucine and N-acetyl isoleucine. This pattern is consistent with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD). Genetic testing revealed that he is a heterozygote for 2 pathogenic variants in the BCKDHB gene (P200X and G278S), confirming MSUD. This case highlights the importance of broadening workup to include inborn errors of metabolism in cases of unexplained encephalopathy. Providers should be aware that diseases such as MSUD can occur in intermittent forms that may not be detected until early childhood.


The objective of this study was to determine the effects of land-use patterns on both diatom community composition and water quality in tropical streams during the dry season. Benthic diatom collections and water quality sampling were done 4 times at 10 sites. A suite of environmental variables that varied with human land-use pattern was assessed to find the combination of variables that best explained patterns of diatom community composition. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to determine environmental gradients along which species were distributed. A clear relationship between both benthic diatom communities and water quality and land-use pattern was observed with species richness, diversity and evenness, decreasing significantly from the agricultural and forest area to the urban area. Upstream, forested, agricultural sites, with good water quality (BOD5 = 0.9 to 2.6 mg∙l-1, DO = 6.8 to 8.2 mg∙l-1, phosphate = >2 to 4.7 μg∙l-1), were characterised by Thalassiosira weissflogii, Orthoseira dentroteres, Meridion anceps, Melosira varians, Diatoma spp, Diadesmis contenta, Eunotia papillo, E. bilunaris, E. intermedia, E. sudetica, Aulacoseira alpigena, A. ambigua, Cymbopleura naviculiformis and Stauroneis phoenicenteron . Urban sites, with medium to bad water quality (BOD5 = ~7 mg∙l-1, DO = ~7 mg∙l-1, phosphate = 12.6 to 83.1 μg∙l-1), were characterised by Diadesmis dissimilis, Frustulia rhomboids, Nitzschia scalaris, Nitzschia linearis, Cyclotella pseudostelligera Neidium ampliatum, N. affine, Encyonema silesiacum, E. neomesianum, Aulacoseira granulata, Navicula cryptotenella, Pinnularia legumen, P. gibba, P. divergens, Surirella linearis, S. robusta, and Achnanthidium minutissimum. Downstream urban sites, with very bad water quality (BOD5 = 19.5 to 26.2 mg∙l-1, DO = 0.4 to 1.9 mg∙l-1, phosphate = 142.5 to 248.7 μg∙l-1), were characterised by Gomphonema parvulum, G. accuminatum, Nitzschia palea, Nupela praecipua, Sellaphora pupula, Planotidium lanceolata, Fallacia monoculata and Pinnularia subcapitata. Diatom communities demonstrated potential for acting as indicators of changes in water quality due to changes in catchment land-use patterns. Keywords: land-use, benthic diatoms, environmental gradient, agricultural, forests, urban


This paper describes work in progress on a corpus-based study, comparing seemingly similar registers in two languages: English and German newsgroup texts, collected in the Bremen Translation Corpus. Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG, Halliday 1994 [1985]) provides a theoretical framework for categorizing empirical findings. I will focus on three systems of the finite verbal group, i.e. tense, modality and polarity, to describe these registers on the textual and the interpersonal metafunction levels. The use of tense, apart from its logical function, can also reflect the textual metafunction, since different tenses are preferred in spoken and written discourse (see Biber et al. 1999 or Duden 2005). Do newsgroup text authors favour one tense over the other? And is tense choice the same in both languages? On the interpersonal metafunction level, I analyse the form and function of modal auxiliaries, and look at how modal auxiliaries combine with process types. I then investigate the position of the syntactic negation markers in English and German clauses. My aim is to provide a thorough description of the realization of finite verbal groups in English and German newsgroup texts as a preliminary step towards research on variation in parallel translations using the Bremen Translation Corpus.


Dramatic increases during the 1980s in agricultural production, particularly in the developing world, are due to both the increased area under cultivation and growth in yields per unit area. However, growth in food production has failed to keep pace with population growth in the majority of countries surveyed, and especially in Africa. Changes in rural infrastructure, agricultural technology, environmental management and government policy will influence food production in the future, while food consumption patterns in developing countries will change as a result of population growth, urbanization and changing lifestyles. Shortfalls are likely to occur, especially in Africa, where the availability of new land for cultivation is declining. The pressures on food production will rise, unless efforts are increased to reduce population growth.


517Background: In the METEOR study (NCT01865747), cabo demonstrated improved progression-free survival (median 7.4 vs. 3.8 mo; HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.45–0.74; p<0.0001), OS (median 21.4 vs. 16.5 mo; HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.53-0.83, p=0.0003), and objective response rate (17% vs. 3%; p<0.0001) compared with eve in patients (pts) with advanced RCC who had received prior VEGFR TKI therapy (Choueiri NEJM 2015, Lancet Oncol 2016). Here we evaluate the impact of changes in target lesion size from baseline on OS. Methods: 658 pts were randomized 1:1 to receive cabo (60 mg qd) or eve (10 mg qd). Stratification factors were MSKCC risk group and number of prior VEGFR TKIs. Target lesion size was assessed per independent radiology review by CT/MRI scans at baseline, every 8 weeks for the first 12 months, and every 12 weeks thereafter. Three subgroups were defined by best change in target lesion size from baseline: decrease ≥30%, decrease <30%, and any increase. Results: The rate of target lesion regression was higher in the ca...


Relying on the hybrid organization literature and the circular economy literature, our study aims at theorizing how hybrid organizations adopt circular economy business models to contribute to sustainable development. Through six in-depth interviews with social entrepreneurs located in different regions of Italy and operating in different industries, we theorize that four aspects are unique to hybrid organizing that adopt a circular economy business model. We find that hybrid organizations foster sustainable development thanks to their ability to develop and maintain relationships with the surrounding organizational realities. Additionally, we find that hybrid organizations contribute to sustainable development thanks to their motivation to guard and watch over the natural environment and human beings. In addition, we find that hybrid organizations foster sustainability by educating, spreading knowledge, and ennobling the human spirit. We therefore present a conceptual model that shows how hybrid organizations that adopt circular economy models contribute to sustainable development. In sum, our findings expand on previous literature, add new knowledge, and integrate fields of research that usually develop in silos.


The sorption of Acid Blue 9 onto the mixture of activated clay and activated carbon has been studied in terms of pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order chemical sorption processes. The batch sorption model, based on the assumption of a pseudo-second order mechanism, has been developed to predict the rate constant of sorption and the equilibrium capacity with the effect of initial dye concentration, mass of mixed sorbent, temperature and initial solution pH. The rates of sorption were found to conform to pseudo-second order kinetics with good correlation. Batch isotherm studies showed that the sorption of Acid Blue 9 by the mixed sorbent from aqueous solution was described by the Langmuir isotherm equation. A comparison of the evaluated equilibrium capacity of sorption has been made by the pseudo-second order rate equation as well as by the Langmuir isotherm and operating line method. In addition, an activation energy of sorption has also been determined based on the pseudo-second order rate constants.


: In a brief review, the clinical aspect of sarcoidosis is presented and illustrated by 13 patients whose disease was discovered by its initial manifestation in the ENT region. An isolated sarcoidosis prevailed without general symptoms. The modification of the therapeutic concepts in the last years is demonstrated based on own cases; it changed from the continuous corticosteroid therapy to a more expectant and observant attitude.


Every power plant undergoes repair and maintenance which reduces the performance of the power plants as their condition undergoes periodic deterioration. To rectify the situation of aging and deterioration, timely evaluation of existing power plants is a must. Such that the evaluation will enable the decision maker to make decision regarding the present operation and maintenance practice: the need for modification of the practice or need to undergo rehabilitation in order to operate existing plants in a more efficient and effective way. Performance evaluation of a hydropower plant is performed .on the basis of various performance indicators. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jie.v10i1.10886 Journal of the Institute of Engineering, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2014 pp. 104–120


Mandibular condyle fractures are common and the best approach to treating them has been extensively discussed in the literature. There are basically two different approaches to treatment of condyle fractures: the functional method and the surgical method. In the case described here, the patient underwent general anesthesia for open reduction and internal fixation. After a submandibular approach to access the fracture site, a bur was used to make a perforation in the base of the condylar segment and a long screw (11 mm) was inserted in place leaving a portion protruding from the bone (6 mm). A groove was made in the lateral part of the mandibular ramus to accommodate the extra osseous portion of the screw. After reduction and stabilization of the condylar segment, a 2.0 mm miniplate was installed over the screw leaving the screw head in an inferior position to maximize retention. The patient enjoyed a rapid postoperative recovery and early jaw function was restored in a short period of time.


The remarkably regular geometric relations observed in stream networks have been widely interpreted as evidence of a distinctive structure that reflects particular geomorphic processes. These relations have also been interpreted as evidence that stream networks are topologically random, formed by the laws of chance. Neither of these inferences is justified. The oft-cited geometric properties are not specific to particular kinds of stream networks or to topologically random networks; instead, they describe virtually all possible networks. They therefore compel no particular conclusion about the origin or structure of stream networks.


We have observed the spectral and temporal characteristics of a 1.064-mm pumped, continuously tunable optical parametric oscillator (OPO) using a periodically poled lithium niobate nonlinear crystal. An efficient secondary OPO pumped by the resonant signal of the primary OPO was observed. Predictions obtained from theory agree with observed results and provide insight into the dynamics of pulsed parametric oscillation. 1997 Optical Society of America.


We study the dynamics of a hierarchical three-body system in the general-relativistic regime: an extreme mass-ratio inner binary under the tidal influence of an external body. The inner binary consists of a central Schwarzschild black hole and a compact test body moving around it (outer binary). We discover three types of tidal effects on the orbit of the test body. First, the angular moment of the inner binary precesses around the angular momentum of the outer binary. Second, the tidal field drives a "transient resonance" when the radial and azimuthal frequencies are commensurate with each other. In contrast with resonances driven by the gravitational self-force, this tidal-driven resonance may boost the orbital angular momentum. Finally, as an orbit-dynamical effect during the non-resonant phase, we calculate the correction to the Innermost Stable Circular (mean) Orbit (ISCO) due to the tidal interaction. Hierarchical three-body systems are potential sources for future space-based gravitational wave missions and the tidal effects that we find could contribute significantly to their waveform.


The comfort provided by clothing depends on several factors, one of them being thermal comfort. Human thermal comfort depends on a combination of clothing, climate, and physical activity. It is known, the fibre type, yarn properties, fabric structure, finishing are the main factors affecting thermo-physiological comfort. The thermal property of knitted fabric is very important not only for its thermal comfort but also for protection against cross weather conditions. Most of the studies carried out have been devoted to measure static thermal properties. But it is very important not only amount of the heat released to the environment but also the dynamics of the heat transmission. The main goal of this work was to investigate the dynamic of the heat and cool transfer through the fabrics with different knitting pattern and different type of the yarns. Three different types of knitted fabrics were developed for this experimental work. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.19.2.4434


The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxic effect of heavy metals to bacteria and plant. A spiderwort (Tradescantis clone BNL 4430) and coliform bacteria (Esherichea coli strain MV1184 and Comamonas testosteroni strain TK102) were used in this study. The growth of C. testosteroni strain TK102 was inhibited by copper, lead, and cadmium. Cadmium shows the strongest growth inhibition among these three metals. In an assay of Tradescantis, zinc reduced the amount of chlorophiles in leaves. Copper inhibited flowering and had a fatal effect on Tradescantia.


The discovery of new chemotherapeutic strategies for inhibiting the growth and spread of cancer represents an important goal in the effort to enhance both cancer patient quality of life and survival. Cysteine cathepsins are a family of lysosomal proteases that are often upregulated in a variety of cancers and have been implicated in key processes in cancer progression. Our focus has centered on the development of novel non-peptidic inhibitors of cathepsin L. Small molecule inhibitors of the cysteine protease cathepsin L have the potential to limit degradation of extracellular matrix in the normal tissue surrounding the tumor thus retarding cancer metastasis. It has also been established that cathepsin L is involved in blood vessel development and thus inhibitors have the potential to suppress tumor growth and dissemination through an antiangiogenic effect. We have recently reported the synthesis of a series of functionalized benzophenone, thiophene, pyridine, and fluorene thiosemicarbazone derivatives several of which are potent inhibitors of cathepsin L with activity in the nM range while exhibiting IC50 values greater than 10 micromolar for cathepsin B. In addition, selected compounds were found to inhibit the migration, and invasion of DU-145 prostate cancer cells through Matrigel. Initial evaluation of the in vivo activity of the lead compound, designated KGP94, has been undertaken in a C3H mammary carcinoma. We have evaluated the effects of five daily doses of 20 mg/kg given to mice with treatment initiated either on the day of tumor inoculation or once the tumors reached 200 mm3 in size. Results to date indicate significant growth retardation is achieved against recently implanted and established tumors. Based on these encouraging results further work with this compound is ongoing. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1416. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1416


OBJECTIVE
We reviewed current knowledge of the molecular and genetic bases of hereditary peripheral neuropathies, with special emphasis on the senso motor neuropathies and their different clinical phenotypes.

DEVELOPMENT
The peripheral neuropathies show great clinical variability and genetic heterogeneity. To date 12 genes and over 20 genetic loci have been described in relation to Charcot Marie Tooth disease and related neuropathies. The commonest form is the type 1A Charcot Marie Tooth disease (CMT1A) caused by tandem duplication of a monomer of 1.5 megabases (Mb) on chromosome 17q11.2. The CMT 1A duplication is found in 70% of the patients with CMT 1. The deletion of 1.5 Mb is the most prevalent mutation (85%) in hereditary neuropathy with susceptibility to paralysis due to pressure. This monomer includes the PMP22 gene which is affected by a genetic dose effect. The different proteins encoded by the genes described are well expressed in the Schwann cell and in the nerve axon. They have different functions. There are the structural proteins of myelin, transcription factors, cytoskeleton components, molecular motors of the microtubules, proteins involved in growth and cellular differentiation or with presumed enzyme activity.

CONCLUSIONS
Diagnosis of molecular pathology is important for genetic counselling. The development of new treatment for hereditary neuropathies is based on the generation of animal models for the different genes and on understanding the role of the proteins involved in axon Schwann cell interaction.


Flat bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) were obtained from cholesterol solution in n-octane in the presence of detergents of alkyltrimethyl ammonium bromides series in water medium. It has been shown that highly stable BLM are obtained only for the detergents of this series with the alkyl chain higher than C12. Changes in stability and electromechanical strength of the latter are conditioned by the peculiarities of stechiometric interaction between the molecules of cholesterol, detergent and solvent in the lipid bilayer.


The acute phase response can be modulated by glucocorticoids and catecholamines as well. We treated Wistar rats with either epinephrine or different selective or non-selective beta-agonists in combination with beta-antagonists. The alpha 2-acute phase globulin (alpha 2-APG) serum concentrations were examined by means of electroimmunodiffusion 24 hours after drug administration. Isoprenaline, epinephrine and the beta 2-selective clenbuterol cause a dose-dependent increase in alpha 2-APG serum concentration. The increase can be inhibited by propranolol as a non-selective beta-receptor blocking agent. beta 1-antagonist talinolol has no effect on the alpha 2-APG serum level. The dose-response curve of isoprenaline is shifted to the right and that of clenbuterol is additionally depressed after treatment with propranolol. According to the alpha 2-APG level the results indicate a beta 2-receptor mediated epinephrine action.


The role of vasoreactivity in PAF-induced pulmonary hypertension (PHT) was assessed in isolated, perfused rabbit lungs. We evaluated the steady-state pulmonary vascular response to five vasoconstrictors: PGF2 alpha, norepinephrine, angiotensin II, PAF, and KCl. Pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were significantly greater in lungs of rabbits treated with PAF for 28 days than in control rabbits in response to PGF2 alpha and norepinephrine. When resistance was partitioned by the vascular occlusion method, at baseline the vascular resistance was equally distributed between arterial and venous segments in both experimental groups. Arterial resistance accounted for approximately 76% of PVR during norepinephrine injection and 60% of PVR during PGF2 alpha injection in PAF-treated lungs. Whereas arterial resistance accounted for approximately 63% of PVR during norepinephrine injection and 52% of PVR during PGF2 alpha injection in control lungs, there was no significant difference in the response to angiotensin II, acute PAF, and KCl in lungs from chronic PAF-treated rabbits compared with responses in control rabbit lungs, though the pressor response to acute PAF tended to be blunted in PAF-treated lungs. Chronic PAF treatment results in enhanced pulmonary arterial reactivity to selected autacoids in isolated perfused lungs.


We consider the problem of inferring the unobserved edges of a graph from data supported on its nodes. In line with existing approaches, we propose a convex program for recovering a graph Laplacian that is approximately diagonalizable by a set of eigenvectors obtained from the second-order moment of the observed data. Unlike existing work, we incorporate prior knowledge about the distribution from where the underlying graph was drawn. In particular, we consider the case where the graph was drawn from a graphon model, and we supplement our convex optimization problem with a provably-valid regularizer on the spectrum of the graph to be recovered. We present the cases where the graphon model is assumed to be known and the more practical setting where the relevant features of the model are inferred from auxiliary network observations. Numerical experiments on synthetic and real-world data illustrate the advantage of leveraging the proposed graphon prior, even when the prior is imperfect.


During the Covid-19 global pandemic, and in the face of an imminent crisis derived from it, various concerns arise regarding the economic consequences that the situation will bring, as well as whether the response of the different governments will be enough in the long term. The Foundational Economy Collective proposes, for the European context in particular, a series of points and lessons for the economic policy decisions that emerge from this crisis in order to stimulate national and regional economies once the pandemic is over.


Development of an ultrasonic hyperthermia instrument's software based on ARM32 microprocessor is here introduced. The system integrates the embedded SOC system, memory system, PWM system, A/D system, JTAG debug system, UART communication system, I/O system and GUI system (include LCD, keyboard) in one PCB board. It effectively completes the control and constance of temperature through the improved PID algorithm, and the instrument miniaturization. Experiments have proved that the system accords with the design requirements.


To reduce disturbances and impact from construction transports during urban development, logistics flows need to be managed and controlled efficiently. One way to do so is using construction logistics setups. However, these rarely take both initiator and end-user perspectives into consideration. The paper builds on a longitudinal multiple-case study with cases from Belgium, Norway, and Sweden. The cases provide insights on different tools and approaches for gathering stakeholder input, simulation and forecasting of transport volumes, what type of services are needed in urban construction projects, and different governance measures and incentives. A cross-case analysis was performed to find similarities and differences between the countries. The result of the study is a conceptual framework, presenting a systems overview of the decision routes in urban development linked to construction logistics.


In this paper we rigorously derive stochastic amplitude equations for a rather general class of SPDEs with quadratic nonlinearities forced by small additive noise. Near a change of stability we use the natural separation of time-scales to show that the solution of the original SPDE is approximated by the solution of an amplitude equation, which describes the evolution of dominant modes. Our results significantly improve older results. We focus on equations with quadratic nonlinearities and give applications to the one-dimensional Burgers' equation and a model from surface growth.


Fire hazard studies have shown that lightning is a major threat to petroleum storage facilities, especially floating roof tanks (FRT) due to the risk of lightning-induced fires which may ultimately result in tank boil over, and an increased risk of the fire spreading to adjoining facilities. Lightning is a natural occurrence with scientific attributes that have been studied for decades towards mitigating lightning-related hazards. The probability of a direct lightning strike to various points on a FRT can be estimated by applying the dynamic electro-geometrical model (DEGM) using numerical techniques, and this provides information on the high-risk lightning-strike points on the FRT. This numerical approach involves surface discretization resulting in millions of meshed points in some cases, both on the structure and the surrounding space. This requires a lot of computer resources, and the simulation is slow to compute. In this study, simple and easy to compute equations were developed and hereby proposed as alternatives to numerical DEGM by applying analytical equations directly from first principles. The result confirms the susceptibility of the shell's rim region to direct lightning strikes with 90.61% probability of a direct strike for a 20 m high tank and 88.58% for a 15 m high tank with 60 m in diameter. The results show close approximations to the numerical model and also reveals the effects of the discretization size on the accuracy of the numerical approach, while also reducing the computation time from several hours to a few minutes.


The article concerns a genuinely two-dimensional numerical study of resonant oscillation phenomena in a gas-filled tube with an isothermal wall or an adiabatic wall. The time-dependent, axisymmetric, compressible Navier-Stokes equations in two dimensions are solved by a new finite volume method with the second-order kinetic flux-vector splitting (KFVS) scheme for convective terms, and a third-order Runge-Kutta method for the time evolution. The oscillatory motion of the fluid in a closed tube is generated by a piston at one end, and reflected by the other closed end. Weak shock waves propagating within the tube at the resonant frequency and slightly off-resonance frequencies are numerically captured, which are consistent with both experimental observation and previous theoretical analyses. The interesting results of the sudden change in axial velocity near the piston and the closed end are also presented.


Design, activation, and operation of modern high-energy, fusion-class lasers rely heavily on accurate simulation of laser performance. Setup, equipment protection, and data interpretation of the National Ignition Facility(1) (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are being controlled by a Laser Performance Operations Model (LPOM) (2), which, at its core, utilizes a Virtual Beam Line (VBL) simulation code to predict laser energetics, wavefront, near- and far-field beam profiles, and damage risk prior to each shot. This same simulation tool is being used widely to understand such diverse phenomena as regenerative-amplifier saturation, damage inspection system performance, fratricide risk from small-scale flaws in large optics, converter performance, and conjugate image formation.


The rise of robots and robotics has proved to be a benefaction to humankind in different aspects. Robotics evolved from a simple button, has seen massive development over the years. Consequently, it has become an integral part of human life as robots are used for a wide range of applications ranging from indoor uses to interplanetary missions. Recently, the use of social robots, in commercial indoor spaces to offer help or social interaction with people, has been quite popular. As such, taking the increasing use of social robots into consideration, many works have been carried out to develop the robots to make them capable of acting like humans. The notion behind this development is the need for robots to offer services without being asked. Social robots should think more like humans and suggest possible and suitable actions by analyzing the environment where they are. Belief–desire–intention (BDI) is one of the most popular models for developing rational agents based on how humans act based on the information derived from an environment. As such, this work defines a foundation architecture to integrate a BDI framework into a social robot to add "act like a human" feature for proactive behaviors. The work validates the proposed architecture by developing a vision-based proactive action using the PROFETA BDI framework in an indoor social robot, Waldo, operated by the robot operating system (ROS).


Exposure to airborne particulates makes the detoxification of metals a continuous challenge for the lungs. Based on the fate of iron in airway epithelial cells, we postulated that divalent metal transporter-1 (DMT1) participates in detoxification of metal associated with air pollution particles. Homozygous Belgrade rats, which are functionally deficient in DMT1, exhibited diminished metal transport from the lower respiratory tract and greater lung injury than control littermates when exposed to oil fly ash. Preexposure of normal rats to iron in vivo increased expression of the isoform of DMT1 protein that lacked an iron-response element (-IRE), accelerated metal transport out of the lung, and decreased injury after particle exposure. In contrast, normal rats preexposed to vanadium showed less expression of the -IRE isoform of DMT1, decreased metal transport, and greater pulmonary injury after particle instillation. Respiratory epithelial cells in culture gave similar results. Also, DMT1 mRNA and protein expression for the -IRE isoform increased or decreased in these cells when exposed to iron or vanadium, respectively. These results thus demonstrate for the first time a primary role for DMT1 in lung metal transport and detoxification.