Plasmonic vortices have shown a wide range of applications in on-chip photonics due to their fascinating properties of the orbital angular momenta (OAM) and phase singularity. However, conventional devices to generate them suffer from issues of low efficiencies and limited functionalities. Here, we establish a systematic scheme to construct high-efficiency bifunctional metasurfaces that can generate two plasmonic vortices exhibiting distinct topological charges, based on a series of reflective meta-atoms exhibiting tailored reflection-phases dictated by both resonant and geometric origins. As a benchmark test, we first construct a meta-coupler with meta-atoms exhibiting geometric phases only, and experimentally demonstrate that it can generate a pre-designed plasmonic vortex at the wavelength of 1064 nm with an efficiency of 27% (56% in simulation). Next, we design/fabricate two bifunctional metasurfaces with meta-atoms integrated with both resonant and geometric phases, and experimentally demonstrate that they can generate divergent (or focused) or convergent (or defocused) plasmonic vortices with district OAM as shined by circularly polarized light with opposite helicity at 1064 nm wavelength. Our work provides an efficient platform to generate plasmonic vortices as desired, which can find many applications in on-chip photonics.


Using the molecular dynamics method we constructed a model of atomic structure of amorphous Ta. On the basis of Voronoi–Delaunay tesselation the study of interatomic voids in the model was conducted. Information on the spatial arrangement of voids was obtained and distribution of voids by sizes was calculated. According to the obtained results, we made a conclusion of principal impossibility of anelastic relaxation of interstitial metalloid atoms, which is connected with geometrical difference of the structure of crystalline and amorphous metals.


In this work we performed a valuation of Ata River hydroelectric development through different approaches. This work offers an alternative dynamic valuation in order to get a price range according to the high volatility of electricity prices. It was shown that static approaches can be misleading to the reality of the project.


The evolution of the Web from the original proposal made in 1989 can be considered one of the most revolutionary technological changes in centuries. During the past 25 years the Web has evolved from a static version to a fully dynamic and interoperable intelligent ecosystem. The amount of data produced during these few decades is enormous. New applications, developed by individual developers or small companies, can take advantage of both services and data already present on the Web. Data, produced by humans and machines, may be available in different formats and through different access interfaces. This paper analyses three different types of data available on the Web and presents mechanisms for accessing and extracting this information. The authors show several applications that leverage extracted information in two areas of research: recommendations of educational resources beyond content and interactive digital TV applications.


Author(s): Balandat, Maximilian | Advisor(s): Tomlin, Claire J | Abstract: This thesis develops novel methods for econometric analysis of time series data, and applies these methods in the context of demand-side management in California's electricity markets. The first method is an optimization framework for simulating the behavior of electricity consumers with realistic dynamic consumption models under various dynamic electricity tariffs. This allows to generate new insights into the effect of intertemporal substitution on individual and social surplus under various existing and hypothetical pricing schemes, including Real-Time pricing, Time-of-Use pricing, Critical Peak Pricing, and Critical Peak Rebates. By introducing the concept of a baseline-taking equilibrium, it is possible to quantify the welfare implications of the manipulation of Demand Response (DR) baselines. A second contribution of this thesis is the formulation of the optimal contract design problem a DR aggregator faces when employing inter-temporal flexibility of commercial buildings' HVAC-related power consumption in order to participate in the regulation capacity spot market. The associated bilevel optimization problem can be cast as a mixed-integer optimization problem that can be solved efficiently. The third contribution of this thesis is a novel methodology for causal inference on time series data based on ideas from Machine Learning. This two-stage approach allows to evaluate conditional individual treatment effects in experimental and non-experimental settings with repeated treatment exposure. The setup is very general and agnostic to the specific regression models used. Besides establishing core theoretical results, this thesis presents associated multi-stage bootstrapping techniques, which allow to perform statistical inference even under computationally challenging prediction models. Based on the developed inference methodology, the empirical contribution of this thesis is to study the effect of receiving DR notifications on energy consumption of residential electricity customers in California, including causal estimates of individual and average treatment effects. These results inform the design of a large-scale randomized controlled trial of much broader scope, which is currently being implemented in collaboration with a DR provider in California and involves more than 10,000 customers over a 14 month duration.


Bad days—everyone has 'em. The day of Georgie, the striped grey cat, begins with his literally waking up on the wrong side of the bed (underneath) and then faceplanting on the sidewalk. He quickly finds that he is not the only one whose day has gone awry, and he convinces his woebegone friends that the best recourse to is to focus on their favorite things. Each friend has a favorite activity—making pickles, gardening, knitting, and baking—that brings more troubles than it solves until everyone finally sees the funny side. The cleverness here is the interplay between word and picture: each scene requires an inference that is clearly portrayed in the picture, including a raucous display of sequential disaster that is helpfully numbered so that young viewers can track cause and effect and contribute their own interpretations of the actions. The cartooned animal friends are fancifully sized (Lester the rodent is twice as big as Georgie the cat), and they have expressive faces that convey sadness, wistfulness, concentration, fear, and jubilation by turns. Minimal backgrounds and crisp ink outlines with pastel washes keep both chaos and melancholy from being overwhelming; every scene has just enough detail to support the storytelling. The elements add up to a terrific choice for dialogic story sharing; pair with Viorst's classic Alexander . . . and John's Penguin Problems (BCCB 9/16) for multiple takes on how to acknowledge and mitigate the sulks. KC


A numerical investigation is conducted for the flow between two concentric cylinders with a wide gap, relevant to bearing chamber applications. This wide gap configuration has received comparatively less attention than narrow gap journal bearing type geometries. The flow in the gap between an inner rotating cylinder and an outer stationary cylinder has been modelled as an incompressible flow using an implicit finite volume RANS scheme with the realisable model. The model flow is above the critical Taylor number at which axisymmetric counterrotating Taylor vortices are formed. The tangential velocity profiles at all axial locations are different from typical journal bearing applications, where the velocity profiles are quasilinear. The predicted results led to two significant findings of impact in rotating machinery operations. Firstly, the axial variation of the tangential velocity gradient induces an axially varying shear stress, resulting in local bands of enhanced work input to the working fluid. This is likely to cause unwanted heat transfer on the surface in high torque turbomachinery applications. Secondly, the radial inflow at the axial end-wall boundaries is likely to promote the transport of debris to the junction between the end-collar and the rotating cylinder, causing the build-up of fouling in the seal.


Molybdenum(Mo) thin films, most commonly used as electrical back contacts in Cu(In?Ga)Se2(CIGS) solar cells, are deposited by rf and dc magnetron sputtering in identical systems to study the discrepancy and growth mechanisms of the two sputtering techniques. The results reveal that though different techniques generally de?posit films with different characteristic properties, Mo films with similar structural and physical properties can be obtained at respective suitable deposition conditions. Highly adhesive and conductive Mo films on soda lime glass are further optimized, and the as-fabricated solar cells reach efficiencies as high as 9.4% and 9.1% without an antireflective layer.


ABSTRACT Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is the most common porphyria and has a strong association with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and iron overload. Previous HCV treatment regimens, including interferon with or without ribavirin, may precipitate PCT relapse. Few case reports have shown that newer oral therapies, such as direct-acting antiviral agents, can successfully treat PCT parallel with HCV treatment. We present a case of a patient with non–iron-associated mixed porphyria that dramatically improved with direct-acting antiviral agent therapy for his HCV supporting the association of porphyria with chronic HCV.


A plasmid named pSH-G was constructed with the rabies-virus G-gene insert. This plasmid was transfected into eukaryotic BHK-21 cells and its stability tested. The presence of the pSH-G plasmid was confirmed by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after each of ten cell passages, and the results were positive. The stable BHK-21/pSH-G+ clone obtained can be used in the study of rabies as well as in the production of vaccines.


Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics according to the actual size of carbonization square furnace was performed, the standard k-ε model, the finite-rate/eddy-dissipation model and the P1 radiation model were adopted to simulate the flow of gases, the combustion of gas mixture and the heat transfer process, a mathematical model for square furnace was established when the porous medium model was selected for approximate replacement of coal seams in the furnace. The temperature and pressure fields with eight particle sizes of coal were also investigated and compared to five groups of conditions in the actual industrial production. The results showed that furnace witnessed dropped temperature, increased pressure, and gradually accelerated decline in the volume percentage of the carbonization zone with decreasing particle size of coal. However, the trends of flow field distribution were similar under different particle sizes, the maximum temperature and pressure presented an approximately linear decline and an approximately exponential growth, respectively. The temperature difference at the same height gradually narrowed with the gradual increase in the coal seam height under the same particle size. Moreover, the comparison between the numerical simulation results and industrial practice revealed a temperature and pressure error both lower than 6.25% and 12.8%, respectively.


Recently, new detached houses on a small plot in low-rise residential urban area have attracted more public interests than ever before. This study aims to categorize basic types of interior plans in small urban detached houses by analyzing the layouts of the public space(LDK) within them which are popular in Japan. The results of this study may be summarized as follows. Unit floor plans were basically classified as 16 types according to the layout of LDK. Among these, the LDK type in a straight line shows the most at 28.9%. Again, these plans were sub-classified into 38 types by plan composition. The new 'LDKL' (a new term the authors propose to be used) type was observed in cases where K was directly connected to L. This type appears at 9 out of 38 types. In the connection of LDK, the LDK type shows the most at 60.8%; secondly the L-DK type at 29.9%; thereafter the LD-K type at 6.2%; and lastly L-D-K type, the least frequently at 1.0%. The cases of inter-level connection between LDK and the surrounding space were observed in various cases such as the open workplace of the upstairs hallway visually connected with LDK through the void space and as the attic space of the pitched roof visually linked to it.


This study is about service-learning and the core values of LPU-Laguna. Survey questionnaires were given to 234 students enrolled in the National Service Training Program II. Weighted mean was used to get the students' participation, perception of learning and the adherence to the core values. Using Pearson's chi-square, results show that there is significant relationship between the colleges students belong with and their adherence to the core values. Spearman rho was used to look into the relationship of students' participation in service to the core values of LPU-Laguna (rho-value=.609**, Sig.2-tailed= 000). Spearman rho was also used to see the relationship of students' perception of learning in service (rho-value.198**, Sig. 2-tailed= .002). Results show that there is significant relationship among the students' level participation, students' adherence to the core values and students perception of learning.


SUMMARY: The non-pathogenic beta-haemolytic streptococci from milk, forming Lancefield's group E, were physiologically defined as Streptococcus infrequens and S. subacidus. They were found to fall into four serological types. Fractionation with ethanol showed that both group- and type-specific fractions of these organisms are of polysaccharide nature which probably accounts for the success in using formamide extracts for the type-precipitin reactions. S. subacidus possesses two type antigens, only one of which is also found in S. infrequens.


An important issue of supporting multi-user video streaming over wireless networks is how to optimize the systematic scheduling by intelligently utilizing the available network resources while, at the same time, to meet each video's QoS (Quality of Service) requirement. In this work, we study the problem of video scheduling over multi-channel multiradio multi-hop networks with the goals of minimizing the video distortion. At first, we construct a general distortion model according to the network's transmission mechanism, as well as video's rate-distortion characteristics. Then, by joint considering the channel assignment, rate allocation and routing, we develop a fully distributed scheduling scheme to get an optimal QoS performance. Furthermore, the realization of the distributed scheduling scheme through cooperation among the channel, link and source is the highlight of this paper. Extensive simulation results are provided which demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed scheme.


Two types of non-holonomic constraints (imposing a prescription on velocity) are analyzed, connected to an end of a (visco)elastic rod, straight in its undeformed configuration. The equations governing the nonlinear dynamics are obtained and then linearized near the trivial equilibrium configuration. The two constraints are shown to lead to the same equations governing the linearized dynamics of the Beck (or Pflüger) column in one case and of the Reut column in the other. Although the structural systems are fully conservative (when viscosity is set to zero), they exhibit flutter and divergence instability. In addition, the Ziegler's destabilization paradox is found when dissipation sources are introduced. It follows that these features are proven to be not only a consequence of "unrealistic non-conservative loads" (as often stated in the literature); rather, the models proposed by Beck, Reut, and Ziegler can exactly describe the linearized dynamics of structures subject to non-holonomic constraints, which are made now fully accessible to experiments.


Mini-grant programs are an increasingly popular method for outside organizations (eg, non-profits, state agencies) to support wellness initiatives. However, little is known about mini-grant programs in worksites. The present study explored the implementation and outcomes of a worksite wellness mini-grant program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 wellness champions representing 12 worksites that were involved in a mini-grant program over a 4-year span. Interviews focused on general use, barriers and facilitators, and outcomes of the mini-grant initiatives. Mini-grants were generally used to support a short-term activity, such as purchasing food, which was not allowed per grant funding, or supporting a one-time event—this type of use diverged from recommended use of funds. Participants reported that outcomes from the mini-grant initiates were largely positive, highlighting culture shifts and increased awareness/perception of employer support for wellness. Barriers included culture (eg, employee attitudes, motivation), environment (eg, infrastructure, weather), and worksite characteristics (eg, multiple locations, number of employees), while facilitators included employee interest and involvement, established wellness culture, awareness and accessibility (eg, providing options, education), and support (eg, employer support, support from outside organizations). There was overlap between certain barriers and facilitators, indicating key areas of focus for future research and mini-grant programs.


Bisphenol A bis (2,3-dihydroxypropyl) ether (BADGE.2H(2)O) is a component of commercial liquid epoxy resins commonly used in the food-packing industry and in dental sealants. There is evidence that it has significant estrogenic activity. Nur77 plays a crucial role in the regulation of certain genes involved in LH-mediated steroidogenesis in testicular Leydig cells. It was previously demonstrated that Bisphenol A (BPA) stimulates Nur77 gene induction and steroidogenesis. In this study, we investigated the effects of BADGE.2H(2)O on Nur77 gene expression and steroidogenesis. Northern blot analysis showed that it increased the expression of Nur77 mRNA and protein, and transient transfection assays demonstrated that it increased the promoter activity and transactivation of Nur77. It also increased the expression of certain steroidogenic genes, such as StAR and 3 beta-HSD. Finally, over-expression of a dominant negative Nur77 cDNA via adenoviral infection reduced BADGE.2H(2)O-mediated progesterone biosynthesis. These results indicate that BADGE.2H(2)O disrupts testicular steroidogenesis by increasing Nur77 gene expression.


Mango burl is an important disease affecting many mango plantations in India and causes great loss in yield and decrease of vigour. We carried out a diagnostic survey for burl disease (sometimes also referred to as crown gall) in different varieties of mango (Mangifera indica L., Anacardiaceae) throughout India during 2015 and 2016. More than 500 mango genotypes were screened for disease susceptibility and more than twenty-three mango genotypes in different parts of India were found susceptible to this disease. Burls initiate as small tumorous growths and become more pronounced as warty outgrowths with the increasing age of the individual tree. Samples of burl were collected from all popular varieties from different parts of the country and subjected to histological investigations. The present study confirms that mango burl disease is caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens using evidence from the "carrot assay" and molecular identification of the presumed causal organism. The latter was isolated and inoculated on carrot disks to induce typical symptoms. The xylem of the burl tissue was deformed and showed no specific orientation of the wood cells. Dimensional details and morphology of xylem cells vary at different positions within the burl. In a 10 cm diameter burl, the marginal portion showed xylem cells in circular arrangement. Vessel elements and fibres were very short while rays were relatively low and biseriate rays were observed rarely. Orientation of the xylem tissue was lost and all three plains (i.e. transverse, tangential and radial view) were observed in the same section. Cells from the middle portion of the burl were isodiametric, oval to circular, thick-walled and lignified, in morphology not dissimilar from callus tissue. Tyloses were common in all the cell types viz. fibres, ray cells, tracheids, axial parenchyma cells, and vessel elements.


The behavior of the Cesium (Cs) in Cs-seeded negative ion sources has been investigated experimentally under the beam accelerations of up to 0.5 MeV. The pulse length was extended to 100 s to catch the precise variations in the Cs D2 emission, discharge power, negative ion current, and temperatures in the ion source. The variations of the negative ions were estimated by the beam current and the heat loads in the accelerator. This experiment shows that the buildup of temperature in the chamber walls lead to the evaporation of deposited Cs to enter the plasma region and influenced H- ion production. The H- ion beams were stably sustained by reducing the temperature rise of the chamber wall below 50 °C. A stable long pulse beam could be achieved through the temperature control of the surfaces inside the source chamber walls.


Both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) share the presence of systemic and neuro-inflammation, enhanced production and accumulation of β -amyloid peptide and abnormal levels of the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). Altered levels of AChE and BuChE both in AD as well as in T2DM imply that those two enzymes may be playing a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the two disorders. AD and T2DM are both characterized by elevated levels of AChE and BuChE in the plasma. On the other hand, in AD the brain levels of AChE go down while those of BuChE go up, resulting in deregulation in balance between AChE and BuChE. This imbalance and change in the AChE/BuChE ratio causes cholinergic deficit in the brain, i.e. deficiency in the brain neurotransmitter acetylcholine. With better understanding of the inter-relationship of AChE and BuChE levels in normality as well as abnormality, AD and T2DM can be effectively treated. Thus, general cholinesterase inhibitors that inhibit both AChE and BuChE as well as highly selective BuChE inhibitors may have potential therapeutic benefits in the treatment of AD and other related dementias.


[1] The deformation rate of sea ice is a key parameter for determining the evolution of the ice thickness distribution. It determines the rate of new ice formation through opening and the rate of ridging through closing and shear. An extensive suite of ground-based and satellite-based measurements of ice motion is used to construct a daily time series of the ice velocity and deformation in the vicinity of the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) ice camp that is suitable for forcing a model of the ice thickness distribution. The velocity is interpolated to a square grid that remains centered on the camp, has a spacing of 25 km, is 400 km on a side, and is determined for a 371-day period from 2 October 1997 to 7 October 1998. Velocity measurements from buoys, Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSMI), and Radarsat Geophysical Processing System (RGPS) are merged using optimal interpolation and a Kalman filter approach. The deformation rate is taken directly from the RGPS measurements when available. The daily total deformation rate measured on a scale of 100 km near the camp averaged 2.21% d -1 , and the standard deviation was 1.78% d -1 . The divergence was positive in the early winter and negative through most of the spring and summer. There were two major opening/closing events, one in January and one at the end of July. The net divergence over the year was very near zero. The vorticity indicated a net rotation of 87° over the year, with the winter showing strong anticyclonic turning and the summer showing strong cyclonic turning.


In order to realize digital ecosystems, the total electric power consumption of computers and networks have to be reduced. In distributed systems, clients issue requests to servers and then servers send replies to clients. Here, application processes are composed of a pair of modules which mainly consume computation and communication resources, respectively. Based on the measurement of the power consumption of a server, we newly discuss a power consumption model of a server for applications. We propose an EPCLB (extended power consumption laxity-based) algorithm to select one of servers for applications so that the total power consumption of servers can be reduced. We evaluate the EPCLB algorithm in terms of execution time and power consumption compared with the traditional round-robin algorithm.


Library and Information Science (LIS) education has been traditionally concerned with all aspects of data, information and document management, ranging from creation, collection, organization and storage to retrieval, dissemination and preservation. As more data and information are produced and managed in digital form, digital methods and approaches become integrated in all aspects of the information management cycle. The emergence of new interdisciplinary fields of investigation, such as Data Science, E-Health, and Digital Humanities, share common concerns with LIS, including the management, preservation, analysis, and retrieval of digital objects. Computer science and engineering have also studied the techniques for proper treatment of digital products. As digital information pervades our daily lives, increased attention to both the technical aspects and social aspects of digital objects becomes increasingly important to all disciplines. In this special series devoted to Emerging interdisciplinary curricula in information science, we invited researchers, teachers, and professionals to submit original research, review articles, and position papers on new interdisciplinary curricula related to digital methods and data-intensive approaches in Library and Information Science education. The first contributions for this special series already demonstrate different models of implementation across a number of educational contexts. The first paper, "Librarianship and Beyond: The Twenty-Year Evolution of an Interdisciplinary Curriculum," is representative of a traditional Library and Information school that gradually, along the years, adjusting its perspective in response to the digital evolution of the field, is becoming more interdisciplinary in the process. The second paper, "Educational ecosystems for Information Science: The Case of the University of Pisa", argues for a flexible and interdisciplinary educational environment from the start as the ideal groundwork where new educational paths, including competencies associated with Information Science, can almost spontaneously evolve, as in a natural ecosystem. Finally, the third paper, "Teaching Undergraduate Data Science for Information Schools," is the conscious design of a brand-new curriculum for data science driven by a theoretical model and a thoughtful understanding of the processes involved in data-driven research, and the many interdisciplinary competencies it requires.


Objective of this paper is to describe how iron indices ie Serum iron concentration and Total iron binding capacity are effected during acute infection. Previousely, the work was done on the affect of Acute bacterial infection on Serum iron indices .It was observed that both were reduced .Because micro-organism invades our body and utilises iron for their growth and multiplication. Though ,iron comes under the group of trace element but plays a very important role in our body. A total of 120 patient were taken out of which 50 were healthy control and 70 were those with acute bacterial , viral and protozoal infection. It was observed that there was significant reduction in Serum iron indices as compared to control.And the total protein was slightly high. . Knowledge of these interactions is essential in assessing likely morbidity responses to iron supplementation.


Background: The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in body. It is the only terminal branch of the sacral plexus. It emerges under the piriformis muscle, descends into the gluteal region, then into the posterior compartment of the thigh. It ends in the popliteal fossa by dividing into the tibial and common peroneal nerve. It is the most frequently injured nerve. The aim of this work was to study the mode of termination of the sciatic nerve by cadaveric dissection in a Malian population.Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study, carried out at the anatomy laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine and Odontostomatology of Bamako, ranging from December 2019 to April 2021. The sciatic nerve was dissected 74 times in 37 cadaveric subjects (29 men and 8 women).Results: The classic termination mode (the sciatic nerve terminates giving the tibial nerve and common peroneal nerve) was most frequently encountered with a prevalence of 82.43%. Anatomical variations were noted in 17.57%. Among these variations, trifurcation (termination in three branches) of the sciatic nerve was observed in 16.22%. Hexafurcation (six-branch termination) of the sciatic nerve was observed in 1.35%. The termination mode showed a significant difference being more frequently bilateral than unilateral (P˂0.05)Conclusion: Anatomical variations in the mode of termination of the sciatic nerve are not uncommon. The most common of these variations is the trifurcation in which the sciatic nerve ends up giving the tibial nerve, the common peroneal nerve and a third branch which is variable. Knowledge of these variations is important for surgeons when treating popliteal artery aneurysm, popliteal vessel fistula and popliteal fossa cysts.


The research assessed the contribution of small to medium scale enterprises on the socioeconomic well-being of women in Thorn grove Industrial Site. The case study was used for the study and a sample size of 20 women was selected for the study. The study used the sustainable livelihood approach framework as an analytical tool to identify ways to advance the socioeconomic well-being of women in small to medium enterprises. The study therefore sought to address the contribution of women run SMEs in promoting the socioeconomic development of women. Women's enterprise tend to be relatively small, have informal structures, flexibility, low capital needs, modest educational requirements, high labor and intensity and depend on local raw materials. The women undertake activities such as transport, restaurants, poultry textile manufacturers and tailoring. The study results revealed that women's small scale business activities has contributed significantly to their socioeconomic well-being and the women have secure employment which provides them with income for the satisfaction of their basic needs. The study also revealed that most women personally fund their own businesses to undertake these activities. The study also revealed some challenges that women entrepreneurs still have to contend within the market environment and face high taxes from ZIMRA and BCC. Women still have a problem of lack of collateral. The study concluded and recommended there is need for the government to come up with the policies that can enable women SMEs to raise their capital needs without jeopardizing their businesses.


Objective To evaluate vascular structural changes in hypertensive patients with different patterns of left ventricular geometry. Design and methods From 250 untreated hypertensive patients who underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and echocardiographic study, we selected four groups matched for sex, age, body mass index, smoking habits and serum lipid values: 25 hypertensive subjects with normal left ventricular geometry, 16 with concentric left ventricular remodeling, 26 with concentric left ventricular hypertrophy and 18 with eccentric non-dilated left ventricular hypertrophy. These patients underwent carotid ultrasonography to evaluate the intimal-medial thickness and lumen diameter, and venous occlusion plethysmography to record minimum forearm vascular resistance (an index of arteriolar structural changes). Results The intimal-medial thickness and minimum forearm vascular resistance were significantly higher (both P < 0.05) in hypertensive subjects with concentric left ventricular remodeling (0.95 mm, 2.68 RU) and concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (0.96 mm, 2.71 RU) than in those with eccentric non-dilated left ventricular hypertrophy (0.81 mm, 2.36 RU) and normal left ventricular geometry (0.71 mm, 2.15 RU). There was no difference between hypertensive patients with concentric left ventricular remodeling and concentric left ventricular hypertrophy. The intimal–medial thickness and minimum forearm vascular resistance tended to be higher in hypertensive subjects with eccentric non-dilated left ventricular hypertrophy than in those with normal left ventricular geometry, but this difference did not attain statistical significance. Conclusions This study shows that the spectrum of cardiac adaptation to hypertension is associated with a spectrum of vascular adaptation which might be related both to hemodynamic stimuli and differences in the expression or activity of vascular growth factors.


----------------------------------------------------------------------ABSTRACT----------------------------------------------------------False data injection attack is a serious threat to wireless sensor network. In this paper, a node legitimacy based false data filtering scheme (NLFS) is proposed. NLFS verifies not only message authentication codes (MACs) contains in reports, but also the legitimacy of nodes that endorse the report. The verification guarantees that compromised nodes from different geographical areas cannot collude to inject false data, which makes NLFS has a high tolerance of compromised nodes. In addition, NLFA only utilizes the relationships between node IDs to verify the legitimacy of nodes without other software or hardware overhead. Simulation results show that NLFS can filter 95% false reports within three hops and is resilience to an increasing number of compromised nodes.


Prenatal substance abuse is a major public health concern. Much research has been focused on alcohol and other drug use, but there is a lack of information about prenatal cannabinoid use. Nevertheless, marijuana use during pregnancy increases the risk of a stillbirth by approximately 2.3X. Synthetic cannabinoids (SCB) are a group of heterogeneous compounds which were developed to understand the endogenous cannabinoid system and as potential therapeutics. SCBs are legally available for purchase in several places, and the use of natural and synthetic cannabinoids is high among women of reproductive age. Combined with the prevalence of unplanned pregnancies, the high use of cannabinoids may lead to an increase in prenatal exposure to cannabinoids. Early studies have shown morphological and behavioral anomalies similar to fetal alcohol syndrome. Even though the mechanisms of Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9 -THC), the major psychoactive component of marijuana, and SCB are similar, there are several important differences. Subsequently, some SCBs have a 40 to 600 fold higher potency than Δ9 -THC. However, there is paucity of research focused on the prenatal effects of SCBs. This study uses correlation mapping optical coherence tomography (cm-OCT) to evaluate acute changes in the murine fetal brain vasculature in utero after exposure to CP-55,940, a well-characterized and commonly used reference compound in cannabinoid research. Our results showed a rapid decrease in parameters quantifying vasculature, i.e., vessel area density, and vessel length fraction, as compared to the sham group, demonstrating a dramatic and rapid effect of cannabinoids on fetal brain vasculature. Our work shows the need for further research on the effects of cannabinoids on fetal development.


Rapamycin (Rapa) is a highly potent drug; however, its clinical potential is limited by poor solubility, bioavailability, and cytotoxicity. To improve Rapa delivery, our team has fused the cognate protein receptor for Rapa, FKBP12, to high molecular weight elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs). One construct, FAF, includes an FKBP domain at each termini of an ELP. In a recent report, FAF/Rapa outperformed a family of related carriers with higher tumor accumulation and efficacy. Despite apparent efficacy, an explanation for how FAF carries Rapa into cells has not been elucidated. This manuscript explores the intracellular fate of FAF in MDA-MB-468, a triple negative (ER-/PR-/HER2-) breast cancer line. Based on a lack of displacement by excess unlabeled FAF, no evidence was found for the involvement of a receptor in cell-surface binding. Cellular association showed no dose-dependent saturation at concentrations up to 100 μM, which is consistent with uptake through fluid phase endocytosis. FAF does colocalize with dextran, a marker of fluid phase endocytosis. Upon internalization, both FAF and dextran target low pH intracellular compartments similarly. Despite likely exposure to lysosomal pH and proteolytic activity, intracellular FAF is eliminated from cells with a relatively long half-life of 17.7 and 19.0 h by confocal microscopy and SDS-PAGE respectively. A split luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that FAF delays the cytosolic access of Rapa in comparison to free drug by 30 min. A specific macropinocytosis inhibitor, amiloride, completely inhibits the cytosolic delivery of Rapa from FAF. Each of these results are consistent with macropinocytosis as the mechanism of cellular uptake necessary for the hand-off of Rapa from FKBP-based drug carriers like FAF to endogenous FKBP12 in the cytosol.


This paper analyses the relevance of Paulo Freire's pedagogical and philosophical ideas within the context of occupied Palestine. It specifically focuses on the work in continuing community action and education carried out by a particular centre established at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, and at the heart of the 'old city', for this purpose. The major focus here is on community theatre foregrounding issues related to women in Palestinian society. Major themes broached include the politics of education, 1 The following essay is part of the Tempus project 'Lifelong Learning in Palestine' (LLIPS). This collaborative project seeks to develop Lifelong Learning in formal and nonformal networks in Palestine beginning in 2011 and scheduled to end in 2013 (Hammond 2012). It links the work of universities to centers outside of the university in civil society. As part of the project, seminars and workshops will develop pedagogic partnerships in different settings, facilitating a wide arrangement of adult learning right across Palestinian society. Palestinian institutions of Lifelong Learning will also link innovative work in Lifelong Learning to different regions in Europe and the Arab world.


This review summarizes highlights of our experiments investigating mechanisms, mediators and sites by which endotoxin disrupts reproductive neuroendocrine activity and interferes with the estrous cycle of sheep. Endotoxin, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), is a commonly used model for immune and inflammatory stress. When administered to ovary-intact ewes, endotoxin interrupts the follicular phase of the cycle by interfering with several steps in the preovulatory chain of endocrine events. One such step is the development of high frequency LH pulses, which provide an essential stimulus for the preovulatory increase in estradiol secretion from the ovarian follicle. Follow-up experiments in ovariectomized ewes demonstrate that endotoxin inhibits pulsatile LH secretion at both the hypothalamic and pituitary levels, suppressing pulsatile GnRH secretion and reducing pituitary responsiveness to GnRH. This disruption of GnRH and LH pulsatility is mediated by pathways that include the synthesis of prostaglandins and cortisol, both of which are increased by endotoxin. It is postulated that a prostaglandin-mediated pathway disrupts the cycle during immune and inflammatory stress, whereas a separate cortisol-mediated pathway reinforces this disruption and also participates more generally in suppressing cyclicity during other stressful situations that activate the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.


We study the evolution of dust in a cosmological volume using a hydrodynamical simulation in which the dust production is coupled with the MUPPI (MUlti Phase Particle Integrator) sub-resolution model of star formation and feedback. As for the latter, we keep as reference the model setup calibrated previously to match the general properties of Milky Way like galaxies in zoom-in simulations. However, we suggest that an increase of the star formation efficiency with the local dust to gas ratio would better reproduce the observed evolution of the cosmic star formation density. Moreover, the paucity of quenched galaxies at low redshift demands a stronger role of AGN feedback. We tune the parameters ruling direct dust production from evolved stars and accretion in the inter stellar medium to get scaling relations involving dust, stellar mass and metallicity in good agreement with observations. In low mass galaxies the accretion process is inefficient. As a consequence, they remain poorer in silicate and small grains than higher mass ones. We reproduce reasonably well the few available data on the radial distribution of dust outside the galactic region, supporting the assumption that the dust and gas dynamics are well coupled at galactic scales.


BACKGROUND
Patients with end-stage liver disease and pretransplant Aspergillus colonization are problematic for determining liver transplant candidacy and timing of transplantation due to concerns for posttransplant invasive aspergillosis.

METHODS
We performed a retrospective review of the medical and laboratory records of all adult patients (≥18 years of age) who underwent liver transplantation with pretransplant Aspergillus colonization at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2015.

RESULTS
A total of 27 patients who had Aspergillus colonization (respiratory tract 26, biliary tract 1) before liver transplantation were identified. Pretransplant characteristics included previous liver transplant (11/27, 40.7%), dialysis (22/27, 81.5%), corticosteroid therapy (12/27, 44.4%), intensive care unit stay (27/27, 100%), and median MELD score of 39. Only 22.2% (6/27) received pretransplant antifungal agents (median duration, 5 days), while 100% (27/27) received posttransplant antifungal prophylaxis (voriconazole 81.4%, 22/27; echinocandin 14.8%, 4/27; voriconazole plus echinocandin 3.7%, 1/27) for median duration of 85 days. Posttransplant invasive fungal infection occurred in 14.8% (4/27; aspergillosis 3, mucormycosis 1). Both 6-month and 12-month survival were 66.7% (18/27), but only 1 death was due to fungal infection. Other causes of death were liver graft failure, intraabdominal complications, and malignancy.

CONCLUSION
A substantial number of patients with pretransplant Aspergillus colonization can still undergo successful liver transplantation if they are otherwise suitable candidates and receive appropriate antifungal prophylaxis. Posttransplant outcome in these patients is determined mostly by noninfectious complications and not fungal infection. Pretransplant Aspergillus colonization alone should not necessarily preclude or delay liver transplantation.


Counterfactual Regret Minimization (CFR) is a popular iterative algorithm for approximating Nash equilibria in imperfect-information multi-step two-player zero-sum games. We introduce the first general, principled method for warm starting CFR. Our approach requires only a strategy for each player, and accomplishes the warm start at the cost of a single traversal of the game tree. The method provably warm starts CFR to as many iterations as it would have taken to reach a strategy profile of the same quality as the input strategies, and does not alter the convergence bounds of the algorithms. Unlike prior approaches to warm starting, ours can be applied in all cases. Our method is agnostic to the origins of the input strategies. For example, they can be based on human domain knowledge, the observed strategy of a strong agent, the solution of a coarser abstraction, or the output of some algorithm that converges rapidly at first but slowly as it gets closer to an equilibrium. Experiments demonstrate that one can improve overall convergence in a game by first running CFR on a smaller, coarser abstraction of the game and then using the strategy in the abstract game to warm start CFR in the full game.


Black rice is an important rice species in Southeast Asia. It is a common phenomenon to pass low-priced black rice off as high-priced ones for economic benefit, especially in some remote towns. There is increasing need for the development of fast, easy-to-use, and low-cost analytical methods for authenticity detection. The feasibility to utilize near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and support vector data description (SVDD) for such a goal is explored. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used for exploratory analysis and feature extraction. Another two data description methods, i.e., k-nearest neighbor data description (KNNDD) and GAUSS method, are used as the reference. A total of 142 samples from three brands were collected for spectral analysis. Each time, the samples of a brand serve as the target class whereas other samples serve as the outlier class. Based on both the first two principal components (PCs) and original variables, three types of data descriptions were constructed. On average, the optimized SVDD model achieves acceptable performance, i.e., a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 94.2% on the independent test set with tight boundary. It indicates that SVDD combined with NIR is feasible and effective for authenticity detection of black rice.


Virtual reality (VR) is resurging in popularity with the advancement of low-cost hardware and more realistic graphics. How might this technology help others? That is, to increase mental well-being? The ultimate VR might look like lucid dreaming, the phenomenon of knowing one is dreaming while in the dream. Lucid dreaming can be used as an introspective tool and, ultimately, increase mental well-being. What these introspective experiences are like for lucid dreamers might be key in determining specific design guidelines for future creation of a technological tool used for helping people examine their own thoughts and emotions. This study describes nine active and proficient lucid dreamers' representations of their introspective experiences gained through phenomenological interviews. Four major themes emerged: sensations and feelings, actions and practices, influences on experience, and meaning making. This knowledge can help design a VR system that is grounded in genuine experience and preserving the human condition.


The ability of Natural Killer (NK) cells to kill tumor targets has been extensively studied in various hematological malignancies. However, NK cell therapy directed against solid tumors is still in early development. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) targeted therapies using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) such as cetuximab and panitumumab are widely used for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Still, the clinical efficacy of this treatment is hampered by mutations in RAS gene, allowing tumors to escape from anti-EGFR mAb therapy. It is well established that NK cells kill tumor cells by natural cytotoxicity and can in addition be activated upon binding of IgG1 mAbs through Fc receptors (CD16/FcγRIIIa) on their surface, thereby mediating antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). In the current study, activated Peripheral Blood NK cells (PBNK) were combined with anti-EGFR mAbs to study their effect on the killing of EGFR+/- cancer cell lines, including those with RAS mutations. In vitro cytotoxicity experiments using colon cancer primary tumors and cell lines COLO320, Caco-2, SW620, SW480 and HT-29, demonstrated that PBNK cells are cytotoxic for a range of tumor cells, regardless of EGFR, RAS or BRAF status and at low E:T ratios. Cetuximab enhanced the cytotoxic activity of NK cells on EGFR+ tumor cells (either RASwt, RASmut or BRAFmut) in a CD16 dependent manner, whereas it could not increase the killing of EGFR- COLO320. Our study provides a rationale to strengthen NK cell immunotherapy through a combination with cetuximab for RAS and BRAF mutant mCRC patients.


Similar samples of English, Italian and Japanese subjects were asked to identify 8 emotional states and 4 interpersonal attitudes from video-taped expressions of 2 performers from each of these cultures. AN sets of judgements were above chance, except Italians judging Japanese. The Japanese subjects were no different from English and Italian subjects in recognition ability but the Japanese performances were harder to recognize supporting Ekman's theory of display rules; in fact all Japanese expressions were difficult to recognize, with the exception of happy-friendly. The Japanese (performers) make a clearer distinction between sad and depressed than other cultural groups, but did not distinguish between happy and friendly, or between angry and hostile.


The aim of this communication is to analyze the correlation between the stomatognathic and cervical muscular system testing, the analysis of tomography and the kinesiographic survey. The study has been done on 78 clinically healthy patients (24 males and 54 females) aged between 21 and 71, presenting various forms of stomatognathic system dysfunctions. The anamnesis comprised the Slavicek questionnaire as well. Within the complex clinical examination the classical clinical investigation of the masticatory muscles and the TMJ has been supplemented by masticatory muscles, cervical spine and shoulder girdle tests (AROM, PROM and resistive muscle tests). These tests have been correlated with the results of the 468 tomogram analyses and kinesiography surveys for test movements (780 traces) and for functional movements (156 records). The analysis of tomograms has shown the dimensional asymmetry of the articular elements and the asymmetry of the relationship between these elements in various position. These asymmetries are correlated to the alteration of the kinesiographic tracings. The variations of the articular gap and the P2 and P3 values are correlated in a very interesting way with the kinesiographic record but also with the symptoms of muscular dysfunction. The asymmetric condylar movements are reflected in the asymmetry of the muscular contractions, put into evidence through the insufficient response to AROM (78%), PROM (62%), resistive muscle tests (8%) for the masticatory muscles and cervical spine (22%). These results suggest the opportunity of extending the clinical examination at least in the cervical area.


Local anesthetic injections are an essential tool in dentistry, particularly in pediatric dentistry. The needle penetrating the tissue can cause stress, anxiety, and pain. Studies have shown that using touch may alleviate pain and reduce patient anxiety. Yet, this has not been tested in pediatric dental patients. Therefore, this study examined the effect of hand-holding on children undergoing local anesthetic injections. Its effect on children's pain perception was tested, with the hypothesis that pain perception would be lower for children whose hand was held by an assistant. Additionally, the study examined whether hand-holding would affect children's anxiety levels and cooperation. Fifty-five children, who underwent dental treatment within the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Tel Aviv University, were recruited. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. In the study group, the assistant gently placed her hand on the patient's hand during the anesthetic injection. In the control group, the same treatment was performed without the hand being placed by the assistant. After the anesthetic injection, the child's pain and anxiety levels were assessed using visual analog scales (VAS). The patients' pulse was measured. The level of cooperation was evaluated using the "Frankl" scale. Interestingly, although the trends aligned with this study's hypotheses, no significant effect of hand-holding on pain, anxiety, or cooperation during anesthetic injections was found.


Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, course activities pivoted to online learning in 2020. This necessitated a redesign of Systems Design Engineering's Design Days from a two-day in-person event at the start of term to three shorter online sessions throughout term to prepare and support students during their first term atuniversity. These sessions featured new activities including, an arcade game developed using block coding;a Rube Goldberg virtual ball toss; and the design of a Wi-Fi access point reflector. All activities were designed using principles of effective online learning including, social presence, familiarization with online learning technology, and engaging activities. The online Design Days (Re)Boot Camp ran successfully during Fall 2020, supporting most intended learning outcomes and achieving high initial participation. Continual improvement will focus on sustaining participation, strengthening connections to design and technical concepts, and retaining strong elements upon the return to in-person learning.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity and its association with physical activity levels in children living in favelas in the city of Recife, state of Pernambuco, Brazil.

METHODS
A cross-sectional study was performed with 973 children ranging from 7 to 10 years old, all from two favelas in Recife, Fragoso and Caranguejo (total population of 9,315); of the 973 children assessed, 733 were included in the study. Overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI) equal to or above the 85th percentile, and obesity as BMI equal to or above the 95th percentile, using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. Physical activity level was assessed by the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Children with scores > or = 3 were considered active, while those with scores < 3 were considered inactive.

RESULTS
Of the 733 children studied, overweight and obesity were observed in 92 (12.6%). There was no statistical association between physical inactivity and sex, income, maternal schooling, number of siblings and hours of television. However, more children with physical inactivity were observed among overweight or obese children, 66/92 (71.6%) vs. 363/641 (56.7%) (p = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of overweight and obesity is high, and is associated with physical inactivity in children living in favelas in the city of Recife, Brazil.


Aims: To investigate cancer incidence in workers exposed to high levels of extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF). Methods: A cohort based on the engineering industry was established. Industries assumed to use resistance welding in production were chosen in order to increase the prevalence of high exposed subjects and to reduce the influence of confounding factors. All men and women employed in these branches during 1985–94 were selected, 537 692 men and 180 529 women. Occupation, based on census information from 1980, 1985, and 1990, was linked to a job exposure matrix on ELF-MF. Four exposure groups were used by stratifying on mean workday ELF-MF exposure, using the lowest exposure group as reference. Cancer incidence was obtained by linkage to the Swedish Cancer Registry. Results: Men in the very high exposure group showed an increased incidence of tumours of the kidney, pituitary gland, and biliary passages and liver; for these cancer sites an exposure–response relation was indicated. Women in the very high exposure group showed an increased incidence of astrocytoma I–IV, with a clear exposure–response pattern. An association was suggested in the high exposure group only, for cancer of the corpus uteri and multiple myeloma. Decreased risks in the very high exposure group among men were found for cancer of the colon and connective tissue/muscle. Conclusions: The results on cancer of the liver, kidney, and pituitary gland among men are in accordance with previous observations. Regarding brain tumours and leukaemia, the outcome for women provided further support of an association. The hypothesis of a biological mechanism involving the endocrine system was partly supported.


Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC

Chemotherapy may trigger survival signaling in cancer cells and the cells may change the response to chemotherapy. Here we found chemotherapeutics-induced Jak2/Stat3 signaling activation, by which cancer cells escape from death in human lung cancer PC14PE6AS2 (AS2) and H157 cells with constitutively activated Stat3 protein. Cisplatin, paclitaxel and epirubicin are important agents in lung cancer treatment and they are reactive oxygen species (ROS)-producing agents. In AS2 and H157 cells, we found that during the paclitaxel treatment, early Jak2 activation occurred and then Stat3 tyrosine phosphorylation upregulated early. But Stat3 serine phosphorylation was not significantly increased. When AS2 and H157 cells were treated with cisplatin and epirubicin, the Jak2/Stat3 activation was also observed, which can be blocked by AG490. It is indicated that chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, cisplatin and epirubicin, may activate Jak2/Stat3 pathway. In AS2 cells, chemotherapeutics generated ROS, and the chemotherapy-induced Jak2/Stat3 activation was only effectively inhibited by mitochondrial ROS scavengers as rotenone and antimycin. The similar finding was also observed in H157 cells. It is said that "mild" mitochondrial uncoupling provides a survival benefit in cancer cells. In AS2 and H157 cells, pretreatment with the mitochondrial uncoupler carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenylhydrazone (FCCP) inhibited paclitaxel-induced mitochondrial ROS generation, abolished paclitaxel-induced Stat3 activation in AS2 and H157 cells, and augmented paclitaxel-induced mitochondrial membrane potential decrease. Thereafter, we classified AS2 and H157 cells as "FCCP-responsive" or "less mitochondrial uncoupling" cancer cells. So that mitochondrial coupling-mediated oxidative stress modulated paclitaxel-induced Jak2/Stat3 activation in AS2 and H157 cells. Subsequently, Stat3 activation by chemotherapeutics enhanced survivin expression in AS2 and H157 cells. Pretreatment with AG490, FCCP and rotenone blocked paclitaxel-induced survivin expression in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment with FCCP and rotenone also made AS2 and H157 cells more sensitive to the drug. Conclusively, anti-cancer drugs-induced Jak2/Stat3 activation confers a survival advantage in lung cancer AS2 and H157 cells via mitochondrial-coupling mediated ROS generation. This is a new phenomenon of cellular response to chemotherapeutics, by which cancer cells escape from drug-induced death.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1636.


Sources of pure and indistinguishable single-photons are critical for near-future optical quantum technologies. Recently, color centers hosted by two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have emerged as a promising platform for high luminosity room temperature single-photon sources. Despite the brightness of the emitters, the spectrum is rather broad and the single-photon purity is not sufficient for practical quantum information processing. Here, we report integration of such a quantum emitter hosted by hBN into a tunable optical microcavity. A small mode volume of the order of $\lambda^3$ allows us to Purcell enhance the fluorescence, with the observed excited state lifetime shortening. The cavity significantly narrows the spectrum and improves the single-photon purity by suppression of off-resonant noise. We explore practical applications by evaluating the performance of our single-photon source for quantum key distribution and quantum computing. The complete device is compact and implemented on a picoclass satellite platform, enabling future low-cost satellite-based long-distance quantum networks.


Precision measurement of antiprotonic helium provides a test of physical laws Spectroscopy is the most accurate branch of science. Optical transition frequencies in isolated atoms and molecules can nowadays be measured to many-digit accuracies by applying the tools developed in the atomic physics community: ultrastable lasers, locked via frequency-comb lasers to atomic clocks, and the techniques to cool and control the motion of atoms. Precision measurements on small quantum systems can be compared with theoretical descriptions of these systems at the most fundamental level, allowing physics theories to be tested and enabling the search for physics beyond the standard model (1). On page 610 of this issue, Hori et al. (2) apply these tricks of the trade to a small atomic quantum system with a built-in antiparticle to perform precise spectroscopic measurement in antiprotonic helium (see the figure). The technique of buffer-gas cooling is demonstrated for the first time on a composite matter–antimatter particle.


Research in music, sound art and sound studies is not only a matter of listening and experiencing auditory phenomena. Neither is it limited to the study of scores, graphic notations or sonograms. With the still increasing expansion of practice-based research methods, many artists and scholars of music, sound art and sound studies now gain their knowledge through their creative practice, or through the process of recording soundscapes and various sound experiments such as filtering or editing them. These often inductive processes are comparable to natural science executed in laboratories, where one also can find carefully planned practices leading to new knowledge that could not have been achieved otherwise. It is not only the carefully planned acts that count – so do all the embedded mistakes, unintended turns, unexpected discoveries and unintentional outcomes.The title "Sounds of Science" of this special issue is not only catchy, it is also a direct reference to such scientific studies. In the 2005 article "The Sounds of Science: Listening to Laboratory Practice" – an anthropological study of a variety of laboratory practices among researchers and engineers working in and around materials science and surface science – the author of the article, Cyrus C. M. Mody, states:Labs are full of sounds and noises, wanted and unwanted, many of which are coordinated with the bodily work of moving through space, looking at specimens, and manipulating instruments. Sounds are fully woven into the knowledge that emerges from experimental practice. … this article is an invitation to practitioners of lab studies to stage performances of John Cage's 4'33" at the sites of scientific work and listen to laboratory practice. (176)Mody invites fellow anthropologists to listen carefully to the (non-aesthetic) sounds emerging in the laboratory, and to produce new knowledge from them – the same way John Cage invited participants to listen to the non-intentional sounds in the concert hall in his canonic silent work. Related research can be found in Pinch and Bijsterveld's edited volume The Oxford Handbook of Sound Studies (2011), where scholars with backgrounds in history, sociology and Science Technology Studies (STS) reflect on phenomena of sound in laboratories as well as in other professional, everyday and even musical settings. Bijsterveld's own monograph Sonic Skills (2019) adds extensive insights into the role of the scientist today and historically, and how they relate to sound in their laboratory practices. Further, the anthropologist Stefan Helmreich introduces what he calls "transduced" sounds, when observing and analysing scientists' experience of mediated sound in underwater settings, by joining them during their work situations in submarines (Helmreich 2007, 2009, 2015).Some of the papers in the current special issue bear a direct relation to the anthropological and STS inspired work above. Others relate to the John Cage inspired invitation from Mody, but in an almost reverse way: coming from the tradition of the musical avantgarde, these papers produce new knowledge by turning the open aesthetics and aleatoric acts into inductive laboratory processes. The authors of these papers explore and learn from their musical practices, their listening to soundscapes or their recording experiments as if they were taking place in scientific laboratories. Yet another research practice, the emerging field of Sound and Music Computing (SMC), combines an even wider range of scientific methodologies related to sound and music where the music contributes to research practices that are not artistically or musicologically oriented.Another articulation of interdisciplinary research practice of relevance to this issue is the field of media archeology. Not yet a formalized discipline, media archaeology can be seen as the attempt to resist a focus on the present and the 'newness' of new media, and enter into an investigative approach to the understanding of the progression of media. Originally its theoretical understructure was shaped by Foucauldian thinking, but the cultural critic Walter Benjamin and media theorist Marshall McLuhan are other obvious points of reference. With the ever faster development cycles in today's new technologies, the critical characteristic of media archeology can be seen to have an obvious relevance given present communication technologies. A 20 year old mobile phone may not even register with the contemporary mobile networks, 15 year old media may not play in current media players, and other kinds of technologies and interfaces are growing out of fashion even quicker than that.With sound as the laboratory the media archaeological investigation is extended even further. Exploring obsolete technology, such as old synthesizers, oscillators and cassette tapes for contemporary artistic practice, may bring forth new invocations. Or, as Huhtamo and Parikka describe it:[…] these artists create a cyclical motion in a way many media archaeologists no doubt endorse. There is no separation; instead, there is constant interchange, a cruise in time. The past is brought to the present, and the present to the past; both inform and explain each other, raising questions and pointing to futures that may or may not be. (Huhtamo & Parikka 2011, 15)Media archaeology takes a step back in order to explore media on, so to say, its own premises. As a consequence, prominent as well as less prominent media are brought to life in order to revisit their functions and behaviours, and to gain an understanding of why they came – or why they did not come – to play a dominant role in media history. Along with many other theories, part of the theoretical undercurrents of the attempt by media archeology to rewrite media history are postcolonial studies, the influence of which can also be seen in several of the contributions in this issue.The perspectives from which the research is performed and analysed differ throughout the contributions in this special issue. Several of the papers are developed from the perspective of so-called "practice-researchers", discussing empirical work that is both created and analysed by the author. Others explore phenomena created or told by a third person. It is possible, but also slightly naive, to see a field recording as a representation of an emic perspective, as if it is neutral in relation to that which it represents. Recording technology, however, is nothing but neutral. It invades the thing it records, which is something sound artists have used to their advantage for at least 50 years, but also something that needs to be considered in ethnographic research. The very format of the audio paper is a stage for exploring the range of possibilities with recording as a method: a means of representing and positioning several voices, and as a tool for documentation.While the contributions differ in their perspectives, and in theoretical and methodological approaches, they share the principle that all the researchers authoring these articles and audio papers have gained their knowledge directly from the sonic material they work with, whether it is a piano tune, an interview, a field recording or an old gramophone. (Less)


What strategies do politicians use to convey their ideas and convince the audience of what they say? How are these devices received by interpreters and, above all, how are they interpreted? In my article, I will use some speeches delivered by German-speaking members of the European Parliament to examine how the language of politics and the persuasion strategies of politicians are expressed and how simultaneous interpreting can reproduce these strategies. In the latter, due to temporal and other constraints, not all elements of the original oral text can be reproduced, such as wordplay, word formation and rhetorical figures at the lexical level and information structure at the syntactic level. If the oral speeches are then reproduced in written form, as is usual at the European Parliament, certain content and language strategies can be recovered, but only in this later phase, which definitely loses some features of the spoken language. The question to be investigated in this article is: is it possible to reproduce, in a convincing manner, the message of a source text even if elements of persuasion strategies are missing? Pragmatic, textual and linguistic-system considerations will illustrate the theoretical framework with the aid of concrete examples


A syntax-directed picture analysis system based on a formal picture description scheme is described. The system accepts a description of a set of pictures in terms of a grammar generating strings in a picture description language; the grammar is explicitly used to direct the analysis or parse, and to control the calls on pattern classification routines for primitive picture components. Pictures are represented by directed graphs with labeled edges, where the edges denote elementary picture components and the graph connectivity mirrors the picture component connectivity; blank and don't care "patterns" allow the description of simple relations between visible patterns. The bulk of the paper is concerned with the picture parsing algorithm which is an n-dimensional analog of a classical top-down string parser, and an application of an implemented system to the analysis of spark chamber film. The potential benefits of this approach, as demonstrated by the application, include ease of implementation and modification of picture processing systems, and simplification of the pattern recognition problem by automatically taking advantage of contextual information.


The paper presents the results of investigations concerning the influence of negative (relative) pressure in the die cavity of high pressure die casting machine on the porosity of castings made of AlSi9Cu3 alloy. Examinations were carried out for the VertaCast cold chambe r vertical pressure die casting machine equipped with a vacuum system. Experiments were performed for three values of the applied gauge pressure: - 0.3 bar, - 0.5 bar, and - 0.7 bar, at constant values of other technological parameters, selected during the formerly carried initial experiments. Porosity of castings was assessed on the basis of microstructure observation and the density measurements performed by the method of hydrostatic weighing. The performed investigation allowed to find out that – for the examined pressure range – the porosity of castings decreases linearly with an increase in the absolute value of negative pressure applied to the die cavity. The negative pressure value of - 0.7 bar allows to produce castings exhibiting porosity value less than 1%. Large blowholes arisen probably by occlusion of gaseous phase during the injection of metal into the die cavity, were found in castings produced at the negative pressure value of - 0.3 bar. These blowholes are placed mostly in regions of local thermal centres and often accompanied by the discontinuities in the form of interdendritic shrinkage micro - porosity. It was concluded that the high quality AlSi9Cu3 alloy castings able to work in elevated temperatures can be achieved for the absolute value of the negative pressure applied to the die cavity greater than 0.5 bar at the applied set of other parameters of pressure die casting machine work.


OBJECTIVE
To explore clinical outcomes of director for sustentaculum tali screwing for fixing sustentaculum tali of calcaneus.

METHODS
From May 2012 to October 2013, totally 50 patients (60 feet) with calcaneal fractures were analyzed, and divided into director for sustentaculum calcaneous tali screwing treatment group (group A) and ordinary screwing group(group B). In group A, there were 25 patients, including 22 males and 3 females, aged from 17 to 75 years old with an average of (45.08±11.98) years; according to Sanders classification, 9 feet were type II, 16 feet were type III, and 7 feet were type IV. In group B, there were 25 patients, including 20 males and 5 females, aged from 19 to 78 years old with an average of (46.36±15.74) years; according to Sanders classification, 8 feet were type II, 13 feet were type III, and 7 feet were type IV. Radiological change, operative time, postoperative complications were observed and compared, Maryland scoring at 1 year after operation was applied to evaluate clinical outcomes.

RESULTS
Fifty patients were followed up, group A was followed up from 12 to 24 months with an average of (17.72±4.08) months;while group B was followed up from 12 to 24 months with an average of (18.68±3.40) months;there was no significant difference between two groups in following-up time(P>0.05). There were significant difference in operative time, complications and fluoroscopy times between two groups(P<0.05). There were significant difference in Böhler angle and Gissanes angle between two groups before and after operation(P<0.05). Maryland score at 1 year after operation in group A was (84.94±12.75) and (76.96±15.32) in group B, had significant meaning between two groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Fixation of sustentaculum tali of calcaneus aided by director for sustentaculum tali screwing, has advantages of less operative time, fluoroscopy times, incidence of complications and good recovery of function, which could provide a new aiding method for treating intra-articular calcaneal fractures.


Economic development and growth depend on a country's young people. With most of their working life ahead of them they make up about a third of the working-age population in the typical emerging market and developing economy. But the youth in these economies face a daunting labor market—about 20 percent of them are neither employed, in school, nor in training (the youth inactivity rate). This is double the share in the average advanced economy. Were nothing else to change, bringing youth inactivity in these economies down to what it is in advanced economies and getting those inactive young people into new jobs would have a striking effect. The working-age employment rate in the average emerging market and developing economy would rise more than 3 percentage points, and real output would get a 5 percent boost.


Hypoxic‐ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) was diagnosed in an infant with acidosis. At 7 weeks of age further investigations revealed abnormal neuroimaging (CT and MRI scans) and a raised plasma and CSF lactate. A skeletal‐muscle biopsy at 2 months of age confirmed the diagnosis of cytochrome oxidase deficiency. The course of the patient's disorder has taken that of a static encephalopathy (cerebral palsy). Inborn disorders of the respiratory chain should be considered in the differential diagnosis of HIE.


Temporal memory safety errors, such as dangling pointer dereferences and double frees, are a prevalent source of software bugs in unmanaged languages such as C. Existing schemes that attempt to retrofit temporal safety for such languages have high runtime overheads and/or are incomplete, thereby limiting their effectiveness as debugging aids. This paper presents CETS, a compile-time transformation for detecting all violations of temporal safety in C programs. Inspired by existing approaches, CETS maintains a unique identifier with each object, associates this metadata with the pointers in a disjoint metadata space to retain memory layout compatibility, and checks that the object is still allocated on pointer dereferences. A formal proof shows that this is sufficient to provide temporal safety even in the presence of arbitrary casts if the program contains no spatial safety violations. Our CETS prototype employs both temporal check removal optimizations and traditional compiler optimizations to achieve a runtime overhead of just 48% on average. When combined with a spatial-checking system, the average overall overhead is 116% for complete memory safety


Two interpretations of mythological plot about Endymion are investigated. The nineteenth century provides the interpretational variety of the myth about Endymion in English poetry. Keats's Endymion is a romantic character who is looking for an ideal of beauty and love embodied in the Goddess of the Moon. Barclay`s Endymion is weak-willed. His suicide symbolizes the collapse of romantic ideals in the reality of Victorianism. As for the image of the Goddess of the Moon she embodies an ideal of femininity, passion, spiritual and physical beauty in the poem by Keats. Barclay`s version depicts a pragmatic, selfish beauty, belonging to the elite society. Having enjoyed а poor shepherd`s youth and his beauty she left him to live in luxury on Olympus. Barclay`s interpretation is considered as a critique of romantic ideals and Romanticism on the whole. The Ukrainian (the first from the original language) translation of Barclay`s interpretation about Endymion is of particular interest. The discovery of a little-known English poet Donald Hugh Barclay and an attempt to study his creation give a possibility to introduce a new name to the literature criticism. This article opens the prospects for further consideration of literary endymionade.


A large signal vector intermodulation network analyzer with a dynamic range of 90 dB and phase resolution of better than 2/spl deg/ is reported. The analyzer is used in conjunction with a multislice behavioral model to characterize memory effects in three different RF power amplifiers: an MOSFET instrumentation amplifier, a multistage GaAs/silicon-based broadband microwave integrated-circuit amplifier, and an SiGe HBT monolithic-microwave integrated-circuit amplifier. The multislice behavioral model architecture builds on conventional single-tone AM-AM and AM-PM modeling extended to capture long-term memory effects that are characterized by asymmetric intermodulation distortion (IMD). Phase asymmetries of upper and lower IMD are captured. A systematic procedure for extracting the model is presented.


The ability of modern supply chains for fresh produce to provide traceability is becoming the norm. At present the systems need to provide relatively straightforward capability to trace back from the market to the source of supply, or trace forward by associating production information with the product. There are, however, significant opportunities to improve supply chain performance through better traceability as well. Two examples are introduced to highlight this potential, one that provides feedback to growers on measured quality and the other feedback to the market on predicted quality. These applications for information sharing require a detailed level of traceability. At this level of detail it is not possible to have an absolute confidence in individual fruit traceability due to mixing that occurs at certain points in the supply chain. The level of traceability is, however, adequate to facilitate improved information systems for enhanced supply chain performance.


Alveolar macrophages (AMs) may play a critical role in cigarette smoke (CS)-related pulmonary diseases. This study was designed to determine whether CS induces apoptosis of AMs. In in vitro studies, mouse, rat, and human AMs and human blood monocyte-derived macrophages cultured with aqueous whole CS extracts underwent apoptosis that was detected by light and electron microscopy and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling. The gas phase of CSE did not cause apoptosis. The CS-induced apoptosis was associated with increased oxidative stress, Bax protein accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and mitochondrial cytochrome c release but was independent of p53, Fas, and caspase activation. This apoptosis was inhibited by antioxidants such as glutathione, ascorbic acid, and alpha-tocopherol. In in vivo studies where rats were exposed to the smoke from 10 cigarettes over 5 h in an exposure chamber, approximately 3% of AMs obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage after 24 h showed apoptosis. These results suggest that acute CS exposure is capable of inducing apoptosis of AMs.


Global operations are subject to considerable uncertainties. Due to the Trade Facilitation Agreement that became effective in February 2017, the study of measures to streamline customs controls is urgent. This study aims to assess the impact of trade facilitation measures on import flows. An experimental study was performed in the largest cargo airport in South America through discrete-event simulation and design of experiments. Operation impacts of three trade facilitation measures are assessed on import flow by air. We shed light in the following trade facilitation measures: the use of X-ray equipment for physical inspection; increase of the number of qualified companies in the trade facilitation program; performance targets for customs officials. All trade facilitation measures used indicated potential to provide more predictability, cost savings, time reduction, and increase in security in international supply chain.


Foundations like Hewlett, Mellon, and Gates provided start-up funding and support that nurtured the field of open educational resources (OER) from infancy to a robust early adolescence characterized by energy and idealism (Casserly & Smith, 2008). However, foundation grants typically focus on establishing exemplars and cannot be relied on for sustaining ongoing operations or generating widespread adoption. One strategy for sustaining and expanding OER is for governments and public funding to take over from the early stage funding foundations provided (Stacey, 2010).


Life span developmental psychology proposes that the ability to create a coherent life narrative does not develop until early adolescence. Using a novel methodology, 10-, 12-, and 14-year-old participants were asked to tell their life stories aloud to a researcher. Later, participants separated their transcribed narratives into self-identified chapters. When life stories were assessed with measures of temporal and causal coherence, most participants in all age groups were able to tell a linear and coherent narrative. The 10-year-olds were more likely to start their narratives after birth and to use single event chapters in their stories, but they did not differ significantly from older participants in terms of the coherence or chronology of their chapters. This novel method for analyzing life narratives both supports and extends prior research on the development of life stories in adolescence.


Mangrove ecosystems have become a critical habitat for sustaining renewable energy production, and their management is essential to maintain their ecological, economic, and social functions. This study aimed to analyze the multidimensional aspects of mangrove ecosystem management for sustainable renewable energy production in the Tebing Tinggi, Kepulauan Meranti, Riau. This study formulates sustainable management schemes for the mangrove ecosystem in the Tebing Tinggi, Kepulauan Meranti, Riau by analyzing the ecological, economic, social, legal-institutional, and technological aspects of the ecosystem.  To conduct this analysis, researchers used the Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) approach, which relies on an algorithm called the MDS algorithm. The findings from the study reveal that the use of mangroves can increase people's income, but the level of community education is still low, and there is a lack of community participation in mangrove ecosystem management activities. Based on the Rap-Mangrove analysis, the multidimensional index of mangrove ecosystem management is considered sufficiently sustainable. The findings emphasized the significance of community participation and education in managing mangrove ecosystems. The study concludes that sustainable management schemes for mangrove ecosystems are necessary to ensure their continued contribution to renewable energy production.


A total of 86 galaxies have been detected at 60 μm in the high galactic latitude portion of the IRAS minisurvey. The surface density of detected galaxies with flux densities greater than 0.5 Jy is 0.25 deg2• Virtually all the galaxies detected are spiral galaxies and have an infrared to blue luminosity ratio ranging from 50 to 0.5. For the infrared-selected sample, no obvious correlation exists between infrared excess and color temperature. The infrared flux from 10 to 100 μm contributes approximately 5% of the blue luminosity for galaxies in the magnitude range 14 < mpg< 18 mag. The fraction of interacting galaxies is between one-eighth and one-fourth of the sample. Subject headings: galaxies: photometryinfrared: general infrared: sources


Phonetography has been defined by SCHUTTE and SEIDNER in 1983. Nevertheless publications on phonetography go back to the thirties. Due to publications in the last decade and the development of computer phonetography this testing method has been used for various purposes in voice evaluation. This article gives a historical background, with the different ways of phonetogram recording and describes variables who have their effect on phonetogram results and interpretation. Secondly the range of application with normative and reference phonetograms is discussed.


Genetic screens in Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Danio rerio clarified the logic of metazoan development by revealing critical unitary steps and pathways to embryogenesis. Can genetic screens similarly organize medicine? We here examine human diseases that resemble mutations in Danio rerio, the zebrafish, the one vertebrate species for which large-scale genetic screens have been performed and extensively analyzed. Zebrafish mutations faithfully phenocopy many human disorders. Each mutation, once cloned, provides candidate genes and pathways for evaluation in the human. The collection of mutations in their entirety potentially provides a medical taxonomy, one based in developmental biology and genetics.


This work assessed the dosimetric performance of an amorphous silicon electronic portal imaging device (EPID) for measurement and quality assurance of enhanced dynamic wedge (EDW) profile and wedge factor. EPID measurements of EDW profiles were corrected for pixel sensitivity variation and spectral over-response relative to ion chamber and compared to ion-chamber and diode-array measurements. The dependence of EPID measurements on wedge direction and source to EPID distance was assessed. The long-term stability was investigated by weekly measurement of EDW profiles and wedge factors over a seven month interval. An empirical correction method was developed to improve EPID profile agreement with diode-array measurements. The EPID profiles differed from conventional measurements by up to 5%. Backscatter from the EPID housing was also found to affect measurements by up to 4%, resulting in changes in EPID measured profile with the direction of the moving jaw and source to EPID distance. EPID profile measurements varied by a maximum of 0.3% (1 SD) within the umbra, and wedge factors varied by 0.3% (1 SD) over the seven month interval. The correction function improved agreement between EPID and diode array to within 2% for all wedge angles and energies. Due to the ease of use and reproducibility of the EPID-measured EDW profiles the device is highly suited to regular measurement of EDW.


Ribonuclease E (RNase E) is known to play an important role in mRNA decay and RNA processing in Escherichia coli. While several substrates for RNase E have been identified, the specificity for the recognition and cleavage sites has not been completely determined. In this study, micF RNA, an antisense RNA found in E. coli and related bacteria, was found to be a substrate for RNase E in vitro. Two cleavage sites were mapped, and both are found in the sequence context UA/UUU and are located within 10 nucleotides upstream of stem-loop structures. These results help define a generalized RNase E cleavage/recognition pattern.


Symmetric image registration estimates bi-directional spatial transformations between images while enforcing an inverse-consistency. Its capability of eliminating bias introduced inevitably by generic single-directional image registration allows more precise analysis in different interdisciplinary applications of image registration, e.g., computational anatomy and shape analysis. However, most existing symmetric registration techniques especially for multimodal images are limited by low speed from the commonly-used iterative optimization, hardship in exploring inter-modality relations or high labor cost for labeling data. We propose SymReg-GAN to shatter these limits, which is a novel generative adversarial networks (GAN) based approach to symmetric image registration. We formulate symmetric registration of unimodal/multimodal images as a conditional GAN and train it with a semi-supervised strategy. The registration symmetry is realized by introducing a loss for encouraging that the cycle composed of the geometric transformation from one image to another and its reverse should bring an image back. The semi-supervised learning enables both the precious labeled data and large amounts of unlabeled data to be fully exploited. Experimental results from six public brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) datasets and 1 our own computed tomography (CT) and MRI dataset demonstrate the superiority of SymReg-GAN to several existing state-of-the-art methods.


Islands are useful model systems for examining human–environmental interactions. While many anthropogenic effects visible in the archaeological and paleoecological records are terrestrial in nature (e.g., clearance of tropical forests for agriculture and settlement; introduction of nonnative flora and fauna), native peoples also relied heavily on marine environments for their subsistence and livelihood. Here we use two island case studies—Palau (Micronesia) and the Lesser Antilles (Caribbean)—and approach their long-term settlement history through a "ridge-to-reef" perspective to assess the role that human activity played in land- and seascape change over deep time. In particular, we examine the entanglement of terrestrial and marine ecosystems resulting from anthropogenic effects and cultural responses to socio-environmental feedback. We suggest that on the humanized tropical islands of the Anthropocene, mangroves, near shore and littoral areas, and coral reefs were major sites of terrestrial–marine interface chronicling and modulating anthropogenic effects.


As media proliferate and become more integral to social existence, so too, it might be suggested, their role becomes more complex and contested. Media forms and representations are instrumental in the creation of deviant identities and the subsequent stigmatisation and demonisation of whole groups of individual. They are a driving force behind the nostalgically reactionary discourse that rails against the so-called 'culture of permissiveness', decrying the decline in respect and the loss of community. Yet they are also an important conduit for the celebration of diversity and the articulation and advancement of alternative discourses, counter-definitions and marginalised views and interests. Finally, they present opportunities to be social in new and novel ways. They offer a source of virtual collectivism and identity in an uncertain physical world; a source of imagined community. This chapter begins to explore some of the interconnections between crime, culture and community as they are played out in old and new media.


Disclosed are: a silicone graft copolymer having a silicone polymer moiety as a hydrophobic branch part and a polymer derived from a hydrophilic polymerizable monomer as a stem part; and a method for producing the silicone graft copolymer. Specifically disclosed are: a silicone graft copolymer produced by the copolymerization of a (meth)acrylic acid ester represented by the following formula: CH2=C(R1)-COO-(R2-O)n-R3 [wherein R1 represents H or a methyl; R2 represents an ethylene or propylene group; R3 represents H or a C1-6 hydrocarbon group; and n represents a number of 1 to 25, provided that R3 represents a univalent C1-6 hydrocarbon group when n is 1], an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid (salt), a silicone macromonomer having Mw of 5000 to 35000, and optionally other monomer; an aqueous coating polymer composition comprising the graft copolymer; and a method for producing the graft copolymer by the copolymerization in a mixed solvent composed of an organic solvent selected from the members of group (A) (a ketone, an ether, an ester, an aromatic hydrocarbon, and others) and an organic solvent selected from the members of group (B) (a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, and a glycol ester).


Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a single intravitreal dexamethasone implant (IDI) over 6 months in eyes with chronic diabetic macular edema (DME) that were resistant to intravitreal ranibizumab (IR) treatment. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Ondokuz Mayis University Hospital, Samsun, Turkey. Efficacy outcomes were considered as the change from baseline in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT). Results: Thirty eyes of 20 patients with a mean age of 61.6 ± 8.8 (45-85) years were included in the study. The mean BCVA significantly increased from 0.68 ± 0.27 to 0.56 ± 0.30 logMAR (p = 0.001) and 0.57 ± 0.30 logMAR (p = 0.002) at months 1 and 2, respectively. The proportion of patients who gained 3 or more lines in BCVA was 20%. The mean CMT significantly decreased from 578.93 ± 17.95 µm at baseline to 282.10 ± 21.42, 292.26 ± 19.69, 371.70 ± 21.23, and 463.60 ± 23.16 µm at months 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (p = 0.001). Intraocular pressure (IOP) increase occurred in 5 (16.7%) eyes. Cataract surgery was required in 3 (13%) out of 23 phakic eyes. Conclusion: IDI provides significant benefits in visual acuity gains and anatomic improvements in eyes with chronic DME that are resistant to IR treatment. Increases in IOP and cataract progression can be observed in IDI-treated patients. However, its safety profile is acceptable.


This paper reports on an experience carried out with second course students of the School of Aeronautical Engineers at the Polytechnic University of Madrid in the subject class Modern Technical Language. In the previous years the problem in that class had been the scarce participation of the students in the oral practices. They seemed to be lead and exclusively represented by a few students when it came to oral participation. The students proposed tackling recent research articles in which opinions could be discussed. The reading of these articles has risen new elements that work as language activators in the language classroom: critical reading and thinking have developed participation in the oral activities and produced a noticeable influence on their scientific and humanist thinking and behavior.From this, we may extract the consequence that the experience is not only related to scientific knowledge, since it has made them better speakers or speaking-counterparts and more class-participating and collaborative, which implies that the human, scientific and linguistic factors progress at the same time through the critical experience. This way, the exposition of their critical ideas has developed both their humanism and scientific mind. These two facets which seem to belong to far away fields become a bond in our experience: the process is scientific since it tries to be a systematic study of the knowledge fleshed in written texts and it is also humanist because it fulfils the students need to grow up as persons, that is absorbing knowledge and processing it in order to produce a new personal approach to the world.


Racemates of the diphenolic metabolites (±)-tylopilusin A (1) and (±)-tylopilusin B (2) were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Tylopilus eximius. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR data and ROESY correlations) and X-ray crystallography. Each racemate was separated into its individual enantiomers, and electronic circular dichroism calculations were used to assign the absolute configuration of (+)- and (-)-tylopilusin A (1) and (+)- and (-)-tylopilusin B (2).


This paper shows how to recover stochastic volatility models (SVMs) from market models for the VIX futures term structure. Market models have more flexibility for fitting of curves than do SVMs, and therefore they are better-suited for pricing VIX futures and derivatives. But the VIX itself is a derivative of the S&P500 (SPX) and it is common practice to price SPX derivatives using an SVM. Hence, a consistent model for both SPX and VIX derivatives would be one where the SVM is obtained by inverting the market model. This paper's main result is a method for the recovery of a stochastic volatility function as the output of an inverse problem, with the inputs given by a VIX futures market model. Analysis will show that some conditions need to be met in order for there to not be any inter-model arbitrage or mis-priced derivatives. Given these conditions the inverse problem can be solved. Several models are analyzed and explored numerically to gain a better understanding of the theory and its limitations.