We examine the properties of a previously discovered population of globular clusters in the heart of the rich galaxy cluster Abell 1185 that might be intergalactic in nature. Deep images obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) aboard Hubble Space Telescope (HST) confirm the presence of ∼1300 globular clusters brighter than I F814W = 27.3 mag in a field devoid of any large galaxies. The luminosities and colors of these objects are found to be similar to those of metal-poor globular clusters observed in many galaxies to date. Although a significant fraction of the detected globular clusters undoubtedly reside in the outer halos of galaxies adjacent to this field, detailed modeling of their distribution suggests that the majority of these objects are likely to be intergalactic, in the sense that they are not gravitationally bound to any individual galaxy. We conclude that the true nature and origin of the globular cluster population in the core of A1185 ― galactic residents or intergalactic wanderers - remains uncertain, and suggest how future observation could resolve this ambiguity.


A theoretical expression for the dielectrophoretic velocity of oblate spheroidal cells is presented in this paper. The cell velocity has been measured using the Stokes method and a dielectrophoretic V-shaped electrode chamber and calculated as a function of the cell's position. Human red blood cells (RBC) were used to verify the theoretical model. Velocity measurements were performed in the frequency range between 150 kHz and 3 MHz for a suspending medium of conductivity 2 mS . A parameter that includes the dielectrophoretic properties of RBC, the cell dimensions (the length of the long semiaxis and the axial ratio) and electrical properties (the real component of the cell-medium Clausius-Mossotti factor, is defined. The calculated values of are corrected for the polarization effects that take place at the electrode-medium interface. The good agreement between the experimental observations and the theoretical predictions that we found validates the theory. The value of the parameter can be used as a very sensitive tool to detect small differences in size between cells and changes in their shape and electrical properties.


The paper presents a three-step approach to key constitutional issues in the European Union. The first step introduces the main descriptive elements of EU constitutionalism, highlighting some of the principal fields in which constitutional debate is presently clustering. Step two elaborates upon the tensions within EU constitutionalism by presenting a conceptual approach focusing upon the "postnational" and procedural questions. Finally, in the third step, the paper sets out examples in order to demonstrate how the conceptual framework fits more closely with the emerging empirical reality of EU constitutional practices. It focuses upon events surrounding the inter-governmental conferences at which amendments to the EU treaties are agreed by the member states. The aim of the paper is to locate some of the tensions and relations which hold EU constitutionalism in place, rather than to capture its "essence."


This article concentrates on designing optimal stealthy attack strategies for cyber-physical systems (CPSs) modeled by the linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) dynamics, where the attacker aims to increase the quadratic cost maximally and keeping a certain level of stealthiness by simultaneously intercepting and modifying the transmitted measurements. In our work, a novel attack model is developed, based on which the attacker can launch strictly stealthy or <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\epsilon $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-stealthy attacks. To remain strictly stealthy, the attacker only needs to solve an off-line semidefinite program problem. In such a case, the attack performance is optimal but limited. To achieve a higher desired attack effect than that of the strictly stealthy attack, the attacker sometimes needs to sacrifice the stealthy level. Thus, the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\epsilon $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-stealthy attack is analyzed, where an upper bound of the optimal attack performance is obtained by solving a convex optimization problem. Then, an optimal <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\epsilon $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-stealthy attack is designed to achieve the upper bound, which differs from the existing suboptimal <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\epsilon $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-stealthy attack for the considered LQG systems. Finally, the simulations are provided to verify the developed results.


Vegetable crops such as cucumber and tomato are grown widely through the world using not only field but also protected farmland. Sensitive responses of many vegetables have been widely reported to environmental conditions such as light, air temperature, relative humility, and CO2 concentration in the past years. Among these environmental factors, light is considered to be the most important one for vegetable growth and development, especially in protected farmland. Therefore, lots of researches on effects of light environment, including light intensity, light quality, photoperiod, and light direction, on vegetable growth and development have been done in order to optimize the environmental conditions for high-yield and high-quality vegetable production in protected farmland. In this review, recent advances in light environment control for vegetable production in protected farmland have been reviewed and the prospective for the future research has been proposed as well.


Professionals often give advice to many anonymous people. For example, financial analysts give public recommendations to trade stock, and medical experts formulate clinical guidelines that affect many patients. Normatively, awareness of the advice-recipient's identity should not influence the quality of advice, and when advice affects a larger number of people, if anything, greater care should be taken to ensure its accuracy. Yet, contrary to this logic and consistent with research on the identifiable victim effect, results from two experimental studies demonstrate that advisors confronting a financial conflict of interest give more biased advice to multiple than single recipients and to unidentified than identified single recipients. Increased intensity of feelings toward single identified recipients appears to drive this process; advisors experience more empathy and appear to have greater awareness and motivation to reduce bias in their advice when the recipient is single and identified.


Take an in-depth tour of core Internet protocols and learn how they work together to move data packets from one network to another. With this concise book, you'll delve into the aspects of each protocol, including operation basics and security risks, and learn the function of network hardware such as switches and routers. Ideal for beginning network engineers, each chapter in this book includes a set of review questions, as well as practical, hands-on lab exercises.Understand basic network architecture, and how protocols and functions fit together Learn the structure and operation of the Ethernet protocol Examine TCP/IP, including the protocol fields, operations, and addressing used for networks Explore the address resolution process in a typical IPv4 network Become familiar with switches, access points, routers, and other network components that process packets Discover how the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) provides error messages during network operations Learn about the network mask (subnetting) and how it helps determine the network


A 16-year-old boy of Caucasian ethnicity was evaluated for recurrent febrile episodes occurring during most of his life without establishment of any microbial aetiology. During febrile episodes he developed extensive splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, anaemia, severe abdominal pain and general malaise. Lymph node biopsies demonstrated inflammation and sinus histiocytosis but no malignancy or granuloma. The patient underwent seroconversion for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection during the hospitalisation. Genetic testing identified a hemizygous frameshift mutation in the X linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP)-gene as well as variants in the MEFV gene indicating Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). XIAP expression was markedly reduced in the patient, while a functional assay assessing tumour necrosis factor (TNF)α production of monocytes in response to NOD2 stimulation displayed reduced activity. We suggest that the heterozygous MEFV variants and the hemizygous XIAP variant in combination triggered the prolonged and pathological inflammatory response to EBV infection.


Abstract Placement verbs describe every-day events like putting a toy in a box. Dutch uses two semi-obligatory caused posture verbs (leggen 'lay' and zetten 'set/stand') to distinguish between events based on whether the located object is placed horizontally or vertically. Although prevalent in the input, these verbs cause Dutch children difficulties even at age five (Narasimhan and Gullberg, accepted). Children overextend leggen to all placement events and underextend the use of zetten. This study examines what gestures can reveal about Dutch three- and five-year-olds' semantic representations of such verbs. The results show that children gesture differently from adults in this domain. Three-year-olds express only the path of the caused motion, whereas five-year-olds, like adults, also incorporate the located object. Crucially, gesture patterns are tied to verb use: those children who over-use leggen 'lay' for all placement events only gesture about path. Conversely, children who use the two verbs differentially for horizontal and vertical placement also incorporate objects in gestures like adults. We argue that children's gestures reflect their current knowledge of verb semantics, and indicate a developmental transition from a system with a single semantic component—(caused) movement—to an (adult-like) focus on two semantic components—(caused) movement-and-object.


Objective. Laser-accelerated protons offer an alternative delivery mechanism for proton therapy. This technique delivers dose-rates of ≥109 Gy s−1, many orders of magnitude greater than used clinically. Such ultra-high dose-rates reduce delivery time to nanoseconds, equivalent to the lifetime of reactive chemical species within a biological medium. This leads to the possibility of inter-track interactions between successive protons within a pulse, potentially altering the yields of damaging radicals if they are in sufficient spatial proximity. This work investigates the temporal evolution of chemical species for a range of proton energies and doses to quantify the circumstances required for inter-track interactions, and determine any relevance within ultra-high dose-rate proton therapy. Approach. The TOPAS-nBio Monte Carlo toolkit was used to investigate possible inter-track interactions. Firstly, protons between 0.5 and 100 MeV were simulated to record the radial track dimensions throughout the chemical stage from 1 ps to 1 μs. Using the track areas, the geometric probability of track overlap was calculated for various exposures and timescales. A sample of irradiations were then simulated in detail to compare any change in chemical yields for independently and instantaneously delivered tracks, and validate the analytic model. Main results. Track overlap for a clinical 2 Gy dose was negligible for biologically relevant timepoints for all energies. Overlap probability increased with time after irradiation, proton energy and dose, with a minimum 23 Gy dose required before significant track overlap occurred. Simulating chemical interactions confirmed these results with no change in radical yields seen up to 8 Gy for independently and instantaneously delivered tracks. Significance. These observations suggest that the spatial separation between incident protons is too large for physico-chemical inter-track interactions, regardless of the delivery time, indicating such interactions would not play a role in any potential changes in biological response between laser-accelerated and conventional proton therapy.


We are investigating projectile and target x-ray processes associated with projectile electron capture and loss. Processes of interest are resonant-transfer and excitation (RTE) and projectile and target x-ray emission resulting from inner-shell capture. Preliminary measurements have been made for ~ 1 MeV/u O5+ + Ar collisions.


The allelic variation for Glu-1, Glu-3 loci and presence of IBL-1RS translocation was determined in 126 spring wheat accessions. The most common alleles at Glu-1 loci were Glu-A1b (59.52%), Glu-B1c (41.26%), and Glu-D1d (57.14%) and at Glu-3 loci were Glu-A3c (56.45%), Glu-B3j (29.36%), and Glu-D3b (76.98%). Modern Pakistani wheat varieties carried superior alleles at Glu-1 and Glu-3 loci for bread-making quality and had no negative influence of secalin protein-synthesized by 1BL-1RS translocation. For LMW-GS, the most common combination was Glu-A3c, Glu-B3j and Glu-D3b. The loci Glu-B1 and Glu-B3 had the highest allelic diversity of Glu-1 and Glu-3 loci, respectively.


Abstract– In the context of the MEMIN project, a hypervelocity cratering experiment has been performed using a sphere of the iron meteorite Campo del Cielo as projectile accelerated to 4.56 km s−1, and a block of Seeberger sandstone as target material. The ejecta, collected in a newly designed catcher, are represented by (1) weakly deformed, (2) highly deformed, and (3) highly shocked material. The latter shows shock‐metamorphic features such as planar deformation features (PDF) in quartz, formation of diaplectic quartz glass, partial melting of the sandstone, and partially molten projectile, mixed mechanically and chemically with target melt. During mixing of projectile and target melts, the Fe of the projectile is preferentially partitioned into target melt to a greater degree than Ni and Co yielding a Fe/Ni that is generally higher than Fe/Ni in the projectile. This fractionation results from the differing siderophile properties, specifically from differences in reactivity of Fe, Ni, and Co with oxygen during projectile‐target interaction. Projectile matter was also detected in shocked quartz grains. The average Fe/Ni of quartz with PDF (about 20) and of silica glasses (about 24) are in contrast to the average sandstone ratio (about 422), but resembles the Fe/Ni‐ratio of the projectile (about 14). We briefly discuss possible reasons of projectile melting and vaporization in the experiment, in which the calculated maximum shock pressure does not exceed 55 GPa.


An integrated stratigraphic study of the upper Paleocene to lower Eocene Scaglia limestones of the Contessa Road section has allowed us to identify the classical markers of the Paleocene-Eocene transition. The section provides a good magnetostratigraphic record as well as a continuous calcareous nannofossil and foraminiferal biostratigraphy. A negative Carbon Isotopic Excursion (CIE) occurs in the lower part of Chron C24r. The calibration to calcareous plankton zonation indicates that the CIE occurs in the lowermost part of calcareous nannofossil Zone NP10 and the upper part of Zone CP8, that is in the planktonic foraminiferal Zone P5. In the same stratigraphic interval, a distinct turnover in the calcareous benthic foraminifera and a sharp change in the Deep Water Agglutinated Foraminiferal (DWAF) assemblages have been recognised. The record of DWAF, however, indicates a gradual initiation of such a change beginning some 150 k.y. before the CIE and BEE.


Cache timing attack is a type of side channel attack where the leaking timing information due to the cache behaviour of a crypto system is used by an attacker to break the system. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) was considered a secure encryption standard until 2005 when Daniel Bernstein claimed that the software implementation of AES is vulnerable to cache timing attack. Bernstein demonstrated a remote cache timing attack on a software implementation of AES. The original AES implementation can methodically be altered to prevent the cache timing attack by hiding the natural cache-timing pattern during the encryption while preserving its semantics. The alternations while preventing the attack should not make the implementation very slow. In this paper, we report outcomes of our experiments on designing and implementing a number of possible countermeasures.


This dissertation examines the question of whether the non-systematic or non-purpose-related benefit requirements in social law are in accordance with the Constitution in Taiwan. Access to social benefits is opened when the legal requirements are fulfilled. However, not all these requirements are system-related or purpose-oriented. In such cases, access to social benefits may be restricted or even blocked. Such benefit requirements are often found in Taiwanese social law, especially foreigners are involved. In this research, the constitutionality of the social benefit requirements will be examined.


In this paper, a novel algorithm based on Hough transform is presented for automatic detection hyperbolas in images using a modified artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm. Hough technique is the most common solution for detecting hyperbolas in images. This method was first introduced by Richard O. Duda for detecting lines in images [1]. The disadvantage of Hough algorithm lies in the fact that it requires large memory size and long computation time. Therefore, optimization method has been used to deal with this problem in this paper. Since optimization is used to find the best solution, the output of the algorithm will only detect one hyperbola in the image if classical optimization methods are used. In this paper, a modified ABC algorithm is presented in order to detect multiple hyperbolas in one time implementation of the algorithm. The classical algorithm is modified to a multimodal optimization algorithm. Therefore, the objective function is based on Hough method. Experiments conducted on the images made by computer (unrealistic data) showed that algorithms could detect multiple hyperbolas in one time implementation of the algorithm. Moreover, the results obtained from the conducted experiments on Noisy images that the algorithm can efficiently meet the criteria and resolve the problem.


Many governments invest in digital education and deliver multi-faceted initiatives to develop the capacity of educational institutions and staff confidence in use of technology for enhanced learning and better student outcomes. However, the impact of these initiatives does not always result in improved technology-supported learning or successful digital educational products. Research shows many factors impede the achievement of such objectives. Yet, they are not well understood particularly in low-resourced educational settings. Thus, this paper as part of a larger study aimed to explore barriers to implementing TEL for higher education in low-resourced contexts and potential solutions from the perspective of educators, managers and support staff. The unique inclusion of support staff and management in this research provides a deeper understanding of current barriers to TEL, and the value of multi-stakeholder engagement to develop meaningful context-driven solutions. Using a qualitative oriented mixed-method approach underpinned by Beyond Prototypes conceptual model of TEL complex, the study found that most barriers and enablers of effective TEL implementation are related to the ecology in which it is practised, together with the influence of the salient communities. Findings also suggest that most stakeholders are aware and prioritise barriers related to their role, but have limited awareness of barriers faced by other stakeholders or how others perceived their role in supporting TEL. While the study supports findings of previous research, it adds further insight by considering the views of all implementing stakeholders and the relationships between them.


Background/aim A detrimental role of saturated fatty acids (SFA) on blood lipids has been suggested but not confirmed in adolescents. Physical activity (PA) may influence blood lipids by altering the metabolic fate of nutrients. To understand the integrated role of these lifestyle factors we tested the association of SFA intake with blood lipids in 15-year-olds, considering interactions with different PA levels. Methods Children from the GINIplus and LISA cohorts with data on SFA, PA and blood lipids at age 15 years were included (n=830). SFA intake (% of total kcal) was estimated from food frequency questionnaires. PA (average min/day) was measured over one week by accelerometers and classified into sedentary, lifestyle (LSPA), or moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA). Blood lipids (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides) were measured in serum and those with skewed distribution were log-transformed (all except HDL). Sex-stratified associations between SFA and blood lipids were assessed by linear regression, adjusting for potential confounders. Interaction terms were included between SFA and PA levels, and for significant interactions analyses were performed stratified by tertiles of the relevant PA level. Results No significant association was observed between dietary SFA and any of the blood lipid outcomes. Interactions were observed with time spent sedentary for the outcomes total cholesterol and HDL in females, and with time spent in LSPA for LDL and triglycerides, in males and females, respectively (p<0.1). Stratified analyses indicated a significant inverse association between SFA (per interquartile increase) and triglycerides in females, only in the lowest LSPA tertile (means ratio: 0.91 (95% confidence interval: 0.85; 0.98), p=0.01). Further, a significant positive association was observed with total cholesterol and LDL in males in the middle tertile of LSPA (1.08 (1.03; 1.14), p=0.004; and 1.12 (1.03; 1.21), p=0.01, respectively). Conclusion Our findings do not indicate a significant association between SFA intake and blood lipids among adolescents. The role of dietary SFA on the lipid profile might vary in an activity-specific manner, although interpretation may be complicated due to non-intended noise arising from methodological limitations. For further insight, future analyses might consider other, possibly correlated nutrients.


Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women. The treatment of breast cancer may lead to forcing the woman to remove her breast. The breast is a symbol of femininity and sexuality for many women. The purpose of this literature-based study is to describe women's experiences of altered body image and sexuality after mastectomy. This may provide a better understanding of the nurse in responding to these breast cancer patients. The method used is a qualitative literature-based method, based on qualitative analysis of 13 articles. The results show that women undergoing mastectomy feel loss of part of the body, loss of sexuality and womanhood and that their bodies and sexuality are changing. Many women feel that their bodies have been mutilated and disfigured which leads to decreased sexual desire. The desire to feel normal again is great and to meet that many women undergoing breast reconstruction or prosthesis wear. Given that many women suffer as a result out of their changing body image and sexuality following a mastectomy, it is important that the nurse has knowledge of women's experience of altered body and sexuality. The knowledge leads to better response from the nurse to patients' experiences of illness and suffering and to mitigate this as far as possible.


Abstract Following a previous work with Boudi, we continue to investigate Bernstein algebras satisfying chain conditions. First, it is shown that a Bernstein algebra A with ascending or descending chain condition on subalgebras is finite-dimensional. We also prove that A is Noetherian (Artinian) if and only if its barideal is. Next, as a generalization of Jordan and nuclear Bernstein algebras, we study whether a Noetherian (Artinian) Bernstein algebra A with a locally nilpotent barideal N is finite-dimensional. The response is affirmative in the Noetherian case, unlike in the Artinian case. This question is closely related to a result by Zhevlakov on general locally nilpotent nonassociative algebras that are Noetherian, for which we give a new proof. In particular, we derive that a commutative nilalgebra of nilindex 3 which is Noetherian or Artinian is finite-dimensional. Finally, we improve and extend some results of Micali and Ouattara to the Noetherian and Artinian cases.


Lubrication mechanisms are of considerable interest in maintaining and improving mechanical reliability of magnetic storage systems. There have been many attempts to develop a detailed understanding of the nature of the lubrication process and the role that various contributing factors play. The aim of this paper is to examine the tribological behavior of various lubricants and to highlight the factors most responsible for a satisfactory performance of the head/disk interface. Topics pertaining to lubricant chemistry and its degradation mechanisms, surface morphology and surface chemistry, interactions between the lubricant molecules and the overcoat surface, surface mobility and autophobicity of the lubricant films are covered. The effect of file contaminants, including water, on stiction and durability is also discussed. Experimental data are presented whenever possible to support the relevant theories or discussed concepts.


Some of the nation's leading experts on publicly funded training examine government efforts to help disadvantaged youth and adults, welfare recipients and dislocated workers. The authors analyze the economic and social context for more than three decades of government-assisted training programs and highlight some of the critical lessons learned. They conclude that longer-term programs focussing on skills development are more likely to make a significant difference in participants' lives than programs that emphasize moving people quickly into jobs. Contributors to the book offer a range of suggestions for improvement of training programs that are particularly relevant to current programs such as the recently enacted Workforce Investment Act.


This paper implements algebraic elimination methods for an accurate and general calibration of parallel robots, applied to Gough (or Stewart) platforms. It focuses on two approaches, namely algebraic variable elimination and monomial lineariza- tion, which are compared to a classical numerical optimization technique. We detail the former, since it is not often used for the problems at hand, and specify its application by means of the sparse resultant, combined with numerical linear algebra. We per- form several experiments that allow us to compare the three meth- ods in the presence of measurement errors. Our main conclusion is that elimination methods offer an interesting alternative to more well-established methods for parallel robot calibration by satisfy- ing the goals of accuracy and robustness. Moreover, out methods require no initial estimate and no hypothesis on the noise distribu- tion in order to derive a quality index per solution.


Abstract Background Data regarding adrenal metastasectomy are limited. Here, clinical outcomes, safety, and prognostic factors in patients undergoing adrenal metastasectomy were evaluated in a large nationwide study. Methods Patients undergoing adrenal metastasectomy between 2000 and 2018 were identified in the Danish National Pathology Registry. Medical records were reviewed to confirm eligibility and to collect clinical data. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Cox multivariable regression analyses were? adjusted for baseline factors. Results In total, 435 patients underwent adrenal metastasectomy; the primary cancer origins were renal (n = 195, 45 per cent), lung (n = 121, 28 per cent), colorectal (n = 50, 11 per cent), and other (n = 69, 16 per cent). The median (interquartile range; i.q.r.) age was 66 (59–71) years, and 280 (64 per cent) were men. The 5-year OS was 31 per cent. The 30-day mortality was 1.8 per cent. Complications were more frequent and severe in patients who underwent open surgery compared with laparoscopic surgery (Clavien–Dindo III–V, 31.5 per cent versus 11.8 per cent respectively, P < 0.001). Factors associated with poor survival included non-radical pR2 resection (hazard ratio (HR) 3.57, 95 per cent c.i. 1.96 to 6.48), tumour size more than 50 mm (HR 1.79, 95 per cent c.i. 1.26 to 2.52), lung cancer origin (HR 1.77, 95 per cent c.i. 1.31 to 2.40), open surgical approach (HR 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 1.04 to 1.71), presence of extra-adrenal metastases (HR 1.31, 95 per cent c.i. 1.01 to 1.71), and increasing Charlson co-morbidity index factors (HR 1.14 per one-point increase, 95 per cent c.i. 1.03 to 1.27). Conclusion Adrenal metastasectomy is safe and may result in long-term survival in a subset of patients. Non-radical resection, large tumour size, lung cancer origin, open approach, presence of extra-adrenal metastases, and co-morbidity were associated with inferior outcomes.


Gaseous lithium complex hydrides Li2MH5 (M = B, Al) have been studied using DFT/B3P86 and MP2 methods with 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. High content of hydrogen by these materials accord them with good candidacy as a class of hydrogen storage materials. The optimized geometrical parameters, vibrational spectra and thermodynamic properties of the hydrides and the subunits LiH, Li2H+, Li2H2, MH3, MH4−, and LiMH4 have been determined. For the LiBH4 the equilibrium configuration was tridentate of C3v symmetry. For LiAlH4 two isomeric forms, bidentate (C2v) and tridentate (C3v), were confirmed to exist, and C2v isomer was shown to dominate in saturated vapor. For complex hydrides Li2MH5, different structural forms were considered but only one asymmetric form (C1) appeared to be equilibrium. Several possible channels of dissociation of Li2MH5 were considered; the enthalpies and Gibbs free energies of the reactions were computed. The enthalpies of formation ∆fH(0) of the complex hydrides in gaseous phase were determined: 60 ± 10 kJmol1 (Li2BH5) and 33 ± 10 kJmol1 (Li2AlH5). Heterophase decomposition of the gaseous Li2MH5 with solid products LiH and B/Al and hydrogen gas release was shown to be spontaneous at ambient temperature. Production of hydrogen gas via gaseous decomposition is highly endothermic and achievable at elevated temperatures. The complexes Li2MH5 are therefore proposed to be useful hydrogen storage materials under appropriate conditions.


SARS-CoV-2 infection started in the last days of 2019 in China and affected a great number of people worldwide, causing many deaths in numerous countries. Major clinical symptoms of the infected patients are found to be fever, cough, and shortening of breath leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Cytokine storm and inflammatory responses have been introduced as the main causes of respiratory distress in severe cases. Moreover, all these inflammatory factors have been systematically expressed in the human body through chronic exposure to ambient pollution due to an industrial lifestyle and lead to respiratory problems. In order to assess the possible synergistic effect of air pollution on the increased severity of COVID-19, the number of days and the value of air quality index (AQI) as well as the amount of four ambient pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, O3, and NO2) with unhealthy ranges were measured for three years in eight cities of Iran with different numbers of hospitalized patients affected with SARS-CoV-2. The correlation coefficient between the number of hospitalized patients and air pollution factors was calculated. The present data revealed a significant positive correlation between unhealthy ranges of O3 and NO2 and the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. No correlation was found between PM2.5, PM10, and AQIs and the increased number of severe cases. Conclusively, these primary results might show the synergistic effect of chronic exposure to air pollutants due to living in polluted areas and the increased severity of COVID-19 disease.


We study a model of nonidentical swarmalators, generalizations of phase oscillators that both sync in time and swarm in space. The model produces four collective states: asynchrony, sync clusters, vortexlike phase waves, and a mixed state. These states occur in many real-world swarmalator systems such as biological microswimmers, chemical nanomotors, and groups of drones. A generalized Ott-Antonsen ansatz provides the first analytic description of these states and conditions for their existence. We show how this approach may be used in studies of active matter and related disciplines.


Quadrupeds are robots that have been of interest in the past few years due to their versatility in navigating across various terrain and utility in several applications. For quadrupeds to navigate without a predefined map a priori, they must rely on SLAM approaches to localize and build the map of the environment. Despite the surge of interest and research development in SLAM and quadrupeds, there still has yet to be an open-source package that capitalizes on the onboard sensors of an affordable quadruped. This motivates the A1 SLAM package, which is an open-source ROS package that provides the Unitree A1 quadruped with real-time, high performing SLAM capabilities using the default sensors shipped with the robot. A1 SLAM solves the PoseSLAM problem using the factor graph paradigm to optimize for the poses throughout the trajectory. A major design feature of the algorithm is using a sliding window of fully connected LiDAR odometry factors. A1 SLAM has been benchmarked against Google's Cartographer and has showed superior performance especially with trajectories experiencing aggressive motion.


In this paper we study steady capillary‐gravity waves in a two‐layer fluid bounded above by a free surface and below by a horizontal rigid boundary with a small obstruction. Two critical speeds for the waves are obtained. Near the smaller critical speed, the derivation of the usual forced KdV equation (FKdV) fails when the coefficient of the nonlinear term in the FKdV vanishes. To overcome this difficulty, a new equation, called a forced extended KdV equation (FEKdV) governing interfacial wave forms, is obtained by a refined asymptotic method. Various solutions and numerical results of this equation are presented.


AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA

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CD147 is a widely expressed transmembrane glycoprotein that is upregulated on cancer cells. Over-expression of CD147, a member of the immunoglobulin super-family, promotes invasion, metastasis, and growth and survival of malignant cells. The molecular mechanisms underlying the actions of CD147 are not fully understood. We utilized fibroblast cells from wild-type and CD147 null mice to study signal transduction pathways activated downstream of CD147.

When CD147 null fibroblasts were exposed to UV light we observed defective activation of JNK compared to control CD147 expressing fibroblasts. Since CD147 is a cell surface glycoprotein involved in cell-cell interactions and is thought to interact with ligands such as cyclophilins or to interact homotypically or potentially with unknown cell surface proteins on opposing cells, we ligated CD147 with mAb to examine activation of signaling proteins downstream of CD147. We observed that Akt, c-Jun Kinase (JNK), and Erk1/2 are all activated following treatment of CD147 expressing fibroblasts with anti-CD147 mAb OX114. We treated cells with inhibitors of PI3 Kinase (LY294002) and MEK (PD98059) to determine the importance of these signaling pathways in CD147 mediated activation. Inhibition of PI3 Kinase inhibited activation of Akt that follows CD147 ligation, indicating that activation of PI3 Kinase is required for CD147 induced Akt activation. Similarly, c-Jun Kinase activation was greatly decreased by the PI3 Kinase inhibitor. Although the MEK inhibitor did not completely inhibit Erk1/2 activation, it greatly decreased c-Jun Kinase activation indicating that MEK is required for c-Jun Kinase activation downstream of CD147 ligation.

Increased expression of CD147 has been suggested to result in enhanced survival of transformed cells. Together with our results of increased Akt, Erk and JNK phosphorylation in response to CD147 ligation, a theme of CD147 promoting a survival signal is emerging. These CD147 signal transduction studies indicate that tumor cell survival may be linked not only to induction of matrix metalloproteinases, but to downstream signaling through CD147 as well.


Direct numerical simulations of homogeneous isotropic turbulence laden with particles have been conducted to clarify the relationship between particle dispersion and coherent fine scale eddies in turbulence. Dispersion of 106 particles are analyzed for several particle Stokes numbers. The spatial distributions of particles depend on their Stokes number, and the Stokes number that causes preferential concentration of particles is closely related to the time scale of coherent fine scale eddies in turbulence. On the plane perpendicular to the rotating axes of fine scale eddies, number density of particle with particular Stokes number is low at the center of the fine scale eddy, and high in the regions with high energy dissipation rate around the eddy. The maximum number density can be observed at about 1.5 to 2.0 times the eddy radius on the major axis of the fine scale eddy.Copyright © 2007 by ASME


Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) can convert ambient mechanical energy in the form of vibrations into useable electricity. Vehicle vibrations are a wasted source of ambient energy that can be harvested using TENGs. These vibrations can range from very low input frequency at the rear deck to high frequency at the front dashboard. To effectively harvest such variable frequency vibrations, the vibration TENG should be capable of broadband operation. For this purpose, in this work we propose and systematically investigate a double-impact vibration TENG (DIV-TENG) for harvesting vehicle vibrations. First, the system design in terms of mass and stiffness was determined using MATLAB simulations. Next, the behavior of the DIV-TENG under very low input frequency and high input frequency was experimentally investigated and the simulation results were verified. Finally, a multi-unit DIV-TENG integrated tray was installed in a vehicle and the potential of DIVTENG in harvesting vibrations generated during driving was demonstrated. Thus, through this work we showed the viability of effectively harvesting vehicle vibrations using a TENG and hope to promote its adoption in the automotive industry. PAPER 2019 RECEIVED 25 June 2019 REVISED 29 July 2019 ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION 31 July 2019 PUBLISHED 16 August 2019 https://doi.org/10.1088/2631-6331/ab376f Funct. Compos. Struct. 1 (2019) 035003


Abstract The study represents the life and artistic career of today's almost forgotten theatre director Milan Svoboda (1883 – 1948). It is based on the extensive Svoboda estate, located in the Theatre Department of the National Museum. It follows the artist from his amateur beginnings in Roudnice nad Labem, through his career as a pedagogue at the Prague Conservatory, theatre director at the Slovak National Theatre, guest director at the National Theatre in Prague, to his post-war effort to create high-quality stage art in the border villages abandoned by the Germans. Thanks to the substantial and rich material found in his estate, the study demonstrates the conflict of creative ideals and the desire to seek an aesthetic beauty in a world within a regimented state, grand political scheming, critics and "progressive" theatrical colleagues.


Introduction: An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) consists of a tangled cluster of dilated blood vessels forming anomalous communication between arterial and venous systems without capillary bridging. The most likely manifestations of a ruptured AVM are intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), or intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Subdural hematoma (SDH) is exceptional in cases of ruptured brain arteriovenous malformation (BAVM). Case Report: A 30-year-old female was referred to the Emergency Room with a major complaint of sudden thunderclap headache 1 day before admission. The patient also complained of double vision and left ptosis that lasted for 1 day. There was no other complaint or history of hypertension, diabetes, or trauma. Non-contrast head computed tomography (CT) showed ICH-SAH-SDH on the left side of the brain which was not typical of a hypertensive pattern. The secondary ICH has a score of 6, indicating that 100% of the bleeding might be caused by underlying vascular malformation. Furthermore, cerebral angiography showed cortical plexiform BAVM on the left occipital lobe, and the patient underwent curative embolization. Discussion: Spontaneous SDH is very rare, and there are some hypotheses about the reasons for its occurrence. First, brain movement stretches the arachnoid layer that adheres to the AVM, resulting in direct bleeding into subdural space. Second, high-flow pia-arachnoid ruptured blood might extravasate into subdural space. Finally, the ruptured cortical artery that connects the cortex and dura layer (bridging artery) might also cause SDH. Some scoring systems are useful in BAVM, and this study selected endovascular embolization for the patient. Conclusion: Brain AVM rupture usually causes ICH, SAH, or IVH. Clinicians must be more aware of spontaneous SDH because it might be caused by a vascular malformation, although it is rare.


Indonesia is a country that has the potential to develop solar energy. In Indonesia, there is a tool that functions to convert solar energy into electrical energy called photovoltaic. The research uses monocrystalline solar panels because they are the most efficient and produce the highest electrical power per unit area. This research aims to analyze the comparison of solar cells, which are arranged in series and parallel to the output power. Researchers made direct observations of the field and studied after getting some data from the measurement results. Then conclude from the results of this observation. Sampling was researched on the output of solar panels located at BBPLK Serang. The method used is the comparative analysis method, by comparing the differences and similarities of an event. The voltage and currently issued by a series of solar panels is 35.77V and 3.18A. The results of the voltage and presently published by a parallel series of solar panels are 17,69V and 6.38 A. The power is produced by a series circuit of 113.75atts and a parallel circuit of 112,86Watts. From the output power results, the series circuit is 0,89Watts greater than the parallel circuit. Judging from the advantages and disadvantages, it is better to install PLTS Off-Grid installations in parallel. If damage to damaged components is damaged, it will be easier to inspect, and several other panels can still function properly, so electricity continues to flow.


Heredopathia atactica polyneuritiformis (HAP) was first described by Refsum in 1946 as an inherited autosomal recessive disorder.1Its main clinical features are night blindness, peripheral neuropathy, retinitis pigmentosa, cerebellar signs, hearing loss, elevated cerebrospinal fluid proteins, and relapsing and remitting course. In 1963, Klenk and Kahlke discovered deposits of an abnormal fatty acid (3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecanoic or phytanic acid) in the serum and organ lipids of a patient who had died from this disease.2Since then, it has been shown that a number of patients with this disorder have elevated phytanic acid levels (21 of 45 reported cases3). The experimental data suggest that the accumulating phytanic acid is of exogenous origin.4,5 Animal experiments thus far have shown that a phytol-rich diet results in an increase in the serum and tissue concentration of phytanic acid.6Though no direct auditory, visual, or neurological deficits were observed, the animals fed


Background Extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-producing E. coli) have emerged, causing human and animal infections worldwide. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and molecular genetic features of ESBL-producing and multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli in river water. Methods A total of 172 E. coli samples were collected from the Kok River and Kham River in Chiang Rai, Thailand, during a 10-month period (2020–2021). Results We detected 45.3% of E. coli to be MDR. The prevalence of ESBL-producers was 22%. Among those ESBL-producing strains, CTX-M-15 (44.7%) was predominantly found, followed by CTX-M-55 (26.3%), CTX-M-14 (18.4%), and CTX-M-27 (10.5%). The blaTEM-1 and blaTEM-116 genes were found to be co-harbored with the blaCTX-M genes. Mobile elements, i.e., ISEcp1 and Tn3, were observed. Twelve plasmid replicons were found, predominantly being IncF (76.3%) and IncFIB (52.6%). Whole genome sequencing of ten selected isolates revealed the co-existence of ESBL with mcr genes in two ESBL-producing E. coli. A wide diversity of MLST classifications was observed. An mcr-1.1-pap2 gene cassette was found to disrupt the PUF2806 domain-containing gene, while an mcr-3.4 contig on another isolate contained the nimC/nimA-mcr-3.4-dgkA core segment. Discussion In conclusion, our data provides compelling evidence of MDR and ESBL-producing E. coli, co-existing with mcr genes in river water in northern Thailand, which may be disseminated into other environments and so cause increased risks to public health.


X-ray absorption near-edge structures (XANES) at Si and C K-edge as well as X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) have been used to investigate the electronic structures and optical properties of SiC microcrystals (SiCmcs) and SiC nanowires (SiCnws). SiCnws synthesized via thermal evaporation, have a SiC (β-phase)-core-SiO2-shell morphology. We found that the XANES for SiCmcs, a 6H-SiC (α-phase) structure, shows reasonable agreement with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. As for SiCnws, we observed both SiO2 and SiC features at the Si K-edge. It is interesting to note that upon X-ray excitation, SiCmcs emit bright light at the wavelength of 600 nm (2.07 eV), although bulk α-SiC has an indirect band-gap of 3.02 eV. SiCnws, on the other hand, exhibit luminescence at 460 nm with a shoulder at 600 nm. The analysis of these data and its implications are presented.


In this paper, a real-time simulation of neural activities of the retinal circuits during fixational eye movements is presented. The fixational eye movements were emulated using a digital logic circuit implemented on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chip and installed on a previously designed retina emulator that consists of 96 × 96 pixels of photodiodes with double-layered resistive networks and a digital computer. The emulated eye movements well reproduced the temporal properties of the drift component of fixational eye movements. The system developed in the present study can emulate retinal responses to natural scenes during fixational eye movements, and it can be used to realistically and effectively analyze the visual functions of the retina.


This paper is about a mechanical solution to vibration problem of a wrapper flow pack mechanism, which is used in packaging industry. The target mechanism is the welding head of the machine where the vibration is generated, due to eccentric masses rotating with a cut-on-the-fly motion law. Consequently, production rate is limited by the vibration at 200 pieces per minute. To reduce the vibration so that the production rate can exceed over 200 ppm, two ways of improvements are considered. The first one is optimizing the motion law. The other one consists in mechanical modifications which eliminates or balance out the inertia forces derived from the eccentric rotating mass. This research implements the second way of adding balance weights and discusses the properties of it. During analysis, the software ADAMS which provides kinematic simulation is used as the analytical tool to test and examine the solutions proposed.


We propose a method that allows to develop shared understanding between two agents for the purpose of performing a task that requires cooperation. Our method focuses on efficiently establishing successful task-oriented communication in an open multi-agent system, where the agents do not know anything about each other and can only communicate via grounded interaction. The method aims to assist researchers that work on human-machine interaction or scenarios that require a human-in-the-loop, by defining interaction restrictions and efficiency metrics. To that end, we point out the challenges and limitations of such a (diverse) setup, while also restrictions and requirements which aim to ensure that high task performance truthfully reflects the extent to which the agents correctly understand each other. Furthermore, we demonstrate a use-case where our method can be applied for the task of cooperative query answering. We design the experiments by modifying an established ontology alignment benchmark. In this example, the agents want to query each other, while representing different databases, defined in their own ontologies that contain different and incomplete knowledge. Grounded interaction here has the form of examples that consists of common instances, for which the agents are expected to have similar knowledge. Our experiments demonstrate successful communication establishment under the required restrictions, and compare different agent policies that aim to solve the task in an efficient manner.


This paper discusses some socio-psychological aspects of reconciliation with
the recent communist past in eastern Europe using the example of a public
apologia of a Romanian public intellectual on his alleged collaboration with the
Securitate, the former communist secret police. In order to address these
issues, data are drawn from a wider project investigating the social
construction of the communist/post-communist past in talk and text (Tileagă
2009a, b; 2011, 2012a, b; in press). The paper argues that public apologia for
wrongdoing displays a double dynamic of degradation: personal and
institutional. It is argued that public apologia serves a two-fold function: on
one hand, it is an attempt to manage a personal 'spoiled' identity and provides
the grounds for atonement. On the other hand, it is an attempt to (re)write
biography by elucidating the influence of the wider social context relevant to
identity transformation. By drawing on sociological work on degradation
ceremonies and discourse analysis in social psychology the paper shows how
public apologia can be understood as a social product and discursive
accomplishment.


Combining big data with machine learning is a powerful tool for business intelligence (BI). Developed in the database community, The traditional ETL-data warehouse-OLAP approach to BI is effective to deal with multi-dimensional data (i.e. data cubes) but not suitable for flexible analytics such as exploration with ad hoc queries and process/data changes. Process mining techniques developed in the BPM community focus on activities and control flow but ignore data. In this paper, we propose a new framework for business analytics based on workflow logs. We introduce the key notions, illustrate querying logs as one useful aspect, and then discuss a range of interesting technical problems to be studied further.


Background Metastatic breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Infusion of natural killer (NK) cells is an emerging immunotherapy for such malignant tumors, although elimination of the immunosuppressive tumor environment is required to improve its efficacy. The effects of this "metastatic" tumor environment on NK cells, however, remain largely unknown. Previous studies, including our own, have demonstrated that metastasis-associated macrophages (MAMs) are one of the most abundant immune cell types in the metastatic tumor niche in mouse models of metastatic breast cancer. We thus investigated the effects of MAMs on antitumor functions of NK cells in the metastatic tumor microenvironment. Methods MAMs were isolated from the tumor-bearing lung of C57BL/6 mice intravenously injected with E0771-LG mouse mammary tumor cells. The effects of MAMs on NK cell cytotoxicity towards E0771-LG cells were evaluated in vitro by real-time fluorescence microscopy. The effects of MAM depletion on NK cell activation, maturation, and accumulation in the metastatic lung were evaluated by flow cytometry (CD69, CD11b, CD27) and in situ hybridization (Ncr1) using colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) receptor conditional knockout (Csf1r-cKO) mice. Finally, metastatic tumor loads in the chest region of mice were determined by bioluminescence imaging in order to evaluate the effect of MAM depletion on therapeutic efficacy of endogenous and adoptively transferred NK cells in suppressing metastatic tumor growth. Results MAMs isolated from the metastatic lung suppressed NK cell-induced tumor cell apoptosis in vitro via membrane-bound transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) dependent mechanisms. In the tumor-challenged mice, depletion of MAMs increased the percentage of activated (CD69+) and mature (CD11b+CD27–) NK cells and the number of Ncr1+ NK cells as well as NK cell-mediated tumor rejection in the metastatic site. Moreover, MAM depletion or TGF-β receptor antagonist treatment significantly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of NK cell infusion in suppressing early metastatic tumor outgrowth. Conclusion This study demonstrates that MAMs are a main negative regulator of NK cell function within the metastatic tumor niche, and MAM targeting is an attractive strategy to improve NK cell-based immunotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.


In a Power system with deregulated environment, customers and power producers utilize a common transmission network to transfer the generated power to the customer end. In this open access framework, all parties, may attempt to buy the power from the less expensive source to accomplish high profit margins, which may bring about congestion and overloading of few corridors of the transmission network. This may bring about violation of Voltage limit, line flow and stability limits and thereby weaken the system security. Therefore, Utilities need to determine their available transfer capability (ATC) to make sure that system reliability is retained. This paper presents power transfer distribution factor (PTDF) based on AC load flow for Multi-area ATC determination and Linear Programming based Optimal Power flow analysis for marginal cost calculations. The study has been carried out for Multi-area IEEE 24 bus Test System. The studies have been performed on power world simulator software 18.0, an efficient power system analysis tool.


Thermosetting and thermoplastic polymers have been reinforced with carbon fibres of high strength and elastic modulus, and their friction and wear properties examined. During dry sliding against steel, randomly oriented chopped fibres reduce both the coefficients of friction and the wear rates of polymers to levels which are approximately independent of the matrix material. Fibre orientation is also important, and minimum wear is obtained when the fibres are normal to the sliding surface. Carbon fibre reinforced polymers are less abrasive than those containing glass, exhibit lower friction and have greater moduli of elasticity; the flexural strengths are also often greater, and particularly so with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). It is concluded that the carbon fibres reduce the friction and wear of polymers by preferentially supporting part of the applied load, and in addition by smoothing the surface of the steel counterface.


Multiple trace contaminants on activated carbon are determined by adsorptive displacement, i.e., equilibration in a solvent containing a large excess of a strongly adsorbing solute (displacer). Many components are desorbed completely. For most of the others, the adsorption isotherms become linear and mutually independent with a zero intercept, and the amount of the remaining adsorbed contaminant is readily calculable. The method is applied to the simultaneous determination of 25 preloaded base-neutral priority pollutants, which included refractory adsorbates such as benz(a)anthracene and dibenz(a,h)-sorbates such as benz(a)anthracene and dibenz(a,h)-anthracene; all were determined at loadings less than 0.1 mg/g, in methylene chloride containing 7.5% methanol and saturated benz(a)anthracene-7,12-dione as the displacer. About half of the pollutants were completely extracted. Phenol and derivatives exhibit nonlinear isotherms in this displacer system, presumably because of specific interactions with surface groups on the carbon. However, each of these compounds exhibits a zero-intercept linear isotherm in methanol at relatively high concentrations of the other. 4 figures.


The growth of Web-based social networking and the properties of those networks have created great potential for producing intelligent software that integrates a user's social network and preferences. Our research looks particularly at assigning trust in Web-based social networks and investigates how trust information can be mined and integrated into applications. This article introduces a definition of trust suitable for use in Web-based social networks with a discussion of the properties that will influence its use in computation. We then present two algorithms for inferring trust relationships between individuals that are not directly connected in the network. Both algorithms are shown theoretically and through simulation to produce calculated trust values that are highly accurate.. We then present TrustMail, a prototype email client that uses variations on these algorithms to score email messages in the user's inbox based on the user's participation and ratings in a trust network.


The effects of asphyxia and acetazoleamide on evoked hippocampal and cortical activity in the marsupial phalanger were determined. During asphyxia the evoked hippocampal activity was affected before the evoked cortical activity. Acetazoleamide administered prior to asphyxia caused inhibition earlier during asphyxia and prolonged the recovery period of the evoked activity in both regions. Acetazoleamide gave only slight protection in the hippocampus against electrically induced seizures. The peak effect of the drug was reached 4 hours after administration and then declined gradually.


Abstract This article examines scientific transnationalism as an art of engagement with, and avoidance of, the threats and promises of what was foreign to the nation. Portuguese racial anthropologists experienced a tension between remaining imperial-nationalistic in character, and internationalist in their activities simultaneously. They struggled to exclude foreigners from colonial field sites; they aimed at nativist authority based on total control of colonial data. Yet, they eagerly sought connections with foreign experts to capitalize provincial scientific authority within Portugal's colonies. The essay conceptualizes this mode of transnationalism as also a kind of isolationism, an inward oriented form of engaging with foreign sciences and scientists as ambivalently powerful and threatening strangers.


Leptogenesis, i.e. the creation of a lepton asymmetry in the early Universe, may occur through the decay of heavy singlet (right-handed) neutrinos. If we require it not to be erased by physics beyond the Standard Model at the TeV energy scale, then only 2 candidates are possible if they are subgroups of $E_6$. These 2 solutions happen to be also the only ones within 1$\sigma$ of the atomic parity violation data and the invisible $Z$ width. Lepton flavor violation is predicted in one model, as well as in another unrelated model of neutrino masses where the observable decay of a doubly charged scalar would determine the relative magnitude of each element of the neutrino mass matrix.


The ruins of the 19thcentury Fruitland Schoolhouse were investigated and documented using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) technology to determine the extent of the ruins and to acquire high-resolution imagery of the archaeological site in its entirety, a perspective not obtainable using ground-based photography. The Fruitland Schoolhouse was a structure with a limestone foundation that was built by Quakers Thomas H. and Mary W. Stanley in the late-1860s on what is today known as the Ross Natural History Reservation (RNHR) in Lyon County, Kansas. The schoolhouse served as both an educational and religious center throughout the mid-to-late-19thcentury, but today lies abandoned and overgrown with dense vegetation, largely hidden from view. In 2012, the location of this archaeological site was rediscovered after a large wildfire exposed the schoolhouse's foundation stones, the only extant portion of the original schoolhouse structure. A scheduled burn at the Ross Reservation in the spring of 2017 allowed for an aerial investigation of the site and surrounding property via UAS. Aerial imagery revealed for the first time that, in addition to the 9 m x 9 m schoolhouse, the foundation of a limestone wall approximately 100 m x 50 m surrounds the Fruitland Schoolhouse property, and a hand-dug well also remains in the southeastern corner of the site. The use of small-format aerial photography, in concert with ground-based photography and ground-truthing methods, proved advantageous in the documentation of this historically significant archaeological site located in the eastern Flint Hills of Kansas. Remote-sensing via UAS has great potential in terms of site identification, and can be instrumental to both the physical and digital preservation of archaeological ruins.


Abstract A total-k-coloring of a graph G is a coloring of V ∪ E using k colors such that no two adjacent or incident elements receive the same color. The total chromatic number χ′′(G) of G is the smallest integer k such that G has a total-k-coloring. Let G be a graph embedded in a surface of Euler characteristic ε ≥ 0. If G contains no 3-cycles adjacent to 4-cycles, that is, no 3-cycle has a common edge with a 4-cycle, then χ′′(G) ≤ max{8,Δ+1}.


In this paper, with the aid of symbolic computation, we present a new method for constructing soliton solutions to nonlinear differential-difference equations. And we successfully solve Toda and mKdV lattice.


Background: Combination therapy of Deferiprone (DFP) with Deferasirox (DFX) is an efficacious and safe modality to reduce serum ferritin in multi-transfused children with thalassemia.
Objectives: To compare the efficacy of Deferiprone versus Deferiprone with Deferasirox as iron chelation therapy of transfusion dependent thalassemia children.
Materials and Methods: A non-randomized control clinical trial was done in department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Bangladesh Thalassemia Hospital in Dhaka during the period of October 2016 to September 2017. Thirty children with transfusion dependent thalassemia major between 3 to 12 years of age were included in each group in this study. Children with thalassemia minor, after splenectomy, with comorbidities and on other iron chelation therapy were excluded from this study.
Results: Among total enrolled 60 cases in this study, initial mean serum ferritin level was 3397.48 ± 774.48 ng/ml in DFP-monotherapy group and 3413.70 ± 1114.05ng/ ml in DFP-DFX combination group. Mean serum ferritin level at 6thmonth was found 2730.63 ± 839.91ng/ml in DFP-monotherapy group and 1654.20 ± 934.90 ng/ml in DFP-DFX-combination group which shows rapid reduction of serum ferritin level in DFP-DFX-combination group. 12 (40.0%) patients had arthralgia in DFPmonotherapy group and 5(16.7%) patients had vomiting in DFP-DFX-combination group. No abnormalities seen in liver and renal function tests.
Conclusion: Combination therapy with Deferiprone and Deferasirox is more effective in reduction of iron overload and drug related complications in transfusion dependent thalassemia patients.
Bangladesh J Child Health 2019; VOL 43 (3) :152-156


To develop a direct microbial sugar conversion platform for the production of lipids, drop-in fuels and chemicals from cellulosic biomass substrate, we chose Yarrowia lipolytica as a viable demonstration strain. Y. lipolytica is known to accumulate lipids intracellularly and is capable of metabolizing sugars to produce lipids; however, it lacks the lignocellulose-degrading enzymes needed to break down biomass directly. While research is continuing on the development of a Y. lipolytica strain able to degrade cellulose, in this study, we present successful expression of several xylanases in Y. lipolytica. The XynII and XlnD expressing Yarrowia strains exhibited an ability to grow on xylan mineral plates. This was shown by Congo Red staining of halo zones on xylan mineral plates. Enzymatic activity tests further demonstrated active expression of XynII and XlnD in Y. lipolytica. Furthermore, synergistic action in converting xylan to xylose was observed when XlnD acted in concert with XynII. The successful expression of these xylanases in Yarrowia further advances us toward our goal to develop a direct microbial conversion process using this organism.


Governments have a choice whether to intervene in the transport infrastructure sector to manage, finance and own the assets of the sector, or to rely on markets and private sector actors for the provision of these systems. In this article the development of rail and road infrastructure in Sweden and the choice between government and market provision of these systems are analyzed from a co-evolutionary perspective. Technology, economics, and politics have influenced the government's policy formation and decisions on organizational models over time, such as the nationalization of roads and railroads in the 1930s-40s. The aim for improved economic efficiency and reduction of cost differences between different parts of the country rather than political ideology explain why roads and railroads were nationalized. Through adjusting its ownership role and policy content the government has, over time, accommodated to the different influences from technology, economics and politics. The government's ownership of transport infrastructure has not been challenged since the nationalization. This could be seen as a sign of a successful gradual policy adjustment from the government's side, thereby avoiding private sector solutions.


Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify determinants of erectile dysfunction in hemodialysis patients in CNHU-HKM, Cotonou.
Method: It was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study conducted over a period of six months, from 1st March to 30th August 2017. Prospective data collection was carried out, along with a comprehensive census of hemodialysis patients meeting inclusion criteria. Sexual function was assessed through full version of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF).
Results: 114 hemodialysis patients were included in the study, with mean age estimated at 51.05 years ± 11.66. Among the study population, 100 patients (87.7%) had hypertension as comorbidity, hypertensive Nephropathy (67.5%) and Diabetic Nephropathy (14%). The average duration on dialysis was 74.34 ± 55.74. Forty-three hemodialysis patients (37.7%) were with depression, 56 (49.1%) had lower testosterone, 38 (33.3%) high rate of LH and 63 (55.3%) high FSH. 98 (86%) of them experienced erectile dysfunction, 97 (85.1%) sexual desire disorder and 80 (70.2%) orgasm disorder. Determinants of erectile dysfunction in hemodialysis patients included age (p<0.001; OR=1.168), hypertension (p<0.001; OR=10,111), seniority in hemodialysis (p=0.008; OR=1.024), depression (p=0.022; OR=11,250) and testosteronemia (p=0.038; OR=0.740).
Conclusion: Sexual dysfunction prevalence is high in patients receiving dialysis. There is need to include care and support in these patient's treatment strategies.


In the era of big data, one of the key challenges is the development of novel optimization algorithms that can accommodate vast amounts of data while at the same time satisfying constraints and limitations of the problem under study. The need to solve optimization problems is ubiquitous in essentially all quantitative areas of human endeavor, including industry and science. In the last decade there has been a surge in the demand from practitioners, in fields such as machine learning, computer vision, artificial intelligence, signal processing and data science, for new methods able to cope with these new large scale problems.
In this thesis we are focusing on the design, complexity analysis and efficient implementations of such algorithms. In particular, we are interested in the development of randomized iterative methods for solving large scale linear systems, stochastic quadratic optimization problems, the best approximation problem and quadratic optimization problems. A large part of the thesis is also devoted to the development of efficient methods for obtaining average consensus on large scale networks.


We introduce a method that adapts object models acquired in a particular visual domain to new imaging conditions by learning a transformation which minimizes the effect of domain-induced changes in the feature distribution. The transformation is learned in a supervised manner, and can be applied to categories unseen at training time. We prove that the resulting model may be kernelized to learn non-linear transformations under a variety of regularizers. In addition to being one of the first studies of domain adaptation for object recognition, this work develops a general theoretical framework for adaptation that could be applied to non-image data. We present a new image database for studying the effects of visual domain shift on object recognition, and demonstrate the ability of our method to improve recognition on categories with few or no target domain labels, moderate to large changes in the imaging conditions, and even changes in the feature representation.


Abstract A new type of three-dimensional parallel robot with a human interface as well as parallel motion control of a platform manipulator actuated by three a.c. servomotors is presented in this paper. The performance of this parallel robot is analysed using its forward and inverse kinematics. The analysis is performed using known quantified and graphical performance synthesis tools. Computer simulations of the parallel robot system have shown good correlation between physical interpretations and the results of using the theoretical analysis tools.


The need for a non-intrusive evaluation infrastructure platform to support research on reliable pervasive healthcare in the unsupervised setting is analyzed and challenges and possibilities are identified. A list of requirements is presented and a solution is suggested that would allow researchers to more easily build and evaluate prototypes for measuring and quantifying the use-context of patients using current state-of-the-art biomedical devices in the unsupervised setting. An initial implementation is introduced as the reliable evaluation infrastructure (RELEI) platform. Several research prototypes using the basic RELEI platform are presented to illustrate the purpose, and provide experiences on platform usage.


: The "quasi-chemical" kinetics model accounts for all 4 phases of the microbial lifecycle based on a proposed series of chemical rate equations. The model fits continuous growth-death kinetics for Staphylococcus aureus in intermediate moisture bread in various conditions of water activity, pH, and temperature. Growth rates evaluated using the quasi-chemical model are compared with values obtained with the Gompertz model. Kinetics data obtained with the quasi-chemical model are integrated with a probabilistic approach to estimate the boundary between growth and no-growth conditions. Continuous modeling of microbial growth/death kinetics in actual foods advances predictive modeling that conventionally separates growth and death models.


Dicyandiamide (DICY)-cured epoxy resins are important materials for structural adhesives and matrix resins for fiber-reinforced prepregs. Dynamic differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with heating rates of 2.5, 5, 10, and 15°C/min was used to study the curing behavior of the epoxy prepreg Hexply 1454 system, which consisted of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, DICY, and Urone reinforced by glass fibers. The curing kinetic parameters were determined with three different methods and compared. These were the Kissinger, Ozawa, and Borchardt–Daniels kinetic approaches. The lowest activation energy (76.8 kJ/mol) was obtained with the Kissinger method, whereas the highest value (87.9 kJ/mol) was obtained with the Borchardt–Daniels approach. The average pre-exponential factor varied from 0.0947 × 109 to 2.60 × 109 s−1. The orders of the cure reaction changed little with the heating rate, so the effect of the heating rate on the reaction order was not significant. It was interesting that the overall reaction order obtained from all three methods was nearly constant (≅2.4). There was good agreement between all of the methods with the experimental data. However, the best agreement with the experimental data was seen with the Ozawa kinetic parameters, and the most deviation was seen with the Borchardt kinetic parameters. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011


The article analyzes the key methodological problems of the contemporary research in the field of the history of science. It is shown that in the 18th and 19th centuries works on the history of science demonstrated the difficult paths of scientists to the heights of scientific discoveries. The positivism of the 19th century has opened the field of the philosophy of science, emphasizing the crucial role of scientific knowledge for the development of civilization. The history of science is fundamental for the justification of this thesis. However, in the 20th century, the history of science has solved mainly applied problems. It was necessary as a cursory review of the main achievements of various scientific disciplines arranged in chronological order. In fact, the history of science was based on the cumulative concept of the development of science. The criticism of cumulatism and the fight against anti-historical stereotypes emerged thanks to T. Kuhn. Later, the criticism of presentism in the community of science historians has become the main methodology for reconstructing the development of cognition. It is shown in the paper that the history of science was closely connected with the philosophy of science. However, genuine cooperation between philosophers and historians of science had not yet occurred. The situation has changed with the advent of a new philosophical discipline – historical epistemology.


This paper deals with steering control problem of a computer simulated model car with fuzzy control approach. For simulating the real environment, the stochastic behavior of system is considered as multiplicative noise term. In addition, the external disturbance effect on system is also discussed for achieving attenuation performance by applying passivity theory. Through using the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model approach, the stability problems of nonlinear system can be solved by linear control theory. Furthermore, the stability condition is derived by passivity theory and Lyapunov function for guaranteeing stability in sense of mean square. Besides, the fuzzy controller is carried out by concept of Parallel Distribution Compensator (PDC). Finally, the simulation results are proposed to show that the strictly input passivity and mean square stability of system can be achieved via the designed fuzzy controller.


This anthology should be a 'must' for all serious students of Aristophanes. It brings together for the first tinme in one volume all the most important contributions to the study of Aristophanes published over the last several decades - providing an ideal resource for anyone studying the plays. Aristophanes is the only surviving author of Greek Attic comedy who has left us more than fragments, and his eleven surviving plays reflect the spirit of Athens in the golden age - and its unique freedom of speech. The book deals not only with the better known comedies like Clouds and Birds, but also the later, more unusual works like The Assembywomen and Wealth, which represent important stages towards the evolution of modern comedy. Subjects range from the classic question of Aristophanes' relationship to contemporary politics to more modern issues such as feminism, gender, performance context, and the interaction between fifth century comedy and tragedy. Many of the contributions are not otherwise readily available to students and teachers, coming from foreign journals and books, difficult to obtain. All the greek has been translated for the benefit of students reading the plays in English.


Globular clusters are old stellar systems which exhibit very-high stellar densities in their cores. The globular cluster Terzan 5 is characterized by a high stellar encounter rate and hosts the largest detected population of millisecond pulsars. It also features bright GeV gamma-ray emission and extended X-ray radiation. However, no globular clusters have been detected in very-high-energy gamma rays (VHE, E> 100 GeV) so far. In order to investigate this possibility Terzan 5 has been observed with the H.E.S.S. telescope array in this energy band. The discovery of a source of VHE gamma rays from the direction of this globular cluster will be reported. The results of the VHE analysis and a multi-wavelength view of Terzan 5 will be presented in this contribution. No counterpart or model can fully explain the observed morphology of the detected VHE gamma-ray source.


4 The implicit discount rate the expected rate of total return that equilibrates current price with a forecast dividend stream is the single most important piece of information to have about a common stock. Risk premiums and liquidity preference premiums play a pivotal role in explaining variations in the discount rate. Although these premiums are constantly changing, the effect of changes on the structure of implicit discount rates is systematic. In particular, it is usually true that: (1) the higher the market risk in a stock, the higher the discount rate or expected return tends to be; and (2) the lower the market liquidity, the higher the discount rate or expected return tends to be. An honest analyst would admit that nine times out of ten his own forecast of fundamentals is not meaningfully different from the consensus forecast. This does not mean, however, that only 10 per cent of his forecasts are useful. Because they are relatively more stable than the risk and liquidity premiums implicit in security prices, consensus forecasts can be used in conjuction with market prices to derive changes in the discount rate structure overtime. F


Problems in the practical fabrication of high‐efficiency x‐ray diffractors are discussed and a diffractor with a stepped surface is proposed to overcome these problems. The effects of the diffracting materials' rocking curve width and x‐ray penetration on the performance of diffractors with simple geometry are evaluated to determine when diffractor geometries involving doubly curved surface and planes are more advantageous than simple geometries. An example calculation of the performance of a stepped diffractor approximating the Wittry geometry (J. Appl. Phys. 68, 387, 1990) is given and experimental results are presented for the performance of a six‐step diffractor using mica as the diffracting material and the fifth‐order reflection of CuKα radiation produced by a microfocus x‐ray source. It is concluded that the stepped diffractor geometry is a viable solution to the problem of fabricating high‐efficiency x‐ray diffractors.


Near-ambient pressure XPS (NAP-XPS) is a less traditional form of XPS that allows samples to be analyzed at relatively high pressures, i.e., at 2500 Pa or greater. With NAP-XPS, one can analyze moderately volatile liquids, biological samples, porous materials, and/or polymeric materials that outgas significantly. In this submission, the authors show C 1s, O 1s, and survey NAP-XPS spectra from 1,4-polymyrcene. The C 1s and O 1s envelopes are fit with Gaussian–Lorentzian product, asymmetric Lorentzian, and Gaussian–Lorentzian sum functions. Water vapor and argon are used to control sample charging, and the corresponding signals from the gases are present in the survey spectra. The effect of background gas pressure on photoelectron attenuation is illustrated with a sample of polytetrafluoroethylene.


A 55-year-old man, alcoholic, and with a past history of tuberculosis, suddenly suffered a pneumococcal pneumonia which favourised the onset of predelirium tremens and then generalised convulsions. The latter, in combination with the administration of sedatives, resulted in acute respiratory insufficiency. Assisted ventilation proved necessary. After a brief improvement, fever recurred and extensive pulmonary necrosis developed. The patient died 32 days later, all aetiological studies having proved negative. The diagnosis was made at autopsy which revealed the presence of multiple pulmonary aspergillus abcesses and a purulent bronchitis due to the same fungus. Aspergillus serology had not been done.


In attempts to stimulate local respiratory tract immunity to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a temperature-sensitive mutant of RSV strain A2 (ts-1 mutant) was administered to 32 infants and children. Evidence of infection was demonstrated in all and no illness accompanied infection in children who had prior experience with RSV. Mild rhinitis occurred in seven infants without prior RSV experience and otitis occurred in one of these individuals. Also, genetically altered virus was recovered from some children but this type of virus represented less than 0.1% of virus recovered from the respiratory tract. An ideal RSV mutant would infect without undergoing such reversion or other genetic change and without producing clinical findings such as otitis which would not be acceptable for a vaccine designed for widespread use.


The study seeks to assess eating attitudes and healthy lifestyle behaviors of female students studying Nutrition and Dietetics, a field where dieticians who give right messages about healthy diet are trained. The research was conducted on a total number of 160 female students studying Nutrition and Dietetics. The data were collected through face-to-face interview using questionnaire form. The questionnaire included questions about the socioeconomic features, feeding habits and physical activity levels of students. Then anthropometric measurements were taken and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40) and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale (HLBS) were administered. SPSS 15.0 software was used to statistically analyze the data. Students' EAT- 40 score average is 13.6±7.4. The prevalence of those with high eating disorder risk is low (2.5%) and their total HLBS score average was found to have an intermediate level (124.1±16). EAT-40 score which shows a potential eating disorder in eating behaviors were found to be significantly high in students who were diagnosed with an illness (p=0.017), those following a diet (p=0.022) and those dissatisfied with their body weight (p=0.00). Total HLBS score on the other hand is significantly higher among students diagnosed with an illness (p=0.03). In conclusion, the study has found that eating disorder prevalence among female students studying Nutrition and Dietetics is low and that their score average from HLBS has an intermediate level.


Fear Spanish grammar no more and conquer your language-learning obstacles. "Spanish Grammar in Review" is a practical guide to Spanish grammar for learners at all levels. More than just a grammar text, this language resource uses a workbook approach to help you develop communication skills and express yourself in Spanish with confidence. Organized into eight sections for ease of use, "Spanish Grammar in Review" offers you: specific learning goals that focus your attention on effective ways to master Spanish structures; clear, concrete examples that illustrate the more difficult aspects of Spanish grammar; a vocabulary list and a glossary of grammatical terms; and, write-in exercises to reinforce each new grammar concept and improve your Spanish proficiency.New to this edition, an answer key for the book's exercises. This easy-to-use, comprehensive title covers topics such as: regular and irregular verbs in all tenses and moods; the usage differences between words such as ser vs. estar and para vs. por; reflexive verbs and stem-changing verbs; verbs meaning "to become"; the uses of se; the subjunctive in "if" clauses; and, many more. If Spanish grammar has left you frustrated, "Spanish Grammar in Review" will give you the guidance your studies desperately need. Its straightforward format and comprehensive content make this revised edition a perfect supplement to your class work or the ideal self-learning tool. You will no longer be intimidated by Spanish grammar and instead gain the confidence to communicate in Spanish freely and comfortably.


We theoretically investigate the reflected spatial Imbert–Fedorov (IF) shift of transverse-electric (TE)-polarized beam illuminating on a bulk Weyl semimetal (WSM). The spatial IF shift is enhanced significantly at two different frequencies close to the epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) frequency, where large values of reflection coefficients |r pp|/|r ss| are obtained due to the ENZ response induced different rapid increasing trends of |r pp| and |r ss|. Particularly, the tunable ENZ effect with tilt degree of Weyl cones and Fermi energy enables the enhanced spatial IF shift at different frequencies. The enhanced spatial IF shift also shows the adjustability of WSM thickness, incident angle and Weyl node separation. Our findings provide easy and available methods to enlarge and adjust the reflected IF shift of TE-polarized light with a WSM.


An important planar resonator for use in the design of commercial three-port circulators consists of a radial gyromagnetic region symmetrically loaded by six uniform or radial transmission lines. One possible model for this sort of junction is, in general, a six-port network with three-fold symmetry with three coupled ports and three short- or open-circuited ones. The development of the open-circuited parameters and the complex gyrator circuit of this arrangement is made particularly simple by taking advantage of the symmetry of the problem region. Its tracking solution is given special attention.


This article considers the implications of public health policy on the enjoyment of individuals' fundamental rights. It specifically examines the appropriateness of mandatory premarital human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing in Nigeria. In doing this, the article discusses the importance of health as a human right, explains the relationship between public health and human rights, and the impact of the HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome pandemic in Nigeria. Arguments in favour of mandatory premarital HIV testing are critically examined and specific human rights that may be violated by this policy are discussed. In conclusion, the article argues that this policy will do more harm than good in curbing the spread of the epidemic in Nigeria.


CD105, a receptor for TGF-b1 and -b-3 modulates TGF-b signaling by interacting with TGF-bRI and/or II. It is now emerging as a prime vascular target of antiangiogenetic cancer therapy. In the present study, we investigate the efficacy of CD105 in colorectal cancer models. We found decreases in tumor size and in the number of metastatic foci to lung in a xenograft cancer model in scid mouse that was treated with Anti-CD105 antibody. The necrotic area in the tumor was greater in the anti-CD105 antibody group than that of the control group. The number of metastatic foci and the area of metastasis were also lesser in the anti-CD105 group than those of the control group. A direct effect of anti-CD105 antibody to the cultured colon cancer cell line was not detected in respect to morphology and proliferation. Decreased vasculature by an antiangiogenic effect of anti-CD105 antibody was confirmed by an immunohistochemical assessment of CD105 expression on frozen tumor tissue. These findings demonstrated that CD105 was specifically expressed in vascular endothelial cells in a xenograft colon cancer model, and anti-CD-105 antibody inhibited both tumor growth and hematogenous metastasis by blocking the vascular network. CD105 is a useful target and anti-CD105 antibody is a candidate for antiangiogenic colorectal cancer therapy.


Abstract : Naval aviation serves as a vital component of many air and ground task organized forces vying for a share of the Department of Defense (DoD) budget. The decisions in the 1990s to reduce purchases of new equipment left the Navy with aging fleets of aircraft that are increasingly expensive to maintain. This situation coupled with the cost of the Global War on Terror has created a cycle in which more funds are spent maintaining older equipment at the expense of new purchases. This has lead to still older equipment and higher maintenance costs. The increases in the costs of operating and maintaining aging military equipment have created a budgetary crisis in the Department of Defense. The Commander Naval Air Forces (CNAF), Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMNAVAIRPAC), and Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMNAVAIRLANT), face the great challenge of effectively vying for their share of the 37 percent of the DoD budget that pays for the day-to-day costs of Operation and Maintenance (O&M). Precisely identifying budgeting and costs for sustaining Aircraft Operations Maintenance (AOM) of the Navy's aging fleet of aircraft is vital to preserving an essential component of current war fighting doctrine. Unfortunately, establishing the association between age and costs is complex. Costs are likely to be affected by an aircraft's age, component technology, the number of flight hours, manner in which it is flown, and the resources devoted to maintenance. Therefore, to better identify costs and maintenance trends of value to Naval aviation, the cost drivers for AOM should be investigated. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of the aircraft maintenance process in conjunction with actions to remove impediments to non-deployed aviation readiness.


Various attributes are often required to build soil quality indicators. However, determining these attributes is time-consuming and requires several specific devices. Thus, it is desirable to develop indexes that express soil quality based on easily determined attributes. The objective of this study was to investigate the spatial variability of the S index and its correlation with other physical and chemical soil attributes to generate a pedotransfer function for estimating the S index. A georeferenced sampling mesh covering 1.4 ha and employing 71 points was installed. The soil samples were collected in 0.00–0.15 m and 0.15–0.30 m deep layers to determine the physical and chemical attributes. The results indicated that the S index was correlated with porosity, carbon stocks, cation exchange capacity, and particle size fractions. However, macroporosity, microporosity, and sand content were the most suitable attributes for the construction of pedotransfer functions. A principal component analysis indicated that the S index was representative of 9.4% and 11.5% of the total variability in the dataset in the respective soil layers. Spherical semivariogram models showed that the S index was spatially dependent and ranged between 84–188 m. The S index maps estimated by the pedotransfer function resemble the observed S values; therefore, the function can be applied in spatial variability studies.


n this work we perform a careful study of different matrix models and particu- larly the property of emergent phenomena in them. We start discussing a 2-matrix model of Yang-Mills type that exhibits an emergent topology in the strong coupling limit. We use Monte-Carlo simulations to obtain various observables that allow us to get more insight in the transition from the non-commutative regime towards the commutative, strong coupling, limit. We will continue to discuss higher dimensional Yang-Mills matrix models, focusing on the lowest dimensional case that is well defined, D = 3, and on the large-D limit. While we discuss the possibility of an emergent topology in 3 dimensions, we find that the behaviour of this type of models changes towards random matrices for large D. In the second part of the thesis we will add a Myers term to the Yang-Mills type models which extends the possible solutions to the model by fuzzy spaces. We carry out a 1-loop calculation for a general SU(d) symmetric solution to this class of models. We will then turn to a numerical study of a model that incorporates the simplest case of a fuzzy manifold, the fuzzy sphere. We will further study fuzzy CP 2 which appears as a solution to the 8-dimensional Yang-Mills-Myers model. Numerical results from a Monte-Carlo simulation will be used to compare with the analytical results obtained earlier. We will further construct a slightly modified 8-dimensional model that has a fuzzy complex projective plane as the ground state in phase space. In total, we find four different phases in this model, which we will describe in detail after numerically mapping the phase diagram.


Thanks go above all to my chief, Professor Sture Siwe, M.D., for never-tiring interest and the way in which he helped me in every respect. I feel greatly indebted to Otto tistberg, M.D., Vaxjo, for stimulating help and fruitful discussions. Acknowledgement for useful help and generous advice on various aspects of the problems studied is due to Gunnar Klang, M.D., Viixjo, Nils Berg, MD., Institute of Pathology, University of Lund, Tage Larsson, M.D., Stockholm, Bengt Swahn, M.D., Lund, Mogens Nissen, Lund and Sister Kerstin Jacobsson, Vaxjo. The investigation was supported by grants from Karl Petrh's Fund of the Swedish Medical Association, from the Swedish Diabetic Foundation, and from Nordisk Insulinfond, Gentofte, Denmark, for which I feel indebted.


Background/context Best practice simulation based education involves team based scenarios with members playing their own professional roles in order to improve context and authenticity.1 Yet the Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE) report in 2012 highlighted the fact that many educators feel under-prepared for their role in interprofessional as compared to uni-professional settings and the skill of the debriefer is known to be the strongest independent predictor of the overall quality of simulation encounters.2 Methodology We conducted a systematic review to examine the evidence base for interprofessional debriefing. A total of 217 papers published between January 2003 and December 2013 were identified using the search protocol. Following screening of abstracts, 31 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 23 studies were judged acceptable for inclusion in the systematic review. Results A number of common concepts were included in the different approaches to debriefing, sometimes in differing combinations and with different mixes of professions. Common themes were the need to create a supportive learning environment, provide specific debrief training for faculty and focus on a few but critical performance issues during the debrief. Various frameworks and measures of debriefing quality have been studied using interprofessional simulation but there is a lack of high quality research in this area. Conclusions and recommendations Validated debriefing frameworks and quality metrics have been identified which warrant further research and application for interprofessional simulation. References McGaghie WC, Issenberg SB, Petrusa ER, Scalese RJ. A critical review of simulation based medical education research: 2003-2009. Med Educ 2010;44(1):50–63 Fanning RM, Gaba DM. The role of debriefing in simulation based learning. Simulation in Healthcare 2007;2(2):115–25


Statement of purpose To identify and address barriers to meeting mental health (MH) needs of violently injured youth participating in a post-injury hospital-based case management program. Methods/approach Utilising de-identified case notes from a stratified random sample of youth (n=24) receiving hospital-based case management following violent injury, we applied a social-ecological framework to code recurring themes pertaining to individual, family, and system barriers and facilitators to successful resolution of youth-identified MH needs. Results Common barriers included: school/work schedules; limited transportation; prior negative experiences with MH care; insufficient provider availability; premature termination of care; and challenging communication between program staff, MH providers, and families. Notably, insurance and cost barriers were infrequently documented, as most youth were insured via a widely accepted public payer. Barriers to initiation of MH care were addressed by streamlining referral processes to community-based MH providers and providing a warm-hand off to reduce youth and family hesitancy to initiate care. To promote engagement and adherence, staff highlighted positive MH experiences and validated therapeutic outcomes, provided logistical support such as transportation and, when possible, provided short-term in-home therapy. Staff also routinely communicated with local MH providers to coordinate care, support transition planning, and encourage adherence. Conclusions We observed individual, family, and systems barriers to youths' ability to engage in MH care. Support of strong, consistent, positive interpersonal relationships between program staff, injured youth, families, and MH providers addressed many barriers and supported resolution of youths' MH needs. Significance and Contributions to Injury and Violence Prevention Science Access to trauma-focused mental health services for violently injured youth is essential to facilitate recovery. Partnerships between hospital- and community-based programs may be particularly valuable in addressing mental health barriers among youth following violent injury. Further efforts to systematise and replicate multisystem partnerships will be important in promoting well-being and recovery following violent injury.