Author(s): Lewis, Mason | Advisor(s): Krouse, Ian | Abstract: Orchestration: piccolo, 3 flutes, 3 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, 6 horns in F, 5 trumpets (1-2 in D, 3-5 in C), 2 tenor trombones, 2 bass trombones, 2 tubas, timpani, percussion (xylophone, snare drum, bass drum, 2 taiko drums, tam-tam, large temple gong, medium temple gong, 3 Rin Gongs (24", 20" and 16"), hyoshigi), koto, piano, soprano solo, and stringsThe genesis of the symphony dates back to the fall of 2015, at the conclusion of a vacation in Japan. Having toured the ancient Imperial capital of Kyoto, the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, and the serene beauty of Hakone, I felt the desire to compose a work set in Japan, with music that accurately depicts the history and picturesque landscapes. However, it was not until a year later that I began work on the initial material. Before I knew the music would become a symphony, the idea was to compose a dramatic opera in 5 acts, titled Masayo To Masashi. The work follows the stories of two characters, a husband and a wife, who are separated when the former is drafted into military service. Masashi, the husband, is sent to fight on Iwo Jima, where he is instructed to fight until death. Meanwhile, Masayo endures numerous tragedies, including the bombing of Tokyo. Both, however, survive their various conflicts and are given false news of each other's demise. After the war, a heartbroken Masashi returns to Japan, only to discover Masayo is indeed alive. The opera concludes brightly, with both characters looking to the future with optimism and hope. Despite the creation of a promising plot to an Opera, I decided to set the music to a symphony first, focusing specifically on Masayo's perspective. The result are five highly-connected movements that are a narrative of their own though familiar and reoccurring themes, motifs, and instrumental solos. Several instruments — such as the piano, solo flute, taiko drums, and koto — assume the role of various characters in the Opera, while a soprano solo assumes the role of Masayo. I think of this symphony as an operetta without words, that is, until the fifth and final movement when the soprano joins the orchestra. The first movement imitates an overture of an opera, designed to thrust the audience back to Japan in the year 1945. At roughly three minutes in length, it is the shortest movement of the symphony. Even eighth-note patterns in asymmetrical intervals clash against heavy dotted-eight-note patterns, paying homage to ancient court music of Kyoto. Tension is built harmonically as each eighth-note pattern passes, ultimately landing on a soft violin harmonic. The mood changes significantly, with the music growing more haunting and sparse. The movement ends leading in to its successor, with a final statement of the eighth-note pattern melting away as lower strings grow in volume, imitating an air-raid siren and the ominous sound of B-29 squadrons. Beginning where the first movement left off, the second, titled 3-9-45, sets to music the infamous firebombing of Tokyo. All of the orchestral forces engage together in violent passages and flurries of notes over the course of several minutes, until the orchestra is interrupted by the trumpets, imitating the air-raid siren. This "eye of the storm" moment does not last long, with the orchestra stirring itself up again to conclude the movement in the manner in which it began.The third movement is a flashback in time, returning to the years before the war began. Titled Kaisō, or Reminiscence, the overall mood is serene and calm. The koto and piano make their first appearance in this movement, while the solo flute and strings accompany both. The "sakura" theme (a prominent and reoccurring melody throughout the symphony representing harmony and peace) reveals itself several times throughout the movement. However, the promise of peace is hindered by harmonies that contain subtle tension, a reminder the plot is looking to the past and is not of the present. Overall, the third movement is a "flower between two chasms", serving as a buffer between the turbulent second movement, and the horrors that lie ahead in the fourth. Similar in nature to the second movement, the mood of the fourth is consumed with agony and despair. Although not as frantic as the second, the fourth makes up with dense orchestration and unpredictable tempo changes. Titled Nenshō, or Burning, the music reflects the hellish conditions that resulted from the bombing campaign. The movement continues from the third without pause, as the dreamlike state of the third melts away slowly, ushering in darker and more menacing sounds. Finally, with a sudden, sharp chord consisting of brass and woodwinds, the turbulence resumes. The horrors unleashed in this movement are not constant, however, with a sudden interruption of material related to the third appearing without warning. Like the transition of the third movement to the fourth, this interruption melts away like fire to wax, picking up speed at a rapid pace, finishing the movement with tremendous volume and intensity.Similar to the final movement of Shostakovich's controversial Symphony no. 4, the fifth movement is by far the longest and weightiest. A threnody, the beginning nature of the music is dark and heavy. Japanese tradition is demonstrated from the start, with the sound of a traditional Shinto Rin Gong, struck 3 times: a symbolic call to the spirits. After approximately 28 minutes of music from the beginning of the symphony, the soprano finally joins the orchestra, assuming the role of Masayo from my opera-in-development, Masayo To Masashi. She sings to her dead loved ones and ancestors, with her vocal lines noticeably static and bleak. Having survived the bombing of Tokyo, she is war-torn and shellshocked. Some of the saddest moments of the entire symphony occur in this movement, for example, when a lonely piano passage accompanied by a single note held by the 1st violins appears out of nowhere, representing the spirit of Masayo's dead child calling out to his mother. Despite many melancholy moments, the movement progressively becomes more optimistic and positive. By the end of the threnody, Masayo sings of hope and a future, while nevertheless still aware of her dark past. With the ominous and reoccurring "E" pitch — representing pain and suffering — long gone, the mood and style of the third movement returns, insuring the audience that the darkness and turmoil of the previous music is forever gone, and only replaced by peace and tranquility.


Several species of cyanobacteria has been recognized for its therapeutic value that can be used for treatment of malnutrition, cancer and viral infection. Many natural occurring cyanobacteria are known to produce toxins, for example, species of the genera Microcystis, Nodularia, Nostoc, Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Cylindrospermopsis , and Planktothrix ( Oscillatoria ). Cyanotoxins are classified according to their mode of action in vertebrates as hepatotoxins, neurotoxins, cytotoxins, dermatotoxins, and irritants. Microcystin is a hepatotoxin which commonly found in Microcystis and it was found to be produced by other genera, including Anabaena, Nostoc, Nodularia , and Planktothrix . In the present study cyanobacteria strain isolated from Egyptian soil was purified, characterized and identified as Nostoc sp. and named Nostoc EGY . PCR-based techniques targeting the toxin biosynthesis genes were used verifying absence of toxic genes in the newly purified cyanobacteria. Cell lysate was prepared from the purified strain; the efficacy of this lysate to prevent hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in vitro was proved qualitatively and quantitatively. Lysate prepared from isolated cyanobacteria after 10 and 25 days of cultivation was able to prevent replication of in vitro cultivated HCV. Keywords: Hepatitis C, green algae, cyanobacteria, polymerase chain reaction African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol. 13(9), pp. 1086-1096, 26 February, 2013


The present study tested the hypothesis that Rorschach measures of psychological instability and perceptual sensitivity (i.e., es, es-EA, Lambda, Blends, Zf, & Zsum) would be sensitive to therapeutic change after inpatient treatment of children. Twelve male children were administered the Rorschach Ink Blot test in accordance with Exner's (1986) procedures and comprehensive system, pretreatment and posttreatment. The 12 children received inpatient treatment an average of 12 months, and all children showed improved functioning after treatment. Pre- to posttreatment Rorschach performance changes provided a partial confirmation of the hypothesis. Specifically, significant changes in es and Lambda were found posttreatment. As such, these Rorschach variables appear to be sensitive to therapeutic change in children.


Rapid technological change presents new opportunities and reveals new risks, challenging existing governance arrangements. The fusion of Industry 4.0 technologies combines with Additive Manufacturing (AM) to create new business solutions. Legal issues with AM are well documented, for example Daly[1] explores the interaction of 3D printing with the law, identifying Intellectual Property, Product Liability and Data Privacy as areas of importance. However, this technology fusion has also enabled improved real-time digital representation, monitoring, simulation and control of the physical delivered through applications of Digital Twin. Such Digital Twins are prevalent in manufacturing and in AM can potentially provide assurance that a printed item meets specified requirements. However, additional legal considerations are emerging. This paper illustrates these by examining the attributes of "Digital Twins in Additive Manufacture Use Cases" revealed through literature.


The state-of-the-art technology for theoretically exact local computed tomography (CT) is to reconstruct an object function using the truncated Hilbert transform (THT) via the projection onto convex sets (POCS) method, which is iterative and computationally expensive. Here we propose to reconstruct the object function using the THT via singular value decomposition (SVD). First, we review the major steps of our algorithm. Then, we implement the proposed SVD method and perform numerical simulations. Our numerical results indicate that our approach runs two orders of magnitude faster than the iterative approach and produces an excellent region-of-interest (ROI) reconstruction that was previously impossible, demonstrating the feasibility of localized pre-clinical and clinical CT as a new direction for research on exact local image reconstruction. Finally, relevant issues are discussed.


We evaluated the effects of sleep disruption on the mealtime behavior of a young boy with developmental disabilities. Results showed that bite acceptance was less likely to persist during meals following disrupted sleep, but only when escape extinction was not implemented. Findings are discussed in terms of establishing operations and the effects of sleep disruption on the assessment and treatment of feeding problems.


Inclusive growth, pro-poor growth and broad-based growth are all terms used to explain growth processes that enables the entire population including the poor to actively participate and benefit from the growth process. In the last two decades Nigeria's GDP has averaged at about 7%, indicating a fast-growing economy. Despite having a high GDP growth rate, it has not translated to improved standard of living for majority of the people, rather the level of poverty is on the increase. Income inequality has also widened in the country. This clearly shows that increase in GDP alone is not a sufficient condition for reduction in poverty and inequality. In order to avoid the problem of unwanted labour reserves with high growth rate, it is important to make growth inclusive. This study utilised the opportunity index to analyse the growth and equity dimension of inclusive growth across the entire population distribution. Cross sectional data obtained from the General Household Survey (GHS) 2015, by the National Bureau of Statistics was used. This study revealed that inclusive growth was not achieved in the area of employment, provisions of health care in the private and rural health institutions, secondary and tertiary education.


Future energy systems will likely be challenged by large quantities of stranded renewable electricity that cannot be used in the conventional electrical grid. Using surplus electricity for electrolysis and thereby producing hydrogen is seen as a valuable solution functioning as an energy storage and transport medium and providing other sectors, such as transport or industry, with required feedstocks at the same time. In this study, we suggest using a set of assessment tools to highlight the quantitative potential, cost and environmental performance of electrolytic hydrogen production, transmission and storage. Our approach employs power sector modeling for Germany with three sequential elements: (i) a market model, (ii) power flow modeling, and (iii) re-dispatch modeling. The results were then used to identify suitable locations for large scale electrolysis plants. Electrolysis, large-scale gas storage, a transmission pipeline and other system components were scaled-up and the total cost was calculated. In a final step, we looked at greenhouse gas emissions as one of the major aspects regarding the environmental performance of the hydrogen delivered. Based on our analysis, annual hydrogen production rates of up to 189 kilotons have been determined for the state of Schleswig-Holstein, which exhibits the largest potential for utilizing surplus power from renewables. The economic analysis reveals a hydrogen cost of 3.63–5.81€ kg−1, including installations, for large-scale storage and transmission. If surplus power from renewables is used for hydrogen production, the total greenhouse gas emissions of hydrogen provision were determined to be up to 435 gCO2-eq. kg−1. Using grid electricity, this value increased to some 17 000 gCO2-eq. kg−1.


We propose an extension to the MAPF formulation, called SocialMapf, to account for private incentives of agents in constrained environments such as doorways, narrow hallways, and corridor intersections. SocialMapf is able to, for instance, accurately reason about the urgent incentive of an agent rushing to the hospital over another agent's less urgent incentive of going to a grocery store; MAPF ignores such agent-specific incentives. Our proposed formulation addresses the open problem of optimal and efficient path planning for agents with private incentives. To solve SocialMapf, we propose a new class of algorithms that use mechanism design during conflict resolution to simultaneously optimize agents' private local utilities and the global system objective. We perform an extensive array of experiments that show that optimal search-based MAPF techniques lead to collisions and increased time-to-goal in SocialMapf compared to our proposed method using mechanism design. Furthermore, we empirically demonstrate that mechanism design results in models that maximizes agent utility and minimizes the overall time-to-goal of the entire system. We further showcase the capabilities of mechanism design-based planning by successfully deploying it in environments with static obstacles. To conclude, we briefly list several research directions using the SocialMapf formulation, such as exploring motion planning in the continuous domain for agents with private incentives.


It is shown that the contribution of the induced scalar interaction through relativistic form factor coefficients is very important. This interaction affects the spectrum shape factor, to a first approximation, in the same way as the Fierz interference term, contrary to a previous assumption. A limit on the strength of fs of order 1/M is set.


As Earth's climate warms, surface melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is projected to intensify, contributing to rising sea levels1–4. Observations5–7 and theory8–10 indicate that meltwater generated at the surface of an ice sheet can drain to its bed via crevasses and moulins, where it flows relatively unhindered to the coast. This understanding of the movement of water within, and beneath, ice sheets, underpins theoretical models which are used to make projections of ice sheet change11. In this study, we show the first evidence of a disruptive drainage pathway in Greenland, whereby a subglacial flood – triggered by a draining subglacial lake – breaks through the ice sheet surface. This unprecedented outburst of water causes fracturing of the ice sheet, and the formation of 25-metre-high ice blocks. These observations reveal a complex, bidirectional coupling between the surface and basal hydrological systems of an ice sheet, which was previously unknown in Greenland. Analysis of over 30 years of satellite imagery confirms that the subglacial lake has drained at least once previously. However, on that occasion the floodwater failed to breach the ice surface. The two contrasting drainage regimes, coupled with the increased rates of ice melting and thinning that have occurred over the past three decades years, suggest that Arctic climate warming may have facilitated a new, disruptive mode of hydrological drainage on the ice sheet. As such, our observations reveal an emerging and poorly understood phenomenon, which is not currently captured in physical ice sheet models.


The highly ordered mesoporous silicas with elaborately controlled microenvironment were synthesized via covalent incorporation of long-chain polymers (M(w) = 2000 g mol(-1)) bearing specific hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance. The microenvironment (hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity) of the mesoporous silicas was quantitatively determined by gas adsorption experiments and investigated by lysozyme (LYZ) adsorption. The relative activity of lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia (PCL) encapsulated in the mesoporous silica with moderate hydrophobic microenvironment (hereafter denoted as MHM) reaches up to 281% compared with the free PCL, notably higher than that of PCL accommodated in the mesoporous silicas with hydrophilic or strong hydrophobic microenvironment (20.7-26.2% relative to the free PCL). Moreover, PCL entrapped in the nanochannels with MHM affords the highest initial rate in the kinetic resolution of (R,S)-1-phenylethanol relative to other immobilized PCL. The above results suggest that the MHM could render the active center of PCL entirely exposed to the substrates without interrupting its native conformation in the "interfacial activation". In addition, the nanochannels with MHM could markedly improve the thermal stability of PCL (preserving nearly 60% of the initial activity after the incubation at 70 °C for 2 h) and facilitate the recycling of the immobilized PCL in both aqueous and organic media. Our work demonstrates that the subtle modulation of the microenvironment of mesoporous silicas for enzyme immobilization designates a very promising strategy to fabricate the highly active and stable heterogeneous biocatalysts for industrial application.


Abstract A sustainable power source is more and more important in modern society. Ocean wave energy is a very promising renewable energy source, and it is widely distributed worldwide. But, it is difficult to develop efficiently due to various limitations of the traditional electromagnetic generator. In recent years, the newly developed triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) provides an excellent way to convert water wave energy into electrical energy, which is mainly based on the coupling between triboelectrification and electrostatic induction. In this paper, a review is given for recent advances in using the TENG technology harvesting water wave energy. We first introduce the four most fundamental modes of TENG, based on which a range of wave energy harvesting devices have been demonstrated. Then, these applications' structure and performance optimizations are discussed. Besides, the connection methods between TENG units are also summarized. Finally, it also outlines the development prospects and challenges of technology.


Cotton production efficiency has the potential to increase through accurate variable rate application of fertilizer. The ability to variably apply fertilizer already exists. However, an accurate real-time system capable of diagnosing fertilizer deficiencies has yet to be implemented. A ground-based remote sensing system with modulated illumination has been developed for diagnosing nitrogen status in cotton plants. Development of the system was in part based on recommendations from previous research conducted at The University of Tennessee. The prototyped system consists of a multi-spectral sensing unit, a data acquisition and processing unit, and a graphical user interface. The multi-spectral sensing unit utilizes a discriminating artificial illumination source to eliminate error associated with the use of sunlight. Solar angle and atmospheric filtering contribute to variability in light intensity. Narrow spectrum ultra bright LEDs (blue, green, red, and infrared) with peak wavelengths of 466, 540, 644, and 880 nm were used. Modulated light at a frequency of 18.9 kHz was focused into a scanning beam and reflected from the plant canopy. Reflected light from the plant canopy was converted to voltage signals representing reflected light intensity at each waveband. A band pass filter was implemented to pass only the signal due to the modulated light source. The data acquisition and processing system was developed for control of the multi-spectral sensing unit and reliable data collection and processing. The prototyped system was tested on DP451 BRR cotton with four different N application rates. Based on a nitrate analysis, three nitrogen status classifications were identified: low, medium, and high. Analysis of spectral data collected revealed reflected light energy in the red region produced the highest linear correlation with N status (r = –0.7285). A feed forward neural network was trained to predict nitrogen status based on the four spectral measurements taken with the prototyped system. System performance was evaluated based on its ability to correctly classify N status. Results indicate that the system is capable of diagnosing nitrogen status in cotton with a high degree of accuracy. Using dynamically (≈1 mi/hr) acquired data, prediction accuracies as high as 91% were achieved when 50% of data was used for training and 50% used for testing. Accuracy decreased slightly to 90% when 25% of the data was used for training and 75% used for testing. Utilizing neural networks, the prototyped system outperformed the conventional NDVI and other linear techniques. The system has shown great potential in diagnosing N status in cotton under controlled field conditions. Future testing should be performed to evaluate the system for multiple varieties, growing seasons, and other variables known to contribute to plant health variability.


Supplies of soil amendments and fertilizers are major constraints to increasing crop productivity in rural Cambodia. In order to test and compare potential soil amendments, we examined the effects of biochar from rice (Oryza sativa L.) husk and Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata), with and without fertilizer on plant growth and soil properties. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) was grown on loamy sand (clay-silt-sand = 9-10-81), with a pH of 7.7, and exposed to the following seven treatments: no input (control), rice husk biochar (RB), rice husk biochar + compost (RBcom), rice husk biochar + NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer (RBchem), C. odorata biochar (CB), C. odorata biochar + compost (CBcom), and C. odorata biochar + NPK (CBchem). The results showed that only CBchem provided significantly greater fresh root weight (+58%) and total fresh biomass (+166%) than control. RB, RBchem, and RBcom did not increase all the parameters on plant growth and soil properties. The soil pH of CB (7.8), CBcom (7.9), and CBchem (7.7) were significantly enhanced as compared to control (7.3). Compared to CBchem, CBcom caused greater increases in soil pH, EC, available P, available N, exchangeable Ca, and exchangeable K, although those increases were not statistically significant. Hence, C. odorata biochar was considered as a nutrient-rich amendment that had a high amount of N, P, Ca, Mg, and K after the charring process, and contributed to improve plant growth.


ABSTRACT Early definitive diagnosis of dengue virus infection may help in the timely management of dengue virus infection. We evaluated the Standard Diagnostics (SD, South Korea) dengue virus nonstructural protein NS1 antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (SD dengue NS1 Ag ELISA) for the detection of dengue virus NS1 antigen in patients' sera, using a total of 399 serum samples in a comparison with real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, an in-house IgM capture (MAC)-ELISA, and a hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. Of the 320 dengue sera, 205 (64%) tested positive for NS1 antigen compared to 300 (93.75%) by either MAC-ELISA or RT-PCR, 161 (50.31%) by RT-PCR, and 226 (70.36%) by MAC-ELISA only. The assay was able to detect NS1 antigen in convalescent-phase sera until day 14 of infection. The NS1 detection rate is inversely proportional while the IgM detection rate is directly proportional to the presence of IgG antibodies. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the SD dengue NS1 Ag ELISA in the detection of "confirmed dengue virus" sera are 76.76% and 98.31%, respectively. This suggests that the SD kit is highly specific and sensitive for the detection of NS1 antigen. However, caution is needed when the kit is used as a single assay, as detection in samples that contained the virus was only about 81.97%. Combining this assay with an IgM and/or IgG assay will increase the sensitivity of detection, especially in areas with a higher prevalence of secondary dengue virus infections.


The paper presents results of research of preferences of Moravian consumers when buying food. The research focuses on characteristics of consumer behavior on the market with food, the preferences of product characteristics, price characteristics, convenient distribution and influence of selected marketing communication tools. The data collection was conducted via questionnaire in April through June 2010 on a sample of 2017 respondents by a research team of Department of Marketing and Trade at FBE MENDELU in Brno. The results suggest that Moravian consumers prefer retail stores with fresh food (mean = 7.99) and wider assortment (7.71), their choice of outlet is also influenced by the convenience of its location – the most preferred are the ones nearest to respondents' homes or job (7.31), nevertheless, there is greater variability in level of agreement with this behavior among respondents. Respondents develop a certain level of loyalty, most of them have their favorite store and do no alternate much (7.26). However, they tend to be as savvy as possible (6.89) and take their time to consider their final choice (6.52).


THE ASSOCIATED movement between the jaw and the upper eyelid described first by the London ophthalmologist Marcus Gunn in 1883 evoked great interest among neurologists and ophthalmologists. There have been many publications on this subject, even in recent years. This phenomenon, usually called jaw-winking phenomenon, consists of automatic, involuntary, irresistible lifting of the ptotic eyelid when the mouth is opened, and particularly when the mandible is moved to the side opposite the ptosis. Of the numerous modifications of the original Marcus Gunn phenomenon described in the voluminous international literature, the so-called inverted Marcus Gunn phenomenon is of great physiologic interest. In this condition, on movement of the mandible, not a lifting of the eyelid but a closure of the eye occurs. Since the phenomenon of Marcus Gunn has been so often observed and thoroughly investigated, one is from the very outset justified in being skeptical of the existence of the


Dried ground formaldehyde-treated peanut skins, white ash bark, and So. Wisconsin red maple bark are efficient substrates for removal of many heavy metal ions from waste streams, but possible interference by common light metal cations has never been determined. The influence of Ca2+, Mg2+, or Na+ on the removal of the heavy metal ions Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+ by the above substrates was studied in both batch and packed-column experiments. It was found that Pb2+ and Cu2+ were minimally affected by the presence of these light metal ions in solution, while the uptake of Cd2+ and Zn2+ was significantly reduced. Calcium ion produced the greatest effect of the light metals tested.


Benign follicular tumors comprise a large and heterogeneous group of neoplasms that share a common histogenesis and display morphological features resembling one or several portions of the normal hair follicle, or recapitulate part of its embryological development. Most cases present it as clinically nondescript single lesions and essentially of dermatological relevance. Occasionally, however, these lesions be multiple and represent a cutaneous marker of complex syndromes associated with an increased risk of visceral neoplasms. In this article, the authors present the microscopic structure of the normal hair follicle as a basis to understand the type and level of differentiation of the various follicular tumors. The main clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of benign follicular tumors are then discussed, including dilated pore of Winer, pilar sheath acanthoma, trichoadenoma, trichilemmoma, infundibuloma, proliferating trichilemmal cyst/tumor, trichoblastoma and its variants, pilomatricoma, trichodiscoma/fibrofolliculoma, neurofollicular hamartoma and trichofolliculoma. In addition, the main syndromes presenting with multiple follicular tumors are also discussed, namely Cowden, Birt-Hogg-Dubé, Rombo and Bazex-Dupré-Christol syndromes, as well as multiple tumors of follicular infundibulum (infundibulomatosis) and multiple trichoepitheliomas. Although the diagnosis of follicular tumors relies on histological examination, we highlight the importance of their knowledge for the clinician, especially when in presence of patients with multiple lesions that may be the cutaneous marker of a cancer-prone syndrome. The dermatologist is therefore in a privileged position to recognize these lesions, which is extremely important to provide further propedeutic, appropriate referral and genetic counseling for these patients.


Explainable AI is an emerging field that studies how to explain the rationality behind the decisions of intelligent computer-based systems in human-understandable terms. The research-focus so far has though almost exclusively been on model interpretability, in particular, on trying to explain the learned concepts of (deep) neural networks. However, for many tasks, constraint- or heuristic-based search is also an integral part of the decision-making process of intelligent systems, for example, in planning and game-playing agents. This paper explores how to alter the search-based reasoning process used in such agents to generate more easily human-explainable solutions, using the domain of Sudoku puzzles as our test-bed. We model the perceived human mental effort of using different familiar Sudoku solving techniques. Based on that, we show how to find an explanation understandable to human players of varying expert levels, and evaluate the algorithm empirically on a wide range of puzzles of different difficulty.


i n this article, I will outline the analysis I have been developing to investigate a very specific case study: the history of the Ohlone peoples of the San Francisco Bay Area and their petition for federal recognition as the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. Because I am a cultural anthropologist and I work as tribal ethnologist for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, the approach I have taken in much of my work has been to show the role played by anthropologists and anthropological knowledge in Ohlone history. Early in the twentieth century, the work of anthropologists helped to legitimate the disenfranchisement of Ohlone peoples; in the early twenty-first century, I use anthropology instead to support the Muwekma Ohlones' current acknowledgment petition. Consequently, my treatment of these histories is directed toward both Ohlones and anthropologists, their past and present intersections, and their future trajectory. 0 In the post-World War II era, it is a commonplace that anthropology has been and remains the child of imperialism. Most anthropolo3 79 gists have acknowledged that anthropological knowledge production about indigenous peoples (in particular) has been historically linked to the bureaucratic systems nation-states developed and deployed in order to at least control and sometimes destroy indigenous cultures and societies. Many times, however, such linkages have been asserted more than substantiated, and in my work I am increasingly concerned


Knowledge is the most important asset in education. Knowledge Management has been the focus for many years in higher education. Recently, universities have embraced innovative processes that could foster a better learning process. Digital learning platforms such as Canvas or Blackboard has been deployed at the higher education to facilitate the learning process. However, it is still recognized that knowledge might not be fully acquired by students. Adoption of technological artifacts has proven to be a good step forward; however, it seems not sufficient. Lately there has been a focus on how to implement student centric methodologies to foster learning effectiveness. For instance, Project-based learning (Trullàs, Blay, Sarri, & Pujol) approach intends to provide to students the possibility to be engaged in project reflecting similar issues such in real life in order to further develop skills and competences. This paper outlines two approaches based on the leitmotiv "learning by doing" and on the implication of students in defining jointly a use case for their home exams. The paper presents 3 experiences from 3 universities based in Norway and Spain. A model for an effective learning in Higher Education is delineated.


Novel treatment strategies are needed for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in older patients. This trial evaluated the feasibility and outcomes with the anti-CD19 bispecific T-cell engaging antibody, blinatumomab, in combination with dasatinib and steroids. Patients 65 years of age or older with Ph+ or Ph-like ALL (with dasatinib sensitive fusions/ mutations) were eligible and could be newly diagnosed or relapsed/ refractory. Induction therapy consisted of dasatinib/ prednisone. Patients not achieving response by Day 56 proceeded to blinatumomab re-induction therapy. Patients achieving response with induction or re-induction therapy proceeded to blinatumomab/ dasatinib post-remission therapy for 3 cycles followed by dasatinib/ prednisone maintenance. All patients received central nervous system prophylaxis with intrathecal methotrexate for a total of 8 doses. Response was assessed at Days 28, 56, 84, and at additional time points based on response parameters. Measurable residual disease (MRD) was assessed centrally by 8 color flow cytometry at Day 28. Twenty-four eligible patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL were enrolled with a median age of 73 years (range 65-87). This combination was safe and feasible. With a median of 2.7 years of follow up, 3-year overall survival and disease-free survival were 87% (95% CI 64%-96%) and 77% (95% CI 54%-90%), respectively. Although longer follow up is needed, these results are encouraging, and future trials are building on this backbone regimen. This trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02143414.


PURPOSE
Patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) have poor prognoses with current conventional chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of high-dose therapy (HDT) followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) on patients with AITL.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We report a retrospective, multicenter study of 146 patients with AITL who received ASCT. The source of the stem cells was peripheral blood in 143 patients. The conditioning regimen varied, and 74% of the patients received carmustine and 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea; etoposide; ara-C; and melphalan chemotherapy.

RESULTS
After a median follow-up of 31 months (range, 3 to 174 months), 95 patients (65%) remained alive, and 51 patients (35%) died. Forty-two patients died as a result of disease progression, and nine died as a result of regimen-related toxicity. The cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality was 5% and 7% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. The actuarial overall survival (OS) was 67% at 24 months and 59% at 48 months. The cumulative incidence of relapse was estimated at 40% and 51% at 24 and 48 months, respectively. Disease status at transplantation was the major factor that impacted outcome. Patients who received a transplant during first complete remission (CR) had significantly superior progression-free survival and OS. The estimated PFS rates for patients who received their transplants in CR were 70% and 56% at 24 and 48 months, respectively; 42% and 30% for patients with chemotherapy-sensitive disease at those time points, respectively; and 23% at both time points for patients with chemotherapy-refractory disease.

CONCLUSION
This study shows that HDT and ASCT offers the possibility of long-term disease-free survival to patients with AITL. Early transplantation is necessary to achieve optimal results.


Wide-band variable-gain amplifiers consisting of bipolar junction transistors and exhibiting maximum gain larger than unity are considered. The mechanisms of distortion are analyzed at low and high frequencies. Approximate expressions for distortion are derived and give good agreement with computational results and measurements. The most common high-performance variable-gain circuit realizations are discussed and compared for distortion performance.


Purpose This study investigated the gene expression of TGFβ isoforms and their receptors in chick retina, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and choroid and the effects of short-term imposed optical defocus. Methods The expression of TGFβ isoforms (TGF-β1, 2, 3) and TGFβ receptors (TGFBR1, 2, 3) was examined in the retina, RPE, and choroid of young White-Leghorn untreated chicks (19 days-old). The effects on the expression of the same genes of monocular +10 and -10 D defocusing lenses, worn for either 2 or 48 h by age-matched chicks, were also examined by comparing expression in treated and untreated fellow eyes. RNA was purified, characterized and then reverse transcribed to cDNA. Differential gene expression was quantified using real-time PCR. Results All 3 isoforms of TGFβ and all 3 receptor subtypes were found to be expressed in all 3 ocular tissues, with apparent tissue-dependent differences in expression profiles. Data are reported as mean normalized expression relative to GAPDH. Sign-dependent optical defocus effects were also observed. Optical defocus did not affect retinal gene expression but in the RPE, TGF-β2 expression was significantly up-regulated with +10 D lenses, worn for either 2 h (349% increase ± 88%, p < 0.01) or 48 h (752% increase ± 166%, p < 0.001), and in the choroid, the expression of TGF-β3 was up-regulated with -10 D lenses, worn for 48 h (147% increase ± 9%, p < 0.01). Conclusions The effects of short term exposure to optical defocus on TGFβ gene expression in the RPE and choroid, which were sign-dependent and isoform specific, provide further supporting evidence for important roles of members of the TGFβ family and these two tissues in local signal cascades regulating ocular growth.


Purpose: This study aimed to determine the rates of distribution of high-risk HPV (hrHPV) genotypes according to cervical smear samples and biopsy results in a large sample of Turkish women. Methods: The study was conducted with 4,503 healthy volunteer women aged 19-65 years. Samples of cervical smears were collected during the examination and liquid-based cytology was used for the Pap tests. The Bethesda system was used for reporting the cytology. High-risk HPV genotypes including HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68 were investigated in samples. The study cohort was grouped according to age in decades, with comparisons made according to these age groups, Bethesda class, and cervix biopsy results. Results: Among all cases, 903 (20.1%) participants were positive for 1074 hrHPV-DNA genotypes. HPV-DNA positive cases were most common in the 30-39 age group (28.0%), followed by women under the age of 30 (38.5%). HPV genotypes were determined as, in order of frequency: Other hrHPV (n = 590, 65.3%), HPV16 (n = 127, 14.1%), Other HPV + HPV16 (n = 109, 12.1%), HPV 18 (n = 33, 3.6%), and Other HPV + HPV 18 (n = 32, 3.5%). Cervical smears were reported as ASCUS in 304 (6.8%) samples and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) in 12 (0.3%) of the samples. Biopsy demonstrated the presence of HSIL in 110 (12.5%) participants, with 644 (73.3%) negative cases. Conclusion: This showed an increasing incidence of Other HPVs besides the known importance of HPV 16 and 18 genotypes as risk factors for cervical cancer.


Construction Grammar, one of the major frameworks in Cognitive Linguistics, has been successful in providing accounts of a wide range of empirical data. The approach has recently placed great emphasis on low-level generalizations, and some studies have argued that a constructional meaning is often associated only with a specific lexical item. Therefore, by investigating in detail the form [copula be + Adj. + enough + to -infinitive], the present study proposes that the combinatorial potential of the intensifier enough and the derived constructional meanings are sensitive to tense, thus emphasizing the importance of 'item- and tense-specific constructions'.


In present scenario buildings with floating column is a typical feature in the modern multistory construction in urban India. Such features are highly undesirable in building built in seismically active areas. This study highlights the importance of explicitly recognizing the presence of the floating column in the analysis of building. Alternate measures, involving stiffness balance of the first storey and the storey above, are proposed to reduce the irregularity introduced by the floating columns.
 FEM codes are developed for 2D multi storey frames with and without floating column to study the responses of the structure under different earthquake excitation having different frequency content keeping the PGA and time duration factor constant. The time history of floor displacement, inter storey drift, base shear, overturning moment are computed for both the frames with and without floating column.


Service quality is a critical element for fashion boutique operations. However, owing to limitation of resources, fashion boutiques usually cannot afford to establish a very formal service quality management system. Motivated by the importance of service management for fashion boutiques, this paper examines the respective service quality issues in two related parts: based on the revised retail service quality scale (RSQS) model, the first part conducts a service gap analysis via an empirical survey. It is found that the RSQS model is valid, the respective service gaps exist, and the problem-solving dimension has the largest service gap. Focusing on this most significant problem-solving service gap (PSSG) identified in the empirical analysis, the second part analytically studies the optimal PSSG decision for fashion boutiques and examines the impact of retail competition via a game theoretic analysis. The closed-form analytical findings reveal several insights, such as: 1) for both monopoly and homogeneous duopoly cases, the equilibrium demands depend solely on the profit margin, and the service gap enhancement efficiency and 2) the relative PSSG dependent demand sensitivity is critically important because it affects the equilibrium PSSG significantly.


We carry out a comprehensive evaluation of 13 recent models for ranking of long documents using two popular collections (MS MARCO documents and Robust04). Our model zoo includes two specialized Transformer models (such as Longformer) that can process long documents without the need to split them. Along the way, we document several difficulties regarding training and comparing such models. Somewhat surprisingly, we find the simple FirstP baseline (truncating documents to satisfy the input-sequence constraint of a typical Transformer model) to be quite effective. We analyze the distribution of relevant passages (inside documents) to explain this phenomenon. We further argue that, despite their widespread use, Robust04 and MS MARCO documents are not particularly useful for benchmarking of long-document models.


This paper examines two cases of separatist conflict, namely the conflict in Southern Thailand and the conflict in the southern Philippines. Both conflicts have been long-lasting, extremely violent, and embedded in ethnic and religious sentiments. The comparison shows that there are structural analogies in both conflict cases that indicate similar root causes. State-internal conflicts of this scale are not purely a matter of national politics. States and non-state actors have influenced – and are still influencing – both separatist conflicts in various ways and towards different outcomes. It becomes apparent that non-traditional security issues that are linked to state-internal conflicts demand a more proactive role of ASEAN in the field of conflict management.


We present a lattice QCD study of the ρ resonance with Nf = 2 + 1 clover fermions at a pion mass of approximately 320 MeV and lattice size 3.6 fm. We consider two processes involving the ρ. The first process is elastic scattering of two pions in P-wave with isospin 1. Using the Lüscher method we determine the scattering phase shift, from which we obtain the ρ resonance mass and decay width Γ(ρ → ππ). The second process is the radiative transition πγ → ππ, where we follow the BriceñoHansen-Walker-Loud approach to determine the transition amplitude in the invariant mass region near the ρ resonance and for both spaceand time-like photon momentum. This allows us to determine the coupling between the ρ, the pion and the photon, and the resulting ρ radiative decay width.


This study was performed to establish a production system for in situ and ex situ conservation of Elsholtzia minima Nakai, an endemic plant grown in Jeju Island. Moreover, this study aimed to identify root-growth characteristics according to the use of pre-treatment agents and seedling growth effect according to fertilizer application. The mean temperature was similar in greenhouse and vinyl-moist chamber, but air humidity was higher in vinyl-moist chamber than in greenhouse. After stem planting of Elsholtzia minima Nakai, initial root growth was observed after 10 days in greenhouse and after 7 days in vinyl-moist chamber. Root growth rate was more rapid in vinyl-moist chamber. Moreover, survival rate, root growth rate and root number was slightly higher in vinyl-moist chamber than in greenhouse, indicating that vinyl-moist chamber is more effective in plant growth. When pre-treatment agents were used to remove root growth-inhibiting substances, a higher root growth rate of more than 95% was found in pre-treatment groups, excluding the group treated with AgNO₃ at 77.5%. Thus, Elsholtzia minima Nakai is thought to have less root growth inhibitors. In the analysis of nitrogen application rate and Osmocote application by seedling container, a difference was found in survival rate and growth according to application rate and container conditions. When Osmocote, a slow release fertilizer, was applied to the soil surface around each culture container, survival rate and the growth of aerial and root parts were most favorable. Thus, Osmocote fertilizer is thought to be desirable for seedling propagation of Elsholtzia minima Nakai.


We explore the possibility of distinguishing neutrino mass hierarchies through the neutrino signal from dark matter annihilation at neutrino telescopes. We consider a simple extension of the standard model where the neutrino masses and mixing angles are obtained via the type-II seesaw mechanism as an explicit example. We show that future extensions of IceCube neutrino telescope may detect the neutrino signal from DM annihilation at the Galactic Center and inside the Sun, and differentiate between the normal and inverted mass hierarchies, in this model.


The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) triggered by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a widespread pandemic globally and seriously threatened the public health. Patients with COVID-19 infection, and in particular, those with severe pneumonia-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) manifested rapid disease progression and the resultant high mortality and morbidity. Advances in fundamental and clinical studies have suggested the feasibility of mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC)-based therapy as an inspiring alternative for ARDS administration. However, the systematic characteristics of the MSC-based cytotherapy and underlying mechanism for COVID-19 associated ARDS by bibliometric analyses are still unknowable. Herein, we took advantage of visual analyses to reveal the overview of ARDS-associated updates, core authors and focused issues, as well as to summarize the comprehensive knowledge of the keywords, authors, institutions with the aid of indicated software. Meanwhile, we have provided a brief overview on the molecular mechanisms and discussed the safety and efficacy of MSC-based therapy for ARDS on the basis of clinical trials.


This study is designed to determine Salmonella prevalence in organic poultry farms and slaughterhouse in three different regions with distinct seasonal characteristics. Salmonella strains were isolated from organic reared poultry farm environment (water, feed, and feces) and poultry meat samples (neck skin and breast meat). Antibiotic resistance and 16S rRNA profiles were demonstrated with alignment scores. Salmonella spp. prevalences according to regions were, 51 of 200 (25.50%) samples taken from Region A, 77 of 200 (38.50%) samples taken from Region B, 105 of 200 (52.50%) samples taken from Region C. Serotyping of the strains revealed that S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis are the most dormant strains among all strains. Antibiotic susceptibility of the strains revealed that major resistance against ampicillin. This study is held for an awareness rising about the possible impact of seasonality related with food borne pathogens prevalence. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Poultry meat and meat products account for approximately one‐third of all Salmonella infections in humans. The relation between environmental temperature and foodborne pathogens is a complex matter, which has not been investigated widely and is hard to predict. The data obtained in this study indicate a significant high prevalence in warm region, which may be evaluated as a possible key for environmental temperature effect on foodborne pathogens distribution in organically reared poultry. In addition, this study provides important information to show the sources of contamination steps ranging from farm to fork in organically reared poultry.


Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) is a chronic inflammatory airway disease which was lethal in the past despite combined treatment with antibiotics and the use of supportive therapies such as oxygen administration. Diagnosis of DPB is performed according to the diagnostic criteria that include major items: symptoms, existence of parasinusitis, chest radiographic findings, minor items: physical signs (coarse crackles), pulmonary functions and blood gas tests, and elevated titers of cold hemagglutinin. Pathological feature shows thickness of the wall of respiratory bronchiole with infiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells, and foamy histiocytes expanded into the peribronchiolar area. Many of these bronchiolitis progress respiratory failure with bronchiectasis in advanced stage. Recently, DPB was interested in genetic predisposition because of high accumulation in the East Asia with the same HLA haplotype. Low-dose of erythromycin (400-600 mg/day) is a authorized therapy to improve the survival time of patients with DPB. 14-membered ring macrolides other than erythromycin also improve the survival of DPB patients.


Nowadays, we are noticing more and more new technological solutions that fi t into the fi eld of sensory marketing, the implementation of which is in a relatively preliminary stage. They are intended to improve customer experience. The main objective of the research is to determine the main topics covered in the literature. This article covers a systematic literature review of research conducted to date on new technologies that are part of the fi eld of sensory marketing related to customer experience. The research search was based on two databases: Scopus and Web of Science Core Collections. Studies conducted between 2007 and May 2022 were included. Four inclusion criteria were used: database, terms, language, and cover period. No methods were used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. 33 items of literature were qualifi ed for qualitative synthesis. Based on the analysis, a conceptual framework of the most commonly used antecedents and outcomes in research was created, and two main research areas were identifi ed: sense of telepresence and research by technology type. In view of this, further research directions based on the identifi ed research gaps were indicated.


Based on a gender equity perspective and within a p luralistic civil society, women should have equal r ights for presence in and use of urban open spaces. Despite this, various factors decrease their presence including inapprop riate design of space, as well as socio-cultural obstacles. Since women's major place of presence and activity has traditionally been in or near home, neighborhoo d open space is chosen as a relevant case study. Through a question na re survey of 180 subjects, 90 male and 90 female , of both marital status the criteria affecting their presence are investiga ed. Results show that environmental quality factor s are more effective than socio-cultural factors on presence of women in urba n open spaces.


Gujarat is the state which has two gulfs in its 1600 km (approximately) area of coast out of 7517 km (approximately) coast line of India. Much work on diversity of mangroves and microbial diversity has been done in this area, but research on diversity of halophytes has not been much done. Attention was paid to listing, distribution and ecological aspects of plants growing in coastal areas. An attempt was made to study the diversity indices like Shannon's index, Simpson index and Pielou's index of coastal flora at 3 different habitats viz., marshy, fresh wetland and inland saline habitat during 3 seasons in Bhal region falling under Bhavnagar district (Gujarat). Results showed little variations for the indices for marshy locations (Sonrai Creek) during monsoon, winter and summer. In contrast, these measures of diversity marginally fluctuated at freshwater, saline and grassland localities.


OBJECTIVE
CT findings in retroperitoneal plexiform neurofibromas have been described previously only in a few case reports. This study was performed to characterize the CT features in a larger group of patients with this benign neoplasm and to delineate those findings that suggest the presence of concurrent malignant tumors of the nerve sheath.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
From a review of CT scans showing retroperitoneal masses in 25 patients with neurofibromatosis type 1, we identified 16 patients whose clinical and CT features suggested the diagnosis of plexiform neurofibromas. The diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy of the mass in three patients. In the remaining 13 patients, the diagnosis was supported by long-term follow-up in eight and by biopsy confirmation of either a neurofibroma or a plexiform neurofibroma elsewhere in the body in the other five patients. Concurrent retroperitoneal malignant tumors of the nerve sheath were confirmed by biopsy in five patients.

RESULTS
CT showed bilateral, remarkably symmetric masses extending along the medial and posterior aspects of the psoas muscles in 15 of the 16 patients. Parapsoas masses tended to be long and cylindrical. In addition to parapsoas masses, eight patients had bilateral, symmetric masses extending along the anterior aspect of the sacrum in a sheetlike fashion. Masses were identified in the region of the celiac axis and the origin of the superior mesenteric artery in four patients. Only one patient had an isolated celiac/superior mesenteric artery mass without associated parapsoas or presacral masses. Retroperitoneal masses were of homogeneous, low attenuation when compared with adjacent muscle on CT images of 14 patients. Two patients had an unusual swirling and serpiginous pattern of increased attenuation superimposed on a low-attenuation background. Asymmetry in size and attenuation was due to malignant nerve sheath tumors in five patients.

CONCLUSION
Retroperitoneal plexiform neurofibromas have a characteristic appearance on CT scans. They are typically bilateral, symmetric, low-attenuation masses in a parapsoas or presacral location. Asymmetry in size and attenuation of a larger mass suggests the possibility of a malignant tumor of the nerve sheath. Recognition of the CT features of a retroperitoneal plexiform neurofibroma can obviate the expense, pain, and risk of an unnecessary biopsy. Conversely, detection of findings suggestive of malignant tumor can lead to appropriate recommendation of biopsy.


Quasicrystalline materials possess a unique structure that is ordered yet not periodic. Despite their special configuration and many useful properties, they are typically very brittle at temperatures below \ensuremath{\sim}75% of their melting points, rendering them difficult to process and often unsuitable for practical implementations. Micro-compression offers an opportunity to unveil the fundamental mechanisms of quasicrystal plasticity. Here, we study the mechanical behavior of a typical icosahedral quasicrystal (i-Al-Pd-Mn) using microthermomechanical techniques over a temperature in the range 25--500 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. We observe a few interesting phenomena, including micropillar shrinkage, phase transformations, grain refinement, and thermally induced transitions in deformation behavior (from brittle fracture at room temperature to serrated plastic flows and then to homogeneous flows at elevated temperatures). Furthermore, we discuss the multiple underlying mechanisms on the mechanical behavior of the quasicrystal in this temperature regime, exploring surface evaporation/diffusion, diffusion-enhanced plasticity, dislocation activities, and grain boundary rotation/sliding. Our study bridges the gap between room-temperature and high-temperature plasticity in quasicrystals, demonstrating an opportunity to study complex intermetallic phases in broad size and temperature regimes.


The new mineral species tiberiobardiite, ideally Cu9Al(SiO3OH)2(OH)12(H2O)6(SO4)1.5·10H2O, has been discovered in the Cretaio Cu prospect, Massa Marittima, Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy, as very rare, light green, vitreous, tabular {0001}, pseudo-hexagonal crystals, up to 200 μm in size and 5 μm in thickness, associated with brochantite. Electron microprobe analysis gave (in wt %, average of 5 spot analyses): SO3 10.37, P2O5 3.41, As2O5 0.05, SiO2 8.13, Al2O3 5.54, Fe2O3 0.74, CuO 62.05, and ZnO 0.03, for a total of 90.32. Based on an idealized O content of 42 atoms per formula unit, assuming the presence of 16 H2O groups and 13.5 cations (without H), the empirical formula of tiberiobardiite is (Cu8.69Al0.21Fe0.10)Σ9.00Al1.00(Si1.51P0.54)Σ2.05S1.44O12.53(OH)13.47·16H2O. The main diffraction lines, corresponding to multiple hkl indices, are [d in A (relative visual intensity)]: 9.4 (s), 4.67 (s), 2.576 (m), 2.330 (m), and 2.041 (mw). The crystal structure study revealed tiberiobardiite to be trigonal, space group R 3 ¯ , with unit-cell parameters a = 10.6860(4), c = 28.3239(10) A, V = 2801.0(2) A3, and Z = 3. The crystal structure was refined to a final R1 = 0.060 for 1747 reflections with Fo > 4σ (Fo) and 99 refined parameters. Tiberiobardiite is the Si-analogue of chalcophyllite, with Si4+ replacing As5+ through the coupled substitution As5+ + O2− = Si4+ + (OH)−. The name tiberiobardiite honors Tiberio Bardi (b. 1960) for his contribution to the study of the mineralogy of Tuscany.


This study shows a thick plate, pointed on both sides, of variable elongation under action of subsonic and supersonic air flows. The relevance of the work is driven by the development of new aircraft that change their geometry during the flight, in particular, aircraft that change the relative elongation during the flight. The aim of this work is to determine the aerodynamic fields around the pointed plate, taking into account its variable elongation, and to determine the effect of variable elongation on the drag coefficient of the plate. Numerical simulation was used as a research tool. Mathematical modeling is based on Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The original software was used for the analysis; the computational algorithm is based on the finite volume method. The mathematical model and algorithm of numerical computation of subsonic and supersonic air flow acting on a pointed plate are presented. A pattern of gas flow acting on the plate is obtained at zero angle of attack for Mach numbers from 0,6 to 4. The dependence of the plate drag coefficient on Mach number and relative elongation is obtained. It is established that for a thick pointed plate the drag coefficient significantly depends on the elongation for both sound and supersonic flow. As a result of numerical experiments, the anomalous behavior of the drag coefficient in the transonic area at large elongations was found. It is shown that the decrease in elongation leads to an increase in the drag coefficient of the plate, which affects the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft of variable elongation.


Philornis downsi (Diptera: Muscidae) is a nest parasitic fly that has invaded the Galapagos archipelago and exerts an onerous burden on populations of endemic land birds. As part of an ongoing effort to develop tools for the integrated management of this fly, our objective was to determine its long and short-range responses to bacterial and yeast cues associated with adult P. downsi. We hypothesized that the bacterial and yeast communities will elicit attraction at distance through volatiles, and appetitive responses upon contact. Accordingly, we amplified bacteria from guts of adult field-caught individuals and bird feces, and yeasts from fermenting papaya juice (a known attractant of P. downsi), on selective growth media, and assayed the response of flies to these microbes or their exudates. In the field, we baited traps with bacteria or yeast and monitored adult fly attraction. In the laboratory, we used the Proboscis Extension Response (PER) to determine the sensitivity of males and females to tarsal contact with bacteria or yeast. Long range trapping efforts yielded two female flies over 112 trap nights (one in extracts from bird faeces and one in extracts from gut bacteria from adult flies). In the laboratory, tarsal contact with bacterial stimuli from gut bacteria from adult flies elicited significantly more responses than did yeast stimuli. We discuss the significance of these findings in context with other studies in the field and identify targets for future work.


The Philippine archipelago is tectonically complex and seismically hazardous, yet few seismic hazard assessments have provided national coverage. This article presents an updated probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for the nation. Active shallow crustal seismicity is modeled by faults and gridded point sources accounting for spatially variable occurrence rates. Subduction interfaces are modeled with faults of complex geometry. Intraslab seismicity is modeled by ruptures confined to the slab volume. Source geometries and earthquake rates are derived from seismicity catalogs, geophysical data sets, and historic-to-paleoseismic constraints on fault slip rates. The ground motion characterization includes models designed for global use, with partial constraint by residual analysis. Shallow crustal faulting near metropolitan Manila, Davao, and Cebu dominates shaking hazard. In a few places, peak ground acceleration with 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years on rock reaches 1.0g. The results of this study may have utility for defining the design base shear in the National Structural Code of the Philippines.


SUMMARY

Fast and slow growing Rhizobium spp. isolated from Cajanus cajan and Cicer arietinum were compared in terms of colony characteristics, utilisation of carbon sources, acid production, symbiotic effectiveness and nodulating competitiveness.

Fast growing isolates from C. cajan and C. arietinum formed 3–6 mm diameter colonies on yeast-extract mannitol agar after 4 days and were unlike the slow growers which produced colonies of c. 1 mm diameter after 7–10 days at 28 °C. The fast growing Rhizobium spp. from C. cajan utilised a wider range of carbon sources than the slow growing isolates from this host. Fast and slow growing strains from C. arietinum were able to utilise most of the carbon sources tested suggesting that the slow growers possessed glycolytic pathways similar to those in other fast growing species of Rhizobium. In culture, slow growing isolates from C. cajan produced a near-neutral to alkaline reaction (pH 66·7-5) whereas the fast growers from this host and both fast and slow growing isolates from C. arietinum produced an acidic reaction (pH 4·4–5·6). These data are discussed in the context of Norris' (1965) evolutionary concept of the Leguminosae. Under glassshouse conditions, fast and slow growing strains isolated from C. cajan and C. arietinum were equally effective on their respective hosts.

In competition with slow growing rhizobia, half of the fast growers formed more than 70% of the nodules on C. cajan grown in sand. In all but one instance similar results were obtained when plants were grown in soil. With C. arietinum grown in sand or soil, all fast growing isolates from this host formed more than 85% of the nodules in competition with slow growing strains.


The farnesoid X receptor (FXRalpha) is a metabolic nuclear receptor and bile acid sensor expressed in the liver and intestine. Physiological studies have shown that FXRalpha exerts regulatory roles in bile acids, lipid and glucose homeostasis. FXR ligands of steroidal and non-steroidal structure have been described. Both ligand groups have shown limitations in preclinical studies regarding their absorption, metabolism, target interactions and intrinsic toxicity. Inhibition of bile acid synthesis and basolateral transporters in the liver as well as reduction of high density lipoprotein (HDL) in the plasma are the major unwanted effect seen with these ligands. Several FXRalpha modulators are currently being generated with the aim of targeting FXRalpha isoforms by exploiting the relative unselectivity of the ligand binding domain of the receptor. Structure-activity relationship studies have shown that FXRalpha could be activated by structurally different ligands and that receptor occupancy by these ligands generate different patterns of gene activation as a results of specific conformational changes of the receptor or differential dislodgement of co-repressor or recruitment of co-activators. Generation of modulators that selectively target specific FXRalpha responsive elements are an interesting strategy to overcome the limitations of currently available FXR ligands.


The results of simulation of the emission characteristics of high-power ridge lasers at pump currents much higher than the threshold current are presented. The nonlinear interaction of carriers and the field in the laser cavity taking into account their distributions along the cavity axis and the influence of the inhomogeneous heating of the laser on the waveguiding effect are considered in the simulation. The dependence of the maximum single-mode output power on the ridge width W and the built-in δnb of the refractive index is studied. It is shown that a set of values of W and δnb can be divided into four regions, each of which is characterised by its own type of the upset of lateral-single-mode operation. The calculated values of the threshold current, differential efficiency and the far-field intensity distribution of laser emission agree well with the experiment.


The study area is an inter stream region of the Pennar and Upputeru Rivers located in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The groundwater levels and samples are collected from 196 observation wells penetrating the near surface aquifer to prepare groundwater contour maps and to analyse the groundwater samples for various chemical parameters. Occurrence of saline water in certain localized pockets due to intensified aquaculture and occurrence of saline water along the coast due to sea water intrusion are verified by various ionic ratios like Ca +2 /Mg +2 , TA/TH, Na + /Na + +Cl and Cl /CO3 -2 +HCO3 . The above investigations have revealed that all along the coast, with a strip width of 2 to 5 km, groundwater levels are below the sea level at a depth of 1 to 3 m, consequently, there is seawater intrusion with TDS concentrations ranging from 1500 to 3000 mg/l along this strip. Similarly, the TDS values were found to be as high as 5000 mg/l at a localized pocket at T.P.Gudur due to storing of sea water meant for aquaculture. In general, the seawater spreading is more during the pre-monsoon season and it is considerably diluted in the post-monsoon season due to recharging from Pennar river, Survepalli canal, tanks and precipitaion. The solute transport model indicates that the lateral spread of saline water towards inland is not occurring farther beyond a 2 to 5 km strip due to higher topographic elevations and the groundwater is following the topography. In the contaminated strip, the model predictions are made up to the year 2052 ,with respect to its vertical and lateral spread.


The ability to customise garments for fit is directly tied to the availability of a comprehensive, accurate set of measurements. To obtain accurate physical measurements, a basic knowledge and set of skills are required that are not often found in the average salesperson at a retail clothing outlet. The development of three‐dimensional body‐scanning technologies may have significant potential for use in the apparel industry, particularly for customisation or mass customisation strategies to be employed. The purpose of this study was to review all the 3D body scanning systems currently available and to determine the underlying principles that allow these systems to work. Specifications of each system were compared in order to provide some direction for further research into the integration of these systems with current apparel CAD pattern design or pattern generation technologies.


Analyses of the Sr2+ concentrations of interstitial fluids obtained from sediments squeezed during Leg 115 were used to estimate the rates and total amount of recrystallization of biogenic carbonates. The total amount of recrystallization calculated using this method varies from less than 1 % in sediments at Site 706 to more than 40% at Site 709 in sediments of 47 Ma. Five of the sites drilled during Leg 115 (Sites 707 through 711) were drilled in a depth transect within a restricted geographic area so that theoretically they received similar amounts of sediment input. Of these, the maximum rate of recrystallization occurred in the upper 50 m of Site 710 (3812 m). The amount of recrystallization decreased with increasing water depth at Sites 708 (4096 m) and 711 (4428 m), presumably as a result of the fact that most of the reactive calcium carbonate was dissolved before burial. We also observed significant alkalinity deficits at many of these sites, a condition which most likely resulted from the precipitation of calcium carbonate either in the sedimentary column, or during retrieval of the core. Precipitation of CaCO3 as a result of pressure changes during core retrieval was confirmed by the comparison of Ca 2+ and alkalinity from water samples obtained using the in-situ sampler and squeezed from the sediments. At Sites 707 and 716, the shallowest sites, no calcium or alkalinity deficits were present. In spite of our estimations of as much as 45% recrystallization at Site 709, all the carbonate sites exhibited what would be previously considered conservative Ca2+/Mg2+ profiles, which varied from - 1 to - 0.5. By virtue of the position of these sites relative to known basaltic basement or through the actual penetration of basalt (i.e., Sites 706, 707 and 712), these sites are all known to be underlain by basalt. Our results suggest, therefore, that more positive Ca2 + /Mg2+ gradients cannot necessarily be used as indicators of the nature of basement material.


In order to make efficient high-frequency electrooptic modulators, the microwave loss in the electrodes has to be minimized. A lift-off technique using chlorobenzene to harden the top of AZ1350-J photoresist was adopted to fabricate 1.2 μm thick metal electrodes. A 1 cm long, 15 μm wide strip electrode has a dc resistance of 11 Ω, which is substantially less than that of the 2000 A thick electrodes routinely fabricated. A 1 cm long traveling-wave phase modulator consisting of a single waveguide was tested. The measured -3 dB bandwidth is 3.8 GHz.


Background The term of erosive arthritis is borrowed from rheumatoid arthritis and is needed for complete evaluation of a patient with PA (Psoriatic Arthritis). Plain radiography is still the gold standard used for assessing bone changes in the peripheral joints for medium and long term evaluation of the disease progression in PA. Up to 67% of patients with established PA have plain radiographic manifestations of articular disease (1). The Larsen score, modified Steinbroker score, and Sharp score have been validated in established PA, and a modified Sharp method have been validated in early PA (2,3). So, we have tools to give us good infos, but it is not clear if these patients have significant differences from others. Objectives To identify the profile of patients with erosive PA for appropiate adjustment of therapy Methods 88 patients were examined in our clinic between octomber 2011 and december 2012, having mean age 55.53±11.06 years, 59.1% been female, classified according CASPAR criteria. The assessment had included demographic dates, medical history, a clinical assessment for skin disease (PASI score) and joint disease (number of tender joints, swollen joints, functional score like HAQ), a biological assessment (ESR, C reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, CCP-antibodies) and an imagistical assessment. We performed ultrasound assessment for small joints of the hands and radiological assessment of peripheral joints (hand, feet, according modified Sharp-van der Heijde score) (4). Results Of 88 patients with PA only 31.8% have erosive disease. Erosive disease is present in all clinical forms of PA regardless of onset (olygoarticular 72.7%, axial 40%, polyarticular 83.3%, mutilans 100%, distal interphalangian 50%, p=0.06). The patients with erosive disease had more familial history of psoriasis (35.6%, p=0.02) and spondyloarthritis (24.4%, p=0.009), more nail involvement (22.2%, p=0.08), more skin involvement (PASI=7.56±9.97, p=0.09), more joint involvement (tender joints p=0.09, swollen joints p=0.01) producing peripheral disability (HAQ=1.44±0.84, p=0.04). Radiological bone erosions were found also on ultrasound examination, 53.7% of patients with erosive radiological disease having erosive abnormalities on ultrasound (p=0.01). Besides this, there are linear correlation between duration of psoriasis (15.42±15.73 years, p=0.03, r=0.43), duration of PA (6.75±5.21 years, p=0.02, r=0.46), active clinical disease (tender joints p=0.04, r=0.41; swollen joints p=0.06, r=0.36) and seropositivity (titer of rheumatoid factor=19.99±30 ui/ml, p=0.02, r=0.4 7; titer of CCP antibody=48.69±128 ui/ml,p=0.008, r=0.55). Conclusions The patients with erosive PA have older disease, more joint activity and disability, more skin activity, but also seropositivity for rheumatoid factor and CCP antibodies. References Gladman DD et al, PA-an analysis of 220 patents, QJMed 1987; 62:127-141 Gladman DD, Natural history of PA, Baillieres Clin Rheumatol 1994; 8: 379-394 Gladman DD et al,Psoriatic spondyloarthropathy in men and women: a clinical, radiographic and HLA study, Clin Invest Med 1992; 15: 371-375 van der Heijde D, JRheumatol, How to read Radiographs According to the Sharp van der Heijde Method,1999;26:743-5 Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.3365


With the advent of autonomous vehicles, carmakers are increasingly involved in developments of Active Safety and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. Those systems are part of complex electronic equipment, that – with its sensors, microcontrollers, cable harnesses – will represent up to 40% of the total manufacturing cost. Today, virtual prototyping is integral part of development process, assuring fast innovation cycles and minimizing costs. A multiscale hybrid strategy is proposed to simulate Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in both Short Radar Range (SRR) and Long Radar Range (LRR). While SRR devices (typically blind spot/dead-angle radars) are operating at 24 GHz, the LRR devices used for Adaptive Cruise Control systems are utilizing the 77 GHz band. The sensor itself is modeled using FDTD or MoM/MLFMM methods. Then, the related electromagnetic environment is computed by means of Physical Optics (PO). Dedicated PO upgrades are utilized to handle plastic parts (bumper, front grille) in front of a sensor.


OBJECTIVE
Rheumatic diseases are a group of systemic disorders that may be concurrent with Raynaud's phenomenon and involvement of the internal organs, in particular the esophagus. Esophageal motor abnormalities have been widely described in systemic sclerosis, but have not frequently been reported in other diseases. In the present study we have examined the prevalence and pattern of esophageal motility disorders in different rheumatic diseases.

METHODS
Esophageal manometry was performed on 150 patients, 21 males and 129 females, suffering from different rheumatic diseases (SSc, RA, SLE, MCTD, undifferentiated CTD, or DM/PM) and on 30 healthy controls.

RESULTS
Functional involvement of the esophagus was demonstrated in all the rheumatic diseases considered, although at varying percentages. The frequencies of the functional abnormalities differed when each disease was considered separately. In SSc patients abnormalities were found more frequently in the lower esophageal sphincter (81.8%) and in the esophageal body (84.8%); data for the DM/PM and MCTD patients broadly overlapped. On the contrary, in SLE the lower sphincter appeared to be less (or even not at all) impaired, while the most specific disorder was an isolated abnormal peristalsis. RP did not always correlate with manometric changes in all of the groups studied.

CONCLUSIONS
Three conclusions derive from our study: i) motor disorders affecting the esophagus were not only found in SSc, but also in all forms of non-lupus CTD; ii) the simultaneous involvement of the esophageal body and the lower esophageal sphincter is discriminant between non-lupus CTD and SLE; and iii) RP may be regarded as a condition pathogenetically unrelated to manometrically detected esophageal motor abnormalities.


The study was conducted under laboratory conditions, in Bio-control Research Laboratory, Department of Entomology, Faculty of Crop Protection, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam during 2015-2016 to determine better artificial diets for mass rearing of C. carnea. The four natural diets Mustard, Akk, Cabbage aphid and Sitroga cercellela eggs were used. The results indicated that the maximum larval developmental period was recorded 5.5±0.6 of 1st instar larvae of C. carnea on akk aphid, whereas the shortest development was 2.25±0.3 days in 2nd instar on S. cerellela and mustard aphid, while the results further revealed that the highest development period of 3rd instar larvae observed 4.25±1.3 on akk aphid. The maximum pupal developmental time was recorded (7.0±1.1) on S. cerellela eggs followed by cabbage aphid (6.25±1.3), akk aphid (5.75±1.3), and mustard aphid (5.00±1.0) On the other hand the morphometric measurement of C. carnea highest length and breadth was at 1st instar 4.38±0.13 L/B 2.25±0.25mm 2nd instar 5.13±0.31 2.13±0.13mm and 3rd instar 6.88±0.31 2.88±0.13mm on S.cerellela eggs. The analysis of variance indicated that there was highly significant difference between the natural diets, and their larval, pupal, developmental, and morphometric stages on different aphid species.


Background: Podocytes, functionally specialized and terminally differentiated glomerular visceral epithelial cells, are critical for maintaining the structure and function of the glomerular filtration barrier. Podocyte injury is considered as the most important early event contributing to proteinuric kidney diseases such as obesity-related renal disease, diabetic kidney disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous nephropathy, and minimal change disease. Although considerable advances have been made in the understanding of mechanisms that trigger podocyte injury, cell-specific and effective treatments are not clinically available. Summary: Emerging evidence has indicated that the disorder of podocyte lipid metabolism is closely associated with various proteinuric kidney diseases. Excessive lipid accumulation in podocytes leads to cellular dysfunction which is defined as lipotoxicity, a phenomenon characterized by mitochondrial oxidative stress, actin cytoskeleton remodeling, insulin resistance, and inflammatory response that can eventually result in podocyte hypertrophy, detachment, and death. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the understanding of lipids in podocyte biological function and the regulatory mechanisms leading to podocyte lipid accumulation in proteinuric kidney disease. Key Messages: Targeting podocyte lipid metabolism may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with proteinuric kidney disease.


Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a genetically heterogeneous condition, caused by a combination of rare de novo and inherited variants as well as common variants in at least several hundred genes. However, significantly larger sample sizes are needed to identify the complete set of genetic risk factors. We conducted a pilot study for SPARK (SPARKForAutism.org) of 457 families with ASD, all consented online. Whole exome sequencing (WES) and genotyping data were generated for each family using DNA from saliva. We identified variants in genes and loci that are clinically recognized causes or significant contributors to ASD in 10.4% of families without previous genetic findings. Additionally, we identified variants that are possibly associated with autism in an additional 3.4% of families. A meta-analysis using the TADA framework at a false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.2 provides statistical support for 34 ASD risk genes with at least one damaging variant identified in SPARK. Nine of these genes (BRSK2, DPP6, EGR3, FEZF2, ITSN1, KDM1B, NR4A2, PAX5 and RALGAPB) are newly emerging genes in autism, of which BRSK2 has the strongest statistical support as a risk gene for autism (TADA q-value = 0.0015). Future studies leveraging the thousands of individuals with ASD that have enrolled in SPARK are likely to further clarify the genetic risk factors associated with ASD as well as allow accelerate autism research that incorporates genetic etiology.


Tourism apps often try to anticipate the needs and demands of travellers to make sure it can make profit for the producer. Sometimes, collaboration between producer of tourism apps and owner of tourism organization such as, accommodation, activities, travel agency and airline play an important role to create effective apps. Apps have many benefits in developing the tourism industry in order to increase economic sector and provide travellers the best travel experience. This paper focuses on the significance of conceptual framework towards the tourism apps in influencing tourist travel experience. The finding of paper also can be used to developing new prototype of tourism apps based on tourist needs. It is to determine the independent variables, dependent variables and moderator for this study. This paper will introduce the best features to be including in tourism apps


In this dissertation, research is described that has been conducted to develop an online test battery (named CATja) that supports general practitioners and mental health assistants (MHAs) in deciding which level of care suits their clients that experience diverse psychological complaints best. Would treatment in general practices be sufficient, or is referral to generalist or specialist mental health care required? For this, CATja generates a profile of complaints (e.g. depression) and strengths (e.g. emotional support). In order to incorporate the valuable experience, knowledge and wishes of the intended users, CATja has been developed in close collaboration with MHAs from the beginning. The innovative feature of CATja is its adaptive character, making it very efficient in practice. Adaptive means that follow-up questions during test administration are tailored to answers given to preceding questions. After each answer provided, the extent to which a certain domain (e.g. fear) is present in a client is newly computed and it is determined which follow-up question yields most information given this level of fear. Questions that provide little information are skipped. One could say that 'the behavior' of a 'computerized adaptive test' (CAT, hence the name CATja), as it were, mimics the behavior of an experienced interviewer. The first version of CATja includes five psychopathology domains: anxiety, depression, distress (general stress symptoms), and negative and positive symptoms of psychosis. In addition, MHAs can map the quality of clients' social networks by use the domains emotional support and friendship. First results of our implementation study are promising.


Background: In many developing countries, like Indonesia, most patients with oral mass lesions, i.e. infection, inflammation, even cancer came to the hospital at late stages of the disease. Some of them afraid of endure suffering a killer disease, either after a biopsy or even should undergo an operation. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is a technique rarely used to diagnose oral ad oropharyngeal lesion. This technique seems promise a convenienve, painless, accurate, safe, and easy to use to help patients and surgeons, and have been demonstrated repeatedly. Objectives: This case report emphasized many advantages of FNA biopsy to examine oral mass lesions and its metastasis to lymph node. Materials and Methods: Under a local anesthesia, incisional biopsy and FNA biopsy were done on four cases of oral mass lesions. All samples were prepared for microscopic examination with Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining and with Diff-Quick or Papaniculaou staining. Results: Incisional biopsy shoed features of malignancy as the same as FNA biopsy. There were bigger cells with high ratio between cells and nucleus, hyperchromatic nucleoli, and mitotic cells that refers to Squamous cell carcinoma. FNA biopsy from the nearest lymph node showed clumps atypia cells, prominent nuceloli, nuclear hyperchromatic and pleomorphism. Conclusion: FNA biopsy could well diagnose on oral mass lesions and the adjacent lymph node. FNA biopsy has many advantages particularly its convenience, painless, ease to use, cost effectiveness, and accuracy. DOI:  10.14693/jdi.v16i2.92


We present an optically powered, intrinsically safe gas monitoring system to measure four essential environmental gases (CH 4 , CO 2 , CO and O 2 ), together with ambient temperature and pressure, for underground mines. The system is based on three key technologies developed at UNSW: (1) power-over-fibre (PoF) at 1550 nm using a single industry-standard, low-cost single-mode fibre (SMF) for both power delivery and information transmission, (2) liquid–crystal-based optical transducers for optical telemetry, and (3) ultra-low power consumption design of all electronics. Together, this approach allows each gas monitoring station to operate with less than 150 mW of optical power, meeting the intrinsic safety requirements specified by the IEC60079-28 standard. A 2-month field trial at BMA's Broadmeadow underground mine proved the cabling compatibility to the mine's existing optical network and the stability of the system performance. Compared with conventional electrically powered gas sensors, this technology bypasses the usual roadblocks of underground gas monitoring where electrical power is either unsafe or unavailable. Furthermore, using one fibre for both power delivery and communication enables longer distance coverage, reduces optical cabling and increases multiplexing possibilities and data throughput for better awareness of underground environment.


In order to improve the accuracy of the vertical handoff decision for radio heterogeneous network, this paper proposes an adaptive multi-criteria vertical handoff (AMVHO) decision algorithm. This algorithm uses a fuzzy inference system (FIS) and a modified Elman neural network (MENN). The FIS adopts crucial criteria of the vertical handoff as the input variables and makes handoff decision based on the defined rule base. The MENN helps to do the prediction for number-of-users of the after-handoff network, which is a pivotal variable of the FIS. Simulation results show that compared with the conventional method, the AMVHO decision algorithm achieves better performance in guaranteeing the quality of service (QoS) of the after-handoff communication.


Introduction Positron emission tomography (PET) measures metabolic changes at a cellular level enabling detection of early stage disease. Incidental 2-deoxy-[18FF]fluoro-2-D-glucose (FDG) colonic uptake is detected in 1.3–3% of patients with up to a third resulting in false positive results.1 Follow-up endoscopy is recommended to further distinguish these FDG avid lesions.2 Cancer detection rates of 7.8–18.9% have been quoted in various studies.1,3 Our aim was to evaluate colonic FDG avid lesions on PET by endoscopy. Methods An analysis of prospectively collected database of all patients (n = 1564) who had PET for various malignancy between January 2011 to September 2013 was performed. Results Fifty-nine (3.77%) patients had focal colonic FDG uptake and 45 (2.87%) patients went on to have colonoscopy. Indications for PET CT for those undergoing endoscopy was lung carcinoma (22), gastrointestinal carcinoma (10), laryngeal carcinoma (7) and lymphoma (6). Median age was 64 with a male preponderance (2.5:1) Location on PET CT was categorised to sigmoid (23), rectal (9), anorectal (4), caecal (3), hepatic flexure (2), transverse (1), splenic flexure (1), ascending (1) and descending (1). Findings on endoscopy ranged from polyps (22), normal (9), diverticulosis (8), sigmoid cancer (4), caecal cancer (1) and colitis (1). In total, out of the all patients who had endoscopy, 20 (44.4%) were found to have low grade tubullovillous adenomas, 5 (11.1%) had cancer, whilst 2 (4.4%) had hyperplastic polyps on histology. Conclusion These findings are in keeping with other series and suggest that it makes sense only to carry on with current practice of following up these hot spots with endoscopy. References 1 Israel O, Yefremov N, Bar-Shalom R, Kagana O, Frenkel A, Keidar Z, et al. PET/CT detection of unexpected gastrointestinal foci of 18F-FDG uptake: incidence, localization patterns, and clinical significance. J Nucl Med 2005;46:758–762 2 Tatlidil R, Jadvar H, Bading JR, Conti PS. Incidental colonic fluorodeoxyglucose uptake: correlation with colonoscopic and histopathologic findings. Radiology 2002;224:783–787 3 Putora PM, Muller J, Borovicka J, Plasswilm L, Schmidt F. Relevance of incidental colorectal FDG-PET/CT-enhanced lesions. Onkologie 2013;36(4):200–4 Disclosure of Interest None Declared.


In the fall of 2010, the Wikimedia Foundation partnered with faculty from several top universities to introduce wiki techonology and Wikipedia into class assignments of public policy related subjects. Through assignments based in Wikipedia students improved skills in collaboration, critical thinking, expository writing, media literacy, and technology fluency. In video interviews, students describe their experience and the learning objectives emerged through the Wikipedia assignment. Many students also commented on the satisfaction in producing a research document that had value beyond a grade. Professor Max Klein explains the success of his classroom use of a WikiProject page as a springboard for class discussion and homework assignments. Workshop participants experience some of the Wikipedia training modules through activities. This interactive workshop discloses some successes and failures of the Initiative and details specifically what makes a successful Wikipediaediting assignment.


Proteolytic digests of interleukin-2 from a human leukemic T-cell line produced by Escherichia coli carrying a recombinant DNA were analyzed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The mass values of intense signals observed in the mass spectrum were consistent with peptides predicted from the nucleotide sequence of cDNA for human interleukin-2, an indication that the protein with the predicted amino acid sequence was produced by E. coli. BrCN and proteolytic digests of interleukin-2 obtained from cultured cells were also examined by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The observed mass values were identical with those from interleukin-2 from E. coli except for that of the NH2-terminal sequence, in which the Thr residue at position 3 was bound to a sugar moiety. The mass spectra of the digests of the two interleukin-2 preparations and synthetic peptides with sequences from 117 to 128 and 121 to 128 predicted from the nucleotide sequence of cDNA for a human interleukin-2 indicated that Cys residues at positions 58 and 105 are linked by a disulfide bond and that the Cys residue at position 125 is free.


Transparent (or absorbing) boundaries can be used in finite‐difference wave simulation to reduce the size of the computational grid and to eliminate reflections from the edges. An efficient and accurate transparent boundary can be formulated by decomposing the elastic waves into dilatational and rotational strains. The wave motions for the strains at the boundary can then be approximated by a one‐way wave equation. The direction of propagation is determined at each grid point by the gradient. This transparent boundary condition eliminates artificial reflections for a wave arriving at any angle of incidence and reduces the error to the level of precision of the finite‐difference approximation. Application of this transparent boundary condition is restricted to a medium that is homogeneous at the boundary to assure full separation of P waves from S waves. Also, interfering waves that generate phase velocities significantly greater than the assumed group velocity introduce errors. An example of the transpare...


We report a case of a 6-year-old female child with Takayasu's aorto-arteritis (TA) with severe coarctation of the aorta which resulted in an aortic dissection post-ballooning. This happened despite ensuring that markers for disease activity were negative, with appropriate corticosteroid therapy started before the procedure, and using a low-profile, low-pressure, and slightly undersized balloon for dilating the stenotic segment. It required immediate endovascular stenting to tide over the crisis. Following the procedure, she became normotensive with well-palpable lower limb pulses.


Detecting buffer overruns from a source code is one of the most common and yet challenging tasks in program analysis. Current approaches based on rigid rules and handcrafted features are limited in terms of flexible applicability and robustness due to diverse bug patterns and characteristics existing in sophisticated real-world software programs. In this paper, we propose a novel, data-driven approach that is completely end-to-end without requiring any hand-crafted features, thus free from any program language-specific structural limitations. In particular, our approach leverages a recently proposed neural network model called memory networks that have shown the state-of-the-art performances mainly in question-answering tasks. Our experimental results using source code samples demonstrate that our proposed model is capable of accurately detecting different types of buffer overruns. We also present in-depth analyses on how a memory network can learn to understand the semantics in programming languages solely from raw source codes, such as tracing variables of interest, identifying numerical values, and performing their quantitative comparisons.


The optimized structure for the InGaAsP/GaAs quaternary material lasers (λ=0.808 μm) is investigated for the most efficient high‐power operation through an experiment and theoretical study. A comparative study is performed of threshold current density Jth and differential efficiency ηd dependence on cavity length (L) for two different laser structures with different active layer thickness (150 and 300 A) as well as for laser structures with different multiple quantum well structures. A theoretical model with a more accurate formulation for minority leakage phenomenon provides explanation for the experimental results and sets general optimization rules for other lasers with similar restrictions on the band gap and refractive index difference between the active layer and the cladding layers.


The structurally simple (Me3P)2NiCl2 complex catalyzes SN1-type alkylations of chiral N-acyl thiazolidinethiones with diarylmethyl methyl ethers and other stable carbenium cations. The former can contain a variety of functional groups and heteroatoms at the α-position. The resultant adducts are isolated as single diastereomers in high yields and can be converted into enantiomerically pure derivatives in a straightforward manner.