Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of the Pollard method for meniscal sizing of the meniscal allograft by comparison with the MRI dimensions. Materials and Methods: The width and length of 50 medial and lateral menisci were measured and compared using the Pollard method and MRI. The meniscal thickness was measured using MRI and we evaluated the individual differences. Results: The measurements of the width of the medial meniscus and the length of the lateral meniscus using the Pollard method and MRI were similar (p=0.459, p=0.108, respectively). However, the measurements of the length of the medial meniscus and the width of the lateral meniscus using MRI were significantly higher that those measured using the Pollard method (p=0.000 and p=0.001, respectively). The medial and lateral meniscal thicknesses were 6.26±0.86 mm and 6.47±0.84 mm, respectively, and there was no significant individual difference. Conclusion: The measurements of the length of the medial meniscus and the width of the lateral meniscus, using the Pollard method and on MRI had significant differences. The Pollard method must be modified for meniscal sizing.


In a recent re-evaluation of developments in European party systems, Paul Pennings has criticized Sartori for inaccurately predicting trends in party competition in his original typology, particularly as evidenced by indicators such as ideological polarization, electoral volatility and systemic stability. In this article I argue that many of these criticisms are unfounded as, firstly, they misinterpret Sartori's assumptions and predictions; and secondly, they employ invalid indicators to measure such party system traits. Furthermore, whilst the polarized pluralist type in particular needs clarification in many respects, focusing on voter preference distributions reveals that the fundamental arguments about the direction of competition are correct. I conclude that if a better understanding of contemporary party systems is to be reached, greater attention needs to be given to electoral demand and its interaction with party supply whilst retaining the principal features of Sartori's model.


Even though it was written some two millennia ago, Ephesians still speaks to Christians today in themes quite familiar to the modern reader. In a context where the church had become overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, Gentile, the Christian community needed to be reminded of the priority of Israel and the astonishing work of reconciliation that God willed to accomplish in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This new volume in the highly acclaimed New Testament Library series reveals the great theological promises of Ephesians while discussing issues of context, authorship, and style.


In linear time invariant channel model, the systems that are designed based on CDMA are suffering from multiple access interference (MAI) and noise problems. In time varying channel model, the CDMA systems suffer from complex time varying channel's gains plus MAI and noise. A lot of CDMA detectors are designed to overcome the MAI problem. But these detectors have complex structures and their performances are affected by the presence of time varying channel's gains. This paper gives proposal for new linear CDMA detector that has the same MAI cancellation capability as CDMA decorrelator detector but with simpler structure. The operation of the new detector is based on the symmetry property of the cross-correlation matrix of CDMA signatures' codes. The structure complexity of this new detector is as simple as matched filter detector structure. The performance of this new detector is evaluated in the presence of Nakagami time varying channel's complex gains. Closed forms of probability of error for the proposed detector and decorrelator detector are represented for flat and multipath Nakagami fading models. Channel phase estimation error effect is included in the probability of error formulas. Different channel estimators are used with the proposed detector to overcome the fading phenomenon.


Background Severe acute malnutrition is a common cause of morbidity and mortality among under five children in Ethiopia. A child may experience more than one episode of SAM depending on the improvement of the underlying factors. However, there is no study that determined the frequency of relapse of SAM cases after discharge in Ethiopia. Objective To identify the frequency of relapse and associated factors among children discharged after undergoing treatment for SAM in Hadiya Zone, South, Ethiopia. Methods An institution based retrospective cohort study was done among children admitted to health posts for treatment of SAM from 2014/2015-2019/2020 under-five children's after discharge in health post for severe acute malnutrition in the last five years in Hadiya zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Both first admission data and relapse data were abstracted from the records of the SAM children from Aguste 1–30 /2020 Using a data collection format. Data were coded and edited manually, then doubly entered into Epi-Data statistical software version 3.1 and then exported to SPSS for windows version 26. After checking all the assumptions finally Negative binomial regression for poison has been used. All tests were two sided and P values <0.05 were used to declare statistical significance. Results In the last five year there were the proportion of relapsed cases were 9.6%, 95% CI: (7.7%, 11.7%) On multivariable negative binomial regression model, after adjusting for background variables relapse of severe acute undernutrition was significantly associated with having edema during admission with (IRR = 2.21, 95% CI:1.303–3.732), being in the age group of 6–11 months (IRR = 4.74,95% CI:1.79–12.53), discharge MUAC for the first admission (P = 0.001, IRR = 0.37, 95% CI:0.270–0.50) increase the risk of incidence rate ratio(IRR) relapse case of severe acute under nutrition. Conclusion Frequency of SAM relapse was positively associated with age, having edema during admission, while it was negatively associated with discharge MUAC. The results imply the need for reviewing the discharge criteria taking into account the recovery of MUAC as a marker for lean tissue accretion, especially in edematous children and those in the younger age.


Partial hepatectomies were performed on five groups of rats which had been maintained on a diet containing 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene for various lengths of time. The effect of regeneration on the incidence of hepatic tumors was compared with that in similarly treated non-hepatectomized controls. Regeneration, and the time of exposure to the carcinogen as well, were relatively effective in accelerating the rate of appearance of tumors, although not markedly so. These factors were without effect on final total tumor formation. These findings support the concept that during chemical carcinogenesis tumor formation proceeds in stages.


Our knowledge of adhesion molecules has exploded over the last 5 years and has swamped most fields of medicine including nephrology. This is not surprising because adhesion molecules play a pivotal role in all aspects of cell to cell contact. Thus, they are involved in important issues, such as fetal development, in any kind of inflammatory or immune response including allograft rejection, as well as thrombus formation, and in tumor growth and metastasis (1-3). This short overview briefly reports some aspects of the biology of relevant adhesion molecules and their significance in inflammatory kidney diseases and in hemodialysis and renal allograft rejection. Finally, new therapeutic opportunities that arise by blocking adhesion molecule function are discussed.


Neonatal meningitis is caused by group B streptococci (GBS), Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes, in order of frequency. Newly developed cephalosporins with a broad spectrum of activity have altered the therapy of meningitis due to gram-negative bacilli. However, we found that clinical isolates of GBS and L. monocytogenes did not demonstrate uniform susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics. Antibiotic potencies for GBS tested were: cefotaxime, penicillin, ceftriaxone, amoxicillin, cefamandole, cephalothin, and moxalactam. N-formimidoyl thienamycin was most active for L. monocytogenes followed by penicillin, cephalothin and chloramphenicol; broad-spectrum cephalosporins were not active against Listeria organisms that were tested. These agents should not be utilized as solitary therapy of meningitis until the organism has been characterized with antibiotic susceptibilities.


Our current strategy for gene therapy of sickle cell anemia involves retroviral vectors capable of transducing "designer" globin genes that code for novel anti-sickling globins (while resisting digestion by a ribozyme), coupled with the expression of a hammerhead ribozyme that can selectively cleave the human beta s mRNA. In this report, we have tested in vivo an anti-beta s hammerhead ribozyme embedded within a cDNA coding for the luciferase reporter gene driven by the human beta-globin promoter and hyper-sensitive sites 3 and 4 of the locus control region. We have created mice transgenic for this luciferase-ribozyme construct and bred the ribozyme transgene into mice that were already transgenic for the human beta s gene. We then measured expression of the beta s transgene at the protein and RNA levels by HPLC and primer extension. The presence of the ribozyme was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the level of beta s mRNA in spleen stress reticulocytes (from 60.5 +/- 4.1% to 52.9 +/- 4.2%) and in the percentage of beta s globin chains in very young mice (from 44.5 +/- 0.6% to 40.8 +/- 0.7%). These results demonstrate that it is possible to decrease the concentration of beta s chains and mRNA with the help of a hammerhead ribozyme. While the enormous amount of globin mRNA in reticulocytes is a challenge for ribozyme technology, the exquisite dependence of the delay time for formation of Hb S nuclei on the concentration of Hb S in red blood cells suggests that even a modest reduction in Hb S concentration would have therapeutic value.


The study and development of polymeric composite materials, especially using lignocellulosic fibers, have received increasing attention. This is interesting from the environmental and economical viewpoints as lignocellulosic fibers are obtained from renewable resources. This work aims to contribute to reduce the dependency on materials from nonrenwable sources, by utilizing natural fibers (sisal) as reinforcing agents and lignin (a polyphenolic macromolecule obtained from lignocellulosic materials) to partially substitute phenol in a phenol-formaldehyde resin. Besides, it was intented to evaluate how modifications applied on sisal fibers influence their properties and those of the composites reinforced with tem, mainly thermal properties. Sisal fibers were modified by either (i) mercerization (NaOh 10%), (ii) esterification (succinic anhydride), or (iii) ionized air treatment (discharge current of 5 mA). Composites were made by mould compression, of various sisal fibers in combination with either phenol-formaldehyde or lignin-phenol-formaldehyde resins. Sisal fibers and composites were characterized by thermogravimetry (TG) and DSC to establish their thermal stability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the morphology of unmodified and modified surface sisal fibers as well as the fractured composites surface. Dynamic mechnical thermoanalysis (DMTA) was used to examine the influence of temperature on the composite mechanical properties. The results obtained for sisal fiber-reinforced phenolic and lignophenolic composites showed that the use of lignin as a partial substitute of phenol in phenolic resins in applications different from the traditional ones, as for instance in other than adhesives is feasible.


INTRODUCTION AND AIMS
The aim of this study was to describe trends in attitudes to alcohol control policies in Norway over a period of 50 years and to discuss how these trends relate to developments in alcohol policy.

DESIGN AND METHODS
Survey data from 17 national population surveys, national statistics and previous publications were applied to describe trends in attitudes to alcohol control polices (access to alcohol and price) and changes in these policies over the period 1962 to 2012.

RESULTS
From 1962 to 1999, an increasing proportion of the population reported that regulations on availability of alcohol were too strict and that alcohol prices were too high, whereas in the 2000s this trend was reversed and support for existing control policies increased. Although the pillars of Norwegian alcohol policy--high prices, restricted access and a state monopoly on retail sales-remained, control policies were gradually relaxed throughout the entire period.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Relaxation of strict alcohol control policies in Norway in the first four decades were probably, in part, the result of increasingly liberal public opinion. The subsequent reversed trend in opinions with increasing support for control policies may be due to several factors, for example, consumer-oriented changes in the monopoly system, increased availability and affordability, increased awareness of alcohol-related harm and the effectiveness of control policies. Thus, the dynamics of policies and attitudes may well change over time.


The spark ignition engine particulate number (PN) emissions have been correlated to a particulate matter index (PMI) in the literature. The PMI value addresses the fuel effect on PN emission through the individual fuel species reactivity and vapor pressure. The latter quantity is used to account for the propensity of the non-volatile fuel components to survive to the later part of the combustion event as wall liquid films, which serve as sources for particulate emission. The PMI, however, does not encompass the suppression of vaporization by the evaporative cooling of fuel components, such as ethanol, that have high latent heat of vaporization. This paper assesses this evaporative cooling effect on PN emissions by measurements in a GDI engine operating with a base gasoline which does not contain oxygenate, with a blend of the gasoline and ethanol, and with a blend of the gasoline, ethanol, and a hydrocarbon additive so that the blend has the same PMI as the original gasoline. As such, the dilution and the evaporative cooling effects of the ethanol could be separated. Measurements have also been done with methanol and MTBE. The results show that evaporative cooling effect can significantly change the PN emission. The extent of the change, however, depends on the details of the operating condition such as injection timing, engine coolant temperature, and load.


This paper examines the development of a subvolcanic magmatic breccia located along the contact of a granitic intrusion using fractal analysis and thermal‐elastic modeling. The breccia grades from clast‐supported, angular clasts adjacent to unfractured host rock to isolated, rounded clasts supported by the granitic matrix adjacent to the intrusion. Field observations point to an explosive breccia mechanism, and clast size distribution analysis yields fractal dimensions (Ds > 3) that exceed the minimum value known to result from explosion (Ds > 2.5). Field observations, clast size distribution data, clast circularity data, and boundary roughness fractal dimension data suggest that the clast sizes and shapes reflect post‐brecciation modification by partial melting and thermal fracture. Numerical modeling is employed to explore the possible thermal‐elastic effects on the size distribution of clasts. Instantaneous immersion is assumed for metasedimentary clasts of a fractal size distribution in a superheated granitic matrix for different matrix volume percentages. Thermal analysis is restricted to conductive heat transfer corrected for latent heat. Partial melting of metasedimentary clasts is an effective secondary modification process that was probably responsible for markedly altering the clast size distribution for clast populations adjacent to the intrusion. Diabase clasts experienced late‐stage fracture due to the instantaneous thermal pulse in which angular clasts with high surface area to volume ratios were preferentially fractured, although this process does not appear to have markedly influenced the clast size distribution.


Seed production, germination, emergence and the influence of planting depths and soil types on growth of T. diversifolia were determined from the harvest made in 2013 fruiting season. Natural population of Tithonia diversifolia stands growing on a clay soil was used for the study. Number of capitulum heads per plant was in the range of 35-212 with each capitulum head carrying seeds in the range of 32-62. Depending on the size and number of capitulum heads number of seeds per plant ranged from 1120-13,144 with average of 897,342 seeds per square meter. The seeds were small and light in weight as indicated by 100-seed weight (0.51-0.72g) with 93% viability. The seedlings that emerged from soil showed greater growth efficiency and vigour compared to seedlings obtained from seeds plated in petri-dishes. The young seedlings emerged at all depths studied with seeds sown on soil surface having 76.76% germination, while those at the depth of 3.5 cm showing 5%. Growth parameters such as root length, shoot length, leaf area, leaves number and dry matter accumulation were increased significantly (p<0.005) with decreasing sowing depth. The plant grew in all types of soils investigated with maximum growth in loamy followed by clayey and sandy soil. The foregoing results could be used to account for the aggressive nature of this plant.


Agri-Food business requires access to increasingly accurate, detailed, and up-to-date information and data. Worldwide, agriculture lacks the coherence and coordination for exchanging these data. Many data are captured in existing information systems, but for developers of new services it is often difficult to use the data of these systems in order to make them interoperable. This paper describes a reference framework for interoperability that was developed in the agriXchange project. Use cases play a key role in interactive development of the framework. The framework's functions are introduced by a kind of a work flow process using reference information models. The aXTool supports the implementation of the framework in the agriXchange platform, which is supported by a web portal and community of practice. The aXTool systematically supports developers and other users to share and re-use knowledge and concrete components concerning data exchange in agriculture.


The production of gamma interferon in acute acquired and congenital toxoplasmosis was studied. Gamma interferon was produced at significant titers (P less than 0.001) in the course of both congenital toxoplasmosis and acquired toxoplasmosis at an early stage of infection, when Toxoplasma gondii was multiplying. Its presence in fetal blood was correlated with the positive inoculation of fetal blood or amniotic fluid into mice (95%). The data suggest that the fetus is able to synthesize gamma interferon as early as week 21 of pregnancy. This test, easily and rapidly performed, could be included among those useful for diagnosing fetal toxoplasmic disease.


Among Vincent Ostrom's many contributions to the study of public administration, policy, and political science, the concept of polycentricity remains his single most important legacy. This essay locates the origins of this concept in Ostrom's early research on resource management in the Western United States and demonstrates its continuing influence throughout The Intellectual Crisis in Public Administration, The Political Theory of a Compound Republic, and his other major publications. Although typically pigeonholed within the confines of the public choice tradition, Ostrom's body of work should be widely appreciated as an early statement of the critical importance of network forms of governance in democratic societies.


The purpose of this study was to operationally define and evaluate inter- and intra-examiner reliability of the standing sacroiliac mobility (Gillet) test on 53 college students. Both inter- and intra-examiner reliability data showed high mean percentages of agreement (85.3% and 89.2%, respectively.) Cohen's unweighted kappa statistic for concordance was applied yielding "fair" concordance for aggregate intra-examiner data and "slight" concordance for aggregate inter-examiner data. The intra-examiner reliability data suggests that the Gillet test is clinically useful for a single examiner in assessing the sacroiliac joint for mobility dysfunction, especially at upper sacroiliac contact points. Linear regression analyses suggest that the test is sensitive, in that reliability improves with increasing perceived abnormality. Further revisions to the operational definition may improve both inter- and intra-examiner reliability of the Gillet test.


Photonic systems are gaining an important role in the field of medical diagnosis due to the achievable high sensitivity and selectivity and low cost, enabling the fabrication of disposable point of care diagnosis systems for multiple pathologies. In this work we present the detector subsystem developed for a multi-channel surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based sensor. The core of the system is a multimode interferometer splitter, fabricated in amorphous silicon, followed by multiple sensitive SPR structures with a functionalized gold layer that modulate the transmitted light waves, in the presence of the biomarker, which are then detected by infrared detectors. For this purpose a highly adaptable detection system based on a InGaAs line CCD device was developed. The IR sensor used in the prototype has 128 (50 x 250 μm) pixels but other formats are supported. To adapt to different light guiding structures, the CCD pixels can be combined forming multiple detection channels. Optical sensor configuration and readout operations are performed trough a USB connection using the SCPI standard. The system includes an analog front end with a programmable gain amplifier and offset adjustment followed by a fast analog to digital converter feeding the data to a STM32 family processor. A computer application was also developed for system configuration and signal readout and storage. The testing results from the complete system are presented. Documentation of the developed system is provided for third party use, all the material generated within this work is available online in a repository.


Abstract. Ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphism is recorded by garnet clinopyroxenite enclaves enclosed in an undeformed, unmetamorphosed granitic pluton, northeastern Paleozoic Dunhuang orogenic belt, northwest China. Three to four stages of metamorphic mineral assemblages have been found in the garnet clinopyroxenite, and clockwise metamorphic pressure-temperature (P-T) paths were retrieved, indicative of metamorphism of a possible subduction environment. Peak metamorphic P-T conditions (790~920 °C/28~41 kbar) of garnet clinopyroxenite suggest that they experienced high pressure to UHP metamorphism, and the UHP metamorphism occurred in the coesite- or diamond-stability field. The UHP metamorphic event is further confirmed by the occurrence of high-Al titanite enclosed in the garnet, along with at least three groups of aligned rutile lamellae exsolved from within the garnet. SIMS U-Pb dating of metamorphic titanite indicates that the post peak, subsequent tectonic exhumation of the UHP rocks occurred in the Devonian (~ 389~370 Ma). These data suggest that part of the Paleozoic Dunhuang orogenic belt experienced UHP metamorphism, and diverse metamorphic facies series prevailed in this orogen in the Paleozoic. It can be further inferred that most of the UHP rocks of this orogen are now buried in the depth.


We review current knowledge of demographic mechanisms and environmental factors implicated in the population decline of Song Thrushes Turdus philomelos in rural Britain since the mid-1970s, and present new analyses of regional variation in population changes. Increased mortality during the first year of life (from fledging to recruitment) is highlighted as a potential demographic mechanism having driven the population decline, while Song Thrushes in a rapidly declining farmland population were making too few nesting attempts to sustain local numbers. Breeding Song Thrushes are strongly associated with non-cropped habitats such as woodland edge, field boundaries, gardens and scrub; they make substantial use of grassland, but avoid cereals when foraging. Earthworms constitute a key component of Song Thrush diet and the availability of this prey is strongly influenced by moisture levels in surface soils. Several lines of evidence suggest that dry surface soils during summer are deleterious to the productivity and survival of Song Thrushes, and regional variation in the rates of population change in Britain during 1970–86 was negatively correlated with the extent of under-field drainage on farmland (the main function of which is to promote the drying of surface soils). Increasing dryness of agricultural soils and the loss of grassland from eastern arable counties have probably both contributed to the declines of rural Song Thrushes in Britain. Loss of hedgerows and scrub, and the degradation of woodland may also have contributed to population declines but the role of predators remains unclear. Recovery of rural Song Thrush populations requires challenging new policy initiatives that should aim to restore nesting cover (scrub and woodland understorey), grazed grassland in arable-dominated areas and damper soils in summer.


Some SCID mice survived primary infection with herpes simplex virus 1 without the development of peripheral lesions but established coculture‐positive ganglionic latency when a low dose of a wild‐type strain was inoculated intracutaneously. The latency was also evidenced by the development of the fatal zosteriform skin lesions and the isolation of the virus during pregnancy. We consider that the viral entry into neurons without successive replication, rather than the arrest of the lytic infection within the cells, is an important mechanism in the establishment of latency.


AIMS: To investigate the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Chinese patients living in Hong Kong. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal biopsy specimens, formalin fixed and paraffin wax embedded, from 24 patients, eight with undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma, eight with well differentiated squamous carcinoma, and eight showing normal tissue histology, were analysed for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA by slot-blot hybridisation on extracted unamplified DNA, and also after amplification of EBV specific sequences by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: DNA slot-blot analysis showed viral DNA in all the undifferentiated, five of the well differentiated tumours, and none of the normal biopsy specimens. PCR studies confirmed positivity in the eight undifferentiated tumours, but six of the well differentiated tumours and three of the normal biopsy specimens showed viral DNA by this method, illustrating its greater sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: EBV genome is present in appreciable copy number in most cases of well differentiated NPC in Chinese patients in Hong Kong.


The class of connected 3-colored digraphs containing exactly one nonsingular cycle is considered in this article. The main objective is to study the smallest Laplacian eigenvalue and the corresponding eigenvectors of such graphs. It is shown that the smallest Laplacian eigenvalue of such a graph can be realized as the algebraic connectivity (second smallest Laplacian eigenvalue) of a suitable undirected graph. The nonsingular unicyclic 3-colored digraph on n vertices, which minimize the smallest Laplacian eigenvalue over all such graphs is determined in this article.


Discrete time tube models describe the propagation of plane sound waves through the vocal tract. Therefore they are important for speech analysis and production. In most cases discrete time models without losses have been used. In this contribution loss effects are introduced by extended uniform tube elements modeling frequency dependent losses. The parameters of these extended tube elements can be fitted to experimental and theoretical data of the loss effects of wall vibrations, viscosity and heat conduction. For the analysis of speech sounds the parameters of a lossy vocal tract model are estimated from speech signals by an optimization algorithm. The spectrum of the analyzed speech can be approximated well by the estimated magnitude response of the lossy vocal tract model. Furthermore the estimated vocal tract areas show reasonable shapes.


PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic performance of transthoracic ultrasound (TUS) and bedside chest radiography (CXR) for the detection of various pathological abnormalities in critically ill patients, using computed tomography (CT) as a gold standard. METHODS: Two hundred mechanically ventilated patients scheduled for CT and CXR were prospectively studied with a modified TUS protocol. Four pathological entities were evaluated: pleural effusion, pneumothorax, consolidation and interstitial syndrome. RESULTS: All patients were evaluated by the three imaging techniques. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of CXR were 55, 84, and 65% for pleural effusion, 40, 96, and 88% for pneumothorax, 40, 85, and 50% for consolidation and 42, 82, and 60% for interstitial syndrome respectively. The corresponding values for TUS were 100, 100, and 100% for pleural effusion, 100, 100, and 100% for pneumothorax, 100, 87, and 95% for consolidation, 95, 95, and 95% for interstitial syndrome respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In our ICU population TUS has a considerably better diagnostic performance than CXR for the diagnosis of common pathological disorders and may be used as an alternative to thoracic CT. Clinical Implication: Clinician-performed ultrasonography is a reliable tool in the diagnosis of common chest pathological entities. It has the advantage of portability, simplicity, rapidity, and similar sensitivity and specificity compared with CT.


Computer-aided breast cancer diagnosis in mammography is a challenging problem, stemming from mammographical data scarcity and data entanglement. In particular, data scarcity is attributed to the privacy and expensive annotation. And data entanglement is due to the high similarity between benign and malignant masses, of which manifolds reside in lower dimensional space with very small margin. To address these two challenges, we propose a deep learning framework, named Contrastive Identifier Network (\textsc{COIN}), which integrates adversarial augmentation and manifold-based contrastive learning. Firstly, we employ adversarial learning to create both on- and off-distribution mass contained ROIs. After that, we propose a novel contrastive loss with a built Signed graph. Finally, the neural network is optimized in a contrastive learning manner, with the purpose of improving the deep model's discriminativity on the extended dataset. In particular, by employing COIN, data samples from the same category are pulled close whereas those with different labels are pushed further in the deep latent space. Moreover, COIN outperforms the state-of-the-art related algorithms for solving breast cancer diagnosis problem by a considerable margin, achieving 93.4\% accuracy and 95.0\% AUC score. The code will release on ***.


In many areas of life, we now have almost complete electronic archives reaching back for well over two decades. This includes, for example, the body of research papers in computer science, all news articles written in the US, and most people's personal email. However, we have only rather limited methods for analyzing and understanding these collections. While keyword-based retrieval systems allow efficient access to individual documents in archives, we still lack methods for understanding a corpus as a whole. In this paper, we explore methods that provide a temporal summary of such corpora in terms of landmark documents, authors, and topics. In particular, we explicitly model the temporal nature of influence between documents and re-interpret summarization as a coverage problem over words anchored in time. The resulting models provide monotone sub-modular objectives for computing informative and non-redundant summaries over time, which can be efficiently optimized with greedy algorithms. Our empirical study shows the effectiveness of our approach over several baselines.


A NEW GENERATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORIANS HAS BEGUN TO subvert the top-down, uplifting narrative that characterized the earlier literature. These scholars not only have extended the standard movement time line of Montgomery to Memphis both backward and forward but also have tried to shift the spotlight from the black elite who led the national organizations that tried to influence policy in Washington, D.C., such as Roy Wilkins at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Martin Luther King Jr. at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), to shine on equally deserving, lesser-known, and more often lower-class activists in local communities. In contrast to a prevailing civil rights literature that consisted "mainly of studies of the major national civil rights leaders and their organizations," historians are digging deeper into local struggles against racism to rescue these brave activists from oblivion. (1) They lament that most scholarship on the movement gives credit to famous, national civil rights leaders at the expense of the grassroots, local activists who, according to David J. Garrow, were "the actual human catalysts of the movement, the people who really gave direction to the movement's organizing work, the individuals whose records reflect the greatest substantive accomplishments.... [and] who had the greatest personal impact upon the course of the southern movement." (2) Their pointillistic histories describe how before, and even after, legislative victories were secured in Washington, local people in remote southern communities had to win civil rights county by county, town by town, and even swimming pool by swimming pool. But the advantages of the bottom-up perspective go beyond merely restoring credit to those who have been overlooked. Such studies also have "laid a foundation for reshaping movement history" and "demand a rethinking of what and who we think is important." According to Emilye Crosby, "studying ... the movement's local indigenous base fundamentally alters our picture of the movement and its significance" and "call[s] into question many of the top-down generalizations introduced and reinforced by studies of national leaders, major events, and pivotal legal and political milestones." (3) Clayborne Carson contends that a local perspective broadens our sense of the civil rights movement to include leaders and groups that "displayed a wide range of ideologies and proto-ideologies, involving militant racial or class consciousness" that went beyond "King's Christian-Gandhianism." (4) As J. Todd Moye writes, "The way civil rights historians tended to frame their narratives placed well-educated African Americans with good, stable jobs at the center of the stories." But as a result of the new, local bottom-up history, "scholars now understand the civil rights movement to have been more female, more grass roots, less philosophically nonviolent, and less pulpit-directed than they understood it to be thirty years ago." (5) Jeanne Theoharis asserts that a "history focuse[d] on the specific--on a locality, an organizer, or a campaign"--has started "to map the black freedom struggle in new and important ways," including "question[ing] the most basic aspects of the story--who led and undertook these movements, what the movement was actually about, where it took place, when it happened, and why people engaged." (6) Charles M. Payne summarizes all the ways the new civil rights scholarship requires scholars to rethink critical issues such as "the top-down and triumphal underpinnings of the narrative; the overemphasis on the South as a site of struggle; the extent of nonviolence; the character of white resistance, including the idea that it was mostly a problem of the South; the continued marginalization of women; the chronology; the role of liberals; the equation of Black Power with the end of the movement; the separation between civil rights history and labor history; and the related tendency to underemphasize the economic goals of the movement. …


A power switching system combining a MEMS (Microelectromechanical systems) switch and an arc suppression circuit has been developed. The system, using a single 3mm × 3mm MEMS switch die coupled with protection electronics, has been demonstrated to switch both resistive loads and inductive loads to a peak power of around 800W. The entire opening and closing operations are completed in a few microseconds, orders of magnitude faster than mechanical relays and nearly as fast as solid state devices. The MEMS switch is an array of microscale cantilevered relays that are electrostatically opened and closed in microseconds. A pulsed diode bridge protection circuitry is used in conjunction with the MEMS switch to open and close the energized contacts without damaging the contacting surface and without generating an arc. This MEMS based power switching system is scaled in both series and parallel to increase the switched voltage and current capability respectively. MEMS switch based power switching has the capability to enable both current limiting and arc free switching, characteristics that can significantly reduce dangerous downstream fault energy for AC and DC protection and distribution applications.


Background: TCF7L2 gene is known as transcription factor 7-like 2 which has been identified as a novel transcription factor epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor cells at 10q25.3. TCF7L2 may affect cancer progression and plays a central role in cancer proliferation, migration and invasion. However, its clinical and prognostic value have not been researched in glioma. The purpose of our study was to research TCF7L2 expression and evaluate the clinical value of prognosis.Method: We collected glioma specimens including low-grade glioma (n=46)and glioblastoma (n=51) from September 2015 to September 2017.Expression of TCF7L2 in 97 specimens were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).The chi-square test was applied to analyze the relationship between TCF7L2 expression and clinicopathological characteristics. The overall survival (OS) was analyzed by binary logistic regression analysis, the survival curves were drew by Kaplan-Meier. Univariate and multivariate analysis were utilized to analyze the relationship between prognosis and clinicopathological characteristics including TCF7L2 expression.RESULTS: Compared with low-grade glioma group, the expression of TCF7L2 was significantly increased (p<0.05). TCF7L2 overexpression was associated with large tumor volume (p=0.03), higher WHO grade (p=0.001), and recurrence (p=0.001). Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis proved that overexpressed TCF7L2 was related with poor OS (p< 0.05).The multivariate analysis suggested that TCF7L2 expression was an independent prognostic factor.CONCLUSIONS: Our research proved that TCF7L2 was over- expressed in glioblastoma, and, related with tumor prognosis, which, therefore, could be an independent prognostic factor for glioma patients.


This research aims at identifying the entrepreneurial characteristics of university students in Gaza Strip using Exploratory Factor Analysis EFA. It also aims at testing the relationship between their entrepreneurial characteristics and entrepreneurial inclination using two multivariate techniques (discreminant and logistic analyses). Respondents were classified as entrepreneurially inclined and non-entrepreneurially inclined based on their desire to establish their own business after graduation from university. The population of the study is the students in their final year of bachelor education in selected faculties and specializations in engineering, commerce, and information technology at the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG). The research adopted the stratified random sampling technique and there were 451 usable questionnaires which represent the sample of the study with a response rate of 82%. This research is considered to be the first to examine the entrepreneurial characteristic of Palestinian University students. It is also among the few to present a complete image of entrepreneurial characteristics of university students in politically and economically deteriorated areas. It may serve as a reference for successive studies in the area and as a tool for comparison in similar areas around the world. New managerial and policy implications may also be inferred on the effect of socioeconomic deterioration and entrepreneurial inclination. Descriptive analysis shows that entrepreneurially inclined students, who prefer to establish their own business after graduation, represent (24.1%) of the sample. The results of EFA classified six characteristics of university entrepreneurs in Gaza Strip: Independence, Internal Locus of Control, Self-Confidence, Need for Achievement, Propensity to take risk, and Communication Skills. The results of the multivariate techniques showed that out of the six characteristics, Independence and Internal Locus of Control are the most influential indicators of entrepreneurial inclination of university entrepreneurs in Gaza Strip.


Hoaxes keep existing during this COVID-19 pandemic. They are indicated to be capable of heightening anxiety levels. Current works of literature about hoax-health impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic are still limited. Millennial, young generations, who are attached to the Internet technology, has the highest anxiety level. Millennial women or moms are already familiar with gadgets. They are surely exposed to hoaxes during this pandemic. Moms are the center of family defense. COVID-19 hoax influences these millennial moms' mental health. Therefore, it is important to be studied because it contributes to mental health literature during this pandemic. This research applied a qualitative method. The data were taken from an online survey and processed by thematic analysis techniques. The findings showed that the greatest impacts of COVID-19 hoaxes on moms' mental health were health-institutional distrust and apparatus-government distrust. Thus, it led to a lack of cooperation to promote the protocol and influenced the COVID-19 pandemic preventive efforts.
Keywords: hoax, anxiety, pandemic, qualitative survey


Concern over potential spillages of sodium in liquid metal fast breeder reactors has prompted several experimental and theoretical investigations of sodium pool fires in recent years. Newman has measured the burning rates of sodium pool fires and proposed a correlation for the burning rates based on an analogy between mass transfer and heat transfer. In his theory, only oxygen transport to the pool surface is considered and, therefore, experimental data on the flame temperature is needed to compute the pool burning rate. The determination of the flame structure and the pool burning rate are analyzed. The present theory considers not only the oxygen transport to the flame but also the thermal interactions between the flame and the pool surface and between the flame and the ambient. This makes the determination of the flame temperature and position possible.


Whiting 1 is a faint and young globular cluster in the halo of the Milky Way, and was suggested to have originated in the Sagittarius spherical dwarf galaxy (Sgr dSph). In this paper, we use the deep DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys to explore tentative spatial connection between Whiting 1 and the Sgr dSph. We redetermine the fundamental parameters of Whiting 1 and use the best-fitting isochrone (age τ=6.5 Gyr, metalicity Z=0.005 and d =26.9 kpc) to construct a theoretical matched filter for the extra-tidal features searching. Without any smooth technique to the matched filter density map, we detect a round-shape feature with possible leading and trailing tails on either side of the cluster. This raw image is not totally new compared to old discoveries, but confirms that no more large-scale features can be detected under a depth of r <=22.5 mag. In our results, the whole feature stretches 0.1-0.2 degree along the orbit of Whiting 1, which gives a much larger area than the cluster core. The tails on both sides of the cluster align along the orbital direction of the Sgr dSph as well as the cluster itself, which implies that these debris are probably stripped remnants of Whiting 1 by the Milky Way. Subject headings: Galaxy: halo – Galaxy: structure – surveys


An efficient gas chromatographic method for the determination of 14 organophosphorus pesticide residues in tea by gas chromatography using micro-chemical and solid phase extraction technique has been established. The organophosphorus pesticides were extracted from tea samples with ethyl acetate and mixture of ethyl acetate-hexane(1:1, V/V). The extracts were cleaned up with a column of 3 mL Supelclean Envl-carb by GILSON ASPEC XL. The 14 organophosphorus pesticides were separated from each other through SPB-1701 capillary column(30 m x 0.53 mm i.d. x 1.0 micron) and determined by flame photometric detector. The recoveries ranged 70.8%-120% when the added levels were from 0.100 mg/kg to 1.00 mg/kg, the RSD was 2%-7% and the limits of detection were 0.01 mg/kg-0.08 mg/kg. This method is rapid, sensitive and suitable for the analysis of pesticide residues. It can also be applied to the determination of organophosphorus pesticide multi-residues in other plant samples such as vegetables, fruits and so on.


A new species of Asqllamiceps with a striking cobalt blue head is described from specimens collected at bathypelagic (ca. 2,000 m) depths in the Atlantic Ocean. The new species is compared to the five nominal species in the genus and a key to Asqllamiceps is presented. One nominal species. A. indagatio, is treated as a junior synonym of A. velaris. The anatomy of A. caerlilells suggests a relatively primitive grade within the family. The caudal skeleton, with two to four ural centra, four uroneurals, and the distal edge of the lower hypurals ahead of the distal edge of the upper hypura]s, is one of the most primitive known in the family. Most derived characters found, such as no mesocoracoid, two epurals and no pelvic splint, are reductional. Suspected relationships of Asqllamicep~' are with Einara, COllocara. Leptoderma, and AlIlostomomorpha. A spectacular blue-headed specimen of Asquamiceps was captured in the summer of 1959 by H. Bullis aboard M/V OREGON.The specimen was not described, and additional examples were not collected until G. Krefft began catching specimens with large midwater trawls in 197\. This study began as a description of Bullis's specimen, but with the opportunity to examine alI of the type material in the genus as well as Krefft's specimens, a review of the genus was begun. Parr (1954) also reviewed Asquamiceps and provided a key and comments on the five known specimens which he placed in five species and three subgenera. Most species are still quite rare in colIections and therefore a detailed revision cannot be made. This paper describes and figures the new species of Asquamiceps and compares it with its congeners. METHODSAND MATERIALS. Standard taxonomic measurements and counts were made (Hubbs and Lagler, 1958). Vertical finray counts were usually verified by radiographs; all rays were counted. Vertebra] counts are of preural centra only; the last centrum counted is that which articulates with the parahypural, even if fused to a ural centrum, Vertebral counts are given as the ranges of precaudal + caudal = total. Gillraker counts are given as the ranges of upper limb + the one in the angle of the arch + lower limb = total. Materials examined are listed under the accounts of each species, Institutional abbreviations used are USNM-United States National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.; ]SH-Institut fur Seefischerei, Hamburg. Germany; MOM-Musee Oceanographique Monaco; BMNH-British Museum (Natural History), London, England; SID-Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California; ZMUC-Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and UBNMZoological Museum of the University of Bergen, Norway. RESULTS Asquamiceps Zugmayer 1911a ASlfliamiceps Zugmayer 1911a (Type species by monotypy: A. ve/aris Zugmayer ]91 I). Megalepocepllllllls Fowler 1934 (Type species by original designation: A. longmani Fowler 1934). Perioceps Parr 1954 (Type species by original designation: A. pacificlls Parr 1954). Diagnosis.-Alepocephalids with voluminous opercles, the posterior edge of which is composed of bands of muscle and connective tissue; head length 36.848.0% SL; opercles covering base of pectoral fin which is large and fan-like; area anteriad of pectoral base naked; peritoneum unpigmented or very lightly pig-


Since 2014, detailed correspondence between the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reveal the extent to which operational psychologists coordinated with the Bush administration's enhanced interrogation program. Key revelations expose the ethical maneuvering intended to defend the participation of certain psychologists in interrogation, abuse, and torture, including waterboarding. This critique takes aim at the controversy over the psychological planning and subsequent practice of torture during the Bush administration. Analysis is informed by Robert Jay Lifton and his book The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide.


Chronic wounds are still problem is one of the most frequent among the community. Pressure ulcers (decubitus) are examples of types of chronic wounds in which the maintenance costs of the injury fairly expensive. The use of plants is an appropriate alternative for the treatment of decubitus chronic wounds. One among the many plants that are known efficacious drugs for the health of Aloe vera. With the various components contained therein, aloe vera is known to affect the decubitus chronic wound healing. This study is purely experimental posttest-only design approach. The sample uses a white rats strain wistar female, weight 150-250 gr and 2,5 to 3 months of age. The variable is the concentration of the extract of Aloe vera and scores healing pressure ulcers (decubitus) degree II in white rats. The data obtained using observation, then analyzed with the assumption test (Lilliefors test and the Barlett test), one way Anova test and different test real distance of Duncan with significansy values of 0,05. The results indicate that there is the influence of various concentrations of leaf extract of Aloe vera to diameter decubitus chronic wound healing in rats and the concentration of leaf extract of Aloe vera 100% to give a good effect on the diameter of decubitus chronic wound healing on white rats (á 0.05).


Objectives: Risk adjustment algorithms for ICU mortality are necessary for measuring and improving ICU performance. Existing risk adjustment algorithms are not widely adopted. Key barriers to adoption include licensing and implementation costs as well as labor costs associated with human-intensive data collection. Widespread adoption of electronic health records makes automated risk adjustment feasible. Using modern machine learning methods and open source tools, we developed and evaluated a retrospective risk adjustment algorithm for in-hospital mortality among ICU patients. The Risk of Inpatient Death score can be fully automated and is reliant upon data elements that are generated in the course of usual hospital processes. Setting: One hundred thirty-one ICUs in 53 hospitals operated by Tenet Healthcare. Patients: A cohort of 237,173 ICU patients discharged between January 2014 and December 2016. Design: The data were randomly split into training (36 hospitals), and validation (17 hospitals) data sets. Feature selection and model training were carried out using the training set while the discrimination, calibration, and accuracy of the model were assessed in the validation data set. Measurements and Main Results: Model discrimination was evaluated based on the area under receiver operating characteristic curve; accuracy and calibration were assessed via adjusted Brier scores and visual analysis of calibration curves. Seventeen features, including a mix of clinical and administrative data elements, were retained in the final model. The Risk of Inpatient Death score demonstrated excellent discrimination (area under receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.94) and calibration (adjusted Brier score = 52.8%) in the validation dataset; these results compare favorably to the published performance statistics for the most commonly used mortality risk adjustment algorithms. Conclusions: Low adoption of ICU mortality risk adjustment algorithms impedes progress toward increasing the value of the healthcare delivered in ICUs. The Risk of Inpatient Death score has many attractive attributes that address the key barriers to adoption of ICU risk adjustment algorithms and performs comparably to existing human-intensive algorithms. Automated risk adjustment algorithms have the potential to obviate known barriers to adoption such as cost-prohibitive licensing fees and significant direct labor costs. Further evaluation is needed to ensure that the level of performance observed in this study could be achieved at independent sites.


Humming with the energy of millions of residents, workers, shoppers and tourists, London is one of the world's most vital modern cities. It is also a city of immense historic interest. This illustrated work digs deeply into London's past, examining the archaeological discoveries that have revised and enriched our understanding of the city's history. The volume draws on research and excavations conducted by the Museum of London Archaeology Service during the last quarter of the 20th century - exciting discoveries that have uncovered information on topics ranging from the river walls constructed by the Romans to outbreaks of the Black Death to exotic goods imported from locations around the globe. The chapters of the book are organized thematically. They explore the following topics and more: London's rivers, those still existing and those that have been buried; the people, their diets, work, leisure, family life, burial practices, and other aspects of their way of life; city infrastructure, including streets, sewers, bridges, water conduits, railways, and the underground; public and private buildings, such as houses of the rich and poor, markets, theatres, public baths, palaces and forts; products made in the city, ranging from ceramics and leather to bricks and Roman glass; the landscape, the environment, and the impact of human activity upon them; and historic disasters, including fires, disease, floods and wars. Each archaeological finding is described and is accompanied by site photographs. For readers who wish to explore London's archaeological sites, maps and references to modern street plans and existing historic buildings are included. Examining the clues unearthed from past centuries, today's archaeologists aim to provide a new way of seeing and enjoying London.


SUMMARY A method is presented which allows calculation of a tectonic element in situations where the primary influence on deposition is eustacy. Calculation of the eustatic rise in sea level needed for deposition of any thickness of rocks yields a conclusion that, assuming deposition of the Carboniferous rocks in Britain was primarily influenced by eustacy, the sea level rose by about 227 m during the Dinantian and about 100 m during the Namurian. There was a temporary halt to sea level rises at a level corresponding with the Mississippian/Pennsylvanian non-sequence in North America. Preliminary attempts are made to estimate the amount of sea level lowering between transgression, and an example of derived figures for local tectonism in the late Visean of Scotland is given.


Abstract 188 We have previously shown that the arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase gene (Alox5) functions as a critical regulator of leukemia stem cells (LSCs) in BCR-ABL-induced chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in mice (Chen Y, Hu Y, Zhang H, Peng C, Li S. Loss of the Alox5 gene impairs leukemia stem cells and prevents chronic myeloid leukemia. Nature Genetics 41:783-792, 2009). We believe that the Alox5 pathway represents a major molecular network in LSCs. Therefore, we decided to further dissect this pathway by comparing gene expression profiles between wild type and Alox5−/− LSCs from CML mice using the DNA microarray analysis. We identified a small group of candidate genes that were changed in expression in the absence of Alox5. Among these genes, we have identified the Msr1 gene and chosen to test the function of this gene in regulating LSC function, because this gene was up-regulated, indicating that it might play a tumor suppressor role in LSCs. In our CML mouse model, we observed that recipients of BCR-ABL transduced Msr1−/− bone marrow cells developed CML much rapidly than recipients of BCR-ABL transduced wide type bone marrow cells. To test whether this accelerated CML is related to abnormal function of LSCs, we carried out a serial transplantation assay by transferring bone marrow cells from primary recipients of BCR-ABL-transduced wild type or Msr1−/− donor bone marrow cells into secondary and next-generation of recipient mice to biologically assess the effect of Msr1 on LSCs. BCR-ABL-expressing wild type leukemia cells from bone marrow of CML mice were only able to transfer CML once, whereas BCR-ABL-expressing Msr1−/− leukemia cells were able to transfer lethal CML for five genrations. This observation indicates that BCR-ABL-expressing Msr1−/− LSCs have markedly increased stem cell function. To further compare the stem cell function, we performed the leukemia stem cell competition assay by 1:1 mixing wild type (CD45.1) and Msr1−/− (CD45.2) bone marrow cells from CML mice. At day 25 or 30 after transplantation, more than 60% and 95% of GFP+Gr-1+ cells in peripheral blood of the mice were CD45.2+Msr1−/− myeloid leukemia cells, and all these mice developed CML and died of CML derived from Msr1−/− LSCs. To confirm the tumor suppressor role of Msr1 in CML development, we co-expressed BCR-ABL and Msr1 in MSR1−/− bone marrow cells by retroviral transduction, followed by transplantation of these cells into recipient mice. The ectopically-expressed Msr1 in MSR1−/− bone marrow cells rescued the accelerated CML phenotype, and some recipient mice did not even develop the CML. Together, these results demonstrate that Msr1 plays a tumor suppressor role in LSCs. The Msr1 pathway is a novel molecular network in LSCs, and it will be important to fully study this pathway for developing curative therapeutic strategies for CML. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Abstract Chroesthes is a small genus that includes three species from Peninsular Malaysia: Chroesthes faizaltahiriana Siti-Munirah sp. nov., C. lanceolata (T. Anderson) B.Hansen and C. longifolia (Wight) B.Hansen. Chroesthes faizaltahiriana, recently discovered in the State of Kelantan, is described and illustrated. This species is similar to the common species C. longifolia, but is distinguished mainly by its inflorescence type, calyx shape and its flowers being bright orange instead of dark purple internally. Chroesthes lanceolata is a new record for Peninsular Malaysia and has only been collected once. Following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, these three species are assessed (national scale assessment) as Critically Endangered (C. faizaltahiriana and C. lanceolata) and Least Concern (C. longifolia).


Essential for USMLE review and medical microbiology coursework! Review of Medical Microbiology and Immunology is a succinct, high-yield review of the medically important aspects of microbiology and immunology. It covers both the basic and clinical aspects of bacteriology, virology, mycology, parasitology, and immunology and also discusses important infectious diseases using an organ system approach. The book emphasizes the real-world clinical application of microbiology and immunology to infectious diseases and offers a unique mix of narrative text, color images, tables and figures, QA 50 clinical cases illustrate the importance of basic science in clinical diagnosis; a complete USMLE-style practice exam consisting of 80 questions; pearls for the USMLE impart important basic science information; concise summaries of medically important microorganisms; self-assessment questions with answers appear at the end of almost every chapter; color images depict clinically important findings; gram stains of bacteria, electron micrographs of viruses, and microscopic images depict fungi, protozoa, and worms; and nine new chapters on infectious diseases from an organ system perspective.


Behavior Finance is a new field that combines attitudes, cognition, emotions, and feelings of cognitive psychology. This phenomenon explains why investors make rational financial decisions in the stock market. It also outlines the consequences of the interaction between investors and managers in financial and capital markets. And it offers more efficient options for investors and managers. Behavioral finance seeks to better understand and explain how behavioral, emotional, and cognitive factors affect investing in stock markets. Stock markets can positively impact economic growth by encouraging savings among individuals and providing opportunities for strong financing. Liquid stock markets can improve the distribution of capital and increase long-term growth prospects. Behavioral bias comes from behavioral finance theory, a theory that embraces finance and psychology. The idea of behavioral finance has started to gain importance since it became clear that people and markets are not rational. It is now clear that investors cannot succeed until they begin to exploit traditional finance theory's sophisticated techniques of behavioral finance. The present study seeks to explore the concept of overconfidence and self-attribution in the Lahore Stock Exchange market as a predictor of investment decisions in terms of age, gender, education level, and work experience. The results of the study are expected to be useful to develop guidelines for financial advisers, financial institutions, and investors.


On March 27, 1950, the author turned 17; ten days later he enlisted in the U.S. Army. During his training in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, he first learned of the police action in Korea, and like many others he volunteered for duty there. His biggest fear was that the action would be over by the time he arrived in Korea. Private Morrow was assigned as a rifleman in the 24th Infantry Regiment Combat Team, one of the most outstanding units in Korea and the last all black army unit; he served with distinction until he was wounded. After a short stint in Pusan, he became a paratrooper and rigger in the 8081st Airborne and Resupplying Company stationed in southern Japan. Throughout his time in the service, Private Morrow had to face the institutional racism of the U.S. Army where black soldiers consistently served longer and performed more dangerous duties than white soldiers. The effects of this on the 18-year-old private were longterm--and are described here.


Dalit women in India suffer multilayered form of marginalization. They are discriminated not only based on their gender, but also because of their caste identity. This impacts their literacy, life expectancy, among other human indicators. Despite the emphasis on the intersectionality between caste and gender by Dr. BR Ambedkar and later by other social reformers like Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, the mainstream movements have failed to provide a separate discourse on safeguarding the rights of Dalit women. The question of caste-based discrimination has by and large focused on the identity of a Dalit, irrespective of the gender, and the injustices inflicted on the social group as a whole. The upper caste led feminist discourse has been equally ignorant of the multiple oppressions faced by Dalit women. This paper deals with the critique of the Dalit movement as well as the feminist movement, and attempts to envision a broader global social justice by reading the ideas of Ambedkar and Lohia together.


Metasurfaces are planar structures that enable us to manipulate electromagnetic wavefronts by using subwavelength elements. Here, we propose a new tunable metasurface based on phase change materials and graphene heaters to operate in the near-IR regime. In the proposed structure, by incorporating electrical heaters, the optical properties of the phase change material layer and, consequently, the metasurface response can be adjusted. Finally, to investigate the potential capability of the proposed metasurface as a free space beam shaper, its beam steering capability is investigated.


A new method to improve the dynamic response of power factor correctors (PFC) is described in this paper. The method is based on the use of a new very highly efficient post-regulator, called a series-switching post-regulator. This new post-regulator exhibits very high efficiency due to the fact that only a part of the total power undergoes a power conversion process. The proposed post-regulator can be used with any PFC topology (either with or without a transformer) with no modifications in the topology, and can be easily protected against short-circuits.


Aberrant expression of the epithelial cell adhesion protein P-cadherin has been observed to be independently causative and preventative with respect to tumor progression, depending on tissue type. Oral epithelial tumors have been shown to exhibit a unique signature of P-cadherin expression in which P-cadherin expression increases in dysplasia and is subsequently lost during malignancy. These studies suggest that early increases in P-cadherin expression may be critical events in tumor progression. Since E- and N-cadherin have been shown to physically interact with and modulate function of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) and Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) respectively, we hypothesized that P-cadherin could promote tumor development via its own interaction with receptor tyrosine kinases in a ligand-dependent manner. To identify functional interactions between P-cadherin and receptor tyrosine kinases, we retrovirally transduced two independently isolated oral squamous carcinoma cell lines to overexpress P-cadherin. Transduced cells were treated independently with one of seven different growth factors to identify alterations in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathways. For all experiments, protein was collected over the course of six hours at multiple timepoints to identify fluctuations in signaling. Although P-cadherin did not alter AKT phosphorylation, it was found to alter MAPK signaling in both a positive and negative manner. The most robust alterations in MAPK signaling occurred in response to activation of Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF), Epithelial Growth Factor (EGF), and Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF). P-cadherin overexpression also induced phenotypic changes. Behavioral assays revealed that P-cadherin expression increased motility, but decreased expression of invasive proteases MMP-9 and MMP-14. P-cadherin cells grown in serum-free media for 48 hours exhibited increased cell number compared to control cells. A cell proliferation analysis (MTT assay) indicated lower rates of proliferation in P-cadherin -overexpressing cells compared to controls. This data suggests that the increased cell number of serum-starved P-cadherin cells was due to increased survival, rather than proliferation. These results demonstrate that P-cadherin overexpression can modulate ligand-dependent growth factor signaling and alter those cellular characteristics most commonly associated with tumor aggressiveness. Since P-cadherin expression has been shown to increase early on in the development of tumors, our research may provide a possible mechanism as to how this increase may play a role in tumor progression during dysplasia. Citation Format: James Mar, Adam Robinson, Rachel Neville, Desseree Lysne, Kathryn Lawson. P-cadherin modulates signaling of multiple growth factor receptors and cellular aggressiveness in oral carcinoma cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4409. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4409


The current challenge facing our age is the information digitization, at the same time, there is a huge development in the interdisciplinary of technologies with sciences. In the last few years, the World witnessed a number of information challenges with different dimensions, including digital dimensions, which are called the digital world and the virtual world for authors and movie writers. Consequently, the digital art concept emerged that utilizes the computer in an efficient way and as a new technique for drawing. This art is considered a great leap for modern art. The influence of digital technology transformed traditional arts like painting and sculpture into new forms, from pure arts to virtual reality. The most important characteristics and advantages are reflected in saving time, effort, cost and area. Digitally, art would enrich Iraqi culture by employing Iraqi creativity. This paper targets the concept of digital art, characteristics of art in virtual society and presenting the history – origins and evolution – of digital art. A group of paintings have been created using Photoshop Cc, Photo Shop C5 and Art Rage programs.


Excited delirium poses a challenging diagnostic and management issue for many prehospital providers. These patients can be agitated, aggressive, violent, and often require additional resources to restrain them. Excited delirium may be precipitated by a variety of factors, including psychiatric disturbance, metabolic derangement, and intoxication. Providers may need to coordinate with law enforcement officials or reach for sedative medications to safely assess and manage them. This chapter describes some of the key features of excited delirium, discusses common precipitants of this state, and provides management strategies for these patients, including the use of sedatives. This chapter also discusses some of the adverse reactions to sedative medications and what to do if these arise.


The effects of cross-linking and lattice contraction of purple membrane (PM) on the photodynamics of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and on the tertiary structure were studied by flash photolysis and X-ray diffraction. To get a contracted lattice form of PM, native PM, and/or PM cross-linked by glutaraldehyde were treated with deoxycholate or Triton X-100. Part of the Triton-treated cross-linked PM was further incubated with Bio-Beads SM-2 to remove Triton X-100. In the modified PM, several long-lived components of the M intermediate appeared, the features of which were related to the environment of bR. Also, X-ray diffraction studies using synchrotron radiation were performed on the modified PM under intense light irradiation (lambda greater than 500 nm) in which 40-80% of bR was photoconverted to the M state. In the Triton-treated cross-linked PM dispersed in 0.25% Triton X-100, the unit cell of membrane crystalline lattice was enlarged from 58.8 to 59.8 A and the crystalline order decreased with irradiation. The analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns suggests that light-induced conformational changes of bR correlated with the Triton content of the environment and an increase of substitution disorder was caused by these changes, but the average location of bR was unchanged. However, the other modified PM showed no significant changes of diffraction, upon light irradiation.


Modern research into the theologv of Anabaptism may be said to begin with John Horsch (1867-1941), a German Mennonite immigrant who did his life work as a private scholar at Scottdale, Pennsylvania. The most distinguished defence of believer'"; bantism in modern times was undonbtedlv that of Karl Barth of Basfl whose Kirchlirhe Lfhre von der Taufe, an address delivered at Gwatt on Lake Thun on Mav 7. 1943. was subsequently published as a booklet, first in German and then in Eneiish (1948). As earlv as 1938, however, Barth had come tbrotieh loud and clear for believer's baptism in his seminar on Baptism at the TTniversitv of Rasel. And his final and thirteenth "Frasrment" in his great series, Church Dnqrnnf^rx. was entitled Baptism as the Foundation of the Christian Life (Edinbnrch: T. & T. Clark. 1969^1—published in English the vear after his death. In his lucid monograph. Infant Baptism. Its Oriain Among Protestants and The Armwnts Advanced for and Anain.tt It (Scottdale, Pa.: Published bv the Author, 1917V Horsch had written that Hubmaier was "the most distinguished defender of believers' bantism and Anabaptist principles in ereneral" (p. 148). And Rollin Stelv Armour in his excellent study, Anabaptist Baptism: A Representative Study (Studies an Anabaptist and Mennonite Historv," Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press. 1966). devotes his first and lamest studv to Hubmaier. Christof Windhorst, instructor in Church Historv in the Kirchliche Hochschule, Bielefeld-Bethel, Germany, now presents a study of Hubmaier's Anabaptist doctrine of baptism. Windhorst has done his work well. As a Doctor of Theology Hubmaier was in good position to debate his conclusions, based on direct study of the New Testament, with the tradition of the church, as well as with such contemporaries as Zwineli and Oekolampad. He elaborated on baptism with water, with Spirit, and with blood—and was himself burned at the stake in 1528. Windhorst has examined the writings of Hubmaier on baptism with care, and he gives evidence of thorough acquaintance with the best modern studies of Anabaptism. The monograph is attractively printed, well bound, and thoroughly indexed. I recommend it to those interested in Anabaptism as well as to those concerned with the current discussion of the proper subjects of Christian baptism.


This study examines child sexual abuse happening to the life of the main characters in the movie Mysterious Skin. Mysterious Skin tells the story of two pre-adolescent boys who are sexually abused by their baseball coach, and how it contributes to their lives in different ways into their young adulthood. This research used qualitative approach and textual analysis to explore the experiences of two child sexual abuse victims. Using Freud's psychoanalysis, this study revealed that sexual abuse has a great long-term impact on child caused by the traumatic events in past. It will evoke some psychological disorder which later will reflects in destructive behavior of child. The main characters, Neil, became male prostitute with same sex sexual orientation, and Brian developed defense mechanisms (repression, projection, denial) and re-occurrence dreams by attaching himself with the fantasy of alien abduction. In addition, it is also revealed how the main characters attempt to detach their painful memories. The study is expected to give more understanding about the serious contribution of child sexual abuse seen from different side, which is through behavioral outcomes.


Sustainable management of non-timber forest products such as palm fruits is crucial for the long-term conservation of intact forest. A major limitation to expanding sustainable management of palms has been the need for precise information about the resources at scales of tens to hundreds of hectares, while typical ground-based surveys only sample small areas. In recent years, small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become an important tool for mapping forest areas as they are cheap and easy to transport, and they provide high spatial resolution imagery of remote areas. We developed an object-based classification workflow for RGB UAV imagery which aims to identify and delineate palm tree crowns in the tropical rainforest by combining image processing and GIS functionalities using color and textural information in an integrative way to show one of the potential uses of UAVs in tropical forests. Ten permanent forest plots with 1170 reference palm trees were assessed from October to December 2017. The results indicate that palm tree crowns could be clearly identified and, in some cases, quantified following the workflow. The best results were obtained using the random forest classifier with an 85% overall accuracy and 0.82 kappa index.


This study was carried out to identify bacterial strains adhered to domestic pet dog hair and to identify antibacterial extracts from natural compounds. A total of 76 strains were isolated from dog hair. The most common species isolated was Staphylococcus spp. (41 isolates), followed by Micrococcus spp. (21 isolates), Enterococcus spp. (8 isolates), Bacillus sup. (3 isolates), Exiguobacterium sup. (2 isolates), Shigella spp. (1 isolate) and Zoogloea spp. (1 isolate). These results suggested that dog hair could be a source of bacterial contamination to human. The susceptibility of isolates to antibiotics and antibacterial activities of the natural compounds were examined by disk diffusion method. Water and ethanol extract from Scutellaria baicalensis revealed high antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Enterococcus and Shigella. Our results suggest that the extract of Scutellaria baicalensis can be used a antibacterial agent against the antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.


NSR superstring theory contains a tower of physical vertex operators (brane-like states) which exist at non-zero pictures only, i.e. are essentially mixed with superconformal ghosts. Some of these states are massless, they are responsible for creating D-branes. Other states are tachyonic (called ghost tachyons) creating a problem for the vacuum stability of the NSR model. In this paper we explore the role played by these tachyonic states in string dynamics. We show that the ghost tachyons condense on D-branes, created by massless brane-like states. Thus the vacuum stability is achieved dynamically, as the effective ghost tachyon potential exactly cancels the D-brane tension, in full analogy with Sen's mechanism. As a result, from perturbative NSR model point of view, massless and tachyonic brane-like states appear to live in a parallel world, as the brane is screened by the tachyonic veil. We extend the analysis to the brane-antibrane pair in AdS space and show that in this case due to the effect of the ghost tachyon condensation one can construct extra time-dimensional phenomenological models without tachyons and antibranes.


The free vibration of a spinning flexible disk-spindle system supported by hydro dynamic bearings (HDB) in an HDD is analyzed by FEM. The spinning flexible disk is described using Kirchhoff plate theory and von Karman non-linear strain, and its rigid body motion is also considered. It is discretized by annular sector element. The rotating spindle which includes the clamp, hub, permanent magnet and yoke, is modeled by Timoshenko beam including the gyroscopic effect. The flexible supporting structure with a complex shape which includes stator core, housing, base plate, sleeve and thrust pad is modeled by using a 4-node tetrahedron element with rotational degrees of freedom to satisfy the geometric compatibility. The dynamic coefficients of HDB are calculated from the HDB analysis program, which solves the perturbed Reynolds equation using FEM. Introducing the virtual nodes and the rigid link constraints defined in the center of HDB, beam elements of the shaft are connected to the solid elements of the sleeve and thrust pad through the spring and damper element. The global matrix equation obtained by assembling the finite element equations of each substructure is transformed to the state-space matrix-vector equation, and the associated eigen value problem is solved by using the restarted Arnoldi iteration method. The validity of this research is verified by comparing the numerical results of the natural frequencies with the experimental ones. Also the effect of supporting structures to the natural modes of the total HDD system is rigorously analyzed.


Audio Examples Contributing Authors Preface to Second Edition Part 1 Introduction to African Music Profile of Africa Ruth M. Stone African Music in a Constellation of Arts Ruth M. Stone Exploring African Music Ruth M. Stone Part 2 Issues and Processes in African Music Notation and Oral Tradition Kay Kaufman Shelemay Conceptions of Song: Ownership, Rights, and African Copyright Law Alex Perullo Dance in Communal Life Patience A. Kwakwa Islam in Liberia Lester P. Monts The Guitar in Africa Andrew L. Kaye Kru Mariners and Migrants of the West African Coast Cynthia Schmidt Popular Music in Africa Angela Impey Music and HIV/AIDS in Africa Gregory Barz and Judah Cohen Questions for Critical Thinking Part 3 Regional Case Studies West Africa West Africa: An Introduction Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje Yoruba Popular Music Christopher Waterman "The Tradition" and Identity in a Diversifying Context Daniel Reed Questions for Critical Thinking: Africa North Africa North Africa: An Introduction Caroline Card Wendt Tuareg Music Caroline Card Wendt From Village to Vinyl: Genealogies of New Kabyle Song Jane E. Goodman Questions for Critical Thinking: North Africa East Africa East Africa: An Introduction Peter Cooke Music and Identity among the Abayudaya (Jewish People) of Uganda Jeffrey A. Summit Questions for Critical Thinking: East Africa Central Africa Central Africa: An Introduction Gerhard Kubik Musical Life in the Central African Republic Michelle Kisliuk Questions for Critical Thinking: Central Africa Southern Africa Southern Africa: An Introduction John E. Kaemmer Popular Music in South Africa David B. Coplan Dance and Gender in Southern Malawi Clara Henderson Questions for Critical Thinking: South Africa General Questions for the Whole Book Glossary A Guide to Publications on African Music A Guide to Recordings of African Music A Guide to Films and Videos Index


ABSTRACT- Authentication and privacy protection are important security mechanisms for keeping things safe in the Internet of Things environments. In particular, an anonymous authentication scheme is a privacy preserving authentication technique which provides both authentication and privacy preservation. An authentication scheme with anonymity in mobility networks was proposed recently. However, it was proven that it failed to provide anonymity against passive adversaries and malicious users and security against known session key attacks and side channel attacks. We propose an anonymous authentication scheme for intercommunication between the things in the Internet of Things environments. The proposed scheme provides not only anonymity and security, but also untraceability for the thing. Moreover, we only use low cost functions, such as hash functions and exclusive-OR operations in consideration of limited computing power of the thing.


This paper investigates fairness in writing test scores in terms of candidates who completed a writing test either by hand or typed, on a computer. The data for this large-scale comparability study comprise candidates taking English language writing tests at four CEFR levels – B1 to C2 in the period 2019–2022. The data were analysed via effect size differences and equivalence tests. Measured by effect size, a small amount of difference was apparent in scores obtained between the two production modes at B1, B2 and C1 levels. At C2 level, there was a medium effect size, indicative of a difference in favour of computer-produced scripts. Differences observed on equivalence tests – an adaptation of the standard t-test – were not found to be statistically significant. The contribution of the research to knowledge lies in the fact that (with the exception of C2 level) – whether writing tests are written by hand or on computer, while there is a slight skew towards higher scores with computer-processed texts, candidates generally receive similar scores in both modes. Practically, candidates may elect to write either on paper or on computer without fear of bias.


Abstract Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of infectious morbidity in newborns. We describe the prevalence of GBS colonization and the serotypes and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of isolates obtained from a cohort of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women. This was a cross-sectional study at a centre for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Vaginal and rectal swabs were collected at 35–37 weeks of gestation from 158 eligible women. GBS isolates were serotyped and antimicrobial susceptibility tests performed. Patient sociodemographic characteristics, CD4 counts and viral loads were abstracted from records. The overall anogenital prevalence of GBS colonization was 49/158 (31.0%): 40/158 (25.3%) for vagina, 19/158 (12.0%) for rectum and 10/158 (6.3%) for both. Predominant serotypes were Ib (34.9%) and Ia (25.6%). All were penicillin-susceptible. Two were resistant to erythromycin (4.0%) and one to clindamycin (2.0%). The colonization rate by GBS was high in this cohort. Serotype Ib was the most frequently identified.


An effective and universal method for delivering structurally diverse biomolecules in vivo would greatly benefit modern drug therapy, but has yet to be discovered. Self-assembled supramolecular complexes containing vesicles of amphiphilic cyclodextrin and linker molecules with an azobenzene guest unit and a charged functionality have been established as nanoscale carriers for proteins and DNA, making use of multivalent electrostatic attraction. However, light-induced cargo release is only feasible up to a maximum net charge of the biomacromolecules. Herein, it is shown that it is possible to fine-tune macromolecular complex stability and size by addition of a competitive guest molecule that acts as a stopper, partly blocking the vesicle surface. The superior performance of arylazopyrazoles in photoisomerization compared to azobenzenes, which enables a lower surface charge density of the vesicles in the photostationary state, is also demonstrated. Both strategies allow reversible supramolecular aggregation of high molecular weight DNA (2 and 4.8 kbp).


Abstract Chaotic switching is a newly evolve randomization method which suppress the conducted electromagnetic interference generated within the DC-DC converter. It can also suppress the spectral peaks present in the frequency band effectively by spread spectrum technique and spread it over the wide range of frequency band implying electromagnetic interference (EMI) suppression. In this article, a chaotic pulse width modulation technique based on randomized carrier frequency modulation with fixed duty ratio is generated through field programable gate array for suppressing the conducted electromagnetic interference generated within the Luo-converter. A hardware prototype of Luo-converter is developed in order to analyze EMI reduction through power spectral density analysis by comparing both traditional periodic PWM switching and chaotic PWM switching. The results obtained from the hardware setup shows significant reduction of EMI with chaotic switching as compared to traditional pulse width modulation switching under both boost and buck operation of Luo-converter.


We develop an automatic system to analyze subtle changes in upper face expressions based on both permanent facial features (brows, eyes, mouth) and transient facial features (deepening of facial furrows) in a nearly frontal image sequence. Our system recognizes fine-grained changes in facial expression based on Facial Action Coding System (FACS) action units (AUs). Multi-state facial component models are proposed for tracting and modeling different facial features, including eyes, brews, cheeks, and furrows. Then we convert the results of tracking to detailed parametric descriptions of the facial features. These feature parameters are fed to a neural network which recognizes 7 upper face action units. A recognition rate of 95% is obtained for the test data that include both single action units and AU combinations.


The provision of television captions for the benefit of the hearing impaired is the growing practice of many broadcasting organisations. This paper discusses the research and design work which led to the development of 'NEWFOR', a caption preparation system for broadcast teletext. Caption preparation is a complex and time-consuming task, which often required as long as 30-40 hours preparation time per captioned programme hour using early teletext origination systems. Research carried out into the display requirements for captioning for the hearing impaired led to a design specification for a stand alone caption preparation system and a handbook of guidelines on captioning. Analysis of the operational requirements of caption preparation provided a framework for optimal task division between the human captioner and the captioning computer. The system developed as a result halves caption preparation time, and also permits captioning of live programmes. The system described is now available commercially and is used for all teletext captioning by Independent Television in the UK.


Since the classical Babinski's (1914) observation of lack of awareness ("anosognosia") for a left-sided hemiplegia, the problem of the mechanisms underlying this surprising phenomenon has been raised. Most authors have stressed the links between right hemisphere and emotional processes, considering anosognosia as an abnormal emotional reaction, caused by disruption of the side of the brain crucially involved in emotional behavior. Theoretically motivated models of hemispheric asymmetries in emotional processing have proposed either a right-hemisphere dominance for specific components of emotions, or a different involvement of the right and left hemispheres in different levels of emotional processing. Following the last line of thought, we have proposed that the right hemisphere may subserve the lower "schematic" level (where emotions are automatically generated and experienced as "true emotions) and the left hemisphere the higher "conceptual" level (where emotions are consciously analyzed and submitted to an intentional control). In agreement with this model, recent empirical data strongly suggest that the right hemisphere might play a major role in the automatic, unconscious generation of emotions, whereas the left hemisphere could be mainly involved in the conscious analysis and control of emotional processes.


A comprehensive control strategy is necessary to safely and effectively operate particle based concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. Particle based CSP with thermal energy storage (TES) is an emerging technology with potential to decarbonize power and process heat applications. The high-temperature nature of particle based CSP technologies and daily solar transients present challenges for system control to prevent equipment damage and ensure operator safety. An operational controls strategy for a tower based particle CSP system during steady state and transient conditions with safety interlocks is described in this paper. Control of a solar heated particle recirculation loop, TES, and a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) cooling loop designed to reject 1 MW of thermal power are considered and associated operational limitations and their influence on control strategy are discussed.


Obtaining large-scale human-labeled datasets to train acoustic representation models is a very challenging task. On the contrary, we can easily collect data with machine-generated labels. In this work, we propose to exploit machine-generated labels to learn better acoustic representations, based on the synchronization between vision and audio. Firstly, we collect a large-scale video dataset with 15 million samples, which totally last 16,320 hours. Each video is 3 to 5 seconds in length and annotated automatically by publicly available visual and audio classification models. Secondly, we train various classical convolutional neural networks (CNNs) including VGGish, ResNet 50 and Mobilenet v2. We also make several improvements to VGGish and achieve better results. Finally, we transfer our models on three external standard benchmarks for audio classification task, and achieve significant performance boost over the state-of-the-art results. Models and codes are available at: this https URL.


The process of learning a manipulation task depends strongly on the action space used for exploration: posed in the incorrect action space, solving a task with reinforcement learning can be drastically inefficient. Additionally, similar tasks or instances of the same task family impose latent manifold constraints on the most effective action space: the task family can be best solved with actions in a manifold of the entire action space of the robot. Combining these insights we present LASER, a method to learn latent action spaces for efficient reinforcement learning. LASER factorizes the learning problem into two sub-problems, namely action space learning and policy learning in the new action space. It leverages data from similar manipulation task instances, either from an offline expert or online during policy learning, and learns from these trajectories a mapping from the original to a latent action space. LASER is trained as a variational encoder-decoder model to map raw actions into a disentangled latent action space while maintaining action reconstruction and latent space dynamic consistency. We evaluate LASER on two contact-rich robotic tasks in simulation, and analyze the benefit of policy learning in the generated latent action space. We show improved sample efficiency compared to the original action space from better alignment of the action space to the task space, as we observe with visualizations of the learned action space manifold. Additional details: pair.toronto.edu/laser


In 1892 the English natural philosopher and chemist William Crookes speculated about 'Some Possibilities of Electricity' in the pages of the Fortnightly Review. Crookes discussed the nature of electricity and its relationship to the ether. He talked about the prospect of wireless communication, of electrical telepathy and controlling the weather. Crookes's article is only one instance of a trend towards constructing imagined electrical futures towards the end of the 19th century. These sorts of speculations played with the boundaries of the real but they were built around a solid material culture. In this paper I want to look at how these sorts of speculative accounts of electrical futures were put together. In particular, I want to look at the ways in which electrical speculation was grounded in material and practical experimental culture and how these sorts of speculations around the boundaries of the real played back into late Victorian electrical experimentation.


We can implement data hiding in 3D image by using steganography, So as to achieve more efficiency and security than usual 2D image data hiding. Despite a significant growth during last couple of years, the availability of 3D content is still dwarfed by that of the 2D counterpart. In order to close this gap, a number of 2D-to-3D image and video conversion methods have been proposed. The results demonstrate that repositories of 3D content can be used for effective 2D-to-3D image conversion. Steganography is one of the best and most challenging methods for securing data. It is a branch of secret communication or security system used in hiding secret data inside digital mediums. An extension to video is immediate by enforcing temporal continuity of computed depth maps.


Abstract Significance: Enhanced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been associated with different disease states. Most attempts to validate and exploit these associations by chronic antioxidant therapies have provided disappointing results. Hence, the clinical relevance of ROS is still largely unclear. Recent Advances: We are now beginning to understand the reasons for these failures, which reside in the many important physiological roles of ROS in cell signaling. To exploit ROS therapeutically, it would be essential to define and treat the disease-relevant ROS at the right moment and leave physiological ROS formation intact. This breakthrough seems now within reach. Critical Issues: Rather than antioxidants, a new generation of protein targets for classical pharmacological agents includes ROS-forming or toxifying enzymes or proteins that are oxidatively damaged and can be functionally repaired. Future Directions: Linking these target proteins in future to specific disease states and providing in each case proof of principle will be essential for translating the oxidative stress concept into the clinic. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 23, 1171–1185.


We have investigated a low-resistance thermally stable Pd/Re ohmic contact on moderately doped p-GaN:Mg (1.1 × 1017 cm−3). It is shown that the I–V characteristic of the as-deposited sample is improved upon annealing at 550 °C for 1 min under N2 ambient. However, annealing the sample at 650 °C results in the degradation of the I–V behaviour. Specific contact resistance as low as 8.7 × 10−4 Ω cm2 is obtained from the Pd(20 nm)/Re(25 nm) contact annealed at 550 °C. It is also shown that the contact exhibits thermal stability during annealing at 550 °C. Auger electron microscopy and glancing angle x-ray diffraction studies are carried out to characterize interfacial reactions between the Pd/Re contacts and the GaN.


Crescent of Crisis brings together several leading American and European experts to develop a common approach to the pressing worries of the region. The contributors include some of the foremost analysts of the region from both sides of the Atlantic. They provide succinct synopses of the crises, compare U.S. and European perspectives, and suggest ways to increase cooperation. The editors synthesize this into a road map for U.S.-European cooperation in meeting the present and future challenges of this volatile part of the world.