A backlight (2) is provided with a light source (5), a plurality of light guide bodies (7, 17) which surface-emit light inputted from the light source (5), and a reflecting material (6). The reflecting material (6) is arranged at a position facing a surface on the opposite side to a light emitting surface (7a). The light guide body (7) and the light guide body (17) are adjacent to each other, and a protruding section (20) having a curved surface is arranged in a region, which is on a reflecting material (6) surface facing the light guide bodies (7, 17) and corresponds to a region between the light guide body (7) and the light guide body (17). Thus, an illuminating apparatus having further improved luminance uniformity is provided.


• Clonidine hydrochloride has been demonstrated to produce vasoconstriction in the anterior segment of the cat eye. The mode of this action has been found to be due to direct stimulation of α-adrenergic receptors. In the intact, enucleated, arterially perfused eye, clonidine was found to decrease the rate of aqueous humor production. We suggest that clonidine, like hydroxyamphetamine hydrobromide, phenylephrine hydrochloride, and dopamine hydrochloride, decreases aqueous humor formation by constriction of afferent ciliary process blood vessels.


Spinel iron oxide nanoparticles capped with organic molecules have been successfully prepared and used to produce iron oxide nanoparticles-single wall carbon nanotubes hybrid materials, which were characterized by a number of experimental techniques. The nanoparticles in both samples have an average particle size of about 10 nm and acquire a chemical composition of the type Fe3−xO4, with 0<x<1/3. 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetization measurements suggest that the free capped nanoparticles experience stronger superparamagnetic effects with respect to the nanoparticles of the hybrid sample, which show stronger magnetic interparticle interactions. The mutual proximity of the magnetic nanoparticles of the hybrid sample is proposed to be the origin for this behaviour, which is triggered by their denser anchoring to the outer surface of the singe wall carbon nanotubes due to the reduced dimensions of the latter.


An original and efficient synthesis of quinolizidinones through a one-pot two-component cascade reaction of norlobelanine with in situ generated ketenes is reported. Functionalized fused azabicyclic scaffolds bearing multiple stereogenic centers were prepared with excellent diastereoselectivities. Mild optimized conditions involving a key "shuttle base" deprotonation strategy was applied to the synthesis, in a short sequence, of a constrained mimetic of the privileged H-bonded conformation of (-)-lobeline.


We study the simplest generic extension of the Standard Model which allows for conventional electroweak baryogenesis, through the addition of dimension six operators in the Higgs sector. At least one such operator is required to be CP-odd, and we study the constraints on such a minimal setup, and related scenarios with minimal flavor violation, from the null results of searches for electric dipole moments (EDMs), utilizing the full set of two-loop contributions to the EDMs. The results indicate that the current bounds are stringent, particularly that of the recently updated neutron EDM, but fall short of ruling out these scenarios. The next generation of EDM experiments should be sufficiently sensitive to provide a conclusive test.


Microprocessor chips employ increasingly larger number of thermal sensing devices. These devices are networked by an underlying infrastructure, which provides bias currents to sensing devices and collects measurements. In this work, we address the optimization of the bias current distribution network utilized by the sensing devices. We show that the choice between two fundamental topologies (the 2-wire and the 4-wire measurement) for this network has a non-negligible impact on the precision of the monitoring system. We also show that the 4-wire measurement principle supports the remote sensing technique better. However, it requires more routing resources. We thus propose a novel routing algorithm to minimize its routing cost. We also present a detailed evaluation of the quality of the resulting system in presence of process and thermal variations. Our Monte Carlo simulations using the IBM 10SF 65nm SPICE models show that the monitoring accuracies can be as high as 0.6°C under considerable amount of process and temperature variation. Moreover, by adopting a customized routing approach for the current mirror network, the total wire length of the bias current network can be reduced by as much as 42.74% and by 27.65% on average.


We consider an improper reinforcement learning setting where the learner is given M base controllers for an unknown Markov Decision Process, and wishes to combine them optimally to produce a potentially new controller that can outperform each of the base ones. We propose a gradient-based approach that operates over a class of improper mixtures of the controllers. The value function of the mixture and its gradient may not be available in closed-form; however, we show that we can employ rollouts and simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) for explicit gradient descent optimization. We derive convergence and convergence rate guarantees for the approach assuming access to a gradient oracle. Numerical results on a challenging constrained queueing task show that our improper policy optimization algorithm can stabilize the system even when each constituent policy at its disposal is unstable.


This paper expounds on the training developed for the GLAP Trans Symposium by Shannon Sennott and Tones Smith. This article addresses the stigmatization and pathologization of trans- and gender-nonconforming people by medical providers and therapists (Sennott, 2011). It is intended to aid in the development of personal best practices for clinicians who work with trans- and gender-nonconforming individuals. The authors introduce the transfeminist therapeutic approach, the Identity Continuums, the Transfeminist Qualitative Assessment Tool (TQAT) (Sennott, 2011), and the Allyship Practice Model (APM) (Sennott, 2011). The article explores countertransference, fears, and concerns of clinicians who provide physical and mental health services to differently gendered people. It also examines transphobia, misogyny, and homophobia, which can create barriers in a therapeutic relationship.


As the conversion of the electronics industry to lead free soldering materials continues some unexpected negative side effects of higher lead free reflow temperatures have occurred. Defects such as delamination or "popcorning" in surface mount components have increased significantly since lead free soldering has become mainstream. Popcorning is a defect that manifests itself as a fracture between the epoxy based encapsulant and the metal, usually copper alloy, leadframe components used to form a surface mount component. This fracture occurs when moisture in the package volatilizes during reflow processes and forces its way through the encapsulation material and leadframe interface. Peak reflow temperatures for leaded solder typically run around 215°–225° C but due to the higher melting point of lead free solders, they require peak reflow temperatures of 240° to 260° C range. This 30° increase in reflow temperatures can have a significant effect on the electronic devices and any resident moisture in the component The keys to popcorning, or delamination, defect reduction is twofold. The first objective is to enhance the bond between the encapsulant and the copper leadframe materials to form a stronger bond that can resist the vapor pressures induced during reflow. The other objective is to provide a superior bond between the leadframe and encapsulant thus minimizing moisture ingress. New chemical treatment processes have been developed that pre-treat the copper surfaces of the leadframe and significantly enhance the bond between the encapsulant material and the metal leadframe. The chemical treatment process results in micro-roughening of the copper surfaces and at the same time depositing a thermally robust film that enhances the chemical bond between the epoxy encapsulant material and the copper. This paper examines the possible issues and the real life successes when comparing standard component manufacturing methods to those that incorporate the aforementioned chemical adhesion promotion process. Components are assembled using both processes and final performance is tested using MLS-1 conditioning protocols, acoustic microscopy analysis (SAM), and final yield improvement.


The purposes of the current study are to examine whether audit risk triggers prospective rationality cognition related to how decision aid reliance could be used as a defensive strategy in a court of law should legal action arise in the future, and assess the degree to which defensibility moderates the relationship between audit risk and decision aid reliance. This is a particularly relevant question in the Sarbanes-Oxley era, as decision aids hold the potential to improve audit quality; yet, immense legal and regulatory pressures on audit firms to improve audit quality could lead to a 'check list' mentality where auditors subordinate their audit judgments for the sake of compliance. Based on an experiment involving 118 audit practitioners, we find that auditors rely more on decision aid recommendations when either litigation risk (exogenous to the audit risk model) or internal control risk (endogenous to the audit risk model) is high relative to low. When litigation risk and internal control risk are simultaneously high, there is an interactive effect on decision aid reliance. Further analysis of the interaction suggests that the litigation risk amplifies cognition of defensibility related to internal control risk, which in turn moderates decision aid reliance. The experimental design purposefully incorporates a fairly unreasonable decision aid recommendation and, disturbingly, when both risks are high, the auditors appear to deferentially follow the aid's advice. Surprisingly, as decision aid reliance increases, decision confidence decreases. Post-experimental analyses reveal that fairly low reliance on decision aids in practice is mainly due to uncertainty surrounding the accuracy of decision aids and lack of refresher training on decision aid use.


During the past two years atophan has been used extensively in the treatment of gout, arthritis of different forms and neuritis. Its use has also been recommended in migraine, sciatica, lumbago, iritis, episcleritis, otosclerosis, pyorrhea alveolaris, eczema and urticaria. The purpose of this paper is to call attention to the occurrence of various skin rashes—purpura, urticaria and scarlatiniform eruptions—caused by the administration of atophan as exemplified in the cases reported herewith. REPORT OF CASES CASE 1. —Man, aged 56, who for twelve years had suffered from the polyarticular form of arthritis deformans, was first given atophan in July, 1911, 7½ grains being administered four times daily. Ten days later a purpuric eruption appeared over the anterior surface of the lower extremities, extending from the knee down to the dorsum of the foot. The lesions were in the form of numerous small petechiae. The medicine was discontinued and in


With the rapid development of computer communication and web technology, especially the widely application of wireless sensor and embedded technology, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have been paid great attention in industry field and our daily life. WSNs based on ARM7TDMI-S CPU and ZigBee device has merit of rapid and simple in networking, node movable in application, abundant information in acquisition, real time collaboration in communication, low power consumption in continuous operation, so it is very suitable for targeting miner's position underground. In this paper, networking scheme of the WSN is presented, and distributed information processing, communication technology and real time collaboration are focused on. Miner's information in mobile is obtained accurately by sensor. After that position information is transmitted reliably to monitoring center. Test result in continuous operation shows there is no information loss or undetected. Therefore this scheme is stable and effective, which will play a positive role for security in coal mine by right of characteristics of Zigbee WSNs in my opinion.


As part of the ecological risk assessment process for terrestrial and wetland habitats, the evaluation of bioaccumulative chemicals of concern (BCCs) is frequently pursued through food-chain analysis with a subsequent comparison of daily doses to benchmark toxicity reference values, when available. Food-chain analysis has frequently been applied to the analysis of exposure to BCCs identified as chemicals of potential ecological concern (COPECs) in the ecological risk assessment process. Here, designed studies focused on wetland food-chains such as hydric soil {r_arrow} soil macroinvertebrate {r_arrow} amphibian and terrestrial food-chains such as soil {r_arrow} plant {r_arrow} small mammal illustrate an approach for the derivation and validation of trophic transfer factors for metals considered as COPECs such as cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc. The results clearly indicate that the transfer of chemicals between trophic levels is critical in the bioaccumulation process in wetland and terrestrial food-chains and is influenced by numerous interacting abiotic and biotic factors, including physicochemical properties of soil, and the role, if any, that the metal has in the receptor as a required trace element.


Fosamprenavir is a recently licensed protease inhibitor (PI) for the treatment of patients with HIV. It has potent antiviral activity when boosted by ritonavir and produces durable virological suppression when combined with other antiretroviral drugs. In addition, it is well tolerated with a good safety profile, and can be taken once or twice daily with no food restrictions. Trough plasma levels obtained with once or twice daily boosted fosamprenavir are above the mean protein-binding adjusted IC50 values for wild-type and PI-resistant virus. When given twice daily boosted, no significant pharmacokinetic (PK) interaction is seen with tenofovir, the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), efavirenz or nevirapine, and there is no requirement for any dose adjustment. Interactions with other PIs are difficult to predict. A reduction in plasma amprenavir level is seen when fosamprenavir or amprenavir is combined with ritonavir-boosted lopinavir, saquinavir or tipranavir: reductions in lopinavir and saquinavir plasma levels are also seen. Various dosing strategies have been evaluated to overcome these negative interactions. With unboosted atazanvir, an increase in amprenavir levels is found. This article will focus on the pharmacokinetics of ritonavir-boosted fosampreanvir and review drug interactions with other antiretroviral (ARV) and non-ARV agents.


The aim of the study is to investigate the use of cheat sheets in teacher education. The research analyzed state test anxiety levels of prospective teachers, the correlation between their cheat sheet evaluation scores and exam scores, and opinions of prospective teachers about the cheat sheet. Thus, the study was conducted as a convergent parallel mixed-method research in which both quantitative and qualitative methods were used simultaneously. The study group consisted of 24 prospective teachers. Data regarding state test anxiety levels of the prospective teachers were gathered just before the exam via State Test Anxiety Scale. The cheat sheet evaluation rubric designed by the researcher was used to evaluate the cheat sheets prepared by the prospective teachers. The prospective teachers' exam scores were obtained from their responses. The data about opinions of the prospective teachers were collected via Standardized Interview Form developed by the researcher. The findings of the study revealed that prospective teachers' overall state text anxiety was at "very little" level. There was a statistically significant and positive correlation between the prospective teachers' cheat sheet evaluation scores and their exam scores. Qualitative findings revealed that the prospective teachers started taking notes at the beginning of the semester to write on their cheat sheets; however, they started to write their cheat sheets the day before the exam. They wrote their cheat sheets in 3-5 hours, and spent 3-5 hours studying for the exam. The prospective teachers rarely used their cheat sheets during the exam; however, the cheat sheet helped them learn the material, and they wanted to use cheat sheets in other courses. The prospective teachers used different strategies while writing their cheat sheets. Based on the conclusions of the study, teacher educators are also recommended to let prospective teachers use cheat sheets during exams to reduce their anxiety, to increase their exam scores, and most importantly, to help them learn the material thoroughly.


Oligodendrocyte development may be divided into three distinct stages: I) commitment of neuroectoderm cells to the oligodendrocyte lineage, II) migration of precursors into the surrounding parenchyma concomitant with increased proliferation, and III) cessation of migration and proliferation and initiation of myelination. Stage II of development has remained enigmatic because of the paucity of known molecules that distinguish these immature migratory cells. We describe a novel surface protein, termed OlP‐1, which is restricted in expression to this developmental stage in the mouse. Cytofluorographic comparisons with known developmental markers showed OlP‐1 to be expressed primarily by stage II precursors in vitro. Histologic analyses supported this conclusion by showing co‐localization of OlP‐1 with stage II molecules in vivo. Two conclusions were drawn from these results. First, OlP‐1 was a novel protein expressed by murine oligodendrocyte precursors at a point in development that suggested a role in migration or proliferation. Second, dispersal of OlP‐1–positive cells throughout the developing brain did not correlate with the location of myelination which, observed days later, progressed in a caudal to rostral manner. These data supported the concept that the final steps of maturation and myelin gene expression may be dependent upon extrinsic factors located predominantly within white matter tracts. J. Neurosci. Res. 50:591–604, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


In the reports of international organizations and economic researchers, there seems to be "common formulas" for the advance economies of Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. It is not necessary to think of different theories and policies, but to make a determination, to drastically implement the signs, experiences, lessons and universal values ??of the "tigers" that go ahead. The leader of Singapore's transformation summarized the principle of a nation's success as having a decisive leadership class, an effective management apparatus and a disciplined society. To turn tigers, Vietnam needs to achieve a growth rate of 7% or more over the next twenty years. So how to achieve that goal, avoiding going into the car's woes of economies that have fallen into the middle-income trap. Only with such a growth rate can Vietnam be in the best position to protect its independence and sovereignty.


We present a case of human T-cell lymphotropic virus, type 1 (HTLV-1)-associated myelopathy, also known as tropical spastic paresis. While the literature has previously described the neuroradiological findings of spinal atrophy and hyperintense T2 lesions involving the cerebral white matter, little information is available about musculoskeletal imaging findings. Our patient demonstrated diffuse muscle atrophy of the thigh muscles, particularly the posteromedial groups. Our case supports HTLV-1-associated myelopathy as a disease of neurological etiology with resulting muscular denervation.


In order to investigate the potentials to improve the deposition efficiency and to functionalize the polymer-based substrates, six configurations of microparticles Sn, Zn, Al, Sn+Al2O3, Al+Al2O3, Cu+Al2O3 were cold sprayed on the substrate of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites equipped with Cu-based sublayer or Al-based sublayer. The process conditions were kept unchanged. Microanalysis of sublayers and coatings was performed via a Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM), the deposition mechanisms of different powders couplings on CFRP substrate were then discussed. The results indicated that although the deposition efficiencies were negative, the systems of Zn, Al and Al+Al2O3 perform better among all the configurations. It was found that the addition of alumina led to a lower deposition efficiency (DE), compared to the corresponding pure coatings. For single-component Sn, Zn and Al powders, they all showed an increasing trend of DE when changing the substrate from Cu-based systems to Al-based systems. The aim of this present work is to elaborate the intrinsic causes of erosion issues and to provide a reference value for picking spraying materials and preparing functionalized CFRP substrates. According to the SEM analysis, the insufficient deformation and escape behaviours of spherical copper powders explained for the difficulty of coating formation. It was noticeable that the surfaces of Al-based systems were more uniform than those of Cu-based ones, due to their desirable deformation abilities. Besides, the significant flattened particles, material mixing and melting phenomenon were observed in Al-involved systems, which would definitely contribute to the adhesive bonding between coating and substrate.


Most software developers aren't primarily interested in security. For decades, the focus has been on implementing as much functionality as possible before the deadline, and patching the inevitable bugs when it's time for the next release or hot fix. However, the software engineering community is slowly beginning to realize that information security is also important for software whose primary function isn't related to security. Security features or mechanisms typically aren't prominent in such software's user interface.


Stateoftheart and opportunities of development of electromagnetic sounding systems are being considered. The ways and methods of solving old problems as well as new ideas and new aims are under consideration. Key principles of geoelectrodynamics important from the viewpoint of applications are analyzed. In particular, a set of propositions of impedance approach to modern geoelectrics are specified taking into account physical and mathematical aspects of the problem. Necessity of changing "classical" electrodynamic paradigm by a paradigm of fractal electrodynamics of unstable geomedium, which integrates fractal geometry and the theory of electromagnetism is accentuated. It is noticed that application of the theory of fractals, the determined chaos, scale invariance (scaling) and fractional operators open additional possibilities and prospects in processing of observation data and increase of information capacity of sounding systems orienting them to obtaining qualitatively new information on geomedium.


This paper introduces a novel declipping algorithm based on constrained least-squares minimization. Digital speech signals are often sampled at 16 kHz and classic declipping algorithms fail to accurately reconstruct the signal at this sampling rate due to the scarcity of reliable samples after clipping. The Constrained Blind Amplitude Reconstruction algorithm interpolates missing data points such that the resulting function is smooth while ensuring the inferred data fall in a legitimate range. The inclusion of explicit constraints helps to guide an accurate interpolation. Evaluation of declipping performance is based on automatic speech recognition word error rate and Constrained Blind Amplitude Reconstruction is shown to outperform the current state-of-the-art declipping technology under a variety of conditions. Declipping performance in additive noise is also considered.


In the course of the Russian economy modernization, developing the effec- tive system of vocational training and further professional training appears to be the main condition for the dynamic competitive advantage of industrial enterprises. The paper inves- tigates the urgent issue of developing the system of additional vocational training and staff development with the reference to the ever-changing institutional logic controlling the em- ployee – employer relations. The paper presents the review of theoretic approaches to the system of additional vocational training, as well as the economic analysis and estimates of return on investment in different forms of vocational training. The methodological approach to the system efficiency estimation is given along with the factors determining the forma- tion and development of vocational training system. Based on the research findings, the recommendations integrating the staff development policy are given aimed at promoting the effectiveness of the employee – employer relations.


Background and Objectives: Nitrous oxide (N2O) has recently emerged as a cheap alternative to other recreational substances. Although legally available, its chronic use is associated with severe neurological and hematological complications due to the irreversible inactivation of vitamin B12. While no reliable data on abuse of N2O in Italy have been provided to date, we assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Italian medical professionals on the management of N2O abuse cases. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed as a web-based survey through a series of Facebook discussion groups (targeted medical professionals: 12,103), and participants were specifically asked about their previous understanding of N2O abuse and whether they had or not any previous experience in this topic. Results: A total 396 medical professionals participated in the survey. Overall, 115 participants had previous knowledge about N2O abuse (29.04%), with higher odds for professionals with a background in emergency medicine (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.075; 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) 1.071 to 8.828) and lower for specialists in psychiatry (aOR 0.328; 95%CI 0.130 to 0.825). Knowledge status on N2O abuse was largely unsatisfying, as knowledge status, reported as a percent value, was estimated to 45.33% ± 24.71. Having previously managed a case of N2O abuse was associated with higher risk perception of the actual severity of this condition (aOR 5.070; 95%CI 1.520 to 16.980). Conclusions: Our study suggests that N2O poisoning cases are occurring in Italian settings but are not reasonably reported to national authorities. As substantial knowledge gaps of Italian medical workforces were identified, we cannot rule out that the actual abuse of N2O in the population may be far larger than currently suspected.


Consumption of energy is relatively high in residential and commercial sectors especially in developed countries. There is a great potential for energy savings in these sectors. Measures for energy conservation are developed for newly constructed buildings and for buildings under refurbishment. However, to achieve a significant reduction in energy consumption apart from the standard energy-efficiency methods, innovative technologies should be implemented, including renewable energy. Coherency of standard, modern energy efficiency and renewable options becomes necessities. To approach the idea of sustainable buildings, the present paper suggests a few developmental steps that are needed, regarding energy, water, land and material conservation, together with environmental loading and the qualities of the indoor and outdoor environments.


The use of non-canonical amino acids is a powerful way to control protein structure. Here, we show that subtle changes to backbone composition affect the ability of a dipeptide to modify solid surface electronic properties. The extreme sensitivity of the interactions to the peptide structure suggests potential applications in improving the performance of electronic devices.


The Rare Sugars exist naturally and have many kinds (more than 50). They have good effect for health such as prevention of increasing the blood-sugar level after eating, suppression of fat accumulation, suppression of increasing the blood pressure, and anti-oxidative effect etc. It is in the spotlight for many people especially for those who are in the metabolic syndrome. There are few related papers concerning the marketing research and its utilization of this matter. In this paper, a questionnaire investigation is executed to the student of Kagawa Junior College in order to clarify consumers' current condition and their consciousness, and to seek the possibility of utilizing the Rare Sugars. Fundamental statistical analysis and Non-Parametric Test Analysis are performed. Some interesting and instructive results were obtained.


Leontief's Input-Output Analysis equation has long been used around the world and especially in China to calculate production and consumption balances. This research shows how to connect environmental and financial balances to production balances in an economic region by generalizing the Leontief's equations from vector form to tensor form. This is important for creating economic and environmental policies aimed at sustainable economies. It provides a general modeling approach which can quantitatively connect economic processes with biological and physical processes of the environment. If economic processes cannot be measured as to their real physical/biological impacts, one does not know whether or not such economic processes are sustainable in nature. The tensor generalization also enables the depiction of both economic processes as production and finance. The use of tensor mathematics for input-output models of both economy and its environment provides a data architecture to create simulation models of the environmental impact of an economy.


Aminopyrine administered to normal human volunteers in an oral dose of either 9 mg/kg or 4.5 mg/kg prolonged the plasma half‐life and reduced the metabolic clearance rate of antipyrine (18 mg/kg, orally) without changing its apparent volume of distribution. By contrast, this same oral dose of antipyrine given simultaneously with 9 mg/kg aminopyrine failed to alter aminopyrine disposition. Thus, antipyrine and aminopyrine should not be administered simultaneously to measure different steps in hepatic drug oxidation, although in man aminopyrine can be given for this purpose 24 hr after antipyrine. Antipyrine elimination was prolonged to the same extent when aminopyrine was given 5 hr before antipyrine as when the drugs were given simultaneously. Since in man aminopyrine has a biologic half‐life of approximately 2.7 hr, the marked inhibitory effects observed 5 hr after aminopyrine administration may be due to its major metabolite, 4‐aminoantipyrine. To define the mechanism by which aminopyrine affects antipyrine disposition in vivo, hepatic microsomes were prepared from rats, mice, and dogs, and rates of antipyrine hydroxylation were measured in vitro both in the absence and in the presence of aminopyrine. In these species in vitro inhibition of antipyrine hydroxylation by 4‐aminoantipyrine was of a mixed type; antipyrine inhibited competitively aminopyrine N‐demethylation in vitro in rats, mice, and dogs. There were some sex and species differences in the Km, Vmax, and Ki for aminopyrine and antipyrine.


This work investigates the antifungal effect of plasma polymer films produced by low-pressure RF-generated plasma system using acrylic acid, 2–hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and diethyl phosphite (DEP). Unmodified and plasma-modified polystyrene (PS) microplate wells were tested by 30 biofilm-positive Candida spp. isolated from blood samples and two control strains using a quantitative plaque assay method. Regardless of the precursors and plasma parameters, biofilm formation was inhibited for all plasma-modified microplate wells. The most significant anti-biofilm effect was observed on PS modified by DEP at 90 W plasma power with the inhibition of all Candida species' biofilm formation.


The Union Fellows Selection Committee is proud to present the 2013 class of AGU Fellows. Established in 1962, the Fellows program recognizes AGU members who have attained acknowledged eminence in the Earth and space sciences as valued by their peers and vetted by a committee of Fellows. The primary criterion for evaluation of scientific eminence is a major breakthrough or discovery, paradigm shift, or sustained impact.


Family instability refers to changes in parents' residential and romantic partnerships, such as marriage, divorce, and romantic partners moving in or out of the home. As rates of cohabitation, nonmarital births, and divorce have increased over the past 60 years, more children have experienced some degree of family instability.1 This increase in family instability can have a negative influence on children's and adolescents' functioning and behavior.2


Abstract A numerical forecast method is proposed in which cubic polynomial splines are used to fit the spatial variations of the dependent variable fields on a variable area grid. Thirty-six hour numerical forecasts with real weather data showed that the forecast phase lag and root-mean-square error are reduced by using splines compared to finite differences. Computation time is decreased by a factor of ½ due to the variable nature of the grid, and the forecast accuracy in the fine-grid region is only marginally affected by the surrounding coarse grid.


The headbox water is the main source of bacterial contamination of paper machines. Identification of these bacterial contaminants could be an asset in developing specific control methods. An amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) was carried out to characterize the bacterial communities associated with the headbox water of a paper machine in a Canadian mill in February and July 2006. Eight bacterial genera were identified as the main colonizers present in the headbox water. The genus Meiothermus appeared to be the dominant bacterial group in the Canadian paper machine. Some variation was observed between the February and July clone libraries. Bacterial genera such as Chelatococcus and Hydrogenophilus were only detected in February or in July, respectively. Furthermore, the proportion of Tepidimonas clones in the libraries was higher in July than in February. The metabolic profile of the February and July communities, determined using Biolog EcoPlates, also suggested that temporal variation occurred within the bacterial populations that colonized the headbox of the paper machine.


The book Patent Remedies and Complex Products: Toward a Global Consensus presents a laudable effort to examine the underpinnings of patent remedies and how these remedies should be applied in our world of ever more advanced multi-component products. This Comment provides some reactions to and amplifications of the valuable contributions of the book from the perspective of U.S. patent and antitrust litigation. More specifically, this Comment focuses on several critical aspects of the calculation of reasonable royalties and injunctive relief, particularly as to standard-essential patents (SEPs), including issues surrounding the notion of "incremental value" in the context of patent infringement damages and patent license royalties, portfolio licensing, holdup, royalty stacking, and holdout.


A model and a taxonomy to characterize pointer manipulations are introduced, along with an instrumentation technology that leverages them to provide students with immediate reports of their pointer errors in C++ programs. A key innovation is that not only does the student get feedback about pointer errors; so does the instructor. The method used to provide students with feedback also permits logging of student errors for analysis by the instructor, thereby facilitating both empirical research into students' understanding of pointers and new possibilities for improved pedagogy. Preliminary data collected using this infrastructure, and other possible uses of it, are discussed.


The development objective of the Protection of Essential Health Services Project for South Sudan is to deliver low-cost, high-impact essential health services to about 1.8 million people living in the former Upper Nile and Jonglei states. Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: (1) workers should be equipped with appropriate protective personal equipment (PPE) for occupational health and safety; (2) engage and train health workers on medical waste management; (3) ensure distribution of health facility sites that will enable all populations to safely and securely access them, given their cultural background, specific vulnerabilities, the areas of control of different parties to conflict, and trends in the conduct of hostilities; (4) regular monitoring of implementing partners (IPs) and health facilities, including audits and spot checks; (5) ensure recruitment of female community health workers (CHWs) (minimum 30 percent) to reduce gender barriers to services; and (6) monitoring of drugs will be included in all supervision visits and reports of staff and third-party monitors.


Seventeen patients with central vertigo that began with vertigo, seen between 2000 and 2008 at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of Osaka Medical College Hospital, were investigated. The patients included 14 males and three females. Their mean age was 59.2 years (range 27-82). The cases consist of six cerebellar infarctions, two anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) syndromes, two Wallenberg syndromes, two medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) syndromes, three other brain-stem infarctions, one viral encephalitis, and one acute cerebellar ataxia. Thirteen cases (77%) had a history of a disorder that might reduce the cerebral blood flow, and six (46%) had multiple risk factors. The mean interval between the appearance of symptoms and the first visit to our hospital was 6.5 days, and it took 3.8 days to reach a diagnosis. Eleven patients (65%) were transported to hospital by ambulance. Seven (41%) had a delayed neurological abnormality other than vertigo. Nystagmus that was seen at the first visit suggested central vertigo in seven cases and peripheral vertigo in seven cases. In four cases (24%), the nystagmus changed over time, and initially three patients had nystagmus that suggested peripheral vertigo. In some cases, we made the diagnosis based on a neurological abnormality other than vertigo. In other cases, the diagnosis was based on the discordance between the neuro-otological findings and disturbed equilibrium that was inconsistent with peripheral vertigo. When diagnosing central vertigo that began with vertigo, it is important to consider not only neurological abnormalities but also neuro-otological findings and a balance disorder that cannot reasonably be explained as peripheral vertigo.


In this article the numerical and analytical methods of calculation of the stressed-and-strained state of bridge constructions are considered. The task on increasing of reliability and accuracy of the numerical method and its solution by means of calculations in two bases are formulated. The analytical solution of the differential equation of deformation of a ferro-concrete plate under the action of local loads is also obtained.


We present an unsupervised classification algorithm based on an ICA mixture model. A mixture model is a model in which the observed data can be categorized into several mutually exclusive data classes. In an ICA mixture model, it is assumed that the data in each class are generated by a linear mixture of independent sources. The algorithm finds the independent sources and the mixing matrix for each class and also computes the class membership probability of for each data point. This approach extends the Gaussian mixture model so that the clusters can have non-Gaussian structure. Performance on a standard classification problem, the Iris flower data set, demonstrates that the new algorithm can improve classification accurately over standard Gaussian mixture models. We also show that the algorithm can be applied to blind source separation in nonstationary environments. The method can switch automatically between learned miving matrices in different environments.


We have investigated Ni–Zn alloy(5 nm)/Pd(5 nm) metallization schemes for use in forming high-quality ohmic contacts to p-GaN (5 × 1017 cm−3). The as-deposited Ni–Zn alloy/Pd contact exhibits nonlinear current–voltage (I–V) characteristics. However, annealing the contacts at 530 °C for 1 min in either air or N2 ambient improves I–V behaviour drastically. It is shown that the contacts produce specific contact resistance of 6.95 × 10−5 and 4.8 × 10−5 Ω cm2 when annealed in N2 and air ambient, respectively. It is further shown that multi-quantum-well light-emitting diodes fabricated with the annealed Ni–Zn alloy/Pd contact layers give a forward-bias voltage of 3.17 and 3.28 V at an injection current of 20 mA when annealed in air and N2 ambient, respectively.


Summary. The major aim of this study was to assess students' perceptions of the severity of various classroom management strategies frequently employed by teachers in dealing with student misbehaviours, and to gauge the specific dimensions underlying student perceptions. The sample consisted of 281 junior high school students in Israel who rated the severity of each of 24 commonly found classroom management strategies via a 5-point Likert-type rating scale. In addition, for comparative purposes, ratings of the management strategies were obtained for a sample of 80 junior high school teachers and their mean ratings compared with those of the student sample. A principal factor analysis of the scale ratings revealed five meaningful dimensions underlying student perceptions: (a) student referral to school or parental authority; (b) punitive teacher reaction; (c) assigning students unpleasant classroom related tasks; (d) placing constraint on students' time; and (e) assigning students unpleasant extra-class assignments. Mean ratings of the various management strategies were relatively unaffected by the students' demographic characteristics. Similarly, the rank order of students' mean ratings was remarkably invariant across sex and social group membership. Whereas students' and teachers' mean ratings were significantly discernible for about half the items on the inventory, the two groups rank ordered the classroom management techniques quite similarly with respect to their perceived severity, implying similar classroom management strategy hierarchies for the two groups. The implications of the findings for classroom control are discussed and explicated.


The mandatory retirement age within U.S. audit firms ranges from 55 to 62, which has resulted in both controversy and legal scrutiny. The potential cost of requiring partners to retire at an age that is far younger than in other countries and related professions is the loss of their connections, experience, and expertise. Yet, studies in non-U.S. jurisdictions consistently find a negative association between audit partner age and audit quality, which is explained by partners nearing retirement disengaging from their work. Using hand-collected data on the age of 3,148 U.S. and 432 non-U.S. audit partners that conduct audits of U.S.-listed companies, we explore the costs and benefits of mandatory retirement policies at U.S. audit firms. We find that audit quality does not vary across U.S. partner age, but that non-U.S. partner age is associated with a higher likelihood of misstatements. Across both groups, older partners charge significantly higher fees. These findings suggest that U.S. mandatory retirement policies force out experienced revenue earners that are producing audit quality equivalent to younger partners and superior to similarly aged non-U.S. partners. We conduct additional analysis and find that partner retirements are mechanisms to promote and grow the client portfolio of younger and female audit partners.


High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) conferred by alleles at the , Glu-B1, and Glu-D1 loci confer unique end-use quality properties for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The Glu-B1al allele at the Glu-B1 locus has not been widely used for cultivar development in the U.S. hard winter wheat region. We evaluated four groups of near-isogenic lines (NILs) with different combinations of alleles at Glu-B1, allele b (encoding subunits Bx7 + By8) or a1 (subunits Bx7ᴼᴱ + By8), and at Glu-D1, allele a (subunits Dx2 + Dy12) or d (subunits Dx5 + Dy10), to assess direct and indirect effects attributed to the Glu-B1al allele. Kernel characteristics, dough-mixing properties, and agronomic traits were determined from field experiments in Colorado in 2012 (six environments) and 2013 (five environments). Lower grain hardness was observed in several environments for the Glu-B1al/Glu-D1d NIL group. Greater dough-mixing strength (midline peak time) and mixograph tolerance (bandwidth 2 min after peak) were conferred by the Glu-B1al allele, particularly when in combination with the Glu-D1d allele. No consistent agronomic advantages or disadvantages were conferred by the Glu-B1al allele, although significantly earlier heading was observed with the Glu-B1al/Glu-D1a NIL group. Deployment of the Glu-B1al allele in U.S. hard winter wheat cultivars would appear to offer several end-use quality attributes with little or no adverse effects on other characteristics.


The Fund for Occupational Diseases proposes a "rehabilitation programme for patients with work related low-back pain". The purpose of the programme is to accelerate by intensive physical training and a full recoverage of cognitive needs the return to work as well as preventing back pain becoming chronic. The programme is free for the patients and in addition supports measures being taken to reduce lower back related problems linked to work. Set up 4 years ago, the programme has become more and more in demand by workers.


By solving the Bogoliubov - de Gennes equation self-consistently, we compute transport properties of a one dimensional superconducting island with a delta-function normal scatterer at the centre. The calculated I - V characteristics show significant structure, arising from the competition between scattering processes at the boundaries of the island and modification of the order parameter by quasi-particles and superflow. At a certain critical current, the order parameter exhibits a quasi-first-order transition to the normal state, smeared by the finite system size. At this point, the differential conductance is negative and can have a magnitude greater than , despite the fact that there is only a single scattering channel.


Collaborative working environments consist of a network of spatially dispersed actors (either humans or not) that play different roles and cooperate to achieve a common goal. Notwithstanding the ever increasing potential of innovative software and network technologies, collaborative working environments still require advanced solutions to effectively managing their inherent complexity, thereby boosting productivity and creativity. Essential components of innovative service-based collaborative working environments are collaboration-aware services that embed the required point-to-point or multi-point interaction patterns to support the flexible orchestration of distributed and concurrent activities. This paper introduces an approach that attempts to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks of current collaborative working environments by exploiting the precepts recently introduced by model-driven development and MDA (model driven architecture). The proposed approach is guided by a model transformation framework that makes use of the set of MDA-related standards (MOF, QVT and XMI) to obtain a high degree of automation, so that interoperable model transformation services can be implemented in a timely and efficient way. At the end, the single tool usually operated by a given worker can be considered as a virtual collaborative platform for creating and automatically transforming models of different types and at various levels of abstraction.


The adult mammalian renal tubular epithelium exists in a relatively quiescent to slowly replicating state, but has great potential for regenerative morphogenesis following severe ischemic or toxic injury. Kidney regeneration and repair occur through three cellular and molecular mechanisms: differentiation of the somatic stem cells, recruitment of circulating stem cells and, more importantly, proliferation/dedifferentiation of mature cells. Dedifferentiation seems to represent a critical step for the recovery of tubular integrity. Dedifferentiation of tubular cells after injury is characterized by the reactivation of a mesenchymal program that is active during nephrogenesis. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of renal tubular cells is an extreme manifestation of epithelial cell plasticity. It is now widely recognized as a fundamental process that marks some physiological, such as morphogenesis, as well as pathological events, such as oncogenesis and fibrogenesis. It might be also considered as a key event in the regenerative process of the kidney. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in EMT might be useful for designing therapeutic strategies in order to potentiate the innate capacity of the kidney to regenerate.


The trade-off phenomenon between selectivity and permeation flux is a major challenge
in pressure-driven membranes, and specifically for ultrafiltration membranes. Currently, many
research studies have been performed to try to increase permeability while maintaining the
rejection at a high level. However, in most of these studies, the improvement of permeability
was accompanied by a decrease in rejection or vice versa. To tackle this problem, TiO2
nanoparticles were attached on the surface of PES membranes using polydopamine as adhesive
agent. In general, it is quite challenging to attach/bind TiO2 on the surface of membranes due
to agglomeration of nanoparticles. Therefore, we developed a practical, simple and a scalable
method to attach TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) on the top surface of membrane using one-step dip
coating. Experimental results revealed that the modified layer enhanced the hydrophilicity of
the PES UF membranes as confirmed by the decrease of contact angle from. As a result, the
modified membranes exhibited a significant improvement in anti-fouling properties, with 12
times higher water permeation flux (962 LMH for pDA-f-TiO2-PES30) as compared to the
pristine PES membranes (79.9 LMH). The static adsorption of BSA on the surface of
membranes was reduced from (60 µg/cm2 for pristine PES to 21 µg/cm2 for pDA-f-TiO2-
PES120).
Furthermore, the modified PES membranes displayed a higher flux recovery ratio (97%) and
fouling reversibility (98.62%) than pristine PES membrane (37.63%). Also, the coated PES
membranes bestowed a good antibacterial property relative to the pristine one. Besides, the
membranes showed better physical and chemical stability as compared with unmodified PES
membranes. Thus, this study provided a facile approach for enhancing the anti-fouling
performance of PES ultrafiltration membranes.


The QM/ELMO (quantum mechanics/extremely localized molecular orbital) method is a recently developed embedding technique in which the most important region of the system under examination is treated at fully quantum mechanical level, while the rest is described by means of transferred and frozen extremely localized molecular orbitals. In this paper, we propose the first application of the QM/ELMO approach to the investigation of excited states, and, in particular, we present the coupling of the QM/ELMO philosophy with Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) and Equation-of-Motion Coupled Cluster with single and double substitutions (EOM-CCSD). The proposed TDDFT/ELMO and EOM-CCSD/ELMO strategies underwent a series of preliminary tests that were already considered for the validation of other embedding methods for excited states. The obtained results showed that the novel techniques allow the accurate description of localized excitations in large systems by only including a relatively small number of atoms in the region treated at fully quantum chemical level. Furthermore, for TDDFT/ELMO, it was also observed that (i) the method enables to avoid the presence of artificial low-lying charge-transfer states that may affect traditional TDDFT calculations, even using functionals that do not take into account long-range corrections, and (ii) the novel approach can be also successfully exploited to investigate local electronic transitions in quite large systems (e.g., reduced model of the Green Fluorescent Protein), and the accuracy of the results can be improved by including a sufficient number of chemically crucial fragments/residues in the quantum mechanical region. Finally, concerning EOM-CCSD/ELMO, it was also seen that, despite the quite crude approximation of an embedding potential given by frozen extremely localized molecular orbitals, the new strategy is able to satisfactorily account for the effects of the environment. This work paves the way to further extensions of the QM/ELMO philosophy for the study of local excitations in extended systems, suggesting the coupling of the QM/ELMO approach with other quantum chemical strategies for excited states, from the simplest ΔSCF techniques to the most advanced and computationally expensive multireferences methods.


Vascular anomalies are congenital lesions that usually occur sporadically, but can be inherited. Previously, we have described that venous malformations, localized bluish-purple skin lesions, are caused by an activating mutation in the TIE2/TEK receptor. Moreover, we mapped another locus to chromosome 1p21-p22, for venous malformations with glomus cells (VM-GLOM). Here we report a physical map, based on 18 overlapping YAC clones, spanning this 5-Mb VMGLOM locus, from marker GATA63C06 to D1S2664. In addition, we report a sequence-ready PAC map of 46 clones covering 1.48 Mb within the YAC contig, a region to which we have restricted VMGLOM. We describe 21 new STSs and nine novel CA repeats, seven of which are polymorphic. These data will enable positional cloning of genes for diseases mapped to this locus, including the VMGLOM gene, likely a currently unknown regulator of vasculogenesis and/or angiogenesis.


Facial landmark detection is an important step for many perception tasks such as face recognition and facial analysis. Regression-based methods have shown a large success. In particular, deep neural networks (DNN) has demonstrated a strong capability to model the high non-linearity between the face image and the face shape. In this paper, we tackle this task as a structured output problem, where we exploit the strong dependencies that lie between the outputs. Beside learning a regression mapping function from the input to the output, we learn, in an unsupervised way, the inter-dependencies between the outputs. For this, we propose a generic regression framework for structured output problems. Our framework allows a successful incorporation of learning the output structure into DNN using the pre-training trick. We apply our method on a facial landmark detection task, where the output is strongly structured. We evaluate our DNN, named Input/Output Deep Architecture (IODA), on two public challenging datasets: LFPW and HELEN. We show that IODA outperforms traditional deep architectures.


In this study, we propose a Se-incorporated Ge_10Sb_90 as a phase-change material for phase-change memory (PCM) with high reliability and low operation power. We investigated the effect of the Se concentration on the thermal and electrical properties of Se-doped Ge_10Sb_90 films by varying the Se concentration from 0 to 20 at.%. The crystallization temperature, crystallization activation energy, and maximum ten-year data retention temperature increased with the increasing Se, thus demonstrating the improved thermal stability of Se-doped Ge_10Sb_90 films with higher Se contents. More Se also increased the rate factor, band gap, threshold voltage, and load resistance. In addition, the crystallization speed, programming window, and resistances of both the amorphous and crystalline states increased with the increasing Se concentration. In contrast, the reset current decreased with the increasing Se concentration. These results demonstrate that Se-doped Ge_10Sb_90 is a highly promising material for PCM applications.


Summary
1. Understanding the trophic status of consumers in freshwater habitats is central to understanding their ecological roles and significance. Tadpoles are a diverse and abundant component of many freshwater habitats, yet we know relatively little about their feeding ecology and true trophic status compared with many other consumer groups. While many tadpole species are labelled herbivores or detritivores, there is surprisingly little evidence to support these trophic assignments.

2. Here we discuss shortcomings in our knowledge of the feeding ecology and trophic status of tadpoles and provide suggestions and examples of how we can more accurately quantify their trophic status and ecological significance.

3. Given the catastrophic amphibian declines that are ongoing in many regions of the planet, there is a sense of urgency regarding this information. Understanding the varied ecological roles of tadpoles will allow for more effective conservation of remaining populations, benefit captive breeding programmes, and allow for more accurate predictions of the ecological consequences of their losses.


The regio- and diastereoselective transition metal-catalyzed allylic alkylation using alpha-heteroatom-substituted ketones and carboxylic acid derivatives represents a challenging and important synthetic transformation. We have developed a regio- and diastereoselective rhodium-catalyzed allylic alkylation reaction utilizing the copper(I) enolates derived from alkyl protected acyclic alpha-alkoxy aryl ketones. This study suggests that the ability to form a chelated enolate intermediate is crucial for obtaining high diastereoselectivity, whereas excellent regioselectivity is obtained regardless of the substituent. Hence, the excellent selectivity coupled with the synthetic utility of alpha-alkoxy aryl ketone enolates makes this an important new method for the construction of acyclic adjacent ternary stereogenic centers. Finally, the synthetic utility of this protocol was highlighted through the conversion of the aryl ketone to the ester and the development of a stereodivergent approach to 2,3,6-trisubstituted dihydropyrans relevant to target-directed synthesis.


Clinical anthropology offers a great advantage for understanding and managing patient/caretaker relationships in intercultural situations. Instead of falling into the trap of marginalizing and above all needless culturalization, health care workers must learn to integrate the cultural aspects of the representation of mental health and illness as opposed to using them as a guiding light. In this way, since the caretaker or therapist does not have to master anthropologic factors, he/she is not obliged to unknowingly hide his/her own nosographic explanatory model which does not necessarily take cultural aspects into account. Clinical anthropology allows the general practitioner and specialist as well as the psychologist and psychiatrist of all theoretical orientations to manage patient relationships and care more efficiently with regard to diagnosis, therapeutic decision-making, analysis, and psychotherapy. The question of whether the patient and caretaker are of the same origin is asked differently: the question of the universality of psychopathology is asked with greater clarity and less risk of error. Our health care system, which is based on common law benefits as do consulting immigrants since their request for services are answered more efficiently and directly. The only problem is that the conceptual and clinical horizon health care workers must be broadened. This goal cannot be achieved by magic and will require training and education.


Subband-based blind source separation has great potential in solving the complicated convolutive mixing problem. However, its performance is largely affected by the permutation ambiguity problem during the synthesis stage. Researchers have suggested methods to correct the permutation by exploiting the correlation information between adjacent frequencies/subbands. An improved solution to this permutation problem is proposed based on a novel filter banks design method, which is based on a model that includes inter-subband correlation as part of the optimisation criterion. Simulation results show that a better subband permutation alignment result has been achieved, leading to improved separation performance.


Elective surgery has until recently been performed in the overnight fasted state in order to reduce the risk of aspiration of gastric content during the induction of anaesthesia. However, in order to increase the preoperative well-being of surgical patients, most western countries have changed their routines during the last 10-15 years, allowing intake of clear fluids up to 2 hours before anaesthesia in most patients. Animal studies have demonstrated that undergoing different situations of stress in the fed state is superior to stress in the short-term fasted state. To evaluate whether this also applies to surgical patients, a series of clinical studies have been performed, in which the metabolic, subjective, and clinical outcome has been compared in patients randomised to preoperative carbohydrate loading or not. These studies include the development of a carbohydrate-rich drink, which has been tested and shown to be safe in the perioperative situation. The results from these studies, reviewed in this article, suggest that fasting is not the optimal way to prepare for surgical stress, and that preoperative carbohydrate loading could have metabolic as well as clinical benefits. Keywords: carbohydrates, insulin resistance, preoperative fasting, surgery, well-being


The possibility of quantum diffusion over discrete lattices is discussed on the ground of general spectral theory, in connection with the problem of quantal suppression of classical chaos. Given the Hausdorff dimension of the spectrum, an asymptotic lower bound for the spreading of wave packet can be established. This bound shows that diffusive spread over one- and quasi one-dimensional lattices can take place only if the spectrum is singular continuous.


Faunal material from the 1978 excavations at Ndondondwane Early Iron Age site reveal a major dependence upon domestic animals for subsistence. Sheep remains outnumber those of goats, while small stock outnumber cattle. Unusual features of the collection are the very large numbers of bones of domestic dogs, several specimens of  Rattus rattus and evidence for domestic chicken in an early context. The large number of hippopotamus bones suggest hunting or scavenging of these animals. Apart from a number of bone tools and ornaments, the assemblage included portions of at least twenty-three ivory armbands and over a thousand pieces of waste ivory. These preliminary results indicate the tremendous potential of this unusual site. To cite this article: Voigt, E. A. & Von den Driesch, A. 1984. Preliminary report on the faunal assemblage from Ndondondwane, Natal.  Annals of the Natal Museum 26 (1): 95-104.


FOREX (Foreign Currency Exchange) is concerned with the exchange rates of foreign currencies compared to one another. It is needed for currency trading in the international market. One popular technique for predictions of financial market performance is Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), we proposed to do so with the back propagation algorithms. ANN is actually an information processing system that consists of a graph representing the processing system as well as various algorithms. It is able to adapt, to recognize patterns, to generalize, and to cluster or to organize data. Recently ANN can be trained to solve problems that are difficult when using conventional programming techniques or through the efforts of human beings. In order for ANN to recognize patterns in the data, it is necessary for the neural network to "learn" the structure of the data set. Learning is accomplished by providing sets of connected input/output units where each connection has a weight associated with it. The ANN learns by adjusting the weights so that the application of a set of inputs produces the desired set of outputs. Finally we proposed to show the best algorithm for FOREX prediction by comparing the effectiveness of various back propagation algorithm using Matlab neural network software as a tool.


Fluvial Sedimentation of alluvial facies prevailed during the Late Jrassic in the Minhe Basin.On the basis of the study of sedimentary facies of the Upper Jurassic series.this paper focuses on the river types suing the "Architecture Element" analysis method proposed by Miall,and calculated all the quantitative parameters to reflect the characteristics of the stream channel geometry and hydrodynamic conditions of paleo-rivers with the equations of ethrideg,schumm et al.Finally,we discussed the characteristics of environmental evolution of palsorivers on the quantitative basis.Our conclusion indicates that the evolution of paleo-rivers during the Late Jurassic,from early to late,shows such a tendency as alluvial fan river→ braid river→alluvial fan river→mid-sinuoisty river→ high-sinuosity river.


Summary. A 'flow dialysis' technique is described which enables spermatozoa to be maintained in an active state for prolonged periods of time, under conditions of constant temperature, gaseous partial pressure, pH, osmotic pressure and sperm density. The impedance-change frequency is used to assess sperm activity. The effects of centrifugation, dilution and washing of ram spermatozoa on their activity have been studied. Washing has been shown to produce a detrimental effect on sperm activity. This effect was most pronounced when a high degree of dilution was employed at each stage of the washing pro¬ cedure. Washing produced a greater decrease in the activity due to aerobic endogenous respiration than in that due to anaerobic fructolysis. Other effects of washing included an increase in the proportion of 'eosinophilic' spermatozoa and an agglutination of motile spermatozoa. An attempt was made to assess the efficiency of the washing pro¬ cedure by the use of fructose, [32P]phosphate and iodinated [131I]pro-tein as indicators. The effect of dilution on spermatozoa depends on at least three factors : (i) the degree of dilution, (ii) the rate of dilution, and (iii) the composition of the diluent.


This study presents physical and combustion properties of briquettes made of palm kernel shell (PKS) with mixture of starch and water as binder. The briquettes with weight ratio of 60:40 (PKS: starch binder) were torrefied at various temperatures (225-275 ℃ ) and nitrogen flow rates (1000-3000 mL/min). The physical properties such as appearance, compressive strength, density and mass yield as well as combustion properties such as high heating value (HHV), energy yield and proximate analysis of untorrefied and torrefied briquettes were determined in the present study. The performances of the torrefied briquettes were also compared with the case of untorrefied briquettes as well as international benchmarks. It was found that torrefaction temperature significantly affects the properties of torrefied briquette rather than volume flow rate of nitrogen. At severe torrefaction condition (temperature of 275 ℃ ), HHV of 22.16±0.23 MJ/kg was obtained, that is the highest if compared to HHV of the briquettes torrefied at other temperatures. It was found that properties of the torrefied briquettes do not really affected by nitrogen flow rate. Overall, with the presence of starch binder, briquettes with considerably high compressive strength were obtained if compared to the previously developed binderless PKS briquettes.


Optimal intestinal development in gilts is a prerequisite for a better farrowing and a higher feed intake in lactation, and these are important facets in improving animal welfare for sows in a high-performance situation. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of a fiber-rich diet on these topics. Studies with 20 male Topigs castrates and a performance study with 38 female siblings were conducted. Pigs in both of the groups were offered either a control diet (CG) or a high fiber diet (FG) during the second half of the rearing phase (~97 kg BW) until 7 days a.p. At the time of the insemination of the gilts (body weight >170 kg), the castrates were slaughtered and the morphological parameters of the gastrointestinal tract were taken. In the performance study, the feed intake as well as the number and weight of the live and stillborn piglets and the weaning weight of the litters were recorded. The results indicated that the high fiber diet with a greater swelling capacity was beneficial to the development of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach weight CG = 714 g, FG = 812 g, p = 0.007), increased the litter weight (CG =15.9 kg, FG = 20.6 kg, p = 0.045) and resulted in a higher feed intake during lactation overall (CG = 196 kg, FG = 211 kg, p = 0.035).


Macaque inferior temporal cortex neurons respond selectively to complex visual images, with recent work showing that they are also entrained reliably by the evolving content of natural movies. To what extent does visual continuity itself shape the responses of high-level visual neurons? We addressed this question by measuring how cells in face-selective regions of the macaque temporal cortex were affected by the manipulation of a movie's temporal structure. Sampling the movie at 1s intervals, we measured neural responses to randomized, brief stimuli of different lengths, ranging from 800 ms dynamic movie snippets to 100 ms static frames. We found that the disruption of temporal continuity strongly altered neural response profiles, particularly in the early onset response period of the randomized stimulus. The results suggest that models of visual system function based on discrete and randomized visual presentations may not translate well to the brain's natural modes of operation.


This report summarizes knowledge accumulated in a long-term study of congenital and maternal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in Sweden. Some new findings are included. We considered diagnostic methods, sources of maternal infection (including occupational risks), roles of primary and secondary maternal infections, transmission to foetuses, incidence, symptoms and prognosis of established congenital infection and relative importance of such infection in infantile sensorineural deafness, microcephaly and type 1 diabetes mellitus. Virus isolation testing was done 1977-1985 on 16,474 newborns. 76 (0.5%) congenitally infected infants were found, 22/76 (29%) with transient neonatal symptoms and 11/60 (18%) with neurological symptoms by the age of 7 y. Type of maternal CMV infection was serologically determined in 62/76 cases (30 primary, 32 secondary). CNS disturbances in the infants occurred after both primary (all trimesters) and secondary maternal infections. The negative potential of secondary maternal infections might be an obstacle to preventive vaccination.


The peat ecosystem area has the potential for bacteria that have the potential to act as nitrogen fixers. These bacteria can be applied in various human activities. In fishery activities, nitrogen is an essential component for plankton growth as a live feed. Besides, the ideal N and P components will affect the abundance of plankton in the waters. In this study, the Isolation of candidate bacteria from the peat ecosystem area under palm tree vegetation was carried out in Trumon District, South Aceh. Different depths in the sample soil are an essential parameter, namely the depths of 0-15 cm, 15-30 cm, 30-50 cm. The isolation method was carried out with a scatter plate using Jensen media and obtained 25 isolates which were bio fertilizer candidates. Biodiversity analysis was also carried out to test the three soil depths of the isolated source. A depth of 15 cm shows an isolate diversity pattern that is almost the same as a sample depth of 30 cm.


The aquathermal-pressuring concept shows that isolated, water-filled reservoirs become abnormally pressured when temperature rises owing to increasing depth of burial. When reservoirs contain free gas, the situation is more complex and abnormal or subnormal pressures may develop depending on the gas/water ratio and the End_Page 414------------------------------ initial and final depth of burial. Because zones that have nonhydrostatic pressures must be effectively isolated from their surroundings (or the pressure should be equalized), a model would be a sand lens encased in shale. Consider, for example, where isolation occurs at 4,000 ft (1,200 m) where temperature is 123°F (51°C), and subsequent burial moves it to 8,000 ft (2,400 m) at 178°F (81°C). The pressure in the gas will start at 1,860 psi (12,815 kPa) hydrostatic at 4,000 ft (1,200 m), but the temperature rise will increase it to 2,035 psi (14,021 kPa), at 8,000 ft (2,400 m) is 3,720 psi (25,630 kPa), so the gas reservoir will be 1,685 psi (11,610 kPa) underpressured. Real gas reservoirs contain both gas and water. Calculations show that for trapping at 4,000 ft ( ,200 m) followed by burial to 8,000 ft (2,400 m) the reservoir will show various amounts of underpressuring if it contains more than 3 vol.% gas. With less than 3 vol.% gas it will overpressure. At greater trapping depths, high percentages of gas are needed to produce underpressuring, for example, 16 vol.% at 12,000 ft (3,600 m). Temperature decrease owing to uplift and removal of overburden produces the opposite effects, and reservoirs containing high percentages of gas develop abnormally high pressures. This theoretical model provides an explanation for the common occurrence of underpressured gas, particularly in stratigraphic traps with low water contents. It also explains the underpressured gas in the bottom of basins (such as San Juan, Wattenberg, and western Canada "Deep Basin") and shows how abnormal and subnormal pressures can be developed in adjacent gas reservoirs in a restricted geographic area (such as the Appalachians). Regional tilting may bury a formation in one area but uplift it in another leading to regional trends from subnormal to abnormal pressures. An example of this is provided by the "gas sands" of the Morrow in western Oklahoma. End_of_Article - Last_Page 415------------


Abstract Mitochondrial tRNA import is widespread, but mechanistic insights of how tRNAs are translocated across mitochondrial membranes remain scarce. The parasitic protozoan T. brucei lacks mitochondrial tRNA genes. Consequently, it imports all organellar tRNAs from the cytosol. Here we investigated the connection between tRNA and protein translocation across the mitochondrial inner membrane. Trypanosomes have a single inner membrane protein translocase that consists of three heterooligomeric submodules, which all are required for import of matrix proteins. In vivo depletion of individual submodules shows that surprisingly only the integral membrane core module, including the protein import pore, but not the presequence-associated import motor are required for mitochondrial tRNA import. Thus we could uncouple import of matrix proteins from import of tRNAs even though both substrates are imported into the same mitochondrial subcompartment. This is reminiscent to the outer membrane where the main protein translocase but not on-going protein translocation is required for tRNA import. We also show that import of tRNAs across the outer and inner membranes are coupled to each other. Taken together, these data support the 'alternate import model', which states that tRNA and protein import while mechanistically independent use the same translocation pores but not at the same time.


This is the prospective study carried out to correlate gestational age by sonographic measurements of fetal parameters by normograms of Frank P Hadlock with the gestational age by Last Menstrual Period (LMP) (considered our standard) in various trimesters of normal pregnant women of eastern Nepal. Seventy normal pregnant women with regular menstrual cycles of eastern Nepal were evaluated in this study. Gestational age was calculated by Rempen (in case of Mean Sac Diameter) and Hadlock (in case of Biparietal Diameter, Head circumference, Femoral Length and Abdominal circumference) normograms. Calculations of gestational age was also done by LMP at the same time. Correlation of gestational age by Rempen and Hadlock with average of different fetal parameters in different trimesters was done with gestational age by LMP applying paired t test. On applying paired t test between gestational age by Mean Sac Diameter and Crown-Rump Length in the first trimesters, mean difference was only -3.58 days (significance < 0.01). It showed statistically significant difference though difference is little. Paired t test application in second trimester showed significant difference (-5.06 days) with gestational age by LMP at < 001 significance level. In 3rd trimesters, paired t test showed significant difference with gestational age by LMP with mean of difference -7.86 days. Significant difference between average gestational age by Hadlock and gestational age by LMP in 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy indicates that we should stantardise our measurements of different fetal parameters for estimation of gestational age.


This article attempts to analyse the audio-only game Papa Sangre. It discusses the background to the analysis and the history of of audio-only games, before concentrating upon Papa Sangre itself. It locates the game within the survival horror genre and explores how the gameplay operates from both a technical and player's point of view. It then locates the analysis within a field of film and game sound analysis, considering how audio-only games differ from videogames. It outlines several theoretical approaches to the typology of videogame sound, before proposing a hybrid approach that is more appropriate to audio-only games. It applies this to the sound world of Papa Sangre and analyses some captured gameplay. The essay concludes by suggesting a relationship between Papa Sangre and musical performance and composition.


Lack of high yielding cultivars due to triploid nature of saffron is a major concern of low productivity. To explore and utilize available genetic variability in natural populations of Jammu and Kashmir, about 2500 saffron accessions collected from saffron growing areas of Jammu and Kashmir during 2002-2006 were subjected to variability and divergence studies at genetic and molecular level. Selected lines from natural population exhibited a wide range of variability for economic, morphological and corm attributing traits indicating considerable scope for saffron improvement through clonal selection. Selection scheme for more yield gains have been designed. Stability analysis of 10 elite divergent lines confirmed that behavior of tested lines was predictable over environments for floral and yield attributing characters. Considering the desired population mean coupled with non-significant bi (equal to unity) and deviation from regression (S2di) equal to zero, two lines viz; SMD-45 and SD-3 were observed to be well adapted to all the environments. The results revealed average stability of all lines for these traits except for number of radical leaves and corm yield plot-1 (SD-3). Comparison of different stability models in terms of their relative performance for different traits under study produced uniform information and ranked lines without any major disagreement. Line SMD-45 was observed to be the most stable having high saffron yield.


The objective of this study was to determine micro and macro mineral concentrations in stem and seed of Juncus acutus for ruminant nutrition. The samples of Juncus acutus stem and seed were randomly collected from Kizilirmak Delta, Samsun, Turkey. Micro and macro mineral concentrations of samples were analyzed by using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer (ICP-MS) and ion chromatography (IC) methods, respectively. Differences between mean concentrations of B, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Se in stem and seed of Juncus acutus samples were significant (P<0.05). The mean values of Al, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni and Se for stem of Juncus acutus were higher than values for seed of Juncus acutus but, the mean values of Mn, Cu and Zn for seed of Juncus acutus were higher than stem of Juncus acutus (P<0.05). The concentrations of Na, K and Ca in stem were higher than seed of Juncus acutus. On the other hand, the concentration of Mg for seed of Juncus acutus were higher than stem of Juncus acutus (P<0.05). In conclusion, the obtained results show that stem and seed of Juncus acutus may be a good source to meet the micro and macro mineral requirements of ruminant animals. Besides, the seeds of Juncus acutus may also provide micro and macro minerals to birds in wetlands.


Peptidases are enzymes that hydrolyse peptide bonds in proteins and peptides. Peptidases are important in pathological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, tumour and parasite invasion, and for processing viral polyproteins. The MEROPS database is an Internet resource containing information on peptidases, their substrates and inhibitors. The database now includes details of cleavage positions in substrates, both physiological and non-physiological, natural and synthetic. There are 39 118 cleavages in the collection; including 34 606 from a total of 10 513 different proteins and 2677 cleavages in synthetic substrates. The number of cleavages designated as 'physiological' is 13 307. The data are derived from 6095 publications. At least one substrate cleavage is known for 45% of the 2415 different peptidases recognized in the MEROPS database. The website now has three new displays: two showing peptidase specificity as a logo and a frequency matrix, the third showing a dynamically generated alignment between each protein substrate and its most closely related homologues. Many of the proteins described in the literature as peptidase substrates have been studied only in vitro. On the assumption that a physiologically relevant cleavage site would be conserved between species, the conservation of every site in terms of peptidase preference has been examined and a number have been identified that are not conserved. There are a number of cogent reasons why a site might not be conserved. Each poorly conserved site has been examined and a reason postulated. Some sites are identified that are very poorly conserved where cleavage is more likely to be fortuitous than of physiological relevance. This data-set is freely available via the Internet and is a useful training set for algorithms to predict substrates for peptidases and cleavage positions within those substrates. The data may also be useful for the design of inhibitors and for engineering novel specificities into peptidases. Database URL: http://merops.sanger.ac.uk


ABSTRACT This literature review summarises the growing body of literature discussing teacher identities of university teachers. The aim was to understand what strengthens or constrains the development of a teacher identity. A qualitative synthesis of 59 studies was carried out. The review showed that several factors contribute to the development of teacher identity. While contact with students and staff development programmes were experienced as strengthening teacher identity, the wider context of higher education was experienced as having a constraining effect. Furthermore, the impact of the direct work environment was experienced as either strengthening or constraining, depending on whether or not teaching is valued in the department. Five psychological processes were found to be involved in the development of a teacher identity: a sense of appreciation, a sense of connectedness, a sense of competence, a sense of commitment, and imagining a future career trajectory. The findings suggest that developing a teacher identity in the higher education context is not a smooth process. In order to empower university teachers, it is important to reward teaching excellence and build community. Staff development activities can play a role in helping teachers to develop strategies for gaining confidence and taking active control of their work situation, both individually and collectively. The authors argue that more attention should be paid to the implicit messages that departments convey to their teaching faculty.


The Cabo Ortegal Complex is a composite allochthonous terrane that was thrust onto the western edge of Gondwana during the Variscan orogeny. It is formed of two main tectonic units: the Upper Tectonic unit, comprising rocks affected by high-pressure (P)-high-temperature (T) metamorphism, and the Lower Tectonic unit, which represents the resulting suture of the Variscan collision. The suture preserves remnants of strongly deformed and metamorphosed ophiolitic rocks overriding the parautochthon, and the lower Paleozoic sequence of the Ollo de Sapo antiform, regarded as the autochthonous sequence of the Iberian plate. The Upper Tectonic unit is formed by layered ultramafic, mafic, and quartzo-felspathic rocks that were buried at levels in excess of 50 km (-1.56 GPa) before the Variscan collision in a convergent plate boundary within the Rheic ocean domain ca. 490-480 Ma (Early Ordovician). They have been interpreted either (1) as an earlier thinned continental crust, underlain by a lithospheric mantle and oceanic spreading, or (2) as independent terranes, formed in different geodynamic settings (island arc, oceanic). Most structures observed in these rocks are ductile and are associated to their exhumation process. It started with the development of a persistent horizontal foliation in granulite facies conditions, which equilibrated in amphibolite facies conditions ca. 385 Ma, and ended in higher crustal levels with the progressive development of noncoaxial structures, such as east-verging asymmetrical isoclinal folds and thrusts, leading to the emplacement of the Upper Tectonic unit over the Lower Tectonic unit ca. 365 Ma (Late Devonian).


Abstract Background: In the following manuscript, we describe the detailed protocol for a mixed-methods, observational case study conducted to identify and evaluate existing data-related processes and challenges currently faced by trauma centers in a rural state. The data will be utilized to assess the impact of these challenges on registry data collection. Methods: The study relies on a series of interviews and observations to collect data from trauma registry staff at level 1‒4 trauma centers across the state of Arkansas. A think-aloud protocol will be used to facilitate observations as a means to gather keystroke-level modeling data and insight into site processes and workflows for collecting and submitting data to the Arkansas Trauma Registry. Informal, semi-structured interviews will follow the observation period to assess the participant's perspective on current processes, potential barriers to data collection or submission to the registry, and recommendations for improvement. Each session will be recorded and de-identified transcripts and session notes will be used for analysis. Keystroke level modeling data derived from observations will be extracted and analyzed quantitatively to determine time spent performing end-to-end registry-related activities. Qualitative data from interviews will be reviewed and coded by 2 independent reviewers following a thematic analysis methodology. Each set of codes will then be adjudicated by the reviewers using a consensus-driven approach to extrapolate the final set of themes. Discussion: We will utilize a mixed methods approach to understand existing processes and barriers to data collection for the Arkansas Trauma Registry. Anticipated results will provide a baseline measure of the data collection and submission processes at various trauma centers across the state. We aim to assess strengths and limitations of existing processes and identify existing barriers to interoperability. These results will provide first-hand knowledge on existing practices for the trauma registry use case and will provide quantifiable data that can be utilized in future research to measure outcomes of future process improvement efforts. The potential implications of this study can form the basis for identifying potential solutions for streamlining data collection, exchange, and utilization of trauma registry data for clinical practice, public health, and clinical and translational research.


The enzymatic antioxidant defences of mammalian cells include copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD)(Cu Zn-SOD; EC 188.8.131.52) which catalyses the dismutation of superoxide anions (O2(.-)) to hydrogen peroxide(H(2), O(2))and a seleno-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) (GSH-px; EC 220.127.116.11) which catalyses the degradation of H(2)O(2) to H(2)O and O(2). The measurement of these enzyme activities is often used as a possible biological index of oxidative stress in various clinical conditions. Complete understanding of such information requires knowledge of the random biological fluctuation of the enzyme activity which occurs in each individual. In the present investigation we examined this normal variability in 12 healthy volunteers (four women and eight men) aged 23-45 years, over 6 months. The intra-individual coefficients of variation (estimated using analysis of variance techniques) were 15% (SOD) and 13% (GSH-px). The analytical goal for imprecision was achieved for both enzymes, i.e. it was less than one half of the measured intra-individual variation. Both enzymes showed marked individuality, indicating that an individual's reference values are more useful than population-based data. The critical difference required for significant changes in serial results is 45% for SOD and 40% for GSH-px.


This article is the first of a series of two that presents a comparison between the rheological properties of bitumen emulsions as measured either by means of efflux time viscometers (NF T66-020 and prEN 12846) or by more fundamental methods using a constant-rate rheometer.In this first part, the basic theory behind efflux time measurements is derived as a function of the rheological properties of the emulsions, assuming first Newtonian behaviour and then a more realistic Casson-type behaviour. Kinetic energy corrections in both cases are included. Thus, it is shown how the yield stress behaviour of bitumen emulsions, to be described more thoroughly in part 2 of this series of articles using a Casson law, need to be taken into account in order to accurately describe efflux times measured with conventional devices such as the Engler or STV viscometers (NF T66-020 - prEN 12846).


The present article reports the synthesis and corrosion protection performance of polyorthotoluidine (POT) nanoparticles dispersed castor oil polyurethane (COPU) nanocomposite coatings in acid and saline environments. The structure of POT/COPU was confirmed by FTIR and UV-visible spectroscopic techniques. The nanostructure of the pristine POT nanoparticles and those in the composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The physico-mechanical properties were analyzed using standard methods. The corrosion protective performance was evaluated by weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in an acid medium. While in the saline environment the corrosion protective performance was investigated in a salt mist chamber using a 5% NaCl solution for 30 days. The morphological behavior of the corroded and un-corroded coated specimen was investigated by SEM studies. The stipulated acid and saline corrosion mechanism was also discussed.


Pediatric speech sound disorders (SSD) encompass a wide range of speech production deficits that can interfere with children's educational growth, social engagement and employment opportunities. Early detection of SSDs can facilitate timely intervention and minimize the potential for life-long adverse effects, but distinguishing between typical and atypical speech production in preschoolers is challenging due to developmental and individual variability in speech acquisition. In this study we apply Gaussian Mixture Models to speech samples from 3- to 6-year-old children, recorded by parents using an iOS app. Speech-language pathologists previously classified the samples as positive ('at risk' speech, warranting a referral for a speech-language evaluation) or negative ('no risk' speech). In a series of exploratory analyses, novel distance measures and group scoring techniques are developed which show good subject-level prediction accuracy. Our results provide evidence that it may be feasible to use Speech Processing and Speaker Verification techniques to model and screen speech samples from children for possible speech sound disorders.


Raman scattering (RS) and infrared absorption (IR) of ammonium oxyfluoride crystals (NH4)3WO3F3, (NH4)2KWO3F3, and Cs2(NH4)WO3F3are compared. Conformation of the WO3F3 octahedral groups has been established; anomalies have been found close to the transition temperatures in the internal vibrational regions of ammonium and WO3F3 groups. The phase transition in (NH4)3WO3F3 is associated mostly with the ordering of octahedral groups and formation of WO···HN hydrogen bonds. In (NH4)2KWO3F3 crystal, the transition is not related to the ordering processes; Cs2(NH4)WO3F3 retains its disordered structure down to 10 K. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The performance of a commercially-available, portable NIR instrument "FT20" for fruit quality evaluation was investigated using mango fruits. The calibration result for the FT20 was compared with the result for the Foss NIRSystems 6500. Partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to make the calibration equations. It was found that the calibration equation using spectral data obtained with the FT20 had similar accuracy to that using Foss NIRSystems 6500 spectra. The SEPs of calibration equations were 0.40 °Brix for both instruments.


Get in-depth exam preparation for the updated Exam 70-290, a core MCSA/MCSE exam for Windows Server 2003-and build real-world job skills. Includes case studies, troubleshooting labs, and more.


There is a lack of studies assessing executive functions (EF) using ecologically valid tests in children with frontal lobe lesions. This study aimed to (1) evaluate EF in children, adolescents and young adults treated for childhood frontal lobe tumours, (2) identify factors influencing performance, such as age at diagnosis or type of treatment, and (3) examine correlations between intellectual ability and classical and ecological tests of EF. Twenty-one patients, aged 8–27 years, treated for a childhood benign or malignant frontal lobe tumour, and 42 healthy controls (matched for gender, age and socio-economic status) were assessed using classical tests of EF, and the BADS-C ecological battery. Patients also underwent assessment of intellectual ability and parent and teacher ratings of the BRIEF questionnaire. IQ scores ranged from 45 to 125 (mean FSIQ = 84) and were lower in case of epilepsy, hydrocephalus and lower parental education. Patients displayed deficits in most, but not all measures of EF. Most classical and ecological measures of EF were strongly correlated to IQ. This study confirms the frequency of EF deficits in this population; it also highlights the utility of ecological measures of EF and some limitations of classical tests of EF in children.


This paper introduces Blackbone2, a novel fully decentralized algorithm that aims at creating a robust backbone in ad hoc networks. Backbone robustness is supported by a 2-Connected m-dominating Set, 2,m-CDS, and decentralization relies on the usage of two rules that only require two-hop knowledge in order to reduce the use of bandwidth. Blackbone2 deterministic approach guarantees a density-indpendent valid solution and is proved correct. The algorithm is also characterized by its efficient theoretical computation time, Ο(Δ2) with Δ the average number of neighbors, which outperforms known solutions. The domination parameter, m, can be increased without changing the theoretical computation time. Efficiency of the Blackbone2 algorithm compared to the equivalent literature solutions is illustrated through simulations of a large panel of networks with a wide density range.


We compare several language models for the word-ordering task and propose a new bag-to-sequence neural model based on attention-based sequence-to-sequence models. We evaluate the model on a large German WMT data set where it significantly outperforms existing models. We also describe a novel search strategy for LM-based word ordering and report results on the English Penn Treebank. Our best model setup outperforms prior work both in terms of speed and quality.