Abstract Cortisol has major impacts upon a range of physiological homeostatic mechanisms and plays an important role in stress, anxiety and depression. Although traditionally described as being solely synthesised via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, recent animal and human studies indicate that cortisol may also be synthesised via a functionally-equivalent 'peripheral' HPA-like process within the skin, principally within hair follicles, melanocytes, epidermal melanocytes and dermal fibroblasts. Current data indicate that basal levels of cortisol within hair vary across body regions, show diurnal variation effects, respond to the onset and cessation of environmental stressors, and may demonstrate some degree of localisation in those responses. There are conflicting data regarding the presence of variability in cortisol concentrations across the length of the hair shaft, thus challenging the suggestion that hair cortisol may be used as a historical biomarker of stress and questioning the primary origin of cortisol in hair. The need to comprehensively 'map' the hair cortisol response for age, gender, diurnal rhythm and responsivity to stressor type is discussed, plus the major issue of if, and how, the peripheral and central HPA systems communicate.


We present a design and details of construction of two calorimetric systems that allow us to measure the total loss in high temperature superconducting coils or linear samples carrying alternating current while exposed to a strong alternating magnetic field. This measurement technique is based on the boil-off of liquid nitrogen. The first system is designed to measure ac losses in superconducting coils in self-field generated by AC transport current. The second system contains a permanent magnet rotor and simulates the environment of an electric motor or generator. The sensitivity of the system is such that it can measure low losses from a few milliwatts to several hundred milliwatts, in either a static or dynamic magnetic field.


Current knowledge regarding the sensitivity of the teeth to forces is based on psychophysical experiments that measured touch detection thresholds under static jaw conditions. It is not known whether jaw movements alter the perception of forces applied to the teeth, but, based on limb movement studies, it is hypothesized that the perception of mechanoreceptor outputs will be downwardly modulated by jaw movements. We predicted that, compared with static jaw conditions, rhythmic jaw movements would be associated with significantly higher psychophysical thresholds for the detection of incisally applied forces. In eight participants, mechanical pulses were delivered to an incisor during static jaw holding or during cyclic jaw opening and closing. Analogous to findings in human limbs, the psychophysical salience of periodontal mechanoreceptor feedback was downwardly modulated by physiologically relevant movements; detection thresholds for mechanical pulses applied to a central incisor were significantly higher during jaw-closing movements than during static jaw positioning.


Megalocornea (corneal diameter > or = 13 mm) is associated with mental and neurological impairment, and minor anomalies in Neuhäuser syndrome (megalocornea-mental retardation syndrome). Here we report 4 new cases of megalocornea and mental retardation. Those unrelated patients have a consistent pattern of anomalies with possible recessive inheritance which clearly differs from that of the original patients of Neuhäuser et al. [1975]. We discuss the heterogeneity of the syndromes with megalocornea and mental retardation. Based on these cases and on a review of the literature, we suggest a provisional clinically oriented classification in 5 subtypes: (1) a recessive form type Neuhäuser (with iris hypoplasia and minor anomalies), (2) a recessive form type Frank-Temtamy (with camptodactyly, scoliosis and growth retardation), (3) a recessive type 3, including our 4 personal cases (with normal irides, severe hypotonia, relative or absolute macrocephaly and minor anomalies), (4) a possible Frydman type (with normal irides, megalencephaly and obesity), and (5) provisionally unclassifiable cases.


In the title compound, [RhCl3(CH3CN)(C18H21P)2]·2CH3CN, the complex molecule lies on a twofold rotation axis that passes through the RhIII atom, one Cl atom, and the C and N atoms of the coordinated acetonitrile molecule. The RhIII atom is coordinated by two P atoms in trans positions, three Cl atoms and an acetonitrile molecule in a distorted octahedral geometry. Intramolecular C—H⋯Cl interactions are observed. The uncoordinated acetonitrile molecule is disordered over two sites with occupancies of 0.588 (4) and 0.412 (4).


Gentlemen of the Section: —Allow me first to express my grateful appreciation for the honor conferred upon me at the Semi-Centennial Meeting. To be chosen as Chairman of this, the largest Section of theAssociation, is indeed an honor any one should esteem highly. I have endeavored, with the aid of the distinguished Secretary, Dr. Parkhill, to present to you as attractive a program as has ever been offered to this or any other Section in former years. Indeed, too much credit can not be given our Secretary for his indefatigable labors and their fruitful results. We regret that his obligations to our country, now resounding from end to end with stern alarums, deprive us of his companionship and help on this occasion, to which he has looked forward with such keen pleasure, and for the success of which he is so largely responsible. I am sure that


AIM
This study aimed to determine the effects of Kinesio tape applied to the plantar soles on static and dynamic balance in children with Down syndrome (DS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was carried out in children with DS. The participants were grouped as Kinesio Taping (KT) (n = 12, DS) and Sham Taping (ST) (n = 12, DS). The Functional Reach Test (FRT) was used to evaluate functional balance and the Fast-Timed Up and Go (FAST-TUG) test to evaluate functional balance and capacity. The Modified Clinical test of Sensory Interaction on Balance (MCTSIB) was used to evaluate static balance. For both groups, all the assessments were made three times: at baseline (T0), right after the taping application (T1), and 40-45 minutes later (T2).

RESULTS
Baseline FAST-TUG, FRT, and Eyes Open (EO) and Closed (EC) Sway velocity scores of the KT (medians- FAST-TUG:7.75 s, FRT:23.90 cm, EO: 0.70 deg/s, EC: 0.60 deg/s) and ST (medians-FAST-TUG:7.98 s, FRT:24 cm, EO: 0.85 deg/s, EC: 0.95 deg/s) groups were similar (p >0.05). Intragroup comparisons showed that FAST-TUG and FRT scores improved after the taping compared with T0 values in both KT (KT (FAST-TUG:7.75s-FRT:23.90cm)/KT1(FAST-TUG:7.55 s-FRT:28.25cm), KT(FAST-TUG:7.75s-FRT:23.90cm)/KT2(FAST-TUG:6.85s-FRT:27.50cm)) and ST groups (ST(FAST-TUG:7.98s-FRT:24cm)/ST1(FAST-TUG:7,95s-FRT:26.40cm), ST(FAST-TUG:7.98s-FRT:24cm)/ST2(FAST-TUG:7.26s-FRT:26.15cm)) (p < 0.05), while the sway velocity values were similar before and after the taping (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Taping on the plantar soles of children with DS may be affecting the immediate dynamic balance scores while it actually did not affect the static balance scores independent of the technique used. The interpretation of the results of this study should be made with caution. Further studies with long-term evaluations are needed.


Transition-metal-doped perovskite oxide LaNi0.9M0.1O3 (M = Cu, Co) nanosheets were grown on nickel foam to serve as a complete carbon- and binder-free three-dimensional (3D) porous air electrode for lithium–oxygen batteries. The design of this porous air electrode can facilitate rapid gas and electrolyte diffusion, as well as form a continuous electronic conductive network throughout the whole energy conversion process. Because of a combination of abundant lattice strain and the oxygen vacancy effect caused by substitution of an element with a different valence state in Ni sites, LaNi0.9Cu0.1O3 exhibits a significant oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), showing improvement in both aqueous and non-aqueous systems compared with pure LaNiO3 and LaNi0.9Co0.1O3. Especially with the redox mediator additive tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) in the electrolyte, this LaNi0.9Cu0.1O3 perovskite oxide nanosheet catalyst grown on 3D microporous nickel foam exhibits excellent bifunctional catalytic activities in the lithium–oxygen battery, showing the same highly active catalytic kinetics and high round-trip efficiency as those of reported precious metal catalysts. The overpotential remains at 0.72 V, and the round-trip efficiency is up to 80% under a current density of 0.1 mA cm−2, with capacity limited to 1000 mA h g−1.


Protein misfolding and aggregation are shared features of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and protein quality control disruption contributes to neuronal toxicity. Therefore, reducing protein aggregation could hold therapeutic potential. We previously identified a novel chaperone protein, serine-rich chaperone protein 1 (SRCP1), that effectively prevents protein aggregation in cell culture and zebrafish models of Huntington's disease. Here we tested whether this benefit extends to aggregated proteins found in ALS. We used viral-mediated expression of SRCP1 in in vitro and in vivo models of ALS. We found that SRCP1 reduced insoluble SOD1 protein levels in HEK293T cells overexpressing either the A4V or G93R mutant SOD1. However, the reduction of insoluble protein was not observed in either mutant C9orf72 or SOD1 ALS iPSC-derived motor neurons infected with a lentivirus expressing SRCP1. SOD1 G93A ALS mice injected with AAV-SRCP1 showed a small but significant reduction in insoluble and soluble SOD1 in both the brain and spinal cord, but SRCP1 expression did not improve mouse survival. These data indicate that SRCP1 likely reduces insoluble protein burden in a protein and/or context-dependent manner indicating a need for additional insight into SRCP1 function and therapeutic potential.


Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient in crop production and is therefore typically applied as phosphatic fertilisers.  This can induce soil P concentrations that may contribute to freshwater eutrophication.  Soil P tests developed from a water pollution protection perspective are unlike those developed for agronomic purposes and are also not easily adapted to routine analyses.  The aim with this study was therefore to establish whether the values of P extracted from a range of soils by various agronomic and environmental P determination methods are related or not.  Topsoil samples were collected from virgin soils in central South Africa and treated with KH2PO4 to induce different P concentrations and then incubated for 3 months, while subjected to various wetting and drying cycles.  The samples were then analysed for P using the extractants of Bray 1, citric acid, ISFEI, Olsen, and Truog, commonly employed to establish the agronomic P status of soils.  Environmental P status was determined with calcium chloride (CaCl2) and ammonium oxalate (DPSox) extractants.  Generally good relationships were found between CaCl2 and ISFEI (R2 = 0.72), between DPSox and Truog (R2 = 0.79), and between DPSox and citric acid (R2 = 0.82).  Agronomic P soil tests therefore have the potential to be used in regulating application of phosphatic fertilisers to ensure optimum crop yields, while simultaneously limiting freshwater pollution.  Further field studies are, however, recommended to determine threshold values from an environmental point of view.


The controllers are used to reduce fluctuations in frequency deviations and tie-line power flow exchange of an interconnected power system due to load and voltage disturbances. This study proposes a control strategy based on model predictive control (MPC) procedures with various design schemes for an unequal two-area interconnected power system. The study model comprises voltage excitation and frequency loops with necessary interactions between them. Flywheel as an energy storage system along with wind energy are engaged in the model under study. The tuning parameters of MPC-based controllers are obtained by quadratic problem solver. The validity of the proposed MPC-based controllers is extensively confirmed using the simulation results under different disturbance conditions such as different loadings and voltage changes. The effectiveness of the MPC based on controllers is compared to classical controllers and recent controllers based on optimisation techniques such as genetic algorithm. In addition, the quality specifications of the dynamic responses of the anticipated MPC-based controllers are reported to signify their values. The quality indices along with comparative performance point out the good performance of the demonstrated MPC-based controllers for various estimated novel scenarios.


Objective Originator pharmaceutical companies prolonging the patent of a medicine prevents rivals' entry to the market and competition. As the entry of generic alternatives usually results in price reduction, any delay in their entry potentially deprives the National Health Service (NHS) of much-needed savings. This study estimates the potential cost savings lost to the NHS as a result of delayed entry of generic low-dose buprenorphine (LDTB) patches in England. Design Two case scenarios were modelled to determine the savings from the entry of generic LDTB Butec only between February and August 2016 and the potential savings which could have been achieved if all generic LDTB patches had entered the market at the same time. Setting The volume of utilisation of branded and generic LDTB in UK primary care was derived from the NHS business services authority website for prescriptions dispensed between February 2015 and January 2018. Main outcome measures Cost savings associated with the entry of generic LDTB. Results The cumulative cost savings from the introduction of Butec alone was £0.7 ($0.92) million. The model predicted that if all generic buprenorphine entered the market at the same time with Butec, they could have been achieved a £1.2 ($1.57) million saving. This means that approximately £0.5 ($0.65) million savings was lost to the NHS over the 6-month time period. Conclusions The entry of Butec was associated with cost savings. We estimated that more cost savings could have been achieved if other generic LDTB patches had entered the market at the same time to drive competition between rivals. Patent protection strategies which delayed the entry of multiple generics were responsible for the reduced cost savings to the NHS in England.


The article discusses the role and importance of investment activity in oil and gas companies. Conditions and factors for improving investment activity in oil and gas companies are studied. The article also provides scientifically based proposals and practical recommendations for the formation of directions for the development of investment activities of oil and gas companies.


Course work plagiarism among university students is often attributed to ignorance about plagiarism or an assignment's level of difficulty. Students submit other people's work when they are unable to solve an assignment themselves. This study, based on 233 student responses from four cultural regions, investigates three aspects of academic dishonesty. First, the study identifies students' preferred strategies for managing perceptually too difficult course work. Second, students' preferences for responding to help from fellow students are investigated. Finally, the study measures students' preferences for choosing side in ethical conflicts. Seven strategies for managing difficult course work, six strategies for responding to requests for help, and five key parties in ethical conflicts are studied using a pair-wise comparison method. The results show that students prefer to collaborate and use the Internet. The impact of the teacher is smaller than expected. Factors including cultural origin, gender, level of study, and field of study have limited impact.


We present a new optical luminosity-HI mass bivariate luminosity function (BLF) based on HI line observations from the Nançay Interstellar Baryons Legacy Extragalactic Survey (NIBLES). NIBLES sources lie within the local universe (900 ≤ c
z ≤ 12 000 km s−1) and were chosen from SDSS DR5 such that the optical luminosity function was sampled as uniformly as possible. The HI mass function (HIMF) derived from our raw-data BLF, which is based on HI detections only, is consistent with the HIMFs derived from other optically selected surveys in that the low-mass slope is flatter than those derived from blind HI surveys. However, spanning the entire luminosity range of NIBLES, we identify a highly consistent distribution of the HI gas mass to luminosity ratio (gas-to-light ratio) with a predictable progression in the mean MHI/L
r ratio as a function of L
r. This consistency allows us to construct plausible gas-to-light ratio distributions for very low-luminosity bins which lie outside the NIBLES sample. We also identify a ∼10% decrease in detection fraction for galaxies fainter than log(L
r) = 9.25, consistent with the expected decrease due to distance and sensitivity effects. Accounting for these trends, we reconstruct plausible gas-to-light distributions spanning luminosity bins down to log(L
r) = 5.25, thus producing a corrected BLF. This corrected BLF is in good qualitative agreement with optical luminosity-HI mass distributions from the ALFALFA survey and is able to accurately reproduce blind survey HIMFs, lending credibility that this two dimensional optical luminosity-HI mass distribution is an accurate representation of the volume density distribution of galaxies in the local universe. We also note that our agreement with HIMFs from other surveys is dependent on accounting for all systematic differences such as selection method, Hubble constant and HI flux scale.


Sparse matrix-vector multiplication (SMVM) is a fundamental core of many high-performance computing applications, including information retrieval, medical imaging, and economic modeling. While the use of reconfigurable computing technology in a high-performance computing environment has shown recent promise in accelerating a wide variety of scientific applications, existing SMVM architectures on FPGA hardware have been limited in that they require either numerous pipeline stalls during computation (due to zero padding) or excessive input preprocessing during run-time. For large-scale sparse matrix scenarios, both of these shortcomings can result in unacceptable performance overheads, limiting the overall value of using FPGAs in a high-performance computing environment. In this paper, we present a scalable and efficient FPGA-based SMVM architecture which can handle arbitrary matrix sparsity patterns without excessive preprocessing or zero padding and can be dynamically expanded based on the available I/O bandwidth. Our experimental results using a commercial FPGA-based acceleration system demonstrate that our reconfigurable SMVM engine is highly efficient, with benchmark-dependent speedups over an optimized software implementation that range from to in terms of computation time.


The objective of this article is to provide an analysis of the spatialities of Airbnb in Sofia, Bulgaria. Relying on an analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, this article firstly explores the diffusion and concentration of Airbnb listings in the city's districts. It questions whether the platform's self-proclaimed contribution to a more diversified offering of tourism accommodation indeed applies to the context of Sofia. It then identifies which listings are most popular among Airbnb guests, and examines who reaps the benefits and profits from this "sharing" economy and who does not. In doing so, this article aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the power relations in the production and consumption of Airbnb experiences. Whilst discussing the socio-spatial impacts of Airbnb in Sofia, this article takes into account some of the broader urban transformations that have taken place in the city since the end of the socialist regime in 1989. The findings suggest that the large majority of Airbnb listings tend to concentrate in those districts that are marked by commercialization and gentrification and are home to a privileged higher-income population. These areas generally also already benefit from a high concentration of official tourism accommodation and tourist attractions. As such, the article concludes that, like in other European cities, Airbnb benefits a selective number of hosts and potentially further exacerbates an already problematic private rental market.


This paper intends to provide a roadmap to facilitate the implementation of a key set of actions that can help the Afghan Cashmere sector development in Afghanistan. This paper also aims to increase private sector participation in overcoming the challenges facing the cashmere sector in Afghanistan and mobilize available sources of support from donor-funded projects, NGO (Non-Government Organizations) initiatives, and GIRoA (Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) organizations, to provide a systematic, and coordinated approach to promote the Cashmere Sector in Afghanistan.
The cashmere sector in Afghanistan remains one of the country's most valuable industries. There continue to be significant opportunities to improve production processes and retain more of the final value of this lucrative product within Afghanistan's borders. Afghanistan is currently the third largest producer of cashmere in the world after China and Mongolia and has made considerable progress since the launch of the first cashmere in recent years. Key achievements since then include: (1) The development of crossbreeding program across Afghanistan, most notably in Herat, designed to improve the quality and international appeal of Afghan cashmere, (2) the Development of the 'Afghan Made' cashmere trademark which will differentiate the Afghan product in the world market, (3) Regular attendance at international cashmere and fashion conferences by GOIRA and industry representatives with the aim of raising the profile of Afghan cashmere and attracting international investment, (4) Steps to establish a quality testing and certification facility in Herat which will ensure that international quality standards are met, thereby enhancing cashmere's export prospects, and (5) Development of an indigenous processing capacity with the establishment of two cashmere processing lines in Herat and more in the pipeline.
The sector's progress has been impressive, but there is still much work to do, particularly mitigating the influence of China on the Afghan sector. The export of raw, unwashed cashmere to China is hampering efforts elsewhere in the sector to improve quality and enhance Afghan cashmere's international reputation. To this end, there is still much work to be done and five priority action areas have been identified by the sector to be undertaken over the period in the future. These are: (1) Ban the export of greasy, unwashed raw cashmere, which will reduce the huge pull that China currently exerts on the Afghan sector and, in turn, open other markets, (2) Improve the quality and yield of Afghan cashmere by expanding the successful crossbreeding program, (3) Improve education on the value of cashmere and the support to realize it, by improving producers' knowledge of harvesting techniques and routes to market for raw cashmere, (4) Improve the perception of Afghan cashmere in the global market through establishing quality procedures, both in terms of testing and certification, and promotion of the 'Afghan Made' trademark, and (5) Build capacity in the spinning, weaving/knitting, manufacturing, and finishing areas to capture more of the value-addition in the upper stages of the value chain. This should be seen as a longer-term aspiration that will extend beyond the lifetime of the current action plan.


It is essential to characterize the output beam properties, such as beam energy, beam profile and beam emittance for high operational efficiency and reliability with low beam loss. To measure the beam energy, we applied TOF method by using beam phases signal measured with beam position monitor with varying RF phase setting in each drift tube linac (DTL) tank. A luminescent plate provides a convenient method for the beam profile measurement. By observing the beam profile with varying quadrupole gradient, we can measure the beam emittance. We report the methods and results of the characterization of output beam from a 100-MeV proton linac at Korea Multipurpose Accelerator Complex (KOMAC) in this paper.


Construction projects' duration can be modelled using traditional and artificial intelligence methods. The first part of these two papers provides an insight into the principles of modelling project durations using neurofuzzy methods. This paper presents an understanding of how these methods operate and discusses the main issues concerning their use and application in construction management. An introduction to the problems of modelling and predicting construction projects' duration is first presented. This is followed by explaining the neurofuzzy life cycle modelling process and discussing methods for modelling projects' duration. A graphical presentation of the way in which neurofuzzy methods operate is also presented and discussed.


Three NiCoCrAlY coatings strengthened by different contents of nano-SiCp (nanometric SiC particles)were prepared on Ni-based superalloy substrates using crosscurrent CO2 laser, and the thermal shock test of these coatings was conducted by cycling between 1050°C and room temperature (10-15°C). The spalled area in the oxide scale of coatings after 10 thermal shock cycles and the thermal shock cracks in the cross-section of coatings after 100 thermal shock cycles were investigated using SEM, OM, and other means. The results show that the thermal shock resistances of NiCoCrAlY coatings are improved after adding nano-SiCp. Among nano-SiCp-added coatings, the coating added with 1.0 wt% nano-SiCp performs best. After 10 thermal shock cycles, there is a slight spallation whose area is only 2.65% in the oxide scale of the coating; after 100 thermal shock cycles, no internal crack is observed in the cross-section, and the amount and size of propagating cracks are slight.


In nonsmooth stochastic optimization, we establish the nonconvergence of the stochastic subgradient descent (SGD) to the critical points recently called active strict saddles by Davis and Drusvyatskiy. Such points lie on a manifold M, where the function f has a direction of second-order negative curvature. Off this manifold, the norm of the Clarke subdifferential of f is lower-bounded. We require two conditions on f. The first assumption is a Verdier stratification condition, which is a refinement of the popular Whitney stratification. It allows us to establish a strengthened version of the projection formula of Bolte et al. for Whitney stratifiable functions and which is of independent interest. The second assumption, termed the angle condition, allows us to control the distance of the iterates to M. When f is weakly convex, our assumptions are generic. Consequently, generically, in the class of definable weakly convex functions, SGD converges to a local minimizer. Funding: The work of Sholom Schechtman was supported by "Région Ile-de-France".


There is a need for more effective assessment and primary prevention programs aimed at accurately measuring and reducing alcohol consumption among women before conception in underserved, high-risk populations. Health Information Technology (HIT) may serve this purpose; however, the effectiveness of such tools is not known. We conducted a small-scale randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of an adapted web-based alcohol assessment and intervention tool among low-income, non-pregnant women of reproductive age who were receiving WIC services in San Diego County and who reported currently drinking in a binge pattern. A total of 150 binge-drinking participants completed a web-based assessment and were randomly assigned to either receive a personalized feedback intervention or general health information about alcohol consumption and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Follow-Up assessments on reported alcohol consumption were conducted via telephone at 1- and 2-months post baseline. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 44 and were predominately Hispanic/Latina (44%). At baseline, all respondents reported consuming > 3 standard drinks on > 1 occasion in the previous month. Outcome was available for 131 participants. The main outcome measure was reduction in number of risky drinking occasions, and did not differ significantly between treatment conditions, (OR 1.200, 95% CI 0.567-2.539, p = 0.634). However, over 70% of the participants reported a reduction in risky drinking occasions regardless of treatment condition (Control 43/63, 68%; Experimental 49/68, 72%). Furthermore, after controlling for confounding in a multivariate hierarchical logistic regression model, the estimate of treatment effect reached borderline significance (OR 2.922, 95% CI 0.991-8.613, p = 0.052). The results of the present study demonstrate that web-based assessment of alcohol consumption among low-income women of reproductive age, as represented by WIC clients, is feasible and acceptable. The findings also suggest that detailed and interactive assessments of alcohol consumption may be sufficient for the reduction of risky drinking within this population and personalized feedback may provide additional benefits for some individuals


In this essential companion to the classic "The Inward Morning," sixteen distinguished contemporary philosophers celebrate Henry Bugbee s remarkable philosophy. The essays trace his explorations of thought, emotion, and the need for a sense of place attuned to wilderness. Representing a range of traditions, the thinkers included here touch on an equally broad spectrum of inquiry, including existential philosophy, religion, and environmental studies.The essays progress from general introductions to considerations of more specific themes in Bugbee s philosophy to reflections on the man as teacher, mentor, and friend. Provocative in their own right, these contributions provide a commentary on "The Inward Morning." This volume thus becomes a valuable tool for the careful reader seeking to fully appreciate the vivid text that has inspired it while at the same time offering insight into contemporary issues in the philosophy of nature."


Plentiful research suggests that embeddedness in alliance networks influences firms' innovativeness. This research, however, has mostly overlooked the fact that interorganizational ties are themselves embedded within larger institutional contexts that can shape the effects of networks on organizational outcomes. We address this gap in the literature by arguing that national institutions affect the extent to which specific network positions, such as brokerage, influence innovation. We explore this idea in the context of corporatism, which fosters an institutional logic of collaboration that influences the broker's ability to manage its partnerships and recombine the knowledge residing in its network as well as the extent of knowledge flows among network participants. We argue that differences in institutional logics lead brokerage positions to exert different effects on firm innovativeness. We propose that the firm spanning structural holes obtains the greatest innovation benefits when the firm the broker or its alliance partners are based in highly corporatist countries, or under certain combinations of broker and partner corporatism. We find support for these ideas through a longitudinal study of cross-border fuel cell technology alliance networks involving 109 firms from nine countries between 1981 and 2001.


Introduction: The Role of the Regions in European Governance by Jose M. Magone The Third Level of European Integration: New and Old Insights by Jose M. Magone Regional Business Development and the European Union by Norman O'Neill Constitutional Change and Subnational Government Participation in EU Programmes and Policies by Graham Pearce and Steve Martin Devolution in the European Union: The Role of Sub-National Authorities in Scotland and Catalonia by Elisa Roller and Amanda Sloat The Internationalisation of Scottish Politics: Who Governs Scotland? by Alex Wright Welsh Devolution and the European Union by J. Barry Jones Successful Multilevel Governance in Northern Ireland: Region, Process, and Peace by Elizabeth Meehan and Susan Hodgett Rotterdam Region: Government and Governance? by Linze Schaap Flanders: Do It Yourself and Do It Better? Regional Parliaments as Sites for Democratic Renewal and Gendered Representation by Karen Celis and Alison Woodward Gent-Terneuzen: The Rise of a Euro-Region? by Wouter-Jan Oosten Conclusions: Regional Governance in the European Union by Susan Hodgett, et al. Selected Bibliography Index


This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the different tests proposed in the recent ChildCI framework, proving its potential for generating a better understanding of children's neuromotor and cognitive development along time, as well as their possible application in other research areas such as e-Health and e-Learning. In particular, we propose a set of over 100 global features related to motor and cognitive aspects of the children interaction with mobile devices, some of them collected and adapted from the literature. Furthermore, we analyse the robustness and discriminative power of the proposed feature set including experimental results for the task of children age group detection based on their motor and cognitive behaviors. Two different scenarios are considered in this study: i) single-test scenario, and ii) multiple-test scenario. Results over 93% accuracy are achieved using the publicly available ChildCIdb_v1 database (over 400 children from 18 months to 8 years old), proving the high correlation of children's age with the way they interact with mobile devices.


A lowered mineral density in the skeletal bones may indicate osteoporosis and an increased risk of fragility fractures. However, lower bone mass does not reveal the whole truth about the status of the bone quality. This thesis investigated the microstructure and mechanical properties of 14 trabecular bone plugs in order to get a comprehensive understanding of how the trabecular network changes from a mechanical perspective with increasing age. The trabecular bone plugs were harvested from the femoral head of human cadavers. Micro computed tomography was performed to measure the microstructural properties. Additionally, a destructive tensile test was applied using an 'end-cap'-technique, to obtain information about the mechanics. Finally the fracture surfaces from two samples which showed completely different mechanical properties were analysed using scanning electron microscopy, to find nano-scaled fracture features. Linear regression was used to correlate the age, microstructure and mechanical properties of the trabecular plugs. The bone volume fraction, the trabecular thickness, post-yield strains, energy, and toughness decreased with increasing age, but the tissue mineral density seems to increase. The apparent modulus was positively correlated to the bone volume fraction and the energy to fracture to the trabecular thickness. The analysis with scanning electron microscopy was troublesome due to the high porosity and surface roughness of the samples, and therefore merely provided a qualitative overview of the microstructure of the fracture surfaces. (Less)


Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) have elevated numbers of apoptotic cells. However, the extent and pattern of cell death at the microvascular level is unexplored. We developed a technique to determine early forms of cell death in vivo in the mesentery by use of the life/death indicator ethidium bromide (EB). The mesenteric microvasculature was superfused with 5 µM EB for a period of 3 min, rinsed and immediately viewed by digital fluorescence microscopy. EB-positive cell structures were observed both in the wall of microvessels as well as in the tissue parenchyma. The microvessels had about 2–4 EB-positive cell structures per 100 µm of vessel length. Larger arterioles (>25 µm) in the SHR had an increased EB-positive structure density. After normalization of the blood pressure in the SHR with adrenalectomy, no significant differences remained between Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and SHRs. After dexamethasone treatment, the adrenalectomized SHRs had a higher EB-positive cell density in the smaller class of microvessels than the WKY rats. In addition, EB-positive cell fragments (0.5–2 µm) were observed in the mesentery microvessel wall, and with TUNEL labeling, they were demonstrated to represent DNA fragments. The percentage of microvessels with EB-positive fragments was higher in the SHR arterioles and capillaries. Capillaries and larger venules (>30 µm) in the SHR had higher levels of cell fragments per vessel length. After adrenalectomy, no significant differences remained between WKY rats and SHRs in any of the mcirovessel categories. When adrenalectomized rats were treated with dexamethasone, a higher number of EB-positive fragments was detected in the wall of SHR capillaries. These results indicate that the mesentery microcirculation in both strains is subject to an early and nonuniform pattern of cell death, as detected by EB, but is enhanced in selected individual microvascular segments of the SHR by a glucocorticoid-driven mechanism.


OBJECTIVES
Endoscopic transpapillary bile duct biopsy has a high sensitivity for detection of malignant biliary strictures, but is commonly performed after endoscopic sphincterotomy. We performed transpapillary biopsy without sphincterotomy, using a recently developed, malleable biopsy forceps, and prospectively studied the usefulness of this diagnostic procedure, compared with that of bile and brush cytology.

METHODS
We succeeded in transpapillary biopsy without sphincterotomy in 45 (87%) of 52 patients. In 43 patients with biliary strictures (31 malignant, 12 benign) who successfully underwent all endoscopic samplings by bile aspiration, brushing, and biopsy, the diagnostic value of these three sampling methods was compared.

RESULTS
Transpapillary biopsy (81%) had a significantly higher level of sensitivity for malignancy than bile (32%) and brush (48%) cytology. Transpapillary biopsy was more sensitive for bile duct cancer (88%) than for pancreatic cancer (71%), as were cytology techniques. No false positives were found in any of the three sampling methods. No complications accompanied the endoscopic procedures.

CONCLUSIONS
Transpapillary bile duct biopsy without sphincterotomy is a simple, safe, and effective technique for diagnosing biliary stricture. We recommend that this technique be performed routinely at initial endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for patients with a stricture or filling defect of the extrahepatic bile duct.


We describe in this paper a novel approach based upon machine learning for estimating layout shape functions of full-custom integrated circuit cells. A neural network is trained to estimate one dimension of cell layout from circuit netlist, a desired packing density, and prescribed values of the complementary dimension. The neural network is then combined with a linear function generator and a neural network that predicts the number of contacts (vias) to produce estimates of cell layout shape functions. We have experimented with this approach on an independent test set of circuits and the results are very encouraging. The resulting estimation system is very fast and can be easily incorporated into exiting floorplanning systems. An additional benefit of the the machine learning aspect is the simplicity and systematicity in incorporating into the estimation system new circuits and technology information as they become available.


This book uses Bourdieu's sociological approach for research as a jumping-off point for framing our understandings and analyses of China and Chinese education. Three major themes—inequality, competition, and change—are explored across several theoretical and contextual bases. Bringing together top scholars in the field, the volume examines empirical studies that analyse social (im)mobility through education for students affected by the social divides of class, culture and rural/urban locations; teacher identity and the field of schooling in the current Chinese environment and going forward; and the university as an institution for the production of knowledge about education in the globalising academy. Offering insights into the historical and cultural context for China's educational landscape, the contributions of this book revisit Bourdieusian concepts from a new empirical vantage point and bring together key studies that illuminate new pathways for the study of Chinese sociology of education.


The PC is the cheapest computer and the most widespread one in the scientific community. Faced with commercial scientific word-processors that are improving steadily in wrong directions, it is urgent to make the use of TEX easier on the PC, to ensure its future and avoid costly dead-ends to researchers. We have designed a program, AsT E X, that allows to create easily multi-author scientific documents in TE Xo r L A T EX on PCs. It provides an on-line hypertext help and a multi-level assistance in typing L ATEX code. It allows to display and modify very easily the structure of a document, to archive and retrieve files related to it, to perform numerical and formal computations from the document and include automatically the results, to create LATEX tables from worksheets or databases of formulas. It processes electronic mail and files sent by list servers for a better use of information and eases considerably the use of anonymous ftp and archie servers by local archiving of selected informations.


"The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a small diving seabird of the Alcid family which is on the Federally Threatened Species list, and is state listed as endangered or threatened in California, Oregon, and Washington (Nelson, 1997). Because their nests are dispersed and difficult to locate high in trees of mature coastal forests, most research on overall abundance and reproductive output is conducted at sea, where the birds are concentrated within a few km of shore on the open coast...This report summarizes population estimation and distribution results from the 2009 surveys in Oregon and compares these data with earlier assessments." (From Introduction)


Bioassay-guided fractionation and purification of the aerial parts of Piper submultinerve led to the isolation of a new conjugated amide-dimer, submultinamide A (1), along with 11 known compounds. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic methods. Among the tested compounds, pellitorine (2), guineensine (4), N-benzylcinnamide (6) and aristolactam BII (8) showed significant activities in the anti-syncytium assay using ΔTat/RevMC99 virus and 1A2 cell line system, whereas 2 was most active (EC50 35.1 µM and selectivity index 4.7). In the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase assay, only 4 was active with IC50 50.8 µM.


Background/purpose: The aging process has been studied with fervor recently, given our shifting demographics. As age's effects are so manifest in the skin's appearance, structure, mechanics, and barrier function, it is not surprising that much effort has been made in research to better understand them. Quantitative measurements permitted by bioengineering have allowed us to objectively and precisely study aging skin. These overviews piece together the immense amounts of information that have emerged from recent technological advances in dermatological research in order to develop a unified understanding of the quantitative effects of age on skin.


A long-path transmissometer is one of the optical instruments widely used to measure atmospheric light extinction coefficient without enclosing a light beam and perturbing aerosols. Over the past two decades, a number of measurements have been carried out using the long-path transmissometer manufactured by OPTEC, Inc. Calibration of the transmissometer should be performed when any component of the transmissometer system is interchanged or installation condition is changed. For a better calibration of the transmissometer, application of a modified calibration method for the existing neutral density (ND)-filter method was recommended for the computation of the atmospheric transmittance using model MODTRAN 4 in this study. It was revealed that the measured light extinction coefficient from the transmissometer which was calibrated using the existing ND-filter method could be overestimated due to the assumption of the atmospheric transmittance suggested by OPTEC, Inc. The uncertainty of the measured light extinction coefficient from the transmissometer calibrated based on the modified ND-filter method was calculated to be approximately 13 Mm-¹.


The limits, definitions and relationships of Carpha have been controversial and unclear. This study using cladistic analyses of morphological and combined morphological and molecular data indicates that: (1) Carpha sensu latu is paraphyletic and its species form two clades, consistent with the definitions of Carpha sensu stricto and Asterochaete respectively (i.e. the data support the division of Carpha sensu latu into two genera: Carpha sensu stricto and Asterochaete); (2) the morphological data show a high degree of homoplasy within Schoeneae; (3) Schoeneae is not a monophyletic tribe; (4) Schoenus and Tricostularia are polyphyletic; (5) it is better to place Schoenoides back in Oreobolus; (6) separation of Capeobolus brevicaulis from Costularia or Tetraria is supported; and (7) both genera Costularia and Tetraria should be maintained. The study resolves some phylogenetic relationships between Carpha and its relatives. Many aspects of these relationships are in agreement with previous studies, but some of these relationships have no support. The study also resolves the phylogenetic relationships of species of Carpha, although with lack of support for some clades, highlighting the need for other sources of data.


Changing hydrologic, economic, social and environmental conditions have focused attention on the opportunities for changing reservoir management. Such change can occur in three areas. First, there are opportunities to change the way the reservoir stores and controls water. Second, there are opportunities to change the purposes served. And third, the value of the water and the criteria by which reservoir benefits and costs are computed may have changed. Associated with each change are a variety of factors that should be considered. Drawing upon experience with reservoir management of the Missouri and Columbia River systems and reservoirs in California, Texas and other regions, we offer these reflections on the task of changing reservoir management.


We consider the volumetric barrier for semidefinite programming, or "generalized" volumetric barrier, as introduced by Nesterov and Nemirovskii. We extend several fundamental properties of the volumetric barrier for a polyhedral set to the semidefinite case. Our analysis facilitates a simplified proof of self-concordance for the semidefinite volumetric barrier, as well as for the combined volumetric-logarithmic barrier for semidefinite programming. For both of these barriers we obtain self-concordance parameters equal to those previously shown to hold in the polyhedral case.


Objective:To investigate the expression of HGF and c-Met in ectopic,eutopic endometrium with adenomyosis and normal endometrium and the function of HGF,c-Met in the angiogenesis of adenomyosis,and discuss the relationship of HGF/c-Met and adenomyosis for the possible mechanism.Methods: Immunohistochemical(streptavidin-peroxidase) staining was employed to detect the expression of HGF,c-Met and MVD in 30 cases with adenomyosis(20 in proliferative phase and 10 in secretory phase) proved histologically of ectopic and eutopic tissues and 20 cases(10 in proliferative and secretory phase)of normal endometrial tissues.Results: HGF and c-Met were positive in ectopic,eutopic and control groups.The positive expression rate and expression intensity of HGF and c-Met were both higher in ectopic and eutopic groups compared with control group(P0.05),but expression in secretory phase was higher than that in proliferative phase in all groups.MVD showed the highest expression in ectopic group but moderately higher in eutopic group than control group.Expression of MVD increased with the rise of expression intensity of HGF and c-Met.HGF,c-Met and MVD in ectopic and eutopic groups were correlated.In control group,expression of HGF and c-Met,HGF and MVD were correlated(P0.05),but no correlation was found in the expression of c-Met and MVD.Conclusion: HGF and c-Met function may be involved in the development of adenomyosis by hastening angiogenesis.


In this paper, we investigate time-correlation of the connection request process of web browsing applications and other Internet applications. Evidence of self-similarity in the Internet traffic has been pointed out in several papers, but mainly with reference to the volume of traffic, to the packet arrival process, or to the connection arrival process of aggregated traffic. In our study, instead, we focus on the process of connection requests coming from a single client and study whether asymptotic self-similarity is evident even when  there is low client activity, the observation window is short, or data is partial. The analysis is performed on publicly available traffic traces that include both Wide Area and Campus Network traffic. To identify time correlations, we use the novel, unbiased estimator of the power-law exponent based on the Modified Allan Variance (MAVAR).  Our results show that self-similarity is evident in web traffic and Domain Name requests, provided that the client is active for more than a few connections.  This study is valuable for researchers interested in the modeling of packet traffic sources or in the monitoring of network activity.


Background Strongyloides stercoralis is an ubiquitous intestinal nematode, that commonly causes chronic, asymptomatic infection. Endemic areas include most tropical and subtropical weather zones. The capability for autoinfection accounts for the recurrence and chronicity of the disease. Impaired cell-mediated immunity as in corticosteroid therapy can ensue in an accelerated life cycle. The resulting hyperinfection syndrome and disseminated infection, the two most severe forms of strongyloidiasis, have high mortality rates if left untreated. Methods We report four cases of strongyloidiasis in patients with rheumatic disease. Clinical manifestations, risk factors, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are presented. Results One patient with new-onset rheumatoid arthritis presented with mild isolated eosinophilia; a patient with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis and secondary Sjögren's syndrome presented with recurrent moderate eosinophilia and a previous episode of acute eosinophilic pneumonia, probable Löeffler's syndrome misdiagnosed as eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis; a patient with long-standing ankylosing spondylitis and renal transplant due to secondary amyloidosis presented with hyperinfection syndrome involving the respiratory and the gastrointestinal tract and past mild eosinophilia; and a patient with lupus nephritis presented with disseminated infection characterized by absence of eosinophilia, paralytic ileus, alveolar haemorrhage, meningitis and recurrent septicaemia due to enteric bacteria. Patients 1 and 2 were of Portuguese origin and had no travels abroad; patients 3 and 4 were of Angolan and Brazilian origin residing in Portugal for thirty and fifteen years respectively. Patient 1 didn't receive any immunosuppressive therapy; patient 2 was treated after first manifestation with low-dose prednisolone, methotrexate, azathioprine and hydroxychloroquine, remaining asymptomatic until diagnosis; patient 3 was being treated with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil; and patient 4 with high-dose prednisolone (1mg/kg daily). Diagnosis was made by stool microscopy exam for parasitic ova and larvae in all four patients. A previous stool examination from the second patient was negative and the fourth had also larvae identified in sputum. Patients 1 and 2 were treated with oral albendazole, 400mg, twice a day for seven days, patient 3 with subcutaneous ivermectin, 200μg/kg, daily for three alternating days, and patient 4 with a combination of subcutaneous ivermectin, 200μg/kg, daily in divided doses for nineteen days, and oral albendazole, 400mg, twice a day for thirty-eight days. No recurrence was seen. Conclusions High degree of suspicion is needed in the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis. The potentially fatal manifestations in high risk patients can be prevented by adequate screening. References Puthiyakunnon S, Boddu S, Li Y, Zhou X, Wang C, et al. (2014) Strongyloidiasis – An Insight into Its Global Prevalence and Management. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 8(8):e3018. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0003018. Mejia R, Nutman TB (2012) Screening, prevention, and treatment for hyperinfection syndrome and disseminated infections caused by Strongyloides stercoralis. Curr Opin Infect Dis 25(4):458–463. doi:10.1097/QCO.0b013e3283551dbd. Disclosure of Interest None declared


In this paper, we offer an overview of a number of results on the static rigidity and infinitesimal rigidity of discrete structures which are embedded in projective geometric reasoning, representations, and transformations. Part I considers the fundamental case of a bar–joint framework in projective d-space and places particular emphasis on the projective invariance of infinitesimal rigidity, coning between dimensions, transfer to the spherical metric, slide joints and pure conditions for singular configurations. Part II extends the results, tools and concepts from Part I to additional types of rigid structures including body-bar, body–hinge and rod-bar frameworks, all drawing on projective representations, transformations and insights. Part III widens the lens to include the closely related cofactor matroids arising from multivariate splines, which also exhibit the projective invariance. These are another fundamental example of abstract rigidity matroids with deep analogies to rigidity. We conclude in Part IV with commentary on some nearby areas.


Laboratory synthesis of microsheets of titanium dioxide from titanyl sulfate involves the use of ammonia solution, whereas another inorganic base is most likely to be employed at the industrial level, as ammonia is a toxic agent and therefore should be avoided according to European Union (EU) regulations. Selected nontoxic bases such as sodium, potassium, and lithium hydroxides have been tested as an alternative to ammonia solution to obtain amorphous and crystalline TiO2-based microsheets. The final products obtained at each step of the procedure (samples lyophilized and annealed at 230 and 800 °C) were analyzed with electron and atomic force microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, thermal analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies to determine their morphology and phase composition. The differences in the morphology of the obtained products were described in detail as well as phase and structural composition throughout the process. It was found that, in the last step of the synthesis, microsheets annealed at 800 °C were built of small rods and oval or platy crystalline particles depending on the base used. The temperature of formation of anatase, rutile, and alkali-metal titanates in correlation with the ionic radius of the alkali metal present in the sample was discussed.


Corresponding to a steadily advancing integration of products and service operations in the manufacturing industry, a number of research groups within the design community are working with issues of integrated product and service development. Although closely related, the evolving groups focus on different research dimensions, and thus the terminologies and concepts used in research contributions are not fully compatible. This research attempts to promote and support an evolving collaboration between the different research groups within the design community, by analysing and comparing the key contribution areas of three of the existing groups, namely the groups of Integrated Product and Service Engineering, Service/Product Engineering and Product/Service-System development. A review of the groups' research contributions is carried out and the main characteristics' of their research is compared. Furthermore a comparative table of concepts and terms used in the contributions of the three groups in compiled. Based on this comparison, 3 focal research dimensions are identified: the product lifecycle dimension, the customer lifecycle dimension and the provider lifecycle dimension. Finally the research domains' linkages to other related research domains outside the design community are identified.


In principle, there could be as many different types of corrosion-fatigue behavior as there are metal/environment combinations, since each will interact chemically and electrochemically in different ways. Pessimism in the face of such potential complexity would be justified if we could not, from our knowledge of the corrosion properties of the material in its environment, make worthwhile generalizations. The object of this paper is to identify those common threads running through the experimental observations that enable us to deduce which are the important chemical and electrochemical interactions with the environment influencing the fatigue strength, cyclic endurance, or fatigue crack propagation kinetics of a given material or class of materials. Interpretation of the effects of chemical and electrochemical variables is seen to be dependent on both our basic knowledge of surface corrosion and crevice corrosion phenomena and our perception of the relative importance of the crack initiation and propagation phases of corrosionfatigue failure in particular materials and test specimen geometries.


Aqueous and ethanol extracts from the bark of Ricinus communis were investigated for their anthelmintic activity against Pheretima posthuma and three concentrations (50, 75 and 100 mg/ml) of each extract were studied for activity, in which paralysis and death time of the worm. Both the extract exhibited remarkable anthelminthic activity at all three concentrations. Albendazole suspension is used as standard reference (25 mg/ml) and distilled water as control. Therefore the aqueous and ethanol extract of bark of Ricinus communis has been demonstrated for the first time.


Industrial manufacturing processes often operate under closed‐loop control, where automation aims to keep important process variables at their set‐points. In process industries such as pulp, paper, chemical and steel plants, it is often hard to find production processes operating in open loop. Instead, closed‐loop control systems will actively attempt to minimize the impact of process disturbances. However, we argue that an implicit assumption in most experimental investigations is that the studied system is open loop, allowing the experimental factors to freely affect the important system responses. This scenario is typically not found in process industries. The purpose of this article is therefore to explore issues of experimental design and analysis in processes operating under closed‐loop control and to illustrate how Design of Experiments can help in improving and optimizing such processes. The Tennessee Eastman challenge process simulator is used as a test‐bed to highlight two experimental scenarios. The first scenario explores the impact of experimental factors that may be considered as disturbances in the closed‐loop system. The second scenario exemplifies a screening design using the set‐points of controllers as experimental factors. We provide examples of how to analyze the two scenarios. © 2017 The Authors Quality and Reliability Engineering International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd


Electrokinetic remediation (EK) process was conducted for railroad soil contaminated with heavy metals containing As, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd, where effects of catholyte's conditions on the performance of system were investigated. In order to enhance the mobilization of heavy metals in soil, nitric acid and EDTA was added into catholyte solution. Nitric acid in catholyte played a role of pH conditioning agent to buffer for hydroxide ions generated from electrolysis of water near cathode and made soil being in low pH condition which increase the solubility of heavy metals. EDTA, the other hand, had chelating potential to form soluble complexes with heavy metals during process. As results, the EK system with 0.1 M of nitric acid in catholyte showed slightly higher electrical current density during operation, followed by increased removal of Cd and Pb.


The dynamical behavior of charge-stabilized colloidal crystals that consist of polystyrene spheres in highly deionized water is determined by solvent flow mediated interactions and by ionic effects. The expression of these effects strongly depends on the polarization of crystal waves. Using dynamic light scattering we trace all but the fastest known modes of motion and evaluate the influence of ion friction. We find a new mode that we ascribe to ion retardation. Our experiments point to the importance of electrophoresis for microscopic colloid dynamics. [S0031-9007(98)05914-6]


The sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), can be an annual or a perennial plant depending on the place where it is grown. This plant has several culinary, ornamental, medicinal and aromatic uses. The value of its essential oil in the international market depends on the percentage of linalool. We characterized the morphologic and agronomic qualities of the Ocimum accessions, to select genotypes with higher yield of essential oil rich in linalool. Experiment design consisted of randomized blocks with two replications, evaluating 55 genotypes of the Germplasm Bank of Ocimum from the Universidade Federal do Sergipe, Brazil. The plant height, dry matter of the aerial plant parts, essential oil content and yield were evaluated. A wide diversity among the genotypes was observed for all morphological and agronomical traits evaluated. A large amplitude occurred among genotypes regarding the content of essential oil from 0,202 to 2,536 ml/100g. For the essential oil yield an amplitude from 1,103 to 21,817 l/ha was observed. Evaluating the traits content and yield of O. basilicum essential oil the genotypes NSL6421, PI197442, PI358464, PI414194, PI531396 and 'Fino Verde' can be selected for breeding programs to obtain cultivars with a high yield of essential oil rich in linalool.


Diagnosis for systematic defects is very critical for yield learning in nanometer technology. This paper presents a bridging fault diagnosis which identifies a single layer of systematic defects (LSD), where more than expected numbers of bridging faults are located. The proposed technique is a layout-aware diagnosis which contains bridging pair extraction, structural analysis, and layer-oriented covering. Instead of treating each failing CUT independently, a statistical method (Z-test) is applied to diagnose all CUTs simultaneously. Experiments on six of seven large ISCAS'89 benchmark circuits successfully diagnose LSD for single bridging fault as well as multiple bridging faults.


Abstract. In this study, a two-step probabilistic downscaling approach is introduced and evaluated. The method is exemplarily applied on precipitation observations in the subtropical mountain environment of the High Atlas in Morocco. The challenge is to deal with a complex terrain, heavily skewed precipitation distributions and a sparse amount of data, both spatial and temporal. In the first step of the approach, a transfer function between distributions of large-scale predictors and of local observations is derived. The aim is to forecast cumulative distribution functions with parameters from known data. In order to interpolate between sites, the second step applies multiple linear regression on distribution parameters of observed data using local topographic information. By combining both steps, a prediction at every point of the investigation area is achieved. Both steps and their combination are assessed by cross-validation and by splitting the available dataset into a trainings- and a validation-subset. Due to the estimated quantiles and probabilities of zero daily precipitation, this approach is found to be adequate for application even in areas with difficult topographic circumstances and low data availability.


Collaborative filtering (CF) is an important technique used in some recommendation systems. The task of CF is to estimate the persons' preferences (e.g., ratings) or to predict the preferences for the future, based on some already known persons' preferences. In general, the model-based CF performs better than the memory-based CF, especially for highly sparse data. In this paper, we present a new model-based CF method for bounded support data, which takes into account the facts that the ratings are usually in a limited interval. A nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) model is applied to investigate and learn the patterns hidden in the observed data matrix. Each rating value is assumed to be beta distributed and we assign the gamma prior to the parameters in a beta distribution for the purpose of Bayesian estimation. With variation inference framework and some lower bound approximations, an analytically tractable solution can be obtained for the proposed NMF model. By comparing with several existing low-rank matrix approximation methods, the good performance of the proposed method is demonstrated.


Noble metal (NM)-modified wide-bandgap semiconductors with activity under visible light (Vis) irradiation, due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), known as plasmonic photocatalysts, have been intensively studied over the last few years. Despite the novelty of the topic, a large number of reports have already been published, discussing the optimal properties, synthesis methods and mechanism clarification. It has been proposed that both efficient light harvesting and charge carriers' migration are detrimental for high and stable activity under Vis irradiation. Accordingly, photonic crystals (PCs) with photonic bandgap (PBG) and slow photon effects seem to be highly attractive for efficient use of incident photons. Therefore, the study on PCs-based plasmonic photocatalysts has been conducted, mainly on titania inverse opal (IO) modified with nanoparticles (NPs) of NM. Although, the research is quite new and only several reports have been published, it might be concluded that the matching between LSPR and PBG (especially at red edge) by tuning of NMNPs size and IO-void diameter, respectively, is the most crucial for the photocatalytic activity.


This paper proposes a hardware platform implementation on FPGA for two fractional-order derivative operators. The Grünwald-Letnikov and Caputo definitions are realized for different fractional orders. The realization is based on non-uniform segmentation algorithm with a variable lookup table. A generic implementation for Grünwald-Letnikov is proposed and a 32 bit Fixed Point Booth multiplier radix-4 is used for Caputo implementation. Carry look-ahead adder, multi-operand adder and booth multiplier are used to improve the performance and other techniques for area and delay minimization have been employed. A comparison between the two presented architectures is introduced. The proposed designs have been simulated using Xilinx ISE and realized on FPGA Xilinx virtex-5 XC5VLX50T. The total area of 2515 look up tables is achieved for Caputo implementation, and maximum frequency of 54.11 MHz and 1498 slices are achieved for Grünwald-Letnikov architecture.


Lateral subluxation and dislocation of the patella have been attributed to a number of different anatomical and functional abnormalities. These abnormalities include an increase in the "Q" angle above 15 degrees, a high-riding patella (patella alta), an external tibial torsion, a lateral insertion of the patellar tendon, a tilted patella, a low lateral femoral condyle, and a hypoplasia of the vastus medialis muscle.1–3 Regardless of the abnormality, however, conservative treatment is generally directed toward strengthening the quadriceps mechanism by resistive exercise.1–5 Although the quadriceps mechanisms of individuals with patellar problems have been found to generate less knee extension torque than healthy individuals,6 quadriceps femoris muscle strengthening may be accompanied by complications. Even when performed with EMG feedback, resistive exercise may lead to further augmentation of the lateral vector of the quadriceps femoris muscle force.7 Such an augmentation could conceivably increase the tendency of the patella to sublux or dislocate laterally.…


The exponential development of the global website and the advent of electronic commerce have made the processing of information more than powerful analyzes in order to acquire the most useful results. It can be a challenging and time consuming method to search information on such large websites. Recommended programs can allow users to access knowledge by giving custom advice to them. It helps to make decisions without adequate personal knowledge. In this article we increase the scalability, sparsity and precision of the device suggested by solving the issue of sparseness and cold start. The correlations between items are usually determined by means of techniques such as the similarity between items and cosines. The 'Coldstart' problem cannot be solved with these techniques by using a statistical approximation principle that allows to improve improved rating estimating methods The dataset is the 'Film Lens' dataset. Mean absolute error and error ratio are the metrics used (ER). Some students at our college checked the method and it was found that the issue of 'Cold Start' and 'Sparsity' was successfully solved.


The development of network based on satellite communication systems is a promising solution for providing telecommunications services in the Arctic. Therefore, the task of developing and creating earth stations for advanced satellite communication systems that have characteristics significantly higher than their world counterparts is actual. Characteristics of such stations depend on antenna's systems characteristics that determine the energy characteristics of the communication channel. The aim of this work is a stand developing for measuring directional characteristics of antennas of satellite communication systems based on the spherical scanner (TS8991). Spiral scanning is an alternative measurement method aimed at reducing measurement time with saving necessary accuracy. As a result of this work, the spiral scanning algorithm based on the near-field scanner Rohde & Schwarz TS8991 was implemented. Moreover, the stand for monitoring and configuring the parameters of satellite earth station antennas was built. Block diagram of this stand is presented in article. An antenna with 1,2 m diameter of reflector was tested on the developed stand. The measurement results showed deviations of the measured values from the calculated values, which related by design disadvantages of the antenna. The stand using time was 35 minutes for measurements and conversions to the far field, for an antenna with 1,2 m diameter of reflector.


The paper investigates and characterises the source of numerical instability in the deconvolution procedures of generating-unit models. An upper bound on the round-off errors in the conventional deconvolution process is derived. An important contribution of the paper is the interpretation of the deconvolution relationship in terms of a linear nonhomogeneous matrix-vector recurrence. This allows the development of a decoupled recurrence procedure by application of methods originally developed for solving ordinary difference equations in boundary value problems. An alternative method called quasi-Schur decoupling is also developed and is shown to be more suitable under specific conditions. The paper also presents an overall strategy for applying these tools in an efficient manner to obtain guaranteed accurate results.


We have fully integrated a 64 Kb MRAM with 0.24 /spl mu/m-CMOS technology. A new sensing scheme employing a separated half-current source is adopted for the reference bit line to increase the sensing signal. To reduce cell resistance, a Co salicidation process is applied to transistor formation. In key fabrication processes, the roughness of the buffer layer, on which the MTJs are stacked, is reduced by using Ru on the TiN bottom electrode, and magnetic disturbance is avoided by depositing TiN hard masks on the MTJ under low-power and low-temperature conditions. The tunneling barrier micro-bridge due to the attachment of by-products during etching is completely eliminated by adopting a 2-step MTJ etch with an introduced capping oxide layer. Consequently, MR values of >30% are found in more than 90% of chips.


Building construction is one of business that always show development because the number of people who need construction are increase. Unfortunately, this business often has problem especially on the success of building construction. Two problems that can influence the success of building construction are cost and time because those variables are relate each other. Therefore, this research will identify and analyze the correlation between time, cost and building construction.This research was conducted with descriptive quantitative. This research used survey to 41 customers by questioonaire. Then, the answer of questionnaire was analyzed with SPSS and compare it to interview result.Based on the questionnaire result, it was obtained that cost has 0,434 influence to building construction. It means that cost has middle influence on building construction. While time has 0.386 influence on building construction. Therefore, it can be concluded that cost gave higher impact on building construction than time because cost is correlate with quality of material, labor, heavy equipment and administration fee.Keywords: Time, Cost, The Performance of Building Construction Management


OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE:Parenchymal perianeurysmal cysts are rare, and only seven cases have been reported. We present a case report with a 30 month follow-up on this topic. The possible etiopathogenetic mechanisms of cyst formation are discussed. CLINICAL PRESENTATION:A 54-year-old man with a 5–month history of headache and a computed tomography scan showing a giant parenchymal cyst located in the right temporal lobe with a mural enhanced nodule was admitted to our neurosurgical department with the diagnosis of cystic brain tumor. Magnetic resonance imaging followed by digital subtraction angiography identified the enhancing nodule as a large right middle cerebral artery aneurysm. INTERVENTION:Surgical treatment was performed; the aneurysm was clipped and the cyst evacuated. Postoperative digital subtraction angiography confirmed the clipping of the aneurysm at the neck. Serial magnetic resonance imaging controls showed the permanent collapse of the cyst. CONCLUSION:Parenchymal perianeurysmal cysts are rare. In the presence of parenchymal cysts neighboring main vessels, the possibility of a perianeurysmal cyst should be considered. In regard to the etiopathogenetic mechanisms responsible for the cyst development, the action of multiple coexisting factors seems to be the most applicable.


Due to the advances in device miniaturization it is often necessary to get a better understanding of the physical fabrication processes by applying advanced physical models. Since existing process modeling programs can handle only specific physical quantities, we have developed general purpose solvers for one and two space dimensions which are able to treat an arbitrary number of coupled partial differential equations for physical quantities. In the paper we will show the general formulation of the equations which can be solved. We deal with the user-interface of the programs and the numerical problems one has to face. To demonstrate the capabilities of the programs we will show typical applications.


A 70-year-old woman was referred to our clinic for evaluation and treatment of a recurring case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. She had been diagnosed with this tumor three years earlier, and a local resection was attempted on two occasions. We encountered this patient on the third recurrence of the tumor, and a thorough work-up revealed extensive local involvement but no metastases. A total exenteration of the right orbit was then performed with aggressive resection of local extension followed by irradiation. Thirteen years later, our patient presented with metastases throughout her scalp. She died shortly thereafter, having survived a total of 16.5 years after the time of her initial treatment and 13 years after exenteration with bony removal of the orbit and irradiation. A review of the literature reveals that this patient had one of the longest reported survival times in the literature from the time of initial treatment. Also noteworthy is the 13 years this patient survived after aggressive surgical resection combined with radiotherapy following two previous incomplete resections.


This project started within the Junior Council ( JC) of the TPM AI Lab. The TPM AI Lab was established in 2021 at the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) of TU Delft to consolidate research on AI within and outside TU Delft. At the TPM AI Lab, we believe the noise around AI can be overwhelming. It is for us, and we believe it is for others too. Recent developments in cutting-edge technology have fueled a new wave of interest in AI research and application, spanning multiple sectors and disciplines. Countless AI techniques, approaches, and tools are being employed or developed for various purposes. Everybody wants to see what AI has to offer. It is difficult to keep track of everything happening in the AI world. At the same time, the enthusiasm for AI is met with scepticism and scrutiny by critical scholars and experts.


Spatiotemporal collapse of spin-dipole wave (SDW) pulses of millimeter wave range is investigated theoretically. The dispersion and diffraction coefficients of SDW have been calculated, when the retardation has been taken into account. It is demonstrated that YIG films are suitable for observing the collapse in millimeter wave range, due to low dissipation and quite high values of dispersion and diffraction coefficients. Numerical simulations have been confirmed this result.


Management of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease depends on the importance attached by the physician to symptoms and to risk of complications, ie: stricture, haemorrhage, operation- and drug-hazards. A patient who suffers rarely and during short periods could require dietary and postural recommendations and the use of the following drugs: antacids, alginates, prokinetic agents and/or H2-receptor antagonists. We consider that the rarity of stricture rules out the necessity of any change in management, whether or not erosive oesophagitis is observed at endoscopy. Most patients are treated with these drugs. On the other hand, when symptoms are frequent and occur daily and especially at night and when H2-receptor antagonists fail to relieve the pain, a more potent drug such as omeprazole is to be administered. The same applies to patients running the risk of haemorrhage resulting from anticoagulant coexisting therapy, the later condition requiring the lesions to be healed and relapse prevented. In the long run, the choice between a drug (H2-receptor antagonist or omeprazole) taken daily and surgery can be debated. Even when a stricture is present surgery is no longer necessary due to failure of conservative management. The decision depends on the operation-linked risks relative to the patient's condition and on his or her compliance to daily drug-administration. Respiratory or ENT complications are often difficult to alleviate by H2-receptor antagonists and may need to be treated with omeprazole.


Watermarking has become a technology of choice for a broad range of multimedia copyright protection applications. Watermarks have also been used to embed format-independent metadata in audio/video signals in a way that is robust to common editing. In this paper, we present several novel mechanisms for effective encoding and detection of direct-sequence spread-spectrum watermarks in audio signals. The developed techniques aim at (i) improving detection convergence and robustness, (ii) improving watermark imperceptiveness, (iii) preventing desynchronization attacks, (iv) alleviating estimation/removal attacks, and finally, (v) establishing covert communication over a public audio channel. We explore the security implications of the developed mechanisms and review watermark robustness on a benchmark suite that includes a combination of audio processing primitives including: time- and frequency-scaling with wow-and-flutter, additive and multiplicative noise, resampling, requantization, noise reduction, and filtering.


Knowledge workers are the core resource for high-tech enterprise. However, their characteristics make enterprise face a high turnover rate, which has a serious effect for enterprise sustainable development. Taking the knowledge worker of high-tech enterprise in Beijing as the research objective and using the method of factor analysis and multiple correlation analysis and other methods, this paper analyzes the factors influencing knowledge worker turnover. Finally, this paper proposes corresponding suggestions for the knowledge worker retention.


Stimulated Raman scattering is investigated using a nonperturbative method. The existence of steady copropagation modes of laser field and plasma wave is discussed. The plasma wave strength is analyzed through its relation with the total energy of the laser-plasma system. It is found that at a sufficiently high laser intensity there exist stable copropagating modes with non-zero-strength plasma waves. The strength of plasma wave in a stable steady copropagation mode is found to have an exact expression in terms of the frequency, the wave vector of the plasma wave and the laser intensity.


The putative role played by insulin sensitizers in modulating adipose tissue lipolysis in the fasting state was evaluated in obese conscious Zucker rats treated with troglitazone or beta,beta'-tetramethylhexadecanedioic acid (MEDICA 16) and compared with nontreated lean and obese animals. The rates of appearance (R(a)) of glycerol and free fatty acid (FFA), primary intra-adipose reesterification, and secondary reuptake of plasma FFA in adipose fat were measured using constant infusion of stable isotope-labeled [(2)H(5)]glycerol, [2,2-(2)H(2)]palmitate, and radioactive [(3)H]palmitate. The overall lipolytic flux (R(a) glycerol) was increased 1.7- and 1.4-fold in obese animals treated with troglitazone or MEDICA 16, respectively, resulting in increased FFA export (R(a) FFA) in the troglitazone-treated rats. Primary intra-adipose reesterification of lipolysis-derived fatty acids was enhanced twofold by insulin sensitizers, whereas reesterification of plasma fatty acids was unaffected by either treatment. Despite the unchanged R(a) FFA in MEDICA 16 or the increased R(a) FFA induced by troglitazone, very low density lipoprotein production rates were robustly curtailed. Total adipose tissue reesterification, used as an estimate of glucose conversion to glyceride-glycerol, was increased 1.9-fold by treatment with the insulin sensitizers. Our results indicate that, in the fasting state, insulin sensitizers induce, in vivo, a significant activation rather than suppression of adipose tissue lipolysis together with stimulation of glucose conversion to glyceride-glycerol.


Primary cilia are microtubule‐based sensory organelles that coordinate signalling pathways in cell‐cycle control, migration, differentiation and other cellular processes critical during development and for tissue homeostasis. Accordingly, defects in assembly or function of primary cilia lead to a plethora of developmental disorders and pathological conditions now known as ciliopathies. In this review, we summarize the current status of the role of primary cilia in coordinating receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signalling pathways. Further, we present potential mechanisms of signalling crosstalk and networking in the primary cilium and discuss how defects in ciliary RTK signalling are linked to human diseases and disorders. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


A concentric solidification technique was employed to simulate the segregation of alloying elements that occur during solidification at the centreline of continuously cast steel. Microstructural development of low carbon steel upon solidification has been observed in situ in a laser‐scanning confocal microscope. Sulphide precipitates that formed in the last remaining liquid were identified, and evidence is provided that segregation occurring at the centreline of steel slabs can reasonably be simulated by the use of the concentric solidification technique.


Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. To analyze the annual prevalence of ocular vascular occlusion in relation to COVID-19 infection and vaccination status. Our study did not reveal increased annual prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic years 2020 and 2021. Patients with previous COVID-19 vaccination did not present differences regarding risk profiles nor symptoms, compared with unvaccinated individuals. Purpose: To analyze the annual prevalence of ocular vascular occlusion in relation to COVID-19 infection and vaccination status in a prospective study. Methods: All patients were examined for an active severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection by RNA detection and for a previous infection by virus-specific antibody detection, and their vaccination status was documented. Data from pandemic year 2020 and previous years, before COVID-19 (2019, 2018, 2017), were retrospectively analyzed. Results: In 2021, a total of 103 patients with the first diagnosis of ocular vascular occlusion were treated. Most frequent subdiagnoses were central retinal vein occlusion (20.4%), nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (18.4%), central retinal artery occlusion (13.6%), and branch retinal artery occlusion (12.6%). Thereof, only three patients (2.9%) presented with virus-specific severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibodies, and none was PCR positive. Patients with preceded severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination (59.2%) presented with comparable characteristics as unvaccinated patients with vascular occlusion regarding age, gender distribution, systemic risk factors, duration of symptoms, visual acuity, and the present subdiagnoses (P > 0.05). The total number of cases in 2021 (103 cases) was comparable with the pandemic year 2020, at which no vaccination was available (114 cases), and to earlier years 2017, 2018, and 2019 without COVID-19 pandemic (100, 120, and 119 cases). Furthermore, we did not reveal any differences between pandemic and reference years regarding patients' characteristics (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Our study did not reveal an increased annual prevalence of ocular vascular occlusions during COVID-19 pandemic years 2020 and 2021. Patients with previous COVID-19 vaccination did not present differences regarding the risk profile nor symptoms, compared with unvaccinated individuals.


In this paper, the authors describe the development of a mathematical model of a controllable vibration damper intended for eventual application to ground-vehicle suspension systems. The damper under investigation employs electro-rheological (ER) fluid as the working medium which enables a continuously variable damping force to be provided in response to an electrical control signal. There are some difficulties inherent in characterizing the ER damper's behaviour which the present study attempts to overcome. The paper begins by describing a novel form of non-dimensionalization which drastically reduces the number of variables required to characterize the quasi-steady behaviour of the ER fluid. The construction of the ER damper is described and, on the basis of physical reasoning, it is shown how a dynamic model can be derived by taking account of ER fluid inertia and compressibility. A recently developed iterative scheme is introduced in order to solve the resulting non-linear equations of motion. The paper concludes with a case study involving the application of the ER damper to controlling the lateral vibrations of a rail vehicle.


Images are rich information carriers and (such as medical images) are normally contaminated by additive and substitutive noise which makes the extraction of features (and clinical data analysis) difficult. Hence to enhance the image quality prior to post processing, image pre-processing operations such as de-noising with linear and non-linear filters have been applied traditionally. Recently nonlinear filtering techniques have been assumed a lot of significance as they are capable of suppressing the effects of substitutive (salt and pepper impulsive noise of low to high noise levels) and additive (Gaussian noise of low to medium noise levels) noise types and to preserve the important signal/image details such as edges and fine details and suppress the degradations occurring at the time of image/signal formation or transmission through nonlinear channels, during storage and retrieval. Broadly speaking, image filters exist in transform and spatial domains. Spatial domain nonlinear filters are more versatile than their counterparts, namely linear filters. Spatial domain nonlinear fuzzy classical filters are simply modification/extension of the classical median and moving average filtering approaches, offer several advantages over classical nonlinear filters, and using simple fuzzy rules it is easy to realize them. They are also capable of reasoning with vague and uncertain information. Work presented in this paper deals with nonlinear median based and linear average based fuzzy filters and aims at fulfilling three objectives, viz; (i) To systematically study the performance of classical nonlinear median and fuzzy median and average filters for the removal of impulse and Gaussian noise from gray and color images that have been corrupted from low to high values of noise and to present an experimental review to identify the best algorithm within the frame work of classical fuzzy median filters. (ii)To propose : (a) an impulse classifier based fuzzy switching median filter and (b) the design of a multi pass cascaded fuzzy filter for noise cancellation, and explore their applications to reduce noise in images with random and impulse characteristics. Finally to conclude the work a comparative study is done and the computational aspects are analyzed with the help of mean square error (MSE), peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), and 2D correlation (COR) and some future solutions are proposed.


Schorr considers the complex array of factors that put young children at risk. She cites numerous successful programs that have already demonstrated their potency and argues that we can deal with the large-scale problems of disadvantage only if we are willing to mount equally large-scale interventions.


Today, the use of fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) for the confinement of reinforced concrete (RC) columns is a state-of-the-art technic in the strengthening of existing structures. Thus far, various design models are present in literature to predict the stress-strain behavior and to allow for the ultimate limit state design of FRP-confined concrete. Often, the models proposed are scientific in nature only, they are just designed for plain concrete specimens, and they do not meet the demands necessary for practical use. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive design-oriented model for FRP-confined circular RC columns considering both the ultimate limit state (ULS) and the serviceability limit state (SLS). Beside equations to calculate the new ultimate confined concrete strength and the accompanying axial strain, the paper introduces an approach to generate a stress block simplifying the design procedure for columns subjected to combined compression and bending. Furthermore, an equation is presented to allow for the calculation of a combined partial safety factor taking into account the material safety factors of both the concrete of the column and the FRP system used. In order to realize a proper and coherent limit state method, the entire model uses characteristic material values and equations only. At last, the SLS is addressed with a simple approach limiting the maximal concrete compressive stress.


Numerous approaches can be employed in exploiting computation power in processors such as superscalar, VLIW, SMT and multi-core on chip. In this paper, a UniCore VisoMT processor is proposed, which unifies VLIW and multithreading by providing an efficient control and data communication model, while offering explicit parallelisms for embedded applications. The architecture concurrently executes a main thread and several accelerative threads, coordinated by the main thread. A switch-based register-file is provided for fast data exchange between these accelerative threads. Moreover, a SMT helper function unit is employed for controlling and resource-sharing between accelerative threads, and an event-driven mechanism is introduced for synchronization between the main thread and these accelerative threads. Our results show that the proposed architecture provides area and performance advantages for embedded multimedia applications


In this work we consider a power loading algorithm while taking into account the influence of the PAPR on the power emitted by the LPA (Linear Power Amplifier). The optimization criterion of the power loading algorithm is maximum bit rate for given SER (Symbol Error Ratio), although other criteria can be selected, such as reducing the BER (Bit Error Ratio) or SER for a given bit rate or reducing the transmitted power for a given bit rate. This paper is a continuation of "Impact of Linear Power Amplifier on Power Loading of OFDM, Part I: Principles" [4].


John Bell and others used a locality condition to establish inequalities that they believe must be satisfied by any local hidden-variable model for the spin probability distribution for two entangled particles in an EPR-Bohm experiment. We show that this condition is invalid because it contradicts the product rule of probability theory for any model that exhibits the quantum theory property of perfect correlation. This breaks the connection between Bell inequalities and the existence of any local hidden-variable model of interest. As already known, these inequalities give necessary conditions for the existence of third/fourth-order joint probability distributions for the spin outcomes from three/four separate EPR-Bohm experimental set-ups that are consistent with the second-order joint spin distributions for each experiment after marginalization. If a Bell inequality is violated, as quantum mechanics theory predicts and experiments show can happen, then at least one third-order joint probability is negative. However, this does not imply anything about the existence of local hidden-variable models for the second-order joint probability distributions for the spin outcomes of a single experiment. The locality condition does seem reasonable under the widely-applied frequentist interpretation of the spin probability distributions that views them as real properties of a random process that are manifested through their relative frequency of occurrence, which gives conditioning in the probabilities for the spin outcomes a causal role. In contrast, under the Bayesian interpretation of probability, probabilistic conditioning on one particle's spin outcome in the product rule is viewed as information to make probabilistic predictions of the other particle's spin outcome. There is nothing causal and so no reason to develop International Journal of Quantum Foundations 5 (2019) 116 a locality condition. Thus, how probability is to be interpreted is critical to understanding quantum entanglement and locality.


Visualization of endogenous disease-associated enzymes is of great clinical significance, as it could allow earlier clinical diagnosis and timely intervention. Herein, we first synthesized and characterized an enzyme-activatable near-infrared fluorescent probe, GP-DM, for determining the activity of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV), which is associated with various pathological processes, especially in diabetes and malignant tumors. GP-DM emitted significant turn-on NIR fluorescent signals simultaneously in response to DPP IV, making it favorable for accurately and dynamically monitoring DPP IV activity in vitro and in vivo. GP-DM exhibited excellent specificity and sensitivity in DPP IV imaging, as indicated by its higher catalytic activity than other human serine hydrolases and by its strong anti-interference ability to a complex biological matrix, which was fully characterized in a series of phenotyping reactions and inhibition assays. Encouraged by the advantages mentioned above, we successfully used GP-DM to evaluate endogenous DPP IV activity in various biological samples (plasma and tissue preparations) and living tumor cells and performed real-time in vivo bioimaging of DPP IV in zebrafish and tumor-bearing nude mice. All of the results reflected and highlighted the potential application value of GP-DM in the early detection of pathologies, individual tailoring of drug therapy, and image-guided tumor resection. Furthermore, our results revealed that DPP IV, a key target enzyme, is closely associated with the migration and proliferation of cancer cells and regulating the biological activity of DPP IV may be a useful approach for cancer therapy.