Through its focus on the question of circulation, world history attained a central position amongst the historical configurations in the last decade. Indicative of our fundamentally changing world, the past thereby reveals itself to have been shaped by commercial, human and intellectual flows of global dimension. The history of science has been particularly receptive to such methodological developments, especially with regard to works influenced by a markedly social approach to science and knowledge, which has focused for some time on the analysis of intellectual networks. From the French provincial Enlightenment to Athansius Kircher's circles—including the relationships of patronage of mathematicians and court philosophers—social, intellectual and epistemological configurations have been designed, allowing us to consider different scales in the circulation of knowledge.


High-fat (HF) diets trigger an increase in adipose tissue and body weight (BW) and disordered eating behavior. Our study deals with the hypothesis that circadian distribution of energy intake is more relevant for BW dynamics than diet composition. Four-week-old mice were exposed for 8 wk to a HF diet and compared with animals receiving control chow. HF mice progressively increased BW, decreased the amount of nocturnal (1800-0900 h) calories (energy or food intake) (30%) and increased diurnal (0900-1800 h) caloric intake (energy or food intake), although total daily intake was identical between groups. Animals were killed at 3-h intervals and plasma insulin, leptin, corticosterone, glucose, and fatty acid levels quantified. Adipose tissue was weighed, and enzymatic activities integral to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) assayed in lumbar adipose tissue. Phosphorylated AMP-dependent protein kinase and fatty acid synthase were quantified by Western blotting. In HF mice, there was a shift in the circadian oscillations of plasma parameters together with an inhibition of PPP activity and a decrease in phosphorylated AMP-dependent protein kinase and fatty acid synthase. In a second experiment, HF mice were forced to adhere to a circadian pattern of food intake similar to that in control animals. In this case, BW, adipose tissue, morning plasma parameters and PPP activity appeared to be normal. These data indicate that disordered feeding behavior can trigger BW gain independently of food composition and daily energy intake. Because PPP is the main source of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, we suggest that PPP inhibition might be an early marker of adipose dysfunction in diet-induced obesity.


We present a global wiring algorithm used in a top-down physical design environment, i.e. macros are laid out only after global wiring is done, and wires are allowed to pass through macros (wiring-through model). The floorplan of the chip is in the form of a slicing structure. The algorithm is based on a hierarchical scheme. The final result is obtained through a series of refinement as the problem is recursively decomposed into a set of small-sized problems and then solved efficiently. Given a balanced slicing tree representation of the floorplan, the worst-case running time of the overall algorithm is O(MN), where M is the number of macros and N the number of nets. The algorithm has been implemented in the C language and has been used for actual chip design. Experiments showed that the hierarchical router performs better than a flat maze type router in wireability handling, equally well in wire length, and much faster in run-time (at least 10 times for an example with 100 macros and 1000 nets, and the gap being even larger for bigger sized problems).


The planktonic copepod, Calanus finmarchicus, resides at the southern edge of its subarctic range in the Gulf of Maine (GoM). Here we investigate the population response of C. finmarchicus to record warming in the GoM in 2012. Demographic data from two time series stations and a plankton survey conducted in early autumn 2012 show that C. finmarchicus did not produce an autumn generation as predicted, despite warm summer and overwintering temperatures. On the contrary, we observed high abundances of the overwintering stage CV in the western GoM and a new cohort in early spring 2013 likely originating from egg production during a winter phytoplankton bloom. This spring cohort was the most abundant ever recorded in the 8-year time series. To account for these observations, we hypothesize that production of females originating from the eastern GoM and Scotian Shelf, combined with growth of copepodid stages in the Maine Coastal Current and local egg production, are the primary sources of supply maintaining high abundances in Wilkinson Basin, the primary repository of C. finmarchicus in the western GoM. Predicting fluctuations in abundance or circumstances for disappearance of C. finmarchicus in the northwest Atlantic will need models that address the roles of local production and advection.


We studied 98 in-vitro fertilization (IVF) patients with a high basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH; >6.5 IU/l) concentration on day 3 who were treated with a low dose gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) protocol and who had received in the previous 6 months a long protocol with GnRHa in a depot formula. The evaluation was made using the previous IVF cycle of the same patient as a control. The mean +/- SD age of the patients was 34.1+/-4.2 years. The use of a low dose agonist protocol ended with significantly less ampoules (37.5 versus 46.1), a shorter duration of stimulation (10.7 versus 12.3 days), a higher oestradiol concentration on day 8 (1068 versus 495 pg/ml), a higher number of mature oocytes (5.9 versus 4.4) and a higher number of good quality embryos (3.3 versus 2.3). The cancellation rate was lower (11 versus 24%). A GnRHa low dose protocol may be the protocol of choice for patients with high FSH concentrations on day 3. Larger randomized studies are needed to confirm these data.


The treatment of massive and stranded inductors is studied in the frame of dual magnetodynamic finite element h- and /spl alpha/-formulations. On both sides, edge finite elements are used and source fields are defined when needed as mathematical tools to be used directly in each formulation to lead to circuit relations for inductors. Simplified expressions of source fields are proposed. The accuracy obtained on local solutions and circuit parameters is pointed out.


Field-oriented control and direct torque control are becoming the industrial standards for induction motors torque control. This paper is aimed to give a contribution for a detailed comparison between the two control techniques, emphasizing advantages and disadvantages. The performance of the two control schemes is evaluated in terms of torque and current ripple, and transient response to step variations of the torque command. The analysis has been carried out on the basis of theresults obtained by numerical simulations, where secondary effects introduced by hardware implementation are not present.


An analytical quality measure is essential for the successful design of digital transmission systems. For images the processes involved in human quality perception are too complicated to be modelled in a mathematically tractable way. In order to obtain useful results we have given up generality and investigated only quality measures for achromatic still images which have been coded by Pulse-Code-Modulation (PCM), Pseudo-Random Noise PCM, or Differential PCM. For this class of distortions we have found an objective quality measure based on the mean squared error, that performs better than commonly assumed. Another powerful measure has the same form as the mutual information between original and distorted image under the assumption of jointly Gaussian signals. In this paper these measures are compared with subjective results for the same distortions. The correlation is sufficiently good to justify the use of such measures in coding and evaluation of digital image coders.


Bioreactor landfills use leachate recirculation to enhance the biodegradation of municipal solid waste and accelerate landfill stabilisation, which can provide significant environmental and economic benefits. Vertical wells are operated as a major method for leachate recirculation systems. The objectives of this article are to analyse the leachate migration in bioreactor landfills using vertical wells and to offer theoretical basis for the design of leachate recirculation systems. A three-dimensional numerical model was built using FLAC-3D, and this model can consider the saturated and unsaturated flow of leachate within anisotropic waste to reflect the actual conditions. First, main influence factors of leachate migration were analysed, including the vertical well height, hydraulic conductivity, and anisotropic coefficient, in a single-well recirculation system. Then, the effects of different configurations of a group-well system were studied and the optimal well spacing was obtained. Some key design parameters (e.g. the recirculation flow rate, volume of impact zone, radius of impact zone and time to reach steady state) were also evaluated. The results show that the hydraulic conductivity has a great impact on the optimal height of vertical wells and uniform configuration is the best option in terms of both volume of impact zone and time to reach steady state.


A refactoring of application persistent objects affects not only the source
 code but the stored data as well. The change is usually processed in two
 steps: refactoring and data migration, which is ineffective and error prone.
 We provide a formal model for solution which is capable to migrate database
 according to a refactoring in the application code. The feasibility of the
 change and its data-secure processing is addressed as well.


From a chemical disaster simulation exercise, with a theoretical and practical diagnosis on learning needs of workers at a factory, health sector and community population in the municipality of Arroyo Naranjo, Cuba, about the reduction plan of chemical disaster in a factory and its surrounding community, we designed a training program on five themes, which was implemented over a period of 6 months with the aim of improving knowledge about the actions and tasks that must develop and systematize various players in this type of catastrophic event. The initial analysis showed that workers of this factory, health and community, had little initial knowledge about the subject, and their greatest needs were centered in aspects related to the plan for reduction of chemical, followed by the shares to be developed in prehospital care stages after the occurrence of an event of this nature. The program designed proved to be adequate to raise the level of knowledge about chemical disaster reduction, yielding the greatest impact in terms of satisfactory knowledge in the workers in the factory, followed by health workers who participated in the chemical disaster scenario exercise. The program had the greatest impact on increasing the knowledge related to chemical disaster reduction plan itself, followed by actions to develop in the prehospital phase of care


Aims Varying linguistic profiles between patients with epilepsy and patients with non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD) may reflect underlying variations in subjective seizure experience (Plug et al 2009). We hypothesised that exploration of subjective seizure symptoms could enhance knowledge of the differing natures between epilepsy and NEAD. We performed a quantitative evaluation of both the contents of consciousness and the general level of awareness during seizures using the Ictal Consciousness Inventory (ICI) (Cavanna et al 2008). Methods Ninety-one adult out-patients attending general neuropsychiatry/epilepsy clinics (Department of Neuropsychiatry, BSMHFT and University of Birmingham) with established diagnoses of either epilepsy (n=62) or NEAD (n=29) completed an ICI for each witnessed seizure. A total of 155 questionnaires (epilepsy: n=111; NEAD=44) were generated. ICI-Level (ICI-L) and ICI-Content (ICI-L) scores were calculated. Results Mann-Whitney U Test demonstrated statistically significant higher ICI-L and ICI-C scores in NEAD (p=0.01). Conclusions Subjective reports of consciousness experiences vary between NEAD/epilepsy. Patients with NEAD report significantly greater levels of general awareness/responsiveness and higher degrees of subjective content during attacks. Larger cohorts are required to confirm evidence for the potential usefulness of the ICI in enhancing understanding of subjective seizure experiences and supporting differential diagnosis. References—Cavanna AE, Mula M, Servo S, Strigaro G, Tota G, Barbagli D, Collimedaglia L, Viana M, Cantello R, Monaco F. Measuring the level and contents of consciousness during epileptic seizures: the Ictal Consciousness Inventory. Epilepsy and Behaviour 2008;13:184–188. Plug L, Sharrack B, Reuber M. Seizure metaphors differ in patients' account of epileptic and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Epilepsia


The paper examines the relationship between UK wholesale gas prices and the Brent oil price over the period 1996-2003. Tests for Unit Roots and Cointegration are carried out and it is discovered that a long run equilibrium relationship between UK gas and oil prices predates the opening of the UK-Mainland Europe Inter-connector. Following a recursive methodology (Hansen & Johansen 1999), it was found that the cointegrating relationship is present throughout the sample period. However, the long run solutions seem to be more volatile. Evidence is provided that the short run relationship is linear and impulse response functions are used to examine the effects that a shock in oil would have on gas.


ABSTRACT Agricultural cooperatives are formed to promote farmers' economic, social, and legislative interests. Their role in influencing mental health is less known. We characterized farmers' experiences with cooperatives and identified the potential impact of cooperatives in promoting mental health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Wisconsin with 12 participants, including farmers, cooperative professionals, and agricultural extension educators. Participants were asked about stress among farmers; cooperative structures and services provided to farmers, and farmers' interactions with the cooperatives; and the role cooperatives play in reducing stress among farmers. Three main themes were developed: stress farmers were experiencing, available resources from cooperatives, and the role of cooperatives in promoting farmers' mental health. Stress farmers were experiencing was elucidated through the subthemes: increased stress, depression, and suicide and stressors involving finances, occupational pressure, relationships, isolation, and loneliness. Available resources from cooperatives were described in subthemes: cooperative characteristics, services, and engagement activities. The role of cooperatives in promoting farmers' mental health was discussed through subthemes: responder, community, facilitator, and divergent views on whether co-ops can protect farmers' mental health. Cooperatives provide members market stability, services, and opportunities for decision-making, social interaction, and civic engagement. These resources create a community where farmers feel a sense of belonging and retain a level of control. As rural communities continue to struggle with mental health resource shortages, identifying and evaluating community-based resources such as those offered by the cooperatives is imperative.


Extraskeletal Ewing' sarcoma (EES) is a rare soft tissue tumor morphologically indistinguishable from the osseous Ewing's sarcoma (ES). We report a case of recurrent EES of the breast that, to the best of our knowledge, has rarely been reported. It was initially confused for a cyst on ultrasound. In addition, MRI and breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) in our case have complementary value over conventional imaging.


Modifications of nutritional properties (amino acids, available lysine, protein digestibility, fatty acids, fiber, inositol phosphate (IPs), free and bound phenolics, and antioxidant properties) of whole rice ingredients processed by soaking, germination, and/or extrusion cooking were evaluated. Soaking and germination reduced proteins by lixiviation and hydrolysis, respectively. Lysine was the limiting amino acid. Polyunsaturated fatty acids increased after germination. Protein digestibility was 100% for germinated rice, decreased to 75% after the extrusion process. Fiber content decreased around 73% after the extrusion of soaked and germinated flours. Soaking-extrusion combined processes produces >50% IPs reduction. Germination-extrusion produced flours with the highest antioxidant capacity (54 µmol trolox g-1 ), which was in accordance with the highest content of free and bound phenolics (66 and 69 mg GA 100 g-1 , respectively). Grain treatments changed nutritional properties of flours resulting in low antinutrient whole grain ingredients, which could be used to develop whole grain-based foods. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Phytic acid (PA) is an antinutrient having negative effects on mineral bioavailability and protein digestibility. There are processes such as soaking, germination, and extrusion, which alone or combined can decrease PA. However, nutritional composition and functionality of flours can change. We observed PA was highly reduced by soaking or germination combined with extrusion and antioxidant capacity and phenolic content increased in germinated and germinated-extruded flours compared to the other treatments. These modified whole grain rice flours low in anti-nutrients could be used in the production of expanded products or pre-cooked ingredients to develop whole grain based foods nutritionally improved.


The disproportionate growth of world population has led the search methods to control pests that permit a rational and sustained production of food, which additionally ensure the conservation of ecosystems. The activity of extracts with different polarity obtained from C. juncea was evaluated using the biological model of Drosophila melanogaster. This model allows the identification and purification of active fractions, and allows establishing that these extracts exert two different inhibitory activities over the life cycle of Drosophila melanogaster. The first activity showed the reduction in the number of adults compared with the control group. The second activity caused the inhibition of the larval estate then it resulted in diminution of the pupal number. The use of the biological assay and spectroscopy techniques as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, allowed the establishment that the structure of active principle of Crotalaria juncea is in agreement with a pyrrolizidinic alkaloid of retronecic type well known as Junceine. The use of biological model as quantitative analytical tool, allows the establishment of correlation between dosage and response variables.


Industrial waste landfills, as evidenced by frequent accidents occurring in recent years, are regarded as one of the most hazardous facilities in the world. For the adequate management of a landfill, risk assessments of dam failures should be performed before operations begin. This paper deals with the preliminary risk assessment used for the tailings and pyrite concentrate storage facilities, as well as the drainage waters reservoir, which are currently at the development and construction stage in the Cukaru Peki deposit located in eastern Serbia. The research was conducted to establish the facts and level of risk at an early stage to allow for timely prevention of potential accidents and bring operational practice in line with design requirements. The annual failure probability was estimated using a semi-empirical method, based on the dam stability factor. While, the framework proposed by the New Zealand Society on Large Dams was applied to assess the consequences of potential failures. The risk was assessed as a function of accident probability and the severity of possible consequences, and a 7 × 7 risk matrix was applied for analysis and evaluation. The level of dam failure risk at the location of the Cukaru Peki deposit was preliminarily assessed as moderate and conditionally tolerable, based on a low estimated probability of accident and a significant severity of consequences. Once the operation of these facilities starts risk assessments should be regularly updated, in order to maintain this level, and in accordance with the current situation, the modelling of specific accident scenarios should be included.


The dependent sum type of Martin-Lof's type theory provides a strong existential elimination, which allows to prove the full axiom of choice. The proof is simple and constructive:
$$AC_A := \lambda H. (\lambda x. wit\,(H\, x), \lambda x. prf\,(H\,x)) : \forall (x:A) \exists (y:B) P(x, y) \Rightarrow \exists (f:A\to B) \forall (x:A) P(x, f (x)) $$
where 'wit' and 'prf' are the first and second projections of a strong existential quantifier.
We present here a continuation of Herbelin's works, who proposed a way of scaling up Martin-Lof proof to classical logic. The first idea is to restrict the dependent sum type to a fragment of our system we call N-elimination-free, making it computationally compatible with classical logic. The second idea is to represent a countable universal quantification as an infinite conjunction. This allows to internalize into a formal system (called dPAω) the realizability approach as a direct proof-as-programs interpretation.
In a recent paper, Ariola et al. presented a way to construct a CPS-translation for a call-by-need version of the $\bar\lambda\mu\tilde\mu$-calculus, which allows some sharing facilities. Yet, this translation does not
enjoy any typing property, and then does not give us a way of proving normalization. Moreover, the $\bar\lambda\mu\tilde\mu$-calculus is typed with sequent calculus [4], which does not allow to manipulate dependent types immediately.
We propose to deal with both problems while proving the normalization of our system in two steps. First, we translate our calculus to an adequate version of the $\bar\lambda\mu\tilde\mu$-calculus that allows to manipulate dependent types on the N-elimination-free fragment. Then we will try to adapt the CPS-translation for call-by-need to our case, while adding it a type.


As the recent financial crisis started unfolding, governments intervened through substantive subsidies and other benefits towards financial institutions to avoid their collapse. In addition, various stimulus packages were endorsed to rescue various sectors of the economy, including the financial sector, thereby creating possible distortions and unfair advantages for certain service suppliers. After a review of the measures taken which are dubious from a WTO perspective, this paper intends to examine the current legal discipline within the WTO and to assess the bite of the relevant legal provisions under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) absent any meaningful provisions relating to subsidies in the service sector. As financial reform at the domestic level takes shape, the time appears to be ripe for the conclusion of the negotiations on subsidies and safeguards within the GATS. In the meantime, close monitoring of the subsidized banks and the new players that emerged from mergers among financial institutions is required to ensure that no market distortions are maintained in the post-crisis landscape.


ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Fine-needle aspiration represents a critical diagnostic test in determining proper management of thyroid disease and the use of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (USGFNA) has increased over the years. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients undergoing USGFNA. Two hundred fifteen patients underwent 234 procedures with 362 nodules aspirated within a 2 ½-year period. RESULTS: The mean ages of women and men were 51.9 and 57.8, respectively. The average size of nodules was 2.1 cm. A difficult to assess gland or nodule was the most common indication for USGF-NA (33%). The sensitivity was 88.2%, specificity was 80.0%, the PPV was 65.2%, the negative predictive value was 94.1%, and the accuracy was 82.5%. The cancer yield, inadequacy, and complication rates were 44%, 10.5%, and 8.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: USGFNA aspiration is a safe and effective diagnostic modality in the management of thyroid disease, especially for nodules that are difficult to palpate.


The Upper Kolyma Yukaghirs, a small group of indigenous hunters in north-eastern Siberia, rarely give names to spirits and have no neatly ordered system of classification. I develop an argument that relates this to the nature of Yukaghir experience, going beyond the academically widespread view of knowledge as a matter of linguistic representations or cognition and focusing instead on the way things occur in the flux of people's everyday activities. Moreover, drawing on recent findings within cognitive science, which show that concepts can and do exist independently of language, and that dreaming shares basic cognitive structures and processes with waking life, I suggest that it is possible that children, before they learn to talk, could develop prototypical concepts of spirits through dream experiences. In this case, language would not be essential for conceptual thought about spiritual beings.


This article explores how female agency and experience manifest in a local Sierra Leonean peacebuilding program known as Fambul Tok. While post-conflict literature, namely transitional justice and peacebuilding, has become more critical in recent years, there is still a tendency to generalize both the 'local' and 'women'. There is, however, much greater scope to delineate how local programs shape and are shaped by women in these settings. While Fambul Tok was, at least theoretically, meant to better align with the needs and priorities of Sierra Leoneans, including women, the empirics suggest that female engagement ultimately results in a wide range of outcomes, which are not necessarily more 'empowering', 'transformative' or 'good' than international programs. Drawing on original empirical data from Fambul Tok, this article highlights the complexity of gendered power relations within these programs and how individual women have multiple, diverse and contested forms of agency and experiences within local settings.


Study Design: A case report and review of the literature. Objectives: To discuss an epidural hemangioma and review the literature. Material and Method: A 56-year-old woman had back pain and pain radiating to the left lower extremity that had gradually worse over 2 weeks. No definite history of trauma was disclosed. The straight leg raising test was positive at 60˚ on the left side. Sensation to pinprick was diminished in the L5, S1 dermatome on her left leg. Examination of the left leg revealed weakness of the extensor hallucis longus(3/5 strength). Plain films of the lumbar spine showed degenerative scoliosis and degenerative L4-5 spondylolisthesis with no bone involvement. In retrospective study, T1-,T2-weighted image showed a hyperintense signal mass, unlike an usual MR imaging of epidural hemangioma. A preoperative diagnosis of spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis was made. Result: The mass compressing L5 root was excised through posterior approach and the fusion was performed from L4 to S1 with bone graft, instumentation. A purple encapsulated tumor, size 1,5xl x0.8 cm, was found. Histopathologic examination revealed a thin walled sinusoidal vascular space of varying sizes, lined with a single layer of endothelial cells, consistent with typical hemangioma. The patient had a complete neurologic recovery and is doing well 5 months after surgery. Conclusion: Although the diagnosis of epidural hemangioma was difficult, because of the rarity of that, we should pay attention to awareness of the possibility of such lesion, differential diagnosis in clinical manifestration, neuroradiologic study.


Eruption dynamics are sensitive to ash aggregation, and aggregates are commonly found in eruptive deposits. While ash dispersal and associated hazards are sensitive to aggregation, few experiments have been conducted on this phenomena using natural materials across the diverse range of conditions expected in volcanic flows. We have isolated two regimes, wet and dry, in which aggregation occurs due to two different forces, electrostatic and hydrodynamic. Using a closed chamber to create a controlled atmosphere, we found that relative humidity, residence time, and kinetic energy are the three variables necessary to define wet and dry flow regimes. A series of process‐based equations defining the behavior of ash particles have been developed. We propose an aggregation model that can be used for ash dispersal forecasts across a range of conditions in an eruptive plume.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the epidemiology of Coccidioides immitis infection in persons returning to western Canada from C immitis endemic zones in southwestern United States.

DESIGN
Review of C immitis serology requests from 1996.

METHODS
Data were based on review of enzyme immunoassay and immunodiffusion results from 1993 to 1996 inclusive. Detailed information on clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of disease process was obtained through questionnaires and interviews with physicians who submitted Coccidioides serology requests in 1996.

RESULTS
Positive serology for C immitis increased from 4.7% to 5.2% (between 1993 and 1995 inclusive) to 10.7% in 1996. Enzyme immunoassay for immunoglobulin G and/or immunoglobulin M or immunodiffusion was positive in 25 patients in 1996. The mean age of these patients was 62 years, and the predominant clinical presentation was pulmonary infiltrate with fever. All patients with positive serology were known to have travelled to central or southwestern Arizona or southern California.

CONCLUSIONS
Travel to a defined coccidioidomycosis endemic zone presents a risk for the older traveller. Serology for C immitis supported the clinical, histological and microbiological diagnoses in patients who had travelled to this defined endemic zone.


At present, hundreds of databases (DBs) on substances and material properties have been developed. The prime aim of their operation is information service. Fifteen years ago, we proposed to use an extensive information of DBs not only for information service but also for searching regularities in data and the application of these regularities for prediction of new substances. The semantic networks of special interest were used to search for regularities. Using these deduced regularities, we have predicted thousands of new compounds in ternary, quaternary and more complicated systems and have estimated some of their properties (crystal structure crystal type, melting point, homogeneity region, etc.). Comparison of our predictions with experimental data, obtained later, showed that the average reliability of predicted inorganic compounds exceeds 80%.


This paper discusses an instrument developed and used at Kettering University (USA) to assess learning and retention of circuit topics in an undergraduate electrical engineering program. The instrument is composed of two separate skills assessment tests. The first test covers material that should be learned in prerequisite courses. It consists of 30 multiple-choice questions and is administered during the first week of the first circuits course (Circuits I) to provide a benchmark for students beginning their electrical engineering course work. The second test comprises topics taught in Circuits I. It consists of 20 multiple-choice questions and is administered both at the end of Circuits I and at later points in the students' careers at Kettering University. In addition to describing the development and administration of the tests, data for three analyses is presented here. First, students' performance on the Pre-Circuits Skills Assessment Test is compared with class performance in Circuits I (as measured by class grade and score on the Circuits Skills Assessment Test). Second, the effect of the 12-week time lag between the end of Circuits I and the beginning of the second circuits course is investigated. Finally, the effectiveness of the circuits curriculum in facilitating mastery and long-term retention of circuits skills is assessed by examining the test scores over time. Statistical methods including correlation and hypothesis testing are used to support these analyzes.


Abstract Osteoporosis and associated fractures are common in women after midlife and will increase as the population ages. Osteoporosis-related fractures cause a significant increase in morbidity and mortality. Osteoporosis decreases the quality of life and productivity of many older women, with an increasing burden on health-care resources. Future risk of fracture can be managed by evidence-based interventions. It is thus appropriate to estimate the future risk of fracture in all women at the age of 50 years or at menopause, whichever occurs first. This can be achieved in a non-invasive fashion by targeted clinical history-taking. The future risk of fracture can be quantified using computerized models that integrate all risk factors, with or without dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Individuals found to be at increased risk of fracture need also to be assessed by DXA and, in the absence of lateral vertebral assessment, also by conventional X-ray imaging. All women should be screened by DXA at the age of 65 years, if not done before that time. At the age of 50, all women should be informed about a bone-friendly lifestyle.


Recent tsunami events including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011 Tohoku tsunami have caused many
casualties and damages to structures. Advances in numerical simulation of tsunami–induced wave processes have
tremendously improved forecast, hazard and risk assessment and design of early warning for tsunamis. Among the
major challenges, several studies have underlined uncertainties in earthquake slip distributions and rupture processes
as major contributor on tsunami wave height and inundation extent. Constraining these uncertainties can be
performed by taking advantage of observations either on tsunami waves (using network of water level gauge) or on
inundation characteristics (using field evidence and eyewitness accounts). Despite these successful applications,
combining tsunami observations and simulations still faces several limitations when the problem is addressed for
past tsunamis events like 1755 Lisbon.
1) While recent inversion studies can benefit from current modern networks (e.g., tide gauges, sea bottom pressure
gauges, GPS-mounted buoys), the number of tide gauges can be very scarce and testimonies on tsunami observations
can be limited, incomplete and imprecise for past tsunamis events. These observations often restrict to
eyewitness accounts on wave heights (e.g., maximum reached wave height at the coast) instead of the full observed
waveforms;
2) Tsunami phenomena involve a large span of spatial scales (from ocean basin scales to local coastal wave interactions),
which can make the modelling very demanding: the computation time cost of tsunami simulation can be
very prohibitive; often reaching several hours. This often limits the number of allowable long-running simulations
for performing the inversion, especially when the problem is addressed from a Bayesian inference perspective.
The objective of the present study is to overcome both afore-described difficulties in the view to combine historical
observations on past tsunami-induced waves and numerical simulations. In order to learn the uncertainty information
on source parameters, we treat the problem within the Bayesian setting, which enables to incorporate in
a flexible manner the different uncertainty sources. We propose to rely on an emerging technique called Approximate
Bayesian Computation ABC, which has been developed to estimate the posterior distribution in modelling
scenarios where the likelihood function is either unknown or cannot be explicitly defined. To overcome the computational
issue, we combine ABC with statistical emulators (aka meta-model). We apply the proposed approach
on the case study of Ligurian (North West of Italy) tsunami (1887) and discuss the results with a special attention
paid to the impact of the observational error.


Worldwide, ethnopolitics takes on various shapes. Yet, while politics involving ethnicity can be either conflictual, competitive, or cooperative, analysts typically focus either on instances of conflict or ignore the multiethnicity of states by sticking to "the comfortable integrationist presumptions of the 1950s." All too rarely does one find analyses of policies that work in difficult situations. This global trend is intensified in the case of Eastern Europe. As this region has suffered instances of ethnic politics gone wrong—most recently in the former Yugoslavia—many analysts assume that constructive approaches to ethnic relations are impossible, even though they are needed more than ever. Here, I outline a model of ethnopolitics which is both democratic and constructive, has been used in East Central Europe in the past, and has potential for the future. In presenting the case for ethnopluralism, I outline a promising alternative to ethnic conflict or neglect.


PurposeThis study aimed to use match video evidence of tackles in elite-level rugby union to identify tackler proficiency characteristics, for both lower body and upper body tackles, that result in head injury assessments (HIA) for the tackler. MethodsA review of international rugby union matches (2013–2017) and Pro 12/European Rugby Champions Cup matches (2014–2017) from a professional rugby union club was conducted. HIA (n = 74) and non-HIA tackles (n = 233) were categorized as either front-on or side-on upper body or lower body tackles and were scored for tackling proficiency characteristics. A chi-square test (P < 0.05) and phi and Cramer's V were calculated to compare HIA and non-HIA tackling proficiency characteristics. ResultsIn both front- and side-on upper body and lower body tackles, "head up and forward/face up" and "head placement on correct side of ball carrier" were identified as having a lower propensity to result in an HIA for the tackler. For both front-on and side-on upper body tackles, "identify/track ball carrier onto shoulder" and "shortening steps" were identified. In addition, "straight back, centre of gravity forward of support base" and "identify/track ball carrier onto shoulder" were identified for front-on and side-on lower body tackles, respectively. ConclusionsThis study identified tackle characteristics that had a lower propensity to result in an HIA for the tackler in both front-on and side-on upper body and lower body tackles.


The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has transformed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection from a rapidly progressive catastrophic illness to a chronic condition. Individuals with HIV are living longer and developing conditions usually associated with aging, as well as complications from pre-existing or subsequently acquired conditions. In addition, toxicities associated with HAART may precipitate or exacerbate comorbid conditions. As opportunistic infections account for fewer admission and lower mortality rates, new patterns of illness are emerging. Complex interactions among multiple, sometimes overlapping conditions require focused yet comprehensive attention in care and management. Nurses will encounter HIV-infected patients in an increasing range of care settings, and an understanding of the range and interaction of potential comorbidities and their treatments with HIV and its treatment will be required to provide safe and effective care.


Anthropologists' interest in literature and novelists' interest in cultural criticism converge in J. M. Coetzee's Elizabeth Costello (2003) and in these four "In Focus" responses to the book. Recent discussions of ethnographic writing seem to have prepared anthropologists for the generic innovations of the novel, leaving us free to take up the pressing moral problems that Coetzee rehearses. To speak to a broad public about such issues remains a challenge for anthropologists, who would do well to study the ways novelists have found to make their political voices heard.


This paper discusses the diffraction effect appearing in the phase deviation by the nonlinear interaction of sound by sound. The correction method for the diffraction effect in measuring spatial distribution of nonlinearity parameter B/A was also examined. The diffraction wave from the edge of the transducer was considered in the measurement system for the spatial distribution of B/A, in which a transducer is located in the path of another wave. The diffraction effect on the phase deviations was theoretically estimated. Numerical calculation and experiments using a simple model clarified the diffraction effect on the spatial distribution of B/A. The method for quantitative estimation and elimination of the diffraction effect was proposed. The optimal conditions for the measurement were also investigated.


Pentacyclic lupane-type triterpenoids, such as betulin and its synthetic derivatives, display a broad spectrum of biological activity. However, one of the major drawbacks of these compounds as potential therapeutic agents is their high hydrophobicity and low bioavailability. On the other hand, the presence of easily transformable functional groups in the parent structure makes betulin have a high synthetic potential and the ability to form different derivatives. In this context, research on the synthesis of new betulin derivatives as conjugates of naturally occurring triterpenoid with a monosaccharide via a linker containing a heteroaromatic 1,2,3-triazole ring was presented. It has been shown that copper-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC) provides an easy and effective way to synthesize new molecular hybrids based on natural products. The chemical structures of the obtained betulin glycoconjugates were confirmed by spectroscopic analysis. Cytotoxicity of the obtained compounds was evaluated on a human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) and colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT 116). The obtained results show that despite the fact that the obtained betulin glycoconjugates do not show interesting antitumor activity, the idea of adding a sugar unit to the betulin backbone may, after some modifications, turn out to be correct and allow for the targeted transport of betulin glycoconjugates into the tumor cells.


A study of a population of Ilex montana mountain winterberry showed a strongly skewed age distribution with few individuals reaching reproductive maturity. Sexual differences of the reproductive adults were manifested in several ways. The tertiary sex ratio of 436 trees was significantly male-biased; males produced more flowers per tree than did females, and there was a slight spatial segregation between males and females. However, males and females did not differ in estimated age and size distributions, nor did the proportion of males vary with density. The data suggest that females flower less often than do males and that microenvironmental variation influences the spatial patterning of sexes within populations of this temperate dioe- cious tree.


The rates (and extent) of appearance of glucose in arterialized plasma from an oral glucose load and from liver (RaO, RaH) can be estimated in humans using radioisotopes, but estimates vary among laboratories. We investigated the use of stable isotopes and undertook 22 primed intravenous infusions ofd-[6,6-2H2]glucose with an oral load includingd-[13C6]glucose in healthy humans. The effective glucose pool volume (VS) had a lower limit of 230 ml/kg body weight (cf. 130 ml/kg commonly assumed). This VS in Steele's one-compartment model of glucose kinetics gave a systemic appearance from a 50-g oral glucose load per 70 kg body weight of 96 ± 3% of that ingested, which compared with a theoretical value of ∼95%. Mari's two-compartment model gave 100 ± 3%. The two models gave practically identical RaO and RaH at each point in time and a plateau in the cumulative RaO when absorption was complete. Less than 3% of13C was recycled to [13C3]glucose, suggesting that recycling errors were practically negligible in this study. Causes of variation among laboratories are identified. We conclude that stable isotopes provide a reliable and safe alternative to radioactive isotopes in these studies.


This document specifies the typical scenarios defined by the WHERE2 consortium that will be used as a reference for the design and evaluation of the positioning and communication techniques to be investigated and demonstrated in this project. One scenario is characterized by an underlying wireless infrastructure deployed in a given context and a validation and test case. The retained solution consists of a heterogeneous wireless infrastructure in which a wide-range centralized system coexists and cooperates with a short-range ad-hoc peer-to-peer structure. The centralized system is based on 3GPP-LTE. It includes relaying and deployment of femto-cells. The short-range system relies either on ZigBee (IEE.802.15.4) or Impulse Radio - Ultra Wideband (e.g. IEEE 802.15.4a). The wireless infrastructure is considered in a given context characterized by the physical environment in which the infrastructure is deployed, the type and modalities of the used terminals, the level of cooperation of the heterogeneous systems, and the user mobility. A validation and test case describes a particular implementation of specific applications on the wireless infrastructure. These applications utilize the algorithms and technological solutions proposed by WHERE2. In this way these algorithms and solutions are validated and tested in (close-to-)real conditions. In total 1 generic scenario and 6 validation and test cases are defined in this document.


Cluster tools have gained a lot of importance in today's semiconductor manufacturing. Cluster tools are machines that combine several processing steps in one machine. A cluster tools basically consists of one or more loadlocks where wafers enter and exit the cluster tool, two or more processing chambers where the processes are performed, and one or more handlers which transport the wafers between loadlocks and processing chambers. They can be regarded as small factories inside a factory. This paper focuses on understanding the behavior of cluster tool system by simulation modeling, experimenting on the model and finding out the factors that influence the tool overall cycle time. The number of deposition chambers, number of robot grippers, clean cycle, MTTF and MTTR are identified as the most important factors for cycle time reduction at cluster tool in semiconductor wafer fabrication.


Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is considered to be one of the most difficult to treat and deadliest diseases of early childhood. The pathogenesis of JMML involves deregulated cytokine signal transduction, especially a selective hypersensitivity to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Current treatment modalities do not provide significant long-term disease control. We describe an experimental model system in which the effect of targeted agents can be studied in the context of GM-CSF mediated growth and survival of JMML cells.

Bone marrow and peripheral mononuclear cells from JMML patients were enriched by immunoaffinity chromatography and grown in the presence of GM-CSF. Purity of these cells was confirmed by FACS and their absolute dependence on GM-CSF for growth and survival was assessed. A direct role for GM-CSF was confirmed by the addition of neutralizing antibodies. Molecular techniques showed the lack of excess GM-CSF secretion by these cells that proved receptor hypersensitivity as the principal driving force behind the excessive proliferation. To understand the signaling pathways involved in this process, we constructed a capture antibody array with antibodies to critical signaling molecules. GM-CSF treated and control lysates were incubated with the arrays and the expression and phosphorylation of the signaling molecules were detected by anti p-tyr, p-Ser and p-Thr antibodies. Blots were then quantified by an automated image analysis program. Results showed consistent activation of a group of signaling molecules mediated by the addition of GM-CSF. These include IRS-1, FAK, IkappaB and LIFR. Using this assay system we then looked at the effects of a number of novel therapeutic agents to inhibit the growth and specifically interfere with the GM-CSF mediated signaling cascade. These novel therapeutic agents and targeted kinase inhibitors such as 17-AAG, DMAG, arsenic trioxide, rebeccamycin, AMN-107, and Prima-1. (IC50: 0.1, 0.01. 0.5, 0.1, 0 and 10, uM respectively). These agents were studied in combination to identify agents that exhibit synergistic and additive properties. Significant additive effects were seen with certain combinations, notably in combination with Hsp90 inhibitors.

We describe an effective experimental model to identify the players and pathways involved in the abnormal growth properties of JMML. We discuss in detail the implications of these findings in the development of potential anti JMML therapies in the future.


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multifactorial autoimmune rheumatic disease of unknown etiology characterized by chronic erosive arthritis. The protein osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a member of bone tissue homeostasis (RANK/RANKL/OPG) which is responsible for the regulation of osteoclast differentiation and osteolysis. The altered binding of RANKL and OPG is one of the causes of many diseases with increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including rheumatoid arthritis. Polymorphic variants of the genes that control protective reactions could affect the level of production for encoded proteins and, thus, changing the course of immune response in RA. G1181C SNP in osteoprotegerin gene leads to disruption of its transcriptional activity and conformation of the protein itself, which can lead to an imbalance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. We analyzed the relationship between the TNFRSF11B gene polymorphism at the 1181 G C position and the risk of developing RA in the Bashkir population. The analysis was based on a molecular genetic study of single nucleotide polymorphism in groups of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and conditionally healthy individuals of the Bashkir population of the Chelyabinsk Region. Statistical evaluation was carried out using standard criteria generally accepted in immunogenetics. The 1181*GC polymorphism of the osteoprotegerin gene is characterized by interpopulation differences, which confirms the importance of using an ethnically identical comparison group to assess the association with a predisposition to multifactorial pathology. We showed that the carriage of genotype 1181 G/C was increased in the group of Bashkirs with rheumatoid arthritis. This genotype could be considered a biomarker of susceptibility to RA. No differences in the SNP allelic frequencies and genotypes were found among women with RA. Our research is a part of comprehensive assessment of the interaction of cytokines and their receptors from the TNFsuperfamily as an immunogenetic component of RA genesis.


An idea for a new optical method of measuring diffusion coefficient is proposed. It depends on the registration of an asymptotic behaviour of the optical properties of a thin layer of a binary fluid mixture with non-homogeneous initial distribution of concentration. The theoretical backgrounds are given yielding the linear formula relating the diffusion coefficient and time derivative of the optical properties of the layer (logarithm of deflection angle or of focal length).


Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), an essential regulatory protein of the fibrinolytic system, harbors interaction sites for plasminogen activators (tissue-type [t-PA] and urokinase-type [u-PA]) and for fibrin. In this study, anti-PAI-1 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) were used to identify interaction sites of PAI-1 with these components. The binding sites of 18 different MoAbs were established and are located on five distinct "linear" areas of PAI-1. MoAbs, binding to two distinct areas of PAI-1, are able to prevent the inhibition of t-PA by PAI-1. In addition, two interaction sites for fibrin were identified on PAI-1. The area located between amino acids 110 and 145 of PAI-1 contains a binding site for both components and its significance is discussed in the context of the t-PA inhibition by fibrin-bound PAI-1. Subsequently, the MoAbs were used to assess the role of platelet-PAI-1 in clot-lysis. An in vitro clot-lysis system was used to demonstrate that clot-lysis resistance is dependent on the presence of activated platelets and that PAI-1 is a major determinant for lysis-resistance. We propose that, upon activation of platelets, PAI-1 is fixed within the clot by binding to fibrin and retains its full capacity to inhibit t-PA and u-PA.


Introduction: This study investigated kinematic and EMG changes in gait across simulated gravitational unloading levels between 100% and 20% of normal body weight. This study sought to identify if each level of unloading elicited consistent changes—particular to that percentage of normal body weight—or if the changes seen with unloading could be influenced by the previous level(s) of unloading. Methods: 15 healthy adult participants (26.3 ± 2.5 years; 53% female) walked in an Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill unloading system (mean speed: 1.49 ± 0.37 mph) for 1 min each at 100%, 80%, 60%, 40% and 20% of normal body weight, before loading back to 100% in reverse order. Lower-body kinematic data were captured by inertial measurement units, and EMG data were collected from the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius, and anterior tibialis. Data were compared across like levels of load using repeated measures ANOVA and statistical parametric mapping. Difference waveforms for adjacent levels were created to examine the rate of change between different unloading levels. Results: This study found hip, knee, and ankle kinematics as well as activity in the rectus femoris, and medial gastrocnemius were significantly different at the same level of unloading, having arrived from a higher, or lower level of unloading. There were no significant changes in the kinematic difference waveforms, however the waveform representing the change in EMG between 100% and 80% load was significantly different from all other levels. Discussion: This study found that body weight unloading from 100% to 20% elicited distinct responses in the medial gastrocnemius, as well as partly in the rectus femoris. Hip, knee, and ankle kinematics were also affected differentially by loading and unloading, especially at 40% of normal body weight. These findings suggest the previous level of gravitational load is an important factor to consider in determining kinematic and EMG responses to the current level during loading and unloading below standard g. Similarly, the rate of change in kinematics from 100% to 20% appears to be linear, while the rate of change in EMG was non-linear. This is of particular interest, as it suggests that kinematic and EMG measures decouple with unloading and may react to unloading uniquely.


Packet losses in the network have a considerable performance impact on transport-layer throughput. For reliable data transfer, lost packets require retransmissions and thus cause very long delays. This tail of the packet delay distribution causes performance problems. There are several approaches to trading off networking resources up-front to reduce long delays for some packets (e.g., forward error correction, network coding). We propose packet pacing as an alternative that changes traffic characteristics favorably by adding intentional delay in packet transmissions. This intentional delay counters the principle of best effort but can reduce the burstiness of traffic and improve overall network operation - in particular in network with small packet buffers. As a result, pacing improves transport-layer performance, providing a tradeoff example where small amounts of additional delay can significantly increase connection bandwidth. We present a Queue Length Based Pacing (QLBP) algorithm that paces network traffic using a single queue and that can be implemented with small computational and memory overhead. We present a detailed analysis on delay bounds and the quantitative impact of QLBP pacing on network traffic. Through simulation, we show how the proposed pacing technique can improve connection throughput in small-buffer networks.


Cysteine proteases (CPs) are responsible for many biochemical processes occurring in living organisms and they have been implicated in the development and progression of several diseases that involve abnormal protein turnover. The activity of CPs is regulated among others by their specific inhibitors: cystatins. The main aim of this review is to discuss the structure-activity relationships of cysteine proteases and cystatins, as well as of some synthetic inhibitors of cysteine proteases structurally based on the binding fragments of cystatins.


A time-series analysis of spectroscopic and photometric observables of the A0 Ia supergiant HR 1040 has been performed, including equivalent widths, radial velocities, and Strömgren photometric indices. The data, obtained from 1993 through 2007, include 152 spectroscopic observations from the Ritter Observatory 1 m telescope and 269 Strömgren photometric observations from the Four College Automated Photoelectric Telescope. Typical of late B- and early A-type supergiants, HR 1040 has a highly variable Hα profile. The star was found to have an intermittent active phase marked by correlation between the Hα absorption equivalent width and blue-edge radial velocity and by photospheric connections observed in correlations to equivalent width, second moment and radial velocity in Si ii λλ6347, 6371. High-velocity absorption (HVA) events were observed only during this active phase. HVA events in the wind were preceded by photospheric activity, including Si ii radial velocity oscillations 19–42 days prior to onset of an HVA event and correlated increases in Si ii Wλ and second moment from 13 to 23 days before the start of the HVA event. While increases in various line equivalent widths in the wind prior to HVA events have been reported in the past in other stars, our finding of precursors in enhanced radial velocity variations in the wind and at the photosphere is a new result.


An otherwise healthy 10-month-old girl was intubated in the intensive care unit because of post-surgery macroglossia after cleft palate correction. She was receiving antibiotic prophylaxis with cefazoline (40 mg/kg), plus betamethasone (0.2 mg/kg/day) to reduce oedema of the tongue and omeprazole for gastric protection. She developed a brownish peri-umbilical and lateral abdominal wall ecchymosis (Fig. 1) with abdominal distension. What is the significance of the signs? What investigation would you perform? (Answer on page 480)


The application of electric fields to solutions or suspensions of electrically anisotropic macromolecules results in changes in the angular distribution of the intensity of the light scattered from such solutions or suspensions. Recently, pulsed direct current fields have been used to determine the rotary diffusion constant D of the solute. In principle, the rate at which the intensity changes are established in a DC field should indicate the relative magnitudes of the permanent and induced dipole moments of the macromolecules. In practice, the method has not proved to be reliable. A new method is proposed in which pulsed sine-wave fields are used to give equivalent transient changes. By applying first a direct current pulse and then a sine-wave pulse of frequency much greater than the dipolar relaxation frequency, the amplitudes of the two traces enable the relative magnitudes of the permanent and induced dipole moments to be determined. Simultaneously, D and the directions of these moments are evaluated relative to the major molecular geometric axis. The method of applying the fields and recording the transient phenomena is outlined. Transient traces are presented from a study on Laponite clay, for which the above mentioned parameters were evaluated. Additional data were obtained from a conventional Zimm plot which enabled the apparent permanent and induced dipole moments to be completely evaluated. Two interesting effects were revealed from the pulsed sine-wave experiments on Laponite. Firstly, values of D from data obtained during and after the field application were not the same. Secondly, the transients in pulsed direct current fields exhibited overshoot effects as the field switched on and off. These were not present when high-frequency sine-wave pulses were employed.


The paper proposes to reduce complexity of explicit MPC feedback laws by representing regions over which the law is defined as (possibly non-convex) polygons. Each polygon is then represented only by its boundaries, which reduces the memory footprint of the feedback law. Even though significant amount of memory can be saved this way, the price to be paid is increased computational load associated by performing point location tasks in non-convex objects. Therefore we propose to devise inner and outer convex approximations of non-convex polygons to reduce the computational requirements. Such approximations allow to perform point location more effectively, leading to a reduction of the required on-line computational effort. Several ways to design suitable approximations are presented and efficacy of the proposed procedure is evaluated.


Landscape composition is consequential to ecological functions, and in agricultural regions a simple descriptor of composition is whether the growing habit of vegetation is annual or perennial. Annual vegetation includes most of the crop species grown in central North America (e.g., corn, soybeans, cereal grains, canola), and perennial vegetation includes hay and forage crops (e.g., alfalfa) and most non-crop land covers (e.g., woodlands, grasslands, wetlands). Recent data show that in farmlands perennial cover is converting to annual cover. Using new remotelysensed annual crop layer spatial data for an intensively-farmed region (1,700 km) of the Lake Huron watershed in Southern Ontario, Canada, this article describes changes in farmland composition and which transitions are occurring, with suggestions for why the changes are occurring. Perennial cover has rapidly been converted to annual cover in the past five years, with working-lands perennial cover types identified as the most-vulnerable to conversion. Other land cover types are relatively static. Implications for agricultural land conservation and stewardship require attention to this rapid change for conservation of soil, water, and biodiversity in the Great Lakes basin.


The quality of CPO (Crude Palm Oil) is determined by the Free Fatty Acid (FFA) with the standard value below 5%. High FFA in CPO will cause further difficulties due to low refining rate and quality like rancidness and odor. The objective of this research was to determine the factors that affect the FFA content in CPO. This research was conducted from January until April 2021. Fruit samples were collected from BKLE and PNRE East Kotawaringin and analyzed to Analytical Laboratory PT BGA. The FFA value was determined using the titration method according to Indonesian National Standard (SNI). Based on this research, several factors such as rat and moth attacks, fruit maturity, fruit handling, and delayed delivery to the palm oil mill affected the FFA value. These factors caused an increase in the FFA value up to 41.10%‒204% compared to the average FFA value is only 0.77%‒1.29%. Therefore, minimizing the pre‐processing problem will reduce the potential of FFA value increment so that good quality CPO can be obtained.

Keywords: fruit handling, fruit maturity, pest attack, titration method


The paper deals with solving first-order quasilinear partial differential equations in an online simulation environment, such as Simulink, utilizing the well-known and well-recommended method of characteristics. Compared to the commonly applied space discretization methods on static grids, the characteristics-based approach provides better numerical stability. Simulink subsystem implementing the method of characteristics is developed. It employs Simulink's built-in solver and its zero-crossing detection algorithm to perform simultaneous integration of a pool of characteristics as well as to create new characteristics dynamically and discard the old ones. Numerical accuracy of the solution thus obtained is established. The subsystem has been tested on a full-state feedback example and produced better results than the space discretization-based "method of lines". The implementation is available for download and can be used in a wide range of models.


Hypertension is the second leading cause of death in Ghana, partly accounting for two-thirds of all medical admissions and more than 50% of deaths. This study aimed to comparatively evaluate adherence and accessibility to antihypertensive medications at two different levels of healthcare facilities in Kumasi, Ghana, and determine factors associated with medicine accessibility and adherence. A cross-sectional study involving outpatient department (OPD) hypertensive patients, 143 at KNUST Hospital (UHS) and 342 at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), was conducted using a semistructured questionnaire. Correlations were drawn to evaluate the effect of accessibility and adherence on blood pressure control. A face-to-face interview was also conducted with relevant stakeholders involved in procurement of medicines. Blood pressure was uncontrolled in 50.4% (n = 72) of participants at UHS and 52.9% (n = 181) at KATH. With respect to medicine accessibility, 98.8% (n = 338) and 42.9% (n = 61) received at least one medication from the hospital pharmacy of KATH and UHS, respectively. Using MARS-10, 49.2% (n = 70) and 52.9% (n = 181) were nonadherent in UHS and KATH, respectively. There was a significant association between adherence and BP control at both UHS (p=0.038) and KATH (p=0.043). At UHS, there was a significant association between accessibility to medicines at the hospital and BP control (p=0.031), whilst at KATH, no significant association was observed (p=0.198). Supply chain practices and delays in payment by the NHIA affected accessibility to antihypertensive medications. Blood pressure control was inadequate among participants in both facilities. Accessibility to medicines was better at the tertiary facility compared to the secondary facility. Increased accessibility and adherence to antihypertensives were related to blood pressure control in both facilities. Good supply chain practices and prompt payment by the National Health Insurance Authority would enhance accessibility to antihypertensive medications.


The purpose of this study was to describe the cultural significance of food offerings in ngesur tanah salvation in Belikurip Village, Wonogiri, Central Java, Indonesia using an ethnolinguistic approach. In data collection, the researcher employed observation and conversation methods which were then analyzed by the ethnographic method by utilizing the triangular meaning proposed by Lyons (1977). It discovered 10 names of food: (1) tumpeng bathok bolu, (2) tumpeng ungkur-ungkuran, (3) undur-undur, (4) tumpeng gung, (5) tumpeng krumpul, (6) tumpeng marga pakewuh, (7) tumpeng obor, (8) sekul suci, (9) samiran, and (10) jenang sepuh. The essence of the offering is the request for salvation for the departed soul and for the family left behind. The results of this study indicate that the use of language (food names) reflect a cultural phenomenon, namely the religious system of offerings from individuals who believe that the deceased's spirit remains alive and is fully responsible for his or her actions while living in the world. There also appears to be acculturation with other beliefs and religions.


The biaxial modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion of ion‐beam‐sputtered amorphous Si and Ge thin films were determined from curvature changes induced by differential thermal expansion. Viscous flow was measured by stress relaxation and was found to be Newtonian. The viscosity increased linearly with time as a result of structural relaxation, and its isoconfigurational activation enthalpy was 1.8±0.3 and 2.6±1.3 eV for amorphous Si and Ge, respectively. An atomistic model, based on a chain reaction of broken bond rearrangements, is proposed to describe the observation.


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Outbred mice (ICR) with different genotypes and phenotypes have been reported to be more suitable for scientific testing than inbred mice because they are more similar to humans. To investigate whether the sex and genetic background of the mice are important factors in the development of hyperglycemia, we used ICR mice and divided them into male, female, and ovariectomized female (FOVX) groups and treated them with streptozotocin (STZ) for five consecutive days to induce diabetes. Our results show that fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were significantly higher in diabetes-induced males (M-DM) and ovariectomized diabetes-induced females (FOVX-DM) than in diabetes-induced females (F-DM) at 3 and 6 weeks after STZ treatment. Furthermore, the M-DM group showed the most severe glucose tolerance, followed by the FOVX-DM and F-DM groups, suggesting that ovariectomy affects glucose tolerance in female mice. The size of pancreatic islets in the M-DM and FOVX-DM groups was significantly different from that of the F-DM group. The M-DM and FOVX-DM groups had pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction 6 weeks after STZ treatment. Urocortin 3 and somatostatin inhibited insulin secretion in the M-DM and FOVX-DM groups. Overall, our results suggest that glucose metabolism in mice is dependent on sex and/or genetic background.


This paper studies a system of FM detection suggested by work done in optimum-demodulation theory, and a summary of the problems of ordinary discriminators is made so that possible improvement may be demonstrated readily. This summary points out an important defect of FM discriminators which affects the data accuracy of the telemeter but which is rarely recognized. The system study deals with generalized optimum filtering for transient signals applicable to commutated signals and operators such as discrimination. The solution for particular applications with respect to the phase-locked loop or optimum-demodulation system is offered. With these applications available, noise and transient signals are studied to see how the system fits the practical system. Normalized charts are made which may be applied to any standard telemetering channel that may be designed. A comparison of this system with ordinary discriminators shows a large threshold improvement and a reduction in over-all system error. Graphs of the comparison of these effects are also included. Heuristic suggestions of application are offered for further study.


Abstract I have written this essay to deconstruct an aspect of my clinical practice. There is controversy around the use of homeoprophylaxis in preventing disease during epidemics and pandemics. I wanted to see if there was research that could demonstrate the ability to use homeopathy in epidemics/pandemics. If so, what type of research and can it be recognised as valid? If it is not, why not? I explored and gathered information, interviews with practitioners, charts, essays, population studies and randomised controlled trials. These helped see the various levels of ability for homeopathic remedies to be used in order to prevent infectious diseases in a laboratory and in actual contemporary populations. However, these studies are in contrast within the prevailing paradigm to do with how homeopathic remedies work. Because there is an underlying disbelief in the idea that highly diluted substances could work, there is a difficulty in accepting the studies that demonstrate success for homeopathic remedies.


As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology gets more intertwined with every system, people are using AI to make decisions on their everyday activities. In simple contexts, such as Netflix recommendations, or in more complex context like in judicial scenarios, AI is part of people's decisions. People make decisions and usually, they need to explain their decision to others or in some matter. It is particularly critical in contexts where human expertise is central to decision-making. In order to explain their decisions with AI support, people need to understand how AI is part of that decision. When considering the aspect of fairness, the role that AI has on a decision-making process becomes even more sensitive since it affects the fairness and the responsibility of those people making the ultimate decision. We have been exploring an evidence-based explanation design approach to 'tell the story of a decision'. In this position paper, we discuss our approach for AI systems using fairness sensitive cases in the literature.


Luck feelings have long been thought to influence decision-making involving risk. Previous research has established the importance of prior outcomes, luck beliefs, and counterfactual thinking in the generation of luck feelings, but there has been no comprehensive demonstration of this system of variables that impinge on luck feelings. Moreover, the actual relationship of luck feelings and risky choice has not been directly tested. Addressing these gaps, results from five studies are presented in this thesis. Empirical work begins with an extensive validation exercise of an existing 22-item luck beliefs scale. Those 22 items are refined to a 16-item scale, comprising four luck belief dimensions that inter-relate in a compelling structural arrangement. Insights from this exercise, and a subset of the items are used throughout the remainder of the thesis. Results from two studies contradicted the counterfactual closeness hypothesis, the most prominent theory in the psychology of luck, which holds that counterfactual thinking is essential for generating lucky feelings. However, one study found that affect and luck feelings are not unitary, as evidenced by a weak form of double dissociation of affect and lucky feelings from overestimation and overplacement. Another study found lucky and unlucky feelings to be distinct. The effects of lucky feelings and unlucky feelings on risky choice differ by the nature of a prior outcome. For negative outcomes, unlucky feelings are likely to influence risky choices. For positive outcomes, lucky feelings are likely to influence risky choices. The type of risky choice most affected by lucky feelings—for positive experiences—is ambiguity tolerance in the probability distributions of prospective outcomes. The Activation Theory of Luck Feelings (ActLF) is proposed, which reconciles previous findings to those reported herein.


The stochastic well-formed colored Petri net (SWN) formalism and the associated reachability graph (RG). The method for computing bounds of quasi-lumpable Markov chains is summarized. A structural analysis algorithm to check whether a given SWN is quasi-lumpable, and a modified symbolic RG (SRG) generation algorithm for the generation of the aggregate MC used for the bounds computation are described. Two application examples are shown.<<ETX>>


Nowadays, more and more applications are computing-intensive, such as search engines, online game servers, or even fMRI, used in medical examination. Supercomputers are setup to meet the computing demand as well as huge data storage. However, some applications favor computing power much more than data storage. To emphasize on providing computing power with low cost, low power, high scalability and dependability, this work presents a platform which involves a group of computing clusters. A cluster consists of up to 12 processors. A computing job is distributed to a group of processors for speed-up. Moreover, an FPGA may join for further acceleration. A set of front-end servers is responsible for job dispatching and maintains reliability. The system details are described. Current status and ongoing work are also reported.


We read with great interest the letter written by Bonanni et al. describing patients with Parkinson's disease (PD)—dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies who during an earthquake had improvement in gait which lasted for months. This is different than our own observation of lack of improvement in most patients with idiopathic PD during a life-threatening war. As we reported previously, during a 1-month period, 50 PD patients without dementia, under our care lived in an area where thousands of Katyusha and mortar rockets fell. They had to flee to a secure shelter within 10 to 60 seconds to save their lives. Although there was immediate danger posed to their livelihood, we observed only 1 patient with paradoxical kinesia (PK). This patient suffered from cognitive impairment (MMSE26), like all 14 patients described by Bonanni et al. (MMSE < 24). This observation that cognitive impairment is needed for PK to occur is a unique observation. Thus, a phenomenon similar to a ''double crush'' injury involving the basal ganglia and frontotemporal region may be needed to elicit PK. The dual damage may cause a differential effect on motor-control mechanisms or it may activate alternative pathways, such as the cerebellar circuitry. It would be interesting to know if the authors observed PK in a patient with no cognitive decline.


The concentrated contact formed between a steel ball and a glass disc—the optical elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHD) rig—has been the primary instrument for experimental investigations of elastohydrodynamic film thickness. It has been a source for values of pressure-viscosity coefficient, a difficult-to-define property of liquids. However, comparisons with the pressure dependence of the viscosity obtained in viscometers show little agreement. There are multiple reasons for this failure including shear-thinning and compressibility of the oil. Another reason for the poor agreement is the subject of this short note. The optical EHD rig using glass as one surface will only be in the piezoviscous-elastic (EHD) regime when the pressure-viscosity coefficient is large. For low values, it would be operating in the isoviscous-elastic regime (soft EHD).


The synthesis of (E)-3'-phosphonoalkenyl and 3'-phosphonoalkyl modified nucleoside analogues with a β-D-erythrofuranose moiety is reported. The highly stereoselective olefin cross-metathesis reaction was applied to introduce the phosphonoalkenyl group at the 3'-position of the sugar moiety with absolute (E)-selectivity. The 3',6'-cyclomonophosphonic acids of 3'-phosphonoethyl-β-D-erythrofuranosyl nucleosides were synthesized via a dehydrative intramolecular cyclization reaction. None of the synthesized compounds shows significant in vitro activity against HIV, HCV, and RSV.


Summary     This thesis uses poststructural theory to question how language shapes educational policy and practice. It starts from the premise that the tendency for categorising knowledge as binary opposites, whilst potentially useful, also encourages polarisation, is reductive, and produces closure. Thus, by interrogating the '/' [slash], the boundary between the pairs, the intention is to produce a different, more equable, productive, and openly uncertain way of questioning unresolved educational dilemmas, hence the search for a question. Educational inclusion/exclusion foregrounds this research.   It did not start out this way. As a scientist, a zoologist by training, and steeped in the rigidity of scientific method, the original study concerned proving a hypothesis, using questionnaires to collect the data and followed by some sort of statistical analysis. However, this approach did not acknowledge the complexity, nuances and shades of meaning within the language of inclusive education that I wished to explore. Poststructural theory offered a different strategy and interrupted my positivist thinking throughout.   Thus, a Foucauldian approach has been used to interrogate the inclusion/exclusion binary in the literature. Searching for the historical a priori is followed by an interrogation of the different discourses and the power relations therein. An empirical analysis succeeds the textual analysis, for which data was collected in the form of interviews. Called participatory interactions, secondary teacher educator colleagues were asked to talk about inclusion, and activatory phrases were used to stimulate discussion. Poststructural interruptions about ethics suggested an innovative method of discourse analysis developed using Derrida's metaphor of a postcard, in which he enacts the performative stance of deconstruction.   Aspects of the data that troubled the inclusion/exclusion binary are presented as verse alongside a reflexive response that stimulates theoretical discussions called 'new lines of flight'. On the reverse side of every postcard is a photograph, a graphic representation of some feature pertaining to the data selected, and the stamp is a picture of the philosopher whose work inspired the theorisation.   Interrogating the '/' [slash] reveals the complex interplay of each side of the binary and surfaces a system of ethics regarding legitimation. The final chapter, therefore, proposes a deliberate ethical interruption – an interruption of practice in order to interrupt practice. Professional practice should be deliberately interrupted by research in order to interrupt oppositional binary thinking. This research should have a deliberately ethical component foregrounding personal values and attitudes. As a consequence, inclusive education could be reconceptualised. The current discourse of a failing educational experiment might then be transformed into an ethical project worth going on with. Type: Thesis or Dissertation URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/6508 Affiliation: School of Education


Introduction: Acne vulgaris is one of the most common diseases of the skin. It is common during adolescence and can impose a heavy emotional and psychological burden on patients.
Aim/Objectives: To study the depression and attitude towards appearance among patients with Acne vulgaris.
Methods: The study was conducted between March 2015 and April 2016. All patients with acne vulgaris who consented to participate in the study were included. The parameters included age, gender, age of onset, duration of lesions & grade of Acne.
Results: Out of 119 patients included in the study, patients with inflammatory acne had significantly more depression than patients with non-inflammatory acne. There was significant difference in attitude towards appearance between two groups. Attitude towards appearance was positively correlated with depression.

Keywords: Acne, Depression, Attitude, Psychological, Inflammatory.


In this paper we present a new method to solve the volume integral equation governing the electromagnetic wave propagation in axisymmetric inhomogeneous media. The integral equation is first formulated using a one‐dimensional Green's function and then solved using the conjugate gradient fast Hankel transform method. The use of the one‐dimensional Green's function reduces the number of unknowns significantly, thereby accelerating the iterative procedure. Several numerical results are used to show the efficiency and accuracy of this new approach as well as its applications in electromagnetic subsurface sensing.


PEP mutase catalyzes the conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to phosphonopyruvate in biosynthetic pathways leading to phosphonate secondary metabolites. A recent X-ray structure [Huang, K., Li, Z., Jia, Y., Dunaway-Mariano, D., and Herzberg, O. (1999) Structure (in press)] of the Mytilus edulis enzyme complexed with the Mg(II) cofactor and oxalate inhibitor reveals an alpha/beta-barrel backbone-fold housing an active site in which Mg(II) is bound by the two carboxylate groups of the oxalate ligand and the side chain of D85 and, via bridging water molecules, by the side chains of D58, D85, D87, and E114. The oxalate ligand, in turn, interacts with the side chains of R159, W44, and S46 and the backbone amide NHs of G47 and L48. Modeling studies identified two feasible PEP binding modes: model A in which PEP replaces oxalate with its carboxylate group interacting with R159 and its phosphoryl group positioned close to D58 and Mg(II) shifting slightly from its original position in the crystal structure, and model B in which PEP replaces oxalate with its phosphoryl group interacting with R159 and Mg(II) retaining its original position. Site-directed mutagenesis studies of the key mutase active site residues (R159, D58, D85, D87, and E114) were carried out in order to evaluate the catalytic roles predicted by the two models. The observed retention of low catalytic activity in the mutants R159A, D85A, D87A, and E114A, coupled with the absence of detectable catalytic activity in D58A, was interpreted as evidence for model A in which D58 functions in nucleophilic catalysis (phosphoryl transfer), R159 functions in PEP carboxylate group binding, and the carboxylates of D85, D87 and E114 function in Mg(II) binding. These results also provide evidence against model B in which R159 serves to mediate the phosphoryl transfer. A catalytic motif, which could serve both the phosphoryl transfer and the C-C cleavage enzymes of the PEP mutase superfamily, is proposed.


We describe a method to use structured representations of the environment's dynamics to constrain and speed up the planning process. Given a problem domain described in a probabilistic logical description language, we develop an anytime technique that incrementally improves on an initial, partial policy. This partial solution is found by first reducing the number of predicates needed to represent a relaxed version of the problem to a minimum, and then dynamically partitioning the action space into a set of equivalence classes with respect to this minimal representation. Our approach uses the envelope MDP framework, which creates a Markov decision process out of a subset of the full state space as determined by the initial partial solution. This strategy permits an agent to begin acting within a restricted part of the full state space and to expand its envelope judiciously as resources permit.


Machine translation is the only available alternative to human translation. Thus, evaluating machine translation software, is very important to improve the performance of these software. This study aims to highlight the difference between human translation and machine translation with reference to speech to text program . In this study , the approaches of translation are mentioned as direct approach , interlingua approach , and the transfer approach . The problem of this program is with the literary translation more than the other types of translation as scientific and idioms . The most accurate is the scientific one as this study proves . As a solution to overcome the problem of literary translation is that machine translation software should be modified and updated continuously , so that they can keep pace with the follow of literary terms . Also , the study shows the advantages and disadvantages of using machine translation. Moreover, the work illustrates the types of linguistic problems encountered in machine translation, and some solutions to overcome these problems.


Motor exploratory activity of 36 and 41 days old female laboratory mice CBA and C57BL/6 and their hybrids CBAB6F1 was studied after the action of urine of male mice CBA and C57BL/6. Five parameters were recorded. It was shown that formation of behavioural response to the socially important stimulus of pheromonal nature occurred during puberty process depending on the donor and recipient genotypes and on the previous experience of interaction with the stimulus. The critical period of formation of this reaction was revealed in the ontogeny of females.


Newly developed mobile phone applications in combination with citizen science are used in different fields of research, such as public health monitoring, environmental monitoring, precipitation monitoring, noise pollution measurement and mapping, earth observation. In this paper, we present a low-cost water quality mobile phone measurement technique combined with sensor and test strips, and reported the weekly-collected data of three years of the Ayeyarwady River system by volunteers at seven locations and compared these results with the measurements collected by the lab technicians. We assessed the quality of the collected data and their reliability based on several indicators, such as data accuracy, consistency, and completeness. In this study, six local governmental staffs and one middle school teacher collected baseline water quality data with high temporal and spatial resolution. The quality of the data collected by volunteers was comparable to the data of the experienced lab technicians for sensor-based measurement of electrical conductivity and transparency. However, the lower accuracy (higher uncertainty range) of the indicator strips made them less useful in the Ayeyarwady with its relatively small water quality variations. We showed that participatory water quality monitoring in Myanmar can be a serious alternative for a more classical water sampling and lab analysis-based monitoring network, particularly as it results in much higher spatial and temporal resolution of water quality information against the very modest investment and running costs. This approach can help solving the invisible water crisis of unknown water quality (changes) in river and lake systems all over the world.


Purpose: In the present study the incompatibility of FLM (fluvoxamine) with lactose in solid state mixtures was investigated. The compatibility was evaluated using different physicochemical methods such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Methods: Non-Isothermally stressed physical mixtures were used to calculate the solid–state kinetic parameters. Different thermal models such as Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) were used for the characterization of the drug-excipient interaction. Results: Overall, the incompatibility of FLM with lactose as a reducing carbohydrate was successfully evaluated and the activation energy of this interaction was calculated. Conclusion: In this research the lactose and FLM Maillard interaction was proved using physicochemical techniques including DSC and FTIR. It was shown that DSC- based kinetic analysis provides fast and versatile kinetic comparison of Arrhenius activation energies for different pharmaceutical samples.


Background : US prevalence of CML is estimated at 33,990 of January 1, 2011 (SEER, 2014). In 2014, about 5,980 new CML cases will be diagnosed (ACS, 2014). The era of tyrosine kinase inhibitors has transformed CML from an often fatal disease to one with an excellent prognosis, with ongoing treatment. Many people living with CML may have to manage a significant financial burden related to care, including medication copays and coinsurance, and other out of pocket costs. Several studies have reported that the financial burden of CML care is associated with decreased adherence (Dusetzina, 2014; Abraham, 2012; Noens, 2009). Poor adherence is associated with statistically significant decreases in 5-year event-free survival and may occur more frequently than either patients or physicians recognize (Oehler, 2013).

Methods : From October 2013 to June 2014, the Cancer Support Community (CSC) and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) registered 484 people living with CML to the Cancer Experience Registry: CML, an online initiative designed to learn and raise awareness about the psychosocial impact of CML. Registrants were recruited through an outreach program that leveraged CSC's and LLS's networks of community-based affiliates and chapters, online communities, CSC's helpline and LLS's information resource center, other advocacy organizations, social and other media channels. 393 registrants (81%) responded to a survey, including questions about the financial cost of CML and cancer-related distress. Stress-related intrusive ideation about managing the financial impact of CML was measured using the Impact of Event Scale (IES, 7 items, Horowitz, 1979); levels >13 were used to indicate clinically significant symptoms associated with anxiety. Fifteen items from a validated distress screener (α=0.93) (CancerSupportSource, Miller 2014) were summed to create a score for overall distress (mean=23, SD=14, range 0-60), and 4 items were summed for a depression score (α=0.88) with a binary variable created to indicate at risk for depression (score≥5). For these analyses, we excluded survey participants living outside the US (n=54) and bone marrow transplant patients not taking oral CML medications (n=11). The sample (n=327) was 68% female, 98% Caucasian, median age 59. Median time since CML diagnosis was 4 years. Total annual income: 32% <$40K; 30% $40-79K; 37% at least $80K.

Results: Nearly half (48%) reported spending at least $100 per month on all out of pocket costs related to CML; 27% spent $250 or more; 15% spent $500 or more; 5% spent $1,000 or more. Greater out of pocket costs were associated with higher overall distress (p 13) about the financial cost of care. Oral CML medicine was the greatest cost burden to participants. Because of the medical costs of CML, 33% reported depleting their savings; 20% borrowed against or used money from retirement; and 35% reported cutting their grocery expenses. Nine percent enrolled in a clinical trial that paid for most of their treatment expenses. About one-third used pharmaceutical assistance programs (30%) and co-pay assistance programs (38%). In order to reduce health care costs, 10% reported skipping dosages of medicine at least sometimes, and 14% postponed filling prescriptions. Twelve percent reported they postponed seeking psychological counseling or support. Half (51%) of participants did not know if they were eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income; 44% wished they had received more help with financial advice and assistance.

Conclusion: CML places a financial burden on patients that is associated with patients taking measures that may significantly impact quality of life and may negatively affect treatment outcomes. Implications for future research and practice include the development and evaluation of interventions to enhance oncology team-patient communication and support (e.g., financial counseling and assistance) to help ensure that the financial burden of CML does not negatively impact the patient's quality of life, course of cancer care, and health outcomes.

Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


As the complexity of engineering systems and processes increases, determining their optimal
performance also becomes increasingly complex. There are various reliability techniques available to model
performance, for example fault trees, simulation etc., but generating the models can become a significant task
that is cumbersome, error-prone and tedious. This can result in significant resources being devoted to the generation
of the models and there is much room for error. Hence over the years work has been undertaken into
automatically generating reliability models. Such an approach enables the detection of the most critical components
and design errors at an early design stage, supporting alternative designs and systems. The aim of the
research described in this paper is the automatic generation of a Petri Net model for a given system or process.
The Petri Net approach enables complex systems and processes to be modelled using a modular approach.
The methodology of the automated Petri Net generation outlined in this work is to extract the information required
for the model from the system description in a form used by industry, such as a UML Activity Diagram,
into a database using XML transformations. An algorithm is then applied to generate the Petri Net incidence
matrices of the necessary nets, which is the mathematical representation of the model. The algorithm
builds the nets up in a modular fashion enabling changes to be made to the overall net in a cost effective way
hence allowing various designs to be easily assessed. In this work the procedure will be demonstrated by its
application to an end of life manufacturing process.


An axial-connecting trimer of the porphyrin phosphorus(V) complex was synthesized to evaluate the relaxation process of the photoexcited state and the photosensitizer activity. The photoexcitation energy was localized on the central unit of the phosphorus(V)porphyrin trimer. The photoexcited state of the central unit was relaxed through a process similar to that of the monomer phosphorus(V)porphyrin. The excited state of this axially connected type of phosphorus(V)porphyrin trimer was not deactivated through intramolecular electron transfer. The singlet oxygen generation quantum yield of the trimer was almost the same as that of the monomer. The phosphorus(V)porphyrin, trimer, and monomer bound to human serum albumin and oxidized the tryptophan residue via singlet oxygen generation and electron transfer during visible light irradiation. The photocytotoxicity of these phosphorus(V)porphyrins on two cell lines was examined. The monomer induced photocytotoxicity; however, the trimer did not show cytotoxicity with or without photoirradiation. In summary, the photoexcited state of the trimer was almost the same as that of the monomer, and these phosphorus(V)porphyrins demonstrated a similar protein-photodamaging activity. The difference in association between the photosensitizer molecules and cells is the key factor of phototoxicity by these phosphorus(V)porphyrins.