An intrinsic limitation of the accuracy that can be achieved with Compton cameras results from the inevitable fact that the detectors, which comprise the camera, cannot have infinitely-accurate spatial resolution. To mitigate this loss of accuracy, a new imaging model is proposed. The implementation of the new imaging model, however, requires new camera designs. The results of a computer simulation indicate that the new imaging model can produce reasonable images, at least when noiseless simulated data are used. In the future, more work is needed to determine if the use of the new imaging model will improve the imaging capabilities of Compton cameras despite the loss of sensitivity caused by the use of the new camera designs. Regardless of the outcome of this work, the results presented here illustrate that new models for imaging from Compton scatters are possible and motivate the development of further models that could be more advantageous than the ones already developed.


Clock meshes possess inherent low clock skews and excellent immunity to process-voltage-temperature variations, and have increasingly found their way to high-performance integrated circuit designs. However, analysis of such massively coupled networks is significantly hindered by the sheer size of the network and tight coupling between non-tree interconnects and large numbers of clock drivers. While the SPICE simulation of large clock meshes is often intractable, standard interconnect model order reduction algorithms also fail due to the large number of input/output ports introduced by clock drivers. The presented approach is motivated by the key observation of the steady-state operation of the clock networks while its efficiency is facilitated by exploring new clock-mesh specific harmonic-weighted model order reduction algorithm and locality analysis via port sliding. The scalability of the analysis is significantly improved by eliminating the need for computing infeasible multi-port passive reduced order interconnect models with large port count and decomposing the overall task into very tractable and naturally parallelizable model generation and fast Fourier transform/inverse-fast Fourier transform operations, all on a per driver or per sink basis. We demonstrate the application of our approach by feasibly analyzing large clock meshes with excellent accuracy.


We present a novel method for guaranteeing linear momentum in learned physics simulations. Unlike existing methods, we enforce conservation of momentum with a hard constraint, which we realize via antisymmetrical continuous convolutional layers. We combine these strict constraints with a hierarchical network architecture, a carefully constructed resampling scheme, and a training approach for temporal coherence. In combination, the proposed method allows us to increase the physical accuracy of the learned simulator substantially. In addition, the induced physical bias leads to significantly better generalization performance and makes our method more reliable in unseen test cases. We evaluate our method on a range of different, challenging fluid scenarios. Among others, we demonstrate that our approach generalizes to new scenarios with up to one million particles. Our results show that the proposed algorithm can learn complex dynamics while outperforming existing approaches in generalization and training performance. An implementation of our approach is available at https://github.com/tum-pbs/DMCF.


Current software quality estimation models often involve using supervised learning methods to train a software quality classifier or a software fault prediction model. In such models, the dependent variable is a software quality measurement indicating the quality of a software module by either a risk-based class membership (e.g., whether it is fault-prone or not fault-prone) or the number of faults. In reality, such a measurement may be inaccurate, or even unavailable. In such situations, this paper advocates the use of unsupervised learning (i.e., clustering) techniques to build a software quality estimation system, with the help of a software engineering human expert. The system first clusters hundreds of software modules into a small number of coherent groups and presents the representative of each group to a software quality expert, who labels each cluster as either fault-prone or not fault-prone based on his domain knowledge as well as some data statistics (without any knowledge of the dependent variable, i.e., the software quality measurement). Our preliminary empirical results show promising potentials of this methodology in both predicting software quality and detecting potential noise in a software measurement and quality dataset.


Dairy farming systems are evolving. This study presents dairy producers' perceptions of their ideal future farm (IFF) to ensure revenue, and attempts to determine the reasons for this choice, the environmental aspects related to this choice, the proximity between the current farm and the IFF and the requirements for reaching this IFF. Just before the end of the European milk quota, a total of 245 Walloon dairy producers answered a survey about the characteristics of their IFF and other socio-environmental-economic information. A multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was carried out using seven characteristics of the IFF (intensive vs. extensive, specialised vs. diversified, strongly vs. weakly based on new technologies, managed by a group of managers vs. an independent farmer, employed vs. familial workforce, local vs. global market, standard vs. quality-differentiated production) to observe the relationships between them. Based on the main contributors to the second dimension of the MCA, this axis was defined as an IFF gradient between the local-based extensive (LBE) producers (26%) and the global-based intensive (GBI) producers (46%). The differences of IFF gradient between modalities of categorical variables were estimated using generalised linear models. Pearson correlations were calculated between the scores on the IFF gradient and quantitative variables. Finally, frequencies of IFF characteristics and the corresponding characteristic for the current situation were calculated to determine the percentages of "unhappy" producers. Some reasons for the choice of IFF by the producers have been highlighted in this study. Environmental initiatives were more valued by LBE than GBI producers. Low similarity was observed between the current farm situation of the respondents and their IFF choice. LBE and GBI producers differed significantly regarding domains of formation (technical and bureaucratic vs. transformation and diversification respectively) and paths of formation (non-market vs. market respectively). Two kinds of farming systems were considered by dairy producers and some socioeconomic and environmental components differed between them.


Abstract The department of nuclear medicine of the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia started at the right moment (June 2, 1977), when the first cardiological procedures were developed. Unfortunately, it coincided in time with the beginning of the financial crisis. The higher costs of nuclear medicine instruments and operationsdid not allow the evolution of the department according to the original project, as nuclear cardiology demands special tracers and instrumentation, which are expensive and only available abroad. To solve these problems, we planned the creation of our own technology. We created a laboratory for radiopharmacy to elaborate lyophylized ingredients for the "cold" kits for instant labeling with 99Tcm of several tracers. With this, we achieved a substantial decrease in the operating costs, with total independence of commercial firms, and the future of the department was assured. In the field of instrumentation, a new system for tomodensitometric imaging of the thorax has been created by using two external gamma sources 99Tcm, and a digital system for image display and analysis was designed, built and programmed. This system, allowed the development of the quantitative technique of nuclear cardiology. We expect the software menu to be finished within this year. The transit from general nuclear medicine to nuclear cardiology has been slow in this Institute. During the first 8 years, the cardiological studies represented 10.8% of all in vivo studies; this figure increased to 37.8% in 1986. However, the increasing demand of cardiological studies tends to displace other in vivo studies due to oversaturation of the gamma-camera and the digital system. It can be concluded that the evolution of nuclear cardiology has been slow in this Institute, but represents a factual progress based on the creation of a technological substructure with internal resources.


The purpose of the present paper is to report on the design of a general system that is capable of learning and retrieving spatio-temporal sequences using any static associative neural networks (ANNs), including both autoassociative and heteroassociative neural networks. This artificial neural system has three major components: a voting network, a parallel array of ANN's, and delayed feedback lines from the output of the system to the ANN layer. The system has separate primary and pairing input channels. During learning, pairs of sequences of spatial patterns are presented to the primary and the pairing input channels simultaneously. During retrieving, a cue sequence, which is presented to the primary input channel only, and which may have spatial imperfections and temporal gaps, causes the system to output the stored spatio-temporal sequence. As a demonstration of the applicability of the present general system, we present an implementation using a specific neural network, that is, our dynamically generated variant of the counterpropagation network. This system shows computational advantages such as fast and accurate learning and retrieving, and the ability to store a large number of sequences consisting of nonorthogonal spatial patterns.


Two criteria which ought to be satisfied by an acceptable method for the estimation of serum transferrin by iron-binding capacity are enunciated. A screening procedure is described which involves the sequential quantitative use of ion exchange and gel filtration. Its use in testing the extent to which two published methods fulfil the recommended criteria is described. Both methods give results for total iron-binding capacity which are 1-10% high because of the inclusion of non-transferrin iron.


Abstract. In a world driven by the Internet and the readily accessible information it provides, there exists a high demand to easily discover and collect vast amounts of data available over several scientific domains and numerous data types. To add to the complexity, data is not only available through a plethora of data sources within disparate systems but also represents differing scales of space and time. One clear divide that exists in the world of information science and technology is the disjoint relationship between hydrologic and atmospheric science information. These worlds have long been split between observed time series at discrete geographical features in hydrologic science and modeled or remotely sensed coverages or grids over continuous space and time domains in atmospheric science. As more information becomes widely available through the Web, data are being served and published as Web services using standardized implementations and encodings. This paper illustrates a framework that utilizes Sensor Observation Services, Web Feature Services, Web Coverage Services, Catalog Services for the Web and GI-cat Services to index and discover data offered through different classes of information. This services infrastructure supports multiple servers of time series and gridded information, which can be searched through multiple portals, using a common set of time, space and concept query filters.


ABSTRACT In an influenza pandemic, two vaccine doses administered 21 days apart may be needed for individuals of all ages to achieve seroprotection. Achieving dose-series completion can be challenging even for routinely recommended vaccines. To prepare for a two-dose influenza pandemic vaccine campaign and promote dose-series completion and correct dosing intervals, CDC and its partners developed a text message-based vaccine reminder system to remind persons who receive a first dose of pandemic influenza vaccine to receive the second dose. Taking advantage of the high prevalence of cell phones in the United States, the system sent second-dose text message reminders and hyperlinks to educational information. The system was pilot tested from November 2015 to April 2016 among graduate public health students enrolled at four United States universities. Universities were selected based on convenience, and each university used a different recruitment method. Among 59 volunteers who pilot tested the system and completed a survey, 57 (92%) felt the system would be helpful during a pandemic. Forty (68%) respondents felt the information included in the messages was informative. Volunteers recommended including actionable ways to stay healthy during a pandemic, though specific suggestions varied. With further development, text reminder systems could be used to promote adherence to a two-dose regimen in a future pandemic, although audience-specific messaging and other complementary systems will likely be needed. Public and private partners can adapt and implement this tool in conjunction with their routine patient information systems to improve dose-series completion and ensure optimal protection during an influenza pandemic.


Recent terrestrial vertebrate faunal surveys in Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, collected specimens of Pteropus lombocensis from islands from which the species had not previously been reported (Sumbawa, Lembata and Pantar), as well as from Lombok, Flores and Alor Islands. A univariate and multivariate statistical analysis of 28 morphological (skull dentary, dental and external) characters showed that adult P. /ombocensis was not sexually dimorphic, but that significant variation occurred, particularly in dental characters, between the island populations. Two subspecies are recognised in P. lombocensis. These are the western form, P././ombocensis Dobson, 1878 (Lombok and Sumbawa Islands), and the eastern form, P. l. heudei Matschie, 1899 (Flores, Lembata, Pantar and Alar).


Recently, we found that rRNA synthesis in dissociated embryonic cells of Xenopus laevis is selectively inhibited by ammonium salts added to their surrounding medium. Similar effects were also observed in cells treated with amines. In this report, we analysed in more detail the effects of an ammonium salt and trimethylamine on rRNA synthesis in Xenopus embryonic cells cultured under several different conditions. Results obtained showed that ammonia and trimethylamine inhibit formation of 40S pre-rRNA, without inducing breakdown (wastage) or aberrant processing of the 40S pre-rRNA. Such inhibitory effects were also shown not to be due to interference with cellular ATP level. Furthermore, we found that the effects of both ammonium salt and trimethylamine were completely abolished when Na+ in the culture medium of the testing cells was replaced by choline ions. These results favour the view that the inhibition of rRNA synthesis by ammonia and amine is realized at the transcriptional level or at the step before the formation of 40S pre-rRNA, most probably via a slight increase of intracellular pH, but not via an inhibition in energy-generating systems.


 Abstract — The remarkable growth and evolution in information and communication technology (ICT) in the past few decades has transformed modern society in almost every aspect of life. The impact and application of ICT have been observed in almost all walks of life including science, arts, business, health, management, engineering, sports, and education. ICT in education is being used extensively for student learning, creativity, interaction, and knowledge sharing and as a valuable source of teaching instrument. Apart from the student's perspective, it plays a vital role for teacher education, instructional methods and curriculum development. There is a significant difference in growth of ICT enabled education in developing countries compared to developed nations and according to research, this gap is widening. ICT gradually infiltrate in almost every aspect of life. It has a deep and profound impact on our social, economic, health, environment, development, work, learning, and education environments. ICT provides very effective and dominant tools for information and knowledge processing. It is firmly believed that the coming generation should be proficient and confident in the use of ICT to cope with the existing international standards. This is only possible if schools can provide basic ICT infrastructure to students and to develop an ICT-integrated curriculum which covers all aspects of learning and creativity in students. However, there is a digital divide and steps must be taken to reduce this digital divide considerably to have the profound impact of ICT in education all around the globe. This study is based on theoretical approach and an extensive literature review is being conducted to see the successful implementations of ICT integration in education and to identify technologies and models which have been used in education in developed countries. This paper deals with the modern applications of ICT in schools for both teachers and students to uplift the learning and creativity amongst the students. A brief history of technology in education is presented and discussed are some important ICT tools for both student and teacher's perspective. Basic ICT-based infrastructure for academic institutions is presented. The overall conclusion leads to the positive impact of ICT in education by providing an interactive, collaborative and challenging environment to students and teachers for knowledge sharing, learning and critical thinking.


Abstract Synthesis, crystal structure and temperature-dependent behavior of Na2H4Ga2GeO8 are reported. This novel gallogermanate crystallizes in space group I41/acd with room-temperature powder diffraction lattice parameters of a = 1298.05(1) pm and c = 870.66(1) pm. The structure consists of MO4 (M = Ga, Ge) tetrahedra in four-ring chains, which are connected by two different (left- and right-handed) helical chains of NaO6 octahedra. Protons coordinating the oxygen atoms of the GaO4 tetrahedra not linked to germanium atoms ensure the charge balance. Structure solution and refinement are based on single crystal X-ray diffraction measurements. Proton positions are estimated using a combined approach of DFT calculations and NMR, FTIR and Raman spectroscopic techniques. The thermal expansion was examined in the range between T = 20(2) K and the compound's decomposition temperature at 568(5) K, in which no phase transition could be observed, and Debye temperatures of 266(11) and 1566(65) K were determined for the volume expansion.


Many acoustical simulation methods have been studied to investigate acoustical phenomena. Modeling of the directivity pattern of a sound source is also important for obtaining realistic simulation results. However, there has been little research on this. Although there has been research on sound source identification, the results might not be in a suitable form for numerical simulation. In this paper, a method for modeling a sound source from measured data is proposed. It utilizes the sum of monopoles as the physical model, and the modeling is achieved by estimating the model parameters. The estimation method is formulated as a convex optimization problem by assuming the smoothness of a solution and the sparseness of parameters. Moreover, an algorithm based on the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) for solving the problem is derived. The validity of the method is evaluated using simulated data, and the modeling result for an actual loudspeaker is shown.


Wireless NoC is an emerging paradigm to design high-bandwidth and energy-efficient communication backbones for massive multicore chips. The achievable performance of this type of on-chip interconnect infrastructure depends on the efficiency of the Media Access Control (MAC) protocol that arbitrates between the competing wireless nodes. In this work we propose the design of a distributed MAC protocol suitable for wireless NoC architectures. Compared to the widely used token passing scheme, a distributed MAC protocol improves scalability, provides better performance and lower overall energy dissipation. Depending on the traffic pattern, the proposed distributed MAC provides up to 23% improvement in energy delay product (EDP) when compared to the existing token passing scheme.


&NA; Six patients, with surgically implanted tantalum myocardial markers, were trained in deep muscle relaxation therapy. Analysis of individual responses and group means of blood pressure and ventricular dimensions during relaxation showed a decrease in plasma norepinephrine levels and indices of myocardial contractility compared to the control state. Heart rate changes in individuals during relaxation were directly correlated with changes in plasma norepinephrine levels, although group means for heart rate did not change significantly between control and relaxation periods. Base‐line plasma norepinephrine levels were directly correlated with systolic blood pressure and were inveresly correlated with a measure of myocardial contractility. These data suggest that physiological changes during relaxation may be mediated through the sympathetic nervous system.


This thesis presents an analysis of Elhedhli and Merrick's paper, Green supply chain network design to reduce carbon emissions [1]. Elhedhli and Merrick proposed a supply chain model to find the optimal placement of distribution centres (DCs) while minimizing transportation costs, the fixed cost of opening the DC and carbon emissions costs. They found that considering carbon emissions creates a pull to reduce the vehicle kilometers travelled, and results in a supply chain network with more DCs opened compared to a supply chain network that does not consider carbon emissions. This thesis is an exploration of the model and solution methods proposed by Elhedhli and Merrick. An overview of optimization topics, a description of Lagrangian relaxation and an outline of decomposition methods is included to provide background knowledge for the description of the green supply chain network model, and its solution methods. We use the algorithm suggested by Elhedhli and Merrick to find the optimal solution of three supply chain networks: one considering zero emissions costs, one considering moderate emissions costs and one considering high emissions costs. The results obtained from the three scenarios confirm the results of Elhedhli and Merrick.


Summary form only given. Development of modern complex systems such as aircraft would be impossible without detailed descriptive and predictive models, but models are little used in the development of collaboration technology. Can models of human collaboration provide a foundation for development of new and improved collaborative technologies? The author explores this issue by considering the potential contributions and weaknesses of different approaches for modeling collaboration. Modeling approaches such as UML, workflow models, and coordination theory, and GOMS are ostensive, describing intended collaboration behavior. Modeling approaches such as grounded theory, social network theory, and temporal models are performative, describing observed behavior. The author illustrates and assesses these approaches by applying them to the domain of engineering change management, which is a well practiced, complex collaborative activity. The performative approaches generally have potential for (a) improving technology requirements by enriching understanding of collaborative behavior and (b) monitoring ongoing collaborative behavior. The ostensive approaches can help guide or constrain collaborative behavior. Taken together these approaches may enable collaboration technology to adapt to changes in behavior and provide guidance about ways that people can improve their collaboration


Almost two decades have passed since supported Au nanoparticles were found to be active for CO oxidation. This discovery inspired extensive research addressing the origin of the unique properties of supported Au nanoparticles, the design and synthesis of potentially technical Au catalysts, and the extension of Au catalysis to other reactions. This tutorial review summarises the current understanding of the origin of the unique properties of titania-supported Au catalysts for carbon monoxide oxidation. The key issues of catalysis by nanostructured Au, effects of oxide support and active site/structure, especially those provided from model studies are discussed in detail. The successful synthesis of a highly catalytically active gold bilayer may lead to the design and synthesis of practically active Au nanofilm catalysts.


Guillain-Barré syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that affects the nerves. Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system malfunctions and attacks the body's own tissues and organs. In Guillain-Barré syndrome, the immune response damages peripheral nerves, which are the nerves that connect the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to the limbs and organs. Specifically, the immune response affects a particular part of peripheral nerves called axons, which are the extensions of nerve cells (neurons) that transmit nerve impulses. Guillain-Barré syndrome can affect the neurons that control muscle movement (motor neurons); the neurons that transmit sensory signals such as pain, temperature, and touch (sensory neurons); or both. As a result, affected individuals can experience muscle weakness or lose the ability to feel certain sensations.


In revised national tuberculosis control program (RNTCP), microscopic examination of sputum for AFB plays an important role in the initial diagnosis of tuberculosis. Decontamination and liquefaction with by 5% sodium hypochlorite increases sensitivity and safety for handling specimen. In this prospective hospital based cross sectional analytical study, patients of all ages and either sex coming to RNTCP centre were included according to RNTCP criteria. From each patient, two samples of sputum were collected one spot and one morning. One set of smears was prepared by RNTCP guidelines and remaining samples were concentrated by using 5% NaOCl, followed by centrifugation and staining with ZN stain. Both set of smears were observed by two observers to remove observer's bias. A total of 882 patients were included in the study with 577 (65%) males and 305 (35%) females. A total of 172(19.5%) patients were positive by RNTCP method whereas 201(22.79%) patients were positive by concentration method diagnosing 29 additional patients. This constitutes a rise of 3.29%. This constitute 16.86% rise in case detection over RNTCP method. There is a rise in smear positive cases after concentration with 5% sodium hypochlorite solution. The bleach method has advantage over routine  RNTCP method as it is simple, does not require any additional expertise, is safe, reagents are also affordable and easily available and could diagnose additional cases. Keywords: Tuberculosis, Sodium hypochlorite, Sputum microscopy


Electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) is no longer a new term in the area of educational research. It has been widely adopted by various tertiary institutions as a learning and assessment tool in different countries. A major feature of an ePortfolio is that it supports lifelong learning by archiving and showcasing selected artifacts from individual learners, recording their professional development and sharing their best work with others. To facilitate learners to produce their ePortfolios effectively and conveniently, the development of an online platform is necessary. The objective of this article is to explore and analyze the realistic problems faced by various stakeholders, including system developers and administrators, students as well as teachers, during the implementation of an ePortfolio system in the English Language Centre at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. This article paints a clear picture of concerns raised by various stakeholders with regard to an ePortfolio system, how the system design responds to their concerns, and how the stakeholders are impacted by the system.


Hepatic adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to certain drugs may differ within each country, reflecting different patterns of prescription, socioeconomic status, and culture. The purpose of this study was to assess the suspected cause of hepatic ADRs using the spontaneously reported pharmacovigilance data from Korea. A total of 9,360 spontaneously reported adverse drug events (ADEs) from nine Pharmacovigilance Centers were analyzed. Risk of hepatic ADEs was assessed by calculating the reporting odds ratio (ROR). Of the 9,360 cases, 567 hepatic ADEs were reported. The most frequently prescribed drug classes inducing hepatic ADEs were anti-tuberculotics, cephalosporins, valproic acids, penicillins, quinolones, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anti-viral agents, and statins. ROR values were especially high in anti-tuberculosis drugs, systemic antifungal drugs for systemic use, anti-epileptics, propylthiouracil, and herbal medicines. Underlying diseases such as tuberculosis (6.9% vs 0.9%), pneumonia (4.9% vs 1.7%), intracranial injury including skull fracture (4.5% vs 0.9%), HIV (3.4% vs 0.4%), subarachnoid hemorrhage (2.8% vs 0.5%), and osteoporosis (2.4% vs 1.4%) were significantly more common in hepatic ADE group. In conclusion, anti-infective drugs, anti-epileptics, NSAIDs and statins are the most common suspects of the spontaneously reported hepatic ADEs, in Korea. Careful monitoring for such reactions is needed for the prescription of these drugs.


Child health care factors such as medical treatment of sick children have direct and indirect effect on childhood mortality. Through international cooperation, a number of countries including Kenya have gathered information on provision of child health services at facility level from periodic Service Provision Assessment (SPA) surveys. Kenya has also gathered information on medical treatment of sick children at household level from periodic Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). However, establishing how health care information in the SPA surveys relates to childhood mortality and also how these factors relate to medical treatment of sick children in the DHS has been constrained by differences in sample designs of the surveys. This study deployed a fstrategy of constructing community level variables derived from the SPA survey data and incorporated them into DHS data which served as the main data source. The SPA and DHS sampling designs for Kenya allow computation of stable estimates of regional demographic and health service indicators at provincial level. This study analyzed information gathered from 690 health facilities in 2010 SPA and 6079 births born less than 60 months from 2008/09 DHS. The study found that access to child health services, waiting time before service in facility and time to the nearest referral facility were significant facilitating factors for medical treatment of sick children. The study also established that waiting time before service in facility was the only access to health care factor which had a significant effect on childhood mortality when HIV prevalence was excluded in the analysis. However, the significance of waiting time before service diminished with inclusion of HIV prevalence. Further research is required to refine definition and measurement for child health care variable on female autonomy.


In the current higher education context, where there is a growing economic imperative for universities to diversify and globalise their income streams, offering online programmes is increasingly positioned as an effective strategy for recruiting international students. However, supporting online international students studying at a distance is not a simple task for either universities or tutors. The problem, in part, stems from a lack of scholarly understanding of how online international students experience—and engage with—online learning. This presentation addresses that gap in understanding by systematically, yet critically, reviewing relevant narratives from published scholarship about who online international students are (or are perceived to be). A total number of 39 articles, which have i) a focus on higher education; ii) a focus on pedagogical practice (rather than administrative matters, including recruitment); and iii) a focus on international students resident in a country different from the institution offering their online course, were reviewed in this project. We took a grounded theory approach to analysing the selected papers, which were treated as an empirical data set for our project, following the three steps of coding: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The presentation will discuss four types of narrative in the published academic literature, which describes online international students primarily as: i) unspecified others of rapidly increasing numbers; ii) specific others, with particular deficits; iii) specific others, to be drawn on as pedagogical resources; and iv) active participants in international learning communities. Specific examples of each type of narrative will be provided during our presentation and then, we shall discuss both the merits and the drawbacks of each type of narrative for online educators seeking pedagogical suggestions about supporting online international students in their real-life teaching contexts.


Malaria, caused by the Plasmodium parasite is still a health problem world- wide due to resistance of the pathogen to current anti-malarials. The search for new anti-malarial agents has become more crucial with the emergence of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains. Protein kinases such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), MAPK kinase, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and glycogen synthase kinase- 3(GSK-3) of parasitic protozoa are potential drug targets. GSK-3 is an enzyme that plays a vital role in multiple cellular processes, and has been linked to pathogenesis of several diseases such as type II diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, the anti- plasmodial property of LiCl, a known GSK-3 inhibitor, was evaluated in vivo for its anti- malarial effect against mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. Infected ICR mice were intraperitoneally administered with LiCl for four consecutive days before (prophylactic test) and after (suppressive test) inoculation of P. berghei-parasitised erythrocytes. Results from the suppressive test (post-infection LiCl treatment) showed inhibition of erythrocytic parasitemia development by 62.06%, 85.67% and 85.18% as compared to non- treated controls for the 100 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg dosages respectively. Both 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg LiCl showed similar significant (P<0.05) suppressive values to that obtained with chloroquine-treated mice (86% suppression). The prophylactic test indicated a significantly (P<0.05) high protective effect on mice pre-treated with LiCl with suppression levels relatively comparable to chloroquine (84.07% and 86.26% suppression for the 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg LiCl dosages respectively versus 92.86% suppression by chloroquine). In both the suppressive and prophylactic tests, LiCl-treated animals survived longer than their non-treated counterparts. Mortality of the non-treated mice was 100% within 6 to 7 days of parasite inoculation whereas mice administered with LiCl survived beyond 9 days. Healthy non-infected mice administered with 600 mg/ kg LiCl for four consecutive days also showed decreased mortality compared to animals receiving lower doses of LiCl; three of the seven mice intraperitoneally injected with the former dose of LiCl did not survive more than 24 h after administration of LiCl whereas animals given the lower LiCl doses survived beyond four days of LiCl administration. To date, no direct evidence of anti-malarial activity in vivo or in vitro has been reported for LiCl. Evidence of anti-plasmodial activity of lithium in a mouse infection model is presented in this study.


ABSTRACT National lockdowns exacerbated the inequalities that many disabled people faced in accessing and engaging in sport and physical activity. Like many organisations, disability sport and physical recreation-focused charities were constrained in their ability to deliver and sustain their services during such periods. This study explored the exchange relationships between a disability sport charity and its existing and prospective business clients as the former rolled key elements of its provision online. Resource mobilisation theory was employed as a framework by which to identify key resource types and mechanisms underpinning the exchanges between the businesses and the charity. Semi-structured interviews with participants from eight businesses were conducted to understand the dynamics of such resource exchange. Moral resources featured prominently in participants' accounts, particularly in relation to the legitimacy of the charity and authenticity of its delivery, with human resources also receiving much attention due to facilitators' engaging delivery styles. Overall, the charity was able to extend its organisational mission of increasing inclusion in physical activity beyond its own programmes via businesses through which it shares exchange relationships, emphasising the importance of such relationships both during and beyond lockdown periods.


Abstract. Intensity values, which are registered by a terrestrial laser scanner system (TLS) for each point of a 3D point cloud in addition to its coordinates, are affected by the characteristic of the measured object and the parameters of the environment. The backscattered electromagnetic signal is influenced in his strength by the reflectivity of the scanned object surface, the incidence angle, the distance between laser scanner and object and the atmospheric respectively system specific setting of the TLS-measurement. The entity of all influences on the signal can be summarized in the laser range equation of Jelalian1. For the investigations of this study the named influences where divided into two groups. Group 1 includes the surface specific influences. The second group contains all other influences. The correction of the intensity values from the effects of group 2 theoretically allows the determination of similar materials, using similar intensity values in laser scanner point clouds. In this paper the dependency between laser scanner intensity values and range are investigated on the basis of laser scanner data recorded with a Riegl LMS-Z420i. The results are compared with data from the phase-difference laser scanner Zoller+Frohlich Imager 5006i.


A comparison of carrier-suppressed return-to-zero (CSRZ) and single sideband return-to-zero (SSB-RZ) formats is made in an attempt to find the optimum modulation format for high bit rate optical transmission systems. Our results show that CSRZ is superior to return-to-zero (RZ) and SSB-RZ with respect to signal degradation due to Kerr nonlinearities and chromatic dispersion in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) as well as in single-channel 40-Gb/s systems over standard single-mode fibers (SSMF). It is shown that CSRZ enables a maximum spectral efficiency of approximately 0.7 (b/s)/Hz in a N/spl times/40 Gb/s WDM system with equally polarized channels. Furthermore, the CSRZ format in N/spl times/40 Gb/s WDM systems shows no further signal degradation compared to single-channel transmission.


Grand strategy offers an effective framework to understand and explain how and why a state interacts with other actors in a given way and how it combines various military, diplomatic, economic, and cultural instruments to achieve its ends in a largely coherent fashion. Yet, the term "grand strategy" conjures different meanings and attitudes, with some treating it as synonymous with strategy and foreign policy, thus raising questions about its relations with policy and politics. History teaches us that grand strategy remains a demanding enterprise, partly because of actors' differential status and partly because its time horizon (mid to long term) subjects it to unforeseen conditions that threaten to derail it. However, does this make grand strategy impossible? Modern grand strategic scholarship is studded with tensions, but this must not eclipse research advances. In fact, the more disconnected controversies are from empirical contexts, the more they tend to become ends unto themselves. The first controversy relates to the definition of grand strategy and the best way to chart its landscape; the second deals with the sources of grand strategy (internal vs. external, material vs. ideational); and the third revolves around the feasibility of grand strategy in a capricious and fast-paced environment. These tensions are both defining, in the sense that they outline the state of the field, and productive, as they point toward future research avenues.


Background: Microalbominuria (MA) is early presentation of renal damage which acts as an independent factor of cardiovascular events in these patients. There are various methods for sampling and also different laboratory tests to measuring albominuria. The aim of this study was to compare of different urine collection methods for measuring albominuria using immunoturbidometry assay which has acceptable accuracy and sensitivity after HPLC (High Performance Lipid Chromathography). Methods : Forty seven diabetic patients were selected for a cross-sectional study in 2006. For all patients 24-h urine sample were collected, also an overnight urine sample (8 hour long) and spot urine sample (morning time) was provided in the next day. The level of albumin in all samples were measured via immunoturbidometry assay. Then the results of agreement coefficient were accounted and comprised with each others. Results : In this study 47 patients were selected which 46 of them were type 2 and one of them type 1 diabetic. Our results revealed significant correlation between all methods. In addition agreement coefficient (kappa) was accounted for all methods, time 24-h urine in comparison with 8 hours overnight urine, timed 24-h urine in comparison with spot urine and overnight urine samples in comparison with spot urine which were 0.876, 0.936 and 0.807 respectively. Conclusion : Regarding significant agreement for screening of microalbominuria between different collecting methods, we suggest 8-h overnight or spot urine sampling carry out instead of 24-h urine collection.


We demonstrate a method for electrochemical testing of an aprotic Li-O2 battery. An aprotic Li-O2 battery is made of a Li-metal anode, an aprotic electrolyte, and an O2-breathing cathode. The aprotic electrolyte is a solution of lithium salt with aprotic solvent; and porous carbon is commonly used as the cathode substrate. To improve the performance, an electrocatalyst is deposited onto the porous carbon substrate by certain deposition methods, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) and wet-chemistry reaction. The as-prepared cathode materials are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). A Swagelok-type cell, sealed in a glass chamber filled with pure O2, is used for the electrochemical test on a battery test system. The cells are tested under either capacity-controlled mode or voltage controlled mode. The reaction products are investigated by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy to study the possible pathway of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This protocol demonstrates a systematic and efficient arrangement of routine tests of the aprotic Li-O2 battery, including the electrochemical test and characterization of battery materials.


TCP is the main and most widely used transport protocol for reliable communication. Because of its widespread need, researchers have been studying and proposing new TCP variants trying to improve its behavior towards congestion to make it use the most available bandwidth while preserving a logical level of fairness towards other protocols. This paper aims at evaluating and comparing the performance of the most recent TCP implementations deployed in popular Operating Systems. We carefully choose scenarios to investigate the goodput, intra- and inter-protocol fairness of these TCP variants. Results show that running Cubic over wired links outperforms Compound and New Reno in the presence of reverse traffic. However, the protocols behave differently over wireless links where they achieve a low goodput with a very small variation. Also, all three variants are fair to other TCP traffic and achieve the same intra-protocol fairness over wireless links.


This thesis describes the method of EEG-correlated fMRI and its application to patients with epilepsy. First, an introduction on MRI and functional imaging methods in the field of epilepsy is provided. Then, the present and future role of EEG-correlated fMRI in the investigation of the epilepsies is discussed. The fourth chapter reviews the important practicalities of EEG-correlated fMRI that were addressed in this project. These included patient safety, EEG quality and MRI artifacts during EEG-correlated fMRI. Technical solutions to enable safe, good quality EEG recordings inside the MR scanner are presented, including optimisation of the EEG recording techniques and algorithms for the on-line subtraction of pulse and image artifact. In chapter five, a study applying spike-triggered fMRI to patients with focal epilepsy (n = 24) is presented. Using statistical parametric mapping (SPM), cortical Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent (BOLD) activations corresponding to the presumed generators of the interictal epileptiform discharges (IED) were identified in twelve patients. The results were reproducible in repeated experiments in eight patients. In the remaining patients no significant activation (n = 10) was present or the activation did not correspond to the presumed epileptic focus (n = 2). The clinical implications of this finding are discussed. In a second study it was demonstrated that in selected patients, individual (as opposed to averaged) IED could also be associated with hemodynamic changes detectable with fMRI. Chapter six gives examples of combination of EEG-correlated fMRI with other modalities to obtain complementary information on interictal epileptiform activity and epileptic foci. One study compared spike-triggered fMRI activation maps with EEG source analysis based on 64-channel scalp EEG recordings of interictal spikes using co-registration of both modalities. In all but one patient, source analysis solutions were anatomically concordant with the BOLD activation. Further, the combination of spike- triggered fMRI with diffusion tensor and chemical shift imaging is demonstrated in a patient with localisation-related epilepsy. In chapter seven, applications of EEG-correlated fMRI in different areas of neuroscience are discussed. Finally, the initial imaging findings with the novel technique for the simultaneous and continuous acquisition of fMRI and EEG data are presented as an outlook to future applications of EEG-correlated fMRI. In conclusion, the technical problems of both EEG-triggered fMRI and simultaneous EEG-correlated fMRI are now largely solved. The method has proved useful to provide new insights into the generation of epileptiform activity and other pathological and physiological brain activity. Currently, its utility in clinical epileptology remains unknown.


This paper examines Shakespeare's Henry VIII (1623) and John Ford's Perkin Warbeck (1634), to assess the extent to which European royal marriage alliances were promoted or interrogated as a means of strengthening diplomatic ties. It pays close attention to the portrayal of the marriages of European women, chiefly the Scottish Katherine Gordon and the Spanish Katherine of Aragon, and their assimilation into the English political sphere. In so doing, it uncovers theatrical suggestions that traditional ideas of European royal marriage – that it adds lustre to the English crown – were tempered with a championing of the relative virtues of Englishwomen. Thus, the two plays engage with a growing sense of English nationalism, as they represent the Scot and the Spaniard as potentially subversive influences. In Henry VIII , Katherine of Aragon, aged and querulous, appeals unsuccessfully to her imagined continental power; in Perkin Warbeck , Katherine Gordon resists the overtures of Henry VII and retains a dangerous autonomy as a widow in an England still uncertain of its own identity.


: The object of this work was to study enzymes involved in ammonium assimilation by 15 bacterial strains of different taxonomy. The bacteria utilizing methanol and methylated amines as the sources of carbon and energy have one of the three cyclic pathways of C1-metabolism: the serine pathway, the hexulose phosphate pathway or the ribulose diphosphate pathway. The bacteria were found to differ in the enzymes for ammonium assimilation according to the pathways of primary C1-metabolism. The bacteria with the serine cycle were characterized by the reductive amination of pyruvate and the operation of the glutamate cycle (glutamine synthetases and glutamate synthases). The reductive amination of alpha-ketoglutarate is the principal pathway of ammonium nitrogen assimilation in the bacteria with the hexulose phosphate cycle. The bacteria using reduced C1-substrates autotrophically, i.e. via the ribulose diphosphate pathway, have the enzymes of the glutamate cycle, but are characterized by low activities, if any, of amino acid dehydrogenases.


We study the persuasive impacts of non-informative communication on the short-run beliefs and long-run behavior of individuals. We do so in the context of the Papal visit to Brazil in October 1991, in which persuasive messages related to fertility were salient in Papal speeches during the visit. We use individual's exposure to such messages to measure how persuasion shifts: (i) short-run beliefs such as intentions to contracept; (ii) long-term fertility outcomes, such as the timing and total number of births. To measure the short run causal impact of persuasion, we exploit the fact the Brazil 1991 DHS was fielded in the weeks before, during, and after the Papal visit. We use this fortuitous timing to identify that persuasion significantly reduced individual intentions to contracept by more than 40 percent relative to previsit levels, and increased the frequency of unprotected sex by 30 percent. We measure the long-run causal impacts of persuasion on fertility outcomes using later DHS surveys to conduct an event study analysis on births in a five year window either side of the 1991 Papal visit. Estimating a hazard model of fertility, we find a significant change in births nine months post-visit, corresponding to a 1.6 percent increase in the aggregate birth cohort. Our final set of results examine the very long run impact of persuasion and document the impacts to be on the timing of births rather than on total fertility.


Objective Hand fractures are common in childhood, and radiography is the standard diagnostic procedure. US has been used to evaluate bone injuries, mainly in adults for long-bone trauma; there are only a few studies about hand fractures in children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and confirm the safety and applicability of the US diagnostic procedure in comparison to X-ray diagnosis. Study design This cross-sectional study involved a convenience sample of young patients (between 2 and 17 years old) who were taken to the emergency department due to hand trauma. After clinical assessment, patients with a suspected hand fracture first underwent X-ray, and subsequently US examination by two different operators; a radiologist experienced in US and a trained emergency physician in "double-blind" fashion. US and radiographic findings were then compared, and sensitivity as well as specificity was calculated. Results A total of 204 patients were enrolled in the study. Seventy-nine fractures of phalanges or metacarpals were detected by standard radiography. When US imaging was performed by an expert radiologist, 72 fractures were detected with sensitivity and a specificity of 91.1% and 97.6%, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity were found to be (respectively) 91.5% and 96.8% when US was performed by the ED physicians. Conclusions US imaging showed excellent sensitivity and specificity results in the diagnosis of hand fractures in children. The study also showed a great agreement between the results of the US carried out by the senior radiologist and those carried out by the paediatric emergency physician, suggesting that US can be performed by an ED physician, allowing a rapid and accurate evaluation in ED and could become the first diagnostic approach whenever a hand fracture is suspected.


We reframe common tasks in jet physics in probabilistic terms, including jet reconstruction, Monte Carlo tuning, matrix element – parton shower matching for large jet multiplicity, and efficient event generation of jets in complex, signal-like regions of phase space. We also introduce Ginkgo, a simplified, generative model for jets, that facilitates research into these tasks with techniques from statistics, machine learning, and combinatorial optimization. We also review some of the recent research in this direction that has been enabled with Ginkgo. We show how probabilistic programming can be used to efficiently sample the showering process, how a novel trellis algorithm can be used to efficiently marginalize over the enormous number of clustering histories for the same observed particles, and how the dynamic programming and reinforcement learning can be used to find the maximum likelihood clusterinng in this enormous search space. This work builds bridges with work in hierarchical clustering, statistics, combinatorial optmization, and reinforcement learning.


The purpose of the present study was to assess five manual tests for pain provocation of the neck to determine their suitability for epidemiological investigations. To 75 randomly selected men, five manual pain-provoking tests were applied in a single-blind design. Prevalence of reported neck dysfunction, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predicted value for each test were calculated. 22 of the 75 reported present neck pain, while the remainder reported freedom from neck pain for at least one year. Palpation over the facet joints in the cervical spine was found to be the most appropriate screening test to corroborate the replies in self-reported questionnaires on dysfunctions of the neck. The outcome of this test was quite consistent with the reported neck pain. The test of the formina intervertebralia and the upper limb tension test caused pain in almost all subjects with reported neck dysfunctions, though not causing referred pain in the arm as an indication of neurogenous tissue origin, as it was aimed to. Neither the neck rotation test nor the active flexion/extension test was sufficiently provocative to confirm the reported neck pain in these subjects, as both were insufficiently sensitive.


It is shown that the elimination of the discrete transverse motion in a waveguide of arbitrary shape may be described in terms of a non-Abelian gauge field for the longitudinal dynamics. This allows for an exact treatment of the scattering between different modes by eliminating the gauge field at the expense of a non-diagonal matrix of local subband energies. The method is applied to calculate the local density of states (LDOS) in a quantum point contact. Contrary to the total conductance which is well described by an adiabatic approximation, mode mixing turns out to play a crucial role for local properties like the LDOS.


Summary.  Fixed effects meta‐analysis can be thought of as least squares analysis of the radial plot, the plot of standardized treatment effect against precision (reciprocal of the standard deviation) for the studies in a systematic review. For example, the least squares slope through the origin estimates the treatment effect, and a widely used test for publication bias is equivalent to testing the significance of the regression intercept. However, the usual theory assumes that the within‐study variances are known, whereas in practice they are estimated. This leads to extra variability in the points of the radial plot which can lead to a marked distortion in inferences that are derived from these regression calculations. This is illustrated by a clinical trials example from the Cochrane database. We derive approximations to the sampling properties of the radial plot and suggest bias corrections to some of the commonly used methods of meta‐analysis. A simulation study suggests that these bias corrections are effective in controlling levels of significance of tests and coverage of confidence intervals.


Increasing evidence suggests that a continuous release of histamine from mast cells occurs in the airways of asthmatic patients and that histamine may modulate functions of other inflammatory cells such as macrophages. In the present study histamine (10−9–10−6 M) increased in a concentration-dependent fashion the basal release of β-glucuronidase (EC50 = 8.2 ± 3.5 × 10−9 M) and IL-6 (EC50 = 9.3 ± 2.9 × 10−8 M) from human lung macrophages. Enhancement of β-glucuronidase release induced by histamine was evident after 30 min and peaked at 90 min, whereas that of IL-6 required 2–6 h of incubation. These effects were reproduced by the H1 agonist (6-[2-(4-imidazolyl)ethylamino]-N-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)heptane carboxamide but not by the H2 agonist dimaprit. Furthermore, histamine induced a concentration-dependent increase of intracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) that followed three types of response, one characterized by a rapid increase, a second in which [Ca2+]i displays a slow but progressive increase, and a third characterized by an oscillatory pattern. Histamine-induced β-glucuronidase and IL-6 release and [Ca2+]i elevation were inhibited by the selective H1 antagonist fexofenadine (10−7–10−4 M), but not by the H2 antagonist ranitidine. Inhibition of histamine-induced β-glucuronidase and IL-6 release by fexofenadine was concentration dependent and displayed the characteristics of a competitive antagonism (Kd = 89 nM). These data demonstrate that histamine induces exocytosis and IL-6 production from human macrophages by activating H1 receptor and by increasing [Ca2+]i and they suggest that histamine may play a relevant role in the long-term sustainment of allergic inflammation in the airways.


The mid-infrared spectrum can be recorded from almost any material, making mid-infrared spectroscopy an extremely important and widely used sample characterization and analysis technique. However, sensitive photoconductive detectors operate primarily in the near-infrared (NIR), but not in the mid-infrared, making the NIR more favorable for accurate spectral analysis. Although the absorption cross section of vibrational modes in the NIR is orders of magnitude smaller compared to the fundamental vibrations in the mid-infrared, different concepts have been proposed to increase the detectability of weak molecular transitions overtones. Yet, the contribution of magnetophotonic structures in the NIR absorption effect has never been explored so far. Here we propose high-Q magnetophotonic structures for a supersensitive detection of weak absorption resonances in the NIR. We analyze the contributions of both magnetic and nonmagnetic photonic crystal configurations to the detection of weak molecular transitions overtones. Our results constitute an important step towards the development of highly sensitive spectroscopic tools based on high-Q magnetophotonic sensors.


The printing of software manuals has become a very important and distinct subsector within the overall printing industry. This thesis sets out to examine the development of this subsector by examining the market structure of the sector, identifying the competitive forces that exist and outlining the strategies adopted by the firms in the market.

The starting point for the thesis is an examination of the traditional structureconduct- performance model and its relationship with the wider business policy field.- This examination is elementary and serves to provide a very useful starting point. Next a specific framework is developed to examine the software manual printing sector. This framework concentrates on the dimensions of structure and conduct, with the causality flowing from structural criteria; conduct is equated with a firm's business strategy. The dimension of performance is reduced in importance, reflecting the view that performance is largely a matter for the individual firms; however performance does influence both conduct and structure.

Before examining the software manual sector an outline is provided of the printing and publishing industry (NACE 473/474). This outline highlights the broader industrial context within which the software manual printing industry has emerged.

The software manual printing sector is examined by means of the industrial organisation framework developed. This comprises two elements; an analysis of the market structure, along the dimensions of market definition, market concentration and entry barriers, and a review of the generic strategies adopted by the suppliers.

The thesis concludes with a number of industrial policy recommendations for this sector, and in particular it outlines that industrial policy is required for both traded and non-traded sectors.


In this thesis, I propose mechanisms for user-centric resource allocation in wireless networks. I consider a series of practical motivating contexts that progressively require lesser trust and reliance on the network provider and allow for more flexible connectivity schemes benefitting end-devices, especially for emerging connectivity use-cases like the IoT. The granularity of typical month-long mobile data plans is such that users must forecast their network usage over a month and assign a single monetary value to itsutility. Finer-grained real-time information about user needs does not play a role in resource allocation, though users determine their needs and launch mobile applications only in realtime. This results in unrealized value for both the end-user and the network operator and further restricts the userto availing resources that belong only to their subscribed network(s). Inspired by Verizon's recent PopData offering, I first consider supplementing typical monthly subscription plans with ad-hoc discount offers, wherein users may consume unlimited data for the offered hour for a smallfixed fee. This allows users to realize any additional resource needs for their sessions in realtime by utilizing these simple offers without the risk of incurring a data overage, while also affording the network a predictablecontract revenue. Second, I consider a user-driven approach to acquiring network resources by proposing a model wherein a slice of resources is dynamically created and assigned to a device based on the session needs itspecifies. Devices can then reliably estimate their session performance at the onset. I explore how these models can be made incentive-compatible for the network and the user, show that they can be executed in realtime albeitat a steep cost to users since they are unable to plan spending optimally in realtime, and that this suboptimality can be alleviated with reinforcement learning techniques. Finally, I remove the inherent device-network trust relationship that exists in these models by allowing devices to seamlessly authenticate with any access point (without subscriptions) and make real-time payments for consumed data, using public and permissionless blockchains, in a scalable and secure manner.


Vector-borne viruses alter many physical and chemical traits of their plant hosts, indirectly affecting the fitness and behavior of vectors in ways that promote virus transmission. However, it is unclear whether viruses induce plant-mediated shifts in the behavior and fitness of non-vector herbivores, or if non-vectors affect the dynamics of vector-borne viruses. Here we evaluated reciprocal interactions between Pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV), a pathogen transmitted by the aphid Acrythosiphon pisum, and a non-vector weevil, Sitona lineatus. In the field, PEMV-infected plants experienced more defoliation from S. lineatus than uninfected plants; behavioral assays similarly showed S. lineatus adults preferred to feed on infected plants. In turn, infectious A. pisum preferred plants damaged by S. lineatus, and S. lineatus herbivory led to increased PEMV titer. These interactions may be mediated by plant phytohormone levels, as S. lineatus induced jasmonic acid, while PEMV induced salicylic acid. Levels of abscisic acid were not affected by attack from either PEMV or S. lineatus alone, but plants challenged by both had elevated levels of this phytohormone. As plant viruses and their vectors often exist in diverse communities, our study highlights the importance of non-vector species in influencing plant pathogens and their vectors through host-mediated effects.


Importance Li Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is associated with a wide variety of tumors; nevertheless, thyroid carcinoma has not been evaluated in this syndrome. Due to the Brazilian founder mutation p.R337H, some tumors that have not been described in the classic LFS have been observed in a higher-than-expected prevalence in Brazil. Objective To determine the frequency of thyroid carcinoma in Brazilian carriers of a founder TP53 p.R337H mutation. Design, Setting, and Participants We reviewed medical records of patients with LFS with germline TP53 p.R337H mutation. For a better understanding of the correlation between thyroid carcinoma and LFS, tumor profile data of Brazilian carriers were analyzed. We included data from 193 patients with LFS with the TP53 p.R337H mutation from the database of the Department of Oncogenetics from the A.C. Camargo Cancer Center. Main Outcomes and Measures Thyroid tumors found in this population were reviewed with regard to age at diagnosis, sex, histologic subtype, and other tumors presented by these patients. Results Overall, 101 of 193 TP53 p.R337H mutation carriers with LFS from 58 families were cancer affected and, among them, thyroid carcinoma presented a prevalence of 10.9% (3 men and 8 women). The mean age at diagnosis was 44 years (median [SD], 43 [14.77] years). All the cases were histologically classified as papillary carcinomas, with 2 of them exhibiting follicular variant. The most common other cancers in the patients with thyroid carcinoma were breast cancer (5 patients) and soft-tissue sarcoma (2 patients). Conclusions and Relevance Thyroid carcinoma may be associated with the Brazilian founder TP53 p.R337H mutation. Knowledge about this genotype/phenotype correlation is relevant to adjusting the LFS screening recommendations to these specific carriers.


: Fifty-two fecal samples from the Plateau pika, Ochotona curzoniae, collected in the Haibei Area, Qinghai Province, China, were examined for the presence of coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). Five distinct morphotypes, all Eimeria species, were distinguished based on the structure of their sporulated oocysts. Three of these included Eimeria banffensis, Eimeria calentinei, and Eimeria cryptobarretti, all of which have been described previously from other Ochotona species. We also studied 2 morphotypes that we feel have sufficient qualitative and quantitative characters to distinguish them from all previously described species; herein, we identify them as putative new species. Eimeria qinghaiensis n.sp. was found in 18/52 (35 % ) O. curzoniae. It has ovoidal oocysts with a 3-layered wall, with a rough outermost layer and a micropyle, , 9 m m wide. Sporulated oocysts are 37.2 3 27.2 (34–41 3 24–32) m m; 1 polar granule is present, but an oocyst residuum is absent. Sporocysts are ovoidal, 16.6 3 9.8 (14–19 3 9–11) m m with a Stieda body; sporocyst residuum and sporozoites have 2 refractile bodies. Eimeria haibeiensis n. sp. was found in 21/52 (40 % ) pikas. It has ellipsoidal to ovoidal oocysts, with a 2-layered


ECG abnormalities are described in 71 persons with the syndrome of premature repolarization of the ventricles. The syndrome of premature ventricular repolarization is considered a benign, most probably congenital, change of the electro-physiological state of the heart which due to its morphological peculiarities, however, leads to hyperdiagnosis of ischemic heart disease. In the discussion of the pathogenesis of this syndrome, the main attention is focused on the increased effect of the vagus nerve and the possible existence of anomalous additional pathways of atrioventricular conduction.


Regorafenib is a broad-spectrum oral multikinase inhibitor that targets several angiogenic, oncogenic, and stromal receptor tyrosine kinases that support the tumor microenvironment. Results from the pivotal Phase III Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated with Regorafenib or Placebo After Failure of Standard Therapy (CORRECT) trial showed that the addition of regorafenib to best supportive care resulted in a significant improvement in median overall survival and progression-free survival compared with placebo plus best supportive care in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) following all available approved therapies. Thus, regorafenib is the first oral multikinase inhibitor indicated for mCRC; it currently has approval in the USA, EU, Japan, Canada, and Singapore for the treatment of mCRC patients who have been previously treated with fluoropyrimidine-, oxalip-latin-, and irinotecan-based chemotherapy, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, and, if the tumor is KRAS wild-type, an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy. In this review, we highlight regorafenib's mechanism of action, present key efficacy data from the CORRECT trial, and discuss how to proactively manage common adverse events (eg, hand-foot skin reaction, hypertension, oral mucositis, diarrhea, and fatigue) experienced by patients receiving regorafenib. Increased awareness of potential adverse events associated with regorafenib and the implementation of proactive strategies to prevent, monitor, and manage these events early in the course of treatment will be instrumental in ensuring optimal patient management and continuation of regorafenib therapy.


This paper models the cyber-social system as a cyber-network of agents monitoring states of individuals in a social network. The state of each individual is represented by a social node, and the interactions among individuals are represented by a social link. In the cyber-network, each node represents an agent, and the links represent information sharing among agents. The agents make an observation of social states and perform distributed inference. In this direction, the contribution of this paper is threefold: First, a novel distributed inference protocol is proposed that makes no assumption on the rank of the underlying social system. This is significant as most protocols in the literature only work on full-rank systems. Second, a novel agent classification is developed, where it is shown that the connectivity requirement of the cyber-network differs for each type. This is particularly important in finding the minimal number of observations and minimal connectivity of the cyber-network as the next contribution. Third, the cost-optimal design of the cyber-network constraint with distributed observability is addressed. This problem is subdivided into sensing cost optimization and networking cost optimization, where both are claimed to be NP-hard. We solve both the problems for certain types of social networks and find polynomial-order solutions.


Abstract. The air quality modeling system RAMS-CMAQ (Regional Atmospheric Modeling System–Community Multiscale Air Quality), coupled with an aerosol optical property scheme, was applied to simulate the meteorological field, major aerosol components (sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, black carbon, organic carbon, dust, and sea salt), and surface visibility over the North China Plain (NCP) in 2011. The modeled results in February and July 2011 were selected and analyzed to obtain an in-depth understanding of the haze formation mechanism in Beijing for different seasons. The simulation results showed that the visibility was below 10 km for most regions of the NCP, and dropped to less than 5 km over the megacities of Beijing and Tianjin, the whole of Hebei Province, and the northwest part of Shandong Province during pollution episodes in February and July. The heavy mass concentration of PM2.5 ranged from 120 to 300 μg m−3 and was concentrated in the areas with low visibility. The haze formation mechanism in Beijing in winter was different from that in summer. The mass concentration of PM2.5 was higher, and the components more complicated, in winter. While the mass concentration of PM2.5 in summer was lower than that in winter, the mass concentrations of hygroscopic inorganic salts were comparable with those in winter, and the relative humidity was, as expected, higher. Therefore, the water uptake of hygroscopic aerosols played a key role in summer. Moreover, the analysis showed that the influence of the PM2.5 mass burden on visibility was very weak when its value was larger than 100 μg m−3. Only when the mass burden of PM2.5 decreased to a certain threshold interval did the visibility increase rapidly. This indicates that, when emission reduction measures are taken to control haze occurrence, the mass burden of PM2.5 must be cut to below this threshold interval. The relationship between the threshold of haze occurrence and the relative humidity in Beijing was fitted by an exponential function, and the resulting fitting curves could provide a new theoretical basis to understand and control haze formation in Beijing.


In porous geological materials such as sandstone or limestone, fault-related damage zones form arrays of deformation bands, which are planar discontinuities characterized by localized shear and porosity change. We show that the geometry and intensity of fault-related deformation band damage zones is systematic and predictable using standard strain energy density-based criteria. These criteria are used to successfully predict the tendencies for the nucleation and for the propagation of deformation bands as observed in a classic outcrop of fault-related damage zones within the brittly deformed Jurassic Wingate Sandstone exposed in the Laramide-aged Uncompahgre fold, in western Colorado, USA. The separate distributions of volumetric and distortional strain energy density are calculated for the interpreted geometry and stress state of the causative Laramide-aged thrust fault displacements from boundary element calculations of the attendant slip-induced local stresses. Volumetric strain energy density predicts the tendency for deformation band nucleation, the growth stage at which the deformation bands are defined by pore space dilatancy or collapse. Deformation band propagation, where shear occurs along the band, is predicted by distortional strain energy density. Further deformation bands at the Uncompahgre are predicted and observed to be characterized by shear-enhanced dilation.


Allocation of tasks of a periodic, time critical application, onto a set of processors, with task duplication is examined here. Pipelined execution, where computations and communications take place simultaneously, is employed to meet the required flow rate of the application. The prime objective of the algorithm is to reduce the number of pipeline stages and/or the pipeline period and thereby reducing pipeline latency. The algorithm is well suited for both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems and it is scalable. The order of complexity of the algorithm is O(/spl nu//sup 2/), where /spl nu/ is the number of nodes in directed acyclic task graph (DAG) representing the application. Simulations have indicated that the proposed algorithm generates 9%-52% shorter pipelines.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to confirm an association between low social rank (SR) and anorexia nervosa (AN), and to test the hypotheses that low SR is (a) present after recovery from the illness, (b) mediates an association between increased childhood interpersonal adversity (CIA) and AN.

METHOD
Participants were 18 women with active AN, 13 recovered women, and 16 healthy controls. General and specific psychopathology, childhood adversity, and indices of SR were assessed using self-report measures.

RESULTS
Low SR was observed in both the active and the recovered AN groups and was a significant mediator in the relationship between CIA and AN status.

CONCLUSION
CIA may contribute to the risk of developing AN via its impact on the development of low SR. The latter may be a shared risk factor for AN and affective disorder, and could be a useful therapeutic target.


In integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, defects on wafer tend to cluster. As the wafer size increases, the clustering phenomenon of the defects becomes increasingly apparent. When the conventional Poisson yield model is used, the clustered defects frequently cause erroneous results. In this study, we propose a neural network-based approach to predict the wafer yield in IC manufacturing. The proposed approach can reduce the phenomenon of the erroneous predictions caused by the clustered defects. A case study is also presented, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach. In addition, the proposed approach can be written as a computer software to accurately predict the wafer yield in IC manufacturing.


The main objective of this paper is to propose an interdisciplinary reflection on how postcolonial fiction in English can help readers and scholars construct an idea of the post-colonial nation and the cultural identity of its people. This theory is part of a larger research project developed in my thesis The Search for Identity and the Construction of an Idea of India in the novels of Arundhati Roy and Kiran Desai (2016). As discussed in this paper, national history, identity and cultural representation are the three aspects which through an analysis of different artistic production, including narratives are crucial to the building of knowledge on a nation, its culture and people Historical processes are the key to the unfolding of present circumstances and fundamental to the construction of a national identity with a collective feel. However, the perceptions of the past change according to philosophical and ideological trends, placing historical objectivity in the hands of its subjective counterpart. It is cultural theory and how it evolves in simultaneity with the world and its social, political, economic and technological development that in effect dictates the forms and expressions that give shape to societies, nations and identities. The function of the narrative, whether as text, visual arts, film, architecture, dance and other creative expressions of the self, is to tell a story. And every moment of every living being can be told in a story. History too is a story. Though it originally focused on the grand deeds of the European nations, with postcolonialism new stories began to emerge, revealing a world of diversity and deconstructing traditional views of history and power relations. However, this new approach to the historical, cultural and political dialectic was achieved through the effect of the postcolonial narrative which used Western forms and structures, such as the novel and the English language to achieve its aim. This appropriation of language and form resulted in an inversion of power relations as a cultural metaphor.


The recent development of big data analytics (BDA) and the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies create a huge opportunity for both disaster management systems and disaster-related authorities (emergency responders, police, public health, and fire departments) to acquire state-of-the-art assistance and improved insights for accurate and timely decision-making. The motivation behind this research is to pave the way for effective utilization of the available opportunities that the BDA and IoT collaboratively offer to predict, understand and monitor disaster situations. Most of the conventional disaster management systems lack the support for multiple new data sources and real-time big data processing tools that can assist decision makers with quick and accurate results. This paper highlights the importance of BDA and IoT for disaster management and investigates recent studies directed towards the same. We classify a thematic taxonomy with several related attributes and inspect the prevalent solutions to propose a conceptual reference model for the deployment of BDA- and IoT-based disaster management environments. The reference model with its proposed integrated parameters can provide guidelines to harvest, transmit, manage, and analyze disaster data from various data sources to deliver updated and valuable information for disaster management. We also enumerate some important use cases from a disaster management perspective. Finally, we highlight the main research challenges that need to be addressed in such an important field of research.


This article develops an English School framework for analysing the emergence of new primary institutions in global international society, and applies this to the case of environmental stewardship. The article traces the impact that global environmentalism has had on the normative order of global international society, examines the creation of secondary institutions around this norm and identifies the ways in which these developments have become embedded in the constitution and behaviour of states. It assesses the ways in which environmental stewardship has interacted with the other primary institutions that compose global international society, changing some of the understandings and practices associated with them. The conclusions argue that environmental stewardship is likely to be a durable institution of global international society, and that it might be a harbinger of a more functional turn in its priorities.


Objective: To determine whether there is an association between medical management with psychotherapy and/or SSRIs and improved pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women with coexisting diabetes and depression. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of women cared for at the Resident Diabetes in Pregnancy Clinic at a large, tertiary referral center from 2007-2017. Inclusion criteria included a diagnosis of T2DM or GDM by the 2-step method, using Carpenter-Coustan criteria, and depression, defined via chart review or baseline pregnancy Edinburgh Depression score >10. Patients with multiple gestations or fetal anomalies were excluded. Women who received medication therapy with SSRIs and/or psychotherapy were compared to those who did not. The primary outcome was large for gestational age birthweight (>90th %). Secondary outcomes included other maternal and fetal diabetes-related outcomes. Demographic characteristics were compared between groups and logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders, including advanced maternal age, Black race, BMI, and smoking. Results: Of 926 women seen during the study period, 255 (28%) had depression and met study criteria—115 with T2DM and 118 with GDM. Of these, 69 (27 %) had no treatment, 149 received an SSRI (58%), 37 received therapy (15%), and 9 (4%) received both. Demographics were similar between groups. Women who received SSRIs had lower rates of LGA infants (17% vs. 25%, aOR 0.51; 95% CI 0.27-0.97), shoulder dystocia (1% vs. 8%, aOR 0.15; 95% CI 0.03-0.71), and umbilical artery cord gas Conclusions: Our findings suggest an association between improved diabetes-related pregnancy outcomes and SSRI use in women with diabetes. Further research is needed to determine potential mechanisms. Disclosure M.L. Scannell: None. H.E. Duckham: None. C.J. Herrick: None. E.B. Carter: None. Funding American Diabetes Association/Pathway to Stop Diabetes (1-19-ACE-02 to E.B.C.); Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (74250); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K23HD095075)


OBJECTIVE
To better understand the structure of the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) instrument. More specifically to test all published validation models, using one single data set and appropriate statistical tools.

DESIGN
Validation study using data from cross-sectional survey.

PARTICIPANTS
A population-based sample of non-institutionalized adults with diabetes residing in Switzerland (canton of Vaud).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
French version of the 20-items PACIC instrument (5-point response scale). We conducted validation analyses using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The original five-dimension model and other published models were tested with three types of CFA: based on (i) a Pearson estimator of variance-covariance matrix, (ii) a polychoric correlation matrix and (iii) a likelihood estimation with a multinomial distribution for the manifest variables. All models were assessed using loadings and goodness-of-fit measures.

RESULTS
The analytical sample included 406 patients. Mean age was 64.4 years and 59% were men. Median of item responses varied between 1 and 4 (range 1-5), and range of missing values was between 5.7 and 12.3%. Strong floor and ceiling effects were present. Even though loadings of the tested models were relatively high, the only model showing acceptable fit was the 11-item single-dimension model. PACIC was associated with the expected variables of the field.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that the model considering 11 items in a single dimension exhibited the best fit for our data. A single score, in complement to the consideration of single-item results, might be used instead of the five dimensions usually described.


1992;101;885-886 Chest E D Dobkin and N S Yeston Use of pH paper to reflect gastric pH. http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/101/3/885.citation can be found online on the World Wide Web at: The online version of this article, along with updated information and services ) ISSN:0012-3692 http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml ( without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. reserved. No part of this article or PDF may be reproduced or distributed Chest Physicians, 3300 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062. All rights of been published monthly since 1935. Copyright1992by the American College is the official journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. It has Chest


1) Are Italian mutual banks efficient? Evidence from two different cost frontier techniques, by Juan Sergio Lopez, Alessandra Appenini, and Stefania P.S. Rossi. The aim of the first paper is to analyze the efficiency of co-operative banks in Italy. The increasing competition induced by the ongoing process of liberalization in Europe has been affecting also these small financial institutions that used to operate in a more protected environment. Based on a panel of about 450 banks covering the period 1995-99, two different techniques were employed: non-parametric frontier analysis, and parametric frontier analysis. By means of this analysis it is possible to compare the results obtained using these two methodologies and analyze the determinants of bank inefficiency 2) Mergers and acquisitions between mutual banks in Italy: an analysis of the effects on performance and productive efficiency, by Roberto Di Salvo, Maria Carmela Mazzilis, and Andrea Guidi. The second paper is aimed at testing the hypothesis that the M&A wave over the past ten years has increased the level of efficiency of co-operative credit banks (CCBs), both in terms of overall performance and productive efficiency. The logical development is hinged on two steps: 1) an explorative analysis which is based on the observation of balance sheet ratios by quantiles, 2) a DEA application for estimating productive efficiency scores. The analysis refers to 94 CCBs which have been involved in M&As over the period 1995-98 and is carried out on both merged and non-merged banks, either before concentration or in the subsequent years. The explorative analysis mainly shows a higher level of fee-based income for merged banks, which is consistent with the hypothesis that concentration strategies enhance diversification. It also detects some degree of cost reduction just after merging. The DEA application models (CRS and VRS) tends to confirm the results of the previous analysis and estimates higher efficiency for merged banks, a lower efficiency degree for pre-merger banks, and a significant degree of scale econonomies..


We explored startle responses of Culex spp. larvae to varying frequencies and durations of vibrations, before investigating habituation (a behavioural learning phenomenon). The startle response consists of a rapid movement to permit escape from a potentially dangerous stimulus. We used the automated Zantiks MWP_vb unit to analyse larval startle responses through the built-in live video tracking. Set within the unit's controlled environmental chamber, we recorded distance travelled by the larvae. These results were used to optimise the vibration startle response for use in habituation studies. Repeated vibrations appeared to reduce larvae startle responses, although further analysis is required to confirm habituation. This study not only provides an insight into the learning ability of mosquito larvae, but demonstrates the ease, replicability and control conferred by the automated unit. Furthermore, this method is applicable to many other organisms and shows potential for more sophisticated environmental effect testing, such as behavioural toxicology.


Neotyphodium endophytes (Claviceptaceae) are asexual filamentous fungi found living between the cells of many cool season forage grasses including tall fescue, meadow fescue and perennial ryegrass. They produce a range of alkaloids, including ergovaline and lolitrem B, which have been shown to be directly associated with the livestock disorders fescue toxicosis and ryegrass staggers syndrome, while others, including peramine and the lolines, have been linked to increased insect and drought resistance of the grass host. In the past decade, the Neotyphodium strains AR1, MaxQ and MaxP were selected because they did not produce the alkaloids associated with livestock disorders. Subsequently, artificial associations were established between them and commercial forage grass cultivars. The slow growth rate of Neotyphodium endophytes in vitro and the low success rate of the present methods for establishing artificial associations between endophytes and grass hosts are limiting the rate at which new novel endophytes can be incorporated into plant breeding programs and eventually commercialised. In this thesis, the type and concentration of the growth medium was shown to affect radial growth rate, colony appearance and mycelial morphology of three strains of Neotyphodium endophytes. The floret inoculation of meadow fescue with the U2 strain of N. uncinatum using several techniques involving liquid culture was attempted but was unsuccessful in creating any artificial associations. Neotyphodium endophytes are unstable in stored seed. In New Zealand, it is critical that pastures are infected with protective Neotyphodium endophytes to ensure that they will not be destroyed by exotic pests. The present methods for determining the percentage of viable endophyte infection of a seed lot are too slow for efficient use in the commercial seed industry. In this thesis, primers specific to the β-tubulin gene of N. coenophialum, N. lolii and N. uncinatum were designed and successfully used to detect these species in planta. However, using these primers to develop a method to accurately determine the viable endophyte infection rate of a seed lot using RT-qPCR was unsuccessful.


Research Findings: Assessing the development of early literacy skills is necessary in order to identify children with delays, provide appropriate intervention, and monitor progress. The purpose of the current study was to compare the data obtained from 2 curriculum-based assessments of phonological awareness skills in a sample of low-income, urban preschoolers. Participants included 227 children from Head Start and other community-based preschool classrooms located in a midwestern city. The Preschool Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDIs) and the Phonological Awareness and Literacy Screening–PreK (PALS-PreK) were administered in the fall and spring of the year. Results suggested that the PALS-PreK was more advantageous than the IGDIs in terms of providing meaningful data for this group of children. The IGDIs appeared to be more appropriate for developmentally advanced preschoolers in this population. Practice or Policy: There remains a critical need for assessments of emergent literacy that are appropriate for diverse groups of preschool children and can feasibly be used for monitoring development.


PURPOSE
This study investigated whether there is a correlation between time-trial performance and competitive performance capacity of male and female junior cross-country skiers and sought to explain sex-specific competitive performance capacity through multiple-regression modeling.

METHODS
The International Ski Federation's (FIS) junior ranking points for distance (FISdist) and sprint (FISsprint) competitions were used as performance parameters. A total of 38 elite junior (age 18.5 ± 1.0 y) cross-country skiers (24 men and 14 women) completed 3 time-trial tests: a 3-km level-running time trial (TTRun), a 2-km moderate uphill (1.2° slope) roller-skiing time trial using the double-poling technique (TTDP), and a 2-km uphill (2.8° slope) roller-skiing time trial using the diagonal-stride technique (TTDiag). The correlations were investigated using Pearson correlation analysis, and regression models were created using multiple-linear-regression analysis.

RESULTS
For men, FISsprint and FISdist were correlated with the times for TTRun, TTDP, and TTDiag (all P < .001). For women, FISsprint was correlated with the times for TTRun (P < .05), TTDP (P < .01), and TTDiag (P < .01), whereas FISdist was correlated only with the times for TTDP (P < .01) and TTDiag (P < .05). The models developed for FISdist and FISsprint explained 73.9-82.3% of the variance in the performance capacity of male junior cross-country skiers. No statistically valid regression model was found for the women.

CONCLUSIONS
Running and roller-skiing time trials are useful tests for accurately predicting the performance capacity of junior cross-country skiers.


Introduction: Excessive menstrual bleeding is a common complaint and each year around 5 of 30-49 year old women have this problem. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy and acceptability of mefenamic acid and tranexamic acid for treating menorrhea. Attempts have been made to choose a more effective with less complications to treat hyper menorrhea. Materials and Methods: This study is a control trial study and the setting is Shahid Sedugh University, department of obstetrics and gynecology ,Yazd in 2001-2005. 75 women with excessive uterine bleeding (hyper menorrhea) were under treatment for five days from day 1 of menses during three consecutive menstrual periods. 36 patients were randomized to take mefenamic acid 500 mg, Tid; and 39 patientsto take 500 mg tranexamic acid, Qid. Menstrual loss was measured in three control menstrual periods and three menstrual periods during treatment. Duration of bleeding patient's estimated blood loss, sanitary towel usage and unwanted events were also taken into consideration. Results: mefenamic acid reduced blood loss by 20 and tranexamic acid reduced blood loss by 50 (P=0.001). Duration of bleeding was not different in patients treated with mefenamic acid and tranexamic acid. Conclusions: Tranexamic acid given during menstruation is a safe and highly effective treatment for excessive bleeding. Patients with dysfunctional uterine bleeding should be offered medical treatment with tranexamic acid before a decision is made about surgery.


There are two optic fibre properties in particular that obstruct the transfer over long distances in quantum communications. One of them is dispersion, which reduces the maximum bit rate. In classical communication with modern highly purified fibres, dispersion is the major limiting factor. The other property is the material loss that causes fluctuations in addition to a general annihilation with distance of photons. It is believed that losses are the major limiting factor in quantum communication over long distances if the bit rate is not an issue. Of major interest in quantum communication is the photon source. It is therefore a high priority to develop methods for the determination of properties like initial temporal modes, repeatability, independence of sequentially emitted photons, etc., for a source emitting single photons in a given spatial mode. In the current paper we suggest that the source properties can be estimated using statistics of the run times of the photons. This requires that the fibre is modelled with sufficient accuracy. To simplify the analysis, it is assumed that the fibre losses can be neglected and that the photons are independent and identically generated. Energy detection in one spin state is employed, making the modelling scalar. The one photon initial temporal mode is found by maximizing a maximum–likelihood function based on running time statistics. Unfortunately, this optimization problem is, in general, not convex. However, for photon detection in the so-called asymptotic radiation zone, where the probability density can be determined to a sufficient degree with asymptotic methods, the optimization problem is convex. In the current paper, quantum tomography in fibres based on this convex optimization method is presented, and its generalization to more complicated situations like the introduction of losses in the modelling is discussed.