Well engineers face ever increasing technical challenge of drilling in complex environments and the use of Managed Pressure Drilling(MPD) techniques to control annular pressure for improved drilling performance in the oil industry has growing interest[1-4]. Understanding hole cleaning and controlling annular pressure in this complex environment is becoming increasingly important for a range of applications. The Virtual Well Engineer[VWE] has been identified as the engineering tool to address these issues in order to deliver a successful MPD operation. The VWE is the product name for a suite of well planning , monitoring and simulation packages with focus on Managed Pressure Drilling includng underbalanced drilling that allows the well engineering team to interact with virtual reality. Recent works initiated by the Well Engineering Group at The Robert Gordon University have extended the knowledge of multiphase flow in a drilling annulus through the tracking of the transient multiphase flow pattern prevailing and effects on hole cleaning , the pressure profiles and identification of hot spots in concentric and eccentric annular sections . The mechanistic models developed at RGU form the core algorithms for the VWE. This paper presents the architecture and functional capabilities of the VWE – HydraulicsDTS™ , which is used in simulating well operations.


The extant literature tends to frame mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and postmerger integration (PMI) as strategies and outcomes, but this framing often leaves their underlying processes underexplored. We address this gap by redirecting attention to the view that M&As are largely embedded in social and human practices. Our conceptual study identifies three generic M&A strategies—annex & assimilate, harvest & protect, and link & promote—and matches them with three well-known PMI outcomes (i.e., absorption, preservation, and symbiosis, respectively). Using a configurational perspective and drawing upon the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) model, we develop a conceptual framework that reveals why and how AMO-enhancing human resource management (HRM) practices can link M&A strategies and PMI outcomes. Finally, we elaborate on the theoretical and practical contributions and chart a course for future inquiry and research applications for the M&A-HRM-PMI triad and its processes.


SIR,-I was surprised that your leading article on measles encephalitis (9 July, p. 64) did not mention the important and disturbing symptom of blindness, which may well occur in this complaint. I reported a case of this complication some years ago' in which blindness, having been total, cleared entirely, though slowly, with recovery of 6/6 vision. Presumably recovery was due to remyelination of the demyelinating lesions. I think it is important that this recovery tendency from this form of blindness should be well known, as blindness is a symptom which naturally leads to great anxiety and distress in the parents and relations.-I am, etc.,


The aim of the present study was to estimate the influence of hemodialysis process (HD) on the signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) parameters and to evaluate possible factors promoting SAECG parameters disturbances in the group of hemodialysis patients (HD-pts). 55 selected HD-pts entered the study. SAECG parameters (QRS duration, root-mean-square of the terminal 40 ms of the QRS--RMS40, low-amplitude signal duration--LAS40), were measured pre and postdialysis. Total (TBW), extracellular (ECW) and intracellular body water (ICW) calculated per kg of HD-pts body weight were estimated pre and postdialysis by using whole body bioimpedance. Two dimentional echocardiography was performed before HD. Serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha, CRP and intact parathormon were measured before HD. LP were found only before HD in 12.73% of patients. HD induced the decrease of LAS40 duration and the increase of RMS40 value in the of group of LP positive HD-pts (p<0.001 in both cases). The values of TBW and ECW calculated per kg of body weight as well as IL-6 and CRP levels were significantly higher in the LP positive in comparison with the LP negative patients (p=0.006 and 0.004 respectively). Induced by HD changes of RMS40 correlated with pre vs postdialysis values of TBW (r=0.499, p=0.001) and ECW (r=0.556, p<0.001) calculated per kg of body weight. Our study revealed that, that abnormal SAECG parameters and LP are frequently detected in HD-pts. The presence of LP in HD-pts in great part depends on the functional abnormalities (especially on the HD-pts hydration status) corrected by the HD process. The clinical significance of the proinflammatory factors (IL-6 and CRP) needs further investigation.


In this article I propose to relate the works, apparently quite distinct, of two cinema professionals, the Brazilian documentarist Eduardo Coutinho and the American ficcional screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. More specifically, I will focus on the characters featured in their films. When interviewing ordinary people, Coutinho is able to reveal a certain character that those people try to create. With great ability, he exposes their souls, their truths. Fernando Andacht, Coutinho's great scholar disagrees with the filmmaker himself by stating that his interviewees are not characters, they remain real, authentic people. Kaufman is capable of creating complex characters by nature, far removed from the typical Hollywood heroes who obey the script manuals and Christopher Vogler's hero's journey. Some try to show power, integrity, smartness, but in the course of the stories, the fragility and vulnerability of all of them becomes very exposed, in the same way revealing their authenticity. This way I argue that both Coutinho and Kaufman are able to reflect on human behavior. To the point that, in absolutely different ways, they reach similar goals, I even say complementary goals.


This article provides the most comprehensive statutory analysis to date of the federal government's implied guarantee of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's financial obligations. Fannie and Freddie together have $4.45 trillion in mortgage-related obligations. The magnitude of their obligations can only be understood in comparison to the amount of outstanding U.S. government debt - $5.04 trillion. Given the ongoing meltdown of the residential mortgage market, it is important that the implied guarantee be understood for what it is, a contingent liability of the federal government. After explaining the nature of the implied guarantee and the risks that it poses, the article argues that Fannie and Freddie should be privatized and that the implied guarantee be terminated. This article is timely both because of the spreading crisis in the mortgage markets and because Congress is currently considering legislation to increase regulation of Fannie and Freddie. Even if enacted, this legislation does not go nearly far enough to protect the American taxpayer from the consequences of having to bail out these two companies. And if the federal government were to fail to bail them out, the world's financial markets will face a financial crisis that could easily dwarf the 1994 Mexican peso collapse, the 1997 East Asian "flu" and the 1998 Russian bond default, the last of which triggered the collapse of Long-Term Capital Management.


This paper develops a novel index of vulnerable homes in terms of fuel poverty that is based on the analysis of different existing fuel poverty indicators and their relationship to the residential sector. The new index of vulnerable homes unifies the many indicators hitherto employed, and assesses the home vulnerability situation regardless of whether or not it is in fuel poverty by using three dimensions: monetary cost, energy and thermal comfort. The monetary dimension analyses vulnerability in relation to the available net income to face everyday life. The energy variable assesses the vulnerability related to the constructive characteristics of the dwelling. Finally, the introduction of the thermal-comfort variable enables the evaluation of the vulnerability related to the inner temperature of the dwelling and its perception by occupants. The combination of the different resulting values in each dimension and its relationship to the quality of life of occupants establishes a hierarchy of vulnerable levels. As a result, a multi-dimensional index is defined which relates technical aspects (characteristics of the dwelling) and social aspects (quality of life of households). The index of vulnerable homes provides a more complete assessment of the home situation than the existing fuel poverty indicators by identifying which variables require a greater assistance.


Multi-level cell (MLC) nand flash memories are popular storage media because of their power efficiency and large storage density. Conventional reliable MLC nand flash memories based on BCH codes or Reed-Solomon (RS) codes have a large number of undetectable and miscorrected errors. Moreover, standard decoders for BCH and RS codes cannot be easily modified to correct errors beyond their error correcting capability t=[(d-1/2)], where d is the Hamming distance of the code. In this paper, we propose two general constructions of nonlinear multi-error correcting codes based on concatenations or generalized from Vasil'ev codes. The proposed constructions can generate nonlinear bit-error correcting or digit-error correcting codes with very few or even no errors undetected or miscorrected for all codewords. Moreover, codes generated by the generalized Vasil'ev construction can correct some errors with multiplicities larger than t without any extra overhead in area, latency, and power consumption compared to schemes where only errors with multiplicity up to t are corrected. The design of reliable MLC nand flash architectures can be based on the proposed nonlinear multi-error correcting codes. The reliability, area overhead and the penalty in latency and power consumption of the architectures based on the proposed codes are compared to architectures based on BCH codes and RS codes. The results show that using the proposed nonlinear error correcting codes for the protection of MLC nand flash memories can reduce the number of errors undetected or miscorrected for all codewords to be almost 0 at the cost of less than 20% increase in power and area compared to architectures based on BCH codes and RS codes.


This study aims to present a bibliometric analysis and literature review and to identify publications, main topics, and trends in recent years about the sustainability of logistics operations in e-commerce environments. For this, we considered 99 documents from Scopus published in 2021 and 2022 that address logistics, e-commerce, and sustainability. The bibliometric analysis shows that authors from Italy and India stand out for generating the largest number of publications, and correspondingly, institutional affiliations from these countries present the largest scientific production. It is established that journals such as Sustainability, International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, and Sustainable Cities and Society lead both in the number of published articles and the number of articles with the highest citations. Within the main topics are the sustainability of e-commerce logistics, last-mile logistics and delivery logistics, urban and city logistics, environmental impact, urban transport, packing and packaging, traffic and congestion, supply chains, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and cross-border e-commerce, vehicle routing, optimization methods, and decision-making techniques in operations for cost and energy efficiency. Similarly, this study identifies the main research trends related to multiple dimensions of sustainability; technological developments including electric vehicles and specialized software; crowdshipping; operation modes such as collection and delivery points, parcel lockers, and micro-depots; and policymaking.


As economic sanctions have proliferated, their use has come under intense challenge. Critics differ on why they are uneasy about economic sanctions, but they are united on one crucial point: they assume that the sole justification for sanctions is behavior modification of the target regime. This article disputes that assumption and argues that sanctions are also processes through which the sanctioning community (agent) defines its identity through the act of dissociating itself from the target regime, the "troublesome or evil other." Critics as well as supporters of sanctions have often not understood this fact and consequently their analyses have been highly incomplete and very misleading.


Summary The term 'locked sand' has been introduced by Dusseault & Morgenstern to distinguish the characteristics of certain, geologically old, natural sands from recently deposited and compacted sands. They examined three North American Sands in detail and described their main characteristics. The work described here is a similar investigation of two English Tertiary Sands to discover whether or not they have similar characteristics. It is shown that the Bagshot and Barton Sands correspond in respect of lack of a cement, an in situ relative density greater than 100% and the ability to be sampled as intact, undisturbed blocks. They are, however, slightly less dense and notably less strong than the North American Sands described by Dusseault & Morgenstern. It is concluded that the two English Tertiary Sands are most appropriately classified as partially or weakly locked sands.


There is a deep structural transformation going on In the Finnish electrical, electronics and IT services sector. The main reason is a major turning point in ICT due to diminishing production and employment in mobile telecom industry where large amount of high-skill jobs will disappear in the next few years. The main reasons are major shift in global markets and dispersion of supply and value chains. However, at the same time when mobile ICT industry is experiences decline in production and employment IT services sector is growing. New ICT related jobs are created also in mechanical and electrical engineering industries as these industries are integrating increasingly software, intelligence and services in their products. The structural transformations in electronics and ICT pose major challenges to educational system and make it difficult to foresee future skill requirements.


BACKGROUND
The study aim was to investigate the immediate and long-term results of balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) in young patients (aged ≤20 years) with congenital bicuspid aortic valve presenting with severe aortic stenosis.

METHODS
The study involved a single tertiary care center-based retrospective data analysis of immediate and long-term outcomes in patients following balloon valvuloplasty between 2000 and 2011. A total of 92 young patients (mean age 12.7 years; 95% CI 8.3-16.7 years) with aortic stenosis due to congenital bicuspid aortic valve and who underwent BAV were studied.

RESULTS
The mean follow up period was 5.7 ± 1.3 years. Intervention resulted in successful BAV (≥50% reduction in baseline gradient) in 79 patients (85.9%; group A) and partially successful BAV (<50% reduction in baseline gradient) in eight patients (8.7%; group B). BAV failed in five patients (5.4%; group C). The mean left ventricular systolic pressure was decreased from 155.6 mmHg (95% CI 132.7-186.3 mmHg) to 100.9 mmHg (95% CI 82.1-119.6 mmHg; p <0.001), and the mean aortic valve gradient from 40.7 mmHg (95% CI 25.12-56.22 mmHg) to 17.2 mmHg (95% CI 15.83- 21.23 mmHg; p <0.001). Mean changes in aortic valve area and mean gradient were significantly different between successful BAV groups (A and B) and the failed BAV group (p = 0.001). Different grades of aortic regurgitation were noted in 32 patients (34.78%) after BAV (severe regurgitation in 2.18%). A post hoc analysis showed sustained gradient reductions at one- and five-year follow up investigations (p <0.05). The need for surgery was much lower in the successful BAV groups.

CONCLUSIONS
The success of BAV in bicuspid aortic valve stenosis in younger patients was approximately 85%. Although 10% of patients developed re-stenosis and required surgical intervention, the majority did well during the follow up period. It was concluded that BAV is a viable option in adolescents and young children with bicuspid aortic valve without severe calcification.


Locating places using maps on mobile devices is an increasingly common practice in modern life. Such maps, including Google Maps and Apple Maps, inform and shape users' geographic understandings. Existing research finds that those who navigate with mobile devices tend to recall landmarks rather than more comprehensive forms of geographic knowledge. However, most of that research gives minimal consideration to social context. Utilizing a qualitative approach and drawing on critical work on vision, maps, and digital data, we explore the contextual, economic circumstances that partially shape the production of users' geographic knowledge through their consumption of mobile device maps. In a focus group experiment, mobile device map users frequently referred to a particular business, a Starbucks location, in a location-finding task. This indicates that social, contextual considerations are important to informing geographic knowledges; the map application providers' business strategies, chiefly advertising, lead to an emphasis on business-type points of interest in mobile maps, which could shape users' subsequent geographic knowledges. This has implications not only for mobile device use, but how technology companies' maps potentially affect everyday understandings of the world around us.


In the present work, CFD simulations of a hydrogen deflagration experiment are performed. The experiment, carried out by KIT, was conducted in a 1 m enclosure with a square vent of 0.5 m located in the center of one of its walls. The enclosure was filled with homogeneous hydrogen-air mixture of 18% v/v before ignition at its back-wall. As the flame propagates away from the ignition point, unburned mixture is forced out through the vent. This mixture is ignited when the flame passes through the vent, initiating a violent external explosion which leads to a rapid increase in pressure. The work focuses on the modeling of the external explosion phenomenon. A new approach is proposed in order to predict with accuracy the strength of external explosions using Large Eddy Simulation. The new approach introduces new relations to account for the interaction between the turbulence and the flame front. CFD predictions of the pressure inside and outside the enclosure and of the flame front shape are compared against experimental measurements. The comparison indicates a much better performance of the new approach compared to the initial model.


Depth of investigation and vertical resolution values are determined and tabulated for 30 surface geoelectric arrays that have non-zero response, i.e., a depth of investigation characteristic (DIC) function due to a buried thin horizontal sheet. In accord with experience, results show a general reciprocal relationship between depth of investigation and vertical resolution. The most frequently used arrays in multi-electrode studies (i.e., Wenner-a, Wenner-b, Schlumberger, dipole-axial arrays and the pole-dipole array) offer reasonable compromises between depth of investigation and vertical resolution. Depth of investigation can be increased by using the pole-pole array; vertical resolution can be improved with, for example, the a10 or c10 arrays. Current focussing does not increase the depth of investigation for the horizontal thin-sheet model. The complete set of depth of investigation and vertical resolution values permits exact physical comparison of various geoelectric arrays and provides simple but useful rules for practical geoelectric applications, e.g., how to develop multi-electrode systems with higher vertical resolution, or how to select arrays to satisfy special exploration requirements.


This thesis is about how and why Restoration-period political culture changed in England in the run up to the dissolution of the Oxford Parliament in March 1681. It argues that it was the tension between Charles II's desire and attempts to rule personally and his opponents' desire and attempts to prevent him from doing so, which drove politics and change during the 1670s. It suggests that while people in the Restoration period were concerned with developing, representing and debating issues, ideas and identities, that intellectual process was only one part of political culture. The other was a much broader practical concern with how those ideas could be turned into reality through policymaking and practice. This thesis aims to explore these more practical concerns and to show that it was the contest for the power to turn ideas into policy and then to turn that policy into practice which proved decisive in the gradual breakdown of relations between the king and his opponents throughout the 1670s and in the final dissolution of parliament in 1681. In order to explore this other practical side of political culture, which has not yet received a great deal of scholarly attention, the thesis will draw upon methods and source material outside of those traditionally used by political historians and in doing so will try to make a meaningful contribution to an emerging historiographical trend, perhaps best described as the 'process turn'.


Dyskinesia, a major complication of treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), involves two phases: induction, which is responsible for dyskinesia onset, and expression, which underlies its clinical manifestation. The unique cellular and regional distribution of adenosine A2A receptors in basal ganglia areas that are richly innervated by dopamine, and their antagonistic role towards dopamine receptor stimulation, have positioned A2A receptor antagonists as an attractive nondopaminergic target to improve the motor deficits that characterize PD. In this paper, we describe the biochemical characteristics of A2A receptors and the effects of adenosine A2A antagonists in rodent and primate models of PD on L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia, together with relevant biomarker studies. We also review clinical trials of A2A antagonists as adjuncts to L-DOPA in PD patients with motor fluctuations. These studies have generally demonstrated that the addition of an A2A antagonist to a stable L-DOPA regimen reduces OFF time and mildly increases dyskinesia. However, limited clinical data suggest that the addition of an A2A antagonist along with a reduction of L-DOPA might maintain anti-Parkinsonian benefit and reduce dyskinesia. Whether A2A antagonists might reduce the development of dyskinesia has not yet been tested clinically.


High-energy cosmic rays impinging onto the atmosphere of the Earth initiate cascades of secondary particles: extensive air showers. Many of the particles in a shower are electrons and positrons. During the development of the air shower and by interacting with the geomagnetic field, the electromagnetic cascade creates radiation, which we detect at frequencies of tens of MHz with the LOFAR radio telescope in the Netherlands. After many years of struggling to understand the emission mechanisms, the radio community has achieved the breakthrough. We are now able to determine direction, energy, and type of the shower- inducing primary particle from the radio measurements. The large number of antennas at LOFAR allows us to have a high precision and very detailed measurements. We will elaborate on the shower reconstruction, a precise description of the intensity of the radio signal at ground level (at frequencies from 10 to 240 MHz), a precise measurement of the shape of the radio wavefront, and on the reconstruction of the shower energy.


Arabic word segmentation is essential for a variety of NLP applications such as machine translation and information retrieval. Segmentation entails breaking words into their constituent stems, affixes and clitics. In this paper, we compare two approaches for segmenting four major Arabic dialects using only several thousand training examples for each dialect. The two approaches involve posing the problem as a ranking problem, where an SVM ranker picks the best segmentation, and as a sequence labeling problem, where a bi-LSTM RNN coupled with CRF determines where best to segment words. We are able to achieve solid segmentation results for all dialects using rather limited training data. We also show that employing Modern Standard Arabic data for domain adaptation and assuming context independence improve overall results.


Animal behaviour can affect the outcome of conservation translocations. It is important to understand the behaviour of the species being considered for translocation and how its behaviour varies over life stages. There may be uncertainty about what life stages are best as founders for release back into wild populations. A technique called head‐starting whereby juvenile life stages are raised in captivity and then released is one potential pre‐release strategy. However, juveniles of many species have a dispersive role in the life cycle, potentially raising difficulties for establishing new populations due to dispersal from the intended habitat following release. For this study, we compared aspects of the behaviour of captive adult and neonate pygmy bluetongue lizards (Tiliqua adelaidensis) – an endangered species for which translocation is likely to be an important management strategy – to determine if neonate behavioural characteristics are appropriate for their translocation. We filmed adult and neonate pygmy bluetongue lizards and compared their behaviour. We also filmed adults over an activity season to compare seasonal behaviour. Behavioural parameters measured included basking time, burrow exits, burrows occupied and walking the perimeter wall. Neonates basked significantly more than adults in summer and autumn. Neonates are likely to be basking more than adults because they are in a stage of rapid growth and need to gain body mass before the winter inactivity period. Neonates exited burrows more often than adults and used a greater number of burrows. These results indicate neonate lizards are actively exploring their habitat. Neonates are unlikely to be as suitable for translocation as they are actively moving about and more likely to be predated upon or disperse from the translocation site. Our finding can be applied to other species that have active juvenile life stages and are at particular risk of predation due to their small size.


Albumin and other serum and plasma proteins may be nonenzymatically glycosylated in vitro and in vivo. Chromatographie and colorimetrie measurement of these nonenzymatically glycosylated proteins shows that levels are approximately two to three times higher in diabetic than nondiabetic subjects. In diabetic patients levels appear to reflect glycemia in the preceding several days and correlate with other established parameters of glycemia such as fasting serum glucose, mean of several capillary blood glucose measurements, and glycosylated hemoglobin. Because serum and plasma proteins have shorter half-lives than hemoglobin, nonenzymatically glycosylated proteins are altered more rapidly than glycosylated hemoglobin in response to prolonged decreases or increases in blood glucose levels. Acetylsalicylic acid significantly inhibits in vitro glycosylation of albumin and other serum proteins incubated for up to 7 days in glucose. It is not known whether such inhibition occurs in vivo. Glycosylation of albumin appears to reduce its solubility, and glycosylation of low-density lipoprotein may increase its catabolism. Whether nonenzymatic glycosylation of other serum proteins alters their functions or may contribute to some of the long-term complications of diabetes is unknown at present.


This thesis is a collection of three empirical studies on the impact of social origin on labour-market outcomes across migration status and ethnic-origin categories. The existence of immigrant and ethnic penalties in the labour market is a recurrent finding. Migration research has, however, drawn little upon social stratification literature, despite sharing common concerns, to explain them. In this thesis, I seek to contribute to bridging the gap between the two disciplines. I pose two overall hypotheses: (i) compositional differences in social background across ethnic-minority groups and natives are likely to explain an important part of labour market penalties; and (ii) the strength of the effect of social origin on destination and its mechanisms of transmission might differ across groups. These hypotheses are tested by first using log-multiplicative layer effect models followed by different specifications of multivariate analyses based on data from Understanding Society. The findings show that: (i) class overrides ethnicity in explaining intergenerational mobility, although the strength of the OD association differs by ethnic origin and gender; (ii) labour-force participation is a gendered process with significant differences across migration status and ethnic origin, which are partly explained by the work status of the mother-inlaw transmitted through partner/spouse's characteristics; (iii) employment penalties are explained to a large extent by parental work status, education, and age, with variation in the strength of the effect of the last two factors across ethnic origin; and (iv) some groups experience more difficulties than natives with similar class backgrounds in employment as well as access to (and stable placement in) the salariat, although education exerts a compensatory effect. I conclude by arguing that future research should investigate further within-group explanations by deepening in the role of different mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of social (dis)advantage at different levels of the labour market. Jury: Héctor Cebolla Boado (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia), Hanspeter Blossfeld (EUI/University of Bamberg, supervisor), Albert F. Arcarons (candidate), Fabrizio Bernardi (EUI), Lucinda Platt (London School of Economics and Political Science)


The valley degree of freedom is intrinsic to spin qubits in Si/SiGe quantum dots. It has been viewed alternately as a hazard, especially when the lowest valley-orbit splitting is small compared to the thermal energy, or as an asset, most prominently in proposals to use the valley degree of freedom itself as a qubit. Here we present experiments in which microwave electric field driving induces transitions between both valley-orbit and spin states. We show that this system is highly nonlinear and can be understood through the use of dressed photon-orbital states, enabling a unified understanding of the six microwave resonance lines we observe. Some of these resonances are inter-valley spin transitions that arise from a non-adiabatic process in which both the valley and the spin degree of freedom are excited simultaneously. For these transitions, involving a change in valley-orbit state, we find a tenfold increase in sensitivity to electric fields and electrical noise compared to pure spin transitions, strongly reducing the phase coherence when changes in valley-orbit index are incurred. In contrast to this non-adiabatic transition, the pure spin transitions, whether arising from harmonic or subharmonic generation, are shown to be adiabatic in the orbital sector. The non-linearity of the system is most strikingly manifest in the observation of a dynamical anti-crossing between a spin-flip, inter-valley transition and a three-photon transition enabled by the strong nonlinearity we find in this seemly simple system.


The Expertise Center for Treatment and Assessment of Parenting and Psychiatry (GGZ Drenthe) performs the complex task of parenting assessment. Unique to this intervention program is the combination of treatment and assessment (with regard to the question what the best place for the child is to grow up) and the clinical admission of the family. Within clinic The Stee, for families with children aged 0-2 years, an evaluation study was conducted to determine to what extent the Expertise Center achieves the intended program objectives and to gain relevant knowledge. The results of the study are not univocal and they rather reflect the complexity of the intervention goals. Nevertheless, it has become clear that the intervention is promising and has a lot of potential. For example, according to the majority of parents, The Stee team succeeded in establishing a positive working relationship with them. Moreover, the intervention contributes to timely placement decisions. In addition, the quality of parenting improved among a number of families during the intervention and a number of parents, whose children were placed in foster care after the intervention, came to understand and accept that this was in the best interests of the children. Points of attention that have emerged include the lack of a current and well-founded intervention description, and the importance of more transparent decision-making and a more careful transition home in terms of appropriate aftercare and a better organization of necessary services.


Organic standards include a well-defined set of practices and a list of technical tools that are permitted by regulation. Organic products are mainly purchased for their safety and absence of synthetic pesticide residues. Furthermore, a diet based on organic products claims to provide health benefits due to the high nutritional value compounds that are more concentrated in organic products compared to conventional ones. As the scientific basis of the differences between organically- and conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables is under debate, some of the published work, together with some recent unpublished results, will be covered in the present review. In addition, the effect of different approaches to organic horticultural production will be described. Many studies have confirmed lower nitrate content, especially in leafy vegetables, and higher antioxidant compounds in organically-grown fruits in comparison to conventional ones. A recent study reported organic kiwifruit as higher in ascorbic acid and total phenol content than conventional kiwifruit. These differences were maintained throughout cold storage. Similarly, in organic grapes, antioxidant-related compounds were significantly higher than in conventionally-grown grapes. Analogous results were obtained with organic strawberries grown in protected conditions. However, conventional products usually result in higher moisture content, and this should be taken into account to confirm the differences on a dry matter basis. Possible explanations for the effects of organic farming practices on nutritional quality and postharvest performance of fresh produce are the following: (i) organic amendments provide a high input of exogenous organic matter and of nutrients for a long period; in contrast, mineral fertilizers, allowed only in conventional farming systems, are highly concentrated in nutrients that are directly available for root uptake in a shorter time period; (ii) the use of synthetic pesticides (only possible in conventional agriculture) slows down defence mechanisms against pathogens, with the consequence of favoring primary metabolism; (iii) cultural practices may result in different plant composition and nutritional quality, which in turn influence cold storage performance of the products as these differences, both in fertility and pest management, affect the allocation of secondary plant metabolites (such as ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds).


Flexible and efficient runtime design requires an understanding of the dependencies among the components internal to the runtime and those between the application and the runtime. These dependencies are frequently unclear. This problem exists in all runtime design, and is most vivid in a metacircular runtime --- one that is implemented in terms of itself. Metacircularity blurs boundaries between application and runtime implementation, making it harder to understand and make guarantees about overall system behavior, affecting isolation, security, and resource management, as well as reducing opportunities for optimization. Our goal is to shed new light on VM interdependencies, helping all VM designers understand these dependencies and thereby engineer better runtimes. We explore these issues in the context of a high-performance Java-in-Java virtual machine. Our approach is to identify and instrument transition points into and within the runtime, which allows us to establish a dynamic execution context. Our contributions are: 1) implementing and measuring a system that dynamically maintains execution context with very low overhead, 2) demonstrating that such a framework can be used to improve the software engineering of an existing runtime, and 3) analyzing the behavior and runtime characteristics of our runtime across a wide range of benchmarks. Our solution provides clarity about execution state and allowable transitions, making it easier to develop, debug, and understand managed runtimes.


RATIONALE
Diaphragmatic function is a major determinant of the ability to successfully wean patients from mechanical ventilation (MV). Paradoxically, MV itself results in a rapid loss of diaphragmatic strength in animals. However, very little is known about the time course or mechanistic basis for such a phenomenon in humans.

OBJECTIVES
To determine in a prospective fashion the time course for development of diaphragmatic weakness during MV; and the relationship between MV duration and diaphragmatic injury or atrophy, and the status of candidate cellular pathways implicated in these phenomena.

METHODS
Airway occlusion pressure (TwPtr) generated by the diaphragm during phrenic nerve stimulation was measured in short-term (0.5 h; n = 6) and long-term (>5 d; n = 6) MV groups. Diaphragmatic biopsies obtained during thoracic surgery (MV for 2-3 h; n = 10) and from brain-dead organ donors (MV for 24-249 h; n = 15) were analyzed for ultrastructural injury, atrophy, and expression of proteolysis-related proteins (ubiquitin, nuclear factor-κB, and calpains).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
TwPtr decreased progressively during MV, with a mean reduction of 32 ± 6% after 6 days. Longer periods of MV were associated with significantly greater ultrastructural fiber injury (26.2 ± 4.8 vs. 4.7 ± 0.6% area), decreased cross-sectional area of muscle fibers (1,904 ± 220 vs. 3,100 ± 329 μm²), an increase of ubiquitinated proteins (+19%), higher expression of p65 nuclear factor-κB (+77%), and greater levels of the calcium-activated proteases calpain-1, -2, and -3 (+104%, +432%, and +266%, respectively) in the diaphragm.

CONCLUSIONS
Diaphragmatic weakness, injury, and atrophy occur rapidly in critically ill patients during MV, and are significantly correlated with the duration of ventilator support.


In this paper we use a novel IO model to show changes in market power that indicate the character of convergence in the digital economy. We show how changing business strategies, including shifts in investment practices, accommodate modular approaches to business by realigning relationships between content and carriage. We assess the ways in which indicative U.S. and European network operators invest in content related businesses such as CDN and cloud services, and how content firms accommodate and encroach upon infrastructure business practices.Business practices in the digital economy have been strongly affected by recent changes in the structure and dynamics of the internet that facilitate more modular business models. This forces us to redefine the scope of the industry and break away from common categories of digital business that were determined by public policy, regulation and engineering approaches focusing on the layered model of the internet. By breaking away from assumptions about how "telecoms/transport" stands in contrast to "content/functionality" we can have a better picture of both value added and of competitive strategies. Recent court rulings, such as that of the D.C. Circuit Court in Verizon vs. FCC and the decision by France's ARCEP in Cogent vs. France Telecom illustrate the significance of these new business practices. Strategic decisions in the digital economy are increasingly based on tangible investments in converged facility to deliver network functionalities and content. The character of this dynamic is best represented by some aspects of modularity theory, which captures the interrelationships among business practices and the architectures of digital networks. We present a model that formalizes an element of that dynamic by capturing the relationship between the extent of commitment by key firms to network operations and content delivery. This contrasts with the normal two-sided market approaches because it accounts for a myriad of interconnecting and semi-autonomous commercial functions that adjust to new business models as the structure of the internet and the dynamics of the digital economy shifts. Hence, we assess the extent of network engagement for each company by judging the proportion of investment in each element, the proportion of revenue generated from different parts of the business, and the strategic direction the firm is taking. We show the vectors that describe the move towards convergence over the period 2008-2013 and relate these movements to patterns of investment in networks. Our findings reveal the significance of the shift in the digital economy that occurs as content providers invest in digital traffic transport and engage in new institutional arrangements with content delivery networks, internet exchanges, and customer access technologies.The theory considers an IO model to analyze strategic behaviors by content and carriage firms carriage firms and what the impacts are on investments by key players. This model presents comparative static predictions that are tested with an empirical model using investment data drawn from the annual reports of firms from six countries in infrastructure, content and digital services. Early indications are that this approach both captures recent convergence trends and indicates trajectories of those trends. We also believe that we can come to a better understanding of the relationship between internet policy and formal IO approaches to competition in the digital economy.


Universities in South Africa during apartheid reflected the racialised politics of the period. This gave rise to divisive descriptors such as 'historically white/black'; 'English/Afrikaans-speaking' institutions and 'Bantustan' universities. These descriptors signal a hierarchy of social status and state funding. We start by explaining how these apartheid-era institutional arrangements formed socially unjust 'silos' around postgraduate Education researchers and their research. Against this backdrop, we describe a project that surveyed postgraduate Education research at 23 institutions in South Africa between 1995 and 2004 – the first decade of democracy. The products of the survey constitute two spaces. First, there is the physical archive of dissertations and theses from the higher education institutions. This space disrupts the historical differences and physical distances, bringing together the postgraduate Education research of that period. The second space is the electronic bibliographic database of the archive. It is an abstract space that defies traditional shelving arrangements. We argue that this national project broke down the apartheid-era silos that separated the postgraduate Education research of the different higher education institutions in South Africa. In this article we propose that a third space manifests when a researcher works with the project's archive and/or database. It is a space of lived experience. In the interactive moment and space, when the researcher connects with the archive or database, there is the possibility of the researcher generating new understandings and ideas of/about Education research. Although the project described in this article has ended, we found that in the third space of the interactive experienced moment fresh questions about the knowledge produced by postgraduate Education researchers in South Africa, at the critical historical moment of the first decade of democracy, were made possible. Keywords : archive; database; knowledge production; postgraduate research; spatial theory


We solve Einstein equations on the brane to derive the exact form of the brane-world-corrected perturbations in Kerr-Newman singularities, using Randall-Sundrum and Arkani-Hamed-DimopoulosDvali (ADD) models. It is a consequence of such models that Kerr-Newman mini-black holes can be produced in LHC. We use this approach to derive a normalized correction for the Schwarzschild MyersPerry radius of a static � 4 � n� -dimensional mini-black hole, using more realistic approaches arising from Kerr-Newman mini-black hole analysis. Besides, we prove that there are four Kerr-Newman black hole horizons in the brane-world scenario we use, although only the outer horizon is relevant in the physical measurable processes. Parton cross sections in LHC and Hawking temperature are also investigated as functions of Planck mass (in the LHC range 1–10 TeV), mini-black hole mass, and the number of large extra dimensions in brane-world large extra-dimensional scenarios. In this case a more realistic braneeffect-corrected formalism can achieve more precisely the effective extra-dimensional Planck mass and the number of large extra dimensions—in the Arkani-Hamed-Dimopoulos-Dvali model —or the size of the warped extra dimension —in Randall-Sundrum formalism.


The aim of this study was to fabricate porous Hydroxyapatite/Tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) bioceramics with an adequate degree of interconnected porosity combined with optimal mechanical properties. Porous HA/TCP bioceramics with interconnected porosity and the controlled pore sizes necessary to simulate natural bone tissue morphology were fabricated by a novel technique of vacuum impregnation of reticulated polymeric foams with ceramic slip. By varying the characteristics of the slips and using foams of different pores per inch (ppi), samples of porous HA/TCP, blocks and granules, with a wide range of pore sizes were successfully manufactured. Functionally gradient materials (FGM) with porosity gradients were also made and no weakness was found at the interface. The pore size of the HA/TCP bioceramics was in the range of 197 – 254 µm (for 20 ppi foam), 143 – 182 µm (for 30 ppi foam) and 105 – 127 µm (for 45 ppi foam). The compressive strengths and the apparent densities of the HA/TCP samples were in the range of 30 –170 MPa and 2.34 – 2.76 g/cm3 respectively. These results indicate that it is possible to manufacture open pore HA/TCP bioceramics with compressive strengths comparable to human bone which could be of clinical interest.


Author(s): Mak-McCully, Rachel | Advisor(s): Halgren, Eric | Abstract: K-complexes (KCs), spindles, and slow oscillations characterize non-REM (NREM) sleep. Understanding how these large-scale cortical modulations coordinate cortical processing requires knowing where and how they are generated and spread. However, this is largely unknown, especially in humans. In this thesis, the interaction of the thalamus and cortex in giving rise to these sleep events, in particular the KC, was examined using computational modeling and a variety of recordings in humans: scalp electroencephalography (EEG), electrocorticography (ECOG), and stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG). The overall aim to characterize how the KCs arise in the human cortex and how the thalamus may be implicated in this process is addressed in three parts. Chapter 1 presents a novel thalamocortical computational model of NREM stage 2 sleep that produces spindles as well as spontaneous and evoked KCs. Properties of the model are based on evidence outlined in the chapter from EEG, ECOG, and SEEG recordings that KCs may arise synchronously across the cortex. The model suggests the disruption of thalamic spindling via inactivation of the low-threshold Ca2+ current (IT) as a possible mechanism for the production of synchronous KCs. Chapter 2 examines the spatial and temporal dynamics of individual KCs measured locally in the cortex using SEEG recordings. This study addresses where KCs occur, how often they occur, how large they are in amplitude, whether they co-occur across the cortex, and whether they propagate in sequential order across the cortex. Unlike a previously dominant model, this work finds that the KC can start anywhere, and then spread over a large or small cortical area, in any direction. Chapter 3 describes how the downstate differentially groups the cortical and thalamic spindle using simultaneous bipolar SEEG recordings. This study finds that the thalamus leads the cortex in the initiation of spindles, as well as driving individual spindle waves, while the downstate occurs in the cortex before the thalamus. In sum, the body of work presented here furthers our understanding of how corticothalamic mechanisms in humans give rise to stereotyped patterns of brain activity during sleep and suggests how these mechanisms may underlie the functional role of sleep in the brain.


Knowledge of peri-urban dingo or wild dog ecology can assist management agencies in developing management approaches that alleviate human-wildlife conflicts. Here we summarise (1) the food and dietary items identified in wild dog scats and (2) wild dog movement ecology in urban areas. Individual prey species commonly observed in scats included agile wallabies, northern brown bandicoots and swamp wallabies. Dietary overlap analyses indicated that wild dogs ate the same types or sizes of prey in different regions. In general, wild dogs occupied small fragments of bushland within an urban matrix, were active at all times of the day, and lived within a few hundred meters of houses and humans at all times. These data suggest that urban wild dog management strategies should focus on the mitigation of impacts at the individual or group level, and not population-level reductions in numbers.


In recent years, Japan has witnessed the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, a rise in racist hate speech, and the reinterpretation of the constitution to enable state militarization. In response to these crises, a segment of Japanese activists has adopted antifa to bolster their ongoing participation in antinuclear, antiracist, and antiwar social movements. This intervention focuses on what the author calls liberal antifa. Informed by its vexed relationships to the Japanese New Left, liberal antifa in Japan attempts to encompass a broad spectrum of political positions including liberal, left-wing, and even right-wing activism. This intervention traces linkages between liberal antifa and the resurgence of protest after Fukushima, drawing on ethnographic observations and interviews to analyze opposition to fascism within multiple, overlapping social movements. The author also shows how liberal antifa borrows from transnational influences to blend radical and popular cultural practices in relation to music, fashion, art, and food.


The objective was to increase understanding of how knee- injured people make sense of using the Motor Imagery to Facilitate Sensorimotor Re- Learning (MOTIFS) training intervention. This model integrates structured psychological skills training into existing care- as- usual (CaU) rehabilitation protocols. To better understand patients' lived experiences of MOTIFS, it was necessary to understand those of CaU training. Interviews were conducted with five people undergoing knee- injury rehabilitation according to the MOTIFS model, as well as seven receiving treatment according to CaU. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to explore patients' lived experiences. Results indicate that patients in the MOTIFS group perceive individualised meaning and sport relevance in their rehabilitation training. Imagery is perceived to be a concrete strategy that can be difficult, but encourages a biopsychosocial interaction to improve confidence, motivation, enjoyment and sport- relevant context, thereby aiding in physically and psychologically preparing patients for return to activity. CaU training is discussed in terms of physical factors, though patients identify psychological factors as important, perceiving a lack of focus on this, resulting in inadequate psychological readiness to return to activity. In conclusion, the MOTIFS model is perceived as focusing more on psychological factors in rehabilitation, helping to develop coping strategies and physically and psychologically prepare for return to activity. Patients in the CaU group perceive rehabilitation training as restoring strength and function, but lack structured psychological strategies to aid in return to activity preparation. This study is part of the MOTIFS randomised controlled trial ( clinicaltrials. gov registration: NCT03473821).


Sáiz Angulo, María Ángeles (Ph.D., Spanish and Portuguese) Los libros de viaje de Miguel de Unamuno en el contexto de la modernidad Thesis directed by Associate Professor Ricardo Landeira In this dissertation I consider the modern elements of a series of specific texts that exemplify the new cultural sensibility consolidated in the modern age. At the same time, I analyze a series of characteristics of modernity that help to establish links among Miguel de Unamuno's travel writings. In the first chapter of my dissertation I look at certain essential elements within two theoretical paradigms that meet in Unamuno's travel books: modernity and travel literature. In addition to mentioning the most relevant critical bibliography about these matters, I identify a series of common features in Unamuno's travel works. Finally, I include a brief review of these writings before analyzing the presence of modernist traits and tendencies in a group of specific texts in the following chapters. "La aparición de la figura del artista / intelectual en el fin de siglo: Paisajes y De mi país" is the title of the second chapter of my dissertation where I analyze how Unamuno's criticism of bourgeois society is related to the figure of the intellectual that appears at the end of the nineteenth century. In the third chapter, "La 'saudade' portuguesa: ecos del Simbolismo y el Impresionismo en Por tierras de Portugal y España," I study poetic elements from Symbolism that are present in these travel texts as well as Unamuno's adaptation of Impressionist pictorial techniques in his travel writings.


This study reports an improved procedure for the simultaneous determination of Re–Os and S isotopic compositions of sulfur-bearing minerals using negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry (N-TIMS) and multicollector-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS), respectively. This approach uses a Carius tube digestion technique during inverse aqua regia digestion to avoid the incomplete decomposition of sulfide minerals and the partial loss of S and Os during acid digestion. The sequential separation and purification of S and Re from sample matrix elements is undertaken after Os separation by CCl4 solvent extraction and utilizes a two-stage tandem column setup using cation and anion exchange resins. Sulfur is not adsorbed onto either of the cation or anion exchange resin columns and can be directly eluted using 0.1 mol L−1 HNO3, whereas Re is adsorbed onto the anion exchange resin column. This approach allowed the quantitative recovery of S (99.8%) and Re (99.7%), and the efficient removal of matrix elements from the final purified sample. The δ34S values of IAEA S-2, S-3, and IAPSO seawater standards determined during this study (calibrated using the IAEA S-1 standard) are consistent with the certified values and are of higher precision than the values obtained using conventional analytical techniques. Our approach can also be used with different kinds of sulfide minerals. This combined Re–Os–S isotopic analysis provides useful information on the timing of ore deposit formation and constrains the source of the ore-forming fluid material. This approach also allows the determination of Re–Os and S isotopic compositions of single sample digestion, thereby avoiding problems with sample heterogeneity that can arise when comparing S and Re–Os isotopic data generated by conventional approaches.


Liver transplant donors and recipients are routinely screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection by measuring the levels of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core (anti-HBc) antibodies. Organs are accepted from donors who are HB-negative, and increased monitoring is required for organs from donors considered at increased risk. Transplant recipients are vaccinated if there is no sign of previous infection or immunity and monitored for reactivation in case of previous HBV infection. In cases where both the donor and the recipient are HBV-negative, no antiviral prophylaxis is used post transplant. This report describes a case of an HBV-immunized, anti-HBc-negative patient who underwent an orthotopic liver transplant from an anti-HBc-negative donor. The patient did not receive post-transplant antiviral prophylaxis due to mutual anti-HBc-seronegative status. However, the recipient developed HBV infection with isolated HBsAg and persistently negative anti-HBc. Mutations in the core/pre-core regions of the HBV gene were not implicated for unique serology in this case. Immunosuppression post liver transplant is the likely etiology for isolated HBsAg seroconversion despite significantly elevated HBV DNA. Our experience suggests that HBV DNA screening of liver transplant donors and recipients, in addition to HBV DNA monitoring of recipients, may reduce the risk of transplant-associated HBV.


AIM
To evaluate the outcomes and safety of lamellar keratoplasty (LK) assisted by fibrin glue in corneal perforations.

METHODS
Six eyes of 6 patients affected by different corneal pathologies (2 posttraumatic corneal scar and 3 bacterial keratitis) underwent LK procedures by using fibrin glue. The mean corneal perforation diameter was 1.35±0.64mm (range, 0.7-2.5mm), and the greatest diameter of the ulcerative stromal defect was 2.47±0.77mm in average (range, 1.5-3.5mm). The donor corneal lamella diameters were 0.20-mm larger and thicker than the recipient to restore a physiologic corneal thickness and shape: mean donor diameter was 8.34±0.28mm (range, 8.2-8.7mm) and mean thickness was 352±40.27mm (range, 220-400mm). Mean follow-up was 7.33±1.97 months (range, 6-11 months). Postoperatively, the graft status, graft clarity, anterior chamber response, the visual prognosis, intraocular pressures, and postoperative complications were recorded.

RESULTS
All the corneal perforations were successfully healed after the procedure. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ranged from 20/1 000 to 20/50 in their initial presentation, and from 20/100 to 20/20 in their last visit, showed increase in all the patients. No major complications such as graft dislocation and graft failure were noted. Neovascularization developed in the superficial stroma of donor graft in 1 case. High intraocular pressure developed on day 2 after surgery, while was remained in normal range after application of anti-glaucomatous eyedrops for 1 week in 1 case.

CONCLUSION
Fibrin glue-assisted sutureless LK is valuable for maintaining the ocular integrity in the treatment of corneal perforations.


Introduction: Experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated that inflammation is associated with cancer risk and mortality. However, there are conflicting reports on the associations of biomarkers of inflammation with cancer. Because the biomarkers are systemic in origin, associations between individual biomarkers and cancer may not be always apparent. One inflammatory biomarker may correctly classify some cases and misclassify others and this could contribute to the conflicting results reported in previous studies. To further elucidate the relationship between inflammation and cancer, we investigated the associations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocyte count with cancer risk and mortality using the individual biomarkers and an inflammatory score derived from the two biomarkers. We hypothesize that any observed association would be more apparent in analysis conducted using an inflammatory score compared with analysis using individual biomarkers. Methods: We conducted this analysis among men enrolled in a prospective cohort study from Finland who had baseline examination and blood draw between March 1984 and December 1989. During an average follow-up period ranging from 23-28 years (till December 2012), 653 men developed cancer and 287 cancer deaths occurred. Cancer cases and deaths were ascertained through linkage to nationwide Finnish cancer Registry and Statistics Finland, respectively. Participants were categorized into quartiles based on the distribution of the biomarkers within the study population. In addition to individual biomarker analysis, the biomarkers were analyzed together using a standardized combined z-score. We computed the score for each biomarker based on the subject9s biomarker concentration (x), study mean (μ) and study standard deviation (σ) and computed a z-score with z = ( x - μ )/σ . The combined z-score was the sum of the subject9s individual CRP and leukocyte z-scores. We used Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate associations of the biomarkers, including the z-scores, with cancer risk and mortality, adjusting for confounders (age at baseline, examination year, smoking history (pack-years), alcohol consumption, energy intake, and cardiorespiratory fitness). Results: In multivariable-adjusted analyses using individual biomarkers, elevated leukocyte count (HR= 1.31, 95%CI 1.04-1.66, p-trend=0.19) and CRP concentration (HR= 1.23, 95%CI 0.97-1.55, p-trend=0.18) were not associated with statistically significantly increased risk of cancer and cancer mortality (HR=1.15, 95%CI 0.81-1.64, p-trend=0.43 for CRP and HR=1.39, 95%CI 0.98-1.97, p-trend=0.42 for leukocyte count). However, in analyses conducted using the derived z-scores, men with elevated z-scores had significantly increased risk of cancer. The HRs comparing men within the highest z-score quartile to those within the lowest z-score quartile were 1.47 (95%CI 1.16-1.88, p-trend Conclusions: In this prospective cohort study with long follow-up, an inflammatory biomarker score was more predictive of cancer risk than individual biomarkers alone. Our results indicate that combining biomarkers of inflammation may provide better clues to elucidating the associations of inflammation with cancer risk and mortality. Citation Format: Leavitt Morrison, Mark Ziegler, Jari Laukkanen, Sudhir Kurl, Kimmo Ronkainen, Jussi Kauhanen, Adetunji T. Toriola. Elucidating the associations of inflammation with cancer risk and mortality using an inflammatory score: Results from a prospective cohort study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr A06.


Smart environments and Ambient Intelligence (AmI) technologies are defining the future society where energy optimization and intelligent management are essential for a sustainable advance. Mobile robotics is also making an important contribution to this advance with the integration of sensors and intelligent processing algorithms. This paper presents the application of an Assistant Personal Robot (APR) as an autonomous agent for temperature, humidity, and luminance supervision in human-frequented areas. The robot multiagent capabilities allow gathering sensor information while exploring or performing specific tasks and then verifying human comfortability levels. The proposed methodology creates information maps with the distribution of temperature, humidity, and luminance and interprets such information in terms of comfort and warns about corrective actuations if required.


Objective To analyze the clinical results of 2 200 renal transplantations Methods The following factors were analyzed: (1) the graft survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years; (2) main factors contributing to the mortality; (3) factors affecting the survival rate of retransplant grafts; (4) features of cancers after renal transplantation; (5) effect of CSA on liver function after renal transplantion; (6) treatments for chronic rejection; and (7) effect of HLA typing on renal transplantation. Results From 1972 to 2000, 2 200 renal transplantations were performed in 1 908 patients (1 337 men and 571 women) with end stage renal failure in our hospital, Beijing. The graft survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 87.3%, 80.2% and 67.0% respectively, after using CSA since 1985. 302 recipients were aged over 50 years whose one year graft survival rate was 83.4% and one year patient survival rate was 85.4%. Pneumonitis was the dominant death factor after renal transplantation, with an incidence of 4.49% and a death rate of 34.62%. The incidence of positive CMV after renal transplantation was up to 40.3%, in with a death rate of 8.0%. The incidence of tumor after renal transplantation was 1.5%. The most frequent site of tumor was urological system. The patient's liver function before transplantation and the intraindividual variability of bioavailabity to CSA etc. were the major toxic factors of the liver. The incidences of acute rejection were 27%, 35.5%, 22.4%, 20.85%, 0% and 0%, respectively, when the HLA mismatches were 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Conclusion Using immunosuppressents reasonably, preventing acute rejection, and achieving good HLA typing are the major factors improving long term graft/patient survival rate.


This research is based on the ideas of humanistic-Existential Psychology, a positive approach to personal growth, and modern educational concepts concerning the dynamics of professional and social identity in the stratum of secondary and primary school teachers. The goal of the study is to get an objective picture of the professional and personal changes among Russian teachers under the conditions of school modernization. We offer a detailed model of the semi-structured interview with modern teachers, in combination with observation. The interview consists of 63 questions divided into 9 topics, and deals with issues related to what their professional activities mean to the teachers; the teachers' evaluation of professional dynamics; their attitude toward various aspects of professional life; and their general world outlook and values. We also briefly describe a pre-interview "warm-up" strategy. This stage of the research resulted in the successful pilot use of the research methodology, and data sufficient to evaluate the initial trends of the analysis of all the data. The study's main conclusions concern the observation technique, which offers a significant increase in the potential of the interview method, mainly through providing the ability to interpret non-verbal reactions, the level of openness, and the teacher's trust in the dialogue. Moreover, we must note that, when we asked teachers to answer complicated written questions, their answers, judgments, and arguments varied greatly, regardless of their professional and personal characteristics (employment history, qualification category, the subject they teach, type of school, etc.)


Experiments to determine process conditions for laser welding of thick structural steels are reported. Materials tested were: Domex 355, 460, 600 and 390, high strength, cold forming, microalloyed steels, 8-12 mm thickness; Weldox 960 high strength structural steel, 10 mm thickness; and Hardox 400 wear resistant steel, 10-15 mm thickness. Tests were performed using 12 and 17 kW lasers, with milled or laser cut edge preparation, various butt joint preparations, using autogenous and filler wire welding. Weld shape, microstructure and hardness, torsion fatigue strength, process envelopes for avoidance of solidification defects and laser optics requirements are reported.


We describe a series of sampling sensitivity experiments to examine potential errors due to data scatter around expendable bathythermograph (XBT) transects in the tropical Pacific. We use a linear, multiple vertical mode model forced with three different monthly mean wind stress sets for the period 1979–1983. The model is sampled along approximately straight lines of grid points corresponding to the mean positions of XBT tracks in the eastern, central, and western Pacific and then sampled again at the dates and locations of actual XBT casts for 1979–1983. Model dynamic heights are calculated with a resolution of 1° of latitude and 1 month, then processed to a monthly mean seasonal cycle and anomalies associated with the 1982–1983 El Nino. When results are compared for the two methods of sampling, the model indicates that data scattered zonally around XBT transects in general can lead to about 2 dyn cm error in dynamic height (equivalent to a 10-m error in model pycnocline displacement) in composite sections of XBT data. This magnitude of error generally does not obscure anomalies associated with the 1982–1983 El Nino or the annual and semiannual harmonics of the mean seasonal cycle in the model, though frequencies higher than the semiannual can be adversely affected. Errors larger than 2 dyn cm occur in regions where XBT sample spacing in the zonal direction is insufficient to resolve Rossby wave variations in the model (for example, from 16°N to 20°N in the central Pacific and from 8°S to 20°S in the eastern Pacific). These conclusions are insensitive to the choice of monthly mean wind stress used to force the model.


AT AUTOPSY, a 71-year-old man who had died of pneumonia was found to have severe coarctation of the aorta, with concomitant hypertrophy of the collateral vessels and a poststenotic aneurysm. Since there have been very few recorded cases of coarctation of the aorta in patients surviving to this age, this case was thought to be worth reporting. Report of a Case A 71-year-old Mexican man was admitted to the hospital for the first time with complaint, by relatives, of extreme weakness of two years' duration and fever of recent onset. History from the patient was unobtainable as he was moribund. His temperature was 103 F (39.4 C) and blood pressure, 200/80 mm Hg. Rales were heard bilaterally. A chest film taken with a portable unit showed a mass in the region of the thyroid, a calcified mass in the left hilum, and rib notching. He died, in spite of receiving


We are witnessing a great effort on the part of the educational systems of the world in modernizing the curricular content of primary and secondary schools. One example of these educational initiatives is the effort of integrating aspects of engineering and technology with the existing core subjects of sciences and mathematic in K-12 education. These efforts are often labeled as STEM or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Arts.) These subjects, studied in an integral form, are considered essential in the education of the citizens of a modern society. A common obstacle encountered in the implementation of these projects or initiatives is the lack of consensus on the specific topics to be included in the curriculum, the pedagogical methodology selected for the classroom, and the means, computer-based or otherwise, to be used by the teachers and the students. Often the lack of consensus among the different constituencies in charge of these projects finds its roots in the different assumptions made by their participants. This paper addresses one of the most acute set of differences present in these projects: the teaching methods used in class, knowing the resources and limitations of the human mind. In the last few decades we have learned much of how the mind works; what tasks are intrinsically easy or difficult for the human mind. Also, with the extensive access to computing power in our society, it is important to determine if a traditional task was studied in school for its practical use or for its value in developing the potential qualities of the mind. In this paper we will use the word computation in its traditional meaning of symbol manipulation. In that sense, all processes of thinking, solving problems, and endeavors of creation are processes of symbol manipulation, or computation. In this paper we present a computational model of the mind in order to provide a standard reference that will help in finding answers to questions such as: when is a task complex, what are the cognitive capabilities and limitations of the mind, what teaching methodologies are optimal, and why.


The quenching 'maintenance' and 'cooling flow' problems are important from the Milky Way through massive cluster elliptical galaxies. Previous work has shown that some source of energy beyond that from stars and pure magnetohydrodynamic processes is required, perhaps from active galactic nuclei, but even the qualitative form of this energetic input remains uncertain. Different scenarios include thermal 'heating', direct wind or momentum injection, cosmic ray heating or pressure support, or turbulent 'stirring' of the intracluster medium (ICM). We investigate these in $10^{12}\!-\!10^{14}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ haloes using high-resolution non-cosmological simulations with the FIRE-2 (Feedback In Realistic Environments) stellar feedback model, including simplified toy energy injection models, where we arbitrarily vary the strength, injection scale, and physical form of the energy. We explore which scenarios can quench without violating observational constraints on energetics or ICM gas. We show that turbulent stirring in the central $\sim 100\,$ kpc, or cosmic ray injection, can both maintain a stable low-star formation rate halo for >Gyr time-scales with modest energy input, by providing a non-thermal pressure that stably lowers the core density and cooling rates. In both cases, associated thermal-heating processes are negligible. Turbulent stirring preserves cool-core features while mixing condensed core gas into the hotter halo and is by far the most energy efficient model. Pure thermal heating or nuclear isotropic momentum injection require vastly larger energy, are less efficient in lower mass haloes, easily overheat cores, and require fine tuning to avoid driving unphysical temperature gradients or gas expulsion from the halo centre.


Objectives This study aimed to develop a health needs assessment (HNA) tool for persons with brain disorders and to assess the unmet needs of persons with brain disorders using the developed tool. Methods The authors used consensus methods to develop a HNA tool. Using a randomized stratified systematic sampling method adjusted for sex, age, and districts, 57 registered persons (27 severe and 30 mild cases) with brain disorders dwelling in Seoul, South Korea were chosen and medical specialists investigated all of the subjects with the developed tools. Results The HNA tool for brain disorders we developed included four categories: 1) medical interventions and operations, 2) assistive devices, 3) rehabilitation therapy, and 4) regular follow-up. This study also found that 71.9% of the subjects did not receive appropriate medical care, which implies that the severity of their disability is likely to be exacerbated and permanent, and the loss irrecoverable. Conclusions Our results showed that the HNA tool for persons with brain disorders based on unmet needs defined by physicians can be a useful method for evaluating the appropriateness and necessity of medical services offered to the disabled, and it can serve as the norm for providing health care services for disabled persons. Further studies should be undertaken to increase validity and reliability of the tool. Fundamental research investigating the factors generating or affecting the unmet needs is necessary; its results could serve as basis for developing policies to eliminate or alleviate these factors.


The RAS family is among the most commonly mutated genes in all human malignancies including colon cancer. In normal cells, RAS proteins act as a link in the intracellular signal transduction initiated by binding of growth factors to cell membrane receptors mediating cell survival. RAS isoproteins have great morphological similarities, but despite that, they are thought to have different functions in different tissues. RAS mutations, as supported by several studies including animal models, have a role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer. The detection of RAS mutations in patients with colorectal carcinoma, specifically KRAS and NRAS, has significant clinical implications. It is currently recommended that patients with colon cancer who are considered for antiepidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies, get RAS mutation testing since only those with wildtype-RAS genes benefit from such treatment. Despite decades of research, there is currently no effective and safe treatment that directly targets RAS-mutated neoplasms. Multiple therapeutic approaches directed against RAS mutations are currently experimental, including a promising immunotherapy study using T-cells in patients with metastatic colon cancer.


Background: Acne vulgaris is a common skin disease that affects not only teenagers but also the general population. Although acne is not physically disabling, its psychological impact can be striking, contributing to low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. As a result, there is a significant demand for effective acne therapies. Antihistamine is a widely used medication to treat several allergic skin conditions and yet it also has been found to decrease complications of acne and improve acne symptoms. For the severe cystic acne vulgaris, oral retinoids such as isotretinoin is the primary treatment; however, health care providers hesitate to prescribe isotretinoin due to its adverse drug reactions. On the other hand, antihistamine is well known by its safe and minimal side effects. Can an antihistamine intervention in standardized treatment of acne vulgaris significantly impact the improvement of acne symptoms and reduce sebum production? Methods: An exhaustive search was conducted by MEDLINE-OVID, CINAHL, UptoDate, Web of Science, Google scholar, MEDLINE-PubMed, Clinicalkey, and ProQuest by using keywords: acne vulgaris and antihistamine. Relevant articles were assessed for quality using GRADE. Results: After the exhaustive search, two studies met the inclusion criteria and eligibility criteria. Effect of antihistamine as an adjuvant treatment of isotretinoin in acne:a randomized, controlled comparative study contains the comparison of 20 patients with moderate acne are treated with isotretinoin and another 20 patients with moderate acne are treated with additional antihistamine. Identification of Histamine Receptors and Reduction of Squalene Levels by an Antihistamine in Sebocytes was conducted on human tissue to verify the decrease of sebum production by the antihistamine's effect. Conclusion: Both studies demonstrate the usefulness of an histamine antagonist in reducing sebum production and improving acne symptoms. Due to its low cost and safety, a recommendation can be made for antihistamine to treat acne vulgaris as an adjuvant therapy to standardized treatment. Degree Type Capstone Project Degree Name Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies First Advisor David Keene PA-C


Offset dikes, radial and concentric fractures infilled with quartz diorite, are important hosts of Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization in the Sudbury area. To better understand their emplacement and evolution, the cathodoluminescence (CL) and trace-element chemistry of quartz were examined in quartz diorite from the Foy, Trill, Whistle, Hess, Parkin (North Range), and Copper Cliff (South Range) offsets. Although the potential causes of the CL response in quartz are considered, the primary focus was the qualitative textures and patterns, as these can provide valuable paragenetic information. Quartz from the North Range displays a strong blue luminescence dominated by homogenous and sharply zoned CL patterns, while that from the Copper Cliff offset displays a weak CL response. Locally recrystallized granoblastic quartz shows diffuse concentric zoning and other heterogeneous CL patterns. Trace-element EPMA-WDS analyses indicate that quartz from the Foy, Trill, and Whistle offsets is enriched in Al (30–600 ppm) and Ti (50–520 ppm) as compared to Fe (<25–490 ppm), while quartz from the Parkin and Hess offsets is enriched in Fe (270–700 ppm) as compared to Ti (44–211 ppm) and Al (95–250 ppm). In contrast to the North Range offsets, quartz from Copper Cliff has low Al concentrations (30–85 ppm) and very low Ti concentrations (<25 ppm). Application of the Ti-in-quartz geothermometer indicates that quartz from the North Range offsets crystallized above 600 °C, while that from the Copper Cliff offset crystallized below 600 °C. The CL responses and trace-element compositions of anhedral quartz from the North Range offsets are consistent with primary crystallization of quartz from magmatic quartz diorite, while those of the granoblastic quartz record dynamic recrystallization and Ostwald ripening. Copper Cliff quartz is anomalous in its CL response, trace-element content, and crystallization temperature, which may reflect overprinting during regional metamorphism of the South Range of the Sudbury Igneous Complex. Quartz CL is demonstrated to be an important tool for discerning and discriminating between paragenetic processes related to the formation of the offset dikes and has clear applications to the study of other quartz-bearing igneous rocks in the Sudbury area.


Purpose This study compared clinical and radiologic differences between cystic biliary atresia (cBA) and choledochal cyst (CC) type Ia/b. Methods Infants (≤12 months old) who were diagnosed with cBA or CC type Ia/b from 2005 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging features on preoperative ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were compared between the cBA and CC groups. Logistic regression and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analyses were performed for the diagnosis of cBA. Changes in cyst size were also evaluated when prenatal US exams were available. Results Ten patients (5.5% of biliary atresia cases) with cBA (median age, 48 days) and 11 infants with CC type Ia/b (Ia:Ib=10:1; median age, 20 days) were included. Triangular cord thickness on US (cutoff, 4 mm) showed 100% sensitivity and 90.9% specificity (AUC, 0.964; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.779 to 1.000) and cyst size on MRI (cutoff, 2.2 cm) had 70% sensitivity and 100% specificity (AUC, 0.900; 95% CI, 0.690 to 0.987) for diagnosing cBA. Gallbladder mucosal irregularity on US and an invisible distal common bile duct on MRI were only seen in the cBA group (10 of 10). Only the CC group showed prenatal cysts exceeding 1 cm with postnatal enlargement. Conclusion Small cyst size (<1 cm) on prenatal US, triangular cord thickening (≥4 mm) and gallbladder mucosal irregularity on postnatal US, and small cyst size (≤2.2 cm) and an invisible distal common bile duct on MRI can discriminate cBA from CC type Ia/b in infancy.


This thesis has two aims. First, it sets out to develop an alternative methodology for the investigation of risk homeostasis theory (RHT). It is argued that the current methodologies of the pseudo-experimental design and post hoc analysis of road-traffic accident data both have their limitations, and that the newer 'game' type simulation exercises are also, but for different reasons, incapable of testing RHT predictions. The alternative methodology described here is based on the simulation of physical risk with intrinsic reward rather than a 'points pay-off'. The second aim of the thesis is to examine a number of predictions made by RHT through the use of this alternative methodology. Since the pseudo-experimental design and post hoc analysis of road-traffic data are both ill-suited to the investigation of that part of RHT which deals with the role of utility in determining risk-taking behaviour in response to a change in environmental risk, and since the concept of utility is critical to RHT, the methodology reported here is applied to the specific investigation of utility. Attention too is given to the question of which behavioural pathways carry the homeostasis effect, and whether those pathways are 'local' to the nature of the change in environmental risk. It is suggested that investigating RHT through this new methodology holds a number of advantages and should be developed further in an attempt to answer the RHT question. It is suggested too that the methodology allows RHT to be seen in a psychological context, rather than the statistical context that has so far characterised its investigation. The experimental findings reported here are in support of hypotheses derived from RHT and would therefore seem to argue for the importance of the individual and collective target level of risk, as opposed to the level of environmental risk, as the major determinant of accident loss.


Replacement heifers need to reach specific target live weights (LW) to ensure they calve as two year olds, and subsequently achieve high milk yields and good fertility. Currently, different LW targets are recommended for heifers based on their expected mature LW according to appearance or breed. However, the mature LW is difficult to estimate without knowledge of the animals' genetic potential for LW. The objective of this paper is to develop and validate a growth model which uses estimated breeding values for LW (EBV LW) of individual heifers of any breed to calculate target LW from birth to maturity. Predicted live weights are presented for a range of four EBV LW, from –40 to 100 kg. These values were very similar to other published target values. Data from the Dexcel Holstein Friesian Strain Trial was used to validate the model with respect to LW and age at puberty. For LW at puberty the predicted values were significantly correlated (P<0.05), but were marginally higher (3-5%) than the actual values. A report can be formulated to enable farmers to identify individual heifers which are below (or above) their target LW at any date


The advent of AIDS in families, following the chronic evolution of the illness, has produced crisis situations unknown until now. With the objective of knowing this new reality better, 20 caregivers of AIDS patients were interviewed in southeastern Brazil. The collected data were analyzed using a qualitative method. The results showed difficulties regarding caregiving, such as a lack of orientation, materials, transport, and people to share the role of caregiver, as well as emotional difficulties, such as fears from infection, revulsion, pity, and impotence in the face of death. The role of families is essential in patient assistance, due to the inability of the health system to attend to all AIDS patients. Nevertheless, these families have to receive support mainly from nurses, in order to be helped in executing an aid plan to the ill person at home. Nurses and health care.


Hydrostatic worm-rack-drive has obvious advantages on large-sized machine tools, and its performance is significantly affected by pitch errors. This paper theoretically researches the axial static and dynamic characteristics of hydrostatic worm-rack-drive, including the effects of the amplitude, period, and phase of pitch errors. Based on the expanded view of the helicoid of threads, a numerical calculation method is implemented where the Reynolds' equation and flow continuity equation are solved simultaneously. The influence rule of pitch errors on pocket pressure, flow, axial fluid-film force, axial stiffness coefficient, and axial damping coefficient are discussed in detail, for providing beneficial guidance for the design and performance optimization of hydrostatic worm-rack-drive.


The article by Waring 1 in the October 1992 issue of theArchivesis a remarkably clear and complete compendium of refractive surgical procedures. In anticipation of "Keratospeak V," I would like to offer the following amendments to "Keratospeak IV." Section I.B.2.d.i. can be enhanced by including other measures taken at the time of cataract surgery to reduce or minimize postoperative astigmatism. I would rewrite this section as follows: d. Modification of cataract surgery i. Intraoperative —Astigmatism-neutral cataract incision —Manipulation of incision to reduce preexisting astigmatism 2 Adjust wound size according to preexisting astigmatism Center incision along steep meridian Scleral flap recession or resection 3 —Transverse keratotomy Section I.C.1.a. can be revised as follows to add a third laser modality to photorefractive keratectomy: iii. Erbium-YAG laser (2.9 μm). Section I.C.1.c. is more correctly written in the following fashion: c. Intrastromal photodisruption or photorefractive keratectomy Picosecond Nd-YLF laser (1053 nm)


Gurnards are a valuable by-catch of mixed demersal fisheries and are commercially important in European waters, but they are often discarded, reported under "mixed gurnards" and with incomplete biological information by species. In the present work, a total of 558 piper gurnard specimens of between 10.9 and 44.4 cm (1 to 11 years) and 425 red gurnard specimens of between 10.2 and 42.1 cm (0 to 9 years) from the northeast Atlantic (Portuguese) coast were used to study age and growth. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters for piper gurnard were estimated through the combination of whole-otolith readings and back-calculation (L∞=44.7 cm, k=0.16 yr–1 and t0=–2.781 yr). For red gurnard the same growth parameters were estimated using whole-otolith readings (L∞=40.2 cm, k=0.28 yr–1 and t0=–1.074 yr). The results indicate that the red gurnard reaches a smaller length, although it grows faster than the piper gurnard. Natural, instantaneous and fishing mortalities were estimated as well as the exploitation rate for both species. For the Portuguese coast, the red gurnard showed a higher fishing mortality and exploitation rate than the piper gurnard, raising concerns about its sustainable management.


Background: Vitamins A and E deficiency is prevalent in developing countries, and plasma levels are low in pregnancy. This study was undertaken to determine the serum Vitamins A and E status among pregnant women attending antenatal care at a General Hospital in Dawakin Kudu, Kano and to provide the necessary information needed to suggest the supplementation of Vitamins A and E during pregnancy. Methods: The study was done in General Hospital Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area. Dawakin Kudu, a rural community in Kano State is about 12 km from Kano metropolis which is the most populous city in Nigeria and commercial nerve center of Northern Nigeria. Most of the women are housewives, however, some engage in subsistent farming and petty trading. This was a prospective study of 200 pregnant women at various maternal ages, gestational ages, and parities. Informed consent was obtained from the participants. Research structured questionnaire was administered to 200 respondents which showed age and parity distributions. Determination of Serum Vitamins A and E was done using methods of Bessey, et al. and Tsen. Ethical approval for the research was obtained from General Hospital, Dawakin Kudu, Kano. Statistical Analysis Used: Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 17 statistical software (SPSS Inc., IL, Chicago, USA). Descriptive statistics was done. Mean serum Vitamins A and E concentration between trimesters were compared using two-way ANOVA and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Majority of the women were aged 20–39 years with mean of 23.67 ± 6.11. Most were in the 1–4 parity range. Mean birth weight was 2.42 ± 0.74 kg. Above 65% were deficient while 34.5% had normal levels of Vitamin A and 51% were deficient of serum Vitamin E. Serum Vitamins A and E levels showed a marked reduction from first through third trimester. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: There is a significant reduction in the serum Vitamins A and E concentration throughout the period of pregnancy with the highest levels in the first trimester. Therefore, further studies should evaluate the value of Vitamins A and E supplementation during pregnancy especially for those whose fruit and vegetable consumption is inadequate.


Summary 1. Recruitment failure may represent an important demographic response to changes in the environment or in population size. In this study, I examined whether there was a positive relationship between recruitment rates and ovulation rates in year t-1 in eight Norwegian moose populations. Further, I examined how body condition and climate affected the spatiotemporal variation in recruitment rates and ovulation rates. 2. Both recruitment rates and ovulation rates exhibited spatial and temporal variation. The ovulation and twin ovulation rate in yearlings showed more temporal variation than in prime-aged adults. Furthermore, twinning rates varied more than ovulation and calving rates. 3. The number of calves per female recruited to the population was positively related to number of eggs per female the previous year. More calves per female were recorded in years with a high June temperature, smaller snow depths and larger yearling body mass, indicating that more egg cells are realised into a calf in years with good living conditions., 4. Additionally, more calves per female were found in regions with higher number of eggs per female, cool June temperatures and low snow depths. The level of recruitment failure varied among regions, and was highest in Vestfold which is associated with low ovulation rates and body masses. This shows that prenatal or neonatal losses of offspring are likely to be an important demographic response in moose to changes in population size or in the environment.


Maize is one of the most nutrient demanding staple
crops. Tissue nutrient diagnosis of maize is currently conducted using critical
nutrient concentration or dual ratio ranges, but such diagnoses are
pathological as biased by data redundancy, sub-compositional incoherence and
non-normal distribution. The use of orthogonal balances, a compositional data
analysis technique, avoids such biases. Our objective was to develop foliar
nutrient balance standards for maize. We collected 758 grain yields (15.5%
moisture content) and foliar samples at silk stage in maize fields of southern Quebec,
Canada, and analyzed ten
nutrients in tissues (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, B, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe). Nutrients were
arranged into ad hoc balances and
computed as isometric log ratios (ilr).
An optimized binary classification performed by a customized receiver operating
characteristic procedure showed that a critical Mahalanobis distance of 4.21
separated balanced from imbalanced specimens about yield cut-off of 11.83 Mg
grain·ha-1 with test performance of 86%. Quebec maize balance standards differed from
published standards computed from DRIS norms collected in other agroecosystems.
The Redfield N/P ratio in maize leaves was found to be the least variable
balance across regions of the world. The DRIS dual ratios and raw concentration
values were found to be geometrically inadequate for conducting diagnosis. The
unbiased nutrient balance diagnosis combined
the critical Mahalanobis distance and a mobile representation of nutrient
balances with ilr means of
true negative (TN) specimens centered at fulcrums and back-transformed ilr values of TN specimens into raw
concentrations loading the buckets below. Nutrients can be appreciated as
relative shortage, adequacy or excess in the concentration domain following
statistical analysis and diagnosis in the unbiased balance domain.


Many organizations, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the US Department of Defense, want to use constellations or fleets of autonomous spacecraft working together to accomplish complex mission objectives. At the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate, we are developing architectures for commanding and controlling a cluster of cooperating satellites through autonomous software development for the TechSat 21 program. Large clusters of satellites flying in formation must have some level of onboard autonomy in order to: fly within specified tolerance levels; avoid collisions; address fault detection, isolation, and resolution (FDIR); share knowledge; and plan and schedule activities. Commanding and controlling a large cluster of satellites can be very burdensome for ground operators as well. The article describes efforts to address these issues through the technology development for TechSat 21.


Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) evaluation commonly requires immunohistochemistry (IHC) tests on breast cancer tissue, in addition to the standard haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining tests. Additional costs and time spent on further testing might be avoided if HER2 overexpression could be effectively inferred from H&E stained slides, as a preliminary indication of the IHC result. In this paper, we propose the first method that aims to achieve this goal. The proposed method is based on multiple instance learning (MIL), using a convolutional neural network (CNN) that separately processes H&E stained slide tiles and outputs an IHC label. This CNN is pretrained on IHC stained slide tiles but does not use these data during inference/testing. H&E tiles are extracted from invasive tumour areas segmented with the HASHI algorithm. The individual tile labels are then combined to obtain a single label for the whole slide. The network was trained on slides from the HER2 Scoring Contest dataset (HER2SC) and tested on two disjoint subsets of slides from the HER2SC database and the TCGA-TCIA-BRCA (BRCA) collection. The proposed method attained 83.3 % classification accuracy on the HER2SC test set and 53.8 % on the BRCA test set. Although further efforts should be devoted to achieving improved performance, the obtained results are promising, suggesting that it is possible to perform HER2 overexpression classification on H&E stained tissue slides.


A 6-week-old Beagle failed to respond to visual stimulation. Examination revealed fixed dilated pupils and hypoplasia of both optic disks. Results of electroretinography were normal. Radiography of the skull revealed small optic nerve foramina. Histologically, the outer layers of the retinas were normal, the retinal ganglion cells were scarce, and the nerve fiber layers, optic nerves, and optic chiasm were hypoplastic.