Advances in cognitive neurosci- ence and brain-imaging technologies give us the unprecedented ability to interface directly with brain activity. These technologies let us monitor the physical processes in the brain that correspond with certain forms of thought. Driven by society's growing recognition of the needs of people with physical disabilities, researchers have begun using these technologies to build brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)communication systems that don't depend on the brain's normal output pathways of peripheral nerves and muscles. In BCIs, users explicitly manipulate their brain activity instead of motor movements to produce signals that control computers or communication devices. This research has extremely high impact, especially for disabled individuals who can't otherwise physically communicate.


We describe an observation of post-fledging double nest switching and alloparenting in the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius). During the summer of 2010, a 36-day-old male Peregrine Falcon that had been marked with leg bands was seen flying from its natal site and was subsequently observed at a neighboring nest site that contained two nestlings. Motion-sensitive camera images indicated that the adopted nestling remained at the neighboring site for several days, during which time it shared the nest ledge with the two resident nestlings and was fed by the adults that occupied the site. The juvenile falcon subsequently returned to its natal site, where it shared the nest ledge with its natural sibling and received care from its natural parents. This note is the first documentation of nest switching in wild Peregrine Falcons.


This paper presents a new multi-criteria assessment tool enabling the comparison of conventional and innovative infrastructures and its application to a specific case in a mid-size German city, Lunen. The assessed infrastructure alternatives are a conventional system with centralized supply of drinking water, wastewater collection in a combined sewer system and central tertiary treatment in one case. In the other more innovative system, one part of the wastewater is used decentrally to extract the contained heat, substitute one part of the drinking water and, after being passed into a park-like constructed wetland, improve the microclimate and biodiversity. The assessment method employed is utility analysis using a set of 21 criteria and 33 indicators. The comparative assessment of both infrastructure alternatives shows the superiority of the innovative system for most criteria.


Using Ce, La, Nd (III) nitrate and a curcumin aniline schiff base and a curcumin bis (4-methyl aniline) schiff base as raw materials, six complexes were synthesized. Through the molar conductance, IR, TG-DTA and element analysis motheds, the structures of complexes were characterized. Moreover, the properties of UV-Visible spectra and photochromic properties of the complex, and the solvatechromic performance in organic solvents were explored. The experiments showed that the complexes have good photochromic and solvate-chromic properties. The fluorescence intensity and UV-Visible spectra intensity were reduced under exposure,and the color of the complex solution became light. The complexes have different UV-Visible spectra in difference organic solvents. The relationship between photochromic properties and time was also studied.


If long-term responses of photosynthesis and leaf diffusive conductance to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are similar or predictably different among species, functional types, and ecosystem types, general global models of elevated CO2 effects can effectively be developed. To address this issue we measured gas exchange rates of 13 perennial grassland species from four functional groups across 11 years of long-term free-air CO2 enrichment (eCO2, 1 180 ppm above ambient CO2) in the BioCON experiment in Minnesota, USA. Eleven years of eCO2 produced consistent but modest increases in leaf net photosynthetic rates of 10% on average compared with plants grown at ambient CO2 concentrations across the 13 species. This eCO2-induced enhancement did not depend on soil N treatment, is much less than the average across other longer-term studies, and represents strong acclimation (i.e. downregulation) as it is also much less than the instantaneous response to eCO2. The legume and C3 nonlegume forb species were the most responsive among the functional groups (1 13% in each), the C4 grasses the least responsive (1 4%), and C3 grasses intermediate in their photosynthetic response to eCO2 across years (1 9%). Leaf stomatal conductance and nitrogen content declined comparably across species in eCO2 compared with ambient CO2 and to degrees corresponding to results from other studies. The significant acclimation of photosynthesis is explained in part by those eCO2-induced decreases in leaf N content and stomatal conductance that reduce leaf photosynthetic capacity in plants grown under elevated compared with ambient CO2 concentrations. Results of this study, probably the longest-term with the most species, suggest that carbon cycle models that assume and thereby simulate long-lived strong eCO2 stimulation of photosynthesis (e.g.425%) for all of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems should be viewed with a great deal of caution.


This paper analyzes the effect of noise on different selection mechanisms for genetic algorithms (GAs). Models for several selection schemes are developed that successfully predict the convergence characteristics of GAs within noisy environments. The selection schemes modeled in this paper include proportionate selection, tournament selection, (, ) selection, and linear ranking selection. An allele-wise model for convergence in the presence of noise is developed for the OneMax domain, and then extended to more complex domains where the building blocks are uniformly scaled. These models are shown to accurately predict the convergence rate of GAs for a wide range of noise levels.


We present a methodology to engineer services in real-time information environments. We evaluate, combine and enrich traditional techniques and methodologies such as New Product Development and Adaptive Software Development in order to support the development and continuous improvement of information services. Our methodology is based upon the financial service environment. It is specific enough to be applicable in the field of finance and general enough to be applied broadly in information services development.


Background: No/Slow Reflow is a nightmare in cath labs because of its serious manifestations from severe chest pain to death. However, its exact etiopathogenesis is still a mystery. We intend to find its possible underlying mechanism(s). Methods: Among the High Risk ACS patients for No/Slow Reflow (Hypertensive, Diabetes, Chronic Total Occlusion, Stent Restenosis, SVG Stenosis, Arterectomy Done, LeftMain andLADLesion,Multivessel andDiffuse Lesion)whohad undergoneElective PCI fromOctober 2012 toOctober 2013, 23 patientswere found to haveNo/SlowReflow and allocated as No/Slow Reflow Group and another 23 high risk patients were also randomized and allocated as Control Group. Platelet and Plaque Factors, Inflammatory Factors, Uric Acid, Cholesterol Factors, Symptom Onset to Balloon Interval (Days) and Syntax Score for each patient were collected and compared between two groups. Results: Uric Acid (p 1⁄4 0.031, r 1⁄4 0.318), Total Cholesterol (p 1⁄4 0.010, r 1⁄4 0.374) and LDL (p 1⁄4 0.014, r 1⁄4 0.360) were the only correlation factors with No/Slow Reflow group. However, Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (p1⁄40.017, CI1⁄42.1351969.758) and Total Cholesterol (p1⁄40.036, CI1⁄41.483-77581.262) were left as the only independent factors of No/Slow Reflow after multivariable logistic regression. After ROC curve analysis, Total Cholesterol got the highest Area Under Curve (AUC1⁄40.703) with the best cut off point of 3.779 mmol/L (Sensitivity1⁄465%, Specificity1⁄465%) followed by Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio. Conclusion: Total Cholesterol and Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (New Inflammatory Marker) were significantly increased in No/Slow Reflow Patients and the only independent factors of No/Slow Reflow. Therefore, Hypercholesterolemia and Inflammation may be possible mechanisms of No/Slow Reflow during Elective PCI.


This paper points out the differences between an amplifier with voltage feedback and one with current feedback. The effect of variations of amplifier constants on output voltage and current is decreased by either type of negative feedback. Voltage feedback decreases the effect of load impedance on output voltage, and current feedback decreases the effect of load impedance on load current. Voltage feedback increases the damping of a loudspeaker and improves its response. A table also is given to assist in the choice of type and amount of feedback to be used in a given application.


Although creativity is often considered a key success factor in advertising, the marketing literature lacks a systematic empirical account of when and how advertising creativity works. The authors use a meta-analysis to synthesize the literature on advertising creativity and test different theoretical explanations for its effects. The analysis covers 93 data sets taken from 67 papers that provide 878 effect sizes. The results show robust positive effects but also highlight the importance of considering both originality and appropriateness when investing in advertising creativity. Moderation analyses show that the effects of advertising creativity are stronger for high- (vs. low-) involvement products, and that the effects on ad (but not brand) reactions are marginally stronger for unfamiliar brands. An empirical test of theoretical mechanisms shows that affect transfer, processing, and signaling jointly explain these effects, and that originality mainly leads to affect transfer, whereas appropriateness leads to signaling. The authors also call for further research connecting advertising creativity with sales and studying its effects in digital contexts.


· AIM: To establish and compare serum proteomic of diabetic retinopathy(DR) patients in various phases and discuss pathogenesis of DR so as to find out possible serum specific molecular markers for early diagnosis of DR. · METHODS: Thirty-two subjects were divided into four groups: one group of eight type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients without apparent DR (No-DR, NDR), one group of eight T2DM patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR), one group of eight T2DM patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR) and one group of eight healthy volunteer participants. Two dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) was applied to establish differential protein expression profiles in four groups. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF MS) was applied to identify mass spectrometry of differential proteins and analyze follow-up bioinformatics. · RESULTS: 2D-DIGE maps of serum protein were satisfactory obtained from NDR, NPDR, PDR and normal control groups. Twenty-six different proteins spots were screened(the volume ratio was >1.5 based on DeCyder software analysis). Twenty-four of them were verified and two of them were not. Fifteen proteins were verified. Most of them were high-abundant proteins in serum. The four relatively low-abundant ones were beta 2-glycoprotein I (β2-GPI), alpha2-HS-glycoprotein(AHSG), alpha1-acid glycoprotein(α1-AGP) and apolipoprotein A-1(apo A-1). β2-GPI expression was gradually increased in the development of DR but unrelated to the severity of DR. The volume ratio of β2-GPI is 1.54, 2.43, and 2.84 in NDR, NPDR and PDR group respectively compared with normal control group. · CONCLUSION: Serum proteomic analysis of 2D-DIGE combined with MALDI-TOF-TOF MS is feasible to be applied in the study of DR. β2-GPI probably takes part in the process of DR occurrence and development and it could be a candidate biomarker on DR diagnosis in early phase. ·


This paper presents the punching shear capacities of biaxial hollow slab with donut type hollow sphere. Recently, various types of slab systems which can reduce self-weight of slabs have been studied as the height and width of building structures rapidly increase. A biaxial hollow slab system is widely known as one of the effective slab system which can reduce self-weight of slab. According to previous studies, the hollow slab has weakness in slab-column connection. In addition, the present code does not provide a clear computation method for the punching shear strength of hollow slab. In this study, the special type of cage was used to improve punching shear capacities and fix the hollow spheres in critical section. To verify the punching shear capacities of this biaxial hollow slab, punching shear tests were performed. Four test specimens were used for test parameters. One was conventional RC slab and three were hollow slabs. The test parameter was the areas of critical section which were determined by the number of hollow spheres in critical section.


Nineteen sugarcane field trials in the semiarid irrigated, mediumand high-rainfall areas were performed from 1962 to 1974 to evaluate Paraquat (1, 1' dimethyl-4, 4-dipyridinium-bis-dimethyl sulfate, commercially known as Gramoxone) as a desiccant for reducing sugarcane trash. The material was applied by airplane at rates from 0.5 to 4 pt/acre in 4 to 32 gal of water, 2 to 7 days prior to preharvest burning. Paraquat improved burning with significant trash reduction of 3.5% in the 196270 trials to 5.08% in 1974. Cane fiber percent cane was reduced by 0.72% in the 1974 trials, with a significant reduction of 1.09% at the four Central Aguirre trials which represented an increase of 4lb recu perated sugar per ton of cane ground. In general, values for sucrose percent cane, Brix, and purity were not significantly affected by desiccation, especially in 1974 trials, involving 1 pt/acre Paraquat in 8 gal of water. Desiccant effectiveness was influenced by harvest method, the V-cut ter exceeding t he machine-loading and the machine cut-and-load methods .


Ox generalizes the function of Yacc in the way that attribute grammars generalize context-free grammars. Ordinary Yacc and Lex specifications may be augmented with definitions of synthesized and inherited attributes written in C syntax. From these specifications, Ox generates a program that builds and decorates attributed parse trees. Ox accepts a most general class of attribute grammars. The user may specify postdecoration traversals for easy ordering of side effects such as code generation. Ox handles the tedious and error-prone details of writing code for parse-tree management, so its use eases problems of security and maintainability associated with that aspect of translator development. The translators generated by Ox use internal memory management that is often much faster than the common technique of calling malloc once for each parse-tree node. Ox is a Yacc/Lex/C preprocessor, and is designed to bring attribute grammars closer to the mainstream of Unix-based language development. Ox inherits all of the familiar syntax and semantics of Yacc, Lex, and C. It is relatively easy to convert programs between Ox code and "pure Yacc/Lex/C" code. Ox has been used to build a compiler for a small (eighty grammar rules) block-structured imperative programming language. This document is the main reference for using Ox. Disciplines Programming Languages and Compilers This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cs_techreports/21 User Manual for Ox: An Attribute-Grammar Compiling System based on Yacc, Lex, and C


Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) provide a unique opportunity for the creation of LGBT+ characters and narratives. There is a gap in existing scholarship in this area, but the research that is available suggests that TTRPGs are likely to present LGBT+ themes in a manner that is biased to its authors views. This thesis aims to determine the ways in which TTRPGs engage with LGBT+ identities within their rulebooks, and the ways in which TTRPG players construct their LGBT+ characters as a result. This study utilises mixed methods research, combining analysis of rulebooks focused on queer theory and ludology, and a survey of existing TTRPG players in order to achieve the aims set out above. The result of this research primarily discusses a demographic of young, queer adults who have consistently played as at least one LGBT+ character within a TTRPG. Overall, this study found that indicates that the construction of LGBT+ identities within TTRPGs is ultimately a collaborative effort between the rules as written, and the player's actionable usage of them within a game. With regards to the fluff reality of the game, this meant that players typically ignored game content in favour of creating their own, personalised lore to match their ideal game world. With regards to the mechanical reality of the game, this instead meant that, while rulebooks could provide a clear overview of the author's intent towards the place of queer content within their game design, players could purposefully choose to ignore any information provided by the game, as they functioned as the final authority on what rules were allowed within the game.


Amino acids are essential biological compounds in plants as they store nitrogen, an essential nutrient, and are the building blocks for proteins that drive biological activity. Amino acids have been studied using a wide variety of analytical techniques in different plant systems, however, mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a particularly useful technique as it allows for the simultaneous collection of both chemical and spatial information. In this work, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-MSI is used to study the different localization of free amino acids in the roots of maize inbred lines B73 and Mo17 and their reciprocal hybrids. Because amino acids are difficult to detect in mass spectrometry, especially directly on tissues, a chemical derivatization protocol is utilized to increase the ionization efficiency and improve their detection. We report differences in both abundance and localization of amino acids in B73 and Mo17 maize roots and suggest the hybrids show evidence of inheriting characteristics from both parents. Most genotypic differences are found in the cross-sections near the seed (∼2 cm away) at a later stage of development (10–11 cm in length). Here, B73 has lower amino acid abundance localized primarily to the center of the roots for most amino acids, while Mo17 has much higher abundance localized mainly to the root cortex. This difference in localization is minimized when grown in ammonium ion rich conditions. Roots grown in the presence of 15N-ammonium ions provided additional insight about the amino acid synthesis. The localization of some amino acids, particularly leucine/isoleucine and glutamine, is not affected by the addition of nitrogen and is consistent regardless of the nitrogen source, either from the seeds (14N-labeled) or environment (15N-labeled). Nitrogen uptake from the environment is confined to glutamine, asparagine, and alanine, consistent with their roles in amino acid storage and transportation.


The National Gallery in London houses one of the richest collections of Western European paintings in the world, ranging from the 13th to the 20th century. In this beautiful book, one hundred of the greatest works from the collection, each by a different artist, are presented in chronological order, and accompanied by a lively, informative text and full-page color reproductions. From the earliest-a remnant of an Italian altarpiece dating from around 1265-to the most recent-Paul Cezanne's great Bathers, of about 1894-1905-each painting has been carefully chosen for the unique significance it holds; whether representing a particular artist, place or time, or simply for its beauty and the pleasure it provides to the viewer. The painters featured here include some of the most famous names in European art-Duccio, Giotto, Durer, Holbein, van Eyck, Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, El Greco, Velazquez, Zurbaran, Goya, Caravaggio, Claude, Poussin, Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Constable, Turner, Courbet, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Rousseau, and Van Gogh-and some of the most iconic paintings in the world-The Wilton Diptych, The Arnolfini Portrait, The Ambassadors, and Sunflowers. These selected highlights introduce some of the most inspiring paintings ever made. The reader can dip in to explore individual paintings, or read from cover to cover for a full survey.


In the XVII century the French priest Silvain Pouvreau prepared a Basque-French dictionary that never was published. In the entries of his dictionary Pouvreau compiled a great number of referential words and quotes of the Basque writers Leizarraga, Axular, Etxeberri Ziburukoa, Oihenart and Harizmendi. In this work we try to verify those referential testimonies and to uncover the non-referential possible ones concerning to the all sources that Pouvreau could resort to, in order to complete the corpus of the dictionary and in this way to obtain a general perspective of the Pouvreau's lexicography. In the first part of the work we present the methodology utilised: settlement of the analysis time period, the need to consider only in terms of reliability levels the possible found sources due to the restriction of the tools utilised in the research and the fact that the actual Basque corpus in texts and editions that Pouvreau could resort to is larger than that we have at hand nowadays. Considering that the analysis of literature testimonies and the lexicographical ones imply different approaches we study them separately. We classify the possible non-referential literature testimonies in four groups according to their reliability levels from the maximum to the miminum one, taking in account the number of authors that could utilise the same testimony, also we propose several criterions to designate with a certain grade of truthfulness a source in the cases of testimonies of poor reliability levels. With respect to possible lexical sources we confront the Basque-French dictionary of Voltoire —that apart from the little word lists that appear in the texts of Leizarraga and Oihenart it is the only Basque-French dictionary published in the analysis time period—with the Pouvreau's one and like in the case of the literature testimonies also propose several criterions to attribute possible sources to these possible lexical testimonies. The main results of the research are the following: i) the literature corpus is formed by about 3700 testimonies of what nearly 60% corresponds to non-referential possibles ones. ii) regarding the sources of these no referential testimonies we find that so many could correspond to the previously quoted sources, i.e. Axular, Leizarraga, Etxeberri Ziburukoa, Oihenart and Harizmendi, besides that, a great number could correspond to new sources: Haranburu, Materre, Etxepare, Beriain, Tartas and Argainaratz. iii) unexpectedly Voltoire appears as the main lexical source, in effect, more than 700 entries and subentries of the Pouvreau's dictionary could correspond to the Voltoire's one. The remainder parts of the work are dedicated to present in detail the analysis of the individual sources including tables that compile all the testimonies and also same commentaries about the possible editions of the texts utilised by Pouvreau and others.


We report the experimental demonstration of all-optical wavelength multicasting of OC-768 (40 Gbps) channel using a single-pass, pump modulated parametric amplifier. The performances of 1-to-20 and 1-to-40 multicasting with excellent signal fidelity were observed. The impairment mechanisms were identified from cascaded filtering, linear and nonlinear crosstalk. It is shown that the parametric amplifier offers a wide range of operation characterized by minimal multicast penalty. We show that all multicast channels have an error free performance with Q factors well above the forward error correction (FEC) limit within the designed operating range.


This thesis describes a framework for the high level control of an autonomous unmanned spacecraft. Greater autonomy than currently exist is required for unmanned spacecraft to enable missions to distant planets and bodies. One reason for this is that the signal return time is too long to accommodate real-time control from the ground. A second reason is that spacecraft travelling to bodies where little is known of the environment (e.g. asteroids) must have the capability to respond to unplanned events. In addition, autonomy can help reduce mission operations costs, a very important factor in the current climate where more is expected from space missions at a lower cost. The thesis proposes a novel architecture for an autonomous unmanned spacecraft, based on Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI), and more specifically based on the multi-agent paradigm. The proposed model for spacecraft control is decentralised. In this architecture, the spacecraft is made up of agents; the traditional ground-based controller is one agent. The spacecraft is goal-driven; it receives high level goals from the ground. The planning and scheduling of activities to achieve these goals is carried out on-board the spacecraft. The spacecraft is also event-driven; it reacts to events that occur on-board the spacecraft as well as in the environment. A DAI architecture requires a co-ordination mechanism, and a communication structure. Also, distributed versions of algorithms must be provided. In this thesis, co-ordination with and without explicit communication and distributed scheduling were investigated, and a framework proposed for both these issues. An autonomous spacecraft must have inference capability for on-board decision making to enable it to respond to unplanned events. Probabilistic reasoning in the form of Bayesian networks was used to provide the spacecraft with the capability for on-board decision making. Situations may arise where the spacecraft must make decisions with uncertain or incomplete information. The issue of decision making with uncertain or incomplete knowledge (e.g. co-ordination without explicit communication) was investigated using domain specific scenarios. Spacecraft resources are typically very limited in capacity. On-board resource management should result in more efficient use of resources. A framework for an on-board resource manager was defined and implemented using reinforcement learning. A distributed version of the scheduling algorithm using reinforcement learning was developed. Thus, this thesis describes and investigates an architectural framework for a multi-agent approach to spacecraft control.


A costly modern-day double burden, the expenses of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are becoming a devastating epidemic. The World Health Organization estimates $7 trillion in economic losses from NCDs in 2011-2025. Although regarded as affluent diseases, the burden of NCDs is shifting into poorer groups. In this study, we assessed the socioeconomic inequalities in catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment associated with NCDs in Northern Vietnam. We also identified associated factors for catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment. Households self-reporting NCD diagnoses had the highest association with both catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment, followed by those in urban areas. Such households were likely poorer according to our calculations estimating socioeconomic inequalities. Households with at least 1 member older than 60 years were also more likely to suffer catastrophic health expenditures. These findings suggest that targeted policy to prevent or subsidize care for NCDs could prevent catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment among those already most disadvantaged.


This paper is concerned with the dynamics and stability of piezoelectric laminate structures, where several piezoelectric elements are shunted by a multiinput impedance. The problem is shown to be equivalent to a multivariable feed- back control problem for a square plant. A parameterization of stabilizing admittance transfer function matrices is given together with a specific class of controllers capable of reducing structural vibrations and guaranteeing closed-loop stability. An efficient method for implementation of a multiport admittance transfer function is introduced and applied experimentally to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Index Terms—Dynamics, multivariable, piezoelctric shunts, sta- bility.


Mutations in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) cause pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH) and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED). We studied the effects of over‐expression of wild type and mutant COMP on early stages of chondrogenesis in chicken limb bud micromass cultures. Cells were transduced with RCAS virus harboring wild type or mutant (C328R, PSACH; T585R, MED) COMP cDNAs and cultured for 3, 4, and 5 days. The effect of COMP constructs on chondrogenesis was assessed by analyzing mRNA and protein expression of several COMP binding partners. Cell viability was assayed, and evaluation of apoptosis was performed by monitoring caspase 3 processing. Over‐expression of COMP, and especially expression of COMP mutants, had a profound affect on the expression of syndecan 3 and tenascin C, early markers of chondrogenesis. Over‐expression of COMP did not affect levels of type II collagen or matrilin‐3; however, there were increases in type IX collagen expression and sulfated proteoglycan synthesis, particularly at day 5 of harvest. In contrast to cells over‐expressing COMP, cells with mutant COMP showed reduction in type IX collagen expression and increased matrilin 3 expression. Finally, reduction in cell viability, and increased activity of caspase 3, at days 4 and 5, were observed in cultures expressing either wild type or mutant COMP. MED, and PSACH mutations, despite displaying phenotypic differences, demonstrated only subtle differences in their cellular viability and mRNA and protein expression of components of the extracellular matrix, including those that interact with COMP. These results suggest that COMP mutations, by disrupting normal interactions between COMP and its binding partners, significantly affect chondrogenesis. J. Cell. Physiol. 224: 817–826, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Reactive synthesis is an automated procedure to obtain a correct-by-construction reactive system from its temporal logic specification. GR(1) is an expressive assume-guarantee fragment of LTL that enables efficient synthesis and has been recently used in different contexts and application domains. In this work we present just-in-time synthesis (JITS) for GR(1), a novel means to execute synthesized reactive systems. Rather than constructing a controller at synthesis time, we compute next states during system execution, and only when they are required. We prove that JITS does not compromise the correctness of the synthesized system execution. We further show that the basic algorithm can be extended to enable several variants. We have implemented JITS in the Spectra synthesizer. Our evaluation, comparing JITS to existing tools over known benchmark specifications, shows that JITS reduces (1) total synthesis time, (2) the size of the synthesis output, and (3) the loading time for system execution, all while having little to no effect on system execution performance.


While federal rules require specific meat and poultry products to carry nutrition information labeling, these rules do not extend to fresh seafood products. This paper focuses on the extent to which the provision of nutrition information could impact consumer demand for seafood, with a special focus on parents with children, who influence the food preferences of future generations. Using a choice experiment, we found that providing nutrition information similar to the nutrition facts panel increased the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for all types of seafood studied; whereas information on the health benefit of Omega-3 fatty acids increased the MWTP for some types of seafood. This finding can inform the industry and policy-makers on the potential impact of introducing nutrition labels for raw seafood.


We show that sharp imaging and quantitative phase-contrast microcopy is possible in microfluidics in flowing turbid media by digital holography. In fact, in flowing liquids with suspended colloidal particles, clear vision is hindered and cannot be recovered by any other microscopic imaging technique. On the contrary, using digital holography, clear imaging is possible thanks to the Doppler frequency shift experienced by the photons scattered by the flowing colloidal particles, which do not contribute to the interference process, i.e. the recorded hologram. The method is illustrated and imaging results are demonstrated for pure phase objects, i.e. biological cells in microfluidic channels.


In soft amorphous materials, shear cessation after large shear deformation leads to configurations having residual shear stress. The origin of these states and the distribution of the local shear stresses within the material is not well understood, despite its importance for the change in material properties and consequent applications. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations of a model dense non-Brownian soft amorphous material to probe the non-trivial relaxation process towards a residual stress state. We find that, similar to thermal glasses, an increase in shear rate prior to the shear cessation leads to lower residual stress states. We rationalise our findings using a mesoscopic elasto-plastic description that explicitly includes a long range elastic response to local shear transformations. We find that after flow cessation the initial stress relaxation indeed depends on the pre-sheared stress state, but the final residual stress is majorly determined by newly activated plastic events occurring during the relaxation process, a scenario consistent with the phenomenology of avalanche dynamics in the low shear rate limit of steadily sheared amorphous solids. Our simplified coarse grained description not only allows capturing the phenomenology of residual stress states but also rationalising the altered material properties that are probed using small and large deformation protocols applied to the relaxed material.


Vitazek I., Havelka J ., 2011. Drying medium – modelling and process evaluation . Res. Agr. Eng., 57 (Special Issue): S24–S29. Natural gas is used as a heat source in the majority of modern drying plants in agriculture. The input gas is a mixture of natural gas and atmospheric air. With burning, the composition of this mixture changes. Drying medium is a mix ture of hot combustion gases from natural gas and atmospheric air added. The thermic parameters of natural gas and atmospheric air are permanently constant. The authors present their method of the calculation of thermodynamic parameters of the drying medium. They elaborated two computer programmes in Q-Basic for the calculation related to the drying medium with temperatures in the range 100–200°C.


In a scholarly convention, ESP has bilaterally focused on "academic" and "occupational" arenas leaving the symbiosis between the two almost untouched. The present study, thus, aims to weigh the concordance between what is taught in universities as EAP courses for B.A. students in Business and Economics and what English skills and abilities are, actually, required from them on the job. Altogether, 120 university teachers and 30 business managers were asked for their opinions about the existing curricula from one side and occupation-related English expectations from the graduates from the other. Triangulation of instruments using questionnaire, interview, teacher-assessment, and participant observation was applied. The results narrated not good news: considerable mismatch between the aforementioned arenas (education and occupation) and complete ignorance of oral skills (listening and speaking) in the academia, despite their vital importance at the workplace. The participants mainly emphasized equipping students with various skills required from them at work after their general English proficiency development and empowering EAP teachers with the needed content knowledge to potentially tailor university education and market. Implications of the study can include creating more practical opportunities such as simulated classes based on workshops and on-the-job training (OJT) with cooperation of the professionals in business. The findings can help educational policy-makers shift their focus to the graduates' professional-future literacy, modify the EAP curricula with regard to real needs of the workplace and contribute to decreasing the gap between academia and labor market.


The Milky Way Project citizen science initiative recently increased the number of known infrared bubbles in the inner Galactic plane by an order of magnitude compared to previous studies. We present a detailed statistical analysis of this data set with the Red MSX Source (RMS) catalog of massive young stellar sources to investigate the association of these bubbles with massive star formation. We particularly address the question of massive triggered star formation near infrared bubbles. We find a strong positional correlation of massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) and H ii regions with Milky Way Project bubbles at separations of <2 bubble radii. As bubble sizes increase, a statistically significant overdensity of massive young sources emerges in the region of the bubble rims, possibly indicating the occurrence of triggered star formation. Based on numbers of bubble-associated RMS sources, we find that 67% ± 3% of MYSOs and (ultra-)compact H ii regions appear to be associated with a bubble. We estimate that approximately 22% ± 2% of massive young stars may have formed as a result of feedback from expanding H ii regions. Using MYSO–bubble correlations, we serendipitously recovered the location of the recently discovered massive cluster Mercer 81, suggesting the potential of such analyses for discovery of heavily extincted distant clusters.


The strength of migratory connectivity is a measure of the cohesion of populations among phases of the annual cycle, including breeding, migration, and wintering. Many Nearctic-Neotropical species have strong migratory connectivity between breeding and wintering phases of the annual cycle. It is less clear if this strength persists during migration when multiple endogenous and exogenous factors may decrease the cohesion of populations among routes or through time along the same routes. We sampled three bird species, American redstart Setophaga ruticilla, ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla, and wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina, during spring migration through the Gulf of Mexico region to test if breeding populations differentiate spatially among migration routes or temporally along the same migration routes and the extent to which withinpopulation timing is a function of sex, age, and carry-over from winter habitat, as measured by stable carbon isotope values in claws (δ13C). To make quantitative comparisons of migratory connectivity possible, we developed and used new methodology to estimate the strength of migratory connectivity (MC) from probabilistic origin assignments identified using stable hydrogen isotopes in feathers (δ2H). We found support for spatial differentiation among routes by American redstarts and ovenbirds and temporal differentiation along routes by American redstarts. After controlling for breeding origin, the timing of American redstart migration differed among ages and sexes and ovenbird migration timing was influenced by carry-over from winter habitat. The strength of migratory connectivity did not differ among the three species, with each showing weak breeding-to-spring migration MC relative to prior assessments of breeding-wintering connectivity. Our work begins to fill an essential gap in methodology and understanding of the extent to which populations remain together during migration, information critical for a full annual cycle perspective on the population dynamics and conservation of migratory animals.


Like any other medical intervention, the orthodontic treatment may have, besides the positive effects, also unwanted secondary consequences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes present in dental hard tissue associated with orthodontic treatment. The stereo-microscopic ex vivo analysis was performed on two sets of maxillary first premolars undergoing orthodontic treatment for a long period of time (12 and 23 months); five teeth with other clinical situations were used as controls. By analyzing the teeth undergoing orthodontics, enamel color alterations were mainly found adjacent to the bracket, more pronounced in the gingival area, suggesting the need for a correct oral hygiene around it. Roughness was higher on the enamel surface corresponding to the bracket's base, aspect linked to the resign impregnation during bonding procedures. At the apical part, changes regarding contour, appearance and surface roughness were noticed. These modifications were suggestive for the presence of apical root resorption. The severity of root resorption was not correlated with the duration of treatment. In conclusion, through microscopic analysis changes that may be associated with orthodontic treatment have been observed in both crown and apical level.


Butyryl-CoA, crotonyl-CoA or 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA all ultimately form an enzyme-acetoacetyl-CoA complex upon aerobic addition to butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase purified from Megasphaera elsdenii, implying the presence of crotonase activity. This behaviour remains even after treatment with 6M urea, which destroys the activity of the main crotonase fraction from M. elsdenii. Flavin-sensitised photoinactivation destroys residual crotonase and dehydrogenase activities in parallel. Butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase thus has intrinsic crotonase activity with a turnover rate (0.05 min-1) about 0.02% of the figure for dehydrogenase activity. Mechanistic implications are discussed.


Head and neck cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Roughly half of these malignancies originate from oral mucosa and constitute Oral squamous cell carcinomas. Despite many advances in diagnostic and therapeutic regimens, five year survival rate remains at roughly 50 %, indicating the need for in depth understanding of the oral squamous cell carcinoma immunobiology. We have previously shown that in human dysplastic oral keratinocytes (DOK) and malignant squamous cells carcinoma (SCC-25), multifunctional proteoglycan decorin is aberrantly expressed and localized in the nucleus bound to nuclear EGFR. In vitro nuclear decorin knockdown significantly reduced IL-8 and IL8-dependent migration, invasion and angiogenesis in these cells. Since toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling leads to IL-8 production we examined here if these receptors play a role in decorin silencing mediated reduction in IL-8 levels.
We have used immunological and molecular techniques to study toll-like receptors involvement in attenuated IL-8 production in nuclear decorin silenced (stable knockdown) oral mucosal dysplastic keratinocytes and squamous carcinoma cells.
We show that nuclear decorin silenced DOK and SCC-25 cells show marked diminution of TLR5 mRNA and protein expression compared with respective controls that translated into loss of function in response to appropriate TLR ligand. In these mucosal oral epithelia, decorin stable knockdown significantly down-regulated IL-8 production following activation with TLR5 ligand flagellin. These data suggest that decorin silencing interferes with IL-8 production, in part, by altering TLR5 expression and signaling in dysplastic and malignant oral epithelia. This study highlights the significance of TLR5 expression and signaling in mucosal cancers.


Aims Monitors of transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) provide an objective measurement of alcohol consumption that is less invasive than measurements in blood, breath or urine; however, there is a substantial time delay in the onset of TAC compared to blood or breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs). The current study examined the characteristics of the delay between peak TAC and peak BrAC. Methods Data was aggregated from three experimental laboratory studies (N = 61; 32 men, 29 women) in which participants wore a TAC monitor and BrAC was monitored while drinking one, two, three, four and five beers in the laboratory. Analyses examined the sex- and dose-related differences in peak BrAC and TAC, the time-to-peak BrAC and TAC, and time lag between the peak BrAC and TAC values. Results The times-to-peak were an increasing function of the number of beers consumed. At each level of beer consumption the peak TAC averaged lower than peak BrAC and times-to-peak TAC were longer than for BrAC. The time-to-peak BrAC and TAC was longer for women than men. The congruence between peak TAC and BrAC increased as a function of the beers consumed. No sex difference in the time lag between peak BrAC and TAC was detected. Conclusions The congruence between TAC and BrAC and time lags between TAC and BrAC are related to the number of beers consumed. Peak values of TAC and BrAC became more congruent with higher doses but the time lag increased as a function of the amount of alcohol consumed. Short summary The time delay (or lag) and congruence between transdermal vs. BrACs increases as the number of beers increases. Though sex differences are evident in peak transdermal and BrACs, no sex differences were evident in the time lag and the congruence between transdermal and breath alcohol concentrations.


ABSTRACT This article focuses on the role of humility in the law school. It argues in favour of a culture where humility is consciously cultivated in law students. Section I considers the grading curve, a quintessentially North American attribute of almost all law schools. It analyses and theorises the curve and its effect in cultivating humility. It suggests that, while the curve can have a humbling effect, this effect is felt irregularly among law students and comes with significant and often discounted consequences. This article argues that a model where humility is more consciously cultivated could minimise these consequences. Section II provides such an alternative, arguing in favour of law professors showing humility and vulnerability. It depicts this alternative as both a partial antidote to the grading curve's problems and a key starting point in inviting students to be vulnerable and constitutively challenging what it means to be a lawyer.


The ambition of energy policy has long been to reduce carbon emissions, secure energy supply and provide affordable energy services. In recent years an increasing number of policy instruments have been introduced to promote energy efficiency in different sectors across the EU. While previous research has largely analysed the effectiveness of individual policy instruments and their impact on the diffusion of particular energy efficient technologies or practices, our analysis takes a broader view and examines the mix of existing policies aimed at stimulating reductions in energy use. The empirical focus of the paper is on policy goals and instruments aimed at stimulating energy efficiency in buildings in Finland and the United Kingdom (UK). We trace the development of the policy mixes during 2000–2014 and analyse their emerging overall characteristics. The analysis is based on a mapping of policy goals and K instruments, documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders. We find that both countries have increasingly complex policy mixes, encompassing a variety of goals and instruments and make use of a range of different instrument types to encourage users to reduce their energy consumption. Despite the shared EU influence, the way in which the policy mixes have evolved in both countries were found to be quite different. © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license


Marine coastal ecosystems are crucial to human populations in reducing disaster risk. Least Developed Countries are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as sea-level rise and storm surges. The Mauritanian coast, West Africa, ranks among the most vulnerable worldwide to sealevel rise, and coastal communities in the National Park of Banc d'Arguin (PNBA) are particularly at risk. Here, we assessed the service of coastal protection in PNBA by (1) mapping the coastal marine ecosystems with Sentinel-2 imagery and determining their spatial wave height attenuation rates; (2) assessing the vulnerability of villages and natural habitats to coastal hazard risk; and (3) assessing the applicability of coastal protection measures in the PNBA. We found that a total of 83% of the populated coastline presents a moderate to high risk of flooding and erosion, with Iwik and R'Gueiba being the most threatened villages in the PNBA. As for the ecological risk, two low-elevated islands, which support breeding colonies of birds, are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise. However, in other areas, the rupture in the dune cord created new lagoons that present valuable ecological and economic interests like the Lagoon of Bellaat. Improving the comprehension of wave attenuation provided by coastal habitats, combined with identifying the vulnerability and applicability of coastal protection measures, is essential for achieving the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction goals. In the PNBA, relocation of identified villages at risk is probably the best cost-effective solution with the least disturbance to both breeding and wintering birds. Protection of coastal ecosystems will also ensure a continued provision of other ecosystem services, including food supply for sea dependent populations, and contribute to achieving the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development


Media convergence and massive usage of Internet-connected devices, distinguishing features of our current society, cause changes in the way that new generations learn and access knowledge. In addition, emerging new digital skills are necessary for the Z generation to face the challenges of a digital society. This quantitative study, with a sample of 678 Primary School students, aims to provide empirical evidence about the level of digital skills of students belonging to this generation. The results show that the acquisition of digital competences is not inherent to use, but require specific instruction. Otherwise, there is a danger of creating a digital divide, not due to frequency of use or access to connected devices but to lack of instruction on how to use them. The absence of significant variance in the overall level of digital competence among Primary School students of different grades reflects, to some extent, that this level is largely acquired by informal activities with ICTs in an informal context, rather than by developing competences in a school context that affords gradual and progressive skills acquisition. The results show the need to address digital competence in schools, focusing on the systematic development and enhancement of its component areas to move beyond the informal level and reach the academic level, thus facilitating digital natives' access to future employment.


The goal of this paper is to study the impact of a differential mass loss or a lack of material (void) directly located into the core structure of matter together with the possibility of measuring its effect by a resonant signal surface at optical frequencies. To this end, the focus has been on the evolution of effective indices or eigenvalues of micro-resonators as relevant models. Specific lack of mass was measured by way of a resonant optical signal principle. Then, specific families of resonators have been designed and shaped with several slits nano-inscribed upon them. The signal resonant light is then characterized by its pseudo-period while considering the whole geometry, taking account of the void; thus, it contains the information regarding the pre-defined recessed volume. The study was carried out first by controlling the deep UV technology onto an organic so as to fabricate the family of slotted micro-resonators before assessing the evolution of the effective index of the system that is inversely proportional to the free spectral range. Experimentally, the design of the measurement platform made it possible to measure the impact of a given lack of material within the cyclic resonators. Experimental measurements have been carried out so as to confirm previous simulations demonstrating a convergence ranging from 0.09 to 0.39%. Accordingly, the relevant results allow us to validate a quantified description regarding the hollowed out volume (or mass recessed within the core waveguide) with regard to the spatial resonant optical signal.


The need for a simplified access to supramolecular assemblies with enhanced tenability has led to the development of amphiphilic homopolymers (APHPs). This feature article highlights recent advances and future trends in APHP design, self-assembly, and biomedical applications. APHP self-assemblies are prepared by two different routes: the "monomer-induced" method, which polymerizes functional amphiphilic monomers into micelles and inverse micelles, and the "hydrophobic-group-induced" method, which uses the non-covalent interaction provided by large hydrophobic endgroups. Special emphasis is paid to unimolecular polymeric micelles (UPMs) which are formed from core-shell APHPs and which consist of a hydrophobic/hydrophilic core coated with a polymer shell. The self-assembled supramolecular structures hold promise for various biomedical fields, including living cell transport, fluorescence labelling, protein sensing and extraction, DNA detection, and drug loading and release.


Sapporo is considered one of the most attractive cities in Japan, a city image it partly owes to its rich greenspace. But we know little about how exactly greenspace contributes to a city's image, because prior research has focused mostly on its quantitative aspects. Using a mail-back questionnaire (n = 130), this study examined the relationship between two types of greenspaces, those forming residents' image of Sapporo and those residents frequently use. In addition to questions about residents' used greenspaces we employed the Landscape Image Sketching Technique, asking respondents to draw a visual sketch of a 'typical Sapporo landscape'. Visual sketch data were then analyzed for objects and line of sight distance, and compared with the greenspaces respondents used. Results showed that reported city image-forming greenspaces and used greenspaces largely overlapped, and their spatial positions were consistently related. Residents combine greenspaces they use in daily life with those they see to form their city image. In this image of Sapporo, parks and mountains create the main structure of the city and connect its center and periphery. These findings suggest an attractive city image is derived from symbolic scenery perceived by residents in their daily life.


Abstract Discerning between actual nail conditions and nail changes associated with systemic disease is a very important and interesting part of any clinical examination. This article provides a helpful clinical atlas of nail changes that may be associated with systemic disease and will assist the clinician to identify and verify these clinical signs. The article includes information on common nail changes like koilonychia, longitudinal and transverse grooves, nail pitting, clubbing, pincer nails, pterygia, splinter haemorrhages, nicotine-stained nails, cyanosis, jaundice and brittle nails. It also includes information on the -nychias (micro-, macro-, leuko-, pachy-, melano- and dyschromo-), onycholysis and onychoschizia, red lunulas, yellow nail syndrome, Muehrcke's white bands, Terry's nails and periungual fibromas (Koenen tumours).


Bendamustine + rituximab (BR) has demonstrated high response rates in relapsed/refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). However, progression‐free survival (PFS) after BR is <18 months. This study was designed to determine if maintenance lenalidomide after BR induction could improve PFS in R/R CLL/SLL. Thirty‐four patients with R/R CLL/SLL who had received 1–5 prior chemotherapy regimens were treated with 6 cycles of BR induction. Patients achieving at least a minor response received twelve 28‐d cycles of lenalidomide 5–10 mg/d. The primary endpoint was PFS. The median age was 67 years, with a median of 2 prior therapies. Eleven patients had confirmed presence of 17p and/or 11q deletions. Twenty‐five (74%) completed 6 cycles of induction BR (response rate 56%). Nineteen (56%) patients received maintenance lenalidomide; only 6 patients completed the intended 12 cycles, highlighting the limited feasibility of lenalidomide in this setting, primarily due to haematological and infectious toxicities. The observed median PFS of 18·3 months is not significantly different from that of BR induction in R/R CLL/SLL without maintenance therapy (15·2 months). It is possible that lenalidomide maintenance may be more feasible and effective in the front‐line setting, which is being tested in an ongoing trial (NCT01754857).


OBJECTIVE To report frequencies of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among the 15 centers that participated in the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study using the new International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS All participants underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test between 24 and 32 weeks' gestation. GDM was retrospectively classified using the IADPSG criteria (one or more fasting, 1-h, or 2-h plasma glucose concentrations equal to or greater than threshold values of 5.1, 10.0, or 8.5 mmol/L, respectively). RESULTS Overall frequency of GDM was 17.8% (range 9.3–25.5%). There was substantial center-to-center variation in which glucose measures met diagnostic thresholds. CONCLUSIONS Although the new diagnostic criteria for GDM apply globally, center-to-center differences occur in GDM frequency and relative diagnostic importance of fasting, 1-h, and 2-h glucose levels. This may impact strategies used for the diagnosis of GDM.


This paper proposes a smoothing technique for nonsmooth convex minimization using self-concordant barriers. To illustrate the main ideas, we compare our technique and the proximity smoothing approach [1] via the classical gradient method on both the theoretical and numerical aspects. While the barrier smoothing approach maintains the sublinear-convergence rate, it affords a new analytic step size, which significantly enhances the practical convergence of the gradient method as compared to proximity smoothing.


Recent studies have identified Northeast Africa as an important area for human movements during the Holocene. Eurasian populations have moved back into Northeastern Africa and contributed to the genetic composition of its people. By gathering the largest reference dataset to date of Northeast, North, and East African as well as Middle Eastern populations, we give new depth to our knowledge of Northeast African demographic history. By employing local ancestry methods, we isolated the Non-African parts of modern-day Northeast African genomes and identified the best putative source populations. Egyptians and Sudanese Copts bore most similarities to Levantine populations whilst other populations in the region generally had predominantly genetic contributions from the Arabian peninsula rather than Levantine populations for their Non-African genetic component. We also date admixture events and investigated which factors influenced the date of admixture and find that major linguistic families were associated with the date of Eurasian admixture. Taken as a whole we detect complex patterns of admixture and diverse origins of Eurasian admixture in Northeast African populations of today.


Sugarcane is an important agricultural crop grown on the east coast of Australia. The timing and amount of rainfall is critical in determining both the yield of sugar and scheduling of harvesting operations. Rainfall forecasts issued through the Australian Bureau of Meteorology are based on general circulation models (GCM) and have a poor skill. They are also limited in utility to end-users such as farmers as they cover very broad geographical areas and are only issued as probabilities above or below median. This paper presents an alternative approach for forecasting monthly rainfall with up to 12 months lead time based on machine learning, in particular neural networks. Monthly rainfall forecasts have been developed for the 8 locations in Eastern Australia at 3 and 12 months lead time. The accuracy of the forecasts has been assessed relative to a skill scale with 0% representing climatology (the long term average) and 100% representing a perfect forecast (observation). On this scale, neural network forecasts are typically in the range 39.9–68% for all months using a single month optimization. This compares very favorably with forecasts using GCM from the Bureau that have skill levels only in the range −20% to 20%.


The laser beam automatic alignment system is applied to a high power laser facility for inertial confinement fusion. The far-field detection is a key technique of the automatic alignment system. Utilizing the image of spatial filter's pinhole of the high power laser system and diffraction of sampling grating, a new method for far-field detection of laser beam is proposed and fully demonstrated on the experimental system. The experimental results indicate that, unlike the traditional method, this far-field detection system can fully use the space through off-axial grating sampling, and the average far-field alignment error is less than 0.9% of spatial filter pinhole diameter, which meets the alignment system requirements of less than 5% of spatial filter pinhole diameter.


The recent wave of bank mergers has raised concern with its effect on competition. This paper examines the influence of concentration and merger activity on consumer loan interest rates. It uses Bank Rate Monitor, Inc. survey data on loan rates quoted weekly by large commercial banks in ten major U.S. cities during the 1989 to 1997 period. The pricing behavior of banks is analyzed for two types of loans: new automobile loans and unsecured personal loans. Market concentration is found to have a positive and significant impact on the level of personal loans, but not automobile loans. Consistent with the exercise of market power, we find that personal loan rates rise in markets following a significant merger. However, there is a significant decrease in automobile loan rates charged by banks participating in within-market mergers, a finding consistent with economies of scale in the origination of automobile loans. The paper also tests for the existence of leader-follower relationships in loan pricing and finds that it is more widespread in markets for automobile loans. Interest rates on both types of loans respond asymmetrically to a change in equivalent maturity Treasury security rates, being more sensitive to a rise than a fall. In addition, personal loan rates are less responsive in more concentrated markets.


The composting with chicken manure as raw material was carried out to study the effects of indigenous and exogenous inoculation on temperature, oxygen concentration, as well as protease activity, urease activity, dehydrogenase activity and cellulase activity in different composting stages by using a composting bioreactor. The treatment with indigenous microbial inocula had higher temperature and lower oxygen concentration at the beginning stage of composting. During the period of raising temperature, the protease activity, urease activity and temperature were highly significant positive correlation (p <0.01); At the period of raising temperature and High-Temperature, dehydrogenase activity and temperature were all highly significant positive correlation between (p <0.01); There was a significant positive correlation between the temperature and cellulase activity at the High-Temperature period (p <0.05) . Endogenous microbial inocula was favor of protein and urease activity increased rapidly, and the promoted the quick start of composting during the temperature raising; At the High-Temperature stage, cellulase and dehydrogenase activity were advanced after inoculated indigenous microbial inocula, promoted oxidation-reduction reaction during the composting.


Abstract Conservation agriculture (CA) systems are based upon minimal soil disturbance; crop residue retention and crop rotation and/or intercrop association are increasingly seen to recycle nutrients, increase yield and reduce production costs. This study examines the effects of CA practices on crop productivity, profitability and soil quality under the conditions encountered by smallholder farmers in two farming communities from 2005 to 2011 in Malawi, as part of the contribution to remedy a lack of supporting agronomic research for these relatively new systems. The drier agroenvironment of Lemu of Bazale Extension Planning Area (EPA) is characterized by sandy clay loam soils and lower rainfall. Here, CA showed positive benefits on maize yield after the first season of experimentation, with highest increases of 2.7 Mg ha−1 and 2.3 Mg ha−1 more yield in CA monocrop maize and CA maize–legume intercrop, respectively, than the conventional tillage in the driest season of 2009/10. In the high rainfall environment of Zidyana EPA (characterized by sandy loam soils), substantial maize yield benefits resulted in the fifth season of experimentation. Farmers spent at most 50 days ha−1 (US$140) producing maize under CA systems compared with 62 days ha−1(US$176) spent under conventional tillage practices. In Lemu, both CA systems resulted in gross margins three times higher than that of the conventional control plot, while in Zidyana, CA monocrop maize and CA maize–legume intercrop resulted in 33 and 23% higher gross margins, respectively, than conventional tillage. In Zidyana, the earthworm population was highest (48 earthworms m−2 in the first 30 cm) in CA monocrop maize, followed by a CA maize–legume intercropping (40 earthworms) and lowest (nine earthworms) in conventionally tilled treatment. In both study locations CA monocrop maize and CA maize–legume intercrop gave higher water infiltration than the conventional treatment. Improvements in crop productivity, overall economic gain and soil quality have made CA an attractive system for farmers in Malawi and other areas with similar conditions. However, for extensive adoption of CA by smallholder farmers, cultural beliefs that crop production is possible without the ubiquitous ridge and furrow system and residue burning for mice hunting have to be overcome.


BACKGROUND
 Medical articles covering adverse drug events (ADEs) are systematically reported by pharmaceutical companies for drug safety information purposes. Although policies governing reporting to regulatory bodies vary among countries and regions, all medical article reporting may be categorized as precision or recall based. Recall-based reporting, which is implemented in Japan, requires the reporting of any possible ADE. Therefore, recall-based reporting can introduce numerous false negatives or substantial amounts of noise, a problem that is difficult to address using limited manual labor.

 OBJECTIVE
 Our aim was to develop an automated system that could identify ADE-related medical articles, support recall-based reporting, and alleviate manual labor in Japanese pharmaceutical companies.

 METHODS
 Using medical articles as input, our system based on natural language processing applies document-level classification to extract articles containing ADEs (replacing manual labor in the first screening) and sentence-level classification to extract sentences within those articles that imply ADEs (thus supporting experts in the second screening). We used 509 Japanese medical articles annotated by a medical engineer to evaluate the performance of the proposed system.

 RESULTS
 Document-level classification yielded an F1 of 0.903. Sentence-level classification yielded an F1 of 0.413. These were averages of fivefold cross-validations.

 CONCLUSIONS
 A simple automated system may alleviate the manual labor involved in screening drug safety–related medical articles in pharmaceutical companies. After improving the accuracy of the sentence-level classification by considering a wider context, we intend to apply this system toward real-world postmarketing surveillance.


BACKGROUND
Post-treatment mastalgia is a common complaint in up to 68% of patients after treatment. This symptom is worrisome to patients as many believe it is a sign of recurrence. The current study was performed to evaluate if post-treatment mastalgia is associated with a second breast cancer diagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Patients included were seen from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2020. All patients who were treated for breast cancer and then presented with breast pain during follow up were considered to have post-treatment mastalgia. All patients who were diagnosed with a second breast cancer but did not experience post-treatment mastalagia were also evaluated.

RESULTS
1799 patients had a mean age 52.9 years. 36% of patients experienced post-treatment mastalgia. Of patients who complained of post-treatment mastalgia, 19 were diagnosed with a chest wall recurrence (CW), ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), or contralateral breast cancer (CBC). 17 of the 19 patients had breast pain after the second diagnosis and treatment were completed. The average duration between their second diagnosis and initial complaint of breast pain was 6.2 years. The two patients who complained of breast pain prior to their second diagnosis did not have mastalgia at the time of their second diagnosis. Local recurrence or contralateral breast cancer were more common in patients without post treatment mastalgia (10.1% vs 0.3%, p < 0.0001) during follow up.

CONCLUSION
Post treatment mastalgia is not associated with recurrence. Interval or repeat imaging does not appear necessary and instead patient education and reassurance are important in its management.


This paper develops a framework for the estimation of a time-varying random signal using a wireless sensor network. Given a continuous time model, sensors collect noisy observations and produce local estimates according to the discrete-time equivalent system defined by the sampling period of observations. Estimation is performed using a maximum a posteriori probability estimator (MAP) within a given window of interest. To mediate the incorporation of information from other sensors we introduce Lagrange multipliers to penalize the disagreement between neighboring estimates. We show that the resulting distributed (D-)MAP algorithm is able to track dynamical signals with a small error. This error is characterized in terms of problem constants and vanishes with the sampling time as long as the log-likelihood function satisfies a smoothness condition.


T h is s t u d y is a p r od u c t d e v el o pm en t r e sea rc h w h i c h ai m s t o p r od u c e me d ia t h a t explains neighbor norms in society. In this study involved a content expert, a media expert, fellow teachers, small group and large group trials. Subject trial is pebelajar class VII MTs SirajulUlum Pontianak. Data was obtained through interviews, observation and documentation. Analysis of the data using an interactive model of data collection, data presentation, data analysis and conclusion verification. Media development results validated by experts to ensure the quality of media produced. Tests performed on a small group trial and field trials. The results showed that the media used fit for use as a medium of learning. The average level of eligibility based on the expert content of 4.7% or excellent category; media expert validation 4.9% or very good, small group trial of 8.96% or excellent category; and field trials by 8.93% or excellent


Ambient information systems have been investigated widely in the visual modality, but ambient sonification systems are rare and investigation is limited by comparison with ambient visualisations. However, the auditory modality is well-suited to the task of interpreting quantitative information communicated through sonification, while not requiring interruption to the user's current actions, as opposed to a visual system that requires visual attention. This paper investigates an approach to ambient sonification that activates everyday interactions, by using sensors to pick up interactions that users make with physical objects in a domestic environment. These actions are then used to trigger or control ambient sonifications. These sonifications are based on the information obtained from the same sensors or from information sourced from data services. The design patterns and implementation concerns are discussed and several prototype sonifications presented.


BACKGROUND
New surgical approaches for apical prolapse have gradually been introduced, with few prospective randomised controlled trial data to evaluate their safety and efficacy compared with traditional methods.

OBJECTIVE
To compare surgical uterine preservation with vaginal hysterectomy in women with uterine prolapse and abdominal procedures with vaginal procedures in women with vault prolapse in terms of clinical effectiveness, adverse events, quality of life and cost-effectiveness.

DESIGN
Two parallel randomised controlled trials (i.e. Uterine and Vault). Allocation was by remote web-based randomisation (1 : 1 ratio), minimised on the need for concomitant anterior and/or posterior procedure, concomitant incontinence procedure, age and surgeon.

SETTING
UK hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS
Uterine trial - 563 out of 565 randomised women had uterine prolapse surgery. Vault trial - 208 out of 209 randomised women had vault prolapse surgery.

INTERVENTIONS
Uterine trial - uterine preservation or vaginal hysterectomy. Vault trial - abdominal or vaginal vault suspension.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary outcome measures were women's prolapse symptoms (as measured using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptom Score), prolapse-specific quality of life and cost-effectiveness (as assessed by incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year).

RESULTS
Uterine trial - adjusting for baseline and minimisation covariates, the mean Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptom Score at 12 months for uterine preservation was 4.2 (standard deviation 4.9) versus vaginal hysterectomy with a Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptom Score of 4.2 (standard deviation 5.3) (mean difference -0.05, 95% confidence interval -0.91 to 0.81). Serious adverse event rates were similar between the groups (uterine preservation 5.4% vs. vaginal hysterectomy 5.9%; risk ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.38 to 1.75). There was no difference in overall prolapse stage. Significantly more women would recommend vaginal hysterectomy to a friend (odds ratio 0.39, 95% confidence interval 0.18 to 0.83). Uterine preservation was £235 (95% confidence interval £6 to £464) more expensive than vaginal hysterectomy and generated non-significantly fewer quality-adjusted life-years (mean difference -0.004, 95% confidence interval -0.026 to 0.019). Vault trial - adjusting for baseline and minimisation covariates, the mean Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptom Score at 12 months for an abdominal procedure was 5.6 (standard deviation 5.4) versus vaginal procedure with a Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptom Score of 5.9 (standard deviation 5.4) (mean difference -0.61, 95% confidence interval -2.08 to 0.86). The serious adverse event rates were similar between the groups (abdominal 5.9% vs. vaginal 6.0%; risk ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.27 to 3.44). The objective anterior prolapse stage 2b or more was higher in the vaginal group than in the abdominal group (odds ratio 0.38, 95% confidence interval 0.18 to 0.79). There was no difference in the overall prolapse stage. An abdominal procedure was £570 (95% confidence interval £459 to £682) more expensive than a vaginal procedure and generated non-significantly more quality-adjusted life-years (mean difference 0.004, 95% confidence interval -0.031 to 0.041).

CONCLUSIONS
Uterine trial - in terms of efficacy, quality of life or adverse events in the short term, no difference was identified between uterine preservation and vaginal hysterectomy. Vault trial - in terms of efficacy, quality of life or adverse events in the short term, no difference was identified between an abdominal and a vaginal approach.

FUTURE WORK
Long-term follow-up for at least 6 years is ongoing to identify recurrence rates, need for further prolapse surgery, adverse events and cost-effectiveness.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN86784244.

FUNDING
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 13. See the National Institute for Health Research Journals Library website for further project information.


As we approach the new millennium, the ongoing aim of human society is not only for promoting scientific technology but also creating new industries. To achieve this goal, each person in industry must recognize anew that the real meaning of science is to explore the absolute truth. It is also important that people recognize that there are unlimited matters which we humans do now yet know.


This article presents a Merovingian Period silver spoon that was recently discovered in an opulent female chamber grave in the "Niederfeld" row grave cemetery of Ichtratzheim (Bas-Rhin). The spoon has no less than three different inscriptions, one in seriffed Latin capitals and two in runes. The first contains a Latin male personal name, Matteus, the second a previously unattested runic lapela 'spoon', and the third a sequence abuda, presumably a female personal name. This makes it the second known example of an inscribed object with both runes and Latin from Merovingian Period Gaul. From a runological perspective, this is one of the most important discoveries in recent times because it contains the oldest known case of a linguistically meaningful runic inscription using the rare p-rune and some very archaic linguistic forms. From an archaeological perspective, this is one of the richest known Merovingian Period female burials in Alsace, and it is very likely that the buried woman may have been a leading member of the local elite.


Quantifications of Earth surface topography are essential for modeling the connections between physical and chemical processes of erosion and the shape of the landscape. Enormous investments are made in developing and testing process-based landscape evolution models. These models may never be applied to real topography because of the difficulties in obtaining high-resolution (1–2 m) topographic data in the form of digital elevation models (DEMs). Here we present a simple methodology to extract the high-resolution three-dimensional topographic surface from photographs taken with a hand-held camera with no constraints imposed on the camera positions or field survey. This technique requires only the selection of corresponding points in three or more photographs. From these corresponding points the unknown camera positions and surface topography are simultaneously estimated. We compare results from surface reconstructions estimated from high-resolution survey data from field sites in the Oregon Coast Range and northern California to verify our technique. Our most rigorous test of the algorithms presented here is from the soil-mantled hillslopes of the Santa Cruz marine terrace sequence. Results from three unconstrained photographs yield an estimated surface, with errors on the order of1 m, that compares well with high-resolution GPS survey data and can be used as an input DEM in process-based landscape evolution modeling.


We report the effect of bias stress on the drain current and threshold voltage of n-channel thin-film transistors based on solution processed In2O3 layers. Application of a positive gate bias for variable time-periods led to displacements of the transfer curves in the positive gate bias direction. On switching off the gate bias, the transfer curves returned close to their pre-stress state on a timescale similar to that when the gate bias was switched on. The time dependence of the threshold voltage shift is described well by a stretched-exponential model. The temporal behaviour of the threshold voltage shifts is consistent with charge trapping as the dominant effect, although some defect formation cannot be ruled out.


Amidst the recent resurgence of inflation, this paper investigates the interplay of corporate profits and income distribution in shaping inflation and aggregate demand within the New Keynesian framework. We derive a novel analytical condition for profits to be procyclical and inflationary. Furthermore, we show that the cyclicality of profits is a key determinant of the propagation properties of these models under household heterogeneity, but there is a catch: for aggregate-demand fluctuations and inflation to be amplified by heterogeneity, profits have to be countercyclical—an implication that is at odds with the data. Adding physical capital investment to the model can resolve this conundrum, generating aggregate-demand amplification even under procyclical profits. However, the amplification works through an investment channel and not through profits, inconsistent with the narrative attributing elevated inflation to corporate greed


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Triple negative breast cancers represent 10-17% of all breast carcinomas. They display a high histological grade, a more aggressive clinical behavior and they lack any specific treatment, thus are associated to a bad prognosis. As other cancer types, this cancer is caused by sequential accumulation of mutations and genomic alterations involving tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. In this matter, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes may occur by deletion, promoter hypermethylation or point mutations. In previous study by array CGH we found several tumor suppressor candidate genes deleted in a hereditary breast cancer set of tumors. In addition we studied 4 of these tumor suppressor genes RASSF1A, WIF1, SLIT2 and ROBO1 in a non triple negative set of breast cancer tumors, and found a high frequency of promoter methylation, statistically associated with loss of protein expression for RASSF1A and WIF1. In the present study we aimed to extend the analysis to triple negative breast cancer tumors due to their clinical relevance. Methylation analysis through MS-PCR revealed that RASSF1A promoter was hypermethylated in 52.9% of triple negative tumors, and presents loss of expression in 80.6% of the tumors. WIF1 promoter was hypermethylated in 89.1% and its protein expression was downregulated in 63.1% of the tumors. For SLIT2 we found frequent promoter hypermethylation among tumors (82.6%) showing loss of expression in 88% of the tumors. MS-PCR analyses were not informative for ROBO1, but protein expression was reduced in 49% of all tumors. Our results show that a high percentage of tumors present silencing of RASSF1A, WIF1, SLIT2 and/or ROBO1, and therefore implying the impairment of the pathways they represent. This findings support these genes may have an important role in triple negative breast tumor development. Fondecyt 1080595.

Citation Format: Carolina Alvarez, Gloria Garrido, Patricia Gajardo, Alonso Quiroz, Valeria Cornejo, Wanda Fernandez, Mauricio Camus, Pilar Carvallo. Promoter hypermethylation and silencing of tumor suppressor genes RASSF1A, WIF1, SLIT2 and ROBO1 in triple negative breast carcinomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 656. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-656


KC Basnyat S, Sapkota B, Shrestha S, Rimal U. Association Between use of Interdental Cleansing Aids Gingival Conditions in Fixed Dental Prosthesis Patients. Kathmandu Univ Med J.2020;71(3):243-8. ABSTRACT Background The fixed dental prosthesis are one of the most commonly used prosthesis which are difficult for cleansing in dental clinical practice especially the interproximal areas. As a result, periodontal disease most commonly develops in interproximal areas. The efficacy of using dental floss and interdental brushing in addition to tooth brushing reduce plaque and gingival inflammation. Objective To assess gingival condition in patients after placement of fixed dental prosthesis for a period of 3 months who regularly use or do not use dental floss and interdental brushing. Method Patients visiting the Dental Outpatient Department of Dhulikhel Hospital were selected for study. The examination was conducted using basic diagnostic tools (Mouth mirror, periodontal probe and explorer). The total number of patients involved in the study were 200. Teeth and gingiva were examined using the Plaque (Silness and Loe) and Gingiva Index (Löe and Silness). The examinations were conducted after 15 days and 3 months of placement of fixed dental prosthesis along with the oral hygiene instructions. Chi-square test and McNemar Bowker test were done to find statistical association using SPSS 20.0. Result Statistical analysis showed that there was association between frequency of interdental cleaning and plaque index (p=0.012) and gingival index (p=0.036) examined in 15 days and 3 months. Conclusion Use of Interdental cleansing aids was statistically significant to oral hygiene outcomes i.e. plaque index and gingival index. Oral hygiene instructions play a vital role in improving overall oral health.


Simultaneous occurrence of both adrenocortical adenoma and pheochromocytoma in the same adrenal gland is extremely rare in the literature. We report a 38-year-old female who presented with palpitation, chest pain and tremor with a right adrenal mass consistent with adrenocortical adenoma on computed tomography. Both metanephrine and normetanephrine levels were high in the urine. The biochemical tests strongly suggested the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Pathological examination of the adrenalectomy specimen revealed a collision tumor composed of an adrenocortical adenoma and a pheochromocytoma. Although rare, the present case is noteworthy in highlighting the importance of conducting biochemical tests to rule out pheochromocytoma for any adrenal mass prior to surgery. doi:10.4021/jmc451w


City-level policies affect diaspora members' right to association, freedom of expression, access to public space and visibility, all of which impact how they build communities and are included or not in the city. Through their associations, diaspora members contribute to the well-being of their community and the cultural life and diversity of the city, despite facing challenges with regard to funding and organizational structure. Drawing on case studies of West African diaspora associations in Paris, Dakar and Tangier, this policy report considers the place of diaspora associations in cities and how city governments can take steps to promote inclusion of these associations and their members.


A wound and abscess clinic, held concurrently with a syringe exchange, provided economical treatment and aftercare for injection-associated soft tissue infections. During 20 two-hour clinic sessions, 173 treatment episodes were logged, and the visit cost was estimated at $5 per patient. Increased patient-clinician interactions provided opportunities beyond those afforded by the syringe exchange for patients to obtain resources and referrals to services such as HIV counseling and testing, medical care, and drug treatment. Distribution of cards advertising the clinic was substantially less effective than word of mouth in increasing community awareness of the clinic.


In this delightful alphabet book, cleverly illustrated with paintings from the collection of the Getty Museum, A is for an artist by Jan Steen, B is for a bumblebee by Ambrosius Bosschaert, and C is for a candle by Jean-Francois de Troy. Details from twenty-six different paintings by artists including Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, and Edgar Degas provide the objects corresponding with each letter of the alphabet. The book also contains reproductions of all the paintings from which the details were selected. This charming book provides a unique opportunity to help children learn the ABC's while teaching them to look closely at great works of art. The other artists are: Pompeo Batoni (Italian, 1708-1787) Jan van Huysum (Dutch, 1682-1749) Luca Carlevarijs (Italian, 1663-1730) Hendrick ter Brugghen (Dutch, 1588-1629) Francesco Salviati (Francesco de'Rossi) (Italian, 1510-1563) Bartolommeo Vivarini (Italian, about 1432-1499) Dosso Dossi (Giovanni de'Luteri) (Italian, active 1512--died 1542) Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French, 1841-1919) Jean-Simeon Chardin (French, 1699-1779) Jan Brueghel the Elder (Flemish, 1568-1625) Sebastiano Ricci (Italian, 1659-1734) Carlo Dolci (Italian, 1616-1686) Jean-Etienne Liotard (Swiss, 1702-1789) James Ensor (Belgian, 1860-1949) Lawrence Alma Tadema (Dutch/English, 1836-1912) Georges de La Tour (French, 1593-1652) Pieter de Hooch (Dutch, 1629-1684) Pier Francesco Mola (Italian, 1612-1666) Joseph Ducreux (French, 1735-1802) Joachim Wtewael (Dutch, 1566-1638)


Electrical stimulation of the nigro-neostriatal and mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways was employed in order to examine the effects of increased impulse flow on the properties of tyrosine hydroxylase prepared from the neostriatum and olfactory tubercles. Stimulation at a frequency of 15 Hz for 10 min resulted in an increase in the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase prepared from the neostriatum on the stimulated side and assayed in the presence of subsaturating concentrations of substrate and pterin cofactor. Stimulation periods of 15 and 20 min did not produce a further significant increase in tyrosine hydroxylase activity. This activation of the enzyme persisted unchanged for 10 min after cessation of stimulation and was partially present 15 min after stimulation. Further analysis of this activation showed that it was characterized by decreases in Km of tyrosine hydroxylase for substrate, tyrosine, and cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin, and an increase in Ki for the feedback inhibitor, dopamine. Similar kinetic changes due to electrical stimulation of the mesolimbic pathway were found in the tyrosine hydroxylase isolated from the olfactory tubercles. Addition of adenosine cyclic 39,59-monophosphate to high-speed supernatants prepared from the neostriatum produced kinetic changes in neostriatal tyrosine hydroxylase similar to those produced by increased impulse flow due to electrical stimulation. However, addition of cyclic AMP produced no further change in the properties of the enzyme already activated by electrical stimulation. These results are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms by which impulse flow may control dopamine synthesis.


The proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets with embedded sensors and communication features has led to the introduction of a novel sensing paradigm called mobile crowd sensing. Despite its opportunities and advantages over traditional wireless sensor networks, mobile crowd sensing still faces security and privacy issues, among other challenges. Specifically, the security and privacy of sensitive location information of users remain lingering issues, considering the "on" and "off" state of global positioning system sensor in smartphones. To address this problem, this paper proposes "SenseCrypt", a framework that automatically annotates and signcrypts sensitive location information of mobile crowd sensing users. The framework relies on K-means algorithm and a certificateless aggregate signcryption scheme (CLASC). It incorporates spatial coding as the data compression technique and message query telemetry transport as the messaging protocol. Results presented in this paper show that the proposed framework incurs low computational cost and communication overhead. Also, the framework is robust against privileged insider attack, replay and forgery attacks. Confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation are security services offered by the proposed framework.


Worldwide, the use of human patient simulators in medical education has expanded rapidly as a means of enhancing the clinical and emergency response skills of health care students in a risk-free environment. The use of patient simulation for teaching of medical basic science concepts, however, is still in its infancy. At our medical school, ten years ago we had relatively inexpensive access to a high fidelity patient simulator which we used for teaching in the following courses: anatomy, medical immunology, and medical physiology. When this situation changed five years ago with the building of an education simulation center, the cost-to-benefit ratio for the use of simulators during the physiology class had to be reevaluated (anatomy and medical immunology discontinued simulation teaching after three years). This Best Practice paper presents our use and learning outcomes of low and high fidelity simulation for the past four years as part of a flipped physiology learning model and discusses its potential for widespread adoption for medical science teaching.


A representative azulene formation from an active troponoid precursor (2-methoxytropone) and an active methylene compound (malononitrile) has been analyzed both experimentally and theoretically. (2)H-Tracer experiments using 2-methoxy[3,5,7-(2)H(3)]tropone (2-d(3)) and malononitrile anion give 2-amino-1,3-dicyano[4,6,8-(2)H(3)]azulene (1-d(3)) in quantitative yield. New and stable (2)H-incorporated reaction intermediates have been isolated, and main intermediates have been detected by careful low-temperature NMR measurements. The detection has been guided by mechanistic considerations and B3LYP/6-31(+)G(d) calculations. The facile and quantitative one-pot formation of azulene 1 has been found to consist of a number of consecutive elementary processes: (a) The troponoid substrate, 2-methoxytropone (2), is subject to a nucleophilic substitution by the attack of malononitrile anion (HC(CN)(2)(-)) to form a Meisenheimer-type complex 3, which is rapidly converted to 2-troponylmalononitrile anion (5). (b) The anion 5 is converted to an isolable intermediate, 2-imino-2H-cyclohepta[b]furan-3-carbonitrile (6), by the first ring closure in the reaction. (c) A nucleophilic addition of the second HC(CN)(2)(-) toward the imine 6 at the C-8a position produces the second Meisenheimer-type adduct 7. (d) The second ring closure leads to 1-carbamoyl-1,3-dicyano-2-imino-2,3-dihydroazulene (11). A base attacks the imine 11, which results in generation of a conjugate base 12 of the final product, azulene 1.


At the beginning is the author, a brilliant individual or group of people who produce, experiment, innovate. Once the work is there, what happens next? The relation between the creator and the created thing is quite obvious. In spite of that, experience shows that the created thing has often an independent life and may be associated, grouped and distributed with other related forms of contents and objects. Policies for such dissemination are usually market driven and follow the law of supply and demand and the innovative impulse of individuals and firms. After all, success may be the result of blunt necessity or mere fate. Experience also shows that governmental action can be applied usefully as a way of regulating, mediating, and balancing the effects of a purely market oriented approach. Policy measures may be direct and affect market mechanisms (in many countries, for instance, printed matters benefit from an advantageous fiscal regime). Sometimes, governmental action can be equally successful when it is indirect and public authorities can act strategically as major owners, providers and users of information.


This study is concerned with the effect of heat treatment (precipitation hardening) on notch sensitivity factor for aluminum alloy (7075). Tests were conducted on four configurations of specimens, three of them which had external circumferential notches with notch radii of 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, and 1 mm. The fourth configuration is un-notched specimens. The alloy samples which were used in fatigue test were subjected to cold working before heat treatment. Dimensions and roughness of the specimens were measured. The fatigue tests were performed for different types of specimens. The (S-N) equation was derived for each group to estimate the fatigue life under any applied stress amplitude. In addition, the strength reduction factor (kf )and notch sensitivity factor (q) were calculated. The results showed that the fatigue strength reduction factor were increased after heat treatment and with decreasing notch radius. Also the notch sensitivity factor increased with increasing notch radius and after heat treatment. The enhancement percentage in notch sensitivity factor after the heat treatment for 1 mm radius notch was (22.616%).