The occurrence of El Niño has been generally considered the main driver of hydro‐geomorphic processes in Peru. However, the climatic characterization of hydro‐geomorphic events (HGE) occurring in the absence of El Niño remains scarce. Information contained in the DesInventar disaster database suggests a widespread occurrence of HGE associated to cold‐neutral sea surface temperature (SST) in the central Pacific and south tropical Atlantic. Here, we aim at characterizing synoptic patterns associated with HGE that have occurred over last 35 years related to the different El Niño types and focusing as well on the non‐Niño phases. We use the ERA‐Interim reanalysis climate data and implement self‐organizing maps to assess the link between HGE in Peru and specific synoptic patterns. Results suggest that synoptic patterns associated with La Niña and neutral conditions play an important role in the occurrence of hydro‐geomorphic disasters in Peru during the austral summer. A total of 21% of the events are associated only with the 1972–1973, 1982–1983 and 1997–1998 El Niño events and are mainly focused in the northern Pacific coast of the country (i.e., Tumbes, Piura and Lambayeque) while more than 36% of the recorded events in the database were associated with La Niña and neutral conditions between 1970 and 2013. La Niña‐related events were more relevant in the Andean–Amazonian regions, whereas neutral conditions were related to more frequent HGEs in the southern regions (south of the 13.25°S) along the Peruvian Pacific coast. These outcomes imply an enhanced understanding of the synoptic mechanisms leading to the occurrence of HGE and contribute to a better understanding of the triggers of HGE causing disaster no exclusively related to El Niño‐like years in Peru.


The present study aims at investigating the indoor air quality (IAQ) in selected households in the urban slums, as well as a control site, in Delhi, the capital city of India. The study includes assessments of associated respiratory health effects and Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) on the occupants living in inefficiently designed houses with poor ventilation. The comparative analysis of concentrations of indoor air pollutants in urban slums and the control site reveals that the respiratory health of the occupants living indoors in both the sites are affected by the indoor pollutants, e.g. the respirable suspended particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), the carbon monoxide (CO), the sulphur dioxide (SO2) and the nitrogen dioxide (NO2). In addition, the spirometry tests on the occupants, particularly the womenfolk and children, have been performed to determine the incidence of acute respiratory infections (ARI). Interview surveys have also been conducted in the households during the study period to investigate sick building syndrome (SBS). The results show the maximum concentration of indoor air pollutants in households during winters associated with aggravated respiratory problems, such as coughs, phlegm, wheezing, and breathlessness, among occupants, particularly the women. In addition, decrement in lung function indices (i.e. FVC and/or FEV1) due to increased concentrations of RSPM indoors during the winter period has also been observed in the women occupants. The study concludes that women and children indoors are most vulnerable to respiratory problems compared to men. Along with a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms, high SBS scores have been observed in these household because of inefficient ventilation, poorly designed houses and usage of biomass fuels for cooking.


Matthew Baillie's treatise on morbid anatomy marks the first systematic textbook on this topic. Approximately 250 years ago, Baillie made detailed descriptions of childhood hydrocephalus in his often forgotten treatise. The present paper reviews this pioneering scientist's life and discusses his original contributions to the description of hydrocephalus in children. It is the early pioneering efforts of such physicians as Matthew Baillie on which our current knowledge base is built. Although hydrocephalus was known in his day, many of Baillie's astute observations on the subject surpassed the efforts of earlier investigators in their level of detail.


Quine's argument for a naturalized epistemology is routinely perceived as an argument from despair: traditional epistemology must be abandoned because all attempts to deduce our scientific theories from sense experience have failed. In this paper, I will show that this picture is historically inaccurate and that Quine's argument against first philosophy is considerably stronger and subtler than the standard conception suggests. For Quine, the first philosopher's quest for foundations is inherently incoherent; the very idea of a self-sufficient sense datum language is a mistake, there is no science-independent perspective from which to validate science. I will argue that a great deal of the confusion surrounding Quine's argument is prompted by certain phrases in his seminal 'Epistemology Naturalized'. Scrutinizing Quine's work both before and after the latter paper provides a better key to understanding his remarkable views about the epistemological relation between theory and evidence.


The number and strength of the acid centres of tungstic heteropolyacids have been determined by absorption calorimetry of ammonia. The initial heats are in the order H3PW12O40>H4SiW12O40>H6P2W21O71(H2O)3>H6P2W18O62, varying from 200 to 155kJ mol–1. An increase in the number of protons in Keggin heteropolyanions decreases the acidic strength. Moreover, the influence of the activation temperature on the acidity has been studied and confirms that there is a drastic modification of the solid at ca. 350 °C. The heat capacities of the heteropolyanions and of the corresponding ammonium salts, the thermokinetic parameters of ammonia absorption and the heat capacities of the acids and ammonium salts have been related to the porosity of the various samples.


The purpose of this study was to form a science teacher and graduate-student researcher team in which its members engaged in a study of science teaching, and to examine the progress of the team's work through the creation of a case study. A graduate student and science teacher team was formed in one high school, and used collaborative action research methods to investigate students' learning in a general education biology course. As well, the action research project was used to examine the attempt of the research team (graduate student and teacher) to change instructional patterns in the teacher's classroom. Records were maintained throughout the project and examined to arrive at the study results, which revealed mixed success in improving learning and making change within the context of the classroom. Three tentative conclusions were warranted from an examination of the results of the case study:
1. A chain of reasoning exists that inhibits reform of existing teaching practices in ways that engage students,
2. Formation of a science teacher-graduate student team facilitates the adoption of a critical perspective on instruction, and
3. Beliefs about science teaching are firmly established and difficult to alter.


Abstract Objective. Describe the effect the teach back method on promoting the health literacy of health ambassadors in Urmia County in 2020. Methods. In the present quasi-experiment, 200 persons over 14 years old participated. They were divided into two research groups, a control (n=100) and an intervention (n=100). The sampling method was simple randomization and the data collection instrument was a questionnaire comprised of demographic information and health literacy (HELIA). The educational intervention took 4 sessions each 45 minutes in length following the teach back method. The questionnaire-based data were collected once before the intervention and once again three months after the intervention. Results. The present findings showed that 54% of the control group and 50% of the intervention group had a good or very good level of health literacy before the intervention(p>0.05). However, after the intervention, 52% of the control and 78% of the intervention group had a good or very good level of health literacy. The present findings revealed that the mean scores of health literacy dimensions (access to information, reading, understanding, appraisal, decision-making) and the overall health literacy score were significantly higher in the intervention group than the control (after the intervention). Wilcoxon's test results showed that the mean difference of the overall health literacy scores and the dimensions before and after the intervention were statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion. In the light of the present findings, we can conclude that participatory methods and the teach back method can improve health literacy, acquire reliable information and adopt healthy behaviors.


TiO2/Au nanocomposite has been synthesized by mixing Au with milled TiO2 nanopowder through wet chemical route. The effect of Au on the microstructural and optical properties of TiO2 nanopowder has been studied by XRD, FESEM, UV Visible, PL and FTIR techniques. Our study indicates that Au causes the decrease of crystallite size of TiO2 by accumulating on the circumference of these nanoparticles. TiO2/Au nanocomposite exhibits strong spectral response in the visible range due to the surface plasmon effect. Band gap of TiO2 nanopowder reduces from 3.4 eV to 3.1 eV while making composite with Au. The PL spectra showed that emission peak intensity of TiO2 nanopowder decreases in the presence of Au. The reductions in band gap and electron-hole recombination in TiO2/Au nanocomposite suggest that TiO2/Au could be a good candidate for photocatalysis.


High magnetic fields are used in many branches of modern medicine. So, the techniques for magnetic field concentration are very important, and the novel electromagnets and trapped HTS bulk magnets have been fabricated and used in the cell culture and the bulk magnetic drug delivery system. In general, although superconducting magnet can generate high magnetic fields, on/off magnetic switching is impossible because of its large inductance. Therefore, not only the generating of magnetic field but also controlling of magnetic field including on/off switching are very important issues. So, we have been studied the control methods of magnetic field using HTS bulks. In this study, the magnetic field control system consisted of the various shaped HTS bulks and magnetic sources were proposed to achieve the on/off field control and field amplification. The shape of HTS bulk to develop the magnetic control system was optimized by FEM based on analysis, and the abilities of its field switching and amplification were confirmed by experiments. We found that the HTS bulk with slit did control the applied magnetic field, and amplified magnetic fields were obtained at slit parts of HTS bulks.


Design of hydraulic turbines has often to deal with hydraulic instability. It is well-known that Francis and Kaplan types present hydraulic instability in their design power range. Even if modern CFD tools may help to define these dangerous operating conditions and optimize runner design, hydraulic instabilities may fortuitously arise during the turbine life and should be timely detected in order to assure a long-lasting operating life.

In a previous paper, the authors have considered the phenomenon of helical vortex rope, which happens at low flow rates when a swirling flow, in the draft tube conical inlet, occupies a large portion of the inlet. In this condition, a strong helical vortex rope appears. The vortex rope causes mechanical effects on the runner, on the whole turbine and on the draft tube, which may eventually produce severe damages on the turbine unit and whose most evident symptoms are vibrations. The authors have already shown that vibration analysis is suitable for detecting vortex rope onset, thanks to an experimental test campaign performed during the commissioning of a 23 MW Kaplan hydraulic turbine unit.

In this paper, the authors propose a sophisticated data driven approach to detect vortex rope onset at different power load, based on the analysis of the vibration signals in the order domain and introducing the so-called "residual order spectrogram", i.e. an order-rotation representation of the vibration signal. Some experimental test runs are presented and the possibility to detect instability onset, especially in real-time, is discussed.


The discrete Fourier transform (DFT) represents the Fourier transformation of a sequence of discrete signal values. The continuous-Fourier-transform pair is derived through closed-form analytical integration of the continuous parent function g(x) with respect to the continuous independent variables (space in image processing); the DFT is the weighted sum of the sampled values g(kΔx). This appendix extends some of the core results of Appendix A. In deriving the DFT, the sampling process and supporting functions are chosen to closely approximate the continuous Fourier transform. The sequence of deriving the frequency spectrum of a given continuous signal is illustrated in Fig. C.1; spatial waveforms are shown on the top rows, and their frequency-domain counterparts are shown along the bottom rows. The analytical steps of deriving the DFT from the continuous FT are summarized below (all transformations are given in terms of the spatial frequency u). (a) For the parent function g(x) to meet the Fourier transformation condition, the continuous Fourier transform G(u); -umax ≤ u ≤ +umax is derived. (b) With the bandlimited assumption, g(x) is impulse sampled at twice its bandlimiting frequency umax using the spatial sampling function (C.1a) and its Fourier transform (C.1b) or (C.1c)


Prior research has established that categorization plays a central role in new product learning. Very little is known, however, about category-based learning under conditions of categorization ambiguity. Of particular interest is whether and under what circumstances consumers might employ a multiple- (vs. single-) category strategy to generate inferences about ambiguous products. In this research, we identified 2 factors - category familiarity and the nature of the category cue - that are responsible for determining whether inferences are based on a single category or multiple, competing categories. The results of 3 studies suggest that when an ambiguous product is described in terms of conflicting conceptual and perceptual category cues, a single category inference strategy is employed when the perceptually cued category is more familiar than the conceptually cued category. In particular, inferences are based largely on the perceptually cued category under these circumstances. However, when the perceptually cued category is less than or equal to the conceptually cued category in familiarity, a multiple category inference strategy is employed and inferences are based on both the perceptually and conceptually cued categories.


Recent clinical cohort study shows that testosterone therapy increases cardiovascular diseases in men with low testosterone levels, excessive circulating androgen levels may play a detrimental role in the vascular system, while the potential mechanism and effect of testosterone exposure on the vascular function in offspring is still unknown. Our preliminary results showed that perinatal testosterone exposure in mice induces estrogen receptor β (ERβ) suppression in endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in offspring but not mothers, while estradiol (E2) had no effect. Further investigation showed that ERβ suppression is due to perinatal testosterone exposure-induced epigenetic changes with altered DNA methylation on the ERβ promoter. During aging, EPCs with ERβ suppression mobilize to the vascular wall, differentiate into ERβ-suppressed mouse endothelial cells (MECs) with downregulated expression of SOD2 (mitochondrial superoxide dismutase) and ERRα (estrogen-related receptor α). This results in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and DNA damage, and the dysfunction of mitochondria and fatty acid metabolism, subsequently potentiating vascular dysfunction. Bone marrow transplantation of EPCs that overexpressed with either ERβ or a SIRT1 single mutant SIRT1-C152(D) that could modulate SIRT1 phosphorylation significantly ameliorated vascular dysfunction, while ERβ knockdown worsened the problem. We conclude that perinatal testosterone exposure potentiates vascular dysfunction through ERβ suppression in EPCs.


Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infects more than 50% of the global population and has been identified as the most important risk factor (cause) of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), the main precursor lesion of gastric cancer (GC). Regular endoscopic examination and worry of development of GC bring these CAG patients serious physical, psychological and economic burden. However, most of the H. pylori-infected patients will not progress to the development of CAG, not to speak of GC, through their lives. Therefore, if we can classify all the H. pylori-infected patients according to the risk of CAG, most of them would be relieved from their burden. Molecular pathological epidemiology (MPE) is a new interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary study field, which has emerged as an integrated approach of molecular pathology and epidemiology, and investigates the relationships between molecular characteristics or molecular changes, exogenous and endogenous exposure factors, and initiation, evolution, progression, and response to treatment of diseases. According to the principle and methods, MPE may be a promising approach to achieve our purpose. Moreover, the MPE can provide some very important insights on the molecular mechanisms, personalized prevention and treatment for the study field of H. pylori infection and CAG.


Previous work has shown that fMRI activity patterns associated with individual fingers can be shifted by temporary impairment of the hand. Here, we investigated whether these neural activity patterns could be modulated endogenously and whether any behavioral changes result from this modulation. We used decoded neurofeedback in healthy individuals to encourage participants to shift the neural activity pattern in sensorimotor cortex of the middle finger towards the index finger, and the ring finger towards the little finger. We first mapped the neural activity patterns for all fingers of the right hand in an fMRI pattern localizer session. Then, in three subsequent neurofeedback sessions, participants were rewarded after middle/ring finger presses according to their activity pattern overlap during each trial. A force-sensitive keyboard was used to ensure that participants were not altering their physical finger coordination patterns. We found evidence that participants could learn to shift the activity pattern of the ring finger but not of the middle finger. Increased variability of these activity patterns during the localizer session was associated with the ability of participants to modulate them using neurofeedback. Participants also showed an increased preference for the ring finger but not for the middle finger in a post-neurofeedback motor task. Our results show that neural activity and behaviors associated with the ring finger are more readily modulated than those associated with the middle finger. These results have broader implications for rehabilitation of individual finger movements, which may be limited or enhanced by individual finger plasticity after neurological injury.


Background and objectives: Trauma memories lay at the core in etiopathogenesis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using pharmacological and cognitive behavioral treatments that specifically target trauma memories can improve the outcome. Ketamine has been shown to rapidly improve symptoms in PTSD and comorbid depression, but unfortunately these effects are short-lived. Trauma Interventions using Mindfulness Based Extinction and Reconsolidation (TIMBER) psychotherapy is a type of mindfulness based cognitive behavioral therapy that targets the trauma memories. TIMBER psychotherapy in combination with (R,S)-ketamine are increasingly used to treat PTSD and comorbid depression. This study aims to determine if the combination of (R,S)-ketamine chemotherapy and TIMBER psychotherapy would produce a positive synergistic response in patients with PTSD. Design: This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical study. Methods: Because response to ketamine alone is short-lived, this study combined TIMBER with a single infusion of 0.5 mg/kg (R,S)-ketamine to sustain its therapeutic effects. Ten patients with chronic and refractory PTSD were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 5 each): TIMBER-K group patients received ketamine infusion in combination with 12 TIMBER sessions (3 sessions in the first week followed by 9 sessions conducted on a weekly basis) and TIMBER-P group patients received placebo (normal saline infusion) in combination with 12 TIMBER sessions. The patients in the TIMBER-P group were switched to those in the TIMBER-K group after they experienced a sustained relapse. Outcome measures: PTSD Checklist (PCL), Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-IV (CAPS), the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D-17, clinician rated), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at baseline and 8 hours after infusion were used to investigate if ketamine selectively affected trauma memories leaving the general memory intact. The mindfulness interventions in TIMBER were personalized based on subject's scores on Assessment Scale for Mindfulness Interventions which was administered at baseline, and after 5 sessions and 9 sessions (completion) of TIMBER. In this study, scores on CAPS and PCL scales were the primary outcome measures. Results: In the acute phase trial ( first 3 months after infusion), nine out of 10 subjects showed robust response in primary outcome measures (PCL and CAPS scores for PTSD) and in the secondary outcome measures (Ham-D-17 and Beck Anxiety Inventory for depression and anxiety respectively) with a sustained response of 31.78 ± 18.29 days. The TIMBER-K group had a more sustained response (33 ± 22.98 days) compared to the TIMBER-P group (25 ± 16.8 days, P = 0.545). After switch from TIMBER-P group to TIMBER-K, patients experienced significantly prolonged response (49 vs. 25 days, P = 0.028). There were no intolerable side effects or dropouts during the 18-month follow-up period. Conclusion: TIMBER psychotherapy augmented with low dose (R,S)-ketamine prolongs the therapeutic effects of the later and may be a valuable treatment option for PTSD. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02766192


Aims To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the photopic negative response (PhNR) of the focal electroretinograms (ERG; focal PhNR) to detect glaucomatous eyes with different degrees of visual field defects. Methods One-hundred and fourteen eyes of 114 patients with open angle glaucoma and 42 eyes of 42 normal controls were studied. The focal ERGs were elicited by a 15° stimulus spot centred on the macula, and on the supero-temporal and on the infero-temporal areas of the macula. The receiver operating characteristic curves were determined to obtain optimal cut-off values. Eyes were classified as being glaucomatous when their focal PhNRs were less than the cut-off values in either retinal area (combined criterion). Results The focal PhNR amplitudes were significantly reduced with an advance in the stage of glaucoma. In early glaucoma, the sensitivities of the PhNR measured for each retinal area ranged from 58.1% to 80.7%. The sensitivities were significantly increased to 90.6% and 96.9% for the focal PhNR amplitude and the focal PhNR/b-wave amplitude ratio, respectively, when the combined criterion was employed. The specificity was >90%. Conclusions Focal PhNRs have diagnostic ability in detecting early glaucoma with high sensitivity and specificity, especially when the combined criterion is used.


The visualization of business processes in the form of process models has increased in popularity and importance. The resultant prevalence and magnitude of process modeling projects demand appropriate means of evaluating such initiatives. This paper presents a validated measurement model and instrument for assessing process modeling success. The final validated model employs 15 measures within the 3 dimensions Model Quality, Process Impacts and Project Efficiency. The model was empirically tested with 290 responses to a global survey of process modelers. The overall study design consists of an exploratory model building phase (extensive literature review and multiple case studies) to identify salient success dimensions and measures, which was followed by an exploratory model testing phase. Test results evidence the discriminant validity of the model dimensions as well as their convergence on the single higher-order concept Process modeling success (PM-Success). Criterion validity testing further evidences the additivity of the 3 dimensions of success, and the completeness of the resultant overarching second-order measure of PM-Success. The contributions from this work are twofold. From the perspective of practice, it offers a validated success model and measurement instrument that can be employed by organizations to measure the degree of success of completed process modeling projects. From an academic perspective: it presents a validated success measure, which can be used as the dependent variable in further research aimed at a better understanding of the important antecedents of process modeling success. Process modeling success can also be an important independent variable in research that aims to explore causal relations further along the Information Systems Development (ISD) cycle. In both research and practice, process modeling success benchmark scores can be valuable in comparative analyses across project types and project contexts, for highlighting process modeling related problems and issues deserving of attention, or best practices worthy of replication.


It is acknowledged, internationally, that health-care practitioners' work differs between rural and urban areas. While several factors affect individual teams' activities, there is little understanding about how patterns of work evolve. Consideration of work in relation to local circumstances is important for training, devising contracts and redesigning services. Six case studies centred on Scottish rural and urban general practices were used to examine, in-depth, the activity of primary health-care teams. Quantitative workload data about patient contacts were collected over 24 months. Interviews and diaries revealed insightful qualitative data. Findings revealed that rural general practitioners and district nurses tended to conduct more consultations per practice patient compared with their urban counterparts. Conditions seen and work tasks varied between case study teams. Qualitative data suggested that the key reasons for variation were: local needs and circumstances; choices made about deployment of available time, team composition and the extent of access to other services. Primary care teams might be viewed as adaptive organizations, with co-evolution of services produced by health professionals and local people. The study highlights limitations in the application of workload data and suggests that understanding the nature of work in relation to local circumstances is important in service redesign.


—Based on first-principle calculations in the framework of the density functional theory and structure prediction algorithms, we have determined iron carbide phases stable at the Earth's core pressures and temperatures. It is shown that Fe7C3 is unstable and decomposes into the mixture Fe2C + Fe3C over the entire range of pressures and temperatures specific to the Earth's inner core. Subsequent decomposition of Fe3C into the mixture Fe + Fe2C is unfavorable. We also predict a new low-temperature modification Fe3C-C2/m-II dynamically and thermodynamically stable over the pressure range 290–305 GPa.


The paper tackles the problem of prospects versus threats resulting from the potential TTIP agreement between European Union and the U.S.A. In the first part of the article the possible benefits for the EU exporters of diary, meat products, wine, sugar and olives are presented. Those benefits seem to be rather illusory, even when the non-tariff barriers are limited. On the other hand many EU markets would suffer from serious market disruption because of American exports. This would affect beef, cereals, poultry, isoglucose and biofuels. The author also points out the differences in food safety standards, levels of support, which underpins the protection of the EU consumers and competitiveness of producers, should the TTIP agreement be implemented.

http://www.zer.waw.pl/pdf-83079-36590?filename=PROSPECTS AND THREATS FOR.pdf


The reactivity to three antigens: bovine encephalitogenic protein (EP), PPD, and tetanus toxoid, was studied with blood leukocytes from healthy humans using Clausen's (5) leukocyte migration in agarose technique. There is an obvious correlation between the reactivity to EP (all concentrations studied) and to low concentrations of PPD; and between the reactivity to low concentrations of EP and low concentrations of tetanus toxoid. After vaccination with tetanus vaccine, a marked increase in reactivity to the toxoid sometimes occurred: at the same time, a marked reactivity to EP appeared. Various explanations are discussed: a true immunological cross‐reactivity, that the correlations are due to a variability in individual response with respect to lymphokine production, and that BCG and tetanus vaccinations produce an adjuvant effect increasing a pre‐existing low reactivity to EP.


: In a review of 101 patients suffering from frostbite who were admitted to hospitals in Saskatoon during 10 winters, it was found that alcohol consumption was a contributing factor in 39 patients and a motor vehicle accident or breakdown in 33 others. Sixty-six patients underwent primary treatment in Saskatoon, the other 35 were referred for management of demarcated gangrene. Two hospitalized patients died, both of causes unrelated to the frostbite. The preliminary results of bone scanning with radioactive technetium methylene diphosphonate in frostbitten patients suggest that this is not a good prognostic indicator of the ultimate extent of tissue loss until 5 days have elapsed from the time of exposure. The lesion appeared to decrease in extent and increase in depth over a 3-week period. The mainstays of treatment remain rapid rewarming and adequate delay before conservative debridement or amputation. The delay allows healing of partial-thickness injuries and demarcation of full-thickness injuries. One third of patients receiving primary care in Saskatoon required amputation.


The aims of this research was to determine the immunogenicity of inactivated vaccine A. salmonicida whole cell in common carp and the best mothod in vaccine administration. Vaccine was produced by inactivated A. salmonicida with adding 1 ppm (v/v) formaldehide and incubated for 24h in room temperature. Ten juvenil of carp (Vaccine was administrated in each 10 fish by injection intraperitoneally (107 cfu/fish), orally (107 cfu/fish), immersion (107 cfu/ml for 30 minute) and control (fish with no vaccination). Booster was conducted 7 days after first vaccination with same dossage and method. Titer antibody was evaluated in three times i.e. before vaccination, 7th days after first vaccination, and 7th days after booster. Water quality such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and water temperature was measured as a supported parameters. Results showed that titer antibodi for all treatment before vaccination was 1/6. However, titer antibody after vaccination and booster increased to 1/58.67 and 1/85.33 for i.p injection, 1/42.67 and 1/64 for oral, 1/24 and 42.67 for immerse, respectively. Whereas, there was no significantly increasing of titer antibody in control that was 1/9.33 and 1/18.67 for vaccination and bosster, respectively. Vaccine adminsitration method by injection i.p. was the best method for obtain the best immunogenicity of vaccine. Water quality parameters along this experiment still in optimum range for common carp living.


This entry is a formalisation of Chapter 4 (and parts of Chapter 3) of Apostol's Introduction to Analytic Number Theory. The main topics that are addressed are properties of the distribution of prime numbers that can be shown in an elementary way (i. e. without the Prime Number Theorem), the various equivalent forms of the PNT (which imply each other in elementary ways), and consequences that follow from the PNT in elementary ways. The latter include bounds for the number of distinct prime factors of n, the divisor function d(n), Euler's totient function φ(n), and lcm(1, . . . , n).


Abstract This paper deals with statistical tests on the components of mixture densities. We propose to test whether the densities of two independent samples of independent random variables Y1,...,Yn and Z1,...,Zn result from the same mixture of M components or not. We provide a test procedure which is proved to be asymptotically optimal according to the minimax setting. We extensively discuss the connection between the mixing weights and the performance of the testing procedure; this link had never been clearly established up to now.


This dissertation concerns the structural design of medical stent grafts. A new type of an innovative stent graft has been developed. Unlike the conventional stent grafts which consist of a wire mesh and a covering membrane, the proposed stent graft can be made from a single folded sheet of material. Firstly, a detailed symmetric design of a foldable cylindrical tube for the new stent graft has been presented. Folding is achieved by dividing the structure into a series of identical elements with hill and valley folds as in origami (Japanese art of paper folding). The folding patterns allow the stent graft to be folded and expanded both radially and longitudinally. The relationships among the design of the elements, the number of elements in the circumferential and longitudinal directions and the folded dimensions of the stent graft have been derived. It has been found that compact folding in the radial direction can be achieved by increasing the number of circumferential elements. A geometric mismatch during deployment has also been identified. The elements have to deform when the structure is expanded. Optimum designs which minimise the deformation have been found. Secondly, a new stent graft with helical folds has also been designed to improve radial strength and ease the deployment process. Helical folds are introduced by adjusting the joining position of the two edges of a sheet that had been symmetrically jointed in the symmetric design. The relationships among the number of elements in one complete circumference of a helix, the helical angle and the radius of the helical type stent graft have been established. The locations for the helical folds are optimised for easy folding by considering both geometric aspects of folding and the buckling patterns of a thin-walled tube under torsion, which are found analytically. Thirdly, using numerical analysis of the finite element method (FEM) the strain level and overall deformation of the stent graft during deployment has been calculated. Finally, the stent graft has been manufactured to verify the concept. A number of prototypes of the stent graft, which are the same size as standard oesophageal and aortal stent grafts, have been produced successfully using the same materials as current stent grafts of stainless steel and shape memory alloy (SMA) sheets. The patterns of folds on the materials are produced by photochemical etching. It has also been demonstrated that the SMA stent grafts self-expand smoothly and gradually by a near body temperature.


This paper presents a novel problem of detection and localization of anomalous events due to a certain class of objects in video data with applications to smart surveillance. A baseline system is proposed that uses a convolutional neural network (CNN) to generate pixel level masks corresponding to objects of a class of interest. A Restricted Boltzmann Machine (RBM) is then trained on the mask to learn patterns of normal behavior. The free energy of the RBM is used to detect the presence of an anomaly while the reconstruction error is used to localize the anomaly. Our approach is scalable to a low power and energy constrained setting with 1930.48 ms of latency and 4826 mJ energy consumed per frame on a mGPU.


The reaction of CO2(aq) with calcium silicates creates precipitates that can impact fluid flow in subsurface applications such as geologic CO2 storage and geothermal energy. These reactions nominally produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and amorphous silica (SiOx). Here we report evidence that the crystal structure of the parent silicate determines the way in which it reacts with CO2 and the resulting structures of the reaction products. Batch experiments were performed using two polymorphs of a model calcium silicate (CaSiO3), wollastonite (chain-structured) and pseudowollastonite (ring-structured), at elevated temperatures (150 °C) and partial pressures of CO2 (0–11 MPa). Reaction of CO2(aq) with wollastonite produced CaCO3 and SiOx, whereas reaction of CO2(aq) with pseudowollastonite produced platelike crystalline calcium silicate phases, along with CaCO3 and SiOx. A reaction mechanism that explains the observations in relation to dissolution of the parent silicate, the pH of the solution, and the presenc...


Effective flood risk management requires a realistic estimation of flood losses. However, available flood damage estimates are still characterized by significant levels of uncertainty, questioning the capacity of flood damage models to depict real damages. With a joint effort of eight international research groups, the objective of this study was to compare, in a blind-validation test, the performances of different models for the assessment of the direct flood damage to the residential sector at the building level (i.e. microscale). The test consisted of a common flood case study characterized by high availability of hazard and building data but with undisclosed information on observed losses in the implementation stage of the models. The nine selected models were chosen in order to guarantee a good mastery of the models by the research teams, variety of the modelling approaches, and heterogeneity of the original calibration context in relation to both hazard and vulnerability features. By avoiding possible biases in model implementation, this blind comparison provided more objective insights on the transferability of the models and on the reliability of their estimations, especially regarding the potentials of local and multivariable models. From another perspective, the exercise allowed us to increase awareness of strengths and limits of flood damage modelling, which are summarized in the paper in the form of take-home messages from a modeller's perspective.


The morphologic, phenotypic, molecular genetic, and clinical features of 34 cases of clear-cell immunoblastic lymphoma (IBLC) are described. Sixteen cases were of B-cell type (IBLC-B) and 18 cases were of T-cell type (IBLC-T). There were no significant differences in the morphologic characteristics of the neoplastic cells in the two types, although IBLC-B was less likely to be polymorphic than IBLC-T. Interfollicular proliferation, a higher mitotic rate, infiltration by eosinophils, and an increase in capillary-sized blood vessels were also features of IBLC-T, whereas necrosis and fibrosis were more extensive in IBLC-B. Patients with IBLC-B were predominantly female, whereas those with IBLC-T were predominantly male. The mean age was 62 years for those with IBLC-B and 46 years for those with IBLC-T. Patients with IBLC-B usually had lower-stage disease, but there was no significant difference in survival rate between those with IBLC-B and those with IBLC-T. Although most cases of IBLC have been considered to be of peripheral T-cell origin, the authors conclude that IBLC-B is more common than previously considered and that clear-cell morphologic characteristics are not a reliable indicator of T-cell type.


Mark Wallinger has recreated peace campaigner Brian Haw's Parliament Square protest for a dramatic new installation at Tate Britain. Running along the full length of the Duveen Galleries, State Britain consists of a meticulous reconstruction of over 600 weather-beaten banners, photographs, peace flags and messages from well-wishers that have been amassed by Haw over the past five years. Faithful in every detail, each section of Brian Haw's peace camp from the makeshift tarpaulin shelter and tea-making area to the profusion of hand-painted placards and teddy bears wearing peace-slogan t-shirts has been painstakingly sourced and replicated for the display. Brian Haw began his protest against the economic sanction in Iraq in June 2001, and has remained opposite the Palace of Westminster ever since. On 23 May 2006, following the passing by Parliament of the "Serious Organised Crime and Police Act" prohibiting unauthorised demonstrations within a one kilometer radius of Parliament Square, the majority of Haw's protest was removed. Taken literally, the edge of this exclusion zone bisects Tate Britain. Wallinger has marked a line on the floor of the galleries throughout the building, positioning State Britain half inside and half outside the border. In bringing a reconstruction of Haw's protest before curtailment back into the public domain, Wallinger raises challenging questions about issues of freedom of expression and the erosion of civil liberties in Britain today.


Since McCabe's cyclometric measure, structural complexity have been playing an important role measuring the complexity of programs. Complexity metrics are used to achieve more maintainable code with the least bugs possible. C++ Standard Template Library (STL) is the most popular library based on the generic programming paradigm. This paradigm allows implementation of algorithms and containers in an abstract way to ensure the con gurability and collaboration of the abstract components. STL is widely used in industrial softwares because STL's appropriate application decreases the complexity of the code signi cantly. Many new potential errors arise by the usage of the generic programming paradigm, including invalid iterators, notation of functors, etc. In this paper we present many complexity inconsistencies in the application of STL that a precise metric must take into account, but the existing measures ignore the characteristics of STL.


Of 86 strains of Salmonella cholerae-suis isolated in the U.K., 83 possessed the O antigen 617 and three the O antigen 627. All the O 617 strains were latently infected with the same phage which was active on the O 627 strains; during lyso-genization this phage converted O 627 strains to O 617. None of 900 strains of Escherichia coli was latently infected with this phage; nor were they susceptible to it.
Two O 627 strains converted to O 617 by lysogenization were significantly more virulent for chicks than were their O 627 parent strains; lysogenization of one of these O 627 strains by two different non-converting phages was not accompanied by an increase in virulence. One of the converted strains tested in mice was more virulent for these animals than was the O 627 strain from which it was derived.
The O 617 organisms were found at higher concentrations in the blood and liver of chickens into which they had been injected intravenously than were organisms of the O 627 strain from which they were derived. No difference was detected between the survival rates of the two kinds of organisms in normal chicken serum.


The formation of hard surface layer on steel provides a protective coating against wear, thermal loads and corrosion. In the present work a hard composite layer is formed on steel surfaces by preplacement of titanium powder and melted under nitrogen environment. Surface melting was conducted using TIG torch with different energy inputs. The microstructure and the morphology of the melt tracks were investigated using SEM and X-ray diffraction. The in-situ melting of titanium powder in nitrogen atmosphere produced dendritic microstructure of titanium nitride. The melt layer contained dispersed TiN, Ti2N dendrites highly populated at the surface compared to the deeper melt and gave a maximum surface hardness of around 1927 Hv. The wear property of the melt track was investigated using pin-on-disk tribometer at room temperature. The modified surface layer gave a low friction value of 0.12 and wear rate of 0.007895 ×10-4 compared to 1.648 × 10-4 mm3/N/m for the uncoated steel surface.


The research performed for this report was intended to recommend alternative mix design procedures and parameters for evaluation of asphalt mixture sensitivity, with more of an emphasis on volumetric relationships. Three Mn/DOT projects were selected to represent the following durability issues: 1) debonding of asphalt from aggregate, 2) cohesion problems, and 3) mix design problems. Materials were obtained from these construction projects and evaluated in the laboratory. Gradations were varied from the project specifications so that mixtures with more and less asphalt were evaluated along with the project mixture. Testing included the temperature susceptibility and moisture sensitivity of the mixtures, in addition to the net adsorption test on the aggregates. The results suggested means for identifying moisture sensitivity mechanisms in mixtures during the mixture design phase, although these need to be confirmed through more extensive investigation. Aggregate mineralogy, gradation, and mixture proportioning can all play a role in improving the durability characteristics of asphalt mixtures. Recommendations are made for continued research and implementation of an improved approach to asphalt mixture design.


PECTRE Timothy Williamson has famously argued that the (KK) principle (namely, that if one knows that p, then one knows that one knows that p) should be rejected. We analyze Williamson's argument and show that its key premise is ambiguous, and that when it is properly stated this premise no longer supports the argument against (KK). After canvassing possible objections to our argument, we reflect upon some conclusions that suggest significant epistemological ramifications pertaining to the acquisition of knowledge from prior knowledge by deduction.


A convenient and simple procedure for the one-pot synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester (FDME) from galactaric (mucic) acid via dimethyl carbonate (DMC) chemistry is presented. Optimization of the reaction conditions showed that when galactaric acid was reacted with DMC in the presence of Amberlyst-36 for 2 hours at 200 °C, FDME formed as the main product. The compound was isolated as a pure crystalline powder in 70% yield using a simple custom-made puri fi cation protocol. The reaction intermediates of this one-pot procedure were identi fi ed and a possible reaction mechanism was proposed.


We present an unusual case of a 69-year-old patient with severe mitral valve regurgitation and extensive coronary artery disease who required mitral valve replacement and myocardial revascularization. With the patient on cardiopulmonary bypass, distal vein grafting was performed first. This procedure was followed by a transatrial transseptal approach to the mitral valve, but visualization of valve structures was extremely difficult. Following the partial excision of the posterior leaflet and the placement of a few pledgeted annular sutures on which traction was applied, access to the mitral annulus remained impossible. There appeared no option but to explant the heart and perform the mitral valve replacement ex vivo. Cardiac explantation was performed by transecting the aorta and pulmonary artery and completing the already extended right and left atriotomies. Cold blood cardioplegic solution was administered intermittently into the coronary sinus during the period when the heart was ex vivo. A porcine bioprosthesis was easily seated into the mitral annulus. Cardiac reimplantation consisted of repair of the previously divided atria, and end-to-end anastomoses of both the aorta and the pulmonary artery. While rewarming was taking place, the 3 proximal vein graft anastomoses were performed. Temporary and permanent epicardial pacing leads were placed. Total ischemic time was 299 minutes, and the period on cardiopulmonary bypass was 359 minutes. The heart sustained good hemodynamics, and after full functional recovery, the patient was discharged home and remained well for 7 years. In view of this experience, a questionnaire was mailed to >3000 cardiothoracic surgeons, and responses were obtained from 1120. Inadequate mitral valve exposure had been experienced by 70%. To provide increased exposure, 50% had extended the initial atrial incision both horizontally and perpendicular to the atrial groove, 17% had divided the superior vena cava, 1% had divided the inferior vena cava, and 1% had divided both cavae. Furthermore, 4% of surgeons reported being forced to abandon the operation in 71 patients because of inadequate exposure. Three hundred twenty perioperative deaths were directly attributed to an incomplete surgical procedure. Explantation of the heart, with mitral valve replacement being performed ex vivo followed by reimplantation, should be considered when access to the mitral valve proves impossible with more standard techniques.


Isolated Herbig Ae stars can be divided into two groups (Meeus et al. 2001): those with an almost flat spectral energy distribution in the mid-infrared ("group I"), and those with a strong decline towards the far-infrared ("group II"). In this paper we show that the group I vs. II distinction can be understood as arising from flaring vs. self-shadowed disks. We show that these two types of disks are natural solutions of the 2D radiation-hydrostatic structure equations. Disks with high optical depth turn out to be flaring and have a strong far-IR emission, while disks with an optical depth below a certain threshold drop into the shadow of their own puffed-up inner rim and are weak in the far-IR. In spite of not having a directly irradiated surface layer, self-shadowed disks still display dust features in emission, in agreement with observations of group II sources. We propose an evolutionary scenario in which a disk starts out with a flaring shape (group I source), and then goes through the process of grain growth, causing the optical depth of the disk to drop and the disk to become self-shadowed (group II source). We show that this scenario predicts that the (sub-)millimeter slope of the disk changes from steep (small grains) to Rayleigh-Jeans-like (large grains) in the early stages of evolution, so that all group II sources are expected to have Rayleigh-Jeans-like slopes, while some group I sources may still have steep (sub-)millimeter slopes.


Measurements of thermal conductivity on conventional and newly developed electronic ceramics are presented as part of an effort to incorporate the new high-thermal-conductivity ceramics into microcircuit manufacturing. Motivated by large variations in values claimed by different vendors for ostensibly similar materials, a longitudinal bar apparatus was built to measure thermal conductivities of actual substrate materials on both an individual and a lot sampling basis. The values measured in this work are in general agreement with the manufactures' quoted values, with a few marked differences for certain AlN samples. The values measured using the longitudinal bar apparatus from room temperature to 80 degrees C on the different materials agree with both previously published data on similar materials and current measurements by other researchers. The longitudinal bar data for high-thermal-conductivity samples are completely consistent with the flash diffusivity results. Data on the AlN samples subjected to thick-film firing show no measurable change in thermal conductivity, indicating that the material is stable after repeated firings in 850 degrees C oxidizing atmospheres. The longitudinal bar apparatus appears to be operating as designed; measurements indicate that thermal resistances at the base and heater mounts are low enough not to affect the thermal conductivity measurements. >


Abstract : The goal of the commodity expert project was to develop a prototype program that would act as an intelligent assistant to a commodity market analyst. Since expert analysts must deal with very large, yet incomplete, data bases of unreliable facts about a complex world, the project would stringently test the applicability of Artificial Intelligence techniques. After a significant effort however, I am forced to the conclusion that an intelligent, real-world system of the kind envisioned is currently out of reach. Some of the difficulties were due to the size and complexity of the domain. As its true scale became evident, the available resources progressively appeared less adequate. The representation and reasoning problems that arose were persistently difficult and fundamental work is needed before the tools will be sufficient to engineer truly intelligent assistants. Despite these difficulties perhaps even because of them, much can be learned from the project. To assist further applications projects, I explain in this report some of the reasons for the negative result, and also describe some positive ideas that were gained along the way. In doing so, I hope to convey the respect I have developed for the complexity of real-world domains, and the difficulty of describing the ways experts deal them. (Author)


DNA topoisomerase II (TOP2) poisons induce protein-DNA crosslinks termed TOP2-DNA covalent complexes, in which TOP2 remains covalently bound to each end of an enzyme-induced double-strand DNA break (DSB) via a 5′-phosphotyrosyl bond. Repair of the enzyme-induced DSB first requires the removal of the TOP2 protein adduct, which, among other mechanisms, can be accomplished through the proteasomal degradation of TOP2. VCP/p97 is a AAA ATPase that utilizes energy from ATP hydrolysis to unfold protein substrates, which can facilitate proteasomal degradation by extracting target proteins from certain cellular structures (such as chromatin) and/or by aiding their translocation into the proteolytic core of the proteasome. In this study, we show that inhibition of VCP/p97 leads to the prolonged accumulation of etoposide-induced TOP2A and TOP2B complexes in a manner that is epistatic with the proteasomal pathway. VCP/p97 inhibition also reduces the etoposide-induced phosphorylation of histone H2A.X, indicative of fewer DSBs. This suggests that VCP/p97 is required for the proteasomal degradation of TOP2-DNA covalent complexes and is thus likely to be an important mediator of DSB repair after treatment with a TOP2 poison. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT TOP2 poisons are chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of a range of cancers. A better understanding of how TOP2 poison–induced DNA damage is repaired could improve therapy with TOP2 poisons by increasing TOP2 poison cytotoxicity and reducing genotoxicity. The results presented herein suggest that repair of TOP2-DNA covalent complexes involves the protein segregase VCP/p97.


Tracking the motion of cells in culture is a task, which often still Is undertaken manually, and for which automated methods are strongly desirable. Researchers visually perform cell motion analysis, observe cell movements and cell shape changes for hours to discover when, where and how fast It moves, splits or dies. Hematopoletlc stem cells (HSCs) proliferate and differentiate to different blood cell types continuously during their lifetime, and are of substantial interest in gene therapy, cancer, and stem-cell research. In this paper a statistical method is introduced to track HSCs over time. A statistical thresholding method is combined with joint probabilistic data association in the proposed HSC tracker


This retrospective chart review describes the prevalence, demography, and clinical characteristics of patients colonized or infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for the year 1998 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results of MRSA positive cultures of clinical specimens obtained as part of investigations for suspected infections were retrieved from the Infection Control Department's records. Charts of patients were reviewed. Of 292 S. aureus identified, 111 (38%) were MRSA or 6.0 MRSA isolate per 1,000 admissions which represented a marked increase over MRSA prevalence in 1988 (<2%). Nosocomial acquisition occurred in 74.8% All age groups were affected, but 45.9% of patients were in the "extremes of age" group < 1 or > 60 years). The prevalence was highest in the medical ward (27%), followed by the pediatrics combined medical and surgical ward (20.7%), Out-patient Department (18%), the adult surgical ward (17.1%), and the intensive care unites (17.1%). Two thirds (66.7%) of cases represented infection and the rest represented colonization. Surgical wounds (31.1%), chest (27%), and endovascular catheters (20.3%) were the most common sites of infection. Bacteraemia occurred in 27% of patients. Local signs (68.9%), and fever (60.8%) were the most common clinical manifestations. Respiratory distress and septic shock occurred in 28.4% and 6.8% of cases, respectively. Of 74 patients with MRSA infection, and 37 patients with MRSA colonization, 91.9% and 56.8% received antibiotics in the preceding 6 weeks, respectively (P<0.0001). The total mortality of patients with MRSA infection was 60.8% (45/74). Mortality attributable to MRSA infection was 37.8% (28/74). The prevalence of MRSA is high and rapidly increasing at KAUH, as it is worldwide. Control measures to prevent the spread of MRSA in hospitals should continue with reinforcement of hygienic precautions and development of policies to restrict the use of antibiotics


The quantum fluctuations of mesoscopic capacitance-coupled circuit in thermal vacuum state are investigated by using the theory of thermal field dynamics on the basis of quantization of the mesoscopic circuit. It is shown that under a definite temperature, the fluctuations of electric charges and currents change with temperature. The higher the temperature, the more quantum noise the coupled circuit exhibits.


Objective Night work is associated with increased risk of disease, but it is unclear if it is associated with sickness absence. The aim of the study was to examine if working at night is associated with higher risk of sickness absence compared to daytime work. Methods Data was retrieved from the Danish Working Hour Database (DWHD) that includes administrative payroll data from the five Danish administrative regions in the period 2007–2013. The database includes 249,218 unique participants with 224,485,710 observations of individual working hours with daily information on starting and ending times for each shift and sickness absence. For this exploratory study we selected a single hospital in 2009 with 6,254 unique participants, 1,461,690 observations, 83% women, mean-age 40.8 years (SD = 11.9 years). Night shifts were defined as one or more shifts of at least three hours of work between 24:00 and 05:00 during the past 28 days. The reference was dayshift (at least 3 hours between 06:00–20:00). A multi-state model analysed the recurrent transitions between three states: work, sickness absence and temporary out e.g. holiday. Hazard ratios (HR) for sickness absence were calculated by Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age and sex. Results Analyses showed that working night shifts were associated with higher risk of transitioning from work to sickness absence of any length (HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.12–1.4), of 1–2 days (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.07–1.36), 3–4 days (HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.09–1.50), 5–6 days (HR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.25–2.22), 6–7 days (HR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.24–3.32), but not >9 days (HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 0.84–1.74) compared to day shifts. Conclusion Working at night is associated with an increased risk of short-term sickness absence compared to daytime work. Results need to be confirmed in a larger study which is on-going.


Lead-halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are receiving much attention as a potential high-quality source of photons due to their superior luminescence properties in comparison to other semiconductor NCs. To date, research has focused mostly on NCs with little or no quantum confinement. Here, we measured the size- and temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) from strongly confined CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) with highly uniform size distributions, and examined the factors determining the evolution of the energy and linewidth of the PL with varying temperature and QD size. Compared to the extensively studied II-VI QDs, the spectral position of PL from CsPbBr3 QDs shows an opposite dependence on temperature, with weaker dependence overall. On the other hand, the PL linewidth is much more sensitive to the temperature and size of the QDs compared to II-VI QDs, indicating much stronger coupling of excitons to the vibrational degrees of freedom both in the lattice and at the surface of the QDs.


The first authorized biography of Art Ross, Hockey Hall of Famer, NHL founding father, and long-time member of the Boston Bruins. Though he last played the game nearly one hundred years ago, Art Ross remains connected with the greatest stars in hockey. Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, and Sidney Crosby have all won the award that bears his name, the trophy given annually to the NHL s top scorer. Ross himself managed just one goal during his NHL career; however, in the dozen years leading up to the formation of the NHL in 1917, he was one of the biggest stars in the game. After his playing career ended, Ross became one of the founding fathers of the Boston Bruins, holding the positions of coach, general manager, and vice president. He was one of the men most responsible for making the NHL a success in the United States, and was integral to the modernization of hockey. All these accomplishments led to him being one of the first players inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hockey historian Eric Zweig brings to life the early days of hockey. From the mining towns of Northern Ontario to the hallowed halls of Boston Garden, Art Ross was one of the biggest names in hockey over his six decades in the game."


The literature supports that yoga practice decreases stress, anxiety, and improves overall mood, with reports of these changes after only one session of yoga. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the change in anxiety and mood and compare RPE and %MHR after a single 15, 30 and 60 minute session of Vinyasa yoga in a healthy college population. It was hypothesized that (1) the total POMS score, scores for the six POMS subscales, state anxiety, and (2) values of RPE and %MHR would be significantly different from 30 and 60 minutes, but 30 and 60 minutes would not be significantly different. Methods: Female participants (N=12) aged between 18 and 21 years (M = 20.17, SD = .193 years) were recruited from yoga physical activity classes at Georgia Southern University. To answer the first hypothesis two-Way ANOVA's (3x2) with repeated measures on both factors were used to examine the durations (three levels) by time (pre-post) interaction. To answer the second hypothesis, a one-way ANOVA (3x1) with repeated measures was used. Significance was set at α = 0.01. Results: For total POMS score, vigor, tension, depression, confusion, and state anxiety there was no significant interaction (p>0.001) between the durations and preand postscores and there was no significant difference among the durations (p>0.001), but there was a significant difference between the average of preand postscores (p<0.001). The post-score were significantly lower than prescores. For RPE there was a significant difference across the three durations (p=0.001). Contrasts showed that RPE for 60 minutes was significantly higher than RPE for 15 and 30 minutes (p<.001), but there was no significant difference between 15 and 30 minutes (p=0.055). For %MHR there was no significant difference across the three durations (p=0.445). Conclusions: The current study supports Vinyasa yoga as a moderately-intense physical activity (5070%MHR) which could be used as an alternative form of physical activity that may positively influence cardiovascular health. Additionally, similar psychological benefits experienced with practicing Hatha or general yoga were observed in this study, with no statistical difference between improvements in psychological measures between 15, 30 and 60 minutes. Therefore, people with a limited amount of time for physical activity can practice 15 minutes of Vinyasa yoga, twice a day, and still gain the desired psychological benefits while also meeting the ACSM/CDC physical activity requirements for cardiovascular health. INDEX WORDS: Yoga; Vinyasa yoga; Acute bouts of physical activity; Single yoga session


Aims Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)-induced macrosomia is predominantly characterized by fat accumulation, which is closely related to adipocyte differentiation. An unknown long noncoding RNA RP11-290L1.3, referred to as RP11, was identified to be dramatically upregulated in the umbilical cord blood of women with GDM-induced macrosomia in our previous study. We conducted this study to identify the function of RP11 in GDM-induced macrosomia. Methods The effects of RP11 gain- and loss-of-function on HPA-v (human preadipocytes-visceral) adipogenesis were determined with lentivirus mediated cell transduction. The mRNA and protein expression levels of adipogenesis makers were evaluated by qPCR/Western blot. Then, we performed the microarray and pathway analysis to explore the possible mechanisms by which RP11 regulates adipogenesis. Results Overexpression of RP11 significantly enhanced adipocyte differentiation and increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of adipogenesis makers, such as PPARγ, SREBP1c, and FASN by qPCR/Western blot. Knockdown of RP11 showed opposite effects. Microarray and pathway analysis showed, after RP11 knockdown, 1612 genes were upregulated, and 583 genes were down-regulated which were found to be mainly involved in metabolic pathways, insulin signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusion In conclusion, the unknown lncRNA RP11 serves as a positive factor on preadipocyte differentiation which could shed light on fetal fat accumulation in GDM.


Disease in Infancy and Childhood, 4th ed. By RICHARD W. B. ELLIS. (Pp. vii + 717; 301 figures + 15 tables. 60s.) Edinburgh and London: Livingstone. 1963. That there have been four editions of Professor Ellis's book in 12 years confirms its well-established popularity and its position as one of the standard textbooks on paediatrics. Since the last edition was published in 1960, the changes made in the present edition are not extensive. The thalidomide story is included in the 'man made' congenital deformities, though thalidomide is not to be found in the index. The chapter on the inborn errors of metabolism has been expanded to include an account of the more recently recognized conditions. It is a pleasure to re-read this book with its economy of words and clarity of expression. There are comprehensive references given to assist further reading. The management and treatment of conditions has been kept well up to date, though in reviewing a book it is always possible to suggest additions and alterations. The value of 'colistin' in Pyocyanea and Esch. coli infections in infancy is now sufficiently established to merit inclusion, as is the use of ethosuximide in difficult cases of petit mal. There seems good reason now to omit cotnpletely intragastric oxygen treatment in the resuscitation of the newborn in favour of postnasal oxygen, when laryngeal intubation or more drastic measures are not indicated. Many would like to see advised an indwelling gastric catheter for aspiration in the management of the early stages of diabetic coma. With so much attention focused on accidental poisoning in infants and young children, the possibility of including a more detailed treatment of the common poisons such as aspirin, barbiturates, ferrous sulphate seems well worthy of consideration. There is an excellent reference given for poisons but, in an emergency, this may not be immediately available. It is a well-produced book with an uncrowded layout, easy to read and with a particularly high standard of reproduction of photographs, diagrams and x-ray pictures. This new edition of Disease in Infancy and Childhood will certainly hold its position as one of the best single volume books on paediatrics.


OBJECTIVE
To assess (1) veterinarians' knowledge and practices regarding disposal of euthanized animals, (2) the extent to which veterinarians communicate with their clients about potential risks of rendering pentobarbital-euthanized animals, and (3) the extent to which veterinarians communicate potential relay toxicosis and environmental risks of pentobarbital-euthanized animals to clients.

SAMPLE
A stratified random sample of AVMA members.

METHODS
Over a 3-week period in early 2021, 16,831 of the AVMA's 99,500 members were surveyed, with 2,093 responses (a 12% response rate). Respondents were assigned to 1 of 3 categories on the basis of their answers: veterinarians euthanizing only food-producing species, veterinarians euthanizing only non-food-producing species, and veterinarians euthanizing both food-producing and non-food-producing species (ie, veterinarians euthanizing mixed species).

RESULTS
Veterinarians responding to this survey appeared to be aware of the major methods of animal disposal, and about 89% reported communicating the method of euthanasia with clients to help ensure appropriate animal disposal. However, the need for additional education on local, state, and federal laws and rendering, as well as on risks of relay toxicosis including wildlife predation and environmental impacts, was reported.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Survey results identified gaps in veterinarians' knowledge regarding animal disposal following pentobarbital euthanasia. Further education on this topic may be beneficial, particularly for early- and midcareer veterinarians who euthanize non-food-producing species and for veterinarians who euthanize mixed species in urban and suburban communities.


Machine learning systems became pervasive in modern interactive technology but provide users with little, if any, agency with respect to how their models are trained from data. In this paper, we are interested in the way novices handle learning algorithms, what they understand from their behavior and what strategy they may use to "make it work". We developed a web-based sketch recognition algorithm based on Deep Neural Network (DNN), called Marcelle-Sketch, that end-users can train incrementally. We present an experimental study that investigate people's strategies and (mis)understandings in a realistic algorithm-teaching task. Our study involved 12 participants who performed individual teaching sessions using a think-aloud protocol. Our results show that participants adopted heterogeneous strategies in which variability affected the model performances. We highlighted the importance of sketch sequencing, particularly at the early stage of the teaching task. We also found that users' understanding is facilitated by simple operations on drawings, while confusions are caused by certain inherent properties of DNN. From these findings, we propose implications for design of IML systems dedicated to novices and discuss the socio-cultural aspect of this research.


Distributing large data to many nodes, known as a broadcast or a multicast, is an important operation in parallel and distributed computing. Most previous broadcast algorithms explicitly or implicitly try to deliver data to all nodes in the same rate. This assumption is reasonable for homogeneous environments where all nodes have similar receiving capabilities. However, when nodes have various receiving capabilities, nodes with slow-receiving capabilities slow down the entire receiving bandwidth in these algorithms. In such settings, each node desires to receive data at its largest possible bandwidth and to start computation as soon as it receives the data. In this paper, we propose to say a broadcast is stable when the bandwidth to a node is never sacrificed by the presence of other, possibly slow, receiving nodes, and proposes the stability as a desired property of broadcast algorithms. In addition, we show a simple and efficient stable broadcast when the topology among nodes is a tree and each link has a symmetric bandwidth. This work improves upon previously proposed algorithms such as FPFR and Balanced Multicasting. For general graphs, it outperforms them when the network is heterogeneous and for trees, our algorithm is proved to be stable and optimal. In a real environment with 100 machines in 4 clusters, our scheme achieved 2.1 to 2.6 times aggregate bandwidth compared to the best result in the other algorithms. We also demonstrated the stability by adding a slow node to a broadcast. Some simulations also showed that our algorithm also performs well in many bandwidth distributions.


Purinergic signaling regulates neuronal and glial cell functions in the healthy CNS. In neurodegenerative diseases, purinergic signaling becomes dysregulated and can affect disease-associated phenotypes of glial cells. In this review, we discuss how cell-specific expression patterns of purinergic signaling components change in neurodegeneration and how dysregulated glial purinergic signaling and crosstalk may contribute to disease pathophysiology, thus bearing promising potential for the development of new therapeutical options for neurodegenerative diseases.


The research described in this thesis covers various aspects of
the forward calculation of seismic ray fields and ray field maps.
The central theme is the solution of problems encountered in
smooth but complex media, i.e., media that give rise to wave front
folding and associated multi-pathing of rays. The ultimate aim of
the presented material is to enhance the efficiency of seismic
inverse methods, by enhancing the efficiency of the forward
calculations. Particular emphasis is placed on the applicability
of the ray tracing results to seismic inverse methods.

After an overview of seismic ray theory in Chapter 2, a novel
approach to the calculation and representation of ray field maps
is introduced in Chapter 3. The approach is particularly useful in
cases where ray field maps are needed for a dense distribution of
sources at an acquisition surface, as in reflection seismics and
borehole tomography. For such source distributions it is suggested
to construct a single ray field map in an extended space of
spatial coordinates and angles, rather than a number of maps in
the spatial domain for a range of acquisition coordinates.

The ray field map in the position/angle domain is single-valued,
regardless of the complexity of the medium and the ray field
information is organised by angles at depth rather than by points
of emergence at the surface, which makes the maps particularly
suitable for use in modern seismic imaging methods. An important
result is that, in contrast to what is commonly assumed, obtaining
this information does not require the tracing of rays up towards
the acquisition surface. Instead, existing algorithms that trace
downwards can be adapted to work in the position/angle domain,
leading to a considerable gain in efficiency.

Interpolation is an important tool in both the construction and
the application of ray field maps. A new technique for accurate
interpolation using derivative information is presented in Chapter
4. It is a hybrid of extrapolation to arbitrary order and linear
interpolation, and combines the advantages of both methods.
Through a modification of the coefficients of the Taylor
expansion, extrapolations from a number of locations can be
combined to obtain a polynomial order of accuracy that is one
higher than that of a single conventional Taylor expansion.

In Chapter 5 a ray field construction and mapping algorithm is
developed that extends and refines existing wave front
construction methods. For ray field mapping in the spatial domain
two refinements are proposed that enhance the accuracy and the
completeness of the maps. The applicability in the position/angle
domain is investigated as well, with the unfortunate conclusion is
that ray field construction in its current form is not suitable
for that domain, due to the type of deformation in the geometrical
structure of the ray field.

A successful algorithm for the calculation of ray field maps in
the position/angle domain is developed in Chapter 6. It is based
on the observation that in the position/angle domain the ray field
maps are single-valued and that the geometrical spreading is very
limited. This implies that the two most important reasons for
developing wave front construction methods in the spatial domain
are absent in the position/angle domain. Instead, it is possible
to use the more primitive - but more efficient - paraxial ray
methods.

The one-to-one mapping between position/angle coordinates and ray
field coordinates can be exploited in practical applications.
Calculations that are typically performed in terms of ray field
coordinates can now be performed in terms of position/angle
coordinates and the other way around. Appendices A and B show that
this may be advantageous in tomography and the and the forward
calculation of ray fields maps directly on a grid in the
position/angle domain.

Finally, Appendix C presents an algorithm for the calculation of
ray fields in smooth 2-D media, using a pseudo-spectral expansion
of the wave front. This line of research was abandoned in favour
of the ray field map methods described above. Nevertheless, it is
presented in the thesis because its development provided useful
insights for the ray field map approach and some of its features
may be useful in other applications.


Background. Conventional methods of rehabilitation in patients with chronic, severe motor impairments after stroke usually do not lessen paresis. Objective. A novel therapeutic approach (assisted movement with enhanced sensation [AMES]) was employed in a medical device phase I clinical trial to reduce paresis and spasticity and, thereby, to improve motor function. Methods. Twenty subjects more than 1 year poststroke with severe motor disability of the upper or lower extremity were studied. A robotic device cycled the ankle or the wrist and fingers at 5°/s through ±17.5° in flexion and extension while the subject assisted this motion. Feedback of the subject's active torque was displayed on a monitor. Simultaneously, 2 vibrators applied a 60 pps stimulus to the tendons of the lengthening muscles, alternating from flexors to extensors as the joint rotation reversed from extension to flexion, respectively. Subjects treated themselves at home for 30 min/day for 6 months. Every other day prior to treatment, the therapy device performed automated tests of strength and joint positioning. Functional testing was performed prior to enrollment, immediately after completing the protocol, and 6 months later. Functional tests included gait and weight distribution (lower extremity subjects only) and the Stroke Impact Scale. Results. Most subjects improved on most tests, and gains were sustained for 6 months in most subjects. No safety problems arose. Conclusion. The AMES strategy appears safe and possibly effective in patients with severe chronic impairments. The mechanism underlying these gains is likely to be multifactorial.


The anterior cruciate ligament rupture is one of the most common sport injuries. Due to ligaments' poor healing capacity, surgical intervention is often required. Nowadays, these injuries are managed using replacement autografts or to a lesser extent using artificial ligaments. With the expansion of tissue engineering, more recent researches focus on the development of biodegradable structures that could allow graft functioning while enhancing host integration. The main challenge is to develop a structure that gradually loses its mechanical properties when at the same time the neo-ligament gains in solidity. Mechanical behavior and reconstruction of natural tissue are the two key points for such a successful device. This article evaluates the mechanical consistency of poly(ε-caprolactone) fibers bundles grafted with sodium polystyrene sulfonate, as a candidate for ligament prosthesis. In order to be medically used, PCL fibers need to cope with multiple steps before implantation including extensive washings, knitting, grafting and sterilization processes. The evolution of mechanical properties at each step of the elaboration process has been investigated. The results show that PCL bundles have the same visco-elastic behavior than the native ACL. Nevertheless, when undergoing physical treatments such as ionizing radiations, like UV or β-rays, the material endures a hardening, increasing its stiffness but also its fragility. At this opposite, the thermal radical grafting acts like an annealing step, increasing significantly the elasticity of the PCL fibers. With this chemical treatment, the stiffness is decreasing, leading to higher energy dissipation. Added to the observation of the structure of the material, this demonstrates the possibility of the PCL to modulate it microstructure. In case of orthopedic prosthesis, the need of such a construct is strongly required to avoid distension of the future prosthesis and to restore good knee stabilization, showing the promising future of PCL ligament prosthesis.


Abstract In a generalized sidelobe canceler using normalized least mean square adaptation, interference coming in on sidelobes can be mitigated when using a small adaptation stepsize. In that case, any interference arriving from the main beam look direction will be viewed as a desirable signal, and therefore passed on. Previous studies have identified narrowband interference scenarios where interference mitigation is enhanced by non-Wiener effects in normalized least mean square adaptive filtering using existing filter structures. In this paper we seek to further extend narrowband interference mitigation by expanding the adaptive filtering structures to better utilize the information responsible for non-Wiener effects. While in the generalized sidelobe canceler adaptation takes place in the spatial domain of auxiliary beams, here we seek to incorporate the temporal dimension as well. The latter will be applied to the auxiliary beams and the main beam, or to the error signal of the generalized sidelobe canceler. The performance of the space-time adaptive processor operating on the temporal signals from the main beam and auxiliary beams simultaneously turns out to be comparable to that of a temporal smoothing stage operating on the generalized sidelobe canceler error.


Catheter-based epicardial mapping is possible with two access methods: transthoracic access and transvenous access. Transthoracic access requires lengthy sequential mapping procedures and stable arrhythmias. Transvenous access uses the multielectrode (4-to-20 electrodes) catheters placed in the coronary veins, however, leaves most of the epicardium inaccessible to direct measurement. The aim of this present study is to demonstrate that the reconstruction of the high-resolution maps using sparse measurements from different sites on the epicardium and on the multielectrode catheters is possible with a reasonably high accuracy in terms of locating the origin of the ventricular arrhythmia. In this study we investigated strategies for recordings of transvenous and transthoracic epicardial mapping catheters, alone and in combination. For this purpose, we first examined the problem of best sampling resolution using transthoracic mapping catheters and secondly studied the feasibility of the combined usage of both mapping approaches. We evaluated two prediction methods; the Laplacian interpolation and statistical estimation. We performed 14 dog experiments to create a high-resolution epicardial potential map database. We found that 2 cm sampling resolution is quite feasible. The combined usage of transvenous and transthoracic mapping approaches improved the accuracy significantly. The results of this study encourage further investigation and provide adequate evidence for the clinical applicability of such an epicardial mapping method based on catheters


Modern broadband internet access cable systems follow the Data Over Cable System Interface Specification (DOCSIS) for data transfer between the individual cable modem (CM) and the Internet. The newest version of DOCSIS, version 3.0, provides an abstraction referred to as bonding groups to help manage bandwidth and to increase bandwidth to each user beyond that available within a single 6MHz. television channel. Channel bonding allows more than one channel to be used by a CM to provide a virtual channel of much greater bandwidth. This combining of channels into bonding groups, especially when channels overlap between more than one bonding group, complicates the resource allocation problem within these networks.
The goal of resource allocation in this research is twofold, to provide for fairness among users while at the same time making maximum possible utilization of the available system bandwidth. The problem of resource allocation in computer networks has been widely studied by the academic community. Past work has studied resource allocation in many network types, however application in a DOCSIS channel bonded network has not been explored.
This research begins by first developing a definition of fairness in a channel bonded system. After providing a theoretical definition of fairness we implement simulations of different scheduling disciplines and evaluate their performance against this theoretical ideal. The complexity caused by overlapped channels requires even the simplest scheduling algorithms to be modified to work correctly.
We then develop an algorithm to maximize the use of the available system bandwidth. The approach involves using competitive analysis techniques and an online algorithm to dynamically reassign flows among the available channels. Bandwidth usage and demand requests are monitored for bandwidth that is underutilized, and demand that is unsatisfied, and real time changes are made to the flow-to-channel mappings to improve the utilization of the total available bandwidth.
The contribution of this research is to provide a working definition of fairness in a channel bonded environment, the implementation of several scheduling disciplines and evaluation of their adherence to that definition, and development of an algorithm to improve overall bandwidth utilization of the system.


Abstract The rise and subsequent erosion of friendly relations between Iran and Turkey was a result of their regional ambitions. While Turkey had long seen its secular system as presenting an alternative to Iran's Islamic ideology, the alignment of their regional interests facilitated a rapport between the two states in the first decade of the twenty-first century. However, the Arab Spring proved divisive for this relationship as each state sought to advocate its model of government and secure a leadership role in the Arab world. The war in Syria widened the divide, as Iran's long-standing support for the Bashar al-Assad regime could not be reconciled with Turkey's desire to see President Assad out of office. Using a close reading of Persian and Turkish sources, the authors will analyse the Iran–Turkey divide, focusing specifically on how the Iranians have portrayed it as a clash of civilisations, citing Turkey's so-called 'neo-Ottoman' ambitions as the primary cause.


In order to protect tissue recipients, the Food and Drug Administration drafted Title 21, Section 1271 of the Code of Federal Regulations 1271 (21 CFR 1271) to address infectious disease risk. These regulations apply to tissues but not vascularized organs. Pancreatic islet cells are regulated under 21 CFR 1271. These regulations require qualification of suppliers of critical materials and services with regard to 21 CFR 1271 compliance. As part of supplier qualification, all organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States were sent a questionnaire covering the key components of these regulations. Of the 57 OPOs, 29 (51%) were in compliance based upon survey results. Twelve (21%) were not compliant in one or more areas. All indicated plans to become compliant. The remaining 15 (27%) either failed or refused to complete the survey, some indicating 21 CFR 1271 did not apply to OPOs. Using 2006 data, OPOs compliant with 21 CFR 1271 recovered 50% of the organs procured in the United States. These findings represent a challenge for allogeneic islet cell transplant programs whose raw material must comply with 21 CFR 1271. OPOs should work toward understanding and complying with 21 CFR 1271. Regulatory agencies should work toward enhancing safety of the pancreas supply by facilitating compliance through harmonization of requirements.


A comprehensive information on Tetrastigma sp., the host plant of Rafflesia kerri Meijer in Lojing highlands is crucial for the management and conservation of the species. Tetrastigma supplies nutrients and water to Rafflesia for survive in the forest. However, the current activities such as land clearing for agricultural practices, logging and others may affect the habitat of Tetrastigma which lead this study to be conducted. The objectives of the study are as follows; (i) to identify the host plant of R. kerri Meijer and (ii) to assess the ecology of host plant of R. kerri. In order to identify the species, morphological characteristics of plant was recognized using the article on Tetrastigma in Peninsular Malaysia by Latiff (1983). Leaf Transverse Section Method was used to assess the plant anatomy. Meanwhile, Walkley and Black's (1934) Rapid Titration Method was applied to evaluate soil nutrients and BS1377:1975 Test 7 (B) Method was applied to evaluate soil texture. In this study, two species of Tetrastigma were identified, these are, Tetrastigma rafflesiae (Miq.) Planch. and T. hookeri (Laws.) Planch. The mean soil pH range of these two Tetrastigma is 4.58 ± 0.36. It shows the significant differences found on pH at different elevation, pH (F2,0.42 = 8.37, p <0.05). The highest number of bud populations is at 1200 m a. s. l with mean bud per month is 9 ± 5.86. There is significant different between bud and elevation, (t41 = 2.573, p <0.05, r = 0.59). The result also shows that the growing habit of Tetrastigma is climbing. In addition, Myrtaceae and Ebenaceae are two common families as the host of Tetrastigma. As a conclusion, this study was successfully recorded a new host plant T. hookeri, for R. kerri. The results from this study will be useful to related agencies in order to manage the gazetted 1000 ha of the Rafflesia Conservation Area in Lojing Highlands.


The lipid and long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC ω-3 PUFA) contents of spot samples of 22 under-utilised species of deep-sea fish were determined. The total lipid content was determined by a rapid extraction technique which used anhydrous sodium sulphate and ethanol to immobilise the moisture in the fish tissue followed by extraction of lipid with hep-tane at 80-85°C. The heptane extract was analysed in a liquid cell between NaCl windows on an infra-red (IR) spectrophotometer. Lipid content of the extract was calculated from the area of the IR spectrophotometric ester stretching band between 1700 and 1800cm-1. After evapora-tion of the heptane, the residue was determined gravimetically. The IR and gravimetric (where sufficient crude lipid quantities were present) results were generally in good agreement. Eigh-teen fish had lipid contents 1.1g/100g, ranging from 0.18 (birdbeak dogfish, Deania calceus) to 1.1g/100g (forkbeard, Phycis blennoides), while four had lipid contents ranging from 4.25 (Baird's smoothead, Alepocephalus bairdii) to 16.2g/100g (snake mackerel, Nessiarchus nas-sutus). However, both snake mackerel and orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) produced IR spectra consistent with the literature findings that they contain high levels of undigestible wax esters. The ω-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5ω-3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6ω-3, DHA) were determined using capillary gas chromatography. As a source of dietary ω-3 PUFA, the low-fat fish were generally poor suppliers with amounts ranging from 0.04g/100g (birdbeak dogfish) to 0.29g/100g (greater argentine, Argentina silus) but several species were not substantially inferior to cod (Gadus morhua). The tw high lipid species containing large amounts of wax esters, although having appreciable levels of ω-3 PUFA would not be desirable from a dietary point of view. In most of the fish DHA was present at 3 to 6 times the level of EPA.


We have fabricated high-Tc nanoscale superconducting quantum interference devices (nanoSQUIDs) with a hole size of 250 nm × 250 nm based on a 100 nm bridge at 77 K by focused ion beam milling and ion implantation. At 78 K, the curve of the voltage branch became roughly linear and agreed with the Josephson-like behavior. The sample exhibited strong flux flow behavior at temperatures under 76 K. The voltage flux characteristic curves, V –Imod, of the nanoSQUID at different bias currents at 78 K were observed. Typically, critical currents of 15 µA and peak-to-peak values of the voltage flux transfer function of 3.7 µV were measured. The measured data strongly suggest that the weak link structure could be a superconducting metal with a critical temperature Tc′ smaller than that (Tc) of other YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) films. This fabrication method of combining a nanobridge and ion implantation can improve the yield of nanojunctions and nanoSQUIDs.


The success of many complex scientific investigations hinges on bringing the capabilities of diverse individuals from multiple institutions together with state-of-the-art instrumentation. Computer scientists working with domain specialists have made progress on several fronts to create and integrate the tools required for Internet-based scientific collaboration. However, both technical and sociological challenges remain. The tools of computer-supported cooperative work are now being applied to such collaborations. Through immersive electronic interaction, team members distributed across a widespread area can collaborate, using the newest instruments and computing resources. The paper discusses some collaboratory prototypes and considers the sociology of collaboration.


I perform lattice Monte Carlo studies of universal four-component fermion systems in one spatial dimension. Continuum few-body observables (i.e., ground-state energies and integrated contact densities) are determined for both unpolarized and polarized systems of up to eight fermions confined to a harmonic trap. Estimates of the continuum energies for four and five trapped fermions show agreement with exact analytic calculations to within approximately one percent statistical uncertainties. Continuum many-body observables are determined for unpolarized systems of up to 88 fermions confined to a finite box, and 56 fermions confined to a harmonic trap. Results are reported for universal quantities such as the Bertsch parameter, defined as the energy of the untrapped many-body system in units of the corresponding free-gas energy, and its subleading correction at large but finite scattering length. Two independent estimates of these quantities are obtained from thermodynamic limit extrapolations of continuum extrapolated observables. A third estimate of the Bertsch parameter is obtained by combining estimates of the untrapped and trapped integrated contact densities with additional theoretical input from a calculation based on Thomas-Fermi theory. All estimates of the Bertsch parameter and its subleading correction are found to be consistent to within approximately one percent statistical uncertainties. Finally, the continuum restoration of virial theorems is verified for both few- and many-body systems confined to a trap.


Seed dormancy contributes to the adaptability of plants in nature and is of considerable importance in agriculture. The weedy rice (Oryza sativa L.) strains LD, SS18-2, and TKN12-2 and cultivar 'N22' were selected to investigate the inheritance of dormancy in controlled conditions. Initial investigations using intact seeds, caryopses, caryopses with pericarp/testa removed, and excised embryos demonstrated that seed dormancy was imposed by the hull in SS18-2 and TKN12-2, and by the hull and pericarp/testa in LD and N22. Seed dormancy at 0 d after harvest (DAH) was dominant with average degree of dominance (ADD) > 0.8 in the crosses with weedy strains. Dominance for duration of seed dormancy was incomplete when judged by days to 50% germination. Broad-sense heritability (h 2 b ) for seed germination was lower at 0 DAH and highest at 20 DAH in all the crosses. The weedy strain-derived F 2 populations maintained a higher h 2 b during afterripening. The effects of three and two major genes on seed germination at 20 DAH were detected in the SS18-2- and N22-derived F 2 populations, respectively. A positive ADD, a high h 2 b , and major gene effect for caryopsis germination at 0 DAH were detected only in the cross with LD. Seed or caryopsis dormancy was correlated with the characteristics awn and black hull or red pericarp colors in the SS18-2-or LD-derived F 2 populations. This research demonstrates that weedy rice provides ideal gene resources to elucidate mechanisms of dormancy and to improve resistance to preharvest sprouting.


Embedding layers are commonly used to map discrete symbols into continuous embedding vectors that reflect their semantic meanings. Despite their effectiveness, the number of parameters in an embedding layer increases linearly with the number of symbols and poses a critical challenge on memory and storage constraints. In this work, we propose a generic and end-to-end learnable compression framework termed differentiable product quantization (DPQ). We present two instantiations of DPQ that leverage different approximation techniques to enable differentiability in end-to-end learning. Our method can readily serve as a drop-in alternative for any existing embedding layer. Empirically, DPQ offers significant compression ratios (14-238x) at negligible or no performance cost on 10 datasets across three different language tasks.