This paper presents a novel method for the real-time protection of new emerging High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. Structure preserving selective encryption is being performed in CABAC entropy coding module of HEVC, which is significantly different from CABAC entropy coding of H.264/AVC. In CABAC of HEVC, exponential Golomb coding is replaced by truncated Rice (TR) up to a specific value for binarization of transform coefficients. Selective encryption is performed using AES cipher in cipher feedback mode on a plaintext of binstrings in a context aware manner. The encrypted bitstream has exactly the same bit-rate and is format complaint. Experimental evaluation and security analysis of the proposed algorithm is performed on several benchmark video sequences containing different combinations of motion, texture and objects.


The analysis of Streptomyces antibioticus recombinants isolated under non-selective conditions for stability of inheritance of parental properties demonstrated the existence of non-stable diploids and stable haploid recombinants. Also, genetic analysis of heteroclones isolated on selective medium after plating spores of regenerants was conducted. The results of analysis of haploid recombinant and heteroclones pointed to linkage of genetic loci and the possibility to use the technique of protoplast fusion for establishment of genetic map of S. antibioticus.


Because of density difference between saltwater and freshwater is formed a transition zone between two fluids in coastal aquifers. Forward rate and extent of saltwater transition zone depends on several factors including: changes in sea level, aquifer characteristics, hydrological conditions of upstream, tidal and seasonal fluctuations of seawater. One of ways for prevention of seawater intrusion in coastal aquifer is construction of underground dam. In this paper, changes of hydraulic gradient in groundwater aquifer by construction of underground dam is caused to reduce seawater intrusion to coast. The multiphase flow is simulated by computational fluid dynamics method.


Cervical cancer remains a global health related issue among females of Sub-Saharan Africa, with over half a million new cases reported each year. Different therapeutic regimens have been suggested in various regions of Africa, however, over a quarter of a million women die of cervical cancer, annually. Therefore, it is important to search for new drugs through effective screening of medicinal plant extracts to identify lead anti-cervical cancer drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate for the anti-growth effects of Cannabis sativa extracts and its isolate, cannabidiol on cervical cancer cell lines HeLa, SiHa, and ME-180. To determine for the presence of important constituents and evaluate for the anti-growth effects, phytochemical screening, MTT assay, cell growth analysis, flow cytometry, morphology analysis, Western blot, caspase 3/7 assay, and ATP measurement assay were conducted were conducted. Results obtained indicate that both plant extracts induced cell death at an IC50 of 50 - 100μg/ml and the Inhibition of cell growth was cell line dependent. Flow cytometry confirmed that, with or without cell cycle arrest, the type of induced cell death was apoptosis. Cannabis sativa extracts led to the up-regulation of apoptosis proteins (p53, Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9) and the down regulation of anti-apoptosis proteins (Bcl-2 and RBBP6), signalling the execution of apoptosis. Apoptosis induction was further confirmed by morphological changes, an increase in Caspase 3/7 and a decrease in the ATP levels. In conclusion, this data implies Cannabis sativa crude extracts has the potential to inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in cervical cancer cell lines, which may be due to the presence of cannabidiol. Citation Format: Lesetja Raymond Motadi, sindiswa lukhelo. Isolated cannabidiol from Cannabis sativa plant extracts inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2190.


: Results of the chronobiological experiments carried out aboard the Soviet "COSMOS" biosatellites with beetles, rats and primates indicate a possibility of 1. decrease of the circadian rhythm stability in space flight, expansion of the range of phase "hunting"; 2. shift of the endogenous circadian period in microgravity. Both should result in a higher hazard of desynchronosis in space flight. In the future it is important to investigate systematically the circadian range of entrainment in microgravity, the capabilities of rhythms to adapt to different durations of the day.


Forming macroscopic solid bodies in circumstellar discs requires local dust concentration levels significantly higher than the mean. Interactions of the dust particles with the gas must serve to augment local particle densities, and facilitate growth past barriers in the metre size range. Amongst a number of mechanisms that can amplify the local density of solids, aerodynamic streaming instability (SI) is one of the most promising. This work tests the physical assumptions of models that lead to SI in protoplanetary discs (PPDs). We conduct laboratory experiments in which we track the three-dimensional motion of spherical solid particles fluidised in a low-pressure, laminar, incompressible, gas stream. The particle sizes span the Stokes–Epstein drag regime transition and the overall dust-to-gas mass density ratio,ϵ, is close to unity. A recently published study establishes the similarity of the laboratory flow to a simplified PPD model flow. We study velocity statistics and perform time-series analysis of the advected flow to obtain experimental results suggesting an instability due to particle-gas interaction: (i) there exist variations in particle concentration in the direction of the mean relative motion between the gas and the particles, that is the direction of the mean drag forces; (ii) the particles have a tendency to "catch up" to one another when they are in proximity; (iii) particle clumping occurs on very small scales, which implies local enhancements above the backgroundϵby factors of several tens; (iv) the presence of these density enhancements occurs for a meanϵapproaching or greater than 1; (v) we find evidence for collective particle drag reduction when the local particle number density becomes high and when the background gas pressure is high so that the drag is in the continuum regime. The experiments presented here are precedent-setting for observing SI under controlled conditions and may lead to a deeper understanding of how it operates in nature.


Non-maternal nursing is a valuable option for healthy infant nutrition. It is currently practiced as direct wet nursing and feeding of expressed milk from a wet nurse, and the applicability of both varies across cultures. Review of the relevant literature revealed an understanding of the characteristics, benefits, and challenges in the practice of wet nursing across different cultures. There is a paucity of literature on direct wet nursing in medicine. On the other hand, there is a considerable amount of discussion on the indirect method (donor human milk feeding) in the context of milk banks and feeding premature infants or sharing in the community. The ideal characteristics of a wet nurse and/or a human milk donor are addressed. The challenges that face non-maternal nursing include health, economic, cultural, and other challenges – the majority of which can be overcome at the individual or community level. Finally, in the context of Muslim communities, milk kinship should not be considered an obstacle to non-maternal nursing; indeed, it should be addressed as a fortunate feature that can expand human relations between the wet nurses and the receiving families. The findings of this review indicate the need for evidence-based guidelines for non-maternal nursing across various social context and clinical scenarios. Moreover, it is important to utilize modern technology in donor human milk feeding in specific situations to ensure that the benefits of human milk are extended to infants of all cultures.


Tendon based parallel manipulators are capable of realizing movement of high speed and acceleration. In order to perform tasks that require direct contact with the environment control schemes are needed that adapt both operational space variables and tendon forces. By use of an inverse dynamics approach a motion control scheme in operational space is presented. In redundant systems the forces that act along the tendons can be divided into internal forces, the sum of which is zero, and external forces, that produce the driving force for the endeffector. Based on that property an additional and decoupled force control scheme is presented.


Introduction Renal dysfunction in patients with heart failure (HF) has traditionally been attributed to poor cardiac output. There is currently a growing body of evidence to suggest that renal venous congestion (VC) plays a more important role than hypo-perfusion. However, a vast majority of them have been invasive studies measuring pulmonary artery and central venous pressures as markers of venous congestion. We, therefore, aimed to determine if VC as determined by inferior vena cava (IVC) dilatation using echocardiography was associated with worsening renal function, HF hospitalisation and all-cause mortality. Methods We designed a population-based, longitudinal cohort study of 1034 unselected (acute/chronic) HF patients. All patients were symptomatic and required the use of loop diuretic therapy. VC was defined as IVC diameter >2.1 cm as determined by echocardiography performed nearest to the time of recruitment into study. Renal function was determined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using the abbreviated MDRD equation. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between VC and eGFR. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to examine the influence of VC on all-cause mortality and CHF hospitalisations. Results Logistic regression models showed that those with severe renal impairment (eGFR<30) were more likely to have VC compared to those with an eGFR >60 (Odds Ratio=7.7; 95% CI(1.6–10.5), p = 0.012). Multivariate analysis showed that those with VC had significantly worse survival than those without VC after adjusting for age, sex, eGFR and furosemide daily dose (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.15–1.96; p = 0.002). There was also a nonsignificant trend towards shorter time to first hospitalisation for HF in the VC group compared to those without VC (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.96–1.56; p = 0.103). Conclusions VC as determined by dilated IVC on echocardiography is associated with worsening renal function in an unselected group of HF patients. This readily available and non-invasive test can also be used to predict HF hospitalisation and all-cause death in this patient group.


Foreign
body inhalation is an emergency condition as it can cause sudden
upper airway obstruction. It is rare in adults. They produce signs
and symptoms initially which may progressively resolve and thus
may be difficult to diagnose. Here, we report a rare case of
inhalation of a live fish by a young fisherman. X-rays showed
subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema. Emergency tracheostomy was
performed under local anesthesia. Patient, however, died the
following day after the subcutaneous emphysema had spread all over
the body. Bronchoscopy could not be done as the facility was not
available at our centre. Postmortem showed parts of the fish at
the carina of the trachea and both bronchi.


Our society is currently facing complex challenges, such us climate change, loss of biodiversity, ageing population, unemployment, to name but a few. This has created growing expectations on designers and engineers to explore, experiment and implement innovative solutions to such issues. At this critical time, if we want design to be part of the solution, we need to wonder whether we are asking designers suitable and sustainable questions. Both in post-graduate design education and in business, the brief still overwhelmingly requires designers to follow a linear problem-solving approach that focuses on product rather than strategies, services and systems. Traditional design briefs result no longer appropriate to face the challenges of our unsustainable world, as they relate to market, growth economy and human needs rather than society, business models and the needs of nature. Instead, we need to be asking questions about, for example, how we create sustainable business opportunities, how we overcome the barriers for change, or how we facilitate the process of innovation through design methodology. If the role of design is to create new visions and outline strategic directions towards a sustainable future world - for policy makers, businesses, communities and individual citizens – we need those stakeholders to create briefs for designers that allow them to do that. This paper will explain how the reframing of questions has been embedded into SustainRCA's teaching practice in post-graduate design, art and engineering, leading to the development of new tools and methods, as well as some innovative outcomes.


We analyze the photometric data obtained by PLANET and OGLE on the caustic-crossing binary-lens microlensing event OGLE-2002-BLG-069. Thanks to the excellent photometric and spectroscopic coverage of the event, we are able to constrain the lens model up to the known ambiguity between close and wide binary lenses. The detection of annual parallax in combination with measurements of extended-source effects allows us to determine the mass, distance and velocity of the lens components for the competing models. While the model involving a close binary lens leads to a Bulge-Disc lens scenario with a lens mass of M=(0.51 +- 0.15) M_sol and distance of D_L=(2.9 +- 0.4) kpc, the wide binary lens solution requires a rather implausible binary black-hole lens (M >=126 M_sol). Furthermore we compare current state-of-the-art numerical and empirical models for the surface brightness profile of the source, a G5III Bulge giant. We find that a linear limb-darkening model for the atmosphere of the source star is consistent with the data whereas a PHOENIX atmosphere model assuming LTE and with no free parameter does not match our observations.


Reconstructing sound-speed maps from the limited view offered by a linear array of ultrasonic sensors has been a long-standing challenge in medical diagnostics and nondestructive evaluation. Because of the limited range of angles that can be used to interrogate the volume beneath the array, the inverse problem of retrieving sound-speed maps from scattering measurements is highly ill-posed. The missing angles cause significant artifacts that degrade the image by altering the values of sound speed and producing ghost features. This paper introduces the virtual image space component iterative technique (VISCIT), which addresses the limited-view problem by introducing a new regularization technique which iteratively compensates for the missing components by applying an adaptive threshold to the reconstruction. The effectiveness of the method in yielding high-accuracy sound-speed maps is demonstrated using a complex numerical phantom and validated experimentally with an agar phantom. It is shown that sound-speed contrast as low as 1.3% is readily detectable, thus paving the way for more sensitive and selective detection of damage precursors and early stage diseases.


Basing on a L-S phase inversion method, cellulose hollow fiber membranes were spinned using room temperature ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Amim]Cl) as solvent. The concentration of cellulose/[Amim]Cl solutions (dope) was varied from 6 to 9wt% by an increment of 1wt%. Effects of the dope concentration on the hollow fiber membranes structure and properties were investigated. Inner- and outer- surfaces morphology of the prepared membranes were observed using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Besides, various properties of the membranes, including apparent viscosity, pure water flux (PWF), retention rate (Rt), equilibrium water content (EWC), ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation at break (Eb) were also tested. The results induced that, with the increase of dope concentration, the both surfaces showed more regular. Pure water flux and equilibrium water content of the membranes decreased with a increasing dope concentration, properties of retention rate, ultimate tensile strength and elongation at break showed a increased tendency oppositely.


OBJECTIVES
Research on the impact of COVID-19 among older adults has primarily focused on relatively acute virus outcomes, but it is likely financial hardships during this time have eroded the adaptive capacity of older adults. It is also possible these impacts vary by race and ethnicity. We examine changes in psychological resilience (PR) among older adults before and during the pandemic to determine whether financial hardships and other stressors have altered this resource for White, Black, and Hispanic older adults.

METHOD
Using the COVID module released by the HRS (n=735), we examined changes in PR between 2016 and 2020 related to financial hardships during COVID. We tested interactions to determine whether the effects were patterned by race and ethnicity.

RESULTS
Consistent with previous literature, resilience was relatively stable during this time on average. Financial hardship during COVID-19 diminished resilience, but this effect was concentrated primarily among White Americans.

DISCUSSION
The results suggest that PR is a relatively stable resource in later life, even during the pandemic. However, this resource may be impacted in the face of specific challenges in later life. Policies related to financial hardship during the pandemic should be seen as supporting the capacity for older adults to adapt to current as well as future challenges.


In this research, the effect of (spinach, capsicum, beet, turnip and radish) extracts the preventive and curative control of cucumber powdery mildew in greenhouse tests was investigated for. The acetonic, methanolic or water extracts of leaf tissues of each plant at concentrations one and 5% (w/v) was sprayed on the plants at either one day before, or 1 day after the plant inoculation with spore suspension of pathogen. Disease severity was evaluated based on the number of disease spots per leaf ten days after inoculation. The effectiveness of this extracts was also compared with Penconazole fungicide and Reynoutria sachalinensis (Rs) extract, two commercial compounds for the control of disease. Results showed that all tested extracts reduced the disease severity on the treated leaves, but in varying degrees. In comparison with Rs, the acetonic extracts of pepper and beet, and the methanolic extracts of spinach and turnip at the concentration of 5% showed relative effectiveness in prevention of disease. On the other hand, the methanolic extract of turnip at the concentration of 5% showed the highest curative effect and its curative efficacy was the same as penconazole. Also, the most effective time for application of extracts of spinach and Rs was 24 hours before pathogen inoculation, the application of extracts of pepper and turnip at 24 hours after pathogen inoculation, was more effective for the control of disease. Thus, application time and concentration and kind of solvent influence the efficacy of the extracts.


Controlling and scrutinising government expenditure is an important duty of the New Zealand Parliament. There is an on-going debate on the effectiveness of Parliament in undertaking this. The role, inherited from the British Parliament, has been developed upon and refined by the New Zealand Parliament. Parliament holds the government to account for its expenditure through a system consisting of the Finance and Expenditure Committee, other subject select committees, extensive Budget and Estimates documentation, and detailed appropriations. The Controller and Auditor-General, debate in the House, and thorough accounts and accounting are also a part of the process. The New Zealand Parliament can have more than adequate control of government expenditure, but is sometimes deficient at scrutinising its details. Recommendations to improve Parliament's ability to control and scrutinise government expenditure must centre on Members of Parliament being willing, able and eager to undertake the role.


Research within the relatively new scientific field of gratitude has rapidly expanded over the last decade and a half, inspired by strong positive links with well-being and mental health. There is currently a lack of consensus as to how the term gratitude is defined and conceptualised, and the field lacks a solid theoretical basis. The aim of the current project was to obtain a deeper understanding of the experiences or things for which people are grateful, and the underlying cognitive processes which underpin their gratitude experience. Open ended qualitative interviews were conducted individually with 12 undergraduate students. Participants were asked to talk about "things or experiences" which they considered beneficial. To reduce the likelihood of socially desirable responding, the terms "gratitude" and "appreciation" were not used. Thematic analysis revealed three main domains in which gratitude was experienced: Close Personal Relationships (including sub themes of Family and Friends); Adversity and Personal Change (including sub themes of Self and Others); and Self Development Pursuits. Within these themes, the capacity for gratitude to change over time was apparent. Exploration of the specific cognitive appraisals associated with participants' gratitude experiences led to the modification and extension of an existing model of gratitude. The modified model represents the cognitive appraisals which can underpin the experience of general gratitude, and is not limited to prototypical gratitude which involves the deliberate act of another. The model can also account for changes in gratitude over time in relation to a particular phenomenon. Potential applications for research findings to inform the development of more informative gratitude measures and targeted gratitude interventions are discussed.


Group psychotherapy and antipsychotic medications were employed in the treatment of 49 outpatient schizophrenics. Two treatment regimens, using thiothixene and chlorpromazine hydrochloride, were divided into group therapy and nongroup therapy subgroups for a duration of six months. Patients' symptoms were evaluated on a monthly basis through use of a physician's global assessment, and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Subtle changes in subjects' interpersonal emotional adjustment (a possible positive effect of psychotherapy) were measured before and after treatment by means of the Interpersonal Test Battery. Results indicated no substantial difference between medications, but a positive change over this time period for both drug regimens. While group therapy did not alter patients' symptomatology, it did, according to projective test results, deepen the subjects' awareness and insight into their own behavior.


Advances in lightweight, small-size and low-power sensors led to the development of wearable biosensors, thus, to the accurate monitoring of human periphery. On top of this, pervasive computing has been improved and technologies have been matured enough to build the plug-and-play Body Area Networks (BANs). In a BAN, the main functionality of a node is to effectively and efficiently collect data from vital body parts, share it with the neighbors and make decisions accordingly. Because of the fact that the captured phenomenon is highly sensitive against privacy breaches in addition to being transmitted using the wireless communication medium, BANs require a security infrastructure. However, due to the extreme energy scarcity, bandwidth and storage constraints of the nodes, conventional solutions are inapplicable for BANs. In this dissertation, we propose a novel security infrastructure that is designed specifically for the intra-BAN communication. In this regard, we propose a novel key agreement protocol, SKA-PS (Secure Key Agreement using Physiological Signals), which is based on the set reconciliation paradigm. Our protocol generates symmetric shared keys using the physiological parameters derived from the physiological signals of the users, such as electrocardiogram and blood pressure. We also identify 4 different appropriate physiological parameters that can be used as cryptographic keys and propose the techniques of generating them. In the security infrastructure that we have developed for the intra-BAN communication, (i) secure node-to-host association is satisfied, (ii) performance enhancing characteristics of bio-cryptography is brought in the foreground, (iii) adopted physiological parameters are random and distinctive enough, based on the Shannon's entropy and Hamming Distance evaluations, which respectively, reveals the bit frequencies and measures the bit differences, along with possessing low error rates, (iv) key agreement protocol works dynamically, possessing remarkably high true match and exceedingly low false match rates, and (v) key agreement protocol resists against brute-force, replay and impersonation attacks, together with possessing low communication, computational and storage costs.


Subacute Ankle Sprain patients, 3 tests have been acknowledge for diagnostic precision and thus most commonly used to test their soft tissues, muscles, and ligaments: ankle stress-valgus test, anterior-draw test, and MRI scan. Although not much different from the rest two in its diagnostic value, MRI costs patients some money and time. Also, we have reached the conclusion through an experiment with a group of patients in a certain hospital that the rest two methods is as efficient and useful as MRI in diagnosing ankle joint patients.


Natural killer (NK) cells are known to be critically involved in the control of tumors through their direct cytotoxic function, but have also been proposed as an initial source of interferon (IFN)‐γ that primes subsequent adaptive tumor‐specific immune responses. Although mounting evidence supports the importance of NK cells in antitumor immune responses, the immunological characteristics of NK cells infiltrating the tumor microenvironment and the mechanisms that regulate this process remain unclear. In the present study, we found that NK cells infiltrate early developing MCA205 tumors, and further showed that mature CD27high NK cells were the predominant subpopulation of NK cells accumulating in the tumor microenvironment. The tumor‐infiltrating NK cells displayed an activated cell surface phenotype and provided an early source of IFN‐γ. Importantly, we also found that host IFN‐γ was critical for NK cell infiltration into the local tumor site and that the tumor‐infiltrating NK cells mainly suppressed tumor growth via the IFN‐γ pathway. This work implicates the importance of IFN‐γ as a positive regulatory factor for NK cell recruitment into the tumor microenvironment and an effective antitumor immune effector response. (Cancer Sci 2011; 102: 1967–1971)


A transmitter consisting of a voltage
controlled oscillator (VCO) and power amplifier
(PA) for the 400 MHz Medical Implanted Communication
System band (MICS) was built in a standard
0.35-μm CMOS process. A push pull architecture
was used for both the VCO and the PA. Two
off-chip inductors were needed.
The design was optimized for 400 μW output
power at 3 V supply, which resulted in an efficiency
of 26 %. This gives a total power consumption of
1.6 mW, of which the VCO uses about 0.3 mW.


Under the hawks wingsDistribution and sorting at the upptagningshem in Sandsbro between the years 1933-1935This paper aims to study a so called "upptagningshem" in Sandsbro, Sweden during theperiod 1933 to 1935. All the children during those three years were enrolled in theupptagningshem is included in the study, a total of 101 children. The main sources studied areprimary sources obtained from the county archive in Kronoberg which is shown in aquantitative method with the thesis that the upptagningshem works according to YeheskelHasenfelds "people-processing technologies", which acts as a sorting device which meanscategorizing and classifying activities where different kinds of people are sorted and based onthe results taken care of, by appropriate other organization that can provide the rightresources. Added to this thesis is a gender and class perspective with the focus to determine ifthe sorting progress were dependent on the gender and "class" of the child.Based on the hypothesis that the "upptagningshem" continued placement of children wasfounded in a sort after not only health but also by gender and class, the survey shows that thegender of the child has played a role when it comes to how kids later sorted further by the"upptagningshem". Class should not have played the same role in the continued placement ofthe child from the "upptagningshem". In class, I mean my own design of the concept whichuses children last stay before the upptagningshem as representative of that "class" kids werecoming from.The conclusion of this essay is that one chooses to place the children on to what for the timewere considered to be most appropriate place, parents or foster care, which mimics the"normal" family relationships. This is consistent with previous research which confirms thestrong belief in what they consider to be normal family relationships which children should beeducated in order to become good citizens.


John F. Cogan Poverty statistics are the primary indicator of living conditions among people at the economic spectrum's lower end. These data are among the most important and the most politically sensitive data published by the U.S. government. That the method used to measure poverty has remained unchanged since its inception, despite well-recognized conceptual and methodological problems, is testimony to this sensitivity. In this environment, only a report firmly grounded in science can produce the kind of agreement among government officials that would lead to improvements in measuring poverty. The major recommendations and conclusions for changing the measurement of poverty by the Panel on Poverty and Family Assistance are not based on scientific evidence. They lie well outside the National Research Council's stated mission "to deliver science advice" to the government. Therefore, I have chosen to dissent. There are parts of the report for which the panel should be commended. The sections that address problems with the current measure, alternative poverty concepts, and measuring poverty across families of different sizes are particularly illuminating. More analyses based on the scientific literature would have improved the report. Social science research has developed a vast body of scientific knowledge about issues relating to the measurement of poverty. Indeed, many panel members have been important contributors to this knowledge base. There exist, for example, well-developed studies for constructing efficient, meaningful indices to account for geographical differences in living costs. This literature identifies sampling procedures that can be applied to maximize the informational content of surveys at minimum cost and to develop appropriate weighting schemes to create a consumption bundle that APPENDIX A 385


Health and safety is fundamental to the University's success in preventing or reducing the hazards and risks to faculty, staff and the environment. The emphasis is on effectiveness, compliance and due diligence according to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations. Environmental Health & Safety [1] provides a broad range of occupational safety and environment protection services to all members of the University community.


In recent years, several contributions have been provided concerning sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), ranging from a theoretical analysis of the topic to practical applications across several industrial sectors. The scope of SSCM has been extended toward various industries and supply chains, not only domestic supply chains but also global supply chains. Transnational companies play important roles in the global supply chain as they create business opportunities and entrepreneurial activities along the chain. However, operating in global supply chains also gives rise to several issues. Environmental damage, food safety concerns, and social and sustainability issues are major topics for both domestic and global supply chain management. Many of these issues are driven by external factors such as standards and regulations as well as customer and market demand. Even if SSCM has been a subject of much discussion in the last few years, few contributions are available for SSCM in the agricultural sector. This paper aims to provide an extensive literature review on the practice of supply chain management and sustainability in agriculture sectors to identify the extent of the discipline in this field and to highlight areas that need further research.


The year of 1973 is often described as a momentous point in history. It is often singled out as a bifurcation point in the 20 th Century: even if it seems to have been less dramatic than 1914 or 1945, it is regarded as the closure of the postwar boom and of the systemically-spread political upheaval begun in the late 1960s. The reasons for crediting such relevance specifically to 1973 tend to concentrate on politics and the economy, almost inevitably revolving events that held the United States as their main actor – and almost always in a dramatic fashion. If we group in the same picture the Yom Kippur war, the coup in Chile, the oil crisis and the financial crisis, the year of 1973 immediately stands out as a very dense year, a time full of gravity for the American-dominated world-system, with post-war optimism rapidly giving way to anxiety. From the point of view of art and literary critique, however, it is perhaps not so simple to capture what that moment brought forth: it is not clear whether such growing anxiety has anything to tell about the state of critique around 1973. It is true that the field of critique was also changing, and in ways that can be retrospectively related to the surrounding societal change. But one process did openly mirror the other, and one can also see that critique's dominating spirit of "reaction" (exercised most often in a personal fashion) did not reveal any sense of "coordination" among critics and scholars, which suggests that change was taking place in a rather chaotic way. As an attempt to give sense to that uncoordinated process, on this article I will outline some propositions about the relations between critique (especially literary critique) and the epistemological and political uncertainty looming around 1973. I will relate that feeling of uncertainty to a change in the perception of historical time and a simultaneous disarray in the art and literary institutions, which had until then kept untouched many of their 19 th -Century assumptions. And as an explanatory description of that broad scenario I will locate that feeling of historical change not only in the academic production, but also in other less self-reflexive kinds of expression: one of my basic contentions is that around 1973, and probably only for a brief period of time, the "savant sphere" was responding to the "popular" sphere in ways that were direct and (surprisingly) positive.


Although Wood's atlas of the various avian fundi is excellent,1we could find no photographs of an avian fundus in the literature. Since the ophthalmoscopic and anatomic details of the avian eye are unique and interesting, we present this paper. Methods and Materials The common pigeon, Columba livia, was used. The amount of 2 to 4 drops of freshly prepared tubocurare chloride, 2.25 mg. per cubic centimeter in 0.025% benzalkonium chloride, was applied to each eye. After 10 to 20 minutes there was maximum mydriasis.2The pigeon was sedated with approximately 10 mg. of secobarbital intramuscularly. While one examiner manipulated the sedated pigeon, another operated a standard fundus camera in the routine manner. Comment The pigeon fundus is representative. Birds are the first subprimate to possess a fovea. The fundus is anangiotic with only choroidal blood vessels ophthalmoscopically visible. Retinal nutrients are supplied through the choroidal vessels and


ABSTRACT Antimicrobial peptides (APs) are important components of the innate defenses of animals, plants, and microorganisms. However, some bacterial pathogens are resistant to the action of APs. For example,Proteus mirabilis is highly resistant to the action of APs, such as polymyxin B (PM), protegrin, and the synthetic protegrin analog IB-367. To better understand this resistance, a transposon mutagenesis approach was used to generate P. mirabilismutants sensitive to APs. Four unique PM-sensitive mutants of P. mirabilis were identified (these mutants were >2 to >128 times more sensitive than the wild type). Two of these mutants were also sensitive to IB-367 (16 and 128 times more sensitive than the wild type). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) profiles of the PM- and protegrin-sensitive mutants demonstrated marked differences in both the lipid A and O-antigen regions, while the PM-sensitive mutants appeared to have alterations of either lipid A or O antigen. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry analysis of the wild-type and PM-sensitive mutant lipid A showed species with one or two aminoarabinose groups, while lipid A from the PM- and protegrin-sensitive mutants was devoid of aminoarabinose. When the mutants were streaked on an agar-containing medium, the swarming motility of the PM- and protegrin-sensitive mutants was completely inhibited and the swarming motility of the mutants sensitive to only PM was markedly decreased. DNA sequence analysis of the mutagenized loci revealed similarities to an O-acetyltransferase (PM and protegrin sensitive) and ATP synthase and sap loci (PM sensitive). These data further support the role of LPS modifications as an elaborate mechanism in the resistance of certain bacterial species to APs and suggest that LPS surface charge alterations may play a role in P. mirabilis swarming motility.


Objectives This study attempted to determine whether an ecological association exists between job strain and common mental disorders at the occupational level and whether the association is a confounding effect of socioeconomic status. Methods Male occupations from Belgium (N=184) and the United States (US) (N=120) were chosen from the BELSTRESS study (Belgian job-stress study) (1994-1998) and quality of employment surveys (1972-1977), respectively. Age, marital status, socioeconomic indicators, job control (skill discretion and decision authority), psychological demands, supervisory and coworker supports, physical demands, job insecurity, and symptom scales for mental disorders were all aggregated at the occupational level (detailed occupational codes). Job strain was defined as a ratio of psychological demands to job control. Simple correlations, graphic investigations, and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. Results While job strain was significantly correlated with socioeconomic indicators in the US sample, their covariance was less than 30% in both samples. In the graphic investigations, job strain was orthogonal to all of the socioeconomic indicators. Job strain (both samples), job control (US sample), skill discretion (Belgian sample), and psychological demands (Belgian sample) were associated with mental disorders, after control for the covariates (including socioeconomic indicators). The association of decision authority with mental disorders was relatively weak in both samples. Generally, the associations were stronger in the low or middle socioeconomic group than in the high socioeconomic group. Conclusions Job strain is associated with common mental disorders at the occupational level, and it is not explained fully in the context of the association between socioeconomic status and mental disorders.


Transliteration is frequently used especially in writing geographic denominations, personal names (onyms) etc. Proper names (onyms) of all languages must sound similarly in translated works as well as in scientific projects and works written in mother tongue, because we can get introduced with the nation, its history, culture, traditions and other spiritual values through the onyms of that nation. Therefore it is necessary to systematize the different transliterations of onyms of foreign languages. This paper is dedicated to the problem of making the project of transliterating Kazakh onyms into Arabic. In order to achieve this goal we use scientific or practical types of transliteration. Because in this type of transliteration provides easy reading and writi texts in the target language without any diacritical symbols, it is


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Dusting technique during laser lithotripsy is the use of low pulse energy (PE) and high frequency to achieve submillimeter fragments. In theory, increasing the frequency can increase fragmentation but it is not understood if there is a threshold at which its effect on lithotripsy is limited. The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the effect of frequency on (1) stone crater volume at a fixed location and (2) fragmentation in relation to when the fiber is moving. METHODS: Two sets of experiments were conducted using a flat BegoStone (15:5) with a laser PE setting of 0.5J (Long Pulse). Energy was delivered from a 120W Ho:YAG laser (Moses P120, Lumenis) by a 230 &mgr;m core fiber (Moses 200, Lumenis). The relationship of frequency (Hz; number of pulses/second) on crater volume was assessed with the fiber fixed and fired in contact with the stone for 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 pulses. Crater volume was measured by 3D laser confocal microscopy. Fragmentation was then assessed at 20.40. and 60 Hz, with the fiber attached to a 3D positioner to make 10 lines (each 20 mm length), to mimic a "painting" technique. For each setting the fiber was moved at a speed of 1 and 3 mm/s equating to 3.3 and 1.1 minutes of lithotripsy time, respectively. Fragmentation was defined as difference in stone mass before and after each experiment. Five trials were performed for each experiment. Two sample t-test was used to compare cohort means. RESULTS: When the fiber is kept stationary, crater volume increased with increasing the number of pulses but after 20 pulses there was minimal increase in volume (Figure 1A). However, with the fiber moving, fragmentation was significantly greater at higher frequencies (Figure 1B). For all frequency settings, more fragmentation occurred at 1 mm/s compared to 3 mm/s (Figure 1B; p<0.0002). Increasing the Hz from 20 to 40, and 20 to 60 Hz at 1 mm/s increased fragmentation by 38% and 53%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: When the laser fiber is fixed, 20 pulses is the threshold after which increasing the number of pulses leads to minimal gain in ablation. However, when the fiber is moving, increasing the frequency increases fragmentation. Further studies are needed to determine the frequency threshold for efficiency, and we posit this threshold may be reached at 80 to 100 Hz at 1 mm/s. Figure. No caption available. Source of Funding: Research grant from Boston Scientific.


The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) that surrounds fat globules in milk is a natural source of sphingolipids, phoshpholipids and proteins with defined anticancer properties. Dairy processing operations can affect the structure and composition of MFGM, potentially influencing its anticancer activity. The aim of this project was to determine if anticancer activity can be attributed to sweet and fermented buttermilks which contain fragments of MFGM and examine
if different milk processing operations (separation, washing, heating and drying) may influence the antiproliferative activity of resultant buttermilks. After 3 days of incubation sweet pasteurized buttermilk at the concentration of 0.38 mg total solids/ml significantly (P ≤ 0.001) inhibited growth of SW480 human colon cancer cells by 97.5% but had no toxic effect on FHC human normal colon cells as determined by the acid phosphatase cytotoxicity assay. Antiproliferative activity was lost after spray drying of buttermilk but was retained after heat treatment and freeze and spin drying. In contrast to natural buttermilks, fermented buttermilks inhibited growth to a lesser extent. Analysis of mitochondrial permeability and phoshatidylserine exposure in cells using flow cytometry suggest induction of apoptosis as a biological mechanism involved in the inhibitory effect exerted by buttermilk fractions on cancer cell growth.


Purpose To determine whether increased growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) in aqueous humor (AH) is associated with worse visual field loss in patients with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PXG). Methods We recruited 12 patients (6 males, 6 females) with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) or PXG who were scheduled to undergo glaucoma surgery. AH was obtained from the initial peripheral paracentesis for the planned glaucoma surgery, and GDF15 levels were quantified with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay by an investigator masked to clinical information. Humphrey visual field testing was performed as a part of routine care; results were obtained by reviewing the medical record. Results AH GDF15 was detectable in patients with POAG and PXG. Increased AH GDF15 was significantly associated with worse mean deviation in patients with POAG (r = −0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.99 to −0.33; P = 0.02) and PXG (r = −0.92; 95% CI, −0.99 to −0.41; P = 0.01). Conclusions AH GDF15 is detectable in patients with PXG and POAG. Elevated AH GDF15 is strongly associated with worse mean deviation in both subgroups. These findings suggest that GDF15 may be a molecular marker of glaucoma severity that is generalizable to multiple types of glaucoma regardless of the underlying etiology. Translational Relevance This study provides proof of concept that GDF15, a molecular marker of retinal ganglion stress that was initially identified in rodent models, may have clinical utility as a measure of glaucoma severity not only in POAG but also in PXG.


In this work we explore to what extent multilingual models can be trained for one language and applied to a different one for the task of Multiple Choice Question Answering. We employ the RACE dataset to fine-tune both a monolingual and a multilingual models and apply these models to another different collections in different languages. The results show that both monolingual and multilingual models can be zero-shot transferred to a different dataset in the same language maintaining its performance. Besides, the multilingual model still performs good when it is applied to a different target language. Additionally, we find that exams that are more difficult to humans are harder for machines too. Finally, we advance the state-of-the-art for the QA4MRE Entrance Exams dataset in several languages.


Myeloid leukemia is associated with few predominant mutations and translocations in humans. In order to uncover additional loci that drive the disease, we developed an aggressive, fully-penetrant mouse model of myeloid leukemia using Sleeping Beauty insertional mutagenesis. Animals developed distinct foci of expanded splenic red pulp as early as 30 days of age and had a median survival of 70 days. SB insertions sequenced from 168 spleens of mice with end-stage disease revealed more than 470 statistically defined candidate cancer genes (CCGs), 87 of which have orthologs mutated in human AML. Pathway enrichment analysis using the CCGs confirmed that MAP kinase and Jak-Stat signaling play an important role in the disease. Twenty-five CCGs were defined as trunk drivers based on high sequence read representation in multiple tumors from the population. Among the trunk drivers was a suite of transcription factors that act downstream of MAP kinase signaling, including Ets- family member genes Erg, Ets1 and Fli1. We sequenced SB insertions from single cells isolated from a single tumor to interrogate cooperating relationships among trunk drivers. Hierarchical clustering of SB insertions revealed intra-tumor heterogeneity and identified three distinct subclonal populations. Importantly, Erg and Ghr anchored one subpopulation that was distinct from a second subpopulation anchored by Ets1 and Notch1. These gene relationships observed in single cells confirmed the population-based statistical analysis of cooperativity between Erg and Ghr and Ets1 and Notch1 from the cohort of 168 tumors. Mutual-exclusivity for Erg and Ets1 in driving myeloid leukemia was supported by microarray expression analysis in a subset of the tumors. RNA-seq analysis confirmed that SB insertions drive expression of many CCGs including trunk divers Erg, Ghr, Ets1 and Notch1. Chimeric transcripts for the four driver genes contained the SB splice donor and downstream wild type exons encoding the functional domains of the translated proteins, suggesting that SB drives the mis-expression of these proteins to induce myeloid leukemia. We have identified new CCGs that contribute to myeloid disease progression and gained insight into both inter- and intra- tumor heterogeneity of this tumor type. Importantly, SB-driven myeloid leukemia is a robust, transplantable genetic model that offers a unique platform for preclinical testing. Transposon insertion profiles provide a powerful means to stratify tumors for targeted therapies. Finally, SB can be harnessed to uncover loci that confer therapy response or resistance. Citation Format: Karen M. Mann, Justin Newberg, Nicholas Navin, David J. Adams, Nancy Jenkins, Neal Copeland, Michael B. Mann. Sleeping Beauty uncovers cooperating driver genes in a preclinical mouse model of myeloid leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2893. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2893


BACKGROUND
The Mediterranean dietary pattern is thought to reduce the risk of cancer in addition to being cardioprotective. However, no trial has been conducted so far to prove this belief.

METHODS
We compared overall survival and newly diagnosed cancer rate among 605 patients with coronary heart disease randomized in the Lyon Diet Heart Study and following either a cardioprotective Mediterranean-type diet or a control diet close to the step 1 American Heart Association prudent diet.

RESULTS
During a follow-up of 4 years, there were a total of 38 deaths (24 in controls vs 14 in the experimental group), including 25 cardiac deaths (19 vs 6) and 7 cancer deaths (4 vs 3), and 24 cancers (17 vs 7). Exclusion of early cancer diagnoses (within the first 24 months after entry into the trial) left a total of 14 cancers (12 vs 2). After adjustment for age, sex, smoking, leukocyte count, cholesterol level, and aspirin use, the reduction of risk in experimental subjects compared with control subjects was 56% (P=.03) for total deaths, 61% (P=.05) for cancers, and 56% (P=.01) for the combination of deaths and cancers. The intakes of fruits, vegetables, and cereals were significantly higher in experimental subjects, providing larger amounts of fiber and vitamin C (P<.05). The intakes of cholesterol and saturated and polyunsaturated fats were lower and those of oleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids were higher (P<.001) in experimental subjects. Plasma levels of vitamins C and E (P<.05) and omega-3 fatty acids (P<.001), measured 2 months after randomization, were higher and those of omega-6 fatty acids were lower (P<.001) in experimental subjects.

CONCLUSIONS
This randomized trial suggests that patients following a cardioprotective Mediterranean diet have a prolonged survival and may also be protected against cancer. Further studies are warranted to confirm the data and to explore the role of the different lipids and fatty acids in this protection.


Design of Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) Homogeneous Sliding Modes (HSMs) for uncertain dynamic systems is considered. The resulting closed-loop systems feature all well-known standard properties of Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) HSM systems. Introduction of robust exact dierentiators produces homogeneous output-feedback controllers. The ultimate asymptotic accuracy of SISO HSM technique is proved to be preserved in the MIMO and SISO cases, if the discretetime implementation is based on the one-step Euler integration.


Dot.com entrepreneurs failed spectacularly in their attempts to create e-grocery companies. This paper examines consumer motives and concerns with regard to online grocery shopping. The reasons for the success experienced by traditional bricks-and-mortar companies that have expanded into this market are also examined.


Aim: To make a comparative assessment of the following procedures for haemorrhoids: a)
Stapled haemorrhoidectomy b) Open haemorrhoidectomy and c) Closed haemorrhoidectomy, in
terms of operating time, postoperative pain, postoperative complications (immediate and late),
hospital stay, time to return to work, and cost of the procedure.Materials and Methods: This
non-randomised prospective study included 50 patients (stapled haemorrhoidectomy (n=20),
open haemorrhoidectomy (n=20) and closed haemorrhoidectomy (n=10). Pain was assessed
using the visual analogue scale. The patients were followed up for 6 months.Results: The mean
age was 45 years; the majority of the patients were males. Mass per anus, pain during defecation
and constipation were the predominant symptoms. In the study, 22 patients had grade II and 28
patients had grade III haemorrhoids. The average time taken for a stapled haemorrhoidectomy
was 45.75 minutes and for an open one it was 38.75 minutes. Closed haemorrhoidectomy took an
average of 62 minutes (45-80min.). The average pain scores on postoperative day 1, day 2 and
day 3 in the stapled group were 3.8, 2.4 and 1.6 as against 5.6, 4.6 and 4.1 in the open group and
5.4, 4.3 and 3.9 in the closed group, respectively. Pain during the passage of stools was
considerably less in the stapled group. The average duration of hospital stay for the stapled group
was 1.5 days and for the open and the closed group it was 5.8 days and 6.2 days, respectively.
The average time to return to work in the stapled group was 5.3 days as against 13.2 in the open
group and 13.1 days in the closed group. None of the patients in any of the groups had any
postoperative wound infection. Two patients in the stapled group had recurrence of the
symptoms. One patient in stapled group developed fecal urgency. No major late complications
were noted in the closed group. Conventional procedures were cost-effective in our
setting.Conclusion: Stapled haemorrhoidectomy offers much less pain when compared to the
conventional methods and allows early return to work. However, long-term complications are
still unknown with most of the surgeons still in the learning curve. It is up to the treating surgeon
to use his experience, skill and acumen in selecting the procedure for treating his patient with
haemorrhoids which is suitable to the patient economically, socially and curatively.


Depression is one of the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders among school-age youths. As such, school personnel should play an important role in the identification, assessment, and treatment of depression and related problems in school. School-based treatment of depression is especially relevant for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and learning disabilities (LD) because they may be at a higher risk than their nondisabled peers of displaying depressive symptomatology. Cognitive-behavioral interventions (CBIs) have shown promise as an evidence-based treatment for childhood and adolescent depressive disorders. This article focuses on how CBI techniques can be used by school personnel under the proper clinical supervision for reducing students' depressive symptomatology. First, common CBI techniques are described. Second, empirical studies using CBI to treat children and adolescents who are depressed are reviewed. Finally, implications for using these techniques in a collaborative effort among school psychologists, counselors, and special educators in an ethical and valid manner are presented.


In this work, to improve the luminance efficiency of the lamp, xenon dielectric barrier discharge flat lamps (DFLs) with new electrode structures were fabricated and electric-optical characteristics were analyzed in respect with various discharge conditions. The luminance efficiency increased as the increasing of the capacitance and the reducing of the dielectric loss, and as the improvement in the transmittance of the generated visible light at the discharge space. The luminance efficiency of the DFL with Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ dielectric layer of 60-/spl mu/m thickness, matrix shape electrodes and discharge space of 1-mm gap-width was obtained as 26.3 lm/W and the luminance was 4 873 cd/m/sup 2/.


Social presence is a difficult to achieve, but an imperative component of online learning. In this study, we investigated the effect of group size on students' perceptions of social presence in two graduate-level online courses, comparing small group versus whole class discussions. Our results indicated that when in small group discussions, students perceived a higher level of social presence in terms of sociability, t(32) = 3.507, p = .001; social space, t(29) = 3.074, p = .005; and group cohesion, t(32) = 3.550, p = .001. We discuss how placing students in small and permanent discussion groups can augment social presence. Designers and educators of online learning can strategically modify group size to promote social presence in asynchronous online discussions.


In this paper, Au NPs prepared by pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL)  with different laser energy (200, 360,500,660 and 800 m J) with number of pulses (1000pulse), at wavelength 1064 nm, and repetition rate of 1Hz. The structural, morphological and optical properties were discussed. XRD spectra showed the diffraction peak. AFM showed the average diameter. The optical properties showed increase absorption spectra at increase energy. Further in vitro antibacterial activities of Au NPs were investigated against Gram positive and Gram negative. Staphylococcus aureus  and E.Coli . Studied Toxicity of the synthesized Au NPs on human blood cells.


Background: Self-care is vital for successful heart failure (HF) management. Mastering self-care is challenging; few patients develop sufficient expertise to avoid repeated hospitalization. Objective: To describe and understand how expertise in HF self-care develops. Methods: Extreme case sampling was used to identify 29 chronic HF patients predominately poor or particularly good in self-care. Using a mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) design, participants were interviewed about HF self-care, surveyed to measure factors anticipated to influence self-care, and tested for cognitive functioning. Audiotaped interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Qualitative and quantitative data were combined to produce a multidimensional typology of patients poor, good, or expert in HF self-care. Results: Only 10.3% of the sample was expert in HF self-care. Patients poor in HF self-care had worse cognition, more sleepiness, higher depression, and poorer family functioning. The primary factors distinguishing those good versus expert in self-care were sleepiness and family engagement. Experts had less daytime sleepiness and more support from engaged loved ones who fostered self-care skill development. Conclusion: Engaged supporters can help persons with chronic HF to overcome seemingly insurmountable barriers to self-care. Research is needed to understand the effects of excessive daytime sleepiness on HF self-care.


In Detail Dynamics AX is a next-generation ERP system that can be customized in any area to provide a competitive edge by facilitating ERP implementations that follow the time-proven processes being used by businesses. This ERP system not only provides additional flexibilities but also has some other unique features such as its layered customization approach, separation of language elements from code, feature keys, etc. All these features add great value allowing implementation of solutions in a flexible, cost-effective, risk-free, and timely manner but these things may add challenges in quality assurance of these solutions. This book discusses the methodology to ensure quality standards in Dynamics AX customization projects and IBI-compliant independent software vendor application development. Dynamics AX customization is not equivalent to fresh application development; however, Dynamics is so flexible that it allows customization in almost all areas, which poses greater challenges for correctness, accuracy, and trustworthiness of customized Dynamics AX-based ERP solutions. This book discusses the quality expectations from Dynamics AX-based ERP solutions, best practices that need to be followed to meet the quality expectations, and the strategies to test a customized Dynamics AX ERP application. What you will learn from this book? Implementing ERP to resolve business challengesSolving quality issues using Dynamics AXBest practices for Dynamics AX customization (technical perspective, GUI)Achieving trustworthiness by improving security, privacy, and reliabilityTesting strategy for verifying quality characteristicsImplementing a safe and secure testing life cycle tuned for Dynamics AXHandling the security defects in your system.Exploring and employing/utilizing Dynamics AX testing tools Approach This book deals with quality awareness as well as quality assurance. It discusses the quality expectations from the ERP solution, talks about the best practices for meeting the quality expectations, and then suggests the strategies to test the customized Dynamics AX ERP application. Who this book is written for? Microsoft Business Solution partners will benefit greatly from this book. This book targets functional experts and Dynamics AX developers. A basic knowledge of the X++ language and the basics of Axapta architecture are needed to follow the book, but no prior knowledge of testing is required. The following will find this book useful: MBS Partners who are dealing in Dynamics AX: To educate their employees for achieving their quality goals. Project Managers / Quality Managers: To update themselves about the standards related to Design, Development, Testing, etc., which are a part of Microsoft IBI Specifications for Dynamics AX 4.0. Dynamics AX Developers: To update themselves about coding standards that apply to Dynamics AX and to know the principles behind various recommended best practices. Functional Consultants: To update themselves about Solution Design / GUI Specifications. Chief Technology Officers / Technical Solution Designers: To gain awareness about best practices for trustworthy computing and how these can be implemented at organization / project level. Dynamics AX Customers: To know about applicable standards for Dynamics AX customization projects and hence be able to effectively monitor their projects or set expectations from vendors about quality goals.


Indigenous people have widely been blamed for degrading South Asia's montane forest resources through the practice of shifting cultivation, yet some studies have revealed that indigenous people used forests in a sustainable way for centuries until external intervention. The history of external intervention in the forests of South Asia is more than two centuries old. The process of degradation of forest resources requires understanding of the political and social processes that condition access, control and management of the land and resources involved. The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh, a part of the Himalayan region, underwent essentially the same socio-political and historical processes as many other countries in the region and had very similar experiences in forest management. By examination of policies and associated effects on CHT forest over the past two centuries, this paper reveals that the process of forest degradation in the CHT started during the British colonial period with the nationalization of forests, establishment of reserve forests (RFs), management of forests by government agencies and weakening of traditional institutions. The process of degradation was accelerated by: privatization of forest land for the promotion of sedentary agriculture, horticulture and rubber plantation; the construction of a hydraulic dam on the Karnafuli River; the settlement of lowland people; and the constant conflict between indigenous people and the Forest Department. The degradation of CHT forests is not only the result of traditional agricultural practices, but also of many other factors including inappropriate policies and programmes.


In this paper, a solar energy powered bicycle by a wireless sensor network (WSN) far-end network monitoring solar energy to transfer the electrical energy storage and the effectiveness analysis is proposed. In order to achieve this goal, an embarked ZigBee by a solar-powered bicycle the far-end wireless network supervisory system is setup. Experimental results prove that our prototype, the solar energy powered bicycle, can manage the solar energy for charging two Lead-Acid batteries pack. As a result, the user by the wireless network in parking period knows the data on the amount of immediate solar radiation, the degree of illumination, the ambient temperature, and electrical energy storage capacity information by the internet interface.


Security and privacy methods are used to protect the data values. Private data values are secured with confidentiality and integrity methods. Privacy model hides the individual identity over the public data values. Sensitive attributes are protected using anonymity methods. Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. Antidiscrimination acts are designed to prevent discrimination on the basis of a number of attributes in various settings. Public data collections are used to train association/classification rules in view of making automated decisions. Data mining can be both a source of discrimination and a means for discovering discrimination. Automated data collection and data mining techniques such as classification rule mining are used to making automated decisions. Discriminations are divided into two types such as direct and indirect discriminations. Direct discrimination occurs when decisions are made based on sensitive attributes. Indirect discrimination occurs when decisions are made based on non sensitive attributes which are strongly correlated with biased sensitive ones. Discrimination discovery and prevention are used for anti-discrimination requirements. Direct and indirect discriminations prevention is applied on individually or both at the same time. The data values are cleaned to obtain direct and/or indirect discriminatory decision rules. Data transformation techniques are applied to prepare the data values for the discrimination prevention. Rule protection and rule generalization algorithm and direct and indirect discrimination prevention algorithm are used to protect discriminations. The discrimination prevention model is integrated with the differential privacy scheme to high privacy. Dynamic policy selection based discrimination prevention is adopted to generalize the systems for all regions. Data transformation technique is improved to increase the utility rate. Discrimination removal process is improved with rule hiding techniques.


We present results from the 'Ponos' simulation suite on the early evolution of a massive, M_vir(z = 0) = 1.2 × 10^13 M_⊙ galaxy. At z ≳ 6, before feedback from a central supermassive black hole becomes dominant, the main galaxy has a stellar mass ∼2 × 10^9 M_⊙ and a star formation rate ∼20 M_⊙ yr^−1. The galaxy sits near the expected main sequence of star-forming galaxies at those redshifts, and resembles moderately star-forming systems observed at z > 5. The high specific star formation rate results in vigorous heating and stirring of the gas by supernovae feedback, and the galaxy develops a thick and turbulent disc, with gas velocity dispersion ∼40 km s^−1, rotation to dispersion ratio ∼2, and with a significant amount of gas at ∼10^5 K. The Toomre parameter always exceeds the critical value for gravito-turbulence, Q ∼ 1.5–2, mainly due to the contribution of warm/hot gas inside the disc. Without feedback, a nearly gravito-turbulent regime establishes with similar gas velocity dispersion and lower Q. We propose that the 'hot and turbulent' disc regime seen in our simulations, unlike the 'cold and turbulent' gravito-turbulent regime of massive clumpy disc galaxies at z ∼ 1–2, is a fundamental characterization of the main-sequence galaxies at z ≳ 6, as they can sustain star formation rates comparable to those of low-mass starbursts at z = 0. This results in no sustained coherent gas inflows through the disc, and in fluctuating and anisotropic mass transport, possibly postponing the assembly of the bulge and causing the initial feeding of the central black hole to be highly intermittent.


The authors have developed several techniques to analyze polarimetric radar data from the NASA/JPL airborne SAR for Earth science applications. The techniques determine the heterogeneity of scatterers with subregions, optimize the return power from these areas, and identify probable scattering mechanisms for each pixel in a radar image. These techniques are applied to the discrimination and characterization of geologic surfaces and vegetation cover, and it is found that their utility varies depending on the terrain type. It is concluded that there are several classes of problems amenable to single-frequency polarimetric data analysis, including characterization of surface roughness and vegetation structure, and estimation of vegetation density. Polarimetric radar remote sensing can thus be a useful tool for monitoring a set of Earth science parameters. >


Alcohol-soluble proteins (prolamins) are the predominant storage proteins in the endosperm of most of the cereals. Prolamins are deposited within membrane bound structures called protein bodies. Our objective was to determine if there is some commonality in protein body formation between agronomically important cereals and grasses. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of alcohol-soluble proteins from tall fescue seeds revealed abundant proteins ranging in size from 73 to 23 kDa. Immunoblot analysis using wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) prolamin antiserum revealed limited antigenic homology between wheat and tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae Schreb.) prolamins. The amino acid composition of tall fescue alcohol-soluble proteins showed a high concentration of glutamine and proline residues, similar to those found in several cereal prolamins. Ultrastructural studies of the endosperm cells of tall fescue seeds at 15 d after anthesis revealed the presence of numerous vacuoles that contained protein inclusions. Extensive rough endoplasmic reticulum was seen during this developmental stage. The endoplasmic reticulum, which was often dilated, gave rise to numerous, small vacuole-like structures. At 20 d after anthesis, the rough endoplasmic reticulum contained flocculent material within the lumen of the dilated areas. Protein aggregates were surrounded by numerous vesicles whose membranes were studded with ribosomes. Organized membrane lattices were seen at the surface of protein bodies and at the junctions where small protein bodies were fusing with larger ones. Protein A-gold immunocytochemistry employing wheat prolamin antiserum specifically localized the alcohol-soluble proteins within the protein bodies.


Abstract Experiments are presented here in analysis and depiction of Palynodata records. Palynodata, a database of pre-Quaternary records of fossil palynomorphs compiled from global literature, is now available as Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) Open File 5793. Palynodata is a non-random sample of the distributions of palynomorphs. Hence, for any taxon, occurrence records in Palynodata serve as a proxy for its 'real' distribution in geological time and paleogeographical space. These experiments may be useful starting points for students of palynology in their exploration of Palynodata records. Palynoplot software bins and plots Palynodata taxa retrievals by time, and by the modern latitude of the study sites. It uses geographical co-ordinates for the study localities in Palynodata and the geological time scale. Such plots reveal temporal and latitudinal distribution patterns, and potential taxonomic and data problems such as outliers and inconsistent taxonomy. Taxonomic studies can be supported by considering time by latitude distributions, in addition to traditional morphology and priorities. The modern latitude of the sites studied gives increasing distortion with geological age. Palynodata output and the study locality file was input for PaleoGIS software to depict occurrence records on paleogeographical maps. PaleoGIS software showed changing occurrence patterns on rotated plates. An experimental trend surface model of the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition used binned records of common filicale genera which were evolutionarily sensitive between 180 and 100 Ma. The results demonstrate potential for the technique, and lessons for interpretation and future refinement. Common taxa may become useful for biostratigraphical problems and, by calibration against reference sections, this technique might be refined to provide a useful biostratigraphical standard for geological system boundaries. These manipulations of Palynodata records are a 'proof-of-concept' demonstration of techniques that may help to reveal the biostratigraphical, paleoecological, and paleoclimatological significance of fossil palynomorphs. Such work also reveals desirable improvements in Palynodata. The precision of indexing species in Palynodata may limit the potential level of chronostratigraphical resolution.


We introduce a new method to price American-style options on underlying investments governed by stochastic volatility (SV) models. The method does not require the volatility process to be observed. Instead, it exploits the fact that the optimal decision functions in the corresponding dynamic programming problem can be expressed as functions of conditional distributions of volatility, given observed data. By constructing statistics summarizing information about these conditional distributions, one can obtain high quality approximate solutions. Although the required conditional distributions are in general intractable, they can be arbitrarily precisely approximated using sequential Monte Carlo schemes. The drawback, as with many Monte Carlo schemes, is potentially heavy computational demand. We present two variants of the algorithm, one closely related to the well-known least-squares Monte Carlo algorithm of Longstaff and Schwartz [The Review of Financial Studies 14 (2001) 113-147], and the other solving the same problem using a "brute force" gridding approach. We estimate an illustrative SV model using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods for three equities. We also demonstrate the use of our algorithm by estimating the posterior distribution of the market price of volatility risk for each of the three equities.


The kinetics of the adsorption of lead ions on active carbon from aqueous solutions was studied at room temperature at different lead ion concentrations (i.e. 0.1-0.5 g/L). The kinetics of the lead ion adsorption on active carbon is explained through mass transfer adsorption phenomena and the rate determining step was found to be film diffusion


In dexamethasone-suppressed healthy volunteers, the serotonin4 (5-HT4) receptor agonist cisapride and lysine vasopressin [LVP, an analog of arginine vasopressin (AVP)] have no influence on plasma cortisol levels (PCL). In contrast, cisapride and AVP have been shown to stimulate cortisol secretion in patients with adrenal tumor or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia and Cushing's syndrome. In this report, we describe a case of adrenocortical adenoma causing subclinical Cushing's syndrome. Cisapride and terlipressin, a precursor of LVP, both induced an increase in PCL reaching +88% and +100%, respectively, without any significant variation of plasma ACTH levels. In vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of 5-HT and AVP on cortisol production from cultured tumor cells and normal adrenocortical cells. 5-HT and AVP both induced a dose-dependent increase in cortisol production from cultured tumor cells. Comparison of the data obtained with tumor and normal cells, respectively, showed that 5-HT was more efficient to stimulate steroidogenesis in adenomatous than normal cells. Concurrently, the efficacy and potency of AVP were both higher in tumor than normal cells. Collectively, these results show that the abnormal in vivo responses of the adrenocortical adenoma to cisapride and LVP could be ascribed to an increased sensitivity of the tumor tissue to 5-HT and AVP. The data also suggest that the adrenocortical tumor overexpressed eutopic 5-HT4 and V1 receptors.


Bone grafts have been used to fill bone defects caused by disease or trauma. The amount of autografts is limited and allogenic bone grafts may transmit diseases and cause immune responses. Numerous materials have been proposed and used as scaffolds for bone tissue reconstruction. In this study, we tested nanophase PLGA/HA composite with mesenchymal stem cells in vitro to examine its biological response and cellular activity. The nanophase composite was compared to conventional polystyrene on cytocompatibility by cell attachment, proliferation, alkaline phosphotase activity test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The results demonstrated that human mesenchymal cells showed more cell attachment and higher cell proliferation rate when growing on nanophase PLGA/HA composite than those growing on polystyrene alone. And the composite also promoted MSC cells differentiate to osteoblast cells as compared with control. It was suggested that the combination of bone marrow mesenchymal cells with artificial materials or differentiation factors may enhance bone formation and regeneration, nanophase PLGA/HA composite might therefore be a promising scaffold material for bone tissue substitute in clinical application.


While there has been a growing utilization of Henri Lefebvre's concept of the `right to the city', not much has been said about the legal implications of such a concept. This article discusses the main aspects of the legal construction of the `right to the city' in Brazil. Following a discussion of Lefebvre's contribution to the debate on urban politics, the article analyses the role played by the legal order in the determination of the exclusionary pattern of urban development in Brazil, as well as the role a redefined legal order can have in the processes of urban reform, socio-spatial inclusion, and sustainable development. Emphasis is placed on the main dimensions of the 2001 City Statute, the legal framework governing urban development and management, which recognized the `right to the city' as a collective right, followed by an introduction to the proposed `World Charter of the Right to the City'. As a conclusion, it is argued that, while a great deal has already been done to promote the materialization of the `right to the city' in Brazil, there are still serious obstacles to be overcome, and renewed socio-political mobilization is required for the new legal-urban order to be fully implemented.


Shoppers with an Internet-enabled computer have a wealth of product information available to them. By browsing to a variety of Websites, users can conduct searches and compare prices, read reviews, and learn more about a product. These sites are pivot points for a user; once they are at Amazon.com's landing page, for example, they can navigate outwards to a million different products. The idiom of browsing to a central page for a site and then navigating outwards is acceptable when browsing is convenient, with large displays and useful input devices. This process becomes inconvenient, however, when the user is out and about in the world. We have built a system, Pivot, that uses physical objects as pivot points for the user. Specifically, Pivot uses the 1-D barcodes present on every product to deliver powerful services and options to a user on his or her cellphone. These services are chosen to be most useful to a user in the moment and trying to make a purchase decision. This paper describes the motivations for the system, the system itself, its current real-world deployment, and our intended future work.


Zhigoneshi describes the symbiotic dependencies that weave together to produce the world. The Kogi concept of mutuality, as expressed in their word zhigoneshi, conveys a picture of life as a series of collaborative, cooperative relationships, which the Kogi understand as axiomatic to all living processes, including human societies. This is evident in relation to their vertical mountain economy and in their view of exchange. Consequently, for the Kogi, materials, knowledge and thought are not simply connected but are also fundamentally entwined. This approach does not simply describe ecological dependencies; it also holds that economic and biological life existentially inform each other and therefore cannot be separated, even in thought. Chiming with the reality of cellular symbiotic practices at the very origins of life (as articulated by Margulis), zhigoneshi rejects the notion of the self-interested in pursuit of accumulation and profit, as employed by capitalist economic methods, in favor of actions that understand connectivity and ensure balance and harmony are maintained. Using numerous cultural examples, we illustrate how many alternative ideas of economy continue to inform current exchange practices out from the market and suggest that these examples provide a useful understanding of post-capitalist possibilities in the Anthropocene.


Abstract We use adaptive dynamics models to study how changes in the abiotic environment affect patterns of evolutionary dynamics and diversity in evolving communities of organisms with complex phenotypes. The models are based on the logistic competition model, and environmental changes are implemented as a temporal change of the carrying capacity as a function of phenotype. In general, we observe that environmental changes cause a reduction in the number of species, in total population size, and in phenotypic diversity. The rate of environmental change is crucial for determining whether a community survives or undergoes extinction. Until some critical rate of environmental changes, species are able to follow evolutionarily the shifting phenotypic optimum of the carrying capacity, and many communities adapt to the changing conditions and converge to new stationary states. When environmental changes stop, such communities gradually restore their initial phenotypic diversity.


There is a growing trend towards competency-based education (CBE) in Kenya. This paper reflects on the attributes of the competency-based education programme and the way forward especially at the higher levels of education. CBE is a new way of thinking in the Kenyan system of education designed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and launched by the Ministry of Education in 2017.It is the product of the Task Force on re-alignment of the Education Sector (2012) which was mandated to review and align the education, training and research sector in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Competency-based education focuses on the acquisition of competencies which enable the learners to cope with life challenges. CBE focuses on the achievement of learning outcomes in terms of the desired behavioral change for the effective performance of a real-world task or activity. The attributes of the CBE programme are drawn from different reports and policy documents. The reports and policy documents are based on societal needs that have motivated the need to align the curriculum at all levels. Over the years, education has been guided by prevailing national goals which are identified through situational analysis. The reports and special documents have been used to articulate the direction the country needs to take in order to propel its development agenda. This has been emphasised by the implementation of the competency-based curriculum in all levels of education. Discussions on CBE provide important information that would guide Kenyan universities on the curriculum review. The paper concludes by giving several recommendations that universities should undertake to align themselves with the curriculum review. It is imperative that each level fits in as required for successful implementation.


In this paper, we develop a new deep hybrid graph kernel. This is based on the depth-based matching kernel [1] and the Weisfeiler-Lehman subtree kernel [2], by jointly computing a basic deep kernel that simultaneously captures the relationship between the combined kernels through deep learning networks. Specifically, for a set of graphs under investigations, we commence by computing two kernel matrices using each of the separate kernels. With the two kernel matrices to hand, for each graph we use the kernel value between the graph and each of the training graphs as the graph characterisation vector. This vector can be seen as a kernel-based similarity embedding vector of the graph [3]. We use the embedding vectors of all graphs to train a deep auto encoder network, that is optimized using Stochastic Gradient Descent together with the Deep Belief Network for pretraining. The deep representation computed through the deep learning network captures the main relationship between the depth-based matching kernel and the Weisfeiler-Lehman subtree kernel. The resulting deep hybrid graph kernel is computed by summing the original kernels together with the dot product kernel between their deep representations. We show that the deep hybrid graph kernel not only captures the joint information between the associated depth-based matching and Weisfeiler-Lehman subtree kernels, but also reflects the information content over all graphs under investigations. Experimental evaluations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed kernel.


Weight loss of two species of frozen shrimps viz. Parapenaeopsis stylifera and  Metapenaeus dobsoni packed as peeled and undeveined and as has peeled and deveined were studied. ln both species weight loss inaeased as the size of the shrimps decreased and thedifference in weight loss of large and small shrimp was found significant in both PD and PUD. Between the two species there were no significant differences in weight loss in both PD and PUD meat of same size grades except in PUD 2(1)/3(1) grade.


Steam-Assisted Gravity-Drainage (SAGD) is one of the most effective ways of recovering heavy oil. Injection of cold solvent into the SAGD formation is an enhancement to SAGD recovery technology to reduce the energy consumption and heat loss. SAGD process is a high energy-intensive process where it requires a high amount of steam to mobilize and recover the heavy oil. Besides, generation of steam requires the combustion of natural gas which adversely impacts the economics of SAGD, especially when the price for natural gas is high. Furthermore, large amounts of injected steam are retained in the reservoir where it reduces the thermal efficiency of the process. Therefore, this research aims to develop better recovery process with lower energy and emission intensities.
 In this study, a thermal compositional simulation was carried out using a commercial simulator to examine the performance of cold solvent in assisting heavy oil recovery. In this process, the cold solvent is injected into a mature heavy oil field where it has been recovering using SAGD process. The solvent will then utilize the energy retained in the reservoir to vaporize and spread within the steam chamber. The low temperature of the solvent will cool down the temperature of steam chamber where it enhances the solubility of solvent in the oleic phase and accelerates recovery. Carbon dioxide is chosen as the solvent for this process as it is considered as a lower-cost alternative compared to hydrocarbons.
 The simulation shows a secondary peak oil rate due to the cold solvent, followed by a steady increase in oil production rate. This is also aided by the viscosity reduction due to carbon dioxide solubility. Steam injection is ceased when a cold solvent is injected into the formation, hence significantly reducing the steam requirement in heavy oil recovery. Overall results show that the cold solvent process increases the oil recovery by 2%, reduces steam-oil-ratio, reduces total heat loss by 16% and reduces steam requirement by 24%. Hence, the advantageous results from the simulation prove that cold solvent is a profitable and energy-efficient recovery method in recovering mature SAGD formations.


Harumanis mango is marketed as green-ripe fruit with green peel and soft edible pulp;this reduces the demand for this fruit since consumers prefer yellow fruit. To the best of our knowledge, little is known regarding postharvest response of Harumanis mango to differential temperatures. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize peel colour and selected quality characteristics of Harumanis mango when exposed to differential ripening temperatures. Mature green mangos (day 0) were collected from Department of Agriculture, Perlis. The fruits were ripened using 5 g CaC2/kg fruit at 20,25,30 and 35c. After 24 h, the covers of fiber board carton were removed and the fruits allowed to ripen at 25c for four days. Fruit at day 0.2 and 4 were analyzed for peel colour (L*,C* and h), soluble solids concentration (SSC) and flesh firmness and the data were analyzed using ANOVA and the differences between means determined using LSD. The four ripening temperatures did not affect L*,C* firmness and SSC of fruits. The peel h values were significantly lower when fruits treated at 20 and 25c as compared to 30 and 35c. As of fruit changed from green to yellow. The firmness of fruit decrease while SSC increase significantly as ripening day progressed and this contributes to better eating quality of fruit. It is concluded that temperature of 20 and 25c can be used to obtain yellow-ripe Harumanis mango.


Cancer is still a deadly disease, and its treatment desperately needs to be managed in a very sophisticated way through fast-developing novel strategies. Most of the cancer cases eventually develop into recurrencies, for which cancer stem cells (CSCs) are thought to be responsible. They are considered as a subpopulation of all cancer cells of tumor tissue with aberrant regulation of self-renewal, unbalanced proliferation, and cell death properties. Moreover, CSCs show a serious degree of resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy and immune surveillance as well. Therefore, new classes of drugs are rushing into the market each year, which makes the cost of therapy increase dramatically. Natural products are also becoming a new research area as a diverse chemical library to suppress CSCs. Some of the products even show promise in this regard. So, the near future could witness the introduction of natural products as a source of new chemotherapy modalities, which may result in the development of novel anticancer drugs. They could also be a reasonably-priced alternative to highly expensive current treatments. Nowadays, considering the effects of natural compounds on targeting surface markers, signaling pathways, apoptosis, and escape from immunosurveillance have been a highly intriguing area in preclinical and clinical research. In this review, we present scientific advances regarding their potential use in the inhibition of CSCs and the mechanisms by which they kill the CSCs.


Methods: The permeability analysis was performed using the IntelliSpace portal, manufactured by PHILIPS with the Permeability package. The variables changed during processing were the AIF, temporal and spatial smoothing filters. For each equipment field strength a processing protocol was created informing the injection time, the relaxativity and the concentration of the contrast agent.
Results and Discussion: There is a significant difference in the values of permeability between the Manual and Automatic AIF processing. Temporal smoothing filters showed greater variation when using the medium setting. This variation occurs for all examined criteria (ktrans, kep, Ve and Vp). Spatial smoothing filters do not alter substantially the results of the permeability analysis.
Conclusion: There is a big difference in the result of permeability obtained comparing the Automatic and Manual AIF analysis, and may be in the order of 250%. Temporal and spatial smoothing filters have small, non-significant variations in the results.


Abstract A 551-bp region of a PCR product containing the putative mitochondrial control region and flanking sequences was analyzed for sequence variation among 19 sea stars representing 10 previously described PCR–RFLP haplotypes within a cryptic species complex ( Leptasterias spp.). Most (97%) of the sequence variation was interhaplotypic rather than intrahaplotypic, which greatly reduced the utility of sequence polymorphisms in this mtDNA region as markers of intrahaplotypic population structure and gene flow. The estimated number of transition and transversion substitutions per nucleotide site, corrected for multiple hits, was 0.0364 and 0.0158, respectively. Most of the sequence variation occurred in the first half of the putative control region. Phylogenetic analysis (both maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood) revealed three well-supported clades, but the position of two PCR-RFLP haplotypes was not completely resolved. Low intraspecific mtDNA sequence divergence over large geographic distances may be a general pattern for echinoderm species.


Co-simulation combines multiple tools depending on a range of various requirements. This creates a mix of coexisting computation environments and makes co-simulation difficult to deploy and reproduce. On the other hand, due to its partitioned structure, it also offers a way to split and distribute the computation over multiple cores, potentially reducing simulation time. This paper addresses a way for handling and taking advantages of these aspects. An innovative framework providing simplified deployment, distributed computation and encapsulation for enhanced and reproducible co-simulation is presented, based on state-of-the-art open-source information technology tools and applications. By applying this framework to the simulation of a multi-network urban energy system, a proof-of-concept for the presented approach is given. The presented framework intends to enable researchers and engineers to not only simulate complex systems, but also create reproducible execution environments and workflows.


SUMMARY In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), authentication is a crucial security requirement to avoid attacks against secure communication , and to mitigate against DoS attacks exploiting the limited resources of sensor nodes. Resource constraints of sensor nodes are hurdles in applying strong public key cryptographic based mechanisms in WSNs. To address the problem of authentication in WSNs, we propose an efficient and secure framework for authenticated broadcast/multicast by sensor nodes as well as for outside user authentication, which utilizes identity based cryptography and online/offline signature (OOS) schemes. The primary goals of this framework are to enable all sensor nodes in the network, firstly, to broadcast and/or multicast an authenticated message quickly; secondly, to verify the broadcast/multicast message sender and the message contents; and finally, to verify the legitimacy of an outside user. This paper reports the implementation and experimental evaluation of the previously proposed authenticated broadcast/multicast by sensor nodes scheme using online/offline signature on TinyOS and MICA2 sensor nodes.


We have found markedly deficient expression of the class I major histocompatibility antigens HLA-A,B,C and beta 2m on human small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) lines and fresh tumor samples. The deficit of HLA- A,B,C and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) antigen expression was demonstrated with both radiobinding assays and indirect immunofluorescence assays. Immunoprecipitation of metabolically labeled cells with antibodies to class I antigens showed most SCLC lines to have synthesized almost no beta 2m and HLA-A,B,C proteins. Northern blot analysis, using human HLA-A,B, and beta 2m cDNA probes, showed that almost all SCLC lines tested had markedly decreased amounts of HLA and beta 2m mRNA, but both gene products could be induced with interferon treatment of SCLC lines. We conclude that human SCLC, in contrast to other lung cancer types, is characterized by greatly reduced transcription of HLA-A,B,C and beta 2m genes, which suggests the existence of a mechanism for evading the host immune response to the tumor and of an E1a-like product in this type of tumor cell.