This article presents an active-only current-mode universal biquad filter performing three standard functions: low-pass, high-pass and band-pass function, which can be readily modified to achieve the rest functions (band-stop and all-pass). The circuit principle is based on active-only circuit designed by using differentiators which are constructed from current controlled current conveyor transconductance amplifier (CCCCTA) cooperating with an internally frequency compensated operational amplifier (OA). The features of the circuit are that: the pole frequency and quality factor can be independently tuned via the input bias currents and it is ideally temperature-insensitive, its circuit description is very simple, consisting of 3 CCCCTAs and 2 operational amplifiers, and the proposed circuit is very appropriate for further developing into integrated circuit architecture. The PSpice simulation results are shown. The given results agree well with the theoretical anticipation.


Using short natural fibers in thermoplastic composites not only improves polymer mechanical properties, but also allows making materials that are lightweight compared to composites reinforced with glass fibers. The main applications are plastic parts for automobiles,packaging and construction.Natural fibers come from renewable resources, are cheap and easily available. However, there are a lot of morphology and properties differences between glass and natural fibers. Glass fibers have a homogeneous composition and diameter, are straight, stiff and brittle, but natural fibers usually have a various chemical compositions and appear as thick and stiff bundles and/or as thin flexible elementary fibers.During injection molding process, fibers are flowing and then, after material solidification, their dispersion and orientation are "frozen". While the microstructure of glass fibers reinforced thermoplastic is well known, natural fibers case is still not studied in details. Will natural fibers take the same orientation in the injected parts as glass fibers? How natural fibers flexibility influences their orientation? Do natural fibers remain curved in composites?The work objective is to analyze and to understand the microstructure of flax fiber-polymer-composite. Fibers were mixed with polypropylene in a twin screw extruder, pelletized and injected in a rectangular-shaped mold. By optical microscopy in transmitted and reflected light accompanied by image analysis, fiber orientation and curvature were quantified, at different depths and locations in the injected parts.Results were related with shear and elongation flows experienced by the material during processing.


Background: Integration of subjects, facilitates acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes to 'theoretical' subjects in a clinical context in comparison to traditional teaching. The utility of integrated lecture modules (ILM) was accordingly planned and the objective of the study was to evaluate the performance and to document the perception of year II MBBS students exposed to both the integrated and didactic lecture modules. Materials and Methods: The project was executed on 140 consented year II MBBS students who were randomly divided into 2 groups; group I (n=70) was exposed to didactic lecture (DLG), group II (n=70) to integrated lecture (ILG). The didactic lectures were taken by Pharmacology faculty, while integrated lectures by Pharmacology, Preventive and Social Medicine and Pediatrics faculty. Before the session, students appeared for a pretest consisting of 20 MCQs. Following the post test, the evaluation of the perception of students regarding this study was done by administering an 18 item feedback questionnaire. The agree and disagree comments from the respondents was expressed in percentage and the pre and post test scores were analysed using the t test. Results: The mean pretest MCQ score in the DLG was 6.95 ± 1.38, which increased to 13.84 ± 3.79 in posttest. Similarly, the mean pre and post test scores of ILG were 6.17 ± 1.54 and 17.64 ± 2.68 respectively. In the feedback questionnaire 96% students opined that ILM improved their understanding (versus 77% for DLG) and 83% students stated that the knowledge gained in ILM will help them in clinical practice (versus 73 % in DLG). Conclusion: Implementation of vertical integration among pre, para and clinical subjects is beneficial as observed by the improved performance of students when exposed to ILM and as indicated by their response in the feedback.


Testing was conducted on the NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter, Endeavour, to determine the high frequency shielding capability of three major cavities; the flight deck, the mid-deck/crew quarters and the payload bay. Testing was performed using highly modified reverberation techniques. A big advantage of reverberation is that it avoids the inaccuracies that occur during testing using traditional direct radiation methods. These include inaccuracies associated with standing wave patterns, radiation aspect angle, and antenna factor errors. Reverberation is especially useful in measuring leakages from points that are difficult to access, such as leakages from the top of the orbiter. An account of the test method is presented in detail, along with setup diagrams, photos, and graphs of the shielding measurements. Also, the software used to automate the measurements is described. This was essential to maximizing the accuracy and efficiency of the measurements.


Molecular techniques have represented a major step forward in the diagnosis of viral respiratory infections. They are considered highly sensitive and specific compared to conventional techniques. In this study two nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) were compared to conventional methods (immunofluorescence and viral culture). The aim of this work was to discuss the clinical interpretation of the results obtained by NAATs on the basis of the two‐decade experience of our group and the literature. Eighty nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected from children under six years attended for acute respiratory illness at the pediatric emergency room of a third level Hospital. Both NAATs tested (Seeplex® and Clart®) showed an overall higher performance regarding sensitivity (76% and 90%, respectively). Compared to Seeplex®, the Clart® system tripled the number of multiple detections (8 by Seeplex® vs. 25 by Clart®). In some specimens both NAATs detected different viruses. Given these discrepancies and the fact that detection of viral nucleic acids is not necessarily related to the current clinical syndrome, the interpretation of molecular results may not always be so straightforward. The pros and cons of NAATs should always be taken into account when giving a result. J. Med. Virol. 88:45–50, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Feral and invasive carnivores have been intentionally or unintentionally introduced to many parts of the world for a variety of reasons. Once established, they have often caused significant impacts to endemic species because of their predatory nature and, in numerous cases, have altered ecosystem structure and function in important conservation areas. They can also cause competition for native predators, hybridization with native species, losses to livestock and companion animals, and disease hazards. We provide examples of the extent of introductions, resulting impacts, and efforts to control or eradicate these populations. Working with introduced or feral carnivores presents many challenges to resource managers, agencies, agriculturists, and landowners. There has been considerable success in controlling or eradicating some populations in various parts of the world, primarily using traps, shooting, and toxicants. Recent technological advances and research needs are addressed.


Pharmacoepidemiology has been defined as the study of the uses and the effects of drugs in large numbers of people and is important for the surveillance of drugs after marketing. With the recent movement from a reactive to a rather proactive pharmacovigilance, (pharmaco)epidemiological research plays an increasing role in basically all stages of the drug development process. Data on the disease planned to be treated with a new drug have to be gained which can be useful e.g. for the riskbenefit analysis of that compound (e.g. for the comparison of rates of adverse events in the treated population with the disease with rates of such events in the untreated population with the disease). Additionally, good knowledge of diseases is valuable for daily clinical practice. Hence, apart from the classical drug safety studies, pharmacoepidemiology groups conduct more and more disease epidemiology or drug utilisation studies in order to learn more about the natural history of diseases. The aim of this thesis was to increase the knowledge of psoriasis by providing new information and complementing existing data. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease which is common in certain parts of the world. The gain of new insights into the pathogenesis of this disease has prompted the recent development of new therapeutic drugs, primarily biologicals, and vice versa. The studies of this thesis were conducted with data from the General Practice Research Database, which contains longitudinal primary care clinical records from several million patients representative of the United Kingdom population. The general practitioners have been trained to record information on patient demographics and characteristics, lifestyle factors, symptoms, medical diagnoses, referrals to hospitals or specialists, and therapies in a standard and anonymous way. Several hundred studies have been conducted using this extensively validated database. In the first three case-control studies, the influence of beta-blockers and other antihypertensives (Study 3.1), of lithium and antipsychotics (Study 3.2), and of thiazolidinediones and other antidiabetics (Study 3.3) on the risk of developing psoriasis were investigated. The study population consisted of 36,702 patients with a first-time psoriasis diagnosis between 1994 and 2005 and the same number of patients without psoriasis, matched on age, sex, index date, general practitioner, and history in the database. Exposure to the drug classes was evaluated taking duration and timing of use and potential confounding into account. In contrast to the notion in the literature (including standard dermatology textbooks), which was mainly based on data from case reports and case series, use of beta-blockers and other antihypertensives did not materially alter the risk of incident psoriasis. On the contrary, the second study confirmed the suggestion that long-term exposure to lithium can induce psoriasis. Furthermore, for atypical antipsychotics, primarily olanzapine, a statistically significantly decreased psoriasis risk was found for current exposure of longer duration. This observation needs further confirmation. Small clinical trials had shown potential clinical benefits of thiazolidinediones on psoriasis symptoms. Study 3.3 additionally suggested that longer-term exposure to thiazolidinediones reduces the risk of developing psoriasis. The risk also tended to be decreased after use of metformin, however, this needs further investigation. Studies 3.4 to 3.6 were cohort studies with a nested case-control analysis in which the study population defined for Studies 3.1 to 3.3 (= cohort population) was followed for identification of incident diabetes mellitus (Study 3.4), myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke / transient ischaemic attack (TIA) (Study 3.5), and cancer (Study 3.6) in patients with or without psoriasis. Incidence rates (IRs) and unadjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated. In the nested case-control analysis, patients with the outcome of interest were matched on age, sex, and index date to four control patients from the cohort population, and the psoriasis history stratified by duration and severity (using treatment as proxy) was compared by calculating adjusted odds ratios (ORs). The overall diabetes IR in psoriatic patients was about 35% higher than in psoriasis-free patients. Psoriasis patients with intensive systemic treatment for their skin disease and a disease history of longer duration showed an about 2.5 times increased risk of diabetes compared to psoriasis-free patients. For MI and stroke / TIA the overall risk was not increased, but further analyses showed increased risks in subpopulations (e.g. severe psoriasis patients or patients <60 years of age [for MI]). The risk of lymphohaematopoietic or certain types of solid cancers was statistically significantly increased in patients with psoriasis, for solid cancers primarily in patients with a longer-term disease history. These large population-based studies further analysed existing hypotheses and raised new ones. The results may be valuable for healthcare professionals in their daily clinical practice and for pharmaceutical companies in the risk-benefit analysis of their drugs. Additionally, the example of the association between use of betablockers and psoriasis showed that there should be no place for dogmas in medicine and that conclusions can be challenged.


The hydrothermal fluids responsible for gold mineralization at the Ballarat East gold deposit (the second largest orogenic gold deposit in the western Lachlan orogen) are thought to have links to a variety of processes, including metamorphism, sedimentation, and/or magmatism. In the current study, noble gases and halogens have been used as fluid tracers to reevaluate the origin and evolution of the gold-related fluids at the Ballarat East deposit.

Gold-bearing quartz and carbonate veins from the Ballarat East contain low salinity (~4 wt % NaCl equiv) aqueous (H2O) and mixed H2O-CO2 fluid inclusions. These fluid inclusions have variable molar Br/Cl values of between 1.2 × 10−3 and 2.9 × 10−3 and I/Cl values between 150 × 10−6 and 500 × 10−6, and Br is strongly correlated with I, defining a mixing line with a Br/I ratio of 5.6. The fluid inclusions have 40Ar/36Ar ratios ranging from 322 (close to the atmospheric 40Ar/36Ar ratio of ~296) up to a maximum of 4503. 40Ar is strongly correlated with Cl and defines a mixing line with a 40ArE/Cl ratio of 4.6 × 10−4 (40ArE denotes excess 40Ar). The fluid inclusions contain 5.1 to 32 ppm 40ArE (by mass) and exhibit minimum 36Ar concentrations ranging from 3.1 to 11 ppb, which exceed air-saturated water (ASW) levels by several parts per billion (ASW = 1.3–2.7 ppb). Fluid inclusion 84Kr/36Ar and 130Xe/36Ar values are uniformly enriched in Kr and Xe relative to air, but exhibit limited variation.

These data provide strong evidence for the involvement of two noble gas and halogen reservoirs. This data is compatible with a deeply sourced fluid, possibly originating by devolatilization of altered volcanic rocks (e.g., basalts) that acquired additional noble gases and organic Br plus I by interaction with sedimentary rocks, including organic-rich shales that are found beneath and surrounding the deposit. The data are also consistent with mixing deeply sourced metamorphic fluids with sedimentary formation waters; however, both interpretations favor the involvement of metamorphic fluids and sedimentary components and highlight the significance of fluid-rock interaction as controls on fluid compositions in Victorian deposits. The data are compatible with genetic models for orogenic gold in which gold mineralization was initiated by metamorphic devolatilization in the lower crust, and was linked to Lachlan orogenesis at ca. 440 Ma.


This study addresses how property appraisers forecast one important component of the commercial property valuation model: net operating income. We compare appraisers' ex ante forecasts with corresponding ex post figures from company financial reports. The data are from the Swedish Property Index, 1998–2005, and comprise over 7000 observations. The findings indicate that the appraisers' forecasts are somewhat forward looking and almost as accurate as those obtained using mechanical autoregressive models. However, the forecasts are biased, as appraisers systematically overestimate future net operating income. There was also evidence of decreasing accuracy over the study period.


This article offers an empirical critique of recent social and educational policy responses to cultural diversity in an Irish context, with a particular focus on anti-racism, integration and intercultural education policies developed during the so-called 'Celtic Tiger' era. Combining ethnographic and discourse analytic techniques, I highlight the centrality of the Celtic Tiger economy and corporate interests in influencing the particular version of interculturalism promulgated by the Irish state. I argue that broader macro processes and discourses operating at the level of Irish state policy can impact the local school level, resulting in negative consequences for ethnic minority students, particularly those who are least endowed with the cultural and linguistic capital valued by the school and wider society.


As mobile computing devices grow smaller and as in-car computing platforms become more common, we must augment traditional methods of human-computer interaction. Although speech interfaces have existed for years, the constrained system resources of pervasive devices, such as limited memory and processing capabilities, present new challenges. We provide an overview of embedded automatic speech recognition (ASR) on the pervasive device and discuss its ability to help us develop pervasive applications that meet today's marketplace needs. ASR recognizes spoken words and phrases. State-of-the-art ASR uses a phoneme-based approach for speech modeling: it gives each phoneme (or elementary speech sound) in the language under consideration a statistical representation expressing its acoustic properties.


The results obtained from the different fractions of metabolites were selected for in vivo acute toxicity studies. The toxicological study revealed that the test samples are safe for animal use up to 800 mg/kg. The test sample showed dose dependent anti-nociceptive potentials, the significant effect was observed with 500 and 800 mg/kg b.w dose. The analgesic effect of diclofenac sodium (standard drug) was greater than test sample. The significant (P<0.01) anti-nociceptive potentials was noticed at 800 mg/kg b.w. of the animal for normal saline (35.50 ± 0.84), chloroform (29.67 ± 1.22), ethyl acetate (30.67 ± 1.22) and (29.00 ± 0.93) chloroform fraction of L. plantarum secondary metabolites. The test sample reduced the motility of GIT in mice. The reduction in GIT motility is dose dependent and maximum effect was produced by 800 mg/kg dose. The test sample caused different degree of movement of charcoal meal in the intestine i.e. 24.17, 20.17 and 17.83 cm at the tested doses of 200, 500 and 800 mg/kg, respectively.


As a special kind of recurrent neural networks, Zhang neural network (ZNN) has been successfully applied to various time-variant problems solving. In this paper, we first propose a special two-step Zhang et al. discretization (ZeaD) formula and a general two-step ZeaD formula, whose truncation errors are O(τ) and O(τ), respectively, and τ > 0 denotes the sampling gap. We also propose a general fivestep ZeaD formula with truncation error O(τ), and prove that the special and general two-step ZdaD formulas is convergent but the general five-step ZeaD formula is not zerostable, thus is not convergent. Then, to solve the time-varying nonlinear optimization (TVNO) in real time, based on the Taylor series expansion and the above two convergent two-step ZeaD formulas, we discrete the continuous-time ZNN (CTZNN) model of TVNO proposed in the literature, and thus get a special two-step discrete-time ZNN (DTZNN) model and a general two-step DTZNN model, which contains a free parameter a1 ∈ (−1/2,+∞). Theoretical analyses indicate that the sequence generated by the first DTZNN model is not convergent, and for any a1 ∈ (−1/2,+∞) and the step-size h ∈ (0, (2+4a1)/(1+a1)), the sequence generated by the second DTZNN model converges to zero in an O(τ) manner, where O(τ) denotes a vector with every entries being O(τ). Furthermore, we prove that for any fixed a1 ∈ (−1/2,+∞), the constant (2+4a1)/(1+a1) is the tight upper bound of the step-size h and the constant (1 + 2a1)/(1 + a1) is the optimal step-size. Finally, some numerical results and comparisons are provided and analyzed to substantiate the efficacy of the proposed DTZNN models.


The concept of totalitarianism emerged between the two world wars in twentieth-century Europe to become a central concept of Cold War social science designed to highlight similarities between the Nazi and Soviet regimes and implicitly to contrast these forms of dictatorship with liberal democracy. While in the 1960s and 1970s many critics challenged the concept's Cold War uses as an ideology of "the West," the idea of totalitarianism and later "post-totalitarianism" played important roles in East Central Europe, where they helped dissident intellectuals, academics, and activists both to understand and to challenge Soviet-style communism. The concept of "totalitarianism" remains heavily contested. But whatever one thinks about the concept's social scientific validity, there can be no doubt that it played a crucial role in both the scholarship of communism and the public intellectual debates about the possibilities of post-communism. Aviezer Tucker's The Legacies of Totalitarianism: A Theoretical Framework (Cambridge 2015) addresses many of these issues, and so we have invited a range of political scientists to comment on the book and the broader theme denoted by its title.


Proxy Mobile IPv6, the IETF's protocol for network-based mobility
management, requires a completed and successful authentication of the
mobile node before it is registered at the mobility anchor. This
document describes inter-working between access authentication
mechanisms, such as IEEE 802.1X, and the Proxy Mobile IPv6 protocol to
enable trusted WiFi access to a network-based mobility management
domain. Furthermore, the use of authentication method specific
identifiers for unique identification of mobile nodes during setup and
maintenance of their mobility session is described, following
recommendations of related standards organizations, such as 3GPP and
the WiMAX Forum.


Ocular adnexal lymphoma is classified as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the most common primary subtype of which is the low-grade extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the MALT type (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue).1 MALT lymphomas were first recognised in 1983;2 they occur in tissues normally devoid of lymph nodes such as the skin, gastric mucosa, lung, thyroid and salivary gland.3 The incidence increases with age and is highest among Asians and Pacific Islanders.4 Since 1975, the incidence of ocular NHL has increased approximately 6% per year, and ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma is increasing more rapidly than MALT lymphoma at other sites.4 It is possible that this may be related to a new infectious aetiology.

Many MALT lymphomas at non-ocular sites are associated with an infectious aetiology supporting the model of antigen-driven lymphomagenesis.3 An infection triggers chronic antigen stimulation of B cells and the production of antibodies; later, the proliferation of B cell clones becomes antigen-independent, and with uncontrolled proliferation, malignant transformation can occur.3 Borrelia burgdorferi and Campylobacter jejuni have been associated with marginal zone lymphoma of the skin and small intestine, respectively.5 6 However, the most frequently cited example is that of gastric MALT lymphoma where eradication of Helicobactor pylori, a cause of chronic gastritis, results in the resolution of early stage gastric MALT lymphoma.7 Interestingly, some extra-gastric, non-ocular MALT lymphomas have regressed following H pylori -eradicating antibiotic therapy.8 9 This finding led many to speculate that H pylori may have a role in ocular adnexal lymphoma. Although Ferreri and associates10 showed that H pylori antibiotic eradication was not effective treatment for ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma (OA MALT lymphoma), there is some published evidence for the role of H pylori in OAL. Chan et al …


Scale effects in the high temperature gas pressure forming of electrodeposited fine-grained copper thin sheets were investigated by a series of tests at various forming temperatures and die apertures. The average as-deposited copper grain size was 5 μm. The geometrical parameters of the bugling die system and the thickness of copper sheet varied in proportion. Different radius hemisphere parts from 0.5mm to 5mm were obtained at a strain rate of 5.0×10−4 s−1, which was controlled by pressure forces curves determined in terms of a finite element method (FEM) based on constitutive equation proposed by Backoften in 1964. The experimental relative bulging height (RBH) values were measured, and compared with that predicted by the same finite element method (FEM). It was found that the experimental values of large scale parts approach to simulated values, whereas the experimental values of small scale parts were quite different from simulated values. In order to explain these phenomena, a grain-rotation-weakened mechanism was proposed.


The objective of the present work was to study the morphological characteristics of blood stains resulting from the static fall of blood droplets onto a sloping stain-receptive surface depending on its properties and the height of fall. The blood droplets were allowed to fall down from a specially designed device onto the sloping surfaces at an angle of 45 degrees from the height varying from 5 to 200 cm. The receptive surfaces had different absorbing capacity (non-absorbing, moderately absorbing, and well-absorbing surfaces). The analysis of the blood stains thus obtained showed that they differed in the size, shape, and morphological features depending on the height of fall of the droplets, the absorbing properties of the trace-receptive surfaces, and the angle of incidence of blood droplets. The results of the study can be used to improve the quality of forensic medical expertise of the surfaces soiled with blood stains.


A methodology has been proposed for estimating the nonlinear effects in radio tracts of receiving and transmitting devices in radio-electronic means of mobile communication systems, based on using the nonlinear transfer functions of the higher-order Volterra series. A procedure has been devised for obtaining the output responses from a nonlinear non-inertia circuit under the harmonious input action using a method for determining the transfer functions of higher orders obtained on the basis of the transfer functions of lower orders. We have derived the analytical expressions for the output responses from a nonlinear system of different orders for three inputs for the case of representing a nonlinear system in the form of a nonlinear non-inertia circuit. The values of the transfer functions of higher orders for a nonlinear non-inertia circuit were determined by using a state variable method. This paper demonstrates the derivation of analytical expressions to calculate a harmonic coefficient based on the second and third harmonics using the nonlinear higher-orders transfer functions of a nonlinear non-inertia circuit. It has been shown that the use of the nonlinear transfer functions to the fifth order inclusive allows a more accurate assessment of nonlinear effects in the form of the harmonious and intermodulation distortions in the radio tracts of radio-electronic means of mobile systems. The outlined technique for determining the nonlinear transfer functions is invariant to the topology of a nonlinear electrical circuit, as well as to the quantity and type of nonlinear elements. Existing estimation procedures of electromagnetic compatibility related to the problems of calculating intermodulation interference can be improved by the introduction of the determined magnitudes of influence products. The proposed methodology makes it possible to evaluate the set of nonlinear effects in the problems related to electromagnetic compatibility in the groups of radio-electronic means with the accuracy required by users


The index type created from the stocks of companies operating in accordance with Islamic principles is called "participation index". In this study, whether the inclusion of companies operating in Borsa Istanbul National Market and in accordance with Participation Banking principles in the BIST Participation 30 Index had an effect on the price of stocks, was analyzed with the event study method. As a result of the analysis, it was observed that the cumulative abnormal returns had been on decline before the companies were included in the participation index, and the decline continued on the day of the event and the following days. The findings obtained are meaningful and typical for all relevant economic units, especially for investors and market makers.


This report contains majorand trace-element concentration data for soil samples collected from 265 sites along two continental-scale transects in North America. One of the transects extends from northern Manitoba to the United States-Mexico border near El Paso, Tex. and consists of 105 sites. The other transect approximately follows the 38th parallel from the Pacific coast of the United States near San Francisco, Calif., to the Atlantic coast along the Maryland shore and consists of 160 sites. Sampling sites were defined by first dividing each transect into approximately 40-km segments. For each segment, a 1-km-wide latitudinal strip was randomly selected; within each strip, a potential sample site was selected from the most representative landscape within the most common soil type. At one in four sites, duplicate samples were collected 10 meters apart to estimate local spatial variability. At each site, up to four separate soil samples were collected as follows: (1) material from 0-5 cm depth; (2) O horizon, if present; (3) a composite of the A horizon; and (4) C horizon. Each sample collected was analyzed for total majorand trace-element composition by the following methods: (1) inductively coupled plasmamass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP AES) for aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, calcium, cerium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, indium, iron, lanthanum, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, phosphorus, potassium, rubidium, scandium, silver, sodium, strontium, sulfur, tellurium, thallium, thorium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, yttrium, and zinc; (2) cold vaporatomic absorption spectrometry for mercury; (3) hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry for antimony and selenium; (4) coulometric titration for carbonate carbon; and (5) combustion for total carbon and total sulfur.


The ability of an in vivo anticoccidial assay to identify potential feed-through insecticides was demonstrated using first-instar Lucilia sericata on droppings from chicks fed medicated diets. Cyromazine, a commercially available feed-through insect growth regulator, ivermectin, diflubenzuron, fipronil, permethrin, and 2 experimental compounds were effective in varying degrees in killing L. sericata larvae. Eleven coccidiostats were effective against the protozoan parasites (Eimeria spp.) at commercially used levels, whereas they were ineffective against Lucilia larvae.


From the Publisher:
Inside 3D Studio MAX 3 Modeling, Materials, and Rendering is the only in-depth guide dedicated to modeling, materials, and rendering with 3D Studio MAX. You go inside the advanced modeling, texturing, and rendering features of 3D Studio MAX and learn how to use these features to get professional results. Real-world tutorials, advanced tips, and insider tricks take you beyond the basics and help you master high-end techniques. The CD-ROM is loaded with MAX and AVI files, models, materials, and textures for polishing your skills with the book's tutorials.


This article focuses attention on influences that affect Early Career Teachers' (ECTs') professionalism during their process of learning to teach. The main purpose is to generate an approach informed by Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and evaluate the relevance of this approach to research influences affecting ECTs' professionalism and retention. This approach is significant because it could be employed in future research to address a knowledge gap in the existing evidence base and to further illuminate our understanding of influences affecting ECTs' professionalism and retention.
The paper introduces the key principles of CHAT. Then a context for researching ECTs' professionalism is constructed; tracing the enactment of government policy strategies within Initial Teacher Training (ITT) policies and examining the contested notion of professionalism. Next, existing empirical evidence on influences affecting ECTs' professionalism is evaluated and a knowledge gap is identified. Then an alternative approach informed by CHAT is outlined with reasons why it is useful in researching influences on ECTs' professionalism. Some limitations of employing CHAT in this approach are identified and adaptations are proposed. Argument is presented about how the gap in the existing evidence base could be addressed by utilising this approach in future research.


Renewed Survival is an ethno-historic account of Jewish community life in Croatia. It traces the community's turbulent history from its inception in the late eighteenth century to the shifting political climate of the 1990s following the disintegration of Yugoslavia. Croatia's separation from Yugoslavia is explored ethnographically by examining the lives of the members of a small community of largely intercultural Jews. Particular attention is paid to the impact of local and transnational cultural changes during this period, wherein Jewish community life in Croatia became the focus of a number of institutional forces such as market capitalism, government-sponsored diversity campaigns, and transnational identity politics (the post-communist 'meaning makers' of Jewish identity). By exploring the multiple strategies employed by Croatian Jews in refashioning their identities, this work challenges both the nostalgic image of a thriving presence of Jewish culture in Croatia as well as the (more prominent) view that Jewish communities in Croatia are on the brink of extinction. The author suggests that the latter view-the 'disappearance thesis'-is belied by the experiences of many Croatian Jews, who continue to derive meaning from Jewish community life, notwithstanding their lack of religious commitment and cultural hybridization.


SiO2 coatings and double layer films of SiO2/Si3N4 have been designed and prepared on sapphire (α-Al2O3) by radio frequency magnetron reactive sputtering in order to improve the optical and mechanical properties of infrared windows of sapphire. The transmission of the coated and uncoated sapphire in the wavelength range from 2.5 to 6.7um was determined. Surface morphology and roughness of coated and uncoated sapphire have been measured using a talysurf. The flexure strength of coated and uncoated sapphire samples has been studied by 3-point bending tests at room temperature and high temperatures. The results show that the coatings can improve the surface morphology and reduce the surface roughness of sapphire substrate. What's more, the designed single layer of SiO2 film and two-layer of SiO2/Si3N4 films can both increase the transmission of sapphire in mid-wave IR and strengthen sapphire at high temperatures. Coated sapphire transmits over 95% at wavelength from 3 to 5um for the two designs. Flexure tests reveal that SiO2 coatings and SiO2/Si3N4 films increase the strength of c-axis sapphire by a factor of about 1.5 and 1.4, respectively, at 800°C.


In the opening years of the 20th century, the Scottish Magnate Andrew Carnegie used the donation of plaster casts of the dinosaur Diplodocus as a means to influence European heads of state in favor of his scheme for conflict arbitration. This contribution examines the way in which these casts became a border object between the worlds of science, high and popular culture, and politics, by looking at the history of the public assimilation of dinosaurs. Specifically, it focuses on an earlier example of such donations: the Iguanodons which were given away by the Belgian state and the Belgian king Leopold II personally, after 1890. These developments collided when Carnegie's donation of a Diplodocus floundered because of Leopold's rapidly deteriorating reputation as a consequence of the Congolese genocide – a reminder that for Carnegie, despite the cultural and scientific appeal of his donations, politics remained at the center of his campaign.


A neural language model can be conditioned into generating descriptions for images by providing visual information apart from the sentence prefix. This visual information can be included into the language model through different points of entry resulting in different neural architectures. We identify four main architectures which we call init-inject, pre-inject, par-inject, and merge.
We analyse these four architectures and conclude that the best performing one is init-inject, which is when the visual information is injected into the initial state of the recurrent neural network. We confirm this using both automatic evaluation measures and human annotation.
We then analyse how much influence the images have on each architecture. This is done by measuring how different the output probabilities of a model are when a partial sentence is combined with a completely different image from the one it is meant to be combined with. We find that init-inject tends to quickly become less influenced by the image as more words are generated. A different architecture called merge, which is when the visual information is merged with the recurrent neural network's hidden state vector prior to output, loses visual influence much more slowly, suggesting that it would work better for generating longer sentences.
We also observe that the merge architecture can have its recurrent neural network pre-trained in a text-only language model (transfer learning) rather than be initialised randomly as usual. This results in even better performance than the other architectures, provided that the source language model is not too good at language modelling or it will overspecialise and be less effective at image description generation.
Our work opens up new avenues of research in neural architectures, explainable AI, and transfer learning.


Video game AI aims at generating an intelligent game opponent which is to compete with player, so game AI design plays an important role in the development of game. Nowadays, most of the game AI is implemented by FSM. But this mechanism has some drawbacks, so we need a mechanism to design game AI automatically instead of FSM. The process of automatic game AI design by UCT is introduced in this paper. In this process, we only take the meta-rules into consideration, while those many complicated detail knowledge is acquired by simulation. Here we propose the approach of UCT-controlled NPC based on CI (computational intelligence). However, this approach will consume lots of computational resources, and the acquired knowledge cannot be stored. To solve this problem, we train Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to make it reusable. The whole design process is validated on the Test-Bed of the game Dead-End. We conclude that from both the simplification of implementation and the reusability, this process outperforms FSM.


An integrated photoconversion and cell sorting parallel-plate chromatography channel enabling the measurement of instantaneous and average velocities of cells mediating adhesion in flow fields was engineered to study the mechanisms underlying adhesion to selectins by metastatic cancer cells. Through the facile enrichment of cells into subfractions of differing adhesive behaviors and a fluorescent velocity probe amenable to off-chip analysis, underlying, causal molecular profiles implicated in differing adhesive phenotypes of metastatic cancer cells could be interrogated. This analytical method revealed selectin-mediated rolling adhesion to be strongly associated with expression of selectin ligands, correlations that vary with ligand type and rolling velocity magnitude. Discrete selectin ligand expression profiles were also found to underlie persistent versus non-persistent adhesion on selectins, suggestive of divergent regulatory mechanisms. This integrated cell sorting and photoconversion microfluidic platform thus enables in vitro analysis and comparisons of adhesive phenotypes as they relate to mechanisms of cancer cell metastasis in the context of selectin mediated adhesion, revealing new insights into potential cancer dissemination pathways.


Author(s): Assencio, Diego | Advisor(s): Zocchi, Giovanni; Teran, Joseph M | Abstract: We present two numerical methods for the solution of the Stokes equations designed to handle both interfacial discontinuities, geometrically irregular flow domains and discontinuous fluid properties such as viscosity and density. The methods are efficient, easy to implement and yield second order accurate, discretely divergence free velocities. We call these methods Virtual Node Algorithms. The first method handles the case in which the fluid viscosity is continuous across the interfaces, while the second method handles the case in which the fluid viscosity is discontinuous across the interfaces. In both cases, we assume the fluid viscosity to be uniformly constant over the spatial extension of each fluid. We discretize the Stokes equations using an embedded approach on a uniform MAC-grid employing virtual nodes at interfaces and boundaries. Interfaces and boundaries are represented with a hybrid Lagrangian/level set method. For the continuous viscosity case, we rewrite the Stokes equations as three Poisson equations and use the techniques developed in Bedrossian et al. (2010) [1] to impose jump and boundary conditions. We also use a final Poisson equation to enforce a discrete divergence-free condition. All four linear systems involved are symmetric positive definite with three of the four having the standard 5-point Laplace stencil everywhere. Numerical results are presented indicating second order accuracy in L∞ for both velocities and pressure. For the discontinuous viscosity case, we presented a method which requires no knowledge of the jumps on the fluid variables and their derivatives along the interface. The degrees of freedom associated with virtual nodes allow for accurate resolution of discontinuities in the fluid stress at the interfaces but require a Lagrange multiplier term to enforce continuity of the fluid velocity. We provide a novel discretization of this term that accurately resolves the constant pressure null modes. The discrete coupled equations for the velocity, pressure and Lagrange multipliers are in the form of a symmetric KKT system. Numerical results are presented indicating second order accuracy for the velocities and first order accuracy for the pressure (in L∞).


The function of metallothionein in zinc homeostasis was examined by using mice homozygous for knockout (KO) of the metallothionein-I or -II (MT-I and MT-II) genes. Pregnant MT-I/II KO mice or control mice were fed a zinc-deficient (1 microg/g or 5 microg/g) diet or a zinc-adequate (50 microg/g) diet during specific periods of pregnancy, and the effects on morphogenesis of the embryos were determined at day 14 of pregnancy (day 1 = vaginal plug). In the homozygous MT-I/II KO, as well as in the nontransgenic control mice, severe dietary zinc deficiency (1 microg/g) beginning on day 1 of pregnancy was embryotoxic and teratogenic, and the majority of the embryos in both strains were dead by mid-gestation. However, 53% of the surviving embryos in the MT-I/II KO mice were morphologically abnormal compared to only 32% of the embryos in the control mice. In subsequent experiments, moderate dietary zinc deficiency (5 microg/g beginning on day 1 of pregnancy or 1 microg/g dietary zinc beginning on day 8 of pregnancy) exerted teratogenic, but not embryotoxic effects. Embryos in the MT-I/II KO mice were 260 to 290% as likely to develop abnormally than were embryos in the control mice fed these same diets. These results demonstrate that the expression of the MT-I and -II genes in pregnant females improves reproductive success during maternal dietary zinc deficiency.


The text investigates nationalist thought during the Italian interwar years, tracing the rising of significant issues of economic policy, such as the Labour Chart, the founding of IRI, corporativism and colonial politics. Three economists were especially relevant: Vilfredo Pareto, Maffeo Pantaleoni and Enrico Barone. Anyway, in the field of political economy and law, two other personalities were even more crucial: Alfredo Rocco and Alberto Beneduce, who Mussolini trusted in terms of loyalty and competence. The topic is complex and requires further investigation. The alternate influence of the two during the long government of Mussolini, Rocco first and then Beneduce, is to be carefully considered as one of the main events of the Italian history under the Fascist regime


Structural Health Monitoring pursues the goals of making engineered structures safer and more efficient by enabling automated detection of damage. This can provide a warning before catastrophic failure and supports a paradigm shift in design, enabling lighter weight structures by trading design margins and damage tolerance for increased inspection capabilities. Development of self-healing materials, with an innate capability to repair damage, is pursuing the same goals of preventing catastrophic failures and increasing efficiency by offering a paradigm shift from traditional damage tolerance. Self-healing materials generally fall into several categories; autonomic (selfactuating) vs. non-autonomic (requiring external actuation) and crack closing vs. bonding. Crack closing self-healing materials have the capability to restore large scale geometry after fractures occur but are generally non-autonomic. This form of selfhealing material and SHM are complementary because the materials have the ability to mend damage, preventing catastrophic failure, but requires information of the existence and location of damage. SHM provides a means to detect damage and inform and initiate actuation of self-healing. In order to realize the vision of merging these technologies there are multiple hurdles to overcome. Non-autonomic, crack closing self-healing materials generally consist of shape memory wires / fibers embedded within a structural matrix, similar to a composite. Prior work with this form of self-healing has been limited in capability, only able to restore geometry in a free state. Healing has not resulted in a closing load across the fracture and therefore structures have been unable to withstand external loading during or after healing, nor has ultrasonic inspection of healed structures been informative This paper will present a design process intended to create self-healing structures suited to ultrasonic SHM by pre-straining shape memory wires before fabrication. This results in constrained recovery that produces a closing load across the fracture face in the healed state. The fracture closing load gives the healed structure load carrying capabilities was intended to support ultrasonic wave propagation & inspection. Mechanics based analysis of these structures along with their properties in a "healed" state are compared to experimental results. Finally, continuing challenges to ultrasonic inspection are discussed. Integrating Structural Health Monitoring with Self-healing capabilities will improve understanding and capabilities in each field individually while building toward their mutual goals of improving safety and increasing the efficiency of engineered structures.


QUESTION
A pregnant patient is taking enalapril for primary hypertension. How safe are angiotension-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) during pregnancy?

ANSWER
Evidence of whether ACEIs cause problems during the first trimester of pregnancy is reassuring. There is evidence that they cause severe renal and other problems during the second and third trimesters, however. These drugs should be avoided during pregnancy.


Interleukin (IL)-11 is a member of the IL-6 family of cytokines and involved in multiple cellular responses, including tumor development. However, the origin and functions of IL-11-producing (IL-11+) cells are not fully understood. To characterize IL-11+ cells in vivo, we generated Il11 reporter mice. IL-11+ cells appeared in the colon of three murine tumor models, and a murine acute colitis model. Il11ra1 or Il11 deletion attenuated the development of colitis-associated colorectal cancer. IL-11+ cells expressed fibroblast markers, and genes associated with cell proliferation and tissue repair. IL-11 induced STAT3 phosphorylation in colonic fibroblasts, suggesting the activation of IL-11+ fibroblasts. Analysis using the human cancer database revealed that genes enriched in IL-11+ fibroblasts were elevated in human colorectal cancer, and correlated with reduced disease-free survival. Together, our results suggested that tumor cells induced IL-11+ fibroblasts, and that a feed-forward loop between IL-11 and IL-11+ fibroblasts might contribute to tumor development.


We study the structural and dynamical mechanisms of reinforcement of a polymer nanocomposite via coarse-grained Molecular Dynamics simulations. In a regime of strong polymer-filler interactions, the stress at failure of the PNC is clearly correlated to structural quantities, such as the filler loading, the surface area of the polymer-filler interface and the network structure. Additionally, we find that small fillers, of the size of the polymer monomers, are the most effective at reinforcing the matrix, by surrounding the polymer chains and maximizing the number of strong polymer-filler interactions. Such a structural configuration is correlated to a dynamical feature, namely the minimization of the relative mobility of the fillers with respect to the polymer matrix.


The minor in teaching English to speakers of other languages will provide students with a theoretical and practical foundation for the teaching of English as a second language in the United States or as a foreign language in other countries. The curriculum will benefit students in foreign languages, linguistics, English, education and other fields of study who are interested in shortor long-term employment in the TESOL field.


Governments across the world are planning to increase the share of renewables in their energy systems. The siting of new wind and solar power plants requires close coordination with grid planning, and hence co-optimization of investment in generation and transmission expansion in spatially and temporally resolved models is an indispensable but complex problem. Particularly considerations of transmission expansion planning (TEP) add to the problem's complexity. Even if the power flow equations are linearized, the optimization problem is still bilinear and mixed-integer due to the dependence of line expansion on line impedance and a discrete set of line expansion options. While it is possible to linearize this mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP) by applying a big-M disjunctive relaxation, the resulting MILP is still hard to solve using state-of-the-art solvers for large-scale energy system models. In this paper we therefore develop heuristics to incorporate integer transmission expansion and responsive line impedances in energy system models, while retaining the lower computational effort of continuous linear programming (LP) by applying sequential linear programming (SLP) techniques, relaxation and discretization approaches. We benchmark their performance against the results of the exact formulation for a policy-relevant case study of the German transmission system in terms of their speed-up in computation time, deviation from optimal total system cost, and similarity of line expansion. Using heuristics we reduce computation times of joint generation and transmission optimisation by 82% with a maximal total system cost deviation of only 1.5%. The heuristics closely mirror optimal integer line investment of the exact MINLP with considerable time savings for policy-relevant low-carbon energy system optimization models.


Alice Goffman's widely acclaimed On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City has drawn more positive attention than almost any sociology book in recent years. The success of the book led to a lecture tour of at least twenty sociology departments and conferences. Her TED talk, which was often interrupted by applause, has had nearly 700,000 views. A careful reading of On the Run, however, leaves me with vexing questions about the author's accuracy and reliability. There are just too many incidents that strike me as unlikely to have occurred as she describes them. One must try to keep an open mind about such things – especially regarding someone as obviously brilliant and dedicated as Goffman – so readers may disagree with me about the extent of her embellishments. In any event, there is a bigger problem. As I will explain below, Goffman appears to have participated in a serious felony in the course of her field work – a circumstance that seems to have escaped the notice of her teachers, her mentors, her publishers, her admirers, and even her critics.


Head-to-tail regioregular poly(3-heptanoylthiophene) (PHOT) was synthesized by Ni-catalyzed polycondensation of the 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol-protected Grignard monomer followed by deprotection. Cyclic voltammetric (CV) study demonstrates that the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of PHOT are 0.5 eV lower in energy than those of the head-to-tail poly(3-hexylthiophene) (HT-P3HT). Their optical band gaps are essentially the same. Incomplete photoluminescence (PL) quenching was observed in thin films of the 1:1 blend of PHOT and HT-P3HT. PHOT displayed a glass transition at ∼269 °C and decomposed at ∼300 °C according to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) study showed that PHOT exists in a not highly ordered state in solid films especially in the π-stacking direction. Only p-channel activity was observed in field-effect transistors (FETs) for PHOT. The hole mobility was on the order of 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1. Photovoltaic devices with an active layer of 1:1 blend of PHOT and PC71BM had a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ∼0.5%. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010


Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a significant and common medical problem. Currently, there are several treatment available options for patients with ED, both non-invasive and invasive like phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors, intra-cavernosal injections (BIMIX,TRIMIX), intraurethral prostaglandin E1 pellets, vacuum erection devices and insertion of a penile prosthesis. Most of these options are invasive, which can be troublesome for patients, and also have side-effect profiles. Pulsed-electro magnetic stimulation therapy (PLMST) has gained interest in the field of sexual medicine. In the given case author presented a successful effect of in a case of erectile dysfunction.


Abstract. As a special part of architectural heritage, the colored pattern is not only artwork to decorate the architecture, but information reflecting specific historical era. So it has great cultural and artistic value. However, the colored pattern is one of the most sensitive types of cultural relics, which is sensitive to natural environment changes and highly vulnerable to erosion. In order to strengthen the protection of colored patterns in history architectures, it is necessary to monitor the status quo of them.This work introduces a monitoring method of color decaying for colored patterns in architecture: set up the illuminants, adjust the illuminants, detect the color information and calculate the color difference. Based on the color difference by CIE DE2000 formula, the color decaying status of the pattern can be evaluated. The monitoring period should be at least three months.About four years' work has been carried out for colored patterns in the Long Corridor of the Summer Palace, and the color differences ΔE00 are about from 2 to 5, some can be over 9. In result, most colored patterns keep in good health condition. Color decaying happens every time and there are slight changes in most colored patterns. In 2nd quarter 2017, aware changes happened in nearly all the patterns. According to the color difference to evaluate the color decaying of the colored patterns, it is an efficient method to analyze the health status of colored patterns.


The investigation was made to determine the effects of full-span and of partial-span split flaps on the aerodynamic characteristics of a tapered wing. Aerodynamic force tests were made in the N.A.C.A. 7 by 10 foot wind tunnel on a highly tapered Clark Y wing equipped with various split flaps. Two sizes of tapered-chord flaps were tested as full-span flaps, and a narrow tapered-chord flap was tested as a partial-span flap by cutting off portions first from the tip and then from the center. The investigation showed that with full-span split flaps the lift and drag characteristics of the tapered wing up to the stall are similar to those of a rectangular wing with flaps of comparable size, but that the stall of the tapered wing with full-span flaps occurs at progressively lower angles of attack with increasing flap deflection up to that for maximum lift. For partial-span tapered split flaps on a tapered wing it was found that the maximum lift is greater, and the lift-drag ratio at maximum lift is less, when the partial-span flap is located at the center of the wing than when it is located at the tip portion.


We consider a process Z on the real line composed from a Levy process and its exponentially tilted version killed with arbitrary rates and give an expression for the joint law of the supremum (Z) over bar, its time T, and the process Z(T + center dot) - (Z) over bar. This expression is in terms of the laws of the original and the tilted Levy processes conditioned to stay negative and positive respectively. The result is used to derive a new representation of stationary particle systems driven by Levy processes. In particular, this implies that a max-stable process arising from Levy processes admits a mixed moving maxima representation with spectral functions given by the conditioned Levy processes.


This article proposes a procedure, based on a global statistic, for assessing intra-individual consistency in a test-retest design with a short-term retest interval. The procedure is developed within the framework of parametric item response theory, and the statistic is a likelihood-based measure that can be considered as an extension of the well-known lz person-fit index. The rationale for using and interpreting the proposed statistic is discussed, and an adapted standardized residual at the item level is also proposed to obtain clues about the possible causes of the detected inconsistency. The procedure is illustrated with a real-data example and a parallel simulation in the personality domain.


U.S. sugar corporations transformed the early-twentieth-century Puerto Rican economy. None of the changes favored small farmers and laborers. By the 1920s, the effects of U.S. colonial practices included land consolidation, the transformation of small farmers into wage workers, and increases in levels of rural poverty and standards of living. However, educators emerged with a solution to the "rural problem." They proposed the rural school was the key institution that could contribute to the transformation of rural families, social relationships, and the economy. Teachers, an important intermediate group in colonial society, promised the regeneration of the emerging "national" icon, the jibaro, the man of the highlands. In this article I examine teachers'visions for national regeneration.


This paper proposes a feedback control method for a Linear Resonant Actuator (LRA), in which an external load estimated from two signals of the back-EMF is used as the target voltage in PID control. From the estimated load, it becomes possible to obtain an arbitrary amplitude of the mover. The effectiveness of this method was verified through FEM analysis and measurement.


natal period. In very premature infants of less than 30 weeks gestational age there is no correlation between the severity of illness and plasma cortisol concentrations. Low plasma cortisol levels were measured during critical illness with severe arterial hypotension requiring catecholamine treatment in the first two weeks of life. Thus, a relative adrenal insufficiency is suspected. The pituitary responds to CRH and the adrenal cortex to ACTH. But it is still questionable, wether the response is sufficient. Preterm infants with an impaired adrenal function in the first weeks of life seem to be at a higher risk for developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Steroids are effective in the treatment of arterial hypotension and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Because of the broad spectrum of severe and long-term adverse effects, the treatment with glucocorticoids is recommended only after carefully balancing its benefits and risks.


The HYREX experiment has provided a data set unique in the UK, with a dense network of raingauges available for studying the rainfall at a fine local scale and a network of radar stations allowing detailed examination of the spatial and temporal structure of rainfall at larger scales. In this paper, the properties and characteristics of the rainfall process, as measured by the HYREX recording network of rainguages and radars, are studied from a statistical perspective. The results of these analyses are used to develop various models of the rainfall process, for use in hydrological applications. Some typical results of these various modelling exercises are presented. Keywords: Rainfall statistics, rainfall models, hydrological design


Computed Tomography (CT) technology allows the cross sectional imaging of objects nondestructively and is of great importance because of its capability of detecting interior defects. CT technology is especially widely used in the areas of material industries, airspace industries and medical diagnostics. However this detail of information comes at a price. Modern CT data acquisition systems collect huge amounts of data making the processing of that data a significant challenge. In order to deal with continuing demand of large object 3D CT technology and increased 3D CT data size we have developed a large field of view 3D CT scan capability addressing the required resolution (100 μ) and handling the data acquisition, transfer, processing, viewing and information extraction. The new phosphor screen detector employing CCD camera with approximately 44cm X 30cm active imaging area and 3073 x 2048 pixel size, scans large objects at medium resolution. Phosphor screen computed tomography system control software developed in this thesis integrates image acquisition, image calibration, motion control and CT Scan. CT data generated as a result of a scan requires a 3D visualization tool to fulfill goal of inspection and analysis of object. The 3D visualization tool designed at Center of Non Destructive Evaluation employs ray cast volume rendering method to visualize volume CT data on PC. While the ability to get an overview of these large 3D CT data sets (3GB) is powerful, the lack of tools to extract information from this qualitative display limits the 3D CT capability. This research has added another tool to the existing software that will be used to identify and separate features in a sample based on identifying neighbor approach. Algorithms for image analysis and processing like percentage porosity analysis and correction of rogue bad pixels are also part of the research. The result in dealing with the data acquisition and data manipulation issues is a significant extension of 3D CT imaging capabilities.


Unconscious plagiarism is a serious issue affecting a musician's livelihood, yet little scientific understanding presently informs court decisions on musical plagiarism. In contrast to deliberate copying, unconscious plagiarism occurs when an individual intends to create an original work, but retrieves another person's idea from memory, and mistakes it as their own. The cognitive mechanisms associated with unconscious plagiarism have so far only been tested in verbal creative tasks (e.g., generating category exemplars, or alternate uses for objects). In these studies, unconscious plagiarism was established to be a form of source monitoring error, where externally experienced ideas are confused as internally generated (Johnson, Hashtroudi, & Lindsay, 1993). The likelihood of unconscious plagiarism is greatly increased after improving others' ideas, as this involves similar processes to idea generation, thus, others' ideas become confused as one's own (Stark & Perfect, 2006, 2008; Stark, Perfect, & Newstead, 2005). From this finding it was proposed that the number of high-profile cases of music plagiarism might be explained by the process of reworking and improving a composition (Perfect & Stark, 2008a). The present research investigated this proposal, by replicating Stark and colleagues' studies using a musical composition task.
In Studies 1 and 2, we developed and tested a computer-based method for investigating memory for melody, which was then extended to study the cognitive mechanisms associated with unconscious plagiarism in music, using the Brown and Murphy (1989) three-stage paradigm (Studies 3 and 4). This series of studies established two important differences between the cognitive factors which influence plagiarism in musical and verbal tasks. First, in the verbal domain, when recalling or recognising one's own ideas, source monitoring errors are increased specifically by improving others ideas (Perfect & Stark, 2008a, 2012; Stark & Perfect, 2007; Stark et al., 2005). However, in music, we found no evidence that improvement alone increases plagiarism. Instead, re-exposure to ideas, regardless of task, increased plagiarism in music. Second, in verbal studies, the factors which increase plagiarism when generating new ideas are dissociated from those involved in recall and recognition. Generate-new plagiarism is not increased by idea improvement, instead, participants are more likely to plagiarise ideas of positive valence or high quality (Perfect et al., 2009; Perfect & Stark, 2008b; Bink et al, 1999). In music, however, we did not observe this dissociation between generate-new and recognition plagiarism. Instead, re-exposure increased the likelihood of plagiarism in both tasks.
Plagiarism of music is therefore more difficult to avoid than verbal content, because no single task can be avoided. In Study 4, we therefore tested an intervention designed to reduce plagiarism. If musical plagiarism depends on exposure, and thus, strength of the idea in memory (Marsh & Bower, 1993), than a distractor task should reduce memory strength for melodies, and thus reduce plagiarism (Glanzer & Cunitz, 1966; Petrusic & Jamieson, 1978). We administered a distractor task consisting of two minutes of randomly generated musical notes at two points during the retention interval of the paradigm. While we observed atypical results in comparison to Study 3, no evidence was found to suggest that the intervention reduced plagiarism. Participant familiarity ratings showed that the intervention did not alter memory strength. The task may have been too brief, or memory for melodies may have been well consolidated after idea generation and elaboration had taken place (Stark & Perfect, 2008; Stark et al., 2005). Across domains, unconscious plagiarism has proven to be difficult to avoid, even when source monitoring is improved (Hollins, Lange, Dennis, & Longmore, 2016; Macrae, Bodenhausen, & Calvini, 1999). The theoretical implications of these studies are discussed in context of the literature on dissociations between implicit and explicit memory. Explicit memory is improved through elaborative processing, but implicit memory is improved through exposure and repetition priming (Schacter & Church, 1992). Musical knowledge is predominantly acquired implicitly, through exposure (Rohrmeier & Rebuschat, 2012). According to the source-monitoring framework (Johnson et al., 1993), where implicit memory is primarily involved, source monitoring processes are not engaged. Thus, our findings in music suggest that this dissociation between implicit and explicit memory systems extends to unconscious plagiarism.
Overall, this series of studies identifies that musicians are considerably more vulnerable to unconscious plagiarism than previously understood, and begins to provide a scientific basis for why this is the case. Specifically, our work highlights the limits of source monitoring processes in this domain. Given that unconscious plagiarism in verbal tasks occurs due to errors in source monitoring, reinforcing contextual source cues can protect against plagiarism (Hollins et al., 2016; Macrae et al., 1999). In music, if plagiarism occurs through exposure, no such protection is available. These findings have implications for the legal handling of copyright infringement cases, where no exceptions are presently made for unconscious plagiarism. Policy makers may therefore need to consider the degree to which a musician is held responsible in cases of unconscious plagiarism.


Subject of study. One of the most popular investment mechanisms in the field of energy saving in Europe is the energy service contract. The importance and prospects of its application in Russia began to be perceived at the state level 9 years ago. Despite the active work of government agencies on the implementation of energy-saving measures, including the financial aspects accompanying them, the barriers to the implementation of the energy service contract are growing. Goals. It is required to identify the key barriers that hamper the development of the energy service contract and form possible recommendations that allow the situation in the energy services market to be determined in a conclusive manner. Materials and methods. The study uses official data from the reports of the Ministry of Energy, statistics of the Russian Association of Energy Service Companies (RAESCO), the latest amendments and additions to Federal Law No. 261 "On Energy Saving ... ". For the analysis, scientific methods such as logical and graphical methods, analysis and synthesis, a systematic approach, a logical method of knowledge of the subject domain are used. Results. Introduced at the federal level legislative changes in the field of energy inspection, completely abolishing the concept of "compulsory energy inspection" will negatively affect the market of energy services. In conditions that involve the survival of the strongest energy service companies, a new approach is proposed for the implementation of energy service contractsoutsourcing an energy service company. Conclusions. In the conditions of annual reduction of budgetary funds for energy-saving measures, the energy service contract is a indispensable and non-alternative investment mechanism that allows implementing state tasks in the field of energy saving and energy efficiency. It is necessary to provide state support and review of existing approaches to the application of the energy service contract.


English title: Julia and the elite. A study of how the Internet hatred developed into a media avalanche.Introduction: During February 2013 Swedish media flooded with news of online hate directed towards women after an episode of Uppdrag Granskning on SVT (2013). Female media profiles were given the opportunity to tell the entire Swedish population about the hate and threats they had been exposed to online. In this thesis we want to investigate what topics end up on the media´s agenda, how a piece of news is developed and framed.Questions: How does a piece of news considered highly newsworthy develop from when it first appears in the media until it gradually disappears? How and why did Internet hatred end up on the media´s agenda? How does the media framed the Internet hatred?Theory: To be able to answer the questions formulated in this thesis, the following theories have been used: Agenda-Setting theory, framing theory, news valuation and media logic. Method: Quantitative content analysis of news broadcasts and debate shows from TV, radio and newspapers. Additionally a qualitative content analysis by support of a rhetorical and semiotic analysis of two debate articles and one TV feature.Result: The online hate debate was to be divided into two main debates concerning how to handle online hate in terms of the law and men who hate women in the public sphere. The majority of those who participate in the online hate debate belong to some form of either media, political, legal or academic elite. More than halv of those who fight for the online hate-cause belong to the media elite. Julia, who participate in Uppdrag Granskning on SVT, is one of the most prominent citizens who campaign for the cause. Conclusion: The most important conclusion in this thesis is that the Internet hatred predominantly centred on Julia and the different elite groups. The media elite was both the victim and the fiercest campaigner for the cause. Even though online hate was described as a general problem in society, it was primarily framed as a problem for the media elite. An event will be considered highly newsworthy and will end up on the media´s agenda if it is, among others, unexpected, sensational and somehow focused on an elite group. A news story is more likely to turn into a media avalanche if it raises interest and engages a large audience, as it leads to an increased demand for more articles in the news reporting.


Prior studies attribute analysts' forecast superiority over time-series forecasting models to their access to a large set o firm, industry, and macroeconomic information (an information advantage), which they use to update their forecasts on a daily, weekly or monthly basis (a timing advantage). This study leverages recently developed mixed data sampling (MIDAS) regression methods to synthesize a broad spectrum of high frequency data to construct forecasts of firm-level earnings. We compare the accuracy of these forecasts to those of analysts at short horizons of one quarter or less. We find that our MIDAS forecasts are more accurate and have forecast errors that are smaller than analysts' when forecast dispersion is high and when the firm size is smaller. In addition, we find that combining our MIDAS forecasts with analysts' forecasts systematically outperforms analysts alone, which indicates that our MIDAS models provide information orthogonal to analysts. Our results provide preliminary support for the potential to automate the process of forecasting firm-level earnings, or other accounting performance measures, on a high-frequency basis.


4-Nitrophenyl (NP) sulfones were successfully employed in the modified Julia olefination reaction with carbonyl compds. The olefination reaction proceeds through a sequence of aldol addn., Smiles rearrangement, and elimination. The sulfones are easily prepd. in high yields in a two-step sequence starting from inexpensive com. available para-fluoronitrobenzenes via nucleophilic arom. substitution by a mercaptan and subsequent oxidn. under std. conditions. The modified Julia reaction between NP sulfones and a wide variety of arom. aldehydes affords the corresponding styrenes, stilbenes, and cinnamate derivs. in yields ?97% and good stereoselectivities. A mechanistic rationale is advanced to explain the obsd. results. [on SciFinder (R)]


The need to provide agricultural information to farmers has led to emergence of numerous electronicbased MIS projects in developing countries. These projects aim at promoting farmer linkage to better markets. However, experiences from past and present projects show mix cases of success and failure, despite some projects meeting their goals. This study examines how the environments in which such ICTbased MIS are deployed affect their performance. It specifically uses two ICT-based market information service projects, the DrumNet and Kenya Agricultural Commodity Exchange (KACE) projects, to assess how the socio-economic, physical, and institutional environments in such projects are deployed affect the performance of such projects. The study finds that a number of environmental factors related to socioeconomic, physical, market, and legal environment affect the performance of ICT-based projects. Some of these factors exacerbate transactions costs thus undermining the performance and even sustainability of ICT-based MIS projects. It discusses policy implications of these findings.


Education is universally recognized and accepted as a human right. The fulfillment of this right is a challenge to many governments, in spite of the numerous local,
regional, continental and international commitments towards this end. In this context, governance is seen to influence education policy direction and practices. The current state of affairs in Tanzania reveals that in most cases, girls at primary level have not reached their full potential in the provision of quality education, despite the acclaimed achievements drawn from implementing the Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP). More so that, for Tanzania, basic education has been identified as a gender issue linked to poverty and that it is also a key strategy for poverty reduction in the overall national development. Education policy development and its implementation, therefore, have to ensure that there is a "gender transformation" by addressing the prevailing gender issues and concerns in the sector. For this particular research, the case study method was used so as to acquire a rich
and in depth understanding from policy implementers at school level as to why the persistence and lagging behind for girls in the provision of quality basic education at
primary level. The study was conducted in Nzega District from which the researcher believed that the data generated would offer lessons learnt to all other districts within Tanzania Mainland implementing PEDP. The findings from the analysis of the 4 primary schools have confirmed that though education is a human right, girls in particular,
have not been fulfilled in this right. And that, effective provision of quality education can only be acquired when all intended participants, including girls; have actively taken part in its design.


Reuse of software is inhibited by the dependence of the form of program code on the kind of data structures used. The author describes methods by which generic programs can be specialized, by compilation through views, for use with a given data structure. A view describes how an actual data type can be viewed as an instance of an abstract type. Clusters of related views are needed for specialization of generic programs involving more than one data type. Descriptions of abstract data types allow view clusters to be constructed automatically or semi-automatically by reasoning about the properties of application types. These techniques, which have been implemented using the GLISP language and compiler, allow easy and rapid adaptation of generic procedures for an application by first viewing the application data types as the appropriate abstract types, then specializing the generic procedures by compilation through the view cluster.<<ETX>>


Magnetic interaction between molybdenum and one of the iron-sulphur centres in milk xanthine oxidase [Lowe, Lynden-Bell & Bray (1972) Biochem. J. 130, 239-249] was studied further, with particular reference to the newly discovered Mo(V) e.p.r.(electron-paramagnetic-resonance) signal, Resting II [Lowe, Barber, Pawlik & Bray (1976) Biochem. J. 155, 81-85]. E.p.r. measurements at 35GHz near to 4.2K showed that the interaction has the same sign at all molybdenum orientations and is ferromagnetic. The predicted splitting of the e.p.r. signal from the reduced iron-sulphur centre, Fe/S I, was observed, Providing positive identification of this as the other interacting species. Chemical modification of the molybdenum environment in xanthine oxidase can change the size of the interaction severalfold, but interaction always remains approximately isotropic. The interaction in turkey liver xanthine dehydrogenase is indistinguishable from that in the oxidase. However, a bacterial xanthine dehydrogenase with different iron-sulphur centres shows rather larger interaction. Guanidinium chloride disturbs the iron-sulphur centres of the oxidase, and when this occurs there is a parallel and relatively small change in the interaction. Removal of flavin from the molecule, or raising the pH to 12.0, changes the interaction slightly without affecting the chromophores themselves. It is concluded that the Fe/S I centre and the Mo are at least 1.0nm and probably nearer 2.5nm apart, and that the conformation of the protein between them is relatively stable up to pH 12.


In the Netherlands, when a bored tunnel has to be constructed, a launch and a reception shaft have to be excavated to guarantee sufficient cover. This is necessary to ensure face stability, prevent uplift and risk of blow out. Moreover, especially in the western part of the Netherlands, the first 10 to 20 meters of soil consists of the Holocene layer consisting of soft clays and peat. By starting the tunnelling process at sufficient depth, the tunnel will be driven through the Pleistocene and and the soil deformations will remain small. In 2009, a new method was introduced in Japan: the Ultra Rapid UnderPass (URUP) method. With this method the tunnel boring machine (TBM) starts tunnelling from ground surface level. Consequently there is no more need for a launch and reception shaft. This eliminates the need for expensive shafts which are time-consuming to build, which makes the URUP method interesting to apply in the Netherlands. However, applying this method will result in small covers at the beginning and the end of the tunnel lining. Therefore complications are to be expected. In this report, the feasibility of this method, applied for large diameter tunnels, is assessed by investigating the main complications associated with this method (tunnelling with marginal cover method) in the Netherlands. As a basis for the feasibility study a reference project, which is planned for the near future, is used. The reference project "Rijnlandroute" is situated in the west of the Netherlands (between Leiden and Voorschoten), where the first 11 meters consist of Holocene soft soil. For this thesis only the eastern start of the tunnel is considered, that is located in a polder. The groundwater level is located approximately one meter below surface level and the surrounding area is largely greenfield. Firstly, the soil deformations in the Holocene layer, when placing the TBM at surface level, are determined. It can be concluded that without ground improvement the settlements will become too big. It is therefore recommended to apply Mixed In Place columns, that have been applied successfully several times in the past for similar cases. When the TBM reaches the Pleistocene layer, ground improvement is no longer required and deformations remain small. Due to the high groundwater table an embankment is necessary in permanent situation to prevent uplift. Moreover, the tunnel invert has to be filled with a sand ballast as well. During construction (ballast is not constructed yet) the water level will be drawn down temporarily with a maximum of two meters. Due to the absence of cover at start of the tunnelling process, the force distribution in the lining differs from the conventional method. The axial loads are negligible, whereas bending moments still exist resulting in opening up of the joints, which might cause leakage. Therefore it is required to increase the capacity to withstand high bending moments when tunnelling with shallow covers. The required embankment will increase the normal force. However, this increase is too low to counteract the occurring bending moments in the lining. The Japanese box, which is a bolt type where the tension forces are transferred directly to the reinforcement, will be applied (permanently). This bolt type can withstand higher forces, though this bolt type will increase the construction costs. It can be concluded that despite these issues, tunnelling with marginal covers is feasible in the Netherlands. To gain more insight in the relative benefits of this method compared to the conventional method, both are assessed, considering the costs as well as the construction time. The comparison shows that the total construction costs only differ 1.8 % (the costs of the conventional method will be 1.8 % higher). However, the construction of the tunnel with the marginal cover method will result in a shorter construction time. The construction time of the conventional method is approximately four years whereas the construction time of the tunnel applying the tunnelling with marginal cover method only amounts approximately three years. Therefore, it will be efficient to apply this method in the Netherlands. However, despite the feasibility and efficiency of this method in the Netherlands, it cannot yet be concluded if tunnelling with marginal cover will be recommended in future. Further research is still required to conclude if the marginal cover method will be successfully. With this thesis it can only be concluded that the tunnelling with marginal cover method, applied for large diameter tunnels, is feasible in the Netherlands.


The daily load profiles of distribution feeders are determined by using customer information in a customer information system (CIS) and information between customers and distribution transformers in an outage management information system (OMIS) in the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower). Regulating the load distribution among feeders is implemented by the G-coloured nets inference mechanism (GCNIM) in order to improve the operating performance for overloading conditions of distribution feeders, transferring the load among feeders via switching operations proposed by the GCNIM after the fault has been identified and isolated when a distribution system fault occurs. A practical Taipower distribution system, with daily load profiles, is used to perform the computer simulations, and thus demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. It is found that load distribution among feeders and performance of fault restoration can be improved via switching operations proposed by the GCNIM.


Authentication based on cryptographic protocols is a key technology for recent security systems. However, the so-called relay attack where a malicious attacker tries to assume the role of the prover, is known to be a serious threat even for the cryptographically-secure authentication systems. This paper proposes a new authentication method that utilizes the side channel that already exists in many authentication systems. The side channel has been studied intensively from the attacker viewpoint, and it is best known for the key-recovery attack against cryptographic implementations via physical information. Here, reversing our way of thinking, we propose to use the information constructively via the side channel to enhance the existing cryptographic protocols. Using symmetric-key-based authentication as an example, we show based on experiments using an FPGA that each of the side-channel information leaked from provers is unique enough for the purpose of authentication.


A genetic analysis of samples from the chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) bycatch of the 2006 Bering Sea walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) trawl fishery was undertaken to determine the overall stock composition of the sample set. Samples were genotyped for eleven microsatellite markers and results were estimated using the current chum salmon microsatellite baseline. In 2006, genetic samples were collected opportunistically as part of a special project, but sample biases have the potential to affect stock composition analysis results. Consequently, stock composition estimates apply to the sample set and may not represent the entire chum salmon bycatch. Based on the analysis of 1,367 chum salmon bycatch samples collected throughout the 2006 Bering Sea trawl fishery, North Asian (31%), East Asian (29%), and Pacific Northwest (25%) stocks dominated the sample set with smaller contributions from Western Alaska (8%) and Upper/Middle Yukon River (6%) stocks. The estimates for the 2006 chum salmon bycatch sample set were similar to the 2005 and 2009 chum salmon bycatch estimates, suggesting consistency of the regional stock contributions across years. Analysis of temporal groupings within the groundfish "B" season revealed changes in stock composition during the course of the season with decreasing contribution of Upper/Middle Yukon stocks over time, but leaves unanswered whether these changes are due to temporal or spatial differences in the sample set.


The authors examined effects of three common contaminants, caffeine (CF), acetaminophen (AC), and diclofenac (DF), as well as their mixtures on the development, functioning, and biodiversity of river biofilm communities. Biofilms were cultivated in rotating annular reactors. Treatments included AC, CF, DF, AC + CF, AC + DF, CF + DF, AC + CF + DF at 5 µg/L, and their molar equivalent as carbon and nutrients. Incubations using 14C‐labeled AC, DF, and CF indicated that 90% of the CF, 80% of the AC, and less than 2% of the DF were converted to CO2. Digital imaging revealed a variety of effects on algal, cyanobacterial, and bacterial biomass. Algal biomass was unaffected by AC or CF in combination with DF but significantly reduced by all other treatments. Cyanobacterial biomass was influenced only by the AC + DF application. All treatments other than AC resulted in a significant decrease in bacterial biomass. Diclofenac or DF + CF and DF + AC resulted in increases in micrometazoan grazing. The denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of Eubacterial community DNA, evaluated by principal component analysis and analysis of similarity, indicated that relative to the control, all treatments had effects on microbial community structure (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). However, the AC + CF + DF treatment was not significantly different from its molar equivalent carbon and nutrient additions. The Archaeal community differed significantly in its response to these exposures based on community analyses, confirming a need to integrate these organisms into ecotoxicological studies. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:508–517. © 2011 SETAC


We report alterations in the ligand-binding properties of laminin, the major noncollagenous protein of basement membranes, resulting from nonenzymatic glycosylation in vitro. Mouse laminin was incubated in vitro with 500 mM glucose, and the level of nonenzymatically glycosylated amino acids increased 2-, 6.2-, and 12-fold after incubation for 1, 3, and 12 days, respectively. Ligand binding assays conducted in solution with varying concentrations of [3H]heparin and a constant amount of control or nonenzymatically glycosylated laminin showed a reduction in heparin binding proportional to laminin glycosylation. An analysis of the stoichiometry of [3H]heparin binding to control and nonenzymatically glycosylated laminin at saturating levels of heparin was performed. The results indicated that the total number of heparin binding sites on laminin decreased 4.7- and 14.7-fold due to nonenzymatic glycosylation of laminin for 1 and 3 days, respectively. [3H]heparin binding to 12-day nonenzymatically glycosylated laminin was abolished. Scatchard analyses of the binding data for heparin and laminin gave a dissociation constant (Kd) of 3.4 × 10−8 M. The data for nonenzymatic glycosylation of laminin for 1 day in vitro resulted in a biphasic heparin binding curve. Both high- and low-affinity binding was observed (Kd values of 3.3 × 10−8 and 2.6 × 10−7 M, respectively). Similar high- and low-affinity binding sites were seen on 3-day nonenzymatically glycosylated laminin (Kd values of 2.1 × 10−8 and 3.9 × 10−7 M, respectively). [3H]heparin binding at a fixed concentration to a constant amount of control or 12-day nonenzymatically glycosylated laminin and type IV collagen was also studied. Under control conditions, [3H]heparin binding to laminin was increased 3-fold in the presence of type IV collagen. The nonenzymatic glycosylation of laminin or type IV collagen substantially reduced type IV collagen–enhanced binding of heparin to laminin. The nonenzymatic glycosylation of both laminin and type IV collagen abolished type IV collagen–enhanced binding of heparin and reduced heparin binding to background levels. These observations are discussed in relation to the loss of heparan sulfate proteoglycan from the glomerular basement membrane in diabetes mellitus and in relation to the production of an initial lesion in the basement membranes of diabetic animals and humans.


Article history: Received 2 March 2014 Received in revised form 13 May 2014 Accepted 28 May 2014 Available online 13 June 2014


Long short-term memory recurrent neural networks (LSTM-RNNs) have been applied to various speech applications including acoustic modeling for statistical parametric speech synthesis. One of the concerns for applying them to text-to-speech applications is its effect on latency. To address this concern, this paper proposes a low-latency, streaming speech synthesis architecture using unidirectional LSTM-RNNs with a recurrent output layer. The use of unidirectional RNN architecture allows frame-synchronous streaming inference of output acoustic features given input linguistic features. The recurrent output layer further encourages smooth transition between acoustic features at consecutive frames. Experimental results in subjective listening tests show that the proposed architecture can synthesize natural sounding speech without requiring utterance-level batch processing.


Neural table-to-text generation approaches are data-hungry, limiting their adaption for low-resource real-world applications. Previous works mostly resort to Pre-trained Language Models (PLMs) to generate fluent summaries of a table. However, they often contain hallucinated contents due to the uncontrolled nature of PLMs. Moreover, the topological differences between tables and sequences are rarely studied. Last but not least, fine-tuning on PLMs with a handful of instances may lead to over-fitting and catastrophic forgetting. To alleviate these problems, we propose a prompt-based approach, Prefix-Controlled Generator (i.e., PCG), for few-shot table-to-text generation. We prepend a task-specific prefix for a PLM to make the table structure better fit the pre-trained input. In addition, we generate an input-specific prefix to control the factual contents and word order of the generated text. Both automatic and human evaluations on different domains (humans, books and songs) of the Wikibio dataset prove the effectiveness of our approach.


The aim of the study was the recognition and evaluation of annual exposure to noise among private farmers on family farms of animal production profile. The study covered 16 family farms using arable land of the size of 14-50 ha (25.8 ha on average), equipped with agricultural tractors (working with a set of agricultural machines), machines for the production of fodder, workshop machines and woodworking saws. Based on the precise working time schedules concerning agricultural activities and dosimetric measurements conducted during the whole year, two acoustic parameters were determined: total exposure in individual months and equivalent daily exposure. The study showed that the highest values of the total monthly exposure to noise occurred in two summer-autumn months (August, October) and during four winter-spring months (January, March, and May, June). High values of the total exposure observed in the summer-autumn season result from the performance of intensive field and transport work activities, with prolonged duration of work and a large number of workdays in these months. The occurrence of high total values of the total exposure in winter-spring months, however, is associated with logging wood for winter (saws) and intensive repair work activities. In the seasons of the year analysed, high values of equivalent daily exposure were obtained, within the range: 4.20-4.86 Pa(2) x h. The average value of this parameter for the whole year reached the value: 3.61 Pa(2) x h (standard exceeded 3.6 times). This value is equivalent to the mean level of exposure to noise equal to 90.5 dB. In consideration of the moderate accuracy of mean values obtained and small degree of variability of the results, the data acquired in this study may be used in practice by proper State services for the evaluation of noise risk among private farmers specializing in animal production.