We present a new kind of question answering dataset, OpenBookQA, modeled after open book exams for assessing human understanding of a subject. The open book that comes with our questions is a set of 1326 elementary level science facts. Roughly 6000 questions probe an understanding of these facts and their application to novel situations. This requires combining an open book fact (e.g., metals conduct electricity) with broad common knowledge (e.g., a suit of armor is made of metal) obtained from other sources. While existing QA datasets over documents or knowledge bases, being generally self-contained, focus on linguistic understanding, OpenBookQA probes a deeper understanding of both the topic—in the context of common knowledge—and the language it is expressed in. Human performance on OpenBookQA is close to 92%, but many state-of-the-art pre-trained QA methods perform surprisingly poorly, worse than several simple neural baselines we develop. Our oracle experiments designed to circumvent the knowledge retrieval bottleneck demonstrate the value of both the open book and additional facts. We leave it as a challenge to solve the retrieval problem in this multi-hop setting and to close the large gap to human performance.


We study the connection between the large-scale dynamics and the gas fueling toward a central black hole via the analysis of a Milky Way-like simulation at sub-parsec resolution. This allows us to follow a set of processes at various scales (e.g., the triggering of inward gas motion towards inner resonances via the large-scale bar, the connection to the central black hole via mini spirals) in a self-consistent manner. This simulation provides further insights on the role of shear for the inhibition of star formation within the bar in regions with significant amount of gas. We also witness the decoupling of the central gas and nuclear cluster from the large-scale disc, via interactions with the black hole. This break of symmetry in the mass distribution triggers the formation of gas clumps organised in a time-varying 250 pc ring-like structure, the black hole being offset by about 70 pc from its centre. Some clumps form stars, while most get disrupted or merge. Supernovae feedback further creates bubbles and filaments, some of the gas being expelled to 100 pc or higher above the galaxy plane. This helps remove angular momentum from the gas, which gets closer to the central dark mass. Part of the gas raining down is being accreted, forming a 10~pc polar disc-like structure around the black hole, leading to an episode of star formation. This gives rise to multiple stellar populations with significantly different angular momentum vectors, and may lead to a natural intermittence in the fueling of the black hole.


Relatively high mechanical strength and simultaneously good plasticity of a crystalline material are determined by the state of its internal structure, preferably nano- or ultra-fine grained one. To achieve the above combination of properties, various manners of plastic deformation and heat treatment are applied in practice. One of the most effective processes in this field is severely plastic deformation, e.g. by the method of equal angular channel pressing (ECAP). During the ECAP, favourable effects of grain fragmentation and the formation of specific orientation relations can be attenuated by the process of structure recovery, especially, when the real temperature of angular extrusion is elevated for physical or technological reasons. An attempt to modify the ECAP technology was considered, to avoid the unfavourable temperature effects and to increase at the same time the efficiency of manufacturing the ultra-fine structure of material. Extrusion of dual-material (AZ31 + Al) ingot was performed at room temperature. As it seems, the well known difficulties with plastic deformation of materials with hexagonal lattice symmetry, like AZ31 alloy, have been decreased. Both experimental and methodological aspects of the angular extrusion of the dual-material ingot and chosen microstructure characteristics (texture, stress, morphology) are presented. On the basis of the suggested modification, the text discusses an explanation of physical origins of the microstructure evolution in the investigated material revealed by experiments.


Abstract : This research explores early life cycle software reliability prediction models or techniques to predict the reliability of software prior to writing code, and a method for increasing or improving the reliability of software products early in the development life cycle. Five prediction models and two development techniques are examined. Each model is statically analyzed in terms of availability of data early in the life cycle, ease of data collection, and whether data is currently collected. One model and the two techniques satisfied those requirements and are further analyzed for their ability to predict or improve software reliability. While the researchers offer no significant statistical results of the model's ability to predict software reliability, important conclusions are drawn about the cost and time savings of using inspections as a means of improving software reliability. The results indicate that the current software development paradigm needs to be changed to use the Cleanroom Software Development Process for fixture software development. This proactive approach to developing reliable software saves development and testing costs. One obvious benefit of this research is that cost savings realized earlier in the software development cycle have a dramatic effect on making software development practices better and more efficient.


Due to the persistent pursuit of the scientificalness and the rationality in the development of Neoclassical Economics, the cultural factors had been put aside out of the mainstream economic studies for a long time. Since the mid-20th century, the economic transformation in the post-industrial society has made culture and economy highly integrated. Culture has been becoming a part of the economic system with the cultural economization while economy has had increasingly obvious symbolic and humanistic characteristics with the economic culturalization. Culture is an issue that economics has to face.Having sorted out the exploration on the cultural factors by the economists in the past 100 years, this paper objectively presents the response of the modern economics to the social and economic changes. The treatments on the cultural issues in economics can be summed up in three categories: (1) In the aspect of the research theme, the economic studies have been extended to the cultural and artistic activities and the related policies; (2) In the aspect of the research methods, much attention has been paid to the endogeneity of the cultural factors and the interaction between/among the people; (3) In the aspect of the research philosophy, the dynamic process of the economic development has been emphasized, and the reconstructing of the ethical dimension and the moral foundation of economics have been required. In the reality, the treatments in the above three categories interweave with each other. Among them, the treatment in the expansion of the research theme is the most external and superficial manifestation for the acceptance of the cultural factors by economics. It is the economic nature of the cultural and artistic activities that attracts economists' attention, rather than the cultural connotation. The analysis on the institutional factors by New Institutional Economics and the investigation on the various possible game results by the Game Theory acknowledge the important influence of the traditions, institutions, customs and other cultural factors on people's economic activities. So the existing theories have been revised appropriately on the basis of the core philosophy of neoclassicism. The historical characteristics studied by Evolutionary Economics and the ethical review and reflection on the economic development have affirmed the importance of the social psychological factors. So the myth of the economics rationalism has been broken in some extent.Regardless of how the cultural factors have been brought into the economic research, it means that economics has paid some attention on culture and tried its best to break through its own limitations. It also reflects the growth of the economic thought in the broad social and historical context. Being a social science, economics has been gradually restoring its function of the value concern and the social criticism while keeping its rational analysis. It is believed that the economic research will be richer and more realistic by giving more and clearer concerns to the cultural considerations, and the human economic activities will be depicted in a broader perspective and a more convincing way with the enhancement of the insight of economics.


The study aims to assess the entry of coffee producers into the specialty coffee segment that is differentiated by social and environmental attributes. It shows the experience of shaded coffee growers participating in the Projeto Café Ecológico, placed in the Baturité Mountains Environmental Protection Area, an Atlantic Forest region in Ceará State, Brazil. Emphasis is placed on horizontal and vertical strategic alliances among actors involved in the production, processing and distribution of ecological coffee. It highlights the articulation between government and NGOs, under both contractual and institutional approaches.


This is the penultimate version of the last of six chapters in a book titled Public Debt: An Illusion of Democratic Political Economy. This essay explores how public debt is a troubling practice for republican and democratic regimes because of its ability to corrupt the language and practice of political economy. For instance, the idea of contract is a perfectly good and sensible concept to apply to the private ordering of economic interaction. When that term is extended to public ordering outside the hypothetical construction of a cooperative state, it becomes a piece of ideology that obscures the role of public debt in promoting the interests of politically dominant groups within society.


Also, the Department of Health – Biosafety Committee (DOH-BC), after a thorough scientific review and evaluation of documents related to Environmental Health Impact, concluded that cornDAS 59122-7 will not pose any significant risk to the health and environment and that any hazards could be managed by the measures set by the department. DOH-BC also recommended for the issuance of biosafety permit for corn DAS 59122-7.


Please note, we are currently updating the 2018 Journal Metrics. Well-established as a major journal in today's rapidly advancing experimental and clinical research, Endocrine publishes full-length original articles devoted to basic (including molecular, cellular and physiological studies), translational and clinical (including proof of concept studies and clinical trials) research in all the different fields of endocrinology and metabolism. Endocrine covers the following leading topics in Endocrinology such as: Neuroendocrinology, Pituitary and hypothalamic peptides, thyroid physiological and clinical aspects, bone and mineral metabolism and osteoporosis, obesity, lipid and energy metabolism and food intake control, insulin, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, hormones of male and female reproduction, and of HPA axis, pediatric and geriatric endocrinology, endocrine hypertension and endocrine oncology.


Understanding the relationship between deformation mechanisms and microstructure is essential if one wants to fully exploit the potential of advanced nickel base superalloys and develop future alloys. In the present work, the influence of the lattice misfit between  and ' has been studied by means of in-situ loading experiments using neutron diffraction in combination with crystal plasticity modelling on RR1000 and Alloy 720Li. Both alloys were processed to generate three simplified uni-modal γ' microstructures to allow determination of γ' responses and experiments were carried out at 750°C. The results showed that a positive misfit strain increases the level of load partitioning from  to ' during plastic deformation introduced by uniaxial tensile loading.


To examine the potential of lipids as dietary markers in Euphausia superba Dana, juve- nile krill were fed 4 phytoplankton diets (diatoms, cryptomonads, dinoflagellates and thrausto- chytrids over a range of food concentrations) and 2 species of zooplankton (rotifers and Artemia sp.) for 20 d. Lipid content, lipid class and fatty acid (FA) composition were analysed for whole krill and digestive glands (DG). Changes detected in whole krill were almost entirely associated with the lipid variability observed in DG. With marked diet-induced changes, DG lipids were the major repository for the trophic signal in krill. DG lipid content increased in krill fed on phytoplankton due to the accu- mulation of polar lipid (0.5 mg per DG) and triacylglycerol (up to 1.7 mg per DG). Herbivorous diets induced distinct FA signatures in the DG, characterised by higher proportions of: 16:1ω7 and 20:5ω3 in diatom-fed krill; 18:1ω9 and 18:4ω3 in cryptomonad-fed krill; 18:1ω9, 18:4ω3+18:5ω3 and 22:6ω3 in dinoflagellate-fed krill; and 14:0 and 22:6ω3 in thraustochytrid-fed krill. Dietary FA markers increased in relative proportion (% total FA) in the DG with increasing concentration of each particular food. Krill fed rotifers or Artemia sp. showed relatively low DG lipid content, with only slightly higher proportions of 18:2ω6 than observed with phytoplankton diets. Zooplankton diets induced no significant difference in FA composition in relation to the species of zooplankton used as prey or to the algal type consumed by these prey.


Kainic acid lesion of cell bodies in the dorsal striatum enhanced the stereotypy-producing effects of d-amphetamine without affecting the sterotypy produced by the direct receptor agonist apomorphine. This pattern of results parallels that found in patients suffering from Hungtington's chorea, thus strengthening the parallels between the kainic acid animal model and the human disease state initially suggested on biochemical gounds. The present results further suggest a dissociation of the mechanisms involved in the production of stereotypy by these two drugs, perhaps in terms of differential involvement of the striato-nigral negative feedback loop.


Ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone, plays a role in plant development, defense, and climacteric fruit ripening. Both genetic and biochemical evidence suggest that the response of plants to ethylene is mediated by a specific ethylene receptor. The signal emanating from the receptor-effector complex is then presumably transduced via an unknown cascade pathway. We have used the plant pathogenesis response, exemplified by the induction of the pathogenesis-related gene chitinase, as a paradigm to investigate ethylene-dependent signal transduction in the plant cell. We showed that calcium is necessarily involved in the ethylene-mediated pathogenesis response. Blocking calcium fluxes with chelators inhibited ethylene-dependent induction of chitinase accumulation, but not ethylene independent induction. Artificially increasing cytosolic calcium levels by treatments with the calcium ionophore ionomycin or the calcium pump blocker thapsigargin stimulated chitinase accumulation. Plants grown in calcium-poor soil showed a 10-fold reduction in leaf extractable calcium. Their leaves exhibited a reduced pathogenesis reaction to ethylene and were impaired in another hormone response mediated by calcium, i.e., abscisic acid-controlled closure of guard cells. The addition of calcium to leaves excised from calcium-deficient plants restored their sensitivity to ethylene. Ethylene participates in the control of seedling growth, promoting the so-called "triple response" that results in distinct morphological development, such as hypocotyl hook formation. This effect, similar to the ethylene-promoted pathogenesis response, was found to be calcium dependent. The results indicate that calcium is required for a variety of ethylene-dependent processes.


As China has experienced rapid economic growth and increased urbanization in recent decades, a crucial policy challenge for its government has been the development of urban transportation. Although conventional wisdom suggests that more infrastructure investment will stimulate economic development, empirical evidence is mixed. With the use of a panel data model (1999–2011 across Chinese provinces), transportation investment was found to have had significant impacts on economic growth, after which variables were controlled for that measured provincial openness, human capital, and government size. Transportation investment in one province not only promoted economic growth in that province but also had external effects on neighboring provinces. External effects were strong for highways, whereas internal effects were strong for urban roads. [In this analysis, highways in China meant controlled-access highways (freeways).] The results of the study can have policy implications for mechanisms used to fund transportation in China.


Multiobjective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) has shown an effective performance for solving test functions and real-world optimization problems. However, this method has a premature convergence problem, which may lead to lack of diversity. In order to improve its performance, this paper presents a hybrid approach which embedded the MOPSO into the island model and integrated a local search technique, Variable Neighborhood Search, to enhance the diversity into the swarm. Experiments on two series of test functions have shown the effectiveness of the proposed approach. A comparison with other evolutionary algorithms shows that the proposed approach presented a good performance in solving multiobjective optimization problems. Keywords—Particle swarm optimization, migration, variable neighborhood search, multiobjective optimization


The thesis is an empirical case study to predict or estimate the performance and variability of contemporary software frameworks used for web application development. Thesis can be mainly divided into 3 phases. In Phase I, we theoretically try to explore and analyze PHP, EJB 3.0 and ASP.NET considering quality attributes or ilitis of mentioned technologies. In Phase II, we develop two identical web applications i.e. online component's webstore (applications to purchase components online) in PHP and ASP.NET. In phase III, we conduct automated testing to determine and analyze applications' performance. We developed web applications in PHP 5.3.0 and Visual Studio 2008 using ASP.NET 3.5 to practically measure and compare the applications' performance. We used SQL Server 2005 with ASP.NET 3.5 and MySql 5.1.36 with PHP as database servers. Software architecture, CSS, database design, database constraints were tried to keep simple and same for both applications i.e. Applications developed in PHP and ASP.NET. This similarity helps to establish realistic comparison of applications performance and variability. The applications' performance and variability is measured with help of automated scripts. These scripts were used to generate thousands of requests on application servers and downloading components simultaneously. More details of performance testing can be found in chapter 6, 7 and 8.


Creep compliance and indirect tensile (IDT) strength of hot-mix asphalt (HMA) are the two primary inputs to the low-temperature or thermal cracking module in the new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (M-E PDG) software. Creep compliance is defined as time-dependent strain per unit stress, while IDT strength is best defined as HMA strength when subjected to tension. AASHTO T 322 test protocol was used as reference for this work. However, in preparation for the laboratory work performed at the Missouri University of Science and Technology many experts were consulted as to how IDT creep/strength testing and calculations are actually being performed. Using Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) supplied test specimens, six different plant-produced wearing (surface) course mixes were tested. Four mixes were tested at three levels of percent air voids: 4, 6.5, and 9% and two mixes were tested only at 6.5% air voids. Per requirements of the M-E PDG, creep testing was performed at 0, -10, and -20 degrees Centigrade (°C) and IDT strength testing was performed at -10°C. Additional IDT strength testing was performed at 4.4 and 21°C (40 and 70 °F) per MoDOT's requirements. Poisson's ratio was determined from the creep testing while tensile failure strain was determined from the IDT strength testing. Trends such as increasing creep compliance and decreasing tensile strength with increasing % air voids and/or temperature were confirmed. The presence of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) in a mix tended to decrease the creep compliance (increase the stiffness) and increase the tensile strength compared to similar mixes without RAP.


Although the literature concerning the association between irrational thinking and gambling continues to grow, a number of methodological problems raise questions about the validity of such findings. The present research examined the cognitions and beliefs of a small convenience sample of pathological (n = 5) and social (n = 5) fruit machine gamblers using a within- and between-subjects design, employing the think-aloud method, the Gambling Beliefs Questionnaire, and a semistructured interview. Pathological gamblers were found to display greater levels of irrationality than social gamblers on all three measures. However, by undertaking a methodology more rigorous than that of previous research, this study found that irrational thinking may not be as prominent a reason behind gambling as has been suggested.


The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended the suspension of the marketing authorisations for sibutramine, a centrally-acting anti-obesity agent, and of rosiglitazone, an oral glucose-lowering compound of the thiazolidinedione family. This decision was taken because of a possible increased cardiovascular risk, mainly ischaemic heart disease, associated with the use of sibutramine or rosiglitazone in patients with pathologies prone to develop cardiovascular complications. The conclusion was that the benefits no longer outweigh the risks. The present paper summarizes the up- and -down history of these two pharmacological compounds, analyzes the data that resulted in such a decision and briefly discusses the future implications regarding the pharmacotherapy of cardiometabolic diseases.


Among a large collection of West African lizards sent to me for identification early in 1952 by l'lnstitut Francais d'Afrique Noire were a number of individuals belonging to the genus Tarentola. The latest taxonomic treatment of Tarentola available at that time was by Loveridge (1947). In his study he had considered Tarentola annularis and T. ephippiata to be geographical races of a single species, the subspecies annularis occurring in Egypt, Sinai, Eritrea, Ethiopia and British Somaliland and the subspecies ephippiata occurring to the west of these areas, in Nigeria, French West Africa, Portuguese Guinea and Gambia. He also synonymised T. senegalensis Boulenger with ephippiata and suggested that T. hoggarensis Werner might be a synonym too. Thus, according to Loveridge, on geographical grounds the I.F.A.N. specimens should have been referable to the western race ephippiata but it was evident from an examination of the individuals that they belonged to two forms, neither of which agreed with the characters given by Loveridge for annularis or ephippiata, and that the forms were occuring together at the same localities. However, an analysis of his tabulated data on the scale counts for ephippiata and annularis showed no clear cut differences between the two races except on the scansor count of the first toe. Furthermore, an examination of the type of T. senegalensis (B.M. 19220.127.116.11) which was described from Goree, Senegal, showed that the scale counts of the interorbitals, tubercle rows, scansors under the first and fourth toes and the gulars (18 : 14 : 18 : 17 : 23) fell within the same limits as topotypic T. annularis (Egypt) (18 : 14 : 19 : 20 : 25) and well outside the range of variation of the cotypes of T. ephippiata (14 : 15/16 : 14/16 : 14/15 : 16/17). It was apparent that Loveridge had not examined the type


Abstract Microbial biofilms can establish in numerous areas within the brewery and exposure to these communities of organisms can result in undesirable flavors. Beer transfer lines represent a particular risk for contamination as the lines provide an effective point of nucleation for biofilm colonization if they have been subject to degradation and are not well maintained. Despite the presence of surface imperfections associated with prolonged use, transfer tubing in place for several months within a canning operation was observed to be significantly less capable of hosting microbial growth than comparable tubing that had not been exposed to the product, suggesting that the industrial practice itself had imparted an antibiofilm character to the tubing not originally present in new lines. Using an in vitro assay designed to reconstitute microbial biofouling in this tubing, transfer lines artificially conditioned with beer served to effectively reduce biofouling by the hop acid resistant microorganism Lactobacillus brevis compared to untreated controls. The observed reduction in microbial growth was more pronounced in lines that had been conditioned with highly-hopped beer than moderately-hopped beer. Tubing conditioned with aqueous solutions of hop extracts or hop-associated terpenoid compounds also exhibited a relative resistance to microbial growth. Pre-treatment of tubing with solutions containing major (terpene hydrocarbons) and minor (oxygenated terpenes) hop- associated terpenes reduced L. brevis biofouling relative to untreated controls. Results indicate that conditioning of beer tubing with simple solutions of these compounds may provide a means of protecting against biofouling.


Most patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) develop progressive disease. Progression is ominous as there are no drugs able to alter this inexorable accrual of disability. In this thesis the literature on the pathology of MS is reviewed. Experimental and pathological studies that suggest energy failure may be a significant cause of the neuroaxonal loss underlying progression are discussed. The thesis then describes magnetic resonance imaging studies designed to investigate the importance of energy failure in vivo. R2' is a measure of magnetic field inhomogeneity, and is increased by deoxyhaemaglobin within the vasculature. Whole brain R2' mapping found that R2' in was reduced in lesions and in normal appearing white matter suggesting that oxidative metabolism may be decreased. Energy failure may also be secondary to insufficient blood flow to tissue. This was investigated using an arterial spin labelled MRI sequence. This study showed that blood flow and bolus arrival time were actually increased in white matter in MS. These results suggest that there may be widespread vasodilation, particularly in white matter, despite possible reduction in oxidative metabolism. Lastly, since sodium is maintained at a low concentration in cells by an energy intensive pump, increase in sodium concentration could indicate cellular energy failure. Whole brain sodium imaging showed increase in sodium concentration in lesions and cortical grey matter in all subgroups of MS, but increases in normal appearing white matter and deep grey matter in progressive MS only. Associations were seen between sodium concentrations and disability suggesting that sodium imaging is sensitive to the pathology underlying progression. As a whole the results suggest that in MS there are widespread metabolic abnormalities effecting all parts of the brain. Particularly with sodium MRI, it provides preliminary validation that this may be a technique sensitive to early, clinically relevant, and potentially reversible pathophysiology.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate associations between a broad range of approaches to classifying diet and incident type 2 diabetes in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
This study included 8,750 Black and White adults without diabetes at baseline. Diabetes was defined according to fasting glucose ≥70 mmol/L, random glucose ≥111 mmol/L, or use of diabetes medications. The exposures were diet scores for Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), dietary inflammatory index (DII), dietary inflammation score (DIS), and empirical dietary patterns (plant-based and Southern) determined using data collected with use of the Block98 food-frequency questionnaire. Modified Poisson regression was used to assess association of dietary measures with risk of incident type 2 diabetes, with models adjusted for total energy intake, demographics, lifestyle factors, and waist circumference.

RESULTS
There were 1,026 cases of incident type 2 diabetes during follow-up (11.7%). Adherence to the Southern dietary pattern was most strongly associated with risk of incident type 2 diabetes after adjustment for demographics and lifestyle (quintile [Q]5 vs. lowest Q1: risk ratio [RR] 1.95; 95% CI 1.57, 2.41). Of the diet scores, DIS (Q5 vs. Q1 RR 1.41) and MIND (Q1 vs. Q5 RR 1.33), demonstrated anti-inflammatory diets, had strongest associations with lower diabetes incidence.

CONCLUSIONS
We found associations of several dietary approaches with incident type 2 diabetes. Investigation into mechanisms driving the association with the Southern dietary pattern is warranted. Further research into use of DIS, DII, and MIND diet score should be considered for dietary recommendations for diabetes prevention.


Despite changing family compositions, entrenched in family law is the antiquated idea that a two-parent household, or its approximation vis-à-vis a shared custody arrangement, promotes stability and integrity and, thus, is in the best interest of the child. Yet, the concept that the two-parent household (or shared involvement of both parents in the child's life if the parents separate) promotes stability for the family and is best for the child is a dangerous fallacy. When rape or intimate partner violence (IPV) is present, or the re-occurrence of violence remains a threat, the family unit is far from stable. This Article explores the legal system's glorification of the nuclear family, its resistance to shifting away from the two-parent paradigm, and how this resistance creates a stability paradox and perpetuates violence against women and children. The harmful impact that the nuclear family paradigm has on families is further explored by an examination of the statutory constructs and judicial interpretations of termination of parental rights (TPR) and custody statutes in cases where a child is conceived as a result of rape or exposed to ongoing IPV. Cases are utilized to examine how courts have interpreted parental rights statutes where a child is conceived as a result of rape. Additionally, a hypothetical case is discussed to explore arguments that may be advanced in TPR cases where children are exposed to ongoing IPV. The Article finds that although there are inherent problems in enacting statutes to terminate parental rights in cases involving rape or IPV, legislation is also a necessary tool for survivors. Model legislation is proposed for termination of parental rights in cases where a child is conceived as a result of a sexual offense or when a child is exposed to ongoing IPV. 312 michigan jo urn al o f g ender & la w [Vol. 27:311


In this paper we study the angular distribution of the rare B decay B → K 2 (→ Kπ)ll, which is expected to be observed soon. We use the standard effective Hamiltonian approach, and use the form factors that have already been estimated for the corresponding radiative decay B → K 2γ. The additional form factors that come into play for the dileptonic channel are estimated using the large energy effective theory (LEET), which enables one to relate the additional form factors to the form factors for the radiative mode. Our results provide, just like in the case of the K(892) resonance, an opportunity for a straightforward comparison of the basic theory with experimental results which may be expected in the near future for this channel. firstname.lastname@example.com email@example.com firstname.lastname@example.com firstname.lastname@example.com


Abstract. The HYDROPTIMET Project, Interreg IIIB EU program, is developed in the framework of the prediction and prevention of natural hazards related to severe hydro-meteorological events and aims to the optimisation of Hydro-Meteorological warning systems by the experimentation of new tools (such as numerical models) to be used operationally for risk assessment. The object of the research are the Mesoscale weather phenomena and the response of watersheds with size ranging from 10 2 to 10 3 km 2 . Non-hydrostatic meteorological models are used to catch such phenomena at a regional level focusing on the Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF). Furthermore hydrological Quantitative Discharge Forecast (QDF) are performed by the simulation of run-off generation and flood propagation in the main rivers of the interested territory. In this way observed data and QPF are used, in a real-time configuration, for one-way forcing of the hydrological model that works operationally connected to the Piemonte Region Alert System. The main hydro-meteorological events that interested Piemonte Region in the last years are studied, these are the HYDROPTIMET selected test cases of 14-18 November 2002 and 23-26 November 2002. The results obtained in terms of QPF and QDF offer a sound basis to evaluate the sensitivity of the whole hydro-meteorological chain to the uncertainties in the numerical simulations. Different configurations of non-hydrostatic meteorological models are also analysed.


This document describes a solution to the Internet address depletion
problem through use of a clever IPv4 options mechanism as a solution.
This IPv4 protocol extension is called enhanced IP (EnIP). Because it
is IPv4, it maximizes backward compatibility while increasing address
space by a factor of 17.9 million. Unlike other similar proposals,
care was taken to avoid costly changes and requirements to the core
network and border routers, with the exception that options be passed
in that equipment as described below. Because it is backward
compatible, current IPv4 software, network equipment, firewalls,
intrusion detection/protection, and layer 5 firewalls can be
maintained until IPv6 system information security reaches acceptable
maturity and availability.


Constructivism-Collaborative-based learning tools in improving critical thinking skills become an interesting learning model and assist the teacher's task in improving the effectiveness of learning, hence the need of an innovative learning tool to improve students' critical thinking ability. One learning tool that includes a set of planned learning experience that is arranged in a systematic, operational, and directed to help students master specific learning objectives is a collaborative-based Constructivist-Collaborative learning tool in improving the ability to think critically. The purpose of this research development is: 1.) To determine the feasibility of constructive collaborative lesson constructivist Islamic Education lesson according to peers. 2) To know the feasibility of constructive collaborative lesson of constructivism of Islamic Religious Education subject by Expert 3) To know the interest of the students of grade V of SDN Meri 1 Kota Mojokerto to the constructivist constructivism lesson of Islamic Education subject. The selection and use of collaborative constructivist-based learning models can effectively streamline and streamline the implementation of learning. For that purpose, collaborative constructivism-based learning model is absolutely necessary. Islamic Religion Education Learning Learning This collaborative constructivism based learning model has been refined based on analysis of trial data. Based on the steps that have been implemented can be concluded as follows. 1). Constructivist constructivist lesson of Islamic Religious Education is feasible according to peers. 2) constructivist constructivism lesson of Islamic Religious Education is feasible according to Expert 3) Grade V students of SDN Meri 1 Kota Mojokerto are interested in collaborative constructivist lesson of subjects of Islamic Religious Education


The world's first clinical irradiation for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) was carried out using a neutron irradiation field for BNCT, installed at a research nuclear reactor in USA in 1951. After this year until 2012, BNCT has been performed only using reactor-based irradiation systems. In Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KURRI), BNCT clinical study using Heavy Water Facility installed in Kyoto University Reactor (KUR) came to be regularly performed from February 1990. At first, BNCT in this institute was performed just for malignant brain tumor and melanoma. The application was extended for head and neck tumors in 2001, and for body tumors such as liver tumor, lung tumor, malignant pleural mesothelioma, etc. in 2005. There were the several interruption periods, but 510 clinical irradiations were carried out using KUR Heavy Water Facility as of June 2016. Concurrently with the clinical study using KUR Heavy Water Facility, the development of accelerator-based system has been studied. In early 2009, the world's first accelerator-based system for BNCT clinical irradiation, Cyclotron-Based Epi-thermal Neutron Source (C-BENS) was completed. The clinical trial using C-BENS was started in 2012. BNCT using various accelerator-based irradiation systems including C-BENS may be carried out at plural facilities in the near future. Thus, it is the time when BNCT is shifting from a special particle therapy to a general therapy, now. The progress in BNCT at KURRI are reported focusing on the topics for physical engineering and medical physics.


Many interventions have been advocated to mitigate the impact of arsenic contamination of drinking water in Bangladesh. However, there are few data on the true magnitude of arsenic-related disease in Bangladesh nationally. There has also been little consideration given to possible adverse effects of such interventions, in particular, diarrheal disease. The purpose of this study was to estimate and compare the likely impacts of arsenic mitigation interventions on both arsenic-related disease and water-borne infectious disease. We found that arsenic-related disease currently results in 9,136 deaths per year and 174,174 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs; undiscounted) lost per year in those exposed to arsenic concentrations > 50 μg/L. This constitutes 0.3% of the total disease burden in Bangladesh in terms of undiscounted DALYs. We found intervention to be of overall benefit in reducing disease burden in most scenarios examined, but the concomitant increase in water-related infectious disease significantly reduced the potential benefits gained from intervention. A minimum reduction in arsenic-related DALYs of 77% was necessary before intervention achieved any reduction in net disease burden. This is assuming that interventions were provided to those exposed to > 50 μg/L and would concomitantly result in a 20% increase in water-related infectious disease in those without access to adequate sanitation. Intervention appears to be justified for those populations exposed to high levels of arsenic, but it must be based on exposure levels and on the effectiveness of interventions not only in reducing arsenic but in minimizing risk of water-related infections.


Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of Sm3+ and Yb3+ ions in KY3F10 single crystals have been measured at X-band microwave frequencies and low temperatures. The EPR lines have been fitted to a tetragonal spin Hamiltonian to determine effective g-values (g∥,g⊥). The observed g-values, (g∥ = 0.714(2),g⊥ = 0.11(1)), for Sm3+ are in agreement with those calculated via crystal-field J-mixing of the first excited-state multiplet 6H7/2 into the groundstate multiplet 6H5/2 of Sm3+ as the second-order perturbation. On the other hand, the observed g-values, (g∥ = 5.363(5), g⊥ = 1.306(2)) for Yb3+ are coincident with those calculated via mixing in only the groundstate multiplet 2F7/2 as the first-order perturbation because the first excited-state multiplet 2F5/2 lies above ~10 000 cm-1 from the groundstate. The groundstate eigenfunctions of Sm3+ and Yb3+ obtained from the EPR results are close to those calculated from a C4v symmetry crystal-field analysis applied to their optical transitions. The distortions of the Sm3+ and Yb3+ complexes in KY3F10 are discussed in the term of the crystal-field Hamiltonian in comparison with LiYF4.


Following foreign object damage (FOD), a decision to repair components using novel additive manufacturing (AM) technologies has good potential to enable cost-effective and efficient solutions for aircraft gas turbine engine maintenance. To implement any new technology in the gas turbine remanufacturing world, the performance of the repair must be developed and understood through careful consideration of the impact of service life-limiting factors on the structural integrity of the component. In modern gas turbine engines, high cycle fatigue (HCF) is one of the greatest causes of component failure. However, conventional uniaxial fatigue data is inadequate in representing the predominant HCF failure mode of gas turbine components that is caused by vibration. In this study, the vibratory fatigue behavior of Ti6Al4V deposited using wire-fed electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) was examined with the motivation of developing an advanced repair solution for fatigue critical cold-section parts, such as blades and vanes, in gas turbine engine applications. High cycle fatigue data, generated using a combination of step-testing procedure and vibration (resonance) fatigue testing, was analyzed through Dixon–Mood statistics to calculate the endurance limits and standard deviations of the EBAM and wrought Ti6Al4V materials. Also plots of stress (S) against the number of cycles to failure (N) were obtained for both materials. The average fatigue endurance limit of the EBAM Ti6Al4V was determined to be greater than the wrought counterpart. But the lower limit (95% reliability) of 426 MPa for the EBAM Ti6Al4V was lower than the value of 497 MPa determined for wrought Ti6Al4V and was attributed to the slightly higher data scatter–as reflected by the higher standard deviation–of the former material.


This paper analyses the degradation of a ceramic top coating 70%ZrO2 – 30%CaO deposited onto a stainless steel AISI 304 by thermal spray, using Ni-6%Al-5%Mo as overlay coating. These thermal barrier coatings were heat treated for 48, 120 and 288 h at 800 °C to evaluate the degradation of these materials by isothermal oxidation. The microstructure evolution during oxidation was analysed by environmental scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X ray microanalysis. A thermally grown oxide layer was observed between the overlay coating and the ceramic top coating after oxidation. This layer was formed by a mixed Al, Ni and Mo oxides.


The main focus of this thesis is to develop numerical discretisations for both compressible and incompressible inviscid flows that also preserve conservation laws at the discrete level. Two alternative approaches are discussed in detail: a semi-analytical solution; and, a fully numerical discretisation.

The semi-analytical solution is derived for the case of incompressible inertial gyroscopic waves in a three-dimensional rotating rectangular parallelepiped. By performing a detailed numerical comparison it is shown that the semi-analytical solution vastly improves on the state-of-the-art solution previously available in the literature. Despite the improved accuracy of this new semi-analytical solution, further comprehensive investigations revealed a small weakness near the boundaries of the domain. A novel finite element method is derived that compensates for the known weaknesses in both the original and new semi-analytical approaches. This numerical approach allowed further investigation of inertial waves and associated physical phenomena.

Subsequently, the thesis investigates the development of conservation law preserving Hamiltonian discretisations modelling (in)compressible fluid flow in three-dimensional domains with various boundary conditions. The continuous Hamiltonian description of the physical phenomenon is discretised via a discontinuous Galerkin method, which allows the construction of highly stable, conservative, energy preserving numerical discretisations for both the compressible and incompressible cases. This numerical scheme preserves the Hamiltonian mathematical structure even at the discrete level, which facilitates highly accurate and robust simulations of (in)compressible fluid flows. For the particular case of inertial gyroscopic waves this numerical scheme is more robust and accurate than the corresponding aforementioned semi-analytical solutions.

Finally, a new version (version 2) of the in-house open-source C++ software that enables fast and easy implementation of discontinuous Galerkin discretisations (hpGEM) is introduced. The discussion evolves around the philosophy, design principles and aim of the package. Additionally, a set of new features and guidelines how to use the package are highlighted via a series of illustrative, small, step-by-step examples.


The Greek word, lithos means stone that is the origin of a metal named "lithium" (Li), the 27 th most abundant, the lightest alkali, highly reactive and flammable metal within chemical elements. Li is never found freely in the nature due to high reactivity and easily found as a soluble ion in water, so that it is ordinary gained from brines and clays. But, Li is commercially obtained from a mixture of Li and potassium chlorides. The Li minerals with high commercial value are belonging to silicates, micas and phosphates. Lithium has low atomic mass and is observed rarely in the solar system than other chemical elements. In nuclear physics, Li-6 deuteride is employed as a fusion fuel in staged thermonuclear weapons (1, 2). Because Li is employed in the batteries with the greatest effect on metal depletion and occurring remarkable environmental and health impacts, here we aim to describe whether Li-based systems can release Li as a toxic metal into the nature resulting in accumulation inside plants, animals and finally human body and consequently any toxic effects. The Li ion based system is an advanced technology. Although managing the thermal production, and protecting the electrical and gases have been performed, environmental pollution of battery materials is still a concern (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Various Electrochemical Systems Containing Lithium; Li Compounds are Applied in Both Negative and Positive Electrodes as Well as Electrolyte of Li ion Cells

However, literature review gives estimation about toxicity to human (on the basis of per MegaJoule of capacity) as follows: Nickel-metal hydride and sodium-sulfur batteries< Li-ion batteries< nickel-cadmium batteries< lead-acid batteries. However, Li batteries has the lowest performance of greenhouse gases discharge, because up to 12.5 kg of CO2 equivalent discharged per one kg of Li batteries, while this performance is the best for sodium-sulfur and lead-acid batteries. Meanwhile, production of Li batteries wastes high energy. On the other side, battery disposal can cause adverse impacts on environmental and health safety on both human and wildlife especially where consumers get rid of batteries together with other trashes in the urban solid disposal materials (Figure 2) (3).

Figure 2.

Recycling and/or Releasing the Lithium in the Nature and Accumulation in Human Body to Cause Damages in Diverse Organs

The Li requirement in human is assumed below 100 μg/day, even though it shows critically therapeutic activities such as stabilization of neuronal activities, neuro-protection and support of neuronal plasticity resulting in beneficial effects in mood-disorders therapy (4). Lithium salts are not considered very toxic except its hydrides, Li tetrahydroaluminate and Li tetrahydroborate. Taking together, Li is classified among the health, physiochemical and ecotoxicological hazards on the basis of the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) approved criteria, of which Li itself, Li aluminium hydride, and Li methanolate are under the Danish list of dangerous compounds ( 5 , 6 ). Interestingly Li can even enter salivary glands where it causes kinds of adverse effects. A summary of possible toxicities of Li accumulation in human body are exhibited in Table 1.

Table 1.

A Summary of Lithium Toxicity Due to Accumulation in Human Body (6-12)

The toxicity concern on Li batteries is more raised when this metal can be absorbed and accumulated by edible plants. As far as literature show, Li is able to take up by diverse plants; nevertheless it is not necessary for herbal growth and development. However it is reported that Li can stimulate the growth of some plants. The ordinary level of Li in plants is reported 0.2-30 ppm depending upon preferential uptake. Unfortunately, some edible and medicinal plants such as Cirsium arvense (trivial English name: Creeping Thistle) and Solanum dulcamera (trivial English name: bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, nightshade or blue bindweed) are able to accumulate Li three to six times more than other plants. Carduus arvense (trivial English name: Canada or plume thistle) and Holoschoenus vulgaris (trivial English name: Roundhead Bulrush) may accumulate Li at levels between 99.6 to 226.4 mg/g. Li amount is reported from 0.01 ppm (on the basis of dried weight) in bananas to 55 ppm in oats. Interestingly, Li is almost toxic in Citrus plants (6).

Although Li is not considered as necessary element neither in animals nor in humans, it can be incorporated in the food chain from soils via flora to human. Minimizing the waste of Li batteries is definitely the most important way to reduce the possible effects of Li on environment and consequently its toxicity in human and animals. This might be attributed to the high levels of battery manufacturing and electrochemical systems containing Li. Certainly, recovering the useful metals inside batteries and recycling the plastic constituents are essential to reduce the releasing of Li into the nature and then its accumulation in human body. In fact, the safety of such batteries must enhance alongside the developing reliability and durability. However, much careful shipping is necessary for Li batteries, which contains Li-ion instead of Li-metal. Additionally, companies and manufacturers are able to choose which design for batteries needs fewer regulations in shipping term. Alongside the above comments, protection of the occupational safety can reduce the probable hazards of Li-ion batteries. For instance, workers might be exposed to Li via dust inhalation. Therefore, lowering dust dispersion and improving dust collection are two beneficial ways to decrease the Li exposure at workplace (12).

bitter In conclusion, although Li batteries production and application are the great hallmark of progress in advanced and developing countries, careless attention to dispose of such systems may lead to release of this toxic metal into the nature and consequently entrances to edible plants and animals and then accumulation in human body. Regarding the Li potential in causing toxicity in the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, reproductive and endocrine systems as well as genotoxicity, mutagenicity and teratogenicity, protection of the occupational safety and minimizing the waste of Li batteries are highly recommended to companies and manufacturers.


Nowadays, servers register more and more log entries. Monitoring, analyzing and exctracting knowledge from networks and web servers is crucial for a lot of applications. Indeed, logs can be useful for describing the activity by means of several dimensions. But logs arrive at an intensive rate and are observable at a low level of granularity which make it unrealistic to store the whole log history and leads us considering logs as data stream. Moreover, as logs are composed by several fields which can be considered as multiple levels of granularity, it would be interresting to provide an on-line analytical processing on such data stream. So, a natural question is ``is it possible to perform a multi-level and multidimensional analysis by building a cube supplied by a data stream?''. A choice has to be done in order selecting the most useful information. We tackle this problem by exploiting user's preferences. Generaly, users consult the recent history at fine levels of granularity. Then, this need of precision decreases when the age of the data increases. To this end, we introduce precision functions. Their combination lead to a compact data cube framework which can answer to most of queries. Experiments conduced on both synthetic and real data sets show that our approach can be applied to data stream context.


This paper attempts to situate Lee Iacocca's role in the Chrysler bailout within a broader automotive entrepreneurial community, and to understand how his actions in helping Chrysler stave off bankruptcy in the 1979-1981 period helped to reshape not only the automotive industry, but business-government relations, and the very nature of "brink management" in a post-industrial America. In short, the paper attempts to answer the question of whether Iacocca fundamentally changed how automotive management operated in Detroit, or whether his actions in saving Chrysler remain an isolated, unique case within auto business history. It argues that one cannot understand Iacocca without understanding the changing pre-1980 milieu and its impact on the wider automotive industry and economy of the post-1980, post-Chrysler bailout period. Iacocca and the Chrysler situation were unique, yet they remain essential to understanding the direction of the US auto industry, and the end of American industrial hegemony more broadly.


The structure–property relationship is a primary and eternal topic in polymer science. Cyclic topology, due to no chain ends, has been confirmed to have significant effects on polymer properties and performance. In this work, cyclic poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) with two definite hydroxyl groups on each polymer chain was prepared via successive ring-opening polymerization, chain end modification and bimolecular ring closure reaction, and was fully characterized using size exclusion chromatography, NMR, FTIR and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight. Higher crystallinity of the cyclic PCL was found in comparison with its linear counterpart. Cross linked polyurethanes (PUs) were then prepared based on cyclic PCL, hexamethylene diisocyanate and tetrahydroxy functionalized crosslinkers incorporated with dynamic covalent bonds between furan and maleimide. The PUs made using cyclic PCL resulted in more compact networks than those made from linear polymers due to topology effects, which significantly lowered the crystallinity of the cyclic polymers in the PUs. It was found that the shape memory of the cross linked PUs was not dominated by the crystallinity but by the degree of cross linking. The PUs made from cyclic PCL gave a higher shape fixity ratio (∼95%) than those from linear PCL (∼80%), however, the recovery ratio of the cyclic PCL made PUs was slightly lower. The discrepancy in the shape memory performance was attributed to the different cross linked networks arising from topology effects. Self-healing tests showed that the cyclic PCL and linear PCL derived PUs showed good and approximate self-healing abilities. This work provides an unprecedented example for the exploration of the cyclic topology effects on the shape memory performance of bulk PU materials, providing a novel angle to elucidate the structure–property relationship of polymeric materials.


Objective. Screening strategies for latent tuberculosis (TB) before starting tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors have decreased the prevalence of TB among patients who are treated with these agents. However, despite vigilant screening, TB continues to be an important problem, especially in parts of the world with a high background TB prevalence. The aim of this study was to determine the factors related to TB among a large multicenter cohort of patients who were treated with anti-TNF. Methods. Fifteen rheumatology centers participated in this study. Among the 10,434 patients who were treated with anti-TNF between September 2002 and September 2012, 73 (0.69%) had developed TB. We described the demographic features and disease characteristics of these 73 patients and compared them to 7695 patients who were treated with anti-TNF, did not develop TB, and had complete data available. Results. Among the 73 patients diagnosed with TB (39 men, 34 women, mean age 43.6 ± 13 yrs), the most frequent diagnoses were ankylosing spondylitis (n = 38) and rheumatoid arthritis (n = 25). More than half of the patients had extrapulmonary TB (39/73, 53%). Six patients died (8.2%). In the logistic regression model, types of anti-TNF drugs [infliximab (IFX), OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.88–6.10, p = 0.001] and insufficient and irregular isoniazid use (< 9 mos; OR 3.15, 95% CI 1.43–6.9, p = 0.004) were independent predictors of TB development. Conclusion. Our results suggest that TB is an important complication of anti-TNF therapies in Turkey. TB chemoprophylaxis less than 9 months and the use of IFX therapy were independent risk factors for TB development.


The latest results of the search for the SM scalar boson in fermionic decay channels at the CMS experiment are presented. The dataset used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5 fb-1 of pp collision data collected at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and up to 19.4 fb-1 collected at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV. The analyses described include the searches for the SM scalar boson decaying to tau pairs and to a pair of b-quarks. The compatibility of the results with the observation of a new boson at a mass near 125 GeV will be discussed. Results from the search for MSSM neutral Higgs bosons decaying to fermions will also be briefly summarized.


History is not only the chronological record of remarkable events, but it is also a branch of knowledge that explains past events. Here, we would try to summarize in few rows the history of the video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) revolution. Since the first effort of thoracoscopy one century ago, surgical technology has developed considerably and so have thoracic surgeons. At present, basic and advanced thoracic surgical procedures can be performed by VATS, with minor wounds, a lesser amount of pain, quicker hospital stay, and with excellent outcomes compared with thoracotomy. Therefore, the training of the assistants, the participation of the multi-disciplinary team, the establishment of proper complementary technology becomes of the leading importance to push the boundaries of surgery.


Purpose The Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) provides support in times of crisis and coordinates care with the goal of preventing injuries, hospitalizations, and deaths. However, very little is known about the extent to which Veterans at high risk for suicide utilise the VCL. An ongoing VA study, Link Up, examines the impact of a brief intervention aimed at increasing use of the VCL among Veterans recently hospitalised for suicidal crises. In order to better understand factors affecting the likelihood that Veterans will use the VCL, this poster examines the link between support from a romantic partner and use of this resource. Methods 227 Veterans hospitalised for a recent suicidal crisis were asked about their relationship status (married or cohabitating vs. single, widowed, or divorced) and use of the VCL in the past year. An odds ratio was calculated to examine the association between relationship status and crisis line use. Results Analysis showed no significant difference in the likelihood of VCL use between partnered and single Veterans, 18.3% and 23% respectively (Odds Ratio of 0.74; 95% Confidence Interval 0.350–1.533). Conclusion Overall, the likelihood of utilising the Veterans Crisis Line was not related to relationship status. Although the analyses were undertaken with the assumption that calls would be more common in those without access to other sources of social support (such as from a partner) it is possible that outreach efforts have been successful in expanding the appeal of the VCL across different demographic groups. Significance When safety planning, a clinician may place higher emphasis on the VCL with a patient who has fewer social supports. The present analysis indicates that similar discussion of the VCL may be beneficial for all high-risk patients. Therefore, equal emphasis on the VCL should be included in effective safety planning to prevent injuries, hospitalizations, and deaths.


Abstract A solid solution can exist of magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), which is commonly referred to as nonstoichiometric or partially oxidized magnetite. The degree of stoichiometry in magnetite is quantitatively measured by determining the ratio of Fe2+ to Fe3+. Magnetite stoichiometry (x = Fe2+/Fe3+) strongly influences several physical properties, including the coercitivity, sorption capacity, reduction potential, and crystalline structure. Magnetite stoichiometry has been extensively studied, although very little work exists examining the stoichiometry of nanoparticulate samples (<<100 nm); when the stoichiometry was measured for nanoparticulate samples, it was not validated with a secondary technique. Here, we review the three most common techniques to determine magnetite stoichiometry: (1) acidic dissolution; (2) Mössbauer spectroscopy; and (3) powder X-ray diffraction (pXRD), specifically with nanoparticulate samples in mind. Eight samples of nonstoichiometric magnetite were synthesized with x ranging from 0 to 0.50 and with the particle size kept as similar as possible (BET specific surface area = 63 ± 7 m2/g; particle size ≈ 20 nm). Our measurements indicate excellent agreement between stoichiometries determined from Mössbauer spectra and by acidic dissolution, suggesting that Mössbauer spectroscopy may be a useful means for estimating magnetite stoichiometry in nanoparticulate, multi-phases samples, such as those found in the environment. A significant linear correlation was also observed between the unit-cell length (a) of magnetite measured by pXRD and magnetite stoichiometry, indicating that pXRD may also be useful for determining particle stoichiometry, especially for mixed phased samples


BACKGROUND
The etiology of the geriatric syndrome frailty is multifactorial. Besides hormonal and inflammatory processes, nutritional influences may be of major relevance. In this cross-sectional study, the association between dietary quality and frailty was investigated.

METHODS
In 192 community-dwelling older volunteers (>75 years), an interview-based food frequency questionnaire was used to assess nutritional data. A Mediterranean diet (MED) score (maximum 9 points) was used to evaluate dietary quality. Frailty was defined as the presence of at least three and prefrailty as the presence of one or two of the following criteria: weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, low handgrip strength, and slow walking speed. Older adults without any of these attributes were defined as "nonfrail" Binomial logistic regression analysis was used to assess the risk of being frail (vs prefrail and nonfrail) in each quartile (vs lowest quartile) of the MED score.

RESULTS
The mean (SD) age of the participants was 83 (4) years; 41.1% were prefrail and 15.1% were frail. The risk of being frail was significantly reduced in the highest quartile of the MED score (OR 0.26; 95% CI 0.07-0.98).

CONCLUSIONS
A healthy dietary pattern is associated with a lower risk of being frail. Larger, prospective and interventional studies are needed to clarify the association between dietary quality and frailty.


Many places in the world are too rugged or enclosed for vehicles to access. Even today, material transport to such areas is limited to manual labor and beasts of burden. Modern advancements in wearable robotics may make those methods obsolete. Lower extremity exoskeletons seek to supplement the intelligence and sensory systems of a human with the significant strength and endurance of a pair of wearable robotic legs that support a payload. This article first outlines the use of Clinical Gait Analysis data as the framework for the design of such a system at UC Berkeley. This data is used to design the exoskeleton degrees of freedom and size its actuators. It will then give an overview of one of the control schemes implemented on the BLEEX. The control algorithm described here increases the system closed loop sensitivity to its wearer's forces and torques without any measurement from the wearer (such as force, position, or electromyogram signal). The control algorithm uses the inverse dynamics of the exoskeleton, scaled by a number smaller than unity, as a positive feedback controller. This controller almost destabilizes the system since it leads to an overall loop gain slightly smaller than unity and results in a large sensitivity to all wearer's forces and torques thereby allowing the exoskeleton to shadow its wearer. KEY WORDS—BLEEX, legged locomotion, lower extremity exoskeleton, biomemetic, clinical gait analysis


Graph Convolutional Networks (GCN) have found multiple applications of graph-based machine learning. However, training GCNs on large graphs of billions of nodes and edges with rich node attributes consume significant amount of time and memory resources. This makes it impossible to train such GCNs on general purpose commodity hardware. Such use cases demand high-end servers with accelerators and ample amounts of memory. In this paper we implement a memory efficient GCN based link prediction on top of a distributed graph database server called JasmineGraph 1. Our approach is based on federated training on partitioned graphs with multiple parallel workers. We conduct experiments with three real world graph datasets called DBLP-V11, Reddit, and Twitter. We demonstrate that our approach produces optimal performance for a given hardware setting. JasmineGraph was able to train a GCN on the largest dataset DBLP-V11(>10GB) in 20 hours and 24 minutes for 5 training rounds and 3 epochs by partitioning it into 16 partitions with 2 workers on a single server while the conventional training method could not process it at all due to lack of memory. The second largest dataset Reddit took 9 hours 8 minutes to train with conventional training while JasmineGraph took only 3 hours and 11 minutes with 8 partitions-4 workers in the same hardware giving 3 times improved performance. In case of Twitter dataset JasmineGraph was able to give 5 times improved performance. (10 hours 31 minutes vs 2 hours 6 minutes;16 partitions-16 workers).


Waste is an obvious by-product that comes from human activities. Urbanization, economic development, and improving living standards in cities all have an impact on the increase of the quantity and difficulty of generated waste. Fast population growth and industrialization degrades the urban environment and places serious stress on natural resources. Inefficient management and disposal of solid waste is a noticeable cause of degradation of the environment in most cities of the developing world. MSW generation depends on township size and level of economic standards. Thus, it was proven by the MSW generated in the selected area of Kluang (a small town in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia) amounted to as little as 45 tons and as much as 3,000 tons in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia's capital). More analysis reported that the largest sources of MSW generation come from household waste, followed by industrial and commercial wastes. In Selangor State, the highest percentage of MSW consisted of putrescible waste of approximately 46%, followed by plastic and paper at 15% and 14%, respectively. This paper focuses on the trend and management of household solid waste composition generated in Balakong City, Malaysia. A survey for household residents in eight housing areas was carried out for one month and data were collected on a daily basis. The composition of solid waste collected was segregated into different components (organic waste, plastic, paper, glass, metal, and other). For overall household solid waste composition generated in the Balakong area, organic waste recorded the highest percentage at 555.5%. Then, followed by plastic waste 82.2%, paper 74.4%, other waste 42.9%, glass 25.8%, the lowest waste generated was metal at 18.9%. There is a relation between the economic position of a country and per capita waste generation rate. While the standard of living rises, waste generation rates also are increasing. The world trend of solid waste generation nowadays (including Malaysia) is mostly dependent on the changing consumption pattern, and also related to climate and seasonal differences. Thus, the management and planning of solid waste generated must be enhanced to improve sustainable solid waste management in Malaysia. Besides, public awareness, funding, expertise, equipment, and facilities that are currently lacking must be provided.


Objective: To model dietary changes required to shift the UK population to diets that meet dietary recommendations for health, have lower greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and are affordable for different income groups.

Design: Linear programming was used to create diets that meet dietary requirements for health and reduced GHGE (57% and 80% targets) by income quintile, taking into account food budgets and foods currently purchased, thereby keeping dietary change to a minimum.

Subjects: Nutrient composition, GHGE and price data were mapped to 101 food groups in household food purchase data (UK Living Cost and Food Survey (2013), n=5144 households).

Results: Current diets of all income quintiles had similar total GHGE, but the source of GHGE differed by types of meat, and amount of fruit and vegetables. It was possible to create diets with a 57% reduction in GHGE that met dietary and cost restraints in all income groups. In the optimised diets, the food sources of GHGE differed by income group due to the cost and keeping the level of deviation from current diets to a minimum. Broadly, the changes needed were similar across all groups; reducing animal-based products and increasing plant-based foods but varied by specific foods.

Conclusions: Healthy and lower GHGE diets could be created in all income quintiles but tailoring changes to income groups to minimise deviation may make dietary changes more achievable. Specific attention must be given to interventions and policies to be appropriate for all income groups.


Contaminated soils form a large part of the nuclear waste arising from decommissioning activities. The storage and disposal of these large volumes of waste is costly. For this reason techniques which can decontaminate this waste stream to free release levels are economically very interesting. A feasibility study of the possibilities of soil washing to decontaminate such soils was ordered by NIRAS/ONDRAF and performed at Belgoprocess in collaboration with DEC. Initial contamination level and particle size distributions of contaminated soils from three different sources were determined. The main isotopes detected with gamma spectrometry contained in the waste were 241Am, 137Cs, 226Ra, 60Co and 232Th. The particle size distribution revealed that more than half of the mass of the quartz sand that makes up the soil has a particle size between 125 and 212μm. This fraction is less contaminated than the fractions containing smaller particles. However, separation of the fines fraction (< 125 μm) was not enough to achieve the free release limit. Soil attrition was tested as an extra decontamination step for the sand fraction. The removal efficiencies for the different radionuclides contained in the soil were measured. The process conditions were optimized to achieve maximum removal and a treatment method for the secondary waste coming from this process step was determined. The soil washing process was not only performed with water but also with nitric acid to assess the possibilities of a combination of a mechanical and a chemical decontamination process. Reduction efficiencies of 60–80% for the most relevant radionuclides were recorded.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


Klebsiella sp. cause a wide range of human infections, particularly nosocomial septicaemia, pneumonia and urinary tract infections. Like other Enterobacteriaceae, Klebsiella are likely to possess plastic genomes comprised of core regions interspersed with horizontally acquired genomic islands. As phenylalanine tRNA genes are known to be occupied by islands in other Enterobacteriaceae, we utilized PCR-based screening and chromosome walking techniques to examine the pheV locus in Klebsiella isolates from blood stream and urinary tract infections. We hypothesized that this gene was an integration hotspot that served as a repository for novel genetic material in Klebsiella. The pheV site in Klebsiella KR116 and KR164 harboured an islet encoding four genes, two with similarity to genes within an island downstream of pheR in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi CT18. In KR173 the locus contained a larger, potentially intact version of this island and harboured an integrase gene similar to that in the S. Typhi CT18 island. However, the Klebsiella and Salmonella islands were clearly distinguishable by strain-specific segments and organizational variation. On the basis of available sequence and restriction fragment length polymorphism data, three other Klebsiella isolates were found to possess an entirely distinct entity that resembled a 12.6 kb pheV associated island in K. pneumoniae MGH78578. This island was predicted to encode a P pilus-like structure, a probable virulence factor on the basis of parallels with E. coli. A unique and intriguing feature of Klebsiella pheV loci was the presence of multiple tandem repeats of up to 163 bp immediately downstream of pheV and a truncated copy at the opposite end of the islands. The tRNA proximal repeats were variable in number and size between isolates, while the solitary downstream repeats varied in length. These elements may represent genetic debris of previous recombination events. In conclusion, the pheV locus of Klebsiella exhibited considerable variability between strains and harboured at least two distinct island types that could play important roles in adaptation and/or virulence. Functional characterization of this genetic armory will help unravel basic microbial and pathogenesis processes and may in time lead to improvements in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of Klebsiella infections.


This paper examines banks' provision of liquidity to depositors and provision of loans. The problem identified is that banks may not be able to provide new funds for borrowers who are short of cash, because either the return on investments is poor, or because depositors withdraw more funds than expected. Banks subject to liquidity shortages may ration loans to good borrowers. This problem is shown to depend upon the nature of the deposit contract and banks' inability to issue subordinated deposits. State contingent renegotiation of loans and matching of the duration of project returns and investment needs mitigates the problem.


Most of existing researches about the linkage between stock market and real estate market are concentrated in long-term cointegration and short-term causality, though few of literatures related to the Spillover Effects between two markets, they just spilt market to study volatility spillover effect by using unitary GARCH model, which easily resulted in market information loss. This paper, by constructing VAR/VEC model and VARMVGARCH- BEKK model based on cointegration theory and Granger causality analysis, and especially with the National Real Estate Climate Index reflecting China's real estate market's running condition while with Shanghai Composite Index and Compositional Index of Shenzhen reflecting stock market's performance, tries to investigate the relationship and spillover effect between China's stock market and real estate market in an integrated and dynamic framework, which, compared with existing researches, may fully use related information between two markets and enhance the accuracy of analysis. The research results show that there is perennial weakly negative-going Equilibrium relationship between two kinds of markets, at the same time,there exist unidirectional volatility spillover effect and unidirectional causality from real estate market to stock market.


In this paper, a novel recognition method is proposed aiming at the current difficulties existing in Car License Plate Characters recognition. Firstly, the method builds three Template Libraries apart including Chinese characters, English letters and Figure. The character to be recognized is preprocessed involving normalization, refinement and so on. And then, it is identified by using modified Hausdorff distance template matching method. The experiments show that the method is effective and feasible.


Inspired by the simplicity of how nature solves its problems, we develop a flocking controller that would enable the localisation and subsequent mapping of environmental pollutants. Pollutants could range from checimal leaks to invisible air borne harzardous materials. We use simulation results to validate our approach and then briefly discuss how to implement the controller onto a real robotic platform. Our motivation is to use the advantages offered by swarm robotics- simple, multiple and cheap agents- to achieve a collective complex single goal of mapping an environmental pollutant spread over a large area. We aim to make our approach as simple as possible yet highly effective in generating the map.


Arylhydrazino-bismaleimides (AHBM) has been prepared by the Michael addition reaction of various phenyl hydrazine derivatives with N, N' -(4, 4' -biphenyl) bismaleimide (BBM). These arylhydrazino bismaleimides (AHBM) were employed for curing commercial epoxy resins. The curing behavior of commercial epoxy resin with these AHBM compounds using 2- methyl imidazole as a catalyst has been monitored using differential scanning calorimetry. Glass fiber composites of the epoxy AHBM system have also been prepared and characterized mechanically and chemically. The electrical conductivity of all unreinforced epoxy-AHBM cured products were measured at a room temperature and it was found that the produced cured materials were having good chemical resistance, good mechanical strength and low conductivity.


The purpose of this study is to understand the idiosyncratic notion of career and career needs in austerity by examining the Hellenic public sector via the lens of the kaleidoscope career model (KCM), which was used as the theoretical framework, in order to explore the relevancy of its proposed career needs.
Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a sample of 33 public sector employees, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data. The findings of the interviews revealed that the participants perceived their careers as jobs, pointing to an instrumental career orientation while at the same time suggesting that careers in austerity had plateaued and were frozen and unfair.
The relevant career needs identified from the data were safety, fairness and training. The analysis of the interviews suggested that the KCM was not entirely appropriate for accommodating a career in austerity, and consequently the thesis aimed to develop the model further.
The main theoretical contribution of the thesis is found in the redevelopment of the KCM, since in its initial conceptualisation the model accommodates the notion of career by arguing about three specific needs, namely authenticity, balance and challenge – prerequisites that are located at the top of the human needs hierarchy. This thesis expands the KCM by adding the need for safety, a lower-order need, in which case the KCM becomes more inclusive by incorporating the notion of job, including a variety of workers.
In addition, the thesis aims at expanding the traditional organisational career notion of advancement and status to include an instrumental orientation to work which better reflects the specific contexts of dismissals, high unemployment, insecurity and cuts in public spending.
The study concludes with the realisation that careers and understanding thereof are context-dependent – constantly evolving depending on social, political and financial structures – and thus in need of being researched in situ, in order to be understood fully.


A case study was conducted on the development of the LISTEN intervention strategy for use with autistic students to improve inappropriate social behaviors. The study was conducted in a special education classroom in an autism school in Kuwait. Examination of LISTEN Intervention Strategy applications included: duration of targeted behavior; methods used to teach the strategy; classroom activities used to teach the appropriate behavior; rewards provided to the participant; data collection and analysis; results; and final recommendations to the Kuwait Ministry of Education (KMOE) regarding future research. Study results revealed that implementation of the LISTEN strategy modified the targeted inappropriate social behavior of the participating autistic student. Observational data showed that repeated modeling by the teacher was required during the first two steps of the LISTEN strategy before understanding of the strategy by the student could be verified. Additionally, when the teacher integrated symbols familiar to the student into the second step of the strategy, the student was able to follow the strategy and remained seated in the presence of a visitor in the classroom. ********** In 1943, autism was first identified at The Johns Hopkins Hospital; in 1981 it was categorized as an independent term (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008; Turnbull, Tumbull, Smith, & Leal, 2002). In fact, some of the earliest published descriptions of a behavior comparable to autism date to the 18th century (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). In 1999, the Kuwait Ministry of Education (KMOE) established the first school for students with autism, while other private schools included students with autism in classrooms for those with other disabilities in a school-within-a-school environment (Al-Shammari, 2005). Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of developmental disabilities characterized by significant impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of unusual behaviors and interests (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Autism, in general, is a chronic disorder that appears in the first three years of life, revealing deficits in social interaction, communication skills and behaviors (Autism Society of America; Collins et al., 2006; Loukusa et al., 2007; Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, Smith & Leal, 2002; White, Scahill, Klin, Koenig, & Volkmar, 2007). The etiology of the disorder remains unidentified, although current research is focused on genetic, pharmacological, and environmental factors (Bailey, LeCouteur, Gottesman, Bolton, Simonoff, Yuzida, & Rutter, 1995; Whitely, Rodgers & Shattock, 1998). Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls and knows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism's occurrence (Autism Society of America; British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2000). In this research, a case study was conducted involving a male student with autism who exhibited an inability to interact socially with other individuals; namely those persons unfamiliar to him. Concern was valid since this behavior is common among persons with autism.As supported by Edelson (2008), one of the most prevalent symptoms of autism is a dysfunction in social behaviors. Brief Review of Literature as Setting for Study The social difficulties associated with autism vary from individual to individual and include lack of eye contact, poor joint attention, failure to initiate verbal exchange, and inability to establish age-appropriate relationships (Dawson, Toth, Abbott, Osterling, Munson, & Estes, 2004). Children with autism characteristically display a lack of spontaneous play of all kinds (Boucher & Wolfberg, 2003). In addition, children with autism typically have difficulty generalizing learned skills to new settings and are unable to use new skills with new people or materials (Handleman, 1999). …


The paper aims to present the methodology of the platform "Ethnolinguistic audio-visual atlas of the cultural food heritage of Bacӑu County – eCULTFOOD Atlas", the main product of the project The Digitization of the Cultural Food Heritage. The Region of Bacău – eCULTFOOD (PNIII-P2-2.1-BG-2016-0390). The platform eCULTFOOD Atlas is a comprehensive database containing the results of field research and scientific documentation on local cultural food traditions. It includes a representative corpus of audio-visual documents recording the traditional food cultural heritage based on surveys involving the older generation from the rural county of Bacӑu, Romania. The eCULTFOOD Atlas meets the aspirations of EU policies that regard the digitization of cultural resources as a key factor that would contribute to improving accessibility and undivided flow of information in a knowledge economy. Once transposed into electronic format, the cultural food heritage of Bacӑu County may become a resource for a broad spectrum of activities impacting sectors such as education, economy and tourism. Keywords:  1. The project PN-III-P2-2.1-BG-2016-0390 The Digitization of the Cultural Food Heritage. The Region of Bacău – eCULTFOOD


The rapid increase in the aging population of Japan is becoming a serious social concern, and the number of elderly individuals with dementia is also increasing. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan has reported that the elderly account for 4.62 million individuals, of which approximately 4 million have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, monofunctional disorders, such as those in individuals with MCI, can be treated, with patients recovering 44% of their abilities 2 years after treatment, thereby suggesting that early detection and treatment of dementia is important. It has been reported that individuals who walk slowly or have experienced a significant decline in walking speed with age have a higher risk of developing dementia. In this study, to study movement in individuals aged ≥ 60 years, we focused on walking, a basic activity of daily living. We proposed and evaluated novel methods to estimate cognitive function. Acceleration and angular velocity sensors were attached to the waists of 20 elderly participants who were asked to walk outdoors ordinarily for 5– 10 min, during which acceleration and angular velocity were measured. The similarity, standard deviation, and period of the stride were determined from the acceleration waveform and angular velocity waveform during walking. These were used as independent variables, and multiple regression analysis was performed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score as a dependent variable. An MMSE score estimation equation was constructed. The relationship between the estimation formula and the actual test value was R2 = 0.773 (P <0.01), which was good. As a result of cross-validation, the root mean square (RMS) error is low and the error is neither fixed nor proportional. Using the body acceleration and angular velocity information when walking outdoors, we built a very accurate formula for estimating the MMSE score.


Summary
- In our recent contribution to the special issue on plankton dynamics in a fast-changing world, we outlined some general predictions of plankton dynamics in different climate regions now and in future, building on the Plankton Ecology Group (PEG) model (de Senerpont Domis et al., 2013).
- We proposed a stylised version of plankton dynamics in Fig. 3 of our article and stated that these patterns need to be further elaborated. Our figure displays annual plankton dynamics now and in future in oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic lakes in arctic, temperate and tropical climate zones.
- We fully agree with Sarmento, Amado & Descy (2013) that more data on tropical regions are needed, and we are looking forward to the emergence of published data from tropical regions to extend our still-limited understanding of plankton dynamics in these regions.
- Sarmento et al. (2013) did not agree with our predictions on plankton dynamics for hydrology-driven water systems in the tropics. Unfortunately, however, Sarmento et al. (2013) did not substantiate their statements with the much-needed data on plankton dynamics in the tropics. Moreover, they merely provide an overview of precipitation patterns in the tropics, not an alternative hypothesis for our predictions.


This thesis focuses on the uncanny in literature produced in America during the first decade following World War II. The period between 1945 and 1955 was marked by repressive socio-political forces such as McCarthyism and cultural conformity which complicated the representation of what Philip Roth refers to as "demonic reality." I explore the ways in which the avoidance and minimisation of the unpleasant created a highly circumscribed version of postwar American life while also generating a sense of objectless anxiety. According to the theories of Sigmund Freud, repression inevitably stages a return registered as the "uncanny." Animism, magic, the omnipotence of thoughts, the castration complex, death, the double, madness, involuntary repetition compulsion, live burial and haunting are all deemed capable of provoking a particular anxiety connected to what lies beneath the surface of accepted reality. Although it is common to argue that fantasy genres such as science fiction and gothic represent the return of what is repressed, this thesis explores several realist novels displaying uncanny characteristics. The realist novels included here are uncanny not only because they depict weird automaton-like characters, haunting, and castration anxieties, thus exhibiting a conscious use of Freudian theory, but because the texts themselves act as the return of the repressed. Norman Mailer referred to this unsettling phenomenon when he described writing as the "spooky" art; spooky because although a writer might sit down to consciously write a particular story, another unwilled story might very well appear.


Angular electrostatic microactuators suitable for use in a two-stage servo system for magnetic disk drives have been fabricated from molded chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) polysilicon using the HexSil process. A 2.6-mm-diameter device has been shown to be capable of positioning the read/write elements of a 30% picoslider over a /spl plusmn/1-/spl mu/m range, with a predicted bandwidth of 2 kHz. The structures are formed by depositing polysilicon via CVD into deep trenches etched into a silicon mold wafer. Upon release, the actuators are assembled onto a target wafer using a solder bond. The solder-bonding process will provide easy integration of mechanical structures with integrated circuits, allowing separate optimization of the circuit and structure fabrication processes. An advantage of HexSil is that once the mold wafer has undergone the initial plasma etching, it may be reused for subsequent polysilicon depositions, amortizing the cost of the deep-trench etching over many structural runs and thereby significantly reducing the cost of finished actuators. Furthermore, 100-/spl mu/m-high structures may be made from a 3-/spl mu/m deposition of polysilicon, increasing overall fabrication speed.


Data mining is performed to support decision making, but many of the most powerful techniques such as neural networks, or ensembles produce opaque models which are not comprehensible for a human. The lack of interpretability is an obvious disadvantage since decision makers require some sort of explanation before taking action. To achieve comprehensibility, accuracy is often sacrificed by the use of simpler models such as decision trees. Another alternative is, however, to extract rules from the opaque model. We have previously suggested a rule extration algorithm namned G-REX. In this study we further evaluate G-REX on estimation tasks. Two new representation languages are compared to the original, using eight publicly available datasets. The extracted rules are compared to two standard techniques producing comprehensible models; multiple linear regression and the decision tree algorith C&RT. The results show that G-REX outperforms the standard techniques when an appropriate representation is used.


The paper devoted to the 120th anniversary of A.A. Bogomoletz birth deals with the developmental stages of the cytotoxin (xenogenic antibody) doctrine from creating the anti-reticular cytotoxic serum (ACS) of Bogomoletz to the use of monoclonal antibodies both in biological investigations and in medicine. The use of ACS for treating various diseases and the mechanisms of its effect; obtaining other anti-organ and anti-tissue cytotoxic sera and establishing their experimental effects; the use of a set of cytotoxic sera, taken in both inhibitory and stimulating doses, in medicine and agriculture, as well as the drawbacks of cytotoxic sere (polyclonal xenogenic antibodies) are described. The experience of using monoclonal antibodies to identify the structures of protein antigenic determinants and to establish their role in different diseases are analysed. The use of monoclonal antibodies for treating various diseases is reviewed. The advances in the techniques of obtaining monoclonal antibodies are noted.


This paper will provide an overview of the philosophical premises, the generation of research questions, data collection and analysis process, potential ethical issues, and quality of inference of living theory action research methodology. Based on the ontological value that everyone has knowledge within themselves, living theory action research considers knowledge to be the creation from evaluation and reflection as part of actions to improve educational practices. This paper suggests a way to move ahead with living theory action research by shedding light on the significance of multimedia use and the role of educational influence in its methodology to communicate the meanings of expression of embodied values and for the validation process. This paper aims to help emerging educational action researchers understand living theory action research as an innovative methodology to address the gap between values and practical implementation for action researchers.


Adequate skill for the US-AV approach was achieved within three tries, but up to nine at tempts were needed for LM-SV. The performance time for the second at tempt comparing the techniques was statistically dif ferent (P=0.01), but the first and third were not significantly dif ferent (median: LM-SV 1st try 23.5sec., 2nd try 14 sec., 3rd try 6 sec., US-AV 1st try 15.5sec., 2nd try 11 sec., 3rd try 8.5 sec.). One arterial puncture occurred during an LM-SV approach. No pneumothoraces occurred during the simulation. Conclusion(s): US-AV using the 3-step method was more quickly learned than the LM-SV method in a simulation model.


Now the experience in developing the geophysical model of the Earth's crust structure is gained on the base of seismic and gravity data. It was obtained that oil-gas pools are characterized by a lithosphere horizontal lamination and the existence of intracrust layers with density and seismic wave velocity reduced. This paper is to study a deep structure specific of an oil-gas-bearing province on the base of magnetic data. Technique of the spectral-spatial analyze (SPAN) is used to differentiate weakly magnetic sedimentary rocks and to chart out basement heterogeneities. SPAN proved itself during oil-and-gas exploring in Volga-Urals, the Caspian, Siberia, the Barents and other regions. In this work the North Sea was chosen as an investigation subject. Results of systematic magnetic surveys, which were carried out by the schooner "Zarya" in 1964-1980, were used as the source data. SPAN technique was applied to analyze extended profiles intersecting 14 known oil-gas fields. Sections were constructed in the depth range from 1 to 30km. This allowed studying the magnetization distribution features of the basement and cover rocks which are characteristic for oil-gas bearing zones. Specific permeable areas stretching under oil-gas-bearing zones are revealed in the depth range from 8 to 28km.


Direct Torque Control is a control technique in AC drive systems to obtain high performance torque control. The conventional DTC drive contains a pair of hysteresis comparators. DTC drives utilizing hysteresis comparators suffer from high torque ripple and variable switching frequency. The most common solution to those problems is to use the space vector depends on the reference torque and flux. In this Paper The space vector modulation technique (SVPWM) is applied to 2 level inverter control in the proposed DTC-based induction motor drive system, thereby dramatically reducing the torque ripple. Then the controller based on space vector modulation is designed to be applied in the control of Induction Motor (IM) with a three-level Inverter. This type of Inverter has several advantages over the standard two-level VSI, such as a greater number of levels in the output voltage waveforms, Lower dV/dt, less harmonic distortion in voltage and current waveforms and lower switching frequencies. This paper proposes a general SVPWM algorithm for three-level based on standard two-level SVPWM. The proposed scheme is described clearly and simulation results are reported to demonstrate its effectiveness. The entire control scheme is implemented with Matlab/Simulink.