Aims: The present study was aimed to assess the impact of Hyperthermia along with Radiotherapy on the outcomes of treatment in locally advanced carcinoma cervix. Materials and Methods: Present study is a retrospective analysis of cancer cervix patients treated with radiotherapy and hyperthermia+/- chemotherapy from Jan 2012 to Jan 2018. Total twenty patients were included in this study. Among Twenty patients 12 patients received (HT+RT) while 8 patients received chemotherapy along with hyperthermia and Radiotherapy, (HT+RT+CT). All patients received EBRTdose 50 Gy in 25 fractions and 5 weeks. All patients were prescribed once a week or twice a week hypertermia for 5 weeks along with radiotherapy. Boost was given to primary disease either via brachytherapy or EBRT. Results: Complete response observed 75% of patients in RT+HT group. Similarly in RT+HT+CT group also 75% patients had complete response. Mean overall survival of 46.98 months with a median follow up time of 22 months. On univariate analysis significant impact of Hyperthermia fractions with (Hazard Ratio = 6.426 (95% CI 1.06 – 38.80), P value = 0.021) and radiation boost with (Hazard Ratio = 4.32 (95% CI 0.86 – 21.48), P value = 0.049) observed. On multivariate near about significance for Hyperthermia Fractions once a week as compared to twice a week (Hazard Ratio = 20.08 (95% CI 1.33 – 303.74), (P value = 0.030). Four patients developed pelvic recurrence. Mean recurrence free survival was 41.17 months. Kaplan Meier survival analysis was used as univariate analysis. P- value < 0.05 considered statistical significant. Conclusion: Combination of hyperthermia and radiotherapy shows better over all survival and hyperthermia is good option in patients with locally advanced carcinoma cervix who are not eligible for chemotherapy.


The internodes of deepwater rice can elongate in response to rises in water level. This unique character allows deepwater rice to survive severe flooding during the monsoon season in South and Southeast Asia. Our previous quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis of a deepwater rice cultivar (Oryza sativa) detected QTLs on chromosomes 1, 3 and 12. In this study, we produced three nearly isogenic lines (NILs) possessing each of the three QTLs by backcross introduction of each chromosomal region into a non-deepwater rice cultivar. The NILs showed internode elongation under deepwater conditions, and we were able to demonstrate the existence of the QTLs and to evaluate the effect of each QTL. Using progenies of the NILs, we mapped all QTLs between molecular markers. Comparison of the location of the most effective QTL between the rice cultivar (O. sativa) and a wild rice species (O. rufipogon) indicated that the QTL on chromosome 12 is common and is the most important QTL for internode elongation in deepwater condition.


Morphology has often been used as an indicator of variability with in species. The present study investigated morphological and physiological characteristics of isolates of Phytophthora cinnamomi collected from diseased vegetation communities at Anglesea, Victoria, and isolates collected from other regions in the State. Characteristics studied included growth rate on potato-dextrose agar (PDA), corn-meal agar and V8-juice agar at 24°C, growth rate on V8 aga r at 15°C , colony morphology on PDA, sporangial and gametangial morphology, sporangial production and mating type. Phenotypic variation was demonstrated in radial growth rate, colony morphology and sporangial dimensions. Sporangial and oogonial dimensions and sporangial production were not significantly different between isolates from different geographical regions. All isolates were found to be of the A2 mating type suggesting variation was derived asexually. Paragynal associations, in an organism characteristically defined as amphigynal, were observed following crossing with A1 isolates. This is the first such study undertaken in southern Victoria. The findings highlight the importance of appropriate management of an area of such high conservation value as the Anglesea Heath to contain the current infection and to prevent introduction of new isolates into the area.


Loads and generators causing harmonic distortion have traditionally been modelled as current sources. This model made it reasonable to apply distortion contribution limits in terms of harmonic current injected at point of connection. However, recent experiences have shown that inverter-based devices cannot be modelled as a current source without a shunt impedance. Therefore, the determination of the interaction of the grid and harmonic source must consider the impedances of both sources. Amplification of background voltage distortion due to the connection of new plants therefore may become significant. New issues regarding the calculation of distortion contribution are discussed: its estimation before commissioning, its evaluation during the life of the asset, its measurement uncertainty in relation to the limits imposed by the Network Service Provider. This paper presents an overview of these topics, proposes a different method to evaluate distortion contribution, and describes a fairer overall approach to harmonic distortion compliance.


In this study, the influence of hydrodynamic models on dynamics of the fluidized bed polyethylene production process has been investigated via modeling. The overall fluidized bed model consists of two integrated sub-models. The hydrodynamic sub-models, which are the simple and dynamic two-phase, well mixed and tanks in series models, were used in the study along with the reaction sub-model from the literature. The hydrodynamic sub-models differ from each other in terms of flow structure and the presence of solids in the disperse phase. The conventional PID controllers were used to control the reactor conditions for these different hydrodynamic conditions. The results of this study showed that a choice of a hydrodynamic model for the fluidized bed polyethylene reactor has a minor effect on the dynamic response and the grade transition of the polyethylene production process and a simple hydrodynamic sub-model can be used for the proper dynamic modeling and control of the process.


When thinking of Iceland, two specific types of ice come to mind: the ice that is formed on the many glaciers in the country, and the sea ice that is brought to the coasts by winds and ocean currents. Because of space constraints in this volume, the discussion here will focus entirely on the phenomenon of sea ice. This paper is not concerned with ice as a scientific phenomenon, but with the image of sea ice as presented in a variety of different narrative genres concerning Iceland. However, a few words of elucidation will set the stage for the discussion. Ice on the sea is formed in two main ways. Either by being broken off in the form of ice bergs from calving glaciers, or else it may form directly on the surface of the sea as frozen seawater. Most of the ice reaching Iceland is of the latter kind, and arrives by way of the East Greenland current. It is the northern, northwestern, and eastern coasts of Iceland which are most frequently affected, and, in the past, it occurred most often in the winter and spring seasons. It is an infrequent visitor in the present climate.


This paper describes a new wavefront array architecture which can efficiently execute sequences of matrix operations, as are typically found in many real-world signal processing problems. The systolic algorithms described in the literature have usually been derived for single matrix operations, without regard for how one might combine them with other matrix operations in a useful sequence. A modified wavefront array architecture allows a sequence of operations to be systolized without sacrificing the efficiency of the individual systolic algorithms in the sequence. The approach consists of dividing the sequence of matrix operations into tasks (each task is one operation) and systolizing each task such that the positioning of data values for input and output is compatible with that required by the preceding and following tasks. The wavefront array then pipelines a sequence of tasks, with the head element of the array beginning a new task as soon as it completes the preceding task. Each wavefront initiates a task iteration when it arrives at a processing element. To increase the speed of the array, wavefronts are passed on when an element begins executing a task iteration rather than after it finishes the task iteration. When this is done, dataflow rather than wavefront propagation determines the execution time of the array for each task. Several examples of matrix operation sequences have been tested on the architecture in simulation, and the results are reported.


This guide is intended to acquaint you with the resources and services of the Special Collections Section, located on the first floor. Guide originally created by University Librarian Emeritus Eileen Brady.


Accumulation of the antibody-synthesizing cells in the lungs of guinea pigs in intratracheal and subcutaneous immunization was studied on a model of a complete typhoid bacilli antigen by means of Coons' method. Antibody-forming cells located in the interalveolar septi and in the peribronchial and perivascular connective tissue appeared with both method of the apneumotropic antigen administration. More of these cells accumulated in intrapulmonary application of the antigen. Repeated immunization by any method also led to the increase of their amount. The problem on the role played by the lungs in the immunogenesis is discussed.


[1] Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves play an important role in magnetospheric dynamics and their global distribution has been of great interest. This paper presents the distribution of EMIC waves over a broader range than ever before, as enabled by observations with the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) spacecraft from 2007 to 2010. Our major findings are: (1) There are two major peaks in the EMIC wave occurrence probability. One is at dusk and 8–12 RE where the helium band dominates the hydrogen band waves. The other is at dawn and 10–12 RE where the hydrogen band dominates the helium band waves. (2) In terms of wave spectral power the dusk events are stronger (≈10 nT2/Hz) than the dawn events (≈3 nT2/Hz). (3) The dawn waves have large normal angles (>45°) in the hydrogen band and even larger normal angles (>60°) in the helium band. The dusk waves have small normal angles (≤30°) in both the hydrogen and helium bands. (4) The hydrogen band waves at dawn are weakly left-hand polarized near the equator, become linearly polarized with increasing latitude and eventually weakly right-hand polarized at high latitudes whereas the helium band waves at dawn are linearly polarized at all latitudes. Dusk waves in both bands are strongly left-hand polarized over a wide range of latitude. Based on the linear EMIC instability model presented by Horne and Thorne (1994), we suggest that the main underlying factor for the observed spatial variations of these wave properties would be local density of cold plasma and chemical abundance. In addition, the distinct properties of H and He band waves found in this study would deserve a new attention in relation to EMIC wave generation mechanisms.


Rotor position detection is important for motor servo system design. In general, there are two kinds of methods to obtain the position information in real time, sensor or sensorless methods. The sensor methods use position sensors such as optical encoder. This will greatly increase the cost of the system, and the sensor with high precision is difficult to be installed. On the other hand, the sensorless method can reduce the cost, but the reliability and complexity of the algorithm is still the problems. In this paper, a new low-cost integrated position detection unit, which is composed of the integrated position sensor, signal processing hardware and software, is described. The sensor is easy to manufacture and has better precision with the help of signal processing circuit and software based on DSP. The sensor can obtain absolute rotating angle using inductance detection method, and it is originally designed and used for a 2-phase hybrid stepping motor position servo system. Even though the feedback unit is originally designed for a 2-phase hybrid stepping motor, the same unit also can be used with other types of motors.


14-3-3 proteins are involved in signalling processes in neuronal cells. Using isoform-specific antibodies we have examined the variation in 14-3-3 isoform neurolocation in normal and scrapie-infected murine brain and show that in defined areas of the brain there are significant changes associated with the pathology of the disease process. The appearance of 14-3-3 proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a consequence of neuronal disease and the detection of specific isoforms of the 14-3-3 proteins in the CSF is characteristic of some neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, monitoring specifically for the gamma 14-3-3 isoform in the CSF by both Western-blot analysis and ELISA we can show a level of correlation between the assays.


This study was designed to demonstrate the magnitude of the bias of the most probable number (MPN) test when applied to sediment. Sterile sediment samples were inoculated with fecal coliforms or Pseudomonas aeruginosa organisms, and recovery by MPN and plate count procedures was compared. The five-tube MPN estimates fluctuated between 43 percent above and 65 percent below the plate count when tests were performed with a 1:10 dilution of sediment inoculated with fecal coliforms. A 1:100 dilution of sediment produced an underestimation in the counts of 86 percent. Analysis of the MPN expression for P. aeruginosa in sediment showed that with a 1:10 dilution, the numbers could vary from 39 to 98 percent below the plate count. The average underestimation for the 1:100 dilution was 90 percent. These results showed that, unlike water samples, which may have an 18 percent bias on the high side of the "true" population, sediment samples analyzed by the common 5-5-5 tube MPN technique yield a significant underestimation of the actual bacterial count.


Background Combining bronchodilators with different mechanisms of action may improve efficacy and reduce risk of side effects compared to increasing the dose of a single agent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We investigated this by combining two long-acting bronchodilators: once-daily muscarinic antagonist tiotropium and once-daily β2-agonist olodaterol. Methods Two replicate, double-blind, randomized, 12-week studies (ANHELTO 1 [NCT01694771] and ANHELTO 2 [NCT01696058]) evaluated the efficacy and safety of olodaterol 5 μg once daily (via Respimat®) combined with tiotropium 18 μg once daily (via HandiHaler®) versus tiotropium 18 μg once daily (via HandiHaler®) combined with placebo (via Respimat®) in patients with moderate to severe COPD. Primary efficacy end points were area under the curve from 0–3 hours of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 AUC0–3) and trough FEV1 after 12 weeks (for the individual trials). A key secondary end point was health status by St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score (combined data set). Results Olodaterol + tiotropium resulted in significant improvements over tiotropium + placebo in FEV1 AUC0–3 (treatment differences: 0.117 L [P<0.001], ANHELTO 1; 0.106 L [P<0.001], ANHELTO 2) and trough FEV1 (treatment differences: 0.062 L [P<0.001], ANHELTO 1; 0.040 L [P=0.0029], ANHELTO 2); these were supported by secondary end points. These effects translated to improvements in SGRQ total scores (treatment difference −1.85; P<0.0001). The tolerability profile of olodaterol + tiotropium was similar to tiotropium monotherapy. Conclusion These studies demonstrated that olodaterol (Respimat®) and tiotropium (HandiHaler®) provided bronchodilatory effects above tiotropium alone in patients with COPD. In general, both treatments were well tolerated.


1. Abstract. Generalized linear models (GLM) are powerful tools for identifying dependence in spiking populations of neurons, both over time and within the population Paninski (2004). The GLM identifies these dependencies by modeling spiking patterns through a linear regression and an appropriately-selected link function and likelihood. This regression setup is appealing for its simplicity, the wide variety of available priors, the potential for interpretability, and its computational efficiency. However, the GLM suffers from at least three notable deficiencies. First, the model is linear up to the link function, which only allows a limited range of response maps from neural spiking histories. Second, the model's parameters are fixed over time, while neural responses may vary due to processes that are exogenous to the population. Third, the generalized linear model presupposes a characteristic time scale for all dynamics, when there may be multiple, varying time scales of neural activity in a given population. Here we seek to address these deficiencies via a switching variant of the generalized linear model. A switching system is one that evolves through a set of discrete states over time, with each state exhibiting its own lowlevel dynamics. For example, the latent state of a hidden Markov model (HMM) can be used to determine the parameters of an autoregressive (AR) process. These HMM-AR models can be used to identify common patterns of linear dependence that vary over time. Bayesian nonparametric versions of HMM-AR models extend these ideas to allow for an infinite number of such patterns to exist a priori, and semi-Markov variants allow the different states to have idiosyncratic duration distributions. Here we develop GLM variants of these switching AR processes and specialize them for neural spiking data. In particular, we exploit recent data augmentation schemes for negative binomial likelihood functions Pillow and Scott (2012) to make inference tractable in HDP-HSMM-AR models with count-based observations.


The injection into the subsoil of micro- (nZVI) and nanoparticles (nZVI) of zerovalent iron as water-based slurries for groundwater remediation is hindered by the lack of stability and mobility of both micro- and nanoscale zerovalent iron particles in water suspensions. Green polymers, such as guar gum (GG) and xanthan gum (XG) are commonly used as stabilizing agents. Water based solutions containing high concentrations of these green polymers are shear thinning fluids, presenting high viscosity in static conditions and low viscosity in dynamic conditions. This shear thinning behaviour makes the storage of iron micro- and nanoparticles more effective, providing a reduction of sedimentation and aggregation phenomena, and promotes the injection of the particle in the subsoil, avoiding high injection pressures. In this master thesis an extensive study was carried out on the optimization of injection of mZVI and nZVI particles dispersed in GG-XG solutions for groundwater remediation applications. The mixture of different biopolymers, in fact, creates a viscoelastic gel with higher performance than the single biopolymer solution. Firstly, the preparation procedure of GG solutions was optimized to minimize the presence of undissolved particles and contain the clogging of the porous medium: the GG powder is dissolved in hot water, left to settle and filtered. This aim was achieved through several column filtration tests. The rheological characterization of the adopted biopolymer mixture was provided to prove its effectiveness. Rheological measurements and a multi-step filtration test were performed to verify that the rheological behaviour of the biopolymer solution in the bulk is similar to that in the porous medium. Secondly, the mobility in porous media of the iron particles dispersed in the biopolymer solution was explored through several column transport tests (1D geometry). The optimal concentration of the GG-XG mixtures was identified to improve the colloidal stability and the transport of mZVI and nZVI in the aquifer systems, maintaining at the same time low injection pressures. Furthermore, the flow velocity decreases hyperbolically with increasing distance from the injection well. Hence, the transport tests were carried out at different flow velocities, to investigate the effect of this important parameter on the mobility of iron particles during field injections. The results of laboratory column tests were analysed by inverse fitting using the MNMs 2018 software to determine the kinetic coefficients that govern the transport of iron particles in porous media. Finally, one-dimensional radial simulations of a hypothetical pilot injection were run to predict the radius of influence and the consequent final distribution of the particles around the injection well, verifying the effectiveness of the biopolymer mixture. The results of this study highlighted the necessity to find a compromise between the maximization of the colloidal mobility and the minimization of the injection pressure. However, this work showed that the GG-XG mixture even at lower biopolymer concentration provide a better stabilization than single biopolymer solution at higher concentrations. The solutions proposed are promising in the interest of a future application in the field and the study can be deepened and strengthened through full three-dimensional numerical simulations for the full-scale design of the injection of zerovalent iron particles.


The EU has not been perceived as reacting very rapidly or effectively to the so-called Arab Spring. Events do validate the underpinning idea of the European Security Strategy and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP): only where governments guarantee to their citizens security, prosperity, freedom and equality, can peace and stability last – otherwise, people will revolt. But in practice, in its southern neighbourhood the EU has acted in precisely the opposite manner, so the Arab Spring is occurring in spite of rather than thanks to EU policy.
The ENP stands at a crossroads therefore: Can a new start be made? Which instruments and, in times of austerity, which means can the EU apply to consolidate democratization? And, finally, can the EU continue to wage an ENP without addressing the hard security dimension, especially as the US seem to be withdrawing from crisis management in the region – or shall it continue to leave that to others?
In this joint publication, the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Egmont and the European Policy Centre (EPC), address some of the key dimensions of the EU's engagement with the Mediterranean region.


These three texts help students build academic vocabulary and sharpen reading skills for college-level or college-prep material. -- Good Reasons for Reading introduces ideas from different cultures, presents appropriate vocabulary, and provides exercises that let students interact with the readings. -- More Reasons for Reading features five units, each with three in-depth readings on a major topic, along with vocabulary and skills exercises. -- Reading for a Reason covers the relationship between parts of a sentence, between sentences, and between paragraphs. The readings in this text have a scientific/ technical focus -- language, genetics, anthropology, and artificial intelligence.


Up to now, different kinds of musical performance robots (MPRs) and robotic musicians (RMs) have been developed. MPRs are designed to closely reproduce the motor skills displayed by humans in order to play musical instruments. From this approach, MPRs are used as benchmarks to study the human motor control from an engineering point of view and to understand better the human-robot interaction from a musical point of view. In contrast, RMs are conceived as automated mechanisms designed to create new ways of musical expression from a musical engineering point of view. Our research, at Waseda University, has been focused on developing an anthropomorphic flutist robot. Our research aims in studying the human motor control from an engineering point of view, understanding the ways to facilitate the human-robot interaction and proposing new applications for humanoid robot in musical terms. As a result of our research, the Waseda Flutist Robot No.4 Refined IV (WF-4RIV) has been developed. In a previous research, we focused on improving the mechanical system in order to enhance the clarity of the sound. However, we require performing further improvements to the control system in order to enable the robot to autonomously improve the quality of the sound during the flute performance. For this purpose, we proposed to implement an auditory feedback control system on the flutist robot. The proposed system is composed by a music expressive generator, feed-forward air pressure control system and a pitch evaluation module. From the experimental results with the WF-4RIV, we could confirm the improvements on the flute performance.


Panchakarma, a comprehensive, and an integral part of Ayurvedic treatment and have its role in every therapeutic condition. There has been a phenomenal increase in the demand for specialized therapies of Ayurveda, particularly Panchakarma, not only for treatment of diseases but also for preventive and promotive health care. It has been observed that many health centers being run in the name of Panchakarma centers are actually not providing authentic Panchakarma but in a form that has deviated from original concepts and practices. If Panchakarma therapy not used in proper dose, in recommended indications and with proper environment, it may leads to complications. It is important to ensure that Panchakarma therapy is administered as per standard operating procedures. Also standardization helps in providing effective therapeutic results and minimizing the chances of complications.


The common sense model of illness (Leventhal et al 1997) suggests that illness perceptions influence coping strategies and outcomes. Negative perceptions of IBD are associated with poorer psychological and physical health, quality of life (Polak et al, 2019) and adherence (van der Have et al, 2016). There are differences among healthcare professionals in how they view IBD (Dickman et al, 2011) however, it is unknown how perceptions of illness vary between patients and HCPs

 All patients with IBD who were referred to IBD psychology clinic were asked to complete Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ, Broadbent et al, 2006) as part of their assessment.
 HCPs as part of the same team were asked to complete 5 items adapted from the BIPQ (How long do you think your patients will have IBD, how much control do think is possible with IBD, how much do you think treatment can help, how much do you feel that you understand IBD and how much do you feel IBD affects patients emotionally) and asked for 3 causes of IBD.
 Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney tests were performed as well as a thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) of the causes.

 Data was available for 148 patients and 24 HCPs (11 doctors and 13 other HCPs).

 There were no significant differences between HCPs and patients in their views of illness duration or their understanding of IBD. However, patients felt that disease control was less likely and treatment effectiveness was less helpful than HCPs. HCPs felt that patients were more emotionally impacted by IBD than patients themselves.

 There was a difference in how each group ranked the themes. All HCPs identified genetics, whereas many fewer patients did. Patients were more likely to identify psychological, environmental and lifestyle as being important, were more likely to say that the cause was unknown or to not respond to the question.

 Our findings suggest a disconnect between the views held by patients and HCPs as to the underlying cause of their IBD as well as our ability to achieve disease control with effective medical therapy. This highlights the importance of open communication with and education of patients from their first encounter with HCPs and throughout their disease course. It is worth noting that all patients included had been referred to the IBD psychology service and are more likely to have had a difficult disease course or persistent symptoms which may explain the difference in views on treatment and remission.


From the Publisher:
BradyGames' .hack Part 2: Mutation Official Strategy Guide provides a complete walkthrough to help gamers conquer every field and dungeon in "The World" with ease. Boss strategies to crush every boss with supreme fighting tactics. Dungeon maps pinpoint every item and Gott Statue. Comprehensive item trading list of every player character in the game. Bestiary stats for every enemy revealed! Equipment, item, and skills lists are also included.


The aim of the current work was to identify vibrational machine glass epoxy plate eigenfrequencies, numerically identify working regimes on different input parameters and investigate the blood flow in foot after vibrational excitation using high-sensitivity infrared thermal imaging camera. Novel training machine has been designed for this purpose. Two vibrating motors rotating on different revolution per minute value were used to induce beating phenomenon and create sufficient force. Comsol Multiphysics model was designed for eigenfrequency analysis of machines' vibrating glass epoxy plate. Natural frequency of 3.28 Hz has been observed on loaded beam. Experiments with training machine were executed with the purpose of identification of beating phenomenon induction regimes on vibrating frequencies close to calculated eigenfrequencies values. Motors supplied by 16.9 V and 13.9 V respectively created beating frequency of 3.311 Hz and generated force to legs of 180.2 N. After that foot temperature was registered. Temperature raise of 0.7 C on Hallux toe, 1 C on Long toe, 0.9 C on right foot point and 1.5 C on left foot point were noted. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.mech.21.3.11758


We extend the recently introduced Bayesian framework `Generative Pulsar Timing Analysis' to incorporate both pulse jitter (high frequency variation in the arrival time of the pulse) and epoch to epoch stochasticity in the shape of the pulse profile. This framework allows for a full timing analysis to be performed on the folded profile data, rather than the site arrival times as is typical in most timing studies. We apply this extended framework both to simulations, and to an 11 yr, 10 cm data set for PSR J1909$-$3744. Using simulations, we show that temporal profile variation can induce timing noise in the residuals that when performing a standard timing analysis is highly covariant with the signal expected from a gravitational wave (GW) background. When working in the profile domain, these variations are de-correlated from the expected GW signal, resulting in significant improvement in the obtained upper limits. Using the PSR J1909$-$3744 data set from the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array project, we find significant evidence for systematic high-frequency profile variation resulting from non-Gaussian noise in the oldest observing system, but no evidence for either detectable pulse jitter, or low-frequency profile shape variation. Using our profile domain framework we therefore obtain upper limits on a red noise process with a spectral index of $\gamma = 13/3$ of $1\times10^{-15}$, consistent with previously published limits.


Artificially inducing dentinal lesions mimicking those remaining after selective excavation should allow to investigate the effects and limits of such selective excavation, for example regarding the mechanical properties of treated teeth or the remineralisation of sealed residual lesions. Such analyses might otherwise be limited by the variability of natural lesions or ethical and practical concerns. This study compared different demineralisation protocols for their suitability to induce lesions similar to natural residual caries. Twelve natural deep lesions were excavated until leathery dentin remained, and analysed for their mineral loss (ΔZ), lesion depth (LD), mineral loss ratio (R), the slope of the mineral gradient and their nano-hardness profile. Artificial lesions were induced using four different demineralisation protocols (acetic acid pH = 4.95; 0.1 M lactic acid gel pH = 5.0; 0.5 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid pH = 7.2; Streptococcus mutans biofilms) and their depths monitored over different demineralisation times. Lesions with depths most according to those of natural lesions were analysed using transversal microradiography. Lesions induced by acetic acid solution did not significantly differ with regards to LD, ΔZ, R and mineral profile. Seven dentin specimens were subsequently submitted to a moderately acidic (pH = 5.3) methylhydroxydiphosphonate-buffered acetate solution for 12 weeks. Natural and artificial residual lesions were similarly deep (mean ± SD: LD = 626 ± 212 and 563 ± 88 µm), demineralised (R = 19.5 ± 4.7 and 29.8 ± 4.1%), showed a flat and continuous mineral gradient (slope = 0.10 ± 0.05 and 0.13 ± 0.06 vol%/µm) and did not significantly differ regarding their nano-hardness profile. The described protocol induces lesions with mineral content and mechanical properties similar to natural residual lesions.


We consider streaming principal component analysis when the stochastic data-generating model is subject to perturbations. While existing models assume a fixed covariance, we adopt a robust perspective where the covariance matrix belongs to a temporal uncertainty set. Under this setting, we provide fundamental limits on convergence of any algorithm recovering principal components. We analyze the convergence of the noisy power method and Oja's algorithm, both studied for the stationary data generating model, and argue that the noisy power method is rate-optimal in our setting. Finally, we demonstrate the validity of our analysis through numerical experiments on synthetic and real-world dataset.


Agriculture faces the challenge of producing high yields to feed a growing world population, while simultaneously addressing environmental problems such as eutrophication, emissions of greenhouse gases, loss of biodiversity and soil degradation. Organic farming can be part of the solution, as it promotes biodiversity, uses less energy for fertiliser production and often has higher inputs of organic matter to soil than conventional farming. However, yields are often lower, partly due to asynchrony in mineralisation of organic nitrogen (N) and crop acquisition. Growing legumes for protein production and input of biological N2 fixation to supply the cropping system with N is a common practice on organic farms. The addition of reactive N to the agroecosystem via legumes may, just as with synthetic fertilisers, lead to N surpluses and environmentally harmful N losses. It is therefore important to improve N cycling within agricultural cropping systems.
This thesis assessed the effects of strategic redistribution of residual biomass on productivity, crop quality, N balance, N and carbon (C) turnover, eutrophication potential and global warming potential in a stockless organic cropping system. A field experiment was established to test three strategies for recirculating N in residual biomass within a six-year crop rotation; 1) leaving crop residues in situ at harvest (IS), 2) biomass redistribution as silage to non-legume crops (BR) or 3) anaerobic digestion of the silage before redistribution (AD). A soil incubation experiment in a controlled environment was also performed, to measure mineralisation of N, soil respiration and greenhouse gas emissions from incorporation of fresh and anaerobically digested grass clover ley. Moreover, energy balance, greenhouse gas emissions and eutrophication potential in BR and AD were compared with those in IS in a life cycle assessment (LCA). Results from the field experiment showed that the BR and AD strategies maintained the same yields as IS, but resulted in higher N2 fixation in the legumes and consequently a more positive N balance. The soil incubation experiment showed that total C losses during 90 days after soil application of ley were higher than from digested ley. A major energy gain was achieved in AD, and a decrease in global warming potential compared to BR. There was a reduction in eutrophication potential with the strategic redistribution of silage and digestate (BR and AD), compared with IS. In conclusion these results show that strategic redistribution of biomass-based digestate can improve the N balance of crop rotations and produce a surplus of bioenergy, which are key elements for enhancing the sustainability of stockless organic cropping systems.


This contribution presents descriptions of 14 fossil woods from the Piedra Chamana Fossil Forest in Peru, an assemblage of fossil woods and leaves dated at 39 Ma (late Middle Eocene). It is part two of the descriptions of the non-monocot angiosperm fossils from the site (see Woodcock et al. 2017). The woods are assigned to the subfamilies Bombacoideae, Bombacoideae/Malvoideae, Byttneroideae, Grewioideae, and Sterculioideae of Malvaceae and the families Melastomataceae, Muntingiaceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, and Sapindaceae. Malvalean taxa make up around one-third of the wood types. Many of the woods are identifiable to modern-day genera or groups, including genera with species counted among the hyperdominant trees of the New World forests. Represented vegetation types include mixed freshwater swamp with Avicennia, seasonally flooded forest, and lowland tropical forest with a dry aspect. The assemblage shows floristic similarities to extant South American lowland tropical forest, particularly the seasonally flooded forests growing along white water rivers (várzea); however, the dry forest association has a less clear analog in the present-day tropics.


INTRODUCTION
Oxygen free radicals play an important role in several physiological and pathophysiological processes. In pathological circumstances they can modify and damage biological systems. As oxygen free radicals are involved in a wide range of diseases (cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, etc.), scavenging these radicals should be considered as an important therapeutic approach.

AIM
In our in vitro study the antioxidant capacity of three cerebrovascular drugs (pentoxiphylline, piracetam and vinpocetine) was investigated.

METHODS
Phenazine methosulphate (PMS) was applied to generate free radicals and thus increased red blood cell rigidity. Filtration technique and potassium leaking were used to detect the cellular damage and the scavenging effect of the examined drugs.

RESULTS
At therapeutic serum concentration only vinpocetine had significant (p < 0.01) scavenging activity which protective effect was even better at higher concentrations. Pentoxiphylline and piracetam did not have significant antioxidant capacity at therapeutic concentrations, but increasing the concentrations (pentoxiphylline at hundred times, while piracetam at ten times higher concentrations) led to a significant (p < 0.01) scavenger effect.

CONCLUSION
The authors' findings suggest that this pronounced antioxidant effect of vinpocetine and even the milder scavenging capacity of piracetam which tends to cumulate in the cerebral tissue may be of value in the treatment of patients with cerebrovascular disorders.


Drawing from a qualitative Australian cereal product industry (ACPI) supply chain study involving interviews and site observations, the paper discusses the application of collaboration and network activity as a means of addressing current overall ACPI competitiveness challenges. The ACPI is important to Australia's economy and there is enormous potential for ACPI growth in catering to world food trends. However, supply chain streamlining, or 'cohesiveness' is a challenge for the complex ACPI supply chain and an industry in a state of turbulence. There is a growing body of academic theory on business networking that augments and informs supply chain theory in the search for competitive business advantage. The themes of building on supply chain relationships and leveraging from the strengths of other businesses in order to win-win and increase competitiveness for the various parties are clearly evident. From the findings of the ACPI study, collaborative challenges were particularly noted at the upstream extremity of the supply chain. Some of the challenges found along the supply chain included a lack of understanding of other supply chain sectors, surviving in the face of competition from major players, meeting local retail demands, uncertainty concerning industry consolidation and coordinating the industry to effectively and competitively participate in meeting worldwide consumer demands. Joint strategic planning at industry and government level in conjunction with the food industry and appropriate follow-up action are essential for the ACPI to meet global demand challenges in the future. This paper is a work in progress. Material in the paper cannot be used without permission of the author. DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT WORKING PAPER SERIES I S S N 1 3 2 7 – 5 2 1 6


At broad spatial scales, floodplain forests of the southeastern USA are often perceived as either nutrient poor or nutrient rich. Perceived differences in nutrient availabilities between oligotrophic blackwater and eutrophic redwater floodplain forests suggest rates of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) are lower on the former. However, for these floodplain types, microsite variation may influence relationships between nutrient circulation and ANPP to a greater extent than landscape position and geomorphology of their associated watershed. Therefore, our objectives were to compare ANPP, nutrient circulation through litterfall and decomposition, and the microbial biomass among microsites that differed in terms of soils and hydrology within two riverine floodplain forests. The two floodplains used in this study were located along the Satilla River, a Coastal Plain blackwater system, and the Altamaha River, a Piedmont redwater system, both of which are located in southeastern Georgia. Microsite influences on ANPP were not significantly different during 1999 and 2000 for the Satilla (SAT) and Altamaha (ALT) floodplains. Litterfall production and patterns of P and Ca circulation on the SAT floodplain were significantly lower for the driest microsite type during both years. Microbial biomass N and P were also lowest for the driest microsite, especially in 2000. Overall, microsites on the SAT displayed greater variation in P and Ca cycling than did those of the ALT. Litterfall production, nutrient circulation in litterfall and decomposition, and the microbial biomass were similar among microsites of the ALT floodplain during both years. These findings suggest that spatial variability in nutrient cycling may be greater for oligotrophic floodplain forests.


Ferro-alloy industries are backbones of steel industries because of its wider application such as an alloying element and in some cases as deoxidizer. In the Pidgeon process for production of magnesium from dolomite ferrosilicon is used. Ferrosilicon is used as inoculants which accelerate graphitization during the production of cast iron. In arc welding, ferrosilicon is used in electrode coatings. Recently, Indian ferro-alloys industries are passing through one of its worst periods by the process of economic liberalization. With the recent reductions in custom duties, the exports are becoming cheaper. It has been hit hard rather than being helped in its growth through additional investment. Thus the production of ferro-alloys in our country is coming down mainly due to inadequate industries demand, non-availability of exports, high power cost and non-availability of low ash coking coal. In view of the above challenges, the present investigation has been taken up with a process development for the production of ferrosilicon using lean grade Banded Hematite quartzite (BHQ) and unutilized low reactive coals such as Jhama coal as a reducing agent.

In the present study, ferrosilicon has been successfully produced at a pilot scale of 500 kVA Submerged Arc Furnace and process parameters were optimized for the production of graded ferrosilicon using different combinations of (i) BHQ, and Jhama coal (ii) BHQ, quartzite and Jhama coal (iii) BHQ, quartzite, Jhama coal with petroleum coke and (iv) BHQ, quartzite and petroleum coke. A maximum grade of 65% Fe-Si could be economically produced with these combinations. The present invention is particularly relates to a process for smelting reduction of Banded Hematite Quartzite (BHQ) in a submerged arc using low reactive Jhama Coal for producing ferrosilicon. The invention is useful to recover values from low grade materials such as Banded Hematite Quartzite (BHQ) and low reactive coal, which are not being currently used for any of the production processes in iron and steel sector or alloy steelmaking, and therefore important from the view point of environmental protection and waste resource utilization. In other words the present investigation focused on the production of high grade ferrosilicon using easily and cheaply available raw materials to minimize the production cost.


Forest protection can imply binding constraints on communities ('fences & fines') yet some attempts to protect forest by blocking local land use are fruitless ('paper tigers'). Participatory protection, i.e. involving a local community in forest 'co-management', is a relatively recent forest policy innovation that falls between these two endpoints. We model the emergence of negotiated agreements that can share management of and benefits from forest between actors with different objectives, a state and forest users. Going beyond models of user-user interactions involving common-property resources, our state-user model addresses the question of when rights are devolved to such users. Next we compare our derived hypotheses about de facto rights, negotiated agreement, and within-agreement transfers – all endogenous – with unique community-level data describing a large protected area in Indonesia. The results broadly support this model.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the main physicochemical and cooking quality changes in black beans stored at 14% and 17% moisture contents and at different temperatures (11, 18, 25 and 32oC) during 12 months. The proximate composition, the fat acidity, the electric conductivity, the leaching of solutes, the total phenolics and proanthocyanidins, the cooking time and the hardness of freshly harvested and stored black beans were determined. The protein, fat and ash contents remained unchanged (p ≤ 0.05) during storage, regardless of the moisture content and storage temperature. The fat acidity was greatly impacted by the moisture content. Electric conductivity, the leaching of solutes, the cooking time and hardness presented higher increases at 17% moisture content and temperatures of 25 and 32oC. The extractability of the total phenolics and proanthocyanidins decreased during storage impacted by both high moisture content and high storage temperatures. A similar reduction trend was determined in the antioxidant capacity of black bean extracts.


There is considerable controversy over why sluggish economic growth persists across many advanced economies six years after the onset of the financial crisis. Theories include a secular deficiency in aggregate demand, slowing innovation, adverse demographics, lingering policy uncertainty, post-crisis political fractionalisation, debt overhang, insufficient fiscal stimulus, excessive financial regulation, and some mix of all of the above. This paper surveys the alternative viewpoints. We argue that until significant pockets of private, external and public debt overhang further abate, the potential role of other headwinds to economic growth will be difficult to quantify.


While confounding factors typically jeopardize the possibility to use observational data to measure peer effects, field experiments offer the possibility to obtain clean evidence. In this paper we measure the output of four randomly selected groups of individuals who were asked to fill letters in envelopes, with a remuneration completely independent of output. For two of these groups the output of peers was exogenously manipulated (low or high) by making individuals aware of the number of letters previously produced by artificial colleagues. In the third group individuals were set up to work one in front of the other, while the fourth group gave the baseline output for independent not manipulated work. Our first finding is that effort of the less productive workers reacts in a sizeable and statistically significant way to peer pressure. Second, there is strong evidence of peer effects when individuals work in pairs. Third, these peer effects work in the direction of making the least productive individuals work harder, thereby increasing overall productivity.


Pre-training a vision-language model and then fine-tuning it on downstream tasks have become a popular paradigm. However, pre-trained vision-language models with the Transformer architecture usually take long inference time. Knowledge distillation has been an efficient technique to transfer the capability of a large model to a small one while maintaining the accuracy, which has achieved remarkable success in natural language processing. However, it faces many problems when applying KD to the multi-modality applications. In this paper, we propose a novel knowledge distillation method, named CLIPPING11In this paper, CLIPPING means cutting something to make it smaller through distilling., where the plentiful knowledge of a large teacher model that has been fine-tuned for video-language tasks with the powerful pre-trained CLIP can be effectively transferred to a small student only at the fine-tuning stage. Especially, a new layer-wise alignment with the student as the base is proposed for knowledge distillation of the intermediate layers in CLIPPING, which enables the student's layers to be the bases of the teacher, and thus allows the student to fully absorb the knowledge of the teacher. CLIPPING with MobileViT-v2 as the vision encoder without any vision-language pre-training achieves 88.1%-95.3% of the performance of its teacher on three video-language retrieval benchmarks, with its vision encoder being 19.5x smaller. CLIPPING also significantly outperforms a state-of-the-art small baseline (ALL-in-one-B) on the MSR-VTT dataset, obtaining relatively 7.4% performance gain, with 29% fewer parameters and 86.9% fewer flops. Moreover, CLIPPING is comparable or even superior to many large pre-training models.


Almost all complex artifacts nowadays, including physical artifacts such as airplanes, as well as informational artifacts such as software, organizations, business processes, plans, and schedules, are defined via the interaction of many, sometimes thousands of participants, working on different elements of the design. This collaborative design process is typically expensive and time-consuming because strong interdependencies between design decisions make it difficult to converge on a single design that satisfies these dependencies and is acceptable to all participants. Recent research from the complex systems and negotiation literatures has much to offer to the understanding of the dynamics of this process. This paper reviews some of these insights and offers suggestions for improving collaborative design.


Up to the present time our knowledge of the genus Progomphus in Surinam has been restricted to that of the three species described by JAMES G. NEEDHAM (Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 69, p. 208—214, pl. 15 fig. 13—15). The three species were represented in the Progomphus material which NEEDHAM acquired from Dr. D. C. GEIJSKES in 1943 for examination and description. Two of them appeared to be new and were described from female specimens under the specific names brachycnemis and geijskesi. The third species, represented only by a single larval exuvia, could not positively be determined; it was provisionally referred to DE SELYS'S Progomphus polygonus known from Venezuela. Through the kindness of Dr. L. L. PECHUMAN, Department of Entomology, Comstock Hall, Ithaca, New York, I received for observation this original Progomphus material, now part of the collection of Cornell University, which consisted of: 1. The holotype female of Progomphus brachycnemis (Cornell Holotype No. 3071), the body in a vial with alcohol, the wings on a slide. It was labelled "Suriname River, Kabelstation, 25.IX.'38 (Geijskes)". 2. The wings (on a slide) of a teneral female specimen of Progomphus brachycnemis from "Gansedam soela, Suriname Rive". 3. The left pair of wings, the right hind wing, a leg and a fragment of a leg (all on a slide) of a teneral male specimen of Progomphus brachycnemis from "Kabelstation, 25.IX.1938". 4. A broken larval exuvia and four well-grown larvae of Progomphus brachycnemis, in a vial with alcohol, from "Suriname". 5. Eight well-grown larvae of Progomphus brachycnemis, in a vial with alcohol, from "Kabelstation, 28.IX.1938". 6. The holotype female of Progomphus geijskesi (Cornell Holotype No. 3072), the body in a vial with alcohol, the wings on a slide. The labels indicated that the dragon-fly was collected at the Paleumeu River by SCHMIDT on 20.VIII.1941. 7. A larval exuvia in a vial with alcohol with two labels: "Progomphus no 15 JGN, Suriname, Geijskes 50" and "Progomphus polygonus ??? Surinam. Kabelstation 21—28.IX.'38 Geijskes".


Temperature is one of the most important physical factors influencing fish growth. Under optimal temperatures, food energy partitioned into fish growth can be maximized. However, when a marine carnivorous species is cultured in an environment where temperature falls outside the optimal range of a fish, growth will be affected. The nutrient–environment interaction is important for optimizing a fish's nutritional requirements throughout the grow-out period. The most current global issue for the aquaculture industry is the inclusion of alternative ingredients into formulated diets to produce a sustainable seafood product. This requires the substitution of fish meal and fish oil with alternative ingredients from plant and terrestrial animal sources. This review discusses the changes in nutritional requirements (protein, lipid and energy) and physiology of some commonly cultured marine fishes as a consequence of seasonal changes in temperature during the grow-out period. This review also discusses the effects of replacing fish meal and fish oil with alternative protein and lipid sources on the nutritional–environmental interactions of fish performance at different temperatures.


Numbers of sandbar sharks, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in the Northwest Atlantic have experienced drastic declines since the early 1980's reaching their minima during the early 1990's. Catch rates in the early 1990's were a mere 25% ofthose during the 1980's. Such drastic reductions in other fish stocks have often caused compensatory responses, most notably the cod stocks in the Northwest Atlantic. Compensatory responses in depressed populations may include decreased natural mortality, increased fecundity, or increased growth rates. Compensation for population fluctuations below carrying capacities have been recognized for many terrestrial and oceanic r -selected organisms, but few instances have been noted forK-selected species. Due to slow-growth and late maturity, compensatory responses in K-selected species such as the sandbar shark probably require generation-scale time periods to become evident. A previous age and growth study discovered slight increases in juvenile sandbar shark growth rates when vertebral centra samples obtained in 1980-81 and 1990-1992 were compared. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science shark long-line survey reported the lowest abundance of sandbar sharks in 1992. Animals pupped during this time may display greater differences in growth rates due to drastically reduced population size. Samples obtained over the 200 l-2004 time period were compared to the aforementioned time periods to investigate potential compensatory responses in the sandbar shark population in the Northwest Atlantic. Growth estimates for the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in the Northwestern Atlantic were estimated using a reparameterized von Bertalanffy growth model. Sharks were tagged in Virginia waters with roto-tags and double return nylon dart tags from 1992 to 2006 by the shark longline survey of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Captured sharks were measured, tagged, and released by VIMS scientists. Dart tags were inserted at the base of the first dorsal fin on the left side of the animal. Over the time period, 37 recaptured sharks with reliable length at recapture information were reported. Time at liberty ranged from 26 to 3,561 days. Pre-caudal length at tagging ranged from 41 to 81 em and pre-caudal length at recapture ranged from 43 to 14 7 em. Growth increments ranged from 0.10 -I to 66 em. The fitted model estimated growth rates of ll cm*yr for 45 em precaudal -I length sharks and 7 cm*yr for 75 em pre-caudal length shark Age and growth estimates were determined for the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, from Oahu, Hawaii in the central Pacific Ocean. Age estimates were obtained through vertebral centra analysis of 187 sharks. We verified our age estimates through marginal increment analysis of centra and oxytetracycline marking methods of at-liberty sandbar sharks. Sizes of sampled sharks ranged from 46 em to 147 em pre-caudal length. Four growth models were fitted to length-at-age data; two forms ofthe von Bertalanfty growth model, the Gompertz growth model, and a logistic growth model. Males and females exhibited statistically significant differences in growth, indicating that females grow slower and attain larger sizes than males. Growth parameter estimates revealed slower growth rates than previously estimated (based on captive specimens) for Hawaiian sandbar sharks. The von Bertalanffy growth model using empirical length-at-birth provided the best biological and statistical fit to the data. This model gave parameter estimates of L oo=138.5 em PCL and k=O.l2 year-1 for males and L oo=l52.8 em PCL, k=O.IO year-t for females. Male and female sandbar sharks mature at approximately 8 and l 0 years of age respectively. The population of sandbar sharks in the Hawaiian Islands is an unfished population. The presents a unique opportunity to conduct demographic analyses on a virgin population of sandbar sharks. Most populations of sandbar sharks have been heavily exploited due to near coastal and estuarine habitat preferences and high demand for fins. Conversely the population of sandbar sharks in the Northwest Atlantic (NW A) has suffered severe declines since the early 1980's. Previous studies have suggested compensatory growth is occurring within this population, but the true effect at the population level has not been estimated. Life history parameters estimated for the Hawaii population, the NW A population in 1980-1981 and 2000-2004 time periods were used in stochastic age-based life tables and Leslie matrices to -I estimate demographic parameters. Yield recruit relationships were estimated for the Hawaii population to determine optimal harvest strategies that would maintain a population at -I equilibrium. Population growth for the Hawaii population was estimated to be 1.014 year . -I Yield recruit analyses suggested harvest of sharks 15 years of age and older would provide the greatest yield while not causing population decline. Population growth for sandbar sharks -1 -1 in the NW A was 1.009 year for the 1980-1981 time period and 1.030 year for the 20002004 time period. Age, growth, and demographic analyses of the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, over temporal and spatial scales


Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) system is considered as core enabler for the Fifth-Generation (5G) of the wireless cellular networks, contributing to the improvement of spectral efficiency. NOMA groups users into clusters, based on the maximum channel gain-difference. However, user mobility continuously changes the channel gain and requires re-clustering, depending on the percentage of mobile users and the environment in which they operate. In this paper, we propose a set of re-clustering methods: arbitrary, one-by-one and simultaneous, that expedite link re-establishment and keep the clusters interference-free, taking into account the mobility of users. The methods are applied to dissociate identified users within clusters, when the gain-difference is lower than a given threshold, followed by re-association procedure, which integrates users into different clusters, maintaining an appropriate gain-difference. The proposed methods are based on mathematical formulation and algorithms and address many technical and computational challenges associated with the clustering techniques. Numerical and experimental investigation has been carried out to test their performance and the results show that the simultaneous method can provide lower number of clusters, making it more suitable in dense and highly mobile scenarios. Our findings also demonstrate that this method has the potential to minimize the number of reclustering, improving resource utilization and lowering signaling loads.


Stretchable electronics employing island-bridge structure design can achieve controllable and reversible stretchability. The use of a porous substrate, which provides excellent breathability for wearable devices bonded to skin, not only satisfies this static superiority but also has a profound impact on the dynamic performance of the stretchable electronics. In this paper, the vibration characteristics of the island-bridge structure based on porous polydimethylsiloxane (p-PDMS) substrates are studied by utilizing an analytical model, which takes account of geometric nonlinearity due to mid-plane stretching, buckling configuration, elastic boundary conditions considering the p-PDMS substrates and the mass of the island. In numerical examples, the accuracy of the analytical model is first verified by finite element analysis (FEA). After that, we investigate the effects of some primary factors, i.e., the prestrain of the substrate, spring stiffnesses at the ends of the interconnect, porosity and thickness of the substrate, and the mass of the island, on the natural frequencies and vibration mode shapes of the island-bridge structure. Results show that the vibration characteristics of the island-bridge structure can be tuned conveniently by adjusting the porosity of the substrate and the mass of the island, which are expected to be helpful to mechanical design and optimization of stretchable electronics in complex noise environments.


The AGM framework is the benchmark approach in belief change. Since the framework assumes an underlying logic containing classical Propositional Logic, it can not be applied to systems with a logic weaker than Propositional Logic. To remedy this limitation, several researchers have studied AGM-style contraction and revision under the Horn fragment of Propositional Logic (i.e., Horn logic). In this paper, we contribute to this line of research by investigating the Horn version of the AGM entrenchment-based contraction. The study is challenging as the construction of entrenchment-based contraction refers to arbitrary disjunctions which are not expressible under Horn logic. In order to adapt the construction to Horn logic, we make use of a Horn approximation technique called Horn strengthening. We provide a representation theorem for the newly constructed contraction which we refer to as entrenchment-based Horn contraction. Ideally, contractions defined under Horn logic (i.e., Horn contractions) should be as rational as AGM contraction. We propose the notion of Horn equivalence which intuitively captures the equivalence between Horn contraction and AGM contraction. We show that, under this notion, entrenchment-based Horn contraction is equivalent to a restricted form of entrenchment-based contraction.


The Program for Humanization of Prenatal and Childbirth Care (PHPN) was launched in Brazil in 2000, with quantitative criteria for obstetric care and SISPRENATAL as the database. The current study pooled the national data on prenatal care using SISPRENATAL and other data sources. This was a systematic review of prenatal care with an online search of articles in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and SciELO. The study compiled publications since 2001 that used PHPN process indicators. A meta-analysis was performed, estimating the mean proportion of each process indicator with its respective 95%CI. Process indicators increased over the target period, but SISPRENATAL showed low coverage for PHPN as compared to other data sources. The PHPN faces the challenge of proper data recording through SISPRENATAL. Priorities should include awareness-raising on the importance of data recording, training for inclusion of data in the system, and more accessible and less cumbersome data recording tools.


This study aims to determine state of plant vegetation stands within of damage level at the Giam Siak Kecil wildlife sanctuary (Tasik Betung area) and Conservation Forest PT Arara Abadi (Bukit Batu area) - Riau. Several plots of different vegetation types were used in this study. The number of plots develoved in Tasik Betung were 13 plots, while in Bukit Batu were 11 plots (50 x20 m). The plots were  conducted for trees (10 x10 m) and belta (5 x 5 m). The two study sites were generally susceptible to interference, especially in Tasik Betung. The total number of trees and belta were recorded for 178 species, 91 genera and 43 families. The main trees species at Tasik Betung was dominated by Pandanus Artocarpus (IV=17,35%), while Bukit Batu was Gonystylus bancanus (IV=21,35%), The  belta  category at Tasik Betung was dominated by Gymnacanthera contracta (IV=19,31%), while  in Bukit Batu was Mangifera parvifolia (IV=34,71%). Species protected  of Endangered species found were Dillenia excelsa, Garcinia bancana, Shorea parvifolia, S. teysmaniana, S.uliginosa, Vatica rassak, and V. umbonata. Keywords: Bukit Batu, peat swamp forest, Riau, vegetation, Tasik Betung.


We consider the joint allocation of receiver, bit, and power to subcarriers in the downlink of multicell orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access (OFDMA) networks. Assuming that the cells share the entire bandwidth and that the rates are discrete, we formulate the joint allocation problem as a nonlinear mixed integer program (MIP), which however has exponential worst-case complexity. We capitalize on the capability of the receivers to measure the interference-plus-noise on every subcarrier and decompose the joint problem into a set of smaller-scale linear MIPs solved by individual base stations. Accordingly, we propose a distributed algorithm with linear complexity, in which the base stations participate in the problem solution in a round-robin manner. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in comparison with the iterative waterfilling algorithm and the successive optimal solution, by means of standard branch-and-cut solvers, of the individual MIPs.


Atherosclerosis and arterial remodeling Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease and the primary cause of cardiovascular events like myocardial infarction. Based on plaque composition, stable and unstable atherosclerotic lesions are discriminated. Unstable lesions are prone to rupture and subsequent thrombus formation often results in acute occlusion of the artery. The size of the lumen of an atherosclerotic artery is determined by the atherosclerotic lesion, together with arterial remodeling. In early stages of atherosclerosis, outward arterial remodeling compensates for lumen loss due to plaque formation. However, in advanced atherosclerotic lesions, outward arterial remodeling is associated with rupture prone lesions. Inflammation and immune responses are involved in the initiation and progression of atherosclerotic disease. The immune system responds effectively to harmful agents by close interplay between the innate and adaptive immune systems. The innate immune response is the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Immune cells recognize pathogens via pattern recognition receptors, including scavenger receptors and Toll-like receptors. B- and T- cells are involved in the highly specific adaptive immune response. Toll-like receptors Toll-like receptors are not only expressed by immune cells, but also by vascular cells. In healthy arteries TLR4 is expressed in low levels. In atherosclerotic lesions, however, TLR4 expression is markedly increased. TLR4 is involved in intima formation and vulnerability for the development of carotid atherosclerosis. Whether TLR4 is also involved in arterial remodeling, the other determinant of lumen loss is investigated in this thesis. The Toll-like receptor 4 signaling in arterial remodeling We demonstrated that TLR4 is involved in outward arterial remodeling both with and without intima formation. TLR4 expression is upregulated during outward remodeling. TLR activation results in translocation of NF-?B into the nucleus and transcription of inflammatory genes. Downstream of TLR4, we investigated the role of NF-?B p50 in arterial remodeling. The p50 subunit is known as a regulatory subunit of NF-?B signaling. In our study, targeted deletion of the regulatory NF-?B p50 subunit enhanced flow-induced outward arterial remodeling. During outward arterial remodeling, levels of endogenous TLR4 ligands EDA and HSP60 are increased. Extra Domain A is incorporated in fibronectin during embryogenesis, wound healing, cellular damage and atherogenesis. We demonstrated a role of EDA in the process of outward remodeling, probably due to the diminished migration capacity of cells without EDA. Endogenous Toll-like receptor 4 ligand EDA in atherosclerosis Higher EDA levels are detected stable human atherosclerotic plaques. This observation implies that the detection of an endogenous TLR4 ligand not necessarily represent an inflammatory environment destabilizing the vulnerable plaque, but also may trigger the stabilization of atherosclerotic lesions. Interaction between Toll-like receptor 4 and Transforming Growth Factor ? signaling We found an association of endogenous TLR4 ligand EDA with Endoglin, an accessory receptor of TGF? in atherosclerotic lesions. This suggests communication between TLR4 and TGF pathways in atherosclerotic lesions. In monocytes, several sets of mRNAs are regulated by both TLR4 and TGF? stimulation and these mRNAs may play an important role in the progression of atherosclerotic disease leading to clinical events.


Part of the Post September 11 Update Report: Political, Economic, Social, Cultural, and Religious Trends in the Middle East and the Gulf and their Impact on Energy, Security, and Pricing


When nonlinear effects are included in the diffraction of waves by a large body, there are, at second order, interactions at the sums and differences of the component frequencies of the incident waves. In this paper, the complete deterministic and stochastic solutions of second-order (sum- and difference-frequency) wave loads in undirectional Gaussian waves are considered. The deterministic results, namely the wave force quadratic transfer function (QTF) in bichromatic incident waves, is complete in the context of second-order diffraction theory in that all the relevant components including those due to the exact second-order potentials are obtained. Statistical properties of second-order wave excitations are then investigated using the QTF results and a two-term Voltera series model. For illustration, the exact second-order force spectra and probability distributions for the simple geometry of a truncated vertical cylinder are obtained and compared with those based on a number of existing approximation methods. It is found that second-order exciting force variances and probability of extreme values may be significantly underestimated by existing approximation methods.


Vertical photographs of the calving grounds have been used since 1984 to estimate the caribou (Rangifer tarandus) population of the Riviere George Caribou Herd (RGCH) in Northern Quebec and Labrador. In spite of large confidence intervals, the 1984 and 1988 estimates suggested that the herd stabilized at more than 650 000 caribou (fall estimate including calves) making the RGCH the largest caribou herd in the world. Between 1984 and 1990, studies suggested that the former rapid growth of the herd deteriorated the calving and summer habitats. This poor habitat quality affected physical condition, pregnancy rate and calf survival. It was important to have a valid estimate of the herd size and a photocensus was done in June 1993. Contrary to previous censuses, a slightly different sampling design was applied in 1993. Two methods were used to estimate the number of females in the June population. In the first method, the number of females was derived from the estimated number of calves on the photographs and from the June female/calf ratio. The second method was used in the previous census and is based on the number of adults on the photos and on the June female/adult ratio. It is suggested that the first method of estimating female abundance in June is better due to sampling problems associated with a strong adult sex segregation during calving. From the first method, the herd size in October 1993 was estimated at 583 829 adults (±33.79%) and at 749 869 caribou including calves (±33.15%) while the second method provided estimates of 764 221 adults (±23.55%) and 981 565 caribou including calves (±22.64%). It was possible to compare those population estimates with an independent census. In July 1993, an oblique photocensus of the post-calving aggregations was conducted by Russell et al. (1996). A new analysis of their raw data provided an estimate of 608 384 adults (±14.35%). Both estimates from the June and July photocensus were combined. From the first and second method respectively, combined herd size estimates were 775 891 (±13.40%) and 823 375 (±12.36%) caribou including calves. The management implications are discussed and it is emphasized that the herd is still underharvested.


Abstract Local administration in China remains a contested territory of environmental governance. Economic growth often comes with high environmental cost; the central government's environmental regulations are implemented unevenly. This article examines the experience of policy uptake and adoption of the National Model City of Environmental Protection programme in the county-level cities of the Suzhou Municipality. It analyses the rationales for these cities' adoption of the policy, and implications for the emergence of the "environmental state" in local China. It suggests that while economic development remains an important priority of local officials, this preference is not immutable and is now complemented in some areas by substantial local commitments to environmental good practice, often under the influence of local leaders as well as provincial authorities.


Including electronic identities (eIDs), such as passports or driving licenses in smartphones transforms them into a single point of failure: loss, theft, or malfunction would prevent their users even from identifying themselves e.g. during travel. Therefore, a secure backup of such identity data is paramount, and an obvious solution is to store encrypted backups on cloud servers. However, the critical challenge is how a user decrypts the encrypted data backup if the user's device gets lost or stolen and there is no longer a secure storage (e.g. smartphone) to keep the secret key. To address this issue, Password-Protected Secret Sharing (PPSS) schemes have been proposed which allow a user to store a secret key among n servers such that the user can later reconstruct the secret key. Unfortunately, PPSS schemes are not appropriate for some applications. For example, users will be highly unlikely to remember a cryptographically strong password when the smartphone is lost. Also, they still suffer from inefficiency. In this paper, we propose a new secret key reconstruction protocol based recently popular PPSS schemes with a Fuzzy Extractor which allows a client to recover secret keys from an only partially trusted server and an auxiliary device using multiple key shares and a biometric identifier. We prove the security of our proposed protocol in the random oracle model where the parties can be corrupted separately at any time. An initial performance analysis shows that it is efficient for this use case.


The classification of median filter hardware structure was proposed. Main differences, advantages and disadvantages of each class were described. Scalable and synthesizable Verilog-descriptions were designed for two fast hardware structures. HDL-descriptions were synthesized on Altera and Xilinx FPGA platforms, comparative analysis on the basis of resource utilization and clock rate was done.


Transport of calcium-45 in 20-mm root segments is basipetal and requires metabolic maintenance. Such transport reaches a maximum rate after immersion of the roots in tracer solution for approximately 12 hours and is still pronounced after 50 hours. Acropetal movement is slight, probably non-metabolic, and essentially constant. Amounts transported are linearly dependent on the absorbing area exposed to tracer solution.


An adaptive radical basis function (RBF) neural network PID control scheme for X-Y position table is proposed by the paper. Firstly, X-Y position table model is established, controller based on neutral network is used to learn adaptive and compensate uncertainty model of X-Y position table, neutral network is used to study model. PID neural network controller base on augmented variable method is designed. PID controller is used as assistant direction error controller, neural network parameters base on stochastic gradient algorithm can be adjust adaptive on line. The simulation results show that the presented controller has important engineering value.


This article describes and evaluates Project C.A.R.E., a substance abuse prevention program for three cohorts of at-risk fourth graders and their families. Project C.A.R.E. worked intensively with students and their families to increase resiliency factors and decrease risk factors through school, family, and extracurricular activities. The research design was experimental. Project objectives were to decrease substance use, negative behaviors, intent to use substances, school suspensions, and absences; and to increase alternative activities, family communication, academic grades, and consistency of family behavior control and rules.

A few positive program effects were found. At posttest, more control students' grades needed improvement, and more program students participated in community activities. Several variables showed differential change over time which favored the program group. Compared to control students, program students increased participation in alternative activities from pretest to posttest and did not increase their school suspensions as much. At the one year follow-up, control students were more willing to use substances than were program students. The program appeared to have the most impact with the third cohort of students and with Black students. Program students with low participation generally had the worst outcomes, often worse than the control students. It was suggested that more research should be done examining differential effectiveness, especially racial and program participation differences, as they could have a profound impact on program development and implementation. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare and life-threatening hematological abnormality characterized by thrombocytopenia and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, with neurological abnormalities and/or renal disease. TTP has been rarely reported in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) patients and, to our knowledge, its prevalence in a paediatric lupus population has not been studied. Therefore, from January 1983 to December 2010, we reviewed the charts of 5,508 patients followed-up at the Paediatric Rheumatology Unit of our university hospital. We identifi ed 279 (5.1%) JSLE cases that met the American College of Rheumatology classifi cation criteria. Two (0.7%) of them had TTP, both at JSLE onset, and were described herein. Both patients had fever, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (with schistocytes in blood smears), and thrombocytopenia. The male patient had hemiparesis and proteinuria and the female patient had persistent headache and hematuria. Both were treated with intravenous methylprednisolone and courses of plasma exchange therapy at TTP diagnosis. After treatment, TTP did not recur and their hematocrit, platelet count, and lactic dehydrogenase remained normal. In conclusion, TTP is a rare and severe manifestation at JSLE onset. The case reports reinforce the importance of early diagnosis and early aggressive treatment for patients with TTP, due to its high morbidity.


OBJECTIVE: When given in conjunction with surgery for treating cancer, radiation therapy may result in impaired wound healing, which, in turn, could cause skin ulcers. In this study, bilayer and monolayer autologous skin substitutes were used to treat an irradiated wound. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single dose of 30 Gy of linear electron beam radiation was applied to the hind limb of nude mice before creating the skin lesion (area of 78.6 mm2). Monolayer tissue-engineered skin substitutes (MTESSs) were prepared by entrapping cultured keratinocytes in fibrin matrix, and bilayer tissue-engineered skin substitutes (BTESSs) were prepared by entrapping keratinocytes and fibroblasts in separate layers. Bilayer tissue-engineered skin substitute and MTESS were implanted to the wound area. Gross appearance and wound area were analyzed to evaluate wound healing efficiency. Skin regeneration and morphological appearance were observed via histological and electron microscopy. Protein expressions of transforming growth factor &bgr;1 (TGF-&bgr;1), platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in skin regeneration were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: Macroscopic observation revealed that at day 13, treatments with BTESS completely healed the irradiated wound, whereas wound sizes of 1.1 ± 0.05 and 6.8 ± 0.14 mm2 were measured in the MTESS-treated and untreated control groups, respectively. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) analysis showed formation of compact and organized epidermal and dermal layers in the BTESS-treated group, as compared with MTESS-treated and untreated control groups. Ultrastructural analysis indicates maturation of skin in BTESS-treated wound evidenced by formation of intermediate filament bundles in the dermal layer and low intercellular space in the epidermal layer. Expressions of TGF-&bgr;1, PDGF-BB, and VEGF were also higher in BTESS-treated wounds, compared with MTESS-treated wounds. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that BTESS is the preferred treatment for irradiated wound ulcers.


PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) today announced safety and efficacy data from a Phase 1/2 study of urelumab in combination with Opdivo (nivolumab) in patients with hematologic and solid tumors, including biomarker analyses by level of PD-L1 expression. The combination of urelumab and Opdivo showed encouraging efficacy among 46 evaluable melanoma patients with an objective response rate (ORR) of 50% (23/46 with 18 confirmed and 5 unconfirmed). ORR was a secondary endpoint as measured by Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST). Similar response was seen in both PD-L1 positive and PD-L1 negative melanoma patients, with ORR of 50% (10/20) and 47% (8/17) in those with ≥1% and <1% PD-L1 expression, respectively. Among the other cohorts (n=78), one non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient and one squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) patient had an objective response. In the full patient population (n=138), no significant added toxicity was observed with urelumab in combination with Opdivo over Opdivo monotherapy. These data were presented at an oral presentation (poster number 239) at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 31 Annual Meeting on November 12 at 10:40 a.m. EST in National Harbor, Maryland.


After briefly summarising the critique of growth, this essay describes in some detail an alternative economic system, which I will call 'the sufficiency economy.' This term is typically applied to so-called 'developing economies,' which either have not yet industrialised or are still in the early phases of industrialisation. These economies are sometimes called sufficiency economies because they do not or cannot produce material abundance, or do not seek material abundance. Instead, sufficiency economies are focused on meeting mostly local needs with mostly local resources, without the society being relentlessly driven to expand by the growth-focused ethics of profit-maximisation. My point of differentiation in this essay will be to consider the notion of a sufficiency economy within the context of the most highly developed regions of the world – where an economics of sufficiency is most desperately needed – and to explore what such an economy would look like, how it might function, and how the transition to such an economy might transpire.Rather than progress being seen as a movement toward ever-increasing material affluence, the sufficiency economy aims for a world in which everyone's basic needs are modestly but sufficiently met, in an ecologically sustainable, highly localised, and socially equitable manner. When material sufficiency is achieved in these ways, further growth would not continue to be a priority. Instead, human beings would realise that they were free from the demands of continuous economic activity and could therefore dedicate more of their energies to non-materialistic pursuits, such as enjoying social relationships, connecting with nature, exploring the mysteries of the universe, or engaging in peaceful, creative activity of various sorts.


The H-free Edge Deletion problem asks, for a given graph G and integer k, whether it is possible to delete at most k edges from G to make it H-free—that is, not containing H as an induced subgraph. The H-free Edge Completion problem is defined similarly, but we add edges instead of deleting them. The study of these two problem families has recently been the subject of intensive studies from the point of view of parameterized complexity and kernelization. In particular, it was shown that the problems do not admit polynomial kernels (under plausible complexity assumptions) for almost all graphs H, with several important exceptions occurring when the class of H-free graphs exhibits some structural properties. In this work, we complement the parameterized study of edge modification problems to H-free graphs by considering their approximability. We prove that whenever H is 3-connected and has at least two nonedges, then both H-free Edge Deletion and H-free Edge Completion are very hard to approximate: they do not admit poly(OPT)-approximation in polynomial time, unless P=NP, or even in time subexponential in OPT, unless the exponential time hypothesis fails. The assumption of the existence of two nonedges appears to be important: we show that whenever H is a complete graph without one edge, then H-free Edge Deletion is tightly connected to the Min Horn Deletion problem, whose approximability is still open. Finally, in an attempt to extend our hardness results beyond 3-connected graphs, we consider the cases of H being a path or a cycle, and we achieve an almost complete dichotomy there.


Sprawl cities are one of the most significant and urgent urban issue in Europe due to its mono-functionality. Public transportation in sprawls is a need in many places. Yet most Europeans persist in their
desire to live farther and farther away from urban centers, moving to exurbs made up almost entirely
of single-family residential houses and stand-alone retail zones. This research study analyses several
configurations and patterns in suburban areas, based on two urban proposals designed by the authors
and awarded by Europan in 2006 and 2008: www.europan.org
On one hand, this comparative study shows new design strategies of agile interventions in European
sprawls, such as Hamar in Norway and Stroke-on-Trent in the UK; on other hand, it explores the principles
of "General Mobility" by Yona Friedman based on new frameworks in existing fabrics or dysfunctional
spaces by formulating tridimensional mobile and hybrid networks.


Spiral star-forming galaxies are complex astrophysical objects whose baryonic component is dominated by the disk, where most of the star formation resides. The metallicity in the disk is not uniform, and it usually decreases with the distance to the galaxy center, in the so-called radial metallicity gradient. Radial metallicity gradients have been successfully used to set important constraints on galaxy formation and their chemical evolution. This paper focuses on the implications of radial metallicity gradients measured with different probes for a variety of galaxies, and on the foreseen advances in this field in the astronomical landscape of the 2020s.


Abstract. Earthquake loss estimation systems in the US, for example HAZUS (Hazard in US), have been established based on sufficient damage records for the purpose of prevention and efficient response to earthquake hazards; however, in Korea, insufficient data sets of earthquakes and damage records are currently available. In this study, the earthquake damages to pipelines in Korea using the pipeline repair rate (RR) recommended in HAZUS was reevaluated with the degree of confidence when RR is used without modification for the damage estimation of pipelines in Korea. The numerical analyses using a commercial finite element model, ABAQUS, were carried out to compare stresses and strains mobilized in both brittle and ductile pipelines constructed by the design criteria and construction specifications of both Korea and the US. These pipelines were embedded in dense sand overlying three different in situ soils (clay, sand, and gravel) subjected to earthquake excitations with peak ground accelerations (PGAs) of 0.2 to 1.2 g and 1994 Northridge and 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake loadings. The numerical results show that differences in the stress and strain rates are less than 10%. This implies that RR in HAZUS can be used for earthquake damage estimation of pipelines with a 90% confidence level in Korea.


Drawing on a content analysis of television news and newspapers during the 2015 UK General Election along with semi-structured interviews with the heads and/or senior editors of news or politics from each broadcaster examined, we explore the intermedia agenda-setting influence of the national press during the campaign. Overall, we found similar policy-orientated agendas, with more stories emanating from right-wing newspapers and moments when front-page splashes dominated television news coverage. Many broadcasters were editorially comfortable with covering stories originating from newspapers if further context was supplied. Our findings do not point towards any deliberate political bias among broadcasters. We suggest instead that a range of structural constraints and professional routines encouraged broadcasters to feed off stories that were more likely to be supplied by right-leaning newspapers. Since news values are not politically neutral, we argue that if journalists or editors routinely rely on newspapers to help shape the political agenda it compromises their ability to make impartial judgements about news selection. Combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, we conclude, could help to better understand the editorial processes behind the selection of news and to more carefully interpret intermedia agenda-setting than large N studies can supply.


Considering the constraints due to unavailability of uniform quality chicken manure in local market, three different combinations of wheat and mustard meal (de-oiled cake) were tested for their ability to affect yield and cost of production of Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). Compost was prepared by mixing 18, 22 and 25% mustard meal with wheat straw by short method of composting. 80% chicken manure with wheat straw was the control. All the ingredients composted for 18 days of two phases composting using tunnel for peak heating as advocated by Shandilya et al, 1976, fresh grain spawn was obtained from Bharat Mushrooms, Delhi, India. Formaldehyde treated casing soil (2:1 mixture of 2 year old farm yard manure and garden soil) was used for casing of beds. The results indicate that all the combinations affected yield and proved to be promising factors for low cost production of mushroom. Combination with 22% mustard meal gave the maximum production of Mushroom (226 Kg/ton of compost). Subject: Basic science


The backbone infrastructure for providing carrier-class services, such as a wavelength-switched optical network (WSON), usually involves equipment from multiple vendors. For intelligent path control in the WSON, it is highly desirable to introduce a unified generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS) control plane, which is beneficial for reducing the operational cost and facilitating the dynamic service recovery. However, the interoperability issue of GMPLS-enabled WSON among multiple vendors has not been investigated to date, preventing its wide deployment in an actual operational scenario. Accordingly, in this paper, we experimentally present a highly resilient WSON with a multivendor interoperable GMPLS control plane. We successfully verify the interworking of the GMPLS control plane and wavelength-switching equipment from multiple vendors, and experimentally present dynamic wavelength path control and dynamic lightpath recovery from single-link failures that occur at different times and multiple link failures that occur simultaneously on a multivendor WSON testbed with both control and data planes. To the best of our knowledge, the interoperability trial of GMPLS-controlled WSON is a world first.


The Article compares United States law with three international conventions designed to strengthen significantly domestic laws against public corruption among the signatory nations. It undertakes a detailed analysis of the three conventions adopted by the European Union, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Organization of American States, and reviews how the conventions seek to define what constitutes corruption. The Article discusses how the three conventions use bribery as the paradigm form of corruption, without considering fully other forms of corruption involving misuse of authority resulting in personal enrichment. The Article then looks at United States law, noting that while federal law on the topic is not entirely consistent and contains no single provision on corruption, the United States has developed a strong anti-corruption law that provides the means to address different forms of corruption. Among the issues that American law deals with that are largely ignored by the international conventions are: (1) whether gratuities that do not meet the requirements of a bribe should also be punished as corrupt; (2) the role of campaign contributions in anti-corruption law; and, (3) how the federal mail fraud statute, which prohibits fraud depriving another of the right of honest services, should be adopted by countries seeking to expand their corruption law. The Article argues that American law can provide good examples for the international effort to define and punish corruption.