Pairs of reducible pentakis(thiophenyl)benzene subunits are linked by different molecular structures as model compounds for reducible molecular-wire-type synthons showing varying electron-transfer ability as a function of the bridging structures, consisting of either para-divinylbenzene, bis-hydrazone, or diacetylene. Their electron-transfer ability from one reducible subunit to the other was investigated by electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical methods. In the case of the bis-hydrazone bridge and the diacetylene bridge, the solid-state structures support the experimental findings. While the para-divinylbenzene bridge completely isolates the reducible subunits (class I system) the diacetylene bridge electronically connects the two reducible structures (class III system), demonstrating its potential application as a "molecular wire." The bis-hydrazone linked dimer displays electronic communication only to a small extend, which was only observed in the spectroelectrochemical investigation. The diacetylene connection as active electron-transfer linker together with poly(thiophenyl)benzene as reducible subunits was used to design more complex molecular architectures. Linear rodlike struktures did allow adjustment of the length of these type of molecular wires and investigation of the extent of electron mobility. Cyclic structures addressed the possibility of moving electrons on a bent molecular wire.


Rechargeable lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are considered as one of the most promising power sources for electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) applications due to their high energy density, durable cycle life, higher output power and safety issues. Previous research has mainly focused on a single electrode. However, it is difficult for a single cathode material to meet the requirements for EVs and HEVs, and so the concept of a "hybrid cathode material" was proposed. A so-called hybrid cathode material combines a number of excellent electrochemical properties of each cathode material and has become an alternative to conventional single cathode materials. Present study of hybrid cathode materials is mainly focused on composites of two kinds of cathode materials. In this review, we summarize recent progress in hybrid cathode materials, such as LiFePO4–Li3V2(PO4)3, LiFePO4–LiCoO2, LiFePO4–LiMn2O4, LiFePO4–LiVPO4F, LiFePO4–LiMnPO4, Li3V2(PO4)3–LiMnPO4, Li3V2(PO4)3–LiVPO4F, Li3V2(PO4)3–LiVOPO4 and LiCoO2–LiMn2O4. A perspective of hybrid cathode materials is also discussed.


This paper explores the balance between cooperation through relay nodes and aggregated interference generation in large decentralized wireless networks using decode-and-forward. The source nodes in the network are modeled using a marked Poisson process. We consider the case in which only a single randomly located relay is added to one source in the network and study the outage probability gains obtained. Then, using a simple model, we study the case in which all sources can potentially use their nearest neighbor from the set of inactive nodes as relays, leading to a mixed transmission scheme in which some users employ decode-and-forward and others employ direct transmission. The optimal relay activation probability for the second case is found, observing that in the small outage probability regime it exhibits a binary behavior, being zero or one. Comparing both scenarios we conclude that activating more relays rapidly reduces the gains observed when only one source can use a relay. We derive closed-form approximations to the upper bounds on the error probability, averaging over all node positions and fading gains realizations, to support our claims.


BACKGROUND
T helper (Th)- and regulatory T (Treg) cell-related immune molecules are implicated in ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the association between their mucosal expression during remission and the subsequent clinical course of UC is unknown.

METHODS
The expression of cytokines and transcription factors related to Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg in endoscopic mucosal biopsy specimens from 40 UC patients in clinical remission and 9 controls was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The relationship between their expression patterns, as stratified by Mayo Endoscopic Subscore (MES), and any future relapse was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS
Six of 40 patients (baseline MES 0/1/2, 22/14/4) experienced a relapse during the study period (median, 37 months). At baseline, even in the MES0 patients, the interleukin (IL)-17A of the patients was significantly upregulated in comparison with controls (P = 0.0351). Future relapse was associated with a higher baseline expression of IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-21 in MES0/1, and the upregulation of IL-17F and IL-21 remained statistically significant when limited to MES0 patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that as a single marker, a higher IL-21 level best grouped patients with an increased risk of relapse (P = 0.0042). Furthermore, a multivariate model that consisted of IL-21 and T-bet showed an even greater value (P = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
The profiles of Th/Treg-related gene expression in the colonic mucosa are altered, even during clinical and endoscopic remission of UC, with a detectable Th17-predominant profile predicting future relapse. This association might represent latent immune dysregulation during disease quiescence and has the potential to be utilized to improve patient care.


We describe a novel discriminative training procedure for a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) speaker identification system. The proposal is based on the segmental generalized probabilistic descent (GPD) algorithm formulated to estimate the GMM parameters. Two major innovations over similar formulations of segmental GPD training are proposed. (1) A misclassification measure based on an individual representation of competing speakers, that explicitly allows to take into account different learning strategies for correctly or incorrectly classified speakers. (2) An empirical loss function to control the training procedure convergence, with a likelihood-based selection of correctly or incorrectly classified competing speakers. A comparison between the proposed method and the traditional GPD algorithm is also presented.


The reforms begun by Luther and Calvin became two of the largest and most influential movements to arise in the sixteenth century, but frequently, these two movements are seen and defined as polar opposites - one's theology is Reformed or Lutheran, one is a member of a Reformed or Lutheran congregation. Historically, these were two very separate movements - but more remains to be understood that can best be analyzed in the context of the other. Just as surely as the historical question of the boundaries between Calvin and Luther, or Lutheranism and Calvinism must be answered with a resounding yes, the ongoing doctrinal questions offer a different picture. In the more systematic doctrinal articles, an argument is forwarded that the broad confessional continuity between Luther and Calvin on the soteriological theme of union with Christ offers still-unexplored avenues to both deeper understandings of soteriology. Through such articles, we begin to see the possibility of a rapprochement between Calvin and Luther as sources, though not as historical figures. But that insight allows the conversation to extend, and bear far greater fruit. Contributors are, J.T. Billings, Ch. Helmer, H.P. Jurgens, S.C. Karant-Nunn, R. Kolb, Th.F. Latini, G.S. Pak, J. Watt, T.J. Wengert, P. Westermeyer, and D.M. Whitford.


Air abrasion process is used for cleaning casting surface of prosthetic components, and to prepare the surface of these elements for the application of veneering items. Its side effect, however, is that abrasive particles are embedded in the treated surface, which can be up to 30% of the surface and it constitutes the side effect of this procedure. Such a significant participation of foreign material can not be indifferent to the properties of the surface. Embedded particles can be the place of stress concentration causing cracking of ceramics, and may deteriorate corrosion resistance by forming corrosive microlinks. In the latter cases, it would be advisable to remove elements embedded into the surface. The simplest method is chemical etching or electrochemical one. Nevertheless, these procedures should not significantly change the parameters of the surface. Among many possible reagents only a few fulfills all the above conditions. In addition, processing should not impair corrosion resistance of titanium, which is one of the most important factors determining its use as a prosthetic restoration in the mouth. The study presented results of corrosion resistance of titanium used to make prosthetic components by means of casting method, which were subjected to chemical processing designed to remove the embedded abrasive particles. The aim of the study was to investigate whether etching with selected reagents affects the corrosion resistance of titanium castings. For etching the following reagents were used: 30% HNO 3 + 3% HF + H 2 O, HNO 3 + HF+ glycerol (1:2:3), 4% HF in H 2 O 2 , 4% HF in H 2 O, with a control sandblasted sample, not subjected to etching. Tests demonstrated that the etching affected corrosion properties of test samples, in each case the reduction of the corrosion potential occurred - possibly due to the removal of particles of Al 2 O 3 from the surface and activation of the surface. None of the samples underwent pitting corrosion as a result of polarization to 9 V. Values of the polarization resistance, and potentiodynamic characteristics indicated that the best corrosion resistance exhibited the samples after etching in a mixture of 4% solution of HF in H 2 O 2 . They showed very good passivation of the surface.


Before the advent of molecular genetics, the nature of Dravet syndrome remained largely obscure, and arguments in favour of either an acquired origin, such as the occurrence of Dravet syndrome after vaccination, or an inherited origin, such as the occurrence of epilepsy in relatives, were formulated. In 2001 we demonstrated that the majority of Dravet patients have a genetic cause due to loss-of-function mutations in the SCN1A gene. Understandably, since this syndrome severely affects reproductive fitness, these mutations almost exclusively arise de novo, with the rare exceptions of mosaic mutations in a non-affected transmitting parent. Besides classical Sanger sequencing, mutation analysis of the SCN1A gene also requires a method that allows the detection of genomic rearrangements (MAQ, MLPA), since microdeletions or whole gene deletions also result in Dravet syndromes. Depending on the series reported and their recruitment strategies, the yield of SCN1A mutations detected varied from 50 to 80%, implying that other genes or factors must be involved in these 'SCN1A-negative Dravet patients'. Recently mutations in some other genes have been described in these genuine Dravet patients who do not carry an SCN1A mutation. The second most important Dravet-associated gene is PCDH19.These patients initially may have all characteristics of Dravet syndrome but may later run a somewhat different course.


Cohesive soil exhibits various degrees of swelling potential due to their clay contents and minerals. Many studies have been conducted to determine the degree of swelling of cohesive soil in the literature. These studies are related with the percentage of clay and colloid, plasticity index, shrinkage limit, activity, liquid limit, the water content and absorption and some of them give tables and others give graphics. In this study, the swelling potential of cohesive soil depending on liquid limit and natural water content were investigated. The graphical relation in literature was solved and a general equation between the water content and liquid limit of cohesive soil was determined for predicting swelling percentage. It is understood that the relation of swelling percentage between water content and liquid limit is not logarithmic as given in the literature, but it is an exponential equation with a -0.187w power constant N. The proposed methodology was applied to cohesive soil between Avcilar and Esenyurt. In literature classifications for swelling potential are variable and these definitions are inconsistent with each other. Whereas reliable numerical values for swelling are obtained by the proposed approach of swelling potential associated with clays water content.


The present study is part of a larger rhinomanometric investigation to determine the type and extent of nasal septal deformity in subjects with repaired unilateral complete clefts of the lip and palate (UCLP). The cleft sample consisted of 21 subjects (mean age 16.4 years). A control group consisted of 30 subjects (mean age 13.1 years). The rhinomanometric measurements in this study have been previously reported (Sandham and Solow, 1987) and showed that bilateral nasal resistance did not differ significantly between the cleft sample and the controls. Unilateral measurements of nasal resistance showed higher valves for the cleft side than the noncleft side (p < .001). Nasal septal deformity was scored for anomaly type and severity, by direct visual observation of each nasal compartment. The results showed that nasal septal deviation occurs more frequently in subjects with cleft lip and palate than controls (p < .001). The cartilaginous nasal tip, like the maxillary nasal spine, deviated to the noncleft side because of its dependency for directional control on the maxillary crest, and it projected into the nasal aperture of the noncleft side. The most frequent deviation of the bony septum was to the cleft side, and this not only involved the valve area but also a broader area opposite the turbinates.


This paper proposes a new single-fiber 10-Gb/s optical loopback method for wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) optical access networks. The proposed method improves the tolerance of backreflection that causes interferometric crosstalk with the loopback method on a single fiber. Furthermore, bit synchronization is used to avoid the problem of wavelength dispersion caused in optical access networks. The authors simulated the available distance, received eye patterns at 10 Gb/s, and confirmed the excellent eye opening. 10-Gb/s back-to-back experiments show that the proposed method provides a 17-dB improvement in backreflection tolerance compared with the direct method. The paper reports the first successful results for 10- and 20-km transmission experiments using a standard single-mode optical fiber. The measured eye patterns agreed well with the simulation results. The paper also shows measured bit-error rates (BERs) equivalent to those of a back-to-back configuration.


The topic of this chapter is the structure of international crimes, which differs from the structure of national crimes in two important respects. First, international crimes typically include – in addition to their conduct, result, and attendant circumstance elements – a contextual element that national crimes rarely contain. For example, the killing of a civilian will be considered a war crime if "[t]he conduct took place in the context of and was associated with" an armed conflict; a crime against humanity if "committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack;" or an act of genocide if "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such." The first task of this chapter is to explain how this unfamiliar structure relates the values at stake in international crimes to one another. More specifically, the task will be to determine whether the contextual element of each international crime contributes to the moral wrongfulness of the offense or to the justification for subjecting the offense to the jurisdiction of international criminal tribunals. In addition, to the extent that international crimes and national crimes display parallel structures, the parallel structures they display organize similar values in dissimilar ways. For example, international crimes such as attacking civilians are defined in terms of conduct; national crimes that implicate similar values such as murder are typically defined in terms of result. International crimes such as causing excessive civilian death include justificatory concepts in the definition of the offense; national crimes typically exclude such concepts, which instead appear in the definition of affirmative defenses. The second task of the chapter is to determine whether these international crimes place the relevant values in their proper orientation toward one another, or whether they should be restructured along the lines of national criminal law. In particular, it must be determined whether these international crimes reflect a viable alternative structure according to which crimes are constituted by or related to either an attack or an endangerment.


Interconnect networks employing wormhole-switching play a critical role in shared memory multiprocessor systems-on-chip (MPSoC) designs, multicomputer systems and system area networks. Virtual channels greatly improve the performance of wormhole-switched networks because they reduce blocking by acting as "bypass" lanes for non-blocked messages. Capturing the effects of virtual channel multiplexing has always been a crucial issue for any analytical model proposed for wormhole-switched networks. Dally has developed a model to investigate the behaviour of this multiplexing which have been widely employed in the subsequent analytical models of most routing algorithms suggested in the literature. It is indispensable to modify Daily's model in order to evaluate the performance of channel multiplexing in more general networks where restrictions such as timing constraints of input arrivals and finite buffer size of queues are common. In this paper we consider timing constraints of input arrivals to investigate the virtual channel multiplexing problem inherent in most current networks. The analysis that we propose is completely general and therefore can be used with any interconnect networks employing virtual channels. The validity of the proposed equations has been verified through simulation experiments under different working conditions


Electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3) is a new layer-additive process that has been developed for near-net shape fabrication of complex structures. EBF3 uses an electron beam to create a molten pool on the surface of a substrate. Wire is fed into the molten pool and the part translated with respect to the beam to build up a 3-dimensional structure one layer at a time. Unlike many other freeform fabrication processes, the energy coupling of the electron beam is extremely well suited to processing of aluminum alloys. The layer-additive nature of the EBF3 process results in a tortuous thermal path producing complex microstructures including: small homogeneous equiaxed grains; dendritic growth contained within larger grains; and/or pervasive dendritic formation in the interpass regions of the deposits. Several process control variables contribute to the formation of these different microstructures, including translation speed, wire feed rate, beam current and accelerating voltage. In electron beam processing, higher accelerating voltages embed the energy deeper below the surface of the substrate. Two EBF3 systems have been established at NASA Langley, one with a low-voltage (10-30kV) and the other a high-voltage (30-60 kV) electron beam gun. Aluminum alloy 2219 was processed over a range of different variables to explore the design space and correlate the resultant microstructures with the processing parameters. This report is specifically exploring the impact of accelerating voltage. Of particular interest is correlating energy to the resultant material characteristics to determine the potential of achieving microstructural control through precise management of the heat flux and cooling rates during deposition.


Objectives: The study is to minimize the spatial redundancy without affecting the query performance, i.e., time taken to execute the query. Methods/Statistical Analysis: This paper illustrates a new method of analyzing the source database system: data, relations, etc., and generation of a Graph model based upon the database and conversion of the model by creating a new algorithm compatible with NoSQL databases, keeping in mind the following parameters: (1) Less time to execute each query, (2) Maximize spatial performance with minimum space and (3) Robustness of algorithm i.e., no data loss, metadata loss, or relational data loss during two transition stages, that is from old data migration to new model and analysis of new model (comparison with relational model). Findings: The advantage of NoSQL model is the decreased time taken to execute each query and increased speed for execution of queries due to ability to deal with the unstructured data. It was found that out of the three scenarios considered in the study that is nested, nonnested and hybrid, hybrid scenario is the one that possesses the most consistent performance and hence can be stated to be the best performer. Further, the study presented a robust algorithm for the migration of data in such a way that data loss, meta data loss, or relational data loss during transition is null or minimum. Application/Improvements: The present study proposes a method to convert the relational database to NoSQL database schema conversion model. This specific model has used the concept of embedded documents to improve query speed of NoSQL database.


Little information exists regarding the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the naturalistic setting. The Regenstrief Medical Record System was used to analyze the dosing of SSRIs in the outpatient population of an urban teaching hospital. A cohort of 3350 patients was extracted, of whom 2859 had received fluoxetine and 460 sertraline. This cohort received 21,079 prescriptions. (The 31 patients who were prescribed paroxetine were eliminated from further analysis.) The mean daily dose for all patients receiving fluoxetine was 21 +/- 6 mg for the first prescription dispensed and 25 +/- 11 mg for the ninth. For fluoxetine-treated patients with depression included on their computerized medical problem list, the mean daily dose was 21 +/- 6 mg for the first prescription and 26 +/- 12 mg for the ninth. A mean of 5.0% of all patients continuing fluoxetine therapy had their daily dose increased with each prescription refill during the first nine prescriptions. The mean daily dose for all patients receiving sertraline was 59 +/- 28 mg for the first prescription and 117 +/- 66 mg for the ninth. For sertraline-treated patients with depression included on their computerized medical problem list, the mean daily dose was 57 +/- 25 mg for the first prescription and 110 +/- 65 mg for the ninth. A mean of 14.9% of all patients continuing sertraline therapy had their daily dose increased with each prescription refill during the first nine prescriptions. The frequency of sertraline dose increases was 2 to 3 times the rate for fluoxetine. Because increases in daily doses typically result from inadequate control of symptoms of depression, these findings may reflect fluoxetine's greater effectiveness in controlling symptoms during the initial stages of therapy in the naturalistic setting.


The mathematical modeling of heat transfer processes proceeding together under the conditions of intense phase transformations (melting and metal evaporation) under laser action on a metal plate has been carried out. The analysis of the results has showed that increasing of the laser radiation (q l ) power leads to acceleration of the melting process. However, it has been found that the change in the melting dynamics with variation of q l is characteristic only for the plates made of iron and copper. At the same time, it has been found that an increase in q l does not affect significantly the melting rate of the aluminum plates. It has been established that when the laser is exposed to a plate, zones with large temperature gradients are formed which can cause thermal stresses.


Present study investigates the effect of soaring residential electricity price on the welfare of rural individuals in Guilan Province by Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) in which the elasticity's and welfare variations were calculated by Compensation Variations (CV) and Equivalent Variations (EV) for the time period of 1991-2012. It was shown that the absolute value of income and price elasticity of electricity was less than one unit. Low price elasticity of the demand shows the slight impact of price variations on the demand for electricity in the studied period, on the one hand, and the lack of an appropriate substitute for electricity in residential sector, on the other hand. The calculation of welfare variations and its comparison with the share of electricity in the paid subsidy shows that with 50% and 100% increase in residential electricity price, the cash paid to the households is less that the amount acquired. Accordingly, it can be argued that the direct effect of residential electricity price modification (increase) has not been compensated. In fact, the welfare loss of the households, due to more expensive electricity, is more than the acquired welfare. Yet, in a gradual increase scenario, the calculated CV is less than the payments to the families, and hence it is the only price policy that does not impose a loss on families and improves their welfare.


Gold nanoparticles dispersed in an ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (Au-BMI.PF(6)) and a binuclear nickel(II) complex ([Ni(2)(HBPPAMFF)mu-(OAc)(2)(H(2)O)]BPh(4)) immobilized on functionalized silica were successfully applied in the construction of a novel sensor for the determination of fisetin by square-wave voltammetry. Under optimized conditions, the analytical curve showed two linear ranges for fisetin concentrations from 0.28 to 1.39 microM and 2.77 to 19.50 microM with a detection limit of 0.05 microM. This sensor demonstrated suitable stability (ca. 150 days; at least 500 determinations) and good repeatability and reproducibility, with relative standard deviations of 2.91 and 5.11%, respectively. The recovery study of fisetin in apple juice samples gave values from 96.4 to 106.4%. The efficient analytical performance of the proposed sensor can be attributed to the effective immobilization of the Ni(ii)Ni(ii) complex on silica and the Au-BMI.PF(6) contribution to the electrode response.


Intestinal epithelia are maintained by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) that divide to replace dying absorptive and secretory cells that make up this tissue. Lineage labeling studies, both in vertebrates and Drosophila, have revealed the relationships between ISCs and their progeny. In addition, a number of signaling pathways involved in ISC proliferation and differentiation have been identified. Further studies will clarify the signals originating from the ISC niche and determine the processes that control the number and uniform distribution of niches throughout the epithelium.


The composites (-Al2O3+TiB2+TiC)/Al has been fabricated by using exothermic dispersion synthesis. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the reaction between the Al and TiO2 can spontaneously occur due to the negative Gibbs free energy of the Al-TiO2 reaction system. With the increase of B4C/TiO2 mole ratios, the exothermic peaks increase move to the higher temperature and the corresponding ignite temperatures also increase. The reaction results indicate that when the B4C/TiO2=0, the reinforcements are composed of -Al2O3, Al3Ti, with the increase of B4C/TiO2, the amount of Al3Ti decreases and the TiC and TiB2 form simultaneously. When the B4C/TiO2 increases to 1/3, the Al3Ti almost disappear and the reinforcements of the composites are consisted of -Al2O3, TiC and TiB2.


ABSTRACT Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitously distributed pathogen that causes severe disease in immunosuppressed patients and newborn infants infected in utero. The viral envelope glycoprotein B (gB) is an attractive molecule for active vaccination and passive immunoprophylaxis and therapy. Using human monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), we have recently identified antigenic region 4 (AD-4) on gB as an important target for neutralizing antibodies. AD-4 is formed by a discontinuous sequence comprising amino acids 121 to 132 and 344 to 438 of gB of HCMV strain AD169. To map epitopes for human antibodies on this protein domain, we used a three-dimensional (3D) model of HCMV gB to identify surface-exposed amino acids on AD-4 and selected juxtaposed residues for alanine scans. A tyrosine (Y) at position 364 and a lysine (K) at position 379 (the YK epitope), which are immediate neighbors on the AD-4 surface, were found to be essential for binding of the human MAbs. Recognition of AD-4 by sera from HCMV-infected individuals also was largely dependent on these two residues, indicating a general importance for the antibody response against AD-4. A panel of AD-4 recombinant viruses harboring mutations at the crucial antibody binding sites was generated. The viruses showed significantly reduced susceptibility to neutralization by AD-4-specific MAbs or polyclonal AD-4-specific antibodies, indicating that the YK epitope is dominant for the AD-4-specific neutralizing antibody response during infection. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular identification of a functional discontinuous epitope on HCMV gB. Induction of antibodies specific for this epitope may be a desirable goal following vaccination with gB.


In two experiments, we examined the effect of attitude dissimulation and truthful attitude expression on attitude accessibility, which is the ease with which an attitude is retrieved from memory. In the first experiment, 161 subjects lied about their attitudes toward some attitude objects and expressed their true attitudes toward other attitude objects. Next, as our measure of attitude accessibility, subjects were asked to express quickly and accurately their true attitudes toward (a) the objects that they had lied about, (b) the objects that they had evaluated truthfully, and (c) other objects that they had not evaluated at all. Results indicated that both attitude dissimulation and truthful attitude expression caused attitudes to become more accessible (i.e., more quickly recalled) than if the attitudes had not been previously expressed. In the second experiment, we tested the hypothesis that attitude dissimulation increases attitude accessibility only when the dissimulation causes conscious recall of one's true attitude. Results supported this hypothesis. The implications of these results for predicting the effect of lying on attitude-behavior relations is highlighted.


Unilateral spatial neglect after stroke is characterized by reduced responses to stimuli on the contralesional side, causing significant impairments in self-care and safety. Conventional visuomotor adaptation (VMA) with prisms that cause a lateral shift of the visual scene can decrease neglect symptoms but is not engaging according to patients. Performing VMA within a virtual reality (VR) environment may be more engaging but has never been tested. To determine if VMA can be elicited in a VR environment, healthy subjects (n=7) underwent VMA that was elicited by either wearing prisms that caused an optical shift, or by application of a virtual shift of the hand cursor within the VR environment. A low cost VR system was developed by coupling the Kinect v2 gaming sensor to online games via the Flexible Action and Articulated Skeleton Toolkit (FAAST) software. The adaptation phase of training consisted of a reaching task in online games or in a custom target pointing program. Following the adaptation phase the optical or virtual shift was removed and participants were assessed during the initial portion of the de-adaptation phase for the presence of an after-effect on their reaching movements, with lateral reaching errors indicating the successful induction of VMA. Results show that practicing reaching in a VR environment with a virtual shift lead to a horizontal after-effect similar to conventional prism adaptation. The results demonstrate that VMA can be elicited in a VR environment and suggest that VR gaming therapy could be used to improve recovery from unilateral spatial neglect.


Catalogue of the Dutch spiders (Araneae) This new catalogue is a revised edition of the catalogue of the spiders of the Netherlands of 1980. Newly published faunistic records have been added. A total of 640 species names pass in review, 20 of which (in brackets) concern former records now removed, while 10 are questionable but unverifiable (indicated with ?). Twelve species clearly introduced and not represented by viable populations outside the special anthropogenic environments, such as greenhouses, are included in the catalogue [in square brackets]. Since 1980, 77 species have been added to the Dutch faunal spider checklist. The Netherlands house the type-localities of six nominal species, now representing three recognized species (Liocranum rutilans (Thorell), Enoplognatha mordax (Thorell) and Donacochara speciosa (Thorell)) and three junior synonyms (of Oedothorax fuscus (Blackwall), Theridion blackwalli O.P.-Cambridge and Donacochara speciosa (Thorell)). The dynamic features of taxonomy and faunal composition are stressed.


AbstractToday, the market is getting tougher and tougher and organisations need to concentrate more on the organisations core competence, to become successful and gain competitive advantage. One way to get this competitive advantage for an organisation is to start using Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) system. A VMI system, with the help of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), manages the informational and material flow between the distributor and the supplier by automation. This means that the supplier receives accurate information from the distributor, and can thereby plan deliveries of products when needed and at the right amount. These deliveries are done by automation and are based on the distributor's shared information such as inventory- and sales figures. We have as a goal for this thesis to examine if the positive benefits described by literature do reflect those benefits with the benefits experienced by organisations.The following question will be discussed and answered during this thesis:• Do the benefits of a VMI system described in theories, match the benefits experienced by an organisation?To answer our question, we have interviewed two managers about their companies' way to use VMI. One interview was performed at a store working in the retail market and the other interview was performed at a grocery store. The interviews were performed to receive a deeper understanding of what the managers think about VMI, and also to understand how these benefits have been beneficial for their company. After the interviews, we started to compare and analyse the benefits gathered from literature with the benefits experienced by the managers for the companies. The analysis and comparison proved that there is a similarity between the benefits gathered from literature and the benefits experienced by the interviewees. We decided to categorise the benefits into three different categories: costs, service and inventory. Believing that this categorization was a good way to get you as a reader to have a lucid overview of which the benefits are, and which area of business they are beneficial in. Many of the gathered benefits could affect more than one area of business, and many cases benefits are created through chain reactions, benefits breeds new benefits.The similarity of the benefits collected from the empirical findings compared with the benefits from theories, are striking, and we can thereby concluded that the experienced benefits by an organization using a VMI system highly represents the benefits described in the theories from literature.


From adolescence, data show that males outperform females on math tests and tests of math reasoning. These tests are usually age appropriate (i.e., SAT-M and the ACT). The current data with college students and a simple test of arithmetic ability show that males still score higher than females (N=235) even when performance is measured using a third grade arithmetic test. Therefore, the original finding of a sex difference in math performance from adolescence is a finding that extends beyond more difficult math tests to simplistic ones. That is, the generality and robustness of the effect is established with this study. ********** It has been amply documented that from adolescence males outperform females on age relevant mathematics tests (e.g., Benbow & Stanley, 1980; Benbow, 1988; Neisser et al., 1996). Many times the dependent measure is a standardized test of math performance like the ACT or the SAT-M. These types of tests ask age appropriate math questions. Such sex differences persist throughout high school (Hedges & Nowell, 1995) and college (Benbow, 1992; Benbow & Minor, 1986; Benbow and Stanley, 1982). The origin of these differences is as yet unclear. The nature-nurture controversy rears it head at various times as opposed to the types of nurture variables that might account for such differences (e.g. prior math experience, parental attitudes). No one has looked at college students' math performance on tests that measure simple arithmetic performance (3rd grade arithmetic performance). If such a sex difference, males score higher than females, still maintains, then the frequently seen adolescent math sex difference must be very robust. Method Participants The participants were a convenience sample of 235 students 18-57 years of age attending Cameron University. 71 of the subjects were male and 163 of the subjects were female. 63 of the subjects were Masters students and 172 were undergraduate students. Most of the participants (126) were psychology majors, 106 consisted of a variety of majors and 3 participants did not report their major. Survey The demographics survey contained questions concerning the participants age, gender, class standing, and college major. The subjects were also asked to indicate if they had previously completed and undergraduate quantitative methods course in the psychology department. The D'Amore Test consists of 3rd grade level arithmetic questions and has been described previously (Weinstein and Laverghetta, 2008) Procedure Participants were instructed by a graduate research assistant to read and sign an informed consent document, which briefly described the purpose of the study, the risks and benefits of participation in the study, and they were given a statement of confidentiality. The participants the filled the survey. All of the participants completed the surveys voluntarily and were given extra credit in the appropriate course. The participants were then read a debriefing statement and given an opportunity to answer any questions regarding the nature and purpose of the study. Scores on the D'Amore test were calculated for each participant. All of the data from the surveys were entered into SPSS v. …


To model the influence of humic substances on the migration of tetravalent actinides (Pu, Np, U) in and around nuclear waste repositories we have immobilized humic acid on silica gel and investigated its complexation of Th(IV). It is anticipated that this material might serve as a geochemical model of the humate-coated minerals that are likely to be present in the vicinity of the repositories. The binding of Th(IV) by the immobilized humic acid was examined at pH 4, 5 and 6 in 0.1 mol L-1 NaClO4 by the batch method. Th(IV)-humate conditional interaction constants have been evaluated from data obtained from these experiments by using non-linear regression of binding isotherms.


textabstractParallel behaviour can be modelled successfully by Paradigm, a modelling method using parallel decision processes. Its name is an acronym for PARalellism, its Analysis, Design and Implementation by a General Method. For a comprehensive discussion the reader is referred to Groenewegen [1986-1990].
In this paper Paradigm will be used to present a model for a transaction manager for a
database management system. The purpose of the presented model is to split the tasks of a
transaction manager into components in order to support the developping of a program that
performs the tasks of these components including their interaction This model will be
translated into an object-oriented program. Such a program is added not to give an efficient program for transaction management, but to show how the model can easily be translated into modules that form together the program. The program can serve as a basis for the implementation of a transaction manager on a system using several processors, using shared memory, although this might not be the most efficient implementation.


Under the doctrine of patent exhaustion, an authorized sale of a patented item exhausts the patentee's rights with respect to that item, leaving the purchaser and subsequent owners free to use or resell it without fear of an infringement lawsuit. In 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Impression Products v. Lexmark International, which strengthened the exhaustion doctrine in various significant ways. The Court held that an authorized sale of a patented item exhausts all patent rights with respect to that item, regardless of any restrictions on use or resale the patentee purports to impose. The Court further held that exhaustion is triggered not only by local sales but also by authorized sales outside the United States. The decision is likely to have considerable implications across various industries.

This Article examines the immensely valuable but underexplored role that the exhaustion doctrine could play in the context of cumulative innovation. Research and development efforts often involve the need to use earlier patented inventions. Yet, licensing transactions between follow-on inventors and patent owners are characterized by particularly high transaction costs and other factors that may impede the ability of the parties to reach an agreement. As a result, the patent system ends up at times stifling technological progress rather than promoting it.

This Article demonstrates that this concern may be mitigated by the Impression Products decision. The patent exhaustion doctrine, as construed by the Supreme Court, could constitute an effective policy tool for facilitating cumulative innovation in a variety of settings. For instance, under the post-Impression Products exhaustion doctrine, a patent owner would not be able to invoke patent law to prevent a purchaser of a patented product from reverse engineering said product while developing an improved version or a compatible product, using the patented product as a research tool in the investigation of any subject matter, or combining the product with other components or integrating it into a larger system. Most importantly, the post Impression Products exhaustion doctrine would shield such activities of a follow-on inventor notwithstanding any contractual post-sale restrictions and regardless of the location of the sale. Overall, applying the exhaustion doctrine to cumulative innovation settings in the manner proposed by this Article could have vast implications for our innovation ecosystem.


The climate is changing worldwide. For the northern hemisphere there are distinct challenges related to climate change. It is expected that temperature on a general basis will increase within the next 100 years, and that the increase will be most severe during winter months. The literature shows a correlation between temperature and failures. This correlation is most evident for smaller grey cast iron pipes, and for pipes which is constructed in trenches vulnerable to frost heave. A comprehensive amount of failure data (over 25,000 failures) has been gathered from Norwegian cities in order to quantify the correlation between temperatures and failure rates. The analysis supports the findings in the literature, by establishing a statistical significant correlation, which states that failure rates increase with falling temperatures. At the same time, the expected increase in future temperatures has been used to analyze the impact on failure rates within 2070. The results show that the increasing temperatures will have a positive effect on failure rates. It can be expected that failure rates will be reduced by 2.7% to 7.2% within 2070, depending on the climate scenario.


This work investigates the flow dynamics of a radio-frequency (RF) non-equilibrium argon atmospheric pressure plasma jet. The RF power is at a frequency of 50 Hz or 20 kHz. Combined flow pattern visualizations (obtained by shadowgraphy) and gas temperature distributions (obtained by Rayleigh scattering) are used to study the formation of transient vortex structures in initial flow field shortly after the plasma is switched on and off in the case of 50 Hz modulation. The transient vortex structures correlate well with observed temperature differences. Experimental results of the fast modulated (20 kHz) plasma jet that does not induce changes of the gas temperature are also presented. The latter result suggests that momentum transfer by ions does not have dominant effect on the flow pattern close to the tube. It is argued that the increased gas temperature and corresponding gas velocity increase at the tube exit due to the plasma heating increases the admixing of surrounding air and reduces the effective potential core length. With increasing plasma power a reduction of the effective potential core length is observed with a minimum length for 5.6 W after which the length extends again. Possible mechanisms related to viscosity effects and ionic momentum transfer are discussed.


Fluorescent in situ hybridization of biotin labelled total genomic DNA from alien species as probes was applied to illustrate chromatin behaviors of Secale cereale L., Thinopyrum intermedium Host., Avana fatua L., and Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Candagy introgressed into wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in interphase cells. A pair of 1RS chromosome arms in 1BL/1RS translocations were visible as discrete domains traversing through the interphase nucleolus. The substitution and addition 1R chromosomes as well as the translocated chromosome segments of Th. intermedium and A. avena appeared as bright spots in interphase. In callli derived from immature embryos of a hybrid between T. durum-D. villosum amphidiploid and T. aestivum, seven D. villosum originated chromatins presented nearly consecutive trend from spots to domains. Chromatins from both parents did not tend to mix with each other at interphase of the hybrid calli. It is feasible to count the number of alien chromosomes and chromosome segments in the case of addition, substitution and/or translocation at interphase. As far as more alien chromosomes are considered, it seems not reliable to analyze the interphase nucleolus alone because some of the signals might be overlapped by chromatins of wheat. Neither S. cereale satellited chromosome 1R nor D. villosum 1V chromosome involving within the envelop of interphase nucleolus were associated with nucleoli, suggesting that their functions in the formation of nucleoli are inhibited in the wheat background.


For Sprague-Dawley rats by means of in vivo microdialysis combined with HPLC analysis it was shown that an acquisition of a conditioned fear response (paired presentation of an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS+) and unescapable footshock) caused the increase in extracellular levels of citrulline (an NO co-product) in the medial prefrontal cortex which was almost completely prevented by local infusions of 1 mM NΩ-propil-L-arginine, a neuronal NO synthase inhibitor and was not observed in control rats. The magnitude of this increase was high in rats showing later low freezing to conditioned stimulus previously not paired with footshock (CS-) and it was low in rats characterized by high freezing to CS-, but it did not interfere with freezing to the conditioned stimulus CS+ previously paired with footshock. The data obtained indicate for the first time that the conditioned fear acquisition is accompanied by nitrergic activation within the medial prefrontal cortex which is associated with conditioned fear generalization but not with conditioned fear expression.


Diclofenac (NSAID) for veterinary use, the same that previously reduced south Asian Gyps vulture populations by nearly 99% in the late 1990s, was approved in Spain in 2013 for cattle, swine and horses. We assessed its availability and the potential exposure to European Griffon Gyps fulvus , Cinereous Aegypius monachus , Egyptian Neophron percnopterus and Bearded vultures Gypaetus barbatus in Spain. In 2014, a telephone questionnaire to 1073 official pharmaceutical distributers (POS) found 230 responses and 82 were currently selling diclofenac. The preliminary assessment for Spain showed a widespread exposure to diclofenac that extends across 275,391 km 2 , i.e. 54% of the territory. Diclofenac availability is related to livestock densities and certain rearing practices, especially cattle and extensive swine farming, but not with horse farms. Livestock farming carcass disposal practices and subsequent carcass availability to vultures are of concern when controlling for diclofenac potential use and residues in corpses. Overlap of diclofenac exposure with vulture distribution ranges and population sizes per region were highest for Cinereous Vulture (88% and 73% overlap with range and population size respectively), 62/56% for the Egyptian Vulture, 58/57% for the Griffon and 42/36% for the Bearded Vultures. Ensuring the safety of carcasses consumed by vultures with specific tests for NSAIDs and their use in farming practices is required.


The downward trend in fertility rates has not surprisingly led to an increase in assisted reproduction techniques (ART), and assisted reproduction today is characterised by high-tech, high-end investment and international fertility companies, with the global fertility services market expected to grow beyond US$25 billion by 2026. Much has happened since the birth of the first test tube baby in 1978, including personalised ovarian stimulation, extended embryonic culture, intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, embryo selection (leading to elective single embryo transfer) and oocyte vitrification. Nevertheless, the success rate of IVF currently stands at around 30%, even though this depends heavily on a number of factors, such as age and changes in the physical and psychosocial environments. Many women, therefore, have to go through multiple rounds of IVF such that the process can be time-consuming, and challenges patients both financially and emotionally. Research is thus increasingly focused on how to improve treatments and outcomes, and rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence look promising and are increasingly being utilised in fertility clinics around the world.


Insects have traditionally constituted an important source of food in many cultures, but changes in dietary practices and other lifestyle traits are threatening the transmission of insect-related knowledge and vocabulary to younger generations of Indigenous Australians. This paper describes the rich cultural and culinary traditions surrounding an important insect group, namely a class of edible insect larvae consumed by a desert community in central Australia. Twenty-nine different edible insect larvae are named in the Kaytetye language, with the names encoding the identity of the host plant on which the larvae are found. We describe the complexities involved in the naming system, paying special attention to cultural and linguistic factors. The difficulties in the scientific identification of these ethnotaxa are discussed, as are the significance of our data to (1) questions of universal patterns in ethnoclassification and nomenclature and (2) the purported lack of binomially-labeled folk species in the languages of hunter-gatherer societies.


From a fundamental consideration of the efficiency (eta = P_out / P_in) it already follows that the power-specific fuel consumption, PSFC or c_P of an aircraft engine should be approximately constant, while c = c_P * V applies to the thrust-specific fuel consumption, TSFC or c in a first approach. Obviously, fuel is consumed already at static thrust (V=0). For this reason the thrust-specific fuel consumption needs an extended approach c = c_a + c_b * V. Breguet's range equation can certainly be described with a constant thrust-specific fuel consumption c, if c is determined for the cruise speed in question. However, this leads to an error if you want to use it to calculate an optimal flight speed in a flight performance calculation. It is recommended (for a first simple consideration) to write Breguet's range equation for jets with a constant power-specific fuel consumption c_P. This then leads to an optimal cruising speed for maximum range at minimum drag (md) V_md instead of 1.316 * V_md as it is determined with the "classic" derivation. For more detailed considerations, the "Herrmann model" should replace the simple equation c = c_a + c_b * V.


The aim of this research was to understand what elements should be considered in the construction of a pre-disaster recovery plan in order to move society towards sustainability during post-disaster recovery after a natural hazard event. A conceptual framework for Pre-disaster recovery planning (Pre-DRP) based on the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) was developed and critiqued by professionals in disaster management, resilience thinking, and sustainability in order to collect qualitative data to make the tool more rigorous and applicable to its intended audience. The revised framework, called the Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (Pre-DRP FSSD), includes a broad set of principles, planning strategies and guidelines, specifically designed to help communities become more resilient to disasters and move towards sustainability through Pre-DRP. As such, the Pre-DRP FSSD may help emergency planners at various levels of government to implement some of the strategic guidelines set out in the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015.


Digital PCR (dPCR) is an emerging technology for genetic analysis and clinical diagnostics. To facilitate the widespread application of dPCR, here we developed a new micropatterned superporous absorbent array chip (μSAAC) which consists of an array of microwells packed with highly porous agarose microbeads. The packed beads construct a hierarchically porous microgel which confers superior water adsorption capacity to enable spontaneous filling of PDMS microwells for fluid compartmentalization without the need of sophisticated microfluidic equipment and operation expertise. Using large λ-DNA as the model template, we validated the μSAAC for stochastic partitioning and quantitative digital detection of DNA molecules. Furthermore, as a proof-of-concept, we conducted dPCR detection and single-molecule sequencing of a mutation prevalent in blood cancer, the chromosomal translocation t(14;18), demonstrating the feasibility of the μSAAC for analysis of disease-associated mutations. These experiments were carried out using the standard molecular biology techniques and instruments. Because of its low cost, ease of fabrication, and equipment-free liquid partitioning, the μSAAC is readily adaptable to general lab settings, which could significantly facilitate the widespread application of dPCR technology in basic research and clinical practice.


In Southeast Asia the native honey bee species Apis cerana is often attacked by hornets (Vespa velutina), mainly in the period from April to November. During the co-evolution of these two species honey bees have developed several strategies to defend themselves such as learning the odors of hornets and releasing alarm components to inform other mates. However, so far little is known about whether and how honey bees modulate their olfactory learning in the presence of the hornet predator and alarm components of honey bee itself. In the present study, we test for associative olfactory learning of A. cerana in the presence of predator odors, the alarm pheromone component isopentyl acetate (IPA), or a floral odor (hexanal) as a control. The results show that bees can detect live hornet odors, that there is almost no association between the innately aversive hornet odor and the appetitive stimulus sucrose, and that IPA is less well associated with an appetitive stimulus when compared with a floral odor. In order to imitate natural conditions, e.g. when bees are foraging on flowers and a predator shows up, or alarm pheromone is released by a captured mate, we tested combinations of the hornet odor and floral odor, or IPA and floral odor. Both of these combinations led to reduced learning scores. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the prey-predator system between A. cerana and V. velutina.


The CAS family of scaffolding proteins has increasingly attracted scrutiny as important for regulation of cancer‐associated signaling. BCAR1 (also known as p130Cas), NEDD9 (HEF1, Cas‐L), EFS (Sin), and CASS4 (HEPL) are regulated by and mediate cell attachment, growth factor, and chemokine signaling. Altered expression and activity of CAS proteins are now known to promote metastasis and drug resistance in cancer, influence normal development, and contribute to the pathogenesis of heart and pulmonary disease. In this article, we provide an update on recently published studies describing signals regulating and regulated by CAS proteins, and evidence for biological activity of CAS proteins in normal development, cancer, and other pathological conditions. © 2014 IUBMB Life, 66(6):387–395, 2014


Abstract Plant species and cultivars elicit a diverse array of sophisticated metabolic and developmental strategies to enhance phosphorus (P) solublization and acquisition from P-deficient rooting media. Scavenging of phosphate (Pi) from extracellular sparingly soluble P sources may be aided by organic acids (OAs) exudation and root-mediated pH changes under a P-stress environment. Root exudates were collected to quantify short-term (4 h, 8 h) carboxylate exudation using hydroponically grown Brassica cultivars. Malic and citric acids were the dominant OAs and efficient cultivars exuded 2–3-fold more OAs than inefficient cultivars under P-deficient conditions. However, the exudation rate of both resistant and sensitive cultivars decreased with time. Experiments in nutrient solution were conducted to evaluate growth responses and the P solublization and acquisition ability of six genetically diverse Brassica cultivars. Pre-germinated seedlings were grown in nutrient solution containing ammonium di-hydrogen phosphate (AP), tri-calcium phosphate (TCP) and rock phosphate (RP) (TCP at 0.2 g L−1 and RP at 2 g L−1, in a bid to maintain deficiently buffered solution-P concentration) as different P sources. The cultivars exhibited substantial growth differences (P < 0.001) in terms of biomass accumulation, P acquisition and P utilization efficiency (PUE). Biomass production correlated significantly (P < 0.01) with their shoot P uptake and PUE at both P sources, indicating that cultivars efficient in P solublization accumulated more biomass. Higher P uptake by all cultivars was significantly related to the drop in root medium pH, which was presumably owing to H+ efflux from the roots supplied with TCP and RP. Higher shoot dry matter of the cultivars at TCP was related to better P acquisition ability, which in turn was related to higher Ca uptake. Thus, cultivars with efficient Ca accumulation ability can acquire higher amounts of P from P-deficient soils and can adapt well to such low-P soil conditions.


Undeveloped economies are dealing with very big issues such as low or null economic growth, higher rates of unemployment, high index of migration and millions of people living in extreme poverty. Therefore, the present investigation aims to analyze unemployment, migration and poverty in Mexico; since unemployment in Mexico has a rate of 5.5% according to INEGI, followed by migration and extreme poverty. One of the most important effects from the previous matters is that they have stimulated people to migrate. Because of the unemployment increase and the low wages in the country it has been stimulated the population to migrate. In addition, in the USA, the unemployment rate of Mexican migrants has raised from 8.0 to 12.0% (2009) approximately, inducing a strong decrease in remittances, which brings as a consequence a diminish in families revenue that depend on such remittances, causing an intensification in the country's poverty.


In the context of this paper, trust is defined to be "a measure of to what degree an information source is believed to be capable of producing information that conforms to fact." No standard method has been adopted by the intelligence community for fusing data from sources with different levels of trust. This paper proposes an approach that extends the standard application of Bayesian inference to allow for the fact that any piece of intelligence data may be less than fully trustworthy. Based on a prototypical intelligence scenario from which synthetic data was generated, results indicate that trust models produce results which are closer to the ground truth than those for a model containing no trust variables, exhibit less variability and which provide a better basis for making correct decisions.


Lake Victoria has experienced accelerated eutrophication with elevated  phosphorus, nitrogen and chlorophyll-a concentrations, coupled with  decreased transparency as a result of the growing human activities in the  catchment area. A survey in Tanzanian waters from 2011-2016 provided  data on phosphorus, nitrogen, dissolved oxygen and transparency from  littoral (bays and gulfs) and pelagic stations. The differences between the two groups of stations were generally small, with the exception of  chlorophyll-a, which was generally higher at the littoral stations. The molar TN:TP ratio indicated nitrogen limitation in most of the lake thus favouring the dominance of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, which currently dominate the phytoplankton. The trophic status of the lake was assessed using the OECD criteria, yielding four 'eutrophic' and two 'hypertrophic' assessments. A similar assessment in 2005-2005 gave two 'eutrophic' and four  'hypertrophic' classifications, suggesting that the lake may have not  deteriorated over the last decade and may have stabilised. Keywords : Eutrophication, Lake Victoria; Nitrogen, Phosphorus,  Transparency, Trophic status


In this paper, we argue that the paradigm commonly adopted for offline evaluation of sequential recommender systems is unsuitable for evaluating reinforcement learning-based recommenders. We find that most of the existing offline evaluation practices for reinforcement learning-based recommendation are based on a next-item prediction protocol, and detail three shortcomings of such an evaluation protocol. Notably, it cannot reflect the potential benefits that reinforcement learning (RL) is expected to bring while it hides critical deficiencies of certain offline RL agents. Our suggestions for alternative ways to evaluate RL-based recommender systems aim to shed light on the existing possibilities and inspire future research on reliable evaluation protocols.


Based on analysis of characteristics of UV (Ultraviolet) light power envelope and the output signal of the detector, a modulation scheme for UV communication system employing low pressure mercury lamp as lamp house was proposed. In the scheme, the frequency of UV power envelope is controlled by the current frequency in the electronic ballast and the scheme is similar to the BFSK (Binary Frequency-Shift keying). The modulation experiment was carried out using low pressure mercury lamp as lamp-house. Results show that the modulation scheme is viable.


The structure of the O-antigenic polysaccharide from Escherichia coli O167:H5 has been investigated. Sugar and methylation analyses, fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry and 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy were the main methods used. The structure of the repeating unit of the polysaccharide was found to be: [formula in text]. Oligosaccharide derivatives of the polysaccharide were obtained by HF solvolysis and by a Smith degradation. Furthermore, base treatment of the polysaccharide led to a degraded polymeric material. For the methylated polysaccharide the amide linkage between alanine and the galacturonic acid residue was reductively cleaved with LiBD4 in ethanol, to give, among other things, a 3-O-methyl galactose derivative.


Field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of tillage systems and fertilization on growth, yield and quality of quinoa crop (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four replicates, two main plots [conventional tillage (CT) and minimum tillage (MT)] and three sub-plots (fertilization treatments: control, cow manure and compost). The soil porosity (45.5-49.75%) and total nitrogen (0.144-0.173%) were higher in soils subjected to MT system than under CT. In soil porosity, an interaction between fertilization and tillage system was found. The highest leaf area index (4.47-5.03), dry weight (8650-9290 kg ha-1) and root density (1.03-1.21 cm cm-3) were also found in MT. Moreover, there were significant differences between the organic fertilization treatments concerning the LAI, dry weight and root density. The highest seed yield (2485-2643 kg ha-1) and saponin content (0.42-0.45%) were found in cow manure and compost treatments. Also, the highest saponin yield (7.70-12.05 kg ha-1) was found in the MT system. Saponin yield had positive and significant correlation with total N (r=0.866). In quinoa measurements, an interaction between fertilization and tillage system was not found. The present results indicated that MT and organic fertilization increase saponin yield of quinoa.


In spite of a contextual and constitutional affinity, Comparative Constitutional Law has been an unexplored area in South Asia. The article relates to one form of Constitutional Emergency in India and Pakistan - Constitutional Machinery Failure Emergency in the provincial units, which has a colonial past and an oppressive present. With identical provision in the constitutions of India and Pakistan, it sanctions almost unfettered power to the centre to declare an emergency relating to Constitutional Machinery Failure: one of the most abused provisions of Indian and Pakistani Constitutional Polity. The unique system of Constitutional Machinery Failure has also gone through huge changes, at times influenced by each other, scaling the modification of Emergency; the article also tries to conceptualize Constitutional Machinery Failure Emergency in India and Pakistan.


There is currently a resurgence of interest in developing covalent drugs due to the high potency, good selectivity, and prolonged effects which may results in less-frequent drug dosing and wider therapeutic windows for patients. BridGene Biosciences established a novel IMTACTM (Isobaric Mass Tagged Affinity Characterization) platform for covalent drug discovery. Using IMTACTM platform, an intelligently designed drug-like probe with alkyne tag is able to "fish out" and identify proteins covalently bound to probes from live cells which enables us to discover druggable opportunities across the entire proteome. There are several advantages of IMTACTM : 1. Discover ligands for unliganded or undruggable targets; 2. Reduce the time and cost of lead discovery; 3. Identify additional targets of drugs or clinical candidates; 4. Build ligand-target interaction database and guide drug design. Using IMTACTM platform, our covalent library is screened in various live cells including cancer immune, and neuronal cell lines. The hit rate of IMTAC screening is about 20%, and the targets discovered by IMTACTM includes GMPS, Rictor, BTK, FABP5, ALDH, FUS, MIF and etc. Given the drug-like probe design, the probes can have nanomolar potency on the targets. And the drug like probe design minimizes the SAR efforts of developing a hit to a drug. IMTACTM platform allows us to expand the therapeutic applications of small molecule drugs to a new horizon. Citation Format: Heather Ha, Robert Stanley, Qian Cai, Wendy Zhou, Hang Chen, Irene Yuan, Ping Cao. Small molecule covalent drug discovery by IMTACTM [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2019 Oct 26-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2019;18(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A136. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.TARG-19-A136


In this thesis, the dynamic properties of the mechanic structure of Power Supply for an Industrial Application, an Alstom company product, are considered. A finite element model of the Power Supply mechanic structure have been generated with the aid of the MSC Marc software. Based on the FE model; modal analysis have been carried out and the eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes for the FE model have been calculated in a suitable frequency range. Relevant frequency response functions for the FE model have been produced using dynamic harmonic analysis. To validate and update the FE model, experimental modal analysis have been carried out on a Power Supply. For the experimental modal analysis the MIMO method the polyreference least-squares complex exponential method have been used. Based on the updated FE model some modified Power Supply designs are suggested with improved dynamic properties in an adequate frequency range.


Neurogenic inflammation and central sensitization play a role in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome. We explore the molecular effects of low-intensity shock wave therapy (Li-ESWT) on central sensitization in a capsaicin-induced prostatitis rat model. Male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent intraprostatic capsaicin (10 mM, 0.1 cm3) injections. After injection, the prostate received Li-ESWT twice, one day apart. The L6 dorsal root ganglion (DRG)/spinal cord was harvested for histology and Western blotting on days 3 and 7. The brain blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional images were evaluated using 9.4 T fMRI before the Li-ESWT and one day after. Intraprostatic capsaicin injection induced increased NGF-, BDNF-, and COX-2-positive neurons in the L6 DRG and increased COX-2, NGF, BDNF, receptor Trk-A, and TRPV1 protein expression in the L6 DRG and the dorsal horn of the L6 spinal cord, whose effects were significantly downregulated after Li-ESWT on the prostate. Intraprostatic capsaicin injection increased activity of BOLD fMRI responses in brain regions associated with pain-related responses, such as the caudate putamen, periaqueductal gray, and thalamus, whose BOLD signals were reduced after Li-ESWT. These findings suggest a potential mechanism of Li-ESWT on modulation of peripheral and central sensitization for treating CP/CPPS.


All physicians must be educated in treating injuries incurred when a diver comes into contact with any dangerous marine life. Stinging invertebrates are the most commonly encountered dangerous marine animals. Venomous vertebrate marine animals are less common than stinging invertebrates and easier to recognize. However, they may be much more deadly. Sharks pose the greatest danger to divers. However, bites from other marine animals can be painful, become infected and require extensive medical treatment.


INTRODUCTION
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a sensitive and safe procedure, but expensive and with certain risks. The range of inappropriate use of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in open access system is between 5.6 to 61.7%. In our department we use restricted access system.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the accuracy of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy American Society guidelines in the diagnosis through the upper gastrointestinal endoscopies performed in a reference hospital setting with restricted access.

METHODS
We review requests for diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopies and their reports between March 1st 2003 and February 29th 2004. It was defined as an appropriate diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy which followed the American Gastrointestinal Endoscopy society guidelines. It was done statistical descriptive analysis.

RESULTS
A total of 3033 requests and reports of upper gastrointestinal endoscopies were reviewed. The proportion of clinical diagnoses that followed the guidelines was 74.3%. We found a 56.3% of abnormal positive endoscopy findings, concordance between clinical diagnosis and abnormal positive endoscopy findings was 46.8%.

CONCLUSION
The proportion of upper gastrointestinal endoscopies that follow the American Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Society guidelines in our restricted access system is low.


This paper presents the modeling and design of a novel magnetically actuated compliant micromanipulator based on the atomic force microscope (AFM) probe. The manipulator can control the Z -position of the tip and its orientation about the longitudinal axis. It enables sensitive interaction with the sample along two axes and is therefore a useful 3-D tool for metrology and manipulation at the micro/nanoscale. The model for the actuation scheme is first presented. Subsequently, the quasi-static and dynamic lumped parameter models of the two-axis manipulator are developed. The developed models are used to propose a systematic procedure to design the probe. The design is evaluated by means of finite-element analysis, and the results are compared with the prediction of the lumped parameter model. Finally, the manipulator is fabricated, and the experimentally measured dynamics is shown to agree well with the results of modeling and simulation.


A new era of wireless communications combats with many challenges, including the performance issues and the demand of higher data rate. Upcoming generations of wireless communications will bear the resemblance in terms of same issues. The main goal of engineers and developers is to advance the algorithms and techniques to provide a better quality of service (QoS) and also guarantee the higher data rates.This thesis investigates the performance of dual–hop amplify– and–forward (AF) relaying networks using cooperative diversity technique with co–channel interference at the relay. It is assumed that the relays operate in a limited interference environment over Rayleigh fading channels. The performance of the relaying network in terms of bit error rate (BER) depends on the number of relays between source and destination. However, the system insures better performance by using adaptive modulation in terms of spectral efficiency. The investigation is done in terms of signal–to–interference–noise– ratio (SINR), BER, outage probability and spectral efficiency. The relays are under the influence of non–identical independent distributed interferences. Channel state information at the sender end is instantaneous and partial, based on the best relay being selected for the communication.


In a series of in-depth interviews, ten older adults described their use and experience with mobile technologies (e.g., E-readers and tablets). The results reveal that while older adults may not be leaders in new technology adoption, they do utilize mobile technology when they find it useful. The participants expressed both satisfaction and some frustration with their mobile devices. Participants suggested that the devices allowed them to partake in behaviors they might not be able to otherwise enjoy for a variety of physical and social reasons.


Objective: Sweden has the lowest child injury mortality rate in the world, 5.2/100 000 for children under 15. This paper describes temporal trends in Sweden, as well as gender related and geographic differences. Design: The Swedish Cause-of-Death Register (1987–2001) and the Hospital Patient Register (1987–2002) were used to compare rates for the country as a whole and for discharges aged 0–20 by municipality, using the SEATS time series analysis program. Results: There was a decrease in the rate of fatal unintentional injuries from 7 to 4 per 100 000 for girls and from 16 to 10 per 100 000 for boys since 1987. The gap between girls and boys was reduced and boys now have almost the same mortality rate as girls for violence related deaths. Road and other unintentional injuries show a general decrease whereas the pattern for falls varies by age and sex. Self inflicted injuries increased for both sexes, but more for girls. Substantial differences in injury rates between municipalities were also found—up to six times for girls and eight times for boys. Conclusion: Substantial declines in injury fatalities over time were found, but these were different for boys and girls. There remain substantial differences between municipalities. These data, published in a child injury atlas, have prompted substantial interest among media and the authorities.


At Sandia National Laboratories, a data services system is under development to provide web-based access to high-performance computing clusters. These clusters host a set of scalable post-processing applications for very large data manipulation and visualization of results generated by large-scale simulations in support of the design to analysis process for ensuring safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. The primary contribution of this work is the integration of standards-based web services technologies, grid-enabling software, and a component framework for parallel computing, resulting in a service-oriented architecture which provides end users the ability from their desktops to manage and understand simulation results for very large, complex problems.


A previously unreported bacterial disease on chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seedlings affecting as many as 4% of seedlings was observed in greenhouses in Chihuahua, Mexico (Delicias and Meoqui counties). Initial lesions appeared as irregular small spots on leaves and brown necrosis at margins tips were observed. Later, the spots became necrotic with a chlorotic halo. Advanced disease was associated with defoliation. A Gram negative, rod-shaped bacterium was isolated from diseased chili pepper seedlings. Three inoculation methods revealed that isolated strains produce foliage symptoms, similar to those observed in naturally infected seedlings. Pathogenic strains that caused symptoms in inoculated seedlings were re-isolated and identified to fulfill koch's postulate. Polyphasic approaches for identification including biochemical assays (API 20E and 50CH), carbon source utilization profiling (Biolog) and 16S rDNA, hsp60 and rpoB sequence analysis were done. Enterobacter cloacae was identified as the causal agent of this outbreak on chili pepper seedlings.


Based on the appropriate numerical constitutive model of concrete filled steel tubes, layered method was applied and fiber model method based on partial sinusoidal shape for concrete filled circular steel tubular (CFST) columns under both concentric and eccentric loading was proposed. Utilizing the relationship between the curvature of the worst section and sinusoidal amplitude, a FORTRAN program was developed and the behavior of CFST columns under concentric loading, eccentric loading of equal end-moment and unequal end-moment were analyzed, showing that the analysis results are in good agreement with the experiment results from references and the fiber model method can reflect the load capacity and deformation of the columns reasonably. Thus the reliability of the present method was validated and this work is the basic for the further researches on the practical expressions of load bearing capacity for the CFST columns under both compression and bending.


In most Western countries, the professional status of social workers is instable and insecure. Of course, most Western countries are themselves instable, ridden with feelings of insecurity and in search of reassurance and promises of control. But social work hardly lends itself as a projection screen for visions of professional control and efficiency in the face of insecurity. On the contrary: within the present cultural and political climate, social work connotes primarily with unpopular social problems, with people unable to cope adequately with the competitiveness and the rate of change of post-industrial societies, that is to say: it connotes more with dependency and helplessness then with autonomy and control. Moreover, whereas public discourse in most Western country is dominated by a neo-liberal perspective and the intricate network of economic, managerial, consumerist and military metaphors connected with it, social work still carries with it a legacy of 'progressive politics' increasingly labeled as outdated and inadequate. Although the values of solidarity and social justice connected with this 'progressive heritage' certainly have not faded away completely, the loudest and most popular voices on the level of public discourse keep underscoring the necessity to adapt to the 'realities' of present-day postindustrial societies and their dependence on economic growth, technological innovation and the dynamics of an ever more competitive world-market. This 'unavoidable' adaptation involves both the 'modernization' and progressive diminishment of 'costly' welfare-state arrangements and a radical reorientation of social work as a profession. Instead of furthering the dependency of clients in the name of solidarity, social workers should stimulate them to face their own responsibilities and help them to function more adequately in a world where individual autonomy and economic progress are dominant values. This shift has far-reaching consequences for the organization of the work itself. Efficiency and transparency are the new code words, professional autonomy is dramatically limited and interventions of social workers are increasingly bound to 'objective' standards of success and cost-effectiveness.


In medieval English texts, a common refrain, drawn from scripture, urged that only God could search the mind and heart of a sinner, and that those who judge others might face their own grave judgment on the last day. This sits uneasily with the task of issuing a felony verdict, a burden placed squarely upon the shoulders of lay jurors after the Fourth Lateran Council's effective abolition of trial by ordeal in 1215. Nevertheless, jurors did sit in judgment upon their neighbors, and evidence suggests that they were not merely assessing outward conduct but also the state of a defendant's heart and mind which, like the hand of a proband in the era of trial by ordeal, might be declared fair or foul. This essay explores how techniques for unearthing intentionality through circumstantial inquiry—techniques developed in the context of classical rhetoric and adapted for priests hearing confessions—were put to use by coroners and others tasked with investigating crimes. This, in turn, aided jurors in the perilous, even audacious, task of judging alleged felons, ultimately determining who should be acquitted and who should face the gallows.


This thesis analyzes the effect of the two Debt Financing policies: Monetary and Bond Issuing, on the Dynamics Development. Economic variables, like GDP growth, interest rate and inflation are discussed, as the key determinants in the Debt Dynamics process development. The proposition of countries EMU members having higher Debt Dynamics level is suggested. This proposition is based on the fact that EMU member countries cannot use their Monetary policy to the extend it is needed in hard times. Due to this lack of choice EMU members can only intensively use Bond financing. The empirical findings of the paper indicate that the difference in Debt Dynamics between the euro using and non-using countries exists. The difference indicates that the EMU member countries tend to have higher Debt Dynamics than the rest of the EU countries. These findings are discussed from different sides, concluding that Monetary Policy does mat-ter in certain cases. At the same time a quite high level of Debt Dynamics in both groups is discovered, which is also an interesting issue to address.


The concept of ecosystem engineering has been proposed recently to account for key processes between organisms and their environment which are not directly trophic or competitive, and which result in the modification, maintenance and/or creation of habitats. Since the initial reporting of the idea, little work has been undertaken to apply the proposed concept to potential ecosystem engineers in the marine environment. Biological and ecological data for the burrowing ghost shrimp Callianassa filholi (Decapoda: Thalassinidea) allowed for a formal assessment of this species as an ecosystem engineer, in direct accordance with published criteria. Despite a low population density and the short durability of its burrow structures, Callianassa filholi affected a number of resource flows by its large lifetime per capita activity. Ecosystem effects were evident in significant changes in macrofauna community composition over small spatial and temporal scales. Seasonal variation in the effects of ghost shrimp activity were associated with changes in seagrass (Zostera novazelandica) biomass, which revealed the probability of interactions between antagonistic ecosystem engineers. The formal assessment of Callianassa filholi provides the opportunity to aid discussion pertaining to the development of the ecosystem engineering concept.


The BamHI M DNA fragment of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome was inserted in two orientations into a simian virus 40-based expression vector, and the EBV-specific proteins produced in COS-7 monkey cells were examined. In one orientation, termed BamHI-M rightward reading frame 1 (BMRF1), a set of phosphoproteins ranging in size from 47,000 to 54,000 daltons was synthesized. These proteins reacted with monoclonal and polyclonal antisera, defining them as components of the EBV early antigen diffuse set of proteins (EA-D). The BamHI M DNA fragment in the opposite orientation, termed BamHI-M leftward reading frame 1 (BMLF1), directed the synthesis of a nuclear antigen detected by antibodies in serum from a patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The BMLF1 antigen was not detected by monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies directed against the EA-D complex. A series of deletion mutants were constructed in the BamHI M DNA fragment, and the EA-D complex and BMLF1 antigen were mapped to discrete open reading frames in this DNA fragment. A test for several possible functions of these antigens showed that the BMLF1 antigen had the ability to activate or enhance, in trans, the level of expression of a gene under the control of the adenovirus early region 3 promoter or the simian virus 40 early promoter in the absence of its cis-acting enhancer. These experiments demonstrate a new gene function, encoded by EBV, that may be important in the positive regulation of viral or cellular genes.


Explorer 1: a science and american anniversary In reaction to the public and political turmoil originated by the Soviet launch of the first two satellites, Sputnik 1 and 2, the US Government tried to detach academically from the issue, pursuing the development of the Vanguard project. The failure of the first Vanguard launch, in front of TV cameras from all over the world, prompted the Administration to accept the "hacked" solution proposed by Wernher Von Braun and his team. Very quickly the Jupiter-C rocket, derived from existing hardware, and a new satellite, Explorer 1, where readied and launched with success: United States had their first orbiting satellite. Science, however, had a a greater gain - the achievement of a second place in the space race.


Dr A M P KELIAM (Whitchurch Hospital, Whitchurch, Cardiff) writes: Having read the correspondence (2 June, p 1690) I feel I should draw attention to the fact that a similar syndrome used to be described in catatonic schizophrenia. After a period of hyperexcitement the patient typically became rigid, hyperpyrexial, and died shortly afterwards. The first description is probably that of K H Stauder in 1934.' The condition wvas mainly described in reports from the Continent. In British reports it was dismissed as a separate syndrome: "Critical examination of the post mortem findinigs in such cases demonstrated as the immediate cause of death a concurrent somatic illness."2 I he most recent series I have been able to trace were in 1967.:1 1 assumed until recently that the conldition no longer occurred because of the introdtuction of the neuroleptic drugs.


AIMS
Coronary artery disease is often diffuse and patients with non-ST-segment acute coronary syndromes (NSTE-ACS) demonstrate multivessel coronary disease. The purpose of this study was to clarify whether interventions on stable chronic non-culprit lesions in patients with NSTE-ACS can prevent future adverse events.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We performed a retrospective cohort study of 990 consecutive patients who underwent either single-vessel PCI (SVPCI: n=379) or multivessel PCI (MVPCI: n=611) in a setting of NSTE-ACS. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to compensate for differences in baseline characteristics between the groups. To minimise the impact of confounding factors, we performed propensity matching (SVPCI: n=230, MVPCI: n=230). Patients who had MVPCI had a lower rate of prior interventional treatment or myocardial infarction, and more complex lesions than patients with SVPCI. At three years, all-cause mortality was significantly lower in the MVPCI group than the SVPCI group (13.0% vs. 18.3%, p=0.02, adjusted HR 0.55, 95% CI: 0.38-0.80), while the rates of target vessel revascularisation and a composite of all-cause death or myocardial infarction were not different between the groups. In the propensity-matched cohort, all-cause death remained significantly lower in the MVPCI group (adjusted HR 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22-0.75) compared to the SVPCI group.

CONCLUSIONS
In this retrospective study, multivessel PCI reduced all-cause mortality in a setting of NSTE-ACS compared to single-vessel PCI. Further investigations to confirm these results are warranted.


Limited-battery power is a major constraint in mobile learning. It is important to adopt battery power-saving mechanisms in mobile learning applications in order to extend the duration of learning activities. This thesis explores issues related to power-saving in mobile learning. Streaming of online educational multimedia on mobile devices is a power hungry activity due to large amount of wireless data transfer. A number of power-saving multimedia adaptation techniques for streaming multimedia have been developed in the past. Most of these existing approaches achieve power-saving by uniformly lowering the presentation quality of an entire multimedia stream. These generic techniques will typically lower the visual quality of an entire multimedia stream uniformly, without considering its impact on perceived loss of visual information at different points of the multimedia stream. In this thesis, through a user study we suggest that reducing the quality of educational multimedia beyond a certain level - for power-saving adaptation - can cause perceived loss of visual information in quality-sensitive portions of a multimedia. This could have a negative impact on perceived learning effects and leave the resource unsuitable for learning. The results of the study suggest that different parts of a learning multimedia may have different lowest acceptable presentation quality requirements for avoiding perceived loss of visual information. The participants of the study were able to comprehend visual information in one fragment at a lower visual quality but could not comprehend visual information of some other fragments at the same quality level. To address this problem, we proposed a Content-Aware Power Saving Educational Multimedia Adaptation (CAPS-EMA) approach that suggests a way of delivering each portion of a multimedia in a lowest acceptable quality based on the visual contents of each fragment. We demonstrate an implementation of this approach using a prototype system called MoBELearn. The results of our evaluation studies suggest that the way CAPS-EMA adapts multimedia resources is acceptable to users in power-saving situations. CAPS-EMA requires some authoring processes in order to identify fragments and lowest acceptable quality constraints. An expert evaluation described the activities involved in the authoring process as easy to understand and perform Power-saving multimedia adaptation mostly results in some compromises in terms of visual quality and information content. Existing techniques offer users little control over the adaptation process and they are obliged to accept the consequences of the adaptation. We propose a Learner Battery Interaction (LBI) mechanism that suggests offering users power-saving options and relevant feedback about the expected compromises for each power-saving option. This would enable users to make informed choices about power-saving. We evaluated the concept of LBI through a user study. The results of the study suggest a positive perceived usefulness of the system and that mobile learning applications may benefit from the idea. In the end, we propose a search mechanism for online adaptive learning resources that would help find a personalised learning resource that would fulfil the information needs of a learner in a battery-efficient way. This proposed mechanism is based on the concept of discovery of online open adaptive learning resources. For this purpose, we proposed an ontology model to describe adaptive learning resources, in terms of its adaptive features: learning and presentation features. This model could be used as a basis for implementing the proposed concept of the discovery of versions of adaptive learning resources in order to enable learners to engage in learning activities in a battery-efficient way by searching for online learning resources.


Thermoelectric power generation technology has been recognized to contribute to the realization of environment-friendly society all over the world in the future. Present status and future prospects on the thermoelectric power generation technology in Japan are overviewed. The thermoelectric applications for power generation have been mainly considered to be one of the waste heat recovery systems from industrial, private, and transportation sectors in the Japanese energy system. Such activities have been in progress in Japan. Then, several demonstration system tests and feasibility study have been achieved using practical heat sources such as industrial furnaces, motorcycles, solid waste incinerators, and solar thermal systems have been achieved mainly by private companies. Several topics of experimental results on advanced modules based on layered oxides, Heusler alloys, filled Skutterudites for power generation from the view points from environment-friendly and nanostrucuture approach are included. In the future prospects the recent R&D projects of advanced materials for thermoelectric power generation technology and the commercialization of thermoelectric power generation applications are discussed.


This collection of essays offers an exploration of care as a gesture of recognition. As both object of inquiry and ethnographic representation, care is examined as the work of discerning and representing traces. The introduction and subsequent essays grapple with the work of writing about absent others, and how the anthropological endeavor might itself be considered a form of care.


The injection of extracts of leukemic and Hodgkin's disease tissues of man elicit an antibody reaction in both man and rabbit. This response is similar to that elicited by leukemic mouse tissues when injected into rabbits. The antibody reaction may be demonstrated by the technics of passive cutaneous anaphylaxis, immunodiffusion, microprecipitin and immunofluorescence. Tissue extracts from non-leukemic individuals do not elicit a similar response. Rabbits immune-tolerant to normal human tissues produce antibodies specific to leukemic human antigens. Antibodies develop in those individuals who are exposed for a long time to either human or mouse leukemia.

These immunologic studies demonstrate specific antigenic differences between normal and leukemic tissue extracts. It is postulated that the difference between normal and leukemic extracts is the consequence of the presence of viruses or the alterations caused by them.


In a study of the submerged growth morphology of 145 different streptomycetes in A C Broth, the species Streptomyces aureofaciens was observed to represent an unusual type. It was characterized by profuse mycelial segmentation, transformation of disarticulated fragments of segmented mycelium into chains of thickened arthrospores, and formation of filiform appendages on the arthrosporic cells giving an insectival appearance to these elements. This unusual morphology was determined to be a consistent feature in 110 strains of S. aureofaciens studied, hence suggesting a useful taxonomic aid in identification of this species. Preliminary studies of multiple strains of many different Streptomyces species indicate that other useful taxonomic features based on morphology of submerged growth are found in a significantly large part of the genus.


Theoretical analysis for an online measurement of the stack gas flow velocity based on the optical scintillation method with a structure of two parallel optical paths is performed. The causes of optical scintillation in a stack are first introduced.Then, the principle of flow velocity measurement and its mathematical expression based on cross correlation of the optical scintillation are presented. The field test results show that the flow velocity measured by the proposed technique in this article is consistent with the value tested by the Pitot tube. It verifies the effectiveness of this method. Finally, by use of the structure function of logarithmic light intensity fluctuations, the theoretical explanation of optical scintillation spectral characteristic in low frequency is given. The analysis of the optical scintillation spectrum provides the basis for the measurement of the stack gas flow velocity and particle concentration simultaneously.