AIM
To apply a new, integrated technique for visualizing bacterial genomes to identify novel pathogenicity islands in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).

METHODS
A genomic barcode imaging method (converting frequency matrices to grey-scale levels) was designed to visually distinguish origin-specific genomic regions in H. pylori. The complete genome sequences of the six H. pylori strains published in the National Center for Biotechnological Information prokaryotic genome database were scanned, and compared to the genome barcodes of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 strain EDL933 and a random nucleotide sequence. The following criteria were applied to identify potential pathogenicity islands (PAIs): (1) barcode distance distinct from that of the general background; (2) length greater than 10000 continuous base pairs; and (3) containing genes with known virulence-related functions (as determined by PfamScan and Blast2GO).

RESULTS
Comparison of the barcode images generated for the 26695, HPAG1, J99, Shi470, G27 and P12 H. pylori genomes with those for the E. coli and random sequence controls revealed that H. pylori genomes contained fewer anomalous regions. Among the H. pylori-specific continuous anomalous regions (longer than 20 kbp in each strain's genome), two fit the criteria for identifying candidate PAIs. The bioinformatic-based functional analyses revealed that one of the two anomalous regions was the known pathogenicity island cag-PAI, this finding also served as proof-of-principle for the utility of the genomic barcoding approach for identifying PAIs, and characterized the other as a novel PAI, which was designated as tfs3-PAI. Furthermore, the cag-PAI and tfs3-PAI harbored genes encoding type IV secretion system proteins and were predicted to have potential for functional synergy.

CONCLUSION
Genomic barcode imaging represents an effective bioinformatic-based approach for scanning bacterial genomes, such as H. pylori, to identify candidate PAIs.


Early piano recordings provide audible evidence of the style of late- nineteenth and early twentieth century pianists. These clearly exhibit an approach to piano playing which differs radically from the present. The relationship between the practices preserved in the
recordings and their description in contemporaneous written texts is the focus of attention here. The investigation shows that the important features of recordings are not faithfully conveyed by the written texts. Therefore, the recordings reveal a manner of execution and interpretation that could seldom have been envisaged from the written texts alone.

The recordings examined here include those of a generation of pianists who were trained, in some cases, 150 years ago. These include Carl Reinecke, Theodor Leschetizky,Camille Saint-Satins, and Johannes Brahms, and those of a later generation have also been considered. Their recordings preserve vital information about general performing
practices of the second half of the nineteenth century, as well as the idiosyncrasies of their playing.

The significance of early recordings and their importance
as a means of appreciating lost traditions is outlined in the Introduction. Chapter 1 explores the early recording processes and draws conclusions about the value of the recordings as preserved evidence. The following chapters investigate practices that are prevalent in the recordings. These include dislocation (asynchrony of the hands), unnotated chordal arpeggiation, metrical rubato and various types of rhythmic alteration, and tempo modification. Each chapter compares contemporaneous and historical written references with numerous recorded examples provided on the accompanying compact discs. This process reveals, in many
cases, striking inconsistencies, and highlights the gulf between theory and practice. It also suggests that descriptive language and musical notation have hidden meanings for which the recordings provide an indispensable key.

Early piano recordings capture an expressive style alien to modern taste. The implications of this study are that any attempt at historically informed performances must
acknowledge the gulf between current aesthetics of performance and those of the late nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.


In this paper, we study the effects of several Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) modifications for video game testing. Although MCTS modifications are highly studied in game playing, their impacts on finding bugs are blank. We focused on bug finding in our previous study where we introduced synthetic and human-like test goals and we used these test goals in Sarsa and MCTS agents to find bugs. In this study, we extend the MCTS agent with several modifications for game testing purposes. Furthermore, we present a novel tree reuse strategy. We experiment with these modifications by testing them on three testbed games, four levels each, that contain 45 bugs in total. We use the General Video Game Artificial Intelligence (GVG-AI) framework to create the testbed games and collect 427 human tester trajectories using the GVG-AI framework. We analyze the proposed modifications in three parts: we evaluate their effects on bug finding performances of agents, we measure their success under two different computational budgets, and we assess their effects on human-likeness of the human-like agent. Our results show that MCTS modifications improve the bug finding performance of the agents.


In modern times, like today, the role of software or applications that run on top of the platform is very important. This is because almost all of the work done by the people, made by the software or application. Applications can be used to assist in the processing of data and upload the final report. Data recorded previously processed by the paper can be recorded and processed by the application so that more efficiently.Development of an information systemin this study using the method of waterfall. Waterfall model consist of: requirements, design, implementation, testing and maintenance. For the start of the design, developer need to observations or interviews to determine the needs of the system that being developed. Application developed using the framework Codeigniter. System Management Restaurant build for help uses that has restaurant to manage activity in there like order menu, processing menu in kitchen, make invoice for custumer, and generate report of finance. This application can be expected to help user in process data efficiently so thet improve wuality of restaurant in terms of service and time. This system has a 5 user that consisting of waiters, chef, cashiers, manager, owner which every user has different privilege. System management restaurant developed using web-based programming which support in mode client server and uses MySQL as a database management storage.


Wound care is a growing industry that lately has been facing multiple challenges due to the increasing health care costs, aging of population, appearance of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and rise in the incidence of chronic diseases. Unlike acute wounds which heal in a predictable amount of time following the stages of healing, chronic wounds (CW) often fail to progress past the inflammatory phase, increasing costs and healing time. Bioactive dressings that incorporate drugs/antibiotics or bioactive molecules in their formulation have been suggested as alternatives to the conventional gauzes and foams. Here, we propose the combination of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and cellulose acetate (CA), both biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, for the production of films processed via a new method that combines principles from solvent casting and phase inversion, and modified with the antimicrobial peptide (AMP) LL37, as a new active solution.
To guarantee some degree of flexibility, films were produced with a higher percentage of PVA compared to CA, from 90/10 to 50/50. LL37 was then anchored using dopamine as a binding agent. Films were characterized in terms of functional groups, thermal stability, tensile strength, porosity, swelling and degradation rate. The antimicrobial performance of LL37 surface-modified films was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli in dynamic environment. LL37-modified films demonstrated great antibacterial efficacy against the three bacteria, ≈ 75% inhibition for S. aureus, ≈ 85% for S. epidermidis and ≈ 60% for E. coli, regardless of PVA/CA ratio. Films treated with LL37 accelerated clotting time (≈ 10 min) above vancomycin and bare surfaces, demonstrating great capacity to activate the intrinsic coagulation cascade. In the end, the potential of LL37 functionalized PVA/CA films for prospective wound-healing applications was demonstrated.


Natural photonic structures exhibit remarkable color effects such as metallic appearance and iridescence. A rigorous study of the electromagnetic response of such complex structures requires to accurately determine some of their relevant optical parameters, e.g. the dielectric constants of the materials involved. In a recent work, we have shown that heuristic optimization strategies are suitable tools for the retrieval of the complex refractive index of the materials comprising natural multilayer systems such as the Coleoptera's cuticle. Moreover, the numerical results obtained illustrate the great potential of this kind of algorithms not only for the study of natural photonic structures, but also for the design of biomimetic photonic devices for lightning, sensing or anti-counterfeiting applications. In a first stage, we assumed that the materials which comprise the layers are characterized by isotropic non-dispersive dielectric permittivities. However, it is well known that the cuticle of many Coleoptera exhibit anisotropy in their constituent materials, and also dispersion has been reported. In this contribution we improve our previous approach in order to have a more realistic and useful computational tool for the retrieval of the relevant parameters of biological structures. For this, we include, within the inversion algorithm, a dispersion model to describe the frequency-dependent dielectric permittivity of the layers' materials. Also, in order to guarantee the uniqueness of the solution and the convergence to the global optimum, we simultaneously include in the fitness function the information of several angles of incidence, as well as that of the p- and s-polarization states.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Precise aneurysm measurements and volume embolization ratios are essential for long-term durability of endovascular coil embolization. We evaluated the accuracy of newly developed semiautomatic cerebral aneurysm measurement software, NeuroVision, and explored the value of volume embolization ratio in the prediction of re-treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared software-derived volume measurements of 4 silicone aneurysm models with those calculated with an approximation formula and ground truth values (validation study). We used NeuroVision to retrospectively evaluate outcomes of 100 unruptured aneurysms (97 patients) treated with embolization (clinical study). Aneurysm size (height, width, and neck), volume, and volume embolization ratios were calculated for 3 groups (stable, recanalization, and re-treatment) and were compared. RESULTS: This validation study illustrated higher accuracy of NeuroVision in computing aneurysm volume compared with an approximation formula: percentage absolute errors were 4.50% ± 3.18% and 23.07% ± 17.60%, with maximal percentage absolute errors of 8.99% and 45.63%, respectively. Of 100 unruptured aneurysms, 20 recanalized and 12 were re-treated. Average volume embolization ratios of stable and re-treated aneurysms were 24.88% ± 5.91% and 20.50% ± 4.06%, respectively (P ≤ .01). The optimal volume embolization ratio cutoff point for re-treatment was < 19.15%, at which the Youden index was 0.50 (sensitivity, 58.33%; specificity, 87.50%; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: The NeuroVision software provided accurate aneurysm volume measurements and may be a useful standardized tool to measure aneurysm size and volume, especially for multicenter clinical studies. Volume embolization ratio may be a valuable predictor of aneurysm occlusion changes.


How are robots, androids and cyborgs presented and received in the media? This chapter applies a social media analysis to this question by using empirical research on news stories that feature robotic technologies to see how robots are presented, consider what reporters focus on when writing about robots, and review how the public discusses and receives robots. The theoretical framework utilised focuses on how robot narratives are framed, how robot controversies are presented in different media, and how robots are domesticated through the media. The two main cases are a "robot hotel" in Japan, and a "killer robot" at a Volkswagen factory in Germany. News coverage of both stories shows widely differing ways for how the robot-narrative is framed.


The cell cycle inhibitor p27 has been shown to exert non-nuclear functions. Moreover, migration of fibroblasts depends on p27 expression. However, the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon are largely unknown. Therefore, we first investigated the role of p27 in endothelial cell (EC) migration and showed that its downregulation abrogated migration. Since we previously demonstrated that migration of EC requires intact mitochondria, we analyzed whether it depends on the localization of p27 within the cell. We generated p27 variants, which are exclusively localized either in the nucleus (nucp27) or in the mitochondria (mitop27). Overexpression of mitop27 enhanced EC migration, whereas nucp27 decreased it. Along the same line, mitop27 induced ATP production, which is required for migratory processes. As a potential mechanism for the increased ATP production, we found that mitochondrial p27 interacts with prohibitin, which forms multimeric complexes thereby enhancing respiration and ATP production. Next, we analyzed, which domains in p27 are involved in these processes. Therefore, we created p27 deletion mutants and found that both the N- and the C-terminus are necessary for cell migration and ATP-production. These regions contain several phosphorylation sites, two of which (Ser 10 and Thr 187) are phosphorylated by pro-migratory stimuli. Thus, we cloned corresponding nonphosphorylatable (p27 S10A/T187A) and phosphomimetic (p27 S10D/T187D) mutants of mitop27. Overexpression of the nonphosphorylatable mutant decreased EC migration, while the phosphomimetic mutant increased it. Finally, we investigated the mitochondrial import mechanism of p27. Since p27 lacks a typical mitochondrial targeting sequence, we determined whether it interacts with cytosolic heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), which is known to import proteins into the mitochondria. Indeed, cytosolic p27 is associated with HSP60 and this association is increased under promigratory stimuli.
 Taken together, these data demonstrate that mitochondrial p27 and its phosphorylation at the N- and C-termini are required for migration and ATP production and that p27 is imported into the mitochondria in a HSP60 dependent manner.


Local seismic magnitudes provide a practical and efficient scale for the implementation of regulation designed to manage the risk of induced seismicity, such as Traffic‐Light Schemes (TLS). We demonstrate that significant magnitude discrepancies (up to a unit higher) occur between seismic events recorded on nearby stations (<5  km) compared with those at greater distances. This is due to the influence of sedimentary layers, which are generally lower in velocity and more attenuating than the underlying crystalline basement rocks, and requires a change in the attenuation term of the M L scale. This has a significant impact on the United Kingdom's (U.K.) hydraulic fracturing TLS, whose red light is set at M L 0.5. Because the nominal detectability of the U.K. network is M L 2, this scheme will require the deployment of monitoring stations in close proximity to well sites. Using data collected from mining events near New Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, we illustrate the effects that proximity has on travel path velocities and attenuation, then perform a damped least‐squares inversion to determine appropriate constants within the M L scale. We show that the attenuation term needs to increase from 0.00183 to 0.0514 and demonstrate that this higher value is representative of a ray path within a slower more attenuating sedimentary layer compared with the continental crust. We therefore recommend that the magnitude scale M L=log( A )+1.17log( r )+0.0514 r −3.0 should be used when local monitoring networks are within 5 km of the event epicenters.


Causal effect identification considers whether an interventional probability distribution can be uniquely determined without parametric assumptions from measured source distributions and structural knowledge on the generating system. While complete graphical criteria and procedures exist for many identification problems, there are still challenging but important extensions that have not been considered in the literature. To tackle these new settings, we present a search algorithm directly over the rules of do-calculus. Due to generality of do-calculus, the search is capable of taking more advanced data-generating mechanisms into account along with an arbitrary type of both observational and experimental source distributions. The search is enhanced via a heuristic and search space reduction techniques. The approach, called do-search, is provably sound, and it is complete with respect to identifiability problems that have been shown to be completely characterized by do-calculus. When extended with additional rules, the search is capable of handling missing data problems as well. With the versatile search, we are able to approach new problems such as combined transportability and selection bias, or multiple sources of selection bias. We also perform a systematic analysis of bivariate missing data problems and study causal inference under case-control design.


This paper explores the idea that how wealth is distributed across social groups (ethnic or language groups, gender, etc.) fundamentally affects the evolution of economic inequality. By providing microfoundations suitable for this exploration, this paper hopes to enhance our understanding of when social forces contribute to the reproduction of economic inequality, and what the relevant policy implications might be. In tackling this issue, this paper offers contributions in two domains. First, it adds a dimension to the literature on social capital. Second, it offers a modest generalization of the concepts of identity, alienation and economic polarization used by Esteban and Ray (1994). This generalization permits us to consider the multiple characteristics that shape social identity, inclusion and exclusion. It also underwrites a higher-order measure of socio-economic polarization that permits us to explore the hypothesis of Frances Stewart and others that economic inequality is most pernicious and persistent when it is socially embedded. Among other things we are able to show that holding constant the initial levels of economic polarization and inequality, increases in socio-economic polarization deepen the reproduction of economic inequality.


The authors investigate the relationship between market transition and work hours in urban China. Regression analysis of data from the 2006 Chinese General Social Survey reveals a negative relationship between economic marketization, measured at the province level, and the likelihood that an employee works standard hours. Standard hours are less common among those working for smaller employers, which are less subject to outside scrutiny. This relationship between employer size and standard hours is stronger in more marketized regions. These findings support the authors' argument that standard work hours are deinstitutionalized as employers strive for low cost and flexibility in China's increasingly marketized but poorly regulated economy. Comparisons of the Chinese experience with recent trends in the United States reveal remarkable similarities in the weakening of social employment contracts precipitated by the ascendency of markets and the systematic disempowering of labor.


Chrysidea pumiloides Zimmermann, 1956 and its Malagasy allies are taxonomically revised. As a result, C. pumiloides and C. phoebe Zimmermann, 1956 are redescribed; two new species, C. vazimba sp. nov. and C. merina sp. nov., are described from museum collections, and another new species, C. rioae sp. nov., is described based on a male recently collected in Southern Madagascar, at Berenty Reserve. The habitus of the holotypes and the male genitalia are illustrated and the key to Malagasy Chrysidea Bischoff, 1913 is updated.


Dysgraphia has been observed in patients presenting mild to moderate levels of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in several studies. In the present study, 30 AD patients and 30 matched healthy controls, originating from the Lazio region, Rome, Italy, were examined on tests of letter-writing ability and cognitive performance over a series of 10 test days that extended over 19 days (Test days: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19). Consistent deficits by the AD patients over the initial cognition test (PQ1), 2 nd cognition test (PQ2) and the difference between them (D∆), expressing deterioration, and writing-time compared the group of healthy control subjects were obtained. Furthermore, the performances of the AD patients on the PQ1, D∆ and writing-time, but not the PQ2, tests deteriorated from the 1 st five days of testing (Days 1-9) to the 2 nd five days (11-19). Both AD patients' and healthy controls' MMSE scores were markedly and significantly correlated with performance of PQ1, writing-time and PQ2. The extent of dysgraphia and progressive deficits in the AD patients implicate multiple brain regions in the loss of functional integrity.


The unique characteristics of underwater channels, such as the mobility of sensor nodes, require robust and efficient security mechanisms for secure and efficient data collection in mobile underwater sensor networks (UWSNs). In this paper, we propose a novel three-tier framework for securing data collections in mobile UWSNs, called SenseVault. First, to support both the authentication of intra-cluster nodes and the authentication of inter-cluster nodes, we propose a cubic cluster formation approach to adapt to dynamic environments with flexible split and merge operations, and use cryptographic hash functions to derive secret keys for the authentication of nodes moving among the clusters. Second, we design a lightweight node revocation and authentication key update mechanism based on higher-order polynomial. To provide strong resilience against misbehavior of the compromised cluster head, we further introduce a Tripartite Cooperation Update (TCU) scheme by leveraging the cooperation among surface stations, safe neighboring cluster heads, and safe intra-cluster members. Third, we propose a deterministic quantization approach, called Virtual Phase Shift (VPS) for the secure generation of secret keys at the physical layer. Extensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework under different scenarios.


This article offers a new interpretation of the character of Guðrun Gjukadottir in the Poetic Edda as a heroic 'warrior' with the ability for extreme self-control, based on the comparison of translations of the poems in which she features prominently. Due to her complex and varied character, this comparison also reveals how the art and function of translations of Eddic poems use the character of Guðrun as a cipher for exploring their wider thematic concerns with Old Norse literature and culture more broadly. These themes include the experience and expression of grief; the relationship between the heart, mind, and emotion; the potential physicality of emotion; the simultaneous roles and duties of women in Norse societies as wife, sister, and mother; the world-view of fate and its relation to guilt; the impact of descriptions to celebrate or condemn Guðrun's actions; and the concept of revenge as desire or duty. As each translator necessarily brings different temporal and cultural perspectives to their understanding of the medieval texts, as well as more consciously choosing to emphasise certain aspects in order to accord with their general view of Old Norse society and culture, each translation of the Eddic poems surrounding Guðrun should be viewed as an interpretation. By comparing a range of translations, new insights into the changing re-creation and mediation of Guðrun's character are revealed, suggesting a new understanding of her fascinating and famous character.)


Leaves of mulberry ( Morus alba, L.) have been one of the prominent herbs widely used by traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of mulberry leaf tea on postprandial plasma glucose and insulin sensitivity after the ingestion of sucrose solution in non-diabetic subjects. This study was conducted on 14 subjects, with a crossover design. Subjects were initially screened for non-diabetic status (FBS < 126 mg/dL). Subjects were randomized to either mulberry leaf tea or water as control. The drink was consumed 30 minutes prior to oral administration of 75 grams sucrose solution. Blood samples were collected before (time point 0) and after sucrose ingestion at 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes. The treatment group which received mulberry leaf tea prior to the tolerance test tends to have a lower level of plasma glucose, serum insulin concentrations and AUC 0-150 compared to the controlled group, but without significant difference. The mean difference of the incremental glucose level at each time point also tends to be lower for the mulberry group, with significant difference at 30-min time point ( p = 0.04). No significant differences were found in insulin sensitivity. Therefore, the consumption of mulberry leaf tea may aid in postprandial glycemic control during the first 30 minutes after meal.


Background. The use of methylprednisolone (MP) and other corticosteroids for the treatment of acute liver allograft rejection is associated with severe toxicities in nontarget tissues. Therefore, selective delivery of MP to the liver may improve its efficacy and alleviate its side effects. We investigated the effects of a novel liver-targeted dextran prodrug of MP (DMP) in an orthotopic rat liver transplantation (OLT) model. Methods. The model consisted of a high responder rejection strain combination (Dark Agouti donors and Lewis recipients). Liver recipients were intravenously administered saline or a single subtherapeutic dose of MP (5 mg/kg) as the parent drug (MP) or its prodrug (DMP). Different groups were then monitored for graft survival or euthanized 5 or 9 days posttransplantation. Plasma chemistry, including alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin, allograft histology, and survival duration were determined. Results. Untreated recipients exhibited elevated plasma levels of liver injury markers, progressive portal and venous inflammation and cellular infiltration in liver allografts, and a mean graft survival time (MST) of 10.5 days. MP treatment did not alter any of these parameters. In contrast, a single dose of DMP resulted in a decrease in plasma levels of liver injury markers, a decrease in histological grade of rejection on day 5, and a substantial increase in MST (27.5 days). Conclusions. These results demonstrate attenuation of acute rejection following local (allograft) immunosuppression with a single subtherapeutic dose of MP delivered as a liver-targeted prodrug. Dextran prodrugs may be useful for selective delivery of immunosuppressants to the liver following liver transplantation.


Abstract Planetary protection regulations are in place to control the contamination of planets and moons with terrestrial micro-organisms in order to avoid jeopardizing future scientific investigations relating to the search for life. One environmental chemical factor of relevance in extraterrestrial environments, specifically in the moons of the outer solar system, is ammonia (NH3). Ammonia is known to be highly toxic to micro-organisms and may disrupt proton motive force, interfere with cellular redox reactions or cause an increase of cell pH. To test the survival potential of terrestrial micro-organisms exposed to such cold, ammonia-rich environments, and to judge whether current planetary protection regulations are sufficient, soil samples were exposed to concentrations of NH3 from 5 to 35% (v/v) at −80°C and room temperature for periods up to 11 months. Following exposure to 35% NH3, diverse spore-forming taxa survived, including representatives of the Firmicutes (Bacillus, Sporosarcina, Viridibacillus, Paenibacillus, Staphylococcus and Brevibacillus) and Actinobacteria (Streptomyces). Non-spore forming organisms also survived, including Proteobacteria (Pseudomonas) and Actinobacteria (Arthrobacter) that are known to have environmentally resistant resting states. Clostridium spp. were isolated from the exposed soil under anaerobic culture. High NH3 was shown to cause a reduction in viability of spores over time, but spore morphology was not visibly altered. In addition to its implications for planetary protection, these data show that a large number of bacteria, potentially including spore-forming pathogens, but also environmentally resistant non-spore-formers, can survive high ammonia concentrations.


There are numerous opportunities to apply electronic commerce (EC) technologies to networking. These include the assembly, pricing, and payments for complementary infrastructure resources, and the selection of and payment for value-added collaboration and information access services. EC can support the separate provision and coordination of these elements, or allow them to be bundled by a customer care organization. These opportunities and options are discussed.


A brand-new INTRODUCING title on the 'world's most dangerous philosopher'.

Slavoj Zizek is one of those rare philosophers writing today whose fame exceeds academia and who is widely known publicly.

Zizek's work and writings revolve around several interrelated areas. His earlier work is very much involved in elucidating Lacanian psychoanalysis through examples from American cinema as well as high literature and pulp novels. Besides his work on popular culture, throughout his writings - from his early work as a journalist in Slovenia to his most recent books - Zizek has been concerned with the twin subjects of politics and ideology.

Christopher Kul-want and Piero's Introducing guide deftly explores this revered but often challenging thinker and succinctly shows how Zizek's entire work can be seen as an attempt to outline a new theory of enjoyment.


Purpose Several endovascular embolic agents have been utilised for permanent obliteration of perimedullary spinal arteriovenous fistulas (sAVFs) in children; however, endovascular embolisation using ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx) has not been widely described in treatment of this type of spinal lesion in children. We describe the usefulness of Onyx in endovascular embolisation of paediatric high-flow perimedullary sAVFs. Case Report Case 1: During evaluation of a 7-year-old boy presenting with abdominal pain, incidental intraspinal vascular abnormalities were detected on a contrast-enhanced CT abdomen/pelvis study. Subsequent MRI revealed dilated vascular flow voids predominantly along the ventral surface of the spinal cord extending from the lower thoracic level to the cauda equina appearing to be intradural but extramedullary and suggestive of a perimedullary sAVF. The patient had been completely asymptomatic. Physical examination was normal except for an audible bruit in the lower back by auscultation. Case 2: A 17-year-old boy with a history of a cervico-spinal arteriovenous malformation presented with right lower extremity pain and progressive ambulatory disturbance. On physical examination he was noted to have considerable right lower extremity weakness associated with sensory deficits (mRS score: 4). Imaging Findings Case 1: Spinal digital subtraction angiography (DSA) demonstrated a high flow intradural AVF at the L3–4 level supplying from an extremely hypertrophied anterior spinal artery arising from the left T9 intercostal, classified as perimedullary AVF (subtype B). Using detachable platinum coils and Onyx 18, progressive embolisation of the fistula was initiated in the efferent recipient vein with embolic reflux proximally across the fistulous site and into the distal afferent components of the three major feeding arteries for obliteration. Postembolisation spinal DSA one week later revealed a second separate perimedullary AVF subtype A supplied by the PSA which was resected surgically due to the small calibre of the posterior spinal artery supplying this AVF. Case 2: Spinal DSA demonstrated a high-flow dorsal perimedullary sAVF (subtype C) at C7-T1 level with a large recipient venous varix invaginating into the substance of the cervical cord posteriorly. The lesion was supplied from the PSA and the recipient varix drained superiorly into the dorsal longitudinal spinal veins exiting via the petrosal veins, superior petrosal sinuses, and sigmoid sinuses respectively. Embolisation of the AVF was performed utilising Onyx 34 to occlude the proximal venous efferent, with controlled reflux into the fistulous site and distal afferent of several arterial feeders. The patient achieved significant clinical improvement after one year (mRS score: 2). Conclusion Although the safety of Onyx in individuals less than 18 years of age has not been yet well established, our initial results in a study on various types of CNS vascular malformations demonstrated that Onyx embolisation could be performed with high degree of safety and efficacy in children. To the best of our knowledge, use of Onyx in perimedullary sAVF embolisation in the paediatric population has been reported in only 3 cases. We believe Onyx embolisation could be performed with high degree of safety and efficacy in treatment of spinal perimedullary AVFs in children. Disclosures A. Honarmand: None. M. Soltanolkotabi: None. S. Ansari: None. S. Schoeneman: None. B. Patel: None. M. Hurley: None. T. Tomita: None. A. Shaibani: None.


The ALI Scholarly Communication Librarianship Conference is a focal point for theory and practice of scholarly communication librarianship in the Midwest.


The links between ecosystem processes and functions and ecosystem services (i.e. the humanbenefits from those) are elusive. In this paper, the food provisioning service of seagrass meadows isoperationalized through the study of the stomach contents of 13 important commercial fish species inChwaka Bay, Zanzibar. Using local fishers' knowledge on bait, scientific knowledge about the structureof the meadows (associated flora and fauna), stomach content analysis and multivariate statistics, the foodprovisioning service associated with seagrasses and its importance for fish (as important diet component)and for humans (in small-scale artisanal fisheries) are described. The study presents the food items for 13commercial fish species identified at the lowest possible taxonomical level and compares with previousliterature findings. In addition, differences in stomach contents of Siganus sutor and Leptoscarus vaigiensiscaught with both drag-nets and dema basket traps are investigated in order to explore bait presence andindirectly evaluate fishers' knowledge on bait preference. The results show that most of the items consumedby commercial fishes are associated with seagrass beds and that there are clear indicators that the baittraditionally used seems to be effective. The paper elaborates on the consideration of seagrass ecosystemsin a holistic perspective, the difficulties in valuation of ecosystem services and finally the crucial importanceof these aspects for human well-being and sustainability in coastal communities of the Western IndianOcean.


One out of ten cases of acute pancreatitis develops into severe acute pancreatitis which is a life threatening disorder with a high mortality rate. The other nine cases are self limiting and need very little therapy. The specificity of good clinical judgement on admission, concerning the prognosis of the attack, is high (high specificity) but misses a lot of severe cases (low sensitivity). The prediction of severity in acute pancreatitis was first suggested by John HC Ranson in 1974. Much effort has been put into finding a simple scoring system or a good biochemical marker for selecting the severe cases of acute pancreatitis immediately on admission. Today C-reactive protein is the method of choice although this marker is not valid until 48-72 hours after the onset of pain. Inflammatory mediators upstream from CRP like interleukin-6 and other cytokines are likely to react faster and preliminary results for some of these mediators look promising. Another successful approach has been to study markers for the activation of trypsinogen such as TAP and CAPAP. This is based on studies showing that active trypsin is the initial motor of the inflammatory process in acute pancreatitis. In the near future a combined clinical and laboratory approach for early severity prediction will be the most reliable. Clinical judgement predicts 1/3 of the severe cases on admission and early markers for either inflammation or trypsinogen activation should accurately identify 50-60% of the mild cases among the rest, thus missing only 2-4% of the remaining severe cases. One problem is that there is no simple and fast method to analyze any of these parameters.


Adoption of SNOMED CT has not been as quick and easy as many people had hoped or expected. One reason is lack of education and hence understanding of what SNOMED CT does and how it works. We set out to answer the question "who needs to know what?" about SNOMED CT to help establish priorities for UK higher education. We devised an online questionnaire and obtained 177 responses, 51% health IT professionals, 42% clinicians. The sample was self-selecting of those with knowledge of SNOMED CT. The level of reported competence was greater among health IT professionals (33% rated themselves as competent) than among clinicians (5% rated themselves as competent) 92% of those who felt competent had received 3 or more days of training in SNOMED CT. This indicates the need for formal training in SNOMED CT. Most respondents indicated that health IT professionals ought to have a high level of competence in SNOMED CT, such that they are able to explain most if not all aspects of SNOMED CT to others. On the other hand, clinicians only require a fairly basic understanding.


The main prophylactic tool to control rabies in herbivores is the systematic vaccination of susceptible animals. This study aimed to evaluate the positive effect of organic zinc (Zn) supplementation on the persistence of anti-rabies neutralizing antibodies in healthy sheep. A total of 36 Texel ewes were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups of 18 animals each. The treated group (TG) received organic Zn supplementation for 90 days, and after this period, 2 doses of rabies vaccine with a 30-day interval. The control group (CG) received the vaccine doses only and was not supplemented with organic Zn. Blood samples were collected before the first vaccination and 30, 60, and 90 days after vaccination, to determine the anti-rabies neutralizing antibody titer using the Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test (RFFIT). The average values of anti-rabies serum-neutralizing antibodies 30 days after the first dose were 1.33 ± 0.62 IU mL-1 for the CG and 1.57 ± 0.80 IU mL-1 for the TG; 60 days after the second dose the average values were 7.60 ± 7.08 IU mL-1 and 12.97 ± 9.46 IU mL-1 for the CG and TG, respectively, with a significant difference between groups. The TG presented 100% vaccine coverage of the primary vaccination, whereas the CG presented 89.47% coverage. Oral supplementation with 75 mg organic Zn significantly increased the persistence of anti-rabies antibody titers in sheep, and it improved the vaccine coverage of the primary vaccination.


Satellite-detected luminosity is sometimes used to proxy for economic activity although only recently within the mainstream economics literature (Henderson et al., 2012). If this method works it holds great promise for developing countries with weak statistical systems that face difficulties in consistently measuring long-term economic change. Regardless of how chaotic are statistical efforts on the ground, viewed from space it may be possible to detect economic change, with high frequency and for small areas. But doubts remain about how much trust can be put in night lights data as a proxy for economic growth since previous validation attempts just compare with other error-ridden measures (Henderson et al., 2012; Chen and Nordhaus, 2011; Kulkarni et al., 2011). This paper uses gold standard data on electrification and economic growth for 5000 sub-districts in Indonesia from 1992 to 2008 to evaluate the reliability of night-light based measures of local economic change. Our results also contribute to debate in the literature about the severity of the shock to Indonesia from the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and the subsequent rate of rebound in economic activity.


This study investigated the masticatory rehabilitation of subjects wearing different types of prostheses. Biting abilities per person (biting force, biting pressure and occlusal contact area) were assessed with a pressure detecting sheet (Prescale(R)). Five hundred and ninety volunteers were divided into four groups according to the type of posterior dentition: complete denture, removable partial denture, fixed partial denture, and full natural dentition groups. The biting forces of the fixed partial, removable partial and complete denture wearers were 80, 35 and 11% respectively, when expressed as a percentage of the subjects with a natural dentition. The complete denture wearers showed the highest biting pressure among the four groups, followed by the removable partial denture wearers. In a clinical intra-individual study, the biting abilities of 85 subjects, without (before insertion of) and with (after insertion of) renewed prostheses, were compared. No significant differences were found between biting before and immediately after insertion of the prostheses. However, the biting force and occlusal contact area increased 2 months after insertion of the prostheses. This study confirmed past clinical studies indicating an impaired masticatory function of denture wearers. The functional adaptation to new prostheses had improved at evaluation 2 months after insertion.


[1] Using remote sensing data from multiple satellites and numerical simulations we addressed the hypothesis that the Western Ghats tropical montane wet forests in southwest India are hydrometeorologically stressed and lowland deforestation has decreased cloud cover and precipitation. We generated water cloud and Leaf Area Index climatologies for a 6 year period and answered the following questions: (1) what are the diurnal and seasonal variations of water clouds, (2) what is the relationship between cloud cover and topography, (3) where are potential locations of the tropical montane wet forests, (4) what are the current hydrometeorological conditions over the identified tropical montane wet forests, and (5) what is the sensitivity of cloud cover and precipitation over the montane wet forests to lowland deforestation? The study found that (1) strong correlations between climatological precipitation and cloud frequency were present thereby indicating that higher spatial and temporal resolution cloud frequency is a good indicator of hydrometeorological conditions; (2) cloud frequency was lower in the dry season (10–25%) and higher in the monsoon seasons (40–45%); (3) a morning-afternoon pattern in cloud cover exists during both the dry and wet seasons; (4) morning cloud cover decreased from October to January with afternoon cloud cover similarly decreasing but with higher values than the morning cloud cover; (5) cloud cover generally increased with elevation; (6) 39%, 70%, 47% and 42% of the clouds intersected the mountains during March and May 2007 and February and April 2008, respectively; (7) our maps showing regions with conditions suitable to sustain tropical montane wet forests successfully identified known montane biodiversity hot spots; and (8) simulations showed an increase of afternoon cloud cover and dry season precipitation but reduced cloud immersion over the montane forests with lowland deforestation.


Literature that can be found everywhere in Jacques Derrida's writing forms the backbone of his whole corpus from democracy to law, from politics to ethics, from philosophy to art. He uses literature as a weapon against the domination of philosophy where main philosophical figures like Plato and Socrates who exclude literature had a share of this literary work. Many interpreters of Derrida sees him not a philosopher but a literary writer and this claims are both fair (from the traditional philosophical concept) and unfair (from the era where reaching the absolute is impossible). In this sense, recent years there have been various efforts to engage Jacques Derrida's conception of literature. In this work, because of literature is the "experience of singularity" for Derrida, we will try to deal with Derrida and literature relations through the singularity.


By using an alkylaluminium catalyst system i-Bu3Al/H3PO4/1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), the random copolymerization and terpolymerization of furfuryl glycidyl ether (FGE) with epichlorohydrin (ECH) and ethylene oxide (EO) have been achieved for the first time to afford a new family of furan functionalized polyepichlorohydrin elastomers. The composition of the obtained FGE/ECH copolymers, FGE/EO copolymers and FGE/ECH/EO terpolymers coincided with the co-monomer feed ratio, and furan groups could be quantitatively and randomly incorporated into polyepichlorohydrin elastomers. Based on the Diels–Alder (DA) reaction of furan functionalized polyepichlorohydrin elastomers and 4,4′-methylenebis(N-phenylmaleimide), a new series of thermoreversible cross-linked polyepichlorohydrin elastomers was successfully synthesized. These thermoreversible DA cross-linked polyepichlorohydrin elastomers possess mechanical properties that can be tuned by adjusting the content of FGE units in the FGE/ECH/EO terpolymers. The mechanical properties of DA cross-linked polyepichlorohydrin elastomers were significantly better than those of traditional vulcanized polyepichlorohydrin elastomers, and they could be used as a structural material without reinforcing agents. More importantly, the DA cross-linked polyepichlorohydrin elastomers could be remolded and self-healed without loss of performance.


"Exponential Analysis of Differential Equations and Related Topics". October 15~18, 2013. edited by Yoshitsugu Takei. The papers presented in this volume of RIMS Kokyuroku Bessatsu are in final form and refereed.


Purpose

This paper aims to focus on the unique goal of understanding how marketing spending, a proxy for firm visibility, moderates the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strengths and concerns on stock returns in the short and long terms. In contrast to the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm, the visibility theory, based on stakeholder awareness and expectations, offers asymmetric predictions on the moderation effects of marketing spending.

Design/methodology/approach

The predictions are tested based on data from KLD, Compustat and Center for Research in Security Prices from 2001-2010 and panel data based regression models.

Findings

Two results support the predictions of the visibility theory over those of the RBV. First, strengths are associated with higher stock returns, for low marketing spending firms, and only in the long term. Second, concerns are associated with lower stock returns, for high marketing spending firms, also only in the long term. A profiling analysis indicates that high marketing spending firms have high R&D spending and are more likely to operate in business-to-customer than business-to-business industries.

Practical implications

The two findings highlight the importance of coordination among chief marketing, sustainability and finance officers investing in CSR and marketing for stock returns, contingent on the firm's marketing and R&D spending and industry characteristics.

Originality/value

This paper identifies conditions under which CSR is and is not related to stock returns, by uniquely considering three variables omitted in most past studies: marketing spending, CSR strengths and concerns and short- and long-term stock returns, all in the same study.


This article offers a transnational feminist reading of Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel Persepolis based on the genealogy of politics of location. Articulated by Adrienne Rich in 1984 and criticized and evolved by Karen Caplan, the concept of politics of location provides a framework for rereading the graphic novel that highlights intersectional aspects of identities that appeared in the text. Through this lens this article looks at how Satrapi ties her personal story to the story of other Iranian women and at the nuances of the identities she represents to her Western readers. Notably, the article examines the politics of writing trauma, gender, and race into the text and analyzes the picture of other Iranian women through the mirror of Satrapi's graphic novel. It argues that in writing Persepolis, Satrapi has made an undeniable contribution to challenging the dominant narratives of nationhood and female citizenship by documenting the trauma of the Iranian Left in the history of the nation. However, because of her specific color-blind politics of race and antireligious politics of gender, her work overlooks some groups of Iranian women's existence and experiences. Thus this article argues against reading and teaching Persepolis as representative of Iranian women or a universal version of Third World feminism.


A modified series-parallel high-frequency resonant DC/DC converter configuration is proposed. A simplified steady-state analysis of the converter, including the effect of a high-frequency transformer using complex circuit analysis, is presented. Based on the analysis, a simple design procedure is given. The effect of magnetizing inductances of the high-frequency transformer on the performance of the converter is discussed. Detailed experimental results obtained from a MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor)-based 1-kW converter are presented to verify the analysis. The converter presented has almost constant efficiency from full load to quarter load, and the converter has load short circuit capability. >


Visible and near‐infrared (VNIR) reflectance is an important spectroscopic technique to identify minerals, and their associations, on planetary body surfaces. Howardites, eucrites, and diogenites (HED) are a class of igneous‐like meteorites whose genetic connection with asteroid 4 Vesta has since long been inferred and recently confirmed by Dawn mission results. Pyroxene and olivine are the two major mafic minerals present in HED which can be identified with VNIR reflectance measurements. Thus, studying the compositional variability of those phases and their mixtures by means of laboratory spectroscopic measurements on different diogenitic or eucritic samples is one of the prime methods to better understand the evolution of 4 Vesta's crust. Here, we report the VNIR reflectance spectral analysis of a harzburgitic olivine diogenite, Northwest Africa 6232 (probably paired with Northwest Africa 5480), containing variable amounts of olivine as small grains or aggregates. We found that the olivine diogenite spectral parameters (e.g., band position) of powdered samples and polished slabs are in agreement. Moreover, the olivine diogenite band position shifts from synthetic orthopyroxene in accordance with the presence of olivine and chromite. In particular, the presence of a large olivine clast permits us to determine a linear variation of the band position from synthetic orthopyroxene and olivine, but underestimates the presence of olivine in the olivine diogenite spot.


This study includes (50) samples were collected from patients with dental diseases (30) swabs taken from dental carries and (20) swabs from periodontal cases, these patients were of both sexes, their ages ranged from 10-65 years. There results of bacterial culture were positive in (20) patients of mutans group streptococci. Versus (30) patients revealed other types of and negative cultures.it was found that (10) isolates (50%) were identified as St. mutans , where (8) isolates (40%) identified as St. salivaris, and (2) isolates (10%) identified as St. oralis . The inhibition effect of fucose in different concentration of bacterial growth were studied, the results showed that there is a great inhibition growth on all studied bacterial isolated form oral cavity (mutans group streptococci) and the best inhibition concentration of fucose on bacterial growth found to be (80mM). Key words: Mutans group streptococci , Fucose


The vocal development of cranes (Gruidae) has attracted scientific interest due to a special stage, so-called voice breaking. During voice breaking, chicks produce both adult low-frequency and juvenile high-frequency vocalizations. The triggers that affect voice breaking are unknown. For the first time, we study the vocal development of the Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo). We describe the age and possible drivers of the onset of voice breaking. We analyse the calls of 21 Demoiselle Crane chicks, and compare them with the calls of six adult birds, noting the day when adult low-frequency calls are first recorded as the day when voice breaking begins. The age of voice breaking onset does not depend on hatching date, clutch order or chick body mass. Thus, there is no correlation between body growth and the onset of voice breaking for individual Demoiselle Crane chicks. However, there is a strong relationship between body mass and voice breaking among different crane species. Demoiselle Cranes stop intense body growth at the age of 2 months and start voice breaking at 70 ± 46 days. By way of comparison, Red-crowned Cranes finish the period of intense body growth at the age of 7 months and start voice breaking at 211 ± 60 days. Thus, we show that the Demoiselle Crane has a sudden vocal development, similar to other crane species, and we suggest that the end of intense body growth is the trigger for the onset of voice breaking in cranes.


Artificial intelligence has contributed significantly to solving various medical problems, including cancer, over the past decade. Artificial intelligence is being applied more and more in various fields of cancer research. Today, artificial intelligence methods provide physicians with important privileges in making decisions, providing more effective service to managers and minimizing costs, reducing the workload of healthcare professionals, and receiving the treatment with the highest accuracy rate for the patient and the least error rate. This review can be evaluated in two categories. First of all, common diseases in the field of oncology and the use of artificial intelligence in the field of oncology are supported with examples. In the second category, 23 recent studies in the field of oncology in the literature summary table; artificial intelligence methods are divided into categories and accuracy rates are presented. It is thought that the rapidly developing artificial intelligence technology will continue to have a great impact in the field of cancer in the near future. As a result, it is thought that physicians and researchers should include artificial intelligence training courses in their multidisciplinary study and training curricula, keeping pace with the digitalizing new age in healthcare, with the widespread use of artificial intelligence-based clinical decision support systems, personalized medicine, time in diagnosis and treatment, reducing the error rate and it will provide an important advantage in terms of patient and employee satisfaction and both cost-effective and quality service delivery.


Importance
Although neighborhoods are thought to be an important health determinant, evidence for the relationship between neighborhood poverty and health care use is limited, as prior studies have largely used observational data without an experimental design.

Objective
To examine whether housing policies that reduce exposure to high-poverty neighborhoods were associated with differences in long-term hospital use among adults and children.

Design, Setting, and Participants
Exploratory analysis of the Moving to Opportunity for Fair Housing Demonstration Program, a randomized social experiment conducted in 5 US cities. From 1994 to 1998, 4604 families in public housing were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: a control condition, a traditional Section 8 voucher toward rental costs in the private market, or a voucher that could only be used in low-poverty neighborhoods. Participants were linked to all-payer hospital discharge data (1995 through 2014 or 2015) and Medicaid data (1999 through 2009). The final follow-up date ranged from 11 to 21 years after randomization.

Exposures
Receipt of a traditional or low-poverty voucher vs control group.

Main Outcomes and Measures
Rates of hospitalizations and hospital days, and hospital spending.

Results
Among 4602 eligible individuals randomized as adults, 4072 (88.5%) were linked to health data (mean age, 33 years [SD, 9.0 years]; 98% female; median follow-up, 11 years). There were no significant differences in primary outcomes among adults randomized to receive a voucher compared with the control group (unadjusted hospitalization rate, 14.0 vs 14.7 per 100 person-years, adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.95 [95% CI, 0.84-1.08; P = .45]; hospital days, 62.8 vs 67.0 per 100 person-years; IRR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.77-1.13; P = .46]; yearly spending, $2075 vs $1977; adjusted difference, -$129 [95% CI, -$497 to $239; P = .49]). Among 11 290 eligible individuals randomized as children, 9118 (80.8%) were linked to health data (mean age, 8 years [SD, 4.6 years]; 49% female; median follow-up, 11 years). Receipt of a housing voucher during childhood was significantly associated with lower hospitalization rates (6.3 vs 7.3 per 100 person-years; IRR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.73-0.99; P = .03]) and yearly inpatient spending ($633 vs $785; adjusted difference, -$143 [95% CI, -$256 to -$31; P = .01]) and no significant difference in hospital days (25.7 vs 28.8 per 100 person-years; IRR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.77-1.11; P = .41]).

Conclusions and Relevance
In this exploratory analysis of a randomized housing voucher intervention, adults who received a housing voucher did not experience significant differences in hospital use or spending. Receipt of a voucher during childhood was significantly associated with lower rates of hospitalization and less inpatient spending during long-term follow-up.


Background Mechanical factors are primary complications that justify early removal of a peripherally inserted central catheter, and thrombotic catheter occlusion is the most critical mechanical complication associated with loss of device functionality. Studies have investigated these factors in adult patients, but findings are not directly applicable to newborns. Therefore, systematic reviews focusing on this population are necessary for consolidated evidence to aid clinical practice. Aims This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of intermittent heparin washing versus 0.9% sodium chloride solution for preventing occlusion in newborns with peripherally inserted central catheters. Methods We will use the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, and Clinical Trial Databases for article search, without language or publication periods restrictions. Randomized clinical trials evaluating the use of intermittent heparin washing versus 0.9% sodium chloride solution in newborns with peripherally inserted central venous catheters will be included. The primary outcome will be peripherally inserted central catheter occlusion. Two reviewers will independently screen the studies, based on the inclusion criteria, extract the data for each included study and assess the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The data will be synthesized using the Review Manager software (RevMan 5.4.1). To classify the strength of the evidence of results, we will use the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group (GRADE). The review was registered with PROSPERO (registration number CRD42021281509). Expected results We expect that this study would reveal the best method for preventing catheter occlusion in newborns with peripherally inserted central catheters.


It is vital to study and understand the genetic basis to the virulence of different Salmonella strains in other to fully grasp the facts behind the unique capabilities of these pathogenic agents to causing diseases in both humans and animals. In this study, the conventional microbiological culture methods were used to isolate pure Salmonella strains from 120 vegetable samples of five different types; which were all obtained at seven different popular markets in the Jos Metropolis of North Central Nigeria. 25 (20.8%) pure isolates were obtained from 120 samples after initial culture and sub-cultures; with 24 (20%) of the pure isolates testing positive as being pathogenic after biochemical analysis. From the 25 pure isolates, the same 24 which tested positive for biochemical tests were also successfully amplified by PCR technique with the Salmonella inv A virulence gene. The result shows that 96% of the pure isolates were positive for the Salmonella inv A gene. The PCR product which was very specific is a 250bp fragment of DNA which was visualized in 1.5% agarose gel. This finding shows that virulent Salmonella strains pose a major health hazard and public health concern to the affected population. Our study shows that there is a high prevalence rate of virulent  Salmonella strains in North-Central Nigeria. It is thus concluded that although both the conventional culture and biochemical methods of isolating Salmonella species are most useful for obtaining pure isolates and identifying pathogenic strains, however, the PCR technique remains the most specific and sensitive; especially when the rapid identification and detection of virulent strains of Salmonella species are of utmost importance. Keywords: Virulence, inv A gene, PCR, North Central Nigeria


Key tenets of modern biology are the central place of protein in cell regulation and the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that genomes are much more complex than hitherto thought with remarkably complex regulatory systems. The notion that the fraction of the genome involved in coding protein is all that matters is increasingly being questioned as the roles of non‐coding RNA (ncRNA) in cellular systems becomes recognised. The RNA world, including microRNA (miRNA), small inhibitory RNA (siRNA) and other RNA species, are now recognised as being crucial for the regulation of chromatin structure, gene expression, mRNA processing and splicing, mRNA stability and translational control. Furthermore such ncRNA systems may be perturbed in disease states and most notably in neoplasia, including in haematological malignancies. Here the burgeoning evidence for a role of miRNA in neoplasia is reviewed and the importance of understanding the RNA world emphasised. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


There is a great need to identify high-performance nanoporous materials for gas storage, separation and catalysis to solve a wide range of industrially relevant challenges. Molecular simulations have become an important complement to experiments in the screening and selection of suitable porous materials. Successful implementation of molecular simulations requires accurate force fields (FFs) to describe the interactions of guest molecules with porous frameworks. However, developing accurate and transferable FFs for porous materials can be extremely challenging. While generic FFs and experimentally-derived FFs work well for many simple systems, they often fail to describe interactions in more complex porous materials. Since first-principles quantum mechanical (QM) approaches are capable of accurately predicting intermolecular interactions, deriving FFs from QM data without experimental input is a promising solution. In this paper, we review recent developments in deriving first-principles FFs for molecules in a variety of nanoporous materials. We summarize and classify the methodologies used in these studies, and discuss the factors that are responsible for the accuracy and reliability of FFs. Finally, we conclude the review with a discussion of current challenges and future directions for this rapidly growing field.


Presently, Malaysia is the third largest rubber producer in the world, whereby the rubber industry is an economically and socially significant industry. Rubber industry consumes large volumes of water, uses chemicals and other utilities and produces enormous amounts of wastes and effluent. Discharge of untreated rubber effluent to waterways resulted in water pollution that affected the human health. With a new global trend towards a sustainable development, the industry needs to focus on cleaner production technology, waste minimization, utilization of waste, resource recovery and recycling of water. The present work aims at highlighting various technologies that currently have been used for treatment of rubber effluent in Malaysia. The work introduces the basis of these processes including their benefits and also problems. It also adheres to the future trends of rubber effluent treatment in Malaysia by reviewing various treatment technologies for natural rubber industry implemented by Thailand, the world largest rubber producer. These new and effective effluent treatment methods would minimize environmental pollution of rubber industry and bring it to become sustainable and environmental friendly.


This paper presents the results of a quality of service (QoS) study for the VoIP service over 3G WCDMA networks. An end-to-end simulation platform has been used for this purpose. The simulations have been using an adaptive multi-rate (AMR) speech codec at 12.2 kbit/s with combination of RTP, UDP and IPv6 protocols. The simulated transmission path includes two radio links (uplink and downlink), connected with a packet switched core network and UTRAN radio access networks with several different radio transmission conditions. Furthermore, robust header compression is applied in both radio links. The results include buffering statistics, end-to-end delay estimates, and packet loss statistics.


I feel it a privilege to be asked to give the Quaid-i-Azam lecture on the occasion of the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE). At a time when sustainability appears difficult and institutions are not finding it easy to take hold, it is a source of legitimate pride that the PSDE has been able to meet consecutively for 22 years and to bring economists together to discuss current ideas, present latest research, and to think about our country: its economy; its institutions and its future; and also to think about our profession, and the role it can play in our country, in understanding and interpreting its past and in shaping and influencing its future. And of course it is a good opportunity for us to have some fun and renew the bonds of friendship. The theme for this year's meetings—governance—is both timely and important. And it is a tribute to the resourcefulness of the organisers, in particular the President of PSDE, Dr Nadeem Ul Haque that he has been able to attract high quality participation from the academic and policy circles of Pakistan.


The occurrence of approximately 100 rugose coral genera has been confirmed in the Devonian carbonate dominated successions of Australasia. Their temporal distribution shows that the largest faunal turnovers were in the Pragian and Givetian, with profound extinction events at or near the ends of the Emsian, Givetian and Frasnian. The evolutionary innovation and diversification of the Early Devonian rugose corals of eastern Australia are characterized by a high turnover rate in the late Lochkovian—Pragian and strong dynamism of radiation from late Pragian to medial Emsian, implying considerable dispersal to South China, central Asia and Europe. After a high intensity of origination in the Pragian, maximum diversity was reached in the Emsian. Phillipsastreids and endophyllids appeared late in the Pragian and became common in the Emsian; stringophyllids appeared in the Emsian. As elements of these families are recorded mainly from the Middle, or even Upper Devonian of other provinces of the Old World Realm, it appears that they may have originated in eastern Australia during the Early Devonian. Following a marked decrease in generic richness in the Eifelian, faunal diversity reached another high peak in the early mid‐Givetian as a result of immigration of coral genera, probably from South China, central Asia, Europe and northwestern Canada in the Old World Realm.


Abstract Introduction: Training individualization is a key element for optimal sports performance and protection of the athlete's health. The training program should be adjusted according to each athlete's characteristics and should be based on data obtained using proper evaluation. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is considered the gold standard for aerobic exercise capacity assessment and provides an increased quantity of information in regard to body reaction to effort, offering a complete perspective over the O2 transportation system and its utilization in metabolic processes. The aim of this study was to highlight the importance of a scientific approach regarding the physical training, starting from junior level. Methods: For a 3 years period (2013 - 2016) we followed the evolution of a professional cyclist (14 years old at baseline), in terms of cardiopulmonary parameters. During this period, he was tested 5 times and he followed a special training program adapted according the tests results. The CPET was performed in the laboratory using a stationary electronically braked cycle ergometer (Lode Corival, Netherland) and a breath by breath gas analyzer device (Cortex Metalyzer 3B, Germany). Results: We observed an improvement trend in almost all parameters investigated during the 3 years evaluation period. Comparing post-season records from 2013 and 2016, we noticed an increase of 54% in maximal aerobic power and 50% in peak oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold and an even greater increase (59%) of these parameters at maximal effort achieved during CPET. After these 3 years of training we observed a significant improvement of ventilatory efficiency and cardiac performance during exercise. Conclusions: The study indicate that proper training adaptation according to data obtained using CPET, can bring an important progress in terms of performance.


The relationships between the morphologies of primary silicon and undissolved silicon particles in melt of Al-Si hypereutectic alloys are studied by holding the melt from 600 to 1100°C and then quench interrupting. The variation of growth process and mechanism of primary silicon is also investigated. The results show that undissolved silicon particles in the melt would become the nuclei of primary silicon precipitated in solidification and there is a close relationship between the shape of primary silicon and undissolved silicon particles. The growth of silicon would follow not only twin plane re-entrant edge (TPRE), but also layer mechanism as well. Meanwhile, the shape of primary silicon also relied on kinetic surroundings, such as solute transportation. At higher overheating temperatures of the melt, the primary silicon takes star-like and tree-like shapes.


Under what conditions might Blake's Beulah offer a script for a revolutionary present? This essay explores an episode in the visual reception of Blake as a letterpress poet from a time of civil unrest in Italy. Corrado Costa's William Blake in Beulah: Saggio visionario su un poeta a fumetti (William Blake in Beulah: A Visionary Essay on a Poet in Comic Strips, 1977) is an avant-garde experiment in visual adaptation inspired by lettrism, Dada, and neo-avant-garde critiques of typography. Their analysis of the loss of the visual elements of writing certainly applies to the textual transmission of Blake's works, which separated the poet from the artist in order to publish his poetry in typographical layouts. Abstracted from the visual form of the illuminated book, Blake's poetry offered an ideal testing ground for Costa's "visionary essay" in the sense of a creative-critical attempt to turn poetry into comic-strip captions. In fragmenting, resegmenting, repeating, and distributing Blake's words across comic-strip panels, Costa releases them from the constraints of language and genre, testing how Blake might fare as a comic-strip poet. In what follows, I will explore how Costa's comic-strip Blake subverts the orders of language, genre, and the medium of the book. I will focus on the most experimental section of Blake in Beulah, in which Costa reinvents The French Revolution as a prophetic cue for the 1977 movement.


This study utilized a setup of radiofrequency generating and metering instruments to measure the reflective and pass-through properties of the innovative material of paramagnetic metal coated ceramic hollow spheres (MCS). The dimensions of the spherical articles reside around 50–250 μm, the thickness of metal (Cu) coating is 0.5–1.3 μm. The radiofrequency field was of 2.4 GigaHertz (GHz) frequency and radiated towards the material via a waveguide-horn antenna at 100 mWt power output. Two additional waveguide-horn antennas connected to a radiofrequency analyzer measured the reflection and pass-through characteristics of the material. Reflection and pass-through coefficients (from 0 to 1) were calculated to each tested sample. The material was tested at different thicknesses: from single – to multi (up to 5) mono-layers and 5 mm layer in bulk condition of MCS. The measurement results show insignificant shielding characteristics for 1 to 5 layer thickness samples: pass-through coefficient from 0.96 to 0.92. Noteworthy shielding characteristics were starting to show in case of MCS mixed with graphite emulsion: transmission coefficient dropped to 0.16. The latter sample demonstrates the prospective shielding characteristics of the material, since most of the radiofrequency radiation was not allowed to pass through the material neither to be reflected, but absorbed within the structure of the material.


UNLABELLED
The study included information collected in the reports of Forensic Medicine Institutes, at the national level, processed and interpreted using epidemiological and biostatistical methods.

RESULTS
In Romania, at the national level, the annual values of suicide incidence increased from 18 to 30% and in 70-80% of cases, other causes led to violent death (intoxication, precipitation, submersion, burning, cut wounds, shooting a.s.o.). In laşi County, the annual values of suicide incidence varied between 1.1 and 2 per thousand inhabitants, and the main cause was hanging registered in 60.2% of cases in 31-60 age groups, with male predominance.

CONCLUSION
Results are useful for the orientation of educational prevention programs.


The experience of abdominal aortic aneurysms in Rotorua Hospital from 1972 to 1982 is analysed. During this time sixteen abdominal aortic aneurysms were resected. Thirteen were acute operations for leaking aneurysms and three were elective operations. Among the thirteen acute cases, preoperatively four were in shock and three of these died. There was one peri-operative death among the nine unshocked but acute aneurysms.


Abstract Since the late 1980s evidence has been accumulating that confidence recorded at the time of identification is a reliable postdictor of eyewitness identification. Nonetheless, there may be noteworthy exceptions. In a re-analysis of a field study by Sauerland and Sporer (2009; N = 720; n = 436 choosers between 15 and 83 years old) we show that the postdictive value of confidence was reduced for participants aged 40 years or older. Different calibration indices and Bayesian analyses demonstrate a progressive dissociation between identification performance and confidence across age groups. While the confidence expressed following an identification remained unchanged across the lifespan, identification accuracy decreased. Young, highly confident witnesses were much more likely to be accurate than less confident witnesses. With increasing age, witnesses were more likely to be overconfident, particularly at the medium and high levels of confidence, and the postdictive value of confidence and decision times decreased. We conclude that witness age may be an important moderator to take into account when evaluating identification evidence.


The effect of monobasic sodium phosphate on statolith synthesis in Aurelia metamorphosing in artificial sea water (ASW) and in low sulfate ASW was determined. Phosphate enhances statolith synthesis in organisms metamorphosing in ASW and restores statolith numbers to normal or above in organisms developing in low sulfate ASW. A small amount of sulfate must be present in the medium along with phosphate during the time period of statolith synthesis for normal statolith formation. Apparently, neither sulfate nor phosphate is stored in the organisms during early strobilation for later use in statolith synthesis because pre-treatment of either ion in early strobilation followed by treatment with the other ion does not result in statolith formation. Calcifying vesicles of the rhopalia of organisms from low sulfate ASW are normal in number, acid phosphatase activity, and in ability to initiate mineralization (by forming minute statoliths). While phosphate is not incorporated directly into the statoliths, it contributes to an efficient uptake of calcium and sulfur into the cells and/or calcifying vesicles, stimulating growth of calcium sulfate dihydrate statoliths. The high efficiency of the phosphate effect in enhancing statolith synthesis intracellularly demonstrates that phosphate acts at the cellular level in the jellyfish calcification process and emphasizes that phosphate probably plays multiple roles in the calcification of higher organisms.


Research that takes a pro-active role in bridging science and practice holds promise to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. While passing on best practices outside of academia, inspiration can be drawn from pressing global challenges. Using Swiss research institutions that maintain partnerships with low- and middle-income countries as a case study, the purpose of this study was to identify synergies between research and services for development (R&S4D). We mapped Swiss research institutions that host both types of activities and identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) linked to their hybrid models. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives from the identified institutions, and data were analysed using the Framework Method. Strengths of combining R&S4D were observed on four levels: (i) individual (i.e., high employability outside academia); (ii) project (i.e., higher quality and practical relevance); (iii) entity (i.e., flexibility regarding funders, resources, and partners); and (iv) sustainable development (i.e., more impactful work). The main weaknesses were named as a decrease in the scientific quality of research projects specifically and inefficiency/lack of feasibility of implementation services. A lack of career paths and positions for individuals who wish to pursue academic research alongside services was identified as a threat. The Universities of Applied Sciences account for the largest share of hybrid positions in Switzerland; increasing their currently limited funding for research and international activities represents an opportunity. Our reserch adds a unique viewpoint to the discussion on the role of academia in supporting society to move towards sustainable development. It does so by exploring whether and how the concept of multisectoriality can work as an integral part of academia at the individual and the institutional level.


Intersections where vehicles are permitted to turn and interact with vulnerable road users (VRUs) like pedestrians and cyclists are among some of the most challenging locations for automated and accurate recognition of road users' behavior. In this paper, we propose a deep conditional generative model for interaction detection at such locations. It aims to automatically analyze massive video data about the continuity of road users' behavior. This task is essential for many intelligent transportation systems such as traffic safety control and self-driving cars that depend on the understanding of road users' locomotion. A Conditional Variational Auto-Encoder based model with Gaussian latent variables is trained to encode road users' behavior and perform probabilistic and diverse predictions of interactions. The model takes as input the information of road users' type, position and motion automatically extracted by a deep learning object detector and optical flow from videos, and generates frame-wise probabilities that represent the dynamics of interactions between a turning vehicle and any VRUs involved. The model's efficacy was validated by testing on real--world datasets acquired from two different intersections. It achieved an F1-score above 0.96 at a right--turn intersection in Germany and 0.89 at a left--turn intersection in Japan, both with very busy traffic flows.


Magnesium and its alloys present several advantages such as a high strength/weight ratio and a low density. These properties allow them to be used for many aeronautical applications but they are very sensitive to corrosion. In order to solve this problem, chromium VI conversion coatings (CCC) are deposited on the surface before a protective top coat application. This process is now limited by several environmental laws due to the high toxicity of hexavalent chromium. However the chemical mechanisms of CCC deposition will be detailed in this chapter in order to understand the chemical properties of this coating. Pre-treatment steps allow cleaning and preparing the surface for improving the coating deposition. A final layer of chromium (III) oxide and magnesium hydroxide composes the coating allowing the protective properties. Orthorhombic potassium chromate clusters trapped on the coating surface give self-healing property to the coating. Alternative conversion coatings are based onto solutions containing chromium (III), permanganate, phosphates, Rare Earth Elements (REEs) or vanadium. The second part of this chapter will detail the deposition and the protection mechanisms of these promising processes of CrVI substitution. Among them, permanganate/phosphate-based coating presents a better corrosion resistance than CCC and REEs have very efficient self-healing properties.


A scheme is described in which the light gravitino in low energy SUSY breaking models mixes with neutrinos. The mixing between gravitino and neutrinos arises through the standard model symmetry breaking and an R-parity and lepton number violating bilinear term in the superpotential. It is shown that mixings compatible with the neutrino experiments can be obtained within the cosmological bound on the bilinear term set by the baryon asymmetry of the universe.


Abstract A range of endemic and protected vertebrate species from Madagascar are threatened by the demand for bushmeat. We report on the number of discarded carapaces from illegally killed Critically Endangered radiated tortoises Astrochelys radiata in an urban centre in south-west Madagascar. Through covert monitoring of public rubbish dumps we observed 1,913 carapaces during July 2010–January 2014. There was notable spatial and temporal variation, with some evidence of peaks in carapace dumping during May–June and October–December. A single rubbish dump near the artisanal fishery landing beaches accounted for 93% of the observed carapaces.


A novel hybrid ion exchange material, Zirconium-hydroxy ethylidene diphosphonate [ZrHEDP], of the class of tetravalent metal acid (TMA) salts has been synthesized by the sol-gel technique. The material was characterized with elemental analysis (ICP-AES), thermal analysis (TGA, DSC), and FT-IR and Xray diffraction studies. The chemical resistivity of the material in various media was evaluated. ZrHEDP was further investigated for its possible use as an ion exchanger. The Na ion-exchange capacity (IEC) of the material was determined, and kinetics and thermodynamics of exchange for the metal ions Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), and Mn(II) towards ZrHEDP were studied. The sorption of the metal ions follow the order Zn(II) > Cu(II) > Mn(II) ≈ Ni(II).


In population dynamics the study of both, the abundance and the spatial distribution of the populations in a given habitat, is a fundamental issue a From ecological point of view, the determination of the factors influencing such changes involves important problems. In this paper a mathematical model to describe the temporal dynamic and the spatiotemporal dynamic of the interaction of three populations (pollinators, plants and herbivores) is presented. The study we present is carried out by stages: 1. The temporal dynamics and 2. The spatio-temporal dynamics. In turn, each of these stages is developed by considering three cases which correspond to the dynamics of each type of interaction. For instance, for stage 1, we consider three ODE nonlinear systems describing the pollinator-plant, plant-herbivore and plant-pollinator-herbivore, interactions, respectively. In each of these systems different types of dynamical behaviors are reported. Namely, transcritical and pitchfork bifurcations, existence of a limit cycle, existence of a heteroclinic orbit, etc. For the spatiotemporal dynamics of the two mathematical models a novel factor are introduced. This consists in considering that both, the pollinators and the herbivores, move towards those places of the habitat where the plant population density is high. In mathematical terms, this means that the diffusive part of the pollinators and herbivores equations depend on the plant population density. The analysis of this part is presented by considering pairs of populations, i. e., the pollinator-plant and plant-herbivore interactions and at the end the two mathematical model is presented, these models consist of two coupled nonlinear partial differential equations of reaction-diffusion type. These are defined on a rectangular domain with the homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions. We focused in the role played by the density dependent diffusion term into the coexistence of the populations. For both, the temporal and spatio-temporal dynamics, a several of numerical simulations are included. Keywords—Bifurcation, heteroclinic orbits, steady state, traveling wave.


In diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI), the detection of microstructural change in brain white matter structures that border cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is complicated by partial volume effects. The conventional diffusion tensor model is very sensitive to CSF contamination, which may leave subtle microstructural change undetected or may lead to detection of spurious microstructural change due to white matter atrophy. In this paper we present a novel method to detect microstructural change in CSF contaminated voxels of white matter structures imaged with conventional DW-MRI protocols. To the diffusion-weighted images (DWIs) a two-compartment tensor model, which has a tissue and a CSF compartment, is fitted by maximum likelihood estimation. However, this estimation problem has an infinite set of (almost) equally likely solution for DWIs acquired at a single b-value. We use statistical properties of this infinite set as statistics by fitting a trace-constrained bi-tensor model. We demonstrate on simulated diffusion-weighted data that our method is more sensitive to detect subtle changes in the microstructure of CSF contaminated voxels than the conventional single tensor model. In a small pilot study, using data of aging subjects to investigate the fornix with the proposed method, we found that the compartment fraction of the tissue compartment decreases significantly with age, whereas the anisotropy of the tissue compartment did not. Our method enables studying the microstructure of white matter regions that may contain CSF contamination.


The current reform efforts in Bangladesh require a substantive change in how science is taught; an equally substantive change is needed in professional practice. This research set out to explore two basic aspects of secondary science teaching in Bangladesh. One was to guide participant teachers in changing their traditional teaching approach through the use of a concrete example of a new teaching approach. The second was to assist participant science teachers to change the culture of their existing professional practice.

To address and explore both of these aims, a constructivist teaching approach (Prediction-Observation-Explanation, POE) was used as an intervention with participant teachers in an attempt to ascertain if it could influence their thinking and lead to a change in their traditional approach to teaching science. Simultaneously, all participant teachers involved were supported during the intervention regarding critique and challenge of lessons (theirs and their colleagues') in ways that were not a part of their regular culture of professional practice. The explicit intention being that through these collaborative ways a professional learning community might be developed through which their own professional learning might be enhanced in ways that would lead to improvements in their science teaching practice.

The findings of this thesis show that the use of the POE approach influenced participant teachers' thinking about science teaching and learning. Through the POE approach, these teachers were encouraged to: use teaching aids as a purposeful tool in their teaching; develop understanding of science content with their students rather than using recall and recognition of facts; find ways to look for the relevance of science within real life situations; overcome a reliance on rote learning and theoretical exercises; and, encourage students' interest and enthusiasm in the classroom learning environment. Moreover, the collaborative activities through the intervention process influenced participant teachers' practice. They became committed to finding gaps or mismatches between their teaching and their students' learning and making decisions about the challenges they faced regarding their practice through this process of job-embedded learning.

The results of this thesis ultimately carry implications for science teachers' practice in secondary schools in Bangladesh including teachers' own professional learning, as well as for curriculum developers and school administrators, and for pre and in-service education for secondary science teachers.


Abstract Mobile genetic elements such as phages and plasmids have evolved anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) to suppress CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems. Recently, several phage and non-phage derived Acrs including AcrIIA17 and AcrIIA18 have been reported to inhibit Cas9 through modulation of sgRNA. Here, we show that AcrIIA17 and AcrIIA18 inactivate Cas9 through distinct mechanisms. AcrIIA17 inhibits Cas9 activity through interference with Cas9-sgRNA binary complex formation. In contrast, AcrIIA18 induces the truncation of sgRNA in a Cas9-dependent manner, generating a shortened sgRNA incapable of triggering Cas9 activity. The crystal structure of AcrIIA18, combined with mutagenesis studies, reveals a crucial role of the N-terminal β-hairpin in AcrIIA18 for sgRNA cleavage. The enzymatic inhibition mechanism of AcrIIA18 is different from those of the other reported type II Acrs. Our results add new insights into the mechanistic understanding of CRISPR-Cas9 inhibition by Acrs, and also provide valuable information in the designs of tools for conditional manipulation of CRISPR-Cas9.


Automated machine learning (AutoML) systems are helpful data science assistants designed to scan data for novel features, select appropriate supervised learning models and optimize their parameters. For this purpose, Tree-based Pipeline Optimization Tool (TPOT) was developed using strongly typed genetic programming to recommend an optimized analysis pipeline for the data scientist's prediction problem. However, TPOT may reach computational resource limits when working on big data such as whole-genome expression data. We introduce two new features implemented in TPOT that helps increase the system's scalability: Dataset selector and Template. Dataset selector (DS) provides the option to specify subsets of the features as separate datasets, assuming the signals come from one or more of these specific data subsets. Built in at the beginning of each pipeline structure, DS reduces the computational expense of TPOT to only evaluate on a smaller subset of data rather than the entire dataset. Consequently, DS increases TPOT's efficiency in application on big data by slicing the dataset into smaller sets of features and allowing genetic programming to select the best subset in the final pipeline. Template enforces type constraints with strongly typed genetic programming and enables the incorporation of DS at the beginning of each pipeline. We show that DS and Template help reduce TPOT computation time and may provide more interpretable results. Our simulations show TPOT-DS significantly outperforms a tuned XGBoost model and standard TPOT implementation. We apply TPOT-DS to real RNA-Seq data from a study of major depressive disorder. Independent of the previous study that identified significant association with depression severity of the enrichment scores of two modules, in an automated fashion, TPOT-DS corroborates that one of the modules is largely predictive of the clinical diagnosis of each individual. Author Summary Big data have recently become prevalent in many fields including meteorology, complex physics simulations, large scale imaging, genomics, biomedical research, environmental research and more. TPOT is a Python Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) tool that uses genetic programming to optimize machine learning pipelines for analyzing biomedical data. However, like other AutoML tools, when analyzing big data, the early implementations of TPOT face the challenges of long runtime, high computational expense as well complex pipeline with low interpretability. Here, we develop two novel features for TPOT, Dataset Selector and Template, that leverage domain knowledge, greatly reduce the computational expense and flexibly extend TPOT's application to biomedical big data analysis.


We design a series of metal-free donor-pi-bridge molecules (denoted VB0-VB4) based on a new donor group-ullazine donor-as sensitizers for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT calculations reveal that the physical properties of dyes, including spectral response, light harvesting efficiency, and electron injection rate, are systematically improved by combining ullazine donor to a series of length changing pi bridges. Dye VB2 is the best candidate thanks to its outstanding performance on key parameters and achieving a balance between competing factors. Compared to two other series of molecules-L and M dyes, which differ from VB dyes by only the donor group-VB dyes have the largest light harvesting efficiency and the largest number of electrons injected to the conduction band of TiO2. These results suggest that the ullazine group can serve as an excellent donor for future DSSC applications.