Abstract:This essay pays attention to the fiction of Eric Linklater, a prolific and successful writer whose work has not received the attention it deserves. Today he is chiefly remembered as the author of Juan in America (1931), Magnus Merriman (1934) and Private Angelo (1946), three novels often classified as entertainments and, therefore, treated by critics with some condescension. This essay does not attempt to establish a hierarchy of merit but considers most of Linklater's fiction as a whole. Taking the author's eclecticism for granted, it underlines that this should be seen both as a rejection of common norms of Scottish fiction and a desire to go beyond the limitations of the Scottish scene in order to consider the totality of world experience. Inevitably, this raises the issue of Scotland's place and its relationships with the rest of the world. This is not perceived as problematic but instead as a source of fruitful enrichment. The nature of Linklater's fiction is consequently affected by this opening towards foreign cultures in so far as the shift has an impact upon settings, forms of narration, literary models and even language. At a time when there is constant debate about the meaning of 'Scottishness' and plurality of identity, Eric Linklater's example can still be useful.


Abstract. The SiSeRHMap (simulator for mapped seismic response using a hybrid model) is a computerized methodology capable of elaborating prediction maps of seismic response in terms of acceleration spectra. It was realized on the basis of a hybrid model which combines different approaches and models in a new and non-conventional way. These approaches and models are organized in a code architecture composed of five interdependent modules. A GIS (geographic information system) cubic model (GCM), which is a layered computational structure based on the concept of lithodynamic units and zones, aims at reproducing a parameterized layered subsoil model. A meta-modelling process confers a hybrid nature to the methodology. In this process, the one-dimensional (1-D) linear equivalent analysis produces acceleration response spectra for a specified number of site profiles using one or more input motions. The shear wave velocity–thickness profiles, defined as trainers, are randomly selected in each zone. Subsequently, a numerical adaptive simulation model (Emul-spectra) is optimized on the above trainer acceleration response spectra by means of a dedicated evolutionary algorithm (EA) and the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm (LMA) as the final optimizer. In the final step, the GCM maps executor module produces a serial map set of a stratigraphic seismic response at different periods, grid solving the calibrated Emul-spectra model. In addition, the spectra topographic amplification is also computed by means of a 3-D validated numerical prediction model. This model is built to match the results of the numerical simulations related to isolate reliefs using GIS morphometric data. In this way, different sets of seismic response maps are developed on which maps of design acceleration response spectra are also defined by means of an enveloping technique.


Author(s): Awad, Agape Mamdouh | Advisor(s): Clarke, Catherine F | Abstract: Coenzyme Q (also termed ubiquinone or Q) is an electron carrier in the mitochondrial respiratory chain that functions as an essential component in energy metabolism processes. Q transfers electrons from NADH and succinate to cytochrome c, a heme protein, and also serves as a vital lipid soluble antioxidant via its redox activity, whereby it is able to undergo a radical intermediate. Thus, sufficient de novo Q biosynthesis is crucial for proper health maintenance in humans. Patients with deficiencies in Q suffer from a wide spectrum of health disorders, including kidney disease, neurodegenerative diseases, ataxia, and cardiovascular complications. Additionally, decreased Q levels have been linked to aging. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) serves as an excellent model for studies on Q because of its powerful molecular genetics and its close homology to human Q biosynthesis and function. Q biosynthesis in S. cerevisiae (which makes Q6 with six isoprene units, versus humans whose Q10 has ten isoprene units) takes place in the mitochondria. Fourteen known mitochondrial proteins are responsible for facilitating this process—Coq1-Coq11 (Coq11 being recently discovered and, renamed from YLR290C, by Allan and Awad), Yah1 (ferredoxin), Arh1 (ferredoxin reductase), and Hfd1 (aldehyde dehydrogenase). Null coq1-coq9 mutants lack Q6, are respiratory impaired, and sensitive to lipid autoxidation stress by polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also, many of the proteins necessary for the biosynthesis of Q6 are associated in a high molecular weight complex that localizes in the inner mitochondrial membrane, as part of what has been termed the 'CoQ-Synthome'.Chapter 2 investigates potential additional protein partners of the CoQ-Synthome. Via tandem affinity purification and proteomic and mass spectrometry analysis—facilitated by dual-tagged Coq polypeptides—YLR290C was identified as a CoQ-Synthome binding partner. This protein of unknown function co-purified with Coq4, Coq5, and Coq7 and was verified via Immunoblotting and proteomic analysis. Additionally, yeast null mutants for ylr290c showed impaired 12C-Q6 and 13C6-Q6 levels, indicating that this novel binding partner was needed for efficient Q biosynthesis. Altogether, the entirety of the data supported YLR290C as a novel Coq polypeptide, and hence it was renamed "Coq11". Additionally, previous work elucidated that the stability of the CoQ-Synthome relied on the presence of the Coq8 protein, the putative kinase of the system, which was not previously shown to be a member of the complex. Moreover, several Coq polypeptides—namely Coq3, Coq5, and Coq7—are phosphorylated in a Coq8-dependent manner. Chapter 2 demonstrates the novel finding that Coq8 was captured in association with Coq6, a known member of the high molecular-weight complex, hence asserting a physical association between Coq8 and Coq6. Thus, it is now believed that Coq8 is a novel member of the CoQ-Synthome.Given the findings contained in Chapter 2 related to the association of Coq6 with the putative kinase of the system, Coq8, the question now remains whether Coq6 is a phosphorylated Coq polypeptide, similar to Coq3, Coq5, and Coq7. Chapter 3 further investigates this potential for phosphorylation as it related to Coq6. In fact, 2-Dimensional Isoelectric Focusing Assays conducted on dual-tagged Coq6 showed that indeed it is a phosphorylated polypeptide. With this novel information regarding Coq6, purified dual-tagged Coq6 was subjected to phosphoproteomic analysis, the results of which proved inconclusive. Hence, predictive software and algorithms were employed to assist in the elucidation of potential sites of phosphorylation on Coq6. Additionally, a putative model of Coq6 was generated using the predictive software PHYRE2. Using this information, site-directed mutagenesis of Coq6 was conducted in order to investigate the phenotypes of particular sites that were predicted to be "high potential for phosphorylation sites" based on the predictive algorithms and the Coq6 model. Chapter 4 details the extensive story of alternative splicing in yeast, and in particular, as it relates to the Coenzyme Q biosynthetic pathway. Previous findings from another collaborating laboratory showed that Coq7 contained several phosphorylated residues that were regulatory in terms of Q biosynthesis. Namely, when three particular residues were mutated to be constitutively nonphosphorylatable, Q levels were dramatically higher compared to the WT. In addition, the phosphatase responsible for the dephosphorylation of Coq7 was identified as Ptc7, a known mitochondrial phosphatase. Chapter 4 highlights the alternative splicing of PTC7, which results in two distinct and functional isoforms of this gene: Ptc7s (spliced) and Ptc7ns (nonspliced). Particularly, it is the spliced form which was previously cited as the mitochondrial phosphatase; the nonspliced form is, indeed, a novel protein of unknown function. Chapter 5 will further delve into the potential function of Ptc7ns. In addition to highlighting a rare case of alternative splicing in yeast, and particularly that of a gene (PTC7) involved in Q biosynthesis, Chapter 4 also uncovers the gene that is responsible for this alternative splicing event. In particular, SNF2, which stands for sucrose-nonfermentable, is a nutrient sensing gene that modulates the splicing of PTC7 and is, thereby, able to control Q-biosynthesis in yeast. Moreover, Chapter 4 highlights how SNF2 is necessary for the metabolic shift from fermentation to respiration in yeast, and how nonconsensus splicing is initiated when SNF2 becomes absent from the cell. Chapter 5 provides insight and perspectives on the current projects at hand and suggests future directions for each portion of the thesis projects. Additional experimental techniques and approaches are highlighted and ideas regarding how to advance each project further are proposed.Finally, the Appendix contains the recent publication that elucidates kaempherol as a novel coenzyme Q biosynthetic precursor. When tested in comparison to various polyphenolic compounds, kaempherol supplementation showed the greatest effect on increasing Q content in mammalian cell lines. The data, overall, suggests that kaempherol is able to be metabolized into a novel ring precursor for coenzyme Q biosynthesis.


Art programs at the university level are often designed in a studio-based model where the curriculum objective is "high-levels of disciplinary expertise" (Hong, Essig, & Bridgstock, 2012). These programs graduate artists who, while highly proficient in creation and performance, must navigate a career market which is limited and highly competitive.  This studio model is shifting. Many arts programs at the university level are now beginning to incorporate courses which help artists as they navigate the business of the art world, but these types of interventions still neglect opportunities to fully harness artistic skillsets of art students.
Arts Entrepreneurship is an emerging discipline in post-secondary education. This discipline aims address the needs of the artist while also recognizing the unique habits of mind the artist might bring into enterprise. The scope of this discipline extends beyond studio practices by considering and measuring the impact of an artists' work. "The unique mission of arts programs and therefore a unique of arts entrepreneurship education and a defining aspect of its signature pedagogy is the practice of making art work in and for the real world" (Hong, Essig, & Bridgstock, 2012). In this discipline, artists extend the scope of their "work" beyond creation and towards practices which can future sustain an artistic venture. Arts Entrepreneurship therefore seeks to graduate artists who are able to consider and measure the scope of external impacts.
The proposal here seeks to address the need of graduates in art education to pursue meaningful employment while also generating new potentials the artist's role in wider society.


The rapid development of the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) spin torque oscillator (STO) technology demands an analytical model to enable building MTJ STO-based circuits and systems so as to evaluate and utilize MTJ STOs in various applications. In Part I of this paper, an analytical model based on the macrospin approximation has been introduced and verified by comparing it with the measurements of three different MTJ STOs. In Part II, the full Verilog-A implementation of the proposed model is presented. To achieve a reliable model, an approach to reproducing the phase noise generated by the MTJ STO has been proposed and successfully employed. The implemented model yields a time domain signal, which retains the characteristics of operating frequency, linewidth, oscillation amplitude, and DC operating point, with respect to the magnetic field and applied DC current. The Verilog-A implementation is verified against the analytical model, providing equivalent device characteristics for the full range of biasing conditions. Furthermore, a system that includes an MTJ STO and CMOS RF circuits is simulated to validate the proposed model for system- and circuit-level designs. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model opens the possibility to explore STO technology in a wide range of applications.


Objective: To evaluate and compare the efficiency of vitrification technique and heterotopic autotransplantation with different duration on morphology and ultrastructure of rat ovarian tissue follicles. Methods: Twenty 5-6-week-old female SPF SD rats were randomly divided into two groups, with ten rats in each group. Freshly isolated ovaries saved as a control (group 1; fresh ovaries) in formalin-fixed or vitrified immediately after dissection (group 2; vitrified ovaries). Ovaries in vitrified groups were processed into thin slices then vitrified in cryotubes using vitrification medium and kept in liquid nitrogen for 21 days, rapidly thawed and transplanted into back muscles for 2 and 4 weeks. All rats in vitrified experimental group were sacrificed and tissue grafts were collected and fixed in 4% formaldehyde solution. Then non-vitrified and vitrified heterotopic autotransplanted ovarian tissue was compared by light and transmission electron microscopic morphology of the follicles within the tissues. Results: There was no significant difference between the percentages of normal primordial (28% vs 41%), primary (41% vs 33%), secondary (23% vs 29%) and antral (30% vs 28%) follicles in both fresh control and vitrified transplanted groups (p>0.05).No clear differences in the structures of the follicles, the stromal cells and bundles of collagen fibers were well preserved. By mean of TEM, ovarian tissue follicles showed a well-preserved ultrastructure however the number of mitochondria-SER aggregates and Golgi apparatus were highest in 2 weeks vitrified transplanted group than the 4 weeks vitrified transplanted group. The intact contact between granulosa cells was highly visible in 4 weeks vitrified transplanted tissue whereas irregular shaped mitochondria with no cristae and widened gap junction with slight edema between granulosa cells were only observed in 2 weeks vitrified transplanted group. Conclusions: Vitrification technique with heterotopic autotransplantation of ovarian tissue is efficient to maintain their morphological and ultrastructural features at different durations (2 and 4 weeks) similar with fresh tissue, while mild ultrastructural changes in preantral follicles in 4 weeks transplanted tissue was noticed. Although these data are encouraging, further studies are necessary to optimize vitrification protocol and to confirm the accuracy of these observations.


This Final Project Report contains information on the contaminated site Project (ENG450) conducted at Golder Associates, which is located 10km from the CBD in Western Australia. It focuses on the procedures that were conducted for the August quarterly groundwater sampling round, the results obtained from the site investigation and my evaluation of Golders performance in relation to the laws and regulations for contaminated sites, which are required within the scope of the project.

A total of 27 groundwater monitoring locations were sampled as part of the quarterly sampling round over 3 days. A peristaltic pump and low flow purging was the chosen technique for this site. The following is a brief summary of the results obtained.

Field parameters measured at each location were generally within the range observed during previous rounds. Conductivity was lower in MB14B than previously recorded at the site, and measured ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) was lower in MB13A and higher in MB20B than previously recorded. The remainder of the field parameters were similar to the May 2011 levels recorded.

The assessment of the field and laboratory data indicates that the quality assurance and quality control acceptance criteria for groundwater were met with the exception of RPDs greater than 50% for three of the triplicate samples. Never the less, based on the results of the overall QA/QC programme it is considered that the data has been validated.

The mass flux estimate for tetrabromoethane (TBE) in this quarterly monitoring round is 3.065 kg/year. The mass flux was calculated using the TBE concentrations from MB22A-C, MB48A-C, MB24A-C and MB47A-C. A decrease in TBE mass flux concentrations is noted from the August 2010 monitoring round (3.26 kg/year) to the August 2011 monitoring round.

Overall, the changes to the plume and hydraulics at the site are minor, despite the potential impacts of the changes in pumping regime. It is likely premature to draw any major conclusions based on results from the August monitoring event.

From my own personal research of the literature and time spent at Golder Associates I believe that they have been closely following all the laws, regulations and guidelines required by the DEC and ANZECC. Golder are very keen and eager to adopt new and improved techniques that emerge in order to maintain their reputation and prove the high regard they have for the environment, which is displayed in their company slogan 'Engineering Earths Development, Preserving Earths Integrity'. The DEC Contaminated Sites Management Series guideline documents are the main source of information for assessment for contaminated sites and throughout my review, Golder have taken on board all the guidelines as well as additional recommendations made by the DEC regarding contaminated sites for the project in which I was involved in.


We present evidence that there is an M dwarf problem similar to the previously identified G dwarf and K dwarf problems: the number of low-metallicity M dwarfs is not sufficient to match simple closed-box models of local Galactic chemical evolution. We estimated the metallicity of 4141 M dwarf stars with spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) using a molecular band strength versus metallicity calibration developed using high resolution spectra of nearby M dwarfs. Using a sample of M dwarfs with measured magnitudes, parallaxes and metallicities, we derived a relation that describes the absolute magnitude variation as a function of metallicity. When we examined the metallicity distribution of SDSS stars, after correcting for the different volumes sampled by the magnitude-limited survey, we found that there is an M dwarf problem, with the number of M dwarfs at [Fe/H] ∼−0.5 less than 1 per cent the number at [Fe/H] = 0, where a Simple model of Galactic chemical evolution predicts a more gradual drop in star numbers with decreasing metallicity.


This paper proposes a new nonlinear stability analysis for the acceleration-based robust position control of robot manipulators by using disturbance observer (DOb). It is shown that if the nominal inertia matrix is properly tuned in the design of a DOb, then the position error asymptotically goes to zero in regulation control and is uniformly ultimately bounded in trajectory-tracking control. As the bandwidth of a DOb and the nominal inertia matrix are increased, the bound of error shrinks, i.e., the robust stability and performance of the position control system are improved. However, neither the bandwidth of the DOb nor the nominal inertia matrix can be freely increased due to practical design constraints, e.g., the robust position controller becomes more noise-sensitive when they are increased. The proposed stability analysis provides insights into the dynamic behavior of DOb-based robust motion control systems. It is theoretically and experimentally proved that nondiagonal elements of the nominal inertia matrix are useful in improving the stability and in adjusting the tradeoff between robustness and noise sensitivity. The validity of the proposal is verified by simulation and experimental results.


This paper addresses education on scientific publication skills for post-graduate engineering students. In particular, a project-based learning strategy is proposed to lead students through the preparation a research paper. Expected learning outcomes are related to finding and evaluating the quality of references, editing and formatting text in LATEX, writing scientific papers with appropriate style and structure, peer reviewing, and making technical presentations. This approach has been developed to increase the internationalization and visibility of young researchers by improving the quality standards of their published works. The purpose of this innovative practice is that students confront the major challenges of the publication process in the classroom, which is in contrast with the traditional self-taught approach experienced by the authors and many senior researchers. The proposed strategy is being applied as a required course in the Master in Mechatronics Engineering of the University of Malaga. This paper offers preliminary results from this experience.


Current earthquake-resistant procedures prescribe generic values for the response reductions factors, regardless of the configurational characteristics of the designed buildings. It is well know that these response reduction factors values reflect the expected behavior of the structures when they are under strong ground motions, being this seismic behavior usually evaluated through ductility and over-strength. In this work calculated values of the ductility of special moment-resisting steel frames with different span lengths and designed according the Ecuadorian Construction Code are presented. Results show that the buildings' ductility is strongly influenced by the spans length and they would reach inadequate values if the second-order effect P-∆ occur, and then indicating that the structures are more vulnerable than struc- tures not affected by P-∆ effect.


The cDNA and the chromosomal gene encoding proteinase K from Tritirachium album Limber have been cloned in Escherichia coli and the entire nucleotide sequences of the coding region, as well as 5'- and 3'-flanking regions have been determined. The deduced primary translation product consisting of 384 amino acid residues (molecular mass = 40,231 Da) contains an N-terminal region of 105 amino acids not present in the mature protein. By analogy to the evolutionary-related bacterial subtilisins and other serine proteinases it is inferred that the primary secreted product is a zymogen containing a 15-amino-acid signal sequence and a 90-amino-acid propeptide. The propeptide is presumably removed in the later steps of the secretion process or upon secretion into the medium. The nucleotide-sequence analysis of the gene and its flanking regions has revealed that the proteinase-K gene is composed of two exons and one 63-bp-long intron located in the proregion. Furthermore, a putative promoter sequence and a capping site have been identified, suggesting that the transcription-start site is located 103-bp upstream of the ATG initiation codon. To express the proproteinase-K gene in E. coli, proproteinase-K cDNA was cloned in a plasmid vector under control of the tac promoter. The hybrid plasmid pSPPRO, constructed for this purpose, contained the cDNA coding for proproteinase K [from Ala (-91) to the C-terminal Ala (279)] fused to the N-terminal-signal-peptide sequence of the alkaline-phosphatase gene preceded by the tac promoter. E. coli BMH71-18, harbouring this plasmid, exhibited slight proteolytic activity when tested on skimmed-milk plates, suggesting that some fusion proteins were correctly secreted into the periplasm and processed to the mature proteinase K.


In this paper, we leverage CLIP for zero-shot sketch based image retrieval (ZS-SBIR). We are largely inspired by recent advances on foundation models and the unparalleled generalisation ability they seem to offer, but for the first time tailor it to benefit the sketch community. We put forward novel designs on how best to achieve this synergy, for both the category setting and the fine-grained setting ('all"}. At the very core of our solution is a prompt learning setup. First we show just via factoring in sketch-specific prompts, we already have a category-level ZS-SBIR system that over-shoots all prior arts, by a large margin (24.8%) - a great testimony on studying the CLIP and ZS-SBIR synergy. Moving onto the fine-grained setup is however trickier, and re-quires a deeper dive into this synergy. For that, we come up with two specific designs to tackle the fine-grained matching nature of the problem: (i) an additional regularisation loss to ensure the relative separation between sketches and photos is uniform across categories, which is not the case for the gold standard standalone triplet loss, and (ii) a clever patch shuffling technique to help establishing instance-level structural correspondences between sketch-photo pairs. With these designs, we again observe signifi-cant performance gains in the region of 26.9% over previ-ous state-of-the-art. The take-home message, if any, is the proposed CLIP and prompt learning paradigm carries great promise in tackling other sketch-related tasks (not limited to ZS-SBIR) where data scarcity remains a great challenge. Project page: https://aneeshan95.github.ioISketchLVM/


While airborne particulate matter (PM) has been associated with numerous health effects, very few studies have extensively examined the changes in exposure to PM and its health-relevant constituents, which occur in major metropolitan areas over time (e.g., 5–10 years). This study addresses changes in the PM2.5 concentration and elemental composition between two monitoring campaigns (2002–2005 and 2010–2011) carried out in the Cincinnati (Ohio, USA) metropolitan area. The area is known for high traffic volume, largely represented by diesel-powered trucks on regional freeways. The air monitoring was conducted at four sites. Through an analysis of variance comparison, differences between the two data sets were assessed for PM2.5, ten selected elements, elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and EC/OC (a surrogate of the diesel exhaust contribution). Measured at the site that was previously found to exhibit the highest level of EC attributable to traffic, most of traffic related elements and the EC/OC ratio showed statistically significant decreases in concentration over time; however, the decrease became of borderline significance when wind variables were incorporated into the model. No major differences between data generated in the two campaigns were observed at the other monitoring stations with respect to EC/OC. Although the positive trends identified in this study (e.g., decrease in PM2.5, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Zn, Br, and Pb, EC, OC, and EC/OC) may become sustainable in the future, no strong evidence was found that the air quality control and engine exhaust control policies implemented between 2005 and 2010 have produced significant changes in traffic air pollution levels in the entire metropolitan area.


Web services privacy issues have been attracting more and more attention in the past years. Since the number of Web services-based business applications is increasing, the demands for privacy enhancing technologies for Web services will also be increasing in the future. In this paper, we investigate an extension of business protocols, i.e. the specification of which message exchange sequences are supported by the web service, in order to accommodate privacy aspects and time-related properties. For this purpose we introduce the notion of Timed Privacy-aware Business Protocols (TPBPs). We also discuss TPBP properties can be checked and we describe their verification process.


Three controversial ethical issues, among others, stir the debate in health care institutions, in medical associations, and in the whole society: the care of patients in persistent vegetative state, the regulation of artificial procreation, some individual requests for reshaping an healthy body. Dealing with these dilemmas, typical of advanced medical science and technological practice, implies not only balancing carefully the burdens and benefits for suffering persons, families, equipes, hospitals, cultural and religious communities, but also imaging and realizing new visions of a just society, of a beneficent (without paternalism) medicine and generally of a good life, where each moral agent could write in front of all and in worthy, convincing ways, the next chapter of the book of his/her own life.


This article focuses on the issue of equality of elections, in the context of the 2014 European Parliament election in Poland. Most often the definition of principles of elections' equality comes down to emphasizing its two aspects: the formal one and the material one. The first of them refers to guaranteeing each person with the active voting right the same number of votes. The material aspect of the equality principle is connected with striving to guarantee the same "voting power" to the election participants. Most briefly, it means that a given number of people elect as many representatives as another group with the same numerical strength. The main aim of this article is focus on the material aspect of implementing the principle of equality in EP elections. In the article will be emphasized three issues decisive for the specific features of the electoral system (electoral districts, election threshold and electoral formula), at the same time influencing the range of implementation of the material equality of elections. General findings will be confronted with empirical data, which will allow to formulate conclusions about the degree to which the European Parliament election conducted in Poland on 25th May 2014 met the principle of material equality.


Adaptation is of utmost importance in systems developed by assembling reusable software services accessed through their public interfaces. This process aims at solving, as automatically as possible, mismatch cases which may be given at the different interoperability levels among interfaces by synthesizing a mediating adaptor. In this paper, we present a toolbox that fully supports the adaptation process, including: (i) different methods to construct adaptation contracts involving several services; (ii) simulation and verification techniques which help to identify and correct erroneous behaviours or deadlocking executions; and (iii) techniques for the generation of centralized or distributed adaptor protocols based on the aforementioned contracts. Our toolbox relates our models with implementation platforms, starting with the automatic extraction of behavioural models from existing interface descriptions, until the final adaptor implementation is generated for the target platform.


Generalizing the work of Lubin in the one dimensional case, conditions are found for the existence of canonical subgroups of finite height commutative formal groups of arbitrary dimension over local rings of mixed characteristic (0, p). These are p-torsion subgroups which are optimally close to being kernels of Frobenius homomorphisms. The Fp ranks of the first flat cohomology groups of these canonical subgroups are found. These results are applied to the estimation of the Fp rank of the Selmer group of an Abelian variety over a global number field of characteristic zero, and the lim sup of these ranks as the Abelian variety varies in an isogeny class.


Carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) represent an increasing threat in healthcare facilities and detection of these organisms in the diagnostic laboratory can be challenging. The EntericBio CPE (EBCPE) real-time PCR assay (Serosep Ltd) was evaluated for the detection of NDM, KPC, OXA-48-like, VIM, IMP and GES carbapenemase genes from a panel of 145 multidrug-resistant organisms (29 NDM, 35 OXA-48, 21 VIM, 4 OXA-23, 3 KPC, 5 NDM+OXA-48, 3 GES-5, 1 OXA-23+NDM, 1 IMI, 2 IMP-1 and 41 multidrug-resistant carbapenemase-negative isolates). The EBCPE assay performed well, with 100 % sensitivity and specificity for the detection of all genotypes included in the assay. Turnaround time and laboratory workflow were improved compared to culture-based assays. Users must remain aware of the limitations of molecular assays for CPO detection to ensure implementation of the most suitable CPO diagnostic pathways.


Under normal circumstances, the respiratory tract maintains immune tolerance in the face of constant antigen provocation. Using a murine model of tolerance induced by repeated exposure to a low dose of aerosolized antigen, we show an important contribution by CD4(+) T cells in the establishment and maintenance of tolerance. The CD4(+) T cells expressed both cell surface and soluble TGF-beta and inhibited the development of an allergic phenotype when adoptively transferred to naive recipient mice. While cells expressing cell surface TGF-beta were detectable in mice with inflammation, albeit at a lower frequency compared with that in tolerized mice, only those from tolerized mice expressed FOXP3. Blockade of TGF-beta in vitro and in vivo interfered with immunosuppression. Although cells that expressed TGF-beta on the cell surface (TGF-beta(+)), as well as the ones that did not (TGF-beta(-)), secreted equivalent levels of soluble TGF-beta, only the former were able to blunt the development of an allergic phenotype in mice. Strikingly, separation of the TGF-beta(+) cells from the rest of the cells allowed the TGF-beta(-) cells to proliferate in response to antigen. We propose a model of antigen-induced tolerance that involves cell-cell contact with regulatory CD4(+) T cells that coexpress membrane-bound TGF-beta and FOXP3.


Artificial Intelligence (AI) has impacted our lives in many meaningful ways. For our research, we focus on improving disease diagnosis systems by analyzing medical images using AI, specifically deep learning technologies. The recent advances in deep learning technologies are leading to enhanced performance for medical image analysis and computer-aided disease diagnosis. In this dissertation, we explore a major research area in medical image analysis Image classification. Image classification is the process to assign an image a label from a fixed set of categories. For our research, we focus on the problem of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) diagnosis from 3D structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) brain scans. Alzheimer's Disease is a severe neurological disorder. In this dissertation, we address challenges related to Alzheimer's Disease diagnosis and propose several models for improved diagnosis. We focus on analyzing the 3D Structural MRI (sMRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) brain scans to identify the current stage of Alzheimer's Disease: Normal Controls (CN), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). This dissertation demonstrates ways to improve the performance of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for Alzheimer's Disease diagnosis. Besides, we present approaches to solve the class-imbalance problem and improving classification performance with limited training data for medical image analysis. To understand the decision of the CNN, we present methods to visualize the behavior of a CNN model for disease diagnosis. As a case study, we analyzed brain PET scans of AD and CN patients to see how CNN discriminates among data samples of different classes. Additionally, this dissertation proposes a novel approach to generate synthetic medical images using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). Working with the limited dataset and small amount of annotated samples makes it difficult to develop a robust automated disease diagnosis model. Our proposed model can solve such issue and generate brain MRI and PET images for three different stages of Alzheimer's Disease Normal Control (CN), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Our proposed approach can be generalized to create synthetic data for other medical image analysis problems and help to develop better disease diagnosis model. INDEX WORDS: Medical Imaging, Deep Learning, Alzheimer's Disease, MRI, PET, Brain Imaging, Synthetic Data Generation, Visualization, Convolutional Neural Network, Generative Adversarial Networks, Computeraided-diagnosis TOWARDS AI-ASSISTED DISEASE DIAGNOSIS: LEARNING DEEP FEATURE REPRESENTATIONS FOR MEDICAL IMAGE ANALYSIS


Compression is used in database management systems to improve the performance by preserving memory and storage. Compression and decompression requires substantial processing by the Central Processing Unit (CPU). Queries in large databases such as Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) databases involve processing huge amounts of data. Database compression not only reduces disk space requirements, but also increases the effective Input/Output (I/O) bandwidth since more data is transferred in compressed form to cache for query processing. As a result, database compression transforms I/O-intensive database operations into more CPU-intensive operations. We are most likely to benefit from compression if encoding and decoding speeds significantly exceed I/O bandwidth. Hence, we seek compression schemes that can be used in databases with good compression ratios and high speed. We examined the performance of several compression schemes such as Variable-Byte, Binary Packing/Frame Of Reference (FOR), Simple9 and Simple16 which have reasonable compression ratio with fair decompression speed over sequences of integers. As variations on Binary Packing, we also studied patched schemes such as NewPFD, OptPFD and FastPFOR: they have good compression ratios and decompression speed though they need more computational time during compression than Binary Packing. In our study, we aim to quantify the trade-offs of fast integer compression schemes with respect to compression ratio and speed of compression and decompression. We are able to decompress data at a rate of around 1.5 billion of integers per second (in Java) while sometimes beating Shannon's entropy. In our tests, Binary Packing is significantly faster than all other alternatives. Among the patched schemes we tested, the recently introduced FastPFOR is most competitive. Hence, we found that it is worth using a patching scheme because we get both a good compression ratio and a high decompression speed. However, the higher compression and decompression speed of Binary Packing makes it a better choice when speed is more important than compression ratio. We also assessed the effects that row ordering and sorting have on compression performance. We discovered that sorting can significantly improve the performance of compression. We obtained around 15% gain in decompression speed and 12% gain in compression ratio by sorting compared to random shuffling. Additionally, we found that sorting on the highest cardinality column was more effective than sorting on lower cardinality columns. GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND Notice of MCS Oral Defence Thursday, November 14 th , 2013 1:30pm Oland Hall, Room OH120 (Video Conference Room)


Schlumberger and Wenner array resistivity soundings over 2-D resistivity structures are interpreted using apparent resistivity pseudosections and cross-sections constructed from I-D inversions in order to determine the effectiveness of I-D interpretations over such structures. Cross-sections contoured from resistivities of inverted "layers" show distinct differences from the apparent resistivity pseudosections and may be used as interpreta tional aids. Contour lines in the cross-sections locate the horizontal interfaces of the 2-D structures quite well. The vertically oriented segments of the cross-section contours are relatively undistorted in the inversion process and are similar to the vertically oriented portions of contours in the apparent resistivity pseudosection. A simple, empiri cally determined formula is used to separate the sections into resistive and conductive zones and helps to define the geometry of the anomaly. In order to apply the formula, it is necessary to know whether the target is a relative conductor or a relative resistor. Except for the case of a square prism, the Schlumberger array appears to hold advantages over the Wenner in qualitatively assessing an anomaly. The primary drawback of the Wenner array is that its expanding potential electrodes create false anomalous zones and complicate interpreta tion. As might be expected, structures with long horizontal interfaces, i.e. those more nearly I-D, yield the most accurate interpretations.


Coastal zones, which connect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, are among the most resource‐rich regions globally and home to nearly 40% of the global human population. Because human land‐based activities can alter natural processes in ways that affect adjacent aquatic ecosystems, land‐sea interactions are increasingly recognized as critical to coastal conservation planning and governance. However, the complex socioeconomic dynamics inherent in coastal and marine socioecological systems (SESs) have received little consideration. Drawing on knowledge generalized from long‐term studies in Caribbean Nicaragua, we devised a conceptual framework that clarifies the multiple ways socioeconomically driven behavior can link the land and sea. In addition to other ecosystem effects, the framework illustrates how feedbacks resulting from changes to aquatic resources can influence terrestrial resource management decisions and land uses. We assessed the framework by applying it to empirical studies from a variety of coastal SESs. The results suggest its broad applicability and highlighted the paucity of research that explicitly investigates the effects of human behavior on coastal SES dynamics. We encourage researchers and policy makers to consider direct, indirect, and bidirectional cross‐ecosystem links that move beyond traditionally recognized land‐to‐sea processes.


Introduction: internet dependency, Depression and Anxiety among students is a problem and concerns of families, parents and teachers which the implementation of research on the prevalence and associated factors of paramount importance. Methods: This study was cross-sectional. The population was all of the high school students of Sanandaj city. The sample was 595 students (285 female and 310 male) who were randomly selected. The instruments utilized in this study included Young's Internet Dependence Questionnaire and Beck's Anxiety and Depression Inventory. Data analyzed using SPSS-21 statistical software also, descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for analyzing of data. Results: The results from the present study showed that fathers 'job with respondents' depression (p<0/239), anxiety (p<0/660) and internet dependency (p<0/181), had no significant association. Mothers' job had no significant with respondents' depression (p<0/120) and anxiety (p<0/620), while it had a significant association with internets' dependency (p<0/02). Also, based on result from the present study, there were no significant relationship between, education of father with respondents' depression (p<0/355) and anxiety (p<0/821). While, it had a significant relationship (p<0/000), with internet dependency. Education of mothers had significant relationship with respondents' depression (p <0/108) and anxiety (p<0/127). While, there was highly significant between internet dependency and education of mother (p<0/000). Conclusion: The level of parents 'education and occupation of the mother can affect the students' internet addiction.


This paper aims to develop a method for the locomotion of a snake-like robot, and proposes a control strategy based on the friction force between robotpsilas body and the ground. Our concept of a control system design is that a control law should be based on the friction force as a real snake is. Both the motion equation of the robot and the friction force are derived by the projection method proposed by W. Blajer. The friction model is evaluated in the cost function of the control system design based on state dependent Riccati equation. As a result a derived control law takes the friction effect into account. We also build an experimental system. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by simulations and experiments.


We address the problem of controlled synchronisation of a class of uncertain chaotic systems. Our approach follows techniques of adaptive tracking control and identification of dynamic systems from recent developments of control theory. In particular, we use new notions of the so-called property of persistency of excitation —known to be sufficient and necessary for parameter estimation— to construct adaptive algorithms that ensure perfect tracking/synchronisation and parameter estimation of chaotic systems with parameter uncertainty. Our theoretical findings are supported by particular examples and simulation studies on systems such as the Lorenz and Rössler oscillators and the Duffing equation.


Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent and complex disease. It is not clearly defined whether its duration is related to adverse outcomes. We determined the effect of AKI resolution time on patient's clinical outcomes. A prospective cohort of hospitalized patients with AKI by AKI network (AKIN) creatinine criteria was included. Variables for prognosis and follow-up were analyzed. One hundred and thirteen patients were included in the study. Seventy-seven (68.1%) were males, mean age 55 years (range, 16–76 years), and 48 (42.5%) were diabetic. The most common cause of AKI was sepsis (31%). AKI resolution time ≤2 days and >2 days was seen in 47 (41.6%) and 66 (58.4%) of the cases, respectively. AKI resolution time >2 days was common in older patients (66.24 ± 17.6 year vs. 47.16 ± 12.32 year, P = 0.004), with the use of mechanical ventilation (27% vs. 4%, P = 0.02) and vasopressors (41% vs. 11%, P ≤ 0.01); it was associated with increased mortality (47% vs. 4%, P ≤ 0.01), and a discharge estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (52% vs. 2%, P = 0.01), than in patients with resolution time ≤2 days. Survival rate was significantly worse in patients with a resolution time >2 days. By multivariate logistic step-wise regression analysis, AKI >2days, vasopressor use, and AKIN stage 2–3 were independently associated with higher mortality. AKI >2 days and vasopressor utilization were independently associated to an eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 at the time of discharge. We conclude that AKI resolution time >2 days is linked to adverse clinical outcomes.


Analysis of hemodynamics shows great potential to provide indications for the risk of cardiac malformations and is essential for diagnostic purposes in clinical applications. Although medical imaging techniques such as phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (also known as 4D flow MRI) deliver useful information about the flow patterns in the lumen of large arteries, they cannot provide sufficient information at near-wall regions especially due to the noise in the observed signals, coarse resolution and partial volume effects. As an alternative providing noise-free solution, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been established as a valuable tool for the detailed characterization of volumetric blood flow and its effects on the arterial wall. However, CFD requires awareness of boundary conditions and initial flow, which is usually not known beforehand. Besides, the flow is heavily influenced by the dynamic nature of the heart beat, which results in unsteady and periodic flow phenomena. This work aims to combine the superiority of CFD with the advantages of 4D flow MRI by introducing a novel approach for variational data assimilation and at the same time taking into account the dynamic nature of the heart beat. Phase-contrast MRI is utilized for the prescription of the initial flow and boundary conditions. Due to the noisy nature of these observations, the velocity components are controlled at the boundaries through a mathematical optimization of flow patterns at the inlets. The adjustment is supported by the more reliable flow measurements in the middle of the lumen, where a least-squares flow-matching is considered. The norm of the control and the control surface gradient are augmented by Tikhonov regularization terms, which result (along with the flow-matching term) in the final objective function. The minimization is performed under the constraint that the Navier-Stokes equations are satisfied. In addition, the time-periodic heart beat is captured by a set of harmonically balanced equations. The latter is achieved by a temporal discretization using a Fourier-spectral collocation approach, where the collocation points are aligned with 4D flow MRI measurements. Compared to the raw measurements, the proposed approach significantly improves the reconstructed flow field at the aortic root, which is one of the most important clinically relevant locations where flow disturbances can easily lead to pathological modifications of the arterial wall. Thus the new method has a great potential for revealing clinically relevant hemodynamic phenomena.


Article 7, paragraph 14 of the Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change commits Parties to create a five yearly assessment of observed adaptation to track progress and enable appropriate future commitments through the Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans. No large‐scale study exists that shows the types of adaptation, the spatial distribution of types of adaptation, and the numbers of people engaging in that adaptation. To address this gap, and to feed into debates about the modalities for the global stocktake, in this paper we propose a new "stocktaking" approach to document the spectrum and prevalence of observed adaptation over large scales. The four‐step stocktaking approach focuses on: (a) obtaining consensus on the objectives of adaptation; (b) agreeing the sources of evidence; (c) agreeing the search method; and (d) categorizing the adaptations. By focusing on documenting rather than evaluating adaptation, the simple approach avoids some of the adaptation heuristic traps. With guidance to countries on how to operationalize, this approach could improve the transparency of adaptation data collection and analysis, ensure comparability of findings across space and time, and inform the Adaptation Communications (Article 7.10)—a prerequisite to strengthening future ambition commitments within the Paris Agreement.


One solution to model quasi-optical system - systems generally constituted by elements of large dimension with respect to the wavelength - is to use asymptotics, such as Gaussian Beams (GB) based techniques [1]. In these systems, dichroic surfaces are used to split, filter or mix an input signal. However, these surfaces are generally made of periodic elements of size that does not exceed a fraction of wavelength. Therefore, they cannot be modeled by such methods. In this paper we propose a technique, based on a spectral representation, to treat the interaction of a GB with a dichroic surface, we suppose that the fields reflected and transmitted by the interface can be approximated by GBs.


The aim of this study was to assess the value of ultrasonography as an imaging technique for the assessment of respiratory diseases in calves. Postmortem findings were used as a 'gold standard'. Eighteen calves aged up to five months which suffered from pneumonia or bronchopneumonia were used. Ultrasonographic and postmortem findings were recorded in eight segments of the lungs of each animal and compared. Ultrasonography of healthy pulmonary tissue yielded only the pleural reflective band and repetitive artefacts. Pulmonary tissue with bronchopneumonia was detected as a basic echogenic pattern containing hyperechogenic zones. The sensitivity and specificity of the technique for the detection of bronchopneumonia were calculated to be 0.85 and 0.98, respectively.


October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a global effort to help everyone stay safe and protected when using technology whenever and however you connect. The theme for the month is "It's easy to stay safe online" and the University of Colorado is proud to be a Champion and support this online safety and education initiative again this year. Throughout the month, CU will raise awareness of key best practices that we can implement today to enhance cybersecurity and create a more secure world for everyone.


Siyali Ramamrita Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science (1931) has long served as a philosophy for the practice of librarianship. The original five laws remain relevant almost ninety years after they were originally proposed (Ranganathan, 1931). As new modes of information and access, as well as resources and technology, have come into existence, these laws have remained flexible and open to adaptation. However, extant library literature has not yet situated Ranganathan's Laws within the context of open educational resources (OER). As freely accessible teaching and learning resources, OER reflect the core values of Ranganathan's Laws; further, viewing OER through Ranganathan's lens offers new opportunities for librarians to situate their OER work within one of the discipline's most foundational philosophies. The following sections introduce Ranganathan's Five Laws and their recent adaptations and provide a new interpretation of these laws within the context of OER. The implications for situating OER within Ranganathan's Five Laws are also shared.


Shape memory alloy (SMA) wire jackets for concrete are distinct from conventional jackets of steel or fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) since they provide active confinement which can be easily achieved due to the shape memory effect of SMAs. This study uses NiTiNb SMA wires of 1.0 mm diameter to confine concrete cylinders with the dimensions of 300 mm × 150 mm (L × D). The NiTiNb SMAs have a relatively wider temperature hysteresis than NiTi SMAs; thus, they are more suitable for the severe temperature-variation environments to which civil structures are exposed. Steel jackets of passive confinement are also prepared in order to compare the cyclic behavior of actively and passively confined concrete cylinders. For this purpose, monotonic and cyclic compressive loading tests are conducted to obtain axial and circumferential strain. Both strains are used to estimate the volumetric strains of concrete cylinders. Plastic strains from cyclic behavior are also estimated. For the cylinders jacketed by NiTiNb SMA wires, the monotonic axial behavior differs from the envelope of cyclic behavior. The plastic strains of the actively confined concrete show a similar trend to those of passive confinement. This study proposed plastic strain models for concrete confined by SMA wire or steel jackets. For the volumetric strain, the active jackets of NiTiNb SMA wires provide more energy dissipation than the passive jacket of steel.


Perceptions About Hands-On Art Making by Non-Art Major Online Students by Gayle Lynn Nelson MA, Syracuse University, 2004 BS, Troy State University, 2001 Project Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University August 2018 Abstract As higher education moves increasingly to online and hybrid programs, more students will be taking art appreciation courses virtually. The research that exists on student perceptions related to hands-on art making suggests that active creation is valuable in fostering creativity, inspiring knowledge, and supporting and motivating students. The purpose of this case study was to explore non-art major, college-level students' experiences, perceptions, and reflections of an active learning component within an online art appreciation class delivered at a public university in the southeastern United States. Three research questions were developed to explore the students' experiences, perceptions, and reflections of this hands-on art making component. The conceptual framework was based on the combined work of prominent theoreticians, educators and scholars in the arts including Dewey, Piaget, Bruner, Gardner, and Eisner. To complete this case study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 non-art major, college level students (enrolled in online art appreciation during the 2015-16 academic year) and included discussion about a specific art work that each student made. The interview data was analyzed using open-coded thematic analysis. The overall findings indicated that: there is an emotional response to hands-on art making, appropriate faculty instruction is an important factor in actively engaged learning, and students gain knowledge through the active learning component of the online art appreciation class. Findings were used to design a 3-day professional development workshop. Implications for educators include advocating for variations in art coursework for online students.As higher education moves increasingly to online and hybrid programs, more students will be taking art appreciation courses virtually. The research that exists on student perceptions related to hands-on art making suggests that active creation is valuable in fostering creativity, inspiring knowledge, and supporting and motivating students. The purpose of this case study was to explore non-art major, college-level students' experiences, perceptions, and reflections of an active learning component within an online art appreciation class delivered at a public university in the southeastern United States. Three research questions were developed to explore the students' experiences, perceptions, and reflections of this hands-on art making component. The conceptual framework was based on the combined work of prominent theoreticians, educators and scholars in the arts including Dewey, Piaget, Bruner, Gardner, and Eisner. To complete this case study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 non-art major, college level students (enrolled in online art appreciation during the 2015-16 academic year) and included discussion about a specific art work that each student made. The interview data was analyzed using open-coded thematic analysis. The overall findings indicated that: there is an emotional response to hands-on art making, appropriate faculty instruction is an important factor in actively engaged learning, and students gain knowledge through the active learning component of the online art appreciation class. Findings were used to design a 3-day professional development workshop. Implications for educators include advocating for variations in art coursework for online students. Perceptions about Hands-On Art Making by Online Students by


This article uses Bourdieusian field theory to examine how journalistic practices contributed to a multi-mediated moral panic about 'African gangs' in Melbourne, Australia. Empirical insight is supplied via interviews with journalists who identified traditional media outlets as 'secondary definers' that amplified and legitimised this racialised threat construction. Participants attributed the intense and sensationalised media coverage to the political climate, the newsworthiness of racialised 'folk devils', and the economic and technological transformation of the journalistic field. These transformations were perceived to have negatively influenced journalistic standards by incentivising the efficient production of commodifiable content. Participants described how these structural changes were filtered through the social personalities of different news outlets; they shaped, and were reproduced through, distinct managerial cultures, editorial routines and journalistic habitus. The emergent nomos ('rules of the game') was perceived to constrain the autonomy of journalists, particularly those lacking cultural capital, and limit opportunities for contestation of the 'African gangs' narrative. Journalists seemingly adapted by engaging in practices which reflected their attempts to negotiate these conditions and establish coherent narrative identities. In some cases, this entailed the neutralisation of what journalists recognised as ethically questionably reporting practices.


Abstract Background. To compare five inverse treatment planning methods with the conventional manually optimized planning approach for brachytherapy of cervical cancer with respect to dosimetric parameters. Material and methods. Eighteen cervical cancer patients treated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy were included in this study. Six plans were created for each of the 4 HDR brachytherapy fractions for each patient: 1 manually optimized and 5 inversely planned. Three of these were based on inverse planning simulated annealing (IPSA) with and without extra constraints on maximum doses of the target volume, and different constraints on doses to the organs at risk (OARs). In addition there were two plans based on dose to target surface points. The resulting dose-volume histograms were analyzed and compared from the dosimetric point of view by quantifying specific dosimetric parameters, such as clinical target volume (CTV) D90, CTV D100, conformal index (COIN), and D2cm3 for rectum, bladder and the sigmoid colon. Results. Manual optimization led to a mean target coverage of 78.3% compared to 87.5%, 91.7% and 82.5% with the three IPSA approaches (p < 0.001). Similar COIN values for manual and inverse optimization were found. The manual optimization led to better results with respect to the dose to the OARs expressed as D2cm3. Overall, the best results were obtained with manual optimization and IPSA plans with volumetric constraints including maximum doses to the target volume. Conclusions. Dosimetric evaluation of manual and inverse optimization approaches is indicating the potential of IPSA for brachytherapy of cervical cancer. IPSA with constraints of maximum doses to the target volume is closer related to manual optimization than plans with constraints only to minimum dose to the target volume and maximum doses to OARs. IPSA plans with proper constraints performed better than those based on dose to target surface points and manually optimized plans.


A typical decomposition question asks whether the edges of some graph G can be partitioned into disjoint copies of another graph H . One of the oldest and best known conjectures in this area, posed by Ringel in 1963, concerns the decomposition of complete graphs into edge-disjoint copies of a tree. It says that any tree with n edges packs 2n+ 1 times into the complete graph K2n+1. In this paper, we prove this conjecture for large n.


Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an effective therapy for patients with reversible cardiac and/or respiratory failure. Acute kidney injury (AKI) often occurs in patients supported with ECMO; it frequently evolves into chronic kidney damage or end-stage renal disease and is associated with a reported 4-fold increase in mortality rate. Although AKI is generally due to the hemodynamic alterations associated with the baseline disease, ECMO itself may contribute to maintaining kidney dysfunction through several mechanisms. Summary: AKI may be related to conditions derived from or associated with extracorporeal therapy, leading to a reduction in renal oxygen delivery and/or to inflammatory damage. In particular, during pathological conditions requiring ECMO, the biological defense mechanisms maintaining central perfusion by a reduction of perfusion to peripheral organs (such as the kidney) have been identified as pretreatment and patient-related risk factors for AKI. Hormonal pathways are also impaired in patients supported with ECMO, leading to failures in mechanisms of renal homeostasis and worsening fluid overload. Finally, inflammatory damage, due to the primary disease, heart and lung crosstalk with the kidney or associated with extracorporeal therapy itself, may further increase the susceptibility to AKI. Renal replacement therapy can be integrated into the main extracorporeal circuit during ECMO to provide for optimal fluid management and removal of inflammatory mediators. Key Messages: AKI is frequently observed in patients supported with ECMO. The pathophysiology of the associated AKI is chiefly related to a reduction in renal oxygen delivery and/or to inflammatory damage. Risk factors for AKI are associated with a patient's underlying disease and ECMO-related conditions.


Dr. Nidaa Makki is an Associate Professor in the LeBron James Family Foundation College of Education at The University of Akron, in the department in Curricular and Instructional Studies. Her work focuses on STEM curriculum integration and science inquiry practices in middle and high school. She is a co-PI on an NSF funded project to investigate the impact of integrating engineering on middle school students' interest and engagement in STEM. She has also received funding to conduct teacher professional development in the areas of engineering education, problem based learning and physics inquiry instruction.


AIM
This paper reports a study comparing the characteristics of patients who use home care services and those who are cared for in nursing homes, and identifying the factors that influence the use of these care settings.

BACKGROUND
The increase in the functionally dependent older population has led to an increase in the number of nursing homes and home care agencies. It has become clear that, rather than disputing which is the better of these options, it would be better to determine the characteristics of patients who use the two long-term care services. Gaining an understanding of the unique characteristics of patients who are cared for by home care agencies and those who are cared for in nursing homes will be imperative for reforming and developing long-term care systems.

METHOD
The research model was based on the Anderson Model of Health Services Utilization. Interviews were conducted with 99 stroke survivors from two home care agencies and four nursing homes, and their family members, between May and December 2001.

RESULTS
The patient characteristics that predicted greater use of home care rather than nursing home services were: being married, poor physical function, impaired cognitive function, higher rates of comorbidity, various medical complications, and/or number of catheters (e.g. urinary catheter, naso-gastric tube).

CONCLUSION
Contrary to the findings of previous studies conducted in countries with ageing populations, our findings indicate that in South Korea home care agencies, rather than nursing homes, provide care for severely impaired patients. This may be due to differences between countries in their long-term care systems and cultural attitudes toward end-of-life care. Our results will contribute to the development or reformation of long-term care systems in countries with ageing populations, and to the development of strategies for increasing access to these services.


Power transformer is one of the most expensive equipments in the electrical power grid. Transformer outages may lead to substantial economical losses. One of the most important parameters governing a transformer's life expectancy and reliability is transformer aging condition and loading condition. At the same time, it is found that electric consumption is highly correlated with weather condition, therefore, in this study, we present a solution that firstly, predict the probability that a transformer Accelerated Aging Event (AAE) happens under the given weather condition; secondly, to predict the severity of the AAE, i.e., the scale of the accelerated aging factor for the event. Finally, we computed the expected life expectancy of the transformer under possible weather conditions trajectories during transformer's remaining life span using Monte Carlo simulation.


People's expectations from the city have changed with the transformation of urban life. Urban space is not the only place where structures are formed. Urban space also consists of a combination of public spaces, semi-public spaces, and private spaces. As social and cultural phenomena, social events occur and people communicate with each other in these spaces. Therefore, streets and neighbourhoods composed of houses are not only physical spaces, but they also have important social and cultural dimensions. Modern life has brought a plethora of changes that affected the cities. Due to rapid changes today, the urban space forms in the conversion process are also designed differently. Historically, the space organization based on the streets of the semi-public life in Turkish cities has been transformed into mass housing and housing estate-style life in recent years. This transformation has been expressed differently in urban life not only physically, but also socially and culturally. The street which is regarded as a public space was a place where people communicated and social events happened in the past; but today, the streets are rife with security problems and they have become a concept evoking an image of street that is bordered with buildings. Spatial separation has emerged with middle and upper classes isolating themselves from the streets and heading towards gated communities, especially for security reasons. This social and spatial separation has begun to lead to various problems in cities. Eskisehir is an important Anatolian city located between Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and Istanbul. This research was conducted in two research sites in Eskisehir: one is a gated community where middle and upper-income groups reside, and the other is a residential neighbourhood where middle-income groups live. These groups were studied through a survey. The spatial preferences of the residents in these two areas and their relation with the neighbourhood are examined. These groups were surveyed and their relations with their relatives have been researched.


on spinal extra-dural metastases and their management. This collection suffers from lack of direction in terms of subject matter; there is no editorial selection of good from poor and little in the way of organisation of the papers into subject matter. Any discussion that did take place is not published. Almost 80% of the reports contain information already available in literature and many of them contribute no more than that which is obtained in any undergraduate textbook of neurology, pathology or oncology. Some authors have not contributed anything original, merely reviewed some papers. The case for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, indications and methods of spinal column fixation are all poorly presented and to the uninitiated provide a very one-sided view of the management of the condition, for example spinal column fixation using Meurig-Williams clamps would not be accepted in many spinal surgical centres as an adequate means of vertebral columns immobilisation. One paper on chemohormonal therapy for breast cancer metastases in 13 patients reported 12 months' remission in comparison to 7 months using a different therapeutic regimen. Studies like this get oncology a bad name. Attached to the end of the series on intracranial metastases are various reports from other German workers on experimental studies and cerebral blood volume, control of intercranial pressure, the effects of profound hypotension on cerebral pressure, the effects of profound hypotension on cerebral energy metabolism and studies in pituitary hypothalamic axis. Reviewed as a report of the annual German meeting, this collage will be of interest to the members who attended the meeting. As a contribution to the understanding of the condition, it cannot be recommended.


A thorough ab initio investigation is conducted on all possible hydrogen migration pathways for the 1-ethyl, 1-propyl, 1-butyl, 1-pentyl, 1-hexyl, 1-heptyl, and 1-octyl radicals in order to determine underlying trends in reaction enthalpies, activation energies, Arrhenius A-factors, tunneling, and rate coefficients. The G4, G2, and CBS-Q composite methods are used to determine the enthalpy of reaction and activation energy barrier for each reaction. Each method shows excellent agreement with eight experimental enthalpy of reaction values, with root mean squared values of 0.8, 0.9, and 0.6 kcal mol(-1) for CBS-Q, G2, and G4, respectively. Differences in barrier heights, A-factors, tunneling, and rate coefficients are observed for axial and equatorial arrangements as well as between secondary hydrogen migration sites, depending on the location of the secondary site relative to the terminal carbon. The validity of using cycloalkane model systems to estimate rate parameters is also assessed. The failure of two key assumptions inherent to the cycloalkane models, resulting in a breakdown in the accuracy of these methods for larger transition states, is discussed. This study has significant ramifications for future theoretical, experimental, and modeling studies involving the decomposition of n-alkanes.


Abstract The pace of rural-urban migration relative to urban job creation is of particular relevance in relation to the level of urban unemployment and poverty in many developing countries. Faced with high levels of urban unemployment and other socio-economic problems governments in developing countries adopted several policies to ameliorate the situation. Since such policies were mainly urban biased in nature it not only failed in most cases but also in some instance exacerbated the situation by stimulating more rural-urban migration. Rural-urban migration occurs where there is economic disparity between rural and urban areas. Some economists therefore, argue that boosting agricultural productivity and/or income can reduce the incidence of economic problems partially posed by rural-urban migration. In this paper, an attempt is made, using a recursive equation system and a South African data set for the period 1965–2002, to measure the indirect agricultural input elasticity of rural-urban migration. The results indicate that narrowing the urban-rural income differentials can reduce the massive rural-urban migration and high urban unemployment in the country. It is furthermore shown that developing agricultural land and infrastructure and increasing fertilizer use can boost agricultural income, reduce rural-urban migration and is consistent with policies aimed at curbing urban unemployment.


This paper presents a new type of wideband waveguide (SIW) cavity-backed patch antenna for millimeter wave (mmW). The antenna proposed applies to applications of 31-36 GHz Ka-band such as satellites communications. The SIW is intended with settings for particular slots. The antenna is constructed on Rogers RT5880 (lossy) with 2.2 dielectric constant, l.27 mm thickness, and 0.0009 loss tangent. It is simulated in the programming of computer simulation technology (CST) Microwave Studio. The simulated results show that the SIW antenna resonates across 31 to 36 GHz bands, which means that this new antenna covers all applications within this range. The reflection coefficients in targeting range are below 10 dB. The antenna achieves good efficiency and gain with 80% and 8.87 dBi respectively.


Because of that the permanent magnetic bearing (PMB) has the advantage of no wear, low cost and simple structure, the industrial design concept of PMB has been put forward in this paper. Radial and axial permanent magnetic levitation technology has been studied, and the aforementioned design is done based on these two kinds of technologies. During the experiments on the mechanical characteristics of PMBs, the capacity and stiffness of the bearings are researched.


Background: Considering undesirable postoperative pain in recovery phase and many side effects of narcotics, the preemptive analgesic effect of oral dextromethorphane on cholecystectomized patients was studied in this study. Material and Methods : In this double blind, randomized, clinical trial on 44 patients in Shari'ati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 22 patients received placebo and 22 received 45 mg oral dextromethorphane 2 hours pre-operation. The anesthesia method was the same in both groups. Visual analog scale (VAS) for pain was recorded for each group in 1, 6 and 24 hours. Used morphine amount was recorded. As dextromethorphane causes drowsiness the patient's alertness was also recorded with Ramsey scores post- operation. Data were analyzed using t-test, Chi-square, and Mann-Whitney-U-tests. Results: Mean postoperative pain intensity was 9.55 in case and 8.33 in control group respectively. This was statistically significant but limited only in the first postoperative hour. No difference was observed in 6 th , 24 th hour pain, sedation, and alertness between the groups. Conclusion: Premedication with 45 mg oral dextromethorphane decreases post operative pain in first hour, so it can be used as an alternative analgesic drug along with narcotics.


Aims Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is now an established treatment for children with sleep disordered breathing. We report our experience of starting children on NIV over 12 years and aim to identify areas for future improvement. Methods We retrospectively analysed the data of all children we attempted to established on NIV in our centre between July 2000 and July 2012. We noted the clinical indication, whether NIV was successful and, if available, any sleep study results obtained. Results NIV was attempted in 122 patients. 46 (37.7%) had obstructive sleep apnoea (21 related to obesity); 26 (22.1%) neuromuscular disease (2 additional children with SMA1 had a brief trial of NIV); 16 (13.1%) Down's syndrome; 11 (9%) craniofacial or skeletal disorders; 7 (6%) central hypoventilation; 5 (4%) mucopolysaccharidoses; 8 (7%) had other disorders. 66/122 had pre and post-establishment oximetry performed with 92.4% showing improvement in desaturation index (DSI) (mean DSI was 20.7 pre-establishment, and 2.5 post-establishment, p < 0.01). 111 children (91%) were successfully discharged from hospital on NIV. Of 11 children who failed to establish 7 had Down's syndrome, 2 others had SMA1 and the families chose not to proceed. Median patient age was 10.61 years (range 0.71–18.17), whilst median age of those that failed to establish was 5.95 years. Of 111 children discharged on NIV, 12 (10.8%) stopped due to poor acceptance of treatment (4 of these had Down's syndrome), 54 (48.6%) continue on NIV within paediatrics, 20 (18% ) have transferred to adult services, 9 (8.1%) have stopped due to an improvement in their medical condition over time, 7 (6.31%) stopped as no clinical improvement was achieved with therapy, 6 (5.41%) have died and 3 (2.7%) have been lost to follow up. Conclusion Overall long-term success rates of NIV were high, with the majority of children continuing on ventilation under paediatric or adult services or stopping due to clinical reasons. The main reason for failure of establishment or maintenance was non-acceptance. This was significantly greater in children with Down's syndrome and new strategies must be found to improve acceptance with these patients.


This paper critically appraises the idea and practice of 'participation' in scientific environmental research, arguing for the wider uptake by physical geographers of a more radical participatory approach. It proposes participatory action research (PAR), which offers an alternative mode of science, involving collaboration and co-production of research from question definition through to outcomes. We begin with a critical view of public participation in environmental research and policy-making to date. We argue that much rhetoric and practice of participation is shallow, focusing simply on including relevant publics and stakeholders, or having an underlying agenda of building trust in science or policy-making. Both orientations diverge drastically from the radical traditions in which participatory research and planning originate. In the rest of the paper, we illustrate an alternative process of knowledge co-production, reporting on a PAR project on farm slurry pollution conducted with a UK Rivers Trust. We evaluate the knowledge co-produced, the responses of participants and the scientific process. Suggesting that we reframe co-production as the circulation of expertise, we argue that PAR can enrich the learning, knowledge and skills of all those involved and lead to innovation and positive environmental outcomes. A number of structural and institutional barriers to deep participatory processes need to be addressed.


Harmful use of alcohol is causing many negative effects, and it is essential to continuously analyze the burden of alcohol in countrywide and international studies. Alcohol is attributable to more than 50 health conditions, which may be partly or fully caused by alcohol. Methods. The aim of the study was to evaluate the change of prevalence of fully alcohol attributable conditions during the period of 2006-2011. The research was performed in collaboration with the State Mental Health Center, and the analysis was based on the summarized prevalence rate data originally received from the Lithuanian morbidity database SVEIDRA. The analysis covers the prevalence data based on 20 fully alcohol attributable conditions. Results. In 2007 the prevalence of fully alcohol attributable conditions reached its peak. In 2008 and 2009 it had declined, and in 2010 and 2011 it had started to rise again. The close links may be drawn between prevalence of alcohol attributable conditions and overall alcohol consumption in Lithuania. In 2007 the significant toughening of alcohol control policy has been introduced that came into effect in 2008 and 2009, and resulted into the decline of alcohol consumption. In 2006-2011 the prevalence of fully alcohol attributable conditions was in average 4 times higher among men than among women, and reached its peak in people between 45 and 54 years old. Article in Lithuanian


Abstract Pollen deposition during 1997–2004 was monitored for seven sites in northern Sweden, ranging from the boreal forest zone to above the birch forest-line. Fifty-three taxa were recorded in the traps. Of these, 22 are observed in the vegetation surrounding the trap sites. The remaining 31 taxa are most probably long distance transported. Taxa that strongly correlate with the site above the birch forest-line are Trientalis europaea, Asteraceae, Ericales and Linnaea borealis, while pollen of Pinus, Picea, Betula, Alnus and Juniperus correlates with sites within the boreal forest zone. A positive correlation is noted between pollen accumulation rates (PARs) of Pinus and Picea and mean July temperatures of the year prior to pollen release. A comparison between pollen counts retrieved from pollen traps, lake surface sediments and moss polster samples at one site shows similar pollen composition for the pollen trap and lake surface sediments, while the moss polster samples have higher percentage of Pinus pollen, lower percentage of Betula pollen and generally a lower diversity of pollen and spores.


We use Nomarski differential interference contrast imaging to reveal the wealth of complex detail in Plagioclase zoning for selected samples from Sites 834, 839, and 841. All sites contain some Plagioclase with the very complex internal core zoning, convolute zoning, or very fine-scale euhedral oscillatory zoning of the sort generally considered typical of island-arc volcanic rocks. Plagioclase with contrasted zoning styles may coexist within a single lithologic unit or even within a single thin section. Especially notable is the presence of scattered Plagioclase phenocrysts with complex zoning throughout Unit 7 in Hole 834B, which in other respects is relatively uniform in composition and appears to have had little or no differential sorting of crystals and liquid. Although our study is by no means comprehensive, it is sufficient to indicate that magmatic conditions have been variable during crystallization of these rocks, and mixing or at least minor contamination may be required to explain some of the relations observed. By analogy with experimental studies, it is possible that variations in water content, either over time or within different parts of a chamber or conduit system, have contributed to the observed contrasts in zoning.


Estrogen receptor (ER) antagonists such as tamoxifen have been used successfully to treat ER+ breast cancers for more than 30 years. Tamoxifen targets the ER and blocks the binding of estrogen thus preventing up-regulation of estrogen responsive genes and resulting in impaired cell proliferation. Unfortunately, long term use of tamoxifen can result in resistance. Previous studies have reported that naringenin, a flavanone, can inhibit cell proliferation and promote cell death in ER+ breast cancer cells. It has been reported that signaling pathways, such as mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), are up-regulated in tamoxifen resistant cells. Previous research suggests that naringenin inhibits the MAPK signaling pathways. For this study, I investigated the molecular targets of naringenin in tamoxifen-resistant cells in order to determine the mechanism of action of naringenin in impairing cell proliferation and survival to gain further insight in the mechanism of naringenin action and its use as a possible therapeutic treatment. To determine if naringenin is targeting the MAPK pathway, tamoxifen resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cells were treated with naringenin or U0126 a MAPK kinase inhibitor. Our studies show that while both U0126 and naringenin impair cell proliferation and viability the combination of U0126 and naringenin resulted in greater inhibition of cell viability than either compound alone. It has been previously reported that naringenin can bind the ER. Our lab has also shown that naringenin inhibits ERa from entering the nucleus thus ERa displays a peri-nuclear localization pattern. Confocal microscopy revealed that in U0126 treated cells ERa displayed an even distribution across the cell as seen in tamoxifen resistant cells. This suggests that MAPK is not the only target of naringenin. Thus to identify other possible molecular targets of naringenin we screened phage display libraries. Our phage display studies identified several members of the E3 ubiquitin ligase family which are responsible for targeting proteins for ubiquitination thus degradation. E3 ligases are important for proper regulation of protein levels within the cell. Together, our results suggest that MAPK is not the only target of naringenin. Instead these results suggest that naringenin could be targeting a more global protein such as E3 ligases and altering their activities thus altering the levels of target proteins involved in cell proliferation and survival. E3 ligases have been targeted by therapeutics for possible treatments in cancer and naringenin could be an effective therapeutic to target these E3 ligases.


The upper Tick Canyon area, approximately seven square
miles in extent, lies between Agua Dulce Canyon and Mint
Canyon in the easternmost pelt of the Ventura Basin in
southern California. This area was mapped in detail on a
scale of 1000 feet to one inch and the stratigrephic and
structural relationships of the exposed rocks were established.

The oldest rocks in the area are of highly metamorphosed
metasedimentary and metavolcanic types, which are intruded
by igneous bodies of presumed pre-Cretaceous age. This crystalline complex is in fault contact with the rocks of the Vasquez series, the oldest unit in a thick section of Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks.

The Vasquez series is perhaps Oligocene in age and was
deposited under nonmarine conditions in an elongate trough of fault-block origin. The rocks are mainly fine-to coarse-
grained elastic sediments. Interlayered with them are
basaltic and andesitic flows and shallow intrusive masses,
that form with the sediments a total section of about 4500
feet. This section thickens rapidly east of the area mapped.

Overlying the Vasquez strata with a distinct angular unconformity is a series of conglomerates and siltstones of
the late Lower Miocene Tick Canyon formation. This unit is
approximately 900 feet thick, but thins rapidly to the west
within the area under consideration. The Upper Miocene Mint
Canyon formation, which also consists of nonmarine elastic
sedimentary rocks overlies the Tick Canyon formation throughout the area. These two formations probably are separated by an unconformity, along which there may be local angular discordance of a few degrees.

Almost flat-lying, Pleistocene stream deposits occur
throughout the area at an elevation of several hundred feet
above the present, newly alluviated valley bottoms.

Some strike-slip faulting with northeasterly trend took
place after Mint Canyon time, perhaps during the Pliocene
epoch. This may be related to the San Andreas fault, which
lies ten miles to the northeast.

All folds and faults that involve the sedimentary beds
probably can be related to adjustments taking place in the
underlying crystalline rocks. The forces causing these adjustments probably were active throughout much of Tertiary
and Quaternary time, and activities do not appear to have
ceased as yet.


Trace metal concentrations in spring-water of a number of springs around Nablus have been determined. Samples of these waters were taken during November and December of 1985, acidefied with HNO3 to pH 1.5 and then analyzed for their content of lead, copper, zinc, nickel, iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium and hydrogen ions. The method of analysis used was flame atomic absorption spectroscopy with an acetylene -air flame. Hydrogen ion concentration was measured using pH-meter The results showed very low concentrations (well below the safe limits) of lead copper, zinc, nickel, iron and manganese. The pH of the samples studied was within the allowed range. High concentrations of magnesium were found in many samples ; but not high enough to cause a risk. The concentration of calcium in almost all the samples studied was very high and higher than the allowed limit. The use of these waters is harmful to industry and house-hold equipment and probably has an influence in developing kidney stones in persons having the potential for developing kidney stones.


SUMMARY Study of the ecological and economic effects of invasive species has paralleled their progressively pervasive influence worldwide, yet their cultural impacts remain largely unexamined and therefore unrecognized. Unlike biological systems, where the ecological consequences of biological invasions are primarily negative, from an ethnoscientific standpoint, invasive species' impacts on cultural systems span a range of effects. Biological invasions affect cultural groups in myriad, often unpredictable and at times contradictory ways. This review groups case studies into a conceptual matrix suggesting three categorically different cultural impacts of invasive species. Culturally impoverishing invasive species precipitate the loss or replacement of culturally important native species and their associated cultural practices. Culturally enriching invasive species augment cultural traditions, through their inclusion in lexicons, narratives, foods, pharmacopoeias and other tangible and intangible ends. Culturally facilitating invasive species can provide continuity and reformulation of traditional ethnobiological practices. An understanding of the processes by which invasive biota become culturally enriching, facilitating, or impoverishing can contribute to articulating interdisciplinary programmes aimed at simultaneously conserving biological and cultural diversity.


View synthesis is one of the important techniques for free-viewpoint 3D image services. Unfortunately, computational complexity of depth image-based view synthesis is high, since it includes numerous matrix calculations and complex filters. In this paper, we implement the depth image-based rendering algorithm on a graphics processing unit (GPU) using the compute unified device architecture (CUDA). We perform memory uploads to the global memory of the GPU, and compute matrix calculations of all pixels in parallel. We also simplify the filters of rendering to reduce complexity and analyze performance according to block and image sizes. Experimental results show that our implementation is faster than conventional methods while preserving visual quality. Keywords-Depth image-based rendering; GPU; parallel programming; CUDA


Background Results of recent phantom studies show that variation in CT acquisition parameters and reconstruction techniques may make radiomic features largely nonreproduceable and of limited use for prognostic clinical studies. Purpose To investigate the effect of CT radiation dose and reconstruction settings on the reproducibility of radiomic features, as well as to identify correction factors for mitigating these sources of variability. Materials and Methods This was a secondary analysis of a prospective study of metastatic liver lesions in patients who underwent staging with single-energy dual-source contrast material-enhanced staging CT between September 2011 and April 2012. Technique parameters were altered, resulting in 28 CT data sets per patient that included different dose levels, section thicknesses, kernels, and reconstruction algorithm settings. By using a training data set (n = 76), reproducible intensity, shape, and texture radiomic features (reproducibility threshold, R2 ≥ 0.95) were selected and correction factors were calculated by using a linear model to convert each radiomic feature to its estimated value in a reference technique. By using a test data set (n = 75), the reproducibility of hierarchical clustering based on 106 radiomic features measured with different CT techniques was assessed. Results Data in 78 patients (mean age, 60 years ± 10; 33 women) with 151 liver lesions were included. The percentage of radiomic features deemed reproducible for any variation of the different technical parameters was 11% (12 of 106). Of all technical parameters, reconstructed section thickness had the largest impact on the reproducibility of radiomic features (12.3% [13 of 106]) if only one technical parameter was changed while all other technical parameters were kept constant. The results of the hierarchical cluster analysis showed improved clustering reproducibility when reproducible radiomic features with dedicated correction factors were used (ρ = 0.39-0.71 vs ρ = 0.14-0.47). Conclusion Most radiomic features are highly affected by CT acquisition and reconstruction settings, to the point of being nonreproducible. Selecting reproducible radiomic features along with study-specific correction factors offers improved clustering reproducibility. © RSNA, 2019 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Sosna in this issue.


Nitrogen-containing porous carbon materials are ubiquitous with a wide range of technologically important applications, including separation science, heterogeneous catalyst supports, water purification, electrochemistry, as well as the developing areas of energy generation and storage applications. To date, a variety of approaches has been developed and applied to introduce nitrogen into the carbon matrix. It is important and necessary to design and control a hierarchical porous structure and the surface chemical groups of nitrogen-containing porous carbons for their applications. In this work, we summarize and compare recently reported routes for the preparation of nitrogen-containing porous carbon materials and the effect of nitrogen groups on its applications in adsorption, electrochemistry, catalysis/catalyst supports and hydrogen storage properties.


Recently, wireless devices have been used significantly due to
the continuous and enormous services that they provide. The
Mobility Support has been designed to achieve a permanent and
continuing access to the Internet while the wireless devices are
roaming and changing their points of attachment. One of the
major challenges that arise is how to achieve seamless mobility
and high network performance. The Internet Engineering Task
Force (IETF) has developed Mobile IP, which allows Mobile
node to be connected while it is moving as well as functioning in
foreign mobile network zone using its original IP address. IETF
also in order to manage mobility of an entire network as single
unit, they developed NEMO Basic Support Protocol (NEMO BS),
which allows Mobile Routers to move and change their point of
attachment. When a Mobile Router connected to other mobile
router on foreign mobile network, it makes a hierarchical
structure known as nested mobile network; nested mobile
network suffers from deferent problems due its complexity
structure. When the level of nesting becomes high, problems of
tunneling overhead are increased, which will produce high
message delay and affect network performance. Many proposed
schemes have been introduced to overcome nested network
mobility issues. However, novel efforts are required. This
research aim to present and evaluate a new scheme to support
nested network mobility especially in high level of nesting. The
evaluation of this proposed scheme is done using analytical
approach. The proposed scheme enhancement is benchmarked
with NEMO protocol and ROTIO approach witch it based on
IETF standers. The result obtained had shown that the proposed
scheme has better performance than the benchmark.