The Asian species of the subfamily Thaumastodinae Champion, 1924 are reviewed. Seven new species are described: Acontosceles borneensis sp. nov., Pseudeucinetus papuanus sp. nov., Mexico ogasawaraensis sp. nov., M. baliensis sp. nov., M. papuanus sp. nov., M. palauensis sp. nov. and M. borneensis sp. nov. The genus Babalimnichus Satô, 1994 is treated as a junior synonym of the genus Mexico Spilman, 1972, and three known species of the genus Babalimnichus are transferred to Mexico, viz. M. taiwanus (Satô, 1994) comb. nov., M. masamii (Satô, 1994) comb. nov. and M. splendens (Hernando & Ribera, 2003) comb. nov. Additional specimen data are shown, and new distributional records are as follows: Acontosceles chujoi Yoshitomi & Satô, 2005 from Vietnam; A. zetteli Pütz, 2008 from Laos; Pseudeucinetus javanicus Yoshitomi & Putra, 2010 from Lombok Island; Mexico taiwanus (Satô, 1994) comb. nov. from Lutao, Lanhsu and the Yonaguni-jima Islands; and M. masamii (Satô, 1994) comb. nov. from Kume-jima. A species list of the subfamily Thaumastodinae is given, with ZooBank LSIDs. The phylogenetic relationships of the thaumastodine genera are discussed.


A not necessary rectangular Euclidean space (NoNRES) is constructed, in
which one obtains a generally Lorentz invariant scalar product for the low
energy sector (LES). This sector is defined for energies below the Planckian
limit. If the energy is zero, the NoNRES becomes rectangular and due to the Lorentz
invariance, it is applicable for the complete LES of the theory. In contrast to
the usual Minkowski space the metric of the NoNRES depends on the kinetic
energy of the observed quantum particles. It is assumed that this metric may be
useful to derive the scattering cross-section of the corresponding quantum
field theory. This assumption is related to the occurrence of divergent loop
momentum integrals caused by including the infinite energy range above the
Planckian limit (high energy sector or HES). Due to its energy dependence, the
metric in both energy sectors differs. In the HES, it depends on the effective
dimension of the NoNRES. This dependency results from fluctuations of the
space-time above the Planckian limit. Even if they are not part of the theory
(as they would be in quantum gravity), these fluctuations should not be
ignored. The effective dimension decreases if the energy of the considered
particle increases. Since this is true for the HES only, the ultraviolet
divergences of loop integrals seem to vanish without distorting the results of
the LES. The mechanism is illustrated by calculating the tadpole integral
occurring for a simple self-interacting scalar quantum field (with the Higgs
mass as example). One obtains a finite contribution for the integral and
consequently for the lifetime of the scalar particle.


Renewable Energy (RE)-based power production often comes with certain challenges in variability and uncertainty of generated electricity. One promising solution to tackle these challenges is developing a network of RE power plants with sites located far enough from each other that experience different weather patterns. Most of the site selection-related literature use Geographical Information Systems to determine the studied site RE suitability. This work converts the site selection into a numerical problem through a novel Networked Renewable Power Plant Site Selection model and solves it by employing optimization techniques. To enhance the accuracy of the results, it compares a set of criteria for individual and network of sites at different regions to determine the exact locations for RE plant developments. The Analytical Hierarchy Process is used for criteria weighing. The state-of-the-art meta-heuristic Bare Bones of Fireworks algorithm offer a simple, fast, yet accurate approach to solve the optimization. The proposed method is applied on North Carolina wind farms for both individual and a network of sites. The results identified the areas with the highest wind capacity potential for individual or a network of wind farms in North Carolina. The identified suitable areas were verified with Amazon Wind Farm US East.


Bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium are important primary and opportunistic pathogens. Many are zoonotic agents. In this report, phenotypic (API Coryne analysis), genetic (rpoB and 16S rRNA gene sequencing), and physical methods (MS) were used to distinguish the closely related diphtheroid species Corynebacterium ulcerans and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, and to definitively diagnose Corynebacterium renale from cephalic implants of rhesus (Macaca mulatta) and cynomolgus (Macaca fascicularis) macaques used in cognitive neuroscience research. Throat and cephalic implant cultures yielded 85 isolates from 43 macaques. Identification by API Coryne yielded C. ulcerans (n = 74), Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (n = 2), C. renale or most closely related to C. renale (n = 3), and commensals and opportunists (n = 6). The two isolates identified as C. pseudotuberculosis by API Coryne required genetic and MS analysis for accurate characterization as C. ulcerans. Of three isolates identified as C. renale by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, only one could be confirmed as such by API Coryne, rpoB gene sequencing and MS. This study emphasizes the importance of adjunct methods in identification of coryneforms and is the first isolation of C. renale from cephalic implants in macaques.


Background and Aims: Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are lesions in the vasculature that allow blood to flow directly from arteries to veins thereby bypassing the capillaries. Pulmonary AVM (PAVM) is a connection between a pulmonary artery and a vein and usually congenital in origin. The diagnosis of PAVMs is difficult due to its varied presentations. PAVMs most commonly present with haemoptysis, dyspnea or hemothorax, transient ischemic attack or cerebrovascular disorder (CVD).


This article draws on extensive fieldwork conducted in Central Asia to explore food exports to Russia. It takes its theoretical starting point in global value chain theory and pinpoints chain entry barriers relating to financing, transportation and standards. The article also proposes rethinking the aspects of territoriality and institutional context, and suggests their integration into one concept, or rather a process of contextualizing territories. In doing so, the article argues for a methodology that not only examines current events, but also captures change as particularly important in what we term the territory in transition examined here.


The manner in which humans learn, plan, and decide actions is a very compelling subject. Moreover, the mechanism behind high-level cognitive functions, such as action planning, language understanding, and logical thinking, has not yet been fully implemented in robotics. In this paper, we propose a framework for the simultaneously comprehension of concepts, actions, and language as a first step toward this goal. This can be achieved by integrating various cognitive modules and leveraging mainly multimodal categorization by using multilayered multimodal latent Dirichlet allocation (mMLDA). The integration of reinforcement learning and mMLDA enables actions based on understanding. Furthermore, the mMLDA, in conjunction with grammar learning and based on the Bayesian hidden Markov model (BHMM), allows the robot to verbalize its own actions and understand user utterances. We verify the potential of the proposed architecture through experiments using a real robot.


In this paper, we present the mathematical analysis of two important performance measures for a BitTorrent (BT) like P2P file sharing system, namely, average file downloading time and file availability. For the file downloading time, we develop a model using the "stochastic differential equation" approach, which can capture the system more accurately than some previous approach and can capture various network settings and peers behavior. We study the steady-state behavior and obtain the closed-form solutions for performance measures which allow us to carry sensitivity analysis on various performance measures for various system parameters. We then extend this model to consider multiclass peers wherein some peers are behind firewalls which may impede the uploading service. We also present the mathematical model to study the file availability of a BT-like system. The model helps us gain the understanding of why the "rarest-first" chunk selection policy is used in today's BT protocol. We propose a novel chunk selection algorithm to enhance the overall system file availability. Extensive simulations are carried to validate our analysis


Purpose: Serial ultrasonography (US) is routinely performed after pyeloplasty in the setting of pediatric ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). We evaluated the adequacy of the follow-up US interval we are currently using, which calls for US at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months following surgery. Materials and Methods: Between January 2002 and August 2005, 102 patients underwent dismembered pyeloplasty for unilateral UPJO. Within this group, we selected 95 patients with high grade hydronephrosis to participate in this study. The degree of hydronephrosis was graded according to the classification issued by the Society for Fetal Urology (SFU). Improvement was defined as at least one grade of reduction. Serial sonograms were performed at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively. Results: On follow-up US, 33.7%, 69.5%, 77.9%, 80.0%, and 83.2% of the patients showed improvement in their hydronephrosis at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively. One patient presented with aggravation at 1 month. However, at 3 months, this patient had returned to the preoperative grade. There was no significant difference between the mean hydronephrosis grades at 6 and 12 months. No patient showed hydronephrosis aggravation at the 12-month follow-up examination. Conclusions: US at 1, 3, and 6 months revealed significant improvements in hydronephrosis. However, no significant change in hydronephrosis occurred beyond 6 months. Therefore, US performed between 6 and 12 months after pyeloplasty may be inefficient, and we propose follow-up US at the following time points: 1 month, 3 to 6 months, 12 months, and then annually. (Korean J Urol 2008;49:1018-1023) 󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏󰠏


1 Abstract 2D planar simulations of 3D cylindrical fluidized bed reactors are routinely carried out in order to reduce computational costs. The error involved in this simplification is largely unknown, however, and this study was therefore conducted to quantify this error over a wide range of reactor operating conditions. 2D and 3D simulations were carried out over a wide range of flow conditions in the bubbling fluidization regime by changing the fluidization velocity, bed mass, reaction temperature and particle size. Detailed comparisons revealed that 2D simulations qualitatively behaved similarly to 3D simulations, but overpredicted reactor performance (measured by the degree of conversion achieved) by about 45% on average. Large systematic variations of this error were also observed with changes in all four independent variables investigated. These large errors were due to two primary factors; incorrect predictions of the gas residence time by misrepresentations of the bed expansion and incorrect predictions of the mass transfer by misrepresentations of bubble formation and the splash zone at the top of the expanded bed. The mass transfer error was found to be most influential and was also confirmed as the most important factor to be correctly predicted by CFD simulations. 3D predictions of the mass transfer resistance were further analysed to identify the particle size as a very influential variable through which the mass transfer characteristics in fluidized bed reactors can be influenced.


Effects of Kilham rat virus (KRV) on selected aspects of the immune response of 2 strains of laboratory rats were studied. The Brown Norway rat and Wistar Furth rat were infected with KRV and serum antibody and interferon values and cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells were determined to assess the virus' effect on the rat's immune systems. Antibody values to the virus were increased in both strains after viral inoculation, and total antibody values were comparable in the 2 rat strains. Natural cytotoxicity was increased in Brown Norway rats 3 to 4 days after inoculation in contrast to a distinct depression for a period of 10 days in the Wistar Furth strain. Serum interferon was not measurable in either strain of rat. Seemingly, there is a distinct immune response to KRV in each rat strain and the cytotoxic activity response differs in these 2 strains of rats.


The human visual system appears to process the identity of faces separately from their emotional expression, whereas the human visual system does not appear to process emotional expression separately from identity. All current explanations of this visual processing asymmetry implicitly assume that it arises because of the organization of a specialized human face perception system. A second possibility is that this finding reflects general principles of perceptual processing. Studying animals that are unlikely to have evolved a specialized face perception system may shed fresh light on this issue. We report two experiments that investigated the interaction of identity and emotional expression in pigeons' perception of human faces. Experiment 1 found that pigeons perceive the similarity among faces sharing identity and emotion, and that these two dimensions are integral according to a spatial model of generalization. Experiment 2 found that pigeons' discrimination of emotion was reliably affected by irrelevant variations in identity, whereas pigeons' discrimination of identity was not reliably affected by irrelevant variations in emotion. Thus, the asymmetry previously reported in human studies was reproduced in our pigeon study. These results challenge the view that a specialized human face perception system must underlie this effect.


This isn't an accusation from the right. It's a friendly warning from Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at the University of Virginia who, until 2009, considered himself a partisan liberal. In "The Righteous Mind," Haidt seeks to enrich liberalism, and political discourse generally, with a deeper awareness of human nature. Like other psychologists who have ventured into political coaching, such as George Lakoff and Drew Westen, Haidt argues that people are fundamentally intuitive, not rational. If you want to persuade others, you have to appeal to their sentiments. But Haidt is looking for more than victory. He's looking for wisdom. That's what makes "The Righteous Mind" well worth reading. Politics isn't just about manipulating people who disagree with you. It's about learning from them.


Recently a cluster of new hypotheses of aging has been suggested, which explicitly predict the importance of early-life events in health and life span modulations. It has been widely assumed that these long-lasting consequences of early-life exposures may depend on the same mechanisms as those underlying "cellular memory," that is, epigenetic inheritance systems. There is a growing body of evidence that environmentally induced perturbations in the epigenetic processes (which involve alterations of gene expression without a change in DNA sequence) can determine different aspects of aging, as well as etiology and pathogenesis of age-related diseases. Long-term beneficial effects can also occur under some conditions. Changes in gene expression were detected by the life-extending hormetic interventions, such as irradiation, both heat and cold shocks, repeated mild heat stress, dietary restriction, and hypergravity, as well as by geroprotectors (e.g., antioxidants). It might be hypothesized that life-extending effects are most likely a consequence of unspecific (hormetic) action, rather than specific (geroprotective) action, and induced transcriptional changes may be a common mechanism for all anti-aging treatments. The epigenetic interventions (e.g., pre- and postnatal mild stresses), it seems, can be specifically useful in the modulation of aging processes and healthy life extension.


The energy turn is valid as one of the central social projects of our time. Its meaning is not only limited to its known contribution to the global climate protection and to the reduction of the dangers by the use of nuclear energy. It should also serve to reduce the energy import dependence of Germany, to possible effects of energy price shocks and to the likelihood of the inclusion in future resource wars. However, beside these protective functions it can also create new business segments and jobs and promote innovations in the areas of efficiency and renewable energy and contributes to a future-oriented, more ecological business development. Already in 2010, the Federal Government of Germany has formulated aims concerning the development of renewable energy, the increase of the energy efficiency as well as the reduction of the CO2 output. While the aims are probably achieved concerning the development of renewable energy in the stream sector and in the warm consumption, further strains are necessary in the area of the energy efficiency. Though there are numerous energy service offers and funding programmes with those the energy efficiency should be increased, indeed, these have led - in particular with small and middle-size enterprise (SME) - up to now not to the desired results. Hence, it is the aim of the work to develop attempts for a concept for the realisation by energy efficiency potentials in SMEs. The research area of the work is in the eastern Ruhr area in the region of Unna/Kamen/Bergkamen/Bonen/Holzwickede and originates from the project "SWOT-Analyse zur Energiewende Unna/Kamen/Bergkamen/Bonen/Holzwickede" of the Wuppertal Institut in whose frame this work is created. In the course of the analysis, central internal and external factors of influence on the decision of regional SMEs were analysed for the realization by energy efficiency measures as well as practise examples for the realisation of energy efficiency potentials were evaluated. Finally, the results of analysis were worked out to the attempts for a concept for the realisation of energy efficiency potentials in SMEs and when action recommendations were formulated.


We present a direct comparison between identical electrostatically and covalently assembled Si–graphene composites for lithium ion battery anodes. The covalent composite is synthesized via amide bond formation between aminated Si nanoparticles and carboxylated graphene using carbodiimide as coupling agent. The composite exhibits 14 times higher reversible capacity retention after 100 lithiation/delithiation cycles in comparison with electrostatically coupled Si–graphene composites. The results indicate that covalent coupling of Si and graphene improves the nanoscale mechanical stability during cycling and improves electrical contact between graphene and Si, thus resulting in higher capacity retention.


This study was undertaken to search for an alternative experimental model in the evaluation of fentanyl-induced muscle rigidity. Unanesthetized, spontaneously ventilating Sprague-Dawley rats, and rats anesthetized with either ketamine or thiopental whose ventilation was mechanically controlled, were studied. Intravenous administration of fentanyl (25, 50, or 100 micrograms/kg) caused an increase in electromyographic (EMG) activity in both unanesthetized and ketamine-anesthetized, but not in thiopental-anesthetized, animals. Muscle rigidity was more prominently manifested in the gastrocnemius muscle, when compared with the rectus abdominis muscle. Hypoxemia was exhibited during the course of rigidity by both spontaneously ventilating and ketamine-anesthetized rats, but not by thiopental-anesthetized animals. In addition, unanesthetized, spontaneously ventilating rats developed hypercarbia and respiratory acidosis. The authors suggest that, in addition to using unanesthetized animals, EMG activity in the gastrocnemius muscle of rats anesthetized with ketamine in whom ventilation is controlled may provide an alternative approach in the evaluation of fentanyl-induced muscle rigidity.


The prostate is normally under the control of sex steroids and endocrine therapy is the most effective first line therapy in prostate cancer. Prostate carcinoma is characterised by eventual loss of hormonal sensitivity with increased aggressive behaviour of the tumour. Prostate carcinoma has an initial slow growing non- invasive phase, but, mostly, is invasive by the time of diagnosis. As the tumour progresses, tissue growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) appear to be more effective than hormones in the control of the cancer cells. Increased tyrosine kinase activity, related to the increased activity of growth factor receptors, has been shown in many prostate cancers. Plasminogen activators (PA) , particularly urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), have been implicated in extracellular proteolysis in invasiveness, metastasis and angiogenesis. PA are highly substrate specific enzymes which convert the inactive zymogen plasminogen to plasmin. Plasmin, a proteolytic enzyme of broad specificity, degrades laminin and fibronectin, and activates various tissue metalloproteinases. Degradation of these extracellular proteins facilitates the migration and metastasis of tumour cells to different biological sites. Regulation of uPA activity and pericellular proteolysis, at protein level, is controlled by the combination of PA inhibitors, PAI-1 and PAI-2 which are responsible for the negative regulation and uPA receptor (uPAR) which binds latent uPA. uPA plays a critical role in the invasion and migration of prostate cancer cells and provides a marker of the aggressive phenotype. This study investigated the regulation by androgen, EGF, and TGFbeta of the release and function of uPA, PAI-1 and PAI-2 using hormone-insensitive invasive prostate cancer cells, PC-3 and DU145. These studies include measurement of EGF receptor function, in terms of its sensitivity to a "specific" inhibitor and assay of the various proteases at mRNA, protein and functional levels. The PC3 and DU145 cells both possess EGF receptor (EGFR). Growth of PC3 cells was stimulated by exogenous EGF but not that of DU145 cells (figs 3.5 and 3.6). However, EGFR-specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors significantly inhibited growth of both cell types (figs 3.7 and 3.8). On the other hand, both cell types were found to be growth insensitive to exogenous TGFbeta (figs 4.1 and 4.2). Both cell lines expressed uPA, uPAR and PAI-1 transcripts. uPA, tPA, PAI-1 and PAI-2 proteins were all detectable in the PC3 cells whereas only uPA and PAI-1 proteins (PAI-1 protein was hardly detectable in the control group) were found in DU145 cells. EGF increased the production of uPA, at both transcriptional and protein level (figs 3.11, 3.15 and 3.16) in addition to increasing uPAR at transcriptional level (figs 3.12 and 3.14) in both cell lines. uPA activity was enhanced by EGF in both cell lines (figs 3.18 and 3.19). The matrigel invasion of the PC3 cells was increased by exogenous EGF in an in vitro invasion assay (fig 3.20). The tyrosine kinase inhibitors inhibited all stimulations caused by EGF. uPA production and activity were suppressed well below that in the control group. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor (ZM26060S) also reversed the EGF stimulated matrigel invasion by the PC3 cells. TGFbeta also stimulated uPA and PAI-1 production in both cell lines (figs 4.8 and 4.9). The TGFB-induced increase in PAI-1 production in both cell lines (figs 4.10 and 4.11) was remarkable (2087 % in PC3, 1433 % in DU145). TGFbeta also stimulated PAI-2 protein in the PC3 cell line. uPA activity was found to be inhibited by TGFbeta in the PC3 cell cytosol whereas it was increased in the DU145 cells (figs 4.12 and 4.13). In the matrigel invasion assay TGFbeta treated PC3 and DU 145 cells showed a similar invasion in comparison to the control group. Overall, EGF is a potent stimulative agent for both growth and invasion in prostate cancer cells. The contribution of TGFbeta to prostate cancer cell growth and invasiveness still seems to be controversial. The effect of TGFbeta on the immune system, on angiogenesis and on colony formation by cancer cells all suggest that TGFbeta plays a positive role in favour of cancer invasiveness and provides a new target for therapy. As can be seen from the results, targetting the EGFR function inhibits not only tumour growth but also its invasiveness. On the basis of these results, inhibition of EGFR-related tyrosine kinase activity may open a new era in the treatment of drug-resistant prostate cancer.


An image database management system has been constructed utilizing an image navigation directory. The image navigation directory (IND) has new functions of distributing uniformly high quality images to video display terminals (VDTs) which generally have different display characteristics. One of the functions is to convert natural pictures to those having optimum gamma. The other is to convert character images to those having optimum contrast. When the converted images are distributed and displayed on various VDTs, natural pictures are reproduced in high quality and character images are reproduced in less visual fatigue. In this study, the image database management system was found to be able to distribute any image having different optical characteristics to any VDT keeping quality high and uniform when it takes more display parameters into consideration.


Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been believed to play a critical role in cancer metastasis. TGF has been described as an inducer of EMT in normal mammary epithelial cells by signaling through receptor serine/threonine kinase pathways to regulate epithelial cell plasticity and invasion. In this study, we investigated the EMT cellular responses, including morphologic changes, phenotype switches, invasiveness enhancement, and cellular contraction alteration, in TGF stimulated human prostate normal epithelial cells (PZ-HPV-7). Migration of TGF treated PZ-HPV-7 cells across matrigel was measured in invasion chambers (8 m pore size). The cells were treated with or without TGF (2 ng/ml) in PrEGM media for 3 days. Immunoblot assay was conducted and it was demonstrated that the induction of vimentin when stimulated by TGF was accompanied by a downregulation of E-cadherin, though p-cadherin level was not altered. It was also observed that there was a decrease in cytokaretin 5/6 expression associated with the downregulation of E-cadherin during the induction of EMT. In order to study the cell contraction, three-dimensional collage lattice assay was performed. It was demonstrated that TGF-stimulated PZ-HPV-7 cells gained contractility. Our results showed that TGF stimulation induced PZ-HPV-7 cells to undergo epithelial to mesenchymal transition. EMT characteristics such as acquisition of mesenchymal markers and loss of epithelial markers were evident in the induction of vimentin and downregulation of E-cadherin and cytokeratins, as well as phenotypic alterations including increased contraction and enhanced mobility were detected. DOI: 10.1115/1.4001542


Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are characterized by high proliferation rate, the multi-differentiation ability and, notably, low immunogenicity and immunomodulatory properties exerted through different mechanisms including Fas/FasL pathway. Despite their multipotency, hDPSCs require particular conditions to achieve chondrogenic differentiation. This might be due to the perivascular localization and the expression of angiogenic marker under standard culture conditions. FasL stimulation was able to promote the early induction of chondrogenic commitment and to lead the differentiation at later times. Interestingly, the expression of angiogenic marker was reduced by FasL stimulation without activating the extrinsic apoptotic pathway in standard culture conditions. In conclusion, these findings highlight the peculiar embryological origin of hDPSCs and provide further insights on their biological properties. Therefore, Fas/FasL pathway not only is involved in determining the immunomodulatory properties, but also is implicated in supporting the chondrogenic commitment of hDPSCs.


The skeletal muscle of cattle suffering from generalized glycogenosis type II was shown to lack acid α-glucosidase (EC 22.214.171.124) activity. Furthermore, there was no evidence of enzymically inactive proteins that cross-reacted with antibodies raised against acid α-glucosidase from the muscle of normal animals.


Diffusion of nano-sized liquid Pb inclusions in thin aluminum foils is investigated using in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Free diffusion of the inclusions in the bulk and diffusion constrained by dislocations trapping is studied. The motion of trapped Pb inclusions is spatially confined in close proximity to the dislocations. The diffusion coefficients of free motion of the inclusions are determined using Einstein's equation. The diffusion coefficients of trapped inclusions were obtained using an equation based on Smoluchowski's analysis of the Brownian motion of particle in a harmonic potential. The agreement of the diffusion coefficients of free and trapped inclusions indicates the same underlying microscopic mechanism, and no strong influence from dislocations. The microscopic mechanism controlling the mobility is discussed.


Markovian jump systems (MJSs) evolve in a jump-wise manner by switching among simpler models, according to a finite Markov chain, whose parameters are commonly assumed known. This paper addresses the problem of state estimation of MJS with unknown transition probability matrix (TPM) of the embedded Markov chain governing the jumps. Under the assumption of a time-invariant but random TPM, an approximate recursion for the TPMs posterior probability density function (PDF) within the Bayesian framework is obtained. Based on this recursion, four algorithms for online minimum mean-square error (MMSE) estimation of the TPM are derived. The first algorithm (for the case of a two-state Markov chain) computes the MMSE estimate exactly, if the likelihood of the TPM is linear in the transition probabilities. Its computational load is, however, increasing with the data length. To limit the computational cost, three alternative algorithms are further developed based on different approximation techniques-truncation of high order moments, quasi-Bayesian approximation, and numerical integration, respectively. The proposed TPM estimation is naturally incorporable into a typical online Bayesian estimation scheme for MJS [e.g., generalized pseudo-Bayesian (GPB) or interacting multiple model (IMM)]. Thus, adaptive versions of MJS state estimators with unknown TPM are provided. Simulation results of TPM-adaptive IMM algorithms for a system with failures and maneuvering target tracking are presented.


© 2018 CSIRO. While the role of humans in causing high rates of species extinctions worldwide is well established, philosophies and opinions as to how to mitigate the current biodiversity loss are once again hotly debated topics. At the centre of the debate are differences in opinions regarding the value and the best methods of conserving and restoring biodiversity in peopled landscapes. Here we synthesise information from different case studies from Oceania that demonstrate how biodiversity conservation in peopled landscapes will require different, and often novel, socio-ecological approaches. We draw special attention to the importance of prioritising human dimensions in the conservation of different ecosystems, ranging from highly modified urban areas to largely intact wilderness areas. Particularly, we explore the importance of understanding motivations to conserve biodiversity, implementing well designed conservation actions, both socially and ecologically, and involving different stakeholders in the design and implementation of conservation projects. On the basis of our synthesis, we suggest that conservation in peopled landscapes in Oceania offers great opportunities for community involvement, including traditional landowners, in all aspects of conservation planning and implementation. Where uncertainties regarding the suitability of established management strategies exist, novel guidelines should be based on the best available ecological and social evidence to avoid potential negative outcomes.


Patient: Male, 73 Final Diagnosis: Sacrococcygeal chordoma • Symptoms: Coccycodynia • sacral pain Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Surgery Objective: Rare disease Background: Sacrococcygeal chordomas are rare and difficult to diagnose tumors. Case Report: A 73-year-old man in the last 6 months felt a pain in and around the coccyx when sitting and especially when rising from the sitting position. He consulted his family physician and was referred by him to a general surgeon with the diagnosis of pilonidal disease. During the operation, the surgeon found an unusual mass and performed a wedge biopsy of the tumor. When chordoma was returned as the diagnosis, the patient was referred to our tertiary hospital for further treatment. The sacrococcygeal chordoma was excised en bloc with the coccyx and the fifth sacral vertebra by posterior approach. Conclusions: Because of minimal response to chemo- and radio-therapy, resections with wide margins at initial surgery is the most important factor influencing local recurrence.


This paper evaluates techniques for improving operating system and network protocol software support for high-performance World Wide Web servers. We study approaches in three categories: i.e., new socket functions, per-byte optimizations, and per-connection optimizations. We examine two proposed socket functions, i.e., acceptex( ) and send_file( ), comparing send_file( )'s effectiveness with a combination of mmap( ) and writev( ). We show how send_file( ) provides the necessary semantic support to eliminate copies and checksums in the kernel, and quantify the benefit of the function's header and close options. We also present mechanisms to reduce the number of packets exchanged in an HTTP transaction, both increasing server performance and reducing network utilization, without compromising interoperability. Results using WebStone show that our combination of mechanisms can improve server throughput by up to 64%, and can eliminate up to 33% of the packets in an HTTP exchange. Results with SURGE show an aggregate increase in server throughput of 25%.


Abstract. In this study, we present vertical particle profiles acquired with the deep-sea camera system ParCa. The profiles were obtained during three campaigns in the spring seasons of 2001–2003 off NW-Africa (Cape Blanc). The camera profiles showed interannual and spatial variabilities regarding the particle concentrations in the ocean surface which were related to changes in the Chl-a biomass concentration. Although particle concentrations varied, all profiles showed rather similar distribution patterns. They were characterised by a subsurface particle maximum layer, around 200 m at stations close to the coast and around 400 m at stations further offshore. We argue, that at least a portion of the material seen in the subsurface maximum originates from the coast, and was laterally advected towards the open ocean by filament activity. Apart from this offshore transport, increased concentrations of particulate matter above the seafloor suggest a downslope transport of particulate matter near the seafloor. Both hypothesis were tested with model computations, described in a companion paper. A special sedimentation event was observed during a field campaign in 2001. The particle abundance patterns and the size distributions most likely reflect a sinking event, where particulate matter is transferred on very short time scales from the surface to the seafloor. We assume, that the fast sinking particle cloud preferably scavenges the more abundant small particles, resulting in larger particles sizes above and within the sinking cloud.


I131-albumin metabolic studies were carried out in 5 rabbits before, 3 weeks after, and several months after removal of 70 to 90 per cent of the jejunum and ileum. A sixth animal was studied before and 11 weeks after a sham operation. During postoperative experiments, the animals were found to be in a highly unsteady state with large losses of albumin from the vascular compartment. Despite these losses, the plasma albumin concentration was maintained at a relatively constant level. No decrease in the albumin efflux occurred following nearly complete jejuno-ileectomy. The data suggest that albumin catabolism is a first order process.


This paper reports a novel kind of solid micro-gyroscope, which is called piezoelectric micromachined modal gyroscope (PMMG). PMMG has large stiffness and robust resistance to shake and strike because there is no evident mass-spring component in its structure. This work focused on quantitative optimization of the gyroscope, which is still blank for such gyroscope. A set of quantitative indicators were developed to optimize the operation mode and corresponding device size was obtained. By FEM, the harmonic analysis was conducted to find the way to efficiently actuate the operation mode needed. At last, the Coriolis analysis was conducted to show the relation between angular velocity and differential output voltage by the Coriolis force under working condition.


Background Some studies have shown a relationship between seasonality in weather patterns and depressive and behavioural disorders, especially in temperate climate regions. However, there is a lack of studies describing the seasonal patterns of hospital admissions for a variety of mental disorders in tropical and subtropical nations. The aim of this study has been to examine the relationship between seasons and daily hospital admissions for mental disorders in Hanoi, Vietnam. Designs A 5-year database (2008–2012) compiled by Hanoi Mental Hospital covering mental disorder admissions diagnosed by the International Classification of Diseases 10 was analysed. A negative binominal regression model was applied to estimate the associations between seasonality and daily hospital admissions for mental disorders, for all causes and for specific diagnoses. Results The summer season indicated the highest relative risk (RR=1.24, confidence interval (CI)=1.1–1.39) of hospital admission for mental disorders, with a peak in these cases in June (RR=1.46, CI=1.19–1.7). Compared to other demographic groups, males and the elderly (aged over 60 years) were more sensitive to seasonal risk changes. In the summer season, the RR of hospital visits among men increased by 26% (RR=1.26, CI=1.12–1.41) and among the elderly by 23% (RR=1.23, CI=1.03–1.48). Furthermore, when temperatures including minimum, mean, and maximum increased 1°C, the number of cases for mental disorders increased by 1.7%, 2%, and 2.1%, respectively. Conclusion The study results showed a correlation between hospital admission for mental disorders and season.


Xenopus early response gene 1 is a maternally-derived immediate-early gene whose expression is activated by FGF during mesoderm induction in Xenopus embryos. The purpose of this project was to characterize the expression and investigate the function of ER1 protein during early development in Xenopus. Analysis of the expression pattern of ER1 showed that the protein is present in the early embryo but retained in the cytoplasm until mid-blastula stages after which it is translocated to the nucleus, first in the presumptive mesoderm, then in the presumptive ectoderm, and finally in the endoderm. Overexpression of the dominant negative FGF receptor XFD completely blocks translocation of ER1 to the nucleus at mid-blastula suggesting that nuclear translocation of ER1 is dependent on events triggered by FGF signaling. Deletion analysis of stretches of acidic amino acid in the N-terminal region of ER1 showed that the protein has transactivation activity in vitro, suggesting that the protein may function as a transcription factor in vivo. Overexpression of ER1 in embryos results in embryos with posterior truncations, a phenotype similar to that of embryos overexpressing XFD. RT-PCR analysis of molecular markers expressed during early development showed that overexpression of ER1 downregulates the expression of Xbra, BMP-4, and HoxB9. These results suggest that ER1 may function as an endogenous, negative regulator of the FGF signaling pathway during Xenopus embryogenesis.


We propose a parameter sharing method for Transformers (Vaswani et al., 2017). The proposed approach relaxes a widely used technique, which shares parameters for one layer with all layers such as Universal Transformers (Dehghani et al., 2019), to increase the efficiency in the computational time. We propose three strategies: Sequence, Cycle, and Cycle (rev) to assign parameters to each layer. Experimental results show that the proposed strategies are efficient in the parameter size and computational time. Moreover, we indicate that the proposed strategies are also effective in the configuration where we use many training data such as the recent WMT competition.


United States law extensively regulates corporate participation in the political process. The rationale for this regulation is a concern that corporate political activity, particularly campaign contributions, will corrupt the political process and enable corporations to obtain rents at societal expense. Regulators, the media and the public generally view corporate political activity as illegitimate and distinguish it from operational business decisions. Critics of corporate political activity advocate ever-increasing regulatory restrictions and support their analysis with empirical studies that purport to demonstrate the ability of corporate donors to buy favorable legislation by making political contributions to members of Congress.This Article challenges the prevailing characterization of corporate political activity as a distortion of the political process. Using a case study methodology, the Article examines the political involvement of one company, FedEx, in a series of regulatory reforms over a forty year period. Drawing upon the business context, the legislative record, campaign finance materials and interest group analysis, the Article demonstrates that political activity has been an integral component of FedEx's business growth and operations. FedEx has successfully used its political influence to shape legislation, and FedEx's political success has, in turn, shaped its overall business strategy. Moreover, in identifying the specific components of FedEx's political activity, the Article highlights the range of mechanisms that corporations use to engage in politics, revealing that the exercise of political influence is far more complex than the purchase of political favors in a spot market.Regulation is becoming an increasingly important factor for United States businesses. As a result, corporations must integrate political activity into their overall business strategy and must develop and manage their political capital in the same way that they manage other business assets. The FedEx story demonstrates the importance of politics to business and explains the growing investment by corporations in political capital. It further explains how the business world has responded, and will continue to respond, to regulatory restrictions by developing alternative mechanisms for exerting political influence. By understanding how and why corporations participate in politics, policy-makers can better address concerns about the effect of corporate political influence.


Community pharmacists, by virtue of their location, are thought to be among the most accessible health care workers in the delivery system. To estimate the importance of this assertion it is necessary to understand the communication habits of pharmacists, especially their interactions with patients. Since verbal communication is the most frequent form of patient interaction, this study attempts to specify the type and amount of all pharmacist communication with emphasis on the pharmacist-patient process. Using a modified work sampling technique, communication data were collected on community pharmacists practicing in chain pharmacies. Data are presented in the context of a causal model The strongest pathway in the model is found to be the inverse relationship of prescription department staffing to the percentage of time pharmacists devote to communication with patients. Prescription volume is seen to have a moderately positive effect on the level of communication. However, further analysis reveals staffing to be the limiting factor. The findings suggest that changes in the environment of the community pharmacists studied would do much to increase pharmacist-patient contact. An educational effort also is indicated to assure that patients receive quality communication.


Care extension programs that bridge hospitals into the community are today a mainstream component of psychiatric care around the world. Stronger linkages amongst community resources can help patients and their families transition successfully through the hospital discharge process and reenter the community. Discharge planning is a service that provides the needs-oriented care necessary to link the hospital and community. Such planning, handled in accordance with case management procedures, focuses on medical team cooperation, follow-up services and recovery evaluation. Using a review of the literature and a real case study, this article demonstrates the practical use of discharge planning services, analyzes problems frequently encountered during the discharge process and related interventions. By increasing the proper disease management knowledge of patients and their families, strengthening staff support to families through the creation of "medical leagues", establishing community care and better support networks, and implementing a discharge process evaluation procedure, discharge planning services may provide efficient and continuous medical care essential to prevent re-admission, reduce hospitalization expenses, and strike a better balance between medical service quality and cost.


This paper presents a choice experiment study of a proposed wetland restoration project which aims to preserve archaeological artefacts from Stone Age villages which are presently buried within the topsoil. Wetland restoration can avoid destruction of the artefacts due to agricultural cultivation and drainage, and in addition improve biological diversity and recreational opportunities. The results indicate that even though the artefacts are not visible or usable for the population of today, but may contain information and potential value for future generations, the strongest preferences displayed is for ensuring permanent protection of archaeological artefacts, rather than biological diversity and recreational opportunities. The results are discussed in relation to the Prospect Theory: people value a loss of cultural heritage higher than a gain of new cultural goods or services. This insight is of general interest to cultural economics and cultural policy, especially with respect to heritage protection.


This book states all through clearly that classroom authority delivers to teachers both fundamental and pressing issues at all levels of schooling, including fundamental issues considerations as to what it means to be an authoritative teacher, and the pressing issues on consideration of how to enact one's authority as a teacher in specific settings. The book, viewed as an attempt to combine these two avenues of consideration, is striking with insight and advice as an example of research. Teacher authority in this specific case, can be regarded as relating to both the applied problem of teachers creating and maintaining authority in their classrooms and the fundamental problem of defining the core of teacher authority. Taking the book as combining these elements, the essays in it are of equal importance for both teachers and educational researchers; however, if the book resists this reading of it and emphasize that its scope includes only applied research, it will gradually lose its usefulness. So I review the book in the following focusing on the topic of teacher research.


ABSTRACT For polarized light to inform behaviour, the typical range of degrees of polarization observable in the animal's natural environment must be above the threshold for detection and interpretation. Here, we present the first investigation of the degree of linear polarization threshold for orientation behaviour in a nocturnal species, with specific reference to the range of degrees of polarization measured in the night sky. An effect of lunar phase on the degree of polarization of skylight was found, with smaller illuminated fractions of the moon's surface corresponding to lower degrees of polarization in the night sky. We found that the South African dung beetle Escarabaeus satyrus can orient to polarized light for a range of degrees of polarization similar to that observed in diurnal insects, reaching a lower threshold between 0.04 and 0.32, possibly as low as 0.11. For degrees of polarization lower than 0.23, as measured on a crescent moon night, orientation performance was considerably weaker than that observed for completely linearly polarized stimuli, but was nonetheless stronger than in the absence of polarized light. Summary: A degree of polarization threshold for orientation behaviour is reported for nocturnal dung beetle Escarabaeus satyrus in the context of measurements showing changes in the degree of polarization of skylight with lunar phase.


High-yield and high-purity bamboo-like boron nitride nanotubes were synthesized via an effective chemical vapor deposition method by annealing porous precursor under ammonia atmosphere at 1150 °C. The porous precursor, prepared by self-propagation high temperature synthesis method, was the key to bulk synthesis process. The as-synthesized boron nitride nanotubes were characterized by SEM, TEM, HRTEM, XRD, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. These nanotubes had a bamboo-like structure with uniform diameters about 90 nm and length of more than 10 μm. The associated growth model is proposed in this paper.


Rural electrification of Pacific Island Countries (PICs) through renewable energy is necessary for poverty alleviation, energy security, improved health, and to mitigate the effects of climate change, with solar PV being the preferred technological solution. However, electrification projects in PICs have had a high rate of failure, which has led to the adoption of various electrification strategies. This research has analysed the essential criteria for creating effective and enduring electrification models for rural household-scale electrification in PICs. A case study on self-initiated solar PV home systems (SHSs) demonstrated rural end-users' ability and desire to maintain SHSs of their own accord, while at the same time liberating their community of reliance on kerosene. The results suggested that market solutions that pay sufficient attention to social dimensions of project design and implementation are more likely to be successful in meeting end-users needs and providing enduring results. Such approaches have fewer organizational layers, allow for end-user participation and education, and encourage self-initiative. The need for such social solutions is well documented in the development literature, yet many of the electrification programs in PICs did not allocate sufficient funds to understanding and incorporating these social aspects. This research concludes that a proper balance in the overarching program design between the technical and social focus of projects is required, as each are equally important for project effectiveness and durability.


Here we report a new anion conducting covalent organic framework (COF). Quaternary ammonium (QA) ions are covalently tethered onto the pore walls of COF 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol-o-tolidine (TpBD-Me) through bromination and quaternization. The QA-functionalized COF shows a bicarbonate conductivity of 5.3 mS cm−1 at 20 °C and 27.0 mS cm−1 at 80 °C, accompanied by 3.3 wt% water uptake and <1.0% swelling ratio at 20 °C. This QA-functionalized COF provides a new option for anion conducting materials.


In this paper, multiple order reduction techniques for parametrically excited nonlinear quasi-periodic systems are presented. The linear time varying part of the quasi-periodic system is transformed to a Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) form via Lyapunov-Perron (L-P) Transformation. The analytical computation of such a transformation is performed using an intuitive state augmentation and the Normal Forms technique. This L-P transformation is further utilized in analyzing the nonlinear part of the original quasi-periodic system.
 Using the L-P transformation, three order reduction techniques are detailed in this work. Firstly, a Guyan linear reduction method is applied to reduce the nonlinear terms. The second method is to identify a nonlinear projection based on the Singular Perturbation method. In the third technique, the method of Invariant Manifold is applied to identify a relationship between the dominant and non-dominant system states. Furthermore, in this work, all three order reduction techniques are demonstrated on the class of commutative and non-commutative/Hills type nonlinear quasiperiodic systems. The behavior of the systems states of the resulting solution are compared with the numerical integration results and their performance is rated based on the error plots for each technique.


The aim of this article is to give a perspective on how to perform lung cancer screening in places with high incidence of granulomatous diseases (GDs). Regarding improvements in diagnosis and treatments, TB remains one of the major health problems to be faced in Brazil and worldwide. The aspect of the primary complex is the same as that of the indeterminate pulmonary nodule, which may increase the rate of "positive" findings during a screening program. The multidisciplinary team is able to differentiate such nodules from those with greater suspicion, especially when analyzing the whole set of computed tomography (CT) findings associated with the "positive" pulmonary nodule. Considering the lung cancer importance in the depicted epidemiological profile, primary and secondary prevention are fundamental to change the actual scenario. For secondary prevention, periodic lung cancer screening may be useful. In Brazil, there are major concerns that in heavy smokers many benign nodules might be found secondary to GD, leading to unnecessary diagnostic testing and surgical intervention. It is important to emphasize that low-dose CT (LDCT) examinations performed in people from regions with high prevalence of GD may be interpreted by radiologists with experience seeing its most common findings, such as scars at the apex of the lungs, presence of pleural thickening and occurrence of multiple micro nodules. In the experience of our group, with the accomplishment of LDCT screening in about 800 asymptomatic individuals, active tuberculosis (TB) was diagnosed in only three cases, where the radiological suspicion aroused in the absence of significant symptoms. In this scenario, it seems to be feasible to engage asymptomatic high-risk persons for cancer screening in large-scale programs within areas with high prevalence of GDs. Benefits of case-finding in both circumstances of benign transmission able disease or lethal cancer type outweigh most of the harms encountered.


Clear Word and Third Sight examines the strands of a collective African diasporic consciousness represented in the work of a number of Black Caribbean writers. Catherine A. John shows how a shared consciousness, or "third sight," is rooted in both pre- and postcolonial cultural practices and disseminated through a rich oral tradition. This consciousness has served diasporic communities by creating an alternate philosophical "worldsense" linking those of African descent across space and time.

Contesting popular discourses about what constitutes culture and maintaining that neglected strains in negritude discourse provide a crucial philosophical perspective on the connections between folk practices, cultural memory, and collective consciousness, John examines the diasporic principles in the work of the negritude writers Leon Damas, Aime Cesaire, and Leopold Senghor. She traces the manifestations and reworkings of their ideas in Afro-Caribbean writing from the eastern and French Caribbean, as well as the Caribbean diaspora in the United States. The authors she discusses include Jamaica Kincaid, Earl Lovelace, Simone Schwarz-Bart, Audre Lorde, Paule Marshall, and Edouard Glissant, among others. John argues that by incorporating what she calls folk groundings—such as poems, folktales, proverbs, and songs—into their work, Afro-Caribbean writers invoke a psychospiritual consciousness which combines old and new strategies for addressing the ongoing postcolonial struggle.


Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is a rare, rapidly fatal myocarditis with histologic features that have some similarities to cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). The natures of the inflammatory infiltrates of GCM and CS have not been systematically compared. We retrospectively compared the immunohistochemical and light microscopic findings at autopsy in eight hearts with GCM and seven hearts with CS. The patients with GCM were six women and two men (mean age, 50 +/- 13 yr) who presented with congestive heart failure with a mean duration of 46 days until death (range, 1-180 d). We observed three histologic phases, often within a single heart. The acute phase (seven cases of eight) demonstrated an extensive infiltrate of lymphocytes and eosinophils with plentiful macrophages and macrophage-derived KP-1 positive giant cells (GCs) associated with myocytic necrosis. No granulomas were identified. A healing phase (three cases of eight) showed granulation tissue, moderate macrophagic GCs, and scattered KP-1-negative myogenic GCs. A healed phase (three cases of eight) showed dense scar with no GCs. Macrophagic GCs were present preferentially in areas of myocytic damage and were never present in epicardial fat. The majority of lymphocytes were T cells, with a predominance of CD8 cells. The seven patients with CS were men (mean age, 44 +/- 18 yr). Six patients presented with sudden cardiac death and one with congestive heart failure. The histologic patterns were similar in all seven, with scattered interstitial and epicardial (five cases of seven) granulomas composed of KP-1 positive macrophages and macrophagic GCs and T lymphocytes, which were predominantly CD4 cells. Necrosis, myogenic GCs, and significant numbers of eosinophils were absent. Dense scarring was present in five cases of seven. GCM is characterized by myocytic destruction mediated by cytotoxic T cells, macrophagic GCs, and eosinophils. In contrast, CS is an interstitial granulomatous disease without myocytic necrosis.


Background: Postoperative delirium is common in the elderly and is associated with poor outcome. However, its diagnosis is often missed or delayed. Nursing staff is at the frontline and plays a crucial role in the early detection and management of delirium. This study was designed to explore the knowledge and attitudes of nursing staff about delirium in the scope of an educational program implementation. Subjects and Methods: Qualitative and quantitative analyses conducted in four surgical wards and one intensive care unit in an Academic Hospital in India. A questionnaire was administered to 121 nurses and nursing assistants and semi structured interviews were conducted. Results: A total of 89 questionnaires were completed (response rate of 73.55%). Regarding symptoms, most of the nursing staff knew about disorientation and incoherent speech. However, few knew about acute onset and fluctuation, and the hypoactive form of delirium was virtually unknown. Regarding risk factors, while many knew about dehydration, drug use and the use of physical restraints, few knew about sensory impairment and infection. The staff globally knew about the main prevention measures, but knowledge on patient management was especially poor. Finally, no respondent knew about or used the Confusion Assessment Method. The qualitative analysis revealed a trivialization of delirium onset among older inpatients and the continuity of preconceived ideas on delirium, its diagnosis and its risk factors. Conclusion: This study provides a clearer understanding of staff learning needs and identifies potential issues to be addressed in order to increase future intervention efficacy.


Mesostructured forms of silica (denoted MSU‐J) and aminopropyl‐functionalized silica (denoted AP‐MSU‐J) with wormhole framework structures are effective reinforcing agents for a rubbery epoxy polymer. At loadings of 2.0–10 wt %, MSU‐J silica with an average framework pore size of 14 nm (65 °C assembly temperature) provides superior reinforcement properties in comparison to MSU‐J silica with a smaller average framework pore size of 5.3 nm (25 °C assembly temperature), even though the surface area of the larger pore mesostructure (670 m2 g−1) is substantially lower than the smaller pore mesostructure (964 m2 g−1). The introduction of 5.0 and 10 mol % aminopropyl groups in the wormhole framework walls decreases the textural properties in comparison to the pure silica analogs. AP‐MSU‐J organosilicas increase the tensile strength as well as the strain‐at‐break of the rubbery epoxy mesocomposites in comparison to MSU‐J silica as a reinforcing agent. The improved toughness provided by the aminopropyl functionalized mesostructures is attributable in part to covalent bond formation between the mesostructured silica walls and the cured epoxy matrix and to a more ductile mesostructure framework in comparison to a pure silica framework. An organosilica derivative containing 20 mol % aminopropyl groups, but lacking a mesostructured framework, provides little or no improvement in polymer tensile properties, demonstrating that an ordered porous network is essential for polymer reinforcement. In general, the reinforcement benefits provided by mesostructures with larger framework pores are superior to those provided by smaller pore derivatives, most likely because of more efficient polymer impregnation of the particle mesopores. The presence of a mesostructured form of the organosilica is essential for improving the mechanical properties of the epoxy polymer.


Computational conformational sampling is integral to small molecule pharmaceutical research, for detailed conformational analysis and high-throughput 3D library enumeration. These two regimes were tested in details for the general-purpose modeling program MOE, using its three conformational sampling methods, i.e. systematic search, stochastic search, and Conformation Import. The tests include i) identification of the global energy minimum, ii) reproduction of the bioactive conformation, iii) measures of conformational coverage with 3D descriptors, and iv) compute times. The bioactive conformers are from a new set of 256 diverse, druglike, protein-bound ligands compiled and analyzed with particular care. The MOE results are compared to those obtained from the established program Catalyst. Key parameters controlling the conformational coverage were varied systematically. Coverage and diversity of the conformational space were characterized with unique pharmacophore triplets or quadruplets. Overall, the protocols in both MOE and Catalyst performed well for their intended tasks. MOE performed at least as well as Catalyst for high-throughput library generation and detailed conformational modeling. This work provides a guide and specific recommendations regarding the usage of conformational sampling tools in MOE.


Resource allocation issues are investigated in this paper for multiuser wireless transmissions based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). Relying on convex and stochastic optimization tools, the novel approach to resource allocation includes: i) development of jointly optimal subcarrier, power, and rate allocation for weighted sum-average-rate maximization; ii) judicious formulation and derivation of the optimal resource allocation for maximizing the utility of average user rates; and iii) development of the stochastic resource allocation schemes, and rigorous proof of their convergence and optimality. Simulations are also provided to demonstrate the merits of the novel schemes.


An automated histology analysis is proposed for classification of local image patches of colon histopathology images into four principle classes: normal, cancer, adenomatous and inflamed classes. Shape features based on stroma, lumen and imperfectly segmented nuclei are combined with texture features for classification. The classification is analyzed under the three scenarios: normal vs. abnormal, cancer vs. non-cancer and four-class classification on a labeled dataset consisting of 2000 patches per class which were collected from 55 different slices. The proposed method achieves 79.28% mean accuracy between normal and abnormal; 87.67% accuracy between cancer and non-cancer and 75.15% between the four classes with equal class priories.


In a capitalist system based on free markets, do managers have responsibilities to the system itself? If they do, should these responsibilities shape their behavior when they are engaging in the political process in an attempt to structure the institutions of capitalism? The prevailing view-perhaps most eloquently argued by Milton Friedman-is that the first duty of managers is to maximize shareholder value, and thus that they should take every opportunity (within the bounds of the law) to structure market institutions so as to increase profitability. We maintain here that this shareholder-return view of political engagement applies in cases where the political process is sufficiently 'thick,' in that diverse views are well-represented and sufficiently detailed information about the issues is widely available. However, we draw on a series of detailed examples in the context of the determination of corporate accounting standards to argue that when the political process of determining institutions of capitalism is 'thin,' in that managers find themselves with specialized technical knowledge unavailable to outsiders and with little political resistance from the general interest, then managers have a responsibility to market institutions themselves, even if this entails acting at the expense of corporate profits. We make this argument on grounds that this behavior is both in managers' long-run self-interest and, expanding on Friedman's core contention, that it is managers' moral duty. We provide a framework for future research to explore and develop these arguments.


It seems very difficult to analyze private universities in Europe in the context of entrepreneurialism in the form the concept has emerged in the basic literature and available case studies. The private sector in higher education, in general, from the point of view of both numbers of institutions, share of enrolments in the sector, and study areas offered, has been a phenomenon of the transition/accession countries. At the same time, the conceptual framework currently used to analyze "entrepreneurialism" in higher education seems somehow restricted in use to public sector institutions. Very few scholars ever refer to private institutions in their discussions of entrepreneurship. On European grounds, not only experiences with private higher education have been very limited – but also the emergent concepts related to entrepreneurialism derived from analytical work on the public sector and rarely touched on the private sector. The present paper is based on the conceptual work on "entrepreneurial" and "proactive" universities (by Burton Clark), "self-reliant" and "enterprising" universities (by Michael Shattock and Gareth Williams) and Barbara Sporn's notion of "adaptive" universities. In empirical terms, it is based on case studies of entrepreneurial universities, both from Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe. We have a closer look at entrepreneurialism of private institutions studied within the EU 6 th Framework Programme EUEREK European Universities for Entrepreneurship – Their Role in the Europe of Knowledge project in the context of what Clark, Shattock, Williams and Sporn suggest mostly for the study of public institutions. Therefore a context of entrepreneurialism in the form of Clarks' five elements: a strengthened steering core, an expanded developmental periphery, a diversified funding base, the stimulated academic heartland, and the integrated entrepreneurial culture is revisited, and referred to the private sector, followed by conclusions.


This paper uses asymptotic analysis within the generalized acoustic analogy formulation (Goldstein. J. Fluid Mech 488, pp. 315-333, 2003) to develop a noise prediction model for the peak sound of axisymmetric round jets at subsonic acoustic Mach numbers ($Ma$). The analogy shows that the exact formula for the acoustic pressure is given by a convolution product of a propagator tensor (determined by the vector Green's function of the adjoint linearized Euler equations for a given jet mean flow) and a generalized source term representing the jet turbulence field.
Using a low frequency/small spread rate asymptotic expansion of the propagator, mean flow non-parallelism enters the lowest order Green's function solution via the streamwise component of the mean flow advection vector in a hyperbolic partial differential equation (PDE). We then address the predictive capability of the solution to this PDE when used in the analogy through first-of-its-kind numerical calculations when an experimentally-verified model of the turbulence source structure is used together with Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes solutions for the jet mean flow. Our noise predictions show a reasonable level of accuracy in the peak noise direction at $Ma=0.9$, for Strouhal number up to about $0.6$, and at $Ma=0.5$ using modified source coefficients. Possible reasons for this are discussed. Moreover, the prediction range can be extended beyond unity Strouhal number by using an approximate composite asymptotic formula for the vector Green's function that reduces to the locally parallel flow limit at high frequencies.


In this thesis we discuss and analyze aspects and methods for low-speed poeration, startup, and particularly rotational reversal for sensorless control of non-salient permanent-magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs), i.e., stabilization in the low-speed region. Furtermore, a speed and position estimation algorithm for speed-sensorless control of electrically excited synchronous machines (EESMs) with damper windings is developed. For EESM drives, an initial rotor position estimation algorithm is also developed. Regarding the PMSM drives, it is shown that the sensorless drive synchronizes from any initial rotor position, recovers from initial rotation in the wrong direction, and also reverses rotation without lockup or instability phenomena.The result regarding sensorless control and preformance in the low-speed region are simulated and experimentally verified, which indicates that the proposed estimator is effective. An additional subject in this thesis is control traction converters. One major problem is that trains with pulse-width-modulation (PWM) converters have active input impedance; thus the phase shift between the input current and voltage is greater than +90 degrees or less than -90 degrees for a certain ferquency region. This may result in poor damping and in worst case unstable operation. Here, it is shown that via sophisticated current control and improved feed-forward, one may stabilize the system with respect to passivity.


Background. Low back pain is an increasing global health problem, which is associated with
intervertebral disc (IVD) damage and degeneration. Major changes occur in the nucleus pulposus (NP),
with the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM).1 Further studies showed that growth factors from
transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and bone morphogenic proteins (BMP) family may induce
chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC).2 Focusing on non-viral gene therapies
and their possible translation into the clinics, we investigated if GDF6 (syn. BMP13 or CDMP2) can
induce regeneration of degraded NP. We hypothesized that IVD transfected with plasmid over-expressing
GDF6 also up-regulates other NP- and chondrogenic cell markers and enhances ECM deposition.
Methods. Bovine nucleus pulposus (bNPC) and annulus fibrosus cells (bAFC) were harvested from
bovine coccygeal IVD. Primary cells were then electroporized with plasmid GDF6 (Origene, vector
RG211366) by optimizing parameters using the Neon Transfection system (Life Technologies, Basel).
After transfection, cells were cultured in 2D monolayer or 3D alginate beads for 7, 14 or 21 days.
Transfection efficiency of pGDF6 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and fluorescent microscopy.
Cell phenotype was quantified by real-time RT-PCR. To test a non-viral gene therapy applied directly to
3D whole organ culture, coccygeal bovine IVDs were harvested as previously described. Bovine IVDs
were transfected by injection of plasmid GDF6 into the center. Electroporation was performed with
ECM830 Square Wave Electroporation System (Harvard Apparatus, MA) using 2-needle array electrode
or tweezertrodes. 72 h after tranfection discs were fixed and cryosectioned and analyzed by
immunofluorescence against GDF6.
Results. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry confirmed up-regulation of GFP and GDF6 in the primary
bNPC/bAFC culture. The GFP-tagged GDF6 protein, however, was not visible, possibly due to failure of
dimer formation as a result of fusion structure. Organ IVD culture transfection revealed GDF6 positive
staining in the center of the disc using 2-needle array electrode. Results from tweezertrodes did not show
any GDF6 positive cells.
Conclusion. Non-viral transfection is an appealing approach for gene therapy as it fulfills the
translational safety aspects of transiency and lacks the toxic effects of viral transduction. We identified
novel parameters to successfully transfect primary bovine IVD cells. For transfection of whole IVD
explants electroporation parameters need to be further optimized.
Acknowledgements. This project was funded by the Lindenhof Foundation (Funds "Research &
Teaching") Project no. 13-02-F. The imaging part of this study was performed with the facility of the
Microscopy Imaging Center (MIC), University of Bern.
References.
Roughly PJ (2004): Spine (Phila), 29:2691-2699
Clarke LE, McConell JC, Sherratt MJ, Derby B, Richardson SM, Hoyland JA (2014), Arthritis Research
& Therapy, 16:R67


Due to the increasing computational demand of Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), companies and organizations have begun to outsource the training process. However, the externally trained DNNs can potentially be backdoor attacked. It is crucial to defend against such attacks, i.e., to postprocess a suspicious model so that its backdoor behavior is mitigated while its normal prediction power on clean inputs remain uncompromised. To remove the abnormal backdoor behavior, existing methods mostly rely on additional labeled clean samples. However, such requirement may be unrealistic as the training data are often unavailable to end users. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of circumventing such barrier. We propose a novel defense method that does not require training labels. Through a carefully designed layer-wise weight reinitialization and knowledge distillation, our method can effectively cleanse backdoor behaviors of a suspicious network with negligible compromise in its normal behavior. In experiments, we show that our method, trained without labels, is on-par with state-of-the-art defense methods trained using labels. We also observe promising defense results even on out-of-distribution data. This makes our method very practical. Code is available at: https://github.com/luluppang/BCU.


STUDY OBJECTIVE
To determine demographical and behavioral characteristics associated with contraceptive use at coitarche, or first sexual experience, to determine which populations are at greatest risk of contraceptive nonuse during early sexual experiences.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional study.

METHODS
We used the National Survey of Family Growth 2006-2010 database to abstract pertinent variables, including race, highest education, annual family income, parental living situation, importance of religion, age at coitarche, number of sexual partners, type of first contraception, and source of first contraception. Generalized linear models with logit link and binomial distribution were applied to examine the association between use of contraceptive methods at coitarche and the variables abstracted.

RESULTS
Of the 5931 female participants included in the study, 1071 (18%) did not use contraceptive methods at coitarche. Only 199 (2%) of the female participants included in this study used the more reliable hormonal contraceptive methods at coitarche. Black females were significantly more likely than white females to use contraceptive methods at coitarche (p < 0.01). Females who initiated coitarche from 16 to 20 years of age were significantly more likely to use contraception at coitarche than females who had their first sexual experience at less than 16 years of age (p < 0.001). Females with greater educational background and greater family income were also significantly more likely to use contraception at coitarche (p < 0.001). Finally, females who obtained their first contraceptive methods from a spouse, partner, or friend were more likely to use contraception at coitarche than females who obtained their first method from a medical facility (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights several key differences between females who use contraceptive methods at coitarche versus those who do not. Greater effort needs to be focused on increasing access to more reliable contraceptive methods for young females, as females who obtain methods from nonmedical facilities are more likely to use contraceptive methods at coitarche.


Fuzzy quasi-interpolations help to reduce the complexity of solving a linear system of equations compared with fuzzy interpolations. Almost all fuzzy quasi-interpolations are focused on the form of $widetilde{f}^{*}:mathbb{R}rightarrow F(mathbb{R})$ or $widetilde{f}^{*}:F(mathbb{R})rightarrow mathbb{R}$.  In this paper, we intend to offer a novel fuzzy radial basis function by the concept of source distance. Then, we will construct a fuzzy linear combination of such basis functions in order to introduce a fully fuzzy quasi-interpolation in the form of $widetilde{f}^{*}:F(mathbb{R})rightarrow F(mathbb{R})$. Also the error estimation of the proposed method is proved in terms of the fully fuzzy modulus of continuity which will be introduced in this paper. Finally some examples have been given to emphasize the acceptable accuracy of our method.


Realization of qubit gate sequences require coherent microwave control pulses with programmable amplitude, duration, spacing and phase. We propose an SRAM based arbitrary waveform generator for cryogenic control of spin qubits. We demonstrate in this work, the cryogenic operation of a fully programmable radio frequency arbitrary waveform generator in 14 nm FinFET technology. The waveform sequence from a control processor can be stored in an SRAM memory array, which can be programmed in real time. The waveform pattern is converted to microwave pulses by a source-series-terminated digital to analog converter. The chip is operational at 4 K, capable of generating an arbitrary envelope shape at the desired carrier frequency. Total power consumption of the AWG is 40-140mW at 4 K, depending upon the baud rate. A wide signal band of 1–17 GHz is measured at 4 K, while multiple qubit control can be achieved using frequency division multiplexing at an average spurious free dynamic range of 40 dB. This work paves the way to optimal qubit control and closed loop feedback control, which is necessary to achieve low latency error mitigation and correction in future quantum computing systems.


ABSTRACT The Indo-Pacific marine biodiversity hotspot originated between the late Eocene and the early Miocene. Its origin coincides with an increase in availability of shallow-marine habitats driven by the opening of the South China Sea and the collision of Australia with the Pacific arcs and the southeast Asian margin. However, little is known about the distribution and diversity of past Indo-Pacific marine habitats. Understanding habitat diversity is key for understanding the significance of biodiversity origins and a necessary prerequisite for interpreting biodiversity patterns through time. Here we describe and interpret past carbonate platform environments in Sarawak, Malaysia during a time of active tectonism. We examine upper Eocene to lower Miocene marine shallow-water carbonate deposits from six localities in two limestone formations: the large ramplike Melinau carbonate platform (middle Eocene to early Miocene) and the unattached Subis carbonate platform (early Miocene). Deposits examined in this study represent paleoenvironments. Our analysis reveals an increase in habitat diversity from the Eocene to the Miocene. Mesophotic to oligophotic low-energy environments are typical for the Eocene sites. The corals first appear in the Oligocene deposits, but genuine reef depositional settings are not observed until the Miocene. This study provides both insight into the evolution of the carbonate platform environments along the Sarawak margin, and context for the origin of the Indo-Pacific marine biodiversity hotspot.


BACKGROUND
Dalbavancin, a novel lipoglycopeptide with a pharmacokinetic profile that allows weekly dosing, is active against gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The efficacy of dalbavancin for treatment of skin and skin structure infections (SSSIs) was demonstrated in a phase 2 study.

METHODS
In a phase 3 noninferiority study, patients with complicated SSSIs, including infections known or suspected to involve MRSA, were randomized (ratio, 2 : 1) in a double-blind manner to receive dalbavancin (1000 mg given intravenously on day 1 and 500 mg given intravenously on day 8) or linezolid (600 mg given intravenously or intravenously/orally every 12 h for 14 days). Efficacy was assessed by determining clinical and microbiological responses at the end of therapy and at the test-of-cure visit. Relapses were identified by additional follow-up approximately 1 month later.

RESULTS
MRSA was identified in 51% of patients from whom a pathogen was isolated at baseline. Dalbavancin and linezolid demonstrated comparable clinical efficacy in the clinically evaluable population at the test-of-cure visit (88.9% and 91.2% success, respectively). The rate of clinical success at the end of therapy was >90% in both arms. Less than 1.0% of patients in either treatment arm experienced relapse after the test-of-cure visit. Both treatments yielded successful microbiological response in excess of 85% among microbiologically evaluable patients at end of therapy and at the test-of-cure visit for all pathogens combined, for all S. aureus strains, and for MRSA. Gastrointestinal symptoms were among the most common adverse events in both arms. A higher proportion of patients in the linezolid arm reported adverse events that were judged by the investigator to be probably/possibly related to treatment (dalbavancin arm, 25.4% of subjects; linezolid arm, 32.2% of subjects).

CONCLUSIONS
Two doses of dalbavancin (1000 mg given on day 1 followed by 500 mg given on day 8) were as well tolerated and as effective as linezolid given twice daily for 14 days for the treatment of patients with complicated SSSI, including those infected with MRSA.


High intake of dietary fiber is claimed to protect against development of colorectal cancer. Barley is a rich source of dietary fiber, and possible immunomodulatory effects of barley polysaccharides might explain a potential protective effect. Dietary fiber was isolated by extraction and enzyme treatment. A mixed-linked β-glucan (WSM-TPX, 96.5% β-glucan, Mw 886 kDa), an arabinoxylan (WUM-BS-LA, 96.4% arabinoxylan, Mw 156 kDa), a mixed-linked β-glucan rich fraction containing 10% arabinoxylan (WSM-TP) and an arabinoxylan rich fraction containing 30% mixed-linked β-glucan (WUM-BS) showed no significant effect on IL-8 secretion and proliferation of two intestinal epithelial cell lines, Caco-2 and HT-29, and had no significant effect on the NF-κB activity in the monocytic cell line U937-3κB-LUC. Further enriched arabinoxylan fractions (WUM-BS-LA) from different barley varieties (Tyra, NK96300, SB94897 and CDCGainer) were less active than the mixed-linked β-glucan rich fractions (WSM-TP and WSM-TPX) in the complement-fixing test. The mixed-linked β-glucan rich fraction from NK96300 and CDCGainer showed similar activities as the positive control while mixed-linked β-glucan rich fractions from Tyra and SB94897 were less active. From these results it is concluded that the isolated high molecular weight mixed-linked β-glucans and arabinoxylans from barley show low immunological responses in selected in vitro test systems and thus possible anti-colon cancer effects of barley dietary fiber cannot be explained by our observations.


In 1993, a case-control study by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) assessed the risk of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (LNHL) among children of fathers employed at the Sellafield nuclear installation in relation to paternal preconceptional irradiation (PPI). It concluded that the statistical association between risk of LNHL and PPI was confined to children born in the village of Seascale, where the dose-response was extremely high and very significant. In contrast, in 2002, a Cumbrian birth cohort study, investigating largely the same cases, concluded that this statistical association was not significantly different among children born inside and outside Seascale and estimated the dose-response inside Seascale to be much lower. This review makes a detailed comparison of the two studies, considering their design, data and analyses. The differences between their findings are due to: (i) differences in the distribution of offspring-years which are differential with respect to dose category and Seascale birth status, (ii) a non-Seascale high-dose case included in the Cumbrian but not the HSE study, (iii) differences between analyses using categorical and continuous PPI dose and (iv) the presence of Seascale controls with PPI over 200 mSv in the Cumbrian but not the HSE study.


Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that are linked to adverse health outcomes. PCB tissue levels are determinants of PCB toxicity; however, it is unclear how factors, such as an altered metabolism and/or a fatty liver, affect PCB distribution in vivo. We determined the congener-specific disposition of PCBs in mice with a liver specific deletion of cytochrome P450 reductase (KO), a model of fatty liver with impaired hepatic metabolism, and wildtype (WT) mice. Male and female KO and WT mice were exposed orally to Aroclor 1254, a technical PCB mixture. PCBs were quantified in adipose, blood, brain and liver tissues by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PCB profiles and levels in tissues were genotype and sex dependent. PCB levels were higher in the liver from KO compared to WT mice. PCB profiles showed clear differences between tissues from the same exposure group. While experimental tissue : blood partition coefficients in KO and WT mice did not follow the trends predicted using a composition-based model, the agreement between experimental and calculated partition coefficients was still reasonable. Thus, a fatty liver and/or an impaired hepatic metabolism alter the distribution of PCBs in mice and the magnitude of the partitioning of PCBs from blood into tissues can be approximated using composition-based models.


The bandwidth of the wireless network has been a bottleneck for live security video streaming. In this paper, we introduce the "bandwidth of human visual processing" concept. We intend to match the human information processing bandwidth with physical network bandwidth. An eye gaze-based interface is used to optimize the video flow by adjusting the video resolution and compression. A face-based compression method allows enhancing the results to save the bandwidth up to 88%.


Changes in the frequency and extent of wildfires are expected to lead to substantial and irreversible alterations to permafrost landscapes under a warming climate. Here we review recent publications (2010–2019) that advance our understanding of the effects of wildfire on surface and ground temperatures, on active layer thickness and, where permafrost is ice‐rich, on ground subsidence and the development of thermokarst features. These thermal and geomorphic changes are initiated immediately following wildfire and alter the hydrology and biogeochemistry of permafrost landscapes, including the release of previously frozen carbon. In many locations, permafrost has been resilient, with key characteristics such as active layer thickness returning to pre‐fire conditions after several decades. However, permafrost near its southern limit is losing this resiliency as a result of ongoing climate warming and increasingly common vegetation state changes. Shifts in fire return intervals, severity and extent are expected to alter the trajectories of wildfire impacts on permafrost, and to enlarge spatial impacts to more regularly include the burning of tundra areas. Modeling indicates some lowland boreal forest and tundra environments will remain resilient while uplands and areas with thin organic layers and dry soils will experience rapid and irreversible permafrost degradation. More work is needed to relate modeling to empirical studies, particularly incorporating dynamic variables such as soil moisture, snow and thermokarst development, and to identify post‐fire permafrost responses for different landscape types and regions. Future progress requires further collaboration among geocryologists, ecologists, hydrologists, biogeochemists, modelers and remote sensing specialists.


Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in developed countries. Currently, when suitable autologous tissue is lacking, mostly non-degradable synthetic material or fixated xenogeneic grafts (e.g. heart valves) are used to restore, repair, or replace the injured cardiovascular tissues. However, these materials are associated with several disadvantages, such as the significant risk of thromboembolism and calcification. Bioresorbable scaffolds for tissue-engineered solutions are proposed to overcome the limitations of the current replacement materials as they provide temporary scaffolding for the in vitro, in situ, or in vivo formation of autologous tissue. Thereby, it is pursued that the engineered tissue mimics the composition and structure of the original tissue and has the capacity of regeneration and growth. The initial scaffold should possess strong material properties as the cardiovascular system requires an enormous strength, flexibility, and durability of the engineered structures, while on the other hand complete resorption of the scaffold material is aimed for. This review discusses the diversity of natural and synthetic bioresorbable materials that are currently investigated for their suitability as a scaffold for cardiovascular tissue engineering.


Empirical Research question/issue We examine whether the presence of women on the remuneration committee has an influence on say‐on‐pay voting. Research findings/insights Based on panel data from the UK's FTSE 350 firms from 2003 to 2015, we find that firms with women on the remuneration committee reduce shareholders' dissent via say‐on‐pay. However, only firms with a critical mass of more than 30% women on this committee are more likely to have less shareholders' dissent via say‐on‐pay (i.e. the presence of 30% women or less on this committee is not sufficient). Theoretical/academic implications Our results provide empirical evidence that the gender diversity of directors on the remuneration committee plays a significant role in shaping shareholders' dissent via say‐on‐pay in the UK. Our results also provide empirical support for some of the previous studies that draw on critical mass theory that imply that women are more effective monitors when they make up a critical mass of more than 30%. Practitioner/policy implications Our results could provide regulators with evidence in favour of improving women's representation on UK remuneration committees. In addition, our results could help shareholders and nomination committee members understand the importance of having women on UK remuneration committees, as they are more likely to avoid suboptimal pay and align directors' remuneration packages more closely with shareholders' expectations. Finally, our results could also attract the attention of main stakeholders and the media, especially given their increasing attention both to gender diversity and say on pay.


Background: Plasma fatty acid availability is a major regulator of VLDL-triacylglycerol production. Basal whole-body lipolysis is higher in women than in men and is higher in persons with abdominal obesity than in lean individuals. Objective: Our goal was to determine whether sex and abdominal obesity affect VLDL-triacylglycerol kinetics. We hypothesized that basal VLDL-triacylglycerol production would be greater in women than in men and greater in obese than in lean subjects. Design: VLDL-triacylglycerol kinetics were measured in 20 lean (10 men, 10 women; body mass index, in kg/m2: 23 ± 1) and 20 abdominally obese (10 men, 10 women; body mass index: 35 ± 1) subjects by using a bolus injection of [H5]glycerol and compartmental modeling analysis. Results: The rate of VLDL-triacylglycerol secretion was greater in the lean women than in the lean men (5.1 ± 0.7 and 2.6 ± 0.3 mol · L plasma 1 · min 1, respectively; P < 0.002). Obesity was associated with increased VLDL-triacylglycerol secretion in the men (P < 0.001) but not in the women, which resulted in greater rates of VLDL-triacylglycerol secretion in the obese men than in the obese women (6.8 ± 0.5 and 5.0 ± 0.5 mol · L plasma 1 · min 1, respectively; P < 0.05). The clearance of VLDL-triacylglycerol from plasma was greater (P < 0.05) in the lean women than in the lean men (42 ± 7 and 27 ± 4 mL plasma/min, respectively) or in the obese men and obese women (28 ± 3 and 20 ± 4 mL plasma/min, respectively). The plasma VLDLtriacylglycerol concentration was directly related to the rate of VLDL-triacylglycerol secretion in the men (R2 = 0.79, P < 0.001) and inversely related to VLDL-triacylglycerol clearance in the women (R2 = 0.84, P<0.001). Conclusion: Sex and obesity have independent effects on basal VLDL-triacylglycerol kinetics. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:573–9.


The authors of this article established the goal to detect and evaluate the wide possibilities for strengthening the value orientation towards innovativeness in the industrial enterprises. For this purpose exploration of the valuation on the innovativeness as a value was made. The authors of this article performed necessary research, analyses, evaluation and generalization in order to solve this problem. There were methods applied: analysis of information sources, a sociological enquiry of industrial enterprises personnel and correlation analysis. The demand to increase valuation on innovativeness was proved after the investigation. Correlation analysis showed that there is a very weak dependence between evaluated by personnel innovativeness, annual changes and success of activity parameters. Lack of advanced knowledge of management was also established. The way to make a better situation is to use purposeful general politics for innovativeness development in the enterprises, to solve the leadership problems and to equalize the innovativeness level of the separate powerhouses.


Successful human interactions are based on becoming aware of other's emotion and making adaptations accordingly. However, understanding emotion is a complex task that has generated countless debates among researchers over the past decades. The abstract nature of human emotion highlights the need for a new data-driven approach that can better describe and compare across fine-grained emotional states. In this study, we propose Seemo, a novel neural embedding framework, which allows us to map human emotions into vector space representations. Seemo is trained using Twitter data and is evaluated on two fundamental use cases in traditional emotion research: determining the underlying dimensions of emotions and identifying the set of basic emotions. The evaluation reveals that on both tasks Seemo can generate results consistent with the mainstream theories. Results also show that the vector space representation of Seemo can effectively decode the important relationships between emotions that were usually not explicitly presented.


Defect evolution in ion implanted c-Si at the submicrosecond time scales during a laser thermal annealing process is investigated by means of kinetic simulations. Nonmelting, melting, and partial melting regimes are simulated. Our modeling considers irradiation, heat diffusion, and phase transition together with defect diffusion, annihilation, and clustering. The reduction in the implantation damage and its reorganization in defect aggregates are studied as a function of the process conditions. The approach is applied to double implanted Si and compared to experimental data, indicating a relationship between damage reduction and dopant activation.