The methods of synthesis of polysiloxanes of regular structure and their modifications resulted from side groups' reactions (Scheme A) were presented. Especially siloxanes with vinyl groups were characterized. They are used for controlled syntheses of organosilicone macromolecular compounds (Scheme B) of various architecture - linear, grafted, hyperbranched and star copolymers. There was described one of new promising methods of polysiloxane chain modification i.e. reaction of silylative coupling (Scheme C and D) allowing obtaining new polymers showing liquid crystalline properties or non-linear optical ones. The applications of polymethylvinylsiloxanes as polymeric catalysts' supports, e.g. palladium, platinum or rhodium complexes (Scheme H), were also presented. The syntheses of catalysts supported on polysiloxanes of various structures have been discussed as well as preliminary results of investigations of catalytic systems activities in model reactions of hydrosilylation or Heck reaction (Scheme G).


In arterial smooth muscle with normal tone or predepolarized and precontracted by noradrenaline, iloprost effects a dose-dependent hyperpolarization and relaxation. The hyperpolarization is due to K+ channel opening. In hypoxic vasodilatation, which is likewise induced by membrane hyperpolarization, a share of 20-30% falls to prostacyclin and 70-80% to an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor.


Smart grid is widely considered to be the next generation of power grid, where power generation, management, transmission, distribution, and utilization are fully upgraded to improve agility, reliability, efficiency, security, economy, and environmental friendliness. Demand response management (DRM) is recognized as a control unit of the smart grid, with the attempt to balance the real-time load as well as to shift the peak-hour load. Communications are critical to the accuracy and optimality of DRM, and hence at the core of the control performance of the smart grid. In this paper, we introduce cognitive radio into the smart grid to improve the communication quality. By means of spectrum sensing and channel switching, smart meters can decide to transmit data on either an original unlicensed channel or an additional licensed channel, so as to reduce the communication outage. Considering the energy cost taxed by spectrum sensing together with the control performance degradation incurred by imperfect communications, we formulate the sensing-performance tradeoff problem between better control performance and lower communication cost, paving the way towards a green smart grid. The impact of the communication outage on the control performance of DRM is also analyzed, which reduces the profit of power provider and the social welfare of the smart grid, although it may not always decrease the profit of power consumer. By employing the energy detector, we prove that there exists a unique optimal sensing time which yields the maximum tradeoff revenue, under the constraint that the licensed channel is sufficiently protected. Numerical results are provided to validate our theoretical analysis.


As open access publishing has become more widespread and required by research funders and the research community, the management and monitoring of article processing charges (APCs) have emerged as an important task in research organisations around the world. Within this tendency, a question of the comprehensiveness of organisational APC monitoring has become relevant. This case study demonstrates how the comprehensiveness of in-house APC monitoring can be evaluated using international bibliographic information sources like Web of Science and Scopus, where it is possible to identify the corresponding author, as well as Unpaywall and DOAJ, which contain information about the open access statuses and APCs of articles. Based on study results, it can be assumed that the organisation's in-house bookkeeping has succeeded in registering 52 percent of APC invoices while 48 percent have not been identified. The results show that the number of unreported publications that have been openly published and whose corresponding author is affiliated with the university is almost equal to those registered in the university's institutional APC report. The study describes the stages of data collection and processing in order of implementation, which allows a similar review to be feasible in another organisation. At the end of the article, development proposals are presented for both the organisations' in-house data collection and the content of publishers' invoices.


This prospective study assessed the effect of social deprivation on the Oxford hip score at one year after total hip replacement. An analysis of 1312 patients undergoing 1359 primary total hip replacements for symptomatic osteoarthritis was performed over a 35-month period. Social deprivation was assessed using the Carstairs index. Those patients who were most deprived underwent surgery at an earlier age (p = 0.04), had more comorbidities (p = 0.02), increased severity of symptoms at presentation (p = 0.001), and were not as satisfied with their outcome (p = 0.03) compared with more affluent patients. There was a significant improvement in Oxford scores at 12 months relative to pre-operative scores for all socioeconomic categories (p < 0.001). Social deprivation was a significant independent predictor of mean improvement in Oxford scores at 12 months, after adjusting for confounding variables (p = 0.001). Deprivation was also associated with an increased risk of dislocation (odds ratio 5.3, p < 0.001) and mortality at 90 days (odds ratio 3.2, p = 0.02). Outcome, risk of dislocation and early mortality after a total hip replacement are affected by the socioeconomic status of the patient.


Our goal is to use the vast repositories of available open source code to generate specific functions or classes that meet a user's specifications. The key words here are specifications and generate. We let users specify what they are looking for as precisely as possible using keywords, class or method signatures, test cases, contracts, and security constraints using a simple, web-based interface. Our system then uses an open set of program transformations to map retrieved code into what the user asked for. This approach is implemented in a prototype system for Java with a web interface.


In this special section, the concept of stress has been linked to the chronification of headache and is considered to be one of several likely mechanisms for the progression of an otherwise episodic disorder to a chronic daily phenomenon. The present review discusses the concept of stress and describes the mechanisms through which stress could influence headache progression. The hypothesized mechanisms include stress serving as a unique trigger for individual attacks, as a nociceptive activator, and as a moderator of other mechanisms. Finally, the techniques used in the screening and management of stress are mentioned in the context of employing strategies for the primary, secondary, or tertiary prevention of headache progression.


In this paper, we present a novel microfabrication technique that solves the main problems of existing monolithic on-chip encapsulation methods for polysilicon surface micromachining. The encapsulation technique includes the formation of a nanoporous polysilicon shell, creation of a cavity by removing the sacrificial layer through the pores in the shell, and sealing the cavity at a low pressure. Formed porous by postdeposition electrochemical etching on top of a sacrificial layer, the porous polysilicon is thick enough to free-stand when released, unlike the previously reported as-deposited permeable polysilicon. Benefiting from the dense pores through the polysilicon layer, the sacrificial material was removed in just one minute, and the vacuum sealing was achieved by a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition polysilicon as thin as 1000 Aring with no sealing material detected inside the cavity. The pressure inside the sealed cavity, measured by an encapsulated polysilicon Pirani gauge, was around 130 mTorr and showed no noticeable leak (<30 mTorr) over one year. To showcase the applicability, the proposed process was demonstrated through the common Multiuser MEMS Process (MUMPs) foundry service


China is growing from a regional to a global power. According to the power transition theory, the rise of China places it in a natural competition with the United States both economically and militarily. China's economic interests stretch from its immediate neighborhood to other continents. It is also working on reviving the Old Silk trade route, which covers its western regions, and Central and South Asia. It is also investing heavily in these regions. States' economic interests go alongside with their political interests. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013, and other economic ventures would, therefore, allow China to use soft power to shape the public opinion in several regions.
China's growing economic and political interests pose security challenges for it as well, which in turn demand a proactive foreign policy. The rivalry between the US and China is growing amid the US policy of Pivot to Asia and the alliance between Chinese regional rivals and the US. These factors are urging China to take measures for safeguarding its interests in the region and beyond. Although the US under President Trump has withdrawn from Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), its strategic objectives and policies in the region, crafted in the last few decades, have not changed i.e. 'Japan as keystone,' 'India as counterweight' and the regional alliance of democratic countries.


Rail transport development offers economic and ecological interests. Nevertheless, it requires heavy investments in rolling material and infrastructure. To be competitive, this transportation means must rely on safe and reliable infrastructure, which requires optimization of all implemented techniques and structure. Rail thermite (or alumino-thermic) welding is widely used within the railway industry for in-track welding during re-rail and defect replacement. The process provides numerous advantages against other welding technology commonly used. Obviously, future demands on train traffic are heavier axle loads, higher train speeds and increased traffic density. Thus, a new enhanced weld should be developed to prevent accidents due to fracture of welds and to lower maintenance costs. In order to improve such assembly process, a detailed metallurgical study coupled to a thermomechanical modeling of the phenomena involved in the rail thermite welding process is carried out. Obtained data enables us to develop a new improved alumino-thermic weld (type A). This joint is made by modifying the routinely specified procedure (type B) used in a railway rail by a standard gap alumino-thermic weld. Joints of type A and B are tested and compared. Based on experimental temperature measurements, a finite element analysis is used to calculate the thermal residual stresses induced. Besides, experimental investigation was carried out in order to validate the numerical model. Hence, X-Ray diffraction has been used to map the residual stress field that is generated in welded rail of types A and B. In the vicinity of the weld, the residual stress patterns depend on the thermal conditions during welding. Their effect on fatigue crack growth in rail welds is studied. In the web region, both longitudinal and vertical components of residual stresses are tensile, which increases the susceptibility of that region to crack initiation and propagation from internal material defects. Indeed, weld fracture in track initiates at the web fillet. Thus, to be closer to real issue, fatigue tests specimens has been defined within the split-web area. Fatigue tests was performed on the defined specimens, welded by conventional and improved processes and obtained results adjudicates on the new advances.


Japanese neurosurgeons have recently noticed that there are particular Japanese cases whose cardinal symptoms are characterized by motor paresis or apoplectic stroke. Angiographic findings are most characteristic, demonstrating stenosis or occlusion of the bilateral internal carotid arteries at the site of carotid siphon (C1) and abnormal hemangiomatous vascular network at the base of the brain. 9 cases of the Japanese has been experienced in our clinic. The author reviewed similar cases from literature and letter inquiry which has been made to all of the neurological clinics in Japan. Then, clinical manifestations of the disease have been elaborated on total 118 cases. 1) Sex and Age: 47 were male and 71 were female. The disease was started from under 15 years or less of age in 77 cases. The cases, which had juvenile onset, showed characteristic clinical features. Therefore, such cases will be referred to as juvenile form and the other adult form. 2) Cardinal symptoms were similar to initial ones. Motor paresis was seen in 59 cases out of 77 cases of juvenile form, while subarachnoid hemorrhage was seen in 20 cases out of 41 cases of adult form as an initial clinical symptom. 3) Prognosis: There has been reported frequent recurrence of the symptoms in period of observation of the patients. The recurred symptom disappeared by itself, so no marked progress was noted in the majority of cases. However, some juvenile cases showed progression of symptoms, and death occured in 4 cases out of 77 cases. 4) Sibling incidence was detected in 8 cases (4 couples) out of all the cases. 5) EEG findings: Background activity of EEG ranged from normal to mild slow wave pattern in resting record. Hyperventilation provoked generalized slow wave easily, which continued persistently after the cessation of it in most of the cases. 6) Sex chromosomes were investigated in two female and one male of authors'own cases but no abnormality was noted. 7) 5 autopsy cases were reviewed. The pathological findings brought no contribution to the pathogensis of the disease. 8) Angiographic examination, which was carried out at different period of time, revealed steady appearance of abnormal vascular network in the majority of case of adult form. The patients of juvenile form, who had progression of their symptoms, showed smaller vascular network at the base of the brain. 9) There has been no report of the case upon the foreign race up to the present time. The reports by W. Weidner and N. E. Leed were on the case of Japanese-American woman, American-born Japanese boy and girl. It is the opinion of the author that this disease would be a particular type of cerebral vascular abnormality of the Japanese and that the etiology of this disease is congenital malformation of cerebrovascular system because of bilateral and symmetrical vascular abnormality, existence of sibling cases and resemblance to embryonal vascular system. 10) It should be stressed for the diagnosis of the disease that serial bilateral carotid and vertebral angiography is absolutely necessary to distinguish it from other occlusive diseases of internal carotid artery.


This paper addresses the problem of trading off between the minimization of program and data memory requirements of single-processer Implementations of dataflow programs. Based on the formal model of synchronous dataflow (SDF) graphs, so called single appearance schedules are known to be program-memory optimal. Among these schedules, buffer memory schedules are investigated and explored based on a two-step approach: 1) an evolutionary algorithm (EA) is applied to efficiently explore the (in general) exponential search space of actor firing orders; 2) for each order, the buffer costs are evaluated by applying a dynamic programming post-optimization step (GDPPO). This iterative approach is compared to existing heuristics for buffer memory optimization.


Ethylene plays an important role in apple fruit development. Its biosynthesis is catalyzed by two enzymes ACS and ACO. The first is considered to catalyzes the rate-limiting step of ethylene production and in apple two different alleles (MdACS1-1 and MdACS1-2) of this gene have been identified. The presence in the promoter region of MdACS1-2 allele of a SINE insertion is considered to be responsible for a low transcription level and a pronounced reduction in ethylene production in apple cultivar homozygous for this allele. However, the specific expression of each MdACS1 allele has never been reported as well as any in vivo analysis of its 5'-flanking region. With the present study we addressed these issues by developing a set of qPCR allele specific primers for MdACS1 and by a functional characterization of the MdACS1 promoters by transient expression analysis. qPCR analysis on different apple tissues and stages of development demonstrated that MdACS1-2 allele is never express and that MdACS1-1 allele is ripening-related and expresses predominantly but not exclusively in apple fruit. To test MdACS1 promoter in fruit the only protocol available in literature for transient transformation of apple fruit was evaluated and optimized. Twenty chimeric promoter::reporter constructs were generated and analyzed by Agrobacterium-transient transformation. The in vivo analysis allowed to identify an enhancer-like region of 261 bp in MdACS1 promoter and a region of 57 bp in MdACS1-2 responsible, also if not alone, in the inactivation of the MdACS1-2 allele. Through the assessment of ethylene production in a segregating progeny derived from the cross between Fuji and Mondial Gala (homozygous for MdACS1-2 allele) we demonstrated that at least two other genes may be involved in apple ethylene production. An hypothesis that could explain the difference between Fuji and Mondial Gala have been proposed.


Most traditional software systems are not built with the artificial intelligence support (AI) in mind. Among them, some may require human interventions to operate, e.g., the manual specification of the parameters in the data processing programs, or otherwise, would behave poorly. We propose a novel framework called Autonomizer to autonomize these systems by installing the AI into the traditional programs. Autonomizeris general so it can be applied to many real-world applications. We provide the primitives and the run-time support, where the primitives abstract common tasks of autonomization and the runtime support realizes them transparently. With the support of Autonomizer, the users can gain the AI support with little engineering efforts. Like many other AI applications, the challenge lies in the feature selection, which we address by proposing multiple automated strategies based on the program analysis. Our experiment results on nine real-world applications show that the autonomization only requires adding a few lines to the source code.Besides, for the data-processing programs, Autonomizer improves the output quality by 161% on average over the default settings. For the interactive programs such as game/driving,Autonomizer achieves higher success rate with lower training time than existing autonomized programs.


The Petri net modeling formalism allows for the convenient graphical visualization of system models, as well as the analysis of correctness and performance properties. Petri Nets theory has been widely used to implement a variety of modeling and evaluation tools. This paper surveys various of these tools and describes some recent extensions to a freely available and open-source platform-independent Petri net tool called PIPE. The extensions comprise: an increase in modeling power through the introduction of inhibitor arcs, a new analysis module for generating siphons and traps, some new interface features and various presentation improvements. We will illustrate system modeling and analysis with inhibitor arcs in a case study of a token ring network.


The human polyoma JC virus (JCV) is a glial cell‐specific virus and is the etiological agent for the terminal AIDS‐associated brain disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). JCV contains several binding sites for transcriptional factors that are important for activity in glial cells, including cyclic AMP (cAMP) response elements (CREs) which are four nucleotides from nuclear factor 1 (NF1) sites within the two 98 bp repeat regions. We studied the combined role of cAMP and NF1 in regulating the expression of the JCV early promoter‐enhancer (JCVE) in differentiating glial and muscle P19 embryonal carcinoma cells. JCVE expression remained several‐fold higher in the presence of cAMP in glial cells, irrespective of whether the relatively strong activity of JCVE was greatly reduced by NF1 site mutations. In contrast, cAMP had no effect in muscle cells, independent of whether the modest activity of JCVE was two‐fold higher due to NF1 site mutations. The in vivo effects were confirmed with in vitro transcription assays using glial cell extracts, competitors of CRE, and the NF1 site, and single repeat JCVE region with mutations in the NF1 II/III binding sites as templates. The in vitro results also indicated that the effects were due to the CREs of JCV, rather than to the indirect effects of cAMP. Overall, the results indicated that NF1 and cAMP have independent, different, tissue‐specific, and direct effects in the regulation of JCVE. These effects may contribute the neurotropic PML‐inducing pattern of expression of JCVE. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


: Although endometriosis has been known for over 100 years, its pathogenesis is still poorly understood. In this overview the literature regarding the pathogenesis of endometriosis is reviewed. The implantation or transplantation theory, that suggests implantation and subsequent growth of retrogradely shed viable endometrial cells, still remains the most widely accepted theory to explain the pathogenesis. The conditions that have to be met for the implantation theory are threefold: (i) retrograde menstruation has to occur; (ii) retrograde menstruation should contain viable endometrial cells; and (iii) adhesion to the peritoneum has to occur with subsequent implantation and proliferation. The scientific data to corroborate these conditions will be discussed. A short overview is given on cell adhesion molecules, in particular cadherins and integrins, the most important cell adhesion molecules involved in cell-cell adhesion and cell-extracellular matrix interaction. Special attention is given to the possible functional role of these cell adhesion molecules in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.


AIM
To describe the results of three years of attempted resuscitation from prehospital cardiac arrest by the Auckland Ambulance Service.

METHODS
Observational cohort study in a largely urban New Zealand population of 935,000. All cases of attempted resuscitation from out of hospital cardiac arrests occurring between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1993. Main outcome measures were the number and outcome of patients receiving resuscitation from primary cardiac arrest. Core data conformed to Utstein recommendations.

RESULTS
Of 1176 cases of consecutive cardiac arrest, 1069 (91%) were deemed primary cardiac arrest (978 unmonitored and 91 monitored). Four hundred and sixty (43%) of the 1069 cases were transported to hospital. 240 (22%) were admitted and 135 (13%) were discharged. By initial rhythm, 693 (65%) of cases were in ventricular fibrillation (VF) and 96 (14%) were discharged. One hundred and forty three cases (13%) were in asystole, 113 (11%) were in electromechanical dissociation (EMD), 29 (3%) were in an idioventricular rhythm. Of these 285 cases, only one survived to discharge (a 25 year old woman in EMD). There were 91 monitored arrests (cardiac arrest in front of ambulance officers). Fifty seven cases went into VF and 36 (63%) were discharged. Two cases in ventricular tachycardia became pulseless; each received a single DC shock and both were discharged. The remaining 32 cases of monitored arrest developed rhythms not amenable to DC shocks. None survived to hospital discharge. Eighteen (4%) of the 437 cases not receiving bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation were discharged from hospital. Thirteen (7%) of the 197 cases receiving ineffective bystander CPR were discharged, and 64 (19%) of 330 cases receiving effective bystander CPR were discharged.

CONCLUSION
Only those patients with prehospital cardiac arrest who were in ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachyardia had a reasonable prospect of survival. Effective bystander CPR showed a substantial effect on patient survival to hospital discharge.


We consider a wireless network with distributed processing capabilities for estimation or detection applications. Due to limited communication resources, the network selects only a subset of sensor measurements for estimation or detection as long as the resulting fidelity is tolerable. We present a distributed sampling scheme based on the concept of innovations diffusion to select the sensor nodes. In the proposed scheme, sensor selection is accomplished through local communication and signal processing. In order to conserve energy and prolong system lifetime, the proposed algorithm selects a nearly minimum number of active sensors to ensure a desired fidelity for each working period. Extensive simulations illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed sampling scheme.


Earlier studies on the effects of the herbicide isopropyl N-phenylcarbamate (IPC) on mitosis revealed blocked metaphases, multinucleate cells, giant nuclei and an increase in number of partly contracted chromosomes. It was assumed that IPC, like colchicine, was causing these effects by disruption of the spindle apparatus by destroying the spindle microtubules. The animal hormone melatonin causes an increase in birefringence of the mitotic spindle in animal cells, presumably by increasing the number of microtubules. We have studied the effects of IPC, melatonin, and combinations of the two on mitosis in dividing endosperm cells of the African blood lily (Haemanthus katherinae Baker) in vivo by phase-contrast and polarization microscopy. Both qualitative and quantitative data are presented. Interpretation of these results has been aided materially by a time-lapse cinemicrographic analysis of dividing cells subjected to 1 and 10 p.p.m. IPC (unpublished) and by an accompanying fine-structural analysis of untreated and IPC-treated cells. Mitosis was disrupted by 0.01-10 p.p.m. IPC, the severity of the effect depending on both concentration and stage of mitosis of the cell at the time of treatment. Concentrations of IPC that caused cessation of chromosome movement also caused loss of birefringence of the mitotic spindle. Melatonin increased birefringence of the mitotic spindle in these plant cells and partly nullified the adverse effects of IPC. The results of this study demonstrate that the herbicide IPC, under our conditions, causes disruption of mitosis and loss of birefringence of the spindle. And it has been established that an animal hormone is capable of increasing the birefringence, and presumably the number of microtubules, of the mitotic spindle in dividing endosperm cells of a higher plant. Although melatonin is capable of partly nullifying the effects of IPC, a competitive antagonism is not postulated.


Sixteen clinically normal, healthy ponies were randomly assigned to 4 groups and given aflatoxin B1 in doses of 0.045, 0.030, 0.015, and 0 (control) mg/kg of body weight per day for 21 days (or total doses of 0.945, 0.630, 0.315, and 0 mg/kg). The animals were allowed to recover for 3 months and then were reassigned to 4 treatment groups such that each group during the 2nd trial included a pony from each of the groups of the 1st trial. The animals in the new groups were intubated and were given aflatoxin in doses of 0.4, 0.2, 0.1, and 0 (control) mg/kg/day for 5 days ( or total doses of 2.0, 1.0, 0.5, and 0 mg/kg). Venous blood samples were drawn every other day to monitor for toxicosis; examinations were made for RBC and WBC counts, hemoglobin concentration, PCV, serum urea nitrogen, prothrombin time, and serum concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase, iditol dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and arginase. There were no significant differences between treatment groups and controls (given no aflatoxin) in the toxicologic values examined for during the 1st trial. During the 2nd experiment, 2 of the ponies in the large-dose treatment gorup (2.0 mg/kg) demonstrated increased serum enzyme activities. These animals had been in the large-dose (0.945 mg/kg) and median-dose (0.63 mg/kg) groups during the 1st trial. Arginase, iditol dehydrogenase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities became increased on the 4th day of treatment and continued to increase until the 6th day of the experiment (1 day after treatment was terminated). These enzymes approached control group values at 10 days after cessation of treatment. These increases were indicative of hepatocellular toxicity. It was concluded that the possibility of equine aflatoxicosis exists although ponies given high quality rations appear to be less susceptible than some other species. Prior exposure to aflatoxins may predispose to clinical toxicity on subsequent exposure, despite lack of expression of clinical signs.


Congenital intestinal aganglionosis, also called Hirschsprung disease (HD), is defined as the absence of ganglionic cells in the myenteric (Auerbach) and submucosal (Meissner) plexus, due to a failure in the enteric nervous system development. The extent of intestinal involvement may vary according to the age of embryo development in which this failure occurs. It is not unusual for other malformations to be present, as well as chromosomal trisomies, manly trisomy 21. Enterocolitis is a frequent, life threatening, and feared complication of HD. Moreover, oligohydramnios is a well-known condition frequently associated with malformations, including those related to the gastrointestinal tract. The authors report the case of a newborn that presented a delayed meconium passage. On the third day of life, he presented enterocolitis—the outcome of which was favorable with clinical treatment. While the diagnosis of HD was awaiting confirmation, the enterocolitis relapsed and this time he died due to septic shock. The autopsy findings were compatible with a short segment of congenital intestinal aganglionosis. No other malformation was found. The authors call attention for an early diagnosis of HD whenever the meconium passage does not happen for at least 48 hours and for the risk factors of enterocolitis. This case also demonstrates HD associated with oligohydramnios.


The thesis inquires into how tourism is able to rewrite a territory within the framework of new global geographies. Forms of temporary mobility provide an opportunity to experiment with infrastructures capable of providing adequate support for an alternative habitat. The project strategy, configured on the occasion of Europan 15 in Croatia, is realized starting from a reflection on the articulation of the tourist's domestic space, in its possibility of expansion and contraction in a continuous landscape and in relation to seasonal rhythms. The project proposes a strategic vision and provides the tools to be able to sustainably accommodate the edification of tourism in a territory with strong natural characteristics. The design process is articulated into three action: 1. The establishment of a map, which represents a rhizomatic geography of the Croatian area that aims to visualize the smooth and independent movements of interruption and re-mixing of new non-resident populations capable of affecting the territory and modifying its edges. Thus new concepts of islands, enclaves and clearings made of heterogeneous natural materials are formed. 2. The construction of a spatial pattern, which makes the instrument of clearing the founding act to articulate the interstitial mantle of vegetation, chosen in both opaque and bright fabrics. It is an attempt at reduction, in which infrastructural green can aspire to multiple and heterogeneous configurations. It is a grammar of plant dowels, apparently isotropic, but organized in a spatial order always specific to the place. Nature, with its rhythms and necessities, becomes an infrastructural matrix capable of gathering spaces together and becoming a scenario for practices of contemporary living. 3. The development of the minimum units of the domestic space for the tourist, which create a continuous landscape in a habitat dictated by natural rhythms. The cabins are structured as an object capable of restoring direct contact with nature. Thresholds, roofs, borders and facades are elements that characterize the minimum unit, and that in their material variability interpose between man and the surrounding landscape. Also natural phenomena, in an osmotic traction, mold the architecture of private spaces with their specific rhythms. Everything collaborates synchronously to the triggering of a reaction, in which movements of object and spectator are constantly reinvented and choreographed. The overall project, through a transcalar vision, is used as a catalyst for knowledge, as a tool for critical reading, to address and interpret some of the contemporary emergencies: climate change, the simultaneous impact of migratory flows on the coasts and the relationship between man and nature.


Screening genotypes of Aceh cacao to obtain resistant genotypes to Black Pod Disease ( Phytopthora palmivora ) is a key step. This study was conducted on basis of screening natural infection in the field and artificial infection in laboratory. The research was conducted in the field (Saree Aceh and East Aceh) and in the Plant Pathology Laboratory, Agriculture Faculty, Syiah Kuala University. The study started from March to November 2013. Results from the field and laboratory, based on artificial inoculation, showed that three genotypes originated from Saree Aceh i.e. SR 26, SR 40 and SR7 were resistant, indicated by the characters of long incubation period (more than five days), a small diameter of spot, slow growth of the spot, and low percentage of symptoms. The three genotypes had both a good wounded post-penetration and unwounded pre-penetration resistance. Conversely, cacao genotypes originated from East Aceh did not show a significant difference of post-penetration resistance.


A fluid mechanical model was elaborated for the formation of mineral wool in the Junkers production technology. The model is based on an analytical approach. The future aim of the model is to establish guidelines for the following improvement in mineral wool quality: reduction of the diameter of mineral wool fibers, improvement of the homogeneity of fiber diameter distribution, and reduction of gravel size. The mineral wool is considered herein as reinforcing material for polymer composites, and such modifications result in the quality improvement of the composites. The quality improvement can be carried out by modifications of the technological settings. The parameters of the model were approximated on the basis of electron-microscopic measurements on a mineral wool reference specimen.


Extensible systems, such as Java or the SPIN extensible operating system, allow for units of code, or extensions, to be added to a running system in almost arbitrary fashion. Extensions closely interact through low-latency but type-safe interfaces to form a tightly integrated system. As extensions can come from arbitrary sources, not all of whom can be trusted to conform to an organization's security policy, such structuring raises the question of how security constraints are enforced in an extensible system. In this paper, we present an access control mechanism for extensible systems to address this problem. Our access control mechanism decomposes access control into a policy-neutral enforcement manager and a security policy manager, and it is transparent to extensions in the absence of security violations. It structures the system into protection domains, enforces protection domains through access control checks, and performs auditing of system operations. The access control mechanism works by inspecting extensions for their types and operations to determine which abstractions require protection and by redirecting procedure or method invocations to inject access control operations into the system. We describe the design of this access control mechanism, present an implementation within the SPIN extensible operating systems, and provide a qualitative as well as quantitative evaluation of the mechanism.


Future spacecraft will, of necessity, require rapid rotational manouvreability or agility. Such rapid retargeting manoeuvres are often subject to the physical limits of actuators. Control Moment Gyros (CMGs) are employed as primary actuators because of their high torque control capability. A typical configuration used is the 4 Single-Gimbal Control Moment (4SGCMG) pyramid mounting arrangement [48]. In the 1960s researchers studied an arrangement of CMGs called Twin Control Moment Gyros (TCMGs) [6, 11,20]. At the time these configurations were considered unsuitable for large satellite platforms, and the 4SGCMG pyramid configuration became the most common arrangement. The research in this report revisits their work, to address the suitability of TCMGs to future small satellite missions. Candidate configurations of both SGCMG and TCMG arrangements are considered as possible replacements for the 4SGCMG pyramid configuration. The candidate configurations are compared m terms of torque capability, power consumed and mass and volume occupied. In this report the principles of Single-Control Moment Gyro and Twin-Control Moment Gyro operation are studied. The study of Euler's equations and controller principles lead to the implementation of an attitude control system in SIMULINK, for which results are compared with previous work [46]. The results of a sizing/selection process show that the 4SGCMG pyramid configuration performs the best all round in terms of torque developed, power consumed and mass and volume occupied. Of the candidate configurations the 6SGCMG pyramid configuration stands out as a possible replacement for the baseline configuration. Of the TCMG configurations the 3TCMG pyramid configuration is the most promising. It is recommended that the 3TCMG pyramid configuration is investigated further. If the total mass of this system could be reduced it could be a contender as a possible replacement for the 4SGCMG pyramid configuration.


Market needs often require miniaturized products for portability, size/weight reduction while increasing product capacity. Utilizing additive manufacturing to achieve a complex and functional metallic part has attracted considerable interests in both industry and academia. However, the resulted rough surfaces and low tolerances of as-printed parts require additional steps for microstructure modifica-tion, physical and mechanical properties enhancement, and improvement of dimensional/form/surface to meet engineering specifications. Micromachining can (i) produce miniature components or microfeatures on a larger component, and (ii) enhance the quality of additively manufactured metallic components. This chapter suggests the necessary requirements for successful micromachining and cites the research studies on micromachining of metallic materials fabricated by either traditional route or additive technique. Micromachining by nontraditional techniques — e.g., ion/electron beam machining — are beyond the scope of this chapter. The chapter is organized as following: Section 1: Introduction; Section 2: Requirement for successful micromachining: cutting tools, tool coating, machine tools, tool offset measuring methods, minimum quantity lubrication, and size effect; Section 3: Effect of materials: material defects, ductile regime machining, crystalline orientation, residual stress, and microstructure; Section 4: Micromachining: research works from literature, process monitoring, and process parameters; Section 4.1: Micromilling; Section 4.2: Microdrilling; Section 4.3: Ultraprecision turning; Section 5: Summary; and References.


Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is rare in Europeans, with an estimated prevalence of 1–2 per 100 000.1 Acute attacks of porphyria cause severe abdominal pain and a range of neurological and other features, including hypertension, tachycardia and excessive sweating. Some of the clinical features of AIP have been attributed to adrenergic hyperactivity.2

Phaeochromocytoma is a neuroendocrine tumour, with an incidence of approximately 0.15 cases per 100 000 per year in the UK.3 The presenting symptoms are sustained or paroxysmal hypertension, sweating, palpitations and anxiety, secondary to excessive production of catecholamines and their metabolites. Diagnosis is based on raised urinary excretion of catecholamines or their metabolites, followed by localisation using CT and/or MRI and specific radio-localisation, usually with meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG).

We present a patient with AIP and fluctuating hypertension in whom the finding of raised catecholamine excretion led to an incorrect diagnosis of co-existent phaeochromocytoma.

A 34-year-old woman, diagnosed with AIP at age 29, developed intermittent labile hypertension which was difficult to control. Urinary catecholamine excretion was found to be abnormal (tables 1 and 2). Abdominal CT and MRI scans were normal but MIBG scintiscan was reported as showing increased …


The current default judgment system is filled with problems. Default judgments are routinely set aside based upon the party's "excusable neglect" for failing to timely answer. In such cases, the defaulting party's negligence is essentially condoned because the non-defaulting party is not properly compensated for the delay and the defaulting party is not adequately reprimanded. Even after obtaining a default judgment, the nondefaulting party may have its victory disappear if a motion to set aside is filed shortly thereafter. On the other hand, some parties involved in litigation are ambushed with a default based on improper service. By sitting on the judgment without giving notice or attempting to collect, the nondefaulting party can even manipulate the one-year cutoff date in Rule 60 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure regarding the arguments that can be made in the motion to set aside. Fortunately, there are some simple solutions to improve the default judgment framework.


Insulin secretagogue therapy is commonly used in clinical practice. These agents may be utilized as first, second-line or adjunct therapy behind metformin for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Sulfonylureas and meglitinides are effective treatments, but cumulative data over decades of research raise concerns regarding universal prescribing. The role of insulin secretagogue therapy in β-cell failure, blunting of ischemic pre-conditioning, the incidence of hypoglycemia - specifically in at-risk populations, modest weight gain and the unproven link to cancer are discussed. Ultimately, many of the concerns appear to be agent and not class-specific with glibenclamide fairing the worst amongst all of the agents discussed.


Introduction: Health literacy is defi ned as the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic information needed to make appropriate health decisions. Health literacy has a major impact on the improvement of quality of healthcare. In 2005, a tool was introduced to assess health literacy called new vital sign by Weiss et al. Since then, it has been validated in multiple studies. It is usually administered by an RN or MOA, and takes about 3 minutes to complete. It assesses general literacy and numeracy skills as applied to health information yielding an overall estimate of health literacy. We aimed to assess health literacy in an outpatient community GI clinic. Methods: We enrolled 175 consecutive patients in an ambulatory GI setting. Th e new vital sign was administered by a medical student aft er standard vital signs were obtained. Exclusion criteria were <18 years of age, and visual/auditory impairment. When appropriate, the primary caregiver responsible for medical care was administered the test. Th e patient was given a nutrition label, and then asked predefi ned questions in order to assess prose literacy, numeracy, and document literacy. Th e answers were correct or incorrect according to a predefi ned binary scoring key (1 point for each correct answer [maximum 6 points]). Results: A total of 171 patients completed the test. Th e average time to complete the test was 3.6 minutes. Th e number of correct items on the NVS ranged from 0 to 6 (mean=4.41). Of total surveyed, 24 patients scored 0-1, suggesting a high likelihood of limited literacy. 17 patients scored 2-3, indicating the possibility of limited literacy. 130 patients scored 4-6, consistent with adequate literacy. Conclusion: NVS can provide prompt and valuable insight into the patients' level of health literacy. With this knowledge, physician and ancillary staff can tailor recommendations and instructions appropriately. In this suburban population, more than three-fourths of participants (76%) showed adequate literacy, while nearly one-fourth (24%) showed impaired health literacy. Performance of NVS can lead to improved and focused communication in the physician-patient relationship, leading to improved health care delivery.


Secure buildings are currently protected from unauthorized access by a variety of devices. Nowadays, there are many kinds of devices to guarantee the building security such as PIN pads, keys both conventional and electronic, identity cards, cryptographic and dual control procedures. In this paper, voice-based biometric system is introduced for access control. The ability to verify the identity of a person by analyzing his/her speech, or speaker verification, is an attractive and relatively unobtrusive means of providing security for admission into an important or secured place. An individual's voice cannot be stolen, lost, forgotten, guessed, or impersonated with accuracy. In the field of speaker verification, the main objective is to achieve the highest possible classification accuracy. The proposed system focused on combining the classification scores. In score fusion, each feature set is modeled separately, and the output score of the classifiers are combined to give the overall match score. Furthermore, for each classifier score, an a priori weight is set based on the level of confidence of the feature set and the classifier. The classifiers involved in this work are Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), Multilayer Feedforward Network (MFN) and Support Vector Machines (SVMs). Experimental result confirms that in terms of false acceptance rate (FAR) and false rejection rate (FRR), the Fusion Classifiers is effective to use in the proposed system.


A BSTRACT Background The effect of age on optimal body weight is controversial, and few studies have had adequate numbers of subjects to analyze mortality as a function of body-mass index across age groups. Methods We studied mortality over 12 years among white men and women who participated in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study I (from 1960 through 1972). The 62,116 men and 262,019 women included in this analysis had never smoked cigarettes, had no history of heart disease, stroke, or cancer (other than skin cancer) at base line in 1959– 1960, and had no history of recent unintentional weight loss. The date and cause of death for subjects who died were determined from death certificates. The associations between body-mass index (defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) and mortality were examined for six age groups in analyses in which we adjusted for age, educational level, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. Results Greater body-mass index was associated with higher mortality from all causes and from cardiovascular disease in men and women up to 75 years of age. However, the relative risk associated with greater body-mass index declined with age. For example, for mortality from cardiovascular disease, the relative risk associated with an increment of 1 in the body-mass index was 1.10 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.04 to 1.16) for 30-to-44-year-old men and 1.03 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.02 to 1.05) for 65-to-74-year-old men. For women, the corresponding relative risk estimates were 1.08 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.05 to 1.11) and 1.02 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.02 to 1.03). Conclusions Excess body weight increases the risk of death from any cause and from cardiovascular disease in adults between 30 and 74 years of age. The relative risk associated with greater body weight is higher among younger subjects. (N Engl J Med 1998;338:1-7.)


The primary school system in Pakistan needs improvement in order to provide the basic right of education to all. Government schools are not enough to cater the needs of increasing population of the country. The main goal of this study was to present a methodology for the development of government schools based on geographical information system (GIS) through a case study of Orangi Town in Karachi. In this study, first the adequacy of government schools in the study area was evaluated and then the need for additional schools with their suitable locations were identified. Data regarding school locations and students enrollments were collected from Sindh Basic Education Program of a non-profit NGO iMMAP. School building footprints were digitized from 2001 and 2013 Google Earth archived images. Population in 2013 was estimated by projecting 1998 census data downloaded from the website of the Census Bureau of Pakistan. An educated assumption of 20 % of the total population of Orangi Town was used to calculate number of primary school-aged children. Study results showed that schools existed in 2013 were not sufficient to serve all these children. This study also revealed that new schools were built during this time period, but the population growth rate was much higher than the growth rate of schools that created a big supply-demand gap. The most progressive Union Council (UC) of Orangi Town was Haryana Colony where 17 new schools were constructed between 2001 and 2013 though the required number of schools still fall short. New sites for schools analysis.


One of the major challenges in data-gathering wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is to achieve the reliable and energy-efficient data collection. In this paper, we investigate using the spatial correlation of sensor observations to model information accuracy and power consumption in WSNs. Both our analysis and simulation results show that the pre-defined information accuracy can be achieved with only a limited number of sensors jointly sensing the same event. Hence, lots of power can be saved to prolong the network lifetime.


In this thesis, the first steps in creating a realisable spin-injection transistor using ferromagnetic semiconductor electrodes are detailed. A spin-injection device utilising the ferromagnetic semiconductor gadolinium nitride has been designed, fabricated and electrically tested. In addition, an experimental setup for future measurements of a spin current in spin-injection devices was adapted to our laboratory-based off one developed by the Shiraishi group at Kyoto University. Issues encountered during fabrication were identified, and an optimal method for fabricating these devices was determined. Gadolinium nitride and copper were used to make the devices on Si/SiO2 substrates.  The electrical integrity and applicability of the devices for future measurements of injected spin-current was determined through electrical device testing. Resistance measurements of electrical pathways within the device were undertaken to determine the successful deposition of the gadolinium nitride and copper. IV measurements to determine if the devices could withstand the current required for spin current measurements were done. The durability of the devices through multiple measurement types was observed. It was determined that although spin-injection devices utilising gadolinium nitride can be successfully fabricated, more work needs to be done to ensure that the electrical pathways through the copper and gadolinium nitride can be consistently reproducible to allow spin-injection measurements to be done.


This study draws on the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model of job stress to predict mental and physical health in academic employees working in UK universities. It examines the main and interactive effects of extrinsic efforts over time as well as the independent contributions of the three reward systems of the model (i.e. promotion, esteem and security rewards). The main and interactive effects of intrinsic effort (known as overcommitment) in predicting health status are also examined. A sample of 458 academic employees completed ERI scales at baseline and the health measures 14 months later. Higher extrinsic effort, lower esteem and security rewards and an imbalance between efforts and esteem rewards assessed at Time 1 were found to predict mental health status on follow-up. Physical health symptoms were predicted by higher extrinsic effort and lower security rewards. Overcommitment was an independent risk factor for both mental and physical health. No further contribution was made to the variance in either outcome by the other effort-reward ratios independently or by their interactions with overcommitment. Interventions are suggested that have potential to reduce extrinsic and intrinsic efforts and increase rewards in the university sector.


At 16 weeks of age, 13 percent of untreated Buffalo strain rats showed evidence of autoimmune thyroiditis. Feeding methylcholanthrene increased the incidence to 42 percent. Neonatal thymectomy significantly raised the incidence of disease so that almost all (87 percent) untreated and all methylcholanthrene-treated animals developed severe disease. It is proposed that the thymus exerts a regulatory effect on autosensitization.


In this study, two types of natural asbestos-like actinolite occurrences were sampled in order to understand their tectonic and metamorphic signification. Studied rocks were collected within two Variscan ophiolitic formations (Treogat and Pont de Barel Formations, South Armorican Massif, Western France), mainly composed of amphibolites, and which recorded amphibolite to greenschist facies metamorphism. In these localities, the natural asbestos-like actinolite occurrences are closely related with the development of tectonic structures such as extension veins, tension gashes, σ and δ-type boudins. Field and petrostructural studies together with optical microscope, SEM and electron-microprobe analyses (EPMA) allowed to link early steps of the retrograde deformation event, during which acicular hornblende crystallizes in extension veins showing fuzzy boundaries or in hosting rock, with the late step of the same deformation event, during which hornblende is downgraded into asbestos-like actinolite synchronous with felsic melt circulation and tectonic structures opening. Field and microtectonic observations point to a sinistral strike-slip shearing for Pont de Barel formation and to a sinistral transtensive shearing for the Treogat formation, which is consistent with the late regional variscan exhumation of the South Armorican Terrane. SEM observations show that asbestos-like actinolite originate from hornblende crystallographic plan fragmentation, starting first along the (110) plans and continue both along the (100) and (110) plans. EPMA analyses show that Na-Al-Si metasomatism is associated with this fragmentation. Temperature estimates of chlorite crystallization after hornblende are around 300°C for the Treogat Formation and 200°C for the Pont de Barel Formation, suggesting that amphibole fragmentation can occur over a wide temperature range. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis was performed using crystallographic sites distribution. Results show a clear correlation between actinolite Si(T) and hornblende Al(T), Al(C) and Na(A) crystallographic sites, suggesting that asbestos-like actinolite after hornblende fragmentation is rather due to a decrease of pressure within the tectonic structures, as Al in amphibole is pressure-dependent. This decrease could be due to the fluid pressure, which is supra-lithostatic during tectonic structures opening.


Using a sample of propertyliability insurers over the period 1995-2004, we develop and test a model that explains performance as a function of line-of-business diversification and other correlates. Our results indicate that undiversified insurers consistently outperform diversified insurers. In terms of accounting performance, we find a diversification penalty of at least 1 percent of return on assets or 2 percent of return on equity. These findings are robust to corrections for potential endogeneity bias, alternative risk measures, alternative diversification measures, and an alternative estimation technique. Using a market-based performance measure (Tobin's Q) we find that the market applies a significant discount to diversified insurers. The existence of a diversification penalty (and diversification discount) provides strong support for the strategic focus hypothesis. We also find that insurance groups underperform unaffiliated insurers and that stock insurers outperform mutuals.


The integration of environmental DNA (eDNA) within management strategies for lotic organisms requires translating eDNA detection and quantification data into inferences of the locations and abundances of target species. Understanding how eDNA is distributed in space and time within the complex environments of rivers and streams is a major factor in achieving this translation. Here we study bidimensional eDNA signals in streams to predict the position and abundance of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles. We use data from sentinel cages with a range of abundances (3–63 juveniles) that were deployed in three coastal streams in New Brunswick, Canada. We evaluate the spatial patterns of eDNA dispersal and determine the effect of discharge on the dilution rate of eDNA. Our results show that eDNA exhibits predictable plume dynamics downstream from sources, with eDNA being initially concentrated and transported in the midstream, but eventually accumulating in stream margins with time and distance. From these findings we developed a fish detection and distribution prediction model based on the eDNA ratio in midstream versus bankside sites for a variety of fish distribution scenarios. Finally, we advise that sampling midstream at every 400 m is sufficient to detect a single fish at low velocity, but sampling efforts need to be increased at higher water velocity (every 100 m in the systems surveyed in this study). Studying salmon eDNA spatio-temporal patterns in lotic environments is essential to developing strong quantitative population assessment models that successfully leverage eDNA as a tool to protect salmon populations.


In any software development lifecycle, testing is necessary to guarantee the quality
of the end product. As software grows, the size of test suites grows too. Due to this
grows, maintaining of test suites become more difficult. Therefore, test suite
minimization techniques are required to control the test suite size. One way of doing
this is by ensuring that the set of test suite includes the important test cases with all
redundancies in test cases eliminated.
Most test suite minimization techniques remove redundant test cases with respect to
a particular coverage criterion at a time. A potential drawback of these techniques is
that they may result in loss of test suite coverage with respect to other coverage
criteria, thus affecting the ability of reduced test suite in detecting faults. To overcome this weakness, this research objective is to minimize the test suite by
selectively including coverage redundancy while improving fault detection
effectiveness. To achieve such goal, this research modifies and improves the
Reduction with Selective Redundancy (RSR) algorithm.
In the modify algorithm, test cases would be selected according to the branch
coverage if they covered different branch combination. Then the algorithm gathers
all the test cases based on the definition occurrence and def-use pair if they cover
same definition occurrence of one variable but they don't cover def-use pair of the
same variable. Among these selected test cases, the algorithm identifies the
redundant test cases based on definition occurrence, if they cover a similar
combination of branch coverage except in one branch and also if the test cases cover
a similar definition occurrence .
The results show the algorithm used in this research can reduce the test suite size as
well as significantly improve the fault detection effectiveness. The fault detection
loss of reduced suite size was significantly less than the amount of suite size
reduction. Moreover, the results reveal that test suit minimization based on branch
combination is effective in term of faults detection.


This paper examined the phenomenon of executive dominance over the legislatures both at the national and state levels in Nigeria. The paper argues that legislatures in Nigeria generally are faced with the crisis of executive belligerence, which itself is a hangover of the military rule and decreed two party states between 1960 and 1999. This culture of executive dominance appears more endemic and destructive to democracy. The data for this study was generated from Focus Group Discussion, in-depth desk review and other documentary sources. The technique of content analysis will constitute our data analysis technique. The paper revealed that the legislatures in Nigeria are more or less one party dominated, influenced largely by the incumbent president and governors. Also the president and executive governors are overwhelmingly powerful and dominant because of their unlimited access to state resources, which give them control over party structures. The controls over candidates' selection by the executives make legislators stooges of the former, which relegates the institution to mere rubber stamp of the executive. It is also found that control over legislative bureaucracy in the past and to some extent even now makes the legislature dependent on the executive. This undermines the capacity and independence of the legislatures to hold the executive accountable and to a large extent to function as co-equal of the executive arm of government. The paper concludes by positing that unless parties are funded independent of holders of executive power and moneybags, governors will continue to control the proceedings in the legislatures.


Aim: Studies that explored endocan (as a novel marker of endothelial dysfunction) in relation to metabolic syndrome (MetS) are scarce and show discordant results. Importantly, no study has yet examined serum endocan levels in exclusively postmenopausal women with MetS and free of diabetes. Oxidative stress and inflammation are the key features of MetS and consequently cardiovascular diseases. Hence, we aimed to explore the potential relationship between endocan, oxidative stress [i.e., determined by total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, and pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance (PAB)], inflammation, and MetS in a cohort of postmenopausal women. Methods: A total of 126 postmenopausal women were included consecutively. MetS was diagnosed following the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Results: Higher serum endocan levels were found in MetS group as compared with MetS-free counterparts [6.03 (3.47-10.37) pg/mL vs. 2.27 (1.49-3.50) pg/mL, P < 0.001]. Endocan showed good discriminatory ability toward MetS [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.809]. Besides age, the inclusion of oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers, such as PAB and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), the AUC for discrimination postmenopausal women with MetS from MetS-free women was 0.845. Conclusion: Postmenopausal women with MetS exhibited almost 2.7 times higher serum endocan level as compared with MetS-free middle-aged women. Endocan showed good discriminatory ability toward MetS and could be a diagnostic marker in MetS. Similar results were confirmed when added an age, oxidative stress, and inflammation biomarkers (i.e., PAB and hsCRP) were included for the discrimination of postmenopausal with MetS from MetS-free women.


ABSTRACT We make the case for greater integration of the individual methods and documentation used in the software development life-cycle. We illustrate practical benefits from this approach through the use of examples drawn from a methodology that has been used to develop successful safety-critical applications. Integration limits the number of different specifications that have to be developed and also typically results in improved traceability from requirements through to code. We also show that integration may reduce the burden imposed by formal verification. Integrated software toolsets are a natural consequence. This integration is exactly what engineers do in other disciplines, and software engineers should take note of this.


A distributed geotechnical remote analysis of data system (Distributed G-RAD) can benefit both owners and contractors in providing better quality control and assurance on geotechnical projects. The Distributed G-RAD approach involves efficient data acquisition using PDAs with GPS capability, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for labeling soil samples, laser scanning for measuring lift thickness and volumes of stockpiles and borrow pits. Spatial data storage is provided using a geographic information system (GIS). Portions of this system are already developed while other parts are still being considered. This paper also describes how RFID and laser scanning technologies can be used in the larger Distributed G-RAD system.


A practical plasmonic THz fiber is described that features two metallic wires held together by the porous dielectric cladding. High porosity is required in order to guarantee low loss and low dispersion of guided modes.


BACKGROUND: The English schools-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme is routinely offered to all young people aged 12-13 years, to prevent cancers affecting the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus and oral cavity. Lower uptake among some population groups has been identified, in part, because of unmet information needs among young people. To address these unmet needs we report intervention planning and development processes to co-produce an educational package about the HPV vaccine.METHODS: We used co-production research methodologies and the 'person-based approach' involving the following iterative stages: (i) collating and analysing primary and secondary evidence, including HPV vaccine communication materials and interviews and workshops); (ii) developing guiding principles; (iii) undertaking a behavioural analysis informed by the Behaviour Change Wheel and the Behaviour Change Technique taxonomy; (iv) development of a preliminary logic model; (v) co-production of resources, and; (vi) refinement of resources informed by feedback from young people and key stakeholders. RESULTS: We co-produced EDUCATE, a theory-based educational package, that is designed to be delivered to young people prior to being offered the HPV vaccine to support uptake. Young people and key stakeholders identified the following key issues to include as content: (i) HPV-related information; (ii) how vaccines work; (iii) safety and side-effects of the HPV vaccine; (iii) eligibility for the HPV vaccination programme, and; (iv) preparation of young people to receive the HPV vaccine. A manual for professionals (e.g. immunisation nurses, school staff) delivering the intervention and a PowerPoint presentation, interspersed with five short films, were co-produced with young people and key stakeholders. Following feedback, the content of the EDUCATE package was refined to increase acceptability, engagement, and persuasiveness to the target users.CONCLUSION: Engagement with young people and key informants was integral to the development of our rigorously developed, theory-based intervention to address young people's information needs about the HPV vaccination programme. The acceptability and persuasiveness of the package has been maximised by working closely with young people and key stakeholders to develop the content. Future studies to examine how the EDUCATE package is implemented in practice and the impact on uptake of the HPV vaccination programme are planned.TRIAL REGISTRATION: N/A


International institutions like World Bank (WB) and international monetary fund (IMF) are preached countries to adopt structural adjustment program around 1990.  Financial liberalization is one of among the key pillars of structural adjustment program with its own principles. Even though liberalization is with some costs due to IMF and WB followed conditionality approach for every nations especially for developing countries, all nations are adopting it. The basic themes behind the liberalization program are openness, privatization of government owned enterprises / properties, deregulation, reducing or eliminating tariffs and tax for international trade within and outside the domestic country, increasing interest rate, reducing government expenditure and eliminating government intervention in the economy (free market there by the two market forces efficiently manage marketing system), among others. The financial sector is the one that needs the adoption of liberalization strategy. This review gives more emphasis for the liberalization of the banking sector due to banks play the key role in the development arena of a given country. With the aim of facilitating economic growth the government of Ethiopia currently made different reforms to enhance and improve the capacity as well as efficiency of the banking sector. The government of Ethiopia had implemented major reform tools in the banking sector like optimizing interest rate, providing license for domestic private investors, increasing the number of government owned banks and private banks, addressing the wide-spread problem of nonperforming loans experienced by state owned banks, reconstituting both the Development Bank of Ethiopia and the Construction and Business Bank as commercial banks. The major outcomes of these measures were increasing access by customers, enhancing competition, increasing efficiency and increasing the reserve ratio and smoothing loan- credit base, among others. After implementing the above-mentioned reform measures in the banking sector (since 1990) the banking sector has been grown, yet still the banking sector is monopolized by government, inefficient in stabilizing the financial sector, and inefficient in accommodating the private sector saving as compared to other nations of the world. Hence the contribution of the banking sector for economic growth of the country remains insignificant. This review presents rough sketch of historical perspective of the banking sector in Ethiopia, current status of the banking sector in Ethiopia, financial sector reforms, summary and policy recommendations in their respective sequence.


TITLE : CHANGES OF P SORPTION ON ULTISOL DUE TO ADDITION OF COAL FLY ASH-CHICKEN MANURE MIXTURE. High soil P sorption which result in low P availability for plants is one of important constraints in Ultisols. The objective of current research was to study the effect of coal fly ash-chicken manure mixture (FA-CM) on the changes in P sorption and availability in Ultisols. Two treatments - FA-CM mixture (w/w of 1:1) at the rate of 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 ton ha-1, and P fertilization at the rate of 0, 87, 174, 261 and 348 kg P2O5 ha-1 - were tested. These treatments were arranged according to Factorial Completely Random Design with three replicates. Results of current research showed that FA-CM and P rates and their interaction significantly affected the values of point of zero charge (PZC), pH and soil negative charges. FA-CM mixture as a soil ameliorant decreased P sorption but it increased available P in Ultisols by increasing both soil pH and negative charges. The application of FA-CM at 30 tons ha-1 and P at 174 kg P2O5 ha-1 resulted in better increases in soil charges than any other combinations. However, the lowest P sorption (127.07 mg kg-1) and the highest available P (102.21 mg kg-1) was resulted in by the applications of 42.64 tons of FA-CM ha-1 and 261 kg P2O5 ha-1.


We present an overview of the nature of academic dishonesty with respect to computer science coursework. We discuss the efficacy of various policies for collaboration with regard to student education, and we consider a number of strategies for mitigating dishonest behaviour on computer science coursework by addressing some common causes. Computer science coursework is somewhat unique, in that there often exist ideal solutions for problems, and work may be shared and copied with very little effort. We discuss the idiosyncratic nature of how collaboration, col- lusion and plagiarism are defined and perceived by students, instructors and administration. After considering some of the common reasons for dishonest behaviour among students, we look at some methods that have been suggested for mitigating them. Finally, we propose several ideas for improving computer science courses in this context. We suggest emphasizing the intended learn- ing outcomes of each assignment, providing tutorial sessions to facilitate acceptable collaboration, delivering quizzes related to assignment content after each assignment is submitted, and clarifying the boundary between collaboration and collusion in the context of each course. While this discus- sion is directed at the computer science community, much may apply to other disciplines as well, particularly those with a similar nature such as engineering, other sciences, or mathematics.


Education and health are commonly devolved functions to sub-national governments, even in nations which have a unitary rather than a federal structure. This paper investigates, for the specific case of a federal country like India, whether differences between states in shares of public spending on health and education show convergence over time, and the impact of episodic horizontal partitioning of states on this process. Our analysis rejects the hypothesis that preferences for health across state level jurisdictions are becoming more uniform over time, but for education, there is evidence of convergence, albeit at a low rate.


This book examines how notions of Jewishness have been conveyed in a range of television, stage, and film productions since the end of World War II. The history of the American entertainment industry and the history of the Jewish people in the United States are inextricably intertwined. Jews have provided Broadway and Hollywood with some of their most enduring talent, from writers like Arthur Miller, Wendy Wasserstein, and Tony Kushner to directors like Jerome Robbins and Woody Allen, to performers like Gertrude Berg, John Garfield, Lenny Bruce, and Barbra Streisand. Conversely, show business provided Jews with a means of upward mobility, a model for how to "become American," and a source of cultural pride. "Acting Jewish" documents this history, looking at the work of Jewish writers, directors and actors in the American entertainment industry with particular attention to the ways in which these artists offer behavioral models for Jewish-American audiences. Beginning in 1947, the book covers some of America's favorite plays ("Death of a Salesman", "Fiddler on the Roof", "Angels in America"), films ("Gentleman's Agreement", "Annie Hall") and television shows ("The Goldbergs", "Seinfeld"), identifying a double-coding by which performers enact, and spectators read, Jewishness in contemporary performance - and, by extension, enact and read other minority identities. Henry Bial draws on the lively discipline of performance studies to explore the ever-changing relationship between Jews and mainstream American culture.


The evolution of two-dimensional regular flows laden with solid heavy particles is studied analytically and numerically. The particulate phase is assumed to be dilute enough to neglect the effects of particle-particle interactions. Flows with large Reynolds and Froude numbers are considered, when effects related to viscous dissipation and gravity are negligible. A Cauchy problem is solved for an initially uniform distribution of particles with Stokes (St) and Reynolds (Rep) numbers of order unity in several types of flows representing steady solutions of the two-dimensional Euler equations. We consider flows in the vicinity of the hyperbolic stagnation point (with a uniform strain and zero vorticity) and the elliptic stagnation point (where vorticity is uniform), a circular vortex (with vorticity depending on the radius) and Stuart vortex flow. Analytical solutions are obtained, for the case of sufficiently small St, describing the accumulation of particles and corresponding modification of the fluid flow. Solutions derived show that the concentration of particles, although remaining uniform, decreases at the elliptic stagnation point and grows at the hyperbolic point. Owing to the coupling between the particulate and fluid dynamics, the flow vorticity is reduced at the elliptic point, while flow strain rate is enhanced at the hyperbolic point. Solutions obtained for the circular vortex show that the accumulation of particles proceeds in the form of a travelling wave. The concentration grows locally, forming the crest of the wave which propagates away from the vortex centre. Owing to the influence of the particulate on the carrier flow, the vorticity is reduced in the vortex centre. At the location of the crest the gradient of the flow grows owing to the drag forces between the fluid and particles and a vorticity peak is generated. Analytical solutions are also obtained for a chain of particle-laden Stuart vortices. Owing to the coupling effects, the concentration is diminished and the vorticity is reduced at the centres of the vortices. A sheet of increased concentration and vorticity is formed extending from the braid region to the periphery of the vortices, and the flow strain in the braid region is enhanced. Results of numerical simulations performed for St = 0.5 show good agreement with analytical solutions.


PURPOSE
To determine the toxicity of various doses of intravitreal amphotericin B deoxycholate, amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC), and liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB).

METHODS
Fifty-two rabbits were divided into two treatment groups (groups A and B). Thirteen treatments were administered intravitreally to the 104 rabbit eyes. Treatments included a control plus 10, 20, 30, and 50 micro g amphotericin B deoxycholate, ABLC, and L-AmB. Eye examinations were performed before injection and on day 11 for group A and on day 18 for group B. At death, on days 13 and 21 in groups A and B, respectively, vitreous humor was aspirated and concentrations of amphotericin B were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), followed by enucleation for histologic studies.

RESULTS
Significantly more eyes treated with ABLC showed development of vitreal opacities than developed in eyes treated with amphotericin B deoxycholate or L-AmB (P < 0.05). Vitreal band formation was significantly higher in ABLC-treated eyes than in those treated with L-AmB, (P = 0.039). Vitreal inflammation was greater in eyes treated with L-AmB (75%), amphotericin B deoxycholate (78%), and ABLC (91%) than with the control (50%; P = 0.08). Retinal ganglion cell loss was greater in eyes treated with amphotericin B deoxycholate (81%), L-AmB (91%), and ABLC (97%) than with the control (38%; P = 0.003). Amphotericin B concentrations were measurable for all doses of the three formulations.

CONCLUSIONS
Based on histologic data, increasing doses of all three agents appear to be associated with increasing toxicity, however based on ophthalmologic data, L-AmB appears to be less toxic than either amphotericin B deoxycholate or ABLC.


Treatment with melengestrol acetate (MGA), an oral progestin, prior to administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and prostaglandin F2alpha (PG) effectively synchronizes estrus and maintains high fertility in postpartum beef cows. The objective of this experiment was to determine whether treatment with MGA prior to a GnRH-PG-GnRH protocol would improve pregnancy rates resulting from fixed-time artificial insemination (AI). Multiparous crossbred beef cows at two University of Missouri-Columbia farms (n = 90 and n = 137) were assigned by age and days postpartum to one of two treatments. Cows were fed carrier (1.8 kg x animal(-1) x d(-1)) with or without MGA (0.278 mg x kg(-1)) for 14 d. All cows were administered GnRH (100 microg; intramuscularly) on d 12 after MGA or carrier withdrawal and 7 d before PG (25 mg; intramuscularly). All cows received a second injection of GnRH and AI 72 h after PG. Mean days postpartum for MGA and control cows at the initiation of treatment were 39.6 and 38.9 d for herd 1; and 51.9 and 50.9 d for herd 2, respectively (P > 0.70 within herds). Blood samples were collected from all cows at 10 and 1 d before the feeding of MGA or carrier began and at the times GnRH and PG were administered. Concentrations of progesterone in serum at the initiation of treatment were elevated (>1 ng/mL) in 0% of MGA and 7% of control cows in herd 1, and 54% of MGA and 49% of control cows in herd 2 (P > 0.05 within herds). Pregnancy rates to fixed-time AI were determined by transrectal ultrasonography 50 d after AI. Pregnancy rates in herd 1 were 58% (26/45) and 51% (23/45) for MGA-treated and control cows, respectively (P = 0.52), and 63% (44/70) and 45% (30/67) for MGA-treated and control cows in herd 2, respectively (P = 0.03). Differences in pregnancy rates to fixed-time AI were significant (P = 0.04) when data from the two herds were combined (with MGA = 70/115 [61%]; control = 53/112 [47%]). There was no difference (P > 0.20) in final pregnancy rates (timed AI plus 45 d exposure to bulls) between treatments, within herds, or when herds were combined. In summary, pregnancy rates resulting from fixed-time AI may be improved with treatment of MGA prior to a GnRH-PG-GnRH protocol.


Extremist online networks reportedly tend to use Twitter and other Social Networking Sites (SNS) in order to issue
 propaganda and recruitment statements. Traditional machine learning models may encounter problems when used in such a context, due
 to the peculiarities of microblogging sites and the manner in which these networks interact (both between themselves and with
 other networks). Moreover, state-of-the-art approaches have focused on non-transparent techniques that cannot be audited; so,
 despite the fact that they are top performing techniques, it is impossible to check if the models are actually fair. In this
 paper, we present a semi-supervised methodology that uses our Discriminatory Expressions algorithm for feature
 selection to detect expressions that are biased towards extremist content (Francisco and
 Castro 2020). With the help of human experts, the relevant expressions are filtered and used to retrieve further
 extremist content in order to iteratively provide a set of relevant and accurate expressions. These discriminatory expressions
 have been proved to produce less complex models that are easier to comprehend, and thus improve model transparency. In the
 following, we present close to 70 expressions that were discovered by using this method alongside the validation test of the
 algorithm in several different contexts.


Over the past few years, programmers have used proprietary authoring tools and file formats (such as Macromedia's Director) to develop multimedia applications for desktop computers. They have used CD-ROM disks and, more recently, DVD disks to distribute these applications that mix text, graphics, audio, and video content. Today, the World Wide Web competes with CD-ROMs and DVDs to distribute multimedia applications. Engineers and artists prefer the Web over disk-based applications, because it lets them collaborate in building intelligent systems that can extract or present distributed multimedia information. Until recently, however, Web technology limited the quality of multimedia presentations. HTML let application designers use only a very small set of graphical user interface widgets, such as radio buttons and drop-down lists, and did not let them mix and layer multimedia on the same page. Bandwidth considerations also limited the possible quality and size of audio and video information to what would transmit without degradation. XML and SMIL have been developed to solve these problems.


The experiment evaluated the effects low input interventions on productivity, flock dynamics and bird offtake of indigenous chickens within households. Flocks within households were compared under different interventions: (1) daytime confinement and creep feeding of chicks using a coop or pen (CONF); (2) supplementation for the rest of the flock (SUPP), (3) vaccination against Newcastle disease (VACC) and their combinations. Interventions NCD, CONF, SUPP and their combinations significantly improved chick survival (%), egg production (Egg/h/yr) and weight gain(Wg). Chick survival, eggs/h/yr and Wg improved from 25.4% to between 55.5 – 91.6%; 66 to between 92.8 – 97.8 eggs/h/yr and 8.6 to between 9.3 – 14.6 g/b/d respectively. It was observed VACC had a negative effect in young chicks less than three weeks of age. Interventions improved flock sizes per household, into flock flows and offtake of birds per household. Wastage of birds was high in CONT. Improvements were attributed to reduced disease incidence; protection of young chicks against predators; increased vigour of creep fed chicks; hens too accessed creep feed, protein deficits addressed by supplementation and increased laying time for hens when chicks were hand reared. It suggests NCD as number one killer and a feed (protein) deficit in scavenging chicken production systems.


Objectives: To study the surgical outcome of lumber disk herniation and factors influencing the surgical outcome. Materials and methods: A case series study of 200 patients with herniated lumbar disk were studied in setting of tertiary hospital in the Department of Neurosurgery at Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellary, Karnataka during the period of June 2013 to January 2015. Among the selected patients, the sociodemographic profile, clinical profile, radiological profile, and the surgical interventions were undertaken and the outcome was noted. The MacNab scale was used to determine the clinical outcome after surgery. All patients were followed for a period 6 months postoperatively for the presence of complications. Results: Mean age of the patients was 45.63 ± 18.54 years with 61% of males and 39% of them were females. L4-L5 interspace was involved in 138 cases (68.0%), disk was protruded in 54% of the cases, and extruded in 28% of the cases. According to MacNab's criteria, in this study "Excellent" outcome was seen in 146 patients (73%), outcome was "Good" in 45 (22.5%) patients, "Fair" in 7 (3.5%) patients, and "Poor" in 2 cases (1%). Better surgical outcomes were associated with younger patients (p = 0.002), disk prolapse at the level of L4-L5 (p < 0.001), extruded and protruded type of disk prolapse (p = 0.034), and disk prolapse precipitated by lifting inappropriate weight (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The outcome of lumbar discectomy depends more on patient's age, level and type of disk prolapse, factors precipitating disk prolapse, and patient selection than on surgical technique.


Abstract The four Maurliden massive to network sulphide deposits are hosted by a silicic volcanic succession in the Palaeoproterozoic Maurliden domain in the central part of the Skellefte district, northern Sweden. The bedrock in the Maurliden domain can be divided into primary volcanic rocks and volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks. The primary volcanic rocks comprise coherent rhyolitic, dacitic, andesitic and mafic volcanic facies and their related autoclastic and pumiceous breccia facies. The volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks include monomict to slightly polymict breccia-conglomerates, which are related to terrestrial to shallow marine erosion of domes, and sandstone turbidites and mudstones, which indicate submarine settings below wave base. The primary volcanic rocks and volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks collectively define a submarine volcanic centre. This volcanic centre was characterized by the emplacement of rhyolitic domes and cryptodomes, accompanied by subordinate explosive activity. It was developed in the ensialic back-arc or intra-arc basin of the Skellefte district. The facies architecture shows that prior to massive sulphide deposition, feldspar porphyritic rhyolitic volcanism, and both terrestrial/shallow marine and below wave base environments characterized the volcanic centre. At the time of massive sulphide deposition the Maurliden volcanic centre was characterized by quartz-feldspar porphyritic rhyolite volcanism and below wave base environment. This volcanism resulted in strongly quartz-feldspar porphyritic rhyolite cryptodomes, domes and quartz-feldspar porphyritic pumice breccia-sandstone (QFP pumice unit). The QFP pumice unit erupted explosively and was rapidly sedimented on the sea floor as a series of subaqueous mass-flows. All four Maurliden sulphide deposits are hosted within this QFP pumice unit, which suggest a genetic connection between eruption of the QFP pumice unit and formation of the sulphide deposits.


Early recognition of patients at high risk of acute lung injury (ALI) is critical for successful enrolment of patients in prevention strategies for this devastating syndrome. We aimed to develop and prospectively validate an ALI prediction score in a population-based sample of patients at risk. In a retrospective derivation cohort, predisposing conditions for ALI were identified at the time of hospital admission. The score was calculated based on the results of logistic regression analysis. Prospective validation was performed in an independent cohort of patients at risk identified at the time of hospital admission. In a derivation cohort of 409 patients with ALI risk factors, the lung injury prediction score discriminated patients who developed ALI from those who did not with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.84 (95% CI 0.80–0.89; Hosmer–Lemeshow p = 0.60). The performance was similar in a prospective validation cohort of 463 patients at risk of ALI (AUC 0.84, 95% CI 0.77–0.91; Hosmer–Lemeshow p = 0.88). ALI prediction scores identify patients at high risk for ALI before intensive care unit admission. If externally validated, this model will serve to define the population of patients at high risk for ALI in whom future mechanistic studies and ALI prevention trials will be conducted.


Evidence of debts owed to Londoners, and contested before the royal Court of Common Pleas, allows an examination of the role of London creditors in the English depression of the fifteenth century and a reassessment of its causes. In this article, four main issues are examined. What is the nature of the Court of Common Pleas evidence (section I)? What were the three main forms of credit offered by Londoners - unsecured cash loans, sales of goods on credit, and written instruments called bonds (section II)? What is yielded by decadal analysis of Londoners' extension of credit in the fifteenth century - making direct comparisons with Nightingale's published Statute Merchant and Staple data (section III)? What defines, in modern economic terms, the claim of so‐called 'monetarist' historians that credit was actively withdrawn during the depression, and how is this verified by the actions of London creditors (section IV)? It is concluded that the records of the Court of Common Pleas provide the detailed evidence monetarist historians have previously lacked both to prove that Londoners actively withdrew credit during the fifteenth century and to demonstrate that they employed pure equilibrium credit rationing in order to do so.


Objective: To evaluate fracture resistance and survival rate of IPS Empress CAD versus Polished Celtra Duo ceramic laminate veneers. Material and Methods: Thirty-six ceramic laminate veneers were fabricated for maxillary anterior teeth. The patients were divided into two groups according to the material Group 1(control group) fabricated from IPS Empress CAD laminate veneers and group 2(intervention group) fabricated from Polished Celtra Duo laminate veneers. Standardized the same preparation with butt joint design and chamfer finish line located supra gingival were performed for all the teeth. The fabrication of the veneers was performed using Cad\Cam (Ceramill motion) machine, with software (Exocad). The veneers surfaces were treated and silanated according to the manufacture instruction of each ceramic and enamel surfaces were etched where total etch adhesive protocol was obeyed using BISCO. Follow up sessions were done every two months up to one year for each patient using dental probe and operator vision to evaluate the fracture, survival rate, marginal adaptation, sensitivity and caries. according to USPHS criteria (United States Public Health Service). This was performed by an experienced, blinded investigator. Results: Fracture resistance, marginal adaptation, retention, caries and sensitivity were evaluated according to the criteria of USPHS and we found there is no significant difference as both groups scaled zero score. Conclusion: Both IPS Empress Cad and Polished Celtra Duo laminate veneers revealed successful clinical performance in terms of fracture resistance, marginal adaptation, retention, and sensitivity after one year follow up period.

Keywords
Ceramic laminate veneers; IPS Empress CAD; Celtra DUO; Clinical performance.


In wireless ad hoc networks, nodes cooperatively form a network without any infrastructure such as a BS/AP (base station or access point). The widely-used contention-based MAC protocol, IEEE 802.11b, is inefficient in multi-hop networks due to the hidden and exposed terminal problems. The most popular schedule-based MAC protocol, TDMA (time division multiple access), is difficult to implement in an ad hoc network due to the lack of infrastructure. The contribution of this paper is to provide the community novel and efficient MAC (medium access control) protocols (i.e., a collision resolution protocol) for a wireless ad hoc network without a centralized infrastructure. We propose two new MAC protocols (one distributed algorithm and one cluster-based algorithm) that use a collision resolution scheme for a network with a single BS/AP. We first compare the performance of our distributed algorithm with our cluster-based algorithm. Then, we compare our algorithm that performs better (i.e., our cluster-based algorithm) to TDMA in a two-hop network. The simulation results illustrate that our cluster-based algorithm provides higher throughput and lower delay than TDMA in a two-hop network.


The author used the Java multimedia framework along with statistical software from the Colt project to preprocess and compare videos downloaded from Internet sites. Preprocessing the videos decreases each one's dimensionality and size, making it easier to analyze, interpret, and convey useful information about the data's most relevant attributes. In this article, the author shows that preprocessing raw data to decrease its dimensionality and size is essential for interpreting data and conveying useful information about its attributes. Graphically visualizing data sets with histograms or other graphs can help researchers detect structural features and properties for classifying similar data sets or making inferences about different data sets.


The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of Oroxylum indicum extracts on breast cancer MCF-7 cell proliferation and migration. Four parts of O. indicum , including leaf, bark, pod, and seed, were used. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined to be at high concentrations in the four parts of O. indicum with the seed extract showing the highest levels. For MCF-7 cell death and proliferation, all O. indicum extracts caused stimulating cancer cell death and inhibiting cancer cell proliferation in dose- and time-dependent manners, surprisingly; the seed extract had the highest effects to inhibit cell proliferation. The IC 50 values of cell viability of O. indicum extracts were demonstrated as 161.2±8.63, 286.73±33.01, 149.03±8.81, and 107.06±5.66  g/mL for leaf, pod, bark, and seed, respectively. Cell counts by crystal violet staining showed that the seed extract stimulated cell death at the lowest concentration. Moreover, all of the O . indicum extracts decreased MCF-7 cell colony formation. Finally, we found that O . indicum extracts could inhibit cancer cell migration in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, our results showed that the seed extract of O . indicum showed the highest cytotoxic and anti-migratory activity, which was more than in the leaf, pod, and bark, on breast MCF-7 cell cancer and O . indicum can be an anticancer agent for breast cancer patients.