The objective was to determine appropriate analytical models considering cytoplasmic inheritance for birth weight (BWT, n = 35,604), weaning weight (WWT, n = 34,114), fleece weight (FWT, n = 38,113) and number born (NB, n = 39,029) for Rambouillet sheep. For BWT, models that included dam by year, dam by number born, and sire by dam effects, in addition to direct and maternal effects, were significantly better than the basic maternal effects model. For WWT, variances due to direct, maternal, and maternal permanent environmental effects (0.05 of variance) were not zero. For FWT, heritability was 0.55 for all models, but models with dam by year (0.02), sire by dam (0.05), and sire by cytoplasmic line (0.02) were jointly significantly better than models with permanent environmental effects. For NB, only direct heritability (0.08) and relative permanent environmental variance (0.04) were not zero. No trait showed evidence of variation due to cytoplasmic effects. Adding seldom considered effects to the model did not change estimates of variance due to direct and maternal genetic effects. Variance due to dominance effects may be important for BWT and FWT. The basic direct–maternal effects model seems sufficient for genetic evaluations for WWT and FWT but models for BWT and NB may need to include other effects. Published by Elsevier B.V.


Although it is generally accepted that viruses (phages) drive bacterial evolution, how these dynamics play out in the wild remains poorly understood. Here we show that the arms race between phages and their hosts is mediated by large and highly diverse mobile genetic elements. These phage-defense elements display exceedingly fast evolutionary turnover, resulting in differential phage susceptibility among clonal bacterial strains while phage receptors remain invariant. Protection afforded by multiple elements is cumulative, and a single bacterial genome can harbor as many as 18 putative phage-defense elements. Overall, elements account for 90% of the flexible genome amongst closely related strains. The rapid turnover of these elements demonstrates that phage resistance is unlinked from other genomic features and that resistance to phage therapy might be as easily acquired as antibiotic resistance.


Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effects of firm characteristics and crisis characteristics on remedies offered to consumers by firms in the event of a product recall crisis.

Design/methodology/approach
Published data on 868 product recalls in the US toy industry from 1988 to 2011 have been used to investigate the effects of firm experience in product recalls, type of firm (company versus intermediary) and product recall severity in predicting remedies offered to consumers in the event of a product recall.

Findings
The findings show that firm recall experience, firm type and recall severity are negatively associated with recall remedies offered. Specifically, firms offer lower remedies if they have higher recall experience, if they are upstream firms in the supply chain (farther from consumers) and if the recall is more severe.

Research limitations/implications
This study focuses on the toy industry and does not consider product complexity, firm reputation and the role of external regulatory agencies in the prediction of remedies offered by firms. Future research may extend this study to include the above factors.

Practical implications
Offering a high remedy to consumers of a recalled product may be a responsible decision by a firm, but it may also attract shareholder wrath. The study has implications for managing multiple goals in product recall crisis management.

Originality/value
Studies focused on issues of interest to consumers during a recall crisis, such as swift recalls and appropriate remedies, are limited. This study contributes to the understanding of the antecedents of recall remedies.


The average stellar mass (M*) of high-mass galaxies ( ) is expected to grow by ∼30% since , largely through ongoing mergers that are also invoked to explain the observed increase in galaxy sizes. Direct evidence for the corresponding growth in stellar mass has been elusive, however, in part because the volumes sampled by previous redshift surveys have been too small to yield reliable statistics. In this work, we make use of the Stripe 82 Massive Galaxy Catalog (s82-mgc) to build a mass-limited sample of 41,770 galaxies ( ) with optical–to–near-IR photometry and a large fraction (>55%) of spectroscopic redshifts. Our sample spans 139 deg2, significantly larger than most previous efforts. After accounting for a number of potential systematic errors, including the effects of M* scatter, we measure galaxy stellar mass functions over and detect no growth in the typical M* of massive galaxies with an uncertainty of 9%. This confidence level is dominated by uncertainties in the star formation (SF) history assumed for M* estimates, although our inability to characterize low-surface-brightness outskirts may be the most important limitation of our study. Even among these high-mass galaxies, we find evidence for differential evolution when splitting the sample by recent SF activity. While low-SF systems appear to become completely passive, we find a mostly subdominant population of galaxies with residual, but low rates of SF (∼1 M⊙ yr−1) whose number density does not evolve. Interestingly, these galaxies become more prominent at higher M*, representing ∼10% of all galaxies at and perhaps dominating at even larger masses.


Objectives The impact of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) on the synapse is poorly understood. We examined the impact of TBI on the distribution of two postsynaptic density proteins (PSD95 and SAP102) at single-synapse resolution. Subjects 44 male transgenic knock-in mice, aged 8–16 weeks, expressing fluorescently labelled PSD95 and SAP102. Methods Mice were randomised to a mild lateral fluid percussion injury (LFPI) or sham treatment and brain sections were examined at 7 and 28 days. Using high resolution confocal microscopy and machine learning algorithms, the synaptic puncta density, size and intensity were mapped across 222 brain regions. Microglia and presynaptic changes were indexed using Iba1 and SV2A immunostaining. Pearson correlation and t-tests were used (significance p<0.05). Results We found a significant reduction in synaptic puncta density at 28 days post-injury in brain regions distal to the injury site including the hippocampus. PSD95 and SAP102 density changes had a strong positive correlation at 28 days (r=0.8; p<0.0001). We also observed evidence of synapse recovery in the ipsilateral cortex between 7 and 28 days. Puncta density had a positive correlation with SV2A (r=0.7; p<0.01) and a negative correlation with (r=−0.6; p<0.001) Iba1 count. Conclusions Focal LFPI induced progressive region-specific loss of synapses for which microglia may play a role. Our study highlights the value of brain-wide synaptome mapping technology and suggests a capacity for synaptic recovery which could be a therapeutic target.


Studies of the genomic landscape of human cancers have demonstrated that most solid cancers have a multitude of mutations, a subset of which may be "actionable" with current drugs. Thus, the personalization of therapy for cancer will require molecular characterization of unique and shared genetic aberrations. Patients who have advanced/refractory cancer and are candidates for clinical trials could potentially benefit by identifying eligibility for "targeted" drugs based on the "actionable" genes in their specific tumor. Growing technological advances in genomic sequencing has now made it possible to consider the use of sequence data in a clinical setting. MI-ONCOSEQ initiative brings together expertise at the University of Michigan including clinical oncology, cancer genetics, bioinformatics, clinical pathology, social and behavioral sciences, and bioethics in order to implement clinical cancer sequencing. Our study identifies patients with advanced or refractory cancers that are eligible for clinical trials, consent them to the study, obtain biospecimens (tumor tissue, germline tissue) and store clinical data. The clinical sequencing team processes biospecimens, performs comprehensive sequencing and analysis of tumors to identify point mutations, copy number changes, rearrangements/gene fusions, and aberrant gene expression. Finally, a multi-disciplinary Sequencing Tumor Board deliberates on return of actionable or incidental genomic results. Citation Format: Arul Chinnaiyan. The application of integrative sequencing for precision oncology. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Computational and Systems Biology of Cancer; Feb 8-11 2015; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(22 Suppl 2):Abstract nr IA02.


In natural vision, we center our fixation on the most informative points in a scene in order to reduce our overall uncertainty about the scene and help interpret it. Even if we are looking for a specific stimulus around us, we face a great amount of uncertainty since that stimulus could be in any spatial location. Visual attention (VA) schemes have been proposed by researchers to account for the ability of the human eye to quickly fixate on informative regions. Recently, VA in images, and especially saliency-based VA, became an active research topic of the computer vision community. The proposed work provides an extension towards VA in video sequences by integrating spatiotemporal information. The potential applications include video classification, scene understanding, surveillance and segmentation


This development paper notes that IT work has been increasingly subjected to processes associated with
'servitization' through managerial frameworks that espouse working practices managed according to principles of scientific rationalisation (specifically but not exclusively, ITIL). This has been (re-)shaping the experience of working as an IT technical professional, and thereby has implications for professional identity. In the following short paper, some of the literature in relation to this matter is discussed (as the basis for a future research project). This paper suggests how managerialism is embedded within the IT servitization discourse and this has implications for de-skilling and loss of professional autonomy.


Mycobacterium ulcerans causes a serious necrotic skin disease in humans called Buruli ulcer. The third most common mycobacterial infection in man, the disease has been reported worldwide with a major disease burden in Western and Central Africa. The destructive pathology of Buruli ulcer is primarily due to the presence in the bacterium of a cytotoxic lipid called mycolactone. Mycolactone is the product of specific polyketide synthases (PKS) that are encoded by three large plasmid-borne genes (mlsA1, mlsA2 and mlsB). Three accessory genes are also thought to play a role in mycolactone synthesis (mup038, mup045 and mup053) and all are co-located with the mycolactone PKS genes on the pMUM plasmid. All mycobacteria that synthesize mycolactones appear to have a common recent ancestor and have evolved from a Mycobacterium marinum-like ancestor by a process of horizontal gene transfer and reductive evolution. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the genetic basis for the synthesis of the mycolactones. The first results chapter describes investigations into the regulation of the mycolactone pMUM genes by a combination of primer extension, site-directed mutagenesis and reporter plasmid analysis, revealing a powerful SigA-like promoter driving expression of the mlsA1/mlsB genes. Using a similar approach, the promoters of the putative mycolactone accessory genes mup045 and mup053 were also mapped. Exploitation of the novel SigA-like promoter upstream of mls by transcriptional coupling to a green fluorescent protein reporter gene enabled exploration of the interaction of M. marinum and M. ulcerans in mosquito larvae. M. ulcerans was observed to contaminate the mouth and mid-gut of mosquito larvae whereas M. marinum did not. Despite sharing >98% nucleotide identity with M. ulcerans, M. marinum is unable to produce mycolactones even when equipped with the pMUM plasmid, suggesting that other genetic differences between M. ulcerans and M. marinum (in addition to pMUM) are required for mycolactone synthesis. To explore the genetic basis for this observation by comparative genomics, a third M. ulcerans/M. marinum complex (MuMC) genome was fully assembled and annotated. The second results chapter describes the fully assembled 6.2 Mbp genome of the frog pathogen M. ulcerans Liflandii (MuL). Genome analysis shows that MuL is closer in length and architecture to M. marinum than to M. ulcerans Agy99. However, like M. ulcerans Agy99, MuL also appears to have undergone genome reduction by DNA loss and mutation, but with several specific gene lesions likely rendering this bacterium a phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan auxotroph. While no specific differences were observed that might explain the capacity of M. ulcerans to produce mycolactone, the genomic characteristics of MuL indicate it is also a niche-adapted mycobacterium similar to M. ulcerans isolates from Africa. However, one could also infer that MuL is adapting to a slightly different privileged environment, with somewhat different pressures shaping its genome compared to other M. ulcerans isolates. In addition to exploring these genomic differences, we also assessed the contribution to mycolactone synthesis of a protein constitutively expressed in M. ulcerans but not in M. marinum. The gene MUL_2232 encodes an antigenic 18kDa protein small heat shock protein that is up-regulated in all M. ulcerans strains through a point mutation in the promoter region of its specific repressor, hspR_2. This mutation is not present in M. marinum, which as a consequence, has low Hsp18 expression. Using gel chromatography and insulin protection assays, a chaperone function was attributed to this protein. The hypothesis that Hsp18 was acting as a chaperone for the mycolactone megasynthases was also tested. However, the absence of Hsp18 in M. ulcerans had no impact on mycolactone production. In this thesis the promoters controlling expression of genes required for mycolactone biosynthesis have been characterized, a third, fully assembled reference genome in the MuMC has been established and a function has been identified for the M. ulcerans protein, Hsp18. These advances in our understanding of M. ulcerans represent useful additions to our knowledge of this pathogen and will open new avenues of research in the fight against Buruli ulcer.


Government South Sulawesi Province has obtained WTP opinion for the four consequentive years. This research aimed to interpret the meaning of the auditor's proper without-exception (WTP) opinion from the point of view of the understanding of the writer of the financial statements (BPKD) and the Inspectorate of the Government of South Sulawesi Province. The research samples (informants) were the staff members and achelon officials in the Government of South Sulawesi Province, the echelon officials in the inspectorates of South Sulawesi Province. The research type was qualitative, and the researcher tried to dig the meaning of the WTP opinion which was achieved Maynard's thought, in which Maynard analyzed the conversation. The qualitative data were analyzed in the three steps, namely (1) the data reduction, (2) the data display, and (3) the conclusion drawing/verification. The research result revealed that the WTP opinion achieved by the Government of South Sulawesi was started from the leader's ambision to achieve the WTP opinion while he was in his position. Socially, all the civil achieve the WTP opinion. Psychologically, such a situation had made some of the staff members had showed different behaviors: some as well as the echelon did the work voluntary, but some did it because of the pressure of their superior.


OBJECTIVE
To develop core competencies for learning health system (LHS) researchers to guide the development of training programs.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING
Data were obtained from literature review, expert interviews, a modified Delphi process, and consensus development meetings.

STUDY DESIGN
The competencies were developed from August to December 2016 using qualitative methods.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS
The literature review formed the basis for the initial draft of a competency domain framework. Key informant semi-structured interviews, a modified Delphi survey, and three expert panel (n = 19 members) consensus development meetings produced the final set of competencies.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
The iterative development process yielded seven competency domains: (1) systems science; (2) research questions and standards of scientific evidence; (3) research methods; (4) informatics; (5) ethics of research and implementation in health systems; (6) improvement and implementation science; and (7) engagement, leadership, and research management. A total of 33 core competencies were prioritized across these seven domains. The real-world milieu of LHS research, the embeddedness of the researcher within the health system, and engagement of stakeholders are distinguishing characteristics of this emerging field.

CONCLUSIONS
The LHS researcher core competencies can be used to guide the development of learning objectives, evaluation methods, and curricula for training programs.


Abstract Predicting phase relations and reactions involving phyllosilicates is of critical importance when modeling geological reservoirs and making thermobarometric estimates at temperatures below 350°C. However, it is difficult to perform experimental studies of phase relations of phyllosilicates because of very slow reaction rates. Simple methods of estimations of thermodynamic properties of minerals such as oxide summation techniques are insufficient to constrain activity models for minerals. In this study, we use a recent atomistic technique that allows constraining activity models in minerals independently from kinetics. Among the various solid solutions occurring in phyllosilicates, the magnitude and the thermodynamic significance of the pyrophyllitic substitution has strong implications on the stability of clay minerals at surface conditions. We have applied a lattice energy estimation method combined with Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the energy of mixing along the muscovite-pyrophyllite solid solution at 25°C and 1 bar. The results suggest a strongly positive and asymmetric Gibbs free energy of mixing, concordant at first order with previous thermodynamic models issued from phase relations and with field observations. The calculated solvus implies that pyrophyllite-rich phyllosilicates are unstable, unless another phenomenon such as hydration stabilizes them. Calculated structures at low muscovite contents present large variations of interlayer occupancies due to short- and long-range ordering. The observed ordering suggests that sub-layers in illite/smectite mixed layers minerals are not independent as the alternation of K-rich and K-depleted sublayers minimizes the Gibbs free energy of the mineral


Retrieving information from financial narratives is a complex process that depends on how the text characteristics of narratives interact with the financial literacy of users. In this study, we develop a comprehensive measure for variation in information retrieval based on observed user behavior that is also able to incorporate understudied text characteristics such as the semantics and content of a narrative. Using a tool that tracks reading and marking behavior in a controlled environment, we first document how users with varying degrees of financial literacy retrieve information from financial narratives. We find significant variation among financial literacy groups that cannot be solely explained by text characteristics related to processing costs. Next, we use state-of-the-art machine-learning to predict variation in information retrieval for out-of- sample financial narratives, and we show that these predictions are incrementally associated with the post-announcement return volatility. Overall, our results suggest that efforts by regulators and corporations to simplify text characteristics of corporate communications might not resolve all differences in how users retrieve information from financial narratives.


On 26 September 2014 the European Union and Canada announced the conclusion of the negotiations of a new agreement that would open the doors for new business opportunities and enhanced economic co-operation, creating a trade bridge between two economic powers. The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a secondgeneration agreement, since it is not merely focused on the abolition of tariffs but more properly on the abolition of nontariff barriers. The agreement also contains innovative stateto-state dispute settlement provisions. The purpose of this article is to analyze these provisions but also to underline the extent to which they represent an innovation in comparison with the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU). In order to do so, the article offers an overview of the major salient issues on dispute settlement in preferential trade agreements as well as on the EU-Canada CETA state-to-state dispute settlement provisions and compares the latter to the WTO DSU. The analysis sheds light on the rather more simple nature of the EU-Canada CETA dispute settlement chapter compared to that of the WTO DSU because of the absence of an appellate review stage, which will probably be balanced by a more incisive role for the CETA Joint Committee. The analysis of the contours of the dispute settlement chapter of the CETA concludes with the identification of the major similarities with the WTO DSU but also by identifying the major improvements in the EUCanada CETA, if compared with the WTO DSU. Ultimately, this article shows how CETA has reinforced the economic partnership between the European Union and Canada without disregarding civil society participation and transparency in the dispute settlement phase.


This article proposes to analyse trade concentration and dynamics of the Norwegian import's expenditures by applying the two-way random effect MANOVA (R-MANOVA) model. The MANOVA model factors considered in this econometric analysis are origin continents or countries (spatial effects) and the business cycles (dynamic effects). The R-MANOVA model fit estimation results confirms that the Norwegian import trade is sustainable in both short and long run controlling for the effect of both origin continent and business cycles. More importantly, the expenditure and the share of Norwegian imports across the continents show considerable dynamics. The overall econometric estimation results suggest that across all continents the Norwegian import expenditure is increasing with time. However, the share of the Norwegian import expenditures across continents is relatively stable. The analysis confirms that European exporters will be the leading partners for Norwegian import expenditures in future trade patterns. The ranking of the remaining continents in descending order will be Asia and Oceania, North and Central America, South America and Africa.


This report is part of a series of reports on building energy efficiency codes in countries associated with the Asian Pacific Partnership (APP) - Australia, South Korea, Japan, China, India, and the United States of America (U.S.). This reports gives an overview of the development of building energy codes in U.S., including national energy policies related to building energy codes, history of building energy codes, recent national projects and activities to promote building energy codes. The report also provides a review of current building energy codes (such as building envelope, HVAC, lighting, and water heating) for commercial and residential buildings in the U.S.


The relief printmaking process is essentially expressed in woodcut, wood engraving and linocut, as well as some unconventional media. In this process, linocut is the preferred option, especially, by beginners, because linoleum is soft and easy to manipulate. However, the scarcity and high cost of linoleum in Nigeria present difficulties in carrying out exercises in the material. Based on this, it becomes expedient to look for alternatives, and the elastomer comes in handy as a feasible option. This paper is a comprehensive account of the studio experiences. It was an attempt to offer the elastomer as a feasible alternative to linoleum in the relief printmaking process. The objectives were to present the elastomer as a genuine substitute to linoleum, to unearth the weaknesses and strengths of elastomer against linoleum through studio experiments, and to identify the challenges of using elastomers in the relief printmaking process as well as possible ways of surmounting these challenges. The qualitative research method, through the studio experimental procedure was adopted in the investigation. Results showed that elastomers were not only good alternatives to linoleum, but were, indeed, capable of offering finer and more delicate cuttings than were attainable with linoleum.


The aim of this article is to complement and refine Ellen Prince's well-known taxonomy of given/new information (Prince 1981, 1992), which distinguishes between discourse-related and assumed familiarity-related newness/givenness. What we suggest is that a new category should be added to the existing hearer new, hearer old, and inferrable information categories, so as to include cases where the informational status of an entity or a propositional content cannot be determined with certainty. We call this new category 'the (hearer) indeterminables', and we justify its existence through a case study on nonrestrictive, relevance-oriented constructions (appositive relative clauses, non-restrictive pre-modifiers, apposition). We also argue that it is possible for speakers/writers to simulate informational statuses for politeness considerations, and that such simulation should be included in the definition of assumed familiarity.


This article begins to think the groundwork for a revolutionary feminist politics in an era shaped by contemporary finance capital and the increasing financialisation of daily life. Conceiving of financialisation as a strategic response to a threat that must be brought under capital's control through reorganising the exploitation of labour-power, it provides a reading of the seemingly abstract sphere of financial circulation as fundamentally dependent upon the very material and primary labour of reproduction. The article undertakes an analysis of how social reproduction is increasingly financialised today, in ways that play on and reinforce the persistently gendered reality of this work for the purpose of financial accumulation and increasing the profitability of labour. From the gendered targeting of financial instruments, to discursive tropes of women's pathologies and responsibilities in household financial management, financialisation both creates new terrains of reproductive work and deepens households' and women's entanglement with financial markets to ensure their survival. Drawing on the critical writings and political strategies of autonomist feminism, this paper argues that women's reproductive labour is central to the continued ascendancy of finance capital and, consequently, that feminist struggles for autonomy, self-valorisation and socialisation of reproduction are central to its destruction. Understanding what finance means to feminism and, in turn, what feminism might mean to finance today is imperative for a relevant contemporary feminist politics and to effective anti-capitalist strategy alike. This begins with a critical re-examination of the emergence of the hierarchical sexual


Artificial neural networks, which are inspired by the behavior of central nervous system have the capability of finding good generalized solutions for many real world problems due to their characteristics such as massively parallel, ability to learn and adapt to the environment by altering the synaptic weights. However, despite of all the advantages of artificial neural networks, determining the most appropriate architecture for the given problem still remains as an unsolved problem. This paper presents a pruning method based on the backpropagation algorithm to solve this problem. The pruning method is inspired by the concepts of neuroplasticity and experimental results show that the proposed method approaches the minimal architecture faster than the other existing methods.


Development and Analysis of Lithologically Controlled Regional Curves of Hydraulic Geometry for Appalachian Mountain Streams, Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province, Pennsylvania Matthew S. Finkenbinder Regional curves of hydraulic geometry are frequently constructed for physiographic provinces, regions that have similar geologic structure, climate, and geomorphic history. As a result, the factors controlling channel form are more alike than would be the case for streams across widespread geographic regions. However, geology can vary significantly within a physiographic province. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine if regional curves would be more precise predictors of hydraulic geometry if developed for geologically similar streams within a physiographic province. A total of 34 reaches on six ungauged mountain streams in the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province of Pennsylvania were used to develop lithologically controlled regional curves for drainage area versus bankfull cross-sectional area, bankfull width, and bankfull mean depth. The slope, y-intercept, and R value of the non-carbonate lithologically controlled regional curves were compared to three distinct regional curves of varying watershed size and physiography. These comparisons reveal that lithologically controlled regional curves for bankfull cross-sectional area are consistently statistically different than the other three curves. The factors that may influence differences in the regional curves include bedrock geology, geologic structure, physiography, channel gradient, watershed size, riparian vegetation, and land use. Comparison of R values shows regional curves derived from a larger sample size and including a majority of larger watersheds (> 75 km) produce less variance. An additional regional curve was derived by combing hydraulic geometry data from the lithologically controlled watersheds and non-carbonate watersheds initially investigated by Chaplin (2005). Higher R values indicate the combined curves developed with a larger sample size and dominated by larger watersheds produce less variance compared to the lithologically controlled curves. Future regional curve investigators should include ungauged watersheds, increase sample size, and more fully constrain the variables controlling natural channel dimensions to assess if more precise hydraulic geometry relationships can be developed within physiographic provinces.


Streamlining of antibiotic therapy from a more complex to a less complex regimen should reduce hospital costs. Utilizing the expertise of an infectious disease physician and clinical pharmacists, an antibiotic-streamlining program was implemented by (1) daily collection of data on patients receiving two or more parenteral antibiotics, (2) formulation of recommendations of cost-effective alternative therapy when clinically appropriate, (3) oral and/or written communication of the reasons for the recommendation to the patient's physician, (4) follow-up monitoring, and (5) determination of the cost savings by subtracting the actual cost of antibiotic therapy (including labor and supplies) from the cost of the initial regimen if it had been continued without alteration. Streamlining recommendations were made in 340 of 625 patients who were reviewed during the initial seven months. Cases that necessitated streamlining recommendations decreased from 98.6% during the first month to 54.4% during the seventh month, reflecting the educational impact of the program on prescribing habits. Recommendations were followed in 82.6% of the cases, of which 97.2% completed therapy with the streamlined regimen. The projected annual savings of the program was +107,637.


Purpose: To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and immunobiological correlates of allogeneic NK-cell–based therapy in primary chemotherapy-refractory or relapsed high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), secondary AML (MDS/AML), and de novo AML patients. Experimental Design: Sixteen patients received fludarabine/cyclophosphamide conditioning combined with total lymphoid irradiation followed by adoptive immunotherapy with IL2–activated haploidentical NK cells. Results: NK-cell infusions were well-tolerated, with only transient adverse events observed in the 16 patients. Six patients achieved objective responses with complete remission (CR), marrow CR, or partial remission (PR). Five patients proceeded to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Three patients are still free from disease >3 years after treatment. All evaluable patients with objective responses (5/5 evaluable) had detectable donor NK cells at days 7/14 following infusion and displayed reduction of tumor cell clones, some of which carried poor prognosis mutations. Residual lin−CD34+CD123+CD45RA+ blast cells in responders had increased total HLA class I and HLA-E expression. Responding patients displayed less pronounced activation of CD8+ T cells and lower levels of inflammatory cytokines following NK-cell infusion. Intriguingly, despite omission of systemic IL2, all patients displayed increased frequencies of activated Ki-67+CD127−FoxP3+CD25hiCD4+ Treg cells of recipient origin following NK-cell therapy. Conclusions: Overall, this study suggests that high-risk MDS is responsive to NK-cell therapy and supports the use of haploidentical NK-cell infusions as a bridge to HSCT in refractory patients. Objective clinical responses and reduction of high-risk clones were associated with detectable donor-derived NK cells, immunoediting of residual blast cells, and less pronounced host immune activation. Clin Cancer Res; 24(8); 1834–44. ©2018 AACR.


Over the last few decades, Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) have emerged as a material system offering tremendous potential for future applications. The primary advantages offered by these materials are their improved mechanical properties, particularly in the areas of wear, strength and stiffness. Of the MMCs, Aluminum matrix composites have grown in prominence due to their low density, low melting point and low cost. However, machining these materials remains a challenging task mainly due to the high abrasiveness of the reinforcing phases. Conventional machining processes such as turning, milling or drilling are adopted for machining MMCs. In this article, the existing and ongoing developments in machining MMCs vis-à-vis tool life, tool wear, machinability and understanding chip formation mechanism have been highlighted. Most of the studies discussed in this review will focus on Aluminum matrix composites. Certain areas of machining studies which have hitherto not been investigated have also been detailed.


Background: Vanet the recent emerging technology in the recent industry has grabbed the attention with advanced techniques and extricate framework of sophisticated equipments. Initially absence of an infrastructure in this network has communication constraints for the nodes involved therein. Adding to this the dynamic topology makes the network more vulnerable for potential targets of security and reliability of data diffusion within these nodes. The communication standard i.e. 802.11p have some optional channel rejection in the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing in the Physical layer which motivated to work on the reliability methods of data dissemination. Methods: To start with the hidden terminal issues of these networks have to be addressed which can be resolved by frame capture. This frame capture quality in turn is determined by the Contention window of the Physical layer. Hence an adaptive mechanism that involves forward Error correction (AFEC) which helps to overcome packet losses in an efficient way in midst of channel fluctuation, burst packet loss. The results are simulated in NS2 (2.34) with static packet size of 512 bytes. Findings: The experimental results demonstrated that the FEC mechanism is more adaptive in adjusting and controlling the data redundancy across the network for static and dynamic channel fluctuations. The redundancy rate was further reduced with an adaptive technique on the Contention Window size, which had considerable effects of every transmission on the delay, through put and jitter. The centralized FEC algorithm is set on an adaptive platform where each vehicle updates its back off window size at the end of each Observation Time depending on the priority of the message received. The feasible part of this algorithm is that it can be implemented on the MAC layer, which has a Reception Module. Consequently, the proposed mechanism under various network conditions performs well in terms of QoS for emergency messages than the conventional methods for a less volume of data. Application/Improvements: The algorithm can be analyzed from a traffic scenario of two-way highway and rural areas. The progress of the work can also be carried out for multimedia messages.


Midwest oak savanna communities are noted for their unusual plant assemblages, but these communities have been reduced by more than 98% because of changing land uses and conversion to closed-canopy forests. We initiated an ongoing 15-year experiment in 1988 to restore a 40-ha black oak (Quercus velutina) savanna by applying burn treatments that historically maintained this vegetation type. Groundlayer composition changed significantly for both the burn treatment and the control, with the burn treatment exhibiting slight increases in herbs such as wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) and hairy puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense), both of which are species requiring greater insolation. Burn treatments differentially affected different plant community characteristics during the 15-year period, with some characteristics such as sapling density decreasing and other characteristics like species richness remaining comparatively unchanged. Oak overstory density was not affected by burn treatments, and reductions in oak density of 33-50% are needed for consistency with presettlement savanna structure to enhance the diversity of sunny and shady microsites characteristic of oak savannas. Results support the continuation of experimental restoration treatments in this savanna, and indicate further research is needed to clarify long-term patterns of temporal change in oak savanna vegetation.


Fast-Lipschitz optimization is a recently proposed framework useful for an important class of centralized and distributed optimization problems over peer-to-peer networks. The properties of Fast-Lipschitz problems allow to compute the solution without having to introduce Lagrange multipliers, as in most other methods. This is highly beneficial, since multipliers need to be communicated across the network and thus increase the communication complexity of solution algorithms. Although the convergence speed of Fast-Lipschitz optimization methods often outperforms Lagrangian methods in practice, there is not yet a theoretical analysis. This paper provides a fundamental step towards such an analysis. Sufficient conditions for superior convergence of the Fast-Lipschitz method are established. The results are illustrated by simple examples. It is concluded that optimization problems with quadratic cost functions and linear constraints are always better solved by Fast-Lipschitz optimization methods, provided that certain conditions hold on the eigenvalues of the Hessian of the cost function and constraints.


BACKGROUND Topical antimicrobials have been considered for treatment of secondarily infected wounds because of the potential for reduced risk of adverse effects and greater patient convenience. We compared mupirocin cream with oral cephalexin in the treatment of wounds such as small lacerations, abrasions, or sutured wounds. METHODS In 2 identical randomized double-blind studies, 706 patients with secondarily infected wounds (small lacerations, abrasions, or sutured wounds) received either mupirocin cream topically 3 times daily or cephalexin orally 4 times daily for 10 days. RESULTS Clinical success at follow-up was equivalent in the two groups: 95.1% and 95.3% in the mupirocin cream and the cephalexin groups, respectively (95% confidence interval [CI], -4.0% to 3.6%; P = .89). The intention-to-treat success rate was 83% in both groups. Bacteriologic success at follow-up was also comparable: 96.9% in the mupirocin cream and 98.9% in the cephalexin groups (95% CI, -6.0% to 2.0%; P = .22). The occurrence of adverse experiences related to study treatment was similar for the 2 groups, with fewer patients in the mupirocin cream group reporting diarrhea (1.1% vs 2.3% for cephalexin). CONCLUSIONS Mupirocin cream applied topically 3 times daily is as effective as oral cephalexin given 4 times daily for the treatment of secondarily infected wounds and was well tolerated.


Background: Massive weight loss after bariatric surgery can lead to excess skin associated with functional and aesthetic sequelae. Access to the benefit provided by body contouring procedures may be limited by insurance approval, which does not consider health-related quality of life. The aim of this study was to quantify the benefit in health-related quality of life for patients who undergo body contouring procedures after massive weight loss. Methods: Patients evaluated for postbariatric body contouring procedures were systematically identified and prospectively surveyed using the BODY-Q. Health-related quality-of-life change for each functional scale was compared between those who underwent body contouring procedures (operative group, preoperatively versus postoperatively) and those who did not (nonoperative group, preoperatively versus resurvey) using t tests. Propensity score matching allowed the authors to balance baseline demographics, comorbidities, physical symptoms, and risk factors between cohorts. Results: Fifty-seven matched patients were analyzed (34 operative versus 23 nonoperative). No significant difference in age, body mass index, time between surveys, or preoperative BODY-Q scores existed between cohorts. The surgical group demonstrated a significant improvement in 10 out of 11 BODY-Q functional scales. The nonoperative group realized no improvements and, in the interim, had a significant deterioration in four BODY-Q scales. Conclusions: Postbariatric body contouring procedures represent a critical and final step in the surgical weight loss journey for patients and are associated with significant improvements in health-related quality of life. Further deterioration in psychosocial and sexual health-related quality of life occurs in patients who do not undergo body contouring procedures following bariatric surgery. This study provides prospective comparative data that validate the field's standard intervention and justification for insurance approval. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.


Designed for students and managers who are approaching the subject from a non-finance background, "Accounting for Non-Accountants" guides readers through the maze of financial terms, theories and techniques surrounding business finance and accounting, doing so in a logical, meaningful and easy-to-follow style. Completely rewritten and updated for 2013, it includes information on the latest accounting standards and taxation issues, and is structured to provide in-depth understanding in three key areas: annual accounts (including profit and loss accounts, balance sheets, cash flow and reporting standards); management accounting (costing, cost-based pricing, marginal costing and budgetary controls); and, financial management (including the cost of capital, working capital, takeovers, buy-outs, taxation and international transactions). Widely used as an introductory text for business and management students on a variety of courses, "Accounting for Non-Accountants" remains essential reading for anyone looking to gain a solid understanding of accounting principles and practice.


OBJECTIVES
This paper aims to synthesize existing scholarship on quality measures in oncology, with a specific focus on outcome-based quality measures, which are often underutilized. We also present a set of "core outcome measures" that may be considered in future oncology alternative payment models (APMs).

STUDY DESIGN
Our research consists of a focused literature review, content analysis, and quality measure synthesis and categorization.

METHODS
We conducted a focused literature review to generate key evidence on quality measures in oncology. We studied 7 oncology quality assessment frameworks, encompassing 142 quality metrics, and synthesized recommendations using the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation APM toolkit, focusing on outcome measures.

RESULTS
We present 34 outcome-based oncology quality measures for consideration, which are classified into 5 domains: clinical care (eg, hospital and emergency department visits, treatment effectiveness, mortality), safety (eg, infections, hospital adverse events), care coordination (for hospital and hospice care), patient and caregiver experience, and population health and prevention. Both general and indication-specific outcome measures should be considered in oncology APMs, as appropriate. Utilizing outcome-based measures will require addressing multiple challenges, ranging from risk adjustment to data quality assurance.

CONCLUSIONS
Oncology care will benefit from a more rigorous approach to quality assessment. The success of oncology APMs will require a robust set of quality measures that are relevant to patients, providers, and payers.


SUMMARY
The aim of this research is to investigate penetration of Bromelain into sinonasal mucosa in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) versus a control group. Bromelain is derived from pineapple (Ananas comosus) and has various pharmacological effects. 40 patients (20 patients and 20 controls) were enrolled in the study. Bromelain 500 mg tablet twice daily was administered for 30 days. We scored bromelain presence in turbinate and ethmoid mucosas and in the serum of both the groups. Bromelain has an excellent distribution from blood to rhinosinusal mucosa. Its diffusion ability may allow the use of bromelain as an anti-inflammatory agent in paranasal sinus pathologies.


Seven different types of intercarpal arthrodeses that are commonly used in clinical practice were simulated in wrists of cadavera by drilling two nonparallel Kirschner wires across the involved joint that was to be fused. The changes in radial deviation, ulnar deviation, dorsiflexion, and palmar flexion, and the arc of motion in two planes (radial plus ulnar deviation and dorsiflexion plus palmar flexion) were compared with control values for each specimen and with each of the other arthrodeses. All of the data were analyzed by calculating the mean and standard error of the changes in these motions of the wrist as compared with the control values for each wrist. The statistical significance of the changes was derived by the t test. For values of t greater than 2.262, the observed mean reductions in the motions were statistically significant (p = 0.05) in all wrists except those that had simulated arthrodesis of the lunate-triquetrum or the capitate-hamate joint. No statistically significant differences were noted between the effects of arthrodesis of the scaphoid-trapezium-trapezoid, scaphoid-capitate, and scaphoid-lunate joints on the motions of the wrist. All arthrodeses except those of the lunate-triquetrum and the capitate-hamate joint produced a statistically significant decrease in the total arc of motion; arthrodesis of the capitate-lunate joint produced the most statistically significant decrease in total arc of motion. In our opinion, the results of the study suggest that there is limited justification for arthrodesis of the capitate-hamate joint.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Most economists and observers place the lack of fiscal discipline at the core of the recent Argentine crisis. This begs the question of how countries like Belgium or Italy (pre-Maastricht) could run large fiscal deficits and accumulate debts far beyond those of Argentina, without experiencing crises nearly as dramatic as that of Argentina? Why is it that Argentina cannot act like Belgium or Italy and pursue expansionary fiscal policy during downturns? We argue that advanced and emerging economies differ in their financial depth, and show that lack of financial depth constrains fiscal policy in a way that can overturn standard Keynesian fiscal policy prescriptions. We also provide empirical support for this viewpoint. Crowding out is systematically larger in emerging markets than in developed economies. More importantly, this difference is extreme during crises, when the crowding out coefficient exceeds one in emerging market economies.


A modular one-component supramolecular transient network in water, based on poly(ethylene glycol) and end-capped with four-fold hydrogen bonding units, is reported. Due to its nonlinear structural formation, this system allows active proteins to be added to the hydrogel during formation. Once implanted in vivo it releases the protein by erosion of both the protein and polymer via dissolution.


Over the past century, the Mekong River Delta of southern Vietnam has undergone a series of transformations. In the early twentieth century, its forests and marshes were cleared for extensive rice production under French colonial rule; rice production was then intensified along Green Revolution lines under the post-colonial regimes of the 1960s to 1990s, before a dramatic shift toward export-oriented shrimp aquaculture since 2000. Drawing on archival and secondary data, as well as theories of extraction and unequal exchange, this paper traces the development, expansion, intensification, and eventually crisis of rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta. After a brief literature review, the paper consists of three sections. The first examines the origins and drivers of export-oriented extraction in the French colonial period; the second, the shift toward intensive rice production in the developmental states of the postcolonial period; and the third, the return to extraction, in the form of shrimp aquaculture, in the 1990s and 2000s. Building on Bunker's notion of "extractive cycles," I argue that the Mekong Delta's history of extraction has exposed the region to ecological and economic crises, as well as shaping the long-term trajectory of subsequent development toward the extractive cultivation of export-oriented commodities.


Mechanical overload leads to a common arthrosis in the metacarpal condyle of the fetlock joint of racehorses. This is usually asymptomatic but severe forms can cause lameness. Subchondral bone failure is often present and the predictability of the site provided an opportunity to study of the progression of bone failure from microcracks to actual collapse of subchondral bone. Twenty-five fetlock condyles from racehorses with various stages of disease were selected. Stages ranged from mild through severe subchondral bone sclerosis, to the collapse of bone and indentation or loss of cartilage known as 'traumatic osteochondrosis'. Parasagittal slices were radiographed and examined with scanning electron microscopy. Fine matrix cracks were seen in the subchondral bone layer above the calcified cartilage and suggested loss of water or other non-collagenous components. The earliest microcracks appeared to develop in the sclerotic bone within 1-3 mm of the calcified cartilage layer and extend parallel to it in irregular branching lines. Longer cracks or microfractures appeared to develop gaps as fragmentation occurred along the margins. Occasional osteoclastic resorption sites along the fracture lines indicated activated remodeling may have caused previous weakening. In one sample, smoothly ground fragments were found in a fracture gap. Bone collapse occurred when there was compaction of the fragmented matrix along the microfracture. Bone collapse and fracture lines through the calcified cartilage were associated with indentation of articular cartilage at the site.


Background: Neurological complications involving central and peripheral nervous system are well described but there is paucity of literature on involvement of autonomic nervous system. HIV patients on ART have a higher prevalence of symptoms due to dysautonomia in comparison to normal individuals.
Aims and objectives: To study the prevalence of cardiac autonomic dysfunction in PLHA (People living with HIV/ AIDS) with and without antiretroviral treatment.
Methodology: It is a cross sectional study. The subjects are broadly divided into 3 categories with 25 patients in each group. PLHA on ART, PLHA not on ART and healthy controls.
Observation and results: Three patients from ART group two from ART naive group had symptoms of syncope. There was a significant difference between the autonomic parameters in the control population as compared to that of PLHA, but no difference between those on ART and not on ART. The resting heart rate was significantly higher in PLHA compared to controls. On testing for sympathetic response, there was no notable difference between the median values of fall in systolic blood pressure between PLHA patients and control population. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia, expiration to inspiration ratio, in the controls was higher when compared to PLHA There is a significant difference in fall in systolic blood pressure between the HIV on ART and not on ART, however there was no significant difference in other autonomic parameters.
Conclusion: This study shows that deterioration of parasympathetic function is more common than sympathetic function decline in HIV infected subjects as compared to normal population.


Current and projected heat waves are examined over California and its sub‐regions in observations and downscaled global climate model (GCM) simulations. California heat wave activity falls into two distinct types: (1) typically dry daytime heat waves and (2) humid nighttime‐accentuated events (Type I and Type II, respectively). The four GCMs considered project Type II heat waves to intensify more with climate change than the historically characteristic Type I events, although both types are projected to increase. This trend is already clearly observed and simulated to various degrees over all sub‐regions of California. Part of the intensification in heat wave activity is due directly to mean warming. However, when one considers non‐stationarity in daily temperature variance, desert heat waves are expected to become progressively and relatively less intense while coastal heat waves are projected to intensify even relative to the background warming. This result generally holds for both types of heat waves across models. Given the high coastal population density and low acclimatization to heat, especially humid heat, this trend bodes ill for coastal communities, jeopardizing public health and stressing energy resources.


Questions
Heinz Ellenberg classically defined "indicator" scores for species representing their typical positions along gradients of key environmental variables, and these have proven very useful for designating ecological distributions. We tested a key tenent of trait-based ecology, i.e. the ability to predict ecological preferences from species' traits. More specifically, can we predict Ellenberg indicator scores for soil nutrients, soil moisture and irradiance from four well-studied traits: leaf area, leaf dry matter content, specific leaf area (SLA) and seed mass? Can we use such relationships to estimate Ellenberg scores for species never classified by Ellenberg?

Location
Global.

Methods
Cumulative link models were developed to predict Ellenberg nutrients, irradiance and moisture values from Ln-transformed trait values using 922, 981 and 988 species, respectively. We then independently tested these prediction equations using the trait values of 423 and 421 new species that occurred elsewere in Europe, North America and Morocco, and whose habitat affinities we could classify from independent sources as three-level ordinal ranks related to soil moisture and irradiance. The traits were SLA, leaf dry matter content, leaf area and seed mass.

Results
The four functional traits predicted the Ellenberg indicator scores of site fertility, light and moisture with average error rates of <2 Ellenberg ranks out of nine. We then used the trait values of 423 and 421 species, respectively, that occurred (mostly) outside of Germany but whose habitat affinities we could classify as three-level ordinal ranks related to soil moisture and irradiance. The predicted positions of the new species, given the equations derived from the Ellenberg indices, agreed well with their independent habitat classifications, although our equation for Ellenberg irrandiance levels performed poorly on the lower ranks.

Conclusions
These prediction equations, and their eventual extensions, could be used to provide approximate descriptions of habitat affinities of large numbers of species worldwide.


Daniel Heller-Roazen's recent work, Absentees (2021), gathers literary figurations of the absent(ed) or missing to consider the personhood of 'nonpersons' from antiquity to the present. With reference to contemporary analogies of virtuality, this critical review highlights the ghosts – or absences – in Heller-Roazen's book, and proposes the discipline of art history as its spectral afterimage.


Subjective well-being is an evaluation of life quality from cognitive evaluation (life satisfaction) and affective evaluation (positive affect and negative affect experience). In colloquial term, subjective well-being is labeled "happiness". People high in subjective well-being on average have a number of desirable qualities, such as good emotional control, and face many things on their lives with a better way. Therefore, high subjective well-being plays an important role in late adolescent who is accrossing the life span, from childhood through adulthood. There are many resources correlating with subjective well-being and one of them is religious faith. Lately, some researches found the intensity of religious' life rising in late adolescents. This research's aim is to know if there is any correlation between religious commitment and subjective wellbeing in late adolescents. The method in this research is quantitative with purposive and snow-ball sampling techniques. The research was conducted to college students in X University (campus I). The college students were Moslems, still had parents, and not a single child in their family. There were 224 subjects in this research at the age of between 19 and 22 years old. The data was processed with SPSS 11.0 and was computed with Pearson correlation. Then it was known that correlation score was + 0,467, p < 0, 01. Hence Ho was refused; it means there is a positive correlation between religious commitment and subjective well-being in late adolescents. Keywords: Subjective well-being, religious commitment


1. The atmospheric deposition of sulphur and nitrogen compounds in the Netherlands has been responsible for decreasing plant species diversity in heathland. To unravel the relative importance of nitrogen compounds on soil acidification and eutrophication, and hence on the vegetation, we carried out a factorial addition experiment and a germination experiment in heathland on nutrient-poor sandy soil. 2. We changed nutrient availability and acidity independently in eight different treatments that, respectively, added nutrients or carbon in various combinations (N, P, glucose) or added acidifying or neutralizing compounds. One treatment also involved adding Al. Additions occurred five times per year during 5 years, in an area from which sods had been removed before the experiment began. The same design was used for the germination experiment, but the treatments were applied for 2 years. 3. Our results showed that acidification was the most important factor in reducing species diversity. In addition, the germination of several heathland species was significantly reduced in plots with a pH below 5, and germination was very poor in plots where Al had been added. 4. The number of plant species declined particularly with increasing Al in the upper soil horizons. We conclude that this relationship is responsible for the influence of acidification on plant species richness in heathland. 5. The influence of nutrient availability on species composition in heathland was subsidiary to acidity, but nutrient availability influenced species composition in an independent way. The growth of the three dominant species (Molinia caerulea, Calluna vulgaris and Erica tetralix) was limited by different nutrients. Erica tetralix was limited by N, Calluna vulgaris by P and Molinia caerulea by both N and P. We argue that increased N availability will change the relative availability of N and P, which can decrease species diversity. 6. Together these results show how factorial experiments can elucidate the complex ecological effects arising from sulphur and nitrogen deposition, revealing different mechanisms that change species richness and community composition.


Summary
The efficiency of the oogram method for the primary screening of drugs in schistosomiasis has been assessed with known schistosomicides that included 7 antimonials, 8 xanthone derivatives, 2 p-aminophenoxyalkane derivatives, 2 emetine and 4 other compounds. The drugs were administered, for 5 consecutive days, to mice experimentally infected with Schistosoma mansoni, the daily dose being one-fifth to one-fourth of the LD50's. The animals were sacrificed 3 days after the end of treatment. All schistosomicides have been found to produce changes in the oogram (i.e., the relative proportions of eggs in progressive stages of development found in intestinal and liver fragments).
The study of the oogram from infected mice treated with decreasing doses of schistosomicides demonstrated that the oogram method is very reliable and extremely sensitive. Oogram changes occur even at dose levels that do not cause a massive shift of schistosomes toward the liver.
The usefulness of the oogram method for preclinical and clinical trials in schistosomiasis and its importance for the primary screening of potential schistosomicides are emphasized.


The sonochemical products, mechanisms, kinetics, and effective factors of selected cyclic and aliphatic C6HX, thiophenes, thioethers, and N-heterocyclic compounds in aqueous solutions and nonaqueous liquids have been investigated in this work. The transfer of volatile organic substrate from bulk liquid into cavitation bubbles is essential for the sonolysis. Instead of vapor pressure, the hydrophobicity or lipophilicity of the volatile organic substrate dominates the mass transfer and the sonolysis. Also, most of products stem from the pyrolysis of substrate in collapsing cavitation bubbles, and the reactivity of organic substrate with the active intermediates generated in situ during the sonication, profoundly affects the sonochemical reaction in bulk liquid. Moreover, the lower initial concentration of volatile substrate is favorable to the aquasonolysis, and the low liquid temperature or low vapor pressure of substrate can enhance the sonolysis of organic liquid.


Background This study examines whether different sources of cognitive complaint (i.e., self and informant) predict Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology in elders with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods Data were drawn from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform and Neuropathology Datasets (observational studies) for participants with a clinical diagnosis of MCI and postmortem examination (n = 1843, 74±8 years, 52% female). Cognitive complaint (0.9±0.5 years prior to autopsy) was classified into four mutually exclusive groups: no complaint, self-only, informant-only, or mutual (both self and informant) complaint. Postmortem neuropathological outcomes included amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Proportional odds regression related complaint to neuropathology, adjusting for age, sex, race, education, depressed mood, cognition, APOE4 status, and last clinical visit to death interval. Results Mutual complaint related to increased likelihood of meeting NIA/Reagan Institute (OR = 6.58, p = 0.004) and Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease criteria (OR = 5.82, p = 0.03), and increased neurofibrillary tangles (OR = 3.70, p = 0.03), neuritic plaques (OR = 3.52, p = 0.03), and diffuse plaques (OR = 4.35, p = 0.02). Informant-only and self-only complaint was not associated with any neuropathological outcome (all p-values>0.12). Conclusions In MCI, mutual cognitive complaint relates to AD pathology whereas self-only or informant-only complaint shows no relation to pathology. Findings support cognitive complaint as a marker of unhealthy brain aging and highlight the importance of obtaining informant corroboration to increase confidence of underlying pathological processes.


In this paper, the designed schemes for two Mamdani fuzzy controllers, employing the scaling factor tuning are proposed. The first fuzzy logic controller, is a normalized controller used to control the process loops, the tuning for its input and output-scaling factors is done through the second fuzzy controller (the supervisory controller). The supervisory fuzzy controller tunes the normalized fuzzy controller based on the variation of the loop response. The normalized fuzzy controller and the supervisory fuzzy controller are organized with specific experience information about a nonlinear thermal process. The proposed fuzzy controllers are applied practically to control the thermal process. That controller is applied to another process (level control process), where the controller gains are selected based on the process conditions and limitations. The great advantage of that contribution is the ability to be generalized for different process variable loops in Multi-input/output system or any DCS system. The supervisor here make a decouple between the process.


Mail sorting automation is yet a partially solved challenge. Due to no fixed positions of the semantic information in envelope images, part of this challenge is the automatic location of address blocks. We approach this problem by proposing a new postal envelope segmentation method based on 2D histogram clustering and watershed transform. Segmentation task consists in detecting the 2D histogram modes associated with homogeneous regions in envelope. A new filter used for 2D histogram calculation is proposed. The homogeneous modes in 2D histogram are segmented through the morphological watershed transform. Our approach is applied to complex postal envelopes. Very little a priori knowledge of the envelope images is required. The advantages of this approach are described and illustrated with tests carried out on 300 different images where there are no fixed position for the handwritten address block, postmarks and stamps. A groundtruth strategy is employed to evaluate the accuracy of segmentation.


AIM: The aim of this study was to describe the association of biceps pulley lesions with subscapularis tendon tears and subacromial impingement, and present the outcome of surgical management
METHODS: Twenty-six consecutive patients with a mean age of 55 years (range 16-77) were included in this study. All of the patients were arthroscopically diagnosed with pulley lesions and associated subscapularis tears. The data was collected prospectively. Subacromial impingement was evident in 22 patients (92%). A final postoperative evaluation was carried out after a mean of 43 months
RESULTS: Ninety-two per cent of patients with pulley lesions and subscapularis tears showed subacromial impingement. Twelve cases (46%) had a selective tenodesis to treat partial tears or subluxations of the long head of the biceps (LHB). Subscapularis tears were repaired in 22 patients (85%) and debrided in four cases (15%). Associated SSP tears were sutured in nine and debrided in four of 13 patients. The Constant score improved from a mean of 64.8 points pre-operatively to 84.7 points post-operatively (P=0.003
CONCLUSION: There is a high association of pulley lesions with subscapularis tears and subacromial impingement. Rotator cuff repair and subacromial decompression led to favourable results in the treatment of these patients. LHB tenodesis is recommended if partial tears or subluxations of the biceps tendon are encountered


Background: The success of development is the ideals of a nation that can be seen from the improvement in living standards and life expectancy. This also results in a shift in the composition of the population, which will increase the composition of the elderly population. Increased life expectancy must also be accompanied by a good quality of life. During this time the elderly are related with helplessness, dependence, with various health problems such as various cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, cognitive impairments such as dementia. This needs to be the concern of all parties. This study aims to determine: 1) the prevalence of elderly women who experience cognitive dysfunction in Buleleng Regency; 2) the relationship between cognitive impairment and the onset of menopause; and 3) and the relationship between cognitive impairment and the level of exercise activities of elderly women in Buleleng Regency. Methods: This research is a descriptive correlational quantitative observational study with a cross sectional study approach. The study sites were in 5 sub-districts in Buleleng Regency with a total sample of 73 people. To find out the relationship between cognitive impairment and the onset of menopause and the pattern of exercise activities in older women, data were analyzed by contingency coefficient correlation test. Results: The results showed that 18.4% of elderly women experience definite cognitive impairment, 23% probale cognitive impairment, and 58.6% normal cognitive function. The relationship between cognitive impairment and the onset of menopause was obtained p value 0.296 which indicates that the correlation between the onset of menopause and cognitive function was not statistically significant. The relationship between cognitive impairment in elderly and level of exercise activity obtained a p value of 0,000 which indicates that the correlation between exercise activity and cognitive function is statistically significant.


A novel and highly pathogenic coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has caused an outbreak in Wuhan city, Hubei province of China since December 2019, and soon spread nationwide and spilled over to other countries around the world. To better understand the initial step of infection at atomic-level, we determined the crystal structure of the 2019-nCoV spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) bound with the cell receptor ACE2 at 2.45 Å resolution. The overall ACE2-binding mode of the 2019-nCoV RBD is nearly identical to that of the SARS-CoV RBD, which also utilizes ACE2 as the cell receptor. Structural analysis identified residues in 2019-nCoV RBD critical for ACE2 binding, and majority of which are either highly conserved or shared similar side chain properties with those in the SARS-CoV RBD. Such similarity in structure and sequence strongly argue for a convergent evolution between 2019-nCoV and SARS-CoV RBD for improved binding to ACE2 despite of being segregated in different genetic lineages in the betacoronavirus genus. The epitopes of two SARS-CoV antibodies targeting the RBD are also analyzed with the 2019-nCoV RBD, providing insights into future identification of cross-reactive antibodies.


This is a study of intellectual encounters with the figure of Christ during the European
Enlightenment. In the first instance, it contributes to a body of research which has sought
to revise the customary view in New Testament studies, that the historical study of Jesus
began with the posthumous publication of Herman Samuel Reimarus's Von dem Zwecke
Jesu und seiner Junger (1778), the last in a series of Fragments published by G. E. Lessing.
The thesis proposed here is that Reimarus's writings on Jesus are a notable but relatively
late entry, by the German intellectual establishment, into arguments about Jesus and
Christian origins which had been raging across Europe for more than a century: arguments
concerning history, morality and political theology.
In my Introduction I explain the rationale for this study within the context of
contemporary scholarship and contemporary culture, giving a brief outline of my
methodology.
In Part I of the thesis I outline my project, its themes and methods. In Chapter One I
introduce the 'quest for the historical Jesus' as a major concern in modern New Testament
studies, and a persistent source of interest in wider intellectual discourse. I then take the
reader back into the eighteenth century, placing Reimarus's seminal contribution to the
discipline within the context of the wider publishing controversy in which it featured (the
Fragmentenstreit). In Chapter Two I explain the historical, moral and political theological
dimensions of my analysis; in particular, I define the relationship between my history of
scholarship on Jesus, and the one offered by Albert Schweitzer in Von Reimarus zu Wrede
(1906), the single most influential work on the rise of historical Jesus studies. In Chapter
Three I outline my periodisation and interpretive stance on the main context for my study:
the European Enlightenment.
Part II of the thesis concerns history. In Chapter Four I review a range of literature on
the origins of historical Jesus studies, discussing the advances made since Schweitzer, and
sketching the contours of a new, more comprehensive interpretation. In Chapters Five and
Six I supplement that sketch with my own account of the emergence of the modern
historical-critical conscience within European intellectual culture during the
Enlightenment, and its application to the Bible. I profile some of the scholars who blazed
the trail for Reimarus, showing where, and by whom, he was anticipated in some of his
critical stances regarding Jesus and Christian origins.

Part III of the thesis addresses morality. In Chapters Seven and Eight I consider why
for so many thinkers in the Enlightenment, including Reimarus, morality came to be seen
as central to Jesus' historical mission and his most important theological legacy. I locate
this ethical turn within a long history of Western philosophical and theological
disputation, with origins in antiquity, culminating in early modernity with the reassertion
of moral-theological rationalism which was buttressed by an early modern Thomist
revival. I also argue for the influence of a particular vision of Christian reform which
prioritised freedom over predestination, and the moral example of Jesus and primitive
Christian piety.
Part IV of the thesis concerns political theology. In Chapter Nine I consider this
generally neglected dimension of Reimarus' work, placing him in a tradition of
Enlightenment intellectuals who drew upon Jesus and primitive Christianity, in
conjunction with theological metaphysics, to give weight to their own particular
arguments for religious toleration.
In my Conclusion, as throughout this thesis, I argue that some of the writers who
paved the way of Reimarus's writings on Jesus and Christian origins have their roots in
much older, theological preoccupations, and often in heretical versions of Christianity.
While these perspectives on Jesus and Christian origins constituted some of the most
radical challenges to mainstream religious thought during the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries, they do not submit to a vision of Enlightenment characterised by a
straightforward process of overcoming theological worldviews through the emergence of
a new secular critique. For the most part, this tradition of scholarship is best understood
as a radicalisation of existing tendencies within the history of classical and Christian
thought, which continued to understand Jesus, or at least his teachings, as either a path to
personal salvation, or as a theologically authoritative court of appeal in the
Enlightenment's protest against religio-political tyranny.


This paper problematises the difficulty of defining the public value of public service media. Through a double qualitative methodology, a series of components are identified and assessed in order to propose a tenable conceptualisation in the European framework. First, a qualitative analysis of the main legislations in force (n = 44) and the grey literature public service media organisations display on their websites (n = 14) was developed to extract, on an exploratory basis, the common constituent components of public value. Based on this, we developed a guided focus group of experts (n = 15) to help us build a conception of public service media's value that can retain its validity for a long period of time in the multiplatform era. The results highlight the problems in proposing a single definition given the socio-political diversity of the spaces in which public service media operate and the uncertainty of a constantly changing audiovisual context.


It has been widely acknowledged that self-replicating space-probes (SRPs) could explore the galaxy very quickly relative to the age of the galaxy. An obvious implication is that SRPs produced by extraterrestrial civilizations should have arrived in our solar system millions of years ago, and furthermore, that new probes from an ever-arising supply of civilizations ought to be arriving on a constant basis. The lack of observations of such probes underlies a frequently cited variation of the Fermi Paradox. We believe that a predilection for ETI-optimistic theories has deterred consideration of incompatible theories. Notably, SRPs have virtually disappeared from the literature. In this paper, we consider the most common arguments against SRPs and find those arguments lacking. By extension, we find recent models of galactic exploration which explicitly exclude SRPs to be unfairly handicapped and unlikely to represent natural scenarios. We also consider several other models that seek to explain the Fermi Paradox, most notably percolation theory and two societalcollapse theories. In the former case, we find that it imposes unnatural assumptions which likely render it unrealistic. In the latter case, we present a new theory of interstellar transportation bandwidth which calls into question the validity of societal-collapse theories. Finally, we o er our thoughts on how to design future SETI programs which take the conclusions of this paper into account to maximize the chance of detection.


Purpose
Teacher education in many countries is under reform with growing differences in its form and function. This is indicative of the ongoing negotiations around the place of theory, research and practice in teachers' professional learning. However, the demand for mentoring of trainee teachers during often extended and multiple school-based placements is a relative constant. Indeed, with the trend towards greater school-based professional experience mentoring practices become ever more critical. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach
This is a conceptual paper written from the perspective of an experienced teacher educator in England, drawing on both practical experience and a body of associated research. It can be conceptualised as related to cases of practice, linked to episodes of practitioner research grounded in the ethics of the improvability of practice, the desire to meet the needs of the professional communities and a deep understanding of the demands and cultures of their workplaces.

Findings
Mentoring can be re-imagined as a dynamic hub within a practice development-led model for individual professional learning and institutional growth. Acting on this conceptualisation would allow mentors, trainees and other supporting teacher educators to contribute to the transformation of professional learning practices and educational contexts.

Originality/value
This paper goes beyond offering merely helpful guidance to participants and stakeholders in mentoring, or stipulating standards to be achieved, to considering what might be described as a hopeful or transformational stance in relation to mentoring. Teacher educators can continue to bring value to the transformation of teacher education through a focus on mentoring as an educative process.


Integration processes in Europe resulted in intensification of migration flows. Immigrants account now for a large share of population in many European countries. A point of view that immigrants take jobs form natives is quite widespread. The European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia published a special analysis of the attitudes towards minorities in EU countries Eurobarometer 2000. They found that one in two EU citizens worry about competing with immigrants for the same vacancies and afraid of losing their jobs because of presence of foreign workers. Different measures and institutions which protect native workers have nevertheless an ambiguous effect. On the one hand labor protective institutions such as minimal wage, replacement rate or firing restrictions will protect existing workers and reduce a firing rate. On the other hand, firms will take into consideration these additional costs of firing and will be less likely to employ new workers. At the same time, it is argued that immigrants are probably less likely to be covered by these institutions. These facts imply that protective institutions cover mostly natives and therefore make immigration labor force comparatively less costly. Labor market protection may therefore amplify a negative effect of immigrants on native employment if it exists. This paper attempts to evaluate the effect of immigration in flow on employment level of natives and reveal whether this effect changes in different institutional environments using EU-countries data. In addition to static specification it uses a dynamic specification to draw conclusions about long-term and short-term effects separately. The results show no long-run effect of immigration inflow. Short-term effect of is found to be positive. Protective labor market institutions fulfill their function of protecting existing workers. The results are also different for men and women.


The verapamil-like calcium channel modulator, (-)-[3H]desmethoxyverapamil binds to multiple sites in microsomal membrane preparations from brain and skeletal muscle. In brain the Kd values of the sites are 0.55 +/- 0.1 and 61.8 +/- 18 nM for the high and low affinity sites and the maximum binding values are 0.22 +/- 0.04 and 4.6 +/- 1.0 pmol/mg of protein, respectively. Equilibrium analysis of saturation data in skeletal muscle membranes shows only one site with an affinity of 7.2 +/- 0.8 nM and a maximum binding of 2.96 +/- 0.32 pmol/mg of protein. However, a low affinity site with an estimated Kd of 152 nM is indicated in dissociation kinetic studies. Dihydropyridine calcium channel modulators regulate the binding of desmethoxyverapamil in a temperature-dependent fashion with (+)-PN 200110 decreasing (-)-[3H]desmethoxyverapamil binding more at 0 degrees C than at higher temperatures and, at 37 degrees C, enhancing binding in skeletal muscle. The influence of (+)-desmethoxyverapamil on (+)-[3H]PN 200110 binding is unchanged by temperature variations, whereas interactions of the (-)-enantiomer are altered markedly with more inhibition at 0 degrees C than at higher temperatures and, in skeletal muscle, stimulation of binding at 37 degrees C. Dissociation studies indicate that the two sites labeled by (-)-[3H]-desmethoxyverapamil in skeletal muscle interact in a negative heterotropic cooperative fashion. Dihydropyridines appear to slow the dissociation of ligand from the low affinity site, whereas diltiazem accelerates the dissociation of (-)-[3H]desmethoxyverapamil from the high affinity site. These results suggest that the high and low affinity sites labeled by (-)-[3H]desmethoxyverapamil, respectively, represent the verapamil and diltiazem receptors in brain and skeletal muscle.


Symptoms of white root rot (caused by Rosellinia necatrix ) of fruit trees (including apple, cherry and peach) are rotting of the roots and yellowing of the leaves, followed by wilting and death. Undecomposed organic material in forest soils is favourable for growth of R. necatrix . Genetic tools and mycelial compatibility assays can be used to group the fungus into genetically similar groups. This study identified and located the sources of root infection, using broad surveys of infested plots in various locations, and assessed infection probability as a function of distance from potential inoculum source. Fifty-five infested plots in 14 settlements at different altitudes were surveyed. About 60% of the infested plots, at altitudes up to 540 m above sea level, were located near Mediterranean oak maquis forests, and the infections spread inward from the edges of the fruit orchards. These results indicated four possible sources of infection: (i) Mediterranean maquis forest near agricultural lands; (ii) soil transferred to low-lying sections within orchards; (iii) infection source carried by farmers from plots on the same farm; and (iv) infections via roots of adjacent trees within orchards. No correlation was found between genetic variation and virulence, but isolates that grew quickly on potato dextrose agar plates at 28 o C were more virulent than slow growing isolates.


Long combination vehicles (LCVs) are modular combination vehicles that are longer and heavier than what
currently is allowed on European roads. These vehicle combinations have the potential to cut down overall
transportation costs, but also carbon dioxide emissions. Countries such as Canada and Australia already have
these truck combinations driving on their roads, and their use on European roads is expected to increase in the
near future. The LCVs however bring an undesired effect of increased difficulty of maneuvering on roads and in
traffic. Thus, their increased complexity calls for driver assisting systems. The development of these systems
leads to promising ways of improving traffic flow and increase the use of long combination trucks on current
roads.
In this thesis an existing framework for automated driving has been used which utilizes driver models for the
navigation of the LCV. The trajectories of the LCV are generated using numerical simulations of non-linear
ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The actuation requests, which are front wheel steering, propulsion and
braking are calculated using driver models. Up until now the parameters of the driver models have been fixed,
and were set by fitting data after an on-road study with professional truck drivers.
An approach for optimization of driver model parameters has been proposed in this thesis, which involves
genetic algorithms (GAs) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). In order to achieve a real-time feasible
implementation, the highly parallel nature of the GA and PSO are utilized. OpenCL was used as a platform to
implement the parallel processes for both algorithms which allowed for code execution on either CPU or GPU.
Optimzation of the driver model parameters showed that it could for a given dangerous scenario successfully
abort or complete a driving maneuver within given safety limits. The use of stochastic optimization proved to
be reliable and solutions were often found 100% of the time. As for the real time aspect of the optimization,
the results hinted that by lowering the number of iteration steps, optimizing code and upgrading the used
hardware, a real time implementation is within reach.


This quantitative study focused on the self-rating of multicultural counseling competencies by counselor education graduate students in a pre-post design. Twelve students participated in a ten day travel study course to Antigua, Guatemala in May, 2008. Prior to travel, students self-rated their levels of multicultural competency using the Multicultural Counseling Competencies Self Assessment (MCCSA) developed by Arredondo et al. (1996). Following travel, students reassessed their levels of competency using the same measurement tool. All students' self-ratings of multicultural counseling competence increased. The authors discuss implications of this study and provide recommendations for future research.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate scatter radiation dose to the subject surface during X-ray computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopy using the integrated dose ratio (IDR) of an X-ray dose profile derived from an optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) dosimeter. We aimed to obtain quantitative evidence supporting the radiation protection methods used during previous CT fluoroscopy. A multislice CT scanner was used to perform this study. OSL dosimeters were placed on the top and the lateral side of the chest phantom so that the longitudinal direction of dosimeters was parallel to the orthogonal axis-to-slice plane for measurement of dose profiles in CT fluoroscopy. Measurement of fluoroscopic conditions was performed at 120 kVp and 80 kVp. Scatter radiation dose was evaluated by calculating the integrated dose determined by OSL dosimetry. The overall percent difference of the integrated doses between OSL dosimeters and ionization chamber was 5.92%. The ratio of the integrated dose of a 100-mm length area to its tails (−50 to −6 mm, 50 to 6 mm) was the lowest on the lateral side at 80 kVp and the highest on the top at 120 kVp. The IDRs for different measurement positions were larger at 120 kVp than at 80 kVp. Similarly, the IDRs for the tube voltage between the primary X-ray beam and scatter radiation was larger on the lateral side than on the top of the phantom. IDR evaluation suggested that the scatter radiation dose has a high dependence on the position and a low dependence on tube voltage relative to the primary X-ray beam for constant dose rate fluoroscopic conditions. These results provided quantitative evidence supporting the radiation protection methods used during CT fluoroscopy in previous studies.


It is shown that, by choosing appropriate values for the parameter a of the generating kernel in constructing P.J. Burt and E.H. Adelson's pyramid for motion estimation (see IEEE Trans. Commun., vol.31, p.337-45, 1983), one can eliminate the operation of the floating point multiplications needed in such a construction and reduce the computational load to the same order as in the case of the mean pyramid. When a is chosen to be 3/8, it is demonstrated, through simulation studies, that the corresponding Burt and Adelson's pyramid does not degrade the performance of motion estimation, as compared to that using kernels giving the best performance, and this pyramid also provides perceptually better motion-compensated images than those provided by the mean pyramid.


We describe the realization of Quantum Cascade photonic-crystal microlasers. Photonic and electronic bandstructure engineering are combined to create a novel Quantum Cascade microcavity laser source. A high-index contrast two-dimensional photonic crystal forms a micro-resonator that provides feedback for laser action and diffracts light vertically from the surface of the semiconductor chip. A top metallic contact is used to form both a conductive path for current injection as well as to provide vertical optical confinement to the active region through a bound surface plasmon state at the metal-semiconductor interface. The device is miniaturized compared to standard Quantum Cascade technology, and the emission properties can in principle be engineered by design of the photonic crystal lattice. The combination of size reduction, vertical emission, and lithographic tailorability of the emission properties enabled by the use of a high-index contrast photonic crystal resonant cavity makes possible a number of active sensing applications in the mid- and far-infrared. In addition, the use of electrical pumping in these devices opens up another dimension of control for fundamental studies of photonic crystal and surface plasmon structures in linear, non-linear, and near-field optics.


AUTOMATIC RADAR ANTENNA SCAN ANALYSIS IN ELECTRONIC WARFARE Bahaeddin Eravcı M.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Billur Barshan August 2010 Estimation of the radar antenna scan period and recognition of the antenna scan type is usually performed by human operators in the Electronic Warfare (EW) world. In this thesis, we propose a robust algorithm to automatize these two critical processes. The proposed algorithm consists of two main parts: antenna scan period estimation and antenna scan type classification. The first part of the algorithm involves estimating the period of the signal using a time-domain approach. After this step, the signal is warped to a single vector with predetermined size (N) by resampling the data according to its period. This process ensures that the extracted features are reliable and are solely the result of the different scan types, since the effect of the different periods in the signal is removed. Four different features are extracted from the signal vector with an understanding of the phenomena behind the received signals. These features are used to train naive Bayes classifiers, decision-tree classifiers, artificial neural networks, and support vector machines. We have developed an Antenna Scan Pattern Simulator (ASPS) that simulates the position of the antenna beam with respect to time and generates synthetic data. These classifiers are trained and tested with the synthetic data and are compared by their confusion matrices, correct classification rates, robustness to noise, and computational complexity. The effect of the value of N and different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) on correct classification performance is investigated for each classifier. Decision-tree classifier is found to be the most suitable classifier because of its high classification rate, robustness to noise, and computational ease. Real data acquired by ASELSAN Inc. is also used to validate the algorithm. The results of the real data indicate that the algorithm is ready for deployment in the field and is capable of being robust against practical complications.


With wafer residency time constraints, it is crucial to schedule a cluster tool in semiconductor fabrication such that the wafer sojourn time in a processing module is in a given range. However, because of the activity time variation in wafer fabrication by cluster tools, a feasible schedule obtained under the assumption of deterministic activity times may become infeasible. To solve this problem, it is critically important to reveal the wafer sojourn time fluctuations with bounded activity time variation. This paper targets at single-arm cluster tools. They are modeled by a Petri net to describe the fabrication processes. Based on the net, a real-time control policy is proposed such that its use offsets the effect of the activity time variation as much as possible. Then, the wafer sojourn time delay is analyzed and analytical expressions are given to calculate the upper bound. With the proposed method, we can check if a given schedule is feasible under bounded activity time variation. Examples are given to show the applications of the research results.


A five-span, four-hundred-foot long, reinforced concrete box girder birdge supported on single column piers that are pile-founded was subjected to extensive dynamic tests. The pullback and quick-release method of excitation was used. Two D-8 crawler tractors were used to apply total release loads that had a magnitude of about one-quarter of the earthquke design loads. The transverse mode shapes and natural frequencies obtained from these tests were used in conjunction with the system identification procedure outlined herein. By using these techniques, it is possible to identify the in situ dynamic stiffnesses of the pier foundations as well as the abutment structures. In addition, the dynamic bending and shear stiffness factors for the superstructure deck were also obtained. Thus, carefully conducted dynamic tests of full-scale highway bridges provide detailed information about the structure. At the same time, they shed much experimental light on the soil-structure interaction aspects of the problem, which in many cases greatly affects the distribution of seismic loads in bridges.


Sampling protocols usually concern the way some kilograms of material are reduced to some grams with the same properties, but another protocol has to be considered: the choice of the samples to be used for estimating the resources of the deposit or some of its attributes. An important attribute is the metallurgical recovery, calculated with data sampling the deposit, on which laboratory tests are made to reproduce the metallurgical recovery process at a reduced scale. Such tests are very few because they are expensive; hence, the idea to combine them with exploratory data where the sole in situ grade is known using geostatistical techniques. While trying to put into practice this idea in a porphyry copper deposit located in the Chilean Central Andes, we encountered a surprising situation: laboratory tests and exploration measurements are supposed to use the same material but the total grades they measure do not have the same spatial variability. The paper presents the study and the impact of four causes. Spatial restriction: laboratory samples do not cover the same domain as exploration data. Regularization: laboratory and exploration samples do not have the same size. Sampling density: in the rich unit of the studied area, there are about two hundred laboratory samples and four thousand exploration ones. Grade selection: laboratory practice avoids high and low grades. The study shows that the major cause of the observed differences is the grade selection, but also that the number of laboratory tests is certainly too small with regards to the spatial variability of the grades. The consequence is that the sampling protocol for the metallurgical recovery tests shall be reconsidered if one wants to use them jointly with exploratory data.