We examine the impact of multiple primary receivers on cognitive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) relay networks with underlay spectrum sharing. For such a network, we propose transmit antenna selection with receive maximal-ratio combining (TAS/MRC) as an interference-aware design to satisfy the power constraints in the primary and secondary networks. To demonstrate this, we derive new closed-form expressions for the exact and asymptotic outage probability with TAS/MRC and decode-and-forward (DF) relaying over independent Nakagami-m fading channels in the primary and secondary networks. Several important design insights are reached. We find that the TAS/MRC strategy achieves a full diversity gain when the transmit power in the secondary network is proportional to the peak interference power in the primary network. Furthermore, we highlight that the diversity-multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) of TAS/MRC is independent of the primary network and entirely dependent on the secondary network.


Malaysia is a rapidly growing and resource-rich country that has been industrializing since the late 1960s. Its industrialization has relied on the growth of labor-intensive industries, particularly the electronics and electrical-products industries, which have contributed significantly to the growth of the manufacturing sector. The growth and opening up of China has raised concerns about Malaysia's loss of competitiveness to China and the diversion of foreign direct investment to China. This paper examines the relative competitive position of Malaysia and China and explores Malaysia's responses and policy options, both international and national, to the challenges posed by China. The following policy recommendations for Malaysia are explored: working intensively with its partners in ASEAN to develop a common stand with regard to trade arrangements, forming bilateral free trade agreements with selected countries, restructuring Malaysia's manufacturing industries so they are far less dependent on labor-intensive industries, and improving the education and technological skills of Malaysia's labor force.


This paper analyzes the relationship between the size of the entities in the US banking system and their economic-financial situation. The objective of this study is to group different economic and financial variables of the entities together into factors that characterize the US banking system and identify and identify how the factors vary according to the size of the entities. To do this, we start from the values taken by 32 economic-financial and regulatory ratios, obtained directly from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), for a period between the first quarter of 1990 and the penultimate of 2016. With this data it is performed a factorial analysis that allows synthesizing the 32 variables in 7 factors and, at the same time, obtaining relationships between these variables and the size and between themselves. Finally, through a neural network, the previous factors are hierarchized according to the influence that the size of the entities exerts on them. Among the conclusions reached, it should be noted that the loan structure is the factor that best classifies the size. It also determines the existence of a negative 'profitability-solvency' relationship with larger entities, (Assets> $ 250 B.) and smaller ones (Assets <$ 100 M.), as well as demonstrating the existence of moral hazard and the need for regulation that limits said risk (because the largest entities are the least solvent and assume the most risks).Keywords: Neural network, Factor analysis, Size, Moral hazard, Systemic risk solvency.JEL: M41, G20 , G21.


Background: There is a paucity of population-based data on ocular morbidity globally. The objectives of the current study were to estimate the prevalence and magnitude of eye disorders and to determine the ophthalmic subspecialty requirements for the population of Sokoto state, Nigeria. The information generated may provide baseline data for planning of a comprehensive eye health services in the state. Materials and Methods: During an all-ages population based blindness survey in December 2005, persons selected through a multi-stage random sampling were examined for any ocular disorder using a magnifying loupe, penlight and a direct ophthalmoscope. Data was entered and analyzed by a statistician. Statistical tests were carried out using Epi info 6 software (Centre for disease control [CDC] Atlanta, Georgia). Results: A total of 4848 persons were examined which gave a response rate of 91%. A total of 943 persons of the sample had an eye disorder in at least 1 eye, giving an ocular morbidity prevalence of 19%. Children aged 0-9 years constituted the highest proportion (37.5%) of the examined subjects. About 57% of the study population were males. Disorders affecting the lens (9.34%) were the most common followed by conjunctival lesions (5.49%). The most common diagnosis was lens opacity (8.1%) followed by conjunctivitis (5.2%). The most common subspecialty requirements in the population are cataract microsurgery (41.7%), and cornea/anterior segment (33%). Conclusion: Our data demonstrates high burden of ocular diseases most of which are either preventable or treatable in the study population. We recommend provision of human resource and technology requirements to meet these demands.


First described in 1936, the diverticulum of Kommerell (DOK) is a dilatation of the proximal segment of an aberrant subclavian artery. Appearing more frequently in the left-sided aortic arch, the aberrant right subclavian artery passes behind the esophagus toward the right arm, causing symptoms in the minority of cases. Diagnosis is generally incidental with this pattern. When symptomatic, dysphagia, respiratory symptoms, hoarseness, chest pain, and upper limb ischemia are the most common complaints. Although debatable, the origin of DOK is accepted as being degenerative or congenital. The degenerative condition is normally associated with atherosclerosis and occurs more frequently after the age of 50 years with no gender predominance. Complications may be life threatening and are more commonly related to the diverticulum aneurysm or when associated with aortic diseases such as aneurysms or dissection. The authors present a case of a 67-year-old male with a history of acute chest pain, neurological disturbances, and hypertensive crisis. The diagnostic workup revealed an aortic arch aneurysm with intramural hematoma and a diverticulum aneurysm of Kommerell. Treatment was conservative at first. The patient presented a satisfactory outcome and was referred to an outpatient clinic for follow up and further therapeutic consolidation.


High-mountain forests (>3500 masl) are the main supplier of
environmental services to Mexico
 City and its metropolitan area. Taking as a study
case the Nevado de Toluca National Park, this article focuses on the considerable
reduction on the density of its forest cover, characterised by disturbances in
the structure and dynamics of Pinus
hartwegii. This specie is located towards the upper limits of the
altitudinal gradient (3500 - 4100 masl) constituting the only
pine species in the world capable to be established in those extreme
environmental conditions. The information was collected through the
implementation of 30 Sampling Plots (SP) of 20 × 50 mts (1000 m2) in three forest density
categories: dense, semi-dense and fragmented. For each forest category, all
trees ≥2.5 cm DBH were measured in 10
SPs. The measurement variables were DBH, total and commercial height, forest
health and forest extraction. The results show the abundance of dense,
semi-dense and fragmented forest (336, 202 and 150 trees/Ha-1), with
extraction percentages of 11%, 20% and 33% respectively. The horizontal
structure distribution shows the shape of an inverted J for the three
conditions. However, the phytosanitary conditions of the semi-dense forests
(83% infested trees) and fragmented (63% infested trees), do not guaranties the
survival of the adult trees, implying an intensification of the fragmentation
process for the next decade; given the reduction of the regeneration patterns
due to the lack of healthy tree breeding.


The cytokine IFN-gamma was shown to regulate growth and differentiation of human embryonic forebrain astrocytes. This work investigated a signalling pathway used by IFN-gamma during the process of growth regulation of human fetal astrocytes obtained from first trimester embryos. IFN-gamma induced significantly higher cell survival compared to that of unexposed cultures, and this survival could be suppressed by incubation with the tyrosine protein kinase (TPK) specific inhibitor tyrphostin A47 at the non-toxic concentration of 10(-6) M. The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-1 was translocated into the nucleus upon IFN-gamma stimulation, which was also blocked by incubation with A47. Our data demonstrate that TPKs are actively involved in growth regulation of the developing brain astrocytes induced by IFN-gamma.


Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with mutated nucleophosmin (NPM1) has been defined as a distinct leukemia entity in the 2016 updated WHO classification of myeloid neoplasm. Our previous report showed that autophagic activity was elevated in NPM1-mutated AML, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Mount of study provides evidence that glycometabolic enzymes are implicated in the autophagic process. Pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2), a key glycolytic enzyme, has been recently reported as a tumor supporter in leukemia. However, little is known about the roles of PKM2 in autophagic activity in NPM1-mutated AML. In this study, PKM2 highly expressed in NPM1-mutated AML, and partially, high levels of PKM2 were upregulated by PTBP1. Further experiments demonstrated that PKM2 mediated autophagic activation and increased the phosphorylation of key autophagy protein Beclin-1. Importantly, functional experiments demonstrated that PKM2 contributed to cell survival via autophagic activation. Ultimately, high PKM2 expression was associated with short overall and event-free survival time in NPM1-mutated AML patients. Our findings indicate for the first time that glycolytic enzyme PKM2 mediates autophagic activation and further contributes to cell survival in NPM1-mutated AML, suggesting that PKM2 may serve as a promising target for treatment of NPM1-mutated AML.


Implementation of evidence-based practices in Texas schools was examined through a survey disseminated through 495 special education directors in 20 state educational service centers. The district-level directors were asked to forward the survey to all personnel providing direct or indirect services to students with EBD. Survey participants were asked to rate 27 evidence-based interventions for students with EBD in three categories on a 5-point Likert scale: (a) importance of the intervention; (b) frequency of use of the intervention; and (c) preparedness to implement the intervention. With a response rate of 32% and representation from all 20 educational service center areas, data were analyzed through simple frequency statistics to determine that most respondents were public school special educators who had been in their current position for 5 years or less. They identified a climate that supports successful teaching and learning and clear rules/expectations as very important. They reported using procedures for the use of physical restraint most frequently, and being most well-prepared to implement clear rules/expectations. A canonical correlation analysis revealed an inverse relationship between importance ratings of tertiary level interventions and frequency of use and preparedness to implement primary level interventions which implies that while practitioners rate tertiary level interventions as important, they are more likely to be well-prepared to implement primary level interventions and to do so with more frequency. Additionally, a review of literature is provided and results and analysis of the survey are discussed as well as recommendations for the future.


L-type Amino Acid Transporter 1 (LAT1) facilitates the uptake of specific essential amino acids, and due to this quality, it has been correlated to worse patient outcomes in various cancer types. However, the relationship between LAT1 and various clinical factors, including menopausal status, in mediating LAT1's prognostic effects remains incompletely understood. This is particularly true in the unique subset of tumors that are both obesity-associated and responsive to immunotherapy, including breast cancer. To close this gap, we employed 6 sets of transcriptomic data using the Kaplan-Meier model in the Xena Functional Genomics Explorer, demonstrating that higher LAT1 expression diminishes breast cancer patients' survival probability. Additionally, we analyzed 3′-Deoxy-3′-18F-Fluorothymidine positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FLT PET-CT) images found on The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA). After separating all patients based on menopausal status, we correlated the measured 18F-FLT uptake with various clinical parameters quantifying body composition, tumor proliferation, and immune cell infiltration. By analyzing a wealth of deidentified, open-access data, the current study investigates the impact of LAT1 expression on breast cancer prognosis, along with the menopausal status-dependent associations between tumor proliferation, immunometabolism, and systemic metabolism.


ABSTRACT Social Work in Europe, is now being tasked with managing the 'problems' of terrorism, i.e supporting those affected by terrorist attacks, managing returnees affiliated with Terrorist groups in the Middle East, or, as will be discussed here, identifying those at risk from radicalisation and extremism. Both Britain and Sweden have Counter-Terrorism policies, but recent developments in both countries have made it a statutory requirement for social workers to work within such policies. This paper seeks to explore the policies in both countries, utilising a comparative approach to consider the similarities in not only policy and practice but also in the ethical consequences such policies pose for social workers across Europe. The exploration considers; the extent to which anti-radicalisation policies influence social work practices in Sweden and the UK and how they might undermine social work as a human rights profession. The results indicate that anti-radicalisation policies run the risk of reducing social work to become a 'policing profession' practising social control. This has substantial consequences for social work and its global ethics, which should be considered and struggled against by social workers committed to principles of social justice and human rights.


TO THE EDITOR: Akathisia is a clinical syndrome that manifests as the subjective sense of unease or restlessness, or observable motor manifestations such as shuffling or tramping movements of the legs and feet, or both.1 The marked distress associated with akathisia can lead to impulsive suicide attempts. It is commonly associated with antipsychotic medications, as well as various antidepressants, including tricyclics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Mirtazapine is a novel antidepressant. It acts centrally to increase both noradrenergic and serotonergic neurotransmission. Common side effects include sedation, weight gain and increased appetite. Tremor is listed as an adverse reaction, but this does not represent akathisia. A MEDLINE database search (up to September 2001), using the words "akathisia" and "mirtazapine", did not reveal any reports of an association. However, as of mid-November 2001, the Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee (ADRAC) had received five reports of "hyperkinesia (probably equivalent to akathisia)" associated with mirtazapine. We would like to report two cases of acute akathisia associated with mirtazapine. A 52-year-old man was referred by his psychiatrist for inpatient management of his depressive illness. He had previously tried multiple antidepressants, including various tricyclics and SSRIs. However, because of the sexual side effect anorgasmia, adherence to antidepressant treatment was poor. He was prescribed mirtazapine (30 mg at night). Within an hour of taking the first dose, he complained of feeling restless and unable to keep his legs still. He was given 1 mg of clonazepam, which settled his symptoms after 30 minutes. He was also observed to jiggle his legs and feet while at rest. His symptoms recurred the next day, necessitating further successful treatment with clonazepam. Mirtazapine therapy was continued, and the patient's depression improved significantly over the next few days, and the akathisia gradually resolved with regular use of clonazepam. A 73-year-old woman with chronic depression was admitted after an overdose. Her medications on admission were omeprazole, amiodarone, bendrofluazide and fluvoxamine (50 mg). The fluvoxamine was changed to mirtazapine (15 mg/day initially, increased to 30 mg/day after three days). After the first 30 mg dose, she described intense restlessness in her legs lasting up to two hours. The distress necessitated reintroducing the fluvoxamine in place of the mirtazapine. Within three weeks the patient was readmitted with depressed mood and suicidal ideation. Mirtazapine (30 mg at night) was reintroduced, with consequent acute return of restless legs. The patient's akathisia settled when the mirtazapine was reduced to 15 mg at night. No additional treatment was required. The neurobiological basis for akathisia remains unclear. Involvement of central serotonergic and adrenergic neurotransmitter systems has been postulated. One of mirtazapine's main actions is blockade of 2adrenoreceptors. Clonidine, an 2-agonist, is effective in treating akathisia. We suggest that mirtazapine's adrenoceptor action might be the basis for the occurrence of akathisia in these patients.


Abstract This paper presents the optimal joint state filtering and parameter identification problem for linear stochastic time-delay systems with unknown parameters. The original identification problem is reduced to the optimal filtering problem for incompletely measured polynomial (bilinear) time-delay system states over linear observations with an arbitrary, not necessarily invertible, observation matrix, where the unknown parameters are considered standard Wiener processes and incorporated as additional states in the extended state vector. The obtained solution is based on the designed optimal filter for incompletely measured bilinear time-delay states over linear observations, taking into account that the optimal filter for the extended state vector also serves as the optimal identifier for the unknown parameters. In the example, performance of the designed optimal state filter and parameter identifier is verified for a linear time-delay system with an unknown multiplicative parameter over linear observations. Both, stable and unstable, linear systems are examined.


Background and Aims We hereby report three cases of biopsy proven Type 5 SLE membranous nephropathy (T5: SLEMN) which responded to Rituximab after failed first line induction agents. Methods Retrospective chart review Results Case 1: Rituximab was used in this 14 year old girl as she failed to standard therapy of cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m2) and high dose corticosteroid along with angiotensin convertase inhibitor (ACEI). 30 days post rituximab 24 hour proteinuria dropped (6790 to 876 mg) and albumin rose (1.8 mg/dl to 3 mg/dl). She is in remission at 14 month on low dose steroid and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Case 2: 10 year old girl whose presentation was similar to Case 1 and failed to show any significant improvement tostandard therapy. 45 days post rituximab, 24 hour proteinuria dropped (4900 to 690 mg) and albumin rose (1.9 mg/dl to 3.3 mg/dl). At 12 month she is in remission on low dose steroid and MMF. Case 3: 12 year old girl presented with features of nephrotic syndrome. At 30 days follow up there were no improvement despite standard therapy and she also started to have neuropsychiatric manifestation. 60 days post rituximab 24 hour proteinuria dropped (3548 to 300 mg) and albumin rose (1.8 mg/dl to 3.7 mg/d)l. Her neuro-psychiatric manifestation also improved. Conclusions In all 3 cases 2 doses of rituximab at 375 mg/m2 each achieved CD 19 count of zero (which normalised by 14, 9 and 11 month respectively) along with significant drop in proteinuria.


Main Sequence (MS) stars are by far the most numerous class in the Universe. They are often somewhat neglected as they are relatively quiet objects (but exceptions exist), though they bear testimony of the past and future of our Sun. An important characteristic of the MS stars, particularly the solar-type ones, is that they host the large majority of the known extrasolar planets. Moreover, at the bottom of the MS, the red M dwarfs pave the way to understanding the physics of brown dwarfs and giant planets. We have measured very precise angular diameters from recent VINCI/VLTI interferometric observations of a number of MS stars in the K band, with spectral types between A1V and M5.5V. They already cover a wide range of effective temperatures and radii. Combined with precise Hipparcos parallaxes, photometry, spectroscopy as well as the asteroseismic information available for some of these stars, the angular diameters put strong constraints on the detailed models of these stars, and therefore on the physical processes at play.


The general consensus on the invaluable contributions of audio-visual materials based on cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML) to enhancing the quality of language classes has turned them into indispensable tools which teachers utilize for more effective teaching of different language skills. The primary aim of this study was to explore the effect of audio visual aids on reading skill at university level. The secondary aim was to find out if this change in materials could have any impact on the motivation and attitudes of the students toward English learning. To this end, this quasi-experimental study adopted a pre-test post-test research method. A total of 256 General English university students were divided to experimental (n=184) and control (n=81) groups. The experimental group received audio-visual aids as the treatment while the control group was taught by a conventional text-based method, commonly practiced in General English classes at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). The reading section of preliminary English test (PET) and Gardner's attitude and motivation test battery (AMTB) were used for data collection. The results of independent samples t-test and Mann-Whitney tests revealed that the students provided with audio-visual materials obtained greater reading outcomes and also showed more positive attitudes and higher motivation toward English learning. Thus, our research revealed that the higher productivity and livelihood of reading classes can be tangible even in the in the narrow space of a single university semester.


The Virtual Hand Lab (VHL) is an augmented reality environment for conducting experiments in human perception and motor performance that involve grasping, manipulation, and other complex 3D tasks that people perform with their hands. Our system supports a wide range of experiments and is used by (non-programmer) experimenters. Our system co-locates the hand and the manipulated objects (whether physical or virtual) in the same visual space. Spatial and temporal accuracy are maintained by using a high precision tracker and an efficient implementation of the software architecture which carefully synchronizes the timing equipment and software. There are many issues which influence architectural design; two of which are modularization and performance. We balance these concerns by creating a layered set of modules upon which the application is built and an animation control loop which cuts across module boundaries to control the timing of equipment and application. Augmented objects are composed of both physical and graphical components. The graphical object inheritance hierarchy has several unusual features. First, we provide a mechanism to decouple the movement of the graphical component of an augmented object from its physical object counterpart. This provides flexibility in the types of experiments supported by the testbed. Second, we create subclasses based on properties of the physical component of the augmented objects before creating subclasses based on the virtual components. Specifically, we categorize physical objects as either rigid or flexible based on their level of deformation. This allows us to efficiently implement many of the manipulation techniques. Third, after subclasses based on the physical objects have been created, the implementation of concrete virtual object classes is driven by the goal of creating an easy interface for the experimenters. This was based on our user centered design approach.


Author(s): Cheng, Aaron Jai-Wei | Advisor(s): Samuelsen, G. S | Abstract: Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are considered one of the leading solutions in reducing greenhouse gas emissions since they remove carbon emissions from the tailpipe. However, as their penetration in the vehicle market increases, so will their impact on the electric grid. To minimize the impact that PEVs have on the electric grid, "smart" charging protocols are necessary to manage PEV charging. This study evaluates how two smart charging architectures, a centralized and decentralized architecture, impact both small and large-scale electric grids through real deployment of the algorithms as well as MATLAB simulations. The "field-deployable" decentralized charging algorithm uses a telematics-based approach to create charging schedules for 10 PEVs deployed on the University of California, Irvine's (UCI) microgrid. The results reveal that a barrier associated with this approach is the need to retrieve the vehicles' status, referred to as "polling." Polling affects how the algorithm creates charging schedules. To determine the effect of polling, simulations are performed on different buildings on the UCI campus using National Household Travel Survey data to simulate vehicle travel patterns. The results show that, if polling occurs frequently (e.g., once every 10 minutes), the charging schedules are not significantly altered. To determine whether or not the decentralized algorithm can provide the same emissions benefits as an ideal centralized algorithm on large-scale systems, both algorithms are simulated on the California electric grid for the year 2030. The results reveal that the decentralized algorithm provides the same emissions benefits as the centralized algorithm, but only if communication between the grid and vehicles is sufficiently frequent (e.g., 60 minutes or less).


This master thesis proposes a design project of the Youth centre Zenica and its urban surrounding, based on the theoretical research and urban and architectural analysis of the city of Zenica. According to the research, Zenica represents a cultural and educational centre but does not offer an appropriate facility for studying and entertainment of its citizens, especially the youth. Furthermore, the urban analyses showed that the selected urban site represents a specific urban setting and challenging urban and architectural task. As a solution, this master thesis proposes the extension of the city cafe Gradska kafana and its transformation into the Youth centre Zenica with all the necessary contents. The idea is complemented by the redesign of the urban site and connection with other parts of the city. As a result, the planned urbanism, creative architecture, and studied program are to provide for a long-term use of the building and the urban site, enrichment of the social and cultural life of the city and an opportunity for the formation of the new city centre.


Ghosts in the Machine is a twenty-five minute looped, projected 3D dance installation. The audience - wearing red/blue anaglyph glasses - see what appears to be three solid three-dimensional dancers in the same space as themselves.

The three ladies: Jennifer Potter, Rachel Blackman and Victoria Melody dance, sing and joke their way through the twenty-five minutes. The topics of their discussions range from existentialism to ballpark-sex to media studies (though none of them is quite sure which cowboy film Marshall McLuhan was actually in). Hanging over them is the dread knowledge that at the end of the performance they have to do 'the whole friggin thing all over again' but somehow it turns out to be more fun than they thought.


The suffix array is a classic full-text index, combining effectiveness with simplicity. We discuss three approaches aiming to improve its efficiency even more: changes to the navigation, data layout and adding extra data. In short, we show that $(i)$ how we search for the right interval boundary impacts significantly the overall search speed, $(ii)$ a B-tree data layout easily wins over the standard one, $(iii)$ the well-known idea of a lookup table for the prefixes of the suffixes can be refined with using compression, $(iv)$ caching prefixes of the suffixes in a helper array can pose a(nother) practical space-time tradeoff.


The materials of zemstvo statistics are a valuable source on the history of the Russian village in the period after the reform. Zemstvo statisticians did a colossal work connected with the study of socioeconomic status of peasant households of the country. The most effective method of acquiring primary statistical data was a total house-to-house census of peasant households which was conducted in zemstvo gubernias in the 80th of the XIXth century. The article deals with the mechanism of its conduction and the results.


The US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sponsors and conducts research in truck size and weight (TS&W), pavement design and rehabilitation and highway cost allocation problem areas. As part of this overall effort, the Truck Pavement Interaction (TPI) research programme of the Pavement Performance Division at the Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) in McLean, Virginia, has established a comprehensive research plan to investigate techniques for the true optimization of the highway infrastructure: optimization between pavement rehabilitation strengthening and the deployment of Friendly Vehicle Fleets intra North America. The main premise of the TPI programme is that only through the use of well validated and calibrated mechanistic pavement whole life prediction models can one achieve realistic solutions to these goals. Thus, a very first step toward achieving these goals is the validation and/or calibration of the layer theory models that will compose the basic mechanistic modelling tool set proposed for use by TPI. As part of this effort, TPI has participated in the conduct of controlled heavy vehicle rolling load tests to study pavement primary response and damage due to different vehicle loading and environmental conditions. Tests conducted to date include dynamic load tests on the FHWA test road located at TFHRC, tests on LTPPISPS–8 sections of the Ohio test road and ALF (accelerated load facility) tests at TFHRC. The work described herein is an attempt to investigate the best techniques for estimating layer moduli so that these techniques can be used, with reliability, for future work. Several modulus back calculation methods were implemented using falling weight deflectometer (FWD) surface deflection basins taken from the experiments conducted at ALF. Not completely satisfied with these methods, a new method incorporating soil mechanics principles coupled with the Boussinesq/Odemark method was developed using actual pavement layer deflections also taken from the ALF site. Basic differences among the methods are presented, calculated layer moduli using the new method are compared with moduli calculated by the other methods, and advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed.


AIM
Ectopic eruption (EE) of a first permanent molar occurs during mixed dentition. However, treatment of first permanent mandibular molar EE has been seldom reported.

CASE REPORT
The cases of an 8-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy are described, whose EE first permanent mandibular molars were correctly positioned after treatment with a dental appliance comprising a lingual arch, sectional arch, crimpable hook, and power chain or a simple molar controller, respectively. Both dental appliances are technically easy to construct, require short chair time, induce little discomfort on the patient, and ensure high-level treatment efficiency.


We discuss the constraints on the inhomogeneous reheating scenario. In particular, we discuss the prospects for low scale inflation with a Hubble constant of the order of the gravitino mass, and the possibility that an MSSM flat direction is responsible for the density fluctuations. Thermal effects are generically fatal for the scenario, and can only be avoided for small enough mass and couplings of the flat direction field, excluding MSSM flat directions. Prompt decay at the end of inflation bypasses thermal constraints, and is compatible with both low scale inflation and MSSM flat directions. However, the level of non-Gaussianity is acceptably small only for a small window of inflaton mass and couplings. The upshot is that tuning of parameters is needed for the inhomogeneous reheating scenario to work.


Imaginary-distance beam propagation method under the perfectly matched layer boundary condition is applied to judge single-mode behaviour of optical waveguides, for the first time to our knowledge. A new kind of silicon-on-insulator-based rib structures with half-circle cross-section is presented. The single-mode behaviour of this kind of waveguide with radius 2mum is investigated by this method. It is single-mode when the slab height is not smaller than the radius.


The occlusal design of dental restorations should stay in harmonic relation to the remaining dentition. In CAD/CAM dentistry, the occlusion is generated by the CAD software based on standard morphologies from the dental database. An automated adaptation process of this standard morphology to an individual clinical situation is difficult and leading to manual adaptation of the proposal with design tools. The new biogeneric software of the chairside CAD/CAD system (CEREC) automatically collects optic measurement of the preparation side including mesial and distal neighbor teeth and antagonist teeth to design a restoration with a patient specific occlusal morphology. This clinical report demonstrated a case, which was treated with ceramic onlay designed and milled with CEREC system used in biogeneric design mode. Digital impression of the preparation was taken with the intraoral camera. Buccal scan,technique was used for taking the occlusal record. Preparation and antagonist images were automatically correlated by software and a virtual articulator was created. After trimming the virtual model, preparation margins were outlined with the automatic margin finder option of the software and then the insertion axis of the restoration was determined. The biogeneric restoration proposal was then automatically seated to the virtual model and desired changes were performed with the design tools of the software. The restoration was milled from feldspathic ceramic block.