Delamination is one of the most important damage in composite materials. It can propagate under fatigue loading and cause failures of composite structures. With the application of damage tolerance design philosophy in engineering and requirement of light weight structures in advanced aircrafts, how to characterize fatigue delamination growth behavior in composite materials and develop reliable prediction models become critical issues for the application of these materials. A large amount of studies have been conducted on the characterization of fatigue delamination growth under constant amplitude loading in composite materials. However, little attention has ever been put into the block loading sequence effect on delamination growth. Referring to fatigue crack growth in metals, shielding mechanism of plasticity deformation around the crack front plays a dominant role in the loading sequence effect. Fibre bridging, acting as the shielding mechanism, therefore can contribute to the loading sequence effect on fatigue delamination growth in composite materials. Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimens were designed and manufactured for the mode I fatigue delamination tests with HI-HI and LO-HI block loading sequences. Paris relation was subsequently used to interpret the experimental results. It demonstrates there is an obvious loading sequence effect on fatigue delamination growth in composite materials. The fatigue crack growth in the HI-HI block loading is slower than it in the LO-HI block loading.


Recumbent folds exposed in an ice cliff at the southeast side of the Barnes Ice Cap occur in banded ice and have hinges subparallel to the glacier margin. The folds appear similar in shape and attitude to others expressed on the glacier surface as a series of irregular lenses of white ice that are elongate parallel to the margin and are surrounded by blue ice. Such lenses are all around the margin of the south dome of the ice cap. Both sets of folds are thought to have a common origin. Fold geometry and fabric studies suggest that the ice is behaving homogeneously on the scale of the folds and that the banding is essentially passive. Flow considerations indicate that banding or foliation will tend to become parallel to the particle paths near the glacier base and toward the margin under steady-state conditions. However, departures from the steady state in the form of minor advances or retreats may change the flow pattern sufficiently for the particle paths to depart from parallelism with the banding, which may then become passively deformed and eventually folded. For this to occur, the bedrock surface must be appropriately irregular. A simple mathematical model describes this process and successfully accounts for the geometrical features of the folds observed. This theory is consistent with earlier observations of the Barnes Ice Cap, which suggest that there have been fluctuations in the position of the ice-cap margin in the last few centuries.


Simulation is a powerful instrument in the education process that can help students experience a reality context and understand complex concepts required to accomplish practitioners' tasks. The present study aims to investigate the software engineering students' perception about the usefulness of the Planning Poker technique in relation to their understanding of the relative estimation concept. We conducted a simulation exercise where students first estimated tasks applying the concepts of relative estimation based on the concepts explained in the lecture, and then to estimate tasks applying the Agile Planning Poker technique. To investigate the students' perception, we used a survey at the end of each exercise. The preliminary results did not show statistical significance on the students' confidence to estimate relatively the user stories. However, from the students' comments and feedback, there are indications that students are more confident in using Agile Planning Poker when they are asked to estimate user stories. The study will be replicated in the near future to a different group of students with a different background, to have a better understanding and also identify possible flaws of the exercise.


Improvements in steam power generation, and economic changes in the fuel supply, have caused increasing interest in steam power on the Pacific Coast. After a brief history of the development of steam power on the system of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, the author discusses some of the fundamental factors entering into the problem of providing additional steam plant capacity for this company in accord with the changed economic conditions. The author describes recent work completed and under construction and gives some of the economic results obtained and expected.


Accurate on-device wake word detection is crucial to products with far-field voice control such as the Amazon Echo. It is quite challenging to build a wake word system with both low False Reject Rate (FRR) and low False Alarm Rate (FAR) in real scenarios where there are various types of background speech, music or noise, especially when computational resources on the device is limited. In this paper, we introduce a two-stage wake word system based on Deep Neural Network (DNN) acoustic modeling, propose a new way to model the non-keyword background events using monophone-based units and present how richer information can be extracted from those monophone units for final wake word detection. Under the new system, we could get around 16% relative reduction in FRR when fixing the false alarm level, and about 37% relative reduction in FAR on the other hand if we maintain the miss rate. For the 2nd stage classifier itself, it is able to reduce the false alarm rate relatively by about 67% on top of 1st stage hypothesis with very few computational resources.


: Spontaneous splenic rupture in hemophilia A is an uncommon occurrence which is difficult to diagnose. We have reported a case of hemophilic rupture of the spleen unaccompanied by thrombocytosis, which has been emphasized as a diagnostic clue to hemophilic splenic rupture. Hence, splenic rupture should still be considered in any hemophilic patient with pain in the left upper quadrant and a normal platelet count. Splenic rupture in hemophilia must be recognized because its treatment requires not only clotting factor infusion but also surgical intervention.


The purpose of this study is to test empirically the effect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on the financial performance of banking companies listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). In contrast to previous studies, this study uses the social bank characteristics for the measurement of CSR. Social bank characteristics are a proxy of sustainability development. The company's performance is proxied by Tobin's Q. The sample was banking companies listed on the IDX in 2008 to 2012. This study used a multiple regression model and the R software to test the hypothesis. At the 5% significance level, the results show that CSR significantly affects the financial performance of banking companies listed in the IDX. The regression coefficient of CSR on corporate performance is -0.075769, thus CSR as measured by the social bank characteristics as a proxy of sustainability development is significantly negative on firm financial performance as measured by Tobin's Q. In other words, CSR-based sustainability development does not affect the increase of financial performance of banking companies that are listed in the IDX.


Fault-block oil and Gas Field is one of special complicated reservoirs. For its development, No matter at home or aboard, the instances are not too many, and most of them are terrestrial oil reservoir. For ocean fault-block oil reservoirs, there are no instances that can be consulted. This paper aims at some ocean fault block oil reservoir .Gray relation model and fuzzy cluster analysis are combined to set gray fuzzy cluster analysis .Through a case analysis ,gray fuzzy cluster method is used to clustering of reservoirs. with the experiences that has been obtained, so that the foundation are provided for the development of some ocean fault block oil reservoir.


This study presents novel evidence that mutual fund liquidity management affects stock liquidity. Exploiting a proposal by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an exogenous shock to mutual fund liquidity management, I find that mutual fund liquidity management improves stock liquidity of firms in mutual fund portfolios. This improvement is more pronounced when mutual funds have stronger incentives to improve portfolio liquidity and more resources to influence firms and when portfolio firms have lower stock liquidity prior to the SEC proposal. Consistent with mutual funds influencing portfolio firms to be more transparent, I further show that improving disclosure among portfolio firms is one mechanism through which stock liquidity is improved. Overall, the results indicate that liquidity management at the fund level has important implications for stock liquidity and information disclosure of portfolio firms.


Objective: The aim of this paper is to review the subject and to report on and discuss a case of bronchopleural cutaneous fistula due to Eikenella corrodens. Description: A 16-year-old girl was brought to our hospital with fever and blood-tinged sputum 2 weeks prior to her admission. She suffered from neurologic sequelae of herpetic encephalitis and had been bed-ridden since 5 years of age. A longitudinal paraspinal soft mass had been noted in the previous week by her mother. She had been given oral feeding despite frequent choking for the past few years. On palpation, the mass can be squeezed to follow the least resistance of subcutaneous space longitudinally extending to the lower thoracic region. Chest computed tomography scan revealed right lower lobe necrotizing pneumonitis and a pleuro-cutaneous fistula leading to the subcutaneous air locules. A protracted course of antibiotics was prescribed and subcutaneous air trapping decreased in size over 8 weeks. Comments: Eikenella corrodens has increasingly been implicated as a potential causative pathogen in pleuropulmonary infections. Pleuro-cutaneous fistula and abscess formation complicating empyema and necrotizing pneumonitis due to E. corrodens infection have not been reported. A bulging thoracic subcutaneous lesion waxes and wanes with respiration suggest the possibility of a pleruo-cutaneous fistula. Treatment of Eikenella empyema using antibiotics without surgical decortication requires a prolonged course of antibiotic therapy.


American legal protections afforded to artists with respect to their own works are so narrowly focused, and the statutory language so loosely defined, that it is not clear whether certain measures to conserve artworks may have the counterintuitive, adverse effects of depriving artists of the protections contemplated in the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (VARA). This Note explores problem areas in the nexus of conserving works of art and VARA jurisprudence, arguing that the statute's narrow scope confers inconsistent and unpredictable protections over artworks such that the ever-evolving best practices of arts professionals — those who work to conserve artworks or otherwise play a stewardship role for artists' creations — may indiscriminately jeopardize artists' rights in their works. Part I presents an overview of VARA from a practical perspective, contrasting the expansive scope of visual artistic media over the last one hundred years with the restrictive designations of moral rights protections, demonstrating a philosophical gap between the statute and the artworks it was designed to protect. Part II addresses the statute's case law, which casts a divide between VARA's application and the practical scenarios that arts professionals encounter in preserving artworks, examining two cases: Flack v. Friends of Queen Catherine and Board of Managers of SoHo International Arts Condominium v. City of New York (Board IV). Lastly, Part III suggests an amendment to VARA in order to effectuate its purpose when applied to common conservation practices and puts forward a set of guidelines for arts professionals to reduce the likelihood that conserving an artwork could jeopardize artist rights in it or otherwise run afoul of VARA's protections.


Summary In this article it is maintained that, despite the scepticism of some traditional philologists, narratology does provide an effective method which can lead to a fresh interpretation of Greek and Roman historiography. The relevant narratological concepts are defined, and the theoretical framework is briefly explained. The analysis of Tacitus' Historiae Book I, chapters 1 ‐50, provides a practical illustration. Only two textual aspects; namely time and characterisation, are discussed in the analysis. The interpretation of the results of the narratological description shows clearly that, because of Tacitus' rhetorical training, there is a dimension to his work which cannot be fully verified from other sources. The text demands from the reader the construction of the "unwritten" text. The narratological reading brings new appreciation for the Historiae as a work with real literary merit.


In this paper, we describe a new method for constructing macro-scale models of the posterior pole of the eye to investigate the role of intraocular pressure in the development and progression of glaucoma. We also describe a method and present results from micro-scale finite element models of the lamina cribrosa microarchitecture that are derived from parent macro-scale continuum models using a novel multiscale substructuring approach. The laminar micro-scale models capture the biomechanical behavior of the laminar trabeculae in a way that cannot be estimated using macro-scale techniques, and predict much higher stresses and strains than those calculated within macro-scale models of the coincident region in the same eye.


Polydisperse systems are commonly encountered when dealing with soft matter in general or any non-simple fluid. Yet their treatment within the framework of statistical thermodynamics is a delicate task as the latter has been essentially devised for simple—non-fully polydisperse—systems. In this paper, we address the issue of defining a non-ambiguous combinatorial entropy for these systems. We do so by focusing on the general property of extensivity of the thermodynamic potentials and discussing a specific mixing experiment. This leads us to introduce the new concept of composition entropy for single phase systems that we do not assimilate to a mixing entropy. We then show that they do not contribute to the thermodynamics of the system at a fixed composition and prescribe to subtract ln N! from the free energy characterizing a system however polydisperse it can be. We then re-derive general expressions for the mixing entropy between any two polydisperse systems and interpret them in term of distances between probability distributions, showing that one of these metrics relates naturally to a recent extension of Landauer's principle. We then propose limiting expressions for the mixing entropy in the case of mixing with equal proportions in the original compositions and finally address the challenging problem of chemical reactions.


Theories of complex systems can yield valuable insights for understanding the increasingly intricate networks of actors, institutions, and discourses involved in international environmental negotiations. While analysis of regimes and regime complexes has shed light on macro-level structures and relationships in global environmental politics, systemic analysis has gained less traction in making sense of micro-level interactions—such as communicative exchanges among participants—that occur within the sites of negotiation and how those interactions shape (and are shaped by) the broader dynamics of governance systems. This article shows how the conceptual lens of "deliberative ecologies" can bridge these levels of analysis by integrating theories of deliberative systems with ideas from complexity theory and social–ecological systems analysis. Drawing on evidence from United Nations climate change and biodiversity conferences between 2009 and 2018, I show how methods such as discourse analysis and process tracing can help to apply a deliberative ecologies perspective and thereby advance understanding of how discourses and deliberative practices diffuse through negotiating sites and how deliberation interacts with the social–ecological dynamics of those sites.


Some issues in the evaluation of generic promotion have received relatively little attention. The agricultural economics literature on brand versus generic advertising is often simple empirically and has not related well to the burgeoning marketing literature on brand/private label strategies. Conversely, that literature does not often consider the implication of the strategies for any but consumers, processors and retailers. Thus, there is a significant gap in terms of branding strategy implications for farmers, in spite of the fact that many farm groups and co-operatives feel that this should be their main marketing goal. This issue becomes more relevant for exporting countries such as Australia given the requirement for country-of-origin labelling in the most recent US Farm Bill. In this paper we review the generic promotion literature, develop a conceptual framework for examining some of the issues of generic and brand advertising in agricultural industries, and provide an example using a simple synthetic model.


The effect of nonylphenol on fungi following the application of contaminated sewage sludge on agricultural soil was studied in laboratory experiments. Nonylphenol bioavailability and adsorption were determined in the soil alone and soil-sludge mixtures. Mixing the soil with sludge made it possible to measure the nonylphenol concentration in the soil solution, which comprised between 6.6 x 10(-6) and 3.8 x 10(-7) M, according to the sludge. We then examined the dose-response relationship between nonylphenol concentration in the culture medium and both biomass production and germination rate of the spores from several strains of filamentous fungi. When applied in this range of concentration, nonylphenol was without noticeable short-term effect on these endpoints. Long-term exposure of fungi to nonylphenol was also assessed. The most intensive effect was a strong stimulation of spore production and germination in Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtendahl. Biomass production by the Fusarium strains also increased. Finally, nonylphenol was shown to induce laccase production in Trametes versicolor. We conclude that the potential of nonylphenol to adversely affect several soil fungi remains low.


Agricultural lands can be used as a terrestrial sink for atmospheric CO2 by changing their management and/or use. The goal ofthis study was to evaluate the economic potential of carbon sequestration on cropland in the spring wheat producing region of the northern Great Plains. In order to provide a more realistic assessment of the economic potential for agricultural carbon sequestration, this study reflects regional trends in land management practices, incorporates the value of co-products from the conversion of cropland to permanent grass, and considers producer differences in crop production profitability. The economic model compared the expected net present value of (1) maintaining current farm practices, (2) switching tillage practices, or (3) converting cropland to permanent grass over a 20-year time horizon. Six different carbon prices ($10, $25, $50, $75, $100, and $125 per metric ton) were used to gauge producer/landowner response to incentive payments. A carbon price of $25 per metric ton led to a 29% increase over the baseline level of C sequestration, representing 49% of the study area's technical storage capacity. The study area's technical capacity to store C was fully attained when the price ofC was increased to $125 per metric ton.


The issue of polonisation and the status of the Polish language has been the subject of intense interest in Lithuania to this day, not only in a cultural and historical context, but also in a political context, since Poles constitute the largest national minority there. This article is an attempt to describe the role of the linguistic aspect in the national transformations in Lithuania during the crucial period, i.e. the formation of modern national identities at the turn of the 19th century and their emancipation in the form of the politics of national states of the interwar period. The analysis includes a number of statistics on the presence of Lithuanian and Polish language in public space and their place in the context of a political, social and economic situation of Lithuanian territories. The creation of national states and the formation of linguistic and national processes from the top down by state administration were commonplace on both sides of the Lithuanian-Polish border. In Polish-Lithuanian relations it was the language that became the main hostage of the conflict and a kind of litmus paper for defining national identity, thus marginalising other aspects.


BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is recognized as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality amongst patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Currently, 50-60% of deaths in renal transplant recipients are directly attributable to CVD. No dataeexisted on the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in renal transplant recipients (RTR) in Kenya. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of established cardiovascular risk factors and to analyze for associations of these risk factors with age, gender, duration of dialysis pre-transplant, medications including immunosuppressant use, cause of CKD, pre-existent diabetes or hypertension, and type and number of renal allograft in RTR in Nairobi, Kenya. SETTING: The Renal Unit Transplant Clinic at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and nephrology clinics at KNH Doctors Plaza, Nairobi Hospital Doctors Plaza and Parklands Nephrology Centre. STUDY POPULATION: Renal allograft recipients attending nephrology clinics in Nairobi METHODS: This study was conducted as a cross-sectional prevalence design. 91 renal allograft recipients underwent consecutive sampling and were evaluated for selected CVD risk factors including hypertension, obesity, decreased GFR, cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance, anemia, dyslipidemia and proteinuria. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:. Continuous variables were expressed as means and standard deviations, prevalence expressed as percentages with 95% Confidence Intervals and associations between CVD risk factors and patient variables or immunosuppressant drugs evaluated by Chi-square test. A P value less than or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In the study, 91 renal transplant recipients were enrolled between 151 August 2011 and 151 February 2012 with a male to female ratio of2.1 to 1 anti mean age of 44.2 years (SD12.44). Hypertension, dyslipidemia and abdominal obesity by waist-hip ratio were the most prevalent risk factors among the study population at 95.6%, 73.6% and 68.1 % respectively. Statistically significant associations were found between the presence of a second renal allograft and NODAT (P = 0.011) as well as history of pre-transplant diabetes mellitus and use of insulin with impaired graft function (P = 0.026 and P = 0.004 respectively). Most allograft recipients were on Prednisolone, Cyclosporine and Mycophenolate mofetil combination therapy with those on Azathioprine having the longest duration of exposure (142.0 months) while those on Everolimus had the shortest duration (7.5 months). No statistically significant associations were found between any of the immunosuppressant agents and the cardiovascular risk factors. LIMITATIONS: Recall bias in past medical history. Misclassification bias in use of a single occasion blood pressure reading for hypertension and single urine sample for microalbuminuria. Overestimation bias in use of estimated GFR equation. Misclassification bias in use of Caucasian cutoffs values for BMI and waist circumference in Africans. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high magnitude of cardiovascular risk factors in the renal transplant population especially hypertension, abdominal obesity and hyperlipidemia. Statistically significant associations were described between presence of a second renal allograft and development of NOD AT as well as between both history of pre-transplant diabetes mellitus and the use of insulin by renal transplant recipients with impaired graft function. The most common immunosuppressants used by the transplant recipients were Prednisolone, Mycophenolate mofetil and Cyclosporine with no statistically significant associati9ns were found between immunbsuppressant agents and the cardiovascular risk factors. RECOMMENDATIONS: Renal transplant recipients should be prioritized as a population at . high risk for cardiovascular mortality in health policy formulation for interventional measures with local adaptation and implementation of guidelines on cardiovascular risk factors, Long term prospective studies should be carried out to characterize post-transplantation anemia, control of diabetes mellitus and associations between immunosuppressive agents, drug dosages and duration of use in renal transplant recipients with cardiovascular risk factors using larger sample Sizes.


In this paper, we introduce an algorithm and an application for modeling user's circadian rhythm with activity trackers, also known as smart bands (e.g., Misfit Shine or Fitbit). The proposed algorithm detects anomalies in the user 's circadian rhythm pattern (i.e., activity pattern of 24-hour cycle). Diurnal biorhythm data were collected using smart bands and the data were analyzed using Levenshtein distance. We evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm to distinguish between ordinary days and abnormal days. During the experiment period, the users recorded the mood, fatigue, and event occurrence of the day, and evaluated the performance of the proposed algorithm through comparison with user's recorded opinions. In the user study, the proposed method detected normal or abnormal patterns of life rhythm with 86% accuracy.


Analysis of the results of clinicopsychological investigation of persons developing ARS (I-III degree of severity) as a result of the Chernobyl accident has shown that 4-6 mos. after the exposure the psychic status and mental working ability of the affected persons showed close correlation with a degree of ARS. In 12-18 mos. profession and adequate employment played a decisive role in the formation of unfavorable psychic conditions and limited working ability. Later on in 2.5-3 years after exposure a decrease in psychic working ability, the development of unfavorable psychic conditions was noted more frequently in patients with ARS of more severe types and in examinees of older age. At all stages of rehabilitation personality traits of the affected persons play an important role in the revival of working abilities.


Marine Bacteria and Archaea represent the major part of the total biodiversity on Earth. They are main drivers of biogeochemical cycles in marine environments and play an integral role in ecosystem structuring. Therefore, the understanding how marine prokaryotic communities are structured and how these communities react towards altered environmental conditions is of fundamental importance. In this thesis, the diversity and ecology of Bacteria and Archaea in the pelagic realm of the North Sea was studied using different culture-independent approaches. In particular, the abundance and ecological role of the Roseobacter clade was analyzed. Moreover, the response of the investigated prokaryotic communities to changing environmental conditions was examined.
One objective was to analyze active archaeal and bacterial community structures in the southern North Sea. Moreover, the impact of a phytoplankton bloom on prokaryotic community composition and diversity was elucidated. For this purpose, 14 marine water samples were collected in May 2010 in the German Bight in and outside of a phytoplankton bloom. Community structures were assessed by pyrotag sequencing of 16S rRNA transcripts. A total of 62,045 and 211,769 16S rRNA sequences were used to examine archaeal and bacterial community composition and diversity, respectively. Different marine lineages of the Gamma- and Alphaproteobacteria including the SAR92 clade and the Roseobacter clade affiliated (RCA) cluster dominated the bacterial community. The archaeal community mainly composed of Halobacteria as well as minor proportions of Thermoplasmata and members of the Marine Group I.
Both archaeal and bacterial community structures were influenced by the presence of the examined phytoplankton bloom. In addition to structural changes, the bacterial richness was reduced in bloom presence indicating that only certain bacteria could thrive during the bloom. To exploit the impact of the phytoplankton bloom on gene expression, environmental mRNA from three samples was extracted, enriched, and sequenced resulting in a total of 988,022 sequences for all three samples. Changes in various metabolic pathways including photosynthesis and protein metabolism were recorded as response to the bloom. The observed changes were induced either directly by the bloom or indirectly by altered environmental parameters as most of these parameters were significantly correlated to bloom presence.
 Another objective was to assess the structure and diversity of total and active bacterial communities along a latitudinal gradient ranging from the German Bight to the Norwegian coast. For this purpose, surface water samples were taken in July 2011 on board of the research vessel Heincke. Community structures were examined by pyrotag sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and transcripts. A total of 382,507 16s rRNA gene sequences were used to assess bacterial community structures. These communities were dominated by different groups affiliated to the Bacteroidetes and Alphaproteobacteria including the marine groups NS5, NS7, and NS9, different subclusters of the Roseobacter clade, and members of the SAR116 clade. Moreover, Cyanobacteria were found in minor abundance with Synechococcus as the dominant genus.
Total and active bacterial community structures were significantly altered along the latitudinal gradient whereas the bacterial richness was unaffected. The abundance of certain marine groups such as the Roseobacter CHAB-I-5 and NAC11-7 clusters either decreased or increased with rising latitude. The recorded changes in bacterial community structures along the studied gradient might be explained by changing environmental conditions which are probably caused by the different water currents found along the gradient. Additionally, the composition of the Rhodobacteraceae in the free-living and in the particle-associated fraction in different depths as well as in the sediment along the latitudinal gradient was investigated. The composition of this family significantly varied between the different fractions.
 In addition to the overall bacterial community structure, the ecological contribution of an abundant member of the RCA cluster, Planktomarina temperata, to nutrient cycling in the pelagic realm of the North Sea was analyzed. This cluster exhibited more than 20% relative abundance in samples derived from the first sampling. Consequently, the largest mRNA dataset of this cruise and a metagenome obtained by direct sequencing of gDNA from the same sample was mapped on its genome. Around one million pyrosequencing reads were mapped in total. Large parts of the genome were retrieved by the mapping approach with approximately 86% of the genome transcribed. Active features included the photosynthetic operon, the two CO dehydrogenase systems, and the assimilatory sulfate reduction pathway.
 In addition to marine ecosystems, the diversity of other prokaryotic communities in three non-marine habitats was examined. In the first survey, we studied the prokaryotic community in two hyperthermal springs on the Azores. Environmental DNA was extracted from two sediment samples and further analyzed using different metagenomic methods. The first spring was dominated by heterotrophic bacterial genera including Caldicellulosiruptor, Dictyoglomus, and Fervidobacterium as well as by the chemolithoautotrophic genus Sulfurihy-drogenibium. The archaeal community comprised Crenarchaeota with Thermo-proteaceae and Desulfurococcaceae as the dominant families. The bacterial community in the other spring was mainly composed of the heterotrophic genus Acidicaldus and the chemolithoautotrophic genus Acidithiobacillus.
In the second study, the diversity and genomic potential of a bacterial biofilm associated with two freshwater algae, Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus obliquus, in a photobioreactor was investigated. DNA was extracted from collected biofilm samples and analyzed using different metagenomic approaches. The recorded community size was rather limited with approximately 30 bacterial species. The majority of the observed Bacteria were affiliated to Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Analysis of the genomic potential revealed a high metabolic diversity with respect to the utilization of polymers, aromatic, and non-aromatic compounds.
In the third study, the bacterial endophytic community structures in three agricultural important grasses, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, and Lolium perenne, was examined. Moreover, the response of these communities to fertilizer application, mowing frequency, and seasonal changes over two consecutive years was investigated. Endophytic community structures were studied by DGGE-based analysis of 16S rRNA genes amplified from plant DNA. The communities were dominated by different members of the Firmicutes and Proteobacteria with Bacillus and Pseudomonas as the predominate genera. The studied management regimes significantly altered the endophytic communities in L. perenne and F. rubra but not in D. glomerata. On the other hand, season significantly affected the community structures in all three grasses. Moreover, as community structures were subjected to seasonal variations, the recorded impact of management regimes differed between the two investigated years.


We propose to estimate 3D human pose from multi-view images and a few IMUs attached at person's limbs. It operates by firstly detecting 2D poses from the two signals, and then lifting them to the 3D space. We present a geometric approach to reinforce the visual features of each pair of joints based on the IMUs. This notably improves 2D pose estimation accuracy especially when one joint is occluded. We call this approach Orientation Regularized Network (ORN). Then we lift the multi-view 2D poses to the 3D space by an Orientation Regularized Pictorial Structure Model (ORPSM) which jointly minimizes the projection error between the 3D and 2D poses, along with the discrepancy between the 3D pose and IMU orientations. The simple two-step approach reduces the error of the state-of-the-art by a large margin on a public dataset. Our code will be released at https://github.com/microsoft/imu-human-pose-estimation-pytorch.


Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy has been utilized to determine the structural environment of the heme iron sites in horseradish peroxidase compounds I and II. For comparison, analogous studies have been undertaken on putative ferryl (Fe/sup IV/=O) porphyrin model compounds and on crystallographically characterized Cr/sup IV/=O and Cr/sup V/ identical with N porphyrins. In a preliminary communication, they suggested that a short ca. 1.6 A Fe-O bond is present in the high valent forms of both the enzyme and the synthetic porphyrins. The present work demonstrates unambiguously that a short, ca. 1.64 A, Fe-O bond length is present both in HRP compounds I and II and in their synthetic analogues. This structure is consistent only with an oxo-ferryl (Fe=O) complex as the active oxygen species in horseradish peroxidase. The structural details, their implications for heme protein mediated oxygen activation, and the difference between their results and those recently published by other workers.


Deborah Britzman believes that recent theoretical discussions of the role of education in the reproduction of the social system, while illuminative, need to be grounded in descriptions of particular aspects of the educative process. The author addresses this need by drawing on her experiences as a teacher/educator to offer an analysis of the reproductive mechanisms at work in teacher education. She describes the way in which teachers' personal histories interact with common myths of our culture to maintain current teaching practices. By becoming conscious of these mechanisms, Britzman argues, student teachers can gain a critical perspective and, hence, control of the social mechanisms which otherwise tend to control them.


Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate the spatial and temporal relationships between the prevalence of COVID-19 symptoms in the community-level and area-level social deprivation. Design Spatial mapping, generalised linear models, using time as a factor and spatial-lag models were used to explore the relationship between self-reported COVID-19 symptom prevalence as recorded through two smartphone symptom tracker apps and a range of socioeconomic factors using a repeated cross-sectional study design. Setting In the community in Northern Ireland, UK. The analysis period included the earliest stages of non-pharmaceutical interventions and societal restrictions or 'lockdown' in 2020. Participants Users of two smartphone symptom tracker apps recording self-reported health information who recorded their location as Northern Ireland, UK. Primary outcome measures Population standardised self-reported COVID-19 symptoms and correlation between population standardised self-reported COVID-19 symptoms and area-level characteristics from measures of multiple deprivation including employment levels and population housing density, derived as the mean number of residents per household for each census super output area. Results Higher self-reported prevalence of COVID-19 symptoms was associated with the most deprived areas (p<0.001) and with those areas with the lowest employment levels (p<0.001). Higher rates of self-reported COVID-19 symptoms within the age groups, 18–24 and 25–34 years were found within the most deprived areas during the earliest stages of non-pharmaceutical interventions and societal restrictions ('lockdown'). Conclusions Through spatial regression of self-reporting COVID-19 smartphone data in the community, this research shows how a lens of social deprivation can deepen our understanding of COVID-19 transmission and prevention. Our findings indicate that social inequality, as measured by area-level deprivation, is associated with disparities in potential COVID-19 infection, with higher prevalence of self-reported COVID-19 symptoms in urban areas associated with area-level social deprivation, housing density and age.


Background: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM), a key event in gastric carcinogenesis, is the replacement of gastric mucosa by an epithelium that histologically resembles intestinal mucosa. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the most common chronic bacterial infection in humans, is known to be associated with gastric carcinogenesis. Classification of GIM by histological subtype and pattern sets an important goal for proper surveillance measures. Incomplete GIM confers 4- to 11-fold increased risk for gastric cancer. Despite this, there is no previous data available of GIM prevalence and characterization in Puerto Rico (PR). The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of GIM within the cohort of patients in PR who underwent diagnostic endoscopy for the period of 2012-2014, and to characterize the demographical and clinicopathological profile of individuals with GIM. Methods: A cross sectional study design using pathology reports of 4,707 endoscopic biopsies with confirmed diagnosis of GIM between 2012-2014 was performed. These reports were reviewed, and the demographic, geographic, and histopathological data provided were analyzed for characterization of this condition. Study characteristics were described using frequency distributions for categorical variables. SPSS version 17 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Between 2012-2014, the prevalence of GIM was 10.7%, of which 26.9% of cases were positive for H. pylori. GIM was frequently found at incisura angularis and antrum biopsies. Approximately 99.6% and 71.2% of the reviewed pathology reports lack information about GIM histological subtype and pattern. Conclusion: The prevalence of GIM is difficult to establish due to asymptomatic nature of the lesion, insufficient number of biopsies or inappropriate localization of biopsies. Despite this, the prevalence of GIM in PR appears to be higher than in United States. We observed that pathology reports lack the proper characterization of GIM necessary to provide adequate surveillance. Citation Format: Maria Gonzalez-Pons, Jorge J. Cruz-Cruz, Cepero Carla, Alberto Del Valle, Giancarlo Colon, Kimberly Alicea, Kathia Rosado, Marcia Cruz-Correa. Gastric intestinal metaplasia: Epidemiological and demographic characterization in Puerto Rican Hispanics. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr C36.


Moulding and casting are widely used techniques of modern and contemporary art making. Their use and application can be found beyond the disciplinary art canon, in areas not immediately associated with art practices, and in times before casting became an acceptable form of sculptural production in its own right.

Plaster as material remains the same, inherent properties and qualities don't change. Moulding and casting are ancient techniques of giving and taking form and shape to objects and sculptures, and they continue to do so. And yet the way casts are symbolised, the way meaning and values are attributed to these works cast in plaster, has often shifted and continuous to undergo many changes:

Is it the whiteness of plaster that allows these sculptures to become humble, a material humility that accepts and submits to different interpretations, and mirrors values, expectations and application associated with them? Or is it the way they are made, the technical procedures, the seemingly sequential or operational chain which appears to delineated a network of contact and touch, the same material giving and taking form, rubbing against itself?

This international research and exhibition project repositions the significance of the techniques and materials involved in plaster moulding and casting for the practice of contemporary sculpture. The UK has a very rich history of workshops producing plaster moulds and cast, but no currently active workshops or collections focusing on the moulds necessary to produce the cast, unlike very active counterparts across Europe. This project aims to bridge this gap and reintroduces to a UK audience of practitioners, conservators and historians the vast material and technical knowledge and understanding of Les Ateliers d'Art de la Reunion des Musees Nationaux, France; and L'atelier de moulage des Musee du Cinquantenaire, Belgium, and the Gipsformerei, Germany.

This two-year, interdisciplinary project, is realised through a new partnership between Wysing Arts Centre and the University of Cambridge, funded by the Henry Moore Foundation, the Elephant Trust, the Arts Council England and the Paul Melon Centre for the Studies of British Art.


Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly important for exploring the real world, which has partially moved to virtual workplaces. In order to create immersive presence in a simulated scene for humans, VR needs to reproduce spatial audio that describes three-dimensional acoustic characteristics in the counterpart physical environment. When the user moves, this reproduction should be dynamically updated, which provides practical challenges because the bandwidth for continuously transmitting audio and video scene data may be limited. This paper proposes an interpolation approach for dynamic spatial audio reproduction using acoustic characteristics of direction and reverberation at limited numbers of positions, which are represented using a first order Ambisonics encoding of the room impulse response (RIR), called the directional RIR (DRIR). We decompose two known DRIRs into reflection components, before interpolating early dominant components for DRIR synthesis and utilizing DRIR recordings for accuracy evaluation. Results indicate that the most accurate interpolation is obtained by the proposed method over two comparative approaches, particularly in a simulated small room where most direction of arrival estimation errors of early components are below five degrees. These findings suggest precise interpolated DRIRs with limited data using the proposed approach, which is vital for dynamic spatial audio reproduction for VR applications.


The growth of the Italian economy over the past 150 years since unification was accompanied by a dramatic increase in the country's integration with European and global commodity markets: foreign trade in the long run grew on average faster than the overall economy. Behind the dynamics of aggregate trade, Italy's comparative advantage changed fundamentally over the last 150 years. The composition of trade, in terms of both commodities imported and exported and in terms of trading partners, developed from a high concentration of a few trading partners and a handful of rather simple commodities into a wide diversification of trading partners and more sophisticated commodities. In this paper we exploit a new long-term database on Italian foreign trade at a high level of disaggregation to document and analyze these changes. We conclude with an assessment of Italy's growth prospects from a historical perspective.


An actual and intensively solving problems of solid state electronics is increasing of integration rate of elements of integrated circuits (p-n-junctions, their systems et al) [1-8]. Increasing of the integration rate leads to necessity to decrease their dimensions. To decrease the dimensions are using several approaches. They are widely using laser and microwave types of annealing of infused dopants. These types of annealing are also widely using for annealing of radiation defects, generated during ion implantation [9-17]. Using the approaches gives a possibility to increase integration rate of elements of integrated circuits through inhomogeneity of technological parameters due to generating inhomogenous distribution of temperature. In this situation one can obtain decreasing dimensions of elements of integrated circuits [18] with account Arrhenius law [1,3]. Another approach to manufacture elements of integrated circuits with smaller dimensions is doping of heterostructure by diffusion or ion implantation [1-3]. However in this case optimization of dopant and/or radiation defects is required [18].


The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has already wreaked havoc on the international economy in numerous ways, differentiating itself in particular through its impact on the "real world" economy as opposed to financial market-specific damage. Both developed and developing countries are seeking to grapple with the pandemic, and all face limitations in their resource capacities; with the shortfall being more acute in the developing world. The aim of this working paper is to present some limited forecasting through scenario analysis using an aggregate demand approach for Pakistan, so as to illustrate the possible multidurational economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that, FY20 declines will be massive, but faster global and local recovery rates might spur a resumption of economic activity in FY21.


This paper describes a general methodological framework for evaluating the perceptual properties of auditory stimuli. The framework provides analysis techniques that can ensure the effective use of sound for a variety of applications, including virtual reality and data sonification systems. Specifically, we discuss data collection techniques for the perceptual qualities of single auditory stimuli including identification tasks, context-based ratings, and attribute ratings. In addition, we present methods for comparing auditory stimuli, such as discrimination tasks, similarity ratings, and sorting tasks. Finally, we discuss statistical techniques that focus on the perceptual relations among stimuli, such as Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) and Pathfinder Analysis. These methods are presented as a starting point for an organized and systematic approach for nonexperts in perceptual experimental methods, rather than as a complete manual for performing the statistical techniques and data collection methods. It is our hope that this paper will help foster further interdisciplinary collaboration among perceptual researchers, designers, engineers, and others in the development of effective auditory displays.


This paper focuses on using Taguchi method to determine the optimum turning parameters such as spindle speed, depth of cut, and feed rate, denoted by factor symbols A, B, and C respectively. The effect of cutting parameters on tool wear is depended on the concept of removed weight from the tool metal during machining. The material that has been used as a workpiece is high carbon steel and carbide insert DNMG 443-15 as a cutting tool. Taguchi orthogonal array L9, quality characteristic "smaller is better" , and ANOVA were used to achieve the goal of the research. The results obtained showed that spindle speed is the significant factor of the process followed by the feed rate in terms of their contribution in analysis. The optimum combination of parameters , wh ich was found by applying Taguchi method, is that designated by A2B1C1.


Gradual changes in steady-state levels of beta amyloid peptides (Aβ) in the brain are considered as initial step in the amyloid cascade hypothesis of Alzheimers disease (AD). Aβ is a product of the secretase cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein and there is evidence that the membrane lipid environment may modulate secretase activity and alters its function. Aβ disturbs membrane properties of artificial and isolated biological membranes and of plasma membranes in living cells. Aβ induced changes in membrane fluidity could be explained by physico-chemical interactions of the peptide with membrane components such as cholesterol, phospholipids and gangliosides. Thus, cell membranes may be the location where the neurotoxic cascade of Aβ is initiated. Perturbation of membranes, binding to lipids and alteration of cellular calcium signaling by Aβ have been reported by several studies and these topics are examined in this review.


Significance Our paper evaluates the role that flooding played in the emergence and decline of Cahokia—the largest prehistoric settlement in the Americas north of Mexico that emerged in the floodplain of the Mississippi River around A.D. 1050. We use sediment cores to examine the timing of major Mississippi River floods over the last 1,800 y. These data show that Cahokia emerged during a period of reduced megaflood frequency associated with heightened aridity across midcontinental North America, and that its decline and abandonment followed the return of large floods. We conclude that shifts in flood frequency and magnitude facilitated both the formation and the breakdown of Cahokia and may be important factors in the declines of other early agricultural societies. Here we establish the timing of major flood events of the central Mississippi River over the last 1,800 y, using floodwater sediments deposited in two floodplain lakes. Shifts in the frequency of high-magnitude floods are mediated by moisture availability over midcontinental North America and correspond to the emergence and decline of Cahokia—a major late prehistoric settlement in the Mississippi River floodplain. The absence of large floods from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1200 facilitated agricultural intensification, population growth, and settlement expansion across the floodplain that are associated with the emergence of Cahokia as a regional center around A.D. 1050. The return of large floods after A.D. 1200, driven by waning midcontinental aridity, marks the onset of sociopolitical reorganization and depopulation that culminate in the abandonment of Cahokia and the surrounding region by A.D. 1350. Shifts in the frequency and magnitude of flooding may be an underappreciated but critical factor in the formation and dissolution of social complexity in early agricultural societies.


This article provides a preliminary assessment of the Law n. 126/2008, lowering taxes on overtime income in Italy. The tax reduction will positively affect workers with high labour market attachment and with relatively high marginal income tax rates, providing an incentive to work extra hours. Employment effects of the reform are expected to be limited, in particular in the long run. The tax reduction will have negligible redistributive effects, while it will lower the horizontal equity of the Italian Personal Income Tax. Given the procyclicality of overtime worked hours, the impact of business cycle on workers' disposable income will increase. Tax administration costs are expected to rise in order to limit the possibility to avoid taxes reducing the standard worked hours and increasing the overtime ones.


ABSTRACT The 1970s saw major transformations in how computerized databases were conceived, developed, and designed. Part of a broader shift in how software applications were developed, these transformations—sometimes referred to as "the database revolution"—introduced new and then-novel approaches to structuring and arranging digital data, optimizing them for usability and convenience. At the same time, however, the rhetoric of innovation and revolution surrounding this moment in database development obscures the ways it helped concentrate and extend particular kinds of racialized power and, in particular, whiteness (i.e., those norms and values congenial to the reproduction of white racial dominance and the subjugation of blackness). In this article, we revisit key works of the database revolution to show how they encoded whiteness as a kind of unremarked optimum, in both implicit and explicit ways. Finally, we argue that these developments helped to codify and extend a kind of "willful ignorance" that, as scholars of epistemology and justice have shown, is central to the preservation and reproduction of whiteness.


Background: Over the last several years, homelessness has increased in Ireland and across Europe. Rates have recently declined since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but it is unclear whether emergency housing measures will remain in place permanently. Populations experiencing long-term homelessness face a higher burden of multi-morbidity at an earlier age than housed populations and have poorer health outcomes. However, this population also has more difficulty accessing appropriate health services. A realist review by the authors found that important health system contexts which impact access are resourcing, training, funding cycles, health system fragmentation, health system goals, how care is organised, culture, leadership and flexibility of care delivery. Using a realist evaluation approach, this research will explore and refine key system-level factors, highlighted in our realist review, in a local health care system. Aim: The aim of this study is to understand how funding procedures and health system performance management impact service settings, staff, providers and their ability to make services accessible to populations experiencing homelessness. Methods: A realist evaluation will be undertaken to explain how funding and health system performance management impact healthcare accessibility for populations experiencing homelessness. Data will be collected using qualitative and realist interview techniques and focus group methodology. Secondary data such as policy documents and budgets will utilised. The analysis will follow Pawson and Tilley's iterative phases starting with building an Initial programme theory, then data collection, data analysis, synthesis and finally building a refined programme theory. Conclusion: Building on a realist review conducted by the same research team, this study will further test and refine findings that explain how health system factors impact healthcare accessibility for populations experiencing homelessness. The study has the potential to inform policy makers, health planners and managers of contextual factors that can be modified to increase healthcare accessibility.


This article describes a four-stage working model for implementing cooperative learning and changing patterns of teachers' organizational behavior in secondary schools. The first stage is devoted to learning. The principal, the subject coordinators, and all the teachers participate in in-service training courses. In the second stage they practice what they have learned, with the assistance of school consultants. The third stage is devoted to the expansion of the change by the principal, and to the acquisition of expertise in the new teaching methods by the teachers. The fourth stage is institutionalizing the new traditions of organizational behavior and instruction by all school personnel. Special emphasis is put on the training of subject coordinators and department heads, who are perceived to comprise a natural group of leaders in the school. The practical steps to be taken, and the specific topics to be dealt with in each step, are presented in detail.


The widespread growth of Information Systems outsourcing on an international scale contrasts sharply with the somewhat limited development of this practice in Spain. That is why the present paper deals with the situation of Information Systems outsourcing in this country. For this purpose, we have used the opinions and comments of those in charge of Information Systems departments at the largest Spanish firms through a normative Delphi study. Outsourcing makes it possible to achieve strategic as well as economic advantages and managers propose a number of ways to reduce the risks associated with this practice. Provider specialisation and permanent client-provider contact are key aspects in order to ensure outsourcing success and development. This paper is basically descriptive though it uses quantitative information. Furthermore, it refers exclusively to the context of large Spanish firms. Despite the limitations mentioned above, the paper has the advantage that in the panellists' words we interpret the results obtained, which means that we can largely ratify the results of the first questionnaire elaborated. Moreover, it is worth studying the Spanish outsourcing model, which is less developed and has not received as much attention from researchers as that of other Western countries.


This article summarizes the results of the research focused on the realization of the cross-curricular subject Environmental Education (CCSEE) at elementary schools (pupils' age 6–15 years) in Czechia. The introduction of cross-curricular subjects into the Czech educational system is linked to curricular reform and it has been implemented in Czech schools since 2007. CCSEE is one of the six currently implemented cross-curricular topics. The main objective of the present study is to determine which school subjects are involved in its implementation. The study was conducted through an internet questionnaire and responses were received from 640 schools. Data were processed by basic statistical methods. A school typology depending on the subjects involved in implementing EE was developed with the help of cluster analysis. The research shows that EE is implemented through most subjects, but their representation varies considerably for individual schools.


There are more than 2,200 of 20,000 world's total deposit of medical herbs found in Indonesia. Between 1994 and 1999, the medicinal herbs export value and volume increased 24.33% and 65.33% respectively. The value of world medical herbs trade increased around  25 billion dollars between 2000 and 2001. One of the potential herbs to be developed is Temulawak (Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb) which is useful to keep the health of lever (hepatoprotector) and also cure other symptoms. This research is aimed to determine the feasibility of establishing the effervescent tablet industry made from temulawak extract. According to market and marketing analyses, the average market value for this product nationally is around Rp 17.84 billion. With production capacity of 1,368,000 tubes/year this product will gain approximately 15% of market value, which is around Rp 2.68 billion.  Each tube consists of 10 tablets at the price of Rp 19,572. Toll manufacturing system was chosen to increase efficiency and reduced the risk from marketing failure. This industry investment opportunity is required approximately Rp 10.5 billion investment. The analysis shows that with the equity between internal fund and bank loan of 50:50 resulted in internal rate of return of 35.66% which is higher than the predetermined minimum attractive rate of return of 20%, the net present value of Rp 14.47 billion, and the payback period of 4.41 year at the 10 year project cycle.  Sensitivity analysis includes variabel cost and projected revenue. Based on the entire project analysis, this industry is considered feasible to conduct. Keywords: temulawak, effervescent, analysis, feasibility


: KMT2B -related dystonia (DYT28, DYT- KMT2B ) is an inherited dystonia that generally begins in the lower limbs during childhood and evolves into generalized dystonia. We herein report a case of adult-onset DYT28 with dystonic tremor. A 27-year-old woman initially displayed right upper limb and cervical tremors over the course of 1 year. A neurological examination also revealed cervical and lower limb dystonia. Although the disease generally develops during childhood, we diagnosed the woman with DYT28, as genetic testing revealed a mutation in KMT2B . Adult-onset patients with DYT28 might also show uncommon symptoms as well as DYT- TOR1A (DYT1).


A 68-year-old man with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) was initially treated with hydroxyurea with subsequent stable disease. In the time course, he developed bilateral pleuritis accompanied by leukocytosis and spiking fever. Cytologic analysis of the pleural effusion revealed abundant mature granulocytes and monocytes. He was treated with intravenous or oral etoposide with consequent resolution of the pleuritis, indicating the pleural involvement of CMML. Three months later, he developed hepatomegaly and became febrile. One month thereafter, the CMML transformed to acute myeloid leukemia, and the patient developed massive bloody stools associated with epigastric pain and leukocytosis. A gastrofiberscopic examination showed multiple bleeding gastric ulcers. The bleeding ulcers were treated with the clipping procedure; however, the bloody stools continued. Although intravenous etoposide was effective for the leukocytosis and hepatomegaly, the treatment did not improve the bloody stools. The patient finally died of panperitonitis. The autopsy showed multiple ulcers of the transverse colon, some of which were perforated. Microscopically, the ulcerated areas were densely infiltrated with leukemic cells predominantly consisting of immature monocytes and granulocytes. This patient may be the first reported case of CMML complicated by colonic perforation due to leukemic infiltration.


ABSTRACT The depth and density of the Antarctic firn layer is modeled, using a combination of regional climate model output and a steady-state firn densification model. The modeled near-surface climate (temperature, wind speed, and accumulation) and the depth of two critical density levels (550 kg m−3 and 830 kg m−3) agree well with climate and firn density observations selected from >50 Antarctic coring sites (r  =  0.90–0.99, p < 0.0001). The wide range of near-surface climate conditions in Antarctica forces a strong spatial variability in the depth and density of the Antarctic firn pack. In the calm, dry, and very cold interior, densification is slow and the firn-layer thickness exceeds 100 m and the firn age at pore close-off 2000 years. In the windier, wetter, and milder coastal zone, densification is more rapid and the firn layer shallower, typically 40–60 m, and younger, typically <50 years.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Breast-feeding rates are low in Northern Ireland (NI) compared with other regions of Europe. The aim of this study has therefore been to define and explore factors determining infant feeding decisions with a view to the planning of future research and intervention needs.

METHOD
Participants were approached at convenience from the throughput of women attending a large teaching hospital antenatal clinic to take part in focus group discussion.

RESULTS
Dominant themes indicated that the main barriers to breast-feeding are restricted freedom and independence associated with family issues, return to work, societal embarrassment and perceived social isolation. The dialogue suggested that breast-feeding leads to inability to carry out everyday activities and social exclusion.

CONCLUSIONS
Incompatible social norms make it difficult for mothers to breast-feed successfully. This implies that future promotional efforts should take a societal approach.


It is a fundamental good clinical practice in our medicolegal rights era to obtain standard, adequate, and transparent informed consent before any planned intervention. Currently, there are neither national approved vascular intervention-specific consents nor explicit guidelines for it. We aim to achieve a standardisation of perioperative risk profiling of infrainguinal bypass surgical consents and produce a model one.

 A retrospective analysis of 45 infrainguinal bypass consents (audit/reaudit) between (2013-2019) retrieved to evaluate quality and completeness against GMC 2008 guidance: "Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together". Data included basic consent requirements according to guidelines and specific risks of infrainguinal bypass. It was registered with the Trust Clinical Audit Department.

 (100%) of audit and reaudit consents documented the intended benefits of surgery. Inclusion into the National Vascular Registry (NVR) was achieved (0%) in audit vs (80%) in reaudit forms. Of the 19 documented postoperative complications, reaudit significant improvement observed in % of documenting 16 items with 9 complications recorded above 50%. The maximum number of audit documented risks was 15 (79%), the median 8 (42%), and the least was 3 (16%) compared to maximum 16 (84%), the median 10 (53%) and the least was 4 (21%) when reaudited, respectively.

 Deficiencies in performing and adequately completing surgical consents still occur. Introducing a national pre-printed vascular intervention-specific consent is vital for accomplishing and maintaining a good clinical practice. It should include all complications with relative % risk to minimise errors, provide good quality consent, and promote clinical practice at a national level.


The quaternary ammonium herbicides mainly include paraquat and diquat, whose fast and simultaneous detection is important for environmental and public safety. Herein, we simultaneously analyzed paraquat and diquat by a simple three-component supramolecular sensor array, which was simply prepared from carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CM-β-CD) and fluorophores. Under the optimal pH, the two herbicides were excellently distinguished in the principal component analysis (PCA) score plot in the presence of various interferences. Then, the results of semi-quantitative analysis through linear discrimination analysis (LDA) also showed good cluster separation for both paraquat and diquat in the concentration range of 10–250 μM. Moreover, in order to test the unknown samples, the support vector machine (SVM) regression model was applied for simultaneous quantitative analysis of paraquat and diquat, which was successful in the prediction of the amount of the two analytes. Accordingly, this simple supramolecular sensor array is expected to be applied in the rapid and accurate analysis of quaternary ammonium herbicides.


The yeast mitochondrial high mobility group protein Abf2p is required, under certain growth conditions, for the maintenance of wild‐type (rho+) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We have identified a multicopy suppressor of the mtDNA instability phenotype of cells with a null allele of the ABF2 gene (delta abf2). The suppressor is a known gene, ILV5, encoding the mitochondrial protein, acetohydroxy acid reductoisomerase, which catalyzes a step in branched‐chain amino acid biosynthesis. Efficient suppression occurs with just a 2‐ to 3‐fold increase in ILV5 copy number. Moreover, in delta abf2 cells with a single copy of ILV5, changes in mtDNA stability correlate directly with changes in conditions that are known to affect ILV5 expression. Wild‐type mtDNA is unstable in cells with an ILV5 null mutation (delta ilv5), leading to the production of mostly rho‐ petite mutants. The instability of rho+ mtDNA in delta ilv5 cells is not simply a consequence of a block in branched‐chain amino acid biosynthesis, since mtDNA is stable in cells with a null allele of the ILV2 gene, which encodes another enzyme of that pathway. The most severe instability of rho+ mtDNA is observed in cells with null alleles of both ABF2 and ILV5. We suggest that ILV5 encodes a bifunctional protein required for branched‐chain amino acid biosynthesis and for the maintenance of rho+ mtDNA.


Enlargement has always been an essential part of the European integration. Each enlargement round has left its mark on the integration project. However, it was the expansion of the European Union (EU) with the 10 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs), Cyprus, and Malta, unprecedented in scope and scale, which presented the EU with an opportunity to develop a multifaceted set of instruments and transformed enlargement into one of the EU's most successful policies. The numerous challenges of the accession process, along with the immensity of the historical mission to unify Europe, lent speed to the emergence of the study of EU enlargement as a key research area. The early studies investigated the puzzle of the EU's decision to enlarge with the CEECs, and the costs and benefits of the Eastern expansion. However, the questions about the impact of EU enlargement policy inspired a new research agenda. Studies of the influence of the EU on candidate and potential candidate countries have not only widened the research focus of Europeanization studies (beyond the member states of the Union), but also stimulated and shaped the debates on the scope and effectiveness of EU conditionality. Most of the analytical frameworks developed in the context of the Eastern enlargement have favored rational institutionalist approaches highlighting a credible membership perspective as the key explanatory variable. However, studies analyzing the impact of enlargement policy on the Western Balkan countries and Turkey have shed light on some of the limitations of the rationalist approaches and sought to identify new explanatory factors.
 After the completion of the fifth enlargement with the accession of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, the research shifted to analyzing the continuity and change of EU enlargement policy and its impact on the candidate and potential candidate countries. There is also a growing number of studies examining the sustainability of the impact of EU conditionality after accession by looking into new members' compliance with EU rules. The impact of EU enlargement policy on the development of European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and comparative evaluations of the Union's performance across the two policy frameworks have also shaped and expanded the debate on the mechanisms and effectiveness of the EU's influence. The impact of the Eastern enlargement on EU institutions and policymaking is another area of research that has emerged over the last decade. In less than two decades, the study of EU enlargement policy has produced a rich and diverse body of literature that has shaped the broader research agendas on Europeanization, implementation, and compliance and EU policymaking. Comprehensive theoretical and empirical studies have allowed us to develop a detailed understanding of the impact of the EU on the political and economic transformations in Central and Eastern Europe. The ongoing accession process provides more opportunities to study the evolving nature of EU enlargement policy, its impact on candidate countries, the development of EU policies, and the advancement of the integration project.


Standard microelectrode techniques were used to evaluate the effect of d-tubocurarine chloride on membrane potential of junctional and extrajunctional areas of muscle fibers in a potassium-free Ringer solution. The experiments were made on frogs after inactivation of acetylcholinesterase. d-Tubocurarine chloride hyperpolarized the membrane of muscle fibers only in the junctional area. Blockade of axoplasmic transport with colchicine did not affect the magnitude of the hyperpolarization response of the membrane end plate to the presence of d-tubocurarine chloride, but at the same time it significantly reduced the membrane rest potential of muscle fibers, and gave rise to the appearance of extrajunctional sensitivity to acetylcholine. It is concluded that the blockade of axoplasmic transport does not affect the pattern of non-quantum acetylcholine release from nerve terminals. Therefore, this is unlikely to cause denervation-like changes in the muscle under the conditions described.


Traditional Chinese medicine professes that topical soy provides skin care benefits. There are reportedly anecdotal accounts from scientists that Asian workers in soybean factories who handled soy regularly had hands that were especially smooth and even-toned and that women workers in the tofu industry had beautiful skin. While these types of observations may not stand up to modern day scientific scrutiny, cosmetics companies have certainly embraced soy.


Nanostructured porous cuprite (NPC) films were first prepared by a facile wet chemical process. The resulted cuprite film was then characterized by Raman spectrum, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as well as static contact angle experiment. Electrochemical catalytic performance of the NPC film was also tested. The low detection limit was estimated to be 6.3 µM (S/N = 3), and the time required to reach 95% of the steady-state current was shorter than 10 s after the addition of nitrite, which demonstrated that the as deposited nanostructured cuprite film has both high catalytic sensitivity and fast current response in nitrite sensing. The self-supporting porous nanostructure and their good contact with the conducting substrate resulted in large specific area, structure stability and efficient transportation. The good electrocatalytic performance shows that the nanoparticle-assembled thin films with nanoporous structure and nanocrystallites have potential applications as electrocatalysis platforms in biosensors.


Background: Severe burn injury initiates a feedback cycle of inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress and cardiac mitochondrial damage via the PDE5A-cGMP-PKG pathway. Aim: To test if the PDE5A-cGMP-PKG pathway may contribute to burn-induced heart dysfunction. Methods: Sprague–Dawley rats were divided four groups: sham; sham/sildenafil; 24 h post burn (60% total body surface area scald burn, harvested at 24 h post burn); and 24 h post burn/sildenafil. We monitored heart function and oxidative adducts, as well as cardiac inflammatory, cardiac fibrosis and cardiac remodeling responses in vivo. Results: Sildenafil inhibited the burn-induced PDE5A mRNA level and increased the cGMP level and PKG activity, leading to the normalization of PKG down-regulated genes (IRAG, PLB, RGS2, RhoA and MYTP), a decreased ROS level (H2O2), decreased oxidatively modified adducts (malonyldialdehyde [MDA], carbonyls), attenuated fibrogenesis as well as fibrosis gene expression (ANP, BNP, COL1A2, COL3A2, αSMA and αsk-Actin), and reduced inflammation and related gene expression (RELA, IL-18 and TGF-β) after the burn. Additionally, sildenafil treatment preserved left ventricular heart function (CO, EF, SV, LVvol at systolic, LVPW at diastolic and FS) and recovered the oxidant/antioxidant balance (total antioxidant, total SOD activity and Cu,ZnSOD activity). Conclusions: The PDE5A-cGMP-PKG pathway mediates burn-induced heart dysfunction. Sildenafil treatment recovers burn-induced cardiac dysfunction.


This case study examines the bottom-up development management process of Resettling the Indus by highlighting the key aspects for successful relief and rehabilitation in certain flood and war affected regions of Pakistan. The study focuses on areas affected by the flood of 2010 in Southern Punjab, a region of Sindh hit by torrential rains of 2011 and areas of South Waziristan where war and insecurity have permanently damaged lifestyles and infrastructure. This research explains how in the long run, the villagers' farm surplus can be connected with the urban markets. Resettling the Indus grass root development process explains how these activities brings villagers' economic life cycles back on track, raise the income levels of villagers on a sustainable basis and strengthens the entire scaling-up process.


Cofinancing is a term used in the movie industry to describe films for which multiple firms share the cost of production and revenues. We find that one-third of movies produced by major studios between 1987 and 2000 are cofinanced. Anecdotal evidence strongly indicates that cofinancing is for the purpose of risk management. However, the major studios are publicly traded firms, which allows investors to make their own diversification decisions, leading us to question the importance of cofinancing for risk management. Contrary to industry claims, we find that cofinancing decisions are unrelated to the distribution of individual movie returns-studios do not appear to cofinance relatively risky films. But we do find that studios are more likely to cofinance movies that account for a large fraction of their total annual production budget, which reduces portfolio risk via the law of large numbers. Toward an alternative explanation for cofinancing, we also find that cofinancing between two major studios impacts the release dates of their other movies. Copyright Blackwell Publishing 2005.


The specifications of an application's security configuration are crucial for understanding its security policies, which can be very helpful in security-related contexts such as misconfiguration detection. Such specifications, however, are often ill-documented, or even close because of the increasing use of graphic user interfaces to set program options. In this paper, we propose ConfigRE, a new technique for automatic reverse engineering of an application's access-control configurations. Our approach first partitions a configuration input into fields, and then identifies the semantic relations among these fields and the roles they play in enforcing an access control policy. Based upon such knowledge, ConfigRE automatically generates a specification language to describe the syntactic relations of these fields. The language can be converted into a scanner using standard parser generators for scanning configuration files and discovering the security policies specified in an application. We implemented ConfigRE in our research and evaluated it against real applications. The experiment results demonstrate the efficacy of our approach.


ABSTRACT In this paper, we focus on trajectories at intersections regulated by various regulation types such as traffic lights, priority/yield signs, and right-of-way rules. We test some methods to detect and recognize movement patterns from GPS trajectories, in terms of their geometrical and spatio-temporal components. In particular, we first find out the main paths that vehicles follow at such locations. We then investigate the way that vehicles follow these geometric paths (how do they move along them). For these scopes, machine learning methods are used and the performance of some known methods for trajectory similarity measurement (DTW, Hausdorff, and Fréchet distance) and clustering (Affinity propagation and Agglomerative clustering) are compared based on clustering accuracy. Afterward, the movement behavior observed at six different intersections is analyzed by identifying certain movement patterns in the speed- and time-profiles of trajectories. We show that depending on the regulation type, different movement patterns are observed at intersections. This finding can be useful for intersection categorization according to traffic regulations. The practicality of automatically identifying traffic rules from GPS tracks is the enrichment of modern maps with additional navigation-related information (traffic signs, traffic lights, etc.).


The article describes in detail a method for laparoscopy in patients in the early periods after surgical intervention on the abdominal organs. Definite indications for endoscopic intraoperative laparostomy are pointed out, a bushing specially designed by the authors is described, and the terms and indications for dynamic visual examinations of the abdominal cavity are determined. The suggested method does not cause harm to the patient and allows early postoperative complications to be recognized in good time and the course of the inflammatory-reparative process in the zone of the operation to be appraised visually.


This guide was created to help the students in Professor Roth's English 201 classes complete their final annotated bibliography and essay.


Popular investment advice recommends that stock/bond and stock/wealth ratios should rise with investor risk tolerance and investment horizon respectively, prescriptions that are difficult to reconcile with the simple mean-variance model. We show that extending the mean-variance model to include human capital, without any other modifications, can simultaneously justify both recommendations, so long as the correlation between labour income and stock returns falls within a range determined by market and investor-specific parameters. Aggregate labour income data from 11 countries generally satisfy this requirement, as do plausible individual income processes. We also consider the implications of human capital for the optimal bond/wealth ratio over the investment horizon, and examine the sensitivity of the stock/bond mix to the volatility of labour income.


Background: Patient navigation for breast cancer seeks to diminish social, economic, cultural and medical system barriers to timely quality care. In the context of unmet patient needs, growing complexity of health care delivery systems, and significant local implementation challenges, patient navigation models must continue to evolve in order to advance context-appropriate implementation and sustainment of patient navigation into routine practice. We present five case studies in Chicago demonstrating evolving patient navigation models and in each case study, we explore challenges and opportunities related to advancing successful implementation of patient navigation interventions across the breast cancer care continuum. Methods: Case studies include: (1) a community-level adaptation of patient navigation in Chicago9s Chinatown; (2) a community navigation program in Chicago9s racially/ethnically diverse North Lawndale and Humboldt Park; (3) a county-wide dissemination of navigation in suburban DuPage County; (4) a state-wide scaling of a patient navigation model to the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services; and (5) a 4R patient navigation oncology model (4R = Right Information / Care / Patient / Time) grounded in systems engineering and design that leverages collaborative care plans and iterative examination and improvement of processes to address challenges of breast cancer care planning, team-based delivery and patient engagement. Results: Case studies in the evolution of patient navigation research programs show how identified gaps in care were remedied pragmatically in the course of each study. We show how patient navigation implementation efforts have been aided with evolving models incorporating the local implementation context, characteristics of program implementers, and structural, macro-level factors involving care delivery systems and public policy. Results highlight approaches for supporting organizational learning to enhance implementation and sustainability of navigation interventions; for furthering task clarification and coordination to optimize integration of patient navigation into cancer care delivery settings; and for tackling the impact of existing local, state, and national policy initiatives on patient navigation. Conclusions: Reducing breast cancer burden, especially among underserved populations, warrants adaptive, ongoing improvement of patient navigation models. Through iterative intervention development, evaluation, and refinement, patient navigation can move beyond serving as a temporary bandage for health systems fragmentation and toward an essential role in systems change for optimizing cancer care delivery. Citation Format: Melissa A. Simon, Laura S. Tom, Julia R. Trosman, Christine B. Weldon, Catherine A. O9Brian, Marcie C. Kirschner, XinQi Dong. The evolution of patient navigation research models to reduce breast cancer disparities: Case studies of patient navigation dissemination and implementation in Chicago [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1637.


This paper investigates the prevalence of cybercrimes (caled 'sakawa') in Ghana and examines its forms and implications.Using qualitative approach, we explore efforts by organizations and government agencies in Ghana towards curtailing cybercrimes in terms of apprehension, prosecution, reporting, and law enforcement. Findings from our research showed that although awareness of cyber crimes is on the increase, the crimes mostly go unreported. The Ghana Police Service which is the organ of government responsible for arresting and prosecuting cyber criminals also lack the technical know-how and adequate legal support to effectively discharge their duties. We recommend that a multistakeholder effort and appropriate technical training for the Police and supportive legislation are required. For online financial transactions, developing strategies which incorporate offline business qualification requirements may be the necessary starting point. Since the perpetrators are young and have some degree of technical competence to commit computer-related crimes. This brings to question the need for appropriate youth development programs which utilize their technical competencies. In future research, we will explore how social theories in criminology can assist in understanding the behavior and intention of both the victim and perpetrators in cyber crime.


Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a profound global effect on mortality rates. There were many studies about mortality and COVID-19, but there is no study about bibliometric analysis of these studies. This study provides a general overview of studies on the mortality rate of COVID-19.
Methods: Publications on mortality rate during the COVID-19 pandemic from December 1, 2019, to November 17, 2021, were extracted from the Pubmed database. Bibliometrics indicator analysis was performed using Bibliometric/Biblioshiny, We used the following keywords: "covid-19 mortality[Title]"; "SARS-CoV-2 mortality[Title]"; "2019-nCoV mortality[Title]"; "SARS-CoV-2"[MeSH Terms]"; "SARS-CoV-2"; "2019 ncov"; "mortality"[Title]".
Results: From December 1, 2019, to November 17, 2021, 2,848 documents were retrieved, with 2,202 (or 77.3 %) being journal articles. Most publications were produced by the Plos One journal (93 3,3 %). Wang Y, a Chinese author, has authored the most articles on this topic (64, 8.91 %). The strongest cooperating countries' network consisted of the United States, Italy, France, China, and Spain. Ten keyword clusters identifying mortality hotspots were discovered.
Conclusion: Bibliometrix analysis of the mortality rate in COVID-19 is helpful for mapping studies related to the mortality rate of COVID-19. This article provides an overview of further research related to mortality in COVID-19


Over the last three years, the Economics Department has undertaken a range of research regarding the financial position of households. This article provides an overview of this research. The work was largely motivated by concerns about: rising household debt, an apparent decline in household saving, and rising house prices. Each of these issues can have consequences for financial stability and the economic cycle, and hence are of vital interest to the Reserve Bank.


Partial domain adaptation which assumes that the unknown target label space is a subset of the source label space has attracted much attention in computer vision. Despite recent progress, existing methods often suffer from three key problems: negative transfer, lack of discriminability, and domain invariance in the latent space. To alleviate the above issues, we develop a novel 'Select, Label, and Mix' (SLM) framework that aims to learn discriminative invariant feature representations for partial domain adaptation. First, we present an efficient "select" module that automatically filters out the outlier source samples to avoid negative transfer while aligning distributions across both domains. Second, the "label" module iteratively trains the classifier using both the labeled source domain data and the generated pseudo-labels for the target domain to enhance the discriminability of the latent space. Finally, the "mix" module utilizes domain mixup regularization jointly with the other two modules to explore more intrinsic structures across domains leading to a domain-invariant latent space for partial domain adaptation. Extensive experiments on several benchmark datasets for partial domain adaptation demonstrate the superiority of our proposed framework over state-of-the-art methods. Project page: https://cvir.github.io/projects/slm.


The quantum field theory approach has been proposed for the description
of graphene electronic properties. It generalizes massless Dirac fermion model
and is based on the Dirac-Hartree-Fock self-consistent field approximation and
assumption on antiferromagnetic ordering of graphene lattice. The developed
approach allows asymmetric charged carriers in single layer graphene with
partially degenerated Dirac cones.


What are the neurophysiological correlates of sustained visual processing in the scalp EEG signal? In a previous study using intracranial recordings in humans, we found that presentation of visual stimuli for prolonged durations (up to 1.5 seconds) was associated with two kinds of sustained neural activity patterns: a high-frequency broadband (>30 Hz) response that tracked the duration of the stimulus with high precision in early visual cortex (EVC), and with lesser temporal precision in downstream category-selective areas; and a sustained low-frequency potential shift appearing in a small subset of EVC sites. Using a similar approach of presenting images for variable durations to identify sustained activity, we provide the first comprehensive characterization of the manifestation of sustained visual responses as recorded with EEG. In a series of four experiments, we found that both high- and low-frequency sustained responses can be detected on the scalp. The high frequency activity could be detected with high signal to noise ratio only in a subset of individual subjects, in whom it was unequivocal and highly localized. The low frequency sustained response was sensitive to the size and position of the stimulus in the visual field. Both response types showed strong lateralization for stimuli on the left vs. right visual field, suggesting a retinotopic visual cortical source. However, different scalp topographies and different modulation by stimulus properties suggest that the two types of sustained responses are likely driven by distinct sources, and reflect different aspects of sustained processing in the visual cortex.


Demand side management will be a key component of future smart grid that can help reduce peak load and adapt elastic demand to fluctuating generations. In this paper, we consider customers that operate different appliances and propose a demand response approach based on utility maximization. Each appliance provides a certain benefit depending on the pattern or volume of power it consumes. Each customer wishes to optimally schedule its power consumption so as to maximize its individual net benefit subject to various consumption and power flow constraints. We show that there exist time-varying prices that can align individual optimality with social optimality, i.e., under such prices, when the customers selfishly optimize their own benefits, they automatically also maximize the social welfare. The utility company can thus use dynamic pricing to coordinate demand responses to the benefit of the overall system. We propose a distributed algorithm for the utility company and the customers to jointly compute this optimal prices and demand schedules. Finally, we present simulation results that illustrate several interesting properties of the proposed scheme.


Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) acrylic thermoplastic sheeting was fed to 6 dogs to determine whether ingestion during periods of normal transit of military working dogs would be toxic and thus affect the safety of this material for construction of shipping containers. The test dogs were fed PVC acrylic (0.125 g/kg of body weight; by gelatin capsule) twice each day for 5 days: for 2 dogs, the test material was in a shredded form; for 2 dogs, the material was diced; and for 2 dogs, it was powdered. Two other dogs were used as controls. Dogs were observed for clinical signs, and feed consumption and body weights were recorded. Blood and urine samples were examined. All animals were necropsied approximately 10 days after the feeding was stopped. Clinical or pathologic indication of a toxic effect of PVC was not seen within the time limits of the study.


Frequency-conversion techniques such as SHG, THG and FOHG with nonlinear optical crystals are indispensable for the applications of solid-state lasers to precision microfabrication. It is well known that the conversion efficiency is very sensitive to the temperature rise of the crystal, which is induced by laser absorption. In this study, temperature dependence of SHG efficiency has been investigated theoretically, supposing Nd:YAG laser of uniform intensity and KDP (KH2PO4) crystal. The coupling problem composed of complex wave amplitude equations and one-dimensional heat conduction equation was analyzed. The complex wave amplitude equations were derived considering the absorption of laser in the crystal. The main results obtained are summarized as follows: (1) Decreasing of SHG efficiency due to laser absorption for the single pulse irradiation to a crystal of 10 mm long, is less than five percent. (2) When SHG efficiency is higher, temperature-rise of the crystal is smaller. Because absorption coefficient for the fundamental wave is larger than that of the second harmonic. (3) When the temperature of crystal rises due to repeated irradiation of pulse laser, SHG efficiency fluctuates and decreases gradually. Remarkable inverse-conversion of SHG appears during laser irradiation with high power density. (4) As either pulse width or irradiation time becomes longer, analytical SHG efficiency agrees with the approximate results obtained under the simple phase-mismatching conditions.


Wireless technologies based on radio frequencies (RFs) have always dominated other types of wireless technologies up until now. However, the recent proliferation of media-rich smart devices has pushed the RF spectrum usage to its limit. Therefore RF band expansion towards the optical spectrum is imminent in commercial scale. Indeed, the research on wireless communications using the optical spectrum has gained tremendous ground during the past couple of decades and standardised, respectively, by infrared data association for infrared communication and IEEE 802.15.7 for visible light communication. However, only few shortcomings of the IEEE 802.15.7 standard have led to the development of a revised version, called IEEE 802.15.7r1. This article provides an insight on the activity of the proposed revision of IEEE 802.15.7r1. The proposed revision version targets communication systems that mainly use either image sensors or cameras, known as the optical camera communications (OCC). Leveraging the existing infrastructure, OCC systems will be able to provide ubiquitous coverage in both indoors and outdoors. The authors present their survey focusing on the key technology consideration in IEEE 802.15.7r1, current research status, impairments, enhancements and futuristic application scenarios of the OCC systems.