Clustering is a technique to categorize objects in k groups so that objects with most similar attribute values are placed in one group. Partitioning algorithms are a group of clustering algorithms and k-means algorithm is one of the most popular algorithms in this group that is very simple and fast but has some drawbacks too. In this paper we tried to propose an optimized hybrid clustering algorithm based on Honey Bee Mating algorithm and K-means in order to resolve these drawbacks. Finally, the performance of this optimized algorithm has been evaluated and compared with some other meta-heuristic clustering algorithms.


Objective To clarify whether recurrence risk for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is higher among black and Hispanic individuals and whether this disparity is attributable to differences in blood pressure (BP) measurements and their variability. Methods We analyzed data from survivors of primary ICH enrolled in 2 separate studies: (1) the longitudinal study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital (n = 759), and (2) the ERICH (Ethnic/Racial Variations of Intracerebral Hemorrhage) study (n = 1,532). Participants underwent structured interview at enrollment (including self-report of race/ethnicity) and were followed longitudinally via phone calls and review of medical records. We captured systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP measurements, and quantified variability as SBP and diastolic BP variation coefficients. We used multivariable (Cox regression) survival analysis to identify risk factors for ICH recurrence. Results We followed 2,291 ICH survivors (1,121 white, 529 black, 605 Hispanic, and 36 of other race/ethnicity). Both black and Hispanic patients displayed higher SBP during follow-up (p < 0.05). Black participants also displayed greater SBP variability during follow-up (p = 0.032). In univariable analyses, black and Hispanic patients were at higher ICH recurrence risk (p < 0.05). After adjusting for BP measurements and their variability, both Hispanic (hazard ratio = 1.51, 95% confidence interval 1.14–2.00, p = 0.004) and black (hazard ratio = 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.36–2.86, p < 0.001) patients remained at higher risk of ICH recurrence. Conclusion Black and Hispanic patients are at higher risk of ICH recurrence; hypertension severity (average BP and its variability) does not fully account for this finding. Additional studies will be required to further elucidate determinants for this health disparity.


Background The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) with conventional coronary angiography to detect graft patency and stenosis. Methods In this retrospective analysis, we included a total of 284 subjects (210 men, 73.9%; mean ± SD age, 62.6 ± 9.9) and evaluated 684 bypass grafts using a dual-source 64-slice MDCT scanner The mean ± SD time interval between coronary artery bypass grafting operation and MDCT was 30.8 ± 6.2 months. The mean ± SD interval between MDCT angiography and conventional coronary angiography was 14.2 ± 3.6 days. Significant stenosis was defined as lesions causing 50% or greater luminal narrowing. All atherosclerotic lesion components were assessed on per-segment basis. Results All of the 684 grafts (420 venous and 264 arterial grafts) were evaluable and included in the analysis. For the detection of 50% or greater graft stenosis, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of MDCT was 98.3%, 99.3%, 98.3%, and 99.3% for venous grafts and 100%, 99.5%, 98.0%, and 100% for arterial grafts. In detection of graft patency, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of MDCT was 99.6%, 97.2%, 99.0%, and 99.0% for venous grafts and 99.5%, 97.5%, 99.5%, and 97.5% for arterial grafts. Diagnostic accuracy for the detection of graft patency was 99% (416/420) and 99.2% (262/264) for venous and arterial grafts, respectively. Conclusion The diagnostic accuracy of dual-source 64-slice MDCT angiography for evaluating coronary artery bypass grafts patency and stenosis was high. Dual-source 64-slice MDCT can be used for the evaluation of patients after coronary artery bypass grafting.


The transmission of social and cultural capital is the condition under which skills, knowledge and beliefs can be acquired by students. Having benefitted from such transformative engagements, first-generation college graduates who become teachers can effectively compensate for the deficiencies yet to be known by first-generation college bound students. These students do not specifically know what they are missing, but teachers who have completed the journey do. Teachers need to be looked at as key educational resources who can provide information and support to students so that they can get ahead in the college arena. First-generation college graduates who become teachers are unique educational resources for students navigating the complex and daunting journey from a non-collegiate home to a post-collegiate career. When looking at sources of social and cultural capital for first-generation college students, each source has a unique amount of capacity and influence upon a college bound student. Following a qualitative approach of narrative inquiry, five high school teachers with the life experience of being first-generation college graduates narrated their personal journey and its relationship to helping first-generation college students. A teacher's capacity and direct opportunity to instruct students in the school setting are the foundation for this narrative inquiry. Educational capacity is the level of cultural and social capital combined that is necessary to navigate through advanced educational situations. This research provides a framework for investigating the concept of educational capacity as it is developed by first-generation college graduate teachers, the simultaneous transmission of social and cultural capital to their students, and the programmatic response by educational institutions to address the inadequate capital among low socioeconomic status students. Several common traits emerged that give perspective to the phenomena of first-generation college graduate teachers and the social and cultural capital that is transmitted to their students. Teachers can have a profound impact in the presence of deficient educational capacity. High school curricula can not prevent years of insufficient adolescent development of social and cultural capital, but targeted development of educational capacity by teachers would create an opportunity for intervention.


Many developing economies are faced with growing populations and deteriorating natural resources. It is often argued that economic growth will arrest these trends via cleaner technology and social change accompanied by reduced birth rates. Two questions arise: (1) What general economic, demographic, and ecological conditions favor this scenario? and (2) What adjustments, technological, demographic, or ecological, are more important in realizing this scenario? I address these questions using a two-sector growth model which includes human demographics and a renewable resource base. Using powerful numerical bifurcation techniques and rescaling arguments, I obtain the following general results. If the regeneration rate of the renewable resource base is slow relative to the rate of economic growth, population overshoot and resource collapse is more likely. Demographic adjustments are more important than technological adjustments in avoiding renewable resource degradation. Several related results are presented that support these general findings.


Over the last 100 years since the planetarium was invented and began to spread across the planet, discipline-based planetarium education researchers have worked diligently to catalog what concepts are taught in the planetarium and what audiences learn when attending a planetarium show. What is not clearly known is precisely 'who' it is that are teaching astronomy in planetaria. Numerous small-scale studies give hints about who plantarians are, but the existing participant demographics provided shed precious little insight about them as broad field of professional experts. Knowing "who planetarians are" is critical to education researchers who need to know when they are studying planetarium educators who are more or less typical of most people in the field and when, instead, they are studying people who are unusual outliers and far less representative of the broader population. As a first step toward obtaining a glimpse of who planetarium educators are, a brief survey was broadly distributed through contemporary social media networks frequented by planetarium educators posing the question, "who are you?" The results from 61 respondents showed that 90% had undergraduate degrees, half of which were in physics or astronomy, and 38% hold graduate degrees. Additionally, only 8% have amateur astronomy or hobbyist backgrounds or any substantive K-12 classroom teaching experience. Perhaps unique to planetarium-based astronomy educators, 38% report having extensive backgrounds in theater and performance, These findings suggest that planetarium educators are a fundamentally different sort of individual than those who teach K-12 astronomy or do outreach as an amateur astronomer and, as such, perhaps have very different professional development requirements and expectations from those other astronomy-education related professional development consumers.


China has planned 23 dams on the main stream of the Lancang (upper Mekong) River. The Chinese Government's Thirteenth Five-Year Plan on Hydroelectricity Development (TFP) has goals to mitigate adverse effects on freshwater biodiversity. These measures are of international importance because China is the largest developer of hydropower projects. Herein we analyse the effects of the existing and planned dams on the fish fauna in the Lancang River. Drawing on development documents, the different types of mitigation measures on the proposed cascade of dams are assessed against the goals of the TFP. We find that: (1) migratory species (25% of total) are severely affected and there are few effective mitigation measures to conserve them; (2) a further 20% of species may be affected by lack of thermal pollution control or mitigation of peaking flow releases in the main stream; (3) fortunately, most species (81.14%) can be protected in tributary nature reserves in the lower Lancang, but many (54.4%) are inadequately protected in the upper Lancang; and (4) none of the 20 dams for which there is information meet all the five TFP conservation goals. There are lessons for mitigating the effects on biodiversity of Chinese-financed hydropower dams inside and outside China.


Length growth of synchronized Escherichia coli B/r substrain A (ATCC 12407) and B/r substrain F26 (Thy his) was followed with an electron microscope. Cells were grown with doubling times (tau) of 60 min (B/rA) and of 82 and 165 min (B/rF26). Different length growth patterns were found for the two substrains. In B/rF, the length growth rate increased about midway in the cell cycle. For tau = 165 min, the rate increase was preceded by a short period of slow growth. For B/r A (r = 60 min), this period seemed to occur at the beginning of the cell cycle. The possibility is raised that the different length growth patterns are related to different deoxyribonucleic acid replication patterns of the respective strains.


DYSPEPSIA. SIR,-AS methods of precision in diagnosis develop the treatment of dyspepsia is falling increasingly into the hands of the surgeon. That tendency may prove a permanent or a passing phase. The diagnosis also, in obscure cases at least, of dyspepsia is being more and more laid on him, and he feels the need of help from physician, physiologist, and pathologist. The columns-of the JOURNAL have recently contained two important articles, the one entitled " Disappointments after gastro-enterostomy," from the pen of Sir Berkeley Moynihan (BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, July 12th, 1919), and the other, "Dyspeptic and other referred symptoms associated with disease of the gall bladder and of the appendix," from that of Sir Humphry Rolleston (BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, March 6th, 1920). Both articles indicate the somewhat widely separated sources of origin of the symptomsof dyspepsia-the biliary apparatus, the appendix, the duodenum, etc., in addition to the stomach itself. In the JOURNAL of November 15th, 1919, in an article entitled " Remarks on the frequency, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic pancreatitis," I indicated the pancreas as an important source of dyspeptic symptoms, and in that article, and the correspondence that followed, pled for systematic examination of the pancreas as possibly the sole or the associated source of obscure dyspeptic symptoms. Such systematic examination, by means of micros9opie examination of a fre8h portion removed by the suirgeon from the living gland, has, as I indicated, convinced me.that chronic or subacute pancreatitis is thesole or the associated source of the symptoms in many cases of dyspeptic troubles, and, -further, that certain supposed signs of pancreatit.is on which we have hitherto relied are either unreliable or present so rarely as to be valueless, more especially in the early stages of the trouble. .The structure and the functions of the pancreas are apparntly complex and at present ill understood. It stands, as I recently pointed out (BRITrSH MEDICAL JOURNAL, January 24th, 1920), somewhat alone amongst the tisues in the rapidity and intensity of post-mortem changes. Autolysis is so rapid that 'examination of fresh specimens taken from the living gland, in the course of an abdominal operation, alone yields reliable results as to the presence or absence of morbid Changes, and therefore of the value of the various alleged signs of, and tests for, the existence of pancreatitis. I venture to renew my plea for the routine examination by the surgeon. of the pancreas in all cases operated on for actual or supposed gastric, appendicitic, duodenal, and biliary symptoms, and to suggest certain of the questions awaiting answer:


The need for reproducing biofilm processes is undisputable - the quality of biofilm research depends on this reproducibility. However, as many biofilm researchers know, long-term biofilm processes are notoriously difficult to reproduce. To avoid problems related to biofilm reproducibility two strategies are used: (1) to study very young biofilms that have accumulated for a few hours to a few days only, and (2) to run biofilm experiments only once. The first approach trades reproducibility for relevance because natural biofilms are usually older, often much older than a few days. This approach can be applied to answer questions relevant to initial events of biofilm formation but not questions relevant to long-term biofilm accumulation. The second approach conceals the problem of biofilm reproducibility. To assure reproducibility of biofilm processes, we methodically followed a procedure for growing biofilms in terms of microbial makeup, media composition, temperature, surface preparation, etc. Despite all this effort the reproducibility of our results for long term growth is unimpressive. Consequently, the question had to be asked: Are biofilm processes reproducible? The experiments described in this paper address this question. Biofilms grown in two identical and identically operated biofilm reactors had comparable structure only until the first sloughing event. After that, biofilms had different patterns of accumulation.


PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Testosterone therapy has been advocated in the treatment of symptoms that may represent normal aging. We briefly review randomized clinical trials on the effects of testosterone therapy on sexual function.

RECENT FINDINGS
About half of clinical trials showed no benefit of testosterone therapy on any aspect of sexual function. In those studies showing a benefit on some aspect of sexual function, most sexual function domains were not improved. Testosterone therapy has been disappointing in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Potential risks of therapy include an increase in thromboembolic and other cardiovascular diseases.

SUMMARY
The limited and inconsistent benefits of testosterone therapy for sexual function argue against use of this therapy in aging men, including those with 'low testosterone'.


This paper unifies multigrid and multilevel (hierarchical) preconditioners, two widely-used approaches for solving computational photography and other computer graphics simulation problems. It provides detailed experimental comparisons of these techniques and their variants, including an analysis of relative computational costs and how these impact practical algorithm performance. We derive both theoretical convergence rates based on the condition numbers of the systems and their preconditioners, and empirical convergence rates drawn from real-world problems. We also develop new techniques for sparsifying higher connectivity problems, and compare our techniques to existing and newly developed variants such as algebraic and combinatorial multigrid. Our experimental results demonstrate that, except for highly irregular problems, adaptive hierarchical basis function preconditioners generally outperform alternative multigrid techniques, especially when computational complexity is taken into account.


Coronavirus associated respiratory syndrome spread very quickly in human, once the novel strain was isolated and identified in December 2019. The novel Coronavirus was recognized as COVID-19 in Wuhan city of China, which is responsible for the sever life threatening respiratory syndrome including pneumonia and death. Since, it spread out from the originating place, it starts spreading very quickly in different countries, the main reason of the current pandemic is the traveling of COVID-19 carrier individuals across the world. Pakistan also effected with this pandemic state because Pakistan have a large number of exchanged students, scientist, tourists and business community therefore, COVID-19 has been start infecting Pakistani population, Although the number of infected individuals are very less as compared to other effected regions, but statistics analysis reveals that there is significant increase pattern in number of infected positive with time. According to the WHO official record in Pakistan made at 26th March 2020, total 1130 individuals found COVID-19 positive and total death 09 death were reported. This Pandemic must be treated as life threating and more precautions should have to be taken in order to break or cease the outbreak of coronavirus. Furthermore, till the specific vaccine against COVID-19 will discovered, the already successful treatment against previous respiratory infectious syndrome, can be applied at least to decrease the brutality impact of the pandemic across world population (treatment clinical trials condition with WHO/ FDA approval).


Eclipta Alba has been used in traditional and folklore medicine to treat Hyperlipidemia and hepatic disorders. The present study was aimed to investigate the Antihyperlipidemic and hepatoprotective potentials of Eclipta Alba in high-fat diet -induced Albino rats and to determine the underlying mechanism.  A total of 30 adult albino rats of Wistar strain weighing 165–215 g were utilized. Animals were treated with high-fat diet for 8 weeks followed by post-treatment of E. Alba for 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks, respectively. After 12 h of fasting on the last day of the experiment, serum blood samples were collected in EDTA vials and processed for biochemical analysis.  A significant decrease in levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides was noted on animals treated with E. alba compared to high-fat diet animals. Treatment of hypercholesterolemic rats with E. Alba showed a marked decrease of serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very LDL cholesterol concentrations compared to the hypercholesterolemic rats. High-fat diet feeding worsened the levels of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase enzymes, whereas the same markers were significantly improved by supplementation with E. alba compared to the normal group.  E. alba acts as an antihyperlipidemic agent in hyperlipidemic conditions and helps for better health.


Developmental assessment scales are important tools for determining developmental delays and planning preventive interventions. One broad assessment scale used to evaluate child development is the Battelle Developmental Inventories (BDIs). The BDI-2 has a standardized version in English with good psychometric properties and a translated version in Spanish; however, despite widespread clinical use, there has been limited early childhood development research focused on this assessment tool in the past 10 years. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the literature about the BDIs and their screening test and analyze their use for child assessment. Seven databases were used to retrieve articles in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Overall, 34 articles were evaluated for general features, salient findings, and key methodological issues, such as target population, objectives, research design, and main results. Authors' considerations about the psychometric properties and utility of the BDIs were also examined. Results indicated that 41.17% of studies with the BDIs were from the United States, and the most common target population was children with autism spectrum disorders. Generally, the articles highlighted the broad applications of this measure and robust psychometric properties cited in the BDIs examiner's manual as reasons for their use. This review suggests that it is important to conduct independent analyses of the psychometric properties of the BDIs as well as validation studies to ensure appropriate applications of the BDI, including for use with non-American populations.


This article examines how private equity affects the performance of an investment portfolio which is primarily weighted in listed equities. Quarterly performance data across a 10-year period (1991–2001) for eight listed equity benchmarks is tested in relation to eight private equity fund categories. The results show mixed support for the belief that private equity funds have low correlations with listed equities. "Venture Seed/Start-up funds," "Mezzanine funds," and "Private Equity Special Situation" funds are uncorrelated with listed equity, while "Venture Early Stage," "Venture Late Stage," "Venture Balanced," "Venture All," and "Buyout funds" are correlated to some degree. By combining each private equity category with listed equities investors can improve the risk-return profile of their portfolio.


There are two competing theories of gravity in the world of physics incompatible with one another. Redeeming Einstein by reserving for him the realm of the very large on galactic scales or near black holes in the similar manner how quantum mechanics dominates realm of the subatomic may too turn out as only a wishful thinking and a forced unnatural compromise. By the boolean logic one must check true, the other one false.The whole concept of a curved motion as "natural" motion started with the moon since it appears smaller then bigger then smaller again. Therefore some people presumed it must travel like a wave, and upon further Ptolemeic consideration an extra epicycle was thrown in


With the introduction of cable communication systems such as DOCSIS or Euro-DOCSIS and enhancements by end-to-end platforms like IPCablecom, it became possible to transmit time-critical, IP based, multimedia services across cable TV networks. The paper introduces an architecture that exploits the functionality of IPCablecom as a transport platform, integrating it into the service environment defined by DVB-MHP (digital video broadcasting-multimedia home platform). The resulting system represents a digital platform for multimedia services. The paper details the adaptations applied to IPCablecom in order to accommodate the change in the underlying service scenario. Special focus is given to quality of service (QoS) and signalling aspects. Furthermore, the paper describes a simulation model which allows the performance of the specified transport platform to be analysed and the functionality of the platform's architecture to be verified.


Cargo type selection is a challenging procedure in shipping and logistic industry as net freight charge profit depends on many factors involving in maritime transportation. Maximisation of the net profit is subject to determination of the factors affecting the freight account. In this study, the problem of cargo type selection was investigated for the dry bulk ship companies by using fuzzy multi criteria decision-making approaches. The evaluation process is based on identifying criteria sets and ranking them according to factor loads using fuzzy AHP and finally deciding on the best alternative that is scored by the experts using fuzzy TOPSIS technique. Results of the study revealed that the most important criteria for dry bulk cargo selection are net freight charge profit (9.85%), cargo handling conditions (6.35%), total fuel consumption per voyage (5.96%), risk of piracy and stowaways (5.08%), position for the next voyage (4.87%) and cargo handling cost (4.74%).


We have developed a bioartificial liver support system (BAL) using porcine hepatocytes attached to microcarriers and placed on the outer surface of hollow fibers. The BAL system was attached to a plasmapheresis device that was then used to treat the plasma of a patient with acute liver failure. Our aim was to test the efficacy and safety of this system after a single short treatment period. A patient with alcohol-induced, severe, acute liver failure manifested by coagulopathy, rising plasma ammonia level, and deteriorating mental status was studied. The procedure was well tolerated by the patient, who remained hemodynamically stable throughout the treatment period. A marked increase in coagulation factor V, VII, VIII, and IX activities, a decrease in serum ammonia level (120 to 32 mumol/L), a twofold increase in all serum amino acids except for aminobutyric acid, and an improvement in mental status were noted after a 6-hour treatment period. This preliminary report of the first use of this novel BAL system in conjunction with plasmapheresis appears promising. A clinical study is now in progress to prove its efficacy.


A major challenge in remote meetings is that awareness cues, such as gaze, become degraded despite playing a crucial role in communication and establishing joint attention. Eye tracking allows overcoming these obstacles by enabling augmentation of remote meetings with gaze information. In this project, we followed a participatory approach by first distributing a scenario-based survey to students (n=79) to uncover their preference of eye-based joint attention support (real-time, retrospective, real-time & retrospective, no) for remote university meetings. Building on these findings, we developed EyeMeet, an eye-based joint attention support system that combines state-of-the-art real-time joint attention support with a retrospective attention feedback for remote meetings. In a four-week study, two student groups worked remotely on course assignments using EyeMeet. Our findings of the study highlight that EyeMeets supports students in staying more focused on the meetings. Complementing real-time joint attention support, retrospective joint attention feedback is recognized to provide valuable support for reflecting and adapting behavior for upcoming meetings.


Removal of phenanthrene (PHE) from aqueous solution by adsorption onto quaternary ammonium surfactant modified peat was studied. The results show that surfactant modification enhanced the PHE adsorption capacity of peat. Low temperature and neutral pH favored PHE adsorption. Peat modified with long carbon chain surfactant performed better than peat modified with short carbon chain surfactant. The magnitude of PHE adsorption capacity followed the order of MP-HPB>MP-HTAB>MP-TBAB>RP, ranged from 924 to 1,228 μg g(-1). A negative trend between adsorption capacity (y) and (O+N)/C ratio of biosorbent (x) was observed (y = -1,369.6x + 2,176), which confirmed the negative effect of polarity on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) removal. The study provides a guide to modify raw materials to enhance adsorption of hydrophobic organics.


Objective: To evaluate clinical and cost-effectiveness of individualised homeopathic treatment of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between age 6 and 16 during 10 years.
Methods: Public lectures made families with inattentive or hyperactive children children getting interested in a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial (RCT), embedded in a prospective observational study. After diagnostic screening and a primary run-in phase of homeopathic treatment, crossover RCT was followed by open-label long-term follow-up and cost-effectiveness evaluation. At diagnosis, beginning of, and after each crossover period, and at yearly intervals during long-term follow-up, parents reported Conners' Global Index (CGI, 10 items, rated 0-3 points each; primary variable) by questionnaire or telephone interview.
Results: A total of 140 children was recruited, 43 were excluded by a screening questionnaire, another 14 did not meet strict diagnostic criteria (according to DSM-IV), resulting in 83 children treated with individually prescribed homeopathic remedies. As 13 patients did not improve at least 50% in CGI values (RCT inclusion criterion), the remaining 62 children (84%) participated in, and 58 finished the double-blind cross-over RCT phase. After ten years of open-label therapy, 56/62 children were eligible for follow-up (90%). According to ITT-analysis, 38/62 (62%) children were without any homeopathic (HOM) or medical treatment. In the remaining children, successful results were achieved in 6 with HOM, 9 with methylphenidate (MPH) and 3 with both, HOM and MPH. During cross-over RCT, CGI values detected clinically and statistically significant differences in verum and placebo phase, respectively. Cost-effectiveness evaluation demonstrated non-inferiority of homeopathic treatment compared to stimulant treatment, even in the first year including case-taking and repertory analysis.
Discussion: The innovative design of this study enabled both, to show clinical and cost-effectiveness of integrated homeopathic treatment in children dignosed with ADHD, and to detect a specific effect of the individual homeopathic remedy. The clinical result is comparable to conventional stimulant treatment. This again raises the question about the mode of action of homeopathically potentized substances.
Conclusion: In children with ADHD, individualized homeopathic therapy and conventional stimulant treatment have comparable both, clinically significant, and specific effects persistent over ten years.


This chapter examines factor analysis, which is used to test whether a set of observable or manifest variables can measure one or more unobservable or latent constructs that they have in common. Such constructs are called factors. Factor analysis is therefore a data reduction method. In its foundation period, factor analysis was often applied to the study of general intelligence and mental abilities. Nowadays factor analysis is a workhorse for quantitative research in the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. There are two types of factor analysis: exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Exploratory factor analysis is used for examining the underlying structures in a set of variables. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to test theoretical hypotheses; the researcher assumes that variables are interrelated in a specific way and uses factor analysis to find out whether the assumption is supported by the data — i.e. to what extent the data fits the predefined structure.


Substance use and abuse is a significant public health problem in the United States. Group-based intervention programs offer a promising means of preventing and reducing substance abuse. While effective, unfortunately, inappropriate intervention groups can result in an increase in deviant behaviors among participants, a process known as deviancy training. This paper investigates the problem of optimizing the social influence related to the deviant behavior via careful construction of the intervention groups. We propose a Mixed Integer Optimization formulation that decides on the intervention groups, captures the impact of the groups on the structure of the social network, and models the impact of these changes on behavior propagation. In addition, we propose a scalable hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm that combines Mixed Integer Programming and Large Neighborhood Search to find near-optimal network partitions. Our algorithm is packaged in the form of GUIDE, an AI-based decision aid that recommends intervention groups. Being the first quantitative decision aid of this kind, GUIDE is able to assist practitioners, in particular social workers, in three key areas: (a) GUIDE proposes near-optimal solutions that are shown, via extensive simulations, to significantly improve over the traditional qualitative practices for forming intervention groups; (b) GUIDE is able to identify circumstances when an intervention will lead to deviancy training, thus saving time, money, and effort; (c) GUIDE can evaluate current strategies of group formation and discard strategies that will lead to deviancy training. In developing GUIDE, we are primarily interested in substance use interventions among homeless youth as a high risk and vulnerable population. GUIDE is developed in collaboration with Urban Peak, a homeless-youth serving organization in Denver, CO, and is under preparation for deployment.


Pension plan participants' characteristic lack of financial sophistication and widespread failure to monitor investments frequently prompts expressions of concern about the potentially large welfare losses such individuals could suffer. I explore this issue by studying the performance of an unsophisticated individual employing the so called "1/n strategy" of Benartzi and Thaler (2001) in a sample of defined contribution pension plans, finding that for typical investors, the out of sample impact of following this heuristic is insignificantly small. Moreover, lack of frequent monitoring, reflected in the absence of rebalancing and re-estimation of the initial asset allocation, does not seem to be costly at all. This stands in contrast to estimates based on calibrated models or obtained assuming that the data generating process is known with certainty. Using this simple heuristic does not seem necessarily irrational then, especially in consideration of the time and effort required to make optimal investment decisions.


Understanding the association between the bacterial community and oral health status is essential for the diagnosis and therapy of periodontal diseases. The aim of the present study was to apply three methods [conventional culture, substrate utilization using the MicroResp™ system and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP)] to investigate the oral bacterial community in saliva from 20 healthy subjects and 20 patients with periodontitis. The three methods all revealed that there was a systematic change in the microbial ecological characteristics associated with oral health status. Compared with the control group, the oral bacterial flora in the patients with chronic periodontitis had a greater culturable population and altered preferred carbon source and TRFLP patterns. TRFLP analysis was found to give more information and exhibit a higher sensitivity than the substrate utilization and conventional culture methods. In conclusion, TRFLP analysis is a potentially rapid method to assess the composition of the oral microbial community and for the diagnosis of chronic periodontitis.


We experienced a case in which multiple spinal cord dissemination was found 6 years after resection of the fourth ventricle ependymoma. A 17-year-old boy had undergone a subtotal resection of the fourth ventricle ependymoma and radiation therapy to the posterior fossa when he was 12 years old. Follow up CT head detected no residual tumor until he complained of back pain and pain in right thigh 6 years after surgery. MRI revealed multiple mass at D10-12 and L2-3. He underwent laminectomy and excision of tumor. This case reminds us to the necessity for long term radiological follow up including the spinal cord even in benign ependymoma, although it is still not clear for how long and how often we should do it. Nepal Journal of Neuroscience 13:48-50, 2016


Which budgetary institutions result in efficient provision of public goods? We analyze a model with two parties deciding the allocation to a public good each period. Parties place different values on the public good, but these values may change over time. We model a budgetary institution as the rules governing feasible allocations to mandatory and discretionary spending programs. We model mandatory spending as an endogenous status quo since it is enacted by law and remains in effect until changed, and discretionary spending as periodic appropriations that are not allocated if no new agreement is reached. We consider budgetary institutions that either allow only discretionary programs, only mandatory programs, an endogenous choice of mandatory and discretionary programs, or state-contingent mandatory programs. We show that discretionary only institutions can lead to dynamic inefficiencies, mandatory only institutions can lead to static and dynamic inefficiencies, whereas allowing mandatory programs with appropriate flexibility results in static and dynamic efficiency. ∗ Stanford University † Johns Hopkins University ‡ Rice University § IAE-CSIC, Barcelona GSE and CERGE-EI Prague


OBJECTIVES
To measure occupational exposures to environmental tobacco smoke in diverse settings, including offices and production areas, and to evaluate the effectiveness of policies that restrict or ban smoking in the workplace.

DESIGN
Survey. The average weekly concentration of environmental tobacco smoke was measured with passive monitors that sample nicotine. Approximately 25 samples were placed in each worksite for 1 week.

SETTING
Twenty-five Massachusetts worksites, including fire stations, newspaper publishers, textile dyeing plants, and manufacturers of valves, fiberoptics, flight instruments, batteries, adhesives, semiconductor equipment, filters, and tools and dies. Samples were collected in offices and production areas.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The distribution of nicotine concentrations in various work settings as a function of company smoking policy. These data were interpreted with three approaches: comparing measured concentrations with a published risk assessment; comparing occupational exposures with home exposures; and evaluating the "cigarette equivalents" to which workers were exposed.

RESULTS
Worksite smoking policy had a major effect on the nicotine concentrations, which fell from a median of 8.6 micrograms/m3 in the open offices at worksites that allowed smoking to 1.3 micrograms/m3 in sites that restricted smoking, and to 0.3 microgram/m3 in worksites that banned smoking. The nonoffice workspaces were affected similarly, with median concentrations of 2.3, 0.7, and 0.2 microgram/m3 at worksites that allowed, restricted, and banned smoking, respectively.

CONCLUSION
All three evaluation methods indicated that occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke presents a substantial risk to workers in the absence of a policy restricting or banning smoking.


Appropriate modeling of time-varying dependencies is very important for quantifying financial risk, such as the risk associated with a portfolio of financial assets. Most of the papers analyzing financial returns have focused on the univariate case. The few that are concerned with their multivariate extensions are mainly based on the multivariate normal assumption. The idea of this paper is to use the multivariate normal inverse Gaussian (MNIG) distribution as the conditional distribution for a multivariate GARCH model. The MNIG distribution belongs to a very flexible family of distributions that captures heavy tails and skewness in the distribution of individual stock returns, as well as the asymmetry in the dependence between stocks observed in financial time series data. The usefulness of the MNIG GARCH model is highlighted through a value-at-risk (VAR) application on a portfolio of European, American and Japanese equities. Backtesting shows that for a one-day holding period this model outperforms a Gaussian GARCH model and a Student's t GARCH model. Moreover, it is slightly better than a skew Student's t GARCH model.


Abstract Dolomitization requires not only favourable thermodynamic and kinetic conditions, but also a fluid-flow mechanism to transport reactants to and products from the site of dolomitization. This paper reviews work that seeks to provide a quantitative framework for conceptual models of dolomitization, using analytical and, particularly, numerical simulation models of fluid flow and rock-water interaction. This approach is starting to yield new insights into the major controls on the rate and pattern of fluid flux, and the resultant dolomitization. Three sets of forces can drive the fluid flow required for dolomitization: elevation (topographic) head of meteoric water and/or seawater; gradients in fluid density due to variation in salinity and/or temperature; and pressure due to sedimentological and/or tectonic compaction. However, in many situations individual flow mechanisms may not operate in isolation. Rather fluid flow will commonly be a product of a number of different drives acting simultaneously. The balance between drives will change over time with variations in relative sea-level, climate, platform geometry and palaeogeography (which collectively comprise the critical boundary conditions). The simplistic prediction of dolomite body geometry from a single driving force may be misleading, as fluid flow will critically depend both on the boundary conditions and the distribution of permeability. Indeed, even for single driving forces, model predictions change significantly as simplistic assumptions are relaxed and these key parameters are specified with increasing realism. The coupled modelling of dolomitization reactions within the flow field is less tractable than that of groundwater circulation because the kinetics of dolomitization are less well understood, particularly at lower temperatures. Dolomitization is likely to occur along a reaction front, where a favourable balance is struck between mass transport and reaction kinetics. For instance, in simulations of geothermal convection dolomitization focuses along the 50–60 °C isotherm. Dolomitization reactions are favoured by higher temperatures in deeper zones, but rates are limited by low flow because of lower permeability. Although flow rates are higher in shallow more permeable carbonates, lower temperatures limit reactions. High flow rates during reflux of platform-top brines give rapid dolomitization. This is associated with porosity occlusion in front of and behind the broad zone of replacement dolomitization driven by anhydrite cementation and overdolomitization, respectively. Lithological heterogeneities strongly affect the pattern of dolomitization, which is highly focused within more permeable beds and those with a higher reactive surface area. While we focus here on dolomitization, models can also provide insights into diagenetic processes such as marine calcite cementation and aragonite, calcite and evaporite dissolution by refluxing brines, and by seawater circulation below the aragonite and calcite compensation depths. However, it is important to be aware of the assumptions and limitations of the numerical model(s) used. Particular attention must be paid to specification of boundary conditions, permeability and reactive surface area. The uncritical application of numerical techniques to particular cases of dolomitization is at best uninformative and at worst misleading. Careful application of these techniques offers great promise for well-constrained field problems, with greater inclusion of natural heterogeneity and time-variant boundary conditions. We also need to model feedbacks between diagenesis and porosity-permeability, and to include platform growth in simulations of slower diagenetic processes.


The dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluorescent immunoassays (DELFIA) were developed for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B, Yersinia pestis-specific F1 antigen, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. These assays were compared to previously developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) by determining the sensitivity or limit of detection (LOD), the dynamic range, and the reproducibility of each assay in a number of different sample matrices. The sensitivity and specificity of each assay were then determined by using a small panel of blinded spiked and nonspiked samples. All three DELFIAs demonstrated at least 1 log greater sensitivity than corresponding ELISAs utilizing the same reagents and showed an increase in dynamic range of at least 2 log10 concentrations. This increased LOD resulted in higher sensitivity rates for the DELFIA. The specificity of all of the assays evaluated was 100%, and no sample matrix effects were observed in either format. However, the reproducibility of the DELFIA was poor due to randomly distributed wells exhibiting excessive background signal (hot wells), which occurred throughout the evaluation. As this technology matures, the reproducibility of these assays should improve, as will the ability to identify hot wells. Despite its sensitivity, the logistical burden associated with the DELFIA and the technical expertise required to complete assays and interpret the data limit the application of this technology to reference or large clinical laboratories.


I discuss the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of recent and announced tax policy of the German government. In contrast to a popular view, I argue that German tax policy should focus less on growth and unemployment. Today, the central tasks of tax policy should be to stabilize fiscal revenue and promote income equalization.


Caffeic acid o-methyltransferase (COMT) is one of the important enzymes controlling lignin monomer production in plant cell wall synthesis. Analysis of the genome sequence of the new grass model Brachypodium distachyon identified four COMT gene homologs, designated as BdCOMT1, BdCOMT2, BdCOMT3, and BdCOMT4. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that they belong to the COMT gene family, whereas syntenic analysis through comparisons with rice and sorghum revealed that BdCOMT4 on Chromosome 3 is the orthologous copy of the COMT genes well characterized in other grass species. The other three COMT genes are unique to Brachypodium since orthologous copies are not found in the collinear regions of rice and sorghum genomes. Expression studies indicated that all four Brachypodium COMT genes are transcribed but with distinct patterns of tissue specificity. Full-length cDNAs were cloned in frame into the pQE-T7 expression vector for the purification of recombinant Brachypodium COMT proteins. Biochemical characterization of enzyme activity and substrate specificity showed that BdCOMT4 has significant effect on a broad range of substrates with the highest preference for caffeic acid. The other three COMTs had low or no effect on these substrates, suggesting that a diversified evolution occurred on these duplicate genes that not only impacted their pattern of expression, but also altered their biochemical properties.


This paper discusses permanent deformation of the fuel assembly of pressurized water reactors that can satisfy a drop time requirement of the control rod assembly. During a seismic event, the fuel assemblies and the reactor core exhibit transient vibration. When the fuel assemblies collide, they develop impact forces in the spacer grids along the fuel assemblies. If the impact forces on some spacer grids of the fuel assembly exceed an allowable strength, the buckling occurs in the corresponding spacer grids, followed by permanent deformation. The geometry change of the buckled spacer grids leads to the movement of the guide tube positions in the fuel assembly. Therefore the geometry change is associated with the distortion of the control rod drop path. In this study, the permanent deformation of the spacer grids was measured during the impact tests, and the maximum deviation of the guide tube from the original position was reviewed. Control rod drop tests were also performed to measure the change in drop time according to the deformation of the fuel assembly. Using actuators in the loop test facility, the authors realized the first and second bending mode shapes of the fuel assembly under the flowing water condition. Based on a series of drop tests, the critical fuel assembly deformation was identified that could lead to a violation of an allowable drop time of the control rod.


We address the challenge of training visual concept detectors on web video as available from portals such as YouTube. In contrast to high-quality but small manually acquired training sets, this setup permits us to scale up concept detection to very large training sets and concept vocabularies. On the downside, web tags are only weak indicators of concept presence, and web video training data contains lots of non-relevant content.
 So far, there are two general strategies to overcome this label noise problem, both targeted at discarding non-relevant training content: (1) a manual refinement supported by active learning sample selection, (2) an automatic refinement using relevance filtering. In this paper, we present a highly efficient approach combining these two strategies in an interleaved setup: manually refined samples are directly used to improve relevance filtering, which again provides a good basis for the next active learning sample selection.
 Our results demonstrate that the proposed combination -- called active relevance filtering -- outperforms both a purely automatic filtering and a manual one based on active learning. For example, by using 50 manual labels per concept, an improvement of 5% over an automatic filtering is achieved, and 6% over active learning. By annotating only 25% of weak positive samples in the training set, a performance comparable to training on ground truth labels is reached.


This paper reports the current status of how companies address IPSO (Integrated Product and Service Offerings)-typed business. It will consist of perspectives both from providers and customers mainly from Sweden and Germany. Especially, it selects how providing firms address uncertainty as one focal issue. As a result of interviews, factors from customers are the major source of uncertainty for an experienced company, while services are the major for little experienced companies. In addition, there was found to be a reasonable wish of providers to obtain a formalized way leading to quantitative management of uncertainty. On the other hand, customer incentives are not always clear. While some customers find the IPSO preferable from economic reasons other customers have the opposite recognition.


This paper demonstrates the thermal-induced mechanical problems resulted from various temperature profiles of reliability test for a system-in-package (SIP) assembly process. The package includes two flip chip mounted chips (underfilled), two memory CSPs, some passive SMDs and 4-layer BT substrate. The flip-chip specimen was taken and the Moiré Interferometry was used as methodology to verify the developed Finite Element Model and material property. It also shows that the developed finite element model is capable to simulate the JEDEC standard JESD22-A104 reliability thermal cycle test and then to predict solder fatigue life and to summarize design rules for thermal optimization of package based on the creep model and viscoplastic model of solder while the SIP package design is proceeded. Thermal design for SIP depends on the placement of FC chip (high power) and memory CSP components. Passive SMDs are also included to study the effect of thermal-induced stress. A series of comprehensive parametric studies were conducted in this paper.


It is commonly accepted that asymmetries found in the post-AGB stars and planetary nebulae should originate as early as during the AGB phase. We present results from our high-angular resolution observing programs, with an aperture masking technique on the VLT, of a sample of evolved stars that were known to present asymmetries at larger spatial scales (e.g. jets, torii and/or bipolar nebulae). Disk-like structures have been found in the vicinity of at least two of these stars.


The recent discovery of mammalian stanniocalcin (STC) prompted an investigation of its gene structure and expression pattern to study its function and regulation. We show that both the human and mouse genes are composed of four exons spanning about 13 kb, with 85% nucleotide sequence identity in coding regions. Remarkably high sequence conservation between species also exists in the approximately 3-kb 3'-untranslated region. Comparative analysis of the 5'-untranslated region and flanking DNA from the rat and human STC genes showed long stretches of CAG trinucleotide repeats and an additional (CA)25 dinucleotide repeat unique to the rat promoter. An analysis of STC expression in the mouse showed that ovary contained the highest level of messenger RNA, with lower, but detectable, levels in most tissues. In situ hybridization revealed strong, specific hybridization over the thecal-interstitial cells of the ovarian stroma, whereas immunohistochemical analysis indicated that STC was present not only in the stroma, but also in the corpora lutea and oocyte of the developing follicle. Consequently, STC may act as a signaling molecule between the thecal-interstitial cell compartment and the corpus luteum and oocyte, thereby regulating the activity of these structures in some way. These findings suggest that in addition to its role in mineral metabolism, STC has acquired an important function in reproduction during its evolution to mammals.


Problem. Limited research has been done regarding the magnitude of the attributes of peer mediators and its impact on elementary students. The purpose of this study was to examine fourth- through sixth-grade students' perception of the attributes of peer mediators at four rural elementary schools located in Pinconning, Michigan. Method. This study examined the fourth- through sixth-grade students' perception of the attributes of peer mediators using a qualitative approach. The data collection procedures included using a purposive sample of 24 peer mediators in focus groups, as well as 74 peacemakers and 79 disputants who participated in a questionnaire. Questions were open-ended to attain the participants' perspective in their own terms. Focus group responses were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim; themes were identified and sorted. Results. In examining peer mediation, peacemakers and disputants discovered four core attributes that peacemakers should possess: A peacemaker should be (1) an effective problem solver, (2) kind, (3) an effective communicator, and (4) responsible and committed. Disputants additionally indicated that a peacemaker should be fair and maintain neutrality when intervening with a conflict. Suggestions for program improvement were also examined, and the primary results conveyed (1) recruitment of more peacemakers who demonstrate kindness, fairness, responsibility, commitment, and effective problem solving and communication skills, (2) provision of more meetings and incentives for peacemakers, (3) utilization of two or more sets of peacemakers to serve duty on the playground, (4) collection of additional disputant information, and (5) provision of additional guidance and support to address uncooperative disputants, to stop teasing directed toward peacemakers, to cease interruptions from bystanders during conflict resolution, and to modify scheduling for peacemakers who are required to be absent from class as a result of fulfilling their responsibility to serve duty. Conclusions. Peer mediators and peer mediation program facilitators must be cognizant of the qualities a peer mediator should possess to promote a successful peer mediation program. The attributes and implications learned from this study can be emphasized as valuable factors in promoting an effective peermediation program, therefore, it would be worthwhile to consider these factors when training peer mediatorsand coordinating a peer mediation program.


We answer an open question in the theory of degrees of infinite sequences with respect to transducibility by finite-state transducers. An initial study of this partial order of degrees was carried out in (Endrullis, Hendriks, Klop, 2011), but many basic questions remain unanswered. One of the central questions concerns the existence of atom degrees, other than the degree of the `identity sequence' 1 0^0 1 0^1 1 0^2 1 0^3 .... A degree is called an `atom' if below it there is only the bottom degree 0, which consists of the ultimately periodic sequences. We show that also the degree of the `squares sequence' 1 0^0 1 0^1 1 0^4 1 0^9 1 0^{16} ... is an atom. As the main tool for this result we characterise the transducts of `spiralling' sequences and their degrees. We use this to show that every transduct of a `polynomial sequence' either is in 0 or can be transduced back to a polynomial sequence for a polynomial of the same order.


AIM
to evaluate the efficacy of ART methods to treat infertility in men with obstructive azoospermia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The results of treatment of infertile couples using ART methods during the period from 2009 to 2017 were analyzed. A total of 18 married couples with obstructive azoospermia in men were included in the main group. The control group consisted of 59 married couples in which men had spermatozoa in the ejaculate. Both groups were comparable in age, concomitant gynecological pathology in female partner, protocols of superovulation, fertilization method, days of transfer and the number of transferred embryos into the uterine cavity. The results were evaluated by pregnancy rate (according to the results of determining the level of the -subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin), clinical pregnancy rate (according to the results of the first ultrasound), the number of birth and the number of living children.

RESULTS
Pregnancy rate in the main group was 55.6%, compared to 35.6% in the control group (2 with Yeats correction = 1531, p=0.217), while clinical pregnancy rate was 44.4% and 32.2%, respectively (2with Yeats correction = 0.450, p=0.503). In the main group, there were 6 births and 8 children were born (4 with one fetus and 2 twin). In the control group, there were 14 births (2 with Yeats correction=0.168, p=0.683 in comparison with the main group) and 19 children were born (12 one fetus, 2 twins, 1 triplets). The high rates obtained in the main group can be explained by the fact that the obstructive azoospermia doesnt have such a pronounced negative influence on spermatozoa as a non-obstructive azoospermia, and, possibly, as severe oligozoospermia.

CONCLUSION
Our data have convincingly established the efficiency of testicular biopsy for the treatment of infertility in men with azoospermia. In addition, spermatozoa obtained from these patients, are suitable for fertilization.


Abstract In order to understand the sources of profits or monetary profits of capitalists and firms, the author examines the phrase of Marx: 'Die Gesamtklasse der Kapitalisten kann nichts aus der Zirkulation herausziehen, was nicht vorher hineingeworfen war.' (The class of capitalists cannot extract from the circulation what has not previously been thrown in.) Steve Keen studied the monetary paradox and contrary to circuitists he came to the conclusion that capitalists can make a monetary profit with the possibility to earn enough to repay their debt, with positive balances for all actors. The author demonstrates that Keen made a fundamental mistake and is using the Stock Flow Consistency Principle in an inconsistent way by combining it with behavioral equations in a dynamic model. The solution presented here shows not only problems with the numbers but with the method. This solution resolves a dispute between Keen and circuitists and implies that, in a Wicksellian pure credit economy, it remains impossible for all actors to gain a monetary profit.


Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus, which often entails cognitive disturbances and memory loss, has become a major complication for lupus patients. Previously, we developed a murine model of neuropsychiatric lupus based on Abs that cross-react with dsDNA and the NMDA receptor (NMDAR). We showed that these murine Abs impair cognition when they access the CNS through a breach in the blood–brain barrier (BBB) triggered by lipopolysaccharide. Because studies show that lupus patients possess anti-NMDAR Abs in their serum and cerebrospinal fluid, we decided to investigate whether these human Abs contribute to cognitive dysfunction. Here, we show that serum with reactivity to DNA and NMDAR extracted from lupus patients elicited cognitive impairment in mice receiving the serum intravenously and given lipopolysaccharide to compromise the BBB integrity. Brain histopathology showed hippocampal neuron damage, and behavioral testing revealed hippocampus-dependent memory impairment. To determine whether anti-NMDAR Abs exist in the brains of systemic lupus erythematosus patients, we eluted IgG from a patient's brain. The IgG bound DNA and NMDAR and caused neuronal apoptosis when injected into mouse brains. We examined four more brains of patients with neuropsychiatric lupus and found that they displayed endogenous IgG colocalizing with anti-NMDAR Abs. Our results indicate that lupus patients have circulating anti-NMDAR Abs capable of causing neuronal damage and memory deficit, if they breach the BBB, and that the Abs exist within patients' brains. Which aspects of neuropsychiatric lupus may be mediated by anti-NMDAR Abs, how often, and in which patients are now important clinical questions.


: The reduction of irrational drug duplication by rigorous drug regimen review, in-service education, and physician acceptance of consultant pharmacist recommendations in a 72-bed geriatric long-term-care facility is described. In decreasing order of frequency of duplication, laxatives, analgesics, NSAIDs, diuretics, hypnotics, antipsychotics, KC1 supplements, hematinics/vitamins, antacids, and antinauseants and antidiarrheals were the drug classes most often duplicated. Apparent reasons for the duplications were confusion over the term "of choice," physician convenience, failure to review medication orders actively, and individual nurse preferences for different agents in each duplicated drug class.


The synthesis of solid BN in thermal plasma is investigated theoretically by computing the equilibrium composition of a gas mixture containing boron, nitrogen, hydrogen and argon. The calculations are done for the temperature range between 500 and 6000 K and the total pressure in the system of 1 bar. They are based on the fact that thermal plasma is in local thermodynamic equilibrium, which makes possible theoretical determination (by employing the Gibbs free energy data for the compounds present in the system) of its equilibrium composition. From the calculated compositions of investigated gas systems, the temperature zones with saturated and/or oversaturated vapour of B and B2N are determined and the formation mechanism of BN in solid state is proposed.


This article intends to critically discuss noise-mapping as the predominant method for evalu- ation, communication and maintenance of urban acoustic space, as performed in a majority of urban spatial practices today. Discussing the common strategy for handling environmental sounds raises specific questions: How is it possible to extend the current way of managing urban acoustic space, and why should we do that? How can the integration of quantitative and qualitative methods for analysing urban acoustic space act as a complement to existing methods? Interdisciplinary strategies are required which directly focus upon the perspective and needs of design practitioners in architecture and urban planning. The article will also present an example of such an explorative strategy within the scope of the PhD project Urban Sound Design – methods for qualitative sound analysis, a practice-based project within the field of artistic research.


In this work, we investigate a new method of low-pressure lamination of low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) tapes, by pre-coating with specially-formulated adhesive layers. This allows fabrication of intricate structures that would be destroyed by high lamination pressures, yet preserves compatibility with standard processing operations, such as blanking, laser cutting, punching, via filling and screen printing. Techniques proposed previously are application of adhesive tapes, solvents or glues. These methods are applied after the tape processing steps and therefore require an extra operation in the processing chain, which may be unpractical, especially if the tape is very thin has been extensively cut. In our procedure, the adhesives are printed and dried on the blanked tape before any other operation, with the drying step also useful for pre-conditioning the tapes, which may then be stored as "standard" blanks. The adhesives are formulated to have low tack at room temperature, making them compatible with standard processing, but to become very soft at 50-60°C, allowing lamination at low pressures. Compatibility with different tape materials is investigated, and the requirements for adequate adhesive formulation are discussed.


Objectives Paediatric lumbosacral lipomas are commonly assessed by whole spine MRI, which is costly, time consuming and reduces imaging detail at the region of interest. This study evaluates the utility of whole spine vs local spine MRI in paediatric lumbosacral lipoma (LSL). Design Single centre, retrospective, radiological review. Subjects 119 patients (77F:46M) aged 0.8 years (0.2–3.9) (median ±IQR) with complex LSL who had whole spine MRI between 2001–2017. Methods Lumbosacral lipomas were identified from a prospectively collected database. Cases where whole spine MRI was available were included. Type of lipoma and any associated spinal anomalies were recorded. Results 347 patients had LSL, of which 119 (34%) patients had whole spine MRI. 3% were excluded due diagnosis of fatty filum terminale. 13% scans were unavailable. 119 patients were studied: 77F:46M aged 0.8 years at scan. Type of LML: transitional 36%; caudal 18%; dorsal 19%; unclassified 26%. Additional imaging abnormalities included: syrinx 18%; Chiari 1%; dermal sinus tract 13%; vertebral segmentation 13%; other 2%. None were associated with clinical symptoms nor required surgical treatment. Investigating the cost-benefit analysis of modality, lumbar spine required less MR time and cost less (40 vs 20 mins; £228.69 vs £282.39). Conclusions The low incidence of clinically relevant secondary lesions suggests that lumbosacral MRI only is necessary in the assessment of LSL. Imaging quality of the ROI can be optimised and MRI time and costs reduced.


In this study was to examine the body composition, flexibility, balance and concentration characteristics of dance exercise. Total of 268 university students whose average age was 20.59 ±1.59 years were included. Height measurements, body weight measurements, flexibility measurements, balance test, concentration test of the students who had dance courses (the experimental group) and those who did not have dance courses (the control group) were provided twice, at the beginning of and at the end of the study as pre-test and post-test. Frequency analyses, descriptive statistics, and paired t-test were used. There were significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores of body weight, BMI, flexibility, balance, concentration among the students doing dance exercises (the experimental group). There were no significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores of body weight, BMI, concentration among the students not doing dance exercises (the control group) but there were significant differences in flexibility and balance scores.


This collection features Plato's writings on sex and love in the preeminent translations of Stanley Lombardo, Paul Woodruff and Alexander Nehamas, D. S. Hutchinson, and C. D. C. Reeve. Reeve's Introduction provides a wealth of historical information about Plato and Socrates, and the sexual norms of classical Athens. His introductory essay looks closely at the dialogues themselves and includes the following sections: Socrates and the Art of Love; Socrates and Athenian Paiderastia; Loving Socrates; Love and the Ascent to the Beautiful; The Art and Psychology of Love Explained; and Writing about Love.


The mechanical properties of self-assembled fibrillar networks are influenced by the specific intermolecular interactions that modulate fiber entanglements. We investigate how changing these interactions influences the mechanics of self-assembled nanofiber gels composed of peptide amphiphile (PA) molecules. PAs developed in our laboratory self-assemble into gels of nanofibers after neutralization or salt-mediated screening of the charged residues in their peptide segment. We report here on the gelation, stiffness, and response to deformation of gels formed from a negatively charged PA and HCl or CaCl(2). Scanning electron microscopy of these gels demonstrates a similar morphology, whereas the oscillatory rheological measurements indicate that the calcium-mediated ionic bridges in CaCl(2)-PA gels form stronger intra- and interfiber cross-links than the hydrogen bonds formed by the protonated carboxylic acid residues in HCl-PA gels. As a result, CaCl(2)-PA gels can withstand higher strains than HCl-PA gels. After exposure to a series of strain sweeps with increasing strain amplitude HCl- and CaCl(2)-PA gels both recover 42% of their original stiffness. In contrast, after sustained deformation at 100% strain, HCl-PA gels recover nearly 90% of their original stiffness after 10 min, while the CaCl(2)-PA gels only recover 35%. This result suggests that the hydrogen bonds formed by the protonated acids in the HCl-PA gels allow the gel to relax quickly to its initial state, while the strong calcium cross-links in the CaCl(2)-PA gels lock in the deformed structure and inhibit the gel's ability to recover. We also show that the rheological scaling behaviors of HCl- and CaCl(2)-PA gels are consistent with that of uncross- and cross-linked semiflexible biopolymer networks, respectively. The ability to modify how self-assembled fibrillar networks respond to deformations is important in developing self-assembled gels that can resist and recover from the large deformations that these gels encounter while serving as synthetic cell scaffolds in vivo.


Children are encouraged to participate in sport (Allender et al., 2006), through the school curriculum and specific dedicated clubs. Such provision can be described as a frontier in education with the role of the facilitator or "teacher" usually being undertaken by a coach. However, the experiences of those in involved in this type of informal learning environment are not well-researched or documented. Therefore, the aim of this study is to gain an insight into the experiences of children and stakeholder adults in such a setting. This study analyses and assesses the reality of the learning experience from the perspectives of the key stakeholders, children, coaches, and parents through their involvement in a particular youth cricket club. A qualitative approach was deployed, in the form of three separate focus groups for parents (n = 5), children (n = 10), and coaches (n = 3). At thematic analysis was conducted across the data set. Together with the coaches, who assume the role of a teacher, delivering learning, parents were included to take part in this study because they can be observers of the learning (unlike in mainstream education) and indirectly affect the learning through pseudo coaching. The children are involved as recipients of the learning and may view the coaches with a teacher identity. The study highlighted a good development and learning environment within this particular youth cricket club and it alludes to a disparity within the wider field of youth sport. All three of the chosen groups, the players, parents, and coaches, have aligned successfully to create a supportive, non-threatening environment, to allow the children to learn, develop their confidence, self-esteem and skill. In contrast, all groups highlighted the difference of their experiences of youth football, where a more negative experience was identified, potentially due to the subculture or the stakeholders involved.


The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the association between serum metabolic parameters and the risk of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in high-risk beef stocker calves. Jugular venous blood samples were collected from mixed-breed beef bull, steer, and heifer calves (n=468) at the time of arrival processing at a stocker facility in northeast Georgia. Serum samples were then submitted for determination of serum creatinine, total calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, albumin, serum urea nitrogen, glucose, cholesterol, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), sodium, potassium, and chloride concentrations, as well as sodium:potassium ratio and NEFA:cholesterol ratio. Calves were monitored for the development of signs consistent with BRD for 45 days following arrival. A multivariable logistic regression model was created to evaluate the association between serum variables and subsequent risk of BRD. In this analysis, BRD was associated with higher serum potassium, lower serum urea nitrogen, and lower BHBA concentrations at arrival processing. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the ability of the model to predict morbidity was 0.645. These data suggest that hydration status, nutrient balance, and degree of rumen development may play a role in the development of BRD in high-risk beef stocker calves.


Despite the importance of selection against deleterious mutations in natural populations, reliable estimates of the genomic numbers of mutant alleles in wild populations are scarce. We found that, in wild-caught bluefin killifish Lucania goodei(Fundulidae) and wild-caught zebrafish Danio rerio(Cyprinidae), the average numbers of recessive lethal alleles per individual are 1.9 (95% confidence limits 1.3 to 2.6) and 1.4 (95% confidence limits 1.0 to 2.0), respectively. These results, together with data on several Drosophila species and on Xenopus laevis, show that phylogenetically distant animals with different genome sizes and numbers of genes carry similar numbers of lethal mutations.


In motion systems driven by stepping motors, reference word interpolation is usually used with a constant period T, in which the existing position quantization errors will inevitably result in the trouble of velocity quantization errors. A separated-axis interpolator with variable period is proposed to deal with these troubles. The reassignment module of displacement and time is the key of the interpolator. In the module, the interpolation period of each axis can be separately adjusted upon its quantized displacement, thus resulting in almost ideal velocity profile and moving smoothness. Simulation and machining results are given and show that the proposed interpolator is effective in the improvement of motion stability and interpolation accuracy.


Summary: Botrytis cinerea conidia failed to germinate whilst being leached with water or mineral solution. Only a small proportion of conidia germinated in water after cessation of leaching but a high proportion germinated in the presence of glucose or mineral/glucose solutions. Sometimes minerals alone could restore germmation of leached conidia. Conidia germinated well on membranes during leaching with glucose or mineral/glucose solutions.
The majority of isolates of bacteria obtained from leaves were positive or strongly positive in aniline blue dye-absorption tests, indicating the presence of extracellular polysaccharide. Uptake of nutrients into the polysaccharide sheath of bacteria situated near conidia may increase the concentration gradient from within to outside the conidium, so resulting in nutrient depletion and loss of germinability. The effect brought about by leaching of conidia was thought to simulate the action of bacteria. Similarities with spores inhibited in soil by fungistasis are discussed.


(Most chapters begin with "Introduction".) I. INTRODUCTION. 1. Why Sql is Important. Background. Is a Standard Desirable? 2. An Overview of Sql. Introduction. Data Definition. Data Manipulation. Cursor Operations. Views. Security and Integrity. Recovery and Concurrency. Schemas and Catalogs. Sessions and Connections. II. Some Preliminaries. 3. Basic Language Elements. SQL Language Characters. Tokens and Separators. Key Words. Identifiers and Names. Scope of Names. Notation. 4. Catalogs and Schemas. The SQL-Environment. Catalogs. Schemas. 5. Connections, Sessions, and Transactions. SQL-Agents SQL-Connections SQL-Sessions. SQL-Transactions. 6. Binding Styles. Introduction. The Module Language. Embedded Sql. Direct Sql. III. Data Definition and Manipulation. 7. Scalar Objects, Operators, and Expressions. Introduction. Data Types. Literals. Scalar Operators and Functions. Aggregate Functions. Assignments and Comparisons. 8. Data Definition: Domains and Base Tables. Introduction. Domains. Base Tables. 9. Data Manipulation: Noncursor Operations. Introduction. Single-Row SELECT. Insert. Searched Update. Searched Delete. 10. Data Manipulation: Cursor Operations. Introduction. Cursors. Cursor-Based Manipulation Statements. A Comprehensive Example (Module Version). A Comprehensive Example (Embedded SQL Version). 11. Table Expressions. Introduction. Join Expressions. Table References. Unions, Differences, and Intersections. Table Primaries. Select Expressions. Derived Table Column Names. 12. Conditional Expressions. Introduction. General Remarks. Comparison Conditions. BETWEEN and LIKE Conditions. IN and MATCH Conditions. ALL-Or-ANY Conditions. EXISTS Conditions. UNIQUE Conditions. A Final Remark. 13. Views. Introduction. Data Definition Operations. Data Manipulation Operations. The Check Option. IV. DATA CONTROL. 14. Integrity. Introduction. Domain Constraints. General Constraints. Base Table and Column Constraints. Foreign Keys. Deferred Constraint Checking. 15. Security. Introduction. Authorization Identifiers. Privileges and Access Rules. GRANT and REVOKE. The Grant Option. RESTRICT Vs CASCADE. V. ADVANCED TOPICS. 16 Missing Information and Nulls. Introduction. Effect of Nulls on Scalar Expressions. Effect of Nulls on Conditional Expressions. Effect of Nulls on Table Expressions. Effect of Nulls on Integrity Constraints. A Recommendation. 17. Dates and Times. Introduction. Data Types. Literals. Time Zones. Data Conversion. Scalar Operators and Functions. Assignments and Comparisons. 18. Temporary Tables. Introduction. Type 1: "Declared" Temporary Tables. Types 2 and 3: "Created" Temporary Tables. 19. Character Data. Introduction. Properties of Character Strings. Character Sets and Collations. Data Types. Literals. Scalar Operators and Functions. Assignments and Comparisons. Character Sets For Identifiers. 20. Dynamic Sql. Introduction. What is The Problem? Statement Preparation and Execution. SQL Descriptor Areas. Cursor Operations. Session Defaults. 21. Information Schemas. Introduction. Information Schema Tables. 22. Exception Handling. Status Codes. The Diagnostics Area. 23. Call-Level Interface. Introduction. What is The Problem? CLI Routines and Parameters. CLI Resources and Related Matters. Statement Preparation and Execution. CLI Descriptor Areas. Placeholders. Retrieval Operations. Exception Handling. A Sample "SQLCLIH" File. A Sample CLI Application. APPENDIXES. A. An Sql Grammar. Introduction. Sessions, Connections, and Transactions. Data Definition. Modules. Data Manipulation. Table Expressions. Conditional Expressions. Constraints. Dynamic Sql. Scalar Expressions. Get Diagnostics. Miscellaneous. B. Language Levels and Conformance. Introduction. Intermediate Sql. Entry Sql. SQL Flagger. C. Sql/92 Vs Sql/89. Introduction. Extensions. Incompatibilities. Deprecated Features. D. Some Outstanding Issues. Introduction. The Issues. E. Persistent Stored Modules. Introduction. Overview. Routines, Modules, and Schemas. Type Precedence. Subject Routine Determination. SQL Control Statements. Exception Handling. External Routines. Miscellaneous Topics. F. An Overview of Sql3. Introduction. Data Definition and Manipulation. Functions and Operators. Integrity. Security. Transactions. G. References and Bibliography. 0201964260T04062001


SCOPE
We aimed to investigate the effects of three different soluble pectins on the digestion of other consumed carbohydrates, and the consequent alterations of microbiota composition and SCFA levels in the intestine of pigs.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Piglets were fed a low-methyl esterified pectin enriched diet (LMP), a high-methyl esterified pectin enriched diet (HMP), a hydrothermal treated soybean meal enriched diet (aSBM) or a control diet (CONT). LMP significantly decreased the ileal digestibility of starch resulting in more starch fermentation in the proximal colon. In the ileum, low-methyl esterified pectin present was more efficiently fermented by the microbiota than high-methyl esterified pectin present which was mainly fermented by the microbiota in the proximal colon. Treated soybean meal was mainly fermented in the proximal colon and shifted the fermentation of cereal dietary fiber to more distal parts, resulting in high SCFA levels in the mid colon. LMP, HMP, and aSBM decreased the relative abundance of the genus Lactobacillus and increased that of Prevotella in the colon.

CONCLUSION
The LMP, HMP, and aSBM, differently affected the digestion processes compared to the control diet and shaped the colonic microbiota from a Lactobacillus-dominating flora to a Prevotella-dominating community, with potential health-promoting effects.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, sources, and underlying causes of work-related stress among headteachers in Wales and to identify possible solutions. An online questionnaire was sent to all 1588 headteachers across Wales. The questionnaire included demographic questions, Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards Tool, a list of known stressors, and open questions exploring the underlying causes and possible solutions. A total of 359 (22.6%) headteachers completed the survey. Two-thirds of participants reported experiencing levels of stress that were rated as 'high'. Pressures of managing greater demands and increasing workload with fewer financial resources and a lack of support from local authorities were the main sources of stress. Solutions focused on improved funding to enhance staffing and resources at a school level, reduced accountability, and improved support. The findings indicated that a multi-faceted, multi-level, intervention approach, extending beyond improving personal resilience and individual school improvements, into regional and national opportunities for change, is likely to be most effective in reducing work-related stress within the profession.


1. P(i) competitively inhibited succinate oxidation by intact uncoupled mitochondria in the presence of sufficient N-ethylmaleimide to block the phosphate carrier, with a K(i) of 2.5mm. 2. Of a large number of phosphate esters and phosphonate compounds, phenyl phosphate and phenylphosphonate were found to inhibit competitively uncoupled succinate oxidation by intact but not broken mitochondria. By comparison, benzoate was a relatively weak competitive inhibitor of succinate oxidation by intact mitochondria but a relatively potent inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase. 3. Phenyl phosphate and phenylphosphonate were non-penetrant, and inhibited P(i)-dependent swelling of mitochondria suspended in isosmolar ammonium malate in a manner non-competitive with P(i). The inhibitors did not affect mitochondrial swelling when tested with P(i) alone. 4. It is concluded that: (i) phenyl phosphate and phenylphosphonate behaved as non-penetrant analogues of P(i), since their inhibitory properties were in strict contrast with those of benzoate; (ii) phenyl phosphate and phenylphosphonate interacted with the dicarboxylate carrier but not with the phosphate carrier; (iii) P(i) was effective as a competitive inhibitor of succinate oxidation because of its being either an alternative substrate for the dicarboxylate carrier or competitive with succinate for the intramitochondrial cations as proposed by Harris & Manger (1968).


In order to understand the scientific research ability of clinical teachers guiding nursing undergraduates in teaching hospitals, 221 clinical nursing teachers in 3 grade Ⅲ hospitals were investigated. The questionnaires included general information, research participation, paper writing and nursing research knowledge. The results show that the scientific research awareness of teachers in these hospitals is deficient. 51.1% of them participated in scientific research, 6.8% took charge of projects, and 51.6% published papers. Teachers with better educational background took part in more research projects and published more papers than the others, and the difference is significant (P<0.01). Those with higher professional titles or from affiliated hospitals published more papers than those with lower titles or from non-affiliated hospitals, and the difference is significant (P<0.01); however, there is no significant difference in research participation between them.


Background Appropriate, accurate and timely distribution of medicines to patients is a pharmacist's responsibility. Automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) improve efficiency in distribution; but patient safety may be compromised if they are used incorrectly. Purpose To analyse pharmaceutical interventions in ADC dispensing, in order to adopt steps that improve patient safety. Material and methods A descriptive study was conducted in a 470-bed specialist hospital. Over 8 months (April–December 2013) pharmaceutical interventions in drugs dispensing to 9 infirmary units with ADC were collected. Interventions were made and recorded during ADC drug replacement in hospital wards, or during incident resolution at the pharmacy cabinet control point. All interventions made during the study period were analysed to determine their category and frequency. Interventions were recorded according Hernández and Poveda's classification of medicines errors in ADC. Results 290 interventions were collected. The most frequent type of intervention was that related to incorrect ADC procedures and handling (59.7%). In this category, interventions were due to stock discrepancies (79), medicine devolutions discrepancies (35), lack of concordance with opiate stocks (25), wrong medicine location (17), and drug load (17). Another category identified was intervention related to the structure and functioning of the ADC (29.3%), and includes the following events: door blockage (29), drawer break/obstruction (14), other mechanical structural fault (19), mistakes in the ADC-hospital census connection (8), system breakdown (7), refrigerator failure (7) and electric supply failure (1). The less frequent intervention categories were those related to inappropriate handling and storage (11.0%), and included interventions caused by expired medicines (15), lack of opiate prescriptions (6), damaged medicines (3), cabinet start-up (1), quarantine drug unload (19), and other reasons (6). Conclusion The most common interventions on automated dispensation process are related to handling of cabinets. Therefore it's necessary to remind nurses periodically that correct handling of ADCs is essential to guarantee medicine availability and optimal storage, both necessary for safe drug use. References and/or acknowledgements No conflict of interest.


Our previous studies showed that the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin selects cysteine pair-containing RGD peptides from a phage display library based on a random hexapeptide. We have therefore searched for more selective peptides for this integrin using a larger phage display library, where heptapeptides are flanked by cysteine residues, thus making the inserts potentially cyclic. Most of the phage sequences that bound to alpha 5 beta 1 (69 of 125) contained the RGD motif. Some of the heptapeptides contained an NGR motif. As the NGR sequence occurs in the cell-binding region of the fibronectin molecule, this sequence could contribute to the specific recognition of fibronectin by alpha 5 beta 1. Selection for high affinity peptides for alpha 5 beta 1 surprisingly yielded a sequence RRETAWA that does not bear obvious resemblance to known integrin ligand sequences. The synthetic cyclic peptide GACRRETAWACGA (*CRRETAWAC*) was a potent inhibitor of alpha 5 beta 1-mediated cell attachment to fibronectin. This peptide is nearly specific for the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin, because much higher concentrations were needed to inhibit the alpha v beta 1 integrin, and there was no effect on alpha v beta 3- and alpha v beta 5-mediated cell attachment to vitronectin. The peptide also did not bind to the alpha IIb beta 3 integrin. *CRRETAWAC* appears to interact with the same or an overlapping binding site in alpha 5 beta 1 as RGD, because cell attachment to *CRRETAWAC* coated on plastic was divalent cation dependent and could be blocked by an RGD-containing peptide. These results reveal a novel binding specificity in the alpha 5 beta 1 integrin.


Scientific progress in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research and increased funding make it imperative to look ahead to the ethical issues generated by the expected use of hESCs for transplantation. Several issues should be addressed now, even though phase I clinical trials of hESC transplantation are still in the future. To minimize the risk of hESC transplantation, donors of materials used to derive hESC lines will need to be recontacted to update their medical history and screening. Because of privacy concerns, such recontact needs to be discussed and agreed to at the time of donation, before new hESC lines are derived. Informed consent for phase I clinical trials of hESC transplantation also raises ethical concerns. In previous phase I trials of highly innovative interventions, allegations that trial participants had not really understood the risk and benefits caused delays in subsequent trials. Thus, researchers should consider what information needs to be discussed during the consent process for hESC clinical trials and how to verify that participants have a realistic understanding of the study. Lack of attention to the special ethical concerns raised by clinical trials of hESC transplantation and their implications for the derivation of new hESC lines may undermine or delay progress toward stem cell therapies.


As part of a systematic research programme on equiatomic ternary compounds of the type RTX (R is a rare earth, T a transition metal and X a metal out of the p block of the periodic table) crystallizing in the ZrNiAI structure, results for CePdxRh,_xln (x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 0.85, 0.9, 0.95, 1) are presented. The magnetic properties, specific heat and electrical resistivity as a function of magnetic field and temperature are reported. The development of the electronic properties from CeRhln with unstable 4f moments towards CePdln with localized 4f moments is discussed in terms of the influence on the valence state of Ce of the increase in the d-electron concentration due to gradual substitution of Rh in CeRhln by Pd. The almost trivalent state is found to be most favourable for the formation of the heavy-fermion state.


A variety of recent works, spanning pruning, lottery tickets, and training within random subspaces, have shown that deep neural networks can be trained using far fewer degrees of freedom than the total number of parameters. We analyze this phenomenon for random subspaces by first examining the success probability of hitting a training loss sub-level set when training within a random subspace of a given training dimensionality. We find a sharp phase transition in the success probability from $0$ to $1$ as the training dimension surpasses a threshold. This threshold training dimension increases as the desired final loss decreases, but decreases as the initial loss decreases. We then theoretically explain the origin of this phase transition, and its dependence on initialization and final desired loss, in terms of properties of the high-dimensional geometry of the loss landscape. In particular, we show via Gordon's escape theorem, that the training dimension plus the Gaussian width of the desired loss sub-level set, projected onto a unit sphere surrounding the initialization, must exceed the total number of parameters for the success probability to be large. In several architectures and datasets, we measure the threshold training dimension as a function of initialization and demonstrate that it is a small fraction of the total parameters, implying by our theory that successful training with so few dimensions is possible precisely because the Gaussian width of low loss sub-level sets is very large. Moreover, we compare this threshold training dimension to more sophisticated ways of reducing training degrees of freedom, including lottery tickets as well as a new, analogous method: lottery subspaces. Code is available at https://github.com/ganguli-lab/degrees-of-freedom.


This paper presents the BALBOA component composition framework for system-level architectural design. It has three parts: a loosely-typed component integration language (CIL); a set of C++ intellectual property (IP) component libraries; and a set of split-level interfaces (SLIs) to link the two. A CIL component interface can be mapped to many different C++ component implementations. A type-inference system maps all weakly-typed CIL interfaces to strongly typed C++ component implementations to produce an executable architectural model. Thus, this amounts to selecting IP implementations according to a set of connection constraints. The SLIs are used to select, adapt, and validate the implementation types. The advantage of using the CIL is that the design description sizes are much smaller because the runtime infrastructure automatically selects the IP and communication implementations. The type inference facilitates changes by automatically propagating them through the design structure. We show that the inference problem is NP complete and we present a heuristic solution to the problem. We bring forth a number of issues related to the automation of reusable IP composition including type- compatibility checking, split-programming, and introspective composition environment, and demonstrate their utility through design examples.


We previously demonstrated that increased expression of the SERPINA5 gene is associated with hippocampal vulnerability in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. SERPINA5 was further demonstrated to be a novel tau-binding partner that colocalizes within neurofibrillary tangles. Our goal was to determine whether genetic variants in the SERPINA5 gene contributed to clinicopathologic phenotypes in AD. To screen for SERPINA5 variants, we sequenced 103 autopsy-confirmed young-onset AD cases with a positive family history of cognitive decline. To further assess the frequency of a rare missense variant, SERPINA5 p.E228Q, we screened an additional 1114 neuropathologically diagnosed AD cases. To provide neuropathologic context in AD, we immunohistochemically evaluated SERPINA5 and tau in a SERPINA5 p.E228Q variant carrier and a matched noncarrier. In the initial SERPINA5 screen, we observed 1 individual with a rare missense variant (rs140138746) that resulted in an amino acid change (p.E228Q). In our AD validation cohort, we identified an additional 5 carriers of this variant, resulting in an allelic frequency of 0.0021. There was no significant difference between SERPINA5 p.E228Q carriers and noncarriers in terms of demographic or clinicopathologic characteristics. Although not significant, on average SERPINA5 p.E228Q carriers were 5 years younger at age of disease onset than noncarriers (median: 66 [60–73] vs 71 [63–77] years, P = .351). In addition, SERPINA5 p.E228Q carriers exhibited a longer disease duration than noncarriers that approached significance (median: 12 [10–15]) vs 9 [6–12] years, P = .079). More severe neuronal loss was observed in the locus coeruleus, hippocampus, and amygdala of the SERPINA5 p.E228Q carrier compared to noncarrier, although no significant difference in SERPINA5-immunopositive lesions was observed. Throughout the AD brain in either carrier or noncarrier, areas with early pretangle pathology or burnt-out ghost tangle accumulation did not reveal SERPINA5-immunopositive neurons. Mature tangles and newly formed ghost tangles appeared to correspond well with SERPINA5-immunopositive tangle-bearing neurons. SERPINA5 gene expression was previously associated with disease phenotype; however, our findings suggest that SERPINA5 genetic variants may not be a contributing factor to clinicopathologic differences in AD. SERPINA5-immunopositive neurons appear to undergo a pathologic process that corresponded with specific levels of tangle maturity.