The angiopoietin (Ang) and Tie families play an important role in the latter stages of vascular development and in adult vasculature. A variety of studies on Ang1 ligand have provided compelling evidence of its therapeutic potential and along with Ang2 plays a major role in various protective and pathological conditions. Understanding the Ang-Tie interaction by manipulation of the angiopoietins is a very desirable prospect for developing it as a protein therapeutic drug. The aim of this project was to examine the molecular basis of Ang binding using a combination of rational mutagenesis and directed evolution. Directed evolution is a powerful strategy for protein engineering. A new method of directed evolution using mammalian surface display combined with mutagenesis driven by somatic hypermutation (SHM) was investigated for engineering Ang proteins with altered binding characteristics (to Tie1 and Tie2). The Ang receptor binding domains (RBD) were cloned linked to the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) transmembrane domain. The fusion protein produced was capable of expression on the extracellular cell surface. Activationinduced (cytidine) deaminase (AID) expressing B cells were used for expression of this fusion protein. SHM driven by AID is capable of mutating highly expressed transgenes; this was used to generate the mutant library. The library was screened for enhanced Tie2 binding affinity and acquired Tie1 binding function by Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS). Unstable expression of AID in the cell line and non-specific binding of Tie1 to the cell surface proteins in the binding screen prevented efficient selection of desired mutants. However, Ang2 FReD (fibrinogen-related domain) mutants were generated by SHM and rational mutagenesis. These were analysed and compared to the wild-type Ang2 FReD protein for expression by Western blotting and binding affinity determined by flow cytometry.


The first chapter of this thesis gives a detailed picture of commonly used structural estimation techniques for several types of auction models. Next chapters consist of essays in which these techniques are utilized for empirical analysis of auction environments. In the second chapter we discuss the identification and estimation of the distribution of private signals in a common value auction model with an asymmetric information environment. We argue that the private information of the informed bidders are identifiable due to the asymmetric information structure. Then, we propose a two stage estimation method, which follows the identification strategy. We show, with Monte-Carlo experiments, that the estimator performs well. Third chapter studies Outer Continental Shelf drainage auctions, where oil and gas extraction leases are sold. Informational asymmetry across bidders and collusive behavior of informed firms make this environment very unique. We apply the technique proposed in the second chapter to data from the OCS drainage auctions. We estimate the parameters of a structural model and then run counterfactual simulations to see the effects of the informational asymmetry on the government's auction revenue. We find that the probability that information symmetry brings higher revenue to the government increases with the value of the auctioned tract.
In the fourth chapter, we make use of the results in the multi-unit auction literature to study the Balancing Energy Services auctions (electricity spot market auctions) in Texas. We estimate the marginal costs of bidders implied by the Bayesian-Nash equilibrium of the multi-unit auction model of the market. We then compare the estimates to the actual marginal cost data. We find that, for the BES auction we study, the three largest bidders, Luminant, NRG and Calpine, have marked-down their bids more than the optimal amount implied by the model for the quantities where they were short of their contractual obligations, while they have put a mark-up larger than the optimal level implied by the model for quantities in excess of their contract obligations. Among the three bidders we studied, Calpine has come closest to bidding its optimal implied by the Bayesian-Nash equilibrium of the multi-unit auction model of the BES market.


Mapping of XML data into and out of relational database systems, including query processing over such virtual XML views that wrap relational sources, has become a topic of critical importance recently. The Rainbow XML data management system, being developed at WPI, focuses on the processing and optimization of XQuery queries against XML views of that relational data. For this, Rainbow's query model, XML Algebra Tree (XAT), has been designed. Because the XML formatting operators are interleaved with the computation operators, this XAT must then be optimized before being translated into SQL. For this, our computation pushdown technology splits the XAT into the XML-specific and SQL-doable operators with the later then being converted into SQL statements. However, the XAT after computation pushdown may contain unreferenced columns or unused operators. We show that these unneeded operators cannot be discovered by the relational engine after SQL generation. Leaving these operators in the tree would create unnecessarily large SQL statements that will slow down the overall execution. Our main contributions to XML query processing, described in this paper, are threefold. One, we describe the XAT algebra for modeling XQuery expressions. Two, we propose rewriting rules to optimize XQueries by cancelling operators. Three, we describe a cutting algorithm that removes unreferenced columns and operators from the XATs. We have implemented the techniques discussed in this paper in the Rainbow system. Our experimental study compares the performance of execution before and after operator cancel out and before and after cutting.


Introduction : Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Individuals with dementia often end up in long term care facilities with behavioural and psychological symptoms and communication disorders. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is being explored as a means to address these dementia-associated problems. AAT may be used for adults with dementia to reduce the impact of negative symptoms and increase social interaction and communication with other residents and staff in the long-term care facility. Objectives: This project was designed to (1) determine the usefulness of AAT in the rehabilitation of adults with dementia, (2) learn about the resources and supports available in the community, and (3) provide clinicians with a detailed plan outlining the steps involved in implementing an AAT program for adults with dementia. Methods: This project investigators investigated conducted a literature review of AAT and dementia, conducted an observation of AAT and constructed a manual based on the findings. Impact: The creation of an evidence-based practice document on AAT and dementia represents a novel contribution to speech-language pathology clinical practice and will form the foundation for future research on this topic.


The present study makes a critical analysis of the poetry of  Langston Hughes, one of the most representative African American poets who had been the leader of the most important literary and political movement in America—Harlem Renaissance. Hughes witnessed the racial discrimination, segregation and prejudice, and as a literary crusader, sang his strong voice against injustice and suppression. He longed for freedom from the shackles of prejudice and segregation to attain equality. Throughout his poetry, Langston Hughes faithfully recorded the pathetic predicament of downtrodden African Americans in America— the richest and the most powerful country of the world—and talked about the dream of freedom of African Americans. He talked about harmony and brotherhood between whites and blacks. The closer reading of Hughes' poetry reveals a feeling of estrangement and exploitation of the Negro community in a racially segregated nation, America. The Negroes lived in an environment where they were subjected to tortures and torments. They lived in fear and apprehension. These people were left in the lurch with no security to their lives and existence. They were clueless about the future and hesitant of what lies ahead. Negroes constantly lived in trepidation and uncertainty, pessimism and gloom, at times placing them in severe unpleasant positions in their lives. But their collective effort to attain freedom made them reach their goal; the freedom from slavery, racism and oppression. The present study will examine the pathetic plight of these humans and their realization of freedom through their constant revolts.


Abstract. Rainfall-runoff models are common tools for river discharge estimation in the field of hydrology. In ungauged basins, the dependence on observed river discharge data for calibration restricts applications of rainfall-runoff models. The strong correlation between quantities of river cross-sectional water surface width obtained from remote sensing and corresponding in situ gauged river discharge has been verified by many researchers. In this study, a calibration scheme of rainfall-runoff models based on satellite observations of river width at basin outlet is illustrated. One distinct advantage is that this calibration is independent of river discharge information. The at-a-station hydraulic geometry is implemented to facilitate shifting the calibration objective from river discharge to river width. The generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) is applied to model calibration and uncertainty analysis. The calibration scheme is demonstrated through a case study for simulating river discharge at Pakse in the Mekong Basin. The effectiveness of the calibration scheme and uncertainties associated with utilization of river width observations from space are examined from model input-state-output behaviour, capability of reproducing river discharge and posterior parameter distribution. The results indicate that the satellite observation of the river width is a competent surrogate of observed discharge for the calibration of rainfall-runoff model at Pakse and the proposed method has the potential for improving reliability of river discharge estimation in basins without any discharge gauging.


The harvesting of waste heat is attracting increasing attention, due to its abundance and potential benefits to the environment. However, the need for high heat transfer rates in thermal harvesting systems is a longstanding obstacle for their practical application. In this work, we construct thermally conductive networks in Pb[(MnxNb1−x)1/2(MnxSb1−x)1/2]y(Zr95Ti5)1−yO3 (lead magnesium niobate–lead antimony–manganese–lead zirconate titanate: PMN–PMS–PZT) ceramics to improve heat transfer and enhance their ferroelectric properties by use of a thermally conductive AlN additive dispersed in the ceramic matrix. The ferroelectric properties, pyroelectric coefficient and thermal conductivity of the PMN–PMS–PZT: AlN composite materials are influenced by the AlN content as a result of the formation of random bridges or thermally conductive networks for phonon transfer in the ceramic matrix, thereby leading to high heat transfer. For a PMN–PMS–PZT composite with a 0.2 wt% AlN content, the ferroelectric properties, pyroelectric coefficient and thermal conductivity are shown to be enhanced owing to the improved crystallinity and density, and the relative permittivity is also reduced, which results in optimized pyroelectric figure of merits. This combination of materials property enhancements is shown to be beneficial for high performance pyroelectric materials in devices for energy harvesting applications.


The Navier-Stokes equations for compressible fluid flows around a semi-infinite flat plate under symmetric attack are investigated. It is shown that regular locally subsonic motions, which are defined by bounded pressures and temperature gradients at the edge, exist without placing any restrictions on, for instance, analytic fluid characteristics as equation of state, equation of viscosity, and so forth. Those regular motions are locally incompressible and, hence, display the same flow patterns around the leading or trailing edge of a plate as incompressible fluid motions. In contrast to the existence of regular solutions the equations of motion exclude any singular integrals for which the pressure is infinite at the edge of the plate, provided the equation of state and the equations for viscosity, conductivity and specific heat are sufficiently regular. In particular, no singular solution exists if, for instance, the ideal gas law, Sutherland's formula of viscosity, etc., are prescribed.


The paper presents the analysis and simulation of a series compensated system with a static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) as a part of the total compensation. The objective is to investigate the subsynchronous resonance (SSR) characteristic of the combined system. The IEEE first benchmark model (FBM) is considered for the analysis. The active series compensation is provided by a three level twelve pulse SSSC. The modelling and control details of a three level voltage source converter (VSC) based SSSC are discussed. The analysis of SSR with SSSC is carried out based on a frequency domain method, eigenvalue analysis and transient simulation. The frequency domain method considers the D-Q model of SSSC for the computation of damping torque for a quick check in determining torsional mode stability.


Abstract. Emergence of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology provides new tools for geomorphologic studies improving spatial and temporal resolution of data sampling hydrogeological instability phenomena. Specifically, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) collects high resolution 3D point clouds allowing more accurate monitoring of erosion rates and processes, and thus, quantify the geomorphologic change on vertical landforms like dike landside slopes. Even so, TLS captures observations rapidly and automatically but unselectively. In this research, we demonstrate the potential of TLS for morphological change detection, profile creation and time series analysis in an emergency simulation for characterizing and monitoring slope movements in a dike. The experiment was performed near Schellebelle (Belgium) in November 2015, using a Leica Scan Station C10. Wave overtopping and overflow over a dike were simulated whereby the loading conditions were incrementally increased and 14 successful scans were performed. The aim of the present study is to analyse short-term morphological dynamic processes and the spatial distribution of erosion and deposition areas along a dike landside slope. As a result, we are able to quantify the eroded material coming from the impact on the terrain induced by wave overtopping which caused the dike failure in a few minutes in normal storm scenarios (Q = 25 l/s/m) as 1.24 m3. As this shows that the amount of erosion is measurable using close range techniques; the amount and rate of erosion could be monitored to predict dike collapse in emergency situation. The results confirm the feasibility of the proposed methodology, providing scalability to a comprehensive analysis over a large extension of a dike (tens of meters).


The coordinated migration and maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) such as intraepithelial Langerhans cells (LCs) is considered critical for T cell priming in response to inflammation in the periphery. However, little is known about the role of inflammatory mediators for LC maturation and recruitment to lymph nodes in vivo. Here we show in human dermatopathic lymphadenitis (DL), which features an expanded population of LCs in one draining lymph node associated with inflammatory lesions in its tributary skin area, that the Langerin/CD207+ LCs constitute a predominant population of immature DCs, which express CD1a, and CD68, but not CD83, CD86, and DC–lysosomal-associated membrane protein (LAMP)/CD208. Using LC-type cells generated in vitro in the presence of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, we further found that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, as a prototype proinflammatory factor, and a variety of inflammatory stimuli and bacterial products, increase Langerin expression and Langerin dependent Birbeck granules formation in cell which nevertheless lack costimulatory molecules, DC–LAMP/CD208 and potent T cell stimulatory activity but express CCR7 and respond to the lymph node homing chemokines CCL19 and CCL21. This indicates that LC migration and maturation can be independently regulated events. We suggest that during DL, inflammatory stimuli in the skin increase the migration of LCs to the lymph node but without associated maturation. Immature LCs might regulate immune responses during chronic inflammation.


Relapse is a major characteristic of drug addiction, and remains the primary problem in treating drug abuse. Without an understanding of the factors that determine renewed drug-seeking, the urge to use drugs, and the persistent craving for them, it is unlikely that health care professionals can provide effective treatment. Using an animal model of relapse, the author and,her team are studying factors that induce reinstatement of drug-taking behaviour after short and long periods of abstinence, and they are exploring the neurobio-logical basis of these effects. In their experiments, rats are trained to self-administer drugs intravenously by pressing I of 2 levers. During a subsequent period, the drug is no longer available, but the rats are free to try to obtain the drug (a period of "~extinction training"). After extinction of responding, the investigators test for the ability of various events to reinitiate drug-seeking. On this background of renewed drug-seeking or relapse, the investigators search for pharmacological and neurochemical manipulations that might block or attenuate such behaviour. They have found that the 2 most effective events for reinstating responding after both short and long drug-free periods are re-exposure to the drug itself and exposure to a brief period of stress. The critical neurochemical pathways mediating drug-induced relapse are not iden-tical to those mediating stress-induced relapse. Relapse induced by "priming" injections of heroin or cocaine involves activation of the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways, whereas relapse induced by stress involves actions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the brain, and of brain noradrenergic (NE) systems. In addition, evidence shows


An evaluation of a fiber optical parametric amplifier (FOPA)-based pulse source in terms of pulse width and chirp is presented. Experiments are performed when operating the FOPA as a pulse source, requiring a sinusoidally modulated pump. The FOPA is generating pulses at 10 GHz, and are measured using a streak camera capable of measuring pulses as a function of time, wavelength, and intensity. Experimental results are presented together with a theory for chirp and pulse widths that show good agreement.


Background Older people often do not meet the recommended levels of exercise required to reduce functional decline. Social interaction is mentioned by this cohort as a reason for joining group-based exercises, which does not occur when exercising alone. This perspective shows that exergames can be used as motivational resources. However, most available exergames are generic, obtained from commercial sources, and usually not specifically designed or adapted for older people. Objective In this study, we aim to co-design and develop a new exergame alongside older participants to (1) tailor the game mechanics and optimize participants' adherence to and enjoyment of exercise; (2) test the participants' functional capacity, motivation, and adherence to the exergaming program; and (3) compare these scores between those who played alone and those who played with peers. Methods We conducted a co-design process to develop a new exergame adapted to older people. For user testing, 23 participants were divided into 2 groups to play individually (alone group) or to compete in pairs (with peers group). They played the game twice a week, resulting in 21 exergaming sessions. We assessed the participants' General Physical Fitness Index (GPFI) before and after the user testing. We also administered questionnaires about the gaming experience and exercise adherence with its motivators and barriers. Results We introduced a new bowling exergame for Xbox with a Kinect motion sensor that can be played in single or multiplayer mode. For the GPFI measurements, the sample was homogeneous in the pretest (with peers group: mean 40.5 [SD 9.6], alone group: mean 33.9 [SD 7.8]; P=.11). After the exergame testing sessions, both groups had significant gains (with peers group: mean 57.5 [SD 8.7], P=.005; alone group: mean 44.7 [SD 10.6]; P=.02). Comparing the posttest between groups, it was found that the group in which participants played with peers had better outcomes than the group in which participants played alone (P=.02). Regarding the gaming experience and exercise adherence, both groups recognized the benefits and expressed enthusiasm toward the exergame. Conclusions The findings suggest that the developed exergame helps in improving the functional capacity and adherence to physical exercise among older people, with even better results for those who played with peers. In addition to leading to more appropriate products, a co-design approach may positively influence the motivation and adherence of participants.


3D reconstruction for freehand 3D ultrasound is a challenging issue because the recorded B-scans are not only sparse, but also non-parallel (actually they may arbitrarily oriented in 3D space and may intersect each other). Conventional volume reconstruction methods can't reconstruct sparse data efficiently while not introducing geometrical artifacts, and conventional surface reconstruction methods can't reconstruct surfaces from contours that are arbitrarily oriented in 3D space. We developed a new surface reconstruction method for freehand 3D ultrasound based on variational implicit function which is presented by Greg Turk for shape transformation. In the new method, we first constructed on- & off-surface constraints from the segmented contours of all recorded B-scans, then used a variational interpolation technique to get a single implicit function in 3D. Finally, the implicit function was evaluated to extract the zero-valued surface as final reconstruction result. Two experiment was conducted to assess our variational surface reconstruction method, and the experiment results have shown that the new method is capable of reconstructing surface smoothly from sparse contours which can be arbitrarily oriented in 3D space.


Random Utility Models (RUMs), which subsume Plackett-Luce model (PL) as a special case, are among the most popular models for preference learning. In this paper, we consider RUMs with features and their mixtures, where each alternative has a vector of features, possibly different across agents. Such models significantly generalize the standard PL and RUMs, but are not as well investigated in the literature. We extend mixtures of RUMs with features to models that generate incomplete preferences and characterize their identifiability. For PL, we prove that when PL with features is identifiable, its MLE is consistent with a strictly concave objective function under mild assumptions, by characterizing a bound on root-mean-square-error (RMSE), which naturally leads to a sample complexity bound. We also characterize identifiability of more general RUMs with features and propose a generalized RBCML to learn them. Our experiments on synthetic data demonstrate the effectiveness of MLE on PL with features with tradeoffs between statistical efficiency and computational efficiency. Our experiments on real-world data show the prediction power of PL with features and its mixtures.


Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) is a disease of corn caused by a fungus, Exserohilum turcicum (sexual stage Setosphaeria turcica). Its development is favored by cool to moderate temperatures and high relative humidity. Historically, NCLB has been more common and severe in states in the eastern Corn Belt, but its incidence has increased in Nebraska and the western Corn Belt in recent years. The disease is distributed throughout most of the corn growing areas of the United States. The disease also occurs sporadically throughout other humid corn producing areas of the world. In Nebraska, the disease has been most serious in the extreme eastern counties, but is becoming increasingly common in central Nebraska during years when weather conditions are favorable for disease development. Yield loss caused by this disease can be extensive, up to 30– 50 percent in susceptible hybrids when the disease develops early in the season, prior to tasseling. However, when disease severity is minor or its development is delayed until well after silking, yield impacts are usually minimal.


MATERNAL-FETAL ATTACHMENT (MFA) IS A TERM USED TO DEscribe the relationship between a pregnant woman and her fetus. Qualitative descriptions of maternal attitudes and adaptation to pregnancy indicate that MFA is based on cognitive representations of the fetus. These may include imagined scenarios between mother and child, as well as a mother's attribution of physical and emotional characteristics to the fetus. MFA is manifested in behaviors that demonstrate care and commitment to the fetus and include nurturance (eating well, abstaining from harmful substances, such as alcohol), comforting (stroking the belly), and physical preparation (buying baby clothes and equipment). The concept of MFA is relatively new and has not been well studied or defined. Inquiry into a woman's psychological reaction and adjustment during pregnancy began in the 1970s. Prior to that time, there are few scientific data available on women's thoughts or feelings about their pregnancies. Historical and literary accounts of women's experiences in childbirth prior to the 20th century reveal that women were primarily concerned with enduring and surviving pregnancy. Letters written by women in the 19th century show evidence of maternal projections about the expected child as well as feelings of loss from a miscarriage or infant death. Writings of their own physical suffering and fear of death were more common. The declining mortality rate and technological developments in western nations over the past 30 to 40 years have changed conceptions about pregnancy and the fetus. Women can detect pregnancy earlier and are able to view highresolution images of their fetus at earlier dates. This knowledge may serve to allow women to adopt optimal health practices earlier. The implications of MFA for maternal and fetal health are now studied in other countries and across cultures of developed nations, including China, Germany, Sweden, Israel, and Japan. MFA has not been studied in developing nations in which the mortality rate for women and infants remains at or above 40%. A broad spectrum of MFA has been observed during pregnancy. The frequency and intensity of MFA behaviors increase with advancing gestational age, particularly after quickening at approximately 18 to 22 weeks of gestation. The rate and degree of MFA development appears to be influenced by gestational age at quickening, amount of fetal movement, pregnancy history, and the mother's own attachment history. Three scales measuring psychometric properties have been developed to quantify MFA. While original versions of the 3 scales may be limited in their sensitivity to cultural experience, revisions in other countries suggest that adequate adaptation of these scales may be possible. MFA as measured by these scales is consistently related to pregnancy planning, strength of the marital relationship, gestational age, and maternal depressed mood. The variables of maternal age, parity, self-esteem, and socioeconomic status are inconsistently related to MFA across studies. Social support of family members and peers is a significant predictor of MFA. Perceived support of prenatal care providers was correlated with MFA at 0.74, providing further evidence that psychosocial support is a critical component of prenatal care. Maternal mood state has also been consistently related to ratings of MFA. It has been reported that depression during pregnancy is related to poor prenatal health demonstrated by poor weight gain, drug abuse, and smoking. The relative paucity of research on MFA is limited due to methodological problems, including inadequate operational definition of the construct; small, homogeneous samples; and lack of sensitivity to cultural issues. Little is known about the process by which MFA develops, including psychological and physiological mechanisms that could shape the development of MFA. Future studies should focus on improved measurement of MFA in large, diverse samples.


Hydroxyapatite derived from human teeth was sintered at 1200°C for 2 h. Dissolving behavior of the biologically derived HA (BHA) in distilled water was investigated and compared with an artificial hydroxyapatite (HA) made of synthetic HA powder. All disks were immersed in 40 ml of pH 7.4 distilled water (buffered using 0.05 M Tris.) for 7 and 14 days at 37°C. All detectable peaks in the HA are identical only to HA lattice planes, whereas BHA consisted of a mixture of HA and β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP). In the case of the HA specimen, the surface dissolution was initiated at grain boundaries followed by generated many separated grains and large defect like cavities. On the other hand, biologically derived HA showed that definite grains considered as β-TCP was predominantly dissolved and the grains were separated from the matrix leaving pores. In the mean time, the rest region, mainly consisting of HA, did not show any evidence of dissolution. It seems that BHA is more stable than the artificial HA in liquid environment.


Zinc hydroxystannate was widely used as green flame retardant and smoke suppression agent. In this paper, two different methods were used to prepare the nano-scale zinc hydroxystannate particles. The reaction of tin tetrachloride and zinc oxide was the first way. In the second method, zinc chloride reacted with sodium stannate. The reaction conditions were studied, and the products were characterized by TG/DTA, SEM, and XRD. The best experiment conditions to synthesis zinc hydroxystannate are using sodium stannate and zinc chloride as the raw material, reacting for an half hour at the temperature of 323K, and molar ratio of reactants of 1:1. This will get higher yield, more pure product with regular morphology.


Objective: Illness-related information can be significant for cancer patients after gastrointestinal (GI) surgery in terms of their performing adaptive tasks. This study longitudinally investigated the health outcomes of Japanese patients who read a booklet about cancer patients' problems and adaption tasks and evaluated the association between the responses to the booklet and the patients' health outcomes. Methods: A questionnaire survey about quality of life (QOL), fatigue, anxiety, cognitive plight, and resilience was administered to postoperative patients with GI cancer 1 week after their discharge from hospital and 6 months after surgery. The questionnaires were returned by email. Results: The mean age of the 32 patients at 1 week was 60.9 years; nearly 68.8% of them were men. As a whole, only two variables, QOL and anxiety, were significantly improved at 6 months over those at 1 week. Three statements were taken to gauge the responses to the booklet. In the two-way ANOVA that took QOL and responses to the booklet as independent variables, the post hoc test found that QOL was significantly improved in patients who agreed with the statement "I vaguely understood the content" or "I will deal with my tasks as described in the scenarios" but not in patients who agreed with the statement "The scenarios reflect my situation." The anxiety in patients who agreed with the statement "The scenarios reflect my situation" was high at both survey points. Conclusions: This study suggests that associations between the responses to the informational booklet and patients' health outcomes partially indicate the directional property of how to support their information usage.


Radionuclide uptake and contrast for positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) images have been assessed in this study using NEMA image quality phantom filled with background activity concentration of 5.3 kBq/mL fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG). Spheres in the phantom were filled in turns with water to mimic cold lesions and FDG of higher activity concentrations to mimic tumor sites. Transaxial image slices were acquired on the PET-CT system and used for the evaluation of mean standard uptake value (SUV mean ) and contrasts for varying sphere sizes at different activity concentrations of 10.6 kBq/mL, 21.2 kBq/mL, and 42.4 kBq/mL. For spheres of same sizes, SUV mean increased with increase in activity concentration. SUV mean was increased by 80.6%, 83.5%, 63.2%, 87.4%, and 63.2% when activity concentrations of spheres with a diameter of 1.3 cm, 1.7 cm, 2.2 cm, 2.8 cm, and 3.7 cm, respectively, were increased from 10.6 kBq/mL to 42.4 kBq/mL. Average percentage contrast between cold spheres (cold lesions) and background activity concentration was estimated to be 89.96% for the spheres. Average contrast for the spheres containing 10.6 kBq/mL, 21.2 kBq/mL, and 42.4 kBq/mL were found to be 110.92%, 134.48%, and 150.52%, respectively. The average background contrast variability was estimated to be 2.97% at 95% confidence interval (P < 0.05).


"Designing active pedagogies" is a 10-credit course delivered as part of the PGCAP/MEd in Academic Practice. In designing this course, we [Sheridan and Dale] took a creative approach, enabling learners to experiment with notions of place, space and active learning. Using a narrative framework for course design (the five steps of Freytag's (1894) pyramid), we created activities to:
1. Establish a starting point ('exposition') for exploration by introducing the learners to our underpinning theoretical framework which examines the intersections between student, teacher and place domains;
2. Create the potential for cognitive dissonance ('rising action') by introducing participants to the theory and practice of digital storytelling (Bernard, 2008), object-based learning (Chatterjee, 2011) and learning landscapes (Low and Goodwin, 2016), with the potential to apply these to their own teaching practice;
3. Enable learners to create and get peer feedback on their formative artefacts ('climax');
4. Encourage learners to showcase their learning from previous sessions, inside and outside the classroom ('falling action'); and
5. Empower learners to integrate the active pedagogies into their own teaching practice as a result of their reflections and scholarly engagement through the summative assessment ('denouement').
Learners will share their experiences of what the course meant for them and their teaching practice, illustrated through multimedia course artefacts.

BERNARD, R. R. 2008. Digital Storytelling: A Powerful Technology Tool for the 21st Century Classroom. Theory Into Practice, 47, 220.
CHATTERJEE, H. J. 2011. Object-based learning in higher education: The pedagogical power of museums [Online]. Available: https://edoc.hu-berlin.de/bitstream/handle/18452/9349/chatterjee.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y [Accessed 5 November 2018].
FREYTAG, G. 1894. Freytag's Technique of the Drama: An Exposition of Dramatic Composition and Art, translated and edited by Elias J. MacEwan [Online]. Chicago: Scott, Foresman and Company. Available: https://archive.org/details/freytagstechniqu00freyuoft [Accessed 5 November 2018].
LOW, M. & GOODWIN, D. 2016. The sociology of space: materiality, social structures, and action, New York, Palgrave Macmillan.

ILOs
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Recognise the pros and cons of a range of creative pedagogies for active learning
• Discuss the potential for active pedagogies in their own teaching practice
Co-authors Ahmad, Breslin, Charters, Docherty, Karadaglic and Reid were student participants on the course, which they helped us to refine and develop as the course was delivered. They will share their reflections and artefacts from the course


Introduction : The mass of adipose tissue expands during weight gain mostly because of an increase in fat cell diameter, which is one of the most important determinants of tissue metabolism. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of aging associated with weight gain on cell size and heterogeneity of adipocytes at different fat depots. Materials and Methods: Adipose tissues were harvested from subcutaneous (SC), retroperitoneal (RP), perirenal (PR), proximal epididymal (PE) and distal epididymal (DE) regions of two groups of rats with a 30-day difference in age and 36% increase in body weight. Diameters of fat cells were measured using a microscope equipped with a calibrated micrometer. Cell size heterogeneity was deduced from coefficient of variation. Results: In both groups, no significant regional differences were observed in diameter of adipocytes in various fat depots. With the exception of the RP depot, the weight gain caused a significant increase in diameter of adipocytes in all other depots. The highest and the lowest increase were seen in PR and RP adipocyte diameter, respectively. The degree of heterogeneity of fat depots was not significantly altered by weight gain. Conclusion: Aging associated with weight gain leads to fat cell hypertrophy in a depot specific manner, and cells at depots close to survival organs such as kidney and gonads are more affected than those of the other depots. The results of this study can enhance current knowledge on adipose tissue mass expansion and its related health complications such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.


In this paper we deal with the problem of global exponential practical stability preservation for globally Lipschitz time-delay systems, by Euler emulation of continuous-time dynamic output feedback controllers affected by measurement noises and actuation disturbances. Nonlinear time-delay systems not necessarily affine in the control input are studied. It is shown that, if the continuous-time closed-loop system at hand is globally exponentially stable and the maps describing the plant and the continuous-time dynamic output feedback controller are globally Lipschitz, then, under suitably fast sampling, the Euler emulation of the continuous-time controller at hand preserves the global exponential stability of the sampled-data closed-loop system (no matter whether periodic or aperiodic sampling is used). In the case of bounded measurement noises and bounded actuation disturbances affecting the control law, it is proved that, under suitable fast sampling, (global) exponential input-to-state stability with respect to both these external inputs is guaranteed. A generalisation of the Halanay's inequality is used as a tool in order to prove the results. The existence of a Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional for the continuous-time closed-loop system is sufficient to ensure the preservation of the global exponential practical stability. On the other hand, the explicit knowledge of a Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional allows us to compute an upper bound for the sampling period. An example is presented which validates the theoretical results.


A Bayes network based classifier for distinguishing terrestrial rocks from meteorites is implemented onboard the Nomad robot. Equipped with a camera, spectrometer and eddy current sensor, this robot searched the ice sheets of Antarctica and autonomously made the first robotic identification of a meteorite, in January 2000 at the Elephant Moraine. This paper discusses rock classification from a robotic platform, and describes the system onboard Nomad.


The Set-Up "The esthetics of the smile involves more than just the teeth. Cosmetic dental materials placed by an artistic operator can create 'that movie star look,' but what about the 'frames' around those smiles? The perioral tissues are areas that can contribute to making people appear older than they would like. This month, Drs. Malcmacher, Krever and Feck discuss the use of dermal fillers to help these patients make not only their teeth look younger, but make their face look younger as well.


Based on the analysis of a RX-ray study and a selective blood test for the activity of the plasma renin, aldesterone, hydrocortisone and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in 57 patients with arterial hypertension--14 persons without renal failure, 14 ones regularly treated by hemodialysis, 29 patients with left orthostatic varicocele--the authors demonstrated the impact of the renal arterio- and phlebography on the hormone levels studied. Arteriography resulted in an increase in the absolute value of the renal vein renin mean 2.1-fold, aldosterone, 3.3-fold and hydrocortisone, 1.7-fold. A 2.2-fold increase in the renin activity and a 2.6-fold increase in the levels of aldosterone and hydrocortisone noted in all the patients were the result of retrograde renal phlebography. No correlations were established between the changes in hormone levels and the central mechanism of the secretion regulation (ACTH). Radiopaque investigations of the patients with arterial hypertension gave 22 per cent of false positive results with regard to the site of renin secretion and 18 per cent of those with regard to the participation of the studied kidney in renin secretion. The authors supposed a possible regulation of adrenal mineralocorticoid performance by a retrograde blood flow appeared through the adrenal central veins that was induced by phlebography--related elevation of blood pressure in the renal vein.


The effective separation of ammonia from the synthesis loop in ammonia synthesis plants is an important step in its manufacture. This work presents the use of nanocomposite MFI zeolite membranes prepared by a pore-plugging method for this separation process. Performance of a zeolite membrane is highly dependent on the operating conditions. Therefore, the influences of differential pressure, temperature, sweep gas flow, feed gas flow and gas composition are studied experimentally. Transport of NH3 in this membrane is by surface diffusion in the intracrystalline (zeolite) pores in parallel with capillary condensation in the intercrystalline (non-zeolite) pores. The separation of NH3 from a mixture with H2 and N2 is by preferential adsorption of NH3, which hinders the permeation of weakly adsorbed H2 and N2. Differential pressure has only relatively small effects in the pressure range 300kPa – 1550kPa. Increase in sweep flow rate has little effect on NH3 gas permeance, but H2 and N2 permeances increase thereby decreasing the selectivities. Increase in feed flowrate also has little effect on NH3 permeance. However, the N2 and H2 permeances increase and there is a subsequent decrease in selectivities. Membrane performance was found to be highly dependent on temperature. NH3 permeance in the mixture increases linearly with temperature. NH3 selectivity was found to increase with temperature up to 353K after which it starts to decrease due to N2 and H2 permeances increasing with temperatures beyond 353K (αNH3/N2 = 46 and αNH3/H2 = 15) and is therefore the optimum temperature for separation. A potential barrier model is developed to describe the hindering effect of NH3 on H2 and N2 permeance. The model fails to predict correctly H2 and N2 permeances in the ternary mixture using pure gas (H2 and N2) permeances. Binary mixture permeation H2/N2 studies showed that there are diffusion effects (single file diffusion) that have not been taken into account in the potential barrier model. When permeances of the individual components in the binary mixture are used in the model instead of the pure gas permeances, there is an improved agreement between experimental and predicted results.


This research is a literature study which discusses the concept of territoriality space theory. The observation focus in the context of traditional settlement, which emphasize on the social and cultural aspect that related to the social system and physical culture in traditional settlement context. The aim of this study to seek and uncover gap knowledge of space territoriality concept or theory that has been widely studied and researched, whether it has been done in more depth in behavioral and cultural aspects of society? Is the context of the traditional settlement has been studied in more depth and comprehensively?.Traditional settlements as the physical environment or setting is unique, and the distinctiveness have not been studied and examined in more depth. Territoriality is the relationship between space with humans, the study approach with a focus on cultural norms, and different societies will generate a form and a different concept of space. Finally, the results based on literature review shows that the concept or theory of territoriality in the traditional settlements context in more depth and comprehensively in the aspects of culture and behavior has not been done. Therefore, a specify and comprehension study of territoriality space on the traditional settlement need to be done, in order to find out an adequate formula related to territoriality space on the traditional settlement.


The effect of substituting fish meal (FM) with shrimp waste meal (SWM) at four levels (0, 33, 66, 100%) in diets on the performance of broilers was determined. One hundred and forty-four day-old Cobb broiler chicks were raised on four iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric diets with 22% crude protein (CP) and 12.1 MJ metabolizable energy (ME) kg -1 diet in the starting phase and 18% CP and 12.0 MJ ME kg -1 diet in the finishing phase. Growth rate and feed efficiency were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced with 100% substitution level at both phases. No significant effect was found in feed consumption during the two phases. Mortality increased with an increased level of SWM in the diet while per cent N retention decreased with an increased level of SWM in the diets. Carcass and organoleptic measurements indicated a significant (P < 0.05) increase in weight of gizzard, liver, and abdominal fat only while the 100% SWM diet significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the fish flavour and overall acceptance of the meat. The results show that SWM could replace up to 66% of FM in broiler diets.


Introduction Comorbidities significantly influence the clinical course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, their prognostic impact is not fully understood. We therefore aimed to determine the impact of comorbidities, as individual and as whole, on survival in IPF. Methods The database of a tertiary referral centre for interstitial lung diseases was reviewed for comorbidities, their treatments, their frequency and survival in IPF patients. Results 272 patients were identified of which 12% had no, 58% 1–3 and 30% 4–7 comorbidities, mainly cardiovascular, pulmonary and oncologic comorbidities. Median survival according to the frequency of comorbidities differed significantly with 66 months for patients without comorbidities, 48 months when 1–3 comorbidities were reported and 35 months when 4–7 comorbidities were prevalent (p = 0.004). A multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses identified other cardiac diseases and lung cancer as significant predictors of death, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and diastolic dysfunction had a significant positive impact on survival. A significant impact of comorbidities associated therapies on survival was not discovered. This included the use of proton pump inhibitors at baseline, which was not associated with a survival benefit (p = 0.718). We also established a predictive tool for highly prevalent comorbidities, termed IPF comorbidome which demonstrates a new relationship of IPF and comorbidities. Conclusion Comorbidities are frequent in IPF patients. Some comorbidities, especially lung cancer, mainly influence survival in IPF, while others such as GERD may inherit a more favourable effect. Moreover, their cumulative incidence impacts survival.


This paper presents the concept of a physical-model description language, a high level modeling language far semiconductor device simulation. Two major issues in its implementation are presented with their algorithmic implementation. These are the concept of automatically assigning mesh position to device based data (automatic discretization) and the automatic generation of the analytical Jacobian by symbolic means.<<ETX>>


Jackson C, Dickinson D. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006;160:56–62 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY. To evaluate effects of a home-based antismoking socialization program on the initiation of smoking among children whose parents smoke. STUDY POPULATION. Parents who were current smokers and had a third-grader who had not tried smoking were eligible. The study included 776 children who completed an interview 3 years after initial randomization of 873 parent-child pairs; 371 were in the intervention group, and 405 were in the control group. METHODS. This was a 3-year randomized, controlled trial. During 3 months, the intervention group received 5 printed activity guides, parenting tip sheets, child newsletters, and incentives. One year later, this group also received a booster activity guide. The control group only received fact sheets about smoking. RESULTS. Initiation of smoking was reported by 19% of children in the control group versus 12% of those in the intervention group (adjusted odds ratio: 2.16; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS. Children in the preinitiation phase of smoking who receive antismoking socialization from their parents are less likely to initiate smoking, even if their parents smoke. The authors defined antismoking socialization as internalization of attitudinal and behavioral norms against initiation of smoking, acceptance of parental monitoring of access to cigarettes and affiliation with peers who have tried smoking, expectations of negative consequences for trying smoking, and expectations of positive consequences for not smoking, which is much more than simply telling children that they should not smoke. REVIEWER COMMENTS. This study is remarkable in that it demonstrated that, contrary to the "common-sense" view that parents who smoke can do little to discourage smoking by their children, active antismoking socialization, even by parents who smoke, can significantly reduce rates of smoking by their children.


Background: Little is known about the relationships between sleep parameters and fatigue in patients at the initiation of radiation therapy (RT). Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe values for nocturnal sleep/rest, daytime wake/activity, and circadian activity rhythm parameters measured using actigraphy and to evaluate the relationships between these objective parameters and subjective ratings of sleep disturbance and fatigue severity, in a sample of patients at the initiation of RT. Methods: Patients (n = 185) with breast, prostate, lung, or brain cancer completed self-report measures for sleep disturbance (ie, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, General Sleep Disturbance Scale) and fatigue (Lee Fatigue Scale) and wore wrist actigraphs for a total of 48 hours prior to beginning RT. Actigraphy data were analyzed using the Cole-Kripke algorithm. Spearman rank correlations were calculated between variables. Results: Approximately 30% to 50% of patients experienced sleep disturbance, depending on whether clinically significant cutoffs for the subjective or objective measures were used to calculate occurrence rates. In addition, these patients reported moderate levels of fatigue. Only a limited number of significant correlations were found between the subjective and objective measures of sleep disturbance. Significant positive correlations were found between the subjective, but not the objective measures of sleep disturbance and fatigue. Conclusions: A significant percentage of oncology patients experience significant disturbances in sleep-wake circadian activity rhythms at the initiation of RT. The disturbances occur in both sleep initiation and sleep maintenance. Implications for Practice: Patients need to be assessed at the initiation of RT for sleep disturbance, so appropriate treatment is initiated.


Abstract: Beneficial use of water of impaired quality has gained attention globally as society's demand for domestic quality water has increased. Additionally, concerns about the environmental implications of disposal of water of impaired quality have necessitated assessment of alternatives to disposal of such water. The study reported here investigated capacity of Atriplex lentiformis (Torr.) S. Wats. (Quail bush), Atriplex X aptera A. Nels. (pro sp.) (Wytana four‐wing saltbush), and Hordeum marinum Huds. (seaside barley) to produce biomass and crude protein and take up cations when irrigated with moderately saline–sodic water, in the presence of a shallow water table. Water tables were established at 0.38, 0.76, and 1.14 m below the surface in sand‐filled columns. The columns were then planted to the study species. Study plants were irrigated for 224 days; irrigation water was supplied every 7 days equal to water lost to evapotranspiration (ET) plus 100 mL (the volume of water removed in the most previous soil solution sampling). Water representing one of two irrigation sources was used: Powder River (PR) [electrical conductivity (EC) = 0.19 Sm−1, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) = 3.5 (mmolc L−1)1/2 ] or coalbed natural gas (CBNG) wastewater [EC = 0.35 Sm−1, SAR = 10.5 (mmolc L−1)1/2]. Biomass production did not differ significantly between water quality treatments but did differ significantly among species and water table depth within species. Averaged across water quality treatments, Hordeum marinum produced 79% more biomass than A. lentiformis and 122% more biomass than Atriplex X aptera, but contained only 11% crude protein compared to 16% crude protein in A. lentiformis and 14% crude protein in Atriplex X aptera. Atriplex spp. grown in columns with the water table at 0.38 m depth produced more biomass, took up less calcium (Ca2+) on a percentage basis [(g Ca2+ g−1 biomass) ×100], and took up more sodium (Na+) on a percentage basis than when grown with the water table at a deeper depth. Uptake of cations by Atriplex lentiformis was approximately twice the uptake of cations by Atriplex X aptera and three times that of H. marinum. After 224 days of irrigation, crop growth, and cation uptake, followed by biomass harvest, EC and SAR of shallow groundwater in columns planted to A. lentiformis were less than EC and SAR of shallow ground water in columns planted to either of the other species.


Objective To investigate whether a dose–response relationship existed between exercise and subjective sleep quality in postmenopausal women. This objective represents a post hoc assessment that was not previously considered. Design Parallel-group randomised controlled trial. Setting Clinical exercise physiology laboratory in Dallas, Texas. Participants 437 sedentary overweight/obese postmenopausal women. Intervention Participants were randomised to one of four treatments, each of 6 months of duration: a non-exercise control treatment (n=92) or one of three dosages of moderate-intensity exercise (50% of VO2peak), designed to meet 50% (n=151), 100% (n=99) or 150% (n=95) of the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Panel physical activity recommendations. Exercise dosages were structured to elicit energy expenditures of 4, 8 or 12 kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per week (KKW), respectively. Analyses were intent to treat. Primary outcome measures Continuous scores and odds of having significant sleep disturbance, as assessed by the Sleep Problems Index from the 6-item Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale. Outcome assessors were blinded to participant randomisation assignment. Results Change in the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Problems Index score at 6 months significantly differed by treatment group (control: −2.09 (95% CI −4.58 to 0.40), 4 KKW: −3.93 (−5.87 to −1.99), 8 KKW: −4.06 (−6.45 to −1.67), 12 KKW: −6.22 (−8.68 to −3.77); p=0.04), with a significant dose–response trend observed (p=0.02). Exercise training participants had lower odds of having significant sleep disturbance at postintervention compared with control (4 KKW: OR 0.37 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.73), 8 KKW: 0.36 (0.17 to 0.77), 12 KKW: 0.34 (0.16 to 0.72)). The magnitude of weight loss did not differ between treatment conditions. Improvements in sleep quality were not related to changes in body weight, resting parasympathetic control or cardiorespiratory fitness. Conclusion Exercise training induced significant improvement in subjective sleep quality in postmenopausal women, with even a low dose of exercise resulting in greatly reduced odds of having significant sleep disturbance. Trial registration number clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00011193.


Factored planning methods aim to exploit locality to efficiently solve large but "loosely coupled" planning problems by computing solutions locally and propagating limited information between components. However, all factored planning methods presented so far work with representations that require certain parameters to be bounded (e.g. number of coordination points between local plans considered); the satisfaction of those bounds by a given problem instance is difficult to establish a priori, and the influence of those parameters on the problem complexity is unclear. We present an instance of the factored planning framework using a representation of the (regular) sets of local plans by finite automata, which does not require any such bound. By substituting weighted automata, we can even do factored cost-optimal planning. We test an implementation of the method on the few standard planning benchmarks that we have found to be amenable to factoring. We show that this method runs in polynomial time under conditions similar to those considered in previous work, but not only under those conditions. Thus, what constitutes an essential measure of "factorability" remains obscure.


BACKGROUND
Intoxications by beans can have serious consequences. We describe 2 auto-intoxications using castor beans and jequirity beans with the toxins ricin and abrin, respectively. Both toxins have similar mechanisms of action. When taken orally, a toxic mucositis develops causing dehydration, gastrointestinal blood loss and multi-organ failure. Knowledge about pathophysiology is important for risk assessment and treatment.

CASE DESCRIPTION
Patient A presented 27 hours after ingestion of the castor beans with frequent vomiting and watery diarrhea. Patient B presented 45 minutes after ingestion of jequirity beans without physical complaints. Gastric lavage and bowel lavage was started. The clinical course in both patients was mild. The severity of toxicity depends on how much the beans have been chewed and the amount of ricin/abrin per bean.

CONCLUSION
Intoxications with ricin or abrin can be potentially serious. There is no antidote. Treatment consists of anti-absorptive measures and best supportive care.


Introduction: Covid-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Since then, governments have implemented unprecedented public health measures to contain the virus. This study will provide evidence to inform responses to the pandemic by: i) estimating population prevalence and trends of self-reported symptoms of Covid-19 and the proportions of symptomatic individuals and household contacts testing positive for Covid-19; ii) describing acceptance and compliance with physical-distancing measures, explore effects of public health measures on physical, mental and social wellbeing; iii) developing a mathematical network model to inform decisions on the optimal levels of physical distancing measures. Methods: Two cross-sectional nationally-representative telephone surveys will be conducted in Ireland using random digit-dialling, with response rates estimates based on proportion of non-operational and non-answering numbers. The first survey with four waves in May and June will address adherence to social distancing measures and whether the respondent or other household members are or have been unwell during the preceding two weeks with one or more symptoms of Covid-19. The second survey with three waves in June, July and September will address knowledge, attitudes, and compliance towards physical-distancing measures and physical, mental and social wellbeing. The mathematical network model will be developed for all-Ireland (on various levels of spatial granularity including the scale of counties and electoral divisions) based on outputs from both cross-sectional surveys and relevant publicly available data to inform decisions on optimal levels and duration of physical distancing measures. Discussion: This study will contribute to our understanding of the impact and sustainability of public health measures of the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings will have long-lasting benefits, informing decision-making on the best levels, and duration of physical-distancing measures, balancing a range of factors including capacity of the health service with the effects on individuals' wellbeing and economic disruption. Findings will be shared with key policy-makers.


The power budget is expected to limit the portion of the chip that we can power ON at the upcoming technology nodes. This problem, known as the utilization wall or dark silicon, is becoming increasingly serious. With the introduction of 3-D integrated circuits (ICs), it is likely to become more severe. Thus, how to take advantage of the extra transistors, made available by Moore's law and the onset of 3-D ICs, within the power budget poses a significant challenge to system designers. To address this challenge, we propose a 3-D hybrid architecture consisting of a CPU layer with multiple cores, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) layer, and a DRAM layer. The architecture is designed for low power without sacrificing performance. The FPGA layer is capable of supporting a large number of accelerators. It is placed adjacent to the CPU layer, with a communication mechanism that allows it to access CPU data caches directly. This enables fast switches between these two layers. This architecture reduces the power and energy significantly, at better or similar performance. This then alleviates the dark silicon problem by letting us power ON more components to achieve higher performance. We evaluate the proposed architecture through a new framework we have developed. Relative to the out-of-order CPU, the accelerators on the FPGA layer can reduce function-level power by 6.9× and energy-delay product (EDP) by 7.2×, and application-level power by 1.9× and EDP by 2.2×, while delivering similar performance. For the entire system, this translates to a 47.5% power reduction relative to a baseline system that consists of a CPU layer and a DRAM layer. This also translates to a 72.9% power reduction relative to an alternative system that consists of a CPU layer, an L3 cache layer, and a DRAM layer.


Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is one of the very promising alternative renewable energy sources to anticipate the declination in the fossil fuel reserves in the next few decades and to make use of the abundance of intensive sunlight energy in tropical countries like Indonesia. In the present study, TiO2 nanoparticles of different nanocrystallinity was synthesized via sol−gel process with various water to inorganic precursor ratio (Rw) of 0.85, 2.00 and 3.50 upon sol preparation, followed with subsequent drying, conventional annealing and post-hydrothermal treatments. The resulting nanoparticles were integrated into the DSSC prototype and sensitized with an organic dye made of the extract of red onion. The basic performance of the fabricated DSSC has been examined and correlated to the crystallite size and band gap energy of TiO2 nanoparticles. It was found that post-hydrothermally treated TiO2 nanoparticles derived from sol of 2.00 Rw, with the most enhanced nanocrystalline size of 12.46 nm and the lowest band gap energy of 3.48 eV, showed the highest open circuit voltage (Voc) of 69.33 mV.


To the Editor: In the timely and welcome discussion by Mantz et al. of postoperative delirium in an octogenarian, the patient's preoperative use of a statin is mentioned but is not considered in the discussion of the etiology of the delirium. The possibility that the statin might have contributed was set aside on the basis of a single retrospective investigation in which investigators at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, observed a lesser incidence of delirium after cardiac surgery, performed with cardiopulmonary bypass, among preprocedure statin takers. However, we hope that both clinicians and clinical investigators will maintain in mind the possibility that statins might, in at least some circumstances, contribute to postoperative delirium or cognitive dysfunction. We grant quickly that the supporting information is limited. However, in a retrospective review of a large Canadian database, other investigators at the University of Toronto reported an increase in the incidence of delirium after noncardiac surgery among patients older than 65 yr who had been receiving statins. Those latter investigators did not offer the hypothesis that prompted their study. However, we speculate that the evidence suggesting long-term preservation of cognitive function and the reduced presence of the pathologic changes associated with Alzheimer disease among elderly statin users might have prompted them to anticipate the opposite result. There are numerous derivative questions. First, if the observations in both the retrospective studies mentioned above are valid, why the difference? Is it possible that the antiinflammatory effects of statins have a benefit that is evident in the context of the more intense proinflammatory state created by cardiopulmonary bypass? Is it simultaneously possible that there might also be adverse effects on cognitive function in other situations? Several considerations led us to suspect that there are grounds to suspect that statins might have adverse effects on cognitive function. Among the manifestations of the antiinflammatory effects of statins are reduced levels of nuclear factorB and tumor necrosis factor. However, nuclear factorB and tumor necrosis factor, in addition to their participation in systemic inflammatory process, are both present in the central nervous system in which they are important participants in synaptic function. Furthermore, cholesterol itself is an important component of cell membranes and, in particular, is an essential element of membrane/lipid rafts (MLRs) that are essential for synaptic function. Our own recent investigations (manuscript in preparation) have revealed that genetic manipulations that increase MLR formation in neurons enhance synaptic signaling cascades and that this effect is blocked by statins or other agents that disrupt MLRs. Evidence obtained by others has shown that disruption or alterations of neuronal MLRs by statins can be neurotoxic, demonstrating the importance of these distinct microdomains for proper neuronal signaling. Other recent work has shown that the fatty acid content of MLRs isolated from synaptic endings is altered in aged animals. This, in turn, suggests that cognitive processes in the elderly might be more vulnerable to statin-associated changes in neuronal structure and function, of which delirium might be a manifestation. The inherent paradox is that statins might be beneficial in terms of long-term cognitive well-being but yet be disadvantageous in the face of certain acute stresses, including anesthesia and surgery. This is currently at best a matter of reasonable speculation that requires further investigation. In the interim, our brief message is that we hope that clinicians and clinical investigators will keep their minds open to the possibility that statins might in some circumstances contribute to perioperative delirium or cognitive dysfunction.


This paper aimed to explore the behavior of initial return in Indonesia Market from 2000 to 2017. Initial Return is calculated by closing price on the first day of trading in stock market compared to price of Initial Public Offering (IPO). Furthermore, Completely Randomized Design is used to find the differences of initial return between industries and yearly. The result showed this research found average Initial Return of 31.89% for period 2000 to 2017 that as IPO Company of 355. There is no difference between initial return of industries, but there is difference of initial return in each year (yearly). This research using secondary data. Data Period is 2000 to 2017, and might be found missing data. The people has information to decide buying stocks. JEL classification numbers: G32Keywords: behavior, initial return, Indonesia Market, monthly, Initial Public Offering.


Abstract In current debates the media, policy makers and scientists are aiming to identify factors explaining negative trends in the orthography competencies of German primary school students. Especially a concept making use of initial sound tables and the method "reading by writing" is often identified as a core factor. However empirical studies backing these claims are rare and contradictory. Also very little is known about the actual use of initial sound tables in primary schools. In this article we provide an overview of empirical studies on the effectiveness of the use of initial sound tables and the concept "reading by writing". We then present data from a short teacher survey on the use of initial sound tables in German classes, which was realized as an extension to the PIRLS 2016 and is therefore representative for German primary schools. According to this survey about 70 % of all Grade 4 learners of 2016 have been exposed to initial sound tables as part of their German lessons throughout primary school. About half of these learners were asked to work almost every lesson with these tables in their first one-half years of schooling. We also find that teachers who work with sound tables differ in their beliefs about when student's spelling mistakes should be corrected. In addition we find that the majority of teachers report to combine the use of sound tables with other materials, such as basic readers. We argue especially this finding should guide future designs of studies aiming to compare the effectiveness of different methods as most of the current studies possibly wrongly assume a distinctive or at least dominant use of initial sound tables or basic readers.


Abstract. Laser scanners are widely used for the modelling of existing buildings and particularly in the creation process of as-built BIM (Building Information Modelling). However, the generation of as-built BIM from point clouds involves mainly manual steps and it is consequently time consuming and error-prone. Along the path to automation, a three steps segmentation approach has been developed. This approach is composed of two phases: a segmentation into sub-spaces namely floors and rooms and a plane segmentation combined with the identification of building elements. In order to assess and validate the developed approach, different case studies are considered. Indeed, it is essential to apply algorithms to several datasets and not to develop algorithms with a unique dataset which could influence the development with its particularities. Indoor point clouds of different types of buildings will be used as input for the developed algorithms, going from an individual house of almost one hundred square meters to larger buildings of several thousand square meters. Datasets provide various space configurations and present numerous different occluding objects as for example desks, computer equipments, home furnishings and even wine barrels. For each dataset, the results will be illustrated. The analysis of the results will provide an insight into the transferability of the developed approach for the indoor modelling of several types of buildings.


Abstract Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a more common type of breast cancer with high distant metastasis and poor prognosis. The potential role of lamins in cancer progression has been widely revealed. However, the function of lamin B2 (LMNB2) in TNBC progression is still unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of LMNB2 in TNBC. The cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to examine LMNB2 expression levels. LMNB2 short hairpin RNA plasmid or lentivirus was used to deplete the expression of LMNB2 in human TNBC cell lines including MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231. Alterations in cell proliferation and apoptosis in vitro and the nude mouse tumorigenicity assay in vivo were subsequently analyzed. The human TNBC tissues shown high expression of LMNB2 according to the bioinformation analysis and IHC assays. LMNB2 expression was correlated with the clinical pathological features of TNBC patients, including pTNM stage and lymph node metastasis. Through in vitro and in vivo assays, we confirmed LMNB2 depletion suppressed the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of TNBC cells, and inhibited tumor growth of TNBC cells in mice, with the decrease in Ki67 expression or the increase in caspase-3 expression. In conclusion, LMNB2 may promote TNBC progression and could serve as a potential therapeutic target for TNBC treatment.


In 2001, Lawrence Lessig pointed out that, when considering of the ownership, regulation and governance of the virtual commons, we must take into account the "physical" layer, the "logical" or "code" layer, and the "content" layer, which includes the text, images, music, animations, movies and other digital material accessed over the internet. In an effort to free up the "content" layer, creativecommons.org went online in 2002, allowing individuals to attach "some rights reserved" licenses to their work. This development was in response to changes in US copyright laws that the Creative Commons founders (including Lessig) argued hindered access to creative works. Since then, the Creative Commons Licenses have been ported to over fifty jurisdictions, including New Zealand. In this paper, I review institutional efforts to strengthen copyright in New Zealand through the Copyright (New Technologies) Amendment Act in 2008 and the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Act in 2011. I then discuss the use of Creative Commons licenses to share creative work with fewer restrictions, using examples drawn from education, the government sector and individual artists. Finally, I review critiques of the Creative Commons movement from those who point out that it supports the existing system that treats culture and communication as private, subject to property rights, and as a resource to be commercially exploited.


In this investigation, the effect of kaolin on hydration kinetics and swelling behavior of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose ocular film was studied. Gradual reduction in the extent of and rate of swelling of the film was noticed with increasing the content of kaolin. Peppas model revealed that the diffusion coefficient was increased in the presence of kaolin and also increased for the film of higher viscosity polymeric film. Peppas model suggested that the polymeric film followed the diffusion-controlled swelling mechanism. The Peleg rate constant was increased from 1.69 to 44.39 h/g indicating the initial water adsorption rate in the decreasing order while Peleg capacity constant did not vary significantly in the presence and absence of kaolin indicating lack of remarkable change of water adsorption capacity. The presence of kaolin in the film could maintain a safe corneal hydration level.


African ancestral values and demographic presence are crucial to the making of the Brazilian nation. Yet the tendency is to deny their identity in favor of a unitary concept of nationality and cultural homogeneity under the aegis of patriarchy and Western values.In the globalized world, feminists and formerly colonized peoples have defined identity as a political right; this is the source of the theory of multiculturalism. The critique of Western universalism and patriarchy leads us to question the terms in which this theory has been articulated and points to the need to interrogate whiteness.This critique, developed in the practice and thought of feminist and anti-racist social movements, including Afro-Brazilian movements in the period 1930-1968, contributes in largely unrecognized ways to the construction of post-modern thought.The concept of gender implies moving the focus of attention from women to the relations between men and women. A similar shift can be made in the study of race relations and of feminist thought. Thus, it is suggested that the traditional focus on "Blacks" or on "the Black problem" in Brazil is insufficient. In order to deal effectively with the issue of race, one must interrogate the silent, invisible and unarticulated hegemony of white identity as ethnicity. In this process, reason is found to critically analyze feminist thought from the perspective of non-Western cultures. The line of scientific research and thought initiated and inspired by Cheikh Anta Diop and the analysis of the social and linguistic structures of the Yoruba, an African people who contributed greatly to the formation of Brazilian culture, reveal common grounds and areas of coherence between feminist theory and Afrocentric or perspectivist anti-racist thought.The text explores the legacy and current presence of racism in Brazil in their relation to patriarchy. The Sorcery of Color is proposed as a metaphor for the Brazilian standard of race relations, which transforms a perverse system of racial domination into a pretense of anti-racist ideals and creates the category of Virtual Whiteness as its fulcrum of identity. These factors are traced in the literature of psychology and new tendencies like ethnopsychiatry and the study of whiteness are identified. Also, the emergence of new theoretical and therapeutic approaches in the clinical practice and theoretical production of a new generation of Brazilian African descendant psychologists is observed and characterized as the Afro-Brazilian Listeners Based on documentary research, Black movements in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (1914-1960) are examined in a critical analysis that emphasizes the aspects of identity and education. Frequently, distortion and omission of data occur in studies of these movements, which present a continuum and coherence in thought and practice over the twentieth century, and also contribute to the construction of post-modern thought. In education, the conclusion is that attending to the widely demonstrated need to overcome racial discrimination will depend on a new approach to gender and to African identity.


OBJECTIVE
Abnormalities in brain structure, cognition, and behavior have been described in children born prematurely. However, no direct in vivo evidence has yet demonstrated abnormal neural processing in these children. Our aim was to compare brain activity associated with phonologic and semantic processing of language between term and preterm children using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

METHODS
fMRI scans were acquired during a passive language comprehension task in 26 preterm children at 8 years of age and in 13 term community control children who were comparable in age, sex, maternal education, and minority status. IQ was assessed using a standard measure of intelligence.

RESULTS
The pattern of brain activity identified in a semantic processing task in the preterm children closely resembled the pattern of brain activity identified in a phonologic processing task in term controls. The greater this resemblance in the preterm children, the lower their verbal comprehension IQ scores and the poorer their language comprehension during the scanning task.

CONCLUSIONS
Preterm children with the poorest language comprehension seemed not to fully engage normal semantic processing pathways in a language comprehension task. These children instead engaged pathways that normal term children used to process meaningless phonologic sounds. Aberrant processing of semantic content in these preterm children may account in part for their lower verbal IQ scores.


We have determined the DNA sequence of a gene encoding a thymus leukemia (TL) antigen in the BALB/c mouse, and have more definitively mapped the cloned BALB/c Tla-region class I gene clusters. Analysis of the sequence shows that the Tla gene is less closely related to the H-2 genes than H-2 genes are to one another or to a Qa-2,3-region genes. The Tla gene, 17.3A, contains an apparent gene conversion. Comparison of the BALB/c Tla genes with those from C57BL shows that BALB/c has more Tla-region class I genes, and that one of the genes absent in C57BL is gene 17.3A.


Crohn's Disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the bowel. In the pre-biological era, approximately 40–50% of patients would undergo surgery within the first 2 decades after diagnosis, with a risk of postoperative recurrence up to 50% at 10 years. Although post-operative prophylaxis is recommended to prevent clinical and endoscopic recurrence, little is known about the factors associated with surgical recurrence.

 Single-center, retrospective study including 992 patients with CD. Demographic and clinical data were retrieved from patients' medical charts. Patients with 1 or more surgeries were selected for analysis, excluding perianal disease surgeries. Thiopurines and biologics were considered as prophylaxis for surgical recurrence only if initiated within the first year after surgery. A logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate potential predictors of surgery recurrence.

 Three hundred and nine patients (31.1%) required at least one surgery during follow-up. Two hundred and twenty-four patients (72.5%) underwent a single surgery and 85 (27.5%) required two or more interventions. Patients with surgical recurrence were younger [31 (23–36) vs 34 years (24–44), p=0.009], and had lower rates of prophylaxis with thiopurines (23.5% vs 37.5%, p=0.013), and anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents (8.2% vs 22.3%, p=0.002) compared with patients without surgical recurrence. Multivariate analysis identified stricturing and penetrating phenotype as risk factor for surgical recurrence (OR 2.292 95%CI [1.500–3.502], p<0.001]). Likewise, older age (OR 0.949 95%CI [0.94–0.996], p=0.034), and prophylaxis with anti-TNFs (OR 0.309 95% [0.126–0.754], p=0.01) were protective factors against surgical recurrence. Twenty-five patients (29.4%) developed a second surgical recurrence. Patients with more than one surgical recurrence had lower utilization of thiopurines (16% vs 45%, p=0.009) and anti-TNFs (0% vs 26.7%, p=0.002).

 Our findings suggest that postoperative prophylaxis with immunosuppressants, especially anti-TNFs, significantly reduces the risk of surgical recurrence. Postoperative prophylaxis should be implemented in high-risk patients, especially younger patients and those with a non-inflammatory phenotype.


We introduce empirical work on Romance language acquisition with respect to the interfaces of syntax with other modules of grammar (internal interfaces) and other domains of cognition (external interfaces). We do so by choosing specific phenomena within the following interfaces: syntax-morphology, syntax-semantics and syn-tax-pragmatics. In the domain of syntax-morphology we focus on grammatical gender, with respect to the syntax-semantics interface we focus on adjectival placement (pre- and post-nominal) and with regard to the syntax-discourse/pragmatics interface we review work on the null/overt subject distribution. Finally, we summarize research on articles, suggesting that articles represent a multiple interface. We provide examples from different types of learners and across the four major Romance languages French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. While our central goal is to summarize and generalize across major findings, we will also point to potential problems concerning the interface approach, e.g. the association of particular phenomena with a specific interface and the assumption that internal interfaces are less problematic than external ones.


Electroconductive TiN/O′-Sialon multiphase ceramics were prepared by pressureless sintering from TiN/O′-Sialon powders as the chief raw material which were synthesized by the carbothermal reduction nitridation method using high titania slag, silicon fume and bauxite chalmette. Phase compositions and were analyzed. The effect of microstructure and TiO2 content in initial raw materials on electrical conductivity were studied by SEM and TEM. The electro-discharge machining (EDM) of the materials was carried out. The results show that the sintered samples consist of O′-Sialon and TiN. O′-Sialon grains exhibit equiaxied morphology and the particle sizes are about 1-3μm. TiN grains exhibit fine granular morphology and most of grains have lower size than 0.5μm. The minimum amount of TiO2 in initial raw materials is 25wt% for the formation of electroconductive network in the multiphase ceramics, of which the electrical resistivity is 1.8×10-2 Ω·cm and meets the requirement of electrical discharge machining.


Although forwarding has been carried out for 50 years, much is still unknown about this work. This is partly because there are numerous influential factors, and relevant data are often difficult to gather. In current forwarding productivity literature, there is generally a trade-off between representativeness and work element-specificity. Follow-up studies and standardized experiments represent the two extremes, while work observation studies are compromises. A further complication is the lack of consistent nomenclature to facilitate comparisons of findings from different studies. These issues were explored in four studies reported in this thesis.

Study I assessed the utility of standardized test paths for enhancing our understanding of the main factors influencing forwarding work, causal relationships among them, and trade-offs. Such knowledge is essential for refining future research. In Studies II and III, the utility of a forest machine manufacturer's built-in automatic follow-up datalogger was assessed. Study II focused mainly on the suitability of a standard commercial monitoring system for comparative operator-level studies. In Study III, forwarder work element-specific follow-up data were gathered in as detailedly as currently possible using an automatic system. In Study IV, the utility of sensors and dataloggers for gathering technical information on forwarder crane work was assessed. The main conclusions are summarized below.

Automated data collection has well known advantages, but such automation for forwarding work is still ongoing. Data from the forwarder's own monitoring system alone are not, currently, sufficient for unbiased work performance analysis. In addition, access to spatial data on the harvester's production is needed. Use of untapped technological potential would enable, in many cases, replacement of manual data gathering with automatic methods. However, automatic gathering of data with some important features, e.g. assortment-specificity (load-specific assortment proportions), is currently impossible. Automation enables large datasets to be gathered, but increasing the sample size beyond a certain saturation point provides no further benefits. Instead, including more factors is preferable, even at the cost of slightly smaller datasets.

Finally, various innovations and modifications to work practices could substantially improve forwarding efficiency; however, they should be evaluated cautiously, initially by theoretical analysis, to ensure resources are efficiently channelled.


In this paper, we propose a PAC-Bayes bound for the generalization risk of the Gibbs classifier in the multi-class classification framework. The novelty of our work is the critical use of the confusion matrix of a classifier as an error measure; this puts our contribution in the line of work aiming at dealing with performance measure that are richer than mere scalar criterion such as the misclassification rate. Thanks to very recent and beautiful results on matrix concentration inequalities, we derive two bounds showing that the true confusion risk of the Gibbs classifier is upper-bounded by its empirical risk plus a term depending on the number of training examples in each class. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first PAC-Bayes bounds based on confusion matrices.


Using data from a conjoint experiment in three countries (Brazil, n = 2038; Germany, n = 2012, and the United States, n = 2005), this study demonstrates that journalistic transparency can cue trust at the level of the entire news outlet—or domain level—using a Google Knowledge Panel that comes up when people search for a news outlet. In Brazil and the United States, two pieces of information in a Knowledge Panel provided the strongest heuristics that a news outlet was trustworthy: a description of the news outlet and a description of other sites accessed by people who frequent that news outlet's website. In Germany, information about journalists and the description of the news outlet were the strongest cues. Results offer insights into how people heuristically process online news and are discussed in relation to the heuristic-systematic model of information processing.


The Mediterranean Region represents a complex mosaic of continental, microcontinental and ophiolitic terranes, whose overall evolution has been controlled by relative movements between the African and Eurasian plates. Deciphering the sequence of tectonic events in this region can be likened to attempting to reconstruct all the pictures in a stack of jigsaw puzzles when 90% of the pieces are missing (and the remaining 10% are no longer in their original shape!). Palaeomagnetic studies have played an important part in unravelling this 3D puzzle. The palaeomagnetic technique provides quantitative constraints on our reconstruction, since it can tell us which way each of the remaining pieces should be oriented (using magnetic declinations), their relative position with respect to the top of each picture (using magnetic inclinations), and in some cases which piece belongs to which picture (using magnetic dating). Perhaps more importantly, palaeomagnetism can also tell us something about the processes that led to the present confusion in our puzzle box. The 33 papers in this volume span the full width of the Mediterranean basin and present results from Permian to Quaternary rocks. Together they provide a snap-shot of the current state of palaeomagnetic research in the Mediterranean region. In addition to tectonic and magnetostratigraphic applications of palaeomagnetism, several contributions describe archaeomagnetic studies in the Mediterranean realm.


In this dissertation, we address the problem of optimal resource allocation through distributed market-based techniques in future power systems. Several connected problems are considered in different stages of this research project: 1) optimal decision making of generation companies in wholesale markets, 2) demand response and energy pricing in retail markets, 3) single and multiple microgrid power management within the retail sector, and 4) introducing a resiliency-aware power management for microgrid-based distribution systems. Hence, this work addresses the challenges that are connected to the economics of energy. All of these problems are concerned with optimizing the behavior of the participants in electricity markets (in wholesale and retail sectors) to achieve certain objectives in power system operation (e.g., profit maximization, peak shaving, resiliency improvement, extreme event awareness and preparedness, etc.). Solution concepts from the fields of machine learning and game theory have been employed to address these problems. Moreover, distributed agent-based frameworks are designed for modeling the interactive decision making processes and implementing control laws in electricity markets. The goal is to introduce automated "intelligent" decision making capabilities into power systems to improve the efficiency of grid operation. This is closely related to the concept of "smart grids". The proposed solution strategies are verified through numerical simulations in MATLAB environment. The results demonstrate that using the proposed distributed decision tools and machine-learning-based techniques we can improve the performance of power systems to achieve higher levels of controllability and efficiency, while enhancing system resiliency.


Experiments on CBA and C57BL mice were made to study the relationship between the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical system (HPACS) and the intensity of immune response to sheep red blood cells. The immune response evaluated from the number of rosette-forming cells appeared to be lowered in low-respondent C57BL mice, depending on the age, whereas in CBA mice, the lowering of the immune response was not age-dependent. The intensity of the HPACS response measured according to the level of 11-OHCS two hours after immunization was not found to be dependent on the genetic differences. However, the level of 11-OHCS significantly dropped with age only in C57BL mice with a low response to sheep red blood cells. Thus, a correlation was discovered between the intensity of immune response to T-dependent antigen and the function of the HPACS, which was particularly noticeable during aging of mice belonging to a definite genotype.


It should perhaps be pointed out that normal melatonin levels during the night (2400) cover a very large range,2 which in my own laboratory currently extends from undetectable ( < 7) to 161 pg/ml with one value of 269 pg/ml at 0200. Great care is therefore needed in describing a night-time plasma melatonin level as "abnormal." Inter-individual daytime levels are admittedly more stable (mean ± SEM at 1200: 13 9+0 5 pg/ml, n=50, men; 14 6±0 9 pg/ml, n = 45, women) and the main interest of the case reported by Dr Barber and his colleagues lies in the very high daytime levels. These data were largely collected at the University Paediatric Clinic, Geneva


The histopathologic diagnosis of leprosy in the tuberculoid type (TL) and in the indeterminate group (IL) may be difficult and frequently unfeasible. The detection of the impairment of cutaneous nerve branches by the inflammatory reaction may permit the diagnosis of TL over other skin granulomas. In an attempt to overcome these diagnostic difficulties in the lesions with no bacilli and without obvious damage to nerve branches, we utilized the immunoperoxidase technique with S-100 protein as the nerve marker. Two groups were selected: Patients (group 1) with TL confirmed by the presence of bacilli, and patients (group 2) with a clinical diagnosis of TL not confirmed by histopathology. The slides treated by S-100 in group 2 showed that 8 cases (9 total) were confirmed to have TL on the basis of the nerve alteration observed by the immunoperoxidase technique. These data obtained in the present studies show that use of the immunoperoxidase technique for the detection of S-100 protein to visualize peripheral nerves represents an efficient auxiliary aid in the diagnosis of leprosy.


The article examines the periods of the constituent stages of the relativistic physical process of memorization. The aim of this study is to explain the result of synchronization of brain activity with the external environment, and to correlate this mechanism with the units of synchronicities in the universe. In general, the scientific view of this study is based on the perception of memory as a biophysical grandeur. The methodical study of the psychic process of synchronization, in mathematical form, does not deny the transcendence and individual beliefs of a being, but it seeks to add to scientific data the creativity, which is needed to approach the interpretation of the analyzed object, which is considered as the reality (God or Gods).


We present an object detection and tracking framework integrated into a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system using an RGB-D camera. We propose a compact representation of objects by grouping features hierarchically. Similar to a keyframe being a collection of features, an object is represented as a set of segments, where a segment is a subset of features in a frame. Just like keyframes, segments are registered with each other in a map, which we call an object map. We use the same SLAM procedure in both offline object scanning and online object detection modes. In the offline scanning mode, we scan an object using an RGB-D camera to generate an object map. In the online detection mode, a set of object maps for different objects is given, and the objects are detected via appearance-based matching between the segments in the current frame and in the object maps. In the case of a match, the object is localized with respect to the map being reconstructed by the SLAM system by a RANSAC registration. In the subsequent frames, the tracking is done by predicting the poses of the objects. We also incorporate constraints obtained from the objects into bundle adjustment to improve the object pose estimation accuracy as well as the SLAM reconstruction accuracy. We demonstrate our technique in an object picking scenario using a robot arm. Experimental results show that the system is able to detect and pick up objects successfully from different viewpoints and distances.