Transparency is a core principle for a user-centered AI present in all recent regulatory initiatives. Is it equally present in the public discourse? In this study, we focus on a type of AI that reached the media, i.e., GPT. We collected a corpus of national newspaper articles published in the United Kingdom (UK) while GPT-3 was the latest version (June 2020-November 2022) and investigated whether transparency was mentioned and, if so, in which terms. We used a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach, through which articles are both parsed for word frequency and manually coded. The results show that transparency was rarely explicitly mentioned, but issues underpinning transparency were addresssed in most texts. As a follow-up of the initial study, the scant presence of the term transparency is confirmed in an additional corpus of UK national newspaper articles published since the launch of ChatGPT (November 2022 - May 2023). The implications of missing transparency as a reference for AI ethical concerns in the public discourse are discussed.


Background: The antiapoptotic and epithelial–mesenchymal transition activities of Twist have been implicated in the neoplastic transformation and the development of metastasis, respectively. Upregulation of Twist, described in several types of human cancer, also acts as a prognostic marker of poor outcome. Aim: To investigate Twist expression in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and its prognostic value in a Chinese cohort of patients with oesophageal SCC. Methods: Twist expression in primary oesophageal SCC of 87 Chinese patients was investigated by immunohistochemical staining. Twist protein level in one immortalised normal oesophageal epithelial cell line and six oesophageal SCC cell lines was measured by western blot analysis. Twist mRNA level in 30 pairs of frozen specimens of primary oesophageal SCC and non-neoplastic oesophageal epithelium from the upper resection margin of corresponding oesophagectomy specimen was also determined by semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Results: It was found that Twist was upregulated in oesophageal SCC cell lines, and its mRNA and protein levels were both increased in oesophageal SCC and the non-neoplastic oesophageal epithelium (p<0.001). In addition, a high level of Twist expression in oesophageal SCC was significantly associated with a greater risk for the patient of developing distant metastasis within 1 year of oesophagectomy (OR 3.462, 95% CI 1.201 to 9.978; p = 0.022). Conclusions: Our results suggest that upregulation of Twist plays a role in the neoplastic transformation to oesophageal SCC and subsequent development of distant metastasis. Twist may serve as a useful prognostic marker for predicting the development of distant metastasis in oesophageal SCC.


The Title of Document: A Comprehensive Mixed-Integer Programming Model to Optimize the Performance of Freeway Service Patrol Programs Farzad Daneshgar, Ph.D. Candidate, 2018 Directed By: Professor Ali Haghani, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Unexpected congestion due to incidents may cause a substantial delay for drivers and reduce the roadway safety. Effective incident management relies on many tools to lessen the overall impact of crashes, road debris, and disabled vehicles. Many urban areas have adopted freeway service patrol (FSP) programs that patrol the freeway network searching for incidents, providing aid to motorists, and assisting with incident management and clearance. FSP management must consider the beat configuration, fleet size, and fleet allocation. The beat configuration is how the network is divided into different parts for patrolling, and each part is called a beat. The beat configuration, fleet size, and fleet allocation need to be determined for designing a network for FSP program. However, the literature lacks profound analytical methodologies for this purpose, and a few previous models typically tried to design these elements distinctly while they are strictly interrelated. Therefore, our research presents a comprehensive mixed-integer programming model to design the network for freeway service patrol programs. This model aims to concurrently determine the beat structure, fleet size, and allocation of trucks to beats, to minimize incident delay while the operational cost is considered, as well. The research uses part of the Tarrant County Courtesy Patrol (CP) network in Texas as a numerical example to examine the model's capability to address different issues in patrol programs and to determine the impact of each factor on the optimal design. Also, to explore the problem with field data and real-size networks, the proposed model and developed heuristics are applied to part of the freeway network in Maryland covered by Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART). Results indicate that a joint model forms a better solution regarding incident delay reduction and operation costs. A MIXED-INTEGER PROGRAMMING MODEL TO OPTIMIZE THE PERFORMANCE OF FREEWAY SERVICE PATROL PROGRAMS


By integrating targeting, imaging and treatment, organelle-targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been reported to be an effective strategy for cancer therapy. However, targeting leads to the accumulation of photosensitizers (PSs) in the targeted organelles, which leads to a reduction in 1O2 generation and fluorescence quenching, especially for the lipophilic mitochondria-targeted PSs. Moreover, because PSs always need exposure to light for a specific period, photobleaching is difficult to avoid. To address these issues, two iridium(iii) complexes with aggregation-induced two-photon emission (AITPE) characteristics were developed. With lipophilicity, the complexes aggregated in water and targeted mitochondria. Owing to their impressive 1O2 production quantum yields and excellent two-photon properties in the aggregate states, the complexes were successfully used for mitochondria-targeted two-photon PDT in monolayer cells and multicellular spheroids. Our results highlighted that the use of a PS with aggregation enhanced 1O2 generation and fluorescence is an effective solution for aggregation in organelle-targeted PDT.


Background . The dissociative PTSD (D-PTSD) subtype was first introduced into the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013. Prior to this, studies using latent profile analysis (LPA) or latent class analysis (LCA), began to provide support for the D-PTSD construct and associated risk factors. This research is important, because dissociative symptoms in the context of PTSD may potentially interfere with treatment course or outcome. The aims of the present study were twofold: to systematically review the LCA and LPA studies investigating support for the D-PTSD construct; and to review the associated research on the risk factors or covariates of D-PTSD in the identified studies. Method . Six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PILOTS, PsychInfo, and Embase) were systematically searched for relevant papers. Results . Eleven studies were included in the present review. The majority of the studies were supportive of the D-PTSD subtype; primarily characterized by depersonalization and derealization. Several covariates of the D-PTSD subtype have been investigated with mixed results. Limitations . Many limitations relate to the state of the current literature, including a small number of studies, the use of self-report measurements of PTSD, and heterogeneity across the samples in investigated covariates. Conclusion . The results were overall supportive of the D-PTSD construct. Future research on D-PTSD and associated risk factors is needed to shed light on the possibilities of facilitating preventive actions, screening, and implications on treatment effects.


To evaluate the relation between use of oral contraceptives and the incidence of breast cancer, the authors reviewed the epidemiologic literature and used quantitative methods to summarize the data. Study results for any use of oral contraceptives were pooled using a model that accounted for both interstudy and intrastudy variability. the authors also explored interstudy variability and modeled a duration–effect relation between oral contraceptive use and breast cancer. Case–control and follow‐up studies were considered separately. Overall, the authors observed no increase in the risk of breast cancer for women who had ever used oral contraceptives, even after a long duration of use. These results were consistent across study design. However, data combined from case–control studies revealed a statistically significant positive trend (P = 0.001) in the risk of premenopausal breast cancer for women exposed to oral contraceptives for longer duration. This risk was predominant among women who used oral contraceptives for at least 4 years before their first term pregnancy (relative risk = 1.72; 95% confidence interval = 1.36 to 2.19). Additional study is required to determine whether this finding in a subgroup of exposed women is confirmed and whether the risk remains increased with advancing age.


This paper proposes a generalized sequential slotted amplify and forward (GSSAF) strategy for single-antenna wireless cooperative networks. The diversity and multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) is analyzed. Applications to cooperative multiple relay channels, cooperative broadcast channels (CBC) and cooperative multiple access channels are considered and the DMT upper bound is proven to be achievable for each case. Other than proposing the best known near-optimal strategy for CBC, another important contribution is to show that GSSAF can be used as a unified strategy to achieve DMT optimality in wireless cooperative networks with unit multiplexing gains.


MixFarmABM Model examines the competitiveness of second-generation biofuel crops with existing crops and beef cows at the farm level and their impact on the farm structure. In addition, three sequential (strategic, tactical and recourse) optimization stages are used in order to better reflect the uncertainty and recourse decisions available to Prairie farmers to
determine short-run and long-run production decisions using linear and integer programming techniques. The simulation results indicate that energy crops have the potential to change the structure of agriculture. Energy crops emerge in the model in both of the energy price scenarios, while total farm sector equity and total sector net income is improved over the base scenario.


The paper discusses in a system view the security architecture of network layer of the Radio System for Monitoring and Acquisition of Data from Traffic Enforcement Cameras (in short RSMAD). The safety of this layer of the system is provided basing primarily on Virtual Private Networks (in short VPN). Two protocols have been used for their implementation: IPsec (in tunnel mode of ESP protocol) and L2TP. Applied cryptography data protection mechanisms, including the type and parameters of the VPNs have been selected on the basis of carried out tests and measurements, which results are presented and discussed in this paper. The study presents also detailed comparative analysis in terms of performance AES-128 and Triple-DES algorithms carried out in RSMAD.


Associations between jellyfish and other organisms are frequently reported. Neverhteless, few of those records include crabs inhabiting medusae. Lychnorhiza lucerna Haeckel, 1888 were sampled (n = 1988) on the coast of the State of Parana (25o20'-25o55'S, 48o10'-48o35'W), southern Brazil, from December 1997 to December 2004. Eight percent (166 individuals) of the medusae had one spider crab Libinia ferreirae Brito Capello, 1871 living within its subgenital porticus or on the oral arms. Megalopal stages of the same crab were also found on three jellyfish. All crabs associated with L. lucerna were young and smaller (< 3 cm) than solitary crabs caught on the bottom. Thus, L. ferreirae probably colonizes the jellyfish as a late larva and uses it as a floating nursery before


BACKGROUND
The Rockall, Glasgow-Blatchford, and AIMS65 are useful and validated scoring systems for predicting the outcomes of patients with nonvariceal gastrointestinal bleeding. However, there are no validated evidence for using them to predict outcomes on variceal bleeding. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the prognostic accuracy of different nonvariceal bleeding scores with other liver-specific scoring systems in cirrhotic patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
A retrospective multicenter study that included 160 cirrhotic patients with acute variceal bleeding. The AUROC's to predict in-hospital mortality, and rebleeding, were analyzed for each scoring system.

RESULTS
Overall in-hospital mortality occurred in 13% and in-hospital rebleeding in 12% of patients. The systems with the best AUROC value for predicting mortality were MELD (0.828; 95% CI 0.748-0.909), and AIMS65 (0.817; 95% CI 0.724-0.909). The best score systems for predicting rebleeding were Glasgow-Blatchford (0.756; 95% CI 0.640-0.827), and Rockall (0.691; 95% CI 0.580-0.802).

CONCLUSIONS
In addition to liver-specific scores, the AIMS65 score is accurate for predicting in-hospital mortality in cirrhotic patients with acute variceal bleeding. Other scoring systems might be useful for predicting significant clinical outcomes in these patients.


The Enhanced HIPC Initiative was launched in 1999 to reduce the Net Present Value (NPV) of foreign debt of the world's poorest countries to a sustainable threshold of 150% of their exports. This article applies a simple growth-with-debt model to 16 post-completion-point HIPCs to assess whether this goal will be met by 2015. Its somewhat optimistic base-case projections suggest that participation in the current Enhanced HIPC-MDRI initiative will only reduce the NPV of their total external debt to 176% of exports by this date. Sensitivity tests which expose these countries to adverse exogenous shocks help draw attention to policies that could ensure that they do not again accumulate unsustainable debt levels.


: A case is presented in which a sudden refractive change and its subsequent recovery is documented by keratometry and subjective refraction measurements. Appropriate examination techniques demonstrate that the cornea and by inference other structures such as the lens are are the structures which have been affected. Various possible etiologies are discussed.


The scalable video coding (SVC) standard adopts a simple interlayer intra prediction (ILIP) method for encoding scalable video sequences. In the conventional ILIP, a prediction signal for the macroblock (MB) of the enhancement layer (EL) is obtained by simply upsampling the colocated block of the base layer (BL). We propose an improved ILIP method by generalizing the original one adopted in the SVC standard. In the proposed ILIP method, the MB of the EL is predicted using all MBs of the BL. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can reduce the bit rate by 1.91% to 6.44%, as compared with the conventional ILIP, while the average PSNR is not decreased.


Wikipedia is a community-created encyclopedia that contains information about notable people from different countries, epochs and disciplines and aims to document the world's knowledge from a neutral point of view. However, the narrow diversity of the Wikipedia editor community has the potential to introduce systemic biases such as gender biases into the content of Wikipedia. In this paper we aim to tackle a sub problem of this larger challenge by presenting and applying a computational method for assessing gender bias on Wikipedia along multiple dimensions. We find that while women on Wikipedia are covered and featured well in many Wikipedia language editions, the way women are portrayed starkly differs from the way men are portrayed. We hope our work contributes to increasing awareness about gender biases online, and in particular to raising attention to the different levels in which gender biases can manifest themselves on the web.


We review the relationship between energy efficiency improvement measures and productivity in industry. We propose a method to include productivity benefits in the economic assessment of the potential for energy efficiency improvement. The paper explores the implications of how this change in perspective might affect the evaluation of energy-efficient technologies for a study of the iron and steel industry in the U.S. It is found that including productivity benefits explicitly in the modeling parameters would double the cost-effective potential for energy efficiency improvement, compared to an analysis excluding those benefits. We provide suggestions for future research for this important area.


The Laprak landslide is a complex consisting of translational and rotational landslides, debris flows, and rockslides triggered by exceptionally heavy rainfall in July 1999, with continuing movement during subsequent monsoonal wet seasons. The active portion of the complex is a structurally constrained wedge of colluvium with a triangular or trapezoidal cross section, the geometry of which is controlled by two or three sets of foliation and joint planes, derived from phyllitic and quartzose metamorphic bedrock of the High Himalayan Crystalline Sequence. Stability analyses, constrained by field observations, limited geotechnical testing, and finite element simulation of steady-state seepage, show that the landslide most likely moves as three sections, with the middle section being more stable than the upper and lower sections. Non-slope-parallel seepage simulated by the finite element model appears to locally decrease instability by allowing drainage into the discontinuous bedrock. The stability analyses also suggest that the landslide will continue to move during the wet season when pore-water pressures are moderately high (although complete saturation of the slope is not required). Moderate earthquakes would exacerbate wet season instability but do not appear sufficient to trigger movement during the dry season, when pore-water pressures are low. The remote location of Laprak, which is a two- to three-day walk from the nearest road-head, and lack of money limit remedial options to those that can be undertaken using manual labor and native materials, for example, replacement of dry stone masonry buildings with lightweight wooden structures and surface drainage improvement.


For industrial wireless sensor networks, it is essential to reliably sense and deliver the environmental data on time to avoid system malfunction. While energy harvesting is a promising technique to extend the lifetime of sensor nodes, it also brings new challenges for system reliability due to the stochastic nature of the harvested energy. In this paper, we investigate the optimal energy management policy to minimize the weighted packet loss rate under the delay constraint, where the packet loss rate considers the lost packets, both during the sensing and delivering processes. We show that the above-mentioned energy management problem can be modeled as an infinite horizon average reward constraint Markov decision problem. In order to address the well-known curse of dimensionality problem and facilitate distributed implementation, we use the linear value approximation technique. Moreover, we apply stochastic online learning with a post-decision state to deal with the lack of the knowledge of the underlying stochastic processes. A distributed energy allocation algorithm with a water-filling structure and a scheduling algorithm by an auction mechanism are obtained. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves nearly the same performance as the optimal offline value iteration algorithm while requiring much less computation complexity and signaling overhead, and outperforms various existing baseline algorithms.


Increases in pig farm densities have caused great pressures on waste management systems and produce massive manure and urine quantities in Vietnam. This study aimed to identify the role and contributions of biogas digesters to better manage the sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from pig wastes for different types of pig farms in the north of Vietnam. Four provinces, namely Thanh Hoa, Phu Tho, Thai Binh, Vinh Phuc, were identified. A total of 24 farms were purposively selected including 16 small-size farms and 8 larger-size farms. The findings showed that GHG emissions from small-size farms (154.8 t CO2-eq.yr-1) did not significantly differ from the amounts measured in larger-size farms (139.1 t CO2-eq.yr-1) in the four surveyed provinces. The sampling position did not significantly affect the GHG emission rates, with 173.9 t CO2-eq.yr-1 inside piggeries and 120.8 t CO2-eq.yr-1 outside the outlet of the biogas digesters (p-value=0.09). N2O emissions require further measurements at different farm sizes and sites. These results confirmed that the pig waste management of biogas digesters for both small-size and larger-size pig farms is not completely efficient and that efforts need to be invested in to mitigate GHG emissions in pig production. Reducing pig density per piggery is highly recommended. The application of other alternative aerobic or anaerobic digestion technologies like vermicompost, effective microorganisms, and composting should also be encouraged and promoted.


Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a heterogeneous syndrome following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection of the upper respiratory tract. ln adults, the clinical condition can range from asymptomatic cases to severe acute respiratory syndrome and multi-organ dysfunction. Those at risk of developing COVID-19 related hyperinflammatory syndrome likely had an ineffective, innate immune response to this novel pathogen. Mast cells are associated with the epithelium, contributing to tissue homeostasis and epithelial barrier defense. Equipped with an array of pathogen receptors, mast cells exhibit distinct cytokine profiles, dependent on the tissue and the triggered pathogen receptors. Following viral infections, mast cells produce pro-inflammatory chemical mediators, such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-6, and these cytokines has been shown to be elevated in severe COVID-19 cases. Here, we present a case of a patient with a longstanding history of signs and symptoms, worrisome for a mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), but never had laboratory confirmation of this non-clonal mast cell activation disorder, until she contracted COVID-19. This case illustrates the need to recognize the rate of mast cell activation in SARS-CoV-2 infection, not only to optimize anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy, including the development of vaccine, but to potentially curb the risk of SARS CoV-2 triggered hyperinflammatory syndrome.


The disposal of waste sludge generated from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a growing problem worldwide, and contributes to over 50% of the operating costs of current WWTPs. In this study, temperature-phased anaerobic digestion (TPAD) and conventional (single-stage) mesophilic anaerobic digestion were investigated in order to determine the most beneficial process for the intended digester facility to be constructed for the fermented primary and secondary sludge from a Bardenpho type biological nutrient removal plant. This was accomplished by considering several operational control parameters for three different sludge retention times. This study has shown that the TPAD system had significant improvement in biogas and methane production; solids and organic removal; pathogen reduction and dewaterability over the conventional digestion. In terms of overall volatile sulphur compounds formation normalized per volatile solids added, no significant effects were observed between TPAD and control digester.


Background and aims Heparan sulfate in glomerular basement membrane is crucial for charge-selective filtration. Heparanase, an endoglycosidase that cleave heparan sulphate, is reported to be up-regulated in several proteinuric diseases. We investigated the association of urinary heparanase level with renal indices in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods Urinary samples were collected from 76 patients with lupus nephritis (LN; 51 active and 25 inactive), 63 SLE patients without renal involvement and 28 healthy individuals (HC). Heparanase levels were measured by ELISA and normalised by urinary creatinine level (mU/mg). Results Urinary heparanase levels were increased in SLE patients than HC (p<0.001). Patients with active LN had significantly higher urinary heparanase levels compared to patients with inactive LN and without renal involvement (both p<0.001), however, there was no difference between latter groups. Urinary heparanase levels positively correlated with proteinuria (measured by spot urine protein/creatinine ratio) and renal SLEDAI (γ=0.514, p<0.001 and γ=0.365, p=0.004, respectively), but inversely with serum C3 (γ=−0.432, p<0.001), C4 (γ=−0.279, p=0.013), and CH50 levels (γ=−0.336, p=0.003). In 39 patients with active LN whose samples were obtained at the time of kidney biopsy, urinary heparanase levels showed positive correlation with activity index (γ=0.409, p=0.011), but not with chronicity index (p>0.05). A cut-off value of 444 mU/mg predicted presence of active LN with sensitivity of 74.5% and specificity of 67.1%. Conclusions Urinary heparanase levels are increased in patients with active LN and reflect the activity of nephritis, indicating that urinary heparanase can serve as useful biomarker for active LN.


Anecdotal evidence suggests that the dividend policy of German firms is more flexible than the one of their Anglo-American counterparts.This paper analyses the decision to change the dividend for a panel of 221 German firms from 1984 to 1994.The choice of the period of study is motivated by the fact that at the start of this period there was an economic boom which was followed by a recession.Consistent with the traditional dividend literature, e.g.Lintner (1956), net earnings are key determinants of the decision to change the dividend.However, the study comes up with two findings which are contrary to Lintner (1956) and Miller and Modigliani (1961).First, the level of net earnings is not the only key determinant of the dividend decision, as the occurrence of a loss - whatever its magnitude - has an explanatory power exceeding the one of the level of the loss.Second, dividend cuts or omissions tend to be temporary and the majority of German firms quickly (within two years) revert to their initial dividend level.This stands in marked contrast with DeAngelo et al.(1992) who find that US firms are more likely to reduce their dividend when earnings deteriorate on a permanent basis.Furthermore, the fact that German firms frequently omit and cut their dividend and quickly return to their initial dividend suggests that dividends in Germany have less of a signalling role than dividends in the US and the UK.Our findings also contradict Bhattacharya's (1979) argument that the costs of dividend changes are asymmetric with dividend reductions being more costly to the firm than dividend increases.Finally, we find evidence that firms with banks as their major shareholder are more willing to omit their dividend than firms controlled by other types of shareholder.


Due to their longevity, ease of instalation and reduced stress concentration, among several other positive attributes, adhesively bonded joints are being widely used in mating fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite adherends in petrochemical industry. The study of bonded joints, as opposed to the conventional mechanically fastened joints, has therefore gained great importance. The work presented in this paper follows a comprehensive series of studies being conducted within our research group in characterising the performance of bonded joints in pipes subjected to torsional loading. The study of bonded joints under static and cyclic torsional loading is extremely scarce in the literature, thus, it has been the motivation for this work. This study examines the influence of bond (overlap) length on the performance of single lap adhesively bonded joint within FRP tubular adherends subject to static and cyclic torsional loading conditions. Both experimental and computational methods are used in the investigation to characterise the behaviour of the joint. Different failure modes are observed as a result of issues related to the overlap length and bond fabrication. The concept of 'effective bond length' is also discussed in detail, with a critical view on its usage in practice.


In traditional hulling machine, The lower of shelling rate and higher of breakage rate of castor. The self-designed hulling machine is adopted in this issue to study the prosess of capsule hulling. By analyzing the state, As gap between rollers reaches the minimum space, distortion from capsule to roller surface reaches the maximum, as the same as both the pressure of roller surface on castor-oil plants P and friction force F which indicates the strongest effect of extrusion and rubbing. the required condition of capsule rolling is that the angel of rolling( ) should be no larger than frictional angel of roller( ). The highest shelling rate and lowest of breakage rate can be gained by using a steel matrix roller coated by plastic with 10r/min rotation rate of rollers and 18mm gap between rollers.


Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, one of the most eminent physician in Japan lived up to 105, was chairman emeritus of St. Luke's International University and honorary president of St. Luke's International Hospital. He was a pioneer in several fields with remarkable contribution. He introduced and developed primary care (PC) medicine in Japan. The term "life style-related disease" was proposed by him, and decided to use widely by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan. He started New Elderly Association (NEA) to make aged people significant life physically and psychologically with wide spread. He firstly founded Japan BioMusic Association/Japanese Music Therapy Association (JMTA) and developed music therapy in Japan. Thus, by his excellent leadership and management, medical and cultural fields have developed to high degree in Japan.


BACKGROUND
It is known that children are more physically active outdoors than indoors. However, few previous studies have observed the time course for physical activity as young children transition from indoor to outdoor activities.

METHODS
Participants were 3- to 5-year-old children enrolled in the Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study (CHAMPS). Trained observers used the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool Version (OSRAC-P) to record children's physical activity levels over 20 minutes in outdoor settings. The 20-minute outdoor observational period began immediately following the transition from indoors to outdoors.

RESULTS
Children's activity levels were moderately high at the time of transition and declined over the 20-minute observation period. Different patterns, however, were observed for boys and girls. Overall, boys were more active than girls. Boys' activity levels declined in a linear fashion over the 20-minute period, while girls' activity levels increased slightly, decreased, and then increased slightly again.

CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that physical activity levels decline with increased duration of outdoor play. The frequency and duration of outdoor play should be investigated for the purpose of optimizing physical activity levels.


Motivation: Next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has been widely used to investigate alternative isoform regulations. Among them, alternative 30 splice site (SS) and 50 SS account for more than 30% of all alternative splicing (AS) events in higher eukaryotes. Recent studies have revealed that they play important roles in building complex organisms and have a critical impact on biological functions which could cause disease. Quite a few analytical methods have been developed to facilitate alternative 30 SS and 50 SS studies using RNA-seq data. However, these methods have various limitations and their performances may be further improved. Results: We propose an empirical Bayes change-point model to identify alternative 30 SS and 50 SS. Compared with previous methods, our approach has several unique merits. First of all, our model does not rely on annotation information. Instead, it provides for the first time a systematic framework to integrate various information when available, in particular the useful junction read information, in order to obtain better performance. Second, we utilize an empirical Bayes model to efficiently pool information across genes to improve detection efficiency. Third, we provide a flexible testing framework in which the user can choose to address different levels of questions, namely, whether alternative 30 SS or 50 SS happens, and/or where it happens. Simulation studies and real data application have demonstrated that our method is powerful and accurate. Availability and implementation: The software is implemented in Java and can be freely downloaded from http://ebchangepoint.sourceforge.net/. Contact: email@example.com


Adducts of dimethylsulfoxide, dmso = Me2SO, with lanthanide(iii) picrates (picrate = 2,4,6-trinitrophenoxide, pic) of stoichiometry Ln(pic)3·3dmso have been prepared and characterised by single-crystal X-ray structure determinations as discrete, neutral, mononuclear molecular species. Such complexes have been obtained across the gamut of Ln, specifically for Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Yb, Lu, and Y, presumably also accessible for other intermediate members, the series being isomorphous (monoclinic, C2/c, Z = 8); a second triclinic P form has also been identified for Ln = La, Pr. In both forms, the metal atom coordination environments are nine-coordinate, tricapped trigonal prismatic, [Ln(dmso-O)3(pic-O,O′)3], two of the three unidentate ligands lying in one of the trigonal planes and one in the other (an isomer we have termed meridional, mer). A hydrated form of Ln(pic)3·2dmso·H2O stoichiometry has also been defined for Ln = Sm, Gd, Lu, the metal atom environment again nine-coordinate, [Ln(dmso-O)2(H2O)(pic-O,O′)3], but now fac, with the three unidentate ligands occupying one triangular face of the tricapped trigonal prism and involved in a centrosymmetric H-bonding array with the three similar ligands of an adjacent complex; the three capping atoms are nitro-oxygen atoms, the phenoxy-O triad occupying the other face.


Using a technique based on holographic interferometry, the total energy transferred from a spark to the surrounding gases was measured for a number of spark plug electrode geometries, flow velocities, gas pressures and coil charge times. A standard automotive ignition coil was used. For the combinations of parameter values studied, we observed spark efficiencies(ratio of the energy in the gas heated by the spark to the electrical energy supplied to the spark plug) of from 20 to 60 percent. For realistic engine conditions we estimate the quantity of energy transferred to the gas by our ignition system to be roughly 30 mJ. We show how these measurements of total energy transferred to the gas can be used to estimate the spark power vs. time characteristic of a standard inductive ignition system.


This paper applies regime-switching methods to the problem of measuring monetary policy. Policy preferences and structural factors are specified parametrically as independent Markov processes. Interaction between the structural and preference parameters in the policy rule serves to identify the two processes. The estimates uncover policy episodes that are initiated by switches to "dove regimes," shown to Granger-cause both NBER recessions and the Romer dates. These episodes imply real effects of monetary policy that are smaller than those found in previous studies.


A graphical design method for Iossless and lossy gain-compensating networks is presented, and the advantages of the use of this technique in the construction of microwave transistor amplifiers are discussed. The method is based on the use of a set of constant S/sub ji/ circies plotted on the Smith Chart, and is easily automated on a personal computer. Two applications are presented: a two-stage amplifier with 20 dB in the 100-1100-MHz band and an ultra-broad-band lossy matched amplifier stage with 4 dB in the dc-16-GHz band.


Background Music has been recommended as an aid to improving chest compression quality, but research indicates the popular European tune "Nellie the Elephant" reduces the proportion of lay-persons compressing at the correct depth. Objectives Compared to no music (NM), does listening to "Achy Breaky Heart" (ABH) or "Disco Science" (DS) increase the proportion of CPR-trained health professionals delivering compressions at the 100 bpm recommended rate and 4–5 cm depth? Methods Randomised cross-over trial recruiting at the 2009 ACAP conference. Findings Of 74 participants 50% were male; median age was 37; 61% were paramedics, 20% students, and 19% other health professionals. 54% had taken CPR training within 1 year. Mode and IQR for compression rate were NM 105 (99–116); ABH 120 (107–120); DS 104 (103–107). Differences between-interventions were significant for NM vs ABH and DS vs ABH (p<0.001) but not NM vs DS (p=0.478). Compression rates of 95-105 were achieved with NM, ABH, and DS for 26/74 (35%), 8/74 (11%) and 34/74 (46%) of participants respectively. Differences were significant for NM vs ABH (p=0.0005) and DS vs ABH (p<0.0001) but not NM vs DS (p=0.256). RR for a compression rate of 95-105 for ABH vs NM=0.31, for DS vs NM=1.31 (not significant) and for DS vs ABH=4.25. The number needed to harm was 5 for listening to ABH vs NM and 3 for ABH vs DS. A high proportion of compressions were too deep (NM 86%; ABH 79%; DS 77%, differences not significant). Conclusions Listening to Disco Science while performing CPR did not increase the proportion of prehospital professionals delivering compressions correctly. Perhaps unsurprisingly, listening to Achy Breaky Heart had a negative effect. Disconcertingly, regardless of the nature or absence of musical accompaniment, the majority of participants did not compress at the recommended rate or depth.


This is the one essential handbook for all who work with or are interested in fungi (including lichens, slime moulds, yeasts and fungal analogues).This new edition, with more than 21,000 entries, provides the most complete listing available of generic names of fungi, their families and orders, their attributes and descriptive terms. For each genus, the authority, the date of publication, status, systematic position, number of accepted species, distribution, and key references are given. Diagnoses of families and details of orders and higher categories are included for all groups of fungi. In addition, there are biographic notes, information on well-known metabolites and mycotoxins, and concise accounts of almost all pure and applied aspects of the subject (including citations of important literature).All information has been updated as necessary since the publication of the ninth edition in 2001. In addition the tenth edition has the following new features: a completely new classification of the Kingdom Fungi based on recent multi-gene phylogenetics research; a major revision of the classification of the Basidiomycota and substantial modification of the "basal" groups; further integration of anamorphic and teleomorphic genera in the classification; enhanced distinctions between the true fungi and unrelated groups traditionally studied by mycologists; and, improved information on references to publications.


The regulation of the synthesis of the first three enzymes of the quinateshikimate catabolic pathway in Neurospora crassa has been studied. Induction of these enzymes is promoted efficiently by quinate and less so by 5-dehydroquinate and/or 5-dehydroshikimate. Shikimate has little or no inducing ability. The kinetics and steady-state rates of synthesis of the three catabolic enzymes have been examined. It is suggested that quinate-shikimate dehydrogenase, catabolic dehydroquinase, and 5-dehydroshikimate dehydrase are regulated coordinately.


A policy o f inclusion is based on values o f equality, participation and the right o f all pupils to
an education appropriate to their needs. However, a values-based policy such as inclusion can
prove problematic when values appear to contradict one another and tensions, or dilemmas,
arise. P olicy based on equality o f access and participation, and on the provision o f an
education appropriate to the needs o f the individual, can create difficulties in terms o f its
implementation. The increase in the number o f pupils with special educational needs
enrolling in mainstream schools over the last ten years demonstrates a desire b y parents to
have their children educated in a mainstream environment with their peers. H owever, a trend
has developed in recent years whereby som e pupils with M ild General Learning Disabilities
(M GLD) are leaving mainstream primary and post-primary schools and transferring to
special schools for pupils with MGLD.
The aim o f this study is to explore factors which influenced the transfer o f a cohort o f pupils
with M GLD from mainstream schools to special schools for pupils w ith M GLD, from the
perspectives o f key stakeholders in the transfer process. These include teachers and principals
in mainstream and special schools, as w ell as pupils with M GLD and parents. The study also
aims to identify differences in educational provision between both sectors. The role played by
the stakeholders in the transfer process is also examined in order to explore issues related to
power in decision-m aking processes with regard to educational provision for pupils with
M GLD. A m ultiple case study design was employed, with four special schools for pupils with
M GLD participating as cases in this study. A ll participants were interview ed and a theoretical
framework, incorporating macro and micro levels o f analysis, was designed to guide
interpretation o f data.
The findings indicate that a number of factors influenced the transfer of pupils from
mainstream schools to special schools for pupils with MGLD. These included social,
emotional and behavioural difficulties, difficulties accessing the curriculum in mainstream
schools, dissatisfaction with resources and supports in mainstream schools and issues relating
to school structures and organisation. Differences in provision between mainstream and
special schools for pupils with MGLD were identified in each of these areas. The findings
also indicate that parents and pupils played a subordinate role in the decision-making process
regarding the transfer to special schools.
This study is timely in light of recent policy developments in special education.
Inconsistencies in policy with regard to educational provision for pupils with MGLD are
identified and the findings illustrate how conflicting policy frameworks create confusion and
uncertainty for teachers, pupils and parents.


Intramedullary nail fixation augmented by the pressure injection of methylmethacrylate was investigated by use of bovine femora. In this technique, the nail is first placed in its final desired position; cement is then injected with a conical-tipped syringe through a distal drill hole into the medullary canal around the nail. This method was compared with the conventional technique of first placing the cement into the medullary canal and then driving the nail into position. Calf femora were used to compare the cement pressures generated, the shear resistance at the bone/cement interface, and the contour of the endosteal cement surface produced by the two cementing techniques. Significantly higher bone/cement interface pressures were generated by the injection of cement. Shear resistance at the bone/cement interface, investigated by push-out tests, revealed no significant difference between the two techniques. Dissolution of the specimens in nitric acid produced a methylmethacrylate cast of the endosteal surface, thus revealing the pattern of cement penetration into endosteal bone. The cement surfaces made by the injection of cement revealed characteristics of superior fixation and penetration compared to those made by the conventional method. The injection of cement for pathologic long-bone fractures is safer than the conventional method, is less susceptible to intraoperative complications, and offers satisfactory fixation.


Storage of dairy manure slurry allows flexibility in the timing of land application of manure to reduce environmental impacts related to water quality. However, manure storage can increase greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia (NH 3 ) emissions and cause operational issues due to the buildup of slurry solids. To combat these negative consequences, stored manure was treated with manure additives, i.e., More than Manure (MTM), Pro-Act Biotech (Pro-Act), and biochar, to quantify their effects on manure solids, nitrogen losses, and GHG emissions in two separate trails. Gaseous emissions were studied over a 48-day manure storage period with treatments of MTM, Pro-Act, aeration and Pro-Act, aeration alone, and biochar. Manure characteristics were further examined in a 28-day manure storage study with treatments of MTM at the supplier-recommended rate, MTM at 25x the recommended rate, aeration and Pro-Act at the supplier-recommended rate, aeration and Pro-Act at 10x the recommended rate, aeration alone, and two additional Pro-Act treatments without aeration, one at the recommended rate and one at 10x that rate. Biochar was the only manure treatment to impact manure characteristics, with significantly more ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) on day 14 than the control (p 3 emissions from the control, likely due to the 10 cm natural crust on the control. MTM increased CO 2 emissions, with significantly higher emissions on days 7 and 14 during the gaseous emissions study. Overall, no treatments were able to reduce manure solids or nitrogen emissions for these manure storage conditions.


The article focuses on the results from recent experimental of severe plastic deformation of low carbon (LC) steel and medium carbon (MC) steel performed at increased temperatures. The grain refinement of ferrite respectively ferrite-pearlite structure is described. While LC steel was deformed by ECAP die (ε = 3) with a channel angle φ = 90° the ECAP severe deformation of MC steel was conducted with die channel angle of 120° (ε = 2.6 - 4). The high straining in LC steel resulted in extensively elongated ferrite grains with dense dislocation network and randomly recovered and polygonized structure was observed. The small period of work hardening appeared at tensile deformation. On the other side, the warm ECAP deformation of MC steel in dependence of increased effective strain resulted in more progressive recovery process. In interior of the elongated ferrite grains the subgrain structure prevails with dislocation network. As straining increases the dynamic polygonization and recrystallization became active to form mixture of polygonized subgrain and submicrocrystalline structure. The straining and moderate ECAP temperature caused the cementite lamellae fragmentation and spheroidzation as number of passes increased. The tensile behaviour of the both steels was characterized by strength increase however the absence of strain hardening was found at low carbon steel. The favourable effect of ferrite-pearlite structure modification due straining was reason for extended work hardening period observed at MC steel.


Genomic imprinting, the preferential expression of maternal or paternal alleles of imprinted genes, is often maintained through expression of imprinted long non-coding (lnc) "antisense" RNAs. These may overlap imprinted transcripts, and are expressed from the opposite allele. Previously we have described brain region-specific imprinted expression of the Dio3 gene in rat, which is preferentially modified by fetal ethanol exposure. The Dio3os (opposite strand) transcript is transcribed in opposite orientation to Dio3 in mouse and human, partially overlaps the Dio3 promoter, and mirrors total Dio3 developmental expression levels. Here, we present that the rat Dio3os transcript(s) exhibits brain region-specific imprinted expression patterns similar to those of Dio3. Rat Dio3os transcript expression is also similarly modified by fetal ethanol exposure. Uniquely, both Dio3 and Dio3os expression occur on the same, rather than opposite, alleles, as determined by strand-specific RT-PCR. Future studies will require direct manipulation of the Dio3os transcript to determine whether the novel paralleling of total and allele-specific expression patterns of this sense/antisense imprinted gene pair reflects an as-yet undefined regulatory mechanism for lncRNA mediated tissue-specific imprinted expression, or rather is a consequence of a more straightforward, but previously undescribed transcriptional coregulation process.


Protecting our nation's ports is a critical challenge for homeland security and requires the research, development and deployment of new technologies that will allow for the efficient securing of shipments entering this country. Most approaches look only at statistical irregularities in the attributes of the cargo, and not at the relationships of this cargo to others. However, anomalies detected in these relationships could add to the suspicion of the cargo, and therefore improve the accuracy with which we detect suspicious cargo. This paper proposes an improvement in our ability to detect suspicious cargo bound for the U.S. through a graph based anomaly detection approach. Using anonymized data received from the Department of Homeland Security, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach and its usefulness to a homeland security analyst who is tasked with uncovering illegal and potentially dangerous cargo shipments.


The dietary induction of serine dehydrase, produced by the oral intubation of hydrolyzed casein to protein-depleted rats, is markedly inhibited by doses of γ-radiation of 400 roentgens or higher provided the irradiation is given within an hour after the initial dose of casein. If the irradiation is delayed until 7 hours after the initial dose of casein, induction is not inhibited. In contrast, the cortisone induction of tyrosine α-ketoglutarate transaminase is not inhibited by doses of γ-radiation up to 3200 roentgens; in some instances hormonal induction of this enzyme appears to be enhanced by irradiation.


Effects of hydrogen on superplastic deformation behavior were investigated through high temperature tensile experiment in this paper. It is found that reasonable hydrogen contents can improve the superplastic behavior such as lowering flow stress and temperature and increasing m value. While addition of 0.1wt% hydrogen in Ti-6Al-4V alloy, peak flow stress decrease to 53%, deformation temperature decrease 60°C. The influence of hydrogen on microstructure transition by means of optic microscope, SEM, TEM and XRD was also researched. The results show that β phase amounts in the hydrogenated alloy increase with hydrogen contents, while hydrogen contents reach to 0.2wt%, martensite becoming coarser with the increase of hydrogen contents. Moreover, dislocations density of hydrogenated alloy after deformation is lower than that of unhydrogenated alloy because of hydrogen action.


Pale, Soft, and Exudative (PSE) broiler breast meat has poor protein functionality, which leads to quality problems and economic loss in the poultry industry. Proteomics has been applied to characterize the biochemical mechanisms governing tenderness, color, and water-holding capacity in meat. However, the proteome basis of PSE has not yet been characterized for broiler breast meat. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the differences in meat quality (cooking loss and shear force), descriptive sensory characteristics, consumer acceptance, and whole muscle proteome between normal and PSE-like broiler breast meat. Male Hubbard × Cobb 500 birds (n = 1,050) were raised in commercial houses. Prior to harvest, a sample of the broilers (n = 900) were subjected to short-term stress (38°C for 2 h), and the remaining broilers (n = 150) were maintained at control conditions (21°C for 2 h). Broiler breast (Pectoralis major) meat was collected and characterized by pH24 and L*24 as normal (pH24 5.8 to 6.2, L*24 45 to 55) or PSE-like (pH24 5.4 to 5.7, L*24 55 to 65) samples. Normal broiler breast meat had lower shear force values than PSE-like meat (P < 0.05). Based on sensory descriptive analysis, normal cooked chicken breast meat was more tender and juicier than PSE-like breast meat (P < 0.05). Consumer sensory analysis results indicated that 81% of consumer panelists liked normal breast meat whereas 62% of the panelists liked PSE-like breast meat. Whole muscle proteome profiling identified fifteen differentially abundant proteins in normal and PSE-like broiler breast samples. Actin alpha, myosin heavy chain, phosphoglycerate kinase, creatine kinase M type, beta-enolase, carbonic anhydrase 2, proteasome subunit alpha, pyruvate kinase, and malate dehydrogenase were over-abundant (P < 0.05) in PSE-like broiler breast whereas phosphoglycerate mutase-1, alpha-enolase, ATP-dependent 6-phosphofructokinase, and fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase were over-abundant (P < 0.05) in normal meat. Thus, results indicated that differences in proteome abundance could be related to the meat quality differences between normal and PSE-like broiler breast meat.


Salinomycin with antibacterial and anticoccidial activities is a commercial polyether polyketide widely used in animal husbandry as a food additive. Malonyl-CoA (MCoA), methylmalonyl-CoA (MMCoA), and ethylmalonyl-CoA (EMCoA) are used as extension units in its biosynthesis. To understand how the salinomycin modular polyketide synthase (PKS) strictly discriminates among these extension units, the acyltransferase (AT) domains selecting MCoA, MMCoA, and EMCoA were structurally characterized. Molecular dynamics simulations of the AT structures helped to reveal the key interactions involved in enzyme-substrate recognitions, which enabled the engineering of AT mutants with switched specificity. The catalytic efficiencies ( kcat/ Km) of these AT mutants are comparable with those of the wild-type AT domains. These results set the stage for engineering the AT substrate specificity of modular PKSs.


We consider the consequences for oscillating scalar cold dark matter models of a scalar field phi which oscillates in a potential which deviates slightly from a phi2 potential. We consider a correction to the phi2 potential of the form Kphi2ln(phi2) + lambda(phi)phi4. Upper bounds on \K\ and \lambda)phi)\ are obtained as a function of the phi mass by requiring that the effects of the pressure introduced by the correction to the potential do not disrupt the conventional cold dark matter scenario for structure formation. The results are applied to some cosmological models of recent interest. In particular, it is shown that a scalar identified with the pseudo Goldstone boson of a U(1) symmetry explicitly broken by neutrino masses (suggested iri connection with late-time phase transitions) is inconsistent with the MSW solution of the solar neutrino problem if it is to account for dark matter. In addition it is shown that a cold dark matter model in which the Compton wavelength of a very light scalar particle accounts for the large-scale structure of the Universe is also ruled out by the effects of pressure on structure formation.


IS security advocates recommend strategies that shape user behavior as part of an overall information security management program. A major challenge for organizations is encouraging employees to comply with IS security policies. This paper examines the influence of security-related and employeeorganization relationship factors on users' IS security compliance decisions. Specifically, we predict that security culture, job satisfaction, and perceived organizational support have a positive effect on users' IS security compliance intentions. Our results support the notion that security culture and job satisfaction lead to increased compliant security behavior. However, we did not find evidence that perceived organizational support increases compliant behavior intentions. Our results do suggest that security culture is a multidimensional construct consisting of top management commitment to security, security communication, and computer monitoring. The findings have implications for information security research and practice.


The case presented by Samlaska and Noyes 1 in the May 1993 issue of theArchivesof a patient who developed pruritus and erythematous edematous plaques at granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) injection sites is very interesting and unique with regard to the authors' conjecture at possible causation. The authors theorized that the skin reaction may have been due to impurities within a specific lot of G-CSF. Filgrastim (G-CSF) is a sterile, clear, colorless, preservative-free liquid for parenteral administration produced by recombinant DNA technology. Product purity is determined by several assay methods designed to assess levels of potential contaminating DNA, protein, and endotoxins. Additionally, each lot of product is characterized by a number of assays that assess filgrastim integrity, identity, and activity. Assays and tests are performed using the most sophisticated technology available for the characterization of proteins. All methods are validated and approved by the Food and Drug Administration for


Type I collagen was isolated from calf skin and its assembly on PVA film induced by glutaraldehyde vapor was investigated. It was found that the collagen molecules were firstly orientationally assembled into collagen fibers under the inducement of glutaraldehyde vapor. Then the collagen fibers could be further aggregated into novel network structure in proper conditions of the induced reaction. The morphology of the assembled collagen fibers was depended on induced time and concentration of collagen. The network arrangement could be obtained after being induced for 72h when collagen concentration was 2.5mg/ml. At higher concentration of collagen (5 mg/ml), the collagen fibers with larger dimension were obtained, but the growth of fibers was almost in one direction.


We present the results from simultaneous observations of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4051 with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer and the Hubble Space Telescope Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. The X-ray grating spectrum reveals absorption and emission lines from hydrogen-like and helium-like ions of O, Ne, Mg, and Si. We resolve two distinct X-ray absorption systems: a high-velocity blueshifted system at -2340 ± 130 km s-1 and a low-velocity blueshifted system at -600 ± 130 km s-1. In the UV spectrum we detect strong absorption, mainly from C IV, N V, and Si IV, that is resolved into as many as nine different intrinsic absorption systems with velocities between -650 and 30 km s-1. Although the low-velocity X-ray absorption is consistent in velocity with many of the UV absorption systems, the high-velocity X-ray absorption seems to have no UV counterpart. In addition to the absorption and emission lines, we also observe rapid X-ray variability and a state of low X-ray flux during the last ≈15 ks of the observation. NGC 4051 has a soft X-ray excess that we fit in both the high and low X-ray flux states. The high-resolution X-ray spectrum directly reveals that the soft excess is not composed of narrow emission lines and that it has significant spectral curvature. A power-law model fails to fit it, while a blackbody produces a nearly acceptable fit. We compare the observed spectral variability with the results of previous studies of NGC 4051.


The effect of ultraviolet (UV)-light ozone exposure on phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM) is studied using solid-state modification of the material. In this study, solution processed PCBM films that have been deposited and dried over glass were exposed to UV ozone at ambient temperature and pressure from 0 to 120 min. Core-level and valence-band photoelectron spectroscopy studies indicate that the UV-ozone-induced oxidation results in C-O-C bonds in PCBM and a change in the highest occupied molecular orbital level, respectively. The modification of PCBM with C-O-C binding was observed from 5 to 60 min, but further exposure, typically beyond 120 min, was found to degrade the material. A solubility study also showed an exposure time-dependant solubility change of the material, in solvents like toluene and acetone, where it indicates the change in the chemistry of the material that can be related to the C-O-C binding of the material by the exposure. The method is an easily implementable approach for flexibility on choice of solvents for PCBM, and it has implications on the processing and stability of the material.


Many researchers and practitioners recognize that there is a link between the failures of information system (IS) provision and flawed Information Requirements Definition (IRD). Misinformation arises from defective communication between clients and analysts and lead to situations where the actual requirements of clients are not identified and properly represented in the subsequent information system. Recent research suggests that this could be the result of inquiry methods that do not subscribe to known learning theories and instead focus on contextual factors affecting client learning. In this paper, we explore the underpinning ideas of client-driven requirements definition and attempt to find a way of "navigating" the gap between what the client wants and what the technical expert can provide. The approach described stimulates client learning, which we suggest is a fundamental component of a successful outcome. We propose a method of requirements analysis that has shown its value in helping to overcome the communication gap between client and developer while creating a collaborative learning environment. The lessons learnt from this research may provide an interface for other technology driven development methods.


A heterodyne interferometer and a data acquiring algorithm have been developed to measure the movement of a mirror in one dimension, as well as its rotation around two axis. The interferometer uses spatially separated beams to reduce periodic optical non-linearities, furthermore the optical set-up was designed for low drift, few number of optical elements and easy adjustment. The FPGA-based signal processing is based on an undersampling technique with the aim to minimise the calculation effort. The working principles of the interferometer and the electronics are described and their remaining non-linearities are investigated. Finally, the z-position, the tip and tilt angle of a planar stage are measured with the described system as an example of use.


Spinal subdural abscesses (SSA) are rare and to date only 57 cases have been reported. The exact incidence of the SSA is unknown. The most affected region is the thoraco‐lumbar spine and the most common bacterial source is Staphylococcus aureus. The timing for magnetic resonance imaging is very important in these patients. Because early diagnosis and emergent treatment is vital to prevent the formation or progression of neurologic deficits.


BACKGROUND & AIMS
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been predicted to become the leading indication for liver transplantation (LT) in the United States. However, few studies have evaluated changes in the etiology of liver diseases among patients awaiting LT, and none have focused on the effects of NASH on liver transplant waitlists in the United States.

METHODS
We collected data from the United Network for Organ Sharing and Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network registry from 2004 through 2013, on liver transplant waitlist registrants with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, NASH, alcoholic liver disease (ALD), or a combination of HCV infection and ALD. We compared differences in survival within 90 days of registration (90-day survival) and probability of LT among patients with different diseases using Kaplan-Meier and multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS
Between 2004 and 2013, new waitlist registrants with NASH increased by 170% (from 804 to 2174), with ALD increased by 45% (from 1400 to 2024), and with HCV increased by 14% (from 2887 to 3291); registrants with HCV and ALD decreased by 9% (from 880 to 803). In 2013, NASH became the second-leading disease among liver transplant waitlist registrants, after HCV. Patients with ALD had a significantly higher mean Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score at time of waitlist registration than other registrants. However, after multivariate adjustment, patients with ALD were less likely to die within 90 days when compared with patients with NASH (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67-0.89; P < .001); patients with HCV infection or HCV and ALD had similar odds for 90-day survival compared with NASH patients. Compared with patients with NASH, patients with HCV (OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.35-1.55; P < .001), ALD (OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.06-1.24; P < .001), or HCV and ALD (OR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.18-1.42; P < .001) had higher odds for 90-day survival.

CONCLUSIONS
Based on data from US adult LT databases, since 2004 the number of adults with NASH awaiting LTs has almost tripled. However, patients with NASH are less likely to undergo LT and less likely to survive for 90 days on the waitlist than patients with HCV, ALD, or HCV and ALD.


Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. CRC develops from precancerous polyps in the colon or rectum and is preventable by an early diagnosis and with the removal of precursor lesions. Numerous genetics and epigenetic alterations transform benign polyps to malignant tumors by affecting different pathways. Over the past decade, increasing evidence represent the utility of cell-free DNA as a 'liquid biopsy' to supplement non-invasive biopsies for genetic and epigenetic characterization and monitoring of solid cancers. One of the epigenetic biomarkers that has gained more attention in CRC is aberrant DNA methylation of Septin 9 gene. In this study we try to evaluate the methylation of Septin 9 gene status in the cfDNA of the plasma in colorectal cancer patients. Plasma cell-free DNA samples were extracted from 30 patients with background of tumors or polyps and 30 samples from healthy individuals. Septin 9 methylation analysis was performed by using the bisulfite specific high resolution melting analysis. The result showed a sensitivity and specificity of 10% and 53.33%, respectively. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that Septin 9 DNA methylation in plasma determined by THP and BSP-HRM had not have sufficient accuracy.


BACKGROUND
High cannabis use rates among American Indian (AI) adolescents necessitate the identification of factors that protect against early cannabis initiation.

METHODS
Data collected from 279 AI middle school students attending reservation-based schools in 2018 and 2019 were analyzed. Three waves of data, with approximately 6 months between each, were used. A repeated measures latent class analysis examined a school-related protective factor index over three waves. The predictive power of lifetime cannabis use on school protection class membership was estimated, along with differences in past month cannabis use at follow-up 2 across school protection classes while holding baseline use constant.

RESULTS
Four school protection classes were identified: high, moderate, low, and declining protection. Abstinence at baseline was associated with an increased odds of membership in the high protection class compared to the moderate and low protection classes. Students with consistent and high school protection throughout middle school were significantly less likely to report past month cannabis use at follow-up 2 compared to other classes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY
Maintaining a high level of school protection throughout middle school substantially lowers the odds of cannabis use among AI adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS
Interventions to promote school-related protective factors in this population are essential and should be designed and tested.


This paper presents a historical account of the art curriculum, in order to understand what is being taught in art today. It explains how present-day conceptions of art owe much to Romanticism and the social order which emerged in Europe under the influence of the Enlightenment. These conceptions have been tempered and disrupted by a hundred years of modernism, following from the 1960s by contemporary art. The art curriculum owed much to a combination of apprenticeships to teach skills and art academies to teach drawing and aesthetics. Only in the twentieth century did modern art exert an influence and when it did it was in the form of self-expression and formalism. Both of these have been challenged by contemporary art, which embraces mechanised means of producing art, places the emphasis on ideas, theories and contextual knowledge while subverting some traditional hierarchies. Contemporary art influenced significant art education movements, such as discipline-based and issues-based, learning about visual culture, as well as the use of mechanical means of making art, such as lens-based media. The core of art education is now the ability to explain, contextualise and even theorise. This should abet but not eclipse some of the things art can be, such as thought provoking, entertaining and moving.


Geophysical inversion and machine learning both provide solutions for inverse problems in which we estimate model parameters from observations. Geophysical inversions such as impedance inversion, amplitude-variation-with-offset inversion, and traveltime tomography are commonly used in the industry to yield physical properties from measured seismic data. Machine learning, a data-driven approach, has become popular during the past decades and is useful for solving such inverse problems. An advantage of machine learning methods is that they can be implemented without knowledge of physical equations or theories. The challenges of machine learning lie in acquiring enough training data and selecting relevant parameters, which are essential in obtaining a good quality model. In this study, we compare geophysical inversion and machine learning approaches in solving inverse problems and show similarities and differences of these approaches in a mathematical form and numerical tests. Both methods aid in solving ill-posed and nonlinear problems and use similar optimization techniques. We take reflectivity inversion as an example of the inverse problem. We apply geophysical inversion based on the least-squares method and artificial neural networks as a machine learning approach to solve reflectivity inversion using 2D synthetic data sets and 3D field data sets. A neural network with multiple hidden layers successfully generates the nonlinear mapping function to predict reflectivity. For this inverse problem, we test different L1 regularizers for both approaches. L1 regularization alleviates effects of noise in seismic traces and enhances sparsity, especially in the least-squares method. The 2D synthetic wedge model and field data examples show that neural networks yield high spatial resolution.


We introduce glmulti, an R package for automated model selection and multi-model inference with glm and related functions. From a list of explanatory variables, the provided function glmulti builds all possible unique models involving these variables and, optionally, their pairwise interactions. Restrictions can be specified for candidate models, by excluding specific terms, enforcing marginality, or controlling model complexity. Models are fitted with standard R functions like glm. The n best models and their support (e.g., (Q)AIC, (Q)AICc, or BIC) are returned, allowing model selection and multi-model inference through standard R functions. The package is optimized for large candidate sets by avoiding memory limitation, facilitating parallelization and providing, in addition to exhaustive screening, a compiled genetic algorithm method. This article briefly presents the statistical framework and introduces the package, with applications to simulated and real data.


We investigate the prospect of using ring seismology to probe the interiors of the ice giants Uranus and Neptune. We produce normal mode spectra for different interior models of Uranus using the program GYRE. These normal mode spectra provide predictions of where in the rings of Uranus we might see effects of interior oscillations. The inner rings of Uranus look to be a promising location for identifying planetary normal mode resonances. The diversity of normal mode spectra implies that identification of even one or two modes in the rings of Uranus would eliminate a variety of interior models, and thus aid in the interpretation of Voyager observations and future spacecraft measurements. In addition, these calculations should show what aspects of the planets’ internal structure can be probed with ring seismology.


Essential oils and their components are becoming increasingly popular as naturally occurring antimicrobial agents. In this work the chemical composition and the antimicrobial properties of Thymus essential oils and of their main components were determined. Three essential oils obtained from different species of Thymus growing wild in Sardinia and a commercial sample of Thymus capitatus oil were analysed. The essential oil components were identified by GC/MS analysis. The antimicrobial activity of the oils and components was determined against a panel of standard reference strains and multiple strains of food‐derived spoilage and pathogenic bacteria, using a broth microdilution method. The GC/MS analysis showed that the major constituents of the oils were monoterpene hydrocarbons and phenolic monoterpenes, but the concentration of these compounds varied greatly among the oils examined. The results of the antimicrobial assay showed that essential oils extracted from Sardinian Thymus species have an antimicrobial activity comparable to the one observed in other thyme oils. It seems also confirmed that the antimicrobial properties of thyme essential oils are mainly related to their high phenolic content. Among the single compounds tested carvacrol and thymol turned out to be the most efficient against both reference strains and food‐derived bacteria. The results of this study confirmed the possibility of using thyme essential oils or some of their components in food systems to prevent the growth of foodborne bacteria and extend the shelf‐life of processed foods.


Range extenders are a solution to partly overcome the limitations of current battery technology and are gaining popularity despite their complexity, due to the potential for reduced tailpipe emissions and fuel consumption. The range extender or Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) consists of an on board fuel convertor that converts fuel such as gasoline into electrical power while the vehicle is in operation. This enables the traction battery storage capacity to be reduced whilst still maintaining an acceptable driving range. One of the key requirements of an APU is to provide maximum electrical power. In order to do so it is important that the engine as well as the generator are operated at their maximum efficiency in addition to optimising the complete system to reduce any parasitic losses in auxiliary systems. The conflicting requirements of running the engine at a high temperature (∼90°C) and the generator to run as cold as possible (∼50°C) has consequences on vehicle system integration such as the need to use separate coolant loops, radiators, pumps etc. Employing a common cooling loop can reduce parasitic loads and simplify vehicle integration, but requires operating the engine and/or the generator under sub-optimum thermal conditions. The paper discusses the development of a thermal management system using a single coolant loop for the APU. The APU was tested on a bespoke rig first using two independent cooling loops to characterise the APU performance. The benefits of employing a single coolant loop are then weighed against the compromise in performance observed as a result of operating the engine and/or generator under suboptimum thermal conditions in a single loop. In the single coolant loop, there is a drop in APU power of around 4% and an ESFC penalty of circa 2% at full load across the operating regime. However there is a sizeable saving in parasitic losses, simplified package installation with reduction in overall package cost.


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: High blood pressure (BP) is a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. While BP is regulated by the function of kidney, vasculature, and sympathetic nervous system, recent experimental data suggest that immune cells may play a role in hypertension. Methods: We studied the relationship between major white blood cell types and blood pressure in the UK Biobank population and used Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses using the ≈750 000 UK-Biobank/International Consortium of Blood Pressure-Genome-Wide Association Studies to examine which leukocyte populations may be causally linked to BP. Results: A positive association between quintiles of lymphocyte, monocyte, and neutrophil counts, and increased systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse pressure was observed (eg, adjusted systolic BP mean±SE for 1st versus 5th quintile respectively: 140.13±0.08 versus 141.62±0.07 mm Hg for lymphocyte, 139.51±0.08 versus 141.84±0.07 mm Hg for monocyte, and 137.96±0.08 versus 142.71±0.07 mm Hg for neutrophil counts; all P<10–50). Using 121 single nucleotide polymorphisms in MR, implemented through the inverse-variance weighted approach, we identified a potential causal relationship of lymphocyte count with systolic BP and diastolic BP (causal estimates: 0.69 [95% CI, 0.19–1.20] and 0.56 [95% CI, 0.23–0.90] of mm Hg per 1 SD genetically elevated lymphocyte count, respectively), which was directionally concordant to the observational findings. These inverse-variance weighted estimates were consistent with other robust MR methods. The exclusion of rs3184504 SNP in the SH2B3 locus attenuated the magnitude of the signal in some of the MR analyses. MR in the reverse direction found evidence of positive effects of BP indices on counts of monocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils but not lymphocytes or basophils. Subsequent MR testing of lymphocyte count in the context of genetic correlation with renal function or resting and postexercise heart rate demonstrated a positive association of lymphocyte count with urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Conclusions: Observational and genetic analyses demonstrate a concordant, positive and potentially causal relationship of lymphocyte count with systolic BP and diastolic BP.


The purposes of this study were 1) to investigate the heritability, reliability, and selection response for survival traits following a Weibull frailty proportional hazard model; and 2) to examine the relationship between genetic parameters from a Weibull model, a discrete proportional hazard model, and a binary data analysis using a linear model. Both analytical methods and Monte Carlo simulations were used to achieve these aims. Data were simulated using the Weibull frailty model with two different shapes of the Weibull distribution. Breeding values of 100 unrelated sires with 50 to 100 progeny (with different levels of censoring) were generated from a normal distribution and two different sire variances. For analysis of longevity data on the discrete scale, simulated data were transformed to a discrete scale using arbitrary ends of discrete intervals of 400, 800, or 1200 d. For binary data analysis, an individual's longevity was either 0 (when longevity was less than the end of interval) or 1 (when longevity was equal or greater than the end of interval). Three different statistical models were investigated in this study: a Weibull model, a discrete-time model (a proportional hazard model assuming that the survival data are measured on a discrete scale with few classes), and a linear model based upon binary data. An alternative derivation using basic expressions of reliabilities in sire models suggests a simple equation for the heritability on the original scale (effective heritability) that is not dependent on the Weibull parameters. The predictions of reliabilities using the proposed formulae in this study are in very good agreement with reliabilities observed from simulations. In general, the estimates of reliability from either the discrete model or the binary data analysis were close to estimates from the Weibull model for a given number of uncensored records in this simplified case of a balanced design. Although selection response from the binary data analysis depends on the end of interval point, there is a relatively good agreement between selection responses in the Weibull model and the binary data analysis. In general, when the underlying survival data is from a Weibull distribution, it appears that the method of analyzing data does not greatly affect the results in terms of sire ranking or response to selection, at least for the simplified context considered in this study.


In an application to large diameter Czochralski (CZ) silicon (Si) single crystal growing the influence on crystal temperature field of various thermal shield assemblies located near to its surface is discussed. By means of mathematical modeling the computer model of thermal processes in an application to a hot zone of "Redmet-90" puller [1], intended for 200 and 300 mm diameter Si single crystal growth is developed. The role of the ring shield and the shield assembly, consisting of two shields (an internal cone and an external one is repeating the crucible shape) and being as a basis of some patents, is investigated. On the basis of the carried out calculations the new thermal shield assembly for "Redmet-90" puller was offered. Its influence on formation of the characteristic thermal zones in growing single crystal, corresponding to defect formation processes in dislocation-free Si crystals (the recombination of intrinsic point defect – IPD, and the formation of their agglomerates) is discussed. The influence of a melt flow on the liquid/solid interface (LSI) shape and thermal stability of crystal growing process is analyzed.


Department of Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Endocrinology, Ministry of Health, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China Purpose: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has been shown as an important predictor of cardiovascular risk, and sleep duration is an important factor influencing health outcomes. However, the association between hs-CRP and sleep duration among Chinese adults remained unknown and controversial. We aimed to explore the associations between sleep duration and hs-CRP levels among Chinese adults, and the differences in sex and geographical regions. Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on nationally representative Chinese samples from the 2009 China Health and Nutrition Survey, which employed multistage, random cluster designs. Habitual sleep duration was self-reported with short and long sleep duration defined as ≤6h and ≥9h per day, respectively. Participants were divided into 4 groups based on the categories of self-reported sleep duration (≤6h, 7h, 8h, ≥9h per day), excluding hsCRP levels ≥10 mg/L. Subset samples were stratified by sex and geographical regions. Results: A total of 8170 Chinese adults with a mean age of 50.0±14.9 years and 4369 (53.5%) men were included. Participants sleeping eight hours had the lowest hs-CRP levels. Long sleep duration (≥9h) was significantly associated with elevated hs-CRP levels after adjusting for multiple covariates in full samples (β=0.0356; 95% CI: 0.0050–0.0663; P=0.0228), but the associations of short sleep duration (≤ 6h) were limited to the unadjusted model. Long sleep duration was associated with elevated hs-CRP levels in women (β= 0.0512; 95% CI: 0.0097–0.0927; P=0.0155) and in the northern region of China (β=0.0699; 95% CI: 0.0210–0.1187; P=0.0051), but not in men or the southern region. Conclusion: Long but not short sleep duration was positively associated with elevated hsCRP levels, independent from traditional risk factors among Chinese adults, and sex and geographical differences were observed. Our findings imply that modifications of long sleep duration might be added to behavioral therapy to reduce cardiovascular risk in Chinese adults.


THE ORIGINAL report of hyperlysinemia associated it with convulsions, mental retardation, delayed development, poor growth, anemia, and muscular and ligamentous asthenia; it outlined the clinical course of the patient until the age of 4½ years. 1 That paper also noted the presence of parental consanguinity, outlined biochemical findings which apparently resulted from the abnormality of lysine metabolism, advanced a hypothesis to explain the clinical and biochemical manifestations, and reported the results of family screening studies. Since then two more children, relatives of the original patient, have been found with hyperlysinemia, and additional studies have been made to clarify the nature of their metabolic defect. It is the intent of this report to describe the clinical findings, to record results of further biochemical investigation, and to advance another hypothesis for the nature of the metabolic defect in hyperlysinemia. Report of Cases Case1.—Patient 1 was the subject of the original case


Acoustical signals are often corrupted by other speeches, sources, and background noise. This makes it necessary to use some form of preprocessing so that signal processing systems such as a speech recognizer or machine diagnosis can be effectively employed. In this contribution, we introduce and evaluate a new algorithm that uses independent component analysis (ICA) with a geometrical constraint [constrained ICA (CICA)]. It is based on the fundamental similarity between an adaptive beamformer and blind source separation with ICA, and does not suffer the permutation problem of ICA-algorithms. Unlike conventional ICA algorithms, CICA needs prior knowledge about the rough direction of the target signal. However, it is more robust against an erroneous estimation of the target direction than adaptive beamformers: CICA converges to the right solution as long as its look direction is closer to the target signal than to the jammer signal. A high degree of robustness is very important since the geometrical prior of an adaptive beamformer is always roughly estimated in a reverberant environment, even when the look direction is precise. The effectiveness and robustness of the new algorithms is proven theoretically, and shown experimentally for three sources and three microphones with several sets of real-world data


The proposed work deals with modeling, control and simulation for a class of non linear dynamic systems that is cable robots in order to analysis behavior of insects in free flight. One of the main features is to establish, from the geometric and kinematic equations, the mathematical model that describes evolution of the gripper robot. The second part presents analysis and design of control laws that assures stabilization under severe constraints on the robots' cables. The last section is devoted to numerical simulations to show high performances of the proposed approach.


Abstract Minimally invasive procedures are more and more becoming the standard treatment for many surgical procedures such as the treatment of cerebral aneurysms. In an endovascular procedure the aneurysm is filled with flexible platinum coils leading to embolization and blocking the blood flow in the aneurysm. This established treatment needs high skills and experience on the surgeon. In order to practice and plan a specific procedure or test a new device, a realistic simulation environment is needed. Modern 3D printing technology allows the fabrication of patient specific models incorporating the exact geometry of the pathological anatomy. This article describes the development of a low-cost physiological simulation system for the training of the endovascular treatment of aneurysms. In order to practice the procedure in a realistic scenario, a 3D printed model of the aneurysm is embedded in a fluidic simulation s ystem. In addition to the patient-specific anatomy of the aneurysm a pulsatile water flow is generated, which emulates the influence of blood flow on the behaviour of catheters and coils during deployment. The system consist of a controllable pump circuit generating a pulsatile flow which can be regulated automatically and additionally controlled externally by the user. For a suitable representation, a display which graphically represents the sensor data and settings is employed. The components were compactly integrated in a small case allowing for easy deployment in training workshops. The simulation setup was successfully tested in prospective patient specific treatment planning and workshops for students.


The use of insecure programming practices has led to a large number of vulnerable programs that can be exploited for malicious purposes. These vulnerabilities are often difficult to find during traditional software testing. In response to these difficulties, various program-based security mechanisms have been proposed to help protect potentially vulnerable programs. Testing these security mechanisms, however, also can be difficult and is currently rather ad hoc. In this paper, we describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of an attack simulator that enables the systematic and semi-automatic testing and evaluation of the effectiveness of current and future security mechanisms by automatically providing numerous contexts for testing the reliability of the mechanisms. Capable of automatically creating attacks on running programs by dynamically adding code (but not modifying existing code), the attack simulator can run in different modes and simulate attacks at various program points systematically. Through a case study, we demonstrate how our tool can be used to test two well-known security mechanisms for stack smashing attacks in several different testing modes


ABSTRACT A structured questionnaire was administered to 160 farmers from the Kakamega and Vihiga districts of Western Kenya using a purposive random sampling technique to assess the profitability of different soil fertility management strategies for kale and tomato production systems. Different soil fertility amendment technologies including the use of manure, chemical fertilizer and biomass materials, alone and in combination, were compared. Use of farm yard manure alone was considered as a baseline strategy to show the extra costs and returns incurred by farmers if they decided to invest in additional technologies for kale and tomato production. Partial budgets were constructed in order to analyze marginal changes that occur in benefits and costs due to the introduction of improved technology. Kale production was found to be most profitable when grown using a combination of manure and chemical fertilizer to replenish soil fertility. This combination (manure and chemical fertilizer) also yielded the highest marginal rate of return (MRR) of 1,758% in kale production. In the case of tomato production, the most profitable system is farm yard manure, chemical fertilizer and Tithonia diversifolia biomass transfer, which gave a net return of US$256 per year per hectare. This shows that it was profitable to shift from use of farm yard manure to a combination of farm yard manure, chemical fertilizer and Tithonia diversifolia biomass transfer. The study thus shows that it is profitable for the farmers to combine farm yard manure and any other soil fertility replenishment strategy in both kale and tomato production. The study thus recommends the need for the farmers to be encouraged to use available and relatively cheap soil fertility replenishment technologies. Further, there is need for the farmers to propagate the Tithonia diversifolia plant on their farms.


This article describes the design of the two
application scenarios of the Virtual Human project and its
integration into the Virtual Human system. This includes overall
concepts and considerations of the demonstrators for the two
application scenarios (learning, edutainment) as well as
underlying methodic-didactic aspects for knowledge transmission
and narrative concepts for story structure and story control
during run-time of the system. Hence, in contrast to traditional
learning systems with virtual characters as virtual instructors, an
exciting and suspenseful interactive information space has been
created. On the one hand, the methodic-didactic methods and VH
learning model guarantee learning effects, on the other hand
narrative structures and an emotion module provide the ground
for a playful and exciting story environment, whereby the users
can interact and discuss with a set of virtual characters.


EDITORIAL A.I.VE.LA. – the Italian Association of Laser Velocimetry and non-invasive diagnostics is a non-profit cultural association whose objective is to promote and support research in the field of non-contact or minimally invasive measurement techniques, particularly of electromagnetic-based and optical techniques. Through its Annual Meeting, AIVELA aims at creating an active and stimulating forum where current research results and technical advances can be exchanged and the development of new systems for laboratory use, field testing and industrial application can be promoted. The techniques addressed include Laser Doppler Anemometry – LDA, Phase Doppler Anemometry – PDA, Image Velocimetry – PIV, Flow visualization techniques, Spectroscopic measurement techniques (LIF, Raman, etc.), Laser Doppler Vibrometry – LDV, Speckle Pattern Interferometry – ESPI, Holographic techniques, Shearography, Digital Image Correlation – DIC, Moiré techniques, Structured light techniques, Infrared imaging, Photoelasticity, Image based measurement techniques, Ultrasonic sensing, Acoustic and Aeroacoustic measurements, etc. The first Annual Meeting was held back in October 1992 and since then the event has met large consensus among the research and scientific communities worldwide for the high scientific interest of the papers presented. The XXIV AIVELA Annual Meeting was held at the premises of the Faculty of Engineering in Brescia on 27-28 October 2016 and was organised in collaboration with the University of Brescia. This volume contains a selection of the papers presented at the event. The detailed Programme of the Meeting can be found at: http://www.aivela.org/XXIV_Convegno/thursday_27.html Trusting our Association and its initiatives will meet your interest, I wish to thank you in advance for your kind attention and hope to meet you soon at one of our events. EDITOR Enrico Primo Tomasini President of A.I.VE.LA.


At the turn of the last century, bolt supporting of coal roadway had rapidly developed with the applied range of bolt stretching continually. The bolt supporting in roadway has been implemented widely. But until now, there is no reliable theoretical support or appraisal system on the design of bolt supporting roadway and the evaluation of supporting conditions. Supporting effect is tested only by practice and roof-fall accidents take place repeatedly. This paper conducts the research on the bolt supporting parameters in No.315 transportation-up-hill roadway of Nan Ye Coal Mine with numerical analysis method; it is discovered that numerical analysis can be a good way to predict and evaluate roadway supporting effects to be worthy popularizing.


The characteristics of geological material, such as the lithology and mineral composition, provide important information in geohazard assessment and mineral exploration. The lofty Central Mountain Range located in the mid east of Taiwan was formed by the slow collision of the Asian continental plate and the Philippine plate, resulting in a 340-km x 80-km area with average height of 2000-m where implementation of the traditional approach of geological survey is impractical. Up to now, very little is known about the characteristics of geological material in this area. The hyperspectral imagery obtained from the airborne platform had been applied in lithology mapping since 1980s. All ideal results were reported in the sparse-vegetation and well-exposed outcrop area. The space-borne Hyperion sensor onboarded the EO-1 satellite was successful deployed in November 2000. Its advanced spectral range and resolution motivates us to apply the hyperspectral imagery to the work of geological mapping in the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan. The challenge is that the coverage of vegetation is dense while the useful outcrop is relatively sparse in this area. To apply the hyperspectral imagery to the work of geological mapping in dense-vegetation and sparse-outcrop region, we investigate the feasibility by conducting a numerical experiment with simulated hyperspectral imagery. The spectra of different surface features are selected and mixed under various controlled conditions. A series of hyperspectral unmixing processing was taken and the results were compared to the simulated conditions. Even though the outcrop area is too small to constitute a pure pixel, results from this experiment indicate that the outcrop still can be identified, as long as the spectra of that particular outcrop is measured and provided as an endmember in the processing. We took a further step to process and analyze the Hyperion image taken on 5 June 2005 in this area. The commercial package, FLAASH 4.1, was employed to correct the atmospheric effect. The ground truths were collected during several field works to the Pao-Lai and He-Ping sites. Various samples of rocks were brought back to the lab to measure the spectral reflectance using a hyperspectral spectroradiometer (GER 2600). These spectra were supplied as endmembers in the processing of Hyperion image. The standard approaches of mixed-pixel analysis were followed and the results of classification were compared to the existing geological map. Results of this research encourage the application of Hyperion hyperspectral imagery on geological mapping in Central Mountain Range of Taiwan. Keyword: hyperspectral, Hyperion, geological mapping