Novel luminescent and amorphous La2O3-ZrO2:Eu(3+) (LZE) nanofibrous membranes with robust softness are fabricated for the first time via a facile electrospinning technique. By incorporating zirconium oxide, the as-prepared lanthanum oxide nanofibrous membranes can be dramatically changed from extreme fragility to robust softness. Meanwhile, the softness and luminescent performance of LZE nanofibrous membranes can be finely controlled by regulating the doping concentration of zirconium oxide and europium in lanthanum oxide nanofibers. Additionally, the crystal structure analysis using X-ray diffractometer and high resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements have confirmed the correlation between the amorphous structure and softness. Furthermore, LZE membranes show the characteristic emission of Eu(3+) corresponding to (5)D(0, 1, 2)-(7)F(0, 1, 2, 3, 4) transitions due to an efficient energy transfer from O(2-) to Eu(3+). The LZE nanofibrous membranes with the optimum doping Eu(3+) concentration of 3 mol% exhibit excellent softness and luminescent properties, which make the materials to have potential applications in fluorescent lamps and field emission displays.


The thermal modeling of the machine adopted here results from the association of two methods: a nodal approach that models the diffusion in the structure and a computational fluid dynamics approach that characterizes the convective heat exchanges that operate in the end-bracket cavities . This thermal model is then validated after experimentation carried out on an induction machine equipped with thermal sensors. This enables us to evaluate the thermal behavior of the machine in normal operating mode. In particular, the modeling of the convection heat exchanges in the internal cavities has to be done in detail to reproduce the thermal behavior of the machine accurately.


The present analysis is addressed to some promising connection arrangements between the towing vehicles and the towed trailers, where the two units are linked by four-bar isosceles trapeziums in place of the conventional pintle hitch. Two types of instability, of the divergent type or the oscillating type, may be analysed by the Routh–Hurwitz criterion or by the direct analysis of the characteristic equation. The constant term of this equation vanishes at the divergent instability threshold (zero of a real root), whereas the equation splits into two lower degree algebraic 'sub-equations' when the oscillating instability arises (pair of pure imaginary roots). A large field of geometrical configurations of the four-bar linkage may be quickly tested by numerical search procedures, including those where the sidebars of the linkage converge towards the inside of the drawing car and shift the relative centre of rotation forward, and those converging backward towards the trailer. Maps of the critical velocity as a function of the geometrical or physical parameters may be easily traced. They clearly show the favourable influence of the forward four-bar connection in general and the benefits achievable comparing with the conventional coupling. Actually, it is conceivable to increase the critical speed by optimising the four-bar design depending on the weight distribution on the axles and on the other geometrical and physical properties. Moreover, this type of connection may produce significant corrections to the under-steering or over-steering conduct of the articulated vehicle. The off-tracking and the manoeuvrability along curved paths are also studied, showing the benefits or the drawbacks of the four-bar linkage for the various configurations.


In domestic legal systems, public authorities have incorporated rules first established by private bodies for a long time. In the global arena, public regulatory regimes increasingly connect with private ones. International intergovernmental organizations, transnational regulatory networks and the EU use international standards and rules coming from private entities through a variety of mechanisms. Examples include the FSB's incorporation of international auditing standards, the Basel Committee's reference to credit rating agencies, the WTO agreements' connection with international standards established by private bodies and the EU endorsement of international accounting standards. Notwithstanding the different context in which they are operating, traditional techniques - such as incorporation and reference - are surprisingly resilient. Yet, tools at first sight originating from the plain transplantation of instruments well know within national legal orders end up being used for new purposes. Moreover, in some cases systems drawing upon old tools enact new and more complex models. Concerns about hybrid public-private regulation - under which conditions can a public authority delegate rulemaking functions to private ones? How can the accountability of private entities be pursued? - are old dilemmas. The transplantation of techniques from the national to the global level often aims at finding new solutions to old problems, which appear even more complex in the global arena. The analysis shows that in some cases tools addressing legitimacy concerns, such as procedural ones, seem to be more developed in the global context than in national ones - even though not necessarily more efficacy in enhancing accountability comes with the development in the number of these tools.


The Leather Toy Craft is spread in the geographical areas of Indore and Ujjain districts in Madhya Pradesh state in India. Once upon a time, this was a great source of income for thousands of skilled and semi-skilled artisans and their family members. But, the use of insect-edible raw-materials and lack of product-line diversification turned this craft into the category of languishing crafts. This craft is well known for its miniature as well as for lifesize animal and other realistic creature forms. The sculpted muscular forms, followed by traditional leather molding techniques are the common-unique-craft-factor. After and study of production-bottom-of-pyramid involved in manufacturing-process, the author came to know that this craft can achieve the state-of-sustenance. Objective of this project was to establish a pool between traditionally acquired craft skills, easy-to-accept contemporary manufacturing process interventionsas required, design and development of product ranges according to the standing-requirements of the target-end-user(s). One-to-one survey and sample collection through personal interactions and exploration method was followed at grass-root level. To develop a proposed non-insect-edible form, the production-cost enhancement was approximately 05 INR per square feet. Later, this project was extended to check the actualfeasibility of interventions at functional level, which was found successful. For this purpose, initial design inspirations had been taken from the surrounding environments of Indore city life, as well from the nature. As all of the above suggested processes were done after needstudies, so was artisan friendly and recommended changes were accepted by them easily. Although, initial training was required, so artisan training program was organized by author.


THE RWANDAN genocide of 1994 will be remembered as one of the greatest human tragedies of our time. In less than 3 months, extremists systematically slaughtered more than 500 000 people, including thousands of children. 1 The massacres reignited a bloody civil war that forced more than 4 million people to flee their homes. 2 Today, nearly 3 years later, Rwanda remains a highly traumatized society, where children are its most vulnerable members. Among those most at risk are more than 100000 children who were orphaned or separated from their parents (United Nations Children's Fund, unpublished data, press release 94/26, May 24, 1994). Between August 1994 and February 1996, we traveled on 3 occasions to Rwanda and northeastern Zaire as representatives of Medecins du Monde and Physicians for Human Rights. Our task was to assess the nature and scope of the Rwandan genocide and its effects on children. We also


One of the most important steps of software lifecycle is Quality Assurance: this process comprehends both automatic tests and manual reviews, and all of them must pass successfully before the software is approved for production. Some tests, such as source code static analysis, are executed on a single dedicated service: in High Energy Physics, a full simulation and reconstruction chain on a distributed computing environment, backed with a sample "golden" dataset, is also necessary for the quality sign off. The ALICE experiment uses dedicated and virtualized computing infrastructures for the Release Validation in order not to taint the production environment (i.e. CVMFS and the Grid) with non-validated software and validation jobs: the ALICE Release Validation cluster is a disposable virtual cluster appliance based on CernVM and the Virtual Analysis Facility, capable of deploying on demand, and with a single command, a dedicated virtual HTCondor cluster with an automatically scalable number of virtual workers on any cloud supporting the standard EC2 interface. Input and output data are externally stored on EOS, and a dedicated CVMFS service is used to provide the software to be validated. We will show how the Release Validation Cluster deployment and disposal are completely transparent for the Release Manager, who simply triggers the validation from the ALICE build system's web interface. CernVM 3, based entirely on CVMFS, permits to boot any snapshot of the operating system in time: we will show how this allows us to certify each ALICE software release for an exact CernVM snapshot, addressing the problem of Long Term Data Preservation by ensuring a consistent environment for software execution and data reprocessing in the future.


One of the 17 frameworks for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) program concerns a healthy life and encouraging prosperity for everyone. The Indonesian government within the framework of SDGs targeting NMR can decrease to 12 deaths per 1000 births. The existence of an incubator as a premature baby warmer device is very important. But such health facilities are still lacking in the area. The Grashof Portable Home Incubator, which is one of the innovations from Universitas Indonesia, was lent free of charge as one of the product-based community engagement activities from 2012 to the present. It was lent freely to the mothers with newborn babies from lower-class communities. The network of volunteer agents is at the forefront of implementing this activity in many locations in Indonesia. The volunteer agents replace the basic cost production of the incubator so the problem of funds can be overcome. Socialization and collaboration with all levels of society, both individuals and institutions, is carried out so that more premature babies can be helped. Since 2012 this activity has helped more than 3,000 babies in 21 provinces spread over 94 cities/districts. This activity has increased to community empowerment, which directs or indirect helps government programs in reducing infant mortality. Public awareness to help others, especially poor people can make life's welfare better.


The purpose of this study was to determine the soil vegetation relationships on a chalk flat range site in Gove County Kansas. The research area used in this study was located in the north half of section 33, township 14 south, range 31 west adjacent to the Smokey Hill river in Gove County, Kansas. A line transect was established across the research area. The soil and vegetation were determined along the transect. Soil descriptions were written at one-tenth of a mile intervals. The descriptions showed the soils consisted of a deep, light colored friable silt loan and light silty clay loam developed on colluvial fans below Niobrara chalk-rock bluffs. Textural analyses of the soils were determined by the hydrometer method. The analyses indicated the soils contained a high clay content. However, the high calcium carbonate content presumably accounted for this condition. The organic matter of the soils varied from 0.2 to 3.2 per cent; the pH ranged from 7.1 to 7.8 in the surface two horizons; the calcium carbonate content varied from 42.1 to 79.0 per cent. The intake rate of the soils was determined by cylinder infiltrometers. The accumulative intake rate varied from 1.42 to 9.36 inches per hour at the end of a four hour period. The intake was Greatest where little bluestem was the dominant grass. Also, the variability of intake rate was probably due to the immature nature of the soil. A total of 88 plant species was found on the research area. The percentage composition, frequency, and basal cover of the vegetation were determined by the point frame method. A total of 16,320 points were examined with 2,669 of these points intercepting crowns of grasses. This gave an overall basal cover of 16.4 percent. The dominant species of grass was side-oats grama. It made up 75.9 per cent of the species composition. Buffalo grass occurred as pure stand islands and comprised 7.1 per cent of the composition. Salt grass ranked third in percentage composition with 6.3 percent. Little bluestem and sand dropseed comprised 3.2 and 3.1 percent of the composition, respectively. Big bluestem occupied the more mesic habitats and comprised 1.6 per cent of the composition. The forage yield was determined at the end of the growing season by the square meter or clip quadrat method. The yield varied from 1,014.6 pounds to 3,764.7 pounds per acre. The dominant species in both instances was side- oats grams. Where little bluestem occurred in nearly pure stands the yield varied from 1,566.4 pounds to 2,225.0 pounds per acre. When big bluestem occurred in a pure but open stand it produced 3,364.1 pounds of forage per acre. The field of buffalo grass in pure stands was 1,869.0 pounds per acre.


BACKGROUND
Communication between dentists and patients can be exceptionally challenging when the patient and the dentist do not speak the same language, as is frequently the case in multicultural Australia. The aim of this study was to describe the issues involved in dealing with limited-English speaking patients in order to formulate recommendations on how to improve dental communication.

METHODS
A cross sectional study was performed using a postal survey to Australian Dental Association member dental practitioners in Western Australia. Responses were collated and data analysis was performed using SPSS 11.5 for Windows.

RESULTS
Most respondents encounter language-related communication barriers weekly or monthly, and the most satisfactory method of communication is informal interpreters. Despite reporting satisfaction working with professional chairside interpreters or dental staff interpreters, most respondents did not use them. The most common alternative communication methods were diagrams and models. Endodontics and periodontics provided the greatest challenge in communication. Informed consent was reportedly compromised due to language barriers by 29 per cent of respondents. Recommendations to improve communication included access to interpretation services, dentist technique/attitude to communication and patient preparedness for English-speaking encounters.

CONCLUSIONS
Many respondents do not utilize the preferential communication methods, creating a potential compromise to both informed consent and the patients' best interests. The use of professional interpreters is recommended, and discussion should be supplemented with means of non-verbal communication. Dentists require access to lists of multilingual dentists and greater awareness of interpretation services to improve multilingual dentist-patient communication.


BACKGROUND
There are limited practical advanced life support algorithms to aid teams in the management of cardiac arrest in patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

METHODS
In our specialist tertiary referral centre we developed, by iteration, a novel resuscitation algorithm for ECMO emergencies which we validated through simulation and assessment of our multi-disciplinary team. A Mechanical Life Support course was established to provide theoretical and practical education combined with simulation to consolidate knowledge and confidence in algorithm use. We assessed these measures using confidence scoring, a key performance indicator (the time taken to resolve gas line disconnection) and a multiple choice question (MCQ) examination.

RESULTS
Following this intervention the median confidence scores increased from 2 (Interquartile range IQR 2, 3) to 4 (IQR 4, 4) out of maximum 5 (n = 53, p < 0.0001). Theoretical knowledge assessed by median MCQ score increased from 8 (6, 9) to 9 (7, 10) out of maximum 11 (n = 53, p0.0001). The use of the ECMO algorithm reduced the time taken by teams in a simulated emergency to identify a gas line disconnection and resolve the problem from median 128 s (65, 180) to 44 s (31, 59) (n = 36, p 0.001) and by a mean of 81.5 s (CI 34, 116, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
We present an evidence based practical ECMO resuscitation algorithm that provides guidance to clinical teams responding to cardiac arrest in ECMO patients covering both patient and ECMO troubleshooting.


Adenylate cyclase in H21a, a recently isolated S49 mutant cell line, fails to synthesize cyclic AMP in response to hormones, cholera toxin, guanine nucleotides, and NaF. H21a membranes contain M r = 42,000 and 52,000 peptide subunits of the guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory component ( N protein) of adenylate cyclase. These peptides are ADP-ribosylated by cholera toxin in H21a, as in wild-type S49. Nonetheless, extracts of H21a membranes do not complement the functional defect of N -deficient cyc - S49 membranes in vitro [M. R. Salomon and H. R. Bourne, Mol. Pharmacol. 19 :109-116 (1981)]. We asked whether N in H21a can perform functions observed in wild-type S49 but absent or deficient in cyc - and in another S49 mutant, unc . The N lesion in unc is thought to prevent interaction with receptors and allow normal interaction with the catalytic unit. Like wild-type, but unlike cyc - and unc , membranes of H21a contained beta -adrenergic receptors that exhibited high affinity for binding an agonist (isoproterenol) in the absence, but not in the presence, of GTP. In addition, exposure of H21a cells to isoproterenol for 16 hr caused an 85% decrease in density of beta -adrenergic receptors. Agonist-induced down-regulation of beta -adrenergic receptors occurred to a similar extent in wild-type, but not in unc . These results suggest that the N protein in H21a can interact with hormone receptors, but not with catalytic adenylate cyclase. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed that the size and charge of the M r = 42,000 and 52,000 cholera toxin substrates are similar in wild-type and H21a membranes. The H21a and unc lesions appear to affect the same protein, because extracts of each type of mutant membrane failed to complement the adenylate cyclase defect of the other in vitro.


We sought to assess readability and layout characteristics of state-issued Medicaid enrollment applications. We attempted to locate Internet-based Medicaid enrollment applications from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Readability of each Medicaid enrollment application "Signature" page was calculated using McLaughlin's Simplified Measure of Gobbledygoop formula, while layout characteristics were assessed utilizing criteria included in the User-Friendliness Tool. Readability of Medicaid enrollment application Signature pages ranged from 11th to 18th grade level (M±SD=15.5±1.5). Most (66%) applications did not use a recommended font size (≥12 point). None of the applications required little work to make them comply with good formatting standards according to the User-Friendliness Tool. Medicaid enrollment applications overall exhibit text font sizes below 12 point, crowded formatting, and excessively high reading demands. State health departments should revise their Medicaid enrollment applications to adhere to established low-literacy guidelines to improve understanding and comprehension by potential enrollees.


Over the last two decades, the concept of the internationalization of higher education has moved from the fringe of institutional interest to the very core. While gaining moral weight, its content seems to have deteriorated. There is an increasing commercialization under the flag of internationalization. This attitude has exacerbated the devaluation of internationalization and the inflation of defensive measures. While in need of more philosophy, we also require a greater sense of reality. We need to rethink and redefine the way we look at the internationalization of higher education in the present time.


Analyses of capitalist globalisation bearing on the industry of sexual trade are rare. While in full expansion, this industry produces very large population movements and generates flashy incomes. Its phenomenal growth entails the transformation of millions of women and children into sexual merchandise. After assessing the rise of sexual markets and examining the role of organised crime on the basis of its global deployment, the article analyses the merchandising process at work and the mechanisms through which specific human merchandises alienated through their sex are « fabricated ».


The study of semantic fields and their relationships within lexical structure has become an essential part of semantic analysis. Vaguely formulated though it has been, semantic field theory has proved its worth as a general guide for research in descriptive semantics over the last fifty years-, and has undoubtedly increased our understanding of the way the lexemes of language are interrelated in sense. The aim of the present study is two-fold. First, it is an attempt to investigate the theory of semantic fields and offer an account of the theory that may be applied to lexical problems in foreign language teaching. The second aim of the study is 'applied' in nature. It is concerned with the potential applications of semantic field theory to the teaching and learning of lexis in EFL situations. Semantic field theory is a theory of lexical semantics. The evaluation of the adequacy of a linguistic theory is a matter internal to linguistics-, whether a theory succeeds according to some objective criteria in accounting for what it purports to account for. Semantic field theory has achieved a great deal of adequacy in accounting for the semantic relations holding between the meanings of lexemes in a natural language. However, in applied linguistics, we are not interested only in the adequacy or validity of linguistic theories but also in their utility for solving the practical problems faced by the language learner. Just as a linguistic theory must be validated empirically according to criteria internal to linguistics, so a linguistic theory must also be proved useful in application. The test of a theory's utility is, therefore, empirical. In order to assess the utility of semantic field theory in the teaching of English vocabulary, an experiment was formulated and conducted in an EFL situation. Although the experiment was limited and applied to a specific language skill (reading comprehension) and to a specific situation (a secondary school in Iraq), it is hoped that the findings of the experiment will be potentially relevant to other language skills and to EFL-teachers working in a wide variety of situations, The thesis is divided into eleven chapters. Chapter One is intended to shed light on the nature of vocabulary and the role of lexis in communication and to identify the EFL learners' problem in acquiring lexis in semantic fields. Chapter Two is an attempt to define and clarify some linguistic terms as used in our discussion and analysis of semantic fields. Chapter Three looks into the historical background of semantic field theory and critically examines some recent studies that have contributed to the development of the theory. Chapter Four is a somewhat detailed investigation of the structure of semantic fields and the characteristics of these fields as envisaged in our research. It also deals with some approaches to the analysis of lexical meaning and suggests a simplified componential-collocational approach for the teaching of lexis. Chapter. c Three and Four may be regarded as making up the 'theoretical part' of the research. The 'applied part' is covered in Chapters 5- 10. Chapter Five is a contrastive lexical analysis of some semantic fields in English and Arabic - Arabic being the language of the EFL learners with whom our research is mainly concerned. Chapters Six and Seven deal with some pedagogical issues relevant to the study and to the experiment. The experiment (its design, hypotheses, phases, results, statistical analyses of the results, discussion of the findings, etc. ) are given in Chapters Ekht, Nine and Ten. Some concluding remarks concerning the place of the study in the wider context of applied linguistics research and its implications for the teaching of vocabulary in Iraq and other EFL situations are dealt with in Chapter Eleven.


As humanity enters a new cycle of actualizing its potentials for goodness, wellbeing, freedom, justice, the pursuit of happiness and even the attainment of holiness, sainthood or God's Consciousness, wise humans, philosophers, scientists and artists, amongst others, are called to responsibly and openly articulate the complementarities of the triunity of energy~mind~spirit and how the existence of such a dynamic systemic triunity is active in the creative process and the manifestation of constructive and intelligent actions towards a benevolent and harmonious social dynamics. Since the complexities involved in this undertaking are enormous and since we need to improve our mental and mathematical models of reality and ideally, through inspiration and insight, create new models derived from new understandings of reality in a broader sense (energy~mind~spirit), for this work, we will introduce the reader to the biophysics of values, consciousness and its social implications, as well as new paradigms to address this challenge.


In two studies we examined the willingness to support action to remedy a public problem. In Study 1 people were asked whether they would financially contribute to solution of a public problem. In Study 2, people were asked whether they would sign a petition to support a public action. The aim was to test whether the willingness to support solution of a public problem is affected by the type of problem that is used as the referent. We hypothesized that the willingness to support a public action is lower when evaluated in the context of a high - as opposed to a low - importance referent problem (importance contrast effect). We also hypothesized that the importance contrast effect is tied to the perceived relatedness between the target and referent problems. The importance contrast effect should be found only when the two problems relate to different category domains. The findings bear out this prediction.


Physical inactivity is becoming more widespread, and with it, increases in obesity and other co-morbid conditions. Community-level health interventions have been introduced globally to encourage physical activity participation and other positive health choices. It is important to consider what attracts and retains participants, and to examine if the programs positively impact upon their health behaviours. Understanding these factors could assist in greater engagement, sustainability and create long-term behaviour change.

The Australian Government introduced Healthy Community Initiatives in 82 local government areas between 2011-2014 to reduce the risk of chronic disease associated with physical inactivity. The Tablelands Regional Council, in the highlands west of Cairns, Queensland, was one of the councils to implement the initiative. Named 'Wellbeing Tablelands', two of the programs offered under the initiative were light water aerobics sessions and Beat It. The water aerobics program targeted older adults and focused on gentle movement and stretching. The program had one session per week for ten weeks and catered to individuals with limited mobility due to their age. The other program, Beat It, offered two sessions per week over twelve weeks, and catered to those with average as well as impaired mobility. It was more demanding and targeted those at risk of or coping with diabetes.

Participants of these two programs were invited to partake in the current study. The study uses a convergent mixed methods approach to answer the research question 'What are the physiological and psychological factors and the personal experiences associated with participation in the Wellbeing Tablelands HCI programs?'. Qualitative interviews were used to understand the personal experiences of participation in the community-level health interventions, as well as the facilitators perspectives on what they believe the experience of the participant is. Psychometric measures were used for the participants' self-efficacy, self-determination and stage of change. Physiological changes measured included BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, resting heart rate, flexibility and strength.

Thirty-three participants took part in the program (23 female, 10 male), aged between 47 to 79 years. Four participants took part in the light water aerobics, and the remaining 29 participants took part in the Beat It program. Twenty-five participants were interviewed about their personal experiences of participation in the programs. Four facilitators from the programs and the local council also took part in qualitative interviews to explore their perspectives on program participation. Braun and Clarke's Thematic Analysis was used to guide the qualitative data analysis.

Body mass index, waist circumference, resting heart rate and resting blood pressure were also measured for 29 participants, as well as sit-to-stand, sit-and-reach, leg balance, seated medicine ball throw and six-minute walk. Psychological measures included self-efficacy, self-determination and stage of change. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Tests were used to assess if there were differences from assessment 1 to 2 for the quantitative data.

There were significant improvements for waist circumference for both genders, as well as the male participants' BMI. There were significant improvements for the female participants' sit-and-reach and sit-to-stand, and the men's seated medicine ball throw. For the psychometric measures, the only score to significantly improve was the autonomous subscale of the treatment self-determination scale, indicating that autonomous motivation to attend the program increased over the duration of the program.

The thematic analysis of the participants' interviews resulted in five themes for the personal experience of participation. These themes were 'Exercise to me', 'Physical benefits of exercise', 'Psychological benefits of exercise', 'Health behaviour barriers' and 'Health behaviour enablers'. The themes of the facilitators interviews were 'Understanding of barriers', 'Program elements as enablers', 'Health advocate enablers', 'Social enablers' and 'Overall impressions'.

The objective of the Healthy Communities Initiative was to reduce the risk of chronic disease associated with physical inactivity however, the results demonstrate that the participants were not necessarily attending for that reason. The theme common to all participants was appreciation of the opportunity to socialise, and some were also encouraged by changes they noticed in their physiological characteristics. Several participants also had the goal to maintain their current level of physical ability.

Qualitative results also demonstrate that the participants felt more confident with their physical abilities after participating in the program, and they planned on continuing to do physical activity after the program ended. This was despite there not being a significant increase in the psychometric measure for self-efficacy.

There was a discrepancy between the quantitative psychometric measures and qualitative results. While there were no significant improvements for self-efficacy, the participants qualitative data indicated that they felt more confident with their ability, and they desired to continue exercising following the program. Facilitators identified the barriers that participants said were their main barriers to engaging in physical activity, including cost, transport and time; however, it appeared that the facilitators underestimated the health knowledge of participants. The study provides an account of participation in a community-level health intervention, and may contribute to improved program design that is more appealing and relevant to prospective participants.


Descriptions and links to digitized primary sources, as well as print collections of newspapers, diaries, correspondence and other primary sources Microform Collections


It is well known that significant power savings can be obtained by disabling or shutting down parts of a circuit during idle periods. One method is to use a high level partitioning technique which considers both the controller and the datapath together. The FSMD is split into two or more simpler communicating processors. These separate processors can then be clock gated or power gated to achieve dramatic power savings since only one processor is active at any given time. Here, we propose a technique to efficiently partition a FSMD for power gating using an integer linear programming (ILP) approach. Implementing and analyzing a sample circuit shows that up to 41% static and dynamic power savings are possible. We then develop a framework to estimate the potential power savings. Using several sample circuits, the estimation framework shows that up to 69% static power savings and 30% dynamic power savings can be expected.


The importance of regular hand washing cannot be
 overemphasized, as this study reviewed the need to
 constantly wash our hands as well as the benefits derived
 from the practice and also pointed out the consequences of
 not regularly observing this healthy practice. The following
 species were isolated from swabs from different primary
 school pupils from private and government owned primary
 schools, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus spp., E. coli and Bacillus spp.
Swabs from pupils showed the following result of cfu mean
 total viable count; 1.61 × 104, 1.52 × 102, 1.61 × 101 and
 1.8 × 102. This result was obtained from pupils from the
 four schools; Sada primary school, Dammy preparatory
 School, Apollo nursery and primary school, Gummi primary
 school(Government school) respectively. Microbial
 population was more in the Government School than in the
 private schools.
The isolated organisms were quite resistant to most of the
 antibiotics used, however, Staphyloccus sp. Was most
 sensitive to streptomycin, while Bacillus sp. was most
 sensitive to perfloxacin, E. coli and Salmonella sp. were very
 sensitive to ciprofloxacin. I therefore conclude that since
 the hand is a major reservoir of enteric diseases , there is
 need to create public awareness and build a global network
 on hand washing bearing the health implications of dirty
 and contaminated hands; therefore Proper hygiene and
 public enlightenment of the hands in disease dissemination
 should be advocated.
Promotion of good hygiene by school teachers is very
 important, hence, key hygiene habits such as good hand
 washing practice that are likely to be taken further into
 adulthood can be adopted by encouraging millions of school
 children to engage in these good repetitive behaviors.


Context: Pathological changes secondary to degeneration of the cervical intervertebral disc may cause irritation of sympathetic nerve fibers, leading to sympathetic symptoms and tinnitus.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to relate the effect of percutaneous radiofrequency treatment of superior cervical sympathetic ganglion in patients with tinnitus to cervical pathology.
Method: A retrospective study of 74 consecutive patients who underwent treatment of the superior cervical sympathetic ganglion for tinnitus that persisted for 1 month or longer from October 2016 to January 2018. The work-up of a patient with tinnitus consisted of a standardized clinical history, a bilateral audiogram and a cervical spine radiograph.
Results: All patients had a test blockade of superior cervical sympathetic ganglion first, and 54% of these patients (n=40) responded with a reduction of their tinnitus. These patients underwent a radiofrequency lesion and 53% (n=21) responded with a reduction of their tinnitus at 7 weeks following treatment. The size of anterior osteophyte at the fifth cervical vertebrae was related to a positive response at 7 weeks following this treatment. Patients with tinnitus and an anterior osteophyte at vertebrae C5 more than 17% of the width of those vertebrae had a success rate of 52% following treatment of the superior cervical sympathetic ganglion, compared to 13%, when the anterior osteophyte at C5 was 17% or less.
Conclusions: The size of anterior cervical osteophytes is associated with a higher success rate of radiofrequency lesions of the superior sympathetic ganglion for tinnitus. The current results imply a role for cervical sympathetic nervous system irritation in the development of tinnitus in a subgroup of patients.


Referring to GEOSS Sensor Web Workshop and OGC-SWE standardisation, this paper presents the actual sensor network configuration for ocean observing system and the design&implementation of Ocean Sensor Web(OceanSW), which can be implemented to describe, organize, store and manage the ocean sensor data. The OceanSW system is represented in XML, which is easy to apply. And gives the details of Ocean Sensor Observation Service. On this basis, Ocean Sensor Web Prototype System based on Web Service is put forward, which aims to store and manage the ocean sensor observation data effectively.


Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the shear bond strengths (SBS) of orthodontic brackets bonded to enamel with a self-etching primer after bleaching, desensitizer application and combined treatment. Methods: Forty-eight premolars were randomly divided into four groups, each with n = 12 premolar samples. The four groups were; Group1: 15% hydrogen-peroxide office bleaching agent (Illumine Office-IO), Group 2: IO + BisBlock Oxalate Dentin-Desensitizer, Group 3: Bis Block Oxalate Dentin-Desensitizer, Group 4: No treatment (control). Twenty-four hours after bonding, the specimens were tested in SBS at a crosshead speed of 5 mm/min until the brackets debonded. The failure mode of the brackets was determined by a modified adhesive remnant index. Results: Bleaching, bleaching and desensitizer treatment, and desensitizer treatment alone all significantly reduced SBS of the orthodontic brackets (p = 0.001). No statistically significant difference was found between Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 (Group 1-Group 2, p = 0.564; Group 1-Group 3, p = 0.371; Group 2-Group 3, p = 0.133). The predominant mode of failure for the treatment groups (Group1, Group 2 and Group 3) was at the enamel-adhesive interface leaving 100% of the adhesive on the bracket base. Conclusions: Bleaching and desensitizer treatment should be delayed until the completion of orthodontic treatment. (Korean J Orthod 2010;40(5): 342-348)


The role of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in reducing toxicity related to cancer chemotherapy (CT) is presently a controversial issue. To evaluate the effectiveness of TPN in reducing CT-associated toxicity and correcting and preventing CT-related impairments of nutritional status, a prospective crossover controlled study was performed in 43 cancer patients (19 normally nourished and 24 malnourished) randomly divided into two groups (A and B). Group A patients received TPN concomitantly with the first course of chemotherapy, and the second course was administered 21 to 28 days later without TPN support; group B patients were treated in the opposite sequence. The rates of myelotoxicities and gastrointestinal toxicities after CT courses with or without TPN were essentially similar in normally nourished and malnourished patients. No changes in nutritional indexes were detected in normally nourished subjects after each course. Conversely, in undernourished subjects, prealbumin, retinol-binding protein, and nitrogen balance increased in CT+TPN courses (p < .02). In CT-only courses, undernourished subjects showed a decrease in prealbumin and nitrogen balance. Significant changes of nitrogen balance in CT vs CT+TPN courses were detected in malnourished subjects. TPN appears to be unable to reduce CT-associated toxicity. CT administration does not result in any impairment of the nutritional status in normally nourished cancer patients. From our study, it appears that TPN should be limited to severely malnourished neoplastic patients undergoing CT, because of its ability to prevent further impairment of nutritional status and to improve the nitrogen balance and the levels of fast-turnover visceral proteins.


Non-local forces exist in nature for two reasons. First that the recent experiments on locality are supposed to be accurate enough. Second that there is no local theory that can reproduce all the predictions of orthodox quantum theory which, almost for about a century, have been proved to be correct experimentally again and again. This thesis concerns both of these. A brief discussion of the measurement in quantum theory is followed by two comments which show that the quantum description is frame dependent and that the collapse of the wave-function of a system may occur without the relevant measurement being performed. After this the Bohm model and a modified version of the Bohm model are described. Next we introduce a new method for obtaining the Bell-type inequalities which can be used for testing locality. We derive more inequalities by this method than obtained by other existing procedures. Using Projection Valued(PV) and Positive Operator Valued Measures(POVM) measurements we have designed experiments which violates one of the Bell inequalities by a larger factor than existing violations which in turn could increase the accuracy of experiments to test for non-locality. This is our first result. After discussing the non-locality and non-Lorentz invariant features of the Bohm model, its retarded version, namely Squires' model - which is local and Lorentz invariant - is introduced. A problem with this model, that is the ambiguity in the cases where the wave-function depends on time, is removed by using the multiple-time wave-function. Finally, we apply the model to one of the experiments of locality and prove that it is in good agreement with the orthodox quantum theory.


Abstract This article aims to describe a qualitative and quantitative study of the construction and validation of guidelines for hospital care of adolescents with suicide attempts. The methodological approach involved an integrative literature review with thematic content analysis of 27 articles, which generated 3 categories: assessment of suicidal behavior in the context of the emergency department; intervention in suicidal behavior, and hospital multidisciplinary team. The content of these categories was the basis for the construction of an instrument with 15 statements about the performance of adolescents in suicidal crisis assisted in the hospital setting. This instrument was applied with 20 healthcare professionals selected from two hospital institutions in southern Brazil, who acted as judges/evaluators of the proposed statements. The content of the 15 statements was validated as guidelines through the Percentage of Concordance Calculation and the Score Calculation. The constructed guidelines may help multidisciplinary hospital teams when facing adolescents with suicide attempts, to base their conduct on criteria that guide actions of reception, assessment, intervention, and referral.


Study objective: To explore the relation between incidence of sporadic and community acquired legionnaires' disease and exposure to potentially contaminated industrial aerosols. Design: Geographical ecological approach using the postcode as the statistical unit. A multivariate Poisson regression model was used to model the relation between exposure to industrial aerosols and legionnaires' disease. Setting: Metropolitan France. Main results: More than 1000 sources of industrial exposure (aerosol and plume of smoke) were identified in 42 French departments. After adjusting for confounding factors, there was a statistically increased incidence of legionnaires' disease in postcodes with plume of smoke in comparison with postcodes without (RR=1.45, 95% CI=1.12 to 1.87), and in postcodes with more than one aerosol in comparison with postcodes without (RR=1.37, 95% CI=1.04 to 1.79). Conclusion: These findings highlight that any industrial systems generating water aerosols should be regarded as potential sources of contamination for legionnaires' disease.


During the Fukushima Daiichi power plant incident sea water was used in an attempt to cool reactor Unit 3. Since sea water contains an excessive amount of chloride, 36Cl has likely been formed and spread in the environment. Because of the long residence time and the presumed high mobility in water there is an increased interest to learn more about the biogeochemical cycle of chlorine from a radiation risk assessment perspective. Chlorine occurs in inorganic form as chloride (Clin) or bound to organic matter as organic chlorine (Clorg) and is commonly found in the environment due to both anthropogenic and natural processes. Though there are still uncertainties regarding all of the components of the chlorine cycle in soil, the chlorination of organic matter has been exemplified by research. The reverse process, Clorg mineralizing into Clin, has however not been thoroughly investigated. For this study the objective was to observe at what rate Clorg mineralizes into Clin, this by using 36Cl as a tracer in forest soil. 36Cl was added to the soil and 36Clorg was formed over a period of approximately 100 days. After chlorination the samples were incubated in different conditions and the amount of 36Clorg was observed over a period of time (180 days). The result showed no evident dechlorination during the experiment period which indicates that Clorg can be stable in the organic horizon in forest soil.


Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) infection is positively associated with cervical cancer, whereas adeno-associated virus (AAV) infection is negatively associated with this same cancer. In earlier studies these two virus types have been shown to directly interact, with AAV inhibiting or enhancing papillomavirus functions depending upon the specific circumstances. One defined interaction between these two viruses is the ability of the AAV Rep78 major regulatory protein to inhibit gene expression of the E6 promoter of BPV-1 (bovine papillomavirus type 1) and HPV types 16 and 18. As Rep78 is a DNA binding transcription factor, we considered whether Rep78 might bind HPV-16 DNA. Here, Rep78 is demonstrated to bind a 44-base pair region (nucleotides 14–56) within the HPV-16 p97 promoter using the electrophoretic mobility shift assay. This region is important for HPV-16 because it includes functional Sp1 and E2 protein binding motifs as well as part of the origin of replication. Furthermore, two Rep78 amino acid substitution mutants, at positions 77 or 64–65, were identified that did not recognize p97 DNA. Both of these Rep78 mutants were found to be defective for inhibition of p97 promoter activity in HeLa and T-47D nuclear extracts in vitro, in a transient chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assay, as well as defective for full inhibition of HPV-16-directed focus formation. These data, taken together, strongly suggest that the Rep78-p97 promoter interaction is at least partially responsible for Rep78-mediated inhibition of HPV-16. Finally, the finding that Rep78 specifically recognizes p97 DNA is surprising because the p97 promoter region contains no GAGC motifs, the core motif for Rep78 recognition. These data suggest that the p97 promoter may represent a new prototypical DNA target type for Rep78.


Wireless sensor networks arranged in farmland give the farmland manager real time environment parameter data. The radio signal propagation environment changes a lot throughout the crop growth stage because of the changes of crop height, density and some other farmland environment parameters. This paper collected and analyzed radio signal propagation data of a complete growth period and established corn field path loss model for radio signal propagation to provide support to sensor node deployment and energy planning. The result shows that the radio signal propagation path loss exponent increases with the growth of corn; at the same corn growth stage, the radio signal propagation path loss exponent reduces according to the antenna height variation. This paper uses Lognormal distribution model to predict the radio signal propagation in corn field and the correlation coefficients between computational values and measurement values were between 0.906 and 0.998.


In primate retinas, the dendrites of DB3 diffuse bipolar cells are known to receive inputs from cones. The goal of this study was to describe the synaptic connections of DB3 bipolar cell axons in the inner plexiform layer. DB3 bipolar cells in midperipheral retina were labeled with antibodies to calbindin, and their axons were analyzed in serial, ultrathin sections by electron microscopy. Synapses were found almost exclusively at the axonal varicosities of DB3 axon terminals. There were 2.14 synaptic ribbons per varicosity. There were 33 varicosities per DB3 cell, giving an average of 71 ribbons per axon terminal. Because there were 1.5 postsynaptic ganglion cell dendrites per DB3 axonal varicosity, we estimate that there is at least 1 synapse per varicosity onto a parasol ganglion cell dendrite. There were 3.4 input synapses from amacrine cells per axonal varicosity. Among these were feedback synapses to the DB3 bipolar cell axon varicosities, which were made by 47% of the postsynaptic amacrine cell processes. Some of the feedback synapses could be from amacrine cells immunoreactive for cholecystokinin precursor or choline acetyltransferase, because both types of amacrine cells costratify with parasol cells and are known to be presynaptic to bipolar cells. AII amacrine cells were both presynaptic and postsynaptic to DB3 axons, a finding consistent with the large rod input to parasol ganglion cells reported in physiological experiments. DB3 bipolar cell axons also made frequent contacts with neighboring DB3 axons, and gap junctions were always found at these sites. J. Comp. Neurol. 416:19–29, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Tissues cultured from the leaf lamina of wild-type Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. "Havana 425" plants require an exogenous source of cytokinin for rapid growth. In contrast, leaf tissues of plants heterozygous or homozygous for the partially dominant, monogenic habituated leaf (H1-1) trait, exhibit a cytokinin-autotrophic phenotype in culture. Here we show that the H1 trait can arise in culture. Cytokinin autotrophic variants were obtained by culturing wild-type tissues of leaf lamina successively on media containing reduced concentrations of the cytokinin, kinetin. Plants regenerated from clones of these variants exhibited the H1 phenotype, which segregated in breeding tests as expected for a dominant, monogenic trait. This trait, designated H1-2, is inherited at a different locus than the H1-1 trait described earlier. Our results show that cytokinin mutants can arise in cell culture and that at least two genes regulate the cytokinin requirement of cultured tobacco tissues.


Several almond orchards have been studied in south-eastern Spain to characterize and evaluate the soils dedicated to the cultivation of different cultivars in order to identify the parameters that most affect yield. The percentage of gravels, high in several of the soils studied, correlated negatively with the clay content and Water Holding Capacity (WHC) as did the percentage of CaCO3 with available potassium. The greatest yield corresponded to soils with higher surface porosity and lower subsurface porosity, enaulic or gefuric related distribution in the surface horizons and porphyric related distribution in the subsurface horizons. Both for the Fertility Capability Classification as well as for the Agricultural Productivity Evaluation (FAO), the soils with the best characteristics for the crop did not coincide with those in which the greatest yield was found (Ferragnes registering the highest yield), due to the flowering period of the rest of the cultivars selected, which was more influenced by the climatic characteristics of the zone, especially temperature.


Digital Communications require faster and more dedicated electronic plat-forms to satisfy its real time performance. Highly computational algorithmic kernels can create a bottleneck to the systems where it is implemented on, due to the time it take to provide outputs, which reduces the throughput of the overall communication system. Fully Dedicated Hardware Architectures provide solutions to the speed crisis, since they provide the ability of performing parallel computations. Matrix Inversion is a complex algorithm that is implemented in MIMO systems. Since software solu-tions are not fast enough to satisfy the speed requirements, hardware solutions stood up to the challenge. In this project, a fully dedicated hardware architecture to find matrix inversion using Gauss-Jordan Elimination algorithm is presented, complex arithmetic operation is performed to match the nature of the elements of estimated propagation matrix in MIMO systems. The design is parameterized and universal for any complex matrix. Developing the design was done using SystemVerilog HDL, while simulation was done through Altera ModelSim. Software kernels were done on MATLAB for comparison purposes. The proposed architecture performance shows its advantage over software based kernels. Further comparisons have been done with previous designs for a variety of matrix sizes.


After the recent devastating tsunami in southern Asia, I tried to find a simple way to present the physics of this phenomenon to students—in particular, the origin of the dispersion relation and the consequent wave properties. Being unable to locate a suitable source for a truly elementary approach, I developed the simple derivation presented here by extending to shallow-water waves a clever capillary wave model recently developed by Behroozi and Podolefsky (2001 Eur. J. Phys. 23 225). The main properties of tsunami waves can thus be obtained with an elementary and straightforward procedure suitable for undergraduates in physics and other disciplines.


Based on the production line technology of high-frequency welding H-beam steel, a High-frequency welding device which could be used in a H-beam less than 100mm steel was designed in this work. After virtual prototype established and kinematics Simulation was carried by Solidworks and Cosmos/motion respectively, the trajectory of contact terminal was defined. And the optimal vee angle, high frequency and some other technological parameter were determined through Ansys software, which provides important reference for the design of high-frequency welding H-beam steel.


The historically unprecedented pace of internationalising sport industry and transnational movement of athletic talent in the last 20 years has heightened the need for developing new competencies in research and daily practice of sport psychology professionals. While academic literature in cultural sport psychology and praxis has been increasing, sport professionals and local organisations seem to give scant time and resources to stay abreast of complex social changes in transnational industry and to the development of cultural competencies. Stemming from the continuing need for qualified athletic personnel to support transitioning athletes and to achieve intercultural effectiveness in daily practices, our objectives in this position statement are to critically review and analyse the growing scholarship pertinent to various forms of transnational mobility and acculturation of athletic migrants, and subsequently provide recommendations for further use in research and applied contexts.


On March 24, 2020, the Government of India announced a 21-day national lockdown that has since been extended to May 3, 2020. The lockdown has left urban food markets in disarray with severe supply bottlenecks and restrictions on doing business. At a time when food prices in India were declining consistently, supply disruptions consequent to the lockdown have reversed the trend. Based on an analysis of publicly available data on wholesale and retail prices for 22 commodities from 114 Centres, we find that prices have increased since the lockdown and show no signs of reverting to the pre-lockdown levels as of April 21, 2020. Average price increases are to the tune of over 6% for several pulses, over 3.5% for most edible oils, 15% for potato 28% for tomato in the 28 days post-lockdown compared to prices during the month preceding the lockdown. We also find that smaller cities have seen a much higher increase in prices with at least a few cities seeing a rise in retail food prices by as much as 20%. A survey of 50 food retailers in 14 cities reveal serious operational challenges associated with sourcing supplies, transportation and police harassment. At the same time, several innovative arrangements have evolved as well. The paper reviews these briefly and outlines some policy concerns.


Continuous usage of machine tools during manufacturing processes causes heat generation in the moving elements, resulting in distortion of the machine tool structure. Simulation of this thermal behaviour can be a powerful tool for supporting the design process and predicting errors. Determining accurate heat transfer parameters is needed to improve the prediction accuracy of the physical thermal models. First, the energy balance technique was used to calculate the parameters empirically. Due to uncertainties in the boundary conditions for this technique, an additional novel 2D optimisation technique based on thermal imaging data was used to calibrate the calculated parameters. The effectiveness of the technique was proved using FEA models of the machine. Good correlation of up to 80 % was achieved between simulated thermal characteristics and the experimental data.


Of all ingested foreign bodies, 2.4% comprise of sewing needles. Through perforation of gastrointestinal tract, which occurs in 1% of cases, they can migrate into the liver and pancreas. Foreign bodies in pancreas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic abdominal pain. Computed tomography scans provide valuable information for the localization of the lesion, which guide the surgeon during the operation. Secondary to foreign bodies that migrate to the pancreas, complications with high mortality such as pancreatitis, pseudoaneurysm, and pancreas abscess can be seen. Thus, for this patient group, diagnostic laparoscopy is recommended, considering its advantages of decreased postoperative pain, decreased wound infection, and faster recovery time. Here we present a case of a 23-year-old female patient, from whom an ingested needle that migrated from the back wall of the stomach to the pancreas was extracted by laparoscopic surgery.


Iterative learning control is a technique especially developed for application to processes which are required to repeat the same operation over a finite duration. The exact sequence of operation is that the task is completed, the process is reset and then the operation is repeated. Applications are widespread among many industries, e.g. a gantry robot which is required to place items on a conveyor under synchronization as part of a food manufacturing process. In effect, iterative learning control exploits the fact that once a single execution of the task is complete then the input control action and output response produced are available to update the control input for the next trial and thereby sequentially improve performance. Moreover, it may be possible to undertake the required computations during the time between completing one trial and the start of the next. This paper gives an overview of some very significant recent progress in this general area, including results from experimental benchmarking, and also some areas for on-going/future research are outlined.


Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of a real‐time position estimation algorithm using positron emission tomography(PET) and investigate the geometric accuracy of the proposed algorithm. Method and Materials:The algorithm was implemented using listmode PET and RPM respiratory tracking data acquired from a phantom programmed to move with measured respiratory traces from five human subjects, for which the ground truth target position was known as a function of time. The phantom consisted of fluid filled cylinder containing six hollow spheres of diameters 10, 13, 17, 22, 28, and 37 mm with a target background ratio of 8:1. Motion of the phantom was synchronized to respiratory motion during data acquisition.Images were continuously reconstructed with increasing acquisition time (steps of 100 msec) based on displacement gating. We evaluated the geometric accuracy of the algorithm by quantifying errors between the center of mass (COM) trajectory determined by the proposed algorithm and actual motion of the target. Results: The COM trajectory by the proposed algorithm converged to actual motion within the accuracy of 1.08±1.26 mm (average error), although shape distortion persisted due to the low number of coincidence events. The largest errors occurred 1) at the beginning of scans due to small number of coincidence events and 2) outside of gate boundaries. Better results were obtained for larger targets due to the partial volume effect. The average error over all subjects for the 10 and 37 mm targets was 1.68±1.88 mm and 0.78±0.74 mm, respectively. Conclusion: We investigated the potential to use PET for real‐time tumor tracking by estimating tumor positions. Even if a fast reconstruction algorithm is required, PET has the potential to enable real‐time tumor tracking for IGRT. This work was supported by NIH/NCI R01 93626, Stanford Bio‐X and Kwanjeong Educational Foundation (KEF) in Korea


Although the economic recovery in the UK has been disappointing, it is inappropriate to either assert that Japan's two lost decades illustrate the ineffectiveness of stimulative monetary policy or that the UK is predestined to perform as badly as Japan. Recall that the UK has, so far, avoided the deflation that held back the Japanese economy. One could, instead, argue that Japan illustrates the pitfalls associated with insufficiently aggressive monetary policy. Hence, it is appropriate to consider how we might make monetary policy more effective in the UK.


Abstract Scottish Gaelic is sometimes described as having nasalized fricatives (/ṽ/ distinctively, and [f̃, x̃, h̃], etc. through assimilation). However, there are claims that it is not aerodynamically possible to open the velum for nasalization while maintaining frication noise. We present aerodynamic data from 14 native Scottish Gaelic speakers to determine how the posited nasalized fricatives in this language are realized. Most tokens demonstrate loss of nasalization, but nasalization does occur in some contexts without aerodynamic conflict, e.g., nasalization with the consonant realized as an approximant, nasalization of [h̃], nasalization on the preceding vowel, or sequential frication and nasalization. Furthermore, a very few tokens do contain simultaneous nasalization and frication with a trade-off in airflow. We also present perceptual evidence showing that Gaelic listeners can hear this distinction slightly better than chance. Thus, instrumental data from one of the few languages in the world described as having nasalized fricatives confirms that the claimed sounds are not made by producing strong nasalization concurrently with clear frication noise. Furthermore, although speakers most often neutralize the nasalization, when they maintain it, they do so through a variety of phonetic mechanisms, even within a single language.


In this paper, we conduct rate-distortion and outage probability analyses for Wyner-Ziv (WZ) systems, where the information sequences from a source and a helper are transmitted to the destination over block Rayleigh fading multiple access channels (MACs). This work has been motivated by decision-making systems, where the aim is to make right decisions based on the observations. Hence, the most critical performance metric is the accuracy of decisions, even allowing distortion in wireless transmission. A sufficient condition for the successful transmissions is that the WZ and MAC regions intersect. For the ease of calculating the outage probability, we propose an approximated, yet accurate, WZ rate region. The outage probabilities of the WZ systems are then evaluated both in orthogonal and MAC transmissions. It is shown that the transmission efficiency of the system with MAC is significantly improved compared to orthogonal transmission. Furthermore, a helper-selection scheme is introduced to further reduce the outage probability of the WZ-MAC systems. The results show that the outage probability decreases, of which decay corresponds to the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(L+1)$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-order diversity with <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$L$ </tex-math></inline-formula> helpers in small value range of the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), while it converges into <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$L$ </tex-math></inline-formula> as the average SNR becomes large.


We report on the absorption measurements of the liquid-filled pure-silica microstructured optical fibers. The measurements concentrate on spectroscopic analysis of the water solutions of a cationic dye, oxazine 725 perchlorate which, when filling the fiber, demonstrates much stronger absorption signals than observed in bulk with regular cuvettes. The effect is also seen in another cationic dye, but not in anionic dyes. Our investigations reveal that the effect originates from the adsorption of the dye molecules on the fiber inner walls. This effect also significantly enhances the sensitivity of spectroscopic measurements enabling the detection of molecules at very low concentrations. In particular, the detection of a 1 nM concentration of oxazine 725 perchlorate was demonstrated.


Background The rationale of this study was to evaluate intrathecal ropivacaine for ambulatory surgery. Methods: One hundred fifty patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 1 scheduled for knee arthroscopy were studied. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 4 ml of one of five isobaric intrathecal solutions: Patients in group 1 (n = 30) received 8 mg of bupivacaine; patients in group 2 (n = 30) received 8 mg ropivacaine; patients in group 3 (n = 30) received 10 mg ropivacaine; patients in group 4 (n = 30) received 12 mg ropivacaine; and patients in group 5 (n = 30) received 14 mg ropivacaine. The level and duration of sensory anesthesia were recorded along with the intensity and duration of motor block. Patients were interviewed to identify transient neurologic symptoms. Results: Intrathecal ropivacaine 10 mg produced shorter sensory anesthesia and motor blockade than bupivacaine 8 mg (152 +/- 44 min and 135 +/- 41 min vs. 181 +/- 44 min and 169 +/- 52 min, mean +/- SD; P < 0.05). However, the quality of intraoperative analgesia was significantly lower in the 10-mg ropivacaine group (P < 0.05). Ropivacaine 12 mg produced sensory and motor block almost comparable to bupivacaine 8 mg. Ropivacaine 14 mg produced sensory and motor block comparable to ropivacaine 12 mg but significantly increased the time to void. No sign of transient radicular irritation mere noted. Conclusion: Intrathecal ropivacaine 12 mg is approximately equivalent to bupivacaine 8 mg. At this dose, ropivacaine offers no significant advantage compared with bupivacaine.


To solve the problem of difficulty in establishing the mathematical model between process parameters and surface quality in the process of engineering ceramics electro-spark machining, a neural network relational model based on rough set theory is presented. By processing attribute reduction from data sample utilizing rough set theory, defects like bulkiness of neural network structure and difficult convergence etc are aovided when input dimensions is high. A prediction model that a surface roughness varies in accordance with processing parameters in application of well structured neural network rough set is established. Study result shows that utilizing this model can precisely predict surface roughness under the given conditions with little error which proves the reliability of this model.


Balancing acceptable risks and early release of products for new treatments in patient care with the rights of patients and the rights of stakeholders—device makers and regulators—is a complex task. With the rapid technological innovations of the last two decades, providing a balanced voice to all participants is essential, but a sense of urgency depends on which side of the aisle one is sitting: on the side of patients, surgeons, regulators, and device makers; or that of providers and scientific advisors. A review of the medical device political economy suggests why patient safety concerns are or should be kept alive throughout the entire regulatory cycle from clinical evaluation and premarket checks to their final use in a huge variety of clinical settings around the globe. The key issue for nano-enhanced devices now is whether the uncertainties and perceived risks can be reduced through more stringent regulatory requirements and proactive measures without stifling innovation and development of new treatments for patients.


We are approaching the time of year when health insurers are beginning to calculate loss ratios and compile other financial data in order to evaluate the performance of their book of business. They will evaluate each market segment and product line, and make underwriting and rating decisions as to each.


Legal practitioners often face a vast amount of documents. Lawyers, for instance, search for appropriate precedents favorable to their clients, while the number of legal precedents is ever-growing. Although legal search engines can assist finding individual target documents and narrowing down the number of candidates, retrieved information is often presented as unstructured text and users have to examine each document thoroughly which could lead to information overloading. This also makes their statistical analysis challenging. Here, we present an end-to-end information extraction (IE) system for legal documents. By formulating IE as a generation task, our system can be easily applied to various tasks without domain-specific engineering effort. The experimental results of four IE tasks on Korean precedents shows that our IE system can achieve competent scores (-2.3 on average) compared to the rule-based baseline with as few as 50 training examples per task and higher score (+5.4 on average) with 200 examples. Finally, our statistical analysis on two case categories — drunk driving and fraud — with 35k precedents reveals the resulting structured information from our IE system faithfully reflects the macroscopic features of Korean legal system.


We present a novel approach to adjust global image properties such as colour, saturation, and luminance using human-interpretable image enhancement curves, inspired by the Photoshop curves tool. Our method, dubbed neural CURve Layers (CURL), is designed as a multi-colour space neural retouching block trained jointly in three different colour spaces (HSV, CIELab, RGB) guided by a novel multi-colour space loss. The curves are fully differentiable and are trained end-to-end for different computer vision problems including photo enhancement (RGB-to-RGB) and as part of the image signal processing pipeline for image formation (RAW-to-RGB). To demonstrate the effectiveness of CURL we combine this global image transformation block with a pixel-level (local) image multi-scale encoder-decoder backbone network. In an extensive experimental evaluation we show that CURL produces state-of-the-art image quality versus recently proposed deep learning approaches in both objective and perceptual metrics, setting new state-of-the-art performance on multiple public datasets. Our code is publicly available at: https://github.com/sjmoran/CURL.


A new architecture for Golomb ruler derivation has been developed, and an FPGA-based custom compute engine of the new architecture has been fully designed. The new FCCM, called GE1, is presented in terms of its datapath, and control path. Portions of the GE1 have been implemented to verify functional correctness and accuracy of the simulation results. The new machine requires twenty Xilinx 5000 series FPGA's for derivation of the 20 mark Golomb ruler, and its performance is roughly 30 times that of a high-end workstation, making its cost-performance ratio exceptionally good for derivation of new rulers.


Previously, no study in the Fiji Islands had been devoted to the sea level changes of the last 500 years. No serious prediction can be made unless we have a good understanding of the sea level changes today and in the past centuries. Therefore, this study fills a gap, and provides real observational facts to assess the question of present sea level changes. There is a total absence of data supporting the notion of a present sea level rise; on the contrary all available facts indicate present sea level stability. On the centennial timescale, there was a +70 cm high level in the 16th and 17th centuries, a -50 cm low in the 18th century and a stability (with some oscillations) in the 19th, 20th and early 21st centuries. This is almost identical to the sea level change documented in the Maldives, Bangladesh and Goa (India). This seems to indicate a mutual driving force. However, the recorded sea level changes are anti-correlated with the major changes in climate during the last 600 years. Therefore, glacial eustasy cannot be the driving force. The explanation seems to be rotational eustasy with speeding-up phases during Grand Solar Minima forcing ocean water masses to the equatorial region, and slowing-down phases during Grand Solar Maxima forcing ocean waster massed from the equator towards the poles.


Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine potential associations between the professional background and experience of expert clinicians and their opinions about the clinical utility of interventional procedures. Methods: A retrospective survey of expert clinician characteristics and their opinions was conducted. Information was collected on expert clinical adviser self-declared "operator," "researcher," and conflict of interest status. Associations were sought between expert clinical adviser characteristics and their opinions on whether procedures were "established," "efficacious," and "safe." The setting was the Interventional Procedures Programme of the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). A total of 598 expert clinician questionnaires relating to 182 different interventional procedures were analyzed. Results: Expert clinical advisers with operative experience of procedures were significantly more likely to consider them as established (odds ratio [OR] 3.93; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 2.43 to 6.36; p < .001), efficacious (OR 1.76; 95 percent CI, 1.00 to 3.08; p = .049), and safe (OR 2.28; 95 percent CI, 1.43 to 3.65; p = .001). Once adjusted for other characteristics, there was no association between either researcher or conflict of interest status and opinions about the clinical utility of procedures. Conclusions: Expert clinical advisers are an important source of information for decision makers producing guidance about the use of procedures, especially when published evidence is sparse or of poor quality. This study suggests that those who are operators, but not those who are researchers or declare a conflict of interest, are more likely to have a favorable opinion of a procedure's clinical utility. Use of expert clinical advisers with a variety of experience and backgrounds seems a reasonable approach to obtaining authoritative opinions about interventional procedures, to supplement and help interpret evidence from published data.


A new paradigm is needed in extension marketing programs. Attempts to help producers time the market, either through cask sales or futures trading, appear to be of little benefit. Marketing extension programs need to place less emphasis on outlook and futures trading and more emphasis on simple marketing strategies that people really use. An empirical example of strategies for Oklahoma wheat producers shows selling cash wheat at harvest and participating in government programs as the preferred marketing strategy. Implications for extension programs in other states are that extension programs can help producers decide whether to store their grain and whether to participate in farm programs.


The paper provides a system of consistent models to study the integrated use of water resources of reservoirs and operating conditions of hydropower plants that constitute the Angara cascade. The system includes many different simulation and optimization models (hydrological, hydraulic, water management, and the hydropower cascade operation control) taking into account the hydrological, climatic and territorial features of the water systems of the Baikal, Angara and Yenisei basins; and the role of the Angara cascade in the operation of the Siberian electric power system. The paper presents a brief description of the models, their parameters, criteria and constraints, and their interaction principles. The models are designed to determine the long-term operating conditions of the Angara cascade of hydroelectric power plants. To this end, it is proposed to use global climate models with the data on the state of the atmosphere and ocean based on which the most probable characteristics of meteorological indices in the region are determined, to make estimates (scenarios) of inflows into the cascade reservoirs in the form of ranges of probability distributions for a period of up to one year. The results of modeling the long-term operation of individual hydroelectric power plants and the entire Angara cascade are presented for 2019–2020. Relying on the assumed long-term water scenario, the estimated water availability  scenarios make it possible to evaluate the expected electricity output, the average used capacity and other parameters of the hydroelectric power plants operation, to form prospective energy balances in the power system, and to determine the the prospective load of thermal power plants.


The effect of intravenously injected nitroglycerin on the left ventricular contractile function was studied in 17 patients during the first day of transmural myocardial infarction using uni- and two-dimensional ultrasound technique. The data obtained demonstrated a positive time course of some of the main characteristics of the left ventricular contractile function: a decreased end-diastolic and end-systolic left ventricular volume, and an increased ejection fraction. The local contractile function of injured and intact segments of the myocardium increased only in a few of cases observed.


The large sized data sets are replicated in more than one site for the better availability to the nodes in a grid. Downloading the dataset from these replicated locations have practical difficulties, due to network traffic, congestion, frequent change-in performance of the servers, etc. In order to speed up the download, complex server selection techniques, network and server loads are used. However, consistent performance is not guaranteed due to the shared nature of network links of the load on them, which can vary unpredictably. In this paper, we present a bandwidth sensitive co-allocation scheme for parallel downloading in grid economics. Objective of the proposed technique aims to service grid applications efficiently and economically in data grids. With the consideration of cost factor, we present a novel mechanism for server selection, dynamic file decomposition and co-allocation. Under considerations in costs, our mechanism for selections of servers with various techniques combined is able to significantly attenuate economic costs. We compared our scheme with the existing schemes and the preliminary results show notable improvement in overall completion time of data transfer.


Background MicroRNA-365 (miR-365) is involved in the development of a variety of cancers. However, it remains largely unknown if and how miRNAs-365 plays a role in melanoma development. Material/Methods In this study, we overexpressed miR-365 in melanoma cell lines A375 and A2058, via transfection of miR-365 mimics oligos. We then investigated alterations in a series of cancer-related phenotypes, including cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, colony formation, and migration and invasion capacities. We also validated cyclin D1 (CCND1) and BCL2 apoptosis regulator (BCL2) as direct target genes of miR-365 by luciferase reporter assay and investigated their roles in miR-365 caused phenotypic changes. To get a more general view of miR-365's biological functions, candidate target genes of miR-365 were retrieved via searching online databases, which were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses for potential biological functions. We then analyzed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Skin Cutaneous Melanoma (SKCM) dataset for correlation between miR-365 level and clinicopathological features of patients, and for survival of patients with high and low miR-365 levels. Results We found that miR-365 was downregulated in melanoma cells. Overexpression of miR-365 remarkably suppressed cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and compromised the migration and invasion capacities in A375 and A2058 cell lines. We also found that the phenotypic alterations by miR-365 were partially due to downregulation of CCND1 and BCL2 oncogenes. The bioinformatics analysis revealed that predicted targets of miR-365 were widely involved in transcriptional regulation and cancer-related signaling pathways. However, analysis of SKCM dataset failed to find differences in miR-365 level among melanoma patients at different clinicopathologic stages. The Kaplan-Meier analysis also failed to discover significant differences in overall survival and disease-free survival between patients with high and low miR-365 levels. Conclusions Our findings suggested that miR-365 might be an important novel regulator for melanoma formation and development, however, the in vivo roles in melanoma developments need further investigation.


Respiratory tract viral infections are associated with the generation of a wide array of pro-inflammatory cytokines, some of which enhance the release of the potent airway smooth muscle spasmogen, endothelin, from respiratory epithelial cells in tissue culture. The aim of this study was to determine whether the content and distribution of immunoreactive endothelin in the intact murine lung is increased during the course of a respiratory tract viral infection. Mice were inoculated intranasally with Influenza A/PR-8/34 virus or sterile vehicle and at various days postinoculation were sacrificed, and their lungs processed for either fluorescence immunohistochemistry with rabbit anti-endothelin sera or measurement of immunoreactive endothelin with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). At 2 and 4 days postinoculation, the content of immunoreactive endothelin in lung extracts of virus-infected mice was approximately twice that present in lung extracts from control mice (n=3-4, p<0.05). Consistent with this, an increased intensity and broader distribution of fluorescent immunohistochemical staining for endothelin was observed in the airway epithelium of the trachea and intrapulmonary airways of virus-infected mice. This study has clearly demonstrated that respiratory tract viral infection is associated with an increased content and broader distribution of immunoreactive endothelin within the lungs of mice. Whether the elevated content of endothelin contributes to the symptoms of virus-induced hyperresponsiveness or to virus-induced exacerbations of asthma remains to be established.


Nearly three centuries have passed since Bulgarian migrants appeared on the territory of contemporary Ukraine. They had to leave their historic homeland due to the strengthening of control of the Ottoman administration over all spheres of life of Bulgarians in the metropolis, as well as the intensification of the Russian-Turkish military confrontation, which drastically affected the economic, social, and cultural situation of the Bulgarian population. The Bulgarians, settled down on the Ukrainian lands, became an integral part of the multi-ethnic Ukrainian society, though fell victim to the assimilation policy of the Soviet period. Bulgarians are undergoing a period of national and cultural revival in the independent Ukraine, which is intimately linked to the process of recovering the historical memory of Ukrainian Bulgarians, restoring the pantheon of national heroes, memorable dates, and revival of traditional culture. In this connection, the researches dedicated to the analysis of the process of formation of the historical memory of the Bulgarian community in modern Ukraine are of particular relevance. The authors emphasize the difference between the two main groups of the Bulgarian community on the territory of Ukraine – Bessarabian and Azov (Taurida) Bulgarians, which is reflected in a reassessment of the role of the migration of ancestors of modern Ukrainian Bulgarians from the metropolis as well as in a monopolization of objects of national and cultural heritage by certain organizations, etc.


: Major depression is underdiagnosed by general practitioners, but the reasons for this are not clear. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of major depression and coexisting generalised anxiety disorder in a rural general practice in the Orange Free State. It also assessed the predictive value of a screening questionnaire for use by general practitioners. The two practitioners evaluated 858 patients over a 4-week period. Those who met the screening criteria, together with a random sample of 60 patients who did not, were re-evaluated by a registrar in psychiatry who was unaware of the findings of his colleagues. Of the patients studied, 134 (15.6%) had major depression; 59 of these (44.0%) also had coexisting generalised anxiety disorder. The general practitioners had correctly diagnosed major depression in 32 patients (3.7%) before the study started. The screening questionnaire had a 42% chance of correctly identifying a patient with depression and a 97% chance of correctly identifying a patient who did not have major depression. Both practitioners were equally capable at identifying major depression. The study confirmed both the high prevalence of depression in a rural general practice and its low identification rate. It also showed the advantage of using a screening questionnaire to alert practitioners to the possibility of depression in their patients.


For diagnosis of metastatic bone pathology x-ray and radionuclide studies were combined into one: electroroentgenoscanography. A total of 48 patients with different sites of a primary tumor process were examined using 99mTc-pyrophosphate. Electroroentgenograms were obtained with the help of the Soviet ERGA-MP apparatus in the negative regimen without enlarging the scale of skeletal imaging. The scanning was done on the Scinticart and Deltronix-Nuclear units. The peculiarity o this technique is visualization of the skeleton 2-4 and 20-24 h after i.v. injection of the radioactive indicator. Bone pathology was observed in 85.4% of the cases, and the results of the roentgenoradionuclide studies were identical. In 18 out of the 41 patients visualization of the skeleton with 99mTc-pyrophosphate made it possible to specify the number of foci of pathological bone tissue transformation. In 5 patients (10.4%), secondary metastatic involvement of the skeleton was found by the radionuclide method only. The results of repeated x-ray studies of these patients over the period of 3 months were negative. Clinical-radionuclide information was the reason for revising the clinical staging of tumors and correcting therapeutic methods. The new methodological approach in the diagnosis of bone pathology: electroroentgenoscanning on the 1st and 2nd days after injection of 99mTc-pyrophosphate opens up other opportunities for diagnosing metastatic involvement of the osseous system.


The efficacy of lithium carbonate as a prophylactic drug against depression in bipolar manic depressive patients was assessed through a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of patients who had histories of recurrent depressions and hypomanias ("bipolar II"). The results revealed that treatment with lithium carbonate resulted in a reduction in the frequency of depressive attacks was observed with lithium carbonate treatment during the study (mean length of study, approximately 16 months), although there was a suggestion that the depressive attacks that occurred during treatment with lithium carbonate might be less severe than with placebo treatment.


We read with interest the recent editorial by Rai and Popat [1] that echoes Frerk and Lee's recommendation that there is a need for 'real world' evaluation of new airway devices [2]. In Martin and Buggy's description of available new airway devices, they also called for further clinical evaluation [3]. We selected the Airtraq videolaryngoscope (Prodol Meditec S.A., Vizcaya, Spain) as an airway rescue device for our difficult airway trolley. Much of the literature about Airtraq evaluation has been in simulator ⁄ manikin studies and also by experienced anaesthetists. We therefore evaluated the Airtraq following its introduction to our department and report its use by anaesthetists of all grades with limited experience in the use of this device. Introduction of the device was undertaken via department email and training was provided on manikins at trainee induction and clinical governance meetings. Over a 9-month period, we reported all uses of the device (at the discretion of the anaesthetist) and interviewed the anaesthetist using a structured questionnaire. Forty-two Airtraqs were used in total, in patients aged 2–72 years and weighing 11–205 kg (BMI 15– 57 kg.m). Thirty were used in cases of anticipated difficult laryngoscopy, and 12 following unanticipated failed laryngoscopy. There were 33 successful intubations out of 42 attempts (79%). Of the anticipated difficult laryngoscopy cases, 13 anaesthetists used an Airtraq for their first attempt to view the larynx, whereas the other 17 used at least a Macintosh blade first. The Cormack and Lehane grade obtained was improved (compared with use of Macintosh, McCoy or straight blades) by using the Airtraq, and overall 90% of operators had a grade-1 or grade-2 view, when the Airtraq was used. Of the unanticipated difficult laryngoscopies, the initial Cormack and Lehane grade obtained was improved by at least two grades using the Airtraq. There were nine Airtraq 'failures' (21%), defined by inability to achieve tracheal intubation, six in anticipated and three in unanticipated difficult laryngoscopies. This includes five cases where, despite a Cormack and Lehane grade-1 or grade-2 view and using a gum-elastic bougie, it was still not possible to pass the tracheal tube. This may reflect lack of training ⁄ familiarity with the device. However, even some experienced users of the device were unable to intubate the trachea in this situation, despite manoeuvres to optimise the view of the larynx. Other failures were attributed to using the device in arguably inappropriate clinical situations (in two cases a tracheostomy was necessary). There was one device failure after the battery and therefore the light had failed. Our use of the Airtraq in cases of anticipated and unanticipated difficult laryngoscopy (by anaesthetists of varying experience) revealed a significant failure rate that was notably higher than those from manikin studies [4], suggesting that caution should be exercised in extrapolating these results into clinical practice. We wholeheartedly support Rai and Popat's [1] call for this new airway device and others to be more formally evaluated in patients.


Polyacrylamide (PAM) nanofibers was spun by electrospinning. In order to increase the molecular weight of the PAM, It has been cross linked by Glutaraldehyde solution. By means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the effect of electrospun technological parameters on the fibers' morphology were researched. The parameters include the concentration of PAM spinning solution, the applied voltage and tip-collector distance (TCD). The PAM nanofibers of uniform thickness with the fibers' diameter distribution of 80 ~ 160nm were got under the conditions as followers: the concentration of 16 wt.%, applied voltage of 23 kV, the TCD of 13cm.


Lower gastrointestinal tract symptoms occur frequently in runners. The most common complaints are bowel urgency and diarrhea. Many etiologies have been proposed, including enteric fluid and electrolyte imbalance, autonomic nervous system stimulation, ischemia and mechanical trauma. The evaluation should include a review of the athlete's training program and diet, as well as a review of any preexisting gastrointestinal disease. A stool examination for occult blood should be performed in the athlete who complains of diarrhea. Treatment begins with a reduction in the intensity of workouts, followed by a gradual return to the previous level of training after the symptoms resolve. In most cases, symptoms do not recur. Dietary manipulation or antimotility agents may be helpful in some athletes. Bloody diarrhea, usually related to hemorrhagic gastritis, can be effectively treated with histamine H2-receptor antagonists.


Experimental measurements of the dielectric breakdown strength of an arcing gap after current zero were made to determine the effects of arc chamber venting on the reverse recovery voltage needed to break down a recovering gap. The recovery conditions applied closely matched those created in a molded case circuit breaker under power line fault conditions. Three different vent sizes were used to determine the effect of gas pressure on the recovery characteristics of the plasma with recovery time between 170 /spl mu/s to 280 /spl mu/s, and currents from 3 kA/sub p/ to 15 kA/sub p/. Larger venting, providing increased cooling of the plasma, resulted in increased breakdown strength over the full range of currents. Based on the approximation that the recovering plasma breakdown strength is inversely proportional to plasma thermal temperature, breakdown voltage values were fitted to an exponential model to obtain plasma time constants and the initial hold-off voltage. Comparing these results to curve fits of E/p values showed E/p was a more accurate representation of the data. It is proposed to use E/p values when there is significant post current-zero chamber pressure. These results could be used as a guide to predicting molded case breaker interruption performance, especially for small arc chambers and short gaps.


With the rise of Big Data and the Internet of Things, there is an increasing availability of large volumes of real-time streaming data. Unusual occurrences in the underlying system will be reflected in these streams, but any human analysis will quickly become out of date. There is a need for automatic analysis of streaming data capable of identifying these anomalous behaviors as they occur, to give ample time to react. In order to handle many high-velocity data streams, detectors must minimize the processing requirements per value. In this thesis, we have developed a novel anomaly detection method which makes use of a diverse set of detectors in a hierarchical structure. The composite detector follows a filtration paradigm to mark each value in the series. The base model, chosen to be fast potentially at the expense of precision, identifies candidate anomalies in the series as each value arrives. Models higher in the hierarchy verify the candidates from their immediate predecessor, potentially rejecting some as false alarms. Our experiments show that this hierarchical method can achieve similar performance to state-of-the-art detectors using computationally simple models with lower processing requirements, enabling better scalability.


This thesis calls for a twofold shift in the training in and practice of historic preservation: first, increased data literacy and use of data in the discipline, and second, for a higher degree of skepticism about the implications of data-driven findings. Even if the results of quantitative studies are less definitive in their findings than preservation advocates would like, these grey areas can serve a valuable purpose of forcing stakeholders to become more deeply engaged in why effects might be what they are, and how policy can intervene to achieve more desirable outcomes. Following a review of previous studies and their methodologies, this project looks to Philadelphia as a case study for the quantitative analysis of the association between local historic district designation and residential property values, exploring whether it is possible to develop a straightforward and meaningful methodology for assessing the economic impact of local historic district designation on residential property values. Transaction prices serve as the dependent variable in three separate models, each corresponding to a locally designated historic district and a similar but undesignated neighborhood. Limitations are explored in detail, and future directions for study are outlined in order to offer insight to others who might undertake similar work going forward.