The carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and smoke yields measured downstream of a small scale compartment (volume 0.125m 3 – 0.375m 3 ) were studied for underventilated fires of propane. The flow rate of propane was increased gradually and species were collected under a hood. The heat release rate (HRR) of the combustion products was also measured (by oxygen depletion) and was found to initially increase as the flow rate of propane was increased (overventilated burning inside the compartment). Before external burning started, an intermediate plateau in the measured HRR was observed, corresponding to the Heat Release Rate =1500AH 1/2 , where A and H are area and height of the opening respectively. The same behaviour was observed for all openings and remarkably all compartment geometries employed in this work. Further experiments indicated that the occurrence and extent of that plateau depends on the temperature inside the compartment and thus the growth rate of fire. Species production during this plateau period was investigated, as combustion was underventilated during this phase. It was observed that carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke yields increased during this period. The CO yield increased by a factor of 5, whereas the smoke yield by a factor of 3. Moreover, comparison and differences are discussed between the values of the ratio of carbon monoxide to smoke yield from our study and from the literature. The present results for the increased amounts of carbon monoxide and smoke are applicable if, during the fire growth, underventilated conditions develop without external burning. Current engineering calculations for smoke and carbon monoxide ca not predict the high concentrations of carbon monoxide and smoke measured in such a scenario. Whether these conditions can be developed will depend on whether the gas temperatures at the opening of the enclosure are able to ignite the unburned gases issuing from the enclosure. This in turn, depends on the fire growth rate, i.e. for a fast increase in the fuel supply rate the gas temperatures in the enclosure are lower than for a slower increase in the fuel supply rate due to (transient) heat losses to the walls of the enclosure and as result outside burning starts much later.


The species composition within communities is highly dependent on the rate of species immigration and whether immigrating species possess the functional traits required by the prevailing environmental conditions. Once established, random fluctuations in birth and death rates may reduce the diversity of ecologically equivalent species if local populations are not replenished by immigrating individuals. Consequently, three key processes drive community assembly: dispersal limitation, ecological filtering, and ecological drift. However, disentangling the relative contribution of these processes remains a challenge in community ecology. We used a binomial generalized linear mixed model to test whether the occurrences of solitary bees within 46 communities in southeast Norway were driven by (1) dispersal limitation, that is, the geographic distance to the nearest site where conspecifics occurred; (2) ecological filtering, that is, if forb species richness selected for non-Ericaceae-affiliated species; and (3) ecological drift, that is, if small, isolated communities were dominated by regionally common species. The regression slopes from the model for each potential driver of community composition were compared with those expected under a null model, in which species were treated as ecologically equivalent. Both dispersal limitation and ecological filtering influenced the probability of species occurring within communities. The occurrence of species decreased with elevation, and this relationship depended on the relative commonness of species and their floral preferences. For non-Ericaceae-affiliated species, the patterns of occurrence mirrored that expected under the null (neutral) model, resulting in the same patterns as would be expected under ecological drift. In contrast, the response of Ericaceae-affiliated species differed from what would be expected from the null model. Our results also indicate that processes leading to neutral dynamics in species compositions drive a large part of the gradient in species richness in Norwegian bee communities. These processes seem related to sampling effects so that large and interconnected communities have a higher probability of including regionally rare species than small, isolated communities. Our results suggest that targeting habitats—where the influence of ecological filtering is expected to be greater than that of neutral dynamics—can increase the success of habitat management plans aimed at promoting rare species.


There are many problems of relativistic quantum mechanics which cannot be treated by working with a positive definite metric in the vector space of the fully quantized system. In this paper it is shown that, independently of the signs of energy and charge in the c number theory, any relativistic wave equation can be quantized and interpreted in terms of positive energies by use of an indefinite metric of suitable signature. A powerful method of obtaining positive definite transition probabilities from an indefinite metric is introduced and the concept of 'negative probability' is entirely avoided.The transition probabilities are defined as the squared matrix elements of a unitary matrix T , which is obtained from the solution of the Schrodinger equation by means of a special transformation.These techniques make it possible to treat relativistic wave equations which describe particles with several mass and spin states and to give a satisfactory account of the transition between two such mass states, a problem which is otherwise quite intractable. The relationship of spin and statistics is discussed and it is concluded that, apart from the special cases of spin 0, ½, 1, there is no necessary connexion between spin and statistics.


Citrus bacterial canker is one of the most destructive diseases of citrus in southern Iran. During 2000-2001 and 20052006, this disease became endemic showing a reduced severity. This was mainly due to the unfavorable climatic conditions, i.e. low rainfall during the previous years in particular. Control measures included pruning of symptomatic shoots and the use of copper sprays. In Rudan (Hormuzgan province), citrus pustules are usually observed on the lower leaf surface alongside the galleries caused by Phyllocnistis citrella. Bacteria were isolated from these pustules and identified as Xanthomonas citri pv. citri A (Xac) based on biochemical and physiological characteristics (Gram and oxidase reactions, nitrate reduction, urease, hydrolysis of aesculin, casein, gelatin, starch, Tween, sodium chloride tolerance, litmus milk, H2S generation from cysteine and phosphatase, xanthomonadin production, carbohydrate utilization); differential phenotypic features such as bacterial mass colour on Ayer medium containing L-proline, utilization of glycogen, maltose, dextrin, starch (Mohammadi et al., 2001); broad pathogenicity range on inoculated hosts including Mexican lime, unshu tangerine, sour orange, grapefruit and sweet orange. Larval leafminer damage results in elevated incidence and severity of citrus bacterial canker disease (Belasque et al., 2005). Since Ph. citrella is potentially capable of disseminating Xac, thus facilitating canker infection, it is suggested that controlling this pest may result in preventing Xac outbreaks in citrus groves. The association of bacterial canker pustules with leafminer tunnels has previously been reported from North Yemen and India (Cook, 1988; Belasque et al., 2005) but not in Iran, this constituting the first record.


In this study, the feasibility using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the interaction between bacteriophages (phages) and bacteria in situ was demonstrated here. Filamentous phage M13 specifically infects the male Escherichia coli, which expresses F-pili. After infection, E. coli become fragile and grows at a slower rate. AFM provides a powerful tool for investigating these changes in a near-physiological environment. Using high-resolution AFM in phosphate-buffered saline, the damage to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) layer on the outer membrane of the M13 phage-infected E. coli was observed. The membrane became smoother and more featureless compared to those that were not infected. Besides, the force-distance (f-d) curves were measured to reveal the surface rigidity change in E. coli after M13 phage infection. The effective spring constant and Young's modulus of E. coli decreased after M13 phage infection. Furthermore, the AFM tip was pressed against E. coli to study the response of E. coli under load before and after M13 phage infection. The results showed that after infection E. coli became less rigid and the membrane was also damaged. However, the stiffness changes, including the spring constant and Young's modulus of E. coli, are negligible after M13 phage infection compared with those in previous reports, which may be one of the reasons that E. coli still can maintain its viability after filamentous phage infection.


In the world and some countries like Colombia, the number of missing person is a phenome very worrying and growing, every year, thousands of people are reported missing all over the world, the fact that this keeps happening might indicate that there are still analyses that have not been done and tools that have not been considered in order to find patterns in the information of missing person. The present article presents a study of the way informatics and computational tools can be used to help find missing person and what patterns can be found in missing person datasets using as a study case open data about missing person in Colombia in 2017. The goal of this study is to review how computational tools like data mining and image analysis can be used to help find missing person and draw patterns in the available information about missing person. For this, first it will be review of the state of art of image analysis in real world applications was made in order to explore the possibilities when studying the photos of missing person, then a data mining process with data of missing person in Colombia was conducted to produce a set of decision rules that can explain the cause of the disappearance, as a result is generated decision rules algorithm suggest links between socioeconomic stratification, age, gender and specific locations of Colombia and the missing person reports. In conclusion, this work reviews what information about missing person is available publicly and what analysis can me made with them, showing that data mining and face recognition can be useful tools to extract patterns and identify patterns in missing person data.


Eutrophication of marine and coastal waters is a growing concern throughout Europe's regional seas and an historical problem in the Black Sea and regions of the North-East Atlantic, particularly the North Sea. As the base of the marine pelagic food web, phytoplankton are sensitive mdicators of environmental change and therefore may be used as indicators of eutrophication for the monitoring, management and mitigation of the effects of nutrient loading on coastal and marine ecosystems. However, due to the interactive effects of climate and eutrophication, it can be difficult to separate the climatedriven response of phytoplankton from changes induced by excess nutrients. Therefore, the aim of this work is to separate these two signals in order to explore eutrophication effects. Without historical knowledge of 'pristine' or imimpacted ecosystem states it is difficult to identify and assess the severity and magnitude of change. Even where spatially and temporally comprehensive ecological datasets are available, equivalent nutrient timeseries are rare and a method of linking phytoplankton dynamics to eutrophication is required. Because open sea ecosystems are less impacted by anthropogenic nutrients than those near shore, offshore regions may be used as reference areas in comparison with coastal systems to investigate the effects of nutrient loading. Changes observed solely in coastal systems are most likely a result of local processes (such as eutrophication) while those observed in both open sea and coastal areas are probably a response to large-scale drivers (such as climate). Therefore the comparison of coastal and open sea data may reveal different (or similar) patterns of change in phytoplankton indicators. Throughout most of the North-East Atlantic climate appears to override the effects of nutrients on phytoplankton dynamics, although the two drivers have been found to have synergistic effects resuhing in increasing chlorophyll levels in the coastal North Sea. Additionally, the 1980s North-East Atlantic regime shift is clearly visible in coastal and open sea chlorophyll concentrations and diatom and dinoflagellate abundances, demonstrating the sensitivity of phytoplankton as indicators at both the biomass and functional group scales. In the Black Sea, an observed decrease in chlorophyll appears to be at least partially a result of changes in climate and is not solely attributable to the 'recovery' of the Black Sea ecosystem. Black Sea chlorophyll has also undergone a possible recent (2002) regime shift, although its significance is difficult to determine due to the short time-series of chlorophyll data available. The successful use of phytoplankton as indicators of eutrophication in these two disparate sea regions at two different ecological scales suggests that the method of comparing coastal and open sea phytoplankton data could be applied to other European seas as a means of distmguishing between the effects of climate and eutrophication.


Background Traditional agro-systems in arid areas are a bulwark for preserving soil stability and fertility, in the sight of "reverse desertification". Nevertheless, the impact of desert farming practices on the diversity and abundance of the plant associated microbiome is poorly characterized, including its functional role in supporting plant development under drought stress. Methodology/Principal Findings We assessed the structure of the microbiome associated to the drought-sensitive pepper plant (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivated in a traditional Egyptian farm, focusing on microbe contribution to a crucial ecosystem service, i.e. plant growth under water deficit. The root system was dissected by sampling root/soil with a different degree of association to the plant: the endosphere, the rhizosphere and the root surrounding soil that were compared to the uncultivated soil. Bacterial community structure and diversity, determined by using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis, differed according to the microhabitat, indicating a selective pressure determined by the plant activity. Similarly, culturable bacteria genera showed different distribution in the three root system fractions. Bacillus spp. (68% of the isolates) were mainly recovered from the endosphere, while rhizosphere and the root surrounding soil fractions were dominated by Klebsiella spp. (61% and 44% respectively). Most of the isolates (95%) presented in vitro multiple plant growth promoting (PGP) activities and stress resistance capabilities, but their distribution was different among the root system fractions analyzed, with enhanced abilities for Bacillus and the rhizobacteria strains. We show that the C. annuum rhizosphere under desert farming enriched populations of PGP bacteria capable of enhancing plant photosynthetic activity and biomass synthesis (up to 40%) under drought stress. Conclusions/Significance Crop cultivation provides critical ecosystem services in arid lands with the plant root system acting as a "resource island" able to attract and select microbial communities endowed with multiple PGP traits that sustain plant development under water limiting conditions.


Background: The past decades two trends has been detected in the society. First of all, the new economy has brought along globalisation as a striking trend, and secondly we have been hit by some kind o f"projectification". The two trends seem to work against each other on several levels and global companies have a hard time coping with both at the same time. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to describe how an international development project is organised and show what impacts a MNC structure has on its projects concerning management and communication. Method: In order to reach an understanding, a qualitative case study was performed, and several interviews with people within a Ericsson project was made. In addition, Ericsson internal material and project documentation was used. Findings: We found that the global structure very much has an impact on the project studied and that it did not have the characteristics that, literature of today describes, is common for projects. Since the project consist of several independent subsidiary we would not like to call it a project organised in a matrix, but rather described as an "intra-corporational consortium". Because of this structure, there are implications for management and communication as well. The management, we believe, is more done by "good will", and there is a strong resistance for communicating since there is a belief that information will handle all problems.


The Practical guideline is based on the current scientific ESPEN guideline on Clinical Nutrition in Liver Disease (Plauth M., Bernal W., Dasarathy S., Merli M., Plank L. D., Schütz T., Bischoff S. C. ESPEN guideline on clinical nutrition in liver disease // Clin Nutr. — 2019. — 38. — Р. 485—521). It has been shortened and transformed into flow charts for easier use in clinical practice.
The guideline is dedicated to all professionals including physicians, dieticians, nutritionists and nurses working with patients with chronic liver disease. A total of 103 statements and recommendations are presented with short commentaries for the nutritional and metabolic management of patients with (i) acute liver failure, (ii) alcoholic steatohepatitis, (iii) non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, (iv) liver cirrhosis, and (v) liver surgery/transplantation. The disease-related recommendations are preceded by general recommendations on the diagnostics of nutritional status in liver patients and on liver complications associated with medical nutrition. This practical guideline gives guidance to health care providers involved in the management of liver disease to offer optimal nutritional care.


Proteins represent an important constituent in many art and archaeological objects. Notable proteinaceous materials, such as animal glue, egg (both yolk and albumen) and milk have long been used in artwork as painting binders, as adhesives for gildings, or they were included in mortars and paint grounds. The identification of protein-based material is an important information to understand the manufacturing process; it provides insights in the technique used by an artist, essential information for art historians. Moreover, it may also support the choice of the most appropriate conservation or restoration procedures.
Proteomics is typically considered to be associated with the study of living organisms. However, its inherently multidisciplinary nature has recently led to its application to oddly assorted areas ranging from forensics, food analysis, and clinical medicine and even for studying the origins of life.
In recent years, proteomics procedures have become increasingly popular for the characterization of proteinaceous materials in ancient samples of several cultural heritage objects.
Proteomics for cultural heritage is still in its infancy, with the first paper dating back to the early 2000. In particular, protocols routinely applied for typical modern samples still need to be fully adapted to take into account the low amount of proteinaceous material, the heterogeneity and the unusual physical state of the samples, as well as the high levels of damage found in ancient samples.
Modern mass spectrometry instrumentations are perfectly adequate to afford the minimal quantities of ancient samples. A micro-invasive protocol, in fact, proved to be successful when applied to fragments of paintings from the collapsed vault of the Basilica di S. Francesco in Assisi, and samples collected from the Camposanto Monumentale in Pisa. Generally, by the use of these methods, we can easily identify complex protein mixtures in very complex and heterogeneous matrix.
Nevertheless, samples coming from artwork have an intrinsic contamination problem that originates from environmental exposure. In addition, the physical state of the samples, enormously different from the natural environment of proteins, and the degradation processes undergone during aging provide unusual problems that require to be counteracted.
Therefore, all the steps of the proteomic procedure need to be thoughtfully adapted, from the optimization of specific protocols for sample preparation to the development of data analysis tools that can cope with ancient or damaged samples. In this perspective, my PhD project was devoted to this challenge as well as to the specific application of the developed strategies to diverse samples from works of art.


Abstract Comprehensive analysis of the Cretaceous and Tertiary decapod crustaceans of the North Pacific Rim, focused primarily on the Brachyura, has resulted in additions to our understanding of the evolution and distribution of these animals, both in that region and globally. Hypotheses about changes in climatological and paleoceanographic conditions have not been extensively tested using decapod crustaceans, although they have been well-documented globally and for the North Pacific Ocean by sedimentological and other faunal evidence. Evidence from the occurrences of decapod crustaceans supports hypotheses obtained through these other means. Because the decapod fauna was studied independent of other faunas, it provides a means by which to compare and test patterns derived from molluscan and other faunal data. The brachyuran decapods show distinctive paleobiogeographic patterns during the Cretaceous and Tertiary, and these patterns are consistent with those documented globally in the molluscan faunas and paleoceanographic modeling. Additionally, the changes in the decapod fauna reflect patterns unique to the North Pacific Ocean. The decapod fauna is primarily comprised of a North Pacific component, a North Polar component, a component of Tethyan derivation, an amphitropical component, and a component derived from the high Southern latitudes. The Cretaceous and Tertiary decapod faunas of the North Pacific Ocean were initially dominated by taxa of North Pacific origin. Decapod diversity was highest in the Pacific Northwest of North America during the Eocene, and diversity has declined steadily since that time. Diversity in Japan was relatively low among the Decapoda until the Miocene, when diversity increased markedly due to the tropical influence of the Tethys and Indo-Pacific region. Diversity has remained high in Japan into the present time. The Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene were times of evolutionary bursts within the Brachyura and were separated by periods of evolutionary stasis.


The focus of research, in this paper, is the initial illustrated design concept of a fashion collection and how this could be communicated by animation techniques to enhance the design development process that follows.

The research is aimed at the young fashion designer or student designer in terms of developing a tool for early prototyping that enhances the illustration and development of design ideas. Any resultant tool needs to be easy to use and apply to the fashion design process.

The research reviews changes in the fashion industry that prompted this research enquiry, with particular reference to some of those designers who work at the edge of the commercial side of the industry and the issues that they face.

The research is undertaken from a standpoint of research through design, using reflective practices, in the development of case studies and aims to investigate the potential of different forms of animation, which may contribute to the enhancement of the illustration of concepts, in the design development process. Traditional and digital animation are not new, but experimentation with movement, time, and narrative (derived from trend direction and inspiration) could form a valuable part of the future fashion design process. The research will explore simple techniques in 2D and 3D animation software, in order to understand the benefits of such an early prototyping tool being developed. In the fashion illustration element of the research, stylised, drawn representation will be used in the translation of concepts and will reflect the hand of the illustrator/designer, with a view to avoiding the characterless, photorealistic representations that often result from new software developments. Different themes and moods, as well as ideas, could also be communicated in a more elaborate and richer form using animation.


The morphological study of monkeys' brains, infected by the Bulgaria strain of enterovirus-71 (EV71), revealed specific for truncus cerebral encephalomyelitis, reactive and destructive changes in different areas of the brainstem and the spinal cord. For the first time viral cytopathology and destruction of choroid plexuses as an important secretory organ of the central nervous system, and ventricle of the brain infected by enterovirus have been studied. The specificity of this infection and the participation of neuroepithelium in reproduction of EV71 have been confirmed by identification of EV71 antigen in the choroid plexuses. According to our data the choroid plexuses take important part in the pathogenesis of EV71 encephalomyelitis. Pathologic changes have been found out in the barriers of CNS. The morphological changes in the brain of monkeys and cotton rats were similar; therefore the last one could be a useful model for different investigations.


FNAR 110 Foundations of Visual Art (3 Credit Hours) Explores some of the fundamental principles, concepts, and historical and contemporary contexts that constitute a contemporary art practice. Provides experience across a range of modes of art making while emphasizing the basic concepts that underlie visual expression. Studio activity is augmented with research, discussion, and critique. Develop creative competencies. Utilize design elements to communicate themes and ideas. Expand cognitive capacities. Comprehend historical and contemporary approaches to visual art. Outcomes: Explore and express visual concepts


Background Excessive workload may impair patient safety. However, little is known about emergency care providers' workload during the treatment of life-threatening cases including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that subjective and physiological indicators of workload are associated with the patient's initial NACA score and that workload is particularly high during CPR. Methods NASA task load index (NASA-tlx) and alarm codes were obtained for 216 sorties of pre-hospital emergency medical care. Furthermore, initial NACA scores of 140 patients were extracted from the physicians' protocols. The physiological workload indicators mean heart rate (HR) and permutation entropy (PeEn) were calculated for 51 sorties of primary care. General linear mixed models were used to analyze the association of NACA scores with subjective (NASA-tlx) and physiological (mean HR, PeEn) measures of workload. Results In contrast to the physiological variables PeEn (p = 0.10) and HR (p = 0.19), the mental (p<0.001) and temporal demands (p<0.001) as well as the effort (p<0.001) and frustration (p = 0.04) subscale of the NASA-tlx were significantly associated with initial NACA scores. Compared to NACA = I, an initial NACA score of VI (representing CPR) increased workload by a mean of 389.5% (p = 0.001) in the mental and 345.9% (p<0.001) in the temporal demands, effort by a mean of 446,8% (p = 0.002) and frustration by 190.0% (p = 0.03). In line with the increase in NASA-tlx, PeEn increased by 20.6% (p = 0.01) and HR by 6.4% (p = 0.57). Conclusions Patients' initial NACA scores are associated with subjective workload. Workload was highest during CPR.


Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to improve single- and dual-task performance in healthy participants and enhance transferable training gains following multiple sessions of combined stimulation and task-practice. However, it has yet to be determined what the optimal stimulation dose is for facilitating such outcomes. We aimed to test the effects of different tDCS intensities, with a commonly used electrode montage, on performance outcomes in a multi-session single/dual-task training and transfer protocol. In a pre-registered study, 123 participants, who were pseudorandomised across four groups, each completed six sessions (pre- and post-training sessions and four combined tDCS and training sessions) and received 20 minutes of prefrontal anodal tDCS at 0.7 mA, 1.0 mA, 2.0 mA, or 15-second sham stimulation. Response time and accuracy were assessed in trained and untrained tasks. The 1.0 mA group showed substantial improvements in single-task reaction time and dual-task accuracy, with additional evidence for improvements in dual-task reaction times, relative to sham performance. This group also showed near transfer to the single-task component of an untrained multitasking paradigm. The 0.7 mA and 2.0 mA intensities varied in which performance measures they improved on the trained task, but in sum, the effects were less robust than for the 1.0 mA group and there was no evidence for the transfer of performance. Our study highlights that training performance gains are augmented by tDCS, but their magnitude and nature are not uniform across stimulation intensity.


Exploiting computation-communication overlap is a well- known requirement to speed up distributed applications. However, efforts till now use programmer expertise, rather than any automatic tool to do this. In our work we propose the use of an aggressive optimizing compiler (IBM's xl series) to automatically extract opportunities for computation communication overlap. We depend on aggressive inlining, dominator trees and SSA based use-def analyses provided by the compiler framework for exploiting such overlap. Our target is MPI applications. In such applications, we try to automatically move mpi_waits as well as split blocking mpi_send/recv to create more opportunities for overlap. Our objective is two-fold: firstly, our tool should relieve the programmer from the burden of hunting for overlap manually as much as possible, and secondly, it should aid in converging on parallel applications which benefit from such overlap quickly. These are necessary as MPI applications are quickly becoming complex and huge and manual overlap extraction is becoming cumbersome. Our early experience shows that it is not necessary that exploiting an overlap always leads to performance improvement. This corroborates with the fact that if we have an automatic tool, then, we can quickly discard such applications (or certain configurations of such applications) without spending person-hours to manually rewrite MPI applications for introducing non-blocking calls. Our initial experiments with the industry-standard NAS parallel benchmarks show that we can get small-to-moderate improvements by utilizing overlap even in such highly tuned benchmarks. This augurs well for real-world applications that do not exploit overlap optimally.


We demonstrate a strong enhancement of second harmonic generation based on a three-layered super absorbing metasurface consisting of a dielectric spacer layer sandwiched by an array of random metallic nanoparticles and a metal ground plate.


Many activity recognition systems using accelerometers have been proposed. Activities that have been recognized are single activities which can be expressed with one verb, such as sitting, walking, holding a mobile phone, and throwing a ball. In fact, combined activities that include more than two kinds of state and movement are often taking place. Focusing on hand gestures, they are performed not only while standing, but also while walking and sitting. Though the simplest way to recognize such combined activities is to construct the recognition models for all the possible combinations of the activities, the number of combinations becomes immense. In this paper, firstly we propose a method that classifies activities into postures (e.g., sitting), behaviors (e.g., walking), and gestures (e.g., a punch) by using the autocorrelation of the acceleration values. Postures and behaviors are states lasting for a certain length of time. Gestures, however, are sporadic or once-off actions. It has been a challenging task to find gestures buried in other activities. Then, by utilizing the technique, we propose a recognition method for combined activities by learning single activities only. Evaluation results confirmed that our proposed method achieved 0.84 recall and 0.86 precision, which is comparable to the method that had learned all the combined activities.


Upwelling regions are the most complex habitats in which dinoflagellates produce red tides, but the flora is not unique. Many species also bloom in nutrient-enriched, non-upwelling systems, share the collective dinoflagellate trait of low-nutrient affinity, and can achieve relatively fast growth rates. Blooms occur over the range of nutrient – mixing – advection combinations found in upwelling habitats, rather than being restricted to the high-nutrient high-irradiance low-turbulence conditions posited by Margalef's classical Mandala and its Bowman et al. and Pingree versions. The bloom species are primarily ruderal strategists (R-species), which typify "mixing – drift" life-forms adapted to the velocities associated with frontal zones, entrainment within coastal currents, and vertical mixing during upwelling relaxations. Collectively, dinoflagellates appear capable of surviving fairly high turbulence spectra formed at representative Kolmogorov length scale – wind speed conditions. This biophysical protection might be the result of cell size-facilitated entrainment within the micro-eddies formed during turbulent energy dissipation. The swimming speeds of 71 clones of dinoflagellates are compared and related to reported rates of vertical motion in coastal upwelling systems. There are slow and fast swimmers; many exhibit motility rates that can exceed representative in situ vertical and horizontal water mass movements. At least four dinoflagellates from upwelling systems form chains leading to increased swimming speeds, and may be an adaptation for growth in coastal upwelling habitats. Red tides are frequent and fundamental features of upwelling systems, particularly during intermittent upwelling relaxations, rather than dichotomous (sometimes catastrophic) interruptions of the diatom blooms characteristically induced by upwelling. Successional sequences and the "red tide" zone may differ between upwelling and non-upwelling systems. In the latter, red tides diverge from the main sequence and are appropriately positioned in the Mandala's ecological space of high nutrients and low turbulence. An amended Mandala based on Pingree's S-kh model and the Smayda and Reynolds life-form model is presented to accommodate the range of red tide development and their successional routing found in coastal upwelling systems. Ecophysiological data support the Pitcher and Boyd seeding mechanism model, which can lead to red tides in upwelling systems. Nutrients, phyto-stimulation and grazing pressure as triggering factors in upwelling-system red tides are considered. Some red tides may be stimulated by nutrients and growth promoting factors excreted by migrating shoals and "boils" of c1upeoid stocks, with selective zooplankton grazing contributory. Substantial collapses in grazing pressure may be essential in anoxic red tide events. The mass mortalities that accompany anoxia, common to the Benguela and Peru upwelling systems, may be a trophic control mechanism to maintain biogeochemical balance and regional homeostasis, which are vital to upwelling ecosystem dynamics. Some traditional concepts of phytoplankton ecology may not completely apply to dinoflagellate bloom events in coastal upwelling systems.


OBJECTIVES
To review the literature on the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with emphasis on pharmacological aspects. To identify particularities of pharmacological treatment of esophageal and extraesophageal manifestations of the disease.

SOURCES
Electronic search of the PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Collaboration databases. Controlled and randomized studies published since 2000 and reviews representing consensus positions and directives published within the last 10 years were identified.

SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS
The drugs currently available for the treatment of GERD do not act in the primary mechanism of the disease, i.e. transitory relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. Pharmacological treatment of GERD with symptoms or with esophageal injury is based on the suppression of acid secretion, particularly with proton pump inhibitors. When the hyperreactivity of the lower airways coexists with esophageal GERD symptoms, suppression of acid secretions should be of benefit in managing the respiratory disease in the presence of a causal relationship; however, this is not usual. When esophageal symptoms are not present, esophageal 24-hour pH study should be carried out prior to starting pharmacological treatment for GERD. Improvement of respiratory symptoms may be delayed with relation to esophageal symptoms. It is common for GERD to recur and pharmacological treatment should be repeated or continued indefinitely, depending on clinical presentation of the disease.

CONCLUSIONS
The strategies that have been proposed for the pharmacological treatment of GERD in children are primarily based on studies of case series or on studies with adults. There have been very few controlled and randomized studies in children. Undertaking a greater number of these studies might reinforce existing aspects or establish new aspects of management.


In an effort to develop potent inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a bioinorganic approach was employed. The synthesis of [(TpPh,Me)Zn(OH)] provided for a structural analogue of the zinc-(tris-histidine) catalytic site of MMPs. The model complex was used to gain insight into the discrepancy of MMP inhibitor (MPI) potencies between mercapto alcohols and mercapto ketones. This initial experiment validated the use of the inorganic model complex as a structural model of the MMP catalytic site. Novel ZBGs for incorporation into MPIs were identified. These ZBGs were complexed with [(TpPh, Me)Zn(OH)] to obtain structural information such as binding mode, bond lengths, and coordination geometry. All ZBG examined were found to bind the model complex in a bidentate fashion, indicating promise for incorporation into a full length MPI. The inhibitory ability of the novel ZBGs was examined in both fluorescent and colorimetric assays using either the catalytic domain of MMPs or native enzyme expressed in a cell culture of neonatal rat ventricular fibroblasts. All novel ZBGs examined were found to be better inhibitors of MMPs in vitro and in cell culture assays than acetohydroxamic acid (the representative ZBG used in the majority of MPIs to date). In order to design full-length MPIs, a combined computational-bioinorganic method was developed. Using the structural coordinates from the [(TpPh,Me)Zn(ZBG)] complexes, the novel ZBGs were modeled into an X-ray crystal structure of uninhibited MMP-3. This study allowed for the examination of the ZBGs in the active site of an MMP. The novel ZBGs were found to have orientations in the active site of MMP-3 amendable to the attachment of a peptidomimetic backbone, necessary for a full-length MPI. Finally, the first MPIs based on the heterocyclic ZBGs were developed. The combined computational-bioinorganic method was augmented with the drug discovery program LUDI. Using LUDI enhanced with structural coordinates from [(TpPh,Me)Zn(3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone)], several MPIs were designed. The potential inhibitors were synthesized and were examined in a fluorescence-based assay of MMP-1, -2, and -3. The pyrone-based MPIs were found to be more potent than their hydroxamate analogues, demonstrating the efficacy of a bioinorganic approach to the development of metalloprotein inhibitors


PurposeThis study aims to investigate how customers' perception of service innovation aspects (innovativeness, service newness and relative advantage) and their participation impact value perception, satisfaction and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual model was tested using a nationwide survey from 430 Australian customers of Uber, using structural equation modeling.FindingsResults show that customer participation (CP) and innovativeness positively influence perceived value. Satisfaction is positively influenced by perceived value, innovativeness and relative advantage. Both perceived value and satisfaction drive loyalty. Yet, CP did not influence satisfaction. The study's findings generally support the mediating roles of perceived value and satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsCross-sectional data were used. Thus, the results only provide a snapshot of the relationships among constructs.Practical implicationsTo promote loyalty, service organizations emphasize how innovative aspects of services (innovativeness and relative advantage) can create value and satisfaction. Also, CP is critical in promoting customer perceived value and loyalty.Originality/valueBuilding on service-dominant logic (SDL), this study proposes a conceptual model investigating how perceived innovative aspects of service and CP influence perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty of service organizations.


Autonomous marine systems, such as autonomous ships and autonomous underwater vehicles, gain increased interest in industry and academia. Expected benefits of autonomous marine system in comparison to conventional marine systems are reduced cost, reduced risk to operators, and increased efficiency of such systems. Autonomous underwater vehicles are applied in scientific, commercial, and military applications for surveys and inspections of the sea floor, the water column, marine structures, and objects of interest. Autonomous underwater vehicles are costly vehicles and may carry expensive payloads. Hence, risk models are needed to assess the mission success before a mission and adapt the mission plan if necessary. The operators prepare and interact with autonomous underwater vehicles to carry out a mission successfully. Risk models need to reflect these interactions. This article presents a Bayesian belief network to assess the human–autonomy collaboration performance, as part of a risk model for autonomous underwater vehicle operation. Human–autonomy collaboration represents the joint performance of the human operators in conjunction with an autonomous system to achieve a mission aim. A case study shows that the human–autonomy collaboration can be improved in two ways: (1) through better training and inclusion of experienced operators and (2) through improved reliability of autonomous functions and situation awareness of vehicles. It is believed that the human–autonomy collaboration Bayesian belief network can improve autonomous underwater vehicle design and autonomous underwater vehicle operations by clarifying relationships between technical, human, and organizational factors and their influence on mission risk. The article focuses on autonomous underwater vehicle, but the results should be applicable to other types of autonomous marine systems.


A gram-positive, slowly growing rod effectively utilizing morpholine as the sole source of organic carbon, nitrogen, and energy was isolated from a mixed culture in a laboratory reactor. The strain was tentatively identified as Mycobacterium aurum. Its growth characteristics at 20 degrees C and pH 6.5 were as follows: maximum specific growth rate, 0.052 h-1; half-velocity constant, 1.3 mg/liter; and yield, 0.37 g/g. The optimum temperature and pH were 31 degrees C and 6.0, respectively.


In Southeast Asia there is a wide diversity of Mangifera species that bear edible fruit, with 69 taxonomically recognized (Kostermans and Bompard, 1993). Among these species, Mangifera indica is the most important commercial fruit crop, although M. lalijiwa, M. odorata, M. caesia and M. foetida , among others, are routinely cultivated or collected for sale from wild trees. Several Mangifera species have been collected and are under evaluation at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in South Florida over the past 15 years. More than 33 accessions of Mangifera species from Borneo, peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico have been accessioned into the genetic collections of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden since 1994. Mangifera applanata (Assam kepeng), Mangifera caesia (wani), M. pentandra (Assam poah), M. grif fi thii (rancha rancha), M. laurina (Mangga ayer), M. quadri fi da (Assam kumbang), M. rubrapetala (raba), M. casturi (kastooree), M. lalijiwa (honey mango), M. odorata (kuini), M. pajang (pajang), M. torquenda (lamatan), M. foetida (bachang), and other possible Mangifera species are under evaluation. These wild, edible mangos are in critical danger of extinction and represent an important resource for the future of mangos. Data presented includes their adaptability to modern cultivation and potential as commercial crops.


With an increasing number of biomarkers, and often limited availability of biopsy material, there is a growing need for multiplexed assays for both research and clinical purposes. IHC based solutions are particularly attractive in the field of immuno-oncology, as maintaining special context within the tumor microenvironment provides meaningful, and potentially actionable, information. Immuno-assays with high specificity and sensitivity are a powerful tool; however, there are challenges associated with antibody based multiplexing when more than 2-3 markers are required. A multiplex IHC solution that bypasses antibody species/isotype concerns, while providing signal amplification, was used to examine the co-expression of immune checkpoint control proteins, such as PD-L1, B7-H3, B7-H4, VISTA, in breast and ovarian cancer. Citation Format: Matthew R. Silver, Jennifer E. Ziello, Herbert Haack. Analysis of immune checkpoint control protein co-expression in breast and ovarian cancer using novel rabbit monoclonal antibodies and multiplex IHC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A006.


Initiation of Tristan-Gough and Shona EMI plumes triggers secondary HIMU plumes, generating overlapping EMI-HIMU hotspot tracks. Age-progressive volcanism is generally accepted as the surface expression of deep-rooted mantle plumes, which are enigmatically linked with the African and Pacific large low–shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs). We present geochemical and geochronological data collected from the oldest portions of the age-progressive enriched mantle one (EMI)-type Tristan-Gough track. They are part of a 30- to 40-million year younger age-progressive hotspot track with St. Helena HIMU (high time-integrated 238U/204Pb) composition, which is also observed at the EMI-type Shona hotspot track in the southernmost Atlantic. Whereas the primary EMI-type hotspots overlie the margin of the African LLSVP, the HIMU-type hotspots are located above a central portion of the African LLSVP, reflecting a large-scale geochemical zonation. We propose that extraction of large volumes of EMI-type mantle from the margin of the LLSVP by primary plume heads triggered upwelling of HIMU material from a more internal domain of the LLSVP, forming secondary plumes.


The epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the United States has changed significantly over the past 30 years. HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is currently a disease of greater demographic diversity, affecting all ages, sexes, and races, and involving multiple transmission risk behaviors. At least 50,000 new HIV infections will continue to be added each year; however, one-fifth of persons with new infections may not know they are infected, and a substantial proportion of those who know they are infected are not engaged in HIV care. Barriers to early engagement in care may be specific to a demographic group. In this paper, the current epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the United States is reviewed in order to understand the challenges, successes, and best practices for removing the barriers to effective diagnosis and receipt of HIV care within specific demographic groups.


The Federal Reserve wanted to use RSS to represent not only news, such as press releases, but also data, such as exchange rates. The Fed hoped to use one set of feeds to accommodate two different audiences for RSS, human readers (at one remove) and self-contained automated processes. While the different RSS specifications provide elements for traditional news items, they require extensions to handle data. Since central banks all tend to report the same sorts of information, the Fed joined with other central banks to create an extended specification that met their needs. This specification extends RSS 1.0, which is the more readily extended RSS specification. The extension uses elements from established metadata standards wherever it can, such as for language and audience, and adds elements when subjects are not found in those standards or are more particular to central banks, such as (monetary) currency. Although the central banks intend these new elements to be used primarily by machine processes, the element names have sufficient semantic transparency so that they can be understood by human readers.


We consider refined versions of Markov chains related to juggling introduced by Warrington. We further generalize the construction to juggling with arbitrary heights as well as infinitely many balls, which are expressed more succinctly in terms of Markov chains on integer partitions. In all cases, we give explicit product formulas for the stationary probabilities. The normalization factor in one case can be explicitly written as a homogeneous symmetric polynomial. We also refine and generalize enriched Markov chains on set partitions. Lastly, we prove that in one case, the stationary distribution is attained in bounded time.


A new method to obtain a high frequency clock (1 GHz) from a low frequency reference clock (10 MHz) is presented in this paper. High frequency is achieved using two level sensitive flip-flops. Variable delay lines are used to ensure that the multiplied clock is running in correct frequency. In the newly designed multiplier, the low frequency reference clock itself at every of its falling and rising edge keeps the generated high frequency clock in phase. The clock multiplication is achieved with 82 ps peak-to-peak jitter when the generated clock is 1 GHz and consuming 0.822 mW power from 2.5 volt power supply. The performance of the multiplication unit is tested on PSPICE using BSIM3v3 model parameters in .25 mum CMOS technology


This study is motivated by two research questions: (1) How does the accounting for socioeconomic heterogeneity, measured by educational attainment, improve population projections for India?, and (2) How will changing patterns in urbanization affect the population projection, depending on the spatial scale (national vs. subnational) considered in the projections?
Projections at national and subnational level can provide essential information for planning and implementing government policies, including the allocation of budget and resources. In a country like India national projections would be too short sighted considering its sheer population size of 1.2 billion inhabitants in 2011.
We aim to show not only the spatial and social heterogeneity of urban and rural India, but also how we implemented this in our subnational projection model. This allows us to show the potential population development of India up to 2050 and how and why the consideration of different spatial levels affect the projection outcome.


When two populations of cells within a tissue mass differ from one another in magnitude or type of intercellular adhesions, a boundary can form within the tissue, across which cells will fail to mix. This phenomenon may occur regardless of the identity of the molecules that mediate cell adhesion. If, in addition, a choice between the two adhesive states is regulated by a molecule the concentration of which is periodic in space, or in time, then alternating bands of non-mixing tissue, or segments, can form. But temporal or spatial periodicities in concentration will tend to arise for any molecule that is positively autoregu-latory. It is therefore proposed that segmentation is a 'generic' property of metazoan organisms, and that metamerism would be expected to have emerged numerous times during evolution. A simple model of segmentation, based solely on differential adhesion and periodic regulation of adhesion, can account for segment properties as disparate as those seen in long and short germ band insects, and for diverse experimental results on boundary regeneration in the chick hind brain and the insect cuticle. It is suggested that the complex, multicom-ponent segment-forming systems found in contemporary organisms (e.g., Drosophila) are the products of evolutionary recruitment of molecular cues such as homeobox gene products, that increase the reliability and stability of metameric patterns originally templated by generic self-organizing properties of tissues.


Background: Little is known about characteristics of electronic cigarette users. The aim of this study is to investigate characteristics of dual users of both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes compared to only e-cigarette users among Korean adolescents. Methods: We used a data pool from the 2013 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey containing 2,074 electronic cigarette users among Korean middle and high school students. Results: Dual users of both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes were 75.4% in males, and 67.3% in females among current e-cigarette users. Gender, school level, academic performance, stress, weekly allowance, experience of alcohol drinking and anti-smoking education were associated with dual use of conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes among Korean youth. The results from regressions show that: male students (aOR 1.59; 95% CI, 1.20-2.12), high school students (aOR 1.69; 95% CI 1.30-2.19), those who had reported high level of stress (aOR 1.46; 95% CI, 1.09-1.92), and those who had experienced alcohol drinking (aOR 3.82; 95% CI, 2.64-5.52) were more likely to become dual user. Students who had received more than KRW 40,000 (aOR 1.75; 95% CI, 1.24-2.47) were more likely to use both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes than received less than KRW 10,000. Moreover, students who had participated in smoking prevention program (aOR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.05-1.67) were more likely to become dual user. Conclusion: Dual use of both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes is common among e-cigarette users in South Korea. Dual use can threaten public health. Therefore, further research should investigate safety of dual use. Moreover, ongoing surveillance of dual use is recommended for public health planning.


Extracting valuable and discriminative features is one of the crucial issues for target recognition in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. In this study, a feature extraction method based on robust locality discriminant projection (RLDP) is presented for SAR target recognition. To characterise the local structural information of SAR images, the manifold learning technique called the supervised locality preserving projection is introduced to learn a linear projection, with which the SAR image can be cast into an implicit feature space. Then, the authors extend t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding to a parametric framework for optimising the linear projection. In the resulting feature space, the intrinsic neighbour relation with a certain class can be preserved. In addition, the separation between different classes can be enhanced. Unlike most local manifold learning methods, the proposed method is robust to changes of the neighbour parameter. To further analyse the non-linear structure, a useful variant of RLDP named kernel RLDP (KRLDP) is proposed. KRLDP exploits RLDP in an implicit reproducing kernel Hilbert space, where the kernel-based non-linear projection is learned to capture the non-linear structural information. Extensive experiments on moving and stationary target automatic recognition databases demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.


In a journey to the theoretical roots of human psychology, Diane Gillespie defends the concept of contextualism in a field in which mechanism has prevailed. Gillespie explains both theories in a historical overview of cognitive psychology and then contrasts them in three chapters on visual perception, memory, and categorization. She clarifies the inadequacy of mechanism as the sole model of cognition by including narratives based on her own life that focus on the dynamic ways we interact with the world.Providing a subtheme of contemporary concern, Gillespie argues that a psychological theory open to everyday contexts has important implications for women, whose perspectives have been underrepresented in the literature of cognitive psychology. She does not posit contextualism as the next exclusive viewpoint but suggests instead a pluralism with no one viewpoint overshadowing the others.


This documentary supplement to International Labor Law contains excerpts of instruments dealing with international labor rights, including multilateral, regional, and U.S. labor rights instruments, as well as corporate codes of conduct and private sector framework agreements. Comprehensive in scope, International Labor Law examines labor rights and labor standards in multilateral and regional institutions like the WTO, ILO, OECD, and European Union; regional and bilateral trade agreements like NAFTA and more recent bilateral agreements with developing countries; the new labor-trade """"template"""" in U.S. trade policy; and private initiatives like anti-sweatshop campaigns and corporate codes of conduct.


Many a Scot seemed surprised by the opening of a new Scottish Parliament in 1999. Few seemed clear where it had come from. Was it a British trick or a Scottish triumph? This book decides by investigating the fact that Scotland manages to hold onto an identity apparently out of proportion to its size. Through the twentieth century, Scots often blamed their land's vivid imagery for making the nation seem a place of local color rather than a political space. But looking back from the moment beyond the Scottish Parliament, we can see that Scotland's signs have played a large role in maintaining an idea of Scotland that, by the end of the twentieth century, made a Parliament seem both possible and necessary. The essays gathered here, by leading cultural critics and historians of Scotland, show how, since the late eighteenth century, Scotland has been converted into lively signs capable of rewriting the nation today.


This article describes the use of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) scans for the diagnostic evaluation of cancer patients. Since FDG is a positron emitting radio-pharmaceutical, a dedicated Positron Emission Tomography unit (PET) or a hybrid PET/SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) unit is required for oncologic studies. As PET and PET/SPECT scanners become available to perform these images, it is important that knowledge regarding the usefulness of these images, and their limitations, be disseminated to health care providers. There are evolving uses of FDG scans; current use includes staging patients with non-small cell carcinoma of the lung, malignant melanoma, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, colorectal carcinoma, and head and neck carcinoma.


Abstract Data obtained during carcass and bird utilisation surveys conducted over an approximately 10-year period at two wind farms in northwest Tasmania (Bluff Point Wind Farm [BPWF] and Studland Bay Wind Farm [SBWF]) were compared. Of the species present onsite only 21% at the BPWF and 18% at the SBWF were found to collide with turbines, indicating that presence onsite was a poor indicator of collision risk. Furthermore, there was a poor relationship between abundance onsite and collisions with turbines. A classification and regression tree classified species into the groups that collided or did not collide, based on two classifiers. Specific families/superfamilies and foraging strategies/zones were associated with collision risk and indicated that particular morphological, ecological and behavioural factors were associated with a species' vulnerability to colliding with wind turbines. Future studies should investigate whether the patterns found at these sites are consistent across other habitats and sites.


The Levinson recursions, the Cybenko recursions and the Le Roux-Gueguen recursions provide alternative ways of computing reflection coefficients for stationary time series. In this paper we show that when a Toeplitz correlation matrix is a product of two Toeplitz data matrices, as in the correlation method of linear prediction, then the Levinson recursions may be used to derive the Cybenko recursions, and the Cybenko recursions may be used to derive the Le Roux-Gueguen recursions. We explore the close relation between QR and Cholesky algorithms in the Toeplitz case and we compare their respective numerical properties when run in finite precision arithmetic.


Background: Depression, one of the most common behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in seniors, adversely affects life quality of both patients and caregivers. Because many antipsychotic drugs can cause severe side effects in patients with dementia, there is a need for effective noninvasive treatments for depression in these patients. This study compared the effect of aroma-acupoint therapy and aromatherapy on depression in DSMIV diagnosed senior dementia patients with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)-assessed severe cognitive impairment living in long-term care facilities.
Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: aroma-acupoint therapy (n=56), aromatherapy (n=73), and control (n=57). Outcomes were measured using the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) for changes in depressive mood and MMSE for changes in cognitive status in pre-test, post-test, and post-three-week test, and blood pressure and pulse rate, physical indicators of stress, measured daily during the four-week intervention.
Results: The aroma-acupoint therapy and aromatherapy groups were found to have significant improvement in depressive mood in the post-test and post-three-week test, but no significant change in cognitive function. During the four-week intervention period, the two study groups also had significant weekly improvements in blood pressure and pulse rate.
Conclusion: Aroma-acupoint therapy and aromatherapy can effectively improve depression as well as the physical indicators of relaxation, blood pressure and pulse rate, but not cognitive status in seniors with dementia and severe cognitive impairment. Future studies with larger populations are needed further develop optimal regimens using aroma-acupoint therapy and aromatherapy to treat depression in this population.


: Aelius Aristides, one of the most renowned orators of the so-called second sophistic, has often been thought of as the paradigmatic patient who surrendered his physical and psychological health to Asclepius, and spent a large part of his life in the temple of the god at Pergamum blindly following divine orders on diet and regimen. This study looks at the Hieroi Logoi as an illness narrative and argues against such a simplistic view and in favour of a more complex picture: Aristides is a far cry far from the submissive patient, who idly resided in the Pergamene Asclepieion relying exclusively on the therapeutic powers of the god and his human helpers. In fact, through a close reading of a selection of passages from the Hieroi Logoi a whole new image of Aristides emerges: the informed patient who is not only in possession of the basics of the medical discourse but who also functions as a physician of sorts, taking both his own life and the lives of others into his hands. This new type of patient, the knowledgeable patient, who is well-versed in medical matters and envisages himself as an active agent of the healing process and an equally important partner in the medical encounter, ties well with other testimonies we have about knowledgeable patients mostly to be found amongst the members of the socio-political elite of the time.


In 2019 and 2020, the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) introduced new policies to promote the systematic, centralized, and large-scale training and transfer of "rural surplus laborers" to other parts of the TAR, as well as to other provinces of the People's Republic of China (PRC). In the first 7 months of 2020, the region had trained over half a million rural surplus laborers through this policy. This scheme encompasses Tibetans of all ages, covers the entire region, and is distinct from the coercive vocational training of secondary students and young adults reported by exile Tibetans (RFA, October 29, 2019).


The article presents the results of field and laboratory studies on the state of surface waters in the impact zone of one of the largest mining enterprises of the Russian Federation, i.e. Kovdor Mining and Processing Combine. On the basis of the data from the monitoring studies, the patterns of migration and transformation of manganese in the system of wastes of enrichment – surface water – are revealed. In order to solve the existing environmental problem, an effective method of treating sewage from manganese using organic sorbent based on vermiculite is proposed. The results of laboratory tests of the sorbent are described depending on the method of its modification, as well as on the composition and properties of the purified water. The proposed method of sewage treatment will reduce the negative impact of the company on surface water, thereby improving the ecological situation in the study area and improving the quality of life of the local population.


When households lack access to continuous piped water, water storage in the home creates opportunities for contamination. Storage in copper vessels has been shown to reduce microbes, but inactivation kinetics of enteric bacteria in water by copper alone needs to be understood. This work characterized inactivation kinetics of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by dissolved ionic copper in water. Reductions of E. coli and P. aeruginosa increase with increasing dose. At 0.3 mg/L, there was a 2.5 log10 reduction of E. coli within 6 hours. At 1 and 3 mg/L, the detection limit was reached between 3 and 6 hours; maximum reduction measured was 8.5 log10. For P. aeruginosa, at 6 hours there was 1 log10 reduction at 0.3 mg/L, 3.0 log10 at 1 mg/L, and 3.6 log10 at 3 mg/L. There was no significant decline in copper concentration. Copper inactivates bacteria under controlled conditions at doses between 0.3 and 1 mg/L. E. coli was inactivated more rapidly than P. aeruginosa. Copper at 1 mg/L can achieve 99.9% inactivation of P. aeruginosa and 99.9999997% inactivation of E. coli over 6 hours, making it a candidate treatment for stored household water.


What does a geriatrician do? It is easy for most specialists to define themselves: a cardiologist looks after the heart, a respiratory physician the chest. But for a geriatrician it can be surprisingly difficult. Are we simply general physicians for older people, or do we have a more specialist skill?

This has recently been a cause for (occasionally heated) debate in our department. We are in the process of making plans to merge two large departments of medicine for the elderly from opposite sides of our city. On one side there is a specific cut-off age for acute admissions, while the other has a "needs related" policy. At first glance the second would seem to be preferable: older patients with a "single organ" problem are sent to the relevant specialty, while patients with more complex needs are admitted under our care. But the problem with this is that it is open to abuse by our specialty colleagues, and referrals are all one way in our …


AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy of culture, histology, CLO-test, Helico-G and Pyloriset tests in diagnosing Helicobacter pylori in the presence or absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). METHODS: Of 134 patients studied, 75 had taken NSAIDs. At endoscopy, biopsy specimens were taken for culture, histology, and CLO-test. Blood was also taken for enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Helico-G) and latex agglutination (Pyloriset) tests. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of histology and CLO-test, compared with culture, ranged from 90% to 97%, regardless of NSAID intake. In the 59 patients not taking NSAIDs Helico-G had a sensitivity of 75% (p < 0.05) and a specificity of 61%; Pyloriset's sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 63% (p < 0.05) and 67%. In the 75 patients taking NSAIDs the sensitivity of Helico-G was 81% and its specificity 45% (p < 0.05); Pyloriset had a sensitivity of 61% (p < 0.05) and a specificity of 50% (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that H pylori is more reliably diagnosed by culture, histology, and CLO-test than by the serological tests used in this study, especially in patients treated with NSAIDs.


Amphibians are frequently characterized as having limited dispersal abilities, strong site fidelity and spatially disjunct breeding habitat. As such, pond-breeding species are often alleged to form metapopulations. Amphibian species worldwide appear to be suffering population level declines caused, at least in part, by the degradation and fragmentation of habitat and the intervening areas between habitat patches. If the simplification of amphibians occupying metapopulations is accurate, then a regionally based conservation strategy, informed by metapopulation theory, is a powerful tool to estimate the isolation and extinction risk of ponds or populations. However, to date no attempt to assess the class-wide generalization of amphibian populations as metapopulations has been made. We reviewed the literature on amphibians as metapopulations (53 journal articles or theses) and amphibian dispersal (166 journal articles or theses for 53 anuran species and 37 salamander species) to evaluate whether the conditions for metapopulation structure had been tested, whether pond isolation was based only on the assumption of limited dispersal, and whether amphibian dispersal was uniformly limited. We found that in the majority of cases (74%) the assumptions of the metapopulation paradigm were not tested. Breeding patch isolation via limited dispersal and/or strong site fidelity was the most frequently implicated or tested metapopulation condition, however we found strong evidence that amphibian dispersal is not as uniformly limited as is often thought. The frequency distribution of maximum movements for anurans and salamanders was well described by an inverse power law. This relationship predicts that distances beneath 11–13 and 8–9 km, respectively, are in a range that they may receive one emigrating individual. Populations isolated by distances approaching this range are perhaps more likely to exhibit metapopulation structure than less isolated populations. Those studies that covered larger areas also tended to report longer maximum movement distances – a pattern with implications for the design of mark-recapture studies. Caution should be exercised in the application of the metapopulation approach to amphibian population conservation. Some amphibian populations are structured as metapopulations – but not all.


Cities in lowand middle-income countries have experienced deindustrialisation as localised agglomerations that historically served domestic and regional markets have become exposed to highly productive global value chains as capital has been (re)allocated to primary sectors. State, corporate and social actors have responded to economic decline by embracing a range of coping and adaptation strategies, some of which are consistent with degrowth, but they are often combined with business-as-usual initiatives in pursuit of economic growth. We refer to this as subordinate degrowth because localised responses are conditioned by the subordinate position of countries and cities in the global economy. While we acknowledge its divergence from 'pure' ideal-type degrowth, we do not dismiss the transformative potential of incremental change. Indeed, we argue that any realistic strategy to spatialise degrowth within cities must recognise the indeterminacy and messiness of urban politics. We employ subordinate degrowth as an analytic to interpret responses to deindustrialisation and economic decline in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Our analysis attends to three meso-level blind spots that characterise much degrowth scholarship, between (1) particular and universal, (2) advanced-industrial and agrarian ideal-types and (3) past/current socio-technical regimes and 'pure' degrowth.


By the death of F. F. Blackman, on 30 January 1947, plant physiology lost a leader who, during the last half century, had contributed in many ways to the development of the subject. He was born on 25 July 1866 in Lambeth where his father practised as a medical man. He was the third child and eldest son of a family of eleven children; a Victorian experience which no doubt played its part in his education. What guided his attention to botany is uncertain. That he should have been interested in biology is not surprising for not only was his father a doctor but his mother was the daughter of a medical man. A bias towards the plant may have been given by a set of Sowerby's British Botany, with its coloured illustrations of every British plant, belonging to his father who had been a book collector so far as the size of his family permitted this activity. Blackman's interest in plants survived through his school life at Mill Hill during which he started a herbarium. Despite his later specialized probings into detailed plant processes he retained to the end his interest in plants as entities. At school he had the reputation of not working very hard but he managed to do well in examinations. His interests were not purely intellectual. They extended to football and the performance of this short but sturdy member of the first fifteen were often recounted in the Combination Room of St John's College by his old school friend H. H. Brindley. In middle life his muscular strength was remarkable though he played no outdoor games and took little physical exercise. He pushed a twelve-ton yacht off the mud with a 'quant' on a falling tide when his companions, including a powerful boatman, had failed. And he also had a potential athletic skill. He acquitted himself so well on a rock climb near Arolla in 1899 that the well- known guide, Jean Maitre, cried 'Farceur!' when told that it was Blackman's first serious climb.


Phosphoinositide hydrolysis does not appear to desensitize in 1321N1 astrocytoma cells. The evidence for this is that 1) the rate of accumulation of [3H]inositol 1-phosphate is linear for up to 90 min in the presence of carbachol, 2) pretreatment of cells with 100 microM carbachol for 75 min does not diminish the subsequent ability of carbachol to increase [3H]inositol 1-phosphate accumulation, and 3) the production of all of the [3H]inositol phosphates including the polyphosphoinositide metabolites [3H]inositol bis- and trisphosphate continues for up to 75 min in the presence of carbachol and declines rapidly when the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine is added. Only when cells are treated with carbachol for 2.5 hr or longer is there a reduction in carbachol-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis, and this is associated with a decrease in muscarinic receptor number. There does appear to be desensitization of hormone-stimulated Ca2+ mobilization in 1321N1 cells, because treatment of these cells with carbachol for 75 min leads to loss of the subsequent ability of carbachol to stimulate unidirectional 45Ca2+ efflux. Histamine-stimulated 45Ca2+ efflux also is lost in cells pretreated with carbachol, indicating that the desensitization is heterologous. We conclude that desensitization of hormone-stimulated, unidirectional 45Ca2+ efflux cannot be accounted for by a loss of receptor-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis. If phosphoinositide hydrolysis or inositol triphosphate formation are signals for calcium mobilization, the site at which the calcium response desensitizes must be distal to the initial receptor-mediated activation of phospholipase C.


This paper presents an international trade model based on a market structure with monopolistic competition and age dependent quality and productivity in producing each product variety. Due to innovations new product varieties of a still higher quality enter the market every period rendering old varieties obsolete. For a given technology (variety) production costs decrease after an infant period due to learning. While all firms are assumed to be symmetric in a life-cycle perspective, at a given point in time firms of different ages differ in productivity, firm size, product quality, and export behavior. The model highlights a process of creative destruction, which allows firms to produce in a finite span of periods determined by the intensity of product and process innovations. The model predicts a wide range of export behavior of the individual firm during its life cycle depending on the structure of technological progress and trade costs. These predictions are consistent with empirical evidence on firm's internationalization in a dynamic perspective.


In this work, we present some preliminary results on a multi-wavelength (radio/infrared/optical/X-ray) study of GRO J1655-40 during its 2005 outburst. We focus on the broadband spectral energy distribution during the different stages of the outburst. In particular, using this unprecedented coverage, and especially thanks to the new constraints given in the mid-IR by Spitzer, we can test the physical self-consistent disk-jet model during the hard state, where the source shows radio emission from a compact jet. The hard state broadband spectra of the observations during the decay of the outburst, are fairly well fit using the jet model with parameters overall similar to those found for Cyg X-1 and GX 339-4 in a previous work. However, we find that, compared to the other two BHs, GRO J1655-40 has a much higher jet power (at least a factor of 3), and that, most notably, the model seems to underestimate the radio emission


Photo frames have come a long way since the typical ones that needed to have a photo printed and stuck on them. Today in this digital era we have a new concept, named digital photo frame, a modern representation of the conventional photo frame. A digital photo frame is basically a picture frame that displays photos without the need to print them. They are available in a variety of sizes and with varied configurations. A typical frame varies in size from 7 inches to 20 inches. There are also key chain sized frames available. These frames also support a variety of formats like .jpeg, .tiff, .bmp and so on. Most of the frames provide an option to run the photos in a sequential or random manner as a slideshow with an adjustable time interval. The mode of input of the photos to the frame is also multi-fold. It can be done directly via the memory card of the camera, or else various memory devices like USB drives, SD Cards, MMC Cards and so on can be used. Nowadays even Bluetooth technology is being used. Another option that is becoming quite popular is that, users can take their photos directly from the Internet from sites like Flickr, Picassa or from their e-mail. Also these frames generally come with built in speakers and with remote controls.
Our initial objective was to decide on which all features can be added to the Digital Photo Frame that we design. For this purpose we conducted simulation exercises in MATLAB so as to prove its feasibility.
This simulation exercise was divided into two parts. The first part was to perform compression and decompression and the second half dealt with the various enhancements that can be added to the frame. For our compression and decompression we considered the JPEG standard. Joint Photographic Experts Group - an ISO/ITU standard for compressing still images. The JPEG format is very popular due to its variable compression range. A few limitations of JPEG include the fact that it is lossy and also not great for displaying text. The common extension for it include *.jpg, *.jff, *.m-jpeg,*.mpeg
The various enhancement features that we tested for feasibility include Mean Filter, Median Filter, Image Sharpening, Negative Image Extraction, Logarithmic Transformations, Power Law Correction (Gamma Correction), Contrast Stretching, Grey Level Slicing, Bit Plane Slicing, Laplace Filtering.
We then proceeded onto the hardware implementation of the above said features. We only implemented a handful of features owing to the complexity of design and lack of time. We first implemented the Compression and Decompression algorithm. The two enhancement features we implemented were Laplace Filter and Median Filter. For our implementation we used the VIRTEX 2 FPGA Board.


Nanotechnology is the application of science to control matter at the molecular level. A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter, or roughly the length of three atoms side by side. A nanoparticle is a microscopic particle with atleast one dimension less than 100 nm. The applilcation of nanoscale materials and structures, usually ranging from 1 to 100 nanometer are an emerging area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Gold nanoparticles, in particular, are of interest, due to their stability under atmospheric conditions, resistance to oxidation and biocompatibility. Microorganisms as possible eco–friendly nanofactories can exert control over size, morphology, composition and crystallographic orientation of the as–prepared metal nanostructured particles. In the area of nanotechnology, the development of techniques for the controlled synthesis of metal nanoparticles of well defined size, shape and composition is a big challenge. This work was highly focused on the Gold nanoparticles production from Pseudomonas sp. and concentrating the work towards the production at controlled size by means of various parameter optimization studies like pH, temperature and concentration. The optimization work was characterized by means of TEM. With the results of TEM, the small sized nanoparticle of about 10nm was observed at pH of 9 and 12nm was produced at the pH of 3. Low temperature of 25C favored the small size nanoparticle at a concentration of 250 mg/l using HAuCl4.


Wnt signaling is critically dependent on dishevelled proteins (DVL1-3), which are required to assemble an intracellular Wnt signalosome at the plasma membrane. The levels of dishevelled proteins are strictly regulated by multiple E3 ubiquitin ligases that target DVL1-3 for ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. The BTB-Kelch family protein KLHL12 is a substrate-specific adaptor for a Cullin-RING E3 ligase complex that contains Cullin3 and Rbx1. KLHL12 was the first E3 ligase to be identified for DVL1-3, but the molecular mechanisms determining its substrate interactions have remained unknown. Here, we mapped the interaction of DVL1-3 to a 'PGXPP' motif that is conserved in other known partners and substrates of KLHL12, including PLEXHA4, PEF1 and SEC31. A 20-mer peptide containing the DVL1 motif bound to the Kelch domain of KLHL12 with low micromolar affinity. In cells, the mutation or deletion of this motif caused a striking reduction in the binding, ubiquitination and stability of DVL1 confirming this sequence as a degron motif for KLHL12 recruitment. To determine the binding mechanism we solved a 2.4 Å crystal structure of the Kelch domain of KLHL12 in complex with a DVL1 peptide. The structure revealed that the DVL1 substrate adopted a U-shaped turn conformation that enabled hydrophobic interactions with all six blades of the Kelch domain β-propeller. Overall, these results define the molecular mechanisms determining DVL regulation by KLHL12 and establish the KLHL12 Kelch domain as a new protein interaction module for a novel proline-rich motif.


This installment of Research for Practice features a curated selection from Dan Crankshaw and Joey Gonzalez, who provide an overview of machine learning serving systems. What happens when we wish to actually deploy a machine learning model to production, and how do we serve predictions with high accuracy and high computational efficiency? Dan and Joey's selection provides a thoughtful selection of cutting-edge techniques spanning database-level integration, video processing, and prediction middleware. Given the explosion of interest in machine learning and its increasing impact on seemingly every application vertical, it's possible that systems such as these will become as commonplace as relational databases are today


A troglobite, Euscorpius studentium n. sp. is described based on a single immature male specimen from Skožnica, a relatively small cave in the coastal region of Montenegro. The characteristics of the new species are compared with the characteristics of an immature male specimen of troglophile Euscorpius feti Tropea, 2013 of the same size, from another cave in Montenegro. Some identified differences indicate evolutionary changes that are the result of the process of adaptation of troglobite scorpions for life under conditions found in underground habitats: reduced eyes, depigmentation, smooth teguments with reduced granulation and tubercles, elongated sharp and thin ungues of the legs and narrowed body. The settlement of limestone caves by large troglobionts such as scorpions follows karstification processes. Lithophilic forms that evolved under these conditions possess the necessary climbing abilities that are prerequisite for settlement of hypogean habitats. Uncontrolled visits by tourists in recent years have seriously threatened the fauna of Skožnica cave, including this new and first recognized troglobite scorpion species among European fauna.


Importance
Incidence of perioperative free flap compromise is low, with successful salvage in up to 70%. When the flap is compromised a second time, the value of intervening is unknown.

Objective
To assess the outcomes of a second revascularization attempt for compromised free flaps.

Design, Setting, and Participants
This multicenter retrospective medical record review included patients undergoing head and neck reconstruction with free flaps at 6 US medical centers from January 1, 2000, through December 30, 2020. Patients were 18 years or older with a history of head and neck defects from cancer, osteoradionecrosis, or other wounds. Of 3510 flaps identified, 79 were successfully salvaged once, became compromised a second time, and underwent attempted salvage.

Main Outcome and Measure
Flaps with a history of initial compromise and successful revascularization demonstrating second episodes of compromise followed by second salvage attempts.

Results
A total of 79 patients (mean age, 64 years; 61 [77%] men) were included in the analysis. Of the 79 flaps undergoing second salvage attempts, 24 (30%) survived while 55 (70%) demonstrated necrosis. Arterial or venous thrombectomy was performed in 17 of the 24 (71%) flaps that survived and 23 of the 55 (42%) flaps demonstrating necrosis (odds ratio, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.21-9.47). When venous compromise was encountered, changing the anastomotic vein was associated with decreased survival compared with not changing the vein (29 of 55 [53%] flaps vs 10 of 24 [42%] flaps); vein revision to an alternative branch was completed in 1 of the 24 (4%) flaps that survived and 19 of the 55 (35%) flaps with necrosis (odds ratio, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.00-0.60). Factors that were not associated with flap survival following second salvage attempts included flap type, cause of flap failure, postoperative complications, patient comorbidities, and heparin administration after second salvage.

Conclusions and Relevance
In this cohort study, second salvage was successful in 30% of free flaps. Flaps that underwent arterial or venous thrombectomy demonstrated better survival, while vein revision to neighboring branch veins was associated with worse flap outcomes.


Nano-SiO 2 with different weight percentage (1,2 ,3, 4 and 5) % wt. , and 3% MWCNT were usedto fabricate nano-SiO 2 /MWNT/epoxy composite samples by hand layup method. Ultrasonic mixing processwas used to disperse the nano additives into the resin system. scanning electron microscopy (SEM)where usedto carry out the characteristic of fracture surface. By both the high aspect ratio and the very high modulus ofnano fillers. The mechanical properties of the composite with different weight percentages of nano-SiO 2 havebeen investigated and After examine, the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) explains well dispersednanotubes and SiO 2 nano particles in the matrix. No evidence of agglomeration of the nanotubes can be foundin this micrographs. By adding SiO 2 nano particles to epoxy/MWCNT composite, this would dramaticallyimprove the bending properties and The Young's modulus has been doubled and quadrupled for compositeswith respectively 2 and 4 wt.% nano SiO 2 , compared to the pure resin matrix samples (3.36 ,4.06 ,and 1.59 )GPa respectively .While flexural strength has been increased in random manner with maximum value for 2 wt%(111 MPa). The hardness of nano composite increased with increase of SiO2 filler loading, it can be seen thatthe SiO2 filler greatly increased the hardness, which can be attributed to the higher hardness and moreuniform dispersion of SiO 2 filler. The higher hardness is exhibited by the 5 wt% SiO 2 filled compared to othernanocomposites. The results show that at 5wt% nano SiO 2 content there is 11% increase in hardness


The present invention discloses a complex pesticidal composition containing picloram or a salt thereof, an active ingredient comprising a component I and component II, component I is the picloram, or a salt thereof, according to component II is oxazole saflufenacil, saflufenacil, carfentrazone-one, topramezone, bis florasulam, flucarbazone, clodinafop-propargyl or oxazolyl dichlormid, the components I and component II weight ratio is 60: 1-1: 60. The present invention also discloses a suitable formulation for agricultural use obtained by the above composition was prepared and applied on weed control. Complex agricultural chemical composition containing picloram present invention has obvious synergistic effect, to achieve the prevention and broad-leaved weeds and annual grass weeds while reducing the amount of administration, reduce medication farmers and the burden of environmental pollution, and has broad prospects for development and promotion.


Previous studies have informed that female workers are a vulnerable group that can affect the failure to achieve exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). This study aims to analyze the determinants of EBF among female workers in Indonesia. The research used secondary data from the 2017 Indonesian Nutritional Status Monitoring as a material analysis. Apart from EBF, other variables analyzed include the type of place of residence, age group, marital status, education level, under-five's age, under-five's gender. The study employed 13,042 female workers as analysis material. Binary Logistic Regression was employed in the final stage. The results show female workers who live in urban areas have 1,144 times the probability of achieving EBF than female workers who live in rural areas. Female workers with high school senior education have 0.891 times the chance of achieving EBF compared to female workers with a college education. Under-five's age was found as a determinant of EBF among female workers in Indonesia. Female workers who have boys have 0.909 times the chance to reach EBF than female workers who have under five women. It was concluded that 4 variables proved to be determinants of EBF among female workers in Indonesia. The four determinants are the type of place of residence, education level, under-five's age and gender.


This paper discusses the design and implementation of a browser based game ("e-Bug Detectives") that teaches 13-15 year olds about hygiene, microbes and appropriate antibiotic use. Despite the recent interest in technology enhanced learning, there has been little investigation of how to develop design a game that teaches specific Learning Outcomes (LOs) using an established pedagogy. We demonstrate that Problem Based Learning (PBL) is an appropriate framework for games that aim to teach a number of disparate LOs. The introduction explains why it was necessary to create a bespoke game to satisfy the project's requirements. Section 2 presents the reasons behind choosing the adventure game genre and the PBL framework. Section 3 discusses the technical implementation of the game. The five stages of PBL are explained and mapped to the game in section 4. Finally, early evaluation results are presented and future work is discussed.


The article presents a comparative retrospective analysis of clinical, laboratory data and outcomes in 39 patients with severe COVID-19 complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome, who received high-flow oxygen therapy. Of which, 19 patients additionally received 75 mg of inhaled surfactant BL twice daily for 5 days using a nebulizer. As a result, mortality rate in the group of patients receiving surfactant was 10.5%, while in the standard therapy group — 50%; the number of patients transferred to the mechanical ventilation was 21% and 70%, respectively. As the patients receiving the surfactant were injected with COVID-19 hyperimmune convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibodies to interleukin-6 receptors more often than those from the control group, we recalculated the results regardless of these patients. However, a significant difference between the mechanical ventilation rate (2.5 times less often in the surfactant group) and mortality rate (3.5 times less in the surfactant group) was observed. The duration of hospitalization and stay at the intensive care unit was not significantly different between patients with and without surfactant treatment. Inhalation therapy with surfactant BL was well tolerated even by patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In no case did therapy have to be stopped due to side effects, the most common of which was coughing during inhalation. This retrospective analysis shows that the prescription of an inhaled surfactant prior to transferring patients to mechanical ventilation can prevent the progression of respiratory failure, put down mechanical ventilation, and improve survival.


Common visual codebook generation methods used in a Bag of Visual words model, e.g. k-means or Gaussian Mixture Model, use the Euclidean distance to cluster features into visual code words. However, most popular visual descriptors are histograms of image measurements. It has been shown that the Histogram Intersection Kernel (HIK) is more effective than the Euclidean distance in supervised learning tasks with histogram features. In this paper, we demonstrate that HIK can also be used in an unsupervised manner to significantly improve the generation of visual codebooks. We propose a histogram kernel k-means algorithm which is easy to implement and runs almost as fast as k-means. The HIK codebook has consistently higher recognition accuracy over k-means codebooks by 2–4%. In addition, we propose a one-class SVM formulation to create more effective visual code words which can achieve even higher accuracy. The proposed method has established new state-of-the-art performance numbers for 3 popular benchmark datasets on object and scene recognition. In addition, we show that the standard k-median clustering method can be used for visual codebook generation and can act as a compromise between HIK and k-means approaches.


Abstract Uneven and/or inefficient livestock distribution is often a product of an inadequate number and distribution of watering points. Placement of off-stream water practices (OSWP) in pastures is a key consideration in rangeland management plans and is critical to achieving riparian recovery by improving grazing evenness, while improving livestock performance. Effective OSWP placement also minimizes the impacts of livestock use radiating from OSWP, known as the "piosphere." The objective of this study was to provide land managers with recommendations for the optimum placement of OSWP. Specifically, we aimed to provide minimum offset distances of OSWP to streams and assess the effective range of OSWP using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values, an indicator of live standing crop. NDVI values were determined from a time-series of Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) 20-m images of western South Dakota mixed-grass prairie. The NDVI values in ephemeral stream channels (in-channel) and uplands were extracted from pre- and post-OSWP images taken in 1989 and 2010, respectively. NDVI values were normalized to a reference imagine and subsequently by ecological site to produce nNDVI. Our results demonstrate a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the nNDVI values of in-channel vegetation within 1 250 m of OSWP following their implementation. The area of piospheres (n = 9) increased with pasture size (R2 = 0.49, P = 0.05) and increased with average distance to OSWP in a pasture (R2 = 0.43, P = 0.07). Piospheric reduction in nNDVI was observed within 200 m of OSWP, occasionally overlapping in-channel areas. The findings of this study suggest placement of OSWP 200 to 1 250 m from streams to achieve optimal results. These results can be used to increase grazing efficiency by effectively placing OSWP and insure that piospheres do not overlap ecologically important in-channel areas.