The traditional lecture is a teaching format which offers students few opportunities for engagement turning them into passive listeners of the lecturers' presentations what negatively impacts on their learning. With audience response systems, that is technology supporting classroom quizzes, breaks which reactivate the students can be introduced into the lecturers' presentations. This article reports on an audience response system coupled with a social gamification of quizzes based on teams: Each student is assigned to a team and the students' answers to quizzes contribute to their team's success. An immediate overview of team participation updated in real-time during the quiz and updated team standings after the quiz displayed for everyone to see motivate students to participate in the quizzes. The contribution of this article is threefold: First, a team-based social gamification of quizzes aimed at boosting participation in quizzes and attendance at lectures, second, original technological tools supporting the proposed team-based social gamification, and third, a first evaluation demonstrating its effectiveness in a small course and a second evaluation suggesting that for use in large classes teams have to be built in a specific way. This article is an extended version of an article presented at ICL 2018 which provides a deeper representation of related work, a more extensive description of the team component, an additional evaluation, and implications for the use of the team-based social gamification in large classes.


Governments, researchers and the public have raised concerns about extensive gambling promotions during televised sport, particularly in Australia. This study aims to quantify gambling promotions during selected football broadcasts and conduct a content and semiotic analysis of their components. Analysis reveals that gambling promotions constituted 2.5% of observed broadcast time. Embedded gambling promotions included logos, sponsored segments, displayed betting odds and extended betting commentary. Extensive plot placement potentially optimises promotions' effectiveness, while their personal relevance, empathy, information and congruence align well with young male target audiences for football and sports betting. Implications for public health and sport management are noted.


Physical inactivity is a global problem which is related to many chronic health disorders. Physical activity scales which allow cross-cultural comparisons have been developed. The goal was to assess the reliability and validity of a Turkish version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). 1,097 university students (721 women, 376 men; ages 18–32) volunteered. Short and long forms of the IPAQ gave good agreement and comparable 1-wk. test-retest reliabilities. Caltrac accelerometer data were compared with IPAQ scores in 80 participants with good agreement for short and long forms. Turkish versions of the IPAQ short and long forms are reliable and valid in assessment of physical activity.


The molecular responses of organisms to environmental toxicants at environmentally relevant concentrations are still largely unknown. Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a sensitive animal model used for environmental exposure assessment. We here determined the role of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling, a conserved molecular signaling among different organisms, in regulating the response of nematodes to nanopolystyrene (100 nm) at a predicted environmental concentration (1 μg L−1) and the underlying mechanism. Among the components of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, nanopolystyrene (1 μg L−1) only decreased GSK-3 expression and increased β-catenin BAR-1 expression. GSK-3 acted upstream of BAR-1 to regulate the response to nanopolystyrene, and the intestine-specific activity of the GSK-3-BAR-1 signaling cascade in regulating the response to nanopolystyrene was observed. Transcriptional factor DAF-16 and peroxisomal protein PRX-5 were identified as downstream targets of both BAR-1 and Wnt effector POP-1 in regulating the response to nanopolystyrene. During the control of the response to nanopolystyrene, DAF-16 and PRX-5 functioned synergistically, suggesting that the intestinal canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling mediates two different molecular signals to regulate the response to nanopolystyrene. In the peroxisome, KAT-1 and ACOX-1.6 were further identified as downstream targets of PRX-5 to regulate the response to nanopolystyrene. Therefore, exposure to nanopolystyrene could activate the canonical Wnt/β-catenin-mediated signaling communication between the nucleus and peroxisome. Our results suggest the crucial function of intestinal canonical Wnt/β-catenin-mediated nucleus–peroxisome signaling communication in response to nanopolystyrene exposure at a predicted environmental concentration.


This study explores a methodology to measure the receptive cognate status of a second language (L2) vocabulary from a specific learner group's perspective. In order to isolate the interlingual cognate effect (being able to grasp the meaning of a L2 word in context thanks to the similarity to an etymologically related word in L1 or another known L2) from the intralingual transparency effect (interpret a complex word thanks to its components), the 1406 content words consisting of one lexical morpheme only and being the most frequent in its word family were selected from a frequency list of 4034 words. Each German word was categorized according to its formal similarity to its closest Swedish cognate. 25 percent have even identical graphical form, further 30 percent are phonologically predictable. Only 6 percent lack a relevant cognate. A semantic analysis shows that the Swedish cognate is also the translation equivalent for 90 percent of the direct cognates, and very few of the others have a potentially deceptive meaning. 77 students at a beginners' course at Stockholm University answered an open-ended vocabulary test based on these words, as isolated items and in context sentences translated into Swedish. The correct answers suggest that Swedish students have a 70 percent head-start in learning German core words receptively. The erroneous answers confirm that the learners look for similarities to L1 Swedish words, and in much higher degree than assumed from the psychotypological distance, to L2 English words. Some pedagogical implications of exploiting the full cognate effect are discussed.


The overall aim of this thesis is to theoretically explore and empirically analyse practical embodied knowledge in educational settings. In accordance to this aim an approach of body pedagogics is used in combination with classical pragmatism, using foremost William James' and John Dewey's concepts of experience, meaning, inquiry and habit. In addition, these concepts are combined with an idea of reflexive body techniques.A main focus lies on investigating the learning of body techniques in dinghy sailing by studying the process and the product of teaching and learning, the role of the instructor for sailors' learning and the interplay between teaching and learning. The thesis entails three case studies consisting of video recordings of dinghy sailing, all using a combination of theoretical explorations and practical epistemology analysis (PEA). Empirical focus lies on how sailors grow into purposeful body techniques by taking the measure of their ongoing, continuous experience while coordinating their movements with the environment. The analyses show how understandings and bodily skills are simultaneously used in the educational situations where the dinghy sailors have to handle both the environment and various instructions given by the trainer. The result is presented through a descriptive model, comprising theoretical explorations and empirical analysis, through which it is possible to emphasise both the process and the content of the learning of body techniques. The methodological contribution of the thesis thus also consists of developed tools for analysing processes of body pedagogics at a micro level.


In 1975 the Brazilian military regime launched a state project called the National Alcohol Program, colloquially referred to as Proalcool, aimed at expanding the domestic production of sugarcane ethanol fuel (alcohol). The initiative was introduced in the wake of the international oil crisis in 1973, but even before that, ethanol had been used for decades in blends with gasoline to power automobiles. The purpose of this study is to examine when and how the Brazilian ethanol system originated, and later expanded from 1975 to 1979, as a result of the institution of the National Alcohol Program (Proalcool). The ambition is to discuss this development from a history of technology perspective. The study was conducted as a literature review. Some key findings suggest that the planned expansion of the ethanol system was initially a relief measure for the sugar industry, rather than an effort to reduce Brazils dependency on foreign oil. However, the expansion was later motivated as an energy strategy.


Because reasoning about mechanism is critical to disciplined inquiry in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) domains, this study focuses on ways to support the development of this form of reasoning. This study attends to how mechanistic reasoning is constituted through mathematical description. This study draws upon Smith's (2007) characterization of mathematical description of scientific phenomena as ''bootstrapping,'' where negotiating the relationship between target phenomena and represented relations is fundamental to learning. In addition, the development of mathematical representation presents a viable pathway towards STEM integration. In this study, participants responded to an assessment of mechanistic reasoning while cognitive interviews were conducted to characterize their reasoning about mechanism and mathematical description of the systems of levers represented in the items. Participant item responses were modeled using item response theory and participant talk and gesture were coded according to developed analytic frameworks. Participants were elementary, middle, and high school students as well as college undergraduates, and adults without college education. The results suggest a relationship between participants' tendencies to describe these systems mathematically and their mechanistic reasoning ability. Moreover, there are specific elements of mechanistic reasoning that are more highly associated with mathematical description. In addition, there is a relationship between a participant's propensity to both mathematically describe and mechanistically trace mechanical systems.


Central to the problem of active multi-camera surveillance is the fundamental issue of fairness in the observation of crowds of targets such that no target is "starved" of observation by the cameras for a long time. This paper presents a principled decision-theoretic multi-camera coordination and control (MC2) algorithm called fair-MC2 that can coordinate and control the active cameras to achieve max-min fairness in the observation of crowds of targets moving stochastically. Our fair-MC2 algorithm is novel in demonstrating how (a) the uncertainty in the locations, directions, speeds, and observation times of the targets arising from the stochasticity of their motion can be modeled probabilistically, (b) the notion of fairness in observing targets can be formally realized in the domain of multi-camera surveillance for the first time by exploiting the max-min fairness metric to formalize our surveillance objective, that is, to maximize the expected minimum observation time over all targets while guaranteeing a predefined image resolution of observing them, and (c) a structural assumption in the state transition dynamics of a surveillance environment can be exploited to improve its scalability to linear time in the number of targets to be observed during surveillance. Empirical evaluation through extensive simulations in realistic surveillance environments shows that fair-MC2 outperforms the state-of-the-art and baseline MC2 algorithms. We have also demonstrated the feasibility of deploying our fair-MC2 algorithm on real AXIS 214 PTZ cameras.


Sixty patients with lung cancer, 48 with extensive disease and 12 with regional disease, were treated with cyclophosphamide and methotrexate on a schedule based on cellular kinetics concepts. Initial therapy was with cyclophosphamide (1.1 g/m2 iv) followed by methotrexate (20 mg/m2 orally twice weekly) beginning 9 days later when the tumor was considered to be most susceptible to an S-phase-specific drug. The overall objective response rate was 62% (25% complete responses and 37% partial responses) with an estimated median survival time (MST) of 46 weeks. Seventeen of 19 patients with small cell carcinoma (89%) responded (ten complete responses and seven partial responses). The MST was 62 weeks. The last nine patients entered in the study with small cell carcinoma had an MST of 71 weeks, reflecting additional responses to subsequent treatment. The objective response rate of large cell carcinoma (nine of 16 patients) and adenocarcinoma (ten of 18 patients) was 56%. The MST of patients with the former cell type was longer (57 weeks) than that of patients with the latter cell type (34 weeks). One of seven patients with epidermoid carcinoma responded. The MSTs of patients with a complete response and those with regional disease were 70 and 63 weeks respectively. Patients with a performance status of 0 or 1 survived longer (MST, 56 weeks) than those with a performance status of 2 or 3 (MST, 29 weeks). The mean dose of cyclophosphamide per course was 1.275 g/m2 and the mean nadir leukocyte count per patient was 2890/mm3. The incidence per course of leukocytes less than 1000/mm3 or platelets less than 50,000/mm was less than 3%. Mucositis was common. This schedule provides excellent maintenance therapy without undue toxicity. These survival time distributions compare favorably with those of previous reports, particularly for patients with small cell or large cell carcinoma, regional disease, or complete responses.


According to the Quality Education and Gender Equality ambitions established at the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, we aimed to test the feasibility of a flexible planning and assessment process, using ongoing, bidirectional feedback between planning and assessment. Eighteen players (11.5 ± 0.5 years of age) from a U13 female volleyball team were randomized into an experimental group (in which the plan could be changed daily) or a contrast group (pre-defined planning, adjusted monthly). The pedagogical intervention lasted three months. Besides ongoing daily assessments from the training practices, the Game Performance Assessment Instrument was adopted as a starting point for the weekly assessments in 4 vs. 4 game-forms (i.e., the instrument was modified monthly based on feedback from the training process). Information from daily and weekly formal assessment was used in the planning of the experimental group, and monthly in the contrast group. Data suggested that pre-established and strict planning (even updated monthly) failed to fit current learner needs. Over 12 weeks, the pre-established planning suffered regular modifications in the experimental group, and the assessment tool changed monthly. In conclusion, both planning and assessment should be open and flexible to exchange information mutually, and support the design of tailor-made learning environments.


We may believe SAT does not have small Boolean circuits. But is it possible that some language with small circuits looks indistinguishable from SAT to every polynomial-time bounded adversary? We rule out this possibility. More precisely, assuming SAT does not have small circuits, we show that for every language A with small circuits, there exists a probabilistic polynomial-time algorithm that makes black-box queries to A, and produces, for a given input length, a Boolean formula on which A differs from SAT. A key step for obtaining this result is a new proof of the main result by Gutfreund, Shaltiel, and Ta-Shma reducing average-case hardness to worst-case hardness via uniform adversaries that know the algorithm they fool. The new adversary we construct has the feature of being black-box on the algorithm it fools, so it makes sense in the non-uniform setting as well. Our proof makes use of a refined analysis of the learning algorithm of Bshouty et al


In oases, the surface water resources are becoming increasingly scarce and groundwater resources, which generally have a poor quality due to the high levels of salinity, are often overexploited. Water saving have therefore become imperative for better oases sustainability. If drip irrigation is currently recommended in Morocco for saving water and valuing, its use in the sub-desert areas does not keep water safe from high evaporation rates. An alternative to this system would be the use of subsurface drip irrigation. This technique is defined as an application of water under the soil surface through drippers, which deliver water at rates generally similar to surface drip irrigation. As subsurface drip irrigation is a recently introduced in Morocco, a better understanding of the infiltration process around a buried source, in local conditions, and its impact on plant growth is necessarily required. This study aims to contribute to improving the water use efficiency by testing the performance of subsurface irrigation system, especially in areas where water is a limited source. The objectives of this research are performance evaluation in arid conditions of the subsurface drip irrigation system for young date palms compared to the surface drip. In this context, an experimental test is installed at a farmer's field in the area of Erfoud (Errachidia Province, southeastern Morocco), using the subsurface drip irrigation system in comparison with the classic drip system for young date palms. Flow measurement to calculate the uniformity of the application of water was done through two methods: a flow measurement of drippers above the surface and another one underground. The latter method has also helped us to estimate losses through evaporation for both irrigation techniques. In order to compare the effect of two irrigation modes, plants were identified for each type of irrigation to monitor certain agronomic parameters (cumulative numbers of palms and roots development). Experimentation referred to a distribution uniformity of about 88%; considered acceptable for subsurface drip irrigation while it is around 80% for the surface drip irrigation. The results also show an increase in root development and in the number of palm, as well as a substantial water savings due to lower evaporation losses compared to the classic drip irrigation. The results of this study showed that subsurface drip irrigation is an efficient technique, which allows sustainable irrigation in arid areas. Keywords—Subsurface drip irrigation, Water conservation, Arid areas, Young date palms. Bourziza Rqia (Corresponding author) and Hammani Ali are with Department of Water, Environnement and infrastructure Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Hassan II, 10101 Rabat, Morroco (Phone: +212616130829; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com). Kuper Marcel is with CIRAD, UMR G-EAU, 34398, Montpellier, France. Bouaziz Ahmed is with Departement of Vegetal Production Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Hassan II, 10101 Rabat, Morocco.


ABSTRACT As a new type of heat exchanger, the printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) with high compactness can work under high pressure and high temperature, and can be applied to the very high temperature gas nuclear reactors. The chemical etching technology is one of main processes during PCHE fabrication, which determines whether PCHE flow channels can be properly produced according to design. However, many factors can affect the etching quality and the poor etching process can cause a great deal of uncertainty on the precision of stainless steel flow channels. In this paper, a two-dimensional (2-D) cellular automata model (CA) is used to simulate the etching process on stainless steel to examine the change of channel features varying with time under certain etching rates. Moreover, the simulation results are compared with our previous experimental etching data. On the one hand, from the comparison of the simulation results with channels data by spray etching, 2-D CA model can realize the simulation of etching process and display channel features under different etching rates and lateral erosion rates in every time period. On the other hand, from the comparison of the simulation results with channels data by immersion etching under different FeCl3 concentration and etching liquid temperature, 2-D CA model vividly presents channel features under different factors, which can easily and clearly explain the influence of factors on the etching quality, puddling effect and so on. Therefore, the simulation result strengthens the understanding of the etching mechanism and is helpful to realize an efficient and precise PCHE fabrication.


Abstract Objective To determine if there was an association between prenatal care adherence and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission or stillbirth, and adverse perinatal outcomes in women with preexisting diabetes mellitus (DM) and gestational DM (GDM). Materials and Methods This is a retrospective cohort study among women with DM and GDM at a Diabetes in Pregnancy Program at an academic institution between 2006 and 2014. Adherence with prenatal care was the percentage of prenatal appointments attended divided by those scheduled. Adherence was divided into quartiles, with the first quartile defined as lower adherence and compared with the other quartiles. Results There were 443 women with DM and 499 with GDM. Neonates of women with DM and lower adherence had higher rates of NICU admission or stillbirth (55 vs. 39%; p = 0.003). A multivariable logistic regression showed that the lower adherence group had higher likelihood of NICU admission (adjusted odds ratio: 1.61 [1.03–2.5]; p = 0.035). Those with lower adherence had worse glycemic monitoring and more hospitalizations. Among those with GDM, most outcomes were similar between groups including NICU admission or stillbirth. Conclusion Women with DM with lower adherence had higher rates of NICU admission and worse glycemic control. Most outcomes among women with GDM with lower adherence were similar.


In population-based cancer survival analysis, the net survival is important for government to assess health care programs. For decades, it is observed that the net survival reaches a plateau after long-term follow-up, this is so called ``statistical cure''. Several methods were proposed to address the statistical cure. Besides, the cure time can be used to evaluate the time period of a health care program for a specific patient population, and it also can be helpful for a clinician to explain the prognosis for patients, therefore the cure time is an important health care index. However, those proposed methods assume the cure time to be infinity, thus it is inconvenient to make inference on the cure time. In this dissertation, we define a more general concept of statistical cure via conditional survival. Based on the newly defined statistical cure, the cure time is well defined. We develop cure time model methodologies and show a variety of properties through simulation. In data analysis, cure times are estimated for 22 major cancers in Taiwan, we further use colorectal cancer data as an example to conduct statistical inference via cure time model with covariate sex, age group, and stage. This dissertation provides a methodology to obtain cure time estimate, which can contribute to public health policy making.


The need for energy-awareness in current data centers has encouraged the use of power modeling to estimate their power consumption. However, existing models present noticeable limitations, which make them application-dependent, platform-dependent, inaccurate, or computationally complex. In this paper, we propose a platform-and application-agnostic methodology for full-system power modeling in heterogeneous data centers that overcomes those limitations. It derives a single model per platform, which works with high accuracy for heterogeneous applications with different patterns of resource usage and energy consumption, by systematically selecting a minimum set of resource usage indicators and extracting complex relations among them that capture the impact on energy consumption of all the resources in the system. We demonstrate our methodology by generating power models for heterogeneous platforms with very different power consumption profiles. Our validation experiments with real Cloud applications show that such models provide high accuracy (around 5% of average estimation error).


In this paper we describe QUBIC, an experiment that takes up the challenge posed by the detection of primordial gravitational waves with a novel approach, that combines the sensitivity of state-of-the art bolometric detectors with the systematic effects control typical of interferometers. The so-called "self-calibration" is a technique deeply rooted in the interferometric nature of the instrument and allows us to clean the measured data from instrumental effects. The first module of QUBIC is a dual band instrument (150 GHz and 220 GHz) that will be deployed in Argentina during the Fall 2018.


CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2008 Abstracts

Abstract #51

The role of the addition of MR imaging (MRI) to routine techniques for loco-regional staging of primary breast cancer is unclear. The UK NIHR HTA multicentre COMICE trial considered whether adding an MRI scan to conventional triple assessment (mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy) assisted loco-regional staging and thereby reduced re-operation rates, for patients with primary breast cancer scheduled for wide local excision. The primary endpoint of the COMICE trial considered the proportion of patients undergoing a repeat operation or mastectomy at further surgery within six months of randomisation, or an avoidable mastectomy at initial surgery (re-operation rate). This was compared using logistic regression adjusting for age, breast density, and surgeon. Between December 2001 and January 2007 1625 patients were randomised to receive MRI (817) or not (808). Re-operation rate within six months (primary outcome) was 18.8% (MRI) and 19.3% (no MRI). No significant difference between the arms was detected (odds ratio=0.96, 95% CI=[0.75, 1.24], p=0.7691). Secondary endpoints included quality of life, imaging effectiveness and local recurrence. The results of the COMICE trial indicate no significant benefit in terms of reduction in re-operation rates, by the addition of MRI to conventional triple assessment for this patient group. These results have importance from both health economic and patient burden perspectives. This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme (project number 99/27/05) and will be published in full in an HTA report.The view and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the UK Department of Health.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 51.


This paper discusses ethnographic participant observation research conducted at a community cancer drop-in facility in southern England. This facility is a non-clinical setting with emphasis on the provision of psychosocial support. The aim of the research was to explore why people attend the drop-in and which aspects of the facility are most valued. Data reveal a range of user motivation and coping responses. For a small group of older women using the service, efforts to maintain a congruent and socially useful 'self' were centred on active community participation. The key strategy for maintaining biographical continuity (Bury, 1982) and preserving their status as active citizens, was commitment to a range of volunteering activities that prioritised the value of 'other-centredness', even in the face of deteriorating health. Discussion of daily routines focused on a range of voluntary roles at a local school, citizens' advice centre, a charity shop and a day centre for disabled young people. This 'work' was found to contribute to personal 'wellness' and social inclusion, enhancing quality of life. A sense of duty to 'the other', in the form of committed voluntary work, counteracts personal losses arising from cancer (Auger, 2007) and fosters resilience that increasingly has become part of the cancer narrative (Dein, 2006). The literature documents an enormous diversity of response to cancer from those living with the disease, ranging from resigned stoicism to severe depression; this article highlights voluntarism as an alternative response to a threatened identity from cancer through emphasis on a good life (Woods, 2007).


Meningoencephalitis also known as encephalomeningitis is an inflammation of the brain and its surrounding protective membranes. It resembles both meningitis and encephalitis. Meningoencephalitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoan or as secondary sequel of other inflammations like AIDS. The viral or aseptic meningoencephalitis is mainly caused by enteroviruses, varicella‐zoster viruses, herpes simplex viruses, or measles viruses. Among the various causes of viral meningoencephalitis, herpes meningoencephalitis (HME), caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2, is dreadful. It is a communicable infection spread through droplets, air, water, food, sexual intercourse, or effected mother to child. The symptoms of the disease resemble to common viral infections except few like nuchal rigidity, blurred vision, and purple body rashes. Diagnosis is carried out from body fluids like urine, saliva, blood, or cerebrospinal fluid using laboratory methods, imaging techniques, PCR or enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. The causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatments of HME are discussed detail in this chapter.


Proximate nutrient composition (crude protein,
non-fiber carbohydrates, crude fiber, and ash), fiber fractions (neutral
detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin), and both macro (calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sodium (Na), and
sulfur (S)) and trace (copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo),
and zinc (Zn)) mineral profiles were quantified in mixed pasture samples
collected during the wet (n =
8) and dry (n = 15) seasons in north central Uganda. Metabolizable and Net
Energy values for dairy production were estimated based on standard
calculations, and samples were compared seasonally. Crude fat (p = 0.05) and
lignin (p = 0.01) values were lower in the dry compared with the wet season,
linked with reduced plant growth. Crude protein (13.0% of dry matter (DM)), fiber
fractions, and calculated energy content did not vary seasonally in this data
set, and reflected chemical components of a grass-dominated system that
appeared energetically limiting for production livestock. Mineral constituents
varied more dramatically by season, with Ca, Mg, Cu, and Mn lower (all 0.05) and K higher in the
dry season. Sodium was deficient in these pastures, whereas Ca, P, Mg, S, Cu,
and Zn concentrations may have been only marginally sufficient, particularly to
meet needs for lactation, dependent on season. These limited data suggest that
a high-energy mineral supplement may prove beneficial in meeting nutritional
and production needs of multiple grazing ruminant species in this region,
particularly during dry seasons.


Analysis of accuracy of digital elevation models created from captured data by digital photogrammetry method A digital elevation model (DEM) is an important part of many geoinformatic applications. For the creation of DEM, spatial data collected by geodetic measurements in the field, photogrammetric processing of aerial survey photographs, laser scanning and secondary sources (analogue maps) are used. It is very important from a user's point of view to know the vertical accuracy of a DEM. The article describes the verification of the vertical accuracy of a DEM for the region of Medzibodrožie, which was created using digital photogrammetry for the purposes of water resources management and modeling and resolving flood cases based on geodetic measurements in the field.


Previous work has shown that the neural retina in adult goldfish can regenerate. Following retinal damage elicited by surgical or cytotoxic lesions, missing neurons are replaced by foci of proliferating neuroepithelial cells, which previous studies have suggested are derived from rod precursors. In the intact retina, rod precursors proliferate but produce only new rods. The regenerative responses observed previously have involved replacement of neurons in all retinal layers; selective regeneration of specific neuronal types (except for rod photoreceptors) has not been reported. In the experiments described here, we specifically destroyed either cones alone or cones and rods with an argon laser, and we found that both types of photoreceptors regenerated within a few weeks. The amount of cone regeneration varied in proportion to the degree of rod loss. This is the first demonstration of selective regeneration of a specific class of neuron (i.e., cones) in a region of central nervous tissue where developmental production of that class of neuron has ceased. Selective regeneration may be limited to photoreceptors, however, because when dopaminergic neurons in the inner retina were ablated with intraocular injections of 6-hydroxydopamine, in combination with laser lesions that destroyed photoreceptors, the dopaminergic neurons did not regenerate, but the photoreceptors did. These data support previous studies which showed that substantial cell loss is required to trigger regeneration of inner retinal neurons, including dopaminergic neurons. New observations here bring into question the presumption that rod precursors are the only source of neuronal progenitors during the regenerative response. Finally, a model is presented which suggests a possible mechanism for regulating the phenotypic fate of retinal progenitor cells during retinal regeneration.


We analyze statistically inter-trade durations of four stocks listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2003. We find that these data display the usual stylized facts (seasonality, clustering and excess dispersion) found for similar data of the New York Stock Exchange, but with some differences. We also estimate autoregressive conditional duration models for fitting the durations. We find that, like for comparable data of the NYSE, some models fit in a satistactory way the dynamic properties of the durations, but do not always fit well the conditional distribution of the data.


The total protein content in the blood serum of 416 species and subspecies of vertebrates is determined by the microbiuret method. Generally speaking the total protein content of the serum shows an increase with a higher evolutionary level. The difference between the mammals and the other groups is particularly large. This increase is probably attributable to a number of factors, for instance adaptation to living on land, development of the circulatory system, the development of adaptive immunity and the forming of specific transport proteins. A connection between albumin content and level of development can also be noticed.


Effects of capsaicin on voltage-gated currents were examined in vitro by whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from small neurones of rat trigeminal ganglia either in slice preparations or in different cell cultures. Cells were classified as sensitive to capsaicin if they responded with inward current and/or conductance change to the agent in nanomolar concentration. Capsaicin (150 to 330 nM) in sensitive cells reduced the mixed inward current evoked by depolarizing step or ramp commands in all preparations. In cultured cells, the inward current was depressed to 32.78 +/- 26.42% (n = 27) of the control. Both the tetrodotoxin-sensitive and -resistant inward currents were affected. The data support the concept that capsaicin besides acting on VR-1 receptors inhibits also some voltage gated channels. In 34 cultured cells, capsaicin increased the slope conductance to 170.5 +/- 68%. Percentage of capsaicin sensitive cells observed in nerve growth factor-treated cultured cell populations was higher (77.8%) than in the two other preparations (14.3 or 38.8%). It is concluded that 1) depression of the voltage-gated currents may play an important role in the functional desensitization of the sensory receptors and in the analgesic effect induced by the agent and 2) cell body of sensory neurones under native condition seems less sensitive to capsaicin then that of cells cultured in the presence of nerve growth factor.


Software specifications are the foundation of many software development activities including maintenance, testing, and verification. However, specifications are rarely available for real systems. This dissertation describes a dynamic analysis technique to automatically infer program specifications. We focus on temporal specifications, an important category of specifications that constrain the order of occurrence of events. Our technique generates execution traces of the program by running a set of test cases and then analyzes the properties satisfied by traces using inference techniques and a set of predefined patterns. Our approach makes three contributions over previous work, focusing on enabling effective dynamic inference on large programs under realistic conditions. First, our inference algorithm scales well to large execution traces that have millions of events and thousands of distinct events. Second, our statistical inference algorithm can successfully infer property specifications from imperfect traces collected from buggy programs or using inadequate instrumentation tools. Third, our heuristics can effectively reduce the large number of properties inferred to a manageable set of mostly interesting properties. We implemented our dynamic analysis technique in a prototype tool called Perracotta. To evaluate the usefulness of dynamically inferred temporal properties, we applied Perracotta to aid program understanding, verification, and differencing. Results include inferring a 24-state finite state machine from the JBoss transaction manager that is consistent with the J2EE specification, inferring interesting API rules for the Windows kernel, and detecting a previously unknown deadlock bug in Windows by checking the inferred properties with the ESP verifier.


This study shows how data from very different disciplines can be combined to address questions relevant to contemporary conservation and understanding. This novel, interdisciplinary approach provides new insights into the role of economic factors as a driver of biodiversity loss in the uplands. Biodiversity levels have varied considerably over 400 years, partly as a function of land management, suggesting that establishing baselines or "natural" target levels for biodiversity is likely to be problematic. Changes in livestock grazing pressures brought about by changes in prices had statistically significant effects on estimated plant diversity, as did land abandonment. This suggests that longterm management of upland areas for the conservation of diversity should focus on grazing pressures as a key policy attribute. Another policy implication is that drastic cuts in grazing pressures - such as might occur under current reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy - can have adverse biodiversity con sequences.


Abstract. We reconstruct the pattern of surface accumulation in the region around Dome C, East Antarctica, since the last glacial. We use a set of 18 isochrones spanning all observable depths of the ice column, interpreted from various ice-penetrating radar surveys and a 1-D ice flow model to invert for accumulation rates in the region. The shallowest four isochrones are then used to calculate paleoaccumulation rates between isochrone pairs using a 1-D assumption where horizontal advection is negligible in the time interval of each layer. We observe that the large-scale (100s km) surface accumulation gradient is spatially stable through the last 73 kyr, which reflects current modeled and observed precipitation gradients in the region. We also observe small-scale (10 s km) accumulation variations linked to snow redistribution at the surface, due to changes in its slope and curvature in the prevailing wind direction that remain spatially stationary since the last glacial.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the hearing levels of participants of a randomized group using a smartphone hearing application and to compare these results with the results from a pure-tone audiogram.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A heterogenous group consisting of both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired participants were included in this study. Pure-tone audiogram thresholds were measured from 250 Hz to 8000 Hz, while smartphone measurements were obtained with a Samsung Galaxy GT-19500 S4 with a bundled headphone running the Hearing Test™ software (e-audiologia.pl), which was downloaded from the Google Play Store as a free application. We compared these results with those obtained from pure-tone audiograms performed by an audiologist as a reference.

RESULTS
Validity analysis indicated that the results for each ear and each frequency were excellent (>0.75). We assessed the mean difference between the pure-tone audiogram and the smartphone hearing test results and found the absolute difference to be less than 8.8 dB.

CONCLUSION
Smartphone hearing test applications are providing alternative tests that present low-cost solutions. Using the hearing application test may decrease the demand for audiological services in underserved areas. The study suggests that smartphone hearing test results are comparable to pure-tone audiometry results.


: A prospective study of 45 consecutive patients (27 men, 18 women, mean age 42 [22-64] years) who had undergone allogeneic renal transplantation was carried out to ascertain whether rejection of the graft can be detected by routine follow up with colour-coded Doppler ultrasonography even in the presence of acute renal failure requiring dialysis. Conventional diagnostic methods detected 44 episodes of rejection in 33 patients: 26 of these arose in 18 patients with acute renal failure requiring dialysis and 18 in 15 patients who did not require dialysis. Colour-coded Doppler ultrasonography was used to determine the "pulsatility index" (PI) at intervals of 3 to 6 days. 17 of the 18 episodes of rejection occurring in transplant patients with stable serum creatinine levels (3.41 +/- 1.48 mg/dl) were detected by colour-coded Doppler ultrasonography 3.8 +/- 5.6 days earlier than by conventional diagnostic methods, the indicator being the rise in PI (sensitivity 93.8%). 25 of the 26 rejection reactions which arose in patients with oligo-anuria due to post-operative renal failure were detected 2.0 +/- 2.7 days earlier (sensitivity 96%). The rise in PI was greater in episodes of vascular rejection than in purely interstitial rejection episodes (40.9 +/- 73.9% versus 10.0 +/- 8.8% per day). Colour-coded Doppler ultrasonography ia a new, highly sensitive, noninvasive method for the early detection of rejection reactions after renal transplantation. Acute postischaemic renal failure does not reduce its sensitivity.


We calculate the gluon structure function of a color dipole in near-light-cone SU(2) lattice QCD as a function of x{sub B}. The quark and antiquark are external nondynamical degrees of freedom which act as sources of the gluon string configuration defining the dipole. We compute the color dipole matrix element of transversal chromo-electric and chromo-magnetic field operators separated along a direction close to the light cone, the Fourier transform of which is the gluon structure function. As vacuum state in the pure glue sector, we use a variational ground state of the near-light-cone Hamiltonian. We derive a recursion relation for the gluon structure function on the lattice similar to the perturbative Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi equation. It depends on the number of transversal links assembling the Schwinger string of the dipole. Fixing the mean momentum fraction of the gluons to the 'experimental value' in a proton, we compare our gluon structure function for a dipole state with four links with the next-to-leading-order MRST 2002 and the CTEQ AB-0 parametrizations at Q{sup 2}=1.5 GeV{sup 2}. Within the systematic uncertainty we find rather good agreement. We also discuss the low x{sub B} behavior of the gluon structure function in our model calculation.


ABSTRACT To be able to design indoor wayfinding systems that adhere better to the needs of the users, user perception on complexity needs to be examined and linked to user characteristics and decision point characteristics. To identify how these characteristics influence perception, an online survey is executed in which participants had to indicate how complex they found a decision point, while interpreting a route instruction. The results show that complexity ratings depend both on user characteristics and on the function of the decision point. Decision points to change levels, start or end a route and to take turns each received significantly different complexity ratings. Isovist and visibility graph analysis characteristics of these decision points show that the first two actions were perceived as more complex when they took place in a narrow hallway, while the third action was perceived as more complex in a convex space. The results of this study can be used in the design of an adaptive wayfinding system that adapts the route instructions to the perceived decision point complexity. This adaptation will adhere better to the needs of the users compared to an adaptation based on solely theoretical complexity.


castle (17 male, 13 female; five aged 0-4, 12 aged 5-9, 12 aged 10-14, and one aged 22). Parts of the body commonly injured were the foot, ankle, or toe (10 cases) and the arm, elbow, wrist, or hand (eight cases). Most injuries were minor bruising, cuts, or swelling (20 cases), but there were six fractures and three sprains or strains. Two children required admission for fractures to the arm or elbow. The locations of the bouncy castles varied: six were at fairgrounds and five at indoor sports centres. Seventy five people were injured on the castle itself (31 male, 44 female; eight aged 0-4, 33 aged 5-9, 27 aged 10-14, and seven adults). Thirty two fell over and 14 were struck by another child, usually after the patient had fallen over. The arm, elbow, wrist, or hand (27 cases), the face and neck (nine cases), and the ankle or foot (15 cases) were commonly injured. Fifty injuries were minor, with nine fractures, 10 sprains and strains, and two dislocations. Fairgrounds (10 cases) were the most common site for the castle. The youngest child injured was 2 and the oldest adult 41. Only one adult was not actually playing on the castle at the time of injury. The severity of injuries resulting from people falling off bouncy castles could be reduced by surrounding the castles with impact absorbing matting. The frequency of other injuries could be reduced by controlling the number of children playing on the castle at any time. Adults were injured by doing somersaults, diving over the castles, and throwing one another around; they should contain their exuberance when playing on these castles.


We present an interactive system for synthesizing urban layouts by example. Our method simultaneously performs both a structure-based synthesis and an image-based synthesis to generate a complete urban layout with a plausible street network and with aerial-view imagery. Our approach uses the structure and image data of real-world urban areas and a synthesis algorithm to provide several high-level operations to easily and interactively generate complex layouts by example. The user can create new urban layouts by a sequence of operations such as join, expand, and blend without being concerned about low-level structural details. Further, the ability to blend example urban layout fragments provides a powerful way to generate new synthetic content. We demonstrate our system by creating urban layouts using example fragments from several real-world cities, each ranging from hundreds to thousands of city blocks and parcels.


This study investigates how enhancing gender inclusion affects inequality in 42 African countries for the period 2004-2014. The empirical evidence is based on the Generalized Method of Moments. Three inequality indicators are used, namely, the: Gini coefficient, Atkinson index, and Palma ratio. The two gender inclusion measurements used include female labour force participation and female employment. The following main findings are established. There are positive net effects on inequality from the enhancement of gender inclusion dynamics. An extended threshold analysis is used to assess critical masses at which further increasing gender inclusion enhances inequality. The established thresholds are: (i) 55.555 "employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%)"for the nexus with the Gini coefficient. (ii) 50 "labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+)" and between 50 to 55 "employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%)", for the Atkinson index. (iii) 61.87 "labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+)" for the Palma ratio.These established thresholds are worthwhile for sustainable development because, beyond the critical masses, policy makers should complement the gender inclusion policy with other measures designed to reduce income inequality. Some complementary measures that can be taken on board beyond the established thresholds could focus on enhancing, inter alia: information and communication technology, infrastructural development; financial inclusion and inclusive education. JEL Classification: G20; I10; I32; O40; O55


Cable systems differ from conventional structures for their lightness and versatility of shapes. Being able to operate only through axial forces, stress state and structural form are closely related. It follows that the geometric configuration must be determined by specific techniques that provide both the form and the associated stress state. This process is called form finding. Without external loads, for a satisfactory geometry, there are infinitely sets of pretension forces which could lead the same balanced configuration. The different sets have however different structural stiffness, which depends on the adopted prestress levels. For practical purposes, the only form finding phase is therefore not sufficient, but the introduction of additional design criteria, such as structural performance in terms of rigidity and deformability, are needed. This leads to introduce new variables, like the stress intensity and the actual section of the cables that, in addition, must match those of commercial profiles. In this paper, a method for the definition of the optimal configuration of structural cable systems is presented. This goal is achieved by a genetic algorithm formulated in mixed representation (real and binary encoding) and specialized to optimal design of cable structures.


Rigid-Flexible Printed Circuit Boards (RFPCB) has the advantages of providing not only the flexibility and bendability required by many electronic products, but also the reliability required by the key electronic components. In this study, based on one kind of RFPCB which would be used for a wearable device prototype, the structure optimization was performed by simulations. Through the structural analysis, it is found that there are some risk places for potential failures, such as the corners of the connecting part of the RFPCB. Normally, the stress concentrations would locate on these places if the circuit boards encounter the bending, twisting or tension conditions during the assembly process or usages. Hence the three load conditions are simultaneously considered in the optimization. To reduce the stress concentration in the corners of connecting part, the structure of the FPC cross section were optimized. The various optimization proposals are presented firstly. Then the simulations were executed. At last, by comparing the maximum Von Mises stress of different simulation cases, the optimized structure was attained. Appending substrate layers on top and bottom layer of FPC and setting air gap between the appending substrate and FPC is suggested using tension and twisting cases. The original design is better used under the loading condition of bending.


In this work the microstructural evolution of an A360 alloy reinforced with 10vol.% SiC particulate is described. During the material solidification, mechanical vibration, in the range of 0-41 times the gravity acceleration, g, has been applied to a steel die. It has been observed that vibrations can promote a quite homogeneous SiC dispersion on macroscopic scale. On the other hand, by using too high vibrations' intensity, segregation phenomena have been pointed out in the castings. Furthermore, it has been evidenced that the reinforcement distribution is influenced by mechanical entrapment of the particles at grain boundaries and in the interdendritic channel. The metallographic analysis has emphasized a finer microstructure with increasing vibrations' intensity. By comparing simulated and experimental temperature curves of the mould in the different cases, different HTC made the best fit. By increasing the vibrations' intensity, the HTC increases in the temperature range of solidification of the composite.


This report, which updates and extends the findings of an earlier CIMMYT study published in 1994, documents the impacts of international maize breeding research in the developing world. Covering the period 1966-98, the report reviews public and private investment in maize breeding research, describes the products of public and private maize breeding programs, estimates farm level adoption of modern varieties (MVs), and estimates the gross value of additional grain production attributable to international breeding efforts. Although private companies have greatly increased their investment in maize breeding research in recent years, public maize breeding programs still play an important role, especially in breeding for subsistence-oriented farmers. Seed sales data show that the maize seed industry in many developing countries has effectively been privatized and that hybrid seed sales now dominate sales of all other seed types. The area planted to MVs continues to expand at an impressive rate. Maize MVs are currently grown on at least 58.8 million ha in developing countries, including at least 21.2 million ha planted to MVs that contain CIMMYT germplasm. The gross value of additional grain production attributable to the adoption of maize MVs in developing countries is estimated to range from US$ 3.7 million to US$ 11.1 billion per year. Analysis of varietal pedigrees shows that breeders in both the public and private sectors have made extensive use of CIMMYT germplasm. Over 54% of publicly bred MVs released in the developing world since 1966 have contained CIMMYT germplasm. The pedigrees of many privately bred cultivars are confidential, but CIMMYT germplasm was present in 58% of MVs developed by private breeding programs being sold in the late 1990s for which pedigree information is available. The gross benefits attributable to CIMMYT's maize breeding program are estimated to range from US$ 167 million to US$ 1.5 billion per year.


XL860 Clean room-Compatible FIB/SEM Workstation for Rapid-Response Defect Characterization FEI Company introduced ttie ali-new DualBeamTM XL860 FIB/SEM Workstation, a completely cleanroomcompalible member of FEI's XL800 family of advanced defect review, analysis, and characterization tools. The new FEB/SEM workstation features robotic sample handling and active environment compensation, combined with extremely high resolution SEM imaging and rapid, precise FIB milling. It is specifically designed for process evaluation, yield management, and failure analysis, supporting design rules in 0.18 microns and beyond. The software automatically handles the complex interrelationships between SEM and FIB operation, allowing (he operator to concentrate on analysis of the results Reader Inquiry #40


This paper reports on the development of a new artificial neural network-based virtual fault detector (VFD) for detection and identification of faults in DAS-connected Wheatstone bridge-oriented transducers of a computer-based measurement system. Experimental results show that the implemented VFD is convenient for fusing intelligence into such systems in a user-interactive manner. The performance of the proposed VFD is examined experimentally to detect seven frequently occurring faults automatically in such transducers. The presented technique used an artificial neural network-based two-class pattern classification network with hard-limit perceptrons to fulfill the function of an efficient residual generator component of the proposed VFD. The proposed soft residual generator detects and identifies various transducer faults in collaboration with a virtual instrument software-based inbuilt algorithm. An example application is also presented to demonstrate the use of implemented VFD practically for detecting and diagnosing faults in a pressure transducer having semiconductor strain gauges connected in a Wheatstone bridge configuration. The results obtained in the example application with this strategy are promising.


The anisotropic superfluidity in a weakly interacting two‐dimensional Bose gas of photons in a dye‐filled optical microcavity is investigated, taking into account the dependence of the photon effective mass on the in‐plane coordinate. With the use of the generalized Gross–Pitaevskii equation and the Bogoliubov approach, it is shown that the modulation of the microcavity width leads to an effective periodic potential and the periodicity of the condensate wave function, and both the condensate energy and the spectrum of elementary excitations depend on the direction of motion. The anisotropic character of the dynamical and superfluid properties, such as helicity modulus, superfluid density, and sound velocity, as well as experimentally observable manifestations of their anisotropy are described.


ABSTRACT Type B leukemogenic virus is a variant of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) that causes thymic lymphomas rather than mammary tumors in mice. We demonstrate that conversion of a mammotropic MMTV to a T-cell-tropic virus requires two alterations in the long terminal repeat: (i) acquisition of a T-cell-specific enhancer and (ii) loss of transcriptional repression through deletion of negative regulatory elements (NREs) or by suppression of NRE activity after appropriate positioning of the enhancer.


If vertical interconnections could be fabricated at low cost, it would bring about many advantages, such as miniaturization and lower a height of the package. Our through-chip via (TCV) technology to fabricate vertical interconnections consists of a first via drilling by laser ablation (silicon drilling), followed by dielectric film lamination, a second via drilling by laser ablation (dielectric film drilling) and pattern plating of Cu. Our technology, being based on the printed-circuit-board fabrication process, has no need for expensive wafer fabrication techniques such as RIE, CVD and CMP. Thus, it enables the realization of the fabrication of through-chip vertical interconnections at low cost. In this paper, we describe the details of our process and its application in the fabrication of CMOS image sensor


The analgesic paracetamol/acetaminophen (N-acetyl-4-aminophenol, APAP) is commonly used to relieve pain, fever and malaise. While sales have increased worldwide, a growing body of experimental and epidemiological evidence has suggested APAP as a possible risk factor for various health disorders in humans. To perform internal exposure-based risk assessment, the use of accurate and optimized biomonitoring methods is critical. However, retrospectively assessing pharmaceutical use of APAP in humans is challenging because of its short half-life. The objective of this study was to address the key issue of potential underestimation of APAP use using current standard analytical methods based on urinary analyses of free APAP and its phase II conjugates. The question we address is whether investigating additional metabolites than direct phase II conjugates could improve the monitoring of APAP. Using non-targeted analyses based on high-resolution mass spectrometry, we identified, in a controlled longitudinal exposure study with male volunteers, overlooked APAP metabolites with delayed formation and excretion rates. We postulate that these metabolites are formed via the thiomethyl shunt after the enterohepatic circulation as already observed in rodents. Importantly, these conjugated thiomethyl metabolites were (i) of comparable diagnostic sensitivity as the free APAP and its phase II conjugates detected by current methods; (ii) had delayed peak levels in blood and urine compared to other APAP metabolites and therefore potentially extend the window of exposure assessment; and (iii) provide relevant information regarding metabolic pathways of interest from a toxicological point of view. Including these metabolites in future APAP biomonitoring methods therefore provides an option to decrease potential underestimation of APAP use. Moreover, our data challenge the notion that the standard methods in biomonitoring based exclusively on the parent compound and its phase II metabolites are adequate for human biomonitoring of a non-persistent chemical such as APAP.


Reflective tomography is an efficient method for optical imaging in the visible and near infrared ranges. It computes empirical reconstructions based on algorithms from X-ray tomography. This subject introduces mathematical gaps to be filled, about the meaning of the reconstructions, and about their artifacts. To tackle these questions, we study more generally the filtered backprojection on projections outside the range of the Radon transform. We consider generic projections that can involve any kind of physical and geometric parameters. We claim that the backprojection contains partially the geometry of the original scene. More precisely, we compare the singularities of the backprojection with the singularities of a representation of the scene. This comparison of wavefront sets, inspired by studies of the artifacts in X-ray tomography, is based on microlocal analysis. It gives a precise meaning to the well-reconstructed geometry, describes the invisible parts, and the artifacts. We illustrate the heuristic and the analysis principle on canonical cases that belong to various fields: shape from silhouettes, constructible tomography, cloaking, reconstruction from cartoon images, imaging of occluded lambertian objects. Numerical results show the relevance of the heuristic and its analysis. In a word, this study provides a mathematical framework that covers the solver of reflective tomography, and exhibits an imaging method whose range of application is wide.


Objective: To report the clinical events leading to alteration of an anticoagulation regimen for patients undergoing transcatheter closure of an atrial shunt and how this affected migraine symptoms after the closure procedure. Method: Audit of a change of anticoagulant regimen. Results: In the first few weeks after a closure procedure migraine frequency and severity increased despite treatment with aspirin for six months in 71 patients. Severe attacks of migraine with aura, including status migrainosus, in the first few weeks after transcatheter closure were terminated by addition of clopidogrel to aspirin treatment. Therefore, the anticoagulant regimen was changed with addition of clopidogrel for the first month after the closure procedure (90 procedures in 89 patients). Fewer patients had migraine with aura in the first month after transcatheter closure when taking the combination of clopidogrel and aspirin compared with aspirin alone (11 of 90 (12.2%) v 30 of 71 (42.3%), p < 0.001). Episodes of migraine with aura were more severe and more frequent in patients taking aspirin alone. Conclusion: The combination of clopidogrel for four weeks and aspirin for six months is superior to aspirin alone for six months for preventing migraine with aura after transcatheter closure of an atrial shunt. This beneficial effect of a powerful inhibitor of platelet aggregation suggests that platelets may have a role in pathogenesis of migraine. This may be because of an effect on serotonin stores. Whether clopidogrel has a role in treatment of migraine in other clinical situations requires investigation.


In this research, it is aimed to reveal the opinions and observations of social studies teacher candidate about the courses they have taken during their 4-year university education. The focus group interview was used as the data collecting tool, and the content analyses were performed on the data obtained. The criterion sampling approach was used for selecting the participants, and being in the senior year and having a grade-point average of 3 or above were accepted as the criteria. 15 teacher candidates participated in the research and the data were collected in 2013. The researcher's observations and determinations were mentioned as well as the participants' views. According to the findings obtained, it is seen that social studies teacher candidates did not develop a positive attitude towards the 4-year education they have received in the social studies teaching undergraduate program in general. The participants reported that the following factors were important for the formation of this negative attitude and view: the fact that they were not informed sufficiently about the aims of the courses, the hesitation whether the information they acquired at the courses in the professional life, and the fact that the courses they take were not associated adequately with the concept of social studies and today. The participants stated that the instructors did not use enough materials and give the due importance to the courses. From the researcher's point of view, the following observations are among the important results of the research: the teacher candidates do not attend the social studies education due to the system, they explain the problems they experience with external reasons, they do not make enough efforts to improve themselves professionally, the university does not provide healthy opportunities for this improvement, and therefore, these affect the teaching education of social studies teacher candidates negatively.


Non-perturbative measurements of low-intensity charged particle beams are particularly challenging to beam diagnostics due to the low amplitude of the induced electromagnetic fields. In the low-energy antiproton decelerator (AD) and the future extra low energy antiproton rings at CERN, an absolute measurement of the beam intensity is essential to monitor the operation efficiency. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) based cryogenic current comparators (CCC) have been used for measuring slow charged beams in the nA range, showing a very good current resolution. But these were unable to measure fast bunched beams, due to the slew-rate limitation of SQUID devices and presented a strong susceptibility to external perturbations. Here, we present a CCC system developed for the AD machine, which was optimised in terms of its current resolution, system stability, ability to cope with short bunched beams, and immunity to mechanical vibrations. This paper presents the monitor design and the first results from measurements with a low energy antiproton beam obtained in the AD in 2015. These are the first CCC beam current measurements ever performed in a synchrotron machine with both coasting and short bunched beams. It is shown that the system is able to stably measure the AD beam throughout the entire cycle, with a current resolution of 30 nA .


Abstract Background Political parties in Turkey execute political public meetings (PPMs) during their election campaign for members of the parliament (MoP). A great number of people attend these meetings. No guidelines exist regarding preparation and organization of health care services provided during these meetings. Furthermore, there is no study evaluating health care problems encountered in previous PPMs. Objective Political parties arranged PPMs in 2015 during the election campaign for general election of MoP. The present study aimed to investigate the context of health care services, the distribution of assigned health staff, as well as the number and the symptoms of patients admitted in health care tents in these PPMs. Methods Two general elections for MoP were done in Turkey on June 7, 2015 and November 1, 2015. Health care services were provided by the City Emergency Medical Services Department (CEMSD) in the cities. Demographic characteristics, symptoms, comorbid conditions, treatment, discharge, and hospital transfer of the patients were obtained from patient medical registration records. Information about the distribution and the number of the assigned staff was received from local CEMSDs. The impact of variables such as the number of attendees, heat index, humidity, and the day of the week on the number of patients and the patient presentation rate (PPR) were analyzed. Results A total of 97 PPMs were analyzed. The number of total attendees was 5,265,450 people. The number of patients seeking medical help was 1,991. The PPR was 0.5 (0.23-0.91) patients per 1,000 attendees. Mean age of the patients was 40 (SD=19) years old while 1,174 (58.9%) of the patients were female. A total of 1,579 patients were treated in the tents and returned to the PPM following treatment. Two-hundred and three patients were transferred to a hospital by ambulance. Transfer-to-hospital ratio (TTHR) was 0.05 (0.0-0.13) patients per 1,000 attendees. None of the patients suffered sudden cardiac death (SCD) or cardiac arrest. Medical conditions were the main cause for admission. The most common symptoms were dizziness, low blood pressure, fatigue, and hypertension, respectively. The most commonly used medical agents included pain killers and myorelaxants. The number of attendees, heat index, and weekend days were positively correlated with the number of the patients. Conclusion : The majority of medical conditions encountered in PPMs are easily treatable in health care tents settled in the meeting area. The number of attendees, heat index, and weekend days are factors associated with the number of patients. CeyhanMA, DemirGG, GülerGB. Evaluation of health care services provided in political public meetings in Turkey: a forgotten detail in politics. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(6):607–613.


Tooth resorption results from injuries to or irritation of the periodontal ligament and/or pulp. It may arise as a sequalae of traumatic luxation injuries, orthodontic tooth movement, or chronic infections of the pulp or periodontal structures. In extensive traumatic injuries, healing does not take place by the adjacent vital cells and the bone can establish a contact with the root surface, making the tooth an essential part of the bone remodelling system. This phenomenon is termed as dento-alveolar ankylosis. Resorption can occur without any further stimulation and this activity involves osteoclastic resorption dependent on parathyroid-hormone-generated resorption and bacterial invasion. Such teeth elicit a high metallic sound on percussion; on continuous resorptive attacks, the teeth become infra-occluded. Successful management of resorption cannot always be a predicted. However, an experimental approach to manage the initial stage of inflammatory response is to decrease the formation of clastic cells, and to induce repair of damaged root surfaces by cementoblasts. The purpose of this case report wass to review this entity, to discuss factors that influence the occurrence of resorption, and to describe appropriate treatment. A case of external replacement resorption is presented, illustrating previous root canal therapy. After a meticulous diagnosis, a stringent treatment plan was executed. A nonsurgical endodontic therapy was performed with the use of calcium hydroxide as an intracanal medicament. 2% chlorhexidine was used as a final irrigant. A 3-months followup radiograph revealed adequate control of replacement resorption and the tooth was obturated. Subsequent followup showed a perceptible halt in the dento-alveolar ankylosis.


This Master Thesis documents the development of an On Board Diagnosis (OBD-II) interface for remote diagnosis of vehicles. The Master Thesis is part of a project at the company Wayfinder Systems in Lund. The purpose of this thesis was to design a scantool that communicates with a vehicle through its OBD-II port using relevant standards. In order to make the OBD-II interface development easier, a car simulator was first built. Both the car simulator and the OBD-II interface were implemented using a linux computer running a C-program with serial communication with an external electrical interface. When the OBD-II interface was working satisfactory, tests were also made in a car – with good results. The most difficult thing in the project was to meet the timing requirements in the standard specifications. To be able to communicate with all cars that have an OBD-II port, further development of the OBD-II interface is required, because the OBD-II interface does not use all standards.


This paper describes a formal framework for reliability assessment of component-based systems with respect to specific missions. A mission comprises of different timed mission stages, with each stage requiring a number of highlevel functions. The work presented here describes a modeling language to capture the functional decomposition and missions of a system. The components and their alternatives are mapped to basic functions which are used to implement the system-level functions. Our contribution is the extraction of mission-specific reliability block diagram from these high-level models of component assemblies. This is then used to compute the mission reliability using reliability information of components. This framework can be used for real-time monitoring of system performance where reliability of the mission is computed over time as the mission is in progress. Other quantities of interest such as mission feasibility, function availability can also be computed using this framework. Mission feasibility answers the question whether the mission can be accomplished given the current state of components in the system and function availability provides information if the function is available in the future given the current state of the system. The software used in this framework includes Generic Modeling Environment (GME) and Python. GME is used for modeling the system and Python for reliability computations. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using a radio-controlled (RC) car in carrying out a simple surveillance mission.


The last twenty years have seen an unprecedented growth in the number of new sports facilities for professional sports teams. This incidence has been matched by an equally extraordinary trend of state and local governments providing public financing to help build such facilities. This article analyzes this burgeoning area of urban economic redevelopment and attempts to answer the controversial question of whether the public financing of new sports facilities is economically justifiable. The article dissects the real estate and financial deals between state and local governments and the professional sports teams and developers, and critiques the alleged benefits that advocates say redound to the governments that invest in such buildings. The article also contextualizes the decisions of state and local governments in helping to finance the construction of new sports facilities through larger economic development theories. The article provides a case study of the Los Angeles Staples Center, one of the more successful and economically justifiable publicly financed new sports facilities. Through this analysis, the article concludes that publicly financed sports facilities are rarely justifiable for governments, but that in certain, limited circumstances - like that of the Los Angeles Staples Center - such deals can be crafted in a manner to justify, to some degree, the public investment in a new sports facility.


The genetic improvement of rubber tree using traditional sexual hybridization is a time consuming and laborious task. Somatic hybridization through protoplast fusion is an alternative approach to improve rubber tree, for somatic hybrids had been obtained successfully in many other plant species, and protoplast regeneration systems for several rubber clones had been already established. An attempt was made to perform asymmetric protoplast fusion between two Hevea clones, PR 107 and Reyan 8-79,by using poly ethylene glycol (PEG). Protoplasts derived from embryogenics uspension cells of PR107 were used as donor protoplasts and treated with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (380 μW/cm 2 ) for 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 s. Protoplasts derived from embryogenic suspension cells of R eyan 8-79 were used as recipient ones and treated withiodoacetamide (IOA) at concentrations of 1, 2, 3 and 4 mM for 15 min. PEG at 10, 20, 30 and 40% (w/v) were respectively tested to obtain a higher frequency of binary fusion. Results showed that the cell division of donor protoplasts was largely inhibited by UV irradiation for more than 90 s, and that the cell division frequency of recipientprotoplasts was decreased to less than 5% by 3 mM IOA. A maximal binary fusion frequency (about 20%) was obtained when the concentration of PEG was 30%. The donor protoplasts exposed to UVfor 90 s and 120 s were respectively fusedwith the 3 mM IOA-treated recipient protoplastsby using 30% PEG to produce somatic hybrid cells. The fusion products obtained were then transferred onto feeder layer culture.Visible cell colonies from these two fusion combinations were produced 28 and 35 d after feeder layer culture, and their formation frequencies were 146 ± 12 and 23 ± 5 per 10 5 protoplasts, respectively. They were transferred onto callus inducing medium for multiplication culture for one month, and then transferred onto differentiation medium for somatic embryogenesis. A total of 112 somatic embryos were produced from the cell colonies, but they failed to germinate as they turned brown or vitrified during their further culture. Key w ords: Hevea brisiliensis , embryogenic cell suspensions , protoplast fusion , feeder layer culture , somatic embryogenesis, callus, rubber


The aim of facial expression recognition (FER) algorithms is to extract discriminative features of a face. However, discriminative features for FER can only be obtained from the informative regions of a face. Also, each of the facial subregions have different impacts on different facial expressions. Local binary pattern (LBP) based FER techniques extract texture features from all the regions of a face, and subsequently the features are stacked sequentially. This process generates the correlated features among different expressions, and hence affects the accuracy. This research moves toward addressing these issues. The authors' approach entails extracting discriminative features from the informative regions of a face. In this view, they propose an informative region extraction model, which models the importance of facial regions based on the projection of the expressive face images onto the neural face images. However, in practical scenarios, neutral images may not be available, and therefore the authors propose to estimate a common reference image using Procrustes analysis. Subsequently, weighted-projection-based LBP feature is derived from the informative regions of the face and their associated weights. This feature extraction method reduces miss-classification among different classes of expressions. Experimental results on standard datasets show the efficacy of the proposed method.


Petrological, structural, and thermochronological analyses have been focused on the Mylonitic Metamorphic Vellave Zone (MMVZ), which wraps around the southern edge of the Velay metamorphic core complex dome. Mineral-stretching lineations in the Sil-Bt zone are everywhere perpendicular to the dome edge, the strong mylonitic foliation displays top-to-the south normal shearing, and preferential quartz orientations show high-temperature prismatic  deformation interpreted as pure shear patterns. The Sil-Bt zone reflects the dome dynamics during its forced emplacement and uplift. From the contact aureole of the Borne monzogranite, through greenschist facies, and until the And-Crd-Bt zone of the MMVZ, the series are affected by constant syn-metamorphic top-to-the-northeast shearing, acting since at least 320 Ma and reflecting upper crust tectonics during doming: the detachment system. A constriction-dominated deformation regime characterizes the And-Crd-Bt zone, together with the fact that thermochronometers (micas Ar/Ar, U-Th/Pb monazite) are set at 310 Ma, reflecting fast cooling and uplift high in the crust, consequently, the MMVZ is a mylonite that represents the interaction of dome dynamics and the tectonic environment of the upper crust. The Velay dome was forcibly emplaced in the country rocks, and has intruded its own detachment, showing the relationship between the detachment and the dynamic of the dome on its southern edge.


The purpose of the present study was to characterize the microRNA transcriptome (miRNAome) of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV or HHV5). We used deep sequencing and real time PCR (qPCR) together with bioinformatics to analyze the pattern of small RNA expression in cells infected with low-passage isolates of HCMV as well as in plasma and amniotic fluid. We report here on the discovery of four new precursors and ten new miRNAs as well as eleven microRNA-offset-RNAs (moRs) that are all encoded by HCMV. About eighty percent of the total HCMV reads were perfectly mapped to HCMV miRNAs, strongly suggestive of their important biological role that in large remains still to be defined and characterized. Taken altogether, the results of this study demonstrate the power and usefulness of the combined bioinformatics/biological approach in discovering additional important members of HCMV- encoded small RNAs and can be applied to the study of other viruses as well.


CHAN ET AL.: A Systematic Review on the Role of Diet and Nutritional Supplements for Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases. According to the diet-heart hypothesis, dietary factors play a pivotal role in atherogenesis. Modulation of the diet has therefore been considered a means to achieve better cardiovascular health and a major subject of public health importance. Five major types of diet have been identified: the low-carbohydrate diet, low glycemic index diet, very-low-fat diet, the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Clinical studies have shown that none of these diets are universally efficacious. The results from various clinical trials on the use of diet to prevent cardiovascular diseases are commonly conflicting due to unadjusted caloric intake and concurrent changes in alternative food consumption. Nonetheless, a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables with polyunsaturated fat intake from plant oil and fish, but restricted intake of high glycemic index carbohydrates is generally advisable. The importance of an individualized approach and holistic lifestyle commitments including regular exercise should be emphasized. Currently, there is limited data on nutritional supplements in heart health. Recent clinical trials have shown that vitamins C and E supplement are ineffective, and the use of high dose vitamin B and folate is actually harmful. Physicians should therefore be cautious in advising on and prescribing these supplements. Phytoestrogen represents a recently focused branch of nutritional supplement with potentially cardioprotective implications. Its recommendations should depend upon further randomized controlled trials. (J HK Coll Cardiol 2005;13:68-84)


Automatic modulation recognition is a topic of interest in many fields including signal surveillance, multi-user detection and radio frequency spectrum monitoring. In this paper, we present an algorithm for recognition of different types of continuous phase modulation signals that uses a combination of features extracted through cyclic spectral analysis and an ICA-SVM hybrid recognition system. Simulation results demonstrate the ability of the algorithm to correctly identify modulation types over a wide range of SNR scenarios. The effects of pulse shaping and partial response waveforms are also investigated.


In this paper, we point out weaknesses of Kyosuke Osada et al's protocol. We find that their scheme cannot resist DoS attack and traceability, and does not provide forward security. And then we propose our protocol. Our protocol involves minimal interaction between a tag and a reader and places low computational burden on the tag. The protocol could resist DoS attack, traceability and provide forward security.


In the Colombian Amazon, there has been long‐term and sustained loss of primary forest threatening biodiversity and climate change mitigation. Silvopastoral practices that integrate trees into livestock production could help address both local economic and wider environmental challenges.
We aimed to assess the effects of silvopastoral practices on invertebrate communities on smallholder farms in Caquetá, Colombia. Using sweep nets and malaise trapping, invertebrate communities were compared between traditional pasture, silvopasture and forest edge habitats.
Invertebrate communities collected using sweep nets were contrasting among habitat types, communities were significantly different between traditional pasture and forest edge habitats and diversity and evenness were greatest in forest edges compared to traditional pastures. It appears that silvopasture areas, by supporting similar invertebrate assemblages to both traditional pasture and forest edges, may be acting as an intermediate habitat.
When individual invertebrate orders were compared, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera were found in greater abundance in the forest edge habitats, while Hemiptera were more abundant in traditional pasture. Hemipterans are often pests of forage plants in pasture systems and these differences in abundance may have implications for ecosystem services and disservices.
Silvopastoral approaches cannot replace the unique biodiversity supported by native forests but could deliver benefits for invertebrate conservation and ecosystem services if integrated into landscapes.


This study intended to find out the dynamics of conflicts within the Kuria tribe set up. The objectives of this study were met through enquiries and discussions with the local communities, village leaders, traditional leaders, district government officials and the mining company to air their opinions and experience with regard to conflicts in North Mara Mine. General findings show that, historically, conflicts among the Kuria tribe have been attributed to land which is the most valuable natural resource and family asset. Furthermore, the findings show that even after the coming of mining investor land has continued to be the source of conflicts between the Kuria tribe and the Mining investor (ABG). On the other hand, the local communities involved in this study expressed their lack of trust towards the local and central government on the handling of land compensation issues with the mining investor. It was noted, the local and central government have not been effective in following the Land Act, 1999; and as a consequence the mining company has not fully compensated the Kuria people for the land it acquired. This study recommends that, the Land Act (1999) be reviewed to fit the current situations on the ground. The Land Act (1999) does not provide a deadline for land compensation payments; but rather, it states that compensation should be effected within six month; and if it exceeds six months, then the required payment has to be paid with associated penalties. This Land Act (1999) has been a source of a lot of problems to the local communities, since they feel one day the investor may leave without being paid.


In this paper we report on constructing a finite state automaton comprising automatically extracted terminology and significant collocation patterns from a training corpus of specialist news (Reuters Financial News). The automaton can be used to unambiguously identify sentiment-bearing words that might be able to make or break people, companies, perhaps even governments. The paper presents the emerging face of corpus linguistics where a corpus is used to bootstrap both the terminology and the significant meaning bearing patterns from the corpus. Much of the current content analysis software systems require a human coder to eyeball terms and sentiment words. Such an approach might yield very good quality results on small text collections but when confronted with a 40-50 million word corpus such an approach does not scale, and a large-scale computer-based approach is required. We report on the use of Grid computing technologies and techniques to cope with this analysis.


In the closing years of the nineteenth century, in the midst of a revived national interest in the Kalevala and a neo-Romantic fascination with the fabled epic "song lands" east of the Finnish border, the lexicographer Kustaa Karjalainen recorded a set of epic songs from the illiterate peasant singer Vihtoora Lesonen. Vihtoora was a native of the Vuokkiniemi district of Viena Karelia—one of the most productive regions for the collection of Baltic-Finnic epic song in the nineteenth century. The combined length of Vihtoora's songs amounted to 1483 lines, a substantial repertoire by Karelian standards, although nowhere as long or varied as that collected from some singers in the past. Upon returning home to Finland, however, Karjalainen discovered a terrible truth: in examining the content and phrasing of the songs, it became evident that Vihtoora had somehow learned his repertoire from the Kalevala. Rather than providing a further example of the oral tradition upon which the Kalevala had been based, in other words, Vihtoora's songs furnished evidence of the profound effect of Lonnrot's published epic upon local repertoires and understandings, even in the very heart of the song lands.


Borehole gamma-logging profiles beneath the SX-Tank Farm suggest that contamination from Cs-137 extends to at least a depth of 40 m (130 ft), and may extend even deeper. What is presently not known is the pathway that Cs-137 has taken to reach these depths. In this report we provide an analysis of the chemistry of tank supernates with emphasis on the REDOX waste stream disposed in SX tanks, Cs chemistry in aqueous solutions and adsorption properties onto minerals, available data on Cs adsorption onto Hanford sediments, and information on Cs migration from other Hanford tank leaks that have been studied. The data in this report was used to help guide the vadose zone transport analysis of the SX Tank Farm presented in a companion report. The goal of the vadose zone transport modelling is to attempt to explain the depth and extent of the Cs-137 plume under the SX Tank farm, specifically in the vicinity of the greatest leak, near the SX-109 Tank as inferred from the gamma logs (DOE 1996). In solution Cs is present as the monovalent cation and shows very little tendency to form aqueous complexes with inorganic or organic ligands. Cs is expected to adsorb primarilymore » onto selective minerals that have unique adsorption sites. The small Cs{sup +} ion is accommodated on these frayed edge and interlayer sites. Adsorption within the interlayers often leads to collapse of the layers such that the Cs{sup +} ion is effectively trapped and not readily exchangeable by all other common cations. The degree of adsorption is thus only moderately dependent on the types and high concentrations of other cations in leaking tank liquors.« less


OBJECTIVES
Our goals were to compare the characteristics of patients with and without prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) presenting with acute myocardial infarction (MI) with or without ST elevation/left bundle branch block (LBBB), and to evaluate the effect of ST shift on inhospital mortality.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Using the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction-3 Registry, we identified 112,697 patients with acute MI without exclusion criteria. Of these, 15,936 (14.1%) had prior CABG. Patients with prior CABG had more adverse characteristics and were less likely to have ST elevation/LBBB than patients without prior CABG. The unadjusted mortality for ST elevation/LBBB patients was higher in patients with prior CABG versus without (16.2% vs 14.1%, P =.0001), whereas in patients without ST elevation/LBBB, prior CABG conferred a lower unadjusted mortality versus without (10.1% vs 12.4%, P =.0001). Adjusting for baseline differences, prior CABG was weakly associated with inhospital mortality in ST elevation/LBBB patients (odds ratio [OR], 1.11, 95% CI 1.00-1.23), but not in patients without ST elevation/LBBB (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.92-1.07).

CONCLUSION
Acute MI patients with prior CABG are more likely to present without ST elevation/LBBB than patients without prior CABG. Prior CABG was weakly associated with inhospital mortality in patients with ST elevation/LBBB, but not in patients without these electrocardiographic findings. This suggests the differences in absolute mortality rates between patients presenting with MI with and without a history of prior CABG are largely caused by differences in baseline characteristics and presentation.


This paper presents and comparatively analyzes three case studies of productive development agencies (PDAs) in Brazil: Embrapa, Finep, and ABC Foundation. Following a discussion of the main hypotheses and the methodology employed, the paper describes each case, the related counterfactual and an analysis of each PDA's capabilities. A subsequent section presents a comparative analysis of the PDAs, studying: i) the use of hybrid forms to assemble complementary capabilities: short-run effects on technological policy; ii) the effect of strategic alliances on building capabilities and dynamic effects; and iii) how industry structure and innovation should affect PDAs' strategies. Finally, the paper presents conclusions, summarizing results, methodological shortcomings and policy implications.


it was noted that she had a fetus with marked retrognathia and possible agnathia, as well as mild ventriculomegaly (11mm), hypotelorism and small low set ears. These features were confirmed on a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Amniocentesis was performed, and the microarray showed a normal 46XY genotype. The patient elected to continue with the pregnancy. She developed severe polyhydroamnios requiring amniodrainage. An induction of labour at 33+5 weeks of gestation resulted in vaginal birth of a still born. An external examination/autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of agnathia-otocephaly with mircrostomia. Genetic testing showed a pathogenic variant in the OTX2 gene (c.265C>T, p. Arg89). Prenatal testing of both parents revealed the same variant being present in the mother. This confirmed the fetus had inherited the gene which would have implications for management of future pregnancies as the genetic mutation is usually sporadic. In conclusion, agnathia-otocephaly is extremely rare with a reported incidence of 1 per 70,000 births. The abnormality is thought to occur during the facial development between the fourth and eighth weeks of gestation. The most prominent ultrasound feature is an absent or abnormally small mandible. There are other associated malformations such as hypotelorism and microstomia which can be detected on 2D/3D ultrasound and MRI. This case illustrates the ultrasound and MRI identification of agnathia-otocephaly along with genetic testing allowing counselling and management options for current and future pregnancies.


Olive-mill wastewater (OMW) constitutes a major agricultural waste stream for which disposal is associated with significant environmental repercussions. No data are available on the effects of biotreated OMW and of the protective role of exogenously provided proline on plant physiology. In the present study, OMW was administered, either raw or previously treated by the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus, with or without proline amendment, to lettuce plants growing in sterilized sand. Biotreated OMW and proline addition resulted in significant moderation of OMW adverse effects on plant biomass production and ascorbic acid content, while their synergistic action alleviated the severe negative impact on net photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency and photosynthetic activity (Fv/Fo) invoked by the effluent. Moreover, biotreated OMW supplemented with proline, moderated the decrease in chlorophylls exerted by raw OMW, but it did not contribute at restoring carotenoids content. Restoration of plant transpiration was complete when biotreated OMW was used (with or without proline); proline alone mitigated the negative impact of OMW on photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm and Fv′/Fm′). It seems that key photosynthetic parameters could be exploited as suitable evaluators of wastewater-induced plant toxicity, while plant fertigation with biotreated and/or supplemented OMW could be an interesting prospect in valorizing this effluent.


Two hundred forty-three lichen taxa are reported from the province of Hatay. Of these, 223 species are reported for the first time for the province of Hatay, 74 species are new records for the mediterranean region of Turkey, and 35 species are new records for Turkey. New range diagnoses are provided for these species.