Existing video recognition algorithms always conduct different training pipelines for inputs with different frame numbers, which requires repetitive training operations and multiplying storage costs. If we evaluate the model using other frames which are not used in training, we observe the performance will drop significantly (see Fig. 1), which is summarized as Temporal Frequency Deviation phenomenon. To fix this issue, we propose a general frame-work, named Frame Flexible Network (FFN), which not only enables the model to be evaluated at different frames to adjust its computation, but also reduces the memory costs of storing multiple models significantly. Concretely, FFN integrates several sets of training sequences, involves Multi-Frequency Alignment (MFAL) to learn temporal frequency invariant representations, and leverages Multi-Frequency Adaptation (MFAD) to further strengthen the representation abilities. Comprehensive empirical validations using various architectures and popular benchmarks solidly demonstrate the effectiveness and generalization of FFN (e.g., 7.08/5.15/2.17% performance gain at Frame 4/8/16 on Something-Something V1 dataset over Uniformer). Code is available at https://github.com/BeSpontaneous/FFN.


The conductivity, Hall effect and magnetoresistance quantities in semi-insulating undoped GaAs and Fe-doped GaAs and InP grown by the LEC technique have been measured in the temperature range 300–420 K. It is shown that mixed conductivity is present in all samples. The experimental data were analyzed using a two-band model including electron and hole transport. A good fit has been obtained self-consistently to both conductivity and mobility. The single-band parameters have been extracted from the measured data in the studied temperature range. From ln (|RH, 0| T3/2) and σ vs T−1 plots, activation energies of 0.77 and 0.65 eV have also been observed for GaAs and InP, respectively. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Bulinus truncatus was most numerous from June to August, and echinostome cercariae, present in 19.3% of snails, were the most prevalent of the 4 types of trematode cercariae found. The echinostomes occurred throughout the year, other cercariae only in certain months. Double infections were uncommon. The findings suggest that echinostome cercariae exercise some biological control of Schistosoma haematobium in the area studied.


In this study, eggshell (ES) wastes were used as a renewable reinforcing material in natural rubber (NR) composite to limit carbon production. Long bio-alkyd resin (LAR) was also used to envelope the inorganic ES particles and to aid in dispersing the filler in the NR matrix. The effect of the coated ES filler (ESR) in the rubber mix on the morphology, mechanical properties, and swelling was investigated. The ES filler and its biocomposites were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared imaging microscope (FT-IR-IM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis. The morphological data reveal that the resin enhances the dispersion of the ES filler in the NR matrix. These data were confirmed by the results obtained from FT-IR-IM. The swelling and mechanical properties were significantly improved when the coated filler was used in NR matrix, especially at 20 wt.% ESR. DSC thermograms revealed that the increase in the resin caused the glass transition temperature (Tg) to be shifted to a lower temperature. The obtained results show that the bioenveloping ESR can be used as potential alternative for green tire and vehicle applications rather than conventional petroleum-based filler.


An Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) system has been developed for dynamic three-dimensional imaging of changes in conductivity distribution in the human head, using scalp-mounted electrodes. We attribute these images to changes in cerebral perfusion. At 100 frames per second (fps), voltage measurement is achieved with full-scale signal-to-noise ratio of 105 dB and common-mode rejection ratio > 90 dB. A novel nonlinear method is presented for 3-D imaging of the difference in conductivity distribution in the head, relative to a reference time. The method achieves much reduced modelling error. It successfully localizes conductivity inclusions in experimental and simulation tests, where previous methods fail. For > 50 human volunteers, the rheoencephalography (REG) waveform is observed in EIT voltage measurements for every volunteer, with peak-to-peak amplitudes up to approx. \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{upgreek} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document} }{}$50 ~\mu \text{V}_{{\mathrm {rms}}}$ \end{document}. Images are presented of the change in conductivity distribution during the REG/cardiac cycle, at 50 fps, showing maximum local conductivity change of approx. 1% in grey/white matter. A total of 17 tests were performed during short (typically 5s) carotid artery occlusions on 5 volunteers, monitored by Transcranial Doppler ultrasound. From EIT measurements averaged over complete REG/cardiac cycles, 13 occlusion tests showed consistently decreased conductivity of cerebral regions on the occluded side, and increased conductivity on the opposite side. The maximum local conductivity change during occlusion was approx. 20%. The simplicity of the carotid artery intervention provides a striking validation of the scalp-mounted measurement system in imaging cerebral hemodynamics, and the REG images indicate its unique combination of sensitivity and temporal resolution.


Many critics argue that biofuel production worldwide account for huge losses in energy and materials. Moreover, a large portion of studies around biofuel production are concentrated on stand-alone plants, particularly ethanol production. However, by including by-products and making use of excess energy and material streams, industrial symbiosis methods can be applied to biofuel industries to improve both environmental and economical performance. The following report outlines an approach to apply industrial symbiosis to several biofuel industry actors through synergy development. Synergies were produced during a brainstorming session in order to bring forward innovative and technically feasible ideas toward partnership. From those synergies developed, the report outlines a method to classify synergies and cooperation between biofuel and external industries in order to ease implementation and understanding of possible symbiosis options for industry and academia.


firstname.lastname@example.com Abstract Estimating rates of speciation and extinction, and understanding how and why they vary over evolutionary time, geographical space and species groups, is a key to understanding how ecological and evolutionary processes generate biological diversity. Such inferences will increasingly benefit from phylogenetic approaches given the ever-accelerating rates of genetic sequencing. In the last few years, models designed to understand diversification from phylogenetic data have advanced significantly. Here, I review these approaches and what they have revealed about diversification in the natural world. I focus on key distinctions between different models, and I clarify the conclusions that can be drawn from each model. I identify promising areas for future research. A major challenge ahead is to develop models that more explicitly take into account ecology, in particular the interaction of species with each other and with their environment. This will not only improve our understanding of diversification; it will also present a new perspective to the use of phylogenies in community ecology, the science of interaction networks and conservation biology, and might shift the current focus in ecology on equilibrium biodiversity theories to non-equilibrium theories recognising the crucial role of history.


The Member States show particularly fierce resistance to giving up national sovereignty in favor of a EU-level approach when dealing with failing banks. While the crisis has given some momentum to reforming the nationally based framework for bank resolution, a supranational system represents a longer‐term project even within the euro area. This paper argues that a EU legal and institutional framework for bank resolution must deal with two mutually reinforcing aspects. First, it must distribute the responsibility for dealing with failing banks that operate across borders. Second, the framework must allocate the financial burdens associated with banks' resolution. Instead of first establishing shared responsibility for resolving cross‐border banks before addressing the issue of financing, the Commission seems to take the opposite approach. While the proposed implementation of harmonized structures for resolution financing likely increases the political feasibility of shared responsibility for banks' resolution, the Commission's prioritization is somewhat counter‐intuitive. The paper concludes that the Commission seeks to induce Member State cooperation through the backdoor.


Background Compared to the general United States (U.S.) population, Arizona counties along the U.S.–Mexico border have a higher prevalence of dental caries, which can be reduced with adequate fluoride exposure. Because of concern regarding local tap water quality, fluoride-free bottled water consumption is common in this region, raising concern that families are not receiving adequate fluoride to promote dental health. Objective To evaluate the levels of fluoride in tap and bottled water as well as the use of fluoride supplements in an Arizona border community. Methods Low-income Latino households (n = 90) who report use of bottled water as their primary source of water intake were recruited. Participants completed a questionnaire about their and their children's dental histories and use of fluoride supplements. Water samples (bottled and tap) were collected from a subset of households (n = 30) for analysis of fluoride. Results Fluoride detection levels were significantly greater (p = 0.02, Fisher's exact test) in tap water (average = 0.49 mg/dL) than in bottled water, yet, the majority (22/30) were below the range for optimal dental health (0.7–1.2 mg/L). Concentration of fluoride in the majority (29/30) of bottled water samples was below the quantitative detection limit of 0.4 mg/L. Children were significantly less likely to have dental caries if they received fluoride varnishing treatments (p = 0.01, Fisher's exact test), lived in households that reported using fluoridated mouthwash (p < 0.001, Fisher's exact test), their parents received fluoride education (p = 0.01, Fisher's exact test), and their parents reported visiting a dentist yearly (p < 0.001, Fisher's exact test). Furthermore, none of the participants reported receiving recommendations from health-care providers about fluoride supplementation or variance in content by the type of water consumed. Conclusion Although fluoride was significantly more likely to be detected in tap than bottled water, neither water source in this border community is likely to provide enough fluoride for optimal dental health. Low-income children in this region may benefit from regular access to fluoride varnishing treatments and/or use of fluoridated mouthwash, interventions that could be tested in future well-designed trials.


Paraffin-embedded specimens of brain tumors from 256 patients who had received an intravenous infusion of bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) at the time of craniotomy were analyzed retrospectively by flow cytometry to determine the modal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) population. A single G1 peak was considered to represent a unimodal DNA population; two or more G1 peaks indicated a multimodal population. Most of the pituitary tumors and moderately anaplastic astrocytomas had unimodal DNA populations, whereas a higher percentage of other slow-growing tumors, such as meningiomas, ependymomas, and neurilemmomas, had multimodal populations (46.2%, 50.0%, and 60.0%, respectively). A relatively high percentage of the rapidly growing or highly malignant brain tumors, including highly anaplastic astrocytomas, glioblastomas multiforme, metastatic tumors, and medulloblastomas, also had multimodal populations (52.9%, 48.7%, 57.1%, and 66.7%, respectively). In most tumor groups, however, the percentage of tumors with a multimodal DNA population did not correlate with the BUdR labeling index or with the percentage of BUdR-labeled S-phase cells. Thus, modal DNA analysis by flow cytometry may provide information about the degree of heterogeneity and the biological behavior of individual brain tumors, but the results do not necessarily correlate with the rate of tumor growth or the prognosis in individual patients.


Abstract. Usually aerial imagery are acquired through perspective projection which results in relief displacement in the map. Therefore, orthophotos from large scale aerial images over urban area often suffer from double mappings caused by sudden elevation changes in the scene. In the generation of true orthophotos, one aims at removing these perspective displacements and occlusions. Hence, knowledge of the surface shape is needed, as it has great impacts both on the orthorectification and occlusion identification. Mostly, the relief displacements are caused by buildings. In this paper, we present a method for the generation of true orthophotos from overlapping aerial images of known orientation, especially in built-up areas. Apart from the aerial images, the method does not depend on additional data sources. In particular, we focus on the derivation of building roof outline model using image segmentation and edge detection techniques under the guide of the classification result of point cloud from image matching . Experiment results on real data show the feasibility and the performance of the method.


The clinical assessment of vision by means of optotypes does by no means test just two-point resolution, since a correct naming of the letters or digits requires a preceding visual object recognition. Cortical lesions can massively deteriorate vision up to a "Seelenblindheit" in spite of intact optics and retina. There are different processing levels involved in the analysis which can be individually defective, leading to disorders from visual indiscrimination to agnosia or anomia.


Estimation of the allele frequency at genetic markers is a key ingredient in biological and biomedical research, such as studies of human genetic variation or of the genetic etiology of heritable traits. As genetic data becomes increasingly available, investigators face a dilemma: when should data from other studies and population subgroups be pooled with the primary data? Pooling additional samples will generally reduce the variance of the frequency estimates; however, used inappropriately, pooled estimates can be severely biased due to population stratification. Because of this potential bias, most investigators avoid pooling, even for samples with the same ethnic background and residing on the same continent. Here, we propose an empirical Bayes approach for estimating allele frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms. This procedure adaptively incorporates genotypes from related samples, so that more similar samples have a greater influence on the estimates. In every example we have considered, our estimator achieves a mean squared error (MSE) that is smaller than either pooling or not, and sometimes substantially improves over both extremes. The bias introduced is small, as is shown by a simulation study that is carefully matched to a real data example. Our method is particularly useful when small groups of individuals are genotyped at a large number of markers, a situation we are likely to encounter in a genome-wide association study.


Alcohol has been drunk in human societies for at least ten thousand years, and today has become a common and accepted way to unwind from the pressures of life. But people are also aware that drinking alcohol has its dangers: it impairs our reaction times; it can damage our livers; it can increase the risk of developing certain cancers; and it can be addictive, ruining careers and lives. But there are counter-claims that small regular amounts of alcohol improve health and lengthen life. What is the truth?

Alcohol and Human Health is a multidisciplinary account of the science behind drinking alcohol and its effects on human health. The book first puts the problems into perspective by looking at the global health and accident statistics relating to alcohol drinking. It then goes on to study the basic chemistry of the ethanol molecule, and explains how ethanol is absorbed and metabolised by the body, and how it damages the liver, kidneys and brain. The authors then explore the effects of drinking alcohol on behaviour, motor control and memory, and in the process, discuss the causes of addiction and the possibilities for treatment, using case stories to highlight the effects of excessive drinking. The book concludes by evaluating the evidence for the benefits of moderate drinking.

Alcohol and Human Health is accompanied by a fully interactive DVD, which includes molecular models of key chemical structures featured in the book, together with animations of the alcohol 'journey' through the body illustrating its effects on the liver and at synapses in the nervous system. Also on the DVD are videos illustrating how the effects of alcohol and placebo can be investigated experimentally, and interviews with undergraduates discussing their attitudes to drinking and with recovering alcoholics and staff at Alcoholics Anonymous


A light driven micro-rotor is a useful telecontrolled device free of mechanical contact for power supply. However, low efficiency in converting light to mechanical power detracts from its advantages because it incurs a high power consumption that might result in unwanted effects. For a systematic study on conversion efficiency, we designed a turbine-like micro-rotor and made a quantitative analysis by computational fluid dynamics and semiclassical optics. Much larger in size than those ever reported, our rotor could rotate at over 500 r/min. Denoted by average angular momentum transfer, its conversion efficiency was experimentally determined as high as 34.55 ℏ/photon.


Multicarrier (MC) direct sequence (DS) code division multiple access (CDMA) with differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) modulation and differential detection is proposed. Transmitted data bits are differentially encoded after serial-to-parallel conversion to a number of parallel streams. On each branch, encoded bits are direct sequence spread spectrum (SS) modulated and transmitted using different carriers. The system is analyzed with a differential detector in static Rayleigh fading multipath channel, in fast Rayleigh fading multipath channel and for variable overlapping between carrier spectra in static fading channel. Closed-form expressions are derived for the error probability and evaluated for many cases. The performance is compared to that of a system using phase-shift keying (PSK) with conventional matched filter (CMF) coherent receiver. For static fading channel, the error probability performance of the differential detector is close to that of CMF receiver. For fast fading, the performance degrades slightly with increasing fading rate. Finally; successive carriers of the system are allowed to overlap with various overlapping percentages. The condition of a single path can be achieved by increasing both the number of carriers and the separation between successive carriers. Also, for each number of carriers, there exists an optimum overlapping percentage at which the system performance is optimized. The performance of the proposed DPSK with differential detection system is close to that of PSK with CMF receiver, but the former is simpler to implement.


The objective of this research is to understand how different representations of requirements influence idea generation in terms of quantity, addressment, sketch detail, novelty, and variety of conceptual sketches. Requirements are statements of need, desires, and wishes of the stakeholders that are used by engineers to frame the problem. Essentially, requirements are the raison d'etre for any engineering project. As the requirements document provides constraints and criteria for a design, it defines and determines the success of a project. While there is research studying the effect of requirements on the conceptual sketch, little study has focused one the impact of different requirement representations on solution development. An experimental study was conducted with 52 fourth year mechanical engineering undergraduate students. Two design problems were formulated with three different representations: a problem statement with embedded requirements, a problem statement and a traditional requirement list, and a problem statement with contextualized scrum stories. Each student was provided each design problems with two different representations of requirements. It was found that the use of contextualized scrum story representations significantly affected the conceptual sketch in the novelty of solution fragments and addressment of requirements, while no significant change in variety, sketch detail, and quantity was seen. Also, the contextualized representation positively affected all metrics but the sketch quantity. Finally, it was found that quantity is not directly related to the number of requirements addressed in the sketches.


OBJECTIVE
We tested the hypothesis that phase-delayed circadian rhythms underlie seasonal affective disorder (SAD) by measuring phase position of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion and comparing antidepressant response to morning or evening light given as a first treatment.

DESIGN
Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING
Ambulatory.

PATIENTS
Thirty-two women and seven men with SAD.

INTERVENTION
Light therapy (2500 lux for 1 hour for 1 week) was administered either at 7 AM or 10 PM, preceded by a baseline week and followed by a withdrawal week.

RESULTS
Our SAD patient sample was moderately depressed (Hamilton Depression Scale [HAM-D] score 18); a HAM-D reduction of 50% or more was found in 12 of 18 patients given morning and in 15 of 21 patients given evening light (70% response rate). Response was not dependent on age, gender, stage of the menstrual cycle, time of year, or on the timing or duration of sleep. Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin was measured in 30 patients; 22 had phase-delayed circadian rhythms. However, phase position was correlated neither with depth of depression nor with a preferential response to morning or evening light.

COMMENT
Both morning and evening light therapy improved depressive symptoms in patients with SAD independent of their circadian phase or sleep timing. These findings argue against a circadian phase-delay hypothesis of the pathophysiology of SAD, or the necessity of a phase-advance by morning light for clinical efficacy. They additionally suggest more practicable and flexible schedules for light therapy in SAD, since time of day is not crucial.


A sedimentological-stratigraphic study of the upper Proterozoic Kingston Peak Formation in the southern Panamint Range shows that it was deposited under glacial conditions with contemporaneous volcanism and tectonic activity. Evidence for glaciation rests primarily upon (1) the homogeneity, thickness, and lateral extent of two diamictite units; (2) the facies association of the diamictite; and (3) presence of striated stones and dropstones within the formation elsewhere in the Death Valley area. In the Panamint Range, pillowed basalt interbedded with diamictite demonstrates synchronous subaqueous volcanism. Lower Kingston Peak units rest on a variable substrate and locally overlap faults, indicating tectonism prior to deposition. Tectonism during Kingston Peak deposition is inferred from abrupt thickness changes and buried faults. Sedimentation was chiefly on a submerged continental platform and locally terrestrial, during a period of incipient rifting. Two ice advances are recorded with associated sea-level fluctuations. The formation thickens northward from 40 to about 1,200 m over ∼40 km. Initial sediments were fine grained and in basins a few kilometres across; nearby islands provided coarse debris. Overlying sandstone and conglomerate indicate regression. Predominantly massive diamictite, as much as 450 m thick and interpreted as lodgment till or glacioma-rine sediment, records the first ice advance. A northward increase in diamictite thickness, decrease in clast size, and facies change from diamictite to argillite and graywacke suggest a southern source. Overlying laminated limestone marks a transgression. Succeeding interbedded sandy limestone, thick-bedded graywacke, and parallel-laminated siltstone and sandstone double in thickness over a few kilometres, demonstrating local subsidence and renewed terrigenous input. Trough, cross-laminated, arkosic sandstone and conglomerate overlain by predominantly massive diamictite, as much as 190 m thick with a locally erosive base, represent glaciofluvial deposits and lodgment till and record the second ice advance.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intracranial aneurysm treatment by flow diverters aims at triggering intra-aneurysmal thrombosis. By combining in vitro blood experiments with particle imaging velocimetry measurements, we investigated the time-resolved thrombus formation triggered by flow diverters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two test setups were built, 1 for particle imaging velocimetry and 1 for blood experiments, both generating the same pulsatile flow and including a silicone aneurysm model. Tests without flow diverters and with 2 different flow-diverter sizes (diameter: 4.5 and 4.0 mm) were performed. In the blood experiments, the intra-aneurysmal flow was monitored by using Doppler sonography. The experiments were stopped at 3 different changes of the spatial extent of the signal. RESULTS: No thrombus was detected in the aneurysm model without the flow diverter. Otherwise, thrombi were observed in all aneurysm models with flow diverters. The thrombi grew from the proximal side of the aneurysm neck with fibrin threads connected to the flow diverter and extending across the aneurysm. The thrombus resulting from the 4.0-mm flow diverter grew along the aneurysm wall as a solid and organized thrombus, which correlates with the slower velocities near the wall detected by particle imaging velocimetry. The thrombus that evolved by using the 4.5-mm flow diverter showed no identifiable growing direction. The entire thrombus presumably resulted from stagnation of blood and correlates with the central vortex detected by particle imaging velocimetry. CONCLUSIONS: We showed the feasibility of in vitro investigation of time-resolved thrombus formation in the presence of flow diverters.


: The cation dye acridine orange (AO) was shown to inhibit ATPase activity of myosin, DTNB-myosin and heavy meromyosin and not to influence that of EDTA-S-1 at low ionic force. The inhibiting effect is concerned with the presence of KCl in solution. The allosteric influence of AO on myosin ATPase activity is discussed and dependence of this effect on charge distribution on the surface of the protein molecule is considered.


The complex of Ni(II) metal with 4-amino-5-(pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol was used as a polystyrene (PS) films photostabilizer. The PS films comprising concentrating of complex 0.5% w\w were outputted by casting method from chloroform solvent. The photostabilization activities of PS films compounds with dissimilar thickness were identified by computing the photodegradation rate constant (kd) for blank and modified polystyrene. From the practical consequences obtained, a mechanism was proposed count on the installation of the complex. The PS films were irradiated utilizing a 365 nm wavelength light source with intensity 6.02  10-9 Ein dm-3 s-1 at room temperature.


A d(8)-d(8) complex [Pt2(μ-P2O5(BF2)4](4-) (abbreviated Pt(pop-BF2)(4-)) undergoes two 1e(-) reductions at E1/2 = -1.68 and Ep = -2.46 V (vs Fc(+)/Fc) producing reduced Pt(pop-BF2)(5-) and superreduced Pt(pop-BF2)(6-) species, respectively. The EPR spectrum of Pt(pop-BF2)(5-) and UV-vis spectra of both the reduced and the superreduced complexes, together with TD-DFT calculations, reveal successive filling of the 6pσ orbital accompanied by gradual strengthening of Pt-Pt bonding interactions and, because of 6pσ delocalization, of Pt-P bonds in the course of the two reductions. Mayer-Millikan Pt-Pt bond orders of 0.173, 0.268, and 0.340 were calculated for the parent, reduced, and superreduced complexes, respectively. The second (5-/6-) reduction is accompanied by a structural distortion that is experimentally manifested by electrochemical irreversibility. Both reduction steps proceed without changing either d(8) Pt electronic configuration, making the superreduced Pt(pop-BF2)(6-) a very rare 6p(2) σ-bonded binuclear complex. However, the Pt-Pt σ bonding interaction is limited by the relatively long bridging-ligand-imposed Pt-Pt distance accompanied by repulsive electronic congestion. Pt(pop-BF2)(4-) is predicted to be a very strong photooxidant (potentials of +1.57 and +0.86 V are estimated for the singlet and triplet dσ*pσ excited states, respectively).


This study examines the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on the performance of firms in Jordan. Giving particular attention to diversity in the board of directors and audit committee, this study looks into the impact of Muslim directors on the board of directors (BoD) and audit committee (AC) on performance. Overall, 76-panel data were used, which were obtained from published annual reports of industrial and service sectors from the Amman Stock Exchange from 2012 to 2018. A fixed-effect model was used to test various hypotheses of the study. Both accounting-based (ROA and ROE) and market-based (Tobin's Q) performance measures were tested. which, as yet, only a handful of studies have been conducted. The findings showed that the relationships between Muslim directors on the board have an insignificant effect on ROA and ROE. Conversely, Muslim director in AC has a positive but insignificant relationship with ROA and ROE. Concerning the relationship with Tobin's Q, the findings showed that Muslim directors on the board have an insignificant relationship with Tobin's Q. Moreover, the findings showed that Muslim directors in AC have an insignificant positive relationship with Tobin's Q. This study provides useful information that is of great value to policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders. This study fills the gap and contributes significantly to the literature by proving extensive findings with regards to the impact of corporate governance on firms 'performance especially the presence of Muslim directors in BoD and AC in Jordan.


Network routers are a core component of contemporary SoHo networks. The firmware within these devices provides routing, control and monitoring functionality coupled with mechanisms to ensure a secure and reliable network. End-users are typically reliant on manufacturers to provide timely firmware updates to mitigate known vulnerabilities. An investigation was undertaken to identify the underlying software components used in the firmware of currently available, SoHo network devices used in Australia. Firmware from 37 devices was deconstructed to identify potential security issues; in each instance, the firmware images were found to include vulnerabilities, obsolete software and out-of-date operating system components. 95% of the deconstructed firmware was based on Linux. The Linux kernels identified were typically discontinued and are no longer actively maintained. This paper demonstrates a method for undertaking the analysis and summaries the outcomes of the research.


Electron microscopy of ultrathin sections enabled the fine structural peculiarities of a myxobacterium (Sorangium sp.) to be studied. The myxobacteria did not show the dense membrane characteristic of eubacterial cells. A very thin membrane in the myxobacteria cells was not distinguishable from the cytoplasm. In ultrathin sections of the myxobacteria there was observed a broad dark coloured cytoplasmic layer, a light meshlike nuclear vacuole located in the centre of the cell and a rather large nucleus situated in the vacuole; the nucleus displayed density, dark colour and roundness. The elongated myxobacteria cells may include two to three nuclei. Phase-contrast microscopy of living unstained organisms of the Sorangium sp. studied revealed large rounded nuclei. The observations of living cells permitted the amitotic division of nuclei which precedes cell division in myxobacteria to be studied. The studies of the ultrathin sections with the aid of electron microscopy and the microscopy of the living cells supply similar data about the fine structure of the myxobacterial cells. The structure of the myxobacterial cells is more complicated than in the Eubacteria. The peculiar life cycle and the existence of a large nucleus easily detectable (by various methods) enables one to place the myxobacteria among the relatively highly organized micro-organisms.


This paper describes and classifies the psychological and psychiatric effects of exposure to toxic chemicals at work. Sixteen patients 3 males and 3 women referred for evaluation to the Mental Health Unit of the Hospital del Trabajador were studied. Symptoms of emotional and cognitive disorder were classified according to the type of exposure: acute (9 cases), or chronic (7 cases); evidence of toxicity (9 cases); and organic sequelae or significant cognitive impairment (4 cases). A classification of exposure effects is proposed, that may be used in epidemiological or medical surveillance studies. It is concluded that exposure to toxic chemicals may have psychological consequences independent of its effective toxicity.


The Distinct Cell Model (DCM) for the contact detection in the algorithm of the Discrete Element Method was proposed to improve the calculation speed when particles have a large size ratio. This model has several grids, which are overlapped three-dimensionally, and the particles having different size are boxed in a suitable grid cell. The contact detection time of this model was measured and compared with that of the conventional cell model in the simulation of a rotating dram. The contact detection using the DCM was extremely faster than that of the conventional cell model; e.g. when particles had a size ratio of dmax/dmin = 15, the speed-up was about 25. The speed-up ratio increases with increasing particle size ratio, regardless of the number of grids. This model has an advantage of being able to set optimum cell sizes for all particles, thus, the number of searching cells and contact check can be minimized. The optimum cell size of the DCM is the size that each cell has about 1 particle in it when two grids are used, 0.3–0.6 particles in the case of more than three grids. The large-scale simulation of granular flow having a large particle size ratio will be possible by using the Distinct Cell Model.


Histamine is a significant biological compound because of its role in mediating the human allergic and inflammatory pathways. Antihistamines are often administered to control the irritating symptoms of allergic reactions. We evaluated phagocytosis in the protist Tetrahymena thermophil a for use in screening for potential therapeutic compounds that mimic histamine and antihistamines. Tetrahymena has been frequently used as an experimental model to study compounds for biological effects or to study biological processes. Histamine and the antihistamine diphenhydramine were administered at concentrations ranging from 10–6 μM to 1000 μM, and the corresponding changes in phagocytosis were detected by flow cytometry. Treatment with histamine had no measurable effect on phagocytosis while diphenhydramine decreased phagocytic levels at concentrations above 50 μM. In a competition experiment between histamine and diphenhydramine, histamine did not reverse the dosage-dependent decrease in phagocytosis elicited by diphenhydramine. BLAST searches revealed no significant homologs of the human histamine receptors in T. thermophila . These results suggest that T. thermophila has a receptor for diphenhydramine that is linked to the phagocytic process, but not a histamine receptor. Further study is necessary to elucidate the nature of this previously uninvestigated receptor. The experimental protocol developed as a part of this study may serve as an inexpensive, high throughput, flow cytometric method to screen natural and synthetic compounds for pharmacologically significant properties.


The basic objective of this evaluation (RE-300) is to review the range of Bank instruments with respect to the issues of development effectiveness posed by the Governors. The evaluation focus on the instruments themselves, rather than on the specific operations each instrument has financed. The goal is to understand the possibilities and constraints inherent in each instrument and to examine how these characteristics influence the capacity of the instrument to be effective in meeting the development needs of the borrowers. Data for the evaluation has been drawn from a desk review of operational policies and loan documents, the Office of Evaluation and Oversight's thematic and country program evaluations, and the evaluative findings relating to similar instruments in other institutions. Data for the study has also been drawn from the self-evaluations made by Management provided in the various proposals for revision to the rules applicable to individual lending instruments.


Tower crane is the core construction facility in the high-rise building construction sites. Proper selection and location of construction tower cranes not only can affect the expenses but also it can have impact on the material handling process of building construction. Tower crane selection and layout problem (TCSLP) is a type of construction site layout problem, which is considered as an NP-hard problem. In consequence, researchers have extensively used metaheuristics for their solution. The Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA) is a newly developed metaheuristic which performs well for TCSLP, however, efficient use of this algorithm requires additional considerations. For this purpose, the present paper studies an upgraded sine cosine algorithm (USCA) that employs a harmony search based operator to improve the exploration and deal with variable constraints simultaneously and uses an archive to save the best solutions. Subsequently, the upgraded sine cosine algorithm is employed to optimize the locations to find the best tower crane layout. Several benchmark functions are studied to evaluate the performance of the USCA. A comparative study indicates that the USCA performs quite well in comparison to other recently developed metaheuristic algorithms.


Knowledge graphs (KGs) model facts about the world; they consist of nodes (entities such as companies and people) that are connected by edges (relations such as founderOf ). Facts encoded in KGs are frequently used by search applications to augment result pages. When presenting a KG fact to the user, providing other facts that are pertinent to that main fact can enrich the user experience and support exploratory information needs. \em KG fact contextualization is the task of augmenting a given KG fact with additional and useful KG facts. The task is challenging because of the large size of KGs; discovering other relevant facts even in a small neighborhood of the given fact results in an enormous amount of candidates. We introduce a neural fact contextualization method (\em NFCM ) to address the KG fact contextualization task. NFCM first generates a set of candidate facts in the neighborhood of a given fact and then ranks the candidate facts using a supervised learning to rank model. The ranking model combines features that we automatically learn from data and that represent the query-candidate facts with a set of hand-crafted features we devised or adjusted for this task. In order to obtain the annotations required to train the learning to rank model at scale, we generate training data automatically using distant supervision on a large entity-tagged text corpus. We show that ranking functions learned on this data are effective at contextualizing KG facts. Evaluation using human assessors shows that it significantly outperforms several competitive baselines.


In an era of increased incarceration of prisoners, there are still demands for prisoner rehabilitation. The eternal dilemma of safe custody and rehabilitative efforts to avoid re-conviction has shaped an increased specialisation into security-differentiated prisons, specialised wings and divided prison officer roles. In the case of Sweden, this threefold specialisation has reached a point where the occupational role is facing new problems and challenges. Drawing on results from a Swedish three-year research project, with five case-prisons and a nation-wide survey with 20 % of all prison officers, we argue that a specialization in the prisons creates new subcultures among prison officers with patterns overlapping individual attitudes, environmental conditions, as well as the traditional/non- traditional performances of the role. In the Swedish specialised wings correctional officers create representations of staff in other kinds of wings. In performing separate roles, either security/control or counselling/program management, they regard each others' tasks as unimportant or less understandable. Different cultural patterns emerge in the prison context, where the professional representations, the emotional work and the use of formal rituals differ. While the specialisation might enrich the occupational role individually, the organisational changes also lead to work-place tensions and sub-cultural disintegration.


Abstract When popular referendums fail to ratify new international agreements or succeed in reversing existing ones, it not only affects domestic voters but also creates negative spillovers for the other parties to such agreements. We explore how voters respond to this strategic environment. We use original survey data from a poll fielded just one day before the 2015 Greek bailout referendum—a referendum in which the stakes for other countries were particularly high—to investigate how expectations about the likely foreign response to a noncooperative referendum outcome influence voting behavior and to what extent foreign policymakers can influence those expectations. Our analysis of the Greek referendum shows that such expectations had a powerful effect on voting behavior: voters expecting that a noncooperative referendum outcome would force Greece to leave the eurozone were substantially more likely to vote cooperatively than those believing that it would result in renewed negotiations with the country's creditors. Leveraging the bank closure that took place right before the vote, we also show that costly signals by foreign actors made voters more pessimistic about the consequences of a noncooperative vote and substantially increased the share of cooperative votes.


The behavior of an antenna or scatterer when loaded with a nonlinear element can be changed greatly from that observed under linear conditions. In some cases, the nonlinearity causes effects such as the intermodulation products arising from the nonlinear mixing of two frequencies. In other cases, the nonlinearity may be exploited, for example, to reduce late-time ringing on a pulse-excited antenna. A procedure for treating general nonlinear loads is described and illustrated. This procedure is applied using a computer to several specific types of nonlinearities. The treatment within the framework of the thin-wire approximation to the electric field integral equation is developed. As such, the treatment can be applied to the large class of objects modeled by wires. The nonlinear load types that are considered include those with piecewise-linear voltage-current curves (e.g., one or more diodes), a load with a time varying resistance (which permits modulating the scattered fields), and a general nonlinear load represented by specified voltage-current functions.


: Purpose: The primary purpose of this paper is to carry out a multidimensional analysis of determinants of changes to GHG emissions in Poland between 2000 and 2018. This study found that GHG emissions generally followed an upward trend over the study period, although deviations in different directions were recorded in some years. This means that shifting to a low-carbon economy-as a way to counteract climate warming-poses a considerable challenge to Poland. It becomes imperative as the EU has intensified its measures taken to become climate-neutral. Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper contributes to research on climate change drivers related to energy use. The analysis was based on descriptive statistics and decomposition methods. The Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI), one of the most widely adopted forms of index decomposition analysis, was employed to identify the determinants of GHG emissions. This was based on the additive specification. Findings: This study identified rapid economic growth—and the corresponding increase in energy consumption primarily derived from fossil fuels, mainly including coal and lignite—as the main reason behind the increase in GHG emissions in Poland between 2000 and 2018. Moreover, it follows from the decomposition analysis that the reduction in GHG emissions was due to a decrease in GHG emissions per unit of energy, improvements in fuel conversion efficiency, a reduction in final energy consumption per unit of GDP, and a small extent-by population change. However, the positive impact of these factors on GHG reduction was smaller than the negative impact of economic growth. As a consequence of these differences, GHG emissions in Poland followed an upward trend. Practical implications: These considerations could help develop an active energy policy focused on climate neutrality. Originality/value: This document broadens and updates knowledge on the determinants of GHG emissions. Also, these findings can provide grounds for accelerating energy transformation processes in Poland.


A spiral antenna is a broadband element exhibiting circular polarization: right-hand circularly polarized (RHCP) or left hand circularly polarized (LHCP) depending on its winding. An array of spirals with dual polarization must therefore have spirals winding both right and left. A simple configuration alternates every other RHCP element with a LHCP element. In that case, the spacing is such that the frequency at which the grating lobes appear (so the maximum frequency of the array) is lower than the minimum frequency of the spiral (and, so, of the array, with a return loss less than −10dB).


The existence, distribution and behaviour of degradation products of M. leprae in leprosy lesions were investigated in tissue specimens fixed in neutral formalin and embedded in paraffin. Cytopathologic findings using tissue imprints were unsatisfactory. Sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, acid-fast stains, silver methenamine and by an immunochemical (PAP) technique using serial paraffin sections. A comparison in respect of the distribution of the bacilli within the macrophages showed considerable differences between the superficial and deep granulomas. This corresponds roughly with the central, intermediary and peripheral locations. In a small granuloma seen in BL lesions, there were two zones: central and peripheral. In a large LL granuloma, three zones were seen, central, intermediary and peripheral zones. It is suggested that the degradation of disintegrated particles of bacilli might be due to the lysosymal activity of macrophages. The phagocytized bacilli are slowly degraded with long incubation periods, but the undigested debris remains inside the phagosomes. The chemical complexity of cytoplasm, cell wall and lipid fractions of M. leprae, and it is such that the lipid fractions of M. leprae mask some other antigenic components, which may be responsible for the cellular response and lysosymal production. According to our findings we believe that chemotherapy kills M. leprae but degraded products are not removed. These components are chemically complex and digested with difficulty. Lysosymal enzymes could be inhibited from productions by the bacterial debris or the lipid fractions could serve as a mask to delay lysosymal production in the cell. These aspects need further study.


In this paper, the effect of steep-fronted voltage waveshapes infringing on a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) inverter fed induction motor is studied. The system, composed of a feeder cable and a stator winding, is modeled and simulated by using multiconductor transmission line theory in order to predict the voltage distribution among the coils of the stator winding. A recently developed time-domain equivalent circuit is used; it allows one to correctly describe the dielectric losses and the skin-effect in the conductors. The relationship among the voltage distribution inside the electrical insulation and parameters like the rise time of the applied voltage, the cable length, and the distributed losses is deeply discussed. Good agreement has been found among experimental and numerical results.


Federated Learning is an emerging privacy-preserving distributed machine learning approach to building a shared model by performing distributed training locally on participating devices (clients) and aggregating the local models into a global one. As this approach prevents data collection and aggregation, it helps in reducing associated privacy risks to a great extent. However, the data samples across all participating clients are usually not independent and identically distributed (non-iid), and Out of Distribution(OOD) generalization for the learned models can be poor. Besides this challenge, federated learning also remains vulnerable to various attacks on security wherein a few malicious participating entities work towards inserting backdoors, degrading the generated aggregated model as well as inferring the data owned by participating entities. In this paper, we propose an approach for learning invariant (causal) features common to all participating clients in a federated learning setup and analyze empirically how it enhances the Out of Distribution (OOD) accuracy as well as the privacy of the final learned model.


This monograph provides in-depth analyses of vortex dominated flows via matched and multiscale asymptotics, and demonstrates how insight gained through these analyses can be exploited in the construction of robust, efficient, and accurate numerical techniques.

The book explores the dynamics of slender vortex filaments in detail, including fundamental derivations, compressible core structure, weakly non-linear limit regimes, and associated numerical methods. Similarly, the volume covers asymptotic analysis and computational techniques for weakly compressible flows involving vortex-generated sound and thermoacoustics.

The book is addressed to both graduate students and researchers.


The purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the critical resources and capabilities that business schools (BS) have developed to achieve sustainable development. Framed within the resource-based theory, it analyzes seven of the top 50 BS from emerging markets (EM). It argues that these schools have grown through a development process of adopting and adapting business models, including teaching and research methodologies, organizational structures, and business practices; when they consolidated their local leadership, they started to follow a more idiosyncratic process. The findings shed light on the challenges that schools from EM face to deliver local impact while being measured by international standards and have implications for theory development, practice, and policymaking. In terms of theory, the findings show how the Global North model has exerted a determining influence in the development path of BS in EM, and, subsequently, how the pressure to respond to domestic demands has guided the acquisition of resources and the development of capabilities. For practice, the study reveals development patterns, clues about the challenges these BS face, and the range of solutions they have implemented. For policymaking, the case studies offer valuable lessons on how governments can design support systems for BS development.


Background Both clinical findings and the high incidence of decidual inflammation/infection in placentasare associated with preterm deliveries. Objectives To find out the relation of histopathology and microbiology findings of the placenta and preterm birth and to document the association of placental changes and neonatal outcome


Reading groups domain is a new domain for group recommenders. In this paper we propose a web based group recommender system which is called BoRGo: Book Recommender for Reading Groups, for reading groups domain. BoRGo uses a new information filtering technique which uses the difference between positive and negative feedbacks about a feature of a user profile and also presents an interface for after recommendation processes like achieving a consensus on the reading list.


A method and apparatus for testing steel components for temper embrittlement uses magneto-acoustic emission to nondestructively evaluate the component. Acoustic emission signals occur more frequently at higher levels in embrittled components. A pair of electromagnets are used to create magnetic induction in the test component. Magneto-acoustic emission signals may be generated by applying an AC current to the electromagnets. The acoustic emission signals are analyzed to provide a comparison between a component known to be unembrittled and a test component. Magnetic remanence is determined by applying a DC current to the electromagnets, then turning the magnets off and observing the residual magnetic induction.


An important open question about 3-manifolds is whether or not there exists an algorithm for recognizing S3. The author poses two questions about Heegaard diagrams of S3, appropriate answers to either of which would give such an algorithm.
 If a Heegaard diagram contains either a wave or a cancelling pair, then one can find an equivalent diagram of smaller complexity (in the latter case, of smaller genus). Every nontrivial genus-2 diagram of S3 contains a wave [T. Homma, M. Ochiai and M. Takahashi Osaka J. Math 17 (1980), no. 3, 625–648; MR0591141 (82i:57013)], but this is false for higher genera. The author's first question is whether there are any Heegaard diagrams of S3 without waves and without cancelling pairs. {Reviewer's remark: An example of such a diagram is contained in an article of Ochiai [ibid. 22 (1985), no. 4, 871–873; MR0815455 (87a:57020)].}
 Given a Heegaard diagram, there is a reduction procedure which produces a so-called pseudominimal diagram. W. Haken [in Topology of manifolds (Athens, Ga., 1969), 140–152, Markham, Chicago, Ill., 1970; MR0273624 (42 #8501)] has suggested that perhaps the only pseudominimal diagrams of S3 are the trivial ones; no counterexamples are known. The author suggests a further reduction step which might be applied to a pseudominimal diagram, yielding several partial diagrams. If any of these has a cancelling pair, then the genus of the original diagram can be reduced. An example is given to show that, in general, for manifolds different from S3, even this enhanced procedure does not always detect the reducibility of a Heegaard splitting. The author's second question, however, is whether it does for splittings of S3. Thus the author is suggesting a possible algorithm for recognizing S3 which allows for the existence of nontrivial pseudominimal diagrams of S3.


When we heard rumors that a cause for Willi Graf's canonization might be opened, we knew we wanted to know more about this young Catholic student who participated in resistance against Nazism in Germany as part of The White Rose and met his death as a martyr. Then we found Dr. Stephani Richards-Wilson who has been studying his life for over a decade! We're thrilled she was willing to join us for this episode on the inspiring figures who heroically shared the truth about the Third Reich, risking their lives to do so.

Dr. Richards-Wilson is the Director of Graduate Business Programs at Alverno College. She wrote a dissertation on Willi Graf and is currently working on the first biography of Graf to be released in the English language.

In this episode Dr. Richards-Wilson shares the story of Willi Graf and The White Rose, the group of five students and one professor who resisted the Nazis. It is an incredible story! We also discuss the preparation for the cause for Graf's canonization and how getting to know the saints and details about their lives and personalities helps us see them as human beings who struggle just as we do in their journey toward holiness. We touch on the timeliness of Graf's story considering the recent resurgence of Nazi ideology, anti-semitism, and racism in our world. And we talk about the importance of sharing the stories of the inspiring and heroic figures when it's easy to obsess over the perpetrators of horrific crimes. We think you'll be fascinated by the story of Willi Graf and The White Rose, so grab a cup of tea and settle in!


Vegetation managers could use a tool to compare cost effectiveness of different non-herbicide and herbicide alternatives for treating roadside vegetation. Such a tool could be used to make informed decisions, better communicate the bases for treatment choices with various stakeholders, and direct research and development (R&D) activities (focus R&D where the comparisons of different alternatives are interesting, but weak on factual information). The authors constructed a cost-effectiveness evaluation matrix based on expert opinion as a pilot-scale model to compare herbicide and non-herbicide alternatives for managing roadside vegetation. A Delphi process was used to rate different non-herbicide alternatives for treating roadside vegetation in comparison with conventional herbicides. The matrix was well received by the five study participants, and need not be changed for future use. Results from the pilot study indicate that a Delphi process could be used by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to guide vegetation management choices, to better communicate with stakeholders about decision-making processes in roadside right-of-way vegetation management, and to guide R&D activities. Expert opinion from this pilot-scale study suggests that 1) conventional herbicide treatments are more cost effective than non-herbicide treatments, and 2) future work in non-herbicide alternatives should be focused on the use of barriers and bioherbicides in Zone 1, and the use of interference, mycoherbicides, and bioherbicides in Zone 2.


Formal standards groups have been criticized in recent years for the time required to develop standards. With notable exceptions, standards groups have earned this criticism. One body, ISO/IEC JTC1 (Joint Technical Committee 1), is aggressively addressing the time required to develop formal international standards (ISs) for the information technology industry. With its latest addition, publicly available specification (PAS), JTC1 now has three standards development paradigms: traditional, fast-track and PAS. All three paradigms share the same final approval procedures but have different development processes. The PAS paradigm resembles both the traditional and fast-track paradigms in its process for moving from a draft IS to an IS. The PAS paradigm even more closely resembles the fast-track paradigm in that it lets a standard be initially developed outside ISO. However, whereas the fast-track paradigm lets a standard be developed by a JTC1 member, the PAS paradigm lets it be developed by any organization. >


The rates of sulfate reduction, methanogenesis, and methane loss were measured in saltmarsh sediment at monthly intervals. In addition, dissolved methane and sulfate concentrations together with pS and pH were determined. Methane formation from carbon dioxide, but not from acetate, was detected within the same horizon of sediment where sulfate reduction was most active. Sulfate reduction was about three orders of magnitude greater than annual methanogenesis. The two processes were not separated either spatially or temporally, but occurred within the same layer of sediment at the same time of the year. Their coexistence did not seem to be the result of sulfate-depleted microenvironments within which methanogenesis could occur, but the methanogenic bacteria persisted at very low rates of activity within the same environment as the sulfate reducers.


Tourism from time to time continues to change in terms of typology based on the characteristics of tourist attraction and motivation. One of the typology used is dark tourism that linking tourist attraction with death and disaster. The tragedy that occurred in the past were likely to cause death, especially in mass quantities, the death of famous persons, public figures often stimulate a person to travel. Activities undertaken during this much more about remembering and honoring the death and catastrophic events that have occurred. But actually, if it is viewed from the supply side, the attraction being visited is not new and the term dark tourism gives the impression as if the tourist activity conducted in conjunction with real events associated with death and disaster. Although tourist activities is not necessarily related to real events that deal directly with tourists, but it is more influenced by the tourist motivation to do homage to the deceased and as self- reflection to see the events or tragedies in the past as a consideration in living in the present. This paper tries to offer a term in the typology of tourist attraction with a positive meaning: the commemorative tourism . Keywords : dark-tourism, heritage, commemorative


Purpose: Utilization of donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors has the potential to decrease donor shortage in lung transplantation (LTx). This study reviews the long-term outcome of LTx from DCD donors. Methods: We included all consecutive DCD (Maastricht Category III) and all donations after brain death (DBD) donor lung transplants at our Center performed between January 2012 and February 2017. Data were analyzed comparing the two groups in regard of survival after LTx as primary outcome. Results: Median withdrawal to cardiac arrest time was 17 min (interquartile range [IQR]: 11.5–20.5). Median cardiac arrest to cold perfusion was 32 min (IQR: 24.5–36.5). Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) grade 3 at T72 occurred in three recipients. Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) led to death in two cases. In DCD group, there was no 90-day mortality. In DCD, group 1- and 3-year survival rates were 100% and 80%. In DBD group, 1- and 3-year survival rates were 85% and 69% (p = 0.4). Conclusions: Our report confirmed the comparable outcome from DCD donors compared with DBD donors. Utility of DCD donors is a safe option to overcome donor shortage.


ABSTRACT In-vessel retention (IVR) is a viable method of preserving reactor pressure vessel integrity in severe reactor accidents. Accurate knowledge of the bubble lift-off diameter for a downward-facing inclined heating surface is vital for successfully implementing IVR following the critical heat flux (CHF). A research facility was designed to visualize bubble lift-off for different heating surface orientations from downward-facing horizontal to vertical in IVR and experimentally determined the bubble lift-off diameter. A significant effect of inclination angle on lift-off diameter was found. The maximum lift-off diameter was achieved in the downward-facing horizontal position of the heating surface, whereas the minimum one was with vertical orientation. The existing lift-off models of Sugrue et al. and Situ et al. follow the experimental data parametrically, but with significant average errors of 51.99% and 102.08%, respectively. These models either ignore bubble sliding velocity or assume it is constant with respect to the local liquid velocity. An improved mechanistic model is proposed considering the bubble velocity as a dynamic variable for the lift-off diameter including the inclination effect of the heating surface, and it predicts the experimental data with a mean relative error of 9.89%.


Modernization and democratization of rural area which executed by the New Order until this day turns out does't eradicate local tradition that lives and develop on unity of law community like Neglasari Desa that located in Kecamatan Salawu Kabupaten Tasikmalaya. In every desa's decision that taken, every local elite now can go back take the decision based on tradition which they have, notwithstanding the state willed liberal tradition as the main basis. This research intended to analyze deeper about articulation mechanism of people interest based on local tradition in composing desa policy as manifestation of public policy innovation in desa level. With intention like that, the research approach used is qualitative, whilst for data accumulation technique is through documentation and deep interview. As for data analysis done on tier by tierResearch result shown that by going back based local tradition, desa's decision that took when musyawarah desa tend to more qualified because people's "voice" can be absorbed better and decision that taken would accepted unamiously without voting. Therefore it is rightly appropriate if state strengthen their recognition and reverence toward local tradition with issuing policy that support on local tradition existence so that can be utilized in desa governance.


The medium and heavy plate of 800 MPa grade ultra-fine grained steel was welded by CO2 gas shielded welding using large line energy. The effect of cooling condition on microstructure and mechanical properties of welded joints was investigated. The results showed that the cases about significant grain size increasing and strength decreasing do exist in the heat affected zone of large line energy welded joints of 800 MPa grade ultra-fine grained steel. Grain growth and softening in the heat affected zone could be suppressed effectively by water cooling in the course of welding. The mechanical properties of welded joints could be significantly increased by water cooling, and the process of CO2 gas shielded welding under water cooling is practical for joining ultra-fine grained steel using large line energy.


PURPOSE:
The aim of this study was to analyse the association between muscle activation patterns on oxygen cost of transport in elite race walkers over the entire gait waveform.

METHODS:
Twenty-one Olympic race walkers performed overground walking trials at 14 km∙h-1 where muscle activity of the gluteus maximus, adductor magnus, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior were recorded. Race walking economy was determined by performing an incremental treadmill test ending at 14 km∙h-1.

RESULTS:
This study found that more economical race walkers exhibit greater gluteus maximus (p=0.022, r=0.716), biceps femoris (p=0.011, r=0.801) and medial gastrocnemius (p=0.041, r=0.662) activation prior to initial contact and weight acceptance. Additionally, during the propulsive and the early swing phase, race walkers with higher activation of the rectus femoris (p=0.021, r=0.798) exhibited better race walking economy.

CONCLUSIONS:
This study suggests that neuromuscular system is optimally co-ordinated through varying muscle activation to reduce metabolic demand of race walking. These findings highlight the importance of proximal posterior muscle activation during initial contact and hip flexor activation during early swing phase are associated with efficient energy transfer. Practically, race walking coaches may find this information useful in development of specific training strategies on technique.


We modeled resource selection by wolves (Canis spp.), eastern coyotes (C. latrans), and admixed canids during the pup-rearing season at den and rendezvous sites (collectively, homesites) within a largely unprotected landscape proposed as the recovery zone for federally and provincially threatened eastern wolves (C. lycaon) in Ontario, Canada. Overall, canids selected wetlands, while avoiding secondary roads and open-structure rock-grass habitat patches. Packs with greater wolf ancestry selected wetlands and tertiary roads more strongly, while avoiding mixed conifer-hardwood forests. Contrary to our prediction, canids with greater coyote ancestry did not establish homesites closer to roads, which likely mitigated their risk of human-caused mortality during pup-rearing. Packs exhibited increased selection of wetlands within territories as a function of increasing availability of wetlands. Packs with abundant access to wetlands may prioritize this habitat type to exploit beavers, a valuable prey species during pup-rearing. Packs with higher pup survival selected hardwood forests and avoided conifer forests more than packs with lower pup survival. This is consistent with our understanding of habitat relations of the main prey species for canids in central Ontario and suggests that selecting prey-rich habitat types at homesites increases fitness. A proposed goal of eastern wolf recovery is numerical and geographical expansion outside of the population core in Algonquin Provincial Park. Thus, our results provide valuable information for conservation by quantifying resource selection of wolves, coyotes, and hybrids during pup-rearing and identifying links between fitness and homesite selection.


The X-ray transient MAXI J1659−152 was discovered by Swift/Burst Alert Telescope and it was initially identified as a gamma-ray burst. Soon its Galactic origin and binary nature were established. There exists a wealth of multiwavelength monitoring data for this source, providing a great coverage of the full X-ray transition in this candidate black hole binary system. We obtained two epochs of European very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) Network (EVN) electronic-VLBI and four epochs of Very Long Baseline Array data of MAXI J1659−152 which show evidence for outflow in the early phases. The overall source properties (polarization, milliarcsecond-scale radio structure, flat radio spectrum) are described well with the presence of a compact jet in the system through the transition from the hard– intermediate to the soft X-ray spectral state. The apparent dependence of source size and the radio core position on the observed flux density (luminosity-dependent core shift) supports this interpretation as well. We see no evidence for major discrete ejecta during the outburst. For the source proper motion we derive 2σ upper limits of 115 μas d−1 in right ascension, and 37 μas d−1 in declination, over a time baseline of 12 d. These correspond to velocities of 1400 and 440 km s−1, respectively, assuming a source distance of ∼7 kpc.


The oxidative metabolism (chemiluminescence and H2O2 release) and phagocytic activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages during chronic infections induced by Mycobacterium intracellulare and more acute infections due to Listeria monocytogenes were studied. In M. intracellulare infections, macrophage chemiluminescence in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was greatest at around 2 weeks, with a 1 week lag phase after infection, while the PMA-triggered H2O2 release was markedly enhanced even 1 d after challenge, and remained high thereafter for up to 10 weeks. The pattern of changes in the phagocytic activity of host macrophages in response to latex beads during this infection resembled the pattern seen with macrophage H2O2 release. In the L. monocytogenes infections, the PMA-triggered chemiluminescence of the host macrophages increased 4 d (in a sublethal infection) and 2 d (in a lethal infection) after bacterial challenge, whereas the PMA-triggered H2O2 release was markedly enhanced as early as 1 d after infection and the elevated level persisted until either the bacteria were eliminated or the animals died. The patterns of changes in phagocytic activity of the host macrophages during L. monocytogenes infection at sublethal and lethal doses differed. In the former, phagocytosis was most active in the early phase of infection, with a peak around day 2, followed by a rapid decrease; in the latter, the phagocytic ability increased more slowly, and remained elevated until the animals died. The results suggest that the macrophages induced by M. intracellulare are in a more activated state than are those induced by L. monocytogenes.


Abstract Based on different observations, in theory as well as in practice, we have identified strategies and operations following two different tracks, striving in different directions, despite it being well known they should go hand in hand. For companies challenged by a more and more dynamic business environment with heavier market segmentation, additional marketing channels, increasing globalisation on supplier and customer side, and high pressure on profit margins, the result from this is competitive weakness. The purpose of this article is to switch focus from operational effectiveness and strategic positioning as static success concepts on how to improve industrial distribution, to dynamic challenges of how to continuously manage the interaction between marketing strategies and operations (e.g., logistics) under the influence of a dynamic business environment. From theories in market strategies, logistics, flexibility, and marketing channels together with empirical experience from a best practice case study, we are introducing a model for dynamic effectiveness, describing the different characteristics of a company and what to focus on in order to become more dynamic. In order to constantly move to new market positions, and at the same time, restructure logistics and improve operational effectiveness, we have identified the dynamic capabilities of an organisation to be the key to success in industrial distribution. We define dynamic effectiveness as "how fast-and-well a company can go from one strategic positioning and productivity frontier to another." It tells that a frequent interaction between new strategic moves and actions for higher operational effectiveness is required to be in pace with the dynamic and changing business environment and to stay ahead of competition. As a part of this, best practice logistics performance makes it possible not only to be more agile to new strategic moves, but also to drive strategic development from a high operational level. This is achieved by designing logistics to be a resource base to support and be an enabler for new strategic moves on the market.


During the Antebellum Era, many of Thomas Jefferson's concepts became part of the great debate that led to the Civil War. The debate over Jeffersonianism incorporated all aspects of Thomas Jefferson's life. From slavery and agriculture to manufacturing, industrialization, and tariffs, all played a part in the splintering of the American nation. While some would say that slavery caused the Civil War, the real cause was the incompatibility of the various visions Americans held for the future of their nation. Like the great conflict of the 1790s between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, the men of the antebellum era divided over an industrialized nation and an agricultural one. The only difference between the antebellum debate and that of the 1790s was that in the 1830s, 40s, and 50s, all parties claimed to be rooted in the political ideals of Thomas Jefferson. This crisis of Jeffersonianism began in the early 1830s, when South Carolina nullified the Tariff of 1832. The reactions of President Andrew Jackson during the Nullification Crisis led to the creation of political ideologies that opposed the Jacksonian Democrats. The two most important political groups were the nationalists and the extreme states' rights men. While the crisis was resolved without bloodshed, it left the political foundations of America in shambles. Neither of the parties formed during the Nullification Crisis were a major party; rather, members of both political parties filled the ranks of these minority groups. Men influential enough to sway the nation their way formed these new political organizations. John C. Calhoun organized the extreme states' rights men. Using Jefferson's theory of nullification laid down in the Kentucky Resolution, he convinced South Carolina to nullify the Tariff of 1832. Like Jefferson, the extreme states' rights men saw agriculture as the future of America. They believed in a central government with little power that could be controlled by the states. Most of the men included in this group lived in the South and then later called for the South to secede. The literary voice of the extreme states' rights men was William Gilmore Simms. Editor, author, and sometimes politician, Simms converted from nationalism to secessionism. Like Calhoun, Simms began changing his political views after the Nullification Crisis. Through his literature, he justified Southern institutions and actions by defining them as Jeffersonian in nature. His defense was that Jefferson was a Southerner, who owned a plantation, as well as slaves, and who made his living from the earth. If it was good enough for Jefferson, it was good enough for America. The nationalists, on the other hand, were the exact opposite. They favored federal power over the states, internal improvements, and an industrialized nation, as opposed to an agricultural nation. They were not against agriculture; however, they believed that agriculture should support the industrialized growth of America. Led by men like Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, the nationalists pushed for internal improvements and the industrialization of America. Like extreme states' rights men, the nationalists claimed to be the heirs of Jefferson. In this case, they drew their Jeffersonian roots from the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. During his presidency, Jefferson actually strengthened the federal government's power, with the Louisiana Purchase and the enforcement of the Embargo of 1807. John Pendleton Kennedy became the voice of the nationalists. Through his writing, he defended nationalist ideologies by poking fun at the South for relying solely on commercial agriculture for its survival. Kennedy believed that the true Jeffersonian vision for America was one in which agriculture supported industry. The farmers of America would feed the workers who produced their items for trade with the rest of the world, creating a flourishing trade system that would strengthen American power. The crisis in Jeffersonianism affected all areas of American society, from North to South, and East to West. However, the different political ideologies could not be contained within individual sections of the country. The politics of the time were confusing, because men bounced from party to party on a whim. Every election year saw the major-party candidates fighting for nominations in their own parties, as well as against third-party candidates. In the end, the political crisis ended after the Civil War. The men of the antebellum era strove to build Jefferson's America, but in the process, they adjusted their ways and built Hamilton's instead.


A distinct sub-group of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, defined by intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 (iAMP21), is restricted to older children and has been associated with a poor outcome. Accurate diagnosis is important for appropriate risk stratification for treatment. It could be improved by understanding the initiating mechanism. iAMP21 is characterized by amplification of a 5.1-24 Mb region of chromosome 21, which includes the RUNX1 gene. It is thought to arise through a breakage-fusion-bridge (BFB) mechanism. Breakpoints initiating BFB cycles were determined from recent array data from 18 patients. Three occurred within the PDE9A gene. Other patients with breakpoints in PDE9A were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization and molecular copy number counting. Sequencing defined a 1.7 Kb breakpoint cluster region, positioned 400 bp distal to an extensive region enriched for CA repeats with the potential to form Z-DNA. None of the rearranged sequences showed the inverted repeat structure characteristic of BFB; instead PDE9A was fused to intergenic regions of chromosome 21 or to genes on other chromosomes. These observations indicated that previously unrecognized complex events, involving microhomology-mediated end joining, preceded or accompanied initiation of the BFB cycle. A chi-like heptomer, CCTCAGC, contained four of the breakpoints, two within PDE9A and two within partner Alu-repeat sequences. This heptomer was closely homologous to a breakpoint hotspot within the TCF3 gene, suggesting involvement of a common novel recombinogenic mechanism that might also contribute to the recombinogenic potential of Alu repeats. These findings provide insight into potential mechanisms involved in the formation of iAMP21.


We describe a patient with a solitary pulmonary nodule that proved to be a rheumatoid nodule and a coexistent carcinoma. Similar cases from the literature are reviewed. Fine needle aspiration cytologies from such lesions are potentially misleading and must be interpreted cautiously. Pulmonary nodules in patients with rheumatoid arthritis clearly should be approached as possible carcinomas.


Large areas of upland mire and moorland in Northwest Europe are regarded as degraded, not actively peat-forming, and releasing carbon. Conservation agencies have short-term targets to restore such areas, but often have no clear knowledge of the timing and nature of degradation. It has been suggested that palaeoecology can be used to inform conservation management about past vegetation states, so as to help identify feasible restoration targets. Our research study in northern England, commissioned by the national statutory conservation agency, applied multiple palaeoecological techniques to establish the vegetation history of several mire and moorland sites, specifically to ascertain the nature and timing of degradation. Techniques applied included pollen analysis, plant macrofossil and charcoal analyses, determination of peat humification and mineral magnetic susceptibility, with ages ascertained using spheroidal carbonaceous particle analysis, 210Pb and 14C dating. Data are presented from case-study sites in the North York Moors, North- and South Pennines to illustrate how palaeoecology can extend long-term monitoring and guide conservation management. Palaeoecological data from a site within a National Nature Reserve, subject to exceptionally long-term (half-centennial) ecological monitoring, showed that this period does not include its pre-degradation state and that its current valued vegetation is novel and may have established after major fire. Overall, the studies suggest that the principal vegetation change at the sites took place after the start of the Industrial Revolution, and that the current landscape appearance not only has no long history, but that valued aspects, such as extensive heather moorland, feature only recently in the cultural landscape. These findings pose challenging questions for conservation management. We offer a non-specialist guide to the palaeoecological techniques that considers level of skill, cost, and comparability with ecological aspects of conservation and monitoring interest. We suggest palaeoecological data can provide valuable information and insights to aid practical conservation. While mires are particularly suitable, palaeoecological techniques could be applied in many other degraded landscapes internationally.


Dopamine increases adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) but not guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) in slices of bovine sympathetic ganglion; this increase is localized to the postganglionic neurons. Conversely, acetylcholine increases cyclic GMP but not cycle AMP in the ganglion; this increase also occurs within postganglionic neurons. Thus, different neurotransmitters can selectively alter cyclic nucleotide levels within the same neuronal population.


In this study, we use Lora-based data communication for communication between boats and database management systems for vessel. The maximum distance from the Lora is 10 km, and in order to be able to monitor fishermen along the fisherman's coast in fishing, it is necessary to have a multi-gateway Lora to increase fishermen's tracking coverage. The system is built using multi gateway Lora installed on the coast. Devices built with a Lora client are installed on a boat with GPS input, the technique of sending data on the device to the gateway uses a time base with a 1-minute period. To minimize data on the gateway that intersects the range of other gateways, a time flag is made to determine the data at a certain time to determine the trajectory of the boat. The result this research is system-monitoring vessel, which is successfully built and can provide fishing boats along the coast with long-range coverage. Based on experiment, multi gateway can be implemented by creating an identical ID gateway, the Lora client will broadcast to the nearest gateway. The maximum distance obtained is 1.35Km NLOS and to cover 20 Km of beach length is needed 15 gateways.


Work-related musculoskeletal disorders comprise a significant proportion of workplace injuries in the western industrialized society and a burden on our workers' compensation system. In particular, work with computers is associated with an increased risk for neck pain which is more prevalent in women. To provide effective prevention and management programs, a better understanding of the processes underlying these disorders is necessary. This research aimed to obtain a profile of the psychosocial and physiological characteristics of female office workers with self-reported neck pain and disability. The first aim was to identify factors within the workplace (psychosocial and ergonomic) associated with a greater risk of neck pain in a sample of female office workers. The second aim was to map the relationship between quantitative sensory measures and neck pain in a subset of these workers. Finally, a study of cervical musculoskeletal function was undertaken using recordings of the myoelectric activity of the superficial cervical flexors and extensors during functional and non-functional tasks. The neck disability index (NDI) was the outcome measure for all studies. Study 1: Risk factors within the workplace were identified using a comprehensive self-report survey distributed to organizations employing female office workers. The interaction between the three main psychosocial domains was investigated after controlling for individual and ergonomic risk factors. It was found that as job demands increased, high decision authority had an increasing effect on the level of neck pain and disability when supervisor support was low. Study 2: Individual and ergonomic factors within the work environment associated with the presence and the severity of neck pain in the female office worker are reported in this study. Higher NDI scores were associated with: using the computer mouse longer than six hours per day, greater negative affectivity (an inherent personality trait), older age and an uncomfortable workstation. Most workstation features were not significantly associated with NDI scores. Factors associated with neck pain were: a history of neck trauma, wearing vision correction with graduated lenses and greater negative affectivity. The results suggest a combination of individual and task demands need to be evaluated to better target workplace prevention and intervention campaigns. Johnston, V., Jimmieson, N.L., Souvlis, T., Jull, G. Risk factors for neck pain and disability in female office workers. Poster, 16th World Congress on Ergonomics, July 2006, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Johnston, V., Relationship between the various risk factors for work-related neck pain in female office workers. Oral Presentation, 26th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Pain Society, April 2006, Melbourne. Johnston, V., Jimmieson, N.L., Souvlis, T., Jull, G. Work related neck pain: an investigation of the relationship between the physical and psychosocial features in the female office worker. Oral Presentation, Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Australia Conference, November, 2005, Brisbane. Johnston, V., Souvlis, T., Jull, G. Jimmieson, N.L. A profile of work-related neck pain in female office workers. Oral Presentation, Post-graduate Research Day, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland. December, 2003. Grants Awarded Dorothy Hopkins Award, Queensland Branch of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, $500 Physiotherapy Research Foundation, Australian Physiotherapy Association, $1250. Additional Publications by the Candidate Relevant to the Thesis but not Forming Part of it Johnston, V. (2006). Biological pathways between occupational stress and work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the neck and upper extremity. Submitted to Physical Therapy Reviews student review competition in September, 2006 and awarded the prize for the best student review. Accepted for publication February, 2007. Additional Publications by the Candidate Not Relevant to the Thesis Souvlis, T., Johnston, V. (2004). Pain in the elderly. In J. C. Nitz and R. R. Hourigan (Eds.), Physiotherapy Practice in Residential Aged Care (pp. 307-331). London: Butterworth- Heinemann. The next three papers report on the sensory and motor changes associated with neck pain in a sub-set of the office workers who participated in the survey. Volunteers who met the inclusion criteria (n=85) were categorized according to their scores on the NDI: no pain (33, NDI;l mild pain (38, NDI 9-29); moderate pain (14, NDI;&gt30). A fourth group of non-working women without neck pain (n=22) formed the control group. Study 3: The relationship between sensory features and participant group was explored using quantitative sensory testing. The results showed a moderate dose-response relationship between pain level and sensory measures with significant multi-modal changes in response to temperature, pressure pain threshold and vibration stimuli. These findings provide evidence of widespread sensitivity most likely due to altered central nociceptive processing initiated and sustained by peripheral nociceptive input. Study 4: Physical impairments in motion and cervical muscle function were explored using surface electromyography to record myoelectric activity of the cervical flexor muscles during cranio-cervical flexion, and of the cervical flexor and extensor muscles during a unilateral arm task. Workers with neck pain demonstrated reduced rotation movement and altered muscle recruitment strategies consistent with other cervical musculoskeletal disorders. Study 5: The myoelectric activity of the cervical flexor and extensor muscles during and after five minutes of copy-typing, typing with stress and stress only tasks was recorded. Workers (with and without neck pain) demonstrated higher activity than controls in the cervical flexor and extensor muscles in response to these tasks which was not observed in the upper trapezii. This suggests that stress may not be a primary reason for these findings but rather they represent altered cervical muscle recruitment related to a musculoskeletal disorder. Study 6: The contribution of all factors associated with neck pain in female office workers was explored using regression modelling. Variables differentiating workers with and without pain were: using the computer mouse longer than six hours per day, higher negative affectivity scores, cold hyperalgesia, reduced neck rotation, longer duration of symptoms and higher activity in the cervical flexors during cranio-cervical flexion. These findings suggest that a combination of work practices, an inherent psychological state, altered pain processing and altered muscle function can identify workers with greater neck pain. The results of this thesis represent a significant contribution to understanding the pathophysiological processes associated with neck pain in female office workers. There are global deficits in the processing of pain and motor control strategies utilized during functional and stressful tasks. In the presence of prolonged computer mouse use, and augmented by the psychological state of negative affectivity, these deficits have a negative impact on health and well-being of office workers. Management of neck pain in office workers requires a multidisciplinary approach to address the many factors associated with neck pain and disability.


Background: Longitudinal studies are crucial for identifying potential risk factors for infection with, and consequences of, COVID-19, but relationships can be biased if they are associated with invitation and response to data collection. We describe factors relating to questionnaire invitation and response in COVID-19 questionnaire data collection in a multigenerational birth cohort (the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, ALSPAC). Methods: We analysed online questionnaires completed between the beginning of the pandemic and easing of the first UK lockdown by participants with valid email addresses who had not actively disengaged from the study. We assessed associations of pre-pandemic sociodemographic, behavioural, anthropometric and health-related factors with: i) being sent a questionnaire; ii) returning a questionnaire; and iii) item response (for specific questions). Analyses were conducted in three cohorts: the index children born in the early 1990s (now young adults; 41 variables assessed), their mothers (35 variables) and the mothers' partners (27 variables). Results: Of 14,849 young adults, 41% were sent a questionnaire, of whom 57% returned one. Item response was >95%. In this cohort, 78% of factors were associated with being sent a questionnaire, 56% with returning one, and, as an example of item response, 20% with keyworker status response. For instance, children from mothers educated to degree-level had greater odds of being sent a questionnaire (OR=5.59; 95% CI=4.87-6.41), returning one (OR=1.60; 95% CI=1.31-1.95), and responding to items (e.g., keyworker status OR=1.65; 95% CI=0.88-3.04), relative to children from mothers with fewer qualifications. Invitation and response rates and associations were similar in all cohorts. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of considering potential biases due to non-response when using longitudinal studies in COVID-19 research and interpreting results. We recommend researchers report response rates and factors associated with invitation and response in all COVID-19 observational research studies, which can inform sensitivity analyses.


Suffix trees belong to the most studied indexing data structures for strings. Generalised suffix trees can index the substrings of a set of input words. In its construction algorithm Ukkonen used implicit suffix trees, which relax the assumption that a suffix is not a prefix of another suffix, and thus represent some suffixes by internal nodes rather than by leaves. In computational biology, for the sake of genome assembly, one wishes to assemble a target sequence from a multitude of input strings, usually called the reads. Numerous algorithms build assembly related graphs that represent the overlaps of the input reads: for instance, the overlap graph, or a special version of the De Bruijn graph, in which only k-mers occurring within the reads are represented by nodes. We address the question of algorithms for building the overlap graph and the De Bruijn graph directly from indexing data structures of the read set, and investigate it when the index in an implicit generalised suffix tree. We will present the algorithms for the De Bruijn graph and for its contracted version, and show they run in a time that is linear in the size of the index. Generally, this work establishes algorithmic paths to convert classical indexing data structures in graph representations useful for assembly. Work in collaboration with Bastien Cazaux et Thierry Lecroq.


Eulophia angolensis is an endangered
plant species found in the Okavango Delta. Generally, there is lack of
botanical information on this species in Botswana, which is necessary for its in-situ and ex-situ conservation. The objectives of this research are to map
areas where E. angolensis occurs,
determine the species that co-exist with it, and establish soil factors that
influence its abundance and distribution in the Okavango Delta. A survey of the
area where the plant was sighted in 2004 was carried out using recorded GPS points.
Soil samples were collected at 0 - 20 cm depth from the floodplain where the
species occurred to determine the macronutrients: total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium
(N, P, and K) and soil organic carbon (SOC) contents. The researchers could not
find the plant at all GPS locations where the plant was sighted in 2004, but discovered
a new unrecorded site for the species. The species was very close to the water
channel; approximately 40 cm away, with only one plant about 60 cm away. The
mean macronutrients concentrations in the site that contained E. angolensis were total N = 2.61 ± 0.61
mg/L, P = 7.02 ± 0.8 mg/L and K = 14.41 ± 4.28 mg/L. SOC concentration was 40.1
± 10.28 mg/L. Furthermore, there was K biogeochemical
gradient within the E. angolensis habitat, with more concentrations directly around the plant. Therefore, E. angolensis needs critical amounts of
N, P, K and SOC, with K, SOC and water requirement being the crucial factors.
Frequent monitoring of the endangered species found in the Okavango Delta is
required, and ex-situ conservation of
the species in the country in the form of a botanical garden should be
established for future generations.