The Marcellus Shale formation is being harvested for its methane by gas drilling companies in the state of Pennsylvania. The gas extraction method being used is hydraulic fracturing. This operation has public health significance because the chemicals injected beneath the earth's surface during the hydraulic fracturing process are known to have adverse health effects on humans and aquatic life when in their undiluted form. There is much controversy among the communities involved surrounding the use of these chemicals in the Marcellus Shale. Despite communication efforts by government agencies with these affected communities, health concerns continue to run high. A literature review performed in regards to the chemicals found in fracturing fluids and their affects on aquatic life, found eleven chemicals to have adverse affects. A qualitative analysis performed on public comments regarding a proposed EPA assessment on hydraulic fracturing found several common themes. The most prevalent of which were concerns regarding the possibility of hydraulic fracturing affecting water resources and public and environmental health. Themes that emerged from three stakeholder interviews coincided with those found in the public comment analysis. In regards to the issue of hydraulic fracturing and the Marcellus Shale, this paper proposes increased community involvement in government studies, social action methods to help communities achieve the desired change and possible leverage points for interventions to help improve the health of the public and environments involved.


Background Variations in the blood coagulation activity, determined genetically or by medication, may alter atherosclerotic plaque progression, by influencing pleiotropic effects of coagulation proteases. Published experimental studies have yielded contradictory findings on the role of hypercoagulability in atherogenesis. We therefore sought to address this matter by extensively investigating the in vivo significance of genetic alterations and pharmacologic inhibition of thrombin formation for the onset and progression of atherosclerosis, and plaque phenotype determination. Methodology/Principal Findings We generated transgenic atherosclerosis-prone mice with diminished coagulant or hypercoagulable phenotype and employed two distinct models of atherosclerosis. Gene-targeted 50% reduction in prothrombin (FII−/WT:ApoE−/−) was remarkably effective in limiting disease compared to control ApoE−/− mice, associated with significant qualitative benefits, including diminished leukocyte infiltration, altered collagen and vascular smooth muscle cell content. Genetically-imposed hypercoagulability in TMPro/Pro:ApoE−/− mice resulted in severe atherosclerosis, plaque vulnerability and spontaneous atherothrombosis. Hypercoagulability was associated with a pronounced neutrophilia, neutrophil hyper-reactivity, markedly increased oxidative stress, neutrophil intraplaque infiltration and apoptosis. Administration of either the synthetic specific thrombin inhibitor Dabigatran etexilate, or recombinant activated protein C (APC), counteracted the pro-inflammatory and pro-atherogenic phenotype of pro-thrombotic TMPro/Pro:ApoE−/− mice. Conclusions/Significance We provide new evidence highlighting the importance of neutrophils in the coagulation-inflammation interplay during atherogenesis. Our findings reveal that thrombin-mediated proteolysis is an unexpectedly powerful determinant of atherosclerosis in multiple distinct settings. These studies suggest that selective anticoagulants employed to prevent thrombotic events may also be remarkably effective in clinically impeding the onset and progression of cardiovascular disease.


Abstract EFSA assessed the role of seropositive wild boar in African swine fever (ASF) persistence. Surveillance data from Estonia and Latvia investigated with a generalised equation method demonstrated a significantly slower decline in seroprevalence in adult animals compared with subadults. The seroprevalence in adults, taking more than 24 months to approach zero after the last detection of ASFV circulation, would be a poor indicator to demonstrate the absence of virus circulation. A narrative literature review updated the knowledge on the mortality rate, the duration of protective immunity and maternal antibodies and transmission parameters. In addition, parameters potentially leading to prolonged virus circulation (persistence) in wild boar populations were reviewed. A stochastic explicit model was used to evaluate the dynamics of virus prevalence, seroprevalence and the number of carcasses attributed to ASF. Secondly, the impact of four scenarios on the duration of ASF virus (ASFV) persistence was evaluated with the model, namely a: (1) prolonged, lifelong infectious period, (2) reduction in the case‐fatality rate and prolonged transient infectiousness; (3) change in duration of protective immunity and (4) change in the duration of protection from maternal antibodies. Only the lifelong infectious period scenario had an important prolonging effect on the persistence of ASF. Finally, the model tested the performance of different proposed surveillance strategies to provide evidence of the absence of virus circulation (Exit Strategy). A two‐phase approach (Screening Phase, Confirmation Phase) was suggested for the Exit Strategy. The accuracy of the Exit Strategy increases with increasing numbers of carcasses collected and tested. The inclusion of active surveillance based on hunting has limited impact on the performance of the Exit Strategy compared with lengthening of the monitoring period. This performance improvement should be reasonably balanced against an unnecessary prolonged 'time free' with only a marginal gain in performance. Recommendations are provided for minimum monitoring periods leading to minimal failure rates of the Exit Strategy. The proposed Exit Strategy would fail with the presence of lifelong infectious wild boar. That said, it should be emphasised that the existence of such animals is speculative, based on current knowledge.


The subject of "Arresting the White Death"[1] was civil confinement for treatment of tuberculosis, a particularly burdensome form of quarantine; the paper's primary purpose was to understand how such quarantine could be morally justified. Because of the obvious analogy between quarantine and preventive detention, I also discussed preventive detention, demolishing a defense of preventive detention relying on that analogy. So, of course I was surprised to find Corrado criticizing my defense of preventive detention - more surprised when I realized I had a defense to criticize. How did I end up defending preventive detention? What does the answer to that question tell us about Corrado's argument and mine? In the course of trying to answer these questions, I shall argue: (a) that Corrado has misunderstood my defense of preventive detention; (b) that his misunderstanding makes most of his criticism beside the point; and (c) that my defense, though philosophically interesting, leaves most of the important questions open. Some Basic Distinctions Almost two decades ago, Ferdinand Schoeman published a paper arguing that detention of potential criminals to prevent crime is morally no more problematic than quarantining the contagious to protect public health. Though much reprinted since, the paper has received little criticism. No doubt the practical ignored it because Schoeman did not address their problems. His target was philosophical, the moral criticism that preventive detention violated a person's right to punishment. Schoeman's argument seemed to show that the right to punishment, if it existed at all, did not count for much. Since the right to punishment, then associated with Herbert Morris, underwrote much of the revival of retributivism, we would expect Schoeman's argument to have provoked philosophical retributivists. It did not. Why not? My guess is that they found it paradoxical enough to consign to that category of low-priority puzzle of which Anselm's Ontological Argument is the exemplar: hard to prove invalid for interesting, if technical, reasons, but certain to be proved invalid sooner or later. "The White Death" could not do the same because Schoeman's argument, insofar as it did not quiet doubts about the moral justification of preventive detention, raised doubts about the moral justification of quarantine. By "preventive detention," I mean holding a person (a rational agent) against his will to prevent him from committing a crime. Presupposing that the detainee is rational, preventive detention differs substantially from commitment for mental illness or incompetency (which presupposes that the committed is not fully rational). Preventive detention may be civil or criminal. Civil preventive detention uses procedures like those of an ordinary incompetency hearing. Criminal preventive detention uses the procedures of the criminal law. While the place of civil preventive detention may be different from that of criminal, it need not be. Even criminal preventive detention is (as such) not punishment. Like preventive detention, quarantine is an extensive interference with the liberty of some rational agents to protect others.[2] Quarantine differs from preventive detention in what it is supposed to protect others from. Preventive detention is supposed to protect others from the serious crimes that the detainee would otherwise commit; quarantine, to protect others from serious disease the quarantined would otherwise spread. Quarantine also differs from preventive detention in apparent moral status. While preventive detention has always seemed morally problematic, quarantine generally has not. What Schoeman argued was that because quarantine and preventive detention differ in no morally significant way (except apparent moral status), preventive detention is morally no more problematic than quarantine. The apparent difference in moral status is only that, an apparent difference. …


Nationalism represents a serious challenge for the countries in transition. It is a factor which immensely influences and shapes the transitional process in politics in all South-Eastern European countries. It represents a challenge for the post-communist countries especially for countries like the former republics of ex-Yugoslavia, since, as Robert Kaplan points out in his foreword chapter to the book Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History, " in the Balkans, no wars are "local" ". 1Societies in Europe are experiencing remarkable changes especially in politics and economy through empowerment of their democratic political and economic systems. Nationalism and nationalist attitudes are present in political cultures in countries of transition despite efforts for implementing democracy, rapid changes and modernization of societies at institutional level and social structure and despite the newly established environment of these societies. Countries in transition borrowed the so-called "copy-paste" action, and tried the implementation of such systems without considering the specifics of countries in transition which subsequently faced the variances, inadequacy and quite often the inability for the implementation of the latter. Therefore, this paper aims to focus on political culture of transitional countries, with a specific emphasis on Kosovo, covering nationalism and the process of democratization as a very important part of its political system and its political culture. 1 Robert Kaplan. Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History. St. Martin"s Press, New York, 1993 Venera LlunjiEthnic Relations, the State and Democratic Stability EUROPEAN ACADEMIC RESEARCH Vol. III, Issue 2 / May 2015 1869


African societies have rich histories, cultural heritages, knowledge systems, philosophies, and institutions that they have shaped and reshaped through history. However, the continent has been repeatedly portrayed negatively as plagued by multitudinous troubles: famine, conflict, coup, massacres, corruption, disease, illiteracy, refugees, failed state, etc. Even worse, Africans are often viewed as incapable of addressing their problems on their own. Based on such erroneous perspectives and paternalism, exogenous solutions are prescribed, out of context, for African problems. This book sheds light on the positive aspects of African reality under the key concept of ?African potentials?. It is the product of sustained consultation over a five-year period between seasoned African and Japanese anthropologists, sociologists and scholars in other areas of African studies.


This article looks at how patients with pancreatic cancer use the Internet, and considers its potential negative effects for people with a life threatening illness. We designed a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews collected by maximum variation sampling. Respondents were recruited from all over the UK in 2009/10. We interviewed 32 people with pancreatic cancer and eight relatives/carers of people who had recently died of pancreatic cancer. In contrast to a similar study we undertook in 2004, we found that the people interviewed in 2009/10 talked about using the Internet for health information as if it were a routine and unremarkable part of life. Patients gave few examples of harm from using the Internet, or of damage caused to their relationships with health professionals. We also found that patients and family carers were using a strategy to handle alarming information found online, with patients asking partners and family to filter what they found. In conclusion, concerns about serious negative effects of using the Internet for health information may be ill-founded, even when the Internet is used by patients with serious life threatening illness. Clinicians may worry that people will find unwanted or contradictory information, but it is probably counter-productive to try to steer people away from the web. Similarly, policy makers have focused on regulating the factual content of information on the web, but we found that it was the consequences of stumbling on factually correct, yet unwelcome, information that concerned the patients and their families in this study. Good practice guidelines and quality markers for health information may need to pay more attention to website design and user routing as well as factual content. © 2012 Policy Studies Organization.


In the real applications, the model predictive control MPC technology is separated into two layers, that is, a layer of conventional dynamic controller, based on which is an added layer of steady-state target calculation. In the literature, conditions for offset-free linear model predictive control are given for combined estimator for both the artificial disturbance and system state , steady-state target calculation, and dynamic controller. Usually, the offset-free property of the double-layered MPC is obtained under the assumption that the system is asymptotically stable. This paper considers the dynamic stability property of the double-layered MPC.


E-learning is a widely developed mean to support learning process in class. However, student readiness may hinder its application, thus results in its deployment failure. One of the methods to assess student readiness is blended learning model from Tang and Chaw. This model analyzes student readiness by measuring how each student behaves towards six learning aspects namely learning flexibility, online learning, study management, technology, online interaction, and classroom learning. To this point, we investigate the application of blended learning model in SMP Negeri 1 Jember, a middle school in Jember. We collect questionnaire data from the students after delivering one day's intensive training. Afterwards, we analyze the collected data using Generalized Structured Component Analysis (GeSCA) Software to understand the interdependency relationships among prescribed variables. From the analysis, we could individually gauge prescribed variables using e-Learning readines systems by Aydin and Tasci. This measurement is useful to categorize organization readiness level (from low to advance). In the end, we have found that 1) SMP Negeri 1 Jember is ready for e-learning implementation with minor fixes 2) There are four significant factors which contribute to student readiness namely Attitude towards learning flexibility, Attitude towards study management, Blended learning adaptability, and Attitude towards classroom learning 3) We also prescribe some recomendations to enhance student readiness in the elearning implementation. Keywords—e-Learning Readiness; Blended Learning; Readiness Level; Middle School; GeSCA


The last couple of decades have brought a significant increase in personal movement from and to Poland. In consequence, it is very probable that the issues of linguistic diversity and linguistic inclusion more and more frequently will become subjects of multi-level and multi-institutional discussion reshaping the Polish public sphere. It is a matter of consideration which institutions will take leading positions in this debate, formulating main narratives and polemics. However, answering its advisory and opinion-making responsibilities, the Polish Language Council may be expected as one among the crucial actors in this discourse. The article presents pivotal attitudes of the Council's members referring to the problem of linguistic diversity and linguistic inclusion in Poland. The presentation of the sources is combined with endeavours to answer the question: Do these materials allow considering the Council as a strong candidate for an essential designer of incoming public debate on linguistic diversity and linguistic inclusion in Poland? The research is conducted concerning the main assumptions of Joshua Fishman's (1997) sociology of language and Harold Schiffman's (2006) analysis of language policies as parts of linguistic cultures. Moreover, the methodological foundation of the text is supported by a general theoretical framework of historical institutionalism, and finally by Peter M. Haas's conceptualisation of 'epistemic community.'


In this article we develop further an algorithm for data assimilation based upon a shadowing refinement technique [de Leeuw et al., SIAM J. Appl. Dyn. Sys., 17 (2018)] to take partial observations into account. Our method is based on regularized Gauss-Newton method. We prove local convergence to the solution manifold and provide a lower bound on the algorithmic time step. We use numerical experiments with the Lorenz 63 and Lorenz 96 models to illustrate convergence of the algorithm and show that the results compare favourably with a variational technique (weak-constraint four-dimensional variational method) and a shadowing technique (pseudo-orbit data assimilation). Numerical experiments show that a preconditioner chosen based on a cost function allows the algorithm to find an orbit of the dynamical system in the vicinity of the true solution.


During the last nine years, more and more young people are joining in the carnival on November 11(Double 11 Shopping Festival). Millennials are often not asked why they are going to do online shopping on this day. Firstly, the focus of our study is to understand the avenues of information that are used by millennial shoppers for consumption choices related to Double 11 shopping festival. Secondly, we are interested in what attracts this group to the online venue from a list of motivational factors including social and financial savings. The study provides a minor look at carnival day to analyze the data collected through different methods, such as questionnaire and search engines in the internet. The results of the evaluation show significant information about millennial consumption motivation. This illustrates the reason why Double 11 carnival is so popular and for young college students. Moreover, how Alibaba's the Double 11 is so successfully with China's youth. This consumer inquiry will be used to answer some potential marketing problems.


Pharmacognosy Communications, Vol 10, Issue 4, Oct-Dec, 2020 161 ABSTRACT Background: Myrica esculenta Buch.-Ham ex D. Don (Syn-M. nagi) commonly known as Himalayan berry/ Kaphal/ Katphal is an economically important medicinal plant with multipurpose uses. The medium sized tree is utilized for its bark, flowers, roots and fruits in Ayurvedic and Unani system of medicine due to its therapeutic potential. The fruits of M. esculenta are sold in local markets as jam, squashes, pickles etc and are also consumed by the local populations. However, the therapeutic properties of the fruits remain largely ignored. Objectives: The aim of this study is to develop standard quality control parameters and standardize the extracts of fruits of M. esculenta in terms of bioactive marker content and give it a recognition of a standardized extract before it becomes part of a herbal formulation. Materials and Methods: Standardization of fruits of M. esculenta has been carried out in terms of its pharmacognostic evaluation physicochemical and phytochemical analysis. Chromatographic separation was achieved to develop the best resolved HPTLC and HPLC fingerprints as a quality control tool. Gallic acid, a bioactive marker, was quantitated from M. esculenta fruits collected from various regions of Uttarakhand, different morphological parts and from marketed formulation using validated HPTLC and HPLC method. Results: The LOD and LOQ levels were found to be 8 and 10μg/mL for HPTLC and 0.25 and 0.50μg/ mL for HPLC respectively with a linear response range of 10-500 μg/mL for HPTLC and 0.50-50μg/mL for HPLC. The (r2) was found to be greater than 0.99 using both techniques. The concentration of phytochemical marker varied in samples collected from different regions of Uttarakhand. Variation in the marker content has been also observed from different morphological parts and in marketed formulation. Conclusion: To attain reproducible quality of herbal products selection and use of authentic plant material is of utmost need. Unique fingerprints can be used as a quality control tool for the use of authentic sample of M. esculenta singularly and as a part of various medicinal formulations. The method developed for the estimation of gallic acid can be applied to matrices containing M. esculenta fruits. The findings of the study will enable sustainable harvest of M. esculenta fruits and its processing as a value-added minor forest produce of Garhwal Himalayas.


Background: Large prostate size, median lobes, and prior benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) surgery may pose technical challenges during robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). Objective: To describe technical modifications to overcome BPH sequelae and associated outcomes. Design, settings, and participants: A retrospective study of prospective data on 951 RALP procedures performed from September 2005 to November 2010 was conducted. Outcomes were analyzed by prostate weight, prior BPH surgical intervention (n = 59), and median lobes >1 cm (n = 42). Surgical procedure: RALP. Measurements: Estimated blood loss (EBL), blood transfusions, operative time, positive surgical margin (PSM), and urinary and sexual function were measured. Results and limitations: In unadjusted analysis, men with larger prostates and median lobes experienced higher EBL (213.5 vs 176.5 ml; p < 0.001 and 236.4 vs 193.3 ml; p = 0.002), and larger prostates were associated with more transfusions (4 vs 1; p = 0.037). Operative times were longer for men with larger prostates (164.2 vs 149.1 min; p = 0.002), median lobes (185.8 vs 155.0 min; p = 0.004), and prior BPH surgical interventions (170.2 vs 155.4 min; p = 0.004). Men with prior BPH interventions experienced more prostate base PSM (5.1% vs 1.2%; p = 0.018) but similar overall PSM. In adjusted analyses, the presence of median lobes increased both EBL ( p = 0.006) and operative times ( p < 0.001), while prior BPH interventions also prolonged operative times ( p = 0.014). However, prostate size did not affect EBL, PSM, or recovery of urinary or sexual function. Conclusions: Although BPH characteristics prolonged RALP procedure times and increased EBL, prostate size did not affect PSM or urinary and sexual function. # 2011 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Context
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients are at increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia compared to healthy individuals. Lifestyle practices such as yoga can have a vital role in preventing and managing T2DM. Some studies have found that yoga can positively impact cognitive function in T2DM.

Objective
The study aimed to investigate the benefits of short-term yoga practice on heart rate variability (HRV) and cognitive function for T2DM patients, without a matched control group, to address the paucity of data on the effectiveness of yoga practice on cognitive health on T2DM individuals.

Design
Current study is a single group pre post design.

Setting
The study took place in the Department of Yoga and Life Sciences at Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA) in Bangalore, India.

Participants
Participants were 21 T2DM patients from various hospitals, clinics and community setups, in different parts of Bengaluru city in India.

Intervention
The participants took part in one month of yoga practice.

Outcome Measures
The research team used the Madrid card sorting test (MCST) to assess participants' executive function (EF) at baseline and postintervention. In addition, the team monitored participants' heart rate variability (HRV) in a resting phase and during task performance.

Results
Between baseline and postintervention: (1) participants' reaction time for the MCST decreased for overall task performance (P = .01) and during rule shifting (P = .03); (2) a significant reduction occurred in participants' random errors (REs) and incorrect responses, at P = .02 for both, whereas a significant increase occurred in correct responses and efficient errors (EEs), at P = .03 and P = .01, respectively; (3) the low frequency (LF) and LF/high frequency (HF ) ratio for the HRV decreased; HF increased but the difference wasn't statistically significant; and (4) a statistically significant decrease occurred in LF and LF/HF and an increase in HF occurred during task performance.

Conclusion
Yoga therapy had beneficial effects on cognitive performance for the T2DM participants. The yoga practice also positively affected autonomic functions during task performance and suggesting that it can reduce task-induced stress. It's important for the future studies to validate the current findings with a randomized controlled trial.


ABSTRACT Sands of the Sagavanirktok River drainage basin, on the North Slope of Alaska, are composed primarily of calcite, quartz, and sedimentary and metasedimentary lithic fragments. The relative proportions of these components vary systematically through the drainage basin. Sands sampled in the river headwaters, in the Brooks Range, average 58% calcite, 35% lithic fragments, and 7% quartz. With increased distance from river headwaters, calcite is progressively removed from the sediments. Rivers sampled in the Arctic Foothills physiographic province average 29% calcite, 53% lithic fragments, and 18% quartz. Further transport results in enrichment of quartz relative to lithic fragments. Sands from the Arctic Coastal Plain average 9% calcite, 38% lithic fragments, and 53% quartz; the northernm st sample collected, from near the head of the Sagavanirktok delta, is 70% quartz, 5% calcite, and 25% lithic fragments. We attribute these increases in compositional maturity to chemical and physical weathering of sediments during temporary storage in alluvial sequences such as alluvial fans, river braid plains, point bars, and alluvial terraces. As river channels migrate and reincorporate such stored alluvium into bed load, there is a net increase in the proportion of sediment that has been stored--and subjected to weathering during alluvial storage. Climate change, tributary dilution, and anthropogenic perturbation of the river system are insufficient to account for these compositional changes. This process is similar to that demonstrated previously in tropical river systems. The magnitude of the compositional variation among the Sagavanirktok River sands suggests that weathering during alluvial storage is a dominant process in shaping sediment composition in Arctic settings as well. Chemical weathering in the arid, Arctic setting of the North Slope of Alaska is probably enhanced by high organic acid activity associated with the stagnant water perched on permafrost of the tundra. Physical weathering in the form of grain disaggregation through freeze-thaw cycles, crushing between cobbles, and dragging by ice probably plays an important role as well.


Extranodal follicular dendritic cell sarcomas are extremely rare neoplasms included under the hematolymphoid and dendritic group of neoplasms. Histologically, fascicular, whorled spindle cells with sprinkled lymphocytes are typical; however higher grade epithelioid morphology seen in a subset makes diagnosis of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma challenging. Rarity of occurrence, a wide histologic spectrum and a long list of differential diagnostic entities render follicular dendritic cell sarcoma an under-recognized entity susceptible to diagnostic pitfalls. Application of a judicious panel of immunohistochemical markers is imperative to avoid errors in diagnosis and patient management. We report here an extremely rare case of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma of the larynx- a hitherto unreported site.


This thesis explores changing discourses of childhood and the ways in which power relations intersect with socio-cultural norms to shape screen-based media for Palestinian children. Situated within the interdisciplinary study of childhood, the research is an institutional and textual analysis that includes discursive and micro-level analysis of the socio-political circumstances within which children consume media in present-day Palestine. The thesis takes a social constructionist view, arguing that 'childhood' is not a fixed universal concept and that discourses of childhood are produced at specific historical moments as an effect of power.

The study has a three-part research agenda. The first section uses secondary literature to explore theories and philosophies relating to definitions of childhood in Arab societies. The second employs participant observation and semi-structured interviews to understand the history and politics of children's media in the West Bank. The final part of the research activity focuses on the impact that definitions of childhood and the politics of children's media have on broadcasting outcomes through an analysis of (a) discourses on children's media that circulate in Palestinian society, and (b) local and pan-Arab cultural texts consumed by Palestinian children.

The analysis demonstrates that complex ideological and political factors are at play, which has led to the marginalisation, politicisation and internationalisation of local production for children. Due to the lack of alternatives, local producers often rely on international funding, and are hence forced to negotiate competing definitions of childhood, which while fitting with an international agenda of normalising the Israeli occupation, conflict culturally and politically with local conceptions of childhood and hopes for the Palestinian nation.

While the Palestinian community appreciates the positive potential of local production, discourses and strategies around children's media show that Palestinian children are constructed as vulnerable, incomplete and in constant need of guidance. Pan-Arab content presents a slightly less didactic approach and in certain cases presents childhood as a dynamic space of empowerment. However, by constructing children as 'consumercitizens', it alienates Arab (and Palestinian) children from disadvantaged backgrounds,as the preferred audience is middle-class children living in oil-rich countries of the Gulf.


The problems of robust I2-I∞ and H∞ filtering for discrete-time systems with parameter uncertainty residing in a polytope are investigated in this paper. The filtering strategies are based on new robust performance criteria derived from a new result of parameter-dependent Lyapunov stability condition, which exhibit less conservativeness than previous results in the quadratic framework. The designed filters guaranteeing a prescribed I2-I∞ or H∞ noise attenuation level can be obtained from the solution of convex optimization problems, which can be solved via efficient interior point methods. Numerical examples have shown that the filter design procedures proposed in this paper are much less conservative than earlier results.


A new speed identification method is proposed for sensorless operation of interior permanent-magnet synchronous motors (IPMSMs). The theoretic invertibility of mathematic model of IPMSMs is derived, and then a speed estimation strategy based on artificial neural networks left-inversion (ANNLI) is proposed. The structure of multi-layer feed-forward neural network is trained by advanced back propagation arithmetic. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by computer simulation. The results show that the developed control system can track the rotation speed quickly and accurately.


Previous studies have shown that the intrinsic mechanical stiffness of the ankles is less than necessary to fully stabilize the body in the upright position (Loram and Lakie, 2002a; Morasso and Schieppati, 1999; Morasso and Sanguineti, 2002; Casadio et al., 2005). Following these studies, research about the controlling mechanisms of standing (the maintenance of an upright posture by a combination of intrinsic and active mechanisms) has developed considerably (Lakie et al., 2003; Loram et al., 2005a,b, 2011; Masani et al., 2006; Maurer and Peterka, 2005; Peterka, 2002). However, very little attention was given to the intrinsic mechanisms themselves. Here I tackled this issue by manipulating the ankle (and its surrounding tissues) in various ways. The objective was to investigate ankle stiffness dependency on mechanical properties that are particular to muscles and tendons. Within-individual differences were confirmed in various conditions. I have shown that in standing, intrinsic ankle stiffness is affected by movement amplitude and history of movement, as well as active ankle torque and passive tendon stretch. I have found no dependency of ankle stiffness on localized cooling. With regards to the effect that differences in intrinsic ankle stiffness may cause to standing sway, a between-individual analysis showed an inverse correlation between ankle stiffness and sway magnitude.


The inability to discern between pathology and physiological variability is a key issue in cardiac electrophysiology since this prevents the use of minimally invasive acquisitions to predict early pathological behavior. The goal of this work is to demonstrate how experimentally calibrated populations of models (ePoM) may be employed to inform which cellular-level pathologies are responsible for abnormalities observed in organ-level acquisitions while accounting for intersubject variability; this will be done through an exemplary computational and experimental approach. Unipolar epicardial electrograms (EGM) were acquired during an ex vivo porcine heart experiment. A population of the Ten Tusscher 2006 model was calibrated to activation–recovery intervals (ARI), measured from the electrograms, at three representative times. The distributions of the parameters from the resulting calibrated populations were compared to reveal statistically significant pathological variations. Activation–recovery interval reduction was observed in the experiments, and the comparison of the calibrated populations of models suggested a reduced L-type calcium conductance and a high extra-cellular potassium concentration as the most probable causes for the abnormal electrograms. This behavior was consistent with a reduction in the cardiac output (CO) and was confirmed by other experimental measurements. A proof of concept method to infer cellular pathologies by means of organ-level acquisitions is presented, allowing for an earlier detection of pathology than would be possible with current methods. This novel method that uses mathematical models as a tool for formulating hypotheses regarding the cellular causes of observed organ-level behaviors, while accounting for physiological variability has been unexplored.


We study the thermodynamics of the hard wall model, which consists of the introduction of an infrared cutoff in asymptotically AdS spaces. This is a toy model for confining backgrounds in the context of the gauge/gravity correspondence. We use holographic renormalization and reproduce the existence of a Hawking-Page phase transition recently discussed by Herzog. We also show that the entropy jumps from ${N}^{0}$ to ${N}^{2}$, which reinforces the interpretation of this transition as the gravity dual of confinement/deconfinement. We also show that similar results hold for the phenomenologically motivated soft wall model, underlining the potential universality of our analysis.


The success of cardiac transplantation has allowed for the development of a growing body of evidence regarding the function of the denervated heart, as well as provided insight into the function of the normally innervated heart. An appreciation of the basic physiology and pathophysiology of the denervated, transplanted human heart allows for a rational approach to the perioperative management of cardiac allograft recipients. Understanding the importance of preload, the alteration in the control of heart rate, the altered response to exercise, and potential for coronary artery disease, diastolic dysfunction, and chronic hypertension should assist clinicians in the care of these patients.


The thyroid gland is the second most common site for malignancy in the head and neck region. Quality of life (QOL) of thyroid cancer patients has not been studied directly. The QOL of long-term thyroid carcinoma patients was investigated. A standardized set of questions based on the University of Washington QOL questionnaire for head and neck cancer with specific domains associated with thyroid disease was created. This questionnaire was mailed to patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for well-differentiated cancer in the department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery at the Chaim Sheba Medical Centre in Israel between the years 1994–2000. Seventy-eight patients undergoing total thyroidectomy were identified. Forty-eight patients were excluded and 20 out of the 30 remaining patients responded to the questionnaires. Six were male and 14 female, 12 were under the age of 45 (these 12 patients were staged as stage 1). Eleven patients underwent neck dissection. General health and QOL were significantly better for the younger age group and so was the calcium balance score. General health and QOL were significantly better for patients undergoing neck dissection. The overall QOL score was 3.8 conforming with 'good' in the questionnaire. Surgery and initial radioiodine treatment scored 6.75 and 6.9 respectively in the distressing scale (0–10 range: 10 = most distressing). The highest distress was encountered during withdrawal from thyroid hormone. Women rated the importance of proper replacement therapy significantly higher than men. Global low scores were found for employment and for effective L-thyroxine replacement therapy. Overall, QOL in these patients was good although lower than expected when compared with other forms of cancer. Age and gender-related differences were noted. Better QOL in neck dissection patients is probably associated with age under 45 years. High distress scores for hormone withdrawal during periodical imaging correspond with former reports and supports use of Thyrogen®. Better hormone balance is warranted for this group.


This is the third paper in a series aiming at the analysis of nitrogen abundances in O-type stars, to enable further constraints on the early evolution of massive stars. We provide first theoretical predictions for the NIV4058/NIII4640 emission line ratio in dependence of various parameters, and confront them with results from the analysis of a sample of early LMC/SMC O-stars. Stellar and wind parameters are determined by line profile fitting of H/He/N lines, exploiting the helium and nitrogen ionization balance. Corresponding synthetic spectra are calculated using the NLTE atmospheric code FASTWIND. Though there is a monotonic relationship between the emission line ratio and Teff, all other parameters being equal, theoretical predictions indicate additional dependencies, most notably, on the nitrogen abundance. These basic predictions are confirmed by results from atmospheric code CMFGEN. The effective temperatures for the earliest O-stars, inferred from the nitrogen ionization balance, are partly considerably hotter than indicated by previous studies. Consistent with earlier results, effective temperatures increase from supergiants to dwarfs for all spectral types in the LMC. The relation between observed NIV4058/NIII4640 emission line ratio and Teff, for a given luminosity class, turned out to be quite monotonic for our sample stars, and fairly consistent with our model predictions. The scatter within a spectral sub-type is mainly produced by abundance effects. Our findings suggest that the Walborn et al. (2002) classification scheme is able to provide a meaningful relation between spectral type and Teff, provided that it is possible to discriminate for the luminosity class. This might be difficult to achieve in low-Z environments such as the SMC, owing to rather low wind-strengths. According to our predictions, the major bias of the classification scheme is due to nitrogen content.


This article addresses the considerations and decisions that underlie a new critical edition of Sor's guitar music that is being prepared by the author. Sor's oeuvre for guitar survives almost exclusively in early printed editions, not autograph manuscripts, so such a task begins with a reassessment, based on historical and text-critical criteria, of which editions he was likely to have been involved in himself and which we can therefore trust the most. As a result, this new edition partly uses different original sources as models than other modern editions. Meissonnier's later versions of opp. 1–23 from 1826, claimed to be "corrected and fingered by the composer", have generally been chosen and even prioritized over the editions Sor issued 1816–1822 while he was in London. The early Castro editions have been repudiated as unauthentic. The article also discusses Sor's seemingly peculiar attitude towards errors in the printed scores as well as his notation of ornaments and some other symbols that have puzzled scholars and editors.


We examined whether the consumption of pornography affects romantic relationships, with the expectation that higher levels of pornography consumption would correspond to weakened commitment in young adult romantic relationships. Study 1 (n = 367) found that higher pornography consumption was related to lower commitment, and Study 2 (n = 34) replicated this finding using observational data. Study 3 (n = 20) participants were randomly assigned to either refrain from viewing pornography or to a self-control task. Those who continued using pornography reported lower levels of commitment than control participants. In Study 4 (n = 67), participants consuming higher levels of pornography flirted more with an extradyadic partner during an online chat. Study 5 (n = 240) found that pornography consumption was positively related to infidelity and this association was mediated by commitment. Overall, a consistent pattern of results was found using a variety of approaches including cross-sectional (Study 1), observati...


We introduce the fermionic ZW calculus, a string-diagrammatic language for fermionic quantum computing (FQC). After defining a fermionic circuit model, we present the basic components of the calculus, together with their interpretation, and show how the main physical gates of interest in FQC can be represented in our language. We then list our axioms, and derive some additional equations. We prove that the axioms provide a complete equational axiomatisation of the monoidal category whose objects are systems of finitely many local fermionic modes (LFMs), with maps that preserve or reverse the parity of states, and the tensor product as monoidal product. We achieve this through a procedure that rewrites any diagram in a normal form. As an example, we show how the statistics of a fermionic Mach-Zehnder interferometer can be calculated in the diagrammatic language. We conclude by giving a diagrammatic treatment of the dual-rail encoding, a standard method in optical quantum computing used to perform universal quantum computation.


Atomic force microscope images of flat solid surfaces in water reveal that very soft objects can be formed on the surfaces. These objects are nanobubbles of gas with sizes ranging from 10 nm to several micrometers. The bubbles are stable to dissolution, lasting for several hours. In this paper we review some of the methods that allow their generation and observation using the atomic force microscope. Next, we describe the influence of the bubbles on liquid slip close to a hydrophobic surface. The influence of liquid–gas menisci, formed as a result of nanobubbles being present on the surface, on drag reduction is also discussed. Finally, data of liquid flow probed on bubbles entrapped on microstructured surfaces are presented.


Beclin 2 plays a critical role in metabolic regulation and obesity, but its functions in innate immune signaling and cancer development remain largely unknown. Here, we identified Beclin 2 as a critical negative regulator of inflammation and lymphoma development. Mice with homozygous ablation of BCL2-interacting protein 2 (Becn2) developed splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy and markedly increased ERK1/2 and NF-κB signaling for proinflammatory cytokine production. Beclin 2 targeted the key signaling kinases MEKK3 and TAK1 for degradation through an ATG9A-dependent, but ATG16L/Beclin 1/LC3-independent, autophagic pathway. Mechanistically, Beclin 2 recruited MEKK3 or TAK1 through ATG9A to form a complex (Beclin 2-ATG9A-MEKK3) on ATG9A+ vesicles upon ULK1 activation. Beclin 2 further interacted with STX5 and STX6 to promote the fusion of MEKK3- or TAK1-associated ATG9A+ vesicles to phagophores for subsequent degradation. Importantly, Becn2-deficient mice had a markedly increased incidence of lymphoma development, with persistent STAT3 activation. Myeloid-specific ablation of MEKK3 (Map3k3) completely rescued the phenotypes (splenomegaly, higher amounts of proinflammatory cytokines, and cancer incidence) of Becn2-deficient mice. Hence, our findings have identified an important role of Beclin 2 in the negative regulation of innate immune signaling and tumor development through an ATG9A-dependent, but ATG16L/Beclin 1/LC3-independent, autophagic pathway, thus providing a potential target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer.


T the beginning of last year, the IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering (TKDE) had a sizable backlog of accepted papers. I am pleased to inform our readers that we have received approval from the IEEE Computer Society for an additional 368 pages this year. This represents a 35 percent increase from the regular page budget of 1,048 pages. The page increase will clear out most of the backlog by the end of the year. It is my great pleasure to introduce two new members of the Editorial Board of TKDE: Professor Padhraic Smyth and Professor Kyu-Young Whang. They are internationally known and highly regarded for their work on knowledge and data engineering. We are very fortunate to have their services for the journal. At the same time, I would also like to thank the four retiring TKDE editors who have dedicated their time to manage papers over the past few years: Professor Ming-Syan Chen, Professor Christian Jensen, Professor Niki Pissinou, and Professor David Taylor.


This article addresses the legislative competence in Canada in relation to regulatory and transactional aspects of payment of law. Setting out the parameters of "payment law", the article examines the federal legislative powers in relation to bills and notes as well as baking, in broader constitutional and historical context, and argues for federal jurisdiction. A possible legislative role for the provinces is also discussed.


UNLABELLED
The aim of the study was the characterization of calcification in the leaflets of a cryopreserved and alive heart valve depending on the diagnosed pathologic process. Sheep antibiotic sterilised and cryopreserved biological valves were implanted in tricuspid position in young sheeps for one year period. After this time the valves removed and studied morphologically. The control group consisted of 7 intact valves, the comparative group, so called group of valves after the processing antibiotic sterilization and cryopreservation consisted of 7 valves after mentioned procedures. Histological investigations were based on paraffin sections, calcium deposits were stained von Kossa technique. The measured values included integrative parameters as: 1. area fraction, 2. number of calcifications per area, 3. anisotropy.

CONCLUSIONS
1. A process of initial processing, sterilization and cryopreservation of biological valve increases a number of microcalcifications. 2. Cryopreserved biological valves explanted after one-year implantation into an animal in a tricuspid position possess fine calcifications and calcification foci. A number and size of fine calcifications decreases together with an intensification of degeneration and regressive processes of the connective tissue, especially in hyalinization. Hyalinization of the biological valve tissue seems to be favorable for a valve durability and as a pathological process decreasing calcification. 3. Mathematic analysis of morphometric features defining density and structure of calcifications indicate similarities among cryopreservation and initial processing groups, hyalinization, inflammation, whereas in a group of calcification foci, the similarity can be noticed between inflammation and hyalinization group.


The paper provides a historical overview of the pre-modern allocation of work within the territory of the later Germany from the 18th until the middle of the 19th century. We explore how the social allocation of work during the feudal system took place and trace back the development of wage labor within agriculture, industry and service sector. In particular, the historical roots of the so-called 'standard employment contract' in Germany are investigated. We find that during the pre-industrial time the social organization of work occurred in various forms and that wage labor was rather a rare phenomenon in the beginning of the 19th century. Hence, a widespread and functioning labor market cannot be identified at that time. Rudimentary elements of the standard employment contract are found in the employment contract of civil servants.


One of the reasons why some ASEAN countries are watchful of China is the sheer size of its economy compared to theirs. The rise of China poses some concern to them. However, the ASEAN economies are resilient—they have successfully competed with various other developing regions, and have survived a number of economic crises in the past. Although the various concerns about the rise of China will not dissipate easily, a more positive attitude towards the rise of China would be more beneficial for ASEAN. The policy directions of the 12th FYP in China offer ample opportunities for the ASEAN countries and co-operation will be mutually beneficial.


Introduction: The aim of this work was to conduct an evaluation of V Heart Health, a digital cardiac rehabilitation programme for patients with multimorbidity. Whilst the traditional (face-to-face) cardiac rehab programme is considered the 'gold standard' it is important that there is a menu of options available for patients and V Heart Health seems well placed to form part of this.

Methods: Quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were utilised including adherence (usability) data, routinely collected clinical data and patient satisfaction feedback. A staff focus group was conducted to explore staff perceptions with regards to the delivery of V Heart Health.

Results: The collection of routine clinical data was successful where data were collected by clinicians via phone or video call. Where the onus was on patients to complete and return questionnaires and feedback forms there were some missing data. It is important that this is addressed as completeness of data and patient feedback are essential to ensure service development and improvement. The feedback from patients with regard to the programme content and the staff involved in the delivery was positive. Findings from the focus group indicated that staff felt the programme was successful and they were keen to continue developing and improving the service. They reported keeping patients at the heart of all future decisions and emphasized that V Heart Health should continue to form part of a suite of options for patients. Some of the issues described in this early rollout phase included challenges securing an appropriate venue (during COVID 19 lockdown), awareness and knowledge of wider team about V Heart Health and concerns about digital literacy within the county. Factors perceived as facilitators included staff development, IT support and teamwork. There were technology and connectivity issues described by patients that need to be explored and addressed as a priority going forward.

Conclusion: it is important to offer patients choice, to include site based, home, online or blended programmes on an equitable basis with the aim to improve uptake across a range of patient groups. There are areas for development of V Heart Health described within this report which are already being explored as the programme is continuously evolving in response to feedback and staff are becoming more confident and competent in its delivery. V Heart Health has the potential to form part of the menu of programme options for patients living in Lincolnshire. This initial evaluation demonstrates preliminary proof of concept and acceptability data for V Heart Health, however further evaluation and research is warranted.


The C4 plant Sorghum combines high water use efficiency with heat tolerance making it suitable as a fodder crop in the dry tropics. However, it also produces dhurrin (Conn 1981) which leads to the release of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) when plants are damaged. The HCN potential (HCNp) of sorghum is subject to spatial and temporal regulation and levels can vary greatly between varieties (Benson et al. 1969; Haskins et al. 1987). Sorghum HCNp is also affected by environmental factors including drought, frost and soil fertility, and levels within a given variety can differ from one season to the next (Gray et al. 1968). Experienced farmers know that young sorghum plants, or older plants that have been subjected to drought, are often toxic to grazing cattle. Three key genes catalyse the biosynthesis of dhurrin in sorghum, two cytochrome P450s (CYP79A1 and CYP71E1) and a (UDP)-glycosyltransferase (UGT85B1). The CYP79A1, CYP71E1 and UGT85B1 enzymes, along with the redox partner NADPH-dependant cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) (Ellis et al. 2009; Jensen & Moller 2010), are thought to form a metabolon to enable channelling of toxic intermediates (Nielsen et al. 2008). CYP79A1 is thought to be the rate limiting step in the pathway, but little more is known about the regulation of these genes.

It has been hypothesised in numerous studies that stress, in particular osmotic and nutrient related stress, play a large role in the regulation of HCNp in sorghum. However, it is not known how these factors influence the cyanogenesis pathway. The overall aim of this project was to generate new varieties of sorghum with lower cyanogenic glucoside content for safer consumption by cattle, particularly after drought. Within this larger project the specific aims of this PhD project were to (1) to determine the ontogenetic changes in the HCNp of forage sorghum, (2) to determine the effect of environmental stress on dhurrin concentration, and (3) to identify a viable low dhurrin producing sorghum line.

The variation in HCNp due to ontogenic changes was investigated which confirmed that the HCNp of sorghum is highest in seedlings and decreases with plant age. However, in sorghum the total dhurrin content increases with age. Numerous abiotic and biotic stresses (osmotic, high/low nitrogen, wounding and different hormone treatments) were applied to the plants to monitor the effect on accumulation of dhurrin in various parts of sorghum plants. Results showed that the dhurrin concentration increased in the shoots under osmotic stress, high nitrogen (plants >6 leaves), and when treated with the hormones Methyl jasmonate, Kinetin and Abscisic acid. In general the different treatments did not induce HCNp in the roots.

The transcript level of CYP79A1, the rate limiting step in dhurrin biosynthesis, was analysed by quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR) and an inverse relationship was found between transcript levels and HCNp in leaf sheath tissue. The relationship between CYP79A1 transcript levels and HCNp in the leaf blade and roots was not as defined and will require further detailed investigation. Evidence presented in this thesis suggests that the change in dhurrin concentration in sorghum may be due to a reduction in plant growth caused by environmental stresses, leading to a feedback loop that inhibits the turnover of dhurrin, rather than an increase in activity of key biosynthetic genes per se.

Targetted Induced Local Lesions in Genomes (TILLING) and cyanide assays identified several mutant lines with altered HCNp. Detailed characterisation of an acyanogenic line, termed total cyanide deficient (tcd2), identified the mutation as being in the UGT85B1 gene resulting in a stop codon. The tcd2 line is novel because it was previously thought that a mutation the UGT85B1 gene would result in the accumulation of toxic intermediates and therefore a non viable plant. However growth studies found other than a stunted phenotype and a small delay in development, the tcd2 line is fully functional and fertile. The tcd2 line is now being used to further characterise the putative dhurrin turnover pathway.

The findings detailed in this thesis have wide implications for further characterisation of the molecular mechanisms that regulate dhurrin synthesis in sorghum as well as practical applications for farmers in to agricultural regions experiencing environmental stress due to climate change. The cattle industry that use forage sorghum as fodder will benefit from an understanding of the regulation of cyanogenesis in sorghum. Additionally, the information gained on the regulation of cyanogenesis will have worldwide implications as it may be transferable to other cyanogenic crops which are important food resources, such as cassava.


The aim of this study is to assess the correlation between cardiac and hepatic T2* MRI findings with the endocrine and exocrine pancreatic functions in known patients with β-thalassaemia major (β-TM). A total of 50 adolescent patients with β-TM and 44 healthy controls were investigated via: serum amylase, lipase, triglyceride index, oral glucose tolerance test and T2* MRI, to assess iron content in the heart and liver. Diabetes was found in 20%, and 40% of patients had impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Cardiac T2* was less than 10 ms in 22% indicating heavy load with iron in cardiac tissues. There was a significant decrease in median serum amylase (63.5 vs 87.5 IU/L, p=0.003) and lipase (63 vs 90 IU/L, p=0.017) among patients in comparison with the control group. Patients with β-TM and diabetes had lower serum amylase (32 vs 68 IU/L), lipase (28 vs 79 IU/L), cardiac and hepatic T2* MRI (7 vs 25.5 ms; 3 vs 6 ms, p<0.001 for all) than those without diabetes. Similar results were found among patients with IFG when compared with others (p<0.001 for all). Cardiac and hepatic T2* were inversely correlated to triglyceride index (r=−0.376, p=0.014 and r=−0.475, p=0.001, respectively) and positively correlated to amylase (r=0.791 and r=0.790) and lipase (r=0.784 and r=0.783; p<0.001 for all). The endocrine and exocrine pancreatic functions might become an equivalent predictor to cardiac and hepatic iron overload, especially in countries where MRI is not available or where it is expensive. The early occurrence of these abnormalities warrants more intensive chelation therapy.


REST is a zinc-finger transcription factor implicated in several processes such as maintenance of embryonic stem cell pluripotency and regulation of mitotic fidelity in non-neuronal cells [Chong et al., 1995]. The gene encodes for a 116-kDa protein that acts as a molecular platform for co-repressors recruitment and promotes modifications of DNA and histones [Ballas, 2005]. REST showed different apparent molecular weights, consistent with the possible presence of post-translational modifications [Lee et al., 2000]. Among these the most common is glycosylation, the covalent attachment of carbohydrates during or after protein synthesis [Apweiler et al., 1999]
My thesis has ascertained, for the first time, the presence of glycan chians in the transcription factor REST. Through enzymatic deglycosylation and MS, oligosaccharide composition of glycan chains was evaluated: a complex mixture of glycans, composed of N-acetylgalactosamine, galactose and mannose, was observed thus confirming the presence of O- and N-linked glycan chains. Glycosylation site mapping was done using a 18O-labeling method and MS/MS and twelve potential N-glycosylation sites were identified. The most probable glycosylation target residues were mutated through site-directed mutagenesis and REST mutants were expressed in different cell lines. Variations in the protein molecular weight and mutant REST ability to bind the RE-1 sequence were analyzed. Gene reporter assays showed that, altogether, removal of N-linked glycan chains causes loss of transcriptional repressor function, except for mutant N59 which showed a slight residual repressor activity in presence of IGF-I.
Taken togheter these results demonstrate the presence of complex glycan chians in the transcription factor REST: I have depicted their composition, started defining their position on the protein backbone and identified their possible role in the transcription factor functioning. Considering the crucial role of glycosylation and transcription factors activity in the aetiology of many diseases, any further knowledge could find important and interesting pharmacological application.


Introduction : Studies have highlighted the sensitivity of Formant centralization ratio (FCR) in the identification of vowel centralization. Since children with Downs Syndrome (DS) are found to exhibit imprecise articulation, the present study aimed at evaluating whether children with DS exhibit vowel centralization using FCR. Method : The study included 30 children with Downs syndrome and 30 healthy age and gender matched controls in the age range of 6-8 years. Materials consisted of 9 words with three vowels (/i/, /u/, and /a/) in the initial, medial, and the final word positions respectively. First and second formant frequency values were extracted using PRAAT software. The vowel-formant data (e.g., frequency of F1, F2 etc.) were separately averaged for each child and then the FCR was constructed from these averages using the formula (F2u+F2a+F1i+F1u) / (F2i+F1a). Independent t-test was employed to find out the significance of difference between the means of the two groups. Results : The results of Independent t-test revealed significant difference between the mean FCR of both the groups at t= 8.535, p < 0.00 indicating higher FCR values in children with Downs syndrome in comparison to typically developing peers. Conclusion : The results of the present study indicated that FCR obtained from both the groups vary significantly, thereby indicating that the vowel production in children with Downs syndrome may be subjected to vowel centralization. The present findings suggest the potential abilities of FCR metric in identifying vowel errors without characterizing the nature of vowel abnormalities and hence this metric should be used in the clinical population with caution.


Summary

The clinical features and outcomes of equine ulcerative keratitis with and without conjunctival graft surgery were assessed using a retrospective study.

Medical records of horses hospitalised from July 2000-January 2006 for ulcerative keratitis were included if a diagnosis of melting ulcer, descemetocele or iris prolapse was made, or if surgery was recommended due to severity of corneal disease, and aggressive medical therapy using a subpalpebral catheter was instituted. Treatment and outcome variables were evaluated with and without conjunctival graft surgery.

Forty-one horses, 21 that had surgery and 20 for whom surgery was recommended but not performed, were included. Horses were hospitalised for an average of 24 days, with 37/41 melting ulcers, 17/41 descemetoceles and 3/41 iris prolapses, with no statistical difference in frequencies between groups. Bacterial or fungal organisms were cultured from 22/39 cases, with 10 Aspergillus spp. and 8 Pseudomonas spp. Infectious organisms were seen on corneal cytology in 23/30 cases. Surgical cases were hospitalised for an average of 4.9 days prior to surgery. Abdominal discomfort was observed in 8/41 hospitalised horses, with 5/8 operated horses developing caecal impactions. Thirty-five horses retained an intact globe, including 18/20 treated medically and 17/21 that had surgery. Hospitalisation cost was 24% more for cases that had surgery than for medical cases.

It was concluded that there was no statistical difference in length or cost of hospitalisation between surgical and nonsurgical groups. Outcomes from both groups were similar, with a high frequency of globe retention.


Background To investigate the association between inosine triphosphatase (ITPase) activity and the degree of anaemia occurring during direct-acting antiviral (DAA)/ribavirin (RBV)-based therapy in patients with cirrhosis. Methods In a multicentre, prospective study 227 patients with HCV-related cirrhosis treated with DAA and RBV were enrolled. All patients were screened for the rs1127354 and rs7270101 ITPA single nucleotide polymorphisms using direct sequencing. Results 150 (66.1%) patients had normal (100%) ITPase activity, 48 (21.1%) had moderate (60%) activity and 29 (12.8%) minimal (≤30%) activity. The ITPase activity significantly influenced the haemoglobin concentration: at day 15 it was -1.248 (sd ±0.978) in the 150 patients with an ITPase activity of 100% and -0.616 (±0.862) in the 77 patients with an ITPase activity less than 100% (P <0.000), and at day 30 it was -1.941 ±1.218 versus -1.11 ±1.218 (P <0.000). The 63 patients with a severe (at least 3/dl) haemoglobin decline, compared to those without, more frequently had an ITPase activity of 100% (82.1% versus 62.8%; P=0.021), were older (mean age ±sd: 66.7 ±8.2 versus 61.4 ±9.7 years; P=0.004) and were treated with a higher ribavirin dose (13.7 ±2.1 versus 12.8 ±2.5 mg/ kg/day; P=0.008). At multivariate logistic regression analysis, the ITPase activity of 100% (OR: 2.83; 95% CI: 1.12, 7.10), male gender (OR: 3.22; 95% CI: 1.35, 7.66), body mass index (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.34) and dose of ribavirin (OR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.47) were independent predictors of a severe decline in haemoglobin (P<0.0001). Conclusions This study suggests that the polymorphisms in the ITPA gene influence the severity of anaemia during the first month of a DAA/RBV-based treatment in HCV-related cirrhosis.


The advent of more sophisticated histologic and molecular tools to study multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology has contributed to evolving concepts regarding disease initiation and progression. MS lesions display pathologic heterogeneity. It is uncertain whether these observations reflect heterogeneity of the disease or, alternatively, are stage-dependent with multiple mechanisms occurring over the course of disease. Remyelination is present in MS lesions and may be extensive. Apart from myelin and oligodendrocyte damage, axons are also injured in MS and are considered an important pathologic correlate of disability. In addition to axonal damage that occurs in the acute active MS plaque, a low-grade ongoing axonal injury occurs in the MS plaque, periplaque, and normal-appearing white matter. This begins early, accumulates, and likely contributes to disease progression. MS pathology is not restricted to the focal white matter lesion, but also includes diffuse cortical and white matter damage. The apparent dissociation between early inflammation and subsequent disease progression is a well-recognized feature of MS, termed the "inflammation-neurodegeneration paradox." This chapter will summarize new insights into the development and evolution of both focal and global tissue injury in MS.


In his book, based on new evidence and a series of interviews, author and scholar Maxim D. Shrayer offers a portrait of Russia's dwindling yet still vibrant and influential Jewish community. This is simultaneously an in-depth exploration of the texture of Jewish life in Putin's Russia and an emigre's moving elegy for Russia's Jews, which forty years ago constituted one of the world's largest Jewish populations and which presently numbers only about 180,000. Why do Jews continue to live in Russia after the antisemitism and persecution they had endured there? What are the prospects of Jewish life in Russia? What awaits the children born to Jews who have not left? With or Without You asks and seeks to answer some of the central questions of modern Jewish history and culture.


A technique for improving stimulation fluid recovery has been developed in the laboratory and has proven effective in field applications. The method involves improving proppant pack drainage and minimizing capillary pressure in the formation through the judicious application of surface active agents. The technique is particularly applicable in low pressure oil wells and tight gas reservoirs, and may be used in all aqueous fracturing treatments. These include slick and gelled water, as well as foamed and crosslinked systems. The technique involves the use of a solvent in the pad fluids and a surfactant system throughout the entire fracturing treatment. This combination improves sand pack drainage and minimizes capillary water blocks in the invaded formation, while maintaining the water-wet condition of both the proppant pack and formation. The results of field applications using this technique have shown great improvement in the recovery of aqueous stimulation fluids in both sand and limestone formations. Increases in initial hydrocarbon production have also resulted. Case histories are presented from both oil and gas wells in a variety of formations.


This paper presents an application of evolutionary particle swarm optimization (EPSO)-based methods to evaluate power system reliability. Population-based (PB) methods appear as competitors to the traditional Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), because they are computationally efficient in estimating a variety of reliability indices. The work reported in this paper demonstrates that EPSO variants can focus the search in the region of the state space where contributions to the formation of a reliability index may be found, instead of conducting a blind sampling of the space. The results obtained with EPSO are compared to MCS and with other PB methods.


The Trigger Supervisor is an online software system designed for the CMS experiment at CERN. Its purpose is to provide a framework to set up, test, operate and monitor the trigger components on one hand and to manage their interplay and the information exchange with the run control part of the data acquisition system on the other. The Trigger Supervisor is conceived to provide a simple and homogeneous client interface to the online software infrastructure of the trigger subsystems. The functional and nonfunctional requirements, the design, the operational details, and the components needed in order to facilitate a smooth integration of the trigger software in the context of CMS are described.


Using a polymerase chain reaction-based approach we have isolated and characterized a cDNA (HPK-6) from human placental RNA encoding a novel receptor protein tyrosine kinase. This receptor tyrosine kinase has a unique extracellular domain, with an immunoglobulin-like domain at the amino terminus followed by three EGF-like cysteine repeats and three fibronectin type III repeats, giving the HPK-6 gene extracellular domain a novel combination of structural motifs. A comparison of the HPK-6 sequence with other receptor tyrosine kinases shows that the HPK-6 gene is the human homolog of the murine tek gene and very closely related to the recently described receptor tyrosine kinase tie. The HPK-6 gene is expressed predominantly in placenta and lung, with a lower level in umbilical vein endothelial cells, brain and kidney. The HPK-6 cDNA, when transfected into COS-7 cells, encodes a 140-kDa protein with in vitro kinase activity.


We investigate the possible bounds which could be placed on alternative theories of gravity using gravitational wave detection from inspiralling compact binaries with the proposed LISA space interferometer. Specifically, we estimate lower bounds on the coupling parameter ω of scalar–tensor theories of the Brans–Dicke type and on the Compton wavelength of the graviton λg in hypothetical massive graviton theories. In these theories, modifications of the gravitational radiation damping formulae or of the propagation of the waves translate into a change in the phase evolution of the observed gravitational waveform. We obtain the bounds through the technique of matched filtering, employing the LISA sensitivity curve generator (SCG), available online. For a non-spinning neutron star on a quasi-circular inspiral into a non-spinning 103M⊙ black hole in the Virgo Cluster, in a two-year integration, we find a lower bound ω > 3 × 105. For lower-mass black holes, the bound could be as large as 2 × 106. The bound is independent of LISA arm length, but is inversely proportional to the LISA position noise error, under the assumption that position error noise dominates laser shot noise. Lower bounds on the graviton Compton wavelength ranging from 1015 km to 5 × 1016 km can be obtained from one-year observations of massive binary black-hole inspirals at cosmological distances (3 Gpc) for masses ranging from 104 to 107M⊙. For the highest-mass systems (107M⊙), the bound is proportional to (LISA arm length)1/2 and to (LISA acceleration noise)−1/2. For the others, the bound is independent of these parameters because of the dominance of white-dwarf confusion noise in the relevant part of the frequency spectrum. These bounds improve and extend earlier work which used analytic formulae for the noise curves.


A feature-based process planning approach for fineblanking-forming-stamping parts is discussed in this paper. To reduce the dependence of experience designers and improve the design efficiency and quality, a prototype of feature-based process planning system has been established. The system consists of four major modules: forming process recognition, feature representation, operation sequence design and parametric feature modeling. The graph-based process recognition and feature representation methods are introduced. The knowledge-based methods are also used for process planning. An application example is illustrated.


Abstract: Many factors can contribute to geographic color variation, including natural selection, sexual selection, and genetic drift. In squamates, phenotypic plasticity can also play an important role in color variation because color can change during maturation, across seasons, and over short time scales in response to environmental stimuli. Here, we quantify geographic color variation and assess the contribution of physiological plasticity (rapid color change) in populations of Eastern Collared Lizards (Crotaphytus collaris). First, we quantified the dorsal coloration of four geographically distinct populations of C. collaris: two putatively melanistic populations on lava flows, and two typically colored populations from the surrounding desert. Second, we quantified the degree of physiological color change occurring in response to stress and temperature, two factors known to affect reptile coloration over short time scales. We found that populations differed in overall coloration, but that only one of the two lava-flow populations was darker than its neighboring population. Both lava-flow populations exhibited less contrast with their respective substrates than the desert populations. All populations exhibited some physiological color change, but the degree of color plasticity was narrower than the differences in color across populations. Future studies on the genetics of coloration will be necessary to understand the specific mechanisms contributing to color variation in C. collaris, but our results indicate that natural selection for background matching likely plays a role in this system.


THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTERABSTRACT OF THESIS submitted by Helen Hawley for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy and entitled: The role of the exercise instructor in older adults? uptake and adherence to exercise classes. September 2011Encouraging older adults to become more active and maintain that activity is critical to the promotion of their health and well-being, social networks and independence. Leadership behaviour and quality of instruction is important in influencing engagement of older adults in exercise classes. Instructors? attitudes could influence older adults? uptake and adherence to classes, but little is known about the relationship between attitudes and characteristics of instructors and their delivery in relation to uptake and adherence of older adults to exercise classes. Methods: Underpinned by the Theory of Planned Behaviour and using a mixed methods approach this thesis uses three studies to:1) Survey 731 United Kingdom exercise instructors with Level 3 older adults exercise qualification to investigate instructors? characteristics and attitudes towards older-adults? participation in exercise. 2) Interview 19 instructors to further explore instructors? attitudes, experiences and beliefs in relation to their exercise classes for older adults and how their attitudes, experiences and beliefs are influenced by their training and characteristics.3) Follow up a cohort of 16 instructors and 193 of their class participants over 6 months to explore what characteristics of exercise instructors, the group and class participants influence adherence and also whether instructors influence uptake and adherence to home exercise.Results and Conclusion: The first study establishes that there is a relationship between instructors? training, experience, characteristics and their attitudes. The second study supports these findings and demonstrates how instructors? think that these factors and others not only influence how they deliver and promote their classes but also influence older adults? uptake and adherence to exercise classes. The final study enables us to look at the relationship between instructor variables and the participant within the exercise class setting. Class participants? mental well-being, education and housing were key factors related to their attendance. Having attended the class for more than six months at baseline was an important factor related to adherence. Individual factors such as participants? attitudes, beliefs about group cohesion and instructor variables such as personality traits and experience emerged in the final models both in relation to participant attendance and adherence. There are a series of complex interactions between the instructor, participant, the group and others which influences beliefs and attitudes. It is clear that the instructor can influence participants and they have an important role to play in creating an atmosphere and environment of which participants want to be a part of.


Studies in modern high-speed traction need to develop detailed equations to formulate a complete electromechanical model that represents the dynamic coupling of electrical and mechanical phenomena. Starting from Lagrange and Park theories, and after recalling the general criteria for the setup of the two distinct mechanical and electrical subsystems, the new formalization of a complete dynamic model with specific reference to a train dedicated to high-speed services is hereby presented. Simulations are carried out with relation to two conditions of particular interest in the application side, i.e., the steady-state condition and the three-phase short-circuit fault at a speed of 100 km/h. Representative of the dynamics of each single component, the investigation in particular focuses on the transmission organs (rotor, Cardan joint, and gear case) and the relevant torques associated with the short-circuit dynamics.


Water scarcity is a key challenge to global development. In Brazil, the Sao Francisco River Basin (SFB) has experienced water scarcity problems because of decreasing streamflow and increasing demands from multiple sectors. However, the drivers of decreased streamflow, particularly the potential role of the surface-groundwater interaction, have not yet been investigated. Here, we assess long-term trends in the streamflow and baseflow of the SFB during 1980–2015 and constrain the most likely drivers of observed decreases through a trend analysis of precipitation (P), evapotranspiration (ET), and terrestrial water storage change (TWS). We found that, on average, over 86% of the observed decrease in streamflow can be attributed to a significant decreasing baseflow trend along the SFR, with a spatial agreement between the decreased baseflow, increased ET, and irrigated agricultural land in the Middle SFB. We also noted a decreasing trend in TWS across the SFB exceeding –20 mm year−1. Overall, our findings indicate that decreasing groundwater contributions (i.e., baseflow) are providing the observed reduction in the total SFR flow. A lack of significant P trends and the strong TWS depletion indicate that a P variability only has likely not caused the observed baseflow reduction, in mainly the Middle and Sub-middle SFB. Therefore, groundwater and surface withdrawals may likely be a driver of baseflow reduction in some regions of the SFB.


Two elderly, nondiabetic patients with uremia, one of whom had received on the preceding day one gram of carbutamide per os and the other one gram of tolbutamide intravenously, had severe, prolonged hypoglycemic reactions. The reaction lasted for six days in the former patient and was so severe that daily administration of glucose was necessary. The patient died from uremia thirteen days after taking the drug. The other patient was markedly hypoglycemic until his death three and one-half days later. A fairly large benign adrenocortical adenoma was found at autopsy in each patient. The same agents were also administered once to four severely uremic patients, but no significant depression of the blood sugar level was elicited. The cause of the prolonged hypoglycemia in some subjects remains undetermined.


In this paper, the closed form analytical expressions for the displacement field due to a cylindrical inclusion in a thermoelastic half-space are obtained. These expressions are derived in the context of steady-state uncoupled thermoelasticity using thermoelastic displacement potential functions. The thermal displacement field is generated due to differences in the coefficients of linear thermal expansion between a subregion and the surrounding material. Further, comparison between displacement field in a half-space and in an infinite medium has been discussed. The variation of displacement field in a half-space and its comparison with an infinite medium is also shown graphically.


Animals frequently face situations where they must choose one prey item from a set of options. Animals are often considered to be able to choose the best prey item from multiple alternatives. However, time may be required to make accurate decisions, and under natural conditions, time is usually limited. Here, we examined whether animals fail to choose the most profitable prey item under time-limited conditions. A queen (foundress) of a paper wasp Polistes chinensis antennalis starts a colony in spring and maintains the nest alone until the emergence of workers. At the stage, the foundress often depredates larvae in other conspecific nests. The intruder needs to finish choosing and extracting a single larva during the absence of the owner from the nest. Intruders preferred the fifth-instar larvae, which are the largest and the most profitable prey among larvae. When the time spent in choosing was long, intruders were able to choose the fifth-instar larvae with a higher probability. However, when the time spent in choosing was short, intruders sampled only a small fraction of larvae in a nest, and the probability of choosing the fifth-instar larvae decreased. Furthermore, we found that intruders decreased the time spent in choosing under higher time constraints. These results suggest that under time-limited conditions, intruders occasionally failed to choose the most profitable prey item because of incomplete information on the availability of options. These results also suggest a trade-off between speed and accuracy of choosing the best item from a set of options.


This paper shows how to calibrate a two-sector general equilibrium model of production using a small number of parameter assumptions and readily available data. The framework is then used to analyze the costs of labor market dualism. The paper quantifies the effects of rural-urban wage differentials and urban unemployment on total output, wages and returns to capital, factor shares, and sectoral structure. One of the main findings is that labor market rigidities can have a major impact on the extent of industrialization.


Sequences having peaky autocorrelation are useful in range resolution radar and in a homomorphic problem of detecting reflections in seismic exploration. The concept of correlative signal processing for system identification in these applications is extended here to processing based on monogenic signatures. Some sequences having good monogenic signatures are listed. These yield sequence compression equal to the length of the sequences, and peak/sidelobe ratios or merit factors could be superior to those obtainable in correlative processing for the same length of sequences. The problems in developing monogenic function radar are discussed and some solutions proposed.


The cross spectral density (CSD) for a multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) random vibration is typically defined by the complex coherence consisting of the modulus and the phase. The purpose of this paper is to present a constraint for the complex coherence to allow the CSD to be defined more easily. The study of the complex coherence constraint is based on Cholesky decomposition of the spectral density matrix (SDM). The complex coherence must be bounded in the interior or on the boundary of a constraint circle to ensure a physically realizable random vibration. This paper proposes a new approach to define the complex coherences of the SDM by using recursive formulas based on the constraint circle.


The proposed system is based on embedded the heuristic search in DNA search algorithm so to make it more efficient and flexible. The HDNA system is constructed to improve the work of the DNA computing algorithm and enhance the measurement criteria of it by reducing the run time and the memory capacity as well as the number of generated random solutions (strands or states) that are needed to implement the computing algorithm. The experimental results appear that the HDNA using A* and Alpha-Beta is more efficient than using A* and Alpha-Beta each alone.


Fifth generation wireless communications are denoted by 5G technology. 5G schemes are coming from first generation analog communication, 2G of Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), then 3G of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), after that fourth generation of long-term evaluation (LTE), and now fifth generation World Wide Wireless Web (WWWW). This research inves-tigation presents issues, challenges, and the importance of 5G Wifi communication. In the 5G digital cellular network, the coverage area of the service providers is separated into small area called cells. All the audio, video, and image files are digitized and converted by an ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) and transmitted through stream of bits. 5G wireless devices are communicated using radio waves in a geographically reusable common pool of frequency band. Using wireless backhaul connection, the local antennas are connected with the internet/telephone network. Spectrum speed is substantially higher in millimeter wave. Hence, this was considered in this work.


The purpose of the study was to develop an online internship recommender services which addresses the challenges in matching skills requirements needed for internship training of a Host Training Establishments with an Intern. The study uses Fuzzy Search Algorithm which serves as the intelligent component in order to offer a fast, reliable and efficient Internship Recommendation Services. Furthermore, the study aimed to provide a better administrative management in internship training that served as a bridging gap between Interns, State Universities and Colleges and Host Training Establishments. Fuzzy Search Algorithm works by applying different methods in identifying the minimum edit distance of strings such as insertion, deletion and substitution. Once identified, Fuzzy Search Algorithm will then generate what are the possible closest strings (list of skills requirements) matches to its target string (intern's skills). With the utilization of this algorithm, TRYWORK can now provide what are the possible recommended job trainings or Host Training Establishments that are available for each intern. Descriptive – Developmental method of research was used by the researchers. The researchers use Stratified Purposeful Sampling and Slovin's Formula to determine the sample size of respondents from the identified population. The respondent's level of acceptance towards the developed system in terms of Functionality, Usability, Reliability, Efficiency and Security is Highly Acceptable with a rate of 4.64. Furthermore, the researchers concluded that the TRYWORK has solved the issue by offering recommendations for both Host Training Establishments and Interns. Also, the study provides a map suggesting to an intern what is the nearest distance between a Host Training Establishment and intern and be considered to apply for internship training. TRYWORK provides solution in producing internship reports and analytics which helps in providing better accomplishments within Higher Education Institutions in achieving their desired target goals.


The present paper is a premise-like presentation of thoughts about the importance of the Economic Impact Studies of art festivals and their pitfalls. It mentions the possible establishment of a trend of forecasting economic impact studies, and the concern about the way these studies are presented. The concerns that festivals are turned into commodities within the open market competition, and the fact that reports lack clarity are underpinning the paper. The main core of this concern is that nowadays a festival should always be successful enough so as to get the «ok» from the economists hired by public administrations, and consequently receive government subsidies. As a matter of fact, any exacerbation of the world economic crisis begets greater demand for positive economic impacts from the festivals' side. There is an ongoing pressure on festivals to adjust to a type of entrepreneurial competition which is indirectly realized by the centers of power. But hopefully economists will not be the ones to take decisions about the existence or not of a festival. The paper ends with the presentation of the economic impact study of the Manchester International Festival and with the question whether such study will mark the beginning or not of a new way of estimating the economic impacts of festivals with the idea of the Knowledge Capital.


Numerous studies have shown the merits of targeting the costs of conservation besides environmental benefits and aligning payments for ecosystem services with incurred costs. However, cost-effective and precise estimation of site specific opportunity costs is a major challenge. In this paper we test two approaches to estimate opportunity costs of conservation: One approach derives opportunity costs from annual land rents, and the other models regresses opportunity costs on easily obtainable and difficult to manipulate spatial and socio-economic independent variables such as soil quality. None of these approaches appeared to estimate opportunity costs sufficiently well. But since this judgment is based on how well the estimates compare to the reference opportunity costs, which were computed from farm budgets, we also considered potential flaws in the reference data and tested their plausibility. The tests confirmed the plausibility of data. Based on the results presented in this paper none of the two cost estimation approaches can be recommended for practical application in conservation programs. Yet, further research is necessary to confirm these findings giving special attention to the techniques that are applied to deliver reference point data on opportunity costs.


3D cancer spheroids represent a highly promising model for study of cancer progression and therapeutic development. Wide-scale adoption of cancer spheroids, however, remains a challenge due to the lack of control over hypoxic gradients that may cloud the assessment of cell morphology and drug response. Here, we present a Microwell Flow Device (MFD) that generates in-well laminar flow around 3D tissues via repetitive tissue sedimentation. Using a prostate cancer cell line, we demonstrate the spheroids in the MFD exhibit improved cell growth, reduced necrotic core formation, enhanced structural integrity, and down-regulated expression of cell stress genes. The flow-cultured spheroids also exhibit an improved sensitivity to chemotherapy with greater transcriptional response. These results demonstrate how fluidic stimuli reveal the cellular phenotype previously masked by severe necrosis. Our platform advances 3D cellular models and enables study into hypoxia modulation, cancer metabolism, and drug screening within pathophysiological conditions.


Antennas on multiple platforms with the capability to be reused is a novel concept in antenna technologies. This thesis explores the idea of such a flexible antenna that can be stuck on any surface using certain adhesives and be peeled off for reuse for a different purpose. This thesis specifically focuses on the application of being used on small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAVs). Three basic designs are fabricated and investigated. One of them is a reconfigurable meandering monopole, consisting of a PIN diode which resonates at two different frequencies depending on the applied external voltage. A challenge that is addressed is the need for the antenna to be miniaturized, since the frequencies used by sUAVs traditionally require large antennas. To tackle this problem a high bandwidth Log Periodic dipole array (LPDA) is designed and tested. The elements of the LPDA are folded, and the effect this has on the antenna performance is studied. The Q factor for such an antenna is evaluated and correlated as a function of how well the antenna was miniaturized. All the fabricated antennas are tested on multiple surfaces, some of them even conformal, to see how their properties change when stuck to different surfaces.


Mud crab (Scylla serrata (Forsskål 1775)) fattening and culture is an emerging industry in Bangladesh that directly benefits households in the coastal region of Bangladesh. Currently, 37.8 % of crab fattening and culturing facilities are owned and operated by women whose households are generally poor. The study was conducted to promote the integration of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus 1758)) into mud crab culture, thus diversifying the crops and potentially improving household income and nutrition. First, a baseline survey of 150 mud crab farmers in the Satkhira, Khulna, and Bagerhat regions was conducted, focusing on household food consumption, dietary nutrition and earned incomes, plus household demographic and socio-economic information. The survey revealed that the majority of mud crab farmers are poorly educated (5 years average schooling) and consumed low dietary nutrients, particularly from animal protein sources. Second, tilapias were integrated into mud crab culture by 45 farmers, 15 from each surveyed region. 5 farmers from each region continued with the traditional mud crab fattening procedures and 10 were instructed in methods of mud crab and tilapia stocking and culture, using mixed sex tilapia for continuous breeding. 5 of the 10 farmers sold their tilapia to market while the other 5 kept the tilapia for direct household consumption. In both groups small tilapia were fed to mud crabs to reduce reliance on wildcaught trash fish as feed. Including tilapia in mud crab fattening and culture increased growth and production of mud crabs, albeit not to a level that differed significantly from the group * Corresponding author. Email address: email@example.com 314 AsianFisheriesScience Special Issue 30S (2017): 313-326 where mud crab alone were produced. Adding tilapia into mud crab culture increased the nutrient-rich foods available for the farmer's households. A follow up survey found that the women and their household members improved their incomes and consumption of high quality protein. Overall, the integration of tilapia provides a more sustainable method for growing mud crab while also enhancing the livelihoods of farmers.