Why should the law care about enforcing contracts? We tend to think of a contract as the legal embodiment of a moral obligation to keep a promise. When two parties enter into a transaction, they are obligated as moral beings to play out the transaction in the way that both parties expect. But this overlooks a broader understanding of the moral possibilities of the market. Just as Shakespeare's Shylock can stand on his contract with Antonio not because Antonio is bound by honor but because the enforcement of contracts is seen as important to maintaining a kind of social arrangement, today's contracts serve a fundamental role in the functioning of society. With The Dignity of Commerce, Nathan B. Oman argues persuasively that well-functioning markets are morally desirable in and of themselves and thus a fit object of protection through contract law. Markets, Oman shows, are about more than simple economic efficiency. To do business with others, we must demonstrate understanding of and satisfy their needs. This ability to see the world from another's point of view inculcates key virtues that support a liberal society. Markets also provide a context in which people can peacefully cooperate in the absence of political, religious, or ideological agreement. Finally, the material prosperity generated by commerce has an ameliorative effect on a host of social ills, from racial discrimination to environmental destruction. The first book to place the moral status of the market at the center of the justification for contract law, The Dignity of Commerce is sure to elicit serious discussion about this central area of legal studies.


The research aims to find out: financial feasibility of pepper farming and marketing efficiency of pepper. This research was conducted in two pepper production centers, Gunung Labuhan Village and Bengkulu Tengah Village, Gunung Labuhan Subdistrict of Way Kanan Regency. Respondents consisted of fifty pepper farmers selected randomly by using stratified random sampling and six pepper traders determined by using snowball sampling. The first goal was analyzed using investment criteria and sensitivity rate. The second goal was analyzed using marketing margins, price correlations, and price transmission elasticity. The results showed that pepper farming is worth to attempt based on the value of investment criteria and the sensitivity rate analysis against changes that may occur. The changes were the production cost increase of 8.38% the production quantity decrease of 30%, and the production price decrease of 13 %. The market structure was oligopsonistic market with the price correlation coefficient value of 0.47, which means pepper market is not perfectly competitive, and price transmission elasticity value of 1.74, which means the rate of change in consumer prices is greater than the rate of change in producer prices.


Introduction The high mortality of cervical cancer is a public health problem in Hungary. The risk of cervical cancer is increased by the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The awareness of HPV associated diseases and HPV vaccination plays an important role in the prevention. The purpose of this survey was to assess the knowledge about HPV and its prevention among adolescent girls. Methods A self-administered questionnaire concerning knowledge of HPV, cervical cancer and vaccines were applied. Altogether 589 girls (aged 14–18) taking part in a short course about sexual and reproductive health were involved; the questionnaires were completed before the education. SPSS for Windows version 17.0 was used to analyse the results. Results Half of the girls were sexually active, 75.6% of them began sexual activity at 15–17 ages; the mean age was 15.39 years. Only 49.9% of the respondents identified correctly that HPV is a sexually transmitted infection. The girls being familiar with this fact were more informed about the various ways of HPV transmission. In general, the awareness of HPV transmission was very low (0.8% gave totally correct answer). 34.8% of the sexually active girls thought that using a condom completely prevent HPV infection. 47.5% have heard about the HPV vaccine. Conclusion This survey indicated that adolescent girls have low level knowledge about HPV, although they are sexually active. Serious misconceptions exist about specific aspects of the disease. Improvements in the sexual education in the upper primary schools are needed to encourage the prevention of cervical cancer in Hungary.


MOTIVATING AND ENGAGING THE MUSIC LEARNER IN JAZZ Matthew Garry Buttermann This study investigated the motivating and engaging factors of jazz programs present in the learning environments of avocational jazz musicians in higher education. The investigation explored these factors as perceived by the learners themselves as well as the educators tasked with creating enriching musical experiences for their college students. The student participants for this study consisted of college students currently enrolled at a liberal arts college in the Northeast, all of whom perform in the jazz ensemble at their institution. The setting of liberal arts colleges was chosen for the study as an environment where students are actively learning and performing jazz music while pursuing other academic interests more closely related of their desired future professional goals. The educator participants came from the same institutions and provided data in specific regard to their experiences working with this unique population of jazz learners. Students reported their motivations were peaked by the social element inherent to the ensemble experience, their desire to exercise their creativity, and the value of diverse learning environment as part of their overall college experience. On the other hand, educators from the same institutions found that they were best serving their students by demonstrating their own enthusiasm for the music, demonstrating the critical thinking element of jazz learning, and understanding that the students more closely relate the ensemble to a recreational activity available at the college. The study gathered data from focus group interviews with 49 students and 6 oneon-one interviews with jazz educators at liberal arts colleges. The questions for these interviews and focus groups were derived from an earlier pilot study of the same population of jazz learners and liberal arts music educators, and the analysis paralleled reported findings to relevant motivational theories and pedagogical practices common to jazz performance education.


In this paper I argue that belief in the greater confirmatory value of prediction over accommodation can best be understood as a function of the practice rather than the logic of science. Attempts to account for this asymmetry within the logic of science have revealed no non-arbitrary way to address the problem of underdetermination as it applies to prediction and thus have failed to account for the preference for prediction over accommodation on logical grounds. Instead, I propose a model that not only justifies and explains this preference, but allows for a richer taxonomy of the types of evidential confirmation that are employed in scientific reasoning.


Power consumption of system level on chip communications is becoming more significant in the overall system on chip power as technology scales down. High bandwidth is desired to enhance parallelism for better performance, and the power efficiency on this bandwidth is critical to the overall SoC power consumption. Current bus architectures such as AMBA, Core connect, and Avalon are convenient for designers but not efficient on power. This paper proposes a physical synthesis scheme for on chip buses and bus matrices to minimize the power consumption, without changing the interface or arbitration protocols. By using a bus gating technique, data transactions can take shortest paths on chip, reducing the power consumption of bus wires to minimal. Routing resource and bandwidth capacity are also optimized by the construction of a shortest-path Steiner graph, wire sharing among multiple data transactions, and wire reduction heuristics on the Steiner graph. In this paper, we optimize on-chip bus communications on the tradeoffs between minimal power, maximal bandwidth, and minimal total wire length. Based on AMBA protocols, we modify the bus structure using a "bus gating" technique, and apply optimizations which are biased toward minimal power, but also favor bandwidth and routing resource.


The rise of social media has opened countless opportunities to explore social science questions with new data and methods. However, research on socioeconomic inequality remains constrained by limited individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) measures in digital trace data. Following Bourdieu, we argue that the commercial and entertainment accounts Twitter users follow reflect their economic and cultural capital. Adapting a political science method for inferring political ideology, we use correspondence analysis to estimate the SES of 3,482,652 Twitter users who follow the accounts of 339 brands in the United States. We validate our estimates with data from the Facebook Marketing application programming interface, self-reported job titles on users' Twitter profiles, and a small survey sample. The results show reasonable correlations with the standard proxies for SES, alongside much weaker or nonsignificant correlations with other demographic variables. The proposed method opens new opportunities for innovative social research on inequality on Twitter and similar online platforms.


REE contents of four tektites from separate strewn-fields have been determined and the REE and major elements in ten shock-metamorphic rocks from lakes Lappajarvi, Saaksjarvi (Finland), and Janisjarvi (Soviet Karelia). Neither the impact of meteorite or comet nor secondary weathering seems to change the REE content or distribution pattern in rocks. Therefore, where the texture and major element composition in country rock has changed through impact and after it, REE can be used as indicators of the original rock or sediment type. The surfaces of the Moon and each planet, including the earth, probably have unique REE distribution patterns as a result of the prevailing endogenic and exogenic processes. The distribution patterns of REE in tektites, are quite similar to those found in sediments, sedimentary rocks and shock-melted rocks. Accordingly, the origin of tektites from silica-rich clayey sediments or silicic rocks through impact is strongly indicated.


BACKGROUND: Considerable problems in the management of HIV infection remain, even in the Western world. Not all patients respond satisfactorily to expensive highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Relapses are frequent; often, but not always related to drug resistance, and side effects may be serious. New therapeutic strategies are therefore needed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic survey was made of protocols for gene therapy available in major databases, as well as of publications on gene therapy of HIV infection and other virus infections. RESULTS: A number of strategies for gene therapy in HIV infection are theoretically possible, several of which are already in phase I trials, in a few cases also in phase II trials. Several strategies are targeting various aspects of the life cycle of HIV, while others are aiming at improving the patient's own immune response to the virus. So far no clinical results have been published. Gene therapy is also in development for certain other viruses, including various herpes viruses as well as hepatitis B and C viruses. Gene therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis with synthetic oligonucleotides based on the antisense principle is already available in clinical medicine. INTERPRETATION: Valuable information has been gained from the studies, which will be a great value in the further development of gene therapy for HIV infection and for other viral infections.


BACKGROUND
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health disorder that may develop after exposure to traumatic events. Substance use disorder (SUD) is a behavioural disorder in which the use of one or more substances is associated with heightened levels of distress, clinically significant impairment of functioning, or both. PTSD and SUD frequently occur together. The comorbidity is widely recognised as being difficult to treat and is associated with poorer treatment completion and poorer outcomes than for either condition alone. Several psychological therapies have been developed to treat the comorbidity, however there is no consensus about which therapies are most effective.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the efficacy of psychological therapies aimed at treating traumatic stress symptoms, substance misuse symptoms, or both in people with comorbid PTSD and SUD in comparison with control conditions (usual care, waiting-list conditions, and no treatment) and other psychological therapies.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group's Specialised Register (CCDANCTR) all years to 11 March 2015. This register contains relevant randomised controlled trials from the Cochrane Library (all years), MEDLINE (1950 to date), EMBASE (1974 to date), and PsycINFO (1967 to date). We also searched the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrials.gov, contacted experts, searched bibliographies of included studies, and performed citation searches of identified articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials of individual or group psychological therapies delivered to individuals with PTSD and comorbid substance use, compared with waiting-list conditions, usual care, or minimal intervention or to other psychological therapies.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.

MAIN RESULTS
We included 14 studies with 1506 participants, of which 13 studies were included in the quantitative synthesis. Most studies involved adult populations. Studies were conducted in a variety of settings. We performed four comparisons investigating the effects of psychological therapies with a trauma-focused component and non-trauma-focused interventions against treatment as usual/minimal intervention and other active psychological therapies. Comparisons were stratified for individual- or group-based therapies. All active interventions were based on cognitive behavioural therapy. Our main findings were as follows.Individual-based psychological therapies with a trauma-focused component plus adjunctive SUD intervention was more effective than treatment as usual (TAU)/minimal intervention for PTSD severity post-treatment (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.41; 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.72 to -0.10; 4 studies; n = 405; very low-quality evidence) and at 3 to 4 and 5 to 7 months' follow-up. There was no evidence of an effect for level of drug/alcohol use post-treatment (SMD -0.13; 95% CI -0.41 to 0.15; 3 studies; n = 388; very low-quality evidence), but there was a small effect in favour of individual psychological therapy at 5 to 7 months (SMD -0.28; 95% CI -0.48 to -0.07; 3 studies; n = 388) when compared against TAU. Fewer participants completed trauma-focused therapy than TAU (risk ratio (RR) 0.78; 95% CI 0.64 to 0.96; 3 studies; n = 316; low-quality evidence).Individual-based psychological therapy with a trauma-focused component did not perform better than psychological therapy for SUD only for PTSD severity (mean difference (MD) -3.91; 95% CI -19.16 to 11.34; 1 study; n = 46; low-quality evidence) or drug/alcohol use (MD -1.27; 95% CI -5.76 to 3.22; 1 study; n = 46; low-quality evidence). Findings were based on one small study. No effects were observed for rates of therapy completion (RR 1.00; 95% CI 0.74 to 1.36; 1 study; n = 62; low-quality evidence).Non-trauma-focused psychological therapies did not perform better than TAU/minimal intervention for PTSD severity when delivered on an individual (SMD -0.22; 95% CI -0.83 to 0.39; 1 study; n = 44; low-quality evidence) or group basis (SMD -0.02; 95% CI -0.19 to 0.16; 4 studies; n = 513; low-quality evidence). There were no data on the effects on drug/alcohol use for individual therapy. There was no evidence of an effect on the level of drug/alcohol use for group-based therapy (SMD -0.03; 95% CI -0.37 to 0.31; 4 studies; n = 414; very low-quality evidence). A post-hoc analysis for full dose of a widely established group therapy called Seeking Safety showed reduced drug/alcohol use post-treatment (SMD -0.67; 95% CI -1.14 to -0.19; 2 studies; n = 111), but not at subsequent follow-ups. Data on the number of participants completing therapy were not for individual-based therapy. No effects were observed for rates of therapy completion for group-based therapy (RR 1.13; 95% CI 0.88 to 1.45; 2 studies; n = 217; low-quality evidence).Non-trauma-focused psychological therapy did not perform better than psychological therapy for SUD only for PTSD severity (SMD -0.26; 95% CI -1.29 to 0.77; 2 studies; n = 128; very low-quality evidence) or drug/alcohol use (SMD 0.22; 95% CI -0.13 to 0.57; 2 studies; n = 128; low-quality evidence). No effects were observed for rates of therapy completion (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.68 to 1.20; 2 studies; n = 128; very low-quality evidence).Several studies reported on adverse events. There were no differences between rates of such events in any comparison. We rated several studies as being at 'high' or 'unclear' risk of bias in multiple domains, including for detection bias and attrition bias.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
We assessed the evidence in this review as mostly low to very low quality. Evidence showed that individual trauma-focused psychological therapy delivered alongside SUD therapy did better than TAU/minimal intervention in reducing PTSD severity post-treatment and at long-term follow-up, but only reduced SUD at long-term follow-up. All effects were small, and follow-up periods were generally quite short. There was evidence that fewer participants receiving trauma-focused therapy completed treatment. There was very little evidence to support use of non-trauma-focused individual- or group-based integrated therapies. Individuals with more severe and complex presentations (e.g. serious mental illness, individuals with cognitive impairment, and suicidal individuals) were excluded from most studies in this review, and so the findings from this review are not generalisable to such individuals. Some studies suffered from significant methodological problems and some were underpowered, limiting the conclusions that can be drawn. Further research is needed in this area.


Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. HCV core protein is involved in nucleocapsid formation, but it also interacts with multiple cytoplasmic and nuclear molecules and plays a crucial role in the development of liver disease and hepatocarcinogenesis. The core protein is found mostly in the cytoplasm during HCV infection, but also in the nucleus in patients with hepatocarcinoma and in core-transgenic mice. HCV core contains nuclear localization signals (NLS), but no nuclear export signal (NES) has yet been identified. We show here that the aa(109–133) region directs the translocation of core from the nucleus to the cytoplasm by the CRM-1-mediated nuclear export pathway. Mutagenesis of the three hydrophobic residues (L119, I123 and L126) in the identified NES or in the sequence encoding the mature core aa(1–173) significantly enhanced the nuclear localisation of the corresponding proteins in transfected Huh7 cells. Both the NES and the adjacent hydrophobic sequence in domain II of core were required to maintain the core protein or its fragments in the cytoplasmic compartment. Electron microscopy studies of the JFH1 replication model demonstrated that core was translocated into the nucleus a few minutes after the virus entered the cell. The blockade of nucleocytoplasmic export by leptomycin B treatment early in infection led to the detection of core protein in the nucleus by confocal microscopy and coincided with a decrease in virus replication. Our data suggest that the functional NLS and NES direct HCV core protein shuttling between the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments, with at least some core protein transported to the nucleus. These new properties of HCV core may be essential for virus multiplication and interaction with nuclear molecules, influence cell signaling and the pathogenesis of HCV infection.


In most urbanized areas stormwater runoff, flowing on impervious surfaces, can increase the risk of floods and overload of drainage systems. Landscape designers may contribute to the mitigation of the problem by incorporating appropriate solutions in the design of green spaces. Rain gardens are green infrastructures that can contribute to more sustainable urban development. Since 2011, an experiment has been carried out at the University of Padova with the aim to assess the use of rain gardens for a sustainable management of the stormwater runoff. Two circular rain gardens with herbaceous perennials, differently sized and equipped with TDR soil moisture sensors, were designed and built to intercept equal amounts of runoff draining from a building roof with an area of 215 m2. The experiment consisted of testing the capacity of intercepting runoff caused by storm of different magnitude, in measuring the dynamics of water in the topsoil after the rainfall events and in evaluating the growth and aesthetic quality of the different plant species used. Input and output water volumes were measured and actual ET was estimated using WUCOLS Landscape Coefficient Methods. Results of the preliminary phase showed that both the rain gardens were able to satisfactorily manage the roof runoff, which was taken off the urban drainage system, with a good aesthetic result.


The main goals of this project are; to develop and assess the effectiveness of learner centered activities for introductory astronomy that focus on solar system topics and; to test the methods of learner-centered instruction themselves through the implementation of these activities and their assessments. The intended end of the project is to have developed entire solar system :"unit" consisting of learner-centered activities on solar system topics that have been tested for their effectiveness.

Since 2000, many resources for active and collaborative learning in introductory astronomy have been developed. This is especially true for two of the four the main sections of a traditional introductory college astronomy course, the observed motions in the sky and light, the Sun and stars. There is currently considered to be a dearth of activities pertaining specifically to solar system topics, also considered one of the four main sections of a traditional course. For instance, the leading Lecture-Tutorial (LT) workbook (Prather et al., 2007) has 38 LTs, 14 of them, 37% are about topics related to the observed motions in the sky and 16, 42% are topics related to light, the Sun and stars. Of the remaining 8, only 4, 11%, are about topics traditionally covered in a solar system unit, one each on the Earth's surface, the formation of the solar system, the size and scale of solar system objects and extra solar planets. There are tutorials on planetary motion and gravity, but these are topics generally covered in the earlier motions and history unit. The last 4 LTs are about galaxies and cosmology.

Research investigating student pre-instruction beliefs and reasoning difficulties in cosmology, considered the fourth main section of a traditional astronomy course, is also underway as is the development and assessment of instructional materials. (CATS projects/ Research on Students Beliefs and Reasoning Difficulties related to Cosmology
http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/cats/projects/)

Another reason for development of more material covering solar system topics is for research to better understand student learning in these areas. An assessment instrument the Solar System Concepts Inventory, SSCI that is under development and preliminary testing will eventually be used for this purpose. The availability of more material to assess will aid in the validation of the survey and then the survey itself will in turn aid in the development of even more new materials. (CATS projects / Solar System Concept Inventory (SSCI) & Solar System Lecture-Tutorials Project,http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/cats/projects/)
Assessment instruments on light and spectra, the Light and Spectroscopy Inventory, LSCI (Bardar et al., 2007), and stellar topics, the Star Properties Concept Inventory, SPCI (Bailey, 2008), already exist and have been field tested (Bardar, 2008), used in research (Prather et al., 2008, Prather et al. 2009), and used to test instruction materials (Barder & Brecher 2008, LoPresto & Murrell, 2009) as does a good amount of instructional material on these topics. (Prather et al., 2007). Assessment instruments on cosmology are also under development. (Wallace et al., 2011).

The activities developed, implemented and assessed for this project, in the order that they were assigned during a solar system unit, are;
1-The HFCC Solar System Walk
2-Comparative Planetology
3-Formation of the Solar System
4-Extra-Solar Planets
5-Comets
6-Surface Conditions of Terrestrial Planets
1-Planetary Geology
2-Planetary Atmospheres

A pilot research project that was designed and undertaken to test the viability of this project consisted of using active and collaborative instructional materials that were already in existence on other topics and testing them with an already existing and established assessment instrument. Based on the number of Lecture-Tutorials (LTs) available on the subjects of light, the Sun and stars (Prather et al., 2007) and the existence of an already established concept inventory, the Star Properties Concept Inventory (SPCI) (Bailey, 2008), light, the Sun and stars, usually the third 'unit' of a general education introductory astronomy course, was chosen.

The experimental design of the different studies in this project is similar to that of the pilot project. In general, students were given pretest and posttest assessments so gains in groups receiving different methods of instruction could be compared. The scores of students who did the activities were compared to students that did not do the activities and were rather taught the same topics through more traditional lectures.

The assessment instrument used was the Solar System Survey, 25-item multiple-choice items on solar system topics developed and validated for this project to test the instructional materials developed and the instructional methods they employ.

In efforts to minimize instructor bias and the Hawthorn Effect (Hake, 1998, from Slavin, 1992) different instructors involved in the studies were assigned to teach different sections both by lecture and by learner-centered methods. Also, in the final trials of each study, the author taught none of the sections involved.

The statistical significance of results were evaluated in two ways. When the performance of two groups on a set of assessment questions was being compared, the average score of each group and the standard error were calculated. The standard errors were considered the error-bars around each average. The less overlap in the error bars, the more significant the result. If there was no overlap the difference in the average scores of the two groups was considered statistically significant.

When the results of different groups on specific assessment items were compared the statistical significance of results were evaluated by chi-squared tests with 2 x2 contingency tables. The numbers of students giving correct and incorrect responses in each group were put into 2 x 2 contingency tables that were used to calculate. P-values. The lower the P-value the more significant the result, P=0.05 being considered the maximum value for a significant result.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of both sludge characteristics and operational parameters on polymer selection and optimal dose requirements to improve the dewatering characteristics of aerobically digested sludges of a contact stabilization activated sludge plant in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In order to determine the dewatering characteristics of the sludge samples, capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) were measured.

Cationic conditioning polymers were found more effective than the anionic types. The optimum polymer dose was equal to 4.2 kg of polymer/ton of dry matter for three of the cationic polymers used in this study namely Zeetag 57, Superfloc C420, and Zeetag 92.

The optimum dose requirements are increased substantially with increasing pH values. A linear relationship was found between the optimal polymer dose in mg/l and the sludge solids concentration. The optimum total mixing time was found to be 2 min: 30 sec of rapid mixing at 100 rpm and 90 sec of slow mixing at 40 rpm. The sludge temperature variations were found to have a slight effect on polymer dose requirements.

A linear relationship was obtained between the CST and SRF with a correlation coefficient of 0.99.


We propose a method to measure the potential scholarly impact of researchers based on network structural variations they introduced to the underlying author co-citation network of their field. We applied the method to the information science field based on 91,978 papers published between 1979 and 2018 from the Web of Science. We divided the entire period into eight consecutive intervals and measured structural variation change rates (ΔM) of individual authors in corresponding author co-citation networks. Four types of researchers are identified in terms of temporal dynamics of their potential scholarly impact—1) Increasing, 2) Decreasing, 3) Sustained, and 4) Transient. The study contributes to the understanding of how researchers' scholarly impact might evolve in a broad context of the corresponding research community. Specifically, this study illustrated a crucial role played by structural variation metrics in measuring and explaining the potential scholarly impact of a researcher. This method based on the structural variation analysis offers a theoretical framework and a practical platform to analyze the potential scholarly impact of researchers and their specific contributions.


Much micro-econometric evidence suggests that precipitation has wide ranging impacts on vital economic indicators such as agricultural yields, human capital, and even conflict. And yet paradoxically most macro-econometric evidence (especially in the climate economy literature) finds that precipitation has no robust and significant impact on various measures of aggregate economic output. This paper argues that spatial aggregation of weather at the country level explains this result. The paper uses annual subnational gross domestic product data to show a concave relationship between precipitation and local gross domestic product growth between 1990 and 2014. It then demonstrates that when the data are aggregated at larger spatial scales, the impact decreases and eventually vanishes. The impact of precipitation on aggregate economic activity is predominantly felt in developing countries; it is insignificant in developed countries. Agriculture is found to be the dominant pathway. The results have significant consequences for measuring the economic impacts of climate change.


Aim Understanding how wild populations respond to climatic shifts is a fundamental goal of biological research in a fast-changing world. The Southern Ocean represents a fascinating system for assessing large-scale climate-driven biological change, as it contains extremely isolated island groups within a predominantly westerly, circumpolar wind and current system. The blue-eyed shags (Leucocarbo spp.) represent a paradoxical Southern Ocean seabird radiation; a circumpolar distribution implies strong dispersal capacity yet their speciose nature suggests local adaptation and isolation. Here we use genetic tools in an attempt to resolve this paradox. Location Southern Ocean. Taxa 17 species and subspecies of blue-eyed shags (Leucocarbo spp.) across the geographical distribution of the genus. Methods Here we use mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data to conduct the first global genetic analysis of this group using a temporal phylogenetic framework to test for rapid speciation. Results Our analysis reveals remarkably shallow evolutionary histories among island-endemic lineages, consistent with a recent high-latitude circumpolar radiation. This rapid sub-Antarctic expansion contrasts with significantly deeper lineages detected in more temperate regions such as South America and New Zealand that may have acted as glacial refugia. The dynamic history of high-latitude expansions is further supported by ancestral demographic and biogeographic reconstructions. Main conclusions The circumpolar distribution of blue-eyed shags, and their highly dynamic evolutionary history, potentially make Leucocarbo a strong sentinel of past and ongoing Southern Ocean ecosystem change given their sensitivity to climatic impacts.


As we are living in a country like Pakistan where most of the industrial task was performing manually and now a days are industries efforts to move toward the latest technology and automatic machinery, this research is related to the similar effort in which we have design a general purpose, path following, Autonomous Robot that can perform predefined tasks. Basically the theme was to build an autonomous robot which can perform a well-defined task on a certain time limit. It has an important industrial application in displacing and arrangement of stock packages, serving in hotels or any application that involves predetermined station stops. To identify the subject, custom designed IR proximity sensors come into play. Some of the important components are differential drive, IR sensors, DC motors and a controlling device to perform the task according to instructions feed


The development and validation of cellular model for studying amyloid precursor protein isoforms. Amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) is the major constituent of neuritic plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Abeta is a small insoluble 39-43 amino acid peptide derived from the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) by proteolytic cleavage. Different gene splicing produces variant isoforms ranging from 365 to 770 amino acids in length. The main three isoforms are: APP695, APP751 and APP770 and all are potentially sources of Abeta.The project aimed to investigate the hypothesis that one of these APP isoforms (APP695, APP751 and APP770) is more likely to be the source of Abeta in Alzheimer's disease under normal and stress-induced conditions. The clones of HEK293 cells stably expressing human APP695, APP751 and APP770 at comparable levels were put under stress inducing conditions: Serum alteration and energy deprivation.By altering FBS concentration in culture medium, more APP751 was secreted than APP695 and APP770 at all concentrations of FBS. The serum alteration in culture medium had no significant effect on cell number, secreted APP and APP gene expression. Energy deprivation was achieved using 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG). There was a significant reduction in cell number to a similar level for all three clones while the level of secreted APP and APP gene expression increased significantly. Also, the trend of APP secretion from each clone under the same concentration of 2DG was the same: more APP751 was secreted than APP695 and APP770.In summary, this project has suggested that serum in culture medium has no effect on cell number, APP secretion and APP gene expression between isoforms while energy deprivation using 2DG affected cell number, APP gene expression and APP production significantly. Not only does this confirm the importance of glucose as a source of energy but has also revealed the potential relationship between glucose metabolism and pathogenesis of AD. Ultimately, glucose metabolism could be the predominant factor in relation to Abeta peptide production.


The interaction and mixing between a bilayer sample of mucus and vaginal formulation was evaluated through viscosity measurements with respect to time and shear. Physical mixtures of mucus and vaginal formulation were used as controls. Three test protocols were designed: (1) constant shear, (2) intermittent shear, and (3) delayed shear. Several marketed vaginal products (Gynol II, KY Plus, KY, and Advantage-S) and experimental formulations (C31G with hydroxyethylcellulose [HEC]) were evaluated and compared by these tests. The results of the constant shear test showed that the shear stress profile of the bilayer approached that of the corresponding physical mixture, consistent with complete mixing of the bilayer under shear. The time taken for the bilayer to mix completely was in the following order: KY Plus > Gynol II and C31G > KY > Advantage-S. Under the intermittent shear protocol, the following order for complete mixing was observed: KY Plus > C31G > Gynol II > KY > Advantage-S. The 2 products evaluated by the delayed shear test, C31G and Gynol II, were both completely mixed at 180 minutes. The development of an in vitro test, when coupled with in vivo data, should serve in the screening and evaluation of future vaginal formulations.


Research shows that battered women who kill their abusers do so out of self-defense, but the courts and the federal justice system do not recognize these actions as such. The majority of women convicted of this crime are serving sentences of 40 years to life. Although a clemency movement was initiated in the 1990s for women incarcerated for killing their abusers, today little hope of clemency or sentence reform remains for these women. Currently, there is no movement addressing the unjust sentences granted during a time when domestic violence was defined differently by law. This case examines the judicial system's evolving definition of domestic violence and the initiation of the clemency movement of the 1990s as well as how this movement became impactful. The case also investigates the broader issue of domestic violence and women's imprisonment in the United States as well as the current lack of momentum toward gaining clemency for abused women's unjust convictions.


Machine learning or ML has emerged as a new and effective tool for making predictions.
The focus of advanced ML-techniques is to gain a useful insight from complex data.
With the advent of new technology and optimised algorithms, it is now possible to build
complex models using these techniques and test them on a particular research problem involving
prediction or a classification task. Deep learning is a particular ML-technique which has been
quite successful in tasks related to image classification, handwritten digit recognition and others.
To handle very high dimensional data in prediction and classification tasks convolutional neural
networks have shown good results. This thesis work explores the use of deep learning and other
conventional machine learning methods such as Support Vector Machine(SVM) and Random
Forest(RF) for hyperspectral image classification task.
Hyperspectral imaging provides spectrum information along narrow spectral bands which
helps to detect different land cover types and thus it can be considered as a classification
task. Conventional machine learning algorithms involve cumbersome task of construction of
handcrafted features. However, it becomes difficult to know what features are important to the
particular classification problem at hand. In contrast, this thesis work introduces a deep learning
algorithm that hierarchically learns relevant features from data.
In summary, this work focuses on, A) exploration of ML & various ML techniques (Chapter
2-4) and B) possible applications of these techniques (Chapter 5-6), in the hyperspectral image
classification.
vii


By using self-made vibrating wavelike sloping plate setup, semisolid billets with fine spherical or rosette grains have be prepared by semi-continuous casting, and the solidified shell on the sloping plate surface can be effectively avoided. Burst nucleation in the whole melt and dendrite fracture causes the formation of fine spherical microstructures. Under the current experimental conditions, proper casting temperature ranges of 660°C~680°C and the amplitude value of under 2mm proper are suggested. When the reheating temperature is 575°C and the holding time is 60min for AZ91D alloy, 597°C and 90min for Al-6Si-2Mg (wt-%) alloy, semisolid forging process can be successfully implemented. Thixo-forming products of two alloys are fine with smooth appearance, good microstructures and properties.


The increasing number of vehicles on Iran's highways and major roads has led to an increase in noise levels. As a result, traffic is now considered a main source of noise pollution. This paper reports on the modelling of traffic noise levels in Golestan National Park, Golestan using vehicle data and other environmental features. For the evaluation of noise and the recording of independent environmental variables, Sampling stations were selected using a systematic-random method at 76 points at various distances and between 0-250 meters from the road. At each sampling point, traffic flow (number and speed of vehicles, number of horn beeps) was measured for 15 minutes from 8 am to 8 pm. Simultaneously other environmental variables were assessed, including the geometry of the road surface and location conditions .The best multivariable regression based on the correlation coefficient (R) and the coefficient of determination (R2) was achieved. The R-square (73%) and the adjusted R-square (68%) of the regression equation were 73% and 68% respectively. The results of modelling show that the most important variables affecting noise pollution are distance from the road, roughness coefficient, speed of medium-weight vehicles, relative humidity, and height and number of light vehicles. There is a negative correlation with distance from the road and noise pollution.The accuracy of the model was found to be about ±5 dB. Therefore, the model is suggested for the prediction of traffic noise on the Asian Highway in Golestan National Park.


The scope of this study was to analyze the relationship between socio-demographic and health-related aspects and functional incapacity among low-income elderly women. This cross-sectional study involved a representative sample of 222 women with mean age of 70 years (± 7.27), in community groups in the city of Jequié, in the State of Bahia, Brazil. Anthropometric measurements were taken and interviews staged to examine the socio-demographic, physical and behavioral health variables. The statistical analysis was accomplished with a level of significance of p<0.05, with calculation of the respective odds ratio in the binary logistic regression, for analysis of hierarchically-grouped factors. The prevalence of functional incapacity was 46.8% and, by using hierarchical multivariate analysis, a significant association was detected with increased age, insufficient schooling, hospitalization, lack of physical exercise throughout life and alterations in the cognitive function. The characteristics identified that associated limitations in instrumental activities in daily life suggest a complex causal network in the determination of functional incapacity in low-income elderly women.


[1] The complex source processes associated with both glacier calving and the breakup of icebergs, combined with commonly heterogeneous periglacial seismic velocity structure, can result in complicated seismic records. Key features of the waveforms, which are typically characterized by low-amplitude or emergent first-arrivals and long-duration, narrow-band codas, have been attributed to either source processes or propagation path effects. This uncertainty must be addressed in order for seismic data to be effective for studying the calving process as it relates to terminus dynamics. In this study, we use sets of 3-element arrays of 3-component geophones and infrasound sensors to locate calving and iceberg breakup events and isolate path effects in the seismic records obtained near the Bering Glacier terminus in the summer of 2010. Using waveform correlation, we treat each array as an antenna and determine the direction to the source and apparent velocity of the wavefield across the array. The initial few (∼3) cycles ofPwaves recorded from an array, beam formed to identify coherent arrivals for each event, are useful for deriving a propagation azimuth and apparent velocity, allowing for location of events using a small number of similar arrays. We locate 125 calving and iceberg breakup events near the terminus with this method. We also demonstrate that the longer-lived narrow-band coda is not coherent across individual arrays, suggesting that the narrow-band coda observed at the Bering Glacier is attributable to a path effect rather than to the source process. The large number of iceberg breakup events that we located has important implications for other calving glaciers where icebergs are present, and calving rates may be erroneously overestimated from the seismic data if their contribution is not taken into account.


SIR,-Although, as Dr D B Scott says, there are few absolute signs that a tube is in the trachea in the absence of good visualisation of the larynx during intubation, two other techniques could be used to confirm correct placement of the tracheal tube. Auscultation should be carried out over the epigastrium to detect the sound of air passing along the oesophagus in case of inadvertent oesophageal intubation. In fact this test should be used in all cases in addition to auscultating over the apices of the lungs and the trachea. The other technique is to use an illuminated flexible stylet (Tube-stat, available from Henley's Medical Supplies Ltd, London N8 ODL) placed inside the tracheal tube. When the tube is in the trachea there is a bright patch of illumination seen in the midline below the cricoid cartilage. When the tube is in the oesophagus there is no reddish glow of light visible at the anterior neck. When calibrated the illuminated stylet can also be used to position the proximal end ofthe cuff of a plastic endotracheal tube just below the cricoid cartilage. This will not only prevent endobronchial intubation and the need for a chest radiograph to confirm the position of the tube but also prevent aspiration of pharyngeal secretions accumulated in the trachea above the cuff of a tube. I In a recent study on 50 cadavers it was found that the mean distance between the vocal cords and lower border of the cricoid cartilage in men was 3 cm and in women 2-75 cm. If manufacturers of endotracheal tubes put a circular mark on the tube 3 cm proximal to the cuff it would enable anaesthetists to pass a tube into the trachea until this circular mark is at the level of the vocal cords. This will obviate the need for a chest radiograph and will also prevent accidental bronchial intubation. Finally, I would like to reiterate Dr Scott's advice that every hospital should prepare a plan of action for dealing efficiently with cases of difficult and failed intubation. S MEHTA


In 2013, in a highly publicized case, Efrain Rios Montt, the de facto leader of Guatemala from 1982-1983, was ordered to stand trial for genocide in Guatemala for the deaths of at least 1771 Ixil Mayan people during the most violent period of the country's thirty-six-year-long civil war. The trial was historic; Rios Montt became the first former head of state to be tried for genocide in his home country. This Article, using the Rios Montt trial as a case study, asks: should domestic courts prosecute genocide? The Article argues that domestic prosecution of genocide is not inherently negative or positive, but could further certain goals of international criminal justice at the expense of others. While the domestic prosecution of genocide (in the country where it occurred) better satisfies legal jurisdiction requirements and serves the goals of transitional justice, it may do so at the expense of traditional criminal justice goals (including victims' rights) and defendants' right to a fair trial and due process.The international community, including countries that have experienced genocide, should analyze the most important goals in prosecution in deciding whether to refer a case to the International Criminal Court (ICC), allow a foreign court to prosecute the crime, or prosecute the crime at home.


This workshop will build on desk research being undertaken on students' and lecturers' perceptions of feedback represented in the literature, and practice at University of West London and Kingston University.
To complement this a bench-marking exercise of the existing assessment tools in Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace Core, Aula and Turnitin is being undertaken. This exercise is focus on existing features, how assessment is supported and how students and staff access assessment information. From this, mock-ups have been designed comprising of 4 different scenarios of assessment and feedback experiences.
In the workshop participants will first be given a lightning review of the desk research and bench-marking exercise, before participating in 'sandpits' where they will be able to critique and redesign these 4 scenarios based on their existing practices and perceptions
'Sandpits' are a type of creative design-thinking focus group where participants are stimulated by a narrative of a scenario around the use of a particular product, object or artefact and are subsequently encouraged to critique, discuss and re-design it (Frohlich, Lim and Ahmed, 2014; Casanova and Mitchell, 2017)
The output of this work will be presented to VLE product design teams to influence the support of assessment and feedback in STEM subjects.


Tidal flow over shallow bathymetry is known to create an identifiable sea surface signature in satellite synthetic aperture radar. Here we present results investigating a similar effect visible on ground based marine radar data recorded at a tidal energy test site. Sea surface roughness signatures generated by strong flow over uneven bathymetry create patches of tidally modulated radar backscatter that may be identified and quantified in an uncalibrated form. Further, we investigate whether tidal stream turbines and their support structures might also create such tidally modulated sea surface signatures related to their turbulent wakes. Initial analyses have identified tidally modulated areas of roughness that are centred on the locations of turbine foundation structures. These however, are dwarfed by the naturally occurring tidally modulated sea surface roughness signatures associated with steep gradients in the bathymetry and shear zones around headlands.


In the present work the study of heat transfer and friction characteristics in rectangular duct of a solar air heater having isosceles right triangle rib shape on the absorber plate by using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) The roughness has been placed in such way that the hypotenuse faces against the flow direction. The design parameters chosen for study are Reynolds number, roughness height and roughness pitch. The turbulence model used in CFD solutions is Renormalization group (RNG) k-e. The roughness height (e) is chosen as 0.5mm, 1.0mm and 1.5mm at roughness pitch (P) of 5mm, 10mm, 15mm and 20mm. The relative roughness Pitch (P/e=3.33-40) and relative roughness height (e/D= 0.015-0.045) is taken. The effect of transverse wedge shape on heat transfer and friction factor was investigate covering the range of roughness parameter having Reynolds no varies from 3000 to 18000. ANSYS FLUENT is used to simulate turbulent airflow in artificial roughened solar air heater. Five different turbulence models is tested on the quality of obtained results .The RNG k-ɛ model yield better result for two dimensional flow through conventional solar air heaters. Thermo-hydraulic performance is also calculated. Correlations for the Nusselt number and friction factor have been developed.


Extracellular HSP90 associated with Ag peptides have been demonstrated to efficiently cross-prime T cells, following internalization by dendritic cells (DCs). In addition, the nature of cell-associated Ags required for cross-priming is implicated as peptides and proteins chaperoned by heat shock protein (HSP). However, the role of endogenous HSP in DCs during cross-presentation remains elusive. In this paper, we show that endogenous HSP90 is essential for cross-presentation of both soluble and cell-associated Ags in DCs. Cross-presentation of soluble OVA and OVA-loaded transporter associated with Ag processing-1–deficient cells by bone marrow-derived DCs and DC-like cell line DC2.4 was profoundly blocked by HSP90 inhibitors, whereas presentation of endogenously expressed OVA was only partially suppressed. Assays using small interfering RNA and heat shock factor-1–deficient DCs (with defective expression of HSP90α) revealed the pivotal role of HSP90α in cross-presentation. The results suggest that in addition to HSP90 in Ag donor cells, endogenous HSP90 in DCs plays an essential role during Ag cross-presentation and, moreover, points to a link between heat shock factor-1–dependent induction of HSP90α within DC and cytotoxic T cell immunity.


In this and the accompanying paper we examine the nature of the interactions between effector cells and target cells leading to lysis in T cell-mediated cytolysis reactions. In the first paper, we re-examine the role of lectin (Con A) in the process of lectin-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (LDCC). Lectin has generally been thought to act simply as a bridge between the cytotoxic effector cell (EC) and the target cell (TC), thus bypassing the need for receptor-antigen interaction and accounting for the nonspecific character of this lytic reaction. A role for lectin in the activation of cytotoxic function in the EC has also been suggested. In this paper we confirm that LDCC occurs when TC alone are pretreated with lectin, but not when EC alone are pretreated with lectin, unless free lectin is also present in the assay mixture. In addition, we demonstrate that the failure of lectin-pretreated EC to bind to and lyse TC is not caused by agglutination or self-destruction of the EC. Moreover, lectin-pretreated EC are not inherently deficient in the ability to bind or lyse TC, if the latter are pretreated with lectin, or if free lectin is present in the assay. Finally, when EC are used as both effectors and targets in LDCC, lysis is observed only in the direction of the lectin-pretreated partner. From these results we conclude that in LDCC, as in specific CTL cytolysis, CTL-TC recognition proceeds through interaction of an EC surface receptor (distinct from the lectin receptor), and a TC antigen perhaps modified by, but distinct from, the lectin itself. In the accompanying paper we present evidence that this receptor-determinant interaction involves TC MHC antigen.


This paper provides an empirical analysis of the impact of energy price increases – induced notably by the removal of fossil fuel subsidies – on the joint environmental and economic performance of Indonesian plants in the manufacturing industry for the period 1980-2015. The paper shows that a 10% increase in energy prices causes a a reduction in energy use by 5.2% and a reduction in CO2 emissions by 5.8% on average, with more energy-intensive sectors responding more to the shocks. At the same time, energy price increases increase the probability of plant exit and reduce employment of large and energy intensive plants, but the estimated effect is very small (-0.2% for a 10% increase in energy prices). Morevoer, energy price changes have no significant influence on net job creation at the industry-wide level, suggesting that jobs are not lost but reallocated from energy-intensive to energy-efficient firms. Overall, the empirical evidence demonstrates that environmental fiscal reforms in emerging economies like Indonesia can bring about large environmental benefits with little to no effect on employment.


Many authors investigating the quality of life have recently begun to examine economic stress to help promoting legitimate, effective and ethical public administration solutions. It is argued that economic stress has a negative impact on society's well-being, thereby creating direct and indirect losses to the state. This study is aimed at identifying the economic difficulties of residents of Lithuania, as well as the economic stress in different income groups. This paper presents some results of the survey, which was conducted in 2016 in Lithuania (n=1001). The results showed that the vast majority (about 40 percent) of Lithuanian households experience economic difficulties and a significant lack of money. The results revealed statistically significant economic hardship and economic stress differences in different income quintile groups and different subjective socio-economic status groups. Authors indicate that additional research is needed.


Due to the rapidly increasing number of scientific articles, finding valuable work for further research has become tedious and time consuming. To alleviate this issue, search engines have used citation-based article impact ranking. However, most engines rely on very simplistic impact measures (usually the citation count) and make the problematic assumption that there is a one-size-fits-all impact measure. To address these problems, we present BIP! Finder, a search engine that facilitates the identification of valuable articles by exploiting two different impact measures, each capturing a different aspect of the article impact. In addition, BIP! Finder provides many useful features (article comparison, intuitive visualisations, article bookmarking mechanism, etc.) making it a powerful addition to the researcher's toolbox.


Abstract. In this article the performance for short-range solar radiation forecasts by
the global deterministic and ensemble models from the European Centre for
Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is compared with an ensemble of the
regional mesoscale model HARMONIE-AROME used by the national meteorological
services in Sweden, Norway and Finland. Note however that only the control
members and the ensemble means are included in the comparison. The models
resolution differs considerably with 18 km for the ECMWF ensemble, 9 km for
the ECMWF deterministic model, and 2.5 km for the HARMONIE-AROME ensemble. The models share the same radiation code. It turns out that they all
underestimate systematically the Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) for clear-sky
conditions. Except for this shortcoming, the HARMONIE-AROME ensemble model
shows the best agreement with the distribution of observed Global Horizontal
Irradiance (GHI) and DNI values. During mid-day the HARMONIE-AROME ensemble
mean performs best. The control member of the HARMONIE-AROME ensemble also
scores better than the global deterministic ECMWF model. This is an
interesting result since mesoscale models have so far not shown good results
when compared to the ECMWF models. Three days with clear, mixed and cloudy skies are used to illustrate the
possible added value of a probabilistic forecast. It is shown that in these
cases the mesoscale ensemble could provide decision support to a grid
operator in terms of forecasts of both the amount of solar power and its
probabilities.


The paper estimates intersectoral terms of trade for the period from 1970-71 to 1981-82. On the basis of these results the study further analyses the relationship between terms of trade and aggregate farm output over the period. The findings indicate some improvement in agriculture's terms of trade over the Seventies. However, no conclusive support is provided to the hypothesis of high supply responsiveness of aggregate farm output to shifts in the relative price ratio of sectoral output.


Genetic evaluation on milk yield production basically based on breeding value. This research was addressed to study milk production curve, for the most appropriate genetic evaluation, and the best methods in estimating genetic parameter and predicting breeding values. Data were collected from PT. Taurus Dairy Farm, consisting of 581 cows having 305 days records in first lactation (P305) and 542 cows having 305 days records in second lactation. Records used for Test Day (TD) evaluation were 5,373 for first lactation, and 4,925 for second lactation. Total records used for Test Day were 10,298. The results indicated that the most suitable curve, being able to be used for genetic evaluation was Ali-Schaeffer with the coefficient of correlation of 0.999, and the most appropriate model for estimation of genetic parameters and prediction of breeding values was fixed regression model with the regression of Ali-Schaeffer by taking account to the covariates. The genetic evaluation can therefore be conducted simultaneously by ignoring lactation levels. Key Words : Test Day, Milk Production Curve, Breeding Value, Dairy Cattle


Solution-state NMR spectroscopy remains the primary method for characterising synthetic supramolecular assemblies. Yet, in their NMR spectra, relaxation interference effects can significantly alter peak intensities hindering interpretation. Here, we present a simple experiment for synthetic chemists to analyse this effect, allowing interpretation of these distorted spectra and validation of spectral assignments. We apply this experiment to synthetic porphyrin oligomers with molecular weights approaching those of protein domains (10 kDa). Our experiment provides a simple means to gain additional structural and dynamical information that will become increasingly useful as chemists create larger molecular architectures.


Despite the distinction made between integrative and distributive bargaining situations in European studies literature, few studies have focused specifically on how these two situations differ. This article attempts to close this gap by examining two key bargaining situations involving fisheries that led to the Europeanization of this policy field. The integrative bargaining situation dealt with the negotiations about the structural policy and common organization of the market for fish products. In contrast, the distributive bargaining case focused on the protracted negotiations over resource conservation and management policies. The article focuses primarily on how the unanimity decision rule may affect negotiation patterns in the European Union and on how the specific type of bargaining situation affects policy outcomes. The thesis is that different bargaining tools are used to reach an agreement.


The factors affecting the design of a gated Automatic TV Tracking System are discussed, and a system mechanization to achieve the design objectives is outlined. Only the composite video of a closed-circuit TV system is required as an input. A study of the dynamic performance of typical targets indicates that the unpredictable target motion in a frame period of 1/30 sec must be an extremely small fraction of the field of view required for initial target acquisition. This permits the use of a small tracking gate in the larger acquisition field, since the target coordinates of the previous frame may be used to position the gate. This small gate permits a signal-to-noise enhancement and effectively rejects extraneous targets outside the tracking gate. The tracking is effected by subdividing the tracking area into equal early and late video gates in each coordinate. The differential video between these gates is applied to an electronic integrator in such a manner that the integrator output voltage, which is also the reference for the generation of the early-to-late gate transition, changes to place this gate transition on the target. The integrator voltages are, therefore, a measure of the target coordinates in the TV field. The operation of an experimental system fabricated to determine the feasibility of applying this technique to a range-instrumentation system has produced tracking accuracies of better than 0.05 milliradian in an acquisition field of 10×10 milliradians. Current developments and additional applications of the technique are discussed briefly.


Specialist referral of prospective firefighters declaring a history of asthma is commonplace in the UK,typically including measurement of airway reactivity using an indirect bronchial challenge, such as histamine provocation testing. We present the clinic experience of our specialist occupational lung disease service in the assessment of fitness to work of firefighter applicants from across the UK. Between March 1999 – Jan 2016, 112 firefighters were seen from 11 regional fire services, all referred for pre-employment evaluation because of a history of previous or current asthma. The majority were male (87.8%, n=79) and atopic on formal allergy testing (n=66, 77.7%). Mean FEV1 and FVC were 98.7% and 108.4% predicted, respectively. Ninety applicants underwent histamine testing; most (75.6%, n=68) had a normal response (PC20>16 mg/ml) and an even greater proportion had a "borderline normal" result (PC20>8 mg/ml; n=77, 85.6%). Clinical data on 80 individuals showed that 33.8% (n=27) of individuals experienced symptoms and a similar proportion (40%, n=32) used asthma medication in the last 12 months. At the time of review however, 65% were taking no asthma treatment; the majority of applicants taking medication required reliever therapy only (n=20/31; 64.5%). A history of asthma remains a relative contraindication to employment as a firefighter; the contemporary increase in the prevalence of childhood asthma is now having an impact on the adult workforce. Histamine provocation testing provides a convenient metric for assessing airway reactivity. Follow up data on this cohort in terms of performance at work has the potential to help further clarify the approach to firefighter recruits with asthma.


BACKGROUND
Metabolic effects following combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) vary by regimen type. Changes in metabolic effects were assessed following cART in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) A5257 study, and correlated with plasma ritonavir trough concentrations (C24).

METHODS
Treatment-naive adult subjects were randomized to ritonavir-boosted atazanavir or darunavir, or raltegravir-based cART. Changes in lipids and other metabolic outcomes over time were estimated. Differences between arms were estimated with 97.5% confidence intervals and compared using pairwise Student t tests. Associations between ritonavir C24 and lipid changes at week 48 were evaluated via linear regression.

RESULTS
Analyses included 1797 subjects with baseline fasting data. Baseline lipid profiles and metabolic syndrome rates (approximately 21%) were similar across arms. Comparable increases occurred in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with the boosted protease inhibitors (PIs); each PI had greater increases relative to raltegravir (all P ≤ .001 at week 96). Metabolic syndrome incident rates by week 96 (approximately 22%) were not different across arms. Ritonavir C24 was not different by arm (P = .89) (median, 69 ng/mL and 74 ng/mL in the atazanavir and darunavir arms, respectively) and were not associated with changes in lipid measures (all P > .1).

CONCLUSIONS
Raltegravir produced the most favorable lipid profile. Metabolic syndrome rates were high at baseline and increased to the same degree in all arms. Ritonavir C24 was not different in the PI arms and had no relationship with the modest but comparable increases in lipids observed with either atazanavir or darunavir. The long-term clinical significance of the lipid changes noted with the PIs relative to raltegravir deserves further evaluation.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION
NCT 00811954.


This thesis investigates the development of proto-eugenic thought and policy in Porfirian Mexico and how those ideas were important to the Mexican eugenics movement of the twentieth-century. Proto-eugenics is the name given to the ideas of biological and racial improvement developed by leading Mexican thinkers in the late nineteenth-century, until the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Proto-eugenic thought was most concerned with eliminating immoral and degenerate traits that could be passed down from parent to child, and encouraging those with prized traits to have children. Through discussion of writings on criminality and education, this thesis argues that proto-eugenic thought had a large influence on the development of Mexican eugenics in the twentieth-century, and the importance of proto-eugenic thought on nationalism in the Porfiriato. It is important to understand how proto-eugenic science was created in order to investigate the development of eugenic social policy in the twentieth-century.


In lay terms, childbirth is regarded as a purely biological event: what is more natural than birth and death? On the other hand, social scientists have long understood that 'natural' events are socially structured. In the case of birth, sociologists have examined the social and cultural shaping of its timing, outcome, and the organization of care throughout the perinatal period. Continuing in this tradition, we examine the peculiar social design of birth in the United States of America, contrasting this design with the ways birth is organised in Europe. We begin by showing how several key characteristics of the US health care system – including its inherent social inequality, its high level of medicalisation, and the substantial influence of private medical practice and insurance companies – influence the organization of maternity care there. We then explore how cultural characteristics of American society – its emphasis on individuality, the influence of moral conservatism in US politics, and the ease with which ordinary people take court action (the so-called 'litigation culture') – shape the delivery of care at birth. We conclude with a consideration of the implications of US maternity care exceptionalism for comparative sociological analysis.


This article examines the practice of swapping Olympic pins among participants, staff, and guests of the 2014 Olympic Games. The study is based on data obtained through participant observation by the author during the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. The observed phenomenon is unique because of its short-term nature, the closeness and high emotional pitch of the context in which it occurs, and the involvement of representatives of many different cultures. The author concludes that the practice of pin exchange consists of several distinct forms that hold different meaning for participants (corporative, expanded, collection-oriented, speculative, and imitative forms of exchange). The practice of pin exchange significantly transformed over the course of the Sochi Olympics, as it passed through various stages (renewal, infection, epidemic, parade, and museum). During the exchange process some Olympic pins come to hold subjective value for participants and acquire their own "history." As a result, some pins are excluded from the process of exchange. In Russian, extended summary in English.


Despite the pervasiveness of perception and considerable impact of perception on the use of ICT for educational purposes, there is a surprising paucity of perception assessment instruments. The present proposal expands on this through the development and initial validation of the Game Perception Scale (GPS). Based on perception literature, perception is defined as (1) students' expectations about the goals of the environment and (2) the degree to which a student believes that using game based learning environments will enhance his or her performance on which the game based learning environment focuses. In a first study, the exploratory factor analyses revealed a meaningful two-factor solution, which reflects the two dimensions that constitute the notion of game perceptions. Further, we used a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate and confirm the model. Cross-validation was repeated in second part of this article in which a large sample was used to perform multi group CFAs. The results showed that GPS can be used in different target groups when researchers want to measure students' perceptions of gamebased learning environments for both pro- and retrospective purposes. However, significant differences in structural relations with respect to the covariance and the variance of the perceived use and perceived goal subscale were found for all the groups.


In information systems (IS), Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) has become a popular research area among IS and management researchers as a result of industry push and the development and advancement of research in service sciences. From academic perspective, a growing number of papers have been published addressing many aspects of ITSM issues. This paper presents the results based on a study of comprehensive review of publications in ITSM over the past decade (from 2000 to 2010) with the objective of answering the following research question: what is the current state of research in ITSM, from theoretical foundation and research topic perspectives. Our findings suggest that 1) there is generally a lack of theoretically driven researches; 2) the field is still developing with a growing number of published papers dealing with the development of concepts, constructs, models, methods and implementations for theory development; 3) ITSM performance issues, justifications, and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) topics are among the most popular topics of research.


Infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of a new disease (COVID-19). The risk of severe COVID-19 is increased by certain underlying comorbidities, including asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Notably, exposure to hormonally active chemicals called endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can promote such cardio-metabolic diseases, endocrine-related cancers, and immune system dysregulation and thus, may also be linked to higher risk of severe COVID-19. Bisphenol A (BPA) is among the most common EDCs and exerts its effects via receptors which are widely distributed in human tissues, including nuclear oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ), membrane-bound oestrogen receptor (G protein-coupled receptor 30; GPR30), and human nuclear receptor oestrogen-related receptor gamma. As such, this paper focuses on the potential role of BPA in promoting comorbidities associated with severe COVID-19, as well as on potential BPA-induced effects on key SARS-CoV-2 infection mediators, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2). Interestingly, GPR30 appears to exhibit greater co-localisation with TMPRSS2 in key tissues like lung and prostate, suggesting that BPA exposure may impact on the local expression of these SARS-CoV-2 infection mediators. Overall, the potential role of BPA on the risk and severity of COVID-19 merits further investigation.


Many labour law scholars in the UK are disillusioned with recent judicial decisions by the House of Lords and Supreme Court on the contract of employment. The argument made in this article is that, although there are good reasons for disillusionment with the Johnson v Unisys progeny, there have nevertheless been potentially some very positive developments for employees in recent decisions. On procedural fairness, the High Court has read in principles of 'natural justice' to the employment contract, whereas both High Court and Court of Appeal decisions seem to see courts intervening, at least in some areas, in the employment relation also on the grounds of substantive fairness. It is suggested here that these recent cases are evidence of a nascent duty of 'fairness' in the contract of employment, and the case is made for explicit recognition of, and development of, this duty. A practical application is provided, to finish, with the topical phenomenon of so-called 'zero hours contracts'.


Survival data are most frequently analyzed by the intention-to-treat principle. However, presenting a compliance-adjusted analysis alongside the primary analysis can provide an insight into the effect of the treatment for those individuals actually complying with their randomized intervention. There are a number of methods for this type of analysis. Loeys and Goetghebeur (2003) use proportional hazards techniques to provide an estimate of the treatment effect for compliers when compliance is measured on an all-or-nothing scale. This methodology is here made available through a new Stata command, stcomply.


In July 2021, the Rhine-Meuse region straddling Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands was affected by devastating floods that have led to the loss of more than 240 lives and damage worth billions of Euros. The event was closely watched by regional agencies that had to organize response and recovery, and also received noticeable global attention. Diverse sets of responses and reflections accumulated among researchers, local and regional governments, local and international media, development organizations, public offices and citizen groups, wherein links to climate change and gaps in our preparedness for unexpected, extreme events were a common element of the discourse. In response to the floods, and in recognition of the cross-border effects of climate change, the United Nations University institutes in Belgium (UNU-CRIS), Germany (UNU-EHS) and the Netherlands (UNU-MERIT) have launched the "UNU Climate Resilience Initiative" with the aim to share knowledge, shape policy and drive action – and ultimately shift the focus from risk to proactive adaptation, innovation and transformation. Within the context of this initiative, researchers from the three institutes have conducted research in the flood affected areas and organized the two-day "Flood Knowledge Summit 2022: From Risks to Resilience", which took place from 7 to 8 July 2022 in Maastricht, the Netherlands. Complementing existing national initiatives and efforts in the three countries, the event aimed to connect different actors – including affected citizens, first responders, authorities, researchers and civil society – from the region, the European Union (EU) and the Global South to share experiences, engage in dialogue and facilitate learning regarding how to strengthen climate resilience for all. This summit served to map various efforts to understand the data, information, governance and knowledge gaps at national, subnational and regional levels in order to address growing risks of climate change, including how to adapt to not only climate-induced extreme events like floods but also other hazard events, and created a regional momentum to support multidimensional efforts towards building resilience. Drawing on our research and outcomes of the Flood Knowledge Summit 2022, the UNU Climate Resilience Initiative has identified five key areas in which further research and action is needed to tackle climate risks and facilitate pathways towards climate resilience.


We consider the problem of estimating an undirected Gaussian graphical model when the underlying distribution is multivariate totally positive of order 2 (MTP2), a strong form of positive dependence. Such distributions are relevant for example for portfolio selection, since assets are usually positively dependent. A large body of methods have been proposed for learning undirected graphical models without the MTP2 constraint. A major limitation of these methods is that their structure recovery guarantees in the high-dimensional setting usually require a particular choice of a tuning parameter, which is unknown a priori in real world applications. We here propose a new method to estimate the underlying undirected graphical model under MTP2 and show that it is provably consistent in structure recovery without adjusting the tuning parameters. This is achieved by a constraint-based estimator that infers the structure of the underlying graphical model by testing the signs of the empirical partial correlation coefficients. We evaluate the performance of our estimator in simulations and on financial data.


Purified rabbit skeletal muscle myosin is phosphorylated on one type of light-chain subunit (P-light chain) by calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase and dephosphorylated by phosphoprotein phosphatase C. Analyses of the time courses of both phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of skeletal muscle myosin indicated that both reactions, involving at least 90% of the P-light chain, were kinetically homogeneous. These results suggest that phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of rabbit skeletal muscle myosin heads are simple random processes in contrast to the sequential phosphorylation mechanism proposed for myosin from gizzard smooth muscle. We also examined the effect of phosphorylation of rabbit skeletal muscle myosin on the actin-activated ATPase activity. We observed an apparent 2-fold decrease in the Km for actin, from about 6 microM to about 2.5 microM, with no significant effect on the Vmax (1.8s-1) in response to P-light-chain phosphorylation. There was no significant effect of phosphorylation on the ATPase activity of myosin alone (0.045 s-1). ATPase activation could be fully reversed by addition of phosphatase catalytic subunit. The relationship between the extents of P-light-chain phosphorylation and ATPase activation (at 3.5 microM actin and 0.6 microM myosin) was essentially linear. Thus, in contrast to results obtained with myosin from gizzard smooth muscle, these results suggest that cooperative interactions between the myosin heads do not play an important role in the activation process in skeletal muscle. Since the effect of P-light-chain phosphorylation is upon the Km for actin, it would appear to be associated with a significant activation of ATPase activity only at appropriate concentrations of actin and salt.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Abstract. The application of organic flocculant aid (OFA) to a system undergoing aggregation has a direct effect on the quality of purified water as well as the settleability of resultant agglomerates. The optimum conditions for OFA application exist when the formation of aggregates by means of destabilisation (aggregation – CPE) reagent reaches flocculation optimum, i.e. the measure of flocculation γ=1, prior to OFA addition. Such method of OFA application is called the Post-Orthokinetic Agglomeration (POA) process. The POA process results in the formation of the fastest settleable agglomerates and the best quality of purified water matching that attainable without the use of OFA. Recirculation of the sludge conditioned by OFA back to the process of particle aggregation was found undesirable as it adversely affects the purified water quality as well as the settleability of produced agglomerates.


Start-ups and new product development projects are fuzziness and ambiguity set in motion. In the chaos of these early phase projects, more and more research is turning activities like prototyping, marketing, funding and production into a science, but there is still much left to chance. This master thesis is an attempt to add to the science of early stage development activities and take them out of the black box, trying to understand how to successfully create communication type prototypes for technically trained audiences vs. financially trained audiences. During the work on this problem, I discovered that a more interesting relationship is between those who possess knowledge about the technical aspects of a prototype, and those who do not. This is due to the fact that one's education and work experience does not provide a complete picture of one's knowledge. Also, in order to understand what determines an evaluation one has to understand what aspects of a prototype affects the judgement, and in what degree. Thus, in addition to background, I wanted to understand how design resolution and function affects the judgement of the audience. To understand the evaluations of prototypes I designed an experiment using real start-up prototypes: Wiral, a lightweight cable cam system and MovieMask, a face accessory for mobile devices to simulate a cinematic experience. The experiment was used to gather data on the effects of background, design resolution and function on prototype evaluations. The experiment was then run with 18 participants with different professional backgrounds at different locations in Norway and the US. I then performed a statistical analysis on the data registered from the experiments. The experiment setup, participant requirements and time restrictions resulted in a low sample size, reducing the impact of the statistical analysis in this thesis. However, the statistical analysis did reveal some statistically significant results for background, design resolution and function. There was not enough evidence to conclude the effect of these variables, but there was an interesting correlation between the tests showing that the evaluations of MovieMask and Wiral had large differences in distributions, when testing for the effects of background, design resolution and function indicating that the concepts themselves are affected differently. Lastly I present interpretations of results, implications, limitations of the study and a recommendation for further work on the subject.


How can weaker states influence stronger ones? This article offers a case study of one recent exercise in coalition building among Southern middle powers, the 'India, Brazil, South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum'. The analysis outlines five major points: first, it argues that the three emerging players can be defined as middle powers in order to frame their foreign policy behavior and options at the global level. Second, soft balancing is a suitable concept to explain IBSA's strategy in global institutions. Third, institutional foreign policy instruments are of pivotal significance in IBSA's soft balancing strategy. Fourth, the potential gains of IBSA's sector cooperation, particularly in trade, are limited due to a lack of complementarity of the three economies. And fifth, IBSA's perspectives and impact on the international system will depend on four variables: IBSA's ability to focus on distinct areas of cooperation, the consolidation of its common strategy of soft balancing, the institutionalization of IBSA, and its enlargement in order to obtain more weight in global bargains.


OBJECTIVE
This study describes the use and perceived effectiveness of energy conservation strategies by persons with multiple sclerosis after participation in an energy conservation course.

METHOD
One hundred twenty-three participants completed a survey about their use of energy conservation strategies.

RESULTS
All strategies were newly used by at least 50% of the participants and rated as effective. Strategies that involved rest and delegation were used most and rated most effective, followed by modifying priorities and standards. The most common reason for not implementing strategies was that participants were already using them.

CONCLUSION
Persons with multiple sclerosis who participated in an energy conservation course implemented a number of new energy conservation strategies and reported them as effective.


This study uses self-generated representations (SGR) - images produced in the act of explaining - as a means of uncovering what university calculus students understand about infinite series convergence. It makes use of student teaching episodes, in which students were asked to explain to a peer what that student might have missed had they been absent from class on the day(s) when infinite series were introduced and discussed. These student teaching episodes typically resulted in the spontaneous generation of several SGR, which provided physical referents with which both the student and an interviewer were able to interact. Students' explanations, via their SGR, included many more aspects of what they found important about that content than did the standard research technique of asking students to answer specific mathematics tasks.This study was specifically designed to address how students construct an understanding of infinite series. It also speaks to the broader goal of examining how students use SGR as a tool for explaining concepts, rather than simply as tools for solving specific problems. The main analysis indicates that both students and their professors/textbook, when introducing the topic of infinite series, make use of the following five different image types: plots of terms, plots of partial sums, areas under curves, geometric shapes, and number lines. However, the aspects of the mathematical concepts that the students and the professors/textbooks highlight in their explanations and modes of use for those image types are different, and at times conflicting. In particular, differences emerged along three dimensions of competence - limiting processes (Tall, 1980), language, and connections. While students using SGR generated many of the images that had been used by their professors, the limiting processes that they discussed via those images contrasted sharply. The professors and textbook chapter prioritized the limiting processes represented in particular image types to support mathematically sound conclusions. In contrast, many student explanations focused on limiting processes that did not lead to valid arguments about series convergence. There were also differences in use of language, in that students often assumed much more meaning than was intended in their professors' language choices, leading to problems with their explanations. Finally, while the experts connected their representations in meaningful ways, using other images to clarify or exemplify those that were used to define, students connected their understanding in different ways that were not always supportive of the convergence arguments that they were trying to make. This study expands the literature on students' understanding of infinite series topics, pointing to gaps in student understanding and ways in which students mis-applied what teachers had presented. In doing so, it suggests many avenues for improving infinite series instruction. In addition, the methods employed in this study are general, and open up ways of looking at student thinking that can be applied to many problematic areas in the curriculum. Typical studies ask students to address tasks and issues framed by a researcher. This study instead asked students to explain the content, thereby providing a much larger window into what counts, from the student perspective.


Recent cold winter extremes over Eurasia and North America have been considered to be a
consequence of a warming Arctic. More accurate weather forecasts are required to reduce human and
socioeconomic damages associated with severe winters. However, the sparse observing network over the
Arctic brings errors in initializing a weather prediction model, which might impact accuracy of prediction
results at midlatitudes. Here we show that additional Arctic radiosonde observations from the Norwegian
young sea ICE cruise project 2015 drifting ice camps and existing land stations during winter improved
forecast skill and reduced uncertainties of weather extremes at midlatitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
For two winter storms over East Asia and North America in February 2015, ensemble forecast experiments
were performed with initial conditions taken from an ensemble atmospheric reanalysis in which the
observation data were assimilated. The observations reduced errors in initial conditions in the upper
troposphere over the Arctic region, yielding more precise prediction of the locations and strengths of upper troughs and surface synoptic disturbances. Errors and uncertainties of predicted upper troughs at
midlatitudes would be brought with upper level high potential vorticity (PV) intruding southward from the
observed Arctic region. This is because the PV contained a ''signal'' of the additional Arctic observations as it moved along an isentropic surface. This suggests that a coordinated sustainable Arctic observing network would be effective not only for regional weather services but also for reducing weather risks in locations distant from the Arctic.


Live streaming of high quality media requires high quality network in terms of packet loss rate and jitter. However, the current IP or Ethernet network does not assure the bandwidth or jitter for streaming in general. In addition, the existing network monitoring system does not have the functionality to measure these network quality. My precise network monitoring is a packet-by-packet network monitoring to observe switching or routing latency inside of a switch, router, or network, and provide the statistics of a flow that is specified by user on-demand. We implemented this system, installed it in the existing network, and evaluated its functionality. It shows the impact of cross-traffic on a measured flow.


Background According to the BMJ (2013), rising food insecurity in the UK has all the signs of a public health emergency. Yet, research on community support for people experiencing food insecurity is limited. This paper examined community food aid, using data from a city in the north of England (Bradford). The objective was to explore how community food aid meets the needs of a multi-ethnic, multi-faith, low-income population and assess whether the demographic context shapes its activities. Methods A case-study approach was adopted, including desk-based web research and nineteen interviews involving community organisations with experience of anti-hunger/food security programmes in Bradford. Sample organisations were purposively chosen from 67 identified in the desk-based analysis to form a representative sample. The three-stage analysis approach of Dwyer (2002) was utilised, involving transcript summaries, development of a coding framework based upon common themes in the interviews and a comparison grid of material indexed to themes. Results Interaction of religious context and food aid 67 food aid organisations were identified. 52% were non-denominational, 36% Christian and 10% Muslim. This is unreflective of Bradford's religious demographic, where 24.7% identify as Muslim and 20.7% describe themselves as having no religion. Ethnic and faith-based exclusivity There was limited ethnic diversity among clients at food aid providers. Emergency food providers served few Pakistani clients and Christian food banks had the least diverse client base. The public expression of faith The expression of faith differed according to the organisation. Among Christian soup kitchens there was some commitment to evangelising, while in Christian foodbanks faith was unforced. None of the Muslim food aid providers interviewed required their clients to engage with Islam. Pragmatism or principle: faith-based motivations Among Christian food aid providers interviewed, faith was an important motivation for provision. In Muslim charities, motivation stemmed primarily from unmet need. However, the extent of religious involvement in community food aid reflected the available resources in religious charities. Conclusion This is the first academic study in the UK to look at the faith-based arrangements of Christian and Muslim food aid providers. It found limited ethnic diversity among food aid clients, despite the ethnic diversity of the case-study area, however without interviews with food aid users, the reasons for this remain unclear. A further important finding was the apparent exclusionary implications of required engagement by clients with religion at some food aid providers.


The importance of integrating coronary physiology into percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been recognized since its inception. When Andreus Gruentzig first described percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, he stressed the need to identify the translesional pressure gradient before and after intervention as a means of guiding a successful procedure.1 Subsequently, other investigators examined the use of the Doppler wire to measure coronary flow velocity reserve before and after PCI.2 Unfortunately, the lack of a low-profile pressure-monitoring device and the lack of appreciation of the importance of measuring hyperemic pressure gradients inhibited the full integration of coronary physiology into the PCI procedure. Additionally, with the advent of stents, the ease and safety of PCI improved dramatically. In conjunction with financial reimbursement for PCI and patient demand, these factors resulted in an inclination toward performing PCI, regardless of the functional significance of the stenosis.

Response by Arbab-Zadeh p 1870

While this enthusiasm over PCI was occurring, Pijls and coworkers3 and De Bruyne and colleagues4 first described fractional flow reserve (FFR). Like any new technique, FFR has required time to mature. Over the ensuing 20 years since its introduction, improvements in the pressure wire–handling characteristics, the integration of data acquisition into the catheterization laboratory workflow, the completion of a number of multicenter, randomized studies, and the increased emphasis on appropriate use of PCI have contributed to FFR achieving its current status as an indispensable and critical component of PCI.

FFR is defined as the ratio of myocardial blood flow down a coronary artery in the presence of an epicardial stenosis compared with the flow down the same vessel in the theoretical absence of any stenosis.3 The derivation of FFR has been described in detail and is shown in brief in Figure 1.3,4 FFR can be …


Active contour model is an important research field in computer vision and many researchers studied the variational method in recent years. The traditional snake model is unable to converge to the concave area and it has a lower convergence. By improving the external energy, researchers introduced a gradient vector flow active contour model (GVFsnake). Several standard images are used to segmenting experiments, and the results show that GVF has obvious advantages compared with traditional snake model in the iteration number of force field. Experiments show that the method is faster and better to converge in the concave area. The edge information can be kept well and diffused more quickly.