The aim of this cross sectional study was to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) in a group of patients taking antiepileptic drugs (AED) for a seizure disorder. Between May-2001 and January-2003, we evaluated 58 patients (40 women/18 men), 34.4+/-6 years old living in Curitiba or in its metropolitan area, on antiepileptic therapy for 2 to 38 years (10 on monotherapy /48 on multiple drugs regime). The group was matched by age, gender, and bone mass index to 29 healthy subjects (20 women/ 9 men); 34.2+/-5.9 years old. Medical history and physical exam were performed on all subjects with particular information sought about fractures and risks factors for osteoporosis. Blood samples were collected for total serum calcium, albumin, phosphorus, creatinine, total alkaline phosphatase, and liver function tests. BMD of the lumbar spine, femur and forearm was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, Hologic QDR 1000). Between February and April-2003, other blood samples were collected to measure 25OHD, intact paratohormone (PTH) and calcium. Unemployment and smoking history were more frequent among patients than among controls (p<0.05). Fifteen patients had a fracture history, all of which occurred during a seizure. The BMD of the lumbar spine (0.975+/-0. 13 g/cm2 vs. 1.058+/-0.1 g/cm2; p<0.03) and of the total femur (0.930+/-0.1 g/cm2 vs. 0.988+/-0.12 g/cm2; p<0.02) was lower in patients than in controls. In 63.5% of patients and in 24.1 % of controls a T-score < -1.0 in at least one site was seen. The AED users had higher total alkaline phosphatase and lower 25OHD (p<0.02). No correlations between BMD and 25OHD were found. The use of phenytoin was correlated with a greater incidence of fractures (RR: 2.38). We conclude that patients on chronic use of AED have alterations in bone metabolism characterized in this study by lower BMD of the lumbar spine and total femur and lower serum concentrations of 25OHD.


Abstract The Radiocarbon Laboratory of the Universidade Federal Fluminense, in Brazil, has been successfully applying the zinc reduction method for graphitization of carbon samples since the development of its early protocols in 2009. Successive methodological research aiming to improve and, ultimately, optimize the precision and accuracy of our results indicates that graphitization temperatures as low as 460°C promote erratic 13C isotopic fractionation, but an approximately constant fractionation of about –5‰ is achieved at 520°C. In this work, we present isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) δ13C results for 14C reference materials graphitized at 550°C with variable amounts of zinc. Based on the results obtained from the addition of 20, 35, and 50 mg of zinc, we conclude that a slightly lower variation in 13C isotope fractionation during graphitization is obtained with less zinc. Moreover, the average isotopic fractionation is not altered by increasing the graphitization temperature from 520°C to 550°C.


We investigated the incidence, history, clinical findings and results of treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation in adolescents. During the period January 1992 to medio March 1995 we operated on 20 adolescents aged 15 to 19 years (3.4% of all cases of lumbar disc herniation). In the case of five patients there was a delay of more than a year before the correct diagnosis was made. Ten women and ten men were operated on. Median time from start of symptoms to operation was 1 year (1 month-5 years). The dominant symptom was back pain with radiating pain (17/ 20). The straight leg raising test was positive in 19/20. Seven of the patients had scoliosis. The levels of herniation were ten in the 4th lumbar disc and nine in the 5th lumbar disc. The results were excellent or good in all patients, except in one patient in whom no disc herniation had been found. Lumbar disc herniation in adolescents should be considered in the case of back pain and radiating pain to one or both legs. Investigation and treatment should follow the same guidelines as for adults. The short-term results of surgical treatment are good.


In board level package mounting process, many parameters will influence the final joint shape including the package stand-off height. If the stand-off height of solder joints at opposite ends does not equal, package tilting will occur. As a proactive measure to ascertain no tilting issues for newly develop packages, a methodology of predicting package tilting for BGA is developed using an energybased simulation model with surface evolver. The solder joint prediction model developed by Brakke proved to be very useful in predicting solder joint geometry after reflow and it will also be used to predict package tilting for BGA during board level mounting. This paper will discuss the capability of Surface Evolver in predicting solder joint geometry like solder ball height and diameter, and solder joint height. Then it moves on to discuss the methodology in using the same tool in predicting package tilting in board mounting process. It will be shown that the result of the surface evolver is well within the experimental data. Surface evolver program requires a command line input programming which is not very user-friendly, so a user interface was created using Visual Basic® 6 so that the engineer will only need to input relevant parameters into the program and command encoding is done automatically.Copyright © 2007 by ASME


An irony observed in microfinance these days is its great preference for savings products rather than credit products for households. For some authors, this phenomenon is explained by the fact that microfinance's products especially its loan products don't meet the households demand. This paper analyses the Ivorian credit market so as to understand the determinants of credit choices from Banks, formal MFIs, and informal sources. The lack of trust in the microfinance institutions, and the size of loan among other factors play an important role. The presence of a higher level of social network justifies the low demand for credit witness by microfinance institutions.


On June 11, 2009, Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), declared the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century. It was the first time in history that an influenza outbreak had been tracked in real-time from the emergence of a new strain of influenza A (H1N1) up to its spread to all continents over a period of 9 weeks. In recent years the international community has been working closely to prepare for such situations. A notable example of this cooperation occurred in response to the threat posed by the highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (H5N1). Vaccine availability is a major challenge that will require increasing worldwide production and ensuring a widespread access. In this regard it is important to underline the fact that 70% of influenza vaccine is produced in Europe and the United States. In 2006 WHO implemented a global pandemic influenza action plan (GAP) aiming at increasing the world's production capacity for pandemic vaccine. The GAP contains three elements: (1) increased use of seasonal influenza vaccination in industrialized and developing countries (resolution WHA 56.19). (2) technology transfer. (3) development of new production technologies. Nevertheless numerous barriers still prevent people living in developing countries from rapid and fair access to pandemic influenza vaccine. Capacity for production of pandemic vaccine is limited and advanced purchase agreements between industrialized countries and vaccine manufacturers reduce potential access of developing countries to pandemic vaccine. Economic and logistic factors also limit global access to pandemic vaccine. Therefore, WHO is working with industrialized countries, pharmaceutical companies and the international community as a whole to promote global solidarity and cooperation and thus ensure distribution of pandemic vaccine in poor countries with no local production. The current pandemic situation highlights the increasing globalization of public health stakes with regard to influenza vaccination. The purpose of this presentation is to review the various challenges for production and distribution of vaccines and underline the progress that has been accomplished since 2005.


In this paper, we investigate the joint optimal sensing and distributed Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol design problem for cognitive radio (CR) networks. We consider both scenarios with single and multiple channels. For each scenario, we design a synchronized MAC protocol for dynamic spectrum sharing among multiple secondary users (SUs), which incorporates spectrum sensing for protecting active primary users (PUs). We perform saturation throughput analysis for the corresponding proposed MAC protocols that explicitly capture the spectrum-sensing performance. Then, we find their optimal configuration by formulating throughput maximization problems subject to detection probability constraints for PUs. In particular, the optimal solution of the optimization problem returns the required sensing time for PUs' protection and optimal contention window to maximize the total throughput of the secondary network. Finally, numerical results are presented to illustrate developed theoretical findings in this paper and significant performance gains of the optimal sensing and protocol configuration.


Different strategies are reported in the literature for energy saving in Closed Plant Production Systems (CPPS). However, not reliable evidences about energy consumption with the use of pulsed LED light technique in lighting system available in Plant Factory and Vertical Farm. In this work, three key points to determine the effects of pulsed LED light versus continuous LED light are presented: (1) A mathematical model and its practical application for stabilizing the energy equivalence using LED light in continuous and pulsed mode in different light treatments. (2) The quantum efficiency of the photosystem II was used to determine positive and/or negative effects of the light operating mode (continuous or pulsed) on chili pepper plants (Capsicum annuum var. Serrano). (3) Evaluation of energy consumption with both operation modes using ten recipes from the literature to grow plants applied in Closed Plant Production Systems, different Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density at 50, 110, and 180 µmol m−2 s−1, Frequencies at 100, 500, and 1000 Hz, and Duty Cycles of 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90%. The results show no significant statistical differences between the operation modes (continuous and pulsed LED light). For each light recipe analyzed, a pulsed frequency and a duty cycle were obtained, achieving significant energy savings in every light intensity. The results can be useful guide for real-life applications in CPPS.


An experiment with 288 male (Ross 308) 1-d-old broilers was conducted to test the hypothesis that a coarse diet supplemented with butyric acid (BA) and fermentable carbohydrates (FC) improves performance of broilers with a poorly digestible protein source. The interaction effects of diet structure (fine or coarse), FC supplementation (with or without), and BA supplementation (with or without) in a poorly digestible diet based on rapeseed meal (RSM) were tested in a factorial arrangement of 8 (2 × 2 × 2) dietary treatments. The coarseness of the diet affected feed intake (FI) (P < 0.001), BW gain (P = 0.001), and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P = 0.001) positively. Broilers fed the coarse diets had, on average, 14% heavier gizzards and 11, 7, 5, and 6% lower relative empty weights of the crop, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, respectively, compared with those fed the fine diets. Dietary coarseness resulted in, on average, 6% greater ileal protein digestibility, 20% lower gizzard pH, 19% greater villus height, 18% lower crypt depth, and 23% reduced cecal branched chain fatty acids (BCFA) compared with chickens fed the fine diets. Broilers fed BA-supplemented diets had an improved FCR (P = 0.004) and decreased crypt depth (P < 0.001) compared with those fed diets without BA. Fermentable carbohydrate supplementation did not influence growth performance, gut development, or contents of total BCFA and total biogenic amines in the cecal digesta (P > 0.05). Supplementation with FC, however, decreased the cecal concentration of spermine by approximately 31% compared with broilers fed diets without FC (P = 0.002). In conclusion, feeding a coarse diet supplemented with BA improved performance of broilers fed a diet containing a poorly digestible protein source. The negative effects of a poorly digestible protein source can thus be partly counterbalanced by coarse grinding and BA supplementation in the diet.


268. [V. 2. 10.] Historical Note (220, 221, 222). To draw from any two given points A, B two straight lines to a point R on a given circle, having centre a t C, so that they may be equally inclined to OR. This problem, obviously intimately connected with Optics, is found in the treatise on Optics by Alhazen, circ. 1100 A.D. I t was solved geometrically by Alhazen, Vitellio and Barovius, and algebraically by Huygens, Slusius and Catalan. The solution given in Milne and Davis' Conies, p. 155, is due to E. Simson, who discovered it prior to 1729. The similar one published by Robins in 1739 Simson seemed to think was inspired by his own, which depends on the construction of a rectangular hyperbola given two conjugate diameters. In Prof. Hudson's second solution, line 4, we are told to fit, mechanically, a line of given length between two given lines so tha t its direction shall pass through a given point. This, which belongs to the directive {vev<m) class of problems and is mentioned by Pappus, is dealt with by Newton in his Universal Arithmetic in the chapter on the linear construction of equations, where he shews that the line can be constructed mechanically either by the use of the conchoid or by means of a hyperbola and a circle, and he employs it in the graphic solution of cubic equations, and also in the trisection of an angle and the finding two mean proportionals between two given quantities. The whole chapter is very interesting, as Newton there discusses the question as to what lines besides the straight line and circle should be admitted in the solution of geometrical problems. If a mechanical solution is allowed, I would suggest the following for Alhazen's Problem : Describe in the ordinary way, by means of two pins, string and pencil, a conic having A and B as foci, and adjust the length of the string so as to make the conic touch the circle in R (suppose). Then AR and BR are equally inclined to the common tangent at R, and .'. also to the radius CR.


Eggs fresh from the oviduct of the female trout take up water, but become impermeable in a few hours. The impermeability lasts for many days, but at the time when the embryo eyes become visible permeability is restored. Oxygen penetrates into the eggs impermeable to water and salts.


In this thesis the phenomena of economic voting is studied. Economic voting is the effect of the economy on political outcome. A political party or coalition can be changed from the leadership of the government but the ideology of the replacing party can be the same. The analysis will be performed for each of the 28 countries that form the European Union and on the European Union as a whole. The data is from 1995 to 2012. Here the effect of GDP/capita and unemployment on change of the government political ideology is studied. The conclusion is that neither GDP/capita or unemployment have an effect on the change of the government political ideology.


Due to the heterogeneity of the structure on a scale-free network, making the betweennesses of all nodes become homogeneous by reassigning the weights of nodes or edges is very difficult. In order to take advantage of the important effect of high degree nodes on the shortest path communication and preferentially deliver packets by them to increase the probability to destination, an adaptive local routing strategy on a scale-free network is proposed, in which the node adjusts the forwarding probability with the dynamical traffic load (packet queue length) and the degree distribution of neighbouring nodes. The critical queue length of a node is set to be proportional to its degree, and the node with high degree has a larger critical queue length to store and forward more packets. When the queue length of a high degree node is shorter than its critical queue length, it has a higher probability to forward packets. After higher degree nodes are saturated (whose queue lengths are longer than their critical queue lengths), more packets will be delivered by the lower degree nodes around them. The adaptive local routing strategy increases the probability of a packet finding its destination quickly, and improves the transmission capacity on the scale-free network by reducing routing hops. The simulation results show that the transmission capacity of the adaptive local routing strategy is larger than that of three previous local routing strategies.


Regional cooperation and integration have emerged as key issues for East Asia following the financial crisis. This book explores these issues, and examines the degree to which a new paradigm is emerging. It reviews the evolution of the concepts and practices of regionalism in East Asia, and considers the factors which are shaping new patterns of regional co-operation and integration. It includes discussions of historical developments, economic co-operation, socio-political factors, and defence and security. It considers the role of those states, including China and Japan, which have distinctive approaches to international relations, and assesses the role of regional international bodies such as ASEAN.


Functional cerebral asymmetry was assessed in 32 gay men and 32 heterosexual men and in 30 lesbians and 30 heterosexual women with a linguistic dichotic listening test. All groups showed the typical greater right-ear accuracy and, by inference, left-hemisphere representation for language functions. As shown repeatedly in previous studies (e.g., M. P. Bryden, 1982), among heterosexuals, consistent-right-handers showed greater perceptual asymmetry than did non consistent-right-handers. In contrast, gay men and lesbians did not show an association between hand preference and magnitude of perceptual asymmetry. The results indicate different patterns of functional cerebral asymmetry in gay men and lesbians compared with heterosexual people and specifically, less association between motoric and linguistic components of cerebral asymmetry. This suggestion of atypical patterns of functional asymmetries is consistent with previous results of an increased prevalence of left-hand preference among gay men and lesbians compared with the heterosexual population (C. M. McCormick, S. F. Witelson, & E. Kingstone, 1990; C. M. McCormick & S. F. Witelson, 1991). The finding of an association between aspects of functional asymmetry, a neurological characteristics likely present from birth, and sexual orientation suggests that a neurobiological factor is involved in the origins of sexual orientation.


Introduction The known facts as to the earth and its structure, beyond the knowledge derived from what is visible on its surface, are comparatively few. Its general shape has been determined and its principal dimensions and the proportion of flattening measured. The mean density has been computed. Increasing temperature below the surface has been observed. The interior of the earth is estimated to be more rigid than steel, but it yields to great forces. Its elasticity is observed in earth tides and in the transmission of earthquake shocks. Volcanic craters, geysers, and other outlets give information as to subsurface activities and materials. Earthquakes afford some measure of the more violent adjustments of the crust. The earth is a great magnet. The greatest depth to which man has penetrated is but 7,579 feet, about l/2700th part of the earth's radius. This limitation and the meager knowledge of the planet most important . . .


In this work, soda-lime-silica glass has been selected for coloring as base glass. The glass composition in mol% is (65-x) SiO2: 25Na2O: 10CaO: x Fe2O3, where x is 0.00, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10, 0.30, and 0.50. Optical absorption and electrons spin resonance spectroscopy were conducted for five different doping rates. The optical spectra of Fe2O3 doped glasses show three absorption bands at 380, 420 and 435 nm. These peaks correspond to Fe3+ ions. The ESR spectra of all glasses doped with Fe2O3, they show three strong ESR absorption peaks at the g = 2.0050.003, 4.2910.008 and 7.1240.008. The intensity of these peaks is increased when the Fe2O3 concentration is increased.


In February 2009, the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) at the University of Southern California was contracted to develop a training system for Soldiers and Marines. The goal of the training system was to reduce the number of casualties caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Over the next five months, a team at the ICT drew on subject-matter experts' input, findings from cognitive psychology, and cinema-style script-writing to achieve this goal. The result is the Mobile Counter-IED Interactive Trainer (MCIT), a narrative-focused, mixedmedia training simulator that can be deployed anywhere in the world. This paper details the course of MCIT's development, from initial concept to working prototype to finalized training system. We also discuss the technical challenges of developing in VBS2 and the changes driven by user feedback throughout the development process.


Sporadic sociopolitical violence plagued Timor-Leste for much of 2006, a manifestation in many ways of the festering wounds associated with Indonesia9s war and occupation. This violence spurred both international military intervention in an attempt to restore order and also a change in government, aggravating an already difficult socioeconomic situation.


This paper investigates the role that Eurobonds could play in making EMU stable in the long run. We establish that EMU's budgetary problems are not only caused by lack of budgetary discipline, but also by the large and sudden fiscal deterioration during the financial crisis. This type of shock can never be fully ruled out. EMU member states appear more vulnerable in this situation than countries with their own currency, and risk getting caught in a self-fulfilling spiral of increasing interest rates. This presents a strong case for some type of rescue mechanism. We establish that neither the EFSF/ ESM nor the ECB form the ideal backstop, and that Eurobonds potentially offer a more stable solution, but at the price of important moral hazard problems. All existing Eurobond proposals therefore seek a balance between stabilisation and moral hazard, typically through retaining some degree of market discipline. Our Eurobond proposal improves the trade-off between stabilisation and moral hazard by using Eurobonds themselves to further enforce budgetary discipline. Even then, however, EMU governance has to be strengthened substantially and debt levels have to converge before Eurobonds can be introduced. Therefore, our Eurobond proposal could only serve as the capstone of EMU.


Intentional dental modification, in the form of ablation and filing, is reported for the first time from Cambodia in two late prehistoric sites (Phum Snay and Phum Sophy, c. 2500 to 1500 bp). Bioarchaeological research is relatively new for this region, and this study significantly adds to our reconstruction of past behaviours in mainland Southeast Asia. The skeletal samples combine both excavated material and large looted collections in the form of ossuaries. People from Phum Sophy and Phum Snay had similar rates of anterior maxillary dental ablation, 60 and 47%, respectively, and 21.4 and 7.7%, respectively, in the mandible. Patterns of ablation most commonly involve the removal of the maxillary lateral incisors. Intentional filing was less common than ablation but affected Phum Snay and Phum Sophy individuals to a similar level (4–7%). Filing was also restricted to the anterior dentition, and a range of patterns were evident, many involving filing of the mesial and distal aspects of the crown of the upper and lower incisors and canines to give a pointed appearance. Patterns of ablation or filing were not strongly associated with a particular sex or age group. However, a limited number of ablation and filing patterns were exclusive to each site. The significance of this practice in relation to rites of passage, status, community and family relationships, and trauma is discussed. It is also shown that the modifications show distinct differences in prevalence and pattern, particularly that of filing, to nearby temporal neighbours in southern Cambodia and northeast Thailand, suggesting a unique cultural behaviour for this region.


In-vivo imaging of the eye's fundus is widely used to study eye's health. State of the art Adaptive Optics devices can resolve features up to a lateral resolution of 1.5 um. This resolution is still above what is needed to observe subcellular structures such as cone cells (1-1.25 um diameter). This limit in resolution is due to the small numerical aperture of the eye when the pupil is fully dilated (max 0.24). In our work, we overcome this limit using a non-standard illumination scheme. A laser beam is shined on the lateral choroid layer, whose scattered light is illuminating the eye's fundus. Thanks to a Spatial Light Modulator the scattered light from the choroid layer can be manipulated to produce a scanning focus spot on the fundus. The intensity of the reflected light from the fundus is collected from the pupil and used for reconstructing the image.


Abstract The paper focuses on the development of a mathematical model, an effective algorithm and a self-consistent numerical analysis of the multifunctional properties of resonant scattering and generation of oscillations by nonlinear, cubically polarizable layered structures. The multifunctionality of such layered media is caused by the nonlinear mechanism between interacting oscillations—the incident oscillations (exciting the nonlinear layer from the upper and lower half-spaces) as well as the scattered and generated oscillations at the frequencies of excitation/scattering and generation. The study of the resonance properties of scattering and generation of oscillations by a nonlinear structure with a controllable permittivity in dependence on the variation of the intensities of the components of the exciting wave package is of particular interest. In the present paper, we extend our former results, and furthermore we analyze the realizability of multifunctional properties of nonlinear electromagnetic objects with a controllable permittivity. The results of our investigations (i) demonstrate the possibility to control the scattering and generation properties of the nonlinear structure via the intensity of the incident field, (ii) indicate the possibility of increasing the multifunctionality of electronic devices, of designing frequency multipliers, and other electrodynamic devices containing nonlinear dielectrics with controllable permittivity.


Polyvinyl acetate emulsion adhesive has been widely used due to its good bonding performance and environmentally friendly properties. Indeed, the bonding performance can be further improved by copolymerizing with other monomers. In this study, the effect of the adjunction of redox initiator (hydrogen peroxide–tartaric acid, H2O2–TA) on the properties of the poly (vinyl acetate-butyl acrylate) (P (VAc–BA)) emulsion adhesive was investigated. With increasing dosage, the reaction became more complete and the obtained film was more compact, as identified via SEM. The core-shell structure of the emulsion particles was confirmed via TEM. Results indicate that while the initiator content increased from 0.5 to 1.0%, a clearer core-shell structure was obtained and the bonding strength of the plywood improved from 2.34 to 2.97 MPa. With the further incorporation of H2O2–TA (i.e., 1.5%), the bonding performance deteriorated. The optimum wood bonding strength (2.97 MPa) of the prepared P (VAc-BA) emulsion adhesive was even better than that (2.55 MPa) of a commercial PVAc emulsion adhesive, suggesting its potential application for the wood industry.


Over the last 30 years, the Alberta Capital Region (the City of Edmonton and 23 surrounding cities, towns, villages and municipal districts) has experienced rapid population growth, economic development, and conversion of agricultural land into alternative land uses. As a result, some of the province's most productive farmland has been converted into residential and industrial development. Between 2000 and 2012, growth rates for population and developed areas in Alberta Capital Region are approximately 30% and 50%, respectively. For all newly added developed areas, almost 90% were converted from agricultural land (Haarsma, 2014). Concerns about the pace and pattern of development and conversion have thus led to the creation of the Capital Region Board in 2009 and the provincial Land Use Framework in 2008. Despite the historical rates of conversion and the policy attention it has prompted, little research has been conducted to examine what values are being lost as a result of agricultural land conversion. This research has thus been undertaken to assess the multiple values of land in agricultural uses in the Alberta Capital Region, Canada. Some values (e.g., the market value of agricultural commodities) accrue mainly to private individuals and firms, while others (e.g., biodiversity conservation values) accrue to society in general. Values of some agricultural uses, such as those associated with the production of "local food", regulation of water and air quality, or maintenance of peri-urban green spaces, may be weighed very differently by different interest groups. Based on existing literature, we extend the valuation with an application of ecosystem goods and services that Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) proposes. The objectives of the study are three-fold: (1) Estimate values that residents in the region place on conserving land in different agricultural uses; (2) Explore the links between those values and residents' affinity with different ecosystem goods and services; and (3) Identify areas and strategies that are of particular interest to the public for conservation in agricultural uses. The study began with a series of focus groups. Three focus group discussions were held with selected experts to define the context, scope and objectives of the empirical study, and one focus group with a random selection of study area residents to pre-test the survey. The second part of the study involved an internet-based survey with a panel of Alberta Capital Region residents recruited by the survey firm, Qualtrics. The survey instrument includes background information on the respondents' attitudes toward conservation, and an attribute-based choice experiment. This method defines non-market valuation such as the values of environmental goods or services in terms of various attributes including price, and then assesses the respondents' Willingness To Pay (WTP) for specific bundles of attributes (Grafton et al. 2003). The choice experiments ask respondents to consider an alternative conservation strategy for land in a specific agricultural use, in a specific type of area, with a specific cost, as opposed to the status quo that would result in no policy change. The conceptual model is derived from the standard random utility specification in which utility is divided into observable and unobservable components (Hanemann 1984). In the model, utility contains a deterministic component that consists of the observable attributes (In our case, that is, type of agricultural use, acres conserved, adjacent area, location proximity, and one-time cost), and a random unobservable component. The empirical estimation starts with a simple Multinomial Logit Model. We also use a Multinominal Logit Model with interaction terms to evaluate the effects of individual characteristics such as gender, residence, shopping behaviors, and attitudes towards government policies. More advanced models, such as Latent Class Model and Random Parameter Model, are also estimated to provide further insight into heterogeneity. This research contributes to identifying agricultural regions of outstanding conservation values so that they can be protected against future land conversion. The results indicate that relative to land adjacent to primary highways, land adjacent to conservation buffers is generally preferred for conservation in agricultural uses. Additionally, residents place higher values on land within a 10-kilometer buffer to currently developed areas over land within city limits. Regarding agricultural uses, livestock grazing on native pasture has the highest values, with hay land ranking second. Values for vegetable farms vary from group to group, and residents who do not typically get food from farmers' markets, community gardens or farms have the lowest WTP for vegetable farms. Women generally place considerably higher value on farmland conservation than men. Residence, whether the respondents are from Edmonton or surrounding counties, does not seem to make a difference on values of land in agricultural uses. Furthermore, concerns for local food production, water purification and air quality are the top reasons for conserving land in agricultural uses. Further research in this study will use the welfare measure from the WTP estimation in cost-benefit analyses to inform decisions on land use changes, including the creation, restoration and compensation of agricultural or natural areas. The non-market values of ecosystem goods and services associated with different agricultural uses can also be compared to the financial costs of such projects. Local governments have already expressed interest in those analyses.


Purpose Liver volumetry is a vital component in living donor liver transplantation to determine an adequate graft volume that meets the metabolic demands of the recipient and at the same time ensures donor safety. Most institutions use preoperative contrast-enhanced CT image-based software programs to estimate graft volume. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 2 liver volumetry programs (Rapidia vs. Dr. Liver) in preoperative right liver graft estimation compared with real graft weight. Methods Data from 215 consecutive right lobe living donors between October 2013 and August 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. One hundred seven patients were enrolled in Rapidia group and 108 patients were included in the Dr. Liver group. Estimated graft volumes generated by both software programs were compared with real graft weight measured during surgery, and further classified into minimal difference (≤15%) and big difference (>15%). Correlation coefficients and degree of difference were determined. Linear regressions were calculated and results depicted as scatterplots. Results Minimal difference was observed in 69.4% of cases from Dr. Liver group and big difference was seen in 44.9% of cases from Rapidia group (P = 0.035). Linear regression analysis showed positive correlation in both groups (P < 0.01). However, the correlation coefficient was better for the Dr. Liver group (R2 = 0.719), than for the Rapidia group (R2 = 0.688). Conclusion Dr. Liver can accurately predict right liver graft size better and faster than Rapidia, and can facilitate preoperative planning in living donor liver transplantation.


Surveillance applications require a collection of heterogeneous vehicles to visit a set of targets. In this article, we consider a fundamental routing problem that arises in these applications involving two vehicles. Specifically, we consider a routing problem where there are two heterogeneous vehicles that start from distinct initial locations, and a set of targets. The objective is to find a tour for each vehicle such that each of the targets is visited at least once by a vehicle and the sum of the distances traveled by the vehicles is a minimum. We present a novel primal-dual algorithm for the same that provides an approximation ratio of 2.Copyright © 2011 by ASME


The introduction to the special issue of Methis on Estonian environmentalism provides an overview of the phenomenon of environmentalism and its spread across political periods, economic formations, and regions. The essay starts by contextualising the central concepts of the issue, 'environmentalism' and its possible translation into Estonian as 'keskkondlus', and its relationship with the concept of 'nature'. At the end of the 1980s, amidst a deepening awareness of environmental crisis, some authors announced 'nature' to have met its end. While this end has become widely accepted within environmental discourse, the approach clashes with the traditional thinking about the beauty of nature and its strong bonds with national identities. To foster discussion and to bridge the discursive and ideological gap between the two perceptions, the authors of the articles use the concept as an umbrella term for both paradigms.
The second part of the introductory article discusses East European environmentalism, drawing attention to the research into erroneous assumptions regarding the lack of environmental activism within the Soviet Union. Before its brief heyday in the 1980s, East European environmentalism was hidden within economy, policy, society and culture. However, its roots went deeper, reaching back to 18th- and 19th-century thought, to Baltic German – and later Estonian – early voluntary associations and the value seen in the homeland and its natural objects. The founding of animal and nature protection societies in the late 19th century was an early practical outcome, and similar thought became pronounced in print culture. In early 20th century, several nature protection areas were established, and people became avid consumers of popular science journals – an interest that would continue throughout the Soviet period. The 1970s saw an environmental movement to protect the wetlands of Estonia which were in danger of being drained. Throughout the 20th century, also fiction reflected the prevailing views of nature and emerging concerns about the environment.
The issue's opening article by Ulrike Plath and Kaarel Vanamölder takes us back to the 17th century to demonstrate the possibility of climate movements more than three centuries ago. This is followed by Karl Hein's case study that depicts in detail the emergence of animal protection in Estonia a hundred years ago in the context of local and regional history. The next four articles focus on different aspects of environmental movements in the Soviet period. Elle-Mari Talivee retells the story of the peculiar character of Atom-Boy created by the childrens' author Vladimir Beekman who depicts in this form the various developments in the Soviet nuclear industry. This example from children's literature is paralleled by similar environmental concerns expressed in visual arts, as outlined in Linda Kaljundi's article. In a more theoretical take on liberal and autocratic environmental protection, Viktor Pál discusses the Soviet propagandistic use of environmental issues. Olev Liivik contextualises the protests against phosphorite mining in the 1970–80s within the wider trends in the Soviet Union, including the practice of sending letters of complaint to the media, and the various waves of environmental dissent. The discussion of a more compact case of the so-called Green Cycling Tours by Tambet Muide demonstrates the same increasingly oppositional stance that took hold in the 1980s. Regarding the post-Soviet era, Tõnno Jonuks, Lona Päll, Atko Remmel and Ulla Kadakas analyse the various conflicts that have emerged around natural and cultural objects protected by law since the 1990s. In the freestanding article of the issue, Raili Lass writes on interlinguistic and intersemiotic procedures of translation in the theatre but, as our introductory essay suggests, points of convergence may be found here with the discussion of staging of conflicts in environmental protection.  In the "Theory in Translation" section Timothy Morton's classic discussion of environmentalism is published in Ene-Reet Soovik's translation, accompanied by introductory remarks from the translator and Kadri Tüür.
The final part of the issue's introduction offers a comparative and interdisciplinary take on the themes discussed. The revelatory nature of historical events of any era, especially natural disasters or the conditions of their unfolding, uncovers the socio-environmental relations that push people to respond. Whether or not such responses become environmental movements depends on the context that either recognises or ignores human embeddedness in the environment. Searching for such parallels connects 21st century climate activism and 17th century upheavals, animal protection in the 1920s and a hundred years later. The Soviet period allows a simultaneous scrutiny of both the limited and ideological take on the apparent lack of Soviet environmentalism as well as the methodological challenges of finding the footprints of hidden awareness and activism. Unearthing this from literature, art and the restrained presence of expert voices also provides an explanation to the sudden explosion of activism in the 1980s. The silence of the next decades further proves that there is nothing obvious in the ways in which environmentalism can take hold of society, which demands precise and detailed inquiry such as provided by the authors of this special issue.


This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a 35% hydrogen peroxide--based gel without activation in vitro on three areas of the tooth surface. Vestibular faces of human premolar teeth were darkened, followed by two whitenings at 7-day intervals. The efficacy of whitening was determined in the cervical third, medium third and incisal third of the tooth surface with an Easyshade-Vita spectrophotometer based on the CIELab system. The L, a, b parameters were determined for each third by the identification of high luminosity and hues tending to green and yellow; pigmentation luminosity was then reduced, and the parameters a and b became reddish and yellowish, respectively. Seven days after the first whitening, there were significant improvements in L and a values. Seven days after the second whitening, the three parameters returned to values close to the initial values; the b parameter was most strongly correlated with whitening efficacy. DE values revealed a visually perceptible difference. There was a satisfactory removal of pigmentation after both whitenings, while the lack of uniformity among the tooth-surface thirds after the first session justified the performance of two whitening procedures. With regard to each third, DE indicated a visibly perceptible difference, although L, a and b values showed no statistically significant differences.


ABSTRACT In traditional conceptions, the Atlantic divides the New World from the Old, as well as geographically dividing the Americas from the continents of Africa and Europe; it is suggested here that beyond being at the centre of such divisions, the Atlantic itself is a divided space that can act as a microcosm in the analysis of global inequities. This article argues that the Brandt Line as a conceptual division of the Atlantic can help trace global epistemological inequities indicative of a current North-South knowledge divide. The knowledge divide between the Global North and the Global South will be discussed in the context of PISA for Development (PISA-D), an international student assessment developed and implemented by the OECD, which aims to assess education systems, and inform education policies and school curricula in developing countries. It will be suggested that the OECD gives precedence to the epistemological systems of the Global North over those of the Global South, by not including the respective developing countries more closely in the development process of the assessment material, and by failing to incorporate local and indigenous knowledges in the test. A sample question will be discussed in order to highlight some of the epistemological difficulties in developing a universally applicable student assessment. Additionally, it will be argued that the translation of PISA-Development as an assessment instrument plays a key role in the perpetuation of global epistemological inequities, and has therefore arguably the potential to contribute to epistemicide.


Lexical access is concerned with how the spoken or visual input of language is projected onto the mental representations of lexical forms. To date, most theories of lexical access have been based almost exclusively on studies of spoken languages and/or orthographic representations of spoken languages. Relatively few studies have examined how lexical access takes place in deaf users of signed languages. This paper examines whether two properties, lexical familiarity and phonological neighborhood, which are known to influence recognition in spoken languages, influence lexical access in Spanish Sign Language—Lengua de Signos Espanola (LSE). Our results indicate that the representational factors of lexical familiarity and phonological neighborhood can be observed in native and non-native deaf users of LSE. In addition, the present data provides evidence for the importance of sub-lexical properties in sign language processing.


A patient seller interacts with a sequence of myopic consumers. Each period, the seller chooses the quality of his product, and a consumer decides whether to trust the seller after she observes the seller's actions in the last K periods (limited memory) and at least one previous consumer's action (observational learning). However, the consumer cannot observe the seller's action in the current period. With positive probability, the seller is a commitment type who plays his Stackelberg action in every period. I show that under limited memory and observational learning, consumers are concerned that the seller will not play his Stackelberg action when he has a positive reputation and will play his Stackelberg action after he has lost his reputation. Such a concern leads to equilibria where the seller receives a low payoff from building a reputation. I also show that my reputation failure result hinges on consumers' observational learning.


Background The overwhelming majority of UK military recruitment occurs in the age group (18–24) in which the recent increases in childhood asthma have been greatest. Concerns about operational risks associated with asthmatic individuals are reflected in selection policies excluding applicants taking asthma treatment, reporting symptoms in the last five years or since the age of 16. This study was designed to characterise the severity and impact of asthma on current RAF serving personnel. Methods Questionnaires were sent to all current service personnel with a diagnosis of asthma on their medical record; an equivalent number of non-asthmatic personnel (matched on age and sex) were also surveyed to provide a referent population. Information on asthma symptoms and treatment, reported change in deployment, medical fitness category and career intention was collected. Results Of 463 asthmatics who responded to the survey, 167 (36.1%) were not currently on asthma treatment, 63 (13.6%) were on reliever therapy only and 233 (50.3%) were on regular asthma treatment. Two-thirds reported adult onset asthma. Those on regular treatment were more likely to have needed urgent/unscheduled treatment, been unable to work due to their asthma and have a current ACQ score indicating uncontrolled disease; whilst this group were more likely to be currently downgraded, they were no more likely to have returned early from deployment than those in other groups (Figure). Comparing individuals with asthma and matched referents, those with disease were significantly more likely to be downgraded (OR 2.36 (95% CI 1.48–3.77), p < 0.001), prevented from deploying for medical reasons (OR 2.47 (95% CI 1.41–4.34), p = 0.006) and be assigned unfit (OR 1.79 (95% CI 1.20–2.73, p = 0.006)). Very few individuals had to return early from deployment, suggesting that restrictions were effective in mitigating risks posed by uncontrolled asthma. Conclusions The findings from this cohort suggest that asthmatics in the RAF, particularly those taking regular treatment, are being restricted from some jobs and environments; this affects few individuals and does not appear to have a negative impact on service career. Decisions at recruitment are likely to have greater impact and would benefit from being studied prospectively. Abstracts M137 to M148 on page A212–218. Abstract P136 Figure 1 Prevalence of asthma and service-related outcomes in RAF asthmatics, stratified by asthma treatment


The foundational concept of Max-Margin in machine learning is ill-posed for output spaces with more than two labels such as in structured prediction. In this paper, we show that the Max-Margin loss can only be consistent to the classification task under highly restrictive assumptions on the discrete loss measuring the error between outputs. These conditions are satisfied by distances defined in tree graphs, for which we prove consistency, thus being the first losses shown to be consistent for Max-Margin beyond the binary setting. We finally address these limitations by correcting the concept of Max-Margin and introducing the Restricted-Max-Margin, where the maximization of the loss-augmented scores is maintained, but performed over a subset of the original domain. The resulting loss is also a generalization of the binary support vector machine and it is consistent under milder conditions on the discrete loss.


In this report, an integrated model including fate of and effects of contaminants on an ecological model is presented. The aim is to simulate the dynamic behaviour of the mesocosm experiments carried out at NERI (see D431-D433) to elucidate the combined effects of nutrients and contaminants at ecosystem level. The outcome of the simulation highlighted some strengths and weaknesses of the methodology. On the one hand it is shown that it is possible to represent the main dynamics observed in a mesocosm experiment over a relatively short time (11 days) with a rather simplified food-web model. This confirms that the model contains the features necessary to represent the system correctly even on a small scale. On the other hand some of the parameters, e.g. the shape of the dose-response curve for phytoplankton and zooplankton, had to be fitted with a very limited amount of experimental data. More research would be necessary to elucidate this part of the model. The difference between the enriched and non enriched communities was not that obvious to represent in the model, since the data on − − + 2 3 NO NO and + 4 NH concentrations in the enriched and non-enriched systems are similar.


Abstract Abstract The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has improved with the search of novel antigens; however, their performance is limited when samples from VL/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfected patients are tested. In this context, studies conducted to identify more suitable antigens to detect both VL and VL/HIC coinfection cases should be performed. In the current study, phage display was performed using serum samples from healthy subjects and VL, HIV-infected and VL/HIV-coinfected patients; aiming to identify novel phage-exposed epitopes to be evaluated with this diagnostic purpose. Nine non-repetitive and valid sequences were identified, synthetized and tested as peptides in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay experiments. Results showed that three (Pep2, Pep3 and Pep4) peptides showed excellent performance to diagnose VL and VL/HIV coinfection, with 100% sensitivity and specificity values. The other peptides showed sensitivity varying from 50.9 to 80.0%, as well as specificity ranging from 60.0 to 95.6%. Pep2, Pep3 and Pep4 also showed a potential prognostic effect, since specific serological reactivity was significantly decreased after patient treatment. Bioinformatics assays indicated that Leishmania trypanothione reductase protein was predicted to contain these three conformational epitopes. In conclusion, data suggest that Pep2, Pep3 and Pep4 could be tested for the diagnosis of VL and VL/HIV coinfection.


Using multiple stochastic integrals and Malliavin calculus, we analyze the quadratic variations of a class of Gaussian processes that contains the linear stochastic heat equation on $\mathbf{R}^{d}$ driven by a non-white noise which is fractional Gaussian with respect to the time variable (Hurst parameter $H$) and has colored spatial covariance of $\alpha $-Riesz-kernel type. The processes in this class are self-similar in time with a parameter $K$ distinct from $H$, and have path regularity properties which are very close to those of fractional Brownian motion (fBm) with Hurst parameter $K$ (in the heat equation case, $K=H-(d-\alpha )/4$ ). However the processes exhibit marked inhomogeneities which cause naive heuristic renormalization arguments based on $K$ to fail, and require delicate computations to establish the asymptotic behavior of the quadratic variation. A phase transition between normal and non-normal asymptotics appears, which does not correspond to the familiar threshold $K=3/4$ known in the case of fBm. We apply our results to construct an estimator for $H$ and to study its asymptotic behavior.


Aim: To analyze patients presenting to our hospital after ingesting drugs for suicide purposes. Materials and Methods: Adult patients that attempted suicide by ingesting drugs or other substances were retrospectively reviewed over a two-year period. The population of the study was determined among the patients diagnosed with the ICD-10 codes of X.40X49 in hospital records. The patients were divided into two groups as hospitalized and discharged, and evaluated in terms of age, gender, substances ingested, number of different types of drugs ingested, the statement of life threatening status in forensic reports, whether gastric lavage or activated charcoal was applied, history of previous suicide attempts, presence of psychiatric diagnoses, and leukocyte count. Then, we investigated any statistical differences between the two groups. Results: A total of 216 adult patients with a mean age of 27.65 ± 9.45 years were included in the study. The hospitalization rate was 49.1%. Taking two or more different types of drugs, a high leukocyte count, application of gastric lavage and active charcoal, and the presence of life-threatening status in forensic report were found to be higher in the hospitalized group(p <0.05). It was observed that a history of previous suicide attempts or previous psychiatric diagnoses did not affect the hospitalization rate (p> 0.05). In addition, it was determined that for suicide purposes, psychiatric drugs were mostly taken by the patients with previous psychiatric diagnoses while those without these diagnoses mostly used analgesics to attempt suicide (p <0.001). Conclusion: Multiple drug type ingestion, leukocyte count, the presence of a life-threatening status in the forensic report, and gastric lavage and activated charcoal applications were determined as factors affecting the decision of emergency physicians to hospitalize patients that attempted suicide by ingesting drugs.


The leakage loss of a tube dielectric waveguide is analyzed analytically and numerically. A minimum loss condition of a bent rectangular tube waveguide is derived in terms of the ratio of refractive index of the tube to the other region using the transverse transmission-line model. The validity of the derived minimum loss condition is confirmed by the two- and three-dimensional beam-propagation methods.


Binding of the cardiac hormone atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) to transmembrane guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A (GC-A/NPRA), produces the intracellular second messenger cGMP in target cells. To delineate the critical role of an endocytic signal in intracellular sorting of the receptor, we have identified a FQQI (Phe(790), Gln(791), Gln(792), and Ile(793)) motif in the carboxyl-terminal region of NPRA. Mouse mesangial cells (MMCs) were transiently transfected with the enhanced green fluorescence protein (eGFP)-tagged wild-type (WT) and mutant constructs of eGFP-NPRA. The mutation FQQI/AAAA, in the eGFP-NPRA cDNA sequence, markedly attenuated the internalization of mutant receptors by almost 49% compared with the WT receptor. Interestingly, we show that the μ1B subunit of adaptor protein-1 binds directly to a phenylalanine-based FQQI motif in the cytoplasmic tail of the receptor. However, subcellular trafficking indicated that immunofluorescence colocalization of the mutated receptor with early endosome antigen-1 (EEA-1), lysosome-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP-1), and Rab 11 marker was decreased by 57% in early endosomes, 48% in lysosomes, and 42% in recycling endosomes, respectively, compared with the WT receptor in MMCs. The receptor containing the mutated motif (FQQI/AAAA) also produced a significantly decreased level of intracellular cGMP during subcellular trafficking than the WT receptor. The coimmunoprecipitation assay confirmed a decreased level of colocalization of the mutant receptor with subcellular compartments during endocytic processes. The results suggest that the FQQI motif is essential for the internalization and subcellular trafficking of NPRA during the hormone signaling process in intact MMCs.


The electric response of superfluid helium was measured when a second sound standing wave was generated in a resonator cavity. The results were qualitatively in agreement with that of other research laboratories, but the normalized signal strength was one order of magnitude larger reflecting the difference in electrode structure. The temporal phase difference between the electric oscillation and the temperature oscillation was measured and compared with the analysis. The result excluded a hypothesis that the electric response was induced by the velocities of the relative motion of normal and superfluid components of liquid helium. We suggested a hypothetical explanation of the electric response based on the oscillation of chemical potential of electrons in helium atoms. The effect of an external dc electric field was examined and no effect was observed. The heater power dependence of the temperature oscillation and the electric oscillation showed the qualitative agreement with the original experiment.


Dislocation of the cartilage after surgery on the nasal septum is a common complication. To avoid this complication we developed a so-called septum holder made of biologically inert Al2O3 ceramic for implantation at the anterior nasal spine.


![Graphic][1]

Background CARs combine a single chain variable fragment (scFv) of an antibody with intracellular signaling domains into a single chimeric protein. We previously reported on CTL019 cells expressing a CAR with intracellular activation plus costimulatory domains. Infusion of these cells results in 100 to 100,000x in vivo proliferation, durable anti-tumor activity, and prolonged persistence in pts with B cell tumors, including 1 sustained CR in a patient with ALL (Grupp, et al. NEJM 2013). We now report on outcomes and longer follow up from our pilot studies treating 20 pts (16 children and 4 adults) with relapsed, refractory ALL.

Methods T cells were lentivirally transduced with a CAR composed of anti-CD19 scFv/4-1BB/CD3ζ, activated/expanded ex-vivo with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 beads, and then infused into pts with relapsed or refractory CD19+ ALL. 17/20 pts received lymphodepleting chemotherapy the week prior to CTL019 infusion. The targeted T cell dose range was 107 to 108 cells/kg with a transduction efficiency (TE) of 11-45%. On the adult protocol, the target dose was 5 x 109 total cells split over 3 days with a TE of 6-31%. 11 pts had relapsed ALL after a prior allogeneic SCT. T cells were collected from the pt, regardless of prior SCT status, and not from allo donors. All pts s/p allo SCT had to be 6 mos s/p SCT with no GVHD or GVHD treatment.

Results 16 children median age 9.5 y (5-22y) and 4 adults median age 50y (26-60y) with CD19+ ALL were treated. One child had T cell ALL aberrantly expressing CD19. 14/16 pediatric pts had active disease or +MRD after chemotherapy on the day prior to CTL019 cell infusion, while 2 were MRD(-). 3 of 4 adults had active disease prior to lymphodepleting chemotherapy, while 1 was in morphologic CR. Lymphodepleting chemotherapy varied with most receiving a Cytoxan-containing regimen the week prior to CTL019. A median of 3.7x106 CTL019 cells/kg (0.7-18x106/kg) were infused over 1-3 days.

There were no infusional toxicities >grade 2, although 5 pts developed fevers within 24 hrs of infusion and did not receive planned subsequent infusions of CTL019 cells. 14 patients (82%) achieved a CR, including the patient with CD19+ T ALL, 3 did not respond, and 3 are pending evaluation. 11/17 evaluable pts have ongoing BM CR with median follow up 2.6 mo (1.2-15 mo). Three patients with a CR at 1 month have subsequently relapsed, 1 with CD19(-) disease. Median follow-up as of August 1, 2013 was 2.6 mo (1-15 mo) for all pts.

All responding pts developed some degree of delayed cytokine release syndrome (CRS), concurrent with peak T cell expansion, manifested by fever, with variable degrees of myalgias, nausea, anorexia. Some experienced transient hypotension and hypoxia. Detailed cytokine analysis showed marked increases from baseline values of IL6 and IFNγ (both up to 1000x), and IL2R, with mild or no significant elevation in systemic levels of TNFα or IL2. Treatment for CRS was required for hemodynamic or respiratory instability in 7/20 patients and was rapidly reversed in all cases with the IL6-receptor antagonist tocilizumab (7 pts), together with corticosteroids in 4 pts. Although T cells collected from the 11 pts who had relapsed after allo SCT were generally 100% of donor origin, no GVHD has been seen. Persistence of CTL019 cells detected by flow cytometry and/or QPCR in pts with ongoing responses continued for 1-15 months after infusion, resulting in complete B cell aplasia during the period of CTL019 persistence. Pts have been treated with IVIg without any unusual infectious complications. One child who entered a CR subsequently developed MDS with a new trisomy 8 in ALL remission and has gone to SCT, and 1 child developed a single leukemia cutis lesion at 6 mo, still BM MRD(-).

Conclusions CTL019 cells are T cells genetically engineered to express an anti-CD19 scFv coupled to CD3ζ signaling and 4-1BB costimulatory domains. These cells can undergo robust in-vivo expansion and can persist for 15 mo or longer in pts with relapsed ALL. CTL019 therapy is associated with a significant CRS that responds rapidly to IL-6-targeted anti-cytokine treatment. This approach has promise as a salvage therapy for patients who relapse after allo-SCT, and collection of tolerized cells from the recipient appears to have a low risk of GVHD. CTL019 cells can induce potent and durable responses for patients with relapsed/refractory ALL. Multicenter trials are being developed to test this therapy for ALL in the phase 2 setting.

Disclosures: Grupp: Novartis: Research Funding. Chew: Novartis: Patents & Royalties. Levine: Novartis: cell and gene therapy IP, cell and gene therapy IP Patents & Royalties. Litchman: Novartis Phamaceuticals: Employment, Equity Ownership. Rheingold: Novartis: Research Funding. Shen: Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Employment, Equity Ownership. Wood: Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Employment, Equity Ownership. June: Novartis: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding.

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The research was to create the necessary algorithms for airspeed determination without the use of a pitot-static system or weather data. The motivation for this study is due to the large cost associated with integrating into aircraft systems and the uncertainty associated with meteorology. The primary piece of hardware used was an Ardu-Pilot. There were preliminary ground tests performed as well as several flight tests. The flight tests primary consisted of scenic flights and had no aerobatic maneuvers. The results showed 10% errors on a turbulent day and 5% errors on a low-turbulence day. It is possible that the difference in errors was due to turbulence but further investigation is required. The results show promise in steady flight but more work must be done to apply it to stall scenarios. The airspeed algorithm would be a good addition to a fuel burn estimation application located on an electronic flight bag.


Ion transport of a polypyrrole/chloride (PPy/Cl film and a polypyrrole/poly(styenesulfonate) (PPy/PSS) film as a function of applied dc potential was investigated by employing electrogravimetric impedance technique and electrochemical impedance technique. The cation and anion contribution to the whole charge capacitance and the diffusion coefficients of cation and anion in a PPy/PSS film were calculated by fitting the electrogravimetric impedance data with proposed model circuit. The diffusion coefficients of Na' in a 1 M NaClO₄solution are over 1 order of magnitude larger than those of ClO₄-, and ClO₄- contribution to charge compensation decreases as dc potential lowers. The charge compensation of a PPy/Cl film ir a 1 M CsCl solution is carried out largely by Cl at 0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl and by Cs+ as well as Cl- at -0.4 V.


Towards an Estonian Ideology: Debates among Estonians Abroad in the 1970s The goal of this article is to trace articulations of Estonian ideology in the 1970s among Estonians abroad. The term Estonian ideology is far from monolithic; political scientist and Estonian diaspora scholar Karl Aun (1914–1995) carefully redefined it in 1979 in counterpoint to the large number of "action programs" and prognoses of the future of Estonia as proposed in the mid-1970s by younger, radical diaspora intellectuals. These in turn responded to the most divisive political issue since the mid-1960s – the problem of visiting the homeland and entertaining cultural figures and other official visitors from Soviet Estonia. Aun's article in the new periodical Aja Kiri, which began publication in Toronto in 1976 should be seen less as a contribution to the polemic around "communicating with the homeland" and rather in relation to preceding debates in the periodical Vaba Eesti (1951–1964). Both periodicals sought and assumed an international audience of Estonians. The first part of the article contextualizes and outlines Aun`s rhetorical strategy in defining "estology" and the historical questions he raised. In the second part, the intellectual background and political formation of the readership of Aja Kiri is examined. Finally, questions for further research on the intellectual history of the Estonian diaspora are set forth alongside a brief review of the challenges of working with diaspora archives.


A twin disc infiltrometer is employed to simultaneously measure one-dimensional and three-dimensional cumulative infiltration. The assumption that flow at early times is essentially one-dimensional can introduce error when estimating sorptivity, resulting in estimates that are greater than the true one-dimensional sorptivity. In contrast, sorptivity calculations using our recently developed three-dimensional infiltration equation give edge effect corrections that result in quite precise estimates of sorptivity in both laboratory and field tests. The estimates are shown to be consistent with measurements obtained from the buffered inner ring of the twin disc. The difference between three-dimensional and one-dimensional infiltration is used to calculate the value of the infiltration parameter, gamma, from the twin disc experiment in the laboratory. This parameter, together with the correct one-dimensional sorptivity, provide the information necessary to calculate the contribution of gravitational flow during three-dimensional infiltration. The laboratory test shows that when three-dimensional infiltration is dominated by capillary effects, as is often the case, estimation of hydraulic conductivity using quasi-steady-state solutions may not be possible. Results from the field test in a well aggregated topsoil illustrate dominance of the gravity term and show a general application of the method for obtaining parameters that describe three-dimensional infiltration.


This paper presents a current ripple analysis of new double-stator AC drive system. At first, a new double-stator AC drive system is proposed. The aim is to combine the benefits both the multilevel and multiphase system to provide the better performance to drive AC motor. The input and output current ripples of the proposed AC drive system are then analyzed. The current ripples of the proposed AC drive system are then compared to the ones of conventional double-stator AC drive system. Under the same DC input voltage, it is shown that the proposed results in less output current ripple. Under the same output voltage, the proposed AC drive system results in smaller input current and, therefore, fewer losses on the DC power supply. Experimental results are included to show the validity of the proposed concept.


Efficient and reliable automated detection of modified image and multimedia files has long been a challenge for law enforcement, compounded by the harm caused by repeated exposure to psychologically harmful materials. In August 2019 Facebook open-sourced their PDQ and TMK + PDQF algorithms for image and video similarity measurement, respectively. In this report, we review the algorithms' performance on detecting commonly encountered transformations on real-world case data, sourced from contemporary investigations. We also provide a reference implementation to demonstrate the potential application and integration of such algorithms within existing law enforcement systems.


Precursors of polyurethane chains have been reacted by means of in situ polymerization with organically modified montmorillonite clay to obtain polyurethane nanocomposites containing from 1 to 4 wt % of nanoreinforcement. The effective final dispersion of inorganic component at nanometric scale was investigated by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the effect of the nanoreinforcement incorporation on thermal and mechanical behavior of polyurethane nanocomposites was evaluated. Nanocomposites showed similar mechanical properties to polyurethanes containing high-hard segment contents with higher tensile modulus and a decrease in elastomeric properties of polyurethane materials. Finally, biocompatibility studies using L-929 fibroblast have been carried out to examine in vitro cell response and cytotoxicity of the matrix and their nanocomposite materials. Results suggested that the organic modifier in the clay is unsuitable for biomedical devices in spite of the fact that the matrix is a good candidate for cell adhesion and proliferation.


This chapter mainly focuses on medial meniscus posterior root tear which is the point of attention nowadays because it is the common degeneration process and can lead to early-onset osteoarthritis of the knee without treatment. The biomechanics of the medial meniscus root tear is similar to total meniscectomy. Hence, early detection and diagnosis will lead to better outcome. Most cases with medial meniscus root tear also have degenerative change of the knee. Meniscal extrusion is a common finding in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which represent impairing of hoop stress function of the meniscus. Patient selection and understanding of the natural history of the disease is a particularly important. Options for the treatment including conservative treatment, surgical treatment such as partial meniscectomy, meniscus root repair, or reduction of meniscal extrusion. Outcome of these treatments are variable depending on the condition of the patients. Long term outcome of surgical treatment revealed lower rate of knee replacement compared with conservative treatment.


ABSTRACT The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted by the United Nations as a blueprint for building a better world in the 21st century, with the main strategy being poverty eradication by 2015. To this end, third year Industrial Design students at the University of New South Wales were challenged to investigate issues and explore creative solutions to address hunger, achieve universal primary education, empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat killer diseases, and ensure environmental sustainability. Students chose to remotely design for peoples in Africa, India and Southeast Asia, working on such projects as simplified educational equipment, drinking water safety, malaria and HIV, and minimizing childbirth risks. As part of the preliminary research they interviewed international aid volunteers and relief workers who have had firsthand experiences with working with indigent communities in those countries. The MDG studio project has been helpful in introducing design students to social responsibility and cultural sensitivity, and confronts the typical designers' approach of targeting primarily end-users in advanced markets. This activity follows a growing trend among proactive design groups to regard the vast majority of the world's population in the "bottom of the pyramid" as a huge market that is under-served and disadvantaged by design.


The Earth's atmosphere is often compared to a low temperature combustion system
in which solar energy drives radical oxidation of trace gases. The OH radical is the key
daytime radical oxidant and reacts rapidly with the majority of the anthropogenic and
biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released to the atmosphere. Over the past two
decades, field campaigns in remote regions, characterised by high concentrations of
hydrocarbons, such as isoprene, but relatively low concentrations of NOx (NO + NO2) have
highlighted significant discrepancies between measured and modelled concentrations of
OH; with modelled OH concentrations underestimating the measured daytime values by up
to an order of magnitude. Consequently, a number of experimental and theoretical studies
have sought novel OH generating reactions that are currently not implemented into
atmospheric models. One such suggestion is that under low NOx conditions (sub 100 pptv),
certain peroxy radical species, formed following the addition of O2 to radicals produced
through OH initiated VOC oxidation, might undergo unimolecular dissociation reactions that
regenerate OH. In this thesis, a number of OH initiated oxidation systems have been studied
which produce radical intermediates that recycle OH in the presence of O2. These systems
have been investigated experimentally by monitoring the OH directly using laser flash
photolysis coupled with laser induced fluorescence (LFP – LIF). By monitoring the OH
kinetics directly, it is possible to quantify the yield of OH recycled in the presence of O2 as a
function of pressure, temperature, and O2 concentration from the ratio of rate coefficients
measured in the presence and absence of O2; this OH cycling methodology was used
extensively in the work presented here.

The first experimental work presented in this thesis focused on the OH initiated
oxidation of a series of alkynes (acetylene, propyne, and 2-butyne). These reactions proceed
initially via OH addition across the alkyne triple bond, to generate an adduct that exists in
two energetically distinct conformations. These adducts react rapidly with O2 to generate a
bicarbonyl species and recycle OH, or an organic acid and acyl radical as first generation
products; with product branching ratios dictated by the stereochemistry of the adduct at
the point of reaction with O2. The nascent adduct forms following the OH + alkyne reaction
with excess energy. It is widely accepted that at pressures relevant to the troposphere, any excess energy in reaction products is dissipated through inelastic collisions prior to the
onset of secondary bimolecular chemistry. However, experimental and theoretical work
presented here suggests that under atmospheric conditions, a significant fraction of the
total product yield associated with the OH + alkyne/O2 systems, form before the internal
quantum states of the adducts have fully relaxed. The product branching observed for the
OH + alkyne/O2 system is said to be influenced by chemical activation, whereby the
exothermicity of an initial reaction is utilised by the products to undergo secondary
reactions not accessible to the thermalised products.

Attention then turns to OH oxidation reactions that proceed via a hydrogen-atom
abstraction channel. Abstraction reactions are often considered to deposit the majority of
the available reaction exothermicity into the newly formed bond, particularly if the reaction
involved has an early transition state. Experimental evidence presented here suggests that
some atmospherically relevant carbonyl reactions, that are considered to proceed via direct
hydrogen-atom abstraction, partition a significant fraction of the reaction exothermicity into
the radical fragment. The OH + acetaldehyde, CH3CHO, reaction is considered an archetypal
abstraction reaction. The acetyl, CH3CO, produced is known to react with O2 at low
pressures to generate OH, with a unity yield at zero pressure. However, the pressure
dependent OH yields observed for the OH + CH3CHO/O2 system suggest that ~15% of the
CH3CO produced through the OH + CH3CHO reaction dissociates promptly to CH3 + CO.
CH3CO fragmentation requires more than 50% of the total exothermicity of the OH +
CH3CHO reaction to be channelled into the CH3CO.
The second hydrogen-abstraction channel considered here is the OH + glyoxal,
(HCO)2, reaction that results in production of the HC(O)CO radical. HC(O)CO chemistry is
governed by a competition between unimolecular dissociation, and bimolecular association
with O2. Recent calculations have suggested that the HC(O)CO + O2 reaction proceeds
directly to OH + CO + CO2. This channel has been verified here through experiment, with OH
yields associated with the OH + (HCO)2/O2 reaction quantified for the first time as a function
of pressure (5 – 80 Torr), temperature (212 – 295 K), and O2 concentration. The OH yields
increase with O2 concentration under all experimental conditions, as the bimolecular
HC(O)CO + O2 reaction increasingly competes with unimolecular HC(O)CO decomposition, but converge on a limiting yield under high O2 conditions, suggesting that a fraction of the
HC(O)CO produced following the OH + (HCO)2 reaction dissociates promptly to HCO + CO.
In the final experimental section of this thesis a laser system was developed to
detect HCO via LIF. Attempts were made to monitor both prompt and growth HCO signal
following the Cl + (HCO)2 reaction, and quantify the rate of thermal HC(O)CO decomposition
as a function of pressure at low temperatures (212 K). However, rapid HCO removal was
observed at the low experimental temperatures required. Further experimental evidence
suggested that HCO reacts rapidly with (HCO)2 and other aldehydes at 212 K. Quantitative
studies focused on the reaction of HCO with formaldehyde, HCHO, and acetaldehyde,
CH3CHO, with rate coefficients of (3.44 ± 0.15) and (1.24 ± 0.05) × 10-11 cm3 molecule-1 s-1
measured, respectively.


Purpose

The paper proposes an innovative systemic method helping decision-makers to control servitization transition process, through decision process risk diagnosis.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed method is based on the modeling of decision processes and risk identification and analysis. This method was based on an action-research approach, in close relationship with two companies (SMEs). The paper develops the feasibility experiment at Automelec company.

Findings

The method was successfully implemented and delivered concrete diagnosis results.
Research limitations/implications

The generalization of the applicability of the method needs to be tested on several different cases.

Practical implications

The first practical implication is related to the efficiency of the method to help decision-makers in a servitization context to limit uncertainty and get a global view of the weaknesses of their decision-making process, it raises their awareness about servitization transition for their companies. Furthermore, the method also helps to explain the strategy of a servitization transition. It enhances the level of maturity of the decision process of the company, and can be used as a training/learning tool for managers.

Social implications

The results brought by the research contribute to give the decision-making boards for organization living a servitization transition and especially SMEs a better control over the servitization decision process and related risks, which will increase the economic stability of the company and its vision over long, medium and short horizons. This will bring positive impact on the overall economic and social environment and networks of the servitized SME, and enhance the confidence of coworkers, subcontractors and clients.

Originality/value

The first originality of the paper is related to the new way of considering risk, not only as an analysis criterion but as the central driver in steering a strategic transition for the company, such as servitization. The second originality of the study is about assessing risk occurrence over a decision-making process through decision reliability and decision confidence.


Ubiquitous/Pervasive computers, networks and information are paving a road towards a smart world (SW) in which computational intelligence is distributed throughout the physical environment to provide trustworthy and relevant services to people. This ubiquitous/pervasive intelligence (UI/PI) will change the computing landscape because it will enable new breeds of applications and systems to be developed; the realm of computing possibilities will be significantly extended. By embedding digital intelligence in everyday objects, our workplaces, our homes and even ourselves, many tasks and processes could be simplified, made more efficient, safer and more enjoyable. Ubiquitous or pervasive computing composes these many "smart things/u-things" to create the environments that underpin the smart world. In this presentation, the potential trends towards smart world (SW) and ubiquitous/pervasive intelligence (UI/PI) from smart u-things to smart spaces and then to smart hyperspaces will be addressed, as well as, the challenges in smart u-things' research in terms of technical and real world complexity.


A key idea in switch-level simulation is the use of a total ordering of signal strengths to resolve conflicts between opposing signals. For many circuits, however, it is not possible to assign such strengths to circuit elements in a logically consistent fashion without user intervention. It is shown that the use of a partial ordering of strengths avoids these difficulties and allows modeling to be done automatically. The authors also discuss the need to minimize the number of distinct strengths needed to model a circuit, because simulation times are affected by the number of strengths being used. This is especially important for compiled switch-level simulators that generate representations whose size is proportional to the number of strengths. Statistics on the application of these ideas to industrial chips are presented.<<ETX>>


The study starts from assumption that together with disinfomation, intoxication, and propaganda, the manipulation is a form of persuasion, a form of persuasive communication. The manipulation is a communicative action. By the way of meta-analytical method, we emphasize some ideas. The royal way of promoting the decisive interests is manipulation-, often accompanied by constraints and violence. The world is divided into amateur manipulators and professional manipulators. Professionals are those whose job is exactly to get something from the others. The action of manipulation is not an activity performed on inspiration, randomly and by ear. Manipulation is a structured, organised and planned persuasive intervention. As actants of manipulative communication are retained journalists, priests, businessmen, sellers, scholars, teachers, artists, writers, notabilities.


The present thesis examines two central issues in financial theory, optimal portfolio
choice and investment performance evaluation, when the restrictive assumptions of
the traditional static, mean-variance framework of analysis are relaxed.
Chapter 2 presents a series of model specifications for the risky asset's returns and
the underlying risk factor and derives the corresponding optimal portfolio choices. It
shows how important the modelling assumptions are for the implementation of dynamic
asset allocation in practice and it contributes to the literature by examining
the impact of horizon effects on portfolio choice in the presence of both predictability
and stochastic volatility in asset returns. Moreover, this chapter shows how important
is the introduction of an asset that completes the market and allows investors
to hedge against the shocks that affect their opportunity set,
Chapter 3 examines the bond portfolio choice of a long-term investor, making use
of a macro-finance term structure model that allows for time-varying risk premia.
This chapter shows how important is the failure of the expectations hypothesis for
both myopic and long-term investors, since the time-variation in the bond premia
dictates a market timing behaviour for investment as well as for hedging purposes.
Incorporating macroeconomic information, that plays a significant role in bond pricing,
we examine how this can be used for the formation of optimal portfoliosAƒÂ'A'· by
long-term investors. Furthermore, this chapter serves as an evaluation of the very recent term structure models from an asset allocation perspective, drawing the attention
to the correlation and the covariance structure of the bond returns. '
Chapter 4 employs the Harvey-Siddique asset pricing model and 'evaluates a sample
of UK equity unit trusts, proposing the intercept of this model, that is termed as
the Harvey-Siddique alpha, as a new performance measure. This asset pricing model
adds to the CAPM the returns of a negative coskewness strategy as an extra risk
factor. Constructing this factor for the UK stock market, it is shown that negative
coskewness bears a high risk premium. This framework allows us to examine how
the adoption of specific performance measures generates incentives in fund management.
In particular, we provide evidence that fund managers, who are evaluated by
mean-variance performance measures, are incentivized to load negative coskewness
risk to their portfolios in order to reap the corresponding premium and present it as
outperformance.
Chapter 5 overviews the contributions of this thesis, discusses the numerous issues
that arise from the present results and outlines the following steps in our research
agenda.


In this paper, the numerical solution of nonuniform transmission lines is treated. The method proposed is based on the double wavelet expansion of the multiconductor transmission lines (MTL) equations; the expansion is performed both in the time domain and in the space domain, and the coupled partial differential equations become an algebraic system in the Lyapunov form which is solved by the use of standard techniques. The method has been tested in many cases and has demonstrated to require low CPU time consumption and low memory occupation.


Indonesia's forestry sector is in a dilemma due to the long-standing disparity between high processing capacity of forest industries and the limited supply of timber. The supply crunch has led to over-harvesting in order to meet demand and resulted in a decline of natural forests. The Indonesian government seeks to revive the forestry sector and secure its long term survival through a massive timber plantation effort: 9 million hectares of new plantations by 2016. This paper shows that while timber plantations are vital for the future of Indonesia's woodworking sector, the expansion plan relies on overly optimistic assumptions about the current state of Indonesia's timber plantations, their future performance, and associated benefi ts. In order to ensure effective implementation of the new plantation policy, this paper analyzes its key underlying principles and identifi es information gaps that need to be fi lled.


Background: Patients with acute infectious respiratory illness may emit bio-aerosols containing pathogens capable of infecting susceptible hosts, including other patients and healthcare workers. This study aimed to evaluate the puri�cation effect of a pediatric isolation bed on aerosols and microorganisms in the air in experiment rooms and verify the puri�cation e�ciency in general wards. Methods: Experiments were carried out in two settings: one with isolation bed and the other with regular bed. Using a dust particle counter to discriminate particles sizes in the air and using Anderson's six levels to discriminate S. albicans, the puri�cation rate in the two rooms was evaluated. The concentration of cigarette particles(size 0.3–0.5 μm,0.5-1.0μm ) and S. albicans in the air was signi�cantly decreased in the experimental room, indicating that the air was puri�ed. Then detection the aerosol in the room to vilidaty the puri�cation rate.Finally detection of aerosol and sedimentation bacteria in the air of general wards. Results: Isolation beds in demonstration ward have a purifying effect on both aerosols and sedimentation bacteria. Conclusions:Isolation bed can therefore be used in hospitals to reduce the risk of nosocomial infection and protect the health of doctors, patients, and visiting relatives.


This paper reviews management measures for Lake Chilwa, which is a highly variable ecosystem. The seasonal and periodic water level fluctuations of the lake pose some challenges in applying the conventional fisheries management models, with the aim of achieving sustainable yields. There is need to review the four-month closed season for the seine fishery through research to maximize utilization of the commercial Barbus paludinosus. The gill net fishery requires control through enforcement of mesh sizes set at a minimum of 69 mm to facilitate recovery of Oreochromis shiranus stocks which collapsed after the 1995 recession. As a shared ecosystem, any management plan needs to incorporate a common management strategy between Malawi and Mozambique. Conflicts on the use of water from the catchment areas for agricultural production and domestic use should also be considered in the plan. Issues on pollution and other environmental issues should be addressed through a proper enforceable legal framework. The on-going co-management arrangement should be consolidated and some of the local level institutions should be transformed into co-operative societies for equity of the benefits and efficiency of the management of the fisheries resources. An adaptive management strategy is recommended for the variable ecosystem.


section 27(4) of the Trademark Act, as amended in 2005, provides enforcement against intermediaries whose services are used by a third party (that is usually the infringer itself) for the infringement. In the HYUNDAI case the registrars of the domain names, trusted by the resellers of cars having formerly been members of the HYUNDAI commercial chain in Hungary, were sued together with the resellers for the reason that they did not cancel the registration of the domain names after the commercial chain had been ceased. The Hungarian courts of first and second instance built their judgements on the ECJ's BMW judgement (C-63/97). Emphasis is given also on a case relating to infringement by an operator of an Internet home page, as the latter was condemned by the Hungarian Court of first instance for not complying with the Act on Electronic Commerce. Nevertheless, the court of second instance condemned him not therefore but for the tort in respect of the provisions of the Civil Code, e.g. for injury of reputation. Finally, the article is closed by an outlook on ideas on the development of EC law relating to liability of intermediaries.


On account of difficulties of squeeze casting die temperature control, squeeze casting process and factors influencing squeeze casting die were analyzed. On the basis of current heating and cooling ways of squeeze casting die, multiple factors and variability of die temperature influence were studied, a new squeeze casting die temperature control model was established. Fuzzy Control was chosen as the control system pattern. After designing the fuzzy controller, simulation model of die temperature control system was set up in the Simulink block of Matlab, and moreover, simulation was performed in it. The simulation results show that the system has good control performance compared with the traditional PID control mode.


We present a method for selecting z > 4 dusty, star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) using Herschel/Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver 250/350/500 μm flux densities to search for red sources. We apply this method to 21 deg2 of data from the HerMES survey to produce a catalog of 38 high-z candidates. Follow-up of the first five of these sources confirms that this method is efficient at selecting high-z DSFGs, with 4/5 at z = 4.3–6.3 (and the remaining source at z = 3.4), and that they are some of the most luminous dusty sources known. Comparison with previous DSFG samples, mostly selected at longer wavelengths (e.g., 850 μm) and in single-band surveys, shows that our method is much more efficient at selecting high-z DSFGs, in the sense that a much larger fraction are at z > 3. Correcting for the selection completeness and purity, we find that the number of bright (S500 μm 30 mJy), red Herschel sources is 3.3 ± 0.8 deg−2. This is much higher than the number predicted by current models, suggesting that the DSFG population extends to higher redshifts than previously believed. If the shape of the luminosity function for high-z DSFGs is similar to that at z ∼ 2, rest-frame UV based studies may be missing a significant component of the star formation density at z = 4–6, even after correction for extinction.


This paper aims to investigate the stochastic response of the van der Pol (VDP) oscillator with two kinds of fractional derivatives under Gaussian white noise excitation. First, the fractional VDP oscillator is replaced by an equivalent VDP oscillator without fractional derivative terms by using the generalized harmonic balance technique. Then, the stochastic averaging method is applied to the equivalent VDP oscillator to obtain the analytical solution. Finally, the analytical solutions are validated by numerical results from the Monte Carlo simulation of the original fractional VDP oscillator. The numerical results not only demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed approach but also show that the fractional order, the fractional coefficient and the intensity of Gaussian white noise play important roles in the responses of the fractional VDP oscillator. An interesting phenomenon we found is that the effects of the fractional order of two kinds of fractional derivative items on the fractional stochastic systems are totally contrary.


The failure Prediction for thick wall CrMoV steel pipes circumferentially welded was studied using the Finite Element Method (FEM) under close-ended, open-ended and axial compression conditions, respectively. The life span of failure, redistribution of stress on the welds and damage variations were obtained using damage modeling. Since there is a distinct mismatch of mechanical properties in parent material, weld material and heat affect zone, variations of damage with time, stress redistribution and failure life in each zone are different. The FEM results show that the weakness of the welds is the heat-affected zone (HAZ) where the hoop stresses increase sharply in the tertiary stage of creep. The maximum of damage of the welds lies on the inner surface of in the weld zone when failure occurs. The information is useful for assessing the performance of practical service welds in power plants pipe work.


Recent research in biometrics has suggested the existence of the "Biometric Menagerie" in which weak users contribute disproportionately to the error rate (FAR and FRR) of a biometric system. The aim of this work is to utilize this observation to design a multibiometric system where information is consolidated on a user-specific basis. To facilitate this, the users in a database are characterized into multiple categories and only users belonging to weak categories are required to provide additional biometric information. The contribution of this work lies in (a) the design of a selective fusion scheme where fusion is invoked only for a subset of users, and (b) evaluating the performance of such a scheme on two public datasets. Experiments on the multi-unit CASIA V3 iris database and multi-unit WVU fingerprint database indicate that selective fusion, as defined in this work, improves overall matching accuracy while potentially reducing overall computational time. This has positive implications in a large-scale system where the throughput can be substantially increased without compromising the verification accuracy of the system.


The sensitivities of ground-based gravitational wave (GW) detectors are limited by quantum shot noise at a few hundred Hertz and above. Nonetheless, one can use a quantum-correlation technique proposed by Martynov, et al. [Phys. Rev. A 95, 043831 (2017)] to remove the expectation value of the shot noise, thereby exposing underlying classical signals in the cross spectrum formed by cross-correlating the two outputs in a GW interferometer's anti-symmetric port. We explore here the prospects and analyze the sensitivity of using quantum correlation to detect astrophysical GW signals. Conceptually, this technique is similar to the correlation of two different GW detectors as it utilizes the fact that a GW signal will be correlated in the two outputs but the shot noise will be uncorrelated. Quantum correlation also has its unique advantages as it requires only a single interferometer to make a detection. Therefore, quantum correlation could increase the duty cycle, enhance the search efficiency, and enable the detection of highly polarized signals. In particular, we show that quantum correlation could be especially useful for detecting post-merger remnants of binary neutron stars with both short ( < 1 s) and intermediate ( ∼ 10 − 10 4 s) durations and setting upper limits on continuous emissions from unknown pulsars.