(1) Amphetamine-like drugs are not only authorised for use as appetite suppressants. (2) Bupropion, otherwise known as amfebutamone, is licensed as an aid to smoking withdrawal. It has amphetamine-like adverse effects, such as seizures; in addition it causes hypersensitivity reactions. (3) Benfluorex is sold in France as an adjunctive treatment for hypertriglyceridemia and diabetes with overweight. The lack of data on its adverse effects is hardly reassuring. A case of severe cardiac valve disease has been published. (4) The ephedrine derivatives norephedrine (phenylpropanolamine) and pseudoephedrine are used in ENT as decongestants because of their vasoconstrictive properties. They expose patients to serious cardiovascular risks. Ephedrine and plants belonging to the genus Ephedra (used in freshly prepared appetite suppressant mixtures) have negative risk-benefit ratios. (5) Methylphenidate is used as a psychostimulant in patients with narcolepsy and children with attention-deficit disorder. It can lead to serious mental and physical dependence.


We demonstrate a wavelength-tunable all-optical flip-flop (AOFF) based on a multimode-interference (MMI) bistable laser diode (BLD) with distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs). The wavelength tuning can be achieved by the band-filling effect and the free-carrier plasma effect with carrier injections to the DBRs. The tuning range of 3.1 nm will enable flexible and reconfigurable design of future photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Since the DBR-MMI-BLD does not require cleaved facets for its operation, multiple AOFFs can be monolithically integrated on a single PIC. In addition, the device has a large operable bandwidth of wider than 34 nm, even when we tune the lasing wavelength. A dynamic flip-flop operation is also demonstrated with rising and falling times of faster than 280 and 228 ps, respectively. No waveform distortion is observed, even when we tune the lasing wavelength.


This article focuses the Swedish preschool class and the transitions from preschool to compulsory school, out from children's perspectives. The study indicates that children, in these transitions, are constructing identities such as future pupils, Ex preschoolers, playful preschool class children and adjusted and responsible pupils. It's indicated that children's ways of defining themselves, and their markings of borders between the institutions, are changing over time and are depending on the current context. The study also highlights how Swedish children conduct two school entries where they have to reconstruct both their identities and their understanding of institutional borders.


Research focused on the sphere of the Ukrainian pension system is an important element of welfare research as a whole. Being an integral part of the economy, the pension system is subject to both positive and negative trends. The article examines legislative changes in the field of special pension, which are observed to be intensifying, and the introduction of an accumulative pension system is noted. The problems that exist with Ukraine's pension legislation and its application by the courts are examined.


Transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) has been proved to promote functional rehabilitation of brain lesions including ischemic stroke. However, the therapeutic effects of NSC transplantation is limited by the low survival and differentiation rates of NSCs due to the harsh environment in the brain after ischemic stroke. Here, we employed NSCs derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) together with exosomes extracted from NSCs to treat cerebral ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) in mice. The results showed that NSC-derived exosomes significantly reduced the inflammatory response, alleviated oxidative stress after NSC transplantation, and facilitated NSCs differentiation in vivo. The combination of NSCs with exosomes ameliorated the injury of brain tissue including cerebral infarct, neuronal death and glial scarring, and promoted the motor function recovery. To explore the underlying mechanisms, we analyzed the miRNA profiles of NSC-derived exosomes and the potential downstream genes. Our study provided the rationale for the clinical application of NSC-derived exosomes as a supportive adjuvant for NSC transplantation after stroke.


Lipids are important cell components, both from the structural and the functional point of view. Besides, they intervene in transporting functions, cell recognition and immunity. Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) are important for the functional and structural maintenance of animal organisms. In our laboratory, it was demonstrated that one group of pregnant rats fed on an EFA deficient diet, and other group of rats fed on the same diet but with 5% of corn oil (rich in linoleic acid) showed alterations on the development of the metrial gland. In the present work, 57 female rats of a Wistar strain were fed since weaning with one of the following diets: EFAD: deficient in essential fatty acids, COD: EFAD + 5% corn oil (linoleic acid sufficient but alpha-linoleic acid deficient); SAD: EFAD + 5% soy oil (both EFA sufficient) and CD: commercial diet. After 3 months the animals were sacrificed on the 13 th. day of gestation. Uteru's horns were dissected and the implantation sities were fixed on formol and embebbed in parafin. The observations were carried out with H/E coloured cross-sections and the corialantoidea placenta, the cities of implantations and the sitios of reabsortions were studied. The metrial gland of DAGE and DAM rats presented structural modifications compared to DC rats. The most relevant findings were: indifferentiation of the granulated metrial gland cells and an increase in the amount of connective tissue. In DAS rats, on the contrary, the aspect of the metrial gland was similar to the observed in the DC group. In the DAGE and the DAM groups Labyrinthium was enlarged with vascular septum group. Mean while DAS was similar to group DC (thin and vascular). Differences in the cities of implantations and reabsortions were not detected. The present results suggest that alpha-linolenico acid is essential for the rat placenta to reach normal development.


This paper describes an integrated programming environment which is specially tailored to the development of knowledge-based system configurators. It is designed with three major objectives: to provide an integrated representational framework for the various knowledge sources relevant to the configuration task, to assist a knowledge engineer in the development and administration of the knowledge base, and to aid a knowledge engineer in the actual construction of a system configurator. Particular attention is placed on the engineering aspects of the system construction process. Specifically, we describe how knowledge acquisition is eased through the use of a configuration language which is specially designed to represent the various knowledge sources for configuration, how knowledge encoding and modification may be aided by the knowledge engineer assistant module, and how the development of user interface may be aided by a generic user interface generator. A prototype of the special purpose environment is implemented on a XEROX 1108 workstation and is being used to develop configuration expert systems at Honeywell.


Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP–seq) facilitates systematic analysis of chemical modifications of histone tails. As the cost of next-generation sequencing continues to drop, genome-wide histone modification sequencing becomes a common approach in a variety of researches in the epigenetic area. However, challenges of efficient ChIP–seq data analysis are now the main hurdle to interpret the histone modification ChIP-seq data, calling for continued enhancements of computational approaches. Here we provide a pragmatic overview of available computational approaches for the study of histone modification ChIP-seq data. We present the latest advances of computational methods for systematically detecting and functionally characterizing various types of histone modification ChIP-seq data, discuss the software packages currently available for performing tasks from short read mapping, peak calling to downstream genomic characterization and genome-wide visualization. We also present that the regulatory roles of histone modifications upon gene expression can be inferred by developing algorithms and methods specifically for histone modification ChIP-seq data. Such approaches will facilitate the epigenetic regulatory network construction and provide explicit biological hypothesis for further experiment testing. We also describe some challenges and important directions for histone modification analysis based on ChIP-seq data in future. We envision that the advances of computational approaches will bring more about a bright future for large-scale histone modification studies.


Benjamin Buchloh speaks with art historian Joseph Koerner about his first major film, The Burning Child (2014–2017). Written, directed, and produced by Koerner, the film tracks his search for the fate of his grandparents and their Viennese home, known only through a painting done by his exiled father in 1944, and traces the systematic destruction of the Jewish population in Vienna during the Nazi occupation. Koerner interweaves his personal journey with an investigation into the history of the Viennese interior and the birth of modern architecture through interviews with historians, architects, and artists. Koerner and Buchloh discuss the making of the film; its formal structure, major sites, and main characters; and how it grapples with urgent questions of memory, trauma, belonging, and the concept of home.


Despite its early description, laparoscopic splenectomy has not yet reached the level of a standard operation as a therapeutic option for haematological disease, especially for malignant disorders. We performed laparoscopic splenectomies in a modified 4 port technique and dissection of the splenic vessels by the "Essen-Manoeuvre" and report on 68 attempted laparoscopic splenectomies for benign (n = 42) and malignant (n = 26) haematological disorders. Conversion rate was 9 %, 30-days-mortality was 1.4 %, perioperative morbidity was 11 %, respectively. Accessory spleens were found and resected in 17 % of our patients. Laparoscopic splenectomy is a new minimally invasive option for patients with benign and malignant haematological disease fraught with a special risk of intraoperative bleeding.


This National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research project is creating and evaluating graphical multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) that use digitized museum resources to enhance middle school students' motivation and learning about science and its impacts on society. MUVEs enable multiple simultaneous participants to access virtual contexts, to interact with digital artifacts, to represent themselves through "avatars," to communicate with other participants and with computer-based agents, and to enact collaborative learning activities of various types. Initially, MUVEs were based only on textual descriptions); now, many MUVEs are graphical in nature, or use graphics to enhance textual descriptions. Our project's educational environments are extending current MUVE capabilities in order to study the science learning potential of immersive simulations, interactive virtual museum exhibits, and "participatory" historical situations (http://www.virtual.gmu.edu/muvees/). To accomplish this, we have built our own MUVE shell based on the Sense8 WorldToolKit (http://www.sense8.com/).


The Cosmic Dark Ages and the Epoch of Reionization constitute a crucial missing link in our understanding of the evolution of the intergalactic medium and the formation and evolution of galaxies. Due to the complex nature of this global process it is best studied through large-scale numerical simulations. This presents considerable computational challenges. The dominant contributors of ionizing radiation were dwarf galaxies. These tiny galaxies must be resolved in very large cosmological volumes in order to derive their clustering properties and the corresponding observational signatures correctly, which makes this one of the most challenging problems of numerical cosmology. We have recently performed the largest and most detailed simulations of the formation of early cosmological large-scale structures and their radiative feedback leading to cosmic reionization. This was achieved by running extremely large (up to 29 billion-particle) N-body simulations of the formation of the Cosmic Web, with enough particles and sufficient force resolution to resolve all the galactic halos with total masses larger than 10^8 Solar masses in computational volumes of up to (163 Mpc)^3. These results were then post-processed by propagating the ionizing radiation from all sources by using fast and accurate ray-tracing radiative transfer method. Both of our codes are parallelized using a combination of MPI and OpenMP and to this date have been run efficiently on up to 2048 cores (N-body) and up to 10000 cores (radiative transfer) on the newly-deployed Sun Constellation Linux Cluster at the Texas Advanced Computing Center. In this paper we describe our codes, parallelization strategies, scaling and some preliminary scientific results. (abridged)


Because mobile apps are extremely popular and often mission critical nowadays, companies invest a great deal of resources in testing the apps they provide to their customers. Testing is particularly important for Android apps, which must run on a multitude of devices and operating system versions. Unfortunately, as we confirmed in many interviews with quality assurance professionals, app testing is today a very human intensive, and therefore tedious and error prone, activity. To address this problem, and better support testing of Android apps, we propose a new technique that allows testers to easily create platform independent test scripts for an app and automatically run the generated test scripts on multiple devices and operating system versions. The technique does so without modifying the app under test or the runtime system, by (1) intercepting the interactions of the tester with the app and (2) providing the tester with an intuitive way to specify expected results that it then encode as test oracles. We implemented our technique in a tool named BARISTA and used the tool to evaluate the practical usefulness and applicability of our approach. Our results show that BARISTA (1) can faithfully encode user defined test cases as test scripts with built-in oracles that can run on multiple platforms and (2) outperforms two popular tools with similar functionality. BARISTA and our experimental infrastructure are publicly available.


1. Several stages of a new type of Auricularia (A. bermudensis n.sp.) are described. When fully formed it resembles A. nudibranchiata in the foliation of its ciliated bands and appendages, but is distinguishable by many structural features and in becoming full-grown at less than half the size (<4 mm.).

2. The usual arms are present, adnate to the body, as well as a special 'strap-shaped process' with directive functions. They support a system of gutters plainly subservient to food-collection. The terms 'field' and 'sulcus' (with the diminutive 'sulculus') are proposed for the raised and depressed areas of Dipleurulae in general.

3. The so-called 'larval nervous system' is claimed to be simply a pair of ciliary organs subservient to the feeding process and comparable to an outer pair of adoral bands ('oro-lateral bands').

4. The rectum is in line with the stomach and the anus subterminal, but the ileum is reduced to a dorsal pore, and the part of the rectum adherent to the stomach is a large ventral pouch comparable to that described in A. nudibranchiata by Chun, whose account is confirmed.

5. The author has re-examined the original specimens of A. antarctica and denies the existence of the paired 'intestinal pouches' described in this species and in A. nudibranchiata by MacBride.

6. The anterior enterocoel in the younger specimens is unique in possessing two long, tapering, bilaterally symmetrical 'horns', functionally dilated. Hydrocoel and water-tube arise from the left horn. Eventually the right horn undergoes self-amputation and is absorbed. At full growth the persistent left horn, still of unusual length, acquires antler-like points and branches, as in A. nudibranchiata.

7. The significance of the new features is discussed in comparison with Tornaria and Planktosphaera.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the study was to identify the correlates of heavy smoking (defined as more than one pack of cigarettes per day) in building trades construction workers.

DESIGN AND SAMPLE
This study used cross-sectional data from the MassBUILT smoking cessation intervention study at Massachusetts building trades unions with the sample of 763 smokers.

MEASURES
Data collected included information about smoking behavior, individual, psychological, interpersonal, and occupational factors obtained through self-reported questionnaires.

RESULTS
Approximately 21% of smokers were heavy smokers. Significant factors related to heavy smoking were: older age (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.06-1.14), male gender (OR = 4.55; 95% CI: 1.62-12.79), smoking the first cigarette of the day within 30 min of waking (OR = 4.62; 95% CI: 2.81-7.59), smoking initiation at earlier age (OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.87-1.00), higher temptation to smoke (OR = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.17-2.05), household smoking (OR = 1.90; 95% CI: 1.18-3.06) or living alone (OR = 4.11; 95% CI: 1.70-9.92), and exposure to chemicals at work (OR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.06-2.53).

CONCLUSION
Addressing the influence of these factors on heavy smoking could lead to the development of targeted, multiple components in comprehensive cessation strategies for blue-collar smokers.


Previous research has found that individuals frame savings for short-term and long-term uses. These findings are reinforced through in-depth interviews with 59 participants and 25 controls in an experiment testing the effects of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). All respondents are from low-income households. IDA participants appear more likely than control respondents to earmark savings for long-term purposes and asset investments. This could be interpreted as a result of the institutional saving structure provided through the IDA program. IDA participants are presented with savings goals, which they believe are made attainable through conveyed expectations, matching funds, financial information, and staff facilitation. Interviews suggest that savings may lead to psychological, behavioral, and economic effects. Future research can explore the distinct and marginal effect that each institutional dimension has on savings over the long term and the effects of savings on family well being.


In Arabidopsis thaliana, the regulation of hexose levels by the large monosaccharide transporter (MST) gene family influences many aspects of plant growth. The cloning and transgenic expression of one family member (STP13) enabled the manipulation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolism in Arabidopsis. Transgenic seedlings constitutively over-expressing STP13 (STP13OX) had increased rates of glucose uptake, higher endogenous sucrose levels and accumulated more total C and biomass per plant when grown on soil-less media supplemented with 55 mM glucose and sufficient N (9 mM nitrate). Furthermore, STP13OX seedlings acquired 90% more total N than the Col-0 seedlings, and had higher levels of expression of the nitrate transporter NRT2.2. In addition, STP13OX seedlings were larger and had higher biomass than Col-0 seedlings when grown under a limiting N condition (3 mM nitrate). Transgene analysis of STP13 reveals that its gene product is localized to the plasma membrane (PM) in tobacco BY-2 suspension cells, that it encodes a functional MST in planta, and that the STP13 promoter directs GUS expression to the vasculature and to leaf mesophyll cells. This work highlights the link between C and N metabolism, demonstrating that a plant's N use may be improved by increasing the availability of C.


OBJECTIVE: The authors assessed the presence and severity of depressive symptoms, as well as their associations with other clinical measures, in a group of mid- to late-life patients with schizophrenia who were not in a major depressive episode or diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder. METHOD: Sixty outpatients with schizophrenia between the ages of 45 and 79 years and 60 normal comparison subjects without major neuropsychiatric disorders, proportionately matched for age and gender, were studied. Depressive symptoms were rated primarily with the Back Depression Inventory. Standardized instruments were also used to measure global psychopathology, positive and negative symptoms, abnormalities of movement, and global cognitive status. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms were more frequent and more severe in schizophrenic patients than in normal comparison subjects; 20% of the women with schizophrenia had a Back Depression scale score of 21 or more. Severity of depressive symptoms correlated with that of positive symptoms but not with age, gender, negative symptoms, extrapyramidal symptoms, or neuroleptic dose. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms are common in older patients with schizophrenia. They may be an independent, core component of the disorder or, alternatively, may be a by-product of severe psychotic symptoms.


We present the detection of the first candidate colliding-wind binary (CWB) in M33, located in the giant H ii region NGC 604. The source was first identified in archival Chandra imaging as a relatively soft X-ray point source, with the likely primary star determined from precise astrometric alignment between archival Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra imaging. The candidate primary star in the CWB is classified for the first time in this work as a carbon-rich Wolf–Rayet star with a likely O-star companion based on spectroscopy obtained from Gemini-North. We model the X-ray spectrum using Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, and find the CWB to be well fit as a ∼1 keV thermal plasma with a median unabsorbed luminosity in the 0.5–2.0 keV band of LX ∼ 3 × 1035 erg s−1, making this source among the brightest of CWBs observed to date. We present a long-term light curve for the candidate CWB from archival Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, and discuss the constraints placed on the binary by this light curve, as well as the X-ray luminosity at maximum. Finally, we compare this candidate CWB in M33 to other well-studied, bright CWBs in the Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds, such as η Car.


We consider here a previously neglected aspect of recovery from infectious diseases: how animals dispose of the dead microbes in their tissues. For one of the most important disease-causing microorganisms, Gram-negative bacteria, there is now evidence that the host catabolism of a key microbial molecule is essential for full recovery. As might be expected, it is the same bacterial molecule that animals sense to detect the presence of Gram-negative bacteria in their tissues, the cell wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here, we discuss current knowledge about LPS sensing with emphasis on the host enzyme that inactivates this microbial "messenger" molecule. We also consider the possibility that the rate at which stimulatory microbial molecules undergo inactivation may influence the duration and severity of diseases caused by other infectious agents.


ABSTRACT This study examined how the medial frontal (MFC) and orbital frontal (OFC) cortices process reward information to guide behavior. We simultaneously recorded local field potentials in the two areas as rats consumed liquid sucrose rewards and examined how the areas collectively process reward information. Both areas exhibited a 4-8 Hz "theta" rhythm that was phase locked to the lick cycle. The rhythm similarly tracked shifts in sucrose concentrations and fluid volumes, suggesting that it is sensitive to general differences in reward magnitude. Differences between the MFC and OFC were noted, specifically that the rhythm varied with response vigor and absolute reward value in the MFC, but not the OFC. Our findings suggest that the MFC and OFC concurrently process reward information but have distinct roles in the control of consummatory behavior.


Sets of narrative pictures portraying the life of Confucius (Fig. 1; all figures appear at the end of the text) first appeared in considerable numbers in the late Ming period, typically under the title Sheng-chi t'u (Pictures of the Sage's Traces; hereafter SCT) or some close variant. Produced at varying levels of expense, these illustrated biographies or hagiographies were made in a variety of media, such as woodblock prints, paintings on silk, and incised stone tablets. The various examples also exhibit a wide range of artistic quality. These differences in quality and form suggest that pictorial biographies were made for multiple purposes and for diverse audiences. Furthermore, the pictorial biographies differ in total numbers of scenes and in specific episodes selected for inclusion. These differences in content imply disparate conceptions of Confucius and the significance of his life.


Achieving superior device efficiency and very small efficiency roll-off simultaneously for all phosphorescent OLEDs (PHOLEDs) is still an open challenge. In this work, a universal novel device structure, having mixed hosts sandwiched between hole- and electron-transporting hosts, was proposed, and a series of monochrome and white PHOLEDs based on the proposed novel device structure were developed. All the resulting PHOLEDs achieve a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) exceeding the theoretical limit, reaching 21.71%, 23.85%, 23.99%, 21.79%, and 23.15% for green, yellow, red, blue, and white PHOLEDs, respectively. Moreover, apart from blue PHOLEDs using inefficient blue phosphor, other monochrome and white PHOLEDs show extremely small efficiency roll-off. At a practical luminance of 5000 cd m−2, the EQE is still up to 20.34%, 20.95%, 20.07%, and 16.06% for green, yellow, red, and white PHOLEDs, respectively. Such high device performance is testified from the precise manipulation of the carrier recombination zone via a novel device structure, which contributes to a strictly limited and broadened carrier recombination zone, a balanced distribution of electrons and holes, as well as consequentially reduced triplet exciton aggregation and polaron formation, thus effectively boosting the device efficiency and suppressing the notorious triplet–triplet annihilation and triplet–polaron quenching.


Background: Plant richness world-records have been reported to occur either in tropical rainforests, or, at smaller spatial scales, in chronically disturbed grasslands. The tight relationship between scale and record richness suggests that there is an unyielding limit to diversity. Hypotheses: If such limit exists, current records should hardly be beaten. Chronic disturbance in grasslands allows richness to approach the limit. Studied species: All vascular plants at the study site. Study site and years of study: A natural, semiarid grassland at Concepcion Buenavista, Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2012 and 2014. Methods: At 21 sites we recorded species richness in randomly sampled 0.1 × 0.1 m quadrats, and measured chronic disturbance caused by different agents. We estimated the maximum richness at each site through maximum likelihood. At one site we searched for high richness quadrats. Results: The study site shares the current world record of plant richness at the 0.1 × 0.1 m scale with 25 species. The estimated maximum diversity at each site decreased with land degradation, but had a maximum at intermediate-high levels of livestock activity. Conclusions: Our results support the idea of a hard limit to species richness, and thus theories of plant coexistence that envisage such limit. Our study site shares attributes with other record-holding grasslands, such as severe resource limitations and chronic disturbance by ungulates, suggesting that these conditions promote high species richness. We hope that, by reporting this diversity record, we also help to change the notion that Mexican grasslands are secondary communities having a negligible biological value.


Recognizing named entities in a document is a key task in many NLP applications. Although current state-of-the-art approaches to this task reach a high performance on clean text (e.g. newswire genres), those algorithms dramatically degrade when they are moved to noisy environments such as social media domains. We present two systems that address the challenges of processing social media data using character-level phonetics and phonology, word embeddings, and Part-of-Speech tags as features. The first model is a multitask end-to-end Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BLSTM)-Conditional Random Field (CRF) network whose output layer contains two CRF classifiers. The second model uses a multitask BLSTM network as feature extractor that transfers the learning to a CRF classifier for the final prediction. Our systems outperform the current F1 scores of the state of the art on the Workshop on Noisy User-generated Text 2017 dataset by 2.45% and 3.69%, establishing a more suitable approach for social media environments.


The book is a contribution to the literary-historical analysis of political-literary Germany debates in the Federal Republic, provided that it analyzes how in the years 1960 - 2010 in (West) Germany, the German was reflected. It is devoted to both representative public speeches of politicians, philosophers and many literary figures, as well as the fundamental historical debate such as the Fischer controversy, the Historikerstreit and the Goldhagen debate. From the point of view of Germany's problems, the extensive and complex works of G. Grass, M. Walser, H. M. Enzensberger and B. Strauss are also discussed. Thus, the book does not only address the history of literature, but also the development of post-war political culture; However, their discourses are interpreted beyond familiar left-to-right schemata, giving rise to a different story of reflected German speech. What weighs less in it are programmatic positions of the actors or respective winners of the debates, more the mediating strategies, the carriers of which get between the fronts. Bringing such mediators and intellectual-minded intellectuals to the fore, this book explores a field that has hitherto been under-exposed, rather bypassed by the well-trodden paths of the post-war mainstream. The author Ales Urvalek studied German philology and philosophy at the Masaryk University in Brno; since 2013 there as a scientific assistant. Focus: German-language literature of the 20th century, history of particular political and philosophical ideas in modern times.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Mobilization of the colon and dissection of the mesentery are difficult laparoscopic techniques. Traditional methods have been used for this dissection, but often with great difficulty. The ultrasonically activated shears, when introduced in 1993, had the possibility to make this dissection less technically difficult. This is a retrospective review of the use of these shears for these techniques during laparoscopic-assisted colectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighty-five patients underwent a laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy or sigmoid resection. Colon mobilization and mesenteric dissection were completed intracorporeally. Complications, operative time, estimated blood loss, and length of stay were compared for resections completed with and without the ultrasonically activated shears. RESULTS Thirty-six patients had laparoscopic-assisted colectomy without the shears, and 49 patients had the procedure with the shears. There were no complications due to the ultrasonic energy. Use of the shears resulted in shorter operative times (170 min. vs. 187 min., p=0.1989), similar median blood loss (98 mL vs. 95 mL, p=0.7620), and shorter lengths of stay (4.3 days vs. 6.9 days, p=0.0018). CONCLUSIONS The ultrasonically activated shears are safe and effective for colon mobilization and mesenteric division. The use of the shears may result in shorter operative times and shorter lengths of stay.


An improved dynamic Grid-based potential field method was proposed based on the consideration that the goal, robot and obstacles in robot soccer compete are all dynamic. We combined the advantages of potential field method and the grid method, set the grid method to represent the environment, and got dynamic potential function in the potential field method. We used dynamic potential function to form the inspire function of the search algorithm A* which is used for the search of adjacent nodes. The dynamic Grid-based potential field method meets the real-time planning requirements in the complex and dynamic environment. And it has received very good results in solving the local minima problem of the traditional potential field and improving the planning efficiency. It is better in security and reliability. Simulation results show that the method is feasible and effective in soccer robot path planning.


Zhu, Qiaqia. M.S.C.E., Purdue University, December 2014. Fire Behavior of Bolted Connections. Major Professors: Amit Varma, Mark Bowman. Bolted connection failures have been observed in building fires and large-scale structural fire tests. Limited information is available on plate bearing behavior at elevated temperatures. The failure mode of a shear-tab connection could change from plate bearing failure to bolt shear failure between 400 (degree Celsius) °C to 600°C. Component-based models have been used to predict the behavior of bolted connections. Earlier researchers have developed simple mathematical models to represent the forcedisplacement relationships of bolt shear and plate bearing components of bolted connections. However, these models need to be verified experimentally for US building construction and materials. Therefore, eleven single-bolted lap joint specimens were tested in this research to achieve two objectives. Four specimens were tested to evaluate bolt shear behavior at 400°C and 600°C. Seven specimens were tested to evaluate plate bearing behavior at 400°C and 600°C. Finite element analysis (FEA) models of singlebolted lap joints were developed and benchmarked using experimental data. Additionally, twenty eight FEA models were analyzed to evaluate the effect of parameters such as edge distance and plate thickness on the behavior of single-bolted lap joints at elevated temperatures. The experimental and analytical results were used to adjust the forcedisplacement relationship developed by earlier researchers. Overall, the study will help engineers to model and evaluate the fire performance of bolted connections.


The incorporation behaviour of arsenic and phosphorus in the GaAsP ternary alloy under phosphorus-rich conditions is studied based on the incorporation coefficient model and the growth diffusion model combined with the alloy composition data obtained by high resolution x-ray diffraction analysis. It is found that As adatoms have longer surface lifetime and longer migration length than those of P adatoms, which leads to an arsenic incorporation efficiency much higher than that of phosphorous. With the increase of arsenic flux, the surface lifetime of arsenic adatoms decreases due to the competition of As adatoms. The detailed analysis and discussion are given here.


In the aftermath of mass atrocity, two major questions emerge: how to heal the wounds of violence, and how to ensure that violence does not break out again. This paper explores the links between interpersonal reconciliation efforts and the mitigation of interpersonal-level atrocity risk factors. Using a mixed-methods design of a randomized field experiment and qualitative interviews, it seeks to evaluate the hypothesis that participation in a program that targets interpersonal reconciliation outcomes will lead to a reduction in interpersonal atrocity risk. It does not find support for this hypothesis: attitudes on interpersonal atrocity risk remain largely stable even after participation in an interpersonal reconciliation program. Instead, it finds that majority and minority ethnic groups experience divergent effects of the program, and that participants experience positive contact, de-categorization and re-categorization. It also finds modest changes on measures of identity transformation and coexistence as a result of the program.


There is a large volume of published studies describing the adverse relationship between treatment non-adherence with tuberculosis treatment outcome. Non-adherence could result in increased risks of prolonged infectiousness, drug resistance, relapse cases and poor survival among tuberculosis patients. Nevertheless, few studies are to be found providing detailed on the reason of defaulting treatment among tuberculosis patients in Malaysia. Hence the goal of this paper is to find out the barriers and motivations factors that affect patients' treatment compliance among our local tuberculosis patients. This is a qualitative study which included 12 in-depth interviews with tuberculosis non-compliance patients who were treated at Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Kuala Lumpur. All the conversations were recorded, transcribed and analysed by using thematic analysis. It was found that low knowledge, self-negative attitudes, traditional believes, negative perceptions towards health caregiver, drug side effects, stigma, financial problems, less family support and work commitments are the barriers that prevent the patients from religiously taking their anti-tuberculosis treatment. Meanwhile, factors that encourage them to continue their treatment were the believes of bad effects of the disease onto their lives and health, good relationship between patient and health caregiver and social support from people around them. In conclusion, non-adherence involved a dynamic influence of individual, socio-economic and treatment-related factors on the patients. The results presented here may facilitate improvement in the activities in promoting compliance among tuberculosis patients in the future which tailored to the patients' specific needs. DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/JSKM-2017-1501-10


While models have previously been developed to investigate scroll compressor performance with a single injection port, the model described in this paper explores the effect of multiple injection ports on the performance of a novel rotary spool compressor. The model includes the effects of heat transfer and leakage and is numerically solved to predict the compressor power consumption and mass flow rate. The injection ports are modeled assuming that saturated vapor is injected at a specified pressure and the timing of the injection process can be controlled. Running at a speed of 1907 rpm with R-22 as the working fluid, an evaporating pressure of 391 kPa, an inlet temperature of 7.6°C, and a discharge pressure of 1890 kPa, the model predicts that adding a single injection port will provide a 12% increase in the coefficient of performance (COP) of the cycle. Adding a second injection port increases the COP by an additional 4% compared to the cycle with a single port, or 16% over the baseline performance of the cycle without economization. The compressor model is also used to investigate the effect of injection pressure, injection port location, and injection port diameter on economized cycle performance.


Regulatory phosphorylation of the Cdc2p kinase by Wee1p-type kinases prevents eukaryotic cells from entering mitosis or meiosis at an inappropriate time. The canonical Wee1p kinase is a soluble protein that functions in the eukaryotic nucleus. All metazoa also have a membrane-associated Wee1p-like kinase named Myt1, and we describe the first genetic characterization of this less well-studied kinase. The Caenorhabditis elegans Myt1 ortholog is encoded by the wee-1.3 gene, and six dominant missense mutants prevent primary spermatocytes from entering M phase but do not affect either oocyte meiosis or any mitotic division. These six dominant wee-1.3(gf) mutations are located in a four amino acid region near the C terminus and they cause self-sterility of hermaphrodites. Second-site intragenic suppressor mutations in wee-1.3(gf) restore self-fertility to these dominant sterile hermaphrodites, permitting genetic dissection of this kinase. Ten intragenic wee-1.3 suppressor mutations were recovered and they form an allelic series that includes semi-dominant, hypomorphic and null mutations. These mutants reveal that WEE-1.3 protein is required for embryonic development, germline proliferation and initiation of meiosis during spermatogenesis. This suggests that a novel, sperm-specific pathway negatively regulates WEE-1.3 to allow the G2/M transition of male meiosis I, and that dominant wee-1.3 mutants prevent this negative regulation.


Prominent life span theories of emotion propose that older adults attend less to negative emotional information and report less negative emotional reactions to the same information than younger adults do. Although parallel age differences in affective information processing and age differences in emotional reactivity have been proposed, they have rarely been investigated within the same study. In this eye-tracking study, we tested age differences in visual attention and emotional reactivity, using standardized emotionally negative stimuli. Additionally, we investigated age differences in the association between visual attention and emotional reactivity, and whether these are moderated by cognitive reappraisal. Older as compared with younger adults showed fixation patterns away from negative image content, while they reacted with greater negative emotions. The association between visual attention and emotional reactivity differed by age group and positive reappraisal. Younger adults felt better when they attended more to negative content rather than less, but this relationship only held for younger adults who did not attach a positive meaning to the negative situation. For older adults, overall, there was no significant association between visual attention and emotional reactivity. However, for older adults who did not use positive reappraisal, decreases in attention to negative information were associated with less negative emotions. The present findings point to a complex relationship between younger and older adults' visual attention and emotional reactions.


In view of Judith Butler's assertion that identity as an effect is generated by "cultural apparatus" (Gender Trouble 199), this article interrogates the age-ef- fects generated by early twenty-first century mainstream British theatre. To ana- lyze the complex ways in which age is played out on the British stage—which seem at once both to challenge and to reiterate long-standing assumptions about age—it examines five productions seen in the autumn/winter season of 2011/12. It considers to what extent these productions disrupt the generation of normative age-effects and explores the often contradictory consideration of age in the "multiple realities of performance" (Lipscomb "The Play's the Thing" 117). This exploration enlists the theories of Butler and others, including Anne Basting, who proposes a model of performance that enacts the body in its "temporal depth" (Stages of Age 22); Anca Cristofovici, who offers a conceptu- alization of the aged body as "significant form" ("Touching Surfaces" 275); and Kathleen Woodward, who ponders the psychic crisis resulting from a rejected, and therefore absent, reflection of the aging body (Aging and its Discontents 53–71). Viewing the staging of age through the lenses of "depth," "signifi- cance," and "absence" exposes the meanings of specific age performances and uncovers the age-effects of a theatre responding to the changing context of an aging Britain.


The total energies of donor-acceptor-donor D2A trimer codopants (D = As and Sb, A = B, Al, Ga, In and Tl) in Si and their electronic geometrically stable structures were studied using ab initio calculations in order to propose new dopants for the formation of ultra shallow junctions with high carrier concentrations in the source/drain regions. The results of the calculations indicated that the trimer codopants were formed in Si and were stable. The trimer codopants are also able to activate the inactive complexes As2V and Sb2V by codoping acceptor atoms that occupy vacant sites. In particular, As2Al, As2Ga, Sb2B and Sb2Ga resulted in both shallower donor levels and higher solid solubility compared to traditional single donor atoms such as As and Sb.


This paper describes the interactive narrative experiences in Babyz, an interactive entertainment product for the PC currently in development at PF Magic / Mindscape in San Francisco, to be released in October 1999. Babyz are believable agents designed and implemented in the tradition of Dogz and Catz, Your Virtual Petz. As virtual human characters, Babyz are more intelligent, expressive and communicative than their Petz predecessors, allowing for both broader and deeper narrative possibilities. Babyz are designed with behaviors to support entertaining short-term narrative experiences, as well as long-term emotional relationships and narratives.


Blind people are known to have superior perceptual abilities in their remaining senses. Several studies suggest that these enhancements are dependent on the specific experience of blind individuals, who use those remaining senses more than sighted subjects. In line with this view, sighted subjects, when trained, are able to significantly progress in relatively simple tactile tasks. However, the case of complex tactile tasks is less obvious, as some studies suggest that visual deprivation itself could confer large advantages in learning them. It remains unclear to what extent those complex skills, such as braille reading, can be learnt by sighted subjects. Here we enrolled twenty-nine sighted adults, mostly braille teachers and educators, in a 9-month braille reading course. At the beginning of the course, all subjects were naive in tactile braille reading. After the course, almost all were able to read whole braille words at a mean speed of 6 words-per-minute. Subjects with low tactile acuity did not differ significantly in braille reading speed from the rest of the group, indicating that low tactile acuity is not a limiting factor for learning braille, at least at this early stage of learning. Our study shows that most sighted adults can learn whole-word braille reading, given the right method and a considerable amount of motivation. The adult sensorimotor system can thus adapt, to some level, to very complex tactile tasks without visual deprivation. The pace of learning in our group was comparable to congenitally and early blind children learning braille in primary school, which suggests that the blind's mastery of complex tactile tasks can, to a large extent, be explained by experience-dependent mechanisms.


A study on carbonation resistance of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) subjected to different loading level was carried out. Three series of concrete mixtures were prepared with loading level of 0.5, 0.8, and 1.2 of ultimately tensive strength of concrete. The coarse recycled aggregate was used as 30%, 60% and 90% replacements of coarse natural aggregate and fine recycled aggregate as 10%, 20%, and 30% replacements of fine natural aggregate. Moreover, the fly ash and slag were employed as 15%, 25%, and 35% addition of cement. Although the action of the tensile stress had a negative effect on the carbonation resistance of RAC, it was found that the addition of fly ash and slag was able to mitigate this detrimental effect. The carbonation depth would increase with an increasing loading level and reduce when increasing the sand ratio.


This note develops a general game-theoretic framework for a model of auditing within a two-tiered judicial hierarchy. Using this framework, I characterize the equilibrium allocation of "real" versus "formal" authority between a lower court and a higher court, when the latter faces costs in reviewing lower court opinions. In particular, I study the equilibrium comparative statics relationship between (1) the costs of reviewing, (2) differences in "ideology" between the lower and higher court, and (3) the magnitude of measurement error within the lower court.


Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son? Oh, where have you been, my darling young one? I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall


Peacock (Pavo cristatus) is one of the largest and attractive birds in Sri Lanka. Indian peacocks are native to South Asia as well as to Sri Lanka. Low land dry grass areas are their range in Sri Lanka. During the construction of the southern expressway (SE), peacocks highly concentrated along the sides of the road between Pinnanduwa and Godagama. The objective of this study was to find causes, deaths and the methods to conserve peacocks. This research was based on the qualitative methods. Discussions were made with five expressway officers, four bus drivers, four usual passengers and three local individuals. The direct observation is also included as a data source for the study. During the construction of the SE from Pinnanduwa to Godagama, quite a number of peacocks newly inhabited on either side of the road and used to walk along and cross the road very often. Unfortunately, peacocks were victimised after the open of the SE to the public from 15th of March 2014. This is because the peacocks are fresh to the vehicles, they usually fly downwards, peacocks cannot run fast but vehicles maintain speed around 100 km per hour, they cannot react quickly because they are large and also the road is higher than the land surface. According to the field study, the accident usually happens during the morning hours between 6.00 am to 7.00 am and in the evening around 5.00 pm. There are eight buses with damaged front windows because of the colliding with the peacocks. During the first two weeks, the death of peacocks were two to three per day and dramatically down to five to seven per week after two months and the death is continuing from two to five per month at present. However, fencing either sides of the SE up to four to five meters high in the particular area and occasional under road corridors may help to conserve peacocks rather than putting up warning boards for the drivers. Keywords: Peacocks, Southern expressway


Introduction: Identification of deceased person, is the most common and critical problem faced by anatomists, anthropologists and forensic experts. As bony skeleton retains its morphological structure even after decomposition or putrefaction, experts use skeletal remains for identifying deceased humans. Identification of sex from skeleton is vital to medico-legal investigation.
Aims and Objectives: Determine the method of sex identification from hip bone and find its most dependable parameter.
Materials and Methods: 160 adult hip bones (80 M and 80 F) were obtained randomly from skeletal banks of Department of Anatomy of recognized medical Colleges.
Callibration was taken with the help of vernier calliper. All linear Calibration was taken in centimetres on the intact parts of normal bones:
For every parameter, the mean and standard deviation (S.D) were calculated and the range was noted. Demarking points taken from calculated ranges, i.e mean ± 3 S.D.
Results: Greater sciatic notch width is the most accurate method by which sex could be accurately determined in 23% right male, 21% of right female, 24% left male and 27% left female hip bone. Whereas among newer method studied, true pelvic height was found to be most accurate method by which sex could be determined in 18% of right male, 16% of right female, 14% of left male& 12% of left female hip bones.
Conclusion: The good combinations of parameters among older and newer one are greater sciatic notch width and true pelvic height by which reasonable number of hip bones could be sexed accurately.

Keywords: Anatomist, Anthropologist, Hip bone, Greater sciatic notch, True pelvic height.


Head and neck malignancies are a part of the differential diagnosis of head and neck masses seen in the pediatric age group. It is critical to make prompt diagnosis and employ proper treatment. We will review the most common malignant pathologies as well as their specific clinical presentations and management. Centers that are able to provide multidisciplinary care for pediatric patients with head and neck pathology can help achieve the best outcomes.


With the next generation Internet protocol IPv6 at the horizon, it is time to think about how applications can migrate to IPv6. Web traffic is currently one of the most important applications in the Internet. The increasing popularity of dynamically generated content on the World Wide Web, has created the need for fast Web servers. Server clustering together with server load balancing has emerged as a promising technique to build scalable Web servers. The paper gives a short overview over the new features of IPv6 and different server load balancing technologies. Further, we present and evaluate Loaded, a user-space server load balancer for IPv4 and IPv6 based on Linux


Human identification in homicides and mass disasters has been largely possible with skeletal remains, especially teeth, when soft tissue cannot provide reliable information or has been lost. From the point of forensic dental identification especially in identifying victims of man-made disasters such as in military conflicts and wars involving multiple fatalities, there is urgent need for new and reliable methods of identification and corroboration. Various methods currently employed in forensic odontology for personal identification include comparing with ante mortem dental charts, rugoscopy, denture labelling, DNA analysis from dental pulp, bite mark analysis, etc. Recently there is growing interest in the study of enamel rod end patterns. These enamel rod end patterns are termed as tooth prints and the study of these prints is known as Ameloglyphics (amelo: Enamel, glyphics: Carvings). The tooth prints are unique, exhibiting dissimilarity both between teeth of different individuals and of the same individual. This uniqueness of the tooth print could be used as a valuable tool in forensic science for personal identification. This review highlights about the basis of using enamel rod end patterns, methods of obtaining the patterns, and delineating its sub-patterns.


The selected parameters of the Wartanian and Odranian tills, with relation to their spatial occurrence, grain size distribution, mineralogical composition, matric suction and other physical characteristics, are presented. The assessment of the lithogenesis and stress history on the microstructure is attempted. The comparison of the compression and permeability characteristics from field and laboratory tests has been performed. Laboratory consolidation tests carried out with up to 20MPa vertical stress, revealed two yield stress values, one in the range of a couple hundreds kPa, the other in the range of a couple thousands kPa. Based on those results, the reliability of the soil preconsolidation assessment, with the use of the two different methods is discussed. The aspect of the triaxial strength reduction under the dynamic loading of diverse frequency and amplitude is raised. The research results depict a variety of possible geological-engineering characteristics, under the divergent constraints scenarios, of compression or strength weakening origin. The effects of the specialized research program will widen the possibilities of physio-mechanical and structural characterization of soils for geological-engineering purposes.


We initiate the study of quantum algorithms for optimizing approximately convex functions. Given a convex set ${\cal K}\subseteq\mathbb{R}^{n}$ and a function $F\colon\mathbb{R}^{n}\to\mathbb{R}$ such that there exists a convex function $f\colon\mathcal{K}\to\mathbb{R}$ satisfying $\sup_{x\in{\cal K}}|F(x)-f(x)|\leq \epsilon/n$, our quantum algorithm finds an $x^{*}\in{\cal K}$ such that $F(x^{*})-\min_{x\in{\cal K}} F(x)\leq\epsilon$ using $\tilde{O}(n^{3})$ quantum evaluation queries to $F$. This achieves a polynomial quantum speedup compared to the best-known classical algorithms. As an application, we give a quantum algorithm for zeroth-order stochastic convex bandits with $\tilde{O}(n^{5}\log^{2} T)$ regret, an exponential speedup in $T$ compared to the classical $\Omega(\sqrt{T})$ lower bound. Technically, we achieve quantum speedup in $n$ by exploiting a quantum framework of simulated annealing and adopting a quantum version of the hit-and-run walk. Our speedup in $T$ for zeroth-order stochastic convex bandits is due to a quadratic quantum speedup in multiplicative error of mean estimation.


We propose a protocol for the deterministic generation of entanglement between two ensembles of nuclear spins surrounding two distant quantum dots. The protocol relies on the injection of electrons with definite polarization in each quantum dot and the coherent transfer of electrons from one quantum dot to the other. Computing the exact dynamics for small systems, and using an effective master equation and approximate non-linear equations of motion for larger systems, we are able to confirm that our protocol indeed produces entanglement for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous systems. Last, we analyze the feasibility of our protocol in several current experimental platforms.


Hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) is rapidly degraded by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway under normoxic conditions. Ubiquitination of HIF-1alpha is mediated by interaction with von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL). In our previous report, we found that hypoxia-induced active signal transducer and activator of transcription3 (STAT3) accelerated the accumulation of HIF-1alpha protein and prolonged its half-life in solid tumor cells. However, its specific mechanisms are not fully understood. Thus, we examined the role of STAT3 in the mechanism of pVHL-mediated HIF-1alpha stability. We found that STAT3 interacts with C-terminal domain of HIF-1alpha and stabilizes HIF-1alpha by inhibition of pVHL binding to HIF-1alpha. The binding between HIF-1alpha and pVHL, negative regulator of HIF-1alpha stability, was interfered dose-dependently by overexpressed constitutive active STAT3. Moreover, we found that the enhanced HIF-1alpha protein levels by active STAT3 are due to decrease of poly-ubiquitination of HIF-1alpha protein via inhibition of interaction between pVHL and HIF-1alpha. Taken together, our results suggest that STAT3 decreases the pVHL-mediated ubiquitination of HIF-1alpha through competition with pVHL for binding to HIF-1 alpha, and then stabilizes HIF-1alpha protein levels.


Many helicases assemble into ring-shaped hexamers and bind DNA in their central channel. This raises the question as to how the DNA gets into the central channel to form a topologically linked complex. We have used the presteady-state stopped-flow kinetic method and protein fluorescence changes to investigate the mechanism of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding to the bacteriophage T7 helicase-primase, gp4A'. We have found that the kinetics of 30-mer ssDNA binding to a preformed gp4A' hexamer in the presence of both Mg-dTMP-PCP and Mg-dTTP are similar, indicating that Mg-dTTP binding is sufficient and hydrolysis is not necessary for efficient DNA binding. Multiple transient changes in gp4A' fluorescence revealed a four-step mechanism for DNA binding with Mg-dTTP. These transient changes were analyzed by global fitting and kinetic simulation to determine the intrinsic rate constants of this four-step mechanism. The initial steps, including the bimolecular encounter of the DNA with the helicase and a subsequent conformational change, were fast. We propose that these initial steps of DNA binding occur at a readily accessible site, which is likely to be on the outside of the hexamer ring. The binding of the 30-mer ssDNA at this loading site is followed by slower conformational changes that allow the DNA to transit into the central channel of gp4A' via a ring-opening or threading pathway.


This paper presents the design of two different digital interfaces, both based on current signalling. First the requirements for a digital interface at the baseband output of a multi-standard mobile phone RF front-end are explained. The paper gives an insight of the popular digital interfaces and presents a new concept which is more robust against the ground bounce effect. At the end measurement results of a realized test chip are shown.


2013 The study of subduction-zone processes is a key to development of the plate tectonic theory. Plate interface interaction is a basic mechanism for the mass and energy exchange between Earth's surface and interior. By developing the subduction channel model into continental collision orogens, insights are provided into tectonic processes during continental subduction and its products. The continental crust, composed of felsic to mafic rocks, is detached at different depths from subducting continental lithosphere and then migrates into continental subduction channel. Part of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle wedge, composed of peridotite, is offscrapped from its bottom. The crustal and mantle fragments of different sizes are transported downwards and upwards inside subduction channels by the corner flow, resulting in varying extents of metamorphism, with heterogeneous deformation and local anatexis. All these metamorphic rocks can be viewed as tectonic melanges due to mechanical mixing of crust- and man-tle-derived rocks in the subduction channels, resulting in different types of metamorphic rocks now exposed in the same orogens. The crust-mantle interaction in the continental subduction channel is realized by reaction of the overlying ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle wedge peridotite with aqueous fluid and hydrous melt derived from partial melting of subducted continental basement granite and cover sediment. The nature of premetamorphic protoliths dictates the type of collisional orogens, the size of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic terranes and the duration of ultrahigh-pressure channel, exhumation,


A new lattice Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (LBGK) model for the convection-diffusion equation with a source term is proposed. Unlike the models proposed previously, the present model does not require any additional assumptionon the source term. Numerical results are found to be in excellent agreement with the analytical solutions. It is also found that the numerical accuracy of the model is much better than that of the existing models.


Introduction Considerable variability exists in the management of thoracolumbar (TL) spine injuries. Although there are many influences, one significant factor may be the treating surgeon's specialty and training (ie, orthopedic surgery vs. neurosurgery). Our objective was to assess the agreement between spinal orthopedic and neurologic surgeons in rating the severity of TL spine injuries with a new treatment algorithm. This information could be important in establishing consensus-based protocols for managing these challenging injuries. Methods Twenty-eight spinal surgeons (8 neurosurgeons and 20 orthopedic surgeons) reviewed 56 TL injury case histories. Each case was classified and scored according to the TL injury severity score (TLISS). The case histories were reordered and the physicians repeated the exercise 3 months later. At both intervals the surgeons were asked if they agreed with the final treatment recommendation of the TLISS algorithm. The reliability and decision validity of the TLISS was compared. Results Between-group interrater reliability was similar to within group reliabilities. Intrarater reliability was also similar between groups. The between speciality interrater reliability of the TLISS management recommendation was moderate (74% agreement, κ=0.532). Orthopedic and neurosurgeons agreed with the TLISS management recommendation 91.4% and 94.4% of the time, respectively. Conclusions The TLISS demonstrated good reliability in terms of intraobserver and interobserver agreement on the algorithmic treatment recommendations. The recommendation for operation seems to be consistent between fellowship-trained orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgeons. This type of classification system may reduce the existing variability and initial management decision for treatment of TL injuries.


We performed an analysis of high-energy particle emission from the Sun in two extreme solar
particle events observed even with ground-based neutron monitors (NMs). We model particle
transport and interactions from near-Sun source through the solar wind and the Earth's magnetosphere
and atmosphere in order to make a deep analysis of the events. The time profile of
the proton source at the Sun is deduced and compared with observed electromagnetic emissions.
Several complementary to each other data sets are studied jointly with the broadband dynamic
radio spectra, EUV images as well as other data available for both events. We find a common
scenario for both eruptions, including the flare's dual impulsive phase, the coronal mass ejection
(CME)-launch-associated burst and the late low-frequency type III radio bursts at the time of the
relativistic proton injection into the interplanetary medium. The analysis supports the idea that
the two considered events start with emission of relativistic protons previously accelerated during
the flare and CME launch, then trapped in large-scale magnetic loops and later released by the
expanding CME.


Research in cognitive science has provided extensive evidence of human cognitive ability in performing physical reasoning of objects from noisy perceptual inputs. Such a cognitive ability is commonly known as intuitive physics. With advancements in deep learning, there is an increasing interest in building intelligent systems that are capable of performing physical reasoning from a given scene for the purpose of building better AI systems. As a result, many contemporary approaches in modelling intuitive physics for machine cognition have been inspired by literature from cognitive science. Despite the wide range of work in physical reasoning for machine cognition, there is a scarcity of reviews that organize and group these deep learning approaches. Especially at the intersection of intuitive physics and artificial intelligence, there is a need to make sense of the diverse range of ideas and approaches. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive survey of recent advances and techniques in intuitive physics-inspired deep learning approaches for physical reasoning. The survey will first categorize existing deep learning approaches into three facets of physical reasoning before organizing them into three general technical approaches and propose six categorical tasks of the field. Finally, we highlight the challenges of the current field and present some future research directions.


In this chapter, the condition of the novice teachers is scrutinized within Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (EST). The theory was originated in the psychology concerning human development. The nests in EST are dealt with concerning the novice teachers. "Microsystem" is considered as a professional "family" for them to make them acquire the ecological environment of the school. The parents of the students and the school administrators and the residents of the school environment are included in "mesosystem." The educational system is totally defined as "exosystem" and all other systems such as economic and political systems are involved in "macrosystem." "Chronosystem" focuses on development and transformation of the novice teachers to become real teachers in time. Among these nests, the novice teachers have face-to-face contact with the first two nests and they have secondary contact with other though they sometimes get affected more. Moreover, this theory contributes to the professional development of these within the educational socio-cultural context. Ecological Cycle of the Novice Teachers in the Induction Process


The SALL2 transcription factor, an evolutionarily conserved gene through vertebrates, is involved in normal development and neuronal differentiation. In disease, SALL2 is associated with eye, kidney, and brain disorders, but mainly is related to cancer. Some studies support a tumor suppressor role and others an oncogenic role for SALL2, which seems to depend on the cancer type. An additional consideration is tissue-dependent expression of different SALL2 isoforms. Human and mouse SALL2 gene loci contain two promoters, each controlling the expression of a different protein isoform (E1 and E1A). Also, several improvements on the human genome assembly and gene annotation through next-generation sequencing technologies reveal correction and annotation of additional isoforms, obscuring dissection of SALL2 isoform-specific transcriptional targets and functions. We here integrated current data of normal/tumor gene expression databases along with ChIP-seq binding profiles to analyze SALL2 isoforms expression distribution and infer isoform-specific SALL2 targets. We found that the canonical SALL2 E1 isoform is one of the lowest expressed, while the E1A isoform is highly predominant across cell types. To dissect SALL2 isoform-specific targets, we analyzed publicly available ChIP-seq data from Glioblastoma tumor-propagating cells and in-house ChIP-seq datasets performed in SALL2 wild-type and E1A isoform knockout HEK293 cells. Another available ChIP-seq data in HEK293 cells (ENCODE Consortium Phase III) overexpressing a non-canonical SALL2 isoform (short_E1A) was also analyzed. Regardless of cell type, our analysis indicates that the SALL2 long E1 and E1A isoforms, but not short_E1A, are mostly contributing to transcriptional control, and reveals a highly conserved network of brain-specific transcription factors (i.e., SALL3, POU3F2, and NPAS3). Our data integration identified a conserved molecular network in which SALL2 regulates genes associated with neural function, cell differentiation, development, and cell adhesion between others. Also, we identified PODXL as a gene that is likely regulated by SALL2 across tissues. Our study encourages the validation of publicly available ChIP-seq datasets to assess a specific gene/isoform's transcriptional targets. The knowledge of SALL2 isoforms expression and function in different tissue contexts is relevant to understanding its role in disease.


OBJECTIVE
An uncommon case of medullary sponge kidney with congenital hemihypertrophy complicated by nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis is reported here.

METHODS/RESULTS
A 29 year old female patient with multiple episodes of renal colic is presented. Clinical features, radiological findings and differential diagnosis in a patient with Cacchi-Ricci disease are discussed. At least twenty-nine cases associated with congenital hemihypertrophy have been reported previously.

CONCLUSIONS
A significant number of patients with medullary sponge kidney are asymptomatic. In many cases the diagnosis is made when a patient is evaluated by intravenous urography for some unrelated problem. However, medullary sponge kidney has been reported in association with rare congenital anomalies (Beckwith-Widemann syndrome and congenital hemihypertrophy) and these patients appear to be at risk of malignant neoplasms of the adrenal gland, kidney and liver, therefore they must be followed closely.


Traditional project evaluation based on discounted cash flow analysis which ignores the upside potentials to an investment from managerial flexibility and innovation is not a suitable approach for evaluating high risk projects such as projects in oil industry. Nowadays, real options valuation approach that borrows ideas from financial options attracts the expert's attentions. In spite of the fact that experts have paid attention to this new method, applying this approach has some limitations. For applying this method successfully, we need to estimate some input parameters. One of the most important ones is volatility. volatility is a key parameter, but it is difficult to estimate. From a traditional investment viewpoint, volatility reduces project value because it increases its discount rate via a higher risk premium. The estimation of project volatility is very complicated since there is not a historical series of project values and most of projects are done for the first time and they are irreversible. In this article a method based on present value of future cash flows that we named profitability index and Monte Carlo simulation is proposed to estimate the volatility of projects. This method is applied to estimate the volatility of south pars gas field development phase 15 &16 as a case study.


Health properties and uses of soybean, as well as the different chemical and botanical characteristics of this legume are shown in this review. Soybean represents an excellent source of high quality protein, it has a low content in saturated fat, it contains a great amount of dietary fibre and its isoflavone content makes it singular among other legumes. Many researches have been carried out into the benefits of legumes: chickpeas, beans, lentils and soy, among others, but characterization and positive health effects of soybeans have been recently studied. The interest in this legume has increased because of its functional components. Most of the studies have been focused on soybean protein as a possible source of prevention against cardiovascular disease. This positive effect may be due to a decrease in serum cholesterol concentrations. In addition, there are many studies on isoflavones, non-nutritive substances, associated with prevention and treatment of different chronic diseases. Moreover, some studies have shown the health properties of soy dietary fibre. Therefore, it would be interesting to consider the replacement of animal based foods for soybean foods in order to obtain some nutritional benefits.


Pantothenic acid (PA) is a component of coenzymne A, and is required in the diet of pigs at concentrations of 7 to 12 ppm (NRC, 1998). However, recent interest has surrounded the elevated supplementation of this vitamin and its potential effects on carcass lean. Stahly and Lutz (2001) observed a quadratic increase in estimated fat free lean (%) as PA supplementation increased from 0 to 120 ppm in the diet of pigs from wean to finish. Further research from this same group (Autrey et al., 2002) reported a linear increase in estimated fat free lean (%) as the level of supplemental PA was increased from 0 to 45 ppm from wean to finish. These studies indicate that pantothenic acid may be a very cost effective method of increasing carcass lean. However, the diets fed contained elevated levels of all B vitamins (6x NRC) and lysine. Therefore, the results observed may not accurately represent a commercial situation. Therefore, this study was designed to determine whether feeding elevated levels of PA during the whole grow-finish period or during the finisher period only has any effects on growth or carcass characteristics in typical commercial swine diets.


Degree-level science and engineering skills as well as management and leadership skills are often referred to as a source of innovative activities within companies. Broken down by sectoral innovation patterns, this article examines the role of formal education and actual occupation for product innovation performance in manufacturing firms within a probit model. It uses unique micro data for Germany (LIAB) that contain detailed information about innovative activities and the qualification of employees. We find significant differences of the human capital endowment between sectors differentiated according to the Pavitt classification. Sectors with a high share of highly skilled employees engage in product innovation above average (specialized suppliers and science based industries). According to our hitherto estimation results, within these sectors the share of highly skilled employees does not, however, substantially increase the probability to be an innovative firm.


The debate on how to measure the value of IT is an ongoing debate within the IT evaluation research. Research about the value of IT tends to focus on formal aspects and ignore informal aspects such as the subjective perceptions of individuals and researchers acknowledge a lack of informal evaluation methods used in practice. This study aims to answer two research questions: How can informal value of IS be evaluated? and What are the benefits and drawbacks of relying on informal value when assessing IS? To answer these questions a qualitative case study have been conducted using the DeLone & McLean IS Success Model as a theoretical framework. The results show that using the model was successful however we argue that important aspects were missing in the model. The benefits of relying on informal value showed to be the possibilities of discovering aspects of value that are not visible in formal evaluation. The drawbacks of performing an informal evaluation are that they are complicated and time-consuming and do not promise useful results.


This paper studies a phase field model for the mixture of two immiscible and incompressible fluids. The model is described by a nonlinear parabolic system consisting of the nonstationary Stokes equations coupled with the Allen-Cahn equation through an extra phase induced stress term in the Stokes equations and a fluid induced transport term in the Allen-Cahn equation. Both semi-discrete and fully discrete finite element methods are developed for approximating the parabolic system. It is shown that the proposed numerical methods satisfy a discrete energy law which mimics the basic energy law for the phase field model. Error estimates are derived for the semi-discrete method, and the convergence to the phase field model and to its sharp interface limiting model are established for the fully discrete finite element method by making use of the discrete energy law. Numerical experiments are also presented to validate the theory and to show the effectiveness of the combined phase field and finite element approach.


The present study was undertaken to examine the possibility that cerebral energy metabolism can be fueled by lactate. As a sole energy substrate, lactate supported normal synaptic function in rat hippocampal slices for hours without any sign of deterioration. Slices that were synaptically silent as a result of glucose depletion could be reactivated with lactate to show normal synaptic function. When slices were exposed to the glycolytic inhibitor iodoacetic acid, lactate-supported synaptic function was unaffected, whereas that supported by glucose was completely abolished. This indicated that lactate was metabolized directly via pyruvate to enter the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Thus, under conditions that lead to lactate accumulation (cerebral ischemia) this "end product" may be a useful alternative as a substrate for energy metabolism.


Logistics management in a construction supply chain can be seen as a key competitive
factor due to the importance of perfect deliveries towards construction sites.
The increased importance of logistics in construction supply chains explains why
the evaluation of logistics effectiveness and efficiency is gaining increased attention.
Logistics performance management is the key to quantifying the current state and
improvement potentials within logistics. In order to ensure that the logistics of a
supply chain is performing well, it is crucial that the company measures different
aspects of the logistics flow of the supply chain. As stated by Sink and Tuttle (1989):
"You cannot manage if you cannot measure. If you do not measure you do not know
what you have achieved and where you are headed".
This master thesis aims to investigate and give suggestions on how to measure the
logistics performance of a construction supply chain. This can also be seen in the
research questions of this report, which are "How should a logistics performance measurement
system for a construction supply chain be designed?" and "Which KPIs
should be included in a logistics performance measurement system of a construction
supply chain"?. This master thesis is based on a case study at a large Swedish construction
company. Thereby the key performance indicators (KPIs) related to the
logistic processes in a construction supply chain were examined.
One of the main findings of this master thesis is the creation of a conceptual framework,
which focused on the design of a logistics performance measurement system
(PMS). The framework takes company, industry, and supply chain characteristics
into consideration, and designs the logistics PMS around those findings. The conceptual
framework made it possible to identify four supply chain dimensions that
should be covered when designing a logistics PMS for construction supply chains:
supply chain reliability, efficiency, responsiveness, and sustainability. Furthermore,
six strategic KPIs were identified that should help construction supply chains to
measure their logistics performance. These KPIs were: perfect order fulfillment,
fill rate, transportation cost per ton-km, backlog, customer ordering lead time, and
CO2 emission per ton-km.


A wide range of institutional models and financial products are currently serving, or attempting to serve, the poor's demands for savings and loan services. However, very few of these operate in lower density rural areas or in areas where there has not already been some agriculturally based growth in the rural economy, and virtually none are (a) operating in the conditions faced by the majority of poor farmers in sub Saharan Africa and (b) offering financial products that adequately address farmers' needs for seasonal finance for food crop production. This is partly due to the high costs and risks in the supply of such services, but may also reflect high risks and relatively low returns for borrowers investing in agriculture. However, loan products are often structured in ways that make them particularly unsuited to seasonal lending, unless households have access to alternative cash sources which are not related to agricultural seasonality. There has been a similar lack of interest in and development of micro-insurance services and products, and there appears to be very little in the literature on financial transmission services.


This article is concerned with the relationship between body, image and affect within consumer culture. Body image is generally understood as a mental image of the body as it appears to others. It is often assumed in consumer culture that people attend to their body image in an instrumental manner, as status and social acceptability depend on how a person looks. This view is based on popular physiognomic assumptions that the body, especially the face, is a reflection of the self: that a person's inner character or personality will shine through the outer appearance. The modification and cosmetic enhancement of the body through a range of regimes and technologies can be used to construct a beautiful appearance and thereby a beautiful self. The article begins by examining body images in consumer culture and their relation to photography and moving images. This is followed by an examination of the consumer culture transformative process through a discussion of cosmetic surgery. The article then questions the over-simplistic logic that assumes that transformative techniques will automatically result in a more positive and acceptable body image. The new body and face may encourage people to look at the transformed person in a new way. But the moving body, the body without image, which communicates through proprioceptive senses and intensities of affect, can override the perception of the transformed appearance. A discussion of the affective body follows, via a closer examination of the body without image, the opening of the body to greater affect and indeterminacy. The affective body image and its potential greater visibility through new media technologies are then discussed through some examples taken from digital video art. The article concludes by examining some of the implications of these shifts within consumer culture and new media technologies.


Brown-McLean syndrome has been reported as a late complication, usually occurring 6 to 16 years after intracapsular and extracapsular cataract extractions. 1-3 To our knowledge, our patient's onset of symptoms 34 years after cataract extraction represents the longest interval between cataract surgery and development of symptoms due to Brown-McLean syndrome. Report of a Case. —A 52-year-old man presented complaining of a foreign body sensation in his right eye. He had undergone an intracapsular lens extraction 34 years previously for a traumatic cataract of the right eye. Best corrected visual acuity was 20/25 OU. Slit-lamp examination of the right eye revealed peripheral epithelial and stromal corneal edema with a central clear zone (4 mm horizontally and 6 mm vertically) (Fig 1) and orange pigmentation along the endothelial surface of the involved areas (Fig 2). There was a large superior sector iridectomy; the anterior hyaloid face was intact. The left eye was


BACKGROUND
Black patients are commonly believed to have higher stroke mortality. However, several recent studies have reported better survival in black patients with stroke.

OBJECTIVE
To examine racial differences in stroke mortality and explore potential reasons for these differences.

DESIGN
Observational cohort study.

SETTING
164 hospitals in New York.

PARTICIPANTS
5319 black and 18 340 white patients aged 18 years or older who were hospitalized with acute ischemic stroke between January 2005 and December 2006.

MEASUREMENTS
Influence of race on mortality, examined by using propensity score analysis. Secondary outcomes were selected aspects of end-of-life treatment, use of tissue plasminogen activator, hospital spending, and length of stay. Patients were followed for mortality for 1 year after admission.

RESULTS
Overall in-hospital mortality was lower for black patients than for white patients (5.0% vs. 7.4%; P < 0.001), as was all-cause mortality at 30 days (6.1% vs. 11.4%; P < 0.001) and 1 year (16.5% vs. 24.4%; P < 0.001). After propensity score adjustment, black race was independently associated with lower in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.77 [95% CI, 0.61 to 0.98]) and all-cause mortality up to 1 year (OR, 0.86 [CI, 0.77 to 0.96]). The adjusted hazard ratio was 0.87 (CI, 0.79 to 0.96). After adjustment for the probability of dying in the hospital, black patients with stroke were more likely to receive life-sustaining interventions (OR, 1.22 [CI, 1.09 to 1.38]) but less likely to be discharged to hospice (OR, 0.25 [CI, 0.14 to 0.46]).

LIMITATIONS
The study used hospital administrative data that lacked a stroke severity measure. The study design precluded determination of causality.

CONCLUSION
Among patients with acute ischemic stroke, black patients had lower mortality than white patients. This could be the result of differences in receipt of life-sustaining interventions and end-of-life care.


Studies of regime type and war have shown that democracies tend to win the wars they fight, but questions remain about why this is the case. A simple, if under-appreciated, explanation for democratic victory is that democracies fight alongside larger and more powerful coalitions. Coalition partners bring additional material capabilities and may provide intangible benefits to the war effort, such as increased legitimacy or confidence. Democracies may also find coalitions less costly or constraining, even as democratic war aims may be easier to apportion among the victors without diluting the spoils. Evaluating our hypotheses in a sample of all wars (or all militarized disputes) during the period 1816-2000, we find that democracies have more coalition partners when they fight, and that states fighting with more numerous coalition partners are more likely to win major contests. This finding is robust to replacing the number of coalition partners with the cumulative military power of those partners. Non-democracies also gain a likelihood-of-victory benefit with additional partners, but they appear less willing or able to form large military coalitions. Finally, we show that the indirect effect of democracy on success in war through coalition size subsumes much of the direct effect previously attributed to regime type.


A tree, being a connected acyclic graph, can be bicoloured in two ways, which differ from each other by exchange of the colours. We shall say that a tree is equicolourable if these bicolourings assign the two colours to equal numbers of vertices. Labelled equicoloured trees have been enumerated several times in the literature, and from this result it is easy to enumerate labelled equicolourable trees. The result is that the probability that a randomly chosen n-vertex labelled tree is equicolourable is asymptotically just twice the probability that its vertices would be equicoloured if they were assigned colours by independent unbiased coin flips. Our goal in this paper is the enumeration of unlabelled equicolourable trees (that is, trees up to isomorphism), both exactly (in terms of generating functions) and asymptotically. We treat both the rooted and unrooted versions of this problem, and conclude that in either case the probability that a randomly chosen n-vertex unlabelled tree is equicolourable is asymptotically 1.40499... times as large as the probability that it would be equicoloured if its vertices were assigned colours by independent unbiased coin flips.


The production of granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were evaluated in the supernatants of short-term cultures of purified CD4+ T-lymphocytes and enriched monocytes obtained from peripheral blood (PB) of 35 HIV-1 seropositive (+) asymptomatic individuals, stages I-II of the Walter Reed (WR) classification, 15 HIV (+) symptomatic patients (WR V-VI) and 40 HIV-1 seronegative normal blood donors. IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha production by either enriched monocytes or isolated CD4+ T-cells, was similar in HIV-1 (+) asymptomatic, symptomatic subjects and normal controls. GM-CSF level in enriched monocyte culture supernatants did not show any significant difference in the three groups of subjects under investigation. On the other hand, GM-CSF production by isolated CD4+ T-lymphocytes was two-fold decreased in HIV-1 (+) asymptomatic subjects and five-fold decreased in HIV-1 (+) symptomatic patients with respect to normal blood donors. The decline in GM-CSF production was clearly correlated with viral isolation from patient's PB light density mononuclear cells (r = -0.920, p less than 0.01). The selective and progressive decline in GM-CSF production by CD4+ T-lymphocytes, starting from early stages of HIV-1 infection, suggest a preferential lesion of a specific subset of CD4+ T-lymphocytes characterized by an intense production of GM-CSF and may contribute to explain the deranged inflammatory and immune responses which characterize the course of HIV-1 infection.


Dexmedetomidine Diminishes Halothane Anesthetic Requirements in Rats Through a Postsynaptic Alpha 2 Adrenergic Receptor. By Segal IS, Vickery RG, Walton JK, Doze VA, and Maze M. ANESTHESIOLOGY 1988; 125:590-4. Abstract reprinted with permission.The effect of 4(5)-[1-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)ethyl]imidazole (medetomidine), the α2 adrenergic agonist, on anesthetic requirements was investigated in rats anesthetized with halothane. Halothane MAC was determined before and after either dexmedetomidine (D-enantiomer) or levomedetomidine (L-enantiomer) 10, 30, and 100 μg/kg, or vehicle intraperitoneally. There was a dose-dependent increase in MAC with the D-, but not the L-, stereoisomer. At the highest dose of dexmedetomidine (100 μg/kg), halothane could be discontinued for up to 30 min with no response to tail clamping. To determine whether α2 adrenoreceptors mediated this effect of dexmedetomidine on MAC, cohorts of rats were pretreated with idazoxan, 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally, a highly selective α2 antagonist. This completely prevented the reduction of MAC caused by dexmedetomidine. To determine whether the reduction of MAC caused by dexmedetomidine was mediated in part through either opiate or adenosine receptors, groups of rats were pretreated with either naltrexone, 5 mg/kg intraperitoneally, an opiate antagonist, or 8-phenyltheophylline, 2.5 mg/kg intraperitoneally, an A1 adenosine antagonist. These two pretreatments did not alter the reduction of MAC by dexmedetomidine. To determine whether postsynaptic mechanisms mediate the anesthetic effect of dexmedetomidine, rats were depleted of central catecholamine stores with either n-(2-chloroethyl)-n-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine or reserpine and α-methyl-para-tyrosine, and MAC was determined before and after each dose of dexmedetomidine. While the catecholamine-depleted rats had a lower basal MAC than the vehicle controls, there was still a profound reduction in halothane MAC after administration of dexmedetomidine. The reduction of MAC by dexmedetomidine was blocked with idazoxan in the catecholamine-depleted rats. These data indicate that the reduction of MAC caused by dexmedetomidine is mediated through α2 adrenoreceptors with no apparent involvement of either opiate or A1 adenosine receptors. Data from catecholamine-depleted rats suggest that the mediating mechanism must involve site(s) other than or in addition to the presynaptic α2 adrenergic receptors on noradrenergic neurons. The authors conclude that central postsynaptic α2 adrenergic receptors mediate a significant part of the reduction of anesthetic requirements caused by dexmedetomidine.


In canonical quantum gravity, the formal functional integral includes an integration over the local conformal factor, and we propose to perform the functional integral over this factor before doing any of the other functional integrals. By construction, the resulting effective theory would be expected to be conformally invariant and therefore finite. However, also the conformal integral itself diverges, and the effects of a renormalization counter term are considered. It generates problems such as unitarity violation, due to a Landau-like ghost, and conformal anomalies. Adding (massive or massless) matter fields does not change the picture. Various alternative ideas are offered, including a more daring speculation, which is that no counter term should be allowed for at all. This has far-reaching and important consequences, which we discuss. A surprising picture emerges of quantized elementary particles interacting with a gravitational field, in particular gravitons, which are "partly classical". This approach was inspired by a search towards the reconciliation of Hawking radiation with unitarity and locality, and it offers basic new insights there.


Many different animals, including birds and fish, exhibit a collective behavior known as flocking. Flocking behavior is believed to emerge from relatively simple local control rules utilized by the individuals in a flock. Specifically, each individual adjusts its behavior based on the behaviors of its closest neighbors. In our work we consider the possibility of adding a small set of influencing agents, that are under our control, to a flock. Specifically, we advance previous work on adding influencing agents to a flock and begin to consider the case in which influencing agents must join a flock in motion. Following ad hoc teamwork methodology, we assume that we are given knowledge of, but no direct control over, the rest of the flock. As such, we use the influencing agents to alter the flock's behavior — for example by encouraging all of the individuals to face the same direction or by altering the trajectory of the flock. In this paper we define several new methods for adding influencing agents into the flock and compare them against existing methods.


The issue of pedestrian-friendly urban environments has been of increasing importance lately in urban planning and design. In order to develop a better knowledge about the walkability of the built environment, it is important to understand the complexity behind walking behavior. Since different kinds of walking activities vary in their goal, effort, frequency, duration, etc., they also vary in how strongly and in what aspect they are influenced by the condition of urban form. With an empirical study in three residential areas in Stockholm, Sweden, this study investigated the different types of walking activities in how they interact with the built environment. The results showed that the condition of the built environment related to the density, connectivity, and land-use diversity seems to influence the amount and diversity of walking activities and also affect how the walking activities are conducted. This is related to the degree of the potential urban form has in providing the different qualities that the pedestrians desire from the environment, which is not only related to providing walking destinations and possible routes, but also qualities that enhance the experiential quality of walking. Investigating the different aspects of walking in how they occur and are conducted in the urban environment is important in understanding why and how different conditions of the urban form discourage or encourage walking. This is not only useful in providing insights for more accurate knowledge on walkability, but also assists a better understanding and application of other urban design theories on pedestrian movement as well.