Technology is responsible for major systemic changes within the global financial sector in general and particularly in the trade in financial products. The global financial sector has already developed into a comprehensive network of mutually connected people and computers that are constantly evaluating and approving millions of transactions. Algorithms play a crucial role within this global financial network. An algorithm is in essence merely a set of instructions developed by one or more people with the intention of having these instructions performed by a machine such as a computer, a software robot or a physical robot in order to realize an ideal result. As part of a development in which we as human beings have ever higher expectations of algorithms and these algorithms become ever more autonomous in their actions, we cannot avoid including possibilities in these algorithms that enable ethical or more considerations. To develop this ethical or moral consideration, we need a kind of ethical framework which can be used for developing algorithms. With the development of such a framework we can start to think about what we as human beings consider to be moral action by machines within the financial sector based on such a framework.


Generative adversarial networks (GANs) are challenging to train stably, and a promising remedy of injecting instance noise into the discriminator input has not been very effective in practice. In this paper, we propose Diffusion-GAN, a novel GAN framework that leverages a forward diffusion chain to generate Gaussian-mixture distributed instance noise. Diffusion-GAN consists of three components, including an adaptive diffusion process, a diffusion timestep-dependent discriminator, and a generator. Both the observed and generated data are diffused by the same adaptive diffusion process. At each diffusion timestep, there is a different noise-to-data ratio and the timestep-dependent discriminator learns to distinguish the diffused real data from the diffused generated data. The generator learns from the discriminator's feedback by backpropagating through the forward diffusion chain, whose length is adaptively adjusted to balance the noise and data levels. We theoretically show that the discriminator's timestep-dependent strategy gives consistent and helpful guidance to the generator, enabling it to match the true data distribution. We demonstrate the advantages of Diffusion-GAN over strong GAN baselines on various datasets, showing that it can produce more realistic images with higher stability and data efficiency than state-of-the-art GANs.


Rickettsia slovaca is a tick-borne human pathogen that is associated with scalp eschars and neck lymphadenopathy known as tick-borne lymphadenopathy (TIBOLA) or Dermacentor-borne necrosis erythema and lymphadenopathy (DEBONEL). Originally, R. slovaca was described in Eastern Europe, but since recognition of its pathogenicity, human cases have been reported throughout Europe. European vertebrate reservoirs of R. slovaca remain unknown, but feral swine and domestic goats have been found infected or seropositive for this pathogen. Recently, a rickettsial pathogen identical to R. slovaca was identified in, and isolated from, the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis. In previous experimental studies, this organism was found infectious to guinea pigs and transovarially transmissible in ticks. In this study, domestic goats (Capra hircus) were experimentally inoculated with the North American isolate of this R. slovaca-like agent to assess their reservoir competence–the ability to acquire the pathogens and maintain transmission between infected and uninfected ticks. Goats were susceptible to infection as demonstrated by detection of the pathogen in skin biopsies and multiple internal tissues, but the only clinical sign of illness was transient fever noted in three out of four goats, and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. On average, less than 5% of uninfected ticks acquired the pathogen while feeding upon infected goats. Although domestic goats are susceptible to the newly described North American isolate of R. slovaca, they are likely to play a minor role in the natural transmission cycle of this pathogen. Our results suggest that goats do not propagate the North American isolate of R. slovaca in peridomestic environments and clinical diagnosis of infection could be difficult due to the brevity and mildness of clinical signs. Further research is needed to elucidate the natural transmission cycle of R. slovaca both in Europe and North America, as well as to identify a more suitable laboratory model.


In the teaching of computer networks the main problem that arises is the high price and limited number of network devices the students can work with in the laboratories. Nowadays, with virtualization we can overcome this limitation. In this paper, we present a methodology that allows students to learn advanced computer network concepts through hands-on experience with the VNUML-UM virtualization tool, which is offered freely as a resource for the practical teaching of mobility, load balancing, and high availability. To verify the utility of using the VNUML-UM virtualization tool in the teaching of advanced computer network concepts, we have performed some opinion polls to the students during the last three academic years. The obtained results confirm that our students agree that the VNUML-UM enables an enhanced learning process of the different concepts and their practical skills. This perception is also confirmed by the final marks obtained by the students, which have considerably improved along the years. To the best our knowledge, this paper presents the first experience that provides results on the use of virtualization to teach advanced concepts in the field of computer networks.


ABSTRACT: The Words in War-Time Project provides a detailed exploration of Andrew Clark's collection of notebooks and folders on the subject of "English Words in War-Time," assembled 1914–1919, and archived in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Clark's wide-ranging documentation—with annotations, definitions, frequency statements, and citational evidence of lexical/semantic change during World War I, along with frequent comparisons to the Oxford English Dictionary—has, as part of the project, been transferred to a tagged and fully searchable database, enabling, as this essay examines, new insights into Clark's interdisciplinary focus, his status as lexicographer, and the shifting patterns of language and lexical history in a period of critical change.


Polarimetric coastal radar data are used to compare the rainfall characteristics of Hurricanes Harvey (2017) and Florence (2018). Intense rainfall was an infrequent yet important contributor to the total rainfall in Harvey, but its relative contribution varied spatially. The total rainfall over land maximized near the coast over Beaumont, TX, due to intense convection resulting from prolonged onshore flow downshear from the circulation center. Overall, polarimetric radar observations in Harvey show a dominance of high concentrations of small‐to‐medium drops, consistent with prior tropical cyclone studies. The microphysical characteristics were spatially and temporally inhomogeneous however, with larger drops more frequent on 27 August and higher number concentrations more frequent on 28 and 30 August. The polarimetric variables and raindrop characteristics observed during Florence share broad similarities to Harvey, but had reduced variability, fewer observations of stronger reflectivity and differential reflectivity, and a lower frequency of high number concentrations and medium‐sized drops. The radar data indicate Florence had reduced coverage of stronger convection compared to Harvey. We hypothesize that differences in storm motion, intensity decay rates, and vertical wind shear produce the distinct precipitation structures and microphysical differences seen in Harvey and Florence.


Background Evidence exists for an association between aggression and schizophrenia. Although the aetiology of aggression is multifactorial, three studies have reported associations between polymorphisms of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene and aggression in schizophrenia. Aims To replicate these findings in a larger sample using the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS). Method A sample of 180 people with DSM–IV schizophrenia were rated for aggression using the OAS. Kruskal–Wallis and contingency table analyses were applied to the OAS results. Results The high-activity homozygotes showed significantly higher scores of aggression, whereas the heterozygotes showed significantly lower scores. The odds ratio for aggression for the high-activity homozygotes was 2.07 (95% Cl=1.03–4.15), whereas that for the heterozygotes was 0.54 (95% CI=0. 30–1.00). Conclusions The high-activity COMT homozygote confers a higher risk of recorded aggression in schizophrenia. Heterozygotes had a significantly lower risk, which may represent an example of heterosis/heterozygote advantage.


BACKGROUND: Isolated pulmonary amyloidosis is a very rare disease. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with pathologically proven isolated pulmonary amyloidosis treated at our hospital from 1990 to 2011. RESULTS: There were 9 males and 4 females with a mean age of 54.7 years (range, 45–72 years) and the mean course of disease was 46.5 months (range, 5 months–15 years). The most common symptoms were cough (10/13), expectoration (8/13), hemoptysis (4/13), chest tightness (12/13), dyspnea (10/13), chest pain (3/13), fever (5/13), and body weight loss (2/13). Radiological findings included tracheal stenosis (2/13), bronchial stenosis with atelectasis (5/13), pulmonary nodules (3/13), lung consolidation (1/13), and lymph node enlargement with pleural effusion (2/13). Treatments included endotracheal stenting, endoscopic resection of tracheal and bronchial lesions, lung resection, and drug therapy with glucocorticoids, antineoplastic agents, or antibiotics. Four patients died of the disease within 1 year of diagnosis, 2 died of pneumonia at 3–4 years after original treatment, and the remaining patients are alive with follow-up ranging from 3 to 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: Isolated pulmonary amyloidosis is a rare disease with a relatively high mortality and its various manifestations make diagnosis challenging. Surgical resection of lesions and chemotherapy tend to be effective treatments.


To the Editor. —Farber's disease (disseminated lipogranulomatosis) is an autosomal recessive inherited lysosomal-storage disease. The accumulation of ceramide, the N -acyl fatty acid derivative of sphingosine, is characteristic of Farber's disease. In nine of 27 patients described in the literature, a deficiency of ceramidase, a lysosomal enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the amide linkage between the sphingosine and fatty acid moieties, has been proven. 1 Recently we described the light and electron microscopic findings in the eyes of a 35-month-old girl with Farber's disease. 2 Herein we report that the retina of this patient contained increased levels of ceramide. Materials and Methods. —High-pressure liquid chromatography was used to resolve lipids in 4% formaldehyde-fixed retinal tissue (Figure). Perbenzoylated control retinal lipids and retinal lipids from the patient with Farber's disease (0.1 mg each) were separated on a 5-μm silica gel column. Elution was carried out with a linear gradient (0%


The article adapts and applies the governing-through-crime framework to analyze the EU and Office of the High Representative (OHR) as international governing actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Limited, ambiguous and opportunistic use of techniques associated with governing-throughcrime are most evident in relation to OHR, but only as one of a wider range of governing logics, and are linked to specific challenges of legitimation. The outward spread of criminal justice models and metaphors proposed by Simon is shown to be problematic in light of the breadth of activities that such a stance might admit to the framework. [R]


The failure of IS development projects remains a relatively understudied phenomena in organizations. Much of the early work on project failures has focused on understanding the IS view of project failure. In this preliminary study, we report on 19 in-depth interviews with managers of failed projects. By using group conflict theory as a lens to analyze the IS/client relationships during and after project failure, we are able to show that IS managers rarely apportion any blame to themselves and their group, but rather prefer to blame either situational factors or their clients.


The loading of sensitizers on a semiconductor is crucial for determining the light-harvesting efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The interfacial properties of dyes adsorbed on a TiO2 film, such as adsorption configurations and adsorption energy, can influence the total amount of dye sensitizers that loads and the stability of a DSSC device. Therefore, it is important to characterize the adsorption properties of sensitizers on TiO2 films atomically and electronically to ensure rational structure-based dye design for high-performance DSSCs. Due to the complex properties of interfacial dyes, previous works on the identification of adsorption configurations of dyes on TiO2 have sometimes been controversial, in particular, the essential IR band assignments. In this study, we employed density functional theory to investigate the adsorption energies, geometries, and vibrational frequencies of various adsorption configurations of 2-cyano-3-(thiophen-2-yl)acrylic acid adsorbed on TiO2. We performed a comparative assignment of the calculated vibrational peaks of tridentate and bidentate configurations to the experimental FT-IR spectra simultaneously. Our work backs up the coexistence of tridentate and bidentate bridging configurations, first proposed by Meng and co-workers. Moreover, our comparative IR mode assignments provide clues for further studies of the interfacial properties of dyes adsorbed on TiO2. Study of the transformation mechanisms between tridentate and bidentate modes suggests that the bidentate bridging configuration is a kinetically trapped adsorption mode and the tridentate configuration is thermodynamically the most stable one. Finally, we investigated the photophysical properties of a D-π-A dye in tridentate and bidentate adsorption configurations.


A novel and facile metal-free method for the green synthesis of 1,2,4-selenadiazol-5-amine derivatives through the aerobic radical-cascade multi-component reactions of isocyanides, selenium powder and imidamides is reported herein. O2 in the air was employed as the green oxidant to achieve the cycloaddition with the generation of H2O as the sole by-product. It also features good functional group compatibility and broad substrate scope. In addition, this method was successfully applied to the functionalization of biologically active molecules.


Emergence is a phenomenon taken for granted in science but also still not well understood. We have developed a model of artificial genetic evolution intended to allow for emergence on genetic, population and social levels. We present the details of the current state of our environment, agent, and reproductive models. In developing our models we have relied on a principle of using non-linear systems to model as many systems as possible including mutation and recombination, gene-environment interaction, agent metabolism, agent survival, resource gathering and sexual reproduction. In this paper we review the genetic dynamics that have emerged in our system including genotype-phenotype divergence, genetic drift, pseudogenes, and gene duplication. We conclude that emergence-focused design in complex system simulation is necessary to reproduce the multilevel emergence seen in the natural world.


Suramin, a polyanionic compound, has previously been shown to dissociate platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) from its receptor. In the present study suramin was found to inhibit the growth of sparse cultures of AKR‐2B cells in fetal bovine serum (FBS)‐supplemented medium in a dose‐dependent, reversible fashion. Suramin also inhibited the ability of FBS, transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), heparin‐binding growth factor type‐2 (HBGF‐2), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) to stimulate DNA synthesis in density‐arrested cultures of AKR‐2B cells. The inhibition of growth factor‐stimulated mitogenicity was directly correlated to the dose of suramin required to inhibit the binding of 125I‐labeled TGFβ, HBGF‐2, and EGF to their cell surface receptors. Suramin affected TGFβ and HBGF‐2‐related events at a 10–15‐fold lower dose than that required for EGF‐related events. It was also noted that suramin inhibited TGFβ‐stimulated soft agar colony formation of AKR‐2B (clone 84A) cells as well as the spontaneous colony formation of AKR‐MCA cells, a chemically transformed derivative of AKR‐2B cells. This demonstrates that suramin's spectrum of action for growth factors and their receptors should be extended to include TGFβ, HBGF‐2, and EGF as well as PDGF. The data further suggest that the spontaneous growth of AKR‐MCA cells in soft agar is dependent on growth factor binding to cell surface receptors.


Almost four decades since its initial discovery in brain (Schulman and Greengard, 1978), the multifunctional Ca2+ and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) has now emerged as a key signaling molecule in the heart. The isoform that predominates in heart, CaMKIId, directly regulates expression and function of several of the main cardiac ion channels and Ca2+ handling proteins (Bers and Grandi, 2009). CaMKII-dependent effects are thought to orchestrate many of the electrophysiologic and contractile adaptations to common cardiac stressors, such as rapid pacing, adrenergic stimulation, and oxidative challenge. In the context of disease, CaMKII has been shown to contribute to a remarkably wide variety of cardiac pathologies, including myocardial hypertrophy, ischemia, heart failure (HF), and arrhythmia. CaMKII expression is increased in patients with HF (Hoch et al., 1999), and elevated CaMKII expression and activity have been implicated in the transition to HF (Zhang et al., 2003). Indeed, inhibiting CaMKII appears to reduce arrhythmias and pathological signaling, which makes this kinase a promising new therapeutic target (Anderson et al., 2011). © 2014 Grandi, Edwards, Herren and Bers.


We propose Corder, a self-supervised contrastive learning framework for source code model. Corder is designed to alleviate the need of labeled data for code retrieval and code summarization tasks. The pre-trained model of Corder can be used in two ways: (1) it can produce vector representation of code which can be applied to code retrieval tasks that do not have labeled data; (2) it can be used in a fine-tuning process for tasks that might still require label data such as code summarization. The key innovation is that we train the source code model by asking it to recognize similar and dissimilar code snippets through acontrastive learning objective. To do so, we use a set of semantic-preserving transformation operators to generate code snippets that are syntactically diverse but semantically equivalent. Through extensive experiments, we have shown that the code models pretrained by Corder substantially outperform the other baselines for code-to-code retrieval, text-to-code retrieval, and code-to-text summarization tasks.


Abstract Understanding colonization is vital for managing fragmented populations. We employed mitochondrial DNA haplotypes and 14 microsatellite (nuclear DNA) markers to infer the origins of newly established populations of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) and to assess loss of genetic diversity during natural colonizations. We used haplotype distribution, F-statistics, Bayesian population clustering, and assignment tests to infer source populations for 3 recent colonies and identified a previously undetected colonization from multiple source populations. Allelic richness declined in 3 of 4 colonies in comparison to the primary source populations, but not as much as has been reported for translocated populations. Heterozygosity declined in only one colony. We also demonstrated that both native and translocated desert bighorn sheep have naturally recolonized empty habitats and suggest that colonization may partially offset population extinction in the region as long as connectivity is maintained. Genetic techniques and mitochondrial DNA haplotypes we described will allow managers to determine the origins of future colonizations by bighorn sheep in California, USA, and prioritize protection of linkages between known sources and colonies.


Doctors are more prone to get needle stick injury while giving i/v injection and during suturing process. HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are three important fatal infections transmitted by needle stick injury. The transmission rate of Hepatitis B infection is nearly about 30% whereas transmission of HIV is only 0.3% and Hepatitis C only 1.8% and Hepatitis B being fatal can very well be prevented by proper vaccination and prophylaxis. After infection with HBV, 10% of the patients develop chronic hepatitis and about 15%-25% develop cirrhosis. Half of these individuals later develop hepatic decompensation or hepatocellular carcinoma. The study was conducted in Medical College Hospital, from May 2014 to July 2014. It was a descriptive, cross-sectional questionnaire based study. Consent was taken before the distribution of the questionnaire. All doctors were included in the study i.e. Obstetrician/Gynaecologists, Superspecialists, Anaesthetists, Paediatricians, Orthopaedician, Surgeons and Physicians. Forms were distributed among 345 doctors. Out of 345 distributed forms, 208 were returned with a response rate of 60.28%.A total of 208 doctors, (age range 30-58 years) responded to the questionnaire. Amongst them 74 % have been vaccinated and 26 % have not completed the required course of vaccination. The most commonly cited reasons for non-vaccination found in our study were forgetting dosage schedule(43.9%), and never thought of due to busy work pattern. It is seen that most of the young doctors have been vaccinated against HBV and the reason cited by them was as per government norms they had to get vaccinated during their under graduate and post graduate admissions. OG consultants (100%), superspecialists (90%) and anaesthetists (90%) were more likely to have received completed vaccination, 85 % of the paediatricians were completely vaccinated and the complete vaccination status was about 80% among surgeons, orthopaedicians, physicians. Needle stick injury was reported in 44.8 % of the doctors. Needle stick injury reporting was fairly adequate and 88% of doctors were aware of post exposure prophylaxis. Post vaccination antibody testing for anti HBs levels were known only to few doctors(13%). It is mandatory to identify low or non responders(anti Hbs <10mlU/ml) since they are not protected and post exposure prophylaxis should be initiated promptly after needle stick injuries and other exposures. K e y w o r d s

https://www.ijcmas.com/5-8-2016/S. Rajesh2, et al.pdf


A new learning algorithm suitable for pattern classification in machine condition health monitoring based on fuzzy neural networks called an "incremental learning fuzzy neuron network" (ILFN) has been developed. The ILFN, using Gaussian neurons to represent the distributions of the input space, is an online one-pass incremental learning algorithm. The network is a self-organized classifier with the ability to adaptively learn new information without forgetting old knowledge. To prove the concept the simulations have been performed with the vibration data known as Westland vibration data set. Furthermore, the classification performance of the network has been tested on other benchmark data sets, such as Fisher's iris data (1936) and a vowel data set. For the generalization capability, comparison studies among other well-known classifiers were performed and the ILFN was found competitive with or even superior to many existing classifiers. Additionally the ILFN uses far less training time than conventional classifiers.


Abstract
From the supply chain management (SCM) perspective, the low level of information accessibility to rice
commodities availability has been one of the major postharvest distribution-related problems. This issue
potentially cause delay in delivery, product scarcity and eventually financial loss for stakeholders.
Previous studies concerned more with web and mobile applications for distribution of production means
applicable for pre-harvest stage. This study focuses on the development of modest web and mobile SCM
applications for distribution of post-harvest rice commodities. The characteristics of these applications
are capable of addressing problems faced by those involved in such product delivery system.
Web application was designed using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) through Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP) towards a service at Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Mobile application was
designed using Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) to build a smart client loaded onto handphone.
Comparison of system simulation on sofware requirement specification (SRS), use case diagram was
presented in tabular form enabling users for need adjustment.
Output of this research included user interface model and application prototype introduced to client and
user to obtain feedback. The tabular SRS measure using use case showed on average a degree of
appropriateness of 92%. User satisfaction level averaged 4.345 (out of 5) suggesting a good performance
of the designed applications. Utilizing internet and handphone technology, the application models have
fulfilled theoretical requirements and have adequately responded problems relating to the poor
information accessibility in an SCM-based, postharvest rice distribution system, hence are worthy of
being called as a modest web and mobile SCM.
Keywords: information accessibility, application analysis and development, distribution of post-harvest
rice commodities, web-SCM, mobile-SCM


Recently, epigenetic alterations have been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. Kidney podocytes, which are glomerular epithelial cells, are important cells that form a slit membrane—a barrier for proteinuria. Podocytes are terminally differentiated cells without cell division or replenishment abilities. Therefore, podocyte damage is suggested to be one of the key factors determining renal prognosis. Recent studies, including ours, suggest that epigenetic changes in podocytes are associated with chronic kidney disease, including diabetic nephropathy. Furthermore, the association between DNA damage repair and epigenetic changes in diabetic podocytes has been demonstrated. Detection of podocyte DNA damage and epigenetic changes using human samples, such as kidney biopsy and urine-derived cells, may be a promising strategy for estimating kidney damage and renal prognoses in patients with diabetes. Targeting epigenetic podocyte changes and associated DNA damage may become a novel therapeutic strategy for preventing progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and provide a possible prognostic marker in diabetic nephropathy. This review summarizes recent advances regarding epigenetic changes, especially DNA methylation, in podocytes in diabetic nephropathy and addresses detection of these alterations in human samples. Additionally, we focused on DNA damage, which is increased under high-glucose conditions and associated with the generation of epigenetic changes in podocytes. Furthermore, epigenetic memory in diabetes is discussed. Understanding the role of epigenetic changes in podocytes in diabetic nephropathy may be of great importance considering the increasing diabetic nephropathy patient population in an aging society.


In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), up to 30% do not achieve response, 66% do not achieve remission, and 40% experience loss of response to anti-TNFα treatment. In Crohn's disease (CD), fecal calprotectin is the most widely used fecal biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring of disease activity. Fecal sampling and processing are tedious compared to serum sampling, and biomarker quantification in serum is more efficient, convenient, and also more acceptable for patients. Therefore, there is a need for a robust and reliable serum calprotectin biomarker that performs better than conventional serum biomarkers. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of a novel serum calprotectin assay, which quantifies a specific human neutrophil elastase (HNE) generated calprotectin (S100a9) fragment (CPa9-HNE), as a measure of true neutrophil granulocyte activity, for monitoring treatment responses in patients with CD.

 We included 30 CD patients with clinically active (Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI)≥5) luminal inflammation scheduled for anti-TNF treatment (adalimumab or infliximab). Serum samples where obtained at baseline (n=30), week 1 (n=29), week 8 (n=28), week 26 (n=15), and week 56 (n=7). CPa9-HNE (Calprotectin, S100a9, specific fragment generated by human neutrophil elastase), CRP and fecal calprotectin were quantified. Remitters (n=11) were defined as patients in clinical remission (HBI<5) at week 8 with no flares at week 26 or week 56. Non-remitters (n=19) were defined by having clinical active disease (HBI≥5) at week 8 or having a flare at week 26 or week 56.

 Patients with severe disease activity (HBI>16) had significantly elevated serum levels of CPa9-HNE compared with patients in remission (p<0.05), with mild (p<0.05) or moderate (p<0.01) disease activity. CPa9-HNE serum levels were significantly suppressed in remitters compared with non-remitters at week 8 (p<0.001), week 26 (p<0.01) and week 56 (p<0.05) (Figure 1). Fecal calprotectin and CRP were significantly suppressed at week 8, week 26 and week 56 compared with baseline levels for remitters and non-remitters, but there was no significant difference between remitters and non-remitters (Figure 1). Non-remitters were more likely to have high levels of CPa9-HNE at baseline (tertile 1,2 vs tertile 3; OR: 6.8 (CI:1.22-36.5), p=0.027) and week 8 (tertile 1,2 vs tertile 3; OR: 24 (CI:2.56-279), p=0.0014).

 CPa9-HNE is a novel non-invasive biomarker for monitoring treatment response to anti-TNFα for CD patients and may be used as a surrogate marker for assessing disease activity and to predict outcome of anti-TNFα treatment.


Microorganisms depend on their ability to modulate their metabolic composition according to specific circumstances, such as different phases of the growth cycle and circadian rhythms, fluctuations in environmental conditions, as well as experimental perturbations. A thorough understanding of these metabolic adaptations requires the ability to comprehensively identify and quantify the metabolome of bacterial cells in different states. In this review, we present an overview of the diverse metabolomics approaches recently adopted to explore the metabolism of a wide variety of microorganisms. Focusing on a selection of illustrative case studies, we assess the different experimental designs used and explore the major achievements and remaining challenges in the field. We conclude by discussing the important complementary information provided by computational methods such as genome-scale metabolic modeling, which enable an integrated analysis of metabolic state changes in the context of overall cellular physiology.


Abstract. Evaluate the impact of anthropogenic CO 2 uptake and acidification on the most abundant calcareous phytoplankton, coccolithophores, requires a better knowledge of the temporal and spatial evolution of their blooms. Here we determine, from satellite radiance, the seasonal and interannual variability of coccolithophore blooms for 18 years (1998 to 2015) across the North-East Atlantic region covering the Bay of Biscay and the Celtic Sea. The identification of coccolithophores is carried out using a modified version of the fuzzy method developed by Moore (2009) applied to a time series of SeaWiFS (1998–2003) and MODIS (2003–2015) spectral radiance. After identification of the coccolith pixels, the abundance of coccoliths is assessed from a data base of non-algal Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), a product initially developed for estimating the content of mineral particles, mainly due to resuspension effects, in coastal waters. The results, in terms of identification and quantification, are consistent with in situ observations in the area and with those of algorithms addressing coccolithophore blooms at global scale (CALCITE and PHYSAT). Although a regular pattern in the phenology of the blooms is observed, starting south in April in Biscay and moving northwards until July near Ireland, there is a high seasonal and interannual variability in the extent of the blooms. Year 2014 shows very low concentrations of coccoliths from space (twice less than average) and anomalies point out the maximum level for 2001. The cause of the seasonal and interannual variability of the coccolithophores blooms in this Atlantic region remains an open question.


The increasing demand for zinc and a range of zinc-related metals (for example: lead; indium; tin; cadmium; and copper) in the Russian Federation cannot be satisfied by the existing production plants due to the lack of raw materials. At the same time, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy and the chemical industry have accumulated hundreds of millions of tons of zinc wastes (falling into the hazard categories 2 to 4), the processing of which could not only make up the raw material base, but also improve the environmental situation. In the world, over 85% of ferrous dust is recycled using the Waelz process. The Waeltz process is used for distilling separation of elements under reducing conditions. In this study, a block diagram for production of the following elements from industrial wastes is proposed: zinc, cadmium and indium in form of massive metals; zinc and indium in the form of fine powders; and clinker as a raw material for cement production. The technical and scientific details of this new process have been patented in the Russian Federation and abroad. For the first time, the following operations have been implemented with the use of large-sized Waelz kilns: vapour-oxidized Waeltz treatment of polymetallic wastes; recycling of heat from gases and solid products with generation of process fumes; and implementation of alternative flux (dolomite) and alternative fuel (petroleum coke).


This paper reviews the challenges in the design of emerging complex systems-on-a-chip (SoC) at STMicroelectronics, from the perspective of our customers' requirements. We then present an approach to effectively integrate heterogenous parallel components - H/W or S/W - into a homogeneous programming environment. This approach, supported by ST's MultiFlex multi-processing SoC environment, allows for the combination of a range of heterogeneous processing elements, supported by high-level programming models. Two programming models are supported: a distributed system object component (DSOC) message passing model, and a symmetrical multi-processing (SMP) model using shared memory. To illustrate the concepts discussed in this paper, we have applied the MultiFlex technology to the mapping of a high-level MPEG4 video encoder (VGA resolution at 30 frames per second) onto a mixed multi-processor and hardware platform.


Background: Social distancing rules and the closure of services associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have strongly impacted the physical and mental health of people with dementia. Digital technologies can represent an effective means to compensate for the distress associated with social distancing rules and the decreased use of in-person services. More specifically, technologies such as smartphones, tablets, and smart home systems can minimize the negative effects of social distancing and isolation, and the pressure on health and care systems. Indeed, they can provide a continuity of care and social connectedness, while decreasing exposure to risk. However, barriers such as digital literacy and lower income households can impede the access and use of digital technologies. The aim of this international study was to compare the use of technology by people with dementia from different care settings, and their informal carers across four countries (Italy, UK, Australia, and Poland). Methods: People with dementia and informal carers were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Verbatim transcripts were analysed by researchers in each country using inductive thematic analysis. Results: A total of 141 people with dementia and carers (47 in Italy; 50 in the UK; 18 in Australia; 26 in Poland) were interviewed. The analysis identified three overarching themes: 1) different uses of technology (three subthemes); 2) benefits of technology (three subthemes); 3) limitations of technology (three subthemes). Results show that calls, video calls, and group-chats were effectively used across countries to guarantee the continuity of relationships with professionals, families, and small groups of peers. Telemedicine was used with varying levels of satisfaction. Furthermore, the benefits experienced by carers exceeded those for people with dementia. Similar barriers were reported across countries, and were strictly associated with dementia deficits, low level digital literacy, and the need for carer's supervision. Conclusions: These international findings highlight the importance to maximise the benefits related to the use of technology according to people with dementia's impairment and care context. Moreover, it should be complementary to in-person care which should be provided, at least to some extent, even during pandemic times.


In alpha(1)-antitrypsin (alpha1AT) deficiency, a polymerogenic mutant form of the secretory glycoprotein alpha1AT, alpha1ATZ, is retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of liver cells. It is not yet known how this results in liver injury in a subgroup of deficient individuals and how the remainder of deficient individuals escapes liver disease. One possible explanation is that the "susceptible" subgroup is unable to mount the appropriate protective cellular responses. Here we examined the effect of mutant alpha1ATZ on several potential protective signaling pathways by using cell lines with inducible expression of mutant alpha1AT as well as liver from transgenic mice with liver-specific inducible expression of mutant alpha1AT. The results show that ER retention of polymerogenic mutant alpha1ATZ does not result in an unfolded protein response (UPR). The UPR can be induced in the presence of alpha1ATZ by tunicamycin excluding the possibility that the pathway has been disabled. In striking contrast, ER retention of nonpolymerogenic alpha1AT mutants does induce the UPR. These results indicate that the machinery responsible for activation of the UPR can distinguish the physical characteristics of proteins that accumulate in the ER in such a way that it can respond to misfolded but not relatively ordered polymeric structures. Accumulation of mutant alpha1ATZ does activate specific signaling pathways, including caspase-12 in mouse, caspase-4 in human, NFkappaB, and BAP31, a profile that was distinct from that activated by nonpolymerogenic alpha1AT mutants.


Hyperhomocysteinemia in cobalamin and folate deficiency reflects an imbalance between influx and elimination of homocysteine (Hcy) in plasma. We investigated the kinetics of total Hcy (tHcy) in plasma after peroral Hcy administration in 19 volunteers with hyperhomocysteinemia (mean +/- SD: 67.1 +/- 39.5 mumol/L; range: 23.5-142.8 mumol/L) before and after supplementation with cobalamin and/or folate. Vitamin therapy decreased plasma tHcy to 21.8 +/- 14.1 mumol/L (range: 9.6-57.9 mumol/L) but caused only a marginal decline in the area under the curve (AUC) by 8% and plasma half-life by 21%. Using the equations for steady-state kinetics, these data indicate that mean plasma tHcy clearance is normal and that massive export of Hcy from tissues into plasma is the major cause of hyperhomocysteinemia in cobalamin or folate deficiency. However, the spread in AUC and plasma half-life values was large in hyperhomocysteinemia subjects, suggesting marked individual variability in tHcy clearance. Plasma methionine after Hcy loading did not increase before (0.9 +/- 6.8 mumol/L) but increased normally (12.8 +/- 4.6 mumol/L) after vitamin therapy, and the methionine response discriminated between vitamin-deficient and vitamin-replete subjects. In cobalamin- or folate-deficient subjects, only 6.5 +/- 3.0% of the Hcy dose was excreted unchanged in the urine, demonstrating that urinary Hcy excretion does not explain normal tHcy plasma clearance in subjects with impaired Hcy remethylation. Our data suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia in folate and cobalamin deficiency is related to increased influx of Hcy to plasma, and that the methionine synthase function is not an important determinant of elimination of Hcy from plasma. The large interindividual difference in Hcy clearance may be explained by variable adaptation to impaired methionine synthase function through increased Hcy flux through alternate metabolic pathways.


Contents: Preface. C. Warner, Case Study: The Helicopter Wars. F.D. Hale, Response of Newspaper Circulation to Local Economic Changes. G.T. Cameron, B.A. Hollander, G.J. Novak, S.A. Shamp, Assessing the Potential of a Full-Featured Electronic Newspaper for the Young Adult Market. R. Cooper, The Structural Determinants of Television Ratings Share: Network Affiliation, Broadcast Band, Cable Penetration, and Market Concentration. M.D. Bunker, Sexual Harassment and Vicarious Liability of Media Organizations. V.E. Limburg, A Proactive Model for Solving Ethical Dilemmas. P.T. Whalen, B.R. Litman, Short-Circuited Mergers in the Mass Media: Credible and Incredible Evidence. V. Whitehouse, C. Cooper, Should Rape Victims Be Identified in News Stories? L.G. Burkum, How Much Is Ignorance of Libel Law Costing Your Organization? J.E. Mueller, Delivery System Disaster: Circulation Problems of the St. Louis Sun. L. Collette, J.D. Kelly, The Winner of Air Discontent: Preemption of "NYPD Blue" Amid Economic Risk and Audience Reaction to Gatekeeping. M.N. Matthews, Pathway to the Top: How the Top Newspaper Chains Train and Promote Publishers. C. Warner, Compensating Broadcast Salespeople: Some Recommendations. D.A. Ferguson, The Domain of Inquiry for Media Management Researchers.


In this paper, a new and robust image encryption schema based on chaotic system synchroniza-tion and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is proposed. First, a discrete wavlet transfromis used to decompose the image and to decorrelate its pixels into approximation and detailcomponents. Then, a selective image encryption based on chaotic algorithm is applied to encryptonly a subset of data. To recover the original image, the proposed designed synchronization isbased on the use of aggregation techniques and Borne and Gentina practical criterion for stabilitystudy associated to the Benrejeb arrow form matrix for system description. Experimental resultsusing hyperchaotic Henon map demonstate that the proposed cipher own has a good resistanceagainst brute force and statistical attacks. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.itc.45.3.12650


"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it"
- Atticus Finch, "To Kill a Mockingbird." (Harper Lee, 1982: 39)

This remark by Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird" (Lee, 1982) captures the complexity of the human condition, specifically how we can never truly understand a person until we consider how they interpret the world around them, and their place within it. Yet in this thesis, I endeavour to chart the interplay that exists between an individual's linguistic performance in interaction and the psychological drivers that engender such performances. To date there has been little in the way of academic exploration into determining what frameworks of linguistic interaction, such as facework, can inform us about an individual's psychology, specifically the field of Personal Construct Theory (PCT), which would facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of human behaviour. Such interplay relates to how speakers and hearers interpret one another, with each individual processing information in their own unique way and reacting to it according to these intents and motivations. This study aims to investigate the proposed complimentary relationship between linguistic facework, and PCT, to establish a better understanding as to what our linguistic performances inform us about an individual's psychological profile, particularly their motivations and intent. Taking the documentary footage of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, I have constructed a framework which incorporates a complimentary analysis of facework and PCT, to draw conclusions as to what Wuornos' linguistic behaviour tells us about her own personal value constructs and performative intent. This work contributes significantly to both fields of facework and PCT, as it reveals just how multi-layered the concept of performance in interaction is by addressing questions regarding why people choose to use certain linguistic facework strategies over others, by analysing facework within the scope of PCT. This is something that would otherwise be impossible when analysing these frameworks in isolation from one another.


Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is a cutaneous lesion, mostly caused by pseudomonas in immunocompromised patients. Other bacterial and fungal pathogens have also been reported. It can occasionally affect previously healthy children. The cutaneous findings are characterised by small indurated papulovesicles, progressing rapidly to necrotic ulcers with surrounding erythema and a central black eschar. Sites most commonly involved are the buttocks, perineum, limbs and axillae; the face is less commonly involved. We are presenting a rare case of EG in a neutropenic infant who had just completed the induction phase of chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The gangrenous lesion was on the face involving the tip of the nose, which is an uncommon location. Blood and pus cultures grew Stenotrophomonas maltophilia , which is a rare cause of EG. The patient was treated with IV antibiotics (colistin for 14 days) and improved.


Automatically selecting the best performing algorithm for a given dataset or ranking multiple algorithms by their expected performance supports users in developing new machine learning applications. Most approaches for this problem rely on pre-computed dataset meta-features and landmarking performances to capture the salient topology of the datasets and those topologies that the algorithms attend to. Landmarking usually exploits cheap algorithms not necessarily in the pool of candidate algorithms to get inexpensive approximations of the topology. While somewhat indicative, hand-crafted dataset meta-features and landmarks are likely insufficient descriptors, strongly depending on the alignment of the topologies that the landmarks and the candidate algorithms search for. We propose IMFAS, a method to exploit multi-fidelity landmarking information directly from the candidate algorithms in the form of non-parametrically non-myopic meta-learned learning curves via LSTMs in a few-shot setting during testing. Using this mechanism, IMFAS jointly learns the topology of the datasets and the inductive biases of the candidate algorithms, without the need to expensively train them to convergence. Our approach produces informative landmarks, easily enriched by arbitrary meta-features at a low computational cost, capable of producing the desired ranking using cheaper fidelities. We additionally show that IMFAS is able to beat Successive Halving with at most 50% of the fidelity sequence during test time.


Routine screening mammography has increased the incidence of stage I breast cancers. Many more women are being diagnosed with lymph node-negative tumors that are less than or equal to 1 cm in greatest diameter. The National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project recently performed a retrospective analysis of 10,302 women participating in one of five clinical trials, including women with lymph node-negative breast cancer. Of these women, 1259 had tumors less than or equal to 1 cm. The analysis of the women with tumors less than or equal to 1 cm revealed an improved relapse-free survival (RFS) if tamoxifen was given after surgery, compared with surgery alone, for women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors; and for women with ER-negative tumors, RFS was improved by delivering chemotherapy after surgery. The authors suggested that adjuvant systemic therapy should be considered for anyone with an invasive breast cancer, regardless of the size of the tumor. This paper reviews the data presented in that important, historic article, and discusses their conclusions. Also reviewed are the most recent recommendations for treatment of primary breast cancer from the International Consensus Panel that convened at the Seventh International Conference on Adjuvant Therapy of Primary Breast Cancer in St. Gallen, Switzerland. That panel also addressed the issue of adjuvant systemic therapy in women considered to have a minimal or low risk of developing recurrent disease.


With today's rapid advancement in technologies, commercial high tech components are rendered obsolete more frequently. Such components are often parts of long-life products. Hence, technology obsolescence can make design changes for systems expensive and result in high life-cycle costs. Several tools have been developed to support obsolescence management. While these tools provide benefits and serve as focal points for information related to components, these tools are limited in many respects due to data conflicts, incompleteness and inconsistency. Further, the lack of communication between these tools compounds the limitations making the proactive management of obsolescence even more challenging. This paper addresses gaps in existing tools, by providing a framework capable of integrating heterogeneous sources of information and knowledge that are required to resolve and manage obsolescence. This is implemented through an obsolescence resolution ontological model developed using the ontology editor Protege. A reasoning method is used to query obsolescence information and resolution strategies to support decision-making. This paper includes two case studies describing results from the application of the ontological model and method and how these facilitate sharing and exchange of knowledge critical to obsolescence management.


This paper presents the results of an experimental research on the fresh concrete properties, density, compressive and tensile strength of lightweight self-compacting concrete (LWSCC) incorporating oil palm shell (OPS) as coarse aggregates. Three aspects of fresh concrete properties including passing ability, filling ability and segregation resistance of the mixtures have been investigated experimentally and tests were carried out in accordance with the procedures stated in European Federation of National Associations Representing for Concrete (EFNARC) guidelines. LWSCC with OPS as aggregates fulfils the fresh concrete properties requirements of the EFNARC guidelines. In this study, the compressive and tensile strengths have also been compared with granite based self-compacting concrete (SCC). It is observed that OPS based SCC achieved comparable compressive strength with granite based SCC. This research provides basic framework to develop mix design of lightweight self-compacting concrete by using OPS as aggregates. Other properties such as durability and fire resistance of the developed concrete are not considered in the present study and are recommended for future research. The experimental studies show that LWSCC, with the use of OPS as full replacement to normal weight aggregates (NWA), is potentially a sustainable alternative construction material. Its use also provides a cleaner and more beneficial solution in OPS disposal for oil palm industry. This research demonstrated that OPS can be successfully used to develop lightweight self-compacting concrete. This research will benefit the oil palm industry and the environment as a whole.


Fifteen out of the last twenty-five of the world's largest shootings in the last fifty years have taken place in the United States. In 1999, Columbine, Colorado's local high school, was shocked by the loss of 13 lives when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's failed bomb attempt led to mass murder. In 2004, student Seung- Hui Cho murdered 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech and injured 17 others. Later in 2012, James Holmes entered into a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado and murdered 12 individuals, while injuring 54. Most recently in June 2015, Dylann Roof entered into an African American church in Charleston, South Carolina, and motivated by anger and hatred, murdered nine people. Such incidences have sparked debates over the right to own guns in the United States. Parallel to these have been discussions on the relationship between mental illness and violence. There is little recognition, however, that not every mass shooting occurs because the perpetrator is "crazy." An individual being mentally ill does not imply that they are necessarily dangerous. However, labeling mentally ill persons as dangerous has serious negative implications. First it perpetuates the negative stigma towards the mentally ill. Second, labeling mentally ill individuals dangerous has negative implications to the individual's self-concept. In this paper I present a few cases to illustrate how such labeling occurs. Next, I use Ian Hacking's concept of looping effects as a lens to demonstrate how the label of being dangerous might affect individuals with mental illness. I bolster this point by drawing on some studies on mental illness and stigma in psychology literature. Finally, I argue that failure to differentiate between a person who has a mental illness and a person who is dangerous is detrimental to the self-insight of mentally ill persons and to society.


From the Chrysler Six of 1924, to the front-wheel-drive vehicles of the 70s and 80s, to the minivan, Chrysler boasts an impressive list of technological "firsts." But even though the company has catered well to a variety of consumers, it has come to the brink of financial ruin more than once in its seventy-five-year history. How Chrysler achieved monumental success and then managed colossal failure and sharp recovery is explained in Riding the Roller Coaster, a lively, unprecedented look at a major force in the American automobile industry since 1925. Charles Hyde tells the intriguing story behind Chrysler - its products, people, and performance over time - with particular focus on the company's management. He offers a lens through which the reader can view the U.S. auto industry from the perspective of the smallest of the automakers who, along with Ford and General Motors, make up the "Big Three." The book covers Walter P. Chrysler's life and automotive career before 1925, when he founded the Chrysler Corporation, and traces the company's history to 1998, when it merged with Daimler-Benz. Chrysler made a late entrance into the industry in 1925 when it emerged from Chalmers and Maxwell, and further grew when it absorbed Dodge Brothers and American Motors Corporation. The author follows this journey, explaining the company's leadership in automotive engineering, its styling successes and failures, its changing management, and its activities from auto racing to defense production to real estate. Throughout, the colorful personalities of its leaders - including Chrysler himself and Lee Iacocca - emerge as strong forces in the company's development, imparting a risk-taking mentality that gave the company its verve.


Three influencing factors (roasting temperature, roasting time, and metal ratio) which affect the preparation conditions of Mn-Ce catalysts for catalytic wet air oxidation was investigated. A BP artificial neural network model was established, in which the input conditions were selected as roasting temperature, roasting time, and metal ratio, and the output condition was TOC removal of n-butyric. The highest TOC removal was regarded as the optimization aim, along with constraints of each factor's bounds. The model validation results showed that there was only less than 5% of average relative deviation existed between the values of BP model predicted and experimental ones. The determination coefficient between the fitting curve and the Nash-Suttcliffe simulation efficiency coefficient (NSC) were 0.8324 and 0.8116 (>0.80) respectively, indicating the model predicted well. Meanwhile, two-factor and three-factor optimization of Mn-Ce catalyst preparation was executed through genetic algorithms, and the value of TOC removal over catalytic wet air oxidation of n-butyric could increased by more than 10% compared to the experimental one under the optimal reaction conditions.


Collection, conservation and use of chickpea genetic resources are necessary for agricultural development. The efficiency of these activities will depend on the ability to discriminate and to detect the genetic relationships among germplasm. Twenty-three primers of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to examine the genetic diversity among different wild and cultivated chickpea genotypes. The degree of polymorphism was detected by using only three primers: OPA07, OPA20 and OPZ20. Accession-specific RAPD markers and unique band patterns were also found. A dendrogram based on Unweighted Pair Group Method cluster Analysis (UPGMA) was constructed using a similarity matrix derived from the RAPD amplification products generated by using these primers. The results of the DNA analysis showed a considerable variability among Jordanian chickpeas landraces and wild species, which are also confirmed by agronomic and morphologic data. This variability should be conserved, evaluated further, and utilized in the improvement of the chickpea crop.


ABSTRACT The human pathogen enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 colonizes the rectoanal junction (RAJ) in cattle, its natural reservoir. Colonization at the RAJ poses a serious risk for fecal shedding and contamination of the environment. We previously demonstrated that EHEC senses acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) produced by the microbiota in the rumen to activate the gad acid resistance genes necessary for survival through the acidic stomachs in cattle and to repress the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) genes important for colonization of the RAJ, but unnecessary in the rumen. Devoid of AHLs, the RAJ is the prominent site of colonization of EHEC in cattle. To determine if the presence of AHLs in the RAJ could repress colonization at this site, we engineered EHEC to express the Yersinia enterocolitica AHL synthase gene yenI, which constitutively produces AHLs, to mimic a constant exposure of AHLs in the environment. The yenI + EHEC produces oxo-C6-homoserine lactone (oxo-C6-HSL) and had a significant reduction in LEE expression, effector protein secretion, and attaching and effacing (A/E) lesion formation in vitro compared to the wild type (WT). The yenI + EHEC also activated expression of the gad genes. To assess whether AHL production, which decreases LEE expression, would decrease RAJ colonization by EHEC, cattle were challenged at the RAJ with WT or yenI + EHEC. Although the yenI + EHEC colonized the RAJ with efficiency equal to that of the WT, there was a trend for the cattle to shed the WT strain longer than the yenI + EHEC.


There has been a significantly increased interest in building future UMTS systems based on IP (Internet protocol) technologies. The major motivation is to have a common service platform and transport for 3G networks based on IP. This is also reflected in the establishment of the 3G.IP industry group and current 3GPP standardisation activities. This paper presents an overview of this trend and summarises the major technical issues and challenges, with emphasis on migration towards an IP based UMTS system. This paper consists of three parts. It starts with a description of 'all-IP based UMTS networks', including the scope of applying IP technologies and considerations of candidate architectures. An architecture is presented for all-IP based UMTS networks in which a packet multimedia service domain is overlaid on top of UMTS packet switch transport. The second part highlights an overview of the major technical challenges. This covers issues in voice/multimedia services, quality of service, mobility management, legacy system support and transport efficiency including radio efficiency. Finally the paper finishes with a discussion on the realisation and migration from UMTS Release '99 (R'99) network to such an all-IP based UMTS architecture.


Employees using social network sites (SNS) at workplace is a fact. As companies are further embracing social media, how if at all does this practice affect the work dynamics? While privacy has been a hot topic in online social network research in general, there is little work investigating the privacy aspect of this practice at workplace. This paper aims at starting the groundwork towards filling the gap. Based on a review of existing literature in social networks and workplace studies, we hypothesize a number of potential privacy issues in this work practice and suggest future research directions in this area.


Abstract Objective: When 2 vehicles of different sizes collide, the occupants of the smaller vehicle are more likely to be injured than the occupants of the larger vehicle. The larger vehicle is both more protective of its own occupants and more aggressive toward occupants of the other vehicle. However, larger, heavier vehicles tend to be designed in ways that amplify their incompatibility with smaller, lighter vehicles (by having a higher ride height, for example). A 2012 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) concluded that fatalities caused by design incompatibility have decreased in recent years. The current study was conducted to update the 2012 IIHS analysis and to explore trends in vehicle incompatibility over time. Methods: Analyses examined deaths in crashes involving 1- to 4-year-old passenger vehicles from 1989 to 2016 collected from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Trends in driver risk were examined by comparing driver death rates per million registered vehicle years across vehicle type and size. Trends in aggressivity were examined by comparing partner driver death rates across vehicle type and size. Results: Cars and SUVs have continued their trend toward reduced incompatibility. In 1989–1992, SUVs were 132% more likely to kill the driver in a partner car compared with when a car crashed with another car. By 2013–2016, this value had dropped to 28%. Pickups and cars remain just as incompatible in 2013–2016 as they were in 1989–1992, however (159% vs. 158%). Remaining pickup incompatibility may be largely due to excess curb weight rather than to shape or design features, because light pickups were just 23% more likely to kill the driver in a partner car compared with when a car crashed with another car. Conclusions: The trend toward reduced fleet incompatibility has continued in the latest crash data, particularly for cars and SUVs. Although pickup–car incompatibility has also decreased over time, pickups remain disproportionately aggressive toward other vehicles, possibly due to their greater average curb weight. Reducing the weight of some of the heaviest vehicles and making crash avoidance technology fitment more widespread may be promising means to reduce remaining fleet incompatibility. Identifying the source of remaining incompatibility will be important for safety improvements going forward.


In this work, we construct and test an analytical and a semianalytical secular models for two planets locked in a coorbital non-coplanar motion, comparing some results with the case of restricted three body problem.
The analytical average model replicates the numerical N-body integrations, even for moderate eccentricities ($\lesssim$ 0.3) and inclinations ($\lesssim10^\circ$), except for the regions corresponding to quasi-satellite and Lidov-Kozai configurations. Furthermore, this model is also useful in the restricted three body problem, assuming very low mass ratio between the planets. We also describe a four-degree-of-freedom semianalytical model valid for any type of coorbital configuration in a wide range of eccentricities and inclinations.
{Using a N-body integrator, we have found that the phase space of the General Three Body Problem is different to the restricted case for inclined systems, and establish the location of the Lidov-Kozai equilibrium configurations depending on mass ratio. We study the stability of periodic orbits in the inclined systems, and find that apart from the robust configurations $L_4$, $AL_4$, and $QS$ is possible to harbour two Earth-like planets in orbits previously identified as unstable $U$ and also in Euler $L_3$ configurations, with bounded chaos.


This research tested the existence of a moderation role of hope on the effects of optimism and pessimism over proactive coping in a sample survey of 343 subjects. The results showed that optimism explained proactive coping, independent of hope. However, hope appeared to moderate the relationship between pessimism and passive coping, a criterion variable that emerged from the psychometric analysis of the proactive coping measure. Specifically, for individuals low in pessimism, being high or low in hope did not impact coping, but for individuals high in pessimism, having higher levels of hope reduced passive coping. A deeper analysis also indicated that this was particularly due to the moderating role of the pathways dimension of hope. We discuss these results in light of different adaptive strategies of optimists and pessimists and draw implications for psychological research and practice.


Critical infrastructures, such as power grids and transportation systems, are increasingly using open networks for operation. The use of open networks poses many challenges for control systems. The classical design of control systems takes into account modeling uncertainties as well as physical disturbances, providing a multitude of control design methods such as robust control, adaptive control, and stochastic control. With the growing level of integration of control systems with new information technologies, modern control systems face uncertainties not only from the physical world but also from the cybercomponents of the system. The vulnerabilities of the software deployed in the new control system infrastructure will expose the control system to many potential risks and threats from attackers. Exploitation of these vulnerabilities can lead to severe damage as has been reported in various news outlets [1], [2]. More recently, it has been reported in [3] and [4] that a computer worm, Stuxnet, was spread to target Siemens supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems that are configured to control and monitor specific industrial processes.


Cyclin D3 immunohistochemical expression was investigated in normal, reactive, and neoplastic human embryonal and adult tissues. In the fetus, cyclin D3 was expressed in selected developmental phases of a limited number of cell systems. In normal adult tissues, cyclin D3 showed two patterns of distribution: in lymphoid tissues it was expressed in proliferative compartments, while in most other tissues it was expressed by terminally differentiated/quiescent cells. This dual role in proliferation and differentiation was partially conserved in neoplasms. In non‐Hodgkin lymphomas, cyclin D3 immunolabelling was correlated with proliferative activity and progression; a significant exception was seen in cyclin D1‐positive mantle cell lymphomas, which were cyclin D3‐negative. Benign endocrine tumours were frequently strongly cyclin D3‐positive, while high‐grade (small cell) neuroendocrine carcinomas were always negative. In most other epithelial neoplasms, cyclin D3 immunostaining was heterogeneous. In breast carcinomas, no relationship was seen between ER status and MIB1 labelling; cyclins D3 and D1 were frequently expressed in the same tumour, while occasional tumours showed an inverse quantitative relationship between cyclins D1 and D3, and rare tumours were negative for both. In soft tissue neoplasms, cyclin D3 was consistently expressed in some tumours, such as stromal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract and embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas. Our data suggest that cyclin D3 has a dual role in proliferation and differentiation in normal tissues and in some neoplastic conditions; that the cyclin D3 expression pattern is different from cyclin D1, suggesting non‐redundant functions; that cyclin D3 expression is strong in endocrine cells secreting steroid hormones, and in their neoplastic counterparts; and that cyclin D3 deregulation may be of pathogenetic relevance in lymphomagenesis and could be diagnostically useful. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


In today's Internet ridden world e-learning is one of the crucial parts of modern education. This way of learning is surprisingly diverse but shares a predictable common denominator. Technology's transformative power enables learning interactions that might otherwise be impossible for students and teachers alike. Coursera.com is a fast growing MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) provider empowering students and educators, and enables learners to create an interactive platform. In this study, we will discuss the course "Shaping the Way we Teach English" which has brought enthusiasm among passionate English teachers. This paper will highlight how the flexibility of this course paves the way for collaborating with the online and offline teaching and learning community with the experience of digital learning. Furthermore, it also examines how the learners are adapting to the digital platform, the challenges they face, and how they are overcoming the obstacles.


Abstract Reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides can limit negative impacts of agriculture on insects and is a crucial step towards sustainable agriculture. In the United States, organic agriculture has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pollutant runoff, and biodiversity loss in the Midwestern Corn Belt—an area extending over 500,000 km2 devoted to intensive production of corn Zea mays (Linnaeus 1753) (Poales: Poaceae), often in rotation with soy Glycine max (Linnaeus 1753) (Fabales: Fabaceae) or wheat Triticum aestivum (Linnaeus 1753) (Poales: Poaceae).Working in 30-yr-long landscape experiments in this region, we tested for impacts of conventional versus organic agriculture on ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and potential ecosystem services they provide. Organic fields supported higher ant diversity and a slightly more species-rich ant assemblage than conventionally managed fields but did not otherwise differ in community composition. Despite similar community composition, organic and conventional fields differed in seasonal patterns of ant foraging activity and potential for natural pest suppression. Conventional plots experienced higher overall ant foraging activity, but with the timing skewed towards late in the growing season such that 75% of ant foraging occurred after crop harvest in a wheat year and was therefore unavailable for pest suppression. Organic fields, in contrast, experienced moderate levels of ant foraging activity throughout the growing season, with most foraging occurring during crop growth. Organic fields thus supported twice as much pest suppression potential as conventional fields. Our results highlight the importance of timing in mediating ecosystem services in croplands and emphasize the value of managing landscapes for multiple services rather than yield alone.


MR imaging of the brain in a 38-year-old woman with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) showed extensive subcortical and basal ganglia high signal intensity on T2-weighted studies though she was neurologically asymptomatic. High-signal-intensity changes were also seen in the basal ganglia on T1-weighted studies. Proton MR spectroscopy showed increased lactate, an increased choline/creatine ratio, and a decreased N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio. Our observations suggest that patients with MIDD may have subclinical neurologic dysfunction identifiable by proton MR spectroscopy.


Balance and spatial orientation complaints are very frequent in the elderly. The aetiology of these complaints may be related to specific peripheral or central vestibular disorders or to an extravestibular dizziness resulting from impairment or disease in multiple systems. A preliminary diagnostic orientation, permitting the patient to be referred to the most appropriate specialist (otologist, neurologist, consultant in internal medicine, psychiatrist, physical therapist) would be very useful. We examined 163 patients, referred for balance and spatial orientation complaints to the otoneurological outpatient services of 6 university hospital centres in the northern and central Italy, by a detailed questionnaire about characteristics, frequency, duration of any dizziness symptom and by a bedside vestibular examination. The questions were designed to determine whether the patients suffered from true vertigo, considered to be an expression of a vestibular disorder, or of an aspecific dizziness of multifactorial origin. Comparison of the conclusions of the vestibular examination and the diagnostic hypotheses deduced from the clinical history showed a high degree of concordance (Cohen Index 70.5%). To the patient, vertigo and dizziness are synonymous. By asking appropriate questions, a clearer picture should begin to emerge from the patient complaints so that distinction between psychogenic, nonvestibular and vestibular causes can be made. The importance of obtaining a good history cannot be overemphasized. A correct and rigorous approach by the general practitioner could be of great utility both for the health of the patient and for the efficiency of the national health service. The vestibular examination proved that about half the patients (80/163) suffered from vestibular disorders, mainly of peripheral origin (BPV, Menière's disease, vestibular neuritis).


Various approaches to solvent recovery have been studied for the manufacturing process of celecoxib, the active ingredient in Celebrex. A design case study has been performed by Rowan University with Pfizer through a green engineering partnership program. The manufacturing operation at Barceloneta, Puerto Rico was evaluated and several green engineering alternatives for the purification and recovery of isopropanol from waste streams proposed. This separation is complex due to the multiple waste streams generated, with varying compositions of isopropanol, ethanol, methanol, water and dissolved solids. Overall goals were waste minimization and isopropanol recovery and purification. The group performed a conceptual study of distillation, extraction, reactive distillation, adsorption, and membrane-based processes. Through use of computer simulation and literature/design methodologies, traditional methods were shown to be unable to obtain high isopropanol purities with the equipment available. Both molecular sieve adsorption and membrane pervaporation appear to have the most promise to effectively recover and purify isopropanol. Several green design approaches were evaluated using distillation combined with either molecular sieve adsorption or membrane pervaporation. The case study describes equipment and processing issues, and estimates environmental impacts and costs.


To the Editor.— Disulfiram (Antabuse) and warfarin sodium (Coumadin) both act upon, or within, the liver cell. Disulfiram competes with nadide (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) for the active centers of the enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and also decreases the oxygen consumption and the xanthine oxidase, succinoxidase, and catalase activity of liver homogenates. 1 Warfarin inhibits enzyme systems in the liver cells that synthesize prothrombin. 1 A review of the literature reveals only one case report, 2 also from this institution, describing the combined use of these two drugs. A second case of disulfiram's potentiation of warfarin is now reported. Report of a Case.— A 52-year-old man had rheumatic aortic insufficiency dating back at least to 1959. He had severe congestive failure. An aortic valve implant was performed Aug 23, 1966, with marked improvement in his cardiac reserve. Digitalis and warfarin were prescribed for him indefinitely. In July 1970 he developed a period


Human consumption and other natural factors are changing our climate and the world we live in. The changing climate and the increased risk of flooding around the world are among some of today's most urgent social issues. There are many resources and technology available to assist in damage reduction and minimizing consequences related to this natural phenomenon. This is possible because the development of information technology has expanded into many branches of human life. This article describes the development of a knowledge system created to assist in limiting cases of natural disasters. Our goal is to design and create a system to be used by either professional and non-professional organizations, or individuals, as a tool for exchanging knowledge. Our Disaster Prevention system (DIP) combines data mining and the analysis of past events to predict future natural disasters. We apply the Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) method. The principle of this method is based on collecting data (knowledge, experiences, etc.) and then applying this information to achieve new solutions. Tests have shown that by using information about past events, it is possible to determine future patterns of nature (e.g. weather conditions on specific land surfaces). These patterns can be used for describing the risk of future natural disasters and enables us to deduce the threat imposed by them. Analyzing this data and creating new solutions may assist in the fight to minimize damage incurred by these disasters.


In this study, a survey containing 28 questions concerning general information about the healthcare services, waste collection, training, waste quantities, storage and general evaluation was applied to 311 healthcare services. The response rate was 82%, which was considered acceptable for the evaluation of the results. The separate collection of medical waste and sharps was completely achieved in all of the healthcare services participating in the survey and 82.6% of the healthcare services used containers for separate collection of medical waste. Only 5% of the containers used for waste collection and temporary storage were inappropriate for collecting medical waste. Almost 33% of healthcare services organized courses monthly, 40% quarterly and 20% at least twice a year. A total of 88% of the hospitals have temporary storage depots for medical waste and all of these depots complied with the Medical Waste Control Regulation. The results of this study showed that the medical waste generation rate was 2.35 kg bed-1 day-1. The amount of liquid waste and sharps was determined for the first time in Turkey. The rate of separate collection for recyclables increased to 94%, having been 83% in 2006. The results indicate that in the period 2006—2009, the healthcare services conformed completely to the Medical Waste Control Regulation as it applied. Any deficiencies observed will be satisfied by precautionary actions that will be taken by hospital managers and local administrations.


Aims. To obtain diagnostics tools for solar flare current sheets, we numerically studied impulsively generated magnetoacoustic waves in the Harris current sheet. Methods. We used two-dimensional (2-D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and wave dispersion models. Tests of these models were performed for waves in the density slab, where analytical solutions are known. In the MHD model, we solved the full set of ideal MHD equations by means of the modified two-step Lax-Wendroff algorithm. The initial perturbation was chosen to generate preferentially the fast sausage magnetoacoustic waves. To determine the dispersion characteristics of MHD waves in the Harris current sheet, we numerically solved the equation of plasma motions by means of the Runge-Kutta fourth order method together with the bisection iteration one. To establish some diagnostics of these waves and their corresponding flare current sheets, we used the wavelet analysis method. Results. We find that the results of tests of our 2-D MHD and wave dispersion models for the density slab are in good agreement with analytical results. We analyze the magnetoacoustic waves in the current sheet and compare them with those in the density slab. In both cases, for similar geometrical and plasma parameters, we find that wave trains were generated and propagated in a similar way. Their signals registered at selected locations of the Harris current sheet and density slab are also similar. Nevertheless, a dependence of the period of the magnetoacoustic waves on the width of the Harris current sheet differs from that for the density slab. The form of the wave front inside the current sheet similarly differs from that in the density slab. We find that the wavelet spectra of the signals of incoming magnetoacoustic waves at selected locations in the current sheet have the form of wavelet tadpoles. We distinguish that the form of these wavelet tadpoles becomes longer and the heads of the wavelet tadpoles are detected later in time as the distance of the detection point from that of the initial wave perturbation increases. We also find that the wavelet tadpole period depends on the plasma beta parameter. The results are discussed from the point of view of their use as diagnostics of the flare current sheets or flare loops.


The construction safety supervision errors can lead to unsafe behavior; further affect the working conditions of workers and result in accidents at last. The probabilities of data are provided by statistical analysis between the different types of neighborhood-level factors by the independence of the chi-square test. The relationship analysis of the independence between the behavioral factors has been performed in order to find the non-independent factors. Among the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), the impact of the high-level factors on the bottom level is determined. Based on the data, the work path of various factors in the HFACS frame is confirmed and it can be a reference for the development of the preventive measures.


We present an efficient algorithm for technology mapping of domino logic to a parameterized library. The algorithm is optimal for mapping trees consisting of two-input AND/OR nodes, and has a computation time that is polynomial in terms of constraint size. The mapping method is then extended to DAG covering that permits the implicit duplication of logic nodes. Our synthesis procedure maps the complementary logic cones independently when AND/OR logic is to be implemented, and together using dual-monotonic gates in the case of XOR/XNOR logic. The mapping procedure solves the output phase assignment problem as a preprocessing step. Based on a key observation that the output phase assignment could reduce the implementation cost due to the possible large cost difference between two polarities, a 0--1 integer linear programming formulation was designed to minimize the implementation cost. Our experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed techniques.


Some possible scenarios of Polish agri-food trade development until 2015 were presented in the paper. Global Trade Analysis Project (GtaP), the computable general equilibrium model was used in the research. Simulation-based analysis was carried out in four variants differing in the level of the reduction of customs tariffs and referring respectively to: the position of the european commission of 28 october 2005, motions of G-20 countries and the United States of america as well as the case, when the liberalisation of agricultural trade does not progress. it was shown that the increase of liberalisation tendencies in the world agricultural trade may lead to the decrease of export value and the increase of the value of agri-food import to/from Poland, and in consequence to the deterioration of the trade balance value. But it needs to be stressed that by 2015 it probably will not pose any significant threat to the positive foreign turnover balance in the Polish agri-food sector.


Obesity today, is a major public health problem across the world. The rapid increase in the incidence of obesity and associated co-morbidities presents a major challenge to health care globally. Insulin resistance is commonly associated with obesity and other life style diseases. However, much uncertainty remains about the mechanism regarding the association between insulin resistance and human disease mainly because of the difficulties of defining insulin resistance in clinical terms and of quantifying insulin action in humans. This review looks at the available literature concerning the link between obesity and insulin resistance and discusses the various approaches of their management.


Objectives: Protein digestion generates many peptides in the gut lumen. Some of these peptides possess biological effects when tested using in vitro systems. It is clear that dipeptides and tripeptides can be absorbed intact from the gastrointestinal tract. However, the fate of larger peptides and small proteins remains unclear. Equally unclear are the biologic potencies of absorbed peptides and the quantity of peptide that must be administered into the gut to produce a biologic effect. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of amino acid chain length on the ability of enterally administered peptides to produce biologic effects. Methods: Small bowel feeding tubes, jugular catheters, and arterial lines were placed into adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were administered intravenous (50 μg) and enteral (125 and 500 μg) thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH, a tripeptide), intravenous (100 μg) and enteral (100 and 500 μg) luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH, a decapeptide), and intravenous (0.5 mg) and enteral (0.5 and 25 mg) insulin (a 51-amino acid polypeptide). The quantity of peptide administered represented less than 0.5% of a rat's normal daily protein intake. The biologic effect of TRH, LHRH, and insulin were assessed using thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) response, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) response, and glucose. We also measured serum levels of insulin in the rats following enteral insulin administration. Results: The results indicate that enteral TRH (125 and 500 μg) produced the same TSH response as intravenous TRH. The response to 500 μg enteral LHRH was 50% of the response to intravenous LHRH and the response to 25 mg enteral insulin was 30% of the response to 0.5 mg intravenous insulin. Serum insulin levels increased significantly following both 0.5 and 25 mg enteral insulin. Conclusions: These results support the concept that small (di- and tripeptides) and large (10–51 amino acids) peptides generated in the diet can be absorbed intact through the intestines and produce biologic effects at the tissue level. The potency of the enterally administered peptides decreases as the chain length increases. We postulate that absorbed dietary peptides play a role in the modulation of organ function and disease progression.


Families living in rural areas who do not have access to the national grid may have to travel long distances and wait long times for their batteries to be recharged at commercial centers. Practical action has developed reliable and cost effective wind energy systems for charging batteries to help meet the electrical energy needs of these people. Small scale wind energy generators also have the potential to stimulate village level charging enterprises for either community or private use. Therefore practical action aims to develop and promote local industries capable of manufacturing and maintaining the generators. Modern wind energy systems consist of three basic components: a tower on which the wind turbine is mounted; a rotor that is turned by the wind; and the nacelle, which houses the equipment, including the generator, that converts the mechanical energy in the spinning rotor into electricity. The tower supporting the rotor and generator must be strong. Rotor blades need to be light and strong in order to be aerodynamically efficient and to withstand prolonged use in high winds. In this a high way wind turbine is designed and modeled using CREO parametric.


Optimized undercut ridge long-wavelength vertical-cavity surface-emitting semiconductor lasers (LW-VCSEL's) are investigated and the influence of thermal effects on the light versus current characteristics is analyzed by thermal-electric, optical, and electronic modeling. The model includes nonuniform current injection, carrier diffusion, stimulated emission, distributed heat sources, and active material band structure calculations. Device parameters such as thermal resistance, threshold current, and external quantum efficiency are evaluated, in an attempt to provide an understanding of the current-funneling mechanism and the thermal limitations of such devices. Simulated power versus current characteristics exhibit the typical thermal roll-over in CW operation.


Innumerable descriptions about variations in the pattern of extensor tendons are recorded in the literature. The dorsum of the hand in an adult male cadaver revealed an unusual pattern of extensor arrangement during a gross anatomical practical session. The extensor digitorum, extensor indicis and extensor digiti minimi tendons displayed a variant pattern. Extensor digitorum contributed tendons only to the middle and ring fingers, with junctura tendinum present between the extensor digitorum for the ring finger and extensor digiti minimi. Interestingly, an accessory muscle was observed arising from the common extensor origin passing to the index finger, in addition to the usual extensor indicis. The origin and insertion of extensor digiti minimi was as usual with an accessory slip contributed from the extensor carpi ulnaris to the proximal phalanx of the fifth finger. The plethora of variations in this region is of paramount importance for the reconstructive surgeon, who may utilize the accessory tendons to restore functional capacity of the fingers.


The paper introduces a widely used atmospheric absorption models: MPM by Liebe in 1989. Using this absorption model, the paper simulates the temperature and humidity weighting functions and brightness temperature according to the different frequencies and bandwidth of the multi-channel ground-based microwave radiometer. The results show that simulated brightness temperatures are very well agreement with the observation values with an acceptable root mean square error. This paper uses widely used retrieval method of artificial neural network to obtain the water vapor density profiles and calculates the root mean square error of each dataset. Also, to improve the accuracy of retrievals, this paper adopts multi-layers neural network which has two hidden layers. The results show that the retrievals of water vapor density profiles based on ground-based microwave radiometer are agreement with the water vapor density profile which is observed by radiosonde. Grant Nos. GYHY200906035 China Meteorological Administration nonprofit sector (meteorology) special research


Flow cytometric DNA analysis using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues were performed on nine cases of African endemic-type Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Histologically, these cases were classified into the following three types; granulation tissuelike (one case), angioma/angiosarcoma-like (four cases) and spindle cell (four cases). Although these three types showed a variety of cellularity and cellular atypism, there were no fundamental differences in the view point of proliferation of spindle cell. Mitotic figures were not prominent. All cases were exclusively diploid and lacked an aneuploid population by flow cytometric measurement of DNA content. These results suggest that African endemic-type KS is a less aggressive disease rather than a malignant neoplasm.


This is a brief summary of experiences from Finland related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevention research. The first signals that AD may have vascular modifiable risk factors came from studies on cardiovascular conditions and diabetes. Cardiovascular prevention projects such as North Karelia Project and WHO-MONICA in the 1970-1980 s were focused on younger populations, which led to the idea of looking for risk factors as far back as middle age. Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) is one of the few studies in the world focusing on late-life cognition with a large and representative population-based cohort, baseline examination at midlife, and follow-up time up to three decades. Since 1998, it has identified several modifiable risk factors for cognitive impairment/dementia, and produced the first risk score for estimating dementia risk based on midlife profiles. The CAIDE Dementia Risk Score has been used to select participants in the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to prevent cognitive impairment and disability (FINGER). FINGER is an ongoing multicenter RCT involving 1,200 participants aged 60-77 years, and testing the effects of a two-year multi-domain intervention targeting several risk factors simultaneously. It started in September 2009 and will be completed at the end of 2013. The FINGER study is at the forefront of international collaborative efforts to solve the clinical and public health problems of early identification of individuals at increased risk of late-life cognitive impairment, and of developing intervention strategies to prevent or delay the onset of cognitive impairment and dementia.


The discharge of muscle spindle afferents from monkey spindle afferents from monkey jaw-closing muscles was studied during mastication of natural foods by extracellular recording from the fibers or cell bodies of the tract and mesencephalic nucleus of the fifth nerve. In all, 39 muscle afferents were studied. The spindle associated with 18 of the afferents was positively identified by the afferent's response to gentle, localized palpation of either the temporalis or masseter muscle. Discharge patterns were observed during mastication, and in the majority of cases the qualitative passive response characteristics of the spindle afferent were determined. During steady chewing spindle afferent discharge typically paused briefly during the initial rapid upward part of the chewing cycle. Firing generally began as the jaw slowed its upward movement, and firing rates during the slow grinding portion of the upward movement were within the range of 50-80 spikes/s. All spindles exhibited a brisk discharge during the opening movement, typically within the range of 100-150 spikes/s. One-third of the spindle afferents exhibited a brief, high-frequency burst of firing at the very beginning of the opening movement, presumably as a result of stretch applied to a spindle just previously subjects to fusimotor excitation. Although the results of the study make it clear that spindles in jaw-closing muscles are coactived along with the extrafusal muscle fibers, the fusimotor bias does not seem capable of sustaining discharge in the face of rapid shortening of the muscle. Furthermore, the fact that discharge rate during opening, when the jaw-closing motoneurons are quiescent, is much higher than at any part of the closing cycle, when the motoneurons are active, suggests that the muscle spindles cannot provide the primary excitatory drive to the motoneurons.


Incorrect inflation pressures in tyres affects the vehicle handling, passenger comfort and braking conditions in addition to causing a reduction in fuel efficiency and tyre life. To address this problem, mathematical models have been produced and an experimental validation has been carried out. The models were developed with 7-DOF, for a full car system, using MATLAB programs. In the simulation study, the suspension faults have been considered by running the models with a range of inflation pressures at four conditions i.e. at standard pressure (2.3bar) and 1.5bar on the passenger wheel, driver wheel and front wheels. In each case, an analysis was carried out on the performances of the suspension in terms of ride comfort, road handling and stability of the vehicle followed by the presentation of the results obtained. In addition, the influence of parameter variations on transfer functions as a fault detection of suspension has been introduced. This approach has been used when detecting faults of vehicle tyres being under-inflated 35% and also to detect other suspension faults in the future.