The paper proposes a new technique for blind source separation (BSS) in the subband domain using an extended lapped transform (ELT) decomposition for nonstationary, convolutively mixed signals. As identified by S. Araki et al. (see Proc. 4th Int. Symp. on Independent Component Analysis and Blind Signal Separation - ICA2003, p.499-504, 2003), the motivation for subband-based BSS is the drawback of frequency domain BSS when dealing with separating mixed speech signals over a few seconds resulting in few samples in individual frequency bins leading to poor separation performance. In the proposed approach, mixed signals are decomposed into subband components by an ELT and within each subband a time domain Newton BSS algorithm is employed based on the nonstationarity property of the input signals and the joint diagonalization of output correlation matrices with time varying second order statistics (SOS). This subband version is compared to a fullband version using the same BSS algorithm.


The exponential growth in wireless network faults, vulnerabilities, and attacks make the wireless local area network (WLAN) security management a challenging research area. Newer network cards implemented more security measures according to the IEEE recommendations [14]; but the wireless network is still vulnerable to denial of service attacks or to other traditional attacks due to existing wide deployment of network cards with well-known security vulnerabilities. The effectiveness of a wireless intrusion detection system (WIDS) relies on updating its security rules; many current WIDSs use static security rule settings based on expert knowledge. However, updating those security rules can be time-consuming and expensive. In this paper, we present a novel approach based on multi-channel monitoring and anomaly analysis of station localization, packet analysis, and state tracking to detect wireless attacks; we use adaptive machine learning and genetic search to dynamically set optimal anomaly thresholds and select the proper set of features necessary to efficiently detect network attacks. We present a self-protection system that has the following salient features: monitor the wireless network, generate network features, track wireless network state machine violations, generate wireless flow keys (WFK), and use the dynamically updated anomaly and misuse rules to detect complex known and unknown wireless attacks. To quantify the attack impact, we use the abnormality distance from the trained norm and multivariate analysis to correlate multiple selected features contributing to the final decision. We validate our wireless self protection system (WSPS) approach by experimenting with more than 20 different types of wireless attacks. Our experimental results show that the WSPS approach can protect from wireless network attacks with a false positive rate of 0.1209% and more than 99% detection rate.


The WHO introduced MDT for the treatment of leprosy in 1982 because dapsone monotherapy was life long and resistant. "The objective of this study was to determine the impact of MDT on leprosy control and its epidemiology in Mbingo leprosarium'. Patients who attended the Mbingo leprosarium from 1961 to 1998 were identified through a thorough manual review of hospital records in 2002. A structured data collection form containing information on sex, age, type of disease, province of origin, date of admission and whether it was a new case, transferred, relapsed, readmission, discharged, absconded or defaulted. Patients with incomplete data Were dropped from the investigation. The review was carried out before and after the introduction of MDT in 1982. 1045 case files comprised of 271 for the period 1961 to 1967 and 774 for 1982 to 1998 were reviewed. The epidemiological trend of leprosy showed peak values in 1964,1984,1986 and 1991 and a decrease in 1967, 1982 and 1998. In the pre-MDT period, admissions increased from 4(0.4%) in 1961 to 70 (10.9%) in 1964and decreased to zero in 1982. Since MDT implementation, admissions increased to 39 (6.1 %) in 1986 and a continuous gradual drop till 1998. Immediately after MDT) T implementation many patients were cleared from the registers with peak values in 1984, 1986, 1991 and 1993. 283 (27.1%) new admissions, 60 (5.7%) transfers, 10 (1.0%) readmissions, 20 (1.9%) relapses, 15 (1.4%) defaulters, 14 (1.3%) deaths and 373 (35.7%)fdischarges were reported from 1992 to 1998.


The African continent has various resources to create electrical power but chief among them is the ability to generate hydropower from its rivers. However great distances involved, long transmission systems can be erected in order to bring light and power everywhere it is needed and to give regional economies a boots. Most of the region's big rivers already generate electricity and have a potential to generate more power which can be transmitted in bulk anywhere. Due to their geographical positions, the Congo River and its tributaries possess a huge hydropower potential, with about 40% concentrated at the Inga site. The big advantage of the Congo River is that it crosses the equator twice collecting water from rain in different parts of the country. The lives of the people in the African continent will surely improve once this huge hydropower potential is harnessed to generate clean, cheap and renewable power.


The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of psychopathy on antigay aggression. Participants were 84 heterosexual men who competed in an aggression paradigm in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a randomly determined fictitious opponent (heterosexual male, gay male) during a competitive reaction time task. Aggression was operationalized as shock intensities administered to the opponent. Prior to the task, all participants completed measures of psychopathy, sexual prejudice, and state anger; viewed a male-male erotic video; and reported state anger a second time. After controlling for sexual prejudice, analyses revealed that psychopathy significantly predicted aggression toward the gay, but not the heterosexual, male confederate. Psychopathy was not associated with increases in anger in response to the erotic video. These findings indicate that psychopathy is a significant marker for antigay violence, though anger experienced in response to homosexuality does not seem to underlie this association.


Objective : Patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to P450 oxidoreductase (POR) deficiency (ORD) present with disordered sex development and glucocorticoid deficiency. This is due to disruption of electron transfer from mutant POR to microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes that play a key role in glucocorticoid and sex steroid synthesis. POR also transfers electrons to all major drug-metabolizing CYP enzymes, including CYP3A4 that inactivates glucocorticoid and oestrogens. However, whether ORD results in impairment of in vivo drug metabolism has never been studied. Design : We studied an adult patient with ORD due to homozygous POR A287P, the most frequent POR mutation in Caucasians, and her clinically unaffected, heterozygous mother. The patient had received standard dose oestrogen replacement from 17 until 37 years of age when it was stopped after she developed breast cancer. Methods : Both subjects underwent in vivo cocktail phenotyping comprising the oral administration of caffeine, tolbutamide, omeprazole, dextromethorphan hydrobromide and midazolam to assess the five major drug-metabolizing CYP enzymes. We also performed genotyping for variant CYP alleles known to affect drug metabolism. Results : Though CYP enzyme genotyping predicted normal or high enzymatic activities in both subjects, in vivo assessment showed subnormal activities of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 in the patient and of CYP1A2 and CYP2C9 in her mother. Conclusions : Our results provide in vivo evidence for an important role of POR in regulating drug metabolism and detoxification. In patients with ORD, in vivo assessment of drug-metabolizing activities with subsequent tailoring of drug therapy and steroid replacement should be considered.


In a rosette assay, 63 patients with recent-onset type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus had a higher (P < .001) number of lymphocytes adhering to rat insulinoma RINm5F cells (diabetic rosettes) than 153 healthy control (background rosettes) or 20 nondiabetic subjects with other organ-specific autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, lymphocytes from diabetic patients displayed a highly correlated (r = .97, P < .001) binding on two different xenogeneic β-cell lines (RIN and hamster insulinoma HIT cells). This phenomenon was not found on a panel of seven non β-cell lines (e.g., exocrine pancreatic cells, endocrine cells). By increasing lymphocyte-to-RIN ratios (0.25:1 to 30:1), the supernumerary RIN-adherent lymphocytes from diabetic patients, expressed as the percentage of lymphocytes involved in conjugates, were only detectable at lower ratios (0.25:1 to 4:1), and their binding efficiency was two times higher than that of control lymphocytes. This efficiency fell at higher ratios (>4:1) to the level of background rosettes that remained constant through the ratio scale. This specific RIN-rosette formation was abrogated when lymphocytes from diabetic patients were preabsorbed on β-cells (either HIT or RIN) but not on non-β-cells, whereas preabsorption of control lymphocytes did not modify the number of background rosettes. In addition, diabetic rosettes, but not background rosettes, were inhibited by competition with RIN membrane extracts but not by non-β-cell extracts. Moreover, diabetic rosettes were inhibited during blocking experiments with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) but not with unrelated MoAbs. Finally, diabetic rosettes were abolished after depletion of CD3+ or CD4+ cells but remained after elimination of CD8+ or CD16+ cells. Enrichment experiments confirmed the implication of CD3+/CD4+ cells but not of B-lymphocytes. Thus, CD3+/CD4+ cells from diabetic patients specifically recognize xenogeneic β-cell membrane antigens. This reinforces our hypothesis that diabetic rosettes are markers of cellular immunity in type I diabetes.


In this paper the assembly of micro-optic components using image processing is introduced. An automated positioning process for laser resonators, which is handled manually until now, is implemented in a prototypical scale. For this work a cartesian precision-robot is used in combination with an image processing system including two cameras with different resolutions and perspectives. The components to be positioned are presented orderless on a pallet and have to be detected, gripped and aligned with an edge after calculating position and angle correction values. With a camera that is mounted vertically on the Z-axis of the robot the position of the components on the pallet is detected. Although vacuum grippers are typically not able to centre components one has to be used in this process as the effecting surface on the sides of the laser resonators may not be touched. To correct the errors that were caused by the suction of the vacuum gripper a second image processing is used to get values for a correction of position and angle. These images are taken with the help of a mirror that is positioned in an angle of 45°. With this mirror a horizontal mounted camera can take pictures of the gripper holding the laser resonator from underneath. Very good results could be achieved during an experimental evaluation, caused by the second image processing in particular. The results showed that it is possible to get a position error of only a few micrometers. In the whole process primarily the lighting system was identified as the critical factor.


This is the first comprehensive serological analysis of a haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) outbreak. A wide range of 'O' group Escherichia coli antibody responses in patients and controls was examined. The study provides a unique insight into the epidemiology of such epidemics, points a way to the most appropriate investigation of these and indicates possible answers to a number of issues related to severity of disease. In order to be able to test for a wide variety of E. coli 'O' antigens, a microagglutination assay was used to examine E. coli 'O' group serological responses of 22 children admitted to hospital with HUS and 14 contemporaneous age-matched controls. A total of 51 'O' serogroup strains were used. These included 'O' groups reported to be associated with cases of HUS, with 6 isolates from patients associated with the Adelaide outbreak (O26, O111, O123 and O157), environmental Verocytotoxigenic/Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (VTEC/STEC) strains and common human commensal strains. Sixteen clinically confirmed HUS cases (72.7%) of 22 seroconverted to 1 or more serogroups of which 11 (50%) seroconverted to O111 (the serogroup isolated from 16 patients). In addition, 11 (50%) and 10 (45.5%) developed antibody to O137 and O145, respectively, although no stool isolates of these serogroups were made. Seventeen (77.3%) of 22 HUS patients had antibody to serogroup O157, with 11 (50%) seroconversions, however, O157:H- was isolated from only 2 of these. Overall, titres ranged from 100 to 6400, some of the highest in 3 patients were against O157, whose faeces yielded only Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O111, and only 1 developed O111 antibody. Mixed infection was demonstrated serologically by microagglutination (confirmed by Western blot) and was consistent with the findings of multiple serogroups of VTEC found in the mettwurst incriminated as the source, and suggests further strains (not found in the source or in patients' faeces) were probably also involved. In HUS associated with EHEC infection, multiple strain infection may be the rule rather than the exception. A relationship with clinical severity deserves further investigation. Non-O157 EHEC (in addition to O157) should be sought in all future outbreaks of EHEC disease.


This brief presents a 5-Gb/s adaptive equalizer that compensates for the PCI Express channel loss of 14 dB at 2.5 GHz. This equalizing filter uses low-voltage zero generators (LVZGs) to generate high-frequency gain boosting without inductors. The spectrum-balancing technique eliminates the need for a slicer. The power detector combines current steering techniques and a preamplifier circuit to enhance the voltage swing. This design consumes 17.6 mW (excluding the output buffers) at a 1.6-V supply voltage with an output swing of 560 mV (p-p). The area occupied is 0.1 (including output buffers), and the output peak-to-peak jitter is 0.28 UI. The equalizer achieves high-frequency compensation, small area, and low power consumption.


AMG 579 (1) is a potent and selective phosphodiesterase 10 (PDE10A) inhibitor selected for clinical development for the treatment of schizophrenia. Extensive polymorph and salt screening identified two free-base anhydrous polymorphs (Form 1 and Form 2) that are viable for further development. Crystal structures of these two polymorphs were determined by single-crystal X-ray study. Form 1 and Form 2 are enantiotropically related with the transition temperature between 190 and 210 °C. After full characterization, quality attributes were evaluated, and Form 2, the thermodynamically more stable form at room temperature, was selected for clinical development. A crystallization process for Form 2 was developed, and in situ Raman spectroscopy was used as a PAT tool to monitor and control the physical form. Use of this integrated control strategy allowed access to multikilogram quantities of AMG 579 in the desired form.


The synthesis of different diazonium salts derived from homo- and heterocyclic aromatic amines bearing anionic residues is described. The chemical stabilities of these compounds were established at different pH's, and the compounds were tested accordingly in binding experiments for the rat brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, for which they could ultimately be used as irreversible affinity or photoaffinity probes. The aromatic heterocyclic series studied were 2-aminoimidazole, 2-aminothiazole, and 4-aminopyridine N-oxide. The derived diazonium salts are unstable compounds at neutral pH unless they are able to be deprotonated to the corresponding diazo form. As such, the 2-diazoimidazole-4(5)-acetic acid (3b) is stable in neutral medium and recognizes the GABA receptor (IC50 = 70 microM). The homocyclic aromatic diazonium salts showed sufficient stability to be tested in binding experiments. The diazonium salts derived from m-sulfanilic acid and 8-sulfonaphthylamine were the most interesting (10b, IC50 = 10 microM; 15b, IC50 less than 100 microM). In this series, the compounds that deprotonate at neutral pH (hydroxybenzenediazonium derivatives 12b-14b) showed increased chemical stability but decreased affinity for the GABA receptor. This difference between the diazoimidazole and the diazohydroxybenzene series is attributed to a different charge distribution between the two series. The ligands 3b, 10b, and 15b can be used as potential irreversible probes for the GABA receptor.


The electrooxidative behavior and determination of zolmitriptan at a boron-doped diamond electrode were investigated using cyclic, linear sweep, differential pulse and square wave voltammetric techniques. Zolmitriptan undergoes irreversible oxidation at a peak potential of about +0.9 V (vs Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl). DPV and SWV techniques are proposed for the determination of zolmitriptan in phosphate buffer at pH 3.03, which allows quantitation over the two different ranges (8 x 10(-7) - 8 x 10(-6) M and 1 x 10(-5) - 1 x 10(-4) M) in supporting electrolyte for both methods. A linear response was obtained in phosphate buffer over two different ranges (6 x 10(-7) - 8 x 10(-6) M and 1 x 10(-5) - 1 x 10(-4) M) for spiked serum samples at pH 3.03 for both techniques. The repeatability and reproducibility of the methods for all media were determined. The standard addition method was used in serum. Precision and accuracy were also checked in all media. No electroactive interferences from the excipients and endegenous substances were found in the pharmaceutical dosage form and the biological sample, respectively.


The optimal research and development of green technology taxes (subsidies) is analyzed in a three-stage game model
of an international Cournot duopoly. The governments simultaneously determine the environmental policies in the first stage. In the second stage, the firms simultaneously determine the green technology levels and set the output in the third stage. One firm exists in a home country and one firm exists in a foreign country that produce homogenous goods and export to the third-market country. By assuming that the green technology involves cost-increasing research and development (R&D), the present study finds that green technology is not overused to minimize the total production costs.


Purpose: This study investigates the effect of corporate governance on financial performance by taking into account the mediating effect of earnings management. Design: By using a structural equation modeling and partial least squares approach and a sample of listed banks in Indonesia observed between 2010 and 2015, this research proves that good corporate governance has a significant effect on earnings management and, in turn, that earnings management has an adverse impact on a company's financial performance. Findings: An increase in managerial and institutional ownership leads to a decrease in earnings management, which can improve a company's financial performance. Originality: This research shows that by applying good corporate governance mechanisms, a company can avoid agency conflicts, minimize earnings manipulation by managers, and obtain reliable company performance valuations. 4


The identification and quantitation of the main psychoactive component of Salvia divinorum (salvinorin A) in biological specimens are crucial in forensic and clinical toxicology. Despite all the efforts made, its uncontrolled abuse has increased quickly, exposing its users' health to serious risks both in the short and long term. The use of alternative biological matrices in toxicological analyzes can be advantageous as complementary postmortem samples, or in situations when neither blood nor urine can be collected; they may be useful tools in those determinations, providing important information about prior exposure. The aim of this article is to present a brief summary of legal aspects of Salvia divinorum and salvinorin A, including the methods used for the determination of the latter in biological matrices.


Cultivation of vegetable crops on rockwool medium under controlled conditions requires the use of completely soluble forms of fertilizers for preparing nutrient solution. In order to prevent immobilization of metal microelements, especially Fe, they are often used in chelated forms. The low biodegradability of currently popular chelating agents may lead to contamination of the environment by these compounds. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether it is necessary to use chelated forms of Cu and Mn. Another objective was to assess the applicability of two chelating agents of iron in cultivation of tomato on rockwool slabs. Mineral forms of manganese (MnSO 4 H 2 O) and copper (CuSO 4 5H 2 O) were compared with EDTA+DTPA chelate forms of these nutrients. In the case of Fe, the suitability of EDTA and DTPA as the chelating agents was evaluated, taking into account the crop yield as well as nutritional status of tomatoes in different stages of growth. The results of our greenhouse trials proved that application of chelate forms of Cu and Mn did not alter the total yield of tomato fruits but accelerated fruit maturation, so that early tomato yield was higher than in response to mineral forms of these nutrients. Plants supplied with Cu and Mn chelates contained higher amounts of these nutrients in index parts of tomatoes analysed from May to August in one-month intervals. The use of DTPA and EDTA as chelating agents was just as productive in terms of tomato fruit yield. However, the DTPA chelate contributed to better plant nutrition with Fe, as well as Cu and Mn.


The usual suspects of middle power internationalism—small and middle powers such as Canada, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden—have all contributed to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA). This article argues that while these and other Western countries' contributions to MINUSMA may still be characterized as investments into UN peacekeeping reform and a rule-governed world order, the liberal underpinnings of that commitment are withering. Instead, these countries seek to enhance their own status. This is done by gaining appreciation for their contributions, primarily from the US; strengthening their bids for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council; and self-interested contributions to reform UN peacekeeping by efforts to enable it to confront violent extremism and terrorism. Paradoxically, the article concludes, when moving the UN towards counterterrorism and weakening the legitimacy of the organization, Western states undermine a cornerstone of their own security.


Bearing faults are one of the main reasons of rotary machines failure. Monitoring vibration signal is an effective method for diagnosing faulty bearings and preventing thus catastrophic failures. However, existing algorithms neither offer satisfactory accuracy nor are efficient for real-time implementation due to complexity in feature extraction part. In this paper, we propose an accurate method for bearing diagnosis customized for real-time implementation. The proposed system estimates power spectral density of vibration signal using an autoregressive model for feature extraction. This is a novel use of autoregressive model for fault diagnosis which reduces the dimensionality of vibration signal and captures its frequency contents simultaneously. The proposed system can diagnose different bearing faults under variable load conditions with above 99 % accuracy.


The increased use of mass spectrometry in the clinical setting has led to a demand for high sample throughput. Developments such as ultra high performance liquid chromatography and the ambient ionization techniques enable high sample throughput by reducing chromatographic run times or by removing the requirement for sample preparation and fractionation prior to analysis. This thesis assesses the reproducibility and robustness of these high throughput techniques for the analysis of clinical and pharmaceutical samples by ion mobility-mass spectrometry.
The rapid quantitative analysis of the urinary biomarkers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, desmosine and isodesmosine has been performed by ultra high performance liquid chromatography combined with ion mobility-mass spectrometry. The determination of health status based on the free unbound fraction rather than the total bound and unbound desmosine and isodesmosine, significantly reduces the time taken in sample preparation.
The potential for direct analysis of the urinary metabolites from undeveloped TLC plates using a solvent extraction surface sample probe is demonstrated. The use of a solvent gradient for the extraction separates urinary metabolites from salts and other matrix components and allows fractionation of the sample as a result of differential retention on the undeveloped RP-TLC plate. This separation, combined with ion mobility-mass spectrometry provides a rapid ambient ionization method for urinary profiling.
The combination of a thermal desorption probe with extractive electrospray ionization has been applied to the direct detection of a known genotoxic impurity from a surrogate active pharmaceutical ingredient. The volatility of the impurity compared to the matrix, allowed selective thermal desorption of the analyte, which was ionized by extractive electrospray and detected by mass spectrometry.
The use of a rapid on-probe derivatisation reaction, combined with thermal desorption is demonstrated for the direct determination of urinary creatinine. The aqueous acylation of creatinine significantly increases the volatility of the analyte enabling separation from the urine matrix and analysis by thermal desorption extractive electrospray combined with ion mobility-mass spectrometry.


Retrotransposition of human LINE-1 (L1) element, a major representative non-LTR retrotransposon in the human genome, is known to be a source of insertional mutagenesis. However, nothing is known about effects of L1 retrotransposition on cell growth and differentiation. To investigate the potential for such biological effects and the impact that human L1 retrotransposition has upon cancer cell growth, we examined a panel of human L1 transformed cell lines following a complete retrotransposition process. The results demonstrated that transposition of L1 leads to the activation of the p53-mediated apoptotic pathway in human cancer cells that possess a wild-type p53. In addition, we found that inactivation of p53 in cells, where L1 was undergoing retrotransposition, inhibited the induction of apoptosis. This suggests an association between active retrotransposition and a competent p53 response in which induction of apoptosis is a major outcome. These data are consistent with a model in which human retrotransposition is sensed by the cell as a "genetic damaging event" and that massive retrotransposition triggers signaling pathways resulting in apoptosis.


This case examines the opportunity for the Quaker-Tropicana-Gatorade (QTG) division of PepsiCo to invest in either or both of two small but fast-growing retail channels: the Dollar Channel and the Natural Foods Channel. The case gives an overview of PepsiCo's business strategy, focusing on health, wellness, and diversity and also provides a wide range of information. Students are challenged to take a broad, general management view in developing their recommendations.


In this letter, we present a simple, yet effective wavelet-based algorithm for estimating both global and local image sharpness (FISH, Fast Image Sharpness). FISH operates by first decomposing the input image via a three-level separable discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Next, the log-energies of the DWT subbands are computed. Finally, a scalar index corresponding to the image's overall sharpness is computed via a weighted average of these log-energies. Testing on several image databases demonstrates that, despite its simplicity, FISH is competitive with the currently best-performing techniques both for sharpness estimation and for no-reference image quality assessment.


We determine those $k$-tuples of conjugacy classes of matrices from which it is possible to choose matrices that have no common invariant subspace and have sum zero. This is an additive version of the Deligne-Simpson problem. We deduce the result from earlier work of ours on preprojective algebras and the moment map for representations of quivers. Our answer depends on the root system for a Kac-Moody Lie algebra.


A key requirement of autonomous vehicle applications is a reliable, accurate, and robust positioning (aka localization) solution. Key navigation, planning and decision operations cannot happen without dependable positioning. This means that accurate positioning must be ubiquitous - in other words, reliably available at all times and in all places the vehicle is expected to operate. While Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) commonly provide the basis for absolute positioning, it always suffers from the inherent problem of availability whenever a direct view of enough satellites is not possible.

To address the failure mode, additional complementary sensors can be added to the overall navigation solution through a technique known as sensor fusion. Sensors such as inertial measurement units (IMUs), cameras, LiDARs, RADAR, etc. can be selected in such a way that the individual shortcomings of each sensor are mitigated, and the overall robustness and reliability are improved. Although current autonomous vehicle applications employ sensor fusion techniques, they tend to rely on highperformance sensors to meet the accuracy requirements. These high-performance sensors tend to induce a much higher cost burden than would be acceptable for commercial production, and therefore make mass autonomy too expensive.

This paper will focus on the exploitation of the lower cost sensors already available on most modern vehicles. These sensors include low resolution odometry (DMI) and consumer grade IMUs currently used for dynamic stability control and wheel slip detection. A novel approach for combining vehicle speed, steering angles, transmission settings and multiple odometry inputs will be presented along with achievable results while operating under a GNSS denied environment. The test trajectory will mimic a typical parking structure with many corners and short straight segments. The only apriori information required for the filter is the wheel track and wheelbase (separation of wheels).

A 90% performance improvement compared to the stand-alone GNSS/INS solution was observed during GNSS outages up to 30 minutes. Furthermore, up to a 50% improvement was observed when comparing between the multi-odometry vs single odometry outages during the same 30-minute outage condition. Beyond GNSS outage performance, it will be shown how the use of the extra input to the filter can improve protection levels of the positioning system to allow for more frequent engagement of the autonomous navigation system.


Introduction: Khat chewing is believed to be rapidly increasing worldwide. Worldwide, it is estimated that 10 million people consume khat daily. Khat chewing practice renders certain influence on physical and psychological well being of the community and it can cause more serious adverse psychiatric, cardiovascular, dental and gastrointestinal effects. The recent sharp increase in khat consumption may not only affect the health of individuals but could also have serious socio-economic consequences. This study was conducted to assess prevalence of khat chewing practice, its associated factors and perceived health effects among communities in Dera woreda, Amhara region, Ethiopia 2013. Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted by using both quantitative and qualitative method of data. The sample size for quantitative was determined by using single population proportion formula and the households were selected by systematic sampling method and in the selected household, one respondent was selected by lottery among members of household aged 15 years and above. Data were collected by means of a pretested questionnaire; analysis was carried out using SPSS version 16. For the qualitative part ten in-depth interviews were conducted on purposely selected individuals and sample size for this method was determined through continuing to interview participants until no new information was obtained. Results: The response rate was 98.3%. Current prevalence of khat chewing practice was 17%. Males were more likely to chew khat (AOR, 18.53; 95%CI, 7.20-47.66) compared to females. Muslims were more likely to chew khat (AOR, 4.34; 95%CI, 2.07-9.11) compared to Orthodox Christians. Respondents who had family member chewing khat were more likely to chew khat (AOR, 2.67; 95%CI, 1.15-6.21) compared to family member without a chewer. Among all the respondents, 92.8% perceived the health effects of khat chewing practice. Respondents who did not perceive health effect of khat were 5 times more likely to chew khat (AOR = 5.10, 95%CI; 1.64-15.5) compared to those who perceived health effect of khat. Conclusions: The prevalence of khat chewing practice was 17% with high proportion of the khat chewers found in the urban setting. Sex, religion, residence, family chewing habit and perceived health effect were significantly associated factors with khat chewing practice. In this study 92.8% of the respondents perceived that khat chewing practice had harmful effects on health and the perceived health effects reported were sleeping disorder, hallucination, tooth staining, anxiety, and loss of appetite, depression, constipation, gastritis, hypertension and psychosis.


Much progress has been made during the last 40 years in the quest to improve the interaction of humans with computers. While new modalities of communication between computers and their users continue to be found and enhanced (e.g., speech recognition for human-to-computer communication and speech synthesis for computer-tohuman communication), the nature of the exchange between computers and users remains, for the most part, dry and mechanistic. The emerging field of Affective Computing seeks to advance Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) by enabling computers to interact with users in ways appropriate to their affective states. However, a major prerequisite to the fulfillment of the promise of Affective Computing is the development of efficient mechanisms for Affective Sensing, i.e., the ability of the computer to assess the affective state of its user, particularly when it shifts to uncomfortable states, such as stress. Our research pursues the use of three physiological signals: Blood Volume Pulse (BVP), Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) and Pupil Diameter (PD), to automatically monitor the level of stress in computer users. This paper reports on the hardware and software instrumentation development and signal processing approach used to detect the stress level of a subject interacting with a computer, within the framework of a specific experimental task, which is called the 'Stroop Test'. The Stroop Effect is evoked by the mismatch between the font color and the meaning of a certain word (name of a color), displayed to the experimental subject. For this experiment, a computer game was implemented and adapted to make the subject experience this effect, while his/her BVP, GSR and PD signals were continuously recorded. Three data processing techniques were applied to extract effective attributes of the stress level of the subjects throughout the experiment. Current results indicate that there exists a correspondence between changes in those three signals and the shift in the emotional states when stress stimuli are applied to the interaction environment.


The removal of apex predators is widely recognized to have broad ecological consequences for terrestrial and aquatic communities. In marine systems, the direct effects of fisheries exploitation include altering the community standing stock (biomass), species composition, and size- structure of the fish assemblage. Although the direct effects of fisheries exploitation are well documented, there is increasing evidence that the non-lethal effects of predation can also strongly influence the structure and function of ecological communities. In this dissertation I set out to increase our understanding of the effects of predators on coral reef fish assemblages by conducting a series of large-scale natural experiments across groups of Pacific islands spanning gradients of human population density and oceanographic productivity within four distinct geopolitical regions. My dissertation research reveals striking evidence for the effects of fisheries exploitation and oceanographic productivity on coral reef fish assemblages in three key areas. First, I found strong evidence that the effects of fisheries exploitation are not restricted to large-bodied species from higher-trophic levels but are realized throughout the entire fish assemblage and across multiple trophic groups. Importantly, I show that multiple forms of fisheries exploitation may be present on coral reefs, indicating the complex nature of coral reef fisheries. Second, I show strong evidence of biophysical coupling with gradients of oceanographic productivity and alterations in predatory fish abundance on the body condition, growth rates, maximum size, and longevity of coral reef fishes. I also observe a breakdown of natural coupling at inhabited islands, suggesting that local human impacts are capable of homogenizing life history traits of fishes even when strong environmental gradients are present. Third, I show that the trophic structure of coral reef fish assemblages are more tightly linked to changes in oceanographic productivity than to predatory fish abundance. I observed trophic channeling, a process by which different basal sources of energy entering the system can remain isolated on coral reefs forming distinct pathways up through the food web to top- level carnivores. In summary, my dissertation provides important insight into the mechanisms that structure marine communities and the direct and indirect effects of removing predators from marine ecosystems


Abstract Objective: Pregnancy-related low back pain (PLBP) after childbirth is a major problem, but risk factor for this is not fully understood. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to verify the associations of thoracic flexion and hamstring flexibility with PLBP 4 months after childbirth. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in which seventy-four postpartum women who had PLBP during pregnancy (mean age: 31.1 ± 5.0 years) at A health and welfare center in Hyogo, Japan. PLBP 4 months after childbirth was assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. The range of motion (ROM) of thoracic flexion was measured using the double inclinometer method and classified based on tertile divisions. Limitations of 20° or more from full knee extension determined using the seated knee extension test were considered to indicate a tight hamstring. Results: PLBP after childbirth was more likely in women in the lowest tertile of thoracic flexion ROM than in those in the highest tertile (OR, 4.25; 95% CI, 1.29–14.03). A tight hamstring was associated with PLBP after childbirth (OR, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.14–9.32). After adjusting for relevant confounding variables, the thoracic flexion ROM and a tight hamstring remained significantly independently associated with PLBP after childbirth (thoracic flexion ROM: adjusted OR, 4.70; 95% CI, 1.16–19.01; tight hamstring: adjusted OR, 3.93; 95% CI, 1.03–15.02). Conclusion: Reduced thoracic flexion and hamstring flexibility are associated with PLBP after childbirth. Interventions for thoracic flexion and hamstring flexibility in postpartum women could help prevent and improve PLBP after childbirth.


Plasma damages on the inverted, trilayer a‐Si:H thin‐film transistor from an n+ RIE process have been detected. These damages include a high threshold voltage, a high off current, and the divergence of the transfer characteristic curves under different drain voltages. Both the bulk of the films and the film‐film interfaces were damaged by the plasma. The former was proved by the relation between the threshold voltage shift and the gate dielectric layer thickness and materials. The latter was demonstrated by the plasma radiation exposure experiment. Plasma radiation, instead of the charge buildup on devices, is the major cause of the thin‐film transistor's abnormality. All damages were easily repaired with a thermal annealing step.


Comparing and interpreting regional differences in peritoneal dialysis (PD) time on therapy needs to consider differences in the rates of permanent transfer to hemodialysis (HDT), death or kidney transplantation. Here we describe these outcomes among countries in the Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS), as well as reasons for PD discontinuation.

 PDOPPS is a prospective cohort study of randomly selected patients across national samples of PD facilities from Australia/New Zealand (A/NZ), Canada, Japan, Thailand, the UK, and the US. Fine and Gray models were used on a population of 7115 patients, of varying PD vintages at study entry [median (IQR) vintage = 0.82 yrs (0.21, 2.03)], to analyse the cumulative incidence from PD start of transplantation, HDT, or death (on PD or within 7 days of transfer to HD). This allows for the determination of the % of patients remaining on PD at each PD vintage referred to as Time on Therapy (ToT). Models were left truncated to account for PD vintage at time of study enrollment. HDT was defined as no return from HD therapy within 12 weeks of transferring to HD. Cox models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) for death accounting for facility clustering and adjusted for patient age, sex, US black race, heart disease, diabetes, psychiatric disorder, prior HD experience, urine volume, and transplant waitlist referral.

 Mean patient age ranged from 56 yrs in Thailand to 64 yrs in Japan (Figure). Overall, 1261 patients transferred to HD, 76 patients transferred to HD/PD hybrid therapy, 900 patients died and 506 were transplanted during follow-up. By 3 years, the % of patients remaining on PD ranged from 25% in UK, 34-40% in A/NZ, Canada and US, to 47% in Thailand, and 54% in Japan (Figure). The much lower % of patients on PD at 3 yrs in the UK vs Japan was largely due to the high % of patients transplanted in the UK vs Japan: % transplanted ranged from 2% in Japan and Thailand to 32% in the UK at 3 yrs. When defining a 'poor outcome' as either death or HDT: (1) the % of patients still on PD or having been transplanted were quite similar across all 6 countries, and (2) death was a much larger proportion of this 'poor outcome' in Thailand vs other countries.
 Similar risks of HDT were seen across all countries except Thailand which displayed much lower risks of HDT. This finding changed little with covariate adjustment (not shown). Infection, reported as primary HDT cause, varied from 30% (Canada) to 66% (Thailand) of cases, and insufficient solute or water clearance as primary HDT cause ranged from 6% (Thailand) to 44% (Japan) of cases (not shown).
 In Cox models, the adjusted HR of death, compared to the US, was higher in Thailand [1.55 (1.17-2.06)], lower in Canada [0.75 (0.61-0.92)], A/NZ [0.60 (0.47-0.78)], and Japan [0.36 (0.27-0.48)], and close to 1 in UK [0.98 (0.75-1.28)].

 Time on PD therapy differed considerably across countries. This was mainly due to large country differences in proportion transplanted, so that transplantation has a greater impact on country variability in ToT than HDT and death. Risk of death varied greatly across countries, particularly when accounting for case-mix. With the exception of Thailand, differences between countries in risk of HDT were modest. Marked differences in recorded reasons for HDT merit additional study.


Concurrently computing alternative solutions to a problem can be used as a method to improve response time. In order to maintain internal consistency despite differences caused by alternative solution methods, "Multiple Worlds" are created. This paper examines the operating system requirements posed by such a method. Problems include (1) side-effects and (2) combinatorial expldsion in the amount of state which must be preserved. We solve these by process management and an application of "copy-onwrite" virtual memory management. Side effects resulting from interprocess communication are handled by a specialized message layer which interacts with process management.


We present a quantum-theoretical treatment of cavity linewidth narrowing with intracavity electromagnetically induced transparency(EIT). By means of intracavity EIT, the photons in the cavity are in the form of cavity polaritons:bright-state polariton and dark-state polariton. Strong coupling of the bright-state polariton to the excited state induces an effect known as vacuum Rabi splitting, whereas the dark-state polariton decoupled from the excited state induces a narrow cavity transmission window. Our analysis would provide a quantum theory of linewidth narrowing with a quantum field pulse.


ABSTRACT TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY GERMAN FILM ADAPTATIONS: CLASSICAL TEXTS AND TRANSNATIONAL MEDIA LITERACY Bridget Swanson Timothy Corrigan Catriona MacLeod Between 2005 and 2015, German film studios produced an unprecedented number of contemporary classical literary adaptations, including Leander Haußmann's Kabale und Liebe (2005), Uwe Janson's Werther (2008), Rolf Teigler's Penthesilea-Moabit (2009), Philip Stölzl's Goethe! (2011), and others. This dissertation explores the aesthetic practices and industrial pressures that resulted in these films' emergence and argues that – regardless of style and generic conventions – they must be understood as key players in a more overarching genre: contemporary classical adaptations. This category proves essential for mapping contemporary adaptation practices as they interact with national and international concerns. Close film analysis paired with material adaptation studies demonstrates that the recent uptick in contemporary classical adaptations in Germany has emerged through German cinema's intense dialogical engagement with 1) Hollywood blockbuster adaptations of the 1990s; 2) transnational production and distribution pressures in contemporary Europe; and 3) the vexed heritage of German national cinema. That nearly all of the films in this genre consistently position spectators within the filmic diegesis as self-reflexive viewers of canonical works indicates, however, the importance of a fourth influence that promotes and shapes these films: namely, the nationwide project of Filmbildung in Germany, which since 2003 has been heavily pushed by private and public institutions (such as the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, the Goethe-Institut, and Warner Bros. Germany). This educational mission offers financial incentives for filmmakers to produce literary adaptations and provides instructors and students with didactic materials for their integration into curricular units and thereby undergirds the creation of, alters the aesthetics of, and influences the reception of contemporary classical adaptations. Ultimately, this investigation reveals the educational apparatus as a historically unrecognized "seventh" branch in what Simone Murray has termed the "six branches of the material adaptation industry" and redirects the field of contemporary German film away from the formal experimentation of modern-day auteurs to foreground the transnational circulation and transmutation of popular content. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Germanic Languages and Literature First Advisor Timothy Corrigan Second Advisor Catriona MacLeod


The subject of this paper is the design of low and minimum delay, exact reconstruction analysis-synthesis systems based on filter banks. It presents a time domain approach to the problem of designing FIR filter banks with adjustable reconstruction delays. It is shown that using a time domain formulation for the analysis-synthesis systems, the system delay can be considered to be relatively independent of the length of the analysis and synthesis filters. After a summary of the time domain analysis and design framework, the design of low and minimum delay systems is considered in detail. Several design examples are provided in the paper to demonstrate the performance of the design algorithm. >


Summary Unburnt colliery spoil, or minestone, is the waste product from coal mining and this study has been directed towards examining its use in highway construction. An initial review is presented which deals with its bulk utilization in embankment construction and incorporation in the pavement structure. In view of its inherent low quality, some form of stabilization is necessary to produce a material capable of carrying the stresses associated with pavement structures. The work reported in this paper has been concerned with the use of cement. The results reported have been obtained both from extensive laboratory studies and from associated field trials. The suitability of the stabilized spoils has been assessed using laboratory characteristics such as strength, frost resistance and resistance to immersion. It is clearly shown that certain colliery spoils can be stabilized with cement to produce material suitable for inclusion in pavements both as sub-base or road-base material. Field data is also included which indicate the compaction levels and strength that can be achieved on site. The results again demonstrate that cement-stabilized colliery spoil can be considered for incorporation in the pavement layers.


H. M. Balyuzi has made a name for himself as a charming and persuasive apologist for the Baha'i faith, and his trilogy on the great figures of that religion (JRAS, 1973, 2; 1975, 1) has not only set out in easily read and assimilated form the official Baha'I view of the historical beginnings of their faith, but has also brought to light a good deal of hitherto unpublished information. Now, however, he has turned his hand to a much wider canvas, the whole course of Islamic civilization from its inception up to the first half of the 19th century. His justification for undertaking such a task is that (just as Muslims recognize Jesus, and Christians Moses) he as a Baha'I "believes in the God-given mission of Muhammad". So one might hope for a new slant on Islam to set against the convinced Muslim view that it is the only and final truth, and the equally convinced Christian view that it is, in the last resort, a false faith (I leave out of account here more eccentric interpretations such as the atheist and the sociological). It is sad, therefore, to have to report that the task has proved well beyond Balyuzi's capacity. He is no historian; he shows no ability to grasp the sweep of events, to sense the underlying trends and forces, to analyse and synthesize his material. Instead he has given us a rambling and loosely strung together collection of facts, names (innumerable names!), dates, and anecdotes; indeed the very extent of his gatherings is at least witness to his wide reading, even though it seems to have been confined primarily to traditional Western sources Gibbon, Ameer Ali, Toynbee, Hitti, Runciman (he devotes a disproportionate amount of space to the Crusades), Arberry, and Watt. If there is a discernible bias in Balyuzi's work, it is not towards Babism and Baha'ism (excluded by the historical limits of his survey), but against Shi'ism perhaps a not unnatural reaction to the conventional ShI'ite view of Babism/Baha'ism (the Sunnis do not have one) as an heretical breakaway from Islam. As samples of other less important instances of his rather cavalier treatment of facts one might cite his reference to the Fihrist's very sketchy treatment of "the Scriptures of other Faiths" as a gauge of "the breadth of vision and understanding of Muslim writers"; his description of the Isma'Ili order as "the most effective and the most significant breakaway group of the SM'ah branch of Islam its largest offshoot"; his assertion that Ibn al-Muqaffa' used his translation of the Kallla wa-Dimna as a medium by which "subtly to disseminate his Manichaean beliefs"; or even his apparent unawareness that there are rather more solid evidences of the spread of Manichaeanism to Europe than his conversation with "a Welshman in London in the late thirties". Balyuzi maintains the same eccentricities of transliteration that have been criticized in his earlier work, and that he is sensitive to such criticism is evidenced by his devoting threeand-a-half pages to "A note on transliteration", most of which is unexceptionable if overpedantic. But since towards the end he attacks the Orientalists for the "error" of transliterating the Arabic definite article in the form aleven when it precedes a shamsT letter, it seems necessary to remind him that he is confusing transliteration (of letters) and transcription (of sounds), and that the practice he criticizes merely reproduces the original Arabic, where the lam is retained throughout. And since Balyuzi has in this way invited a riposte, it should be added that his own practice in other respects is highly erratic; so we find "Ibn al'Arabf', but "Jalali'd-Din", " 'Abda'r-Rahmdn", " 'Abdui-Muttalib"; "Kitab al-Aghanl". but Kitdbul-Bukhala' "; and even (hedging his bets?) "Ibna'n-Nadfm (Ibn an-Nadim)". This is quite apart from such gross errors as "al-Madinat an-Nabf", "as-Sahba's-Zanadiqah", "alKamil at-Tawarilch".


This paper discusses data arising within a recent research project funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation (Grant 08-0406) into formative assessment practices in Scottish primary schools. In more detail, it focused on the formative assessment practices arising within 'challenges', these being complex, open-ended problem-solving tasks that pupils tackle collaboratively in groups. Typically, after working in groups for an extended time, each group presents their work to the class, thus creating considerable opportunities for peer and teacher formative assessment of their work and their group processes. The research questions included:
• What formative assessment practices does this approach to task design facilitate?
• How do these affect learner attainment and learner dispositions?
• What are the implications for curriculum design and assessment?
• What issues would merit further research and development?

The research context was identified as being of particular interest because the Scottish government is developing a new 'Curriculum for Excellence'. This conceptualises learning as going beyond the acquisition of content. Instead, it seeks to provide a 'coherent, more flexible and enriched curriculum from 3 to 18', within which pupils are supported in developing four 'capacities', of being successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors to society (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2009; Reid, 2008); Scottish education systems also acknowledge the impact of social equity issues upon different pupils' educational outcomes (OECD, 2007). Finally, its approach to assessment in primary schools emphasises teacher assessment rather than national testing (Bryce, 2008). The research drew on the theoretical framework of convergent and divergent assessment (Torrance and Pryor, 1998; 2001). As two poles on a continuum of practice, convergent assessment addresses the successful completion of the task in hand, and whether students can do a specific thing. Its primary concern is for the relay of the curriculum. Divergent assessment has a more open concern for the learner's agenda, and typically involves a more dialogic, conversational form of language. This socio-constructivist approach to formative assessment was later developed within socio-cultural learning theories, including Cultural Historical Activity Theory (Pryor and Crossouard, 2008; Crossouard 2009). In Crossouard (2009), challenges were seen as a task design which could generate useful opportunities for both convergent and divergent assessment. Their open-ended tasks created opportunities for ensuring tasks had relevance to pupils' worlds, thus creating openings for divergent assessment. The task design also paid explicit attention to division of labour issues associated with formative assessment, for example in positioning the teacher as playing mainly an observer role during the elaboration of the challenge, although moving into a position of greater authority during the plenary presentation phases, when offering convergent formative assessment comments. Crossouard (2009) recognized that the combination of challenges and formative assessment merited further exploration however. This paper reports on key aspects of the research project funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation that was secured to do this, focusing particularly on the constraints of the assesment vocabularies teachers had at their disposition, as well as the affordances of using digital photography as 'feedback' within classroom assessment.


Climate change is a global issue that affects everyone. It has been estimated that the developing nations will suffer the most from the effects of climate change. The underdeveloped nations will most likely experience the negative effects of climate variability. They are more susceptible to climate change due to their low adaptive capacity. This study has found the impact of climate change on the Gujjar and Bajarwals of Jammu and Kashmir. The present study is based on the primary data collected from 507 respondents of Thanala village of Bhaderah tehsil of Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. The data was collected using survey questionnaire and was analysed through various statistical tools to draw results. The pastoralist community is one of the many communities that were most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Modernization was identified as the major cause behind climatic changes. Climate change and the livelihood patterns of pastoralists are interlinked with each other. This relationship is not only linked to the traditional adaptation strategies but also to the level of land-use change.


Are people willing to gamble more for themselves than what they deem reasonable for others? We addressed this question in a simplified computer gambling task in which subjects chose from a set of 10 cards. Subjects selected one card at a time after being instructed that 9 cards were good (win a dollar per card) and one was really bad (lose all the money and end the game). Subjects could stop playing at any time to collect their winnings. Some subjects played the game, others observed a confederate. Both groups took risks beyond what was rational (i.e., 5 cards) but actors were riskier than observers. The actor/observer asymmetry occurred even after controlling for monetary outcome (i.e., having observers win prizes) and after controlling for how the question was framed (i.e., asking observers what they themselves would do as opposed to what the confederate should do). We discuss these results in relation to theories of decision making that emphasize separate contributions of rational and experiential systems.


Robots and artificial intelligence technologies have become very important in the health applications as in many other fields. The proposed system in this work aims to provide detailed analysis of pre-op and post-op stage of FUE hair transplant procedures to enable surgeon to plan and assess success of the operations. In order to achieve this target, a robotic and vision-based system imaging and AI based analysis approach is developed. The proposed system performs analyses in three main stages: initialization, scanning, and analysis. At the initialization stage, 3D model of the patient's head generated at first by locating a depth camera in various positions around the patient by the help of a collaborative robot. At the second stage, where high resolution image capturing is performed in a loop with the usage of the 3D model, raw images are processed by a deep learning based object detection algorithm where follicles in pre-op and extracted follicle positions (i.e. holes) and placed grafts in post-op is detected. At the last stage, thickness of each hair is computed at the detected hair follicle positions using another deep learning-based segmentation approach. These data are combined to obtain objective evaluation criteria to generate patient report. Experimental results show that the developed system can be used successfully in hair transplantation operations.


1. The relationship between the wet weight of superficial red muscle and the wet weight of the remaining trunk musculature was found to have the form y = 0·036 x +0·339. The average weight of superficial red muscle accounted for 7·4% of the myotomal mass. 2. A technique is described which allows quantitative studies to be made on glycogen utilization in these muscles for short periods of swimming. A total of 120 Crucian carp ( Carassius carassius L.) were studied at six different swimming speeds ranging from 2·0-4·2 bodylengths/s. 3. The log 10 of the total glycogen utilization of the superficial red muscle was found to be linearly related to swimming speed. 4. Statistically significant glycogen utilization from the remaining myotomal musculature only occurred at speeds in excess of around 3 bodylengths/s. At these speeds the superficial red muscle only accounted for 15-20% of the total glycogen mobilized by the swimming musculature. 5. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to the division of labour between the myotomal muscles of fish.


: Interaction of oxacillin, a semisynthetic penicillin, with human serum albumin (HSA) was studied by means of reaction isothermal and differential scanning microcalorimetry. The antibiotic bound with one primary and two secondary active protein sites. The first bound molecule of the drug had a significant effect on conformation of the biopolymer, which was evident from increased enthalpy and denaturation temperature of the complex as compared to pure HSA. However, the increased thermostability of the serum albumin on its association with oxacillin did not impair the cooperative nature of the thermal denaturation of globular protein. Analysis of the thermodynamic parameters of the complex formation suggested the presence of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. The role of electrostatic interaction increased with a decrease in the solution ionic strength.


BACKGROUND
Genetic variations of the FTO gene were associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes determinants in the European population, notably raised blood levels of insulin and glucose.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to test the association of FTOrs17817449with obesity/BMI and type 2 diabetes risk among obese Egyptian population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this case-control study,(PCR-RFLP assay) was used for genotyping FTOrs17817449polymorphism (SNP) in 120 obese children and 120 controls conducted from attendants of genetic & endocrinology Unit and outpatient clinics, Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University Hospitals. In combination with anthropometric measurements of obesity, predisposition toT2D risk was analyzed (fasting insulin, fasting glucose, insulin resistance).

RESULTS
Consanguinity was evident in 32.5% of cases. Positive family history of both obesity and T2D was found to be significant statistically (p<0.05). FTO rs17817449G allele was positively associated with WC (waist circumference) (Mean ± SD 84.1 ± 9. 3), raised BMI (body mass index)(32.7 ± 3.5), fasting glucose (114.1 ± 12.8 mg/dl), fasting insulin (7.2 ± 1.2µU/ml) and insulin resistance (61.1% of cases) (p<0.001). The odds ratio of obesity was 1.75(95%CI 1.02-3.02) for GT and GG genotype. Fasting glucose and fasting insulin showed statistically significant risk for T2D in the obese group.

CONCLUSION
Genetic variation in FTOrs17817449(G allele)was definitely associated with raised BMI, BMI z-score and fasting insulin, and lowered QUICKI values, that predicted the risk for type 2 diabetes among obese children harboring the mutant G allele.


A new seven parameter model for calculating and predicting solid solubility in binary solvent systems has been presented as follows : logxm=A0+A1/fA+A3(fA-FB)2+A4(FA+FB)3+A5(81-82/81)3+A5(V1-V2/V1)3 Where Xm is mole fraction solubility of solid, Ao-As denote the parameters or coefficients of the model, IA and fB are volume fractions of the solvents A and B in the absence of the solute in the mix'Iure,b1 and b2 represent the solubility parameters of the solvent mixture and solute, V1 and V2 are molar volumes of the solvent mixture and solute, respectively. I'A and I'B are given by I'A=0.96 fA+0.02 and I'B=0.96 Is+0.02 , V1 is calculated by means 01 V1=fA.VA+fBVS in which VA and Vs are molar volulmes of the neat solvents A and B. Also, ()1 is determined from : ()1 =fA,{)A+fB,{)B where OA and as represent the solubility parameters of the pure solvents. All the values of () and V can readily be calculated from the published group contribution tables available in literature. The coefficients of Ao-As can be easily estimated by means of a multiple regression analysis using an ordinary personal computer. The accuracy and prediction capability of the model were compared with those of six previous models i.e., log-linear, extended Hildebrand, polynomial statistical response mixture, nearlly ideal binary solvent (NIBS) , modified Wilson and double log-log, using data of 35 systems published in models in most cases. literature. The proposed model was superior to the mentioned


ABSTRACT The Pasternak Foundation concept, a refinement of the Winkler Foundation theory, is briefly stated and its shortcomings pointed out. The [concept is extended to take into account material nonlinearity and body forces using an analytical approach. The paper is concluded by an examination of the proposals of Meyerhof and Hanna regarding the behaviour of two layer soil systems.


A major concern when designing mixed-signal integrated circuits today, is to avoid unwanted signal interaction between digital and analog circuit blocks present on the same silicon substrate. Part of this interference is conducted through the substrate. To minimize this substrate noise coupling, simple models are needed which can predict the noise and guide the IC designer in the layout of the mixed-signal chip. In this paper we present simple models for the resistance and surface potential of rectangular contacts based on approximating the rectangular contacts with elliptic contacts. The accuracy of the approximate model is validated with finite element and boundary element calculations.


Today, a growing recognition of the profound topics affecting society calls for designers to address additional goals beyond those associated with profit making. But the real opportunity for industrial designers to affect positive change is determined by a myriad of elements, seldom regarded or accurately accounted for in the debates and rhetoric surrounding these topics.This paper will present findings from an explorative study carried out in the UK and Ireland as part of a doctoral research project. Derived from analysis of interviews and workshops with consultants, industrial design firms and academics, we will describe the complex system of factors affecting the possibility for designers to address sustainable and responsible design goals within commercial practice. From this, the industrial design community's influence on the factors identified is discussed, concluding with an assessment of the community relevance for the implementation of responsible design by industrial design consultancies.


GC-rich molecular minisatellite probes isolated from the human genome have presented a poor ability for individualization in horses. In this study new DNA sequences were isolated which could be used in paternity tests in horses. Genomic DNA from "Mangalarga-Marchador" horses was treated with restriction enzymes that preferentially digest non-repetitive sequences, so preserving the structure where mini and microsatellites are located. Four clones (S01, S05, S07 and S09) selected from a genomic library screened with a (TG)n oligonucleotide showed similar hybridization profiles generating bands of DNA-fingerprinting type. Using these probes the individualization power obtained was 10, which is 10-fold higher than that obtained with M13, another GC-rich type probe. All clones were efficient in parentage detection in crossbreedings and presented a 27 bp consensus sequence, GTTTCATTTATTATTCTTTGGAAGAAA, which was repeated 12, 18, 11 and 21 times in clones S01, S05, S07 and S09, respectively.


Primordial black holes could have been formed in the early universe from non linear cosmological perturbations re-entering the cosmological horizon when the Universe was still radiation dominated. Starting from the shape of the power spectrum on superhorizon scales, we provide a simple prescription, based on the results of numerical simulations, to compute the threshold $\delta_c$ for primordial black hole formation. Our procedure takes into account both the non linearities between the Gaussian curvature perturbation and the density contrast and, for the first time in the literature, the non linear effects arising at horizon crossing, which increase the value of the threshold by about a factor two with respect to the one computed on superhorizon scales.


Tropical forest tree diversity has been hypothesized to be maintained via the attraction of density responsive and species‐specific enemies. Tests of this hypothesis usually assume a linear relationship between enemy pressure (amount of damage and enemy richness) and seedling or tree density. However, enemy pressure is likely to change nonlinearly with local seedling abundance and community scale tree abundance if enemies are characterized by nonlinear functional responses. We examined the abiotic and biotic factors associated with richness of above‐ground enemies and foliar damage found in tree seedlings in a tropical forest in Puerto Rico. Rather than identify specific enemies targeting these seedlings, we used damage morphotypes, a paleo‐ecological method, to derive a proxy for enemy species richness. We found that the relationships between local and (conspecific seedling density) community scale (conspecific basal area of adult trees) abundance and both richness of above‐ground enemies and foliar damage were hump‐shaped. Seedlings of tree species existing at intermediate levels of abundance, at both local and community scales, suffered more damage and experienced pressure from a greater diversity of enemies than those existing at high or low densities. We hypothesized that greater damage at intermediate abundance level could arise from a rich mixture of generalist and specialist enemies targeting seedlings of intermediate abundance tree species. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that generalist enemies were more diverse on species at rare or intermediate abundance relative to common tree species. However, specialist enemies showed no significant trend across tree species abundance at either the local or community scales. Synthesis. Our results suggest that interspecific variation in tree species abundance leads to differences in the magnitude and type of damage tropical tree seedlings suffer. This variation leads to a nonlinear, hump‐shaped relationship between species abundance and enemy damage, highlighting fruitful directions for further development of species coexistence theory.


Background The medical management of children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) has advanced significantly over the past ten years, favouring early therapy with the goal of remission. The UK BSPAR Standards of Care (2009) stipulate that children with JIA should see a paediatric rheumatology team (PRh) within ten weeks of symptom onset and within four weeks of referral. It is not known how often these standards are met or whether they have impacted on outcomes. Objectives This analysis aims to describe trends in referral times, baseline disease severity, treatment times and one-year outcomes over a ten-year period among children with JIA enrolled in CAPS. Methods CAPS is a prospective inception cohort of children with new-onset inflammatory arthritis recruiting from seven UK PRh centres. This analysis included all children recruited between 2001 and 2011 with at least one year of follow-up. The cohort was divided into four groups by year of diagnosis (2001-2004, 2005-2006, 2007-2008, 2009-2011). At baseline, median referral times, disease pattern (oligoarticular, polyarticular or systemic onset), and disease activity indices (active joint count (AJC), JADAS and CHAQ) were determined for each group. Time to first definitive treatment was determined within each disease pattern. The proportions of children achieving minimal disease activity (MDA) (Magni-Manzoni, 2008) within each cohort were compared. Values across the four groups were compared using linear and logistic regression, adjusting for PRh centre and disease pattern. Results 1066 children were included with disease pattern documented at baseline in 987 (93%). Median time from both symptom onset and date of referral to first PRh appointment did not vary significantly across the study period. Only ∼20% were seen within ten weeks of symptom onset and ∼50% within four weeks of referral (Table 1) with a significant trend towards longer waiting times for first appointments in more recent years. However, there was a positive trend towards earlier definitive treatment once children were assessed by PRh, reaching significance in polyarticular-pattern disease. This was associated with a trend towards a higher proportion of children with MDA at one-year in the later years of study. Table 1 Conclusions Despite guidelines emphasising early assessment by PRh, approximately half of children with new-onset JIA were not seen within four weeks of referral, with only 20% within ten weeks of symptom onset. The reasons for the former may be related to PRh service pressures and capacity issues and the latter most likely multifactorial, relating to both public and physician education. However, it is encouraging to see more rapid introduction of treatment and associated improvements in outcome. Further research is necessary to understand why approximately one-third of children continue to have active disease one year following first PRh assessment. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.3680


ABSTRACT This paper draws attention to the need for further understanding of the fine details of routine and taken-for-granted daily activities and mobility. It argues that such understanding is critical if technologies designed to mitigate the negative impacts of falls and fear-of-falling are to provide unobtrusive support for independent living. The reported research was part of a large, multidisciplinary, multi-site research programme into responses to population ageing in Ireland, Technologies for Independent Living (TRIL). A small, exploratory, qualitative life-space diary study was conducted. Working with eight community-dwelling older adults with different experiences of falls or of fear-of-falls, data were collected through weekly life-space diaries, daily-activity logs, two-dimensional house plans and a pedometer. For some participants, self-recording of their daily activities and movements revealed routine, potentially risky behaviour about which they had been unaware, which may have implications for falls-prevention advice. The findings are presented and discussed around four key themes: 'being pragmatic', 'not just a faller', 'heightened awareness and blind spots' and 'working with technology'. The findings suggest a need to think creatively about how technological and other solutions best fit with people's everyday challenges and needs and of critical importance, that their installation does not reduce an older adult to 'just a faller' or a person with a fear-of-falls.


Long-term modeling of background motion in videos is an important and challenging problem used in numerous applications such as segmentation and event recognition. A major challenge in modeling the background from point trajectories lies in dealing with the variable length duration of trajectories, which can be due to such factors as trajectories entering and leaving the frame or occlusion from different depth layers. This work proposes an online method for background modeling of dynamic point trajectories via tracking of a linear subspace describing the background motion. To cope with variability in trajectory durations, we cast subspace tracking as an instance of subspace estimation under missing data, using a least-absolute deviations formulation to robustly estimate the background in the presence of arbitrary foreground motion. Relative to previous works, our approach is very fast and scales to arbitrarily long videos as our method processes new frames sequentially as they arrive.


The variant of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) antigens in sera of patients with respiratory infections was developed. Sensitivity of detection of soluble antigens of Mp in modeling experiment varied from 1.5 to 1.0 ng/ml (on protein). Approbation of the assay was performed using 50 serum samples obtained from patients with confirmed diagnosis of respiratory mycoplasmosis. In the ELISA test Mp antigens were detected in 96% of samples. Obtained results were confirmed by testing of these serum samples and isolated from them circulating immune complexes (CICs) in immunoblotting using polyclonal antibodies labeled by horse-radish peroxidase. Mp antigenswere detected both in free state and as components of CICs. Specific reaction was observed with proteins, which molecular mass varied from 30 to 170 kDa (30, 37, 45, 56, 58, 72, 90, 130 and 170 (160) kDa). Obtained results point to appropriateness of use of developed assay for detection Mp antigens in sera of patients with respiratory infections.


Despite the disparities in size and volume of marine and freshwater realms, a strikingly similar number of species is found in each – with 15 150 Actinopterygian fishes in fresh water and 14 740 in the marine realm. Their ecological and societal values are widely recognized yet many marine and freshwater fishes increasingly risk local, regional or global extinction.
The prevailing threats in aquatic systems are habitat loss and degradation, invasive species, pollution, over-exploitation and climate change. Unpredictable synergies with climate change greatly complicate the impacts of other stressors that threaten many marine and freshwater fishes.
Isolated and fragmented habitats typically present the most challenging environments for small, specialized freshwater and marine fishes, whereas overfishing is by far the greatest threat to larger marine and freshwater species. Species that migrate within or between freshwater and marine realms may face high catchability in predictable migration bottlenecks, and degradation of breeding habitat, feeding habitat or the intervening migration corridors.
Conservation reserves are vital to protect species-rich habitats, important radiations, and threatened endemic species. Integration of processes that connect terrestrial, freshwater and marine protected areas promises more effective conservation outcomes than disconnected reserves. Diadromous species in particular require more attention in aquatic restoration and conservation planning across disparate government agencies.
Human activities and stressors that increasingly threaten freshwater and marine fishes must be curbed to avoid a wave of extinctions. Freshwater recovery programmes range from plans for individual species to recovery of entire basin faunas. Reducing risks to threatened marine species in coastal habitats also requires conservation actions at multiple scales. Most of the world's larger economically important fisheries are relatively well-monitored and well-managed but there are urgent needs to curb fishing mortality and minimize catch of the most endangered species in both realms.

Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The literature on sustainable diets is broad in its scope, and application yet is consistently supportive of a move away from animal-based diets towards more plant-based diets. The positioning of seafood within the sustainable diet literature is less clear. A literature review was conducted to examine how the environmental impacts of seafood consumption are assessed and what conclusions are being drawn about the inclusion of seafood in a sustainable diet. Seafood is an essential part of the global food system but is not adequately addressed in most of the sustainable diet literature. Aquaculture, the world's fastest growing food sector, was considered by very few papers. Seafood consumption was commonly presented as a dilemma due to the perceived trade-offs between positive health outcomes from eating seafood and concerns of overfishing. A number of studies included seafood as part of their sustainable diet scenario, or as part of a diet that had lower impacts than current consumption. Most of the indicators used were biophysical, with a strong focus on greenhouse gas emissions, and very few studies addressed biological or ecological impacts. The assessment of seafood was limited in many studies due to relevant data sets not being incorporated into the models used. Where they were used, data sources and methodological choices were often not stated thereby limiting the transparency of many studies. Both farmed and wild-capture production methods need to be integrated into research on the impacts of diets and future food scenarios to better understand and promote the benefits of sustainable diets.


Isotopic and palynological data over the period 115,000 to 135,000 years ago from a lacustrine sequence in northwest Greece show distinct oscillations during the intervals leading into and out of the full interglacial, whereas in between, changes were less pronounced but included a brief fluctuation. After peak interglacial conditions, temperatures decreased and precipitation increased in a series of steps. These data suggest that Eemian climate variability was similar to that of the Holocene both in terms of amplitude and, possibly, of pacing.


125I-labeled rat amylin binds to specific sites in the cortex of rat kidney, which can be distinguished from those for 125I-labeled salmon calcitonin (sCT) and 125I-labeled rat alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide (alpha-CGRP) on the basis of regional distribution. These sites have a high affinity (approximately 1 nM) for amylin, and 125I-amylin binding is potently inhibited by the peptide antagonists AC413 and sCT-(8-32), whereas CGRP-(8-37) is a poor inhibitor of binding. Furthermore, incubation with guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) inhibits 125I-amylin binding by > 90%, indicating that binding is dependent on coupling to G proteins. In renal cortex, amylin stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity three- to fourfold, and this was inhibited by AC413 and sCT-(8-32) but not by CGRP-(8-37). Amylin activated plasma renin twofold, and this was blunted by prior administration of AC413 but not CGRP-(8-37). We speculate that amylin may play an important role in renal physiology and that in states of hyperamylinemia, as found in obesity and the insulin resistance syndrome, this peptide may be involved in the genesis and development of hypertension.


Current managed care network models include physician organizations (POs) and fully integrated regional groups (FIRGs). Proper organization of such networks requires a sequence of essential organizational decisions. If physicians are to organize properly, they must avoid three major pitfalls. Of these, the loss of autonomy is the greatest threat. The proper fit of organizational structure with the founders can assist the entire process significantly.


The isotope ^{229}Th is unique in that it possesses an isomeric state of only a few electron volts above the ground state, suitable for nuclear laser excitation. An optical clock based on this transition is expected to be a very sensitive probe for variations of fundamental constants, but the nuclear properties of both states have to be determined precisely to derive the actual sensitivity. We carry out isotope shift calculations in Th^{+} and Th^{2+} including the specific mass shift, using a combination of configuration interaction and all-order linearized coupled-cluster methods and estimate the uncertainty of this approach. We perform experimental measurements of the hyperfine structure of Th^{2+} and isotopic shift between ^{229}Th^{2+} and ^{232}Th^{2+} to extract the difference in root-mean-square radii as δ⟨r^{2}⟩^{232,229}=0.299(15)  fm^{2}. Using the recently measured values of the isomer shift of lines of ^{229m}Th, we derive the value for the mean-square radius change between ^{229}Th and its low-lying isomer ^{229m}Th to be δ⟨r^{2}⟩^{229m,229}=0.0105(13)  fm^{2}.


Energy is an important consideration in the design and deployment of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) since sensor nodes are typically powered by batteries with limited capacity. Since the communication unit on a wireless sensor node is the major power consumer, data compression is one of possible techniques that can help reduce the amount of data exchanged between wireless sensor nodes resulting in power saving. However, wireless sensor networks possess significant limitations in communication, processing, storage, bandwidth, and power. Thus, any data compression scheme proposed for WSNs must be lightweight. In this paper, we present an adaptive lossless data compression (ALDC) algorithm for wireless sensor networks. Our proposed ALDC scheme performs compression losslessly using multiple code options. Adaptive compression schemes allow compression to dynamically adjust to a changing source. The data sequence to be compressed is partitioned into blocks, and the optimal compression scheme is applied for each block. Using various real-world sensor datasets we demonstrate the merits of our proposed compression algorithm in comparison with other recently proposed lossless compression algorithms for WSNs.


The article introduces the papers published in the present issue. It does so by elaborating a few comments on the role of institutions for economic development and how should economics analyse institutions.


Accountability and oversight are constitutional requirements in all the spheres of government in the Republic of South Africa and their foundation is in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996. All spheres of government are charged with the constitutional mandate of providing public services. The level of responsibility and public services provision also goes with the level of capacity of a particular sphere. However, most of the direct and visible services that the public receives are at the local sphere of government. As such, enormous resources are channelled towards this sphere of government so that the said public services could be provided. It is imperative that the three spheres of government account for the huge expenditures during the public service provision processes. The parliaments of national and provincial governments exercise oversight and accountability over their executives and administrations through the Public Accounts Committees, while the local sphere of government relies on the Municipal Public Accounts Committees. This article is theoretical in nature, and it seeks to explore the current state of public accountability in South Africa and to evaluate possible measures so as to enhance public accountability. The article argues that the current public accountability mechanisms are not efficient and effective. It is recommended that these mechanisms ought to be enhanced by inter alia capacitating the legislative bodies at national, provincial and local spheres of the government.


This paper presents the use of found poetry as a means for exploring teacher identity and argues for its broader use in educational research for studying and representing teachers' identities and values. This project is grounded in narrative inquiry and feminist standpoint theories and presents three identity poems created with teachers working in Canadian secondary schools. The author suggests that by gaining a better understanding of how teachers understand themselves and their multiple identities in the classroom, scholars, teacher educators, and school leaders can better formulate curricular interventions, staff development programs, and policy initiatives that will work more effectively with classroom teachers to improve students' experiences in school.


IT organizations in early growth stages, i.e. using ad-hoc approaches for management, usually face more challenges than the regular IT organizations. The introduction of more strategic approaches suitable to their organizational limitations may contribute to deal with this situation. Previously, a method for analysing IT service strategy was presented and tested; this aimed to enable a staged improvement of these IT organisation using IT service management and maturity models. In order to improve the suitability to the context of this method, this paper presents an "after the event" evaluation procedure and its use for the improvement of such method. This is an evaluation from the perspective of the implementer, and improvements are suggested by the designer. The results provide relevant insights about the influence of the analysed context on the artefact suitability, which are used to suggest improvements oriented to provide value to its users.


BACKGROUND
Calcific aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common underlying pathology in patients undergoing heart valve surgery, with an expected increasing prevalence among the aging population.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We identified the temporal trends in referral patterns, disease severity, and associated surgical risk among patients with AS between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2012 at the Duke University Hospital. A total of 6103 patients had a finding of mild (n = 3303), moderate (n = 1648), or severe AS (n = 1152) in a native aortic valve. Overall presence of severe AS increased significantly over time (P = 0.009) with the most substantial increase occurring from 2010 and onward. Median age upon referral (P < 0.001) and attendant predicted surgical risk (P < 0.001) increased significantly in the observation period among patients with a finding of severe AS. Among patients with a finding of severe AS, the proportion of patients aged older than 80 years increased to 51.0% in the most recent time period (2010-2012) compared with 32.6% in the preceding time period (P < 0.001 for overall time trend). Similarly, the proportion of patients with a logistic EuroSCORE greater than 20% increased to 21.3% (2010-2012) from 12.1% (pre-2010).

CONCLUSIONS
Among patients referred for echocardiography to a high-volume tertiary hospital center, a significant increase in the prevalence of severe AS was observed over time. This trend occurred in parallel with increasing age and predicted surgical risk at referral. Health-care resource planning should account for an increasing number of patients in need of high-risk aortic valve replacements in the near future.


Dietary antioxidant compounds, due to their pivotal role in the modulation of cellular redox mechanisms, are gaining attention of researchers in the field of brain aging and related degenerative diseases. In this perspective, green tea (GT) can be an excellent resource, as it contains large amounts of brain-accessible polyphenols. Many of these compounds are monomeric catechins, which have been shown to exert antioxidant effects, acting directly as radical scavengers or metal-chelators. In the current article, we review the general properties of GT, the direct antioxidant action of its polyphenols and the fine modulation of signaling systems related to survival and antioxidant defenses in the central nervous system of aging rats. The effects in the glutathione system and the activation of several transcription factors including cyclic AMP response element-binding (CREB) protein, levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) are given in detail. We discuss also the beneficial action of catechins in learning and memory with a particular focus on the hippocampal formation. We conclude that GT polyphenols can have a promising role in the reversal of age-related loss of neuronal plasticity and recovery after neuronal lesions associated with aging.


What is digital business reporting? Why do we need it? And how can we improve it? This book aims to address these questions by illustrating the rise of system-to-system information exchange and the opportunities for improving transparency and accountability. Governments around the world are looking for ways to strengthen transparency and accountability without introducing more red tape, which is a source of growing frustration and costs for businesses. In 2004, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice in the Netherlands started to investigate the potential of XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) as a uniform data standard for business-to-government information exchange. In 2006, there was a comprehensive architecture for Standard Business Reporting (SBR), including the requirements for the information infrastructure. One year later the first reports in XBRL were successfully delivered to the Tax and Customs Administration and the Chamber of Commerce via a secure infrastructure. Today, millions of business reports are being exchanged using SBR. As a solution, SBR empowers organisations to present a cohesive explanation of their business operations and helps them engage with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, shareholders and creditors. Challenging the chain describes the journey of SBR from challenge to solution. Specialists in the field – flanked by academics – provide detailed insights on the challenges actors faced and the solutions they achieved. In its versatility, this book exemplifies the necessary paradigm shifts when it comes to such large-scale public-private transformations. Policy makers, managers, IT specialists and architects looking to engage in such transformations will find guidance in this book.


Abstract The population dynamics for the replicator equation has been well studied in continuous time, but there is less work that explicitly considers the evolution in discrete time. The discrete-time dynamics can often be justified indirectly by establishing the relevant evolutionary dynamics for the corresponding continuous-time system, and then appealing to an appropriate approximation property. In this paper we study the discrete-time system directly, and establish basic stability results for the evolution of a population defined by a positive definite system matrix, where the population is disrupted by random perturbations to the genotype distribution either through migration or mutation, in each successive generation.


Proposed in this paper is a new approach for VLSI interconnect global routing that can optimize both congestion and delay, which are often competing objectives. The authors' approach provides a general framework that may use any single-net routing algorithm and any delay model in global routing. It is based on the observation that there are several routing topology flexibilities that can be exploited for congestion reduction under timing constraints. These flexibilities are expressed through the concepts of a soft edge and a slideable Steiner node. Starting with an initial solution where timing-driven routing is performed on each net without regard to congestion constraints, this algorithm hierarchically bisects a routing region and assigns soft edges to the cell boundaries along the bisector line. The assignment is achieved through a network flow formulation so that the amount of timing slack used to reduce congestions; is adaptive to the congestion distributions. Finally, a timing-constrained rip-up-and-reroute process is performed to alleviate the residual congestions. Experimental results on benchmark circuits are quite promising and the run time is between 0.02 s and 0.15 s per two-pin net.


Prolonged interrupted inhalation of nitrogen dioxide in a dose of 36.0 +/- 2.2 mg/m3 was attended by definite morphological signs of inflammation in the lungs of rats (hyperplasia of goblet cells, thickening of the basilar membrane, differentiation of ciliated epithelium, etc.), reduction of the zinc content in all studied tissues and testosterone levels in blood. Intramuscular injection of 1% testosterone propionate normalized the blood level of the hormone and influenced the synthetic processes in the cells of the bronchial epithelium and the rate of its regeneration. To raise the efficacy of the correction of the pathological process in the lungs it is suggested that hormonal therapy should be combined with correction of zinc deficiency in the organism.


Zopiclone is the first of the cyclopyrrolones, a new class of psychotropic agents which is chemically different from the benzodiazepines (BZD). From an experimental point of view it has qualitatively the pharmacological profile of the tranquilizer-hyponotics, and activity quantitatively differs from hypnotic BZD by its lower myorelaxant. The electroencephalographic studies also demonstrated that its power spectrum is characteristic of a product having a tranquilizing hypnotic potential. The cyclopyrrolones interact with GABA ergic neurotransmission, and have a high affinity for GABA receptor complex. They act on sites close to BZD sites, but physically different. The sleep polygraphic studies have shown that zopiclone has a specific profile. It respects the sleep architecture, specially the delta sleep which is even increased, in some studies. Its residual effects are absent or minimal, and its acceptability is good in the usual conditions of hypnotic prescription.