Vaporization injectors have been in existence for decades and are a well-proven method of preparing liquid fuels for combustion by heating them above the boiling point of their heaviest hydrocarbon ingredient. By doing so, it converts the fuels into a vapour prior to combustion.
 When attempting to apply this method of fuel vaporization to micro gas turbines, manufacturing difficulties arise, due to the small complex passages that are required to direct the fuel closer to the high-temperature zone in the combustion chamber and then back to a favourable injection location. This is where the use of additive manufacturing (AM) can prove advantageous due to the complex designs that can be achieved at much smaller scales and potentially at cheaper costs when compared to traditional subtractive manufacturing.
 The motivation behind the research is to improve the overall efficiency of micro-gas turbines, so they can be applied as range extenders in electric vehicles. Due to the increasing adoption of vehicle electrification.
 This paper covers the comparison of experimental results for two traditionally manufactured injectors and a third selective laser melted injector (SLM), which were tested in a swirl stabilised micro gas turbine can type combustor on the University of Baths gas stand. The operating range of the tests was 1–4 Bar and 30 to 630 °C inlet air. To the authors knowledge, this is the first such comparison to be made for a gas turbine in open literature, despite wide reports of AM being used in large gas turbines.
 From the tests, it was found that the 3 and 8 hole machined injectors could not produce stable combustion at the desired operating condition of 4 Bar and 630 °C. The SLM 8 hole injector, however, was able to sustain a stable and constant burn at this design point with low NOx, CO and THC emissions. It was also noticed that the flame colour changed from a yellow flame when testing the first two injectors, to a blue flame when testing the SLM injector suggesting more complete combustion was being achieved due to the lack of soot in burned products, this was assumed to be due to the fuel reaching its saturation conditions within the injector.
 A number of measurements were taken at various points around the combustor, which included temperatures, pressures and emissions readings. These results were then used to create and validate a non-premixed steady diffusion flamelet model in ANSYS Fluent for the AM injector case. The CFD results were found to overpredict the temperature by approximately 10% when compared to the thermocouple values. This was found to be similar to other studies with similar experimental and computational setups, so it was deemed acceptable.
 From the validated CFD model, the heat flux at the front surface of the injector was extracted, to be used in a simple heat balance model. Based on a conservative estimate of fuel temperature, the model found that the SLM injectors should have created very near saturation conditions in the nozzle. As this was a conservative analysis, it confirms the experimental findings that partially vaporized fuel was exciting the injector. The model also showed that the fuel in the traditionally machined, 8 hole injector would most likely exit as a liquid.


Promoting the use of EHR Patient Portals is becoming more relevant for our society. With the increased usage of digital services to the consumers, the healthcare systems are one of the areas that demand more growth in their usage. With an increasingly older population and less healthcare resources available, the use of eHealth tools could play a critical role in the future sustainability of healthcare systems. We did a national survey, in Portugal, based on randomly generated mobile phone numbers and 8.6% of the responders mentioned that they are users of EHR Patient Portals. We also collected the usage patterns and socio-demographic information about healthcare consumers that use EHR Patient Portals. Compared with the Portuguese population they are younger, more educated and have a higher proportion of private health insurances.


This could happen to you: You have appeared in digital photographs. Your pictures aren't sexually explicit or revealing — they just are pictures of your daily life: spending time with friends or your vacation selfies. Like millions of people, these images have likely made their way onto the Internet when you shared them on social media. But what if someone decides they don't like you? With an app available on any smartphone, the digital images of your face can be easily clipped from the pictures you posted the Internet and pasted onto the body of a person engaged in sexually explicit acts. Without your knowledge or consent, you become the "star" of a realistic, pornographic "deepfake."

This hypothetical reflects an emerging phenomenon in sex exploitation cybercrimes — it is the next tragic act in the unauthorized public dissemination of private sexually explicit photos or videos, known as "revenge porn." What, if anything, can you do if you are inserted into a pornographic deepfake image or video against your will? Is it against the law to create, share, and spread falsified pornography on the Internet? At best, the answer to these questions is complicated and uncertain, and at worst, the answer is — no. Although the most effective deterrent for bad actors is one that criminalizes their behavior, there are currently no federal or state laws that criminalize the creation or distribution of pornographic deepfakes. And since deepfakes exist in cyberspace, they are not confined to an individual state jurisdiction. This is the first article to focus on the intersection of the law and pornographic deepfakes and to propose a legislative solution to the harms they unleash. A national response rooted in federal criminal law is required because everyone, everywhere is a potential deepfake victim — even you.


The membrane-spanning protein PIC1 (for permease in chloroplasts 1) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) was previously described to mediate iron transport across the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts. The albino phenotype of pic1 knockout mutants was reminiscent of iron-deficiency symptoms and characterized by severely impaired plastid development and plant growth. In addition, plants lacking PIC1 showed a striking increase in chloroplast ferritin clusters, which function in protection from oxidative stress by sequestering highly reactive free iron in their spherical protein shell. In contrast, PIC1overexpressing lines (PIC1ox) in this study rather resembled ferritin loss-of-function plants. PIC1ox plants suffered from oxidative stress and leaf chlorosis, most likely originating from iron overload in chloroplasts. Later during growth, plants were characterized by reduced biomass as well as severely defective flower and seed development. As a result of PIC1 protein increase in the inner envelope membrane of plastids, flower tissue showed elevated levels of iron, while the content of other transition metals (copper, zinc, manganese) remained unchanged. Seeds, however, specifically revealed iron deficiency, suggesting that PIC1 overexpression sequestered iron in flower plastids, thereby becoming unavailable for seed iron loading. In addition, expression of genes associated with metal transport and homeostasis as well as photosynthesis was deregulated in PIC1ox plants. Thus, PIC1 function in plastid iron transport is closely linked to ferritin and plastid iron homeostasis. In consequence, PIC1 is crucial for balancing plant iron metabolism in general, thereby regulating plant growth and in particular fruit development.


The XTL system (Fig. 1) combines hardware and software for the determination of molecular structure by x-ray diffraction. The system consists of a control console and three instruments, the P21 diffractometer, the AD-1 autodensitometer, and the XTL structure determinator. The diffractometer is a programmed four-circle, single-crystal model. The autodensitometer is an x-y stage microdensitometer that scans film


AIM
Experimental determination of the shear stress for punching meniscal tissue.

METHODS
Meniscectomy (surgical treatment of a lesion of one of the menisci) is the most frequently performed arthroscopic procedure. The performance of a meniscectomy is not optimal with the currently available instruments. To design new instruments, the punching force of meniscal tissue is an important parameter. Quantitative data are unavailable. The meniscal punching process was simulated by pushing a rod through meniscal tissue at constant speed. Three punching rods were tested: a solid rod of Oslash; 3.00 mm, and two hollow tubes (Oslash; 3.00-2.60 mm) with sharpened cutting edges of 0.15 mm and 0.125 mm thick, respectively. Nineteen menisci acquired from 10 human cadaveric knee joints were punched (30 tests). The force and displacement were recorded from which the maximum shear stress was determined (average added with three times the standard deviation).

RESULTS
The maximum shear stress for the solid rod was determined at 10.2 N/mm2. This rod required a significantly lower punch force in comparison with the hollow tube having a 0.15 mm cutting edge (plt;0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
The maximum shear stress for punching can be applied to design instruments, and virtual reality training environments. This type of experiment is suitable to form a database with material properties of human tissue similar to databases for the manufacturing industry.


An environment group has had a presence within Leeds Met Libraries since December 2004. Initially the group chose to look at simple things which could have a positive impact on how we use resources in the workplace. We introduced recycling bins for plastic cups and cans in the staff tearooms, provided dispensers for plastic carrier bags near the self-service machines and arranged training hours for library staff to learn more about environmental issues and to look at their carbon footprint. In May 2006, the group decided to continue their work via an e-mail discussion forum where any issues of environmental concern were raised, with dedicated members of the group continuing to action if appropriate. We found that as time went on, there was an increased interest in environmental matters, so much so that in April 2009 the group reformed, with a new membership and a new title of Green Initiatives Group. The remit of the group is: - To raise awareness of and promote green issues amongst library staff. - To exchange best practice in the university and in the Higher Education library sector. - To build relationships with other ethical organisations working in the Leeds area. One of our aims is to be aware of initiatives taking place in the wider university and to be able to communicate relevant information to library staff about what the university is involved in environmentally. Below is a brief outline of what we have achieved as a group and current projects we are working on.


The prevalent visions of ambient intelligence leverage natural interactions between users and available services in a smart space. In recent years, we have seen a huge interest from industry and academia in using handheld devices to interact with things, places and people in the real world. To facilitate such interactions, things are usually annotated with RFID tags or visual markers. These tags or markers are read by a handheld device equipped with an integrated RFID reader or a camera, in order to fetch related information and initiate further actions. Interacting with the Internet of Things (IoT) in a real environment has become increasingly desirable and feasible. This thesis contributes to the domain of physical interactions with IoT; however, we use a spatial-geometric approach instead of RFID or marker based solutions. Using this approach, for example, a user can point his/her handheld device to an annotated thing, from a distance, for the purpose of interaction. The pointing direction and location is determined based on the fusion of the mobile position and of the accelerometer data of the handheld device. To annotate things, their geometric coordinates are specified and related information or services are associated to them. In this thesis, we present a comprehensive and extensible framework to integrate various physical interactions with IoT into multimedia applications. The framework supports the implementations of pointMe, touchMe, and context-aware based interactions with geometrically annotated IoT. We define specific methods and practices that can be incorporated in order to build the interactions. We realize smart home, atlas learning, presentation interaction, smart haptic interaction, and learning based video interaction game prototypes in order to perform experiments and demonstrate the applicability and potential of the proposed geometric based annotation approach. In the analysis of the interaction techniques of the prototypes, we present the advantages and disadvantages of the geometric based annotation of IoT as seen by potential users, in comparison to RFID tags or visual markers based approaches.


Abstract We studied the population structure, sex ratio, and abundance of a locally endangered species of freshwater turtle, the red-headed river turtle (Podocnemis erythrocephala), in the Unini River in Negro River Basin in Brazil with capture–recapture of marked individuals in 1 yr, including both dry and rainy seasons. We used trammel nets of 3 different inner mesh sizes in the lakes. The nets were revisited at 3-hr intervals from 0600 to 1800 hrs each day. All turtles were released after being marked, measured, and sexed. During the study, 352 individuals were marked including 162 males, 150 females, and 40 immatures. The majority of the turtles (79%) were captured in the dry season when the water level of the river was declining. Mean ± standard deviation straight-line carapace length was 210 ± 14 mm (range 163–262 mm) for males and 251 ± 18 mm (221–303) for females. Most turtles captured were in the intermediate size classes: 200–210 mm for males and 230–270 mm for females. The sex ratio of adults in this population was 1.05 males per female, not significantly different from 1∶1. Only 12 turtles were recaptured, each once: 5 males, 5 females, and 2 immatures. The population showed recruitment and the adults are in equilibrium; however, few turtles were captured in the smallest or largest size classes.


In this paper, we present the mathematical modeling, analysis, and experiments of a new deformation and motion measurement sensor that is made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin-film. The PVDF-based deformation sensor is designed and fabricated for several applications, such as deformation detection of automotive tires and insect locomotion measurements. In the sensing system, only two ends of the strip-shape sensor are attached to the moving object and under the relative motion of two ends, the sensor is buckled. The design provides a new non- intrusive method of measuring deformation and motion, which are desirable in certain applications. The analytical model of the sensing system is based on the synthesis of an elastica modeling of the PVDF thin-film under buckling motion and a Duhem hysteresis model. The modeling and analysis results are compared and validated with experiments that are conducted on a testing kit.


Graston Technique Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (GTISTM), is a relatively new form of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) treatment, that is thought to be an advanced form of soft tissue mobilization. The stainless steel instruments that are used are specifically designed for various parts of the body and are used to detect and release scar tissue, adhesions and fascial restrictions (Carey-Loghmani, 2003:7). It is speculated that the Graston Technique instruments may be superior to other instruments due to the uniqueness of the instrument design, instrument material (stainless steel), delivery method and technique process. The instruments have been designed to adapt to the various curves of the body allowing the clinician to detect and treat soft tissue dysfunctions in an accurate and specific manner (Carey-Loghmani, 2003;2). Other soft tissue therapeutic techniques make use of specifically designed aluminium instruments have shown to be successful in the treatment of tendonitis (Davidson et aI., 1997).Thus it was the aim of this study to determine if there was a significant clinical difference between the Graston Technique instruments and instruments of the exact design but of a constitutionally different material (i.e. aluminium). This was achieved by varying the instrument material, while maintaining all the other features of the instrument, as well as the treatment protocol in the management of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) of the trapezius and the levator scapula muscles. III This pilot study was a comparative clinical trial conducted on a quasiexperimental basis, aimed at establishing the influence of component materials of the Graston Technique instruments in the treatment of MPS in terms of clinical outcomes. The sample size consisted of sixty patients selected from the Durban Metropolitan Area. Patients between the ages of 18 and 55 and diagnosed


This article presents an overview of the literature on privacy protection in smart meters with a particular focus on homomorphic encryption (HE). Firstly, we introduce the concept of smart meters, the context in which they are inserted the main concerns and oppositions inherent to its use. Later, an overview of privacy protection is presented, emphasizing the need to safeguard the privacy of smart‐meter users by identifying, describing, and comparing the main approaches that seek to address this problem. Then, two privacy protection approaches based on HE are presented in more detail and additionally we present two possible application scenarios. Finally, the article concludes with a brief overview of the unsolved challenges in HE and the most promising future research directions.


This paper presents a 7-DOF (Degree Of Freedom) fiber placement machine. The fiber placement machine is designed through modular method and function analysis. The machine consists of three major parts: manipulator, spindle and creel cabinet, which has seven axes in total. The three rotating axes intersect in a vertex and three shifting axes of the manipulator are orthogonal. The style of wrist is orthogonal spherical wrist and it can achieve yawing, pitching and rolling motion. The placement head is mounted on the end of manipulator, including guide module, clamp module, restart module, cut module, compaction module, collection module and heat module, which can achieve independent control of tows clamp, restart and cut. The creel cabinet has the function of tension control.


Tire–pavement interaction noise (TPIN) is dominant for passenger vehicles above 40 km/h and 70 km/h for trucks. In order to reduce TPIN, numerous investigations have been conducted to reveal the influencing parameters. In this work, the influencing parameters on TPIN were reviewed and divided into five categories: driver influence parameters, tire related parameters, tread pattern parameters, pavement related parameters, and environmental parameters. The experimental setup on analyzing and insights into optimizing those parameters are given. At the end, summary tables are presented to compare all the parameters discussed, including the pertinent frequency, potential noise influence, physical mechanism, etc. As such, this review article can also serve as a reference tool for new researchers on this topic. This work covers references from 1950s till present, aiming to distribute key knowledge in both classic and recent studies.


We present a model of curvilinear grouping using piece-wise linear representations of contours and a conditional random field to capture continuity and the frequency of different junction types. Potential completions are generated by building a constrained Delaunay triangulation (CDT) over the set of contours found by a local edge detector. Maximum likelihood parameters for the model are learned from human labeled ground truth. Using held out test data, we measure how the model, by incorporating continuity structure, improves boundary detection over the local edge detector. We also compare performance with a baseline local classifier that operates on pairs of edgels. Both algorithms consistently dominate the low-level boundary detector at all thresholds. To our knowledge, this is the first time that curvilinear continuity has been shown quantitatively useful for a large variety of natural images. Better boundary detection has immediate application in the problem of object detection and recognition


SIR,-The letter by Dr Lawrence E Ramsay (1 January, p 62) contained a somewhat misleading speculation based on a presentation of mine. The lctter suggested that thrombosis of the renal artery during medical therapy of renovascular hypertension with captopril might be more common than information available suggests. In the 269 patients with renovascular hypertension I reviewed, as cited by Dr Ramsay, in fact none developed thrombosis of the renal artery. The follow up interval was up to two years. As pointed out by Oelkers,' such a calamity can occur, but it must be uncommon.


[extract] The Brazilian Legislation on bankruptcy is inspired on the US Bankruptcy Code when it comes to business reorganization. It is important to note, however, that the legislations are not the same, but the Brazilian legislators have looked to the same principles of the Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code to build the Brazilian Business Reorganization in 2005, in order to create in a similar way some important institutes like the stay period, the plan of reorganization and the creditors meeting, among others. A general overview of the insolvency systems around the world shows us that before the US Bankruptcy Code of 1978 with the amendments of 1984 and 2005 there were only two insolvency models: creditor oriented legislations and debtor oriented legislations.


OF DISSERTATION Dust Control Examination using Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling and Laboratory Testing of Vortecone and Impingement Screen Filters Heavy industries, such as mining, generate dust in quantities that present an occupational health hazard. Prolonged exposure to the respirable dust has been found to result in many irreversible occupational ailments in thousands of miners. In underground mining applications, a variety of scrubbing systems are used to remove dust near the zones of generation. However, the wire-mesh type fibrous screens in the flooded-bed dust scrubbers used on continuous miners, are prone to clogging due to the accumulation of dust particles. This clogging results in a reduced capture efficiency and a higher exposure to the personnel. This research establishes the Vortecone, an inertial wet scrubber system, as a suitable alternative to the existing filters. The Vortecone accelerates its inlet fluids into a rapid circulatory motion into a vortex chamber, preferentially moving the heavier particles towards the impermeable surface to be trapped by the circulating water film. Vortecones are used on automobile painting lines and capture over-sprayed paint particles with cleaning efficacies exceeding 99 % while requiring only infrequent maintenance. The existing design of the Vortecone could also be altered to control the flow patterns. This dissertation presents detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to describe airflow patterns in the Vortecone in steady and transient states. Multi-phase spray models were generated to simulate injection of water into the Vortecone. The volume of fraction (VOF) approach was adopted to mimic the air-water interface. The Lagrangian particle tracking method was used to model particle capture on the interface described by the VOF. The CFD models indicate excellent cleaning efficacies, especially of larger particles. Laboratory experiments with optical measurements of aerosols in a reduced scale model of the Vortecone validate the computer models. These experiments which were performed on dust samples with particle sizes 0.3 μm and above, show that the Vortecone captures 90 % particles by mass exceeding about 5.20 and 3.20 μm at airflows of 0.28 m/s (600 cfm) and 0.38 m/s (800 cfm), respectively. The development of detailed large eddy simulations (LES) of airflow in the Vortecone provides a novel contribution to research by better resolving the flow patterns. An impactor-type, self-cleaning, non-clogging impingement screen system was designed as a substitute for conventional screens used in continuous miners. The screen could further be used as an efficient dust capturing mechanism with a demister in general mining applications. CFD models and laboratory experiments are presented to establish the cleaning efficacies of the system. Laboratory experiments to investigate the cleaning efficiency of a fibrous-type conventional screen is also discussed. The parameter, filter selection factor, is proposed to compare the performance of the three systems (Vortecone, fibrous screen, and impingement screen) under similar flows. The Vortecone has been found to be the most efficient dust-cleansing system, although it is the most power intensive filter. The impingement screen shows a similar cleaning efficiency and a much higher availability compared to the conventional fibrous screen. Because of its minimal maintenance requirement, the impingement screen shows significant promise in dust-control applications in mining.


ABSTRACT Existential groups run by healthcare chaplains within mental healthcare have a long tradition in Norway. By using a national cross-sectional survey design, this study explored and described both quantitatively and qualitatively these groups' characteristics. Quantitative data were analysed by descriptive statistics and content analysis inspired by Graneheim and Lundman was used to analyse the qualitative data. The current existential group practice was present in 11 of 25 Norwegian health authorities and across service levels. Five different group approaches, all addressing patients' existential, spiritual and religious needs and issues, were identified and described. The existential groups were in general eclectic and applied a variety of therapeutic strategies representing group psychotherapy, existential therapy and clinical pastoral care. The findings suggest that this Norwegian existential group practice can be regarded as a well-established and integrated part of the Norwegian mental healthcare. Researchers are challenged to further qualitatively explore this Norwegian existential group practice.


One key step for silk protein further uses is to let them be dissolved in aqueous solution. However, the silk protein is usually not soluble in aqueous solution. Silk protein dissolved in calcium chloride solution is one of the few effective ways. Silk fibroin was well dissolved in 15-20min. in boiling calcium chloride solution [50% (w/v)] with the ratio of 15g dry waste silk per100mL calcium chloride solution. After dialysis, silk protein calcium salt unexpectedly showed excellent emulsification capacity and stability. Only 0.8-1.2% of silk protein calcium salt solution (50mL) could let 50mL soybean salad oil be mixed and emulsified well. Silk protein calcium salt may be used as a new protein-based surfactant.


Purpose: To identify prognostic factors for poor visual outcome in patients with birdshot retinochoroidopathy. Methods: A case–control study of 98 patients with birdshot retinochoroidopathy (196 eyes) was evaluated with a follow-up period of at least 12 months. After exclusion of glaucoma, optic atrophy, and macular scar, the remaining eligible patients were categorized into two groups: poor visual outcomes and good visual outcomes. Poor visual outcome was defined as less than −6 mean deviation score on Swedish interactive threshold algorithm (SITA) short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP) test and abnormality (amplitude or implicit time) of 30 Hz flicker electroretinogram at 4-year follow-up and at the most recent visit for separate analysis. Potential factors between both groups were statistically analyzed by Chi-square test and logistic regression model. Results: After the aforementioned exclusion, the remaining 77 patients with an average follow-up period of 52 ± 29 months (335 person-years, 36% with follow-up of more than 5 years) were divided into two groups. Sixteen patients were categorized as having poor visual outcome. Univariate analysis identified significant association of abnormal 30 Hz flicker electroretinogram amplitude (P = 0.004), implicit time (P = 0.002), and SITA SWAP mean deviation at the initial visit (P < 0.001) in the poor visual outcome group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified only SITA SWAP mean deviation to be associated with poor visual outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 32.50; 95% confidence interval [3.84–275.32]; P = 0.001) at the initial visit. To verify the model validity, an analysis of 42 patients at 4-year follow-up was performed and the outcome was confirmed (adjusted odds ratio, 8.80; 95% confidence interval [1.58–49.16]; P = 0.013). Conclusion: Worse SITA SWAP mean deviation at the initial visit is a predictor of poor visual outcome in patients with birdshot retinochoroidopathy, and may serve as a proxy marker for delayed effective steroid sparing therapy in patients with birdshot retinochoroidopathy.


Size distributions of tropical trees The distribution of tree size in tropical forests follows a power-law regardless of location. This pattern has largely eluded mechanistic explanation. Using 30 years of tree demography and growth data from a forest plot in Panama, Farrior et al. show that the power-law size structure emerges after natural local disturbances such as the gaps formed by falling trees. A model of forest dynamics identifies the structural parameter governing the power-law distribution. A mechanistic understanding of tropical forest structural dynamics will benefit forest carbon cycling studies. Science, this issue p. 155 The consistency of tropical tree size structure is related to the frequency of small-scale disturbance and competition for light. Tropical tree size distributions are remarkably consistent despite differences in the environments that support them. With data analysis and theory, we found a simple and biologically intuitive hypothesis to explain this property, which is the foundation of forest dynamics modeling and carbon storage estimates. After a disturbance, new individuals in the forest gap grow quickly in full sun until they begin to overtop one another. The two-dimensional space-filling of the growing crowns of the tallest individuals relegates a group of losing, slow-growing individuals to the understory. Those left in the understory follow a power-law size distribution, the scaling of which depends on only the crown area–to–diameter allometry exponent: a well-conserved value across tropical forests.


Site-directed mutagenesis of the acute-phase human serum amyloid A (SAA1 alpha) protein was used to evaluate the importance of the N-terminal amino acid residues, namely RSFFSFLGEAF The full-length cDNA clone of SAA1 alpha (pA1.mod.) was used to create two mutations, namely Gly-8 to Asp-8 and an 11 amino acid truncation between Arg-1 and Phe-11 respectively. Wild-type and mutant cDNAs were expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells under the control of the human cytomegalovirus promoter, which resulted in the secretion of the processed proteins into the culture media. Wild-type recombinant human SAA (rSAA) protein was shown to have pI values of 6.0 and 6.4, similar to the human SAA isoform SAA1 alpha and SAA1 alpha desArg found in acute-phase plasma. N-terminal sequencing of 56 residues confirmed its identity with human SAA1 alpha. The total yield of wild-type rSAA measured by ELISA was between 3.5 and 30 mg/l. The two mutations resulted in reduced expression levels of the mutant SAA proteins (3-10 mg/l). Further measurements of rSAA concentration in lipid fractions of culture medium collected at a density of 1.21 g/ml (high-density liporotein; HDL) and 1.063-1.18 g/ml (very-low-density lipoprotein/low-density lipoprotein; VLDL/LDL) showed that 76% of the wild-type protein was found in the HDL fraction and the remaining 24% in the infranatant non-lipid fraction. In contrast the relative concentration of mutant rSAA in HDL and infranatant fractions was reversed. This is consistent with the previously proposed involvement of the 11 amino acid peptide in anchoring. SAA protein on to HDL3 [Turnell, Sarra, Glover, Baum, Caspi, Baltz and Pepys (1986) Mol. Biol. Med. 3, 387-407]. Wild-type rSAA protein was shown to from amyloid fibrils in vitro under acidic conditions as shown by electron microscopy, and stained positive with Congo Red and exhibited apple-green birefringence when viewed under polarized light. Under the same conditions mutSAA(G8D) and mutSAA delta 1-11 did not form amyloid fibrils. In conclusion, replacement of Gly-8 by Asp-8 or deletion of the first 11 amino acid residues at the N-terminus of rSAA diminishes its capacity to bind to HDL and decreases amyloid fibril formation.


The study is intended to provide novel insights into the adaptation of new members of parliament to a working environment that differs in many ways from more traditional workplaces. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with 16 first-term members of the Icelandic parliament, the Althingi, after two years' experience following their election in 2013. The findings show that learning to become active members of parliament is primarily an informal and disorganised process driven by the newcomers themselves. Little formal on-the-job training is available. Two years into their term, the interviewees felt they were still learning and adapting to the rules and norms. New MPs' performance seems to depend on several factors, including how active they are in the learning process and how successfully they manage to build relationships with colleagues and find informal mentors, who in some cases belong to different political parties. The data limits the inclusion of contextual factors potentially influencing the MPs socialisation process.


In this retrospective study, quantitative Sézary cell counts were performed at presentation on 192 patients with erythrodermic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (E-CTCL). Per recommendation of the International Society of Cutaneous Lymphomas (ISCL), the impact on staging of using an absolute Sézary cell count of 1.0 K μL−1 or more as equivalent to lymph node involvement was investigated. Of 132 patients with disease initially classified at stage III using the current TNM staging system, 25% were up staged to IVa, resulting in a clearer separation of associated survival curves between the stages. Furthermore, the current ISCL definition of B0, B1 and B2 ratings were improved using Sézary cell count levels of < 1.0 K μL−1, ≥ 1.0 – 4.99 K μL−1 and ≥ 5.0 K μL−1, respectively. These modified B ratings potentially could be used in an alternative staging system for E-CTCL without N rating. Advanced age, prior exposure to multiple systemic drugs, enlargement of peripheral lymph nodes (>3 cm), other measures of blood tumor burden (CD4/CD8 ratio ≥ 10, chromosomally-abnormal clone) and 2-fold increase in serum LDH level were other factors of prognostic significance. The clinical importance of these variables vis-à-vis the modified TNBM staging system will need to be clarified in future studies.


Background. Patients with asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ALVSD) have an increased risk of heart failure (HF) and a worse life expectancy. Since valuable therapies may prevent such dismal evolution, screening programs for ALVSD have recently been advocated to detect as early as possible such ominous condition. Echocardiography represents the gold standard for the assessment of ALVSD but its indiscriminate use in screening programs is impractical. Clinical multivariate risk assessment associated with ECG and serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) may be a feasible strategy to screen ALVSD. We prospectively sought to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of a screening program for ALVSD based on ECG and BNP used in a hierarchical sequence in patients at high risk for HF. Methods. Patients ≥55 years old with ≥2 risk factors for HF or ≥70 years old with ≥1 risk factor for HF entered the study performing sequentially ECG, BNP and echocardiographic evaluation. ALVSD was defined as a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤50%. Results. Thirty-three of 122 enrolled patients (27%) had ALVSD. They were older, presented more frequently a history of chemotherapy exposure, had often bundle branch block and higher BNP levels. No patient without any major abnormalities (atrial fibrillation, left ventricular hypertrophy, STT alterations of ischemic/strain origin, pathologic Q wave, bundle branch block) on ECG (n = 31, 24.4%) had ALVSD. Among the 91 patients with abnormal ECG, ALVSD was observed in 33 (36%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to detect ALVSD by BNP was 0.86 (confidence interval 0.79-0.94, p <0.0001) and BNP values of ≥43 pg/ml showed a sensitivity and a specificity of 94% and 57%, respectively. The proposed screening program was able to identify 95% (31/33) of patients with ALVSD saving 53% of echocardiographic examinations with a substantial reduction of the costs to diagnose ALVSD. Conclusions. Our prospective investigation confirms that ECG and BNP may be useful in detecting ALVSD in high-risk patients. A cost-effective screening program based on such simple and lowcost diagnostic tests might be employed for the prevention of HF in primary and secondary prevention programs in high-risk patients.


Maize is an important food, feed, as well as raw material for producing high-quality protein and carbohydrates products in Africa including Ethiopia. The study was initiated with the objectives to evaluate quality protein maize pipeline varieties in terms of yield and yield related traits, and to investigate association of yield with its components and other desirable traits at Bako. Eighteen genotypes were planted in randomized complete block design with three replications. Highly   significant difference were observed among the genotypes   to 50% male flowering, days  to 50%  female  flowering,  maturity date,  ears  length  and  grain  yield.  Phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher in magnitude than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) in respect to all the characters: The character leaf area index, grain yield, 100 seed weight showed moderate PCV and GCV. Whereas male flowering date, female flowering date, days to maturity, plant height, ears height, ears diameter, number of kernel rows, and number of kernel ears showed low PCV and GCV. Heritability in broad sense was higher for male flowering date, female flowering date, days to maturity, plant height, grain yield, hundred seed weight and ears length. However, low heritability was recorded for leaf area index, number of kernel per ears and ears diameters. Based on variability study genotype BH540, BH542, BH543, Kuleni 2 , and Obta, were identified as early in maturity; hence these can be used for developing early maturing genotypes. In present studies genotypic and phenotypic correlation of seed yield was positive and significantly related with, Leaf area index, Number of kernel per rows. This suggests that while selecting for improvement in seed yield is performed, this character can be kept in mind provided that the character should show high variability, which is the basis for selection to develop good quality protein maize. Improvement in seed yield could be achieved by direct or indirect selection for high grain yielding genotypes or for yield components positively associated to yield. It is expected that better performing varieties could be generated to increase productivity in Quality protein maize cultivars basically. Keywords:  Quality protein maize,  Variability,  Correlation,  Genotypes,  Traits, Heritability


The initiatives on MOOCs promoted in the United States by prestigious universities, such as Stanford, Harvard, MIT, and by private bodies such as Udacity, aroused great interest worldwide; however the teaching and learning models proposed with MOOCs do not appear to rely on solid theoretical bases and, therefore, on valuable psycho-pedagogical models. The aim of this paper is to analyze some pedagogical aspects related to video communication models in order to highlight the strong and weak points of the educational framework of these initiatives. The teaching models adopted by the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO for its video lessons, the distance assessment systems, the teacher/tutor and student distance interaction models reached such a quality level that it allows us to generalize this model and trigger teaching and learning processes of high quality and to lower the dropouts rates of the students enrolled in MOOCs.


*These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Radiotherapy (RT) is a mainstay of cancer treatment. Recent studies have shown that RT not only directly induces cell death but also has late and sustained immune effects. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein released during RT, with locationdependent functions. It is essential for normal cellular function but also regulates the proliferation and migration of tumor cells by binding to high-affinity receptors. In this review, we summarize recent evidence on the functions of HMGB1 in RT according to the position, intracellular HMGB1 and extracellular HMGB1. Intracellular HMGB1 induces radiation tolerance in tumor cells by promoting DNA damage repair and autophagy. Extracellular HMGB1 plays a more intricate role in radiation-related immune responses, wherein it not only stimulates the anti-tumor immune response by facilitating the recognition of dying tumor cells but is also involved in maintaining immunosuppression. Factors that potentially affect the role of HMGB1 in RT-induced cytotoxicity have also been discussed in the context of possible therapeutic applications, which helps to develop effective and targeted radio-sensitization therapies.


Forty-seven patients who had a tumor of the scapula were seen by the Bone Tumour Panel at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex, England. Sixteen resections were performed in fourteen patients. Although other authors have discussed the length of survival of one or a few such patients, none, to our knowledge, has reported on postoperative movement of the shoulder. We correlated the type of resection of bone and muscle with the restrictions of postoperative movement. Our patients had an excellent range of postoperative movement, even after subradical resection. The study enabled us to make recommendations for reconstruction of muscle after resection and to determine the functional prognosis.


Leslie Foldy's diminutive stature and modest demeanor gave little clue to the powerful intellect responsible for several significant advances in theoretical physics.Two were particularly important. His 1945 theory of the multiple scattering of waves laid out the fundamentals that most modern theories have followed (and sometimes rediscovered), while his work with Siegfried Wouthuysen on the nonrelativistic limit of the Dirac equation opened the way to a wealth of valuable insights. In this article we recall some of the milestones along Foldy's path through a life in physics.


An approach to the structure buckling reliability analysis for the underwater super-speed supercavitating vehicle is proposed in this paper. The circular ribbed part-cabin of the vehicle is simplified as the thin cylindrical shell with variable thickness. The critical buckling load coefficient of the thin cylindrical shell is solved by using semi-analytical FEM (finite element method). The structure buckling reliability index is obtained by SFEM (Stochastic Finite Element Method) combining Limit Step Length Iteration Method. A numerical example is given to analyze influences of the number of circular ribs, the coefficient of variation of elastic modulus and the coefficient of variation of the thickness of the thin shell on the structure buckling reliability index.


We describe a flexible, modular system for representation of a text-to-speech system which provides for ease of understanding, facile development, a variety of end-use systems, exportability, and ready implementation into novel technology to meet real-time needs. This system thus serves as a research base, a framework for experimentation, and the seat of structural formalisms which can imply special hardware processors. Since the relation of the surface speech waveform to the underlying linguistic description is becoming increasingly complex, we expect that the virtues of this approach will become necessities rather than conveniences.


Usually, the yaw stability of distributed drive electric vehicle (DDEV) is hard to be guaranteed effectively, because the yaw performance is affected by the actuator and sensor faults, as well as system modelling error. To attenuate the effect of these faults, a novel model predictive controller-based fault tolerant control system (MPC-FTCS) is proposed in this work. The MPC-FTCS consists of two MPCs. In one MPC, the sensor fault and system modelling error can be tolerated by the linear quadratic regulation (LQR) design. Another MPC is designed as an observer to estimate and compensate for the actuator fault. The proposed MPC-FTCS is evaluated on the Matlab simulation platform and simulation results show the benefits of the proposed control system.


Flexible boron nanowires have been synthesized via thermoreduction in boron-oxygen compounds with magnesium. These as-prepared nanowires, which are structurally uniform and single crystalline, represent good semiconductor at high temperature. Tensile stress measurements demonstrate excellent mechanical property of boron nanowires as well as resistance to mechanical fracture even under a strain of 3%. Importantly, simultaneous electrical measurement reveals that the corresponding electrical conductance is very robust and remains constant under mechanical strain. Our results can be briefly explained by Mott's variable range hopping model.


A novel slow-growing, non-chromogenic mycobacterium (strain 01-305(T)) was isolated from a patient with pulmonary dysfunction. Growth characteristics, acid-fastness and the results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing supported the placement of this strain within the genus Mycobacterium. Phenotypically, strain 01-305(T) was generally similar to Mycobacterium triviale ATCC 23292(T), but some unique biochemical characteristics were observed. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain 01-305(T) was similar to those of M. triviale ATCC 23290 (GenBank accession no. AY734996, 99.9 % similarity) and M. triviale ATCC 23291 (AY734995, 99.9 %); however, it differed substantially from that of M. triviale ATCC 23292(T) (X88924, 98.2 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed strain 01-305(T) in the slow-growing Mycobacterium group close to M. triviale ATCC 23290 and M. triviale ATCC 23291, but not M. triviale ATCC 23292(T). Unique mycolic acid profiles and phylogenetic analysis based on two different chronometer molecules, and the hsp65 and rpoB genes, strongly supported the taxonomic status of this strain as representing a distinct species. These data support the conclusion that strain 01-305(T) represents a novel mycobacterial species, for which the name Mycobacterium koreense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 01-305(T) ( = DSM 45576(T) = KCTC 19819(T)).


The concept of a modular project is developed and a strategy for managing such projects is presented. A modular project is one that consists of several similar entities, or modules, which are the object of similar functions or processes applied repeatedly. The management approach for modular projects presented in this paper is to complete one module in significant detail and with insightful analysis of the contingencies that can arise in other modules, and then develop a standardized set of procedures for dealing with all of the other modules. The advantages of the modular project approach are presented, which include standardization, increased efficiency, and more rapid overall progress on large projects. However, in order for this technique to be employed effectively, significant advance planning by the project management team must be undertaken.


I revisit the reply of Bohr to Einstein. Bohr's implication that there are no causes in atomic scale systems is, as a closer analysis reveals, not in line with the Copenhagen interpretation since it would contain a statement about reality. What Bohr should have written is that there are no causes in mathematics, which is universally acknowledged. The law of causality requires physical effects to be due to physical causes. For this reason any theoretical model which replaces physical causes by mathematical objects is creationism, that is, it creates physical objects out of mathematical elements. I show that this is the case for most of quantum mechanics.


CD44 is a cell surface receptor for the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA). Not all CD44-positive cells bind HA, and binding ability is strictly regulated. Three different HA binding states have been defined: inactive, inducible (by certain CD44-specific monoclonal antibodies), and constitutively active. The observation that sets of genetically related cell lines representing different HA binding states showed correlated differences in N-glycosylation of CD44, and that inhibition of N-glycosylation enhanced HA binding (Lesley et al., J. Exp. Med., 182: 431-437, 1995) led us to examine directly whether specific N-glycosylation site modifications were involved in regulating the HA binding function. CD44-negative, -active, and inducible cell lines were stably transfected with mutant constructs in which each of the five N-glycosylation sites of murine CD44 had been separately inactivated. Ability to bind soluble HA was examined over a range of CD44 expression levels. For the active cell line, AKR1, transfectants for all N-glycosylation mutants bound HA as well as did transfectants for wild type CD44. No inhibitory effects of inactivating specific N-glycosylation sites were observed. HA binding was activated when two of the mutant constructs were transfected into a novel CD44-negative inducible cell line. Inactivation of N-glycosylation sites at residues 25 or 120 converted the inducible cell line to constitutively active, whereas inactivation of other sites had little or no effect. Fusion proteins secreted from inactive, inducible, or active cell lines were purified, bound to beads, and assayed for HA binding activity by flow cytometric analysis. Fusion proteins derived from inactive, inducible, and constitutively active cells exhibited three distinguishable "threshold" densities required for HA binding ability. The results imply that the CD44 molecules produced in cells in these three activation states have intrinsic differences in HA binding function. Treatment of the fusion proteins with neuraminidase altered the HA binding state, and glycosylation mutations that affected the phenotype of the inducible cell line lowered the threshold required for HA binding of CD44-immunoglobulin fusion proteins derived from the inducible cell line. Thus, alterations of glycosylation of CD44 itself can affect HA binding ability as manifested by a change in HA binding state.


Objectives: The purpose of the work was to develop gastro retentive floating tablets of Dicloxacillin sodium using different ratios of HPMC K 100M, Xanthan gum, Guar gum. Sodium bicarbonate is used as a gas generating agent. Dicloxacillin sodium is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections and has a half-life of about 2 hr. Methods: Gastro retentive floating tablets containing 270 mg of dicloxacillin sodium were prepared by wet granulation method employing different ratios of polymers. Results: The formulated tablets were evaluated for precompression parameters and were in the acceptable limits. Post-compression parameters such as weight variation, hardness, friability, swelling index, floating lag time and total floating time were also evaluated. The formulation F3 with HPMC K 100M showed 98.87% of drug release at the end of 12 hr, maintained integrity of tablets and have an optimum floating lag time of 90±0.14 sec and total floating time of 12 hr. The optimized formulation F3 was fitted to various kinetic models and the results showed that F3 formulation followed Zero order kinetics with an R2 value of 0.993. The mechanism of drug release from F3 formulation was non-fickian diffusion. Conclusion: The study concluded that, among all the developed formulations, F3 formulation floated up to 12 hr with maximum drug release and can be considered as promising formulation. Key words: Dicloxacillin sodium, Floating tablets, HPMC K100M, Swelling index, Buoyancy.


OBJECTIVE Type 2 diabetes increases the accumulation of brain white matter hyperintensities and loss of brain tissue. Behavioral interventions to promote weight loss through dietary changes and increased physical activity may delay these adverse consequences. We assessed whether participation in a successful 10-year lifestyle intervention was associated with better profiles of brain structure. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS At enrollment in the Action for Health in Diabetes clinical trial, participants had type 2 diabetes, were overweight or obese, and were aged 45–76 years. They were randomly assigned to receive 10 years of lifestyle intervention, which included group and individual counseling, or to a control group receiving diabetes support and education through group sessions on diet, physical activity, and social support. Following this intervention, 319 participants from three sites underwent standardized structural brain magnetic resonance imaging and tests of cognitive function 10–12 years after randomization. RESULTS Total brain and hippocampus volumes were similar between intervention groups. The mean (SE) white matter hyperintensity volume was 28% lower among lifestyle intervention participants compared with those receiving diabetes support and education: 1.59 (1.11) vs. 2.21 (1.11) cc (P = 0.02). The mean ventricle volume was 9% lower: 28.93 (1.03) vs. 31.72 (1.03) cc (P = 0.04). Assignment to lifestyle intervention was not associated with consistent differences in cognitive function compared with diabetes support and education. CONCLUSIONS Long-term weight loss intervention may reduce the adverse impact of diabetes on brain structure. Determining whether this eventually delays cognitive decline and impairment requires further research.


Robert Kerbel is one of the most influential scientists in the field of cancer-related angiogenesis and anti-angiogenic therapies. Along with the late Judah Folkman, Dr. Kerbel has also pioneered the use of continuous low dose chemotherapy for cancer treatment, an approach which is now widely used for many types of cancer and is a promising backbone to be associated with novel targeted therapies. In this interview, Dr. Kerbel describes the steps that moved his career towards the angiogenesis field, the already achieved biological and clinical results and the unmet goals.


OBJECTIVE To systematically characterize the morphology of cleft lip, cleft palate, and cleft lip and palate in dogs. ANIMALS 32 client-owned dogs with clefts of the lip (n = 5), palate (23), or both (4) that had undergone a CT or cone-beam CT scan of the head prior to any surgical procedures involving the oral cavity or face. PROCEDURES Dog signalment and skull type were recorded. The anatomic form of each defect was characterized by use of a widely used human oral-cleft classification system on the basis of CT findings and clinical images. Other defect morphological features, including shape, relative size, facial symmetry, and vomer involvement, were also recorded. RESULTS 9 anatomic forms of cleft were identified. Two anatomic forms were identified in the 23 dogs with cleft palate, in which differences in defect shape and size as well as vomer abnormalities were also evident. Seven anatomic forms were observed in 9 dogs with cleft lip or cleft lip and palate, and most of these dogs had incisive bone abnormalities and facial asymmetry. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The morphological features of congenitally acquired cleft lip, cleft palate, and cleft lip and palate were complex and varied among dogs. The features identified here may be useful for surgical planning, developing of clinical coding schemes, or informing genetic, embryological, or clinical research into birth defects in dogs and other species.


This guide was created by Sharoll Williams-Love with the assistance of HCC librarians to educate our campus on the crisis of systemic racism and racial inequity in the United States today and throughout the history of the country.


Background This paper examines maternal health care (MHC) utilization among the beneficiaries of a recovery assistance program implemented by the Zuellig Family Foundation in partnership with the United States Philippine Society in select Philippine municipalities devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. The program aims to improve the utilization of maternal health care services among poor women by providing temporary support in the form of cash incentives received after the availment of prenatal care, facility-based delivery, and postnatal care services. Objectives The study aims to explore the relationship between the utilization of MHC services in post-disaster settings and socio-demographic, demand-side, and supply-side factors. Methods A mixed-methods approach was employed, with data derived from a sample of program beneficiaries. The probability of facility based deliveries (FBD) and of mothers having complete and timely prenatal care (PNC) visits were determined using probit analysis. Marginal effects for selected socio-demographic, demand-side and supply-side variables were estimated to identify the determinants of maternal health care utilization. Result The key findings suggest that mother's education, age at first pregnancy, and availment of complete and timely PNC visits are significant determinants for the utilization of FBD. Moreover, the findings reveal that the probability of mothers having complete and timely PNC visits are associated with the provision of urinalysis services in health centers, amount of transportation costs incurred, child's birth order, and mother's age at first pregnancy. Conclusion The results suggest that, aside from socio-demographic factors,the demand for maternal health care is also an important driver for facility-based delivery. This finding is supported by qualitative responses on beliefs and perceptions regarding MHC services. The significance of supply-side factors especially in a post-disaster setting, such as the availability and accessibility of health care services, is pronounced for prenatal care utilization. These findings provide evidence of the importance of supply and demand-side factors in influencing MHC service utilization at different stages in a post-disaster setting.


Background: Skin disorders are common in adolescents, and the impact on quality of life can be enormous, particularly when viewed against the backdrop of the visibility of skin diseases and the psychologically vulnerable period of adolescence. However, few studies have documented the magnitude of skin disorders in this subset of individuals. We therefore estimated the point prevalence and pattern of dermatologic conditions in adolescents attending various secondary schools in Calabar, Southern Nigeria. Methods: Using a structured questionnaire, relevant sociodemographic information was obtained from 1,447 teenage adolescents from eight secondary schools. Thereafter, a whole body examination was conducted to determine the presence and types of skin disorders seen. Results: Skin diseases were seen in 929 students. The point prevalence was higher in males (72.1%) than in females (58.3%). Private schools had a higher prevalence than public schools. The six most common dermatoses were acne vulgaris, pityriasis versicolor, nevi, tinea, miliaria, and keloid/hypertrophic scars, and accounted for over 80% of the dermatoses seen. Conclusion: The point prevalence of dermatoses in senior secondary school adolescents was 64.2%. Although a large number of skin disorders were observed, only a handful accounted for a significant proportion of the diseases seen. This increases the ease of training community health workers in the recognition and treatment of common skin diseases. Age, race, and climatic factors are important determinants of skin diseases in adolescents in Nigeria.


In this counterpoint paper we argue that the findings presented by the 'regional strategy' literature do not capture the full array of global activities of the multinational enterprise (MNE). While this literature makes an important contribution to the field by showing that sales and production activities in the MNE are regionally structured, we argue that this assessment is biased for two reasons. First, this approach overly focuses on geographical location of downstream activities, while disregarding that of knowledge creation and other relevant upstream activities in the MNE. Second, the approach associates the firm's value creation only with its internalized activities and does not capture the value created through any activities that are externalized. Many MNEs rely to a significant extent on value creation outside the firm's legal boundaries. We argue that such omissions are likely to lead to biased interpretations using different theoretical lenses, such as the knowledge‐/resource‐based view, internalization theory and more general transaction cost economics. Based on our reasoning, we provide recommendations for future research both within and beyond the 'regional strategy' literature.


Modeling benefits and Quality of Service (QoS) for Multi-Service Architectures (MSAs) is important to enable service providers to offer the best Transport Telematic Services (TTSs) with high societal benefits to users. This study models how different QoS characteristics may influence potential benefits of MSAs for road based freight TTSs. This is achieved by modeling the QoS degradation under conditions of shared resources and including costs associated to such degradation to determine the benefits of the difference between the costs and societal value of the applications. A system performance oriented QoS measure has been introduced in coming up with a MSA benefits model, providing a possibility to capture different quality attributes, desired performance levels, and even the possibility to introduce desired priorities between applications and quality attributes.


Weaving Narrative Nets to Capture Classrooms blends theory and practice in considering qualitative research in education. This book seeks to find an appropriate balance between deep, thoughtful consideration of issues related to qualitative research in education - methods, stances and standards - and practical 'how to' advice for beginning researchers.. The author uses a particular research study he has conducted as an example of the issues addressed and the decisions made in qualitative research. This study includes 'School Stories': a compelling, 56 page, research-based 'novel' of classroom life reflecting on a year in the life of a group of teachers and students.

This book is of interest to graduate students and faculty in educational research. Teachers who are inquiring into their own educational beliefs and practices in disciplined ways, often as part of a graduate degree, and those who supervise and support them, will find valuable, practical advice on conducting and writing research. The book raises questions to be addressed and issues for reflection, rather than making prescriptions.


Dynamic traffic routing refers to the process of (re)directing vehicles at junctions in a traffic network according to the evolving traffic conditions. The traffic management center can determine desired routes for drivers in order to optimize the performance of the traffic network by dynamic traffic routing. However, a traffic network may have thousands of links and nodes, resulting in a large-scale and computationally complex nonlinear, non-convex optimization problem. To solve this problem, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is chosen as the optimization method in this paper because of its powerful optimization heuristic for combinatorial optimization problems. ACO is implemented online to determine the control signal — i.e., the splitting rates at each node. However, using standard ACO for traffic routing is characterized by four main disadvantages: 1. traffic flows for different origins and destinations cannot be distinguished; 2. all ants may converge to one route, causing congestion; 3. constraints cannot be taken into account; and 4. neither can dynamic link costs. These problems are addressed by adopting a novel ACO algorithm with stench pheromone and with colored ants, called Ant Colony Routing (ACR). Using the stench pheromone, the ACR algorithm can distribute the vehicles over the traffic network with less or no traffic congestion, as well as reduce the number of vehicles near some sensitive zones, such as hospitals and schools. With colored ants, the traffic flows for multiple origins and destinations can be represented. The proposed approach is also implemented in a simulation-based case study in the Walcheren area, the Netherlands, illustrating the effectiveness of the approach.


This study entitled ?The Request Strategies Used in High and Low Degree of Imposition by Male and Female Tutees in the Ethics Tutorial Program of Petra Christian University? was done in order to know the influence of degree of imposition toward the request made by the tutees in Ethics Tutorial Program. The writer observed the tutees from every department in making request in situation of high and low degree of imposition. The scope of the study is Sociolinguistic study, because it concerns with the use of language based on the degree of imposition in relation with social factor such as gender. The writer used the theory from Ervin-Tripp (1976) to classify the request uttered by the tutees. She also used the theories about gender and degree of imposition. In order to get the data, the writer used Discourse-Completion Test (DCT) that was originally developed by Blum-Kulka (1982). This method used to investigate the sociolinguistic problem and the writer could control for the specific variable of the situation. The writer and the interviewer asked the students to make request orally and he recorded it. Then, the writer made it into written form as the data. From the study, the writer found that in the situation of high degree of imposition the number of direct strategies is higher than in low degree of imposition. The strategy used is need statements. It might be because they wanted to show the tutor that they really need the tutor carried out the act as soon as possible. The tutees also used permission directives and hints, because they did not want to utter what they want directly since the request is something unusual. The strategy which was not used is imperatives, imbedded imperatives, and non explicit question directives. It might be because they were not accustomed to use that type of request in uttering request. Next, in the situation of low degree of imposition, there were more tutees used permission directives and hints. They used permission directives because they wanted to ask the hearers? willingness to do the request. Besides the permission directives, the tutees also used imperatives. They used imperatives because they wanted the request to be fulfilled as soon as possible. The strategies which were not used were imbedded imperatives and non explicit question directives. It might be because they were not accustomed to use that type of request in uttering request. However, it might mean that the degree of imposition gave influence more to the type of request than the gender itself.


The "cocktail party" effect describes the phenomena in which humans can selectively focus attention to one sound source among competing sound sources, which is an ability that is hampered for hearing impaired individuals. An off-line system has been developed in which a speaker is successfully identified in the presence of competing speakers for short utterances in which features used for identification are monaural, whose feature space represent a 90% data reduction from the original data. This system has also been applied to intraspeaker speech recognition. Wavelets are used to generate the multiresolution time-frequency features that are used to characterize the speech waveform. ALOPEX is an optimization paradigm that incorporates these features into a pattern recognition system through template matching or connectivity weight updating in a feedforward artificial neural network.


Indoor exposure arises from the soils from which the building stands and the building materials used for construction. This is because all building materials contain certain levels of natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th, and 40K. Limestone is the most commonly used building material in Kenya due to its availability and low cost. The limestone from Kitui South has not been mined to process for use but limestone mining and processing plants were being set by the time of this study. This study therefore aimed at evaluating the suitability of the limestone for use as a building material before its mining and processing begins. The activity concentrations of the limestone samples were determined and the radium equivalent, external hazard index, gamma activity index and alpha index evaluated. The results showed that the radium equivalent activity for all the samples was below the recommended limit of 370Bqkg-1 and all the radiation hazard indices were below a unit. Therefore, the limestone can be used as building material or for manufacture of building materials without any restrictions.
Keywords: Limestone, Radiation Hazard, Radionuclide, Kitui South
DOI: 10.14331/ijfps.2013.330051


PET imaging scanners based on all-digital architecture offer greater data processing flexibility and the possibility to recalibrate the system with simple software procedures. The LabPET™ scanner, designed at the Université de Sherbrooke, is one such device. It is built around dual LYSO/LGSO scintillators in a phoswich arrangement coupled to Avalanche Photodiodes (APD)and combined with highly parallel readout and processing electronics. This approach enables the implementation of advanced real time digital signal processing methods to compute energy resolution, crystal identification and the arrival time of events. Timing extraction represents the highest challenge because of the low sampling frequency (45 MHz), the quantization error and the presence of a Zero Order Hold (ZOH) in the system. The aim of this paper is to present a method to increase coincidence time accuracy by adequately addressing each of these limitations. The proposed method uses a Deconvolution concept based on adaptive filter theory preceded by Cubic Spline interpolation to improve digital timing performance. The method achieves 4.5 ns, 8.2 ns and 6.5 ns timing resolution with, LYSO-LYSO, LGSO-LGSO and mixed crystals phoswich coincidences, respectively.


The genus Psalidodon Eigenmann, 1911 (Characiformes Characidae) is a fish group with great diversity, expressed at the chromosomal, genetic and taxonomic level. The genus is markedby events of allopatric and vicariant evolution, by the formation of complexes of species andby wide geographical distribution. Both in these fish and other organisms, the association ofstudies with molecular markers and geometric morphometric techniques are useful in delimitingsignificantly evolutionary units (ESU). In this work, we performed maximum likelihood esti-mates (MLE) from mitochondrial Cyt b gene sequences and canonical variables (CVA) from13 landmarks in eight populations of P. aff. paranae Eigenmann, 1914. The analysis of Max-imum likelihood resulted in the structuring of populations in two different clades, one of whichwas composed only of individuals from a small population inhabiting a stream with approxi-mately two km of length, demonstrating their clear distinction from the other populations. Theanalysis of canonical variation demonstrated the complete structuring of this population, andthe position of each clade in the morpho-space was congruent with the topography observedin the MLE. Based on the results found, the existence of a new endemic species of the genusPsalidodon is evident.


Abstract. High-resolution rainfall fields contain numerous zeros (i.e. pixels or time steps with no rain) which are either real or artificial – that is to say associated with the limit of detection of the rainfall measurement device. In this paper we revisit the enduring discussion on the source of this intermittency, e.g. whether it requires specific modelling. We first review the framework of universal multifractals (UM), which are commonly used to analyse and simulate geophysical fields exhibiting extreme variability over a wide range of scales with the help of a reduced number of parameters. However, this framework does not enable properly taking into account these numerous zeros. For example, it has been shown that performing a standard UM analysis directly on the field can lead to low observed quality of scaling and severe bias in the estimates of UM parameters. In this paper we propose a new simple model to deal with this issue. It is a UM discrete cascade process, where at each step if the simulated intensity is below a given level (defined in a scale invariant manner), it only has a predetermined probability to survive and is otherwise set to zero. A threshold can then be implemented at the maximum resolution to mimic the limit of detection of the rainfall measurement device. While also imperfect, this simple model enables explanation of most of the observed behaviour, e.g. the presence of scaling breaks, or the difference between statistics computed for single events or longer periods.


A noise maker is a tool that seeds a concurrent program with conditional synchronization primitives, such as yield(), for the purpose of increasing the likelihood that a bug manifest itself. We introduce a novel fault model that classifies locations as "good", "neutral", or "bad," based on the effect of a thread switch at the location. Using the model, we explore the terms under which an efficient search for real-life concurrent bugs can be conducted. We accordingly justify the use of probabilistic algorithms for this search and gain a deeper insight of the work done so far on noise- making. We validate our approach by experimenting with a set of programs taken from publicly available multi-threaded benchmarks. Our empirical evidence demonstrates that real-life behavior is similar to one derived from the model.


"The Biographical History of Basketball" gives readers a much-needed antidote to basketball's historical amnesia. Author Peter C. Bjarkman presents entertaining and fact-filled career summaries of the sport's great players, its ground-breaking coaches and administrators, and its other often-forgotten and less-publicized figures, who authored developments crucial to basketball's century-long evolution. While baseball buffs can usually cite chapter and verse for the diamond sport's most memorable events and personages, basketball fans often have little collective memory of the game's past heroes and milestones, especially those of the nine decades preceding Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. "The Biographical History of Basketball" sends readers on a nostalgic trip through the entire 100-year span of hoops history with personal portraits and little-known facts about the 500 most significant on- and off-court personalities of the game's past and present. Detailing the feats of the men and women who are responsible for elevating basketball to its current status as the new American national pastime, Bjarkman gives readers a fascinating glimpse into the lives of some of the game's prominent players - past and present - including James Naismith, Phog Allen, and Doc Meanwell; on-court innovators Hank Luisetti, George Mikan, and Bob Cousy; legendary Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Red Auerbach; and modern-era idols like Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal and Grant Hill. Peter C. Bjarkman is one of the country's leading historians and author of more than 30 books on the history of basketball and baseball. A winner of the 1994 Macmillan-SABR award for best baseball research, he is a longtime resident of Lafayette, Indiana.


Abstract: Understanding the mechanisms involved in tree species maturation, related mainly to ontogenetic age effects, has contributed significantly to the vegetative propagation process of Brazilian native tree species, with consequent application of clonal forestry. A number of methodologies has been developed to rescue and vegetatively propagate these species for silvicultural and environmental restoration purposes. However, the types and purposes of propagation, as well as the choice of suitable processes and propagules considering the intended objectives, still need to be better aligned. In addition, there is an evident knowledge gap and great potential regarding the use of native tree species in Brazilian clonal forestry, indicating the need of a greater interaction between studies on the vegetative propagation and vigor of these materials in the field. Therefore, this review aims to help understand the different types of techniques used and their application on the vegetative propagation and clonal forestry of Brazilian native tree species, besides proposing a schematic sequence of the stages involved in these processes for productive and environmental purposes.


In low-income and post-conflict countries, and particularly in rural areas, citizens often pay a range of 'taxes' that differ substantially from statutory policies. These 'informal taxes', paid to a variety of state and non-state actors, are frequently overlooked in analyses of local systems of taxation. This is problematic as it leads to misunderstandings of individual and household tax burdens, as well as of systems of local governance. This study thus seeks to capture the reality of taxation in peripheral areas of Sierra Leone. It is based on a taxpayer survey covering 1,129 heads of households, in-depth interviews with government and chiefdom officials, and focus group discussions with community stakeholders across three rural districts of Sierra Leone. We describe the variety, extent, magnitude, and enforcement mechanisms associated with different types of taxes, finding that non-state informal revenue collection is highly prevalent, representing a significant proportion of taxes paid by individuals. Exploring taxpayer perceptions of the different types of taxes, we find positive perceptions of payments levied by non-state actors relative to those levied by local and central governments in terms of fairness, transparency, accountability, and service provision. We conclude by considering the implications of these findings, particularly in the context of on-going fiscal decentralisation reforms in Sierra Leone.


It has been argued that only humans have volitional control of their vocalizations and that this ability allowed for the evolution of speech. Here we argue that recent studies in chimpanzees suggest that they do, in fact have some degree of voluntary control of both their vocalizations as well as their facial expressions. We further argue, based on recent studies, that chimpanzees understand the functional significance of using vocalizations or sounds in communicative and social contexts, specifically as a means of obtaining the attention of an otherwise inattentive human. The ability of chimpanzees to voluntarily produce and functionally manipulate social agents with vocal signals may be an important precursor in the evolution of human spoken language.


After genotype 1 (GT1), genotype 3 (GT3) is the second most common hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype worldwide, with an estimated worldwide prevalence of 54.3 million. As its high prevalence already represents a significant burden, this genotype appears to be one of the most difficult to treat using all oral therapies, which is of importance as it is associated with more rapid fibrosis progression and disproportionately increased risks of steatosis (fatty liver disease) and hepatocellular carcinoma. Outstanding developments in clinical research in the last few years have led to the development of direct-acting antivirals, but GT3 still represents a challenge yet to be addressed, and is a clear unmet medical need, especially with associated comorbidities (advanced, liver disease, pre and post-transplant patients, HIV/HCV co-infected patients). The 65th American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Annual Meeting, The Liver Meeting® 2014, took place in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on 7th–11th November 2014. This review will summarise the highlights of this meeting on the future of GT3 HCV treatment within pivotal clinical trials.


Objective. To assess the interobserver reliability between sonographers with different levels of experience in detecting inflammatory and structural damage abnormalities in patients with knee OA. Methods. After achieving consensus on definitions and scanning protocols, three ultrasonographers with different levels of experience in musculoskeletal US examined the knees of nine patients with OA. US examinations were conducted with independent blinded evaluations of inflammatory (joint effusion, synovial hypertrophy, power Doppler signal, Baker's cysts) and structural (osteophytes, cortical bone irregularities, femoral hyaline cartilage abnormalities, protrusion of the medial meniscus) lesions. All abnormalities were scored by applying a dichotomous scale (0 1). In addition, at each knee joint site global scores for joint inflammation, cortical bone abnormalities and cartilage damage were calculated by summing the single-lesion scores. Reliability was assessed using kappa (k) coefficients. Results. Seventeen knees were examined. Inflammatory abnormalities were observed with moderate to very good agreement (k= 0.55 0.88) between the observers. From fair to very good agreement (k= 0.31 0.82) was registered between sonographers for structural damage lesions. The overall k was 0.716 for junior and 0.571 for beginner sonographers comparing their findings with those of senior sonographers. Conclusion. This represents the first ultrasonographic study focusing on the analysis of interobserver reliability between sonographers with different levels of experience in demonstrating inflammatory and structural abnormalities in knee OA. Globally, even considering some variable results that were mainly obtained by the evaluation of single components of bone involvement, US offered a reliable assessment of a wide set of abnormalities in knee OA.


Abstract Introduction We present a single-center experience with very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with focal intestinal perforation (FIP), comparing the results of primary anastomosis (PA) and stoma opening (SO). Materials and Methods Clinical records of VLBW infants with FIP who underwent surgery between 2006 and 2015 were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the procedure performed: limited bowel resection and PA or SO. Patients with gastric perforation or patients who underwent clip and drop were excluded. Information regarding birth weight (BW), gestational age (GA), weight at surgery (WS), number of abdominal reoperations, duration of parenteral nutrition (PN), and demise was recorded. Results In this study, 40 patients were included: 22 in PA group and 18 in SO group. BW was 865 g in PA and 778 in SO (p-value: 0.2). GA was 26.1 weeks in PA and 25.6 in SO (p-value: 0.3). WS was 1,014 g in PA and 842 in SO (p-value: 0.09). Duration of surgery was 115 minutes in PA and 122 in SO (p-value: 0.67). Five patients (23%) belonging to PA group developed complications and required SO. Five patients (23%) demised in PA group and six (33%) in SO (p-value: 0.2). Seventeen abdominal reoperations were performed in PA group and 22 in SO group (p-value: 0.08). Conclusion Both procedures appear to be safe. When possible, PA should be performed as it reduces the number of abdominal reinterventions.


In this study, we explore how the differences in soil moisture accounting affect the estimation of actual soil evaporation ( E ) and transpiration ( T ). The main objective is, therefore, a comparative assessment of a vapor flux estimation method which has explicit soil moisture accounting, against a vapor flux estimation method that uses satellite observed soil moisture data. Three methods with different representations of water supply dynamics are compared: (1) ETLook, wherein E and T are estimated using Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer – Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) derived soil moisture data; (2) a simple evaporation transpiration scheme (SETS) that has a similar vaporization representation as ETLook but with soil moisture accounting based on the MOSAIC Land Surface Model; and (3) SETS-AMS which is similar to SETS except that the AMSR-E derived soil moisture controls the top layer mass balance. The schemes are compared on the Indus River Basin for the year 2007 at 1 km spatial resolution. The results suggest that downward soil water flux influences the estimation of E and T . This effect is especially dominant in areas with high soil moisture content. The comparative assessment reveals how lack of explicit soil moisture accounting may lead to an overestimation of E and underestimation of T , especially in irrigated areas.


Many federal, state, local and private entities are investing significant resources in disaster readiness initiatives. Often disregarded, however, are the special needs of vulnerable populations during disasters. In the context of emergencies, vulnerable groups may include individuals with disabilities, pregnant women, children, the elderly, prisoners, members of ethnic minorities, people with language barriers, and the impoverished. The fate of the disadvantaged during disasters has received little attention in the legal literature, and this article begins to fill that gap. It examines ethical theories of distributive justice and existing federal and state civil rights and emergency response laws and argues that vulnerable populations are entitled to significant protection under existing legal and ethical frameworks. It also, however, highlights the shortcomings of the contemporary statutory scheme insofar as it addresses the needs of the disadvantaged during disasters and urges that it be supplemented by additional requirements. The Article argues that for vulnerable populations, successful disaster response is dependent upon careful planning and develops a detailed proposal for statutory provisions that will mandate adequate preparation to safeguard the welfare of the vulnerable in emergencies.


Efficient routes to alpha-tert-butyl- and alpha-iso-propyl-ortho-hydroxybenzylamines 1a and 1b are described. Highly enantioenriched 1a and 1b were obtained by resolution of the methoxy derivatives 2 by recrystallization of the salts formed with mandelic acid followed by Lewis acid mediated demethylation. The chiral 1,3-amino alcohol 1a has also been obtained in an asymmetric synthesis with the key step a diastereoselective alkylation of the imine obtained by condensation of o-anisaldehyde with phenyl glycinol. The absolute stereochemistry of these 1,3-aminophenols was determined by CD spectroscopy of the salicylideneamines 12 and by an X-ray structure analysis of the salt formed between (R)-mandelic acid and (S)-alpha-tert-butyl-ortho-methoxybenzylamine ((S)-2a).


: When escapee farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar interbreed with wild fish, the introgression of maladaptive genes can lower wild population productivity and alter key life his-tory traits. To date, only a few European studies have compared wild, farm, and hybrid salmon under common conditions in the wild, isolating the influence of genetics on survival and fitness-related traits. Here, we examined the performance of experimentally derived Atlantic salmon fry from 4 cross types (wild, farm, and reciprocal F 1 hybrids) during the first summer of growth at 3 locations in southern Newfoundland. Overall survival was high, with the cross type rank order consistent across sites (mean percent recaptured: wild-mother hybrids 26.2% ≈ wild 26.0% > farm 19.2% > farm-mother hybrids 12.8%). Wild fish were smaller than wild-mother hybrids and farm fish, though differed less in size from farm-mother hybrids. At 2 out of 3 sites, wild-mother hybrids were larger than wild and farm-mother hybrid fish but had only a small size advantage over farm fish. Shape differences were small and mainly related to body depth, with the largest differences between wild and farm fish. Wild-mother hybrids had fewer parr marks than other cross types at a single site, and though differences in the size of marks were minimal, farm fish tended to have the narrowest marks. Overall, these results show that genetic differences exist for fitness-related traits among wild, farm, and hybrid juveniles, even over short temporal scales and under favourable environmental conditions, and may contribute to patterns of reduced farm-mother hybrid and feral farm survival in the wild.


ABSTRACT This article examines the relationship between preschool quality and children's early development in a sample of over 7900 children enrolled in 578 preschools in rural Indonesia. Quality was measured by: (1) classroom observations using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R); (2) teacher characteristics; and (3) structural characteristics of preschools. Children's development was measured using the Early Development Instrument (EDI). The article proposes two methodological improvements to preschool quality studies. First, an instrumental variable approach is used to correct for measurement error. Second, ECERS-R is adjusted to the local context by contrasting items with Indonesia's national preschool standards. Results show that observed classroom quality is a significant and meaningful positive predictor of children's development once models correct for measurement error and apply a locally-adapted measure of classroom quality. In contrast, teacher characteristics and structural characteristics are not significant predictors of child development, while holding observed classroom quality constant.


In the cellular network, the NLOS(Non-Line-of-Sight) propagation of signals is the key factor of affecting positioning accuracy. Based on the COST259 model, this paper is aimed at selecting the best measurements from all of the measuring combinations by residual sorting and changing the weight coefficient with modifying the covariance matrix in Chan algorithm, the integration of the above two measures can mitigate the NLOS errors effectively. The simulation results show that the amended algorithm can improve the location accuracy and efficiency in the condition of NLOS propagation to some extent and meet the demands of E-911.


Background: Hundreds of mental health apps are available to the general public. With increasing pressures on healthcare systems. they offer a potential way for people to support their mental health and wellbeing. However, while many are highly rated by users, few are evidence-based. Equally, our understanding of what makes apps engaging and valuable to users is limited. Objective: The aim of this paper was to analyse functionality and user opinions of mobile applications (apps) purporting to support Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for depression and to explore key factors that have impact on user experience and support engagement. Methods: We systematically identified apps described as being based on CBT for depression. We then conducted two studies. In the first, we analysed the therapeutic functionality of apps. This corroborated existing work on apps' fidelity to CBT theory, but we also extended prior work by examining features designed to support user engagement. Engagement features found in CBT apps for depression were compared with those found in a larger group of apps that support mental wellbeing in a more general sense. Our second study involved a more detailed examination of user experience, through a thematic analysis of publicly available user reviews of CBT apps for depression. Results: We identified 31 apps that purport to be based on CBT for depression. Functionality analysis (Study 1) showed that they offered an eclectic mix of features, including many not based on CBT practice. CBT apps used less varied engagement features compared to 253 other mental wellbeing apps. The analysis of 1,287 user reviews of CBT apps for depression (Study 2) showed that apps are used in a wide range of contexts, both replacing and augmenting therapy, and allowing users to take active role in supporting their mental health and wellbeing. Users, including health professionals, valued and used apps that incorporated both core CBT and non-CBT elements, but concerns were also expressed regarding the unsupervised use of apps. Positivity was seen as important to engagement, e.g. in the context of automatic thoughts, users express a preference to capture not just negative, but also positive ones. Privacy, security and trust were crucial to the user experience. Conclusions: CBT apps for depression need to do a better job of incorporating evidencebased CBT elements. Equally, a positive user experience is dependent on other design factors, including consideration of varying contexts of use. App designers should be able to clearly identify the therapeutic basis of their apps, but they should also draw on evidencebased strategies to support a positive and engaging user experience. The most effective apps are likely to strike a balance between evidence-based CBT strategies and evidencebased design strategies, including the possibility of eclectic therapeutic techniques.


Introduction: The purpose of this study was to validate acceleration data from a single inertial sensor containinga tri-axial accelerometer, whilst running overground during a prolonged run against a motion analysis system.

Methods: An inertial sensor was placed on the low back of 10 runners who performed an 8 km run on a treadmill.To provide validation of the sensor, data were collected as runners ran along a runway through a motion analysis system at the beginning and throughout the run.Results: High levels of agreement between the two systems were found in the craniocaudal and mediolateral acceleration, with antero posterior having the least agreement with greatest Typical Error of the Estimate (0.66 sample points). Very high to extremely high correlations across all testing times were found in all three directions of accelerations (r=0.75 to 0.95). Heel strike and toe off events were identified in anteroposterior and craniocaudal acceleration, with high levels of agreement and extremely high correlations (r=0.99) between the two systems.Minimal variation and change in agreement and correlation between the data at each testing time were found.

Discussion: This study provides evidence that a single inertial sensor placed on the low back is valid for measuring three-dimensional acceleration in overground running during a prolonged run. Further analysis identified specific events of heel strike and toe off and were comparable between the two systems. The minimal variation and change in agreement between the two systems during the run indicates the adherence method of the inertial sensor was suitable.

Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that data collected from a single inertial sensor is highly correlated with simultaneous data collected using a motion analysis system, and has the capability to identify heelstrike and toe off events in overground running throughout a prolonged fatiguing run.


Manually labeling objects by tracing their boundaries is a laborious process. In [7, 2], the authors proposed PolygonRNN that produces polygonal annotations in a recurrent manner using a CNN-RNN architecture, allowing interactive correction via humans-in-the-loop. We propose a new framework that alleviates the sequential nature of PolygonRNN, by predicting all vertices simultaneously using a Graph Convolutional Network (GCN). Our model is trained endto-end. It supports object annotation by either polygons or splines, facilitating labeling efficiency for both line-based and curved objects. We show that Curve-GCN outperforms all existing approaches in automatic mode, including the powerful PSP-DeepLab [8, 23] and is significantly more efficient in interactive mode than Polygon-RNN++. Our model runs at 29.3ms in automatic, and 2.6ms in interactive mode, making it 10x and 100x faster than Polygon-RNN++.


This article studies the efficient market hypothesis for the Istanbul Stock Exchange National 100 (ISEN 100) price index within the Lumsdaine and Papell two structural breaks unit root test framework. The main finding of the article shows that the ISEN 100 index is characterized by a unit root with two structural breaks, which is consistent with the efficient market hypothesis. In addition, the article applies the augmented Dickey–Fuller test, runs test and the variance-ratio test to test the weak-form efficiency of the ISEN 100. The analyses are repeated for three sub-periods delineated in view of the endogenously determined break points.