During the summer of 2010, unfamiliar symptoms of fruit rot were frequently observed on different Tunisian olive (Olea europaea) cultivars. These symptoms appeared to be associated with the damage caused by the olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae). At first, infected olives showed a brown color and then fruits begin to depress until they become completely mummified and fall immaturely. This problem was more pronounced on table olive cultivars (Ascolana, Meski, and Picholine) in the northern Tunisian regions (Nabeul), with an infection incidence of 65%. Infected Ascolana olives were disinfected with 70% ethanol for 2 min, rinsed in sterile distilled water, and air dried. Several pieces were cut and placed on acidified (2.5 ml of a 25% [vol/vol] solution of lactic acid per liter of medium) potato dextrose agar medium (PDA). All plates were incubated at 25°C for 4 days under continuous fluorescent light. A fast-growing fungus with an abundant, aerial mycelium, which was gradually veering from white to dark gray, was constantly isolated. On the reverse side of the colonies, an olive green coloration spread to the edge and became darker from the center until the underside was completely black. Conidia produced on the PDA plate were hyaline, single or double cell, ellipsoid, with a subobtuse apex and a truncate base, and averaged 22.70 × 5.32 μm. Conidiophores were hyaline, cylindrical, smooth, branched at the base, with an average of 14 to 24 × 2 to 3 μm. Pathogenicity of an isolate was conducted by dipping 20 olives wounded by a sterilized scalpel in a conidial suspension (105 conidia/ml), covering inoculated olives with moisture filter paper, and incubating them in a polyethylene bag under darkness at 25°C. Controls however, were wounded and dipped in sterile distillated water. Seven days after the inoculation, olives showed a brown color covering half of the fruit. Later (15 days after), this browning was accentuated and several black pycnidia were observed. Forty days after inoculation, fruits were completely dried out and the kernel was already appearing. Controls, however, remained totally healthy. Koch's postulates was then verified and showed that pure cultures were obtained after reisolations from inoculated olives, whereas the controls were free of the fungus. BLAST analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of rDNA of one isolate showed 99% identity with the ITS sequence of Botryosphaeria dothidea (GenBank Accession No. FM955381.1). Species of the family of Botryosphaeriaceae are common pathogens causing fruit rot and dieback of many woody plants (3). Drupe rot problem caused by B. dothidea was reported on olives in Greece (4) and southern Italy (2). It was reported that the fungus invades the drupes through the wounds caused by the olive fruit fly and may even be transmitted by it (1), and recently Moral et al. (3) suggested that the olive fruit fly is essential for the initiation of the disease on the fruit. To our knowledge, this is the first report of fruit rot of olives caused by B. dothidea in Tunisia. References: (1) N. González et al. Bol. San. Veg. Plagas 32:709, 2006. (2) C. Lazzizera et al. Plant Pathol. 57:948, 2008. (3) J. Moral et al. Phytopathology 100:1340, 2010. (4) A. J. L Phillips et al. Mycopathology 159:433, 2005.


The buckling behavior of thin-walled steel structures under load is still imperfectly understood, in spite of much research over the past 50 years. In this paper, the buckling behaviors of H-section columns under compression have been simulated with ANSYS. In the analysis, contact pairs between column ends and end blocks have been introduced into the model, and the load carrying capacity of the columns with four kinds of end constraint conditions and various typical initial geometric imperfections has been calculated and discussed. The results indicate that the load carrying capacity is most sensitive to the flexural imperfection, and the constraint condition cannot change the imperfection sensitivity of a column under compression, but improving restrain condition can heighten the load carrying capacity. They are helpful to the use and the tolerance control in the manufacture process of thin-walled H-section steel structures.


This paper reports on a pilot research project aimed at helping to develop some strategic and reasoning abilities in primary school pupils by engaging them in educational itineraries based on the use of a number of computer mind games. The paper briefly describes the project's aims and organization, the kind of games used and the working methodology adopted. It then focuses on some of the cognitive abilities activated by the games. Finally, some pedagogical considerations derived from the study are provided which may support teachers and researchers who are interested in this topic and need some practical advice and recommendations on introducing games in classroom activities.


An aerial census of adult male Eiders Somateria mollissima gathered in postbreeding flocks was made in the Baltic Sea on 29 May-5 June 1973. The dense flocks gather at traditional sites soon after the females start to incubate. 271,000 males were counted, mostly from photographs. This figure was corrected to approximately 297,000, including males still in the breeding areas, males migrating south out of the Baltic to Danish moulting areas and underestimations of numbers in flocks seen. The sex ratio was approximately 1:1, both in counts during spring-migration and on the breeding grounds. Thus the number of adult Eiders was about 594,000 specimens, or 297,000 pairs. This figure corresponds roughly with estimates from winter counts and radar studies of north-migration. The method of censusing Eider males in the Baltic, with male counts in postbreeding flocks, is suggested for monitoring purposes.


University governance is the process of policy making at the highest level within the institutional framework so that the university as an organization could be organized and managed according to its purpose of establishment. There are several theories that can describe governance practice. Structural theory, political theory, and open systems theory have been referred to as the theories that are able to provide partial explanation for governance practice. In practice, university governance has changed over the last quarter of a century and universities are increasingly encountered with complex issues that demand better solutions. This study has been conducted on seven members of the universities' Board of Directors from the Malaysian public universities to gain an insight into their understanding on the importance of governance as well as to find out the key elements affecting governance activities according to their experiences. Utilizing the qualitative approach, despite documents analysis, interviews with seven members of the University Board of Directors from two public universities were conducted and each interviewee was asked a semi structured open ended questions following an interview protocol. The findings suggest that there is no single theory that could best described the tenability of the governance process in Malaysia, but rather there are combinations of the structural, political and open system theories to describe the characteristics of the Malaysian public universities and how governance works in Malaysia. Several concerns have also been pointed out that have affected the governance practice. These include the aspects of university autonomy, leadership, power of the Board of Directors, representation in the Board, and laws on university governance. There should be an enabling and supportive framework so that the Board of Directors can contribute more effectively in the governance practice.  Key words: board of director, governance, public university, leadership


This book contains updated papers from the 2nd Annual MAA (Moot Alumni Association) Peter Schlechtriem CISG Conference which was held in March 2010. The contributors cover a variety of topics related to the UN Convention on the Sales of Goods (CISG), ranging from empirical research to issues of uniformity. The subjects discussed include the global acceptance of the CISG, CISG arbitration, legal education on CISG, CISG and electronic communication, the applicability of CISG, and the role of CISG in Asia. Table of Contents: New Challenges for the Uniformisation of Laws: How the CISG Is Challenged by "Asian Values" and Islamic Law * The Application and Use of the CISG in South Korea * Yin & Yang: A Comparison of Monetary Remedies in International Investment and Transnational Commercial Disputes * Incorporation of Standard Terms under the CISG and Electronic Communication * The Reach of the CISG in China: Declarations and Applicability to Hong Kong and Macao * Teaching the CISG at UK Universities: An Empirical Study of Frequency and Method of Introducing the CISG to UK Students in the Light of the Desirability of the Adoption of the CISG by the UK * Global Sales Law: Theory and Practice * The Diversity of Favor Contractus: The Impact of the CISG on Japan's Civil Code and Its Reform * Iura Novit Curia and the CISG: Resolution of the Faux Procedural Black Hole * Japan after Acceding to the CISG: Should We Consider Ratifying the Limitation Convention Next? * Hong Kong's Adoption of the CISG: Why Do We Need It Now? * Facilitating Regional Economic Integration: ASEAN, ATIGA, and the CISG


This paper considers the application of a low-force robotic manipulator to guide a human user's movements to place a tool (or the user's hand) at a predetermined position or move it along a predetermined trajectory. This application is potentially useful, e.g., skill training for humans, rehabilitation, and human-machine coordination in the manufacturing industry. A proportional-derivative (PD)-type position control can be used for this application, but the parameters for the controller should be appropriately chosen for enhancing the human performance of positioning and trajectory tracking. We hypothesize that the robot's position control should be stiff and appropriately slow, i.e., the proportional gain should be high and the time constant (the ratio of the derivative gain to the proportional gain) should be appropriately large. Such characteristic has been difficult to be realized in ordinary PD position control because it requires direct high-gain velocity feedback. However, our recent technique, which is proxy-based sliding mode control (PSMC), is capable of producing such a hypothetically preferred response and allows us to empirically validate the hypothesis. The results of experiments using two distinctly different robotic devices supported the hypothesis, showing that the time constant should be set around 0.1 s rather than 0.01 and 0.5 s.


"[N]either Method nor Theory alone can be taken as part of the actual work of the social studies. In fact, both are often just the opposite: they are statesmanlike withdrawals from the problems of social science. Usually, we have seen, they are based on some grand model of inquiry with which other people are beat on the head. That this grand model is not capable of altogether full use is not, perhaps, too important, for it may still be used ritualistically."
(Mills 1970 (originally 1959): 136).

This paper aims to present the Hamburg sociologist Gerhard Kleining's perspective on the methodology of qualitative social research to an English-speaking audience. In a context where methodological discussion seems to have become more or less concentrated on specific fields there may be some value in opening up otherwise neglected issues and in presenting unfamiliar perspectives on familiar problems, even if that means seeming a bit nai¶¥. By exploring Kleining's central argument, that direct discovery (and not simply interpretation) of social reality can be made possible by a strategy of openness (rather than closure) in research, I want to examine some of the destinations that we might reach by following alternative paths (1).

In this paper I will try to bracket as far as possible the question of whether Kleining is right in his arguments. This is partly a "post-methodological" move: I think that some of the issues raised by the question are ultimately unresolveable ones, at least within the social sciences. The argument between materialist and idealist approaches is a case in point: we can cite philosophers and psychologists to support our own points of view, but it is not clear to me that as social scientists we can resolve these issues (if in fact a resolution is possible). Similarly, the argument between relational conceptions of humanity and what has become known as "methodological individualism" (2) (Elster 1985: 5-8) may not be open to a genuine resolution except insofar as so many qualifiers are built in to the models as to render them indistinguishable in practice. The argument between rational and explicitly non-rational modes of thought is by definition not one which can be resolved through discussion (3). Lastly, I think it may be impossible to devise a method to demonstrate the validity of any statement about how human beings investigate the validity of statements about themselves. "Human beings", says Marx, "have to demonstrate the truth, i.e. the reality and power, the this-worldliness of their thought, in practice" (Marx n.d.: 113), and this is as far as I want to take the matter of ultimate validity.

My aim in this paper, then, will be simply to demonstrate the interest of Kleining's approach; I will first give an account of it in its own terms. Following this, I will attempt to isolate some important theoretical points about the approach, particularly in relation to a Marxist tradition. Lastly, I will try to identify some useful insights into problems of practical research which are offered or opened up by this approach.


This paper presents an implementation and experimental investigation of sensorless speed control schemes for a variable-speed permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) in super-high speed (>50000 rpm) applications. A very wide speed range (500-100000 rpm) and extremely low stator impedance of the motor demand very special requirements to the associated power converter and control algorithms. Position sensorless control is necessary because it is difficult to measure the rotor position by reliable position sensors. A testing system for super-high speed PMSM operation has been built and the feasibility of open-loop control modes has been examined. A closed-loop sensorless vector control scheme has been developed in which a self-tuning rotor position observer and an adaptive flux-weakening scheme are included. Experimental results of both open- and closed-loop schemes operating up to 60000 rpm are presented.


Objectives: To estimate and compare the spent time and the intra/inter-observer reliability and agreement from methods of measuring fetal head and trunk volume (FV) between 11w0d and 13w6d. Methods: 2 observers measured FV from fetuses with crownrump length (CRL) = 45–84 mm. FV was measured using 30◦ step rotation evaluating unmodified multiplanar view (UMV = just placing the fetal chest on the central point) delineating the fetus in any plane, and standardized multiplanar view (SMV = fetal sagittal plane should in A plan, head to the left, back lying down, with the central point just below fetal heart) delineating the fetus in both A (SMV-A = fetus rotated over its small axis) and C plane (SMV-C = fetus rotated over its long axis). We also evaluate whether reducing step rotation using 15◦ and 9◦ could improve reliability/agreement using only the method with the best results in the first part of the study. We used Kolmogorov-Smirnov; repeated measures ANOVA to assess systematic errors and time spent; intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to assess reliability; and limits of agreement (LoA) width to assess agreement. Results: 40 fetuses were examined. No systematic errors were observed. Reliability and agreement were better for SMV-C. Reducing step rotation didn't improve the results (table 1). Less time was spent using UMV and larger rotation steps. Conclusions: SMV-C using 30◦ was the best method to assess FV.


Midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons include many subtypes characterized by their location, connectivity and function. Surprisingly, mechanisms underpinning the specification of A9 neurons [responsible for motor function, including within ventral midbrain (VM) grafts for treating Parkinson's disease (PD)] over adjacent A10, remains largely speculated. We assessed the impact of synaptic targeting on survival, integration, and phenotype acquisition of dopaminergic neurons within VM grafts generated from fetal tissue or human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). VM progenitors were grafted into female mice with 6OHDA-lesions of host midbrain dopamine neurons, with some animals also receiving intrastriatal quinolinic acid (QA) injections to ablate medium spiny neurons (MSN), the A9 neuron primary target. While loss of MSNs variably affected graft survival, it significantly reduced striatal yet increased cortical innervation. Consequently, grafts showed reduced A9 and increased A10 specification, with more DA neurons failing to mature into either subtype. These findings highlight the importance of target acquisition on DA subtype specification during development and repair. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Parish and colleagues highlight, in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease (PD), the importance of synaptic target acquisition in the survival, integration and phenotypic specification of grafted dopamine neurons derived from fetal tissue and human stem cells. Ablation of host striatal neurons resulted in reduced dopamine neuron survival within grafts, re-routing of dopamine fibers from striatal to alternate cortical targets and a consequential reduced specification of A9 dopamine neurons (the subpopulation critical for restoration of motor function) and increase in A10 DA neurons.


pathogenesis of these diseases do not address this complexity. Our lab has previously published a protocol for generation of intestinal tissue in vitro (Human Intestinal Organoids or HIOs) from human pluripotent stem cells (Spence et al. 2011, Mc Cracken et al. 2012). This protocol is limited because these HIOs lack the regional identity of intestinal tissue affected by Crohn's and Colitis, the ileum and colon. Furthermore, these HIOs lack innate and adaptive immune cells which can perpetuate inflammation in IBD. Here we present a method for generating both HIOs and Human Colonic Organoids (HCOs) which contain innate immune cells capable of mounting an inflammatory response. HCOs have both monocyte and granulocyte lineages present within the stromal compartment of the organoid. The generation of HCOs with macrophages and neutrophils will allow interrogation of pathways regulating inflammation as well as the interactions between epithelial cells and innate immune cells. Methods: HIOs and HCOs were generated by modifying our previously published protocol. RNA-seq data was used to identify an immune cell signature in HCOs. Expression of PU.1 and CD68 organoids was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining and confocal imaging using human biopsy samples as controls. Cytokine expression was measured using Luminex arrays. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced necrosis was analyzed using wholemount confocal microscopy. Results: We have engineered HCOs containing immune cells expressing PU.1, a marker of both primitive and definitive hematopoietic cells. In addition, HCOs contain cells which express the macrophage markers CD14, CD68 and C163 as detected by RNA-seq. A 3 days treatment of engineered HCOs with media containing inhibitors of p38 MAPK and TGF-B signaling, as well as leu-Gastrin and Nicotinamide (SAGN), also allows the generation of cells which express myeloperoxidase (a neutrophil marker) suggesting engineered HCOs contain precursors of both the monocyte and granulocyte lineage. Interestingly HCOs express significantly higher levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, CCL3 and CCL4 (as measured by Luminex Arrays) compared to HIOs but did not express higher levels of TNFa. In addition, engineered HCOs are hyper-responsive to stimulation with LPS and become increasingly necrotic when compared to HIOs. This is consistent with the increased expression of the LPS co-receptor CD14 in HCOs compared to HIOs. Conclusions: The generation of HCOs from human pluripotent stem cells will allow the study of complex cell-cell interactions which may be relevant to pathogenesis of IBD. Since HCOs can be generated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSCs), HCOs can potentially be generated from colitis patients with specific mutations to determine the effect of the mutated gene on innate immunity, mesenchymal signaling and epithelial integrity. In addition, since HCOs display inflammation without external triggers, they could be used for drug screening.


The synthesis of AlN via self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) was attempted, using various ratio of Al powder mixed with AlN powder as diluents. Al and AlN powder mixtures with various weight ratios were ignited a nitrogen atmosphere with various amounts of carbon as additives. High crystalline AlN by SHS were successfully synthesized. The microstructure development during the reaction and the influence of these additives were determined by SEM and XRD analysis. A mechanism for the formation of high purity AlN with a very low content of residual oxygen (<0.8wt %) was proposed.


At the approach of its centenary, the Mexican Revolution begun in 1910 is the place of a public memory in trouble. Named half-heartedly, it finds badly its place in weak remembrances almost completely refugiees in the bicentenary of the revolution of Independence (1810-1821). Coincidence, nevertheless, of anniversaries, which feeds at some the expectation of 2010 so revolutionary: the Revolution would be One, it would reappear depths of the Nation every hundred years. Registered among the big movements of masses of the XXth century, this revolution inspired programs of agrarian reform in diverse latitudes and exported the emblems of its political and social demands under the names of Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa. As commemorative site, the Mexican Revolution makes the expenses of its instrumentalisation prolonged by the State, an appropriation which associated it to the party of State during of long decades, «to nationalize» it then.


The present work aimed to model the growth curves of male and female turkeys with respect to their live weight-age relationships and to determine a non-linear model explaining their growth curve better. For this purpose four different non-linear models were used to define growth curves of turkeys, namely Gompertz, Logistic, Morgan-Mercer-Flodin (MMF), and Richards. The coefficients of determination for these models were 0.9975, 0.9937, 0.9993, and 0.9966 for females and 0.9974, 0.9933, 0.9993, and 0.9969 for males, respectively. Considering model selection criteria, Gompertz, Logistic and Richards models seen to be suitable models for explaining Large White turkey growth.


Background:  In the intermediate phase of schooling, learners' academic success is largely dependent on their ability to read and write academic texts. Teachers need to teach academic language intentionally and explicitly. In order for teachers to do this, they themselves need knowledge of academic language and its features. Teacher education students, therefore need to be explicitly taught about academic language and provided with sufficient opportunities to develop their own proficiency. Aim:  This article aimed to explore the academic language proficiency of a cross-sectional sample of teacher education students at a Johannesburg university. Setting:  This study took place at a South African university that implements a university-accredited primary school teacher education qualification. The university is located in an urban area, but attracts students from both urban and rural contexts. Methods:  Students' test scores on a core academic language skills instrument were utilised as data for this study, with descriptive and inferential statistical analyses procedures used to make sense thereof. Results:  Findings from a cross-sectional analysis between first- and second-year students' scores indicated that students' academic language proficiency does not appear to improve after their initial year of study. Conclusion:  The article concludes with a discussion of the implication hereof for teacher education and for the profession.


A low-cost adjustable illumination scheme for hand-held photoacoustic imaging probe is presented, manufactured and tested in this paper. Compared with traditional photoacoustic probe design, it has the following advantages: (1) Different excitation modes can be selected as needed. By tuning control parameters, it can achieve bright-field, dark-field, and hybrid field light illumination schemes. (2) The spot-adjustable unit (SAU) specifically designed for beam expansion, together with a water tank for transmitting ultrasonic waves, enable the device to break through the constraints of the transfer medium and is more widely used. The beam-expansion experiment is conducted to verify the function of SAU. After that, we built a PAT system based on our newly designed apparatus. Phantom and in vivo experimental results show different performance in different illumination schemes


Abstract Qualified-agent virtue ethics provides an account of right action in terms of the virtuous agent. It has become one of the most popular, but also most frequently criticized versions of virtue ethics. Many of the objections rest on the mistaken assumption that proponents of qualified-agent virtue ethics share the same view when it comes to fundamental questions about the meaning of the term 'right action' and the function of an account of right action. My aim in this paper is not to defend qualified-agent virtue ethics but to correct this misunderstanding, and this will hopefully leave us in a better position to evaluate it.


The gene coding for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is subject to positive selection by malaria in some human populations. The G6PD A− allele, which is common in sub-Saharan Africa, is associated with deficient enzyme activity and protection from severe malaria. To delimit the impact of selection on patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) and nucleotide diversity, we resequenced 5.1 kb at G6PD and ∼2–3 kb at each of eight loci in a 2.5-Mb region roughly centered on G6PD in a diverse sub-Saharan African panel of 51 unrelated men (including 20 G6PD A−, 11 G6PD A+, and 20 G6PD B chromosomes). The signature of selection is evident in the absence of genetic variation at G6PD and at three neighboring loci within 0.9 Mb from G6PD among all individuals bearing G6PD A− alleles. A genomic region of ∼1.6 Mb around G6PD was characterized by long-range LD associated with the A− alleles. These patterns of nucleotide variability and LD suggest that G6PD A− is younger than previous age estimates and has increased in frequency in sub-Saharan Africa due to strong selection (0.1 < s < 0.2). These results also show that selection can lead to nonrandom associations among SNPs over great physical and genetic distances, even in African populations.


Abstract. The Flow Duration Curve (FDC) set up at a specific site has a key role to the knowledge of the streamflow characteristic at that site. The FDC gives information on the water regime providing important information to optimally manage the water resources of the river. Spite of its importance, because of the lack of streamflow gauging stations, the FDC construction can be a not straightforward task. In ungauged or partially gauged catchments, FDCs are usually built using regionalization methods among the others. In this paper we show that the FDC is not a characteristic of the basin only, but of both the basin and the weather. Different weather conditions lead to different FDC for the same catchment. The differences can often be significant. Similarly, the FDC built at a site for a specific period of time cannot be used to retrieve the FDC at a different site for the same time window. In this paper we propose a new methodology to estimate FDCs at partially gauged basins (i.e., target sites) using discharge and precipitation data gauged at another catchment (i.e., reference catchment). The main idea is that it is possible to retrieve the FDC of a target period of time using the data gauged during a given reference time period for which data are available at both target and reference sites. To test the methodology, several reference and target time periods are analysed and results are shown for two different case study areas. The comparison between estimated and actually observed FDCs show the reasonability of the approach especially for intermediate percentiles.


Importance
Stress imaging has been the standard for diagnosing functionally significant coronary artery disease. It is unknown whether novel, atherosclerotic plaque measures improve accuracy beyond coronary stenosis for diagnosing invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement.

Objective
To compare the diagnostic accuracy of comprehensive anatomic (obstructive and nonobstructive atherosclerotic plaque) vs functional imaging measures for estimating vessel-specific FFR.

Design, Setting, and Participants
Controlled clinical trial of diagnostic accuracy with a multicenter derivation-validation cohort of patients referred for nonemergent invasive coronary angiography. A total of 612 patients (64 [10] years; 30% women) with signs and symptoms suggestive of myocardial ischemia from 23 sites were included. Patients were recruited from 2014 to 2017. Data analysis began in August 2018.

Interventions
Patients underwent invasive coronary angiography with measurement of invasive FFR, coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) quantification of atherosclerotic plaque and FFR by CT (FFR-CT), and semiquantitative scoring of rest/stress myocardial perfusion imaging (by magnetic resonance, positron emission tomography, or single photon emission CT). Multivariable generalized linear mixed models were derived and validated calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve.

Main Outcomes and Measures
The primary end point was invasive FFR of 0.80 or less.

Results
Of the 612 patients, the mean (SD) age was 64 (10) years, and 426 (69.9%) were men. An invasive FFR of 0.80 or less was measured in 26.5% of 1727 vessels. In the derivation cohort, CCTA vessel-specific factors associated with FFR 0.80 or less were stenosis severity, percentage of noncalcified atheroma volume, lumen volume, the number of lesions with high-risk plaque (≥2 of low attenuation plaque, positive remodeling, napkin ring sign, or spotty calcification), and the number of lesions with stenosis greater than 30%. Fractional flow reserve-CT was not additive to this model including stenosis and atherosclerotic plaque. Significant myocardial perfusion imaging predictors were the summed rest and difference scores. In the validation cohort, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.81 for CCTA vs 0.67 for myocardial perfusion imaging (P < .001).

Conclusions and Relevance
A comprehensive anatomic interpretation with CCTA, including quantification of obstructive and nonobstructive atherosclerotic plaque, was superior to functional imaging in the diagnosis of invasive FFR. Comprehensive CCTA measures improve prediction of vessel-specific coronary physiology more so than stress-induced alterations in myocardial perfusion.

Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02173275.


To date, only one species of Temnocephala is known from Chile, Temnocephala chilensis, and three from southern Argentina (Patagonia), namely T. chilensis, Temnocephala dionii, and Temnocephala mexicana. Here we describe a new species of Temnocephala and provide an updated description of T. chilensis based on material found on an anomuran crab (Aeglidae) from southern Chile. Additional hosts and localities are reported for both species in southern Argentina and Chile, and a diagnostic key for all species of Temnocephala hosted on Aegla and Parastacidae is included as well. In southern Chile, both T. chilensis and the new species were found on the crayfish Samastacus spinifrons and on the anomuran crabs Aegla abtao and Aegla alacalufi; in addition, the new species was found on Aegla manni, and T. chilensis on Aegla rostrata. In southern Argentina, T. chilensis and the new species were found on Aegla riolimayana and S. spinifrons. Based on their shared traits (morphology of the penial stylet, host preferences and geographic distribution), the temnocephalans hosted in Aegla are tentatively gathered into two clusters, the Chilensis and Axenos groups.


Compositionality and contextuality are key building blocks of intelligence. They allow us to compose known concepts to generate new and complex ones. However, traditional learning methods do not model both these properties and require copious amounts of labeled data to learn new concepts. A large fraction of existing techniques, e.g., using late fusion, compose concepts but fail to model contextuality. For example, red in red wine is different from red in red tomatoes. In this paper, we present a simple method that respects contextuality in order to compose classifiers of known visual concepts. Our method builds upon the intuition that classifiers lie in a smooth space where compositional transforms can be modeled. We show how it can generalize to unseen combinations of concepts. Our results on composing attributes, objects as well as composing subject, predicate, and objects demonstrate its strong generalization performance compared to baselines. Finally, we present detailed analysis of our method and highlight its properties.


Long-term studies in the abyssal north-east Atlantic (1989–2005) have revealed large-scale changes in the benthic ecosystem and especially in some megafaunal invertebrate taxa over the period 1996–2002, termed the 'Amperima Event'. Holothurians dominated the megafaunal samples. Temporal patterns in the abundance of holothurians showed a wide spectrum of responses, possibly related to the feeding and reproductive characteristics of the various species. One of the holothurians, the synallactid Paroriza prouhoi, is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, providing a distinct comparison with dioecious reproductive patterns more typical of deep-sea holothurian species. The reproductive biology and abundance/biomass patterns of P. prouhoi were investigated over the period 1989–2005. Paroriza prouhoi produces oocytes with a maximum diameter of ~370 µm. It has asynchronous patterns of gametogenesis both at the individual and population levels. Mean oocyte diameter and the ratio between previtellogenic and vitellogenic oocytes showed no significant differences between the periods prior to and after the Amperima Event. There were no significant differences in abundance or biomass over the time series. We conclude that the energy investment into gamete production by this hermaphrodite did not change over the 16 years examined. It is hypothesized that the feeding characteristics of P. prouhoi lead to a slow, steady and consistent production of gametes despite large-scale changes in organic matter supply to the seabed evident at the time series locality.


Abstract. Insufficient amount or complete absence of reference data for the training of classifiers is a general topic. Especially the state-of-the-art deep learning approaches have to deal with the availability or adaption of this reference data to produce the reliable results they are designed for. This paper will pursue different approaches according to the absence of training data for land cover classification from aerial images. First, we will analyze the performance of traditional classification in the absence of reference data using clustering techniques and salient features for the assignment of semantic labels. Second, we will transfer the results as training data to a DeepLabv3+ CNN with pre-trained weights to demonstrate the usability of the generated training data. Third, we expand the clustering approaches and combine them with a Random Forest classifier. Finally, if user interaction and manual annotation of training data are still necessary, we also introduce our labeling GUI that enables a simple, fast, and comfortable training data generation with only a few clicks. To evaluate our procedure, we used two datasets, including the Vaihingen benchmark, for which ground truth is available. Without any interactive steps except setting a few algorithm paremeters, we achieved an overall accuracy of 75% using the Deeplab method with image data only.


A thermo-acoustic instability prediction tool has been developed both for 2-D and 3-D ducts. The tool works in frequency domain, making use of linearized Euler equations with quiescent flow. In this work, a 3-D horizontal Rijke tube simulation is performed. Nonetheless, implementation of open boundary condition at the duct ends somewhat requires close attention. A reverse idea has been developed to determine the open-air boundary condition. Numerical tests showed that the method works well in 2-D cases, involving solution of a linear system with dense matrices. However, the pertinent complex-valued matrix turns out to be highly ill-conditioned in the 3-D case. This work proposes use of Singular Value Decomposition(SVD) to remedy this problem. QR decomposition is to be examined as well, as a performance and accuracy comparison. Results obtained for the Rijke tube problem validates the tool, at least, for linear stability requirements.


The lithium ion conducting properties of lithium- and MⅣ (M = Al, In, Y)-doped zirconium pyrophosphates synthesized via solid state reaction were investigated. The ionic conductivity of the compounds increased with increasing Li content. The activation energy of LixMxZr1-xP2O7 decreased as the lattice parameter increased owing to the enlargement of the size of bottleneck between the cavities. Li0.55(Li0.15Y0.1Zr0.75)P2O7 with a high Li content and a large lattice parameter exhibited a conductivity of 1.7×10-3 S cm-1 at 350 °C, which is sufficient for its application as a solid electrolyte for sensors.


In this article, electromagnet layouts are presented, which generate a magnetic field with a magnitude gradient that does not vary significantly in a horizontal plane but decreases monotonically with the vertical height above the magnet. Such a one-direction magnetic field gradient is a specific requirement for magnetic density separation (MDS), a novel recycling technology that combines a vertical magnetic field gradient with a ferrofluid to separate a mixture of non-magnetic materials based on their mass density. We are assembling the first superconducting magnet to be used for this application. In contrast to other separation technologies that use ferrofluid, multiple products can be separated in a single process step. First, the idealized current distribution is introduced that produces such a magnetic field with a magnitude that decays only in one direction. This ideal field can be approximated with practical coil configurations, which are evaluated with a Fourier analysis to derive an optimal cross-sectional layout based on flat racetrack coils. The analysis concludes with a discussion of the effect of winding pack thickness on the value of the magnetic field above the magnet system and the peak field inside the winding pack. The conclusions of this study are applicable not just for MDS but for any application that requires a magnetic field gradient that changes only in one direction.


The topic of big data has attracted increasing interest in recent years. The emergence of big data leads to new difficulties in terms of protection models used for data privacy, which is of necessity for sharing and processing data. Protecting individuals' sensitive information while maintaining the usability of the data set published is the most important challenge in privacy preserving. In this regard, data anonymization methods are utilized in order to protect data against identity disclosure and linking attacks. In this study, a novel data anonymization algorithm based on chaos and perturbation has been proposed for privacy and utility preserving in big data. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated in terms of Kullback–Leibler divergence, probabilistic anonymity, classification accuracy, F-measure and execution time. The experimental results have shown that the proposed algorithm is efficient and performs better in terms of Kullback–Leibler divergence, classification accuracy and F-measure compared to most of the existing algorithms using the same data set. Resulting from applying chaos to perturb data, such successful algorithm is promising to be used in privacy preserving data mining and data publishing.


BACKGROUND
People with intellectual disability (ID) account for a large proportion of aggressive incidents in secure and forensic psychiatric services. Although the Historical, Clinical, Risk Management 20 (HCR-20) has good predictive validity in inpatient settings, it does not perform equally in all groups and there is little evidence for its efficacy in those with ID.

METHOD
A pseudo-prospective cohort study of the predictive efficacy of the HCR-20 for those with ID (n = 109) was conducted in a UK secure mental health setting using routinely collected risk data. Performance of the HCR-20 in the ID group was compared with a comparison group of adult inpatients without an ID (n = 504). Analysis controlled for potential covariates including security level, length of stay, gender and diagnosis.

RESULTS
The HCR-20 total score was a significant predictor of any aggression and of physical aggression for both groups, although the area under the curve values did not reach the threshold for a large effect size. The clinical subscale performed significantly better in those without an ID compared with those with. The ID group had a greater number of relevant historical and risk management items. The clinicians' summary judgment significantly predicted both types of aggressive outcomes in the ID group, but did not predict either in those without an ID.

CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that, after controlling for a range of potential covariates, the HCR-20 is a significant predictor of inpatient aggression in people with an ID and performs as well as for a comparison group of mentally disordered individuals without ID. The potency of HCR-20 subscales and items varied between the ID and comparison groups suggesting important target areas for improved prediction and risk management interventions in those with ID.


Over the course of the past decade, the study of religious violence has evolved into a thriving industry of sorts. More than a field of academic research, religious violence is now a topic in which powerful US government agencies, major international institutions and all manner of 'think tanks' and foundations have developed an interest. This paper suggests an alternative approach, both in terms of the specific context of Indonesia and more broadly. This approach is rooted in a very different political, institutional and intellectual tradition from the dominant strands of the 'religious violence industry'. In terms of politics, the essential premise is a critical distance not only from the US-led 'Global War on Terrorism', but also from those avowedly secular, ecumenical or religiously tolerant and disinterested institutions that claim to be promoting conflict resolution and multi-faith religious coexistence and understanding in Indonesia and elsewhere around the world. In terms of institutional affiliations, the point of departure for the author's work is a sceptical view of large-scale research projects linked to major funding bodies, government agencies and other centres of state power; and in terms of intellectual foundations, the work here is rooted in the tradition of comparative historical sociology.


This paper describes the development of a highly versatile technique for fabricating improved silver-metal oxide contact materials. The spray coprecipitation method, invented at The Allen Clark Research Centre and patented [1] for Plessey Inc., offers both economic and technical advantages over existing processes for making silvercadmium oxide such as conventional internal oxidation of fabricated alloy, conventional powder metallurgy, and internal oxidation of alloy powder/shot. The main technical advantages are the following: a) controlled microstructural perfection in the uniform fineness and long-range homogeneity of the oxide dispersion; b) unlimited composition with respect to both quantity and type of oxide (not limited to oxides of metals with solid solubility in silver); c) ease of doping with beneficial ternary additons without influencing the microstructure, which is simply controlled by the sintering time and temperature. The method relies on converting, to some extent, the intimate dispersion provided on a molecular scale in mixed aqueous solutions to the solid state by instantaneous coprecipitation from small sprayed droplets of mixed nitrates solutions. This paper concentrates in the main on the application of the process to the fabrication of traditional silver-cadmium oxide, but examples are also given of the production of silver-zinc oxide, silver-tin oxide, and silver-lanthanum oxide materials which demonstrate the versatility and simplicity of the method. IEC AC-4 erosion test results are presented for spray coprecipitated Ag-15 weight percent CdO.


This thesis explores the developmental needs of Oarifuna young people living in rural and urban Honduras. Employing both qualitative and quantitative methods, the research traces the individual, familial and community development needs expressed by this highly migratory segment of the Afro-indigenous population. The study utilizes the Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework to understand both the data obtained from the interviewees and the programs offered by non-governmental organizations (NOOs) working with youth in the rural and urban settings. At both research sites young people identify access to education, traditional and alternative, as their principal need. Interviewees confirm that obtaining an education, often via urban migration, is a process which simultaneously facilitates personal development and a young person's ability to contribute to their family, Oarifuna community and culture. This thesis demonstrates the applicability of PYD to contexts outside of North America, while concurrently highlighting themes and questions that PYD fails to address.


The aim of this article is to present the management and medical components within the public health institutions that can contribute to the transformation of the National Health System (NHS). It is expected that these will have an impact in the extent of the medical coverage and will improve the health care services delivered to the Mexican population. A diagnostic study revealed the existence of fragmentation in the NHS. The health institutions are vertically established and operate under isolated mechanisms of financing and administration. Additionally, it is pointed out the problematic derived from the multiplicity in the public insurance conditions among individuals and the lack of census of the insured population within the institutions. As part of the universalization of health services, it is necessary to integrate the health care system; accordingly, a variety of mechanisms for the partial and total integration are arise, such as the exchange of the health care services and the portability and convergence of the institutions. Particularly, we listed the actions carried out by the Mexican Institute of Social Security for the integration of the NHS such as, the independent management medical areas, diagnosis-related groups (DRG), the performing evaluation of the medical units, and the preventive and curative strategies in the implemented programs. Finally, is dealt some reflections in order to improve the public health schemes.


Esophageal cancers linked to lifestyle and environmental factors appears to possess varying abilities to produce Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), hence in this study the diagnostic precision of CEA in patients initially diagnosed of esophagus cancer before receiving any anticancer therapy was evaluated. Serum CEA levels were assessed in healthy subjects and patients initially diagnosed of esophageal carcinoma by endoscopic examination and biopsy (N=50 each), both categories including male and female smokers and non-smokers. The test was performed by two site sequential Chemiluminescent Immunometric assay kit. Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of CEA was found out and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve plotted. Serum CEA levels were significantly higher in esophagus cancer patients as compared to control and in healthy smokers as compared to non-smokers. The overall sensitivity and specificity of CEA for detecting esophagus cancer was 38% and 80% respectively. The AUC was 0.772 (SE=0.04) and significance level P 2.81 ng/ml. The CEA positivity rate before therapy was 38% which dropped to 18% after therapy. Serum CEA is a test with high specificity but insufficient sensitivity for detecting esophageal cancer in isolation. However, it may help as an additional parameter in screening the risk groups and monitoring of palliative therapy.


Ion-acoustic solitary (IAS) waves in electron-positron-ion (e-p-i) plasma have been of interest to many researchers probably due to their relevance in understanding the Universe. However, the study of non-linear ion-acoustic waves in e-p-i plasma with non-thermal electrons has not been adequately studied. A theoretical investigation on non-linear IAS waves in e-p-i plasma comprising of warm inertial adiabatic fluid ions and electrons that are kappa distributed, and Boltzman distributed positron is presented here using the Sagdeev potential technique. It was found that existence domains of finite amplitude IAS waves were confined within the limits of minimum and maximum Mach numbers with varying k values. For lower values of k, the amplitude of the solitary electrostatic potential structures increased as the width decreased, while for high values, the potential amplitude decreased as the width of the solitary structure increased.


As concerns mount about the impact of human activities on the biosphere, cities are in the frontline of initiatives to change the course of human society onto a more sustainable path. This thesis seeks to make clear the foundations of the concept of Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems, and to develop a set of indicators to chart a more sustainable course. To achieve this, the concept of sustainabllity; the characteristics and strategies of
sustainable ecosystems and sustainable societal-ecological systems; the dynamics of current cities; and a range of indicator approaches, were investigated through a review of literature, including texts, journals and online resources. From this a sustainability assessment tool was devised to apply the ideas and indicators at a subdivision level, and it was used in two case studies of new urban developments in Perth, Western Australia.

The concept of Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems offers the opportunity to integrate various sources of wisdom to provide guidance in rebuilding connections between people, between people and place, and in designing integrated systems, based on the characteristics and strategies of sustainable systems. A major conclusion of this research is that cities need to be viewed as part of their bioregions, and their ecological footprints need to match their bioregions. Indicators provide feedback about progress towards sustainability. They are most powerful when they are devised by communities working with experts. Crucial too is the visibility of ecological processes in cities as well as linkages to the bioregion, providing immediate and tangible indicators feedback to
complement quantitative indicators. Response indicators such as the degree of civic participation provide some of the strongest signs of future improvements or decline. The sustainability assessment tool represents an attempt to provide a systemic approach to the assessment of urban developments, and to identify issues that need to be considered in the design.


Introduction and Purpose: Foods frying in oil is one of the common methods of heating methods used in cooking. During the Frying process, oil oxidation occurs more than safe extent and it might cause production of hydro peroxides and volatile compounds, such as aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids and other undesirable chemicals. The aim of this study was to determine the peroxide value of oils used in confectioneries in the Damghan during spring 2015. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, sampling was obtained from all of Damghan confectioneries (32 samples). Sampling was done in the moment that oil reached to the highest temperature. Method of sampling was according to protocol No. 493 by the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran. Results: Among 32 cases, 24 (40) and 15 (25) liquid oil samples were pre- and post-heating safe to be used while 9 other samples (15) were unusable after the first use, so there was significant difference between the frequency of usable and unusable oils in the studied samples. Conclusion: Our results showed that the levels of peroxide production in oil used in the confectioneries of Damghan were higher than safe threshold. So training the staff of confectionaries about the appropriate procedures for cooking and frying of sweets are essential.


Context
Patients with Turner syndrome (TS) are at risk for osteoporotic fractures.

Objective
The aims of this study were to assess the incidence of clinically important fractures in girls with TS and prospectively describe the development of volumetric bone mineral density (BMD).

Design
Peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT) of the radius every other year over the 6 years of observation.

Setting
Government-funded university referral center.

Participants
Thirty-two girls with TS, aged 6 to 16 years, were included in the analyses. Fracture incidence was compared with the data in the general population. Bone density and strength were compared with data from 185 healthy girls.

Outcomes
The main clinical outcome was the fracture occurrence. The secondary outcomes were the changes in Z-scores of the bone parameters.

Results
Three girls with TS sustained four fractures during 6 years of observation. The fracture rate in TS was not substantially higher than the downward-biased fracture-rate estimate from age-matched, healthy controls (P = 0.48). Whereas the trabecular BMD Z-score decreased with age (β estimate -0.21 ± 0.04, P < 0.001), total bone cross-sectional area correspondingly increased (+0.16 ± 0.04, P < 0.001), which led to normal bone strength. A positive history of incident fractures was not significantly associated with any of the pQCT-derived bone parameters.

Conclusions
Current pediatric TS patients that are treated with growth hormone and estrogens are not at risk for osteoporotic fractures. Low BMD in TS may be counterweighted by enlarged bone radius, which leads to normal bone strength at the appendicular skeleton.


Detection for one-bit massive MIMO systems presents several challenges especially for higher order constellations. Recent advances in both model-based analysis and deep learning frameworks have resulted in several robust one-bit detector designs. Our work builds on the current state-of-the-art gradient descent (GD)-based detector. We introduce two novel contributions in our detector design: (i) We augment each GD iteration with a deep learning-aided regularization step, and (ii) We introduce a novel constellation-based loss function for our regularized DNN detector. This one-bit detection strategy is applied to two different DNN architectures based on algorithm unrolling, namely, a deep unfolded neural network and a deep recurrent neural network. Being trained on multiple randomly sampled channel matrices, these networks are developed as general one-bit detectors. The numerical results show that the combination of the DNN-augmented regularized GD and constellation-based loss function improve the quality of our one-bit detector, especially for higher order M-QAM constellations.


Adaptive feedback cancellers in hearing aids can produce unpleasant sounding distortion artifacts (entrainment) in response to periodic inputs, including music. Reliable objective metrics that predict user-perceived distortion could significantly reduce development costs for new hearing aids. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the ability of different objective metrics to predict subjective ratings of the sound quality of music processed by adaptive feedback cancellation. The metrics tested consisted of perceptual measures from established audio quality models (including Perceptual Evaluation of Audio Quality (PEAQ), PEMO-Q and .Rnonlin). Neural networks were used to map between the values of the perceptual measures and a subjective scale of perceived quality. Training data consisted of values of perceptual measures obtained from ten different excerpts of orchestral music processed by a simplified model of a hearing aid with an adaptive feedback canceller, and corresponding subjective quality ratings from 27 normal hearing subjects. An optimal combination of perceptual measures to use as inputs to a network input was found using an extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (EFAST). Our results suggest that the most salient inputs to a multivariate model of measured quality ratings consist of perceptual measures related to spectral noise loudness, modulation differences between clean and processed signals, and correlation-based measurement of nonlinear distortion. The intraclass correlation between mean subjective ratings and the output of a network combining these perceptual measures was high , which compares favorably to results from previous studies of perceptual quality metrics applied to audio signals with other forms of noise or distortion.


C-reactive protein (CRP), a nonspecific inflammatory marker, is widely used to monitor treatment of cardiovascular diseases (high serum CRP levels indicate poor outcome of heart disease). A healthy lifestyle decreases serum CRP levels, while obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking increase them. CRP, a stable pentameric protein, has a half-life of 19 hr, is not subject to diurnal variation, and can serve as a marker of wellness and a candidate for future direct access testing for people monitoring their health after adopting a healthier lifestyle. The CRP level may be influenced more by lifestyle than by genetics. Monozygotic twins may not have the same CRP level; within each twin pair, the one with higher adiposity generally has a higher CRP level than the one with low adiposity. Chronic diseases generally have a lower prevalence among Asians than among Westerners. Asians also have lower CRP levels than Westerners. In large population studies, the median CRP level of Asians is only one-tenth that of Westerners. Is there a factor in the lifestyle or diet of Asians that accounts for lower CRP levels? For example, a statin inhibitor of cholesterol synthesis occurs in red yeast rice, an important component of the Asian diet. In summary, CRP is a marker for monitoring cardiovascular therapy and assessing the wellness of the general population. Through improving health and preventing disease, CRP testing may help lower a nation's health costs.


Via a linkage of health records and traffic data, this longitudinal study suggests that preventable risky behaviors underlie increased crash risk among adolescents with ADHD. OBJECTIVES: To compare monthly rates of specific types of crashes, violations, and license suspensions over the first years of licensure for drivers with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: We identified patients of New Jersey primary care locations of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who were born in 1987–1997, were New Jersey residents, had their last primary care visit at age ≥12 years, and acquired a driver's license (N = 14 936). Electronic health records were linked to New Jersey's licensing, crash, and violation databases. ADHD diagnosis was based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnostic codes. We calculated monthly per-driver rates of crashes (at fault, alcohol related, nighttime, and with peers), violations, and suspensions. Adjusted rate ratios were estimated by using repeated-measures Poisson regression. RESULTS: Crash rates were higher for drivers with ADHD regardless of licensing age and, in particular, during the first month of licensure (adjusted rate ratio: 1.62 [95% confidence interval: 1.18−2.23]). They also experienced higher rates of specific crash types: their 4-year rate of alcohol-related crashes was 2.1 times that of drivers without ADHD. Finally, drivers with ADHD had higher rates of moving violations (for speeding, seat belt nonuse, and electronic equipment use) and suspensions. In the first year of driving, the rate of alcohol and/or drug violations was 3.6 times higher for adolescents with ADHD. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with ADHD are at particularly high crash risk in their initial months of licensure, and engagement in preventable risky driving behaviors may contribute to this elevated risk. Comprehensive preventive approaches that extend beyond current recommendations are critically needed.


Abstract Animals often communicate using signals which seem to be completely arbitrary. These postures and ritualised acts give the impression that they have no other effect than to simply appear as they do to the receiver. Such signals, whose meanings are associated to their form through arbitrary convention, are called conventional signals. Theoreticians have directed much less attention to the topic of conventional signalling than to alternative signal types, such as handicapping signals. This lack of attention has lead to a poor understanding of threat displays and other communication contexts in which signals do not appear costly. We present what we believe to be the simplest possible model of conventional signalling between individuals with conflicting interests. This model requires a more complicated, and realistic, time structure than the action–response games widely used to model handicapped signalling. We demonstrate that this need for extended time structure is due to the exchange of information that conventional signalling requires. Signallers must be in a state of ignorance when choosing a signal, they must later receive information before choosing a subsequent action. The order in which these events happen is critical to conventional signalling. These results demonstrate the necessity of investigating communication with more complicated games than action–response games.


Abstract This paper considers how a taxonomy of conjugality—marriage, common-law marriage, and visiting relationships—emerged as a specialized vocabulary to apprehend and govern the postcolonial Caribbean. Although the metaphor of intersections does not fully capture the ways these categories relate to each other to produce social meaning, I employ an intersectional framework to offer a close reading of the routes through which these and other social differences and equivalences are produced as dimensions of citizenship in specific historical contexts, such as the period of decolonization and Caribbean nation-formation. In so doing, I illustrate how the categorization of intimate relationships codified a hierarchy based on intersections of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation, and established rough moral boundaries for a heterosexual Caribbean nation. The lives of working class Black women animate the categorization. I show how by centering these women in intimate relationship codes their sexuality is contained and patriarchy naturalized. In this paper, I suggest that we should mark the role intersectionality plays in constituting categories of intimate association, explore how these categories shape sentiments about belonging, and articulate the social costs of their instantiations.


In this paper, a new multiobjective optimization approach is proposed for the selection of the optimal values for cutting conditions in the face milling of cobalt-based alloys. This approach aims to handle the possible manufacturing errors in the design stage. These errors are taken into consideration as a change in design parameter, and the design most robust to change is selected as the optimum design. Experiments on a cobalt-based superalloy were performed to investigate the effect of cutting speed, feed rate and cutting depth on the cutting forces under dry conditions. Material removal rate values were also obtained. Minimizing cutting forces and maximizing the material removal were considered as objectives. It is believed that the used method provides a robust way of looking at the optimum parameter selection problems.


We find that avatar design can reduce algorithm aversion, which is the tendency of decision makers to ignore advice received from an algorithm after the algorithm makes an error. When the facial features of an avatar exhibit high levels of competence, algorithm aversion can be reduced relative to no avatar or a less competent-looking avatar. Humanizing the financial advice from an algorithm with an avatar that promotes the perception of competence effectively reduces algorithm aversion and can enhance reliance on the financial advice of robo-advisors.


Recent work in vision-and-language demonstrates that large-scale pretraining can learn generalizable models that are efficiently transferable to downstream tasks. While this may improve dataset-scale aggregate metrics, analyzing performance around hand-crafted subgroups targeting specific bias dimensions reveals systemic undesirable behaviors. However, this subgroup analysis is frequently stalled by annotation efforts, which require extensive time and resources to collect the necessary data. Prior art attempts to automatically discover subgroups to circumvent these constraints but typically leverages model behavior on existing task-specific annotations and rapidly degrades on more complex inputs beyond"tabular"data, none of which study vision-and-language models. This paper presents VLSlice, an interactive system enabling user-guided discovery of coherent representation-level subgroups with consistent visiolinguistic behavior, denoted as vision-and-language slices, from unlabeled image sets. We show that VLSlice enables users to quickly generate diverse high-coherency slices in a user study (n=22) and release the tool publicly.


Alkaline oxidation (AlkOx) is an effective fractionation technique for lignocellulosic raw materials. The efficiency of the AlkOx treatment can further be enhanced by using a catalyst (CatOx). Both CatOx and AlkOx provide a fiber fraction containing readily hydrolysable carbohydrates that can be utilized in biotechnical processes and a liquid fraction containing solubilized lignin and reaction products from various biomass components. The effects of different fractionation conditions on yields and chemical composition of solubilized and insoluble fractions were investigated. Two temperatures and two reaction times were studied with and without a catalyst. The composition and content of carbohydrates in the fiber and liquid fractions were examined. The generation of aliphatic carboxylic acids as oxidation products was also investigated. The catalytically assisted oxidation was more efficient than the alkaline counterpart in dissolution of wood components under a four-hour treatment period resulting in higher dissolution of hemicelluloses. A longer reaction time of 20 hours leveled out the differences between the oxidation processes. Comparison of different bases showed that similar solubilisation of dry matter was obtained with NaOH, KOH, and Na2CO3. Oxidation in Na2CO3 caused higher dissolution of glucomannan and greater acid production. The dissolution of hemicellulose and lignin, and their oxidation to acids was most efficient in the first 4 hours of oxidation.


Enterobacteriaceae of the genus Pantoea are characterized as Gram-negative and have been isolated from a wide variety of environments including soil, water, dust, dairy products, meat, fish, insects, humans and animals. Most of the time they are found associated with a wide variety of plants. The objective of this work was to identify and characterize biochemical, morphological and enzymatic activity, as well as the influence of abiotic factors in a Pantoea isolated from industrial laundry effluent in Pernambuco. The results showed that the bacterium presents characteristics similar to those presented by the species of Pantoea agglomerans; however, the biochemical and morphological tests were not enough to accurately identify the species. However, the isolated species showed production of enzymes such as cellulase, protease and polyphenoloxidase, demonstrating enzymatic biotechnological potential. In addition to tolerance to high concentrations of salinity, they present as mesophyll, cerscendo in optimal temperature of 30 ° C and good growth in the pH 7.0 and 8.0. K e y w o r d s


This is the first systematic study of the relationship between government and defense contractors, examining in detail the political impact of the eight most powerful defense contractors. It details ways in which Boeing, General Dynamics, Grumman, McDonnell Douglas, Northrop, Rockwell International, and United Technologies influence government, from their basic contract activity, corporate structure, and research efforts, to their Washington offices, Political Action Committee campaign contributions, hiring of government personnel, and membership on federal advisory committees. Adams concludes with specific recommendations for changes in disclosure requirements that would curb some of the political power corporations can wield. It also suggests specific ways in which the Iron Triangle can be made subject to wider congressional and public scrutiny.


This article explores some of the ways that time figures in the scientific practices of instrumental micrometeorology and climatic and weather modeling. It draws on ethnographic work done with the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA), an international scientific project that aims to assess the role of the Amazon forest in the global carbon cycle and to provide sustainable techniques for the future management of the region. An examination of the knowl- edge practices that have emerged from this ethnography (such as cali- bration and prediction) provides an opportunity to rethink the relation between 'natural time' and 'social time(s)'. This allows for a discussion of the roles that certainty, uncertainty, finiteness, and limitlessness play in both scientific and ethnographic practice.


Atomic-scale modeling of compacted nucleic acids has the ability to reveal the inner workings of spectacular biomolecular machines, yet the outcome of such modeling efforts sensitively depends on the accuracy of the underlying computational models. Our molecular dynamics simulations of an array of 64 parallel duplex DNA revealed considerable artifacts of cation–DNA phosphate interactions in CHARMM and AMBER parameter sets: both the DNA arrangement and the pressure inside the DNA arrays were found to be in considerable disagreement with experiment. To improve the models, we fine-tuned van der Waals interaction parameters for specific ion pairs to reproduce experimental osmotic pressure of binary electrolyte solutions of biologically relevant ions. Repeating the DNA array simulations using our parameters produced results consistent with experiment. Our improved parametrization can be directly applied to molecular dynamics simulations of various charged biomolecular systems, including nucleic acids, proteins...


In this article, we first present a summary of the general assumptions about Down syndrome (DS) still to be found in the literature. We go on to show how new research has modified these assumptions, pointing to a wide range of individual differences at every level of description. We argue that, in the context of significant increases in DS life expectancy, a focus on individual differences in trisomy 21 at all levels—genetic, cellular, neural, cognitive, behavioral, and environmental—constitutes one of the best approaches for understanding genotype/phenotype relations in DS and for exploring risk and protective factors for Alzheimer's disease in this high-risk population.


Structural, electronic and optical properties of 2H-CuAlO2 were computed, using the plane-wave ultrasoft pseudopotential technique based on the first-principles density functional theory (DFT). The equilibrium lattice parameters, band structure, densities of states (DOS) and charge densities of 2H-CuAlO2 have been obtained. The equilibrium lattice parameters, band structure and DOS are found to be in good agreement with the available experimental and calculational values. The charge densities and the chemical bonding of 2H-CuAlO2 are analyzed, which show that bonding between Cu and O is mainly covalent due to Cu 3d and O 2p hybridization and that bonding between Al and O is mainly ionic. The complex dielectric function, refractive index and absorption coefficient of 2H-CuAlO2 have been predicted. The calculated static dielectric constant and static refractive index of 2H-CuAlO2 is 7.1 and 2.66, respectively.


Design of Roadside Barrier Systems Placed on Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Retaining Walls. (May 2009) Kang Mi Kim, B.S., Chonnam National University; M.S., Yonsei University, Korea Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Jean-Louis Briaud Dr. Paolo Gardoni Millions of square feet of mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall are constructed annually in the United States. When used in highway fill applications in conjunction with bridges, these MSE walls are typically constructed with a roadside barrier system supported on the edge of the wall. This barrier system generally consists of a traffic barrier or bridge rail placed on a continuous footing or structural slab. The footing is intended to reduce the influence of barrier impact loads on the retaining wall system by distributing the load over a wide area and to provide stability for the barrier against sliding or overturning. The proper design of the roadside barrier, the structural slab, and the MSE wall system requires a good understanding of relevant failure modes, how barrier impact loads are transferred into the wall system, and the magnitude and distribution of these loads. In this study, a procedure is developed that provides guidance for designing: 1. the barrier-moment slab, 2. the wall reinforcement, and 3. the wall panels. These design guidelines are developed in terms of AASHTO LRFD procedures. The research approach consisted of engineering analyses, finite element analyses, static load tests, full-scale dynamic impact tests, and a full-scale vehicle crash test. It was concluded that a 44.5 kN (10 kips) equivalent static load is appropriate for the stability design of the barrier-moment slab system. This will result in much more economical design than systems developed using the 240 kN (54 kips) load that some user agencies are using. Design loads for the wall reinforcement and wall panels are also presented.


The importance of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption in the process of osseointegration has not been widely considered. In this study, cell culture was used to investigate the hypothesis that the function of implant-adherent bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in osteoclastogenesis is influenced by surface topography. BMSCs isolated from femur and tibia of Sprague-Dawley rats were seeded onto 3 types of titanium surfaces (smooth, micro, and nano) and a control surface (tissue culture plastic) with or without osteogenic supplements. After 3 to 14 d, conditioned medium (CM) was collected. Subsequently, rat bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMMs) were cultured in media supplemented with soluble receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) as well as BMSC CM from each of the 4 surfaces. Gene expression levels of soluble RANKL, osteoprotegerin, tumor necrosis factor α, and M-CSF in cultured BMSCs at different time points were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The number of differentiated osteoclastic cells was determined after tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining. Analysis of variance and t test were used for statistical analysis. The expression of prominent osteoclast-promoting factors tumor necrosis factor α and M-CSF was increased by BMSCs cultured on both micro- and nanoscale titanium topographies (P < 0.01). BMSC CM contained a heat-labile factor that increased BMMs osteoclastogenesis. CM from both micro- and nanoscale surface-adherent BMSCs increased the osteoclast number (P < 0.01). Difference in surface topography altered BMSC phenotype and influenced BMM osteoclastogenesis. Local signaling by implant-adherent cells at the implant-bone interface may indirectly control osteoclastogenesis and bone accrual around endosseous implants.


The Web has become an important information repository; often it is the first source a person turns to with an informa-tion need. One common way to search the Web is with a search engine. However, it is not always easy for people to find what they are looking for with keyword search, and at times the desired information may not be readily available online. An alternative, facilitated by the rise of social media, is to pose a question to one"s online social network. In this paper, we explore the pros and cons of using a social net-working tool to fill an information need, as compared with a search engine. We describe a study in which 12 participants searched the Web while simultaneously posing a question on the same topic to their social network, and we compare the results they found by each method.


In this article, the author observes that constitutional bases for gay rights have rested primarily on "thick" doctrine - First Amendment, privacy, and equal protection caselaw - in an effort to secure strict scrutiny of antigay measures. Although attractive in some respects, these arguments pose significant risks of double-binds and boomerangs in the long run, even if they yield short-term legal victories. Moreover, "thick" arguments are sufficiently porous to support judges' chilly responses to gay rights-responses that cannot be explained by inexorable doctrinal logic, but instead arise from hostility toward homosexuality in particular, and ignorance about sexuality in general. Thus, the article argues for invoking "thin" doctrine - rational basis analysis - to expose these underlying factors. "Thin" doctrine directs judicial attention away from distracting doctrinal complexities and toward the central issue: "What is wrong with homosexuality?" Thin doctrine answers this question by posing fewer risks of double-binds, avoiding attempts to define homosexuality, and requiring minimal revision of the existing doctrinal structure. Finally, responses to this question are framed by consulting emerging interdisciplinary work that grapples with the unreason of Bowers v. Hardwick. The recent decision of Evans v. Romer is an important illustration of how thin doctrine can succeed where more ornate legal theories fail.


Forty years have passed since the publication of Colin Macinnes's account of the Netting Hill riots in his novel Absolute Beginners (1959). Macinnes was a peculiar kind of Londoner. Born in South Kensington in August 1914, he moved to Australia with his family in 1919 and he scarcely remembered the London of his childhood. He returned to England briefly in the 1930s before seeing action in the Second World War, and eventually settled in Central London in the 1950s, spending most of his time in Soho, or in Tottenham Court Road and Cable Street.1 His enthusiasm for the changing faces of London in the 1950s, brought about by the birth of the 'teenager' and the vibrant new cultural 'scene' that arrived with postwar migrants from Africa and the Caribbean, was severely tested by the riots of August and September 1958, of which Absolute Beginners is perhaps the only novelistic representation. Through the eyes of an unnamed teenage narrator (Macinnes's finest fictional creation), we watch the new London youthful, cosmopolitan, multicultural, tolerant of different sexualitiesdisintegrate under the pressure of older, less soluble divisions of 'race' and class. Set in the fictional enclave of 'Napoli' in West London, Macinnes's novel took a long hard look at the new demi-monde and was critical of what it saw. Macinnes seemed to lament that the Utopian possibilities promised by emerging, infant forms of cultural production (music, dance, poetry, film, radio) had failed to tackle, if not positively evaded, the enduring issues of 'race' and class bigotry which erupted with such violence in the late summer of 1958. The conflict seemed to defeat his belief that the London he knew could nurture new, tolerant forms of community, held together by their very racial and sexual diversity: the riots left this vista in ruins. Old problems still remained, and London's new youth culture either ignored them at their peril or thoughtlessly recapitulated familiar prejudices. Just as his narrator comes of age at the end of Absolute Beginners, Macinnes's optimistic vision ultimately had to confront a hostile world. This serial is available in Kunapipi: https://ro.uow.edu.au/kunapipi/vol21/iss2/3


AIM:To determine if the presence H pylori or its viru- lence affect toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and TLR5 mRNA expression levels. METHODS:For the in vivo assays, gastric biopsies were obtained from 40 patients and H pylori status was determined. For the in vitro assays, human gastric adenocarcinoma mucosal cells (AGS) were cultured in the presence or absence of twelve selected H pylori strains. H pylori strains isolated from culture-positive patients and selected strains were genotyped for cagA and vacA. The cDNA was obtained from mRNA extracted from biopsies and from infected AGS cells. TLR4 and TLR5 mRNA levels were examined by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The presence of H pylori did not affect the mRNA levels of TLR4 or TLR5 in gastric biopsies. The mRNA levels of both receptors were not influenced by the vacA status (P 0.05 for both receptors) andthere were no differences in TLR4 or TLR5 mRNA levels among the different clinical presentations/histological fi ndings (P 0.05). In the in vitro assay, the mRNA levels of TLR4 or TLR5 in AGS cells were not influenced by the vacAs1 status or the clinical condition as-sociated with the strains (P 0.05 for both TLR4 and TLR5). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that the mRNA levels of TLR4 and TLR5 in gastric cells, both in vivo and in vitro, are independent of H pylori colonization and suggest that vacA may not be a significant player in the first step of innate immune recognition mediated by TLR4 or TLR5.


Background: Triple negative breast carcinoma (TNBC) and basal-like breast carcinoma (BLBC) are subtypes of breast carcinoma (BCa) that are associated with poor survival. Aims: To study the prevalence, clinicopathological profile and survival of TNBC among a Sri Lankan patient cohort and to determine the proportion and predictive histological features of BLBC among TNBCs. Study Setting and Design: A cohort of 221 women undergoing primary surgery for BCa at a tertiary-care center in Sri Lanka was studied. Materials and Methods: Clinicopathological and follow-up information were collected by patient interviews and review of slides and clinical records. Estrogen, progesterone, HER2 receptors, and basal markers (CK5/6, CK14, EGFR, 34βE12) were evaluated immunohistochemically. Statistical Analysis: Data was analyzed with Chi-square test, multinomial logistic regression, and Cox regression using SPSS20.0. Results: Fifty-three (24%) tumors were triple-negative (95%CI = 18.37%–29.63%). On multivariate analysis, young age (P = 0.002), high Nottingham grade (P = 0.005), moderate to severe tumor necrosis (P = 0.004), absent ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (P = 0.04), reduced vascular density at tumor edge (P = 0.016) and distinct cell margins (P = 0.047) predicted TNBC over luminal subgroups, whereas reduced vascular density (P = 0.004) and low TNM stage (P = 0.011) distinguished TNBC and HER2. BLBC accounted for 45.28% (95%CI 32.66%–58.55%-24/53) of TNBC. The presence of extensive necrosis in TNBC correlated significantly with BLBC (P = 0.03). The survival among the TNBC subgroup did not differ significantly from other subgroups. Conclusion: Twenty four percent were TNBCs by immunohistochemical analysis, comparable to studies in the Indian subcontinent, however higher than the West. TNBC status correlated with younger age, high tumor grade, necrosis, absent DCIS, reduced vascular density at tumor edge, and distinct cell margins. The presence of moderate to extensive necrosis in TNBC was predictive of BLBC.


We consider a class of multi-dimensional BSDEs on a finite time horizon (containing the Lipschitzian-quadratic BSDEs), whose terminal values are bounded as well as their corresponding Malliavin derivatives. We prove two results. The first one is an exponential integrability condition which determines when a BSDE in this class has a solution up to the given time horizon. In the second result, via a (deterministic) differential equation, we compute a minimum horizon up to which any BSDE of this class has a solution.


The arc-eager system for transition-based dependency parsing is widely used in natural language processing despite the fact that it does not guarantee that the output is a well-formed dependency tree. We propose a simple modification to the original system that enforces the tree constraint without requiring any modification to the parser training procedure. Experiments on multiple languages show that the method on average achieves 72% of the error reduction possible and consistently outperforms the standard heuristic in current use.


T he widespread application of plasminogen activators in the treatment of myocardial infarction has resulted in a significant reduction in mortality.",2 Most patients have been treated with two very different drugs: streptokinase, a bacterial protein that is the product of fermentation technology dating from the 1930s, and recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA), a human protein that is one of the first widely used fruits of molecular biology. A recent study comparing streptokinase and rt-PA, presented by the Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Streptochinasi nell'Infarto Miocardico (GISSI) investigators at the 39th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (March 18-22, 1990, New Orleans, La.), showed little difference in the efficacy or major side effect profile of these two agents. (Elements of the trial's design, however, have been subjected to criticism.) Other plasminogen activators studied clinically include the human proteins urokinase and its zymogen, single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen


The synthesis of [BrOF(2)][AsF(6)] x 2 KrF(2), its structural characterization, and bonding are described in this study. Although several KrF(2) adducts with transition metal centers have been previously reported, none have been crystallographically characterized. The solid-state Raman spectrum of [BrOF(2)][AsF(6)] x 2 KrF(2) has been assigned with the aid of quantum-chemical calculations. The low-temperature (-173 degrees C) X-ray crystal structure of [BrOF(2)][AsF(6)] x 2 KrF(2) consists of isolated molecular units and represents an example of KrF(2) coordinated to a main-group atom. The coordination geometry around the BrOF(2)(+) cation renders the free valence electron lone pair more compact than in free BrOF(2)(+). The KrF(2) ligands are coordinated trans to the fluorine atoms of BrOF(2)(+) with the AsF(6)(-) anion coordinated trans to oxygen. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and electron localization function (ELF) analyses have been carried out in order to define the nature of the bonding in the complex. A significant amount of charge (0.25 e) is transferred to BrOF(2)(+) from the two KrF(2) ligands (0.10 e each) and from the AsF(6)(-) anion (0.05 e). Significant polarization also occurs within the KrF(2) ligands, which enhances the anionic characters of the fluorine bridges. The interaction energy is mostly governed by the electrostatic interaction of the positively charged bromine atom with the surrounding fluorine atoms.


Recently in Texas, the dunes sagebrush lizard - a tiny, little-known reptile living in the sparse brush and dunes of the oil and gas fields - sparked a heated discussion and criticism over the listing process under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This six-year battle ended with the withdrawal of a proposed rule to list the lizard and resulted in numerous criticisms about the role and use of scientific data throughout the process. Under the ESA, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) is required to consider the best available scientific data when deciding whether to list a species. However, there is no direct legislative history explaining this standard. Because existing scientific data on "stressors" in the environment is typically limited and inadequate, this data gap leads to uncertainty, which unquestionably leads to difficult decision making by the regulatory agencies. Although a review of past listing designations confirms that FWS is not only utilizing sound science, but more often than not, is making sound decisions based on that science, many policy makers are still criticizing the use of science in decision-making processes and are pitting science against economics. This Article advocates for a more systematic, transparent application of science in the decision-making process: a well-defined "weight of evidence" approach that will foster structured deliberations, hypothesis testing, and the necessary clarity and transparency that will benefit all parties involved.


The purpose of this study to investigate the determinant of buying behavior of car's buyers in
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: mediating effects of attitude. Based on University of Southern California
(2010), attitudes related with buying behavior of consumer about the belief about, feeling about,
and the behavioral intentions towards some object. In term of buying car, consumer has feeling
about what type car or brand that they want to buy lifestyle is a method for living of people,
(families), and social orders, which they show In adapting to their physical, mental, social, and
finandal situations on an everyday premise. Rainwater, Coleman and Handel (1959), and
Havinhurst and Fegebbaum (1959) was pointed that lifestyle is significance in understanding,
explaining, and predicting consumer buying behavior. Refer to Schiffman and Kanuk, 1995 that
mentioned it is intriguing to study, why they purchase a specific item, how they purchase it, when
they purchase it, from where do they purchase it and how they react to the marketing stimulus.
Marketing stimulus refer to 4P which is product, price, promotion and place. Car buyer's
demogoraphic such as age, gender, level of income, etnic or race and educational level are also
important factors that influence cars purchased among car buyers ,Cyril and Imbarine (2014).
The theoretical framework was adopted and adapted from study done by A.C. Pandley and
Mithilesh Kumar (2013) which study the Impact of lifestyle on brand preference of buyer behavior
to fit with the setting of this research. The research design tries to examine the relative
importance of the independent variable of lifestyle with marketing stimulus and buying behavior
as dependent variable and attitude as the mediating effect variable. Questionnaires using selfconstructed
using 5-point Likert scale will be used to assess the lifestyle, marketing stimulus,
attitude and buying behaviour. Sample will be given to consumers around the city of Kota
Kinabalu to represent the cars' buying behaviour population. The data from the study was entered
through the use of Statistical Package for Social Science (SLPSS 21) and Smart PLS 2.0.
Discussion, limitations and recommendations for the future study are also presented in this study.