Scaling up robot swarms to collectives of hundreds or even thousands without sacrificing sensing, processing, and locomotion capabilities is a challenging problem. Low-cost robots are potentially scalable, but the majority of existing systems have limited capabilities, and these limitations substantially constrain the type of experiments that could be performed by robotics researchers. Instead of adding functionality by adding more components and therefore increasing the cost, we demonstrate how low-cost hardware can be used beyond its standard functionality. We systematically review 15 swarm robotic systems and analyse their sensing capabilities by applying a general sensor model from the sensing and measurement community. This work is based on the HoverBot system. A HoverBot is a levitating circuit board that manoeuvres by pulling itself towards magnetic anchors that are embedded into the robot arena. We show that HoverBot's magnetic field readouts from its Hall-effect sensor can be associated to successful movement, robot rotation and collision measurands. We build a time series classifier based on these magnetic field readouts. We modify and apply signal processing techniques to enable the online classification of the time-variant magnetic field measurements on HoverBot's low-cost microcontroller. We enabled HoverBot with successful movement, rotation, and collision sensing capabilities by utilising its single Hall-effect sensor. We discuss how our classification method could be applied to other sensors to increase a robot's functionality while retaining its cost.


State-of-the-art abstraction heuristics are those constructed by the merge-and-shrink approach in which an abstraction consists of a labeled transition system, and the composition of abstractions correspond to the synchronized product of transition systems. Merge-and-shrink heuristics build a composite abstraction from atomic abstractions that are directly associated with the variables of the planning problem. In this paper, we show that the framework of labeled transition systems is more general, and propose a new type of abstraction called the counting abstraction. Counting abstractions can be transparently combined with other type of abstractions to get more informative heuristics. We show how to effectively construct the counting abstractions and presents preliminary experiments over benchmark problems.


This paper proposes a nonlinear time‐domain finite‐element method to generate three‐direction seismic loads on the mesh boundary using the measured ground surface acceleration. The proposed scheme obtains correct earthquake responses around the major soil‐structure interaction (SSI) region. The applied acceleration at the mesh bottom is first approximated as the measured acceleration on the soil surface. A time‐domain finite‐element analysis and a deconvolution scheme are then performed to find the seismic acceleration at the mesh bottom. After several iterations, these acceleration data can be convergent to an acceptable accuracy. This paper also investigates the viscous and absorbing boundary methods to avoid fake reflection along the mesh boundary. The viscous boundary method is simple and can be applied to a standard finite‐element code without difficulty; moreover, this scheme is also acceptably accurate, if appropriate damping is used in the interface layer. Thus, the viscous boundary method is suggested for use in the SSI analysis with the earthquake loading.


There are many reasons why it is important to study local politics -- political culture, government, political process -- in Communist party states. As in all politics, local politics in Communist party states are the political articulation of the local community. This is the political arena where policies concerning local issues are formulated by the officials. This is where the officials are approached by citizens with their particular demands. This is where citizens articulate their preferences, aspirations, and values through political participation. And this is where officials, both elected and appointed, are recruited.In this volume, Daniel N. Nelson has assembled a team of international scholars to consider local politics in Communist party states including the U.S.S.R., China, Poland, Yugoslavia, and Romania. Together, they explore how local social and political forces are articulated in the national and party organizations; they also reveal how the study of comparative local politics provides vitality for the study of national politics. Rather than treating local communities as receivers and translators of national inputs, the contributors demonstrate that the local dimension and national politics mutually influence one another and illuminate the social reality in communist societies.


Aim Human-wildlife conflict is one of the major challenges in Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. It may erode public support in wildlife conservation. Here, we review the extent to which wildlife damages livestock and crops.  Location Lelep and Yamphudin region, Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, Taplejung, Nepal Materials and methods The study employed a combination of surveying methods such as focus group discussion, key informant interview and field observation from 21 July to 06 August 2013. Focus group discussion was done primarily with the representatives of snow leopard conservation committee in Lelep and Yamphudin. Key Findings Livestock depredation in Ghunsa valley, Lelep village development committee was increasing with an annual average loss rate of 11% in ten years (2005-2014). Despite community-based insurance schemes, loss has increased to 28% from 17.2% in 2014. No retaliatory killings of snow leopards were reported since 2005, which may be attributable to the insurance scheme. In Yamphudin, the average annual livestock loss rate was 4.7% from 2005 to 2014, mostly by wild dogs. Similarly, crop damage was a severe problem in Yamphudin, mostly by the Himalayan black bear, palm civet, barking deer, rhesus monkey and porcupine. Conservation implication Although strict guarding was effective to reduce conflict, alternative strategy is needed that requires minimum human involvement. Premium and relief amount is inadequte. It therefore needs a thorough revision. Predator proof corals in Lonak, Dhudhpokhari, Ramjer and Dasa pasture can be effective means to reduce the potential conflict.


In this paper, the vehicle routing problem with fuzzy demands is considered, and a fuzzy chance constrained programming mathematical model is established based on fuzzy possibility theory. Then fuzzy simulation and differential evolution algorithm are integrated to design a hybrid intelligent algorithm to solve the fuzzy vehicle routing model. Moreover, under the target that the total driving distance of vehicles is the shortest, the influence of the decision-maker's preference on the final objective of the problem is discussed using the method of stochastic simulation, and the rational range of the preference number is obtained.


During this work, the polyphenols in both Asteraceae Brocchia cinerea (Vis.) and Matricaria pubescens (Desf.) were targeted by two extraction methods, using different solvents. The extracts obtained by ethyl acetate were selected for column fractionation. Indeed, four fractions are obtained for M. pubescens and five for B. cinerea. The evaluation of the antioxidant capacity of these samples was carried out by two tests, commonly used in this field. The first one uses the free radical 1, 1-diphenyl-2 - picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) while the other (FRAP) uses 2,4,6-tris-2- pyridyl-s-triazine (TPTZ). These two tests revealed the radical scavenging power and reducing potential of both species B. cinerea and M. pubescens. Results have shown that the fraction obtained with the mixture EtOH/petroleum ether at (60/40) in the case of B. cinerea and that trained by 75% methanol in dichloromethane from M. pubescens, contained the majority of their active compositions. AcOEt extracts of both species and their fractions were tested against pathogenic bacterial strains, Gram-: Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Enterobacter cloacae ATCC 13047 and Gram+: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Enterococcus feacalis ATCC 29212. M. pubescens samples have exposed particular efficacy against E. cloacae and E. feacalis with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) estimated at 0.125 mg/ml.


In the present paper a generalized Lotka-Volterra food chain system has been studied and also its dynamic behavior such as locally asymptotic stability has been analyzed in case of existing interspecies competition. Furthermore, it has been shown that the said system is permanent (in the sense of boundedness and uniformly persistent). Finally, it is proved that the nontrivial equilibrium point of the above system is locally asymptotically stable.


The study is perhaps the first to evaluate and establish the relationship between Quality, benchmarking, Reliability and globalization in industrial engineering activity in Emirates, where the study was conducted on international companies operating in Dubai. The study seeks to understand the impact & effect of globalization on all the various topic of industrial engineering that distinguish implementing quality management program, reliability program and ISO certified and benchmarking companies from none implemented benchmarking or quality, reliability, ISO program. Also the study tries to evaluate the effect of these factors on the organizational performance. The study found a number of significant relationships between the reliability, and globalization in industrial engineering activity. It also found support for the argument that high reliability, high quality and benchmarking practices will improve industrial engineering and at the end result will improve overall organizational performance in large, medium and small global businesses. Therefore the results achieve the goals of industrial engineering to eliminate wastes of time, cost, materials, energy, and other resources to increase profits.


UK higher education (HE) has become increasingly diverse. Despite the clear social, economic and pedagogical benefits of diversity, it can also be challenging for identity as it may bring about psychological change and compel both the 'dominant majority' and 'minorities' to adjust to the presence, identities and worldviews of the other. Drawing upon Identity Process Theory from social psychology, the present article explores the potential challenges to identity in a diverse HE context and how students may subsequently cope with these challenges. After a brief overview of Identity Process Theory, two case studies are presented that focus on how social class and ethnic/religious diversity can impact identity. The more general aim of this article is to develop the basic tools for enhancing students' learning experience in a diverse HE context. It is suggested that HE institutions need to support students from diverse backgrounds in ways that are conducive to a positive identity, and that they must facilitate a shared superordinate identity which can be viewed as inclusive and available to all, regardless of class, ethnicity, religion or any other identity.


Cyclophilins have been implicated in several important cellular functions. Our earlier results showed that reactivation of adenosine kinase (AdK) by CyP (LdCyP) from the parasitic protozoa Leishmania donovani is accompanied with disaggregation of the enzyme [Chakraborty, A., et al. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 47451-47460; Chakraborty, A., et al. (2004) Biochemistry 43, 11862-11872]. However, it remained to be known why the enzyme displayed progressive inhibition during the time-dependent reaction and what LdCyP does to prevent and/or reverse the inhibition. Herein, we demonstrate that one of its reaction products, ADP but not AMP, facilitates the formation of AdK aggregates, leading to its inactivation. Further studies revealed that LdCyP reactivates the enzyme by withdrawing the ADP inhibition. To investigate the molecular mechanism, the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence and polarization of AdK were monitored in the presence of either LdCyP or ADP and in combination thereof. Whereas in the presence of LdCyP the tryptophan fluorescence emission maxima of AdK exhibited a red shift, ADP had a quenching effect. However, both the red shift and quenching became less noticeable when one (W234) of the two tryptophan residues of AdK was altered, indicating W234 fluorescence is relatively more sensitive to both LdCyP and ADP binding. Kinetic measurements indicated that LdCyP-facilitated reactivation of AdK is accompanied with a concomitant increase in the KD of ADP but not of AMP. Interestingly, addition of myokinase (MK) and pyruvate kinase (PK) along with phosphoenolpyruvate, either singly or in conjunction, to the AdK reaction mixture led to its reactivation. The effect of PK but not of MK could be substituted by CyP and vice versa. Taken together, the results suggest that LdCyP-induced reactivation occurs due to conformational reorientation of AdK in a manner that decreases the affinity of the enzyme for ADP with consequent relief from the ADP-mediated aggregation.


The essay deals with the relationship between institutions, new techologies and economic developement. The first part provides a broad overview of the contributions of economic theory, economic history and political science to the controversial questions on how to promote economic developement and in particular on the role played by innovation. Intitutions (i.e. democracy, rule of law, independent judiciary, professional bureaucracy, etc.) are considered by recent literature as a main factor. The second part focuses on the Italian legal system (competition law, public procurement, environmental regulation, etc.) and provides examples on how statutes, the bureaucracy and the legal culture in general promote or hamper economic growth.


Mild and environment friendly hypercoordinate iodine compounds exhibit promising reactivities resembling that of transition metal catalysts. Hypercoordinate iodine reagents or catalysts are increasingly been employed in contemporary organic synthesis. However, mechanistic insights on such reactions continue to remain rather limited. Recent advances in the mechanistic understanding on a selected set of reactions involving hypercoordinate iodine form the main theme of this review. An overview of bonding, reactivity, and mechanistic insights on iodine(III) reactions such as α‐functionalization of carbonyl compounds, alkynylation, amination, CH functionalization, phenol dearomatization, and trifluoromethylation have been described. In keeping with the current practices in mechanistic studies, we have maintained an interdisciplinary flavor in this compilation by providing a balanced view of computational and experimental understanding on the burgeoning domain of hypercoordinate iodine mediated reactions and catalysis. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2017, 7:e1299. doi: 10.1002/wcms.1299


Many emerging mobile wireless applications use symmetric keys for secure multicast communication. This key has to be changed every time a user decides to leave or join the network. We introduce a novel hierarchical security framework for mobile ad hoc multicast networks in which data encryption is done using a symmetric key and key establishment using symmetric 'level' keys and asymmetric node keys. Our primary contention is that the tree formation process should be integrated with the key exchange process and should not be treated as an add-on. Our scheme effectively handles the impact of mobility on key establishment while minimizing the number of messages to be exchanged.


In many retrieval systems the original high dimensional data (e.g., images) is mapped to a lower dimensional feature through a learned embedding model. The task of retrieving the most similar data from a gallery set to a given query data is performed through a similarity comparison on features. When the embedding model is updated, it might produce features that are not comparable/compatible with features already in the gallery computed with the old model. Subsequently, all features in the gallery need to be re-computed using the new embedding model -- a computationally expensive process called backfilling. Recently, compatible representation learning methods have been proposed to avoid backfilling. Despite their relative success, there is an inherent trade-off between the new model performance and its compatibility with the old model. In this work, we introduce FastFill: a compatible model update process using feature alignment and policy based partial backfilling to promptly elevate retrieval performance. We show that previous backfilling strategies suffer from decreased performance and demonstrate the importance of both the training objective and the ordering in online partial backfilling. We propose a new training method for feature alignment between old and new embedding models using uncertainty estimation. Compared to previous works, we obtain significantly improved backfilling results on a variety of datasets: mAP on ImageNet (+4.4\%), Places-365 (+2.7\%), and VGG-Face2 (+1.3\%). Further, we demonstrate that when updating a biased model with FastFill, the minority subgroup accuracy gap promptly vanishes with a small fraction of partial backfilling.


India's recent economic growth and strategic partnership with the United States have completed the transformation of that previously impoverished colony of the United Kingdom into South Asia's superpower. In its 63 years of independence, India has surpassed its former imperial masters in economic development and global power. That historic growth was achieved in great measure with the aid of a rich variety of cultural tools adopted from its old Western rulers, though India's greatest nationalists also reached deeper, tapping root springs of ancient Hinduism and Indian civilization's secular scientific genius, all of which helped to ignite its precocious economic powers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For more than a century under the United Kingdom's imperial rule ("Raj"), India's elite mastered the English language and literature, gaining admission to British India's universities, civil service system, and courts of law. They used those powerful institutions, the popular press, British national railways, and post and telegraph networks to attack indigenous feudal lords and princes, as well as racially prejudiced British viceroys, governors, and generals. India's National Congress, born in 1885, was inspired by the British civil servant-ornithologist, Allan Octavian Hume, and met annually during British India's Christmas vacation, passing resolutions that demanded greater access by Indians to positions of governmental power, fewer taxes, reductions in military expenditure, and compulsory elementary education. Although those Congressional resolutions were sent to every Indian viceroy and secretary of state, they were generally ignored, or at best granted only in small measure. India's new young leaders-in-embryo, however, learned from their early failures how better to appeal for justice, equality of opportunity, and fair play--British ideals they culled from the works of Milton, Macaulay, Mill, and Morley, which they memorized and articulated more eloquently than did most British officials. In 1906, the Muslim quarter of British India's multicultural population launched its own political party, the Muslim League. Like Congress, the League had a British mentor, Tory Viceroy Lord Minto, and was initially led by the conservative Aga Khan. In 1916, during World War I, the Muslim barrister M.A. Jinnah, who completed his legal studies at London's Lincoln's Inn, drafted a proposed postwar plan, jointly adopted by Congress and the League, which called upon the United Kingdom to grant India the virtual autonomy of a self-governing dominion within the empire. Had that Lucknow Pact been implemented, it might well have saved South Asia from the tragedies of partition that followed World War II. After 1905, when Viceroy George Curzon autocratically and ineptly partitioned Great Britain's premier province of Bengal, most Congress leaders abandoned reliance on polite petitions and pleas, adopting more radical demands for the boycott of all British imports and institutions, including British courts of law and universities. They advocated economic self-sufficiency, or Sva-deshi ("made in our own country"), and Sva-raj ("freedom") from British rule. Then Congress itself divided in 1907, its moderate liberal leadership under Gopal Gokhale favoring "home rule" within the British Raj, and its revolutionary majority led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak insisting on complete independence, or self-government. India's people and its princes had rallied to support the United Kingdom and its allies during World War I, and by war's end hoped to reap rewards of freedom from a grateful empire. Instead, fearing the return to Punjab of many battle-toughened Indian veterans and the hopeful expectations expressed by Congress politicians, anxious British officers, like Brigadier Reginald Dyer, unleashed their troops to massacre 400 unarmed innocents inside Amritsar's Jallianwala Bagh. Another 1,200 terrified Punjabi civilians were wounded, unable to escape from that enclosed garden. …


The rapidly emerging field of synthetic biology has tremendous potential to address some of the most compelling challenges facing our planet, by providing clean renewable energy, nutritionally-enhanced and environmentally friendly agricultural products, and revolutionary new life-saving cures. However, leaders in the synthetic biology movement have voiced concern that biotechnology's current patent-centric approach to intellectual property is in many ways ill-suited to meet the challenge of synthetic biology, threatening to impede follow-on innovation and open access technology. For years, copyright and patent protection for computer software have existed side-by-side, the two forms of intellectual property complementing one another. Numerous academic commentators have rejected the notion of copyright for engineered genetic sequences (the primary output of synthetic biology), based in large part upon a misinterpretation of copyright law and/or a failure to appreciate the profound advances in synthetic biology that have occurred in recent years. This article makes a case for extending copyright protection to engineered DNA, based in large part upon the striking analogy between engineered genetic sequences and computer programs, made more compelling by the growing convergence of software engineering and synthetic biology. The major doctrinal leap occurred 30 years ago when Congress and the courts sanctioned the use of copyright to protect computer programs. A further extension to engineered DNA would represent a comparatively modest incremental expansion, and would be comfortably supported by current copyright doctrine without any need to amend the Copyright Act (although certain clarifying and limiting amendments would be desirable). The article critiques, and to a large extent refutes, a variety of doctrinal and policy arguments that have been raised by commentators against extending copyright protection to engineered DNA, and concludes by outlining a number of positive policy objectives that could be addressed with you when you such an extension of copyright law.


Abstract : The current as well as planned family of Army vehicles requires multiple antennas to meet the growing communications requirements and therefore exhibit a significantly large visual signature. Antenna size is dictated by frequency and the lower the frequency, the larger the antenna. At VHF and UHF frequencies, the primary military tactical communication bands, antennas have a significant visual signature. The visual signature exhibited by these antennas increases the vulnerability of the platforms. Low profile and conformal antenna technologies have a great potential to reduce or even eliminate antenna visual signatures thereby having a significant effect on vehicle survivability. In this paper, we propose a technique for significantly reducing the antenna visual signature. This technique involves printing the antenna on a high Reactive Impedance Surface (RIS) permittivity substrate or Meta-Material. We have chosen the UHF Enhanced Position Location Radio System (EPRLS) AS- 3449 antenna, a 1-meter whip structure as a baseline for this research. The proposed technique uses known patch antenna geometries as the antenna radiation elements with a substantially reduced signature while retaining the radiation characteristics of the EPLRS antenna. We present a computer model of the antenna with computer simulation results along with the antenna prototype with the experimental results.


Rapid ATB Staph is a new, automated, four-hour procedure for testing the susceptibility to antibiotics of staphylococci. Results obtained with this method were compared to those recorded using agar dilution. For all tested antibiotics as a group (5 on 201 strains, 8 on 100 strains), overall agreement between the two sets of results was 96%. 1,809 susceptibility tests were performed, with only 24 minor discrepancies (1.3%) mainly involving cotrimoxazole, and 50 major discrepancies (2.7%) mainly involving doxycycline and chloramphenicol. Rapid ATB Staph clearly demonstrates the heterogeneous oxacillin-resistance of staphylococci as well as their inducible resistance to erythromycin. Our results show that this new system is a very accurate means for testing the susceptibility to antibiotics of staphylococci.


The lift-off velocity distribution of saltating particles, which have been proposed to characterize the dislodgement state of saltating particles, is one of the key issues in the theoretical study of windblown sand transportation. But there were various statistical relations in the early researches. In this paper, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for goodness-of-fit is adopted to make an inference of the most probable form of lift-off velocity distribution functions for saltating particles on the basis of the experimental data. The statistical results show that the distribution function of vertical lift-off velocities conforms better to Weibull distribution function than to the normal, log-normal, gamma and exponential ones; while, the distribution function of the absolute values of horizontal lift-off velocities is best described by log-normal distribution in forward direction and Weibull distribution in backward direction, respectively. Finally, two more examples prove to support the above conclusions.


We investigate the translocation dynamics of a folded linear polymer which is pulled through a nanopore by an external force. To this end, we generalize the iso-flux tension propagation theory for end-pulled polymer translocation to include the case of two segments of the folded polymer traversing simultaneously trough the pore. Our theory is extensively benchmarked with corresponding molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The translocation process for a folded polymer can be divided into two main stages. In the first stage, both branches are traversing the pore and their dynamics is coupled. If the branches are not of equal length, there is a second stage where translocation of the shorter branch has been completed. Using the assumption of equal monomer flux of both branches confirmed by MD simulations, we analytically derive the equations of motion for both branches and characterize the translocation dynamics in detail from the average waiting time and its scaling form.


group that was run at the Trauma Clinic in the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) in Johannesburg, South Africa. It offered an intensive vocational training course with psychosocial interventions over a period of three months. The psychosocial interventions included a two-hour weekly psycho-education programme and a two-hour weekly support group intervention. This paper discusses the consequences of not offering these interventions to ex-combatants. It also points out that the main themes from the support groups suggest that most of the sufferings that ex-combatants experience are due to the lack of psychological interventions offered to them, their families and communities, rather than living with the war memories. Finally, suggestions are made on how to address this problem.


Drawn from and updating the materials in the authors' landmark casebook on Legislation, this new casebook is a comprehensive and highly teachable introduction to Statutory Interpretation. Reflecting new scholarship as well as recent federal and state cases, the editors have included and updated the many teachable statutory interpretation cases found in the longer legislation casebook. This shorter casebook is perfect for upper-level legislation courses that focus on statutory interpretation and for first-year regulatory state courses that spend a significant time on statutory interpretation.


Abstract As distributed problem-based learning (dPBL) emerges as an interactive online methodology, it is necessary for instructional designers who want to develop this approach to understand the practices experienced designers of dPBL recommend. This phenomenological study examined the practices that designers of dPBL use and recommend. Ten experienced dPBL designers from seven countries participated in the qualitative study. Data were collected through semistructured telephone interviews in order to gather information about each individual's experiences using instructional design and designing dPBL. A listing of ten recommendations for designing dPBL is presented based on the information provided by the experienced designers.


IMPORTANCE
In Spain, culturally adapted tools are needed to assess sensory processing in adolescents and adults.

OBJECTIVE
To adapt the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) so that it is culturally appropriate for use in Spain.

DESIGN
Following standard procedures for cultural adaptation, we completed direct and back translation, conducted cognitive interviews, and examined test-retest reliability.

PARTICIPANTS
Cognitive interviews were conducted with 18 participants ages 11-13 yr. Test-retest reliability was calculated with different samples of 30 participants who were Spanish speaking only and 30 who were Spanish and English speaking.

RESULTS
The cognitive interviews revealed no serious difficulties in comprehension. The linguistic expert made necessary adjustments, and test-retest reliability of items showed low intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs; i.e., <.50) for two items in the monolingual group and five items in the bilingual group. These items were reviewed and revised by the linguistic expert, and subsequent test-retest reliability showed only one item with an ICC of <.50.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
The cultural adaptation of the AASP for Spain is conceptually and semantically equivalent to the original version and provides a culturally sensitive measure of sensory processing for adolescent and adult Spanish populations.

WHAT THIS ARTICLE ADDS
The cultural adaptation of assessment tools is an essential part of occupational therapy clinical intervention. We describe the cultural adaptation to Spain of the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile.


Purpose of reviewTo evaluate the recent literature on the utility of the pulse oximetry plethysmographic curve to assess macrocirculation and microcirculation monitoring in intensive care patients. Recent findingsIn patients with sinus rhythm who are hypotensive, deeply sedated, mechanically ventilated, critically ill and in the operation room, plethysmographic pulse variation related to mechanical breath is a recent noninvasive indicator of preload dependency. SummaryA growing number of recent clinical studies demonstrated that plethysmographic dynamic indices are useful methods to assess fluid responsiveness. Any alternating signal processing of the raw data curves, however, may be detrimental for this purpose, as significant clinically relevant information could be lost after perpetual adjustment of filtering. Hence, time will tell if the pulse oximetry plethysmographic curve will succeed other methods as a noninvasive approach to monitor haemodynamics of critically ill patients.


Multicast communication involves transmitting information from a single source to multiple destinations, and is a requirement in high-performance networks. Current trends in networking applications indicate an increasing demand in future networks for multicast capability. Many multicast applications require not only multicast capability but also predictable communication performance, such as guaranteed multicast latency and bandwidth. In this paper, we present a design for a nonblocking k-fold multicast network, in which any destination node can be involved in up to k simultaneous multicast connections in a nonblocking manner. We also develop an efficient routing algorithm for the network. As can be seen, a k-fold multicast network has significantly lower network cost than that of k copies of 1-fold multicast networks and is a costeffective choice for supporting arbitrary multicast communication.


This paper analyses the international community's response in the recent cases of attempted secession and tries to answer the question whether international law has progressed to the level regulating the very process of secession. It will start by examining the provisions of the Reference re Secession of Quebec as it is the first document that has outlined the obligation to negotiate secession. In this landmark opinion, the Court has found that the obligation to negotiate stems from the enshrined constitutional principles, a view that has been accepted by the vast majority of scholars. Contrary to this position, the article will argue that, while negotiations are a very important step on a particular entity's way towards secession, the obligation itself cannot be obtained from constitutional law. Instead, the obligation can be actually derived from the international law through, as this paper proposes, a novel theory of presumed or nascent statehood. Additional cases analyzed include the Kosovo Advisory Opinion and the view that the ICJ has taken on the final status negotiations and the Ahtisaari-led process. The case of Kosovo is further juxtaposed with other cases of attempted secession, mainly those of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Somaliland, Transnistria, South Soudan and Bougainville. All these case studies are used in order not only to argue the emerging obligation to negotiate secession, ie to undergo a form of a dispute settlement process with the host-state, but also to outline how the different conduct of the parties during this process can affect the international support for the succeeding entity.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of WIN55, 212-2 (WIN) on the proliferation, invasion and migration of SMMC-7721 hepatocellular carcinoma cells and its underlying mechanisms.

METHODS
SMMC-7721 cells were treated with (0, 1, 5, 10, 20) μmol/L WIN, and cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay. The morphological changes of the cells were observed under a fluorescence microscope with Hoechst33258 staining. Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry combined with annexin V-FITC/PI staining. The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins P53, P21, Bcl-2 and Bax, and the phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) were analyzed by Western blotting. Transwell(TM) invasion assay was used to detect cell invasion ability. Would healing assay was performed to test cell migration ability. The expression level of matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP-14) was evaluated by Western blotting.

RESULTS
WIN inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells and induced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. After treatment with WIN, the cell nucleus concentrated and broken, indicating obvious cell apoptosis. Western blotting exhibited an up-regulation in the protein expression of P53, P21 and Bax. And the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was repressed. The expression levels of AKT, p-AKT and p-ERK were down-regulated, whereas the expression of total ERK was not obviously changed. Compared with control group, there was a significant inhibition of cell invasion and migration abilities when SMMC-7721 cells were treated with WIN. The expression level of MMP-14 decreased as well.

CONCLUSION
WIN can inhibit the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells and induce cell apoptosis. The mechanism is associated with the activation of P53 and the inhibition of AKT, p-AKT and p-ERK. WIN can inhibit the invasion and migration of SMMC-7721 cells through down-regulating the protein expression of MMP-14.


In this dialogue, authors collectively reflect upon their experiences of being feminist philosophers. They diffract their personal and embodied experiences, philosophical reflections, and critiques of institutions in order to consider how and where a "vulnerable academic performance" is possible. In particular, the authors address matters of voice and silence within academia by asking the following questions: How are voices distributed and materialized in academia? Whose voice is heard and listened to vis-à-vis exisiting philosophical canons, classifications, and regimes of citationality? Bringing to the fore both personal and affective registers, the authors address the standards of legitimacy, hierarchies of voices and precarious labor conditions in academia as factors that render voices un/heard. With this in mind, they suggest a move towards vulnerability as a potent source of collective empowerment that is capable of disturbing academic power structures and canons.


OBJECTIVE
Several nutritional strategies for the management of psoriasis are promising. Even if recent data support that nutrition may play a pivotal role in prevention and co-treatment and despite patient's concerns regarding the best nutritional habits, the consensus regarding the nutritional strategies to be adopted lacks in clinical settings. In this manuscript, the effects of several nutritional strategies for psoriasis patients such as hypocaloric diet, vitamin D, fish oil, selenium, and zinc supplementation were systematically reviewed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on beneficial botanical oral supplements were also included in the analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
For each topic, a search was conducted in MEDLINE electronic databases for articles published in English between January 1, 1990 and September 2018. Two independent reviewers assessed and extracted the data. Only controlled clinical trials were selected.

RESULTS
The evidence regarding the current nutritional strategies for psoriasis patients were summarized and translated into a global, comprehensible recommendation.

CONCLUSIONS
Weight loss combined with a healthy lifestyle was shown to be very beneficial for patients with moderate to severe disease with a significant reduction of the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score. Currently, oral vitamin D supplementation for prevention or treatment of psoriasis in adults with normal vitamin D levels is not recommended; however, psoriasis patients with a deficit in plasma vitamin D levels are advised to complement with oral supplements to prevent psoriasis-related comorbidities. Instead of zinc, selenium, and omega 3 supplements have been proven beneficial for psoriasis patients. Among botanical species, Dunaliella bardawil (D. bardawil), Tripterygium wilfordii (T. wilfordii), Azadirachta indica (A. indica), Curcuma longa (C. longa), and HESA-A are the most beneficial. In conclusion, a close cooperation between nutritionists and dermatologists may be useful for the management of psoriasis.


BACKGROUND
 The impending scale up of noncommunicable disease screening programs in low- and middle-income countries coupled with limited health resources require that such programs be as accurate as possible at identifying patients at high risk.

 OBJECTIVE
 The aim of this study was to develop machine learning–based risk stratification algorithms for diabetes and hypertension that are tailored for the at-risk population served by community-based screening programs in low-resource settings.

 METHODS
 We trained and tested our models by using data from 2278 patients collected by community health workers through door-to-door and camp-based screenings in the urban slums of Hyderabad, India between July 14, 2015 and April 21, 2018. We determined the best models for predicting short-term (2-month) risk of diabetes and hypertension (a model for diabetes and a model for hypertension) and compared these models to previously developed risk scores from the United States and the United Kingdom by using prediction accuracy as characterized by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the number of false negatives.

 RESULTS
 We found that models based on random forest had the highest prediction accuracy for both diseases and were able to outperform the US and UK risk scores in terms of AUC by 35.5% for diabetes (improvement of 0.239 from 0.671 to 0.910) and 13.5% for hypertension (improvement of 0.094 from 0.698 to 0.792). For a fixed screening specificity of 0.9, the random forest model was able to reduce the expected number of false negatives by 620 patients per 1000 screenings for diabetes and 220 patients per 1000 screenings for hypertension. This improvement reduces the cost of incorrect risk stratification by US $1.99 (or 35%) per screening for diabetes and US $1.60 (or 21%) per screening for hypertension.

 CONCLUSIONS
 In the next decade, health systems in many countries are planning to spend significant resources on noncommunicable disease screening programs and our study demonstrates that machine learning models can be leveraged by these programs to effectively utilize limited resources by improving risk stratification.


Ethics guidelines and commentary suggest that a central function of research ethics committees is to assess the scientific merit of the protocols they review. However, some commentators object to this role, and evidence suggests that the assessment of scientific merit is a significant source of confusion and animosity between ethics committees and clinical investigators. In this essay, we argue that ethics committees should assess the scientific value and validity of research protocols and that new decision-making tools are needed to help them do so in a systematic, transparent, and reliable way. We present a novel ethical framework that can assist in this task.


The effect of the endogenous cannabinoid ligand anandamide on the function of the cloned α7 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor expressed in Xenopus oocytes was investigated by using the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique. Anandamide reversibly inhibited nicotine (10 μM) induced-currents in a concentration-dependent manner (10 nM to 30 μM), with an IC50 value of 229.7 ± 20.4 nM. The effect of anandamide was neither dependent on the membrane potential nor meditated by endogenous Ca2+ dependent Cl- channels since it was unaffected by intracellularly injected BAPTA and perfusion with Ca2+-free bathing solution containing 2 mM Ba2+. Anandamide decreased the maximal nicotine-induced responses without significantly affecting its potency, indicating that it acts as a noncompetitive antagonist on nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) α7 receptors. This effect was not mediated by CB1 or CB2 receptors, as neither the selective CB1 receptor antagonist N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboximide hydrochloride (SR 141716A) nor CB2 receptor antagonist N-((1S)-endo-1,3,3-trimethyl-bicyclo-heptan-2-yl]-5-(4-chloro-3-methylphenyl)-1-(4-methylbenzyl)-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (SR 144528) reduced the inhibition by anandamide. In addition, inhibition of nicotinic responses by anandamide was not sensitive to either pertussis toxin treatment or to the membrane permeable cAMP analog 8-Br-cAMP (0.2 mM). Inhibitors of enzymes involved in anandamide metabolism including phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, superoxide dismutase, and indomethacin, or the anandamide transport inhibitor AM404 did not prevent anandamide inhibition of nicotinic responses, suggesting that anandamide itself acted on nicotinic receptors. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide inhibits the function of nACh α7 receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes in a cannabinoid receptor-independent and noncompetitive manner.


African elections often reveal low levels of political accountability. We assess different forms of voter education during an election in Mozambique. Three interventions providing information to voters and calling for their participation were randomized: an information campaign using SMS, an SMS hotline for electoral misconduct, and the distribution of a free newspaper. To measure impact, we look at official electoral results, reports by electoral observers, and behavioral and survey data. We find positive effects of all treatments on voter turnout. However, only the distribution of the free newspaper led to more accountability-based participation and to a decrease in electoral problems. FRELIMO did it, FRELIMO does it. 2009 campaign slogan


Sustained observations of environmental conditions in the North Pole region are critical to understanding the changing Arctic Ocean. The Transpolar Drift conduit of sea ice and freshened upper-ocean waters across the Arctic Ocean passes over the North Pole region on its way to the North Atlantic through Fram and Nares Straits. The exported ice and freshened water stratifies the sub-Arctic seas and limits the vertical convection that ventilates the world ocean. Key variables such as ice thickness, bottom pressure, and hydrography in the North Pole region are thus sensitive indicators of changes over the whole Arctic Basin and how these affect the global ocean. Drifting buoys installed in the North Pole region by Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the U.S. address what would otherwise be a dearth of ocean, ice, and atmosphere observations in the central Arctic. A suite of satellite remote sensing tools such as ICESat/ICESat-2 from the U.S., GRACE from the U.S. and Germany, and CryoSat2 from the European Union extend the conclusions from central Arctic Ocean in situ observations to other regions. Detecting and understanding climate change requires observations over decadal and longer scales. We propose an international program as the key to sustaining these observations in the North Pole region. Such an international program would help immeasurably by 1) facilitating financial sharing of the burden of long-term measurements among several nations, (2) reducing logistics costs through economies of scale, and 3) providing a buffer against national funding, logistics, and geopolitical difficulties.


Some aspects of the grammar of Esan have been studied but works on lexical derivation strategies of the language are rare. In recognition of the fundamental role of the lexicon in formal description of a language, this study examines Esan lexical items and the various morphological strategies employed to derive them. The study is based on the Ubiaza dialect given the premise that it exhibits linguistic characteristics which portray it as one of the earliest varieties of the language. The study employs the Ibadan word-list of 400 basic items as instrument of data elicitation and three Esan native speakers as consultants. Findings show that Esan uses concatenated and non-concatenated strategies in lexical derivation with the concatenated typology being more productive than the non-concatenated. The study concludes that such studies are avenues for documenting aspects of Esan grammar and, by extension, Edoid languages in general.


Syringa vulgaris L. (fam. Oleaceae), known as common lilac, is a shrub widely grown in Europe and North America and it has been cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Different parts of the plant like flowers, leaves, or branches, mostly as alcoholic or aqueous extracts, are used in traditional medicine, in internal use, in common cold, in gastrointestinal disorders or rheumatic diseases but also in external use in dermatological disorders.
Scientific studies confirm that active substances with an antioxidant, analgesic and antipyretic, antidiabetic or antitumor effect can be isolated from the common lilac.


Objective: Aging is a multifactorial phenomenon, which attribute to different diseases and abnormalities in living systems. Oxidative stress, which is an important factor in aging, exacerbates this process via different mechanisms. Crocin (CR), one of the active components of saffron showed strong antioxidant effects. In the present study, anti-aging property of crocin was investigated in mice. Materials and Methods: The model of aging was induced using administration of d-galactose (500 mg/kg, s. c.) for 42 days. Animals were treated with crocin (10, 20, 40 mg/kg, i.p.) during treatment with d-galactose. At the end of treatment, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) as a lipid peroxidation marker and glutathione content (GSH) in the liver and brain were measured. Also, biochemical factors including liver enzymes (ALT and AST), male sex hormones including testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-SO4) and pro-inflammatory markers such as tumor necrosis factor -α (TNF-α) and interlukine-6 (IL-6) in serum, were evaluated. Results: Administration of d-galactose led to induction of lipid peroxidation in liver and brain tissues, as well as elevation of AST, ALT, and pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduction of male sex hormones levels in serum. Interestingly, treatment of animals with crocin (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) diminished lipid peroxidation in the liver and brain tissues while elevated GSH content. Also, a decline in serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and an elevation of male sex hormones were observed following treatment with crocin. Conclusion: Administration of crocin reduced d-galactose-induced aging in mice through inhibition of oxidative stress, reduction of inflammation and elevation of sex hormones.


The Countryside Survey programme field records for land-cover and landscape features are held by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in hard copy format. These data have been collected at varying intervals (1977/78, 1984, 1990, 1998/99 and 2007) in Great Britain to form a globally unique long-term, large-scale monitoring dataset.
The data from 1984, 1990 and 1998 were scanned as part of a previous project (CS2000 FOCUS - Scoping and Pilot study for scanning Countryside Survey primary field data documents). The linework for these years was digitised prior to 2000, and the 2007 data were recorded directly onto rugged field computers.
However, the 256 annotated land-cover maps for the 1978 Countryside Survey squares had never been digitised into a GIS format before 2009 (although the areas and lengths had been recorded using rudimentary digitising tools in the 1980s). Before this data rescue project was undertaken, these primary source records of long-term monitoring of land-cover and landscape features from the 1978 Countryside Survey programme were at considerable risk of damage, loss or destruction. In addition, the data were unavailable in a spatial form as a resource on a daily basis to CEH staff or to a wider range of researchers. The Countryside Survey 1978 Data Rescue project has allowed digitisation of the maps, which provide the ability to analyze Countryside Survey data in relation to Broad Habitat categories as far back as 1978, which was previously not possible. Converting the 1978 Countryside Survey land-cover maps into digital form effectively adds a completely new
survey dataset for land-cover to the existing surveys carried out in 1984, 1990, 1998 and 2007. For the first
time, this allows us to extend the time series of matched vegetation and Broad Habitat data back to a critical
period that coincides with the culmination of post-WWII intensification of agriculture. This increases the
reliability and power of the entire time-series for estimating stock and change in Broad Habitats across the full
thirty year period. It will also provide new information on the impact of land-use as a driver of ecological
variation in plant species composition and soils in 1978.
During the project, the field codes used in 1978 were allocated to BAP Broad Habitats (Jackson, 2000) and
individual areas were scrutinised to enable consistency between the 1978 dataset and data from later years'
surveys. It is now possible to characterise the mosaic of broad habitats as they existed across GB thirty years
ago, in terms of coincident plant species and soil data (pH and Loss on Ignition) recorded at the same time.
This report incorporates a summary of work completed on the dataset and also comments and discussions
made at a Workshop in Grange-over-Sands and project meetings involving Colin Barr, Bob Bunce, David
Howard, Simon Smart, Claire Wood, and Peter Henrys (CEH project NEC03689, 2009-2011).


Contrary to the predictions of the standard life-cycle model, many low-lifetime-income households accumulate little wealth relative to their incomes compared to households with high lifetime income. I use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and a correlated random-effects generalized-method-of-moments estimator to decompose the rich-poor gaps in wealth-to-permanent-income ratio into the portions attributable to differences in characteristics such as labor market earnings, income uncertainty, observed demographics, and the utilization of transfer programs which may have stringent income and liquid-asset tests, and those attributable to differences in the estimated coefficients on the respective characteristics. The results suggest that wealth-to-permanent-income ratios are increasing in permanent labor income and income uncertainty, but that transfer income, with or without asset tests, discourages liquid-asset accumulation. The decompositions indicate that most of the rich-poor wealth gap is attributable to differences in average characteristics and not coefficients. The leading factor driving the gap between the rich and poor in the ratio of liquid wealth to permanent income is asset-tested transfer income, whereas the leading factor driving the gap in the ratio of net worth to permanent income is labor-market earnings.


Cross-modal effects in statistical learning: Evidence from the McGurk illusion Aaron Mitchel The Pennsylvania State University Morten Christiansen Cornell University Daniel Weiss The Pennsylvania State University Abstract: Statistical learning is assumed to play a vital role in language acquisition, yet it is unknown whether it is guided by a unitary, modality-general mechanism, or by several sensory-specific mechanisms. Consistent with the latter view, Seitz et al (2007) tested learners with multimodal input and found that statistical learning in one modality is independent of input to other modalities. We tested this assertion of independence by presenting learners with speech streams synchronized with a video of a speaker's face. We used the McGurk illusion to manipulate the underlying statistical structure of the speech streams. Contrasting the independence hypothesis, our results suggest that participants can integrate audio and visual input to perceive the McGurk illusion during statistical learning, thereby altering the pattern of segmentation. Our results suggest that auditory and visual inputs are not processed independently, but leave unresolved whether the resulting representations are integrated across modalities or not.


Many businesses both large and small rely on various forecasts of economic activity when making their own sales and financial projections. Companies that use or may be considering the Journal of Business Forecasting (JBF) as a basis for their projections, no doubt, will be interested in knowing the degree of accuracy inherent in past forecasts. Toward this end, the present analysis gauges the accuracy of past JBF predictions of selected "Consensus Forecast" variables: real GNP, CPI, and unemployment. DATA The forecasts to be evaluated occur in the Spring 1983 through Fall 1990 issues of the Journal of Business Forecasting, the available data set at the time of the analysis. This time span includes the 1990 downturn in economic activity. These are quarterly forecasts with one, two, three and four quarter horizons. All issues of JBF contain four quarterly horizons except the Fall 1988 issue which includes forecasts for the first three horizons only. The analysis employs Consensus Forecasts, the means of the individual institutional forecasts, for CPI, real GNP and unemployment. Evidence indicates that averages of forecasts generally perform better than individual forecasts so these results generally reflect lower bounds for any individual forecaster in the group. All real GNP and CPI forecasts are converted to consistent "base" years that coincide with current base periods employed by the U.S. Department of Commerce and JBF. The base period is 1982-84 for CPI and 1982 for real GNP. No modification of published unemployment forecasts are necessary, because unemployment rates do not rely upon a base year. Actual values are taken from Business Conditions Digest and Survey of Current Business. Measuring the accuracy of an economic forecast depends on whether the objective is to predict the level of a variable or to predict changes in direction, turning points, for the variable. A number of statistical artifacts measure the closeness of the forecast to the actual value by employing the error, the difference between the forecast and actual values. This study includes the mean absolute error (MAE), the root mean square error (RMSE), and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). In other cases, where predicting turning points is the objective, prediction-realization ratios depict the forecasts' behavior regarding missed turns and false signals. The MAE is an average of the absolute values of the forecast errors over the periods spanned in the analysis (up to thirty quarters in this study). This results in a measure of the typical error expressed in units such as dollars and percentage points. The RMSE also measures the average or typical size of the error using the square root of the average of the squared errors. The result emphasizes large errors, because it weights each error by itself when values are squared. Again, the result is expressed in levels and percentage points. The MAPE measures the typical size of an error relative to the size of the value being forecast. Here error is always expressed in percentage points which facilitates accuracy comparisons among forecasts of several different variables and among several forecasts of the same variable. In the MAPE, first a relative error, the ratio of the absolute value of the error to the actual value, is calculated for each period. Then the average of these ratios is expressed as a percentage. In addition to measures of closeness, forecast users often need to know how well the forecast predicts turning points. While each variable follows a general trend during the time spanned by this study, there are occasions where each changes direction, such as the decline in real GNP at the onset of the 1990 recession. The direction of change for the variable during the period spanned by the forecast and during the quarter preceding this forecast period determine the character of the turning point behavior for each horizon. If GNP is increasing when the forecaster predicts a downturn for the next horizon, whether it be one, two, three, or four quarters ahead, a turning point is predicted. …


The adoption of ground-source heat pump (GSHP) in building sector for space heating/cooling, has increased rapidly during the past several decades around the world, especially in China. Meanwhile, it also exposed a lot of problems such as poor economic and energy efficiency, and even failure to operate properly. The purpose of this paper is to post-assess the application of existing GSHP projects, and to analyze the feasibility of ground-coupled heat pumps(GCHP) applied to office buildings in different climatic zones in China. More than one hundred GSHP cases are investigated through literature surveys and field data collection. Based on the post-evaluation results, a model for assessing the adaptability of GCHP is established. The feasibility evaluation of GCHP applied to office buildings are carried out, and key indicators, such as available capacity, energy savings, and cost-efficiency, etc. are presented among different climatic zones in China.


INTRODUCTION
Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty has been demonstrated to help increase various patient-reported, clinical, and surgical outcome metrics (PROMs). However, the current literature is limited regarding PROMs data for longer follow-up periods beyond one year. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to 1) report multicenter patient-reported outcomes with multiple metrics, as well as 2) postoperative surgeon-specific outcomes at a minimum two-year follow-up.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Five fellowship-trained, high-volume surgeons performed a total of 188 total knee arthroplasty surgeries using the enhanced preoperative planning and real-time intraoperative feedback of a robotic-assisted device. Patients from all surgeons followed similar postoperative rehabilitation beginning on postoperative day one. Patients were evaluated based on the Short Form-12 Questionnaire (SF-12), the Forgotten Joint Score (FJS), and Knee Society total and subscores (KSS). The SF-12 was subdivided into two components: mental composite score (MCS) and physical composite score (PCS). The KSS was subdivided into functional and knee scores. Additionally, surgical outcomes from the latest follow-up visit were evaluated. All patients were evaluated at a minimum of two years follow-up time.

RESULTS
All patients reported excellent postoperative outcomes for all three PROMs. The mean postoperative SF-12 MCS and PCS scores were both 57 points, with 50 as the threshold for norm-based scoring (MCS range: 42 to 69 points; PCS range: 41 to 68 points). The mean FJS was 75 points (range: 14 to 100 points). The mean KSS functional score was 84 points (range: 20 to 100) while the mean Knee Score was 92 points (range: 40 to 100). Similarly, we found that the aseptic revision rates were low (n=2, 1.06%, one for unexplained pain, and another for a post-traumatic tibial fracture) with few other postoperative complications (n=7 patients [3.7%]) in our cohort.

CONCLUSION
Our analysis found that patients had excellent outcomes across multiple PROM metrics. Future work can build on these results with large patient populations over longer follow-up intervals. Nevertheless, these results provide the foundation and evidence to support the continued use of this innovative technology for total knee arthroplasties.


Influencing cell behavior from proliferation to differentiation using substrate or implant topography is an attractive strategy for regenerative medicine applications. Substrate topography at the submicron range is of particular interest because the size range is comparable to extracellular matrix structures. Emerging literature presents many interesting findings on how nanotopography enhances cell adhesion, alters cell morphology, affects proliferation, initiates intracellular signaling, provides contact guidance and mediates stem cell differentiation. Incorporating topographical consideration into the design of a biomimetic microenvironment for cell culture will become increasingly important in light of these studies and practical with advances in nanofabrication technologies. This Highlight underscores the promise of and the unknown information about topographical effects in manipulating cell-substrate interaction and advancing tissue engineering.


It has become axiomatic that basic science faculty and research programs at medical schools must support themselves. The days when excess clinical revenue was used to support basic research are long gone. With the pressure of managed care and faculty practice programs on medical school budgets, it appears that medical school leaders are looking everywhere but at clinical programs for critical support of biomedical research at their institutions, even as NIH support shrinks.


Red clover is a valuable forage crop, but often copes with unsatisfactory seed yield. Management practices to increase seed yield include fertilization, adequate weed and pest control, the synchronization of flowering through pre-cutting in spring, and the application of plant growth regulators to prevent lodging. Seed yield problems may have variable underlying reasons, such as inadequate pollination, fertility or genetic problems, or a combination of such traits. In this review paper, we summarize the results of recent publications that shed new light on the traits explaining seed yield differences between red clover genotypes. The main seed yield components are the number of flower heads per plant and the seed yield per flower head. Seed yield differences between diploid and tetraploid red clover are largely explained by the lower seed number per head. Recent research showed that, although inadequate pollination can lead to poor seed yield in certain areas, pollination cannot explain differences in seed yield between genotypes, cultivars, or ploidy levels. Correspondingly, corolla tube dimensions are not associated with seed yield, in spite of what is often believed by seed producers. On the other hand, fertility problems such as aberrations during male meiosis tend to occur more frequently in tetraploid genotypes and/or genotypes with low seed yield. A recent genetic study revealed 34 candidate genes for seed development, which opens perspectives for marker-assisted breeding. A final and remarkable finding is the occurrence of self-fertility in tetraploid red clover and its association with high seed yield. Breeders should be aware that selection for seed yield in tetraploid red clover may lead to unintentional selection for self-fertility, with possible consequences for inbreeding. The implications of recent findings for seed yield breeding and for the creation of novel tetraploids are discussed. Future research opportunities are considered.


: The hormonal regulation of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the status of the body antioxidant system has been studied insufficiently. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of insulin on the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase--SOD and catalase--CT) and at the same time on the level of LPO products in erythrocytes. Cells were incubated with insulin at different concentrations in own plasma for 2 h at 37 degrees C. It was shown that the incubation of erythrocytes with insulin in physiological concentrations (16.5-80 microU/ml) led to CT increased activity and made no effect on the content of conjugated dienes and dieneketones. A high concentration of the hormone (1000 microU/ml) caused an increase in the content of LPO products and did not influence CT activity. Changes in SOD activity were undetectable with regard to the experimental conditions. Thus, insulin regulating action on CT activity and LPO processes depends on insulin concentration.


Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has the worst prognosis of all cancers and is the 4th leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Mucin1 (MUC1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein over-expressed in more than 60% of PDA and its expression correlates with high metastases and poor prognosis. In PDA, there is a correlation between blood vessel density, tumor levels of VEGF, and disease progression. We have recently discovered a novel association between MUC1 and neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) expression. Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) is a co-receptor for VEGF165 and blockade of NRP-1-VEGF165 interaction has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and tumor growth in several other cancer types. Thus, we hypothesize that MUC1 induces a pro-angiogenic tumor microenvironment by increasing levels of VEGF and NRP-1, thus enhancing disease progression and metastases. We have generated Muc1-expressing KC and Muc1-null KCKO mouse PDA cell lines for this study. Compared to KCKO, KC cells secrete more VEGF and express higher levels of NRP-1 as well as VEGF receptors (1/2/3). Although the cell culture supernatants from KC do not alter the NRP-1 level on the endothelial line 2H11 cells, they significantly promote the 2H11 cell tube formation. Consistent with the in vitro results, tumor lysates from KC-bearing mice have higher levels of NRP-1 and VEGFR2 and its phosphorylations at Tyr residues 951, 996, and 1175. In human PDA cell lines, inhibition of MUC1 expression by specific siRNA reduced NRP-1 level while overexpression of full-length MUC1 increases NRP-1 expression. This suggests a direct regulation of NRP-1 by MUC1. Furthermore, the over-expression of MUC1 in BxPC3 human PDA cell line induces strong angiogenesis and promotes tumor metastasis in a zebrafish tumor xenograft model. Finally, we report that inhibition of NRP-1 by its specific blocking peptide suppresses BxPC3.MUC1 tumor growth in vivo. Taking together, MUC1 in PDA cells can enhance their own NRP-1 levels and promote the VEGF-VEGFR-NRP-1 signaling, which may favor the creation of a pro-angiogenic microenvironment for tumor growth and metastases. Our findings highlight the potential for MUC1 targeted blockade of VEGF-NRP-1 interaction in PDA by conjugating the NRP-1 inhibitory agents to a MUC1 targeting antibody. Citation Format: Ru Zhou, Jennifer Curry, Priyanka Grover, Lopamudra Das Roy, TinChung Leung, Pinku Mukherjee. MUC1 enhances neuropilin-1 signaling in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 26. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-26


When Dmitri Mendeleev laid out his ordered grid of the then-known elements in 1869, he could not have predicted the overwhelming and all-encompassing effect that his idea would have on scientific theory for the next 150 years. Nevertheless, he knew, presciently and from the start that he had conceived and laid claim to a powerful predictive tool that would bring some kind of order to a seemingly random set of fundamental substances. It is not within the scope of this paper to detail how the thought currents of his day were converging, little by little, on the realization that the universe was an intrinsically ordered one, nor is it our purpose to award to Mendeleev the title of sole "discoverer" of the periodic system. We wish merely to point out that he now occupies a well-deserved place within the system under the title of "mendelevium," element 101, and that, by this attribution, he belongs to a special "family," the actinides. How this family was uncovered, grew, and developed is the topic of this essay.


The SciDAC2 accelerator project at SLAC aims to simulate an entire three-cryomodule radio frequency (RF) unit of the International Linear Collider (ILC) main Linac. Petascale computing resources supported by advances in Applied Mathematics (AM) and Computer Science (CS) and INCITE Program are essential to enable such very large-scale electromagnetic accelerator simulations required by the ILC Global Design Effort. This poster presents the recent advances and achievements in the areas of CS/AM through collaborations.


The reliability of financial analysis information is very important for internal and external consumer's information. Based on the data, this information can be possibly used to determine the company's chances and perspectives in a competitive market, to properly assess the company's financial condition and the results of its activity. Reliable financial analysis information particularly supplements consumer's information which is required to make the right decisions and to assess their validity. The function of the reliability of financial analysis information is the accuracy of analytical calculation. Conceptuality, reliability, validity, arrangement, relevance are all dimensions and criteria of analytical calculations that ensure compliance and determine the accuracy of such calculations. This article deals with the value of reliability to financial analysis information. Studied are certain factors which reduce or raise the reliability of financial analysis information. Analytical calculation criteria that ensure the reliability of such calculations are discussed and presented within the article. It is proved that it is rational to apply the hypothetical deductive paradigm to the procedure of financial analysis, and that all financial analysis stages get a credibility problem in their reliability values. The paper presents the solutions to this problem. Therein presented are the methods for producing reliable financial analysis information, in the basis of which lay ten principles of reliability in financial analysis information: sequence, comparison, continuity, variety, accuracy, cost-profit, value, particularity, compatibility and validity.


Introduction: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection caused by the larvae of Taenia solium. Spinal
neurocysticercosis presentation is an uncommon clinical condition especially if the only segment involved is cauda
equine.
Case report: We present a 57 year old woman with a history of a lumbar radiculopathy in which the lumbar MRI
showed an expansive lesion at conus terminallis level. The lesion was excised revealing parasitic cisticerci. An
albendazol cycle was performed and 1 year after treatment she remains asymptomatic and no more lesions were
identified.
Discussion: NCC is a rare condition, especially at the sacral region, and the diagnosis is difficult due to the nonspecificity
of symptoms being this case so relevant to resemble this entity in non-endemic areas like ours.


This thesis examines the activity of designing and making across geographical distances. Through critical reflection on the author's own design practice, and the initiation of new collaborative design projects, the thesis develops and tests the concept of translocated making. Translocated making is explored as a form of production where activity, influence, media and understanding are shared across multiple locations, both physically and virtually. The author's own design practice is situated and analysed in the context of how the manufacturing possibilities of mature western markets have developed since the 1990s. With the rise of digital technologies, greater degrees of interaction and collaboration between designer and manufacturer have been enabled; however, it is found that the effects of geographical and cultural distance on designing and making have not been systematically researched, nor understood from the perspective of the designer as creative agent. Drawing on theories of cultural interaction, and in particular Appadurai's theory of suffixscapes, the thesis sets out a framework for experimenting with and analysing the effects of cultural and geographical difference on designing and making. Collaboration across distance is established as a key mode of designing and making, bringing to light the effects of difference in design outcomes. Gujarat in India is the location for a series of design projects in urban and remote locations. These are investigated through designing research and researching through design methods. New knowledge is articulated through the way in which the design projects allow for the testing and reflection upon theories of cultural interaction. The experimental design methods employed in the projects show how exchanging differences through collaboration in digital and analogue media can create new artefacts with hybrid cultural values. The value of this research for designers and makers in advanced and developing economies is through helping them to understand the possibilities of collaboration across geographical distance. For academics and researchers the value lies in critiquing and further developing practice-based design research methods, and in exploring the longerterm strategic, creative and cultural changes that globalisation and digital technologies are bringing to all forms of design and manufacture.


ABSTRACT A progressive decline in islet function is a major obstacle to the success of islet transplantation. The cause of this decline in islet function is unclear, but immunosuppressive agents may contribute. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and betacellulin are important for islet cell survival and/or proliferation. In the present study, we performed studies in INS-1 cells and murine islets to define the effect of IGF-I and betacellulin on progression of islet cells through the cell cycle and the impact of immunosuppressive agents. Treatment of INS-1 cells for 24 hours with 20 ng/mL betacellulin or 50 ng/mL IGF-I increased cells in S phase by ∼2-fold. Treatment of INS-1 cells with IGF-I or betacellulin also increased cyclin D1 expression and nuclear exclusion of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21Cip1 and p27Kip1. In INS-1 cells and islets, betacellulin- and IGF-I increased Akt, extracellular signal-related kinase, and p70S6 kinase phosphorylation. Rapamycin, an immunosuppressant which inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin, inhibited the increase in p70S6 kinase phosphorylation stimulated by betacellulin- and IGF-I in INS-1 cells. Rapamycin also inhibited betacellulin- and IGF-I-induced entry of cells into S phase and 5′-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine incorporation as well as the effect of betacellulin and IGF-I on cyclin D1 expression and nuclear exclusion of p21Cip1 and p27Kip1. Together, these data suggest that the effect of betacellulin and IGF-I on islet cell growth and proliferation is mediated, in part, via signaling through mammalian target of rapamycin. As rapamycin is used to treat islet transplant recipients, these results suggest that rapamycin could have deleterious effects on islet proliferation and function over time.


The influences of physical and mental activity on cognitive functioning were examined in a sample of Italian healthy elderly males. The aim of the present study was to suggest aerobic training as well as cognitively stimulating activity and provide recommendations for an overall healthy lifestyle. Seventy-five healthy adult males, aged 65-81, were assigned to four groups, two groups of active subjects practicing different levels of regular aerobic exercise, and two groups of sedentary subjects, one without any relevant mental stimulating activity and the other one regularly carrying out substantial mental activity. Each group was further divided into three subgroups based on their level of education. Cognitive functioning was assessed by the Italian version of MoCA. Data was analysed in a non-parametric two-factor model by Aligned Rank Transformation, and then compared with the normative data for the Italian population. Physically active subjects showed better cognitive performance than the other groups in all the cognitive domains, except for memory and orientation. Among the sedentary subjects, the mentally active ones showed better performance in some cognitive domains, specifically in attention and memory. The influence of education was highlighted in some scores, but significant interactions with activity levels were never highlighted. Moreover, the influence of life habits (i.e. physical and mental activity) on the MoCa scores always showed a higher effect size than education. Our findings showed that both physical and mental activity improve cognitive functions in the elderly, and that they affect specific cognitive domains.


Myers J, Lee M, Kiratli J: Cardiovascular disease in spinal cord injury: an overview of prevalence, risk, evaluation, and management. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2007;86:000–000. Cardiovascular disease is a growing concern for the spinal cord–injured (SCI) population. For long-term SCI, morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular causes now exceeds that caused by renal and pulmonary conditions, the primary causes of mortality in previous decades. Although risk estimates commonly used for ambulatory individuals have not been established from follow-up studies in SCI, nearly all risk factors tend to be more prevalent in SCI subjects compared with ambulatory subjects. These risks include a greater prevalence of obesity, lipid disorders, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. Daily energy expenditure is significantly lower in SCI individuals, not only because of a lack of motor function, but also because of a lack of accessibility and fewer opportunities to engage in physical activity. Autonomic dysfunction caused by SCI is also associated with several conditions that contribute to heightened cardiovascular risk, including abnormalities in blood pressure, heart rate variability, arrhythmias, and a blunted cardiovascular response to exercise that can limit the capacity to perform physical activity. Thus, screening, recognition, and treatment of cardiovascular disease should be an essential component of managing individuals with SCI, and judicious treatment of risk factors can play an important role in minimizing the incidence of cardiovascular disease in these individuals. This article reviews the cardiovascular consequences of chronic SCI, including the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and risk factors unique to these individuals, and provides a synopsis of management of cardiovascular disease in this population.


BACKGROUND The severity, clinical course, and risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) related chronic liver disease are still rather poorly defined. AIMS To investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and severity of HCV related liver disease in the general population, and investigate whether infection with a specific genotype is associated with an increased risk of cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS HCV RNA determination by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and HCV genotyping were performed in all anti-HCV positive subjects belonging to the Dionysos study (6917 subjects). Diagnosis of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma was established by liver biopsy in all cases. All the data were analysed by univariate and multivariate statistics in all the cohort. To investigate the natural history of HCV infection, anti-HCV positive subjects were followed up every six months for three years with liver function tests and ultrasonograms. RESULTS The overall prevalence of HCV RNA positivity was 2.3%. Positivity increased progressively with age, and was higher in women (ratio of men to women = 0.7). Genotypes 1b and 2a were the most frequent (42 and 24% of HCV RNA positive patients), with a prevalence of 1 and 0.6% respectively. Intravenous drug use, blood transfusions received before 1990, history of previous hepatitis among the cohabiting, and history of animal (mainly dogs) bites were significantly (p<0.05) associated with HCV infection, independently of age and sex. Multivariate analysis showed that, independently of age, sex, and alcohol intake, genotype 1b infection, with or without coinfection with other genotypes, is the major risk factor associated with the presence of cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma. During the three years of follow up, 57 (35%) of the HCV RNA positive subjects had consistently normal alanine aminotransferase and γ-glutamyltransferase values. Two of the 22 HCV RNA positive cirrhotic patients, all drinking more than 90 g of alcohol a day, developed hepatocellular carcinoma (incidence rate = 3.0% per year). CONCLUSIONS In the general population of Northern Italy, HCV infection is widespread, but only less than 50% of the anti-HCV positive subjects, particularly those infected with genotype 1b, are associated with a more severe liver disease. Alcohol consumption greater that 30 g a day significantly aggravates the natural course of the disease.


The events of September 11, 2001 were a significant watershed in the emerging global order. However, the nature and consequences of this changing global order remain unclear. This book argues that this new order is as much the result of issues relating to the evolving methods and forms of governance, as of the new role and position of the United States in the world system. Using an innovative framework, derived from the work of Carl Schmitt, Kanishka Jayasuriya explores the nexus between domestic political and constitutional structures and the global order, and examines how the post-war framework of international liberalism is crumbling under the new pressures of globalization. As well as looking at the implications of 9/11 for the global order, this new study: Relates the events of 9/11 to the deep transformations of the post war global order. Emphasizes the importance of the rise of the new regulatory state. Examines the new politics of fear in liberal democracies including the US, UK and Australia. Studies the appropriation of the 'language of the left' by conservative forces. Explores the illiberal outcomes of actions undertaken in the name of liberalism. This unique and timely study will be of great interest to students and researchers of international political economy, globalization and international political theory.


DNA damage repair (DDR) is a safeguard for genome integrity maintenance. Increasing DDR efficiency could increase the yield of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) upon reprogramming from somatic cells. The epigenetic mechanisms governing DDR during iPSC reprogramming are not completely understood. Our goal was to evaluate the splicing isoforms of histone variant macroH2A1, macroH2A1.1, and macroH2A1.2, as potential regulators of DDR during iPSC reprogramming. GFP-Trap one-step isolation of mtagGFP-macroH2A1.1 or mtagGFP-macroH2A1.2 fusion proteins from overexpressing human cell lines, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis, uncovered macroH2A1.1 exclusive interaction with Poly-ADP Ribose Polymerase 1 (PARP1) and X-ray cross-complementing protein 1 (XRCC1). MacroH2A1.1 overexpression in U2OS-GFP reporter cells enhanced specifically nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) repair pathway, while macroH2A1.1 knock-out (KO) mice showed an impaired DDR capacity. The exclusive interaction of macroH2A1.1, but not macroH2A1.2, with PARP1/XRCC1, was confirmed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) undergoing reprogramming into iPSC through episomal vectors. In HUVEC, macroH2A1.1 overexpression activated transcriptional programs that enhanced DDR and reprogramming. Consistently, macroH2A1.1 but not macroH2A1.2 overexpression improved iPSC reprogramming. We propose the macroH2A1 splicing isoform macroH2A1.1 as a promising epigenetic target to improve iPSC genome stability and therapeutic potential.


This Editorial reflects on the 'Directions' section of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education over the last 25 years and highlights the new Co-Editors' plans for the future of the section. We discuss how the section first emerged in the context of a heightened focus on skills development in higher education and follow this with a brief analysis of the 42 'Directions' papers published to date. We reflect on how the nature of the published articles initially focused on enhancing undergraduate student assessment performance before expanding the discussion to consider broader aspects of the student experience and disciplinary learning. We recognise that while most of the articles have focused on undergraduates, many of them are also relevant to postgraduate geography students. Following a lull in submissions between 2008 and 2017, a revival of the section emerged through articles either co-authored by students and staff, or authored solely by geography students. We intend to develop this 'students as partners' approach with respect to future 'Directions' publications, by encouraging submissions co-authored by students and staff and ensuring that all articles are reviewed by both a current academic staff member and a student.


The problem of fracture toughness, KIc, determination at a crack tip localized in a welded joint is placed in principle because fracture mechanics assumes homogenous material, not only around the crack tip but on a distance from it, in order to maintain valid theoretical assumptions and importance of the fracture toughness as the property measured by some of the fracture mechanics methods. Welded joint, as an integral part of a structure, represents inhomogeneity by microstructure and mechanical properties, often by geometrical form, and by the stress field as well, which are affected by various factors as well as residual stresses after welding [1]. However, these general difficulties did not disenable experimental determination of the fracture toughness under plane strain, KIc, in certain critical areas of a welded joint, or welded joint as a whole, but rather there are difficulties in interpreting the meaning of the measured values. Specimens for the fracture mechanics parameters determination are specimens with cracks, and cracks appears in welded joints as the most critical defects.


Dementia's impact on pain sensation is not well understood. Very little research has been done in this area, our clinical knowledge is poor, and there is no published information available to practitioners. This article reviews the current literature and discusses the need for further research. The number of patients with dementia is growing. This patient group will require dental diagnosis and treatment, and cannot be ignored by dentists. A humane approach to treatment must be adopted.


When designing new digital instruments and devices, there are a vast variety of reasons why the finally designed devices will malfunction. To decrease the number of such failures and to increase design accuracy, various methods and systems for modeling digital devices are used. In these systems, various methods for describing signals in models of designed devices can be used. In this case, three-valued, four-valued, ..., nine-valued, thirteen-valued, as well as analog signal descriptions can be applied. Increasing signal and element models complexity in digital devices allows designing more accurate models. However, when modeling digital devices, multi-valued alphabets do not allow to increase the accuracy of modeling and research of dynamic processes in devices. This is due to the impossibility of taking into account processes and interference caused by both stray capacitances and inductances between separate components of the devices and conductors connecting them, as well as dynamic processes, caused by external electromagnetic fields affecting the device designed. Describing such processes using continuous or K-valued differential equations improves the accuracy of digital devices modeling. Nevertheless, the problems of automated testing of these devices and the automation of determining their performance remain unsolved. For automated recognition of failures in the designed digital devices, neural networks, in particular, adaptive resonant theory (ART) neural networks, can be applied, since they have an important property, the ability to retrain when additional information about failures occurs. However, neural networks also have an essential drawback: they do not allow getting more than one solution, although with K-valued differential calculus of digital devices, this can occur quite often, which makes it possible to recognize failures that can be attributed simultaneously to two or more different classes of errors, and, therefore, to recognize failures, which can be simultaneously assigned to two or more different classes, and consequently, get more accurate results. In this regard, it is necessary to develop neural networks that could recognize two or more possible solutions (or types of failures). This would expand the field of failures automated detection in the designed digital devices and determine the performance accuracy. Figs.: 3. Refs: 12 titles.


In this paper, an effective photoplethysmograph (PPG) acquiring and signal processing system based on square wave modulation is proposed. Through modulating the acquired signals on different frequency square waves, it is effective to get PPG signals with high SNR by using simple carrier wave generators and reduce the computation load and power. The proposed system includes an exquisite and wearable three way PPG front-end sensor for acquiring PPG signals, an FPGA-based DSP for signal modulation and an analog circuit with an efficient anti-aliasing filter for eliminating serious harmonic waves of the carriers. Finally, the proposed DSP is scheduled for chip fabrication using TSMC 0.18 um CMOS technology to accelerate the performance and reduce the cost. The computation load is reduced by 98.8% compared to conventional system without effective signal modulation and filtering. The proposed DSP operates at 6 MHz and reduce 35.2% of power consumption with only 0.58 mW of power compared with the FPGA-based DSP. The proposed system is able to acquire stable PPG signals to accurately derive the physiological indexes of cardiovascular system such as heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen concentration, etc..


With traditional medical textbooks there is often a substantial gap between what is written, and the information sought by the busy doctor searching for the solution to a clinical problem encountered in daily practice. The stated aim of this is to help clinicians manage symptoms in advanced cancer scientifically, and I have little doubt it will succeed in this. It contains material of practical use that will inform decision-making and help considerably in bridging the aforementioned gap. The book is a composite of the author's personal experience and available evidence, and emphasizes a systematic approach to symptom control. Pharmacological measures are discussed in detail, with an entire chapter dedicated to drug profiles, whilst the nonpharmacological are not forgotten. As a second edition, there are no radical departures from the first. It contains some modifications and updates as might be expected. For example, a little weight has been added to the chapter on alimentary symptoms, but it remains easy to digest. The use of tables, diagrams and bullet points here is characteristic of the book, making it easy for our busy doctor to dip into, via a generally reliable index, or to read larger chunks. The art of medicine as the skilful application of scientific knowledge has not been lost in this comprehensive work. The reader is often reminded to listen and understand patients and their families, and of the therapeutic value of an explanation. This is an excellent middleweight textbook and should be within arm's reach of all clinicians involved in the management of patients with advanced cancer.


At the technical level, the goal of Interledger is to provide an architecture and a minimal set of protocols to enable interoperability between any value transfer systems. The Interledger protocol is a protocol for inter-blockchain payments which can also accommodate FIAT currencies. To understand how it is possible to achieve this goal, several aspects of the technology require a deeper analysis. For this reason, in our journey to become knowledgeable and active contributors we decided to create our own test-bed on our premises. By doing so, we noticed that some aspects are well documented but we found that others might need more attention and clarification. Despite a large community effort, the task to keep information on a fast evolving software ecosystem up-to-date is tedious and not always the main priority for such a project. The purpose of this tutorial is to guide, through several examples and handson activities, community members who want to engage at different levels. The tutorial consolidates all the relevant information from generating a simple payment to ultimately creating a test-bed with the Interledger protocol suite between Ripple and other distributed ledger technology.


The sol-gel method is an attractive technique to synthesize homogeneous silicate glasses with high purity while relying on a lower synthesis temperature than in the melt-quench method. However, the mechanism and kinetics of the condensation of the silicate network in aqueous solution remain unclear. Here, based on reactive molecular dynamics simulations (ReaxFF), we investigate the sol-gel condensation kinetics of a silica glass. The influence of the potential parametrization and system size is assessed. Our simulation methodology is found to offer good agreement with experiments. We show that the aqueous concentration of the Si(OH)4 precursors and the local degree of polymerization of the Si atoms play a crucial role in controlling the condensation activation energy. Based on our simulations, we demonstrate that the gelation reaction is driven by the existence of some local atomic stress that gets released upon condensation.


Abstract. Assessing and analyzing the spatial distribution of earthquake events aids in identifying the presence of clustering and reveals hot and cold spots across the study area. Combining the spatial analysis of earthquake events with other geographical and geophysical parameters leads to more understanding of the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the demographics of the affected population. This study will use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to examine the spatiotemporal occurrence of earthquake events throughout the Arabian plate and their effect on the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Spatial pattern analysis techniques, including Moran I and Getis–Ord Gi*, were applied to 115 years of earthquakes (1900–2015) that have occurred throughout the Arabian plate. The directional distribution (standard deviational ellipse) of earthquake magnitudes was analyzed to determine the spatial characteristics and the directional tendency of the earthquakes throughout the Arabian plate. Afterword, geophysical parameters of UAE, specifically Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), fault line distance, slope, soil type, and geology were ranked, weighted based on its contribution and combined using an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to identify and locate seismic hazard zones. The resulted Seismic Hazard Zonation Map (SHZM) was classified to five hazard zones ranging from very high to very low. It has been found that Fujairah city sited in the "very High" zone, Sharjah and Dubai cities located from "High" to moderate zones while Abu Dhabi city stands relatively far from seismic hot spots and major faults and placed in the low seismic hazard zone. The results of this study could help improve urban planning and emergency mitigation strategies in UAE.