Title: Algorithms and Architectures for Data Privacy Abstract: The explosive progress in networking, storage, and processor technologies has resulted in an unprecedented volume of digital data. In concert with this escalating increase in digital data, concerns about privacy of personal information have emerged globally. The ease at which data can be collected automatically, stored in databases and queried efficiently over the internet has worsened the privacy situation, and has raised numerous ethical and legal concerns. Privacy enforcement today is being handled primarily through legislation. We aim to provide technological solutions to achieve a tradeoff between data privacy and data utility. We focus on three problems in the area of database privacy in this thesis. The first problem is that of data sanitization before publication. Publishing health and financial information for research purposes requires the data be anonymized so that the privacy of individuals in the database is protected. This anonymized information can be used as is or can be combined with another (anonymized) dataset that shares columns or rows with the original anonymized dataset. We explore both these scenarios in this thesis. Another reason for sanitization is to give the data to an out-sourced software developer for testing software applications without the out-sourced developer learning information about its client. We briefly explain such a tool in this thesis. The second part of the thesis is auditing query logs for privacy. Given certain forbidden views of a database that must be kept confidential, a batch of SQL queries that were posed over this database, and a definition of suspiciousness, we study the problem to determine whether the batch of queries is suspicious with respect to the forbidden views. The third part of the thesis deals with distributed architectures for data privacy. The advent of databases as an out-sourced service has resulted in privacy concerns on the part of the client storing data with third party database service providers. Previous approaches to enabling such a service have been based on data encryption, causing a large overhead in query processing. In this thesis we provide a distributed architecture for secure database services. We develop algorithms for distributing data and executing queries over this distributed data.


The aim of this research was to evaluate the color, firmness, and total phenolic (TP) content in tomatoes according to cultivar and growing conditions. Cultivars with oval, elongated, round, and cherry-shaped fruits of determinate tomato were grown in Mediterranean (Dragonja Valley) and continental regions. Experiments in the continental region were conducted outdoors (Ljubljana-field) and under a low tunnel (Ljubljana-tunnel). Results indicated that the color and firmness were significantly influenced by the typology of the cultivars and by the maturity stage associated with the climatic conditions. Oval, elongated, and cherry fruits had darker and more intensely red fruit skins, with significantly higher a* and lower L* values than round fruits. The firmness of oval and elongated fruits was also higher than the firmness of round fruits. Fruits harvested in Dragonja Valley and the Ljubljana-tunnel location reached a higher level of maturity and were classified in the red maturity class (a*/b* > 0.95), compared to the fruits from the Ljubljana-field location, where tomatoes were classified in the light red maturity class (0.65 > a*/b* > 0.95). Variation in total phenol (TP) content was evaluated in regards to different microclimatic conditions of the Ljubljana locations, outdoors and under the low tunnel. TP content, expressed as chlorogenic acid, ranged from 1.89 mg 100 g to 3.28 mg 100 g fresh weight (fw) in field-grown tomatoes and from 2.31 mg 100 g to 4.90 mg 100 g in tunnel-grown tomatoes. Cherry tomato had a significantly higher content of TP, ranging from 8.60 mg 100 g fw in field-grown fruits to 10.39 mg 100 g fw in tunnel-grown fruits. Although the differences between TP content in tomato fruits, regarding the microclimatic environment, were not statistically significant, the increase in TP content in tunnel-grown tomato fruits could be a plant response mechanism to thermal stress.


*† ‡ Optical measurement possibilities for actively cooled thermally loaded wall structures of rocket engines by means of Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue (TMF) tests - aiming at the creation of validation data for CFD, thermal, structural and life time analyses are discussed in this paper. During a TMF test, only a small section of the hot gas wall of the real engine (the so called TMF panel) is tested. For such a TMF panel, realistic cooling conditions similar to a full scale rocket engine are chosen. The 2d measurement of the thermal field of the heat loaded structure provides (together with the measurement of the temperature, pressure and mass flow rate of the coolant of the TMF panel) data for the combined validation of the CFD analysis of the coolant flow and the thermal analysis of the wall structure. The measurement of the deformation of the thermally loaded structure provides (together with the already determined temperature distribution and the above mentioned pressure measurements of the cooling channels) data for the validation of the structural analysis of the thermally loaded structure. Counting the number of laser loading cycles (laser on-off) until the TMF panel fails (by cracks appearing on the laser loaded side of the cooling channels) provides data for the validation of (either post processing or damage parameter based) life time analyses of thermally loaded structures.


The context: Results of performance evaluations of IT services are frequently based on technical metrics collected using tools. Subjective and uncertainty aspects, however, are disregarded or infrequently used. The problem: How to estimate the quality percent of an IT service, in order to provide a continual activity in the service life cycle, linked to a business-driven service improvement strategy. Our proposed solution: In this work we propose a model to quantify IT services quality percent in a time snapshot which can be used to improve IT service-related management activities.


With the mechanism of metonymy, we can create a conceptual connection between things that come into contact with each other. One form of this can be a unique place with which many different things can be associated based on experience (flora, fauna, persons associated with it, other places, events, etc.). Through the connection between them, these – generally salient – connected things can also evoke the image of the place. These associations can also appear in the names of the place, which can be realized linguistically in several different ways. In one form, no change in the linguistic designation of the intermediary element can be observed. In another, the same mechanism can change the word form: speakers transform the metonymically activated word with conjunctions or lexical elements, according to the characteristics of their language, to denote the target concept. All types must be considered to build a comprehensive picture of how the mechanism of metonymy manifests itself in naming. Building on this definition, the second part of the study examines previous onomastic statements and reviews them from a cognitive perspective, moving from common to rarer metonymic patterns (place instead of place, person instead of place, plant instead of place, animal instead of place, material instead of place, event/circumstance instead of place, etc.). Approaching metonymy as a cognitive mechanism – and by separating it to some degree from the structure of language – allows for creating a more comprehensive picture of metonymically motivated place names and lingual or dialectic differences in their realizations.


Electromigration and thermomigration in the flip chip package are apparent in the reliability test. The 99.3Sn-0.7Cu/96.5Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu composite flip-chip solder joints with Ti/Ni(V)/Cu under bump metallurgy and different surface finishes are investigated when applied current density of 10 kA/cm2 and 15 kA/cm2 at 150degC and 125degC, respectively. Experimental results show the solder migrates to the Al trace in the chip when the solder joint was subjected to a test condition of 15 kA/cm2 at 125degC. This is because the combined effect from electromigration and thermomigration causes trace peeling in the flip chip package at a high current density over 15 kA/cm2. It is also revealed that the mean time to failure of the solder joint with Au/Ni/Cu pad surface finish under 10 kA/cm2 at 150degC is 1141 h longer than the one with Cu pad finish. The dendrite of Cu-Sn compound under 15 kA/cm2 at 125degC is different from that under 10 kA/cm2 at 150degC.


Despite sufficient levels of HLA class I and class II expression, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells usually fail to induce a significant T-cell response in vitro. Therefore, we investigated whether in vitro modifications could enhance the T-cell stimulatory properties of AML cells. AML cells were either cultured with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), or transfected with the CD80 (B7.1) gene and used as stimulator cells for primed and unprimed allogeneic T cells. Cytokine treatment increased HLA class I and II expression, but did not induce CD80 on AML cells. Cytokine-treated AML cells efficiently presented nominal and allo-antigens to primed T-cell clones, induced strong T-cell proliferation in HLA mismatched mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR), but failed to induce primary T-cell responses from an HLA identical bone marrow donor in MLR. In contrast, CD80-transfected AML cells induced T-cell proliferation of HLA-identical bone marrow donor peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) in primary MLR, allowing the generation of leukemia reactive CD41 T-cell lines and clones. The majority of the generated oligoclonal (25 of 35) T-cell cultures showed patient specific reactivity that did not discriminate between patient's leukemic cells and EpsteinBarr virus (EBV)-transformed B cells (EBV-LCL). The remaining 10 oligoclonal T-cell cultures recognized only leukemic cells. One of these latter leukemia reactive oligoclonal T cells was cloned. The majority of the clones (25 of 29) reacted against both leukemic cells and patient's EBV-LCL. A minority of the T-cell clones with the CD4 phenotype (four of 29) showed strong HLA-DP restricted reactivity against leukemic cells, but not against patient's EBV-LCL or against HLA-matched nonleukemic cells, indicating that their target antigens are preferentially expressed by leukemic cells. In conclusion, our study shows that the in vitro allogeneic T-cell response induced by CD80-transfected AML cells is mainly directed against patient's specific minor histocompatibility antigens, while antigens preferentially expressed by leukemic cells can also trigger T-cell responses. r 1998 by The American Society of Hematology.


This paper reports the creation of Au nanoparticles (AuNP) that are soluble in aqueous solution over a broad range of pH and ionic strength values and that are capable of selective uptake by folate receptor positive (FR+) cancer cells. A novel poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) construct with thioctic acid and folic acid coupled on opposite ends of the polymer chain was synthesized for targeting the AuNP to FR+ tumor cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. These folic acid-PEG-thioctic acid conjugates were grafted onto 10-nm-diameter Au particles in aqueous solution. The resulting folate-PEG-coated nanoparticles do not aggregate over a pH range of from 2 to 12 and at electrolyte concentrations of up to 0.5 M NaCl with particle concentrations as high as 1.5 x 10(13) particles/mL. Transmission electron microscopy was used to document the performance of these coated nanoparticles in cell culture. Selective uptake of folate-PEG grafted AuNPs by KB cells, a FR+ cell line that overexpress the folate receptor, was observed. AuNP uptake was minimal in cells that (1) do not overexpress the folate receptor, (2) were exposed to AuNP lacking the folate-PEG conjugate, or (3) were co-incubated with free folic acid in large excess relative to the folate-PEG grafted AuNP. Understanding this process is an important step in the development of methods that use targeted metal nanoparticles for tumor imaging and ablation.


OBJECTIVE
Hemorrhage remains a leading cause of early death in injured patients, and definitive control of bleeding remains a fundamental principle of trauma management. Therapeutic interventional radiology (IR) procedures have increasingly become essential in the acute management of traumatic injury. The importance of time to control of hemorrhage for therapeutic IR procedures has not been adequately characterized.

METHODS
A retrospective analysis was performed by using data derived from the National Trauma Data Bank, version 7.1. Inclusion criteria included the following: adult, hypotensive patients, scene admission, patients who underwent early therapeutic IR vascular occlusive procedures within in 3 hours of admission at a level I or II designated trauma center (n = 1,748). Exclusion criteria included intracranial or venous occlusion procedures, patients who underwent any abdominal, thoracic, vascular, or intracranial operative procedures throughout their entire hospital stay. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent mortality risk associated with DELAY to IR procedures after controlling for important confounders.

RESULTS
The majority of patients who died did so within the first 48 hours from injury (80%). Regression analysis revealed that DELAY to IR was independently associated with more than a twofold higher risk of mortality (odds ratio 2.7, 95% confidence interval 1.6-4.9, p < 0.001). For every hour delay, the risk of mortality increased by 47%. These findings were independent of injury mechanism and most pertinent to level I trauma centers.

CONCLUSION
In hemodynamically unstable trauma patients undergoing therapeutic catheter-based IR procedures, delay to IR was independently associated with more than a twofold higher risk of mortality. These results suggest that therapeutic IR procedures should be performed as expeditiously as possible and held to the same dogma as applied to definitive operative control of hemorrhage.


Compound interest is the accruing of interest upon unpaid interest and is sometimes referred to as "interest on interest." In 1814 the Court of Appeals, the highest court in the State of New York in, State of Connecticut v. Jackson, 1 Johns Ch. R. 13 (1814), adopted the British rule prohibiting enforcement of a promise to pay compound. In establishing this prohibition on compound interest the court found that:"Interest on interest, promptly and incessantly accruing, would, as a general rule, become harsh and oppressive. Debt would accumulate with a rapidity beyond all ordinary calculation and endurance. Common business cannot sustain such overwhelming accumulation."In 1814, this principle was an appropriate one; the society was agrarian and there was very limited ability to calculate compound interest over any substantial period of time. In a case named Young v. Hill, Judge Church (in dissent) expressed the traditional abhorrence of having interest compound with the following words:"These principles are founded upon a wise public policy for the protection of the weak and ignorant debtor against extortion and oppression by the grasping creditor who, by an apparent indulgence is enabled to delude his victim into certain ruin."Over the next 175 years, various exceptions and the many creative attempts to find ways around the rule made it very difficult to determine which financial arrangements violated the New York rule and which did not. Many New York law firms found that they could not give opinions on the enforceability of compound interest provisions.The author, who at the time was Director of Corporate Law for New York City, wrote the following in a memo to Frederick A. 0. Schwarz, the Corporation Counsel of the City of the City of New York :"The rule [against enforcement of compound interest] is an anachronism: New York is one of a very few states that has such a rule. It is therefore recommended that legislation be proposed that either fully eliminates the rule or retains it only in a limited fashion, such as in consumer loans."Led by the author, with the aid of other members of the City Bar, The City of New York and the City Bar Association were brought in to become official co-sponsors of the proposed new law. The Bill was then also endorsed by the Committee on Banking of the State Bar Association, and by other groups.This is the story of why and how the legislation was written, the changes that were made and how to understand the law.


p73 has been recently identified as a new structural and functional homologue of the transcription factor p53. It is expressed in either a full-length form, α, or a shorter β mRNA variant, with exon 13 spliced out. Here we report the identification and functional characterization of two new p73 splicing variants, γ (splicing out exon 11) and δ (splicing out exons 11, 12, and 13). Both γ and δ p73 variants are expressed in human peripheral blood lymphocytes, primary keratinocytes, and different tumor cell lines, including neuroblastoma, glioblastoma, melanoma, hepatoma, and leukemia. The expression pattern of the four p73 splicing variants differs in both primary cells of different lineage and established cell lines even within the same type of tumor. A two-hybrid assay was used to characterize the homodimeric and heterodimeric interactions between the p73 variants, and showed that neither p73γ nor p73δ interact with p53, whereas p73γ showed strong interactions with all p73 isoforms, and p73δ binds efficiently p73α and p73γ but only weakly p73β. At the functional level, p73γ is significantly less efficient in activating transcription of the p21Waf1/Cip1 promoter than p53 or p73β, whereas the effect of p73δ is intermediate and comparable to that of p73α. The ability of the different p73 variants to affect cell growth in p53 null osteosarcoma SAOS-2 cells correlates with their transcriptional activity on the p21Waf1/Cip1 promoter: p73β is the most efficient in inhibiting colony formation, whereas p73γ is almost ineffective. Our results suggest that p73 isoforms may be differentially regulated, with four different isoforms capable of interacting among themselves and with p53. The relative expression level of each splice variant may modulate p73 transcriptional and growth suppression activities by affecting heterodimer formation.


Introduction: At the end of March, 2020, rapid tests detecting the presence of antiviral IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 virus were introduced in Hungary for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19 disease). Aim: We evaluated two rapid tests (Anhui and Clungene) in comparison with those of real-time PCR tests considered as the gold standard in the detection of infection. Method: Between 16, March and 14, April, 2020, we performed rapid IgM and IgG detecting tests without PCR; PCR without rapid tests; and PCR WITH rapid tests in 4140, 3210 and 1654 patients, respectively. (Out of these 1654 patients, Anhui and Clungene tests were used for testing in 625 and 1029 patients, respectively.) Patients were considered as positive in PCR and rapid tests when PCR positivity and IgM or IgG positivity occurred at any time, respectively. (Note: Clungene test is also marketed as 'Lungene'.) Results: The prevalence of PCR positivity in 4864 patients tested with PCR was 6.3%. The sensitivity and specificity of Anhui and Clungene tests were 33.3% and 72.85%, and 35.48% and 85.02%, respectively. At 6% PCR positivity, the positive and negative predictive values of Anhui and Clungene were 7.28%, 94.48%, 13.13%, and 95.38%, respectively. Conclusion: The low positive predictive values indicate that Anhui and Clungene rapid tests detecting the presence of anti-IgM and anti-IgG against SARS-CoV-2 virus infection are not suitable for screening SARS-CoV-2 vírus infection in the general population. These results strongly support that Anhui and Clungene rapid tests detecting IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 virus should not be used in the differential diagnosis of infection. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(20): 807-812.


The dynamic properties of discrete vortex-flow transistors (DVFTs) comprised of a parallel array of ten Josephson junctions with asymmetric bias-current configurations have been studied numerically. Using parameters typical of high-temperature superconductor junctions at liquid-nitrogen temperatures, we show explicitly that the asymmetric-inline geometry, while it has the advantage of large (low-frequency) current gain (of order 50) and peak transresistance (of order 10 ), is inherently limited by slow vortex transit times (of order 100 ps) which result from the absence of Lorentz forces on vortices moving in the structure. We also explain the extremely small dynamic range of the high-gain regime seen in the simulations here and observed experimentally in the literature. As the device symmetry is increased, faster transit times and a significant increase in dynamic range are observed. These results have direct impact on the feasibility of these devices as high-frequency amplifiers.


AIM
To construct a human phage displayed single chain Fv antibody (scFv) library and screen specific scFv against rabies virus.

METHODS
Using a phage-display technique, IgVH and IgVL genes were cloned from peripheral blood lymphocytes from three donors immunized with the WISTAR PM strain vaccine. Genes encoding scFv fragments were constructed by random linkage of VH gene and VL gene by SOE PCR, and then the constructed scFv genes were cloned into phagemid vector and transfected into E. coli TG1. The recombinant phages were screened by four rounds of panning with rabies virus vaccine. The positive recombinant phages were sequenced and antigen-binding activity of recombinant scFv was detected by competition ELISA.

RESULTS
A human phage-displayed scFv library with about 7 x 10(8) sink size was constructed. A new human scFv was selected, which bound specifically to rabies virus and had higher affinity.

CONCLUSION
The results lay a solid foundation for preparation of human engineering antibody to rabies virus reported herein with higher affinity.


Abstract Peptide–drug conjugates are organic molecules composed of (i) a small drug molecule, (ii) a peptide and (iii) a linker. The drug molecule is mandatory for the biological action, however, its efficacy can be enhanced by targeted delivery, which often also reduces unwanted side effects. For site-specificity the peptide part is mainly responsible. The linker attaches chemically the drug to the peptide, but it could also be biodegradable which ensures controlled liberation of the small drug. Despite the importance of the field, there is no public comprehensive database on these species. Herein we describe ConjuPepBD, a freely available, fully annotated and manually curated database of peptide drug conjugates. ConjuPepDB contains basic information about the entries, e.g. CAS number. Furthermore, it also implies their biomedical application and the type of chemical conjugation employed. It covers more than 1600 conjugates from ∼230 publications. The web-interface is user-friendly, intuitive, and useable on several devices, e.g. phones, tablets, PCs. The webpage allows the user to search for content using numerous criteria, chemical structure and a help page is also provided. Besides giving quick insight for newcomers, ConjuPepDB is hoped to be also helpful for researchers from various related fields. The database is accessible at: https://conjupepdb.ttk.hu/.


Within the law no 23 year 2002 about Children Protection article 92 subsection (1) was explained tahat every person who had done violence or violence threat, force, gimmick, several lies or persuade a child to do or to let one child do pornographic act purposively, will be sanctioned with imprisonment for longest period 15 (fifteen) years and shortes for 3 (three) year and fine for maximun Rp 300.000.000,00 (three hundred million rupiah) and least is Rp 60.000.000,00 (sixty million rupiah). It sis very clear within the law which gives protection for under-age children as pornographic victim. However in the reality judges has rarely used this article to capture pornographic criminal. Such as within the decision of pengadilan negeri malang (State Court) for case No 341/Pid.B/2009/PN.Malang in which within its decision judges didn't use this article and use article 293 KUHP whereas pornographic victim belong to under-age children and pornographic performer is an active police officer and the incidence occur when the police has done his job as a plice officer. The judges only gives criminal punishment for eight month toward the defendant though defendant is a police officer that supposes to protect the society but this has supposedly not become a great excuse for the judges to give heavier punishment. This has draw interest of the author to examine the adjudicaation of close court for public in wich facts that appear during court might have been manipulated Moreover the victim is belonging to low economy family that is vulnerable to become victim of the law.
From the discussion, we might found out that what become main issues is defendant was not sanctioned using article 82 from law about cildren protection in which to be view from the case, judge suppose to be more sensitiv in order to give lesson or cure from a bad habit toward other pornographic actor and its juridical consequence of this adjudication who didn'Include law of children protection and justice aspect for the victim an the family.
According to the author, judges should be wiser in taking decision because from his decision one's life might be concluded. In this adjudication, judges has include psychology fctor for at least by seeing victim as an underage girl ant future of that girl also justice asoect for pornographic victim not only because the girl was also making mistake but there are no justice for her.

Keywords: Children Protection, Adjudication, Juridical consequence


A major problem in modern probabilistic modeling is the huge computational complexity involved in typical calculations with multivariate probability distributions when the number of random variables is large. Because exact computations are infeasible in such cases and Monte Carlo sampling techniques may reach their limits, there is a need for methods that allow for efficient approximate computations. One of the simplest approximations is based on the mean field method, which has a long history in statistical physics. The method is widely used, particularly in the growing field of graphical models. Researchers from disciplines such as statistical physics, computer science, and mathematical statistics are studying ways to improve this and related methods and are exploring novel application areas. Leading approaches include the variational approach, which goes beyond factorizable distributions to achieve systematic improvements; the TAP (Thouless-Anderson-Palmer) approach, which incorporates correlations by including effective reaction terms in the mean field theory; and the more general methods of graphical models. Bringing together ideas and techniques from these diverse disciplines, this book covers the theoretical foundations of advanced mean field methods, explores the relation between the different approaches, examines the quality of the approximation obtained, and demonstrates their application to various areas of probabilistic modeling.


The study was focused on the identification of strategies of care focused on health promotion, used in the work of nurses in family health. It is a descriptive study in a qualitative approach performed in the health units in the city of Iguaba Grande, RJ, Brazil. As a result two categories emerged. The first one, 'Tension in the area of the caregiver' found that the work of professionals is guided in a permanent tension between the practice focused on the use of instruments from the biomedical model and actions to create a dialogical care. 'Production of unique areas' demonstrated that nurses value the unique needs of the health users. It is concluded that strategies of health promotion from the investigative experience incorporate elements of production of unique areas under tensions from the clinical model of attention, leading to a creative investment and creator of strategies in this setting of primary care.


Public Value speaks to our time - to the role that museums can play in creating civil societies, to the challenges involved in using limited assets strategically, to the demand for results that make a difference and to the imperative that we build the kind of engagement that sustains our futures. This book assists museum leaders to implement a Public Value approach in their management, planning, programming and relationship building. The benefits are long term public engagement and support, which can be used to demonstrate that valuable returns result from public investment in museums. A range of authors from around the world unpack the concept of Public Value and examine its implications for museums. They situate Public Value within current management theory and practice, offer tools for implementation, highlight examples of successful practice and examine the evidence of Public Value that governments seek to inform policy and funding decisions. The book will be required reading for senior professionals in museums, as well as museum and heritage studies students.


The proposed paper explores challenges associated with the creation of open educational resources (OER) for Canadian copyright education. Tensions include modeling best practices for open content licensing in copyright-related material, balancing narrative engagement with precise information on a complex subject, creating content for multiple audiences, and the use of open tools for the creation of accessible, adaptable materials. This case study outlines tactics for addressing these tensions, such as balancing a commitment to openness with a focus on engagement, discovery of easy-to-use multimedia tools for adding interactivity, and embracing perspectives outside legal and academic experts during content creation.


This thesis estimates and compares the treatability of several internal mill process streams. This is important to the paper industry due to increasingly stringent regulations being placed on the effluent that is discharged from pulp and paper mills. The treatability of the process streams provides an indication of what processes are most effective on which process streams, identifies the major sources of COD, determines the treatability of the major sources, and will be very useful for emerging regulations regarding internal process streams. Samples from six different process streams within an integrated, bleach kraft mill employing their own wastewater treatment plant were analyzed using COD tests on both filtered and unfiltered samples and BOD tests on filtered samples. The process streams include ( 1) a blend of three main wastewater streams from the refiner mechanical pulp mill, (2) combined waste streams from the papermachine, coater, and color building, (3) kraft mill brownstock filtrate, (4) bleaching filtrate from kraft mill acid bleaching stages, (5) bleaching filtrate from kraft mill caustic bleaching stages, and (6) a combined influent to secondary treatment (following primary clarifiers). A combination of COD and BOD tests as well as the BOD rate constants were used to estimate the treatability of the different process streams in the mill. The treatability was estimated by using the BOD test data obtained from the experiment to produce BOD rate constants, k-values, for each of the waste streams. The waste stream from the RMP mill exhibited the highest BOD and COD values, as well as the highest k-value. This indicated that while the RMP mill waste is high in BOD and COD loading, it is more-effectively treated by biological treatment when compared to the other waste streams. The results from this experiment also showed the unfiltered COD to be much higher than filtered COD in the paper machines/coater waste stream. Therefore, it can be deduced that the oxygen demanding materials are in a suspended form in solution and can be removed by filtration. These findings will help the mill to more effectively deal with the waste streams and meet the new environmental regulations.


Background and AimOne of the important characteristics of nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) rotary files is their dentin removal ability. The purpose of this study was to compare One Shape and F6 SkyTaper files in terms of dentin removal from the mesiobuccal canals of extracted first mandibular molars.Materials and MethodsIn this experimental study, 24 mesiobuccal canals of extracted first mandibular molars were selected. After preparing an access cavity, the samples were divided into two groups (n=12). The samples were air-dried and incubated for 8 hours at 82°C for moisture removal. The initial weight of the specimens was then measured. The samples in group A were prepared using One Shape (#25/0.06) files while the samples in group B were prepared using F6 SkyTaper (#25/0.06) files at a speed of 400 revolutions per minute (rpm) and torque of 2.2 N/cm for 10 seconds. The samples were again rinsed, dried, and incubated to eliminate moisture. The weights of the teeth were measured after preparation to compare the dentin removal efficacy. The results were analyzed using paired t-test (P<0.05).ResultsThe mean weight of the removed dentin was 0.053±0.019 g in the SkyTaper F6 group and 0.045±0.073 g in the One Shape group, which was 0.008 g or 15% less in the One Shape group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.6).ConclusionThe amount of the dentin removed from the root canals by the SkyTaper F6 rotary system was greater compared to the One Shape rotary system although the difference was not statistically significant.


In earlier work I argue that, despite increasing global interconnectedness, shared membership in states remains morally relevant. At the same time states are historically contingent forms of political organization with considerable drawbacks. Once we have clarified what an assessment of the state's normative peculiarity contributes to its overall normative evaluation, the historical contingency and the drawbacks of the state come in view when we explore how to respond to another question central to that evaluation, whether there ought to be states (or, synonymously, countries) in the first place. One could answer affirmatively, negatively, or in a manner that finds the question problematic. My response is of the latter sort, but entails that, since ours is a world of states, we should try to make this world as good as possible, rather than to aspire at a world with a fundamentally different political structure. Together with the account of the state's normative peculiarity in my earlier work, this view aims to get into focus both the moral relevance and the historical contingency of the state. To explain the Lennon-reference: "Imagine there's no countries:" this is how the second stanza of one of the most famous songs of recent times begins. "You may say I'm a dreamer," sings John Lennon, "But I'm not the only one/I hope someday you'll join us," suggesting that reaching a stage without certain alleged evils is realistic enough to be action-guiding. Yet Lennon's is not a dream in which we ought to join. We cannot imagine what he asks us to imagine in any action-guiding way.


Natural language instruction following tasks serve as a valuable test-bed for grounded language and robotics research. However, data collection for these tasks is expensive and end-to-end approaches suffer from data inefficiency. We propose the structuring of language, acting, and visual tasks into separate modules that can be trained independently. Using a Language, Action, and Vision (LAV) framework removes the dependence of action and vision modules on instruction following datasets, making them more efficient to train. We also present a preliminary evaluation of LAV on the ALFRED task for visual and interactive instruction following.


Computerized phantoms play an important role in medical imaging research. They can serve as a gold standard for evaluating and optimizing medical imaging analysis, processing, and reconstruction methods. Existing computerized phantoms model anatomical variations through organ and phantom scaling, which does not fully capture the range of anatomical variations seen in humans. Here, we present a registration-based method for creating highly realistic and detailed anthropomorphic phantoms. The proposed registration method is built on the use of an unsupervised convolutional neural network (ConvNet) that warps the four-dimensional Xtended Cardiac-Torso (XCAT) phantom to a patient CT scan. The registration ConvNet iteratively optimizes an SSIM-based loss function for a given image pair without prior training. We experimentally show substantially improved image similarity of the generated phantom using the proposed method to a patient image.


The complex which is formed when excess regulatory subunits (r2) of aspartate transcarbamoylase (EC220.127.116.11) are added to a dilute solution of the catalytic subunit (c3) has been studied by gel-filtration on Sephadex G-200. The elution volume indicates a Stokes' radius of between 5.42 and 5.92 nm, depending on the method of calculation. Using the sedimentation coefficient of 7.7S previously determined, the molecular weight is estimated to be close to 200 000, in support of the c3r6 structure proposed earlier for the complex. The calculated frictional coefficient indicates abnormal hydrodynamic properties which are probably due to unusual structure characteristics. The pattern of succinate inhibition of native aspartate transcarbamoylase has also been analyzed. At low concentrations, succinate activates the enzyme, presumably by converting it from the taut state to the relaxed (r) state. Further increase in the succinate concentration leads to competitive inhibition of the R state. Using a novel procedure for analysis of the data, the Michaelis constant for aspartate of the R state has been estimated to be about 7mM. This value is close to the Km of c3r6 for aspartate, measured under identical conditions. The result therefore provides further evidence suggesting that the c3r6 complex resembles the R state of the native enzyme.


Quality of Experience (QoE) is defined as the measure of end-user satisfaction with the service. Most of the existing works addressing QoE-management rely on a binary vision of end-user satisfaction. This vision has been criticized by the growing empirical evidence showing that QoE is rather a degree. This article aims to go beyond the binary vision and propose a QoE management mechanism. We propose a one-to-many negotiation mechanism allowing the provider to undertake satisfaction management: to meet fine-grained user QoE goals, while still minimizing the costs. This problem is formulated as an optimization problem, for which a linear model is proposed. For reference, a generic linear program solver is used to find the optimal solution, and an alternative heuristic algorithm is devised to improve the responsiveness when the system has to scale up with a fast-growing number of users. Both are implemented and experimentally evaluated against state-of-the-art one-to-many negotiation frameworks.


Abstract. Increasing amounts of data, together with more computing power and better machine learning algorithms to analyse the data, are causing changes in almost every aspect of our lives. This trend is expected to continue as more data keep becoming available, computing power keeps improving and machine learning algorithms keep improving as well. Flood risk and impact assessments are also being influenced by this trend, particularly in areas such as the development of mitigation measures, emergency response preparation and flood recovery planning. Machine learning methods have the potential to improve accuracy as well as reduce calculating time and model development cost. It is expected that in the future more applications will become feasible and many process models and traditional observation methods will be replaced by machine learning. Examples of this include the use of machine learning on remote sensing data to estimate exposure and on social media data to improve flood response. Some improvements may require new data collection efforts, such as for the modelling of flood damages or defence failures. In other components, machine learning may not always be suitable or should be applied complementary to process models, for example in hydrodynamic applications. Overall, machine learning is likely to drastically improve future flood risk and impact assessments, but issues such as applicability, bias and ethics must be considered carefully to avoid misuse. This paper presents some of the current developments on the application of machine learning in this field and highlights some key needs and challenges.


Reports of Precambrian trace fossils are rare and generally doubtful. Unequivocal evidence of biogenic structures has been recorded for the first time from layers in shallow-water sedimentary rocks of a Proterozoic sequence (= 1,300 m.y. ago) in the Godavari Valley of south India. Five different suites of structures have been noted. Each of these suites is closely related to a particular lithofacies with a well-defined position in the stratigraphic sequence. Vertical burrows and spreiten distributed in delicate sheets are confined to limestone facies. Inclined burrows making interconnected networks are profuse in a shale sequence, locally with low rank metamorphism. Surface trail marks and horizontal to nearly horizontal burrows, exposed on the bedding planes, are confined to the shallow, sub-tidal sandy facies. Vertical boring structures have been recorded from a thick limestone of possible lagoonal origin. Close relation of sedimentary lithofacies and morphotypes of the biogenic structures and their stratigraphic zonation is clearly demonstrated in Ramgundam (79°26^primeE, 18°45^primeN) and Somanpalli (80°15^primeE, 18°46^primeN). Observations in other parts of the valley reveal that these trace fossil suites may be used as an excellent aid in paleofacies interpretation and in stratigraphic correlation of the nonfossiliferous, deformed sequence. Preferred en echelon orientation of the features of positive relief at high angle to ripple crests; highly sinuous, lobated, and irregular pattern on bedding planes; linear grooves with parallel ridges on either side; intersection of sinuous relief features or grooves; and gentle U-shapes of the contacts of the features with bedding surfaces all point to biogenic origins for these structures. End_of_Article - Last_Page 691------------


Pancreatic cancer patients present late in their course and surgical resection as a modality of treatment is of limited value. Majority develop loco-regional failure and distant metastasis, therefore, adjuvant therapy comprising of radiotherapy and chemotherapy are useful treatment options to achieve higher loco-regional control. Specialized irradiation techniques like intra-operative radiotherapy that help to increase the total tumor dose have been used, however, controvertible survival benefit was observed. Various studies have shown improved median and overall survival with chemoradiotherapy for advanced unresectable pancreatic carcinoma. The role of new agents such as topoisomerase I inhibitors also needs further clinical investigations.


This essays aims at exploring Joyce's attitudes toward the question of Irishness, focusing on such problematic issues as Irish race, nationhood, nationalism, Irish culture, and the relationship of Gaelic and English. As Edward Said convincingly suggests, any rigid identity including Irishness is no more than the target of deconstruction in the Derridean sense. It is thus required to expound the notion of Irish nationhood and Irish national culture as the living and dominant collective force intervening and impacting on the Irish history. What matters is a concrete historical understanding of these given notions under discussion. Joyce's literary approaches are also to be examined in terms of his thoughts on the relationship of Irish nationhood and Irish culture. There are two literary camps in the evaluation of Joyce's literary world: Joyce as provincial, national, and post-colonial writer, or Joyce as cosmopolitan and post-national writer. Joyce's thought adventure, however, surpasses and deconstructs this kind of binary opposition which fails to capture the essence of Joyce's works. Joyce's life-long desire to fashion a language that would transcend all languages, beyond the reach of tradition and subduing all linguistic and historic nationalisms and ideologies, cannot simply be regarded as a purely aesthetic gesture proffered from the top of a lofty ivory tower by an elitist modernist self exiled in upon his ego. The cross between a highly particularized literary idiolect and polyglottal strands could only modulate into a politicized pluridialectal glossary with a universalist, translinguistic, transnational as well as transcultural slant.


3-Methylthiopropionaldehyde diethyl acetal was synthesized from the reaction of 3-methylthiopropional with ethanol and triethyl orthoformate. The effecting factors including the kinds of catalyst, the mole ratio of raw materials, the amount of catalyst and the reaction time were optimized. The structure of product was characterized by gas chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Additionally, the mechanism of the reaction was speculated; the odor characteristics were evaluated.


Both tumor cell proliferation and metastasis are dependent on myosin II. Because UNC-45 is required to chaperone the assembly of a functional myosin II motor, we examined the expression of the general cell (GC) UNC-45 isoform in ovarian tumors. Serous carcinoma expressed elevated levels of GC UNC-45 compared with normal ovarian surface epithelium and benign cystadenoma. High-stage exhibited greater GC UNC-45 expression than low-stage serous carcinoma. Similarly, GC UNC-45 transcripts and protein levels were higher in ovarian cell lines than in immortalized ovarian surface epithelial cells. Elevation of GC UNC-45 levels by ectopic expression enhanced the rate of ovarian cancer cell proliferation, whereas siRNA knockdown of GC UNC-45 suppressed proliferation without altering myosin II levels. GC UNC-45 and myosin II were diffuse within the cytoplasm of confluent interphase cells, but both accumulated together at the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis. GC UNC-45 and myosin II also trafficked to the leading edges of ovarian cancer cells induced to move in a scratch assay. Knockdown of GC UNC-45 reduced the spreading ability of ovarian cancer cells whereas it was enhanced by GC UNC-45 overexpression. In sum, these findings implicate elevated GC UNC-45 protein expression in ovarian carcinoma proliferation and metastasis.


1.Ecological replacement using native mangrove species combined with physical treatments has become an effective method in controlling the spread of invasive Spartina alterniflora. To re-establish ecosystem functions, trophic interactions between macrofauna and their potential food resources must be considered during the restoration process.

2.Here we examined the changes in the diets of macrofauna in three restored mangrove ecosystems with different invasion histories following the removal of S. alterniflora in southern China. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios for dominant macrofauna, as well as their potential food sources, were analyzed. The relative contributions of the different carbon sources to the diets of benthic macrofauna and isotopic niche width, including convex hull areas and standard ellipse areas of the macrofaunal community, were then calculated and compared among sampling sites in each region.

3.Our results indicated that Spartina-derived detritus contributed to >80% of the organic carbon sources of dominant macrofauna in the S. alterniflora communities in all three regions. S. alterniflora communities had lower convex hull areas and standard ellipse areas than natural mangrove forests, indicating significant resource competition among different consumer populations. Replacing S. alterniflora with the native mangrove species Kandelia obovata could reverse the diets of these macrofaunal species, resulting in a shift from homogeneous Spartina-dominated diets to more heterogeneous algae-based diets. It could take several decades to restore food web interactions to a pre-impacted state. Even the diets of macrofauna in mature mangrove (>40 years) remained affected by the Spartina-derived organic matter.

4.Synthesis and applications. Our study revealed that the ecological replacement of invasive Spartina alterniflora using native mangrove species could restore food web function gradually. However, this removal and replacement approach is a long process and requires significant manpower and resources. Furthermore, the native ecosystem will continue to be influenced by the cordgrass as long as large areas of wetland nearby are occupied by S. alterniflora. Consequently, preventing the colonization of S. alterniflora should be a priority for coastal ecosystem management in southern China.

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Adolescents with learning disabilities in reading have difficulties with reading and understanding difficult gradelevel curricular material. One frequently used method of support is using read-aloud accommodations, which can be live read-alouds or text-to-speech (TTS) read-alouds. A single case alternating treatment design was used to examine the effectiveness of live and TTS read-aloud accommodations on reading comprehension and task completion time for four secondary students with learning disabilities in reading. Compared to reading independently during baseline, neither live nor TTS read-aloud accommodations increased comprehension to sufficient levels of proficiency, suggesting read-alouds alone are not sufficient to support adolescents with learning disabilities. The lack of effect of one read-aloud intervention over the other also suggested teachers need to determine whether read-alouds are appropriate for students with learning disabilities on an individual basis, based on personal preferences, needs, and strengths. Subscribe to LDMJ


Both Paul Ricoeur in The Rule of Metaphor and Carl Hausman in Metaphor and Art draw on Kantian ontology to explain how a metaphor can create new yet appropriate meaning.(1) Hausman, on the one hand, explains new metaphorical meaning by the direct proposal of an ontology. This is made up of unique, extraconceptual particulars akin to Kant's things in themselves which, Hausman maintains, stand as the referents of inventive metaphors and, therefore, as the items which guarantee their appropriateness. Ricoeur, on the other hand, turns indirectly to ontology via an allusion to Kant and the transcendental functioning of the mind which determines, prior to experience, the ontological order of the world. Ricoeur suggests that new metaphorical meaning is achieved as a result of the tension between creative and claim-making discourses where the operation of the latter proceeds "from the very structures of the mind, which it is the task of transcendental philosophy to articulate."(2) The appeal to ontology is made by Hausman and Ricoeur in order to overcome a paradox. The paradox is that, on their interactionist understanding of the trope, a strong metaphor creates a meaning which is in some way objective or truthful, yet this meaning is new, which is to say that, prior to the metaphor, the independent subject terms could neither suggest the new meaning nor signify the concepts which would support it. If the meaning is new, what is it that supplies the feeling of appropriateness? The relation between metaphor and Kant is not merely the product of a coincidence of reference in the two scholars' work. The phenomenon of inventive metaphor is a concentration of the problem faced by Kant in the Critique of Pure Reason.(3) One of the premises adopted by Kant is that experience, to be experience, must be experience which belongs to a subject. From this premise he attempts to determine the principles of organization which the subject must apply a priori in order for intelligible experience to be possible. The problem to which this arrangement gives rise, however, is how to secure objectivity given the investment of the possibility of experience within the subject. Kant does not want to assert that the mind creates its own subjective reality but that it merely supplies the conditions which enable experience of an objective reality to be possible. He has somehow to project himself out of his self-made subjective prison. Heidegger is relevant here. His contribution is to suggest ways in which structures already present in the Critique allow Kant to confirm the objectivity of experience.(4) Kant asks how it is possible for empirical intuitions to be subsumed under pure, ontological concepts, and introduces the notion of a schema as the mediating condition.(5) Unfortunately, the manner in which a schema reconciles the two natures is not clearly defined and, ultimately, Kant dismisses the possibility of their subsumption as "an art concealed in the depths of the human soul."(6) I explicate Heidegger's interpretation of Kant and, with supporting material from the Critique, show that what Kant perceived as an incongruity is in fact the tension in virtue of which the categories receive objective application. It is this tension between the ontological and the empirical, I argue, which consolidates both Ricoeur's appeal to transcendental philosophy and Hausman's notion of a unique metaphorical referent. Both Hausman and Ricoeur are working from the perspective of the interactionist theory of metaphor developed by Black.(7) In con trast to the comparison theory, which asserts that a metaphor simply makes explicit what was already implicit, interactionism promotes the creativity of metaphor by stressing the trilogistic nature of the trope. A metaphorical expression is made up of two subjects: (in Black's idiom) the primary subject, the word used literally, and the secondary subject, the word used nonliterally. The third element which completes the metaphor is the interaction which occurs between the two subjects. …


New examples of Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) parasitic exocysts on acrosaleniid echinoid tests are recorded from northern France. These exocysts can be attributed to the life activity of copepod crustaceans and are considered to have been formed as a result of copepod larval settlement in these echinoids by way of the gonopores. Sexual dimorphism is recognised in copepod-infested Acrosalenia spinosa L. Agassiz, 1840, on the basis of size and position of gonopores, those in females being larger and wider apart, those in males smaller and situated subcentrally. The previous stratigraphic range of copepod cysts of this type (i.e., Middle Oxfordian to Middle Kimmeridgian) can now be extended down to the base of the Bathonian ( convergens Subzone).


Migration is on the rise as Haitians seek economic and educational opportunities for their progeny in the U.S. Though migration to a new country often introduces a new set of immigration and acculturation-related stressors that can lead to mental health problems, Haitians remain underrepresented in clinical mental health settings. Previous studies with ethnic minority populations have enumerated several barriers to seeking mental health services. However, research on barriers to help-seeking is sorely lacking for specific migrant groups, including Haitians. Thus, this study examined barriers to seeking help for mental health problems among Haitians. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Specifically, recruitment flyers were used to recruit participants meeting specific inclusion criteria, and these participants identified other participants who qualified for this study. Data were collected via four focus groups from 26 Haitian adults, ranging from 18 to 52 years old. A semi-structured focus group protocol developed from research literature was used to conduct these focus groups. Qualitative data analysis was used to organize focus group data into themes. Three major themes emerged: (a) beliefs related to seeking mental health services, (b) cultural values and help-seeking, and (c) education and awareness of services and help-seeking. More specifically, participants noted that Haitian's beliefs (e.g., religious/spiritual beliefs and beliefs about therapy, therapists, social consequences, and trustworthiness of institutions), cultural values (e.g., minimization of mental health problems, accepting problems as part of life), and education and awareness of mental health and mental health services contribute to Haitians' likelihood to seek services. In addition, participants noted that these factors likely vary for first and second generation Haitian Americans, which further influences likelihood to seek services. These results suggest that both Haitians (first and second generation) and mental health professionals must take an active role to address barriers to help-seeking related to Haitians' beliefs, cultural values, and education and awareness of mental health services, and subsequently, enhance treatment engagement.


Localization of electronic wave functions in modern two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene can impact drastically their transport and magnetic properties. The recent localization landscape (LL) theory has brought many tools and theoretical results to understand such localization phenomena in the continuous setting, but with very few extensions so far to the discrete realm or to tight-binding Hamiltonians. In this paper, we show how this approach can be extended to almost all known 2D lattices and propose a systematic way of designing LL even for higher dimensions. We demonstrate in detail how this LL theory works and predicts accurately not only the locations, but also the energies of localized eigenfunctions in the low-and high-energy regimes for the honeycomb and hexagonal lattices, making it a highly promising tool for investigating the role of disorder in these materials.


The reduced dielectric screening in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides allows to study the hydrogen-like series of higher exciton states in optical spectra even at room temperature. The width of excitonic peaks provides information about the radiative decay and phonon-assisted scattering channels limiting the lifetime of these quasi-particles. While linewidth studies so far have been limited to the exciton ground state, encapsulation with hBN has recently enabled quantitative measurements of the broadening of excited exciton resonances. Here, we present a joint experiment-theory study combining microscopic calculations with spectroscopic measurements on the intrinsic linewidth and lifetime of higher exciton states in hBN-encapsulated WSe2 monolayers. Surprisingly, despite the increased number of scattering channels, we find both in theory and experiment that the linewidth of higher excitonic states is similar or even smaller compared to the ground state. Our microscopic calculations ascribe this behavior to a reduced exciton-phonon scattering efficiency for higher excitons due to spatially extended orbital functions.


The INTERSPEECH 2020 Deep Noise Suppression Challenge is intended to promote collaborative research in real-time single-channel Speech Enhancement aimed to maximize the subjective (perceptual) quality of the enhanced speech. A typical approach to evaluate the noise suppression methods is to use objective metrics on the test set obtained by splitting the original dataset. Many publications report reasonable performance on the synthetic test set drawn from the same distribution as that of the training set. However, often the model performance degrades significantly on real recordings. Also, most of the conventional objective metrics do not correlate well with subjective tests and lab subjective tests are not scalable for a large test set. In this challenge, we open-source a large clean speech and noise corpus for training the noise suppression models and a representative test set to real-world scenarios consisting of both synthetic and real recordings. We also open source an online subjective test framework based on ITU-T P.808 for researchers to quickly test their developments. The winners of this challenge will be selected based on subjective evaluation on a representative test set using P.808 framework.


Sports industry listed company development status has closely relations with widespread status of sports popularization, the paper makes research on Shanghai, Shenzhen exchangesÂ' five sports industry listed companies and Hong Kong exchangesÂ' six sports industry listed companiesÂ' financial data, summarizes five input indicator variables and five output indicator variables, and then by factor analysis, it summarizes input variables into input abilityM1and operation capacityM2, as well as summarizes output variables into development potential N1 and profitability N2. In order to easier to research on problems, the paper adopts a kind of SMB-DEA model that based on improved sports industry listed company operational efficiency evaluation tomake analysis; in the paper it firstly analyzesDEA model drawbacks in handling with undesirable output problems and establishes a kind of improved DEA mathematical planning model, after that it states Tone established SMB-DEAmodelÂ's mathematical principle, finally after summarizing improved DEAmodel and SMB-DEA modelÂ's merits, it establishes a kind of improved SMB-DEAmodel. By researching on mathematical model and data features, it gets eleven sports industry listed companies input output variables technical efficiency status and pure technical efficiency status, and interprets each company operational status with numerical status, finally it applies improved SMB-DEAmodel getting each sports industry listed company scale efficiency evaluation value and efficiency value, relatively objective provides feasible reference suggestions for each company development


The clinical pharmacokinetics of methotrexate, particularly when the drug is used at low doses for nonmalignant disease, are complicated and require extensive study. Bioavailability of the drug may be influenced--at least in part--by food intake. Biliary excretion can compensate for decreased renal excretion of methotrexate to some degree. However, further studies of the renal excretion of methotrexate are needed.


immune reaction or an anaphylactoid response. given the most immunologically safe anaesthetic agents However, might I raise the possibility that patients on long-term histamine-H, receptor antagonists might Department of Anaesthetics, S. BARRETT display an undue sensitivity to histamine release or might develop an increased capacity for histamine release. May I advise that patients in this category be available.


For higher horsepower applications beyond the capabilities of the 9311D single disk assembly the 9312 is your answer. Suitable for applications from approximatey 800-1650+ horsepower under all types of conditions including drag racing. Please note that it is normal for this clutch to slip slightly when shifting, this allows lower shock loads on your driveline components. For applications beyond 1650 horsepower please consult factory. SFI approved.


Despite being grounded in discriminatory and racist ideologies, extremist right-wing parties in Western Europe are rising in popularity. This success for many of the parties, including the British National Party (the BNP), can be ascribed to them having made conscious efforts to appeal to the public by making claims of legitimacy (Copsey, 2008). Claiming legitimacy in a society where the consensus is to refrain from racism and discrimination, which is the consensus in Western Europe since World War II (van Dijk, 1992), entails denying having these inhumane ideologies at all. To successfully communicate political ideas grounded in racism through a filter of denial suggests complex rhetorical strategies.In this exploratory study, I identified and examined linguistic legitimacy strategies used by the BNP party leader Nick Griffin in an inquiring interview, using a discourse analytical approach. The strategies were: positive self-presentations, negative other-presentations, accusations, and racism denial strategies. These were analyzed in their co-existence and co-operation in enforcing ideas. The results suggest that ideas of a totalitarian Britain, where politicians and the media lie and with-hold information from the public about the dangers of multi-culturalism and Islam, are being enforced by a complex structure of these strategies. In understanding how linguistic legitimacy strategies can build these type of structures, more light is thrown on the workings of extremist political discourse and indeed covert racist discourse in general.


This paper identifies and empirically evaluates factors that explain the variations in consumers' attitudes toward shopping at farmers markets in general and public markets in particular. The analysis draws on data from a telephone survey conducted in Jefferson County, Alabama. Logit model results point to several factors that seem to be strongly correlated with consumer purchasing behaviors and attitudes toward shopping at public markets, including income, education, age of household head, household size, and price and quality of produce. The insights gained from the study should help farmers increase the profitability of their operations and improve the likelihood that they will continue farming.


Rhythmic vertical migration has been well documented as a behavioral mechanism of brachyuran larvae that are actively exported from or retained within estuaries with net tidal residual flows, such as partially mixed estuaries. However, the effectiveness of vertical migratory behavior in mediating net larval transport in a low-inflow estuary (LIE), which is characterized by little or no freshwater inflow for extended periods of time, has not been addressed. Larval transport hypotheses, developed using a validated hydrodynamic model of San Diego Bay (SDB; an LIE), predicted that vertical migratory behavior was necessary to transport larvae out of the bay, while larvae lacking ver- tical migratory behavior would be retained within the bay. These predictions were tested in a field study that examined the temporal and spatial (vertical and horizontal) distribution of 2 brachyuran families, Pachygrapsus crassipes (Grapsidae) and Lophopanopeus spp. (Panopeidae), sampled at 2 sites within SDB. P. crassipes zoeae exhibited vertical migratory behavior, which enhanced their net export from the bay. Stage I P. crassipes zoeae were concentrated in surface layers (0 to 2 m) during nocturnal ebb tides, but exploited low-velocity conditions associated with the benthic-boundary layer, which retarded transport back into the bay during flood tide. The lack of Post-Stage I P. crassi- pes zoeae within SDB suggests that the observed vertical migratory behavior was an effective means for exiting the bay. Stage I and Post-Stage I Lophopanopeus spp. larvae were sampled within SDB, but exhibited no clear rhythmic migration patterns. The lack of vertical migratory behavior and the presence of all larval stages of development suggest that Lophopanopeus spp. larvae were retained within the bay throughout meroplanktonic development. Heterogeneous horizontal distributions of Stage I P. crassipes and Lophopanopeus spp. zoeae reflect hatching sites and physical circulation features which concentrate larvae at specific areas. Differences in larval behavior observed for grapsid and panopeid larvae in SDB had a significant effect on their dispersal and retention.


BACKGROUND
Child sexual abuse is a significant problem that requires an effective means of prevention.

OBJECTIVES
To assess: if school-based programmes are effective in improving knowledge about sexual abuse and self-protective behaviours; whether participation results in an increase in disclosure of sexual abuse and/or produces any harm; knowledge retention and the effect of programme type or setting.

SEARCH STRATEGY
Electronic searches of Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Sociological Abstracts, Dissertation Abstracts and other databases using MESH headings and text words specific for child sexual assault and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted in August 2006.

SELECTION CRITERIA
RCTs or quasi-RCTs of school-based interventions to prevent child sexual abuse compared with another intervention or no intervention.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Meta-analyses and sensitivity analysis, using two imputed intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) (0.1, 0.2), were used for four outcomes: protective behaviours, questionnaire-based knowledge, vignette-based knowledge and disclosure of abuse. Meta-analysis was not possible for retention of knowledge, likelihood of harm, or effect of programme type and setting.

MAIN RESULTS
Fifteen trials measuring knowledge and behaviour change as a result of school-based child sexual abuse intervention programmes were included. Over half the studies in each initial meta-analysis contained unit of analysis errors. For behaviour change, two studies had data suitable for meta-analysis; results favoured intervention (OR 6.76, 95% CI 1.44, 31.84) with moderate heterogeneity (I(2)=56.0%) and did not change significantly when adjustments using intraclass coefficients were made. Nine studies were included in a meta-analysis evaluating questionnaire-based knowledge. An increase in knowledge was found (SMD 0.59; 0.44, 0.74, heterogeneity (I2=66.4%). When adjusted for an ICC of 0.1 and 0.2 the results were SMD 0.6 (0.45, 0.75) and 0.57 (0.44, 0.71) respectively. Heterogeneity decreased with increasing ICC. A meta-analysis of four studies evaluating vignette-based knowledge favoured intervention (SMD 0.37 (0.18, 0.55)) with low heterogeneity (I(2)=0.0%) and no significant change when ICC adjustments were made. Meta-analysis of between-group differences of reported disclosures did not show a statistically significant difference.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Studies evaluated in this review report significant improvements in knowledge measures and protective behaviours. Results might have differed had the true ICCs from studies been available or cluster-adjusted results been available. Several studies reported harms, suggesting a need to monitor the impact of similar interventions. Retention of knowledge should be measured beyond 3-12 months. Further investigation of the best forms of presentation and optimal age of programme delivery is required.


radiation-induced coagulopathy (rIC) is one of the major causes of death during acute radiation syndrome (arS). The aim of this study was to characterize the responses of the hemostasis system to arS of a moderate level on the 1st and 9th days after irradiation. We aimed to identify molecular markers of the blood coagulation system that are most affected by ARS and to estimate the enterosorption effect on the development of irradiation-induced changes. Platelet aggregation rate, activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and fibrinogen concentration were determined by standard methods. Level of protein C (PC) was measured using chromogenic substrate S2366 (p-glu-Pro-arg-pNa) and agkistrodon halys halys snake venom activating enzyme. Functionally inactive forms of prothrombin (FIFPs) were determined using two activators in parallel – thromboplastin or prothrombin activator from echis multisqumatis venom. rats of both irradia ted groups had a higher risk of intravascular clotting in comparison to both control groups. Statistically significant shortening of clotting time in the APTT test (24 ± 4 s vs. 33 ± 5 s) and increased fibrinogen concentration (4.2 ± 0.6 mg/ml vs. 3.2 ± 0.3 mg/ml) were detected. Both parameters were normalized on the 9th day after irradiation. however the platelet count was decreased (0.3∙106 ± 0.05∙106 1/μl vs. 0.145∙106 ± 0.04∙106 1/μl) due to the impaired megakaryocytic function. The level of PC was decreased after X-ray irradiation (70 ± 10%) and partly restored on the 9th day after irradiation (87 ± 10%). administration of activated carbon (aC) inhibited the drop in the PC concentration after X-ray irradiation (86 ± 15%) and accelerated its restoration on the 9th day (103 ± 14%). The statistically significant accumulation of FIFPs was detected in blood plasma of irradia ted rats at the 1st and 9th days after irradiation. No FIFPs were found in any irradiated rat treated with aC. Characterization of the hemostasis system of rats that were exposed to a semilethal dose of X-rays allowed us to select parameters that can be used for monitoring of arS development. apart of from basic coagulation tests (APTT) and the measurement of platelet aggregation, fibrinogen and protein C level we can recommend the determination of FIFPs as a useful tool for estimation of the hemostasis response after irradiation with X-rays. This test indicates the intravascular thrombin generation and can help predict thrombotic complication or disseminated intravascular coagulation. determination of FIFPs in blood plasma of irradia ted rats allowed us to study the enterosorption effect on the development of irradiationinduced changes. It was shown that enterosorption with aC prevented accumulation of FIFPs which appears to be a newly discovered antithrombotic effect of therapy with AC. ARS influenced hemostasis by inducing thrombin generation (indicated by FIFPs generation), lowgrade inflammation (indicated by PC concentration decrease) and thrombocytopenia. Enterosorption with AC minimizes inflammation and procoagulant processes caused by a moderate dose of X-ray irradiation. accumulation of FIFPs can be assumed to be one of the most sensitive markers of the blood coagulation response to X-ray irradiation.


Commentary on social media, chat sites, consumer review sites and more has triggered a remarkable surge in defamation claims, judges must resolve a range of issues, including for example, whether to order ISPs and sites to disclose or unmask the identity of anonymous posters, when resolving these claims. This, against, the backdrop of the First Amendment's protections of lawful speech, and anonymous speakers. The core elements of defamation claims are covered: statement, publication, damages; as are the defenses of truth and privilege. Conclusions on the speech that is mixed with facts (always protected speech) opinion, and vigorous criticism (possibly not protected speech) suggest that speakers take responsibility for speech so as to avoid claims of defamation.


This paper addresses the problem of contact transition from free motion to constrained motion for robots. Stability of transition from free motion to constrained motion is essential for successful operation of a robot performing general tasks such as surface following and surface finishing. Uncertainty in the location of the constraint can cause the robot to impact the constraint surface with a nonzero velocity, which may lead to bouncing of the robot end-effector on the surface. A new stable discontinuous transition controller is proposed to deal with contact transition problem. This discontinuous transition control algorithm is used when switching from free motion to constrained motion. Control algorithm for a complete robot task is developed. Extensive experiments with the proposed control strategy were conducted with different levels of constraint uncertainty and impact velocities. Experimental results show much improved transition performance and force regulation with the proposed controller. Details of the experimental platform and typical experimental results are given.


In this study, cost-benefit analyses based on life cycle assessment is applied to optimize the recycling of processing water for semiconductor factories. A representative 8-inch semiconductor wafer manufacturing plant is selected and seven existing or potential processing water-recycling sources were set, reverse osmosis (RO) reject, ultrafilter (UF) reject, multimedia filter (MMF), on-line analyzer drain, cation/anion (C/A) filter and merry-go-round (MGR) filter backwash water (including C/A sensor drain), wafer process organic drain and wafer process inorganic drain, marked as point 1 to 7, respectively. To sort the water-recycling sources in ascending order of the results of life cycle cost analyses, they were point 4, 5, point 2, 3, point 1, 7 and point 6, with life cycle the cost about 100,000$, 350,000$, 1000,000$ and 2000,000$, respectively. The order changed when they were sorted by their unit recycling-water costs; that was point 1, 2, point 5, point 3, 4 and point 7, with the unit recycling-water costs 0.2$/ton, 0.3$/ton, 0.4$/ton and 0.5$/ton, respectively. The analyses also evaluated the water recycling practice for various assumed unit tap water price. The optimal processing water recycling strategies based were proposed and corresponding optimal water-recycling rates were 24%, 64%, 81%, and 85% for water price 0.373$/ton, 0.578$/ton, 0.75$/ton and 0.945$/ton, respectively.


Flooding affects Mediterranean coastal areas, with negative impacts on regional populations and ecosystems. This paper reviews the causes and consequences of coastal flooding in European Mediterranean countries, common and advanced solutions implemented to mitigate flood risk, and the importance of stakeholder involvement in developing these solutions. Climate change, intensive urbanization, tourism, deforestation, wildfires, and erosion are the main causes of coastal flooding, leading to social and economic losses, degradation of ecosystems, and water and soil contamination due to saltwater intrusion. Various measures for mitigating urban coastal flooding have been implemented, including coastal barriers, infrastructural drainage systems, wetlands, and mobile dams. Development and implementation of such solutions should be performed in close collaboration with stakeholders, but their current engagement at the coordination and/or decision-making level does not allow full integration of local knowledge in flood mitigation projects. Various processes are used to engage stakeholders in coastal flood mitigation, but participatory approaches are required to integrate their perspectives into performance analysis of potential solutions. Such approaches would allow a balance to be reached between nature conservation, market forces, stakeholder needs, and decision-makers' priorities, resulting in development of innovative and sustainable mitigation solutions to enhance urban resilience to coastal flooding.


Abstract. The Fires, Asian, and Stratospheric Transport–Las Vegas Ozone Study (FAST-LVOS) was conducted in May and June of 2017 to
study the transport of ozone (O3) to Clark County, Nevada, a marginal
non-attainment area in the southwestern United States (SWUS). This 6-week (20 May–30 June 2017) field campaign used lidar, ozonesonde, aircraft, and
in situ measurements in conjunction with a variety of models to characterize
the distribution of O3 and related species above southern Nevada and
neighboring California and to probe the influence of stratospheric
intrusions and wildfires as well as local, regional, and Asian pollution on surface
O3 concentrations in the Las Vegas Valley (≈ 900 m above sea level, a.s.l.). In this paper, we describe the FAST-LVOS campaign and present
case studies illustrating the influence of different transport processes on
background O3 in Clark County and southern Nevada. The companion paper
by Zhang et al. (2020) describes the use of the AM4 and GEOS-Chem global
models to simulate the measurements and estimate the impacts of transported
O3 on surface air quality across the greater southwestern US and
Intermountain West. The FAST-LVOS measurements found elevated O3 layers above Las Vegas on more than 75 % (35 of 45) of the sample days and show that entrainment of these layers contributed to mean 8 h average regional
background O3 concentrations of 50–55 parts per billion by volume
(ppbv), or about 85–95 µg m−3. These high background
concentrations constitute 70 %–80 % of the current US National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 70 ppbv (≈ 120 µg m−3 at 900 m a.s.l.) for the daily maximum 8 h average (MDA8) and will make attainment of the more stringent standards of 60 or 65 ppbv currently being considered
extremely difficult in the interior SWUS.


Abstract. The paper discusses the possibility of improving temperature and noise characteristics of fluxgate variometers. The new fluxgate sensor with a Co-based amorphous ring core is described. This sensor is capable of improving the signal-to-noise ratio at the recording short-period geomagnetic variations. Besides the sensor performance, it is very important to create the high-stability compensation field that cancels the main Earth magnetic field inside the magnetic cores. For this purpose the new digitally controlled current source with low noise level and high temperature stability is developed.


In the last decade, online social networks showed enormous growth. With the rise
of these networks and the consequent availability of wealth social network data, Social
Network Analysis (SNA) led researchers to get the opportunity to access, analyse and
mine the social behaviour of millions of people, explore the way they communicate and
exchange information.
Despite the growing interest in analysing social networks, there are some challenges
and implications accompanying the analysis and mining of these networks. For example,
dealing with large-scale and evolving networks is not yet an easy task and still requires
a new mining solution. In addition, finding communities within these networks is a
challenging task and could open opportunities to see how people behave in groups on a
large scale. Also, the challenge of validating and optimizing communities without knowing
in advance the structure of the network due to the lack of ground truth is yet another
challenging barrier for validating the meaningfulness of the resulting communities.
In this thesis, we started by providing an overview of the necessary background and key
concepts required in the area of social networks analysis. Our main focus is to provide
solutions to tackle the key challenges in this area. For doing so, first, we introduce a predictive
technique to help in the prediction of the execution time of the analysis tasks for
evolving networks through employing predictive modeling techniques to the problem of
evolving and large-scale networks. Second, we study the performance of existing community
detection approaches to derive high quality community structure using a real email
network through analysing the exchange of emails and exploring community dynamics.
The aim is to study the community behavioral patterns and evaluate their quality within
an actual network. Finally, we propose an ensemble technique for deriving communities
using a rich internal enterprise real network in IBM that reflects real collaborations
and communications between employees. The technique aims to improve the community
detection process through the fusion of different algorithms.


Objective: This systematic review aimed to examine the effects of dual-task balance and mobility training in people with stroke. Methods: An extensive electronic databases literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, PubMed, EBSCO, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Wiley Online Library. Randomized controlled studies that assessed the effects of dual-task training in stroke patients were included for the review (last search in December 2017). The methodological quality was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration recommendation, and level of evidence was determined according to the criteria described by the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine. Results: About 13 articles involving 457 participants were included in this systematic review. All had substantial risk of bias and thus provided level IIb evidence only. Dual-task mobility training was found to induce more improvement in single-task walking function (standardized effect size = 0.14–2.24), when compared with single-task mobility training. Its effect on dual-task walking function was not consistent. Cognitive-motor balance training was effective in improving single-task balance function (standardized effect size = 0.27–1.82), but its effect on dual-task balance ability was not studied. The beneficial effect of dual-task training on cognitive function was provided by one study only and thus inconclusive. Conclusion: There is some evidence that dual-task training can improve single-task walking and balance function in individuals with stroke. However, any firm recommendation cannot be made due to the weak methodology of the studies reviewed.


A digital land cover map of South America has been produced using remotely sensed satellite data acquired between 1995 and the year 2000. The mapping scale is defined by the 1km spatial resolution of the map grid-cell. In order to realize the product, different sources of satellite data were used, each source providing either a particular parameter of land cover characteristic required by the legend, or mapping a particular land cover class. The map legend is designed both to fit requirements for regional climate modelling and for studies on land cover change. The legend is also compatible with a wider, global, land cover mapping exercise, which seeks to characterize the world's land surface for the year 2000. As a first step, the humid forest domain has been validated using a sample of high-resolution satellite images. The map demonstrates both the major incursions of agriculture into the remaining forest domains and the extensive areas of agriculture, which now dominate South America's grasslands.


Drug delivery systems demonstrate how the pharmaceutical product is administered to the target site to provide therapeutic action. Nowadays, there are a growing number of fungi causing diseases worldwide. These infections can be grouped into four, which are superficial mycosis, cutaneous mycosis, subcutaneous mycosis and systemic mycosis. Researchers believe that solely dependent on presently available antifungal compounds would not be sufficient to treat these mycoses. Introduction of a whole new antifungal drug acting to the target sites must undergo a long process of discovery, various clinical testing and trials on animals and human, development and regulatory approval then finally brought to the market. It is tedious, big-budget and has a high probability of failure. Hence, concurrently, modifications of the existing drug delivery system have never left out and are being pursued innovatively. Applying the knowledge in pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic principles, novel advances in antifungal drug delivery systems have been developed and managed to conquer the issues of solubility, stability, bioavailability, safety and effectiveness present in conventional formulations and methods of administration. Vesicular system, nano-particulate based system, colloidal carriers and the miscellaneous drug delivery system are the four major groups of advances in delivering antifungal drugs. The established therapeutic agents for antifungal therapy such as Amphotericin B and azole types can be formulated into different carriers and delivery systems that specifically target the infected area and the illness level of the patient. Novel antifungal drug delivery systems have opened a new dimension in minimising the adverse effects of drugs. Key words: Fungal infections, Antifungal drugs, Novel delivery.


Abstract The visual phenomenon called virga, a sudden change in the brightness of a precipitation shaft below a cloud, is commonly attributed to evaporation of raindrops. It is said to be rain that does not reach the ground. The optical thickness of an evaporating rain shaft, however, decreases gradually from cloud base to ground. Thus, it is more likely that virga results from snowflakes melting in descent. Horizontal optical-thickness decreases of more than ten can occur in the short distance over which a snowflake is transformed into a raindrop. This decrease is caused by two factors: a smaller number density of hydrometeors because of the greater fall velocity of raindrops than of equivolume snowflakes, and a smaller scattering cross section: the first of these is dominant. An alternative explanation of virga is that it is precipitation that has not yet reached (rather than does not reach) the ground. This is a plausible explanation given the long time periods it may take hydrometeors, especially snow...


The author set out to investigate public attitudes to municipal solid waste (MSW)
incineration. The area chosen for the study was Carlow town, a regional town in
County Carlow, Ireland. A public questionnaire survey was carried out among local
residents. Interviews were also carried out with local councillors to provide a
different perspective on the matter. The aims were to investigate local attitudes
towards MSW incineration. The author investigated the public's acceptance of this
method of waste disposal for the region in the future, and highlighted the public's
preferences for waste management strategies are for the of the region. The author
also wanted to investigate the role of the media in shaping people's perceptions
about incineration. Results showed that there was a general acceptance of the
introduction of incineration as a method of waste disposal among respondents.
There were significant differences in attitudes depending on gender and age. Men
were more likely to opt for incineration than women were. Older respondents were
more likely to choose incineration over other forms of waste disposal options. The
youngest age group people in general were more likely to opt for recycling than any
other age group. Most respondents preferred incineration to landfill as a method of
waste disposal. Of the respondents who suggested disadvantages many thought the
negative aspects were to do with smell and dioxins. Of those that mentioned
advantages to incineration, many thought it would require less space than landfill
and would be cleaner. The media it seems provided too much negative information
on the topic. Although many respondents thought incineration was a good idea, a
large proportion of respondents could not decide if they would agree to the
construction of an incinerator in the town.


The parametric variational principle adopts the extreme variational idea in the modern control theory and uses state equations deduced from the constitutive law to control the functional variation, which is an effective solution to the nonlinear equations. Based on the fundamental equations of elasto-plasticity coupled damage problem, the potential functional of elasto-plasticity is constructed. Also the state equations with approximation of damage evolution equation and load functions are constructed in the paper. The solution of elasto-plasticity damage problem can be deduced to solve problem of the minimum potential energy function under the restriction of state equations. Thus the parametric variational principle for coupled damage is proposed. The variational principle has the virtue of definite physical meaning and the finite element equations are presented in the article to facilitate the application of parametric variatioal principle, which is easy to program on computer. Using the method mentioned in the article, a numerical calculation is carried out and the calculation result shows that the method is efficient for solving elasto-plasticity damage problem.


We conduct a theoretical analysis of the design, fabrication, and performance measurement of high-power and high-brightness strained quantum-well lasers emitting at 0.98 /spl mu/m. The material system of interest consists of an Al-free InGaAs-InGaAsP active region and AlGaAs cladding layers. Some key parameters of the laser structure are theoretically analyzed, and their effects on the laser performance are discussed. The laser material is grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition and demonstrates high quality with low-threshold current density, high internal quantum efficiency, and extremely low internal loss. High-performance broad-area multimode and ridge-waveguide single-mode laser devices are fabricated. For 100-/spl mu/m-wide stripe lasers having a cavity length of 800 /spl mu/m, a high slope efficiency of 1.08 W-A, a low vertical beam divergence of 34/spl deg/, a high output power of over 4.45 W, and a very high characteristic temperature coefficient of 250 K were achieved. Lifetime tests performed at 1.2-1.3 W (12-13 mW//spl mu/m) demonstrates reliable performance. For 4-/spl mu/m-wide ridge waveguide single-mode laser devices, a maximum output power of 394 mW and fundamental mode power up to 200 mW with slope efficiency of 0.91 mW//spl mu/m are obtained.


An objective analysis of tropospheric anticyclonicand cyclonic-breaking Rossby waves is performed for the Southern Hemisphere in austral summer (December–February) of 1979–2009. The climatology of both anticyclonic and cyclonic Rossby wave breaking (RWB) frequency is presented. The frequency of anticyclonic RWB is highest in an extended region of the Eastern Hemisphere on the anticyclonic side of the jet, while that of cyclonic RWB is highest on the cyclonic side of the jet. A composite analysis of anticyclonic and cyclonic RWB shows how they contribute to a positive and negative southern annual mode (SAM) index, respectively. The time series of austral summer anticyclonic RWB occurrence has a trend that closely matches the trend in the SAM index. Regions of RWB that are significantly correlated with the SAM index are objectively determined. Even though several such regions are identified, only two regions (anticyclonic and cyclonic) covering 17% of the area of the hemisphere are required in a linear regression model of the SAM index. The anticyclonic RWB region is zonally extended at 458S and explains 78% of the variability of the summer-mean SAM index. The cyclonic region is located at high latitudes somewhat decoupled from the jet, in the longitudinal sector of the Indian Ocean. On synoptic time scales, transitions of the SAM index respond to RWB without time lag. ENSO cycles present an interesting zonal asymmetry to the distribution of Southern Hemispheric RWB in the central Pacific. Anticyclonic RWB is increased in the tropical/subtropical central Pacific during La Niña compared to El Niño. This increase is related to the strong local decrease in zonal wind. At the same time, anticyclonic RWB outside the central Pacific is increased in frequency poleward and decreased in frequency equatorward of 428S, corresponding to a positive SAM index.


Background Deaths relating to sport/recreation are thought to be rare. However, in Australia, a lack of published data has limited our understanding of the number of deaths in different sports and settings. Objective To gain a first understanding of the number/cause of deaths across different sports/recreation activities in Australia. Design A case-series analysis was undertaken using the National Coronial Information System (NCIS) in Australia. Setting All sport and physical recreation activities in Australia as coded in the NCIS, including recreational and professional participants. Patients Cases are 'closed' NCIS cases of all ages who died in the period 2000 to 2016 as a result of participating in sport and physical recreation. Cases were selected from NCIS activity level one categories – Sport and Exercise During Leisure Time, Education, Leisure or Play and Paid Work. Interventions None. Main Outcome Measurements The number of deaths by sport/recreation activity and associated demographic data (e.g. sex, age). The cause, mechanism of injury and contributing factors are explored. Results 5060 cases were included. The three most frequent activities were "Individual water sports" (42%), "Individual athletic activities" (9%) and "wheeled non-motor sports" (7%). Combined, team bat/stick and team ball sports contributed 7% of cases. Males accounted for 88% of cases. The proportion of deaths by age increased from 4% in 5–14 year olds, peaked at 19% in 45–54 year olds, before declining. The most common causes were identified as cardiac-related (39%), drowning (34%) and blunt force trauma (19%.) Conclusions There is demonstrable evidence from other injury settings for data to inform safety measures that can prevent fatalities. These results provide a first understanding of the people/activities most often impacted by death in different sports settings across Australia. With this information, leading activity contexts and causes will be explored to identify common mechanisms and potential prevention priorities and strategies.


In the US, income and expenditure side estimates of GDP (GDPI and GDPE) measure "true" GDP with error and are available at the quarterly frequency. Methods exist for producing reconciled quarterly estimates of GDP based on GDPI and GDPE. In this paper, we extend these methods to provide reconciled historical GDP estimates at the monthly frequency from 1960. We do this using a Bayesian Mixed Frequency Vector Autoregression involving GDPE, GDPI, unobserved true GDP and monthly indicators of short-term economic activity. We illustrate how the new monthly data contribute to our historical understanding of business cycles.