Abstract In this study, the possibility of chromium extraction from Turkish chromite concentrate and the production of chromium oxide were investigated. For the conversion of chromium(III) into chromium(VI), NaOH was employed, as well as air with a rate of 20 L/min. The effects of the base amount, fusing temperature, and fusing time on the chromium conversion percentage were investigated in detail. The conversion kinetics of chromium(III) to chromium(VI) was also undertaken. Following the steps of dissolving the sodium chromate in water and filtering, aluminum hydroxide was precipitated by adjusting the pH level of the solution. The chromium(VI) solution was subsequently converted to Cr(III) by the combination of sulfuric acid and ethanol. Interestingly, it was observed that ethanol precipitated chromium as chromium(VI) at mildly acidic pH levels, although this effect is more pronounced for K2Cr2O7 than Na2Cr2O7. On the other hand, in the strongly acidic regime, ethanol acted as a reducing agent role in that chromium(VI) was converted into Cr(III) whereas ethanol itself was oxidized to carbon dioxide and water. Subsequently, chromium hydroxide was obtained by the help of sodium hydroxide and converted to chromium oxide by heating at 800 °C, as indicated in thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA).


The transfer of democratic values and practices such as community-based policing to African police forces is a key aspect of western aid and security policies, yet the cultural transmission on which it depends is not fully understood; the ways in which African officers respond to theories and practices imported from western societies has yet to be assessed critically. Further, despite decades of international support for police reform and re-education, there is little evidence to support the assumption that the skills, technologies and procedures associated with western policing can act as an effective channel for the transmission of democratic values. This article uses the Nigerian police's response to both externally funded and internally generated reform projects to address a question with implications for policy transfer more generally: what explains the uneven transmission of politically sensitive forms of knowledge? It discusses how imported ideas and practices are received by Nigerian officers and political elites, and how they are transformed having been filtered through local interests and dispositions. It shows that even when the process of reform is accepted, the political will required to ensure its effective implementation is not. Democratic practices do not travel well because recipients respond to imported practices in an adaptive manner, integrating aspects of donor understanding and indigenous realities.


In 1992, the staging and follow-up of testicular germ cell tumours is based on a combination of computed tomography and tumour markers. Due to the development of medical imaging over the last decade, abdominal and thoracic CT has now replaced the combination of lymphography and pulmonary tomographies. Testicular ultrasonography is valuable for the diagnosis and contributes to staging and follow-up. The chest x-ray is still performed and MRI has very exceptional indications. Tumour markers, essentially alpha-foetoprotein and the free beta fraction of human chorionic gonadotrophin, are useful in more than 80% of NSGCTs and about 15% of seminomas (beta-HCG alone). A very high initial level often indicates a poor prognosis. Monitoring of markers is essential after exclusive orchidectomy and to assess the efficacy of chemotherapy.


Adaptive operator selection (AOS) is used to determine the application rates of different operators in an online manner based on their recent performances within an optimization process. This paper proposes a bandit-based AOS method, fitness-rate-rank-based multiarmed bandit (FRRMAB). In order to track the dynamics of the search process, it uses a sliding window to record the recent fitness improvement rates achieved by the operators, while employing a decaying mechanism to increase the selection probability of the best operator. Not much work has been done on AOS in multiobjective evolutionary computation since it is very difficult to measure the fitness improvements quantitatively in most Pareto-dominance-based multiobjective evolutionary algorithms. Multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (MOEA/D) decomposes a multiobjective optimization problem into a number of scalar optimization subproblems and optimizes them simultaneously. Thus, it is natural and feasible to use AOS in MOEA/D. We investigate several important issues in using FRRMAB in MOEA/D. Our experimental results demonstrate that FRRMAB is robust and its operator selection is reasonable. Comparison experiments also indicate that FRRMAB can significantly improve the performance of MOEA/D.


With the rapid development of society, sports play a more and more important role in people's daily life. Since four years, the Olympic Games have participated in various sports events, such as the National Youth Games, the elderly Games and the disabled Games. From the current international situation, sports have played a smaller and smaller role in protecting the country, but sports are becoming more and more important in people's daily life. The ancient Greek city-state was the city-state of the gods and the society of sacrifice. Sports in ancient Greece is a kind of card reader for sports development. Through the sports development and philosophical interpretation of ancient Greece, we can clearly realize the importance of sports to the present society. Sports have become an indispensable part of the daily life of ancient Greek citizens, especially as part of military training and good health. Based on the analysis of the development of ancient Greek sports and the philosophical thought of ancient Greek sports, this paper summarizes the basic characteristics of the development of ancient Greek sports. This paper compares the development of ancient Greek sports with that of Chinese sports, gives some similarities and differences in their development, and gives the direction of sports development in the future.


The present work is dealing with the study of a nano-compositional material which was obtained on the basis of PTFE with 2.5÷10wt% of core-shell type Fe-doped carbon nano-tubes and carbon nano-particles as fillers. The PTFE samples without the fillers were prepared too. Weight wear, friction coefficient and temperature were measured after passing some velocity steps, and afterwards the linear wear was calculated. The obtained results have shown that the incorporation of about 2,5÷5wt% of Fe-doped CNTs into PTFE matrix drastically improves the antifrictional properties in comparison to the unfilled PTFE. Namely, the wear resistance of these nanocompositions increased by the factor of 500-150 in the range of friction velocities 0.25÷1.25 m/sec. Increase of the filler portion up to 10wt% transforms the obtained nanocomposite from antifrictional to friction material with the enhanced coefficient of friction up to 0.32, but with the unexpectedly ultra-low wear. SEM-EDX analyses of the worn surfaces of the tested nanocomposites and the cast iron samples after working as a tribological pair, revealed some favorable effects of the Fe-doped CNTs filler on the formation mechanism of a transfer film and its role in promoting very low wear of the obtained new nanocomposites. Copyright © 2018 VBRI Press.


Background: Midline diastema is an aesthetic problem that can occur in anterior teeth where the closure of it can be performed by direct composite restorations. This study aims to see the benefits of using silicone guides and nanofiller composite resins to provide a smooth and esthetic restoration surface effect on the diastema closure. Case Description: A 24-year-old woman came to the clinic with complaints of a gap in the front teeth which was considered to be very disturbing appearance. Patients had a desired to fix their teeth due to uncomfortable feeling when smiling. Clinically, there was a diastema between the teeth 11 and 21. There was no caries found and teeth were found to be vital. While other teeth had a normal shape and there was no gap between the teeth. The gingival tissues around the tooth look normal and good oral hygiene and there was no low frenulum. Diastema closure using nanofiller composite restorations showed a good prognosis. Conclusion: Midline diastema closure using silicone guide can provide precise results according to the analysis, either on the anatomy of the palatal, labial and dental midline. The use of nanofiller composite resins at the closure of midline diastemic can provide advantages of both strength and maximum polishing results.


The numerical simulation using the multiple relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method (MRT-LBM) is carried out for the purpose of investigating the two-dimensional flow around three circular cylinders. Among these three circular cylinders, one of the three cylinders on which a forced in-line vibrating is used to do this research and attempt to find out the effects of the moving cylinder and the other two rigid cylinders on the wake characteristics and vortex formation. As a benchmark problem to discuss the problem of lift coefficient r.m.s for these cylinders with spacing ratios T/D between other rigid side-by-side cylinders, and the calculation is carried out with two compared cases at Reynolds number of 100, two of the cylinders are rigid and the other one is an in-line vibrated cylinder lying downstream, in addition, forced vibrating amplitude and frequency are A/D = 0.5 and fv = 0.4 (where A is the forced amplitude, D is the cylinder diameter, and fv stands for the vibrating frequency, respectively). The calculated results not only indicate that the spacing ratios T/D (T is the center-to-center spacing between the two upstream cylinders) have influence on the wake patterns and the formation of vortex shedding, but also analyze the lift coefficient r.m.s for the three cylinders with the spacing ratios S/D (where S is the center-to-center spacing between the center of upstream two side-by-side cylinders and downstream cylinder).


Almost every large system is initiated with an intention of building something, which has new value to its stakeholders. Yet, turning this simple statement into reality is often problematic since the concept of value is not always explicitly defined or structually incorporated in the formal frameworks of program planning and systems engineering. Quite often, beyond traditional financial measures or technical and operational requirements, there is little agreement of what program value really means, and there are limited theoretical models that could help conceptualize and focus its essence. In this exploratory study, we investigated the components of program value in several major defense programs that were nominated for Aviation Week's Program Excellence Award. Among other things, these programs had to declare what value their product created. Our findings resulted in an initial framework, which identifies program value according to three major groups: value to the customer, value to the performing organization, and value to the team. The specific value components identified in our data suggest that program value could be formally and explicitly integrated into program planning and systems engineering processes. It can also lead to further research and new applications that will be focused on value creation, rather than just meeting performance and technical specifications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng


After a serious injury or sudden death, epididymis cauda sperm recovery and cryopreservation may present as the last opportunity to obtain genetic material from a valuable stallion. This study evaluated the viability of cooled equine sperm collected by three different methods: sperm of ejaculated (G1), sperm recovered from the epididymal cauda immediately after orchiectomy (G2) and sperm recovered from the epididymal cauda after storage for 24 hours at 5°C (G3). To obtain G1 sperm, two ejaculates were collected. After 1 week, all stallions underwent a bilateral orchiectomy, and one of the removed epididymides was flushed to obtain G2 sperm. The contralateral epididymis was stored at 5°C for 24 hours before being flushed to obtain G3 sperm. The sperm samples were evaluated immediately after the addition of the refrigeration extender, and after 24 and 48 hours of storage at 5°C. After 24 and 48 hours of storage, the epididymal sperm demonstrated higher motility traits when compared to the ejaculated sperm (P<0.05). These results indicate that sperm recovered from the epididymal cauda of stallions are more resistant to the cooling process, with higher kinetic parameters and plasma membrane integrity when compared to the ejaculated sperm.


Purpose To evaluate the effects of negative periocular pressure (NPP), and concomitant intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering, on the biomechanics of the optic nerve head (ONH) and cornea. Methods We developed a validated finite element (FE) model of the eye to compute tissue biomechanical strains induced in response to NPP delivered using the Multi-Pressure Dial (MPD) system. The model was informed by clinical measurements of IOP lowering and was based on published tissue properties. We also conducted sensitivity analyses by changing pressure loads and tissue properties. Results Application of -7.9 mmHg NPP decreased strain magnitudes in the ONH by c. 50% while increasing corneal strain magnitudes by c. 25%. Comparatively, a similar increase in corneal strain was predicted to occur due to an increase in IOP of 4 mmHg. Sensitivity studies indicated that NPP lowers strain in the ONH by reducing IOP and that these effects persisted over a range of tissue stiffnesses and spatial distributions of NPP. Conclusions NPP is predicted to considerably decrease ONH strain magnitudes. It also increases corneal strain but to an extent expected to be clinically insignificant. Thus, using NPP to lower IOP and hence decrease ONH mechanical strain is likely biomechanically beneficial for glaucoma patients. Translational Relevance This study provides the first description of how NPP affects ONH biomechanics and explains the underlying mechanism of ONH strain reduction. It complements current empirical knowledge about the MPD system and guides future studies of NPP as a treatment for glaucoma.


Using the sulfonated phosphane [PPh2(C6H4-m-SO3)](-), L-, we have demonstrated that metal centres can readily be incorporated into guanidinium sulfonate (GS) hydrogen-bonded networks, and that the increase in steric bulk on going from [C(NH2)(3)][L] (1) to [C(NH2)(3)][AuCl(L)] (2) leads to a flattening of the GS sheets. The crystal structures of [C(NH2)(3)][LS] 3 and [C(NH2)(3)][LSe] 4 (LS- = [SPPh2(C6H4-m-SO3)](-), LSe- = [SePPh2(C6H4-m-SO3)](-)) reveal disorder in both the sulfonate groups and the guanidinium cations, which is a consequence of pseudo-sixfold phenyl embraces between the anions. These interactions, identical to those observed in Ph3PS and Ph3PSe, position the sulfonate groups too close together for regular quasihexagonal hydrogen bonding motifs to be formed. The regular GS hydrogen bonding patterns can also be disrupted by using an anion containing two sulfonate groups such as that in [C(NH2)(3)](2){Cis-[PdCl2(L)(2)]) (5). In this case the incorporation of two sulfonate groups from each anion into the same hydrogen-bonded sheet also serves to constrain the distance between the sulfur atoms to a value incommensurate with that enabling a guanidinium cation to hydrogen bond to both groups. In this case irregular GS sheets are formed involving fewer N-(HO)-O-... hydrogen bonds than in 1 and 2. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003).


This paper addresses the challenging problem of finding collision-free trajectories for many robots moving toward individual goals within a common environment. Most popular algorithms for multirobot planning manage the complexity of the problem by planning trajectories for robots individually; such decoupled methods are not guaranteed to find a solution if one exists. In contrast, this paper describes a multiphase approach to the planning problem that uses a graph and spanning tree representation to create and maintain obstacle-free paths through the environment for each robot to reach its goal. The resulting algorithm guarantees a solution for a well-defined number of robots in a common environment. The computational cost is shown to be scalable with complexity linear in the number of the robots, and demonstrated by solving the planning problem for 100 robots, simulated in an underground mine environment, in less than 1.5 s with a 1.5 GHz processor. The practicality of the algorithm is demonstrated in a real-world application requiring coordinated motion planning of multiple physical robots.


This thesis explores the conception and representation of virtu in Dante's Commedia. In
order to break the existing limited boundaries of the way virtue is read in the Commedia,
and to establish a richer sense of the ideas a fourteenth-century poet might have had in
relation to the topic, this thesis begins with two chapters which consider notions of virtue
in the intellectual and cultural traditions prior to Dante. Chapter One focuses on the
philosophical and theological traditions and considers works by Aristotle, Plato,
Augustine, Gregory the Great and Thomas Aquinas. Chapter Two turns to look at virtue as
a prominent theme in a wide variety of popular cultural forms of the medieval period.
These include sermons, devotional literature, visual art and poetry. In the light of these
two chapters, the thesis proposes a reading of virtu in the Commedia which acknowledges
it as a notion which is at a nexus of being and doing, of metaphysical and physical, of idea
and representation. What I have termed the virtu-dynamic in the Commedia, is that
through which Dante fundamentally connects ethics and ontology, so that human
behaviour becomes an expression of an individual's ontological state. The virtu-dynamic is
the interaction which the Commedia traces between the creative action of God and the
responsive action of man. The final three chapters of the thesis consider this in relation to
different aspects of the poem. Chapter Three considers the role Dante gives to virtu in the
process of creation and incarnation in his poem. Chapter Four looks at how Dante stages
the interactions between God and man which are underpinned by virtu. The final chapter
considers how Dante conceives the role of virtu in relation to the experiences and
salvation of his own pilgrim-poet self. This analysis is based on a close focus, not only on
the abstract ideas of virtu which the Commedia proposes, but on how those ideas are
manifested and vivified by the text.


A promising basic microporous catalytic material is prepared by nitridation of dehydrated NaY zeolite. The base strength of zeolite framework is enhanced due to the replacement of oxygen by nitrogen with lower electronegativity. Various characterization methods, including XRD, CHN elemental analysis, SEM and FTIR spectra of CO adsorption, are employed to analyze the physico-chemical properties of the nitrogen-incorporated NaY zeolite. High crystallinity and high specific surface areas of NaY are well preserved in nitrogen-incorporated NaY. Compared to parent NaY zeolite, the nitridized materials exhibit improved basic catalytic performances in Knoevenagel condensation reaction and side-chain monomethylation reaction of phenylacetonitrile.


An information architecture that allows users to easily navigate through a system and quickly recover from mistakes is often defined as a highly usable system. But usability in systems design goes beyond a good interface and efficient navigation. In this article we describe two database systems in a law enforcement agency. One system is a legacy, text-based system with cumbersome navigation (RMS); the newer system is a graphical user interface with simplified navigation (CopNet). It is hypothesized that law enforcement users will evaluate CopNet higher than RMS, but experts of the older system will evaluate it higher than others will. We conducted two user studies. One study examined what users thought of RMS and CopNet, and compared RMS experts' evaluations with nonexperts. We found that all users evaluated CopNet as more effective, easier to use, and easier to navigate than RMS, and this was especially noticeable for users who were not experts with the older system. The second, follow-up study examined use behavior after CopNet was deployed some time later. The findings revealed that evaluations of CopNet were not associated with its use. If the newer system had a better interface and was easier to navigate than the older, legacy system, why were law enforcement personnel reluctant to switch? We discuss reasons why switching to a new system is difficult, especially for those who are most adept at using the older system. Implications for system design and usability are also discussed.


Designing polymeric membranes with high solute-solute selectivity and permeance is important but technically challenging. Existing industrial interfacial polymerization (IP) process to fabricate polyamide-based polymeric membranes is largely empirical, which requires enormous trial-and-error experimentations to identify optimal fabrication conditions from a wide candidate space for separating a given solute pair. Herein, we developed a novel multitask machine learning (ML) model based on an artificial neural network (ANN) with skip connections and selectivity regularization to guide the design of polyamide membranes. We used limited sets of lab-collected data to obtain satisfactory model performance over four iterations by introducing human expert experience in the online learning process. Four membranes under fabrication conditions guided by the model exceeded the present upper bound for mono/divalent ion selectivity and permeance of the polymeric membranes. Moreover, we obtained new mechanistic insights into the membrane design through feature analysis of the model. Our work demonstrates a ML approach that represents a paradigm shift for high-performance polymeric membranes design.


Chapter 1 is a general introduction.
Chapter 2: left-colonic motility patterns were studied in fully ambulant non-constipated IBS patients compared to healthy controls. (HAPCs) were identified. In IBS the descending colon had a decreased overall frequency of phasic contractions and motility index as compared to the sigmoid colon, whereas healthy controls did not show regional differences. In IBS the number of high amplitude propagated contractions (HAPCs) was increased and propagated more distally than did HAPCs in controls. Clustered HAPCs were more frequently observed in IBS and these were found to be related to bowel movements.
Chapter 3: evaluates the effect of the 5-HT3-antagonist alosetron on left colonic motility and stool characteristics in non-constipated IBS patients and controls. Using a double-blind, randomized, crossover design and an ambulant manometry technique, motility was studied on day 7 of treatment. Alosetron increased contractile frequency in the sigmoid colon and the amplitude of contractions in the descending colon, increased the number of HAPCs in IBS and prolonged the distance of HAPC propagation. Paradoxically, stool frequency was decreased and stools became firmer during alosetron treatment.
In Chapter 4 abdominal pain and HAPCs, here called high-amplitude propagated pressure waves (HAPPWs), were recorded in IBS and controls. The aim of this study was to quantify the association between pain episodes and HAPPWs, assessed by a modification of the symptom association probability (SAP). Four of the 7 IBS patients had SAP scores > 95%, meaning the association between HAPPWs and pain occurred by chance was less than 5%. A correlation was found between duration of pain and number of HAPPWs related. An association between HAPPWs and pain, recorded under physiological conditions, can be demonstrated and quantified in IBS patients.
Chapter 5 evaluates colorectal periprandial tone and phasic motility in patients with asymptomatic (ADD) and symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) and controls. Rectal tone was not different between groups. In the sigmoid a trend towards a decreased volume was found in SUDD as compared to ADD. Phasic motility was increased in ADD as compared to controls and SUDD. A negative correlation between sigmoid barostat volume and phasic motility was found in SUDD only. Differences in tonic and phasic motility in the sigmoid colon indicate that not only symptoms but also motility might be a discriminating factor in SUDD and ADD.
In Chapter 6 perception and compliance of the colorectal wall in ADD, SUDD and healthy controls was studied, using a dual barostat device and stepwise intermittent isobaric distensions. SUDD showed increased perception scores in the rectum as compared to controls and ADD. Increased perception in SUDD was also found in the sigmoid colon as compared to controls. No differences in perception score was found between ADD and controls. In the rectum and sigmoid compliance was comparable for all three groups. It is concluded that hyperperception can be found in SUDD but not in ADD which can not be explained by a change in wall compliance.


Over the last 15 years, there have been numerous models put forward for the prediction of the time-dependent behaviour of concrete and consequently concrete structures. The development of these models from a number of different sources has meant that the engineer now has a choice to make when undertaking creep and shrinkage prediction and it is difficult to know which is best suited for this purpose. Some are considerably more complex than others requiring greater amounts of input focusing on material data, concrete properties, environmental conditions, specimen geometry and loading conditions. The study reported here focuses on the sensitivity to change, in both the short term and over time, of the individual parameters that comprise the input and whether one model is more appropriate in any given situation. It has been found that for each model certain parameters are more sensitive than others. It is suggested that for any given model, the parameters that do not reflect the expected behaviour when changed counterbalance each other, cancelling out any errors. This further suggests that when deciding on which model to use when predicting shrinkage and creep strains it is prudent to look at the specific conditions that prevail, assess the relevant input parameters for which data are available, assess the sensitivity level of each of these parameters and then make a decision as to the most appropriate model to use.


Dark patterns refer to tricks built into websites and apps to manipulate users into acting unintentionally and detrimentally. An important issue is how such patterns might affect behaviour when actors are manoeuvred towards the sharing of their personal data, as exemplified in choices we face when downloading Apps or signing up for services provided on the internet. This paper presents our exploratory research into understanding the intention and subsequent actions of older teenagers responding to issues of personal data collection and (mis)use. The research is based on the competitive board-game Dark Pattern, in which players install apps, draw dark pattern cards, and make choices about the sharing of personal data. To win the game, a player must share as little data as possible and play cards that punish other players. We were interested to find out the extent to which the game was able to convey types of dark patterns to the players. Additionally, we wanted to explore how players' perceptions of risks in data-sharing associated with their intention to protect their personal data. Finally, we were interested to explore potential gender difference, and whether this might be associated with intention to protect personal data. 56 of the students who played the game answered a subsequent survey with questions about their experiences and the data was analysed using Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Despite the findings showing that playing the game had only limited impact on knowledge about dark patterns matters, the analysis of the relationship with the factors in our model shows that knowledge has a significant contribution on behavioural intention, demonstrating that students with high dark pattern knowledge also report higher intention to take steps to protect their data.


This essay considers current discourses circulated by what I call the Spiritual School of Nightingale production that enlarge her authority through religious authorship. Since the 1990s, this School's distinctive populist and academic wings have been bringing out editions of her (mostly) unpublished manuscripts on religion along with their own commentaries, which construct Nightingale as a deeply spiritual author and inspirational role model by reading her writings as proofs of the "faith [. . .] central to her life, work, and thought," rather than as textual evidences that require nonpartisan sifting. This School, which is positioned to take over Nightingale studies, can be credited with reviving interest in her work; and religious ideas could hardly have been more important for her sense of vocation. Despite the value of these efforts, especially the recently-arrived Collected Works, taking her equivocal writing about "faith" on faith of their own is problematic because it generally forecloses probing more deeply into what else these expressions might have meant or been intended to signify. What this School's under- and over-readings miss, I argue, is the tangled "more is less" problem with the exalted terms of Nightingale's self-authoring and the high discourses of "author-ity" that she adopted in writing on religious subjects.


Patients with diabetes and previous history of ulceration occupy the highest category of risk for reulceration and amputation. Annual recurrence rates of diabetic ulcerations have been reported as high as 34%, 61%, and 70% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively, with studies reporting 20% to 58% recurrence rate within 1 year. As the ever growing epidemic of diabetes expands globally, this sequelae of diabetic complication will continue to require increasing resources from the healthcare community to effectively manage. Recent data suggest that removal of preventative podiatric care from statewide reimbursement systems lead to significant and sustained increases in hospital admission (37%), charges (38%), length of stay (23%), and severe aggregate outcomes including amputation, sepsis and death (49%). The addition of comorbidities such as peripheral artery disease, poor nutrition, and non-adherence to preventive therapies not only increase a patient's likelihood for ulcer recurrence, but also cost of care and certainty of hospital admission. Currently, numerous efforts, guidelines, and industry generated products exist to prolong remission from ulceration; however, the clinical science for treating this patient population calls for much more effort. Despite this, data continue to suggest to demonstrate that appropriate follow-up care, shoe and insole modification, and patient education play a central role in reducing reulceration and amputation. Novel modalities for offloading and wearable sensor technologies offer the advantage of round-the-clock, patient specific and active response healthcare. These have the potential to detect, or even prevent, many wounds before they begin.


Thirty eight-atom binary clusters composed of elements from groups 10 and 11 of the Periodic Table mixing a second-row with a third-row transition metal (TM) (i.e., clusters composed of the four pairs: Pd-Pt, Ag-Au, Pd-Au, and Ag-Pt) are studied through a combined empirical-potential (EP)/density functional (DF) method. A "system comparison" approach is adopted in order to analyze a wide diversity of structural motifs, and the energy competition among different structural motifs is studied at the DF level for these systems, mainly focusing on the composition 24-14 (the first number refers to the second-row TM atom) but also considering selected motifs with compositions 19-19 (of interest for investigating surface segregation effects) and 32-6 (also 14-24 and 6-32 for the Pd-Au pair). The results confirm the EP predictions about the stability of crystalline structures at this size for the Au-Pd pair but with decahedral or mixed fivefold-symmetric/closed-packed structures in close competition with fcc motifs for the Ag-Au or Ag-Pt and Pd-Pt pairs, respectively. Overall, the EP description is found to be reasonably accurate for the Pd-Pt and Au-Pd pairs, whereas it is less reliable for the Ag-Au and Ag-Pt pairs due to electronic structure (charge transfer or directionality) effects. The driving force to core-shell chemical ordering is put on a quantitative basis, and surface segregation of the most cohesive element into the core is confirmed, with the exception of the Ag-Au pair for which charge transfer effects favor the segregation of Au to the surface of the clusters.


Colombia is a country with great potential for the exploitation of geothermal energy due to its high volcanic activity caused by the subduction between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. However, this energy is yet to be exploited. This article seeks to describe, by means of a literature review and information processing, the current status of geothermal energy in Colombia, including the current regulations, the limitations, the recommendations to develop the geothermal energy, and some of the most important projects, studies, and research papers that have been emerged on the discovery, exploration, and exploitation of geothermal energy within the country, emphasizing the areas where exploration projects have been initiated, such as the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, the Tufiño–Chiles–Cerro Negro volcanic system, the Azufral volcano geothermal area, and the Paipa geothermal area. Over the years, energy vulnerability in Colombia and a government policy of fostering sustainable development in different territories have generated favorable conditions for the exploitation of geothermal resources. Nevertheless, there are several technical, infrastructural, legal, and institutional barriers that slow the proper development of these projects.


There are only few reports of clavicular duplication in the literature and all authors have agreed that duplicated clavicles are clinically insignificant. This is the first report of this unique association. A 22-year-old female student reported with features of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome mainly involving C8-T1 components of the brachial plexus, seemingly originating from involvement in costo-clavicular space. Radiograph of the shoulder revealed clavicular duplication. Neuro-physiological studies corroborated the diagnosis. Patient responded well to conservative treatment and was in follow-up for 1 year. Radiograph of the shoulder should be included in the workup of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome and anomalies of clavicle should be looked into and ruled out along with other common causes. Patient and symptom directed approach with dedicated physiotherapy and occupational therapy is required for optimum outcome.


—The Internet relies heavily on programmable match- action processors for matching network packets against locally available network rules and taking actions, such as forwarding and modification of network packets. This match-action process must be performed at high speed, i.e., commonly within one clock cycle, using a specialized memory unit called Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM). Building on transistor- based CMOS designs, state-of-the-art TCAM architectures have high energy consumption and lack resilient designs for incor- porating novel technologies for performing appropriate actions. In this article, we motivate the use of a novel fundamental component, the 'Memristor', for the development of TCAM architecture for match-action processing. Memristors can provide energy efficiency, non-volatility and better resource density as compared to transistors. We have proposed a novel memristor- based TCAM architecture called TCA m M CogniGron , built upon the voltage divider principle and requiring only two memristors and five transistors for storage and search operations compared to sixteen transistors in the traditional TCAM architecture. We analyzed its performance over an experimental data set of Nb-doped SrTiO 3 -based memristor. The analysis of TCA m M CogniGron showed promising power consumption statistics of 16 µW and 1 µW for match and mismatch operations along with twice the improvement in resources density as compared to the traditional architectures.


In this article the A. juxtaposes American media coverage of the Gulf war and the war on abortion in 1991 to trace the meanings and possibilities for identity and activism mobilized by both. While the two wars seem unrelated, he examines the techniques through which the news coverage of both marginalized social protest and women's place within the national imaginary. In the news protesters and women were positioned outside the sphere of normal politics and reasonable opinion. In this way, the news created a mythic community of people like us in opposition to women and activists. Through this marginalization of protest, broadcast news contained the threat of activism to the national imaginary of the United States in both conflicts.


It is argued that authorization is an independent semantic concept that must be separated from implementation mechanisms and given a precise semantics. A logical approach to representing and evaluating authorization is proposed. Specifically, a language for specifying policy bases is introduced. A policy base encodes a set of authorization requirements and is given a precise semantics based on a formal notion of authorization policy. The semantics is computable, thus providing a basis for authorization evaluation. Two composition operators for policy bases which are appropriate for modeling distributed systems with multiple administrative domains are introduced.<<ETX>>


Guanylin peptides (GPs) family includes guanylin (GN), uroguanylin (UGN), lymphoguanylin, and recently discovered renoguanylin. This growing family is proposed to be intestinal natriuretic peptides. After ingestion of a salty meal, GN and UGN are secreted into the intestinal lumen, where they inhibit sodium absorption and induce anion and water secretion. At the same conditions, those hormones stimulate renal electrolyte excretion by inducing natriuresis, kaliuresis, and diuresis and therefore prevent hypernatremia and hypervolemia after salty meals. In the intestine, a well-known receptor for GPs is guanylate cyclase C (GC-C) whose activation increases intracellular concentration of cGMP. However, in the kidney of GC-C-deficient mice, effects of GPs are unaltered, which could be by new cGMP-independent signaling pathway (G-protein-coupled receptor). This is not unusual as atrial natriuretic peptide also activates two different types of receptors: guanylate cylcase A and clearance receptor which is also G-protein coupled receptor. Physiological role of GPs in other organs (liver, pancreas, lung, sweat glands, and male reproductive system) needs to be discovered. However, it is known that they are involved in pathological conditions like cystic fibrosis, asthma, intestinal tumors, kidney and heart failure, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.


Spatial technology has gained momentum under database systems. More specifically, the spatial operations and spatial functions are used to carry out spatial analysis which can be executed through these database systems. In addition, there has been significant amount of research in the field of the geospatial ontology domain in order to achieve the semantic interoperability between different data sources. Although, data interoperability is one of the main objectives of the Semantic Web technologies, the potentiality of the underlying knowledge tools and techniques have not been completely identified. With the growing influence of the Semantic Web technologies towards the application based on knowledge management and intelligent systems, the geospatial application benefits from this influence. This thesis emphasizes on the use of knowledge to manage spatial data within spatial information systems through the Semantic Web framework. This research activity is carried out with the backdrop of the case study of the industrial archaeology. It sets up an ideal environment for the application of knowledge to manage the huge and heterogeneous dataset. The use of knowledge to manage the diversity of information was well executed through the application prototype named ArchaeoKM which is based on the Semantic Web. The ArchaeoKM framework follows the 4Ks processing steps: Knowledge Acquisition, Knowledge Management, Knowledge Visualization and Knowledge Analysis. The same processing principle of 4Ks was implemented during the spatial knowledge processing. A top level ontology was developed in order to serve as the background representation of the case study in order to adjust the spatial components. Keeping the custom, the spatial knowledge processing begins with acquiring spatial signatures of the identified objects. The spatial signatures are stored within the spatial database system with proper mapping to the objects in the knowledge base. The spatial knowledge of these objects is managed through executing the spatial functions at the database level and enriching the knowledge base with the results. This spatially enriched knowledge base is used again to analyze the spatial knowledge. This research thesis benefits from Semantic Web Rule Language in order to infer knowledge. In addition, the spatial built-ins proposed during the course add up spatial dimension to the SWRL for spatial inferences. Similarly, a spatial extension of the query language SPARQL is proposed in order to query spatial knowledge from the knowledge base. Actually, this research thesis provides the initial steps in integrating spatial components within the Semantic Web framework. This integration process is important for both technologies. Regarding the Semantic Web, the integration of non-typical semantic information within this framework opens up doors to other data pattern making the transformation of technologies easier. Likewise, geospatial technologies and GIS systems benefits through the inclusion of knowledge in the analysis process making the analysis much closer and efficient to human interpretation.


OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the pulmonary function in patients following on- and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHOD: Thirty patients (mean age 56.76 ± 10.20 years) were allocated to two groups, according to the use or not of cardiopulmonary bypasses: group A (n=15) off-pump and group B (n=15) on-pump, with all patients undergoing pre- and post-operative evaluation of the pulmonary function as well as arterial blood gases analysis. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEV1) were recorded in the preoperative period, and on the first, third and fifth postoperative days. Blood gases were evaluated in the preoperative period and on the first postoperative day. RESULTS: In both groups, significant falls in the FVC and FEV1 were detected up to the fifth postoperative day (p<0.05). When both groups were compared, the decreases in FCV and VEF1 were higher in group B (p<0.05). PaO2 values and the PaO2/FiO2 ratio presented significant drops on the first postoperative day in both groups, however the fall was higher in group B (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients who undergo CABG, regardless of the use of CPB, display a significant reduction in the postoperative pulmonary function. However, patients who undergo off-pump CABG have a better preservation of the lung function compared to on-pump CABG.


The Late Bronze Age and Iron Age I represent significant alterations in material and nonmaterial culture of people living in the Iranian plateau. The knowledge and taking advantage of iron were as a tremendous discovery in this period that has overshadowed all aspects of human life those days. The societies, by passing the Iron Age and having potential for globalization, have paved the way for establishing the vast empires. Therefore, this period can be called the period of the protohistory of Iran. One of the most significant and important sites indicating these developments in northwestern Iran is the Shaharyeri archeological site in Meshkinshahr, Ardabil province. This site was discovered following surveys of Charles Burney in 1978 in northwestern Iran, and studied under the supervision of Alireza Hejbari Nobari during 2003-2005 with the aim of identifying the Iron Age cultures of northwestern Iran. We can study the Iron Age cultural indices of the east part of northwest Iran in a continuous cultural context. The most important architectural remain, from the formation period, is an early temple that included slab stones, mortar and mud brick, and monoliths that laid to the structure. Semi pastoralist societies populated the site since Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age following constructing a basic temple, whereas developed during Middle Iron Age by construction of citadel and a vast cemetery with up to 500 anthropomorphic monoliths next to a temple. Concluding remarks shows that formation of settlement at Middle and Late Bronze ages and archaeological marker of mentioned period is early temples and development of nomadic culture.


Three decades into the 'digital age', the promises of emancipation of the digital 'revolution' in education are still unfulfilled. Furthermore, digitalization seems to generate new and unexpected challenges – for example, the unwarranted influence of digital monopolies, the radicalization of political communication, and the facilitation of mass surveillance, to name a few. This volume is a study of the downsides of digitalization and the re-organization of the social world that seems to be associated with it. In a critical perspective, technological development is not a natural but a social process: not autonomous from but very much dependent upon the interplay of forces and institutions in society. While influential forces seek to establish the idea that the practices of formal education should conform to technological change, here we support the view that education can challenge the capitalist appropriation of digital technology and, therefore, the nature and direction of change associated with it. This volume offers its readers intellectual prerequisites for critical engagement. It addresses themes such as Facebook's response to its democratic discontents, the pedagogical implications of algorithmic knowledge and quantified self, as well as the impact of digitalization on academic profession. Finally, the book offers some elements to develop a vision of the role of education: what should be done in education to address the concerns that new communication technologies seem to pose more risks than opportunities for freedom and democracy. Matteo Stocchetti (PhD) is Senior Lecturer at Arcada University of Applied Science and Docent in Political Communication at University of Helsinki and Abo Akademi University. The contributors of the volume include international experts on critical approaches to pedagogy, education and technology.


There is increasing need to apply building information modeling (BIM) to low energy buildings, this includes building energy modeling (BEM). If a building energy model can be flawlessly generated from a BIM model, the energy simulation process can be better integrated within the design, can be more competent, and timesaving. However, concerns about both the reliability and integrity of the data transfer process and the interoperability between the BIM and BEM prevent any implementation of BIM-based energy modeling on a large scale. This study addresses the accuracy and integrity of BIM-based energy modeling by investigating how well Autodesk's Revit (BIM), in conjunction with two of the most used energy modeling programs (BEM) known as DesignBuilder and Virtual Environment (IES-ve), were integrated in terms of interoperability, including location and weather files, geometry, construction and materials, thermal zones, occupancy operating schedules, and HVAC systems. All misrepresented data during the interoperability process were identified, followed by benchmarking between the BIM-based energy modeling simulation outcomes and the actual energy consumption of the case study, to assess the reliability of the process. The investigation has revealed a number of interoperability issues regarding the BIM data input and BEM data interpretation. Overall, BIM-based energy modeling proved to be a promising tool for sustainable and low energy building design, however, the BIM to BEM process is a non-standardized method of producing building energy models as it varies from one modeler to another, and the BIM to BEM process. All these might slow down any possible application for the process and might cause some uncertainties for the professionals in the field applying it.


A damage evolution law for porous phenolic composites is developed by using phenomenological point, which along with the improved Johnson-Cook model is then implemented into a finite difference code for one-dimensional strain wave problem. The velocity history of free-face particle is recorded and correlated with the simulated result to evaluate the damage parameters. Good agreement shows that the proposed damage evolution law and spall rule are feasible. Besides, the relationships between the striking velocity of flyer and the spall thickness as well as spall time are investigated. This study provides a methodology to quantify the damage evolution of phenolic composites under impact loading.


The high-intensity singular beam turns out to be created by means of the ordinary cover glass for a microscope. For this it is necessary to place the edge of the cover glass into the high-power fundamental laser beam. At the expense of the technical wedging of the cover glass beyond the transparent appears the high-quality singular beam bearing the optical vortex. The given paper represents the physical mechanism of such process illustrated with the vast experimental and theoretical results.


Context. Doppler spectroscopy has been used in astronomy for more than 150 yr. In particular, it has permitted us to detect hundreds of exoplanets over the past 20 yr, and the goal today of detecting Earth-like planets requires a precision around 0.1 m s−1 or better. Doppler spectroscopy has also been and will be of major importance for other studies such as the variability of fundamental constants and cosmological studies. For all these applications, it is crucial to have the best possible wavelength calibration. Despite the fact that the HARPS spectrograph has been operational at the 3.6-m ESO telescope for more than 15 yr, and that it provides among the most precise Doppler measurements, improvements are still possible. One known problem, for instance, is the non-fully regular block-stitching of the charge-coupled devices (CCDs), which in some cases introduces one-year period parasitic signals in the measured radial velocity.
Aims. The aim of the presented work is to improve the wavelength calibration of the HARPS spectrograph to push further its planet-detection capabilities.
Methods. The properties of the CCD stitching-induced pixel-size anomalies were determined with light-emitting-diode (LED) flat-field frames, and then a physical, gap-corrected map of the CCDs is used for the fitting model of the spectral orders. We also used a new thorium line list, based on much higher-accuracy measurements than the one used up to now. We derive new wavelength solutions for the 15 yr of HARPS data, both before and after the fibre upgrade that took place in 2015.
Results. We demonstrate that we do indeed correct the gap anomalies by computing the wavelength solutions of laser frequency comb exposures, known to have a very low dispersion, both with and without taking the gap correction into account. By comparing the rms of the most stable stars of the HARPS sample, we show that we globally decrease the radial velocity (RV) dispersion of the data, especially for the data acquired after the change of fibres of 2015. Finally, the comparative analysis of several individual systems shows that we manage to attenuate the periodogram power at one year in most cases. The analysis of the RVs derived from individual stellar lines also shows that we indeed correct the stitching-induced RV variation.
Conclusions. This improved calibration of the HARPS spectrograph allows to go deeper in the search for low-amplitude radial-velocity signals. This new calibration process will be further improved by combining the thorium calibration spectra with laser frequency comb and Fabry–Perot calibration spectra, and this will not only be used for HARPS but notably also for HARPS-N and the new ESPRESSO spectrograph.


When understanding modern web usage and providing optimized personalized service, it is important to identify the HTTP(S) requests directly caused by user actions like clicks and typing web addresses. With a majority of HTTP(S) requests being due to content that has not been explicitly requested by a user, the problem of identifying user actions at proxies or middleboxes becomes non-trivial. We present an automated evaluation framework for identifying user actions while also automatically providing a "ground truth" of the user actions. We utilize the framework to compare the performance of timing-based and HTTP-aware request classifiers, including timing-based classifiers operating on both per-request and per-connection basis to identify user actions. We emphasize the value of diverse information used by the classifiers when comparing identification accuracy both among classifiers and relative to the browser-based ground truth. Our classifiers can be useful to better understand users' web usage and connection prioritization.


The present study demonstrates an unprecedented green process for the production of gold nanoparticles by simple treatment of gold salts with soybean extracts. Reduction capabilities of antioxidant phytochemicals present in soybean and their ability to reduce gold salts chemically to nanoparticles with subsequent coating of proteins and a host of other phytochemicals present in soybean on the freshly generated gold nanoparticles are discussed. The new genre of green nanoparticles exhibit remarkable in vitro stability in various buffers including saline, histidine, HSA, and cysteine solutions. MTT assays reveal that the green gold nanoparticles are nontoxic and thus provide excellent opportunities for their applications in nanomedicine for molecular imaging and therapy. The overall strategy described herein for the generation of gold nanoparticles meets all 12 principles of green chemistry, as no "man-made" chemicals, other than the gold salts, are used in the green nanotechnological process.


In this paper, we propose to estimate 3D hand pose by recovering the 3D coordinates of joints in a group-wise manner, where less-related joints are automatically categorized into different groups and exhibit different features. This is different from the previous methods where all the joints are considered holistically and share the same feature. The benefits of our method are illustrated by the principle of multi-task learning (MTL), i.e., by separating less-related joints into different groups (as different tasks), our method learns different features for each of them, therefore efficiently avoids the negative transfer (among less related tasks/groups of joints). The key of our method is a novel binary selector that automatically selects related joints into the same group. We implement such a selector with binary values stochastically sampled from a Concretedistribution, which is constructed using Gumbel softmax on trainable parameters. This enables us to preserve the differentiable property of the whole network. We further exploit features from those less-related groups by carrying out an additional feature fusing scheme among them, to learn more discriminative features. This is realized by implementing multiple 1x1 convolutions on the concatenated features, where each joint group contains a unique 1x1convolution for feature fusion. The detailed ablation analysis and the extensive experiments on several benchmark datasets demonstrate the promising performance of the proposed method over the state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods. Besides, our method achieves top-1 among all the methods that do not exploit the dense 3D shape labels on the most recently released FreiHAND competition at the submission date. The source code and models are available at https://github.com/moranli-aca/LearnableGroups-Hand.


We give a formal specification and an implementation for a partitionable group communication service in asynchronous distributed systems. Our specification is motivated by the requirements for building " partition-aware " applications that can continue operating without blocking in multiple concurrent partitions and reconfigure themselves dynamically when partitions merge. The specified service guarantees live-ness and excludes trivial solutions; it constitutes a useful basis for building realistic partition-aware applications; and it is implementable in practical asynchronous distributed systems where certain stability conditions hold.


A temperature controlled integrated optical ring resonator processed on a silicon substrate is studied using integrated polysilicon heater and thermistor elements. The response speed of the optical 2/spl pi/ phase shift is evaluated as the surface temperature of the device is measured with the thermistor. The effect of an applied heat sink on the device operation is studied.


By measuring the angles stepwise through the whole field of gaze or through selected meridians the pattern of incomitance can be analyzed. It can be graphically demonstrated by "incomitance curves" or "-lines". A preliminary but very useful guess of the incomitance pattern can be obtained in performing the cover test turning the head of the patient passively in small steps. The Hess-Screen gives a quick and useful graphical overview. Synoptometer and Harms tangent screen allow a detailed study. The evaluation of the incomitance pattern allows conclusions on the etiology and explains the remaining binocular field and the head position. In neurogenic palsies, the angle increases in a linear fashion, whereas in passive motor disturbances the angle may increase sharply, change its direction in the opposite direction of gaze and show a zone of concomitance. Duanes retraction syndrome shows passive components. Examples of patients with specific incomitance patterns are shown.


ABSTRACT
 The unique genetic phenomena responsible for inherited F1 sterility in Lepidoptera and some other arthropods provide advantages for the use of inherited sterility in a sterile insect technique (SIT) program. Lepidopteran females generally can be completely sterilized at a dose of radiation that only partially sterilizes males of the same species. When these partially sterile males mate with fertile females, many of the radiation-induced deleterious effects are inherited by the F1 generation. At the appropriate dose of radiation, egg hatch of females mated with irradiated males is reduced and the resulting (F1) offspring are both highly sterile and predominantly male. Lower doses of radiation used to induce F1 sterility increase the quality and competitiveness of the released insects. However, during a SIT program it is possible that traps used to monitor wild moth populations and over-flooding ratios (marked released males vs unmarked wild males) may capture unmarked F1 sterile males that cannot be distinguished from wild fertile males. In this study we developed a cytological technique with orcein and Giemsa stains to distinguish adult F1 progeny of irradiated males and fertile males. Our observations on 6 pest species in 5 families of Lepidoptera indicate that F1 males (sterile) from irradiated fathers can be distinguished from fertile males by the nuclei cluster in the eupyrene sperm bundles. The nuclei cluster in the fertile males exhibited a regular and organized arrangement of the sperm and was homogeneously stained, whereas in F1 males the nuclei cluster of sperm was disorganized, irregular and unevenly stained. Supplementary Material: color illustrations are available online at http://www.fcla.edu/FlaEnt/fe921.htm


BACKGROUND Slight morphological asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres has been observed in fetal and newborn brains. In adults, sex differences in hemispheric asymmetry have also been reported. OBJECTIVE To establish whether cerebral hemisphere asymmetry correlates with sex in fetuses. METHODS Left-right cerebral hemisphere asymmetry, and the correlation with sex, were studied in 51 male and 51 female fetuses of 20–22 weeks gestation, using diagnostic ultrasound scanning. RESULTS A total of 102 fetuses were examined. The diameter of the left hemisphere was larger than that of the right, in both female and male fetuses. The mean (SEM) diameter of the left hemisphere was 2.804 (0.174) cm in female fetuses and 2.781 (0.287) cm in male fetuses; the corresponding values for the right hemisphere were 2.627 (0.192) cm and 2.681 (0.267) cm. There was no sex related difference between hemispheric diameters. The interhemispheric difference was significant for both sexes: male fetuses, p = 0.017; female fetuses, p = 0.016. CONCLUSIONS Left-right fetal brain asymmetry, as measured by in utero ultrasound examination, is apparent at 20–22 weeks gestation regardless of sex.


This essay discusses white innocence as a mechanism that may contribute to perceptions of Mexican Americans as perpetrators. These perceptions are crucial to ways teachers and administrators respond to student actions as the initial steps in the school-to-prison pipeline. Specifically, this work reviews the rhetoric of white innocence in a high school U.S. History curriculum map and outlines how this rhetoric constructs Mexican Americans, and other people of color, as threats or perpetrators to the innocence of whiteness. The consequence of perceiving Mexican Americans as perpetrators may mediate teacher and administrator reactions to student behaviors and ultimately to initiation of the school-to-prison pipeline.


The Third Indochina War called forth dramatic changes in the international relations of Southeast Asia. Foremost among these changes was a shift in the geopolitical orientation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (asean). The organization's founders established asean in 1967 to contain Chinese influence in Southeast Asia. But in the wake of the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in late 1978, asean forged a tacit alliance with the People's Republic of China to pursue a campaign of rollback against Vietnam. This article argues that asean's volte-face and China's reentry into networks of regional diplomacy depended upon a shift in Indonesian threat perceptions. As political Islam displaced Chinese communism as the key threat fixating Indonesian policy, the Suharto regime abandoned its longstanding attempts to integrate Vietnam into the architecture of regional order and instead accommodated itself to a Thai-led effort to enlist China as a counterweight against Vietnam. The reorientation of Indonesian diplomacy reveals the dynamics of a phenomenon that anthropologist Heonik Kwon has called the "decomposition" of the Cold War – the geographically and temporally uneven erosion of the Cold War as a social reality and the gradual elaboration of a post-Cold War era.


Associations have been reported between a 30bp repeat polymorphism in the promoter region of MAOA and depressive disorders (e.g. Furlong et al., Am. J. Med. Genet., 1999), and panic disorder (Deckert et al., Hum. Molec. Genet., 1999). Analysis of the functionality of this marker revealed that alleles with 3.5 and 4 copies of the repeat are transcribed more efficiently than those with 3 or 5 (Sabol et al., Hum. Genet., 1998). We typed this marker in two independent samples. First, from a sample of 2085 adults, each assessed for neuroticism by two peers, we selected 57 individuals from the top 5% of scores, and 62 individuals from the bottom 5%. Using selected extreme low subjects rather than unselected controls gives roughly twice the power of a standard case-control design. Second, we are collecting DNA from adolescents diagnosed with anxiety or depressive disorders, and currently have 40 individuals in this sample, for the majority of which we also have parents. Exploratory analyses indicate higher prevalence of alleles with 3.5 and 4 repeats in the high neuroticism sample, particularly in males, although the differences do not reach statistical significance. Preliminary analyses of the family data do not indicate association between MAOA and anxiety and depressive disorders in adolescents, but sample collection is ongoing. On the basis of size analysis we have identified two novel alleles for the MAOA marker: 2.5 and 4.5 repeats.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Academic achievement has been shown to be related to health related fitness (HRF) performance among grade school and middle school children. However, very little is known about this relationship in college age students. The authors are not aware of any data available concerning HRF performance and those students seeking degrees in kinesiology. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between academic achievement and HRF outcomes among kinesiology majors. METHODS: Health related fitness measurements were taken on 104 undergraduate Tarleton kinesiology majors. Students overall GPA was obtained by the supervising faculty member through approved methods and with any identifying information removed. Fitness measures included body composition, blood pressure, cardiorespiratory endurance (1.5 mile time), flexibility (sit-n-reach), and muscular strength and endurance. One and half mile run, sit ups, bench press, leg press, and the sit and reach were administered and ranked according to ACSM Guidelines (9th ed). Differences in HRF outcomes were analyzed using independent t-tests with significance set at p<0.05. Pearson product correlation was used to evaluation relationships between GPA and HRF rankings. RESULTS: Relationships between HRF and GPA are presented in the table below. GPA and Health-Related Fitness Percentile Rankings (p<0.05)* Student Characteristics Males (N=44) Females (N=50) GPA* 2.74 ± 0.49 2.95 ± 0.53 1.5 Mile Run (% Rank)* 59.1 ± 29.9 41.9 ± 28.9 Body Fat (% Rank)* 53.6 ± 30.4 34.5 ± 24.1 Leg Press Ratio (% Rank)* Flexibility (% Rank) Bench Press Ratio (% Rank) Sit-ups (% Rank) Systolic Blood Pressure* Diastolic Blood Pressure 83.8 ± 8.9 69.3 ± 17.3 49.5 ± 19.9 57.8 ± 24.1 126.3 ± 11.1 78.5 ± 7.6 87.6 ± 5.9 69.4 ± 16.1 46.5 ± 24.8 54.9 ± 24.5 117.6 ± 10.9 73.3 ± 10.0 CONCLUSION: In this subset, although females ranked higher relative to GPA, males performed better on several HRF measures. Further analysis to investigate HRF and GPA relationships.


Journal in which the Groningen Confucius Institute (GCI) shares different perspectives on China and provides insights into China from as many different aspects as possible. GCI aims to provide a full view of real China to the readers as well as featuring international and comprehensive perspectives, cutting-edge topics, in-depth reporting, classic interpretations and vivid exposition.
This edition contains articles by Rien T. Segers, Ingrid Fischer and others.


Acute external ear lesions: clinical aspects, assessment and management. We reviewed the literature concerning the assessment and the management of the external ear traumas, which is not very rich. Nevertheless, we outlined the practical attitudes in the four major conditions met: the auricular haematoma, the auricular perichondritis, the auricular laceration and auricular bums. All these pathologies must be promptly treated because there is a risk of perichondritis, which can destroy the cartilage and will result in a severely deformed ear. Auricular haematomas must be drained as soon as possible, lacerations with exposed cartilage must be stitched urgently, and burnt ears should be washed, coated with alginates (Flaminal@) and covered with a loose dressing. Antibioprophyl- axy should always be prescribed after a complete microbiological sampling.


Abstract Sediment gravity flows have a propensity to infill lows and build depositional relief, which influences subsequent flows. This flow–deposit interaction is intrinsic to the evolution of submarine fans at a range of scales. A novel approach is presented that assesses the interaction of turbidity currents with a subtle but evolving depositional topography. Conceptual models developed from outcrop observations are tested with a process-based numerical model. The outcrop dataset was collected from submarine lobe deposits extensively exposed in the Tanqua depocenter, SW Karoo Basin, South Africa. The process-based numerical model of turbidity-current flow and sedimentation (FanBuilder) is used to mimic the process sedimentology. Input parameters of flows are constrained by observations of the outcrop geology (sedimentology and depositional architecture). Modeling results are analyzed and compared with outcrop observations and, where necessary, lead to iterative refinement of the underlying conceptual process-sedimentological model. The model successfully developed characteristic features of the depositional architecture, such as finger-like geometries and stacking patterns, which are comparable in scale and geometry to those observed in outcrop. The results highlight that lobe deposits have intricate geometries that, when stacked, form a complicated internal stratigraphy, in contrast to simple models of lobes consisting of laterally extensive sheets. In addition, new insights into the processes of lobe growth have come from the modeling that can be tested at outcrop in the future. Process modeling indicates that the stratigraphic complexity can be controlled by a subtle and dynamic depositional surface that drives instability in the position of distributive channels and the site of deposition. As such, this research emphasizes the importance of autogenic controls on the depositional architecture of submarine fan systems.


INTRODUCTION Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is an important cause of late morbidity and mortality in the increasing population with surgically corrected congenital heart disease (CHD). Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of VT may prevent VT recurrence. METHODS Thirty-one patients (49±13 years, 71% male) referred for RFCA of VT after repair of CHD (25 Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), 2 Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), 2 D-Transposition of the Great Arteries (D-TGA), 1 Atrioventricular Septal Defect (AVSD), 1 Congenital Pulmonary Stenosis (cPS); age of repair 13±10 years) in two centres were included. Ventricular function was evaluated by echocardiography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Ablation targeted anatomical isthmuses for VT re-entry circuits identified by 3D substrate, pace- and/or entrainment mapping. Acute success was defined as non-inducibility of any VT, partial success as elimination of clinical VT, failure as inducibility of clinical VT. Patients (pts) were followed for 43±28 months. RESULTS Before RFCA, 7 (23%) pts had ≥moderate impairment of RV and/or LV function. Pts were inducible for 2.0±1.4 VTs, cycle length 297±74ms. Complete procedural success was achieved in 22 (71%) pts (18 TOF, 2 D-TGA, 1 VSD and 1 AVSD), partial success in 3 pts (2 TOF and 1 VSD) and in 2 pts (1 TOF and 1 cPS) VT induction was not repeated after RFCA (undetermined outcome). Ablation failed in 4 TOF pts (13%) because the targeted anatomical isthmus could not be transected (hypertrophic myocardium in 2, interposed pulmonary homograft in 2). Twenty-four pts (77%) were discharged with an ICD. During follow-up VT recurred in 4 pts (13%); partial success 1 (VSD), failure 1 (TOF), undetermined 2 pts. One pt (complete success, TOF) with progressive heart failure received one ICD shock for VF. Nineteen pts with complete procedure success and preserved RV and LV function (13/19 with ICDs) had no VT recurrence, however 6/13 ICD pts (46%) received inappropriate therapy. Two pts died during follow-up (heart failure 1, acute leukaemia 1). Conclusion RFCA of VT in adults with CHD is highly effective with a low recurrence rate during long term follow up. In patients with complete procedure success and preserved cardiac function disadvantages of ICD may outweigh benefits.


Recent models of populations with dispersive larvae have important lessons for the empirical ecologist studying reef fish populations. First, the models show that when recruitment is limiting, local populations will fluctuate around an equilibrium level even in the absence of any density-dependent effects. Second, when recruitment limitation occurs, variations in recruitment will cause fluctuations in population size, although it will be very difficult to detect this pattern in the populations consists of long-lived organisms. Such populations will be large relative to recruitment levels, and will have stored the effects of many past recruitment events. Third, even minor variation in the mortality rates of the settled population will severely reduce the correlation between recruitment and population size. Fourth, extreme fluctuations in numbers can result in strong density dependence in mortality and recruitment.

Thus most of the criteria used in past studies to characterize populations as recruitment-limited or density-dependent are suspect and should be employed with a great deal of caution. We advocate instead that experimental approaches be used to estimate the relative magnitudes of the effects of recruitment, density-dependence, and density-independence on population size and structure.


We present a two-level strategy to improve robustness against uncertainty and model errors in life-cycle flooding optimization. At the upper level, a physics-based large-scale reservoir model is used to determine optimal life-cycle injection and production profiles. At the lower level these profiles are considered as set points (reference values) for a tracking control algorithm, also known as a model predictive controller (MPC), to optimize the production variables over a short moving horizon based on a simple data-driven model. We used a conventional reservoir simulator with gradient-based optimization functionality to perform the life-cycle optimization. Next, we applied this optimal strategy to a set of reservoir models with markedly different geological characteristics. We compared the performance (oil recovery) of these models when applying the life-cycle strategy with and without the corrections provided by the data-driven algorithm and the tracking controller. In this theoretical study we observed that the use of the lower-level controller enabled successful tracking of the reference values provided by the upper-level optimizer. In our example, a performance drop of 6.4 % in net present value, caused by differences between the reservoir model used for life-cycle optimization and the (synthetic) true reservoir, was successfully reduced to only 0.5% when applying the two-level strategy. Several studies have demonstrated that model-based life-cycle production optimization has a large scope to improve long-term economic performance of water flooding projects. However, because of uncertainties in geology, economics and operational decisions, such life-cycle strategies cannot simply be applied in reality. Our two-level approach offers a solution to realize the theoretical potential of life-cycle optimization in a more operational setting. Introduction


This paper estimates three different monetary models of exchange rate determination for the Nigerian economy using time series data. These include the Monetary Flex-Price Model, Sticky Price Model and the Hybrid [Flex-Sticky Price] models. Our estimates reveal that the Monetary Flex-Price Model dominates other models in the determination of exchange rate in Nigeria. The model shows that relative money supplies, income levels and real interest rate differentials provide better forecasts of the naira-US dollar exchange rate. The empirical validity of our MFPM estimates is buttressed by the fact that the coefficient of the difference between the domestic and foreign money supply is close to unity. Thus, a one percent increase in the amount of currency supplied in the country stimulates 1.242 percent increase in the nominal exchange rate (depreciation). The empirics of the results are straight forward; a domestic economy that inflates her money supply at a faster rate than does her trading partner can expect to suffer depreciation in the external value of her currency. Consequently, any change in the money supply has as a proportionate effect on the exchange rate and hence on the price level. Thus, the money supply process should be stable; otherwise, the exchange rate system in the country will be unstable. The policy significance in this regard is that monetary policy should be positively predicted. Keyword : Flex-Price Model, Sticky-Price Model, Hybrid Model, Monetary Models, Exchange Rate,


This paper proposes an adaptive nonlinear controller to stabilize an autonomous wheeled mobile robot. The controller equations are obtained following a backstepping approach. The robot model is divided into two parts: a state space model with intermediate control inputs and algebraic nonlinear equations relating the true and the intermediate control inputs. The robot parameters are assumed unknown. First, a suitable change of variable is applied to the traditional robot dynamics to reveal the strict feedback structure of this state space model. ext, a three-step adaptive backstepping control design method is applied to obtain the intermediate control input expressions. Finally the true control inputs are found by solving iteratively the nonlinear equations that relates intermediate and true control inputs. The adaptation algorithms are based on the projection method and guarantee that estimated parameters converge and remain inside predefined domains. The proposed design strategy is tested in simulation. The results show good tracking performances despite large parameter variations.


Mobile devices such as Smartphones and Internet Tablets have become an integral part of our life. We can install applications providing various functionalities. Our research focuses on an application which enables end-users to blog requirements in situ. The gathered end-user needs can be seen as a starting point for the development of applications and the evolution of mobile platforms.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among burnout, motivation, and self-handicapping in collegiate club athletes. Male and female collegiate club athletes (N = 67; ages 18-29) from two sports (rugby and volleyball) at a Midwestern University completed a battery of questionnaires at one time point that included a demographics questionnaire, the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ), Sport Motivation Scale – 2 (SMS-2), and SelfHandicapping Scale (SHS). Results of independent t-tests and one-way ANOVAs revealed that there were no significant gender or sport differences in athletic burnout, motivation, and selfhandicapping. The data from both genders and sport teams was then collapsed into a single sample for further data analysis. Bivariate correlations were used to examine the relationship between each of the variables and a stepwise multiple regression was used to determine whether burnout and motivation were significant predictors of self-handicapping. Results of bivariate correlations found that factors of athletic burnout were positively correlated with amotivation, emotional/physical exhaustion (r = .357), reduced sense of accomplishment (r = .349), sport devaluation (r = .410), global sport index (r = .497). Bivariate correlations also found that factors of athletic burnout were also negatively correlated with intrinsic motivation, sport devaluation (r = -.464), global burnout index (r = -.410). Correlation results showed that athletes with higher trait self-handicapping reported higher reduced sense of accomplishment (r = .379) and global burnout index levels (r = .303). Additionally, stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that self-handicapping scores may be predicted by subscales of burnout and motivation (R2 = .238, R2adj = .214, F(2,64) = 9.98, p < .001). The results of this study suggest that athletes with high levels of athletic burnout and extrinsic forms of motivation may lead athletes to engage in selfhandicapping strategies. Overall, this study showed that there are significant relationships between the variables of athletic burnout, motivation, and self-handicapping.


One cannot imagine that an individual with dementia could be abused by their carers who, more often than not, are close family members. Yet sufferers stand a high chance of falling victim to abuse because of their vulnerability. In this next article, Colm Owens and Claudia Cooper explain how they went about finding out from family carers of dementia sufferers how far abuse can go in order to understand what drives an individual to act in such a way.


Upgradation of the rank of lignite is mandatory for its effective utilization as a potential energy source. Microwave drying is being explored in the present work as an effective upgradation technique. The effects of operating variables such as sample mass, particle size and sample thickness were investigated. The work also attempts to compare the quality of lignite dried using conventional hot air and microwave drying utilizing characterization techniques such as SEM, FT-IR, BET. The SEM analysis demonstrate a considerable increase in number of pores, fractures and cracks in the upgraded lignite structure after microwave drying as compared to hot air drying. The FT-IR analysis indicate an overall reduction in the number of absorbance peaks and a significant reduction in the oxygen-containing functional groups with microwave drying as compared to hot air drying. The BET analysis reveal a 30 fold increase in specific surface area with microwave drying as compared to hot air drying. The major proportion of pores in the lignite after microwave drying were either mesopores or micropores, while that dried with conventional hot air were macropores. Microwave drying as compared with hot air drying is more effective having higher fixed carbon content. The moisture re-adsorption capacity weakened after microwave drying, while it increased with increase in particle size.


Nalo Hopkinson's work holds an important place in the newly emerging and widely contested field of Caribbean queer studies. Yet, to date, her contribution has not been fully theorized. Her 2003 novel The Salt Roads evokes a continuum of loving encounters between women, which correspond to Audre Lorde's emphasis on the resources provided by the erotic realm and the radical potentiality of shared connection with an other. Hopkinson's most distinctive intervention, however, comes with her harnessing of racial, sexual and stylistic diversity. The same engagement with generic forms that has hindered critical reception of her work can also be viewed as a tactic through which she inserts a black, female and queer voice. Yet, at the same time as she deploys the genre conventions of speculative fiction, her writing also undermines the politics of empire subtly encoded within much of this oeuvre. Rather than simply providing a Caribbean twist to established genres, Hopkinson's destabilizing of formal distinctions is itself rooted in the creolization emblematic of the Caribbean. The author's assertion that speculative fiction allows her to imagine the impossible therefore signals the close connection between her subversion of genre codes and the sexual and racial expansiveness characteristic of her authorial vision.


Recent energy crisis in Ghana has led to an intense search for an alternate energy solution. Currently the country is relying on fossil fuel for electricity generation. About 43% of energy generated in the country is from fossil fuel thermal energy. In the event of shortages in petroleum products, these power plants will have to shut down or run on a low capacity resulting in load shedding routines. In order to explore an alternate energy source, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a study to assess Ghana's wind energy potential. Some areas across the country were found to have enough wind resource for power generation. However, sites for wind farms are not wind speed dependent only; other underlying factors also play an important role in the site selection process. The objectives of this research work are to identify these factors and integrate them in the site selection process within a GIS environment. The site selection was based on two major kinds of criteria setting; the constraints and factor criteria. Layers of these criteria setting were combined using the overlay function in a GIS environment. Weights were also assigned to the factor criteria layers using pairwise comparisons. Suitable sites were selected in five regions after incorporating the various criteria. A total of 142 isolated sites were selected after incorporating a number of factors and constraints. The optimal arrangement of the turbines for the Oforikrom site was also designed. This research recommends that the existing land use and ownership of the selected sites should be ascertained. Wind speed measuring masts should also be erected at the various sites to determine the economic viability of setting up a commercial wind farm. Keywords : Wind Energy, Wind Farm, GIS, Criteria


A few of years have passed since the so-called dot-com crash and researchers are now conducting post-mortem reviews of the valuation debacle. At the time, there was widespread agreement within the analyst community that the value of a Website was inherently related to the number of potential customers who came to the site for information and eventually purchased a product or executed a service. As a follow-up to this mode of thinking, we consider the relationship between stock prices and Web metrics in addition to traditional accounting information for a sample of 15 top Internet companies. Specifically, we develop various regression models with the following four variables: unique visitors, revenues, gross margin, and sales and marketing expenses. Our results support the hypothesis that Web metrics did as equally good a job at explaining Internet stock prices as traditional accounting measures did. It seems that as stock price valuations for these companies increased, analysts required new metrics to justify their astronomical valuations and veered away from generally accepted accounting principles.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
The ability of a shock to defibrillate the heart depends on its waveform and energy. Past studies of biphasic truncated exponential (BTE) shocks for external defibrillation focused on low energy levels. This prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial compared the first-shock efficacies of 200-joule (J) BTE, 130-J BTE, and 200-J monophasic damped sine wave shocks.

METHODS
Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced in 115 patients during evaluation of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator function and 39 patients during electrophysiologic evaluation of ventricular arrhythmias. After 19 +/- 10 seconds of VF, a randomized transthoracic shock was administered. Mean first-shock success rates of the three groups were compared using a "Tukey-like" statistical test, adjusting for multiple comparisons. Blood pressures and arterial oxygen saturations were measured before VF induction and 30, 90, and 150 seconds after successful defibrillation.

RESULTS
First-shock success rates were 61/68 (90%) for 200-J monophasic, 39/39 (100%) for 200-J biphasic, and 39/47 (83%) for 130-J biphasic shocks. The 200-J biphasic shocks were simultaneously superior in first-shock efficacy to both 200-J monophasic and 130-J biphasic shocks (experimentwise error rate, alpha < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the efficacies of 200-J monophasic and 130-J biphasic shocks, nor was there any significant difference between the three groups in hemodynamic parameters after successful shocks.

CONCLUSIONS
Biphasic shocks of 200 J provide better first-shock defibrillation efficacy for short-duration VF than 200-J monophasic and 130-J biphasic shocks and thus may allow earlier termination of VF in cardiac arrest patients.


Hosting recurring sport events can be a solution for sustainable tourism development resulting in destination loyalty and higher place attachment levels. This study proposes active event sport tourists may include in their destination perceptions a number of destination and event attributes, given the direct association of the event with the place. The feasibility of the convergence of event and destination image attributes in one scale was explored and that scale's influence on place attachment and on specific active sport tourists' behaviors was examined. Data were collected from sport event tourist participants (n = 2,015) at a recurring marathon event via an online survey. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the factor structure of destination image to include event characteristics. Regression analysis was used to test the impact of destination image factors on behavioral intentions and place attachment and supported the predictive validity of destination image factors. Implications for event and de...


In the multinucleate cap rays of the green alga Acetabularia mediterranea the cell surface increases dramatically within a short time period during the final stages of coenocytotomic cleavage. In early stages of cyst formation the cytoplast is traversed by numerous large and prolate cleavage vesicles which are characterized by typical columellar or spinous coat structures. The cleavage vesicles are closely associated with the surface of plastids and, to a lesser degree, of mitochondria. This intimate association seems to be mediated by regularly spaced, densely stained intermembranous cross-bridge structures and is maintained throughout cleavage. These cleavage vesicles contain a finely fibrillar material structurally similar to the hyaline layer of mucilage that fills the space between the plasma membrane and cell wall. They line up with invaginations of the plasmalemma and vacuole membranes and, together with smaller vesicles interspersed, constitute preformed "perforation lines" for the final separation of the coenoblast portions. Equidistantly spaced plaques of attachment of such vesicles with surface membrane are described. We hypothesize (a) that the cleavage vesicle membrane is the immediate precursor to the new postcoenocytotomic surface membrane, (b) that the cleavage vesicle coat structures are integrated into the subsurface coat of the plasma membrane, (c) that growth of the laterally attached cleavage vesicles by intussusception of small fuzzy-coated vesicles is confined to their "free ends," (d) that the intermembranous cross- bridge elements are related to bristle coat structures and play a role in the establishment of the cleavage lines, and (e) that the coenocytotomic cleavage process is organized so that adjacent plastids are separated in a way that guarantees the inclusion of several plastids in each cyst.


OBJETIVE
To design and validate an instrument to assess the relevance of educational programs for parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) undergoing cardiac surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
In October 2011, an instrument was designed based on Kaufman's model and on the bibliography, and a survey was developed in the form of a checklist with 32 close-ended questions about received education and desired education, categorized into 5 items: educator, time, place, means, and content. The survey was reviewed by 4 academic professionals and 9 experts in the care of children with CHD, and the checklist was extended to include 42 close-ended questions and 5 open questions. The instrument was administered on the day before discharge to the parents of children with CHD undergoing cardiac surgery at the Department of Pediatrics between February and August 2013. The survey was self-administered by the first participants and administered by the investigator among the remaining participants.

RESULTS
Fifty-five children met inclusion criteria; a total of 60 parents took part in the study. Agreement was observed between received education and desired education, which was statistically significant only in terms of education provided by a cardiologist (p= 0.000, K= 0.659) and in the hall (p= 0.000, K= 0.655). Statistically significant differences were observed between the 19 self-administered surveys and the 41 surveys administered by the investigator. Among the latter, a greater level of completion was observed for all items.

CONCLUSION
A validated instrument was developed to assess the relevance of educational programs for parents of children with CHD undergoing cardiac surgery. This survey should be administered by a health care provider for a better understanding of information.


: "Challenging Cultural Literary Landscapes: Poetry as Mediation, Experience, and Myth" was originally written for an Italian special topics course on the experiences of Italian-Canadians. This essay covers the Italian diaspora's representation in Canadian literature with a concentration on the depiction of ethnicity, race, and culture. Specifically, it aims to examine poetry's importance to Canadian literature as a means to mediate experiences not easily conceived by prose language. This paper examines poetry by Italian Canadian writers such as Mary de Michele and Antonino Mazza and Jewish-Canadian Leonard Cohen's first collection of poetry, Let Us Compare Mythologies. It analyzes poetry's importance to self-representation and cultural exchange and the complicated networks between identity and narrative through the exploration of themes such as migration, journey, and mythology.


Remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton in cells is tightly regulated by a vast number of actin-binding proteins (ABPs). These proteins interact with actin via a limited set of conserved folding motifs. One of the most abundant actin-binding motifs is the beta-thymosin fold, represented by the prototypical actin-monomer sequestering protein thymosin-beta4. Among many cytoskeletal proteins, the beta-thymosin fold adopts a shorter form, known as the WASP homology domain 2. Some characteristic features of the beta-thymosin/WH2 fold include its small size (17-43 aa), significant sequence and length variability, frequent occurrence in the form of tandem repeats, and remarkable multifunctionality. This paper discusses the relationship between structure and function of the beta-thymosin/WH2 fold on the basis of four examples: (1) actin monomer sequestration (thymosin-beta4), (2) actin filament nucleation (WASP-Arp2/3 complex, Lmod, and spire), (3) actin filament elongation (Ena/VASP), and (4) cytoskeleton scaffolding (IRSp53 and MIM). Although the core function of the beta-thymosin/WH2 domain in all these proteins is actin binding, specific changes in the sequence of the domain and modular organization of the proteins in which it is found give rise to diverse functions in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics.


Introduction. Following the development of novel targeted therapies for selected breast cancer (BC) patients (like HER-2 pos. BC), the subgroup of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients is still characterized by a poor prognosis and a lack of reliable tumor markers that might guide medical therapy. Methods. Genomic DNA was extracted from paraffin embedded formalin fixed (FFPE) tissue obtained from 77 consecutive patients diagnosed with a TNBC at our hospital. The DNA samples were analyzed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) using Human Breast Cancer GeneRead DNAseq Targeted Panel V2 (Qiagen). The panel consists of a collection of PCR primers for targeted enrichment of the coding region of 44 genes commonly mutated in breast cancer. Target enrichment and library construction was performed according to the GeneReader workflow (Qiagen) and paired end sequencing was performed on a NextSeq 500 sequencer (Illumina) running 2 × 150 bp chemistry Version 2. Data analysis including alignment to the reference genome hg19 and variant calling was performed using Qiagen9s online Ingenuity Variant analysis. Results. The ingenuity variant analysis classified the genetic mutations according to their clinical significance into four groups: pathogenic, likely pathogenic, benign and likely benign. We present only mutations in genes that are characterized as pathogenic or likely pathogenic, where the term "likely pathogenic" indicates greater than 90% certainty of the mutation being pathogenic (as defined by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics). Genetic variations were mostly observed in a subset of 44 genes included in the breast cancer panel. The tumor suppressor genes TP53 as well as BRCA1 and BRCA2 represented the highest mutation rates (>5%) among all TNBC samples. Interestingly, additional genes probably playing a pivotal role in breast cancer biology like EP300 and FGFR-1 were also found to be mutated at a high rate in TNBC. Conclusion. Next generation sequencing of samples obtained from primary TNBC patients confirmed a high level of pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutations in well-described key cancer genes like TP53, BRCA1/2, ATM, EGFR, RB1 and PIK3CA and frequently mutated additional genes (EP300, FGFR1) that will be further investigated. Citation Format: Vahid Bemanian, Torill Sauer, Joel Touma, Katja Vetvik, Ying Chen, Vessela Kristensen, Ida Bukholm, Jurgen Geisler. Next generation sequencing (NGS) reveals high mutation rates in established and potentially novel cancer genes involved in triple-negative breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-246.