Bebchuk et al. have produced a new version of their paper The Long-Term Effects of Hedge Fund Activism (December 2014) to be published in the June 2015 issue of the Columbia Law Review. In this revised text, the authors struggle valiantly to cope with the challenging questions a number of critics have raised about their original paper. We, among many, have taken issues with their original paper. While the revised draft by Bebchuk et al has the merit of clarifying some aspects of their study, many issues remain unresolved and new ones creep in. In this paper, we provide examples of the latter while reiterating the fundamental questions that remain unanswered.


Anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody is a landmark drug in the field of malignant tumor treatment, and its emergence has resulted in the use of immunotherapy in treating various types of malignancies. A large number of clinical studies abroad have shown that it has a more significant effect than traditional strategies in the treatment of advanced head and neck cancer, and it has a significantly lower incidence of adverse events than chemotherapy. Recently, the clinical application of anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies in China has changed the traditional treatment mode of head and neck malignant tumors. Immunotherapy has become the first-line treatment option for recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer. Furthermore, the indications of PD-1 monoclonal antibodies have been continuously expanded through clinical trials, and their biomarkers have been explored and validated. The application of PD-1 monoclonal antibodies tend to be individualized and precise and potentially improves the treatment levels of advanced head and neck malignancies.


An isolated high-frequency link AC/AC converter is termed an electronic transformer.The electronic transformer has size and cost advantages over a conventional transformer because of high-frequency operation of the magnetic core. Of the various topologies of electronic transformer, the high-frequency AC link electronic transformer achieves high-frequency AC power transformation without a DC link. The circuit uses the standard H-bridge, one on either side of the high-frequency transformer. A novel PWM scheme is proposed, which symmetrically delays and advances the phase of the left and right legs of the front-side converter with respect to the output side converter. The proposed scheme introduces free wheeling sub-periods, which results in zero voltage switching in the output-side converter. The electronic transformer as an AC automatic voltage regulator (AVR) offers distinct advantages over a conventional servo voltage stabiliser in terms of size and speed of response. The AVR application is discussed and experimental results of a 500VA AVR are presented. A four-quadrant switch presents difficulties in turning off inductive load current because of the absence of a free wheeling path in the switch. A biasing circuit is proposed to convert the potentially lossy switching transition into lossless transition. Simulation and experimental results with the biasing circuit are presented.


In real-time systems, utilization-based schedulability test is a common approach to determine whether or not tasks can be admitted without violating deadline requirements. The test is extremely simple, since it only needs to compare the utilization of the tasks with a predetermined bound. As such, utilization-based schedulability tests are suitable for online use. The challenge is how to derive a reasonable utilization bound for a given system. Most existing results are obtained on a case-by-case basis because of their analytical complexity. In this paper, we develop a flexible and unified representation framework of real-time systems (i.e., tasks and schedulers) based on network calculus techniques. Our representation framework, together with the proposed bound derivation method, leads to a general bound result, which is applicable to a large family of real-time systems.


In areas where lifeguard services operate, less than 6% of all rescued persons need medical attention and require CPR. In contrast, among areas where no lifeguard services are provided almost 30% require CPR. This difference indicates the importance of the lifeguard is. Lifeguard work requires effective problem identification, diagnostic strategies and management decisions to be made in high-risk environments where time is of the essence. The purpose of this investigation was to assess all variables involved in lifeguard work related to a water rescue, and how the information obtained could inform lifeguard training and therefore performance. Methods: By using the drowning timeline, the authors explored all variables involved in a single rescue event by inviting 12 lifeguards to complete a survey of their professional role using a three-round Delphi survey technique. The total potential number of decisions for each phase and sub-phases, the number of variables, the probability of a single event repeating, the duration of each sub-phase and amount of variables demanded per minute were measured. Each sub-phase was presented as predominantly rational (If less than 1 variable per/min) or intuitive (If more than 1/min). Results: The variables identified in sub-phases were: "preparation to work" (8 variables and 0.0001 variables/min) and "prevent" (22 variables; 0.03 variables/min); these sub-phases were predominately considered to lead to rational decisions. The variables identified during "rescue" (27 variables and 2.7 variables/min) and "first-aid" (7 variables and 1.7 variables) were predominantly considered intuitive processes. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the complexity of a lifeguards' decision-making process during the quick, physically and mentally stressful moments of rescuing someone. The authors propose better decisionmaking processes can be achieved by reducing the time interval between identification of a problem and making a decision. Understanding this complex mechanism may allow more efficient training resulting in faster and more reliable decision-makers with the overall benefit of more lives saved.


Market liberalism and state interventionism are both challenged as modes of democratic government by this book. It suggests that the development of private interest governments might be a more viable policy alternative for the future. It also questions whether the state could devolve certain public policy responsibilities to interest associations in specific economic sectors. The book focuses specifically on interest associations in a disaggregated, rather than global, approach to economics and politics. Ten Western industrialized countries are covered, subjects ranging from advertising with self-regulation, private accountancy regulation and the British voluntary sector to four comparative papers on the corporatist arrangements in the governance of the dairy industry.


Introduction The purpose the aim to examine the evidence of citrulline plasma of citrulline as a marker of intestinal functions and absorption in clinical conditions. Method The inclusion criteria for this systematic review were: any empirical study (abstract and full paper) describing investigation of citrulline in relation to the term intestinal function. PRISMA guidelines and MOOSE checklist for systematic reviews and meta-analyses were used. Electronic database searches were conducted up until 1 July 2015. Studies were examined for p-values, means and standard deviations, correlation coefficients or other metrics depicting the association of citrulline with intestinal function. Metrics were converted to the standardised mean difference (SMD) 1, 2 or weighted mean difference (WMD), where means and standard deviations for groups under comparison were identified 3; and/or correlation coefficients (CCs). A random effects model was used to produce a pooled estimate of the SMDs/WMDs/CCs. Regarding diagnostic accuracy data, following the robust construction of the diagnostic 2×2 tables, specificity, sensitivity, and 95% CI for each of the included studies was calculated. A hierarchical summary receiver operating curve (HSROC) model was fitted to provide a summary receiver operating curve and to allow derivation of pooled sensitivity and specificity estimates. Results Citrulline levels are correlated strongly with small bowel length in short bowel syndrome patients (correlation coefficient over 0.500). Citrulline is strongly negatively correlated (correlation coefficient over 0.500) with intestinal disease severity with regards to enteropathies (coeliac disease, tropical enteropathy, Crohn's disease, mucositis, and acute rejection in intestinal transplantation). Citrulline cut off levels have an overall sensitivity and specificity of 80%. There was however variability in the cut-off levels, but the majority of studies used cut-off level of 20 μmol/L. Citrulline levels in untreated coeliac patients compared to controls were reduced by 10 μmol/L. Citrulline levels increase with gluten free diet and with improvement of enteropathy. Citrulline is decreased in critical illness and sepsis. The existing literature indicates that it could possibly be attributed to use of nitric oxide and arginine in sepsis/inflammation leading to a transient decrease in citrulline; similar to the behaviour of albumin as a negative inflammatory marker. Secondly, it could also indicate enteropathy of acute illness. Conclusion These findings allow us to advocate quite reasonably that citrulline is a marker of possible acute intestinal injury. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


Lignin is an aromatic macromolecule present in wood and also a by-product in the process of making paper. For a long time, this by-product has been of no interest except for combustion in the recovery boilers for production of energy. Nowadays, however, there is a great interest of finding an alternative use of lignin, not the least the type obtained from the paper industry black liquor with the process called LignoBoost. Although there is some interesting research concerning the salvaging of lignin, for example as a source for new materials, the chemical constitution and properties are still not fully investigated.The purpose of this work was therefore to develop a method for a better determination of the molecular mass distribution (MMD) of both hardwood and softwood kraft lignins from the biorefinery. The method of choice is a combination of size-exclusion-chromatography (SEC), where the lignin is fractionated, followed by an analysis of the fractions on a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy instrument (MALDI-TOF-MS). Furthermore, the chemical composition of high and low molecular fractions of LignoBoost lignin was determined with pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS).It was shown that the MMD determination method of lignin used until now is sometimes insufficient. Therefore, two separate calibration methods were developed for softwood and hardwood kraft lignins. Included in the method development was also an investigation of the necessity of acetylation when analyzing lignin on SEC using tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the mobile phase. It was found that for softwood lignin from the LignoBoost process, this procedure is necessary while the corresponding hardwood lignin does not require an acetylation.The chemical composition, determined with Py-GC/MS, of hardwood and softwood lignin did not present any significant differences between the structures of high and low molecular lignin. However, differences were found concerning extractives content in lignin preparations from softwood.This thesis was performed at Innventia AB.


This thesis work is in the area of modeling trust in multi-agent systems, systems of software agents designed to act on behalf of users (buyers and sellers), in applications such as e-commerce. The focus is on developing an approach for buyers to model the trustworthiness of sellers in order to make effective decisions about which sellers to select for business. One challenge is the problem of unfair ratings, which arises when modeling the trust of sellers relies on ratings provided by other buyers (called advisors). Existing approaches for coping with this problem fail in scenarios where the majority of advisors are dishonest, buyers do not have much personal experience with sellers, advisors try to flood the trust modeling system with unfair ratings, and sellers vary their behavior widely. We propose a novel personalized approach for effectively modeling trustworthiness of advisors, allowing a buyer to 1) model the private reputation of an advisor based on their ratings for commonly rated sellers 2) model the public reputation of the advisor based on all ratings for the sellers ever rated by that agent 3) flexibly weight the private and public reputation into one combined measure of the trustworthiness of the advisor. Our approach tracks ratings provided according to their time windows and limits the ratings accepted, in order to cope with advisors flooding the system and to deal with changes in agents' behavior. Experimental evidence demonstrates that our model outperforms other models in detecting dishonest advisors and is able to assist buyers to gain the largest profit when doing business with sellers. Equipped with this richer method for modeling trustworthiness of advisors, we then embed this reasoning into a novel trust-based incentive mechanism to encourage agents to be honest. In this mechanism, buyers select the most trustworthy advisors as their neighbors from which they can ask advice about sellers, forming a social network. In contrast with other researchers, we also have sellers model the reputation of buyers. Sellers will offer better rewards to satisfy buyers that are well respected in the social network, in order to build their own reputation. We provide precise formulae used by sellers when reasoning about immediate and future profit to determine their bidding behavior and the rewards to buyers, and emphasize the importance for buyers to adopt a strategy to limit the number of sellers that are considered for each good to be purchased. We theoretically prove that our mechanism promotes honesty from buyers in reporting seller ratings, and honesty from sellers in delivering products as promised. We also provide a series of experimental results in a simulated dynamic environment where agents may be arriving and departing. This provides a stronger defense of the mechanism as one


Abstract According to some Spanish grammarians, including the Royal Spanish Academy, nouns like agua 'water', asa 'handle', etc., are feminine and take a phonologicallyconditioned allomorph of the definite article (el) that is identical to the masculine article. Our data, both from an experiment and from electronic searches, show that there is considerable fluctuation in the gender of prenominal, but not postnominal, modifiers, with nouns in this group even when no phonological conditioning is found. The facts are incompatible with models where nouns bear a specific gender feature of the lexicon, which they assign to all targets of agreement. Instead, these facts of hybrid agreement are best accounted for in an exemplar model. Regardless of the phonological origin of the phenomenon, speakers interpret sequences such as el agua as showing masculine agreement, which creates an analogical attractor for non-etymological agreement with prenominal modifiers, as in poco agua, el abundante agua, etc.


We discuss the options of the fall-back disk model of Anomalous X-Ray Pulsars (AXPs). We argue that the power-law index of the mass inflow rate during the propeller stage can be lower than those employed in earlier models. We take into account the effect of the super-critical mass inflow at the earliest stages on the inner radius of the disk and argue that the system starts as a propeller. Our results show that, assuming a fraction of the mass inflow is accreted onto the neutron star, the fall-back disk scenario can produce AXPs for acceptable parameters.


This study examines NEXRAD Stage III product (hourly, cell size 4 km by 4 km) for its ability in estimating precipitation in central New Mexico, a semiarid area. A comparison between Stage III and a network of gauge precipitation estimates during 1995 to 2001 indicates that Stage III (1) overestimates the hourly conditional mean (CM) precipitation by 33 percent in the monsoon season and 55 percent in the nonmonsoon season; (2) overestimates the hourly CM precipitation for concurrent radar‐gauge pairs (nonzero value) by 13 percent in the monsoon season and 6 percent in the nonmonsoon season; (3) overestimates the seasonal precipitation accumulation by 11 to 88 percent in monsoon season and underestimates by 18 to 89 percent in the nonmonsoon season; and (4) either overestimates annual precipitation accumulation up to 28.2 percent or underestimates it up to 11.9 percent. A truncation of 57 to 72 percent of the total rainfall hours is observed in the Stage III data in the nonmonsoon season, which may be the main cause for both the underestimation of the radar rainfall accumulation and the lower conditional probability of radar rainfall detection in the nonmonsoon season. The study results indicate that the truncation caused loss of small rainfall amounts (events) is not effectively corrected by the real‐time rain gauge calibration that can adjust the rainfall rates but cannot recover the truncated small rainfall events. However, the truncation error in the monsoon season may be suppressed due to the larger rainfall rate and/or combined effect of overestimates by bright band and hail contaminations, virga, advection, etc. In general, improvement in NEXRAD performance since the monsoon season in 1998 is observed, which is consistent with the systematic improvement in the NEXRAD network.


CONTEXT
Vitamin D status in the Korean population has not been adequately determined.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the vitamin D status and the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in the Korean population, and also identify the predictors for vitamin D insufficiency in Korea.

DESIGN AND SETTING
The Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES IV) in the Korean population conducted in 2008.

PARTICIPANTS
3,047 males and 3,878 females aged 10 years and older selected in all the 16 administrative districts of South Korea.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency defined as serum 25(OH)D level of less than 20 ng/ml.

RESULTS
Vitamin D insufficiency was found in 47.3% of males and 64.5% of females, whereas only 13.2% of male and 6.7% of female population had a serum 25(OH)D level of greater than 30 ng/ml. Vitamin D insufficiency was most prevalent in the age of 20-29, with a rate of 65.0% in males and 79.9% in females, and least prevalent in the age of 60-69 in males and 50-59 in females. Those who work usually indoors were more predisposed to vitamin D insufficiency. In the adult population, predictors for vitamin D insufficiency included young age groups, spring and winter seasons, living in an urban area, and indoor occupations.

CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin D insufficiency is very common, and it is now a greater threat to the younger generation in Korea. Current recommendations for vitamin D intakes for Koreans are inadequate, especially for the youth.


Public disclosure about effectiveness of internal control systems is subject to much controversy in Canada, resulting in Canadian disclosures being made in Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A). These disclosures are provided to investors without a definition of the weaknesses to be reported, without implementation effectiveness testing, no direct management certification and no external audit of such disclosures. Though the cost of such SOX North disclosures are lower than in the U.S. setting, the credibility of these disclosures is far from assured, posing an important empirical issue for regulators interested in the cost versus benefit trade-off of various disclosure regimes. We use OLS regression and path analysis embedded in a structural model to examine the association between the strength of internal control and accrual quality in order to infer whether these disclosures are credible. The OLS regression finding of an overall negative net effect of internal control weaknesses on accrual quality is refined by recursive path analysis which shows that this overall negative effect is composed of a large negative direct effect of weaknesses on accrual quality and a smaller offsetting positive indirect effect of weaknesses on accrual quality via increased audit effort. The modest substitution effect implies that auditors cannot fully compensate for poor internal control by increased substantive work, which is per se evidence justifying some form of internal control disclosures for investors. Overall, our results suggest that lower cost SOX North disclosures are credible. This informs the cost-benefit debate facing regulators around the globe seeking alternatives to the costly U.S. model of internal control reporting. JEL Classifications: G38, M41, M42


An analysis of 386 sinonasal cancer cases reported during the 1978-1994 period to the registry of the Christian Sickness Fund is presented. The relationship between this tumor and previous occupational exposure to carcinogens is investigated by a descriptive case study. Of 386 cases comprising 294 males and 92 females, 139 were adenocarcinomas which in 88 revealed an occupation as woodworker. In 169 sinonasal cancers the professional history indicates an exposure to dust of different origin, but mainly wood, textile, cereals, cement and leather. The primary tumor of 87 sinonasal adenocarcinomas in woodworkers was in 77% ethmoïdal, 12.2% maxillary, 6.8% nasal and 4-sphenoïdal. These findings confirm the results of previous reports on sinonasal cancer from other European countries.


Although many studies have shown that smoking is an established risk factor for gastric cancer, relatively few studies have investigated on which step smoking has effects in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) related gastric carcinogenesis. In this study we investigated the association of smoking with risk of three steps leading to gastric cancer: H. pylori infection, gastric atrophy, and gastric cancer. Among the participants who visited Aichi Cancer Center Hospital from year 2001 to 2005, 583 cases diagnosed as gastric cancer and age-and sex-frequency-matched 1,742 cancer free controls were sampled, from whom those without serum samples or without information about smoking habit were excluded, leaving 576 cases and 1,599 controls eligible for the analyses. Anti- H. pylori IgG antibody and serum pepsinogens (PG) were measured to detect H. pylori infection and gastric atrophy. Smoking status was asked by a self-administered questionnaire. The odds ratio (OR) of H. pylori infection, as well as the OR of gastric atrophy among the H. pylori seropositive controls was not significant for smokers. The age- and sex-adjusted OR of gastric cancer was significantly elevated relative to the subjects with gastric atrophy: OR=1.62 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.19-2.22; P=0.002) for ever smokers and 2.52 (1.75-3.64; P<0.001) for current smokers, relative to never smokers. This study revealed that smoking behavior contributed to the increased risk of gastric carcinogenesis from gastric atrophy, but had little influence on H. pylori infection or gastric atrophy development.


The importance of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in many soil processes is determined in large part by its availability to microbial uptake and decomposition, as this biodegradation can yield both energy and limiting nutrients. Despite its importance in soil ecology, there are no standard approaches to measuring the biodegradable fraction of DOC (BDOC) in soils. Here, we evaluate the comparability and reproducibility of methods employed in six laboratories including batch, kinetic, and bioreactor methods. Solutions from a variety of sources (throughfall, soil solution and soil extracts) were analysed using methods typically employed in each of the six participating laboratories. Our results show that the precision of various BDOC methods was similar (5–15%) across a broad range of BDOC (from 12% to 56% of total DOC). Differences in mean BDOC for the various test solutions were statistically significant when results were pooled across all the methods, and only a 90-day incubation resulted in consistently higher values for BDOC than the other methods. For 4 of 6 test solutions, measured BDOC increased by 6–13% with added nutrients. Current methods produce largely comparable results, providing the justification for comparisons among existing data sets collected with different methodologies. We recommend two standard methods for future studies: (1) a rapid determination of relatively labile DOC (measurement of DOC removal after 7 days of incubation with added nutrients) and (2) a 42-day incubation with repeated analysis of CO2 production when determination of decomposition rate constants and a labile and relatively refractory component of DOC is desired. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


This article discusses the transformation of the commandant control system in the city of Kizlyar. The article covers the issues of managing the city from the second half of the 18 – 19 centuries. Depending on the situation in the empire, Caucasian politics as a whole also changed and changed. The article attempts to analyze the meaning and role of the commandant's office in resolving economic, political and administrative issues in the city of Kizlyar. The economic and sociocultural aspects of the commandant's activities are considered in the period under study, since this stage is the key to Caucasian politics. The primary tasks faced by the commandants of the fortress by the middle of the 19 century were the solution of socio-economic problems, cultural and educational work and familiarizing the local population with the Russian legal space. The system of commandant control of the city of Kizlyar was transformed from simple supervision to the solution of the most important for the life of Kizlyar and the Northeast Caucasus as a whole.


This empirical study presents university students" perceptions of professional competences through the use of such technologies as Augmented Reality (AR). The possibilities offered by this technology allow designing educational environments with different contexts that involve nontraditional practices. An online questionnaire was used to gather the data about their opinions of the use of the AR and the factors supporting the development of good professional practices. The sample consisted of 1920 students from the departments of Early Childhood Education, Primary Education and Pedagogy in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 academic years. To analyse the data, the statistical software SPSS 23.0TM was used. Descriptive, inferential and multilevel analyses were conducted. Three researchers analyzed and categorized the students" comments, suggestions, opinions and critics before and after the teaching intervention with the AR. Then, Cohen"s kappa of 0,70 coefficient was used to calculate interrater reliability value. The results indicate that we must improve our learning design by incorporating simplicity and flexibility to it. On the other hand, we have managed to activate the professional skills of our students. We propose improvements in relation to the activity that should be intuitive, comfortable and easy. We add that personalized work is a very relevant aspect.


Total rock and mineral ages of Chilean diorite to rhyodacite igneous rocks are middle(?) to late Paleozoic near the Argentine frontier, Permian-Triassic along the Pacific coast (as well as some 125 km inland), and Jurassic to Holocene from the Pacific coast to the Argentine border. To the east, in northwestern Argentina, plutonic igneous rocks fall within two age groups, latest Precambrian to Paleozoic and Early Cretaceous. Copper mineralization in the Imilac region is radiometrically dated as late Paleozoic. This is the first evidence of metalliferous deposits of this age in northern Chile. Analyses of ten samples of quartz-plagioclase porphyry from the middle Tertiary El Salvador mine give an average Sr 87 /Sr 86 initial ratio of 0.7033 ± 0.0004 (2σ) which suggests that these copper porphyries did not originate from sialic crustal source rocks. El Salvador porphyries have uniform strontium isotopic composition and marked fractionation trends with respect to rubidium and strontium concentrations. The initial Sr 87 /Sr 86 ratios of igneous rocks with Rb/Sr ratios less than one and of pre–late Cenozoic age range between 0.703 and 0.706. The late Cenozoic volcanic rocks have Sr 87 /Sr 86 ratios of 0.7058 to 0.7069.


Building on the long tradition of diverse schools of thought underlining the importance of institutions in determining economic outcomes, the paper develops an eclectic institutional political economy framework that views the economy as consisting of the four decision-making units including the firm, the market, the state, and foreign states. They represent major institutional arrangements accountable for resource allocation decisions at the firm, industry, national, and global levels. The paper restructures disciplinary and interdisciplinary schools/theories/approaches into a unified framework centered around the four principal decision-making units.


On Sunday 25 March 1647, shortly after five o'clock in the afternoon, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship Nieuw Haarlem or Haarlem was wrecked in Table Bay, off the coast of South Africa. The events that followed had far-reaching consequences for the history of South Africa. Fifty-eight of the crew were repatriated by accompanying ships soon after the incident, but 62 men were left behind to try and salvage as much of the cargo as possible. They found refuge in a makeshift camp, where they lived for about one year. During their stay, the men from Haarlem came into contact with indigenous people. Although initially marked by apprehension and reservation, these contacts improved after some time. This led to regular bartering, visits to each other's abodes, basic exchange of language and appreciation of each other's cultures. Upon returning to the Netherlands, the men reported favourably of their experiences. As a result, VOC management decided to establish a much-needed stopover for their ships. This station, known as the 'Tavern of the Seas', later developed into the city of Cape Town. The wrecking of Haarlem can thus be regarded as the catalyst that created one of the roots of current multiracial and multicultural South African society.


Summary: The evolutionary relationships among the MHC class II DRB4, DRB5 and DRB6 loci as well as the allelic lineages and alleles of the DRB1 locus were studied based on intron 1 and Intron 2 sequences from humans, chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). bonobo (Pan paniscus) and gorilla (Gorilla gorilla). The phylogenetic trees for these sequences indicate that most of the DRB 1 allelic lineages predate the separation of the hominoid species studied, consistent with previous analysis of the coding sequences of these lineages. However, the intron sequence variation among alleles within DRB1 allelic lineages is very limited, consistent with the notion that the majority of the contemporary alleles have been generated within the last 250,000 years. The clustering of the DRB1 allelic lineages *08 and *12 with *03 supports a common ancestry for the DR8 and DR52 haplotypes. Similarly, the clustering of DRB1 allelic lineages *15 and *01 with the DRB3 locus is consistent with a common ancestry for the DR1 and DR51 haplotypes. Two cases of recombination around the second exon were observed: 1) the HLA‐DRB6 locus appears to have been generated through a recombination between a DRB5 allele and an ancestral DRB6 allele, and 2) the gorilla sequence Gogo‐DRB1*03 appears to have been generated through a recombination between the DRB3 locus and an allele from the DRB1*03 allelic lineage. The nucleotide substitution rate of DRB introns was estimated to 0.85–1.63 × 10‐9 per site per year, based on comparisons between the most closely related sequences from different hominoid species. This estimate is similar to the substitution rate for other intronic regions of the primate genome.


This paper introduces a novel Shape Feedback Master Slave (M-S) arm system, which is inexpensive and robust to be equipped in the demining robot "TITAN-IX". A M-S arm system is an important element. However, it is very difficult to use the conventional M-S arm system into unpredictable environments such as a minefield, because the control parameters to adapt the environment are mostly unknown. The newly introduced Shape Feedback M-S Gripper (SPADE GRIPPER) for detecting and removing mines is composed of three unilateral position controls without bilateral force control, can work stably in such an unknown environment. The mechanical design and the operation principle of SPADE GRIPPER and several experiments are performed to examine its validities.


Survival rates associated with pancreatic cancer remain dismal despite advancements in detection and experimental treatment strategies. Genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic tumorigenesis have gained considerable attention based on their ability to recapitulate key clinical features of human disease including chemotherapeutic resistance and fibrosis. However, it is unclear if transgenic systems exemplified by the Kras(G12D)/Trp53(R172H)/Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mouse model recapitulate the functional heterogeneity of human pancreatic tumors harboring distinct cells with tumorigenic properties. To facilitate tracking of heterogeneous tumor cell populations, we incorporated a luciferase-based tag into the genetic background of the KPC mouse model. We isolated pancreatic cancer cells from multiple independent tumor lines and found that roughly 1 out of 87 cells exhibited tumorigenic capability. Notably, this frequency is significantly higher than reported for human pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Cancer stem cell (CSC) markers, including CD133, CD24, Sca-1, and functional Aldefluor activity, were unable to discriminate tumorigenic from nontumorigenic cells in syngeneic transplants. Furthermore, three-dimensional spheroid cultures originating from KPC tumors did not enrich for cells with stem-like characteristics and were not significantly more tumorigenic than cells cultured as monolayers. Additionally, we did not observe significant differences in response to gemcitabine or salinomycin in several isolated subpopulations. Taken together, these studies show that the hierarchical organization of CSCs in human disease is not recapitulated in a commonly used mouse model of pancreatic cancer and therefore provide a new view of the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of tumor cells.


This paper introduces the connotation of marketing channels of agricultural products, and gives an overall of current modes of marketing channels of agricultural products in China, including the marketing channel of transportation and sale of agricultural products, the marketing channel of intermediary sales agent, and the marketing channel of mutual cooperation. The problems existing in the marketing channel of agricultural products in China as follows, first, the cost is high; second, the technological content is low; third, the upstream main body lacks competitiveness; fourth, the structure of investment is irrational. Corresponding countermeasures are put forward to develop marketing channels of agricultural products as follows: perfect the service function of wholesale market of agricultural products; propel the construction of integration and expansion of wholesale market; develop the circulation cooperatives of agricultural products; develop the integrated organization of production and sales of agricultural products.


: This paper summarizes the use of morphometry on human autopsy livers to investigate three conditions characterized by the presence of hepatocellular nodules: nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH), partial nodular transformation (PNT) and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH). Vascular abnormalities were seen in all cases. The nodules can be explained in all three conditions as a response to a greater blood supply in the nodules as compared to the surrounding parenchyma. In NRH, there appears to be ischemia caused by arteritis and secondary oblitertion of small portal veins. In PNT, ischemia may be caused by portal vein thrombosis. In FNH, there appears to be hyperemia caused by a spiderlike arterial anomaly.


Escherichia coli is a versatile bacterial species that includes both harmless commensal strains and pathogenic strains found in the gastrointestinal tract in humans and warm-blooded animals. The growing amount of DNA sequence information generated in the era of "genomics" has helped to increase our understanding of the factors and mechanisms involved in the diversification of this bacterial species. The pathogenic side of E. coli that is afforded through horizontal transfers of genes encoding virulence factors enables this bacterium to become a highly diverse and adapted pathogen that is responsible for intestinal or extraintestinal diseases in humans and animals. Many of the accessory genes acquired by horizontal transfers form syntenic blocks and are recognized as genomic islands (GIs). These genomic regions contribute to the rapid evolution, diversification and adaptation of E. coli variants because they are frequently subject to rearrangements, excision and transfer, as well as to further acquisition of additional DNA. Here, we review a subgroup of GIs from E. coli termed pathogenicity islands (PAIs), a concept defined in the late 1980s by Jörg Hacker and colleagues in Werner Goebel's group at the University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. As with other GIs, the PAIs comprise large genomic regions that differ from the rest of the genome by their G + C content, by their typical insertion within transfer RNA genes, and by their harboring of direct repeats (at their ends), integrase determinants, or other mobility loci. The hallmark of PAIs is their contribution to the emergence of virulent bacteria and to the development of intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the structure and functional features of PAIs, on PAI-encoded E. coli pathogenicity factors and on the role of PAIs in host–pathogen interactions.


Author(s): Morgan, David Patrick | Advisor(s): Kelley, David F | Abstract: Colloidal II-VI quantum dots (QD) possess tunable optoelectronic properties that make them well-suited in applications as luminescent materials. However, their performance is often limited by nonradiative exciton quenching processes typically involving interaction of the exciton with surface states, crystalline defects, or other charge carriers. It is the purpose of this dissertation to identify and understand these decay mechanisms at a fundamental level. Two of the dominant processes, Auger recombination (AR) and hole trapping (HT), are explored from several angles. Biexciton lifetimes of alloyed Cd1-xZnxSe go through a minimum at small mole fractions of Cd (x = 0.1 – 0.4), and this behavior is attributed to partial hole localization in Cd-rich regions of the particle. For small x, the biexciton times are nonexponential, whereas the pure materials and alloys with x ≥ ~ 0.5 show single exponential decays. A model of the alloy valence band potential is used to approximate hole density gradients (taken to be proportional to AR rates) for different alloy compositions, and the model reproduces both the faster and broader distribution of rates in the small Cd concentration regime. The positive trion excitonic state is selectively prepared in CdSe and CdSeCdS core/shell particles by manipulating the surface chemistry. Comparison of the TA and PL decays shows that the trion lowest exciton bleach magnitude is ~ 1.5x greater than the exciton on account of the differences in fine structure. Stimulated emission is increased because all of the trion fine structure levels have fully allowed transitions to the ground state, while the trion excited state absorbance is weaker since the additional hole decreases the degeneracy of the transitions between the first and second multiexciton states, i.e. valence band state filling. Trion PL is blueshifted ~ 6 nm from the excitonic PL in the core/shells and ~ 0 - 1 nm in the cores, closely matching the sum of the additional e-h stabilization and h-h repulsion terms calculated in the effective mass approximation using first-order perturbation theory. The effects of Ag doping on the photophysical properties of CdSe and CdSe/CdS quantum dots (QDs) are studied in terms of surface composition. TBP-ligated samples that suffer from hole trapping show a rise then fall of PLQY with increasing [Ag+], while higher QY particles passivated with TBP and amine or a thin CdS shell decrease upon doping. The initial increase is assigned to the passivation of pre-existing surface hole traps by interaction of interstitial Ag+ with surface Se2- ions, while the subsequent decrease is due to the introduction of substitutional Ag+, which act as a new source of hole traps. Well-passivated samples don't have high energy filled surface states, so the dopants remain in the +1 oxidation state, act only as hole traps, and lower QYs. Both CdSe and CdSeCdS particles ligated with amine but no phosphine have Fermi levels within kT of the VB, giving rise to the positive trion through thermal population of surface states. In this case, some fraction of the Ag+ is reduced to Ag by the amine, which then shuts off trion Auger recombination by interacting with empty Se(0) orbitals. Ligation of CdSe QDs with alkylamines raises QYs by decreasing the extent of hole trapping. This cannot be explained by a simple MO theory type interaction between the filled Se2- and the N lone pair of the amine, so a new passivation mechanism is proposed that considers the electrostatics of L-type ligand binding. Electron donation by the amine creates a surface dipole layer that raises the VB and CB levels of the particle having little effect on the surface state energetics, thereby lowering -ΔG for hole trapping. The mechanism is corroborated with the observed increase in CB electron transfer rates to methylviologen and decreased hole transfer rates to 4-methylbenzenethiol upon treatment with the amine. Transient absorption (TA) spectra of CdSe nanoplatelets (NPL) are analyzed in terms of the exciton fine structure and population of low-lying lateral excited states. Treatment with an external hole trap decreases the NPL HH bleach, while the analogous spherical particles show no spectral manifestations of hole trapping in TA measurements. The differences are attributed to the strong z-quantum confinement breaking the LH/HH degeneracy as well to the reduced e-h exchange interaction in NPL. Because the X  XX triplet-triplet transition proceeds from the LH and is forbidden in the HH band, splitting off the LH results in reduced PA and increased bleach of the NPL lowest exciton band. The weak e-h exchange interaction allows significant population of the bright state and hence more stimulated emission in NPL compared with QD. The relative bleach magnitudes of the same 4.5 ML nanoplatelets are measured by transient absorption spectroscopy and are found to be much less than those of their spherical counterparts. Analysis of the relative bleach magnitudes (change in optical density at the HH exciton normalized to the absorbance) shows that absorption of a photon bleaches ~ 10-25 % of the GSA, with the relative bleach getting smaller with increasing platelet lateral dimensions. This suggests that the size of the exciton is smaller than the platelet and is independent of the platelet areas. This is an unsurprising result given that the bulk Bohr radii of CdSe excitons is about 5 nm , that the NPL Bohr radii should be significantly less than those seen in bulk due to the nearby layer of organic, low dielectric constant material, and because the platelet dimensions are greater than the Bohr radii. So the lack of significant quantum confinement along x and y causes the excitonic areas to be platelet-size independent. This consideration is taken into account when explaining the reported size independence of the radiative lifetime, which we measure to be about 5 ns for lateral areas between 85 and 320 nm2. Taking into account the singlet-triplet splitting, the less than unity e-h overlap integral, and the fraction of the platelet area occupied by an exciton allows near-quantitative reproduction of the radiative lifetimes using the integrated extinction coefficients as in the Einstein AaB coefficient treatment of radiative rates.


In 1875, General Garibaldi, the legendary military hero of Italian unification, left his island retreat in the Mediterranean for Rome. His battle cry no longer required, he was pursuing a mission that would become an obsession in his old age: to divert the River Tiber from Rome.

Through this forgotten episode, Daniel Pick explores Garibaldi's passionate attachment to Rome and to Italy. In the bitter debate that ensued many myths were laid bare, and prevailing medical, social and political anxieties about the future of the state were exposed.

The flood-prone Tiber had caused havoc, disease and death throughout history. In the capital, the General sought to replace it with a Parisian-style boulevard that would be a wonder of the modern world. But behind his florid promise to revitalise 'Italy' lay a complex and shadowy history, including a traumatic event felt by Garibaldi as the defining tragedy of his life: the loss of his wife Anita. Despite himself, he became embroiled in the political labyrinth of Rome and a drama of thwarted ambition, grand illusion and disillusionment, whose significance was not lost on Garibaldi's later admirer, Benito Mussolini, another self-styled redeemer of the Eternal City and the fever-ridden marshes of Italy.

From the publisher website: http://www.rbooks.co.uk/product.aspx?id=184413332X


The trigonometric relationship between slope inclination, the horizontally acting time‐averaged traction force and the vertical depth of transport allows the estimation of one factor, when both others are known. Depth–transport functions can be deduced by comparing the depth distributions of living organisms and their skeletal remains, and this paper simplifies this comparison using foraminifera in which a single test represents an individual. Differences in distribution parameters between living individuals and empty tests allow depth–transport functions to be determined; these functions differ between species at a single transect according to the varying buoyancies of the tests. Within a single species, differences in depth–transport functions between locations are based on either slope inclination or traction intensities. After establishing a mean depth–transport function by averaging species‐characteristic functions, the time‐averaged traction force acting on the studied transect can be calculated. Transport intensities are also estimated using an erosion–deposition diagram that combines the relative frequency distributions of living individuals and empty tests. The proportion of 'eroded', 'parautochthonous' and 'allochthonous' tests mirrors the influence of both slope inclination and traction force for the deposition of empty tests. To test the model, six species of symbiont‐bearing benthic foraminifers were investigated at two transects in front of a NW Pacific coral reef. One transect is distinguished by a strong slope flattening below the steep reef slope (30 m), whereas further steepening characterizes the equivalent part in the other transect. These differences are mirrored in the depth–transport functions as well as in the erosion–deposition diagrams of all species. The time‐averaged traction forces differ in intensities between transects, because of the position of the reef front with respect to the predominant wind direction. However, the form of the functions is identical and distinguished by an increase from the surface to 35 m depth, followed by a decrease down to 105 m. This can be explained by successive onshore and offshore forces acting on the shallow slope, such as the tropical cyclones that cross the region every summer.


Subcortical nuclei and other deep brain structures play essential roles in regulating the central and peripheral nervous systems. However, many of these nuclei and their subregions are challenging to identify and delineate in conventional MRI due to their small size, hidden location, and often subtle contrasts compared to neighboring regions. To address these limitations, we scanned the whole brain of the marmoset monkeys in ex vivo using a clinically feasible diffusion MRI method, called the mean apparent propagator (MAP)-MRI, along with T2W and MTR (T1-like contrast) images acquired at 7 Tesla. Additionally, we registered these multimodal MRI volumes to the high-resolution images of matched whole-brain histology sections with seven different stains obtained from the same brain specimens. At high spatial resolution, the microstructural parameters and fiber orientation distribution functions derived with MAP-MRI can distinguish the subregions of many subcortical and deep brain structures, including fiber tracts of different sizes and orientations. The good correlation with multiple but distinct histological stains from the same brain serves as a thorough validation of the structures identified with MAP-MRI and other MRI parameters. Moreover, the anatomical details of deep brain structures found in the volumes of MAP-MRI parameters are not visible in conventional T1W or T2W images. The high-resolution mapping using novel MRI contrasts, combined and correlated with histology, can elucidate structures that were previously invisible radiologically. Thus, this multimodal approach offers a roadmap toward identifying salient brain areas in vivo in future neuroradiological studies. It also provides a useful anatomical standard reference for the region definition of subcortical targets and the generation of a 3D digital template atlas for the marmoset brain research (Saleem et al., 2023). Additionally, we conducted a cross-species comparison between marmoset and macaque monkeys using results from our previous studies (Saleem et al., 2021). We found that the two species had distinct patterns of iron distribution in subregions of the basal ganglia, red nucleus, and deep cerebellar nuclei, confirmed with T2W MRI and histology.


Organic anion concentrations in the blood of Hirudo medicinalis were determined in samples from individual animals using reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet detection. Quantitatively important anions were malate, α-ketoglutarate, succinate, lactate and fumarate, constituting about 70% of total blood anions. Malate had the highest concentration, 34–68 mequiv I −1 blood, which could (depending on metabolic state) exceed the level of blood Cl − (approx. 36 mequiv I −1 ). Organic acid concentrations in the blood were considerably higher than in the tissue. Blood organic acid concentrations changed more with P O O2 than with temperature. They were unaffected by short periods of aerobic exercise, but stress due to handling and prolonged restraint led to a drastic increase of blood lactate and succinate levels, while malate, fumarate and a-ketoglutarate levels decreased. After feeding on hypertonic, Cl − -rich meals, the Cl − concentration in leech blood increased far more than the cation concentrations. This was not compensated by a decrease of organic acid levels. The regulatory mechanisms for inorganic and organic ion homeostasis function independently.


Explores men's increasing use of grooming products by considering the link between the construction of the male concept under postmodern conditions and the consumption of toiletries. Applies an interpretist research approach, incorporating phenomenological interviewing and emic as well as interpretative group techniques to data analysis. Suggests that men consume male grooming products to alter their body and body image and proposes that through changing this image, the respondents aimed either to create or to alter their "self‐identity". Also suggests that the respondents consume male grooming products not simply for the tangible benefits they provide but also for the meanings conveyed by consuming them. Concludes that image creation, concerns about enhancing one's attractiveness, reducing the ageing process and the maintenance of health are factors combined with the pleasure of using grooming products which fuel the current market growth.


BACKGROUND
The aim of this article is to present the prestige of selected medical professions in the opinion of people practicing these professions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
The study was conducted by means of the survey technique. The research tool was an original questionnaire prepared by the authors of the study, which was carried out on a sample of 346 professionally active physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, psychotherapists, and occupational therapists. Those people were employed in public institutions (hospitals, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers) located in Kraków and Katowice. The selection of the sample was deliberate.

RESULTS
The profession of a physician received the highest score of prestige, while the lowest one was achieved by the profession of an occupational therapist. As factors influencing the prestige of a given profession, physicians and physiotherapists most often indicated social respect for the profession, while nurses, psychotherapists, and occupational therapists emphasized the importance of education. The level of prestige of medical professions, as compared with other professions, decreased with seniority.

CONCLUSIONS
The profession of a physician occupies the leading position in the hierarchy of the self-assessed prestige of medical professions. Physicians notice a general tendency to assess the prestige of their profession in a broader context - the position of this profession is weakening in favor of other public utility jobs, despite the fact that physicians still occupy an important place in the rankings of prestige including all professions. A negative self-assessment of the prestige of the occupation performed over the period of ten years prevail only in the case of physicians and nurses. Med Pr. 2019;70(5).


Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) has changed the way business enterprises get aligned with technology with a very fast pace keeping the demand of realignment time very short. Testing of services becomes equally important in SOA implementation in the context of enterprise architecture, business re-alignment and so on maintaining quality. Unit and integration testing though holds a key testing strategy but regression test becomes inevitable when services are orchestrated, choreographed and bound dynamically as per the change in requirement as well as when services are upgraded. In this paper a survey work has been done for regression testing method for SOA. Here the changed scenario of implementation of SOA enabled applications has been considered.


The human genome contains many different types of endogenous proviruses and retrovirus-like elements. An unusual element of this kind has been isolated from human DNA on the basis of its relatedness to the integrase-coding domain of the pol gene of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). The element, termed Hs5, is related to FeLV only over a short region of 81 nucleotides predicted to encode the carboxyl terminus of the FeLV integrase protein, p46pol. The region of relatedness between Hs5 and FeLV identifies a short conserved amino acid stretch which is shared among distantly related retroviruses. The conservation of this sequence, its position, and predicted secondary structure suggest that it may represent a conserved substrate binding site or active site of the integrase enzyme. Nucleotide sequence analysis of Hs5 reveals that it is not an intact retrovirus, but contains only the 3' terminus of pol and a defective env gene without apparent long terminal repeat; Hs5 is unusual among human endogenous retrovirus-like elements in this respect.


To enforce linear constraints on Petri nets that are partially controllable and observable, this work proposes an approach based on constraint transformation. First, a state-space equation of a Petri net control system based on event feedback is obtained by expressing a control action as a matrix, and the optimal control policy is designed. However, this policy needs to solve a nonlinear program on line. Second, pre-transition-gain-transformation is proposed to equivalently transform a constraint into a disjunction of new ones for an uncontrollable transition, and, similarly, post-transition-gain-transformation to transform a constraint into a disjunction of new ones for an unobservable transition. An algorithm is then given to transform a constraint into a disjunction of admissible ones, and, consequently, an efficient policy, which may not be optimal, can be designed. Third, in order to guarantee that the policy be both efficient and optimal, a dynamic linear constraint is introduced. Further, observing-transformation is proposed to simplify a dynamic constraint for an unobservable transition, and an algorithm is given to equivalently transform a class of linear constraints into admissible dynamic ones. As a result, an optimal controller requiring little online computation can be designed accordingly for some class of Petri nets. Finally, a maze system is used to illustrate the theoretical results.


expression is downregulated. This results in high intracellular Ca 2+ levels through the actions of the ryanodine receptors (RYR) and α -AR signaling. The elevated levels of intracellular Ca 2+ stimulate proliferation through protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B), translocation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) to the nucleus to promote transcription of cyclin D1. IP 3 indicates inositol triphosphate; NE, norepinephrine; and PLC, phospholipase C. , from preclinical studies in rodent models of PAH identified activation in the cardiopulmonary circuit suggested remodeling processes. performed in a rat hypobaric hypoxia model revealed increased ACE expression and activity, upregulation of receptor type 3.4-fold confirmed upregulation of through the actions of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and neutral endopeptidase (NEP) and prolyl endopeptidase (PEP). Angiotensin II may stimulate angiotensin type-1 (AT-1) receptors to increase pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation, vasoconstriction, and disrupt right ventricular (RV) arterial coupling. By contrast, stimulation of angiotensin II receptor type 2 (AT-2) or the Mas receptor by angiotensin II or angiotensin-(1–7) is associated with vasculoprotective effects, including increased nitric oxide generation and a decrease in cell proliferation and vasodilation. PRCP indicates prolyl carboxypeptidase. Adapted with modifications from Bader 55 with permission from the publisher. Copyright ©2013, Springer. Authorization for this adaptation has been obtained both from the owner of the copyright in the original work and from the owner of copyright in the translation or adaptation.


In this thesis we use data from the Cassini spacecraft in order to investigate the influences on Saturn's magnetosphere, and the dynamics and interactions that occur within it. The primary instrument for this study is the Cassini electron spectrometer (CAPS-ELS), analysing low energy electron data to examine three areas of research, which are discussed and developed in this thesis. The first study concerns the magnetopause of Saturn, the boundary between the region of space dominated by the planet's magnetic field and the interplanetary magnetic field. We develop a new pressure balance model using a multi-instrument data analysis, building on past models and including new features. It has been shown that the model has improved on previous models due to the inclusion of the suprathermal plasma and variable static pressures in the pressure balance equation providing more realistic results. It is currently the most up to date model of Saturn's magnetopause. The second study concerns flux tube interchange and injection events in Saturn's inner magnetosphere. A new survey of these features was carried out across the entire dataset in order to learn more about plasma circulation, and to answer questions such as whether injection events with increases in magnetic field strength are always found at the equator. By examining the electron and ion data, we test previous interpretations of some events, analyse other such events in detail, and demonstrate a method through which the radial plasma flow direction of interchanging flux tubes can be determined. Pitch angle distributions, magnetic field data and plasma flow models were considered in order to help establish plasma circulation patterns in the kronian magnetosphere. We were able to determine the flow direction of 17 events and use magnetic field data from 32 events to conclude that generally increases in magnetic field strength are indeed found at the equator. We believe our work has shown that Saturn exhibits general and isolated plasma flow, with the isolated plasma flow occurring as "bubbles" in the plasma. The third study concerns low energy electron enhancements in the inner magnetosphere, specifically those associated with Saturn's moon Enceladus. During an investigation of close flybys of Enceladus, discrete, short duration enhancements were found in the low energy electron plasma. We present the new features seen in the Enceladus L shell region of the kronian magnetosphere. The data from these new features were surveyed and some possible creation mechanisms are discussed. In total, over 600 spikes were found between L = 3.5 and 4.5 from data between Saturn Orbit Insertion and June 2010, showing a preference about the equatorial region but no obvious patterns in local time. Some spikes appear to extend to dispersive higher energy signatures, which are generally associated with injection events and hence these types of spikes were investigated accordingly. Although one formation process was not found to account for all the events, we rule out several processes, such as spacecraft charging and thruster engine firing as causes for the spikes. We believe that our results show that different creation mechanisms can be responsible for different types of low energy electron enhancements.


Because the metallic hafnium has good combination properties, that makes it the preferred material for control rods of nuclear reactors. To prevent the irradiation deformation and the mechanical property decrease of hafnium plates, and to increase the service life of the control rods, a new type of square-tube control rod is developed. The elemental composition, mechanical property, the corrosion resistance and the physical characteristics of hafnium are researched. Several tests are carried out after the product manufactured, which prove that the design and manufacture of the control rod meet the requirement of the technical conditions.


The Union's vulnerability in the domain of values, including, but not confined to the rule of law, which is more and more coming to light, is caused by a far-reaching systemic problem of the European Union's design and also by the modalities of its day-to-day functioning, both falling short of upholding the much-restated rule of law ideal for the Union. Although numerous scholarly propositions have been made as to how to deal with the rule of law deficiencies in the EU to circumvent the perceived difficulties of Article 7 deployment (these are normally formulated in general terms, but, usually for good reasons, have specific member state(s) in mind), the depth of the problem seems to be defying easy solutions, implying the need to move beyond enforcement-dominated thinking in our analysis.


A synergy between lidar, sunphotometer and in situ measurements has been applied to airborne observations performed during the Etude et Simulation de la QUalite de l'air en Ile-de-France (ESQUIF), enabling the retrieval of vertical profiles for the aerosol complex refractive index (ACRI) and single-scattering albedo with a vertical resolution of 200 m over Paris area. The averaged value over the entire planetary boundary layer (PBL) for the ACRI is close to 1.51(±0.02)–i0.017(±0.003) at 532 nm. The single-scattering albedo of the corresponding aerosols is found to be ~0.9 at the same wavelength. A good agreement is found with previous studies for urban aerosols. A comparison of vertical profiles of ACRI with simulations combining in situ measurements and relative humidity (RH) profiles has highlighted a modification in aerosol optical properties linked to their history and the origin of the air mass. The determination of ACRI in the atmospheric column enabled to retrieve vertical profiles of extinction coefficient in accordance with lidar profiles measurements.


The aim of this paper is to compare different models of an automatic subway in order to determine the most appropriate of them for the evaluation of the energy consumption of different studied cases (normal mode and fault-modes). Several simplified models are then deduced from a reference dynamical model and are compared in term of accuracy and computation time. A quasi-static model with an equivalent single wheel is obtained and allows the reduction of the computation cycle by 708 compared to the dynamical model by keeping accuracy on the energy consumption of more than 99.3 % for a normal operating mode. By contrast, this model is not able to simulate correctly the system in fault-modes. This case requires a more complex model taking into account all the drives. Energetic Macroscopic Representation (EMR) is used to organize the different models.


Dielectric elastomers, or more precisely dielectric polymers, are a relatively new class of materials for variable-stiffness and variable-damping devices. Dielectric elastomers offer significant potential advantages compared with previous variable stiffness smart materials. Advantages include simplicity, broad dynamic range, ability to reach zero stiffness, low cost, minimal mass, shock tolerance, simple drive circuitry, and design flexibility. Dielectric elastomer devices in the variable-stiffness mode convert electrical and mechanical energy back and forth to change mechanical impedance. This type of electromechanical transduction distinguishes the variable stiffness mode from simply using a dielectric elastomer actuator to alter the geometry, and hence the stiffness, of the device. Stiffness using a variable-stiffness mode depends heavily on the electrical loading of the dielectric elastomer. Analysis shows that a constant voltage loading reduces stiffness, down to zero in some cases, while a constant charge loading increases stiffness. Many applications can be considered for dielectric elastomer variable-stiffness mode such as vibration control, suspensions, and tuning consumer devices for user comfort or preference. As with dielectric elastomer actuators and generators, silicones and acrylics are the most promising materials for variable-stiffness-mode devices.


Over three decades ago an algebraic factoring algorithm was created as part of active logic synthesis efforts in the semiconductor industry. It initiated logic synthesis successes and steered synthesis in the direction of practical design tools: they can now take a design from its initial state to the final chip that meets a complex set of constraints. The evolved computing platforms today stimulate new exploratory avenues to extend the functionality of fundamental synthesis algorithms. We reexamine logic factoring in an effort to establish a stronger connection to the functional intent rather than structural implications of a design description within synthesis. A scalable factoring algorithm that reduces its dependence on the two-level minimization is described to improve the area of synthesized circuits. It is implemented using a new distributed environment that harnesses the key-value concept to find solutions through systematic transformations of a data set.


To exploit an ore deposit without unduly impacting the environment is a challenge that can only be met by the concerted efforts of traditionally independent teams working on a mining project. Not only is detailed geology required of geologists to help mine engineers to develop a mine plan that assures generation of the least possible amount of mine waste, but metallurgists also have to select the most environmentally friendly mineral processing schemes, and communicate with environmental engineers with regard to complications that process chemicals may pose on proper mine waste management. Traditional ore deposit models typically emphasize the geological and mineralogical aspects of ore genesis to facilitate exploration for similar deposits. Recent research has shown that potential environmental liabilities such as acid mine drainage and metal leaching can readily be predicted according to deposit types. The choice of mining methods, mineral processing schemes, and decommissioning options are also largely dictated by the composition and setting of an orebody to be mined. Integrating such related information into traditional ore deposit descriptions would lead to the development of comprehensive environmental ore deposit models. The latter would facilitate communication among staff of the varied components of a mine project and aid with the selection of a combination of methods and strategies that would assure minimum environmental risks and impacts, reduce the overall project cost, and enhance sustainable development.


The material selection in the design of the sandwich structures is very crucial aspect because of the positive or negative influences of the base materials to the mechanical properties of the entire panel. In the literature, it was presented that the selection of the skin and core materials plays very important role on the behavior of the sandwich. Beside this, the use of the correct adhesive can make the whole structure to show better mechanical results and behavior. In the present work, the static three-point bending tests were performed on the sandwiches having an aluminum alloy foam core, the skins made of three different types of fabrics and two different commercial adhesives (flexible polyurethane and toughened epoxy based) at different values of support span distances by aiming the analyses of their flexural performance in terms of absorbed energy, peak force values and collapse mechanisms. The main results of the flexural loading are: force-displacement curves obtained after the bending tests, peak force and absorbed energy values, collapse mechanisms and adhesion quality. The experimental results presented that the sandwiches with epoxy based toughened adhesive and the skins made of S-Glass Woven fabrics indicated the best adhesion quality and mechanical properties. The sandwiches with toughened adhesive exhibited higher peak force and energy absorption values compared to the sandwiches with flexible adhesive. The use of these sandwich structures can lead to a weight reduction of the transport vehicles, providing an adequate structural strength under operating conditions. Keywords—Adhesive and adhesion, Aluminum foam, Bending, Collapse mechanisms.


Electrical stability and flicker (1/f) noise of thin-film heterojunction field-effect transistors (HJFETs) comprised of hydrogenated amorphous Si (a-Si:H) gate and hydrogenated crystalline Si (c-Si:H) source and drain regions on small-grain poly-Si substrates are investigated and benchmarked against conventional thin-film transistors (TFTs). Despite the low growth temperature of a-Si:H and c-Si:H (~200°C), HJFETs are found to have higher stability and lower flicker noise than conventional TFTs. These results may be attributed partly to the device structure and partly to the high-quality gate heterojunction of the HJFETs.


This is a prospective study of urinary tract infection in 65 children (38 males and 27 females, M: F ratio 1: 0.7). Urine samples were evaluated by culture, microscopy and leukocyte esterase dipstick test. Positive urine culture, with significant bacteriuria was found in 19(29.2%). Urine microscopy for leukocyturia identified positive urine culture in 6 of the 19 samples, giving a sensitivity of 43.1%. leukocyte esterase distick test correctly identified 14 of 19 urine samples with culture proven UTI (74% sensitivity). The positive and negative predictive values were 37.1% and 87.2% respectively.
The leukocyte esterase dipstick test was found to be better than leukocyturia in detecting UTI. in conclusion, leukocyte esterase is sensitive in detecting UTI, easy to perform, requires less time and does not need a highly trained personnel for the test. African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology Vol. 10 (1) 2009: pp. 10-14


Background Since the release in Thailand in 2001 of the Third Guidelines by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults or the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III), there have been no nationwide studies on the proportion of dyslipidaemic patients who have achieved the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals. The authors therefore aimed to estimate the percentage achievement of LDL-C goals based on the modified NCEP ATP III guidelines in intermediate- to high-risk patients. Methods The authors conducted a hospital-based, cross-sectional, epidemiological survey. Patients (1240) were selected consecutively from 50 hospitals across Thailand. Patients were included if they had been treated with statins for at least 3 months. Results Two-thirds were female, and the mean age was 61.7±9.5 years. The median duration of statin treatment was 21 months. Half (633/ 1240) of the patients achieved the LDL-C goal levels as defined by the NCEP guidelines (51.1%, 95% CI 48.3% to 53.8%). The very-high-risk group had the lowest percentage achievement (11.6%; 95% CI 1.6% to 21.6%), compared with 54.2% (95% CI 50.9% to 57.4%) for the high-risk group and 47.0% (95% CI 41.1% to 52.8%) for the moderate-risk group. More males achieved the LDL-C goals than females (55.6% vs 48.9%; p=0.029). Conclusions Overall, 51.1% of the patients with cardiovascular risk, on statins treatment, achieved the NCEP ATP III LDL-C goal levels.


AIMS
The aim of this study was to give estimates of the incidence of component incompatibility in hip and knee arthroplasty and to test the effect of an online, real-time compatibility check.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Intraoperative barcode registration of arthroplasty implants was introduced in Denmark in 2013. We developed a compatibility database and, from May 2017, real-time compatibility checking was implemented and became part of the registration. We defined four classes of component incompatibility: A-I, A-II, B-I, and B-II, depending on an assessment of the level of risk to the patient (A/B), and on whether incompatibility was knowingly accepted (I/II).

RESULTS
A total of 26 524 arthroplasties were analyzed. From 12 307 procedures that were undertaken before implementation of the compatibility check, 21 class A incompatibilities were identified (real- or high-risk combinations; 0.17%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11 to 0.26). From 5692 hip and 6615 knee procedures prior to implementation of the compatibility check, we found rates of class A-I incompatibility (real- or high-risk combinations unknowingly inserted) of 0.14% (95% CI 0.06 to 0.28) and 0.17% (95% CI 0.08 to 0.30), respectively. From 14 217 procedures after the introduction of compatibility checking (7187 hips and 7030 knees), eight class A incompatibilities (0.06%; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.11) were identified. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION
Our data presents validated estimates of the baseline incidence of incompatibility events for hip and knee arthroplasty procedures and shows that a significant reduction in class A incompatibility events is possible using a web-based recording system. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:960-969.


Nation-states employ visa restrictions to manage the complex trade-off between facilitating the entrance to their territory by passport holders from certain countries for economic and political reasons and deterring individuals from other countries for reasons of perceived security and immigration-control. The resulting system is one of highly unequal access to foreign spaces, reinforcing existing inequalities. Trans- national mobility is encouraged for passport holders from privileged nations, particularly rich Western countries, at the expense of severe restrictions for others. Visa restrictions manifest states' unfaltering willingness to monitor, regulate and control entrance to their territory in a globalised world.


Decision support systems for malaria elimination must support rapid response to contain outbreaks. The integrated mobile system in Zanzibar has been recognized as one of the most advanced in the world. The system consists of a simple facility-based case notification system that uses common feature phones, and a mobile application for Android tablet computers. The resulting system enables rapid response to new cases, helps to rapidly diagnose and treat secondary case, and provides high-quality data for identifying hot spots, trends, and transmission patterns. This presentation will review the history, technology, results, lessons-learned, and applicability to other contexts.


The 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to three distinguished scientists who discovered and developed the green fluorescent protein (GFP), which has proved to be a powerful and versatile fluorescent probe for biological and biomedical researches [1]. Highperformance fluorescent biological probes are expected to possess several important properties including excellent water-dispersibility, high photoluminescent quantum yield (PLQY), robust photostability, and favorable biocompatibility. A consensus has been reached that the GFP and organic dyes, recognized as the well-established fluorescent probes, are to some extent inappropriate for long-time in bioimaging because of their photobleaching property (Figure 1). In this respect, II-VI QDs have attracted intensive attentions due to their unique optical and electronic properties (e.g. size-tunable emission, broad photoexcitation, narrow and symmetrical emission spectra, strong fluorescence, and robust photostability). Indeed, the QDs are currently considered as most promising fluorescent probes, which open new opportunities for real-time and long-term monitoring and imaging both in vitro and in vivo [2].


At the University of Cape Town, females and students disadvantaged under the previous South African apartheid education system are under-represented in Information Systems (I.S.) classes. This research shows that these are also the groups most ignorant about I.S. at the school-leaving stage. After being informed about the discipline through a small intervention, a significant increase in enthusiasm for majoring in and being employed in I.S. occurred. This should result in a better educational fit and greater enrolment of these groups in I.S., and reduce some switching to I.S. from other subjects at a later stage. The key influencing sources for university students' study decisions are also examined, and it is evident that a different approach is needed for each group in order to maximize the number of quality I.S. graduates.


Embryonic stem (ES) cells may offer an unlimited cell source for the treatment of diabetes. However, a successful derivation of ES cells into islet-cells has proven to be more difficult than it was initially expected. Considering that the pancreas coordinates the global use of energy in the organism by secreting digestive enzymes and hormones, it is understandable that a sophisticated and tight regulation that lies on the pancreas itself to orchestrate its own tissue development and maturation. The complex process of endocrine cell differentiation can be better understood by analyzing the normal development of the pancreas. The proper detection of the signals provided in the pancreatic environment gives us a clue as to how the stem cells give rise to the whole pancreas. Careful and extensive screening of the natural or synthetic cytokines and growth factors and biochemical compounds that are essential in pancreatic development is required to properly mimic the process in vitro. Such a study would allow the researchers to achieve selective control of the differentiation and proliferation of the stem cells. The development and identification of the key molecules can provide us new insights into the pancreatic differentiation of the stem cells. We herein discuss the role of the microenvironment and transcriptional factors and cytokines, which have been recognized as important molecules during the major steps of the development of the pancreas. Finally, a more complete comprehension of the mechanisms that drive the pancreatic regeneration will provide us with new perspectives for future prophylactic and therapeutic interventions.


Biotin has been reported to affect glucose homeostasis; however, its role on pancreatic islets of Langerhans has not been assessed. In this report, we demonstrate that physiologic concentrations of biotin stimulate glucokinase activity in rat islets in culture. Using the branched DNA (bDNA) assay, a sensitive signal amplification technique, we detected relative increases in glucokinase mRNA levels of 41.5 +/- 13% and 81.3 +/- 19% at 12 and 24 h respectively in islets treated with [10(-6) M] biotin. Because glucokinase activity controls insulin secretion, we also investigated the effect of biotin on insulin release. Treatment with [10(-6) M] biotin for 24 h increased insulin secretion. We extended our studies by analyzing the effect of biotin deficiency on pancreatic islet glucokinase expression and activity, as well as insulin secretion. Our results show that islet glucokinase activity and mRNA are reduced by 50% in the biotin deficient rat. Insulin secretion in response to glucose was also impaired in islets isolated from the deficient rat. These data show that biotin affects pancreatic islet glucokinase activity and expression and insulin secretion in cultured islets.


BaTiO3–MgFe2O4 composites (30 wt% MgFe2O4) with a small addition of BaGeO3 as a sintering additive were synthesized by a one-pot Pechini-like sol–gel process. Nano-crystalline composite powders with a crystallite size of about 10 nm were obtained after reaction at 700 C for 1 h. Magnetic investigations suggest that the nano-powder is in its superparamagnetic state at room temperature. The addition of BaGeO3 leads to an improved sintering behaviour. DTA measurements reveal the formation of a liquid phase at 1164(3) C. Dense ceramic bodies (relative density $ 90%) were obtained after sintering for 1 h at 1150 C. SEM investigations prove a 0–3 connectivity and show that the addition of BaGeO3 promotes the grain growth leading to particles up to 4 mm. In contrast, fine-grained composite ceramics with smaller particles up to 230 nm were obtained after a two-step sintering process. Magnetic measurements indicate a ferrimagnetic behaviour with coercivity values up to 70 Oe depending on the sintering procedure. Furthermore, addition of BaGeO3 results in an increase of the relative permittivity, whereas the dissipation factor slightly decreases.


ABSTRACT Diagnostic coding now factors into reimbursement, quality assessments, reputational metrics, and epidemiologic analysis; therefore, it is more critical than ever that neurologists are accurate and precise in their coding. In addition to being the means though which most neurologists are capturing this information, the electronic health record can offer multiple tools to assist in these efforts. With conscientious design, build, and implementation of the electronic health record, diagnostic coding can be effortless, even for the most complex and varied of conditions seen in an outpatient neurology visit.


Background: The students' average achievement test scores cannot predict the students' academic success appropriately. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of Persian version of the Academic Success Inventory for College Students (ASICS). Methods: The study was conducted in four steps of translation, face and content validity, exploratory factor analysis, and reliability assessment. Results: The final version of the Persian version has 38 items. Ten factors with an eigenvalue more than one were extracted. Internal consistency of the scale was 0.75. Item-total correlation ranged from 0.33 to 0.7 for all items and the mean item-total correlation was between 2.20 and 2.90. Conclusion: The Persian version of ASICS showed appropriate psychometric properties. It can be used to assess the academic success of Iranian college students.


This Greek election is the most important in recent memory. It appears Syriza has won by a large margin, ending four decades of two-party rule in Greece. Since 2010 – and as a result of austerity measures – the country has seen its GDP shrink by nearly a quarter, its unemployment reach a third of the labour force and nearly half of its population fall below the poverty line. With the slogan "hope is coming" Syriza, a party that prior to 2012 polled around 4.5% of the vote, seems to have achieved the impossible: creating a broad coalition that, at least rhetorically, rejects the TINA argument (There Is No Alternative) that previous Greek administrations have accepted. In its place, Syriza advocates a post-austerity vision, both for Greece and Europe, with re-structuring of sovereign debt at its centre.


The design of pile foundations for dynamic lateral loads is significant in the design of both offshore and onshore structures subject to vibratory loads and earthquake motion. Sophisticated numerical models are available for predicting the response of these foundations; however, simple and cost-effective methods are needed to confirm the analysis results and improve the understanding of the overall system behavior. A field testing procedure consisting of slow cyclic load tests and plucking tests is suggested and integrated with simplified single-degree-of-freedom and modal analyses of the test results to produce response functions for dynamic design. The technique is particularly attractive because the field tests may be performed quickly and economically on a test pile or piles installed at the site to determine bearing capacity and/or drivability. The proposed test and analyses procedures were applied to a single pile and nine-pile group installed in stiff clay and tested at the University of Houston pile test facility, and the results are compared favorably with more detailed response information published previously. A good approximation of the pile group dynamic behavior was obtained from the simplified single pile response analysis.


Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common type of vasculitis in adults, which is classified as a large/medium vessel vasculitis. It has a predilection for the ophthalmic circulation and extracranial carotid system. Temporal artery biopsy specimens can show the presence of inflammatory multinucleated giant cells. Here, we report just the third case of Mönckeberg sclerosis with multinucleated giant cells affecting the temporal artery and mimicking GCA. This rare finding in the evaluation of a common vasculitis is important for rheumatologists to be aware of and emphasizes close collaboration between clinicians and pathologists.


This highly detailed panel from a triptych by the Sienese painter Andrea di Vanni is a recent addition to the National Gallery of Art collection. One of the most prominent works acquired from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the altarpiece consists of three panels depicting stories from the Passion of Christ. Attached by modern hinges, the two lateral panels can be folded over the central painting to protect it and facilitate transportation. When opened, the triptych's panels represent, from left to right, Christ's Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Crucifixion, and the Descent into Limbo. Placed against a gold ground, each scene is set on a rocky outcropping that extends from one panel to the next, creating a formal coherence among scenes that took place at different times and places. Andrea Vanni Andrea di Vanni Sienese, c. 1330 1413


BACKGROUND The effects of theophylline or anticholinergic agents on exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remain controversial. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of an oral theophylline with an inhaled anticholinergic agent and to examine the effects of combined therapy on exercise performance using progressive cycle ergometry. METHODS Twenty one men with stable COPD and a mean (SD) forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) of 1.00 (0.40) l were studied. Theophylline (600 or 800 mg daily), ipratropium bromide (160 μg), a combination of both drugs, and placebo were given in a randomised, double blind, four period crossover design study. Spirometric data, pulse rate, and blood pressure were assessed before and at 90 and 120 minutes after inhalation. Symptom limited progressive cycle ergometer exercise tests (20 watts/min) were performed 90 minutes after each inhalation, and dyspnoea was measured during exercise using the Borg scale. RESULTS The mean (SD) serum theophylline concentration was 18.3 (6.3) μg/ml, and seven patients had side effects during treatment with theophylline. Theophylline and ipratropium bromide produced greater increases in FEV1, maximal oxygen consumption, maximal minute ventilation, and several dyspnoea ratios than placebo. There were no differences between theophylline and ipratropium bromide except in maximal heart rate. A combination of both drugs produced greater improvements in pulmonary function and exercise capacity than either drug alone. CONCLUSIONS Both high dose theophylline and high dose ipratropium bromide improved exercise capacity in patients with stable COPD. Although data based on short term effects cannot be directly applied to long term therapy, theophylline added to an inhaled anticholinergic agent may have beneficial effects on exercise capacity in patients with COPD.


: The spectrum, pathogenesis, and changing bacteriology of spontaneous abdominal aortic infections is presented. The classic presentation includes fever, positive blood cultures, and a pulsatile abdominal mass. However, most essential in the preoperative diagnosis is having a high index of suspicion. The bacteriologic spectrum is changing, with Salmonella now being the most common organism cultured. Principles of management include aggressive antibiotic therapy, excision of infected tissue, and extra-anatomic bypass. Long-term follow-up for late complications is important. With early recognition and aggressive combined medical and surgical management, increasing numbers of survivors are being reported.


This study investigates the economic valuation of air-pollution-related health risks in China by applying the contingent valuation method. An individual interview survey is conducted to elicit resident's willingness-to-pay (WTP) for health risk reductions of asthma and mortality. Binary choice WTP question is used in the in-person interview. Using binary probit model, the estimated value of a statistical case of asthma is about US$2300, median VSL estimated is about US $24,000. The issues of private and public provision mechanisms of health risk reduction, and the scale effect of the WTP to the magnitude of risk are also discussed.


SIR,-Doctors have waited a long time for a trial like that of Mr D L Morris and his colleagues (28 April, p 1277) but it is a pity that the trial was closed before a clear conclusion was possible. The claim of benefit from early surgery depends on the analysis of outcome in patients over 60 years of age. There were three deaths in 48 such patients randomised to the early operation group and seven in 52 patients randomised to the delayed treatment group. This difference is not statistically significant, and the probability value (not given by the authors) is 0-19 using a two tailed Fisher's test. It is both conservative and safer to analyse data by reference to an intention to treat but the authors have transferred one patient from the early treatment to the delayed treatment group. Even with this transfer the result is statistically insignificant (p=0 07), and only becomes significant (p=0 03) when a further death with a bleeding colonic polyp is removed from the early surgical group. In general, intention to treat analyses should be accepted, warts and all, as valuable unbiased measures of outcome. The removal of patients should rarely be necessary, and the transfer of cases from one group to another for analytical purposes must be dangerous. One of the basic tenets of controlled trials is that patients be randomly allocated so that groups of equivalent disease severity result; by randomisation we seek to balance between our test and control groups whatever factors, known and unknown, affect outcome. Having analysed their trial in this way the authors compare their results favourably with reported findings. The comparisons are, at least in part, unfair. Thus Dronfield and others are credited with a mortality rate of 20% (true) in 188 patients classed as treated conservatively (not true, the data compared hospitals using more and less aggressive policies).' Dronfield and others tried to ensure that all patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers admitted to their hospitals directly from general practitioners were included. Mr D L Morris and others excluded "patients ... if judged too ill to undergo operation" and they do not tell us how many patients were excluded. Even if we did know we could not be sure that these equated with the patients thought "unrescuable" (20% of the deaths) by Dronfield and others. Mr Morris and his colleagues might be right that early surgery is preferable, but a case made after manipulation of data once collected must be suspect.


Digital backpropagation (BP) is a universal method for jointly compensating dispersion and nonlinear impairments in optical fiber and is applicable to signals of any modulation format. In this paper, we compare single carrier (SC) versus orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) for polarization-multiplexed transmission. We show that at realistic data rates and transmission distances, polarization mode dispersion does not significantly degrade the performance of BP and can be mitigated by a post-BP linear equalizer. Dispersion unmanaged transmission can significantly reduce nonlinearity, and in this transmission regime, SC and OFDM have similar nonlinear tolerance. Multichannel BP is effective at mitigating interchannel nonlinearity for point-to-point links.


In response to widespread power outages, rolling blackouts, and ubiquitous energy debates, this essay considers our relation to energy and the grid that produces it. First, we investigate California's multimedia Flex Your Power campaign, which defines consumers as nodes of the grid to emphasize their responsibility to maintain a stable energy supply. Second, we examine state and national responses to the 2003 blackout in the Northeastern United States, attending to three strategies through which grid administrators sought to impose order, enact hierarchy, and deindividuate power. We propose that the grid invokes personalization at the "local" level and abstraction at the national level. These contradictory (but overlapping) narratives show a complex, nuanced set of relations between human society and mechanized processes of power distribution.


This paper reports the results of the inaugural modeling competition sponsored by the Network for Computational SocioEcological Sciences (CoMSES Network). Competition participants were provided with a dataset collected from human-subjects experiments and were asked to develop an agent-based model that replicated behavioral patterns reflected in the data with the goal of using the model to predict behavioral changes in a slightly modified experimental treatment. The data were collected in a resource foraging experiment in which human subjects moved avatars on a computer screen to harvest tokens in a common pool resource. In the original experiments, on which the competition participants based their models, the subjects possessed full information about the state of the resource and the actions of the other group members sharing the resource. The competition challenged participants to predict what would happen if the experimental subjects had limited vision. Using only the data from the original experiment, participants had to design a model that would predict the behavioral changes that would be observed in the new experiment treatment. We compared the models on their assumptions about speed, direction, and harvesting decisions agents make. All the submitted models underestimated the amount of resources harvested. The best performing model was the simplest model submitted and had the best fit with the original dataset provided.


This paper proposes a pipelined decoder architecture for generalised concatenated (GC) codes. These codes are constructed from inner binary Bose–Chaudhuri–Hocquenghem (BCH) and outer Reed–Solomon codes. The decoding of the component codes is based on hard decision syndrome decoding algorithms. The concatenated code consists of several small BCH codes. This enables a hardware architecture where the decoding of the component codes is pipelined. A hardware implementation of a GC decoder is presented and the cell area, cycle counts as well as the timing constraints are investigated. The results are compared to a decoder for long BCH codes with similar error correction performance. In comparison, the pipelined GC decoder achieves a higher throughput and has lower area consumption.