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This work is a reflection about the chalenges of group psychoanalysis in institutions. The text analyses the institutional context since the psychiatric reform, which sought to confront the social exclusion, as a simbolic and social-historical process that involves the identity of the carrier and of his/her family. So, the relation between "care with suffering" and the assistance to the exclusion are discussed based on the integration and revalorization of the clinic dimension of the treatment. The distinction between "demand, necessity and desire" is retaken to point out the importance of keeping the carrier subject in the center of the model. Then the language confusion between psychoanalysis, psychotherapy and psychiatry is examined, pointing out the main clinic and the social matters related to the actual work of the analist. The present work is based on the reflection about the group work in institutions, inspired in weekly attendance to three patient groups of a psycho-social attention center (CAPS) and it places the transference and the groupal mediation as necessary devices to the group work. The group psychoanalysis is sustained as a form of elaboration of psychological suffering, redirecting the very notion of subject.


This article addresses the issue of governmental immunity and mandatory duty liability in the context of foster child abuse. The article should be of interest to children's rights organizations, legal scholars, practitioners and judges who face governmental liability issues related to the California foster care system. The California Tort Claims Act has, until recently, long served as an important means by which foster children may obtain recourse from the government for injuries caused by social worker negligence. In the late 1990s, however, the California courts of appeal retreat - without justification - from the dictates of the Tort Claims Act. A low point was reached in 2002 when, in the landmark case Los Angeles County v. Superior Court (Terrell R.), the court of appeal interpreted the California Tort Claims Act, along with the statutory provisions governing foster care placement, so narrowly that governmental immunity would now appear inevitable in any case alleging foster child mistreatment. That decision was a radical departure from prior law, and one that renders California governmental immunity law inconsistent with the laws of the vast majority of other states. The harsh result is that innocent children abused or neglected in the California foster care system now face formidable - if not insurmountable - barriers to obtaining legal redress for their injuries. This article examines the recent mistakes the California courts of appeal have made, with a particular focus on the errors made in Terrell R.. First, the article examines the systematic problems facing children in the California foster care system, and explains why it is a "system in crisis." Second, the article traces the history of the California Tort Claims Act. It explains how the government was, until the late 1990s, subject to liability when its social workers negligently supervise foster care children. Third, the article explains how in recent years the courts of appeal have erred in granting the government absolute immunity in foster care abuse cases. The article explains how this move to absolute immunity, whether done intentionally or unintentionally, not only contradicted sound public policy, but is a result long rejected by the California Legislature and California Supreme Court. The article concludes that if a social worker negligently places or negligently supervises a child in foster care, and the child is physically or sexually abused as a result of that negligence, liability is the rule, not the exception.


We measure the gas-phase metallicity gradients of 248 galaxies selected from Data Release 2 of the SAMI Galaxy Survey. We demonstrate that there are large systematic discrepancies between the metallicity gradients derived using common strong emission line metallicity diagnostics. We determine which pairs of diagnostics have Spearman's rank coefficients greater than 0.6 and provide linear conversions to allow the accurate comparison of metallicity gradients derived using different strong emission line diagnostics. For galaxies within the mass range 8.5 < log (M/M⊙) < 11.0, we find discrepancies of up to 0.11 dex/Re between seven popular diagnostics in the metallicity gradient–mass relation. We find a suggestion of a break in the metallicity gradient–mass relation, where the slope shifts from negative to positive, occurs between 9.5 < log (M/M⊙) < 10.5 for the seven chosen diagnostics. Applying our conversions to the metallicity gradient–mass relation, we reduce the maximum dispersion from 0.11 dex/Re to 0.02 dex/Re. These conversions provide the most accurate method of converting metallicity gradients when key emission lines are unavailable. We find that diagnostics that share common sets of emission line ratios agree best, and that diagnostics calibrated through the electron temperature provide more consistent results compared to those calibrated through photoionization models.


On-line, continuous processing over streaming data challenges performance: processing time and memory
space usage. This research is about the best performing way to compute an aggregate function over sliding
windows containing the most recent data of a stream. The performance depends on the output semantics:
input, aggregate function, accuracy requirements, retention as the quantity of elements aggregated and
slide as the quantity of elements to move over the stream. Two approaches are identified, that under the
same output semantics, differ in the way sliding windows are materialized. The instantaneous approach
takes a window covering the retention and computes the aggregate function over the window upon every
slide, independent of previous windows. The incremental approach has a synopsis structure covering the
retention, updated by consecutive disjoint batches covering a slide.
A proposed theoretical model relates the approaches to processing time and memory space usage.
Scalability is assessed by instantiating that model with the computational complexity of the approaches.
It is shown that the incremental approach with a trivial synopsis storing the entire retention can have
processing time benefits over the instantaneous approach. Moreover it seems approximations of aggregate
functions are the only way to reduce memory space usage when sliding one element at a time. Properties
of aggregates from literature are related to the approaches and theoretical model. Aggregates with
the properties of a priori bounded space and incremental / decremental functions are called bounded
differential aggregates. Under the incremental approach they require constant processing time and can
significantly reduce memory space usage in practice when the slide is sufficiently large. By instantiating
the theoretical model with empirical approximations of performance, approaches can be compared by their
performance in practice. Performance in practice shows differences between approaches belonging to the
same complexity class, more average-case like performance and (unexpected) performance side-effects.
A taxonomy is proposed categorizing synopsis structures by support for fixed-size (e.g. count-based) or
variable-size (e.g. time-based) retention, exact or approximate aggregates produced and the deterministic
or randomized / probablistic result of approximations. A few synopsis structures covering the taxonomy
are explored in the context of the selected aggregates variance and quantiles of (most) interest to Info
Support. Exact computations are explored by the trivial synopsis that stores the entire retention and
panes that exploit a priori space bounds of aggregates for sufficiently large batches. Approximations are
explored by sampling, histograms for variance only and summaries for quantiles only.
The selected aggregates under both approaches along with synopsis structures are implemented on
the streaming data processing system Microsoft StreamInsight 1.1 of interest to Info Support. A stream
of uniform random numbers is used. Accuracy of 95%-100% is of interest to Info Support. The effect of
retention is observed by increasing it at a fixed slide. The effect of slide (inversely: overlap) is observed by
a fixed retention and increasing slide. The empirical results show the instantaneous approach outperforms
the incremental approach when the slide (and batch) is sufficiently large; at about half the retention.
Sampling achieves high accuracy and the best performance under the incremental approach. Panes have
the best performance when the batches are large enough. Quantile summaries reduce memory space
usage significantly, have high accuracy and low processing time. Using SPSS 17 the empirical results are
generalized on the environment by regression models for processing time and memory space usage per
aggregate, per accuracy requirements and per approach (differentiated by synopsis structure). Violation of
the assumptions of homoscedasticity, independence or normality of residuals during analysis, suggests the
use of more advanced analysis. Validation of the models on an independent subset of the measurements
indicates errors similar to the model errors from analysis.
A design space is proposed that uses the theoretical model to compare the approaches in terms
of performance, either by scalability or by empirical approximations of performance in practice, and
is augmented with guidelines derived during the research. It indicates the best performing approach
regarding how to compute an aggregate function over sliding windows, given output semantics. By
exploring other aggregates and synopsis structures, the design space can be extended.


IDM-1 is a new silica zeolite with an ordered and well-defined framework constructed by alternating pentasil layers and interrupted layers, giving rise to an intersecting system of straight medium pores and undulating extra-large lobed pores. This unique structure was solved by rotation electron diffraction and refined against synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data. Despite the presence of both Si(OSi)3(OH) and Si(OSi)2(OH)2 sites, this new zeolite presents high thermal stability, withstanding calcination even to 1000ºC. The location of defects at specific sites of the structure results in alternating hydrophobic SiO2 and hydrophilic SiO(2-x)(OH)2x intracrystalline regions. This peculiar combination of intersecting medium and extra-large pores and alternating regions of different chemical character may provide this zeolite with unique catalytic properties.


In a cyber physical system like vehicles number of signals to be communicated in a network system has an increasing trend. More and more mechanical and hydraulic parts are replaced by electronic control units and infotainment and multimedia applications has increased in vehicles. Safety critical hard real time messages and aperiodic messages communicated between electronic control units have been increased in recent times. Flexray is a high bandwidth protocol consisting of static segment for supporting hard real time messages and a dynamic segment for transmitting soft and non real time messages. In this paper, a method to obtain the stability region for the random arrival of messages in each electronic control units which is scheduled in the dynamic segment of Flexray protocol is presented. Number of mini slots available in the dynamic segment of Flexray restricts the arrival rate of tasks to the micro controllers or the number of micro controllers connected to the Flexray bus. Stability region of mathematical model of the system is compared with the Flexray protocol simulation results.


This dissertation explores certain recurrent problems in modern theories about the nature of thesubject. Taking examples from phenomenology, poststructuralism, neopragmatism and feminism, itargues that philosophical theorizing about subjectivity often assumes that the transition from thedescription of the models of meaning with which they work, to the description of the everyday practices of which they are models, can be achieved within the model. There are two aspects ofthis assumptionthat are worked out in detail with respect to the specific theory under discussion ineach chapter: (i) the supposition that there must be a general description to account for diversephenomena, and (ii) the presumed primacy of that theoretical re-description. In examining the selected illustrations from phenomenology, poststructuralism, neo-pragmatism and feminism, the study sets out to show how the terminology and methods ofphilosophy, even in dissimilar or even opposing traditions, produce an object of study at a farremove from the reality they are supposed to explain. Specifically, the dissertation takes up fiverelated themes: (i) the conflation of facts about language or thinking with descriptions of workingmodels; (ii) the assumed dichotomy between "the thinking subject" as producer of language or asproduct of it; (iii) the tendency to misapply the language and thought-forms appropriate to third-person observations about states of affairs to first-person expressions; (iv) the demand thateveryday linguistic practice fulfill the conceptual requirements of the theory; and (v) the idea thatthe truth or facticity of otherwise indubitable facts about the world is somehow compromized if itis not philosophically grounded. The conceptual difficulties described here are outlined in the introduction. In the followingchapters, the problems raised are illustrated and developed by way of examples from modernphilosophy, represented by Husserl, Foucault, Derrida, Rorty and Fish, and Gilligan and Benhabib.


In underground coal mines, floor heave is a major problem that is caused by groundwater, high strata stress and weak floors. Controlling the stability of the roadways is the key to maintaining the safety and efficiency of underground mining. Appropriate cement grouting is an effective and attractive floor reinforcement technique that can control excessive floor heave and closure. Cement grouting also reduces the permeability of the rock mass and consequently controls the movement of groundwater into the roadway. Injecting cement grout into roadway floors provides a more uniform reinforcement throughout the floor. It may even be possible to reinforce an extremely fractured floor. In this respect, this technique is superior to floor bolting/dowelling. This technique may be performed either as a pre- or post- development reinforcement. It is very difficult, however, to reinforce a floor that is not heavily fractured by the injection technique. Therefore, before floor injection, floor blasting is performed in order to create an adequate number of fractures in the floor. Fracturing by blasting also relieves and improves stress conditions in the floor. From this point of view, the behaviour of grouting injection as floor reinforcement material is discussed. That is to say that the results of an injection analysis, an injection experiment and a viscosity measurement to understand the injection process of cement grout into soil voids were studied. The injection analysis was performed by combining two analyses, the analysis of the clogging process, and the analysis of the transportation process. As to the analysis of the transportation process, since a cement-based grouting material can be described as a Bingham fluid, the equation of plug flow related to a Bingham fluid inside a circular pipe, instead of Darcy's law, was expanded and analysed. The injection experiment was performed under low-pressure on a decomposed granite sample. The injection s experiment was performed using three mixtures with cement/water ratios (C/W) of 1/10, 1/5, and 1/3.5, respectively, to examine the influence of variable cement/water ratios. The viscosity model is proposed from the result measured with the aid of Brookfield viscometer. To calculate yield stress, viscosity data obtained with the Brookfield viscometer was used. However, for the determination of plastic viscosity, because some cement particles will be in the state of aggregation and so on, the viscosity measurements obtained by the use of the Brookfield viscometer are overestimated in comparison with a theoretical equation that assumed that cement particles are dispersed in the solution completely. However, it is thought that cement particles cannot form aggregates easily in the soil voids or cracks. Therefore, the plastic viscosity model of grouting material is expected to follow the proposed theoretical equation. Finally, the assumption that the grouting material was injected in the state of laminar flow was verified by data obtained from the Lugeon test. The field data which are satisfied with this condition is simulated using the plastic viscosity and the yield stress model of grouting material.


The national airspace system (NAS) is a large and complex system encompassing a wide-range of resources to enable safe and efficient air transportation. To effectively manage the NAS, it is very important to be able to reliably assess current and future demand for communications, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) resources as they are triggered by air traffic control (ATC) events. The authors present an integrated model that is capable of relating NAS ATC events to NAS CNS demand. Model validation with a subset of recorded ETMS CNS statistics are presented. Combining such a model with NAS future demand predictors such as terminal area forecasts (TAF) and future aviation timetable estimator (FATE), it becomes possible to estimate the increase in CNS demand and future requirements for CNS capacity, for resource planning purposes. The model presented in this paper includes tracking of radar-related messages and sector workload.


To achieve low-skew clock distribution, clock tree synthesis (CTS) for local clock optimization is used so far. Challenged by the increasing design com- plexity and performance demand, a new strategy for local clock optimization is used along with register placement for high-performance circuits. Special local clock distribu- tion is used and registers are legalized to fit required skew. In this paper, we study the register placement problem and formulate it as a minimum weighted maximum inde- pendent set problem on a weighted conflict graph. Then, we propose a novel Lagrangian relaxation based algorithm. By relaxing the overlap conflict constraints, the problem is transformed into a minimum weighted bipartite match- ing problem. Experiments show that our method can effi- ciently place all registers without overlaps with minimized total register movement.


DNA-based methods for biodiversity assessment This book represents a synthesis of knowledge and best practice in the field of DNA-based biomonitoring at the time of writing. It has been written with end-users of molecular tools in mind, as well as those who are new to the field in research settings and are looking to gain an overall grounding in the subject area. For each of the main types of sample (water, soil / sediment, bulk invertebrates and diatoms), and for each stage of the field and laboratory processes, we outline key considerations, decisions that need to be made, factors that might influence those decisions, and trade-offs inherent in the choices made. We hope that this will help users, practitioners, and those commissioning DNA-based monitoring programmes to navigate this large field and critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different analysis workflows based on context, project aims and available resources.


Objectives: The biomarkers of an immunological dysregulation due to a chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are indeed understudied. If untreated, this condition may evolve into liver impairment also co-occurred by extrahepatic involvements. Here, we aim to identify a new panel of biomarkers including IgG subclasses, Rheumatoid Factor (RF), and Free Light Chains (FLC) that may result useful and reliable for clinical evaluation of HBV-related cryoglobulinemia. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 44 HBV positive patients. Patients were stratified on the presence/absence of mixed cryoglobulinemia in two group: 22 with cryoglobulins (CGs) and 22 without CGs. Samples from 20 healthy blood donors (HD) were used as negative controls. Serum samples were tested for IgG subclasses, RF (IgM, IgG, and IgA type), and FLC. Results: We detected a strikingly different serum IgG subclasses distribution between HD and HBV positive patients together with different RF isotypes; FLC were significantly increased in HBVpatients if compared to HD while no significant difference was shown between HBV with/without MC. Conclusion: The immune-inflammatory response triggered by HBV may be monitored by a peculiar profile of biomarkers. Our results open new perspective in precision medicine era; in these challenging times, they could be also employed to monitor the clinical course of COVID-19 patients, at high risk of HBV reactivation due to liver impairment and/or immunosuppressive therapies.


This study has its contribution to deepen the understanding about the paradoxical relation between flexibility and costs in the field of operations service strategy and management, approaching the customer participation affects on the professional services. Through a multi-case study with four professional services organizations, using data collection through semi-structured interviews and documentary research, we identified four main sources of variability, namely: customer arrival, the diagnosis of needs, production and implementation and the delivery value analysis. We concluded that the professional services firms prioritize customer participation and this implies to accommodate variability in flexible service operations to meet the most different types of customers without an alignment to the strategic plan for business growth.


The paper analyses the Dutch MINAS policy, a tax combined with nutrient accounting. Its aim was to reduce nitrate levels in groundwater from agriculture sources. MINAS was beset with problems from the outset. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to determine the reasons for the 'erosion' of the policy. The paper begins with a theoretical analysis of the design of the instrument, the conclusion being that, according to economic theory, the instrument appears to be well designed. Despite this, MINAS still experienced problems, which were so pervasive that the functioning of the instrument became seriously undermined. The paper identifies certain key events, specific problems with the design of MINAS, which resulted in some farmers receiving very high unjustified taxes, and external socio-economic pressures, which in combination fuelled widespread resistance to the policy and hence escalating transaction costs due to the increasingly large administrative burden. The paper concludes that whilst it may have been possible for policy makers to avoid some of the identified problems it is considered that the majority were beyond their control. However, it was perhaps inevitable from the outset that such a system would encounter problems due to the very high degree of precision that was attempted and thus policy makers could be criticised for not opting for a simpler system. The paper is critical of the application of a tax/nutrient accounting system to control nutrient leaching. The study is based on empirical research, specifically a series of interviews with key personnel within organizations linked with MINAS.


The paper selected reasonable sensitive parameters for detecting and designed environment multi-parameters recorder with MSP430 SCM, which is the core of the recorder. It can realize to test, display, and store data in the Nonvolatile Ferroelectric Random Access Memory FM31256, even if the power of the system is shut off, the data does not lose. Utilizing Multi-parameters recorder, it can measure strength of four kinds of environment parameters, which include temperature, humidity, illumination and the concentration of carbon dioxide at the same time, and also can detect one kind parameter in four kinds of parameters. Using the interface chip CH375 which supported USB host-device mode, it can communicate with flash memory disk or PC, conveniences the using for different people in different situations.


For some wafer fabrication processes, such as an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, the wafers need to visit some process modules for a number of times. Using the existing swap-based strategy scheduling method in such systems leads to a 3-wafer cyclic schedule. Unfortunately, it is not optimal in the sense of cycle time. Aiming at searching for a better schedule, this paper models the system by a timed Petri net. With this model, the properties of the 3-wafer schedule are analyzed. Then, based on the analysis, it is found that, to improve the performance, it is necessary to reduce the number of wafers completed in a cycle. Hence, a 1-wafer schedule is developed by using a new swap-based strategy. By using the Petri net model, its cycle time is analyzed and shown to be optimal. Also, an effective method is presented to implement it. Illustrative examples are given to verify the research results obtained in this paper.


Current low-tech Orientation & Mobility (O&M) tools for visually impaired people, e.g. tactile maps, possess limitations. Interactive accessible maps have been developed to overcome these. However, most of them are limited to exploration of existing maps, and have remained in laboratories. Using a participatory design approach, we have worked closely with 15 visually impaired students and 3 O&M instructors over 6 months. We iteratively designed and developed an augmented reality map destined at use in O&M classes in special education centers. This prototype combines projection, audio output and use of tactile tokens, and thus allows both map exploration and construction by low vision and blind people. Our user study demonstrated that all students were able to successfully use the prototype, and showed a high user satisfaction. A second phase with 22 international special education teachers allowed us to gain more qualitative insights. This work shows that augmented reality has potential for improving the access to education for visually impaired people.


This study explores how intersecting identities based on disability, ethnicity and religion impact the wellbeing of deaf Uzbek Jehovah's Witnesses in post-Soviet Uzbekistan. By analysing the collected ethnographic data and semi-structured interviews with deaf people, Islamic religious figures, and state officials in the capital city Tashkent, it provides the case of how a reaction of a majority religious group to the freedom of religious belief contributes to the marginalisation and exclusion of religious deaf minorities who were converted from Islam to the Jehovah's Witnesses. The paper argues that the insensitivity of the dominant Muslim communities to the freedom of religious belief of deaf Uzbek Christian converts excluded them from their project activities and allocation of resources provided by the newly established Islamic Endowment Public charity foundation 'Vaqf'. Deaf people in Uzbekistan are often stigmatised and discriminated against based on their disability identity, and religious inequality may further exacerbate existing challenges, lead to unintended exclusionary tendencies within the local deaf communities, and ultimately inhibit the formation of collective deaf identity and agency to advocate for their legitimate rights and interests.


Brunnschweiler and Bulte (2008) provide cross-country evidence that the resource curse is a "red herring" once one corrects for the endogeneity of natural resource exports and allows resource abundance to have an effect on growth. Their results show that resource exports are no longer significant while the value of subsoil assets has a significant positive effect on growth. But the measure of subsoil assets that has been used is based on World Bank estimates of natural capital, which are valued as proportional to current rents, and thus also endogenous. Furthermore, their results may suffer from omitted variables bias, weakness of the instruments, violation of exclusion restrictions and misspecification error. Correcting for these issues and instrumenting resource exports with values of proven reserves at the beginning of the sample period; there is no evidence for the resource curse either and subsoil assets are no longer significant. However, we provide evidence that resource dependence leads to more volatility and thus indirectly to worse growth prospects.


ABSTRACT This article reviews the importance of bait, bait loss, and depredation in longline fishery operations worldwide. In general, fish bait is preferred over squid due to reduced sea turtle and elasmobranch bycatch. However, there are many reports which have indicated high shark catch and deep hooking when using fish as bait. High and low hooking rates for blue shark have been reported from different fishing areas when using mackerel as bait, indicating the need for further studies on selection of appropriate baits. Conflicting results from many part of the world on the catching efficiency of different bait species on target and nontarget species indicate the need to consider area, species specific and cross taxa effect of various combinations of baits and hooks, before their adoption in commercial fishing. Baiting pattern has also been reported to affect the catch rates significantly. The review has revealed that bait loss and depredation on the hooked fish cause considerable damage to the fishery and significant economic loss. Loss rates can be significantly minimized using squids as bait while it may also incur a high catch rate of bycatch. The review has confirmed the superiority of natural baits over alternative and artificial baits during the longline fishing operations. Though an effective substitute for the natural bait has not been developed, so far, such alternatives which make use of the food and foraging behavior and the olfactory response of the fish are necessary for future development of longline fisheries.


Abstract. Studies describing the chemical composition of fine aerosol (PM2.5) in urban areas are often conducted for a few weeks only and at one sole site, giving thus a narrow view of their temporal and spatial characteristics. This paper presents a one-year (11 September 2009–10 September 2010) survey of the daily chemical composition of PM2.5 in the region of Paris, which is the second most populated "Larger Urban Zone" in Europe. Five sampling sites representative of suburban (SUB), urban (URB), northeast (NER), northwest (NWR) and south (SOR) rural backgrounds were implemented. The major chemical components of PM2.5 were determined including elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and the major ions. OC was converted to organic matter (OM) using the chemical mass closure methodology, which leads to conversion factors of 1.95 for the SUB and URB sites, and 2.05 for the three rural ones. On average, gravimetrically determined PM2.5 annual mass concentrations are 15.2, 14.8, 12.6, 11.7 and 10.8 μg m−3 for SUB, URB, NER, NWR and SOR sites, respectively. The chemical composition of fine aerosol is very homogeneous at the five sites and is composed of OM (38–47%), nitrate (17–22%), non-sea-salt sulfate (13–16%), ammonium (10–12%), EC (4–10%), mineral dust (2–5%) and sea salt (3–4%). This chemical composition is in agreement with those reported in the literature for most European environments. On an annual scale, Paris (URB and SUB sites) exhibits its highest PM2.5 concentrations during late autumn, winter and early spring (higher than 15 μg m−3 on average, from December to April), intermediates during late spring and early autumn (between 10 and 15 μg m−3 during May, June, September, October, and November) and the lowest during summer (below 10 μg m−3 during July and August). PM levels are mostly homogeneous on a regional scale, during the whole project (e.g. for URB plotted against NER sites: slope = 1.06, r2=0.84, n=330), suggesting the importance of mid- or long-range transport, and regional instead of local scale phenomena. During this one-year project, two thirds of the days exceeding the PM2.5 2015 EU annual limit value of 25 μg m−3 were due to continental import from countries located northeast, east of France. This result questions the efficiency of local, regional and even national abatement strategies during pollution episodes, pointing to the need for a wider collaborative work with the neighbouring countries on these topics. Nevertheless, emissions of local anthropogenic sources lead to higher levels at the URB and SUB sites compared to the others (e.g. 26% higher on average at the URB than at the NWR site for PM2.5, during the whole campaign), which can even be emphasised by specific meteorological conditions such as low boundary layer heights. OM and secondary inorganic species (nitrate, non-sea-salt sulfate and ammonium, noted SIA) are mainly imported by mid- or long-range transport (e.g. for NWR plotted against URB sites: slope = 0.79, r2=0.72, n=335 for OM, and slope = 0.91, r2=0.89, n=335 for SIA) whereas EC is primarily locally emitted (e.g. for SOR plotted against URB sites: slope = 0.27; r2=0.03; n=335). This database will serve as a basis for investigating carbonaceous aerosols, metals as well as the main sources and geographical origins of PM in the region of Paris.


The uncontrolled use of specific Internet applications is increasingly recognized as a mental health issue. Gaming disorder, which is one subtype of specific Internet-use disorders (sIUDs), has been included in the ICD-11 as disorder due to addictive behaviors. Addictive disorders are assumed to be accompanied by cognitive deficits as indicated by weaker performance in executive function and risky decision-making tasks. This study investigates risky decision-making in individuals with tendencies towards sIUDs including gaming, online buying-shopping, and social-networks-use disorders. A total of 293 individuals participated in the study. Based on specific screening instruments, the participants were assigned to a group with tendencies towards sIUD or a control group. Participants completed a risky decision-making task and questionnaires assessing risk-taking propensity, impulsivity, psychopathology, and perceived stress. The group with sIUD tendencies showed higher attentional impulsivity and higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to the control group. The groups did not differ in decision making and risk propensity. Decision making did not have significant effects on sIUD symptoms. Risk for developing sIUDs does not appear to be accompanied by altered general decision-making tendencies. Rather, psychological (pre-)load and attentional deficits appear to be relevant features in uncontrolled use of the Internet.


Abstract "Roman concrete" was used as building material during Roman Imperial times for a great number of famous constructions with different functions. Well-known examples are aqueducts, for example the Pont du Gard in France and the Aqua Alexandrina in Rome, and numerous monuments such as the famous Coliseum and Pantheon in Rome. While visually less apparent today, ancient harbors also were an important part of constructions supporting the power of the Roman imperial system and were invaluable to control the Mediterranean Sea trade. The article "Unlocking the secrets of Altobermorite in Roman seawater concrete" by Jackson et al. (2013) describes the investigation of several extremely interesting samples drilled from 2000-yearold Roman maritime concretes in 11 harbors along the Mediterranean coast [the ROMACONS project 2002-2009 (Oleson et al. 2004)].


Heavy metal contamination in paddy field which came from industry nearby and agricultural input. Increased level of toxic heavy metal cadmium will threat rice production and quality. Bioremediation by used of rhizosphere bacteria is an easy, cheap and effective method to control toxic metal uptake. Pot experiment has been done to study the change in cadmium uptake after biofertilizer Azotobacter chroococcum inoculation and some soil ameliorant. Expirement has been carried out in factorial completely randomized block design with A. chroococcum and ameliorant as treatments.   Either Azotobacter inoculation or soil ameliorant didn't change soil acidity, the soil still neutral. Rhizosphere of paddy received biochar, hay compost and biochar and inoculated with 10 8 cfu mL -1 Azotobacter was colonized by more Azotobacter compared to uninoculated one. All plant treated with Azotobacter has higher nitrogen uptake but lower cadmium uptake. This experiment suggested that biofertilizer Azotobacter has a significant role to decrease cadmium uptake by padi, an important food crop.


After several days in microgravity, return to earth is attended by alterations in cardiovascular function. The mechanisms underlying these effects are inadequately understood. Three clinical disorders of autonomic function represent possible models of this abnormal cardiovascular function after spaceflight. They are pure autonomic failure, baroreflex failure, and orthostatic intolerance. In pure autonomic failure, virtually complete loss of sympathetic and parasympathetic function occurs along with profound and immediate orthostatic hypotension. In baroreflex failure, various degrees of debuffering of blood pressure occur. In acute and complete baroreflex failure, there is usually severe hypertension and tachycardia, while with less complete and more chronic baroreflex impairment, orthostatic abnormalities may be more apparent. In orthostatic intolerance, blood pressure fall is minor, but orthostatic symptoms are prominent and tachycardia frequently occurs. Only careful autonomic studies of human subjects in the microgravity environment will permit us to determine which of these models most closely reflects the pathophysiology brought on by a period of time in the microgravity environment.


optimistic, replication, survey Replication is a key enabling technology in distributed data sharing systems for improving both availability and performance. This paper surveys optimistic replication algorithms, which allow replica contents to diverge in the short term, in order to support concurrent work and to tolerate failures in low -quality communication links. The importance of such techniques is increasing as collaboration through wide-area and mobile networks is becoming more popular. Optimistic replication algorithms employ techniques vastly different from those for traditional pessimistic algorithms. Whereas a pessimistic algorithm relies on synchronous replica coordination, an optimistic algorithm propagates its updates in the background, discovers conflicts after they happen, and reaches an agreement on the final object contents incrementally. This paper identifies the key challenges that optimistic replication systems face achieving uniformity, guaranteeing quality of replica contents, and scaling - and presents a comprehensive survey of techniques developed for addressing these challenges.


The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) activates the expression of a reporter gene attached to the phenobarbital-response element (PBRE) of the cytochrome P450 2B1 (CYP2B1) gene in response to the barbiturate phenobarbital and the plant product picrotoxin. The xenobiotic-mediated increase in transactivation occurs in transfected primary hepatocytes and in liver transfected by biolistic-particle-mediated DNA transfer, but not in the transformed cell lines HepG2, CV-1 and HeLa, which support only constitutive activation of gene expression by CAR. Steroid co-activator 1 (SRC-1) enhances both constitutive and xenobiotic-induced CAR-mediated transactivation via the CYP2B1 PBRE in transfected primary hepatocytes. The nuclear receptor 1 (NR1) site of the PBRE is sufficient for CAR-mediated transactivation, but additional sequences within the PBRE, and hence the proteins that bind to them, are required for the interaction of CAR with SRC-1. The NR2 site of the PBRE binds proteins other than CAR, including an unidentified nuclear receptor heterodimerized with retinoid X receptor alpha. By binding to the proximal promoter of CYP2B1, the transcription factor Sp1 increases both basal transcription and xenobiotic-induced expression via the PBRE. Thus induction of CYP2B1 expression by xenobiotics is mediated by the nuclear receptor CAR and, for optimal expression, requires SRC-1 and Sp1.


ABSTRACT The possibility that the economics of the oyster fishery impose a self-limitation on overharvesting has been proffered on occasion. The inefficiency of harvesting by the fishery has been evaluated and estimates of the exploitation rate permissible under conditions of maximum sustainable yield have been obtained in previous studies. The question becomes to what extent does the inefficiency of harvest interact with the economics of the fishery to compromise ready detection of overfishing? This study explores the possibility that the constraint of economics on the fishery occurs at oyster exploitation rates that are higher than maximum sustainable yield, leading ineluctably to overfishing if unconstrained and to the appearance of unduly limited fishing if properly constrained. A model is developed that simulates oyster harvesting by dredging. This model tracks vessel behavior and fishery performance in economic terms (CPUE) under varying stock densities and dredge efficiencies. Simulation results show that stock density and on-deck culling speed have the strongest effect on time required, profitability, and effectiveness of harvest, whereas dredge efficiency has a lesser influence. Evaluation of simulations shows that overfishing occurs at a stock density that provides near-optimal economic returns. The oyster fishery does not perceive a decline in the stock under sustainable conditions, as the on-deck processing capacity enables the catch rate to remain relatively stable until the stock declines well below sustainable levels. The consequence of setting fishing regulations such that a decline in catch is perceived is to assure routine and substantive overfishing, thereby creating a potential conflict between apparent and real sustainability. This conflict may explain the inability of state regulatory authorities to impose limitations consistent with long-term resource stability. The perception that a decline in the rate of catch should be observed under standard effort-based regulatory controls is a principal challenge that must be overcome if sustainability is to become normative in the U.S. oyster fishery.


Abstract. Significance: Pulse oximetry is widely used in clinical practice to monitor changes in arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2). However, decreases in SpO2 can be delayed relative to the actual clinical event, and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) may detect alterations in oxygenation earlier than pulse oximetry, as shown in previous cerebral oxygenation monitoring studies. Aim: We aim to compare the response of transcutaneous muscle NIRS measures of the tissue saturation index with pulse oximetry SpO2 during hypoxia. Approach: Episodes of acute hypoxia were induced in nine anesthetized Yucatan miniature pigs. A standard pulse oximeter was attached to the ear of the animal, and a transcutaneous NIRS sensor was placed on the hind limb muscle. Hypoxia was induced by detaching the ventilator from the animal and reattaching it once the pulse oximeter reported 70% SpO2. Results: Twenty-four episodes of acute hypoxia were analyzed. Upon the start of hypoxia, the transcutaneous NIRS measures changed in 5.3  ±  0.4  s, whereas the pulse oximetry measures changed in 14.9  ±  1.0  s (p  <  0.0001). Conclusions: Transcutaneous muscle NIRS can detect the effects of hypoxia significantly sooner than pulse oximetry in the Yucatan miniature pig. A transcutaneous NIRS sensor may be used as an earlier detector of oxygen saturation changes in the clinical setting than the standard pulse oximeter.


Three methods of calculating the derived elasticity of demand for Choice slaughter beef are used: (a) a traditional marketing margin approach, (b) a modified marketing margin approach, and (c) an econometric, inverse demand model approach. The first method is more restrictive than the second but both tend to overestimate beef price flexibility and revenue changes. The econometric model, though an incomplete demand system, yields demand elasticities that are more consistent with marketing flexibility but are less pronounced than estimates of a complete system. An example using a two-year revenue forecast compares slaughter revenue adjustments based on the first margin method with those based on structural demand models.


This study identifies parent and family perspectives of the strengths of early years programs in three communities in Ontario, Canada. Using an Appreciative Inquiry approach, focus groups and surveys with parents, we investigate parent engagement and perceived outcomes of early years services in Ontario's Best Start demonstration communities. The research study is grounded in the literature on family-centered practice, parent engagement and child outcomes from family participation. The major findings of the study include an extremely high rate of satisfaction with Best Start programs and services. Parents and families identify relationships with staff, access, and a wide range of programs as being critical for their engagement. In addition, the outcomes from early years programs and services go beyond child development and include direct benefits for the parents and families.


In Literature and National Life Antonio Gramsci addresses himself to the question of revolutionary culture when he talks about the relationship among the "new art," "new artists," and "new culture": "To fight for a new art would mean to create new artists which is absurd, since they cannot be created artificially. One should speak of creating a new culture…a new way of seeing and perceiving reality and, consequently, of a world linked with 'possible' artists and 'possible' works of art."! In discussing the role of literature—and, in its broader sense, culture—in the Cuban Revolution, I want to underline Gramsci's words creating a new culture because this is what is going on in Cuba and is a primary means of understanding their new literature.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


The X-ray spectra of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can generally be described by an absorbed power law. The landmark discovery of thermal X-ray emission in addition to the power law in the unusual GRB 060218, followed by a similar discovery in GRB 100316D, showed that during the first thousand seconds after trigger the soft X-ray spectra can be complex. Both the origin and prevalence of such spectral components still evade understanding, particularly after the discovery of thermal X-ray emission in the classical GRB 090618. Possibly most importantly, these three objects are all associated with optical supernovae (SNe), begging the question of whether the thermal X-ray components could be a result of the GRB–SN connection, possibly in the shock breakout. We therefore performed a search for blackbody components in the early Swift X-ray spectra of 11 GRBs that have or may have associated optical SNe, accurately recovering the thermal components reported in the literature for GRBs 060218, 090618 and 100316D. We present the discovery of a cooling blackbody in GRB 101219B/SN2010ma, and in four further GRB–SNe we find an improvement in the fit with a blackbody which we deem possible blackbody candidates due to case-specific caveats. All the possible new blackbody components we report lie at the high end of the luminosity and radius distribution. GRB 101219B appears to bridge the gap between the low-luminosity and the classical GRB–SNe with thermal emission, and following the blackbody evolution we derive an expansion velocity for this source of the order of 0.4c. We discuss potential origins for the thermal X-ray emission in our sample, including a cocoon model which we find can accommodate the more extreme physical parameters implied by many of our model fits.


We studied the diffusion rate of stable isotopes of water ice in a controlled laboratory experiment, where isotopically different layers of fabricated firn were stacked. This experiment was done in order to study the diffusion rate between the isotopically different layers and to compare the measurements with forward-calculated diffusion rates of the fabricated firn stack, using three different analytical and numerical methods. The layers varied in thickness within the stack, and the studied period includes variations in firn temperature. We sampled the firn stack on five different dates along the 144 day long experiment. We obtained a quantitatively good match between the calculated and measured diffusion rates, with a root-mean-square similarity of 67–80% in the depth-averaged diffusion rates. Despite the good average match, we found some qualitative discrepancy between our calculations and our measurements. The calculated diffusion rates predict >5% faster isotopic decay of thinner layers and 13% slower decay of thicker layers than our measurements show. We speculate that grain size and grain fabric may influence the tortuosity of the firn pack, and that the current generalization of tortuosity, being a function of firn density as the only free parameter, is an oversimplification.


This paper is a review of the different single and three-phase harmonic load flow formulations of the bibliography. It presents the data, unknowns, and equations of these formulations in balanced network consideration. The influence of the main harmonic load flow hypothesis (harmonic interaction and fundamental power consumption consideration) in the final load flow results is studied in an example.


This paper presents a novel theoretical and computational methodology for the generation of an onset turbulent field with prescribed properties in the numerical simulation of an arbitrary viscous flow. The methodology is based on the definition of a suitable distribution of volume force terms in the right-hand side of the Navier–Stokes equations. The distribution is represented by harmonic functions that are randomly variable in time and space. The intensity of the distribution is controlled by a simple PID strategy in order to obtain that the generated turbulent flow matches a prescribed turbulence intensity. A further condition is that a homogeneous isotropic flow is established downstream of the region where volume force terms are imposed. Although it is general, the proposed methodology is primarily intended for the computational modelling of hydrokinetic turbines in turbulent flows representative of tidal or riverine installations. A first numerical application is presented by considering the injection of homogeneous and isotropic turbulence with 16% intensity into a uniform unbounded flow. The analysis of statistical properties as auto-correlation, power spectral density, probability density functions, demonstrates that the generated flow tends to achieve satisfactory levels of stationarity and isotropy, whereas the simple control strategy used determines underestimated turbulent intensity levels.


Imaging 123I-labeled iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) uptake and clearance from the myocardium following exercise has been advocated as a means of detecting myocardial ischemia because fatty acid deposition is enhanced and clearance prolonged in regions of low flow. However, normal regional myocardial blood flows are markedly heterogeneous, and it is not known how this heterogeneity affects regional metabolism or substrate uptake and thus image interpretation. In five instrumented dogs running at near maximal workload on a treadmill, 131I-labeled IPPA and 15-micron 46Sc microspheres were injected into the left atrium after 30 sec of circumflex coronary artery occlusion. Microsphere and IPPA activity were determined in 250 mapped pieces of myocardium of approximately 400 mg. Myocardial blood flows (from microspheres) ranged from 0.05 to 7.6 ml/min/g. Deposition of IPPA was proportional to regional flows (r = 0.83) with an average retention of 25%. The mean endocardial-epicardial ratio for IPPA (0.90 +/- 0.43) was similar to that for microspheres (0.94 +/- 0.47; p = 0.08). Thus, initial IPPA deposition during treadmill exercise increases in proportion to regional myocardial blood flow over a range of flows from very low to five times normal.


The neocortex is one of the most evolved and complex region of the brain. For more than a century scientists have been curious about the neocortex, to identify the anatomical blueprint of its cellular organization and to understand its role in higher brain functions. The Blue Brain Project aims to study the neocortex of the rat by developing its basic anatomical unit, the cortical column, in a simulation-based, data driven research environment. This requires 10,000 biologically accurate neuron models and a combination of the full spectrum of genetically determined ion channels, to capture the complete electrical diversity in a biologically constrained manner. This dissertation, which was carried out within the scope of the Blue Brain Project, illustrates a framework to build neuron models and its integration for neuron network simulation. Building biophysically accurate neuron models requires realistic ion channel models of around 200 of the different types of ion channels expressed in the neocortex. Although a significant amount of experimental data has been gathered over the past 30 years, consolidation of these findings into an easily accessible online resource is still missing. Moreover, the differences in experimental conditions make it difficult to faithfully create models for these ion channels. Therefore, to consolidate existing ion channel literature, a knowledge base system Channelpedia (www.channelpedia.net) has been developed. Equipped with 187 annotated ion channels with 50 Hodgkin-Huxley(HH) models, Channelpedia provides an ideal discussion platform, for researchers to collaborate and synthesize information from literature. To address the unavailability of experimental data, a high-throughput ion channel screening method was developed. This approach involves ion channel gene transfection in Chinese Hamster Ovarian (CHO) cell lines, automated voltage-clamp experiments, and an automated HH model fitting routine. Finally, to validate the role of ion channels in a model neuron, I perform a series of in-vitro and in-silico dynamic clamp experiments on layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons.


Steady and transient conjugate heat transfer is examined using an efficient approach to couple a finite element code with a computational fluid dynamics solver. A combination of Dirichlet and Robin conditions was used to exchange data at the interface between adjacent solid and fluid domains. Among the computational aspects considered are appropriate coupling coefficients for the Robin condition, the coupling's convergence behavior and stability limits as well as the accuracy of the solution. Starting from a steady state coupling, transient solid calculations were coupled with a sequence of steady fluid solutions. Of particular interest was the extension of findings from a validation case with two-dimensional flow to a more complex one with flow around a three-dimensional vortex generator. The results obtained with the coupling method show good agreement with conjugate reference calculations and transient experiments that examined the spatio-temporal surface temperature using infrared thermography.


Heterotrimeric G-proteins transduce signals from heptahelical transmembrane receptors to different effector systems, regulating diverse complex intracellular pathways and functions. In brain, facilitation of depolarization-induced neurotransmitter release for synaptic transmission is mediated by Gsalpha and Gqalpha. To identify effectors for Galpha-proteins, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screening of a human brain cDNA library, using the human Galphas protein as a bait. We identified a protein member of the synembryn family as one of the interacting proteins. Extending the study to other Galpha subunits, we found that Gqalpha also interacts with synembryn, and these interactions were confirmed by in vitro pull down studies and by in vivo confocal laser microscopy analysis. Furthermore, synembryn was shown to translocate to the plasma membrane in response to carbachol and isoproterenol. This study supports recent findings in C. elegans where, through genetic studies, synembryn was shown to act together with Gqalpha regulating neuronal transmitter release. Based on these observations, we propose that synembryn is playing a similar role in human neuronal cells.


This study investigated differences in the characteristics of talented dancers in relation to age. Physical (handgrip muscular strength, leg muscular power, hamstring flexibility and external hip rotation), psychological (passion, self-esteem and anxiety) and social (the motivational climate) characteristics were assessed in 334 students enrolled on a talented scheme. The male late adolescence group (16 to 18 years) had greater jump height than the early (10 to 12 years) and mid-adolescence groups (13 to 15 years). For both sexes, the early adolescence group exhibited the lowest and the late adolescence group the greatest grip strength values. The late adolescence group reported lower self-esteem than the two younger groups, and the two older groups reported greater perceptions of ego-involving motivational climates than the early adolescence group. Results suggest that, as some characteristics of talented dancers differ across the adolescent years, talent identification and development criteria could be adapted according to age.


: Sensory, particularly chemosensory, experiences play an important role in food intake as well as digestive and metabolic processes which influence nutrient utilization in humans. This review first presents evidence that the sensory properties of foods and the sensory capacities of individuals with marked, marginal or no apparent nutrient deficiencies influence dietary practices. This is followed by a consideration of data demonstrating an impact of oral sensory stimulation on salivary, gastric and both exocrine and endocrine pancreatic secretion. Next, because of the absence of human studies, animal models are described which demonstrate that chemosensory stimulation can alter nutrient absorption. Finally, studies on preterm infants are presented as evidence that oral stimulation alone can influence growth efficiency. While an understanding of these issues remains incomplete, applications of existing knowledge could hold important nutritional and clinical implications.


Full waveform inversion (FWI) was applied to imageshallow structures of marine-clay sediments and to provideinsight on the mechanism of a quick-clay landslide. Thedata was acquired in a high-resolution seismic surveyconducted over a known landslide scar near the Gota riverin southwest Sweden. Inversion proved to be challengingbecause of contrasted P-wave velocity structure – thevelocities ranged from 500 m/s in weathered top layer to6000 m/s in the shallow granitic bedrock (up to 30 m belowthe surface). FWI applied to 3 profiles provided highresolution2D P-wave velocity models revealing theintercalating layers of clays and coarse-grain material andthe shape of the bedrock. The multiscale approach was usedto mitigate the strong nonlinearity of the inverse problem.The models were used in pre-stack depth migration andproved significant improvement in reflector flattening andfocusing over the starting first-arrival traveltimetomography models.


High-volume feature-rich data sets are becoming the bread-and-butter of 21st century astronomy but present significant challenges to scientific discovery. In particular, identifying scientifically significant relationships between sets of parameters is non-trivial. Similar problems in biological and geosciences have led to the development of systems which can explore large parameter spaces and identify potentially interesting sets of associations. In this paper, we describe the application of automated discovery systems of relationships to astronomical data sets, focusing on an evolutionary programming technique and an information-theory technique. We demonstrate their use with classical astronomical relationships – the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram and the Fundamental Plane of elliptical galaxies. We also show how they work with the issue of binary classification which is relevant to the next generation of large synoptic sky surveys, such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). We find that comparable results to more familiar techniques, such as decision trees, are achievable. Finally, we consider the reality of the relationships discovered and how this can be used for feature selection and


Objective: Corn Cervi Pantotrichum, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis for a long time, but the mechanism is not clear. This study aimed to examine in detail the effects of Corn Cervi Pantotrichum on the bone of postmenopausal osteoporosisrat model.
Materials and Methods: forty female rats were randomly divided into groups of: Sham operated (Sham), ovariectomized control, ovariectomized with Corn Cervi Pantotrichum and ovariectomized with ERT (Climen). The Corn Cervi Pantotrichum and ERT were administered through the route of oral gavage daily at the dose of 0.4 g.kg-1 and 0.2 mg.kg-1 respectively. Following 12 weeks of treatment, rats were anesthetized. The blood and the distal of left femur were for bone biomarker using Elisa. The right femur was measured for BMD (bone mineral density) and histopathological evaluation. The head of left femur were used for quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot.
Results: Compared to the OVX group, supplementation of Corn Cervi Pantotrichum could not only increase the BMD of femur, but also increase the expression of bone formation maker. Photomicrograph of femur showed that Corn Cervi Pantotrichum can restore the normal architecture. Both Elisa, the quantitative real-time PCR and the Western blot results showed that Corn Cervi Pantotrichum may upregulates BMP-2/Smad1, 5/Runx2 expression in OVX rats.
Conclusion: This confirmed that Corn Cervi Pantotrichum could be used for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis.


The increased expression of p21/WAF/Cip1 in primary leukemic blasts suggests that elevated p21/WAF/Cip1 levels may contribute to specific features observed in AML1-ETO positive leukemia. An inducible model for conditional expression of AML1-ETO in myeloid U-937 cells was generated previously to determine cellular effects of AML1-ETO and to identify target genes. Induction of AML1-ETO expression in U-937 resulted in reduced cell growth, G1 arrest and apoptosis. Microarray analysis showed more genes up-regulated than down-regulated (180 vs. 69). Clustering of AML1-ETO-positive and -negative cell lines was possible based on these differentially expressed genes. p21/WAF/Cip1 (CDKN1A) was up-regulated 4.6-fold upon induction of AML1-ETO which was confirmed in additional experiments. Knock-down of AML1-ETO by siRNA could reduce p21/WAF/Cip1 expression in Kasumi-1 cells. mRNA expression analysis of p21/WAF/Cip1 in a large cohort of acute myeloid leukemia patients demonstrated a significantly higher expression in AML1-ETO-positive leukemia. The increased expression of p21/WAF/Cip1 in primary leukemic blasts suggests that elevated p21/WAF/Cip1 levels may contribute to specific features observed in AML1-ETO positive leukemia.


In a complementary Discussion Paper (MMCP DP 12 2011) we set out the reasons why we believe that there is extensive scope for linkage development into and out of SSA's commodities sectors. In this Discussion Paper, we present the findings of our detailed empirical enquiry into the determinants of the breadth and depth of linkages in eight SSA countries (Angola, Botswana, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa Tanzania, and Zambia) and six sectors (copper, diamonds, gold, oil and gas, mining services and timber). We conclude from this detailed research that the extent of linkages varies as a consequence of four factors which intrinsically affect their progress – the passage of time, the complexity of the sector and the level of capabilities in the domestic economy. However, beyond this we identify three sets of related factors which determined the nature and pace of linkage development. The first is the structure of ownership, both in lead commodity producing firms and in their suppliers and domestic customers. The second is the nature and quality of both hard infrastructure (for example, roads and ports) and soft infrastructure (for example, the efficiency of customs clearance). The third is the availability of skills and the structure and orientation of the National System of Innovation in the domestic economy. The fourth, and overwhelmingly important contextual factor is policy. This reflects policy towards the commodity sector itself, and policy which affects the three contextual drivers, namely ownership, infrastructure and capabilities. As a result of this comparative analysis we provided an explanation of why linkage development was progressive in some economies (such as Botswana) and regressive in others (such as Tanzania). This cluster of factors also explains why the breadth and depth of linkages is relative advanced in some countries (such as South Africa), and at a very nascent stage in other countries (such as Angola).


Obesity and related comorbidities are becoming increasingly prevalent globally. In mice preconception paternal exposure to a high fat diet (HFD) impairs the metabolic and reproductive health of male offspring, despite their control diet (CD) consumption. However, offspring share lifestyle, including diet, with parents. We assessed if male offspring from HFD fathers have a heightened susceptibility to HFD‐induced metabolic and reproductive derangements. This 2 × 2 design saw founder males (F0) and their offspring (F1) fed either a HFD or a nutritionally matched CD. Regardless of paternal diet, HFD fed male offspring had greater total body weight and adiposity. Offspring sired by a HFD male and fed a HFD were the heaviest, had the greatest adiposity and had the greatest concentration of serum cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, and NEFA compared with CD sired/fed littermates. A synergistic increase in serum insulin was unmasked by both father/son HFD consumption, concomitant with increased sera glucose. Either a paternal or offspring HFD was associated with similar reductions to offspring sperm motility. Whereas sperm ROS concentrations and sperm–oocyte binding saw detrimental effects of both F0 HFD and F1 HFD with an interaction evident between both, culminating in the most impaired sperm parameters in this group. This indicates that metabolic and fertility disturbances in male offspring sired by HFD fathers are exacerbated by a "second‐hit" of exposure to the same obesogenic environment postnatally. If translatable to human health, this suggests that adverse reproductive and metabolic outcomes may be amplified across generations through a shared calorie dense diet, relevant to the current worldwide obesity epidemic.


BiPAP ventilatory assistance can increase minute ventilation and reduce respiratory effort, but does not always reduce PaCO2. We studied the effects of BiPAP ventilatory assistance on PaCO2 and examined specific mechanisms whereby BiPAP ventilatory assistance may not lower PaCO2. BiPAP ventilatory assistance using a non-rebreather valve and volume cycled ventilation at similar settings produced significantly lower PaCO2 than BiPAP ventilatory assistance using a standard exhalation device. The failure of PaCO2 to fall with the standard exhalation device was due to exhalation past the exhalation device into the ventilator tubing, subsequent rebreathing of the exhaled gases, and an increase in dead space ventilation. Use of other fixed-resistance exhalation devices also resulted in exhalation back into the ventilator tubing. Use of a new plateau exhalation device or a non-rebreather valve eliminated CO2 rebreathing and its effect on dead space ventilation. Changing exhalation devices had no significant effect on BiPAP pressure generation or sensing capabilities. Our results indicate that the use of a standard exhalation device during BiPAP ventilatory assistance causes CO2 rebreathing, which can blunt any effect of BiPAP on PaCO2. Use of an appropriate alternative exhalation device can eliminate this problem.


Abstract Many argue that peace agreements should contain provisions of extensive power-sharing arrangements and international intervention in order for their implementation to succeed. Yet, despite the presence of these arrangements, many countries fail to implement peace agreements or worse, return to war. Rather, as this paper argues, the implementation of many peace agreements depends on the decision-making environment: After warring factions sign a peace agreement, the promised concessions may result in changes to military or political vulnerability, making each step toward implementation contentious. To successfully implement a peace agreement, the steps taken by the signatories must result in mutually vulnerable political or military states. Importantly, varying levels of political, financial, and military intervention from the international community affect the degree of vulnerability felt by the signatories, subsequently impacting the implementation process. Examples from the cases of Mozambique, Liberia, and Angola are used to illustrate the mechanism of mutual vulnerability. Introduction Negotiated settlements have been increasingly accepted as the preferred way of ending a civil war. A strong indication of this is the sharp increase of United Nations (UN) missions across the globe: since the end of the cold war, the UN has more than doubled the number of its peacekeeping missions since its first one in 1948 (United Nations, 2005). However, despite the increased desire to intervene in conflicts and stop hostilities early, negotiated settlements have a poor record of success. Some studies show that only 50 percent of all negotiated settlements last beyond five years (Licklider, 1995: 685), while in others, negotiated settlements have been shown to keep the peace for only three and a half years (Hartzell, Hoddie, and Rothchild, 2001: 195). This timeframe suggests that warring parties cannot successfully implement the peace agreement. This is not surprising, given the high uncertainty of the implementation period; there is a gap between the concessions required in the peace agreement--such as demobilization or political power sharing--and the actual steps needed to achieve those goals. For example, while a provision of the peace agreement may be demobilization, the incremental decisions to implement it, which might include when and where to deploy observers or which party moves first, change the military and political power structure of the post-conflict period. The changes in the military and political power structure may create impasses or in a worse case, result in renewed hostilities. Although the uncertainty and impasses may be unavoidable--the essence of a peace agreement is compromise--it may be possible to re-consider the means for overcoming impasses and reducing the chance that they will lead to conflict. How can negotiated settlements be made more certain and impasses in the implementation of peace agreements overcome? While ample scholarly work considers the conditions under which parties begin negotiations or sign agreements, relatively little explores the transition from the signing of a peace agreement to its implementation. In this article I argue that peace agreements are more likely to be successfully implemented --and thus decrease the chance of a resumption of hostilities--when the signatories view themselves as mutually vulnerable. Mindful that concessions made by one side change the balance of power--and hence the vulnerability--between the factions, I argue that a peace agreement's implementation will most likely advance when former combatants find themselves mutually and equally vulnerable. I use examples from the implementation processes of Mozambique, Liberia, and Angola to demonstrate the effect of mutual vulnerability. Four sections follow this introduction. In the next section, I briefly review common prescriptions for stability following a peace agreement. …


From a 'postliberal' perspective I argue that there is no means by which divine truth can incontrovertibly be known or directly understood and communicated. However a communitarian and historicist approach locates the experience and the expression of the engagement with God in the community of the church. The central problematic of ecclesiology is the discerrunent of authentic continuity with Jesus Christ in the context of churches which are divided, sinful, limited, and variously ordered. I have examined one strand of Anglo-Catholic ecclesiology as a case study of an attempt to assert a particular ecclesiology as true for the whole church. Second, 1 have traced the steps by which the Church of England gained legal authority over its central concerns of worship, doctrine and self-government, in order to sift out ecclesiological ideas implicit in its decision making. In these two chapters my focus has been to articulate an account of the idea of how God has been and should be made manifest in the structures and ordering of the Church of England. Third, I have evaluated the way ecclesiology has been deliberately used as an element of the legitimation of change in the church in particular in the Turnbull report. From these sources I have tried to extrapolate an overview of the actual role ecclesiology has played in the contemporary Church of England. I predict that ecclesiology will grow more significant in the Church of England, and that this will be beneficial, but to do so optimally it requires reinforcement with a stronger critical apparatus. I conclude that the determination of authentic continuity with Jesus Christ will not be found in the articulation and application of prepositional divine truths, but in creative and dynamic engagement with God expressed and embodied in the community of the Church.


Dear Editor,

Although wasp stings are common environmental injuries, those regarding the eye are rare. Symptoms vary from mild hyperemia to sight-threatening complications [1,2,3,4]. Wasp stings to the eye lead to a mechanical insult caused by stinger penetration, resultant toxicity, and an immune response [1]. A few reports have documented ocular inflammation induced by the venom or a retained stinger. In most cases, intraocular inflammation is treated with steroids or by removal of the stinger [2,3]. However, we encountered a case of severe panuveitis after an ocular wasp sting which could not be controlled by conventional therapy, resulting in sympathetic ophthalmia (SO) of the fellow eye. To our knowledge, this is the first report of SO induced by wasp venom.

A 53-year-old man was stung in his right eye, and one day later, arrived at Kyungpook National University Hospital with complaints of visual disturbance. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was hand motion and intraocular pressure (IOP) was 34 mmHg. We observed conjunctival injection, marked corneal edema with folds in Descemet's membrane, epithelial defects, stromal opacity, and severe anterior chamber reaction. Corneal and perilimbal infiltration was noted between 8 and 10 o'clock (Fig. 1A). The wasp stinger could not be identified during slit-lamp examination. The lens and fundus were obscured by corneal edema and anterior chamber reaction. B-scan ultrasonography showed hyperechoic signals in the vitreous. The patient was diagnosed with panuveitis, keratitis, and secondary glaucoma, and conservative treatment was initiated with moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution 0.5%, prednisolone acetate 1%, atropine sulfate 1%, fixed-combination dorzolamide/timolol, sodium hyaluronate 0.1% eye drops, oral prednisolone, and an antihistamine. The following day, the corneal edema had reduced, but keratic precipitates were observed (Fig. 1B). After one week, BCVA deteriorated to no light perception. Two months later, BCVA and IOP of the affected eye were not changed, but corneal stromal infiltration had remarkably worsened (Fig. 1C), and the patient complained of visual disturbance with conjunctival injection in the fellow eye, despite a visual acuity of the fellow eye was 20 / 20. However, IOP was 32 mmHg, and slit-lamp examination revealed keratic precipitates, with mild inflammatory reactions in the anterior chamber and vitreous (Fig. 1D). Fundus examination showed multiple small whitish-yellow infiltrations at the posterior pole and mid-peripheral retina (Fig. 1E). Fluorescein angiography showed multiple hyperfluorescent dots, which were assumed to be Dalen-Fuchs nodules (Fig. 1F). Because there was no history of trauma or uveitis in the fellow eye, the patient's left eye was diagnosed as SO. Ten days later, enucleation of the right eye was performed because of severe ocular pain. The histopathological study found severe fibrinous membrane in the anterior chamber, inflammatory cellular infiltration in the ciliary body, and a severely disorganized retina in the enucleated eye (Fig. 1G). Many inflammatory cells, including lymphocytes, plasma cells, eosinophils, and pigmented melanocytes had infiltrated the choroid and retina, which suggested severe granulomatous inflammation (Fig. 1H). With systemic steroid treatment and immunosuppression with cyclosporine, inflammation of the left eye was well controlled.

Fig. 1

Changes of the injured and fellow eyes after wasp sting. (A) Slit-lamp examination of the right eye shows infiltration of the corneal and perilimbal sclera (black arrow). (B) Keratic precipitates present on the posterior corneal surface of the right eye. ...

Wasp stings are often associated with ocular inflammation. This is induced by a retained stinger or the inoculation of venom. The clinical manifestations commonly involve the cornea and anterior chamber [2,4]. However, wasp venom can invade the posterior segment and panuveitis can result from the accumulation of toxins in the vitreous [3]. In our case, despite the absence of a wasp stinger in careful ophthalmic examinations, ocular inflammation was severely aggravated. Thus, direct inoculation to the vitreous or deep penetration of the venom is a likely explanation. Furthermore, the patient suffered ocular inflammation in the fellow eye. This supports the notion that wasp venom can trigger severe inflammation with destruction of the eye structure and sensitize the fellow eye. Diagnosis of SO is based on the history and clinicopathologic findings. Dalen-Fuchs nodules, whitish-yellow lesions, are found typically at the choroid in the peripheral fundus of SO patients. In our case, multiple whitish-yellow infiltrations were found in the fundus, which were hyperfluorescent on fluorescein angiography.

Careful treatment of ocular wasp sting should proceed according to the mechanism of injury and the clinical manifestations. Nakatani et al. [3] reported that panuveitis after an ocular bee sting could be treated successfully through vitrectomy. In this case, we could not perform vitrectomy because corneal opacity and a severe anterior chamber reaction obscured the surgical field. Early and aggressive treatment, including surgical treatment, can be helpful to ensure functional and anatomical recovery.


an Oppressive Presence (Overtures to Biblical Theology), Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984. Pp. xvi + 128. Paper, $7.95. ISBN 0-8006-1536-0. Five exegetical essays, on Gen. 22, the confessions of Jeremiah, Job, Ecclesiastes and Ps. 73, each a sensitive and illuminating reading. They are brought together under a number of headings: the 'torment' and 'oppressive presence' of the title, the theme of'testing' in the book's introduction, and in the conclusion we are also offered a unifying thread comprising the interrogative mood, the wounded heart and the refusal to give up on God.


cancer and anaesthesia at the College of Anaesthetists of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland, the following consensus statement was developed by delegates to this unique BJA workshop (see online BJA open access supplement July 2014). This followed from their presentations of their own ongoing cutting edge research in this area and intensive interactive discussions around the existing literature and the priorities for future research. Initial brainstorming sessions resulted in a list of statements under various categories that was progressively distilled to the following concise summary after extensive inclusive discussion. We urge national and international research funding bodies to take note of these recommendations, particularly in terms of funding large-scale prospective, randomized, blinded clinical trials that can most effectively address the important clinical questions raised. We also urge the anaesthesia and cancer research communities to comment by corresponding with the BJA through its eLetter mechanism (http://bja. oxfordjournals.org/letters/).


The issue of whether innovation and technological advancement continually bring new phenomenon remains unpredictable, especially in the financial industry. As technology and digital services continue to ingrain themselves into more aspects of lives, the financial sector has not been immuned. New technology has given way to new services and with new services comes the gradual disruption of the old. This study researched on the influence of digital marketing and digital payment on consumer purchase behaviour in Coburg, Germany. The availability of digital marketing is enabling many companies of all sizes to embrace mobile and data while adopting a 'cloud first' approach to redesigning their business models. This brings about the introduction of a new 'pay-as-you-go' business model that enables efficiency, low-cost speed to scale and creation of new, richer customer experience. This research sort to examine the impact of digital marketing on consumer purchase behaviour, assess the factors influencing consumer to patronise digital payment and examine the future of digital payment methods. In this research, primary and secondary data are utilised. The data has been analysed using descriptive and multivariate statistical methods like factor loading analysis, correlation, cross tabulation, and chi-square. From this research, it is concluded that the availability of extensive information, variety of products, level of satisfaction and level of education are the most essential factors influencing digital marketing and digital payment and this will lead to an increase in the digital payment methods with more security in the future. Also, bitcoin will not be accepted as a future digital payment method.


In recent decades, Latin love poetry has become a significant site for feminist and other literary critics studying conceptions of gender and sexuality in ancient Roman culture. This new volume, the first to focus specifically on gender dynamics in Latin love poetry, moves beyond the polarized critical positions that argue that this poetry either confirms traditional gender roles or subverts them. Rather, the essays in the collection explore the ways in which Latin erotic texts can have both effects, shifting power back and forth between male and female. If there is one conclusion that emerges, it is that the dynamics of gender in Latin amatory poetry do not map in any single way onto the cultural and historical norms of Roman society. In fact, as several essays show, there is a dialectical relationship between this poetry and Roman cultural practices. By complicating the views of gender dynamics in Latin love poetry, this exciting new scholarship will stimulate further debates in classical studies and literary criticism with its fresh perspectives.


The effect of exposure concentration on halothane metabolism was studied in rats exposed to subanesthetic concentrations of halothane in air. Concentrations of halothane, total nonvolatile fluorine, and volatile metabolites (CF3CH2Cl and CF2 = CHCl) were determined in liver, kidneys, muscles, and brains excised at the end of a 3-hr exposure. It was observed that concentrations of all halothane metabolites in tissues rose less than exposure concentrations, that nonvolatile fluorine was present in all tissues in approximately the same concentrations, and that concentrations of volatile metabolites in liver were much higher than in any other tissues. A simulation model was used to support the following conclusions. Metabolism of halothane by all metabolic pathways is flow limited at small exposure concentrations and is capacity limited at high exposure concentrations. Volatile metabolites formed in livers are efficiently removed from circulation by pulmonary clearance, but trifluoroacetic acid is accumulated in the body. Halothane is most susceptible to biodegradation to trifluoroacetic acid, but this pathway is saturated at very small exposure concentrations. Susceptibility to biodegradation of volatile metabolites is small, but the pathways are not saturated even at anesthetic concentrations. The contribution of each of the three metabolites to total metabolic clearance depends on exposure concentrations. Trifluoroacetic acid was the major metabolite during exposure to small halothane concentrations; formation of more toxic, volatile metabolites increased during exposure to high concentrations. Postmortem formation of metabolites was studied in order to prevent its interference with tissue analysis. The method for determination of volatile metabolites is described.


An experimental demonstration is given of the reduction of floating body effects in narrow channel SOI MOSFETs, as manifested by the saturation region subthreshold characteristics, latch-up, and breakdown voltage. The mechanisms responsible for this reduction are explained by original experiments and simulations. These are a deterioration of the carrier lifetime near the channel edges caused by local stress and defects, and a lowering of the source-body built-in potential barrier, resulting from dopant outdiffusion/segregation into the isolation oxide.


Eczema is one of the cutaneous manifestations of primary immune deficiencies. It may therefore serve as a model for the understanding of atopic dermatitis (AD) provided the eczema in the immune deficiency under consideration is a constant feature and is similar to AD. In the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome the eczematous eruption is (i) a constant feature of the syndrome, (ii) indistinguishable from AD when diagnostic criteria for AD are used, and (iii) clears dramatically after a successful bone marrow graft, which suggests that immune dysfunction is directly involved in the pathogenesis of the eczema.


RATIONALE
Familial pulmonary arterial hypertension results from heterozygous inactivating mutations of the BMPR2 gene. Traditional mutation analysis identifies pathogenic mutations in some 70% of linked families. We hypothesized that the apparent shortfall is due to mutations located in the promoter region of the gene, resulting in abnormal gene regulation.

OBJECTIVES
To identify mutations in untranslated sequence regulating BMPR2 transcription.

METHODS
DNA upstream of the coding region was analyzed by direct sequencing in 16 families. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis and rapid amplification of cDNA ends of normal human lung RNA were used to investigate transcription of this region. Transcript levels were assessed by allele-specific expression analysis and inhibition of nonsense-mediated decay in lymphoblastoid cell lines.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
The wild-type transcriptional start site of BMPR2 was defined, 1,148 bp upstream of the ATG. Within this region, we identified a double-substitution mutation, predicted to form a cryptic translational start site, in one family. The mutant transcript contains a premature stop codon predicted to trigger nonsense-mediated decay. Expression analysis in the patient's cell line indeed showed reduced expression of the mutant transcript that could be restored to normal by inhibiting nonsense-mediated decay.

CONCLUSIONS
Activation of a cryptic translation initiation site is a novel mutational mechanism in this disorder. These results demonstrate that the 5'-untranslated region of BMPR2 is considerably longer than previously thought, emphasizing the need to fully characterize the BMPR2 promoter and the importance of analyzing noncoding regions in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension who are negative for mutations within the coding region and intron-exon junctions.


In a natural setting, adaptive mechanisms constantly modulate the encoding properties of sensory neurons in response to changes in the external environment. Recent experiments have revealed that adaptation affects both the spatiotemporal integration properties and baseline membrane potential of sensory neurons. However, the precise functional role of adaptation remains an open question, due in part to contradictory experimental results. Here, we develop a framework to characterize adaptive encoding, including a cascade model with a time-varying receptive field (reflecting spatiotemporal integration properties) and offset (reflecting baseline membrane potential), and a recursive technique for tracking changes in the model parameters during a single stimulus/response trial. Simulated and experimental responses from retinal neurons are used to track adaptive changes in receptive field structure and offset during nonstationary stimulation. Due to the nonlinear nature of spiking neurons, the parameters of the receptive field and offset must be estimated simultaneously, or changes in the offset (or even in the statistical distribution of the stimulus) can mask, confound, or create the illusion of adaptive changes in the receptive field. Our analysis suggests that these confounding effects may be at the root of the inconsistency in the literature and shows that seemingly conflicting experimental results can be reconciled within our framework.


Comparison of Viable Human Sperm Count Using Three Different Methods Hypo-Osmotic Swelling Test, Viability/Cytotoxicity Assay, and Eosin-Nigrosin Technique: A Laboratory Study H. Hakimi [1] Received: 14/10/08 Sent for Revision: 16/05/09 Received Revised Manuscript: 15/10/09 Accepted: 21/11/09 Background and Objectives: Sperm viability is one of the semen parameters that should be noted in male infertility approaches. Depending on the laboratory's facilities and especially the purpose of the experiment, i.e. diagnostic or therapeutic, one or more of the diagnostic techniques are employed. In the present study, three methods Hypo-Osmotic Swelling Test (HOST), Viability/Cytotoxicity Assay (VCA), and Eosin-Nigrosin Technique (ENT) have been compared in terms of cost, required equipments, diagnostic value, and rapidity. Materials and Methods: In this laboratory study semen samples from six healthy volunteers referred to the Andrology laboratory, Hallamshire hospital, Sheffield, UK were investigated in 2002. In 4 ependorfs, 180µl of 5 x106 sperm/ml of prepared sperm using percoll gradient method were decanted. Three of the ependorfs were treated with 20µl of Chlamydia LPS at final concentration of 0.1 µ g/ml for 6 h at 37 oC in 5% CO2 for 6 h and the last ependorf was treated with 20µl of 1 x EBSS as control. After 6h incubation the sperm viability was measured using HOST, VCA, and ENT methods . The data was then analysed using t-test and One-way ANOVA. Results: The findings of HOST, VCA, and ENT indicated that sperm mortality rate enhanced markedly in the presence of lipopolysaccharide from Chlamydia trachomatis at0.1μg/ml [35.5±4.1% (HOST) , 33.8±3.3% (VCA), 34.4±3.9% (ENT), p less-than 0.05). However, the differences between the test groups were not statistically significant in the inter-group comparison . Conclusion: If sperm viability assessment is required only for diagnostic purposes, ENT is suggested as a preferred method, because it is cheap, easy, fast, handy, and needs no specific facilities. Key words : Sperm, Viability, Cytotoxicity , Hypo- O smotic Swelling, Eosin-Nigrosin Funding: This research was funded by Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences and conducted at the University of Sheffield, UK. Conflict of interest: None declared. Ethical approval : The Ethical Committee of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences and Sheffield University jointly approved the study. [1] - Assistant Prof., Dept of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran (Corresponding Author) Tel: (0391)5234003, Fax: (0391) 5225209, E-mail: email@example.com


In this paper we introduce a quasi-experimental methodology to assess the benefits of an entrepreneurial learning program, based on LinkedIn profile data. We compare the career paths of two cohorts of participants in the mentoring sessions of the Innovation Labs pre-accelerator, compared with a control group formed by persons of similar age and entrepreneurial interest who did not benefit from the added value of the mentorship program. We appraise the advantages and limitations of studying online traces of professional identity in LinkedIn public profiles. We discuss how a content analysis of LinkedIn public profiles illuminates the impact of Innovation Labs as a significant learning experience. In this sense, we present our proposed quasi-experimental method in terms of: (1) objectivity: digitally mediated factuality as a product of design; (2) narrativity: modes of subjectification through self-making practices; (3) sociality: social relations, systems of acknowledgment, and reputation building processes; (4) performativity: the role of digital traces and online inscriptions in reality construction. In order to assess the learning benefits of Innovation Labs, we take into consideration various forms of capital which are circulated on the participants' profiles, and we reflect on processes through which social capital is converted into symbolic resources, intellectual assets and career horizons. We also explore how participation in the program is framed and described, on LinkedIn public profiles, as a significant experience in one's professional development. Therefore, our study is significant not only in refining impact evaluation theory and research, but also in understanding how technology shapes our knowledge of the professional world, with practical implications on developing effective strategies of professional self-presentation and reputation consolidation.


Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common pathogen that colonizes the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. Isolates from sputum are typically all derived from the same strain of bacterium but show extensive phenotypic heterogeneity. One of these variants is the so-called small colony variant, which also shows increased ability to form a biofilm and is frequently resistant to multiple antibiotics. The presence of small colony variants in the sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis is associated with a worse clinical condition. The underlying mechanism responsible for generation of the small colony phenotype remains unclear, but a final common pathway would appear to be elevation of intracellular levels of cyclic di-GMP. This phenotypic variant is thus not just a laboratory curiosity, but a significant bacterial adaptation that favors survival within the lung of patients with cystic fibrosis and contributes to the pulmonary damage caused by P. aeruginosa.


Sequential model-based optimization sequentially selects a candidate point by constructing a surrogate model with the history of evaluations, to solve a black-box optimization problem. Gaussian process (GP) regression is a popular choice as a surrogate model, because of its capability of calculating prediction uncertainty analytically. On the other hand, an ensemble of randomized trees is another option and has practical merits over GPs due to its scalability and easiness of handling continuous/discrete mixed variables. In this paper we revisit various ensembles of randomized trees to investigate their behavior in the perspective of prediction uncertainty estimation. Then, we propose a new way of constructing an ensemble of randomized trees, referred to as BwO forest, where bagging with oversampling is employed to construct bootstrapped samples that are used to build randomized trees with random splitting. Experimental results demonstrate the validity and good performance of BwO forest over existing tree-based models in various circumstances.


In engineering, the excessive slip of shear connectors will arouse the failure of the beams, and cracks in the brittle material element can increase the slip. In this paper, composite beam is composed of the brittle and ductile material elements and there are cracks in the brittle material element. Based on the relation between the slip strain and flexural rigidity, defining rigidity coefficient as there are cracks in the brittle material element, the total change in the slip strain at a given section due to cracking of the brittle material is obtained. The end slip that incorporates the effects of the brittle material cracking is calculated by integrating the slip strain. Letting the end slip equaled to the ultimate slip of shear connectors, the ultimate load formation of composite beam is gotten.