Background: Cavernous hemangioma of colon is an uncommon vascular malformation, usually presenting with painless rectal bleeding and anemia. Examinations of computerized tomography, magnetic resonance image and colonoscopy are helpful to establish a definitive diagnosis. But sometimes however, it is difficult to recognize this kind of tumor due to lack of specific findings. Surgical treatment is often the first choice. Other treatments like sclerotherapy, electrocautery, radium implantation or cryosurgery have also been described.
Case presentation: We reported one case of cavernous hemangioma located in transverse colon treated by laparoscopic segmental colonic resection. The diagnosis we suspected before the operation was gastrointestinal stroma tumor. But the paraffin pathology proved it a hemangioma. Fortunately, protractor biopsy did not lead to hemorrhage and the hemangioma was resected successfully.
Conclusion: Colonic hemangiomas are extremely rare in clinical practice. Some of them have untypical radiological and endoscopic manifestations, which make preoperative diagnosis ambiguous. Endoscopic biopsy should be cautious. Consultation with experienced radiologists, endoscopic physicians and multidisciplinary team is beneficial. Choice of the surgical method depends on intraoperative judgement and the result of frozen pathology. And paraffin pathology decides whether carry out an extended or radical colectomy afterwards.


Following damage to spinal cord, sexual function and fertility of the survivors would greatly be affected and using assistive reproductive therapies would be inevitable. During a 2-year program, 1429 SCI survivors of Iran-Iraq War were thoroughly examined by urologists. Patients' demographic characteristics and information relevant to sexual and fertility status as date of marriage, number of children and use of assistive reproductive therapies, were recorded. The mean age of the survivors was 37.9±8.5 y/o and the mean period after injury was 14.6±2.9 years. 87.4% of the subjects suffered from paraplegia and 98.4% of them were men. Sexual dysfunction reported in 69.9% of the subjects while fertility problems observed in 58.5%. 23.7% of the cases had no child and 30.4% had a single one. Success rate following IUI, IVF and were 21.9%, 24.1% and 20% respectively. Statistical analysis revealed no relation between level of spinal cord injury and fertility. Relatively high success rate after assistive reproductive therapies would maintain the hope of bearing a child after Spinal Cord Injury.


In the new TSPC flipflops, speed and power bottlenecks of the original TSPC and the existing differential flipflops are removed. Delays are reduced by factors of 2.0, 2.2 and 2.4 for the dynamic, the semi-static and the fully-static flipflops, respectively. In the same time, power consumptions are also reduced so the power-delay products are reduced by factors of 3.5, 3.4 and 6.5 for A=0.25. Moreover, the clock loads are minimized, the circuits are completely non-precharged and the logic-related transistors are purely n-type in both n-latches and p-latches. It means that all logic operations can be done completely by n-transistors, which gives a very large speed advantage to this kind of CMOS circuits.


This paper estimate the capacity of BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) for the mitigation of wind power fluctuation with the smoothing effect in the Jeju Island. For the study, three wind farms located in the east side of Jeju Island are adopted. Generally, BESS system is installed according to the capacity of each wind farms. In order to reduce the capacity of BESS with the same effect on the power system, the proposed method composed of a BESS system for several wind farms has been studied. To verify the effectiveness, two kinds of simulation are carried out with PSCAD/EMTDC program. The simulation results show that it is possible to decrease the capacity of BESS, approximately 21% than total capacity of three BESSs with each winds, respectively.


Activated carbon was employed as the adsorption carrier for the metal ions in HCl solution of red mud, a solid waste produced in alumina industry. To improve the adsorption capacity to valuable metal ions, the activated carbon was modified by chemicals including HNO3, H2O2, H2SO4, H3PO4, NH3, Na2CO3, and tri-butyl phosphate (TBP). It was found that the modifications contributed the high adsorption capacity to almost all metal ions we focused on. In the case of TBP, remarkably higher adsorption capacity and selectivity of Sc3+ was observed. The correlation between the surface areas, IR spectra of those chemically modified activated carbons and adsorption was schemed.


In this major work, Lewis S. Feuer examines critical distinctions between progressive and regressive imperialism. He explores causes of anti-imperial ideologies, noting that unlike the spoliation that took place under regressive tartar, Spanish and Nazi colonizations, civilization flourished during the progressive imperialism of Hellenic, Macedonian, Roman, and modern British eras of empire-building. Feuer holds that it is erroneous to blame the relative backwardness of colonial peoples on the imperialism of Western democratic nations. In case after case, the character of colonial rulers determined economic development and democratic reform alike. Pursuing the theme of progress versus regression, Feuer compares the imperialism of the United States with that of the Soviet Union - to the detriment of the latter in nearly every instance. His effort constitutes nothing short of a fundamentally new perspective on the lessons of modern history and the mistakes of modern analysts of international affairs. Feuer opens as well a new chapter in political psychology with his study of such anti-imperialist intellectuals as Hobson, Morel, and Leonard Woolf; his portrait of Emin Pasha, the heroic Jewish governor of Equatorial Sudan, suggests a living model for Conrad's Lord Jim.


We investigate the possibility of a superfluid-ferromagnet-superfluid (SFS) junction in a superfluid Fermi gas. To examine this possibility in a simple manner, we consider an attractive Hubbard model at T=0 within the mean-field theory. When a potential barrier is embedded in a superfluid Fermi gas with population imbalance (N{sub {up_arrow}}>N{sub {down_arrow}}, where N{sub {sigma}} is the number of atoms with pseudospin {sigma}= {up_arrow}, {down_arrow}), this barrier is shown to be magnetized in the sense that excess {up_arrow}-spin atoms are localized around it. The resulting superfluid Fermi gas is spatially divided into two by this ferromagnet, so that one obtains a junction similar to the superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junction discussed in superconductivity. Indeed, we show that the so-called {pi} phase, which is a typical phenomenon in the SFS junction, is realized, where the superfluid order parameter changes its sign across the junction. Our results would be useful for the study of magnetic effects on fermion superfluidity using an ultracold Fermi gas.


With the development of sensing and communication technologies in networked cyber-physical systems (CPSs), multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL)-based methodologies are integrated into the control process of physical systems and demonstrate prominent performance in a wide array of CPS domains, such as connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs). However, it remains challenging to mathematically characterize the improvement of the performance of CAVs with communication and cooperation capability. When each individual autonomous vehicle is originally self-interest, we can not assume that all agents would cooperate naturally during the training process. In this work, we propose to reallocate the system's total reward efficiently to motivate stable cooperation among autonomous vehicles. We formally define and quantify how to reallocate the system's total reward to each agent under the proposed transferable utility game, such that communication-based cooperation among multi-agents increases the system's total reward. We prove that Shapley value-based reward reallocation of MARL locates in the core if the transferable utility game is a convex game. Hence, the cooperation is stable and efficient and the agents should stay in the coalition or the cooperating group. We then propose a cooperative policy learning algorithm with Shapley value reward reallocation. In experiments, compared with several literature algorithms, we show the improvement of the mean episode system reward of CAV systems using our proposed algorithm.


Understanding protein dynamics requires a comprehensive knowledge of the underlying potential energy surface that governs the motion of each individual protein molecule. Single molecule mechanical studies have provided the unprecedented opportunity to study the individual unfolding pathways along a well defined coordinate, the end-to-end length of the protein. In these experiments, unfolding requires surmounting an energy barrier that separates the native from the extended state. The calculation of the absolute value of the barrier height has traditionally relied on the assumption of an attempt frequency, υ‡. Here we used single molecule force-clamp spectroscopy to directly determine the value of υ‡ for mechanical unfolding by measuring the unfolding rate of the small protein ubiquitin at varying temperatures. Our experiments demonstrate a significant effect of the temperature on the mechanical rate of unfolding. By extrapolating the unfolding rate in the absence of force for different temperatures, varying within the range spanning from 5 to 45 °C, we measured a value for the activation barrier of ΔG‡ = 71 ± 5 kJ/mol and an exponential prefactor υ‡ ∼4 × 109 s−1. Although the measured prefactor value is 3 orders of magnitude smaller than the value predicted by the transition state theory (∼6 × 1012 s−1), it is 400-fold higher than that encountered in analogous experiments studying the effect of temperature on the reactivity of a protein-embedded disulfide bond (∼107 m−1 s−1). This approach will allow quantitative characterization of the complete energy landscape of a folding polypeptide from highly extended states, of capital importance for proteins with elastic function.


In Byzantine musical manuscripts a number of compositions entitled thetalikon, politikon or persikon are regularly found. As is generally accepted, titles as thetalikon or politikon indicate an analogous origin for these chants, while, respectively, in the case of persikon an influence from a so-called "external chant" is suggested. In the same way, other titles as dysikon and fragikon, meaning "Frankish" and "Western", are also detected; these, according to the practice of Byzantines scribes and composers, denote a western or Frankish origin and/or a certain influence of western music and liturgical practice, respectively. These eponymous and anonymous works may be found amongst compositions dating from between the second half of the 13th century and the first half of the 14th century, and in works composed in the second half of the 15th century, the 16th and the 17th. The settings of the first category, as also their composers, can be located in Constantinople after the fall of the City to the Crusaders at the beginning of the 13th century and the period of the Frankish occupation. The compositions of the second category clearly belong to the musical output of Venetian-ruled Crete. Their common trait is that their composers are related in some way to the Frankish or Venetian occupation.
The purpose of this study is to identify the morphological or other traits of these compositions considered by their composers or scribes as denoting a certain western influence, which is apparently expressed in the above-mentioned titles.


Abstract. The African nightshades (ANS) have been part of the food systems in sub-Saharan Africa for generations. They are particularly attractive to small scale farmers because the risks of crop losses are much lower compared to the exotic vegetables. Plant viruses are economically important pathogens affecting African nightshade production. More than 200 plant viruses are reported to infest solanaceous family crops. This study was carried out to detect Potato virus Y associated with African nightshade. Symptomatic leaf samples were obtained from four agro-ecological zones in Kenya. The viral pathogens were detected using serology and molecular techniques. Laboratory experiments were carried out at the University of Nairobi and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) from February 2017 to August, 2018. Field samples had the highest mean viral percentage frequency of 44.8% compared to greenhouse samples having 29.8% using serology methods. Molecular testing revealed that greenhouse and farm field sample were positive for the three Potato virus Y strains PVYN:O (necrotic recombinant), PVYO (ordinary) and PVYNTN (necrotic). Detection of Potato virus Y in ANS suggests that it is prevalent in the sampled regions and could cause problems to other solanaceous crops.


Background: Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer in women. This tumor is hormone dependent tumor and oncologists use estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2 for treatment of this malignancy. Androgens like testosterone and their receptors (AR) have a role in the pathophysiology of breast cancer but their clinical values are not clear. Method: AR expression was evaluated in 49 patients with breast cancers using immuno histochemistry. Testosterone was evaluated with ELISA. The relation of clinical characteristics and biomarkers with AR and testosterone were analyzed. According to the percentage of stained cells AR categorized to: AR-absent (0%), AR-poorly (1%-10%), AR-moderately (>10%-50%), and AR-highly (>50%) positive. Results: Among 49 patients with breast cancer, 34% were AR-positive and 44% of ERpositive and 22% of ER negative patients were AR-positive. There was no significant association between mean of testosterone and AR, ER, PR and HER2. AR was positive more frequently but not significantly statistically in older patients and patients less than 45 years of age. Testosterone level was higher in ER positive patients than ER negative and lower in AR positive patients than AR negative patients, but these findings were not statistically significant. ten persent of breast cancers were triple negative and AR was negative in all of them. Conclusion: Androgens and AR have role in pathophysiology of breast cancer and in the future one can use the potency of this pathway for the treatment of breast cancer.


In the design of future mobile ad hoc networks, it has been widely assumed that adaptive antenna arrays could significantly improve the overall network throughput. However, implementing adaptive antenna systems is neither simple nor inexpensive. In order to make reasonable decisions regarding the use of such technology, the achievable performance improvement using adaptive arrays must be quantified. This paper studies the system throughput of mobile ad hoc networks with various antenna configurations. Computer simulations are used to calculate these throughputs. The computer simulation allows control of various parameters, such as antenna geometry, number of antenna elements, node movement model, propagation model, and channel characteristics. The performance of systems using adaptive arrays is compared to the performance of a baseline system which uses omnidirectional antennas. In particular, the performance of systems that steer only the main beam is compared with systems that steer nulls as well. It is shown that steering only the main beam of an adaptive antenna array, so that it points in the direction of the signal of interest, results in performance that is only slightly better than that of an omnidirectional antenna. However, steering the nulls along with the main beam, such that the signal to interference ratio is maximized, results in system throughput that is several times greater than that obtained with omnidirectional antennas.


In family-centered intervention, one important issue is to support families' different ways to manage stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether professionals encourage positive coping strategies in families of children with disabilities. Data (videotaped planning meetings and interviews) from 5 families enrolled in intervention programs were used. The data were analyzed deductively by applying theoretical concepts of 4 types of positive coping. Goal-directed problem-focused coping was the most frequently used type of coping, together with spiritual beliefs and practices. Professional encouragement of families' own strategy to solve problems occurring in everyday life must focus not only on explicit problem solving but also on the use of supplemental coping types.


This research was supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Aging) Grant P01 AG17211 under the auspices of the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE; www.create-center.org). The report was inspired by our collaboration with Willow Garage (www.willowgarage.com) who selected the Georgia Institute of Technology as a beta PR2 site for research (www.willowgarage.com/blog/2010/06/07/spotlight-georgia-tech).
This project is a collaborative research effort on human-robot interaction between the Human Factors and Aging Laboratory (Co-Directors Wendy A. Rogers and Arthur D. Fisk; www.hfaging.org) and the Healthcare Robotics Laboratory (Director: Charles C. Kemp; www.healthcare-robotics.com). Many thanks to the researchers in both laboratories for their contributions.


Many Western studies, seeing North Korea through the prism framed by the Cold War, depicts it as one or some combination of three images: a satellite of the Soviet Union, a totalitarian regime, or a feudal dynasty. This paper argues in contrast that it is best to explain North Korea's political institution centered around Suryong as a product of the collective choice to pursue the often contradictory dual goals of building a "socialist utopia" and achieving economic development. In pursuit of these goals, the Korean Workers' Party (KWP) has adopted a collectivist developmental strategy that places a premium on collective efforts and non-material incentives. Several problems arose in the process of implementation, and particularly serious were the challenges of de-Stalinism from outside and dogmatism from within as well as individualism among the public. The KWP responded with political projects: to solidify the Party and strengthen its unity with the public while privileging ideological incentives over material rewards. The series of choices has led to the establishment of the Suryong system where Kim Il-Sung occupies the central position of power around which the Party and mass are organized. While the Suryong system faced particularly difficult challenges in the 1990s, Kim Jong-Il's 'Military-First Policies' sought to institutionalize the system further by using the military to diffuse Suryong system's normative values throughout the society. This paper concludes by considering some of the negative consequences that the pursuit of such a strategy has brought about.


Over the last few years the increasing demand of housing for low income population in Colombia and several neighboring countries, associated to the significant increase of cost of land, has prompted construction companies to build medium to high rise reinforced concrete (RC) wall buildings. Most of these new residential buildings are constructed with walls that have thicknesses as low as 80 mm and are only lightly reinforced. The recent earthquakes in Chile (2010) and New Zealand (2011) have caused significant damage to some of the RC walls, some of which tended to buckle out-of-plane. In Colombia the wall thicknesses are significantly thinner than in Chile or New Zealand and is therefore is to be feared that these buildings may present the same out-of-plane failure mode during a future earthquake. Furthermore, many of the walls have only a single vertical reinforcement layer, which could increase the out-of-plane instability, as it will be shown in this paper. Although recent experimental tests have shown that wall out-of-plane deformations can extend throughout a relatively large part of the wall length, the boundary regions are the critical zones that control the development of associated failure modes. For thin walls behaving predominantly in flexure those boundary regions are subjected to mainly axial strains, and hence testing equivalent RC columns under cyclic axial tension and compression provides direct insights into the influence of the parameters triggering wall instability and possible out-of-plane failure. Within a collaborative project between the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and the Universidad del Valle, the EIA University, and the University of Medellin in Colombia, equivalent RC columns with a single vertical reinforcement layer are tested at EPFL in order to investigate the effect of loading history, reinforcement ratio and eccentricity of the longitudinal rebars with regard to the element axis ration the out-of-plane response. The paper presents the details of this recent experimental campaign, describing the geometry and the reinforcement layout of the specimens, the test setup, the extensive instrumentation used, and the results obtained from the first tests. The experimental findings allowed to draw initial conclusions on the development of the out-of-plane instability, on the particularities of single layer reinforcement members and on the development of out-of-plane failures.


Silurian–Devonian bimodal volcanism—a common feature of the northern Appalachians of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada—forms major belts of igneous rocks including the Coastal volcanic belt of New England and New Brunswick. The Coastal volcanic belt is one of the largest bimodal volcanic provinces in the world. Controversy remains regarding the tectonic setting of this volcanism; suggestions range from volcanic arc, to extensional continental rift, transpressional basin, backarc, or plume-modified subduction zone. The mapped Passamaquoddy Bay volcanic sequence of the Coastal volcanic belt of southwestern New Brunswick has a minimum thickness of 4 km and comprises 63 lithologic units that are divided into four distinct cycles of mafic-felsic volcanism. A preliminary U-Pb zircon date indicates an age of 423 Ma, similar to the age of the Cranberry Island bimodal volcanic series of the Coastal volcanic belt in Maine. Our analysis of 115 volcanic rocks for major and trace element concentrations indicates that the sequence is subalkalic and bimodal (basalt-rhyolite) with within-plate tectonic affinities. Most mafic rocks range in composition from basalt to basaltic andesite. The Mg# [defined as 100 × MgO/(MgO + FeO), where FeO = FeO T × 0.9] of the basalts ranges from 30 to 70, and there is a trend toward more primitive compositions upward in the section. The light rare earth element abundances of the basalts are enriched to levels of 30–130 times chondritic values. The flows are enriched in incompatible elements with respect to primitive mantle and show distinct Nb, Hf, and Sr anomalies. We interpret the basalts to be mantle melts modified by crustal contamination and mantle metasomatism from a previous subduction event. Most of the chemical variation can be explained by replenishment and fractionation of small magma chambers. The rhyolitic rocks are crustal melts, modified by crystal fractionation. Within each of the rhyolitic cycles there is an upward trend toward more evolved compositions as a result of an evolving magma chamber and magma-chamber zonation. We suggest that the rocks were erupted in an extensional environment and that there was a significant zone of continental extension during the Late Silurian in the northern Appalachians. However, controversy remains regarding the precise nature of the tectonic setting and the duration and extent of this volcanism.


Essential Cases: Contract Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Bisset v Wilkinson [1927] AC 177, Privy Council. The document also includes supporting commentary from author Nicola Jackson.


Background: Morphine, a reference analgesic, has been widely used for a long time, but its safety profile is unsatisfactory. Butorphanol, a partial agonist and antagonist of the mu-opioid receptor and agonist of the kappa-opioid receptor, may offer a better safety profile than morphine. Therefore, the present meta-analysis was conducted to compare the analgesic efficacy and safety of butorphanol with that of morphine.
Methods: Three electronic databases, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL, were systematically searched to identify studies comparing the analgesic efficacy and safety of butorphanol with that of morphine. If heterogeneity tests revealed statistical heterogeneity, pooled analysis was conducted using a random-effects model; otherwise, a fixed-effects model was adopted. Sensitivity analysis was applied to assess the robustness of the results, and publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots and Begg's test.
Results: Nine studies, comprising 246 patients in the butorphanol groups and 245 patients in the morphine groups, were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analysis revealed no significant difference between the analgesic efficacy of butorphanol and morphine (risk ratio [RR] = 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79–1.17; P = .664). However, compared with morphine, butorphanol was associated with a lower incidence of pruritus (RR = 0.05, 95% CI 0.01, 0.17, P = .000), nausea (RR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.15–0.75, P = .008), and vomiting (RR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.12–0.95, P = .039). In contrast, the incidence of drowsiness/somnolence/sedation with butorphanol which was used was significantly higher than that with morphine (RR = 2.46, 95% CI 1.14–5.31, P = .022).
Conclusion: The analgesic efficacy of butorphanol was comparable to that of morphine. However, butorphanol offered a better safety profile than morphine in terms of pruritus, nausea, and vomiting, but was associated with a higher incidence of drowsiness/somnolence/sedation. Thus, butorphanol may be an appropriate substitute for morphine for patients with risk factors of pruritus and postoperative nausea and vomiting, and patients requiring both analgesia and sedation. Because of the limited number of the studies currently available, more research is needed.


High‐resolution biogenic and geologic proxies in which one increment or layer is formed per year are crucial to describing natural ranges of environmental variability in Earth's physical and biological systems. However, dating controls are necessary to ensure temporal precision and accuracy; simple counts cannot ensure that all layers are placed correctly in time. Originally developed for tree‐ring data, crossdating is the only such procedure that ensures all increments have been assigned the correct calendar year of formation. Here, we use growth‐increment data from two tree species, two marine bivalve species, and a marine fish species to illustrate sensitivity of environmental signals to modest dating error rates. When falsely added or missed increments are induced at one and five percent rates, errors propagate back through time and eliminate high‐frequency variability, climate signals, and evidence of extreme events while incorrectly dating and distorting major disturbances or other low‐frequency processes. Our consecutive Monte Carlo experiments show that inaccuracies begin to accumulate in as little as two decades and can remove all but decadal‐scale processes after as little as two centuries. Real‐world scenarios may have even greater consequence in the absence of crossdating. Given this sensitivity to signal loss, the fundamental tenets of crossdating must be applied to fully resolve environmental signals, a point we underscore as the frontiers of growth‐increment analysis continue to expand into tropical, freshwater, and marine environments.


CONTEXT
Volume of certain surgical procedures has been linked to patient outcomes. The Leapfrog Group and others have recommended evidence-based referral using specific volume thresholds for nonemergent cases. The literature is limited on the effect of such referral on hospitals, especially in rural areas.

PURPOSE
To examine the impact of evidence-based referral by volume standard for 5 hospital procedures (abdominal aortic artery repair, coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass graft, esophageal cancer surgery, and pancreatic resection) in a largely rural state.

METHODS
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Iowa State Inpatient Dataset was analyzed to identify hospitals meeting the volume standard versus those not meeting the standard.

FINDINGS
Relatively few hospitals perform these procedures in Iowa. Hospitals performing the procedures at a volume above the threshold standard set by the Leapfrog Group tend to be larger, receive more transfers from other hospitals for these procedures, and perform fewer of these procedures on an emergency basis. In Iowa, hospitals that met the volume standard did not differ from hospitals that did not meet the volume standard in risk-adjusted mortality rates. The impact of evidence-based referral would be substantial in terms of travel time for some procedures (ie, coronary artery bypass graft, pancreatic resection, and esophageal cancer surgery) and produce considerable lost revenue for some hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS
Evidence-based referral would be associated with substantial burden for some patients and hospitals in Iowa. This negative impact does not appear to be offset by improvement in in-hospital mortality rates. These initial findings suggest that there are a number of issues that need to be considered, especially in a rural state, before evidence-based referral is embraced as a means to enhance patient outcomes.


The most comprehensive text in its field, this anthology includes 74 articles in 9 areas of philosophy of religion: The Concept of God; Traditional Arguments for the Existence of God; Religious Experience; The Problem of Evil; Miracles, Death and Immortality; Faith and Reason; Science, Religion, and Evolution; and Religious Pluralism. The arrangement of the articles and the introductions which accompany them help place the readings in their historical or contemporary context, and ensure that you encounter a spectrum of viewpoints.


ABSTRACT This study conducts a critical examination of leadership behaviour practices in a selection of film adaptations of the Robin Hood legend. This paper extends traditional efforts with theorizing leadership beyond leaders and their followers to consider acted performance exhibitions of leadership through cultural artefacts. The theory of dramatism was used to consider the portrayal of leadership behaviours of the title character in six Robin Hood films released over the years 1922–2018. A coding scheme using the GLOBE study six global leadership dimensions and associated 21 primary leadership behaviours were used to examine the action and dialogue of acted behaviours in each scene in each film. The results showed that the Robin Hood character most frequently presented a charismatic/value-based leadership style across all films. The results are discussed in terms of the ability of film to explore issues of leadership with results highlighting how leadership traits and behaviours of traditional cultural legends evolve and are adapted to modern audiences. This study contributes to ongoing investigations of analysis of leadership from an HRD theory and practice lens as represented in cultural artefacts such as film.


A discussion between researchers in the field of industrial ecology led to the question of whether Wolman's work on the urban metabolism (UM) of cities in 1965 was the first to quantify material flows of urban societies. This forum communication retrieves an apparently lost, but remarkable, work in the development of material flow analysis (MFA). That work is known as the "Essay on the metabolism of Berlin," published in 1894 by the renowned German chemist and medical doctor, Theodor Weyl. To investigate the nutrition situation among the population in the city of Berlin, Weyl investigated the nutrient flows discharged from the city and compared these values to the nutrient consumption through food intake. The title, approach, and wording make his work a forerunner of UM studies today. This forum contribution aims to introduce Weyl's work to an interdisciplinary international readership. Therefore, we (1) give a brief overview of Weyl's professional life, (2) summarize his study based on the German article, and (3) conclude with a discussion of the relevance of his study for the tool, MFA, and the concept of UM today. A major difference between his work and contemporary studies on UM is the motivation of the author. Weyl's aim was not to highlight the problems associated with excessive human consumption of resources and pollution of the environment, but to investigate the nutrition situation of a society with a significant degree of malnutrition. The existence of the latter, particularly in developing countries, makes Weyl's study still relevant.


With the increasing usage of XML on information sharing over the Internet, a mechanism for defining and enforcing XML access control is demanded, such that only authorized entities can access the sets of XML data that they are allowed to. The research interests in these areas have grown significantly in recent years. Various access control enforcement solutions have been proposed, each with its inherent advantages and disadvantages. Yet, there is still no solution that can provide superior performance in all situations. In this paper, we present HyXAC, a hybrid approach to enforce XML access control. HyXAC integrates the two most popular categories of XML access control enforcement mechanisms, and earns the benefits from both. In particular, HyXAC first preprocesses user queries by rewriting queries and removing parts violating access control rules, and evaluates the re-written queries using subviews, if they are available. In HyXAC, views are not defined on a per-role basis. Instead, a sub-view is defined for each access control rule, and roles sharing identical rules will share sub-views. Moreover, HyXAC dynamically allocates memory and secondary storage resources to materialize and cache sub-views to improve query performance. We have conducted extensive experiments, and the results show that HyXAC improves query processing efficiency while optimizes the use of system resources.


A firm grasp of metrics and how to implement them can prove vital to the health of your organization-and your career. To gain support from senior management, you must link technical metrics to business metrics-you must show how increases in productivity and quality translate into a better bottom line. So your business and strategy determine the metrics you track. Select measures that are obtainable and that truly matter to your organization's work. You also must be able to collect or derive the metrics data without undue burden. Remember that it's not the measures themselves that matter, but the decisions that will be based upon them. Measures that are expensive or cumbersome to collect will detract from the measurement program's perceived value. Overly intrusive or complex data collection can turn people off and encourage them to invent numbers. The best measures are those that are a natural outcome of people's work, like the number of batch jobs processed in a day or the amount of downtime a system records.


Noroviruses (NoV) are the leading cause of outbreak of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. A substantial effort has been made in the development of analytical devices for rapid and sensitive food safety monitoring via the detection of foodborne bacteria, viruses and parasites. Conventional analytical approaches for noroviruses suffer from some critical weaknesses: labor-intensive, time-consuming, and relatively low sensitivity. In this study, we developed a rapid and highly sensitive biosensor towards point-of-care device for noroviruses based on 6-carboxyfluorescein (6-FAM) labeled aptamer and nanomaterials, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene oxide (GO). In an assay, the fluorescence of 6-FAM labeled aptamer was quenched by MWCNTs or GO via fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). In the presence of norovirus, the fluorescence would be recovered due to the release of the 6-FAM labeled aptamer from MWCNTs or GO. An easy-to-make paper-based microfluidic platform made by nitrocellulose membrane was used to conduct the assay. The quantitative detection of norovirus virus-like particles (NoV VLPs) was successfully performed. A linear range of 0-12.9 μg/mL with a detection limit of 40 pM and 30 pM was achieved for the MWCNTs and GO based paper sensors, respectively. The results suggested the developed paper-based microfluidic device is simple, cost-effective and holds the potential of rapid in situ visual determination for noroviruses with remarkable sensitivity and specificity, which provides a new way for early identification of NoV and thereby an early intervention for preventing the spread of an outbreak.


This article presents a thorough overview of the VAT Gap measurement as an indicator of fraud. Recently, the measurement has received prime attention for its perceived correlation to the revenues lost due to fraud and its ability to help in the enactment of measures to eliminate it. The article aims at pointing out a so far unexplored limitation of this measurement, namely the absence of regional disparities. It is suggested that Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) located in rural areas can potentially be more prone to evade Value Added Tax (VAT), than those located in urban areas. Yet regional disparities are not taken into consideration, and do not influence, the VAT Gap measurement. It is argued that the lack of empirical data regarding regional disparities challenges the effectiveness of the measurement. This limits the possibility of having a wider understanding of VAT fraud tendencies and challenges the enactment of effective anti-fraud policy. It is nevertheless argued that, despite this limitation, consideration should be given to reforms that target SMEs within rural settings, such as increasing the levels of audits and enhancing tax morale.


The sonar of dolphins has developed over millions of years of evolution and has achieved excellent performance levels. Using the excellent performance of the dolphins sonar as an inspiration, bio-inspired wideband acoustic sensing methods for underwater target detection and tracking are being developed. In this study the authors explore what they expect to gain from such a wideband sonar. The systems wideband sensors are based on bottlenose dolphins sonar, covering a frequency band from around 30 to 150 kHz and having a frequency dependent beamwidth considerably larger than that of conventional imaging sonars. The system can be made relatively compact and is suitable for mounting on a variety of platforms including small-scale autonomous underwater vehicles to allow the sonar to operate in a similar way to that used by dolphins. In contrast to high-resolution image processing techniques, detection and classification in the wideband system are based on pattern recognition methods applied to the echo spectra. The authors highlight the properties of the transducers needed for such a system indicating how these properties may be exploited to give improved sonar performance. The results obtained from such a system are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of this approach.


The relation between neurodevelopmental status at one and eight years of age was investigated in a cohort of 207 infants born between 1979 and 1982 at < 33 weeks of gestation. The probability of a major disabling impairment at eight years was only 1 per cent among 164 children with normal neurodevelopment at one year, but 56 per cent for the 43 impaired children and 92 per cent for the 23 of these who had major disabling impairments. Close correspondence was found between the type of major impairment diagnosed at one and eight years. Neurodevelopmental status at one year also predicted the need for extra educational provision by eight years, with probabilities of 9 per cent for children without impairment at one year, 56 per cent for impaired children and 87 per cent for those with major impairments. Similarly, neurodevelopmental status predicted an IQ of more than 2 SD below the mean (< 70), with probabilities of 0, 30 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively.


As consumer demand for Internet access and online services continues to grow, so does the competition for market share (i.e., subscriptions) among Internet Service Providers (ISPs). According to recent surveys consumers rate two criteria as most important when deciding to subscribe, or continue a subscription, to an ISP: • the connection quality provided to consumers by the network infrastructure. The connection quality refers to factors such as the accessibility, speed, and reliability of the Internet connection. Connection quality depends on the investments made in the ISPs network infrastructure (e.g., network bandwidth, router switching capacity, and server performance) and the number of subscribers served by that infrastructure. Decisions about connection quality affect the quality of services and, therefore, consumer demand for these services. • the price charged by the ISP for access to its Internet services. In this paper, we develop an economic model, based on the well-established model of R&D competition used by D'Aspremont and Jacquemin (1998) and Amir and Wooders (1998), to examine the trade-offs between decisions made about investments in connection quality and decisions made about pricing the services that result from these investments for firms competing in a duopoly market for Internet access and services. More specifically, we address the following research questions: • How should an ISP determine the optimal investment in connection quality (or network infrastructure)? • How should an ISP price its services and respond to changes in the investment and pricing decisions made by competing firms? • How will falling technology prices (e.g., for network bandwidth, server capacity and performance, and other infrastructure technologies) affect the optimal investment and pricing decisions by ISPs in this market? Two key findings in this analysis are that when considering a market for Internet services in which consumers are more sensitive to differences in price than differences in connection quality: • Prices charged by ISPs should be positively correlated with each other (independent of differences in connection quality) • Falling technology prices should encourage ISPs to invest more heavily in connection quality which will result in better access and service quality for consumers, but at higher prices. The results of the analyses will help decision-makers in the Internet services market better understand the implications of their investment and pricing decisions on consumer demand for services and firm profits.


) is one of the most important agricultural products for export in Iran. According to published statistics by FAO in 2008, more than 244000 ha of farm lands in Iran have been allocated to palm cultivation. Large amounts of palm wastage are thrown away without any usage annually. By contrast, cocopeat, which is produced from coconut trees, is imported for different purposes per annum. Thus, in order to find an alternative compound to cocopeat, an experiment was conducted with different combinations of palm leaf petioles (date-peat), cocopeat and perlite in hydroponic culture beds for strawberry under controlled conditions. The results showed that the best combination was achieved when a mixture of two parts of perlite, one part date-peat and one part cocopeat resulted in increased fruit yield, fruit number, chlorophyll content and leaf area. Additionally, the highest vitamin C content was observed in 3: 1 ratio of perlite and cocopeat treatment. On the other hand, application of three parts of date-peat + one part of cocopeat and also three parts of cocopeat + one part of date-peat, led to increased total soluble solids however there was no significant difference between mixtures. Nowadays, the growth medium in hydroponic bed mainly consists of mixture of cocopeat and perlite. Presented results suggest that palm wastages (date-peat) could be a good alternative to be partly substitute coconut fiber for strawberries and possibly other hydroponic crops. Key words:


Background Oropharyngeal cancer is an important, understudied cancer affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a significant risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer. Current generation HPV vaccines are effective against the 2 most common types of high-risk HPVs in cancer (hrHPVs 16/18). Objectives This study aims (1) to yield population estimates of oncogenic genotypes of HPV in the mouth and oropharynx of defined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations; (2) to estimate the proportion of oropharyngeal cancer attributable to HPV among these Australian citizens; (3) to estimate the impact of HPV vaccination as currently implemented on rates of oropharyngeal cancer among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians; and (4) taking into account impact on oropharyngeal as well as cervical cancer, to evaluate efficacy and cost-effectiveness of targeted extended HPV vaccination to older ages, among our study population. Methods Our study design and operation is straightforward, with minimal impost on participants. It involves testing for carriage of hrHPV in the mouth and oropharynx among 1000 Aboriginal South Australians by simple saliva collection and with follow-up at 12 and 24 months, collection of sexual history at baseline, collection of information for estimating health state (quality-of-life) utilities at baseline, genotyping of viruses, predictive outcome and cost-effectiveness modeling, data interpretation and development of vaccination, and follow-up management strategies driven by the Aboriginal community. Results Participant recruitment for this study commenced in February 2018 and enrollment is ongoing. The first results are expected to be submitted for publication in 2019. Conclusions The project will have a number of important outcomes. Synthesis of evidence will enable generation of estimates of the burden of oropharyngeal cancer among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and indicate the likely effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of prevention. This will be important for health services planning, and for Aboriginal health worker and patient education. The results will also point to important areas where research efforts should be focused to improve outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with oropharyngeal cancer. There will be a strong focus on community engagement and accounting for the preferences of individuals and the community in control of HPV-related cancers. The project has international relevance in that it will be the first to systematically evaluate prevention of both cervical and oropharyngeal cancer in a high-risk Indigenous population taking into account all population, testing, and surveillance options. Registered Report Identifier RR1-10.2196/10503


Despite documented superiority of positron emission tomography over other investigative modalities in the preoperative staging of non-small cell lung cancer, a proportion of patients will have an inaccurate staging of their mediastinal nodes. The aim of this retrospective review is to analyse the clinicopathological factors responsible for inaccurate nodal staging by integrated PET-CT. A total of 100 consecutive patients with histologically proven non-small cell lung cancer underwent staging with PET-CT prior to lung resection. Thirty-three patients, inaccurately staged by PET-CT, were analysed. Univariate analysis identified the following as significant in causing inaccurate nodal staging: history of tuberculosis (P=0.039) and non-insulin dependant diabetes (P=0.014). In multivariate analysis, we have identified the following as independent factors in causing inaccurate staging of mediastinal lymph nodes: rheumatoid arthritis, non-insulin dependent diabetes, history of tuberculosis, presence of atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and pneumonia (P<0.05). The highest rate of inaccuracy in mediastinal nodal staging was in nodal station 4 (11%, P=0.01) followed by station 7 (10%, P=0.02) and station 9 (3.5%, P=0.01). Interpretation of PET-CT staging of the mediastinum in patients with a history of the above should be with caution, as the incidence of false upstaging and down staging in these subgroups is high. Vigilance of such factors may improve the accuracy of PET-CT in staging mediastinal lymph nodes. Histological confirmation should always be sought.


Context. About a quarter of all post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are hydrogen-deficient. Stellar evolutionary models explain the carbon-dominated H-deficient stars by a (very) late thermal pulse scenario where the hydrogen-rich envelope is mixed with the helium-rich intershell layer. Depending on the particular time at which the final flash occurs, the entire hydrogen envelope may be burned. In contrast, helium-dominated post-AGB stars and their evolution are not yet understood. Aims. A small group of very hot, helium-dominated stars is formed by O(He)-type stars. A precise analysis of their photospheric abundances will establish constraints to their evolution. Methods. We performed a detailed spectral analysis of ultraviolet and optical spectra of four O(He) stars by means of state-of-the-art non-LTE model-atmosphere techniques. Results. We determined effective temperatures, surface gravities, and the abundances of H, He, C, N, O, F, Ne, Si, P, S, Ar, and Fe. By deriving upper limits for the mass-loss rates of the O(He) stars, we found that they do not exhibit enhanced mass-loss. The comparison with evolutionary models shows that the status of the O(He) stars remains uncertain. Their abundances match predictions of a double helium white dwarf (WD) merger scenario, suggesting that they might be the progeny of the compact and of the luminous helium-rich sdO-type stars. The existence of planetary nebulae that do not show helium enrichment around every other O(He) star precludes a merger origin for these stars. These stars must have formed in a different way, for instance via enhanced mass-loss during their post-AGB evolution or a merger within a common-envelope (CE) of a CO-WD and a red giant or AGB star. Conclusions. A helium-dominated stellar evolutionary sequence exists that may be fed by different types of mergers or CE scenarios. It appears likely that all these pass through the O(He) phase just before they become WDs.


U.S. Army soldiers (n = 52) attending Instructor Combative Training (ICT) courses at two military installations in the US were examined before, during and at the end of the course on self-defense efficacy (SDE), teaching combatives self-efficacy (TCSE), combatives state anxiety (CSA), and motivation. In a quasi-experimental design, a cognitive-behavioral coping intervention targeting combative anxiety was implemented. Two classes (n = 32) constituted the interventions and one class as a control group (n = 20). RM ANOVAs revealed a significant increase in SDE and TCSE across the course for the experimental groups. Specifically, the intervention group soldiers scored lower in CSA during high anxiety driven events and higher in motivation than the control group soldiers along the course progression. The results provide preliminary evidence that a combatives anxiety coping strategy can influence SDE, TCSE, CSA, and motivation during mandatory psychologically demanding training.


Fundamentally contradictory but inescapably joined dual attributes, wave and particle, remain a conceptually unsettling element at the heart of quantum mechanics. It was a career-long unanswered challenge for Bohr to rationalize quantum duality. The conceptual dilemma it presents has remained an open issue, a topic of continued discussion, ever since. Here we report the discovery of an experimentally manageable route to control the weirdness of duality. Ironically, entanglement, the other conceptually challenging weirdness of quantum theory, will be shown to be in control of duality. We establish a simple identity through which entanglement prescribes quantitatively the degree of duality, of combined waveness and particleness, that can be recorded in any one-quantum two-path coherence experiment.


The existence of measurement noise in XRD analysis brings about unneglected effect on analysis of elementary composition. In this paper, in order to eliminate the effect of the noise of nano powder of YBaCuO in XRD, Short Time Power Spectral (STPS) was presented in this paper. And the anti-interference capability of STPS was systematically studied and improved in accordance with theoretical analysis. Experiments were carried out to test the anti-interference ability of STPS with inertia filtering. The simulation results show that STPS spectrum of signals with additive noise or multiplicative noise is quite clear. It indicates that STPS with inertia filtering can overcome influence from different noise, and it has better capability of anti-interference from additive noise comparatively.


Fretting fatigue has grasped strong interest in last decades, some quantitative methods for the evaluation of fretting fatigue were developed. However, only very few studies have been reported on fretting wear, especially on its mechanical model and evaluation method. In this study, cumulative plastic strain is analyzed by FEM. To obtain accurate plastic strain, the shape change due to the plastic deformation has been taken into account. It is found that the cumulative plastic strain will be saturated after several hundred cycles at the initial fretting stage. Considering that fretting wear is very small during this early stage, as it can be observed from the fretting test, the wear at the contact interface before the saturation of cumulative plastic strain can be neglected. Since the saturated cumulative plastic deformation represents the stable deformation of the contact interface, it is proposed that the fretting wear can be characterized by the saturated cumulative plastic strain and accumulative shear stress. With this method, the wear profile of the specimen is predicted. By comparing FEM results with the experimental results of fretting wear, the proposed wear formulation is validated.


Changes in the cellular content of three polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) were compared at different stages of development in zygotic and somatic embryos of Pinus radiata D. Don. During embryo development, both the zygotic and the somatic embryos showed a steady increase in spermidine content, with either a small decrease or no significant change in putrescine. This led to a several-fold increase in spermidine/putrescine ratios during development of both types of embryos. Cell cultures of plant-forming and non-plant-forming lines derived from the same clone and growing on proliferation (maintenance) medium differed significantly in their polyamine levels. Mature, cotyledonary stage somatic embryos capable of germination and formation of plants could be distinguished by their higher spermidine/putrescine ratios from abnormal cotyledonary stage somatic embryos which were incapable of forming plants.


The interest fornonlinear modeling has increasedconcomitantly with the increased awareness of the ubiquity ofnonlinear systems. The traditional solution in analyticalchemistry, to linearize the system by some sort of samplepretreatment, is not always an option in process analyticalchemistry. Sample pretreatment merely introduces unwantedsources of error. The analysis should be performed in-line, orat least on-line, and facilitate a rapid prediction of keyprocess parameters.Keywords: multivariate calibration, nonlinear modeling,PLS, neural networks, linearing transform


PURPOSE
To characterize the clinical and pathologic features of patients who developed breast cancer (BC) after treatment for Hodgkin's disease (HD). Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that women who are cured of HD have an increased risk of developing BC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The clinical data, mammograms, and pathologic specimens of 37 women who developed 45 BCs (eight bilateral events), and had a prior history of treatment for HD were analyzed.

RESULTS
The median age at diagnosis of HD was 27 years (range, 11 to 60). All patients received radiotherapy (RT) to the upper part of their body, and 10 also had chemotherapy for HD. The median interval from the treatment of HD to the diagnosis of BC was 15 years (range, 8 to 34). The median age at diagnosis of BC was 43 years (range, 27 to 75), 41% of patients were 39 years old or younger. Most mammograms (81%) showed abnormal findings of mass and/or microcalcifications. Of the eight patients (22%) with bilateral tumors, four were synchronous and four were metachronous. Involvement of the medial half of the breast occurred more frequently than in patients with primary BC (39% and 21%, respectively; P < .002). But, the histologic types, grades, presence of lymphocytic reaction, and lymphatic invasion were similar to those observed in 935 primary BC patients who were previously analyzed at our center. The 6-year actuarial relapse-free survival (RFS) for node-negative BC after HD was 85%. Node-positive patients had a significantly lower RFS of 33% (P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS
In comparison to patients with primary BC, patients who develop BC after HD are more likely to be younger, have bilateral disease, and have their tumors more frequently involve the medial half of the breast. Pathologic characteristics, nodal involvement, and prognosis are similar to those of primary BC. BC in women who were treated for HD is becoming an increasing problem, as more patients cured of HD reach a follow-up time of 10 to 15 years. Breast examination and mammography at an early age should be part of the follow-up program for women who are cured of HD.


ABSTRACT Stationing of US nuclear weapons in Europe is a pillar of NATO deterrence. Despite their growing contestation, scholarly research on contemporary attitudes of both voters and political elites to the continued stationing of these weapons on their soil is lacking. We conducted original surveys of 2020 Germans and of 101 Bundestag members. Our results show scepticism about the military utility of US nuclear weapons in Germany, and aversion towards their use. At the same time, the results show a sizable support among both politicians and citizens for their removal from German territory as part of new nuclear arms control initiatives.


Research in the field of peer influence is often based on the data collected through direct observation, interviews and surveys. These methods can be prone to bias and errors induced through human errors caused by question or answer interpretation or interviewee recall of historical events.
My research utilises a unique form of data collection in the learning analytics domain.
The data source is the anonymised digital footprint generated through the interaction of students wifi enabled devices and the universities wifi platforms. This datasets are collected without the intervention of researchers. It is hypothesized that the analysis of wifi logs can identify: student location patterns, duration of visits to each location and more importantly those who colocation regularly at these location. This research will carry out a longitudinal study to identify friendships and the correlation between friends academic results.


Barium titanate (BaTiO3, BT) and potassium niobate (KNbO3, KN) ceramics were prepared by normal sintering process. Phase diagram of BT-KN system was investigated using high-temperature XRD and dielectric measurement, and two phases coexistence between tetragonal and orthorhombic was observed at room temperature. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation confirmed that the microstructure of the ceramics with KN contents below 30 molar% was composed of only tetragonal BT-rich grain, while those with KN contents above 40 molar% were composed of two kinds of grains, i.e., tetragonal BT-rich and orthorhombic KN-rich grains. Phase boundary between two phases for BT-KN ceramics was grain boundary. Thus, we named two phases coexistence region for BT-KN ceramics "wide-band morphotropic phase boundary (MPB)". Finally, dielectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated, and both dielectric and apparent d33 maximum were observed at the 0.5BT-0.5KN ceramics.


Art tourism describes people travelling to explore, visit, and engage in movement and activities related to art. The study aims to assess the impact of art tourism at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) with regard to economic, socio-cultural and environmental factors. Additionally, the study would be of help in developing a sustainable plan for the improvement of art tourism in CCP. The researchers used Quantitative Method specifically Descriptive Method to gather data for the study. As data gathering tool, survey questionnaires were employed and measured through Cronbach's alpha for consistency. The respondents were tourists visiting CCP for art tourism purposes; specifically, dance performing arts. The researchers were able to devise a sustainable plan and drew up action plans to address the problems observed to improve the venue. The study mainly concluded that the positive impacts on the site are evident and the negative impacts showed slightly evident results. Overall demographic profile of the respondents was determined as having no significant difference; except, for the positive economic impact in the age profile; and the negative economic, negative socio-cultural and negative environmental on the educational attainment profile.


Due to the aggravation of human activities and global climate changes in recent decades, catchment water cycle has experienced strong variation. The world is faced with profound water crisis, and water problems are especially severe and water disasters are of high frequency in China. Water problems have become significant obstacle factors for realizing sustainable development, which greatly threatens national economy and ecological safety. Given the scientific background of catchment water cycle evolution and water resources comprehensive regulation, we propose the method of solving water problems through water resources operation based on dualistic water cycle theory and discuss the developing status and existing problems of current water resources operation in China. On this basis, we also put forward the technical framework and key process of water resources regulation, which integrates the six links of monitoring, simulation, evaluation, forecasting, regulation and control. Furthermore, aiming at the background of the second phase of National Water Monitoring Capacity Building Project, we introduce a nationwide general software platform for water resources regulation. This platform will realize business collaboration and information sharing among three-scale platform of Ministry of Water Resources, basin authorities and provincial level, so as to overall improve the ability of water resources regulation and decision-making.


The (9;22) translocation which produces the Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome activates the abl oncogene from chromosome 9 by recombination with the bcr gene from chromosome 22. This fusion gene is transcribed into a new 8.5-kilobase chimeric mRNA which is translated into a novel Mr 210,000 fusion protein which has a protein tyrosine kinase activity that is greatly increased in comparison to the activity of the normal abl protein. Studies from this laboratory and others have shown that virtually all patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia have this new bcr/abl fusion gene. In contrast to these findings in chronic myelogenous leukemia, a small number of patients with Ph1(+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have been studied and were found to lack the bcr/abl fusion gene [bcr(-)], but to have a new activation of abl, by recombination with an as yet undetermined region on chromosome 22. In this study, nine adults with Ph1(+)-ALL have been examined for evidence of a bcr/abl fusion gene. Of the nine patients, five have a bcr/abl recombination, whereas the remaining four patients do not. In contrast, the children studied to date have all been bcr(-). These data suggest that adults with Ph1(+)-ALL are a more heterogeneous group on a molecular level than are children, and that further studies will be required to determine the spectrum of molecular defects in patients with Ph1(+)-ALL, and the relationship of these various molecular defects to the clinical disease state of the individuals.


irculation is pleased to announce a new initiative inpublishing: Circulation Online Only. In an effort topublish various types of articles more rapidly, we are lookingto put the Internet to its highest and best use and take fulladvantage of electronic publication. Thus, we now have asection of our journal entitled Circulation Online Only. Thearticles to be published in this section will be identified, andwhen applicable, an abstract published, on the special page inthe print journal differentiated by a red border. Each articlethat appears in Circulation Online Only is indexed in IndexMedicus, MEDLINE, and PubMed. Each article will alsoappear in the Table of Contents on the cover, denoted by a redstar, and in the Table of Contents within the journal, denotedby the letter e in front of the page number.We will now present the following articles Online Only:Letters to the Editor, Book Reviews, ClinicopathologicalConferences, and News. This will allow more rapid publica-tion of these contributions and their presentation to thereadership in a more timely manner.In an effort to reduce the time required for the publicationof manuscripts in Circulation and to keep the journal small insize and more readable, the Editors have decided to presentmost of the "Materials and Methods" portion of manuscriptspublished in Circulation as Online Only pages beginning inMarch 2000. This will allow us to save several pages in eachissue of the printed journal and make it possible to move upin time manuscripts now waiting to be published. We shallmonitor this effort closely and shall initially regard it as atemporary alteration in our publication method. However, if itis useful and worthwhile and does not detract from the printedjournal, we shall adopt this procedure more permanently inthe future.James T. Willerson, MD,Editor-in-Chief


Financing mode of municipal public utilities in agricultural High-tech Demonstration Zone of Yangling City was mainly divided into five kinds, including financial financing mode, debt financing mode, enterprise accumulation mode, business resources mode, foreign direct investment and private capital financing mode. Due to the single investment subject, narrow financing channel, monopoly management and ineffectiveness of capital utilization in infrastructure financing, PPP mode based on the co-operative financing of public sector and private enterprises was put forward. The financing applications of PPP mode in Yangling Demonstration Zone were discussed either. However, attentions should be paid to establish a benign partnership between government and private sector, and practice positively in the introduction of PPP. The operation mode of PPP mode as well as experience accumulated in bidding design and building construction could play a referential role in the infrastructure construction of Yangling Demonstration Zone and other regions.


Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections now occur in healthy adults in community settings. We searched the PubMed database to identify relevant articles on the clinical presentation, epidemiology, virulence, and treatment of community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections, including pneumonia. This information was summarized in a narrative review.MRSA infections cause approximately 30 infections per 100,000 people per year in the USA, and twenty percent of these infections are secondary to CA-MRSA. These community-acquired infections often involve the skin and subcutaneous tissue but can also involve visceral tissues such as the lung and bone. The overall mortality in patients with invasive disease is approximately 10%; it approaches 50% in patients with pneumonia. The bacterial isolates from these infections have the staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec types 4 and 5. This genetic characteristic produces beta-lactam resistance and helps distinguish these isolates from hospital-acquired MRSA, which usually have mec types 1-3. Some CA-MRSA isolates release the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), which causes neutropenia and tissue necrosis; other toxins also contribute to the virulence of these infections. Empiric therapy should include vancomycin or linezolid. CA-MRSA infections can have fulminant courses and high mortality rates. Physicians should consider these infections as possible emergencies with a high risk for organ system failure and shock.


Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) receiving L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA, the gold-standard treatment for this disease) frequently develop abnormal involuntary movements, termed L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias (LID). Glutamate overactivity is well documented in PD and LID. An approach to manage LID is to add to L-DOPA specific agents to reduce dyskinesias such as metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGlu receptor) drugs. This article reviews the contribution of mGlu type 5 (mGlu5) receptors in animal models of PD. Several mGlu5 negative allosteric modulators acutely attenuate LID in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) monkeys and 6-hydroxydopamine(6-OHDA)-lesioned rats. Chronic administration of mGlu5 negative allosteric modulators to MPTP monkeys and 6-OHDA rats also attenuates LID while maintaining the anti-parkinsonian effect of L-DOPA. Radioligand autoradiography shows an elevation of striatal mGlu5 receptors of dyskinetic L-DOPA-treated MPTP monkeys but not in those without LID. The brain molecular correlates of the long-term effect of mGlu5 negative allosteric modulators treatments with L-DOPA attenuating development of LID was shown to extend beyond mGlu5 receptors with normalization of glutamate activity in the basal ganglia of L-DOPA-induced changes of NMDA, AMPA, mGlu2/3 receptors and VGlut2 transporter. In the basal ganglia, mGlu5 receptor negative allosteric modulators also normalize the L-DOPA-induced changes of dopamine D2 receptors, their associated signaling proteins (ERK1/2 and Akt/GSK3β) and neuropeptides (preproenkephalin, preprodynorphin) as well as the adenosine A2A receptors expression. These results show in animal models of PD reduction of LID with mGlu5 negative allosteric modulation associated with normalization of glutamate, dopamine and adenosine receptors suggesting a functional link of these receptors in chronic treatment with L-DOPA.


Sorption of Pb, Zn, Cu by natural soils was investigated under conditions of variable pH, ionic strength and temperature. The results obtained from adsorption isotherm indicated that these data can be better fitted with the Freundlich equation than with the Langmuir equation in terms of regression coefficients. The parameters in the adsorption process were influenced greatly by solution pH and ionic strength. The Freundlich parameter KF increased with increasing pH and decreasing ionic strength, but the Freundlich parameter n changed adversely. Thermodynamic parameters of the process were calculated from sorption studies performed at different temperatures, and enthalpy changes (△H°) and entropy changes (△S°) of adsorption were found as -20.70 kJ/mol and 34.76 J/mol.K for Pb(II), -7.762 kJ/mol and 1.139 J/mol.K for Cu(II), -20.60 kJ/mol and 51.93 J/mol.K for Zn(II) respectively, showing that adsorption of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ on natural soil were exothermic and spontaneous at 5-45°C.


During mitosis, human cells exhibit a peak of protein phosphorylation that alters the behaviour of a significant proportion of proteins, driving a dramatic transformation in the cell's shape, intracellular structures and biochemistry. These mitotic phosphorylation events are catalysed by several families of protein kinases, including Auroras, Cdks, Plks, Neks, Bubs, Haspin and Mps1/TTK. The catalytic activities of these kinases are activated by phosphorylation and through protein–protein interactions. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge of the structural basis of mitotic kinase activation mechanisms. This review aims to provide a clear and comprehensive primer on these mechanisms to a broad community of researchers, bringing together the common themes, and highlighting specific differences. Along the way, we have uncovered some features of these proteins that have previously gone unreported, and identified unexplored questions for future work. The dysregulation of mitotic kinases is associated with proliferative disorders such as cancer, and structural biology will continue to play a critical role in the development of chemical probes used to interrogate disease biology and applied to the treatment of patients.


Beneficial effects of Angiotensin Receptor Neprilysin Inhibitors (ARNIs) in heart failure patients are increasingly being recognized. Current literature on ARNIs among LVAD patients is based on small retrospective studies; however, these reports suggest their acceptable tolerability, effective blood pressure control and improvement in NT-proBNP levels. As we continue to better understand their cardio-protective effects including potential of myocardial recovery their use in patients with LVADs is bound to increase. Side effects that may limit their tolerability include acute kidney injury, hypotension, hyperkalemia and angioedema. Clinical trials are ongoing to assess their safety and tolerability in LVAD patients.


New distributional records are presented for 20 species of mammals in Nebraska. The majority of these records appear to represent changes in geographic distribution rather than just better sampling in poorly known areas. One group of mammals, including the opossum, northern myotis, evening bat, red bat, woodchuck, white-footed mouse, and gray fox, is expanding westward, probably in response to increasing woodlands along river systems. Another group, including the meadow vole, masked shrew, and least weasel, is expanding southward, possibly in response to new prey species and changing microclimates. The eastern woodrat appears to be expanding northward in eastern Nebraska. The armadillo and hispid cotton rat also have been documented as expanding northward into Nebraska in previous studies. The mountain lion is expanding eastward into extreme western Nebraska and reclaiming some of its historical geographic range, whereas the northern grasshopper mouse also is expanding eastward, but in extreme eastern Nebraska. On the other hand, mammals requiring large tracts of undisturbed prairie appear to be contracting in geographic range in Nebraska.


By fabricating structured materials, researchers have been able to modify and control the interactions of light and matter. In their Perspective, [Barnes and Sambles][1] discuss theoretical predictions reported in the same issue by Pendry et al . which suggest that new electromagnetic modes may be engineered into a metallic surface. Normally at microwave frequencies, metals are close to ideal reflectors and electromagnetic fields hardly penetrate. [ Pendry et al .][2], claim that if holes of the right size and spacing are drilled into the surface, the fields can penetrate enough to create new surface modes. This idea, which may be extended up to ultraviolet frequencies, may lead to a whole new class of surface metamaterials with a wide range of potential applications.

 [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/305/5685/785
 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/305/5685/847


Background and Objectives: Interventional endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a promising novel approach for intravascular interventions. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of a EUS-guided intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (EGIPS) with portal pressure gradient measurement in a live porcine model. Methods: The left hepatic vein (LHV) or the inferior vena cava (IVC) was punctured with a needle that advanced into the portal vein (PV). A guidewire was then inserted into the PV, and a needle knife was used to create an intrahepatic fistula between LHV and PV. Portal pressure was recorded. The fistula was dilated with a balloon and a biliary metal stent was deployed between LHV and PV under sonographic and fluoroscopic observation. A portocavography validated the patency of the stent. Necropsies were realized after euthanasia. Results: Portosystemic stenting was achieved in 19/21 pigs. Final portocavography confirmed stent patency between PV and LHV or IVC in 17 pigs (efficacy of 81%): Four stents were dysfunctional as two were thrombosed and two were poor positioned. Portal pressure was documented before and after shunting in 20/21 pigs. Necropsies revealed that 19/21 procedures were transesophageal and two were transgastric. Hemoperitoneum and pneumothorax were found in one pig and hemothorax was found in two pigs. Morbidity was 14.2% (3/21 animals). Conclusion: EGIPS was feasible in 91% of cases, functional in 81%, with 14.2% per procedure morbidity. EGIPS still needs to be assessed in portal hypertension pig models with longer follow-up before being considered as an alternative when the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt fails.


Objective: To present the outcomes of patients treated at a tertiary center for a diagnosis of genitourinary fistula secondary to gynecological and obstetric etiologies. Study Design: In this retrospective study, analysis was made of 18 patients with a diagnosis of genitourinary fistula in a tertiary center between January 2006 and June 2016. Patient data were taken from the archives and patient histories. A record was made of examinations, diagnostic methods such as cystoscopy and fistulography and appropriate medical treatments, demographic data, intraoperative and post-operative complications, duration of hospital stay, surgical operations and types, diameter and location of fistulas. Results: Of the 18 cases, 14 were secondary to obstetric trauma. In 10 of these 14 cases, fistula had developed after difficult vaginal delivery and in four cases, after caesarean section. Four of the 18 cases were secondary to gynecological surgeries, namely hysterectomy and cystocele repairs. Vesicovaginal fistulas were repaired transvaginally while vesicouterine fistulas and bilateral ureterovaginal fistulas were repaired transabdominally. The mean hospital stay was 3.8±1.5 days (2-7 days). Patients were followed up closely in the first 3 months and recurrence developed in only one case. Conclusion: Fistulas secondary to gynecological procedures are uncommon while fistulas secondary to inadequate perineal care, insufficient labor monitoring and difficulties in vaginal delivery techniques are more prevalent in Turkey. Thorough evaluation, using all diagnostic tools for complete diagnosis, understanding the pathophysiology and choosing the best surgical procedure are mandatory to obtain good outcomes after the surgical


Energy from the sun is the best option for electricity generation as it is abundantly available everywhere and sustainable source. Advance of Photovoltaic (PV) technology in recent years has made solar energy one of the practical alternative energy sources available in the energy market. In order to make the PV energy more affordable and cost effective, major focus of the research community and industry is improvement on power efficiency of PV systems. Parameter extraction of solar cell plays a crucial role in the simulation and design calculation of PV system. In this paper, in order to fast and accurately extract the solar cell parameters, differential evolution (DE) is proposed. The single diode and double diode model of solar cell is used as the basis for the extraction problem. The analysis carried out using current-voltage (I-V) characteristics showed that the proposed DE outperforms other methods, namely the genetic algorithm (GA) and partical swarm optimization (PSO).


The concentrations of tryptophan in serum and CSF, as well as that of 5-HIAA in CSF were investigated in various group of patients. Those with hepatic cirrhosis have normal total serum tryptophan. However, because of the low concentration of serum albumin the percentage of nonalbumin-bound tryptophan is elevated about 50 percent above the mean control value. By contrast tryptophan in the CSF was increased by 50 to over 800 percent. This suggests that there is also an increase in brain tryptophan and serotonin in the cirrhotic patients. No significant difference was found for the concentrations of tryptophan in CSF of patients in coma and those not in coma. Patients with hepatic coma had an elevated concentration of 5-HIAA in the lumbar CSF which may reflect the increase in this compound and in serotonin reported by Jellinger and Riederer (1977). However, following treatment with probenecid in order to block the egress of 5-HIAA from the CSF, the concentration of 5-HIAA in relation to that of probenecid was not significantly different for the group with hepatic coma as compared with the control group.


Optimal control problems for a class of nonlinear descriptor systems are considered. It is shown that they possess a well-defined analytical feedback solution in a neighborhood of the origin, provided stabilizability and some other regularity conditions are satisfied. Explicit formulas for the series expansions of the cost function and control law are given.


Numerous applications, not only Earth-based, but also space-based, have strengthened the interest of the international scientific community in using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs) as navigation systems for space missions that require good accuracy and low operating costs. Indeed, already successfully used in Low Earth Orbits (LEOs), GNSS-based navigation systems can maximise the autonomy of a spacecraft while reducing the burden and the costs of ground operations. That is why GNSS is also attractive for applications in higher Earth orbits up to the Moon, such as in Moon Transfer Orbits (MTOs). However, the higher the altitude the receiver is above the GNSS constellations, the poorer and the weaker are the relative geometry and the received signal powers, respectively, leading to a significant navigation accuracy reduction. In order to improve the achievable GNSS performance in MTOs, we consider in this paper an adaptive orbital filter that fuses the GNSS observations with an orbital forces model. Simulation results show a navigation accuracy significantly higher than that attainable individually by a standalone GNSS receiver or by means of a pure orbital propagation.


This paper introduces a maximal allowable workload task allocation problem (MAW) to address a class of distributed real-time systems that have unpredictable execution times due to varying workload. It is known that worst case execution time analysis is not well suited for these systems. This problem seeks to maximize the upper bound of permissible workload in an allocation so that it can sustain major workload fluctuations without the need for reallocation. An answer to the problem is significant in that it increases robustness of the system by reducing expensive reallocation costs such as process migration, which degrades system performance. Previously in [12], we presented and compared several heuristic algorithms experimentally, including simulated annealing, hill-climbing and random search. This paper expands the set of algorithms to include tabu search, genetic algorithm, dynamic programming, and optimal branch-and-bound. The main contribution of this paper is the performance comparisons among these various well known heuristic and optimal algorithms applied to the MAW problem. Through simulation experiments, relative solution quality and time complexity of the algorithms were evaluated and tradeoffs were revealed.


Intensive face to face has been going on as a strategy to blend learning in diploma in primary teachers" education at OUT. However, at The Open University of Tanzania there has been no study that has investigated whether students find it useful or not. Therefore, this study assessed students" perception on Intensive Face to Face sessions. The study specifically aimed at identifying students" perception on quality of interaction between tutors and students and between students on the other hand. It also explored the nature of challenges students meet in attending face to face sessions. Sixty students and ten tutors from the Institute of Continuing Education were consulted for questionnaire and interview administration. Overall, findings show that, students perceived intensive face to face as a resourceful occasion for their studies in terms of receiving clarification from tutors, promoting students" collaboration and acquiring study skills from peers. Students getting psychosocial support from peers were also another reason for students to positively perceive the intensive face to face sessions. Students also expressed concerns about tutors" strategies in identifying and addressing students" academic and psychosocial problems. The study recommends measures to make face to face comprehensive in nature that is, more in-depth research work in regard to the quality of teaching and learning sessions between tutors and students on one hand and between students on the other hand. Further studies on psychosocial support services that can be incorporated in the conduct of face to face for better support of ODL students can be done. Keywords : Perception, intensive face to face, distance education


This paper summarises the main results of an EU-funded research project, ARTEMIS (G3RD-CT-2001-00511), on noise from turbo-charged Diesel engine exhaust systems. The project started in September 2001 and ended in August 2004 and was co-ordinated by KTH. The project had 10 partners from 6 different European countries, 5 universities and 5 companies including some major truck and car manufacturers. The main objective was to develop new and improved computational tools for predicting noise from exhaust systems. New models for describing the engine as an acoustic source were developed and experimentally tested. They include a linear time-varying source model and a non-linear frequency domain model. Linear time-invariant source data was also determined both from experiments and using 1-D gas-exchange simulations. New and improved models were developed for the turbo-group including non-linear time domain models and a linear time-varying model. New models were developed and experimentally tested for sound transmission through the Diesel particulate filter included in modern Diesel engine after-treatment devices. Improved models were developed for describing perforate mufflers with high mean flow velocities. Improved experimental techniques for determination of transmission properties of duct system components were developed. Models were developed and coded for sound reflection and radiation from tailpipe openings. Full experimental validation of the Munt theory for radiation from open pipes with flow was produced. In conclusion it can be said that the project was successful and gave many useful results.


The high quality demands of batteries for electric vehicles require powerful tools for error detection in cell manufacturing. Furthermore,
cell diagnostics is a serious challenge because performance limitations occur on atomic scale and as batteries are closed systems
physical issues can hardly be detected only with the aid of experimental methods. Physico-chemical models enable to detect up to
seven various mechanisms of limitations but experimental parameterization is extensive. Therefore, in this study a fast mathematical
parameterization approach was used to simulate and diagnose cells with various manufacturing parameter configurations. Limitation
mechanisms are shown in correlation with impacts by calendering, electrode thickness, carbon black recipe and cathode active
material. Depending on the adjusted production parameters, they vary between low electronic conductivity, overpotentials due to
reduction of electrochemically active solid-liquid interfacial area and lowionic conductivity. Furthermore it is shown that characteristic
indicators for the particular limitationmechanisms can be observed in discharge curves at various C-Rates. Finally, a statistical analysis
demonstrates how parameter identification can be performed computationally as a side product from reparameterization.


Compare to atmosphere die casting or moderate vacuum die casting process, use of the high vacuum die casting can enhance excluding gas volumes in the mold, improve the casting mechanical properties and density, and increase the fabrication feasibility for casting small feature size, shape, and higher quality of product. The process of high vacuum die casting for dumbbell specimens is established and implemented for evaluation of this innovative manufacturing technology. A transparent acrylic mold is fabricated to investigate the vacuum injection for vacuum die casting process and a metal mold is fabricated to test the real manufacturing of high vacuum die casting. To visualize the flowing pattern inside the mold under the consequence of evacuation processing, flow visualization experiments are conducted. Then, the specimen is molded by the high vacuum die casting process and the specimen castings are test by a universal testing machine for its loading-elongation relationship. The porosities of specimen casting are examined by scale weighting and direct visual inspection ways. Experimental results show that the high vacuum die casting process is effective to reduce the porosity (5.47% increment in weight) and to increase the strength (4.83% increment in maximum stress) of the investigated specimen. An obviously vortex roll is established along the centerline position of dumbbell specimen which may be became the source of porosity in real processing. Meanwhile, an excellent vacuum sealing is critical to the success of high vacuum die casting.


Abstract—Darshan is a lightweight I/O characterization tool used to gather and summarize salient I/O workload statistics from HPC applications. Darshan was designed to minimize any possible perturbations of an application's performance, leading it to be enabled by default on a number of production HPC systems. For each file accessed by a given application, Darshan records the count and types of I/O operations performed, histograms of access sizes, cumulative timers on the amount of time spent doing I/O, and other statistical data. This type of data has proved invaluable in understanding and improving the I/O performance of HPC applications. Darshan 3.0.0 is the new modularized version of the traditional Darshan library and file format, allowing users to easily add more in-depth I/O characterization data to Darshan logs. In this work we perform an empirical evaluation of Darshan 3.0.0 to ensure that it continues to meet performance expectations for broad deployment. In particular, we evaluate the imposed overhead on instrumented I/O operations, time taken to shut down and generate corresponding Darshan log files, and resultant log file sizes for different workloads. These performance results are compared to results of Darshan 2.3.0 on the Edison XC30 system at NERSC to determine whether themore » new version is lightweight enough to run full-time on production HPC systems. Our evaluation shows that Darshan has limited impact on application I/O performance and can fully generate a corresponding log file for most application workloads in under two seconds.« less


Interpretation of subsurface lithology has been an integral part of bottom-hole investigation while drilling a well for hydrocarbon exploration. Conventional methods such as mud logging and open-hole logging have proven to be effective in this aspect. But there arises a need of the real time interpretation of subsurface drilling lithologies to have a better control over desired well path and economics, which is very limited through available conventional methods. This paper aims to provide a classifier that can deliver a justified chance of success in lithology estimation based on input matrix provided to the classifier. The dataset is taken from open source platform (Equinor), which provided the drilling history of 15_9_F_15_D well of North Sea Basin along with the interpreted lithology. This dataset is used to prepare the input matrix and the corresponding output used for the classifier. It incorporates seven drilling parameters, i.e. rate of penetration (ROP), weight on bit (WOB), bit rotation per minute, total bit rotations, corrected drilling exponent, mud flow & mud weight and the corresponding recorded subsurface lithology for each foot. It is made sure that the chosen drilling parameters have a direct impact on the rate of penetration with changing physical characteristics of the formations being penetrated. The formations are calibrated with the integer values from 1 to 5 for easier numerical computations. The prepared dataset is divided into two components i.e. training Set (80%), and test Set (20%) with feature scaling implemented. The most intuitive classification model among all the tested classification algorithms i.e. multiple classification algorithm, artificial neural network, and KNN search method is stated based on their individual F (1) score on the test set. It is observed that the cost function for the multiple classification model stopped reducing after the first few iterations irrespective of learning rate value alterations, which induced a limit on the accuracy provided by the chosen algorithm. It is observed that the performance of ANN is quite good for the lithology present in majority, such as claystone. However, the performance degrades exponentially for the lithologies occurring in minorities such as sandstone, dolomite, marl and limestone. The results obtained from KNN classification model not only provides an accuracy of 95% in claystone, 92% in sandstone and 89% in marl which makes this model the most appropriate classifier to be used among the three.
 The preliminary results, through the comparison among the three classifiers not only provides the most intuitive model for subsurface lithology prediction using real-time drilling data, but also gives an idea about the most appropriate classifier to be used in the future reference, be it any basin, given that the same set of drilling parameters are used as the input matrix for training the classifier.


From their semantic origins to their use in structuring effectful computations, monads are now also used as a programming pattern to structure code in a number of important scenarios, including functional reactivity, information flow tracking and probabilistic computation. However, whilst these examples are inspired by monads they are not strictly speaking monadic but rather something more general. The first contribution of this paper is the definition of a new structure, the polymonad, which subsumes monads and encompasses the monad-like programming patterns that we have observed. A concern is that given such a general setting, a program would quickly become polluted with polymonadic coercions, making it hard to read and maintain. The second contribution of this paper is to build on previous work to define a polymorphic type inference algorithm that supports programming with polymonads using a direct style, e.g., as if computations of type M τ were expressions of type τ . During type inference the program is rewritten to insert the necessary polymonadic coercions, a process that we prove is coherent—all sound rewritings produce programs with the same semantics. The resulting programming style is powerful and lightweight.


A district energy supply system for Almono, Pittsburgh has been studied by the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics, Carnegie Mellon University. Almono is a mixed residential/commercial redevelopment proposed for a 178 acre brown field site on the banks of the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh, PA. The district energy supply system would provide electric power, cooling, and heating for the occupants and the buildings of the site and for possible additional energy based developments. The various energy requirements of Almono's proposed residential and commercial buildings for power, cooling, heating, and hot water have been estimated first based on Energy Information Administration data (1993), and then again on the advanced building code of the International Energy Conservation Code 2006 (IECC 2006). A comparison of these estimates highlights the importance of building envelopes on the energy requirements of the Almono development. The daily and seasonal load profiles for power, cooling, and heating that challenge efficient and economic operation of district energy supply have been developed. Various prime mover technologies for combined cooling/heating/power, CCHP, systems have been considered: gas turbine, internal combustion engine, and steam turbine. These technologies affect the choice of fuel, and the fractions of power and heat provided. The paper estimates loads of the Almono site based on the operation and performance of both conventional and advanced residential and commercial office buildings, suggests additional energy loads that would provide for improved technical and economic performance of system, and considers the selection of a fuel and the use of solar energy as the energy sources. It presents preliminary overall flow diagrams for various district energy supplies that include various possible fuel and solar energy inputs, and use of the river as a heat source/sink. It also comments on operation of the district energy supply to meet the hourly and seasonal energy loads of the Almono site.