The objectives of this study were: To investigate computer-assisted digital radiographic measurement of Cobb angles in dogs with congenital thoracic vertebral malformations, to determine its intra- and inter-observer reliability and its association with the presence of neurological deficits. Medical records were reviewed (2009–2013) to identify brachycephalic screw-tailed dog breeds with radiographic studies of the thoracic vertebral column and with at least one vertebral malformation present. Twenty-eight dogs were included in the study. The end vertebrae were defined as the cranial end plate of the vertebra cranial to the malformed vertebra and the caudal end plate of the vertebra caudal to the malformed vertebra. Three observers performed the measurements twice. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to calculate the intra- and inter-observer reliabilities. The intraclass correlation coefficient was excellent for all intra- and inter-observer measurements using this method. There was a significant difference in the kyphotic Cobb angle between dogs with and without associated neurological deficits. The majority of dogs with neurological deficits had a kyphotic Cobb angle higher than 35°. No significant difference in the scoliotic Cobb angle was observed. We concluded that the computer assisted digital radiographic measurement of the Cobb angle for kyphosis and scoliosis is a valid, reproducible and reliable method to quantify the degree of spinal curvature in brachycephalic screw-tailed dog breeds with congenital thoracic vertebral malformations.


The development of political, economic, scientific and cultural spheres separate to and autonomous from the Catholic Church in Latin America during the long nineteenth century was a central aspect of the secularising agenda of liberalism, which contributed to the reformulation of relations between religious institutions, the state, and public life. But this was neither a linear nor an uncontested process. This workshop explored reformist, laicist, and anticlerical positions towards the Church in Latin American society to highlight the complex processes of negotiation between different groups of liberals and the Church, as well as their effects on the public sphere, examining the emergence of Masonic movements and the impact of Church-State relations on the evolution of citizenship and political identities. The workshop also reflected on the relationship between modernity, liberalism, and religion, in an attempt to historicise the categories of "religion" and the "secular".


ABSTRACT Rtimi, R.; Sottolichio, A. and Tassi, P., 2020. Tidal patterns and sediment dynamics in a hypertidal estuary influenced by a tidal power station. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 1520–1524. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The Rance estuary is a relatively small low-inflow steep-sided ria, located in the Brittany coast of northern France, with a maximum spring tidal range of 13.5 m at the mouth. Taking advantage of this hypertidal regime, the first and largest operational tidal power station in the world was built at the estuary mouth and is in operation since the 1960s. Despite a well-known effect of the plant on the damping of estuarine water levels, little attention has been given to the propagation of the tidal wave along the estuary. Moreover, net siltation has been reported by several observations, but there is no specific knowledge on the role of the plant on sedimentation. In this study, tidal wave patterns and sediment dynamics are analyzed in this particular man-engineered system. A numerical model, based on a two-dimensional depth-averaged approach is implemented to predict the tide propagation and tidal currents along the estuary. Numerical results are analyzed and discussed to highlight the role of the plant on the transformation of the tidal wave in the estuary and its possible consequences on sediment dynamics and morphological evolution.


Patients with severe head injury run a high risk of developing secondary cerebral defects. Various methods have so far been described which vary in their continuity, invasiveness and technical aspects for the early detection and treatment of complications. Within this group of patients Jehovah's witnesses pose a particular problem due to their restriction concerning therapeutical possibilities. That may mean an additional danger to the cerebral O2-delivery. This case report highlights on the value of continuous, non-invasive cerebral O2-saturation measurement and its combination with the fiberoptical monitoring of mixed venous O2-saturation. It has been possible to recognize episodes of imbalance between O2-delivery and its demand owing to a variety of causes. Other measured parameters were unable to reliably detect the development of critical complications. Further latrogenic loss of blood by laboratory tests was significantly reduced. Despite partially insufficient circulation and anemia with a hemoglobin value of 49 g/l we were able to discharge the patient from ICU without recognizable neurological sequelae.


Theory is developed to represent the macroscopic features of a floc blanket held in steady state. Flocs are treated as non-porous entities possessing a fractal structure. A particular feature of the analysis is the recognition of floc strength, floc sizes adjusting to the prevailing rate of energy dissipation within the blanket. Account is taken of the floc size distribution, with expressions derived to describe the blanket settling velocity and mass flux. Analysis of experimental data yielded detail of the blanket floc size scale ( d vo ), water content and strength. The mass flux was maximised when the floc volume fraction was close to 0.17. It was shown that the upflow velocity ( u ) complied with the dependence u ∝ S o /( Md  max  5− D ) in which d max is a maximum floc size, M the blanket solids concentration, D the fractal dimension and S o a strength scaling factor. Consideration was given to blanket characteristics in non-stationary conditions. The final section of the paper focuses on the attenuation capacity. It was argued that d vo should be as low as practicable in order to promote the capture of feed flocs by interception, to reduce the water content of the solids waste stream when using hydrolysing coagulants, and may also enhance the mass flux.


Large amounts of material are recycled along subduction zones by uprising magmas, of which
 volcanoes are the surface expression. This thesis focuses on the behavior of volatiles elements (S,
 Cl, H) during these recycling processes. The study area is the Indonesian arc system, which hosts
 many active volcanoes. Application of whole-rock and in situ analytical techniques on material
 collected from nine volcanoes provided a large data set including the chemical and stable isotope
 compositions of bulk lavas, and chemical compositions of minerals, melt inclusions and soluble
 material adsorbed on ashes from eruption plumes. Evidence is presented that sulfur is enriched in the sub-arc mantle by slab-derived additions.
 Magma sources in the mantle wedge are metasomatized by material enriched in heavy sulfur,
 most likely in the form of hydrous fluids, that is derived from subducted sediments rather than
 from subducted altered oceanic crust. Among the chalcophile elements, lead, and possibly
 copper, must have been added as well, whereas cobalt and nickel are largely controlled by the
 composition of the pre-subduction mantle. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that large sulfur fluxes at the onset of the 1982-83 eruptions of
 Galunggung volcano were derived from degassing of non-erupted deep-seated magma, whereas
 most of the chlorine must have been released directly from erupting magma. The presence the
 rare mineral zirconolite in vesicle fillings in the lavas of Lewotolo volcano provides strong
 evidence that high field-strength elements (e.g., Nb, Zr, Ti), rare earth elements (e.g., Ce, La,
 Nd) and actinides (Th, U) can be mobilized during fluid-driven processes in fluorine-rich shallow
 magmatic environments. This finding lends support to the hypothesis that HFSE, REE and
 actinide-bearing ore deposits in island arcs are preferentially formed around potassic magma
 bodies.


Most of the poorest people live in rural areas worldwide, characterized by uncertain rainfall, low levels of input use, and low returns to land and labor. Farmers in these risky production environments often face drought that interacts with many other agronomic stresses to reduce yields and push them deeper into poverty and hunger. The primary objective of this paper is to estimate the effects that have resulted from the adoption of drought-tolerant rice. Food security and water shortage are two major challenges for China. Rice is a staple food for most Chinese people and has played an important role in ensuring food security in China. This paper assesses the impacts of Hanyou 3, one of the drought-tolerant rice varieties that have been released to farmers' fields already in China, on water use and rice production. The results indicated that the rice farmers gave less irrigation to DT variety as compared to non-DT variety, saving about 30-40% of water over non-DT variety. It is also found that the DT rice variety in China yielded as much as existing high-yielding varieties under normal or high rainfall conditions.


In this paper, we report on the development of a new integrated-circuit sampling down-converter having its own pulse generator, local oscillator (LO), and IF amplifier. The internal pulse generator uses a step recovery diode together with a unique ultra-wide-band hybrid junction to generate sub-nanosecond balanced pulses for gating the sampling diodes. The down-converter exhibits a conversion gain from 12 to 15.5 dB over an RF frequency of 0.01-3 GHz with 10-MHz LO and sampling pulses of about 100 ps. Return loss at the RF port is better than 15 dB over this RF bandwidth. The down-converter exhibits a good linearity and low harmonic levels. This down-converter employs a coplanar waveguide and slot line to make the entire circuit uniplanar and is, thus, suitable for low-cost production. In addition, if has an internal pulse generator, LO, and IF amplifier, making it a compact receiver subsystem, which can readily be used in many microwave systems.


As the world faces a changing climate, agriculture needs to develop more efficient and sustainable food production systems. Traditional farming methods consume considerable amounts of energy and are largely manually controlled, which leads to sub-optimal production. Green-houses, which enable year-round crop growth, can play an important role in efficient food production. Leveraging the need for artificial light in greenhouses when the natural sunlight available is not sufficient, we envision that recent progress in Internet of Things (IoT) technology, together with novel Light-Fidelity (LiFi)-based methods have the potential to significantly reduce energy and resources used in food production. In this article we describe our work towards sustainable and precision greenhouses by using LiFi-enabled IoT. Here we present a battery-free wireless network of IoT sensor nodes that exploit LiFi for both communication and power harvesting, while monitoring environmental conditions for optimal greenhouse operation and plant production. We highlight the research challenges and the way forward to integrate LiFi to monitor and control greenhouses, as well as a proof-of-concept LiFi-enabled IoT system for a real-world greenhouse.


In this paper, a thermodynamically consistent formulation and numerical implementation of a gradient-enhanced anisotropic microplane damage model are proposed. The microplane model is derived based on the volumetric–deviatoric split and the kinematic constraint assumption. The mixed finite element formulation of displacement and nonlocal strains field is developed to simulate anisotropic quasi-brittle fracture. The proposed model is used to describe the mechanical behavior of anisotropic quasi-brittle materials by numerical simulations of uniaxial tension, simple shear, tension of a bar with localized deformation, and a rectangular specimen with a material imperfection. The results show the ability of the proposed approach to predict mesh-independent results for quasi-brittle damage behavior accompanied by the localization of deformation. Comparison between numerical and experimental results shows that the relatively simple model based on microplane theory together with the standard finite elements implementation is capable to realistically simulate complex behaviors related to fracture of quasi-brittle material such as concrete.


In the tectum opticum of the adult neotenic A. mexicanum, responses of single neuronal units to diffuse illumination and moving visual stimuli have been investigated. Of 111 unites investigated, 27 are presented by tectal neurons, their maximum distribution being observed at a depth of 500-600 mu. In superficial layers 9 ipsi-elements were found; their receptive fields are located in the antero-dorsal part of the visual field, at both sides of the body axis. Among the units identified as the terminals of visual fibers, 70% have receptive fields of 5-10 degrees, being localized in general more close to the surface as compared to the units with the receptive field diameter of 40 and more degrees (11%). Visual neurons and ganglionic retinal cells with axons terminating in the tectum, exhibit poor specificity to the size of a stimulus within 5-30 degrees and do not react to stimuli of 2 degrees.


We study convex empirical risk minimization for high-dimensional inference in binary models. Our first result sharply predicts the statistical performance of such estimators in the linear asymptotic regime under isotropic Gaussian features. Importantly, the predictions hold for a wide class of convex loss functions, which we exploit in order to prove a bound on the best achievable performance among them. Notably, we show that the proposed bound is tight for popular binary models (such as Signed, Logistic or Probit), by constructing appropriate loss functions that achieve it. More interestingly, for binary linear classification under the Logistic and Probit models, we prove that the performance of least-squares is no worse than 0.997 and 0.98 times the optimal one. Numerical simulations corroborate our theoretical findings and suggest they are accurate even for relatively small problem dimensions.


With fly ash, metakaolin, slag and alkaline activator as raw materials, the geopolymeric ceramic was synthesized and the properties, such as the weight loss, compressive strength and the structures, at high temperatures of 400~1200°C were measured. The weight loss is in the range of 8~13% from 400°C to 800°C. Comparing with the strength at room temperature, the compressive strength of samples is mostly increased at 400°C and all of them increased at 800°C. 9.65~28.32% strength declines at 1200°C. The variation of the compressive strength with temperature is explained based on the analyses of the phases constitutes and the thermal properties of samples.


Of important relevance will be an exploration into the critical success factors in making sustainable improvements within the Health Service and a focus upon enhancing and building confidence for the implementation of change. Building confidence in using improvement tools and techniques will be a key focus of the event. Crucially, the conference will offer excellent opportunities for networking with colleagues from across Scotland; sharing and promoting innovative and creative thinking for ways of working towards improving outcomes for patients. Speakers : Dr. Eddie Obeng, Founder & Director of Pentacle Carol Craig, Chief Executive of the Centre for Confidence and Well-Being Richard Norris, Director, NHS Health Council


The paper is devoted to the methods of automatic summarization, which use the representation of a text in the form of a graph. And contains an attempt at formal description of the text transformation in terms of the predicate calculus logic. The proposed method combines the use of a linguistic knowledge base, graph representation of texts and machine learning. The fragments of a text, such as words, sentences, paragraphs, are represented as graph nodes, and relations between nodes, for example, rhetorical relations, are denoted by edges. Automatic determination of rhetorical relations in the text allows you to set the location of the nucleus and satellite. To compile a brief annotation, it is necessary to transform the original text, based on the assumption that the nucleus contains the most important part of the statement. The relations between discursive markers in the text define a hierarchy that allows one to solve various problems of word processing in a natural language, including the task of automatically compiling a short abstract on a large volume of text. The summarization process created by the authors consists of six main steps: preprocessing, topic modeling, rhetorical analysis and transformation, weight evaluation, sentence selection, and smoothing. Topic modeling is used to discover key terms. First, unigram topiс models, that contain only one-word terms, are constructed. These models are further expanded by adding multiword terms. The most significant fragments of the source document are determined in the process of rhetorical analysis using discursive markers. Presentation of texts in the form of graphs helps to demonstrate the transformations with the text necessary to highlight important fragments. In assessing the importance of the text fragments are also included keywords, multiword and scientific terms, describing the scientific and technical texts. To store the marker information has created a linguistic knowledge base. The final step in the formation of the annotation is smoothing — a text conversion procedure that allows you to make the text of the abstract (annotation) received more coherent and consistent. The importance of sentences is determined using discursive markers and connectors. We used additive regularization for topic modeling (ARTM) to extract keywords and discover the topics. Our proposed BigARTM and Rake hybrid method for obtaining thematic models and the task of obtaining an abstract using RST markers, action and templates showed its effectiveness and efficiency in testing and in comparison with other methods as was shown in comparisons using the precision, recall and Fmeasure calculated in a way similar to [2, 10].


Pluralist and one-dimensional views are prevalent in the analysis of citizen participation processes linked to spatial planning processes. This article examines the defi nitions of such processes as proposed by authors with elitist, confl ictualist and, in general, multi-dimensional perspectives. Their contributions provide more suitable theoretical frameworks for social investigation purposes and highlight important variables such as the role of experts, the origin of participatory initiatives and their socio-political consequences. We maintain that multi-dimensional perspectives offer a more comprehensive approach to the analysis of urban policies in which citizen participation is embedded. Hence, the article focuses on four multi-dimensional approaches, their main differentiating features, and the ways in which they represent an alternative to one-dimensional conceptions of citizen participation in terms of the collective exercise of power and the actors and methods involved.


There has been considerable research on the problems of speaker and language recognition
from samples of speech. A less researched problem is that of accent recognition. Although this
is a similar problem to language identification, di�erent accents of a language exhibit more
fine-grained di�erences between classes than languages. This presents a tougher problem
for traditional classification techniques. In this thesis, we propose and evaluate a number of
techniques for gender and accent classification. These techniques are novel modifications and
extensions to state of the art algorithms, and they result in enhanced performance on gender
and accent recognition.
The first part of the thesis focuses on the problem of gender identification, and presents a
technique that gives improved performance in situations where training and test conditions are
mismatched.
The bulk of this thesis is concerned with the application of the i-Vector technique to accent
identification, which is the most successful approach to acoustic classification to have emerged
in recent years. We show that it is possible to achieve high accuracy accent identification without
reliance on transcriptions and without utilising phoneme recognition algorithms. The thesis
describes various stages in the development of i-Vector based accent classification that improve
the standard approaches usually applied for speaker or language identification, which are
insu�cient. We demonstrate that very good accent identification performance is possible with
acoustic methods by considering di�erent i-Vector projections, frontend parameters, i-Vector
configuration parameters, and an optimised fusion of the resulting i-Vector classifiers we can
obtain from the same data.
We claim to have achieved the best accent identification performance on the test corpus
for acoustic methods, with up to 90% identification rate. This performance is even better than
previously reported acoustic-phonotactic based systems on the same corpus, and is very close
to performance obtained via transcription based accent identification. Finally, we demonstrate
that the utilization of our techniques for speech recognition purposes leads to considerably
lower word error rates.
Keywords: Accent Identification, Gender Identification, Speaker Identification, Gaussian
Mixture Model, Support Vector Machine, i-Vector, Factor Analysis, Feature Extraction, British
English, Prosody, Speech Recognition.


Social networking systems help people maintain connections to their friends, enabling awareness, communication, and collaboration, especially at a distance. In many studies of coordination in software engineering, the work artifacts, e.g. code, bugs, specifications, are themselves the objects that link engineers together. In this paper, we introduce Codebook, a social networking web service in which people can be "friends" not only with other people but with the work artifacts they share with them. Providing a web interface to the graph of these connections will enable software engineers to keep track of task dependencies, discover and maintain connections to other teams, and understand the history and rationale behind the code that they work on and use.


This thesis attempts to test Richard Rorty's ideal character, the Liberal Ironist, against what Charles Taylor provides as various necessary but insufficient phenomenological conditions that allow for the possibility for self-reflection. In the absence of such conditions, Taylor holds, the very idea of a clear identity, a clear sense of Who one is, becomes either unintelligible or utterly trivial. After arguing that Rorty's ideal figure is likely to suffer from what we may call an identity crisis, I go on to offer some friendly amendments for Rorty. I claim that his ideal figure is one that should be replaced or augmented such that her specific characteristics and traits mesh more closely with the actual phenomenology of our moral experience. In the final chapter, I attempt to bridge what has to that point seemed like an unbridgeable methodological gulf between the descriptive, phenomenological project of Taylor and Rorty's largely prescriptive pragmatism. This reconciliation takes the form of Wittgensteinian and Deweyan reminders that should like to see both projects (Taylor's and Rorty's respectively) as diverse sets of tools. I conclude, in accordance with a meta-philosophical pragmatism that I deduce from the later Wittgenstein, that one set of tools need not trump another in any philosophically deep or a priori manner. My claim, in short, is that both philosophical strategies can be viewed as apt depending only on the philosophical work they are expected to fulfill.


This retrospective clinical study aimed to assess patient's satisfaction with removable partial dentures (RPDs), as retention, chewing ability, aesthetics during the observation period. Material and Methods: A total of 63 patients with RPDs, participated in this study. The following data was collected: Kennedy classification, denture design, denture support, satisfaction and success of RPD. Result: The results showed that 73.6% of patients were wearing RPD for the first time and were finally satisfied. According to the denture support of RPDs, clasp-retained quadrangular RPDs were 100% effective, followed by triangular dental support 81% and linear dental support 47.7%. Comparison of RPDs with attachment with RPDs with claps assessed through Fisher exact test, confirmed statistically significant difference (P=0.008), despite retention; however, chewing ability and aesthetics showed no statistically significant difference with X 2 test on patient's satisfaction with RPD with or without attachment. Conclusion: Patients often would prefer not showing the anterior buccal clasps of RPD, therefore are generally satisfied more with RPD with attachment based on level of retention, chewing ability and aesthetics.


Cinetron can be representation of reality formed and constructed by its narrator to create myth and description through codes, conventions, and ideologies within the story. Cinetron of Inayah is a cinetron telling about the life of a Moslem family who embraces polygamy. The reality of Moslem family life in this cinetron Inayah is illustrated full of unfair gender treatment, and masculine and feminine stereotype construction prevailing on patriarchal social system. This research is aimed to know the myth of Moslem family and to unveil the ideologies within cinetron Inayah represented through visual and linguistic symbols. The researcher uses Semiotic analysis method by Roland Barthes to examine and analyze icons in cinetron Inayah.
The result of the research indicates that there is construction of Moslem family myth through various ways, such as portraying early marriage, polygamy, assault in family, domesticity, and castration the female existence, and masculine and feminine stereotype construction as natural phenomena in a religious Moslem family. This research shows that there is core family myth in the form of polygamy as a specific characteristic of a Moslem family, the myth of someone as a Moslem with Moslem clothes and accessories and saying and deed based on Islamic teachings. In addition, in cinetron Inayah, there is also a myth about idealization of male social role as the family leader, the money earner, and the money owner of the family.
Dominant ideologies operated behind the Moslem family myth construction are religion, patriarchy, and capitalism. The ideologies appear on the naturalization of early marriage practice, polygamy, assault in family, women domesticity, women existence castration, and masculine and feminine stereotype construction which are patriarchal in the cinetron Inayah. It can be said that the natural gender relation between male and female characters in cinetron Inayah is in accordance with the Islam teachings.
It is suggested to the television viewers to be more critical in judging the contents of television programs. The producers of cinetron programs are hoped to be more careful when doing construction toward elements related to gender and religion. LSF (The Department of Film Censor), KPI (The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission), and MUI (The Indonesian Ulama Committee) need to supervise more strictly toward the content of television broadcast and inform public through media continually.

Keywords: Semiotics, Cinetron, Moslem Family, Ideology.


Purpose and objectives: A causal relationship between the independent variable (introduction of innovation) and the dependent variable (Corporate Entrepreneurship orientation) is explored by addressing the question: Do companies in Botswana have a corporate entrepreneurship (CE) orientation that leads them to pursue innovating opportunities? The primary objective is to investigate how CE orientation in companies in Botswana is linked to individual employees' pursuit of innovation within corporate boundaries. Secondary objectives are to identify the prerequisites and factors of CE orientation, individual employees' perceptions and the importance of innovation factors in established companies. Problem investigated: To determine whether existing firms in Botswana represent the concept of an entrepreneurial company within the sphere of corporate entrepreneurship by pursuing innovating opportunities. The intention is to identify the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of individuals as potential corporate entrepreneurs, their ability to be innovative and how such innovation is brought to fruition. Design and methodology : To obtain quantifiable measures of the link between CE orientation and innovation, a quantitative approach is used: a formalised, cross-sectional research design. The sample consists of 100 individuals at supervisory levels and above in large corporate companies, from eight different provinces in Botswana. A research instrument is used and convenience sampling employed. Factor analysis is performed on the questionnaire to determine its validity and reliability. A Pearson correlation coefficient test is conducted on the three factors identified in factor analysis. The chi-square test and T-test (Mann-Whitney U test) are used to illustrate the statistically significant differences between the different variables and factors. Findings and implications: This paper proves the inextricable link between CE orientation and the pursuit of innovation as a conduit to enhancing entrepreneurial activities in companies in Botswana. The results confirm that companies with an inherently high CE orientation receive a higher benefit from the exploitation of innovation, which improves the rate of innovation flows in the companies. Value of the research: This paper strives to make a significant contribution to the field of CE orientation in Africa, as no other studies appear to have been done in this particular area in Botswana. Furthermore, this study introduces six CE orientation drivers that companies need if they are to become entrepreneurial. For companies in Botswana to be innovative, it is therefore necessary for CE orientation to become part of the company's culture.


Solder joint is a method widely used to attach electronic chip on substrate. It is a generally knowledge that solder joint contains inter-metallic compound (IMC) at interconnects of solder bump and copper pads. The magnitude of IMC layer thickness impacts reliability of chip level packages. Extensive experimental investigations are conducted, however complementary numerical studies are needed to fully characterise the effects of IMC on high temperature reliability of flip chip (FC) assembly. In this work, thermo-mechanical response of FC lead-free solder joints to accelerated temperature cycle (ATC) is investigated using finite element analysis (FEA) code. The ANAND's model is employed to study the inelastic, nonlinear, rate dependent and visco-plastic behaviour of two models of FC48D6.3C457DC mounted on printed circuit boards (PCBs). While one model consists of conventional joints without IMC, the other is realistic with IMC embedded. In the result analysis based on damage indicators such as induced strain, stress, plastic work and hysteresis, it is found that negative impact of IMC on static structural integrity of solder joint operating at high temperature ambient is nontrivial.


To improve and ensure trustworthiness and ethics on Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, several initiatives around the globe are producing principles and recommendations, which are providing to be difficult to translate into technical solutions. A common trait among ethical AI requirements is accountability that aims at ensuring responsibility, auditability, and reduction of negative impact of AI systems. To put accountability into practice, this paper presents the Global-view Accountability Framework (GAF) that considers auditability and redress of conflicting information arising from a context with two or more AI systems which can produce a negative impact. A technical implementation of the framework for automotive and motor insurance is demonstrated, where the focus is on preventing and reporting harm rendered by autonomous vehicles.


This paper reviews the existing literature on takeovers. Takeovers are a means to redeploy corporate assets more efficiently and to discipline incumbent management. However, an active market for corporate control also brings about potential inefficiencies. Takeovers may be undertaken for reasons other than value creation and the threat of a control change can induce inefficient actions on the part of target firm management and employees. The functioning of the market for corporate control is further impaired by incentive and coordination problems inherent in the takeover process. When the target firm is owned by many small shareholders, the free-rider problem prevents bidders firms from earning a profit on the tendered shares. We analyse implications of this problem as well as ways to overcome it. As widely held firms are atypical in many countries, we also discuss the impact that target ownership structure has on the incidence and efficiency of control transfers.


Five different Colombian vacuum residues were thermally decomposed in a thermogravimetric analyzer. Three heating rates were employed to heat the sample up to 650 °C. The kinetic analysis was performed by the Coats-Redfern method to describe the non-isothermal pyrolysis of the residua. A reaction model where the reaction order gradually increases from first to second order is proposed, resulting on an excellent agreement of the experimental with the calculated data. The results also indicate that the pyrolysis of a vacuum residue cannot be modeled by a single reaction mechanism.


Here we present the case of a 79-year-old woman who complained of acute abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. Laboratory exams demonstrated a severe metabolic imbalance. Abdominal X-rays showed bowel overdistension and pneumatosis of the stomach wall. Abdominal tomography revealed infarction of the stomach, duodenum and small bowel due to thrombosis of the celiacomesenteric trunk. Exploratory laparotomy revealed ischemia of the liver, spleen infarction and necrosis of the gastro-intestinal tube (from the stomach up to the first third of the transverse colon). No further surgical procedures were performed. The patient died the following day. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case about severe gastro-intestinal ischemia due to thrombosis of the celiacomesenteric trunk, a rare anatomic variation of the gastrointestinal vascularisation.


The paper explores a generalization of conditional random elds (CRFs) in which binary stochastic hidden units appear between the data and the labels. Hidden-unit CRFs are potentially more powerful than standard CRFs because they can represent nonlinear dependencies at each frame. The hidden units in these models also learn to discover latent distributed structure in the data that improves classication. We derive ecient algorithms for inference and learning in these models by observing that the hidden units are conditionally independent given the data and the labels. Finally, we show that hiddenunit CRFs perform well in experiments on a range of tasks, including optical character recognition, text classication, protein structure prediction, and part-of-speech tagging.


In Basic Inc. v. Levinson, the Supreme Court held that under certain circumstances, plaintiffs in securities fraud cases could use a rebuttable presumption to make the required showing that they had relied on the defendant's misrepresentations. Under Basic, a person transacting in a security traded on an efficient market is presumed to rely on the integrity of the market price, and thus is presumed to rely on any material misrepresentations that distort the market price. Basic facilitates class actions by replacing individualized inquiries into reliance with a common inquiry into the efficiency of the market and the materiality of the misstatement. As a result, it has become a central doctrine in America's securities law landscape. This Term, in Halliburton v. Erica P. John Fund, the Supreme Court is set to reexamine the validity of the Basic doctrine. With four Justices having recently announced that they were skeptical of the doctrine, it is clear that Basic is under serious threat. The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") is charged with the administration of the securities laws. This gives the SEC an interest in the outcome of Halliburton. Under various administrative deference doctrines, it also may give the SEC the ability to influence the outcome, or even to effectively undo an outcome that it dislikes. This Essay considers the SEC's capacity to defend Basic. It concludes that the SEC will not receive meaningful deference in the absence of rulemaking. Although several scholars have concluded that the SEC's rulemaking authority covers doctrines like Basic, the Essay identifies grounds for skepticism in the text of the statute. However, if the SEC can clear that hurdle, the Commission would have grounds for optimism that a rule codifying Basic would be respected by the courts.


The medical-veterinary importance of ticks has long been recognized and studies on the internal morphology and histology of the organs and systems in these ectoparasites have been considered of great relevance. The tick Riphicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) is particularly important, considering its proximity to the human being. The present study investigated that how ricinoleic acid esters from castor oil interfere with the secretory cycle of the salivary glands in R. sanguineus s.l. females fed for a period of 1 to 6 days. To accomplish the objectives, females were fed on both, the rabbits fed with the food enriched in esters and on the rabbits fed with regular rabbit commercial food. The results showed that the salivary glands had changes in its secretory cycle, varying according to the considered acinus, leading to a precocious degeneration of the gland caused by the exposure of the hosts to the esters. Another important data obtained was that the esters did not interfere in the metabolism of the hosts (rabbits) and thus, the results signalize the perspective of a new strategy to effectively control these ectoparasites.


Motivation: The development of Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) algorithms for parameter inference which are both computationally efficient and scalable in parallel computing environments is an important area of research. Monte Carlo rejection sampling, a fundamental component of ABC algorithms, is trivial to distribute over multiple processors but is inherently inefficient. While development of algorithms such as ABC Sequential Monte Carlo (ABC-SMC) help address the inherent inefficiencies of rejection sampling, such approaches are not as easily scaled on multiple processors. As a result, current Bayesian inference software offerings that use ABC-SMC lack the ability to scale in parallel computing environments. Results: We present al3c, a Cþþ framework for implementing ABC-SMC in parallel. By requiring only that users define essential functions such as the simulation model and prior distribution function, al3c abstracts the user from both the complexities of parallel programming and the details of the ABC-SMC algorithm. By using the al3c framework, the user is able to scale the ABC-SMC algorithm in parallel computing environments for his or her specific application, with minimal programming overhead. Availability and implementation: al3c is offered as a static binary for Linux and OS-X computing environments. The user completes an XML configuration file and Cþþ plug-in template for the specific application, which are used by al3c to obtain the desired results. Users can download the static binaries, source code, reference documentation and examples (including those in this article) by visiting https://github.com/ahstram/al3c. Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


We developed a computer-aided language learning system for correcting vowel insertion errors in English pronounced by native speakers of Japanese learning English as a foreign language. The system's core component is a speech recognizer using a pronunciation lattice of American English phones plus Japanese vowels where anaptyxis may occur. The system displays English words and sentences on the computer screen and asks the learner to read them aloud. The reading material contains consonant clusters and syllable-final consonants that trigger vowel insertion errors. Loans from English having fixed Japanese pronunciations are included to illustrate pronunciation differences between the two languages. Phonological rules convert pronunciation patterns of correct English to Japanese-accented English. The system alerts the learner whenever inserted vowels are detected. The learner can adjust the speech recognizer's sensitivity to practice at different levels of difficulty.


Oxygen tension plays an important role in the regulation of cellular processes. During hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) differentiation, HSCs migrate from one stem cell niche to the next, each with a different oxygen tension that determines which signaling pathways are on and off, determining the differentiation stage of the cell. Oxygen tension influences osteoblast differentiation and mineralization. Low oxygen levels inhibit matrix formation and mineralization. We were interested in the regulatory mechanisms that underlie this inhibition and wondered whether a switch in oxygen tension could have varying effects depending on the differentiation phase of the osteoblasts. We performed an oxygen tension switch phase study in which we switched osteoblasts from high to low oxygen tension during their 3 week differentiation and mineralization process. We performed microarray expression profiling on samples collected during this 3 week period and analyzed biochemical and histo‐chemical endpoint parameters to determine the effect of a switch in oxygen levels on mineralization. We found that low oxygen tension has the most profound impact on mineralization when administered during the period of matrix maturation. Additionally, a large set of genes was regulated by oxygen, independent of the differentiation phase. These genes were involved in cell metabolisms and matrix formation. Our study demonstrates that variation in oxygen tension strongly affects gene expression in differentiating osteoblasts. The magnitude of this change for either expression levels or the number of regulated probes, depends on the osteoblast differentiation stage, with the phase prior to the onset of mineralization being most sensitive. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 1863–1872, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Listed as 'threatened' under the US Endangered Species Act in 1993, the spectacled eider Somateria fischeri population in western Alaska, USA, has since rebounded, prompting an assessment of their suitability for delisting. This assessment, however, is limited by aerial-based population estimates that are incompletely corrected for unobserved eiders. Notably, aerial counts of eiders are corrected with a visibility correction factor (VCF), calculated as the ratio of groundbased nest counts to aerial pair counts, which disregards spatial variation in eider density. Accordingly, we (1) stratified our study area into zones of low, medium, and high eider density, (2) developed density-adjusted VCFs for each stratum, (3) evaluated the influence of several ecological factors on VCFs, and (4) estimated eider population size using our density-adjusted VCFs. For the low-density stratum, we estimated a VCF (± SE) of 1.35 ± 0.15, indicating that aerial counts of eider pairs closely matched ground counts of nests. In medium and high-density strata, VCFs increased to 2.46 ± 0.17 and 3.09 ± 0.19, respectively, suggesting that aerial detection decreased as eider densities increased. VCFs also increased for surveys that occurred late relative to nest initiation. Population estimates produced with our density-adjusted VCFs were 42% (5580 eiders) lower, on average, than those produced with the traditional VCF, which is currently used. Such large differences underscore the importance of accounting for density when correcting counts for incomplete detection, and, for threatened species such as spectacled eiders, may determine whether populations retain protected status.


There is need for reliable, low cost detectors to continuously monitor the air quality in presence of hazardous gases, harmful for human health. In this work we demonstrate how the use of different type of metal oxide one-dimensional sensors based on ZnO and SnO2 could provide high sensing capabilities together with differentiated responses to gases. The sensors can then be used together into a cost-effective portable sensor systems for quantitative detection of harmful emissions and contaminations. The gases tested in the present work are H2 a highly explosive gas (4% is the lower explosion limit), H2S, one of the principal compounds involved in the natural cycle of sulphur in the environment, and DMMP, a simulant of the nerve agent Sarin. ZnO and SnO2 nanowires were prepared by Physical Vapour Deposition and ZnO polycrystalline nanorods were prepared by RF sputtering. The optimum response to low concentrations of DMMP at 500°C was observed for ZnO materials, with respect to SnO2 at 500°C. At 400°C H2 is better sensed by ZnO. Detection of H2S is better obtained with ZnO NRs compared to the other sensors.


Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor is a rare and usually unilateral tumor of the ovary occurring in women's reproductive age. Only about 10% of these patients are over 50 years of age. One third of these patients are suffering from signs of virilisation. This work summarizes the morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of this tumor in a 56-year old woman with clinical signs of virilisation.


This book, written by experts from universities and major industrial research laboratories, is devoted to the very hot topic of cognitive radio and networking for cooperative coexistence of heterogeneous wireless networks. Selected highly relevant advanced research is presented on spectrum sensing and progress toward the realization of accurate radio environment mapping, biomimetic learning for self-organizing networks, security threats (with a special focus on primary user emulation attack), and cognition as a tool for green next-generation networks. The research activities covered include work undertaken within the framework of the European COST Action IC0902, which is geared towards the definition of a European platform for cognitive radio and networks. Communications engineers, R&D engineers, researchers, and students will all benefit from this complete reference on recent advances in wireless communications and the design and implementation of cognitive radio systems and networks.


Fiona Stuart-Wilson Fiona is a director of UMD Professional Ltd and is a tutor on the Institute of Leadership and Management Dental Management Diploma and Certificate courses. Editor-in-Chief Tessa Meese Editor/Associate Publisher Peter Black Managing Director Ben llen Publishing Director Adrian Johnston Classified Sales Director achel cElhinney Commercial Manager Kirsty Medlock esign Executive Peter onstantine Group Production Manager Jon ed ayne Production Assistant Larry Oakes


In this paper, a Gaussian multiple input multiple output multiple eavesdropper (MIMOME) channel is considered where a transmitter communicates to a receiver in the presence of an eavesdropper. We present a technique for determining the secrecy capacity of the multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel under Gaussian noise. We transform the degraded MIMOME channel into multiple single input multiple output (SIMO) Gaussian wire-tap channels and then use scalar approach to convert it into two equivalent multiple input single output (MISO) channels. The secrecy capacity model is then developed for the condition where the channel state information (CSI) for main channel only is known to the transmitter. The results show that the secret communication is possible when the eavesdropper channel noise is greater than a cutoff noise level. The outage probability is also analyzed of secrecy capacity is also analyzed. The effect of fading and outage probability is also analyzed.


High-energy photon radiotherapy sources produce non-negligible numbers of secondary heavy particles (neutrons, protons and alphas) which contribute to the dose in a patient. They also present a radiation protection problem. The contribution of such particles to the absorbed dose in a tissue-like medium and to the equivalent dose is considered in this study experimentally. Track etch detectors were chosen as a basic type of measuring instrument: cellulose nitrate Kodak LR115 and polyallyldiglycol carbonate CR39 were used as detectors. Several methods of directly read datum (track density, track parameter, LET spectrum etc) interpretation have been analysed. It has been ascertained that the contribution of secondary heavy particles represents approximately 0.002 of the photon dose and 0.02 of the equivalent dose, both at 50 MeV as maximum photon energy. The contribution of a 20 MV bremsstrahlung beam is roughly one-fifth of that at 50 MV.


INTRODUCTION
Evidence-based, procedure-specific guidelines for opioid prescribing after orthopaedic surgery are urgently needed to standardize care and minimize excess opioids.

METHODS
We developed a prospective, multicenter survey study conducted from March 2017 to January 2018 including 7 common elective orthopaedic surgical procedures (total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, lumbar fusion, lumbar laminectomy, rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic meniscectomy, and carpal tunnel release). Phone surveys were conducted between 21 and 35 days postoperatively. We aimed to document both the amount and length of time patients consumed opioid medications to inform further improvements in opioid management and prescribing.

RESULTS
Among the 919 orthopaedic patients who completed the survey, 94.3% received opioids at discharge with a median of 388 oral morphine equivalents (OMEs) (interquartile range [IQR] 225 to 675). A median of 128 (IQR 23 to 360) OME were consumed with 77% of patients having leftover opioids. Sixty percent of prescribed opioids were unused; 18.2% of patients used no opioids, and 34.7% required <50 OME. In comparison to departmental guidelines, 50.2% of patients consumed <50% of the recommended prescription maximum per procedure.

DISCUSSION
Most patients used far fewer opioids after orthopaedic surgery than prescribed. These data have informed further improvement of our opioid prescription guidelines to more precisely align with anticipated procedure- and patient-specific requirements.


From May to July 1995, a serologic and interview survey was conducted to describe Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) among personnel working in 5 hospitals and 26 health care centers in and around Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Job-specific attack rates estimated for Kikwit General Hospital, the epicenter of the EHF epidemic, were 31% for physicians, 11% for technicians/room attendants, 10% for nurses, and 4% for other workers. Among 402 workers who did not meet the EHF case definition, 12 had borderline positive antibody test results; subsequent specimens from 4 of these tested negative. Although an old infection with persistent Ebola antibody production or a recent atypical or asymptomatic infection cannot be ruled out, if they occur at all, they appear to be rare. This survey demonstrated that opportunities for transmission of Ebola virus to personnel in health facilities existed in Kikwit because blood and body fluid precautions were not being universally followed.


To develop a potential substitute for conventional lubricant additive, pure calcium borate nanoparticles (PCBN) and calcium borate nanoparticles modified with oleic acid (MCBN) were prepared. The microstructures of the as-obtained samples were characterized using X-ray power diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and infrared spectra (IR), and the dispersing stability of oil containing nanoparticles was also evaluated. Tribological properties of MCBN used as lubricating additive were evaluated using four-ball tribometer and compared with that of PCBN. The results indicate that MCBN show better antiwear and friction-reducing property than PCBN. The worn surface of the steel ball lubricated with MCBN was investigated by Polarized microscope (PM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the action mechanism of MCBN during friction process was preliminarily discussed.


We report a randomized scheme for generating Gauss quadratures for an exponential integral representation of the Green's function /sup 1///sub r/. These Gauss quadratures form the basis of the exponential-expansion-based method, which has previously been developed for rapid and accurate evaluation of the potential field and its gradient in three dimensions. Given a desired degree of accuracy on the approximation of /sup 1///sub r/, the technique proposed here enables generation of exponential expansion with sizes as small as possible. It makes use of the standard Legendre-Gauss and Chebychev-Gauss quadratures, and does not require solving a large system of non-linear equations.


This study examined the validity of Weber and Patterson's (1996) Communication Based Emotional Support Scale (CBESS). In addition to the CBESS, participants completed two of the four following scales: the Perceived Social Support – Friend Scale (PSS-Fr; Procidano & Heller, 1983), the friend subscale of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988), the Social Support Behaviors Scale (SSB; Vaus, Riedel, & Stewart, 1987), and the friend subscale of the Scales of Perceived Social Support (Macdonald, 1998). Each of the four support scales were positively correlated with the CBESS, establishing the convergent validity of the instrument.


THE ADVANTAGES of the limbal approach in strabismus surgery were described in a recent publication. 1 I have continued to employ this method with satisfactory cosmetic and functional results. Only minor complications have occasionally been encountered such as bleeding from the limbal capillaries, an uneven conjunctival margin near the limbus, and difficulty in identifying Tenon's space when beginning the incision at the limbus. Three instances of a potentially more serious complication have come to my attention, in which the surgeon had entered the sclera with sharply pointed scissors in an attempt to explore Tenon's space. All of these complications can be avoided by a simple modification of the limbal incision that was recently suggested to me by G. Mackensen, MD, (oral communication, 1968) and that I have employed with complete satisfaction for the past six months. Because an increasing number of eye surgeons are favoring the limbal approach in strabismus


The problem of maneuvering a vehicle through a race course in minimum time requires computation of both longitudinal (brake and throttle) and lateral (steering wheel) control inputs. Unfortunately, solving the resulting nonlinear optimal control problem is typically computationally expensive and infeasible for real-time trajectory planning. This paper presents an iterative algorithm that divides the path generation task into two sequential subproblems that are significantly easier to solve. Given an initial path through the race track, the algorithm runs a forward-backward integration scheme to determine the minimum-time longitudinal speed profile, subject to tire friction constraints. With this speed profile fixed, the algorithm updates the vehicle's path by solving a convex optimization problem that minimizes the resulting path curvature while staying within track boundaries and obeying affine, time-varying vehicle dynamics constraints. This two-step process is repeated iteratively until the predicted lap time no longer improves. While providing no guarantees of convergence or a globally optimal solution, the approach performs well when tested on the Thunderhill Raceway course in Willows, CA. The lap time reaches a minimum value after only three iterations, with each iteration over the full 5 km race course requiring only thirty seconds of computation time on a laptop computer. The resulting vehicle path and speed profile match very well with a nonlinear gradient descent solution and a path driven by a professional racecar driver, indicating that the proposed method is a viable option for online trajectory planning in the near future.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


: Diagnostic peritoneal lavage is accurate and safe. It leads to fewer unnecessary laparotomies than if clinical examination alone is used and nearly eliminates deaths from undiagnosed abdominal injuries. Persons with clinical abdominal findings, shock, altered sensorium, and severe chest injuries after blunt trauma should undergo the procedure.


After rising steadily between 1954 and 1968, the percentage of all bachelor's degrees awarded in the arts and sciences declined dramatically. These swings cannot be explained by demographic variables; however, they have been affected by changes in the academic profiles of educational institutions that were in turn related to trends in enrollment. Even more important have been the changing choices of fields of study made by men and women (particularly in the case of the humanities), in part as a consequence of widening opportunities for women. The flight from the arts and sciences now appears to be over, and in the future gender-related variables can be expected to have less impact on the distribution of degrees conferred.


The relative roles of ACTH, angiotensin and potassium in influencing aldosterone secretion in primary aldosteronism were assessed by direct or indirect means. In untreated patients with primary aldosteronism caused either by adrenal adenoma or hyperplasia plasma aldosterone and cortisol concentrations fluctuated in unison and dexamethasone reduced both hormones markedly. Only when renin-angiotens in system was greatly activated and plasma potassium normalized by medical treatment was dexamethasone less successful in lowering plasma aldosterone concentration. Potassium infusion of 10, 20 and 30 mEq/hr in patients with adenoma failed to elicit any increase in plasma aldosterone concentration despite significant increases in plasma potassium levels. These results suggest that patients with primary aldosteronism due to adrenal adenoma are relatively more sensitive to small changes in plasma ACTH level than those in plasma angiotensin or potassium levels. In recumbent patients with adrenal hyperplasia ACTH als...


Hypertension is one of the most common worldwide diseases that results in the progression of several cardiovascular disorders and stroke. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) has become a major target control for hypertension. Several synthetic ACE inhibitors such as captopril, lisinopril, enalapril etc. are in clinical use but are found to have certain side effects and drug-drug interactions. Therefore, there is a great need to search for more economical, nontoxic and safer inhibitors. Flavonoids, the polyphenolic compounds in plants have been reported for some inhibitory effects against ACE. We conducted a molecular docking study on flavonoid derivatives; flavones, flavonols, flavanones and flavan-3-ols with two angiotensin converting enzymes in complex with synthetic drugs, captopril and lisinopril respectively by ArgusLab 4.0.1 software. The aim of this study is to investigate the binding modes of flavonoid derivatives with ACE to design more safer natural drugs as alternatives to synthetic drugs. The results showed the best binding affinity of ACE with that of Apigenin, a flavone having the lowest binding energy of -8.45kcal/mol in ACEcaptopril complex and -8.33 kcal/mol with that of lisinopril complex. This information can be utilized to design potent therapeutic drugs from natural plant flavonoids in the regulation of blood pressure.


By means of biomicroscopical investigations of bulbar conjunctiva in healthy persons of different age certain characteristics on normal microcirculatory bed have been obtained. Morphometric analysis of the vital microscopical observations has revealed some age peculiarities in microcirculation of the conjunctiva. As a result of clinical examination of the persons, it has been stated that the phenomena noticed at biomicroscopy which characterize certain anomalies of microcirculatory parameters correlate with latent pathology, closely related diseases or developmental anomalies. Therefore, it is possible to consider the method of biomicroscopical investigation of the conjunctiva with a subsequent morphometric analysis of the data obtained as suitable for application not only for clinical but also for prophylactic examination of healthy persons.


Women in the former Soviet Union, despite a legacy of high levels of education and labor force participation, face a host of new problems, according to editors Kathleen Kuehnast and Carol Nechemias. Neo-familialist ideologies have arisen, with a longing for the return of traditional families. A gendered division of labor in the market economy has pushed women to the bottom of the pyramid of small businesses as bazaar merchants. And in the political arena, men dominate formal government structures and political parties, while women dominate the realm of non-governmental organizations. Post-Soviet Women Encountering Transition studies these problems through a series of essays by social scientists from the United States, Europe, and the former Soviet Union, going beyond coverage of Russia and ethnic Russians to treat Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and the Tatar and Sakha Republics of Russia. Through anthropology, political science, and other disciplines, the contributors examine women's role in nation-building, rural household economies, and democratization and civic activism. A final set of essays studies the interaction of post-Soviet women with Western aid organizations, which often pursue strategies not consonant with the situations and expressed desires of the women they are trying to help. Contributors: David Abramson, Andrea Berg, Susan Crate, Elena Gapova, Katherine Graney, Julie Hemment, Armine Ishkanian, Janet Johnson, Rebecca Kay, Ludmila Popkova, Michele Rivkin-Fish, Nayereh Tohidi, Cynthia Werner, and Tatiana Zhurzhenko.


We examine how making mortality salient affects consumer choices. We develop a new theoretical framework predicting when consumer behaviors will be more (less) indulgent when mortality is salient, arguing that individuals focus more of their limited self-regulatory resources on domains that are important sources of self-esteem and less on domains that are not important sources. In two domains, food choice and charitable donations/socially conscious consumer behaviors, high mortality salience led to less indulgent choices among participants for whom that domain was an important source of esteem and more indulgent choices for participants for whom the domain was not an important esteem source. (c) 2005 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..


The grinding process is one of the most important finishing processes in production industry. During the grinding process the workpiece is subjected to mechanical and thermal loads. They can induce thermal damages in terms of phase transformation due to critical temperature history. A holistic model helps to describe and predict the influence of these loads on the residual stresses in the surface layer. In this paper, a very promising approach using the Finite Element Method (FEM) to simulate the surface grinding process in terms of thermal and mechanical loads during grinding of hardened and tempered steels with vitrified bonded CBN grinding wheels is introduced. The investigations were conducted for deep, pendulum and speed stroke grinding. The change of workpiece material properties was modelled as a function of temperature and phase history. The results lead to the necessary time depending temperature distribution within the surface layer. Hence, the phase transformation can be calculated. The FEM software "Sysweld" was used to analyze the phase transformation kinetics. Hence, the size of the rehardened zone after grinding can be predicted. The evaluation of the FEM model with micrographs of ground workpiece specimens showed a strong correlation for different grinding parameters. Based on the understanding of mechanical and thermal loads as well as phase transformation kinetics in the surface layers the resulting residual stresses can be determined.


Reliable single directional frequency data transfer is a method of electronic communication that is a potential alternative to a bi-directional or wired method. It is intended to determine whether or not single directional data transfer can be designed to perform at the same reliability level as other methods of data transmission. The reason for researching this is to see whether, two-way communication is necessary. Upon finding results to this question it will be determined if single directional frequency data transfer can be as power efficient as bi directional data transfer. It will also look into the overall performance of the method and how it can deal with inhibiting factors that will be introduced to simulate real world external variations in the signal.

How reliable single directional frequency transfer is, will be determined through experiments that are tasked at finding the maximum transmission rate of the devices made and the distance that data transmission can be conducted over.

The investigation will require the design of an experimental apparatus that will allow results to be found in the maximum possible transmission rate and distance transmission can cover.

The experimental apparatus will consist of two possessors, one for encoding a message, the other for decoding a message. The apparatus will also require an integrated radio frequency transmitter circuit as well as a receiver radio frequency integrated circuit. The processors will need to be coded with a new protocol that will allow the incorporation of three forward error correction techniques. This is so that a basic, intermediate and advanced method of forward error correction can be compared when gathering results.

Throughout this research consideration into all aspects that can possibly improve the energy efficiency of the electrical apparatus will be addressed an implemented. By creating an experimental apparatus that is competitive against other data transmission methods in terms of energy efficiency. With an energy efficient experimental apparatus, then results found could be a close representation of the likely outcomes if single directional data transmission was to be implemented on a larger scale.


In the first and only title to win both the prestigious Kate Greenaway and Caldecott Medal, and by the illustrator of the bestselling I Want My Hat Back and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, a tiny fish proudly wears a blue top hat. It fits him perfectly. Problem is, trouble could be following close behind...So it's a good thing that the enormous fish he took it from won't wake up. And even if he does, it's not as though he'll ever know what happened, right? With so many emotions conveyed in just the glint of an eye, visual humour swims to the fore in this thrillingly original, perfectly-paced cautionary tale.


We present a minimal continuum model of strongly adhering cells as active contractile isotropic media and use the model for studying the effect of the geometry of the adhesion patch in controlling the spatial distribution of traction and cellular stresses. Activity is introduced as a contractile, hence negative, spatially homogeneous contribution to the pressure. The model shows that patterning of adhesion regions can be used to control traction stress distribution and yields several results consistent with experimental observations. Specifically, the cell spread area is found to increase with substrate stiffness and an analytic expression of the dependence is obtained for circular cells. The correlation between the magnitude of traction stresses and cell boundary curvature is also demonstrated and analyzed.


In this thesis, we present a new perspective on tight binding models. Utilising the rich algebraic toolkit provided by a combination of graph and matrix theory allows us to explore tight binding systems related through polynomial relationships. By utilising ring operations of weighted digraphs through intermediate Konig digraph representations, we establish a polynomial algebra over finite and infinite periodic graphs, analogous to polynomial operations on adjacency matrices. Exploring the microscopic and macroscopic behaviour of polynomials in a graph-theoretic setting, we reveal elegant relationships between the symmetrical, topological, and spectral properties of a parent graph G and its family of child graphs p(G). Drawing a correspondence between graphs and tight binding models, we investigate deep-rooted connections between different quantum systems, providing a fresh angle from which to view established tight binding models. Finally, we visit topological chains, demonstrate how their properties relate to more trivial underlying chains through effective "square root" operations, and provide new insights into their spectral characteristics.


Background: Alopecia areata is one of the most common autoimmune diseases. The pathobiology of this chronic, relapsing hair-loss disorder is not fully understood, and the available therapies are disappointing.

Objective: Currently considered a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease, in which the gradual loss of protection provided by immune privilege of the normal hair follicle plays an important role. It is associated with an increased overall risk of other autoimmune disease in approximately 16% patients, being the most frequent autoimmune thyroid disease in 8 to 28 % patients, followed by vitiligo in 4 % patients, and lupus erythematosus in 0.6 % patients.

Methods: In this case report, we show a female patient treated with QIAPI 1 (120698).

Results: We have found that an enhancer of the process of generation and distribution of energy that comes from melanin, with encouraging results.

Conclusions: This is first report indicates that the Melanin in its role as a generator of energy opens a new landscape in relation to the study and treatment of autoimmune disorders like alopecia areata.


The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in March 1989 in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and was one of the worst environmental disasters on record in the United States. Despite long-term data collection over the nearly three decades since the spill, tremendous uncertainty remains as to how significantly the spill affected fishery resources. Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) and some wild Pacific salmon populations (Oncorhynchus spp.) in Prince William Sound declined in the early 1990s, and have not returned to the population sizes observed in the 1980s. Discerning if, or how much of, this decline resulted from the oil spill has been difficult because a number of other physical and ecological drivers are confounded temporally with the spill; some of these drivers include environmental variability or changing climate regimes, increased production of hatchery salmon in the region, and increases in populations of potential predators. Using data pre- and post-spill, we applied time-series methods to evaluate support for whether and how herring and salmon productivity has been affected by each of five drivers: (1) density dependence, (2) the EVOS event, (3) changing environmental conditions, (4) interspecific competition on juvenile fish, and (5) predation and competition from adult fish or, in the case of herring, humpback whales. Our results showed support for intraspecific density-dependent effects in herring, sockeye, and Chinook salmon, with little overall support for an oil spill effect. Of the salmon species, the largest driver was the negative impact of adult pink salmon returns on sockeye salmon productivity. Herring productivity was most strongly affected by changing environmental conditions; specifically, freshwater discharge into the Gulf of Alaska was linked to a series of recruitment failures—before, during, and after EVOS. These results highlight the need to better understand long terms impacts of pink salmon on food webs, as well as the interactions between nearshore species and freshwater inputs, particularly as they relate to climate change and increasing water temperatures.


College and career readiness is a focal area within the United States for student achievement within the context of global competitiveness. Despite recent efforts to focus on the college and career readiness of America's students, national data has proven that many students are not prepared for college and need remedial intervention upon entrance into college. This discussion focuses on efforts at community colleges, specifically in the area of literacy, as they work to increase student retention and student success. Recent methods include developmental courses, co-requisite models, and statewide initiatives to determine how to best meet students' academic needs, while considering faculty voice and administrative and cost efficiency. Community colleges can serve as grounds to determine how various models of remediation work to ensure that college students can be served in the best capacity for their academic needs, excel in their programs of choice, and in turn, be competitive global citizens.


Nurokhmah, Maryanti Ima. 2009. Elicitation Technique Used by Teacher to Encourage Students Talk: a case of English Teachers of SMA N 3 Semarang. A final Project. English Department of the Faculty of Language and Arts of Semarang State University. Advisor I: Dr. Dwi Anggani L B, M. Pd. Advisor II: Sri Wuli F, S Pd. M Pd.
Keywords: elicitation, teacher talk, students talk, response.
This final project attempts to examine the elicitation techniques used by teachers to encourage students talk. The main purpose of the study was to describe elicitation techniques used by the teachers and the responses displayed by the students.
The participants of this study were two English teachers in SMA N 3 Semarang in the academic year 2008/2009. There are seven English teachers, but I only observed two of them. The teachers were observed in their teaching and learning process. Teachers and students' utterances were recorded, transcribed and then analyzed. The analysis of the data were based on Coulthard (1975) and Slatery and Willis (2001).
The results of the study indicate that the lessons were well organized. The teachers presented them in systematic way. They used various kinds of activities so that the students did not feel bored. The interaction between the teachers and the students was good. The teachers' question and students' answer run smoothly. The teachers succeeded in maintaining the relationship with the students. The sequence of questions could direct the students to the final conclusion about the topic they learnt. In the first, third, and fourth observation, the teacher mostly used elicit inform in the form of wh-questions. In the second observation, the teacher mostly used elicit inform in the form of question using inversion. From the overall observations, the types of students' responses were in the form of acknowledgment, affirmative clauses, denial and some extension answers. It depends on the type of teachers' questions.
The two teachers showed that they have different preference in using the types of elicitation. The similarity was that both of them intended to get students' answer. These findings suggest that elicitation techniques used by teacher succeeded in encouraging students talk. English teachers should be creative in delivering questions. Teachers can use combination of elicitations which then will affect students' responses.


We examine whether the populations of six European nations support the use of "health nudges" – strategies that preserve free choice but steer individuals in healthier directions. To assess approval rates for health nudges across, within, and in certain parts of these populations, we analyze the results of six nationally representative online surveys administered in Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and the UK. We find majority support for health nudges across the board but with lower approval rates in Hungary and Denmark. Our findings reveal national differences and identify conditions under which consumers tend to approve of nudging healthy behavior. They therefore provide policymakers with practical guidance on which health nudges are likely to receive high levels of public support in the nation states studied.


Thermodynamic equilibrium analysis of the steam methane reforming process to
 synthesis gas was studied. For this purpose, the system of chemical
 reactions for carbon production and consumation as well as other side
 reaction in the steam methane reforming process were analysed. The material
 balance and the equations of law mass action were obtained for various
 chemical reactions. The system of those equations were solved by dichotomy
 method. The investigation was performed for a wide range of operational
 conditions such as a temperature, pressure, and inlet steam-to-methane
 ratio. The results obtained, with the help of developed algorithms, were
 compared with the results obtained via different commercial and open-source
 programs. All results are in excellent agreement. The operational conditions
 for the probable formation of carbon were determined. It was established
 that for the temperature range above 1100K the probability of carbon
 formation is absent for steam-to-methane ratio above units. The presented
 algorithm of thermodynamic analysis gives an appearance of the dependence of
 the product composition and the amount of required heat from operating
 conditions such as the temperature, pressure and steam-to-methane ratio.


Influenza is a highly contagious and one of the most massive infection diseases. General epidemiological significance has a strain, which belongs to subtype A. A high degree of genetic variety leads to the permanent changes in the antigenic structure of the influenza virus. Therefore, the current influenza vaccines require periodic updating of the composition of strains. Presently, it is important to develop a universal vaccine that can protect against different strains of influenza A virus at the same time and is based on the conserved antigens of the influenza virus. The recombinant adenovirus vectors expressing genes of conserved viral antigenes may be a promising candidate vaccine against influenza A. Using the method of the homologous recombination, we developed in this study recombinant adenovirus of fifth serotype that expresses genes of the ion channel M2 and nucleoprotein NP of the influenza virus A. Genes of the consensus protein M2 and NP of human influenza A virus were included into the structure of the viral genome. The expression of the antigens M2 and NP using recombinant adenovirus vector was detected by a Western blot assay. The immunogenicity of the developed recombinant adenovirus vector was demonstrated by the intranasal immunization of laboratory mice.


ABSTRACT During the 1930s, in a series of articles defending abstraction in art, Herbert Read argued an anarchist society is liberating because the order it generates is founded upon the free creativity of its participants. The precondition of social freedom under anarchism was communism without authoritarianism, an organicist social order without closure in which art could evolve unceasingly, in accord with the impetus of its creators. On this basis, Read regarded the abstract art of his time as amenable to anarchism: because not only did abstracting artists refuse the didactic artistic programs of communism and fascism. They created art that, like anarchism, mirrored the open structure of nature itself. Arguably, Read's legacy lies at this point of intersection, where anarchist art encounters living reality. But whereas Read searched for art that prefigured anarchism's open structures on a metaphorical level, as form, contemporary anarchists are developing art that fosters anarchist politics in practice, by transforming art-making into an egalitarian process that is itself unbounded. Herbert Read discovered, in abstract art, a prefiguration of the open politics of anarchism. Anarchism is characterized by an insistence that you cannot achieve social freedom through authoritarian means. Anarchists call for egalitarian socio-political structures wherein hierarchical relations are done away with and everyone is empowered to participate in the running of society. Anarchist self-governance would involve organizations, communities, associations, networks, and projects on every conceivable scale, from the municipal to the global, freely cooperating in ways that have yet to be worked out. The point is, so long as the participants act through anarchist modes of self-governance, the social structure is a sphere of freedom responsive to the desires of each and every participant. Conflicts will be dealt with through consensual processes rather than the rule of force, and no individual or group will exercise power over any one else.1 Anarchists have often compared this open cooperative social structure to a biological organism. Organisms are living beings which evolve of their own free will through a process of perpetual becoming that is unbounded and non-deterministic. Similarly, an anarchist society emulates this openness through a harmonious social structure that is free, dynamic, and ever-evolving. It comes as no surprise, then, that Read would appeal to this metaphor when identifying parallels to anarchism in art. And in this regard, one of his most succinct statements on abstraction, published on the eve of World War 2 in the London Bulletin, is instructive. Read wrote that the abstracting artist was concerned with 'certain proportions and rhythms inherent in the structure of the universe which govern organic growth.' 'Attuned to these rhythms and proportions,' the artist created 'microcosms which reflect the macrocosm' by rejecting 'an exact presentation' of'the external world' in favour of the essential forms underlying nature's 'casual variations'.2 By way of example, he illustrated his discussion with an Untitled painting by Piet Mondrian and a sculpture, Two Forms (1937), by Barbara Hepworth. These works expressed tendencies in abstraction towards, on the one hand, an exploration of nature's geometric structures and, on the other, its organic materiality. What united them both was their capacity to evoke, in the viewer, an idea of organicism that lay beyond the object at hand. As Read put it, they expressed the living cosmos held 'not in a grain of sand,' but 'in a block of stone or a pattern of colours.'3 So far so good, but Read's considerations were not confined to the art object. He also addressed abstract art's social function by adjudicating what kind of art was desirable on the basis of its amenability to the anarchism of the natural scientist and geographer, Peter Kropotkin. On this basis he brought abstract art under the umbrella of anarchism, and defended it against Communist Party assertions that socialist realism was the only revolutionary art form. …


A fi eld experiment was conducted at Department of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during 2009 to 2010 to study the effect of drip irrigation with fertigation in soil-less culture under controlled cultivation for Tomato. The highest yield per plant (2.16 kg/plant) and yield per hectare (112 t/ha) was registered in Peat:Vermicompost (T4F2 ) and the lowest yield per plant was recorded in Coir pith :Vermicompost (T2F1) (1.07 kg and 55.48 t/ha) under polyhouse condition. The highest water use effi ciency (1972.87 kg/ha cm) was obtained in T4F2 and the lowest was obtained in T2F2 (977.30 kg/ha cm) in poly house. The highest N fertilizer use effi ciency (700 kg/ ha.kg of N) was recorded in T4F2 at 80 % of fertigation and the least effi ciency was noted in T2F1 (277 kg/ ha kg of N). The highest K fertilizer use effi ciency (560 kg/ ha.kg of K) was recorded in T4F2 at 80 % of fertigation and the least effi ciency (222 kg /ha.kg of K) was noted in T2F1. The highest benefi t cost ratio 2.33 was recorded in T4F2. The results of the study indicated that the controlled cultivation of tomato in soil-less media has more benefi ts, in terms of yield, water and fertilizer use effi ciency, and benefi t cost ratio.


Cytochrome P-450 has recently been found to catalyze the reductive cleavage of both xenobiotic hydroperoxides and biologically occurring lipid hydroperoxides. In a reconstituted enzyme system containing phenobarbital-inducible P-450 form 2, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, and NADPH, the corresponding alcohols are not produced, but instead carbonyl compounds and hydrocarbons. In the following equation for the reaction, X represents any of a variety of alkyl groups and R and R' are either hydrogen or alkyl groups, of which only methyl has been studied so far: XRR'C-OOH + NADPH + H+----XRCO + R'H + H2O + NADP+ The products derived from cumyl, alpha-methylbenzyl, benzyl, and t-butyl hydroperoxides as well as 13-hydroperoxy-9,11-octadecadienoic acid indicate that the reaction involves stepwise one-electron transfer, resulting in homolysis of the peroxide oxygen-oxygen bond. The alkoxy radical thus generated undergoes beta-scission to yield the carbonyl compound and an alkyl radical that is reduced to the alkane. As predicted by this radical mechanism, when the reductive cleavage of cumyl hydroperoxide was carried out in D2O, deuteromethane was formed.


SETTING
Tumkur District, South India.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the participation of for-profit, formal private practitioners (PPs) under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme's (RNTCP's) public-private mix (PPM) schemes and document their contribution to RNTCP pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) case finding.

DESIGN
RNTCP reports at district TB centre were reviewed. PPs were mapped and their referrals of presumptive TB cases to the RNTCP during 2011 were assessed using laboratory registers at designated microscopy centres (DMCs).

RESULTS
None of the 424 PPs had signed up for any PPM scheme. However, 22% made at least one referral to a DMC in 2011. PP referrals constituted 15% of the presumptive TB cases examined at the DMCs, and PPs contributed to 23% of the sputum smear-positive TB cases detected. Among PP referrals, the proportion of confirmed smear-positive cases was high (24%).

CONCLUSION
Fifteen years after the start of PPM, formal engagement of PPs with RNTCP was non-existent. However, PPs do refer cases to the RNTCP and contribute to a fraction of TB case detection. The high proportion of confirmed sputum smear-positive cases suggests that PPs tend to make selective referrals. More efforts are needed to promote the engagement of PPs in the RNTCP.


Combustion synthesis of titanium diboride(TiB2) from titanium(Ti) and boron(B) powders was studied by theoretical calculation and experimental analysis. In high temperature range or in low temperature range, the calculated activation energies are 140KJ/mol or 355KJ/mol respectively, which is described by a change from dissolution-precipitation controlled process to diffusion-controlled process. With the increase of particle size of the raw materials, combustion temperature and propagating rate will both reduce. The propagating rate decreases with the addition of diluents. Further increase of diluents may result in a stop of the combustion wave halfway or even a failure of ignition.


Order picking systems are confronted with a volatile demand and short delivery time requirements. Manufacturing companies face the increasing variability requirements with Heijunka-levelling, one method of the Toyota Production System. The objectives of this publication are to develop a levelling concept for order picking systems, to analyse its performance based on a discrete-time analytical model and to develop a staffing algorithm determining the required workforce level in an order picking system with levelled order release. The levelling concept for order picking systems results from the existing models of Heijunka-levelling in the literature, which are adopted and expanded regarding the specific requirements of order picking systems. The order picking system with levelled order release is depicted as a discrete-time Markov chain. To analyse its performance, we derive several performance measures, such as service level, backlog duration and system utilisation, from the steady-state distribution of the Markov chain. The s taffing a lgorithm i s a binary search algorithm based on the Markov chain. The models developed in this publication enable a quantitative evaluation of the impact of several system parameters, such as variability of customer demand, workforce level and traffic intensity, on the performance measures of the order picking system. Furthermore, the staffing algorithm determines the workforce level which is required to guarantee a certain system performance, such as a service level of 99%, in an order picking system with levelled order release. By comparing levelled order release to FCFS-based order release strategies in a numerical example, we show the benefits of levelled order release.


A detailed thermodynamic analysis of the sorption enhanced chemical looping reforming of methane (SE-CL-SMR), using CaO and NiO as CO2 sorbent and oxygen transfer material (OTM) respectively, was conducted. Conventional reforming (SMR) and sorption enhanced reforming (SE-SMR) were also investigated for comparison reasons. The results of the thermodynamic analysis show that there are significant advantages of both sorption enhanced processes compared to conventional reforming. The presence of CaO leads to higher methane conversion and hydrogen purity at low temperatures. Addition of the OTM, in the SECL-SMR process concept, minimizes the thermal requirements and results in superior performance compared to SE-SMR and SMR in a two-reactor concept with use of pure oxygen as oxidant/sweep gas. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of GHGT.


It was shown by Stokes that in a water wave the particles of fluid possess, apart from their orbital motion, a steady second-order drift velocity (usually called the mass-transport velocity). Recent experiments, however, have indicated that the mass-transport velocity can be very different from that predicted by Stokes on the assumption of a perfect, non-viscous fluid. In this paper a general theory of mass transport is developed, which takes account of the viscosity, and leads to results in agreement with observation. Part I deals especially with the interior of the fluid. It is shown that the nature of the motion in the interior depends upon the ratio of the wave amplitude a to the thickness d of the boundary layer: when a2/d2 is small the diffusion of vorticity takes place by viscous 'conduction'; when a2/d2 is large, by convection with the mass-transport velocity. Appropriate field equations for the stream function of the mass transport are derived. The boundary layers, however, require separate consideration. In part II special attention is given to the boundary layers, and a general theory is developed for two types of oscillating boundary: when the velocities are prescribed at the boundary, and when the stresses are prescribed. Whenever the motion is simple-harmonic the equations of motion can be integrated exactly. A general method is described for determining the mass transport throughout the fluid in the presence of an oscillating body, or with an oscillating stress at the boundary. In part III, the general method of solution described in parts I and II is applied to the cases of a progressive and a standing wave in water of uniform depth. The solutions are markedly different from the perfect-fluid solutions with irrotational motion. The chief characteristic of the progressivewave solution is a strong forward velocity near the bottom. The predicted maximum velocity near the bottom agrees well with that observed by Bagnold.


This article is devoted to the exploration of Polish and Lithuanian migrants' work experiences in the United Kingdom. It argues that it is hard to categorize these individuals as highly skilled or low-skilled because, in spite of their relatively high qualifications, they often occupy low-skilled positions in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the article suggests that these migrants are ''middling transnationals'' (Conradson and Latham, 2005a). Although they are classified as economic migrants, many of them have migrated to the United Kingdom not only in order to earn money but also to try life abroad, see the world, or learn English. Following Bourdieu's terminology, the article suggests ways in which migrants use different cultural capital (skills, qualifications, social environment) to enhance their economic capital in the United Kingdom, but also ways in which these different forms of migrants' capital are interrelated. The findings suggest that Eastern Europeans are highly mobile in the British labour market. Provided they possess necessary linguistic skills, migrants progress from ''any job'' to a ''better job'' in search of a ''dream job''. The article emphasises that this transition in the British labour market became easier after Poles and Lithuanians became EU citizens, whereby they were granted the right to work and improved access to education services in the United Kingdom. The article also argues that viewing migrants' work experiences in the context of their future plans helps to understand better why working below qualifications is acceptable to many East Europeans in the United Kingdom. This is either because it helps them maximise their income and return to their home country as soon as possible, or because a low-skilled position helps them to improve other skills (e.g., English) and serves as a stepping stone to better career opportunities in the future.


Since antiquity, genealogy was practiced mainly in the noble families. It has been treated as a tool of legitimization of social and political range. People often used to refer to mythical origins of a family as an imaginary sphere of references to the common past. This paper concerns the idea of amateur genealogy in the present-day Poland and societies of Polish roots. The overall objective is that increasing interest in the search of ancestors is related to specific 'fashion" and the need for people's own place in the so-called 'Great History'. From the perspective of cultural anthropology, the amateur genealogy responses to the identity crisis in the contemporary world and the process of democratization of the collective memory. In Poland, this phenomenon took a significant form, resulting from the history of the Polish nation and still actual problems with social identification: resentment towards the noble past and, very often, the need for having gentry roots. On the other hand, more and more Poles decided to discover their family past and give a voice to their ancestors who were excluded from the traditional historiography: peasants, craftsmen, burghers etc. The first results of ethnographic research (carried out by using classical methods: interviews, participating observation, etc. as well as the virtual-ethnography) show that in Poland, amateur genealogy seems to be the mirror of Polish identity and the mythologized history. What is more, it is also a phenomenon reflecting universal mechanisms of family memory as a unique system of narrations.


Electropulse current effect during cold rolling on deformability, nanostructure formation and mechanical behavior in coarse-grained (CG) and ultrafine-grained (UFG) TiNi alloys enriched by nickel is investigated. The UFG sample subjected to cold rolling with current has a fracture strain (е = 1.91) which is higher than that without a current (е = 0.59). As a result of cold rolling with a current and a subsequent annealing at 400-450 °C, nanostructure is formed in both alloys, which leads to a significant enhancement of yield and ultimate stresses. It has been shown that the efficiency of electroplastic rolling depends on the purity of the alloys.