Background In order to avoid separate injections of different drugs, admixtures of opioids with other drugs are frequently used in palliative care. Many factors can affect the compatibility and stability of the mixture: type of drug, concentration, solvent, container, temperature and light. There are some mixtures of opioids with other drugs with proven stability, but there is lack of evidence about the stability and compatibility of the combination of morphine and furosemide. Purpose To evaluate the compatibility and stability of the admixture morphine 1.0 mg/ml – furosemide 0.6 mg/ml in NaCl 0.9% stored at ambient room temperature under normal light for at least 30 days. Materials and methods On study day 0, a mixture was prepared and diluted in NaCl 0.9% to obtain 1.0 mg/ml of morphine and 0.6 mg/ml of furosemide and stored at ambient room temperature under normal light. The concentration of each constituent drug was periodically determined using a HPLC-UV method. The drugs were chromatographed on a C 18 reverse phase column; the mobile phase was acetonitrile-water 80:20 (v/v); flow rate 1.5 ml/min. Morphine and furosemide concentrations were determined at 235 nm by interpolation from the calibration curves prepared at (0, 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 19, 23, 26, 30) days from the standards. Results The admixture remained physically and chemically stable during study period, with no precipitation or colour change and non-significant loss of morphine or furosemide. The StatGraphics Centurion XVI program was used for data processing. Conclusions Morphine and furosemide mixture diluted in NaCl 0.9% (concentration 1.0 and 0.6 mg/ml, respectively), is physically and chemically stable for at least 30 days. No conflict of interest.


BLM encodes a member of the highly conserved RecQ DNA helicase family, which is essential for the maintenance of genome stability. Homozygous inactivation of BLM gives rise to the cancer predisposition disorder Bloom's syndrome. A common feature of many RecQ helicase mutants is a hyperrecombination phenotype. In Bloom's syndrome, this phenotype manifests as an elevated frequency of sister chromatid exchanges and interhomologue recombination. We have shown previously that BLM, together with its evolutionarily conserved binding partner topoisomerase IIIalpha (hTOPO IIIalpha), can process recombination intermediates that contain double Holliday junctions into noncrossover products by a mechanism termed dissolution. Here we show that a recently identified third component of the human BLM/hTOPO IIIalpha complex, BLAP75/RMI1, promotes dissolution catalyzed by hTOPO IIIalpha. This activity of BLAP75/RMI1 is specific for dissolution catalyzed by hTOPO IIIalpha because it has no effect in reactions containing either Escherichia coli Top1 or Top3, both of which can also catalyze dissolution in a BLM-dependent manner. We present evidence that BLAP75/RMI1 acts by recruiting hTOPO IIIalpha to double Holliday junctions. Implications of the conserved ability of type IA topoisomerases to catalyze dissolution and how the evolution of factors such as BLAP75/RMI1 might confer specificity on the execution of this process are discussed.


The recent advances in deep neural networks have demonstrated high capability in a wide variety of scenarios. Nevertheless, fine-tuning deep models in a new domain still requires a significant amount of labeled data despite expensive labeling efforts. A valid question is how to leverage the source knowledge plus unlabeled or only sparsely labeled target data for learning a new model in target domain. The core problem is to bring the source and target distributions closer in the feature space. In the paper, we facilitate this issue in an adversarial learning framework, in which a domain discriminator is devised to handle domain shift. Particularly, we explore the learning in the context of hashing problem, which has been studied extensively due to its great efficiency in gigantic data. Specifically, a novel Deep Domain Adaptation Hashing with Adversarial learning (DeDAHA) architecture is presented, which mainly consists of three components: a deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) for learning basic image/frame representation followed by an adversary stream on one hand to optimize the domain discriminator, and on the other, to interact with each domain-specific hashing stream for encoding image representation to hash codes. The whole architecture is trained end-to-end by jointly optimizing two types of losses, i.e., triplet ranking loss to preserve the relative similarity ordering in the input triplets and adversarial loss to maximally fool the domain discriminator with the learnt source and target feature distributions. Extensive experiments are conducted on three domain transfer tasks, including cross-domain digits retrieval, image to image and image to video transfers, on several benchmarks. Our DeDAHA framework achieves superior results when compared to the state-of-the-art techniques.


Article history: Received 9 March 2019 Received in revised form 19 April 2019 Accepted 22 June 2019 Available online 19 July 2019 The steady two-dimensional mixed convection boundary layer flow and heat transfer of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) over an exponentially stretching/shrinking sheet with suction and slip is studied numerically. Water (base fluid) along with two types of CNTs, namely single and multi-walled CNTs are taken into consideration. Stretching/shrinking velocity and wall temperature are assumed to vary as prescribed exponential functions. The governing boundary layer equations of the problem are transformed into an ordinary differential equation via exponential similarity transformation. The resulting ordinary differential equations are solved numerically using the bvp4c package in Matlab software. The effects of governing parameters, namely, mixed convection parameter, exponentially stretching/shrinking parameter, nanoparticle volume fraction parameter, slip parameter and suction parameter on dimensionless velocity, temperature, skin friction coefficients and Nusselt numbers are discussed and presented graphically in detail. It has been found that dual solutions exist for an exponentially stretching and shrinking sheets.


Transforming a whole energy ecosystem from market mechanisms through the infrastructure upgrades and control operations to the behavior of the very last consumer takes a while. It has been already happening and we need to come up with solutions to face the coming challenges. The old, vertically integrated and centralized operation model is becoming a generally distributed network, where the consumers can become prosumers, energy flow is not one-directional, grid control operations are based on distributed optimization algorithms, and grid agents can effectively shape the characteristics of their consumption or generation. Different approaches are presented in this paper that could help the transformation of the energy ecosystem. Novel techniques are investigated to optimize grid control operations and market level cooperation as well. In the end, some suggestions for future work will be


To use 3D models on the Internet or in other bandwidth-limited applications, it is often necessary to compress their triangle mesh representations. We consider the problem of balancing two forms of lossy mesh compression: redu ction of the number of vertices by simplification, and reduction of the number of bits of resolution used per vertex coordinate via quantization. Let A be a triangle mesh approximation for an original model O. Suppose that A has V vertices, each represented using B bits per coordinate. Given a file size F for A, what are the optimal values of B and V? Given a desired error level E, what are estimates of B and V, and how many total bits are needed? We develop answers to these questions by using a shape complexity measure K that allows us to express the optimal value of B for a general model in terms of V and K alone. We g ive formulas linking B,V,F,E, and K, and we provide a simple algorithm for estimating the optimal B and V for an existing triangle mesh with a given file size F.


The purpose of this study was to conduct a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate the rate of space closure and tooth angulation during maxillary canine retraction using preactivated T-loops made from titanium-molybdenum alloy (TMA) and nickel-titanium (NiTi). Twelve patients (six males and six females) aged between 13 and 20 years who had upper premolar extractions were included, and each acted as their own control, with a NiTi T-loop allocated to one quadrant and TMA to the other using a split mouth block randomization design. The loops were activated 3 mm at each visit to deliver a load of approximately 150 g to the upper canine teeth. Maxillary dental casts, taken at the first and each subsequent monthly visit, were used to evaluate changes in extraction space and canine angulation. All used T-loops were compared with unused loops in order to assess distortion. Mixed model statistical analysis was used to adjust for confounding variables. The mean rate of canine retraction using preactivated NiTi and TMA T-loops was 0.91 mm/month (±0.46) and 0.87 mm/month (±0.34), respectively. The canine tipping rates were 0.71 degrees/month (±2.34) for NiTi and 1.15 degrees/month (±2.86) for TMA. Both the rate of space closure and the tipping were not significantly different between the two wire types. The average percentage distortion of the TMA T-loop was 10 times greater than that of the NiTi loops when all other variables were matched. There was no difference in the rate of space closure or tooth angulation between preactivated TMA or NiTi T-loops when used to retract upper canines. The NiTi loops possessed a greater ability to retain and return to their original shapes following cyclical activation.


Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally. Prevention is the most effective way of combating its epidemic in the resource poor nations. Knowledge on preventive measures of heart diseases has been identified as a prerequisite for change in behavior. This study was conducted with the purpose of identifying the knowledge on heart disease and its prevention among the adults population residing in Dadhikot VDC of Bhaktapur district by interviewing house to house survey. A total of 405 respondents who met the eligible criteria were systematically sampled and interviewed face to face for the study. A pretested Nepali version semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data from adults. The duration of the study was one month i.e. June, 2011. Among total respondents, 57.8 percent had adequate knowledge on heart disease. Only less than half (46.9%) knew age as non-modifiable risk factor for heart disease followed by hereditary (39.8%) and sex (13.8%). Regarding modifiable risk factors, the most cited response was fatty food consumption (72.6%) followed by smoking (70.4%), stress (63.7%), physical inactivity (61.7%), hypertension (59%), obesity (58.8%), high cholesterol diet (36.5%) and diabetes (30.1%). Most of the respondents (57.8%) knew dyspnea during exertion as symptom of heart disease followed by chest pain (24%). Majority of respondents (80.7%) cited decreasing fatty diet as preventive measure of heart disease following daily exercise (75.6%), eating vegetables and fruits (71.6%), keeping blood pressure under control (59%) and keeping diabetes under control (33.8%) respectively. Knowledge was significantly associated with age, gender, education level and family history of heart disease.
Conclusion: The findings concluded that significant percentage (42.2%) of respondents had inadequate knowledge on heart disease. The findings also highlighted the lack of knowledge on high cholesterol diet and diabetes as modifiable risk factors for heart disease i.e. 36.5% and 30.1% respectively. So it is recommended that awareness raising programs could be beneficial on prevention of heart disease is correcting in the deficient areas of knowledge regarding preventive measures of heart disease.


Introduction Research demonstrated that small pitch sizes in small-sided games (SSGs) result in decreased physical demands (Castellano et al., 2015) and different interpersonal distances (Frencken et al., 2013) compared to SSGs played on larger pitches. In practice, soccer trainers mainly use relatively small pitches, where the relative pitch area is smaller than in full-sized matches (i.e. 320m2 per player). Although physical performance increased in SSGs played on a match-derived relative pitch area compared to SSGs played on smaller pitches (Castellano et al., 2015), it remains unclear how teams tactically respond to such a pitch size manipulation. Therefore, the aim is to investigate the effect of match-derived relative pitch area in SSGs on team tactical performance. Method Forty-nine under-19 players from three Dutch youth academies played 5-a-side games on a small and a large pitch, with relative pitch areas of 120m2 and 320m2, respectively. Positional data (LPM-system) were recorded during the SSGs and were used to determine team tactical performance measures, such as the inter-team distance, LPW-ratio and surface area. Differences between the SSGs were statistically evaluated with an ANOVA. Results & Discussion The inter-team distance significantly increased on a large pitch compared to the small pitch (3.95±1.11 vs. 1.62±0.28m, p<.01). In addition, the surface area was significantly larger on the large pitch than on the small pitch (143.34±26.26 vs. 100.68±18.79m2, p<.01). These findings indicate an increased dispersion of the players on the large pitch. The unchanged LPW-ratio (0.96±0.16 vs. 0.94±0.13AU, p=.52) indicates that manipulation of the pitch size did not affect the shape of the team. Conclusion Team tactical performance measures were affected by a match-derived relative pitch area in SSGs. This pitch size manipulation afforded soccer players more space to explore and allowed teams to adopt a larger dispersion. Applying such pitch areas in SSGs might be a more representative playing environment for the soccer players to improve soccer skills and prepare for the full-sized match. References Castellano J, Puente A, Echeazarra I, Casamichana D. J Strength Cond Res. 2015;29(6):1683-1691 Frencken W, Plaats van der J, Visscher C, Lemmink K. J Syst Sci Complex. 2013;26:85-93


Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) can be defined as a collection of large number of mobile nodes that form temporary network without aid of any existing network infrastructure or central access point. Due to the nature of MANETs to design and maintaining security is challenging task for researcher in an open and distributed communication environment. This paper we proposed security architecture for MANET grid and optimal key management by combines symmetric key technique and elliptic curve public key technique. The proposed architecture and optimal key management eliminates threats including the man-in-the-middle attack and the Black hole attack can be effectively eliminated under the proposed scheme. The core advantages of the proposed scheme include strong security, scalability, fault-tolerance, accessibility, and efficiency.


In this paper, we present multimodal deep neural network frameworks for age and gender classification, which take input a profile face image as well as an ear image. Our main objective is to enhance the accuracy of soft biometric trait extraction from profile face images by additionally utilizing a promising biometric modality: ear appearance. For this purpose, we provided end-to-end multimodal deep learning frameworks. We explored different multimodal strategies by employing data, feature, and score level fusion. To increase representation and discrimination capability of the deep neural networks, we benefited from domain adaptation and employed center loss besides softmax loss. We conducted extensive experiments on the UND-F, UND-J2, and FERET datasets. Experimental results indicated that profile face images contain a rich source of information for age and gender classification. We found that the presented multimodal system achieves very high age and gender classification accuracies. Moreover, we attained superior results compared to the state-of-the-art profile face image or ear image-based age and gender classification methods.


Achieving space flight remains a challenging enterprise. It is an undertaking of great complexity, requiring numerous technological and engineering disciplines and a high level of organizational skill. Human Exploration requires advances in operations, testing, and propulsion for transport to the earth orbit, the moon, Mars, and beyond. NASA is interested in making space transportation systems more capable and less expensive. NASA is interested in technologies for advanced in-space propulsion systems to support exploration, reduce travel time, reduce acquisition costs, and reduce operational costs. The goal is a breakthrough in cost and reliability for a wide range of payload sizes and types (including passenger transportation) supporting future orbital flight vehicles. Lower cost and reliable space access will provide significant benefits to civil space (human and robotic exploration beyond Earth as well as Earth science), to commercial industry, to educational institutions, for support to the International Space Station National Laboratory, and to national security. While other strategies can support frequent, low-cost and reliable space access, this topic focuses on the technologies that dramatically alter acquisition, reusability, reliability, and operability of space transportation systems.Â


In women with radiographically dense breasts, the sensitivity of mammography is less than 50%. With the increase in the percent of women with dense breasts, it is important to look at alternative screening techniques for this population. This article reviews the strengths and weaknesses of current imaging techniques and focuses on recent developments in semiconductor-based gamma camera systems that offer significant improvements in image quality over that achievable with single-crystal sodium iodide systems. We have developed a technique known as Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) using small field of view Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) gamma cameras that permits the breast to be imaged in a similar manner to mammography, using light pain-free compression. Computer simulations and experimental studies have shown that use of low-energy high sensitivity collimation coupled with the excellent energy resolution and intrinsic spatial resolution of CZT detectors provides optimum image quality for the detection of small breast lesions. Preliminary clinical studies with a prototype dual-detector system have demonstrated that Molecular Breast Imaging has a sensitivity of ~90% for the detection of breast tumors less than 10 mm in diameter. By comparison, conventional scintimammography only achieves a sensitivity of 50% in the detection of lesions < 10 mm. Because Molecular Breast Imaging is not affected by breast density, this technique may offer an important adjunct to mammography in the evaluation of women with dense breast parenchyma.


Arising through multiple binding elements, multivalency can specify the avidity, duration, cooperativity, and selectivity of biomolecular interactions, but quantitative prediction and design of these properties has remained challenging. Here we present MVsim, an application suite built around a configurational network model of multivalency to facilitate the quantification, design, and mechanistic evaluation of multivalent binding phenomena through a simple graphical user interface. To demonstrate the utility and versatility of MVsim, we first show that both monospecific and multispecific multivalent ligand-receptor interactions, with their noncanonical binding kinetics, can be accurately simulated. We then quantitatively predict the ultrasensitivity and performance of multivalent-encoded protein logic gates, evaluate the inherent programmability of multispecificity for selective receptor targeting, and extract rate constants of conformational switching for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and model its binding to ACE2 as well as multivalent inhibitors of this interaction. MVsim is freely available at https://sarkarlab.github.io/MVsim/.


Better efficacy for predicting the risk of transplantation rejection could be achieved by intergenic interactions among single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) compared with one SNP. In this study, we explored the forewarning function of interactions among SNPs in nucleotide excision repair (NER) genes. Thirty-eight polymorphisms in eight NER genes were genotyped by Sequenom MassARRAY platform, including XPA, XPC, DDB2, XPB (ERCC3), XPD (ERCC2), ERCC1, XPF (ERCC4), and XPG (ERCC5). The haplotype analysis suggested that XPA rs3176629-rs2808668 C-T and ERCC5 G-C-C-T and G-C-T-C (OR = 1.81, 7.72 and 3.46, respectively) increased the risk of transplantation rejection; while ERCC5 rs2094258-rs751402-rs2296147-rs1047768 A-C-T-T decreased the risk (OR = 0.35). Multiple logistic regression and multifactor dimensionality reduction (DMR) analyses consistently revealed intergenic interactions among ERCC2 rs50871, ERCC5 rs1047768, and XPC rs2228001 SNPs for the risk of transplantation rejection. Taken together, the interactions among XPC rs2228001, ERCC2 rs50871 and ERCC5 rs1047768 SNPs were associated with the risk of transplantation rejection.


PURPOSE
To describe our approach for port placement and robot docking for pelvic and kidney surgery (KS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We use a four-arm robotic approach and a 5 to 6 port placement consisting of: One 12-mm camera port, three 8-mm robotic ports, and one to two assistant ports. For radical prostatectomy, the working robotic ports run parallel below the level of the umbilicus. Radical cystectomy ports are more cephalad and above the level of the umbilicus. For transperitoneal KS, two bariatric robotic ports are used, aiming for an equilateral triangle configuration. With retroperitoneal (RN) KS, a balloon dilator and balloon port create the RN space; bariatric ports comprise the most anterior and posterior ports.

RESULTS
This technique has been used since 2010 on more than 2370 robotic urologic cases. To date, no procedure has needed patient or robot positioning while maintaining fourth arm functionality with minimal robotic arm clashing.

CONCLUSIONS
Our approach of port placement and robot docking is reproducible and feasible for pelvic surgical procedures and KS.


Chemotherapy for breast cancer is broadly classified into cases in which it is performed for the preoperative and postoperative prevention of metastasis and recurrence in order to save a patient's life, and cases in which it is performed to obtain an improvement in the QOL of metastatic cases in order to prolong the life of a patient. Preoperative and postoperative drug therapy tends to be oriented more toward aggressive since a permanent cure is difficult in metastatic cases, and it has been recommended that the drug therapy after a recurrence should begin with mild treatment so that the QOL will not be substantially impaired. There is no scientific basis regarding the extent to which the treatment of metastasis and recurrence should be performed. Basically, the treatment is sustained as long as it continues to be effective, but the treatment protocol is determined by consulting with patients and their family members while taking side effects and social factors into consideration as well. As to a characteristic of breast cancer, the peak age is about 50 years old, with metastatic and recurrent cases also involve many younger patients, so both the patients and their family members are less likely to abandon an aggressive treatment. Moreover, new effective drugs have been approved one after another to the extent that today from 30-40% of all patients are now able to survive for more than 5 years, even with distant metastases, which therefore reinforces the trend not to abandon an aggressive treatment.


Introduction Stem cells have emerged as a new treatment option for tendon disorders. We systematically reviewed the current evidence for stem cell therapy in tendon disorders. Methods Randomised and non-randomised controlled trials, cohort studies and case series with a minimum of 5 cases were searched in MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, CINAHL, PEDro and SPORTDiscus. In addition, we searched grey literature databases and trial registers. Only human studies were included and no time or language restrictions were applied to our search. All references of included trials were checked for possibly eligible trials. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for controlled trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for case series. Levels of evidence were assigned according to the Oxford levels of evidence. Results 4 published and three unpublished/pending trials were found with a total of 79 patients. No unpublished data were available. Two trials evaluated bone marrow-derived stem cells in rotator cuff repair surgery and found lower retear rates compared with historical controls or the literature. One trial used allogenic adipose-derived stem cells to treat lateral epicondylar tendinopathy. Improved Mayo Elbow Performance Index, Visual Analogue Pain scale and ultrasound findings after 1-year follow-up compared with baseline were found. Bone marrow-derived stem cell-treated patellar tendinopathy showed improved International Knee Documentation Committee, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score subscales and Tegner scores after 5-year follow-up. One trial reported adverse events and found them to be mild (eg, swelling, effusion). All trials were at high risk of bias and only level 4 evidence was available. Conclusions No evidence (level 4) was found for the therapeutic use of stem cells for tendon disorders. The use of stem cell therapy for tendon disorders in clinical practice is currently not advised.


This paper presents a formal description of a small functional language
with dependent types. The language contains data types, mutual recursive/
inductive definitions and a universe of small types. The syntax,
semantics and type system is specified in such a way that the implementation
of a parser, interpreter and type checker is straightforward.
The main difficulty is to design the conversion algorithm in such a way
that it works for open expressions. The paper ends with a complete
implementation in Haskell (around 400 lines of code).


An antiserum raised to the locust neuropeptide locustatachykinin I (LomTK I) was used for analysis of the distribution of tachykinin-related peptide in the cockroach Leucophaea maderae. Extracts of dissected brains, suboesophageal ganglia, thoracic ganglia and midguts were separated by high performance liquid chromatography and the fractions analysed in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with use of the LomTK antiserum. Each of the tissues was found to contain LomTK-like immunoreactive (LomTK-LI) components with retention times corresponding approximately to synthetic LomTK I and II and callitachykinins I and II. The LomTK antiserum was also used for immunocytochemical mapping of peptide in the nervous system and intestine of L. maderae. A large number of LomTK-LI interneurons were detected in the proto-, deuto- and tritocerebrum of the brain and in the suboesophaegeal ganglion. The immunoreactive neurons supply processes to most parts of the brain: the central body, protocerebral bridge, mushroom body calyces, antennal lobes, optic lobe and most regions of the non-glomerular neuropil. A few protocerebral neurons send LomTK-LI processes to the glandular lobe of the corpora cardiaca. In each of the thoracic ganglia there are six LomTK-LI interneurons and in each of the unfused abdominal ones there are two interneurons. The fused terminal ganglion contains some additional cell bodies in the posterior neuromers. LomTK-LI cell bodies were detected in the frontal ganglion and fibres were seen in this ganglion as well as in the hypocerebral ganglion. The frontal ganglion supplies LomTK-LI processes to the muscle layer of the pharynx. The muscle layer of the midgut is innervated by LomTK-LI fibres from the stomatogastric system (oesophageal nerve and associated ganglia). Additionally the midgut contains numerous LomTK-LI endocrine cells. A number of the pharyngeal dilator muscles were also found to be innervated by LomTK-LI fibres, probably derived from cell bodies in the suboesophageal ganglion. All the LomTK-LI neurons of the central nervous system appear to be interneurons, suggesting a neuromodulatory role of the endogenous tachykinins. The tachykinin-like peptides from peripheral ganglia may be involved in the control of foregut and midgut contractility and possibly the peptide of the endocrine cells in the midgut has additional actions related to intestinal function.


Cardiopulmonary bypass may alter the factors responsible for normal hemostasis by exposing blood to nonendothelial surfaces, for example, extracorporeal circuits. To evaluate the probable effect of extracorporeal circulation on hemostasis, we measured thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) and prothrombin fragment 1+2 (PF 1.2) plasma levels, which are the biologic markers of in vivo coagulation, in 20 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Postoperative PF 1.2 levels were higher in comparison to the preoperative concentrations of the parameter. Preoper ative and postoperative TAT concentrations showed no statistically significant difference. The increment in the PF 1.2 levels in CABG patients might suggest ongoing subclinical hemostatic activation associated with CABG. Further investigations are needed to clarify the exact relationship between increased PF 1.2 levels and thrombotic complications observed in CABG patients. Hemostatis in CABG is still an enigma and remains to be eluciated.


Standards and technical regulations which govern the admissibility of imported goods into an economy raise costs of exporters entering new markets, and may have a particularly high impact on firms seeking to export from developing countries. Yet standards may also have a positive side, such as certifying product quality and safety for the consumer. This paper analyzes potential conflicts of interest between consumers and firms in a developed and a developing country under different assumptions about the costs and benefits of standards imposed on tradable products by one or both of the countries.


Camera surveys commonly are used by managers and hunters to estimate white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus density and demographic rates. Though studies have documented biases and inaccuracies in the camera survey methodology, camera traps remain popular due to ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and ability to survey large areas. Because recruitment is a key parameter in ungulate population dynamics, there is a growing need to test the effectiveness of camera surveys for assessing fawn recruitment. At Savannah River Site, South Carolina, we used six years of camera-based recruitment estimates (i.e. fawn:doe ratio) to predict concurrently collected annual radiotag-based survival estimates. The coefficient of determination (R2) was 0.445, indicating some support for the viability of cameras to reflect recruitment. We added two years of data from Fort Bragg Military Installation, North Carolina, which improved R2 to 0.621 without accounting for site-specific variability. Also, we evaluated the correlation between year-to-year changes in recruitment and survival using the Savannah River Site data; R2 was 0.758, suggesting that camera-based recruitment could be useful as an indicator of the trend in survival. Because so few researchers concurrently estimate survival and camera-based recruitment, examining this relationship at larger spatial scales while controlling for numerous confounding variables remains difficult. Future research should test the validity of our results from other areas with varying deer and camera densities, as site (e.g. presence of feral pigs Sus scrofa) and demographic (e.g. fawn age at time of camera survey) parameters may have a large influence on detectability. Until such biases are fully quantified, we urge researchers and managers to use caution when advocating the use of camera-based recruitment estimates.


Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) in the inland waters of Washington were reduced by predator control programs in the twentieth century, but stocks have rebounded since being protected in the 1970s. Three management stocks are recognized, but there is little information on their current abundance. We conducted 38,431 km of aerial line-transect surveys throughout the range of these stocks in 2013–2016, sighting a total of 4,678 groups of harbor seals. Line-transect analysis with Beaufort sea state as a covariate provided estimates of the number of seals in the water. We then incorporated tagging data from 15 instrumented seals to develop correction factors, both for seals missed in the water while diving, and those that were on shore. Tagging data were modeled with generalized linear mixed models to provide estimates of the proportions diving and hauled out. After applying these correction factors, we estimated that the Hood Canal stock contained 1,368 seals (CV = 16.8%), the Southern Puget Sound stock contained 1,976 seals (CV = 20.5%), and the Washington Northern Inland Waters stock contained 7,513 seals (CV = 11.5%). This study presents a non-traditional approach to estimating the size of Washington inland waters harbor seal stocks, which may also be applicable to other species for which survey and tagging data are available.


The purpose of this thesis is to explore how the unpredictability of climate change and natural disasters impact the risk perception of Swedish companies. The literature chapter that has been elaborated in this study describes theories that are associated with effects of climate change and natural disasters, risk management and knowledge.Further on, the research has been conducted with a qualitative method in order to gain a profounder understanding of the topic and how it influences the risk perception of Swedish companies. The study has further on been following a abductive research approach since the area of research was rather unexplored. We present the results of our study by answering to the research questions in the conclusion chapter that have been derived from the analysis. Furthermore, the conclusion chapter involves that the risks perception of the studied companies differentiates depending on the level and type on knowledge that the companies hold.


Throughout this thesis, the phenomenon of radiation-induced particle size change is studied both on a theoretical as well as experimental level. The thrust of this study is aimed at using the size changes due to heat absorption to develop a technique for obtaining the particle chemical composition. The experiments here involve charged particles, generated with an impulse jet, and trapped by the electric field of an electrodynamic balance. The particles under study are all aqueous solutions of non-volatile salts, where upon heating a partial evaporation of water occurs. The evaporation and subsequent condensation processes are modeled in both the continuum and the transition regimes. The models developed are tested and the agreement between theory and experimental results is demonstrated. The models are also used to extract the values of the water, thermal, and mass accommodation coefficients from the data. The results for the thermal accommodation show that its value is near unity, however the corresponding results for the mass accommodation are not conclusive. A method is developed for obtaining the molecular composition of a single suspended microparticle by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The particle is irradiated simultaneously by the infrared output from a Michelson interferometer and the visible light from a dye laser. The laser is tuned to an edge of an optical resonance of the particle while the IR beam is chopped. Through evaporation and condensation the chopped IR beam causes a size modulation of the droplet, which in turn induces a fluctuation in the laser light scattered from the particle. The scattered light is detected at 90° with a photomultiplier, and the amplitude of the light fluctuation is measured with a lock-in amplifier. The lock-in signal is then inverted by a discrete fast Fourier transform routine (FFT), to yield the particle absorption spectrum. Spectra of (NH4)2SO4 droplets at different solute concentrations are presented.


A technique for fast texture determination by neutron diffraction is described. With the technique a complete texture analysis requires from 15 to 45 minutes measuring time and the kinetics of the development in single texture components can be studied with a time resolution of the order of seconds. It is shown how these two measuring principles can be used for in-situ kinetic investigations of recrystallization. Independent of speed, texture measurement by neutron diffraction has an advantage in improved statistics which is examplified by a series of measurements on the early stage of texture development in copper and brass.


The advances in information and communication technologies have changed the way the governments interact with their citizens. The development of the internet and its vast capabilities played a vital role in this change. According the UN report 2010, the UN e-Government development index of the world rated United Arab Emirates in 49 which comes late 17 places than 2008 ranking. During 2008 the UAE ranked in 32. Therefore, it can be seen that UAE is having some troubles in citizens' adoption of the e-Government. In this paper, we will examine the key berries to the use of the e-Government services by citizens through testing the effect of 11 independent variables on the citizens' use of e-Government in municipal of Emirate of Abu Dhabi.


In recent years, many researches have been developing towards biocompatible improvement and cellular penetrating ability of dendrimers in order to use in diagnosis and treatment therapy for several type of cancer. In this study, to enhance biocompatibility, drug loading efficiency and cellular uptake of the polyamidoamine dendrimer, the dendrimer generation 3.0 (G 3.0) was conjugated with hexanoyl chloride and targeted with acid folic (G3.0-C6-FA). The structure of the G3.0-C6-FA was determined by 1 H-NMR. According to 1 H-NMR spectra, 9 hexanoyl groups and 2 folate groups were attached to the G3.0 dendrimer. TEM image of G3.0-C6 dendrimer exhibited spherical shape and nano sizes ranging from 3 to 4 nm and TEM image of the G3.0-C6-FA indicated a size distribution ranging from 5 to 7 nm. In addition, Fluorouracil (5-FU)-loaded G3.0 and 5FU-loaded G3.0-C6-FA were also prepared to evaluate drug loading efficiency was using High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The obtained results indicated that drug loading efficiency of G3.0-C6-FA (13,8% of 5-FU) is higher than G3.0 (11% of 5FU). 5- G3.0-C6-FA also showed a slow release profile of the drug. These positive results show a potential of the drug-nanocarrier system in practical application.


Imbibitional stress was imposed on neem (Azadirachta indica) seeds by letting them soak for 1 h in water at unfavourable, low temperatures before further incubation at 30°C. Sensitivity to low imbibition temperatures increased with a decrease in seed moisture content (MC). To investigate a possible involvement of seed age in the extent of imbibitional damage, initially high-quality seed lots that differed in storage history (10 weeks versus 10 months) were examined at 4 and 7% MC (fresh weight basis). After 10 months of storage, the 7% MC seeds had become sensitive to imbibitional stress. Further drying (1 week) to 4% MC affected aged seeds more than non-aged seeds. Barrier properties of cellular membranes in axes excised after 1 d of rehydration were estimated using a spin-probe technique. The proportion of cells with intact membranes increased with increasing imbibition temperature. For each temperature tested, there were more cells with leaky membranes after 10 months than after 10 weeks of dry storage. Localization of embryo cells displaying loss of turgor and abnormal cellular structure was accomplished using cryo-planing, followed by cryoscanning electron microscopy. Inspection of the cryo-planed surfaces confirmed that imbibitional damage was temperature dependent, occurring at the periphery. Ageing increased the number of imbibitionally damaged, peripheral cell layers. Germination was estimated to fail when less than 70% of axis cells were alive. We conclude that ageing increases the sensitivity to imbibitional stress. Both the fast ageing and the sensitivity to imbibitional stress might explain the apparent controversies about neem seed desiccation tolerance and storage behaviour.


This dissertation concerns adding resource accountability to a simplex internetwork such as the Internet, with only necessary but sufficient constraint on freedom. That is, both freedom for applications to evolve new innovative behaviours while still responding responsibly to congestion; and freedom for network providers to structure their pricing in any way, including flat pricing. The big idea on which the research is built is a novel feedback arrangement termed 're-feedback'. A general form is defined, as well as a specific proposal (re-ECN) to alter the Internet protocol so that self-contained datagrams carry a metric of expected downstream congestion. Congestion is chosen because of its central economic role as the marginal cost of network usage. The aim is to ensure Internet resource allocation can be controlled either by local policies or by market selection (or indeed local lack of any control). The current Internet architecture is designed to only reveal path congestion to end-points, not networks. The collective actions of self-interested consumers and providers should drive Internet resource allocations towards maximisation of total social welfare. But without visibility of a cost-metric, network operators are violating the architecture to improve their customer's experience. The resulting fight against the architecture is destroying the Internet's simplicity and ability to evolve. Although accountability with freedom is the goal, the focus is the congestion metric, and whether an incentive system is possible that assures its integrity as it is passed between parties around the system, despite proposed attacks motivated by self-interest and malice. This dissertation defines the protocol and canonical examples of accountability mechanisms. Designs are all derived from carefully motivated principles. The resulting system is evaluated by analysis and simulation against the constraints and principles originally set. The mechanisms are proven to be agnostic to specific transport behaviours, but they could not be made flow-ID-oblivious.


The paper presents a proposition called the worst sea-best sea (WS-BS) method that intends to identify wave group spectra that yield time series that lead, respectively, to the highest wave group excitation (worst sea) and the smallest wave group excitation (best sea) to the second order slowly varying response for a floating structure model submitted to random waves in a wave basin. The methodology is based on the estimation theory. Based on the fact that even with the same wave spectrum it is possible to devise different wave group spectrum, the paper proposes a method to identify the WS-BS time series. Both simulations and concrete model testing are shown indicating the feasibility of the approach.© 2008 ASME


Improving piglet survivability rates is of high priority for swine production as well as for piglet well-being. Dysfunction in the serotonin (5-HT) system has been associated with growth deficiencies, infant mortalities, or failure to thrive in human infants. The aim of this research was to determine if a relationship exists between infant mortality and failure to thrive (or unthriftiness), and umbilical 5-HT concentration in piglets. Umbilical blood was collected from a total of 60 piglets from 15 litters for analysis of 5-HT and tryptophan (Trp; the AA precursor to 5-HT) concentrations. Behavior was scan sampled for the first 2 days after birth. Brain samples were also taken at 8 h after birth from healthy and unthrifty piglets (n = 4/group). The raphe nucleus was dissected out and analyzed for 5-HT and dopamine concentrations as well as their major metabolites 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA), respectively. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. Piglets that died within 48 h of birth (n = 14) had significantly lower umbilical blood 5-HT concentrations at the time of their birth compared to their healthy counterparts (n = 46, P = 0.003). However, no difference in Trp was detected (P 0.38). Time spent under the heat lamp and sleeping were positively correlated with umbilical 5-HT levels (P = 0.004 and P = 0.02, respectively), while inactivity had a negative correlation with 5-HT levels (P = 0.04). In the raphe nucleus, the center for brain 5-HT biosynthesis, unthrifty piglets had a greater concentration of 5-HIAA (P = 0.02) and a trend for higher concentrations of 5-HT (P = 0.07) compared with healthy piglets. Dopamine levels did not differ between thrifty and unthrifty piglets (P = 0.45); however, its metabolite HVA tended to be greater in unthrifty piglets (P = 0.05). Our results show evidence of serotonergic dysfunction, at both the central and peripheral levels, accompanying early piglet mortalities. These data suggest a possible route for intervention, via the 5-HT system, to improve piglet survivability. However, further research is required to validate this hypothesis.


Abstract. Mineralization potential is a key property for assessing
carbon substrate's degradability and mineralization in biogeochemical models
and studies. While mineralization potential is widely examined under
controlled conditions, whether and how it is influenced by the past aridity
of sample's origins remain poorly constrained, which is important for an
accurate assessment and prediction of future CO2 emissions. Here we
collect topsoils and subsoils from different aridity regimes along a 2100 km
grassland transect of northern China and conduct a 91 d decomposition
experiment with and without the addition of 13C-labeled leaf litter
under controlled temperature and moisture. CO2 release from both soil
organic carbon (SOC) and fresh litter is measured, along with microbial
biomass, extracellular enzyme activities, and soil and mineral properties. We
find that neither microbial carbon use efficiency nor biomass-normalized
metabolic quotient (qCO2) is related to the aridity of sampling sites.
However, both fresh litter and SOC display the highest mineralization
potentials in soils originating from the driest site. Using pathway
analysis, we demonstrate that past aridity's effect is mediated by
differential mechanisms for substrates of varied complexity. While microbial
biomass plays a more important role in the decomposition of fresh litter,
enzyme-catalyzed extracellular reactions predominantly govern the
mineralization of SOC. Our findings provide novel evidence on the mechanisms
underlying past aridity's effect on the mineralization potentials of organic
matter with different qualities, which has significant implications for
assessing and modeling decomposition in different aridity regimes.


The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi satellite is the first γ-ray instrument to discover pulsars directly via their γ-ray emission. Roughly one third of the 117 γ-ray pulsars detected by the LAT in its first three years were discovered in blind searches of γ-ray data and most of these are undetectable with current radio telescopes. I review some of the key LAT results and highlight the specific challenges faced in γ-ray (compared to radio) searches, most of which stem from the long, sparse data sets and the broad, energy-dependent point-spread function (PSF) of the LAT. I discuss some ongoing LAT searches for γ-ray millisecond pulsars (MSPs) and γ-ray pulsars around the Galactic Center. Finally, I outline the prospects for future γ-ray pulsar discoveries as the LAT enters its extended mission phase, including advantages of a possible modification of the LAT observing profile.


Abstract In this study, a new lactose biosensor has been developed in which the 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene/thiophene (EDOT/Th) copolymer is used as a transducer. The EDOT/Th copolymer was deposited on the glassy carbon electrode to be used as the working electrode. In addition to the working electrode, the three-electrode system was used in both the electrochemical synthesis and in the biosensor measurements. Lactase (β-galactosidase) that catalyzes the breakdown of lactose into monosaccharides (glucose and galactose) and galactose oxidase that catalyzes the oxidation of the resulting galactose were attached to the copolymer by a cross-linker on the modified working electrode. The response of the enzyme electrode to lactose was determined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) at +0.12 V. Enzyme electrode optimization parameters (pH, temperature, enzyme concentration, etc.) were performed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and CV methods were used to support copolymer formation. In addition, the characteristics of the enzyme electrode prepared in this study (K m, 0.02 mM; activation energy E a, 38 kJ/mol; linear working range, up to 1.72 mM; limit of detection, 1.9 × 10−5 M and effects of interferents [uric acid and ascorbic acid]) were determined.


—This paper analyses and discusses the identified requirements for technology enhanced systems for speech rehabilitation after a stroke. To stroke patients, a speech injury can be devastating, impacting their abilities to speak, listen, read, and write. Therefore, speech therapy is recommended as early as possible. To address the challenge with a growing percentage of older adults, therapy should include a variety of Technology Enhanced Systems (TES) to support the idea of independent living. These systems must be adapted to the patients' needs and speech therapy requirements. Based on a design science approach, requirements were determined from an analysis of ten semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable informants. Findings indicate several important requirements, such as: TES should be motivating, joyful, individualised and built on patients' needs and on speech therapists' professional knowledge. Furthermore, TES services must be user-friendly and provide training in each patient's mother tongue. Added to these requirements are ease of including close relatives as supporting persons, as well as accessibility through portable devices.


Twenty-five patients with endometrial cancer of body of uterus were examined by CT before and after intravenous administration of contrast medium. Hypodensity was noted before injection and was accentuated after injection in 4 cases, was observed after injection only in 9 and was totally absent in 12 cases. Comparison of findings with results of examination of frozen specimens indicated lack of correlation between size of tumor and depth to which myometrium was invaded, and results of CT imaging.


In this study, soil profile salinity variations were investigated with different irrigation water salinity and leaching fractions in lyzimeters, under the open-rain conditions. Experiments were carried out with three irrigation water salinity levels (0.25, 1.5 ve 3.0 dS/m) and four leaching fractions (%10, 20, 35 ve 50) with three replications, totally in 36 lyzimeters, with fully randomized factorial design. Soil samples were taken out from 0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80 ve 80-100 cm soil depths in monthly basis. Soil salinity were measured in 1:2,5 soil water ratio. Average soil salin - ities in the profile were not affected significantly from the irrigation water salinity level, but leaching fraction effected the soil salinities. Soil salinity decreased with increasing leaching fraction, and also increased with depth for all treatments. Soil salinities of each layer increased with the increas - ing salinity level of irrigation water throughout the irrigation period. Variations of some salinity components in the soil profiles which are Cl


Abstract In order to examine the effects of estrogen, androgen, and phytoestrogen on maternal behavior induced by exposure to fresh pups in ovariectomized nulliparous rats, 1 mg estradiol benzoate (EB), 1 mg testosterone propionate (TP), 1 mg coumestrol (CM), or oil (female control) was injected subcutaneously daily for 10 days. To elucidate the sex difference, 1 mg EB or oil (male control) was injected in orchidectomized rats by the same method as that used in nulliparous rats. Exposure to fresh pups was started 6 days after the first injection. Behavioral tests were carried out daily for 5 days from the first exposure to the last on the 10th day. In the behavioral test, the onset of retrieving and licking behaviors was recorded. In female control rats, the median onset day of retrieving behavior was day 5. Onset in the EB female group was day 1.5, which was shorter than that in the female control (P<0.05). TP female and CM female rats started to show retrieving at day 5 and day 4.5, respectively, comparable to the female controls. In males, the median day of retrieving onset in the control and EB groups was over day 5 and day 4.5, respectively. No statistical difference was seen between the female and male controls. In contrast, there was a difference between the EB-treated female and EB male groups. Licking activity was less frequent than seen in the retrieving behavior among all groups, but there was no statistical difference among the groups. These results suggest that estrogen facilitates retrieving behavior in female, but not in male rats. TP and CM have no effect on retrieving behavior in female rats.


The strategic management represents current direction of management. It is applied in all types of enterprises, including small and medium sized ones. Using principles of process management within SMEs has its limitations caused mainly by size of the enterprise and the related focus on operational management. Other specificities are function accumulation, informal leadership, preference for oral communication before written, etc. Nevertheless, implementation of strategic management can increase competitiveness, reduce costs, improve decision-making, facilitate implementation of the employee motivation system, shorten delivery times, higher quality of customer satisfaction, etc. The aim of this article is to find how much SME include principals of the strategic management by their goals.


The aim of this paper is to recognize the factors limiting journalists' sense of autonomy and affecting the level of their self-censorship during the last three decades of the post-transformation period. The issue will be addressed two-fold. First, we will analyze changes in the journalists' perception on their professional autonomy. Second, we will examine trends in relations between the political system and media system in Poland since the 1990s. The findings show that in the 1990s journalists were still much more concerned about the political factors which could affect their work than about the economic ones. A decade later they had become much more aware of the economic pressures on their profession, such as owners' expectations and market-driven journalism. In the last few years, however, the constant pressure of ongoing government reforms aimed at bringing the press under tighter political control, as well as the emphasis on 'national' content, has already led to some degree of self-censorship on the part of journalists.


This study investigated whether there was a pool of qualified, interested African-American high school students available for recruitment into teacher education programs, noting barriers to pursuing a teaching career. In the 2002-03 school year, 127 African-American honor students from six Indiana high schools completed surveys about their interest in teaching as a career. Results indicated that of the career options presented, only 7 percent of respondents identified teaching as their first choice. However, 32 percent of the students indicated they would consider a career teaching in regular education classrooms, and 22 percent of the students reported they would consider a career teaching special education. Lack of career awareness, lack of positive information regarding teaching, and lack of encouragement were obstacles to pursuing teaching as a career. Although limited, some qualified African-American students (particularly females) were interested in teaching as a career and were available to be recruited into teacher education programs. Students identified five changes in the schools that would make teaching an attractive career choice: discipline and respect for teachers, better benefits and salaries, improved facilities and resources, students who come to school wanting to learn, and greater challenge in the curriculum. (Contains 71 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.


High-speed flight in GPS-denied environments is currently an important frontier in the research on autonomous flight of micro air vehicles. Autonomous drone races stimulate the advances in this area by representing a very challenging case with tight turns, texture-less floors, and dynamic spectators around the track. These properties hamper the use of standard visual odometry approaches and imply that the micro air vehicles will have to bridge considerable time intervals without position feedback. To this end, we propose an approach to trajectory estimation for drone racing that is computationally efficient and yet able to accurately estimate a micro air vehicle's state (including biases) and parameters based on sparse, noisy observations of racing gates. The key concept of the approach is to optimize unknown and difficult-to-observe state variables so that the observations of the racing gates best fit with the known control inputs, estimated attitudes, and the quadrotor dynamics and aerodynamics during a time window. It is shown that a gradient-descent implementation of the proposed approach converges ∼4 times quicker to (approximately) correct bias values than a state-of-the-art 15-state extended Kalman filter. Moreover, it reaches a higher accuracy, as the predicted end-point of an open-loop turn is on average only ∼20 cm away from the actual end-point, while the extended Kalman filter and the gradient descent method with kinematic model only reach an accuracy of ∼50 cm. Although the approach is applied here to drone racing, it generalizes to other settings in which a micro air vehicle may only have sparse access to velocity and/or position measurements.


Data repositories and archives play a critical role as the source for the observational data used in the study of weather and climate. After over two centuries of recording observations on paper, observations in the last 20 years have mostly been collected digitally. Repositories around the world now have a mix of data on physical media, such as paper and microfilm, and digital media such as computer disks, magnetic tapes and DVDs. There is risk of data loss regardless of storage media. Repositories must identify, appraise, acquire, archive and migrate data to new technologies to make it available for research. These acts of stewardship and conversion to common electronic formats are vital to preserving and enhancing the global climate record


Recent press reports have generated considerable interest in new techniques for treating varicose veins, claiming major advantages over conventional surgery. Their main aim is to reduce operative trauma and bruising associated with stripping, leading to quicker postoperative recovery. All these methods depend on the use of duplex ultrasound scanning during surgery to monitor obliteration of the vein lumen. Evidence about these new techniques is limited to case series and registry data, largely in private practice settings. Many vascular surgeons have therefore regarded the claims for their success with some scepticism, especially when press reports have portrayed conventional surgery in a falsely unfavourable light. The new methods may well offer some advantages, but they need further stringent evaluation.

Surgical stripping of the long saphenous vein is by far the commonest form of treatment for varicose veins, with more than 60 000 operations each year in England alone. The reasons for treatment range from complications like bleeding or ulceration to the much commoner complaints of discomfort or unsightliness. Indications for specialist referral are the subject of recent advice …


Oolitic limestone is one type of limestone which formed during the Jurassic period and can be found in large deposits in many areas of England. It can be used as coarse aggregate for concrete construction, however due to its porosity, it requires additional cement to maintain compressive strength, when compared to marine gravel (sandstone) concrete. Since freeze/thaw durability is one of the most common problems in temperate countries, this paper investigates the freeze/thaw resistance of Oolitic limestone itself and when used as a coarse aggregate in concrete.
The washed oolitic limestone was freeze/thaw tested to BS EN 1367 -1 :2007 and conclusions were drawn. Sixteen concrete cubes (100 mm3) were made, 8 using Oolitic limestone as a coarse aggregate and another 8 using marine gravel. Two cubes (1 Oolitic limestone, 1 marine gravel aggregate concrete) were used in a compressive strength test after 3 days of curing, to establish the strength at which the concrete was subjected to freeze/thaw action and the remaining 14 cubes were subject to freeze/thaw cycles, to a maximum of 56 cycles as informed by BS CEN/TR 15177:2006. Compressive strength, percentage mass lost and pulse velocity were compared and the results showed an equal ability to resist freeze/thaw damage when comparing the marine aggregate and oolitic limestone.
Normally, the main role of coarse aggregate in concrete is just to act as a filler which determines strength. However in the case of Oolitic limestone, which is composed mainly of calcite (calcium carbonate), further studies should be made both to determine the mineralogy and its behaviour chemically when exposed to cement paste.


The objective of this study is to understand which requirements for cereal cultivars—with regard to climate change adaptation—are in demand by farmers and advisors, and to clarify whether there are any differences in their assessments. A comparative survey was used to collect data from 410 farmers and 114 advisors in Germany. The majority of both farmers and advisors reported perceivable effects of climatic change on plant production. The increase in droughts and hot spells, the increased incidence of torrential rain, and mild winters were mentioned as the main effects of climate change. For climate change adaptation, the farmers and advisors mostly relied on a locally-adapted cultivar selection. It is estimated that eco-stability, grain yield, resistance to lodging and drought tolerance are important cultivar properties. In the study, farmers and advisors equally pointed out the need for additional cultivar evaluation according to eco-stability. Finally, only minor differences regarding farmers' and advisors' assessments were found within the study. The outcome of this research points to the need of implementing farmers' demands in cultivar recommendations. For example, an impartial assessment of cultivars' eco-stability could help support the choice of cultivars and reduce the growing risks in cereal production with regard to climate change.


Using the economic complexity methodology on data for disease prevalence in 195 countries during the period of 1990-2016, we propose two new metrics for quantifying the disease space of countries. With these metrics, we analyze the geography of diseases and empirically investigate the effect of economic development on the health complexity of countries. We show that a higher income per capita increases the complexity of countries' diseases. We also show that complex diseases tend to be non-ubiquitous diseases that are prevalent in disease-diversified (complex) countries, while non-complex diseases tend to be non-ubiquitous diseases that are prevalent in non-diversified (non-complex) countries. Furthermore, we build a disease-level index that links a disease to the average level of GDP per capita of the countries in which the disease is prevalent. With this index, we highlight the link between economic development and the complexity of diseases and illustrate how increases in income per capita are associated with more complex diseases.


The main rectifier device structures for power electronics based on SiC and on GaN are compared and the main issues for each structure are evaluated in terms of performance and manufacturability. The driving volume markets for power electronics devices correspond to the systems working on 127, 240 and 400 V energy supply networks, setting the device voltage handling to 300, 600, and 1200V respectively. We have limited the scope hereafter to the 600 V typical target, for which SiC Schottky rectifiers are now commercially available from at least 3 sources. The key physical properties for any semiconductor material used as the active layer of a unipolar device for power electronics are the breakdown field and carriers mobility. The bulk values are very similar for SiC and GaN. Two main other key issues are related to quality of the ohmic and Schottky contacts. For the ohmic contacts, adequate solutions have been found for both SiC and GaN. Surprisingly, on hetero-epitaxial GaN layers on sapphire despite of the very high crystal defects density ( ≥ 109cm-2 ), the ideality factor of the best Schottky contacts seems very promising. On the other hand, improving this ideality factor and the reverse leakage current for Schottky contacts on GaN layers grown on silicon substrate remains a fierce challenge. For the SiC Schottky rectifiers, cost and availability of the SiC substrates appear as the main residual limiting factors today. For GaN based rectifiers, although engineering device prototypes have already been published [1], there are both basic issues to be validated regarding reverse leakage current and reliability, and also difficult manufacturing issues to be solved in relation with device reliability, directly resulting from the nature of the possible substrates: mainly sapphire and silicon.


Discussion and authors' closure of paper 42–101 by F. J. Vogel and T. K. Sloat, presented at the AIEE summer convention, Chicago, Ill., June 22–26, 1942, and published in AIEE TRANSACTIONS, 1942, September section, pages 669–73.


Here you'll find some notes that I wrote up as I worked through this excellent book. I've worked hard to make these notes as good as I can, but I have no illusions that they are perfect. If you feel that that there is a better way to accomplish or explain an exercise or derivation presented in these notes; or that one or more of the explanations is unclear, incomplete, or misleading, please tell me. If you find an error of any kind – technical, grammatical, typographical, whatever – please tell me that, too. I'll gladly add to the acknowledgments in later printings the name of the first person to bring each problem to my attention.


Bacterially contaminated skin used as a biological dressing on burn wounds can cause serious or even lethal infections, three examples of which are cited. Cadaver-skin allografts were frequently found to contain pathogenic bacteria. The frequency of infections due to the use of contaminated skin grafts on open wounds is unknown. ( JAMA 235:1248-1249, 1976)


Over the past 20 years, the classical farmstead has become an essential categorical term in the literature of Greek survey archaeology. This paper traces the development of the category 'farmstead' out of the conceptual paradigm of settlement archaeology. It is argued that the tendency to categorize classical-period artifact clusters as -farmsteads-, without understanding the role of cultural processes in forming the archaeological record, creates a false dichotomy between 'site' and 'off-site' scatter. This paper applies a model of cultural formation processes developed in household archaeology in the Americas to the formation of domestic artifact assemblages in classical Greece. It presents a variety of literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence from 5th- and 4th-century Athens to delineate the cultural formation processes operative in both town and country in that society. This paper argues that classical farmsteads and landscapes represent accumulated debris generated by repeated behaviors of habitation, discard, recycling, and abandonment. The typical -farmsteads- recognized in intensive survey represent only a narrow range of the signatures of habitation for the classical period; low density scatters of pottery and tiles, in particular, represent a signature of habitation that archaeologists have rarely interpreted as evidence for habitation.


: Purpose: The question about the determinants of perception of old age still has not found an unequivocal answer in the literature. Most of the studies so far have concentrated on the analysis of micro factors in selected years. This study attempts to fill this gap by evaluating macro-level variables associated with changes in individual perception of the beginning of old age. Our analysis, which is based on the 2008 and 2018 editions of the European Social Survey, attempts to capture changes in the perception of old age. Design/Methodology/Approach: We have analysed four macro factors, health, socioeconomic, institutional, and the labor market. Among these groups, the socio-economic and labor market factors have the most considerable significance. The change of the real GDP per capita factor explains 13% of the variability of the perception of the old age threshold. Almost all labor market indicators, 55-64 employment rate, 65-69 and 75+ labor force participation rates, have proven to be statistically significant. Findings: The most notable result of this study is the significant role of factors related to the labor market, both concerning the old age perception threshold and the change of this threshold. Practical Implications: The study results provide a strong indication that the situation of the elderly in the labor market is the primary macro determinant of the perception of old age. Originality/Value: The results of our study indicate that the most effective tools of influencing the perception of the onset of old age are provided by labour market policy directed at employment support for people aged 55+, mainly 75+. This is a conclusion important from the point of view of the results of the COVID-19 pandemics, where the people most at risk are the eldest, both for health reasons (highest mortality in this age group), and for an increased risk of job loss, as such people, by having the right to a pension or drawing a pension, will be relatively least impacted financially by the loss of employment.


With ever-increasing amounts of information to be organized in people's daily lives, current mechanisms for personal information management (PIM) leave much room for improvement. We present Sublime, a distributed, multimodal, and mobile environment for speech-based personal information management. In addition to discussing the design philosophy and evolution of the current prototype, this paper describes the functionality and architecture of the system, and indicates future research directions for the project


Grids include heterogeneous resources, which are based on different hardware and software architectures or components. In correspondence with this diversity of the infrastructure, the execution time of any single job, as well as the total grid performance can both be affected substantially, which can be demonstrated by measurements. Running a simple benchmarking suite can show this heterogeneity and give us results about the differences over the grid sites.


Dynamic scheduling has been always a challenging problem for real-time distributed systems. EDF (Earliest Deadline First) algorithm has been proved to be optimal scheduling algorithm for single processor real-time systems and it performs well for distributed systems also. In this paper, we have proposed scheduling algorithms for client/server distributed system with soft timing constraints. The algorithms are proposed with modifications in conventional EDF algorithm. The proposed algorithms are simulated; results are obtained and measured in terms of SR (Success Ratio) & ECU (Effective CPU Utilization). Finally the results are compared with EDF algorithm in the same environment. It has been observed that the proposed algorithms ares equally efficient during underloaded conditions and they perform much better during overloaded conditions.


Purpose: This study aimed at exploring the preferred and effective communication channels used by medical students, and the reasons for choosing these for knowledge sharing (KS). Method: A survey questionnaire was used to collect the data from voluntarily participated 194 undergraduate medical students selected by proportional stratified simple random sampling technique from the University College of Medicine of The University of Lahore. A total of 149 (77%) questionnaires were returned. Findings: Some major findings showed that the medical students mostly preferred and considered face-to-face and SMS (Short Messaging Services) effective communication channels for KS. They used these channels due to their convenience and accessibility. Female students preferred face-toface and telephonic conversation an effective communication media for KS as compared to male students. Originality / Value: There was a lack of studies focusing on the communication channels used by medical students for KS. It was important to explore various communication channels used by medical students as they were likely to join the workforce after their graduation. The findings will support students to achieve better performance by knowing the importance and value of channel richness to improve learning in their learning environment.


This article draws on a new dataset of House primary- and general-election outcomes (1956–98) to examine the relationship between primary elections and candidate ideology. We show that, like presidential candidates, congressional candidates face a strategic-positioning dilemma: should they align themselves with their general- or primary-election constituencies? Relative to general-election voters, primary voters favor more ideologically extreme candidates. We show that congressional candidates handle the dilemma by positioning themselves closer to the primary electorate. This article thus supports the idea that primaries pull candidates away from median district preferences.


A semi-analytical method to predict springback in sheet metal forming processes has been developed for the case of plane strain. In the proposed hybrid method, for each deformation increment, bending, and unbending stretches are analytically superposed on membrane stretches which are numerically obtained in advance from a membrane finite element code. Springback is then obtained by the unloading of a force and a bending moment at the boundary of each element treated as a shell. Hill's 1948 yield criterion with normal anisotropy is used in this theory along with kinematic and isotropic hardening laws during reverse loading. The method has been applied for the springback prediction of a 2008-T4 aluminum alloy in plane-strain draw-bending tests. The results indicate the necessity of including anisotropic hardening (especially Bauschinger effects) and elastoplastic unloading in order to achieve good agreement with experimental results.


We consider the two-variable fragment FO2[<] of first-order
logic over finite words. Numerous characterizations of this class are
known. Therien and Wilke have shown that it is decidable whether a
given regular language is definable in FO2[<]. From a practical
point of view, as shown by Weis, FO2[<] is interesting since its
satisfiability problem is in NP. Restricting the number of
quantifier alternations yields an infinite hierarchy inside the class
of FO2[<]-definable languages. We show that each level of this
hierarchy is decidable. For this purpose, we relate each level of the
hierarchy with a decidable variety of finite monoids.

Our result implies that there are many different ways of climbing up
the FO2[<]-quantifier alternation hierarchy: deterministic and
co-deterministic products, Mal'cev products with definite and reverse
definite semigroups, iterated block products with J-trivial
monoids, and some inductively defined omega-term identities. A
combinatorial tool in the process of ascension is that of condensed
rankers, a refinement of the rankers of Weis and Immerman and the
turtle programs of Schwentick, Therien, and Vollmer.


This article is part of a larger study of changes in British newspaper representations of wealth inequality in the United Kingdom from 1971 to the present day. Selected findings are reported from a corpus-linguistically based comparative critical discourse analysis of large samples (approximately 55,000 words each) of TV programme reviews that appeared in the Daily Mail, written by the TV critics Peter Black (in 1971) and Christopher Stevens (in 2013). Occurrences of class and its collocates and co-texts are a particular focus of attention. In Black's reviews, it is a recurrent contemporary concern and recognised as indicative of inequality of opportunity. In Stevens' much longer stories, class has largely disappeared from the discursive agenda of contemporary Britain and is only mentioned in relation to the past or other countries. By 2013, it seems to have become 'natural' not to discuss class and present-day wealth inequality in Mail TV reviews. The part-quantitative, part-qualitative methodology adopted here suggests that the tracing of something as masked as the discursive acceptance of wealth inequality must inevitably be more piecemeal and multi-factorial than other more sharply and overtly categorised forms of discrimination (based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religion, for example).


In this paper, a geotechnical finite element software PLAXIS is used for the nonlinear finite element analysis of elastic long pile under the horizontal force action. By using the calculated maximum bending moment and the maximum displacement at the ground, and combined with the related formula for "m" method given in《 Code for Pile Foundation of Harbour Engineering》, a more accurate m value can be obtained conveniently. Based on this method and by the single factor analysis, a more systematic study was made to the related factors,and obtained the influence law of various factors to m value.


A new concept for treating the effects of dust on the electrical performance of photovoltaic concentrators is presented in the paper. The dust concentration in the atmospheric air around the concentrator is measured continuously during the test period. The rate of dust accumulation on the concentrator surface is determined. The concentrator performance degradation, as a result of dust accumulation, is related to the amount of dust accumulated per unit area of the collector surface (in g/m2) rather than the exposure time. It has been shown that major reductions in the short-circuit current and the efficiency are observed for dust accumulations up to 5.4 g/m2. The accumulation of dust on the photovoltaic concentrator causes a successively larger `rounding? of the I/V characteristic at constant incident direct normal radiation intensity and constant cell temperature. This effect is equivalent to an increase in the internal series resistance of the concentrator. This dust-equivalent series resistance increases with increasing dust accumulation.


Terahertz frequencies are increasingly gaining attention due to the recent efforts made in narrowing the technological gap among microwave and optical components. Still the demand of efficient THz antennas is high, due to the difficulty in obtaining directive patterns and good radiation efficiencies with planar, low-cost, easy-to-fabricate designs. In this regard, leaky-wave antennas have recently been investigated in the THz range, showing very interesting radiating features. Specifically, the combination of the leaky-wave antenna design with the use of metamaterials and metasurfaces seems to offer a promising platform for the development of future THz antenna technologies. In this Chapter, we focus on three different classes of leaky-wave antennas, based on either metasurfaces or tunable materials, namely graphene and nematic liquid crystals. While THz leaky-wave antennas based on homogenized metasurfaces are shown to be able to produce directive patterns with particularly good efficiencies, those based on graphene or nematic liquid crystals are shown to be able to dynamically reconfigure their radiating features. The latter property, although being extremely interesting, is obtained at the expense of an increase of costs and fabrication complexity, as it will emerge from the results of the presented study.


Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) studiesare increasingly becoming common in developed countries to support product label claims. A large body of research is devoted to developing and validating HRQOL measures. Generic as well as disease specific instruments to measure HRQOL are developed. Development and utilization of HRQOL instruments increased during last decade with efforts to improve patient health and value of health care services. Physical, social and emotional impact of diseases and their impact on patients' lives are focus of the HRQOL studies. HRQOL, as a concept, differs from physiologic aspects of disease and has been recognized as important clinical outcome in studies that evaluates pharmaceutical agents, medical technology and healthcare. Regulatory agencies life Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMEA) have accepted importance of HRQOL as valid measure in clinical trials to support product label claim. The use of HRQOL instruments have been predominantly confined to North America and Europe. Significantprogress is not made regarding use of HRQOL instruments in designing health policy in developing countries, including India. It is important to know how patients view their health and what their expectations from the healthcare system are for designing appropriatehealth policyand its implementation, budget allocation and deployment of healthcare resources. India, with its vast population and increasing healthcare delivery challenges, should aim at creating infrastructure for carrying out HRQOL studies and use of Patient Reported Outcome (PRO) instruments in making and implementing health policy decisions. Key words : HRQOL, Healthcare delivery system, India


The Coombs' test, also known as the antiglobulin test, is used most frequently in veterinary medicine as an aid in the diagnosis of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. The test also is used widely in human medicine to screen for red blood cell alloantibodies. Polyspecific reagents for veterinary use typically contain anti-IgG, anti-IgM, and anti-C3. Monospecific reagents also are available. False-positive and false-negative test results can be obtained. Inadequate sensitivity of the standard test in human and veterinary medicine has necessitated development of alternate, more sensitive technologies.


Background. Sleep-related eating disorder is a little-described syndrome combining features of sleep disorders and eating disorders. The behaviour consists of partial arousals from sleep followed by rapid ingestion of food, commonly with at least partial amnesia for the episode the following day. The aim of this study was to provide an estimate of the prevalence of sleep-related eating disorder. Methods. The Inventory of Nocturnal Eating, a self-report questionnaire addressing nocturnal eating and sleep disturbance, was administered to out-patients (N=126) and in-patients (N=24) with eating disorders, obese subjects (N=126) in a trial of an anorexic agent, depressed subjects (N=207) in an antidepressant trial, and an unselected group (N=217) of college students. Sleep-related eating disorder was operationally defined as nocturnal eating with a self-reported reduced level of awareness, occurring at least once per week. Results. Almost 5·0% (33/700) of the sample described symptoms consistent with sleep-related eating disorder. The in-patient eating disorders group had nearly twice the prevalence (16·7%) of the out-patient eating disorder sample (8·7%), which had nearly twice the prevalence of the next highest group, the student sample (4·6%). Subjects with sleep-related eating disorder endorsed more symptoms consistent with sleep disorders and had higher levels of depression and dissociation than those without nocturnal eating. Conclusions. Sleep-related eating disorder is more common than is generally recognized, especially in those with a daytime eating disorder. Sleep disorder symptoms are often associated with sleep-related eating disorder, as are depression and dissociation. Evaluation of individuals with eating disorders should include assessment for sleep-related eating.


It is widely accepted that only persistent infection with high risk types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV HR) is a significant risk factor for the development of an invasive squamous cervical cancer. The overexpression of viral oncogenes E6/E7 of HPV is considered a necessary process for incurring in a malignant phenotype.A HPV infection can be identified by detection of HPV DNA in biological samples, but the DNAbased tests cannot delineate between transient or persistent and potentially transforming infection. Instead there is many evidence to suggest that detection of HPV gene expression may constitute a more specific approach to highlight a clinically significant infection. Especially seems that the detection of E6/E7 transcripts can be usefully used for identify the women with a persistent HPV infection that will can induce a future cervical cancer. The aim of our study is to investigate if the detection of oncogenic viral gene activity by detecting transcripts of the E6 and E7 genes can be most usefull of HPV-DNA test in the triage of ASCUS or low grade cervical lesions. Our results confirm that HPV E6/E7 mRNA test can be considered a promising method to stratify HPV positive women for risk of future high-grade cervical lesions or cervical intaepithelial neoplasia.


A high data-rate frequency-shift keying (FSK) modulation protocol, a wideband inductive link, and three demodulator circuits have been developed with a data-rate-to-carrier-frequency ratio of up to 67%. The primary application of this novel FSK modulation/demodulation technique is to send data to inductively powered wireless biomedical implants at data rates in excess of 1 Mbps, using comparable carrier frequencies. This method can also be used in other applications such as radio-frequency identification tags and contactless smartcards by adding a back telemetry link. The inductive link utilizes a series-parallel inductive-capacitance tank combination on the transmitter side to provide more than 5 MHz of bandwidth. The demodulator circuits detect data bits by directly measuring the duration of each received FSK carrier cycle, as well as derive a constant frequency clock, which is used to sample the data bits. One of the demodulator circuits, digital FSK, occupies 0.29 mm/sup 2/ in the AMI 1.5-/spl mu/m, 2M/2P, standard CMOS process, and consumes 0.38 mW at 5 V. This circuit is simulated up to 4 Mbps, and experimentally tested up to 2.5 Mbps with a bit error rate of 10/sup -5/, while receiving a 5/10-MHz FSK carrier signal. It is also used in a wireless implantable neural microstimulation system.


Life on earth is based on compounds that have carbon frames and backbones. Today, chemists have added to the world of biomolecules and biopolymers approximately 107 different synthetic molecules and polymers, the structures of which also depend on the formation of strong, stable carbon–carbon bonds. Although the stability of carbon–carbon bonds has been recognized for more than a century, the two natural modifications graphite and diamond were, until recently, the only allotropic forms of carbon on earth that were available in macroscopic quantities and were structurally well characterized. With the synthesis of macroscopic quantities of buckminsterfullerene (C60) and the higher fullerenes (C70, C76, C78, etc.) and the exploration of the fascinating properties of these all-carbon spheres, this situation has completely changed. In the coming decades, the design, preparation, and study of novel molecular and polymeric allotropic forms of carbon will be a central topic in chemistry. Research in this area will dramatically advance the fundamental knowledge on carbon-based matter and, as already illustrated by the ongoing work on C60, generate unprecedented technological perspectives. This review surveys synthetic organic-chemical approaches toward the preparation and study of all-carbon molecules and polymers that differ from the familiar networks of graphite and diamond as well as from the fullerenes. We will also discuss the ongoing research on fullerenes with a particular focus on the synthetic approaches to these all-carbon spheres and their transition metal complexes.


Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTE) was covalently interacted with hydroxyl on the surface of Ti-O films prepared by magnetron sputtering, and albumin and heparin were immobilized on the APTE-coated surface with addition of 1-ethyl-3- (3-dimethyl aminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) as cross-link agent. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to investigate the modified surface. Contact angle results indicate that there was an increase in the contact angle to the surface of APTE-coated Ti-O films, and a decrease in the contact angle to the surface of albuminand heparin-immobilized surfaces. Blood platelet adhesion in vitro was improved significantly after immobilization of albumin and heparin on Ti-O films. Endothelial cell (EC) culture tests showed that EC could grow on the surface of Ti-O films immobilized with albumin and heparin, but the growth and proliferation behavior of endothelial cells was not as good as on naked Ti-O films. This investigation showed that the surface of bio-inert inorganic materials immobilized with biological molecules is feasible and effective for improving the blood compatibility.


Quantum computing uses quantum resources provided by the underlying quantum nature of matter to enhance classical computation. However, the current Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) era in quantum computing is characterized by the use of quantum processors comprising from a few tens to, at most, a few hundreds of physical qubits without implementing quantum error correction techniques. This limits the scalability in the implementation of quantum algorithms. Digital-analog quantum computing (DAQC) has been proposed as a more resilient alternative quantum computing paradigm to outperform digital quantum computation within the NISQ era framework. It arises from adding the flexibility provided by fast single-qubit gates to the robustness of analog quantum simulations. Here, we perform a careful comparison between the digital and digital-analog paradigms under the presence of noise sources. The comparison is illustrated by comparing the performance of the quantum Fourier transform and quantum phase estimation algorithms under a wide range of single- and two-qubit noise sources. Indeed, we obtain that when the different noise channels usually present in superconducting quantum processors are considered, the fidelity of these algorithms for the digital-analog paradigm outperforms the one obtained for the digital approach. Additionally, this difference grows when the size of the processor scales up, making DAQC a sensible alternative paradigm in the NISQ era. Finally, we show how to adapt the DAQC paradigm to quantum error mitigation techniques for canceling different noise sources, including the bang error.


Previous findings suggest that metastatic colorectal carcinoma (mCRC) patients with KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA wild-type (quadruple-wt) tumors are highly sensitive to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs). However, additional molecular alterations might be involved in the de novo resistance to these drugs. We performed a comprehensive molecular profiling of 21 quadruple-wt tumors from mCRC patients enrolled in the "Cetuximab After Progression in KRAS wild-type colorectal cancer patients" (CAPRI-GOIM) trial of first line FOLFIRI plus cetuximab. Tumor samples were analyzed with a targeted sequencing panel covering single nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertions/deletions (Indels), copy number variations (CNVs), and gene fusions in 143 cancer-related genes. The analysis revealed in all 21 patients the presence of at least one SNV/Indel and in 10/21 cases (48%) the presence of at least one CNV. Furthermore, 17/21 (81%) patients had co-existing SNVs/Indels in different genes. Quadruple-wt mCRC from patients with the shorter progression free survival (PFS) were enriched with peculiar genetic alterations in KRAS, FBXW7, MAP2K1, and NF1 genes as compared with patients with longer PFS. These data suggest that a wide genetic profiling of quadruple-wt mCRC patients might help to identify novel markers of de novo resistance to anti-EGFR MoAbs.


The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) (RomeroLankao et al., 2014) found that climate change is responsible in part for historical yield increases in the United States thanks to increased precipitation. Since 1999, however, yield losses have been attributed to extreme weather events, such as heat waves, storms, and droughts and the IPCC concludes that in many crop growing regions of North America optimum temperatures have been reached and further warming would be detrimental to crop yields.


In this brief, a design technique for high-speed pipelined analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that enables processing rail-to-rail input swing without the use of dual set of reference voltages is proposed. The scheme not only operates on a single set of power supplies but also helps in power reduction in the ADC using a new multistage signal mapping technique aided by asynchronous sub-ADC quantization. To further reduce both power and area, an asynchronous successive approximation register ADC backend is used. To demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed techniques, a 1.2-V 10-bit 125-MS/s ADC is designed in a 90-nm CMOS process, and simulation results are presented.


The study was aimed to compare different RNA isolation methods from sperm and testicular tissue. A suitable sperm purification technique is required as sperm RNA yield is strongly correlated with the number of sperms. Goat (Capra hircus) semen was purified by swim-up method. Motile sperm were selected for the process of RNA isolation. Four different RNA isolation methods namely cold Trizol, Gunidinium thiocyanate method and SDS lysis method and silica column based spin column method were used to isolate total RNA from sperm and testicular tissue. The hot Trizol method yielded good amount of RNA with less contamination of DNA and proteins. The modification of heating the sample in Trizol and an additional chloroform phase separation step increased the yield of total RNA. The modified method yielded highest amount of RNA for both tissue and sperm samples which was 139.5 ng/μL and 38.6 ng/μL respectively. The RNA integrity was high as was defined by a sharp 28S and 18S rRNA band in the agarose gel. The A260/A280 ratio was 2.1 and 1.923 for tissue and sperm samples which signifies purity of RNA. The mRNA was also reverse transcribed and GAPDH amplified. A modified Trizol method was developed which resulted in increased yield (38.60 ng/μL) and purity (A260/A280: 1.923).


Machine-learning operators often have correctness constraints that cut across multiple hyperparameters and/or data. Violating these constraints causes the operator to raise runtime exceptions, but those are usually documented only informally or not at all. This paper presents the first interprocedural weakest-precondition analysis for Python to extract hyperparameter constraints. The analysis is mostly static, but to make it tractable for typical Python idioms in machine-learning libraries, it selectively switches to the concrete domain for some cases. This paper demonstrates the analysis by extracting hyperparameter constraints for 181 operators from a total of 8 ML libraries, where it achieved high precision and recall and found real bugs. Our technique advances static analysis for Python and is a step towards safer and more robust machine learning.


Domain generalization (DG) is the challenging and topical problem of learning models that generalize to novel testing domains with different statistics than a set of known training domains. The simple approach of aggregating data from all source domains and training a single deep neural network end-to-end on all the data provides a surprisingly strong baseline that surpasses many prior published methods. In this paper we build on this strong baseline by designing an episodic training procedure that trains a single deep network in a way that exposes it to the domain shift that characterises a novel domain at runtime. Specifically, we decompose a deep network into feature extractor and classifier components, and then train each component by simulating it interacting with a partner who is badly tuned for the current domain. This makes both components more robust, ultimately leading to our networks producing state-of-the-art performance on three DG benchmarks. Furthermore, we consider the pervasive workflow of using an ImageNet trained CNN as a fixed feature extractor for downstream recognition tasks. Using the Visual Decathlon benchmark, we demonstrate that our episodic-DG training improves the performance of such a general purpose feature extractor by explicitly training a feature for robustness to novel problems. This shows that DG training can benefit standard practice in computer vision.