A pedigree including 1538 individuals of the endangered pig breed 'Bunte Bentheimer' and 3008 records of the fertility traits 'number of piglets born alive' (NBA) and 'number of piglets weaned' (NW) were used to i) characterize the population structure, ii) to estimate genetic (co)variance components and estimated breeding values (EBVs) and iii) to use EBVs for the application of the concept of optimal genetic contributions. The average coefficient of inbreeding increased from F = 0.103 to F = 0.121 within the two recent cohorts. Average rate of inbreeding amounted to 1.66%, which resulted in an effective population size of Ne  = 30 animals in the recent cohort. Average generation interval was 3.07 years considering the whole pedigree, and in total, only 612 sows and boars generated offspring. Estimated heritabilities for both traits NBA and NW were 0.12, and the estimated genetic correlation between both traits was 0.96. The variance component due to the service sire was higher than in commercial pig breeds, presumably due to the widespread use of natural service boars. The EBVs for NBA from 333 selection candidates (63 boars and 270 sows) were used to determine optimal genetic contributions. Based on selected animals and their optimal genetic contributions, specific mating designs were evaluated to minimize inbreeding in the next generation. Best results were achieved when using a simulated annealing algorithm and allowing artificial insemination.


Using the geodesic distance on the n-dimensional sphere, we study the expected radius function of the Delaunay mosaic of a random set of points. Specifically, we consider the partition of the mosaic into intervals of the radius function and determine the expected number of intervals whose radii are less than or equal to a given threshold. We find that the expectations are essentially the same as for the Poisson–Delaunay mosaic in n-dimensional Euclidean space. Assuming the points are not contained in a hemisphere, the Delaunay mosaic is isomorphic to the boundary complex of the convex hull in Rn+1, so we also get the expected number of faces of a random inscribed polytope. As proved in Antonelli et al. [Adv. in Appl. Probab. 9–12 (1977–1980)], an orthant section of the n-sphere is isometric to the standard n-simplex equipped with the Fisher information metric. It follows that the latter space has similar stochastic properties as the n-dimensional Euclidean space. Our results are therefore relevant in information geometry and in population genetics.


The need for real-time and large-scale data processing has led to the development of frameworks for distributed stream processing in the cloud. To provide fast, scalable, and fault tolerant stream processing, recent Distributed Stream Processing Systems (DSPS) treat streaming workloads as a series of batch jobs, instead of a series of records. Batch-based stream processing systems could process data at high rate but lead to large end-to-end latency. In this paper we concentrate on minimizing the end-to-end latency of batched streaming system by leveraging adaptive batch sizing and execution parallelism tuning. We propose, DyBBS, a heuristic algorithm integrated with isotonic regression to automatically learn and adjust batch size and execution parallelism according to workloads and operating conditions. Our approach does not require workload specific knowledge. The experimental results show that our algorithm significantly reduces end-to-end latency compared to state-of-the-art: i) for Reduce workload, the latency can be reduced by 34.97% and 48.02% for sinusoidal and Markov chain data input rates, respectively, and ii) for Join workload, the latency reductions are 63.28% and 67.51% for sinusoidal and Markov chain data input rates, respectively.


Sirtuins are NAD+‐dependent deacetylases that regulate a range of cellular processes. Although diverse functions of sirtuins have been proposed, those functions of SIRT6 and SIRT7 that are mediated by their interacting proteins remain elusive. In the present study, we identified SIRT6‐ and SIRT7‐interacting proteins, and compared their interactomes to investigate functional links. Our interactomes revealed 136 interacting proteins for SIRT6 and 233 for SIRT7 while confirming seven and 111 proteins identified previously for SIRT6 and SIRT7, respectively. Comparison of SIRT6 and SIRT7 interactomes under the same experimental conditions disclosed 111 shared proteins, implying related functional links. The interaction networks of interactomes indicated biological processes associated with DNA repair, chromatin assembly, and aging. Interactions of two highly acetylated proteins, nucleophosmin (NPM1) and nucleolin, with SIRT6 and SIRT7 were confirmed by co‐immunoprecipitation. NPM1 was found to be deacetylated by both SIRT6 and SIRT7. In senescent cells, the acetylation level of NPM1 was increased in conjunction with decreased levels of SIRT6 and SIRT7, suggesting that the acetylation of NPM1 could be regulated by SIRT6 and SIRT7 in the aging process. Our comparative interactomic study of SIRT6 and SIRT7 implies important functional links to aging by their associations with interacting proteins. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD000159 and PXD000850 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000159, http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD000850).


Nonenzymatic polyP phosphorylation on lysines represents a previously unknown form of posttranslational modification. Posttranslational modification (PTM) of proteins contributes to cellular complexity and expands the diversity of the encoded genome. Among the hundreds of known PTMs, kinase-mediated phosphorylation—that is, the addition of a phosphate group to serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues—is the best studied. The less studied PTM of pyrophosphorylation, which is the nonenzymatic transfer of a phosphate from inositol pyrophosphate (IP7) to a prephosphosphorylated serine residue, has been reported for the protein Nsr1, which is involved in rRNA synthesis. IP7 can also mediate the production of linear chains of polyphosphate (polyP). Azevedo et al. identified polyP at lysine residues of two proteins involved in rRNA synthesis, nuclear signal recognition (Nsr1) and topoisomerase (Top1), in yeast. Compared with the mobility of Nsr1 from wild-type yeast, the mobility of Nsr1 in a gel shift assay was reduced in yeast lacking inositol 6 kinase (kcs1Δ) or inositol hexakisphosphate and diphosphoinositol-pentakisphosphate kinase (vip1Δ), enzymes necessary to synthesize IP7. Analysis of the mobility shifts of Nsr1 from yeast lacking vacuolar transporter chaperone (vtcΔ), which cannot produce polyP, indicated that the PTM involved was polyP addition. Furthermore, incubating extracts of wild-type yeast with the exopolyphosphatase Ppx1, which hydrolyzes polyP chains that exceed 3 moieties but not IP7, altered Nsr1 mobility. Purified Nsr1 treated with denatured cellular extracts from wild-type or vip1Δ yeast was phosphorylated and exhibited a mobility shift, indicating the nonenzymatic covalent transfer of the phosphate group. Incubating Top1 with 32P-polyP resulted in a mobility shift of Top1, indicating that Top1 can also undergo nonenzymatic polyP phosphorylation. Unexpectedly, mutational analysis indicated that polyP phosphorylation occurred at a lysine residue in the N-terminal region of both Nsr1 and Top1. Nsr1 and Top1 in wild-type and vip1Δ yeast a diffuse nucleoplasmic localization, whereas in the ksc1Δ and vtc4Δ yeast (with minimal or no polyP phosphorylation, respectively), the two proteins were restricted to nucleolus. Analysis of the ability of Top1 in protein extracts from the yeast mutants to relax supercoiled DNA in vitro revealed that the Top1 from the mutants with the lowest polyP-modifying activity (ksc1Δ and vtc4Δ) had the highest activity, indicating negative regulation by polyP phosphorylation. Thus, nonenzymatic polyP modification on lysine, a residue that is also modified by other PTMs such as acetylation, methylation, ubiquitination, and SUMOylation, represents another form of phosphorylation. How prevalent this modification is and what regulates its occurrence and controls its reversibility are exciting questions for future study. C. Azevedo,T. Livermore, A. Saiardi, Protein polyphosphorylation of lysine residues by inorganic polyphosphate. Mol. Cell 58, 71–82 (2015). [PubMed]


Life Cycle Assessment(LCA), objective of which is to elucidate the impact of biodiesel on energy supply and natural environment and its economic value while giving an assessment on commercialization application of biodiesel, is performed in this study. Based on LCA methodology, production cost and CO2 emission estimation of rapeseed biodiesel industry were conducted. Results of the assessment indicate that the total amount of absorbed CO2 during the whole life cycle of rapeseed biodiesel is much larger than that has been emitted and rapeseed biodiesel is really an environment-friendly energy source. With the contribution of biodiesel derived from rapeseed oil made during the process of its full life cycle, green house emissions could be enormously reduced. However, in terms of production cost, the phenomenon that considerable portion of the total cost is occupied by the cost of raw material is observed in rapeseed biodiesel. Specifically, the portion of raw material cost is larger than 89% while the portion of crew oil is larger than 87%. The improvement of economical efficiency in the commercialization application of rapeseed biodiesel depends on the reduction of raw material cost. If we want to develop rapeseed biodiesel in China, government's encouraging policies, such as tax exceptions and financial subsidies, are necessary.


The paper analyzes the options open to monopoly firms that sell Internet services. We consider two groups of customers that are different in their reservation prices. The monopoly uses price discrimination between customers by producing two versions of the product at positive price for high-quality product and a free version at zero price for lower-quality product. The monopoly can sell advertising space to increase its revenue but risks losing customers who are annoyed by advertising. Network externalities increase the incentive to increase output; thus we find cases where the profit maximization is consistent with maximum social welfare.


Abstract Background The current study used data from an ethnically diverse population from South London to examine ethnic differences in physical and mental multimorbidity among working age (18–64 years) adults in the context of depression and anxiety. Method The study included 44 506 patients who had previously attended Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services in the London Borough of Lambeth. Multinomial logistic regression examined cross-sectional associations between ethnicity with physical and mental multimorbidity. Patterns of multimorbidity were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. Results Within 44 056 working age adults with a history of depression or anxiety from South London there were notable ethnic differences in physical multimorbidity. Adults of Black Caribbean ethnicity were more likely to have physical multimorbidity [adjusted relative risk ratio (aRRR) = 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15–1.36] compared to adults of White ethnicity. Relative to adults of White ethnicity, adults of Asian ethnicity were more likely to have physical multimorbidity at higher thresholds only (e.g. 4 + conditions; aRRR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.17–2.00). Three physical (atopic, cardiometabolic, mixed) and three mental (alcohol/substance use, common/severe mental illnesses, personality disorder) multimorbidity clusters emerged. Ethnic minority groups with multimorbidity had a higher probability of belonging to the cardiometabolic cluster. Conclusion In an ethnically diverse population with a history of common mental health disorders, we found substantial between- and within-ethnicity variation in rates of physical, but not mental, multimorbidity. The findings emphasised the value of more granular definitions of ethnicity when examining the burden of physical and mental multimorbidity.


Cyanobacteria, blue-green algae, are the most abundant autotrophs in aquatic environments and form the base of all aquatic food chains by fixing carbon and nitrogen into cellular biomass. The single most important nutrient for photosynthesis and growth is nitrate, which is severely limiting in many aquatic environments particularly the open ocean. It is therefore not surprising that NrtA, the solute-binding component of the high-affinity nitrate ABC transporter, is the single-most abundant protein in the plasma membrane of these bacteria. Here, we describe the structure of a nitrate-specific receptor, NrtA from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, complexed with nitrate and determined to a resolution of 1.5 A. NrtA is significantly larger than other oxyanion-binding proteins, representing a previously uncharacterized class of transport proteins. From sequence alignments, the only other solute-binding protein in this class is CmpA, a bicarbonate-binding protein. Therefore, these organisms created a solute-binding protein for two of the most important nutrients: inorganic nitrogen and carbon. The electrostatic charge distribution of NrtA appears to force the protein off the membrane while the flexible tether facilitates the delivery of nitrate to the membrane pore. The structure not only details the determinants for nitrate selectivity in NrtA but also the bicarbonate specificity in CmpA. Nitrate and bicarbonate transport are regulated by the cytoplasmic proteins NrtC and CmpC, respectively. Interestingly, the residues lining the ligand binding pockets suggest that they both bind nitrate. This implies that the nitrogen and carbon uptake pathways are synchronized by intracellular nitrate and nitrite.


Differences in learners' behavior have a deep impact on their educational performance. Consequently, there is a need to detect and identify these differences and build suitable learner models accordingly. In this paper, we report on the results from an alternative approach for dynamic student behavioral modeling based on the analysis of time-based student-generated trace data. The goal was to unobtrusively classify students according to their time-spent behavior. We applied 5 different supervised learning classification algorithms on these data, using as target values (class labels) the students' performance score classes during a Computer-Based Assessment (CBA) process, and compared the obtained results. The proposed approach has been explored in a study with 259 undergraduate university participant students. The analysis of the findings revealed that a) the low misclassification rates are indicative of the accuracy of the applied method and b) the ensemble learning (treeBagger) method provides better classification results compared to the others. These preliminary results are encouraging, indicating that a time-spent driven description of the students' behavior could have an added value towards dynamically reshaping the respective models.


The hippocampus (HIPP) is the core of a memory system crucial for the formation of new episodic (unique event) memories in humans and episodic-like memories (for what, where and when) in rodents. Its prevalent role in the formation of memories is thought to rely on a variety of specialized neural network computations: It is for example believed that hippocampal networks associate information about different aspects of an experience (such as a particular event and the place at which the event occurred) into a coherent memory trace. In order to prevent interference between memories that are similar (such as two different experiences within the same place) each memory is assigned a neural code that is highly distinct from those for previously acquired memories. Finally, hippocampal networks are thought to fuse memories for individual fragments of an experience into a temporally structured sequence which represent an episode. Information about different aspects of an experience reaches the HIPP via the entorhinal cortex (EC), which is its major cortical input structure. Electrophysiological single-unit recordings in behaving rodents revealed that in particular the medial division of the EC (MEC) contains a variety of cell types that are specialized in the representation of spatial and self-motion information. It is therefore believed that input from the MEC supports the spatial component of memory processing in the HIPP. Here, we tested the long-standing hypothesis that hippocampal spatial coding relies on input from the MEC. This was achieved by performing extensive, bilateral excitotoxic lesions of the MEC and placing electrode arrays into the CA1 pyramidal cell layer of the HIPP. Hippocampal neural computations were assessed by recording extracellular action potentials (APs) from individual neurons as rats explored open field environments. The firing patterns of hippocampal neurons are known to correlate with the rat's behavior, in that each cell fires APs at restricted proportions of the environment, forming spatial receptive fields (so-called place fields). The spatial precision and organization of those place fields was examined in control and MEC-lesioned rats. We found that hippocampal neurons retained their spatial selectivity after MEC lesions, even though the precision and stability of the hippocampal spatial code were reduced. The ability to form distinct spatial representation for different environments was entirely intact in MEC-lesioned rats. Contrary to most contemporary theories of hippocampo-entorhinal function, our findings suggest that the MEC is not the only determinant of hippocampal spatial computations and that sources lacking sophisticated spatial firing, such as the lateral division of the entorhinal cortex (LEC) and local hippocampal network computations are sufficient to support this function. Following the finding that spatial firing was partly preserved in MEC-lesioned rats, we tested whether the MEC is necessary for the temporal organization of spike timing within the place field. Hippocampal place cells that are activated along the rat's trajectory through space are thought to be linked into synaptically connected neuronal sequences via a mechanisms referred to as hippocampal theta phase precession (hTPP). Theta phase precession reflects the temporal distribution of APs within each place field with reference to the local field potential (LFP) oscillation at theta frequency (4 to 10 Hz). We found that hTPP was strongly disrupted in MEC-lesioned rats, demonstrating that the MEC is necessary for the temporal organization of hippocampal spatial firing. Cognitive functions that rely on sequentially activated place cells are thus likely to rely on the MEC. In summary, the presented data demonstrate that the contribution of the MEC to hippocampal spatial coding is less predominant than postulated by contemporary theories of hippocampo-entorhinal function. In addition, the findings suggest that the MEC, which is widely considered a spatial processing center of the brain, supports memory through the temporal organization of hippocampal spatial firing.


Based on the aspect-level sentiment analysis is typical of fine-grained emotional classification that assigns sentiment polarity for each of the aspects in a review. For better handle the emotion classification task, this paper put forward a new model which apply Long Short-Term Memory network combine multiple attention with aspect context. Where multiple attention mechanism (i.e., location attention, content attention and class attention) refers to takes the factors of context location, content semantics and class balancing into consideration. Therefore, the proposed model can adaptively integrate location and semantic information between the aspect targets and their contexts into sentimental features, and overcome the model data variance introduced by the imbalanced training dataset. In addition, the aspect context is encoded on both sides of the aspect target, so as to enhance the ability of the model to capture semantic information. The Multi-Attention mechanism (MATT) and Aspect Context (AC) allow our model to perform better when facing reviews with more complicated structures. The result of this experiment indicate that the accuracy of the new model is up to 80.6% and 75.1% for two datasets in SemEval-2014 Task 4 respectively, While the accuracy of the data set on twitter 71.1%, and 81.6% for the Chinese automotive-domain dataset. Compared with some previous models for sentiment analysis, our model shows a higher accuracy.


We appreciate the Comment by Mazumder (2008) on our recent paper (Yang et al., 2008), and hope that he will be a part of continuing discussion and study on the subject. Mazumder's main point is that the ratio between wave components and tidal currents plays an important role in the formation of rhythmic succession in nearshore settings: classic tidal bundle (tide-dominated; e.g., Nio and Yang, 1991; Dalrymple , 1992) and wave-generated tidal bundle (wave-dominated; Yang et al., 2008). On this basis, he disagrees with the term "wave-generated," and recommends the alternative term "wave-dominated" to recognize that tide and wave processes interact in the generation of our rhythmic deposits. We acknowledge this point and feel it is addressed in our paper. However, careful consideration of Mazumder's comments suggests that our difference of opinion is small (wave-generated versus wave-dominated). Never the less, we maintain that the term wave-generated is better employed to describe these previously undefi ned rhythmic successions. Although coastal environments and associated deposits are extremely diverse, sedimentological models promote the notion that coastal deposits can be identifi ed as waveor tide-dominated based upon their sedimentary character (e.g., Boyd et al., 1992). In fact, waveand tide-dominated settings are distinctive in terms of physical processes and geomorphology, which cause these two settings to contain distinctive sedimentary deposits. Bioturbated strata (Gingras et al., 1999) through to heterolithic stratifi cation (e.g., Reineck and Wünderlich, 1968; Dalrymple, 1992)—including tidally generated bedding—is currently regarded as being characteristic of tide-dominated tidal fl ats, whereas waveand storm-generated deposits including hummocky cross-stratifi cation (HCS) are indicative of wavedominated shorefaces and shelves (e.g., Walker and Plint, 1992; Cheel and Leckie, 1993). Surveys of modern coasts have, however, revealed that mixed-energy conditions commonly occur in marginal-marine locales (e.g., Yang et al., 2005). As a result, the generally accepted facies models do not account for truly mixed-energy coastal zones (namely, opencoast tidal fl ats) (e.g., Fig. 1). In other words, open-coast tidal fl ats may be greatly underestimated in the geologic literature (e.g., Yang et al., 2005). Recently, Yang et al. (2005, 2006) have emphasized open-coast tidal fl ats, where both tides and waves play an important role in nearshore sedimentation. They have further suggested that open-coast tidal fl ats occupy a medial position in the process-sedimentological spectrum, and thereby differ greatly from the two end-member settings (Fig. 1). However, these deposits strongly resemble shoreface successions because of the abundance of HCS and storm-event beds (Yang et al., 2005), and because of the tendency for upward (shoreward) coarsening (Yang et al., 2006). On this basis, the identifi cation of open-coast tidal fl ats denotes that the deposit is wave-dominated. In an early draft of our paper, we had, in fact, applied the term wave-dominated to describe our rhythmic deposits, but the iteration of terms led to confusion within the manuscript (i.e., wave-dominated tidal bundle in wave-dominated tidal fl ats). Instead, we have taken the term wave-generated to emphasize depositional processes for these previously undefi ned rhythmic successions, because the entire succession (composed of three differing wave-rippled layers), fundamentally, is wave-generated. ACKNOWLEDGMENT We would like to thank Duncan Mackay (Queen's University) for his helpful comments and draughting.


Background In 2013–2014, French Polynesia experienced for the first time a Zika outbreak. Two Aedes mosquitoes may have contributed to Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission in French Polynesia: the worldwide distributed Ae. aegypti and the Polynesian islands-endemic Ae. polynesiensis mosquito. Methodology/Principal Findings To evaluate their vector competence for ZIKV, mosquitoes were infected per os at viral titers of 7 logs tissue culture infectious dose 50%. At several days post-infection (dpi), saliva was collected from each mosquito and inoculated onto C6/36 mosquito cells to check for the presence of ZIKV infectious particles. Legs and body of each mosquito were also collected and submitted separately to RNA extraction and ZIKV RT-PCR. In Ae. aegypti the infection rate was high as early as 6 dpi and the dissemination efficiency get substantial from 9 dpi while the both rates remained quite low in Ae. polynesiensis. The transmission efficiency was poor in Ae. aegypti until 14 dpi and no infectious saliva was found in Ae. polynesiensis at the time points studied. Conclusions/Significance In our experimental conditions, the late ability of the French Polynesian Ae. aegypti to transmit ZIKV added by the poor competence of Ae. polynesiensis for this virus suggest the possible contribution of another vector for the propagation of ZIKV during the outbreak, in particular in remote islands where Ae. polynesiensis is predominating.


Background and purpose: In recent years nanotechnology has a significant impact on various fields of human life, especially in pharmaceutical and medical needs. Some biopolymers such as chitosan which is also biocompatible are low cost and abundantly found, so, their application for vaccine production is cost benefit. Trimethyl chitosan is a deacetylated derivative of chitosan that could be used to increase the induction of immune response. In this study, trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles containing tetanus protein were used to stimulate the immune system. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, synthesis of the tetanus toxoid loaded nanoparticles was done by ion gelation method. Physical features of the nanoparticles were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nanoparticles were then injected subcutaneously into mice. After the sampling process, the immune system stimulation was evaluated using indirect ELISA. Data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and significance level of P< 0.05. Results: The purity of protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and encapsulated proteins were loaded up to 80 percent. ELISA results showed that the immune system was stimulated significantly compared with Freund adjuvant, and antibody titer increased. Conclusion: Tetanus toxoid loaded Trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles increase the stimulation of immune system and are more effective in comparison with Freund's adjuvant.


Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP) is a systemic small vessel, leucocytoclastic vasculitis disease affecting children, and the abdominal pain and joint pain are its classic triad. Here, we studied the correlation between serum cystatin C (CysC), thrombomodulin (TM), and T lymphocyte subsets in HSP cases, and the diagnostic values of these indices. A total of 120 HSP children treated at The 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army from January 2019 to May 2020 participated in this study. Another 64 healthy children receiving routine physical examination in the same time range were enrolled as a control group. In the early morning of the next day after admission, the cubital venous blood was collected. The serum levels of CysC were measured by immunoturbidimetry, the TM was detected using ELISA, while the T lymphocyte subsets were detected by flow cytometry. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the susceptibility factors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the predictive values of CysC, TM and T lymphocyte subset alone and their combination for HSP. The serum levels of CysC, TM, and cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8) of HSP children significantly increased and their CD3, CD4 levels and CD4/CD8 ratio significantly decreased compared with those of control group (P<0.05). The serum levels of CysC and TM were significantly correlated negatively with CD3, CD4 levels and CD4/CD8, whereas positively with CD8 level (P<0.05). Diet, infection, drugs, exercise-induced tiredness, air pollution, family environment, family inheritance, age, winter and spring were the susceptibility factors for children with HSP. The diagnosis using CysC, TM and T lymphocyte subsets had an AUC of 0.901, sensitivity of 93.1%, and specificity of 90.2%. In conclusion, the combined monitoring of serum CysC, TM, and T lymphocyte subsets in children with HSP can raise the accurate diagnosis rate.


Water is one of Scotland's most vital and largest industries. It is an input into all other forms of economic activity as well as being part of every family's expenditure. It is therefore important, both for living standards and for the economy, that the pricing of water in Scotland is taken extremely seriously and that efforts are made to have an appropriate, sustainable charging system. Since 2002, when the office of the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland was established, we have analysed the various methods used to determine water charges, and have shown that each of the various methods have major faults. In 2008, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance raised with us the problem of capital charges on the water industry: it was expected that changes in Treasury policy would make water capital charges an increasing real burden to the Scottish government budget. As a result of both this concern and our 2007 Commentary paper, (which had set out the problems with the current method of setting water charges), we proposed a new charging system for Scottish Water, details of which we published in the Fraser of Allander Commentary in February 2009. Under our proposed charging system, net new capital formation financed from customer charges would be regarded as being paid for by a notional loan from the customer base as a whole to Scottish Water. We suggested that the body of customers as a whole would then earn a return: this would be in the form of a rebate, equal to historic cost interest and depreciation on the notional loan. In our paper, we showed how this approach would be fully sustainable, and would lead to significantly lower charges for customers than the present regulatory capital value pricing system. The approach would also have had significant benefits as regards the capital charge which, (when the paper was written), the Treasury levied from departments on the capital assets of public corporations. Although we received no response from the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, (WICS), or the Scottish government civil service with responsibility for water to this or our earlier paper, it transpires that the civil service did provide a briefing on our paper to Ministers. In the summer of 2010 we were given a copy of the brief which had been put to Ministers by the civil service, commenting on our proposal. This brief was originally prepared for Ministers in 2009, and a slightly revised version was put to Ministers again in mid 2010. It is the later version of the brief which has now been given to us. This paper represents our critique of the civil service comments on our proposal. We will demonstrate that the advice put to Ministers was seriously flawed: in several respects the advice was factually wrong – and we believe that there were major omissions relating to matters which should have been covered in advice given to Ministers. Our conclusion is that Ministers would have found it impossible to make a properly informed decision about the relative properties of different charging methods, or about the merits of our specific proposal, on the basis of the civil service brief.


Leadership and leadership development in the modern police service has been regularly reviewed under successive government reform agendas. To date there has been no robust evaluative study in the UK policing context of the effectiveness of particular leadership styles or of leadership development programmes. This research evaluates a Hampshire Constabulary leadership development programme for middle managers, namely police Sergeants, and studies the broader aspects of leadership development at this middle management level, focusing on the knowledge, understanding and skills required to apply leadership in the contemporary policing context and as defined by the Hampshire Constabulary Leadership Charter. The case study used one-to-one interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders involved in the leadership training and development of police officer middle managers: a cohort of officers at different stages both before and after the Leadership and Management Programme (First Line Manager - Level 1); their subordinates and line managers; training staff; the Hampshire Constabulary Leadership and Professional Development Manager; and Chief Constable. The fieldwork was supported by documentary analysis of relevant training material and national reports. Three main themes emerged that advance leadership and leadership development theory in the policing context: a trait-based skills model of leadership which was supported by the terms of the Constabulary's Leadership Charter; the police officer middle manager as 'intermediary' between frontline practitioners and senior management; and the positive relationship between factors which enhance police officer middle manager performance and their perceived leadership self-efficacy. The ability to effectively manage emotions is also key to effective police middle management leadership performance. A framework for a detailed model of effective leadership development for police officers at middle management level is proposed which recognises their influential role in supporting staff and managing organisational change during a period of wider public sector reform.


Groundwater has been utilized as the major source of water for household, irrigation and industrial purpose. The hydrogeological condition in the Terai region of the Butwal area, Rupandehi district was assessed. The subsurface lithological section and hydro-stratigraphic units of the area within the depth of 80 m were produced using secondary data from borehole lithologs. The study area i.e., quaternary deposit, comprises boulders, cobble, pebble, gravel and another alluvial (river) deposits. Thick and coarse aquifer materials (boulder and gravel) were determined at wells (DW-2,5,8 and 6), that were lying nearby rivers and foothills of Siwalik. While the proportion of finer sediments (sand and clay) was greater in the southern part of the study area.  The aquifers in the study area are delineated as unconfined to confined types which are well-recharged primarily through precipitation and surface runoff in the monsoon period. The application of Duba's Method for groundwater recharge in the study area shows 44 MCM/year. Though the study area is an urban area, the physicochemical parameters like pH, TDS, DO, EC and temperature range within Nepal's Drinking Water Standard permissible limits. However, as urbanization grows, the quality and quantity may deteriorate in the future, necessitating the adoption of appropriate and sustainable management techniques to safeguard these groundwater resources.


The design of an extended Luenberger observer is considered to solve the state observation problem for semilinear distributed-parameter systems. For this, a backstepping-based technique is proposed for the design of the output injection weights by making use of the (extended) linearization of the semilinear observer error system with respect to the observer state. Stability of both the linearized and the semilinear observer error dynamics is analyzed theoretically. Moreover, an efficient sample-and-hold implementation is considered to improve the computational efficiency of the observer design. Simulation examples are provided for a bistable semilinear partial differential equation and the simplified model of a bioreactor with Monod kinetics.


Most of the articles in this book deal with incremental changes in the existing structures of institutions and do not postulate revolutionary upheavals as preconditions to effective action on the land issue. Yet it is worthwhile to contemplate far-reaching changes in the ways that we commonly perceive land ownership. The thinking along that dimension has unfortunately been rather sterile and there appears to be ample room for further development of new concepts and new ideas. An interesting scheme for restructuring the ownership of land in residential communities is given by Turnbull. Turnbull criticizes the conventional methods of owning land and housing by private individuals and corporations on the one hand and by the public authorities on the other as either inequitable or inefficient or both. The rampant exploitation generated by private ownership of land is not mitigated by government efforts at taxation and regulation. Government ownership of land and housing, on the other hand, is grossly inefficient and many socialist countries are turning towards home ownership schemes to combat the growing inefficiencies. Turnbull sees the value of introducing a new duplex tenure system to remedy this situation. In this system, the ownership of structures and improvements on land is separate from the ownership of the land itself, and the land is collectively owned by the community as a whole. Each individual owns his house as well as shares in the community land corresponding to the size of his plot. He is free to sell his house and his shares, but his shares are sold to the community land bank, which in turn sells them to the new buyer at a higher price. In this manner, the community captures the increased land value, using the proceeds for infrastructure development and other community improvements. As only individual community members are allowed to own shares in land, additional revenue is generated from the leasing of community land to commercial and public enterprises. Turnbull discusses a number of mechanisms for creating cooperative land banks, the simplest one being the creation of a new community on virgin land. In areas occupied by tenants or squatters, he proposes a dynamic tenure scheme whereby, through regular payments, the tenants gradually gain equity to the land and structures they occupy and in the long run become owner-occupiers. Turnbull believes that using such mechanisms, communities varying in size from 3,000 to 50,000 people can be self-financed and self-managed, improving gradually over time in an equitable manner without resorting to central government subsidies. The thinking on appropriate forms of land ownership and land tenure systems has by no means been exhausted, and there are inherent problems in existing systems which may require fundamental changes before they can be adequately resolved. Our current perception of land tenure is inherently bound up in the historical period we live in and in the existing relationships within the societies of which we are a part. Both are in a process of dynamic change and do not contain, in the last analysis, any patterns or rules of a permanent nature. As these patterns change, concepts and ideas which were considered completely unrealistic may emerge as new paradigms for a new order.


Real-time communication, is important and its usage is explained with through compression techniques. The application with compression techniques are applied discussed in this article. There is special focus on audio, video and image compression. Matlab is used as a simulation tool image compression is performed. The results are sometimes lossy and sometimes lossless, both types for compression is applied of image. The difference can be seen clearly in results.


To the Editor. —We appreciate the interest that Drs Perlstein and Chubak1showed in our article2on posterior keratoconus and their point is well taken. The rationale for doing a penetrating keratoplasty on our 16-year-old patient with 20/70 vision in each eye due to posterior keratoconus was not fully explained in our article. The history was given from the time of referral to one of us (K.H.S.), but records were available to us from a previous visit to an ophthalmologist in the same office, suggesting an excellent potential for vision. These included the information that in 1970, at the age of 10 years, the patient's visual acuity was 20/50 in each eye without correction, improving to 20/30 with pinhole in each eye. She read J 1 print with difficulty. No treatment was recommended at that time. The patient was next seen for keratoplasty in 1976 at the age


Introduction: B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is expressed on malignant plasma cells and is an attractive therapeutic target for multiple myeloma. BCMA CAR T-cells, antibody drug conjugates and bispecific T-cell engagers have demonstrated substantial preclinical and clinical activity to date. JCARH125 is a BCMA-targeting CAR T product containing a lentiviral CAR construct with a fully human scFv, optimized spacer, 4-1BB co-stimulatory and CD3z activation domains. The construct has shown minimal tonic signaling and lack of inhibition by soluble BCMA. JCARH125 is generated using a manufacturing process developed to optimize various aspects, including increased consistency of cell health, in the drug product.
 Methods: EVOLVE (NCT03430011) is a multi-center, phase 1/2 trial of JCARH125 in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma, who have received 3 or more prior regimens, which must include autologous stem cell transplant, a proteasome inhibitor, immunomodulatory drug and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, unless not a candidate (i.e. contraindicated) to receive one or more of the above treatments. Lymphodepleting chemotherapy (LDC) consisting of 3 days of fludarabine (30 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (300 mg/m2) is given 2 to 7 days prior to JCARH125 infusion. A single dose of JCARH125 is given on day 1. Dose escalation is determined using the modified toxicity probability interval 2 (mTPI-2). A minimum of 3 patients are evaluated at each dose level (DL). The first 2 DLs evaluated were 50 and 150x 106 CAR+ T cells. Additional DLs are planned, followed by an expansion at the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). The primary objectives of the phase 1 portion are safety and identifying a RP2D.
 Results: At the time of the July 12, 2018 data analysis, 19 patients have been enrolled (i.e. apheresed) and 13 patients dosed with JCARH125. Only one patient was unable to receive JCARH125, due to sepsis after LDC, leading to death before JCARH125 administration. Eight patients were evaluable for safety (≥ 1 mo follow-up). (n = 5 DL1; n = 3 DL2). Three patients (all from DL1) were evaluable for confirmed response (≥ 2 mo follow-up) per International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria. Data reported here are from these initial 8 patients. Median follow-up is 5 weeks (range 4 - 13 weeks). Median age is 53 years (range 36 - 66) with a median time from diagnosis of 4 years (range 2 - 12). Patients had received a median of 10 prior regimens (range 4 - 15). Of these 8 patients, 4 (50%) were refractory (no response or progression within 60 days of last therapy) to bortezomib, carfilzomib, lenalidomide, pomalidomide and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody. Seven of 8 (88%) had prior autologous stem cell transplant and 4 of 8 (50%) have IMWG high risk cytogenetics. As of the data cut, no DLTs have been observed at the first 2 DLs. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), all grade 1 or 2, was observed in 6 of 8 (75%) patients. Median onset of CRS was 9 days (range 4 - 10) with a median duration of 4.5 days (range 2 - 19 days). None of the patients with grade 2 CRS required vasopressor support and only 1 patient received tocilizumab. No patients had grade ≥ 3 CRS. Three of 8 (38%) patients experienced neurologic adverse events (AE). Two patients had grade 1 events, and 1 had a grade 3 event (lethargy), which resolved within 24 hours after receiving steroids. Onset of neurologic AEs was 9,11 and 12 days with a duration of 2, 3 and 1 days respectively. Notably, the patient who experienced grade 3 neurotoxicity (NT), developed secondary plasma cell leukemia (PCL) just prior to receiving LDC. All 8 patients have evidence of objective response (≥ MR), including the patient with secondary PCL. 3 patients, all treated at DL1 (50 x 106 CAR+ T-cells), have confirmed responses (1 PR, 2 sCR) with the remainder unconfirmed (1 CR, 2 VGPR, 1 PR, 1 MR). As of the data cut, no patients have progressed. Additional clinical and translational data on at least 30 patients and additional follow up of at least 4 months will be available at time of presentation.
 Conclusion: At initial lower dose levels, JCARH125 showed an acceptable safety profile with no DLTs reported thus far. Incidence of grade ≥ 3 NT was low and no grade ≥ 3 CRS has occurred with clear clinical activity. Although durability of response and response rate in a greater number of patients remain to be determined, early experience with JCARH125 support a favorable risk-benefit profile and rapid clinical development.

 Mailankody: Takeda: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Physician Education Resource: Honoraria; Juno: Research Funding. Bensinger:celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; amgen: Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Devries:Junot Therapeutics: Employment. Piasecki:Juno Therapeutics: Employment, Equity Ownership; Cascadian Therapeutics: Patents & Royalties; Amgen: Patents & Royalties. Ziyad:Juno Therapeutics: Employment, Equity Ownership. Blake:Celgene: Employment, Equity Ownership. Byon:Juno Therapeutics: Employment, Equity Ownership. Jakubowiak:Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy, Honoraria; SkylineDx: Consultancy, Honoraria.


The integration of wireless communication and embedded video systems is a demanding and interesting topic which has attracted significant research efforts from the community of telecommunication. This chapter discusses the challenging issues in wireless video surveillance and presents the detailed design for a novel highly-secure video surveillance system over ad hoc wireless networks. To this end, we explore the state-of-the-art cross domains of wireless communication, video processing, embedded systems, and security. Moreover, a new media-dependent video encryption scheme, including a reliable data embedding technique and real-time video encryption algorithm, is proposed and implemented to enable the system to work properly and efficiently in an open and insecure wireless environment. Extensive experiments are conducted to demonstrate the advantages of the new systems, including high security guarantee and robustness. The chapter would serve as a good reference for solving the challenging issues in wireless multimedia and bring new insights on the interaction of different technologies within the cross application domain.


Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces a progressive pathophysiology affecting cell survival and neurological integrity via complex and evolving molecular cascades whose interrelationships are not fully understood. The present experiments were designed to: (1) determine potential functional interactions within transcriptional expression profiles obtained after a clinically relevant SCI and (2) test the consistency of transcript expression after SCI in two genetically and immunologically diverse rat strains characterized by differences in T cell competence and associated inflammatory responses. By interrogating Affymetrix U34A rat genome GeneChip microarrays, we defined the transcriptional expression patterns in midcervical contusion lesion sites between 1 and 90 d postinjury of athymic nude (AN) and Sprague Dawley (SD) strains. Stringent statistical analyses detected significant changes in 3638 probe sets, with 80 genes differing between the AN and SD groups. Subsequent detailed functional categorization of these transcripts unveiled an overall tissue remodeling response that was common to both strains. The functionally organized gene profiles were temporally distinct and correlated with repair indices observed microscopically and by magnetic resonance microimaging. Our molecular and anatomical observations have identified a novel, longitudinal perspective of the post-SCI response, namely, that of a highly orchestrated tissue repair and remodeling repertoire with a prominent cutaneous wound healing signature that is conserved between two widely differing rat strains. These results have significant bearing on the continuing development of cellular and pharmacological therapeutics directed at tissue rescue and neuronal regeneration in the injured spinal cord.


This issue is headed by six political theory articles that provide new evidence, as if any new evidence were needed, of the wide variety of scholarly work that passes under the label "political theory." By my inexpert reckoning, the first of these theory articles is more or less classical, verging on contemporary; the second is more or less contemporary, verging on feminist; the third is more or less feminist, verging on modern; the fourth is contemporary, of the pragmatist persuasion; and the fifth and sixth are formal. In recognition of this variety, our cover graphic depicts an array of spices–the obvious connection being that variety is the spice of the political theory field, just as it is of our far-flung discipline more generally.


With the spread of total intravenous anesthesia, clinical pharmacology has become more important. We report Microsoft Excel file applying three compartment model and response surface model to clinical anesthesia. On the Microsoft Excel sheet, propofol, remifentanil and fentanyl effect-site concentrations are predicted (three compartment model), and probabilities of no response to prodding, shaking, surrogates of painful stimuli and laryngoscopy are calculated using predicted effect-site drug concentration. Time-dependent changes in these calculated values are shown graphically. Recent development in anesthetic drug interaction studies are remarkable, and its application to clinical anesthesia with this Excel file is simple and helpful for clinical anesthesia.


19 The volcanic degassing of halogen, and especially of the heavier Br and I, received 20 increased attention over the last 20 years due to their significant effect on atmospheric 21 chemistry, notably the depletion of stratospheric ozone. While the effect of melt composition 22 on halogen diffusion, solubility or fluid-melt partitioning in crustal magma chambers has been thoroughly studied, structural controls on halogen incorporation in silicate melts remain poorly known, with only few studies available in simplified borosilicate or haplogranite 25 compositions. Here, we demonstrate that high-resolution X-ray absorption spectroscopy (HERFD- 27 XAS) with a crystal analyser spectrometer (CAS) is well-suited for the study of Br speciation 28 in natural volcanic glasses which can contain lower Br concentrations than their laboratory 29 analogs. Especially, HERFD-XAS results in sharper and better-resolved XANES and EXAFS 30 features than previously reported and enables detection limits for EXAFS analysis down to 31 100 ppm when previous studies required Br concentrations above the 1000 ppm level. 32 XANES and EXAFS analysis suggest important structural differences between synthetic 33 haplogranite, where Br is surrounded by Na and next-nearest oxygen neighbors and natural 34 volcanic glasses of basaltic to rhyodacitic compositions, where Br is incorporated in at least 35 three distinct sites, surrounded by Na, K or Ca. Similar environments, involving both alkali 36 and alkaline earth metals have already been reported for Cl in Ca-bearing aluminosilicate and 37 our study thus underlines that the association of Br with divalent cations (Ca 2+ ) has been 38 underestimated in the past due to the use of simplified laboratory analogs. Overall, similarities 39 in Cl and Br structural environments over a large array of compositions (46-67 wt% SiO 2 ) suggest that melt composition alone may not have a significant effect on halogens degassing 41 and further support the coupled degassing of Cl and Br in volcanic systems.


Labov and Fanshel's (1977) seminal study on therapeutic discourse posits that the therapeutic interview contains general rules and patterns of face-to-face interaction that lend themselves to the examination of mitigation. This study investigates mitigation phenomena (e.g. bushes, shields) and indirectness in Spanish in an institutional setting to determine whether these are pragmatically motivated. The corpus was generated during motivational interviews in which Dominican clients and a Cuban therapist discussed depression and medication. Studies have attested to pragmatic variation with regard to ways in which mitigation and indirectness are expressed (e.g. Delbene 2004; Felix-Brasdefer 2010; Hernandez-Flores 1999; Placencia 1996). Given these studies, this chapter reveals how indirectness is bolstered and corroborates the influence of several micro-social factors that mediate variation.


Hepatocytes from pregnant rats fasted during late gestation are larger and more abundant than in littermate virgin animals and in vivo are exposed to hypoglycemia. To evaluate their intrinsic potential for biosynthetic transformations of alanine, a modified liver perfusion system was employed. Livers from twenty-four hour fasted, nineteenday pregnant and virgin littermate rats were subjected to "wash out" perfusion for twenty-five minutes prior to definitive perfusion for sixty minutes with fresh media containing supramaximal amounts of L-alanine-14-C (17 mM). Under such conditions, livers from pregnant rats displayed an enhanced capacity to assimilate alanine-14-C and to establish concentration gradients for alanine between hepatocytes and perfusion medium. Significantly more alanine carbons were incorporated into glucose, lactate, glyceride-glycerol, and glutamate per hepatocyte by livers of pregnant rats. Clyceride-glycerol formation was disproportionately enhanced suggesting that there may be mechanisms operative during pregnancy for selectively diverting triose phosphates toward the esterification of intrahepatic fatty acids. Despite the augmented disposition of alanine carbons, livers from pregnant animals formed significantly less urea. Instead, a much greater proportion of the nitrogen derived during alanine catabolism was released in a potentially reutilizable form, ammonia. Thus, hepatocytes from fasted pregnant animals have an enhanced capacity for assimilating "loading" doses of alanine and for incorporating the carbons into glucose, lactate, glyceride-glycerol, and glutamate, while preserving more of the amino nitrogen in a form that can be reutilized.


We used a new drug, 3,4-diaminopyridine, to treat five patients with the Lambert-Eaton syndrome, one with a carcinoma and four cryptogenic. The effects of intravenous, oral, and rectal administration were evaluated clinically and electrophysiologically after single doses and during continuous treatment for up to 21 months. 3,4-Diaminopyridine effectively ameliorated the neuromuscular and autonomic nervous system disorders without severe side effects. Anticholinesterase drugs strongly potentiated the benefit of 3,4-diaminopyridine.


: A PCR-based method with a novel silver staining detection was developed for the determination of CTG repeat number in the 3' untranslated region of the MD-PK gene responsible for myotonic dystrophy. Through the investigation of a family with affected members in three generations the application of the method is presented. According to the results, healthy individuals were verified easily, and the repeat number in patients with mild features or with premutation could be determined accurately. In severe clinical forms, e.g. congenital myopathy, the expansion can be deduced only from the lack of amplification, however, this is also helpful if the segregation of familial alleles is known.


Brexit negotiations are entering the end game. Over the next few months, the Government must conclude a withdrawal agreement with the European Union (EU) before seeking approval from Parliament in the form of a motion – the so-called 'meaningful vote' – on the deal. Only if both these challenges are met, legislation is passed to give effect to the agreement and both the UK and European Parliaments ratify the withdrawal treaty, will the UK leave the EU on 29 March 2019 in an orderly manner and with a transition in place. None of this is certain at the moment. There are multiple scenarios in play. This paper looks at those scenarios and what stands between the Prime Minister and her preferred Brexit in March 2019.


In this dissertation, a new numerical method for solving the fractional dynamical systems,
is presented. We first introduce Riemann-Liouville fractional integral operator for
hybrid functions. Then we will show the spectral accuracy of the present method for solving
fractional-order differential equations, and we will extend the present method for solving
nonlinear fractional integro-differential equations, fractional Bagley-Torvik equation,
distributed order fractional differential equations, two-dimensional fractional partial differential
equations, and fractional optimal control problems. In all cases, we will show the rate
of convergence is more than some existing numerical methods which were used to solve
these kind of problems in the literature. Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate
the validity and applicability of the technique.


Though the sample database is used extensively by the examples, there is some text and examples based on other databases. Ideally it would have been better if the sample database was extended so that all the examples in the book were based on it. This would then make it an ideal course textbook on SQL. The book undersells itself in being described as an introduction to SQL. Though it assumes no knowledge of SQL on the part of the reader, it does proceed well beyond the introductory stage (e.g. on the topic of catalog tables). I would certainly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn SQL whether they be student or professional developer.


Among Judea Pearl's many contributions to Causality and Statistics, the graphical d-separation} criterion, the do-calculus and the mediation formula stand out. In this chapter we show that d-separation} provides direct insight into an earlier causal model originally described in terms of potential outcomes and event trees. In turn, the resulting synthesis leads to a simplification of the do-calculus that clarifies and separates the underlying concepts, and a simple counterfactual formulation of a complete identification algorithm in causal models with hidden variables.


Influence of the penalty point system on driving behaviour: Drivers' point of view. On July 1, 2006 a penalty point system was introduced in Spain. One year later, a reduction of 14.3% was observed in road traffic casualties, whilst the previous year that figure was 4.9%. A national telephone survey was conducted on a sample of 2.014 respondents to explore the drivers' point of view about the influence of the penalty point system on driving behaviour. Results point to a moderate behavioural change, mainly in relation to speeding and mobile phone misuse, this change being slightly more intense in drivers who were fined during the previous year. Awareness of road traffic accidents increased in around 40% of drivers. Lastly, mobility loss stands out as the most worrying and presumably most influential consequence of driving license loss. Language: es


ABSTRACT:Art critic Jerry Saltz is regarded as a pioneer of online art criticism by the mainstream press, yet the Internet has been used as a platform for art discussion for over 30 years. There have been studies of independent print-based arts publishing, online art production and electronic literature, but there have been no histories of online art criticism. In this article, the author provides an account of the first wave of online art criticism (1980–1995) to document this history and prepare the way for thorough evaluations of the changing form of art criticism after the Internet.


In the article by A. Signorovitch, J. Hur, E. Gladyshev, and M. Meselson (GENETICS 200: 581–590) entitled "Allele Sharing and Evidence for Sexuality in a Mitochondrial Clade of Bdelloid Rotifers," in the Discussion section in the second paragraph on p. 587, several sentences have been updated to correct the calculations. The corrected sentences should read as follows: "Of these 816 sets of three individuals, 16, or 1.96 3 1022, have the property that, at each region, a particular individual shares one of its alleles with another individual, and its other allele with the third. More generally, the number of sets of three individuals with this property that can be drawn from the progeny of an n-factor cross is the number of different F1, or 22n. The correct probabilities of drawing a set of three individuals with this property for two, three, and four independently segregating regions are, therefore, 1.96 3 1022, 1.4 3 1023, and 0.9 3 1024, respectively. For comparison, if there were no assortment, there would be only four F1 genotypes, and the chance of drawing three individuals with the observed pattern of sharing would be 0.2. It therefore appears that the four regions have not assorted independently."We thank E. Rivas for providing the correct calculations.


This paper presents a compact device model for graphene field-effect transistors. This model extends prior iterative models (due to Meric et al. and Thiele et al.) in two ways. First, the model is given as a closed-form expression that is more computationally efficient. Second, it is valid for devices based upon either monolayer graphene or bilayer graphene. Simulations demonstrate that this model agrees closely with experimental data. Furthermore, the efficiency of this model enables the design and analysis of logic circuits composed of multiple graphene devices. Example simulation results are provided that demonstrate the potential for graphene-based circuit speeds five times that of circuits based upon 32-nm silicon technology.


Researchers have shown that it is possible to train artificial neural networks directly on an optical chip. [28] Scientists from Russia, Estonia and the United Kingdom have created a new method for predicting the bioconcentration factor (BCF) of organic molecules. [27] Predictions for an AI-dominated future are increasingly common, but Antoine Blondeau has experience in reading, and arguably manipulating, the runes—he helped develop technology that evolved into predictive texting and Apple's Siri. [26] Artificial intelligence can improve health care by analyzing data from apps, smartphones and wearable technology. [25]


While the existence of a 'Democratic Peace' (DP) is widely accepted, the various DP theories that seek to explain why democracies rarely fight one another are highly contested. A 'commercial/capitalist peace' counterargument maintains that the relationship between democratic politics and peace is spurious: the actual driver is greater trade among democracies. Meanwhile, Realists counter that it is alliances among democratic states, not their democratic nature, that causes peace among them. This research note utilizes novel country feeling thermometer data to explore the debate's micro-foundations: the underlying drivers of international amity and enmity among democratic citizens in the US, UK, France, and Germany. Utilizing Freedom House and other quantitative measures of freedom, trade, military strength, and racial and cultural difference, it pits the micro-foundations of the DP against its rivals to explain attitude formation among a group of Western democratic publics. Given the resurgence of authoritarianism around the world today, a better understanding of the role of regime type in shaping public opinion – and subsequently war and peace – is urgently needed. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 20 June 2019 Accepted 9 January 2020


The article deals with the design of database structures of a web application for the presentation of information about the development of rural architecture in the 19th and 20th centuries in the territory of today's Czech Republic. The processes of data structure design, description of the chosen solution and method of implementation are presented. The solution used is based on freely available technologies and applied to the creation of a smaller web portal. The described methods can be inspiring for similar types of web presentations, which are a frequent output of many activities and projects. The created web application contains various types of data: maps of selected villages, spatial models of selected rural buildings, their floor plans, created orthophoto, photo gallery, and other textual and graphical information documenting the development of rural architecture. Objects of interest are located on the used interactive map. The application allows users to search and filter the required data. The technological solution is based on the PostgreSQL database and the PHP Nette framework. The created portal presents interesting information about important values of rural architecture, which can be considered as a part of the cultural heritage. The web portal can be used by experts and the general public.


The hydrogenation reactions of propyne, 2-butyne and phenylacetylene have been studied using a series of silica- and alumina-supported palladium and platinum catalysts, each containing a nominal metal loading of 1%. All catalysts have been the subject of numerous characterisation techniques including temperature programmed reduction, selective chemisorption, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, BET measurements, atomic absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The reaction of hydrogen and propyne was performed in a pulse-flow microcatalytic reactor using reaction mixtures of varying hydrogen concentration; (1:1 :: C3H4 : H2) and (1:3 :: C3H4 : H2). All propyne hydrogenation reactions were performed at ambient temperature. Using low concentrations of hydrogen, both Pd/SiO2 and Pt/gamma-Al2O3 were completely selective for the formation of propene; Pt/gamma-Al2O3 and Pt/SiO2 exhibiting lower selectivities. This behaviour is believed to be the result of a particle size effect, with the former catalysts containing large metal particles which act less electrophilically towards the acetylenic bond of the reactant, and thus permit desorption of the olefin before complete saturation occurs. With higher coverages of hydrogen, the formation of the alkane was favoured over all catalysts, with an "induction period" being observed before the production of propene was evident. This behaviour has been attributed to the initial dissociative adsorption of propyne to produce surface hydrocarbonaceous overlayers and alkane precursors simultaneously. The associative adsorption of propyne on this hydrocarbonaceous overlayer, with the latter acting as a hydrogen transfer medium, is proposed as the route to propene. The formation of either the alkane or the surface hydrocarbonaceous residues is therefore postulated as being a function of the rate of hydrogen supply to the relevant surface sites. All catalysts were prone to deactivation which is believed to occur through a site-blocking mechanism. The gas phase hydrogenation of 2-butyne favoured the formation of the cis-olefin isomer when low concentrations of hydrogen were used. Stereospecific reduction of an associatively adsorbed acetylenic species (2,3-di-sigma/pi-butyne) is proposed as the main route to this olefin. At high reaction temperatures, trace amounts of the trans-olefin isomer were observed. This reaction is believed to occur by either (i) adsorption on surface defect sites or (ii) by isomerisation of the cis isomer via a radical intermediate. With higher coverages of hydrogen, all catalysts displayed complete conversion of 2-butyne over a series of thirty pulses. Formation of the alkane was the predominant reaction using all catalysts except highly dispersed Pt/SiO2, which was selective for cis-2-butene formation. A direct mechanism for the hydrogenation of 2-butyne via an associatively adsorbed surface species is proposed as the route to 2-butane. The propensity of 2-butyne to undergo dissociative adsorption is evident from the production of methane. Similar to the reactions of propyne, the formation of surface hydrocarbonaceous residues and the hydrogenation products is believed to be governed by the availability of surface hydrogen. Reaction of phenylacetylene and hydrogen in the liquid phase proceeds to yield both styrene and ethylbenzene, with the adsorption and hydrogenation of styrene predominating after the removal of all of the acetylene from the system. Co-hydrogenation experiments performed using an equimolar mixture of styrene/phenylacetylene indicates that the adsorption of both the olefin and acetylene occurs at different surface sites, with the hydrogenation of each adsorbate occurring independently of the other. It is believed that olefin chemisorption in the presence of the acetylene has the effect of reducing the amount of available hydrogen for phenylacetylene hydrogenation. The hydrogenation of phenylacetylene in the gas phase produces only ethylbenzene, the formation of which is proposed to occur via (i) a di-pi-adsorbed species analogous to that involved in propyne hydrogenation to propene or (ii) from dissociative adsorption to yield a surface alkylidyne. In conclusion, we can state that the surface hydrogen concentration plays a crucial role in determining the selectivity and activity of the catalysts during the hydrogenation reactions. In the presence of high coverages of hydrogen, all catalysts favoured the production of the alkane, except highly dispersed Pt/SiO2 in 2-butyne hydrogenation. The observed deactivation phenomenon during propyne hydrogenation has been attributed to the possible formation of surface oligomers which reduce the number of exposed active sites. Since the reactions between 2-butyne and excess hydrogen exhibited no signs of catalyst deactivation, it is proposed that the formation of surface oligomers from this acetylene would be less probable due to the steric effects experienced by the substituent methyl groups. Therefore, the likelihood of extensive oligomerisation and hence, deactivation occurring is reduced.


The regime changes in Georgia (2003) and Kyrgyzstan (2005) that resulted in the overthrow of Presidents Shevardnadze and Akaev are widely considered to be part of a common phenomenon of 'coloured revolution' in the post-Soviet space. A key factor was the rise of successful opposition movements that dislodged the ruling regimes. However, in contrast with the widespread notion that opposition unity was a prerequisite for the overthrow of the presidents, opposition parties found it too difficult to coordinate their actions and their leaders could not agree how best to challenge the election results. Neither was it the case that the Rose and Tulip revolutions were orchestrated by Western agencies seeking to induce a change of government so as to further US interests in the region. Such analyses exaggerate the influence of foreign actors in the Rose and Tulip revolutions, and over-estimate the unity of purpose among the main opposition parties.


According to some evolutionary psychologists, landscapes preferences in the human species are influenced by their evolutionary past. Because the Pleistocene savanna is the least inhospitable landscape, it was the most suitable environment for survival and influenced the evolution of hominids in such a way that even today the human being has a universal preference for these environments. However, there is controversy regarding this statement, because in some studies it was evidenced that people prefer images of landscapes that are similar to those of the environment where they live. In this sense, we want to test whether there is indeed a preference for images of the savanna landscape and how the current environmental context may influence this preference. We performed a study in three environmental contexts with different landscapes in order to be able to observe the influence of the familiar landscape on landscape preference, of which two rural communities — one presenting a landscape similar to the deciduous seasonal forest and another presenting a savanna-like landscape — that totaled 132 participants and one urban community with 189 participants. The stimulus consisted of 12 images representing the six major terrestrial biomes and two images of urban landscapes. The variables analyzed were the emotional responses and the preference of the participants in relation to the images of landscapes. We analyzed the data using the Kruskal–Wallis test. The obtained result did not corroborate the idea of universal preference for images of savanna landscape. The image of Rainforest landscape was the preferred one among all the three environmental contexts studied. In this way, the preference for landscape may have been shaped at different periods of human evolutionary history, and not just during the period when hominids lived on the savannah. As much as selective pressures of the Pleistocene savanna have shaped the human mind during the evolutionary history, other factors and different types of environments may have influenced human preferences for landscapes. Thus, evolutionary psychologists who analyze human preferences for images of landscapes, guided by the idea of the past influencing the present, must be cautious before generalizing their results, especially if other variables such as the cultural ones are not controlled.


The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate an innovative collaboration between health, housing and social care by exploring the "short stay project" apartments from service users' perspectives and considering the effectiveness of this service model as part of enabling provision locally.,The qualitative methodology for this evaluation was interpretative phenomenological analysis (Smith, 2011), critically exploring service users' personal lived experience of the "short stay project". Three service users (n=3) participated in semi-structured interviews.,This study has identified the "short stay project" can prevent admission into and facilitate discharge from care and health services by offering a temporary stay in self-contained, adapted accommodation. Service users found value in staying at the apartments for differing reasons. However, practitioners must address service users' emotional and social needs as well as physical needs to reduce the risk of occupational deprivation.,Sample size is not fully representative of the total population making transferability limited.,This research found there is demand for temporary housing provision for service users with health, housing and/or social care needs.,Key drivers of demand for the service are social inequalities relating to homelessness, poverty and gender-based violence rather than the health-related issues that could have been expected. Further research into the development of effective integrated services which maximise service users' wellbeing and occupational performance is recommended.,Service models which integrate health, housing and social care can be innovative and maintain service users' independence and wellbeing in the community. Commissioners across health, housing and social care could utilise the Better Care Fund to deliver integrated services to meet rising demands.


This study focuses specifically on the laws and regulations relating to commercial fishing within the Exclusive Economic Zone of South Africa and the impact of illegal fishing (IUU). The goal is to determine how overfishing can be stopped or minimised and ultimately for South Africa to harvest the illegally caught fish in such a way that it becomes part of the South African economy and generates revenue.
The study will analyse the international legal instruments applicable and their impact on the development of the South African maritime laws. An in depth look at the relevant South African maritime laws will be vital as to determine if these laws are adequate to protect the fish resources from illegal exploitation and official mismanagement. To see if South Africa's maritime laws are lacking with other countries a comparison must be done, particularly with a country like Australia that has one of the highest success rates when it comes to combating IUU fishing.
It will be found that the international legal instruments and agreements on the use of the sea have afforded rights and powers to coastal states to protect their sea zones, but it will remains the responsibility of each coastal state to determine how it will use these rights and powers to protect its own sea zones. Further it will be shown that South Africa has the necessary legislative measures in place to protect its fish resources, but the problem lies with the implementation of those measures Australia does not only rely on its legislation to stop IUU fishing, but it also uses external methods, that South Africa will have to consider.


We introduce a new space VLBI project, the Second VLBI Space Observatory Program (VSOP2), following the success of the VLBI Space Observatory Program (VSOP1). VSOP2 has 10 times higher angular resolution, up to about 40 micro arcseconds, 10 times higher frequency up to 43 GHz, and 10 times higher sensitivity compared to VSOP1. Then VSOP2 should become a most powerful tool to observe innermost regions of AGN and astronomical masers. ASTRO-G is a spacecraft for VSOP2 project constructing in ISAS/JAXA since July 2007. ASTRO-G will be launched by JAXA H-IIA rocket in fiscal year 2012. ASTRO-G and ground-based facilities are combined as VSOP2. To achieve the good observation performances, we must realize new technologies. They are large precision antenna, fast-position switching capability, new LNAs, and ultra wide-band down link, etc.. VSOP2 is a huge observation system involving ASTRO-G, ground radio telescopes, tracking stations, and correlators, one institute can not prepare a whole system of VSOP2. Then we must need close international collaboration to get sufficient quality of resultant maps and to give a sufficient quantity of observation time for astronomical community. We formed a new international council to provide guidance on scientific aspects related of VSOP2, currently called the VSOP2 International Science Council (VISC2).


In 2002, Louis Kincannon, director of the U.S. Census Bureau announced that Latinos became the United States largest minority group in July 2002.2 The Hispanic( of Spanish speaking origin) population in the US grew 9.8 percent since April2000 or 38.8 million people, about 500,000 more than the African American population. New figures from the Census Bureau show that Hispanics accounted for about half the population growth in the U.S. last year(2005).3 With this enormous growth, the United States health care professions have found it to be an enormous task to administer care to this ever growing population. Many fortunate doctors are either fluent in Spanish or are blessed by the saving grace of interrupters. The same goes for optometry. We feel that for an optometric physician to administer the best of care in this ever changing country, being able to communicate to this enormous population is essential. This thesis project is a compilation of basic Spanish optometric terms that will be taught in lesson format to optometric students taking the elective, Basic Spanish for Optometry at Pacific University College of Optometry. The goal of our thesis is to provide another tool for students allowing them to better learn important optometric phrases and to eventually put them into use wherever they choose to practice. With onethird below the age of 18, this population is only expected to continue to grow. Spanish speaking optometrists will make themselves more versatile and more marketable to our profession, and most important, their patients. Degree Type Thesis Degree Name Master of Science in Vision Science Committee Chair Elizabeth Wyles


The interaction of nucleic acids with the nanoarchitectures formed by lipidic systems is a new area of research that may offer insights into the functioning of genetic materials in vivo. Here we report that ssRNA has a strong preference to reside in isotropic solution rather than in inverse hexagonal (HII) liquid crystalline phases. This is in contrast to dsDNA, which becomes localized in the pores of the HII phase. The RNA that does associate with the external surfaces of the HII phase appears to form an accretion layer, tens of molecules thick, but this layer still allows the transcription of dsDNA that resides within the pores of the phase.


Celebrities rule the modern world, and close behind them are the paparazzi, fuelling the medias endless fascination with the rich and famous, while they themselves keep a low profile, fading chameleon-like into the background. Bruno Mouron and Pascal Rostain are two respected photo-reporters, based in Paris but ready to go anywhere in the world for a scoop. They began working together in the late 1970s as contributors to the magazine "Paris Match", and by 1986 they had set up a formal partnership, founding the agency Sphinx. Over the decades, they have honed the instincts required to catch the moment when a glance, a pose and a setting are most perfectly matched, capturing movie stars and models, rock stars and royalty. This book presents a selection of their best work from the last 25 years. Packed with striking black-and-white images that hark back to the golden age of photo-journalism, famous challenges us to recognize, appreciate and celebrate a fresh frame of reference through which great photography can be judged.


—Spectral unmixing is an important issue to analyze remotely sensed hyperspectral data. Although the linear mixture model has obvious practical advantages, there are many situations in which it may not be appropriate and could be advantageously replaced by a nonlinear one. In this paper, we formulate a new kernel-based paradigm that relies on the assumption that the mixing mechanism can be described by a linear mixture of endmember spectra, with additive nonlinear fluctuations defined in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space. This family of models has a clear physical interpretation, and allows to take complex interactions of endmembers into account. Extensive experiment results, with both synthetic and real images, illustrate the generality and effectiveness of this scheme compared with state-of-the-art methods.


This article is intended to present and reconstruct the original theoretical vision of the Soviet society elaborated by the Russian social theorist, philosopher, and political anthropologist Natalya Kozlova (1946-2002). In contrast to common media and theoretical wisdom tagging Soviet society as "totalitarian," Kozlova proposed a vivid theoretical picture consisting of diverse everyday practices and social techniques comprising the Soviet version of modernity. This picture is based on the thorough sociological and anthropological analysis of different autobiographical narratives and diaries of everyday life as written by ordinary actors of Soviet modernization. The theoretical analysis of the Soviet modernity presented in this "bottom-up" perspective radically puts the theoretical relevance of any unifying and undifferentiated dominant political and ideological concepts and narratives that depict its history as the one of endless repression leaving no room for the actions of individual actors to be brought into question. The article analyses the detrimental influence of widespread media and theoretical narratives based on such ideologically informed concepts as "totalitarianism," "internal colonization," or "open society" on the theoretical conceptualization of the Soviet experience. It argues that the mainstream, uncritical usage of these stigmatizing narratives in the Russian media and in social science impedes new ways of thinking about the Soviet experience. Following the theoretical insights revealed by the research project of Natalya Kozlova, the paper explores the topics of agency, power, and the production of subjectivity while proposing the invention of ways for a more sophisticated comprehension of Soviet society within a wider context of the political theory of modernity.


We consider jointly designing transceivers for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications. Assuming the availability of the channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter (CSIT) and receiver (CSIR), we propose a scheme that can decompose a MIMO channel, in a capacity lossless manner, into multiple subchannels with prescribed capacities, or equivalently, signal-to-interference-and-noise ratios (SINRs). We refer to this scheme as the tunable channel decomposition (TCD), which is based on the recently developed generalized triangular decomposition (GTD) algorithm and the closed-form representation of minimum mean-squared-error VBLAST (MMSE-VBLAST) equalizer. The TCD scheme is particularly relevant to the applications where independent data streams with different qualities-of-service (QoS) share the same MIMO channel. The TCD scheme has two implementation forms. One is the combination of a linear precoder and a minimum mean-squared-error VBLAST (MMSE-VBLAST) equalizer, which is referred to as TCD-VBLAST, and the other includes a dirty paper (DP) precoder and a linear equalizer followed by a DP decoder, which we refer to as TCD-DP. We also include the optimal code-division multiple-access (CDMA) sequence design as a special case in the framework of MIMO transceiver designs. Hence, our scheme can be directly applied to optimal CDMA sequence design, both in the uplink and downlink scenarios


Phenology, or the timing of seasonal activities, is shifting with climate change, resulting in disruptions to the timing of migration and breeding and in emerging asynchronies between interacting species1-5. Recent syntheses have concluded that trophic level1, latitude6, and how phenological responses are measured7 are key to determining the strength of phenological responses to climate change. However, despite these insights, researchers still lack a comprehensive framework that can predict responses to climate change globally and across diverse taxa. For example, little is known about whether phenological shifts are driven by different climatic factors across regions or which ecologically important species characteristics (e.g., body size) predict the strength of phenological responses. Here, we address these questions by synthesizing hundreds of published time series of animal phenology from across the planet. We find that temperature drives phenological responses at mid-latitudes, but precipitation is more important at lower latitudes, likely because these climate factors often drive seasonality in each of these regions. Body size is also negatively associated with the strength of phenological shift, suggesting emerging asynchronies between interacting species that differ in size, such as hosts and ectoparasites and predators and prey. Finally, although there are many compelling biological explanations for spring phenological delays, some examples of delays are associated with short annual records prone to sampling error. As climate change intensifies, our findings arm biologists with predictions concerning which climatic variables and organismal traits drive phenological shifts.


Accounting curricula within English-speaking countries have been the subject of almost continuous re-examination over a period of some 20 years. This paper considers the response of the School of Accountancy at Massey University in New Zealand to both general and particular pressures for change. The generalized pressures resulted from, inter alia, the work of Albrecht and Sack (Accounting Education: Charting the Course through a Perilous Future. Sarasota: AAA, 2000) and other research directed at curriculum change; the particular pressures arose from relationships between tertiary education providers, the professional accounting body and other stakeholders, within a dynamic market economy, whilst attempting to change the curriculum. The manner in which curriculum change may lead to unintended consequences is described, including the 'false starts' by both the professional body and the educational institution. By providing a frank exposure, it is hoped that other innovative accounting educators in potentia...


A case report of an adverse reaction to a preparation of an amide local anesthetic, prilocaine with epinephrine, is presented. Signs and symptoms were consistent with an anaphylactic reaction and the patient responded positively to treatment based on this assumption. Treatment included administration of epinephrine injected sublingually and oxygen by inhalation. However, subsequent skin testing failed to confirm this diagnosis. A number of explanations are possible and a final diagnosis of an anaphylactoid reaction was made. Local anesthetic allergies and their management are reviewed. The literature demonstrates that an allergic reaction to amide local anesthetics can occur and a thorough history, intradermal testing, and subcutaneous challenge are reasonable approaches to determine a safe agent for subsequent use.


An elevated resting heart rate (RHR) is a risk factor for vascular complications in patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recently, the beneficial effects of SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on cardiovascular and renal events were reported in large-scale clinical trials. However, their mechanisms are not fully clarified. This study aimed to investigate the effect of SGLT2i on RHR and the clinical factors that affect changes in RHR in patients with T2DM. Analyzed were 419 T2DM patients on diet and exercise therapy who received an SGLT2i, tofogliflozin (TOFO), or a placebo as initial monotherapy in two TOFO phase 2 and 3 studies. Adipose tissue insulin resistance (Adipo-IR) was calculated by the product of fasting free fatty acid and fasting insulin. Differences in heart rate-related variables between TOFO and the placebo were analyzed with an ANCOVA model. Multivariate analysis was performed to clarify independent factors that were associated with changes in RHR. Baseline characteristics were: male (67%), age (mean: 58 years), HbA1c (8.1%), BMI (26 kg/m2), RHR (66 bpm), eGFR (84 mL/min/1.73m2) and Adipo-IR (32.5 pmol/L•mmol/L). Concerning the effects on RHR, TOFO reduced RHR levels (least squares mean: -1.7 and -1.1 bpm, p Disclosure Y. Matsubayashi: None. T. Nojima: Employee; Self; Kowa Company,LTD. A. Yoshida: Employee; Self; Kowa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. H. Suganami: Employee; Self; Kowa Company, Ltd.. T. Yamada: None. K. Fujihara: None. S. Tanaka: None. K. Kaku: Speaker9s Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca. Advisory Panel; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, MSD K.K.. Advisory Panel; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.. Advisory Panel; Self; Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd.. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Japan Inc., Kowa Pharmaceuticals, Japan Inc.. Advisory Panel; Self; Astellas, Japan Inc. H. Sone: Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, MSD K.K., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Takeda Development Center Asia, Pte. Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Sanofi, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., Eisai Inc..


LiFePO4/C cathode material with different carbon sources was synthesized by using a two-step carbothermal reduction method. The structure and electrochemical properties of the samples were characterized by XRD, SEM and galvano-static charge-discharge method. The effect of different carbon sources on the structure, morphology and its electrochemical properties of the LiFePO4/C composite materials were investigated. The results showed that the properties of the samples depended on carbon sources, significantly. The sample synthesized by citric acid as carbon source had the best electrochemical performance. The reason of performance difference of the LiFePO4/C composite materials caused by carbon source was discussed.


Directory-based cache coherence is a popular mechanism for chip multiprocessors and multicores. The directory protocol, however, requires multicast for invalidation messages and the collection of acknowledgement messages, which can be expensive in terms of latency and network traffic. Furthermore, the size of the directory increases with the number of cores. We present Library Cache Coherence (LCC), which requires neither broadcast/multicast for invalidations nor waiting for invalidation acknowledgements. A library is a set of timestamps that are used to auto-invalidate shared cache lines, and delay writes on the lines until all shared copies expire. The size of library is independent of the number of cores. By removing the complex invalidation process of directorybased cache coherence protocols, LCC generates fewer network messages. At the same time, LCC also allows reads on a cache block to take place while a write to the block is being delayed, without breaking sequential consistency. As a result, LCC has 1.85X less average memory latency than a MESI directory-based protocol on our set of benchmarks, even with a simple timestamp choosing algorithm; moreover, our experimental results on LCC with an ideal timestamp scheme (though not implementable) show the potential of further improvement for LCC with more sophisticated timestamp schemes.


Abstract The morphology and the anatomy of the 13 species presently included in the genus Fulgensia were surveyed. Caloplaca aurea and C. paulii, two speciesregarded as closely related to Fulgensia by earlier authors, were also included in the study. Fulgensia was found to exhibit a great variation in both morphology and anatomy. The differences in size, shape and septation of the spores, in the anatomy of cortex and exciple, and in the gross morphology, will presumably motivate a different taxonomic treatment in the future. A tentative separation of the species into four different groups is proposed here. Group A comprises F. australis and F. chanousiae, which appear close to species in Caloplaca sect. Gasparrinia. Groups B and C, each comprises one species, F. schistidii and F. canariensis respectively and group D comprises the remaining nine species, including the type species F. fulgens. The last group may be further split by a more detailed investigation. The present separation of Fulgensia into two subgenera cannot be regarded as taxonomically sound. The genus is probably polyphyletic and the different groups are probably related to different groups within the large genus Caloplaca.


The accuracy of six turbulent flow modeling techniques in an unsteady solution is evaluated against experimental data for a square prism in cross flow. The selected models, shear stress transport (SST), SST-SAS, Reynolds stress model (RSM), partially averaged Navier–Stokes (PANS)-SST, detached eddy simulation (DES), and large eddy simulations (LES), models are the same as those presented in Part 1 of this study, which focused on flow in a staggered tube bank. For this geometry, the SST model proved to be effective at capturing the averaged Nusselt values per side of the square with relatively low computational costs. The SST model, however, showed poorer fidelity to the local Nusselt number profile compared to the experimental data. The LES approach provided a more accurate representation of the local Nusselt number but the computational cost was significantly higher. The PANS modification to the SST model did provide a noticeable improvement in accuracy at a reasonable cost while the SAS modification did not see the same improvement. These conclusions are generally consistent with those found for the staggered tube bank in Part 1 of this study. This study can be used as a guide for the industrial user to select a turbulence model for a similar problem with a low Reynolds number and significant flow separation.


We revisit the approach by Cao et al. that uses a fixed-structure control law to find stabilizing static output feedback gains for linear time-invariant systems. By performing singular value decomposition on the output matrix, together with similarity transformations, we present a new stabilization method. Unlike their results that involve a difficult modified Riccati equation whose solution is coupled with other two intermediate matrices that are difficult to find, we obtain Lyapunov equations. We present a convergent algorithm to solve the new design equations for the gains. We will show that our new approach, like theirs, is a dual optimal output feedback linear quadratic regulator theory. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the algorithm and validate the new method.


Given the large amounts of screening data now available, empirical methods derived from matched-molecular pairs are being used as a means for suggesting bioisosteric replacements to the medicinal chemist. The pairwise analysis of compounds has been extended to the pairwise analysis of series to bring further context to these suggestions. A validation dataset derived from recent literature has been used to demonstrate that, given a series of active compounds, this approach would be expected to predict a more potent compound, if it exists, in around 46% of cases. The approach has been successfully applied to a series of TRPA1 antagonists.