Created on October 11th, 2003 at the Maison de Radio France in Paris, GRM Experience is a work signed by three composers coming from different electronic-related musical horizons. Whereas both Christian Fennesz and Mika Vainio usually perform in popular spheres of diffusion -- the former's processing of instrumental sources by digital means being largely marked by the aesthetics of pop and rock music, the latter's analogue methods inheriting from his experiments among the techno duo Pan Sonic -- Christian Zanesi's art belongs to electroacoustic music as it has been produced in the Groupe de Recherches Musicales since 1977. Their collective creation was based on a first session of individual work from preliminary exchanged sound material, followed by a confrontation stage which led to the final composition, performed live in several European concerts and edited on CD.

Although many musical events attempt to bridge the gap between electroacoustic music and popular culture, actors from these two general spheres most often play jointly rather than through intimate collaborations. Furthermore, if musicology provides a wide range of approaches to technology-based creation made inside institutions, popular electronic music is generally regarded as a global phenomenon and few detailed studies have aimed at particular works or artists yet.

As GRM Experience constitutes a significant instance of an accomplished collaboration between artists sharing an extensive use of sound and music-dedicated technology but evolving in distinct aesthetic and socio-cultural domains, the main issue of this communication is to evaluate the musical contribution of each composer to the resulting work, in order to raise the influence of their personal background as well as the way their different strategies of creation may have been transformed by such a heterogeneous context. While some materials can clearly be recognized as being provided by one particular artist, other sequences are more ambiguous and reveal a careful work of collective development, which actually addresses the interactions involved in the compositional process.

Since no documentation subsists from the working sessions, such a study has to lean on a comparative analysis of the sound materials included in the published version of GRM Experience on the one hand and those found in the compositions by the three musicians as soloists on the other hand. This will usefully be completed by a direct account from some of the composers themselves. By investigating the interactions between different compositional methods and aesthetic influences involved in the creation of a unique and coherent work, this contribution leads to further considerations on the musicology of technology-based activities from popular origins, which may benefit from the analytical tools dedicated to electroacoustic music.


Intraspecific human cell hybrids were created by fusing normal epidermal keratinocytes with carcinoma (HeLa) cells. All of the hybrids were epithelial in morphology and exhibited a bright cytoskeletal pattern after indirect immunofluorescent labelling by antibody against keratin. Like the normal parental cells, the hybrid populations had organized arrays of microfilaments, and expressed low levels of surface fibronectin, predominantly in short ≪stitches ≫ at cell boundaries. None of the cells expressed collagen type I, as expected of epithelial cells. Subcutaneous injection into nude mice revealed that the tumorigenic phenotype was initially suppressed in certain of the hybrids. However, cells of these lineages tested at later population doublings, and other hybrid clones tested at early population doublings, formed very small, non‐progressive nodules. Histologically, these nodules resembled moderately to well‐differentiated squamous‐cell carcinomas. The properties in vitro and in vivo of these epithelial hybrids are compared to those of human fibroblast × HeLa hybrids.


Dielectric absorption studies have been made on the alkan-1-ols in inert and weakly interacting solvent over a wide range concentration at various temperatures and in the frequency range 106–109 Hz. Some representative alcohols have also been studied in the strongly hydrogen bonding solvents, diethyl ether and di-n-butyl ether. It has been found that not only does the flexible chain of the alkan-1-ol influence the enthalpy of activation on its dilution with a dialkyl ether, but the chain length of the latter also exerts an influence. Altogether the work strongly supports a switch-over type of mechanism as being involved in the principal relaxation process of the alkan-1-ols. The data for the alkan-1-ols in n-heptane and toluene solutions have been employed to test more quantitatively a switch-over theory, and for the shorter-chain alkan-1-ols this has been found to yield reasonable agreement between the measured and estimated principal relaxation time (τ1) over a wide range of concentration and temperature.


The Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) system developed within the Eureka 147 project is well adapted to the requirements of broadcasting audio, programme associated data and general data including e.g. video, still images and coded traffic messages. The configuration of the DAB multiplex (i.e data rates and error protection of the different applications) is flexibly adjustable. Having evaluated the performance of DAB data channels in typical mobile reception situations, we conclude that the system will allow multimedia services to be reliably broadcast to mobile, portable and fixed receivers. To demonstrate this capability of DAB, we set up and operated experimental low bitrate video and still image transmissions associated to audio programmes.


In this paper, we investigate the mechanisms of absorbing defect generation by pulsed X-rays (~1 MeV), gamma-rays (~1.2 MeV) and 14-MeV neutrons in silica-based optical fibers. We measure the spectral and temporal dependence of the radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared part of the spectrum (300-900 nm). The choice of the dopants incorporated in the fiber core and cladding strongly affects the fiber radiation tolerance. The structure and generation mechanisms of the point defects responsible for the fiber degradation are discussed on the basis of Gaussian decomposition of the RIA spectra with previously characterized absorption bands. In this spectral range, the absorption bands at 2.2, 2.5, and 3.1 eV (570, 510, and 400 nm) of phosphorus(P)-oxygen hole centers (POHC) explain the increase of losses in P-codoped fibers. For P-free fibers, our measurements showed that the RIA can be attributed to different germanium-related defects with absorption bands centered at 4.41, 2.61, and 1.97 eV (280, 475, and 630 nm) respectively, named Ge(1), GeX, and Ge-NBOHC centers. In the case of pulsed X-rays, another transient defect has been evidenced with an absorption band at 3.0 eV (400 nm, FWHM=0.60 eV) that has been associated in the literature with the [GeO4]-  structure. Gamma-rays and 14-MeV neutrons globally lead to the same defect generation mechanisms and the same class of defects contributes to the induced losses. For a high dose rate environment and high-speed transmission measurements, very unstable defects, like self-trapped charges, have to be considered for the evaluation of the transient vulnerability of optical fibers


PURPOSE
To determine whether contrast material-enhanced dual-energy multidetector computed tomography (CT) with material decomposition analysis allows differentiation of adrenal adenomas from nonadenomatous lesions and to compare findings with those of nonenhanced multidetector CT.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This retrospective HIPAA-compliant study was approved by the institutional review board of Duke University, with waiver of informed consent. Thirty-eight nonconsecutive patients (22 men and 16 women; mean age, 65 years) with 47 adrenal nodules underwent nonenhanced and contrast-enhanced dual-energy multidetector CT of the abdomen. For each adrenal nodule, nonenhanced attenuation values were recorded; dual-energy density measurements were obtained by using fat-iodine and fat-water material density basis pairs. Mean and median values of nonenhanced attenuation and material densities were compared between adenomas and nonadenomas by using the two-sample t test and Wilcoxon rank sum test, respectively. The diagnostic performance of nonenhanced multidetector CT and dual-energy material densities was assessed by setting the specificity for diagnosis of adenomas at 100%.

RESULTS
Adenomas (lipid rich and lipid poor) displayed significantly different mean density values (in milligrams per cubic centimeter) than those of nonadenomas on fat-iodine (970.4 ± 17.2 vs 1012.3 ± 9.3), iodine-fat (2.5 ± 0.3 vs 4.5 ± 1.5), fat-water (-666.7 ± 154.8 vs -2141.8 ± 953.2), and water-fat (1628.4 ± 177.3 vs 3225 ± 986.1) images, respectively (P < .0001). For diagnosis of adenomas, dual-energy material density analysis showed a sensitivity of 96% (23 of 24 lesions) at a specificity of 100% (23 of 23 lesions), yielding significantly improved diagnostic performance compared with nonenhanced multidetector CT attenuation (sensitivity of 67% [16 of 24 lesions] at a specificity of 100% [23 of 23 lesions]) (P = .035).

CONCLUSION
Contrast-enhanced dual-energy multidetector CT with material density analysis allows differentiation between adrenal adenomas and nonadenomas, reflecting an improved ability over nonenhanced multidetector CT for diagnosis of lipid-poor adenoma.


With the recent release of large (i.e., ≳100 million objects), well-calibrated photometric surveys, such as Digitized Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (DPOSS), Two Micron All Sky Survey, and Sloan Digital Sky Survey, spectroscopic identification of important targets is no longer a simple issue. In order to enhance the returns from a spectroscopic survey, candidate sources are often preferentially selected to be of interest, such as brown dwarfs or high-redshift quasars. This approach, while useful for targeted projects, risks missing new or unusual species. We have, as a result, taken the alternative path of spectroscopically identifying interesting sources with the sole criterion being that they are in low-density areas of the g-r and r-i color space defined by DPOSS. In this paper, we present three peculiar broad absorption line quasars that were discovered during this spectroscopic survey, demonstrating the efficacy of this approach. PSS J0052+2405 is an iron low-ionization broad absorption line (LoBAL) quasar at a redshift z = 2.4512 ± 0.0001 with very broad absorption from many species. PSS J0141+3334 is a reddened LoBAL quasar at z = 3.005 ± 0.005 with no obvious emission lines. PSS J1537+1227 is an iron LoBAL at a redshift of z = 1.212 ± 0.007 with strong narrow Mg II and Fe II emission. Follow-up high-resolution spectroscopy of these three quasars promises to improve our understanding of BAL quasars. The sensitivity of particular parameter spaces, in this case a two-color space, to the redshift of these three sources is dramatic, raising questions about traditional techniques of defining quasar populations for statistical analysis.


The endoplasmic reticulum is an active participant in the division of another organelle, the mitochondrion. Mitochondria are the cell's metabolic headquarters, fueling oxidative phosphorylation for adenosine 5′-triphosphate production, and driving reactions to manufacture core metabolites for the biosynthesis of fats, DNA, and proteins. In addition to their metabolic roles, these organelles regulate various cellular processes, including proliferation (1), immune responses (2–4), and apoptotic cell death (5). Mitochondrial function in many of these processes is coupled to their specific morphology, which ranges from small individual mitochondrial elements to large interconnected networks (6). These diverse shapes result from fission into smaller forms or fusion into larger structures (7, 8), events thought to occur autonomously. However, a study by Friedman et al. in Science Express (9) reveals that mitochondrial division is intimately coupled to another organelle, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).


The disappearance of traditional sex education during rites of passage in African societies has left many youth uncertain of where to look for information. Against this backcloth, the objectives of this study were to identify knowledge gaps amongst adolescents in Kenya regarding sexuality, HIV/AIDS and reproductive health. A thematic analysis was conducted of questions posed by 735 school youth aged 12–18 years from Meru and Kajiado Districts. Results show that many questions showed curiosity and anxiousness. Knowledge appeared to be fragmented and sometimes revealed misconceptions, which may put youth at risk. The raised themes differed by gender and age. Questions on saying no to sex, sexual violence and female circumcision were a great concern for girls. Boys were more concerned with managing boy–girl relationships, preventing STI/HIV infection, and condoms. Concern about transition to adulthood, sexuality, STI and HIV/AIDS, myths and misconceptions, and intergenerational communication cut across both genders. Older teens were more concerned with questions on boy–girl relationships, norms and values regarding sexuality, and STI. Younger teens ( < 15 years) wanted to know about reproduction, saying no to sex, HIV/AIDS, condoms, sexual violence and female circumcision. Compounding these challenges was the lack of intergenerational communication. The study identified important knowledge and communication gaps in sexual and reproductive health among in-school adolescents in Kenya. There is a need for sex education interventions for different age groups and genders. These interventions should work with parents, teachers and health professionals.


UNLABELLED
In 13 athletes with impingement-syndrome we evaluated the shoulder joints by MRI. We found significant changes at the bone-tendon junction of the supraspinatus tendon at the major tubercle. There were no intratendinous ruptures. The site of the pathologic changes at the insertion of the supraspinatus tendon may be caused by a tendinosis. Other reasons for the impingement-syndrome are discussed. According to our results an insertional tendinosis may be the reason for impingement-syndromes in athletes.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Differentiation of impingement-syndrome may lead to a therapy based on the pathology. A subacromial decompression with resection of the coracoacromial ligament and anterior acromioplasty may not be of benefit to patients with insertional tendinosis of the supraspinatus tendon.


BACKGROUND
A large population study with adequate data on confounders is required to determine whether asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) is associated with occupational noise exposure.

METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional population study in Norway (the Health Investigation in Nord-Trøndelag: HUNT) with 24 183 participants, using pure-tone audiometry and questionnaires. AHL was defined as a difference in hearing threshold between the right and left ears of greater than or equal to 15 dB for the pure-tone average of 0.5 to 2 or 3 to 6 kHz.

RESULTS
The mean age of the participants was 53 years (range, 19-99); 53% were women. The prevalence of AHL in this general Norwegian population was 6% for the 0.5 to 2 kHz range and 15% for 3 to 6 kHz. In unadjusted regression models, subjects reporting prolonged occupational noise exposure to high-level noise sources (N = 1652) had a higher risk of AHL at 3 to 6 kHz than those reporting no prior exposure (odds ratio [OR], 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.75-2.25). After adjustment for age and sex, OR was 1.08; (95% CI, 0.95-1.24). After additional adjustment for head trauma, ear infections, blasting or shooting (all associated with AHL), smoking, and diabetes, OR was 1.00 (95% CI, 0.87-1.16). No association between occupational noise and right-ear hearing threshold advantage (left-right ear difference) was observed after adjustment for confounders.

CONCLUSION
Our study suggests that AHL is relatively common in the general population, especially at the high-frequency range in men and elderly subjects. Our study showed no relation between occupational noise exposure and AHL after confounder adjustment.


Trichinellosis is a foodborne parasitic zoonosis caused by eating raw or uncooked meat of animals infected with Trichinella species. The disease is widely distributed all over the world. It is a public health hazard by affecting humans and represents an economic problem in porcine animal production and food safety. Drugs used to treat Trichinellosis include anthelmintics and glucocorticosteroids. Benzimidazole derivatives or adding excipients, medical plant extracts and some biological agents have shown good insecticidal effects. Preventing infection is crucial for combating human and mammal trichinellosis. Designing effective vaccines and developing promising probiotics may be future preventive strategies against infection with Trichinella spiralis infection. This paper reviews new progress in the treatment and prevention of trichinellosis.


Glycogen-storage disease type II, also named Pompe disease, is caused by the deficiency of the enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase, which originates lysosomal glycogen accumulation leading to progressive neuromuscular damage. Early-onset Pompe disease shows a debilitating and frequently fulminating course. To date, more than 300 mutations have been described; the majority of them are unique to each affected individual. Most early-onset phenotypes are associated with frameshift mutations leading to a truncated alpha-glucosidase protein with loss of function. Founder effects are responsible from many cases from few highprevalence world regions. Herein we described two apparently unrelated cases affected with classical early-onset Pompe disease, both pertaining to a small region from Central Mexico (the State of San Luis Potosi), the same novel homozygous frameshift mutation at gene GAA (c.1987delC) was demonstrated in both cases. This GAA gene deletion implies a change of glutamine to serine at codon 663, and a new reading frame that ends after 33 base pairs, which leads to the translation of a truncated protein. This report contributes to widen the knowledge on the effect of pathogenic mutations in Pompe disease. Here we postulate the existence of a founder effect.


This paper argues that non-Indigenous ideas of Indigenous alterity shape and are shaped by processes that render Indigeneity spectacular and/or spectral. In Vancouver, BC, the urban centre of the Northwest Coast and ancestral homeland of the Coast Salish people, performances, art, and other forms of display are experienced by non-Indigenous people as spectacles: cultural not political, visual not otherwise sensorial, passively observed not participatory. And Indigeneity also haunts; despite dispossession, erasure, and displacement, Indigenous people return again and again to exercise their sovereignty and refuse conditions of disappearance and display. This revenant spectrality combined with spectacular representation creates a complex structure of feeling in the city. I suggest that, for non-Indigenous people, these conditions produce a holographic Indigeneity: hyper-visible from some angles, invisible from others; constantly present even in moments of apparent absence. Drawing on urban ethnographic research with non-Indigenous subjects, I use the socio-spatial cases of Stanley Park's totem poles and the Downtown Eastside's social marginalization to exemplify how spectacular/spectral dynamics characterize and sustain settler colonial logics in a city decorated with Northwest Coast art, haunted by legacies of colonialism, and uncertain about the future of Indigenous/non-Indigenous relations. I argue that conditions of spectacle and spectrality must be identified and transgressed to reimagine a different future.


Using a low power, rapid (nsec) pulse-modulated quantum cascade (QC) laser, collective coherent effects in the 5 μm spectrum of nitric oxide have been demonstrated by the observation of sub-Doppler hyperfine splitting and also Autler-Townes splitting of Doppler broadened lines. For nitrous oxide, experiments and model calculations have demonstrated that two main effects occur with pulse-modulated (chirped) quantum cascade lasers: free induction decay signals, and signals induced by rapid passage during the laser chirp. In the open shell molecule, NO, in which both Λ-doubling splitting and hyperfine structure occur, laser field-induced coupling between the hyperfine levels of the two Λ-doublet components can induce a large ac Stark effect. This may be observed as sub-Doppler structure, field-induced splittings, or Autler-Townes splitting of a Doppler broadened line. These represent an extension of the types of behaviour observed in the closed shell molecule nitrous oxide, using the same apparatus, when probed with an 8 μm QC laser.


We present the results of a J, H, and K photometric variability survey of the central 0.78 square degrees of the young OB association Cygnus OB2. We used data observed with the Wide-Field CAMera at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope in 2007 (spanning 217 days) to investigate the light curves of 5083 low mass candidate members in the association and explore the occurrence and main characteristics of their near-infrared variability. We identified 2529 stars (∼50% of the sample) with significant variability with time-scales ranging from days to months. We classified the variable stars into the following three groups according to their light curve morphology: periodic variability (1697 stars), occultation variability (124 stars), and other types of variability (726 stars). We verified that the disk-bearing stars in our sample are significantly more variable in the near-infrared than diskless stars, with a steep increase in the disk-fraction among stars with higher variability amplitude. We investigated the trajectories described by variable stars in the color-space and measured slopes for 335 stars describing linear trajectories. Based on the trajectories in the color-space, we inferred that the sample analyzed is composed of a mix of young stars presenting variability due to hot and cold spots, extinction by circumstellar material, and changes in the disk emission in the near-infrared. We contemplated using the use of near-infrared variability to identify disk-bearing stars and verified that 53.4% of the known disk-bearing stars in our sample could have been identified as such based solely on their variability. We present 18 newly identified disk-bearing stars and 14 eclipsing binary candidates among CygOB2 lower-mass members.


This thesis examines the effects of reproductive effort on immune function and parasite resistance in breeding collared flycatchers, Ficedula albicollis. It also focuses on the role of the immune function in the trade-off between number and fitness of offspring.The reproductive effort of collared flycatchers was altered by manipulating the number of offspring in their broods. Increased effort affected negatively immune function and parasite resistance. The total immunoglobulin and leukocyte levels decreased, as did the specific immune responses to Newcastle disease virus vaccine, whereas the intensity of Haemoproteus infections increased. Increased effort reduced the probability of survival. Recapture of females subjected to experimental manipulation the previous year showed that increased effort had long-term negative effects on reproduction and parasite resistance. Prevalence of haematozoan infections increased, breeding onset was delayed and clutch size reduced. The data suggest a trade-off between investment in reproduction and immune defence, and increased susceptibility to infectious disease via immune suppression as a pathway for the life-history cost of reproduction.During the mating/oviposition period, females had more than twice as high prevalence of Trypanosoma infections compared to males, whereas males tended to be more frequently infected by Haemoproteus. During the subsequent nestling feeding period, the total haematozoan prevalence was male-biased. Leukocyte and erythrocyte levels were also sexually dimorphic. It is suggested that, as a result of differential selection pressures during reproduction, males and females have different strategies for allocating resources to immune defence and reproductive effort.Nestling immunocompetence was assessed by measuring the ability to degrade/remove a subcutaneously applied immunogen. Two acute phase proteins were quantified as a means to assess the effect of experimental brood size on the susceptibility to natural infections. Poor immunocompetence and increased levels of acute phase proteins were associated with low body mass and reduced survival. Increased brood size affected nestling growth rate negatively and reduced their immunocompetence. However, no detectable effects on infection susceptibility were observed. Three explanations are suggested: i) negligible effects of reduced immunocompetence, ii) protection by maternally acquired antibodies, iii) adaptive reaction norms. Under poor rearing conditions, offspring may be prepared to cut down on an already poor growth process to secure immune function and thereby survival.


AIM
To compare the significance of the two-dimensional and three-dimensional sonography in the diagnosis of meniscal tears under clinical conditions.

METHODS
Sixty menisci of knees with clinical symptoms (44 medial and 16 lateral menisci) were examined by an identical transducer in a two- and three-dimensional sonography technique. The findings were compared with the diagnosis made with subsequent arthroscopy.

RESULTS
In the diagnosis of meniscal lesions the two- and three-dimensional sonography reached a sensitivity of 92% and 100% and a specificity of 83% and 88%, respectively. The positive predictive value of these methods was 58% and 67%. The negative predictive value was 98% and 100%. Because of the good results with the two-dimensional sonography, there were no statistically significant differences between both methods. The three-dimensional sonography, however, proved to be superior, to the two-dimensional sonography in the analysis of subgroups (medial and lateral menisci, menisci with and without clinical symptoms). The negative predictive value of the three-dimensional sonography was 100% for all of these subgroups.

CONCLUSION
Although this study shows no significant difference in the results of two- and three-dimensional sonography, the analysis of subgroups displays a slightly improved significance for diagnosis of meniscal tears by three-dimensional sonography. The high negative predictive value shows that three-dimensional sonography, performed by an experienced examiner, may be useful to exclude meniscal tears. This result may help focus further cost-intensive or invasive examinations.


To evolve or not to evolve? That is the question: whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of grey goo, or to deny evolution to a sea of self-replicators and by prevention control them? We have been developing a physical self-replicating machine concept for deployment on the Moon built from local resources on the Moon. Here, we are concerned with architectural issues - we specifically address the problem of uncontrolled replication. We propose a multitiered approach to prevent this: (i) denial of self-replication through the implementation of centralised mass manufacturing of replicators; (ii) denial of scarce sodium and chlorine from Earth acts as an Earth-controlled kill switch in preventing further replication; (iii) denial of centralised supplies of asteroidal metals (tungsten-nickel-cobalt-selenium) at the lunar south pole acts as a Moon-controlled kill switch; (iv) denial of online learning capacity through fixed neural weights; (v) denial of extended computing resources through the elimination of transmit communications between self-replicators; (vi) denial of evolutionary capacity by implementing error detection and correction (EDAC) coding. Two kill switches and EDAC provide the backbone to our approach that maintain self-replication capability.


Gene expression differs between cell types and regions within complex tissues such as the developing brain. To discover regulatory elements underlying this specificity, we generated genome-wide maps of chromatin accessibility in eleven anatomically-defined regions of the developing human telencephalon, including upper and deep layers of the prefrontal cortex. We predicted a subset of open chromatin regions (18%) that are most likely to be active enhancers, many of which are dynamic with 26% differing between early and late mid-gestation and 28% present in only one brain region. These region-specific predicted regulatory elements (pREs) are enriched proximal to genes with expression differences across regions and developmental stages and harbor distinct sequence motifs that suggest potential upstream regulators of regional and temporal transcription. We leverage this atlas to identify regulators of genes associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) including an enhancer of BCL11A, validated in mouse, and two functional de novo mutations in individuals with ASD in an enhancer of SLC6A1, validated in neuroblastoma cells. These applications demonstrate the utility of this atlas for decoding neurodevelopmental gene regulation in health and disease. Summary To discover regulatory elements driving the specificity of gene expression in different cell types and regions of the developing human brain, we generated an atlas of open chromatin from eleven dissected regions of the mid-gestation human telencephalon, including upper and deep layers of the prefrontal cortex. We identified a subset of open chromatin regions (OCRs), termed predicted regulatory elements (pREs), that are likely to function as developmental brain enhancers. pREs showed regional differences in chromatin accessibility, including many specific to one brain region, and were correlated with gene expression differences across the same regions and gestational ages. pREs allowed us to map neurodevelopmental disorder risk genes to developing telencephalic regions, and we identified three functional de novo noncoding variants in pREs that alter enhancer function. In addition, transgenic experiments in mouse validated enhancer activity for a pRE proximal to BCL11A, showing how this atlas serves as a resource for decoding neurodevelopmental gene regulation in health and disease.


In the growing field of nanomaterials, SiC nanoparticles arouse interest for numerous applications. The inductively coupled plasma (ICP) technique allows obtaining large amount of SiC nanopowders from cheap coarse SiC powders. In this paper, the effects on the SiC structure of the process pressure, the plasma gas composition, and the precursor nature are addressed. The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution electron microscopy (HREM), chemical analyses, BET and photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) measurements. Whatever the precursor (aor b-SiC), the nanoparticles were crystallised in the cubic b-SiC phase, with average sizes in the 20–40 nm range. Few residual grains of precursor were observed, and the decarburization due to the reductive Ar–H2 plasma lead to the appearance of Si nanograins. The stoichiometry of the final product was found to be controllable by the process pressure and the addition of methane.


Mass transfer around a slightly soluble cylinder, aligned with the direction of liquid flow in a packed bed of sand particles, is analysed for transport by advection and molecular diffusion. The theoretical analysis applies to cylinders that are large in comparison with the inert particles, so that the bed may be treated as a continuum. Experimental measurements of mass transfer in water were carried out at temperatures that differ significantly from ambient value. The soluble cylinders used in the experiments were made of either salicylic acid or cinnamic acid and the range of temperatures covered were 278 to 343 K, for the dissolution of salicylic acid, and 278 to 328 K, for cinnamic acid in water. Using the mass transfer theory presented in this work the molecular diffusion coefficient of the two solutes was determined, and good agreement with literature values was found.


Sinusitis is considered as one of the most common clinical conditions among chronic diseases. Modification in lifestyle, rise in the cases of antibiotic resistance, deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, tumors etc. are responsible for increased prevalence of sinusitis. Sinusitis affects 10-30% population whereas Chronic Sinusitis affects approximately 12.5% population each year. Women are more affected in comparison with men. Feature of Sinusitis can be co-related with Tridoshaja Pratishyaya. Acharya Sushruta has mentioned Pratishyaya under 31 Nasagata rogas. In modern science, sinusitis is managed with antibiotics, nasal decongestants sprays, corticosteroids, analgesics etc. Excessive use of decongestant sprays can cause rebound congestion. Person may become resistant to antibiotics. Repeated attacks of sinusitis and fear of surgery may cause depression to the patient. Permanent cure of sinusitis can be achieved through Ayurvedic management. In Brihat Samhita, Nasya has been considered as effective treatment modality for all kinds of Urdhava Jatrugata rogas (diseases of supra clavicular region). Acharya Charaka in Chikitsa Sthana has mentioned Pradhamana Nasya for the management of Kapha Pradhan Pratishyaya.  In the present case study, a patient with the symptoms of Kapha Pradhan Tridoshaja Pratishyaya was treated with Manashiladi churna Pradhamana Nasya. Patient got complete relief in sign and symptoms.


Early experience with faces of a given racial type facilitates visual recognition for this type of face relative to others. To assess whether this so-called other-race effect can be reversed by subsequent experience with new types of faces, we tested adults of Korean origin who were adopted by European Caucasian families when they were between the ages of 3 to 9. The adoptees performed a face recognition task with photographs of Caucasian and Asian faces. They performed exactly like a control group of French participants, identifying the Caucasian faces better than the Asiatic ones. In contrast, a control group of Koreans showed the reverse pattern. This result indicates that the face recognition system remains plastic enough during childhood to reverse the other-race effect.


To analyse the results of the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) procedure for morbid obesity. DESIGN. Retrospective, descriptive. From November 1, 1995 to May 31, 2005, laparoscopic adjustable banding surgery was performed in St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands, in 411 patients. Inclusion criteria were BMI > or = 40 kg/ m(2) or BMI > 35 kg/m(2) and severe comorbidity with > 3 attempts at weight loss in the past. Selection, inclusion and follow-up were performed in a specialised, multidisciplinary setting. Height, weight, and complications were prospectively recorded. In 1995-2000 the perigastric surgical procedure was used and in 2000-2005 the pars-flaccida method. The study group consisted of 350 (85%) women and 61 (I5%) men with a median age of 38 years (range 17-60). Out of these 411 patients, the median weight was 133.4 kg, the median overweight, 69.6 kg and the median BMI 46.3 kg/m2. Two years after surgery, data was known for 267 patients where 206 (77%) had a weight loss > 30%, and 7 patients (3%) a weight gain. The median BMI difference was then -10.2 kg/m2 (range +4.7--26.4). The median loss of overweight was 46.3% (+10.00--97.8). The weight loss remained stable in the following years. The most commonly seen complications were fundus slippage (13%) and port-a-cath related complications (7%). These occurred more often in patients who had had the perigastric method surgery than in the parsflaccida surgical method. Three quarters of the patients with morbid obesity who received laparoscopic gastric banding surgery had achieved and sustained weight loss at 2 years following surgery. The pars-flaccida method resulted in fewer complications than the perigastric surgical method


We develop a general framework for the analysis of residue fluctuations that simultaneously incorporates anharmonicity and mode-coupling in a unified formalism. We show that both deviations from the Gaussian model are important for modeling the multidimensional energy landscape of the protein Crambin (1EJG) in the vicinity of its native state. The effect of anharmonicity and mode-coupling on the fluctuational entropy is in the order of a few percent.


The place of the Internet in an era that has been described as information and communication age cannot be overemphasized. This is because many people have today seen the competitive edge that easy access to current and accurate data and information gives to its users. The paper aimed to find out how tertiary students in the Sunyani Municipality have been harnessing the potentials of the Internet technology. The purpose is to find out how the Internet is being utilized by students in the tertiary institutions in Sunyani Municipality and the problems that students might be encountering in its use. The survey strategy was chosen for the research and a random sampling technique was used to select 600 students from three tertiary institutions in the Sunyani Municipality, of the Brong-Region of Ghana. The study showed among others that, many students in the Municipality had learnt how to use the Internet from their teachers and were more likely to use Internet Use among Tertiary Students/April 2011. 2 the Internet Cafes as access point. Many of them also believed the cost of access was expensive. The paper also showed that more tertiary students are using the Internet technology to look for information for assignments. The Internet has also led to improved communications among tertiary students. Google and Facebook were the most preferred search engine and social network respectively. Poor Internet speed, inadequate number of computers in computer laboratories, and inadequate user skills were observed as the leading constraints to Internet use. Since a significant number of tertiary students are using the Internet, addressing the hindrances to its use will enhance teaching, research and learning.


Context. The [Ne II] line 12.81 μm was proposed to be a good tracer of gas in the environments of proto-planetary disks; its origin is explained by different mechanisms: jets in outflows, photo-evaporative disk winds driven by stellar X-rays/EUV or by the X-ray irradiated proto-planetary disk atmosphere. Previous Spitzer studies gave hints toward the neon emitting mechanism by exploring correlations between the line luminosity and properties of the star-disk system. These studies concluded that the origin of the emission is likely related to accretion and outflows, with some influence from X-rays.

Aims. We provide direct constraints on the origin of the [Ne II] emission using high-spatial and spectral resolution observations that allow us to study the kinematics of the emitting gas. In addition we compare the [Ne II] line with optical forbidden lines.

Methods. We obtained high-resolution ground-based observations with VISIR-VLT for 15 stars and UVES-VLT for three of them. The stars were chosen for having bright neon emission lines detected with Spitzer/IRS. The velocity shifts and profiles are used to disentangle the different emitting mechanisms producing the [Ne II] line. A comparison between results from this study and previous high-resolution studies is also presented.

Results. The [Ne II] line was detected in seven stars, among them the first confirmed detection of [Ne II] in a Herbig Be star, V892 Tau. In four cases, the large blueshifted lines indicate an origin in a jet. In two stars, the small shifts and asymmetric profiles indicate an origin in a photo-evaporative wind. CoKu Tau 1, seen close to edge-on, shows a spatially unresolved line centered at the stellar rest velocity, although cross-dispersion centroids move within 10 AU from one side of the star to the other as a function of wavelength. The line profile is symmetric with wings extending up to ~±80 km s-1. The origin of the [Ne II] line is unclear and could either be due to the bipolar jet or to the disk. For the stars with VLT-UVES observations, in several cases, the optical forbidden line profiles and shifts are very similar to the profile of the [Ne II] line, suggesting that the lines are emitted in the same region. A general trend observed with VISIR is a lower line flux when compared with the fluxes obtained with Spitzer. We found no correlation between the line full-width at half maximum and the line peak velocity. The [Ne II] line remains undetected in a large part of the sample, an indication that the emission detected with Spitzer in those stars is likely extended.


Background There are an estimated 11,000 transfers that occur throughout the UK per year.1 These are costly and dangerous and result in a three day increase in length of stay for critically unwell patients.2 Due to the centralization of services and increase of tertiary centres these transfers are becoming more common. The original didactic "Tricky Trips course", initiated by SECCCN, required improvements based on candidate feedback. Due to significant variation in delivery and dwindling faculty numbers, the course needed modernising. There are well defined guidelines for transfer by the AAGBI and the ICS. With the development of a specialised simulation ambulance, an opportunity arose to develop a inter-professional simulation based transfer course. Description of innovation The course format involves: Pre-course reading material Introductory workshop Faculty demonstration In course MCQ paper Simulated scenario based sessions "Problems on transfer" discussion session Candidates are assigned to inter-professional groups involving doctors, ODPs and nurses. Example simulated scenarios include: Packaging of the time-critical head injury CT Scan Level 3 Intra-hospital transfer Inter-hospital transfer including simulation ambulance drive Each session concludes with a faculty facilitated debrief session on technical and human factors aspects of transfers. Outcomes Feedback has been excellent with 100% of candidates recommending this course. Feedback praise has been positive for scenario design, realism and organisation of the course. The course has attracted a HEKSS funding bid for development and is awaiting formal endorsement from the ICS. Take home messages The STricT course has developed a standardised, curriculum mapped, interprofessional, simulated transfer training course. Giving candidates hands-on transfer and road ambulance training, learning outcomes are successfully achieved, producing more confident transfer teams. Developments for the future: Expanding scenario and MCQ bank Creating demonstration videos Offering the course package to other providers Reference The Intensive Care Society (3rd Edition 2011). Guidelines for the Transport for the Critically Ill Adult 2 NW Knudsen et al. Impact of Interhospital Intensive Care Unit Transfers. Critical Care 2001;5(Suppl 1);173. ICS - Intensive Care Society SECCCN - South East Coast Critical Care Network AAGBI - Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland


This study analyzes the effects of technological progress for the elasticity of energy consumption from 2002 to 2030 in China by a dynamic computable general equilibrium model. The technological progress is represented by a combination of industrial technology upgrading and energy efficiency improvement. Household is divided into two groups as rural type and urban type. The parameters about technological progress and urbanization are all introduced exogenously. Simulation results show that vigorously pushing advanced energy efficiency technologies through financial policy incentives is the key to realize effective energy-saving achievement while promoting economic growth in China.


SUMMARY: There are many strains and perhaps several species of sulphate-reducing bacteria. They may be isolated by using a variety of media over a wide range of temperature. Crude cultures are readily obtained, but isolation of absolutely pure cultures is usually difficult. Considerable simplification in procedure may sometimes be effected by including 3% Na2SO3.7H2O in the media; the sulphite eliminates most of the contaminating organisms in crude cultures and facilitates subsequent purification. A method of maintaining stock cultures on sterile clay is preferred to the use of artificial media.
No growth takes place in media rendered 'biologically free' of iron, but the traces normally present in media constituents as impurities are sufficient for good development. Rapid and abundant growth free from ferrous sulphide has been obtained in a mineral salts + lactate + yeast extract medium containing ferrous ions below the saturation concentration for ferrous sulphide.
One thermophilic and four mesophilie strains have been shown to be facultative autotrophs, using the oxidation of hydrogen as energy source, with sulphate, sulphite, thiosulphate and elementary sulphur as hydrogen acceptors. No autotrophic growth takes place in the absence of hydrogen. Hydrogen can be provided in vitro by immersing metallic iron in the medium.


The value of information system (IS) in business is crucial to the future of companies but is also prerequisite for business management. In our research, the IS value is estimated in the form of the effectiveness of integrated accounting information system (AIS) at organizational level. This paper explores factors that define the effectiveness of integrated AIS in organizations. The survey comprises of 316 businesses operating in Vietnam that have ERP-applied. Scale measurement construction for multi-dimensional concept and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) are used to validate and interpret the BSC-based research model. The result indicates that there are three groups of second order constructs including (1) business development support, (2) organizational process improvement and (3) market demand. They all define the effectiveness of integrated AIS in ERP environment. Each second order construct is defined by a set of first order constructs and related observed variables. The research provides business managers with a suggested model to evaluate the value of business information system, targeting in the integrated AIS in ERP environment.


This thesis surveys the work of BC's unions in representing members with disability and return to work concerns, document union perspectives on these issues and identify the key policy priorities they believe should be the focus of future disability research in the province. The Centre for Research on Disability Workplace Policy (CRWDP) is a partner and supporter of this research. The key questions asked by this study are: "From the perspective of people who work in organized labour to represent workers with disabilities... (1) what are the experiences of people who work in organized labour to represent workers with disabilities?" ...what is the state of BC's work disability system?" (2) what are the gaps or failings of BC's work disability system?" and (3) what are the priorities for change within BC's work disability system?" The purpose of answering these questions is to better understand and, hopefully, improve the experiences of people with work-related disabilities. Improved coordination of the work disability system and a better understanding of what gaps exist may help accomplish this. Furthermore, opportunities to better coordinate the efforts of the labour community may arise out of gaining an understanding of what labour disability advocates in organized workplaces do across the province. Finally, this study informs decisions around needed changes in the system.


SUMMARY The phylum Microspora is ancient and diverse and affects a wide range of hosts. There is unusually high use of vertical transmission and this has significant consequences for transmission and pathogenicity. Vertical transmission is associated with low pathogenesis but nevertheless can have significant impact through associated traits such as sex ratio distortion. The majority of microsporidia have mixed transmission cycles and it is not clear whether they are able to modify their phenotype according to environmental circumstances. There is a great need to understand the mechanisms controlling transmission and one of the first challenges for the genomics era is to find genes associated with life cycle stages. Similarly we cannot currently predict the ease with which these parasites might switch between host groups. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that there are strong relationships between Microsporidia and their hosts. However closer typing of parasite isolates, in relation to host range and disease phenotype, is required to assess future environmental risk from these pathogens.


Deficiencies in tasks of detecting and repairing DNA damage lead to mutations and chromosomal abnormalities, a hallmark of cancer. The gene mutated in ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), ATM, is a proximal component in performing such tasks. Studies of A-T families have suggested an increased risk of breast cancer among obligate female heterozygous carriers of ATM mutations. Paradoxically, studies of sporadic and familial breast cancer have failed to demonstrate an elevated prevalence of mutations among breast cancer cases. We characterized the prevalence and distribution of 20 ATM missense mutations/polymorphisms in a population-based case-control study of 854 African-American, Latina, Japanese, and Caucasian women aged >/==" BORDER="0">45 years participating in the Multiethnic Cohort Study. The study population included 428 incident breast cancer cases and 426 controls. The prevalence of variants ranged from 0% to 13.6% among controls and varied by ethnicity (0-32.5%). Overall, these data provide little support for an association of ATM missense mutations with breast cancer among older women. We observed only one sequence variation (L546V), common among African-American women, to be overrepresented among all high-stage breast cancer cases (odds ratio, 3.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-8.84). After correction for multiple comparisons, this observed risk modification did not attain statistical significance. The distribution of ATM missense mutations and polymorphisms varied widely across the four ethnic groups studied. Although a single missense variant (L546V) appeared to act as a modest predictor of risk, the remaining variants were no more common in breast cancer cases as compared with controls.


This paper proposes an improved wavelet threshold denoising method, threshold function by selecting different thresholds to filter out the noisy signal. Firstly, do the wavelet transformation for noisy signal, and then use soft threshold, hard threshold and the improved threshold algorithm to denoising the signal, finally realized by Matlab simulation of wavelet thresholding. Threshold denoising via different methods of simulation experiments show that the improved threshold denoising algorithm can effectively filter plate bonding ultrasonic echo signal in the noise detection and can be a good feature to retain the original signal.


In experiments with CBA and CBA X C57Bl(F-1) mice it was shown that the radio-protective efficacy and the anti-infectious influence of homo- and heterologous immunoglobulin (IG) applied one, two and three times in the period from 4h to 9 days following irradiation with doses of LD80-95/30. This was displayed by the increased survival rate and normalization of intestinal microflora in treated animals in comparison with untreated ones. Heterologous IG administered at varying times (5 to 20 days) after irradiation with the dose of 4.8 Gy increased the resistance of treated mice to infection with living E. coli culture.


Effective management of procedural and postoperative pain in neonates is required to minimize acute physiological and behavioral distress and may also improve acute and long‐term outcomes. Painful stimuli activate nociceptive pathways, from the periphery to the cortex, in neonates and behavioral responses form the basis for validated pain assessment tools. However, there is an increasing awareness of the need to not only reduce acute behavioral responses to pain in neonates, but also to protect the developing nervous system from persistent sensitization of pain pathways and potential damaging effects of altered neural activity on central nervous system development. Analgesic requirements are influenced by age‐related changes in both pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic response, and increasing data are available to guide safe and effective dosing with opioids and paracetamol. Regional analgesic techniques provide effective perioperative analgesia, but higher complication rates in neonates emphasize the importance of monitoring and choice of the most appropriate drug and dose. There have been significant improvements in the understanding and management of neonatal pain, but additional research evidence will further reduce the need to extrapolate data from older age groups. Translation into improved clinical care will continue to depend on an integrated approach to implementation that encompasses assessment and titration against individual response, education and training, and audit and feedback.


: Drawing on ethnographic research on philanthropy within a Brazilian family business, this article proposes a "critical ethnography" of wealth elites. Th is family's narrative of historical commitment to social responsibility is crucial to the success of delicate succession processes within the family fi rm. By insuring the reproduction of the wealth and status of elite families, such business succession processes serve in turn to maintain the structural inequalities shaping Brazilian society. In this family's account of its past, however, a series of very diff erent activ-ities—rooted in philanthropy, corporate social responsibility (CSR), labor legislation, and commerce—are collapsed within a single, coherent narrative of historical commitment to social responsibility, which sits at odds with alternative versions of this history presented by sources outside the family.


Starting from the general definition of competitiveness adapted to the territorial development level, we propose the definition of the regional competitiveness as the capacity of a region, measured by comparing it with other regions, to form and ensure a social and economic environment able to support a higher productivity on the basis of an innovative utilization of the human, financial and material resources. We also rephrase the OECD definition by saying that it also includes the capacity of the regions to ensure to the factors of production a profit and a level of utilization relatively high, on a durable basis, within interregional competition, as also envisaged by the Lisbon criteria. From such a perspective, the current paper reveals aspects of the regional competitiveness in Romania as compared to the EU countries, and especially to the most recently integrated into the EU.


Significance In this study, we report a unique and necessary function for the HoxC gene cluster in the development of some ectodermal organs, as illustrated both by the hair and nail phenotype displayed by mice lacking the Hoxc13 function and by the congenital anonychia (absence of nails) in full HoxC cluster mutants. We show that Hoxc genes are activated in a colinear manner in the embryonic limb ectoderm and are subsequently transcribed in developing nails and hairs. We identify two mammalian-specific enhancers located upstream of the HoxC cluster, which display an exclusive ectodermal specificity. Individual or combined enhancer deletions suggest that they act in combination to raise the transcription level of several Hoxc genes during hair and nail development. Vertebrate Hox genes are critical for the establishment of structures during the development of the main body axis. Subsequently, they play important roles either in organizing secondary axial structures such as the appendages, or during homeostasis in postnatal stages and adulthood. Here, we set up to analyze their elusive function in the ectodermal compartment, using the mouse limb bud as a model. We report that the HoxC gene cluster was co-opted to be transcribed in the distal limb ectoderm, where it is activated following the rule of temporal colinearity. These ectodermal cells subsequently produce various keratinized organs such as nails or claws. Accordingly, deletion of the HoxC cluster led to mice lacking nails (anonychia), a condition stronger than the previously reported loss of function of Hoxc13, which is the causative gene of the ectodermal dysplasia 9 (ECTD9) in human patients. We further identified two mammalian-specific ectodermal enhancers located upstream of the HoxC gene cluster, which together regulate Hoxc gene expression in the hair and nail ectodermal organs. Deletion of these regulatory elements alone or in combination revealed a strong quantitative component in the regulation of Hoxc genes in the ectoderm, suggesting that these two enhancers may have evolved along with the mammalian taxon to provide the level of HOXC proteins necessary for the full development of hair and nail.


The integration of supply chains offers many benefits; yet, it may also render organisations more vulnerable to electronic fraud (e-fraud). E-fraud can drain on organisations' financial resources, and can have a significant adverse effect on the ability to achieve their strategic objectives. Therefore, efraud control should be part of corporate board-level due diligence, and should be integrated into organisations' practices and business plans. Management is responsible for taking into consideration the relevant cultural, strategic and implementation elements that inter-relate with each other and to coordinating the human, technological and financial resources necessary to designing and implementing policies and procedures for controlling e-fraud. Due to the characteristics of integrated supply chains, a move from the traditional vertical approach to a systemic, horizontal-vertical approach is necessary. Although the e-fraud risk cannot be eliminated, risk mitigation policies and processes tailored to an organisation's particular vulnerabilities can significantly reduce the risk and may even preclude certain classes of frauds. In this paper, a conceptual framework of e-fraud control in an integrated supply chain is proposed. The proposed conceptual framework can help managers and practitioners better understand the issues and plan the activities involved in a systemic, horizontal-vertical approach to e-fraud control in an integrated supply chain, and can be a basis upon which empirical studies can be build.


Marriage guardian is the most important element in marriage, its existence determines the validity of a marriage. In classical fiqh, the type of marriage guardian has been constructed to be the guardian of mujbir and the guardian of ghairu mujbir. Axiologically, wali mujbir is positioned as a person who can marry his daughter with a very high legality, of course with certain conditions, not merely coercion (ikrah). However, in its implementation, the position of the guardian mujbir is very strong without any limitation of motion, may even force the will in the matter of marrying his child, even though the child does not approve of it. The PKS Bill, which was once a subject of discussion, included the imposition of marriage in the article on sexual violence and bring up a disagreement in the socoiety. This article was a qualitatif research which is using two aproach that are conseptual approach and statute approach. The result show through the observer's observations, it was in an effort to straighten out a distorted understanding of the guardianship rights of the guardian mujbir that had been patented by some social constructs in Indonesia.


Abstract Product service systems (PSS) are seen as a viable option for enhancing the competitiveness of organizations that produce stand-alone products and services. Although there are various opportunities associated with PSS, research evidence shows that product manufacturers face challenges in successfully deploying PSS strategies. While the methods addressing PSS challenges have attracted much interest from both academia and practice, the literature provides limited knowledge about PSS development methods and challenges related to specific assets or products. This limitation hinders the development of successful strategies for both developing products to PSS and converting existing products to PSS. This study clarifies the contribution of the literature by proposing a mapping of PSS development methods capable of tackling the PSS business models that offer challenges. The mapping of challenges and methods presented can support organisations in their strategic decision-making about providing PSS, thus mitigating risks and improving business performance. Finally, analysing the extension of this coverage makes it possible to understand the method's limitations and determine opportunities for further research. A specific focus is placed on the asset or product development industry.


We investigated experiences of mothers of school-age children in Central New York during a time of remote education due to COVID-19. We extend the concept of intensive mothering, characterized by the expectation that mothers are constantly available to meet their children's needs, and examine mothers? intersectional identities related to their experience of remote education. Mothers working from home often went back and forth between work and school in what we refer to as a simultaneous shift. Essential workers were engaged in a sequential shift, engaging with children's schoolwork after work and trading off with partners. Mothers took on multiple roles during the pandemic which led to role strain. In extreme cases, multiple roles could be impossible to fill, leading to a situation of role conflict where the demands of one role made it impossible to meet the needs of another role. Mothers of children of color experienced more negative interactions with schools than White mothers. Mothers of children with disabilities spent extended time on remote schooling. A limitation of our study is that we only interviewed people in Central New York and cannot generalize the results of our research to a larger population. Another limitation to our approach was that we have little information on how fathers experienced work and overseeing children's schoolwork. Future research should examine how mothering may have changed after children returned to school.


Caching is an essential technique to improve throughput and latency in a vast variety of applications. The core idea is to duplicate content in memories distributed across the network, which can then be exploited to deliver requested content with less congestion and delay. The traditional role of cache memories is to deliver the maximal amount of requested content locally rather than from a remote server. While this approach is optimal for single-cache systems, it has recently been shown to be significantly suboptimal for systems with multiple caches (i.e., cache networks). Instead, cache memories should be used to enable a coded multicasting gain. In this article, we survey these recent developments. We discuss both the fundamental performance limits of cache networks and the practical challenges that need to be overcome in real-life scenarios.


Sepsis is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in modern intensive care units (ICU). Due to accurate and early warning, the in-time antibiotic treatment of sepsis is critical for improving sepsis outcomes, contributing to saving lives, and reducing medical costs. However, the earlier prediction of sepsis onset is made, the fewer monitoring measurements can be processed, causing a lower prediction accuracy. In contrast, a more accurate prediction can be expected by analyzing more data but leading to the delayed warning associated with life-threatening events. In this study, we propose a novel deep reinforcement learning framework for solving early prediction of sepsis, called the Policy Network-based Early Warning Monitoring System (PoEMS). The proposed PoEMS provides accurate and early prediction results for sepsis onset based on analyzing varied-length electronic medical records (EMR). Furthermore, the system serves by monitoring the patient's health status consistently and provides an early warning only when a high risk of sepsis is detected. Additionally, a controlling parameter is designed for users to adjust the trade-off between earliness and accuracy, providing the adaptability of the model to meet various medical requirements in practical scenarios. Through a series of experiments on real-world medical data, the results demonstrate that our proposed PoEMS achieves a high AUROC result of more than 91% for early prediction, and predicts sepsis onset earlier and more accurately compared to other state-of-the-art competing methods.


The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships between achievement goal orientations and math attitudes. Participants were 569 university students. The 2X2 Achievement Goal Orientations Scale and Mathematics Attitudes Scale were used as measures. The relationships between achievement goal orientations and math attitudes were examined using correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. According to the results negative attitudes were predicted positively by learning-avoidance and performance-approach/avoidance goal orientations. Furthermore, positive attitudes were predicted positively by learning-approach/avoidance goal orientations and negatively by performance-approach/avoidance goal orientations. The results were discussed in the light of literature.


Purpose: Only a minority of patients with early breast cancer (EBC) treated with adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy have sufficient baseline vitamin D. The current recommendations regarding daily vitamin D supplementation appears too low to correct this deficiency in this population. Optimal vitamin D dosing has yet to be determined in this setting. The current randomized phase III study address the issue of the effectiveness and safety of a tailored high dose oral vitamin D supplementation as a means for restoring normal 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) levels in a large population of chemotherapy-treated EBC patients. Methods: Chemotherapy-treated EBC patients were stratified according to the degree of Vitamin D deficiency, time between chemotherapy initiation and inclusion (0 to 6 months versus 6 to 12 months), hormone receptors status and menopausal status. Participants were randomly assigned to receive a 6-months conventional (C) vitamin D and calcium supplementation or a 6-months high dose oral vitamin D regimen tailored on the degree of deficiency (T) associated with a conventional calcium supplementation. Primary endpoint was the efficacy (6-months percentage of 25OHD serum levels normalization) in the T arm compared with the C arm. Patients without vitamin D normalization from the C arm were allowed to switch to the T arm after 6 months. Statistical analyses were performed on an intent to treat basis. Results: The trial accrued 215 patients, among which 197 patients presented with vitamin D deficiency, and randomized 195 patients (T, 100; C, 95) from July 2011 to January 2013. The groups were well balanced in regard to the stratification characteristics, as well as in regard of median weight and neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy status. Compliance to the daily oral supplementation was low in both arms, 64% of the patients in both arms taking less than 80% of the planned oral supplementation dose. Compliance to the tailored high dose vitamin D schedule appeared better (78%). After 6 months of treatment, at the primary endpoint analysis time, significantly more patients in the T arm presented with normalized serum vitamin D levels compared to the C arm (30% vs . 12.6%; p =0.003). Vitamino-calcic supplementation was well tolerated, with no difference in the treatment-related toxicity between the 2 arms. 52 patients without vitamin D normalization from the C arm switched to the T arm after 6 months. At the 12 months endpoint, 44% of these patients achieved vitamin D normalization. Conclusion: In this randomized phase III study, a tailored high dose oral vitamin D supplementation allowed a statistically higher percentage of serum 25OHD levels normalization compared to a conventional regimen, without any increase in side effects, in a large population of chemotherapy-treated EBC patients. Observance of a daily oral supplementation remains poor in this setting, advocating for an adaptation of the schedule and dosage of this supplementation in a population of patients subject to chemotherapy-induced emesis. Clinical trial number NCT01480869. Citation Format: William Jacot, Nelly Firmin, Lise Roca, Delphine Topart, Sophie Gallet, Anna Durigova, Simone Mirr, Stephane Pouderoux, Jean-Pierre Bleuse, Pierre-Jean Lamy, Gilles Romieu. Final results of the VitaCal randomized phase III study evaluating the impact of a tailored oral vitamin D supplementation regimen on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in early breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-21-02.


Background: Natural products are considered to be safe and efficacious. Adequate proof of the safety of these herbal drugs is lacking. Objectives: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the acute oral toxicity of methanolic extract of seeds of Annona muricata (MAM) and chloroform fraction of MAM and to derive the lethal dose 50 (LD50) of chloroform fraction of methanol extract of seeds of A. muricata (CMAM). Materials and Methods: Acute toxicity studies of MAM and CMAM were conducted as per the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines 420. LD50 of CMAM in rats and mice was estimated as per OECD guidelines 425. The toxic response was evaluated in vitro using hemolytic assay in rat and human erythrocytes. Results: The acute toxicity study done using OECD 420 guideline revealed that MAM and CMAM were safe at 300 mg/kg and produced mortality at 2000 and 5000 mg/kg. On gross examination, congestion of cranial, mesenteric, and uterine blood vessels was observed. As per OECD guidelines 425, CMAM was safe up to 980 mg/kg in rats and up to 175 mg/kg in mice and LD50 value was estimated to be 1310 mg/kg in rats and 310 mg/kg in mice. In vitro hemolytic assay showed that the plant fraction produced hemolysis. Conclusion: The present study concluded the toxicity produced by A. muricata seeds in the vascular system might be due to oxidative injury caused by the phytochemical constituents and it is essential to derive the safe pharmacological dose whenever the plant material is tested for efficacy studies.


Abstract

The paper discusses the development of the discipline of fashion curation through a close look at the dichotomy physical/digital within fashion exhibitions and poses two main questions: how do we define an exhibition space? How can curators develop relevant display strategies for contemporary audiences?
Museum displays have often been the subject of criticism for undermining fashion's essential dynamism. The debate has concentrated on the representation of the body within fashion exhibitions and the dilemmas associated to the absence of the living body (Wilson 1985; Steele 1998). Examples of innovative practices are those exhibitions that have adopted audio-visual, performative and digital representations of the body (Horsley, 2014). This paper focuses in particular on the use of digital technologies, questioning whether it can contribute to formulating a response to the concerns surrounding museum presentations, and render justice to fashion's dynamism and presence.
Digital technologies and platforms allow stretching the boundaries of time and space, reflecting the constant 'movement, fluidity, and flexibility' (Lipovetsky 2005: 11) that characterizes the hypermodern era. Technological innovations have significant implications for the display of fashion within, as well as beyond, the institutional context of the museum. In recent years, digital technologies and platforms have allowed an extension of the exhibition space into the virtual realm. Broadly speaking, it could be argued that the power of museum display might be lost in the digital realm, due to a peculiar 'digital transcendence of the body' (Staniszewski 2000: 15). Whilst the absence of a physical interaction with objects marks the digital dimension, the paper reconsiders how digital platforms raise a fundamental concern, that is, the Derridean 'question of the archive' (Derrida 1996). Moreover, it questions whether the integration of the digital and physical dimensions, which requires openness and sensitivity of curators to digital media (Martin: 2008), could contribute to challenge traditional notions of order and structure, thus reflecting the intrinsic transience of museum and gallery exhibitions. As Obrist addresses, even the display itself is a fluctuating one, and just one possibility among many alternative arrangements: 'instead of certitude, the exhibition expresses connective possibilities' (Obrist, Rehberg and Boeri 2003: 150-1).


Abstract Vallis, K. A., Chen, Z., Stanford, W. L., Yu, M., Hill, R. P. and Bernstein, A. Identification of Radiation-Responsive Genes In Vitro Using a Gene Trap Strategy Predicts for Modulation of Expression by Radiation In Vivo. Radiat. Res. 157, 8–18 (2002). A large number of genes are known to be responsive to ionizing radiation, and there is strong evidence for the existence of inducible radiation resistance in mammalian cells. We have developed a gene trap insertional mutagenesis strategy to identify novel genes involved in responses to radiation. Using this approach, we have isolated four gene-trap integrations in embryonic stem cells. In three cases (9A, 3E and 9H) the trapped genes are radiation-inducible, and in one (7D) the gene is down-regulated. Sequence analysis of fusion transcripts from three of the integrations indicate one novel gene (3E), the mouse homologue (9A) of a known but uncharacterized human gene that encodes a protein with significant homology to several GTPase-activating proteins and a murine locus, Mym (9H). The embryonic stem cell clone with the 9A insertion was introduced into the mouse germline, and the in vivo expression pattern of 9A was studied in detail. A unique, spatially restricted pattern of expression in embryos and adult animals was observed. There is tissue-specific in vivo induction of the 9A gene in adult mice by radiation. This study demonstrates the potential of the gene trap approach for the identification and functional analysis of novel radiation-regulated genes. Similar strategies may facilitate the discovery and characterization of genes involved in other cellular stress responses.


Amaranthus are a great source of phytochemicals important for nutritive and remedial benefits. However they are also great accumulators of anti-nutrients such as oxalates. Nitrogen (N), a vital plant nutrient is a strong determinant of plant nutritive value. The study therefore investigated the total flavonoids content (TFC) and phenolic content (TPC) accumulation, antioxidant activity and oxalates content in relation to different N forms in three vegetable amaranth varieties. Three N forms were used; ammonium, nitrate, ammonium/nitrate mixture {ammonium and ammonium nitrate were stabilized with Piadin ® as nitrification inhibitor} and control on three amaranth varieties were AB5, AB6 and AB7 in randomized complete block design replicated three times. Sole ammonium and the control enhanced accumulation of both TFC and TPC, compared to the nitrate and ammonium nitrate mixture. Under ammonium treatment, TFC increased by 13.8% in AB5, 17.4% in AB6 and 14.7% in AB7 while TPC increased by about 19.5% in AB5, 23% in AB6 and 20% in AB7 in greenhouse. Similar trends were observed from the field experiment. Likewise, NH4 + N form had higher antioxidant DPPH scavenging activity indicated by high inhibiting capacity and lower IC50 value (concentration which scavenged 50% of the DPPH radicals). Compared to control, nitrate elevated oxalate accumulation unlike ammonium treatment which on contrary inhibited oxalate buildup. It was therefore concluded that TFC, TPC and antioxidant capacity increased with N deficiency and ammonium-N provision while oxalate content was enhanced under nitrate treatment in leafy amaranth. This is relevant for nutritive wellbeing in human beings.


The concentrations of oxytocin, arginine vasopressin, and estrogen stimulated neurophysin in cerebrospinal fluid of monkeys showed a daily fluctuation with high concentrations occurring during the light period. The patterns of oxytocin and estrogen-stimulated neurophysin in the cerebrospinal fluid were not observed in the plasma nor were they altered after the administration of a dose of estradiol that increased concentrations of estrogen-stimulated neurophysin in plasma. The disassociation between these cerebrospinal fluid and plasma patterns and values suggests that the secretory activity of neurons that release estrogen-stimulated neurophysin and oxytocin into the cerebrospinal fluid is controlled by mechanisms different from those that control their release into the plasma.


The present study deals with automatic mesh generation with application to finite element methods. We focus our interest on unstructured mesh generation, and in particular on advancing front methods for which algorithms for meshing of two and three dimensional domains as well as of free-form surfaces are devised. To get an understanding of the mesh generation problem, and the approaches taken by different researchers for solving the problem, to begin with we give a brief survey of geometric modeling tech niques as used in computer aided design (CAD). With the underlying incentive to get some guidance for algorithm development, we review and discuss automatic mesh generation methods as proposed in the literature. We concentrate on spatial decomposition (octree) methods, Delaunay triangulation methods, and advancing front methods. In addition, we review and discuss results regarding the topology and geometry of general space decompositions as well as of triangulations and finite element meshes. Moreover, the computer representations of space decompositions, triangulations, and finite element meshes are briefly discussed. We discuss and propose data structures which makes an efficient implementation possible of the to pological and geometric operations necessary in advancing front mesh generation. We concentrate on hierarchical data structures based on the concept of recursive spatial decomposition and discuss implementation issues as well as devising some new ideas. An issue of automatic mesh generation that we pay particular attention to is the development of methods for specifying mesh size distributions on general domains. This is a key issue which deter mines the robustness of any automatic mesh generation method. Furthermore, we note that automatic mesh generation methods may in a way be distinguished by the technique utilized for implement ing the mesh size distribution. Regarding the implementation of the proposed advancing front methods, we emphasize the importance for obtaining a robust method that the development of the advancing front is controlled so as to prevent algorithm failure. Hence, algorithms for controlling the front development are devised. This includes a strategy for deciding where on the front a new element should be constructed as well as methods for the actual construction of the elements.


Nowadays, internet technology allows everyone to access information from all corners of the world anytime and anywhere. One of the tool that helps internet users to find information effectively is Google. Google currently offers a variety of applications, one of which is Google-Translate. Google-Translate is used to translate from the source language to the target language. However, the results of the translation are often inappropriate or have some errors. The error analysis always occurs in grammar and selection of inappropriate words. Therefore, the objective of this research is to find out whether there are translation errors and to find out the types of translation errors that occur in the translation results in Kompas.com news text. The data analyzed are the news text of Kompas.com in Indonesian translates into English by Google-Translate. This study used thedescriptive qualitative method. To examine the validity of this research the researchers use triangulation. From the data analyzed, there are 25 translation errors in Kompas.com news text. The dominance of translation error occurs in translation errors on the deviation of meaning where the number of translation errors is 16.


Over the past ten years, the publishing and book selling industries (in Canada and elsewhere) have undergone a process of hyper-concentration that seems to threaten the future of independent publishing. How might this changing environment reflect on the attitudes of independent publishers toward translation and on the way they handle translation projects? This is the question this article seeks to examine. It is based on the first case study of a research programme that consists in following, by use of an ethnographic approach, the production process of literary translations in three independent Montreal-based publishing houses: from negotiations over the acquisition of translation rights to the launch of the translation. The article is divided into three parts. The first explains the rationale, methodology and ethics underlying this research; the second part tells the story of the title under study in a way that highlights the range of actors involved in the production of this translation, their own constraints and concerns, as well as the way publishing, editorial and linguistic/stylistic decisions intertwine. Based on this particular case, the third part discusses some of the strategies a publisher and his collaborators may devise in order to produce literary translations in an independent but network-based, competitive way. Particular emphasis is placed on strategies of cooperation such as co-translation and co-edition publishing, as well as on the role played by literary agents in the allocation of translation rights.


Aims: In Type 2 diabetes, Insulin resistant leads microvascular and macrovascular complication. Early finding prevents from this complication and it is a challenging task. A decade research shows adiponectin may be a marker for insulin resistant. Increasing the level of adiponectin prevent the progression of insulin resistant (IR). In this research we are striving adiponectin as a biomarker for insulin resistant also associating the correlation with lipid parameter in the South Indian population. Methods: 30 Type 2 Diabetic patients, 20 Controls were studied. Fasting serum sample were used to measure Adiponectin, Insulin, Lipid parameters (Cholesterol, Triglyceride, HDL) Fasting plasma sample were used to measure Glucose. Anthropometric data including height, weight, BMI and were measured using a standard technique. Results: Wilcoxon signed rank test shows the significant variation between Adiponectin and other analytes. The reduction of mean adiponectin value observed in patient's sample compared to control sample. Insignificant negative correlation between Fasting blood sugar (FBS) and Adiponectin also negative correlation between Adiponectin and Insulin observed. In lipid parameters, significant positive correlation between Adiponectin and HDL and significant negative correlation between Adiponectin and triglyceride observed. Conclusion: Adiponectin might be a prediction for biomarker in Type 2 diabetes associated insulin resistant among South Indians also if test has been done with the high specificity and sensitivity ELISA kit it will improve the insignificant correlation to significant correlation.


A new prediction technique is proposed for chaotic time series. The usefulness of the technique is that it removes some false neighbouring points which are not suitable for the local estimation of the dynamics systems. We use a feedforward neural network to approximate the local dominant Lyapunov exponent, and choose the neighbouring points by the exponent. The model is tested for the convection amplitude of the Lorenz model, and the results indicate that this prediction technique can improve the prediction of chaotic time series.


OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of, and mothers' self-reported reasons for, introducing solid foods to infants earlier than recommended (aged <4 months) and the variation in reasons for early introduction by milk feeding type. METHODS: The study included 1334 mothers who participated in the national longitudinal Infant Feeding Practices Study II (2005–2007). Monthly 7-day food-frequency questions throughout infancy were used to determine infant age at solid food introduction and to classify infant's milk feeding at introduction as breast milk only, formula only, or mixed. Reasons for introducing solid foods at age <4 months were assessed through maternal responses to a list of 12 potential reasons. Analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Overall, 40.4% of mothers introduced solid foods before age 4 months. Prevalence varied by milk feeding type (24.3%, 52.7%, and 50.2% for breastfed, formula-fed, and mixed-fed infants, respectively). The most commonly cited reasons for early introduction of solid food were as follows: "My baby was old enough," "My baby seemed hungry," "I wanted to feed my baby something in addition to breast milk or formula," "My baby wanted the food I ate," "A doctor or other health care professional said my baby should begin eating solid food," and "It would help my baby sleep longer at night." Four of these reasons varied by milk feeding type. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the high prevalence of early introduction of solids and provide details on why mothers introduced solid foods early.


Substantial data indicate that oxidative stress is involved in the development of diabetic retinopathy. Two candidate genes that affect the oxidative stress are manganese mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). The aim of the present study was to examine the role of the V16A polymorphism of the Mn-SOD gene and the 4a/b polymorphism of the eNOS gene in the development of diabetic retinopathy in Caucasians with type 2 diabetes. In this cross sectional case-control study 426 unrelated Slovene subjects (Caucasians) with type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled: 283 patients with diabetic retinopathy and the control group of 143 subjects with type 2 diabetes of duration of more than 10 years who had no clinical signs of diabetic retinopathy. A significantly higher frequency of the VV genotype of the V16A polymorphism of the Mn-SOD was found in patients with diabetic retinopathy compared to those without diabetic retinopathy (OR = 2.1, 95% CI= 1.2–3.4;p = 0.006), whereas the 4a/b polymorphism of the eNOS gene failed to yield an association with diabetic retinopathy. We may conclude that the VV genotype of the V16A polymorphism of the Mn-SOD gene was associated with diabetic retinopathy in Caucasians with type 2 diabetes, therefore it might be used as a genetic marker of diabetic retinopathy in Caucasians.


Two women aged 60 and 81 years were reported by their GPs to the department of Outpatient Geriatric Psychiatry because they seriously neglected themselves and their dwellings and their cognitive functioning was markedly reduced. A management involving regular contacts, home care, assistance in money matters, structuration, diagnostics and checking for risks was instituted, coordinated by a social-psychiatric nurse, to enable timely intervention when necessary. The first patient deteriorated greatly and was committed to a psychiatric hospital, the second is living at home with home care. The difficulties and characteristics in providing adequate help to this group involve psychiatric, somatic and social factors. The number of patients concerned is probably underreported because they do not ask for help by themselves. Close co-operation between social and medical help services and early signalling of the problems are necessary to prevent eviction from their homes and subsequent homelessness and further deterioration.


One new treatment strategy for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) is constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). CIMT combines restraint of the less affected upper extremity and intensive exercise with the affected limb. CIMT has been shown to be effective in adults following stroke but it is not clear whether or not CIMT can readily be incorporated into clinical practice either with adults or children. An intervention that may be more practical involves the restraint element of CIMT without additional exercise (Forced use therapy-FUT). FUT has been only sparsely investigated, especially in children with CP. Different versions of CIMT protocols have been suggested as being "child-friendly? but identifying a practical and effective protocol remains challenging. Part of a child-friendly protocol includes identification of the most appropriate type of constraint, as different splints have been used for different populations without justification of their selection. In this project, the aim was to identify the most appropriate splint from children?s and parents? perspective as reflected by effectiveness and adherence to home-based FUT (feasibility study) and to investigate the functional effects of a modified version of CIMT (mCIMT) (effectiveness study) that was designed based on the findings of the feasibility study. A further aim of the study was to compare the effect of additional functional activities and feedback with constraint alone. Two questions emerged as being important during the course of the project; the first addressed poor recruitment to the effectiveness study and explored parents and therapist? views on the practicality and effectiveness of both the classic paediatric protocol and the one suggested by the present study. The second was to provide insight into the physiological effects of CIMT or other treatments that might explain variations in response. In this study a test using the lateralised readiness potential (LRP) component of the EEG that was appropriate for young children was developed and evaluated with a small sample of unimpaired children and children with CP.


The use of modular components in total hip arthroplasty has been thought to contribute to accelerated polyethylene wear. Specifically, a modular femoral head with a flange extension and a longer neck may cause increased wear. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of a flange extension on polyethylene wear. Ninety-one patients who had had a total of 100 primary total hip arthroplasties were evaluated after an intermediate duration of follow-up. All of the acetabular components consisted of a hemispherical titanium-alloy fiber-mesh porous-coated shell with a nonelevated modular polyethylene liner; they were inserted without cement and with use of supplemental screws through the dome after so-called line-to-line reaming. All of the femoral components consisted of a modular head with a diameter of twenty-eight millimeters and either a long neck (with a flange extension) or a short or medium neck (without a flange extension). The study group comprised sixty-two patients (sixty-six hips) who had had radiographic evaluation that was adequate to allow the valid measurement of polyethylene wear. Thirty-two hips were in men, and thirty-four were in women. The mean age of the patients was fifty-six years, the mean weight was seventy-three kilograms, and the mean duration of follow-up was 6.1 years (range, four to eight years). The rate of polyethylene wear in the eleven hips in which the femoral component had a flange extension was significantly greater than that in the fifty-five in which the femoral component did not have a flange extension (mean, 0.17 compared with 0.11 millimeter per year; p = 0.009). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of a flange extension was associated with increased polyethylene wear to a greater degree (F = 2.86) than were all other variables that were measured, including a younger age (F = 1.72), a more vertical angle of the acetabular component (F = 0.49), a heavier weight (F = 0.14), male gender (F = 0.11), and a smaller initial thickness of the polyethylene (F = 0.02). These data support an association between the presence of a modular femoral head with a flange extension and an accelerated rate of polyethylene wear. The presumed mechanism is an increase in peripheral, or so-called rim, impingement of the flange-reinforced neck on the acetabulum due to a decrease in the ratio between the diameters of the femoral head and neck.


THIS special section of IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG) presents extended versions of four outstanding papers from the IEEE Pacific Visualization Symposium 2011 (PacificVis 2011) which was held in Hong Kong, China, on 1-4 March 2011. The objective of this annual symposium is to foster greater exchange between visualization researchers and practitioners, and to draw more researchers in the Asia-Pacific region to enter this fascinating and rapidly growing area of research. In only four years, it has become an established forum for visualization, as witnessed by the high quality and breadth of the papers published in the conference proceedings. PacificVis 2011 received 81 paper submissions from an international community. After a rigorous review process with at least four reviews per paper, 26 papers were finally accepted and presented in the conference. The four best papers from those presented were chosen by the guest editors based on the original reviews and the oral presentations. These papers were significantly extended for this special section and underwent a full journal review process. They cover four different topics in both scientific visualization and information visualization, and present visualization techniques for different data types like flow, multivariate data, textual corpora, and maps. In "Flow Visualization with Quantified Spatial and Temporal Errors Using Edge Maps," Harsh Bhatia, Shreeraj Jadhav, Peer-Timo Bremer, Guoning Chen, Joshua A. Levine, Luis Gustavo Nonato, and Valerio Pascucci propose a new data structure called Edge Maps to more precisely represent vector fields defined on triangulated surfaces. The new representation can address two issues facing traditional flow visualizations: inconsistent views of a vector field caused by the numerical errors in computing streamlines through numerical integration, and the wrong perception of certainty by users as the errors are hidden in traditional techniques. Edge Maps encode the inflow/ outflow behavior over the boundary of a triangle by mapping entry and exit points of flow paths on the edges of the triangle, and unavoidable spatial and temporal errors are explicitly stored in the representation. They demonstrate that a number of useful flow analysis and visualization tools can be developed based on Edge Maps. This work is one of the two best paper award winners at the conference. In "Scalable Multivariate Volume Visualization and Analysis Based on Dimension Projection and Parallel Coordinates," Hanqi Guo, He Xiao, and Xiaoru Yuan present a novel transfer function design interface for volumetric data sets with many independent parameters. An adaptive continuous Parallel Coordinates Plot (PCP) is used to visualize the data distribution on each dimension and possible correlations between neighboring dimensions while Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) plots are used to reveal clusters in low dimensional space. By integrating PCP and MDS and leveraging computing parallelism, the new method enables effective and scalable visualization of large multivariate volume data. Exploring large textual corpora is becoming a very important topic for the humanities, but also for a wider audience such as researchers. "WORDGRAPH: Keywordin-Context Visualization for NETSPEAK's Wildcard Search," by Patrick Riehmann, Henning Gruendl, Martin Potthast, Martin Trenkmann, Benno Stein, and Bernd Froehlich, allows visualizing a queried expression with wildcards as a graph showing all the contexts where the expression template is used. This is a challenge for visualization since the graph has to be readable and the authors use clever techniques to nicely lay out the resulting graph; this is also a challenge for building the graph in interactive time, and again, the authors explain how to preprocess textual corpora to achieve this speed. This work is another best paper award winner at the conference. In "Visualizing Dynamic Data with Maps," Daisuke Mashima, Stephen G. Kobourov, and Yifan Hu propose geographic maps as an interesting way to represent relational information. In such maps, entities are represented by countries and links between entities are represented by the corresponding countries sharing borders. The authors exploit geographic maps to visualize dynamics in large data sets. Their challenges are to preserve the viewer's mental map under the dynamics in the data, to ensure readability of each individual layout, and to effectively visualize on the map the changes happening over time. They address those challenges and present a system used to IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS, VOL. 18, NO. 9, SEPTEMBER 2012 1381