Based on the parametric deterministic formulation of Bayesian inverse problems with unknown input parameter from infinite dimensional, separable Banach spaces proposed in [28], we develop a practical computational algorithm whose convergence rates are provably higher than those of Monte-Carlo (MC) and Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo methods, in terms of the number of solutions of the forward problem. In the formulation of [28], the forward problems are parametric, deterministic elliptic partial differential equations, and the inverse problem is to determine the unknown, parametric deterministic coefficients from noisy observations comprising linear functionals of the solution. Sparsity of the generalized polynomial chaos (gpc) representation of the posterior density being implied by sparsity assumptions on the class of the prior [28], we design, analyze and implement a class of adaptive, deterministic sparse tensor Smolyak quadrature schemes for the efficient approximate numerical evaluation of expectations under the posterior, given data. The proposed algorithm is based on a greedy, iterative identification of finite sets of most significant, "active" chaos polynomials in the the posterior density analogous to recently proposed algorithms for adaptive interpolation [7, 8]. Convergence rates for the quadrature approximation are shown, both theoretically and computationally, to depend only on the sparsity class of the unknown, but are bounded independently of the number of random variables activated by the adaptive algorithm. Numerical results for a model problem of coefficient identification with point measurements in a diffusion problem confirm the theoretical results.


The visual analysis of peripheral blood samples is an important test in the procedures for the diagnosis of leukemia. Automated systems based on artificial vision methods can speed up this operation and increase the accuracy and homogeneity of the response also in telemedicine applications. Unfortunately, there are not available public image datasets to test and compare such algorithms. In this paper, we propose a new public dataset of blood samples, specifically designed for the evaluation and the comparison of algorithms for segmentation and classification. For each image in the dataset, the classification of the cells is given, as well as a specific set of figures of merits to fairly compare the performances of different algorithms. This initiative aims to offer a new test tool to the image processing and pattern matching communities, direct to stimulating new studies in this important field of research.


Let X be an (N, d)-anisotropic Gaussian random field. Under some general conditions on X, we establish a relationship between a class of continuous functions satisfying the Lipschitz condition and a class of polar functions of X. We prove upper and lower bounds for the intersection probability for a nonpolar function and X in terms of Hausdorff measure and capacity, respectively. We also determine the Hausdorff and packing dimensions of the times set for a nonpolar function intersecting X. The class of Gaussian random fields that satisfy our conditions includes not only fractional Brownian motion and the Brownian sheet, but also such anisotropic fields as fractional Brownian sheets, solutions to stochastic heat equation driven by space-time white noise, and the operator-scaling Gaussian random field with stationary increments.


Shareholder rights vary across firms. Using the incidence of 24 governance rules, we construct a "Governance Index" to proxy for the level of shareholder rights at about 1500 large firms during the 1990s. An investment strategy that bought firms in the lowest decile of the index (strongest rights) and sold firms in the highest decile of the index (weakest rights) would have earned abnormal returns of 8.5 percent per year during the sample period. We find that firms with stronger shareholder rights had higher firm value, higher profits, higher sales growth, lower capital expenditures, and made fewer corporate acquisitions.


In this study, the sampling depth profiles of 19 elements in aqueous solution were obtained. The selected elements cover a wide range of atomic weights, ionization potentials, and oxide boiling points. The sampling position of maximum ICP-MS sensitivity of the elements depends on the boiling point of the corresponding oxide and the ionization potential of the elements. The boiling point determines the position in the ICP where significant vaporization of the dried aerosols occurs. In general, the peak position increases as the oxide boiling point of an element increases. However, the peak position for elements of high ionization potential and low oxide boiling point is downstream of the point of complete vaporization. The combined effect of analyte ionization potential and oxide boiling point on the optimized sampling position is illustrated by the linear plot of the difference in the temperature for significant ionization of an element and the boiling point of the corresponding oxide versus the oxide boiling point. The sampling depth profiles of single-particle ICP-MS of Au and ZrO2 nanoparticles and the corresponding standard solution are of similar shape. The peak maximum of the sampling depth profiles shifts to a slightly higher position for the refractory ZrO2 and large Au nanoparticles. The duration of particle vaporization for the nanoparticles becomes a significant factor in determining the peak position.


The coal handling process involves a number of activities from loading and unloading to stockpile. This procedure can be carried out by coal conveying system which includes a large number of mechanical equipment. The important activities under coal handling include loading/unloading, dumping, transporting etc. which are done with the help of various mechanical equipment. Every organization wants to profit as much as possible and increases their production rate by using maximum effort for care and maintain. And it is possible if the equipment is running in good condition with zero breakdowns, zero accident, and zero wastage. This research work presents a practical analysis for monitoring the operational performance of equipment, which shows the two additional objectives: the first one is the identification of major causes of production losses which are born from malfunctions, breakdowns, and bad operating programme. And the second one is the implementation of a suitable and appropriate methodology for improvement of coal handling systems, which handling the coal from bunker to stockyard within an industry. The data are analyzed and compared with World class to Obtained OEE. During the operation, many reasons are there, which affect the production rate called six big losses. To minimize the six big losses and improve productivity, an accurate effective estimation of equipment is necessary and offers a suitable methodology.
For the purpose of the study, a case study methodology is applied in order to analyze in the depth of maintenance in a real context. The primary focus of this research work is to monitor the equipment performance in coal handling plants and its contribution to the company for overall operation. The OEE data are recorded through tables and compared to world class OEE considering the operational losses and also performance reports are briefly analyzed through figures in terms of equipment failures in different locations, idle time for materials, operators and speed loss time for minor stoppages like sensor blocked, cleaning/checking or component jamming. For minimizing the downtime and promote productivity, a suitable methodology is developed through tables for determining the status of coal handling equipment viz. Tippler, Side arm charger, Reversible apron feeder, Belt conveyor system, Stacker, Reclaimer.
This research work deals with the quantitative measurement of equipment performance in coal handling plant, which defines losses for many reasons. As a result, valuable information is provided concerning the performance monitoring of production equipment and implementing a suitable methodology for improvement of coal handling machinery operations viz tippler, side arm charger, reversible apron feeder, belt conveyor, stacker, reclaimer.
Introduce the estimation and evaluation of OEE procedure which is highly valid and accurate performance indicator and has become very popular in all the industries starting from mining area for excavation of material to harbour area for material handling. OEE shows a right metrics to analyze the ordinary issue and improving the whole process. There are many formulas, systems and metrics being used to improve the whole production process, but one and only OEE reduces complex problem into easy. The biggest advantage of OEE allows companies to have separate business functions by applying a single easy to understand the formula. OEE is by far the most effective benchmarking tool in making sound management and maintenance decisions.
The dissertation concludes with a summary of the contribution and the scope of further work.


Conventionally, water and ethylene glycol are used in car radiator for cooling the engine as a coolant. Performance of engine is measured by thermal conductivity. Water and ethylene has less thermal conductivity solution of this problem are solved by using nano fluid. It has been shown that nanofluid has property which increases heat transfer enhancement and high potential to increase the cooling. This paper focus on study the behaviour of the different type of nanofluid and investigate the thermal performance of car radiator experimentally and study effect of various factor i.e. flow rate, volume concentration and different temperature to enhance heat transfer of radiator.


The author sets out to explain why Maya cities are so dispersed, with a ceremonial core surrounded by spacious neighbourhoods. Using the case study of Xuch, and the judicious application of phosphate analysis, he shows that these were clusters of farmsteads, growing food. Tackling the apparent confrontation of town and country in the same settlement he urges us to reconsider 'urbanism' as being too narrow a term in archaeology. Solutions that combine food production and ritual can be seen as increasingly diverse. The paper provides valuable reflections for archaeologists studying settlement evolution the world over.


A novel series of Mannich derivatives of 3a–g and 3a′–g′ were designed and synthesized from pseudophenylpropanolamine (Ψ-PPA). The stereo chemical aspects of the synthesized compounds were studied and all compounds were well characterized with respect to spectral techniques. All Mannich derivatives, 3a–g and 3a′–g′ were evaluated for their anti-proliferative activity against A549 and HepG-2 cells. Among the tested compounds, 3a showed significant anti-proliferative activity against HepG-2 cells at 25 μM when compared to other compounds. The treatment of 3a exhibited morphological changes, nuclear condensation, colony formatting ability, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in HepG-2 cells. Besides, 3a triggered mitochondrial mediated apoptotic pathway as indicated by down regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax, and release of cytochrome c and caspases-3. Furthermore, 3a effectively suppressed the cell proliferation and cell growth via JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in a time and dose dependent manner. In vivo administration of 3a inhibited tumor growth without significant change in body weight in HepG-2 xenograft mice model. Molecular docking studies revealed that good binding energies of compound 3a against JAK2 (−6.10 kcal mol−1) and Bcl-2 (−6.04 kcal mol−1) receptors. Taken together, 3a possessed potent antitumor activity; it could be a promising lead candidate for the potential treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma.


For through-the-canopy-ejection-saving system with miniature detonation cord (MDC), screw/seat system has penetrated canopy to successfully escape after the strength of canopy weaken by MDC in the case of emergency. Injury of human head and spine is serious due to striking between aircrew/seat and canopy during the ejection. In the paper, considering MDC installed along all-around of canopy, the initial cut slot is used to model the damage of canopy impacted by detonation wave from MDC. Simplified finite element model of through-the-canopy-ejection-system has been established according to ergonomics. In FEM, canopy as PMMA employs elastic viscoplastic material model combined with continuum damage mechanics, crew is modeled as 50% deformable dummy. FEM is solved using nonlinear dynamics explicit code LS-DYNA3D. Head impact force and dynamic response index (DRI) of spine are obtained, and meet the requirement of nation army standard. Simulation results indicate that MDC installation way is avail to reduce physiology damage of airscrew. It also provides science foundation for safe design and manufacture of through-the-canopy-ejection-system.


Dynamic image processing techniques coupled with Genetic Algorithm are used for recognizing the license plate numbers from an image containing it. Recognition of license plate in a picture which are prone to illumination problems is done using this process. The proposed system finds multi style number plates in an image by using Multistyle License Plate Number Using genetic algorithm and Dynamic Image Processing techniques. The license plates detection stage is the most is the most critical step in the automatic license plate identification system. Many research have been done to overcome all the challenges faced in this area, but no general method is best suitable for detection of license plates models from different countries or places. This is because each country have different plate style and design. All existing techniques or algorithms available can be classified based on the features used for the detection. Different existing algorithms that have been researched are Color-based techniques that uses specific fixed color coding used by different countries. Another widely used technique is External-shape based detection which detects plates based on its shape ratio as prescribed by different countries.


Proteinase 3C of hepatitis A virus (HAV) plays a key role in the viral life cycle by generating mature viral proteins from the precursor polyprotein. In addition to its proteolytic activity, 3C binds to viral RNA, and thus influences viral genome replication. In order to investigate the interplay between proteolytic activity and RNA binding at the molecular level, we subjected HAV 3C and three variants carrying mutations of the cysteine residues [C24S (Cys-24-->Ser), C172A and C24S/C172A] to proteolysis assays with peptide substrates, and to surface plasmon resonance binding studies with peptides and viral RNA. We report that the enzyme readily forms dimers via disulphide bridges involving Cys-24. Dissociation constants (K(D)) for peptides were in the millimolar range. The binding kinetics for the peptides were characterized by k(on) and k(off) values of the order of 10(2) M(-1) x s(-1) and 10(-2) to 10(-1) s(-1) respectively. In contrast, 3C binding to immobilized viral RNA, representing the structure of the 5'-terminal domain, followed fast binding kinetics with k(on) and k(off) values beyond the limits of the kinetic resolution of the technique. The affinity of viral RNA depended strongly on the dimerization status of 3C. Whereas monomeric 3C bound to the viral RNA with a K(D) in the millimolar range, dimeric 3C had a significantly increased binding affinity with K(D) values in the micromolar range. A model of the 3C dimer suggests that spatial proximity of the presumed RNA-binding motifs KFRDI is possible. 3C binding to RNA was also promoted in the presence of substrate peptides, indicating co-operativity between RNA binding and protease activity. The data imply that the dual functions of 3C are mutually dependent, and regulate protein and RNA synthesis during the viral life cycle.


Abstract. We present glacier thickness changes over the entire Pamir–Karakoram–Himalaya arc based on ICESat satellite altimetry data for 2003–2008. We highlight the importance of C-band penetration for studies based on the SRTM elevation model. This penetration seems to be of potentially larger magnitude and variability than previously assumed. The most negative rate of region-wide glacier elevation change (


Lack of disaster preparedness has remained one of Kenya's enduring development challenges for decades. The El Nino rains which flooded most parts of the country between 1997 and 1998, and the prolonged drought during the year 2000 have both led to massive displacement of populations, loss of lives, destruction of property, water and energy crises, and the collapse of vital infrastructure. Most of the disaster response initiatives in Kenya have tended to be adhoc, uncoordinated and short-term measures, mainly in the form of emergency relief services to the worst affected areas. However, disaster and environmental management ought to integrate disaster preparedness measures and recovery operations into ongoing development programs for


The contemporary research in text or document mining is discerning towards syntactic components and semantic environment. In order to this and with the motivation gained from our earlier research contributions, here we explored a mining model to classify documents by Order of Context, Concept and Semantic Relations (OCCSR). This proposed model is classifying the documents in three levels and they are by context, by concept and semantic. The document context is defined through the document meta-data, the concept is defined by the order of features and semantic relations are assessed through the correlation off the activities observed in documents. The experimental results explored are indicating that the OCCSR is with high classification accuracy, scalable and robust. The research findings lead us to conclude that the context similarity along with concept and semantic similarity score is more significant to achieve classification accuracy in supervised learning. Assessment of the OCCSR is done by using confusion matrix and discriminator metrics. The model devised here is most useful, in particular to assess relation of the documents published in social communities like electronic journals, publishers and blogs.


In 84 open-chest dogs, we studied the effects on early afterdepolarizations (EADs) and ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTs) induced by cesium chloride (168 mg/kg i.v.) of alpha-adrenoceptor stimulation with phenylephrine (100 micrograms plus 0.25 microgram/kg/min i.v.) and with left ansa subclavia stimulation (LAS; 2 Hz, 4 msec, 2 mA) after propranolol (0.5 mg/kg) administration. We also studied the effects of alpha-adrenoceptor blockade with phentolamine (3 mg/kg), prazosin (25-500 micrograms/kg), yohimbine (10-500 micrograms/kg), WB 4101 (2 mg/kg), and benoxathian (2 mg/kg) during decentralized LAS. EAD amplitude, presented as a percentage of monophasic action potential amplitude, was recorded simultaneously with contact electrodes from the right and left ventricular endocardium. Phenylephrine and LAS plus propranolol increased EAD amplitude (31.5 +/- 8.8% to 47.8 +/- 9.7% and 34.8 +/- 4.1% to 46.1 +/- 6.4%, respectively) and the prevalence of VT (from three to nine of 11 dogs and from the three to five of six dogs, respectively). Prazosin produced a dose-response decrease in EAD amplitude and reduced the prevalence of VT. Yohimbine did not alter the amplitude of EADs or the prevalence of VT. WB 4101 and phentolamine reduced the amplitude of EADs produced by cesium and LAS (from 44.3 +/- 10.2% to 32.6 +/- 9.4% and from 39.8 +/- 6.9% to 30.3 +/- 6.3%, respectively) and the prevalence of VT (from eight to one of 10 dogs and from 13 to 5 of 20 dogs, respectively). Benoxathian did not alter significantly the amplitude of EADs (41.6 +/- 11.4% to 37.5 +/- 9.4%) or the prevalence of VT (from six to five of 10 dogs).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Over the past twenty-five years Andrew Sherratt has reinterpreted the growing mass of information about the economic foundations of prehistoric Europe using concepts drawn from history and the social sciences. Sherratt's classic articles on the subject are collected together here for the first time. Written by the archaeologist and prehistorian in the first twenty years of his career, these articles not only represent Sherratt's most important work but also offer his interpretation of this work and of general developments in his field. This volume covers, for example, his studies of farming, subsistence, and prehistoric demography, and his search for a more sophisticated way of dealing with value and exchange. Throughout, the author looks back over the changing perspectives of the past few decades and considers the intellectual rhythms of recent centuries.Sherratt identifies in his commentaries the significance of each article within the framework of the entire collection. In addition to these commentaries, Sherratt's collection includes notes throughout the text that update the reader on developments taking place in the field after the time of the article's first publication.


The application of χ state are investigated in remote state preparation (RSP). By constructing useful measurement bases with the aid of Hurwitz matrix equation, we propose several RSP schemes of arbitrary two- and three-qubit states via the χ state as the entangled resource. It is shown that the original state can be successfully prepared with the probability 100% and 50% for real coefficients and complex coefficients, respectively. For the latter case, the special ensembles with unit success probability are discussed by the permutation group. It is worth mentioning that the novel measurement bases have no restrictions on the coefficients of the prepared state, which means that the proposed schemes are more applicable.


Abstract. This paper presents an automated and effective method for detecting planes and their intersections as edges in unorganized point clouds. The edges are subsequently extracted as vectors to a CAD environment. The software was developed within the Microsoft Visual Studio and the open source Point Cloud Library (PCL, http://pointclouds.org/) was used. The Point Cloud Library is a standalone, large scale, open project for 2D/3D image and point cloud processing. The code was written in C++. For the detection of the planes in the point cloud the RANSAC algorithm was employed. Subsequently, and according to the standard theory of Analytic Geometry the edges were determined as the intersections of these planes with each other. A straight line in 3D space is defined by one of its points, which was determined with the Lagrangian Multipliers method and a parallel vector, which was determined with the help of the cross product of two vectors on space. Finally, the algorithm and the results of the implementation of the process with real data were evaluated by performing various checks, mainly aiming to determine the accuracy of the edge detection.


A prominent formalism used in decision support is decision theory, which relies on probability theory to model uncertainty about unknown information. A decision support system relying on this theory produces conditional probability as a response. The quality of a decision support system's response depends on three key factors: the amount of data available to train the model, the amount of information about the case at hand, and the adequacy of the system's model to the case at hand.

In this dissertation, I investigate different approaches to measuring the confidence of decision support systems based on Bayesian networks addressing the three key factors mentioned above. Some of such confidence measures of the system response have been already proposed. I propose and discuss other measures based on analysis of joint probability distribution encoded by a Bayesian network.

The main contribution of this dissertation is the analysis of the discussed measures whether they provide useful information about the performance of a Bayesian network model. I start the analysis with an investigation of interactions among these measures. Then, I investigate whether confidence measures help us predict an erroneous response of a classifier based on Bayesian networks when applied to a particular case. The results suggest that the discussed measures may be considered as indicators for possible mistakes in classification. Further, I conduct an experiment to check how confidence measures perform in combining the models' output in the ensemble of classifiers by weighting.

Based on the findings presented in this dissertation, I conclude that the confidence measures may enrich the decision support system's output to serve as indicators for applicability of the model and its advice to a given case.


The post-natal growth rate of young mice, pre- and post-natally exposed to either 2,4',5-trichlorobiphenyl or 2,2',4,4',5,5',-hexachlorobiphenyl has been studied. The results show that both the chlorobiphenyls have the ability toincrease the post-natal growth rate in mice and they indicate that this ability of 2,4',5-trichlorobiphenyl is most pronounced in females whereas that of 2,2',4,4',5,5',-hexachlorobiphenyl is most pronounced in males.


Secure access is one of the key concerns of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In WSNs, because there are many dynamically mutable attributes, continuous access decisions and dynamic attribute updates should be important properties of access control. In addition, WSNs need low-complexity authentication protocols because of the constrained resources. However, the authentication protocols of most current security access schemes have relatively high complexity. More importantly, the access control models of existing schemes cannot provide attribute mutability and continuous decisions dynamically. To address above issues, we propose a dynamic secure access mechanism for WSNs. Firstly, we design a lightweight secure authentication protocol and dynamic access control based on security token and usage control (UCON), respectively. Then, the agent technology is adopted to implement the proposed secure access scheme. Secondly, we analyze the probability of the dynamic attribute update and decisions. Thirdly, we implement an instance of UCON. The implementation results indicate the feasibility of using UCON in WSNs. Finally, by evaluating and comparing with current schemes, the authentication protocol in our scheme presents several advantages including the low expenses in calculation, storage and communication. To our best knowledge, this paper is the first to realize next generation dynamic access control with attribute mutability and continuous decisions in WSNs.


We prove that a singular-hyperbolic attractor of a 3-dimensional flow is chaotic, in two different strong senses. First, the flow is expansive: if two points remain close at all times, possibly with time reparametrization, then their orbits coincide. Second, there exists a physical (or Sinai-Ruelle-Bowen) measure supported on the attractor whose ergodic basin covers a full Lebesgue (volume) measure subset of the topological basin of attraction. Moreover this measure has absolutely continuous conditional measures along the center-unstable direction, is a u-Gibbs state and is an equilibrium state for the logarithm of the Jacobian of the time one map of the flow along the strong-unstable direction. This extends to the class of singular-hyperbolic attractors the main elements of the ergodic theory of uniformly hyperbolic (or Axiom A) attractors for flows. In particular these results can be applied (i) to the flow defined by the Lorenz equations, (ii) to the geometric Lorenz flows, (iii) to the attractors appearing in the unfolding of certain resonant double homoclinic loops, (iv) in the unfolding of certain singular cycles and (v) in some geometrical models which are singular-hyperbolic but of a different topological type from the geometric Lorenz models. In all these cases the results show that these attractors are expansive and have physical measures which are u-Gibbs states.


BACKGROUND
 There is a growing focus on the potential uses, benefits, and limitations of social media in the context of health care communication. In this study, we have sought to evaluate an initiative pioneered at a hospital in Denmark that uses Facebook to support and enhance patient-provider communication about diabetes.

 OBJECTIVE
 This paper aims to evaluate the success of the trial according to its initial objectives and to assess its potential scalability.

 METHODS
 The study was undertaken in a clinic for diabetes and hormonal diseases at a large regional hospital in Denmark. Using a realist evaluation approach, we identified 4 key components in the program theory of the initiative, which we formulated as context-mechanism-outcome configurations (eg, complex and iterative chains of causality). These configurations informed data gathering and analysis. Primary data sources were the activity and content in the Facebook group, in the form of posts, likes, and comments, and interviews with patients (n=26) and staff (n=6) at the clinic.

 RESULTS
 New developments in diabetes technology were the most popular posts in the forum, judged by number of likes and comments. Otherwise, information specific to the clinic received the most attention. All 4 components of the program theory were compromised to varying degrees, either as a result of failings in the anticipated mechanisms of change or contextual factors derived from the mode of implementation.

 CONCLUSIONS
 Social media serves well as a conduit for imagining positive change, but this can be a strength and weakness when attempting to enact change via concrete interventions, where stakeholder expectations may be unreasonably high or incompatible. Nonetheless, such initiatives may possess intangible benefits difficult to measure in terms of cost-effectiveness.


Ab s t r Ac t Aims: The aim of the study was to identify the alcohol dependents in selected communities. Methods: Community-based descriptive survey was conducted. A total of 330 men who are residing in selected communities of Dakshina Kannada, were selected using the purposive sampling technique. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) tool was used to gather the data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: Majority (279) of men were categorized as alcohol dependents and about 51 were nonalcohol dependents out of 330 men based on AUDIT score. There was a significant association between AUDIT scores and demographic variables like family support. Conclusion: Nowadays alcohol use is becoming the major public health concern as it affects not only the victim but also the entire family, which destroys the family life. So steps should be initiated to stop alcohol use.


In recent years, Co-Curricular Sustainability Programs (CoCSPs) have been established at many higher education institutions. However, few such programs have developed learning outcomes or assessment processes to measure the types of learning that are occurring within their programs. This case study creates synthesis between sustainability education and student leadership competencies and shares a place-based framework for designing and assessing learning outcomes. By utilizing learning outcomes and assessment processes, leadership educators can strengthen the effectiveness of their sustainability programs and facilitate transformational learning experiences for students across campus


We study a class of two-stage stochastic integer programs with general integer variables in both stages and finitely many realizations of the uncertain parameters. Based on Benders' method, we propose a decomposition algorithm that utilizes Gomory cuts in both stages. The Gomory cuts for the second-stage scenario subproblems are parameterized by the first-stage decision variables, i.e., they are valid for any feasible first-stage solutions. In addition, we propose an alternative implementation that incorporates Benders' decomposition into a branch-and-cut process in the first stage. We prove the finite convergence of the proposed algorithms. We also report our preliminary computations with a rudimentary implementation of our algorithms to illustrate their effectiveness.


Mohamoud's work considers the underlying causes for the breakdown of the state across both time and space. Time is considered across the triple history - the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial processes. Space is used in the sense of taking the whole of Somalia as a unit of analysis. This approach enables the discovery of different structural crises over a period of time and examines these cumulative effects on the current upheavals in Somalia. Among the approaches, "State Collapse and Post-Conflict Development in Africa" covers the constraints in the harsh material environment; the subsistence pastoral mode of existence; the colonial intervention and the subsequent division of the land into five parts; Cold War geopolitics; decades of armed struggles; and the post-colonial crisis of governance. Dr. Abdulla (Awil) Mohamoud runs SAHAN, an academic research and consultancy agency, which conducts policy oriented research and fact finding missions abroad, mainly in Africa, undertakes evaluation and monitoring activities, provides training and offers advisory services on integration and multi-cultural issues. He holds an MA degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and earned his PhD at the University of Amsterdam. Mohamoud has served regularly as an election observer in UN, EU, Council of Europe and OSCE missions to conflict and war-torn societies (to East-Timor, Kosovo, Nigeria, Serbia, and Zimbabwe).


Reducing the number of states is a possible solution for complexity reduction of trellis-based equalization. It has been often proposed that such approaches profit from a near minimum phase target channel which may be obtained by prefiltering the incoming sequence appropriately. A possible finite length solution of such a prefilter is given by the optimal settings of the decision feedback equalizer with a finite length constraint on its feedforward and feedback filter. We focus on the limiting behavior of this solution with respect to the unconstrained solution which is obtained by spectral factorization.


Proper drying of food products helps in extending shelf life and either maintaining or improving their quality. In this study, the effect of hot air drying temperature (at 55, 70 and 85C) in comparison to freeze drying on the functional and digestive properties of flours from sweet potato roots with orange flesh (OFSP) and purple flesh (PFSP) were investigated. The proximate compositions and amylose content (AC) were also analyzed. Results showed that flours obtained from hot air dried sweet potatoes had higher AC (12.36 to 18.95%db for OFSP and 16.45 to 19.31%db for PFSP) than that from freeze dried ones (11.44%db for OFSP and 13.09%db for PFSP). Drying possibly modified the structure of starch granules and consequently changes in pasting viscosity based on Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA). Overall pasting viscosities ranges include Peak viscosity (PV) 831.33 (freeze OFSP) to 2996 (85 PFSP), Trough viscosity (TV) 124.67 (55 OFSP) to 1398 (85 PFSP), Breakdown viscosity (BDV) 476.33 (freeze OFSP) to 1598 (85 PFSP), Final viscosity (FV) 167.33 (55 OFSP) to 1825 (85 PFSP) and Setbak viscosity (SBV) 42.67 (55 OFSP) to 427 (85 PFSP) all increased with increasing drying temperature. The exception was for freeze dried OFSP since it showed high swelling index, resulting in the high pasting viscosities. Drying showed less apparent effect on gelatinization temperatures at onset (To) range 77.35C (70 OFSP) to 78.24C (freeze OFSP), peak (Tp) range 80.92C (70 OFSP) to 82.21C (freeze PFSP) and conclusion (Tc) range 85.31C (70.OFSP) to 86.76C (freeze PFSP) based on Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) test results. However, positive correlations were observed between gelatinization enthalpy and AC (p<0.05). Drying under the temperature range of this study affected starch fractions including resistant starch (RS), non-resistant starch (NRS) and total starch (TS) only slightly. Results of this study suggested that high temperature drying could be applicable in modifying paste viscosities of sweet potato for use as thickening or stabilizing in food product.


Summary The high volume and high intensity associated with training of strength and power athletes often leads to short- and long-term fatigue. Current research shows manual massage has little, if any, beneficial effects. Types of massage evaluated are manual massage, including effleurage, pettrisage, tapotement, and underwater water-jet massage (UWWJM). Dependent variables evaluated include strength and power performance variables, muscle damage, and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Studies evaluating the effects of manual massage have been fraught with methodological errors. Failure to standardize treatment protocol, including type, duration, and time course of massage, has limited the value of research to this point. Eccentric exercise protocols have been used to induce DOMS; however, this is not reflective of how strength and power athletes train. Although positive effects of UWWJM have been reported, future study is required to determine the reliability and validity of the results. Future efforts to study massage should focus on evaluating performance variables and muscle damage rather than DOMS, using realistic training programs over a longer time span.


Background: BNT162b2 is a lipid nanoparticle-formulated, nucleoside-modified RNA vaccine encoding a prefusion-stabilized, membrane-anchored SARS-CoV-2 full-length spike protein. BNT162b2 is highly efficacious against COVID-19 and is currently authorized for emergency use or conditional approval worldwide. At the time of authorization, data beyond 2 months post-vaccination were unavailable. Methods: In an ongoing, placebo-controlled, observer-blinded, multinational, pivotal efficacy study, 44,165 [≥]16-year-old participants and 2,264 12-15-year-old participants were randomized to receive 2 doses, 21 days apart, of 30 g BNT162b2 or placebo. Study endpoints reported here are vaccine efficacy (VE) against laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and safety data, both up to 6 months post-vaccination. Results: BNT162b2 continued to be safe and well tolerated. Few participants had adverse events leading to study withdrawal. VE against COVID-19 was 91% (95% CI 89.0-93.2) through up to 6 months of follow-up, among evaluable participants and irrespective of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. VE of 86%-100% was seen across countries and in populations with diverse characteristics of age, sex, race/ethnicity, and COVID-19 risk factors in participants without evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. VE against severe disease was 97% % (95% CI 80.3-99.9). In South Africa, where the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, B.1.351 (beta), was predominant, 100% (95% CI 53.5, 100.0) VE was observed. Conclusion: With up to 6 months of follow-up and despite a gradually declining trend in vaccine efficacy, BNT162b2 had a favorable safety profile and was highly efficacious in preventing COVID-19. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04368728)


The topic of the educational organization competition creation and development is urgent in foreign literature. However this topic is new in Lithuania. The competition among educational organizations became actual only after the educational reform in 2008. The university must become competitive, stronger and more independent. The university is more often described as educational organization which must take into account the needs of society. The articles analyzing social responsibility of the companies are often found in the studies, however the social responsibility of the universities are almost unmentioned. There are three different dimensions of the organizational social responsibility mentioned in the literature: I level – acceptance of the economic and legitimate obligations, II level – the reaction to the needs of society, III level – independent resolution of the social problems of society. The universities and other educational organizations are able to attain the highest level of social responsibility. In modern days universities are being stimulated to function in competitive environment paying attention to the competitiveness and needs of the society. Universities may not be able to maintain the highest level of socially responsible organization within strong competition.


Self-excited vibrations, such as squealing of disc brakes or galloping of overhead transmission lines, are often accompanied by undesired phenomena. The appearance of self-excitation is ascribed to an instability originating either from negative damping or from non-conservative coupling of motion coordinates. In a linearized description, the stability behavior of such circulatory systems strongly depends on the structure of the damping matrix as well as the relation of all matrices involved. Considering the distinct physical origins of energy dissipation, some of the resulting damping matrices have a stabilizing effect, while others may contribute to destabilization.

In this context, the present thesis addresses two major scientific objectives. First, a deeper understanding is promoted regarding the influence of velocity proportional forces on the stability of linear mechanical systems featuring circulatory and gyroscopic terms. Analytical investigations deliver detailed insights into the required structure of the damping matrix either for stabilization or the avoidance of destabilization. Second, stability is assessed by means of quantitative measures. On this basis, a technique for stability optimization is established. The method relies on decomposing the damping matrix into component matrices which are associated with different physical origins. Suitable variation of these submatrices yields a reduced tendency of self-excitation. Beneficial damping configurations are determined with respect to predefined constraints, as they naturally appear in engineering. The meaningfulness of the obtained results is judged in terms of dependence on parameter fluctuations and technical feasibility. Serving as representative examples, various models of disc brakes and overhead transmission lines are studied numerically at different levels of complexity.


This thesis demonstrates how by using a variety of model constructions and parameter extraction techniques, a range of magnetic component models can be developed for a wide range of application areas, with different levels of accuracy appropriate for the simulation required. Novel parameter extraction and model optimization methods are developed, including the innovative use of Genetic Algorithms and Metrics, to ensure the accuracy of the material models used. Multiple domain modeling, including the magnetic, thermal and magnetic aspects are applied in integrated simulations to ensure correct and complete dynamic behaviour under a range of environmental conditions. Improvements to the original Jiles-Atherton theory to more accurately model loop closure and dynamic thermal behaviour are proposed, developed and tested against measured results. Magnetic Component modeling techniques are reviewed and applied in practical examples to evaluate the effectiveness of lumped models, 1D and 2D Finite Element Analysis models and coupling Finite Element Analysis with Circuit Simulation. An original approach, linking SPICE with a Finite Element Analysis solver is presented and evaluated. Practical test cases illustrate the effectiveness of the models used in a variety of contexts. A Passive Fault Current Limiter (FCL) was investigated using a saturable inductor with a magnet offset, and the comparison between measured and simulated results allows accurate prediction of the behaviour of the device. A series of broadband hybrid transformers for ADSL were built, tested, modeled and simulated. Results show clearly how the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), Inter Modulation Distortion (IMD) and Insertion Loss (IL) can be accurately predicted using simulation. A new implementation of ADSL transformers using a planar magnetic structure is presented, with results presented that compare favourably with current wire wound techniques. The inclusion of transformer models in complete ADSL hybrid simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the models in the context of a complete electrical system in predicting the overall circuit performance.


We thank Sun and colleagues for their interest in our recent work published in the Journal (1). In short, we found lower circGSAP (circular RNA–g-secretase–activating protein) levels were associated with increased occurrence and poorer outcomes in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), which means that circGSAPmay be an emerging biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of IPAH. As commended by Sun and colleagues, this is an important field, and the impact of circular RNAs (circRNAs) on the diagnosis and treatment of IPAH has not yet been fully studied. Here, we answer comments raised by Sun and colleagues. We agree with Sun and colleagues on their suggestion to list P values for comparisons of baseline information between healthy control subjects and patients with IPAH. Indeed, there was no significant difference in age, body mass index (BMI), and hazard ratio (HR) between the healthy control subjects and the patients with IPAH in the discovery group (age, P=0.790; BMI, P=0.891; HR, P=0.431) or in the validation group (age, P=0.166; BMI, P=0.112; HR, P=0.183). Although there was significant difference in sex between the healthy control subjects and the patients with IPAH in the validation group (P=0.023), our results were accurate after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI in the multivariate regression analysis. Sun and colleagues suggested building a model to predict IPAH through taking circGSAP and other renowned indicators into account. We acknowledged in our study that 6-minute-walk distance and NT-proBNP are reliable indicators for the prognosis of IPAH (1). It is believed that an optimal model can be built to predict the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with IPAH by including circGSAP, 6-minute-walk distance, NT-proBNP, or even other hemodynamic parameters. To highlight the impact of circGSAP on IPAH, only the receiver operating curve area of circGSAP was shown in our manuscript. We cannot agree more with Sun and colleagues on their suggestion to expand the sample size by recruiting patients from multicenters. We have collected the plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to other etiologies in our center to validate our findings from patients with IPAH. Furthermore, we have drafted a plan to run a multicentered prospective study to test the downregulation of circGSAP in PH. Finally, Sun and colleagues suggested to summarize signaling pathways related to circGSAP for facilitating future research on potential mechanisms and therapeutic targets. It is known that circRNAs are covalently closed, abundant, and evolutionarily conserved. Many of them are involved in important biological functions by acting as microRNA sponges, binding to RNA-binding proteins, regulating mRNA transcription, expression, or translating into proteins (2–6). In our study, we found that circGSAP was an exonic circRNA and could serve as microRNA sponges to regulate mRNA in the development of IPAH (1). We are studying its downstream signaling pathways regarding the proliferation or apoptosis of endothelial cells of the pulmonary arteries both in vivo and in vitro. This work is near completion and our results will be presented in the next publication. It is also our hope to find novel therapeutic targets through elaborating the functional characteristics of circGSAP in the pathogenesis of PH.


In a flexible inflation-targeting framework the output and inflation gaps are key measures of inflationary pressures and play an important role in determining the optimal policy interest rate. The estimation of potential output is, however, a challenge since it cannot be directly observed. This note explains the methodologies currently used by the South African Reserve Bank to estimate potential output growth and discusses changes to the estimate since the onset of the global financial and economic crisis.


The advancement of technology especially the invention of the internet has changed
the way organizations conduct their businesses today including banks especially in
offering online banking services. Online banking services had been introduced in
Malaysia in the year 2000. However, bank customers including academicians in
Malaysia are influenced by issues of trust of online banking which also affects their
level of adoption. In addition, there were only few studies which have combined
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Perceived Risk Theory (PRT) in
understanding the adoption of online banking services in Malaysia. Therefore, this
study intended to determine the factors influencing the adoption of online banking
based on TAM (Perceived Usefulness, PU; Perceived Ease of Use, PEOU) as the
base model, with Government Support (GS) being included as the additional
variable. Furthermore, based on PRT, Trust is also included in this study. Variables
influencing Trust (Perceived Security, PS; Perceived Risk, PR; Perceived Privacy,
PP) are also assessed as well as the moderating influence of Trust on the relationship
between PU, PEOU and GS, with the adoption of online banking in Malaysia.
Respondents of this study were selected among academicians at Malaysian Technical
Universities Network (MTUN) based on simple random sampling approach. Data
was collected through the use of survey questionnaires. A total of 600 questionnaires
were distributed while 253 of them were retrieved and usable for data analysis. Data
analysis was carried out with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS). The main results of this study revealed that PU and PEOU have significant
influence on the adoption of online banking while GS was found not to be
significant. Besides, PS and PR were also found to be significant in influencing
Trust, while PP was found to be non-significant. Finally, Trust is also found to have a
moderating influence on the relationship between PU and GS with the adoption of
online banking and not significant in moderating the relationship between PEOU
with the adoption of online banking. These findings sheds some valuable information
to be considered by banks in offering online banking services to their customers as
well as additional new practical and informational understanding to current literature
on the adoption of online banking services.


The East Indian state of Orissa (Odisha) has witnessed several changes to its environment in the last few decades, with frequented natural disasters such as droughts, cyclones and floods, widespread agricultural decline, coastal erosion and rising temperatures. While the government's policies have been bent on opening the state's rich natural resources to national and international industrial houses, the state's natural environment continues to deteriorate as a result of rapid industrial development, resulting in massive deforestation, destruction of the traditional homes of its tribal people, contamination of water bodies and other forms of ecological destruction.
The mainstream and entertainment media are the most important sources of information on the environment (Cox, 2006). The mass media play a pivotal role in the creation of our understanding of the natural world and the environment through their representations of ecological change, environmental risks and disasters. Studies by Mishra (2010) show a general lack of interest in environmental reporting in Orissa's newspapers, and mass media leanings towards government policies on industrial development. Given on-going environmental challenges in the state, the media have a greater responsibility in spreading awareness and shaping public opinion towards environmental issues. There are 41 known newspapers published in Orissa in the Oriya language (Mahapatra, 2004) (this figure is likely to have gone up as of 2012), one Orissa-based English newspaper and four national dailies with an Orissa edition. This paper analyses the construction of Orissa's environment in two national dailies, Times of India and New Indian Express in order to understand how the mass media create notions of nature (construct/reconstruct the natural environment) and how they deal with ecological destruction, environmental risk and disasters. Times of India is the most-read English newspaper in the country with a readership of 7.47 million (Indian Readership Survey, 2011). Both the Orissa editions of New Indian Express and Times of India each dedicate four pages to news and features from Orissa.
This paper uses discourse analytic methods to explore how nature, the environment, in specific Orissa's environment and ecological changes are represented in the above mentioned newspapers, thus looking to provide a deeper understanding of India's and Orissa's relationship with its environment. The paper thus analyses and looks at the creation, construction and representation of nature, ecological spaces and socio-political identities of those who are dependent on a given natural environment, while also looking at the depiction of ecological change, including climatic change, in the state's newspapers and national dailies.


BACKGROUND
Long-term physical conditions affect 10% to 12% of children and adolescents worldwide. These individuals are at greater risk of developing psychological problems, particularly anxiety and depression, sometimes directly related to their illness or medical care (e.g. health-related anxiety). There is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of psychological therapies for treating anxiety and depression in this population. Therapies designed for children and adolescents without medical issues may or may not be appropriate for use with those who have long-term physical conditions.

OBJECTIVES
This review was undertaken to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of psychological therapies in comparison with controls (treatment-as-usual, waiting list, attention placebo, psychological placebo, or non-psychological treatment) for treating anxiety and depression in children and adolescents with long-term physical conditions.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched Ovid MEDLINE (1950- ), Embase (1974- ), PsycINFO (1967- ) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) to 27 September 2018. An earlier search of these databases was conducted via the Cochrane Common Mental Disorders Controlled Trial Register (CCMD-CTR) (all years to May 2016). In addition we searched the Web of Science (Core Collection) (12 October 2018) and conducted a cited reference search for reports of all included trials. We handsearched relevant conference proceedings, reference lists of included articles, and grey literature.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cluster-randomised trials and cross-over trials of psychological therapies for treating anxiety or depression in children with long-term physical conditions were included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Abstracts and complete articles were independently reviewed by two authors. Discrepancies were addressed by a third author. Odds ratio (OR) was used for comparing dichotomous data and standardised mean differences (SMD) for comparing continuous data. Meta-analysis was undertaken when treatments, participants, and the underlying clinical question were similar. Otherwise, narrative analysis of data was undertaken.

MAIN RESULTS
Twenty-eight RCTs and one cross-over trial with 1349 participants were included in the review. Most participants were recruited from community settings and hospital clinics in high-income countries. For the primary outcome of treatment efficacy, short-term depression (versus any control), there was low-quality evidence from 16 trials involving 1121 participants suggesting that psychological therapies may be more effective than control therapies (SMD -0.31, 95% CI -0.59 to -0.03; I2 = 79%). For the primary outcome of treatment efficacy, short-term anxiety (versus any control), there was inadequate evidence of moderate-quality from 13 studies involving 578 participants to determine whether psychological therapies were more effective than control conditions (SMD -0.26, CI -0.59 to 0.07, I2 = 72%). Planned sensitivity analyses could not be undertaken for risk of bias due to the small number of trials that rated high for each domain. Additional sensitivity analysis demonstrated that psychological interventions specifically designed to reduce anxiety or depression were more effective than psychological therapies designed to improve other symptoms or general coping. There was some suggestion from subgroup analyses that they type of intervention (Chi² = 14.75, df = 5 (P = 0.01), I² = 66.1%), the severity of depression (Chi² = 23.29, df = 4 (P = 0.0001), I² = 82.8%) and the type of long-term physical condition (Chi² = 10.55, df = 4 (P = 0.03), I² = 62.1%) may have an impact on the overall treatment effect.There was qualitative (reported), but not quantitative evidence confirming the acceptability of selected psychological therapies for anxiety and depression. There was low-quality evidence that psychological therapies were more effective than control conditions in improving quality of life (SMD 1.13, CI 0.44 to 1.82, I2 = 89%) and symptoms of long-term physical conditions (SMD -0.34, CI -0.6 to -0.06, I2 = 70%), but only in the short term. There was inadequate low-quality evidence to determine whether psychological therapies were more effective than control conditions at improving functioning in either the short term or long term. No trials of therapies for addressing health-related anxiety were identified and only two trials reported adverse effects; these were unrelated to psychological therapies. Overall, the evidence was of low to moderate quality, results were heterogeneous, and only one trial had an available protocol.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
A limited number of trials of variable quality have been undertaken to assess whether psychological therapies are effective for treating anxiety and depression in children and adolescents with long-term physical conditions. According to the available evidence, therapies specifically designed to treat anxiety or depression (especially those based on principles of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)) may be more likely to work in children and adolescents who have mild to moderate levels of symptoms of these disorders, at least in the short term. There is a dearth of therapies specifically designed to treat health-related anxiety in this age group.


BACKGROUND
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-systemic autoimmune disease. Renal involvement is a common complication, causing considerable mortality and morbidity. SLE is rarely reported among black Africans, though recent reports from Nigeria indicate otherwise. Nephritis, though a common complication of SLE has rarely been reported as the initial diagnosis of lupus among black Africans.

AIMS
The aim of our study is to highlight the clinical, laboratory and histological features in Nigerian patients presenting with features of nephritis and subsequent diagnosis of SLE.

METHODS
This is a three year prospective study of patients with renal diseases, who were admitted to the rheumatology and nephrology units of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja. Serology, biochemical, haematologic tests, kidney biopsy were done.

RESULTS
Twelve patients were studied (F11; M1); mean age 30.4 years (SD ± 9.8); mean illness 8 weeks (SD ± 6.6). Six patients had a nephritic condition. Nine of the patients had baseline hypertension while 3 had a rapidly progressive nephritis. Two patients had baseline End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). All had dipstick proteinuria 2+/3+, mean protein creatinine ratio 2.2 (SD ± 0.6), mean 24hr protein 2.8 gm (SD ± 2.7); more than 10 red blood cells/hpf haematuria (n-6), hyaline casts (n-5), granular casts (n-2), mean GFR 31.4 ml/ min (SD ± 21.3.), mean serum creatinine 6.9 mg/dl (SD ± 5.3); mean urea 138.8 mg/dl (SD ± 56.2). For the serology, Anti Nuclear Antibody (ANA) was positive in all the 12 subjects; positive anti dsDNA -10 patients; ENA - 10. Renal biopsy showed mostly WHO/ISSN classes III, IV and V. Treatment was with Euro Lupus regimen and rituximab/ cyclophosphamide. Four patients had dialysis. In terms of the outcome, there were 3 deaths while 9 patients were discharged.

CONCLUSION
A high index of suspicion is needed to diagnose Lupus Nephritis in black Africans especially when their presentations do not fulfil the America College of Rheumatology (ACR) diagnostic criteria for SLE.


A case of osteoma cutis with successful result of treatment is reported. This rare cutaneous disorder is characterized by the deposition of miliary well-circumscribed pinhead-size masses of ossification in the subcutaneous facial tissue. The etiology and pathogenesis of this disease remain poorly understood.


Accurate positional information is essential for many applications in wireless networks. Time-of-arrival (TOA) and angle-of-arrival (AOA) are the two most commonly used signal metrics for localizing nodes with unknown positions. In this paper, we consider a wireless network in which each node is equipped with a wideband antenna array capable of performing both TOA and AOA measurements. Since both the position and orientation of the agent are of interest, we propose a localization framework that jointly estimates these two parameters. The notion of equivalent fisher information is applied to derive the squared error bounds for the position and orientation. Since our analysis starts from the received waveforms rather than directly from the signal metrics, these bounds characterize the fundamental limits of the position and orientation accuracy. Surprisingly, our result reveals that AOA measurements obtained by wideband antenna arrays do not further improve position accuracy beyond that provided by TOA measurements.


Individually powered superconducting quadrupoles with a coil bore of 70 mm will be installed in the LHC insertions, in areas where increased geometrical acceptance and improved field quality are required. The quadrupoles feature a four-layer coil, designed on the basis of two graded 8.3 mm wide Rutherford-type NbTi cables. The magnets have a magnetic length of 3.4 m and a nominal gradient of 160 T/m at 4.5 K and 3610 A. A total of 26 quadrupoles are in production at ACCEL Instruments (Germany). In this report, we present the experience in fabrication of the pre-series magnets and the results of the initial qualification tests.


1. By means of light-beating spectroscopy, a four-fold increase in the modulation of laser light scattered at right angles by a locust (Schistocerca gregaria, Forskål) ganglion is detected when potassium ions replace sodium ions in the Ringer solution. 2. This is interpreted as an increased level of motion of the scattering particles (size 0.3-3.0 mum, if viscosity is taken to be 0.01 poises). 3. The amplitude of the potassium-response is similar at all frequencies in the range 6.3-150 Hz and is reversible on return to normal (Na+) Ringer. 4. Desheathing the ganglion reduces the half-time of the potassium-response by 3-4 times. 5. By means of photon-correlation spectroscopy it was estimated that less than 10% of the tissue contributes to the motion detected. 6. Cyanide (1-2 mM) typically enhances the potassium-response and renders it irreversible, suggesting that the response is thermally rather than metabolically-driven. In addition, the dependence of both the correlation function and the power spectrum on the scattering angle is in the direction predicted for a diffusive process. 7. Cobaltous ions (2-10 mM), which block calcium entry into nerve cells, depress the potassium-response. 8. It is proposed that potassium-depolarization and the resultant calcium entry into the cells causes a partial liquefaction of the cytoplasms which is detected as an increase in the level of Brownian motion. This mechanism could be used in vesicular release or in growth.


Author(s): Misch, Lauren | Advisor(s): Stucky, Galen D; Seshadri, Ram | Abstract: Platinum group metals (PGMs) are well established and widely used for catalytic processes. It has been demonstrated that PGMs can be superior catalysts for hydrocarbon conversion reactions compared to the industry standard. However, the findings in academic labs cannot always translate directly to industrial usage. One limitation to using PGMs for large scale processes is sometimes cost. Access to an inexpensive and highly efficient catalyst could be a step towards using recovered hydrocarbons, in the form of natural gas and shale gas, more widely for energy production.While platinum group metal species have been intensively examined, less is know about reactivity associated with ionic PGMs in oxides.Using ionic species could be a route to achieving more efficient conversion of mixed hydrocarbon feedstocks to fuels and commodity chemicals.The work presented in this dissertation focuses on Pd-substitution in binary and complex oxides along with model compounds containing noble metals, with the aim of preparing an inexpensive androbust C-H bond activation catalyst. With an emphasis on preparation methods and careful characterization, it has been a goal of this work to establish structure-property relationships in oxide catalysts.Initial work on Pd--substitution in CeO2 has lead to the development of ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) as a method for preparing substituted oxides having relatively high surface area. Phase pure Pd--substituted perovskites were also prepared using this technique. Methane partial oxidation reactions on Pd-substituted CeO2 provided some understanding of Pd substitution in oxides. It was determined that ionic Pd when substituted in CeO2 is readily reduced to fcc-Pd. Investigation of more complex oxides that could stabilize ionic Pd under reducing conditions through inductive effects became the target of subsequent research.Pd-substituted LnFeO3 (Ln = Y, La) showed promising results for increased stabilization of Pd ions under methane partial oxidation conditions. Microwave-assisted heating methods were employed to to prepare these materials very rapidly. With just several minutes of microwave-assisted heating, Pd-substituted perovskite materials were prepared for characterization and testing.With the help of our collaborators, Pd--substituted LaFeO3 was applied as a catalyst precursor material for aryl chloride coupling under mild conditions. The focus was shifted to model compounds, noble metal complex oxides, La2BaPdO5 and La2BaPtO5, already having unique noble metal sites. The thermal stability of these complex oxides compared to binary oxides was both an attractive property for probing ionic PGM catalysis and a fascinating feature, worthy of further investigation.Using density functional theory, the electronic structures of La2BaPdO5 and La2BaPtO5 were comparedto those of the binary PdO and PtO oxides. It was determined that a shift in the O 2p band is responsible for the increased stability in complex oxides.Through this study of Pd ions, we have developed two novel methods for preparation of substituted and stiochiometric oxide materials. A combination of characterization methods, including X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, are required to understand the structure of these complicated materials. Often times, more advanced characterization, such as neutron diffraction and extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements, provide the necessary insights to understanding the structures and properties of oxide catalysts. In this dissertation, preparation and characterization are emphasized for ionic PGM and oxide catalysts.


Enterobiasis is the most common helminth infestation in the United States. The pinworm has proved to be a difficult parasite to eradicate for the human race. Although reports of therapeutic agents have filled the medical literature throughout the years, not one drug has been universally accepted. Cram 1 gave the following criteria for a satisfactory agent: The drug must be highly effective in removing pinworms. The drug must be relatively nontoxic, so that it can be given in repeated treatments over a period during which viable pinworm ova may be present in the patient's surroundings, the repeated administration of the drug also assuring its entrance into the cecum and appendix, common sites of pinworm infection. The treatment must be of such reasonable cost that its use in large families will not be prohibitive. The treatment must be so easily administered that it can be used with


Taking a more inclusive and accessible approach to the design of products, services
and systems is supported with a proven business model. Due to the increasing age of global
populations and the prevalence of people with a disability, there is a significant market to be
addressed through more inclusive design. Taking an inclusive approach can then act as a
driver for more sustainable product development ensuring that products meet the needs of the
broadest range of users possible and are sufficiently flexible to meet the changing demands of
users as they age. This paper reports on research done in order to address shortcomings in the
tools available to designers looking to take an inclusive approach and the availability of data
to support such tools. In particular the paper introduces a digital human modelling tool called
HADRIAN designed to allow the evaluation of designs within a CAD environment that
consider the abilities of a very broad range of users. However, design is one element within
the realisation of products. This paper explores also explores the use of HADRIAN beyond its
initial design-led remit, into the implications for the manufacture of these inclusive products as
part of a broader view of sustainable manufacturing practice.


The phenomenal frequency of mob attacks on suspects of varying offenses in Nigeria has ceased to be merely a local concern among justice dispensation stakeholders and within Nigerian communities. Social media is evolving as an instrumental trigger of "jungle justice" and has consequently situated mob justice as a global issue that requires critical academic attention. The essence of this research is to expound on the evolving journalistic functions of social media as projectors of actions and reactions of the mob and extra-judicial activities. The paper examines the social news channel, the nature of the news agents, the contents (mob attacks) and the effects of these contents on the users. (Social) Media Effect theory is employed to establish that there is a relationship between media and mob justice. This relationship is described via the accessibility principle that forms part of the cognitive process model of media effect theory. Netnography is used to obtain information by sending unstructured questions to social media users on online platforms, and the data obtained are qualitatively analyzed. Findings from the research establish that social media is an extension of the street mob and enabler of mob justice.


Terrorism poses a direct threat to the security of the citizens of NATO countries and to international stability and prosperity. Valuable maritime security lessons from counter-narcotics operations have not been fully incorporated into counter-terrorism best practices. Effective domestic and international partnerships are essential to the success of the counterdrug mission. Partnerships provide a force multiplier by encouraging unified and efficient effort by personnel from multiple agencies, and by facilitating the sharing of information and assets. The success of any counter narcotics enterprise encompasses domestic and international efforts and thus depends on cooperation among concerned nations. Sharing information with foreign partners and with regional, local, and private actors has been proven over and over again to be absolutely critical to success in combating any transnational threat and preventing illegal activities from threatening the homeland and allies. These partnerships are based upon a shared commitment to detect, prevent, disrupt, pre-empt, and mitigate the effects of transnational crime. Today's national security challenges lend themselves increasingly to "whole of government'' and "unity of effort" solutions that will require structural and cultural changes in the executive and legislative branches. Better interagency organizational constructs are common recommendations in national security reports and commentaries. End-to-end mission management is also key for success. No one organization can do it all, due to the complexity involved and the resources required. Intelligence generation occurs at every step and has been another key to continuously improved performance.


A fluorescent analogue of ceramide, C12-NBD-ceramide, was found to be hydrolyzed much faster than 14C-labeled ceramide by alkaline ceramidase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and neutral ceramidase from mouse liver, while this substrate was relatively resistant to acid ceramidase from plasma of the horseshoe crab. The radioactive substrate was used more preferentially by the acid ceramidase. It should be noted that C6-NBD-ceramide, which is usually used for ceramidase assays, was hardly hydrolyzed by any of the enzymes examined, compared to C12-NBD-ceramide. For the alkaline and neutral enzymes, the Vmax and k (Vmax/Km) with C12-NBD-ceramide were much higher than those with 14C-ceramide. In contrast, for the acid enzyme these parameters with C12-NBD-ceramide were less than half those with the radioisotope-labeled substrate. It is noteworthy that the labeling of ceramide with NBD did not itself reduce the Km of the alkaline enzyme, but did that of the neutral enzyme. It was also found that C12-NBD-ceramide was preferentially hydrolyzed by the alkaline and neutral enzymes, but not the acid one, in several mammalian cell lines. This study clearly shows that the attachment of NBD, but not dansyl, increases the susceptibility of ceramide to alkaline and neutral enzyme, and decreases that to acid enzymes. Thus the use of this substrate provides a specific and sensitive assay for alkaline and neutral ceramidases.


Abstract The value of primary chemical compounds correlated with known secondary chemistry and morphological variation within the Ramalina siliquosa group has been investigated. A hundred specimens were collected on two different occasions from 13 different populations on the Swedish west coast during April 1984. Protein extracts were prepared from 27 on secondary constituents identified and morphologically analysed populations. The protein bandings were performed by means of isoelectric focusing. Twenty-two different banding patterns were analysed since two were destroyed during preparation and three others yielded weak patterns. The results indicated that three different banding pattern types could be discerned: type A originated from material containing norstictic acid, stictic acid, norstictic acid in combination with stictic acid and on acid-deficient material; type B originated from material containing salazinic acid or salazinic acid in combination with protocetraric acid; and type C originated from material containing salazinic acid, protocetraric acid, salazinic acid in combination with protocetraric acid or on acid-deficient material. Material of banding type A belonged morphologically to R. cuspidata (Ach.) Nyl. and material of banding types B and C to R. siliquosa (Hudson) A. L. Smith. Seasonal and developmental factors can, however, affect the production of both primary and secondary constituents. Since there are no obvious morphological differences between the different chemical races within R. siliquosa s. str. and as material of salazinic acid in combination with protocetraric acid yielded both type B and type C banding patterns, the results do not support a taxonomy in the R. siliquosa group recognizing more than two species.


A combined manufacturing/remanufacturing system is modelled and its dynamic behaviour is investigated using a control engineering approach. The model is an extension of the automated pipeline, inventory and order based production control system (APIOBPCS), which is well understood from a dynamic perspective. It is assumed that the remanufacturing process is based on a PUSH policy. Utilising different levels of information transparency from the remanufacturing process, three system types are developed and compared. Mathematical and simulation analyses of the system types were undertaken and their robustness to remanufacturing process uncertainties were tested. Our analysis indicates that the greater the degree of information transparency, the greater the robustness of the hybrid system.


Artificial intelligence, whether embodied as robots or Internet of Things, or disembodied as intelligent agents or decision-support systems, can enrich the human experience. It will also fail and cause harms, including physical injury and financial loss as well as more subtle harms such as instantiating human bias or undermining individual dignity. These failures could have a disproportionate impact because strange, new, and unpredictable dangers may lead to public discomfort and rejection of artificial intelligence. Two possible approaches to mitigating these risks are the hard power of regulating artificial intelligence, to ensure it is safe, and the soft power of risk communication, which engages the public and builds trust. These approaches are complementary and both should be implemented as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly prevalent in daily life.


The majority, if not all, of human cell types secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs) into their environment, at least partly as a means of intercellular communication. These secreted vesicles can be detected in most bodily fluids including blood, urine, and saliva. The number of secreted vesicles and their composition is altered in various pathological conditions, raising opportunities to exploit EVs as diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers. For this to become a reality, it is important to reach consensus regarding the standardization of protocols for sample collection, EV isolation, handling, and storage for valid comparison and interpretation of measurements. Depending on the information required, there are several detection options including EV number and size distribution, molecular surface markers, procoagulation activity, and RNA content. For these purposes, different techniques are currently utilized or under development. This review discusses the techniques that have the potential to become standard EV detection methods in a clinical diagnostic setting. In addition to the accuracy of the detection technique, other factors such as high‐throughput, cost‐effectiveness, time consumption, and required operator skill are important to consider. A combination of increasing fundamental knowledge, technological progress, standardization of sample collection, and processing protocols is required for EVs to become reliable predictors of altered physiology or development of disease suitable for routine clinical diagnostics. Cancer and (cardio)vascular disorders are examples of pathologies where EV detection may be applied in the near future for diagnosis and/or prognosis.


BACKGROUND
The effect of the recent obesity epidemic on body composition remains unknown. Furthermore, age-related changes in body composition are still unclear.

OBJECTIVE
The objective was to simultaneously examine the effects of birth cohort and age on body composition.

DESIGN
A total of 1786 well-functioning, community-based whites and blacks (52% women and 35% blacks) aged 70-79 y from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry annually from 1997 to 2003.

RESULTS
At baseline, mean +/- SD percentage body fat, fat mass, and lean mass (bone-free) were 28 +/- 5%, 24 +/- 7 kg, and 56 +/- 7 kg, respectively, for men and 39 +/- 6%, 28 +/- 9 kg, and 40 +/- 6 kg for women. Mixed models were used to assess the effects of cohort and age-related changes on body composition. Later cohorts in men had a greater percentage body fat (0.32% per birth year, P < 0.0001) than did earlier cohorts. This cohort effect was due to a greater increase in fat mass than in lean mass (0.45 kg and 0.17 kg/birth year, respectively). With increasing age, percentage body fat in men initially increased and then leveled off. This age-related change was due to an accelerated decrease in lean mass and an initial increase and a later decrease in fat mass. Similar but less extreme effects of cohort and age were observed in women.

CONCLUSIONS
The combination of effects of both birth cohort and age leads to bigger body size and less lean mass in the elderly.


Preliminary investigations of experimental field usually involve collection of soil samples at widely spaced locations which are patchily or globally at variant spatially. This study was carried out to evaluate spatial variations in experimental fields using a split plot experiment distributed in a completely randomized design at Ikenne and Ilora between June and September 2006 (test crop was kenaf). The preliminary descriptive statistics suggested the dependency of the stem girth and height on the spatial positions. The variance - covariance analyses matrices of the plots showed that stem girth and plant height were independently distributed and exhibited a non stationarity principle. The results also revealed that spatial autocorrelation exists in patches in the experimental fields while the entire plots showed random distributions because the autocorrelatons were neither dominated by negative nor positive correlation and more than 50% of these values falls within the range of ± 2√n. From this study, a regionalized spatial variation is imminent in 625 m 2 experimental plot despite the difference in the treatments. Spatial variations study was found necessary in any plot not more than an acre (250 m 2 ) of land otherwise such variations should be treated as block or environmental effect(s).


Score- and feature-based methods are the two main ones for estimating a forensic likelihood ratio (LR) quantifying the strength of evidence. In this forensic text comparison (FTC) study, a score-based method using the Cosine distance is compared with a feature-based method built on a Poisson model with texts collected from 2,157 authors. Distance measures (e.g. Burrows's Delta, Cosine distance) are a standard tool in authorship attribution studies. Thus, the implementation of a score-based method using a distance measure is naturally the first step for estimating LRs for textual evidence. However, textual data often violates the statistical assumptions underlying distance-based models. Furthermore, such models only assess the similarity, not the typicality, of the objects (i.e. documents) under comparison. A Poisson model is theoretically more appropriate than distance-based measures for authorship attribution, but it has never been tested with linguistic text evidence within the LR framework. The log-LR cost (Cllr) was used to assess the performance of the two methods. This study demonstrates that: (1) the feature-based method outperforms the score-based method by a Cllr value of ca. 0.09 under the best-performing settings and; (2) the performance of the feature-based method can be further improved by feature selection.


A fundamental question in neuroscience is how distributed networks of neurons communicate and coordinate dynamically and specifically. Several models propose that oscillating local networks can transiently couple to each other through phase-locked firing. Coherent local field potentials (LFP) between synaptically connected regions is often presented as evidence for such coupling. The physiological correlates of LFP signals depend on many anatomical and physiological factors, however, and how the underlying neural processes collectively generate features of different spatiotemporal scales is poorly understood. High frequency oscillations in the hippocampus, including gamma rhythms (30-100 Hz) that are organized by the theta oscillations (5-10 Hz) during active exploration and REM sleep, as well as sharp wave-ripples (SWRs, 140-200 Hz) during immobility or slow wave sleep, have each been associated with various aspects of learning and memory. Deciphering their physiology and functional consequences is crucial to understanding the operation of the hippocampal network. We investigated the origins and coordination of high frequency LFPs in the hippocampo-entorhinal network using both biophysical models and analyses of large-scale recordings in behaving and sleeping rats. We found that the synchronization of pyramidal cell spikes substantially shapes, or even dominates, the electrical signature of SWRs in area CA1 of the hippocampus. The precise mechanisms coordinating this synchrony are still unresolved, but they appear to also affect CA1 activity during theta oscillations. The input to CA1, which often arrives in the form of gamma-frequency waves of activity from area CA3 and layer 3 of entorhinal cortex (EC3), did not strongly influence the timing of CA1 pyramidal cells. Rather, our data are more consistent with local network interactions governing pyramidal cells' spike timing during the integration of their inputs. Furthermore, the relative timing of input from EC3 and CA3 during the theta cycle matched that found in previous work to engage mechanisms for synapse modification and active dendritic processes. Our work demonstrates how local networks interact with upstream inputs to generate a coordinated hippocampal output during behavior and sleep, in the form of theta-gamma coupling and SWRs.


ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 01 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Topographical and other constraints further limit the utilizable quantity of water which rapid growth in the demand for water due to rise in population, increased pace of urbanization and industrialization is posing serious challenges in providing food and water security. King Dalpatdev Kaktiya was a king from the Kakatiya dynasty who made reservoir in north-west part of Jagdalpur and named Dalpatsagar is now being affected badly by city expansion and draining sewage into the reservoir. Earlier the people settled at top of the toposequence which supported for run off flow but expansion of city on catchment areas created problem. For assessing effect of Dalpatsagar on water resource, the data on 121 dugwells and borewells were taken under consideration of depth pre (April-May) and post (October-November) monsoon observations during 2015-16 along with locations in Jagdalpur city. In which 121 dugwells, 60 as dirty water, 12 drying in pre monsoon period and 36 for drinking purpose were noticed under intensive observations during 2015-17. Maximum dugwells were recorded in Gandhinagar ward (17), followed by Dantewshari ward (15), Ambetkar ward (15) and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee ward (11) and Ravindrnath Tagore ward (9) in draining area of city watershed demarcated as recharge zone due to stagnation of water in two storage structures namely Dalpatsagar and Ganga Munda aligned in way of natural drainline. Water table of borewells allows explaining 4% variability in depth which was in between 100 to 150 feet bgl (below ground level) but linear trend highly variable around the line. Standard residuals versus depth of tube wells were also widely distributed in depth for pumping water, water table plotted against standard residuals was found between 80 to 100 feet bgl, on other hand, predicted water table on standard residuals ranged negatively and positively in between 80 to 100 feet bgl i.e. pumping water at common depth of the Jagdalpur city. In future, water availability will be in prime focus under dwindling rainfall if hydrological assessment is not done on management catchment and command areas. Turbidity, pH, conductivity, alkalinity, chloride, calcium, iron, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand were higher than allowable limit in August 2015 whereas nitrate, total hardness (CaCO3), Mg, fluoride, sulphate, TSS, residual Cl and dissolved oxygen were less than allowable level during April 2016. K e y w o r d s Catchment hydrology, Rainwater management, Water conservation, Dugwell recharge Accepted: 12 December 2018 Available Online: 10 January 2019 Article Info Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(1): 1797-1812


Purpose
Coping and communication strategies affect how one perceives potentially stressful life events, such as infertility. Cognitive behavioral interventions (CBI) can reduce the distress related to undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of CBI on the coping and communication skills as well as perceived stress and depressive symptoms of women undergoing IVF treatment. The authors also explored the relationship between coping strategies and pregnancy rates.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial of CBI in 50 women undergoing IVF (NCT00685282).

Findings
The authors found that CBI was associated with reductions in active-confrontive coping among over 50 percent of participants, which was also found to be positively related to depressive symptoms. Furthermore, high meaning-based coping at baseline and high-avoidant coping at the end of IVF treatment were associated with increased pregnancy rates.

Research limitations/implications
CBI can be helpful in reducing the perceived stress of women undergoing IVF; however, the adaptiveness of individual coping skills and communication skills vary. Since different coping strategies seem to be of benefit at different time points, further studies might benefit from the examination of engaging in context-dependent coping strategies.

Practical implications
Integrating mental health care on infertility units may assist in reducing the stress and thus quality of care in women undergoing IVF. Mental health care can be tailored to meet the individual needs of infertility patients based on their preferred coping strategies and communication style. Further research is needed to examine the cost benefit of reducing perceived stress in fertility patients.

Social implications
Infertility is a social and medical problem that has vast implications on the mental health of individuals. Providing support along with practical tools for stress reduction and improved coping and communication can result in reduced stress and improved coping.

Originality/value
This paper examined the effect of a cognitive behavioral intervention on the coping strategies and communication skills of women undergoing IVF and can contribute to our understanding of the value of integrating mental health and medical care.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of both the school counselor and the school psychologist in preparing students in urban school settings for college and/or the workforce. Throughout this paper, the authors discuss how collaboration is critical to ensuring students are successful at every school level (e.g., elementary, middle and high) to avail themselves of various postsecondary opportunities upon graduation. The authors give recommendations for practice and future research to implement and increase knowledge around collaboration between school counselors and school psychologists in preparing students in urban school settings to be college- and career-ready.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper on school counselors and school psychologists using the Eight Components of College and Career Readiness Framework to collaborate on preparing students for postsecondary options.FindingsWith support from key stakeholders like administrators, teachers and parents, school counselors and school psychologists can work collaboratively to increase students' college and career readiness. For example, school counselors and school psychologists may start by creating and implementing a needs assessment, as it relates to the developmental tasks of students (i.e. self-regulation, self-efficacy, self-competence) that must be negotiated to ensure college and career readiness. School counselors and school psychologists should also examine out-of-school suspension, expulsion, school arrest and disciplinary referral data (Carter et al., 2014).Originality/valueCollaboration around college and career readiness is important to the academic success and future of students in urban school settings. School counselors and school psychologists complement each other in preparing students for college and the workforce because their training has prepared both for addressing academic needs, assessment, mental health issues, career development, behavioral concerns and social–emotional needs of students (American School Counselor Association, 2012; National Association of School Psychologists, 2014). Further, school counselors and school psychologists are in a pivotal position to create a college-going culture by using evidence-based activities, curricula and practices.


There has been much interest in the mechanisms by which calcium may attenuate weight gain or accelerate body fat loss. This review focuses on postprandial energy metabolism and indicates that dietary calcium increases whole body fat oxidation after single and multiple meals. There is, as yet, no conclusive evidence for a greater diet induced thermogenesis, an increased lipolysis or suppression of key lipogenic enzyme systems. There is however convincing evidence that higher calcium intakes promote a modest energy loss through increased fecal fat excretion. Overall, there is a role for dietary calcium in human energy metabolism. Future studies need to define threshold intakes for metabolic and gastrointestinal outcomes.


Typical late spring and early summertime conditions over California's southern bight consist of a well-mixed coastal boundary layer (CBL) capped by warm and dry air associated with the subsiding branch of the subtropical Hadley circulation. The CBL in this region is often conceptualized as two overlapping layers that are laterally constrained on one side. The CBL significantly dominates daily weather throughout the southern California coastal region and is often responsible for frequent air traffic delays and impacts pollution events. An increasing number of commercial aircraft carry meteorological instruments that collect temperature and wind data at resolution scales. Fortunately since 2001 an abundance of sounding data has been achieved providing an opportunity to produce a climatological record of the diurnal cycle of the lower atmosphere. Meteorological variables such as wind patterns, boundary layer height, and inversion strength can be closely examined with high resolution over a record length of more than a decade. This study explores both the difficulties associated with using ACARS to produce a robust climatology and the benefits of using ACARS to characterize the lower atmosphere. Emphasis for this climatology is placed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Considering distinct differences exist between the CBL just offshore and inland, data from nearshore flight paths must be analyzed when constructing CBL climatologies. Results from this study suggest the depth of the CBL depends greatly on downward mixing of radiatively cooled air from a cloud-topped CBL, and that the CBL does not deepen significantly on clear nights. The wind climatologies suggest downsloping northerly winds from the coastal mountain ranges directly to the north is unlikely the main control over the mean depth of the boundary layer because the CBL deepens at the peak time for northerly flow. In addition, southerly flow dominates the tops of the CBLs for both LAX and SAN throughout the morning and early afternoon, which is especially prominent for the CBL over LAX and suggestive of a low level coastal jet. Furthermore, persistent height difference exists between San Diego and Los Angeles with higher heights toward the south, forcing an acceleration of alongshore southerly flow overnight with a minimum in height difference and thus a minimum in the alongshore acceleration in the afternoon. iv Table of


We present a family of simplicial complexes called \emphmulti-cluster complexes. These complexes generalize the concept of cluster complexes, and extend the notion of multi-associahedra of types ${A}$ and ${B}$ to general finite Coxeter groups. We study combinatorial and geometric properties of these objects and, in particular, provide a simple combinatorial description of the compatibility relation among the set of almost positive roots in the cluster complex.


An architecture of a real-time motion detection and velocity estimation system which can easily be implemented into a VLSI chip is presented. The system consists of the following components: image acquisition, edge extraction, velocity estimation, control, and I/O. Among the five parts of the system, the edge extraction and the velocity estimation units are the most important stages, A one-dimensional cellular automata network which emulates a parallel-iterative algorithm called edge relaxation, is employed to detect and track edges, and remove noise from the input binary image, A region-based velocity estimation is carried out by a digital circuit consisting of few counters and registers, a divider and an adder. The architecture can be extended to perform real-time motion estimation for two-dimensional gray-level images.<<ETX>>


The human carotid artery bifurcation is often affected by plaque and atherosclerotic formations. A high degree of stenosis due to plaque deposit in the carotid artery can significantly diminish blood flow to the brain [1]. For three decades, local flow anomalies such as flow separation, recirculation, low wall shear stress, and high local particle residence time are factors that have been implicated in the development of arterial diseases [3, 1]. Numerical analysis of flow through a stenotic carotid bifurcation provides insight into local flow dynamics and an assessment of the risks of particular modes and degrees of stenosis.Copyright © 2007 by ASME