The lymphocyte membrane was isolated from the calf thymocytes and the bovine intestinal lymphnode lymphocytes through a pretreatment with ZnCl(2) and Tween-20 combinig with a freeze-thawing procedure been followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugations. The recovery of lymphocyte membrane from the original lymphoid organ weight was 0.6 per cent (dry weight) and 0.9 per cent, as the lymphnode lymphocyte membrane (LM) and the thymic lymphocyte membrane (TM), respectively. Protein content in these preparations were 7.8 per cent and 2.3 per cent, in the LM and the TM, respectively. An amino acid content in the TM showed increased valine and leucine levels than the LM. Gel filtrations, using a Sepharose 4B column, of solubilized lymphocyte membranes revealed that the TM had higher protein content of larger molecular fractions than the LM. Disk electrophoresis also differentiated polypeptide bands between the LM and the TM. The morphological studies on these membrane preparations by a phase contrast microscope and an electron microscope demonstrated the purity of the membranes which was free from the contaminations of the microorganella. A rabbit was immunized with either one of lymphocyte membrane (TM of LM) with (intracutaneously) or without (intravenously) Freund's complete adjuvant. The circulating lymphocytes decreased more rapidly after the immunization of the TM than of the LM. The thymus, spleen, and lymphnode were atrophic macroscopically in the both groups. Histologically, however, more reduced lymphocytes in the tissue were observed in the group treated with the TM resulting a reduced cortical area with increased fatty degeneration in the thymus, been combined with a reduced lymphfollicular area in the spleen as same as the lymphnode than the group treated with the LM. Although a further elucidation is necessary, the lymphocyte membrane has shown specific antigenicity depending on the origin of the membrane upon the heterologous lymphoid organs.


Numerous real-life systems exhibit complex nonlinear input-output relationships. Kernel adaptive filters, a popular class of nonlinear adaptive filters, can efficiently model these nonlinear input-output relationships. Their growing network structure, however, poses considerable challenges in terms of their hardware implementation, making them inefficient for real-time applications. Random Fourier features (RFF) facilitate the development of kernel adaptive filters with a fixed network structure. For the first time, this paper attempts to implement the RFF-based kernel least mean square (RFF-KLMS) algorithm on hardware. To this end, we propose several reformulations of the feature functions (FFs) that are computationally expensive in their native form so that they can be implemented in real-time VLSI. Specifically, we reformulate inner product evaluation, cosine, and exponential functions that appear in the implementation of FFs. With these reformulations, the proposed delayed RFF-KLMS (DRFF-KLMS) is then synthesized using 45-nm CMOS technology with 16-bit fixed-point representations. According to the synthesis results, pipelined DRFF-KLMS architectures require minimal hardware increase over the state-of-the-art conventional delayed LMS architecture while significantly improving estimation performance for the nonlinear model. Our results suggest that the cosine feature function-based DRFF-KLMS is appropriate for applications requiring high accuracy, whereas the exponential function-based DRFF-KLMS may be well suited for resource-constrained applications.


The possibility of using the waveguide scattering of laser radiation for obtaining information on the statistical properties of irregularities from the noisy data obtained in the far-field zone is shown. A complex algorithm for reconstructing the experimental autocorrelation function of the surface roughness of an integrated-optical waveguide substrate is described. This algorithm is based on a combination of the classical regularisation and quasi-optimal filtering.


In five studies, university students predicted their affective reactions to a wide variety of positive and negative future events. In Studies 1 to 3, participants also reported the affective reactions they experienced when the target event occurred. As hypothesized, they tended to anticipate more intense reactions than they actually experienced. In Studies 3 to 5, a cognitive determinant of this "intensity bias" was examined. It was hypothesized that people anticipate stronger affective reactions when they focus narrowly on an upcoming event in a manner that neglects past experience and less intense reactions when they consider a set of relevant previous experiences. Evidence from thought-listing measures as well as an experimental manipulation of temporal focus supported this hypothesis.


Cooling the drill bit is one of the major functions of drilling fluids, especially in high temperature deep drilling operations. Designing stable drilling fluids with proper thermal properties is a great challenge. Identifying appropriate additives for the drilling fluid can mitigate drill-bit erosion or deformation caused by induced thermal stress. The unique advantages of nanoparticles may enhance thermal characteristics of drilling fluids. The impacts of nanoparticles on the specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, rheological, and filtration control characteristics of water‐based drilling fluids were experimentally investigated and compared in this study. Al2O3, CuO, and Cu nanoparticles were used to prepare the water-based drilling nanofluid samples with various concentrations, using the two-step method. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) were utilized to study the nanoparticle samples. The nanofluids stability and particle size distribution were, furthermore, examined using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The experimental results indicated that thermal and rheological characteristics are enhanced in the presence of nanoparticles. The best enhancement in drilling fluid heat capacity and thermal conductivity was obtained as 15.6% and 12%, respectively by adding 0.9 wt% Cu nanoparticles. Furthermore, significant improvement was observed in the rheological characteristics such as the apparent and plastic viscosities, yield point, and gel strength of the drilling nanofluids compared to the base drilling fluid. Addition of nanoparticles resulted in reduced fluid loss and formation damage. The permeability of filter cakes decreased with increasing the nanoparticles concentration, but no significant effect in filter cake thickness was observed. The results reveal that the application of nanoparticles may reduce drill-bit replacement costs by improving the thermal and drilling fluid rheological characteristics and decrease the formation damage due to mud filtrate invasion.


Israeli educational system has suffered substantial deterioration from the early 60ies until now. In this article 10 of the most common lies, perceived as "truths" causing this decrease in achievements, are examined: Each youth can earn a matriculation certificate; A matriculation certificate is necessary in order to succeed in life; The rate of matriculation entitlement in Israel increases every year; Everybody is entitled to have access to higher education and the state holds the responsibility to materialize this right; Increase in the teachers educational level results in an increase of the school level and a higher rate of success among their students; Integration among children from different socio-economic background helps to increase the academic achievements of the weaker children; A higher rate of matriculation entitlement increases the earning level; Israel has a serious problem of large teacher/student ratio; Sufficient amount of money assigned to education will improve its situation in Israel; Self-confidence in learning is the key to high achievements.


The majority of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to the haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoprotein of Newcastle disease virus prevent attachment of the virus to cellular receptors and inhibits virion-induced fusion from without (FFWO) and fusion from within (FFWI) mediated by the virus glycoprotein-laden infected cell surface. For these antibodies, the inhibition of fusion is presumed to be the result of the prevention of HN-mediated bridging of potential fusion partners. MAbs against antigenic sites 3 and 4 neutralize virus infectivity, but by a mechanism other than the prevention of attachment, the exact nature of which remains to be established. Antibodies to both of these sites effectively inhibit virion-induced FFWO, even when the inducing virus is not infectious. This is consistent with the mechanism of neutralization of these MAbs involving the inhibition of an early, post-attachment step in infection. MAbs to site 3 also inhibit FFWI, but those to site 4 do not, even when added at high concentrations. This suggests that the requirement for HN may be different in the two modes of fusion. The epitopes recognized by MAbs to sites 3 and 4 have been delineated by the identification of individual nucleotide substitutions in the HN genes of neutralization escape variants. Some of the deduced amino acid substitutions result in additional N-linked glycosylation sites in HN, which are utilized and presumably account for the escape from neutralization.


Over the last ten years, youth people are labeled as Digital Natives. It is considered that any person who born after the 80s is a native speaker of a digital language based on computer use, video games and the Internet. However, some authors question this concept: Are they learning in different way, or just incorporate some new tools and methods to their way of accessing information and socialize? The article presents the results of an investigation (Uses of ICT among college students: academic and social perspective of mediated learning processes. EDU2009-12125) focused on the use of ICT that make young students from different universities of Catalonia. The results show us different uses of technologies and they are related to critical view of Digital Native concept. The importance of the results point to new research fields to further improve higher education.


Selective hydrogenation is an important class of chemical reactions for the production of speciality chemicals, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals. The challenges in this type of reactions are to control selectivity in hydrogenation of poly-functional molecules, and avoid the possible risk of reaction runaway due to the high exothermisity. In this project the fundamentals of liquid-phase hydrogenation reactions in a structured compact multifunctional reactor were investigated. This technology represents an advance over the existing hydrogenation technologies because it exploits the effects of reduced characteristic paths of mass and heat transfer, attained in compact reactor architecture with mm-scale reaction channels and integrated static mixers and micro-heat exchangers. Catalysts based on mesoporous synthetic carbons were developed especially for preparing micro-packed beds in the compact reactor. The investigation resulted in fundamental information on reactor performance for selected model reactions, heat transfer efficiency of the integrated micro-heat exchangers, development of continuous tandem reaction, and evaluation of developed catalysts for hydrogenation and hydrodehalogenation reactions under the continuous flow conditions being used. The results demonstrate that the structured compact multifunctional reactor might be a promising technology to transfer conventional heterogeneous catalysis to flow regime.


In this paper, we present different methodologies to estimate the total suspended matter (TSM) concentration in a particular area of the Portuguese coast, from remotely sensed multispectral data, based on single-band models, multiple regression, and artificial neural networks (ANNs). Simulations on different beaches of the study area were performed to determine a relationship between the TSM concentration and the spectral response of the seawater. Based on the in situ measurements, empirical models were established in order to relate the seawater reflectance with the TSM concentration for TERRA/ASTER, SPOT HRVIR, and Landsat/TM. Seven images of these three sensors were calibrated and atmospherically and geometrically corrected. Single-band models, multiple regression, and ANNs were applied to the visible and near-infrared (NIR) bands of these sensors in order to estimate the TSM concentration. Statistical analysis using correlation coefficients and error estimation was employed, aiming to evaluate the most accurate methodology. The chosen methodology was further applied to the seven processed images. The analysis of the root-mean-square errors achieved by both the linear and nonlinear models supports the hypothesis that the relationship between the seawater reflectance and TSM concentration is clearly nonlinear. The ANNs have been shown to be useful in estimating the TSM concentration from reflectance of visible and NIR bands of ASTER, HRVIR, and TM sensors, with better results for ASTER and HRVIR sensors. Maps of TSM concentration were produced for all satellite images processed


It is urgent to define the nature and severity of persisting lung disease and to identify risk factors for developing chronic lung problems with objective, non-invasive measurements of lung oxygen requirements and lung function, suitable for use in medical treatment. At present, there is no system for continuous monitoring lung function for lung cancer sufferers to reduce the risk of syndrome after radial treatment. As electrical impedance tomography (EIT) aims to estimate the electrical properties inside the body from electrical signal measurements on the boundary, we are in the process of developing a new integrated EIT system based on portable technology to integrate three dimensional (3D) body structure from CT scan into the reconstruction algorithm. In principle, this approach, incorporated with prior information of anatomy, could provide a reduction of image artifacts in the reconstructed image associated with incorrect boundary model assumptions. In this paper, we investigate the suitable boundary model to minimize artifacts in the reconstruction for lung function. Three different 3D models with monolayer electrode are generated to represent a full range of geometric integrity and corresponding reconstructed images are compared, using conjugate gradient (CG) method. In order to improve the disadvantage of ill-posed for EIT problem, we also investigate three different multilayer electrode structures for 3D models. An advanced version of the conjugate gradient (CG) method, i.e. the Schur CG method, is used to solve the inverse problem. The result indicates that the quality of the reconstructed image depends on the structures of electrode.


Scanning Hall probe microscopy is a widely used technique for quantitative
high resolution imaging of magnetic stray fields. Up to now probes with nanometer spatial resolution have only been realized by electron beam lithography, which is a slow and expensive fabrication technique. In this thesis, we employ corner lithography to enable batch fabrication of high resolution scanning Hall probes.
The initial design consisted of a sub-&m Hall cross supported by four free
standing wires in a pyramidal configuration, located at the end of an AFMtype
cantilever. This implementation was mechanically and electrically too fragile to
operate. Therefore the design was improved by supporting the wires with a robust
silicon-nitride membrane. These robust probes allowed for scanning operation,
but we discovered that the output signals suffered from large topographic
crosstalk. We determined that this crosstalk was caused by the combination of
cross asymmetry, resulting from fabrication imperfections, and topography induced probe-sample distance modulation, leading to temperature variation.
To circumvent the crosstalk, we introduced an electronic compensation method to suppress the effect of temperature variation on the detected Hall signal. The method suppresses the temperature effect by at least a factor of ten, provided that the probe temperature varies uniformly over the entire structure.
However, the method is not capable of compensating temperature changes within the probe structure itself, for instance caused by asymmetric probe cooling
at step edges on the sample, or cantilever torsion.
To increase the signal-to-noise ratio and improve the electrical robustness
of the probes even more, we improved the probe design further by widening the leads to the Hall cross and increasing its dimensions. Using this final design,
we successfully demonstrated imaging on a thermo-magnetically patterned magnetic sample with domains of 10 &m£10 &m, at a sensitivity of 4.12 V/T.


We have designed and implemented ARMor, a system that uses software fault isolation (SFI) to sandbox application code running on small embedded processors. Sandboxing can be used to protect components such as the RTOS and critical control loops from other, less-trusted components. ARMor guarantees memory safety and control flow integrity; it works by rewriting a binary to put a check in front of every potentially dangerous operation. We formally and automatically verify that an ARMored application respects the SFI safety properties using the HOL theorem prover. Thus, ARMor provides strong isolation guarantees and has an exceptionally small trusted computing base—there is no trusted compiler, binary rewriter, verifier, or operating system.


A variety of degenerative diseases are caused by free radicals. Oxidative stress, the major cause of the diseases, is due to the imbalance between the free radicals and the antioxidants. To overcome this imbalance, the body needs antioxidants whether endogenously present or supplied from exogenous sources. Hence, the search of effective natural antioxidants is greatly needed to fight the onset of degenerative diseases and aging. Indeed, vascular plants are well-known sources of good and efficient natural antioxidants. Non-tracheophytes are however relatively unexplored. Interestingly, these atracheophytes are endowed with the remarkable property of desiccation tolerance which makes them unique in the plant kingdom. The property is attributed to its specialized structure and rich reservoir of phytochemicals. Therefore, there is a need to bioprospect this rich resource for antioxidants.


This survey paper explained the different approaches of synchronization of replicas of files placed on distributed systems. The survey tells some older and latest techniques of synchronization. Some techniques are by the interference of metadata servers and some are without any intrusion of MDS. In former technique SS storage servers are used for synchronization among replicas. To maximize the performance, scalability and reliability CEPH is a distributed file system. It makes distinction between meta data and data management by object storage file system run on object file systems. Excellent I/O and metadata management is done on CEPH. Commodity servers and disks are used for multitier distributed systems. Performance reliability, I/O rate, workload in writes operations and less overhead in synchronization are the main focus while synchronization of replicas. Hadoop and Google file system are the distributive file systems. Hadoop ensures the better input and output performance with minimal synchronization in replicas, data intensive applications and provides fault tolerance. Some strategies are used for data intensive applications. Parallel file system is type of distributed file system. Analysis enforces the best performance on small and large input output requests. Pattern direct and layout replication technique is one of the most optimized techniques for parallel file system. Data access performance, reliability, data consistency, centralized synchronization, less workload, less overhead is the main focus of all the techniques. Some other file systems like SOFA and frangipani do focus on data consistency and reduce of bandwidth.


Within just four years, the blockchain-based Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ecosystem has accumulated a peak total value locked (TVL) of more than 253 billion USD. This surge in DeFi's popularity has, unfortunately, been accompanied by many impactful incidents. According to our data, users, liquidity providers, speculators, and protocol operators suffered a total loss of at least 3.24 billion USD from Apr 30, 2018 to Apr 30, 2022. Given the blockchain's transparency and increasing incident frequency, two questions arise: How can we systematically measure, evaluate, and compare DeFi incidents? How can we learn from past attacks to strengthen DeFi security?In this paper, we introduce a common reference frame to systematically evaluate and compare DeFi incidents, including both attacks and accidents. We investigate 77 academic papers, 30 audit reports, and 181 real-world incidents. Our data reveals several gaps between academia and the practitioners' community. For example, few academic papers address "price oracle attacks" and "permissonless interactions", while our data suggests that they are the two most frequent incident types (15% and 10.5% correspondingly). We also investigate potential defenses, and find that: (i) 103 (56%) of the attacks are not executed atomically, granting a rescue time frame for defenders; (ii) bytecode similarity analysis can at least detect 31 vulnerable/23 adversarial contracts; and (iii) 33 (15.3%) of the adversaries leak potentially identifiable information by interacting with centralized exchanges.


This paper addresses the problem of terminal understeer and its mitigation via integrated brake control. The scenario considered is when a vehicle enters a curve at a speed that is too high for the tyre–road friction limits and an optimal combination of braking and cornering forces is required to slow the vehicle down and to negotiate the curve. Here, the driver commands a step steering input, from which a circular arc reference path is inferred. An optimal control problem is formulated with an objective to minimize the maximum off-tracking from the reference path, and two optimal control solutions are obtained. The first is an explicit analytical solution for a friction-limited particle; the second is a numerically derived open-loop brake control sequence for a nonlinear vehicle model. The particle solution is found to be a classical parabolic trajectory associated with a constant acceleration vector of the global mass center. The independent numerical optimization for the vehicle model is found to approximate closely the kinematics of the parabolic path reference strategy obtained for the particle. Using the parabolic path reference strategy, a closed-loop controller is formulated and verified against the solution from numerical optimization. The results are further compared with understeer mitigation by yaw control, and the parabolic path reference controller is found to give significant improvement over yaw control for this scenario.


Terengganu has been reported to have the highest infestation of Red Palm Weevil (RPW) in Malaysia since 2007. A continuous extension campaign on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been implemented in Terengganu since early 2017 to eradicate this RPW infestation. While past studies covered the biology aspects, infestation system and damages caused by RPW as well as IPM technical approaches; none is known about the human and technology aspects of IPM such as knowledge and practice of IPM among frontline officers and their perceived innovative characteristics on IPM. These are crucial elements to facilitate effective delivery of IPM extension campaign. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the in-service needs on frontline officers' knowledge and practice and their perceived innovative characteristics towards IPM extension program on RPW. This study employed the quantitative research design with the self-administered questionnaire as the study instrument. Data collection was performed at Agricultural Offices around Terengganu in April 2018. A total of 57 frontline officers participated in this study. Reliability analyses for the study variables ranged from 0.89 to 0.97. Descriptive Analysis and Explanatory Factor Analysis were performed to describe the trend of study variable, whereas, MANOVA was used to compare the study variables by four selected background characteristics of frontline officers, specifically, age, education level, office location and participant in IPM extension campaign. About 56% of frontline officers were 43 years old and younger with low education and mostly were located at federal and state offices. More than 50% of them participated in IPM extension program to eradicate IPM more than two times. This study found that higher percentage of frontline officers expressed high (~50%) to very high need (50%) for in-service on advanced than basic IPM knowledge. In contrast, higher percentage of them expressed need (~50%) to high need (~40%) for in-service on basic than advanced skills on IPM. These frontline officers highly characterized IPM with four main characteristics, i.e. compatibility, relative advantage, simplicity and trialability. Contradictory, they less viewed IPM possessed visible and invisible observability characteristics. This study discovered that the in-service needs for knowledge, practice and perceived innovative characteristics were undifferentiated by frontline officers' demographic background. Finally, suggestions are made for effective IPM extension campaign that include classify the IPM training content into basic and advanced IPM knowledge and practice; repackage IPM and its extension campaign to highlight all its innovative attributes with special emphasis on observability; employ Sequential Exploratory Design research method for a follow-up study.


Verrucarins A (4) and B (5) and verrucarin A acetate, in vivo antileukemic inactive fungal metabolites, have been oxidized with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid to give verrucarin beta-9,10-epoxides which show high in vivo activity against P388 mouse leukemia.


The context of the this research is the development of nanoparticulate systems exhibiting long circulation times in the blood pool, loaded with X-ray contrasting compounds, to be used as blood pool contrast agents in computed tomography. This study presents an original, new and simple formulation of radiopaque nano-emulsions composed of iodinated oil, formed by a spontaneous emulsification method. As a result, extremely monodisperse, iodinated nano-droplets were generated, ranging in size from 20 to 190 nm, presenting an iodine concentration of around 85 mg I/mL, and coated with a polyethylene glycol shell which ensured their stealth properties against the immune system in the blood stream. In vivo assays demonstrated a significant contrast effect, along with a long residence in the blood pool. This study highlights novel nano-formulations used as efficient contrast agents for preclinical X-ray imaging applications, along with simple and efficient alternatives for the generation of iodinated nano-emulsions.


The transformer is one of the most common and most important electric machines for power companies. Cost of investment and the economic worth of a transformer are counted in millions of SEK. Because of that, proper maintenance actions that may lead to longer technical life time should be the aim in all situations.The aim with the report was to perform transformer diagnosis by dissolved gas analysis on Umea Energi AB´s power transformers and a risk assessment. The report should also contribute to longer life time for the transformers.Oil samples were taken from each transformer two times. The first sample in summer 2013 and the second in April 2014. The gas concentrations in the samples was measured by an portable gas analyzing monitor. The samples were analyzed regarding to gas concentrations and the gas rate of change. The analyze was based on scientific methods like the total amount of dissolved combustible gases, Duvals triangle and Rogers ratios. The risk assessment was made as an internal comparison between Umea Energi´s transformers.The results of the study showed large gas concentrations in several transformers in both times of sampling. The high concentrations appeared in old as well as in newer transformers. Therefore can the presence of gases not only be explained by natural aging, and different fault types can be suspected in some of the transformers. Duval´s triangle and Rogers ratios indicated various fault types.One of the transformers was immediately taken out of service after the first sample because of high level of a separate gas and the discussion about what actions to take was ongoing. A number of other transformers were taken into further consideration.Conclusions of the report were that transformer diagnosis is a very complex science where it is important to collect as much adequate information as possible to be able to make a correct analyze for every single transformer and to take proper actions. To be able to secure fault free operation of the power grid and to minimize the risk of wasting economic and material resources, and from a personal safety point of view, the power transformers must be maintained and tested regularly and be based on scientific principles. Faults in power transformers can lead to large impact on the environment and large effect on society if electricity is not available.


In this thesis I have tried to abide by what may be called "the established notions" as to the appropriate length of a thesis for the M.A. degree; such a restraint I regarded as salutary to prevent discursiveness and laxity of construction. Writing within these limits I saw that it would be impossible for me to treat the influence of Wordsworth in all its length and breadth and detail. Being however interested to achieve general conclusions rather than to amass a multitude of cross references and parallelisms between Wordsworth and other poets, I cast about to limit my subject in the way least damaging to any general conclusion I might make. This I have done by interpreting the word "poetry" in an eclectic sense; I have not attempted to trace Wordsworth's influence upon productions that without injustice may be termed "verse." [...]
My bibliography enumerates the books I have utilised to form my own estimate of Wordsworth and the other authors mentioned. It is not a list of books which make more or less mention of the "Influence of Wordsworth."


Urogenital Schistosomiasis Presenting Genital and Urinary Tract Lesions and Abdominal Discomfort in a Sterile Angolan Woman
Background: Schistosomiasis or bilharziasis is a parasitic disease caused by blood fluks of the genus Schistosoma. Schistosoma haematobium has been found in the Middle East, India, Portugal and Africa and it is responsible by urogenital schistosomiasis, pathology with strong economic and health repercussions in the endemic countries. The repercussions of schistosome infection in the health of an Angolan woman are presented and the effects of urogenital schistosomiasis in the human fertility are discussed.
Methods: A woman who came to the hospital for gynaecologic consultation because of primary sterility. She presented micturition problems, abdominal discomfort and back pain. Biopsies of the bladder and uterus epithelium showed Schistosoma haematobium ova. The patient was subdued to parasitological, ultrasonographical and cystoscopical examinations and treatment of the schistosomiasis associated to drug to prevent bacterial super-infection.
Results: Ultrasonography showed hypertrophy and irregularity of the bladder wall. Hystologic analysis showed S. haematobium eggs in the uterus epithelium and bladder. Cystocopy revealed sandy patches and ulceration at the ureteric meatus.
Conclusions: This was the first documented description of female genital schistosomiasis in Angola. Considering that S. haematobium is endemic in Angola, it is expected that a lot of similar cases of urogenital schistosomiasis are occurring in Angola. Then, preventive actions and early treatment of schistosomiasis should be implemented in endemic areas.


Decolonization is a complex, often discussed in academic or political environments, it is challenging to discover tangible ways for individuals to practice it in daily life. A gap between the personal understanding decolonization and the academic definitions of decolonization was identified through oral history interviews, so this research shares the unique stories of eight
Canadian indigenous women through fashion as a way to inform a more accessible and embodied definition of decolonization. The participants took part in a fashion-hacking workshop to began to answer the questions: What does the lived experience of decolonization look and feel like for Indigenous women? How do Indigenous women think about decolonization in the personal aspects of their life and how can that be expressed through fashion? The format of this paper explores different perspectives and ways of knowing by jumping back and forth between storytelling, art, Indigenous and Western academic research.


The 16th-century French humanist writer Etienne de La Boétie has not often been considered in literature on republican political thought, despite his famous essay, Discours de la Servitude Volontaire, displaying a number of clear republican tropes and themes, being largely concerned with the problem of arbitrary power embodied in the figure of the tyrant. Yet, I argue that the real significance of La Boétie's text is in his radical concept of voluntary servitude and the way it adds a new dimension to the neo-republican theory of liberty as non-domination. The problem of self-domination or wilful obedience to authority is a form of ideological domination that Pettit's understanding of arbitrary power relationships between agents does not adequately account for. Furthermore, La Boétie shows that freedom is an ontological condition and is realised not – or not entirely – through the rule of law as the guarantee against arbitrariness, as neo-republicans advocate, but rather through acts of self-emancipation and civil disobedience. Here I understand La Boétie's thinking in terms of a certain anarcho-republicanism in which the promotion of freedom depends not so much on institutions, as Pettit suggests, but rather on autonomous relations of friendship, love and solidarity between individuals.


In the middle of the eighteenth century, English literature, composition, and rhetoric were introduced almost simultaneously into colleges throughout the British cultural provinces. Professorships of rhetoric and belles lettres were established just as print was reaching a growing reading public and efforts were being made to standardize educated taste and usage. The provinces saw English studies as a means to upward social mobility through cultural assimilation. In the educational centers of England, however, the introduction of English represented a literacy crisis brought on by provincial institutions that had failed to maintain classical texts and learned languages.Today, as rhetoric and composition have become reestablished in the humanities in American colleges, English studies are being broadly transformed by cultural studies, community literacies, and political controversies. Once again, English departments that are primarily departments of literature see these basic writing courses as a sign of a literacy crisis that is undermining the classics of literature. "The Formation of College English" reexamines the civic concerns of rhetoric and the politics that have shaped and continue to shape college English."


High resolution, multi-proxy records of ice-rafted debris (IRD) flux and provenance in the NE Atlantic detail the development, variability and decline of marine margins of the last glacial circum-North Atlantic ice sheets. Coupled lithological identification, Sr and Nd isotopic composition and Ar/Ar ages of individual hornblende grains reduce ambiguity as to IRD potential source region, allowing clear differentiation between Laurentide (LIS), Icelandic and British (BIS) ice sheet sources (the Icelandic and BIS are collectively referred to as the NW European ice sheet, NWEIS). A step-wise increase in the flux of IRD to the core site at 26.5 ka BP documents BIS advance and glaciation of Ireland. Millennial-scale variability of the BIS at a 2 ka periodicity is inferred through clusters of pulsed IRD fluxes throughout the late glacial (26.5–10 ka BP). Combination of these European IRD events and the 7 ka periodicity of LIS instability is thought to account for quasi-synchronicity of the NWEIS and LIS IRD pulses at Heinrich event (H) 2 and H1, previously suggested to represent the possible involvement of the NWEIS in the initiation of H events. Furthermore, the lack of extensive NWEIS marine margin is inferred prior to H3 (31.5 ka BP), such that no 'European precursor' event is associated with either H5 or H4. This suggests that 'precursor events' were not directly implicated in the collapse of the LIS, and the persistent instabilities of the BIS that are clustered at a 2 ka periodicity are incompatible with the concept that both H events and their 'precursors' are independent responses to a common underlying trigger. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


disability in terms of lived experience. It will expand critical disability studies scholarship on representation and embodiment, which is theoretically rich, but lacking in attention to art. It is organized in five thematic parts: methodologies of access, agency, and ethics in cultural institutions; the politics and ethics of collaboration; embodied representations of artists with disabilities in the visual and performing arts; negotiating the outsider art label; and first-person reflections on disability and artmaking. This volume will be of interest to scholars who study disability studies, art history, art education, gender studies, museum studies, and visual culture.


Co-nanoprecipitation: Preparation of Sterically Stabilised Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Applications

The co-nanoprecipitation of linear amphiphilic A-B block copolymers and branched hydrophobic co/terpolymers has been used for the first time to generate uniform, salt stable dispersions of aqueous polymer nanoparticles. The nanoprecipitation of the branched polymers was studied in the absence of A-B block copolymers and the conditions chosen for further co-nanoprecipitation studies were chosen on the ability to ensure the mixed solvent system immediately after good solvent addition would guarantee nanoparticle formation. Variation of the ratio of the two polymer architectures using this simple technique has led to varying z-average diameters, narrow polydispersity particle distributions and tuneable stability to salt addition and storage within aqueous salt conditions. Polarity studies provided further evidence that during addition of increasing amounts of A-B block copolymer, the hydrophobicity of the internal core was maintained and only slight deviations were observed suggesting the PEG chains were located on the nanoparticle surface. Multiple nanoprecipitations were also shown to be possible through direct addition of polymer solutions to aqueous nanoparticle dispersions after solvent removal, leading to particle concentration increase without modification of the initial nanoprecipitate size.

The dye molecule fluoresceinamine was selected as a model guest molecule for encapsulation during co-nanoprecipitation (10 wt %). Nanoparticles which were stable under physiologically relevant conditions were generated and studied for their cytotoxicity and transcellular permeability using Caco-2 cells. These materials showed low toxicity at the concentrations studied and enhanced permeation though the Caco-2 cell monolayer, which is a model of the intestinal epithelial cells. A nanomaterial was taken forward for accumulation studies and transcellular permeability in the presence of endocytic inhibitors, suggesting uptake proceeded via an active mechanism. Excellent drug loading potentials were observed during co-nanoprecipitation experiments with HIV anti-retrovirals, and up to 25 wt % of efavirenz and ritonavir and 20 wt % lopinavir were encapsulated. As well as anti-retrovirals, encapsulation of an anti-cancer drug molecule SN-38 was studied and colloidally stable nanoparticles with narrow polydispersity particle distributions were obtained. In vitro cytotoxicity testing of the materials showed a comparable toxicity to that of SN-38. Multiple nanoprecipitations including SN-38 were successful and an increased concentration of SN-38 was achieved, whilst maintaining the same volume of anti-solvent.
Overall, the co-nanoprecipitation approach has provided a fast and efficient route to sterically stabilised nanoparticles without the need for additional surfactants or filtration. Particles can be loaded with various drug molecules and pharmacological benefits were observed for some materials, suggesting future use for drug delivery applications.


BACKGROUND
Impaired vision, cognition, and divided attention performance predict falls. Requiring both visual and cognitive input, the ability to step accurately is necessary to safely traverse challenging terrain conditions such as uneven or slippery surfaces. We compared healthy young and older adults in the time taken to step accurately under conditions of increasing cognitive and visual demand.

METHODS
Healthy Young (n = 42, mean age 21) and Older (n = 37, mean age 70) participants were required to step accurately on an instrumented walkway under conditions of increasing visual and cognitive demand. Based on the paper-and-pencil neuropsychological test, the Trail Making Test (P-TMT) A and B, participants stepped on instrumented targets with increasing sequential numbers (Walking Trail Making Test A [W-TMT A]) and increasing sequential numbers and letters (Walking Trail Making Test B [W-TMT B]), under conditions of Low as well as Normal lighting.

RESULTS
W-TMT performance time increased with increased age (Older vs Young), decreased light (Low vs Normal), and increased cognitive demand (Trails B vs Trails A). W-TMT performance time was disproportionately increased in Low light and in the Older group under the highest cognitive demand (W-TMT B) conditions. Paired W-TMT A-B differences were three times higher in the Older group than in the Young group. In the Older group, the correlation between W-TMT results and P-TMT B was particularly strong (p <.001).

CONCLUSIONS
The time to perform a stepping accuracy task, such as may be required to avoid environmental hazards, increases under reduced lighting and with increased cognitive demand, the latter disproportionately so in older adults.


This poster was presented at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Education Day 2015 on October 16th, 2015.


Abstract. Active geological processes often generate a ground surface response such as uplift, subsidence and faulting/fracturing. Nowadays remote sensing represents a key tool for the evaluation and monitoring of natural hazards. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in relation to observations of natural hazards encompasses three main stages: pre- and post-event data acquisition, monitoring, and risk assessment. The mud volcano of Santa Barbara (Municipality of Caltanissetta, Italy) represents a dangerous site because on 11 August 2008 a paroxysmal event caused serious damage to infrastructures within a range of about 2 km. The main precursors to mud volcano paroxysmal events are uplift and the development of structural features with dimensions ranging from centimeters to decimeters. Here we present a methodology for monitoring deformation processes that may be precursory to paroxysmal events at the Santa Barbara mud volcano. This methodology is based on (i) the data collection, (ii) the structure from motion (SfM) processing chain and (iii) the M3C2-PM algorithm for the comparison between point clouds and uncertainty analysis with a statistical approach. The objective of this methodology is to detect precursory activity by monitoring deformation processes with centimeter-scale precision and a temporal frequency of 1–2 months.


It is not known in detail whether postprandial lipaemia is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in women. To investigate this, we administered an oral vitamin A/squalene/fat meal to 24 post-menopausal women with angiographically proven CAD who were not taking hormone replacement therapy, and to 30 healthy controls (18 without and 12 with hormone replacement therapy) to evaluate the effects of CAD on postprandial lipoprotein metabolism. This was done by assessing squalene, triacylglycerols, retinyl palmitate and apolipoprotein B-48 (apoB-48) during the subsequent 24 h. The subjects with CAD had significantly higher fasting concentrations of squalene and apoB-48 in triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins (TGRL) compared with the controls. The postprandial areas under the incremental curve of TGRL apoB-48, chylomicrons, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and TGRL squalene, and of retinyl palmitate in VLDL only, were significantly higher in women with CAD than in controls. Adjustment for fasting values did not eliminate the differences in postprandial squalene and apoB-48 between CAD and controls. The postprandial responses of control subjects were not influenced by hormone replacement therapy. The peaks of squalene and retinyl palmitate of the controls, but not of the women with CAD, occurred significantly earlier (P<0.01 for both) in chylomicrons than in VLDL. The findings suggest that lipoproteins that accumulate postprandially are labelled by dietary squalene, and that these lipoproteins may be atherogenic in post-menopausal women.


Marco della Tomba (1726-1803) was a Capuchin friar and missionary from a village near Senigallia who was in India from 1757 to 1773 and from 1783 until his death in 1803. Most of his time in India was spend in Bihar (Bettiah, Patna and Bhagalpur). The mission he belonged to was called the Tibet Mission although it was forced to leave Tibet in 1745, long before Marco arrived in India. The mission was financed by Propaganda Fide, not by the Portuguese crown. Marco is important today chiefly for the essays, translations, and letters he wrote about his experiences and researches in India. Many of these texts are still available in the Vatican Library and the archives of Propaganda Fide. Among them is a translation a part of Tulsi Das's Ram-carit-manas. From about 1759 to 1761. Through several passages taken from Marco's writings, this essay attempts to evaluate his importance as an eye-witness to historical events in this period and as a precursor and contemporary of Sir William Jones and other early Orientalist scholars.


The Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has recently started standardizing the "licensed-assisted access using LTE" for small cells, which is referred to as dual-band femtocell (DBF) in this paper, which uses the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) air interface in both the licensed and unlicensed bands based on the LTE carrier aggregation feature. Alternatively, the Small Cell Forum introduced the integrated femto-WiFi (IFW) small cell, which simultaneously accesses both the licensed band (via cellular interface) and the unlicensed band (via WiFi interface). In this paper, a practical algorithm for IFW and DBF to automatically balance their traffic in licensed and unlicensed bands, based on the real-time channel, interference, and traffic conditions of both bands, is described. The algorithm considers the fact that some "smart" devices (sDevices) have both cellular and WiFi radios, while some WiFi-only devices (wDevices) may only have WiFi radio. In addition, the algorithm considers a realistic scenario where a single small-cell user may simultaneously use multiple sDevices and wDevices via either the IFW or the DBF in conjunction with a wireless local area network. The goal is to maximize the total user satisfaction/utility of the small-cell user, while keeping the interference from small cells to macrocells below predefined thresholds. The algorithm can be implemented at the radio link control or the network layer of the IFW and DBF small-cell base stations. Results demonstrate that the proposed traffic-balancing algorithm applied to either IFW or DBF significantly increases the sum utility of all macrocell and small-cell users, compared with the current practices. Finally, various implementation issues of IFW and DBF are addressed.


This paper provides an overview on the current state of art in the field of Distance learning for mobile users. It mentions a large range of technologies, services and approaches that may be used to bring distance learning to mobile internet users. These technologies are supposed to considerably increase innovative e-learning solutions for the next generation. While this definitely appears to be true, I think what is not so clear are the implications for students, and lecturers etc. In this article I first evaluate distributed e-learning technologies. With some of the most vital topics, focusing on adaptive distributed e-learning for Mobile Internet Users (MIUs). I also provide a brief analysis of Broadband Network Services, Collaborative e-Learning Tools and Distributed Virtual Environments, Internet-Based Adaptive Learning Technologies and Personalised Distance Learning. I continue my discussion on to Internet Development Tools (IDTs) for Distance Learning Solutions, Learning Technologies for MIUs, Semantic and Web-Based Services for Enriching Learning Interactivity, and Evaluations of Distributed Learning Technologies (DLTs).


Under the name of asteroid hyalitis, Benson, 1 in 1894, described peculiar bodies found in the vitreous and gave them this title because of their resemblance to the stars on a clear night. In this country the same condition has probably been more accurately described, and the differentiation of the bodies present from those of synchysis scintillans emphasized, under the name of snowball opacities of the vitreous. These same bodies have been described by Bachstez 2 under the title scintillatio corporis vitrei. The present report concerns the microchemical and histologic examination of an eye containing these snowball opacities associated with chronic glaucoma. There have been numerous clinical reports of these cases, and Vogt included a slit-lamp description of them in his atlas. A report of an examination of these snowball opacities in an effort to determine their nature was made by Lauber, 3 but he came to no definite


Abstract. The Huafan University campus is located in the Ta-lun Shan area in northern Taiwan, which is characterized by a dip slope covered by colluvium soil of various depths. For slope disaster prevention, a monitoring system was constructed that consisted of inclinometers, tiltmeters, crack gages, groundwater level observation wells, settlement and displacement observation marks, rebar strain gages, concrete strain gages, and rain gages. The monitoring data derived from hundreds of settlement and displacement observation marks were analyzed and compared with the displacement recorded by inclinometers. The analysis results revealed that the maximum settlement and displacement were concentrated on the areas around the Hui-Tsui, Zhi-An, and Wu-Ming buildings and coincided with periods of heavy rainfall. The computer program STABL was applied for slope stability analysis and modeling of slope failure. For prevention of slope instability, a drainage system and tieback anchors with additional stability measures were proposed to discharge excess groundwater following rainfall. Finally, threshold value curves of rainfall based on slope displacement were proposed. The curves can be applied for predicting slope stability when typhoons are expected to bring heavy rainfall and should be significant in slope disaster prevention.


The paper discusses some aspects of a work in progress aimed at the development of technologies for digitization of Bulgarian folk music and building a digital library with Bulgarian folk songs presented with their music, texts and notes. This library provides digital preservation of the sound recordings, lyrics and notations of more than 1000 Bulgarian folk songs and tools for various types of search and analysis of the available resources. The presentation is focused on the subject ontology especially developed for the occasion and its application in the implementation of a tool for semantics oriented search in the lyrics of songs.


In recognising the need to extend the fundamental principles of organisation and negotiation outside the 'formal' wage sector, to the informal and weakly organised rural and urban sectors the ILO's Employment-Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) commissioned this study to provide insights to contracting, organisation and innovative forms of collective bargaining at community level in number of developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The overall evidence form the case studies is positive in terms of some of the immediate benefits that membership of a community contract group can bring to the poor. The study details the effects that involvement in contract work can have on broader community involvement, despite the many local factors which can influence of even deter this involvement


Since the beginning of the 1980s, stocks of European eel have been declining in most of their geographical distribution area. Many factors can be attributed to this decline such as pollution by xenobiotics released into the environment through agricultural, industrial and domestic activities. Because the New European Chemicals Legislation (REACh) is asking for alternatives to animal testing and reduction of animals sacrified in ecotoxicology and in accordance with conservation biology considerations, we have developed an appropriate and reproducible methodology to obtain a post-nuclear fraction of isolated European eel peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in order to evaluate the toxicity of xenobiotics using a subproteomic approach. In a first study, we have studied the in vitro toxicity of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in eel PBMC exposed during 48 h to sublethal concentrations (10 µg and 1 mg PFOS/L). A proteomic analysis using 2D-DIGE was performed to compare PBMC from the control group with cells exposed to the pollutant. A total of 48 proteins displaying significant changes in abundance were identified and categorized according to their functional classes. Besides providing clues on the cellular pathways mainly affected by PFOS, results allowed the identification of proteins rarely found in other ecotoxicological proteomic studies. These proteins could constitute potential biomarkers of exposure to PFOS in fish. In order to determine the specificity of the proteomic pattern observed after in vitro PFOS contaminations, we have completed the set of data with in vitro exposures to two other xenobiotics, dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and cadmium, using exactly the same methodologies as for the PFOS experiments. The aim of this new study was the discovery of protein expression signatures specific of different classes of pollutants. The identification of the proteins of interest by mass spectrometry allowed selecting four candidates for a minimal common signature between the three experiments. Moreover, 10 protein biomarker candidates belonging to diverse functional classes have been selected to develop an Integrated Biomarker Proteomic index (IBP). For the first time, the use of star plot graphs has been applied to proteomic data in order to allow visual integration of a set of early warning responses measured with protein biomarkers. IBP values, as well as the areas of star plots, could be used to provide information about global adverse environmental effects as well as about the pollutants involved. Lastly, the in vivo toxicological effects of PFOS on the whole animal have been investigated. For that purpose, the protein expression profiles in PBMC of yellow eels exposed in vivo to environmental PFOS concentrations (28 days of exposure to 1 or 10 µg PFOS/L), as well as after in situ samplings of fish from Belgian rivers displaying different levels of PFOS contamination, have been studied. The comparison of the in vitro, in vivo and in situ results allowed the identification of two proteins in common, plastin-2 and alpha-enolase, whose expression was found to be significantly affected by PFOS. Interestingly, the expression of these two proteins was also modified in gills of European bullhead (Cottus gobio) exposed in vivo to either 0.1 or 1 mg PFOS/L (Dorts et al., 2011), suggesting their potential use as biomarkers of PFOS exposure in fish species. Moreover, the recurrence of the main functional classes of proteins affected by PFOS exposure leads us to think that in vitro exposure of cells to pollutants might be useful in the prediction of the in vivo toxicity of these compounds.


Desiccation is the drying out of the fluids in the lumbar intervertebral discs and it may cause many health problems. In clinical practice, MR imaging is used for diagnosis because in T2-weighted MR images the desiccated discs are darker than non-desiccated discs. In this study, we present a method for automatically detecting desiccated lumbar intervertebral discs from MR images. First, the lumbar discs are automatically localized and labeled. Then, raw intensity features are used and texture features are extracted with local binary patterns technique from the lumbar discs. The features are trained and tested by random forests. The method is tested and validated on a dataset containing 80 MR images. The classification accuracy of the method is %88.54 and results are promising.


Discovering objects and knowing their number has been discussed in many works. Face detection technology is important for the visual scene, Deep learning theory using computer technology to discover the face, which is a wide field in marketing, traffic and security system control systems, in addition to photography. Facial recognition algorithms or face detection Include steps for the facial image to extract features to match them with a database. The face has a biometric feature. The facial feature consists of prominent and easily identifiable information that is responsible for distinguishing the objects that distinguish the face, the distance between the eyes, the shape of the nose, and The mouth for the device to perform a training group and record the data. Matlab program helps to dispense with training because MATLAB provides the instruction (CascadeObjectDetector) for facial recognition and the Viola-Jones algorithm with the result of separating the detection results in the form of subsets. In this work, a new algorithm is created for a group of elements in the unit picture And run a face detection code to highlight the background to store the information of each image in a specified folder and the face detection techniques by proposing a new algorithm to detect a face from among a group of faces, distinguish it and make it a file of its own, all of that using the Matlab program to train the neural network for face recognition.


Objective The absence of a guideline to refer developing malocclusions appropriately, may be a contributing factor to the inadequacy of timely interceptive orthodontics provision. This study aimed to develop and validate a new orthodontic grading and referral index to be used by dental frontliners to prioritize the orthodontic referral of developing malocclusion in children based on its severity. Methods A cross-sectional study involving clinical assessment with 413 schoolchildren aged between 8.1 and 11.9 years was conducted in 2018. All the presenting malocclusion was listed and graded based on a few dental guidelines to produce the draft index. The validity and reliability of the draft index were tested using twenty study models. Face and content validation was carried out using the content validation index and Modified Kappa Statistics. Results Fourteen dental and occlusal anomalies were identified as components of malocclusion and three grades of referral (monitor, standard, urgent) were included in the final index. The scale-level content validity index average value of 0.86 and 0.87 was obtained for content and face validation, respectively. There was moderate to excellent agreement in the Modified Kappa Statistics for both validations. Excellent inter- and intra-assessor agreement was obtained. The new index displayed valid and reliable scores. Conclusions The Index for Interceptive Orthodontics Referral was developed and validated for the dental frontliners to identify and prioritize the developing malocclusion in children based on its severity and refer for orthodontic consultation to increase the possibility for interceptive orthodontics.


European courts have responded to increasing caseloads by providing justices or other actors with a higher degree of discretionary docket control. Does docket type—mandatory or discretionary—shape judicial behavior? Using a most similar systems research design regarding tax decisions in the Norwegian and Danish supreme courts, we show that discretionary dockets are associated with higher dissent and reversal rates than mandatory dockets, that low-status litigants have a lower chance of winning under mandatory dockets, and that docket type conditions the effects of justices' preferences. Our findings have implications for comparative judicial politics and for institutional design.


Background Results of studies in animals and human beings suggest that type 1 diabetes is preventable. Nicotinamide prevents autoimmune diabetes in animal models, possibly through inhibition of the DNA repair enzyme poly-ADP-ribose polymerase and prevention of p-cell NAD depletion. We aimed to assess whether high dose nicotinamide prevents or delays clinical onset of diabetes in people with a first-degree family history of type 1 diabetes. Method We did a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of nicotinamide in 552 relatives with confirmed islet cell antibody (ICA) levels of 20 Juvenile Diabetes Federation (JDF) units or more, and a non-diabetic oral glucose tolerance test. Participants were recruited from 18 European countries, Canada, and the USA, and were randomly allocated oral modified release nicotinamide (1.2 g/m 2 ) or placebo for 5 years. Random allocation was done with a pseudorandom number generator and we used size balanced blocks of four and stratified by age and national group. Primary outcome was development of diabetes, as defined by WHO criteria. Analysis was done on an intention-to-treat basis. Findings There was no difference in the development of diabetes between the treatment groups. Of 159 participants who developed diabetes in the course of the trial, 82 were taking nicotinamide and 77 were on placebo. The unadjusted hazard ratio for development of diabetes was 1.07 (95% Cl 0.78-1.45; p=0.69), and the hazard ratio adjusted for age-atentry, baseline glucose tolerance, and number of islet autoantibodies detected was 1.01 (0.73-1.38; p=0.97). Of 168 (30.4%) participants who withdrew from the trial, 83 were on placebo. The number of serious adverse events did not differ between treatment groups. Nicotinamide treatment did not affect growth in children or first-phase insulin secretion. interpretation Large-scale controlled trials of interventions designed to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes are feasible, but nicotinamide was ineffective at the dose we used.


This letter describes a novel optical method for wavelength fine-selection in the optical spectrum analysers (OSAs) for dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) applications. The proposed new method employs a 'refractive optical lever' system consisting of a rotating optical wedge prism. A new OSA system based on Littman-type monochromator is proposed and the wavelength selection accuracy and resolution of OSA that has included such an optical lever system have been improved by a factor of 20 to 100 depending on the wedge angle and offset orientation angle of the optical wedge prism. This proposed 'refractive optical lever' may also simplify the rotation mechanism of the mirror in the commercially available OSAs.


: Purpose: The purpose of the article is to investigate what is the reason for the insufficient amount of bio-waste collected selectively from Gdynia residents in 2020, i.e., in the first year of application of the new rules of separate collection. The research question has been formulated as follows: What problems, if any, for households are caused by the extension of the separate collection model to an additional fraction of bio-waste? Design/Methodology/Approach: Several research methods were applied, literature review, data exploration method, desk research. Moreover, in 2021, a survey was conducted among multifamily households in Gdynia, in which the sample size was 235. Due to the epidemiological situation in Poland, the survey was conducted based on an online questionnaire which contained 11 questions divided into three sections: 1) general knowledge on bio-waste and the current collection model, 2) problems faced by respondents in connection with the introduction of the new model of bio-waste collection, 3) demographic questions. Findings: The research clearly shows that the amount of bio-waste collected selectively in Gdynia is far from the desired. Most of the residents of Gdynia treat their new obligation regarding bio-waste selection as an additional nuisance, and their knowledge about the purpose and methods of collection is highly unsatisfactory. Practical Implications: The survey findings and proposed recommendations can be used by local governments to improve collection system of bio-waste. Originality/Value: So far, no research has been conducted on the problems encountered by residents in the field of separate collection of bio-waste.


Data augmentation is a necessity to enhance data efficiency in deep learning. For vision-language pre-training, data is only augmented either for images or for text in previous works. In this paper, we present MixGen: a joint data augmentation for vision-language representation learning to further improve data efficiency. It generates new image-text pairs with semantic relationships preserved by interpolating images and concatenating text. It's simple, and can be plug-and-played into existing pipelines. We evaluate MixGen on four architectures, including CLIP, ViLT, ALBEF and TCL, across five downstream vision-language tasks to show its versatility and effectiveness. For example, adding MixGen in ALBEF pre-training leads to absolute performance improvements on downstream tasks: image-text retrieval (+6.2% on COCO fine-tuned and +5.3% on Flicker30K zero-shot), visual grounding (+0.9% on Re-fCOCO+), visual reasoning (+0.9% on NLVR2), visual question answering (+0.3% on VQA2.0), and visual entail-ment (+0.4% on SNLI-VE).


In order to solve the multi-objective product-mix optimal problems oriented cloud manufacturing, SPEA2+ is used to realize the outside processing problem of lifting cross sliding trimensional parking equipment (multi-section trimensional parking equipment), which oriented cloud manufacturing. The outside processing problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem and identified an analytical solution. The case illustration of parts of PSH2 lifting cross sliding trimensional parking equipment is taken as an example, examining the multi-objective optimization model. The model enables managers to determine which products to manufacture and which to outside processing. The solution of the multi-objective optimization formulation enables managers to apply the model by computing an operational ratio. The final model is simpler to apply and requires the computation of fewer variables than other prevalent models.


Sex-determining mechanisms in reptiles can be divided into two convenient classifications: genotypic (GSD) and environmental (ESD). While a number of types of GSD have been identified in a wide variety of reptilian taxa, the expression of ESD in the form of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in three of the five major reptilian lineages has drawn considerable attention to this area of research. Increasing interest in sex-determining mechanisms in reptiles has resulted in many data, but much of this information is scattered throughout the literature and consequently difficult to interpret. It is known, however, that distinct sex chromosomes are absent in the tuatara and crocodilians, rare in amphisbaenians (worm lizards) and turtles, and common in lizards and snakes (but less than 20 %o of all species of living reptiles have been karyotyped). With less than 2 percent of all reptilian species examined, TSD apparently is absent in the tuatara, amphisbaenians and snakes; rare in lizards, frequent in turtles, and ubiquitous in crocodilians. Despite considerable interand intraspecific variation in the threshold temperature (temperature producing a 1:1 sex ratio) of gonadal sex determination, this variation cannot confidently be assigned a genetic basis owing to uncontrolled environmentalfactors or to differences in experimental protocol among studies. Laboratory studies have identified the critical period of development during which gonadal sex determination occurs for at least a dozen species. There are striking similarities in this period among the major taxa with TSD. Examination of TSD in the field indicates that sex ratios of hatchlings are affected by location of the nests, because some nests produce both sexes whereas the majority produce only one sex. Still, more information is needed on how TSD operates under natural conditions in order to fully understand its ecological and conservation implications. TSD may be the ancestral sex-determining condition in reptiles, but this result remains tentative. Physiological investigations of TSD have clarified the roles of steroid hormones, various enzymes, and HY antigen in sexual differentiation, whereas molecular studies have identified several plausible candidatesfor sex-determining genes in species with TSD. This area of research promises to elucidate the mechanism of TSD in reptiles and will have obvious implicationsfor understanding the basis of sex determination in other vertebrates. Experimental and comparative investigations of the potential adaptive significance of TSD appear equally promising, although much work remains to be performed. The distribution of TSD within and among the major reptilian lineages may be related to the life span of individuals of a species and to the biogeography of these species. Answers to many of the questions and tests concerning TSD in reptiles would be facilitated by controlling the conditions of incubation, by standardizing the experimental design, and by depositing voucher specimens in accessible collections after completion of the study. Goals for future research are discussed. The Quarterly Review of Biology, June 1991, Vol. 66, No. 2 Copyright ? 1991 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 0033-5770/91/6602-0002$01 .00


People with type 1 diabetes have a higher incidence of cancer of the liver, pancreas, kidney, endometrium, and ovary and a lower incidence of prostate cancer than the general population, an analysis of diabetes registers across five countries has shown.1

Previous research has found that people with diabetes have a 20-25% higher incidence of cancer than people without diabetes, but most studies have looked at type 2 diabetes.

Researchers analysed data from nationwide diabetes registers in Australia (2000-08), Denmark (1995-2014), Finland (1972-2012), Scotland (1995-2012), and Sweden (1987-2012). They found 9149 cases of …


This publication aims to present a theoretical and empirical model of the expression of moral values in 5–7-year-old children as the base for their empirical study; to describe elements of the expression of moral values in children of such age in terms of behaviour frequency and self-sufficiency; to compare the behaviour of the children by gender and the place of residence.Based on the data of factor analysis, the following values were included into the theoretical and empirical model of the expression of moral values in 5–7-year-old children: dutifulness (clearing-up of the playing area and protection of things belonging to this environment); carefulness (taking care about plants and / or animals); openness (sharing things, toys, etc.); sincerity (telling about himself / herself and giving as a gift self-handmade items, findings); helpfulness (attempts to protect others informing about a danger); sympathy (compassion when it is going wrong); attentiveness (noticing the mood of other persons and listening to what others say); simplicity (avoiding the ostentation of things or appearance) and honesty (attempts to avoid lying, to say truth).Based on the criterion of the behaviour expression frequency, the elements of avoiding fraud, of honesty, openness, dutifulness, sincerity and attentiveness were reported more often in the behaviour of 5–7-year-old children. Dutifulness, attentiveness, sincerity as well as carefulness and sympathy were noticed more frequently in the behaviour of girls as compared with boys. Children living in cities were more mindful and sincere, and children from rural areas were more dutiful, attentive, and honest.The behaviour of 5–7-year-old children was interrelated and based on the frequency and self-sufficiency criteria, except some insignificant differences. Although many of children in this age group strived to avoid a fraud, made attempts to tell the truth, be attentive on their own initiative without the intervening of others, not all attempts were successful. However, data of the self-sufficient behaviour demonstrated at the same time that children of this age tended readily to perform activities incarnating the values of sincerity, attentiveness, sympathy, and helpfulness. Also, elements of self-sufficient behaviour were more distinct in the behaviour of girls rather than of boys.


This study examines which indicators are important in signaling bankruptcy fraud and how important professionals rate those indicators. From the literature examination, there seem to be 31 indicators that are believed to signal bankruptcy fraud. The research question is which indicators can predict fraud most successfully. This is answered through investigating the hypotheses: not all indicators appear with the same magnitude in fraudulent and non-fraudulent cases of bankruptcy and that the indicators receive different ratings of importance by the curators. 15 fraudulent bankruptcy cases were searched in the media and the dossiers were retrieved and analyzed for the presence of indicators, alongside with 45 non-fraudulent cases of bankruptcy. Furthermore a survey, also containing the 31 indicators was conducted. On this questionnaire 28 curators rated the indicators on a 5-point-Likkert scale. The results showed that both hypotheses are supported. There are several indicators that were significantly more often present in the fraudulent than in the non-fraudulent cases. Also, it was shown, that the curators do not rate the different indicators of fraud with the same importance, but that there are indicators that are rated significantly higher than others. Subsequently, with the help of that information a model for fraud prediction is derived and tested for its predictive value with 3 additional cases of fraudulent bankruptcies and 9 non-fraudulent bankruptcies. A model was created that could predict fraud through the presence of different indicators, found in the bankruptcy dossiers. From the two studies it became obvious, that the curators already apply a good focus, but that there are also shortcomings in the treatment of certain indicators. The studies yielded overlapping, but not identical conclusions. For future research it is advised to examine additional sources of data and to merge those findings into the model if possible. Through those findings a greater depth of information is achieved which eventually can lead to the formation of a more elaborate model for fraud detection.


The historic background and a current cloud seeding operations project in Chile are discussed. The present affected areas are located in northern and north-central Chile, which are very productive agricultural areas with extremes in annual precipitation totals. Recent cloud seeding efforts were initiated in November 1979 using airborne silver iodide pyrotechnics. The discussion on this recent effort covers the first two year period through October 1981. This mis- sion oriented program is not designed as a scientific experiment. However, some possible results are discussed.


Langendorff perfusion of euthyroid rat heart with 10 mM phosphocreatine (PCr) in Krebs-Henseleit solution in conditions of Ca2+-paradox significantly potentiated the development of contracture and produced a 4-fold increase in perfusion pressure as compared to heart contractility in PCr-free, but otherwise similar conditions. Similarly, in case of hyperthyroid myocardium, addition of PCr into hypoxic perfusate (glucose omitted) in the presence of supranormal extracellular Ca2+ (5.0 mM) irreversibly inhibited the restitution of resting tension and developed tension during aerobic reperfusion. In the same conditions, PCr did not modulate contractility of euthyroid myocardium. These results are consistent with Ruigrok's hypothesis (1978) that intracellular Ca2+ redistribution is energy-dependent, provided PCr can penetrate into cardiomyocytes and stimulate ATP-dependent accumulation of Ca2+ in mitochondria, leading to an impairment of energy production. It is concluded that PCr exerts its cardioprotective effect only in case of a reversible (acute) phase of ischemia.


New accelerator programs have developed globally
over the last decade. The accelerator concept is widely discussed
in the media and receives increasing interest from researchers.
However, the performance and impact of accelerators is often
debated. This paper's objective is to offer a qualitative overview
of different accelerator types and empirical analysis of the
performance of two popular accelerators: Y Combinator and
Techstars. Based on characteristics of the accelerators and the
economic environment, this paper presents a first attempt to
understand the influence of economic shocks on accelerated startups
in the context of the recent Great Recession (2007-2009). Three
core findings were identified in this research. First, the death
rate of startups accelerated during the recession is significantly
greater than of startups accelerated before or after the recession.
This finding questions the added value of attending an accelerator
program during a recession and calls for crisis-specific
initiatives to increase the resilience of the accelerated startups.
Second, the scarce VC funding in a location during the crisis is
associated with the increased death rates. Third, the two
accelerators seem to have changed their business model, increasing
the number of later stage startups (i.e., those with prior funding)
accepted in their programs.


This paper discusses the effect of small devices, the Gurney flaps, on the impeller of a single stage axial pump. The Gurney flaps are attached to the trailing edge on the pressure side of each of the three blades. The blades are profiled according to the Gottinger profile family GOE 11K. The experimental investigations determine the influence of the Gurney flaps, with the height of 1 mm and 2 mm and the width of 2 mm, on the pump characteristics. On the one hand these devices lead to an increased head and a shift of the best efficiency point to higher volume flow rates. Additionally, the operating range increases. On the other hand the Gurney flaps influence the cavitation characteristics of the axial pump. Due to these devices the NPSH values increase slightly. The 2 mm high Gurney flaps showed significant effect on the pump characteristics.


Recently, a novel approach for the characterization of the state of automotive catalysts has been proposed, viz., the direct electrical characterization of the catalyst material itself. This direct approach has the potential to do away with the complex models needed by indirect measurement methods to infer the catalyst state, for instance from the oxygen partial pressure outside of the catalyst determined by lambda probes. In this work, we compare two ways of directly observing the catalyst state. Firstly, the electrical conductivity of the catalyst material is determined by wirebound sensors mounted inside of the catalyst and fabricated from catalyst-formulation coated planar interdigital electrodes. Secondly, we employ a contactless method based on the perturbation of the partially filled microwave cavity resonator formed by the catalyst and its metallic housing. For a better understanding of the observed effects, the data obtained at microwave frequencies from engine tests are compared with the local electrical conductivity measurements. It is shown that both methods give a coherent picture of the oxygen loading state of an automotive three-way catalyst and that both methods enable one to follow the progress of reaction fronts inside the catalyst. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the resonance frequency is strongly correlated with the oxygen load.


In the early 1990s Costa Rica's production model shifted to export-led growth and non-traditional agrarian exports (NTAEs) promotion. The overall economic strategy was based on trade liberalisation and foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction. In the agriculture sector, policies became subordinated to the overall economic model; productive conversion programmes and rural development strongly supported NTAEs and agroindustrial growth. Costa Rica was particularly successful at diversifying the export structure (reducing the country's long-standing dependency on traditional export agriculture), attracting FDI in secondary and tertiary activities and creating significant opportunities in RNFA. This paper discusses to what extent new production patterns, land use and ownership created opportunities for small farmers. The paper also presents specific opportunities and problems created for this group of producers.


A potentiometric urea biosensor is prepared by the immobilization of urease directly onto the surface of a solid-state ammonium ion-selective electrode. The enzyme is immobilized by entrapment method onto a nonactin membrane that incorporated carboxylated polyvinylchloride. The same method of immobilization method is adopted to compare the characteristics of urea biosensors based on ammonium ion-selective electrodes with those based on pH-sensitive electrodes, using the same tin-oxide (SnO/sub 2/)/indium tin-oxide glass substrate. Urea biosensors based on ammonium ion-selective electrodes respond quickly and stably to changes in urea concentrations between 0.026 and 10 mM. The slope in the linear range is around 55.56/spl plusmn/3.15 mV/decade and the detection limit is around 5 /spl mu/M. The effect of urea biosensors with different pH values is considered, and the characteristics of urea biosensors based on ammonium ion-selective electrodes are described. Additionally, the experimental results from the determination of the urea using biosensors based on pH-sensitive electrodes and ammonium ion-selective electrodes are compared and discussed.


In this paper, to achieve high step-up voltage gain and high efficiency, a novel high step-up ratio using clamp-circuit in addition capacitor and diode along with the boost inductor is proposed. The capacitor gets charged during the switch-off period and discharged during the switch-on period by the energy stored in the inductor which leads to high voltage gain. The leakage-inductor energy of the coupled inductor is recycled with a passive clamp circuit. Thus, the voltage stress on the main switch is reduced. The switch with low resistance RDS is used to reduce the conduction loss which increases the efficiency. The operating principle and steady-state analyses are discussed in detail. Finally, a prototype circuit with 24-V input voltage, 48-V output voltage, is implemented in the laboratory to verify the performance of the proposed converter.


This paper reviews and compares the four multiple-loop feedback techniques used to realize high-order narrow-band filters; namely: follow-the-leader feedback (FLF), primary resonator block (PRB), leapfrog (LF), and modified leapfrog (MLF) techniques. The comparison is based upon the following criteria: design ease and flexibility, sensitivity performance, insensitivity to design errors due to nonideal operational amplifiers, and tunability. In all comparisons the simple but highly sensitive cascade technique is used as a reference. Several examples are cited which indicate comparative trends in sensitivity performance. Finally the computer program used to realize minimum sensitivity FLF networks is described.


A short description of the history of the 3Rs concept is given, which was developed as the scientific concept to refine, reduce and replace animal experiments by Russel and Burch more than 40 years ago. In addition, the legal framework in Europe for developing alternatives to animal experiments is given and the current status of in vitro systems in pharmacology and toxicology is described including an up-date on metabolising systems. The decrease in experimental animal numbers during the past decade inEurope is illustrated by the situation in Germany and the contribution of international harmonisation of test guidelines on reducing animal numbers in regulatory testing is described. A review of the de-velopment of the principles of experimental validation is given and the 3T3 NRU in vitro phototoxicity test is used as an example for a successful validation study, which led to the acceptance of the first in vitro toxicity test for regulatory purposes by the OECD. In addition, a promising QSAR approach to identify the skin irritation potential of chemicals is described, which was developed at the BfR and is proposed for regulatory acceptance after critical evaluation by the European Commission. Finally, the currently accepted alternative methods for standardisation and safety testing of drugs, biologicals andmedical devices are summarised


If robots are to succeed in novel tasks, they must be able to learn from humans. To improve such human-robot interaction, a system is presented that provides dialog structure and engages the human in an exploratory teaching scenario. Thereby, we specifically target untrained users, who are supported by mixed-initiative interaction using verbal and non-verbal modalities. We present the principles of dialog structuring based on an object learning and manipulation scenario. System development is following an interactive evaluation approach and we will present both an extensible, event-based interaction architecture to realize mixed-initiative and evaluation results based on a video-study of the system. We show that users benefit from the provided dialog structure to result in predictable and successful human-robot interaction.


Based on the Theory of Neuronal Group Selection (TNGS), proposed by Edelman, a network composed of one hundred Izhikevich spiking neurons is analyzed. In this study, a genetic algorithm is used to estimate the Izhikevich neuron model parameters in order to enable the self-organization of a neural network into a cluster of tightly coupled neural cells which fire and oscillate in synchrony at a predefined frequency.


Pre-Congestion Notification (PCN) builds on the concepts of RFC 3168,
"The addition of Explicit Congestion Notification to IP". However,
Pre-Congestion Notification aims at providing notification before any
congestion actually occurs. Pre-Congestion Notification is applied to
real-time flows (such as voice, video and multimedia streaming) in
DiffServ networks. As described in [CL-DEPLOY], it enables "pre"
congestion control through two procedures, flow admission control and
flow pre-emption. The draft proposes algorithms that determine when a
PCN-enabled router writes Admission Marking and Pre-emption Marking in
a packet header, depending on the traffic level. The draft also
proposes how to encode these markings. We present simulation results
with PCN working in an edge-to-edge scenario using the marking
algorithms described. Other marking algorithms will be investigated in
the future.


Objective: To determine the demographics, indications and frequency of interventions and complications endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Gastroenterology, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jan to Dec 2019.
Methodology: The study included all the elective and emergency ERCP procedures from January 2019 to December 2019.
Results: Out of 1030 patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreaticography, 903 were enrolled. Sixtyone percent of the participants were males. The mean age was 56 ± 16 years, with the majority of the patients lying in the age range of 41-65 years. The most common indication for ERCP in this study was choledocholithiasis (47%), the most common complication encountered was acute pancreatitis (2.1%), and a mortality rate of 0.2% was reported. The complication rate was statistically related to the intervention rather than the age and gender of the patients.
Conclusion: The most common indication for ERCP remains choledocholithiasis, with the most common ERCP complication being acute pancreatitis followed by stent migration. Biliary fistulae, post-surgical biliary leaks and strictures, pancreatic pseudo cysts, acute cholangitis, choledocholithiasis and cholestasis secondary to as cariasis were found in a relatively younger group. The success rate was above 95% for high volume centres.


According to The Older Testament by Margaret Barker (SPCK [1987], £40.00, pp. 314, ISBN 0-28104273-X), a number of apparently unrelated problems in both early Judaism and the New Testament turn out to be tips of a single iceberg. This iceberg is the 'ancient Palestinian tradition', largely submerged under the postexilic Jewish religious orthodoxy which bequeathed the canonical literature. The 'older testament', representing indigenous pre-exilic Israelite mythology linked to the royal cult, contains more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in the


The nona-Cu(II)-containing tungstoarsenate(III) [H4{Cu(II)9As(III)6O15(H2O)6}(α-As(III)W9O33)2](8-) (1a) has been synthesized and characterized. Polyanion 1a comprises a unique, cylindrical {Cu(II)9As(III)6O15(H2O)6}(6+) cluster, which forms a large central cavity and is capped on either end by an [α-As(III)W9O33](9-) capping group. It exhibits remarkable activity against K562 leukaemia cells, as well as induces HepG2 cell apoptosis and autophagy.


Because of shared routes of transmission, coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV), or both, is common among HIV-infected persons, affecting approximately 15 to 30% and 10 to 15% of patients, respectively. Advances in antiretroviral therapy have improved the life expectancy of patients infected with HIV, and, as a consequence, HCV-related liver disease has emerged as a significant comorbid disease among such patients. Concurrent HIV infection may be associated with higher serum HCV RNA levels, accelerated progression of hepatic fibrosis, increased risk of end-stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma and death among persons coinfected with hepatitis C. Similarly, coinfection with HCV and HBV may lead to more severe liver disease and greater risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than does HCV infection alone. Although definitive randomized controlled trials are not yet completed, current guidelines recommend the use of pegylated interferon alfa plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic HCV in eligible HIV-infected persons. Conversely, the optimal treatment of chronic HCV in persons with chronic HBV infection has not been defined but may include pegylated interferon alfa plus ribavirin, with or without additional antiviral agents, such as lamivudine or adefovir, or both.


eleed, Iss. 1 - The article is concerned with design and use of e-learning technology to develop education qualitatively. The purpose is to develop a framework for a pedagogical evaluation of e-learning technology. The approach is that evaluation and design must be grounded in a learning theoretical approach, and it is argued that it is necessary to make a reflection of technology in relation to activities, learning principles, and a learning theory in order to qualitatively develop education. The article presents three frameworks developed on the basis of cognitivism, radical constructivism and activity theory. Finally, on the basis of the frameworks, the article discusses e-learning technology and, more specifically, design of virtual learning environments and learning objects. It is argued that e-learning technology is not pedagogically neutral, and that it is therefore necessary to focus on design of technology that explicitly supports a certain pedagogical approach. Further, it is argued that design should direct its focus away from organisation of content and towards design of activities.


The recent growth of the use embedded electronic and remote sensing in agricultural machinery has promoted the application of the Precision Agriculture (PA) management strategy. PA has demanded researches of sensors and communication networks for data acquisition and control in the farm field. The incompatibility between hardware, software and data formats has become a major obstacle. The global trend is to use standardized systems in accordance with ISO 11783 standard (also known as ISOBUS) on devices, or Electronics Control Units (ECU), of the agricultural production. The purpose of this work is to systemize the information necessary of the procedures for communication of the implement ECU with the tractor task management ECU, the needed standardized files and the validation tests of the devices communication via ISO 11873 network. It was established the conceptual connection among the systematized information and embedded devices on agricultural machinery. The embedded devices consist in five ECUs connected in the ISO 11783 network. Four ECUs are located in the tractor: GPS ECU, Task Controller (TC), Virtual Terminal (VT) and Tractor ECU (TECU). The GPS ECU is responsible to the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) positioning. The TC is responsible to manage the prescription map and to control the implement. The VT is responsible monitor the application. The TECU disposes tractor velocity of a radar sensor. The fifth device located in the implement is Working Set Master (WSM), which is responsible to interpret the commands from the tractors ECUs and integrate the mechanical-hidraulical device to do the implement application. It was presented how to develop the needed standardized files, the capabilities needed of the Implement ECU program, the validation of communication between the Implement ECU with the TC and was prove that the information systematized has facilitated and provided the communication. It is expect, this work may open opportunities for the ISO 11783 standard can be better understood and enlarge the possibility of providing a great number of applications involving the concept of PA in Brazil.


This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and Remedica. The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Kentucky is an equal opportunity university. www.invasivefungalinfections.com


UML-B is a graphical front end for Event-B. It adds support for class-oriented modelling but retains the Event-B concept of a closed system characterized by families of spontaneous events. UML-B is similar to UML but is essentially a new notation based on a separate meta-model. We provide tool support for UML-B, including drawing tools and a translator to generate Event-B models. The tools are closely integrated with the Event-B verification tools so that when a drawing is saved the translator automatically generates the corresponding Event-B model. The Event-B verification tools (syntax checker and prover) then run automatically providing an immediate display of problems. We introduce the UML-B notation its tool support and its integration with Event-B.