It is being increasingly accepted that traditional statistical Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) analysis of Genome-Wide Asso- ciation Studies (GWAS) reveals just a small part of the heritability in complex diseases. Study of SNPs interactions identify additional SNPs that contribute to disease but that do not reach genome-wide signicance or exhibit only epistatic eects. We have introduced a methodology for genome-wide screening of epistatic interactions which is feasible to be handled by state-of-art high performance computing technology. Unlike standard software (1), our method computes all boolean binary interac- tions between SNPs across the whole genome without assuming a par- ticular model of interaction. Our extensive search for epistasis comes at the expense of higher computational complexity, which we tackled using graphics processors (GPUs) to reduce the computational time from sev- eral months in a cluster of CPUs to 3-4 days on a multi-GPU platform (2). Here, we contribute with a new entropy-based function to evaluate the interaction between SNPs which does not compromise ndings about the most signicant SNP interactions, but is more than 4000 times lighter in terms of computational time when running on GPUs and provides more than 100x faster code than a CPU of similar cost. We deploy a number of optimization techniques to tune the implementation of this function using CUDA and show the way to enhance scalability on larger data sets.


Cutaneous diffuse B-cell lymphoma leg type is a rare entity, it represents approximately 5% of primary cutaneous lymphomas. It has a poor prognosis. We report case of t 58 years old patient with a cutaneous B cell lymphoma leg type with dual location at the upper and lower limbs and bone lysis. Histological examination of the skin biopsy showed diffuse lymphomatous proliferation dissecting collagen, made of large cells with abundant cytoplasm moderately ill-defined, ovoid nuclei and with a discreet nuclear irregularity. The immunohistochemical study revealed lymphoma cells phenotype B with a homogeneous expression of CD 20, a homogeneous expression of CD 3, CD 43 positive. Bcl 2 was positive, asthe Bcl 6 and Mum 1. CD 5, CD10, MPO, CD 34, and Tdt were negative. The Ki 67 was positivein90%. The staging showed extensive osteolysis of the lower end of the humerus and the ulna. The patient received 2 courses RCHOP, with faillure of treatment, and then she received one course of RDHAP before dying. The particularity of this observation consists in the age; our patient was younger than the average, and the double localization of lymphoma in both arm and leg, with osteolysis. We discuss also the difficulties of treatment of this disease.


Leukocidin toxin from a bovine strain of Staphylococcus aureus was partially purified by ion exchange chromatography. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed to quantitate antibodies specific for leukocidin in bovine milk. This was used to assay quarter samples from 88 cows in a S aureus-infected herd for antibody levels to the toxin. Milk samples from 65 cows with S aureus infections in at least one quarter produced a mean optical density of 1.054, whereas milk samples from 23 cows that were free of bacteria on cultural examination had a mean optical density of 0.584. There was a significant difference (P less than 0.001) in milk anti-leukocidin levels between these 2 groups. Evaluation of serum samples from 40 of these cows indicated that the milk anti-leukocidin concentrations were reflective of systemic anti-leukocidin values. The capability of 57 milk samples to neutralize the cytolytic effect of minimal amounts of leukocidin on bovine peripheral blood neutrophils was examined. Good correlation existed between the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay antibody concentration and toxin-neutralizing capability of individual milk samples.


Semiconductor technology is heading towards the 10 nm node and even smaller in the coming years. This development relies not only on new process technologies, like lithography techniques, but also on safer and cleaner handling techniques that meet the high-end requirements of the production line. In this paper, the evaluation of different end-effectors and handling techniques regarding particle generation, organic and metallic contamination effects will be discussed. Bernoulli, carbon and standard vacuum end-effectors are being tested and compared with each other for the handling of 200 mm and 300 mm wafers.


BACKGROUND: The usefulness of spiral computed tomographic (CT) scans of the chest with three dimensional imaging (3D-CT) of intrathoracic structures in the diagnosis and management of paediatric intrathoracic airway obstruction was assessed. METHODS: A retrospective review was made of five consecutive cases (age range six months to four years) admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit and paediatric radiology division of a tertiary care children's hospital with severe respiratory decompensation suspected of being caused by intrathoracic large airway obstruction. Under adequate sedation, the patients underwent high speed spiral CT scanning of the thorax. Non-ionic contrast solution was injected in two patients to demonstrate the anatomical relationship between the airway and the intrathoracic large vessels. Using computer software, three-dimensional images of intrathoracic structures were then reconstructed by the radiologist. RESULTS: In all five patients the imaging results were useful in directing the physician to the correct diagnosis and appropriate management. In one patient, who had undergone repair of tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve, the 3D-CT image showed bilateral disruptions in the integrity of the tracheobronchial tree due to compression by a dilated pulmonary artery. This patient underwent pulmonary artery aneurysmorrhaphy and required continued home mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy. In three other patients with symptoms of lower airway obstruction the 3D-CT images showed significant stenosis in segments of the tracheobronchial tree in two of them, and subsequent bronchoscopy established a diagnosis of segmental bronchomalacia. These two patients required mechanical ventilation and distending pressure to relieve their bronchospasm. In another patient who had undergone surgical repair of intrathoracic tracheal stenosis three years prior to admission the 3D-CT scan ruled out restenosis as the reason for her acute respiratory decompensation. CONCLUSIONS: 3D-CT scanning is a useful additional diagnostic tool for intrathoracic airway obstruction in paediatric patients.


We present time series photometric and spectroscopic data for the transient SN 2009ip from the start of its outburst in 2012 September until 2013 November. These data were collected primarily with the new robotic capabilities of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, a specialized facility for time domain astrophysics, and includes supporting high-resolution spectroscopy from the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope, Kitt Peak National Observatory, and Gemini Observatory. Based on our nightly photometric monitoring, we interpret the strength and timing of fluctuations in the light curve as interactions between fast-moving ejecta and an inhomogeneous circumstellar material (CSM) produced by past eruptions of this massive luminous blue variable (LBV) star. Our time series of spectroscopy in 2012 reveals that, as the continuum and narrow Hα flux from CSM interactions declines, the broad component of Hα persists with supernova (SN)-like velocities that are not typically seen in LBVs or SN impostor events. At late times, we find that SN 2009ip continues to decline slowly, at ≲ 0.01 mag day−1, with small fluctuations in slope similar to Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) or SN impostors but no further LBV-like activity. The late-time spectrum features broad calcium lines similar to both late-time SNe and SN impostors. In general, we find that the photometric and spectroscopic evolution of SN 2009ip is more similar to SNe IIn than either continued eruptions of an LBV star or SN impostors but we cannot rule out a nonterminal explosion. In this context, we discuss the implications for episodic mass loss during the late stages of massive star evolution.


This research is focused on the literacy and numeracy support offered by third sector organisations as part of their efforts to help homeless adults move into employment. Whilst homeless people are increasingly expected to move into work, many face a number of barriers to labour market participation. A small but growing evidence base suggests that one key barrier is poor literacy and numeracy, or 'basic' skills. However, research has found that homeless people, alongside other disadvantaged adults, are often excluded from formal opportunities to improve these skills. Third sector homelessness organisations are settings in which this exclusion might be redressed. However, whilst many offer employment and skills support, the extent and nature of literacy and numeracy education within it is largely unknown. Additionally, scant attention has been paid to the various factors shaping this support. To address this knowledge gap, this thesis presents new data from semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with 27 homelessness practitioners. The research uncovers the extent and nature of literacy and numeracy provision offered in these organisations. A range of factors shaping it are also identified. These include: the needs and demands of service users; the roles and capacity of staff working in homelessness organisations; organisational purpose and structures; national policies relating to adult education, austerity and welfare reform; support from other adult education providers; non-governmental finance; and the time and expertise of volunteers. With some modification, this is argued to be consistent with Boeren's (2016) Comprehensive Lifelong Learning Participation Model. The thesis concludes that although organisations have demonstrated a propensity to develop literacy and numeracy support, while government policy and related funding does not recognise and support such provision, it seems likely to remain piecemeal and highly contingent on the contribution of volunteers and short term funding opportunities.


Many studies indicate that impairment in insulin signaling leads to learning and memory deficits. However, previous studies failed to establish a clear role of insulin in long-term potentiation (LTP), the best cellular model of memory formation. Here we show that while insulin pretreatment did not affect LTP magnitude in the adult rat hippocampus, it facilitated LTP expression in the immature hippocampus. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor AG-1024 abolished the effect of insulin in young rats, suggesting the involvement of the insulin receptor. On the other hand, increasing extracellular glucose concentration failed to facilitate LTP and application of an insulin-responsive glucose transporter-4 inhibitor did not impair the effect of insulin. These results suggest that the facilitatory action of insulin on LTP is not an indirect effect on glucose homeostasis/utilization. Involvement of the MAPK/ERK pathway, a known downstream pathway of insulin signaling, was revealed by pretreatment with PD98059, which blocked the insulin-mediated LTP facilitation. Consistent with this, high-frequency stimulation induced a significant increase in the level of phosphorylated Erk-2 in insulin-treated hippocampus. Taken together, these results suggest that insulin may be an essential factor in the immature brain, allowing the expression of LTP to facilitate learning and memory.


UNLABELLED
The objectives of this research are to analyze geometrical distortions introduced by relay lenses in optically coupled digital x-ray imaging systems and to introduce an algorithm to correct such distortions.

METHODS
The radial and tangential errors introduced by a relay lens in digital x-ray imaging were experimentally measured, using a lens-coupled CCD (charge coupled device) prototype. An algorithm was introduced to correct these distortions. Based on an x-ray image of a standard calibration grid, the algorithm first identified the location of the optical axis, then corrected the radial and tangential distortions using polynomial transformation technique.

RESULTS
Lens distortions were classified and both radial and tangential distortions introduced by lenses were corrected using polynomial transformation. For the specific lens-CCD prototype investigated, the mean positional error caused by the relay lens was reduced by the correction algorithm from about eight pixels (0.69 mm) to less than 1.8 pixels (0.15 mm). Our investigation also shows that the fourth order of polynomial for the correction algorithm provided the best correction result.

CONCLUSIONS
Lens distortions should be considered in position-dependent, quantitative x-ray imaging and such distortions can be minimized in CCD x-ray imaging by appropriate algorithm, as demonstrated in this paper.


Energy storage systems are expected as a near-term solution for renewable energy application in the residential energy hubs. Within this context, this study investigates the feasibility of using storage systems in improving the technical and financial performance of the residential renewable-based energy hub. A new approach has been proposed in this study in which economic dispatch problem has been formulated for an energy hub including both electrical and heat storage system. The proposed approach determines the optimal supply of energy demand and storage system operation to minimise the total energy cost of the hub. The economic benefit of storage system due to energy cost saving and emission reduction has been determined and the investment payback of the storage system have also evaluated in the proposed approach. The proposed approach has been applied to 12 different residential energy hubs and the impact of energy tariff and storage size has been analysed. The obtained simulation results demonstrate the importance of correctly modelling the hub elements in evaluating the storage system benefit in residential energy hub.


Do authoritarian regimes engage in active export of their political systems? Or are they primarily concerned about their geopolitical interests? This article explores these questions by examining Russia's policy towards Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Transnistria. In all three de facto states, Moscow is fully able to dictate election outcomes should it desire to, but, we argue, has increasingly refrained from doing so. These client states are unlikely to attempt to escape from Russia's tutelage; and with its geopolitical interests fully ensured, Russia appears willing to grant them latitude. We then ask whether these findings can be extrapolated to serve as a template for understanding Russia's policy towards its client states more generally, discussing Moscow's reactions to attempted regime change in Armenia and Belarus.


The frequent severe COVID-19 course in patients with periodontitis suggests a link of the aetiopathogenesis of both diseases. The formation of intravascular neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) is crucial to the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19. Periodontitis is characterised by an increased level of circulating NETs, a propensity for increased NET formation, delayed NET clearance and low-grade endotoxemia (LGE). The latter has an enormous impact on innate immunity and susceptibility to infection with SARS-CoV-2. LPS binds the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and this complex, which is more active than unbound LPS, precipitates massive NET formation. Thus, circulating NET formation is the common denominator in both COVID-19 and periodontitis and other diseases with low-grade endotoxemia like diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) also increase the risk to develop severe COVID-19. Here we discuss the role of propensity for increased NET formation, DNase I deficiency and low-grade endotoxaemia in periodontitis as aggravating factors for the severe course of COVID-19 and possible strategies for the diminution of increased levels of circulating periodontitis-derived NETs in COVID-19 with periodontitis comorbidity.


Schools with very few and relatively low-performing marginalized students may be most likely to trigger social identity threats (including stereotype threats) that contribute to racial disparities. We test this hypothesis by assessing variation in the benefits of a self-affirmation intervention designed to counteract social identity threat in a randomized trial in all 11 middle schools in Madison, Wisconsin. We find that school context moderates the benefits of self-affirmation for black and Hispanic students' grades, with partial support among standardized achievement outcomes. Self-affirmation reduced the very large racial achievement gap in overall grade point average by 12.5 percent in high-threat school contexts and had no effect in low-threat contexts. These self-affirmation activities have the potential to help close some of the largest racial/ethnic achievement gaps, though only in specific school contexts.


Renal fibrosis is a crucial pathologic process underlying diabetic nephropathy (DN). Central to this process is the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of tubular epithelial cells. Fasudil, a Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein serine/threonine kimase (ROCK) inhibitor, protects against renal fibrosis in a variety of renal injury models. However, fasudil's effects on renal fibrosis in DN remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of fasudil on high glucose-induced EMT in human renal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells. HK-2 cells were exposed to 5.5 or 60 mmol/L D-glucose for 72 h, or to mannitol (osmotic control). RhoA activity was assessed using a RhoA pull-down assay, and ROCK activity was determined by myosin phosphatase target subunit-1 (MYPT1) phosphorylation. Myofibroblast (vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA]) and epithelial (E-cadherin) markers expressions were detected by immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and fibronectin secretion were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) was analyzed by Western blotting. Results showed that high glucose levels induced morphological changes, reduced E-cadherin expression (-73%), increased expression of vimentin (+148%) and α-SMA (+226%), increased TGF-β1 (from 116.0±5.2 µg/g to 351.0±3.2 µg/g) and CTGF (from 0.26±0.01 to 0.92±0.03) secretion, and increased RhoA and ROCK activation (p<0.05 for all). All these effects of high glucose stimulation were suppressed or abolished by fasudil. In conclusion, fasudil may attenuate EMT through reduced activation of RhoA/ROCK signaling, and decreased expression of TGF-β1 and CTGF. Thus, fasudil may be a renoprotective agent for the treatment of DN.


Scientific conferences play a crucial role in the field of Computer Science by promoting the cross-pollination of ideas and technologies, fostering new collaborations, shaping scientific communities, and connecting research efforts from academia and industry. However, current systems for analysing research data do not provide a good representation of conferences. Specifically, these solutions do not allow to track research trends, to compare conferences in similar fields, and to analyse the involvement of industrial sectors. In order to address these limitations, we developed the AIDA Dashboard, a tool for exploring and making sense of scientific conferences which integrates statistical analysis, semantic technologies, and visual analytics.


Chitin-glucan complex (CGC) hydrogels were fabricated by coagulation of the biopolymer from an aqueous alkaline solution, and their morphology, swelling behavior, mechanical, rheological, and biological properties were studied. In addition, their in vitro drug loading/release ability and permeation through mimic-skin artificial membranes (Strat-M) were assessed. The CGC hydrogels prepared from 4 and 6 wt% CGC suspensions (Na51*4 and Na51*6 hydrogels, respectively) had polymer contents of 2.40 ± 0.15 and 3.09 ± 0.22 wt%, respectively, and displayed a highly porous microstructure, characterized by compressive moduli of 39.36 and 47.30 kPa and storage moduli of 523.20 and 7012.25 Pa, respectively. Both hydrogels had a spontaneous and almost immediate swelling in aqueous media, and a high-water retention capacity (>80%), after 30 min incubation at 37 °C. Nevertheless, the Na51*4 hydrogels had higher fatigue resistance and slightly higher-water retention capacity. These hydrogels were loaded with caffeine, ibuprofen, diclofenac, or salicylic acid, reaching entrapment efficiency values ranging between 13.11 ± 0.49% for caffeine, and 15.15 ± 1.54% for salicylic acid. Similar release profiles in PBS were observed for all tested APIs, comprising an initial fast release followed by a steady slower release. In vitro permeation experiments through Strat-M membranes using Franz diffusion cells showed considerably higher permeation fluxes for caffeine (33.09 µg/cm2/h) and salicylic acid (19.53 µg/cm2/h), compared to ibuprofen sodium and diclofenac sodium (4.26 and 0.44 µg/cm2/h, respectively). Analysis in normal human dermal fibroblasts revealed that CGC hydrogels have no major effects on the viability, migration ability, and morphology of the cells. Given their demonstrated features, CGC hydrogels are very promising structures, displaying tunable physical properties, which support their future development into novel transdermal drug delivery platforms.


To the Editor: —Anent the Special Communication in the Sept 28 issue ofThe Journal( 185 :1017), I should like to offer a New Theory Concerning the Origin of Ashley Montagu. For the past two years, papers under the Montagu byline have strewnThe Journalthick as artifacts on the banks in Olduvai—and as ephemeral. Many admirers of these essays have been led to wonder at the source of this fecund ingenuity. Before proceeding with my own theory, it would perhaps be of interest to review several theories of the origin of Montagu hitherto offered. They are as follows: (1) the everyone's-got-an-angle theory: that Ashley Montagu is an ordinary mortal, of woman born, gathering his daily bread the best way he knows, and more power to him; (2) the take-me-to-your-leader theory: that Ashley Montagu, a transgalactic immigrant, has been installed in a meditation chamber in Chicago whence he communicates his


A novel series of Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives linked to secondary amines were synthesized from 2-(4Fluorophenyl)-6-methylHIMIDAZO[1,2-a]PYRIDINE. All the synthesized compounds have been characterized by using elemental analysis, FT-IR, H NMR, C NMR spectroscopy and further supported by mass spectroscopy. Purity of all the compounds has been checked on thin layer chromatographic plate and HPLC technique. All the synthesized compounds were tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activity (MIC) in vitro by broth dilution method with two Gram-positive bacteria, two Gram-negative bacteria and two fungal strains. The biological activities of the synthesized compounds have been compared with standard drugs Ampicillin and Greseofulvin. The compounds exhibited significant antibacterial and moderate antifungal activities. These compounds can be further exploited to get the potent lead compounds. The detailed synthesis and the antimicrobial screening of the new compounds are reported.


In this paper, we present a gender-sensitive analysis of a natural disaster from a planning perspective, illustrated by a debris flow in Styria, Austria, in 2012. The introduced findings were based on twenty semi-structured interviews with the residents considering the cycle of integrated risk management. The gender-sensitive research design identified various aspects that can enhance or decrease the capacity and vulnerability on the individual level. The gender-sensitive analysis showed that the vulnerabilities and capacities of people vary during the different phases of the risk cycle (prevention, coping, recovery). The ability to cope with natural hazards and risks varies highly, and this variability can only be revealed and be understood differentiated by a gender+ approach. At the same time, socio-economic factors and age of the community members have to be taken into account. Further research is needed to analyse and integrate gender+ specific needs and capacities in the field of disaster risk management effectively.


Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is associated with significant mortality and morbidity.1 Despite medical advances in surgical techniques, PVE continues to complicate cardiac valve surgery. The incidence is highest within the first 12 months following surgery and affecting 1–3% of patients.2 PVE can arise early or late after surgery. According to the microbiological profile, the most appropriate cut-off time to distinguish between early and late-onset PVE is 1 year.2 The timing of the infection reflects different pathogenic mechanisms that, in turn, influence the epidemiology, microbiology, pathology and clinical manifestations of the infection. In early-onset PVE microorganisms can reach the valve prosthesis by direct contamination intraoperatively or via haematogenous spread during the initial days and weeks after surgery. As pointed out by Thuny et al in this issue ( see page 743 ),3 different mechanisms, including iatrogenic causes and hospital-acquired infections, may contribute to the disease. In early PVE, pathogens have direct access to the prosthesis–annulus interface and to perivalvular tissue along suture pathways because the valve sewing ring, cardiac annulus and anchoring sutures are not endothelialised early after valve implantation. These structures are coated with host proteins that may favour the adherence of some microorganisms. …


Complex I catalyzed the NADH-oxidase and NADH-Q reductase reactions with a pH-dependent lag-phase. The enzyme activated during a short-term aerobic incubation remained active for a relatively long period of time (tens of minutes at 25 degrees C). Similar NADH-induced slow changes in the activity of the reverse electron transfer were found earlier in our laboratory. The synchronous change of the enzyme activity in the forward and reverse directions points to the existence of the slowly interconverting states of complex I, namely, an active state catalyzing the NADH oxidation and delta mu H(+)-dependent NAD+ reduction and an inactive state.


Pyridoxal kinase catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to the 5′ alcohol of pyridoxine, pyridoxamine, and pyridoxal. In this work, kinetic studies were conducted to examine monovalent cation dependence of human pyridoxal kinase kinetic parameters. The results show that hPLK affinity for ATP and PL is increased manyfold in the presence of K+ when compared to Na+; however, the maximal activity of the Na+ form of the enzyme is more than double the activity in the presence of K+. Other monovalent cations, Li+, Cs+, and Rb+ do not show significant activity. We have determined the crystal structure of hPLK in the unliganded form, and in complex with MgATP to 2.0 and 2.2 Å resolution, respectively. Overall, the two structures show similar open conformation, and likely represent the catalytically idle state. The crystal structure of the MgATP complex also reveals Mg2+ and Na+ acting in tandem to anchor the ATP at the active site. Interestingly, the active site of hPLK acts as a sink to bind several molecules of MPD. The features of monovalent and divalent metal cation binding, active site structure, and vitamin B6 specificity are discussed in terms of the kinetic and structural studies, and are compared with those of the sheep and Escherichia coli enzymes.


Because structural innovation projects are burdened with high risk, there is a need for prior planning for rational investment decisions making, which can ensure the sustainable development of the industry. Finding the most probable development vision is one of the reasons why more and more successful and appreciable are studies connected with prediction of the future (known as: future studies), among which a method of foresight is also classified. The paper presents the problems associated with strategic planning based on foresight methodology, applied to searching for rational visions and scenarios for the development of transport systems.


Nanophotonics has become a key enabling technology in biomedicine with great promises in early diagnosis and less invasive therapies. In this context, the unique capability of plasmonic noble metal nanoparticles to concentrate light on the nanometer scale has widely contributed to biosensing and enhanced spectroscopy. Recently, high-refractive index dielectric nanostructures featuring low loss resonances have been proposed as a promising alternative to nanoplasmonics, potentially offering better sensing performances along with full compatibility with the microelectronics industry. In this letter we report the first demonstration of biosensing with silicon nanoresonators integrated in state-of-the-art microfluidics. Our lab-on-a-chip platform enables detecting Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) cancer marker in human serum with a sensitivity that meets clinical needs. These performances are directly compared with its plasmonic counterpart based on gold nanorods. Our work opens new opportunities in the development of future point-of-care devices toward a more personalized healthcare.


ABSTRACT The effectiveness of the H2O2/UV process has been investigated using trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and toluene as model compounds. The UV source used in this study was the low pressure mercury vapor lamp using mainly 254 nm of radiation. For irradiation of aromatic compounds such as benzene and toluene at high concentration, by-products formed by the irradiation process were found to reduce the oxidation rate; these by-products also acted as UV absorbers in competition with the parent compounds. A kinetic model for the rate of direct photolysis of organics has been developed illustrating a method of measuring quantum yields of photolysis in the presence of by-products. It was also found that the addition of peroxide enhanced the oxidation rate. The enhancement rate of TCE was greater than that of benzene even though kbenzene,OH is greater than kTCE,OH. The overall rate of the H2O2/UV system was found to depend on the relative importance of the OH radical pathway, th...


Russia is a country with high regional differentiation, where higher incomes are increasingly concentrated in the largest cities, while the transformation of the economic structures in the 1990s in smaller settlements is impeded by the underdevelopment of the necessary infrastructure (Mikhalev, 1998). In fact, the place of residence in Russia defines economic opportunities of people (Ovtscharova, Popova, 2005), as well as educational opportunities, diversity of leisure activities and choice of social services and medical care. So it is obvious that only taking into consideration the regional particularities could make the social policy effective. That is why the doctoral research project takes into account the interregional aspect. For the research it has been chosen North-West region with aged population, low-income employment and with average poverty among families with children (Ovtscharova, Popova, 2005) and Saint-Petersburg as developed industrialized centre.


This study sought to evaluate a Psychosocial Care Center from the perspective of the users' family members. Qualitative research was carried out, based on the theoretical and methodological references of Fourth Generation Evaluation. Gathering of data was made in a mental health unit in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, between October and November 2006, when 13 family members of users were interviewed. At a later stage, the interviews were validated in a negotiation workshop. Data were grouped and discussed, according to the topics: environment, therapeutic activities, team, plasticity, inclusion of the family, results of psychosocial attention, public policies and society. The data negotiation workshop was an important moment of discussion and reflection about the themes that emerged from the interviews. This evaluation shows the importance of giving voice to family members and view them as partners for establishing mental healthcare that fits in with the principles and guidelines of the Unified Health System and the tenets of Brazilian psychiatric reform.


Urban infrastructure in the developing nations is generating a great number of environmental problems. Therefore, the problem of land distribution among road networks, parking spaces and landscaped parks is to be researched. The passenger behavior depends on traffic congestion, parking search time, public transport frequency, parking fee, etc. The travel mode choice model is described by logit function.A city territory is subdivided into three districts, residential, central and industrial, each of them trying to develop and implement the optimal policy of land use. The district criterion includes residential travel times, congestion and impacts of the parks on the environment. Any district should solve the effective land use problem while the public transport system tries to find the optimal frequency.The travel time depends on road capacity and is described by Greenshields model. The influence of parking capacity upon the parking search time is described by the BPR formula.Participants' solutions influence one another; therefore, the coalition-free game is constructed. The existence of Nash equilibrium is proved for districts, passengers and public transport. The numerical example shows the impacts of value of time (VOT), population density and parking fee rates on districts land use.


Stand characteristics and understory plant diversity were investigated in low-drained man-made stands of Alnus subcordata C.A.Mey and Taxodium distichum (L) L.C. Rich. The trees were planted with distances of 3 × 3 m and 4 × 4 m in northern Iran. In these stands, herbaceous and woody species were counted in plots of 20 × 20 m. Then, indexes of richness, H/ diversity, J/ equitability and Jaccard similarity (JI), tree growths, cover crown percentage, and litter layer thickness of each stand were assessed following 17 years after planting. The results revealed that the greatest diameter at breast height (D.B.H) and stem height were observed in Alnus 4 × 4 m. By contrast, crown cover percentage and litter thicknesses were greater in Taxodium stands. Species richness, H/ diversity and J/ equitability indexes, Jaccard similarity (JI) of Alnus stands were greater than those of Taxodium stands. In reality, small and light canopy of Alnus is the main reason that the solar radiation can penetrate easily to forest ground and affect understory plant diversity. Alnus as a native tree species, due to greater growth attributes and higher diversity indices in their stands are proposed for plantations in such low-drained sites of northern Iran.


Sudoresis is the main autonomic human thermoregulatory mechanism. It can be influenced by several factors, including diseases, among them diabetes mellitus Type 1 (DM1), whose patients are potential victims of thermoregulatory disturbances. Regular physical exercises are recommended to diabetic people and some of them even become athletes. However, up to now, the sweat rate (SR) of diabetic patients during graded exercise until exhaustion (GXT) has not been compared to the SR of healthy individuals with similar physical characteristics. The present study measured global (SRglobal) and local (SRlocal) sweat rates during GXT in 14 diabetic (DM) and control subjects (CG), similar in age, gender, body composition and aerobic capacity. Urine specific gravity (Gu), body mass and blood glucose (Gblood) were measured before and after GXT. Besides that, Srlocal (forearm and leg) was measured by iontophoresis with pilocarpine (0.5%) in the DM group. Heart rate (HR), skin temperature (Tsk) and environmental thermal conditions were measured during the experiment. Both initial and final Gblood were higher in the DM, as expected. The Gu were similar between groups. Exercise induced similar SRglobal and SRlocal in both groups, whereas the rest HR and rest and exercise Tsk were higher in the DM. Forearm and leg SR were not different in the DM. It was concluded that the sweating response was not different between young diabetic patients and control group during GXT in a temperate environment.


The history of the early 20th century public school curriculum has established a narrative that investigates the transition from an emphasis on the liberal arts to a more functional, or useful, curriculum. This history details the influence of the developing social sciences and scientific thinking in debates among various interest groups to replace the humanities with tracks of learning that would prepare workers for an industrial society. Research has emphasized the authority of leading professional men who held administrative positions in school districts, universities, and learned societies. The voices of others, however, have been largely ignored in these historical accounts, in particular the role of women's voluntary organizations and why they supported the move toward relevance in the school curriculum. This paper, following the lead of Herbert Kliebard, uses the term "curriculum" to mean more than a list of prescribed courses, to include a broader function of schools as a reflection of certain values held by teachers, parents, administrators, and others. The paper argues that women volunteers played a pivotal role in shaping the school curriculum by interpreting and popularizing the writings of leading male educationists and social scientists. It examines the influence of the National Congress of Mothers (NCM) now the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) as a major national leader among women's associations of the Progressive Era that orchestrated national voluntary efforts to reform the school curriculum. (Contains 86 notes.) (BT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Mothering and Moralism during the Progressive Era: How Women's Associations Reinterpreted Science to Shape the School Curriculum Christine Woyshner, Temple University Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association


Wind power will play a major role in the future energy system in Sweden. Most of the major wind parks are planned to be built in sites where the cold climate and atmospheric icing can cause serious problems. This underlines the importance of addressing these issues. The major cause of these problems is in-cloud icing of the rotor blades due to super cooled liquid droplets of clouds. The droplets freeze upon impact with the rotor blade and form hard rime ice. This rime ice causes disruption in the aerodynamics that leads to production losses, extra loads on the rotor blades and when the ice is shed it poses a safety risk to people in the near environment. This master thesis focuses on how to measure the accretion of ice and the correlation between measured ice and production losses of two wind parks in northern Sweden. The results show a good correlation between the ice accretion on a stationary sensor and the production loss from a wind turbine. In most icing events the icing of the sensor and large production losses from the wind turbine correlated clearly. Attempts to quantify the production losses at a certain ice rate measured with the stationary sensors was done, however no clear results was produced. The reason for this is that the wind turbines often stop completely during an icing event and that the time series analyzed was too short to be able to quantify the losses at certain wind speed and ice rates. Recommendations on the type of sensor which should be used was to be produced, however the conclusion was that no single sensor has acted satisfactory and could be recommended to measure ice accretion for wind turbine applications. Due to this, at least two sensors are recommended to increase the redundancy in the measurement system. Modeling ice accretion with standard parameters measured has been done and the results show that the time of icing could be determined quite well when the sensors was ice free, however when the sensors and especially the humidity sensors was iced the time of icing was overestimated. The main conclusion drawn is that there is a clear relationship between the icing of a stationary sensor and the rotor blade. There is still no which fulfills all demands of measuring ice accretion for wind turbine applications, further it is possible with simple models to roughly determine when icing occurs with standard measurements.


Sediment fluxes within continental areas play a major role in the global biogeochemical cycles and are often at the source of soil surface degradation as well as water and ecosystems pollution. In a context of significant land use and climate change, it appears important to be able to carry out sediment budgets to assess potential future impacts induced by such changes. The purpose of this study is to examine the source-to-sink dynamic of the sediment cycle for 123 small to medium catchments (10 to 10^4 km²) distributed over the Loire River basin (France). To this aim, three different steps will be carried out. First, estimations of mean annual specific sediment load for the 123 catchments are estimated from suspended sediment concentration and water discharge measurements at basin outlets over the past four decades. Secondly, catchment global parameters (topography, landuse, drainage density...) and simple indices, combining these parameters, will be calculated to study the relationship between hillslope production and sediment load at basins outlet. Finally, we will focus on the development of a distributed modelling approach of on-land sediment transfer processes. Special attention will be given to hillslope runoff and sediment connectivity by taking into account landscape spatial organisation and linear pathways as determinant features for sediment transport. The results from the first step on mean annual specific sediment loads, show that catchments contribute from 30 to 4*10^5 t.yr-1 to the overall Loire river sediment exports (which equals 10^11 t.yr-1). Investigations on catchments global characteristics should then allow the identification of dominant processes in sediment redistribution, help to draw local and then regional distributed sediment budgets and bridge the gap between the different spatial scales. Contribution of hillslopes to the overall catchment budget should finally help to assess in-stream contributions and redistribution processes. Contributions of on-land sediment sources and transfer to the overall catchment budget should finally help to assess in-stream contributions and redistribution processes.


In this work, a series of hybrids of CoP/N-doped carbon hollow spheres anchored on core–shell N-doped carbon nanofibers were facilely fabricated by the electrospinning technique followed by pyrolysis and phosphorization. The as-prepared hybrids exhibited greatly enhanced bifunctional electrocatalytic activities for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) compared to either moiety of CoP/N-doped carbon hollow spheres and core–shell N-doped carbon nanofibers. Especially, the optimum CoP/NCF-200 hybrid exhibited high performances and stabilities for OER in alkaline conditions and for HER in both acidic and alkaline electrolytes. The catalyst also exhibited excellent performance for overall water splitting as both anodic and cathodic catalysts in alkaline media. The density functional theory calculations suggest that the synergy between CoP and N dopants leads to higher catalytic activities for HER and OER and the C atoms between N atoms in the carbon layer are the catalytica...


This article connects the recent anthropological interest in human/non-human assemblages with one of the hoariest problems to haunt anthropologists of identity and nationalism: the question of the link between people and land. Drawing on elements of a Latourian `sociology of associations' and on theories of distributed cognition, the article unpacks divergent ways of watching forest fires on the French island of Corsica. In Corsica, fires are often treated as revelatory of the real differences between insiders who love the land and outsiders who merely `visit'. The article argues that unpacking the multiple connections between people and things which are made and remade in the process of watching fires can get us beyond the classic anthropological analysis of such claims as `rhetorical', `metaphorical' or `imaginative', without however falling into the trap of radical alterity — a false alternative which has too often dogged the anthropological study of identity.


In India, almost 61 percent of all death in India is due to lifestyle disorders and non-communicable diseases WHO identifies prime risk factors for LSD. These are alcohol and tobacco intake, poor diet intake, lack of physical activities, mental stress, etc. According to sustainable development goal l3.4, which mandates a 1/3rd reduction in premature death due to lifestyle disorder by 2030.
An individual or group of people who have a lifestyle disorder (LSD) are essentially inviting themselves to develop any number of ailments that are mostly based on how they live. These include conditions including chronic bronchitis, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and malignancies brought on by diet and cigarette use. Ayurveda describes several principles to prevent LSD like Dincharya (daily routine), Ritucharya (seasonal routine), Sadvratta (code of conduct), etc but seven principles are essential to follow to lead a healthy life. These are 1. Tri-upstairs (Ahara, Vihara, Brahmacharya) which is the main pillar of health, 2. Dincharya, 3.  Ritucharya, 4. Avoidance of Vegadharana (suppression of natural urges), 5. Avoidance of Prajnapradha (renunciation) 6. Sadvratta (good code of conduct), 7. Yoga (to avoid mental stress). This article mainly emphasizes the preventive aspect of Lifestyle disorder by using the Ayurveda principle.


Employing intense muon sources to carry out forefront low energy research, such as the search for muon-number non-conservation, or for the purpose of providing intense high energy neutrino beams (ν factory) represents very interesting possibilities. If successful, such efforts would significantly advance the state of muon technology and provides intermediate steps in technologies required for a future high energy muon collider complex. High intensity muon: production, capture, cooling, acceleration, and multiturn muon storage rings are some of the key technology issues that needs more studies and development. A muon collider require basically same number of muons as for the muon storage ring Neutrino Factory, but would require more cooling, and simultaneus capture of both ±μ. We present an overview of Muon Sources–Neutrino Factories, example of a muon storage ring at BNL, and possible upgrades to a full Muon Collider.


In this study, a method for landing with a Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) on a μm size flake of graphene was developed. Two approaches were explored, one using physical guides to navigate on the sample and another one using capacitive pickup in the system. We show that with no modification of the STM that was used, we could land on a micrometer size flake of graphene.


Cloud detection of remote sensing imagery is quite challenging due to the influence of complicated underlying surfaces and the variety of cloud types. Currently, most of the methods mainly rely on prior knowledge to extract features artificially for cloud detection. However, these features may not be able to accurately represent the cloud characteristics under complex environment. In this paper, we adopt an innovative model named Fuzzy Autoencode Model (FAEM) to integrate the feature learning ability of stacked autoencode networks and the detection ability of fuzzy function for highly accurate cloud detection on remote sensing imagery. Our proposed method begins by selecting and fusing spectral, texture, and structure information. Thereafter, the proposed technique established a FAEM to learn the deep discriminative features from a great deal of selected information. Finally, the learned features are mapped to the corresponding cloud density map with a fuzzy function. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, 172 Landsat ETM+ images and 25 GF-1 images with different spatial resolutions are used in this paper. For the convenience of accuracy assessment, ground truth data are manually outlined. Results show that the average RER (ratio of right rate and error rate) on Landsat images is greater than 29, while the average RER of Support Vector Machine (SVM) is 21.8 and Random Forest (RF) is 23. The results on GF-1 images exhibit similar performance as Landsat images with the average RER of 25.9, which is much higher than the results of SVM and RF. Compared to traditional methods, our technique has attained higher average cloud detection accuracy for either different spatial resolutions or various land surfaces.


The transfer function dV/d/spl Phi/ and the noise characteristics of a low-T/sub c/ superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) have been improved by annealing to adjust the critical current, thereby optimizing the McCumber parameter /spl beta//sub c/. A SQUID structure suitable for annealing and using surface nitridation and planarization has also been developed. By annealing a SQUID that initially has a /spl beta//sub c/ greater than 1, the I-V characteristics can be changed from characteristics with hysteresis to characteristics without hysteresis. A SQUID with /spl beta//sub c/=0.81, close to the hysteresis limitation, had a large dV/d/spl Phi/ (3.7 mV//spl Phi/) and good noise characteristics (1.5 /spl mu//spl Phi//sub 0///spl radic/(Hz) at 100 Hz and 3.0 /spl mu//spl Phi//sub 0///spl radic/(Hz) at 1 Hz). These characteristics can be attained even when using a simple measuring circuit connected directly to preamplifier without adaptive components such as flux modulation or additional positive feedback (APF).<<ETX>>


Urban environmental noise pollution has impact on the quality of life and it is a serious health and social problem. The aim of this study was to assess the sources and noise levels, and possible impacts in selected residential neighbourhoods of Ibadan metropolis. Structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from respondents on demographic and neighbourhood characteristics, sources of noise and perceived effects of noise pollution. Noise level meter was used to determine the noise levels. Results showed that noise levels, sources and the period the noise level reaches its peak vary with population density and are shown on GIS maps. The mean noise values for the three residential neighbourhood groups were low density (LD), 53.10±2.80dB; medium density (MD), 68.45± 2.10dB and high density (HD), 68.36±1.92dB with the medium density neighbourhoods having the highest mean value. There is a significant difference in the noise levels in the three neighbourhood groups (F value=11.88 and p=0.000). However, the difference in noise levels between HD/LD and LD/MD areas was significant (p=0.000) while that between HD/MD areas was not significant (p=0.975). Of the three residential neighbourhoods, the highest mean noise level (85.80dB) was recorded at Bere junction while the lowest was at the foot of Bowers tower at Oke Are (48.65dB). Based on WHO 16-hour DNL criteria of 55dB for residential areas, only 16 (23.2%) locations in the three residential neighbourhood groups had noise values that were within the recommended limit. The study concludes that there is a need for formulation and enforcement of permissible noise levels/standards for residential neighbourhoods by the Federal Ministry of Environment instead of using the current eight-hour standard of 90dB which is for industrial settings. Keywords: Environmental noise, health effects, Ibadan, pollution


The impact of a novel type of Modified Atmosphere (MA), referred to as high O2‐MA, on micro‐organisms associated with the spoilage of minimally‐processed vegetables was studied. Pure cultures of Pseudomonas fluorescens, Enterobacter agglomerans, Aureobacterium strain 27, Candida guilliermondii, C. sake, Salmonella typhimurium, Salm. enteritidis, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Leuconostoc mesenteroides var. mesenteroides, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactococcus lactis were cultured on an agar‐surface model system and incubated at 8 °C under an atmosphere composed of O2 (80 or 90%, balanced with N2), CO2 (10 or 20%, balanced with N2), or a combination of both gases. In general, exposure to high O2 alone did not inhibit microbial growth strongly, while CO2 alone reduced growth to some extent in most cases. Consistently strong inhibition was observed only when the two gases were used in combination. With minimally‐processed vegetables, where CO2 levels of around 20% or above cannot be used because of physiological damage to the produce, the combined treatment of high O2 and 10–20% CO2 may provide adequate suppression of microbial growth, allowing a safe, prolonged shelf‐life.


This paper reviews the development of tort law during the 20th century with particular attention to the broad expansion of liability since the 1970s. It attempts to explain the origins of the expansion of liability; to present examples of its effects on product and service markets; and to analyze the extensive efforts of the past five to six years toward liability reform, efforts which I conclude have had only a slight relationship to the underlying sources of modern liability problems. Though the empirical evidence is thin, virtually all studies of the effects of specific modern rules demonstrate that modern tort law has substantially dislocated product and service markets, as one might expect of an assertive legal regime founded on largely noneconomic principles. As we shall see, market dislocations, especially for insurance, have increased sharply during the past decade.


Both pressure cooking and solar cooking significantly reduced the phytic acid and polyphenol content of cowpea cultivars. A significantly greater reduction in the content of both these antinutrients was noticed during pressure and solar cooking of soaked cowpeas compared to unsoaked seeds. The percentage reduction increased when the soaked cowpeas were dehulled and then cooked by both pressure and solar cooking. The results of the study reveal that solar cooking was more effective than pressure cooking in reducing the concentrations of phytic acid and polyphenols in cowpeas. The cumulative effect of soaking and dehulling, followed by solar cooking, was the removal of most of the polyphenols (88‐94 per cent). Such practices should be encouraged at the home level for the preparation of cowpea seeds.


In this paper, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-aided wireless emergence communication system is studied, where an UAV is deployed to support ground user equipments (UEs) for emergence communications. We aim to maximize the number of the UEs served, the fairness, and the overall uplink data rate via optimizing the trajectory of UAV and the transmission power of UEs. We propose a Deep Q-Network (DQN) based algorithm, which involves the well-known Deep Neural Network (DNN) and Q-Learning, to solve the UAV trajectory problem. Then, based on the optimized UAV trajectory, we further propose a successive convex approximation (SCA) based algorithm to tackle the power control problem for each UE. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed DQN based algorithm can achieve considerable performance gain over the existing benchmark algorithms in terms of fairness, the number of UEs served and overall uplink data rate via optimizing UAV's trajectory and power optimization.


After an exposure to weightlessness, the central nervous system operates under new dynamic and sensory contexts. To find optimal solutions for rapid adaptation, cosmonauts have to decide whether parameters from the world or their body have changed and to estimate their properties. Here, we investigated sensorimotor adaptation after a spaceflight of 10 days. Five cosmonauts performed forward point-to-point arm movements in the sagittal plane 40 days before and 24 and 72 h after the spaceflight. We found that, whereas the shape of hand velocity profiles remained unaffected after the spaceflight, hand path curvature significantly increased 1 day after landing and returned to the preflight level on the third day. Control experiments, carried out by 10 subjects under normal gravity conditions, showed that loading the arm with varying loads (from 0.3 to 1.350 kg) did not affect path curvature. Therefore, changes in path curvature after spaceflight cannot be the outcome of a control process based on the subjective feeling that arm inertia was increased. By performing optimal control simulations, we found that arm kinematics after exposure to microgravity corresponded to a planning process that overestimated the gravity level and optimized movements in a hypergravity environment (∼1.4 g). With time and practice, the sensorimotor system was recalibrated to Earth's gravity conditions, and cosmonauts progressively generated accurate estimations of the body state, gravity level, and sensory consequences of the motor commands (72 h). These observations provide novel insights into how the central nervous system evaluates body (inertia) and environmental (gravity) states during sensorimotor adaptation of point-to-point arm movements after an exposure to weightlessness.


An accurate, convenient and inexpensive reductimetric titration method has been developed for the determination of vanadium(V) with iron(II). In this method vanadium(V) is titrated against iron(II)solution in a buffer medium of pH 3.5 – 4.5 [made of sodium acetate and hydrochlaoric acid] and in presence of 0.04M (or above) sodium oxalate. The end-point can be detected potentiometrically or visually using some oxazine dyes (Gallocyanine, Gollamine blue, Celestin blue, and Meladola's blue) as redox indicators. vanadium(V) in the range of 8-25mg. and 4- 13mg. can be determined by the potentiometric (accuracy + 0.4%) and visual end-point methods (accuracy + 0.6%) respectively. The conditional redox potentials of the oxidant [V(V)/V(IV)] and reductant [Fe(III)/Fe(II)] systems have been measured and based on the potentials data, the conditions needed in the titration has been explained. Based on the SIMUL hyperquade Computer programming, the nature of the species expected to be formed between Fe(III) and oxalate under the optimum conditions has been proposed. The interference of due to other ions has been studied.


A hydronic pavement system (HPS) is an alternative method to clear snow and ice, which avoids the use of salt, sand, and fossil fuel in conventional snow clearance, and minimizes the risk of accidents. The aim is to analyze the performance of different control strategies for a 35,000 m2 HPS utilizing heat from a district heating and cooling (DHC) system. The key performance indicators are (1) energy performance of the HPS, and (2) primary energy use, (3) electricity production and (4) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the DHC system. The methodology uses a simulation model of the HPS and an optimization model of the DHC system. Three operational strategies are analyzed: A reference scenario based on the current control strategy, and scenarios where the HPS is shut down at temperatures below −10 °C and −5 °C. The study shows that the DHC return temperature is suitable for use. By operational strategies, use during peak demand in the DHC system can be avoided, resulting in reduced use of fossil fuel. Moreover, the energy use of the HPS could be reduced by 10% and the local GHG emissions by 25%. The study emphasizes that the HPS may have positive effects on global GHG emissions, as it enables electricity production from renewable resources.


The laboratory class is a unique learning environment with the potential to achieve a number of theoretical and practical learning objectives. Consequently, the demands on students are also great. They must not only learn manipulative and experimental techniques, but also link theory to practice, problem-solve, interpret data, interact with staff and other students, and successfully navigate the lab itself. Learning in this situation can be greatly assisted by an instructor who is able to guide students through this complex of practical, cognitive and affective issues.1,2 Frequently though, these laboratory sessions are taught by some of the least experienced members of the teaching staff. In the Department of Applied Chemistry at Curtin, we prepare our demonstrators by using a four stage process: (i) a full day workshop on teaching in labs, (ii) a half day safety and laboratory induction, (iii) use of a demonstrators' preparation sheet and (iv) weekly group meetings. Details of these activities will be provided in this paper.


We report a systematic study of process-related electrical defects in symmetric lateral NPN transistors on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) fabricated using ion implantation for all the doped regions. A primary objective of this study is to see if pipe defects (emitter-collector shorts caused by locally enhanced dopant diffusion) are a show stopper for such bipolar technology. Measurements of IC-VCE and Gummel currents in parallel-connected transistor chains as a function of post-fabrication rapid thermal anneal cycles allow several process-related electrical defects to be identified. They include defective emitter-base and collector-base diodes, pipe defects, and defects associated with a dopant-deficient region in an extrinsic base adjacent its intrinsic base. There is no evidence of pipe defects being a major concern in SOI lateral bipolar transistors.


A vivid sense of motion can be inferred from static pictures of objects in motion. Like perception of real motion (RM), viewing photographs with implied motion (IM) can also activate the motion-sensitive visual cortex, including the middle temporal complex (hMT+) of the human extrastriate cortex. Moreover, extrastriate cortical activity also increases with motion coherence. Based on these previous findings, this study examined whether similar coherence level-dependent activity in motion-sensitive human extrastriate cortex is seen with IM stimuli of varying coherence. Photographic stimuli showing a human moving in four directions (left, right, toward, or away from the viewer) were presented to 15 participants. The coherence of the stimuli was manipulated by changing the percentage of pictures implying movement in one direction. Electroencephalographic data were collected while participants viewed IM or counterpart non-IM stimuli. The P2 response of extrastriate visual cortex (source located at hMT+) increased bilaterally with coherence level in the IM conditions but not in the non-IM conditions. This finding demonstrates that extrastriate visual cortical responses are progressively activated as motion coherence increases, even when motion is inferred, providing new support for the view that the activity of human motion-sensitive extrastriate visual cortex can be modulated by top-down perceptual influences in addition to its well-established role in processing bottom-up sensory signals.


Dynamic software product lines (DSPLs) combine the advantages of traditional SPLs, such as an explicit variability model connected to an integrated repository of reusable code artefacts, with the ability to exploit a system's variability at runtime. When a system needs to adapt, for example to changes in operational environment or functional requirements, DSPL systems are capable of adapting their behaviour dynamically, thus avoiding the need to halt, recompile and redeploy. The field of DSPL engineering is still in formation and general-purpose DSPL development languages and tools are rare. In this paper we introduce a language and execution environment for developing and running dynamic SPLs. Our work builds on ABS, a language and integrated development environment with dedicated support for implementing static software product lines. Our ABS extension advances the scope of ABS to dynamic SPL engineering. Systems developed using ABS are compiled to Java, and are thus executable on a wide range of platforms.


Diabetic retinopathy is the commonest cause of blindness in the working age population in the Western world. It is widely recognised that screening for this treatable condition is highly cost effective. However, there is a shortage in the number of trained personnel required to screen for sight threatening forms of the disease. It has been shown that many of the features of diabetic retinopathy such as microaneurysms, cotton wool spots, exudates and haemorrhages can be identified automatically with high levels of sensitivity and specificity. This work describes the development of an automated computerised system for the screening of diabetic retinopathy through the integration of an artificial intelligent system and the development of custom written software (Diabetic Retinopathy Image Classification Programme) to enable image acquisition, image processing, neural network training and testing to be performed in a structured manner. A combination of conventional image processing and neural network methods are utilised for the identification of the basic features associated with the normal and diabetic fundus image. Preliminary investigations into the identification of sight-threatening features are also described. Identification of normal retinal vasculature and diabetic associated features was performed using three separately trained back-propagtion neural networks. Localisation of the optic disc and macula was achieved by region of interest pixel intensity scanning. Assessment of the optic disc for sight-threatening new vessel growth was performed by comparing the variance in circular intensity profiles of normal optic discs to the variance of those with neovascularisation. Patients were classified as having maculopathy if hard exudates were identified within one disc diameter of the fovea. The overall aim of this project is to develop an automated screening programme for diabetic retinopathy. The initial phase details the development and comparison of a range of algorithms for the detection of features associated with diabetic retinopathy. The final phase details the clinical evaluation of the current screening system.


As many of the most knowledgeable personnel in technically complex businesses approach retirement, there is a need to capture their knowledge. The temptation is for management to ignore the problem until it is too late. The article discusses how a company can identify employees who possess valuable undocumented knowledge, evaluate whether the knowledge is worth capturing, elicit, represent, and preserve the valuable knowledge, and share this knowledge with other personnel when needed.


The Byzantine agreement problem is considered to be a core problem in distributed systems. For example, Byzantine agreement is needed to build a blockchain, a totally ordered log of records. Blockchains are asynchronous distributed systems, fault-tolerant against Byzantine nodes.
In the literature, the asynchronous byzantine agreement problem is studied in a fully connected network model where every node can directly send messages to every other node. This assumption is questionable in many real-world environments. In the reality, nodes might need to communicate by means of an incomplete network, and Byzantine nodes might not forward messages. Furthermore, Byzantine nodes might not behave correctly and, for example, corrupt messages. Therefore, in order to truly understand Byzantine Agreement, we need both ingredients: asynchrony and incomplete communication networks.
In this paper, we study the asynchronous Byzantine agreement problem in incomplete networks. A classic result by Danny Dolev proved that in a distributed system with n nodes in the presence of f Byzantine nodes, the vertex connectivity of the system communication graph should be at least (2f+1). While Dolev's result was for synchronous deterministic systems, we demonstrate that the same bound also holds for asynchronous randomized systems. We show that the bound is tight by presenting a randomized algorithm, and a matching lower bound.


The deposition of mesoporous silica (SiO(2)) on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has opened up a wide range of assembling possibilities by exploiting the sidewall of CNTs and organosilane chemistry. The resulting systems may be suitable for applications in catalysis, energy conversion, environmental chemistry, and nanomedicine. However, to promote the condensation of silicon monomers on the nanotube without producing segregated particles, (OR)(4-x)SiO(x)(x-) units must undergo nucleophilic substitution by groups localized on the CNT sidewall during the transesterification reaction. In order to achieve this preferential attachment, we have deposited silica on oxidized carbon nanotubes (single-walled and multiwalled) in a sol-gel process that also involved the use of a soft template (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB). In contrast to the simple approach normally used to describe the attachment of inorganic compounds on CNTs, SiO(2) nucleation on the tube is a result of nucleophilic attack mainly by hydroxyl radicals, localized in a very complex surface chemical environment, where various oxygenated groups are covalently bonded to the sidewall and carboxylated carbonaceous fragments (CCFs) are adsorbed on the tubes. Si-O-C covalent bond formation in the SiO(2)-CNT hybrids was observed even after removal of the CCFs with sodium hydroxide. By adding CTAB, and increasing the temperature, time, and initial amount of the catalyst (NH(4)OH) in the synthesis, the SiO(2) coating morphology could be changed from one of nanoparticles to mesoporous shells. Concomitantly, pore ordering was achieved by increasing the amount of CTAB. Furthermore, preferential attachment on the sidewall results mostly in CNTs with uncapped ends, having sites (carboxylic acids) that can be used for further localized reactions.


In 1970, Marler set the idea of a parallel between human speech and birdsong, emphasizing the many common properties in vocal development of both infants and songbirds. One of the best-known features of human speech is the hemispheric specialization of the brain for its perception and production. The lateralization for the production of song that has been observed in a number of passerine birds is reminiscent of this hemispheric asymmetry. However, although evidence exists for a lateralization of song production, very few studies have focused on the perceptual aspect of lateralization in songbirds. In the present study, we investigated the central processing of communicative and artificial signals at different level of the song system in male starlings. Neuronal responses to a variety of species-specific and artificial nonspecific stimuli were recorded in both hemispheres of awake and anesthetized birds. Recordings were made in the primary auditory area of the songbird brain, namely the Field L Complex, which is the main auditory input of the song system, and in the vocal control nucleus HVC, which is a highly integrative part of this system. In both cases, the right hemisphere exhibited significantly more responsive units than the left one when the birds were awake, and this difference was reduced or even suppressed under anesthesia. Most importantly, our results showed a complex and state-dependent hemispheric specialization towards behaviorally-relevant classes of stimuli. These results are in agreement with the suggestion that the two hemispheres exhibit different general functions in terms of attention or the nature of the cognitive task performed, and add to the many parallels between the avian and human systems that have become paradigmatic of vocal communication. Hemispheric specialization may therefore have been a general feature in the evolution of vocal communication. References


Abstract:
 The widespread Neotropical species Polygala glochidiata has traditionally been considered the only Polygala with uncinate seed hairs to occur in Mexico. A second species with such hairs is shown to occur partly sympatrically with P. glochidiata in Jalisco and Nayarit and is referred to P. minima, heretofore considered to be a species restricted to southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. A single collection from the state of México is also referred to P. minima, while the situation from Oaxaca southeastward into Central America is more complex. Patterns of variation in the P. glochidiata complex require further study, but data are presented to dispute the synonymization of P. minima into P. glochidiata by Bernardi.


In this issue of the Policy Review Section , Stephen Hall and Brendan Nevin of the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, University of Birmingham, review the experiences of the first three rounds of the Single Regeneration Budget and against that background consider the next steps in the development of regeneration policy. In the second article, Peter Lee also of the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies, examines the policy implications of the recent changes in the methods for identifying deprived areas following the introduction of the Index for Local Deprivation. In the third article, Peter Newman of the School of Built Environment, University of Westminster, and Gilles Verpraet of the Centre d'Analyses et d'Interventions Sociologiques, Paris, set out the findings of a comparative European research network which examined the nature and experience of public-private partnerships in urban governance.


Originally published in 2005, Weather Derivative Valuation covers all the meteorological, statistical, financial and mathematical issues that arise in the pricing and risk management of weather derivatives. There are chapters on meteorological data and data cleaning, the modelling and pricing of single weather derivatives, the modelling and valuation of portfolios, the use of weather and seasonal forecasts in the pricing of weather derivatives, arbitrage pricing for weather derivatives, risk management, and the modelling of temperature, wind and precipitation. Specific issues covered in detail include the analysis of uncertainty in weather derivative pricing, time-series modelling of daily temperatures, the creation and use of probabilistic meteorological forecasts and the derivation of the weather derivative version of the Black-Scholes equation of mathematical finance. Written by consultants who work within the weather derivative industry, this book is packed with practical information and theoretical insight into the world of weather derivative pricing.


A magnitude-based gain-scheduling nonlinear PD control is developed, by using a nonlinear exponential function of the error and its change. Performance benefits such as increased damping and reduced tracking error are achieved. The guidelines to determine the appropriate parameters for the proposed nonlinear PD control to guarantee the stability of the closed-loop system are addressed. The proposed nonlinear PD control is very simple and easy of implement. The comparative trajectory tracking results performed on a closed-chain manipulator in the presence of nonlinear friction with the conventional linear PD control demonstrates the effectiveness of the developed approach.


Deep embedding learning becomes more attractive for discriminative feature learning, but many methods still require hard-class mining, which is computationally complex and performance-sensitive. To this end, we propose Adaptive Large Margin N-Pair loss (ALMN) to address the aforementioned issues. Instead of exploring hard example-mining strategy, we introduce the concept of large margin constraint. This constraint aims at encouraging local-adaptive large angular decision margin among dissimilar samples in multimodal feature space so as to significantly encourage intraclass compactness and interclass separability. And it is mainly achieved by a simple yet novel geometrical Virtual Point Generating (VPG) method, which converts artificially setting a fixed margin into automatically generating a boundary training sample in feature space and is an open question. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method on several popular datasets for image retrieval and clustering tasks.


As more artifacts are created in a digital format, there is a need to have metadata associated with the artifacts to increase the chance for resource discovery by others. This is especially the case with non-textual artifacts. Once these artifacts have descriptive metadata associated with them, they have the potential to become learning objects which can be used by others in their own teaching and research. This study explored the design and development of a performance support tool to create descriptive metadata by users that are most familiar with the non-textual learning objects, yet may not have an understanding of the various metadata schemas and standards required by other institutional/knowledge repositories and search engines. In order to create such a tool, certain features need to be included in order for users to create appropriate metadata. The tool needs to have Unicode character support in order metadata entry, display and searching. Research found that characteristics such as controlled vocabularies, tooltips, validation rules, and having a relevant image on the same screen as the metadata form help users to create appropriate and accurate metadata; yet, no existing tool was found that contained all of these features to assist faculty in describing their non-textual learning objects. These characteristics were operationalized in the design and development of the performance support tool. Findings from the evaluation of the tool indicate that the owner of the learning objects was able to create a customized, non-standard metadata form that users were then able to use to create appropriate and accurate descriptive metadata. Design and Development of a Performance Support Tool for the Digital Curation of Non-Textual Learning Objects


An in vitro technique is described for assessing the chemotactic activity of soluble substances on motile cells. Antibody-antigen mixtures when incubated (37°C) in medium containing fresh (i.e. non-inactivated) normal rabbit serum exert a strong chemotactic effect on rabbit polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Results are described which indicate that, when antibody-antigen complexes are incubated (37°C) in fresh serum, a heat-stable (56°C) substance (or substances) is produced which acts directly as a chemotactic stimulus on the polymorphs. This heat-stable chemotactic substance is not produced when antibody-antigen complexes are incubated in serum which has been heated at 56°C for 30 minutes.


The main theme of this book is the relation between science and government policy-making. In the centre of all three essays is Karl Bernhard Wiklund (1868-1934), professor of Fenno-Ugrian languages at Uppsala University in the beginning of the 20th century, and his research on the Sami population in northern Sweden. In the first essay, Wiklund's role as an expert used by the Swedish state for Sami related questions is examined. For a long time he was the only one with specific scientific knowledge in these matters, and as such he was frequently consulted by, for example, committees in all kinds of questions, cultural and otherwise. The second essay analyzes Wiklund's views of the Sami, as they appear in his writings addressed to a general public. His publications show that in writing the history of the Sami population, Wiklund is as much writing the history of Swedes. The development over time of the former is very much in Wiklund's writings presented as a result of the presence of ethnic Swedes, thus making the Sami dependent rather than independent in history. Nationalism is an underlying theme also in the third essay, which deals with the origin of Nomadskolans lasebok, a textbook written by Wiklund and used by children in the Sami-schools in northern Sweden. Its origin is characterized by a distinct idea that only the Sami living in the mountains had a future in Sweden as Samis while other groups of Samis, living elsewhere, were to be assimilated with the Swedes. Therefore the contents of Nomadskolans lasebok is directed toward the mountain Samis. The book ends with a bibliography of the works of Wiklund, presenting more than 400 of his writings.


This study deals with the changes in mineralogy and fabric of a suite of
mudrocks due to increased induration caused by diagenetic history, and the subsequent
controls on geotechnical properties. Burial diagenesis of mudrocks has important
implications on their engineering behaviour, in particular the liberation of Si and Ca
during illitisation of smectite and mixed layer clay minerals leading to cementation. The
objective of the research has been to provide a means of predicting engineering
performance of mudrocks from mineralogical composition. A suite of 41 mudrock
samples ranging from Cambrian slates to Carboniferous Coal Measures in age and
variable diagenetic rank has been sampled and tested.
A detailed mineralogical evaluation of the samples was conducted and it was
found that the proportion of mixed layer clays and kaolinite decreased with an increase
in diagenetic rank of the material, but not necessarily with increasing ages of the
samples.
The diagenetic histories of the samples was assessed using illite 'crystalinity'
and vitrinite reflectance measurement, which indicated that the samples ranged low
diagenetic to epizonal in rank.
The textures of the samples was studied using back-scattered scanning electron
microscope imagery. The novel application of this technique to textural analysis in the
field of engineering geology resulted in the diagenetic rank parameter classification
scheme being devised. The classification parameter consists of a systematic approach to
the evaluation of pore and microfracture distribution, clay mineral orientation and
degree of recrystallization, degree of contact of clastic mineral constituent and the
degree of cementation.
The physical properties of the mudrocks were assessed in terms of bulk index
properties, swelling, slaking and strength.
In evaluating the test data, it was found that that the principal controls on the
durability of indurated mudrocks was the distribution of micro fractures and the mixed layer clay content. With increasing diagenetic rank measured by illite 'crystallinity'
determination, the durability of the samples increased due to the development of a more
mature rock fabric as seen by the use of back-scatter scanning electron microscope
imagery. With increasing diagenetic rank there is a decrease in microfracture
distribution due to recrystallization of clay mineral species and subsequent
recementation of the sample also due to release of Ca and Si from the conversion of clay
mineral species. This process reduces void space, eliminates micro fractures and creates
a non expansive clay mineral suite resulting in a durable mudrock less susceptable to
swelling and slaking effects.
An additional controlling factor on mudrock durability was found to be the
presence of calcareous and organic carbon cements. These controls were found to be
short term, as seen in natural weathering experiments, where samples of high
calcareous and carbonate contents were found to start slaking after a period of 6 to 8
months of exposure, and samples of low carbonate and calcareous content began to
degenerate almost instantaneously. The controls of cementation on the durability of
mudrocks are eventually broken down due to the effects of air breakage in voids and
swelling stress resulting from the expansive clay mineral species present.
( A range of simple index tests were used to physically characterise the mudrock
samples and their potential in determining mudrock durability was evaluated. A
mudrock rank durability classification approach is presented which is based on the
modified jar slake test, methylene blue adsorption and moisture absorption
determination. These index tests were found to correlate strongly with void and
microfracture distributions and proportions of mixed layer clays within the samples.
This classification approach was tested on the samples in the study and found to be
effective in distinguishing between non-durable, moderately durable, and durable
mud rocks.


A light field is a four-dimensional function that grabs the intensity of light rays traversing an empty space at each point. The light field can be captured using devices designed specifically for this purpose and it allows one to extract depth information about the scene. Most light-field algorithms require a huge amount of processing power. Fortunately, in recent years, parallel hardware has evolved and enables such volumes of data to be processed. Field programmable gate arrays are one such option. In this paper, we propose two hardware designs that share a common construction block to compute a disparity map from light-field data. The first design employs serial data input into the hardware, while the second employs view parallel input. These designs focus on performing calculations during data read-in and producing results only a few clock cycles after read-in. Several experiments were conducted. First, the influence of using fixed-point arithmetic on accuracy was tested using synthetic light-field data. Also tests on actual light field data were performed. The performance was compared to that of a CPU, as well as an embedded processor. Our designs showed similar performance to the former and outperformed the latter. For further comparison, we also discuss the performance difference between our designs and other designs described in the literature.


Negotiations on a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) were officially launched at the Santiago Summit in April 1998. This study examines the prospects for the FTAA in light of recent economic and political turmoil in Latin America and the continuing impasse over US "fast-track" authority. The study evaluates progress to date in the trade talks and proposals for accelerating the target date of January 2005 for concluding negotiations, and it takes into account the results of the April 2001 Quebec Summit. It surveys regional interests in the wide-ranging negotiating agenda and assesses the "readiness" of countries to participate in a hemisphere-wide free trade zone (based on updated "readiness indicators" originally developed by Hufbauer and Schott in their 1994 study, Western Hemisphere Economic Integration).


Of the 124 tractates that St. Augustine delivered to his congregation at Hippo Regius, the first fifty-four form a distinct group. They differ in length and character from the remaining tractates, contain many chronological references, and consist of bitter attacks on the Donatists and other heresies. The remaining tractates (55-124) are brief and contain no chronological references to prior tractates. Scholars maintain that the latter were dictated for later reading to the people rather than extemporaneously delivered. This volume contains tractates 11-27. In 11-16 Augustine continues the attack, begun in tractates 1-10, on the heresies of Manichaeism, Donatism, and Pelagianism. Beginning with the seventeenth tractate, however, he focuses greater attention on Arianism, a Trinitarian heresy whose major tenet was that divine being was uncreated, unbegotten, and unique and that Christ was not true God but a creature who had a beginning. Augustine also attacks lesser Christological heresies: the Apollinarists, who assert that Christ did not assume the complete human nature but only the body, and Photinus of Sirmium, who held that Christ did not except for his miraculous birth and acquired a plenitude of grace through moral perfection. In these tractates Augustine combines scriptural exegesis, the refutation of false teachings, and theological reflections with the spiritual and moral instruction of his congregation. ""Look for separation in the Father and Son, you do not find it; even if you have soared high, then you do not find it; if you have touched something beyond your intellect, then you do not find it. For if you busy yourself in these things which the erring mind makes for itself, you speak with your own images, not with the Word of God; your images deceive you. Transcend the body and savor the mind. Transcend the mind also and savor God.""


BACKGROUND
High-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (MR-VWI) is increasingly used to study steno-occlusive cerebrovascular disease, but has not yet been applied to patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

OBJECTIVE
To study the ability of high-resolution MR-VWI to determine the site of rupture in patients with aneurysmal SAH.

METHODS
Medical records of patients admitted with aneurysmal SAH between December 2011 and May 2012 were reviewed. MR-VWI was routinely performed for patients treated in the IMRIS Neurovascular Suite immediately before definitive treatment of the ruptured aneurysm.

RESULTS
We report for the first time high-resolution MR-VWI in 5 patients with aneurysmal SAH. Three patients harbored multiple intracranial aneurysms. The ruptured aneurysms demonstrated thick vessel wall enhancement in all cases. None of the associated unruptured aneurysms demonstrated this MR imaging finding.

CONCLUSION
High-resolution MR-VWI identified the site of rupture in patients with aneurysmal SAH, including those patients harboring multiple intracranial aneurysms. It may represent a useful tool in the investigation of aneurysmal SAH.


The paper presented here deals with rheological and hardening properties during the setting reaction, and density and compressive strength after the final setting of a figuline composite consisting of Ca2KNa(PO4)2 and 2wt% medium gel strength gelatin. Compared to the composite with monomodal particle size distribution (d50=7.18µm; span=3.9) and its properties during and after setting reaction, the goal of this work is to increase the resulting product compressive strength by mixing different particle sizes in order to obtain bi- and trimodal distributions. For the bimodal powder mixtures the ratio in diameter (dcourse/dsmall) was chosen with 7/1 and volume ratio dcourse/dsmall was 70/30%. For the trimodal powder mixtures the ratio in diameter (dcourse/dmedium/dsmall) was chosen with 70/7/1 and volume ratio dcourse/dmedium/dsmall was set to 44/28/28%.After establishing an adequate crushing and sieving process the tap density and powder density of each fraction was determined. Subsequently, the different particle sizes were mixed and the densities and the Hausner ratio were determined again. The mixtures show an increase in both densities especially the tap density increased significantly. Rheological investigations show that the graphs of storage and loss moduli of the multimodal powder mixtures respectively are similar. The characteristic setting times show a slight decrease compared with the monomodal composite but not significantly different data. When comparing the resulting compressive strength of cylindrical samples, which were stored direct after reaching the initial setting time under physiological conditions, the studies illustrated in all cases for the multimodal mixtures a significant increase in compressive strength and a higher density.


Chianina, Marchigiana, Maremmana, Podolica and Romagnola are the main Italian beef cattle breeds, and the quality of their products is largely recognized worldwide. This paper aims to determine the genetic variability and population differentiation by heterozygosity and fixation indices using SNPs data. The dataset was composed of 3,581 animals (Chianina, n = 909; Marchigiana, n = 879; Maremmana, n = 334; Podolica, n = 555; Romagnola, n = 904). The blood samples were collected in ANABIC performance testing station from 1985 to 2019. All the animals were genotyped with the GeneSeek GGP-LDv4 33k SNP chip containing 30,111 SNPs. The genotype quality control for each breed was conducted separately, and SNPs with call rate smaller than 0.95 and minor allele frequency larger than 5% were used for further analysis. Heterozygosity and F IS index were estimated in PLINK v1.9, and F ST index was estimated using the hierstat package of R 4.0.1 software. The genetic analysis highlighted low values of heterozygosity in the improved beef breeds compared to the heritage breeds; moreover, the low values of F IS indicated a positive effect of controlled genetic inbreeding in the studied breeds. The F ST ; analysis confirmed the historical origin of Marchigiana breed and the values are consistent with their common breeding programmes. In this study, the importance of monitoring genetic variability of Italian beef cattle breeds was emphasized in order to maintain breed identity and genetic diversity in the selection process. Keywords: bovine, SNPs, inbreeding References Bonadonna, T. (1976). Etnologia zootecnica. Turin, Italy: UTET. Bongiorni, S. et al. (2016). Transcriptomic investigation of meat tenderness in two Italian cattle breeds. Animal genetics, 47(3), 273-287. Cosentino, C. et al. (2018). Podolian cattle: reproductive activity, milk and future prospects. Italian Journal of Agronomy, 13(3). Dalvit, C. et al. (2008). Breed assignment test in four Italian beef cattle breeds. Meat Science, 80(2), 389-395. D'Andrea, M. et al. (2011). Genetic characterization and structure of the Italian Podolian cattle breed and its relationship with some major European breeds. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 10(4), e54. Goudet, J. (2005). Hierfstat, a package for R to compute and test hierarchical F‐statistics. Molecular Ecology Notes, 5(1), 184-186. Hall, SJG and Bradley, DG. (1995). Conserving livestock breed biodiversity. Tree, 10, 267–270. Holsinger, KE and Weir, BS. (2009). Genetics in geographically structured populations: defining, estimating and interpreting FST. Nature Reviews Genetics, 10(9), 639-650. Jordana, J. et al. (2003). Genetic structure of eighteen local south European beef cattle breeds by comparative F‐statistics analysis. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 120(2), 73-87. Lasagna, E. et al. (2015). Comparison of four Italian beef cattle breeds by means of functional genes. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 14(1), 3465. Maretto, F. et al. (2012). Genetic relationships among Italian and Croatian Podolian cattle breeds assessed by microsatellite markers. Livestock science, 150(1-3), 256-264. Moioli, B. et al. (2004). Genetic diversity between Piedmontese, Maremmana, and Podolica cattle breeds. Journal of Heredity, 95(3), 250-256. Purcell, S. et al. (2007). PLINK: a tool set for whole-genome association and population-based linkage analyses. The American journal of human genetics, 81(3), 559-575. Sbarra, F. et al. (2009). Heritability of performance test traits in Chianina, Marchigiana and Romagnola breeds. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 8(sup3), 107-109. Smaragdov, MG. et al. (2018). The Assessing the genetic differentiation of Holstein cattle herds in the Leningrad region using Fst statistics. Agricultural and Food Science, 27(2), 96-101. Vincenti, F. et al. (2007). The hypertrophic Marchigiana: physical and biochemical parameters for meat quality evaluation. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 6(sup1), 491-493. Wright, S. (1965). The interpretation of population structure by F-statistics with special regard to systems of mating. Evolution, 395-420.


Objective. To evaluate the diagnostic value of color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) for the detection of sacroiliitis, in patients with inflammatory back pain (IBP). Methods. Consecutive patients with IBP and suspected axial spondyloarthritis (SpA), but without a definitive diagnosis, were included. Consecutive patients with defined SpA and axial involvement were included as a control group. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and CDUS of sacroiliac joints (SIJ) within the same week. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for the diagnosis of sacroiliitis by CDUS were calculated, using MRI as the gold standard. Results. There were 198 SIJ evaluated in 99 patients (36 with previous SpA). There were 61 men (61.6%), with a mean age of 39.8 years (SD 11.3) and median disease duration of 24 months (IQR 12–84). At the patient level, CDUS had a sensitivity of 63% (95% CI 48.7–75.7%) and a specificity of 89% (95% CI 76–96%). The PPV was 87.2% (95% CI 72.6–95.7%) and the NPV was 66.7% (95% CI 53.3–78.3%). At joint level, CDUS had a sensitivity of 60% (95% CI 49–70%) and a specificity of 93% (95% CI 88–98%). The PPV was 83% (95% CI 78–95%) and the NPV was 43% (95% CI 33–56%). The sensitivity of CDUS for the diagnosis of axial SpA was 54% (95% CI 36.6–71.2%), specificity was 82% (95% CI 63.1–93.9%), PPV was 79% (95% CI 57.8–92.9%), and NPV was 59% (95% CI 42.1–74.4%). Conclusion. CDUS showed adequate diagnostic properties for detection of sacroiliitis and is a useful tool in patients with IBP.