Objectives To assess the income-poverty status of Australians who were aged between 45 and 64 years and were out of the labour force due to ill health. Design A cross-sectional study using a microsimulation model of the 2009 Australian population (Health&WealthMOD). Setting 2009 Australian population. Participants 9198 people aged between 45 and 64 years surveyed for the 2003 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers. Primary outcome measures 50% of the median equivalised income-unit-income poverty line. Results It was found that individuals who had retired early due to other reasons were significantly less likely to be in income poverty than those retired due to ill health (OR 0.43 95% CI 0.33 to 0.51), and there was no significant difference in the likelihood of being in income poverty between these individuals and those unemployed. Being in the same family as someone who is retired due to illness also significantly increases an individual's chance of being in income poverty. Conclusions It can be seen that being retired due to illness impacts both the individual and their family.


We present deep learning models for cross polar cap potential (CPCP) by applying multilayer perceptron (MLP) and long short‐term memory (LSTM) networks to estimate CPCP based on Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) measurements. Three statistical parameters are proposed, which are root‐mean‐square error (RMSE), mean absolute error and linear correlation coefficient (LC), to validate and test the models by measuring their performance on an independent data set that was withheld from the training data set. In addition, we compare the models with previous work. The results show that the deep learning models can successfully reproduce the CPCP values with much lower RMSE (8.41 kV for MLP and 7.20 kV for LSTM) and mean absolute error (7.22 kV for MLP and 6.28 kV for LSTM) and higher LC (0.84 for MLP and 0.90 for LSTM) than do the other models, which have RMSE larger than 10 kV and LC lower than 0.75. The deep learning models can also express the CPCP nonlinear properties (saturation effect) accurately. This study demonstrates that deep learning techniques can enhance the ability to predict CPCP.


Traditionally, observations of seismic, hydrologic, or fumarolic activity have proven useful in volcano monitoring. Since volcanic activity almost inevitably produces deformation and gravity changes before, during, between and after the events, geodetic techniques are now included, in the light of the IAVCEI's recommendations regarding routine monitoring. They are proving to be a powerful tool in the monitoring of volcanic activity by detecting anomalies sometimes months or weeks before the magma flow leads to earthquakes or other eruption precursors. The Canary Islands, with a population of about 1.8 million people, are located less than 100 km from the African continent. Despite being on a passive margin, they are a volcanic archipelago with a long standing history of volcanic activity that began more than 40 m.y. ago. At least a dozen eruptions occurred on the islands of Lanzarote, Tenerife, and La Palma between 1500 and 1971. This is a typical case in which the volcanic monitoring system must be carefully designed. The system must be efficient, but must also make full use of existing facilities and have acceptable installation and running costs, in line with the current level of activity. This paper describes a proposal for the geodetic monitoring system in Canary Islands using terrestrial and space techniques.


1. The formation of polymerized haemoglobin S in sickle cells is critically dependent on the concentration of deoxygenated haemoglobin so that compounds which increase the oxygen affinity of haemoglobin S are potential anti-sickling agents. 2. BW12C [5-(2-formyl-3-hydroxyphenoxy)pentanoic acid] and BWA589C [4-(2-formyl-3-hydroxyphenoxymethyl)benzoic acid] are aromatic benzaldehydes that cause a dose-dependent left-shift of the oxygen saturation curve of haemoglobin S by stabilization of its oxy-(R)-conformation. 3. A 5 micron pore filtration method, which is highly sensitive to polymerization of haemoglobin S, was used to demonstrate a significant improvement in the deformability of deoxygenated sickle erythrocytes at concentrations (0.75-1.5 mmol/l] of BW12C and BWA589C that are achievable in vivo. Both compounds may therefore be of value for the treatment of sickle cell disease. 4. Filtration of sickle cells through pores of 5 microns diameter is a sensitive technique for evaluating the rheological effects of potential anti-sickling compounds.


sich im Aufkl‰rungsgespr‰ch an den in-haltlichen W¸nschen des Patienten orientieren, die im Gegensatz zu gesetzlichen Vorgaben nicht immer prim‰r auf Risiken abzielen. Patients(cid:29) Need for Information before Surgery: Frequently, prior to surgery, patients are provided with information in order to meet legal and hospital requirements, but without taking their psychological needs into consideration. In order to learn how to improve this situation, the present study was performed. By means of a semi-structured interview including a newly constructed card system, that avoids giving patients undemanded and possibly harmful implicit information, the need for information of 60 patients before hip-or knee-replacement surgery were investigated in great detail. The results show that 83.3% of the patients want to be prepared by the surgeon, preferably by means of an oral communication (75.0%). Most frequently the day when decision for surgery is made and the day of hospitalization were prefered as point of time for preparation (30% each). Patients were more interested in information about the operation and recovery (43.3% each) than about risks (33.3%). Only 11.7% wanted to get psychological preparation prior to surgery. We conclude that coming into contact and establishing a trustful relationship with the surgeon who does the operation is the most crucial need of surgical patients. He should give pre-surgical information according to the patient(cid:29)s needs, which often do not focus on the risks, as legal regulations do. By providing psychological preparation for the small number of patients in need, psychological specialists may contribute to improve satisfaction and outcome of surgical patients.


We adopt the groove guide as the cavity of the undulator to reduce the diffraction effect. The groove guide has the advantages of lower surface energy loss, larger power capacity, less modes, and larger structure dimension over the traditional method waveguide. The attenuation calculation is given in this paper including the cavity optimization. And the dispersive character indicates that the oscillator can work in different modes with the change of the electron beam energy.


Determining the quality of surfaces by utilizing scattered laser light that is examined with a neural network is discussed. Features are extracted from the scattered angular spectrum and then used as inputs to a hierarchical neural net. The net is trained by a selected set of machined surfaces whose quality has been independently established. These samples are repeatedly presented to the sensors, and the network will, each time, make a decision about the surface roughness which is then compared to the correct answer. The error is used to modify the connection weights. Following this training period, the net is able to identify the quality of surfaces presented to it, even in the presence of noise caused by poor illumination. Experimental results from a set of lapped surfaces are discussed with regard to the fusion of different features in order to obtain an adequate measure of surface roughness using the neural network. It is shown that the system is able to interpolate between the surfaces of different preparation and estimate the roughness parameter in the micron age.<<ETX>>


The mean time between failures (MTBF) of HPC systems is rapidly reducing, and that current failure recovery mechanisms e.g., checkpoint-restart, will no longer be able to recover the systems from failures. Early failure detection is a new class of failure recovery methods that can be beneficial for HPC systems with short MTBF. System logs (syslogs) are invaluable source of information which give us a deep insight about system behavior, and make the early failure detection possible. Beside normal information, syslogs contain sensitive data which might endanger users' privacy. Even though analyzing various syslogs is necessary for creating a general failure detection/prediction method, privacy concerns discourage system administrators to publish syslogs. Herein, we ensure user privacy via de-identifying syslogs, and then turning the applied constraint for addressing users' privacy into an advantage for system behavior analysis. Results indicate significant reduction in required storage space and 3 times shorter processing time.


We present a new method for colorizing grayscale images by transferring color from a segmented example image. Rather than relying on a series of independent pixel-level decisions, we develop a new strategy that attempts to account for the higher-level context of each pixel. The colorizations generated by our approach exhibit a much higher degree of spatial consistency, compared to previous automatic color transfer methods [WAM02]. We also demonstrate that our method requires considerably less manual effort than previous user-assisted colorization methods [LLW04].
 Given a grayscale image to colorize, we first determine for each pixel which example segment it should learn its color from. This is done automatically using a robust supervised classification scheme that analyzes the low-level feature space defined by small neighborhoods of pixels in the example image. Next, each pixel is assigned a color from the appropriate region using a neighborhood matching metric, combined with spatial filtering for improved spatial coherence. Each color assignment is associated with a confidence value, and pixels with a sufficiently high confidence level are provided as "micro-scribbles" to the optimization-based colorization algorithm of Levin et al. [LLW04], which produces the final complete colorization of the image.


BACKGROUND
Tumor cell destruction in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is due to the nuclear reaction between (10)B and thermal neutrons ((10)B + (1)n --> (7)Li + (4)He (alpha) + 2.31 MeV (93.7 %)/2.79 MeV (6.3 %)). The resulting lithium ions and alphaparticles are high linear energy transfer (LET) particles which give a high biological effect. Their short range in tissue (5 - 9 mum) restricts radiation damage to those cells in which boron atoms are located at the time of neutron irradiation. BNCT has been applied clinically for the treatment of malignant brain tumors, malignant melanoma, head and neck cancer and hepatoma. Sodium mercaptoundecahydro-dodecaborate (Na(2)(10)B(12)H(11)SH: BSH) and borono-phenylalanine ((10)BPA) are currently being used in clinical treatments. These low molecule compounds are easily cleared from cancer cells and blood, so high accumulation and selective delivery of boron compounds into tumor tissues and cancer cells are most important to achieve effective BNCT and to avoid damage to adjacent healthy cells.

OBJECTIVE
In order to achieve the selective delivery of boron atoms to cancer cells, a drug delivery system (DDS) is an attractive intelligent technology for targeting and controlled release of drugs.

METHODS
We performed literature searches related to boron delivery systems in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS
We describe several DDS technologies for boron delivery to cancer tissues and cancer cells from the past to current status. We are convinced that it will be possible to use liposomes, monoclonal antibodies and WOW emulsions as boron delivery systems for BNCT clinically in accordance with the preparation of good commercial product (GCP) grade materials.


This study utilized mechanical calculation method and finite element method ABAQUS software to analyze the mechanical response of different flexible pavement material combinations on steel deck. Heavy vehicle load with high axle load and high tire pressure were considered, so as to know the reasons for steel deck pavement distress, and to define the arrangement principle for steel deck pavement and the combination of materials suitable for flexible pavement. The results show that the fatigue damage of steel deck pavement coincides with traditional theory, the maximum tensile strain at the bottom of surface course is still the determination index, and the fatigue crack is presented mainly in four types; the maximum compressive strain on the top of steel plate is the determination index of rutting damage, the major cause for rut is the surface course under compressive strain in the wheel load position. The suitable material for steel deck one-course pavement is full depth Guss asphalt mix; the suitable combination for steel deck two-course pavement is modified asphalt mix on top and Guss asphalt mix at bottom.


This note offers a four-step framework for writing business letters, reports, and proposals. It advises the writer to consider purpose, audience, channel, and message structure when drafting managerial communications, and offers effective strategies for dealing with common communication challenges.


Being the victim of bullying is a problem for many children and young people, yet challenges in defining the term and methodological issues have made research findings difficult to compare (Pugh & Chitiyo, 2012). Nevertheless, there is agreement that certain factors at different ecological levels can raise or lower the likelihood of being bullied, and that children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) tend to be more vulnerable than their peers without ASD. The social impairments at the core of ASD have led to these children being termed ?perfect victims? (Klin, Volkmar, & Sparrow, 2000, p. 6), although their developmental and behavioural profiles may mean that some bullying research conducted with typically developing peers is inappropriate for this group. Nevertheless, if left unaddressed, the problem of bullying may prevent inclusion in school and have serious negative effects on the child.The aim of the current study was to investigate prevalence, victim role, risk and protective factors for being bullied among children and young people with ASD, using a representative sample taken from the evaluation of Achievement for All (Humphrey et al., 2011). An embedded mixed methods design was used to permit a richer understanding of being bullied. For the risk and protection analyses there were 722 responses from teachers and 119 from parents concerning children with ASD. Teachers and parents completed a survey on bullying and wider outcome areas, with additional contextual data collected. Data were analysed using multiple regression, including a cumulative risk analysis. There were five focus pupils in the qualitative strand, and interviews were conducted with teachers, parents and pupils to investigate issues around being bullied. Thematic analysis was used to explore the interview data.Results indicated that children and young people with ASD were bullied more than other pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, although actual prevalence varied greatly according to the method of measurement. Children with ASD were more likely to be victims, although the proportion of bully-victims was higher than in the general population. A multiple regression analysis with bullying mean score as the dependent variable indicated that 43% of variance was attributable to the predictor variables in the teacher model, and 38% in the parent one. Risk factors were having higher levels of behaviour problems, being in Years 5, 7 and 10 (compared with Year 1), use of public/school transport to get to school, and being at School Action Plus; protective factors were increased positive relationships, attending a special school, and higher levels of parental engagement and confidence. Bullying rose according to the number risks to which a child was exposed, and the rise was exponential in the teacher model. Qualitative results allowed an exploration of the experience of bullying and processes contributing to vulnerability, with transition emerging as an additional concern. Implications and directions for future research are discussed in the context of these findings.


Many studies examine the impact of interprofessional (IP) interventions on various health practice and education outcomes. One significant gap is the lack of research on the effects of IP interventions on health human resource (HHR) outcomes. This project synthesized the literature on the impact of IP interventions at the pre- and post-licensure levels on quality workplace, staff satisfaction, recruitment, retention, turnover, choice of employment and cost effectiveness. Forty-one peer-reviewed articles and five IECPCP project reports were included in the review. We found that IP interventions at the post-licensure level improved provider satisfaction and workplace quality. Including IP learning opportunities into practice education in rural communities or in less popular healthcare specialties attracted a higher number of students and therefore may increase employment rates. This area requires more high quality studies to firmly establish the effectiveness of IP interventions in recruiting and retaining future healthcare professionals. There is strong evidence that IP interventions at the post-licensure level reduced patient care costs. The knowledge synthesis has enhanced our understanding of the relationships between IP interventions, IP collaboration and HHR outcomes. Gaps remain in the knowledge of staff retention and determination of staffing costs associated with IP interventions vis-à-vis patient care costs. None of the studies reported long-term data on graduate employment choice, which is essential to fully establish the effectiveness of IP interventions as a HHR recruitment strategy.


Elderly people are more likely to develop severe infections diseases. Given the significant increase in the number of the elderly population, reducing the risk of infection by vaccination is a major preventive approach. The immunization schedule for 2014 in France yields, for the first time, vaccination recommendations for patients over 65 years. Tetanus-Diphtheria-Poliomyelitis vaccination is recommended to be given at the age of 65 years and then every 10 years, together with the pertussis vaccine to protect infants less than 6 months. Recommendation for vaccinations against seasonal influenza in autumn is maintained by the High Council for Public Health, which estimates that the population benefit persists despite the lower individual effectiveness in the elderly. The pneumococcal vaccine is recommended only in high-risk populations, and only once after the age 65. Zoster vaccine is recommended between 65 and 74, and the first year of its availability, can be proposed to elderly patients between 75 and 79 years. Vaccination in the elderly must be enhanced, and information about its advantages should be disseminated.


Cutaneous adverse events caused by aromatase inhibitors have been reported to be rare. We describe a rare case of a cutaneous adverse event that developed in a cancer-affected breast after aromatase inhibitor treatment. A 72-year-old postmenopausal female patient who was diagnosed with stage IA breast cancer received anastrozole as adjuvant treatment. Six months after the initiation of anastrozole, she developed an irregularly shaped purpuric plaque with several purpuric papules surrounding the postoperative scar on her left breast. Histological findings revealed capillary vessel proliferation and expansion, with hemorrhage in the superficial dermis. Immunohistochemistry of the skin biopsy specimen revealed hormone receptor expression limited to the vascular endothelial cells of the proliferating and expanding vessels. We believe that anastrozole induced a change in the local estrogen level, which affected the hormone receptor-positive endothelial cells in the dermis near the primary lesion of the breast cancer and caused a cutaneous adverse event only in the aforementioned area.


This paper presents a method of unsupervised enhancement of pixels homogeneity in a local neighborhood. This mechanism will enable an unsupervised contextual classification of multispectral data that integrates the spectral and spatial information producing results that are more meaningful to the human analyst. This unsupervised classifier is an unsupervised development of the well-known supervised extraction and classification for homogenous objects (ECHO) classifier. One of its main characteristics is that it simplifies the retrieval process of spatial structures. This development is specially relevant for the new generation of airborne and spaceborne sensors with high spatial resolution.


The purpose of the present study was to test the suitability of the rat hindlimb perfusion technique for studying the acute regulation of the GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 glucose transporter genes in adult skeletal muscle. To further examine the stability of the technique, we also monitored the transcription rate and mRNA content of selected immediate early genes. Nuclei and total RNA were isolated from red and white hindlimb muscle from perfused (2 h) and nonperfused control animals. Although GLUT-4 transcription and mRNA content remained stable, perfusion elicited a marked 3.5-fold increase in GLUT-1 mRNA in red and 2.2-fold increase in white skeletal muscle in the absence of any detectable change in transcription. In contrast to both GLUT-1 and GLUT-4, transcription originating from the c-fos and c-myc immediate early genes increased from 2.0- to 2.7-fold with perfusion in both red and white skeletal muscle, whereas transcription of the beta-actin gene decreased by 40-60%. Both c-fos and c-myc mRNA levels also increased with perfusion, whereas beta-actin mRNA remained unchanged. These findings clearly demonstrate that the current method of performing the hindlimb perfusion technique rapidly and dramatically alters the regulation of selected genes in skeletal muscle.


In Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction (1966), Patricia Highsmith's "how-to" book (and a
work of characteristically displaced autobiography), the author describes the genesis of her 1964
novel The Two Faces of January: "My impetus for this book was strong but quite fuzzy at the beginning. I wanted to
write a book about a young, footloose American (I called him Rydal [Keener]) in
search of adventure, not a beatnik but a rather civilized and intelligent young man,
and not a criminal, either. And I wanted to write about the effect on this young
man of encountering a stranger who closely resembles his own domineering
father." Despite her evident pride that the novel ended up on "the bestseller list in England" (Highsmith,
Plotting 11), The Two Faces of January was poorly received by Joan Kahn, her editor at the U.S.
publisher Harper and Brothers, and then by reviewers, all of whom found the plot—especially
the question of Keener's motive for his subsequent involvement with Chester MacFarland, the
older man who leads him into crime—too implausible. In demanding a rewrite Kahn insisted:
"The book makes sense only if there is a homosexual relationship between Rydal and Chester"
(Wilson 230). Apparently furious at the prospect of rewriting the book, Highsmith nevertheless
complied and, according to her biographer, Andrew Wilson, began to "completely rethink the
motivation of her characters." In doing so, however, she tried even harder to "eliminate any
suspicion of a homosexual relationship between the two men" (Wilson 231). Deducing a homosexual motive is a temptation to which readers and interpreters of
Highsmith's work often succumb. The flaw of Anthony Minghella's otherwise excellent film
adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), for example, is its decision to make Ripley's latent
homosexuality manifest. "Queering" him in this way is a mistake, precisely because it provides a
motivation for Ripley's behavior that is never apparent in the novel and turns him into someone
with whom viewers can identify. Ripley's attitude toward Dickie Greenleaf is darker and more
complicated. As Slavoj Žižek has put it, "Minghella's Ripley makes clear what's wrong with trying to be more radical than
the original by bringing out its implicit, repressed content. By looking to fill in the
void, Minghella actually retreats from it. Instead of a polite person who is at the
same time a monstrous automaton, experiencing no inner turmoil as he commits
his crimes, we get the wealth of a personality, someone full of psychic traumas,
someone whom we can, in the fullest meaning of the term, understand." Motivation is rarely clear-cut in Highsmith. In fact, perhaps the most fascinating mystery in each
of her novels is about the personalities of the characters she creates. Although we identify with
their predicament and remain absorbed in their web of intrigue, their identities remain strangely
opaque. Arguably, this is also true of their sexual identities. This essay aims, therefore, to
suggest not that homosexuality is irrelevant to Highsmith's fiction, but rather that the obscurity
of the question of motive in her fiction makes it more profitable to consider its overall
homosocial context—that is, the "social bonds between persons of the same sex" (Sedgwick,
Between 1). To do so, it will interrogate Highsmith's relation to tropes of crime fiction and
gothic, and point to her significance as a chronicler of the late-twentieth-century world


Research, as a form of knowledge production, is an ethico-political event. This assertion forms this chapter's starting point for reconsidering and reconfiguring the epistemological, methodological and analytical framework for my doctoral research study into the dialectics of playwork. The original study was ethnographic, using Cultural Historical Activity Theory. It argued that playwork's fundamental contradiction was presented as that between understanding children's play as autotelic and self-organising on the one hand, and on the other seeking and accounting for public funding that requires services to address policy agendas. Insights were drawn from moving to and fro between empirical data and literature not frequently used in playwork research. In this chapter, those insights are read through more recent engagements with literature to suggest that whilst traditional playwork theorising is invaluable, there is more that can be said about play from a playwork perspective. This seeking to disturb comfortable and common sense understandings of play is a political and ethical endeavour.


SR-BI deficient mice that are also hypomorphic for apolipoprotein E expression develop diet induced occlusive coronary artery atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and early death. To test the role of SR-BI in bone marrow derived cells, we used bone marrow transplantation to generate SR-BI-null; apoE-hypomorphic mice in which SR-BI expression was restored solely in bone marrow derived cells. SR-BI-null; apoE-hypomorphic mice were transplanted with SR-BI+/+apoE-hypomorphic, or control, autologous SR-BI-null; apoE-hypomorphic bone marrow. Four weeks later, mice were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol, cholate-containing diet to induce coronary artery atherosclerosis. Mice transplanted with autologous bone marrow developed extensive aortic atherosclerosis and severe occlusive coronary artery atherosclerosis after 4 weeks of feeding. This was accompanied by myocardial fibrosis and increased heart weights. In contrast, restoration of SR-BI expression in bone marrow derived-cells reduced diet induced aortic and coronary artery atherosclerosis, myocardial fibrosis and the increase in heart weights in SR-BI-null; apoE-hypomorphic mice. Restoration of SR-BI in bone marrow derived cells did not, however, affect steady state lipoprotein cholesterol levels, but did reduce plasma levels of IL-6. Monocytes from SR-BI-null mice exhibited a greater capacity to bind to VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 than those from SR-BI+/+ mice. Furthermore, restoration of SR-BI expression in bone marrow derived cells attenuated monocyte recruitment into atherosclerotic plaques in mice fed high fat, high cholesterol cholate containing diet. These data demonstrate directly that SR-BI in bone marrow-derived cells protects against both aortic and CA atherosclerosis.


An integrated series of courses on embedded systems has been developed at Iowa State University, Ames, spanning early undergraduate to graduate levels. The newest course in the series is CPRE 488: Embedded Systems Design, an advanced undergraduate course that fills a gap in the curriculum by providing system-level design experiences and incorporating new technology advancements. CPRE 488 development focused on lecture-lab integration and laboratory learning. Course and lab activities were designed using a learning model that captures lower-order and higher-order cognition levels of Bloom's taxonomy. The learning experience in the laboratory is characterized using a technique to assess cognitive behavior. Results of applying the Florida Taxonomy of Cognitive Behavior are presented to summarize the depth of student learning and the opportunities for students to progress to higher-order thinking in the laboratory. After two years of experience with the new course, the authors reflect on the course design and outcomes, from both disciplinary and pedagogical viewpoints.


This report presents the results of experiments which were performed to evaluate procedures for estimating wheat acreage in intensive test sites (ITS's) in Kansas. An analyst/interpreter (AI) selected and labeled fields from Landsat-1 satellite imagery. Statistics were generated for each selected ITS, and the imagery was classified using a maximum likelihood classifier. Various components of the classification process were tested.


Alloxan inactivated glucokinase in intact, isolated pancreatic islets incubated in vitro. Inactivation of glucokinase was antagonized by 30 mM glucose present during incubation of islets with alloxan. Glucokinase partially purified from transplantable insulinomas or rat liver was inactivated by alloxan with a half-maximal effect at 2–4 μM alloxan. Inactivation of purified glucokinase was antagonized by glucose, mannose, and 2-deoxyglucose in order of decreasing potency but not by 3-O-methylglucose. Glucose anomers at 6 and 14 mM were discriminated as protecting agents, with the α-anomer more effective than the β-anomer. Glucokinase was not protected from alloxan inactivation by N-acetylglucosamine, indicating that the reactive site for alloxan is not the active site; therefore, glucose may protect glucokinase by inducing a conformational change. Glucokinase is thought to be the glucose sensor of the pancreatic β-cell. The finding that glucokinase is inactivated by alloxan and protected by glucose with discrimination of its anomers similar to inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by alloxan supports this hypothesis and appears to explain the mechanism for inhibition of hexose-stimulated insulin secretion by this agent and the unique role of glucose and mannose as protecting agents.


By developing distance learning, network education appears and enables us to overcome to the time limitations and physical circumstances constraints. Learners can study freely ever in every time and place via Internet which contains various informational sources. In sciences and economy era, people face with the challenges caused by scientific and technological developments and daily business necessities, thus, continuation of study and job education have been the main methods for restoring knowledge and learning skills. Education and learning are proceeding and growing gradually in a direction as a life-long process. Learning Management System (LMS) is an approach for computer's application in education. The present article is presented in order to study the characteristics of LMS and its role in E-learning. For this purpose, the article begins with an introduction of a history, related researches and a specific definition of LMS. The key point to understand the difference between LMS and other computer-based educational terms is the know-how of the system nature of LMS. Distinguishing LMS from similar terms such as Course Management System (CMS) and Learning Content Management System (LCMS) that in many cases are being confused with; is one of the basic parts of the article which is dealt with. In the meanwhile, a brief elaboration for definitions of the terms will be given and also the role of LMS in education will be explained. It is clarifying the function of LMS as well. Finally, the article explains the contemporary usage and current features of the present LMS, sums up the topics to reach to a conclusion and also gives some approaches and recommendations.


Alepotrypa Cave, one of the richest and best preserved Neolithic sites in Greece, was occupied by early farmers from ca. 5000 to 3200 BC. Study of human remains from this site contributes important information to the bioarchaeological record for this period. The remains are from the cave's Ossuary II, a secondary deposit containing the disarticulated remains of at least 20 individuals, including adults and sub-adults. A high frequency of porotic hyperostosis and cribra orbitalia suggests the presence of chronic iron deficiency anaemia. A combination of two possible factors could explain this situation, including reliance on an iron-deficient cereal diet, and presence of high pathogen and parasitic loads resulting from poor hygiene and contamination of the communal water source. These lesions may also be related to some type of inflammatory process. Some 31% of individuals display healed cranial depressed fractures, indicating evidence of violent (non-lethal) confrontations. Stable isotope analysis reveals a predominantly terrestrial C3 diet, with little evidence of marine food consumption, despite close proximity to coastal resources. The presence of various domesticated plants suggests that these C3 foods may have been agricultural. Moreover, a high frequency of dental caries is consistent with a diet involving significant carbohydrate consumption. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Nemaline myopathy (NM) is a rare neuromuscular condition characterised by muscle weakness, hypotonia, depressed or absent deep tendon reflexes and nemaline bodies (rods) on skeletal muscle biopsy. There are six clinical subtypes, ranging from a severe congenital form to a milder phenotype with onset in childhood or adulthood. Pathogenic mutations have been described to date in 8 genes, the majority of which encode protein components of the muscle thin filament, and there is evidence of further genetic heterogeneity. Genotype–phenotype correlation is limited. Inheritance may be autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive and de novo dominant mutations are common. The most common genetic causes are autosomal recessive mutations in NEB and de novo autosomal dominant mutations in ACTA1. There is significant overlap between subtypes and variability in severity of manifestations. Animal models have assisted understanding of pathogenesis.

Key Concepts:

NM is one of the most common forms of congenital myopathy.

Typical clinical features include weakness, hypotonia and depressed or absent deep tendon reflexes.

Inheritance may be autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant or sporadic (new dominant).

Mutations in 8 genes have been associated with NM, and there is evidence of further genetic heterogeneity.

Autosomal dominant mutations in ACTA1 and autosomal recessive mutations in NEB are the most common known genetic causes.

Current understanding of genotype–phenotype correlation is limited.

Molecular genetic testing and prenatal diagnosis are available clinically.

Clinical and histological features assist prioritisation of molecular genetic testing.

New technology, such as exome sequencing, will aid gene discovery and molecular diagnosis in NM.

Keywords:

nemaline myopathy;
congenital myopathy;
muscle weakness, genetics;
nemaline rod


ABSTRACT The innate immune response is the first line of defense against foreign pathogens. The recognition of virus-associated molecular patterns, including double- and single-stranded RNA, by pattern recognition receptors initiates a cascade of signaling reactions. These result in the transcriptional upregulation and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines that induce an antiviral state. Many viruses have evolved mechanisms to antagonize these responses in order to help them establish a productive infection. We have previously shown that West Nile virus (WNV) is able to inhibit Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)-mediated activation of interferon (IFN) regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) (F. Scholle and P. W. Mason, Virology 342:77-87, 2005). In the present study, the WNV nonstructural (NS) proteins were analyzed individually for their ability to antagonize signal transduction mediated by TLR3. We report that expression of WNV NS1 inhibits TLR3-induced transcriptional activation of the IFN-β promoter and of an NF-κB-responsive promoter. This inhibition was due to a failure of the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C) to induce nuclear translocation of IRF3 and NF-κB. Furthermore, NS1 expression also inhibited TLR3-dependent production of interleukin-6 and the establishment of an antiviral state. The function of NS1 in flavivirus infection is not well understood. NS1 is required for viral RNA replication and is also secreted from mammalian cells but not from insect cells. Here, we identify a previously unrecognized role for NS1 in the modulation of signaling pathways of the innate immune response to WNV infection.


Based on Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) requirements, project specific blast loads are determined for the design of a new airport traffic control tower. These blast loads must be resisted by exterior wall panels on the control tower, protecting building occupants from intentional explosives attack scenarios. Such blast resistant walls are typically constructed of thick reinforced concrete panels or composite steel plate and rolled sections, as conventional building cladding systems have relatively low blast resistance. While these more robust design approaches are valid, the additional cladding mass they represent will significantly increase the base shear and overturning demand in seismic zones. This paper investigates the use of a light structural system comprised of a steel stud wall assembly partially embedded in a thin layer of concrete to obtain composite action. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are also included to increase the blast resistance and aid in keeping the panel weight to a minimum. Two full-scale composite steel stud walls are designed, constructed, and tested dynamically in the BakerRisk shock tube. The stud walls consist of back-to-back 150 mm deep, 14 gauge (1.8 mm thick), cold-formed steel studs spaced at 610 mm on center. Both specimens have a 50 mm thick normal weight concrete layer, reinforced with welded wire mesh that is welded to the stud compression flanges to achieve composite action. Two layers of Tyfo® SEH-51A fiber reinforced composites are used on the tension flange of the steel studs. A single layer of Tyfo® SEH-51A composites is used on the tension face of the concrete layer between the studs for one of the specimens. Web stiffeners are used at the bearing support to prevent premature web crippling shear failure of the specimens. The stud walls are analyzed using single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) models. A non-linear moment-curvature relationship, accounting for actual material constitutive properties, is used for determining the resistance function of the walls. Blast pressure and impulse data from the shock tube tests is used to compare analytical predictions to the measured displacement-time response. Analytical predictions of panel response for both tests are within ten percent of the observed response based on displacement.


The basic hallmarks of bronchial asthma, one of the most common chronic diseases occurring in the world, are chronic inflammation, remodelling of the bronchial wall and its hyperresponsiveness to environmental stimuli. It was found out that the fibroblast to myofibroblast transition (FMT), a key phenomenon in subepithelial fibrosis of the bronchial wall, was crucial for the development of asthma. Our previous studies showed that HBFs derived from asthmatic patients cultured in vitro display some inherent features which facilitate their TGF-b-induced FMT. Although usefulness of standard '2D' cultures is invaluable, they have many limitations. As HBFs interact with extracellular matrix proteins in the connective tissue, which can affect the FMT potential, we have decided to expand our '2D' model to in vitro cell cultures in 3D using collagen gels. Our results showed that 1.5 mg/ml concentration of collagen is suitable for HBFs growth, motility, and phenotypic shifts. Moreover, we demonstrated that in the TGF-β1-activated HBF populations derived from asthmatics, the expression of fibrosis-related genes (ACTA2, TAGLN, SERPINE1, COL1A1, FN1 and CCN2) was significantly increased in comparison to the non-asthmatic ones. We also confirmed that it is related to the TGF-β/Smad2/3 profibrotic pathway intensification. In summary, the results of our study undoubtedly demonstrate that HBFs from asthmatics have unique intrinsic features which predispose them, regardless the culture conditions, to the increased FMT under the influence of TGF-β1.


There is a considerable amount of awareness of environmental issues and corporate responsibility for sustainability. As such, from a technological viewpoint, Green IT has become an important topic in contemporary organizations. Consequently, organisations are expected to be innovative in their business practices to become more sustainable. Yet, the popularity and adoption of such initiatives amongst employees remain low. Furthermore, the management practices for adhering to Green IT are largely dormant, lacking active incentives for employees to engage in Green IT initiatives. This study observes the phenomenon of Green IT through administrative innovation. In doing so this paper performs a comprehensive analysis of 137 papers published between 2007 and 2015. The paper reveals organizational factors for successful implementation of Green IT as administrative innovation that can be useful to both academia and practice.


This paper reports on a comparative case study of 13 industrial firms that implemented an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. It compares firms based on their dialectic learning process. All firms had to overcome knowledge barriers of two types: those associated with the configuration of the ERP package, and those associated with the assimilation of new work processes. We found that both strong core teams and carefully managed consulting relationships addressed configuration knowledge barriers. User training that included both technical and business processes, along with a phased implementation approach, helped firms to overcome assimilation knowledge barriers. However, all firms in this study experienced ongoing concerns with assimilation knowledge barriers, and we observed two different approaches to address them. In a piecemeal approach, firms concentrated on the technology first and deferred consideration of process changes. In a concerted approach, both the technology and process changes were undertaken together. Although most respondents clearly stated a preference for either piecemeal or concerted change, all firms engaged in practices that reflected a combination of these approaches.


This paper describes an investigation of the frequency-response characteristics of active human skeletal muscle in vivo over the frequency range 1 Hz to 15 Hz. The applied force, forearm position, and surface electromyograms (from biceps, triceps, and brachioradialis) were recorded simultaneously in four normal adult male subjects for small oscillations of the forearm about a mean position of 90 deg flexion. Two modes of oscillatory behavior are discussed: externally forced oscillations under constant muscle force and voluntary oscillations against an elastic resistance. The observed amplitude and phase relations are presented herein and are compared to the response predicted by a simple model for neuromuscular dynamics. It appears that the small amplitude frequency response of normal skeletal muscle in vivo can be represented by a second order model. The main muscle parameters of this model are a muscular stiffness K, two time constants τ1 and τ2 associated with contraction dynamics, and a time delay τ: typical values of these parameters at moderate contraction levels (approximately 20 percent of maximum voluntary effort) are K = 100 N · m/rad, τ1 and τ2 = 50 ms, and τ = 10 ms. Reflex feedback under forced-oscillation conditions was also examined and may be characterized by a gain parameter (ΔE/Δθ), the ratio of the surface EMG amplitude to the angular displacement of the forearm, and the phase by which the EMG leads muscle stretch. The reflex EMG is observed to lead muscle stretch at all frequencies between 1 Hz and 15 Hz. The muscle stiffness K and the reflex gain parameter (ΔE/Δθ) are approximately proportional to the average force of contraction.


The control of emulsion stability is of crucial importance in the process of crude/oil water separation, which is a key step in industrial oil production. Separation is enhanced if coalescence between droplets takes place, the extent of which will depend on the flow parameters as well as on the presence of emulsifying agents. Current theoretical models cannot satisfactorily predict the timescale of coalescence in flowing emulsions, especially when chemical additives, such as surfactants are present in the system. For that reason, a reliable and easy-to-use experimental method to assess crude-oil emulsion stability would be useful, but has not been available until now. In this work we present the results of microfluidic experiments on coalescence in an oil-in-water emulsion. Using a custom-designed microfluidic circuit, monodisperse droplets of a model oil in water formed at a microfluidic T-junction were injected into a wide channel where droplets are accumulated and undergo shear-induced collisions. The droplet interactions were followed with a microscope and a high-speed camera. The experimental method allows direct measurement of the kinetic parameters governing demulsification, which are the total coalescence rate of the emulsion and the distribution of individual coalescence times of colliding droplet pairs. The kinetic parameters were mapped as a function of the droplet size, fluid flow rates, electrolyte concentration and dispersed phase volume fraction and viscosity, respectively. All those measurements can be performed in a short time using a simple experimental setup. The proposed method is thus a useful tool to aid in the design or optimization of a separation process for a given produced crude oil/water mixture.


Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, it has been the organizing principle of society: people are what they do. But at the dawning of the new millennium, Americans are waking up to the fact that commitment to a traditional corporate structure does not guarantee personal validation or financial security. In what is one of the fastest growing movements today, people are rejecting the idea of corporate loyalty to explore more creative ways of making a living. This book addresses this movement and is a must-have for the millions investigating free agency.


Writing as an insider and an anthropologist, Jason Cromwell presents the first in-depth examination of what it means to be a female-bodied trans person. Through extensive participant observation and open-ended interviews, "Transmen and FTMs" allows female-to-male transsexuals to speak for themselves and reveal aspects of female gender diversity that do not fit into the ready-made categories of male and female.In clarifying how trans men and FTMs define and validate their lives, as opposed to how society attempts to pigeonhole and belittle them, Cromwell shows how female-to-male trans people have been made virtually invisible by male-dominated discourses. He considers cross-cultural data on female gender diversity, historical evidence of female-bodied people who have lived as men, and contemporary trans men and FTMs. He also addresses how FTMs and trans men are working to challenge the mental illness model of transness as well as other misconceptions. "Transmen and FTMs" seeks to reframe the dialogue about gender identity and move away from regarding fixed gender categories as normative. By redefining gender diversity from a manifestation of pathology to a human condition, "Transmen and FTMs" promotes a fuller understanding of these individuals as persons in their own right.


This paper presents the results of a study of piano pedalling techniques on the sustain pedal using a newly designed measurement system named Piano Pedaller. The system is comprised of an optical sensor mounted in the piano pedal bearing block and an embedded platform for recording audio and sensor data. This enables recording the pedalling gesture of real players and the piano sound under normal playing conditions. Using the gesture data collected from the system, the task of classifying these data by pedalling technique was undertaken using a Support Vector Machine (SVM). Results can be visualised in an audio based score following application to show pedalling together with the player's position in the score.


Most adults are infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a virus that establishes a lifelong latent infection in B lymphocytes and is associated with a variety of cancers. In normal individuals, latent infection with EBV typically poses no health risk, but upon immunosuppression, either following organ transplantation or HIV infection, malignancies and lymphoproliferative diseases can result. We have utilized both transgenic mice and EBV transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) as models of EBV latent infection to explore the function of latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) of EBV. This has allowed us to identify important functional domains of LMP2A, essential host proteins necessary for LMP2A function, and the effect of LMP2A on normal B cell function. These studies have provided a more complete understanding of the role of LMP2A in EBV latency and tumorigenesis and may allow for the identification of novel therapeutics for the treatment or eradication of EBV latent infections and associated proliferative disorders.


Clinical soft tissue examination and microbiologic findings were compared for two dental implant systems. Of 20 edentulous patients, ten had been reconstructed with a transosteal implant of gold alloy, TMI-system (Bosker), of and ten with endosseous implants of titanium (Brånemark-system). Clinical parameters evaluated included plaque, gingivitis, sulcus depth and bleeding on probing. Plaque samples from 14 patients were cultured for selected periodontal pathogens. Although some differences in soft tissue clinical behavior were identified, the incidence and prevalence of selected periodontal pathogens appeared to be similar.


Obtaining new seismic responses from existing recordings is generally referred to as seismic interferometry (SI). Conventionally, the SI responses are retrieved by simple crosscorrelation of recordings made by separate receivers: one of the receivers acts as a 'virtual source' whose response is retrieved at the other receivers.When SI is applied to recordings of ambient seismic noise, mostly surface waves are retrieved. The newly retrieved surface wave responses can be used to extract receiver-receiver phase velocities. These phase velocities often serve as input parameters for tomographic inverse problems. Another application of SI exploits the tempo- ral stability of the multiply scattered arrivals of the newly retrieved surface wave responses. Temporal variations in the stability and/or arrival time of these multiply scattered arrivals can often be linked to temporally varying parameters such as hydrocarbon production and precip- itation. For all applications, however, the accuracy of the retrieved responses is paramount. Correct response retrieval relies on a uniform illumination of the receivers: irregularities in the illumination pattern degrade the accuracy of the newly retrieved responses. In practice, the illumination pattern is often far from uniform. In that case, simple crosscorrelation of separate receiver recordings only yields an estimate of the actual, correct virtual-source response. Re- formulating the theory underlying SI by crosscorrelation as a multidimensional deconvolution (MDD) process, allows this estimate to be improved. SI by MDD corrects for the non-uniform illumination pattern by means of a so-called point-spread function (PSF), which captures the irregularities in the illumination pattern. Deconvolution by this PSF removes the imprint of the irregularities on the responses obtained through simple crosscorrelation. We apply SI by MDD to surface wave data recorded by theMalargue seismic array in western Argentina. The aperture of the array is approximately 60 km and it is located on a plateau just east of the Andean mountain range. The array has a T-shape: the receivers along one of the two lines act as virtual sources whose responses are recorded by the receivers along the other (perpendicular) line.We select time windows dominated by surface wave noise travelling in a favourable direction, that is, traversing the line of virtual sources before arriving at the receivers at which we aim to retrieve the virtual-source responses. These time windows are selected through a frequency-dependent slowness analysis along the two receiver lines. From the selected time windows, estimates of virtual-source responses are retrieved by means of crosscorrelations. Similarly, crosscorrelations between the positions of the virtual sources are computed to build the PSF. We use the PSF to deconvolve the effect of illumination irregularities and the source function from the virtual-source responses retrieved by crosscorrelation. The combined effect of time-window selection and MDD results in more accurate and temporally stable surface wave responses.


The study proves the presence and articulation of apologetic discourse in CEO and Chairman's Statements is closely related to companies' financial performance. In particular, companies engage extensively in apologetic discourse when they are underperforming, and less frequently when they are performing well. A comparison between ACRs issued respectively in 2000, the year before corporate accounting scandals and September 11, and in 2009, a time of crisis in the markets worldwide, is carried out in the article. The foundations for the study are to be found in the findings of Ware and Linkugel (1973) that identified four different strategies in apologetic discourse. In recent years a growing interest for image and reputation management in the corporate domain, coupled with an increasing awareness of its underlying rhetorical nature, has made the study of apologetic discourse particularly interesting for business communication scholars.


Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a multifunctional angiogenic cytokine that plays a central role in inflammation and wound healing. The role of this angiogenic factor in periodontal destruction could be significant, and VEGF could act as a potent marker of periodontal disease progression. Its role in diabetes mellitus-related complications has been evaluated, and diabetes mellitus may be a potent modulator of VEGF in periodontal disease. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) VEGF levels of systemically healthy, chronic periodontitis, and Type II diabetes mellitus participants with and without chronic periodontitis and to investigate the role of VEGF in periodontal disease progression. Materials and Methods: Eighty participants were divided into four groups based on the gingival index, plaque index, probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment level: (Group 1) healthy, (Group 2) chronic periodontitis, (Group 3) Type II diabetes mellitus without chronic periodontitis, and (Group 4) Type II diabetes mellitus with chronic periodontitis. GCF samples collected from each subject were quantified for VEGF levels using an enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay. Further, the correlation between VEGF levels within groups and with the clinical parameters was analyzed in all groups. The statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software. Results: The mean concentration of VEGF in GCF was the highest in Group 4 (2179.24 pg/ml) followed by Group 3 (1948.32 pg/ml), Group 2 (1776.83 pg/ml), and the least in Group 1 (1266.80 pg/ml). Further, GCF VEGF levels showed a positive correlation with all of the clinical parameters. Conclusions: VEGF concentrations increased from health to disease. Type II diabetes mellitus may affect VEGF concentrations in periodontal disease. These data indicate that VEGF plays a key role in periodontal disease progression and can be considered a biomarker of periodontal disease progression.


Human cyber-physical systems (CPS) are an important component in the development of Industry 4.0. The paradigm shift of doing to thinking has allowed the emergence of cognition as a new perspective for intelligent systems. Currently, different platforms offer several cognitive solutions. Within this space, user assistance systems become increasingly necessary not as a tool but as a function that amplifies the capabilities of the operator in the work environment. There exist different perspectives of cognition. In this study cognition is introduced from the point of view of joint cognitive systems (JCSs); the synergistic combination of different technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and multi-agent systems (MAS) allows the operator and the process to provide the necessary conditions to do their work effectively and efficiently.


The study performed on this work consists of evaluating the consequences of the introduction of various foreign objects at the compressor inlet of a turbocharger. The most plausible objects were selected. A specific test bench was set up in order to perform the experiment and measure the compression ratio and compressor efficiency evolution. Measurements were performed before (healthy compressor) and after the object introduction (damaged compressor). Results obtained indicate that losses in performance can be very important, but also that the compressor can swallow hard objects without visible damage. Therefore, the experiments were filmed with a high speed camera. Visual information has helped to better understand the phenomenon, to explain the measurements, and it has been taken into account in order to perform final diagnosis. As expected, the harder the object is and the longer it hits compressor wheel before being swallowed, the most severe is the damage. Nevertheless, softer material can reach abnormal performance, but in randomly manner and such incipient damage can be detected easily in high air flow rates than in lower.


ABSTRACT— Forty‐five well clinically characterized patients with progressive dementia were investigated for lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) monoamine metabolites and cholinesterase activities. Monoamine concentrations were determined by reverse phase liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection and the cholinergic enzymes were measured photometrically. Firstly, all clinical and CSF parameters were studied in statistical cluster analyses to detect groups of variables which demonstrated a high correlation with respect to each other. The CSF transmitter markers were then used in multiple regression models to explain the variance of clinical variables as chosen from the cluster analyses. The degree of dementia, as assessed by global deterioration score (GDS) and activity in daily life (ADL) status, as well as the Alzheimer‐related symptoms dyspraxia and dysphasia, were associated with low AChE activities in CSF. A presumed subgroup of dementia patients clinically characterized by assymmetry of neurological signs, increased unilateral tonus, stepwise progression, and high Hachinski score, showed low HVA concentrations in CSF. These data suggest a coupling of clinical/neurological parameters to different CSF transmitter profils and, thus, that CSF biochemical parameters are of use as antemortem markers in dementia conditions.


Abstract In this paper, numerical and implementation aspects of the phase-field crystal model with elastic interactions are addressed. This model leads to a time-dependent, sixth-order system of differential equations which yields a continuous density field, from which individual atom positions can be extracted and tracked in time. We solve the system using high-order finite elements, and reconstruct the elastic properties of the crystal from the atomic displacements with a meshless interpolation scheme. Numerical simulations are performed of benchmark experiments, which include deformation and dislocation dynamics.


In this paper, the properties of CF (carbon fiber) reinforced HPC (high performance concrete) containing LP (limestone powder) have been studied including its compressive strength, flexural strength, chloride ion permeation resistance, wearability and acid rain resistance. The results show that flexural strength, acid rain resistance and wearability of CF reinforced HPC containing LP are all better than those of LP HPC without CF, moreover, its flexural strength at 7days and 28days are both larger than 10MPa. While the short-term compressive strength and resistance to chloride ion permeation are decreased by introducing CF. Also the results indicate that CF reinforced HPC containing LP suits to be used as road pavement materials in abundant acid rain area.


In vitellogenic oocytes of Tenebrio molitor (inactive stage), numerous fibrogranular nuclear bodies (NBs) are present. Using immunofluorescent microscopy, these NBs were shown to contain pre-mRNA splicing factors (small nuclear [sn] RNPs and SR-protein, SC35) as well as RNA polymerase II. A limited set of NBs also contained coilin, a marker protein for Cajal bodies (CBs). We suggest that in T. molitor oocytes, coilin-containing NBs, which also contain splicing factors and RNA polymerase II, seem to represent CBs. In the species studied, no morphological features of CBs were established as compared with other NBs, which do not contain coilin. Microinjectons in oocytes of myc-tagged coilin mRNA, followed by revealing newly translated protein with antibody specific for this tag, have shown targeting of myc-coilin with CBs. The own and literary data on the morphology and molecular composition of CBs are discussed in terms of searching for criteria for CB identification in cells of different origin, and at active and inactive stages.


The test scores on students' report cards is the only benchmark against which their English achievement are assessed for evaluative purposes in Iranian high schools. According to the rules and regulations, the average score of a student is required to be reported by English teachers, based on her/his performance on both oral and written tests. The present study aimed to discover if Iranian high school female students' English scores on their report cards represent the real sum of their oral and written test scores. To do so, the average scores of 30 female students in Grade 11 at two Iranian girls' senior high schools in Isfahan were compared with those of a researcher-made validated oral and written test. The results showed that the scores of the students on the newly-developed test were higher than those recorded on their report cards. The results of a paired t test revealed a statistically significant difference between the means of these two sets of scores, rejecting the common false presupposition about students' low performance in oral skills. Teachers typically skipped the oral test and rated their students' oral ability, just on the basis of their own intuition or students' performance on the written test. It seems that the exclusion of the oral test leads to this difference in the scores. Thus, Iranian high school students' English scores appearing on their report card are not a sound reflection of their performance on the oral and written tests.


Porous catalyst support was prepared using gangue of bauxite tailing which was a solid waste material. It was found that the mass ratio of gangue of bauxite and knar clay was 4: 1. The masses of cellulose and water were individually 1 wt% and 25 wt% of the total mass of gangue of bauxite tailing and knar clay. The pore forming agent M was optimum among the selected pore forming agents. The pore forming agent M didn't residue in support after sintering so that the support wasn't polluted. The appropriate addition of the pore forming agent M was 4%, and the catalyst support with the porosity of 41.3% was preparated. The appropriate sintering temperature and holding time were 1250 °C and 2.0 h, respectively. Mullite and quartz were the main mineral phase of the porous catalyst support and the catalyst support have good chemical stability and heat-resisting property.


This guide contains search strategies and resources to help you find information on 20th century LDS history, doctrines, and teachings.


Heritage Communities (HCs) often are formed as civic structures in opposition to public decisions which are perceived as dangerous with regard to their quality of life and protection of places that give shape to their identity. This puts them in the uncomfortable position of being perceived as the No-Side. To overcome this situation, many HCs developed over time a more proactive approach. The HCs are now fully aware of not being structures of representation, they do not 'represent' anybody: they are the active citizenship and they claim for a clear political role. Only the shared governance; only the shared decisional power can be considered 'participative' in the full


Mechanical duodenal obstruction due to perirenal adhesions following infection of the upper urinary tract has been reported. I here report a patient in whom a renal calculus passed through a fistula from the right renal pelvis and obstructed the lumen of the duodenum.


Recently and despite definitional problems, a clearly identifiable group of children has
emerged characterized as 'learning disabled' for which programming and hence
specialized services are being made available in the Greek state school setting. A more
complete description of these children seems necessary in order to find out if and how
they differ from other children in personality and whether their academic difficulties
have created unique problems for them. The purpose of the present study was, then, to
empirically investigate the comparative differences in measures of self-concept
(academic and general), locus of control and causal attributions in Special and Regular
Class primary school children, in Greece.
424 children enrolled in the third through sixth primary school grades served as
subjects. The sample was drawn from state schools located within the three educational
districts in the county of Attiki. There were 72 Special Class, and 352 Regular Class
children. The Regular Class children were classified as Low Achievers (LA) and
Normal Achievers (NA) on the basis of their school grades.
Three self report questionnaires were used; the Perceived Competence Scale for
children (PCS), and the Self Description Questionnaire (SDQ) were used to measure
academic self-concepts and global self-esteem. The two cognitive competence scales
from the PCS and the two subject-specific scales from the SDQ were used to assess
children's perceptions of their academic abilities. Global self-esteem was measured by a
scale from the PCS. The Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire (IAR)
was used as a measure of locus of control and causal attributions. Teacher ratings of
academic performance in Reading and Maths and a Mathematics Test prepared by the
researcher were used as achievement measures.
The primary independent variable was group inclusion and school achievement. In
addition sex and age differences were investigated.
Results showed significant and consistent between group differences. Special Class
children were found to differ significantly from Normal Achievers on academic self-
concepts and global self-esteem. There were also significant differences between Low
and Normal achievers on academic self-concepts but not on global self-esteem. Special
Class children differed from the other two groups on their locus of control orientation
and attributional patterns as well. They attributed both their successes and their failures
to external factors, thus fitting the picture of 'learned helplessness'. Low achievers
seem to hold the same attributional patterns as Normal Achievers, attributing their
successes to their efforts and their failures externally. Suggestions are made that this is
likely to be due to societal pressures.
Developmental differences were evident in relation to locus of control, with older
children showing greater internality. There were also age differences in relation to
Perceived Competence Evaluation (PCE), in Special Class children, implying that this
group of children develop more negative academic self-concepts as they grow older.
Results seem to suggest that academic underachievement accompanied by Special Class
placement had a substantial effect on children's academic self-concept, global selfesteem
and pattern of attributions.


In the design of an Agile All-Photonic Network (AAPN), in order to determine the capacity and processing ability of links and interfaces, models of the source traffic volume, composition and distribution are necessary. In this paper, service specific bandwidth requirements for a putative set of services have been developed using the "effective bandwidth approach". As an enhancement to the Topological Design Tool (TDT) in JAVA, this approach and formulae are coded with MATLAB which interfaces with the TDT. Demographic information for three classes of users, namely residential, business and mobile users is input to the TDT and then passed to the MATLAB dimensioning routines. Stochastic process models for the various voice, data and video services supported are identified. With the effective bandwidth functions and the many sources asymptotic, the results give the capacity requirements needed to assure the target Quality of Service (QoS) levels.


Consider a two-dimensional domain S ⊆ ℜ2 containing two sets of nodes from two statistically independent uniform Poisson point processes with constant densities pL and pNL. The first point process identifies the distribution of a set of nodes having information about their positions, hereafter denoted as L-nodes (localised-nodes), whereas the other is used to model the spatial distribution of nodes that need to localise themselves, hereafter denoted as NL-nodes (not localised-nodes). For simplicity, both kinds of nodes are equipped with the same kind of transceiver, and communicate over a channel affected by shadow fading. As a first goal, the authors derive the probability that a randomly chosen NL-node over S gets localised as a function of a variety of parameters. Then, the authors derive the probability that the whole network of NL-nodes over S gets localised. As with many other random graph properties, the localisation probability is a monotone graph property showing thresholds. In this work, the authors derive both finite (when the number of nodes in the bounded domain is finite and does not grow) and asymptotic thresholds for the localisation probability. In connection with the asymptotic thresholds, the authors show the presence of asymptotic thresholds on the network localisation probability in two different scenarios. The first refers to dense networks, which arise when the domain S is bounded and the densities of the two kinds of nodes tend to grow unboundedly. The second kind of thresholds manifest themselves when the considered domain increases but the number of nodes grow in such a way that the L-node density remains constant throughout the investigated domain. In this scenario, what matters is the minimum value of the maximum transmission range averaged over the fading process, denoted as dmax, above which the network of NL-nodes almost surely gets asymptotically localised.


Two specific receptor subtypes for octopamine, a biogenic amine found in both vertebrates and invertebrates, have been pharmacologically defined in insects. These receptors mediate reponses involved in the regulation of movement, feeding and mating behaviors by inducing a rise in intracellular cAMP levels via adenylate cyclase stimulation or by increasing intracellular calcium levels via an undetermined mechanism. Recent studies on a putative octopamine/tyramine Drosophila receptor cDNA permanently expressed in mammalian cells have suggested the existance of an additional novel octopamine receptor subtype. This receptor binds multiple agonists (i.e. octopamine and tyramine) and can differentially couple to two different secondary messenger systems (i.e. Gi and G q ) . Unlike classical octopamine receptor subtypes (i.e. octopaminei and octopamine2) / this receptor attenuates adenylate cyclase activity. To study further this receptor in Drosophila, the spatial distribution of its mRNA was determined by in situ hybridization. The probe was a 35s-labeled riboprobe derived from a 596 bp cDNA subclone encoding the third intracellular loop of this receptor. The expression sites for mRNA transcripts were identified in intact tissue sections (8-10|i) of larvae and adult flies using tissue autoradiography and analyzed under brightfield and darkfield microscopy. mRNA transcripts were localized in neuronal tissues of the larvae and adult fly, as well as in non-neuronal tissues of the larvae. This localization is consistent with the proposed roles for octopaminergic systems in Drosophila.


BACKGROUND
Preoperative disinfection with povidone-iodine results in a significant reduction of the risk for postoperative endophthalmitis and secondary irreversible vision loss in intraocular surgeries and intravitreal injections. Nevertheless, this important measure is often omitted if so-called "iodine allergy" is suspected. We analyze the physiological and allergological basis for the construct of "iodine allergy".

METHODS
This article is based on a selective literature review using the search term "allergy" in combination with "iodine", "povidone", "indocyanine green", or "seafood".

RESULTS
Iodine is a chemical element and an essential component of the human body. Scientific proof for the existence of an antibody-mediated allergic reaction (type I reaction) and in particular an immunoglobulin (Ig) E‑mediated anaphylaxis against iodine is lacking. Chemical irritations and contact allergies (type IV reaction) induced by iodine-containing disinfectants are not antibody-mediated and do not cause anaphylaxis (type I reaction). The uncommon antibody-mediated allergies against iodine-containing disinfectants, fluorescent dyes, radiocontrast media, or seafood are not directed against the contained iodine itself but against other components of the respective formulation. Thus, allergic cross-reactivities between these different substance groups are not to be expected.

CONCLUSION
So-called "iodine allergy" is a medical myth lacking a scientific basis and should not result in increased patient risks due to omitted preoperative disinfection.


Diffusion-based graph generative models have recently obtained promising results for graph generation. However, existing diffusion-based graph generative models are mostly one-shot generative models that apply Gaussian diffusion in the dequantized adjacency matrix space. Such a strategy can suffer from difficulty in model training, slow sampling speed, and incapability of incorporating constraints. We propose an \emph{autoregressive diffusion} model for graph generation. Unlike existing methods, we define a node-absorbing diffusion process that operates directly in the discrete graph space. For forward diffusion, we design a \emph{diffusion ordering network}, which learns a data-dependent node absorbing ordering from graph topology. For reverse generation, we design a \emph{denoising network} that uses the reverse node ordering to efficiently reconstruct the graph by predicting the node type of the new node and its edges with previously denoised nodes at a time. Based on the permutation invariance of graph, we show that the two networks can be jointly trained by optimizing a simple lower bound of data likelihood. Our experiments on six diverse generic graph datasets and two molecule datasets show that our model achieves better or comparable generation performance with previous state-of-the-art, and meanwhile enjoys fast generation speed.


Given that no nation in the world have been known to develop economically on its own without foreign investments, various countries of the world have strived to put in place measures to attract and retain various forms of foreign investments into their economy. Nigeria is no exception to this rule. Indeed, successive governments in Nigeria have since the return to civil rule in 1999 embarked upon various economic reforms to transform the economy and attract foreign investments. This study evaluated foreign investors "response to the various economic reforms in Nigeria since the return of civil rule in 1999. This was achieved by examining the quantum of foreign investments that have accrued to the country since 1999 and the causal relationship between these foreign capital inflows and economic growth in Nigeria during the sample period. The results from the analysis revealed that causal relationship exist between foreign capital inflows and economic growth in Nigeria, which supports the foreign capital inflows-led economic growth hypothesis. Besides, the dynamic interaction among foreign capital inflows and economic growth of the Nigerian economy was also analyzed using the Granger causality analysis. The result of the analysis supports the result of the cointegration analysis which showed that, causality runs from aid, remittance (RMC), and foreign direct investment (FDI) to real GDP (growth). It is therefore recommended based on the result of the econometric modeling that government should continue to pursue with vigor the various economic reforms embarked upon since the return to civil rule in 1999 and should accelerate the provision and development of infrastructure in the country. Moreover, government should provide stable macroeconomic environment to enable domestic and foreign investments to thrive in the country.


Thanks to the ongoing expansion of internet access and, most recently, the movement restrictions that were put in place globally to stop COVID-19 spread, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are prepared to use social media platforms to market their products as a way to improve their business performance in emerging economies. Businesses at all levels that use social media marketing (SMM) see a considerable increase in their output. This study's objective is to identify the factors that significantly help Ugandan SMEs implement SMM techniques to enhance their commercial performance. Here, statistical models are utilized to analyze how the age and gender of SMEs owners as moderating variables affect the adoption and performance of SMEs in Uganda. A theoretical model that is based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) theories has been put out as part of a specific conceptual framework. The following indicators are used to evaluate the performance of SMEs: sales, customer engagement, awareness of customers' needs, low operation costs, and brand modification by staff. Empirical model validation has been performed using 152 business units (observation units) corresponding to the number of respondents (units of analysis), and the ensuing analyses have been done using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results indicate that compatibility and perceived ease of use have a positive impact on SMEs to adopt SMM, while perceived usefulness has a negative impact on SMEs to adopt SMM. Age and gender as moderating variables all have a positive moderating effect. With limited studies available on the subject, this research contributes to already existing literature by combining two components of the TAM model and one component of the IDT to explain the impact of SMM on SMEs when moderated by both age and gender in a developing economy.


Phosphorylation by ATP of E.*Ca2 (sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles (SRV) with bound 45Ca2+) during 5-10 ms leads to the occlusion of 2 *Ca2+/EPtot [quench by ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) alone] in both "empty" (10 microM free Ca2+in) or "loaded" SRV (20-40 mM free Ca2+in). The rate of Ca2+ "internalization" from the occluded E approximately P.*Ca2 was measured by using an ADP + EGTA quench; a *Ca2+ ion that is not removed by this quench is defined as internalized. In the presence of 20-40 mM unlabeled Ca2+ inside SRV, 1 *Ca2+/EPtot is internalized from 45Ca-labeled E approximately P.*Ca2 with a first-order rate constant of kl = 34 s-1. Empty SRV take up 2 *Ca2+/EPtot with the same initial rate, but the overall rate constant is kobsd = 17 s-1. The apparent rate constant (kb = 17 s-1) for internalization of the second *Ca2+ is inhibited by [Ca]in, with K0.5 approximately 1.3 mM and a Hill coefficient of n = 1.1. These data show that the two Ca2+ ions are internalized sequentially, presumably from separate sequential sites in the channel. [32P]EP.Ca2 obtained by rapid mixing of E.Ca2 with [gamma-32P]ATP and EGTA disappears in a biphasic time course with a lag corresponding to approximately 34 s-1, followed by EP* decay with a rate constant of approximately 17 s-1. This shows that both Ca2+ ions must be internalized before the enzyme changes its specificity for catalysis of phosphoryl transfer to water instead of to ADP. Increasing the concentration of ATP from 0.25 to 3 mM accelerates the rate of 45Ca2+ internalization from 34 to 69 s-1 for the first Ca2+ and from 17 to 34 s-1 for the second Ca2+. High [ATP] also accelerates both phases of [32P]EP.Ca2 disappearance by the same factor. The data are consistent with a single form of ADP-sensitive E approximately P.Ca2 that sequentially internalizes two ions. The intravesicular volume was estimated to be 2.0 microL/mg, so that one turnover of the enzyme gives 4 mM internal [Ca2+].


Most studies about the effects of producers' services on manufacturing agglomeration focus on the effects themselves while neglecting the mechanism that such effects spread. By stressing the key role of trade costs in the process of manufacturing agglomeration, this paper identifies a chain of effects from producers' service improvements to manufacturing agglomeration via changing trade costs and builds a simple model to enable empirical analysis. Both in the mechanism used to assess this chain of effects and in the empirical model, trade costs are dealt with as a mediator variable. Empirical tests using firm-level data from China support the hypothesis that producers' services affect manufacturing agglomeration via changing trade costs. Further tests at the two-digit sector level show that these types of mediator effects vary in accordance with differences in sector factor intensiveness. Specifically, the mediator effects are more significant in the technology-intensive manufacturing industries than they are in the labor- or capital-intensive manufacturing industries. The policy implication of this finding is that encouraging the development and regional concentration of producers' services would not only promote manufacturing agglomeration but also stimulate technology progress in related sectors.


The green spaces of our cities are being exposed to growing pressure. It is not so much the expansion pressure of traffic and built-up areas, though their influence should not be underestimated, as the pressure exercised by propaganda that makes itself felt. Green spaces, we are told, have no influence on the climate of the city; they just favor crime, as a widely circulated article published first in America tries to make us believe. German sociologists insist that today "in areas with blocks of flats frequently far too large green spaces are being laid out, although one should imagine that a society so fully aware of the value of real estate might have learned to make more economical use of so rare a commodity." Green spaces are said to be green waste land, costing time and money for which there is no return; they are more or less empty, we are told, and at their best they might be considered as future building reserves.


The aim of this research was to examine how the EFQM Excellence Model implementation
process had been conducted in a number of cases in UK University academic units with a view
to developing a guidance framework for implementation of the EFQM Excellence Model in this
particular context.
Issues which could impact on the implementation of the European Foundation for Quality
Management's (EFQM) Excellence Model in the UK University academic environment were
identified through a comprehensive literature review of the model's implementation in other
sectors, literature on the UK University sector and on established good practice in implementing
similar quality programmes, such as Total Quality Management (TQM).
A theoretical framework was developed in order to conceptualise the relationships between the
issues identified through the literature review and to form a basis for the development of data
collection and analysis tools. The case study strategy was chosen as the appropriate way to
investigate the phenomenon.
The approaches used in the implementation of the EFQM Excellence Model in four United
Kingdom University academic units were explored and analysed in order to discover the critical
issues for effective implementation.
The fieldwork revealed a number of issues which were essential to effective implementation
(motive, gaining senior management commitment, demonstrating senior management
commitment, education and training, staff involvement and teamwork, the overall pace of the
implementation, integration of the EFQM Model into the organisation, and activities to maintain
momentum) and two issues which were desirable in producing effective implementation
(culture/context assessment, and project management).
The main output and contribution from the research was a guidance framework for
implementing the EFQM Excellence Model in academic units of UK universities.


Formed on the plane of primary qualities, ancestrality, as proposed by Quentin Meillassoux, ensures that certain cognitive exchanges can take place across the severest kind of barriers, partially overcoming the divide between incompossible worlds. This article argues that this account of primary qualities can help us explain how two major works on media and mediation by the artist Xu Bing, A Book from the Sky and Background Story, are built upon the simulation of such qualities. A Book from the Sky explicitly impoverishes meaning by regressing from actual usage to a pre-world of primitive signifying elements. Background Story extends expression by projecting light across incompatible media, simulating partial communication between a world and its preceding and succeeding worlds across transformative, possibly impoverishing "advents." Such concerns hark back to Xu's early print works which gesture toward the necessity of the advent of the new by underscoring the negotiation between fluidity and fixity, binding the volatility of such negotiation to the felt need for expression to express itself. Such art confirms that ancestrality supports transmission between worlds by leaving footprints of possible advents on the existing world, offering inspiration for its inhabitants who are otherwise unable to penetrate the walls of the intra-world. Thus, while ancestrality impoverishes meaning, it also activates hopes for becoming and enrichment, enabling us to imagine new ways to await the advent of the new.


EDITOR OF SCIENCE: The fate of my review of Beddard's Zoogeography furnishes another illustration of the dangers which an author is subjeet to in his path to publication. In the proof (of which I have a duplicate at hand), Nearctic and Ostoliemus occur all right, but in the published article (altered after it passed through my hands) Osteolemus is substituted for Ostolemus and Osteolkemus for OsteolTemus and consequently there is no apparent point to the criticism made and no reason for the analogue educed. 'Upiform' on p. 273 (left column) should have been pupiform, and 'even' on p. 273 (right column) just before 'the same Hyracodon' should, of course, have been event. The p of pupiform and t of event were dropped after transmission of the proof; 'molacologist' should have been corrected to malacologist. I may add that Mr. Beddard spells the title of his volume Zoogeography (without 6) as I had written and corrected. The reviewer of Beddard's work in 'Nature' (July 25, p. 289) is "I at a loss to understand" "by what confusion ofideas the name Biyracodon, (which belongs to an extinct genus of rhinoceros- like animals) is made to do duty for Didelphys. "IHyracodon of Tomes, as noted in the review in SCIENCE (p. 273) was published in 1863 and in the Proe. Zo6l. Soc. London (p. 50) and has remained unexplained to the present day. I have long been inclined to believe that it was based on a young Didelphys, although the meagre description does not apply to any stage I have seen (and I have seen many). I was surprised that it was not noticed in Mr. Thomas' excellent work on Marsupials. It seems, indeed, to have fallen quite flat, but was noticed by Murray in his geographical distribution of Mammals, and I presume that it is from Murray that Mr. Beddard has received the generic name. The homonymy of the names of Leidy and Tomes was, of course, a mere coincidence. The type of Tomes' genus (Hyracodon fuliginosus) was from 'Ecuador; collected by Mr. Fraser.' If it has not been lost, perhaps Mr. Thomas may find it and tell us what it is. We may, perhaps, derive some comfort from the fact that the printers of your famous contemporary 'Nature' are by no means exempt from errors like those I now correct. Four lines before the reference to IHyracodon just cited, we find a reference to the 'Siberian hippopotamus;' the original copy of the review undoubtedly had Liberian.


Black patients are more affected by glaucoma and suffer from more advanced disease. Diagnostic challenges among black patients with glaucoma include lower rates of diagnostic testing and thinner average central corneal thickness, the latter of which affects intraocular pressure measurement. Treatment challenges include poor follow-up, medication adherence, and trust in providers. Black patients undergoing trabeculectomy have higher rates of failure compared to white patients. Race is not a definitive factor affecting success for tube shunts, laser trabeculoplasty, cyclophotocoagulation, and micro-invasive glaucoma surgeries, but the body of evidence is limited by low inclusion of black patients in these studies. Future steps should include increased attention toward improving trust between patients and providers, improving access to care, and increased representation of black patients in glaucoma research to better understand factors affecting racial disparities in glaucoma management and outcomes in this population disproportionately affected by the disease.


Recognition of images and shapes has long been the central theme of computer vision. Its importance is increasing rapidly in the field of computer graphics and multimedia communication because it is difficult to process information efficiently without its recognition. In this paper, we propose a new approach for object matching based on a global geodesic measure. The key idea behind our methodology is to represent an object by a probabilistic shape descriptor that measures the global geodesic distance between two arbitrary points on the surface of an object. In contrast to the Euclidean distance which is more suitable for linear spaces, the geodesic distance has the advantage to be able to capture the intrinsic geometric structure of the data. The matching task therefore becomes a one-dimensional comparison problem between probability distributions which is clearly much simpler than comparing three-dimensional structures. Object matching can then be carried out by an information-theoretic dissimilarity measure calculations between geodesic shape distributions, and is additionally computationally efficient and inexpensive


ABSTRACT Data from 49 horses (25 unilateral cryptorchid and 24 as control group) are reported to determine macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the testes, as well as to characterize their karyotype and hormonal levels. Histology showed that only Sertoli cells were found in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules of the cryptorchid testes, while spermatogenesis in the scrotal testes resulted normal. Cytogenetic evaluation showed that all cryptorchid horses were normal males (2n = 64, XY). In addition, the lower testosterone production observed in cryptorchid horses was associated to the smaller size of the retained testicle as well as to the lower number of Leydig cells adjacent to the seminiferous tubules. This study confirmed that a simple determination of plasma testosterone levels was enough to differentiate between non-breeding stallions, cryptorchid and castrated animals, avoiding the administration of hCG.


The majority of the literature concerning the implementation of public policy assumes that public managers can carry out new policy initiatives regardless of the behavioural, cognitive or technical demands that the introduction of such policies may make upon them. There has been a tendency to assume that managers actually have the detailed technical knowledge by which to enact such new policies. The paper proposes that in effect, public managers have to learn a range of often new and detailed techniques in order to implement what are often ambiguous policy directives. Drawing on data gathered from the introduction of capital investment appraisal in the British National Health Service, a model of Learned Implementation is presented that describes one way in which public managers can learn to enact new policy initiatives. Using a mix of six organizational processes and variables, the model demonstrates how learning occurs and is used to solve the problems that are inherent in the introduction of new policy initiatives. The model further describes how the managers routinize these solutions into job tasks and procedures and hence a policy initiative is operationalized. The paper concludes with a discussion about the difficulties of predicting the operational consequences of new policy initiatives and raises questions about knowledge, ability and capability in the implementation of public policy.


PURPOSE
At present, techniques of 4D dose verification in radiation therapy for lung cancers associated with respiratory motion are very limited, due to either lack of patient anatomy or breathing information. The aim of this study is to develop a 4D dose verification technique based on XCAT phantom which incorporates both patient anatomy and respiratory mechanics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The 4D-XCAT phantom which possesses patient specific anatomy and allows input of respiratory parameters was generated using an integrated Matlab program. 10-phase 4DCT, MIP, and AIP images generated from 4D-XCAT were used for designing a 3D conformal treatment plan. Real-time dose delivery was simulated by calculating the deposited dose in each phase of 4D-XCAT for each beam with fixed individual planning dose. The 4D delivered dose was determined by accumulating dose deposition of all beams in all phases using deformable image registration implemented in VelocityAl software. The planned and delivered doses were compared based on target coverage and DVHs of OARs (lungs, cord, heart, and esophagus).

RESULTS
Target volume coverage was 97.5% in the simulated real-time delivery, as compared to 95% as planned based on AIP. Maximum cord dose, maximum esophagus dose, mean heart dose, and V20Gy of lung were comparable between the planned and delivered dose; the relative difference were 0.3%, 4.0%, 0%, and 2.8%, respectively. These results indicates AIP-based planning was a close representation of the real 4D dose delivery for both target and OARs when the breathing pattern is regular and reproducible.

CONCLUSION
A framework has been successfully established for verifying 4D dose delivery using the 4D-XCAT phantom and deformable image registration. This verification method is capable of incorporating specific patient anatomy and respiratory mechanics.


Plate tectonics would have operated very efficiently in Archean time provided the plates were, in bulk, komatiitic in composition, moving over an asthenosphere that was hotter and thus lighter and less viscous than today. Simple models of thin, dense komatiitic plates overlying a dunitic upper asthenosphere at about 1700 °C imply that resistive forces to plate motion may have been much less than today. The relatively light, low-viscosity asthenosphere would have allowed the Archean plates to move easily and would have enabled them to be subducted rapidly.