A proactive approach for managing wax deposition problems during production operation is presented. A predictive thermodynamic model is employed to determine the onset condition(s) for wax precipitation in hydrocarbon mixtures. The parameters of a continuous distribution function are used to establish the nature of hydrocarbon mixtures while a fluid temperature distribution model enables the determination of the potential wax precipitating point in the production tubing. A field case study was conducted on 17 reservoirs in a field located in (Niger Delta, Nigeria). Results show that the thermodynamic model predicted Wax Appearance Temperature (WAT) decreases with reservoir depth. The WAT ranged between 21 and 46°C from the deepest (8,000 ft) to the shallowest (5,000 ft) reservoir. Field observation shows that wax formation is effectively prevented when the Wax-Inhibiting-Tool (WIT) is installed 100 - 500 ft below the tubing depth corresponding to the predicted WAT. Proper placement of the WIT has substantially reduced wax precipitation and potential problems that might have occurred due to wax deposition.

 Key words: Thermodynamic model; wax appearance temperature; fluid temperature distribution; wax inhibiting tool, gamma distribution parameters.


Abstract An asteroid (Echinodermata) faunule of four taxa representing three surviving families and a probable fourth is described from the Barremian (Early Cretaceous) of Morocco, northwest Africa. The four together suggest limited morphologic evolution since the Cretaceous but biogeographic and depth patterns have changed. Marocaster coronatus n. gen. n. sp. (Valvatida, Goniasteridae) combines apparent derived features of the dorsal disk and superomarginal shape with more stemward expressions of the abactinal ossicles. Betelgeusia orientalis n. sp. is a fourth Mesozoic occurrence of the Radiasteridae (Paxillosida), the new species similar to earlier occurrences from the Middle Jurassic of India, the Early Cretaceous of Texas, and the Late Cretaceous of Europe. Reported modern occurrences of the family are few, widely scattered, and limited to deeper water; the extinct species together testify to a once-broader familial distribution. Dipsacaster africanus n. sp., a member of the Astropectinidae (Paxillosida), is remarkably similar to extant congeners. Dipsacaster today is widely distributed in the Pacific Ocean but occurrences in the Atlantic are few. Because of preservation, a single small specimen of the Zoroasteridae? (Forcipulatida) cannot be identified with certainty. Extant zoroasterids are deep-water in distribution, although shallow-water Eocene representatives are known.


The Nazareth capitals are the most important and finest figural sculptures to have survived from the Crusader States between 1099 and 1291. Excavated in 1908, these capitals have long been known, but never fully discussed in terms of function, form, and meaning. This book aims to restudy systematically the five famous capitals so as to explain their intended function, their iconographic program, and the character of their remarkable style; to examine the historical and archaeological aspects of the holy site of the Annunciation and the cult of the Virgin Mary at this unique place; and to understand the capitals as masterpieces of late twelfth-century Crusader art in terms of their special regional characteristics between East and West that is, between the medieval Latin West and the Byzantine East and as major examples of twelfth-century medieval stone sculptures.Using archaeological and historical evidence, Dr. Folda argues that the capitals were planned and completely carved, but never put in place in the Church of the Annunciation. He then evaluates the pilgrims' accounts of the site far which the capitals were apparently carved, the Shrine Monument of the Annunciation, and scrutinizes the archaeological and historical evidence about this site. Dr. Folda speculates on the basic features of the Crusader Shrine-Monument of the Annunciation which was apparently never built. He examines textual material ranging from early Christian times to the fifteenth-century story of the Holy House of Loreto to help explain the enigmatic scenes of the five capitals. And he concludes with a re-examination of the extraordinary stylistic character of the capitals and the problems involved in their dating."


Biostratigraphical investigations of Miocene deposits from the southern North Sea Basin, the Oligocene and Miocene of the Bahamas, and the lower Pliocene of northern Iceland revealed the presence of new acritarch species. Halodinium eirikssonii n. sp. is recovered from the lower Pliocene Serripes Zone of the Tjörnes beds in northern Iceland, where its range is well constrained through magnetostratigraphy and biostratigraphy using dinoflagellate cysts. Leiosphaeridia spongiosa n. sp. is recovered from lower to upper Miocene deposits of the southern North Sea Basin and from upper Oligocene and Miocene deposits of the Bahamas. Palaeostomocystis orbiculata n. sp. appears to be restricted to the middle Miocene of the North Sea Basin.


The physical implementation of cryptographic algorithms may leak to some attacker security information by the side channel data, as power consumption, timing, temperature or electromagnetic emanation. The differential power analysis (DPA) is a powerful side channel attack, based only on the power consumption information. There are some countermeasures proposed at algorithmic or architectural level that are expensive and/or complexes. This paper addresses the DPA attack problem by a novel and efficient transistor-level method based on a power consumption control, without any modification on the cryptographic algorithms, messages or keys


Multistage stochastic optimization problems are, by essence, complex as their solutions are indexed both by stages and by uncertainties. Their large scale nature makes decomposition methods appealing, like dynamic programming which is a sequential decomposition using a state variable defined at all stages. In this paper, we introduce the notion of state reduction by time blocks, that is, at stages that are not necessarily all the original stages. Then, we prove a reduced dynamic programming equation. We position our result with respect to the most well-known mathematical frameworks for dynamic programming. We illustrate our contribution by showing its potential for applied problems with two time scales.


In [8], both low- and high-frequency solutions to the two-sphere problem were presented in a form suitable for efficient computer solution, Here, numerical results are presented using a method which has enabled the first appearance of reliable results for the scattered field from two spheres of radii larger than one wavelength and as large as ten or more. Radar cross sections (RCS) are computed for numerous configurations of two spheres of various materials. Results for scattering by three collinear spheres are also given. An experimental program was undertaken and is briefly described. Whenever possible, these results are compared with the theory. In all cases the agreement is excellent. Depolarization due to multiple scattering is also investigated, revealing some interesting effects and practical applications to scattering range calibration.


One of the first successful demonstrations of the presence of rhinoviruses in vitro was by the interference technique (Hitchcock & Tyrrell, 1960). The use of this technique became unnecessary following the subsequent finding that rhinoviruses readily produced c.p.e. in cell cultures if maintenance medium contained a low bicarbonate concentration and cultures were rolled at 33 °C (Tyrrell & Parsons, 1960). The development and use of human diploid cell strains (Hayflick & Moorehead, 1961) provided even more sensitive systems for the recovery of viruses of this group (Hamparian, Kettler & Hilleman, 1961).
Recent evidence, however, suggested that not all rhinoviruses are cytopathogenic even when cultivated under these 'common cold' conditions. Hoorn & Tyrrell (1966) described a strain of rhinovirus isolated in organ cultures of human embryo trachea which could not be adapted to grow in cultures of human diploid cells.
During studies of respiratory illnesses in military recruits, three virus strains were isolated in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells by use of the interference technique.


The Circular Economy (CE) concept is considered as an approach to ensure sustainable development and minimise environmental impacts of economic activities. However, its implementation in businesses appears in its infancy. Achieving the CE requires changes and innovation at technical, organisational and supply chain level. Through an exploration of the literature on the integration of the CE in business strategies and a case study analysis of selected energy companies, this paper aims at highlighting circular measures already implemented and circular opportunities embeddable in business models. Findings suggest that case companies are active in waste management, resource efficiency, sustainable procurement, energy recovery techniques and low carbon generation. However, few case companies mention the concept of CE as part of their business model. In particular, systematic approach for planning for end-of-life plants and products, as well as multistakeholders collaboration for waste and resource use optimisation could support the CE
transition. The paper proposes directions for further research: in-depth analyses focusing on supply chains, development of a methodological approach to support decision-making and definition of global consensus and consistent objectives to achieve sustainability.


We isolated a novel biologically active peptide, designated calcitonin receptor-stimulating peptide (CRSP), from the acid extract of the porcine brain by monitoring cAMP production in the porcine kidney cell line LLC-PK1. Determination of the amino acid sequence and cDNA analysis encoding a CRSP precursor showed that this peptide has ∼60% identity in the amino acid sequence with human calcitonin gene-related peptide type-α (αCGRP), type-β (βCGRP), and porcine CGRP. Northern blot analysis and radioimmunoassay demonstrated that CRSP is expressed mainly in the thyroid gland and the central nervous system, in which the calcitonin receptor was abundantly expressed. Synthetic CRSP elicited a potent stimulatory effect on the cAMP production in LLC-PK1 cells. Although it shows significant sequence similarity with CGRPs, this peptide did not elicit cAMP elevation in cells that endogenously expressed a CGRP receptor or an adrenomedullin receptor or were transfected with either of these recombinant receptors. Administration of CRSP into anesthetized rats did not alter the blood pressure but induced a transient decrease in the plasma calcium concentration. In fact, this peptide potently increased the intracellular cAMP concentration in COS-7 cells that expressed the recombinant calcitonin receptor. These unique properties indicate that CRSP is not a porcine counterpart of βCGRP and probably elicits its biological effects via the calcitonin receptor.


We examined the radiocarbon age, taphonomic condition and stratigraphic position of shells of the venerid bivalve Chione spp. from the tidal flats of Bahia la Choya, Sonora, Mexico. Shells in Bahia la Choya are time-averaged. Thirty shells yielded radiocarbon dates from modern (A.D. 1950 or younger) to 3569 years before present. The median calendar age of inner flat shells is 483 years; the median age of tidal channel shells is 427 years. We interpret such long shell survival to be the result of frequent shallow burial. Such burial retards bioerosion of shells. The taphonomic condition of shells varied with environment. Shells from the surface of the inner flats were better preserved than shells from the tidal channel. Shells are more likely to be physically worn and biologically degraded in the waters of the channel than on the quieter and more frequently exposed inner tidal flat. Taphonomic condition is an unreliable indicator of a shell's time-since-death. Poorly-preserved shells on the inner flats tended to be old, but in general shell condition was much more variable than shell age. A shell's condition is more likely the result of its total residence time on the surface than its time-since-death (surface time plus burial time). Two composite short (44 cm and 50 cm) cores revealed varying degrees of stratigraphic disorder (the departure from perfect correlation between relative stratigraphic position and relative age). One of eight shells in the inner flats core was disordered; four of nine shells in the tidal channel were disordered. The actual age range of surface shells approximates the age range of shells in cores. Stratigraphic disorder is a consequence of both time-averaging and physical and biogenic mixing. Time-averaging controls the degree of precision possible in paleoecological studies. Environmental changes and ecological phenomena occurring within a span of 3500 years would not be recognized in deposits like those of Bahia la Choya. Time-averaging and stratigraphic disorder also constrain the temporal resolution possible in microstratigraphic studies of evolution. The extent of time-averaging and stratigraphic disorder will dictate an appropriate sample interval. In order to prevent temporal overlap between successive samples in deposits like Bahia la Choya, sample spacing should not be less than approximately 0.5 m.


My attempt in this paper is to further the discussion of the role of conceptual blending in cognitive poetics by looking more closely at the cognitive processes by which readers interpret a literary text. I start by describing the results of an informal experiment to determine what mapping strategies people actually use to solve an analogical problem. I discovered that people tend to map on the basis of similarity and relation; they do not spontaneously apply the more abstract reasoning processes based on form that may be unique to human beings, what Holyoak and Thagard (1995) call system mapping. I then analyze critical readings of a poem by Emily Dickinson from the perspective of conceptual blending. My analysis shows that different interpretations arise as a result of readers selecting different topologies and projections to make sense of the text according to their own knowledge, experience, intentions, and motivations. Missing from their interpretations is any attention paid to formal qualities - such as order and shape, or prosodic and linguistic features - that reveal the poem's tone or feeling, elements that would need to figure in a full system mapping approach. I then sketch out an approach toward reading Dickinson's poem based on a theory of literature that takes into account form as symbolic of human feeling (Langer 1953). I conclude by suggesting that my approach offers a way that shows how system mapping based on a theory of art can provide a cognitive poetics reading that combines interpretive (conceptual) and experiential (emotional) responses.


Jean is a model of early cognitive development based loosely on Piaget's theory of sensorimotor and pre-operational thought. Like an infant, Jean repeatedly executes schemas, gradually transferring them to new situations and extending them as necessary to accommodate new experiences. We model this process of accommodation with the Experimental State Splitting (ESS) algorithm. ESS learns elementary action schemas, which comprise controllers and maps of the expected dynamics of executing controllers in different conditions. ESS also learns compositions of action schemas called gists. We present tests of the ESS algorithm in three transfer learning experiments, in which Jean transfers learned gists to new situations in a real time strategy military simulator.


Contaminated sites are the legacy of a long period of industrialization involving unconsidered production and handling of hazardous substances and unregulated dumping of wastes. Metal contamination need to be characterized on varying temporal and spatial scales. Keeping this object in mind, soil used for this study was collected from a Pb contaminated site in an industrial area ofNaraina andMayapuri in theNCT ofDelhi. EPAMethod 3051 is commonly regarded as a regulatory alternative toMethod 3050. It is a rapid and accurate dissolution technique for soil metal ions. This technique is time saving and energy efficient. No acid fumes are generated. For all these reasons the above technique can be considered a green technique. Remedial measures required to clean up metal contaminated sites are often complex and economically unsustainable. Immobilization of the metal ions e.g., Pb, Zn and Cd by green amendments like rock phosphate and coal fly ash is promising and economically feasible technique. In this connection a bench scale investigation has been carried out to access the potential use of these amendments for immobilizing these metal ions in severely contaminated sites in Delhi. Parallel experiments have been carried out in columns with unamended and amended soil samples. Results have indicated that metal content in percolating waters are drastically diminished when amendments are admixed with soils.


This course focuses on the theories utilized in merchandising, including evaluating the use of these theories in current research. This guide provides guidance to students on the initial research design of the their topic and how to choose and use a citat


Congenital abnormalities (CAs) remain a major cause of stillbirth and neonatal mortality. The literature has shown that congenital malformations are suggested to have multifactorial determinants, including environmental exposures and socioeconomic patterns. Moreover, since a decade, combined effects of environmental and socioeconomic characteristics are suspected to have an impact on the risk of congenital anomalies. Three mechanisms have been proposed in the literature suggesting the possible combined effect of the social health inequalities and the environmental exposures. This commentary presents the role of the neighbourhood deprivation in the adverse effect of air pollution on congenital anomalies. Both air pollution and neighbourhood deprivation have been reported in the literature to increase the risk of congenital abnormalities.


This book by Gyan Prakash, a professor of history at Princeton University, is about the influence of Western science on India during the British colonial period. The book is not on the history of science. Rather it is about how ideas from the European Enlightenment and the scientific revolution that the British brought to India affected the Indian elite and how that elite attempted to adapt the Western ideas to its own culture and tradition to create an ideology of nationalism. This book is mainly based on the work of others rather than on primary source material gathered by Prakash. The book is divided into two parts; science and technology, respectively. Prakash first deals with the museums and exhibitions where the British "staged science to impress on the natives that the British had power because of their knowledge of science. They also used the museums to study the people, plants, animals, and minerals in their colonial territory to better understand, exploit, and control it. Rakash then goes on to the translation of Western scientific ideas into the Indian idiom for the Indian elite, many of whom showed a great enthusiasm for them. Some of the elite studied their own tradition in the light of the new ideas and reaffirmed the traditions while seeing the need to reform practices that they saw as corruptions of pristine, ancient traditions. The second part describes the application of technology by the government in public health, irrigation, railways, and other infrastructure and the desire of the nationalists to take over the machinery of the British colonial state to create a "different modernity" from that envisioned by the British. There are several topics missing from this book. Muslims constituted a third of the population of British India, and a Muslim elite had governed India for seven centuries before British rule. Yet Prakash has neglected a discussion of how Indian Muslims dealt with Western ideas; he has focused almost exclusively on Indian Hindus. All nowEuropean people had to come to terms with Western power arising from the development of modem science and technology in Europe, including Japan, which never fell under colonial domination, and China, which saw some of its temtory ruled by Europeans. A comparison between other nowEuropean societies and India would have been very instructive and is a serious omission in a book of historical analysis. There is also a pervasive use of postmodernist terminology, and I recommend this book only to those with a special affinity for that kind of discourse.


Background Diabetic nephropathy (DN) causes the vast proportion of excess mortality for patients with diabetes. Novel therapeutic approaches slowing down its incidence is still lacking. Psoralen is the major active ingredient of Psoralea corylifolia Linn. (PCL), which was used to treat a number of diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether psoralen could alleviate DN and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods Cell viability assay and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate the effect of psoralen on high glucose (HG)-stimulated human kidney HK-2 cells. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expressions of miRNA in cells. Cell transfection, apoptosis assay and Western blot were further performed to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results Psoralen alleviated HG-induced viability decrease of HK-2 cells via inhibiting apoptosis. Meanwhile, the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation induced by HG in HK-2 cells were also decreased by psoralen. In addition, the expression of miR-874 in HK-2 cells was significantly upregulated by psoralen. Western blot assays indicated that psoralen inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling via upregulation of miR-874. Conclusion This study demonstrated that psoralen could significantly alleviate HG-induced HK-2 cell injury via upregulation of miR-874. Therefore, psoralen might serve as an agent for the treatment of DN.


In a recent publication, Li et al. introduced LeafCutter, a new method for detecting and quantifying differential splicing of RNA from RNASeq data. In this work, Li et al. first compared LeafCutter to existing methods, then used it for a study of splicing variations and sQTL analysis from a large set of GTEx samples. While the study was elaborate and comprehensive, we want to highlight several issues with the comparative analysis performed by Li et al. We argue these issues created an inaccurate and misleading representation of other tools, namely MAJIQ and rMATS. More broadly, we believe the points we raise regarding the comparative analysis by Li et al. are representative of general issues we all, as authors, editors, and reviewers, are faced with and must address in the current times of fast paced genomics and computational research.


General survey of the history of the United States from Reconstruction to the contemporary era paying particular attention to groups who have remained outside of mainstream America and/or whose contributions to mainstream America have gone unacknowledged.


Web now becomes the backbone of the information. Today the major concerns are not the availability of information but rather obtaining the right information. Mining the web aims at discovering the hidden and useful knowledge from web hyperlinks, contents or usage logs. This paper focuses on improving the prediction of the next visited web pages and recommends them to the current anonymous user based on web usage mining technique where many data mining techniques applied to web server logs. We proposed ARS to recommend to the anonymous web user by assigning him to the best navigation profiles obtained by previous navigations of similar interested users based on his early stage navigation. To represent the anonymous user's navigation history, we used a window sliding method with size n over his current navigation session. Using CTI dataset the experimental results show higher prediction accuracy for the next visited pages for anonymous users compared to previous recommendation system.


A simple and efficient method for hybridization and subsequent recovery of non-fragmented ribosomal RNA from the hybrid is described. The procedure involves annealing of immobilized denatured DNA bound on cellulose nitrate membrane filters to complementary RNA in 50% (v/v) formamide-0.33m-potassium chloride-10mm-tris-hydrochloric acid buffer, pH7.4, at 33 degrees for 3hr. Under these conditions no detectable changes in the sedimentation coefficients of the input RNA were detected. The RNA can subsequently be recovered quantitatively from the hybrid in intact form by incubating the filters in formamide or in 85% (v/v) dimethyl sulphoxide. The applicability of the method for the evaluation of the absolute size of ribosomal RNA cistrons in Escherichia coli DNA and for the determination of the size of messenger RNA molecules is discussed.


The discovery of a three-cycle quasi-periodicity (TCQP) in the planetary indices (Ap/aa), interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) intensity (B) and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) has been described [Ahluwalia H S, Three activity cycle periodicity in galactic cosmic rays? Proc 25th Int Cosmic Ray Conf (Durban, South Africa), 2, 1997b, pp 109-112; Ahluwalia H S, The predicted size of cycle 23 based on the inferred three cycle quasi-periodicity of the planetary index Ap, J Geophys Res (USA), 103 (1998) pp 12103–12109; Ahluwalia H S, The development of solar cycle 23: Reply to Wilson & Hathaway's comment, J Geophys Res (USA), 104 (1999) pp 2559–2561]. It led to the development of a heuristic methodology for predicting the peak smooth sunspot numbers (SSNs) and the rise time for a new solar activity cycle. The scheme was used to predict key parameters for the SSN cycle 23. The predictions were right on the mark, one of the very few predictions to have achieved this status. The smoothed SSNs for cycle 24 have been increasing slowly since its onset in December 2008. Ahluwalia & Jackewicz [Ahluwalia H S & Jackiewicz J, Sunspot cycle 23 descent to an unusual minimum and forecasts for cycle 24 activity, Adv Space Res (UK), 50 (2012) pp 662-668] have predicted that cycle 24 will be only half as active as cycle 23 and reach its peak in May 2013 ± 6 months. In the present paper, the present status of the ascending phase of cycle 24 has been reported and its timeline has been compared with those of the previous ten cycles (10-23) of the twentieth century. Drawing from the past history, Ahluwalia & Jackewicz noted that we may be on the eve of a Dalton-like minimum. The ascending phase of cycle 24 is compared with those of cycles 5 and 14 that led to the start of two recent Grand Minima, namely the Dalton and the Gleissberg Minima, respectively. The physical significance of the findings is discussed and speculated about their implications for the global climate change and probable socioeconomic and political future happenings.


With the increasing dependence on autonomous operating agents and robots the need for ethical machine behavior rises. This paper presents a moral reasoner that combines connectionism, utilitarianism and ethical theory about moral duties. The moral decision-making matches the analysis of expert ethicists in the health domain. This may be useful in many applications, especially where machines interact with humans in a medical context. Additionally, when connected to a cognitive model of emotional intelligence and affective decision making, it can be explored how moral decision making impacts affective behavior.


Due to the complex micro-anatomy of the root canal system, mechanical instrumentation leaves significant portions of the root canal walls untouched; therefore, complete elimination of bacteria from the root canal by cleaning with instrumentation alone is unlikely. It has long been postulated but not demonstrated, that any pulp tissue left in the root canals can serve as bacterial/fungal/viral (microorganism nutrients) nutrients. Furthermore, tissue remnants also impede the antimicrobial effects of root canal irrigants and medicaments and prevent intimate adaptation of the root canal filling to the dentin. Therefore, specific irrigation/disinfection procedures are necessary to remove tissue from the root canals and to kill microorganisms, respectively. The purpose of this paper was to review different aspects of a promising root canal irrigant; QMix. This is a relatively new root canal irrigant composed of traditional materials like chlorhexidine (CHX), ethylele diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), saline and a detergent. QMix is antibacterial, antifungal and has antibiofilm activities, it displays substantivity, smear layer removing ability; moreover, its effect on dentin and retention of fiber posts etc. has been reviewed. There have been strong reports that show the chemical design of QMix prevents precipitation of CHX when together with EDTA and mixing with sodium hypochlorite does not produce the orange-brown precipitate. Furthermore, the smear layer removal ability of QMix is comparable to that of 17% EDTA and the antibacterial activity of QMix was greater than 1% and 2% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and 2% CHX.


An accurate short-term electric load forecasting is critical for modern electric power systems' safe and economical operation.

Electric load forecasting can be formulated as a multi-variate time series problem. Residential houses in the same neighborhood may be affected by similar factors and share some latent spatial dependencies. However, most of the existing works on electric load forecasting fail to explore such dependencies. In recent years, graph neural networks (GNNs) have shown impressive success in modeling such dependencies. However, such GNN based models usually would require a large amount of training data. We may have a minimal amount of data available to train a reliable forecasting model for houses in a new neighborhood area. At the same time, we may have a large amount of historical data collected from other houses that can be leveraged to improve the new neighborhood's prediction performance. In this paper, we propose an attentive transfer learning-based GNN model that can utilize the learned prior knowledge to improve the learning process in a new area. The transfer process is achieved by an attention network, which generically avoids negative transfer by leveraging knowledge from multiple sources.

Extensive experiments have been conducted on real-world data sets. Results have shown that the proposed framework can consistently outperform baseline models in different areas.


Using finite element method, a quenching analysis of 7075 aluminum alloy thick plate is carried out. The effect of surface heat transfer coefficient and plate thickness on residual stress, and the effect of cladding material on residual stress are discussed. It shows that the bigger surface heat transfer coefficient or thickness is, the bigger the residual stress is, and the residual stress significantly reduces while the cladding material exists. Experiments validated the simulation results.


Previous works show that pulse-position modulation (PPM) is an effective signalling method for mitigating multiple-access interference, and hence is able to increase the number of users in two-dimensional (2-D) optical code-division multiple-access (OCDMA) systems. However, in order to achieve high bit-rates, 2-D OCDMA systems using PPM signalling require very high transmitted power because of the negative impact of dispersion. In this study, the authors propose a novel modulation technique of multi-code PPM (MCPPM), which is the combination of the PPM and multi-code modulation (MCM). As the proposed technique inherits advantages from both MCM (in mitigating the dispersion) and PPM, 2-D OCDMA systems using MCPPM signalling are able to support higher user bit-rates for a larger number of users at low transmitted powers. Numerical results show that 2-D OCDMA systems using 4-4-MCPPM can support 60 users with 5 Gbps per user at the transmitted power of −7 dBm. The power gain in this case is 11 dB compared to 2-D OCDMA systems using 4-PPM signalling. The proposed systems using 4-2-MCPPM can support as many as 36 users with the bit-rate of 10 Gbps per user and transmitted power is −2 dBm.


There was an argument that Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli could have made—but didn't—in defending Obamacare's individual mandate against constitutional attack. That argument would have highlighted the role of comprehensive health insurance in steering individuals' health care savings and consumption decisions. Because consumer-directed health care, which reaches its apex when individuals self insure, suffers from several known market failures and because comprehensive health insurance policies play an unusually aggressive regulatory role in attempting to correct those failures, the individual mandate could be seen as an attempt to eliminate inefficiencies in the health care market that arise from individual decisions to self-insure. This argument would done a better job than the Solicitor General's of aligning the individual mandate with existing Commerce Clause and Necessary and Proper Clause precedent, and it would have done a better job of addressing the conservative justices' primary concerns with upholding the mandate. This Article hypothesizes that the Solicitor General made a strategic political choice to avoid this vision of the individual mandate because it would have provoked the strong political constraint against health care rationing—the freedom of health. It then considers the implications of that hypothesis for ongoing academic puzzles regarding the role of popular constitutionalism in Supreme Court decision-making and the role of the Solicitor General as an agent of either the Court or the President. The Article concludes that this story highlights a previously unexplored path for popular constitutionalism to impact Supreme Court holdings and that it highlights a particular circumstance in which the Solicitor General was emphatically an agent of the President, not the Court.


Esophageal cancer is the 8th most common type of malignancy in the world. For the past decades the incidence of esophageal cancer has rapidly increased, particularly due to a rise in adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Yet, worldwide the incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is highest. Radical surgical resection of the esophagus and the surrounding lymph nodes offers the best chance for cure. Five-year survival rate after curative surgery is around 35%. The general aim of this thesis is to investigate strategies in the field of surgery (Part I), molecular biology (Part II) and diagnostic imaging (Part III) through which the outcome of patients that undergo esophagectomy for esophageal cancer could be improved. Open esophagectomy is accompanied by significant morbidity, predominantly due to cardiopulmonary complications. Minimally invasive esophagectomy has been introduced to reduce this morbidity. Yet, conventional scopic surgery has several disadvantages for the surgeon, such as 2-dimensional view, a disturbed eye-hand-coordination and less degrees of freedom. Robotic systems have been developed to overcome those disadvantages. In part I of this thesis, the results of robot-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy (RTE) have been described. This innovative surgical technique has shown to be technically feasible and was associated with low blood loss and a steep learning curve. The robotic system facilitated a precise dissection along the vital mediastinal structures. The median number of dissected lymph nodes was equal to the open approach, but more than the thoracoscopic approach. The disease-free survival after RTE was comparable to open esophagectomy as well. To confirm our data and to assess if long-term oncologic outcome of RTE is comparable to open esophagectomy, more prospective studies are warranted. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may improve the outcome of esophagectomy by opposing early metastatic spread. A disadvantage of chemotherapy is that it destructs all proliferating cells, including normal healthy cells leading to toxicity. Recently, therapy has been developed that selectively acts on tumor cells by aiming at molecular characteristics of a tumor. The aim of Part II of this thesis was to identify potential molecular markers for targeted therapy in ESCC. Promising targets in ESCC appear mTOR, VEGF, EGFR, Cyclin D1 and COX-2, since they were frequently immunohistochemically overexpressed in our ESCC tissues. Based on the results of the studies described in Part III of this thesis, we have concluded that there neither seems a role for the routine aqueous contrast swallow examination performed after esophagectomy to assess the integrity of the cervical anastomosis nor for the sentinel node biopsy technique in esophageal cancer patients. Various diagnostic modalities are available for diagnosing and staging esophageal cancer. In addition, several surgical techniques are performed during esophageal cancer surgery. It is unknown in what frequencies these different diagnostic modalities and surgical techniques are currently being applied worldwide in the work-up and treatment of esophageal cancer patients. We have therefore initiated an international survey among surgeons with particular interest in esophageal cancer. Significant differences in applied diagnostic modalities and surgical techniques were detected between low- and high-volume surgeons and between surgeons from different continents.


In this thesis, I show how iron-oxide geochronology can be applied to soils and paleosols and I explore new applications of the (U-Th)/He and cosmogenic 3He dating methods. In Chapters II and III, I apply the (U-Th)/He method to goethite pisoliths in paleosols and fissure fillings of the Bohnerz deposits, which are a widespread erosional lag deposit in Central Europe. I show that this deposit formed between ~55 Ma and 2 Ma and not in the late Cretaceous-early Eocene, as was previously claimed. A map compiled from published sources shows the paleo-extent of the Bohnerz deposit, which were developed on every limestone plateau in Central Europe. Concentrations of cosmogenic 3He measured on pisoliths in paleosols, demonstrate that ancient cosmic-ray exposure occurred over at least 5 Ma, possibly 10-20 Ma. This shows that the Bohnerz deposits represent surfaces, which were stable for tens of millions of years before burial. Even today, these surfaces experience extremely low erosion rates of ~0.1 m/Ma, comparable to some of the Earth's most stable surfaces in arid environments. The hiatus represented by the Bohnerz unconformity lasts 125-150 Ma, yet only 30-40% of that duration is recorded in Bohnerz deposits. Pisoliths of the Bohnerz deposits are a continuous record of Central European continental climate for most of the Cenozoic. In Chapter IV, I develop a laboratory technique to enable (U-Th)/He dating of hematite samples by the single-aliquot method. Highly retentive hematite samples have to be heated to >1000 °C to fully degas helium, but U is lost from the sample at around 980 °C. Through infrared spectroscopy and trace element analysis of heated samples, I show that U-loss correlates with a phase change from hematite to magnetite. Delaying this phase change to higher temperatures extends the usable range of temperatures to which samples can be safely heated without U-loss. This is achieved by degassing samples in a partial oxygen pressure of around 100 mbar, which permits degassing of samples up to 1150 °C without loss of U. I demonstrate that precise and accurate (U-Th)/He ages can be obtained for hematite samples, which agree with established two-aliquot ages. I show how this method can be implemented and automated. In Chapter V, I extend the use of 3He cosmogenic dating to fine-grained iron-oxide particles, which are abundant in most types of modern soils. Diffusion modeling predicts that hematite particles down to ~10 nm should quantitatively retain helium for at least 1 Ma at Earth-surface conditions. In order to test whether pedogenic iron-oxides can be used for geochronology, I study a vertical profile of a relict soil developed on a fanglomerate terrace at Whitewater Hill, California. Profiles of 10Be and 26Al in detrital quartz agree well with an exponential decrease in cosmogenic nuclide production and they yield an exposure age of 52.4±2.2 ka assuming no erosion. The vertical profile of 3He concentrations in pedogenic iron-oxides shows a decrease with depth, but concentrations are higher than expected in the 40-100 cm depth range. This indicates vertical movement of iron-oxides in the soil, which is a well-known soil formation process. These observations are more consistent with a soil age of 208±44 ka. This approach yields information on both age constraints and the formation and migration of pedogenic iron-oxides in the soil column.


Sweeping narrowband random on broadband random (RoR) is a common vibration test method. However, different vibration controllers have different definitions on a sweep frequency range of narrowband. Some controllers define the sweep range by the central frequency of the narrowband, as well as the others by the left and right boundaries of the narrowband bandwidth, respectively. The difference between these two setups may have significant influence on the response of the test specimen when its natural frequency is adjacent to the sweep range, which may lead to different test results. This paper studies the different responses of a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system with different Q between the two setups when conducting RoR tests. Simulating and experimental results are also presented. The conclusion is that the sweep range setup can result to unneglectable test difference and the test operators should be aware of it when setting up the test profile.


BACKGROUND
In Italy, basic health needs of patients with inherited bleeding disorders are met by a network of 50 haemophilia centres belonging to the Italian Association of Haemophilia Centres. Further emerging needs, due to the increased life expectancy of this patient group, require a multi-professional clinical management of the disease and provide a challenge to the organisation of centres.In order to achieve harmonised quality standards of haemophilia care across Italian Regions, an institutional accreditation model for haemophilia centres has been developed.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
To develop an accreditation scheme for haemophilia centres, a panel of experts representing medical and patient bodies, the Ministry of Health and Regional Health Authorities has been appointed by the National Blood Centre. Following a public consultation, a technical proposal in the form of recommendations for Regional Health Authorities has been formally submitted to the Ministry of Health and has formed the basis for a proposal of Agreement between the Government and the Regions.

RESULTS
The institutional accreditation model for Haemophilia Centres was approved as an Agreement between the Government and the Regions in March 2013. It identified 23 organisational requirements for haemophilia centres covering different areas and activities.

DISCUSSION
The Italian institutional accreditation model aims to achieve harmonised quality standards across Regions and to implement continuous improvement efforts, certified by regional inspection systems. The identified requirements are considered as necessary and appropriate in order to provide haemophilia services as "basic healthcare levels" under the umbrella of the National Health Service. This model provides Regions with a flexible institutional accreditation scheme that can be potentially extended to other rare diseases.


The present study reports the successful shoot regeneration of preconditioned mature embryo and embryonic axis explants of chickpea cv. Gokce. Explants were preconditioned with 10 mgl benzylaminopurine (BA) for 7 days followed by culture on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.25, 0.50, 1.00 and 2.00 mg/l BA with or without 0.25 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) supplemented with 4 mg/l activated charcoal and 1 mg/l polyvinylpyrrolidon (PVP). Shoot regeneration was recorded on all explants. Maximum number of (14.75) shoots per explants on mature embryo were recorded on MS medium containing 2.0 mg/l BA with 0.25 mg/l NAA. Whereas, 16.83 shoots per explants were recorded on MS medium containing 2.0 mg/l BA. Presence of NAA in the culture medium decreased the mean shoot length of both explants compared to medium devoid of 0.25 mg/l NAA. Regenerated shoots were rooted on MS medium containing 1.0 mg/l indole-butyric acid (IBA) after 4 weeks of culture. Rooted plantlets were transferred to pots for acclimatization under green house conditions.


Introduction Oesophageal cancer patients often experience dysphagia due to the blockage of the gullet by the tumour, resulting in severe restrictions on food intake, physical activity, social functioning and quality of life. One of the more effective treatments to improve swallowing is the insertion of a metal stent (SEMS), which then self expands to open up the gullet. The addition of radiotherapy may also help to improve the problems causes by dysphagia and provide an additional survival benefit. Aims and Methods To add radiotherapy to SEMS and examine the impact on: i) duration of improvement of swallow; ii) quality of life; iii) survival. A pragmatic, randomised controlled trial of external beam radiotherapy plus SEMS versus SEMS alone in 396 patients with oesophageal cancer. Radiotherapy will be given as an outpatient either as five treatments over one week, or ten treatments over two weeks. Questionnaires assessing quality of life and cost effectiveness will be completed at weeks two, four, eight and twelve and then monthly for up to one year. Semi-structured interviews will be held with: i) trial participants to explore their experiences while on the trial; ii) patients who decide not to take part in the trial to explore reasons for non-consent. Results This trial will provide data on the time to progression of dysphagia, quality of life, morbidity and re-intervention rates, survival, patient attitude to treatment and cost-effectiveness of the treatment. Conclusion Achieving funding for large scale trials capable of answering important symptom control questions is feasible using a pragmatic approach.


Background: The number of older adults affected by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and early cognitive changes is on the rise. Recent studies have shown a high co-occurrence of these conditions. This, along with shared risk factors and similar histopathology suggests they may share genetic risk factors as well. The goal of this study was to explore the possibility of known AMD SNPs contributing to the co-morbidity. Methods: Participants (AMD and controls) aged 70 years or older with no known neurological or cognitive impairments were recruited for this study. Visual function was evaluated using ETDRS visual acuity, Mars Contrast sensitivity and the scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Cognitive status was measured using the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Genotyping was conducted using a panel of AMD single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Analysis was focused on the CFH Y402H and ARMS2 A69S SNPs due their association with drusen and evidence of their association with cognitive impairment. Results: According to the MMSE, two participants from the AMD group (N=21) and none from the control group (N=18) scored positive for cognitive impairment. The MoCA indicated 33.3% of the AMD group and 27.7% of the control group had MCI. There were no significant differences between MoCA scores based on the carrier versus non-carrier status of either the CFH or ARMS SNPs. The SNP in FADS1 (rs174547) that was part of the original panel, but not in the analysis, was found in a large number of participants. All those who scored positive for MCI were homozygous carriers of the FADS1 SNP. Conclusions: Although more people from the AMD group scored positive for MCI, scores between groups were significantly different. The AMD and control groups did differ on which cognitive domains they had difficulty with, indicating those with AMD and MCI may be at a higher risk of converting to AD. There were no significant differences on cognitive scores between CFH and ARMS2 SNP carriers and non-carriers. The FADS1 SNP, not originally intended to be part of this study, will be included in future analyses to explore the possibility of a founder effect and a potential link to mild cognitive impairment (MCI).


This thesis explores the experiences academically gifted students and their families are having within a Catholic education system of schools and the impact that these experiences are having on the choice of future schooling. Parents are making the decision to commence their academically gifted child at a Catholic school and throughout the child's schooling, choices are being considered as to whether to continue with Catholic schooling or seek an alternative. This Australian study investigates the interconnection between gifted education, school systems, school practices, families, and student experiences when deliberating the choice of school. The literature review considers the place of gifted education in the wider field of school education and sets a context for considering the educational learning experiences of the academically gifted students in this study. The review considers: characteristics of academically gifted students, theories of human development, beliefs about giftedness and gifted education, Catholic school ethos, school leadership, pedagogical practices, and school choice. Case study data from 14 primary and secondary school students, including 55 interviews, surveys and extensive document investigation, are presented and analysed. Based on Gagné's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (2008) two major themes are guiding this analysis: intrapersonal factors and environmental factors. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological System Theory (1977) is used in bringing the findings together. Key strengths of the Catholic schooling system in supporting academically gifted students are detailed. These strengths are: the obvious Catholic identity and ethos of the schools; the pastoral and nurturing care exhibited; and, the Newman Gifted Program for students of high ability generally in the top 15% of the population. Directions for future development are suggested. These directions are: ongoing professional learning for school leaders and classroom teachers around academic giftedness and gifted education; system resource support; and, making a clear distinction between the provision for students who are the top 15% of the population and students who are in or close to the top 1% of the population, based on a psychometric test. This research contributes to the literature about school choice, specifically for academically gifted students. The research also answers questions of why some academically gifted students are choosing to stay with the Catholic education system, and others are choosing to leave.


Genomics can play important roles in biodiversity conservation, especially for Extinct-in-the-Wild species where genetic factors greatly influence risk of total extinction and probability of successful reintroductions. The Christmas Island blue-tailed skink (Cryptoblepharus egeriae) and Lister's gecko (Lepidodactylus listeri) are two endemic reptile species that went extinct in the wild shortly following the introduction of a predatory snake. After a decade of management, captive populations have expanded from 66 skinks and 43 geckos to several thousand individuals; however, little is known about patterns of genetic variation in these species. Here, we use PacBio HiFi long-read and Hi-C sequencing to generate highly contiguous reference genomes for both reptiles, including the XY chromosome pair in the skink. We then analyze patterns of genetic diversity to infer ancient demography and more recent histories of inbreeding. We observe high genome-wide heterozygosity in the skink (0.007 heterozygous sites per base-pair) and gecko (0.005), consistent with large historical population sizes. However, nearly 10% of the blue-tailed skink reference genome falls within long (>1Mb) runs of homozygosity (ROH), resulting in homozygosity at all major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci. In contrast, we detect a single ROH in Lister's gecko. We infer from the ROH lengths that related skinks may have established the captive populations. Despite a shared recent extinction in the wild, our results suggest important differences in these species' histories and implications for management. We show how reference genomes can contribute evolutionary and conservation insights, and we provide resources for future population-level and comparative genomic studies in reptiles.


Objectives: The presence of respiratory viruses and the association with outcomes were assessed in invasively ventilated ICU patients, stratified by admission diagnosis. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: Five ICUs in the Netherlands. Patients: Between September 1, 2013, and April 30, 2014, 1,407 acutely admitted and invasively ventilated patients were included. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Nasopharyngeal swabs and tracheobronchial aspirates were collected upon intubation and tested for 14 respiratory viruses. Out of 1,407 patients, 156 were admitted because of a severe acute respiratory infection and 1,251 for other reasons (non–severe acute respiratory infection). Respiratory viruses were detected in 28.8% of severe acute respiratory infection patients and 17.0% in non–severe acute respiratory infection (p < 0.001). In one third, viruses were exclusively detected in tracheobronchial aspirates. Rhinovirus and human metapneumovirus were more prevalent in severe acute respiratory infection patients (9.6% and 2.6% vs 4.5 and 0.2%; p = 0.006 and p < 0.001). In both groups, there were no associations between the presence of viruses and the number of ICU-free days at day 28, crude mortality, and mortality in multivariate regression analyses. Conclusions: Respiratory viruses are frequently detected in acutely admitted and invasively ventilated patients. Rhinovirus and human metapneumovirus are more frequently found in severe acute respiratory infection patients. Detection of respiratory viruses is not associated with worse clinically relevant outcomes in the studied cohort of patients.


Mutants of Escherichia coli K12 with deletions in the nadC-lpd region of the chromosome were obtained for use in studies on the expression of the ace (pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, specific components) and lpd (lipomide dehydrogenase) genes. These were isolated by selecting spontaneous aroP mutants (lacking the general aromatic amino-acid permease and thus resistant to inhibitory aromatic amino-acid analogues) and screening for auxotrophy due to deletions extending into neighbouring genes. From 2892 isolates tested, the AroP- phenotypes of 2322 were confirmed and, of these, 28 stable and independently-derived auxotrophos were designated as deletion mutants. Six nutritionally-distinct categories were recognized: Nad- (8 strains); Nad-Ace-(7): Nad-'Ace-' (3); Ace- (8); 'Ace-' (I); Lpd-(I). The Ace- phenotypes of four isolates designated 'Ace-' were leaky and enzymological studies confirmed that they had less than 7% of parental pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity. Enzymological studies showed that the 15 Ace- or Nad-Ace- strains all lacked the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and pyruvate dehydrogenase (EIp) activities and only three retained detectable dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2p). The one Lpd- strain lacked pyruvate dehydrogenase, dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase and lipoamide dehydrogenase (E3) activities as well as the activities of the pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes. The results confirmed the gene order nadC-aroP-aceE-aceF-lpd and indicated that no other essential functions are determined by genes within the nadC-lpd region. Resistance to lactate during growth of pps mutants on acetate was directly related to the specific activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. None of the deletions promoted the high degree of resistance characteristically associated with constitutive expression of the dehydrogenase complex. Six pps mutants having Ace+ or 'Ace-' phenotypes were more sensitive than the parental strains and expression of their ace operons appeared to be affected; most sensitive were the Ace- strains which lacked pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and phosphoenolpyruvate synthetase activities. The lipoamide dehydrogenase activities of the deletion strains (Lpd+) ranged between 30% and 100% of parental levels indicating that expression of their ace operons appeared to be affected; most sensitive were the Ace- strains which lacked pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and phosphoenolpyruvate synthetase activities. The lipoamide dehydrogenase activities of the deletion strains (Lpd+) ranged between 30% and 100% of parental levels indicating that expression of the lpd gene may be affected by the ace operon but can be independent.


TOG domain microtubule polymerases track microtubule plus ends, bind GTP-tubulin and catalyse microtubule growth, by mechanisms that are not yet understood. In this work, we use computational analysis and simulation to probe the detailed mechanism of tubulin capture and exchange by TOG domains. TOG domains display a ridge of 5 surface loops that form the core of the TOG-tubulin interface. Using computational mutagenesis, we confirm that this row of loops, which is positively charged, plays a dominant role in setting the overall electrostatic field on the TOG domain. Brownian dynamics simulations establish that diffusion-to-capture of TOGs by tubulin is very strongly electrostatically steered. Under a range of conditions and in all trajectories examined, TOGs are initially captured and oriented by tubulin at high radius so that their basic loops faced inwards towards the tubulin. Thereafter, the loops continue to face inwards towards the tubulin and to scan its surface until stereospecific docking the crystallographic binding site occurs. We find that the acidic C-terminal tails of tubulin are not required for electrostatic steering, but instead serve to widen the acceptance angles for electrostatically steered diffusion-to-capture. All-atom normal mode analysis indicates that TOGs are remarkably stiff, enabling them to drive free GTP-tubulin into a partially-curved state by conformational selection. Electrostatic free energy calculations show that the complex that each TOG makes with its cognate tubulin is stable. Our work argues that TOGs accelerate microtubule plus end growth by two complementary electrostatic mechanisms, first by electrostatically steered diffusion-to-capture, and second by electrostatic stabilisation of a partially bent conformation of GTP-tubulin that exchanges rapidly into the tip-lattice. To explain this rapid exchange, we propose a model in which simultaneous binding of the GTP-tubulin to the TOG and the microtubule tip-lattice can occur and is required to de-stabilise the crystallographic complex and release and recycle the TOG. Author Summary TOG domain microtubule polymerases are protein machines that accelerate the growth of microtubule plus ends by capturing tubulin building blocks from solution and feeding them into the growing microtubule tip. Exactly how TOGs manage to do this remains unclear. Several lines of evidence suggest that electrostatic interactions play a key role, but the detailed role of electrostatics in the polymerase mechanism of TOGs is so far little explored. Here using linked computational approaches we analyse the electrostatic fields of TOGs from the TOG polymerase superfamily and simulate their tubulin binding trajectories. We find that each TOG domain has a shaped electrostatic field that is precisely matched to its tubulin binding partner, such that each TOG is electrostatically orientated at high radius and thereafter electrostatically guided to its capture site. Our work shows that electrostatic steering dramatically accelerates the diffusion-to-capture of tubulin by TOGs. The resulting TOG-tubulin complexes are electrostatically stabilized and we suggest that release of the TOG from this complex requires that tubulin first be incorporated into the growing microtubule, thereby being driven into a TOG-incompatible conformation.


Managing inter-cell interference is one of the main challenges in current and next generation wireless systems that aggressively reuse the frequency. Cooperation between interfering cells has been sought to mitigate interference. In this paper, we address the problem of jointly optimizing the transmit powers, user scheduling, and user association in a cellular network to maximize the weighted sum rate (WSR). To this end, we develop a distributed interference penalty algorithm in which the cells update their transmit powers and user schedule to maximize its utility minus an interference cost. The proposed algorithm involves only limited exchange of information via backhaul and has convergence guarantees. Furthermore, we propose a sub-optimal algorithm with lower computational and backhaul overhead. In it, the users are first associated to the base stations (BSs) based on their signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratios (SINRs). It is then followed by joint optimization of BS transmit powers and user scheduling, for which we develop an interference penalty algorithm as well. We show that the proposed algorithms outperform the computationally complex weighted minimum mean squared error (WMMSE) algorithm.


The paper considers specific character of hydrogeological problems arising during the whole cycle of a mining enterprise operation; the most reliable their solutions are implemented in the context of numerical hydrodynamical models of mine fields. Basic approaches to schematize laminated carbonic formation through simplification of natural rock mass permeability have been substantiated; prediction algorithm of its changes during temporal transformation has been developed. Numerous identification problems solving in the process of modeling mine fields has helped understand that water inflow amount cannot be correlated with the extension of mining area. Within the areas with roof caving, permeability of carbonic formation is a time variable which value increases 10 – 15 times in the context of rock displacement, halves after 5 –10 years and nears natural values after 15 –20 years. In the context of Western Donbas, the modularized schemes have been tested while solving problems concerning filtration control within mine fields and their surface influence areas with high confidence of hydrogeological forecasts.


Programs, like people, get old. We can't prevent aging, but we can understand its causes, take steps to limits its effects, temporarily reverse some of the damage it has caused, and prepare for the day when the software is no longer viable. A sign that the software engineering profession has matured will be that we lose our preoccupation with the first release and focus on the long-term health of our products. Researchers and practitioners must change their perception of the problems of software development. Only then will software engineering deserve to be called "engineering".<<ETX>>


Current studies in computer science on clothing aesthetic evaluation are difficult to be practically applied as fashion is a subjective field affected by various factors, like cultural background, or physical information (e.g. skin color). On the other hand, computer is good at processing logical tasks with clear definition and evaluation index. In this work, we propose a framework which divides the aesthetic evaluation task into three levels, namely apparel harmony, personal compatibility, and personality expression, to reduce its complexity such that computer has great potential to evaluate the clothing aesthetic practically. Each level is clearly defined, and the technic solutions is proposed correspondingly. Initial work with examples is presented to demonstrate the potential of the proposed framework.


In today's competitive market many consumer products are designed with complex curved shapes to meet customers' demands for styling and ergonomics. These styled products are commonly manufactured using moulding processes because they can produce a wide range of freeform shapes at relatively low cost. However, although injection moulding and metal casting allow a great deal of design freedom they also make significant demands on the designer to ensure that parts are designed with due regard for manufacturability. This paper describes a knowledge based moulding advisor that has been developed to provide design for moulding advice to designers during the design process. The main contributions of the research are the development of a hierarchical knowledge representation to allow moulding advice to be generated at different levels of detail and the integration of the expert system with a geometric part description extracted from a Computer Aided Design (CAD) solid model. A demonstrator for the manufacturing advisor has been implemented using the expert system shell CLIPS and integrated with CAD using feature recognition. The moulding advisor is able to generate tailored design for moulding advice for a range of manufacturing processes and materials and evaluate the manufacturability of a designed part at the feature level. The paper provides a case study for a simple moulded test part.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the use natural antibiotics (phytobiotic) Curcuma aeruginosa, Curcuma longa and Zingiber officinale as an alternative antibiotic on the performance of broiler. Experimental design was a Completely Randomized Design using 440 broiler of one day-old chicks and randomly divided into 11 treatments with 4 chickens for each treatmen. The dietry treatments were negative control (T01), a basal diet without any feed additives and positive control (T02), a basal diet with bacitracin, and basal diets with additional different levels (0.75, 1.0, and 1,5%) of Curcuma aeruginosa (TI1, TI2, and TI3), Curcuma longa (KU1, KU2, and KU3) and red ginger (JM1, JM2, and JM3), respectivelly. The results showed that the addition of low-dose phytobiotic (0.75%) in broiler have produced a different effect (P .05) with positive control treatment of bacitracin. In conclusion, the use of phyitobiotics Curcuma aeruginosa, Curcuma longa and red ginger has showed their function as growth promoters in low dose.


An efficient way to numerically calculate diffraction from large volume holograms is developed using the first-order Born approximation. For this, everything except the propagating part of the Green's function is neglected, and the fact that the gratings have a slowly varying envelope is used. The results of the new method are compared with analytical solutions of plane-wave diffraction with absorption, with phase-conjugated readout of a hologram recorded with a point source, and with numerical simulations of shift multiplexing with high-numerical-aperture microscope objectives. We show that the new method gives correct results in all cases and is several orders of magnitudes faster than FFT-based integration.


Second generation oral hypoglycemic agents, such as glyburide and glipizide, are often the treatment of choice in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. These sulfonylureas are more potent osmotic agents than their predecessors and may give rise to crystalline lens changes and refractive error shifts in the absence of blood glucose variation. Such a case is presented, as is a detailed description of the mechanism of action of commonly prescribed oral hypoglycemic agents.


We recently reported the chromosomal location of the staphylococcal beta-lactamase gene in four strains of Enterococcus faecalis. Transfer of this gene from strain CH19 to an enterococcal recipient was accompanied by transfer of numerous other antimicrobial resistance determinants in the absence of detectable plasmid DNA. A restriction map developed by comparing digestions of the regions surrounding the beta-lactamase gene in donor and recipient chromosomes resembles published maps of previously described staphylococcal beta-lactamase transposons, particularly in the area of the structural gene and its downstream region. In addition, DNA sequence analysis of the region immediately downstream of the beta-lactamase gene from both CH19 and its transcipient, CX19, revealed the presence of a 121-bp inverted repeat region found in Tn552 and Tn4002, two previously described staphylococcal beta-lactamase transposons. These results suggest that the chromosomal beta-lactamase gene of E. faecalis CH19 is incorporated into a transposonlike element derived from staphylococci.


The infectious nature of the COVID-19 virus demands rapid detection to quarantine the infected to isolate the spread or provide the necessary treatment if required. Analysis of COVID-19-infected chest Computed Tomography Scans (CT scans) have been shown to be successful in detecting the disease, making them essential in radiology assessment and screening of infected patients. Single-model Deep CNN models have been used to extract complex information pertaining to the CT scan images, allowing for in-depth analysis and thereby aiding in the diagnosis of the infection by automatically classifying the chest CT scan images as infected or non-infected. The feature maps obtained from the final convolution layer of the Deep CNN models contain complex and positional encoding of the images' features. The ensemble modeling of these Deep CNN models has been proved to improve the classification performance, when compared to a single model, by lowering the generalization error, as the ensemble can meta-learn from a broader set of independent features. This paper presents Deep Ensemble Learning models to synergize Deep CNN models by combining these feature maps to create deep feature vectors or deep feature maps that are then trained on meta shallow and deep learners to improve the classification. This paper also proposes a novel Attentive Ensemble Model that utilizes an attention mechanism to focus on significant feature embeddings while learning the Ensemble feature vector. The proposed Attentive Ensemble model provided better generalization, outperforming Deep CNN models and conventional Ensemble learning techniques, as well as Shallow and Deep meta-learning Ensemble CNNs models. Radiologists can use the presented automatic Ensemble classification models to assist identify infected chest CT scans and save lives.


Production of iron and steel releases seven percent of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Incremental changes in present primary steel production technologies would not be sufficient to meet the emission reduction targets. Replacing coke, used in the blast furnaces as a reducing agent, with hydrogen produced from water electrolysis has the potential to reduce emissions from iron and steel production substantially. Mass and energy flow model based on an open-source software (Python) has been developed in this work to explore the feasibility of using hydrogen direct reduction of iron ore (HDRI) coupled with electric arc furnace (EAF) for carbon-free steel production. Modeling results show that HDRI-EAF technology could reduce specific emissions from steel production in the EU by more than 35 % , at present grid emission levels (295 kgCO2/MWh). The energy consumption for 1 ton of liquid steel (tls) production through the HDRI-EAF route was found to be 3.72 MWh, which is slightly more than the 3.48 MWh required for steel production through the blast furnace (BF) basic oxygen furnace route (BOF). Pellet making and steel finishing processes have not been considered. Sensitivity analysis revealed that electrolyzer efficiency is the most important factor affecting the system energy consumption, while the grid emission factor is strongly correlated with the overall system emissions.


Almost all bodily functions are dependent on activity of the autonomic nervous system – from the cardiovascular system, the gastrointestinal tract, the evacuative and sexual organs, to the regulation of temperature, metabolism and tissue defence. Balanced functioning of each aspect of this system is an important basis of our life and well-being. In this long-awaited second edition, the author, a leading figure in this field, provides an up-to-date and detailed description of the cellular and integrative organization of the autonomic nervous system, covering both peripheral and central aspects. The book exposes modern neurobiological concepts that allow us to understand why this system normally runs so smoothly and why its deterioration has such disastrous consequences. This broad overview will appeal to researchers and advanced undergraduate students of the various biological and medical sciences studying how the autonomic nervous system works and to clinicians and physical therapists whose practice involves systems dependent on autonomic functions.


Impulse buying can simply be defined as an unplanned decision to purchase a particular product. The person who make such buying is called an impulse buyer. It is not necessary that impulse buying would always be in the boundaries of necessary products, there are the times when customers purchase those products which are not necessary for their lives. Impulse buying can also extend to big items like vehicles, home-based appliances etc. It interrupts the usual decision making models in customers' minds. The rational sequence of the customers' activities is replaced with an irrational moment of self-satisfaction. In short, impulse buying is linked with the emotional side of the customers. It is more irresistible than planned purchasing which reveals its significance. The objective of this study is to highlight the relationship of demographic factors i.e. age, gender, income and education and impulse buying behavior of customers in Pakistan. It is a secondary data based study. Different researches which study the relationship of demographic factors and impulse buying behavior of customers in Pakistan are taken into account in order to reach the answer. Findings of the study show that in Pakistan all the demographic variables included in the research i.e. age, gender, income and education have a noteworthy association with impulse purchasing. This study discusses the relation of demographic variables with traditional impulse buying so, further studies could be conducted in order to know that how the demographic variables are associated with online impulse buying. Keywords : Age, Gender, Income, Education, Impulse buying behavior.


Groundwater is water stored in aquifers in a groundwater basin, which is influenced by geologic, hydrogeological, tectonic forces, and the structure of the earth. Increased water demand causes problems in water management, which are characterized by a decrease in water availability, especially groundwater. Groundwater resources are renewable, but refill time is relative, depending on water availability, surface conditions, rainfall, lithology, hydraulic conductivity, topography, groundwater level depth, and the influence of the nature of unsaturated zones. These conditions cause a decrease in groundwater availability. This phenomenon is also found in Central Sulawesi Province, especially at Palu Groundwater Basin. The distribution of groundwater potential, which has the spatial and temporal characteristics of the confined aquifer, has caused insufficient water supply at Palu Groundwater Basin. Thus, according to the problem, the research objectives are to analyze groundwater quantitative potential based on the characteristics of a confined aquifer on each hydro-morphology and the hydrogeology units of the aquifer. The study of the groundwater quantitative potential is based on spatial, geomorphologic, and geologic approaches, and is required to be done with survey methods, and analysis using Darcy's Law. The research result indicates that: The characteristic of a confined aquifer consists of an aquifer system in alluvial plains together with denudation. Based on the topographic relief variation conditions, including the structure of the material and geomorphic process, the l ithology and stratigraphy that sort Palu Groundwater Basin consists of Alluvium and the Pakuli Formation with the lithology variation. Confined aquifers are big (> 10.0 l/sec). The potency groundwater zone in the Palu Groundwater Basin is fluctuated greatly, ranging from high to medium. The groundwater potency based on a hydro-morphology at landform unit alluvial plains varies between medium to high potency.


Two predominant network forms, Burt and Coleman, are delineated to identify the underlying structure and dynamics of electronic intermediation models. Basic differentiating characteristics between the two network types, including nodes, structures, products, transactions, market maturity, and technology improvement, are identified. Two comparative cases are analyzed to illustrate the utility of the constructs. The analysis shows that while both Burt and Coleman networks are viable strategies for electronic intermediation, Burt rents are easier to obtain and difficult to maintain, whereas Coleman rents are more difficult to obtain, but easier to defend. Accordingly, we find a tendency for intermediaries in Burt networks to attempt to affect Coleman rents as a long-term strategy.


Flaxseed oil is the most abundant plant source of omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid omega-3. This review focuses on the biological effects of dietary alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) compared with long-chain omega-3 derivatives. ALA is not equivalent in its biological effects to the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in marine fish oils. However, ALA is metabolized to eicosapentaenoic acid, which may replace arachidonic acid in membrane phospholipides. Ingestion of flaxseed oil may alter the generation of eicosanoids, procoagulant activity and other membrane-dependent responses and exert antiallergic, antiatherosclerotic, antiarrhythmic effects. Beneficial effects of flaxseed oil have been shown in prevention and management of cardiovascular disease.


ABSTRACT Bitumen veins were formerly mined as 'coal' from Moinian metamorphic basement at Castle Leod, Strathpeffer, Ross-shire. The abundance and spatial concentration of hydrocarbons implies generation of a large volume of oil that exerted a fluid pressure great enough to open veins to 1+ m width. Biomarker characteristics, including β-carotane and a high proportion of C28 steranes, correlate the bitumen to Lower Devonian non-marine shales separated from the Moinian basement by a major fault. Bitumen in the Moinian basement has higher diasterane/sterane ratios than bitumen in the Devonian sequence, indicating greater levels of biodegradation, which may reflect more interaction with water in the basement. Replacive bitumen nodules in the Moinian basement, containing thoriferous/uraniferous mineral phases, are comparable with bitumen nodules in basement terrains elsewhere. Formation of the nodules represents hydrocarbon penetration of low-permeability basement, consistent with high fluid pressure. Bitumen veins are particularly orientated E–W, and may be associated with E–W transfer faults attributed to Permo-Carboniferous basin inversion.


An extensive inquisition on service quality has been a significant subject matter for centuries and has now developed in a manner of self-service technology (SSTs). SSTs service quality has a complex influence on the behaviour of customers in terms of interaction with banking organisations that involve activities of M-banking to establish and develop more significant customer satisfaction, loyalty, and service results. This study would like to examine technological based services impact based on SSTs service quality, goal framing theory, and customer loyalty in the M-banking service of a developing country. 698 M-banking's users have been collected through the online survey. Structural Equation Modelling was applied, and the results indicate positive and significant relationships among proposed indicators, including SSTs service quality, goal framing theory, and customer loyalty. The findings can help the banking industry to improve and provide necessary insights for the Banking industry, especially in the developing country like Thailand.


Statistics and computing share many close relationships. Computing now permeates every aspect of statistics, from pure description to the development of statistical theory. At the same time, the computational methods used in statistical work span much of computer science. Elements of Statistical Computing covers the broad usage of computing in statistics. It provides a comprehensive account of the most important computational statistics. Included are discussions of numerical analysis, numerical integration, and smoothing. The author give special attention to floating point standards and numerical analysis; iterative methods for both linear and nonlinear equation, such as Gauss-Seidel method and successive over-relaxation; and computational methods for missing data, such as the EM algorithm. Also covered are new areas of interest, such as the Kalman filter, projection-pursuit methods, density estimation, and other computer-intensive techniques.


In this paper, the effects of delamination on critical buckling load failure of unidirectional E-glass/epoxy composite laminated plate consisting of delamination at the middle of the mid plane were studied. Experimental work was carried out to determine the buckling load for rectangular composite plates consisting of delamination for various aspect ratios ranging from 0.5 to 3. Stitched and unstitched laminates were prepared by introducing inplane delamination at the mid of the mid plane using Teflon film. These specimens were made with unidirectional fiber of orientation of (0o/-45o/45o/90o)s with single inplane delamination at the mid of the mid plane of through width and various lengths of 130 mm and 50 mm. The Plates were made to buckle experimentally by simply supporting the top and bottom edges, and sides were kept free. Buckling load has been found from the graph. The critical buckling load is found to be increased in the stitched laminates when compared with unstitched laminates and is decreased in both stitched and unstitched laminates as the aspect ratio increases. The experimental results were validated by using commercial finite element software of ANSYS.


The way food systems have evolved over past decades means that they now face major risks, which in turn threaten the future of food systems themselves. Food systems have seriously contributed to climate change, environmental destruction, overexploitation of natural resources and pollution of air, water and soils. Despite the global average improvement in calorie production and major development of the food and agricultural product markets, huge inequalities in food access and repartition of the added value have emerged, leading to new serious nutritional and social problems. Based on a review of the most recent scientific knowledge, this report paints a gloomy picture with an emphasis on Low-Income and Lower Middle-Income countries where the population faces greater challenges than elsewhere. Different threats are adding up and there are few options to adapt or mitigate these combinations of risks. This is a call for all those - businesses, policy makers, consumers, funding agencies - who are engaged in food systems transformations to bear in mind their systemic aspects and their multiple outcomes and risks in order to be able to fashion more sustainable and equitable food systems.


Reports on the outcome of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) are mainly based on results obtained in the context of clinical trials. However, due to poor performance status and cognitive impairment, most patients are actually treated outside clinical studies. The aim of this retrospective study was to get more insight into the outcome of HIV-negative PCNSL patients, treated between 2000-2010 in two hospitals (one academic centre and one categorical cancer centre). Fifty-two patients were identified. Eight patients were treated with corticosteroids only. Sixteen patients received high-dose methotrexate (MTX)-based chemotherapy, ten received radiotherapy and 18 patients were treated with a combination of MTX-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy. At a median follow-up of 63.1 months, the median overall survival for all patients was 24.4 months (95% CI: 11.5-39.8 months), with an event-free survival of 14 months (95% CI: 7.3-24.4 months). Causes of death were progressive PCNSL in 29 patients, MTX toxicity in four patients and epileptic seizures in one patient. These results are comparable with the outcome of prospective clinical trials in this disease, which still has a relatively poor prognosis.


Background: Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an immune mediated fibro inflammatory condition characterized by abundant IgG4-positive (IgG4+) plasma cell infiltrated lesions and elevated serum IgG4 concentrations. Tubulointerstitial nephritis and glomerular lesions are the most common renal IgG4-RDs. However, solitary mass lesion is rarely observed in renal IgG4-RD. Materials and Methods: We reported a 55-year-old male patient with a space-occupying lesion in the right kidney detected during a routine ultrasound medical examination. Computed tomography indicated a 20 mm × 15 mm × 18 mm mass located at the lower pole of the right kidney. Both T1-weighted imaging and T2-weighted imaging magnetic resonance imaging scans showed a hypointense mass. Diffusion-weighted imaging (b value = 800) showed slightly hyperintensity. Results: The lesion was diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma clinically based on the laboratory and radiological findings and treated with laparoscopic resection. However, the postoperative histological examination results indicated the lesion IgG4-RD of the kidney. Conclusion: We should consider pseudotumor-like IgG4-RD as a differential diagnosis for solitary renal lesion although the incidence is low.


Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. In Australia, where this study was conducted, there were 1,281 deaths from melanoma in 2016. Treatments for melanoma have changed rapidly in recent years with the introduction of immune and targeted therapies. These have resulted in longer term survival for some, but it is not clear which patients these treatments will work for, and for how long. This study aimed to understand the impact of melanoma treatments, as they relate to diagnosis and prognosis, on the experiences of family carers. Interviews were conducted with twenty carers of patients who were treated at three melanoma centres in Australia and who subsequently died. The study found that diagnosis of advanced melanoma was a time of uncertainty as carers struggled to understand the implications of the diagnosis. Treatment options in the form of relatively new immune and targeted therapies added to uncertainty around prognosis (i.e. the likely outcome, such as chance of survival). Carers reported unclear communication of prognosis by medical specialists. Some carers reported that medical specialists did not want or were not able to give a prognosis. Many carers expected that treatments would have positive outcomes. The study findings indicate that medical specialists should recognise and address carer understanding of and need for information about prognosis as early as possible following diagnosis. Communication of the uncertain benefit of these new therapies can help patients and carers make decisions about treatment preference and care planning.


PVC is the most versatile vinyl polymer.As such PVC has limited uses but by adding various additives like plasticizers or by doing some chemical modifications, its properties are altered up to great extent. Various studies on PVC and its modification have been reviewed in this paper. FT-IR and TGA/DTAhave been mainly used for the characterization. Thermal stability of the modified PVC was observed to be increased in maximum studies but in some cases it decreased after crosslinking. Properties of the PVC have been altered up to desired extent by using bifunctional crosslinkers to find wide applications like in construction, household applications, biomedical applications etc.


Background: Locomotive syndrome is a concept proposed in Japan involving decreased mobility due to osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia. This double-blind, randomized study aimed to investigate the effects of superoxide dismutase (SOD)-rich melon extract (Melon GliSODin®) on locomotive syndrome. Methods: For 6 months, we administered oral Melon GliSODin® (500.4 mg/day) or a placebo to 24 and 22 women, respectively (aged 50–80 years), with knee or lower back discomfort or pain. Using baseline and 6-month data, changes in the Verbal Rating Scale and in subjective symptoms (determined using the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure, Locomo 25, the Roland–Morris Disability questionnaire, and the Chalder Fatigue Scale) were assessed, along with various oxidative markers, antioxidants, inflammatory markers, renal and liver function biochemical markers, bone metabolism markers, body composition, and motor function. Results: Oral Melon GliSODin® administration tended to be associated with a larger improvement in subjective symptom scores, a reduction in oxidative markers (malondialdehyde and diacron reactive oxygen metabolites) and tumor necrosis factor-α, and a significant increase in non-fat mass between baseline and 6 months. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for outcomes at 6 months. Conclusions: Melon GliSODin® tended to improve the subjective symptoms of participants who had knee or lower back pain or discomfort. Melon GliSODin® administration may help to prevent the progression of locomotive syndrome. Future studies involving larger sample sizes and more stringent randomization protocols are needed to determine differences between the placebo and Melon GliSODin® groups.


Some medical problems, such as syncope, have direct consequences for fitness to drive. Our objective was to discover if patients had been informed about their driving status after a syncopal episode by their physician, and if this advice was in line with current legislation. Cross-sectional study. By means of a structured questionnaire, 150 patients referred to the syncope clinic at the Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, were asked about the advice they had received concerning their driving status during previous consultations with their general practitioner or specialists. A syncope expert then assessed the driving status of all patients in the light of the existing and new ruling. In 121 of the 150 patients (81%), a certain or highly-likely cause for their loss of consciousness was determined: 68 patients had reflex syncope, 25 patients orthostatic hypotension, 20 patients psychogenic pseudosyncope, three patients cardiac syncope, three patients had epilepsy and two patients another diagnosis. Seven patients had experienced an episode while driving. Only 26/150 patients (17%) reported that the consequences of their episodes for their driving status had been discussed with them at earlier consultations. If driving was discussed, in only 31% had the current Dutch legislation on driving been followed. Over a third (38%) of the patients felt they should no longer drive. Fewer than one in five patients reported that driving status was discussed by a physician after a syncope episode. If advice had been given, it was often not in line with current legislation


Fatigue is a common symptom in various diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The current standard method to assess fatigue is through questionnaires, which has several shortcomings; questionnaires are subjective, prone to recall bias, and potentially confounded by other symptoms like stress and depression. Thus, there is an unmet medical need to develop objective and reliable methods to evaluate fatigue. Our study seeks to develop an objective and ubiquitous monitoring tool for assessing fatigue. Leveraging a smartphone-based rapid tapping task, we conducted a two-week in-the-wild study with 35 MS patients. We explore the association between tapping derived metrics and perceived fatigue assessed with two standard clinical scales: fatigue severity scale (FSS) and fatigue scale for motor and cognitive function (FSMC). Our novel smartphone-based fatigue metric, mean tapping frequency, objectively ranks perceived fatigue with a mean AUCROC = .76, CI = [.71, .81] according to the FSMC, and a mean AUCROC = .81, CI = [.76, .86] according to the FSS. These results demonstrate that our approach is feasible and valid in uncontrolled environments. In this work, we provide a promising tool for objective fatigue monitoring to be used in clinical trials and routine medical care.


ABSTRACT Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common cause of opportunistic meningitis in HIV-infected patients in Brazil and causes unacceptable high mortality rates. In this study, HIV-infected patients with a first episode of culture-proven cryptococcal meningitis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were prospectively included in order to evaluate sensitivity of cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) lateral flow assay (LFA) in serum, CSF, whole blood (fingerstick), and fresh urine. In addition, HIV-infected patients with other neurological confirmed diseases were included in order to evaluate the specificity of CrAg LFA in serum. Twenty patients with cryptococcal meningitis were included and in 19 of them, CrAg LFA in CSF, serum, and whole blood were positive (95% sensitivity). In 18 patients, India ink test was positive in CSF (90% sensitivity), and in 16 cases, CrAg LFA was positive in urine (80% sensitivity). Thirty-six HIV-infected patients with other neurological diseases had negative results of CrAg LFA in serum (100% specificity). In conclusion, CrAg LFA in serum, CSF, and whole blood showed high sensitivity and specificity. Whole blood CrAg LFA seems to be a good and reliable strategy to improve AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis diagnosis in Brazil.


Matrix inversion is sensitive towards the number representation used. In this paper simulations of matrix inversion with numbers represented in the fixed-point and logarithmic number systems (LNS) are presented. A software framework has been implemented to allow extensive simulation of finite wordlength matrix inversion. Six different algorithms have been used and results on matrix condition number, wordlength, and to some extent matrix size are presented. The simulations among other things show that the wordlength requirements differ significantly between different algorithms in both fixed-point and LNS representations. The results can be used as a starting point for a matrix inversion hardware implementation.


A report on the Neolithic settlement site of Curslak (Hamburg: c. 4100/4000 2900/2800 cal BC). The main focus of the analysis is the cultural classification of the TRB (Funnel Beaker) finds and the relationship of the material with immigrants from the Altmark region. This work is a valuable contribution to present-day understanding of the history of area and its finds; it is also the first typological presentation of Funnel Beaker material. Additionally it places the evidence in the broader context of the Funnel Beaker culture of northern Germany.


Introduction: This paper discusses the development, deployment and evaluation of a website for an academic department, built around a customised webtemplate. We draw upon a two-year, co-ordinated initiative between the Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department and the Centre for Academic Practice at Queen Margaret University College. Initially we provide a brief overview of the issues involved in using web-based technologies from the student and staff perspective. We then describe the process of setting up the site and present the results of the evaluation. Results and Conclusions: We address the emergent issues raised by the project. For staff these include ease of use and the provision of a variety of support mechanisms. These are critical for long-term engagement and sustainability since they reduce the risk of distancing staff from their materials and encourage ownership of the website. Students use the website for preparation for lectures, as signposts for further research and reflection. Key barriers relate to access, systems stability and commitment of support departments. To address such concerns an institutional approach is proposed to provide long-term support.


In this paper, we present the methodology of corpus design that will be used to study the comparison of influence between linguistic nudges with positive or negative influences and three conversational agents: robot, smart speaker, and human. We recruited forty-nine participants to form six groups. The conversational agents first asked the participants about their willingness to adopt five ecological habits and invest time and money in ecological problems. The participants were then asked the same questions but preceded by one linguistic nudge with positive or negative influence. The comparison of standard deviation and mean metrics of differences between these two notes (before the nudge and after) showed that participants were mainly affected by nudges with positive influence, even though several nudges with negative influence decreased the average note. In addition, participants from all groups were willing to spend more money than time on ecological problems. In general, our experiment's early results suggest that a machine agent can influence participants to the same degree as a human agent. A better understanding of the power of influence of different conversational machines and the potential of influence of nudges of different polarities will lead to the development of ethical norms of human-computer interactions.