This article is the result of a debate. The motion proposed was "Infrainguinal endovascular procedures should be reserved for patients who do not have good open surgical options.'' Arguments in favor of the motion were offered by Daniel J. Reddy of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, and arguments against the motion were offered by Peter Kalman of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, IL.


Background : Our recent studies show that Activin-A (Act-A), a cytokine belonging to the TGF-β superfamily, suppresses mouse allergic responses; however its effects on human asthma remain unknown. Objectives : To determine Act-A expression in healthy controls (CTRL) and asthmatics, identify its cellular sources and signaling mediators, and examine correlations with disease severity and airway remodelling. Methods : Serum samples were obtained from 46 mild-to-moderate asthmatics (MMA), 27 severe asthmatics (SA) and 41 CTRL. 55 subjects (18 CTRL, 18 MMA, 19 SA) underwent bronchoscopy with endobronchial biopsy and BALF collection. Act-A levels in the serum/BALF were examined. Expression of Act-A and its principal signaling mediator ALK4 in the bronchial tissue were assessed by confocal microscopy. Basement membrane thickness, goblet cell hyperplasia and angiogenesis (vessels/mm2) were also determined. Results : Act-A levels were significantly increased in MMA in the serum and in MMA and SA in BALF. Serum Act-A was further increased during asthma exacerbation. Bronchial tissue Act-A expression was significantly increased in asthmatics, especially in the subepithelium in SA, while ALK-4 expression decreased with disease severity. Act-A was mainly expressed by mast cells, neutrophils, macrophages and smooth muscle cells. Act-A and ALK-4 were also localized in endothelial cells, particularly in SA. Subepithelial Act-A expression correlated with angiogenesis and disease severity. Conclusions : Our data suggest that Act-A plays a crucial role in asthma inflammation and participates in the regulation of angiogenesis in SA. Ongoing in vitro studies will further elucidate its specific role.


Three manuscripts form the foundation of this dissertation exploring the impact of droughts on financial markets and the economy focusing on dairy, sheep and beef farming. The first manuscript exhibited in chapter 2 advances the knowledge by empirically examining the relationships between droughts and farms' capital structure (measured in terms of real debt and equity) in New Zealand. Using microeconomic farm-level financial information accessible from the tax authorities, we evaluate how past droughts (measured by the New Zealand Pasture Growth Index) impact farms' capital structure. We demonstrate that impact of droughts on short-term and long-term debts, equity for dairy farms, and short-term debt for sheep and beef farms is positive and statistically significant.
The second manuscript described in chapter 3 empirically tests the relationships between droughts (as measured by the New Zealand Pasture Growth Index-NZPGI) and banks' agricultural non-performing loans (NPLs) (loans overdue by 90 days or more) at the regional level. This estimation pools data from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA), the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ), and Federated Farmers' farming surveys and tests the model using panel data fixed-effects regression modelling. Our results illustrate a statistically significant positive impact of droughts on dairy farming NPLs. However, we find no significant impact of droughts on sheep/beef farming NPLs.
The third manuscript stated in chapter 4 outlines the impact of droughts on dairy, sheep, and beef sector exports – measured in terms of both volume and value. This study produces estimates at the world, and income level, based on data from UN Comtrade, the World Bank, and a measure of droughts (the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index) of regularly exporting countries from 1995-2020. Findings suggest that droughts over the studied time significantly affected agricultural export quantities of dairy, sheep, and beef. We find that while high-income nations exhibit a greater decline in the export of beef and sheep both during and after droughts, medium-low-income countries show a greater reduction in the export of dairy products during droughts. We also find that the influence of droughts on export values is positive for the dairy sector while it is negative for the sheep sector.


The erosion wear experiments of low-chromium cast iron containing nickel were done by MCF-30 Erosion Abrasion Experimental Machine. The structure and surface morphology after erosive wear were analyzed by SEM and XRD. The results indicated that the distribution of carbide was reticular after tempering at 250and oil quenching at 960. The maximal erosion wear rate was appeared at 60 °erosion angle, high acid corrosion media have great influence on the abrasion resistance of experimental material and corrosion effects almost had no influence on the abrasion resistance of experimental material in the weak acid environment of pH≥3. The erosive wear mechanism of the experimental material was studied.


Background Clopidogrel/aspirin antiplatelet therapy is routinely administered 7 to 10 days prior to pipeline aneurysm treatment. Our study assessed the safety and efficacy of a 600 mg loading dose of clopidogrel 24 hours before PED treatment. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients treated with pipeline from October 2010 to May 2016. They were divided into two groups: 39.7%(n=158) patients were dispensed a loading dose of 650 mg of aspirin plus at least 600 mg of clopidogrel 24 hours preceding PED deployment; 60.3%(n=240) received 81–325 mg of aspirin daily for 10 days with 75 mg of clopidogrel daily pre-procedurally. The mean follow-up was 15.8 months (SD=12.4 months). modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was registered before the discharge and at each follow-up visit. To control confounding we used multivariable logistic regression and propensity score conditioning. Results Of 398 patients, the proportion of female patients was ≈16.5% (41/240) in both groups and shared the same mean of age ≈56.46 years. Similarly, ≈12.2% (mean=0.09; SD=0.30) had a subarachnoid hemorrhage. 92% (mean=0.29; SD=0.70) from the pre-treatment group and 85.7%(mean=0.44; SD=0.91) of the bolus group had a mRS&It=2. In a multivariate analysis, bolus did not affect the mRS score, p=0.24. 7 patients had a long-term recurrence: 2 (0.83%; mean=0.01; SD=0.10) from the pre-treatment group. In a multivariable logistic regression, bolus was not associated with a long-term recurrence rate (OR, 1.91; CI95%, 0.27–13.50; p=0.52) neither with thromboembolic accidents (OR, 0.99; CI 95%, 0.96–1.03; p=0.83) nor with hemorrhagic events (OR, 1.00; CI95%, 0.97–1.03; p=0.99). 3 patients were announced dead: (1) receiving bolus had an acute SAH. The mean mortality rate was parallel in both groups ≈0.25(SD=0.16). Bolus was not associated with mortality (OR, 1.11; CI95%, 0.26–4.65; p=0.89). The same associations were present in propensity score adjusted models. Conclusion In a cohort receiving PED, 600 mg loading dose of clopidogrel should be safe and efficacious in those off the standard protocol or showing and It30% platelet inhibition before treatment. Disclosures E. Atallah: None. K. Bekelis: None. S. Tjoumakaris: None. R. Rosenwasser: None. P. Jabbour: None.


Although food and nutrition have been studied for centuries, modern nutritional science is surprisingly young. Human knowledge about food and nutrition has evolved drastically with time, and it has especially expanded the last few decades, with information and data being mass produced and available everywhere and in any form it is really easy to get overwhelmed and confused when it comes to what is right and what is wrong. Macronutrient assessment is a crucial task for individuals suffering from various diseases, and also very relevant for professional athletes, and nowadays it is becoming part of everyday life for many people, because of health or fitness reasons. Assessing the nutritional components of food is very challenging and requires reliant source of data. In this paper, we introduce an idea of finding similar recipes with regard to their macronutrient values based on learned recipe vector representation. On a scientifically proven dataset of recipe data containing description and macronutrient values we introduce word and paragraph embeddings, learn concept representations for the textual descriptions, proceed with calculating similarity between the embeddings, and then compare with the similarity between nutrient values. The results show a strong correlation between these two similarities. This study is a promising beginning for continuing in this direction-introducing multi-label classification or regression for predicting nutrient content of food.


BACKGROUND
Circulation plays a vital role in tissue healing. Increases in muscle flexibility and strength, secretion of hormones important in the regeneration and repair process, blood flow, and strength of bone tissues has been attributed to whole body vibration (WBV) combined with exercise. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of short-duration, high-intensity, isometric weight bearing exercise (vibration exercise [VE]) and vibration only on skin blood flow (SBF).

MATERIAL/METHODS
Forty-five subjects 18-43 years of age were randomly divided into three groups: Group 1 - VE, Group 2 - exercise only, and Group 3 - vibration only. SBF was measured using a laser Doppler imager at three time intervals: 1) initial base line, 2) immediately following intervention, and 3) 10-minutes following intervention.

RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the three groups' SBF prior to intervention. Immediately following the intervention a difference among groups was found. Post hoc testing revealed that Group 3 subjects' mean SBF was significantly increased at both post-intervention time intervals.

CONCLUSION
The study findings suggest that short duration vibration alone significantly increases SBF; doubling mean SBF for a minimum of 10 minutes following intervention. The emerging therapeutic modality of WBV as a passive intervention appears to increase SBF in individuals with healthy microcirculation.


Carbopol 941 (C-941), a bioadhesive polymer and theobroma oil (TEO) were used in the formulation of melt extrusion bioadhesive tablets (MEBT) of diclofenac (DC). Different batches of the MEBT were formulated using different combinations of C-941 granules containing DC and TEO. The bioadhesive properties of the tablets were studied using a tensiometer by measuring the bioadhesive strength generated when the tablet interacts with the mucus of everted hog jejunum. Some physical properties of the tablets evaluated were weight uniformity, crushing strength, friability, tablet thickness and diameter liquefaction time and absolute drug content. Release of DC from the MEBT was carried out in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), pH 7.2. The tablets had low liquefaction times and were highly bioadhesive. Result of the study indicated that TEO could be used in the formulation of MEBT of DC granulated with C-941 for prolonged and controlled delivery of DC.


Coordinate transformations refer to mathematical processing that enables overlay of digital maps that use different coordinate reference systems, that is, map projections. The transformation from geographical to map (plane) coordinates is the conventional practice in cartography, which is called forward transformation. The inverse transformation, which yields geographical coordinates from map coordinates, is a more recent development, due to the need for transformation between different map projections, especially in geographic information systems (GIS). The combination of the inverse and forward transformation from one projection to another, which may be called grid-on-grid or map-to-map transformation, can be necessary for some custom applications in GIS and in automated cartography. Many different approximation algorithms can be used for this problem on desktop computers. In this paper a new local transformation method called a non-Sibsonian transformation, which uses non-Sibson local coordinates, is suggested for map-to-map transformation or for improving geometrical accuracy of scanned maps. A case study is performed using the Lambert conformal conic projection and is presented with results.


Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most devastating tumor of the brain, characterized by an almost inevitable tendency to recur after intensive treatments and a fatal prognosis. Indeed, despite recent technical improvements in GBM surgery, the complete eradication of cancer cell disseminated outside the tumor mass still remains a crucial issue for glioma patients management. In this context, Annexin 2A (ANXA2) is a phospholipid-binding protein expressed in a variety of cell types, whose expression has been recently associated with cell dissemination and metastasis in many cancer types, thus making ANXA2 an attractive putative regulator of cell invasion also in GBM. Here we show that ANXA2 is over-expressed in GBM and positively correlates with tumor aggressiveness and patient survival. In particular, we associate the expression of ANXA2 to a mesenchymal and metastatic phenotype of GBM tumors. Moreover, we functionally characterized the effects exerted by ANXA2 inhibition in primary GBM cultures, demonstrating its ability to sustain cell migration, matrix invasion, cytoskeletal remodeling and proliferation. Finally, we were able to generate an ANXA2-dependent gene signature with a significant prognostic potential in different cohorts of solid tumor patients, including GBM. In conclusion, we demonstrate that ANXA2 acts at multiple levels in determining the disseminating and aggressive behaviour of GBM cells, thus proving its potential as a possible target and strong prognostic factor in the future management of GBM patients.


Effective inventory management strategies and their efficient implementation are recognized as important elements in a manufacturer's business model. The targets are reduction of the level and value of inventory maintained, high speed in transforming them to orders delivered to customers and flexibility in dealing with demand changes. This paper proposes a business model for inventory management in a Hong Kong plastic products manufacturing company with production facilities located in the mainland. It shows how E-business technology applications have opened up the horizon for realization of such a business model. A supply chain strategy based on mutual trust and inventory information visibility is essential in the implementation of such a business model. The model has been found to be valid and feasible. The benefits attainable to parties in the supply chain are evaluated. It is proposed that the model can also be applied successfully for similar benefits in other companies.


Online social networking offers a new, easy and inexpensive way to maintain already existing relationships and present oneself to others. However, the increasing number of actions in online services also gives a rise to privacy concerns and risks. In an attempt to understand the factors, especially privacy awareness, that influence users to disclose or protect information in online environment, we view privacy behavior from the perspectives of privacy protection and information disclosing. In our empirical study, we present results from a survey of 210 users of Facebook. Our results indicate, that most of our respondents, who seem to be active users of Facebook, disclose a considerable amount of private information. Contrary to their own belief, they are not too well aware of the visibility of their information to people they do not necessarily know. Furthermore, Facebook's privacy policy and the terms of use were largely not known or understood by our respondents.


Design principles are fundamental to the conduct of educational design research (or design-based research) studies, a research approach that is becoming more widely used in educational technology research and pedagogy. In this paper, we argue that design principles can be used to guide the design and development of learning environments in higher education that are based on sound practical and theoretical principles, and that can promote student engagement through innovative learning tasks. We review the use of design principles in educational research, and describe how these principles can be used to design and refine educational innovation and technology-based learning initiatives. The paper describes four phases of design-based research, together with examples of how existing principles can be analysed and used by teachers to inform the creation and dissemination of innovative solutions to educational problems.


*Corresponding author Metagranites and migmatites of the Svratka and the Orlice–Sněžnik units, northeastern Bohemian Massif, exhibit a number of similarities in their lithological, mineralogical and geochemical features. Both of these units were affected by intense migmatitization accompanied by intrusion of peraluminous granites during the Cambrian to Ordovician. The chemical composition and mineralogy of all the studied rocks correspond to crustal melts. From the geochemical point of view, both rock groups (migmatites and metagranites) exhibit progressive geochemical fractionation (increase in the SiO 2 , Rb, X FeO , W and Sn contents, accompanied by a decrease in the concentrations of Ba, Sr, Mg and Ca) as a result of varying degrees of partial melting and fractional crystallization. The main rock-forming minerals are influenced by metamorphic recrystallization under amphibolite-facies conditions during the Variscan orogeny.


A new plant growth regulator, hydroxysulochrin (1), together with sulochrin (2) was isolated from the culture filtrate of Aureobasidium sp. grown on a malt extract medium. The structures of 1 and 2 were established by spectroscopic methods. 1 and 2 inhibited tea pollen tube growth by 41% and 36% of the control value at a concentration of 100 mg/l, respectively. However, 1 and 2 showed no inhibitory effect on the growth of lettuce seedlings from 0.1 mg/l to 100 mg/l.


This paper analyzes the relationship between gender and corruption, controlling for country-specific heterogeneity in a panel framework. Using annual observations in a pooled setting (no country-fixed effects) confirms the positive link between the involvement of women in society and the absence of corruption. However, once country-fixed effects are acknowledged, only the share of female employers remains a positive and statistically meaningful correlate. Nevertheless, the derived magnitude is negligible in a global sample. Analyzing potential nonlinearities reveals that this effect is driven by African nations, where a one standard deviation increase in the share of female employers is related to a substantial decrease of corruption by 2.5 index points (scale from zero to ten). Surprisingly, the link between the share of women in the labor force and the absence of corruption becomes negative once country unobservables are accounted for. Taken together, these findings cast doubt on a general, global relationship between gender and corruption.


This work proposes novel proactive caching schemesfor minimizing the communication latency in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) under freeway and city mobility models. The main philosophy that underlies these schemes is to exploit information that may be available a priori for vehicles' demands and mobility patterns. We consider two paradigms: cooperative, wherein multiple Roadside Units (RSUs) collaborate to expedite the transfer of information to the intended user, and non-cooperative, wherein each RSU operates independently of other RSUs in the network. To develop the proposed schemes, for each of the considered models we formulate optimization problems that expose the impact of velocity and demand profile of the vehicle on the optimal caching decision. Unfortunately, the developed formulations are NP-hard, and hence difficult to solve for moderate-to-large problems. To circumvent this difficulty, we use the insight developed through these formulations to develop practical caching algorithms based on the knapsack problem and suboptimal relaxations. These algorithms are shown to yield close-to-optimal solutions at much lower computation costs than the corresponding exhaustive search. Our numerical investigations suggest that the proposed proactive caching schemes yield substantial gains over the traditional caching policy, and their respective reactive baselines with no caching. Furthermore, the cooperative schemes are significantly more advantageous than their non-cooperative counterparts.


Thyroglobulin (Tg) is a secreted iodoglycoprotein serving as the precursor for T3 and T4 hormones. Many characterized Tg gene mutations produce secretion-defective variants resulting in congenital hypothyroidism (CH). Tg processing and secretion is controlled by extensive interactions with chaperone, trafficking, and degradation factors comprising the secretory proteostasis network. While dependencies on individual proteostasis network components are known, the integration of proteostasis pathways mediating Tg protein quality control and the molecular basis of mutant Tg misprocessing remain poorly understood. We employ a multiplexed quantitative affinity purification-mass spectrometry approach to define the Tg proteostasis interactome and changes between WT and several CH-variants. Mutant Tg processing is associated with common imbalances in proteostasis engagement including increased chaperoning, oxidative folding, and engagement by targeting factors for ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Furthermore, we reveal mutation-specific changes in engagement with N-glycosylation components, suggesting distinct requirements for one Tg variant on dual engagement of both oligosaccharyltransferase complex isoforms for degradation. Modulating dysregulated proteostasis components and pathways may serve as a therapeutic strategy to restore Tg secretion and thyroid hormone biosynthesis.


In line with its performance improvement and Lean Construction agenda, the highways supply chain in the UK has commenced many Continuous Improvement (CI) cells in recent years. The CI cell is a small-group work coordination and improvement technique that is frequently used in many industries as part of their lean transformations. The technique has also its links to some key lean concepts and practices like continuous improvement (kaizen), Visual Management and hoshinkanri policy deployment. This paper presents a summary of a detailed research aiming to understand the execution of the CI cells in the highways supply chain in the UK with their associated benefits and challenges through a study of 12 CI cells at the main client organisation. Alongside a set of benefits and challenges, the current CI cell execution mechanism and some suggestions to improve the current practice were also presented in the paper.


Solar Decathlon is an annual university challenge where nearly zeroenergy housing prototypes enter in international competition, through a series of ten tests. The contest aims for superior energy performance, high standards of interior comfort, architectural aesthetics, positive electrical balances, industrialisation, and contained costs and feasibility as a marketable proposal. Seven editions of the Solar Decathlon have been held, with a total of 140 competing proposals both realized and placed on the market, representing a notable pool of experimental research to be studied and evaluated for applications in social housing. After a consideration of the competition features, the article describes the prototype presented by City College of New York at Solar Decathlon 2011, Washington DC, as a proposal of an energy retrofit suitable for many urban buildings with flat roofs.


Sensor data with geographical information become ubiquitous with development of location base applications in various businesses. There is no exception to Wireless sensor network (WSN) as it is getting more practical under the booming of semiconductor industry. Localization of WSN usually depends on beacons that equip with GPS or GSM module. The cost of finance and energy hamper the application of WSN. Robot or flight vehicle called Mobile Beacon (MB) can relieve the issue and enhance the application area of WSN. Based on the framework we proposed in [14], we renovate the algorithm to find the best position for MB in every step by grouping weight of cosine similarity to mining the relation between responsible sensors. The MB machine works in an autonomous mode to find dynamic path without any supervision. In simulation, it is proved that the novel method makes the best of observation and covers unknown sensors as many as possible without heavy computation and struggle of energy. With appropriate parameters, the method can reach a 90% average coverage rate on any random distribution of sensors.


The surgical treatment of Zenker diverticulum relieves dysphagia, coughing, and aspiration in nearly all patients. An understanding of the physiological basis for circopharyngeal myotomy and anatomical detail has contributed to the high success rate. Meticulous technique in this elderly patient group is essential to prevent complications.


The common beliefs, customs and practices connected with health and disease have found to be intimately related with the treatment of disease. The health problems of rural especially of the tribals need special attention because the tribal people have distinctive health problem, which are mainly governed by their traditional beliefs, practices and ecological conditions. Some tribal groups still believe that a disease is always caused by hostile spirits or by the breach of some taboo. The present dissertation analyses the socio-economic and cultural onslaughts, arising partly from the erratic exploitation of human and material resources, have endangered the naturally healthy environment. The present study explored the community perspective towards the causes of various diseases prevalent and the health and health seeking behaviour among the tribals. The study was conducted in the Jhirdapali Panchayat of Bonaigarh Block in Sundargarh district in Odisha taking 148 households using random sampling method. Both qualitative and quantitative data was analyzed in the backdrop of the project objectives. Quantitative data was tabulated and statistically analyzed using SPSS software. The study has revealed that the cause of illness and healing system are found to be associated with the magico-religious beliefs and it was also revealed that the factors like age, sex, education of the patient. Types of illness, severity of diseases, health care facility, belief regarding the cause of diseases and previous experiences affects selection of different ways of treatment and finally the study concludes with the relevant finding that the villager's responses towards illness behaviour is guided and conditioned by their culture.


Work behaviours and training effects of artificial muscle based on electrochemomechanical strain (ECMS) of conducting polymer, polypyrrole (PPy) films have been studied under tensile stress up to 5 MPa. PPy films were electrochemically deposited in dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid. Cyclic voltammetry and ECMS were measured in 1M NaCl aqueous solutions. At higher stress, a larger creeping due to the conformation change, slipping and/or breaking of polymer chains was observed. After the experience of large tensile stress an appreciable increase of strain (training effect) was observed, when the film was actuated at lower tensile stress. The training effect was discussed in terms of the relaxation of anisotropic strain induced during the creeping. The conversion efficiency from electrical to mechanical energies was 0.07 % at 3 - 4 MPa being the maximum. Degradation of film was found to be accelerated under higher tensile stress from the measurement of conductivity.


Abstract 8-Hydroxyguanine (8OHG) is an oxidized form of guanine, and the formation of 8OHG in DNA causes a G:C to T:A transversion mutation, since 8OHG can pair with adenine as well as cytosine. The base excision repair gene MUTYH encodes a DNA glycosylase for adenine mispaired with 8OHG and is thus involved in the prevention of mutations caused by 8OHG. Biallelic mutations of the MUTYH gene are responsible for MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP), which is a hereditary disease and is characterized by a predisposition to multiple colorectal adenomas and carcinomas. This article reviews the repair function of MUTYH towards 8OHG, the functional characterization of MUTYH variants, the characteristics of MAP tumors, and the management of MAP patients.


This study aims to identify patterns of verb conjugation errors that learners of Korean manifest and the factors that influence these errors through an analysis of an error-annotated learner corpus. For this purpose, a paradigmatic relations-based description of language acquisition was proposed. The predictability of each conjugation class was estimated by way of entropy, a tool for measuring predictability. Using entropy allowed us to compare the regularity of each class in detail. The results showed that there are 332 verb conjugation errors that can be classified into three types of errors: errors with vowel endings, errors with lower entropy, and errors with higher entropy. The frequency of the first two types suggests that learners make errors when producing frequently used conjugated forms and with more predictable classes. Considering this study's reproducibility and the reliability of its procedures and the results, its findings are expected to make a substantial contribution to the study of error analysis using error-annotated learner corpora. results of this be applied to practical pedagogical fields. only explanations of individual irregular conjugation that


Hexaarylcyclotrisiloxanes were selectively prepared by solvent-free synthesis from diarylsilanediol. These well-known stable compounds were found to undergo palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with aryl halides in good yields. All of attached aryl groups on silicon atom could be utilized. Furthermore, base-sensitive functionality such as acetyl and nitro groups survived the reaction.


This book discusses the current status of QoE research; reporting latest advances from various standardisation bodies (ITU, ETSI, IEEE, IETF) Multimedia Quality of Experience (QoE): Current Status and Future Requirements discusses the current status of QoE (Quality of Experience) research, providing guidelines on QoE assessment and management practice. Moreover, the book covers many different aspects of QoE research, including definition, standardization (ITU, ETSI, IEEE, IETF, etc.), measurement, management, and architectures. In addition, the authors bring together contributions from recognized experts (worldwide) in the area of subjective and objective QoE video assessment. Topics/chapters include: (1) QoE Definition and its relation/mapping to QoS; QoE Standardization activities; QoE Metrics for various media applications; QoE Subjective and Objective Evaluation Methodologies; QoE Control, Monitoring and Management strategies; End-to-End QoE Architectures in heterogeneous environments. Discusses the current status of QoE research; reporting latest advances from various standardisation bodies (e.g. ITU, ETSI, IEEE, IETF) Provides guidelines on QoE assessment and management practice Explores methods, means and architectures of QoE Addresses multiple technologies and requires input from multiple disciplines such as engineering, sociology and psychology Brings together contributions from recognized experts (worldwide) in the area of subjective and objective QoE video assessment Considers future requirements of QoE


The text contains an analysis of photographs and personal (written) documents by Elvira Kohn (1914–2003), a Jew and a female prisoner of Kampor concentration camp, established in July 1942 on Rab island in Croatia. The article explores the specific features of a narrative about World War II and the Jewish experience in Yugoslavia which emerge from the materials. Presented so that they complement each other, photographs understood as photo-texts (Marianna Michalowska) and a diary and a poem recognized as inconspicuous texts (Jerzy Strzelczyk, Inga Iwasiow) form Kohn's personal narrative. The microhistory (Ewa Domanska) of this photographer and writer is presented as material supplementing the knowledge about the past of Jews in Yugoslavia, which – due to the choices Elvira Kohn made in her life and art – can also be considered as evidence of emancipatory social changes of that period, and as an example of overcoming the existing cultural paradigms.


We analyze the relation between the level of the inflation target and the zero lower bound (ZLB) imposed on the nominal interest rate. We analyze this relation in the framework of a behavioral macroeconomic model in which agents experience cognitive limitations. The model produces endogenous waves of optimism and pessimism (animal spirits) that, because of their self-fulfilling nature, drive the business cycle and in turn are influenced by the business cycle. We find that when the inflation target is too close to zero, the economy can get gripped by "chronic pessimism" that leads to a dominance of negative output gaps and recessions, and in turn feeds back on expectations producing long waves of pessimism. The simulations of our model, using parameter calibrations that are generally found in the literature, suggests that an inflation target of 2% is too low, i.e. produces negative skewness in the distribution of the output gap. We find that an inflation target in the range of 3% to 4% comes closer to producing a symmetric distribution of the output gap and avoids the economy being trapped in a region of chronic pessimism.


This document provides a brief introduction to the R package gss for nonparametric statistical modeling in a variety of problem settings including regression, density estimation, and hazard estimation. Functional ANOVA (analysis of variance) decompositions are built into models on product domains, and modeling and inferential tools are provided for tasks such as interval estimates, the "testing" of negligible model terms, the handling of correlated data, etc. The methodological background is outlined, and data analysis is illustrated using real-data examples.


We describe, implement and benchmark EigenCFA, an algorithm for accelerating higher-order control-flow analysis (specifically, 0CFA) with a GPU. Ultimately, our program transformations, reductions and optimizations achieve a factor of 72 speedup over an optimized CPU implementation.
 We began our investigation with the view that GPUs accelerate high-arithmetic, data-parallel computations with a poor tolerance for branching. Taking that perspective to its limit, we reduced Shivers's abstract-interpretive 0CFA to an algorithm synthesized from linear-algebra operations. Central to this reduction were "abstract" Church encodings, and encodings of the syntax tree and abstract domains as vectors and matrices.
 A straightforward (dense-matrix) implementation of EigenCFA performed slower than a fast CPU implementation. Ultimately, sparse-matrix data structures and operations turned out to be the critical accelerants. Because control-flow graphs are sparse in practice (up to 96% empty), our control-flow matrices are also sparse, giving the sparse matrix operations an overwhelming space and speed advantage.
 We also achieved speedups by carefully permitting data races. The monotonicity of 0CFA makes it sound to perform analysis operations in parallel, possibly using stale or even partially-updated data.


A HydroxyBenzothiazolyl dihydroPyrazole conjugate (HBP) featuring a modified acetylphenylhydrazine species armed with an N–N single bond forbidden from rotating was designed and employed for the sensitive and selective detection of hypochlorite (OCl−) anion. The probe exhibited weak fluorescence on account of photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from hydroxyphenyl dihydropyrazole moiety to benzothiazole which promptly changed upon OCl− induced oxidation of the dihydropyrazole species to pyrazole enhancing excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in the hydroxybenzothiazole counterpart. This led to excellent ratiometric fluorescence changes in the probe that conclusively proved its effectiveness at sensing OCl−. This unique, specific and fast oxidation was achieved selectively by OCl− as evidenced by competition experiments with various other reactive oxygen species (ROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and anions. The mechanism has been supported by 1H-NMR titration studies along with DFT calculations. Notably, the probe responded remarkably to hypochlorite present in commercial bleach. Finally, the probe proved amenable to OCl− sensing in living matrices with no interference from trace amounts of ROS and RNS that inhabit living cells.


Author(s): Jacobitz, Alex William | Advisor(s): Clubb, Robert T | Abstract: The Molecular Basis of Substrate Recognition, Catalysis, and Regulation in Sortase EnzymesByAlex William JacobitzDoctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of California, Los Angeles, 2015 Professor Robert T. Clubb, Chair Gram-positive bacteria utilize sortase enzymes to catalyze a transpeptidation reaction that covalently links protein substrates to the cell wall or polymerizes proteinaceous pili. Sortase enzymes are membrane anchored cysteine transpeptidases that recognize a cell wall sorting signal motif at the C-terminus of their primary protein substrate and covalently attach it to an amino-nucleophile located in their secondary substrate. For cell wall anchoring sortases, this secondary substrate is the cell wall precursor lipid II, while for pilin polymerizing sortases it is a lysine sidechain within their pilin protein substrate. A number of major questions have remained unanswered concerning the binding interactions that govern the substrate specificity of these enzymes, their catalytic mechanism, and the mechanism through which appendages that contact the active site regulate their activity. This dissertation advances the understanding of the sortase mechanism through the elucidation of new sortase structures, and the characterization of their dynamic behavior. Chapter three of this thesis describes the solution structure of the class D sortase from Bacillus anthracis by NMR. Class D enzymes anchor proteins involved in bacterial sporulation to the cell wall, and this is the first structure of a class D sortase to ever be determined. NMR analysis of the enzyme uncovered a rigid substrate binding pocket and a novel dimerization interface. Chapter four describes the crystal structure of the class B sortase from Staphylococcus aureus bound to a substrate analog. This work provided new insight into the biophysical basis of substrate recognition. The structure combined with computational modeling and molecular dynamics simulations led to the discovery of a substrate-stabilized oxyanion hole that is used to stabilize tetrahedral reaction intermediates. Molecular dynamics simulations and the high degree of sequence conservation inherent in these enzymes suggest that all members of the sortase superfamily will stabilize high energy reaction intermediates in a similar manner. Chapter five investigates the additional structural features some sortases use to regulate access to their active site, focusing on sortase C-1 from Streptococcus pneumoniae as a model. Using NMR, mutagenesis, and biochemical experiments this work demonstrated that the enzyme utilizes a rigid N-terminal appendage, termed the "lid," to maintain the enzyme in an inactive state. The results of in vitro biochemical assays indicate that the lid prevents cleavage of the primary substrate by preventing access to the catalytic cysteine residue. Both in vitro activity and access to the active site cysteine could be increased by the incorporation of mutations which were shown by NMR to destabilize the lid and increase its flexibility. Based on these results we propose that on the cell surface, lid containing class C enzymes exist in a dormant state and are only activated during pilus biogenesis by interactions with either their substrate or other factors on the cell surface. The results of these experiments have provided new insight into substrate binding, catalysis, and regulation in sortase enzymes.


The influence of intracellular cyclic nucleotides concentration increase on the membrane potential of intact endothelium of isolated rabbit aorta has been investigated. Both applications of bucladesine, an adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) membrane permeable analogue, and phoshophodiesterase blockers 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) and theophylline depolarized endothelial membrane. IBMX-induced depolarization was significantly smaller then theophylline-induced depolarization. It could be explained by the existence of IBMX-insensitive phosphodiesterases. Non-selective protein kinase blocker H-7 did not affect on the both IBMX-stimulated and non-stimulated membrane potential of aortic endothelium. It has been shown that the IBMX-induced depolarization and ATP-induced depolarization correlate with high correlation coefficient.


We discuss in this paper architectures for executing probabilistic rule-bases in a parallel manner, using as a theoretical basis recently introduced information-theoretic models. We will begin by describing our (non-neural) learning algorithm and theory of quantitative rule modelling, followed by a discussion on the exact nature of two particular models. Finally we work through an example of our approach, going from database to rules to inference network, and compare the network's performance with the theoretical limits for specific problems.


: In this article we present some concepts expressed at the lecture on Risk Stratification in Coronary Artery Disease, presented during the course offered by the National Institute of Cardiology "Ignacio Chavez" in October 5-7, 2000, under the name of Cardiology 2000. This paper deals mainly with the importance of coronary risk factors and how to evaluate risks in patients with stable or unstable angina and in myocardial infarction.


Background Because of their favorable prognostic effects, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) and β blockers have become background therapy in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, there are few reports concerning the long-term prognosis of Japanese patients with DCM in relation to these treatments. Methods and Results One hundred and fifty patients with DCM were divided into 2 groups: group A (n=46) (diagnosis: 1982-1989) and group B (n=104) (diagnosis: 1990-2002). During follow-up period of 6.9±4.8 years, 62 patients died and 1 patient had a heart transplant. The survival rate at 5 and 10 years was 60.9% and 34.8%, respectively, in group A patients, and 80.9% and 65.3%, respectively, in group B patients (p=0.0079). In group A patients, ACEI/ARB or β blockers were less frequently used (p<0.0001), whereas antiarrhythmics (class Ia or Ib) were more often used (p<0.0001). The patients treated with ACEI/ARB and β blockers showed a better survival rate than those without (p<0.0001). The patients with antiarrhythmics showed a worse survival rate than those without (p<0.0001). Conclusion The prognosis of Japanese patients with DCM has significantly improved over the past 20 years. This improvement may be explained partly through the increased use of ACEI/ARB and β blockers and a declining use of antiarrhythmics. (Circ J 2006; 70: 376 - 383)


We aimed to evaluate the relation between the crimes committed, and the childhood behavioral problems, current clinical characteristics and anger levels of patients with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). One hundred and fifty-three patients with ASPD were enrolled. The diagnosis was made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV criteria. DSM-IV conduct disorder criteria and life history inventory was used to assess childhood characteristics. The State-Trait Anger Scale (STAS) was used to assess experience, expression, and control of anger. The main differences between crime groups were as follows: A head trauma history was more frequent in ASPD patients who had a crime history of physical assault. Loss of a parent in childhood was more frequent in individuals who committed burglary. Divorce or separation of the parents in childhood was more frequent in those who committed murder. The usage of weapons in fight during childhood was significantly higher in those who committed murder and aggravated assault. According to STAS scores, the anger control scores were significantly lower in those who committed murder. Childhood and behavioral characteristics of ASPD patients is not homogenous. There is a need for further studies to demonstrate these differences and make a new classification for ASPD. (Journal of Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy and Research 2016; 13-21)


In low-input systems, where most nutrients become available from soil organic matter (SOM) and residue turnover, the applicability of DSSAT (Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer) crop simulation models is limited because (i) it recognizes only one type of SOM (i.e., humus) and recently added, but not yet humified, residue; (ii) it does not recognize a residue layer on top of the soil; (iii) newly formed humus is given a fixed C/N ratio of 10; (iv) only one litter pool is recognized for N although three are recognized for C; (v) for residues with C/N ratios <25, the three litter pools for C decompose at a rate that is independent of the residue's N concentration; and (vi) SOM and residue flows are independent of soil texture. A SOM–residue module from the CENTURY model was incorporated in the DSSAT crop simulation models, and a residue layer was added on top of the soil. Modifications were also made in the senescence module of CROPGRO, a model within DSSAT, so that senesced material is now added daily to the soil. Evaluation of the model, using a data set of 40 yr of bare fallow, showed an excellent fit [product moment correlation coefficient ( r ) of 0.983] between simulated and measured values for SOM-C. Soil N from decomposing SOM and residues was evaluated with data from a Brazilian experiment with seven leguminous residue types. By incorporating the CENTURY SOM–residue module, DSSAT crop simulation models have become more suitable for simulating low-input systems and conducting long-term sustainability analyses.


The success of emerging Broadband Wireless Access Systems (BWASs) will depend, among other factors, on their ability to manage their shared wireless resources in the most efficient way. This is a complex task due to the heterogeneous nature, and hence, diverse Quality of Service (QoS) requirements of different applications that these systems support. Therefore, QoS provisioning is crucial for the success of such wireless access systems. In this paper, we propose a novel downlink packet scheduling scheme for QoS provisioning in BWASs. The proposed scheme employs practical economic models through the use of novel utility and opportunity cost functions to simultaneously satisfy the diverse QoS requirements of mobile users and maximize the revenues of network operators. Unlike existing schemes, the proposed scheme is general and can support multiple QoS classes with users having different QoS and traffic demands. To demonstrate its generality, we show how the utility function can be used to support three different types of traffic, namely best-effort traffic, traffic with minimum data rate requirements, and traffic with maximum packet delay requirements. Extensive performance analysis is carried out to show the effectiveness and strengths of the proposed packet scheduling scheme.


Introduction: Dentistry is considered to be a high-stress profession. The educational period in dental schools is viewed as a highly demanding and stressful learning environment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the academic performance of undergraduate dental students of 2010, 2011, and 2012 batches admitted at Kerala University of Health Sciences. Materials and Methods: The present retrospective study evaluated the performance of dental students of 2010, 2011, and 2012 batches from their first Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) to the completion of final BDS Part 2 examination. The study was carried out from August 2010 to March 2017. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 19 software. Chi-square test was used for analyzing the significance of difference between proportions. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: The results of first BDS students of 2010, 2011, and 2012 batches were 35.8%, 49.9%, and 55.5%, respectively. Whereas, the results of the final BDS Part 2 students of 2010, 2011, and 2012 batches were 92.6%, 88.4%, and 92.5%, respectively. Conclusion: The present study shows a decline in performance of dental students at the time of inception of the university, and as time progressed, the results of the students showed significant improvement.


Thin calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings were deposited on titanium substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering of hydroxyapatite target in neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr) and xenon (Xe). The influence of the working gas (Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe) on the wettability and biodegradation in the RPMI 1640 synthetic culture medium of the CaP coatings was investigated. This paper is the first comprehensive study of working gas effect on properties of the CaP coatings. There was an increase in the polar component of surface free energy (SFE) and a decrease in the dispersion component of SFE with an increase in the atomic mass of the working gas. All CaP coatings had a pronounced protective effect, reducing double the number of dead cells in culture compared to the Ti control. The most soluble CaP coatings formed in the atmosphere of Xe stimulated the hAMMSCs division, which led to an increase in the total number of cells (208% of the initial culture). Samples with CaP coatings formed in an inert gas atmosphere increased the gene expression (ALPL, BMP6, BMP2) in vitro . The most biocompatible coatings were those formed in the atmosphere of Xe and Ar.


Preimmunization of either guinea pigs or rabbits to bovine gamma globulin (BGG) prepares the animals for markedly enhanced antibody responses to 2,4-dinitrophenyl-BGG (DNP-BGG). This phenomenon is observed both in the primary anti-DNP antibody response to DNP-BGG and in the secondary anti-DNP antibody response to DNP-BGG in animals primed with DNP-ovalbumin (DNP-OVA). The BGG preimmunization is most effective if the antigen is administered as a complete Freund's adjuvant emulsion; in rabbits, a dose of 1 µg of BGG is more effective than a dose of 50 µg, whereas the reverse is true in guinea pigs. Transfusion of homologous anti-BGG sera fails to replace active immunization with BGG in the preparation of animals for these enhanced anti-DNP antibody responses. Both the immunoglobulin class and the average association constant for ε-DNP-L-lysine of the anti-DNP antibody produced in these enhanced responses is determined by the mode and time of immunization with haptenic conjugates and is not appreciably influenced by the nature of the carrier preimmunization. These studies indicate that the carrier specificity of hapten-specific anamnestic antibody responses is largely due to the interaction of two independent cell associated recognition units, one specialized for carrier and the other specific for haptenic determinants.


This thesis consists of three self-contained chapters that contribute to the research fields of monetary and international macroeconomics.
This first chapter studies Ramsey-optimal monetary and fiscal policy in a New Keynesian 2-country open economy framework, which is used to assess how far fiscal policy can substitute for the role of nominal exchange rates within a monetary union. Giving up exchange rate flexibility leads to welfare costs that depend significantly on whether the law of one price holds internationally or whether firms can engage in pricing-to-market. Calibrated to the euro area, the welfare costs can be reduced by 86% in the former and by 69% in the latter case by using only one tax instrument per country. Fiscal devaluations can be observed as an optimal policy in a monetary union: if a nominal devaluation of the domestic currency were optimal under flexible exchange rates, optimal fiscal policy in a monetary union is an increase of the domestic relative to the foreign value added tax.
The second chapter deals with the effects of forward guidance and is based on joint work with Christian Bredemeier and Andreas Schabert.
Announcements of future monetary policy rate changes are found to be imperfectly passed through to market interest rates. Specifically, we provide evidence that measures of liquidity premia systematically respond to forward guidance statements of the US Federal Reserve Board implying that rates on relatively less liquid assets react by less than, e.g., those of Treasuries. To assess the macroeconomic implications of this finding, we apply a New Keynesian model augmented with liquidity premia stemming from differential pledgeability of assets in central bank operations. Consistent with empirical evidence, announcements of future reductions in the policy rate lead to an increase in liquidity premia and are substantially less effective compared to a standard New Keynesian model, providing a solution to the so-called "forward guidance puzzle".
The last chapter addresses macroeconomic consequences of demographic change. It is based on joint work with Max Groneck.
Demographic change raises demand for non-tradable old-age related services relative to tradable commodities. This demand shift increases the relative price of non-tradables and thereby causes real exchange rates to appreciate. We claim that the change in demand affects prices via imperfect intersectoral factor mobility. Using a sample of 15 OECD countries, we estimate a robust increase of relative prices. According to our main estimate, up to one fifth of the average increase in relative prices between 1970 and 2009 can be attributed to population ageing. Further findings confirm the relevance of imperfect factor mobility: Countries with more rigid labour markets experience stronger price effects.


Key messagesAlthough the shipping industry plays an important role in economic development globally and in Vietnam, its activities also affect the environment.
The Government of Vietnam has recently introduced many new policies promoting economic development and environmental protection through sustainable development of the shipping industry, including the Green Port Program and a Payment for mangrove environmental services mechanism.
Port authorities and shipping companies appreciate the roles mangroves play in: reducing greenhouse gas emissions/absorbing CO₂, NOx, SOx, PM particles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs); reducing sedimentation and expenditure on dredging; providing clean water; and reducing wave impacts and coastal erosion. Consequently, these companies are willing to participate in a payment for mangrove environmental services mechanism. In fact, many foreign shipping enterprises are actively engaged in replanting and protecting mangroves.
Though some shipping industry companies are willing to pay for mangrove protection and development, four key factors determine their long-term commitment to and compliance with such a policy. These factors are: transparency and accountability regarding revenues and expenditure; fairness in applying payments for mangrove environmental services to all user groups; disclosure of detailed plans for mangrove maintenance and reestablishment; and policy development based on comprehensive and scientific cost-benefit analyses.
Foreign and domestic shipping companies differ in terms of their willingness to pay for and ability to apply a payment for mangrove environmental services mechanism. Further studies are needed to analyze these differences and determine
optimum measures.


The COVID-19 pandemic remains uncontrolled despite the rapid rollout of safe and effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, underscoring the need to develop highly effective antivirals. In the setting of waning immunity from infection and vaccination, breakthrough infections are becoming increasingly common and treatment options remain limited. Additionally, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern with their potential to escape therapeutic monoclonal antibodies emphasizes the need to develop second-generation oral antivirals targeting highly conserved viral proteins that can be rapidly deployed to outpatients. Here, we demonstrate the in vitro antiviral activity and in vivo therapeutic efficacy of GS-621763, an orally bioavailable prodrug of GS-441524, the parental nucleoside of remdesivir, which targets the highly conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. GS-621763 exhibited significant antiviral activity in lung cell lines and two different human primary lung cell culture systems. The dose-proportional pharmacokinetic profile observed after oral administration of GS-621763 translated to dose-dependent antiviral activity in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. Therapeutic GS-621763 significantly reduced viral load, lung pathology, and improved pulmonary function in COVID-19 mouse model. A direct comparison of GS-621763 with molnupiravir, an oral nucleoside analog antiviral currently in human clinical trial, proved both drugs to be similarly efficacious. These data demonstrate that therapy with oral prodrugs of remdesivir can significantly improve outcomes in SARS-CoV-2 infected mice. Thus, GS-621763 supports the exploration of GS-441524 oral prodrugs for the treatment of COVID-19 in humans.


Many recent studies have investigated the replacive formation of troctolites from mantle protoliths and the compositional evolution of the percolating melt during melt–rock interaction processes. However, strong structural and geochemical constraints for a replacive origin have not yet been established. The Erro–Tobbio impregnated mantle peridotites are primarily associated with a hectometre-size troctolitic body and crosscutting gabbroic dykes, providing a good field control on melt–rock interaction processes and subsequent magmatic intrusions. The troctolitic body exhibits high inner complexity, with a host troctolite (Troctolite A) crosscut by a second generation of troctolitic metre-size pseudo-tabular bodies (Troctolite B). The host Troctolite A is characterized by two different textural types of olivine, corroded deformed millimetre- to centimetre-size olivine and fine-grained rounded undeformed olivine, both embedded in interstitial to poikilitic plagioclase and clinopyroxene. Troctolite A shows melt–rock reaction microstructures indicative of replacive formation after percolation and impregnation of mantle dunites by a reactive melt. The evolution of the texture and crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) of olivine are correlated and depend on the melt/rock ratio involved in the impregnation process. A low melt/rock ratio allows the preservation of the protolith structure, whereas a high melt/rock ratio leads to the disaggregation of the pre-existing matrix. The mineral compositions in Troctolite A define reactive trends, indicative of the buffering of the melt composition by assimilation of olivine during impregnation. The magmatic Troctolite B bodies are intruded within the pre-existing Troctolite A and are characterized by extreme textural variations of olivine, from decimetre-size dendritic to fine-grained euhedral crystals embedded in poikilitic plagioclase. This textural variability is the result of olivine assimilation during melt–rock reaction and the correlated increase in the degree of undercooling of the percolating melt. In the late gabbroic intrusions, mineral compositions are consistent with the fractional crystallization of melts modified after the reactive crystallization of Troctolites A and B. The Erro–Tobbio troctolitic body has a multi-stage origin, marked by the transition from reactive to fractional crystallization and diffuse to focused melt percolation and intrusion, related to progressive exhumation. During the formation of the troctolitic body, the melt composition was modified and controlled by assimilation and concomitant crystallization reactions occurring at low melt supply. Similar processes have been described in ultraslow-spreading oceanic settings characterized by scarce magmatic activity.


Contact-connection matrix is proposed to describe contact and connection relations between components. Extended interference matrix is given to settle non-orthogonal assembly problems effectively which other current methods are incapable of. Several rules that influence the efficiency of assembly are studied from the quantification point of view. The priorities of the rules can be customized to screen optimum components in every cyclic process to comprise an optimized sequence automatically, using the above matrices. The prototype system is developed on UG NX platform and a fixture with 30 parts containing tilt assembly directions is demonstrated as an example. The results indicate that the algorithm is efficient and flexible.


Milk thistle, Silybum marianum, is an annual or biennial plant. It has been reported that the extracted oil from milk thistle seed contains essential edible fatty acids. The aim of the present study was to determine the irrigation interval effects on different fatty acids content of milk thistle. Irrigation intervals consisted of D1 = 5, D2 = 10, D3 = 15 days and D4 = without irrigation. To show the water status of the investigated plants, relative water content of the leaves was measured. Milk thistle seed oil have been used for analysis of physicochemical properties such as oil content and composition using GC (FID). Our results proved that the irrigation intervals had significant effects on all of the studied parameters. The total oil content decreased by 4% due to increasing the water scarcity but the amount of the polyunsaturated fatty acids increased under the drought stress. The highest amount of the polyunsaturated fatty acids: linoleic acid (42.84%) and linolenic acid (0.65%) were measured in D4 whereas the highest amount of the monounsaturated fatty acids; oleic acid (36.67%) and gadoleic acid (0.57%) have accumulated in D1. The moisture content of the oil in D4 decreased until 0.37% and the lowest chlorophyll content, pH, acid value and the highest refract index also were measured in D4. It has proved that the drought stress increased the quality of milk thistle seed oil. Our results can justify the important value of milk thistle seed oil as an attractive candidate for use in food preparation.

 Key words: Milk thistle, seed oil constituents, irrigation interval, essential fatty acids.


Late adolescence is a critical period of development during which individuals experience crucial changes in their social lives. Several developmental tasks appear during this transition to be accomplished by the late adolescents in order to achieve adulthood and to develop healthy psychological and social functioning. A significant task in this developmental stage is developing the ability to adapt to a new environment. This ability includes the processes of how the late adolescents effectively integrate themselves to a new culture, how they become efficient members of this new culture, and how they make sense of the elements in the new culture. In order to explore the adaptation ability, this study aimed at describing what sorts of experiences that exchange students had while they pursued some of their studies abroad. The participants were 50 undergraduate and graduate students who were attending two higher education institutions in Turkey. They were predominantly from three different regions: (a) European Union, (b) North America, and (c) Other (Australia and Ukraine). There were three main data sources: Focus group meetings were held approximately twice in a month in three rounds. The first round was done with 22 students in Ankara during October-December 2008. The second one was done with 7 students in Canakkale during December 2009 and January 2010, and the third round with 21 students in Canakkale during October-December 2010. In addition to the interviews, the participants were also asked to note down their adaptation experiences. The participants were also asked to complete a short survey after they returned to their countries. The results basically showed that the adaptation to a new culture was modifying the clashing elements between host culture and native culture and modifying those elements according to the rules in the host culture


With the ongoing global drive towards renewable energy, several potential offshore wind energy lease areas worldwide have come into focus. This study aims to estimate the extreme wind and wave conditions across several newly designated offshore wind lease sites spanning six continents that are crucial for risk assessment and the design of offshore wind turbines. Firstly, the raw data of wind speeds and wave heights prevailing in these different lease areas were obtained. Following this, an in-depth extreme value analysis was performed over different return periods. Two principal methodologies were applied for this comparative study: the block-maxima and the peaks-over-threshold (POT) approaches. Various statistical techniques, including the Gumbel method of moments, Gumbel maximum likelihood, Gumbel least-squares, and the three-parameter GEV, were employed under the block-maxima approach to obtain the distribution parameters. The threshold for the POT approach was defined using the mean residual life method, and the distribution parameters were obtained using the maximum likelihood method. The Gumbel least-squares method emerged as the most conservative estimator of extreme values in the majority of cases, while the POT approach generally yielded lower extreme values compared to the block-maxima approach. However, the results from the POT approach showed large variations based on the selected threshold. This comprehensive study's findings will provide valuable input for the efficient planning, design, and construction of future offshore wind farms.


After the price liberalization in 1991, the Russian economy was faced with a jump of costs of transportation in real terms. New Economic Geography (NEG) gives answers to questions that are related to changes in transport costs. However, the outcomes of NEG models are very sensitive with respect to their basic assumptions. Using an alternative model framework including urban costs, it is shown that also increasing costs of freight transportation may give incentives to migration of skilled workers from remote, small urban units to central, large cities. Therefore, concentration of urban population should have been increased. But, one cannot expect that this process is reversible, if transportation costs are decreasing in the future due to improvements in the transportation sector. On the contrary, large agglomerations will then grow even more. Research questions are: What were the relations between urban growth and urban size in Russia during the transformation period? Are migration flows correlated to changes in concentration of urban population? In the empirical investigation, population figures 1993-2004 of all Russian cities and urban settlements have been used, together with geographical coordinates of all urban units. On the regional level, demographic data (natural growth, matrices of urban and rural migration, external migration) were available for the federal subjects of Russia. The peculiarities resulting from so called 'secret cities' have been considered. The empirical part of the paper contains two regression analyses using OLS method: firstly, urban size and geographical position are regressed on urban growth; secondly, migration volumes are regressed on changes in urban concentration. Urban-rural as well as rural-urban migration has been introduced into the statistical models as control variables. The main results of this analysis are: Firstly, urban growth in Russia is positively correlated to the initial size of cities and settlements as well as to their geographical position. Secondly, there is a link between increasing concentration of urban population and migration flows of urban dwellers who reside in different federal subjects of Russia. Although internal migration flows in the 1990ties and the early 2000s were relatively weak, they influenced urban concentration as NEG predicts. From the viewpoint of New Economic Geography, urban costs are an important factor that has strong dispersing effects. Therefore, to make use of the advantages of large agglomerations in Russia, it is required to improve the performance of the transportation sector, to diminish the costs of transportation between cities, as well as within cities.


This thesis is an analysis of Peter Maxwell Davies's Revelation and Fall, through the influences that affect the development of its musical language and adoption of the expressionist aesthetic. Each chapter concentrates upon one aspect of the work: (1) its deployment of precompositional processes of thematic transformation; (2) the superimposition of different levels of structural organization; (3) motivic working within thematic transformation and contrapuntal devices; (4) experiments with timbre and the manipulation of temporal flow; and (5) the dramatic and aesthetic influences that shape the presentation of the work. Throughout the thesis also runs a critique of certain trends in recent music analysis that seem to limit a full understanding of the analyzed work. I contend that restricting an analysis to the serial level of organization cannot prove the musical viability of the work. The other levels through which the work articulates its material must be identified by the analyst and given importance equal to this serial level. Through this thesis, I attempt to address Kevin Korsyn's complaint that some analyses (of music of all periods, not specifically Davies's) tend to view works as autonomous, synchronic entities, divorced from an artistic continuum of historical development, by focussing on the many connections with other music and ideas that inform the work's identity. Influence study is suggested as a method whereby the shortcomings of these analytical trends can be countered and the Conclusion of the thesis opposes the criticism of this method found not only in analytical studies, such as David Roberts's study of Davies's compositional techniques, discussed in Chapter One, but also a great number of commentaries on literary theory, particularly intertextuality.


In the new 'Age of the Anthropocene', the Earth's atmosphere, like other elements of Nature, is rapidly being colonized by a minority of the world's population, at no cost, threatening the security of all humanity and the stability of the planet. The development processes of the great emitters of greenhouse gases have transferred social and environmental costs to all the world population, especially the most impoverished ones. This article is a critical analysis of how the legal climate change regime continues to legitimize the onslaught on the atmosphere. It reflects on the need to move to a new "climate justice law", characterized by responsibilities and obligations centered on the prevention, repair, restoration and treatment of damage and related risks linked to climate change, while protecting human rights and the atmosphere, as a common interest of humanity and the Earth. Keywords: Atmosphere, climate change, common concern of humankind, climate justice law


While summer sea ice reduced dramatically/significantly, and the atmospheric warming is amplified over the
Arctic, changes in the ocean are less obvious due to its higher inertia. The understanding of the ongoing changes at polar latitudes and its linkages to mid-latitude climate has become a top subject among climate research community. The ocean circulation response to an idealized decline in Arctic sea ice is investigated in a set of novel fully-coupled climate model (AWI-CM) experiments. The atmosphere and thermodynamics is resolved by ECHAM6.3 in a resolution of ca. 180Km, whereas FESOM resolves the ocean and dynamical aspects of the sea ice with resolution ranging from 25 to 150 km. A 250-year reference simulation (REF) is initialized with CORE II and WOA01 data and forced by 1990 greenhouse gases and aerosol concentrations. We conduct a comparative study in which three distinct thermodynamical perturbations are applied on the sea ice to induce a gradual sea ice reduction over 150-year period simulations. Our sensitivity experiments consist of three different approaches to induce an Arctic sea ice reduction: I) the albedo is modified by the increase of snow aging factor; II) reducing the lead closing parameter which resembles a loss of sea ice thickness rather than sea ice area; III) imposing an anomalous heat flux on the sea ice by adding 0.5 W/m2 of long wave radiation. To check the robustness of our results we undertake a second realization of each sensitivity experiment simply by initializing the experiments 30 years later. It is shown that ocean responses establish comparably in all sensitivity experiments. Dynamical adjustments of ocean fluxes and currents are not confined to the polar latitudes. The North Atlantic high-latitude indicates a southward shift of the North Atlantic Current pathway. Although the atmosphere seems to play a secondary role in responding and forcing dynamical changes in the Arctic Ocean, we believe that a negative annular-mode like trend explains the weakening of the westerly winds along the poleward flank of the jet stream, which in turn alters the upper ocean circulation.


Sixteen patients (13 males and three females; average age, 27 years) with large symptomatic osteochondral defects of the femoral condyle were treated with an osteochondral autograft taken from the ipsilateral lateral patellar facet. Two patients had bilateral procedures for a total of 18 knees. These patients were followed up prospectively with an average followup of 7.6 years (range, 2-14.6 years). Cincinnati knee scores showed significant changes, from an average preoperative score of 37 to an average final followup score of 85. In all of the patients, knee function was improved, and they were able to return to their normal lifestyle with minimal or no restriction. Eighty-one percent of patients have returned to a high level of functioning.


Abstract: (Photo)electrochemical processes are involved
in many fields of science and technology. The use of spectroscopic techniques
coupled to (photo)electrochemistry, are mandatory to get information about
interfacial processes on scale ranges from millimeters to the nanoscale. The
development of spectroelectrochemical cells (SEC) contribute to the progress of
the field of (photo)electrochemistry and its impact in science and technology.
Therefore, in this work, we describe in detail the development of a versatile
SEC that can be used for several in situ
techniques. We performed electrochemical and computational experiments to
analyze the response of our SEC as a function of the working electrode size,
position and distance to the window. We found that our SEC behaves as the
conventional cell when the electrode is far from the window. However, important
differences arise in the thin layer configuration. The computational
experiments suggest that to mitigate these problems, it is important to perform
in situ experiments in the thin layer configuration using electrodes as
small as possible.


Severe shortage of suitable wood for Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) production makes it necessary to consider using uncommon and non-conventional raw materials such as agricultural residues. In order to demonstrate the suitability and the potential of two agricultural residues (cotton and corn stalks), laboratory MDF boards were produced. Three press temperatures (170, 180 and 190 ºC) were used. Test samples were prepared from the boards after conditioning at 65% RH and 21 ºC, and all tests were performed according to relevant EN standard methods. The results indicated that the MOR and MOE of boards produced from corn stalks were higher than those from cotton stalks, by almost 25%. However significant difference was not observed for internal bonds of boards. Thickness swelling of MDF boards from corn stalks was lower than cotton stalks. Comparing the results obtained with the strength of boards produced from hardwoods showed similarity between corn stalks and wood, but the strength of MDF boards from cotton stalks was lower. However, the results almost satisfied the EN 622-5;1997 requirement.


To offer innovative malware evolution techniques, it is appealing to integrate approaches that handle imperfect data and knowledge. In fact, malware writers tend to target some precise features within the app's code to camouflage the malicious content. Those features may sometimes present conflictual information about the true nature of the content of the app (malicious/benign). In this paper, we show how the Variable Precision Rough Set (VPRS) model can be combined with optimization techniques, in particular Bilevel-Optimization-Problems (BLOPs), in order to establish a detection model capable of following the crazy race of malware evolution initiated among malware-developers. We propose a new malware detection technique, based on such hybridization, named Variable Precision Rough set Malware Detection (ProRSDet), that offers robust detection rules capable of revealing the new nature of a given app. ProRSDet attains encouraging results when tested against various state-of-the-art malware detection systems using common evaluation metrics.


The conception of disease of the gallbladder is undergoing an interesting change. It now seems that often the early phenomena of disease of the gallbladder are concerned with metabolic changes, rather than bacterial. The study of the formation of gallstones may, therefore, enhance the study of metabolic diseases, as the two appear to be concerned with much the same phenomena. TYPES OF GALLSTONES If the classification of gallstones is based on their essential constituents, there are probably only two distinct types, the cholesterin stone and the bilirubin calcium stone. All other types of stones can be grouped with these two. A review of the essential features of each of the gross types of stones may simplify our classification and facilitate the study of the pathogenesis of biliary calculi. Cholesterin Stone. —Cholesterin stones have been classified in three groups by the pathologist: (1) the pure cholesterin stone, which contains free or


Cristina Rivera Garza's (non) fiction trajectory is a dialogue of interests threaded by her passions for translation, history, poetics, among many other topics. In this article, Diamantina -- a repetitive character in the author's corpora -- is traced to analyze how gender and cultural memory are portrayed in Nadie me verá llorar (1999) Ningún reloj cuenta esto (2002) and Dolerse: textos desde un país herido (2011). By commenting on Ramón López Velarde's famous stanza "La patria es impecable y diamantina" in "Suave patria" (1921), Rivera Garza proposes an alternative way of performing nation by women who resist the virtuous adjectives exalted by Velarde in post-revolutionary Mexico, which can be threaded to the glitter used in recent public demonstrations against femicides and gender-based violence. Narrative memory is proposed to name the intersections of intertextuality and cultural memory in her literary cultural production that goes beyond the borders of a nation. This article centralizes the short-story, "La alineación también tiene su belleza" in Ningún reloj cuenta esto, which is set in San Antonio, Texas and New York City, to analyze Mexican canonical representations of women as Patria from a transnational lens.


Chronic wounds are those that fail to proceed through an orderly and timely reparative manner, typically characterised by persistent hypoxia and infection. Since
oxygen is essential in every stage of wound healing and has bactericidal activity, wound oxygenation methods including hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and normobaric oxygen (NBO) have been proposed as therapeutic modalities in the treatment of chronic wounds. These treatments can significantly elevate the oxygen partial pressure at poorly perfused wounded tissues. However, the molecular mechanisms whereby oxygen improves wound healing remain unclear. The aims of this thesis were to explore the cellular and molecular impacts of high oxygen levels, elevated air pressure, chronic hypoxia and infection on reepithelialisation as a critical step in wound healing. It was hypothesised that increasing oxygen tension in the wounded area would improve steps in reepithelialisation
process. This hypothesis was tested on human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells where cell migration, proliferation and differentiation were examined at cellular and molecular levels using scratch assays, Western blotting, ELISA and MTT assays. Data clearly demonstrated that a chronic hypoxic state had a deleterious effect on reepithelialisation via attenuation of the rate of keratinocyte migration with increases in cellular adhesion, metabolic activities and hyperproliferation but no effects were seen on cell differentiation rates. In contrast, oxygenation of the cells via HBO and NBO
resulted in a faster rate of cell migration with lower cell proliferation and metabolic activities. However, elevating air pressure alone i.e. hyperbaric air (HBA), did not have any effects on the re-epithelialisation process. Keratinocytes were stimulated with LPS and interleukins (IL-6 and IL-8) or cocultured with THP-1 monocytes to create different inflammatory models under
chronic hypoxic and normoxic conditions. Data revealed that IL-6, but not IL-8, attenuated keratinocyte's migration with a significant increase in cell adhesion and elasticity. Co-culture of monocytes with keratinocytes led to a marginal increase in cell migration under chronic hypoxic conditions. However, LPS stimulation did not lead to any significant effects on migration, proliferation and differentiation of
keratinocytes. These findings show that oxygen is critical in re-epithelialisation and the results
presented here provide understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which HBO and NBO improve wound healing.


Multi-user detection (MUD) is used to control multiple access interference (MAI) and promote system performance and capacity, which is one of the key technology for CDMA system. Independent component analysis (ICA) aims to recover a set of unknown mutually independent source signals from theirs observed mixtures without knowledge of the mixing coefficients. FastICA, one of the ICA methods, has been successfully applied in various fields. But the classical FastICA does not converge quickly. In multi-user detection of direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) system, we proposes an Improved-FastICA algorithm to reduce multiple access interference (MAI). The improved-FastICA algorithm uses a new Fifth-order Newton iterative method to estimate the negentropy. The experimental results show that the improved algorithm has the advantages of smaller bit error rate than traditional algorithm. The Improved-FastICA is more suitable for applications in DS-CDMA system.


Objective The reliability of a concussion symptom checklist can become compromised by external conditions (weather, medical conditions, stress, medications, etc.). This study assessed the day-to-day reliability of the SCAT3 Symptom Evaluation to determine if participants provide consistent responses in addition to determining the frequency and severity of the 22 symptoms in a non-concussed, adult, athletic population. Design Repeated measure observational design. Setting This study was conducted at a University in Ohio, U.S.A. Participants 52 volunteers (18 to 30 years), self-identified as an athlete and had not suffered a concussion in the past 6 months. Intervention Participants completed the SCAT3 Symptom Evaluation at prescribed times through the day over a 7 day period. Participants were randomly assigned to two equal groups, alternating between completing the SCAT3 Symptom Evaluation twice (at wake up and before bed) or once (in the afternoon) each day. Outcome measures Severity and frequency of each of the 22 symptoms over a 7 day period. Main results The single measure intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.496 (95% CI=0.382 to 0.620, SEM=0.134) for the frequency of symptoms and 0.438 (95% CI=0.325 to 0.568, SEM=0.221) for the sum of the symptom severity over 7 days. Conclusions The results demonstrated poor day-to-day reliability for the reporting of the frequency and severity of symptoms. All of the 22 symptoms on the SCAT3 Symptom Checklist were reported by at least one participant with the most commonly reported symptoms being fatigue or low energy, drowsiness, and headaches. Competing interests None.


For more than three decades, postoperative chemotherapy-initially fluoropyrimidines and more recently combinations with oxaliplatin-has reduced the risk of tumor recurrence and improved survival for patients with resected colon cancer. Although universally recommended for patients with stage III disease, there is no consensus about the survival benefit of postoperative chemotherapy in stage II colon cancer. The most recent adjuvant clinical trials have not shown any value for adding targeted agents, namely bevacizumab and cetuximab, to standard chemotherapies in stage III disease, despite improved outcomes in the metastatic setting. However, biomarker analyses of multiple studies strongly support the feasibility of refining risk stratification in colon cancer by factoring in molecular characteristics with pathologic tumor staging. In stage II disease, for example, microsatellite instability supports observation after surgery. Furthermore, the value of BRAF or KRAS mutations as additional risk factors in stage III disease is greater when microsatellite status and tumor location are taken into account. Validated predictive markers of adjuvant chemotherapy benefit for stage II or III colon cancer are lacking, but intensive research is ongoing. Recent advances in understanding the biologic hallmarks and drivers of early-stage disease as well as the micrometastatic environment are expected to translate into therapeutic strategies tailored to select patients. This review focuses on the pathologic, molecular, and gene expression characterizations of early-stage colon cancer; new insights into prognostication; and emerging predictive biomarkers that could ultimately help define the optimal adjuvant treatments for patients in routine clinical practice.


During everyday life the brain is continuously integrating multiple perceptual cues in order to allow us to make decisions and to guide our actions. In this study we have used a simulated (virtual reality—VR) visual environment to investigate how cues to speed judgments are integrated. There are two sources that could be used to provide signals for velocity constancy: temporal-frequency or distance cues. However, evidence from most psychophysical studies favours temporal-frequency cues. Here we report that two depth cues that provide a relative object–object distance—disparity and motion parallax—can provide a significant input to velocity–constancy judgments, particularly when combined. This result indicates that the second mechanism can also play a significant role in generating velocity constancy. Furthermore, we show that cognitive factors, such as familiar size, can influence the perception of object speed. The results suggest that both low-level cues to spatiotemporal structure and depth, and high-level cues, such as object familiarity, are integrated by the brain during velocity estimation in real-world viewing.


BACKGROUND
Burnout (BO) is increasingly considered a public health problem: it is not only harmful to the individual, but also for the organization. Therefore, in recent years, research has given particular attention to the study of the phenomenon and its antecedents among the nursing profession. In the last ten years, the literature shows the prevalence of BO in different clinical settings, but there are few recent data describing the phenomenon and its relationship with educational preventive programs.

OBJECTIVES
The aims of this study are: a) to describe the prevalence of nurses' risk of BO in the northern Italy area b) to describe nurses' coping and their perception of the BO antecedents. c) to describe the effects of education on the nurses' coping and their recognition of BO antecedents.

METHODS
The study is structured into two main parts. The first was cross-sectional, the second was prospective. Burnout Potential Inventory (BPI) questionnaire was used in the cross-sectional part to survey risk of BO in three big hospitals in Northern Italy. The Health Profession Stress and Coping Scale (HPSCS) was used in the prospective part to survey the nurses' stress perception and their coping mechanisms in a post-graduate educational program.

RESULTS
Nurses' BO risk is within the normal range, although the BPI highlighted three borderline subscales: poor team work, work overload and poor feedback. Post-graduate education had a positive effect on the stress perception, but it is not sufficient to improve coping mechanisms.

CONCLUSIONS
The study revealed the more stressful work situations and the effect of post-graduate education to prevent the effects of stress. This topic needs further investigation in the light of the result of this study.


The unabated increase in the complexity of the hardware and software components of modern embedded real-time systems has given momentum to a host of research in the use of probabilistic and statistical techniques for timing analysis. In the last few years, that front of investigation has yielded a body of scientific literature vast enough to warrant some comprehensive taxonomy of motivations, strategies of application, and directions of research. This survey addresses this very need, singling out the principal techniques in the state of the art of timing analysis that employ probabilistic reasoning at some level, building a taxonomy of them, discussing their relative merit and limitations, and the relations among them. In addition to offering a comprehensive foundation to savvy probabilistic timing analysis, this paper also identifies the key challenges to be addressed to consolidate the scientific soundness and industrial viability of this emerging field.


In the present paper, we propose an object tracking method called scenario-type hypothesis object tracking. In the proposed method, an indoor monitoring region is divided into multiple closed micro-cells using sensor nodes that can detect objects and their moving directions. Sensor information is accumulated in a tracking server through wireless multihop networks, and object tracking is performed at the tracking server. In order to estimate the trajectory of objects from sensor information, we introduce a novel concept of the virtual world, which consists of virtual micro-cells and virtual objects. Virtual objects are generated, transferred, and deleted in virtual micro-cells according to sensor information. In order to handle specific movements of objects in micro-cells, such as slowdown of passing objects in a narrow passageway, we also consider the generation of virtual objects according to interactions among virtual objects. In addition, virtual objects are generated when the tracking server estimates loss of sensor information in order to decrease the number of object tracking failures. Through simulations, we confirm that the ratio of successful tracking is improved by up to 29% by considering interactions among virtual objects. Furthermore, the tracking performance is improved up to 6% by considering loss of sensor information.


Previous work has demonstrated that the image variations of many objects (human faces in particular) under variable lighting can be effectively modeled by low dimensional linear spaces. The typical linear sub-space learning algorithms include Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), and Locality Preserving Projection (LPP). All of these methods consider an n1 x n2 image as a high dimensional vector in ℝn1 x n2, while an image represented in the plane is intrinsically a matrix. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm called Tensor Subspace Analysis (TSA). TSA considers an image as the second order tensor in Rn1 ⊗ Rn2, where Rn1 and Rn2 are two vector spaces. The relationship between the column vectors of the image matrix and that between the row vectors can be naturally characterized by TSA. TSA detects the intrinsic local geometrical structure of the tensor space by learning a lower dimensional tensor subspace. We compare our proposed approach with PCA, LDA and LPP methods on two standard databases. Experimental results demonstrate that TSA achieves better recognition rate, while being much more efficient.


Inconel 718 alloy, widely used as material of aircraft engine, has a good mechanical property in high temperature, strong anti-oxidation characteristics in oxidated current over , and also is not easily digested in the air containing sulfur, therefore, its usage as mechanical component is expanding rapidly. Even though Inconel alloy 718 is difficult to machine, it requires highly precise processing/machining to sustain its component quality of high accuracy. In this paper, general turning operation conditions arc tested to select the best cutting process condition by measuring surface roughness through implementing experiments with orthogonal array of cutting speed, feeding speed and cutting depth as processing parameters based on the Taguchi method. Optimal turning operation conditions are extracted from the proposed experimental models.


A gas of rubidium atoms has been excited by a combination of ultraviolet and far-infrared excitation to a superposition of Stark states lying just above the classical saddle point. Using an atomic streak camera, we have demonstrated that the atom ejects an ultrafast train of electron subpulses nearly equally spaced in time, with a repetition rate of approximately 50 GHz. The frequency characteristics of this pulse train are seen to be extremely sensitive to small changes in the static electric field. These measurements imply that, by variation of the electric field during the electron emission, it is possible to create shaped ultrafast electron pulses analogous to shaped optical pulses.


Single-cell technologies have seen rapid advancements in recent years, along with new analytical challenges and opportunities. These high-throughput assays increasingly require special consideration in experimental design, sample multiplexing, batch effect removal, and data interpretation. Here, we describe a lentiviral barcode-based multiplexing approach, 'CellTag Indexing', where we transduce and label samples that can then be pooled together for downstream application and analysis. By introducing predefined genetic barcodes that are transcribed and readily detected, we can reliably read out sample identity via genomic or transcriptomic profiling, permitting the simultaneous assessment of cell grouping and transcriptional state. We validate and demonstrate the utility of CellTag Indexing by sequencing transcriptomes at single-cell resolution using a variety of cell types including mouse pre-B cells, primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts, human HEK293T cells, and mouse induced endoderm progenitors. Furthermore, we establish CellTag Indexing as a valuable tool for multiplexing direct lineage reprogramming perturbation experiments. We present CellTag Indexing as a broadly applicable genetic multiplexing tool that is complementary with existing single-cell RNA-sequencing and multiplexing strategies.


Background. Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment associated with choroidal detachment (RRDCD) is rare and the prognosis is poor. *is retrospective study evaluated the effect of preoperative steroid on the clinical outcome of patients with RRDCD receiving 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Methods. Sixty-six patients (67 eyes) with diagnosed RRDCD underwent 23gauge PPV.*e patients assigned to receive systemic or subtenon injection of preoperative steroids were considered Group A (35 eyes) and did not receive are considered Control Group B (32 eyes). Most patients in Group A received subtenon injection of glucocorticoids. *e cyclodialysis angle was measured with ultrasound biomicroscopy. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were compared. Results. *e rates of retinal reattachment in Group A after the first and second operations were 68.8% (24/35 eyes) and 91.43% (32/35 eyes), respectively, which were not significantly different from that of Group B (78.1%, 25/32 eyes; 96.6%, 31/32 eyes). *e logMAR (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) visual acuity in Group A (1.63± 0.75) was similar to that of Group B (1.34± 0.74). Postoperative intraocular pressure and ocular hypertension in Group A (17.94± 9.82mmHg and 37.1%, respectively; 13/35 eyes) were comparable to that of Group B (20.93± 10.21mmHg and 56.3%; 18/ 32 eyes). Logistic regression analysis showed that postoperative reattachment was negatively associated with preoperative cyclodialysis angle as measured with ultrasound biomicroscopy (P � 0.048) but was not significantly associated with preoperative steroid use (P � 0.907). Conclusions. Preoperative steroid use does not improve retinal reattachment and visual acuity in patients with RRDCD after 23-gauge PPV. Preoperative measurement of the cyclodialysis angle with ultrasound biomicroscopy may be useful for predicting clinical outcomes.