&NA; Little is known about implications of temperament for children who receive nitrous oxide inhalation sedation (N2O/O2) for dental care. The aim of this study was to investigate whether child temperament is associated with success in N2O/O2. Child‐caregiver dyads were enrolled from patients aged 36‐95 months receiving dental care with N2O/O2 at a university‐based pediatric dental clinic. To assess child temperament, 48 caregivers completed the Children's Behavior Questionnaire Short Form. Patient behavior was abstracted from Frankl scores recorded in the patient's chart. The overall behavioral failure rate was 15% (n = 7/48). There was no significant difference in sedation outcome associated with sex, health, insurance status, or complexity of treatment provided. Sedation outcome was significantly associated with the broad temperament domain of Effortful Control and its subscales Attentional Focusing and Inhibitory Control. The Negative Affectivity subscales of Frustration, Sadness, and Soothability and the Extraversion/Surgency subscales Activity and Impulsivity were also significantly associated with sedation outcome. The results of this study suggest that Effortful Control is associated with behavior during dental treatment with N2O/O2. The subscales of Attention Focusing, Inhibitory Control, Frustration, Fear, Sadness, Soothability, Activity, and Impulsivity may also be important determinants of child behavior during dental treatment.


Purpose: To investigate the clinical predictive factors for the efficacy of everolimus (EVE) for advanced/metastatic breast cancer (AMBC). Methods: Routine practice data of consecutive patients with AMBC who received EVE at 5 institutions in western Japan were retrospectively analyzed in this cohort study (study registration no.: UMIN 000032569). The correlation among time to treatment failure (TTF), overall survival (OS), and clinical background was investigated via univariate and multivariate analyses using Cox hazards model for the clinically important variables. Results: A total of 134 patients were included in the analysis. The median TTF and OS were 5.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.1-6.4) and 27.3 months (95% CI: 23.7-30.9), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that dose reduction of EVE from any initial dose was associated with a longer TTF (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.32-0.84, P = .007). Meanwhile, very low hormone sensitivity (ie, relapse within the first 2 years during adjuvant endocrine therapy or progression within 3 months of endocrine therapy immediately before EVE) was associated with a shorter TTF (HR: 2.48; 95% CI: 1.49-4.10, P < .001). In the analysis of stratified treatment outcomes, TTF was longer in the group with <3 liver metastases and in groups other than the very low hormone sensitivity group, regardless of the treatment line of EVE. Conclusions: Low hormone sensitivity and ⩾3 liver metastases were important prognostic factors for the efficacy of EVE. EVE may be less effective in patients with AMBC with these factors, and as such, chemotherapy should be administered instead.


The fatty acids of 34 strains of unicellular blue-green algae provisionally assigned to the genera Synechococcus, Aphanocapsa, Gloeocapsa, Microcystis, and Chlorogloea by Stanier et al. have been chemically characterized. The strains analyzed can be divided into a series of compositional groups based upon the highest degree of unsaturation of the major cellular fatty acids. Twenty strains fall into the group characterized by one trienoic fatty acid isomer (α-linolenic acid), and seven strains fall into a group characterized by another trienoic acid isomer (γ-linolenic acid). These groups in many cases correlate well with groupings based upon other phenotypic characters of the strains, e.g., deoxyribonucleic acid base composition. The assignment of a strain to a compositional group is not altered when the strain is grown under a variety of different culture conditions. All strains contain glycolipids with the properties of mono- and digalactosyldiglycerides.


The term 'Simulated Patient' (SP) commonly refers to people trained to portray the role of a patient, relative, carer or co-worker in healthcare education.1 This project aimed to develop, pilot and evaluate a bespoke, evidence-based training programme for Trainers and SPs in the North West of England. The regional SP Programme incorporates the 'SP Train-The-Trainer' (SP3T) and 'Train-The-SP' (2TSP) e-learning and workshops. A pragmatic, mixed-methods design facilitated a comprehensive exploration of the SP Programme. University ethical approval was obtained. Data collection methods included: A regional survey (n = 89 from 24 different organisations) Electronic evaluation questionnaire featuring open and closed questions; SP3T (n = 18) and 2TSP (n = 34) SP3T participant focus groups (n = 18) to explore course delivery methods and resources Usability testing of the SP Database and SP Passport in healthcare organisations (n = 5). The survey identified variances in SP terminology, recruitment, payment, contracts, risk assessment, training and quality assurance procedures. Survey findings were used to develop the SP Common Framework and SP3T package.2 The SP3T package2 was positively reviewed by all pilot participants (SP trainers). The depth of information and content was considered appropriate for novice and experienced simulation facilitators. The 2TSP package3 was found to be stimulating, useful, flexible, and provided a good level of activity. SP Database testing confirmed usability in organisations with diverse IT infrastructures. The SP Passport was valued to track, record and monitor SP training and involvement. The SP Programme is now implemented throughout the region. The SP Common Framework and SP Programme are designed to empower simulation trainers to effectively work with SPs in education and training, thus promoting educational excellence. It is envisaged that engagement with well-trained SPs will improve education for the health and social care workforce and ultimately lead to improvements in patient safety and public engagement. References Nestel D, Bearman M. Chapter 1: Introduction to simulated patient methodology. In: Nestel D, Bearman M, eds. Simulated patient methodology: theory, evidence and practice. West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell, 2015:1–4. Gough S, Greene L, Nestel D, Hellaby M, MacKinnon R, Natali A, Roberts S, Tuttle N, Webster B. Simulated patients: a standardised, quality assured approach to training and implementation. Final Project Report. Manchester: Health Education North West, 2015. Greene L, Gough S. Simulated Patients: blending performing arts pedagogy and healthcare education. Final Project Report. Manchester: Health Education North West, 2015.


The sample with the nominal composition Bi2Sr2Ca1-xBaxCu2Oy(A),Bi1.7Pb0.3Sr2Ca2-xBaxCu3Oy(B) were synthesized by solid state reaction. The analyses of phases and structure of the samples showed that a new kind of monoclinic phase exists in Bi-system with cell dimension a=24.84?, b=6.29?, c = 20.70?, β=114.2?. There exists special relation between the monoclinic phase and the superconducting property of Bi system. For 2212 phase, the diamagnetic transition at 95K was observed when the monolinic phase co-existed with 2212 phase, furthermore the addition of Ba ions facilitated the formation of the monoclinic phase. For Ba-doped 2223 phase, the study of electron diffraction indicated that Ba ions got into the 2223 phase and caused the change of crysral micro-structure of 2223 phase, a new additional superstructure appeared along b axis, and two kinds of modulation mode were observed simultaneously along this direction, the wavelength of which is 27?, 43? respectively. The measurement of physical property showed that the zero resistance temperature of the samples can reach as high as 113-114K by proper doping of Ba ions, and the diamagnetic transtion at 118K was also observed. This kind of increasing of the critical temperature of 2223 phase may be related to changes of its crystal microstructure.


Global warming and eutrophication make some aquatic ecosystems behave as true bioreactors that trigger rapid and massive cyanobacterial growth; this has relevant health and economic consequences. Many cyanobacterial strains are toxin producers, and only a few cells are necessary to induce irreparable damage to the environment. Therefore, water-body authorities and administrations require rapid and efficient early-warning systems providing reliable data to support their preventive or curative decisions. This manuscript reports an experimental protocol for the in-field detection of toxin-producing cyanobacterial strains by using an antibody microarray chip with 17 antibodies (Abs) with taxonomic resolution (CYANOCHIP). Here, a multiplex fluorescent sandwich microarray immunoassay (FSMI) for the simultaneous monitoring of 17 cyanobacterial strains frequently found blooming in freshwater ecosystems, some of them toxin producers, is described. A microarray with multiple identical replicates (up to 24) of the CYANOCHIP was printed onto a single microscope slide to simultaneously test a similar number of samples. Liquid samples can be tested either by direct incubation with the antibodies (Abs) or after cell concentration by filtration through a 1- to 3-μm filter. Solid samples, such as sediments and ground rocks, are first homogenized and dispersed by a hand-held ultrasonicator in an incubation buffer. They are then filtered (5 - 20 μm) to remove the coarse material, and the filtrate is incubated with Abs. Immunoreactions are revealed by a final incubation with a mixture of the 17 fluorescence-labeled Abs and are read by a portable fluorescence detector. The whole process takes around 3 h, most of it corresponding to two 1-h periods of incubation. The output is an image, where bright spots correspond to the positive detection of cyanobacterial markers.


The US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has rekindled European fears of missing out in the global green technology race. However, EU member states still disagree on whether the greater risk lies in doing too much or too little. At heart, there remains significant confusion on which European sectors stand to lose competitiveness; how much the EU should fret about these losses; and whether there is a need for joint support from the EU level to avoid economic divergence. We take a first stab at the existing sectoral evidence. Our results suggest that the IRA will undercut European production costs in several sectors. This does not mean the EU must mimic the US program. However, it does mean that the EU needs to turn its piecemeal Green Deal Industrial Plan into a coherent strategy. This requires a greater focus on green industries in which Europe can develop a competitive edge and more joint financing at the EU level.


This research aimed to describe student learning outcomes trough implementation of Islamic Math Character and explain whether of Islamic Math Character can improve student learning outcomes in subject Calculus I. This research is an action research which uses a classroom action research with spiral model. Each cycle consist of planning, action, observation, and reflection. The research subject were Calculus I students of mathematics education department. The research results of student learning the material functions through the application of mathematics with Islamic Math Character proved a significant increase of the value of the average of student mastery learning at pre-action only amounted to 63.78 by 31,11%. At the first cycle, the average value of student mastery learning increased to 70.33 by 57.78%. At the second cycle, the average value of student mastery learning becomes 75.44 by 100%.


There is great need to limit the use of cell phone at particular places and at particular times. Hence, the use of intelligent mobile phone detector is guaranteed. This work concentrates in designing a system that will dictate the presence of GSM signals from an unauthorized user in restricted areas which will in turn trigger another device to restrict the user from service. The system will be able to jam GSM frequency signal upon detection to prevent the transmitted signal from getting to the users cell phone.Paper is designed to detect the mobile phone in a closed room / place. Whereas this project is aimed to detect the mobile phone where the mobile communication is strictly prohibited like Examination Hall, Hospitals, places of important meeting. As presently we don't have any technology that should detect the use mobile phones in restricted areas like examination hall instead of checking manually pockets of students before entering in Examination hall and there is chance of having the cell phone with the person if he is not checked properly, however it would be hectic and time consuming for large number of students. so to avoid this problem, an automatic detection of cell phone is introduced. We have a mobile jammers presently used to jam the whole network but in examination hall we have to exclude the faculty members present there and want to detect only cell phone of students. Keeping in view this project mainly focus on designing the mobile detection instrument particularly in examination hall where students misuse mobile phones by making hidden calls, internet connectivity, data transfer,SMS,incomming and outgoing calls etc.I am going to design the mobile detection instrument that automatically detects the activities cell phones in E-Hall and displays this information on GUI on remote computer (administrator) interfaced with mobile detector, like detection messages, Room no, location etc we can extend it as far as we wish, we can add new dimensions to this project, like excluding cell phones of faculty members, determining exact position of detection, calculating distance between position (detected) and detector, increasing range of detection and switching from one room to another on remote computer. Firstly i design the detector to detect presence of activated signal, then I design RF transmitter and receiver to interface this detector with remote computer using arduino Duemilanove (micro controller),then I program microcontroller and design motor control for detector so that it should rotate appropriately, then I design LDR module. I put detector in examination hall, in hall we also make use of LED and buzzer and simultaneously it displays messages to administrator during any malicious activity. The moment the detector detects RF transmission signal from an activated mobile phone, it starts sounding a beep alarm and the LED blinks. The alarm continues until the signal transmission ceases, and simultaneously acknowledges system administrator at remote location


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Kabuki syndrome (KS), caused by pathogenic variants in KMT2D or KDM6A, is associated with hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (HH) in 0.3-4% of patients. We characterized the clinical, biochemical and molecular data of children with KS and HH compared to children with KS without HH in a multicenter meta-analysis.

METHODS
Data of seven new and 17 already published children with KS and HH were compared to 373 recently published KS patients without HH regarding molecular and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS
Seven new patients were identified with seven different pathogenic variants in KDM6A (n=4) or KMT2D (n=3). All presented with HH on the first day of life and were responsive to diazoxide. KS was diagnosed between 9 months and 14 years of age. In the meta-analysis 24 KS patients with HH had a significantly higher frequency of variants in KDM6A compared to 373 KS patients without HH (50% vs. 11.5%, p<0.001), and KDM6A-KS was more likely to be associated with HH than KMT2D-KS (21.8% vs. 3.5%, p<0.001). Sex distribution and other phenotypic features did not differ between KS with and without HH.

CONCLUSION
The higher incidence of HH in KDM6A-KS compared to KMT2D-KS indicates that KDM6A loss of function variants predispose more specifically to beta cell dysfunction compared to KMT2D variants. As difficulties to assign syndromic characteristics to KS in early infancy often lead to delayed diagnosis, genetic testing for KS should be considered in children with HH, especially in the presence of other extrapancreatic/syndromic features.


This study tested the psychological benefits of a 14-day preregistered clinical intervention to increase fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in 171 low-FV-consuming young adults (67% female, aged 18–25). Participants were randomly assigned into a diet-as-usual control condition, an ecological momentary intervention (EMI) condition involving text message reminders to increase their FV consumption plus a voucher to purchase FV, or a fruit and vegetable intervention (FVI) condition in which participants were given two additional daily servings of fresh FV to consume on top of their normal diet. Self-report outcome measures were depressive symptoms and anxiety measured pre- and post-intervention, and daily negative and positive mood, vitality, flourishing, and flourishing behaviors (curiosity, creativity, motivation) assessed nightly using a smartphone survey. Vitamin C and carotenoids were measured from blood samples pre- and post-intervention, and psychological expectancies about the benefits of FV were measured post-intervention to test as mediators of psychological change. Only participants in the FVI condition showed improvements to their psychological well-being with increases in vitality, flourishing, and motivation across the 14-days relative to the other groups. No changes were found for depressive symptoms, anxiety, or mood. Intervention benefits were not mediated by vitamin C, carotenoids, or psychological expectancies. We conclude that providing young adults with high-quality FV, rather than reminding them to eat more FV (with a voucher to purchase FV), resulted in significant short-term improvements to their psychological well-being. These results provide initial proof-of-concept that giving young adults fresh fruit and vegetables to eat can have psychological benefits even over a brief period of time. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615000183583


BACKGROUND
This investigation compared the cerebral pathophysiologic status of gunshot wounds to the head (GSWH) with that of severe head injury of other causes (non-GSWH).

METHODS
Data were collected prospectively from 71 GSWH and 541 non-GSWH patients. The two groups had similar demographic characteristics and injury severities. Cerebral metabolic parameters for each patient were averaged for the entire period of monitoring. These per-patient averages were compared between GSWH and non-GSWH groups.

RESULTS
Median intracranial pressure was 21.4 mm Hg in GSWH patients vs. 16.7 mm Hg in non-GSWH patients (p < 0.001). Mean arterial pressures were similar, but the higher intracranial pressure in GSWH patients produced a lower median cerebral perfusion pressure. Cerebral blood flow, cerebrovascular resistance, cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, average jugular venous oxygen saturation, and number of jugular venous desaturations did not differ significantly between the groups. Three-month outcome was death in 43% of GSWH patients and 32% of non-GSWH patients, persistent vegetative state or severe disability in 33% and 32%, respectively, and moderate disability or good recovery in 24% and 36%, respectively. These outcomes were not significantly different (p = 0.11).

CONCLUSION
GSWH patients suffer global cerebral metabolic disturbances that are at least as severe as those seen in non-GSWH patients with injuries of comparable severity. This selected population of GSWH patients may enjoy outcomes comparable to those of non-GSWH patients if they are treated by the same aggressive protocols.


Malaysia has undergone rapid urbanisation amidst the shift from agricultural to an industrial based economy. Urbanisation and modernisation have inevitably led to profound social and economic changes. Economic growth not only has brought about a rapid increase in the number of towns and urban centres, but has also resulted in the expansion of major towns outwards to sprawl into the peripheries. This paper highlights the growth of towns in Malaysia based on the 1980, 1991, 2000 and 2010 Population and Housing Censuses. The data reveal a surge in the number of towns from 72 in 1980 to 228 in 2010. The sharp increase in the number of urban centres and the urbanisation process is the result of spatial re-distribution through migration, partly in response to various government measures to restructure society for a more balanced development.


A new construction on poverty reduction links the Millennium Development Goals, an international consensus on how to reduce poverty, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, a new set of instruments for delivering aid, and, underpinning the others, results-based management. This new construction has undoubted strengths. There are also cross-cutting risks, that targets will oversimplify, citizenship will be neglected, trade-offs and conflicts of interest will be obscured, macro-economic policy will be neglected, social sectors will be emphasised at the expense of growth policies, and commitment to partnership will degrade into a form of covert conditionality. These risks are not immutable. A way forward is proposed, with a list of six principles and a set of Dos and Don'ts. Copyright Overseas Development Institute, 2003.

http://intussen.info/OldSite/Fiches bijlagen/030210-0930 Heaven or Hubris.pdf


This chapter focuses on research into various forms of media and their long, complex relationships with crime. In today's increasingly multi-media world, most people can access crime-related information and stories through a wide variety of media and can publish and distribute their own views and accounts, if they choose. The chapter first outlines some of the ways in which criminologists examine the media and analyse the ways in which it has been used to represent (either directly or indirectly) 'facts' and opinions about crime. It then looks at how this can reflect wider and less obvious considerations, such as social concerns and attitudes to different groups, such as young people and migrants, before exploring how crime is depicted in fiction and popular entertainment. Finally, the chapter discusses the effects of media representations of crime, considering the ways in which the media could be seen as criminogenic (causing crime), for example that it can facilitate and provide a platform for crimes, such as cybercrime, and the ways it could be seen to have a positive influence on crime.


Feed structure (particle size) and form (mash, pellets) play very important roles in ensuring the optimal utilization of nutrients by determining the level of feed intake. Modern meat type birds have high appetite for food therefore their FI should be well studied to ensure the realization of their full genetic potential. Pellets consist of ground feed that has been compressed and molded in a pellet mill. Pelleting binds the individual ingredients together to make a whole feed and prevents selective feeding therefore ensuring that all the animals are given well balanced diets. Mash is the nutritionally complete poultry diet in a ground form. The quality of the mash is assessed by the size and uniformity of its particles. Feeding broilers on mash diets have positive effect on gizzard development than feeding pelleted diets by increasing the relative weight. There is proper stimulation by the feed ensuring the optimum function of the gizzard when mash diets are fed. Birds fed pelleted diets have lower length and weight of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum and caeca than those fed mash diets but the villus height and crypt depth of birds fed pelleted diets are higher compared with those fed mash diet. The microbiota composition promotes healthy immune system and growth.


For sustainable development, the extent to which state-owned enterprises adhere to the fundamental values of good corporate governance is an important factor necessary to attract investment capital, encourage growth and economic stability. Zimbabwe has been saddled with the challenges of fashioning an environment which is investor-friendly, hence the need for public entities to be exemplary in good corporate governance. Highly publicized scandals that have shaken state-owned enterprises have been ascribed to deficits in corporate governance this study employs a qualitative approach through a descriptive-document philosophical analysis to examine the challenges in Zimbabwe's strategic management for sustainable development. The corporate governance theories informing the study are the agency theory, stewardship theory, stakeholder theory and the transaction cost economics theory. The analysis is subdivided into themes which focus on the need for a human resources paradigm shift, management finesse and the continuum of culpability. The study reveals that the current corporate governance practice has not effectively improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the public entities. This is a result of corruption, inconsistencies, lack of commitment and absence of the rule of law and above all, excessive political interference. The study interrogates the ethical matters stemming out from such challenges to establish if the malpractices have been some form of complicity or an underestimation of the effect of good corporate governance in the public sector. Corruption has been institutionalized with cases of impunity on the rise. Issues of governance that countervail the sustainability and risk nexus are depicted. It is commendable that efforts are being made to entrench corporate governance in the public sector although positive results are yet to be realized. It is recommended that a rules-based approached should be adopted and that political interventions should be minimized. Human resources departments in state-owned entities and parastatals are encouraged to provide expert advice on good corporate governance and shy away from being complicit to bad governance.


INTRODUCTION
Hypercholesterolemia is one of the most relevant risk factors in cardiovascular disease, where use of plant sterols one strategy evident.

AIM
To determine the effectiveness of a rich in phytosterols for reducing markers of cardiovascular disease in young adult population milk.

METHODS
A randomized, clinical controlled trial, double-blind crossover study. Sterols (2.24 g per day) were ingested through commercial milk, with two phases and three weeks respectively separated by a washout period of 2 weeks, for those subjects during the "milk of study", and the same amount of skim milk, sterols, for placebo. At the beginning and end of each phase blood draws were performed.. Lipid profile, hematology, inflammation, etc; anthropometric data, health habits and blood laboratory markers were collected.

RESULTS
Nineteen people completed the study of 34.68 years (± 6.91). Difference between baseline and final scores were 19.47 (± 29.10) mg/dl, 24.47 (± 30.68) mg/dl, 14.36 (± 44.16) mg/dl for LDL-cholesterol, total Cholesterol and Triglycerides, respectively. Without considerable changes in HDLc. There are significant differences between placebo and milk with sterols for LDL (p=0.009) and total Cholesterol (p=0.003).

CONCLUSIONS
Sterols supplied in a functional food, such as milk, can be a strategy for non- pharmacological treatment of hypercholesterolemia and therefore a tool for cardiovascular risk reduction globally.


The differential impact of young age and female gender on transradial access (TRA) outcomes remains to be confirmed. The primary objective was to assess the impact of young age and female gender on in-hospital net adverse cardiovascular events (NACE). Among 12 346 patients from the Coronary Angiogram Database of South Australia (CADOSA) Registry, the impact of gender; men (transfemoral access [TFA] 1995, TRA 6168) and women (TFA 1249, TRA 2934), and a median split of age, ≤63 years (TFA 1617, TRA 4727) and >63 years (TFA 1627, TRA 4375) were analyzed on in-hospital outcomes by creating 5 separate propensity-matched cohorts (entire cohort, men, women, ≤63 and > 63 years). Net adverse cardiovascular event reduction with TRA was limited to the >63 years old cohort (odds ratio [OR] = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.34-0.93, P = .02) and women (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.18-0.76, P = .007). In both the age groups and genders, TRA was associated with a lower risk of bleeding and all-cause mortality. On multivariate logistic regression, TRA was associated with a significant reduction in NACE, major bleeding, and mortality in the overall cohort. In conclusion, a reduction in bleeding and mortality was noted with TRA in all the subgroups in this observational study.


Under French colonization, large colonial cities inevitably became tourist destinations. Colonial guidebooks recommended them for their botanical gardens, their theaters, and their "native quarters." They were used as showcases for French Overseas Territories, but we may wonder if they really had a tourist function and if they became tourist metropolises. What part did they play, and what influence did they have on the tourist sector of a colony? This is what this article seeks to examine by conducting a case study of Saigon between 1898 and 1939. Besides evaluating the tourist function of Saigon, this study proposes ways of analyzing the relationship between colonizers and colonized in terms of tourism, using French and even European tourists as an indicator of this relationship.


This paper reports on an investigation of the emotional adjustment by children and their parents to paediatric hospital admission for planned ear, nose and throat surgery. It discusses the first phase of that adjustment and the importance of the initial clinic consultation in shaping subsequent coping. The study developed directly from clinical practice and the findings are expected to feed back into practice. The assessment of an experimental approach to preparation, which tests the efficacy of a fresh appraisal of the way in which children and their parents are prepared for this elective surgery, is studied. While there are important findings that relate to all three phases of the experience, that is, the pre-admission, in-hospital and post-hospital adjustment phases, the impact of the initial clinic consultation alone is discussed in relation to the implications for practice arising from the study.


This study was conducted to explore the relationship between Internet self-efficacy and preferences toward constructivist Internet-based learning environments. The sample included 365 college students in Taiwan who all majored in early childhood care and pre-school education. Some of them were preservice pre-school teachers (n=185), and the rest of them were inservice pre-school teachers who pursued a degree for childhood care (n=180). Through analyzing student questionnaire responses, the findings revealed that general Internet self-efficacy might foster the preferences of constructivist Internet-based learning environments. In other words, when widely implementing constructivist Internet-based learning environments, a prerequisite may be the condition that the learners should have adequate general Internet self-efficacy. By using structural equation model (SEM), this study further investigated the causal relations among the variables considered in this study. The SEM analysis showed that students with higher general Internet self-efficacy clearly showed more preferences toward Internet learning environments where they can use with ease, explore real-life problems, display multiple sources of information, conduct open-ended inquiry learning activities, and elaborate the nature of knowledge. However, students with higher communicative Internet self-efficacy tended to display relatively less preferences for inquiry learning on the Internet.


We have developed and
studied a novel high-strength glass-ionomer cement system composed of
poly(acrylic acid) with different molecular architectures. These poly(acrylic
acid) polymers were synthesized via ATRP technique. The effects of arm number
and branching on reaction kinetics, viscosity, and mechanical strengths of the
formed polymers and cements were evaluated. The results showed that unlike the
star-shaped polymer synthesis both hyperbranched and star-hyperbranched polymers syntheses proceed slowly at the
early stage but accelerate at the later stage. The higher the arm number and
initiator concentration are, the faster the ATRP
reaction was. It was also found that the higher the arm number and branching
that the polymer had, the lower the viscosity of the polymer aqueous solution is and the lower the mechanical strengths of the formed
cement are. The mechanical
strengths of three synthesized polymers-composed experimental cements were very
similar to each other but much higher than those of Fuji II LC. The
experimental cements were 31% - 53%
in CS, 37% - 55%
in compressive modulus, 80% - 126%
in DTS, 76% - 94% in FS, 4% - 21% in FT and 53% - 96% in KHN higher than
Fuji II LC. For wear test, the experimental cements were only 5.4% - 13% of abrasive and 6.4% - 12% of attritional wear
depths of Fuji II LC in each wear cycle. The one-month aging study also showed that
all the experimental cements increased their CS continuously during 30 days,
unlike Fuji II LC.


We present an approach to quantify and compare the privacy-accuracy trade-off for differentially private Variational Autoencoders. Our work complements previous work in two aspects. First, we evaluate the the strong reconstruction MI attack against Variational Autoencoders under differential privacy. Second, we address the data scientist's challenge of setting privacy parameter (cid:15) , which steers the differential privacy strength and thus also the privacy-accuracy trade-off. In our experimental study we consider image and time series data, and three local and central differential privacy mechanisms. We find that the privacy-accuracy trade-offs strongly depend on the dataset and model architecture. We do rarely observe favorable privacy-accuracy trade-off for Variational Autoencoders, and identify a case where LDP outperforms CDP. Privacy.


Two kinds of ZnO nanowires with different morphologies and characters were produced on Si (100) using a new PVD approach by heating and oxidizing Zn powders directly without any catalysts. The nanowires have an average diameter of 80nm (deposited at the evaporation source) and 30nm (deposited downstream of the evaporation source) respectively, and are evenly distributed over an area of > 20mm2. The two nanowires have complete different photoluminescence properties. One has a strong green emission (510nm) with a weak UV emission (380nm). The other has a strong and sharp UV emission (385nm), showing the capability for UV laser emitters.


The urban–rural fringe is a dynamic environment where urban expansion limits the provision of landscape services. Economic valuation of these services is proposed to quantify the impact of urbanisation and inform planners of the potential losses that attribute to these land-use changes. However, most evaluation methods remain controversial regarding shortcomings in providing reliable results. This study applies market price, contingent valuation and value transfer methods and compares their performance in assessing the economic impact of land-use changes on the urban–rural fringe of the Amstelland (the Netherlands). Results with these applied methods differ greatly due to their respective advantages in revealing use values or non-use values of landscape services and dependence on land-use change. Thus, results are sensitive to value types, the scarcity of landscape services, scale of the study area, and involved stakeholders. This paper reflects on the strengths and weaknesses of these methods in different planning contexts.


Settling cases poses a challenging task for the mediator. Most disputes are hotly contested by both parties or they would not have progressed to the point of entering the court arena or mediation. Yet, despite differences in the nature of their cases, the organization of each program we have studied, and the style of mediation predominating in each, striking similarities exist in the techniques used by the mediators to settle cases. Observation of over 40 different mediators in 175 mediation sessions in three programs suggests that in order to do the job which they are charged with accomplishing—bringing mediation cases to settlement—mediators develop a repertoire of strategies employing a variety of sources of power. Mediator strategies fall into four principal categories: presentation of self and the program, control of the process of mediation, control of the substantive issues in mediation, and activation of commitments and norms. Mediators empower themselves by claiming authority for themselves, their task, or the program based upon values external to the immediate situation, or manipulate the immediate situation so that settlement is more rather than less likely. Based upon their differential use of these strategies, mediator styles fall along a continuum between two types: bargaining and therapy. Mediation seems to range between a bargaining process conducted in the shadow of the court to a communication process which resembles therapy in its focus upon exploring and enunciating feelings.


Recently, the flexible spin-lock model (FSLM) has been introduced, unifying spin-based and suspension-based resource sharing protocols for real-time multi-core platforms. Unlike the multiprocessor stack resource policy (MSRP), FSLM doesn't allow tasks on a core to share a single stack, however. In this paper, we present a hypothesis claiming that for a restricted range of spin-lock priorities, FSLM requires only two stacks. We briefly describe our implementation of a dual stack for FSLM in the Erika Enterprise RTOS as instantiated on an Altera Nios II platform using 4 soft-core processors.


A W-band gyrotron traveling wave amplifier (gyro-TWA) with helically corrugated waveguide and cusp electron gun is presented. The beam-wave interaction, based on the cyclotron resonance maser instability, is driven by a 40 keV, 1.5 A axis-encircling electron beam generated by the cusp electron gun. Numerical simulations predict a maximum output of 5–10 kW (CW) with a 3 dB frequency bandwidth of 90–100 GHz and a saturated gain of 40 dB. Linear analysis and numerical simulation of the performance characteristics of the amplifier will be presented as well as the latest experiment measurements.


Estimates of surface energies of powders can be obtained by use of contact angle data, or by use of thermodynamic parameters (e.g. calorimetric determinations). In this review, the applications of surface energy data are considered in both a pragmatic manner, which could be applied directly to the formulation and production environment, and also in a manner that could aid fundamental research into both the understanding of mechanisms by which wetting is achieved and the ways in which wetting contributes to processes such as dissolution. 'I'he approaches, which are introduced and considered, centre around spreading coefficients and compensation analysis.


The focus of this thesis is the development of novel materials based upon a self-assembled array of highly charged, monodisperse colloidal particles, called a crystalline colloidal array (CCA). We have developed a method to permanently lock the order of the CCA by embedding the CCA into a polymer network (PCCA). The polymer around the CCA can be functionalized with some recognition element, making these materials useful as optical sensors. This thesis describes a novel method for functionalizing PCCAs. We have successfully incorporated crown ethers and enzymes into PCCAs. The described method opens up the possibility of easy attachment of molecules containing amine, thiol and hydroxyl groups to PCCAs. The work includes incorporation of glycidyl methacrylate to the hydrogel network, and reacting the epoxide groups to develop sensing materials.This thesis also describes the fabrication of a new photochemically controlled PCCA. This photoswitchable device shows a photoreversible shift in diffracted light, and acts as a novel recordable and erasable memory device. The photoresponsive PCCA was created by functionalizing a PCCA with an azobenzene-type molecule. Gradual red-shifting of the diffraction peak upon UV illumination is accompanied by a decrease in p->p* absorption, and an increase in n->p* absorption, due to the trans->cis isomerization of azobenzene. Excitation with visible light results in the reverse cis->trans isomerization and a diffraction peak blue-shift to the original position. Information can be written using UV light and stored until visible light is used for erasing. An additional route for developing a photoresponsive PCCA is to introduce photochemical crosslinks inside the hydrogel network around the CCA. For this purpose we have used azophenyl-p-N,N'-dimaleimide. In contrast to the previously described photoresponsive PCCA, in which the hydrogel volume increases under UV irradiation, the azobenzene-crosslinked PCCA's volume decreases under UV light. Both systems are controlled by free energy of mixing.Different photochemically responsive PCCAs were created using a spiropyran derivative and different methods of attachment. These photochromic films are able to respond to UV and visible light by shifting the diffracted wavelength from the photosensitive film. The photochromic systems based on azobenzene and spiropyran described in this work could find wide technological applications in the future.


An organism isolated from soil and identified as Arthrobacter sp. was studied for its squalene degradation. The degradation product from squalene, which accumulated in the culture broth, was isolated and identified as trans-geranylacetone by mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, infrared spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Addition of a high concentration of K2HPO4 to the culture medium resulted in accumulation of fairly large amounts of carboxylic acids in addition to geranylacetone. These carboxylic acids were identified as isovaleric, β,β′-dimethylacrylic, geranic, and (+)-(R)-citronellic acids. Among these acids, α,β-saturated carboxylic acids were found to be predominant in quantity.


Luxury consumption and the desire for luxury are well-accepted phenomena. Myriad studies have documented the pervasiveness of the luxury market in the West and the high growth and strong potential of Asian luxury markets. It is also evident that as resources have grown in a region, luxury consumption and the desire for luxury products have followed. Nevertheless, the need for more farreaching studies that explore emerging markets are important to understand the differences in how luxury may penetrate these markets, given variations in resources and culture. This paper investigates a number of factors that may contribute to the emergence of new luxury markets. Specifically, the authors focus on the psychology of luxury consumption in the post-revolution Tunisian market. In particular, this research attempts to understand the psychology behind the consumption of luxury items in Tunisia and provide managerial insights into strategies for entry into such emerging markets. The empirical data was collected using online surveys of participants from French-speaking Tunisia. Overall, this analysis of the Tunisian market for branded products and services informs international luxury managers in developing their strategies to penetrate emerging markets. Besides the managerial insights that the results provide, the hypotheses tested in this paper relating luxury consumption to the variables of age, income, and education within the framework of national culture are important contributions from the theoretical standpoint.


Due to involvement in changing of chromatin structure, histone modifications are very important in regulation for gene expression. Some attempts have been done to resolve the relationship among histone modifications and gene expression. In this study, four types of Bayeasian network methods, Maximum weight spanning tree (MWST), K2, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and greedy-search(GS), are used to study causal relationships. On a same dataset, the four methods resulted in different characteristics in causal relationships. MWST and MCMC were fast, but they did not give complete results, and MCMC were not stable. The initial networks had an influence on K2 and GS. In our test, GS could find some relationships that is supported by experiments.


This work presents a relativistic calculation of electron delocalization, optical properties, and zero field splitting in a group of molecules with the structure (C(8)H(8))M(μ(2)-,η(8)═C(8)H(8))M(C(8)H(8)), where M = Ti, Zr and Th. Additionally we also studied the heterobimetallic combinations (Ti-Th and Zr-Th). The molecular properties are discussed based on their electronic structure and the influence of the electron mobility in metal-metal communication. Nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) was determined via the gauge-including-atomic-orbital (GIAO) method with the OPBE functional. The time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) was employed to calculate excitation energies, and the electronic transitions over 500 nm are presented with the objective to analyze the transition metal role as an antenna effect in the absorption band in the near-IR region. Finally the ZFS was calculated using Pederson-Khana and coupled perturbed DFT approaches implemented in the ORCA code. The contributions to spin-spin coupling (SS) and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) were analyzed, and the spin-density over the metal centers is discussed employing our scheme of metal-metal communication. Our aim is to determine the influence of the electronic structure over the optical and magnetic properties in a group of model compounds to understand the transition metals effect over these properties.


Background—The Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) and the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) are the two most widely used quality of life questionnaires in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A study was undertaken to compare directly the selfadministered version of the CRQ and the SGRQ with respect to feasibility, internal consistency, validity, and sensitivity to changes resulting from bronchodilator therapy. Methods—One hundred and forty four patients with moderate or severe COPD were randomly assigned to receive three months of treatment with either salmeterol, salmeterol + ipratropium bromide, or placebo. Quality of life was measured at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. Results—The proportions of missing values per patient were low for both questionnaires (0.54% for the CRQ and 2% for the SGRQ). The internal consistency was good for both questionnaires (Cronbach's á coeYcients >0.84 for the CRQ and >0.76 for the SGRQ). Factor analysis confirmed the original domain structure of the CRQ but not of the SGRQ. Correlations with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) % predicted and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were low for both questionnaires but better for the SGRQ than for the CRQ. The ability to discriminate between subjects with diVerent levels of FEV1 was somewhat better for the SGRQ. The correlations with symptom scores were comparable for both questionnaires. Cross sectionally, the scores of the two questionnaires were moderately to highly correlated (coeYcients ranged from 0.35 to 0.72). Longitudinally, these correlations were lower (coeYcients ranged from 0.17 to 0.54) but were still significant. The CRQ total and emotions score and the SGRQ symptoms score were the most responsive to change. The SGRQ symptoms domain was the only domain where the improvement in patients receiving combination treatment crossed the threshold for clinical relevance. Conclusions—Since this analysis of reliability, validity, and responsiveness to change did not clearly favour one instrument above the other, the choice between the CRQ and the SGRQ can be based on other considerations such as the required sample size or the availability of reference values. (Thorax 1999;54:995–1003)


In this manuscript we present the new friendly seismic tomography software based on joint inversion of active and passive seismic sources called PARTOS (Passive Active Ray TOmography Software). This code has been developed on the base of two well-known widely used tomographic algorithms (LOTOS and ATOM-3D), providing a robust set of algorithms. The dataset used to set and test the program has been provided by TOMO-ETNA experiment. TOMO-ETNA database is a large, high-quality dataset that includes active and passive seismic sources recorded during a period of 4 months in 2014. We performed a series of synthetic tests in order to estimate the resolution and robustness of the solutions. Real data inversion has been carried out using 3 different subsets: i) active data; ii) passive data; and iii) joint dataset. Active database is composed by a total of 16,950 air-gun shots during 1 month and passive database includes 452 local and regional earthquakes recorded during 4 months. This large dataset provides a high ray density within the study region. The combination of active and passive seismic data, together with the high quality of the database, permits to obtain a new tomographic approach of the region under study never done before. An additional user-guide of PARTOS software is provided in order to facilitate the implementation for new users.


The Distributed Software Development involves various challenges, many of which are related to the lack of trust experienced by team members since they often do not know each other personally. Other problems which are already considered to be classic are related to communication, coordination and collaboration. Bearing in mind that providing information about co-workers may increase both the team spirit and the team members' confidence in each other, we have carried out surveys to discover what information might be useful in attaining this objective, and to reduce those problems related to the three 'c's. The results of the questionnaires have been analyzed from different points of view, first by differentiating the respondents' roles and then by analyzing their specific use in communication, coordination and control activities. The results of this analysis have allowed us to obtain the requirements needed to design a tool with which to support global software development. The implementation of this tool is also described in this paper.


Blunt body trauma, due to a heavy impact or blow, has the potential to cause catastrophic injury in a broad range of professions and workplace environments. At particular risk are those who work in areas such as the military, the engineering and construction industries, contact sports (such as American football or rugby) or indeed any other area where an individual has the potential to come into physical contact with other moving objects. Unlike other occupations, the primary cause of blunt trauma in the military is associated with high impact kinetic energies transferred onto the body through the deformation and displacement of body armour. To date, the effects of behind armour blunt trauma (BABT) are counteracted by materials known as Trauma Attenuating Backings (TABs), which have the ability to dissipate and redistributed the impact energy. Unlike currently available TABs that utilise conventional materials, this thesis explores the feasibility of reducing the effects of BABT through the employment of auxetic foams. In contrast to conventional materials, auxetics exhibit a negative Poisson's ratio when subjected to both tensile and compressive loading, whilst also exhibiting a range of enhanced mechanical properties. Utilising the well-established three-step auxetic foam fabrication process, the influence of fabrication parameters with key focus on Poisson's ratio and energy absorption have been explored. Auxetic foams were produced for a number of fabrication parameter combinations, where heating time and volumetric compression ratio were identified to be codependentin determining Poisson's ratio and energy absorption behaviour. While many individual samples demonstrated a negative Poisson's ratio with enhanced energy absorption, due to the presence of defective and/or damaged cellular structures throughout the foam structures, large variability and little sample repeatability were shown to exist between samples produced from the same combination of fabrication parameters. A novel 3D printing approach was then developed to produce two types of repeatable pliable polymeric foam structures (re-entrant and honeycomb, auxetic and conventional, respectively) where the majority of geometric features have a dimensional error between 0.5% - 5.0% and exhibited negative Poisson's ratios under both tensile and compressive loading. Interestingly under direct impact conditions (7.2J of impact energy under freefall) no discernible difference regarding energy absorption was shown between the auxetic and conventional systems. However, when considered with respect to the peak force, the auxetic systems exhibited a lower overall mean peak force by a factor of two. Whilst the auxetic system significantly reduced the transmitted peak force but maintained similar energy absorption when compared to the conventional system, it was difficult to surmise whether or not the auxetic system performed better than the conventional system. However, with respect to the quasi-static testing (where the auxetics exhibited a greater energy absorption per unit volume due to both systems having an approximately same relative density), for a like-for-like weight basis the auxetic foams absorb more energy than their conventional counterparts due to their structure and not just because of the increase in relative density that the classic auxetic fabrication process instils. Therefore, it may be concluded that auxetics are potentially suitable for the application as a trauma attenuating backing material as they demonstrated that they satisfy the two key requirements that TAB materials must possess: the ability to absorb energy and reduce the transferable force. However, due to a current lack of understanding on the effects governing BABT, particularly in the area of mechanical and biophysical interactions that take place, it is important that more rigorous testing is undertaken to explore other effects, including pressure wave propagation, ergonomics and replicating in-field conditions before committing auxetic foams to a TAB application.


Background—This study evaluated the prehospital factors associated with better health-related quality of life for survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Methods and Results—This prospective, 20-community, cohort study involved consecutive, adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients who survived to 1 year. Patients were contacted by telephone and evaluated for the Health Utilities Index Mark III (HUI3), which describes health as a utility score on a scale from 0 (dead) to 1.0 (perfect health). The 8091 cardiac arrest patients had overall survival rates of 5.2% to hospital discharge and 4.0% to 1 year. We successfully contacted and evaluated 268 of 316 (84.8%) of known 1-year survivors. The median HUI3 score was 0.80 (interquartile range, 0.50 to 0.97), which compares well with age-adjusted values for the general population (0.83). Logistic regression identified 2 factors independently associated with very good quality of life (HUI3 >0.90) and their odds ratios (95% CIs), as follows: age 80 years or older, 0.3 (0.1 to 0.84), and citizen-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 2.0 (1.2 to 3.4) (Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic, 0.74). Conclusions—This study is the largest ever conducted for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors, clearly shows that these patients have good quality of life, and is the first to demonstrate that citizen-initiated CPR is strongly and independently associated with better quality of life. These results emphasize the importance of optimizing community citizen CPR readiness. Given the low rate of citizen-initiated CPR in many communities, we believe that local and national initiatives should vigorously promote the practice of bystander CPR.


Wind has always had a strong influence, both unfavorable and favorable, upon man and his activities. Within the last decade needs for treatment of wind effects from an engineering point-of-view have increased tremendously. Losses due to wind ($500,000,000 in property damage, 240 deaths and 2600 injuries annually), increased demand and concern for human comfort, serious attempts to control air pollution, and the development and expansion of energy-production capabilities have resulted in applications of engineering to problems for which a body of knowledge has only started to emerge in the United States. The primary elements of this body of knowledge are found in the disciplines of meteorology, fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, and structural mechanics—organizing this knowledge to form a coherent subject-matter base for wind engineering is a real challenge for fluids engineers. The objectives of this review are to establish an initial subject-matter base for wind engineering, to demonstrate current capabilities and deficiencies of this base for an engineering treatment of wind-effect problems, and to indicate areas of research needed to broaden and strengthen the subject-matter base. Focusing of subject matter for wind engineering is accomplished through a historical summary of relevant scientific and technological material, an examination of information on wind characteristics, and a review of current capabilities for physical modeling of winds and wind effects in the laboratory. Current methods and capabilities in wind engineering are demonstrated by a review of problems related to atmospheric advection and dispersion of air pollutants, wind forces on buildings and structures, and control of winds. Research needs are specified separately for each area reviewed -wind characteristics, simulation of the wind, atmospheric transport of air pollutants, wind forces, and wind control. Physical modeling of boundary-layer-type winds and wind effects by measurements on small-scale models placed in long-test-section, meteorological wind tunnels currently provides the most reliable source of data for wind engineering. Coordinated measurements on full-scale systems and their small-scale models are necessary for continued confirmation of similarity for the laboratory data and for development of new modeling capabilities. In particular, development of a tornado simulator is an urgent need to support structural design for nuclear-power-plant facilities. Intensive analytical investigations of three-dimensional, thermally-stratified, turbulent boundary layers; separation of turbulent, unsteady flows; turbulent shear flow over bluff bodies; and interacting turbulent flows with a variety of turbulence characteristics are needed to ensure future progress in wind engineering. These investigations are needed to provide a framework for correlation of both laboratory and full-scale data, to support efforts to develop numerical modeling as a practical tool, and to develop a better understanding of the physical processes involved. These flow problems represent formidable frontiers of turbulent fluid motion. Therefore, investigations in the fluid-mechanics laboratory coupled with measurements on full-scale systems are expected to be the primary sources of information for wind engineering in the immediate future.


Competition and Yield Optimization in Ad Exchanges Santiago R. Balseiro Ad Exchanges are emerging Internet markets where advertisers may purchase display ad placements, in real-time and based on specific viewer information, directly from publishers via a simple auction mechanism. The presence of such channels presents a host of new strategic and tactical questions for publishers. How should the supply of impressions be divided between bilateral contracts and exchanges? How should auctions be designed to maximize profits? What is the role of user information and to what extent should it be disclosed? In this thesis, we develop a novel framework to address some of these questions. We first study how publishers should allocate their inventory in the presence of these new markets when traditional reservation-based ad contracts are available. We then study the competitive landscape that arises in Ad Exchanges and the implications for publishers' decisions. Traditionally, an advertiser would buy display ad placements by negotiating deals directly with a publisher, and signing an agreement, called a guaranteed contract. These deals usually take the form of a specific number of ad impressions reserved over a particular time horizon. In light of the growing market of Ad Exchanges, publishers face new challenges in choosing between the allocation of contract-based reservation ads and spot market ads. In this setting, the publisher should take into account the tradeoff between short-term revenue from an Ad Exchange and the long-term impact of assigning high quality impressions to the reservations (typically measured by the click-through rate). In the first part of this thesis, we formalize this combined optimization problem as a stochastic control problem and derive an efficient policy for online ad allocation in settings with general joint distribution over placement quality and exchange bids, where the exchange bids are assumed to be exogenous and independent of the decisions of the publishers. We prove asymptotic optimality of this policy in terms of any arbitrary trade-off between quality of delivered reservation ads and revenue from the exchange, and provide a bound for its convergence rate to the optimal policy. We also give experimental results on data derived from real publisher inventory, showing that our policy can achieve any Pareto-optimal point on the quality vs. revenue curve. In the second part of this thesis, we relax the assumption of exogenous bids in the Ad Exchange and study in more detail the competitive landscape that arises in Ad Exchanges and the implications for publishers' decisions. Typically, advertisers join these markets with a prespecified budget and participate in multiple second-price auctions over the length of a campaign. We introduce the novel notion of a Fluid Mean Field Equilibrium (FMFE) to study the dynamic bidding strategies of budget-constrained advertisers in these repeated auctions. This concept is based on a mean field approximation to relax the advertisers' informational requirements, together with a fluid approximation to handle the complex dynamics of the advertisers' control problems. Notably, we are able to derive a closed-form characterization of FMFE, which we use to study the auction design problem from the publisher's perspective focusing on three design decisions: (1) the reserve price; (2) the supply of impressions to the Exchange versus an alternative channel such as bilateral contracts; and (3) the disclosure of viewers' information. Our results provide novel insights with regard to key auction design decisions that publishers face in these markets. In the third part of this thesis, we justify the use of the FMFE as an equilibrium concept in this setting by proving that the FMFE provides a good approximation to the rational behavior of agents in large markets. To do so, we consider a sequence of scaled systems with increasing market "size". In this regime we show that, when all advertisers implement the FMFE strategy, the relative profit obtained from any unilateral deviation that keeps track of all available information in the market becomes negligible as the scale of the market increases. Hence, a FMFE strategy indeed becomes a best response in large markets.


'Progress'. A comforting and familiar term. 'Progress', it seems, speaks to us all. Yet those who have endeavoured to offer a more precise definition have tended to find their quest frustrating. Does 'progress' represent a provisional outcome of human agency or the relentless work of structure? Is it essentially a matter of faith or fundamentally a matter of fact? Demonstrably rooted in classical antiquity or irredeemably modern? By adopting a discursive framework informed by post-structural understandings of power/knowledge, this dissertation will not even attempt to supply such answers; it will, however, somewhat alter the questions. Rather than enquiring into what 'progress', understood ideationally, actually is, it will undertake instead to ask what 'progress', understood as discursive practice, actually does. The specific site in which such discursive workings will be examined is furnished by colonial and contemporary texts on international trusteeship. In colonial and recent work which advocates (the revival) of trusteeship, it will be argued that deployment of such a discourse does not produce a consensus on the meaning of 'progress' but does instead produce the regular effect of a discursive space constitutive of subjectivities defined as anachronistic. The consequences of such a production are, it will be argued, profoundly depoliticising. Pluralist international society texts seeking to counter contemporary proposals for trusteeship affirm the enduring value of sovereignty and pluralist, anti-paternalist norms. Although such texts offer a counternarrative which significantly differs from that proposed by trusteeship advocates, they nevertheless deploy a similar discourse on 'progress' which, whilst resulting in alternative policy recommendations, does not escape the depoliticising effects identified previously. By emphasising a view of 'progress' as discursive practice, this dissertation will conclude by arguing for a sensitivity to the (sometimes undesirable, always political) effects such a discourse produces.


Background: Disruption of sleep duration or circadian rhythms has been associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Studies have suggested that circadian genes may be involved in regulating cancer-related pathways, such as cell proliferation, DNA damage response and apoptosis. As such, we hypothesized that genetic susceptibility to prostate cancer may be in part due to common variation in the core circadian rhythm genes. We assessed the association of genetic variation in core circadian rhythm genes with risk of prostate cancer and with urinary levels of melatonin among men in the prospective Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES)-Reykjavik study. Methods: The study population was 1,352 men in the AGES-Reykjavik cohort with data from a previous genome wide association study. We examined 96 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across twelve genes chosen to represent common variation in genes that control the circadian rhythm (CLOCK, neuronal PAS domain protein 2 (NPAS2), aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like (ARNTL), cryptochrome 1(CRY1), cryptochrome 2 (CRY2), period 1 (PER1), period 2 (PER2), period 3 (PER3), casein kinase 1-epsilon (CSNK1E)), two melatonin receptor genes (MTNR1A and MTNR1B), and the Timeless (TIM) gene. Melatonin levels were determined from first morning void urine samples using an ELISA assay. Prostate cancer (N = 138) was identified from hospital records using ICD codes; death from prostate cancer (N = 24) was determined from nationwide death records. We used unconditional logistic regression to evaluate the association between each SNP and overall and lethal prostate cancer. Linear regression was used to assess the association between each SNP and log-transformed melatonin levels. Finally, to test whether multimarker SNP-sets in the pathway were associated with prostate cancer or melatonin levels, we used a kernel machine test. Results: None of the 96 SNPs evaluated were significantly associated with prostate cancer overall. The variant allele in two SNPs in CRY1 (rs7297614 and rs1921126) and one in PER1 (rs2289591) were nominally (p-value <0.05 without adjusting for multiple testing) associated with an elevated risk of lethal prostate cancer, while SNPs in NPAS2 (rs3754674), ARNTL (rs969485) and PER2 (rs10462023) were nominally associated with a reduced risk of lethal disease. Among men without cancer, 4 SNPs in TIM and 6 in NPAS2 were nominally associated with lower levels of urinary melatonin; 2 SNPs in PER3 and 1 in CSNK1E were associated with higher levels of urinary melatonin. Pathway analyses showed that variability across the individual genes CRY1 and PER2 were nominally associated with lethal prostate cancer (p-value 0.01 and 0.05, respectively). For melatonin levels, the set of SNPs across all 12 genes and TIM was nominally associated with urinary melatonin levels (p-value 0.05 and 0.02, respectively). Conclusion: Variation in circadian genes, such as PER1, CRY1, and CRY2, has been previously associated with increased prostate cancer risk; variation in NPAS2 has been associated with reduced prostate cancer risk. Similar to previously reported literature, we observed several suggestive associations between variation in genes that regulate the circadian rhythm and lethal prostate cancer risk as well as urinary melatonin levels. Our findings provide further support for a role of circadian disruption in prostate cancer progression. Citation Format: Sarah Coseo Markt, Unnur A. Valdimarsdottir, Lara G. Sigurdardottir, Irene M. Shui, Jennifer R. Rider, Julie L. Kasperzyk, Steven W. Lockley, Charles A. Czeisler, Meir J. Stampfer, Thor Aspelund, Albert Vernon Smith, Vilmundur Gudnason, Lorelei A. Mucci. Variation in circadian rhythm genes and risk of prostate cancer in the AGES-Reykjavik cohort. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B90.


Solar chimneys are popular systems for their simple structures and clean energy generation. Thanks to its semi-permeable structure, the collector, one of the system's basic elements, transfers solar radiation to the system. As a result of the heating of the system air under the collector by the solar radiation passing through the collector, it is directed to the high chimney in the collector centre. During the upward movement of the system air, it converts its energy into electricity via a turbine. Due to its large structure, estimating the amount of energy entering the collector system creates a great cost. The ideal size for the collector is therefore important. This study offers a recommendation for the ideal collector size for the pilot plant in Manzanares in terms of collector size and power output. While 59 kW power output is obtained with the system with a collector radius of 122 m in the reference case, it is observed that the power output increases by 78% when the collector radius is increased to 170 m and the collector area is doubled. The ratio of the ideal collector radius to the reference size for the pilot plant should be in the range of 1–1.5.


Silk industry in Assam, India is centered at Saulkuchi, Kamrup district. Silk is the protein fiber produced by silkworm for spinning the cocoon. Assam produces three indigenous varieties of silk - Muga, Pat and Eri. The objective of our study is to prescribe a conceptual model using the concepts of distributed economics and sustainability to preserve the unique culture of the area which is diminishing due to lack of the product's demand. The contextual inquiry was carried out for various stakeholders of Assam silk industry at Saulkuchi - cocoon cultivator, weaver and shopkeeper with an objective to understand the channel of material from raw material to the final product, to understand how they use different tools to perform their tasks and to understand their networking among various stakeholders involved in silk handloom sector. Their responses were analyzed and the stakeholder's goals, needs and frustrations were identified using AEIOU and empathy mapping. The major frustration of the stakeholders was the decrease in the demand for their products due to the growth of power loom and not able to reach the elite target population. The prescriptions for a village tourism and an e-commerce platform for selling silk handloom fabrics to targeted buyers was built on the concepts of distributed economics and three pillars of sustainability - environment, economic and social. Keywords: Silk, Assam, Distributed Economics, Sustainability, Tourism, E-commerce, Small-scale production units


The least-squares method for optical correction, described in a previous paper is here modified slightly. An "unsophisticated" bending is used, and this permits the use of lens separations as variables. Two applications of the least-squares procedure lead to a good simultaneous correction in all four pencils used.


Morning report is an integral component of medical training programs. It is conducted as "evi- dence based" or "problem based". It takes an efficient time of all members of the medical team in teaching hos- pitals, it seems necessary to evaluate its role in the education. Because of the importance of morning report in education, we evaluated the current and ideal conditions of morning report according to the opinions of medical teams in teaching children's hospitals. Methods: A cross- sectional descriptive study conducted in three children's teaching hospitals in Tehran in 2005. The opinion and perception of 358 participants, including faculties, residents, fellows, interns, and medi- cal students, were collected by a questionnaire regarding the importance and structure of morning report. The data were presented as frequency and percentage. Results: 78% of respondents expected a high educational role for morning report. Although 317(88.54%) had a regular attendance in morning report, only 34.1% were satisfied from current condition. The majority believed that faculty had better to lead the sessions, and voted for case presentation to be selected by senior resident on call, despite the prominent current leadership of the faculty. Most of the participants (88.6%) preferred compli- cated and unusual cases for presentation. Current morning reports predominantly based on the presentation of the interesting or complicated cases were admitted on the previous day. A few number of cases were reintroduced after achieving the final diagnosis. In addition out-patients and those under observation in emergency room were usually ignored in the meetings. Conclusion: Regarding the educational role of morning report, there is a far distance between the present and ideal condition. Unattractiveness of presentations and poor participation in discussion might have negative im- pact on achieving the goals.


The U.S. Department of Labor's new fiduciary rule will significantly affect U.S.-based financial advisors that provide guidance on individual retirement account (IRA) rollovers. The new rule requires all advisors to act as fiduciaries when making recommendations and/or giving advice on defined contribution (DC) plans or IRAs—including recommendations for a rollover or a distribution. There is little research on what determines whether a rollover is in the best interests of an investor. This article briefly outlines a framework to make this decision, with a focus on the potential decision to roll retirement savings into an IRA managed by a financial advisor. Fees, the quality and scope of investments offered, and the quality and scope of services being provided (e.g., financial planning), as well as other unique considerations should all be considered. The authors suggest that the potential benefits of rolling funds out of a DC plan depend on the unique circumstances and preferences of each investor, and therefore considerable care is needed to ensure that the proper decision is reached.


We introduce a queue-adaptive scheduling mechanism that facilitates scheduling differentiation among nodes having traffic within the same access category in IEEE 802.11-based ad hoc networks, which to the best of our knowledge, has not been previously addressed. We investigate the effectiveness of the proposed mechanism, which is easy to implement and requires minimal overhead, via simulation. More specifically, we investigate the effectiveness of dynamically controlling the values of the interframe space, contention window, and the transmission opportunity in the context of voice over IP in a distributed IEEE 802.11 ad hoc network. Our simulation results show that the proposed mechanism considerably lowers the percentage of dropped packets as the number of active calls increases beyond the network's call carrying capacity, dramatically improves system stability at higher traffic loads, and results in a significant improvement in call carrying capacity.


A recombinant single chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody was constructed from hybridoma cell lines expressing anti-solamargine (As) monoclonal antibody (MAb). The characteristics of the As-scFv protein, expressed in both recombinant Escherichia coli and hairy root, were almost same with those of the original MAb. Up to 220 ng recombinant As-scFv was produced per milligram of soluble protein in transgenic hairy root cultures of S. khasianum. The solasodine glycosides concentration was 2.3 fold higher in the transgenic, than in the wild-type hairy root, reflecting from the soluble As-scFv level. The recombinant S. khasianum plant regenerated from recombinant hairy roots contained 2.3 fold concentration of solasodine glycoside, compared to the regenerated plant from wild-type hairy root. These results suggested that the scFv antibody expressed in transgenic plant controlled the antigen level. This methodology is the first success for molecular breeding of secondary metabolites, without understanding of biosynthetic enzyme.


Accidental exposure to rabies occurred in more than 200 veterinary students at Texas A&M University from 1970 to 1977. Few of the animals to which the students were exposed had typical signs of rabies prior to the exposures. An accelerated preexposure rabies prophylaxis program coupled with retention of suspect tissues suitable for fluorescent antibody procedures has reduced the number of postexposure prophylaxis series.


: The standard braided wire lead used for temporary pacing following open heart surgery may be rendered ineffective by high current thresholds. In this study braided leads were compared with a lead incorporating a localised stainless steel electrode in 17 patients undergoing routine cardiac surgical procedures. Each patient acted as his own control. The localised electrode lead gave significantly lower current and voltage thresholds compared to the braided lead, this difference being apparent both on the day of operation and prior to lead removal (p less than 0.0005). Use of a lead incorporating a localised electrode is therefore less likely to be restricted by difficulties in capture and sensing.


SIR,-For the past seven or eight weeks we (Team No. 3, Rampton Hospital) have been using biofeedback therapy on five of our disturbed female patients. The instruments used are (a) the Myophone (muscle tension), (b) galvanic skin response (G.S.R.) indicator and (c) the E.E.G. 90 (alpha and theta wave recorder). We have at least four sessions per week with each patient lasting about 15 minutes. The first four or five weeks were devoted to relaxation with the help of the Myophone and G.S.R. indicator and for the past three weeks we have been pleasantly surprised with the apparent ease with which each of these patients voluntarily produces alpha waves. They are also adept at blocking alpha production. The voluntary production of alpha waves has a beneficial effect on the patient's mood. I know it is too early accurately to forecast the possible usefulness of the procedure but it appears to me that the combined use of the three instruments has immense potential in dealing with selected (female) patients who are subject to episodes of disturbed behaviour (selfmutilation etc.). I am not unmindful of the beneficial effects of the patients' relaxation between sessions and, of course, the instruction, guidance, and counselling of the nursing staff during and between sessions. However, all patients voluntarily produce alpha waves and have spontaneously stated that this improves their mood. Certainly the general standard of their behaviour is improving. -I am, etc.,


Due to environmental concerns, biodegradable materials, which are currently used in many medical applications, are being considered as a candidate for replace plastics in the future. One of the most common mass production processes to shape biodegradable materials is injection molding. However, the material manufacturers usually do not provide optimized parameter information. In this research, two biodegradable materials, PLA 3001D and Biomax, are investigated. Experiments are conducted utilizing the Taguchi method to determine optimal injection molding parameters, which include injection speed, injection pressure, holding pressure, and cooling time. Shrinkage was the major index to evaluate the injection results. As a result, the best combinations of parameters were determined.


Investigations into the origins and evolution of regulatory mechanisms require quantitative estimates of the abundance and co-occurrence of functional protein domains among distantly related genomes. Currently available databases, such as the SUPERFAMILY, are not designed for quantitative comparisons since they are built upon transcript and protein annotations provided by the various different genome annotation projects. Large biases are introduced by the differences in genome annotation protocols, which strongly depend on the availability of transcript information and well-annotated closely related organisms. Here we show that the combination of de novo gene predictors and subsequent HMM-based annotation of SCOP domains in the predicted peptides leads to consistent estimates with acceptable accuracy that in particular can be utilized for systematic studies of the evolution of protein domain occurrences and co-occurrences. As an application, we considered four major classes of DNA binding domains: zink-finger, leucine-zipper, winged-helix, and HMG-box. We found that different types of DNA binding domains systematically avoid each other throughout the evolution of Eukarya. In contrast, DNA binding domains belonging to the same superfamily readily co-occur in the same protein.


This article examines policing and traffic education as a key area of reconstructing democratic citizenship in post-1945 Germany. The rebuilding of a democratic German society in the aftermath of the Second World War was closely linked to orderly, law-abiding and considerate behaviour – traffic safety events were the testing ground for these values. They were designed to create a sense of order and civil responsibility in which citizens were urged to participate in order to contribute to the new democratic postwar society in West Germany. But while state and local authorities presented traffic policing and traffic safety as an opportunity to rebuild relations with the public and to foster the link between orderly behaviour and good citizenship, ordinary citizens felt little obliged to follow traffic rules or police orders. The Eigensinn (stubbornness) of the public, choosing to ignore traffic rules, despite better knowledge, was difficult to reconcile with the top down and patronizing pedagogical approach so obvious in traffic safety debates of the 1940s and 1950s. The fact that rights and liberties of a citizen could also mean making wrong decisions and dealing with the consequences of this behaviour clashed with the more authoritarian concepts of the state.


Abstract: The facility is a direct means to reach a goal. And infrastructure is an indirect means to reach a goal. Educational facilities and infrastructure management is the control and utilization of all the factors and resources either directly or indirectly with the planning necessary to achieve educational goals. With the good management of facilities and infrastructure, each institution can improve the quality of education with a reliable output. And the use of appropriate facilities and infrastructure can make an institution successful and still exist in today's era of globalization
Key words: Management, Facilities - Infrastructure, and Quality of Education.


Abstract. Flood marks are rarely utilized in hazard assessment, mainly because of a lack of data availability and accessibility and mistrust in their reliability. Challenging these common assumptions, we present an approach
for evaluation and practical utilization of flood marks by the example of
the Kinzig River, a Rhine tributary from the Black Forest with a history of
severe floods. We combined written documents describing flood marks with
field mapping at three study sites and collected information relating to 89 marks – about 50 % of them still preserved – which refer to ≥15 large floods between 1824 and 1991. The inclusion of a detailed historical-mark survey enabled an assessment of changes through time for each flood mark: they extend from small (±15 cm) imprecisions in mark heights to considerable uncertainties in position, height, and displayed date for some modified marks. Plausibility checks with further data nevertheless demonstrated good overall consistency. We then juxtaposed these marks with the current, modeled flood hazard maps. A wide agreement is apparent, in that the large majority of marks are situated at probable heights and within the modeled flooding area associated with extreme floods. For the few exceptions, we see plausible and historically sound reasons in changed local hydraulic conditions by flood protection walls, exceptional processes during a massive ice jam, and possibly also a local underestimation of hazard along Kinzig River tributaries. Overall, this study highlights (1) the broad availability of flood mark data, both on a larger spatial scale and with regard to already vanished marks, and (2) the significance of the marks, verified by further data, and also demonstrates (3) the possibility of a straightforward inclusion in hazard assessment. We thus encourage the systematic collection, maintenance, and integration of flood marks as responsible risk management, not least regarding their value in the wider context of risk awareness and memory.


Introduction Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 has been identified as an important pathogen in childhood morbidity. Taking into account the post-pandemic situation in 2009, knowledge of the epidemiology of influenza in the paediatric population is essential for better targeting of strategies for clinical management, therapeutic and epidemiological control. Objective To describe the profile of children hospitalised with suspected H1N1 infection in the paediatric ward of HEAC, during the year 2013. Methods Cross-sectional, retrospective study, simple analytical paediatric hospitalizations for suspected H1N1. Results and discussion During the study period 1039 paediatric hospitalizations were reported, including 349 (33%) for respiratory diseases. Of these, 21 (6%) used Oseltamivir Phosphate for suspected H1N1 from June, focusing more in winter and spring. The age ranged between 2 m and 11th with an average of 3.16 years. Male predominance 76.19%. The mean hospital stay was 10,33 days. Comorbidities such as encephalopathy, heart diseases, obesity in 17 (80.9%), and age <2 years in 10 (47.6%). Were referred to the Intensive Therapy 23.8%. Specific oropharyngeal swabs collected 9 (42.85%), 3 of these (14.28%) confirmed the diagnosis. All were classified as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, as the Protocol of the Ministry of Health Only 6 (28.5%) began specific therapy within the first 48 h, as recommended as an effective treatment. Conclusion Influenza will remain a challenge for medicine over the years, requiring proactive management. The epidemiological report suspected front, start the appropriate therapy, the specific diagnostic screening and recognition of clinical severity, can contribute significantly in the control of H1N1.


This contribution investigates the French prepositional system from two different angles. On the one hand, it considers the stereotypical environment of certain prepositions, on the other hand, it explores the most typical prepositional collocates of some nouns. Both types of studies are conducted on the basis of statistical, probabilistic analyses of a literary corpus (novels from the second half of the 20th century). Our method makes it possible to compare the combinatory profiles of a great number of prepositions. This, in turn, allows to establish sub-groups (clusters) of prepositions according to distributional criteria. We then study semantic interactions between some nouns of emotion and the prepositions that they can be governed by. The result of this interaction determines the behaviour of prepositional phrases from a syntactic point of view.


The data processing model for the CDF experiment is described. Data processing reconstructs events from parallel data streams taken with different combinations of physics event triggers and further splits the events into datasets of specialised physics interests. The design of the processing control system makes strict requirements on bookkeeping records, which trace the status of data files and event contents during processing and storage. The computing architecture was updated to meet the mass data flow of the Run II data collection, recently upgraded to a maximum rate of 40 MByte/sec. The data processing facility consists of a large cluster of Linux computers with data movement managed by the CDF data handling system to a multi-petaByte Enstore tape library. The latest processing cycle has achieved a stable speed of 35 MByte/sec (3 TByte/day). It can be readily scaled by increasing CPU and data-handling capacity as required


The Australian dollar is considered primarily a commodity-based currency. The high level of commodity-based exports in Australia's trade balance is given as an explanation. Accordingly changes in world commodity prices should bring commensurate changes in the value of the Australian dollar, such that changes in world commodity prices are only partially transmitted to the Australian economy and local farm-gate prices. If this relationship holds, then local farm-gate prices should be significantly less volatile than their respective world price. Variances in local prices would be due to local factors (e.g. variances in local production) rather than variances in the world price and international factors. This paper examines the farm-gate prices of Australia's three largest agricultural commodities, wheat, beef, and wool; seeks to establish if the variances in these prices are more closely related to movements in their respective world price or local production factors and, if movements in the Australian dollar decrease local farm-gate variance as expected.


We describe a variant of Edelsbrunner's WRAP algorithm for surface reconstruction, for which we can prove geometric and topological guarantees within the ε-sampling model. The WRAP algorithm is based on ideas from Morse theory applied to the flow map induced by certain distance function. The variant is made possible by a previous result on the "separation" of critical points for a related distance function that directly applies in this case. Though the variant is easily proposed, in order to prove the quality guarantees for the output, we need to closely investigate the geometric properties of the flow map.


Fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) experiments were performed to investigate physical aging in amorphous and semi-crystalline poly(l-lactic acid)s (PLLAs) that were thermally crystallized under conditions leading to the α'- or α-crystalline form, and either favouring or inhibiting the development of a rigid amorphous fraction (RAF). The enthalpy of recovery was calculated after two procedures of rescaling to the content of the whole amorphous phase and also to the only content of the mobile amorphous fraction (MAF), which helped in clarifying the contribution of the RAF. From the dependence of the structural relaxation rate on the aging temperature, two regimes were evidenced for all samples. In the aging temperature domain situated close to the glass transition, the structural relaxation occurs significantly faster in the MAF. Its rate is independent of the aging temperature and is not influenced by the microstructure. However, the distance to equilibrium is higher in samples for which the coupling is strong between crystal and amorphous, implying that the time to reach equilibrium is also higher. In contrast, at low aging temperatures, for which the whole amorphous phase can be considered as solid, MAF and RAF exhibit the same structrural relaxation rate. This convergence in the relaxation kinetics by decreasing the temperature of physical aging was interpreted as the evolution of relaxation dynamics in the MAF from segmental to local. This change is highlighted by the comparison between MAF and RAF relaxation kinetics, but it occurs similarly in a pure amorphous system.


Since 1993 Britain has used a ebandedi property tax as opposed to discrete values for the assessment of residential property. The expressed views of the British Government on its operational worth as a means of assessing and administering a residential property tax are examined and the possibilities of reviewing and revaluating the tax base are explored. In summary, the purpose of this paper is to present findings on the operation of this unique system highlighting strengths and weaknesses and its viability/applicability in other countries and jurisdictions. Initially the paper provides an empirical analysis demonstrating a number of the operational advantages and disadvantages of the system. This aspect will focus on equity issues, effective tax rate analysis and a number of administrative aspects/concerns. Since the initiatory research work was completed the research team has been afforded access to domestic property survey data in Britain as part of a new pilot project it is conducting in conjunction with the Inland Revenue Valuation Office Agency (IRVOA). This body is charged by the UK Government with the responsibility of valuing (inter alia) all real property for local and central taxation purposes. The additional data thus provided affords the opportunity for a larger geographical area of study and the paper will present these analytical findings. The paper concludes by drawing together recommendations in relation to how the system can be improved; does it represent a fair and equitable alternative approach to discrete value based systems? This part of the paper will examine the potential for such a system in other jurisdictions particularly where resources are limited in terms of experienced appraisers, availability of technology and tradition of applying ad valorem taxation. In addition, there is the opportunity to take advantage of the available technology of mass appraisal. For domestic property taxation this could entail a discrete valuation process, easily subsumable into banded allocations as and if required under the extant banded property tax system, with the added opportunity of frequent updating at minimised cost and effort.


This paper presents simulation and small-scale experimental tests of a fault current controller. Smart fault controller as proposed and proven conceptually in our previous work is promising technology for the smart power grid where distributed and even stochastic generation sources are prevalent and grid operations are more dynamic. Existing protection schemes simply limiting the fault current to the pre-determined set values may not show best performance and even lead to coordination failures, potentially leading to catastrophic failure. Thus, this paper designs fault current controller with a full bridge thyristor rectifier, embedding a superconducting coil for which the controller is electrically invisible during normal operation because the loss due to the coil is near-zero. When a fault occurs and the resulting current through the superconducting coil exceeds a certain value set intelligently based on the current operating condition of the grid, the magnitude of the fault current is controlled to this desired value by adjusting the firing angles of thyristors such that the overall system integrity is successfully maintained. Detailed time-domain simulations are performed and lab-scale testing circuits are built to demonstrate the desired functionality and efficacy of the proposed fault current controller.


The paper examines some Athenian horoi of uncertain interpretation. Specifically I refer to a series of three horoi inscribed with the letter κ (ca. 450 BC) and a fourth horos inscribed with the letter α (400-350 BC). The hypothesis is that the letters are to be recognised not as abbreviations, according to the current interpretation, but as letter-labels. The horoi would serve to mark the sectors in which urban fortifications were divided, according to what we know for other poleis of the Greek world since the classical period (Corinth, Smyrna, Stratonikeia, Kos). Precisely these comparisons lead us to believe that these subdivisions were functional to the organisation of the defence of the walls, the so called phylakē. Alternatively, it cannot be excluded that they should instead be explained in the framework of the organisation of the building works of the walls or of the management of their ordinary maintenance.


Recent self-supervised methods are mainly designed for representation learning with the base model, e.g., ResNets or ViTs. They cannot be easily transferred to DETR, with task-specific Transformer modules. In this work, we present Siamese DETR, a Siamese self-supervised pretraining approach for the Transformer architecture in DETR. We consider learning view-invariant and detection-oriented representations simultaneously through two complementary tasks, i.e., localization and discrimination, in a novel multi-view learning framework. Two self-supervised pretext tasks are designed: (i) Multi-View Region Detection aims at learning to localize regions-of-interest between augmented views of the input, and (ii) Multi-View Semantic Discrimination attempts to improve object-level discrimination for each region. The proposed Siamese DETR achieves state-of-the-art transfer performance on COCO and PASCAL VOC detection using different DETR variants in all setups. Code is available at https://github.com/Zx55/SiameseDEtr.