As technology has scaled into nanometer regime, manufacturing variations have emerged as a major limiter of performance (timing) in VLSI circuits. Issues related to timing are addressed in the first part of the dissertation. Statistical Static Timing Analysis (SSTA) has been proposed to perform full-chip analysis of timing under uncertainty such as manufacturing variations. In this dissertation, we propose an efficient sparse-matrix framework for a path-based SSTA. In addition to an efficient framework for doing timing analysis, to improve the accuracy of the timing analysis one needs to address the accuracy of: waveform modeling, and gate delay modeling. We propose a technique based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) that accurately models the waveform in a timing analyzer. To improve the gate delay modeling, we propose a closed form expression based on the centroid of power dissipation. This new metric is inspired by our key observation that the Sakurai-Newton (SN) delay metric can be viewed as the centroid of current. In addition to accurately analyzing the timing of a chip, improving timing is another major concern. One way to improve timing is to scale down the threshold voltage (V th). But scaling down increases the subthreshold leakage current exponentially. Sleep transistors have been proposed to reduce leakage current while maintaining performance. We propose a path-based algorithm to size the sleep transistor to reduce leakage while maintaining the required performance.
In the second part of dissertation we address power grid and thermal issues that arise due to the scaling of integrated circuits. In the case of power grid simulation, we propose fast and efficient techniques to analyze the power grid with accurate modeling of the transistor network. The transistor is modeled as a switch in series with an RC and the switch itself is modeled behaviorally. This model allows more accurate prediction of voltage drop compared to the current source model. In the case of thermal simulation, we address the issue of ignoring the nonlinearity of thermal conductivity in silicon. We found that ignoring the nonlinearity of thermal conductivity may lead to a temperature profile that is off by 10°C.


Background Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting genetic disease that causes chronic lung infections. We developed an internet-based decision aid (DA) to help patients with CF make better informed decisions regarding treatments and advance care planning. We built the DA around two major treatment decisions: whether to have a lung transplant and whether to agree to invasive mechanical ventilation (intubation). Objective This study aims to conduct usability testing of the InformedChoices CF DA among key stakeholder groups. Methods We performed a patient needs assessment using think-aloud usability testing with patients with CF, their surrogates, and CF clinicians. Think-aloud participants provided feedback while navigating the DA, and after viewing, they answered surveys. Transcripts from the think-aloud sessions and survey results were categorized into common, generalizable themes and optimizations for improving content, comprehension, and navigation. We assessed the ease of use of the DA (System Usability Scale) and also assessed the participants' perceptions regarding the overall tone, with an emphasis on emotional reactions to the DA content, level of detail, and usefulness of the information for making decisions about either intubation or lung transplantation, including how well they understood the information and were able to apply it to their own decision-making process. We also assessed the DA's ease of navigation, esthetics, and whether participants were able to complete a series of usability tasks (eg, locating specific information in the DA or using the interactive survival estimates calculator) to ensure that the website was easy to navigate during the clinic-based advance care planning discussions. Results A total of 12 participants from 3 sites were enrolled from March 9 to August 30, 2018, for the usability testing: 5 CF clinicians (mean age 48.2, SD 12.0 years), 5 adults with CF, and 2 family and surrogate caregivers of people with CF (mean age of CF adults and family and surrogate caregivers 38.8, SD 10.8 years). Among the 12 participants, the average System Usability Scale score for the DA was 88.33 (excellent). Think-aloud analysis identified 3 themes: functionality, visibility and navigation, and content and usefulness. Areas for improvement included reducing repetition, enhancing comprehension, and changing the flow. Several changes to improve the content and usefulness of the DA were recommended, including adding information about alternatives to childbearing, such as adoption and surrogacy. On the basis of survey responses, we found that the navigation of the site was easy for clinicians, patients, and surrogates who participated in usability testing. Conclusions Usability testing revealed areas of potential improvement. Testing also yielded positive feedback, suggesting the DA's future success. Integrating changes before implementation should improve the DA's comprehension, navigation, and usefulness and lead to greater adoption.


To determine the effectiveness of glucagon suppression in improving glucose homeostasis in diabetes, tracer-determined glucose kinetics were measured during a 6-h somatostatin infusion in six alloxan-diabetic dogs (moderately severe diabetes) and five depancreatized dogs deprived of insulin treatment for 3 days (prolonged severe diabetes). Plasma immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) decreased 70 +/- 9% in the alloxan-diabetic and 80 +/- 4% in the depancreatized dogs. Portal vein levels of plasma immunoreactive insulin (IRI) fell (17.0 +/- 2.3 to 4 micro.5 +/- 0.4 microU/ml) as did peripheral vein IRI levels (6.7 +/- 0.9 to 4.7 +/- 0.5 microU/ml) in the alloxan-diabetic dogs. In the depancreatized dogs plasma IRI levels were undetectable. Plasma glucose concentrations fell (278 +/- 17 to 169 +/- 12 mg/dl) during IRG suppression in the alloxan-diabetic dogs due to a rapid and sustained decrease in glucose production (Ra) (6.0 + 0.9 to 3.6 + 0.3 mg X kg-1 X min-1). Glucose disappearance (Rd) decreased gradually (5.9 + 0.6 to 3.9 + 0.2 mg X kg-1 X min-1). In contrast, in the depancreatized dogs, IRG suppression did not alter glucose concentrations or kinetics. Thus, glucagon suppression decreased glycemia by decreasing Ra only in moderately severe diabetes. However, this was associated with decreased rather than improved glucose utilization. The ineffectiveness of glucagon suppression during prolonged severe diabetes could relate to the degree and duration of the metabolic derangement and/or indicate that the continuous presence of some insulin is necessary for glucagon suppression to improve glucose homeostasis.


: This paper discusses the application of intravenous Kalipsol anesthesia in combination with Seduxen (Relanium) in 22 patients who underwent antro-mastoidectomy (expanded) and fronto-ethmoidectomy. No complications related to the method of anesthesia were identified. It is concluded that the use of Kalipsol anesthesia in urgent ENT operations provides better surgical intervention. This method ensures adequate analgesia during operation.


This dictionary of mathematical terms gives an overview of mathematics and a bit of statistics that will be helpful for those who suffer from mathematics anxiety or who have been away from working with numbers and symbols for a long time. The author states in the Preface that the book is intended for the "lay reader" and presents "worked examples with detailed steps." The level of the book varies somewhat depending on the topic, but would typically be suitable for high school or freshman-level readers. Throughoutthebookare 20–25statistical deŽ nitionsrangingfrom "arithmetic mean" and "data" to "interquartile range" and "stem-and-leaf plot."Entries range from a few lines of explanation to worked examples of how to calculate medians and quartiles or create a graph from a set of data. The entry for "statistics" states that it is "a branch of mathematics that is about the collection, display, and analysis of numerical data in order to draw conclusions or make predictions." Although we may feel that this is truly a bare-bones summary of our discipline, or disagree with small issues in this deŽ nition, the author has provideda working deŽ nition for the elementary reader who may have only a vague notion of what statistics may encompass. Because of the elementary level of the book, statistical issues considered are primarily about numerical and graphical summaries of datasets from a single population. The level of statistical deŽ nitions is quite consistent with the mathematical deŽ nitions, and the author has been true to his intention of making a book accessible to the general reader. This would serve as a useful reference in a middle school or high school mathematics classroom, or for a reader needing to brush up on some very rusty mathematics skills. However, there is relatively little of special interest for statisticians or students of statistics. A wider range of deŽ nitionsand worked examples, written at a similar level, are also available free of charge from multiple sources on the Internet by doing a search on "dictionary" or "glossary" and "statistics."


Abstract In designing a seismograph to measure strong motion it is important not to confine attention merely to the maximum acceleration or displacement of the earth motion; these are not sufficient to determine how much a building will be damaged. The fundamental problem is to measure the amount of motion associated with the periods to which the buildings respond. These periods are in the range from three-tenths of a second to three seconds. For this purpose a seismograph with a natural period of one second would be better than an instrument of either the accelerometer or displacement-meter type.


We experimentally demonstrate the possibility to generate parabolic pulses via a single dispersion decreasing optical fiber with normal dispersion. We numerically and experimentally investigate the influence of the dispersion profile, and we show that a hybrid configuration combining dispersion decrease and gain has several benefits on the parabolic generated pulses.


: The results of the study on the influence of remantadine on the course of experimental influenza infection in mice with immunity suppressed by cyclophosphamide are presented. Mice treated with cyclophosphamide were shown to have a more severe course of influenza infection. Remantadine, as an effective chemotherapeutic drug, decreased mortality rates in all the treated groups of the animals.


The paper presents a novel algorithm to enhance the operational planning flexibility of protective measures of electromagnetic transients in smart power systems. The algorithm considers a risk constrained approach to place surge arresters and to enhance the power supply security. It facilitates a reduction in the number of surge arresters required for electromagnetic transient protection without taking a risk of damage to important equipment. For validation purposes, the algorithm has been implemented on a software environment with the IEEE 14 bus test system. Studies suggest that the algorithm reduces the hidden risks of electromagnetic transient events in smart power systems and enhance the equipment availability.


Background Anencephaly is a lethal neural tube defect (NTD). Although variants in several genes have been implicated in the development of anencephaly, a more complete picture of variants in the genome, especially de novo variants (DNVs), remains unresolved. We aim to identify DNVs that play an important role in the development of anencephaly by performing whole-exome DNA sequencing (WES) of proband–parent trios. Results A total of 13 DNVs were identified in 8 anencephaly trios by WES, including two loss of function (LoF) variants detected in pLI > 0.9 genes (SPHKAP, c.2629_2633del, and NCOR1, p.Y1907X). Damaging DNVs were identified in 61.5% (8/13) of the anencephalic cases. Independent validation was conducted in an additional 502 NTD cases. Gene inactivation using targeted morpholino antisense oligomers and rescue assays were conducted in zebrafish, and transfection expression in HEK293T cells. Four DNVs in four cases were identified and predicted to alter protein function, including p.R328Q in WD repeat domain phosphoinositide-interacting 1 (WIPI1). Three variants, p.G313R, p.T418M, and p.L406P, in the WIPI1 gene were identified from the independent replication cohort consisting of 502 cases. Functional analysis suggested that the wipi1 p.L406P and p.R328Q variants most likely displayed loss-of-function effects during embryonic development. Conclusion De novo damaging variants are the main culprit for majority of anencephalic cases. Missense variants in WIPI1 may play a role in the genetic etiology of anencephaly, and LoF variants in SPHKAP and NCOR1 may also contribute to anencephaly. These findings add to our existing understanding of the genetic mechanisms of NTD formation.


The plasma synthetic jet actuator (PSJA), also named as sparkjet actuator, is a special type of zero-net mass flux actuator, driven thermodynamically by pulsed arc/spark discharge. Compared to widely investigated mechanical synthetic jet actuators driven by vibrating diaphragms or oscillating pistons, PSJAs exhibit the unique capability of producing high-velocity (>300 m/s) pulsed jets at high frequency (>5 kHz), thus tailored for high-Reynolds-number high-speed flow control in aerospace engineering. This paper reviews the development of PSJA in the last 15 years, covering the major achievements in the actuator working physics (i.e., characterization in quiescent air) as well as flow control applications (i.e., interaction with external crossflow). Based on the extensive non-dimensional laws obtained in characterization studies, it becomes feasible to design an actuator under several performance constraints, based on first-principles. The peak jet velocity produced by this type of actuator scales approximately with the cubic root of the non-dimensional energy deposition, and the scaling factor is determined by the electro-mechanical efficiency of the actuator (O(0.1%–1%)). To boost the electro-mechanical efficiency, the energy losses in the gas heating phase and thermodynamic cycle process should be minimized by careful design of the discharge circuitry as well as the actuator geometry. Moreover, the limit working frequency of the actuator is set by the Helmholtz natural resonance frequency of the actuator cavity, which can be tuned by the cavity volume, exit orifice area and exit nozzle length. In contrast to the fruitful characterization studies, the application studies of PSJAs have progressed relatively slower, not only due to the inherent difficulties of performing advanced numerical simulations/measurements in high-Reynolds-number high-speed flow, but also related to the complexity of designing a reliable discharge circuit that can feed multiple actuators at high repetition rate. Notwithstanding these limitations, results from existing investigations are already sufficient to demonstrate the authority of plasma synthetic jets in shock wave boundary layer interaction control, jet noise mitigation and airfoil trailing-edge flow separation.


Bougher, N.L. and Matheny, P.B. Two species of Inocybe (fungi) introduced into Western Australia. Nuytsia 21(3): 139–148 (2011). This paper reports for the first time the introduction into Western Australia from the northern hemisphere of Inocybe curvipes P.Karst. and Inocybe rufuloides Bon. The fungi are associated with planted non-native ectomycorrhizal trees – Quercus, Pinus, and possibly Salix. Previously, I. curvipes was confirmed from South Australia where it has been present for at least almost a century, but it was not known from Western Australia. Inocybe rufuloides had not been recorded anywhere in Australia. In this paper I. curvipes is also reported for the first time in Papua New Guinea, in association with planted Quercus and Pinus. Populus and Quercus are confirmed as ectomycorrhizal partners of I. curvipes based on ITS BLASTn analysis of environmental sequences.


Gender is a profound determinant of aging and lifespan, but little is known about gender differences in free radical homeostasis. Free radicals are proposed as key elements in the multifactorial process of aging and it is predicted that the longer‐lived gender should have lower levels of oxidative stress. While the majority of studies on aging have included a single gender, recent studies in rats compared genders and found that females, the longer‐lived sex, had lower oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction than males. We explored the association between oxidative stress and gender‐specific aging in C57BL6 mice, in which females are the shorter‐lived gender. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured in young and old mice by confocal imaging of dihydroethidium (DHE) oxidation in the brain, and by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometry of isolated brain mitochondria. Both genders exhibited significant age‐dependent increases in ROS. However, females had a greater increase with age than males in DHE oxidation but not mitochondrial EPR. Superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1) and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) protein levels were lower in old females. To determine whether enhancing antioxidant defenses would eliminate gender differences in lifespan, mice were treated chronically with a superoxide dismutase mimetic. Treatment blocked the age‐dependent increase in ROS, with a greater effect in females on DHE oxidation, but not mitochondrial EPR. Treatment also increased lifespan to a greater degree in females. Our results indicate that differences in ROS homeostasis contribute to gender divergence in survival, but also suggest that mitochondrial superoxide production may not be primarily responsible for gender differences in lifespan.


Purpose
This paper aims to explore the supplier perspective on competitive tendering processes and build on an increasing and developing interest in supplier satisfaction with public sector procurement activities.

Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative data was collected from 20 interviews with a variety of suppliers to the UK public sector, which was then analysed using Nvivo and a series of empirically supported propositions developed.

Findings
The findings are combined into an integrated supplier satisfaction model, which explains how a multi-layered set of expectations (past and ideal) and quality dimensions (fairness, ambiguity, unnecessary information, tender focus, relationship irrelevance, unresponsiveness, outcome success) lead to dissatisfaction. This paper also establishes the implications of these judgments (non-response, poor quality and relationship impact) and that they are impacted by comparison to alternatives.

Practical implications
Supplier dissatisfaction can have serious ramifications for public sector buying organisations by reducing the pool of applicants, creating relationship barriers and a disconnect between the tender and the eventual services provided. This paper gives empirically derived advice to managers and policymakers on how to avoid these issues.

Social implications
Ensuring that as wide a pool of possible suppliers can respond to tender requests, means that the services that are provided by the public sector can make the most effective and efficient use of available resources. In addition, small to medium-sized enterprises may be encouraged to overcome their feelings of dissatisfaction and respond more frequently and readily to tender requests.

Originality/value
This paper contributes to the field of public sector procurement and in particular that which looks at increasing supplier satisfaction, by developing a supplier satisfaction model based on supplier generated data, which uses disconfirmation theory to explain the dynamics of how individuals make judgments by comparing perceptions of performance with a multi-layered set of expectations. This paper identifies service quality dimensions that influence satisfaction judgments and the implications of these judgments.


Slum identification in urban settlements is a crucial step in the process of formulation of pro-poor policies. However, the use of conventional methods for slum detection such as field surveys can be time-consuming and costly. This paper explores the possibility of implementing a low-cost standardized method for slum detection. We use spectral, texture and structural features extracted from very high spatial resolution imagery as input data and evaluate the capability of three machine learning algorithms (Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine and Random Forest) to classify urban areas as slum or no-slum. Using data from Buenos Aires (Argentina), Medellin (Colombia) and Recife (Brazil), we found that Support Vector Machine with radial basis kernel delivers the best performance (with F2-scores over 0.81). We also found that singularities within cities preclude the use of a unified classification model.


Ethical Problems In Connection With World Poverty by FAN Wing Master of Philosophy World economy has been doing well in recent decades even taking into account the current financial crisis. However, there are even more people suffering from poverty and related issues than earlier. I am going to discuss the issue of helping poor people in the context of ethics. In my thesis, I will firstly state the standard of absolute poverty, which will be the main focus in the remainder of the text. Then, I will present the argument given by a contemporary philosopher, Peter Singer, that urges us to give money to the poor people. I will go through his argument and his analogy between saving a drowning child and giving out our money for charity on poverty relief. Many people may think his theory controversial and difficult to accept. Afterwards, I will present main arguments against Singer. I will assess these arguments and claim that some of them fail as criticisms of Singer's central claims. However some do successfully point out the flaws of Singer's argument, and some actually aim at questioning the entire discussion of poverty relief. I will try to present and assess the effectiveness of the alternative arguments by other philosophers that avoid these criticisms and that try to support the aid in a different way. The main question in my thesis in whether we have any moral obligation to help the poor people around the world. And if we have such duties, to what extent we are obliged to do so. I will do the literature review on different arguments and try to give my own opinions in different parts in my thesis.


The studies conducted in the years 2010-2012 showed that among the fungi species inhabiting shoots of fruit plants there were cultures of Phomopsis spp. They were isolated mainly from the shoots originated from orchards without chemical protection. Moreover, isolates of Phomopsis obtained both from shoots with disease symptoms and from visually healthy ones. The morphological characteristics of isolated strains and their pathogenic abilities as well as genetic similarity suggest that they represent one species of fungus.


Reaction time is the easiest methods of assessing the sensory and motor performance of an individual. It is an indicator of performance in surgeons, sports personnel etc. Yoga can improve the reaction time. Hence, this study was undertaken to study the effect of yoga training on visual and auditory reaction time. Fifty healthy subjects aged between 18 and 25 years were selected. Auditory reaction time and visual reaction time were assessed before and after yoga training. There was significant decrease (p<0.05) in the alert values of both Auditory reaction time and Visual reaction time after two months of yoga training. Yoga training enhances the reaction times which are helpful in surgeons, sportsmen and skilled workers.


A phase time definition directly obtained from the Schr¨odinger equation is used to investigate the time delay of a particle scattered by complex reflectionless potential. The artifacts introduced by truncating in the numerical simulation are clarified. The time delay of the transmitted wave packet is found to be equal to the reflection time of the truncated potential.Both time delays are the same as the traversal time in the free space, but shorter than the time taken by a classical particle to pass the same potential.


The Anaphase-Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) is a ubiquitin ligase that promotes degradation of mitotic regulators. Activation of the APC/C requires either Cdc20 or Cdh1, together with phosphorylation. In chapter 2 of this thesis, we show that Polo-like kinase-1 (Plk1) is required for activation of Cdh1-dependent APC/C function during late mitosis. Plk1-depletion prevents dephoshorylation of Cdh1. We found that Plk1 mediates its effect on Cdh1 through phosphorylation of the phosphatase Cdc14A, which controls the phosphorylation state of Cdh1. We conclude that Plk1 controls APC/CCdh1 activity through hCdc14A, to ensure proper cell cycle progression. RASSF1C is a splice-variant of the Ras-association domain family gene. In chapter 3 we describe the identification of a consensus site for Plk1-dependent phosphorylation in RASSF1C. We show that Plk1 can phosphorylate RASSF1C in vitro and that the proteins can interact in vivo. Over-expression of an active form of Plk1 reduces RASSF1C protein levels, whereas depletion of Plk1 increases the protein level of RASSF1C. Importantly, active Plk1 interferes with DNA damage-induced JNK-activation. Our data suggest a novel role for Plk1 in negatively regulating RASSF1C to silence DNA damage responses. To examine possible roles for deubiquitinating enzymes (Dubs) in G2/M progression, we describe an RNAi-based screen in chapter 4. By analyzing cell cycle progression of transfected cells, we identified 6 Dubs that appear to have a function in G2/M. Dub3 and Usp35 seem to be required for mitotic entry. Usp25 and Usp30 appear to play a role in mitotic checkpoint-activity or APC/C-inhibition. Usp8 and Usp39 appear involved in the mitotic checkpoint and cytokinesis. We further focused on the phenotype induced by two independent shRNAs against Usp30. However, the observed mitotic phenotypes did not correlate with the relative reduction of Usp30 mRNA, indicating that off-target effects are involved in the Usp30-depletion phenotype. We confirmed other hits of the screen with independent RNA oligos. Thus, although we emphasize the risk of off-target effects, we confirmed the validity of our screen and identified Dubs with a role in G2/M. In chapter 5 we further investigate Dub3 and showthat Dub3-depletion results in a G2 arrest. This arrest can be overcome early in G2. However, checkpoint inhibition after a prolonged G2 arrest prevents mitotic entry in Dub3-depleted cells. We find that Plk1, a downstream target of the G2-checkpoint, can not be re-activated in Dub3-depleted cells after a prolonged, DNA damage-induced arrest. Altogether, our data indicate a function for Dub3 in mitotic entry and recovery after DNA damage, possibly through regulation of Plk1. Accurate chromosome segregation relies on the mitotic spindle checkpoint, which restricst activity of the APC/C until all chromosomes are bipolarly attached. In chapter 6 we describe Usp39 as a new factor required to maintain the spindle checkpoint and support cytokinesis. We show that Usp39 is deprived of Dub activity. However, consistent with a described role for Usp39 in mRNA processing, we observed reduction in Aurora B-mRNA levels after Usp39-depletion. Our observations suggest Usp39 to be involved in splicing of Aurora B and other mRNAs that are essential for spindle checkpoint function.


Thyroid dysgenesis, the most common cause of congenital hypothyroidism, includes hypoplasia, ectopia, and agenesis. Agenesis may present as hemiagenesis, bilobar agenesis, or isthmic agenesis. A small ectopic thyroid tissue may sometimes be detected on the embryonal migration pathway of suspected bilobar agenesis cases. Comorbidity of hyperparathyroidism and thyroid dysgenesis has been a topic of interest. The case presented here is a pioneer in medical literature with a comorbidity of parathyroidism and ectopic thyroid tissue.


Communication with a customer or future user during the planning and design phase is crucial in applications such as interior design and furniture retailing. Augmented Reality (AR) has the potential to make these communication processes highly effective and provide a better experience for the customer. Current AR authoring solutions are quite complex and require manually creating scenes or rely on objects prepared with even more complex applications such as CAD tools. However, both design experts and their customers often lack the IT skills to use these tools. In addition, many practical cases involve changing reality rather than just adding to it, thus requiring the use of Diminished Reality (DR) technologies. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the requirements of both professionals and consumers (gathered using user surveys and individual interviews) for a lightweight and automated authoring process of AR and DR experiences, deriving a set of requirements that can be aligned with state of the art technologies and identifying a number of challenges for AR research.


Statistics show that more than 60% of chronically hungry and deprived people are women, and Africa contributes the highest percentage. Entrepreneurship has been theorised a fundamental means for alleviating hunger, poverty and unemployment level prominent among women. However, global women entrepreneurship monitoring institutions have revealed that business closure among women entrepreneurs has been on a consistent rise from 2012 to date. Thus, the debate about factors influencing the business growth of women-owned businesses has been a topical issue in business management. Recently, scholars have advocated for a focus on women-specific constructs: motherhood, meso-and the macro-environment to advance women's entrepreneurship study. However, existing studies have focused mainly on the negative influence of these women-specific constructs. Therefore, this article investigated how motherhood factor (household/family context), and meso-/macro-environment context positively and negatively influences the business growth of women-owned sewing businesses (WOSBs) in Lagos, Nigeria. This study suggests growth strategies that will improve the negative influences, and how women entrepreneurs can use the positive influences to exploit growth opportunities. Thus, the outcome of this research is beneficial to women entrepreneurs, scholars and policy-makers.


There are many different strategies that allow the solving of the well-known phase problem corresponding to the loss of phase information during a physical measurement. In microscopy, and, in particular, in transmission electron microscopy, most of these strategies focus on the retrieval of high-resolution information with the importance of lower resolution data often overlooked. Ptychography offers a means to investigate such data. Ptychography is a robust diffractive imaging technique with fast convergence for phase retrieval but, until now, has not been applied at the nanoscale. In this paper, we use the ptychographical iterative engine to retrieve the phase change at the exit plane of metallic nanoparticles using a conventional transmission electron microscope. Ptychographical reconstructions yielded images with a phase resolution of π/10 and a spatial resolution of 1 nm. These results stand as a first step toward aberration-free lensless imaging. The technique lends itself to be an alternative to off-axis electron holography or focal series reconstruction


Mapping a Cretaceous, island-arc, sedimentary basin revealed a northerly trending submarine canyon complex 4.5 km long and 2 km wide at its southern end. It widens to 4 km in the north, in a downslope direction. The canyon complex cuts across regional stratigraphy and is incised as much as 500 m into a shelf sequence of thinly bedded shale and reef-type limestone. The canyon fill consists of massive, unbedded, mafic, volcanic conglomerate (Tom Spring Formation) and an underlying sequence of volcaniclastic sandstone, calcarenite, shale, and minor conglomerate (Georgia Complex) that was penecontemporaneously deformed. Structures of the Georgia complex suggest a range of deformation mechanisms, including rigid body rotation of bedded blocks, folding, and mass flow. The variation in structural style is attributed to primary variability in rheological properties and to geometry of the basin floor. The deformation of the Georgia complex is attributed to the catastrophic emplacement of the overlying Tom Spring volcanic conglomerate and to gravity-driven processes within the submarine canyon.


INTRODUCTION
This study was performed to evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on inflammatory cytokines and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was done on 60 patients with DN who were randomly divided into 2 groups to receive either 1000 mg/d of omega-3 fatty acid from flaxseed oil (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. The primary outcome variables were tumor necrosis factor-α, receptor tumor necrosis factor-α and growth differentiation factor 15. Fasting blood samples were taken at the onset and the end of the study to quantify the related markers.

RESULTS
Compared with the placebo, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in serum AGEs (-2.3 ± 2.8 AU versus 0.2 ± 2.5 AU, P = .001). Despite a significant reduction in serum level of receptor for AGEs (-0.1 ± 0.3 AU, P = .02) in the omega-3 fatty acid group, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of their effects on the receptor for AGEs. Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid had no significant effect on the inflammatory cytokines as compared with the placebo.

CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrated that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation among DN patients had favorable effects on AGEs and the receptor for AGEs.


To reach normal competitiveness in world division of labour, investment projects should stimulate development of human capital towards advance of modern technologies and organizational development of all types of labour. At present time there are only separate calculations of certain types of people's health damage and completely disparate matters of damage compensation exceptionally for chemical contamination effects. The purpose of the paper is development of algorithms to provide hygienic welfare of human capital in investment projects. For this purpose in investments assessment and hygienic examination it is necessary to apply complete and comprehensive (systematic) evaluation of all factors that influence human capital welfare and practical hygienic and research institutions should be focused on systematic elimination of possible dangers and risks of investment projects.


There are scenarios, typically in a hierarchical SDN context, in which
an orchestrator may not have detailed information to be able to
perform an end-to-end path computation and would need to request lower
layer/domain controllers to calculate some (partial) feasible paths.
Multiple protocol solutions can be used for communication between
different controller hierarchical levels. This document assumes that
the controllers are communicating using YANG-based Application
Programming Interface (APIs). This document describes some use cases
for an Application Programming Interface for path computation. A
related yang model will be proposed in a next version or in another
document.


The lack of clinical office space is the biggest Achilles' heel of interventional radiology and establishing an office eliminates that weakness immediately. Many interventionalists practice within a hospital setting; however, setting up a clinical office outside the hospital offers more flexibility. There are several reasons why interventionalists who set up clinical practices will succeed well into the future. Also, the American Board of Medical Specialties offers the fully trained interventional radiologist board certification in interventional disease management.


Meconopsis is a genus native to the high elevation habitats that range from the western Himalaya eastward to the Hengduan Mountains (China). The genus has been the subject of several taxonomic treatments and monographs by generations of botanists, which has led to a long and confusing taxonomic history with inconsistent species concepts and conflicting interpretations of relationships among named taxa. In the present study, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of Meconopsis utilizing four chloroplast markers (rbcL, matK, ndhF and the trnL-trnF intergenic spacer) and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS). Incongruence found between the cpDNA and nrITS trees was investigated to detect reticulate evolution, using the approximately unbiased (AU) method. Based on the evolutionary patterns revealed by our resultant phylogenies, we evaluated the species delimitations of the two most controversial "species" (Meconopsis horridula and Meconopsis napaulensis) in the genus and the inconsistency among their previously published treatments. As a result, we provide taxonomic suggestions for these species that include the proposal of a M. horridula species complex.


Background: Increase in "wasted" ventilation (VE) during exercise – as a consequence of large dead space to tidal volume ratio – is a common feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and CHF. Coexistence of COPD and CHF, therefore, could be associated with greater increases in exercise VE relative to both oxygen uptake (VO2) and carbon dioxide output (VCO2) compared to COPD alone. Objective: To investigate the role of ventilatory inefficiency during incremental exericse in suggesting the presence of CHF in patients with established COPD. Methods: Twenty-four males (13 with COPD-CHF (FEV1= 59.6 ± 17.5 % pred; left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) = 34 ± 6 %) and 10 with COPD alone (FEV1= 48.6 ± 16.0 % pred; LVEF= 64 ± 4 %) were submitted to a ramp-incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test. Results : COPD-CHF patients had shallower Δ VO2 /Δ work rate (WR) and lower peak VO2 than their counterparts ( p <0.05). In line with our hypotheses, measures of excessive exercise ventilation relative to both VO2 and VCO2 were more disturbed in COPD-CHF than COPD patients (ΔVE/ΔVCO2= 39± 10 vs . 30 ± 6 ( p <0.05) and VO2 efficiency slope (OUES, L/min/log)= 1.35± 0.38 vs. 1.76 ± 0.42 ( p <0.01), respectively. In addition, decreases in ΔVO2 /ΔWR and OUES were more closely related to peak VO2 in COPD-CHF than in COPD (r= 0.72 vs. 0.24 and 0.80 vs. 0.68, respectively). Conclusions : Pulmonary ventilation increases out of proportion of both VCO2 and VO2 during progressive exercise in COPD plus CHF patients compared to COPD alone. These results suggest that ventilatory inefficiency variables might be helpful in indicating the coexistence of CHF in COPD patients.


In this article we discuss the state of the art of (mobile) multihop ad hoc networking. This paradigm has often been identified with the solutions developed inside the IETF MANET working group, and for this reason it is called the MANET paradigm. However, they do not coincide, and in the last decade they clearly diverged. In this article, we start from the reasons why the MANET paradigm did not have a major impact on computer communications, and we discuss the evolution of the multihop ad hoc networking paradigm by building on the lessons learned from the MANET research. Specifically, we analyze four successful networking paradigms, mesh, sensor, opportunistic, and vehicular networks, that emerged from the MANET world as a more pragmatic application of the multihop ad hoc networking paradigm. We also present the new research directions in the multihop ad hoc networking field: peoplecentric networking, triggered by the increasing penetration of the smartphones in everyday life, which is generating a people-centric revolution in computing and communications.


From their home bases in Idaho and neighboring areas of the Northwest, organizations such as the Order, the Aryan Nations Church, the Posse Comitatus, and the Golden Mean Society have drawn national attention and spread the gospel of a "constitutionally pure, Christian homeland." For the reader who knows these groups only from a selection of inflammatory quotes and violent deeds, this compelling work presents the first disciplined exploration of the backgrounds and belief systems of the Christian patriot movement. Using information gathered from interviews and direct observation of patriot gatherings, Aho replaces the stereotype of solitary crazies from the fringes of society with more complex and disturbing realities.


The regulator of anti-stress action Epin-Extra (24-epibrassinolide) was tested in laboratory and field (protected ground) conditions. The aim of this research was to study the influence of growth regulators on the growth, development and productivity of improved initial promising varieties of potato: Native (cultivated varieties Udacha) and foreign (cultivated varieties Red Scarlett) selections obtained by the method of apical meristem in the Volga-Vyatka region. The obtained results suggest a promising use of the product for improving the growth and development of plants in vitro. Adding Epin-Extra into an artificial culture medium at the final stage of micropropagation in vitro increases the height of plants by 29.6-47.7%, the number of internodes in plants by 26.4-25.7% depending on the cultivated variety, increases the root growth for cultivar Udacha 2.1 times and reduces the one for the cultivar Red Scarlett 1.9 times. The use of the Epin-Extra product-in recommended concentration for growing mini-tubers by seedling method in protected soil (greenhouse) in the budding phase-increases the biometric indicators such as plant height (35.7-21.8%), number of stems in the bush (30.9-19.0%) and mass of roots (19.1-8.5%), depending on the variety. As a result, the treatment with Epin-Extra increases productivity by 25.6-15.9%, the multiplication factor by 25.3-18.4%, as well as helps to reduce the prevalence (by 69.5-44.1%) and development (by 50.0-44.3%) of the late blight on the tops of potato plants, depending on the cultivar.


Recurrent vaginal prolapse can be very difficult to correct by simple methods. This is especially true when adequate muscle support is lacking. Scar tissues will simply not support the vagina under constant pressure, and the prolapse recurs. A new technique of diminishing vaginal size, correcting the prolapse, and then supporting the vaginal wall dynamically with both innervated gracilis muscles is described with a successful two-year follow-up.


The links between unions and political parties have been present throughout much of the 20th century and early 21st century in most Latin American countries. Since these links were historically one of the most important resources of union power, by compensating the structural weakness of wage-workers in the labor market, their weakening in the framework of economic transformations and ideological turns generates a greater concern on the future of trade unions. In this context, there has been an increased urgency to reconsider old political identities and construct other resources for power, such as alliances with social movements and international solidarity.
 The new bonds forged under democratic regimes or during the transition processes were more flexible, informal and with greater autonomy between partnerships than the old ones that resulted from the initial incorporation of workers in the political arena under authoritarian regimes. Consequently, in those cases greater opportunities can be opened to democratize and revitalize unions through the construction of new sources of power.


Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates producing class A KPC carbapenemases (KPC-Kp) are spreading at an alarming rate around the world (8, 10, 11). These isolates are highly resistant to penicillins, cephalosporins, and commercially available β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations and show reduced susceptibility to carbapenems. KPC-Kp are also commonly resistant to quinolones, aminoglycosides, and occasionally to colistin (3, 7, 10). Therefore, our antibiotic choices for the treatment of infections due to KPC-Kp isolates are extremely limited.

Developing novel β-lactamase inhibitors that are active against different classes of carbapenemases is an important goal (1). NXL104 (Novexel SA, Romainville, France) is a new β-lactamase inhibitor currently in clinical trials (http://clinicaltrials.gov/) and active against class A (e.g., TEM-, SHV-, and CTX-M-types) and class C β-lactamases (2, 9). However, data regarding its in vitro activity in combination with β-lactams against KPC-Kp isolates are very limited (9).

In the present work, we analyzed the in vitro activity of NXL104 in combination with different β-lactams against a collection of 42 well-characterized KPC-Kp clinical isolates collected in the United States (6, 7). In a previous analysis, we demonstrated that (i) these strains possessed a complex β-lactamase background (i.e., three or more bla genes per isolate) and that (ii) clavulanate or tazobactam were unable to lower the MICs of β-lactams to susceptibility ranges for these strains (7).

MICs for β-lactams and β-lactams plus NXL104 at three different constant concentrations (i.e., 1, 2, and 4 μg/ml) were determined by using the agar dilution method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) criteria, on cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton agar (BBL, Becton Dickinson, Sparks, MD) using a Steers replicator (4). We tested piperacillin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime (Sigma Chemical Co.), cefepime, and aztreonam (Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ). NXL104 was a kind gift of Dr. Christine Miossec (Novexel). ATCC strains Escherichia coli 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 27853, and K. pneumoniae 700603 were used as controls. Susceptibility results, including those for the combinations with NXL104, were interpreted according to the CLSI criteria established for the β-lactams when tested alone (5).

As shown in Table Table1,1, KPC-Kp isolates were very resistant to all noncarbapenem β-lactams tested (overall, MIC90 values were ≥128 μg/ml). In contrast, MICs for the combination of NXL104 at a constant concentration of 4 μg/ml with piperacillin, extended-spectrum cephalosporins, or aztreonam were in the susceptible range for all strains (overall, MIC90 values were ≤2 μg/ml). All KPC-Kp strains were also susceptible to β-lactams plus NXL104 at a constant concentration of 2 μg/ml (overall, MIC90 values were ≤8 μg/ml). Additionally, NXL104 used at a concentration of 1 μg/ml was very effective at lowering MICs when combined with a cephalosporin or aztreonam (Table (Table11).

TABLE 1.

Antimicrobial susceptibility test results for the 42 K. pneumoniae isolates producing the KPC carbapenemase collected in United States

In conclusion, we demonstrate that NXL104 can effectively lower the MIC of β-lactams when tested against contemporary KPC-Kp clinical isolates. The combination of NXL104 with extended-spectrum cephalosporins or aztreonam could represent a promising therapeutic strategy to treat infections due to KPC-Kp isolates. Further studies to evaluate the activity of NXL104 in combination with investigational β-lactams should be performed against large collections of gram-negative bacilli producing different classes of carbapenemases.


The need for simple security mechanisms for cloud computing systems that are being used by non-technical users is increasing in importance as cloud systems are becoming more widely accepted by these users. With cloud computing, data is stored on and delivered across the Internet infrastructure. The owner of the data has no knowledge of the where this data exists on the network nor geographically. The owner, therefore, does not have control or even know where their data is being stored. Additionally, in a multi-tenant environment, it may be very difficult for a cloud service provider to provide the level of isolation and associated guarantees that are possible with an environment dedicated to a single customer. Unfortunately, to develop a security algorithm that outlines and maps out the enforcement of a security policy and procedure can be a daunting task. A good security algorithm presents a strategy to counter the vulnerabilities in a Cloud system. This paper introduces a new security mechanism that will enforce cloud computing services against breaches and intrusions. Existing techniques for securing servers used for cloud computing and storage of data will be surveyed. In addition to these techniques, a newly developed technique for security in cloud-based servers (MIST) will be described in detail. Due to the relevance of cloud systems in gathering sensitive information in aerospace platforms, the techniques will also need to prevent common attacks through weak password recovery, retrieval, authentication and hardening systems, otherwise hackers will be able to compromise even the protected systems. In the case of security breaches, it would be advantageous to include the capabilities of the MIST algorithm (Alkadi). The MIST algorithm is named after the condensation from clouds that forms a layer before entering the cloud.


Informed by historical interpretative models pertinent to 18th century rural revolts in Britain, Samuel Hayat's contribution "Moral Economy and Power" offers a fresh and insightful take on the French Gilets Jaunes movement active in France since December 2018. Arguing against interpretations of the revolt as being spontaneous, he takes recourse to E. P. Thompson's notion of a "moral economy" and identifies the 42 demands formulated by the movement as central tenets facilitating its ideological cohesion as a community of the dispossessed classes. By completely revoking the existing pact with the ruled, the rulers displayed their contempt and lack of understanding of the ruled's needs. In response to that attack, a movement characterized by an exclusionary conception of community—regarding its aim to limit and control unfettered migration—has sprung up, questioning the old order and its forms of representation. This may only be the beginning of a new story, if we remember the Anzin colliers' turn to anarcho-syndicalism in the 19th century, following unsuccessful "moral economy" revolts in the mining communities in the North of France.


Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) allow users to control a computer application by brain activity as acquired, e.g., by EEG. In our classic Machine Learning approach to BCIs, the participants undertake a calibration measurement without feedback to acquire data to train the BCI system. After the training, the user can control a BCI and improve the operation through some type of feedback. However, not all BCI users are able to perform sufficiently well during feedback operation. In fact, a non-negligible portion of participants (estimated 15%–30%) cannot control the system (BCI illiteracy problem, generic to all motor imagery based BCIs). We hypothesize that one main difficulty for a BCI-user is the transition from off-line calibration to on-line feedback. In this work we therefore investigate adaptive machine learning methods to eliminate offline calibration and analyze the performance of 11 volunteers in a BCI based on the modulation of sensorimotor rhythms. We present an adaptation scheme that individually guides the user initially starting from a subject-independent classifier operating on simple features to a subject-optimized state-of-the-art classifier within one session, while the user interacts continuously. These initial runs use supervised techniques for robust co-adaptive learning of user and machine. Subsequent runs use unsuper-vised adaptation to track the features' drift during the session and provide an unbiased measure of BCI performance. Using this approach, without any off-line calibration measurement, good performance was obtained by six users (also one novice) after 3-6 minutes of adaptation. More importantly, this novel guided learning allows also participants suffering from BCI illiteracy to gain significant control with the BCI in less than 60 minutes. Additionally, one volunteer without sensory motor idle rhythm peak in the 1 beginning of the BCI experiment could develop it during the course of the session and use voluntary modulation of its amplitude to control the feedback application.


We report on initial results from a survey conducted for establishing the state-of-practice with respect to student's IT usage in Swedish primary schools. There are a number of innovative efforts concerning IT usage, but students in many primary schools are also exposed to a number of different lock-in effects, including educational lock-in. Results reveal significant misconceptions concerning Open Source software and also considerable confusion amongst respondents related to the difference between software application and file format. The study characterises problems and provide recommended actions.


This paper investigates the control of a massive population of UAVs such as drones. The straightforward method of control of UAVs by considering the interactions among them to make a flock requires a huge inter-UAV communication which is impossible to implement in real-time applications. One method of control is to apply the mean field game (MFG) framework which substantially reduces communications among the UAVs. However, to realize this framework, powerful processors are required to obtain the control laws at different UAVs. This requirement limits the usage of the MFG framework for real-time applications such as massive UAV control. Thus, a function approximator based on neural networks (NN) is utilized to approximate the solutions of Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) and Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov (FPK) equations. Nevertheless, using an approximate solution can violate the conditions for convergence of the MFG framework. Therefore, the federated learning (FL) approach which can share the model parameters of NNs at drones, is proposed with NN based MFG to satisfy the required conditions. The stability analysis of the NN based MFG approach is presented and the performance of the proposed FL-MFG is elaborated by the simulations.


Throughout the Pliocene and Pleistocene, a hierarchy of sea-level fluctuations alternately flooded and exposed the Great Bahama Bank, controlling its sedimentary evolution. The persistent rhythm of sea level is best shown in the upper Pleistocene to Holocene section in which 10 cycles of sea-level rise and fall are identified in core borings on the lee side of the bank. The same number of sea-level oscillations is indicated within the Brunhes chron of the deep-sea oxygen isotope record. In the Bahamas, sea-level oscillations are inferred from meter-scale parasequences of shallow-marine carbonates, interpreted largely as transgressive and highstand deposits, sandwiched between discontinuity horizons interpreted as subaerial-exposure horizons that developed during lower sea level. Subaerial exposure shifted from being largely restricted to the platform interior during the late Pliocene (Olduvai chron), to occurring across the entire lee side of the platform at the beginning of the Brunhes chron. This change on the platform is highly suggestive of the deep-sea oxygen isotope proxy of sea level which indicates a fundamental paleoclimatic shift at approximately the same time. Despite dating limitations, results from the Bahamian cores can be used to push the calibration of the sea-level record back to the late Pliocene.


Over the past two decades, a few dozen lawyers have come to dominate practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. By many accounts, these elite lawyers—whose clients are often among the largest corporations in the world—have spurred the Court to hear more cases that businesses care about and to decide those cases in favor of their clients. The Supreme Court's recent caselaw on antitrust, arbitration, punitive damages, class actions, and more provides copious examples.

Though it is often overlooked in discussions of the emergent Supreme Court bar, patent law is another area in which the Court's agenda has changed significantly in the past twenty years. After rarely hearing patent cases for several decades, the Court now decides three or more patent cases nearly every Term. This Article presents an empirical analysis linking the Supreme Court's increasing interest in patent law to the elite bar's growing involvement in patent litigation. Though correlation does not prove causation, the Article relies on a novel dataset of cert petitions in Federal Circuit patent cases to suggest that the elite bar has, in fact, contributed to the growth of the Supreme Court's patent docket. Among this Article's key findings is that, in patent cases, a cert petition filed by an elite lawyer is three times more likely to be granted than a petition filed by a lawyer outside that group. And although elite lawyers account for only 16% of cert petitions filed in patent cases, their petitions account for a remarkable 40% of the petitions granted.

Because patent appeals are centralized in the Federal Circuit, patent law lacks the circuit splits that the law clerks who sift through cert petitions would normally look for in recommending that the Court grant review. But the presence of elite lawyers may not be an ideal proxy for certworthiness. In fact, the increasing participation of those lawyers in patent litigation could help explain why the Court's recent patent cases, though substantial in number, mainly involve issues of jurisdiction, procedure, and statutory interpretation—not the core areas of patent law where the Court's input would be most useful.


Karang Taruna is a form of youth organization that can be a forum for youth to express ideas, ideas, creativity that are useful for individuals and society. In Warnasari village, Karang Taruna is actively involved in all community activities because Karang Taruna as a youth organization is considered capable of bringing change to improve the welfare of its citizens and the surrounding community. The participation of Karang Taruna in the management of tourist attractions in the Warnasari village which has a lot of natural tourism potential and can improve the village economy, one of which is the natural tourist attraction of Situ Cileunca which has many rides that can be enjoyed by tourists. So far, tourist attractions are managed by investors professionally, but Karang Taruna is involved in technical management. One of the problems faced is the low competence of youth and tends to become unemployed in the village. Real conditions in various regions show that many youths are out of work and unable to create jobs, the cause being the low level of education and skills. This study aims to determine the extent of empowerment in seeing the potential of Karang Taruna in advancing tourism and its impact on improving the community's economy. Barriers and challenges of Karang Taruna in tourism management. The method used in this research is descriptive qualitative with data collection through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation studies. The results show that the ability of youth organizations in tourism management is still weak, especially their management capabilities, management is still mostly carried out by investors, youth organizations are only involved in managing infrastructure. The obstacles faced by Karang Taruna in participating in managing tourist attractions are weak knowledge in management management, weaknesses in mastering technology, and foreign languages because many foreign tourists are starting to come. The challenge is that Karang Taruna is required to master everything as well as possible, because the management of tourism in Warnasari Village is not possible forever by investors and the surrounding community only gets some of the benefits because many things that cannot be denied are hampering progress in tourism, causing economic progress to be hampered. . Keywords: Youth Organization, Youth Empowerment, Tourism


IMPORTANCE
Seizures are believed to be common presenting symptoms in neonates and children with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, few data are available on the epidemiology of acute symptomatic seizures or the risk for later epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE
To define the incidence of and explore risk factors for seizures and epilepsy in children with spontaneous ICH. Our a priori hypotheses were that younger age at presentation, cortical involvement of ICH, acute symptomatic seizures after presentation, ICH due to vascular malformation, and elevated intracranial pressure requiring urgent intervention would predict remote symptomatic seizures and epilepsy.

DESIGN
Prospective cohort study conducted between March 1, 2007, and January 1, 2012.

SETTING
Three tertiary care pediatric hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS
Seventy-three pediatric subjects with spontaneous ICH including 20 perinatal (≥37 weeks' gestation to 28 days) and 53 childhood subjects (>28 days to <18 years at presentation).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Acute symptomatic seizures (clinically evident and electrographic-only seizures within 7 days), remote symptomatic seizures, and epilepsy.

RESULTS
Acute symptomatic seizures occurred in 35 subjects (48%). Acute symptomatic seizures as a presenting symptom of ICH occurred in 12 perinatal (60%) and 19 childhood (36%) subjects (P = .07). Acute symptomatic seizures after presentation occurred in 7 children. Electrographic-only seizures were present in 9 of 32 subjects (28%) with continuous electroencephalogram monitoring. One-year and 2-year remote symptomatic seizure-free survival rates were 82% (95% CI, 68-90) and 67% (95% CI, 46-82), respectively. One-year and 2-year epilepsy-free survival rates were 96% (95% CI, 83-99) and 87% (95% CI, 65-95), respectively. Elevated intracranial pressure requiring acute intervention was a risk factor for seizures after presentation (P = .01; Fisher exact test), remote symptomatic seizures, and epilepsy (P = .03, and P = .04, respectively; log-rank test).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Presenting seizures are common in perinatal and childhood ICH. Continuous electroencephalography may detect electrographic seizures in some subjects. Single remote symptomatic seizures occur in many, and development of epilepsy is estimated to occur in 13% of patients at 2 years. Elevated intracranial pressure requiring acute intervention is a risk factor for acute seizures after presentation, remote symptomatic seizures, and epilepsy.


We report, on the basis of density-functional theory+U (DFT+U) calculations that metalloporphyrins can adsorb on ferromagnetic metal surfaces in two distinct configurations. Two separate adsorption minima are obtained for manganese porphyrin (MnP) on Co from our DFT+U total energy calculations, which correspond to strong and weak adsorption strengths, respectively. By steering the nature of adsorption, we find that distinct chemical interactions as well as magnetic exchange interactions between the metalloporphyrin and the metal surface can be realized. We furthermore show that a switching of the MnP molecule's spin state can occur even for the weakly adsorbed case. This new discovery opens up prospects for engineering the chemical and magnetic exchange interaction in new functionalized spintronic materials.


Multiple team membership (MTM), a phenomenon where an individual is simultaneously a member of more than one team at a time, is increasingly present in organizational practice. In line with that, more and more attention to MTM is also being devoted from scholars, especially related to individual and team performance. However, we know little on how individuals in multiple teams should be led. Our study shades light on this topic and suggests that specific forms of organizing, such as MTM require specific forms of leadership to benefit individuals' performance. In an experimental design, we manipulated two types of leadership, namely charismatic and boundary spanning leadership in a single team (at Time 1) and in a MTM setting (at Time 2) while aiming to study their effects on individual performance. Data retrieved from 118 students participating in an undergraduate course at a Dutch university reveals that participants exposed to boundary spanning leadership show a significant increase in performance between Time 1 and Time 2 at a significantly greater level of change than the participants exposed to charismatic leadership. This suggest that boundary spanning leadership is favorable in situations where a team member needs to be bridged with information beyond the borders of one single team. These results have implications for management practice as they show which type of leadership are the most relevant for MTM settings.


: One hundred and ninety-eight patients with congestive circulatory insufficiency were examined; 54 had stage IIA, 88 stage IIB, and 56 stage III of the disease. Blood viscosity, blood platelet and erythrocyte aggregation, fibrinogen disintegration products, and soluble fibrin were determined and the protamine sulfate test was performed. Statistically significant reduction of hematocrit, increase of erythrocyte aggregation, dysfunction of blood platelets, and increase in the content of products of fibrinogen and fibrin disintegration were revealed with progression of congestive circulatory insufficiency. These changes are evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation in such patients and are important in prognostication.


We demonstrate the equivalence between the worldsheet one-loop partition functions computed near classical string solutions in the Green–Schwarz and in the pure–spinor formulations of superstrings in AdS5 × S5. While their bosonic sectors are the same in the conformal gauge, their fermionic sectors superficially appear to be very different (first versus second-derivative kinetic terms, presence versus absence of fermionic gauge symmetry). Still, we show that the quadratic fluctuation spectrum of 16 fermionic modes of the pure–spinor formulation is the same as in the Green–Schwarz superstring and the contribution of the extra 'massless' fermionic modes cancels against that of the pure–spinor ghosts. We also provide evidence for a similar semiclassical equivalence between the Green–Schwarz and the hybrid formulations of superstrings in AdS2 × S2 × T6 by studying several particular examples of string solutions.


In this paper, a modular system for medical image archiving, management, diagnosis support, and telematic cooperation is presented. The system provides digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM)-compatible tools for digital image processing and database management of medical images. The software features algorithms for preprocessing, manual or semi-automatic segmentation, automatic calculation of geometrical/size characteristics, and 3-D visualization of organs or selected regions of interest. Additionally, the system incorporates a database where patient data and information can be stored and retrieved. Access to the database is only permitted to authorized users. The user-friendly interface makes the software handy and accessible to clinicians, whereas the telematic components allow collaboration with remote experts. The pilot system incorporates a computer-aided diagnosis module aiming at providing support in the diagnosis of focal liver lesions from computed tomography images.


The purpose of this narrative study was to obtain and analyze stories of rural, first-generation students from Southern Appalachia in order to understand their collegiate experiences in light of the home culture they brought with them. Based on my university experience working with similar students and a review of relevant literature, I determined there was a need for research studies that: a) seek to understand the meaning, for these students, of the accounts they give oftheir lives and experiences as college students, b) seek to understand how these students make sense of their lives in the context of their home culture and the university and how their understandings influences their behavior, and c) provide data, which can assist faculty, administrators and staff in understanding these students' experiences. The primary research question that guided this study was: What is the experience of a rural, first-generation student from Southern Appalachia at this university? The study was a phenomenological study in which I used narrative as both the method of inquiry and the object of interpretation. The participants were eight, first generation university students from rural, Southern Appalachia. Using an in-depth phenomenological interview format, each participant was interviewed at least twice and served as a co-collaborator in the research process. After analyzing the individual student's stories, I created a portrait of each student based on the patterns and themes and the connections between them. The themes served to explicate the experience of the student in the university culture and their home culture . and reflected the students' particular experiences as told in their stories. The analysis vi then moved from common story elements or themes (analysis of narrative) to the metanarrative (narrative analysis). The common themes represent the elements used to emplot (configure) a meta-narrative of experience that is shared by these students. The themes and general findings of the study were: most of the students' decisions and actions were taken with or made with their allegiance to home and family values or relationships foremost in their minds; it was evident that the students came to the university looking for connections and expecting to find relationships with faculty, new friends and the environment; the students in this study learned best when actively engaged in their learning and when they were able to relate the learning to some aspect of their lives; it was evident that the influence of home and family, their need for connecting and relationships, and their hands-on learning style played a significant role in affecting how the students pulled away from certain majors and gravitated towards others; and key to a sense of identity is the ability of the student to tie together the elements of his/her story. The previous four themes contributed to or led to a sense of identity, though not in a linear way.


LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser and analysing the reflected light. LIDAR is largely used in geography, geology, forestry and other sectors. In agriculture LIDAR is used for creating topographic maps of fields and for crop mapping in orchards and vineyards. The objective of this study was to test two LIDAR systems for their ability to obtain useful canopy characteristics within an apple orchard. The two LIDAR systems included a SICK LMS200-30106 and a SICK LMS511-10100 PRO SR, which mainly differ by the laser beam divergence, the number of signal returns, the range, and the resolution as well as frequency values. Methods involved mounting each LIDAR side-by-side in conjunction with a RTK GPS and computer system. One orchard line was scanned on both sides in order to obtain a full scan at three differing ground levels: 60 cm, 115 cm and 120 cm. As expected, the captured data indicate differing resolutions and further analysis is being administered to determine canopy characteristics between the two LIDAR models, such as percent open space and porosity. This technology could be used for improving agrichemical application in orchards.


In 2013 and 2014, some of Massachusetts' wealthiest and most powerful individuals hatched an audacious plan to bring the 2024 Summer Olympics to Boston. Like their counterparts in cities around the world, Boston's Olympic boosters promised political leaders, taxpayers, and the media that the Games would deliver incalculable benefits and require little financial support from the public. Yet these advocates refused to share the details of their bid and only grudgingly admitted, when pressed, that their plan called for billions of dollars in construction of unneeded venues. To win the bid, the public would have to guarantee taxpayer funds to cover cost overruns, which have plagued all modern Olympic Games. The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chose Boston 2024's bid over that of other American cities in January 2015-and for a time it seemed inevitable that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would award the Games to Boston 2024. No Boston Olympics is the story of how an ad hoc, underfunded group of diverse and engaged citizens joined together to challenge and ultimately derail Boston's boosters, the USOC, and the IOC. Chris Dempsey was cochair of No Boston Olympics, the group that first voiced skepticism, demanded accountability, and catalyzed dissent. Andrew Zimbalist is a world expert on the economics of sports, and the leading researcher on the hidden costs of hosting mega-events such as the Olympics and the World Cup. Together, they tell Boston's story, while providing a blueprint for citizens who seek to challenge costly, wasteful, disruptive, and risky Olympic bids in their own cities.


Author(s): Lettner, Julian | Advisor(s): Franz, Michael | Abstract: Obtaining secure systems software is notoriously hard. One reason is the continuing use of unsafe languages due to their efficiency, direct control over hardware resources, and developer familiarity. However, this fine-grained control comes with opportunities for mistakes and therefore invites bugs such as memory corruption errors. In the absence of an adequate defense, these bugs can be readily exploited by attackers. This fact—combined with the inevitability of exploitable bugs due to the use of unsafe languages—has spurred a large body of research with code-reuse attacks and defenses of those attacks being the most prominent line of work.In this dissertation, we apply the principles of code-reuse (which usually targets static or jitted code) in a dynamic context, sidestepping all existing defenses. Concretely, we demonstrate state-of-the-art, whole-function code reuse by abusing the dynamic dispatch mechanism found in languages such as Objective-C. We also devise a defense scheme and apply it to the Objective-C runtime. The result is a low-overhead, drop-in replacement for the Objective-C runtime that prevents our as well as other metadata-corruption attacks.The assumed inevitability of exploitable bugs and stringent performance constraints of systems software have steered much of the previous research on systems security towards the mitigation of the exploitation phase. Sanitization and fuzzing are industry trends that instead try to weed out the bugs themselves, i.e., they tackle the cause instead of trying to mitigate the consequences. In this dissertation, we present a novel technique to increase the efficiency of sanitizers and extend their applicability via run-time partitioning. We significantly reduce the overhead of two popular compiler-based sanitizers extending their usage scenarios and increasing fuzzing throughput. Together with other recent work, our research challenges the assumption that bugs in systems software are inevitable.


This paper describes the main features of a multimodal application, based on haptic/acoustic interaction, that allows visually impaired people to access 3D virtual contents. We have realized a few applications addressing specific contexts, from the exploration of 3D spatial data to the fruition of cultural heritage. Several test sessions, involving users with different stories and different level of visual disability, have been accomplished. They have shown that the haptic/acoustic interaction supported by the definition of multimodal interactive objects, the progressive access to information and guided paths through the models are a powerful tool for blind people to catch information and to enhance their knowledge of the real world.


After Fontan repair in children, we performed a prospective, open-label study to evaluate the effect of amrinone on pulmonary vascular resistance (PVRI). Eight patients who underwent the Fontan repair had baseline arterial pressure, left atrial pressure, central venous pressure, and cardiac output measured postoperatively. Hemodynamic measurements were repeated after amrinone 4.5 mg/kg. The PVRI tended to decrease, but the change was not statistically significant. Although the systemic vascular resistance decreased to 802 +/- 222 from 941 +/- 191 dynes centered dot s centered dot cm-5 centered dot m-2 (P < 0.05), mean arterial blood pressure was unchanged. Cardiac index (3.8 +/- 1.2 to 4.7 +/- 1.6 L centered dot min-1 centered dot m-2) and stroke volume index (23.6 +/- 6.7 to 30.5 +/- 8.1 mL centered dot beat-1 centered dot m-2) increased, and heart rate decreased (160 +/- 21 to 151 +/- 24 bpm) (P < 0.05). Colloid transfusion during amrinone bolus administration was 13.9 mL/kg. The mean serum amrinone concentration was 4.2 micro gram/mL at the end of bolus and clearance was 2.24 mL centered dot kg-1 centered dot min-1. Arrhythmias and thrombocytopenia were not noted. We conclude that amrinone administration is effective in increasing cardiac output in children who have undergone a Fontan repair. (Anesth Analg 1996;82:241-6)


In this research we study the reliability (reliability static) parameterized by stress-strength model-reliability. The stress-strength model, reliability for a components (system is given by) R=P(Y

In the present study we proposed "Lindley distribution" for stress-strength model, reliability. This distribution so far has not been studied for reliability assessment. The Lindley distribution is a positively skewed distribution with scale parameter e. First some properties of Lindley distribution are reviewed and estimation problem of e is considered. Then after reliability features of single component, parallel case for identical components and series case for two identical components are considered. The maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) are obtained for these three situations. Unfortunately the formulas of MLEs rapidly become too complicated for useful result to be deduced. Nowadays numerically intensive methods are commonly used to tackle non-standard problems such as present one. We numerically investigated the properties of estimators based on parametric bootstrap (PB) methods. The comparison between true values and estimated values is made. Estimator performances Bias, Mean Squire Error (mse) Efron percentile confidence interval and its centers are assessed. Relevant computations and simulation is done by witting programs in MATHEMATICA. Our simulation studies showed performance of estimators for different combinations of parameters and sample sizes. For all sample sizes considered in this study, center of Efron percentile confidence intervals, are closed to true values of parameters of interest. The accuracy of parametric bootstrap method increases as the sample size increase.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
Marked variability exists in coronary artery collaterals in patients with ischemic heart disease. Although multiple factors are thought to play a role in collateral development, the contribution of genetic factors is largely unknown. Hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), a transcriptional activator that functions as a master regulator of oxygen homeostasis, is one possible genetic factor that could play an important role in modulating collateral development.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Collateral vessels were determined in 100 patients with > or = 70% narrowing of at least one coronary artery without acute myocardial infarction or prior revascularization. DNA was genotyped for the presence of a single nucleotide (C to T) polymorphism that changes residue 582 of HIF-1alpha from proline to serine.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS
The frequency of the T allele was significantly higher among patients without collaterals compared to patients with collaterals (0.188 vs 0.037, p < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, two variables affecting collateral formation were detected: two- or three-vessel coronary artery disease was a significant positive predictor (odds ratio [OR], 4.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.61 to 10.8; p = 0.001), whereas the presence of HIF-1alpha genotype CT or TT was a negative predictor (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.84; p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that variations in HIF-1alpha genotype may influence development of coronary artery collaterals in patients with significant coronary artery disease.


We present results from an ongoing search for galaxy coun- terparts of a subgroup of Quasar Absorption Line Systems called Damped LyAbsorbers (DLAs). DLAs have several characteristics that make them essential in the process of understanding how galaxies formed in the early universe and evolved to the galaxies we see today in the local universe. Finally we compare DLAs with recent findings of a population of starforming galaxies at high redshifts, so called Lyman-break galaxies.


Although it appeared relatively suddenly, the current obesity epidemic – largely manifest in industrialized societies but now spreading to the rest of the world – is the result of interaction between human biology and human culture over the long period of human evolution. As mammals and primates, humans have the capacity to store body fat when opportunities to consume excess energy arise. But during the millions of years of human evolution such opportunities were rare and transient. More commonly ancestral hominins and modern humans were confronted with food scarcity and had to engage in high levels of physical activity. In tandem with encephalization, humans evolved elaborate and complex genetic and physiological systems to protect against starvation and defend stored body fat. They also devised technological aids for increasing energy consumption and reducing physical effort. In the last century, industrialization provided access to great quantities of mass‐produced, high‐calorie foods and many labour‐saving and transportation devices, virtually abolishing starvation and heavy manual work. In the modern obesogenic environment, individuals possessing the appropriate combination of ancestral energy‐conserving genes are at greater risk for overweight and obesity and associated chronic diseases.


A 1.5 V, 3~11 GHz CMOS UWB LNA using dual feedback loops is reported. Using shunt capacitive feedback and series transformer feedback the broadband matching condition is achieved with high flat gain. Fabricated in 0.18 mum CMOS process, the measurement result demonstrates power gain of 11 dB and maximum NF less than 5.6 dB throughout the frequency range from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz with power consumption of 10.6 mW


Huangdao water sealed underground oil tank, which lies in Qingdao, Shandong province, is one of strategic reservoir of oil in China. Targeting at a real pragmatic problem that sometimes the rock mass integrity index is more than 1 and taking Huangdao water sealed underground oil tank as an example, the rock sample wave velocity-stress relation tests are carried out. Then unloading index is put forward and formula of raock integrity index is modified so as to improve rock quality classification method. In the end, the improved rock quality classification method is applied to Huangdao water sealed underground oil tank engineering. The result shows that the quality of most rock masses here is level I or II.


Small business enterprises (SBEs) are considered to be the economic engine leading to worldwide economic development. They have attracted substantial consideration from researchers, academics and practitioners in the last three decades. Meanwhile, E-marketing (EM) has emerged as one of the key drivers in sustaining an organisation's competitive advantage. Yet, there is a lack of systematic empirical evidence regarding marketing activities that are affected by the use of EM in the (SBEs) context, and their consequent performance outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of EM use by SBEs on marketing success and to develop and test a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of EM use by SBEs. The conceptual framework consists of the following constructs: EM budget, EM tools, pre-sales activities, after-sales activities, marketing performance and marketing effectiveness. Moreover, 12 hypotheses were developed and tested. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to test the validity of measures, while structural equation modelling was used in hypotheses testing. Data were collected from 114 SBEs who had used different EM tools. Findings reveal that the use of EM tools has a positive influence on SBEs pre-sales activities, after-sales activities, marketing performance and marketing effectiveness. The results of this study have major implications for the marketing domain, as they stress the central role of marketing people in the successful implementation of EM in SBEs.


LIM kinases are located at a strategic crossroad, downstream of several signaling pathways and upstream of effectors such as microtubules and the actin cytoskeleton. Cofilin is the only LIM kinases substrate that is well described to date, and its phosphorylation on serine 3 by LIM kinases controls cofilin actin-severing activity. Consequently, LIM kinases inhibition leads to actin cytoskeleton disorganization and blockade of cell motility, which makes this strategy attractive in anticancer treatments. LIMK has also been reported to be involved in pathways that are deregulated in hematologic malignancies, with little information regarding cofilin phosphorylation status. We have used proteomic approaches to investigate quantitatively and in detail the phosphorylation status of cofilin in myeloid tumor cell lines of murine and human origin. Our results show that under standard conditions, only a small fraction (10 to 30% depending on the cell line) of cofilin is phosphorylated (including serine 3 phosphorylation). In addition, after a pharmacological inhibition of LIM kinases, a residual cofilin phosphorylation is observed on serine 3. Interestingly, this 2D gel based proteomic study identified new phosphorylation sites on cofilin, such as threonine 63, tyrosine 82 and serine 108.


Polymer microbeads are witnessing renewed interest for performing biomolecule recognition assays with distinct advantages over planar microarray technology. In this study, DNA hybridization assays are performed on the surfaces of 1-microm-diameter, synthetically modified polystyrene microbeads. The microbead surfaces contain varying amounts of poly(acrylic acid) as a source of carboxylate groups to which a DNA capture strand may bind. Through a series of controlled experiments in which the microbead carboxylate density and DNA:surface area ratios are systematically altered, we find that the density of carboxylate groups on the microbead surface may be the most important parameter affecting not only the total number of DNA strands that may bind to the microbead surface but, surprisingly, also the efficiency of DNA hybridization with complementary strands. These studies are aimed directly at understanding the physical interactions between DNA strands and an anionic microbead surface.


Global financial activity is heavily concentrated in a small number of world cities –international financial centers. The office markets in those cities receive significant flows of investment capital. The growing specialization of activity in IFCs and innovations in real estate investment vehicles lock developer, occupier, investment, and finance markets together, creating common patterns of movement and transmitting shocks from one office market throughout the system. International real estate investment strategies that fail to recognize this common source of volatility and risk may fail to deliver the diversification benefits sought.


The research presented in this thesis has been performed at the Center for Advanced Power Systems of Florida State University in 2012. Topic of research is the concept for the future All-electric ship of the United States Navy. Primary focus of this thesis is on a novel approach on modeling and simulation of electrical power system components using scattering parameters for the analysis of different system grounding architectures. In chapter 1 and 2 a short introduction to the All-electric ship concept and the topic of grounding of direct current power system operated at medium voltage level is given, while in chapter 3 the modeling approach based on S-parameters is presented. This approach allows the modeling of power system components such as cables, bus bars, machines, power electronic converters and the ship hull based on generated or measured S-parameters for the development of simulation models. These models can be used to perform simulation studies. The S-parameter approach is a novelty in the field of power simulations. Available simulation software packages for power system modeling such as PSCAD/EMTDC or MATLAB/Simulink usually do not allow the direct integration of linear network blocks characterized by S-parameters. A generic N-port block has been developed which allows to embed models of subsystems based on their S-parameter in power systems software packages in the manner of linear time invariant networks. The model implementation is presented and validation studies have been performed which show very good modeling performance. As a result of the research, investigations can now be performed for studying the experimental power system setup of Purdue University to support the research for All-electric ship.


Background Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood-onset psychiatric disorders. It is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. ADHD can affect the social, cognitive, and academic performance of the child. Mothers of ADHD children tend to experience more stress, social isolation, self-blame, and depression. Aim The aim of this study was to identify the spread of depression in a sample of mothers with children having ADHD who were being followed up at the outpatient clinic of Abha Psychiatric Hospital. Patients and methods Sixty biological mothers of children with ADHD were incluced in this study. Each mother was evaluated for the presence of a major depressive disorder using the Beck Depression Inventory scale. A control group of 60 mothers of children without any psychiatric disorder or chronic medical condition was also included. Results On the basis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V criteria, about 41.6% of mothers with ADHD children were found to be depressed. Conclusion An overall 41.6% of mothers of ADHD children had major depressive disorder, suggesting that routine screening for maternal depression needs to be considered when children are diagnosed with ADHD.


A plausible explanation for the origin of life must satisfy constraints imposed by both organic chemistry and early Earth geochemistry. However, the full scope of geochemical parameter space is rarely considered by either theoretical or experimental models of abiogenesis. Here we propose a novel approach, which can make maximum use of available data. We posit that constructive and destructive geochemical interferences with proposed prebiotic reaction schemes can be used to restrict plausible environmental parameter space for the origin of life. Our approach is demonstrated by exploring parameter space for dehydration reactions. Such reactions are universally important in extant biochemistry and all proposed prebiotic reaction schemes, yet challenging to perform under plausible conditions. We specifically explore a minimal pathway for RNA synthesis (formaldehyde; ribose; ribose phosphate; adenosine monophosphate; RNA). Based on assembled thermodynamic and geochemical constraints, we identify that low water activity is a key constructive interference in prebiotic chemistry. Critically, the manner in which low water activity is achieved can strongly discriminate between different environmental scenarios. Exploring interference chemistry is hence an effective means of discriminating between competing origin of life scenarios.


Background With recommendations from the Francis Report (2013) and Berwick Report (2013) restructuring the National Health Service, considerable public and political scrutiny surrounding the health care system and its workforce has grown. As part of the restructure patient safety has been put at the heart of our organisation in an attempt to understand and analyse safety from the resilience of everyday practice.1 Hyper acute Stroke Thrombolysis Pathway may look perfect in writing but environmental and organisational elements needed for the pathway to be successful may generate barriers and complications. Utilising Interprofessional in-situ simulation we wish to analyse the pathway and detect 'latent threats'. Methodology In-situ simulation conducted with an actor re-creating a real clinical scenario following the Thrombolysis pathway through its entirety. Physiological variables displayed utilising iSimulate ALSi monitor, simulated props and realistic care expected by participants – including putting out a thrombolysis call, transfer of patient between departments and following protocols as per 'normal'. The scenario was filmed at all times utilising SMOTS and GoPro camera. Three departments – Emergency Department – CT – HASU and six disciplines participated. The thrombolysis pathway was analysed with a 29 point checklist. A facilitated debrief took place after the scenario and the film footage was reviewed 2 weeks after by clinical leads. Consent was gained from all participants. Outcomes It highlighted how the pathway could be enhanced by improving the way neuro radiologists physically communicate results from the basement scanning room; improving the pathway to include more complex assessments including stroke patients with additional health problems; and stressing the need for staff to obtain next-of-kin consent as early as possible for clinical research trials. Potential impact Creating the opportunity for discussion and analysis, is an excellent way to recognise latent risk but also to understand the patterns in system performance.2 References Hollnagel E. Safety-I, Safety-II. The past and future of safety management. London: Ashgate, 2014 Eurocontrol. From Safety-I to Safety-II: A White Paper. Eurocontrol 2014


The paper focuses on the hazardous situations that can rise in urban areas in case of earth fault inside a High Voltage/Medium Voltage station. IEEE and IEC/EN Standards and technical documents are examined and discussed, in order to propose some practical guidelines for a safe integration of such installations in contexts characterized by the presence of low voltage systems and not trained persons. Keywords— Substations; Safety; Earth fault; Global Earthing Systems


BACKGROUND
Proper caloric intake goals in critically ill surgical patients are unclear. It is possible that overnutrition can lead to hyperglycemia and an increased risk of infection.

OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to determine whether surgical infection outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU) could be improved with the use of hypocaloric nutritional support.

DESIGN
Eighty-three critically ill patients were randomly allocated to receive either the standard calculated daily caloric requirement of 25-30 kcal · kg(-1) · d(-1) (eucaloric) or 50% of that value (hypocaloric) via enteral tube feeds or parenteral nutrition, with an equal protein allocation in each group (1.5 g · kg(-1) · d(-1)).

RESULTS
There were 82 infections in the hypocaloric group and 66 in the eucaloric group, with no significant difference in the mean (± SE) number of infections per patient (2.0 ± 0.6 and 1.6 ± 0.2, respectively; P = 0.50), percentage of patients acquiring infection [70.7% (29 of 41) and 76.2% (32 of 42), respectively; P = 0.57], mean ICU length of stay (16.7 ± 2.7 and 13.5 ± 1.1 d, respectively; P = 0.28), mean hospital length of stay (35.2 ± 4.9 and 31.0 ± 2.5 d, respectively; P = 0.45), mean 0600 glucose concentration (132 ± 2.9 and 135 ± 3.1 mg/dL, respectively; P = 0.63), or number of mortalities [3 (7.3%) and 4 (9.5%), respectively; P = 0.72]. Further analyses revealed no differences when analyzed by sex, admission diagnosis, site of infection, or causative organism.

CONCLUSIONS
Among critically ill surgical patients, caloric provision across a wide acceptable range does not appear to be associated with major outcomes, including infectious complications. The optimum target for caloric provision remains elusive.


Mycobacterium tuberculosis commonly causes persistent or chronic infection, despite the development of Ag-specific CD4 T cell responses. We hypothesized that M. tuberculosis evades elimination by CD4 T cell responses by manipulating MHC class II Ag presentation and CD4 T cell activation and tested this hypothesis by comparing activation of Ag85B-specific CD4 T cell responses to M. tuberculosis and M. bovis bacillus Calmette–Gue´rin (BCG) Pasteur in vivo and in vitro. We found that, although M. tuberculosis persists in lungs of immunocompetent mice, M. bovis BCG is cleared, and clearance is T cell dependent. We further discovered that M. tuberculosis –infected macrophages and dendritic cells activate Ag85B-specific CD4 T cells less efficiently and less effectively than do BCG-infected cells, in vivo and in vitro, despite higher production and secretion of Ag85B by M. tuberculosis . During BCG infection, activation of Ag85B-specific CD4 T cells requires fewer infected dendritic cells and fewer Ag-producing bacteria than during M. tuberculosis infection. When dendritic cells containing equivalent numbers of M. tuberculosis or BCG were transferred to mice, BCG-infected cells activated proliferation of more Ag85B-specific CD4 T cells than did M. tuberculosis –infected cells. Differences in Ag85B-specific CD4 T cell activation were attributable to differential Ag presentation rather than differential expression of costimulatory or inhibitory molecules. These data indicate that suboptimal Ag presentation contributes to persistent infection and that limiting Ag presentation is a virulence property of M. tuberculosis . The Journal of Immunology , 2016, 196: 000–000.