In surface treatment processes like plasma spraying and spray painting of workpieces, protecting the uninvolved surface by applying masking tape is a common process. Due to the operation complexity for different geometries, such taping tasks depend on a lot of manual works, which is tedious and tiring. This paper introduces an automatic agile robotic system and the corresponding algorithm to do the surface taping. The automatic taping system consists of a 3D scanner for workpiece 3D model reconstruction, a taping end-effector which is mounted on a robot manipulator to handle the taping task, and a rotating platform that is used to hold the workpiece. The surface covering method and the taping path planning algorithms using the scanned model are introduced. With the implementation of the compliance mechanism, the force feedback and the tape cutting mechanism, the system is able to tape flat, cylindrical, freeform, and grooved surfaces. Experiments conducted on taping an engine inner liner shows that the surface can be covered with uniform taping overlap and very little wrinkle. The proposed system is a useful taping package for industrial applications such as workpiece repairing and surface protection, where surface treatments are involved.


Growing demand for embedded systems translates into the need for professionals with specialized skills and knowledge for the production of systems that integrate hardware and software. Teachers and institutions incorporate innovative strategies from the earliest stages of the formation of professionals who build embedded systems. The game as a creative and innovative strategy has proven efficiency in the training of professionals from different disciplinary domains. In this paper the use of a serious game for the development of social and ethical skills is proposed. The game is called Trouble Hunters where participants make up commissions of inquiry to analyze the failed cases of software development. In this way, participants must identify causes, consequences, missing competencies and wrong decisions by engineers. Additionally creativity is promoted with answers through cartoons, logos or hieroglyphics.


Despite the internationally recognised importance of informal care, especially in settings with limited services, few studies focus on the informal care for people with mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries. Making informal care visible is important for understanding the challenges and identifying the needs to be addressed. This ethnographic case study explored the dynamics of informal care for people with chronic psychotic symptoms in a group of San living in poor socioeconomic circumstances in a township near Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa. Data were collected in 2013 and 2014 and included semi-structured interviews, informal conversations and observations. Using local terminology, four individuals with chronic psychotic symptoms were identified and selected during the research process. A total of 33 semi-structured interviews took place with their caregivers. Data were analysed using descriptive, interpretive and pattern coding to identify core themes and interrelations across the four cases. Results indicate that informal care is characterised by shared and fragmented care structures. Care was shared among family members from various households and unrelated community members. This allowed for an adaptive process that responded to local dynamics and the care recipients' needs. However, informal care was fragmented as it was generally uncoordinated, which increased the recipients' vulnerability as caregivers could redirect care-giving responsibility and withdraw care. Specific challenges for providing care were related to poverty and care resistance. To improve the living conditions of people suffering from psychosis-related mental health problems, community-based mental healthcare should broaden its scope and incorporate local strengths and challenges.


The cause of muscle pain and allodynia may not be the same in all persons fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for fibromyalgia syndrome. In the majority of patients the generalized pain is preceded by localized or regional pain, usually in the musculoskeletal system. In many patients with fibromyalgia there are findings compatible with tissue injury pain with pain mechanisms involving both the primary afferent neuron and the nociceptive system in the central nervous system. Evidence for these mechanisms is described.


Since the concept of business intelligence (BI) was introduced in the late 1980s, many organizations have implemented BI to improve performance but not all BI initiatives have been successful. Practitioners and academicians have discussed the reasons for success and failure, yet, a consistent picture about how to achieve BI success has not yet emerged. The purpose of this dissertation is to help fill the gap in research and provide a better understanding of BI success by examining the impact of BI capabilities on BI success, in the presence of different decision environments. The decision environment is a composition of the decision types and the way the required information is processed to aid in decision making. BI capabilities are defined as critical functionalities that help an organization improve its performance, and they are examined in terms of organizational and technological capabilities. An online survey is used to obtain the data and partial least squares path modeling (PLS) is used for analysis. The results of this dissertation suggest that all technological capabilities as well as one of the organizational capabilities, flexibility, significantly impact BI success. Results also indicate that the moderating effect of decision environment is significant for quantitative data quality. These findings provide richer insight in the role of the decision environment in BI success and a framework with which future research on the relationship between BI capabilities and BI success can be conducted. Findings may also contribute to practice by presenting information for managers and users of BI to consider about their decision environment in assessing BI success.


WOMEN WHO HAVE A GRADUATE SCHOOL LEVEL OF EDUCATION WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO MAKE MOTHERING THE MAJOR FOCUS OF THEIR TIME: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY LINDA SHAPIRO STONE, ED. D. The College of William and Mary, 1987 Advisor: Charles O. Matthews, Ph. D This is a descriptive study of 33 graduate school educated women who have chosen to stay home with their children. The study includes a discussion of five major areas: personality characteristics, decision-making process, level of job satisfaction, peer and family relationships, and self-image. The Methodology for this study involved four data gathering procedures: the demographic data form, the structural interview, the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), and the Bems Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI). Participants were obtained by sending fliers home with children at five preschools in the Richmond, Virginia Metropolitan area. Demographic Data The mean age for the group was 34. All were part of an intact two parent family. Fourteen graduate majors were represented. Ninety percent had held jobs which were directly related to their advanced degree. Seventy-six percent are actively involved in a careerrelated activity. Personality Characteristics This high functioning group has a composite profile that shows the ability to achieve independently and they prefer their own judgement. They have strength intellectually. The composite personality is someone who has successfully combined some of the best parts of traditional masculine and feminine qualities. Decision-making Process The reasons for choosing to stay home related to feeling that their family was their main priority and they didn't want someone else raising their children. Job Satisfaction Neither level of status nor dissatisfaction with their last job was the primary reason for choosing to stay home at the time. Peer and Family Relationships Support systems were extremely important to this group. Husbands were also very involved in decision-making, child care, and emotional support. Self-image These women generally feel good about their choices and believe this is the right role for them at this time. They are aware of what they have given up, but believe they and their children have gained much more than they could ever give up.


Abstract Compared to traditional pen-and-paper presentation of information, computer-assisted argument mapping seems to be more efficient in developing lower order thinking skills such as memory and comprehension. The present study investigated the impact of argument map construction and reading via computer versus pen and paper on English as a foreign language (EFL) majors' comprehension, recall, and retention of argumentative texts. To this end, 120 Iranian EFL undergraduates were divided into low and high proficiency levels after taking a language proficiency test. Next, they were randomly assigned to two experimental groups; each group received 12 sessions of argument mapping instruction, one via computer and the other via pen and paper. At the end of the term, participants randomly received two argument map sizes (small vs. large) and were given 15 minutes to read the maps. Then tests of recall and comprehension relevant to the maps were administered, followed by a test of retention within a two-week interval. The results revealed that after controlling for spatial and verbal covariates, the type of treatment had a significant effect on recall, retention, and comprehension, with the software group outperforming the pen-and-paper group; however, proficiency level and argument size did not show any significant effect.


Using the case of Jordan, this analysis examines the inter-relationship between four variables relating to the political/governmental dimension of the information revolution (regulation strategy, political openness, state vulnerability to international pressure, and the regime's economic liberalization level). Information technology is a means to alleviate enduring economic crisis which threatens the regime's political control. Regulatory changes and international agreements may significantly undermine the traditional state-societal contract with important implications for political change. INTRODUCTION Since the mid-1990s, Jordan has developed and implemented a policy to upgrade and develop its communications infrastructure. This process has accelerated and taken on a sense of urgency under King `Abdallah bin Husayn,l largely precipitated by Jordan's worsening economic situation. At issue is whether the country's Information Technology (IT) program is viable, whether it possesses the capacity to help the regime achieve its economic goals, and how it will impact the country's political system. Jordan has undertaken a multi-pronged approach to facilitate its IT program which includes the following elements: privatizing key economic sectors; reforming its regulatory framework to foster foreign direct investment (FDI), protect intellectual property rights, and facilitate trade; taking a "liberal" stance on controlling information flows and content in cyberspace; capitalizing on its geographic centrality; strengthening and broadening functional bilateral relations with critical actors including Israel, the European Union, the United States, and Egypt; and exploiting and fostering human resources particularly in the form of highly educated workers. Despite the importance of these steps, Turkey, Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar remain ahead of Jordan's privatization and regulatory efforts, and Jordan remains squarely amongst the region's "middle sector" that includes Egypt and Morocco in these sectors. Jordan's technology program emerged within the context of a profound and ongoing economic crisis which included declining levels of foreign assistance, rising debt, and high unemployment. The contextual limitations of Jordan's economy raise significant questions regarding the drivers) behind the technology program, the infrastructure and human resources Jordan will be able to devote to the program, and its potential economic implications over the short-, medium-, and long-term. While the latter two issues will be explored later in this analysis, one of the more troublesome concerns pertains to the drivers) behind the country's technology program. To date, Jordan's IT program seems to be conceptualized more as a means than an end. Traditionally, the regime has sought economic, political, and/or foreign solutions to its political problems, particularly those that threaten the regime's ability to maintain its power vis-a-vis society. As a result, there is a danger that the regime may view the IT program as means to maintain itself vis-a-vis society, particularly since the country's economic situation has continued to deteriorate throughout the 1990s. Problematic with this approach is that it may prevent the regime from making the kind of commitment necessary for achieving a truly viable, competitive IT program. Such an effort would require profound economic changes (e.g., deeper privatization, more robust regulatory changes, less government spending) that could have important political ramifications. Information technology may well be the regime's "economic safety valve," much as political liberalization was its "political safety valve" in the wake of the 1989 "bread riots." However, just as the regime managed political opening and curtailed its range when it became politically expedient and necessary, Jordan's leaders appear to be pursuing a "managed" IT strategy that may prompt the regime to limit, in whole or in part, elements of the IT program if it becomes too costly in terms of resources or unintended political effects, regardless of the program's actual "success" in generating revenue. …


Total joint replacement is commonly done in an older population, for whom golf is often the only form of exercise. We studied active golfers after they had had a total joint replacement. Most golfers with a successful primary total joint replacement will not have pain while playing golf, but will likely have a mild ache in the hip or knee region after playing. Patients with total knee replacement appear to have slightly more postgolf pain than patients with total hip replacement. In addition, golfers with left total knee replacements have more difficulty with pain during and after play than do golfers with right total knee replacements.


: Purpose: Increasing the safety of road transport is among important priorities of the European Commission's strategic operations. The implementation of the project of the Europe-wide e-Call in-vehicle emergency call system is an essential measure for achieving the objectives pursued in this respect. This paper presents general characteristics of that system, and its cooperation with the emergency notification system based on the Europe-wide emergency number 112. The author also presents a diagnosis of the use of the e-Call system, which sends information about help requests to emergency notification centres across the Republic of Poland and other European countries. During the research, the author used a method of source analysis based on source materials, including mainly legal acts and the academic literature. The research process relied extensively on synthesis, comparison, generalisation, reasoning, and abstraction. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was conducted with a method of source analysis based on source materials, including mainly legal acts and academic literature Findings: The research analysis demonstrated that the e-Call system has a significant impact on the transmission of information about occurrences under current conditions, in particular the necessity to continue the implementation of solutions that ensure appropriate and fast transmission of information about occurrences. Due to the category of safety hazards in transport, the desired solutions apply to Poland and the entire European Union. Practical implications: The issues discussed in this paper can help raise the awareness of users of the system regarding prompt transmission of information about occurrences and raise interest of various public bodies in further improvements of the system. Originality: This paper discusses issues which now are particularly important to individual citizens and various bodies responsible for security, whatever their role in the society.


Abstract In higher education, doctoral training has been identified as a process of stewardship development whereby individuals learn the knowledge and skills required to advance their respective disciplines. Self-study of teacher education practices is one approach that has gained the interest of doctoral students to help them understand their own development whilst also forging recommendations for others in publications. In this self-study, we worked to understand the experiences of Shrehan, a teacher from England beginning doctoral study in the USA. Shrehan had no experience teaching at the college level prior to moving to the USA, and she saw self-study as an opportunity to understand her development and acculturation into an unfamiliar system of higher education. Data were collected through journaling, critical-friend discussions, and artefacts, as well as student data in the form of surveys, exit slips, and focus-group interviews. Qualitative data analysis of Shrehan's experiences was guided by the four stages of acculturation theory – honeymoon, culture shock, adjustment, and recovery. Shrehan's journey emphasizes the importance of getting to know undergraduate students and building rapport as key aspects of teaching at the college level. Self-study provided Shrehan with a heightened personal-identity awareness that increased her cultural sensitivity and broadened her worldview. Results are discussed with reference to acculturation theory and future directions for research are provided.


The Prototype HyspIRI Thermal Infrared Radiometer (PHyTIR) is being developed as part of the risk reduction activities associated with the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI). The HyspIRI mission was recommended by the National Research Council Decadal Survey and includes a visible shortwave infrared (SWIR) pushboom spectrometer and a multispectral whiskbroom thermal infrared (TIR) imager. Data from the HyspIRI mission will be used to address key science questions related to the Solid Earth and Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems focus areas of the NASA Science Mission Directorate. The HyspIRI TIR system will have 60m ground resolution, better than 200mK noise equivalent delta temperature (NEDT), 0.5C absolute temperature resolution with a 5-day repeat from LEO orbit. PHyTIR addresses the technology readiness level (TRL) of certain key subsystems of the TIR imager, primarily the detector assembly and scanning mechanism. PHyTIR will use Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) technology at the focal plane and operate in time delay integration mode. A custom read out integrated circuit (ROIC) will provide the high speed readout hence allowing the high data rates needed for the 5 day repeat. PHyTIR will also demonstrate a newly developed interferometeric metrology system. This system will provide an absolute measurement of the scanning mirror to an order of magnitude better than conventional optical encoders. This will minimize the reliance on ground control points hence minimizing post-processing (e.g. geo-rectification computations).


Sports analysts often say that the quarterback is the most important and impactful position in American professional sports. Because of this popular opinion, each season a disproportionately large number of college quarterbacks are drafted into the National Football League (NFL), making at a minimum $435,000, but most making substantially more. However, of the 21 quarterbacks drafted in the first 2 rounds in the past 5 NFL drafts, only 12 threw 100 or more passes in the 2015 NFL season, suggesting that a large number of these players were drafted earlier than their talent warranted. Although finding a great quarterback can arguably help a team more than any other position, other positions can be safer bets in the draft and drafting a quarterback too early and overpaying said quarterback can set an NFL franchise back for years. In this thesis we will present a series of models, each modeling a different element of information relevant to quarterback success in the NFL in an attempt to explain what NFL teams are currently looking for in quarterback prospects and what may be a better way of judging a quarterback prospect. Index words: Quarterback, National Football League, NFL Draft, Tobit Regression Modeling NFL Quarterback Success with College Data


Background: Cells continuously produce free radicals (FR) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) as part of metabolic processes. These free radicals are neutralized by an elaborate antioxidant defence system consisting of enzymes. An imbalance between ROS / FR and antioxidants is often referred to as oxidative stress and is involved in the pathogenesis of various disorders including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes and several types of cancer (Campbell et al. 2010). Selenium (Se), as part of the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) family of enzymes, has the ability to detoxify these ROS / FR, increasing protection against this stress. Regular training has been shown to increase antioxidant capacity; it is through adaptation that increased antioxidant capacity may alleviate oxidative stress. Objectives: The present investigation is designed to test the hypothesis that Se supplementation and / or regular High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can alleviate exercise - induced oxidative stress following a single bout of HIIT. Design: Randomised Open Label Trial. Method: Twenty-two healthy female participants, who participated in intermittent sports, were recruited. In a randomised manner, participants were equally allocated to either a Se only group (250 ug sodium selenite/day) or a Se + HIIT group (250 ug sodium selenite / day + 2 sessions HIIT / week) for 3 weeks. Measures of fitness, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in plasma and red blood cells (RBC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed before and after an initial (baseline) and last bout of HIIT. Results: No statistically significant changes were identified for any of the measured markers of oxidative stress or antioxidant capacity, although a number of trends toward altered activity were noted. Following the intervention, Se + HIIT group demonstrated a 9% decrease in MDA response to a single bout of HIIT, whilst the Se only group decreased by 12%. GPx3Activity in plasma increased by 15% in the Se group and decreased in the Se + HIIT group by 2% pre to post intervention. Additionally, GPx1 Activity in RBC increased in both groups by 6% and 2% respectively. TAC elicited similar responses increasing by 40% in the Se + HIIT group and 66% in the Se only group. Furthermore, there was an improvement in a number of fitness components in the HIIT trained group post intervention, namely speed and maximal aerobic capacity. Conclusion: This is the first study to examine the impact of HIIT and/or Se supplementation on oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in active females. Whilst there were no significant differences observed, there were some promising trends highlighting a potential benefit of Se (and possibly HIIT) in reducing oxidative stress and increasing antioxidant status post high intensity interval exercise in females engaged in intermittent sports.


Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP) have significant potential to reduce carbon emissions. The performance of heat pumps is highly dependent on their interaction with the ground and specifically the extraction and injection of the heat. A number of literature reviews has shown how the performance of GSHP systems vary in practice when compared to the theoretical aspects. This paper provides detailed investigative work on heat metering installation difficulties and associated errors which affect the long term practical performance of GSHP systems. Particularly, incorrect installation of heat meters is a sensitive issue for a heat metering scheme designed to evaluate the performance of any heating technology since it's likely that they will bias the readings. The findings obtained from this work confirm a range of generic installation problems that the refrigeration, air condition and heat pump (RACHP) industry is currently facing. The findings obtained from this study provide useful information for design and implementation of future GSHP systems in terms of improving energy efficiency as well as reducing costs. This study has identified a range of installation errors which include (i) temperature sensors being incorrectly positioned and/or installed (ii) incorrect selection of heat meters (iii) type of thermocouple pockets and (iv) poorly insulated sensors, all of which have contributed to an uncertainty error of ±20% of the system performance.


: The arterial oxygen pressure (PAO2) and the arterial carbon dioxide pressure (PACO2) are the mirror of the whole stage in alveolar ventilation, because there is a numerical correlation between them, in the alveolar air equation. In our material no difference was found when the respiratory cocient is used to calculate the equation modifying the PACO2 value. On the other hand, the PaO depends on a great amount of variables, i.e., the rationship V/Q. Qs/Qt and the arteriovenous oxygen difference in volume percentage, which reflect the functional stage of the gaseous interchange; other variables depend essentially of technical factors as the methodology used in the obtention and management of the samples and the measurement of the PAO2 at the laboratory. Thus, the alveolo-arterial oxigen Difference delta (A-a)O2 is considered as a mirror of the fluctuations in gaseous interchange, only if the alveolar ventilation the cardiac output, the systemic arterial-vein oxygen difference and in minor importance the respiratory cocient (RP remain constant. The delta (A-a)O2 is not always correlated with other parameters far from the gaseous interchange at lung level in the critically ill patient, for this, it has not a pronostic mecaning by itself. Nevertheless, we believe that delta (A-a)O2 continues being a useful measurement to evaluate the gaseous interchange if at the same time all the factors which may have influence in it are analysed. We consider, for trying to be simple in the management of the acute respiratory failure at the bedside that the (A-a)O2 must not be linked to only one parameter of the respiratory function, i.e. the intrapulmonar veno-arterial shunt, without considering the cardiac output and the systemic arterial-vein oxygen difference.


The computational experiments in the ship fluid mechanics involve the nonstationary interaction of a ship hull with wave surfaces that include the formation of vortices, surfaces of jet discontinuities, and discontinuities in the fluid under the influence of negative pressure. These physical phenomena occur not only near the ship hull, but also at a distance where the waves break as a result of the interference of the sea waves with waves reflected from the hull. In the study reported here we simulate the wave breaking and reflection near the ship hull. The problem reduces to determining the wave kinematics on the moving boundary of a ship hull and the free boundary of the computational domain. We build a grid of large particles having the form of a parallelepiped and, in the wave equation instead of the velocity field we integrate streams of fluid represented by functions as smooth as the wave surface elevation field. We assume that within the boundaries of the computational domain the waves do not disperse, i.e. their length and period stay the same. Under this assumption, we simulate trochoidal Gerstner waves of a particular period. This approach allows to simulate the wave breaking and reflection near the ship hull. The goal of the research is to develop a new method of taking the wave reflection into account in the ship motion simulations as an alternative to the classic method which uses added masses.


Urinary bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with the highest incidence in industrialized countries. Patients with cancer commonly use unconventional and complementary therapy including nutraceuticals. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of chitooligosaccharides (in orange juice) in rat bladder cancer chemoprevention and as therapeutic agent, on a rat model of urinary bladder carcinogenesis induced with N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine. Results indicate that chitooligosaccharides may have a preventive effect on bladder cancer development and a curative effect upon established bladder tumors, dependent on the concentration ingested 500 mg/kg b.w., every three days, showed capacity to inhibit and prevent the proliferation of bladder cancer; however, this was associated with secondary effects such as hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia. The use of lower doses (50 and 250 mg/kg b.w.) showed only therapeutic effects. It is further suggested that this antitumor effect might be due to its expected anti-inflammatory action, as well as by mechanisms not directly dependent of COX-2 inhibition, such as cellular proliferation control and improvement in antioxidant profile.


Many salmonids express multiple behavioural forms within the same population, representing an evolutionary adaptation to a heterogeneous environment. For bull trout, resident and migratory forms co-occur in streams, but it is unknown whether the two forms assortatively mate. We assessed genetic differentiation between resident and migratory bull trout (using eight microsatellite loci) in the South Fork Walla Walla River. We PIT-tagged and fin-clipped bull trout and assigned individuals to behavioural subpopulations based on movement patterns. The pair-wise FST value between resident and migratory subpopulations (0.0037) was statistically insignificant, and individual-based analyses of structure using both multivariate and Bayesian approaches showed a lack of genetic structure within the population. These results have important implications for assessing population status and management; while the population may be managed as a single reproductive unit, the phenotypic variation within this population may have fitness consequences and thus merits conservation.


This paper deals with the nature of product development and the impact of accounting practices on such developments. Through an in-depth case study at ABB Robotics we extend Dubois and Araujo's (2006) work on distributed product development. We find that distributed product development encompasses a mix of hierarchical and collective systems integration, planning and improvising. We thereby contribute to the emerging literature on distributed product development by highlighting the combinations of the hierarchical view (c.f. Brusoni et al, 2001) and the interactive view (c.f. Dubois and Araujo, 2006) We also show how a financial logic, captured through target costing, influences many of the pragmatic decisions concerning technical and organisational interfaces in distributed product development processes. We therefore argue that the literature on distributed product development could be extended by making the financial logic explicit and treating it on the same level as the technical logic and the organizational logic inherent in the development processes. Distributed product development is about reaching viable compromises between technical, organisational and financial features. Target costing was also found to have different roles in distributed product development. During hierarchical systems integration, target costing functioned as a hierarchical planning and evaluation technique. During collective systems integration, target costing was used to give focus to joint problem-solving, to aid knowledge integration, as well as to guide the creation of consensus around prioritisations.


Disorders in the system of blood aggregation state control (BASC) reflects the severity of OPH-gestosis (edema, proteinuria, hypertension). The duration of the therapeutic effect of the applied antithrombotics has not been studied essentially. The parameters and duration of the effective responses in the BASC system after a single dose of aspirin, curantyl, and nicotinic acid were studied in 45 females with OPH-gestosis of moderate severity. The deaggregation effect of aspirin lasted 48 h, that of nicotinic acid persisted for 7 h., the effect of curantyl developed in 72 h. and lasted 24 h. The prescription of individually selected and controlled doses of activators of fibrinolysis and deaggregants makes it possible to abolish disorders of the BASC system in pregnant females with OPH-gestosis of moderate severity.


The elastic properties of soft tissues are closely related to their structure, biological conditions, and pathology. For years, physicians have used palpation as a crude elasticity measurement tool to diagnose diseases in the human body. Based on this simple concept, but using modern technology, several elasticity imaging schemes have been developed during the past two decades. In this paper, we present two elasticity imaging methods that use a low-frequency (Hz to kHz range) harmonic force to excite the tissue. The first method, called magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), uses a phase sensitive magnetic resonance technique to detect tissue motion. Excitation is usually performed with a mechanical actuator on the surface of the body, although other excitation methods are possible. In the second method, called vibro-acoustography, the radiation force from focused ultrasound is used for excitation in a limited region within the tissue. Tissue motion is detected by measuring the acoustic field emitted by the object in response to the vibration. The resulting images in both methods can be related to the dynamics of the object at the excitation frequency. The spatial resolution of MRE and vibro-acoustography images is in the millimeter and sub-millimeter ranges, respectively. Here, we present the theory and physical principles of MRE and vibro-acoustography and describe their performances. We also present results of experiments on various human tissues, including breast, brain, and vessels. Finally, we discuss potential clinical application of these two imaging methods.


With the growing availability of data within various scientific domains, generative models hold enormous potential to accelerate scientific discovery. They harness powerful representations learned from datasets to speed up the formulation of novel hypotheses with the potential to impact material discovery broadly. We present the Generative Toolkit for Scientific Discovery (GT4SD). This extensible open-source library enables scientists, developers, and researchers to train and use state-of-the-art generative models to accelerate scientific discovery focused on material design.


This article describes how I created a collection of lamps made of folded sheets of material using helical triangle tessellations, which are also called Nojima patterns. I started by working with a periodic helical triangle pattern to fold a piece of light art that is shaped in a hexagonal column. I continued by modifying the periodic pattern into a semi-periodic design by adding variations so that the tessellation could be folded into a light art that is shaped in a twisted column. I further developed tessellations that consisted of self-similar helical triangles by using a geometric construction method. These self-similar helical triangles form algorithmic spirals. I folded the tessellation design into a work of light art that is shaped in a conical hexagonal form.


Houston is known for its lack of Euclidean-style zoning, but the city still has various ordinances that control land use. In 1998, Houston reformed its subdivision rules to allow for parcels smaller than five thousand square feet citywide. In this paper, we discuss the unique land-use rules in place in Houston prior to reform and the circumstances that led to reform, including the "opt out" provisions, which mediated homeowner opposition to substantial increases in housing density. We then analyze the effects of reform. After relief from large lot requirements, post-reform development activity was heavily concentrated in middle-income, less dense, underbuilt neighborhoods.


The use of intraarticular steroids was evaluated in 15 children with chronic pauciarticular juvenile arthritis. Of the 25 joints injected, 23 responded favorably. At the 6-month check-up, 65% remained in remission. One year after injection, 42% maintained a good response. The beneficial effect of the injection was not associated with age, sex, erythrosedimentation or arthritis duration. A small atrophic lesion in the area of the injection in one patient was the only complication.


Metal impurities are known to degrade dramatically the performances of silicon-based devices, even at concentrations as low as 1012 cm-3. A specific process, named proximity gettering, has been optimised by some authors in order to reduce the influence of these impurities [1]. This process consists in the building of a favourable impurity trapping zone in a non-active area of the device, by introducing implantation defects. This paper reports on the application of introducing such gettering sites as an approach to control phonon properties in 4H-SiC epilayer, and increase the thermal conductivity.


Overtaking is one of the most challenging tasks in driving, and the current solutions to autonomous overtaking are limited to simple and static scenarios. In this paper, we present a method for behaviour and trajectory planning for safe autonomous overtaking. The proposed method optimizes the trajectory by simultaneously enforcing safety and minimizing intrusion onto the adjacent lane. Furthermore, the method allows the overtaking to be aborted, enabling the autonomous vehicle to merge back in the lane, if safety is compromised, because of e.g. traffic in opposing direction appearing during the maneuver execution. A finite state machine is used to select an appropriate maneuver at each time, and a combination of safe and reachable sets is used to iteratively generate intermediate reference targets based on the current maneuver. A nonlinear model predictive controller then plans dynamically feasible and collision-free trajectories to these intermediate reference targets. Simulation experiments demonstrate that the combination of intermediate reference generation and model predictive control is able to handle multiple behaviors, including following a lead vehicle, overtaking and aborting the overtake, within a single framework.


In the present thesis, advanced driver assistance systems are viewed as instances of cognitive support systems when the driving task is shared between driver and assistance systems that monitor and infer driver's behavior, complement the driver with information and warnings or even co-control the vehicle.

It is suggested to support the design and research process of such systems with humans simulating the support behavior (emulation, cf. Wizard of Oz technique). Accordingly, the potential of emulation as a simulation alternative and research tool was validated and explored experimentally.

On the one hand, emulation enables short, premature and flexible design iterations, including the ability to explore design solutions without the need for a fully functioning prototype (e.g. bypassing the difficulty or inability to automate perceptual abilities).

On the other hand, it suggests an approach where humans observing or assisting other humans become the subject at hand, i.e. the innate human ability to monitor and infer other's needs and intentions might provide valuable information about the cues and strategies that are used in human-human
cooperation.

Such insights might have the potential to contribute to the development of new technologies, both in terms of sensing human behavior in a variety of situations and in terms of providing relevant information or support (in various modalities).


Many countries have had to tackle escalating youth unemployment in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008, but compared with other countries in the European Union, youth unemployment has increased particularly sharply in Sweden. Currently, Swedish 20-24 year olds are more than three times as likely to be unemployed than are adult workers, which is the greatest such ratio within the EU-15. The bulk of youth unemployment spells starts directly after upper secondary school ends, which in turn suggests special attention should be directed to the interaction of vocational education and labor markets. This paper discusses in the light of international research findings how to ease the transition from school into the labor market for vocational students. The evidence discussed in the paper centers on which educational structures lead to good labor market outcomes for vocational students and especially what we know about the relative merits of workplace- and school-based education and the role of employer contacts.


This article addresses the question of whether foreign sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) should serve as a model for the United States in managing the Social Security Trust Fund. The last ten years has seen a significant shift in the way countries manage public pension and social insurance reserve funds. Rather than invest solely in government bonds, many countries now use modern portfolio techniques to diversify assets and earn higher rates of return for their reserve funds. Even after considering the losses incurred during the 2007-2009 financial crisis, some funds have managed competitive returns. Well-run funds include those found in Canada, New Zealand, Norway and Australia. Curiously, the U.S. has not followed suit even though the long-term benefits of a diversified portfolio are well-known. The reason for this economically irrational behavior is likely rooted in political beliefs about the role of government as an owner of private enterprise. Institutional studies suggest that the rules constraining government investment are not likely to change rapidly given the constraints of path dependence theory. However, the U.S. has seen incremental change in terms of attitudes towards government ownership of private enterprise. Many states run venture capital funds and government employee pension funds have been successful as apolitical state investment entities. Moreover, attitudes towards foreign SWFs have shifted from fear and anxiety over politically motivated investments to a greater acceptance of sovereign investors as wealth-maximizing entities. Crisis also drives change. The Social Security Trust Fund is now expected to be depleted by 2036. Diversifying the Trust Fund could eliminate as much as 30 percent of Social Security's funding deficit and do so without raising taxes or reducing benefits. Foreign sovereign wealth funds that were created for the purpose of funding national pension systems provide a model for the U.S. to form an independent entity that is apolitical yet able to be held accountable for its actions. As politicians grasp for solutions to Social Security's funding problems that minimize tax increases and benefit cuts, they should consider adopting the successful diversification models employed by other countries.


The overall decline of the HIV epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa conceals how the HIV burden has shifted to fall on areas that have been more difficult to reach. This review considers out-of-school youth, a category typically eluding interventions that are school-based. Our review of descriptive studies concentrates on the most affected region, Southern and Eastern Africa, and spans the period between 2000 and 2010. Among the relatively small but increasing number of studies, out-of-school youth was significantly associated with risky sexual behavior (RSB), more precisely with early sexual debut, high levels of partner concurrency, transactional sex, age-mixing, low sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV risk perception, a high lifetime number of partners, and inconsistent condom use. Being-in-school not only raises health literacy. The in-school (e.g., age-near) sexual network may also be protective, an effect which the better-studied (and regionally less significant) variable of educational attainment cannot measure. To verify such double effect of being-in-school we need to complement the behavioral research of the past decade with longitudinal cohort analyses that map sexual networks, in various regions.


Dedicated to Minimal Invasive Surgery MIS particularly in spine for vertebroplasty, the surgeons and radiologists ask for improvement of radio opacity, to be sure of the injection site, and to prevent injection in blood vessels. MBCP Gel® is an Injectible biomaterial non self hardening, the biomaterials consists of BCP granules associated with a hydrosoluble polymer. These materials have been shown to be perfectly biocompatible and potentially resorbable and, thanks to their initial plasticity, they assume the shape of the bone defects very easily, eliminating the need to shape the material to adjust to the implantation site. MBCP gels do not have mechanical properties like the hydraulic bone cements. However bone cells are able to invade the spaces created by the disappearance of the polymer carrier. Bone ingrowth takes place all around the granules at the expense of the resorption of the BCP granules. In time, the mechanical property is increased due to the presence of the newly formed bone. This study demonstrates an improvement of MBCP gel by freeze drying and reconstitution using iodine solution or sterile water in a classical model of rabbit bone defects.


Purpose: The preoperative prediction of malignant potential in patients with gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs) plays an important role in decisions regarding their surgical management. Methods: We evaluated the predictors of malignant gastric SMTs in 314 patients with gastric SMTs who underwent surgery in Chonnam National University Hospital. Results: The malignant SMTs were significantly associated with age (odds ratio [OR], 1.067; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.042 to 1.091; P < 0.0001), presence of central ulceration (OR, 2.690; 95% CI, 1.224 to 5.909; P = 0.014), and tumor size (OR, 1.791; 95% CI, 1.483 to 2.164; P < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that tumor size was a good predictor of malignant potential. The most relevant predictor of malignant gastric SMT was tumor size with cut-offs of 4.05 and 6.40 cm. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that age, central ulceration, and tumor size were significant preoperative predictors of malignant SMTs. We suggest that 4 cm be selected as a threshold value for malignant gastric SMTs. In patients with a gastric SMT larger than 4 cm with ulceration, wide resection of the full thickness of the gastric wall or gastrectomy with adequate margins should be performed because of its malignant potential.


The inferior cycle performance of All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) resulting from the low mixed ionic and electronic conductivity in the electrodes, as well as the large interfacial resistance between the electrodes and the electrolyte need to be overcome urgently for commercial applications. Here, an advanced cell construction strategy has been proposed, in which a cohesive and highly conductive poly(oxyethylene) (PEO)-based electrolyte is employed both in the cathode layer and in the interface of the electrolyte/anode, leading to an ASSLB with superior interfacial contact between the electrolyte and the electrodes, and forming a three-dimensional ionic conductive network in the cathode layer. Especially, the NASICON-type ionic conductor covered with the PEO-based polymer, integrating the advantages of an inorganic electrolyte and organic electrolyte, presents an enhanced electrochemical stability and an excellent compatibility with the Li electrode. Consequently, the ASSLBs of LiFePO4 (LFP)/Li with this advanced construction strategy exhibit excellent interfacial compatibility, ultralong cycle life and high capacity, i.e., a reversible discharge capacity maintained at 127.8 mA h g−1 for the 1000th cycle at 1C with a retention of 96.6%, and an initial discharge capacity of 153.4 mA h g−1 with a high retention of 99.9% after 200 cycles at 0.1C. Besides, the high-voltage monopolar stacked batteries with a bipolar structure can be fabricated conveniently, showing an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 6.63 V with a good cycle performance. In particular, the ASSLBs present outstanding safety in terms of nail penetration and burning in fire. Therefore, this advanced cell construction strategy may generate tremendous opportunities in the search for novel emerging solid-state lithium metal batteries.


The space-time radar problem is well suited to the application of techniques that take advantage of the low-rank property of the space-time covariance matrix. It is shown that reduced-rank (RR) methods outperform full-rank space-time adaptive processing (STAP) when the space-time covariance matrix is estimated from a data set with limited support. The utility of RR methods is demonstrated by theoretical analysis, simulations and analysis of real data. It is shown that RR processing has two opposite effects on the performance: increased statistical stability which tends to improve performance, and introduction of a bias which lowers the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). A method for evaluating the theoretical conditioned SNR for fixed RR transforms is also presented. It Is shown that while best performance is obtained using data-dependent transforms, the loss incurred by the application of fixed transforms (such as the discrete cosine transform) may be relatively small. The main advantage of fixed transforms is the availability of efficient computational procedures for their implementation. These findings suggest that RR methods could facilitate the development of practical, real-time STAP technology.


Abstract Fractures provide pathways for fluids and solutes through crystalline rocks and low permeability materials, thus playing a key role in many subsurface processes and applications. In small aperture fractures, solute transport is strongly impacted by the coupling of electrical double layers at mineral–fluid interfaces to bulk ion transport. Yet, most models of flow and transport in fractures ignore these effects. Solving such coupled electrohydrodynamics in realistic three-dimensional (3-D) fracture geometries poses computational challenges which have so far limited our understanding of those electro-osmotic effects' impact. Starting from the Poisson–Nernst–Planck–Navier–Stokes (PNPNS) equations and using a combination of rescaling, asymptotic analysis and the Leibniz rule, we derive a set of nonlinearly coupled conservation equations for the local fluxes of fluid mass, solute mass and electrical charges. Their solution yields the fluid pressure, solute concentration and electrical potential fields. The model is validated by comparing its predictions to the solutions of the PNPNS equations in 3-D rough fractures. Application of the model to realistic rough fracture geometries evidences several phenomena hitherto not reported in the literature, including: (i) a dependence of the permeability and electrical conductivity on the fracture walls' charge density, (ii) local (sometimes global) flow reversal, and (iii) spatial heterogeneities in the concentration field without any imposed concentration gradient. This new theoretical framework will allow systematically addressing large statistics of fracture geometry realizations of given stochastic parameters, to infer the impact of the geometry and various hydrodynamic and electrical parameters on the coupled transport of fluid and ions in rough fractures.


We show that the jet structure of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can be investigated with the tail emission of the prompt GRB. The tail emission that we consider is identified as a steep decay component of the early X-ray afterglow observed by the X-Ray Telescope on board Swift. Using a Monte Carlo method, we derive for the first time the distribution of the decay index of the GRB tail emission for various jet models. The new definitions of the zero of time and the time interval of a fitting region are proposed. These definitions for fitting the light curve lead us to a unique definition of the decay index, which is useful to investigate the structure of the GRB jet. We find that if the GRB jet has a core-envelope structure, the predicted distribution of the decay index of the tail has a wide scatter and multiple peaks, which cannot be seen for the case of the uniform and the Gaussian jet. Therefore, the decay index distribution gives us information about the jet structure. Especially if we observe events whose decay index is less than about 2, both the uniform and the Gaussian jet models will be disfavored, according to our simulation study.


We take one of the first steps towards developing a practical, statically-typed, functional, aspectoriented programming language by showing how to integrate polymorphism and type analysis with aspectoriented programming features. In particular, we demonstrate how to define type-safe polymorphic advice using pointcuts that unify a collection of polymorphic join points. We also introduce a new mechanism for specifying context-sensitive advice that involves pattern matching against the current stack of activation records, and meshes well with functional programming idioms. We give our language meaning via a type-directed translation into an expressive, but fairly simple, type-safe intermediate language. Many complexities of the source language are eliminated in this translation, leading to a modular specification of its semantics. One of the novelties of the intermediate language is the definition of polymorphic labels for marking control-flow points. These labels are organized in a tree structure such that a parent in the tree serves as a representative for the collection of all its children. Type safety requires that the type of each child is a generic instance of the type of the polymorphic parent. Similarly, when a set of labels is assembled as a pointcut, the type of each label is an instance of the type of the pointcut.


The photochemistry of a cyclic β-thioxoketone (2-methyl-1-(2-thioxycyclohexyl)propan-1-one (MTPO)) is investigated by NMR, UV, and IR experiments supported by DFT calculations. MTPO exists as a tautomeric mixture of an enol and a thiol form. Irradiation at low temperature led to a cis–trans isomerization of the thiol form resulting in a rather unusual enethiol (3). This is followed by a transfer of the isopropyl methine proton onto the carbonyl carbon resulting in yet another enethiol isomer (4). The photoconversion mechanisms without water present are discussed. Photochemical experiments at ambient temperature showed involvement of water in the excited state and resulted in another keto-form (5). The same species was also obtained when the products of the low temperature experiments were kept in the dark at ambient temperature.


Frozen shoulder (FS) is characterized by pain and limited range of motion (ROM). Inflammation and fibrosis are accepted as main pathologic processes associated with the development of FS. However, the intrinsic mechanisms underlying pathologic fibrosis remain unclear. We aimed to elucidate the key molecules involved in pathologic fibrosis and explore new therapeutic targets for FS. Synovial fibroblasts isolated from patient biopsies were identified using immunofluorescence. Western blotting, RT-qPCR, cell adhesion tests, and would-healing assays were used to evaluate the fibrosis-related functions of synovial fibroblasts. Elevated cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) expression was detected in FS using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Salvianolic acid b (SaB) inhibited CD36, blocking synovial fibroblast-induced inflammation and fibrosis. Our RNA-seq data showed that knocking down CD36 dramatically impaired the capacity of synovial fibroblasts for cell adhesion and that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway may be crucial to the fibrotic process of FS. By up-regulating CD36 and inhibiting the phosphorylation of Akt, we demonstrated that CD36 promotes pathologic fibrosis by activating the PI3k-Akt pathway. Finally, rats treated with SaB had improved ROM and less collagen fiber deposition than the FS model group. Conclusion: SaB attenuates inflammation and inhibited the CD36-mediated activation of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway to block pathologic fibrosis of FS in vitro and in vivo models.


The present study deals with the formulation and evaluation of Orodispersible tablets (ODT) of Naratriptan, a typical Antimigraine drug which is highly appropriate as it has ease of administration for mentally ill, disabled and uncooperative patients. ODTs have better patient acceptance, compliance, improved biopharmaceutical properties and efficacy compared with conventional oral dosage forms as they quickly disintegrate/dissolve/disperse in saliva. In the present research work, an attempt was made to design ODTs by addition of super disintegrants. Experimental design was run with four batches containing different concentration of super disintegrants. The optimization results revealed that the effect of super disintegrants result in good disintegration profile of 7-8sec (Ideal ODT should disintegrate within 1min), dissolution profile shows that more than 90% of the drug releases within 10 minutes, and good dispersion pattern. Crospovidone (5%) and Croscarmellose sodium (4%) are better super disintegrants. The formula F4 possesses good disintegration and dissolution profile with additions of super disintegrants. The prepared tablets by direct compression using super disintegrants pass all the quality control tests and FTIR studies reveal that there is no interaction between drug and excipients. This method can also be used to prepare ODTs of antiemetics, antiallergics, and cardiovascular agents etc which needs rapid onset of action. Thus, faster disintegration and dissolution of Naratriptan ODT may give better therapy for the treatments of Migraine.


This study is related to the improvement of the output impedance of the buck converter by means of introducing an additional power path that virtually increases the output capacitance during transients. It is well known that in voltage regulation module applications, with wide load steps, voltage overshoots and undershoots may lead to undesired performance of the load. To solve this problem, high-bandwidth high-switching-frequency power converters can be applied to reduce the transient time or a big output capacitor can be applied to reduce the output impedance. The first solution can degrade the efficiency by increasing switching losses of the MOSFETS, and the second solution is penalizing the cost and size of the output filter. The output impedance correction circuit, as presented here, is used to inject or extract a current n-1 times larger than the output capacitor current, thus virtually increasing n times the value of the output capacitance during the transients. This feature allows the usage of a low-frequency buck converter with smaller capacitor but satisfying the dynamic requirements.


Coronavirus infection, in other words, COVID-19, is a severe acute respiratory infection caused by a virus SARS-CoV-2 and is a topical problem of today. Every day the number of infected and died due to the complications resulted from the menacing disease is proliferating. At the moment, there is no specific therapy against the virus SARS-CoV-2, but various scientific and clinical studies are already underway, although obtaining effective vaccinations may still take many months. What is allicin? Allicin is an organic compound, that is generated from the interaction of alliinase enzyme with amino acid alliin during mechanical destruction of plant cells containing them. It features with a striking toxic effect on bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and parasites. Allicin easily passes through cell membranes and interacting with thiol groups in proteins alters cellular metabolism which leads to the death of infected cells. Once in healthy human cells, allicin is neutralized by glutathione tripeptide. The actions of viruses are based on submissively forcing the infected cells to produce their own genetic material and inherent protein. The infected cells become pathogenic and no longer able to produce their own proteins, including glutathione production that ceases. And this is what exactly could be used for the therapy of coronavirus infection. After all, without glutathione, infected cells already become sensitive to the toxic effects of allicin. But not everything is that straightforward. Since allicin is an unstable compound it can decompose quite quickly in the blood. How can we use allicin's remarkable properties to convey it to the infected cells and destroy them? To solve this problem, I suggest considering the useful experiment led by a recognized specialist in enzymology and protein chemistry, Aaron Rabinkov. He and his colleagues developed a method for the formation of allicin directly on the surface of a cancer cell without the need of transporting it through the destroying bloodstream. They accomplished this by means of a carrier - a monoclonal antibody, that transported alliinase to the surface of cancer cells, and alliin reached them through the blood. This original approach can also be applied to the treatment of coronavirus infection COVID-19. So, here is another proposition of the combat against dangerous coronavirus, and its effectiveness can only be confirmed by clinical studies. Let's hope that humanity will soon gain its next victory in the long fight against different diseases.


LiFePO4 is an important base material for generation of new batteries. One of the important developments is its use in the form of a solid glass, which allows an increase in the electrical conductivity after the high-pressure process. Such a treatment allows full control of the vitrification and nanocrystallization processes as well. This report shows the basic reference for the pressure dependence of the glass transition temperature. The unique behavior has been proven with a maximum of Tg (P) already at moderate pressures. The protocol for depicting the resulting evolution is as follows: it enables a reliable extrapolation beyond the experimental domain. The importance of the presented results for the general topic of glass transition physics is also remarkable due to the scant evidence of the existence of systems with clearly inverted vitrification under compression.


To position the tourism offering of the Municipality of Lovran, it must be adjusted to the modern needs of tourists. In this, a key role belongs to designing, implementing and sustaining an experience system as part of the destination's integrated tourism product. Lovran as a tourist destination can become distinctive only to the extent to which it can provide services and facilities capable of satisfying the travel needs and motivations of tourists. When designing an experience system, the destination is generally in the focus of interest. This paper, however, takes a closer look at the thematization of beaches that are a part of Lovran's tourism offering. Previous tourism development in Lovran has first and foremost been centred on the summer months when the sun, sea and beaches are the primary motivation for tourist arrivals. Lovran as a tourist destination, together with its beaches, provides opportunities that have yet to be fully valorised with regard to implementing the experience system in beaches. In this respect, the paper aims to highlight the need for beach thematization. Beach thematization is carried out in accordance with the vision of the destination to ensure the optimal distribution of bathers and to satisfy their preferences. A new classification of beaches is made according to the Bathing Area Registration and Evaluation (BARE) system, which is adjusted to the needs of the market. The BARE system categorises beaches based on their accessibility and coastal scenery. The purpose of the paper is to analyse beaches in Lovran and, in accordance with a beach's potential, to propose a theme (eco beach, romantic beach, beach for families with children, etc.) for each one, based on the Regional Program for the Adaptation and Management of Seaside Beaches in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. The authors conclude that beaches have a primary importance for most tourists as well as residents, making it essential to respect their physical, social and ecological carrying capacities.


Structural composite components of several centimeters thickness are increasingly used in the energy industry. Consequently, the demand for more reliable and sensitive nondestructive testing techniques for such structures is also rising. In the case of ultrasonic testing, lower test frequencies are often used to temper prominent effects like scattering or absorption in thicker polymer matrix composites. This facilitates the inspection but also reduces the sensitivity to small reflectors. Novel array reconstruction algorithms such as the total focusing method (TFM) counteract this issue. Recent studies of our group demonstrated that modifications of the TFM are necessary to reconstruct full matrix capture (FMC) acquired data for carbon fiberreinforced polymers (CFRP). First, constructive superposition of reflector signals is achieved by considering the anisotropic sound velocity within the material. Second, the noticeably smaller divergence angle of a single-element transmission, compared to that in isotropic metals, should be taken into account. As a result, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the ultrasonic image and the detectability in the near-subsurface region (close to the transducer) is increased. This paper describes the successful application of an adapted TFM algorithm to image small artificial defects in a 20 mm thick CFRP laminate. Of particular concern is the evaluation of its imaging performance to reconstruct side-drilled holes (1.0 mm and 3.0 mm in diameter) located at different depths. The SNR and the spatial resolution of the reconstructed images are evaluated and optimized. Ultrasonic imaging artifacts that occur in the TFM images are discussed. This contribution also addresses the challenge of inspecting thick and highly attenuative composites using the total focusing method. To this end, two similar arrangements of side-drilled holes for aluminum and CFRP were examined and their TFM results compared.


Background Chest pain is the second most common presenting complaint seen in the emergency department. Following evaluation in the emergency department, many of these patients are discharged with a diagnosis of nonspecific chest pain. Our hypothesis is that this group of patients has a high prevalence of ischaemic heart disease. Methods This was a prospective follow-up study of mortality in 786 patients who presented to an emergency department in the UK with an episode of nontraumatic chest pain and were discharged without further inpatient assessment. Observed mortality was compared with expected mortality in age-matched and sex-matched local population. Results The observed mortality of the study group was consistently higher than expected throughout the study period. The 5-year mortality rates for men and women under the age of 65 years were more than double the expected rates for the local population [relative risk of 2.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.4–2.8) and 2.6 (1.4–3.8), respectively]. This increase was less marked in male and female patients aged 65 years or more [relative risk of 1.2 (0.9–1.5) and 1.5 (1.2–1.8), respectively]. Ischaemic heart disease accounted for almost 50% of male deaths in the study group. This compared with an expected rate of less than 30% of male deaths in the local population. An excess of cardiac deaths was not seen in women. Interpretation Patients discharged from the emergency department following an episode of acute chest pain have significantly reduced 5-year survival. We conclude that further evaluation of this group to establish the prevalence of risk factors is important to support the strategic implementation of appropriate prevention programmes.


An asphalt-rubber hot mix asphalt (AR-HMA) design was created using a Superpave 12.5-mm gradation and #30(-)mesh crumb rubber at 20% total weight of the asphalt binder. At this point in time, asphalt rubber has only been used with HMA that contains a more open graded nature, such as open graded friction course (OGFC). However, OGFC is limited in its use due to its potential problems (i.e., clogging and winter maintenance). However, a 12.5-mm Superpave mix may be used on almost any roadway in New Jersey and is most commonly found as the surface course. It is used for both new construction and rehabilitation projects. Therefore, this mix type has the largest potential for usage, meaning that more tires can eventually be recycled. However, two factors need to be considered prior to acceptance: performance and cost. Four HMA mixes were constructed and tested in this study: three baseline mixes using a PG64-22, PG70-22, and a PG75-22 asphalt binder, and the AR-HMA mix which used crumb rubber blended with the same PG64-22 asphalt binder. The influence of crumb rubber particle size on the compaction properties during the mixture design procedure was also evaluated. This would provide a method of comparing the final mixture performance of different performance graded binders to the AR-HMA mix. This type of methodology of testing the mixtures is extremely important due to the necessity of ensuring the crumb rubber complying to the aggregate gradation volume limitations and how the crumb rubber interacts with this volume limitation under performance testing. Therefore, a number of different performance tests were conducted on the four different HMA mixes: 1) Asphalt Pavement Analyzer; 2) Repeated Load Permanent Deformation testing using the Simple Performance test specification; 3) Dynamic Modulus; 4) Repeated Shear at Constant Height; 5) Frequency Sweep at Constant Height; and 6) Simple Shear at Constant Height. The results from the mixture design portion concluded that to provide consistent compactibility when using crumb rubber in a 12.5-mm Superpave design, the maximum particle size should not be greater than a #30 mesh. The performance tests concluded that the AR-HMA mix performed as well as or better than the PG76-22 for every test conducted. For example, the dynamic modulus test results showed that the AR-HMA had similar stiffnesses to the PB76-22 at the high test temperatures, however, the AR-HMA had a much less stiffness at the low test temperature. This indicates that the AR-HMA mix design in this study will provide excellent rut resistance, while also providing excellent low temperature cracking resistance. Essentially, by adding the crumb rubber to the PG64-22, the working temperature range of the asphalt binder increased on both the high and low sides. Also, by performing similarly to the PB76-22, Bayshore Recycling now can establish a cost comparison using the difference in cost between a HMA with a PG64-22 and a PG76-22.


In this paper I analyze the special role of some linguistic resources to activate certain presuppositions in newspaper headlines Hispanic. The analysis of some focal particles (up to even one) will find that can highlight certain components of the holder, highlight certain information and to activate others that do not appear explicitly (for reasons of economy or because it is convenient not manifest). Similarly, we will give attention to some verbal forms and their role in referring expressions of presuppositional actuators. This work is part of the research project "The Spanish headlines Hispanic media: language standard, pragmatics, discourse"


Abstract The Petrobras America Inc. Cascade and Chinook fields are prototypical Gulf of Mexico deepwater (>8000 ft below sea level) Lower Tertiary Wilcox Trend oil fields with reservoirs starting at −25,000 ft subsea. The absence of production analogues for these high pressure, normal temperature fields with fine- to very-fine grained, low permeability, Paleogene sands required well production estimates to be based only on geologic computer models generated from analyzing well logs, pressures, fluids, conventional core, seismic 3D volumes, and structure maps. Although rock-physics studies indicated feasible lithology discrimination, very good well attribute versus quantitative seismic attribute correlations (such as acoustic impedance) have not been obtained, so far, for characterization of depositional packages. Consequently, an understanding of the geology was used to generate lithologic parameters. Studies of the core have found that the depositional environment is a lower submarine fan with toe-of-slope to basin distal fine-grained turbidite deposits in channelized and non-channelized lobes. Analogs from Tanqua Karoo as well as medial-to-distal turbidite fields have shown that, where erosion is limited, layers with higher thicknesses are related to high sand content (high net-to-gross ratio), lower shaliness or clay volume in the sandstones packages, and higher porosity and permeability values. This principle was used as the basic guidance for the properties distribution (high net-to-gross ratio, volume of clay, and porosity) in Cascade and Chinook field models. Permeability distribution was controlled by porosity distribution according to the facies distribution and under volume of clay control. Either the thickness or quality of the sand were used to determine the turbidite facies (i.e., proximal or distal; amalgamated or heterolithic). Gross isochore maps from the seismic interpretation helped populate sandy areas horizontally, while well logs helped populate lithologies vertically. The geology-based method described in this paper was reasonably effective in generating geology computer models with parameters that were useful for the reservoir engineering analysis.


We apply the theory of Takahashi and Tachiki in order to explain theoretically the dependence of the upper critical magnetic field of a S/N multilayer on the temperature. This problem has been already investigated in the literature, but with a use of an unphysical scaling parameter for the coherence length. We show explicitely that, in order to describe the data, such an unphysical parameter is unnecessary if one takes into account the boundary resisitivity of the S/N interface. We obtain a very good agreement with the experiments for the multilayer systems Nb/Cu and V/Ag, with various layer thicknesses.


Recycling plastic can abate the environmental pollution as well as CO2 emissions by saving the carbon-intensive feedstock input. The uncertain carbon price places significant effects on the establishment and operation of the whole supply chain. This study develops a green supply chain model combined with geographic information system (GIS) to account for carbon price uncertainty and evaluate its effects on the closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) of plastic recycling. A two-stage stochastic programming model is constructed, in which the stochastic variable, CO2 price is modelled as a geometric Brownian motion process. Six scenarios are designed with respect to price expectation and volatility. A case study is performed with the GIS information of the plastic supply chain in Zhejiang province, China. The results illustrate that triggering the establishment of reverse logistics requires a carbon price threshold significantly beyond the current level. Lower price volatility would facilitate the decision-making of investment into the reverse logistics. Mechanisms to alleviate the market variation shall be introduced. A sound market condition is desired to obtain the optimal balance that encourages the CLSC without creating extra pressure on the firms. The proposed modelling framework can be easily applied to other sectors with similar characteristics.


The novel frictional properties of hydrogenated DLC (Diamond-like Carbon) films have been reported for nearly ten years. But up to now, researchers still haven't known the exact mechanism resulting in the super-low frictional performance of hydrogenated DLC films. Especially they have little knowledge on the molecular configuration and structural properties of these kinds of films. In this paper, CH3 radicals with different impact energies are selected as source species to deposit DLC films on diamond (100) by molecular dynamics simulation. Results show hydrogenated DLC films can be successfully obtained when impact energy is in an appropriate scope that is no less than 20eV. The depositing processes involve impinging diamond surface and bonding procedure. Some atoms, instead of bonding with substrate atoms, fly away from the diamond surface. Only suitable impact energy can improve the growth of the film. Within 30eV to 60eV, the maximum deposition ratio is attained. In addition, when carbon atoms act as the deposition sources, the deposition ratio is relatively higher. Furthermore, the authors find that species with higher concentration of carbon atoms in deposition sources lead to a better deposition rate. Carbon atoms are more reactive than hydrogen atoms. Then the relative densities of DLC films are calculated. The density curves indicate that the structures of the films vary obviously as the impact energy augments. The average relative density is generally monotone increase with the increment of impact energy. The hybridization of carbon atoms greatly affects the properties of hydrogenated DLC films. The transition between sp2 and sp3 will result in the graphitization and reduce the frictional coefficient when DLC films are used as tribo-pair in friction.


Motivation Owing to the complexity of the assembly problem, we do not yet have complete genome sequences. The difficulty in assembling reads into finished genomes is exacerbated by sequence repeats and the inability of short reads to capture sufficient genomic information to resolve those problematic regions. Established and emerging long read technologies show great promise in this regard, but their current associated higher error rates typically require computational base correction and/or additional bioinformatics preprocessing before they could be of value. We present LINKS, the Long Interval Nucleotide K-mer Scaffolder algorithm, a solution that makes use of the information in error-rich long reads, without the need for read alignment or base correction. We show how the contiguity of an ABySS E. coli K-12 genome assembly could be increased over five-fold by the use of beta-released Oxford Nanopore Ltd. (ONT) long reads and how LINKS leverages long-range information in S. cerevisiae W303 ONT reads to yield an assembly with less than half the errors of competing applications. Re-scaffolding the colossal white spruce assembly draft (PG29, 20 Gbp) and how LINKS scales to larger genomes is also presented. We expect LINKS to have broad utility in harnessing the potential of long reads in connecting high-quality sequences of small and large genome assembly drafts. Availability http://www.bcgsc.ca/bioinformatics/software/links Contact firstname.lastname@example.com


Recurrent neural network language models (RNNLMs) have consistently outperformed n-gram language models when used in automatic speech recognition (ASR). This is because RNNLMs provide robust parameter estimation through the use of a continuous-space representation of words, and can generally model longer context dependencies than n-grams. The adaptation of RNNLMs to new domains remains an active research area and the two main approaches are: feature-based adaptation, where the input to the RNNLM is augmented with auxiliary features; and model-based adaptation, which includes model fine-tuning and introduction of adaptation layer(s) in the network. This paper explores the properties of both types of adaptation on multi-genre broadcast speech recognition. Two hybrid adaptation techniques are proposed, namely the finetuning of feature-based RNNLMs and the use of a feature-based adaptation layer. A method for the semi-supervised adaptation of RNNLMs, using topic model-based genre classification, is also presented and investigated. The gains obtained with RNNLM adaptation on a system trained on 700h. of speech are consistent using both RNNLMs trained on a small (10Mwords) and large set (660M words), with 10% perplexity and 2% word error rate improvements on a 28:3h. test set.


In two previous studies based on the survey, Life & Health Young 2005 in Orebro county 15-16 years old Hard-of-hearing (HH) students with some other disability (HHDIS) and HH with tinnitus (HHTINN) reported considerably higher scores for mental symptoms and substance use than adolescents 'just' HH or hearing adolescents. In order to replicate these findings we analysed the 2007 survey and included adolescents in grade 7, 9 and 2 in secondary school concerning substance use and depression. We also used reference data from the corresponding adult survey Life & Health 2008. In grade 9 HHDIS (2.0%) and HHTINN (2.0 %) both reported strongly increased rates of risky alcohol consumption (55/51% versus 13%), daily tobacco use (57/54% versus 10%) and depression (43/43% versus 14%) than hearing or ´just´ HH adolescents. Similar but less pronounced changes were present in grade 7 and grade 2. In HHDIS increased risk drinking was found until age 35, increased daily tobacco use until age 50 and increased depression until age 65. In HHTINN only rate of depression was increased in adult life. HHDIS and HHTINN thus are important targets for preventive measures. In addition tinnitus in young people can be a marker like disability of vulnerability.


Ecolabels are widely used to inform markets about credence attributes of products. We present the first analysis of ecolabel competition that allows labels to have multiple tiers (e.g., silver/gold/platinum). For either an industry association or an NGO sponsor in autarky, binary labels are preferred when a large enough share of producers have a low cost of quality and when cost heterogeneity across firms is limited; multitier labels are preferred when a large enough share of producers have a high cost of quality and when cost heterogeneity is substantial. The NGO implements welfare-maximizing standards under certain conditions; the industry never does. When sponsors with differing objectives compete, the unique equilibrium involves multitier labels, with less environmental protection than the NGO in autarky would provide. The multitier equilibrium is robust to endogenous entry by producers.


Cytokines play important roles in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Anti-TNFα antibody therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and psoriasis has made enough progress to change its treatment goal. This review focuses on the recent advances that have been made in understanding TNFR signaling through ubiquitin system. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified numerous susceptibility loci associated with autoimmune diseases. Ubiquitin related genes TNFAIP3 and TNIP1 have been linked to multiple autoimmune diseases. Here, we review the importance of TNFAIP3 and TNIP1-mediated regulation of ubiquitin-dependent signaling. To monitor the dynamics of ubiquitin chain formation in vivo, we have developed a polyubiquitin-mediated fluorescence complementation (PolyUb-FC) assay. The PolyUb-FC assay has the advantage that monoubiquitination is non-fluorescent and chain-specific poly-ubiquitination can be directly visualized in living cells without using antibodies. The PolyUb-FC will be a useful tool for analyzing the dynamics of polyubiquitin chain generation.


This study investigated the effect of teaching strategies on students' academic achievement and study attitude in Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management subject in Isabela State University-Jones Campus in light of Covid19. This experimental study employed true experimental designs having a randomized post-test-only; a mixed-method of research design both qualitative and quantitative forms were employed too. There were 82 participants involved in this study, 40 participants in Self-regulated learning (SRL) (asynchronous) for 2nd Year BSA 2 and the other section designated as e-learning (synchronous) for BSC 1 with 42 participants. It used statistical tools such as: mean (M) and standard deviation (SD), Pearson's correlation (r), analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and two-way independent analysis of variance (ANOVA). Major findings revealed that, on average, the students answered 60% of the items in the preliminary examination correctly, whereas students in asynchronous classes scored slightly higher than those in synchronous. There is no significant correlation between the academic achievement of the students and their study attitude. More so, there is a significant difference in the study attitude of the students across teaching strategies after controlling for academic achievement. It was found that after controlling for academic achievement, students in asynchronous lessons have significantly higher study attitudes compared to those in synchronous. Lastly, there is no significant difference in the academic achievement of the students across gender and year levels. Keywords: Education, Climate Change, Synchronous, Asynchronous


Report and presentation completed by students enrolled in PUBH 6630: Foundations of Maternal and Child Health, taught by Dr. Zobeida Bonilla in fall 2015.


The purpose of this paper is to investigate
that either individualists or collectivists employees are more innovative in
the public sector concerning knowledge sharing and organizational culture. The
study adopted quantitative research technique and data was collected through an
online survey. We collected data from a field study of 480 employees working in
Pakistan's two major public health institutions to test the study's hypotheses.
The study adopted a hierarchical linear regression model to test the
hypothesis. Our results show that there is a significant positive influence of
organizational-based knowledge sharing, individual-based knowledge sharing,
collectivism, and individualism on organizational innovative behavior in the
organizations. Furthermore, this study also found a significant positive impact
of collectivism and individualism as moderators on organizational innovative
behavior. Finally, this study concluded that collectivism has a higher positive
impact on organizational innovative behavior in comparison to individualism.


The primary aim of modern biorefineries is the efficient conversion of lignocellulosic materials into valuable products. Sugars and oils can be converted into valuable chemicals, but processing of lignin is still a challenge. A vast amount of lignin is incinerated to produce process steam and energy, and only a very small part is used for the production of value-added products. Technical lignins are isolated as by-streams in lignocellulosic refineries, e.g., as kraft, soda, organosolv, and hydrolysis lignins, as well as lignosulphonates. They have a modified structure and contain impurities that are dependent on the processing method. The structure and the composition of technical lignins restrict their subsequent applications. This paper reviews limiting factors in utilization of technical lignins. Four major classes of problems are identified, and approaches to overcoming these problems are suggested.


We present a Bayesian statistical approach to the problem of automatic program synthesis. Our synthesizer starts by learning, offline and from an existing corpus, a probabilistic model of real-world programs. During synthesis, it is provided some ambiguous and incomplete evidence about the nature of the programming task that the user wants automated, for example sets of API calls or data types that are relevant for the task. Given this input, the synthesizer infers a posterior distribution over type-safe programs that assigns higher likelihood to programs that, according to the learned model, are more likely to match the evidence. We realize this approach using two key ideas. First, our learning techniques operate not over code but syntactic abstractions, or sketches, of programs. During synthesis, we infer a posterior distribution over sketches, then concretize samples from this distribution into type-safe programs using combinatorial techniques. Second, our statistical model explicitly models the full intent behind a synthesis task as a latent variable. To infer sketches, we first estimate a posterior distribution on the intent, then use samples from this posterior to generate a distribution over possible sketches. We show that our model can be implemented effectively using the new neural architecture of Bayesian encoder-decoders, which can be trained with stochastic gradient descent and yields a simple inference procedure. We implement our ideas in a system, called Bayou, for the synthesis of API-heavy Java methods. We train Bayou on a large corpus of Android apps, and find that the trained system can often synthesize complex methods given just a few API method names or data types as evidence. The experiments also justify the design choice of using a latent intent variable and the levels of abstraction at which sketches and evidence are defined.


The article focuses on the basic tools of Russia-EU international cooperation, co-funded by the EU and Russia, such as cross-border, trans-border, and trans-national cooperation programmes, which can contribute to innovative, scientific and technological development. The author gives an overview of large-scale Russia-EU international cooperation projects in the field of innovations and comments on the cooperation programme running until the end of 2013. Special attention is paid to a special financial tool — the Framework Programme — one of the most important tools of financial support for joint projects in the fields of science and innovation with the EU participation. The article emphasises the opportunities for career growth and professional development for individual researchers in the field of innovation.


The aim of this study was to investigate the socio-demographic and cultural characteristics of modern hunters in Antalya province based on the data of the Game Management Information System (AVBIS) being overseen by and under control of the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye. According to the study results, the educational status of hunters was the following: the group with the primary school level made 7.8%, with the secondary school level made 4.5%, with the high school level made 9.9%, with the associate level made 0.6%, with the undergraduate level made 3.9%, with the master level made 2.7%, and with the unknown educational status were determined to be 70.06%. Considering the professional status, it was determined that 79,3% were of unknown status, 1.6% were retired persons, 3.4% were tradesmen, 1.6% were workers, 2.9% were public sector employees, 0.8% were students, 2.0% were employees from the private sector and 8.4% were self-employed persons. It was revealed that for gaming the hunters visited Aksu State Hunt, Serik State Hunt, and Gebiz State Hunt (3.29%) most frequently. The least preferred gaming areas were Gazipaşa Sıvastı Çığlık State Hunt and Kaş Asas Hunt (1.41%). Usually, hunters prefer to gun for common blackbird (Turdus merula L.) foremost (9.69%) and coot (Fulica atra L.) least of all (1.07%). As is evident from this study, socio-demographic profiles of hunters in Antalya province, Türkiye, and in Europe appears to be similar. However, a significant difference was observed in the number of women hunters registered. While the average number of women hunters in some European countries reached 10.5%, no women hunters were registered in Türkiye.
Keywords: game management, information system, hunter, game animals, wildlife, profile


Wine tourism is an area of growing interest because of its potential to contribute to regional development and employment at times of rural restructuring, particularly through the development of inter and intra industry networks. This paper provides a review of wine tourism, briefly discusses networks and their value, then analyses the development of wine tourism networks in Australia and New Zealand. The research indicates that although wine tourism network development is being actively encouraged, substantial difficulties exist because of the perception by many in the wine industry that they are not part of tourism. The paper concludes that while the development of new organisational structures to encourage wine tourism development are useful, they must be complimented by research on linkages, education of potential network members in order to close information gaps; and the development of network structures which maximise the overlap and linkages mat exists between the wine and tourism industries.


This paper presents a simple design method of discrete-time feedforward controllers that provide the overall transfer function with the following frequency characteristics. (i) The phase is equal to zero for all frequencies. (ii) The gain is equal to one at given frequencies. (iii) The error between the gain and unity for a given frequency range is minimized under given preview steps. The contributions of this paper are as follows. First, a new approach based on the spectral factorization is proposed and the class of all controllers satisfying the above conditions (i) and (ii) is parametrized using the solution of a Diophantine equation, i.e., the controller is obtained in an explicit form. With this explicit parametrization, the optimal feedforward controller is obtained by an ordinary least square method. The design method proposed in this paper is simple and straightforward, whereas the design method in previous result requires the solution of an optimization problem with troublesome inequality constraint and involves trial and error. Secondly, the frequencies at which the gain is made equal to unity can be chosen arbitrarily, while, in previous result, the frequency is restricted to zero. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed controller is demonstrated by simulation.


Using a sample of petroleum refining firms, this paper provides evidence that earnings sensitivity measures analogous to those mandated by the SEC's (1997) new market risk disclosure rules are positively associated with stock market determined oil price exposures. We also find that earnings sensitivity measures are useful in predicting future stock market determined oil price exposures. Because sensitivity disclosures under SEC (1997) are either unavailable or cross-sectionally not comparable at the present time, this study constructs proxies for earnings sensitivity measures using extant information. Hence, we view our study as providing early evidence on the risk-relevance of the newly mandated earnings sensitivity disclosures.


This article deals with the design of a technical diagnostics system for hydraulic rotators and the successful implementation of a unique hydraulic test bench. Based on an analysis of the design and function of all types of hydraulic rotators available on the world market, a system of requirements for the test bench and its place in the test centre was formulated. Furthermore, four diagnostic parameters from the group of deformation diagnostics and hydraulic systems diagnostics are proposed and used to evaluate the technical condition of the Indexator IR25 hydraulic rotator. For the evaluation of individual parameter values, a modified Shewhart control chart method is proposed for individual values and moving ranges of each parameter. Based on the measurements of 30 rotators, control limits were designed for statistical evaluation of the technical condition of the mentioned hydraulic rotator.


- Korea's household debt continues to be a major economic risk despite countermeasures, necessitating a thorough overhaul of the current macro-prudential management system. - The debt expanded to 1,514 trillion won in 3Q 2018 from a decade ago (713 trillion won in 2008), considerably exceeding the income growth during the same period. - The rapid increase suggests that past policy measures have been ineffective in achieving a soft landing. - This study adopts a political economy perspective to determine the obstacles to past macroprudential policies, which can be effective tools in terms of credit risk management, and suggests directions for improvement. - It was found that the more fixated policy makers are on the short-term gains in growth and employment, the less likely they are to seek macro-prudential policies for financial stability. - Short election cycles can narrow the horizon of policy decisions, hence policy makers often pursue those with immediate outcomes to earn the public's favor―even if they entail negative fallouts. - The failure to implement suitable and timely macro-prudential policies will increase the probability of a credit boom-driven crisis and restrict the scope of mid- to long-term economic policies. - To improve the macro-prudential management system, its institutional basis needs to be consolidated to prevent the policy horizon from becoming narrower. - An institutional mechanism should operate the macro-prudential management system in correspondence with the mid- to long-term preference of the national economy. - More practical measures should be considered and adopted which could strengthen public accountability and the operational independence of the macro-prudential management system.