This paper presents a novel approach to autonomous navigation for small UAVs, in which the vehicle dynamic model (VDM) serves as the main process model within the navigation filter. The proposed method significantly increases the accuracy and reliability of autonomous navigation, especially for small UAVs with low-cost IMUs on-board. This is achieved with no extra sensor added to the conventional INS/GNSS setup. This improvement is of special interest in case of GNSS outages, where inertial coasting drifts very quickly. In the proposed architecture, the solution to VDM equations provides the estimate of position, velocity, and attitude, which is updated within the navigation filter based on available observations, such as IMU data or GNSS measurements. The VDM is also fed with the control input to the UAV, which is available within the control/autopilot system. The filter is capable of estimating wind velocity and dynamic model parameters, in addition to navigation states and IMU sensor errors. Monte Carlo simulations reveal major improvements in navigation accuracy compared to conventional INS/GNSS navigation system during the autonomous phase, when satellite signals are not available due to physical obstruction or electromagnetic interference for example. In case of GNSS outages of a few minutes, position and attitude accuracy experiences improvements of orders of magnitude compared to inertial coasting. It means that during such scenario, the position-velocity-attitude (PVA) determination is sufficiently accurate to navigate the UAV to a home position without any signal that depends on vehicle environment.


Unpredictable disturbances and chattering are the major challenges of the robot manipulator control. In recent years, trajectory-tracking-based controllers have been recognized by many researchers as the most promising method to understand robot dynamics with uncertainties and improve robot control. However, reliable trajectory-tracking-based controllers require high model precision and complexity. To develop an agile and straightforward method to mitigate the impact caused by uncertain disturbance and chattering, this study proposed an adaptive neural network sliding mode controller based on the super-twisting algorithm. The proposed model not only can minimize the tracking error but also improve the system robustness with a simpler structure. Moreover, the proposed controller has the following two distinctive features: (1) the weights of the radial basis function (RBF network) are designed to be adjusted in real-time and (2) the prior knowledge of the actual robot system is not required. The analytical model of the proposed controller was proved to be stable and ensured by the Lyapunov theory. To validate the proposed model, this study also conducted a comparative simulation on a two-link robot manipulator system with the conventional sliding mode controller and the model-based controller. The results suggest the proposed model improved the control accuracy and had fewer chattering.


We report the detailed electronic structure of WTe2 by high resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We resolved a rather complicated Fermi surface of WTe2. Specifically, there are in total nine Fermi pockets, including one hole pocket at the Brillouin zone center Γ, and two hole pockets and two electron pockets on each side of Γ along the Γ-X direction. Remarkably, we have observed circular dichroism in our photoemission spectra, which suggests that the orbital angular momentum exhibits a rich texture at various sections of the Fermi surface. This is further confirmed by our density-functional-theory calculations, where the spin texture is qualitatively reproduced as the conjugate consequence of spin-orbital coupling. Since the spin texture would forbid backscatterings that are directly involved in the resistivity, our data suggest that the spin-orbit coupling and the related spin and orbital angular momentum textures may play an important role in the anomalously large magnetoresistance of WTe2. Furthermore, the large differences among spin textures calculated for magnetic fields along the in-plane and out-of-plane directions also provide a natural explanation of the large field-direction dependence on the magnetoresistance.


Contemporary football requires from players a high level of fitness and efficiency on the pitch. Match statistics display an increased number of short-term movements of high intensity. Due to the changes in the nature of this sports discipline, optimal proportions of shaping motor parameters in football training are sought for.
The aim of the research was to learn how plyometric training influences better results in long jump and decreased sprint time for the distance of 5m in a selected group of young players from Akademia Rakow Czestochowa football club.
24 football players from Akademia Rakow Czestochowa football club, aged 16–18, were subject of the research.
After using plyometric training, there were statistically relevant better results obtained, both in long jump (p < 0.001) and in a 5m sprint (p < 0.001). One could also notice negative correlation between the jump length and 5m sprint time. The obtained result was statistically relevant (p < 0.001).
The use of a selected set of plyometric exercises in supplementary football training in Akademia Rakow Czestochowa football club led to better results in long jump without a run-up and shortened 5 m distance sprint time. The results were observed already after 8 weeks of training.


This project focuses on optimization of the thermal part of a geothermal heat pump which is
supplemented by a solar energy system that produces both electricity and heat.
The geothermal or ground source heat pump consists (GSHP) of a water/water heat pump
connected to a ground loop. Even a very energy efficient GSHP is still an expensive heating
system because of the high energy taxes. Therefore this project focuses on optimizing the
thermal performance of the GSHP for a minimal electrical consumption and additionally has
the possibility of covering the rest of a households electrical consumption by means of solar
cells. This project is based upon simulation and numerical analysis in Engineering Equation
Solver (EES).
The solar energy system consists of PVT-panels (Photo Voltaic Thermal) which is hybrid
panels with solar cells that is cooled by a liquid. By cooling the solar cells, the electric
efficiency will increase because of the solar cells negative temperature dependent
characteristic of 0,4 – 0,5 %/°C. Without any cooling the solar cells easily reaches
temperatures as high as 70 °C which limits the efficiency to around 15 %. With ground
cooling the temperatures can be held at 40 °C or lower, and results in an electrical efficiency
up to about 20 %. On an annual basis the electrical output will be increased with 15 – 20 %.
The heat that is removed from the solar cells can be utilized, even though the temperature
level is much lower than what is used in the household, eg. hot water supply. This is done by
accumulating the heat in the ground as a result of circulation of the fluid from the ground
loop (up) through the solar panels. Depending on the soil conditions it is possible to store
the solar heat at least 1 – 3 months. The stored heat can contribute positively to the
efficiency of the heat pump which directly results in a decreased need of external supply of
electricity and hot water for either heating or domestic hot water usage.
By dimensioning the energy system correctly it is possible for a household to be selfsufficient
with both heat and electricity. The normal water supply is still needed, just as it will
be necessary to be on the grid to store the produced electricity for later use.
Facts:
- Geothermal heat pumps are one the most energy efficient heating sources on the
market, but due to high taxes on electricity it is not a cheap system in use.
- Due to restrictions in the maximum size in the electrical output of a solar energy
system it is interesting to optimize on the annual production of the system to cover
as much of the households electrical consumption as possible.
- Relatively small difference in the construction cost with and without cooling of the
solar cells.
- Geothermal heat pump combined with a hybrid solar energy system secure
independency of energy prices for at least 25 years.
- Increased electrical efficiency minimizes the need of roof space for the solar
panels.
References:
Truelsen, F. S. & Nygaard L. (2011) Integrated design and planning of BIPV/T for Solar
Decathlon 2012. Technical report, DTU


A theoretical design of a new broadband, Ka-band, microwave amplifier has been completed and is now presented. The device combines elements of traveling wave tubes and gyrotrons, producing a 5% instantaneous bandwidth and a 26-dB gain with a realistic beam. The amplifier is driven at the first harmonic near 17 GHz, and the output frequency is near 31 GHz. A linearly streaming angular beam (generated by a hollow Pierce-like electron gun) is bunched by a bells before being converted to a rotating beam in order to generate microwaves in a circular waveguide. Via this interaction, microwave energy is extracted with an efficiency above 42%. With an input beam voltage and current of 75 kV and 8 A, respectively, a peak power over 250 kW in the TE/sub 02/ mode is produced.


We use a Multiplicative Competitive Interaction (MCI) model, a popular approach in marketing research, to explain the change in farm specialization over time. The change in farm specialization is measured by the variations of the Standard Gross Margin (SGM) shares. The model is applied to the German Farm Accountancy Data (FADN) using the years 1990 until 2008. Therefore, a MCI model was developed using various lagged explanatory variables, evaluated using a forward selection based on log likelihood ratio test. Using an in-sample forecast the approach correctly predicts 99% of the farm specialization development.


This thesis stems from a questioning of the instability of the state's discourse in the cultural domain. In effect, since the appearance in the Western world of the first explicit cultural policies, arguments justifying the state intervention in this domain have ceaselessly changed over time, appealing sometimes to notions such as that of 'democratisation of culture', 'cultural democracy', or to notions of 'cultural development', 'cultural economy', or 'cultural diversity'. The inconsistencies that characterise the state's rationales in this domain notably reflect a continuous quest for legitimacy that is worth analysing.

Like elsewhere, the consensus over the legitimacy and the purpose of a cultural policy was not easily reached in the Canadian French province, Quebec. Several policy statements have indeed been formulated before the adoption, in 1992, of Quebec's official cultural policy. To understand the evolution of the justifications for state intervention in this field, we analyse three policy statements that were key in the history of Quebec's cultural policy: Pour une politique (1959); La politique quebecoise du developpement cultureI (1979); and La politique culturelle du Quebec: Notre culture, notre avenir (1992). In a first phase, we examine the politico-historical context from which these policy statements emerge. Secondly, we recount the origins of the most important ideas that we find at the core of these statements and which were rooted in the work of intellectuals (such as Edmond de Nevers, Edouard Montpetit, Marcel Rioux, Fernand Dumont) as well as in governmental reports that predated their elaboration. We then analyse the argumentation of each cultural policy statement as well as the critiques they raised at the moment of their publication. These critiques were formulated as much by journalists as by politicians, artists and other professionals working in the field of culture. The analysis of the argumentation is carried out with a theoretical model that has been developed by French sociologist Luc Boltanski and economist Laurent Thevenot, the Economies of Worth. We explore more particularly the concept of 'compromise' such as it was designed in the model. This concept enables us to understand why cultural policies have difficulty achieving consensus. The application of this model to cultural policy has not been attempted before, so this is one of the original aspects of this thesis.


The out‐of‐plane (OOP) behaviour of masonry infills (MIs), inserted in reinforced concrete (r.c.)–framed buildings, is recognized as one of the most important failure modes of this nonstructural element during an earthquake, which may be a consequence of simultaneous or prior in‐plane (IP) damage. A five‐element macro‐model, with four diagonal OOP non‐linear beams and one horizontal IP non‐linear truss, with an equivalent mass of the infill panel divided between two central nodes, takes into account the IP and OOP failure modes occurring in the event of seismic loading. Pivot hysteretic models predict the non‐linear IP and OOP force‐displacement laws of the infill panel, based on geometrical rules defining loading and unloading branches. Firstly, a calibration of the proposed IP‐OOP interaction model of MIs is carried out considering full‐scale experimental results of traditional masonry typologies. Each specimen is initially subjected to in‐plane quasi‐static cyclic loading, until a maximum drift is reached, and then one‐sided OOP cycles are imposed pushing in the horizontal direction and back to zero force. Then a numerical investigation considers masonry infills of an existing six‐storey r.c.‐framed building designed in compliance with a former Italian seismic code. To evaluate the interaction, the results of simultaneous IP and OOP cyclic tests on MIs at the top, intermediate, and lowest levels of the test structure are presented, assuming different displacement histories: (1) OOP loading faster than IP, at the sixth storey; (2) equal IP and OOP loading, at the third storey; (3) IP loading faster than OOP, at the first storey. Finally, attention is focused on the contribution of masonry infills to the IP and OOP energy dissipation of r.c.‐framed structures.


Wireless data transfer has revolutionized the consumer market for the last decade generating many products equipped with transmitters and receivers for wireless data transfer. Wireless technology opens attractive possibilities for data transfer in future tracking detectors. The reduction of wires and connectors for data links is certainly beneficial both for the material budget and the reliability of the system. An advantage of wireless data transfer is the freedom of routing signals which today is particularly complicated when bringing the data the first 50 cm out of the tracker. With wireless links intelligence can be built into a tracker by introducing communication between tracking layers within a region of interest which would allow the construction of track primitives in real time. The wireless technology used in consumer products is however not suitable for tracker readouts. The low data transfer capacity of current 5 GHz transceivers and the relatively large feature sizes of the components is a disadvantage.Due to the requirement of high data rates in tracking detectors high bandwidth is required. The frequency band around 60 GHz turns out to be a very promising candidate for data transfer in a detector system. The high baseband frequency allows for data transfer in the order of several Gbit/s. Due to the small wavelength in the mm range only small structures are needed for the transmitting and receiving electronics. The 60 GHz frequency band is a strong candidate for future WLAN applications hence components are already starting to be available on the market.Patch antennas produced on flexible Printed Circuit Board substrate that can be used for wireless communication in future trackers are presented in this article. The antennas can be connected to transceivers for data transmission/reception or be connected by wave-guides to structures capable of bringing the 60 GHz signal behind boundaries. Results on simulation and fabrication of these antennas are presented as well as studies on the sensitivity of production tolerances.


Synthetic Tabular Data Generation (STDG) is a potentially valuable technology with great promise to augment real data and preserve privacy. However, prior to adoption, an empirical assessment of synthetic tabular data (STD) is required across the three dimensions of resemblance, utility, and privacy, trying to find a trade-off between them. A lack of standardised and objective metrics and methods has been found targeting this assessment in the literature and neither an organised pipeline or process for coordinating this evaluation has been identified. Therefore, in this work we propose a collection of metrics and methods to evaluate STD in the previously defined dimensions, presenting a meaningful orchestration of them and a pipeline unifying all of them. Additionally, we present a methodology to categorise STDG approaches performance for each dimension. Finally, we conducted an extensive analysis and evaluation to verify the usability of the proposed pipeline across six healthcare-related datasets, using four STDG approaches. The results of these analyses showed that the proposed pipeline can effectively be used to evaluate and benchmark the STD generated with one or more different STDG approaches, helping the scientific community to select the most suitable approaches for their data and application of interest.


Process variation as a major concern in the current and future generations of CMOS circuits manufacturing has imposed a great deal of effort in design process. Basically, Process variations are generally divided in two main categories: random variations and systematic variations. Therefore, Physical designers of Integrated Circuits (ICs) have to take into account the effects of Random and Systematic Process variations in the design process. As the Critical Dimension (CD) of transistors scale down, the effects of Front-End of Line (FEOL) systematic variations have been proved to be a great contributor of performance variability of ICs. Because of Across Chip Line-Width (ACLV) variation during lithography process, the channel length of transistor is subject to remarkable variations. As a result, the performance of IC becomes highly sensitive to these variations. In this paper we propose a leakage-aware optimization methodology which improves the performance of circuit in terms of standby Static Power and Power Delay Product (PDP). We apply this methodology on a conventional Ripple-Carry Full-Adder as a basic block in VLSI circuits and systems for verification purposes. Besides, this method effectively improves the static power yield by almost 14% in average.


The hypersaline Dead Sea and its sediments are natural laboratories for studying extremophile microorganism habitat response to environmental change. In modern times, increased freshwater runoff to the lake surface waters resulted in stratification and dilution of the upper water column followed by microbial blooms. However, whether these events facilitated a microbial response in the deep lake and sediments is obscure. Here we investigate archived evidence of microbial processes and changing regional hydroclimate conditions by reconstructing deep Dead Sea chemical compositions from pore fluid major ion concentration and stable S, O, and C isotopes, together with lipid biomarkers preserved in the hypersaline deep Dead Sea ICDP‐drilled core sediments dating to the early Holocene (ca. 10,000 years BP). Following a significant negative lake water balance resulting in salt layer deposits at the start of the Holocene, there was a general period of positive net water balance at 9500–8300 years BP. The pore fluid isotopic composition of sulfate exhibit evidence of intensified microbial sulfate reduction, where both δ34S and δ18O of sulfate show a sharp increase from estimated base values of 15.0‰ and 13.9‰ to 40.2‰ and 20.4‰, respectively, and a δ34S vs. δ18O slope of 0.26. The presence of the n‐C17 alkane biomarker in the sediments suggests an increase of cyanobacteria or phytoplankton contribution to the bulk organic matter that reached the deepest parts of the Dead Sea. Although hydrologically disconnected, both the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea microbial ecosystems responded to increased freshwater runoff during the early Holocene, with the former depositing the organic‐rich sapropel 1 layer due to anoxic water column conditions. In the Dead Sea prolonged positive net water balance facilitated primary production and algal blooms in the upper waters and intensified microbial sulfate reduction in the hypolimnion and/or at the sediment–brine interface.


Relative paleointensity (RPI) variations of Earth's magnetic field are widely used to understand geomagnetic field behavior and to develop age models for sedimentary sequences. RPI estimation is based on a series of assumptions. One key assumption that is rarely considered is that all magnetic particles in the sediment acquired a magnetization in an identical manner. In this paper, we test this assumption for sediments from the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean that record well‐documented global RPI variations over the last ∼780 kyr. The magnetization is carried by two stable single domain magnetic components, which we identify as magnetite magnetofossils and titanomagnetite nanoparticle inclusions within larger silicate particles. By analyzing signals carried by the two components separately, we determine for the first time that magnetic nanoparticle inclusions can cause their host particles to record reliable but inefficient sedimentary paleomagnetic signals. The magnetization carried by biogenic magnetite is acquired more efficiently than that carried by the nanoparticle inclusions. Variations in the concentration of both components are modulated climatically so that they record nearly identical RPI signals. In many sediment types, there is no correlation between the concentrations of different magnetic components so that variable remanence acquisition efficiency will complicate RPI recording. Our work demonstrates that detailed assessment of paleomagnetic recording by each constituent magnetic component needs to become a routine part of sedimentary RPI analysis.


Background Encephalitis is parenchymal brain inflammation due to infectious or immune-mediated processes. However, in 15–60% the cause remains unknown. This study aimed to determine if the cytokine/chemokine-mediated host response can distinguish infectious from immune-mediated cases, and whether this may give a clue to aetiology in those of unknown cause. Methods We measured 38 mediators in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients from the Health Protection Agency Encephalitis Study. Of serum from 78 patients, 38 had infectious, 20 immune-mediated, and 20 unknown aetiology. Of CSF from 37 patients, 20 had infectious, nine immune-mediated and eight unknown aetiology. Results Heat-map analysis of CSF mediator interactions was different for infectious and immune-mediated cases, and that of the unknown aetiology group was similar to the infectious pattern. Higher myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentrations were found in infectious than immune-mediated cases, in serum and CSF (p = 0.01 and p = 0.006). Serum MPO was also higher in unknown than immune-mediated cases (p = 0.03). Multivariate analysis selected serum MPO; classifying 31 (91%) as infectious (p = 0.008) and 17 (85%) as unknown (p = 0.009) as opposed to immune-mediated. CSF data also selected MPO classifying 11 (85%) as infectious as opposed to immune-mediated (p = 0.036). CSF neutrophils were detected in eight (62%) infective and one (14%) immune-mediated cases (p = 0.004); CSF MPO correlated with neutrophils (p<0.0001). Conclusions Mediator profiles of infectious aetiology differed from immune-mediated encephalitis; and those of unknown cause were similar to infectious cases, raising the hypothesis of a possible undiagnosed infectious cause. Particularly, neutrophils and MPO merit further investigation.


There are two repeated peptides, [S,T,Y]QQ[Y,M] and MFR[R,X][V,K], which appear three times each in the region corresponding to the third exon of carrot β‐tubulins. The former peptide is flanked on both sides by a pair of identically charged groups and the latter includes two or three basic amino acids in it. The sequences are generally conserved well among the eukaryotes except for fungi, in which one of the peptides, SQQY, does not exist.


Leatt, Pink and Guerriere provide a very rational argument for moving the Canadian healthcare system towards a more integrated model. They suggest that the current system in Canada is a hodge-podge of disconnected parts. The current system is viewed as providing uncoordinated care, with inadequate use of non-medical practitioners, perverse payment incentives for providers, too much focus on treatment of disease, unacceptable wait times for services and related other problems. The authors provide extensive documentation of vital components of a system they envision for Canada, the rationale for adopting an integrated system of services, and conclude by suggesting strategies for achieving integrated healthcare. Change towards the new system would concentrate initially on primary care, using virtual coordination networks at the local level. Innovative needs-based funding methods would ensure that individuals throughout Canada receive necessary services for keeping them healthy.


The commercially available, pelleted moose food sold under the same brand name ("Mazuri Moose Maintenance") in North Amercia and Europe differs drastically in ingredient composition; the European formula does not contain the aspen sawdust that is regarded the crucial ingredient in the North American diet. Apart from these feeds, other pelleted foods designed for horses, domestic ruminants and cervids are used in feeding moose in European facilities. These pelleted feeds, and for comparison grass and browse samples, were submitted to a variety of analyses in order to isolate the potentially beneficial factors of the commercial moose feeds. All pelleted feeds had comparable particle size distributions, with the North American moose feed as the notable exception, as the sawdust particles were not as finely ground as the other ingredients. All pelleted feeds were similar in nutrient composition; however, the commercial moose feeds had higher percentages of fiber, due to a higher cellulose (and in the European pellets also hemicellulose) content. The commercial moose pellets did not display significantly higher amounts of lignin than the other pelleted feeds, in spite of the sawdust ingredient. Due to their high cellulose content, they even had lower lignin:cellulose-ratios than the other feeds and therefore rather resembled grass than browse in their fiber composition. Thus, the reported success of the commercial moose diets is most likely explained by their comparatively low energy density and high fiber content, and not by the sawdust ingredient itself. Additionally, the fact that they do not contain corn starch is considered beneficial. The nutritional contribution to husbandry problems in captive moose is considered to be generally due to the widespread use of pelleted feeds high in energy density and poor in structural fiber components.


Endoleaks are an important complication following hybrid thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with an incidence ranging from 20% to 25% (1,2). There are five different types of endoleaks, which are classified based on the source of vessels that cause the inflow into the aneurysm sac (3). Type I endoleaks (EL-I) occur at either the proximal (Ia) or distal (Ib) attachment sites and can be seen during insertion of the initial stent graft or during a follow-up surveillance imaging exam.


In this study, the effect of cement type, cement dosage, superplasticiser type and mineral admixture on the compressive strength of high-strength concrete (HSC) was investigated experimentally and statistically. The concrete mixtures were prepared using two different cement types (ordinary Portland cement and white Portland cement), two different cement dosages (450 and 550 kg/m3), two different superplasticisers (polycarboxylate based and modified polycarboxylate based) and two different mineral admixtures (silica fume and fly ash). After being cured under the standard conditions for 2, 7, 28 and 90 days, the specimens were tested for the compressive strength. The Taguchi method was used to determine the optimum conditions and to reduce the number of experiments. Five control factors such as time, cement type, cement dosage, superplasticiser and mineral admixture were used for this study. The results showed that the parameter that most influenced the compressive strength properties of HSC was time.


This paper extends the dynamic capability view and research on organizational path dependence by arguing that path dependence can be a property of capabilities when a contingently-triggered capability path is subject to self-reinforcement (i.e. a set of positive and negative mechanisms that increases the attractiveness of a path relative to others). The paper introduces an evolutionary perspective, which specifies the underlying selection mechanisms of the property of path dependence in internal and external firm environments. This theorization sheds new light on three paradoxes that currently blur the theoretical contribution of path dependence to research at the managerial, organizational, and industry levels: (1) the problematic coexistence of path irreversibility and managerial intentionality; (2) the ambivalent strategic value of lock-in with regard to competitive advantage; and (3) the relative homogeneity in observed dynamic capabilities, despite their (possible) path dependence that should lead to a wider variety of outcomes owing to the presence of contingency. We highlight the contributions of this perspective to strategic management research and evolutionary theories.


Phosphodiesterases are a class of proteins that primarily modulate intracellular levels of cyclic nucleotides such as cGMP and cAMP. Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) is mainly involved in the smooth muscle cell cGMP inactivation. Chemical inhibition of PDE5 has recently become a valid therapeutic option of nitric oxide pathway potentiation via cell cGMP availability. More specifically, PDE5 inhibition appears successful for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. Additional intriguing therapeutic properties are a protective effect on the myocardium through antihypertrophic and antiapoptotic mechanisms and on vascular function by improving endothelial responsiveness and tolerance to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. These effects imply a potential usefulness in the treatment of coronary artery disease and heart failure. Evidence currently available for considering PDE5 inhibition an additional therapeutic opportunity in cardiovascular disorders is provided.


We discuss the detection in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (OSSOS) of two objects in Neptune's distant 9:1 mean motion resonance at semimajor axis a ≈ 130 au. Both objects are securely resonant on 10 Myr timescales, with one securely in the 9:1 resonance's leading asymmetric libration island and the other in either the symmetric or trailing asymmetric island. These objects are the largest semimajor axis objects with secure resonant classifications, and their detection in a carefully characterized survey allows for the first robust resonance population estimate beyond 100 au. The detection of these objects implies a 9:1 resonance population of 1.1 × 104 objects with Hr < 8.66 (D ≳ 100 km) on similar orbits (95% confidence range of ∼(0.4–3) × 104). Integrations over 4 Gyr of an ensemble of clones spanning these objects' orbit-fit uncertainties reveal that they both have median resonance occupation timescales of ∼1 Gyr. These timescales are consistent with the hypothesis that these objects originate in the scattering population but became transiently stuck to Neptune's 9:1 resonance within the last ∼1 Gyr of solar system evolution. Based on simulations of a model of the current scattering population, we estimate the expected resonance sticking population in the 9:1 resonance to be 1000–4500 objects with Hr < 8.66; this is marginally consistent with the OSSOS 9:1 population estimate. We conclude that resonance sticking is a plausible explanation for the observed 9:1 population, but we also discuss the possibility of a primordial 9:1 population, which would have interesting implications for the Kuiper Belt's dynamical history.


Advances in battery technology have fallen behind that of CPU technology. Since each node in an ad hoc wireless network operates on batteries, power consumption becomes an important factor. To maximize the lifetime of ad hoc wireless networks, the power consumption rate of each mobile host must be evenly distributed. Also, the overall transmission power for each connection request must be minimized. These two objectives, however, cannot be satisfied concurrently with existing ad hoc routing algorithms. Hence, we present a new power-aware routing scheme to satisfy these two constraints simultaneously. Simulation results reveal that our proposed scheme outperforms others.


Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks are spreading, and their practical applications for the business scene are promising. However, the essence of P2P is missed by broad interpretations that do not make it a problem whether to use P2P technology. Incidentally, although marketing activity currently consists mainly of Web pages or mail, it is difficult to actively find latent customers from the company side, and it is not necessarily an effective marketing means for a small-scale company. Therefore, in this paper, we discuss the application of P2P technology to marketing. First, the essence of P2P is correctly extracted by focusing on the state of the information that changes within a P2P network, and effective fields in business are clarified. Next, by paying attention to characteristics of P2P that have not yet been adequately developed in business, we have recognized that P2P marketing is promising from now on. We devise five models for applying P2P networks to the marketing field (P2P marketing), and clarify P2P's marketing features through comparisons with existing Internet marketing. Consequently, we reveal features not currently held by Web pages or mail.


Chronic iron overload (CIO) is associated with anemias such as thalassemia that require blood transfusions as a chronic therapy. It is a serious and difficult to treat condition that is associated with multiple organ toxicities including of the liver, heart and endocrine glands. Untreated, CIO can lead to organ failure and death. In 2005, the first oral iron chelator, deferasirox (DFX) in the form of a tablet for oral suspension (Exjade®), was approved in the United States for treating CIO. In 2015, a film-coated tablet (JadenuTM) was introduced as a more convenient formulation for patients. Chirnomas, et al at Children9s Hospital Boston (Blood, 2009) have previously published on a subgroup of transfusion dependent thalassemia patients in whom failure to achieve negative iron balance is linked to poor absorption of DFX into systemic circulation as compared to a control group that did respond to DFX. DFX is a drug molecule with poor water solubility and large sensitivity to pH. It is practically insoluble in gastric fluid and very slightly soluble in intestinal fluid. These molecular traits of DFX likely contribute to its food effect and more importantly could lead to poor absorption of the drug in some patients (e.g., patients with more acidic GI tracts and/or on high doses). Solid dispersion technology has been successfully used to address drug solubility challenges in a number of cases (e.g., ritonavir, etravirine, everolimus, ivacaftor). However, DFX as a molecule has a high melting temperature and poor solubility in organic solvents which together have precluded the use of traditional solid dispersion technology. A solid dispersion tablet formulation of deferasirox (DST-0509) was developed using a novel solid dispersion technology (KinetiSol®) that is able to process DFX. DST-0509 was tested in 2 phase I studies, Study 101 and 102. Study 101, a single dose study in healthy volunteers, demonstrated improvements in the bioavailability of DST-0509 compared to Jadenu™ at a dose of 14 mg/kg. Furthermore, DST-0509 is the first deferasirox formulation to show no differences in total absorption between high-fat fed and fasted states. Study 102 was a randomized, single dose, 3-period, 3-sequence crossover, oral bioavailability study of DST-0509 compared to Exjade® and Jadenu™ in fasted healthy volunteers at higher doses (25 - 33 mg/kg). The results showed less variability in Cmax and AUC with DST-0509 versus Exjade®, and meaningfully enhanced absorption versus Exjade® and Jadenu™. See Figure 1., "Comparative Bioavailability of DST-0509 to Exjade® and Jadenu™ in healthy subjects at high doses". Future studies are planned to see if the enhanced bioavailability seen in these studies translates into superior iron control in patients not achieving target iron control on current deferasirox treatments. Disclosures Keen: DisperSol Technologies: Employment, Equity Ownership. Miller: DisperSol Technologies: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. Tulloch: DisperSol Technologies: Consultancy; Capital Biopharma Consulting: Consultancy, Employment; Faraday Pharmaceuticals: Employment, Equity Ownership.


The 2016 McKendy Lecture1 addressed the two grand narratives in the migration-crime-security nexus and critique their impact on our ability to see and not see real survivors and their stories of being trafficked. Focussing on the UK and female survivors, the lecture explored the crime master narrative for its construction of the social and cultural template—the official way of seeing the "right sort" of crime victim in trafficking (the VoT or modern slave). From this standpoint, anyone falling short of the template is susceptible to criminal scrutiny as someone culpable in her own exploitation. Similarly, the lecture examined the security narrative for its construction of the social and cultural template—the official way of seeing the "wrong sort" of migrant (undocumented, unskilled and racially different). Borne of political, social and cultural attitudes to UK immigration, the security narrative hides the reality of a migrant labour force without rights of citizenship or belonging. The lecture also shared stories of survivors of trafficking which illustrate how they are seen or not seen, but which survivors tell to promote their political visibility.


First, we report the results of the longest‐known field study (9 years) to examine the effects of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) on leaf miner densities in a scrub‐oak community at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Here, the densities of all leaf miner species (6) on all host species (3) were lower in every year in elevated CO2 than they were in ambient CO2. Second, meta‐analyses were used to review the effects of elevated CO2 on both plants (n=59 studies) and herbivores (n=75 studies). The log of the response ratio was chosen as the metric to calculate effect sizes. Results showed that elevated CO2 significantly decreased herbivore abundance (−21.6%), increased relative consumption rates (+16.5%), development time (+3.87%) and total consumption (+9.2%), and significantly decreased relative growth rate (−8.3%), conversion efficiency (−19.9%) and pupal weight (−5.03%). No significant differences were observed among herbivore guilds. Host plants growing under enriched CO2 environments exhibited significantly larger biomass (+38.4%), increased C/N ratio (+26.57%), and decreased nitrogen concentration (−16.4%), as well as increased concentrations of tannins (+29.9%) and other phenolics. Effects of changes on plant primary and secondary chemistry due to elevated CO2 and consequences for herbivore growth and development are discussed.


Local glandular cystitis of the urinary bladder is a rare benign disease. In its minor form, it has the same clinical features as simple cystitis, but its major pseudoneoplastic form may be mistaken for bladder tumor, even pelvic tumor. This case presented the rare ultrasonographic characteristics of local extravesical glandular cystitis mimicking pelvic neoplasm using transvaginal sonography. A 36-year-old woman patient presented with a 3-week history of gross haematuria and intermittent suprapubic discomfort. Physical examination, urinary cytology and culture including AFB were unremarkable. She was examined by transvaginal sonography within 1–3 days, 14 days and 90 days after hospitalization. Ultrasound demonstrated a 28*19*16 mm solid mass lesion between the posterior bladder wall and anterior wall of cervix like a pelvic neoplasm. The echographic features on TRUS are hypoechoic and isoechoic mixed, poorly defined mass lesion with indistinct margins. Chronic sinus tract formation was contiguous with cervix and the mass was attached to the bladder wall. CT demonstrated invasion of the adjacent structures. Eventually, the patient underwent a transvaginal biopsy of the ''tumor''. The histology demonstrated glandular cystitis with mild chronic inflammation of the lamina and no evidence of malignancy. Histological analysis of the specimen confirmed diffuse muscle infiltrating areas of glandular cystitis. The patient made an uneventful recovery and was completely asymptomatic at 3-month follow up. Glandular cystitis is a benign proliferative disorder of the von Brunn's nests within the mucosa and the submucosa of the urinary bladder epithelium. According to its extension we can distinguish localized from widespread intestinal metaplasia of glandular cystitis. The condition masquerading as a pelvic tumor is rare. We demonstrate a rare case which may assist diagnosis especially in young patients presented with haematuria and intermittent suprapubic discomfort.


As a means to make a flexible dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), we prepared a TiO2 electrode by using a micro-metal textile made from Sn-plated Cu wires, and examined applicability of the micro-metal textile as a substrate for the electrode. The TiO2 electrodes were prepared successfully by painting a TiO2 paste to the textile using a squeegee method followed by sintering at 500 °C, and the electrodes showed no exfoliation of the TiO2 layer from the textile even when the electrode was bent to a cylindrical shape with 10-mm diameter. The solar cells constructed with these electrodes, on which N3 dye was adsorbed as a sensitizer, exhibited actually a photovoltaic performance. The results indicated the applicability of the micro-metal textile as the flexible substrate for the TiO2 electrode producing an efficient flexible DSSC.


Cooperative breeding groups often involve "helpers-at-the-nest"; indeed, such behavior typically defines this intriguing breeding system. In few cases, however, has it been demonstrated that feeding nestlings by helpers, rather than some other behavior associated with helpers' presence, leads to greater reproductive success. One prediction of the hypothesis that feeding behavior per se is responsible for the fitness benefits conferred by helpers is that there should be close congruence between the patterns of helping-at-the-nest and the fitness effects of helpers. Here we look for such a relationship in the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) in order to begin to identify the behaviors of helpers that drive the increased fitness benefits they confer. In terms of young fledged, a helper male confers approximately the same fitness benefits to a group as does a helper female; more dramatically, the effects of helper males increases with increasing food supply, most importantly the prior year's acorn crop on which this species depends, whereas that of helper females does not. These patterns do not match the nest-feeding patterns of helpers, which are greater for females than males and do not increase with a larger acorn crop the prior autumn. In contrast, the proportion of time helpers spend tending acorn-storage facilities (granaries) and are present in or near their home territory is greater for males than females and, at least for males, positively related to the size of the acorn crop. These results fail to support the hypothesis that the primary benefit conferred by helpers is feeding young in the nest; rather, they suggest that behaviors such as territorial defense and predator detection are more important. Understanding exactly what those behaviors are in this, and most other cooperatively breeding systems, remain to be determined.


Phase-shifting interferometry (PSI) is the preferred non-contact method for profiling sub-nanometer surfaces. Based on monochromatic light interference, the method computes the surface profile from a set of interferograms collected at separate stepping positions. Errors in the estimated profile are introduced when these positions are not located correctly. In order to cope with this problem, various algorithms that minimize the effects of certain types of stepping errors (linear, sinusoidal, etc.) have been developed. Despite the relatively large number of algorithms suggested in the literature, there is no unified way of characterizing their performance when additional unaccounted random errors are present. Here, we suggest a procedure for quantifying the expected behavior of each algorithm in the presence of independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) random stepping errors, which can occur in addition to the systematic errors for which the algorithm has been designed. The usefulness of this method derives from the fact that it can guide the selection of the best algorithm for specific measurement situations.


Deeper economic integration within the Caribbean has been a regional policy priority since the establishment of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the decision to create the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). Implementation of integration initiatives has, however, been slow, despite the stated commitment of political leaders. The "implementation deficit" has led to skepticism about completing the CSME and controversy regarding its benefits. This paper analyzes how Caribbean integration has evolved, discusses the obstacles to progress, and explores the potential benefits from greater integration. It argues that further economic integration through liberalization of trade and labor mobility can generate significant macroeconomic benefits, but slow progress in completing the institutional arrangements has hindered implementation of the essential components of the CSME and progress in economic integration. Advancing institutional integration through harmonization and rationalization of key institutions and processes can reduce the fixed costs of institutions, providing the needed scale and boost to regional integration. Greater cooperation in several functional policy areas where the region is facing common challenges can also provide low-hanging fruit, creating momentum toward full integration as the Community continues to address the obstacles to full economic integration.


Aimed at main factors influencing the safety of super-large deep foundation pit, a safety monitoring system combined with technologies of modern compute, network, image-video transmission and GPS satellite positioning was designed in this paper. The system is effective in rapid, precise data collection, scientific analysis, giving feedbacks, sharing information between different departments using different sources of monitoring data and other related information. It can provide security for construction of foundation pit, and valuable for foundation pit design and construction technology advancement.


Introduction The link between literacy and health has been evidenced quite well1, with studies indicating that people who struggle with literacy are also more likely to have poor physical health. However, what we know about the relationship between mental wellbeing and literacy is much more meagre. There is some evidence to suggest that higher levels of mental wellbeing and life satisfaction can positively impact on academic achievement2, while there is also evidence that mental wellbeing, such as the ability to cope with stress, can affect pupils' ability to learn3. Some research also suggests that five-year-olds with poor vocabulary skills are one and a half times more likely to have mental health problems as adults4. Emotional wellbeing has also been linked to non-cognitive skills, such as resilience, grit, self-esteem, confidence and motivation, which in turn may have a positive impact on pupil achievement5.


A growing body of evidence obtained largely from temperate grassland studies suggests that feedbacks occurring between plants and their associated soil biota are important to plant community assemblage. However, few studies have examined the importance of soil organisms in driving plant-soil feedbacks in forested systems. In a tropical forest in central Panama, we examined whether interactions between tree seedlings and their associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) lead to plant-soil feedback. Specifically, do tropical seedlings modify their own AMF communities in a manner that either favors or inhibits the next cohort of conspecific seedlings (i.e., positive or negative feedback, respectively)? Seedlings of two shade-tolerant tree species (Eugenia nesiotica, Virola surinamensis) and two pioneer tree species (Luehea seemannii, Apeiba aspera) were grown in pots containing identical AMF communities composed of equal amounts of inoculum of six co-occurring AMF species. The different AMF-host combinations were all exposed to two light levels. Under low light (2% PAR), only two of the six AMF species sporulated, and we found that host identity did not influence composition of AMF spore communities. However, relative abundances of three of the four AMF species that produced spores were influenced by host identity when grown under high light (20% PAR). Furthermore, spores of one of the AMF species, Glomus geosporum, were common in soils of Luehea and Eugenia but absent in soils of Apeiba and Virola. We then conducted a reciprocal experiment to test whether AMF communities previously modified by Luehea and Apeiba differentially affected the growth of conspecific and heterospecific seedlings. Luehea seedling growth did not differ between soils containing AMF communities modified by Luehea and Apeiba. However, Apeiba seedlings were significantly larger when grown with Apeiba-modified AMF communities, as compared to Apeiba seedlings grown with Luehea-modifed AMF communities. Our experiments suggest that interactions between tropical trees and their associated AMF are species-specific and that these interactions may shape both tree and AMF communities through plant-soil feedback.


XT2019, Palais des Papes, Avignon,, France, 2-6 September 2019. -- Celebrating the first 40 years of Alexander Tielens' contribution to Science


Thyroid storm is a potentially fatal manifestation of thyrotoxicosis. Cardiopulmonary failure is the most common cause of death in thyroid storm. Clinicians should keep in mind that thyroid storm complicated with cardiopulmonary failure can be the first presentation of thyrotoxicosis. As early intervention is associated with improved patient outcome, prompt diagnosis based on clinical grounds is of paramount importance in the management of thyrotoxicosis. A high index of suspicion and the ability of early recognition of impending thyroid storm depends on a thorough knowledge of both the typical and atypical clinical features of this illness. Herein, we report a case of thyroid storm presenting as cardiopulmonary failure in a 51-year-old woman with undiagnosed Grave's disease. Additionally, we review the pathophysiology of cardiopulmonary failure associated with thyrotoxicosis and various treatment modalities for thyroid storm.


Throughout the existence of the United States there have been multiple ways to seek healthcare insurance, and healthcare services and treatment. As the country developed a system in which healthcare was distributed was created. As such, this system has created societal divisions and has caused certain people to be excluded from gaining access to healthcare insurance and treatment. From these divisions, certain stigmas and stereotypes have been created about the type of person that does not have access to healthcare. With certain historical reforms in the U.S. healthcare system being currently implemented, the healthcare system is to change dramatically. However, certain people are still being excluded from gaining access to healthcare insurance and healthcare services.The following thesis, based on research which was conducted from April to July 2014 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, explores the manner in which recent developments and changes within the healthcare system of the United States inhibits the city's residents from obtaining basic health care. By focusing on medical encounters, this thesis focuses on how agencies of power retain control of the body, and those that seek access to healthcare. This thesis also explores the opinion of the uninsured patients by those who volunteer at The Coalition of Concerned Medical Professionals, which is an organization that offers free healthcare services while acting as political advocates.


Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a ubiquitous Gram-negative 8-proteobacterium that is predatory on other Gram negative bacteria. It's prey includes many pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella, Proteus and Pseudomonas species; as such, there is much interest in the study of Bdellovibrio with a view to its potential use as an alternative antimicrobial therapy.

Key to any future research into medical applications of this bacterium is an understanding of its predatory life cycle. Attack phase Bdellovibrio uses rapid flagellar motility through liquid environments to find its prey; upon collision with a suitable prey cell, it forms a strong attachment to the cell and generates a pore in the prey outer membrane. The predator then squeezes through this pore, loses its flagellum and establishes itself in the prey periplasm; the entry pore is then resealed, the prey rapidly killed with its peptidoglycan being modified to produce a rounded, osmotically stable structure termed the bdelloplast. Once safely within the bdelloplast, the Bdellovibrio secretes an arsenal of lytic enzymes into the prey cytoplasm which allow transport of the constituent monomers of DNA, RNA, protein et cetera from the prey back into the growing Bdellovibrio. The predator elongates as a spiral shaped filament within the periplasm of the prey and once the contents of the cytoplasm are exhausted, the filament septates into progeny Bdellovibrio which then re-synthesise flagella and lyse the remains of the prey cell to become free swimming attack phase predators.

In this thesis, the role of flagellar motility in the predatory lifestyle of Bdellovibrio was studied through individual insertional inactivation of each of the 6 genes found in the B. bacteriovorus HDIOO genome that encode the flagellar filament protein, FliC. Only one was found to be essential for filament formation yet, contrary to previous hypotheses, this non-motile mutant was still found to be predatory when applied to immobilised prey in a novel fluorescence assay. Thus, the role of Type IV pili in predation was investigated through both microscopic, mutational and transcriptional means. Abolition of the Type IV pilus fibre forming protein, PilA, resulted in a mutant that had no pilus fibres and was incapable of predation using the same assay as in the non-motile FliC mutant strain.

Throughout this work, experimental challenges have necessitated the continuing development of electron microscopic techniques for whole cell, flagella, pili and bdelloplast imaging and development of fluorescence methods for use in Bdellovibrio, such as novel use of GFP-encoding transposon mutagenesis and chemical dye-based assays.

Work presented here has demonstrated that pili, not flagella, are the bacterial nanomachines required for prey entry and that GFP is a viable tool for future study of this fascinating and potentially therapeutic predator.


The paper defines the problems and priorities in putting antituberculous measures into effect among children. The formation of risk groups, the use of the compulsory diagnostic minimum during their examination for tuberculosis, the increase of the scope and quality of immunoprophylaxis, the phthisiologist's contacts with general medical network are the main thing in work on early detection and prevention of tuberculosis. The sanatorium stage assumes a great significance under the present conditions due to changes in the periods and treatment regimen of patients with tuberculosis.


In this paper we compare the wear behaviour of a vacuum-heat-treated ESR AISI M2 high-speed steel and the same steel that was vacuum heat treated in conjunction with a deep-cryogenic treatment at -196 ℃. Four different tempering temperatures for the specimens austenized at the same austenitizing temperature were carefully selected to obtain various in-advance-determined combinations of the microstructures, the fracture toughness, KIc and the Rockwell-C hardness. Each of the eight specimens was therefore characterised by these microstructures and resulting material properties.The wear study was performed using a reciprocating sliding device under well-controlled contact conditions. Relatively high loads were used to provide enough wear for a comparison of the selected samples. A much harder and dissimilar model counter-material, i.e. silicon nitride ceramic, was used in order to avoid excessive wear of the counter samples and adhesion,which could occur in contacts with similar materials (metals/steels) under such high loads and in non-lubricated conditions.The wear behaviours were then compared and discussed in terms of these microstructures and the related properties. The differences in the wear resistance obtained in our investigation were as high as an order of magnitude. However, the beneficial effects are not a direct result of the type of the treatment, but relate to a proper combination of the resulting fracture toughness and the hardness. The more uniform and moderate values, which, however, tend to be obtained with a deep-cryogenic treatment, are beneficial to the high wear resistance of the selected high-speed steel.


ABSTRACT An undated document survives, in Thomas Hobbes's hand, urging the royalist side in the Civil War to win over Robert Rich, the second earl of Warwick (the parliamentarian naval commander). By this means, Hobbes argued, not only would the royalists win the war, but also England would be defended against a Swedish invasion, which he expected to accompany or follow the Scottish invasion of the country. This communication presents the text of the document and gives reasons for dating it not to 1648 (when an attempt to win over Warwick was in fact made) but to late 1643 or early 1644. It also discusses the basis of Hobbes's concern with Scottish–Swedish relations, and his misinterpretation of Swedish policy. It comments on his estimate of Warwick's character, in the light of his earlier connections with him; and it briefly discusses both Hobbes's assumption in this document of the role of a counsellor to the king, and the interpretation of the nature of the Civil War that the document implies.


The developed countries, particularly the United States, consume a disproportionate share of the world's resources, yet high and rising levels of consumption do not necessarily lead to greater satisfaction, security, or well-being, even for affluent consumers. The authors provide brief summaries of the most important and influential writings on the environmental, moral, and social implications of a consumer society and consumer lifestyles. With pieces from


Paediatric burn injuries are vulnerable to severe complications, most often infection, making prompt and precise diagnosis of bacterial bioburden vital to preventing detrimental consequences and optimizing patients' outcomes. Currently, burn wounds are assessed for infection via examining the clinical signs and symptoms of infection, which can be confirmed by swab culture analysis. While the former approach is subjective and experience-dependant, the latter technique is susceptible to missing subsurface, biofilm-associated colonization and any peripheral bacterial burden, and also delays confirmation by up to 5 days. The MolecuLight i:X is a handheld, non-contact fluorescence imaging device, which can reveal real-time information about clinically-significant levels of bacteria and their biodistribution in surface and subsurface burn wound tissues. We conducted a single-centre observational study to assess the device efficacy in identifying critical bacterial levels in paediatric burn wounds and to test the children's compliance and the overall feasibility of the device integration into the current diagnostic practice. Ten patients with sixteen wounds were recruited and assessed for the presence or absence of clinical signs and symptoms of infection and the presence or absence of bacterial fluorescence on images, with swabs taken to confirm findings. Results demonstrate the device's ability to visualize clinically-significant bacterial burden and to localize distribution of pathogens. All clinicians agreed on the high compliance with the device and high feasibility of incorporating the device into routine wound assessments. The results of this study may pave the way towards including bacterial fluorescence imaging into the standard diagnostic algorithm for paediatric burn population.


In tandem with industrialization, migration from rural to urban has caused unstructured and unplanned cities. On the other hand the needs of people in the cities have begun to change according to overpopulation, new technologies and life styles. This change results in growing energy demand at the cities and the governmental authorities and municipal services has to respond it. Urban transformation projects are given as a solution for struggling with these problems and reshaping the cities. Energy, one of the main topic on the urban transformation projects, contains the efficient resource and energy management, minimization of the energy consumption as far as possible and capacity enhancement for renewable energy sources. While developing urban transformation projects, the optimal and effective solutions should be investigated for the project area having regard to applicability, environmental impact, and economical feasibility. In this research, the energy demand profiles of generic residential urban blocks for two city locations in Germany and Turkey are simulated using EnergyPlus to identify the site density and physical properties effect moreover the significance of site design on future renewable energy integration opportunities. The research shows that 10-20% energy demand can be saved by an energy aware site planning and the urban transformation projects also have a big potential to supply more than 30% of the energy used with renewable energy sources.


A survey of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) diversity and date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) tree root colonization in arid areas was undertaken in ten palm groves located along the Ziz valley (Tafilalet, south-west Morocco). The frequency and the mean intensity of root colonization reached 72 and 43% respectively and the spore population varied from 238 to 1840 spores/10g of soil. The AMF colonization levels of field date palm roots were found to be negatively correlated with soil phosphorus content (r2 =-0,64). A total of ten AMF species were trapped from the 10 studied sites with a population of 4 to 7 species per sites. The isolated species included: Glomus mosseae, G. fasciculatum, G. constrictum, G. aggregatum, G. macrocarpum , 3 undescribed species of Acaulospora and two of Scutellospora genera . The latter two species were trapped only at the second trapping cycle. Keywords: AMF, diversity, Morocco, palm grove, Phoenix dactylifer ,.


: Concomitant ENT affections were found in all the 172 children aged 4 to 15 years with atopic rhinosinusitis examined by the authors. 44.7% of them were treated surgically, the rest underwent specific immunotherapy. The authors hold that updated immunotropic treatment allows avoiding surgery in more than half of children with atopic rhinosinusitis associated with other disorders of the upper respiratory tract.


There is much interest in international comparisons of health care expenditures, in particular their relation to national income. They have been widely used to judge countries' performance in cost-containment, and in the United Kingdom have been widely quoted in debates about the funding of the National Health Service. This paper challenges conclusions drawn from simple analyses of this topic, which have used dubious and inappropriate data, questionable methods and assumptions, and simplistic ad-hoc reasoning. It looks particularly at price differences between countries, which have usually been hidden by using exchange rates to standardize national figures. When more appropriate conversion factors called purchasing power parities are used, many of the simple and conventionally-accepted conclusions no longer appear so obvious. The attempt to create apparent scientific facts for policy debates has been based on a misuse of international comparisons.


ABSTRACT The recent explosion of transient vacation rental (TVR) accommodations has been aided by websites like AirBnB, Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO), and HomeAway and this segment continues to grow in popularity. Many communities have enacted bans on TVRs with little empirical data to support decisions. This study explores TVR-related impacts as perceived by residents, and why those particular impacts are perceived. A series of 12 semi-structured, in-depth interviews of key resident stakeholders on Oahu, Hawai'i, United States (US) were conducted. Thematic analysis revealed residents perceived both positive and negative impacts in the economic, environmental, and sociocultural realms. Extended quotes from interviewees reveal the connection of perceived impacts to the presence of TVRs in residential zoned areas and the lack of a proprietor to manage the property and tourists like a traditional bed and breakfast (B&B). Findings provide a baseline for future research examining the unique impacts of this area of rapid tourism growth. Marketing implications are discussed.


Background Early response to antipsychotic medication within 2 weeks of initiating treatment can predict psychiatric outcomes. However, it is unclear whether early response is also predictive of extrapyramidal side effects (EPSs) associated with antipsychotic medications. Methods In this study, we investigated 136 consecutive antipsychotic-naive, first-episode psychosis patients naturalistically treated with haloperidol. Patients were assessed at baseline and weekly after treatment initiation using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Dystonia, parkinsonism, akathisia, and dyskinesia were also assessed weekly using standardized rating scales. Regression analyses were used to determine whether early response at week 2 of treatment predicted the incidence of EPS at any point during hospitalization. A secondary analysis was conducted to determine whether early response continued to predict EPS in patients who experienced no EPS within the first 2 weeks of treatment. Results The analyses demonstrated that greater Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale percent improvement at week 2 predicted a decreased risk of EPSs (P = 0.004), even in patients who did not show any EPSs within the first 2 weeks of treatment (P = 0.005). For specific EPS, early response predicted decreased incidences of parkinsonism (P = 0.028) and dyskinesia (P = 0.025), but not akathisia or dystonia. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale improvement at week 2 did not predict EPSs. In addition, EPSs were not predicted by the maximum antipsychotic dose received during hospitalization. Conclusions These results indicate that early antipsychotic response is valuable not only for predicting psychiatric outcomes, but also for predicting the risk of EPSs.


Lasers that produce femtosecond pulses require dispersion-controlled mirrors. Several researchers have reported on thin-film design methods for these mirrors that are similar to TMDs that produce a stopband. These mirror designs have increased bandwidth over quarter-wave stacks and phase control of the reflected group delay, or GD [also group-delay dispersion (GDD) or wavelength-dependent GDD]. For example, Szipocs et al. reported the use of a monotonically varying quarter-wave stack (starting design) that is optimized to produce a required GDD as a function of wavelength. This monotonically varying stack is referred to as a chirped coating and is similar to progressive series stacks (see Sec. 2.3.2). Tempea et al. reported the use of a layer-thickness modulation method for chirped mirror coatings. This method generates a starting design with improved GDD by chirping the period of the modulated layers while simultaneously increasing the modulation amplitude. In this case, less optimization is required to adjust or smooth the GD of the starting design to target values. Matuschek et al. reported on double-chirped mirrors where more sophisticated analytical design methods produce starting designs that are very close to the desired reflectance and GD. Here, double-chirped starting designs have several features: independently chirped, low and high refractive-index layers; specific groups of layers chirped for impedance matching; and an impedance-matched, broadband antireflection (AR) coating placed on top of the mirror coating to further suppress oscillations in the GD. This starting design requires minimal optimization to improve its performance.

Southwell reported on the design of rugate filters using wavelet design methods to increase the bandwidth of the stopband. A wavelet is defined as a fully apodized sine wave refractive-index profile (see Fig. 1.6). This method increases the bandwidth of the resulting stopband by using several overlapping wavelets. These wavelet designs are free of stopband harmonics and reflection ripples in the passbands. Note that consideration of GD is not part of this design method.

In all of the above design methods, the objective is to accomplish one or both of the following: (1) to widen the bandwidth and increase the reflectance of the first-order stopband; and (2) to achieve the desired GD (and GDD) versus wavelength. This chapter starts by examining chirped TMDs from a more general perspective, like Chapters 2 and 3, but for only the spectral properties of multiple stopbands. Next, the GD of a chirped-TMD design is briefly discussed. This chapter concludes by considering a half-modulation TMD function and its effect on stopband positions and GD performance. The limitations of both methods are also addressed.


Providing technology support for older people offers distinct
challenges for social and IT systems delivery. The definition and integration of
services, the diversity of supply, variance in structures, and the lack of
centralised control, introduce significant challenges. These challenges stretch
contemporary methods in the social and IT domains. In this paper, we introduce
a method that we have developed and used successfully over a number of years.
We briefly introduce a protocol and framework that utilises the Unified
Modelling Language and adapts best practice from methods such as the Unified
Software Development Method, the Dynamic System Development Method,
and user-centred approaches from the care sector such as Userfit.


PURPOSE
In clinical practice, otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are interpreted as either "present" or "absent." However, OAEs have the potential to inform about etiology and severity of hearing loss if analyzed in other dimensions. A proposed method uses the nonlinear component of the distortion product OAEs together with stimulus frequency OAEs to construct a joint reflection-distortion profile. The objective of the current study is to determine if joint reflection-distortion profiles can be created using long-latency (LL) components of transient evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) as the reflection-type emission.

METHOD
LL TEOAEs and the nonlinear distortion OAEs were measured from adult ears. Individual input-output (I/O) functions were created, and OAE level was normalized by dividing by the stimulus level yielding individual gain functions. Peak strength, compression threshold, and OAE level at compression threshold were derived from individual gain functions to create joint reflection-distortion profiles.

RESULTS
TEOAEs with a poststimulus window starting at 6 ms had I/O functions with compression characteristics similar to LL TEOAE components. The model fit the LL gain functions, which had R 2 > .93, significantly better than the nonlinear distortion OAE gain functions, which had R 2 = .596-.99. Interquartile ranges for joint reflection-distortion profiles were larger for compression threshold and OAE level at compression threshold but smaller for peak strength than those previously published.

CONCLUSIONS
The gain function fits LL TEOAEs well. Joint reflection-distortion profiles are a promising method that could enhance diagnosis of hearing loss, and use of the LL TEOAE in the profile for peak strength may be important because of narrow interquartile ranges.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.20323593.


As governments around the world decide to deploy digital health passports as a tool to curb the spread of Covid-19, it becomes increasingly important to consider how these can be constructed with privacy-by-design. In this paper we discuss the privacy and security issues of common approaches for constructing digital health passports. We then show how to construct, and deploy, secure and private digital health passports, in a simple and efficient manner. We do so by using a protocol for distributed password-based token issuance, secret sharing and by leveraging modern smart phones' secure hardware. Our solution only requires a constant amount of asymmetric cryptographic operations and a single round of communication between the user and the party verifying the user's digital health passport, and only two rounds between the user and the server issuing the digital health passport.


The development of neutralizing antibodies, or inhibitors, against infused factor VIII represents a significant complication of treatment for hemophilia A. Although it is likely that both genetic and environmental factors influence whether patients form inhibitors, correlations between types of factor VIII mutations and inhibitor development are becoming apparent. Approximately 20% of all patients with severe hemophilia A generate inhibitors. Of these inhibitor patients, 90% have inversions, large deletions or nonsense mutations of the factor VIII gene that would be predicted to eliminate production of factor VIII antigen. In contrast to patients with severe disease, inhibitor formation in patients with mild/moderate hemophilia A is rare. Inhibitor patients with mild/moderate disease typically have missense mutations that may cause local conformational changes within immunogenic domains of factor VIII and lead to production of dysfunctional antigen. Taken together, hemophilia A patients are predisposed to inhibitor development with mutations causing infused factor VIII to be perceived as either 1) a completely novel antigen or 2) an immunologically altered antigen.


Calculation of chemical reaction rates lies at the very core of theoretical chemistry. The essential dynamical quantity which determines the reaction rate is the energy-dependent cumulative reaction probability, N(E), whose Boltzmann average gives the thermal rate constant, k(T). Converged quantum mechanical calculations of N(E) remain a challenge even for three- and four-atom systems, and a longstanding goal of theoreticians has been to calculate N(E) accurately and efficiently using semiclassical methods. In this article we present a variety of methods for achieving this goal, by combining semiclassical initial value propagation methods with a reactant–product wavepacket correlation function approach to reactive scattering. The correlation function approach, originally developed for transitions between asymptotic internal states of reactants and products, is here reformulated using wavepackets in an arbitrary basis, so that N(E) can be calculated entirely from trajectory dynamics in the vicinity of the transition state. This is analogous to the approaches pioneered by Miller for the quantum calculation of N(E), and leads to a reduction in the number of trajectories and the propagation time. Numerical examples are presented for both one-dimensional test problems and for the collinear hydrogen exchange reaction.


Wheelchair rugby is a sport played by approximately 200 people in the United Kingdom. Despite being a small part of the population, research suggests that there are some aspects related to the sports-wear that need attention. This is especially relevant for gloves, as they have been identified as one of the main causes of performance losses. Until now, there are no gloves available on the market that were developed to respond to this sport's needs and requirements. The purpose of this paper was to present the concepts of the initial designs and first prototype of a pair of gloves created for wheelchair rugby. The designs were developed based on the feedback from one UK-based wheelchair rugby team. Of the designs produced only one was selected to be developed as a physical prototype. This particular design had in consideration the most important features identified by the athletes, namely the easiness of putting on and taking off the gloves, the padding and grip in specific areas and the elimination of the need for tape to secure.


Ten of 12 pigs transplanted with livers stored in a perfusion device for 24 hours died within 12 hours because of uncontrollable bleeding. Recipients of fresh livers or of livers stored for eight to ten hours survived until the liver was rejected. Uncontrollable bleeding correlated with dramatic falls in the recipient's platelet count. Levels of clotting factors I (fibrinogen), II (prothrombin), and VIII (antihemophilic factor) were also reduced. Activation of fibrinolysis was comparatively minimal. The observed changes are those expected with extensive intravascular coagulation. Evidence has been presented elsewhere that the endothelial lining of liver sinusoids was destroyed by prolonged perfusion storage. This correlated with and appears to be a reasonable basis for activation of intravascular coagulation.


Cancer gene therapy endeavors to overcome the low therapeutic index of currently available therapeutic modalities via the efficient and safe delivery of genetic material into tumor cells. However, despite promising preclinical results, replication-deficient viral vectors have demonstrated a limited efficacy in the clinical setting. To increase vector efficiency, replication-competent viruses have been proposed. Clinical trials have shown the safety of locally injected, conditionally replicative adenoviruses (Ads) but have underscored the need for improved potency. To further increase the therapeutic effect of replicating viral vectors, armed therapeutic viruses (ATVs) have recently been used for high-efficiency transgene expression. However, interference with cellular signaling and viral production by constitutive transgene expression may be counterproductive for ATV replication, thereby hindering the therapeutic outcome. Consequently, studies are equivocal with regard to the potential benefits of ATVs. To address this issue, we hypothesized that induction of replication of an Ad expressing p53 may be a useful strategy in the context of ATV because p53 does not interfere with Ad replication and may even increase its cytolytic effect. We show that in our in vitro ATV model system, E1 transcomplementation of a replication-deficient Ad encoding p53 resulted in dramatic augmentation of cell killing and circumvented resistance to apoptosis. Correlation was found between the degrees of cell killing and apoptosis induction, rather than with viral burst. Furthermore, both Ad5 E1B 55kDa and E4 orf6 genes were required to enhance the cell killing. In conclusion, our p53-ATV model system demonstrates the potential utility of therapeutic transgene expression by a replicating Ad after a rational selection of a candidate transgene.


Part 1 of this article (July 1988, p. 46) detailed the important features of the interpretation of spinal X-rays in the injured patient and part 2 deals with those patients who present with pain or deformity. The type of examination, the way it is carried out, and the way it is interpreted may all differ from the assessment of the patient who has been injured.


Modelling of flow processes in the unsaturated zone on a large scale requires often
upscaling of the flow problem. The soil parameter distribution is mostly not known,
so that the upscaled problem is based on a characterization of the soil
heterogeneity, which is obtained from local measurements. Effective flow parameters
are therefore often derived in a stochastic framework, where the heterogeneity of a
field is quantified by its second order stochastic properties (the mean, variance
and a two-point covariance model with an integral scale and anisotropy parameters).
A field has to be Gaussian to be quantified completely by these parameters. However,
soil structure resembles rarely Gaussian fields. It has connected and isolated
structures of different material types. The connectedness of material has a large
influence on the upscaled models, yet these properties can in general not be derived
from second order stochastic field parameters. Therefore upscaling methods are
needed which take connectivity into account.

In this contribution we first discuss how soil connectivity can be quantified from
local data in a reasonable way. We then discuss how the information about
connectivity can be taken into account into the upscaled models. This is done here
by applying different effective medium approaches to derive unsaturated effective
permeability. The methods are all derived assuming capillary equilibrium on the
small scale. Effective parameters are obtained using the self-consistent approach,
the Maxwell approach, the differential effective medium approach and a generalized
percolation approach. We compare the methods and discuss their advantages and
limits. The results obtained for different test fields are compared to the exact
solution for the effective parameters, derived by homogenization theory.


Background Renin Angiotensin System plays a complex role in regulating physiopathologic functional and morphological modifications at vascular level. While large information exist about Angiotensin (AT) II roles, namely in the development of vascular damage under early inflammatory conditions, little is known about AT 1-7 functions, supposed to play counteracting actions vs AT II Objectives To evaluate if, in the early phases of an experimental inflammatory systemic condition namely the one induced by streptozotocin (SZ), the treatment with AT 1-7 could prevent inflammatory, pro-oxidative and structural vascular modifications, and further prevent the in vivo leukocyte trafficking activation, induced by local stimulation of well known arthritis-related proinflammatory mediators, such as thrombin (THR) or activated terminal complement complex (aTCC). Methods In compliance with European (86/609/EEC) and the Italian (D.L.116/92) rules for animal experiments, 4 groups each of 10-12 male Wistar rats were randomly grouped and treated respectively with sterile saline, or AT 1-7 (576 μg/kg/day), either in the presence or absence (healthy control group) of a preliminary standardized bolus intra vein infusion of 50mg/kg SZ. Saline and AT 1-7 were daily infused by osmotic sc minipump. After 3 weeks, in 4 anesthesized rats from each group, the occurrence of either basal, or THR or aTCC-induced local inflammatory inflammatory stimulation, stable adherence to the endothelial layer and extravasation of circulating fluorescently-labelled leukocytes were assessed at microvascular level by using an in vivo videomicroscopy technique. In the other rats, the immunohistochemical staining (IHS) and gene expression ex vivo analysis of mesentery vascular content of IL-6, MCP-1, Nitrotyrosine, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), together with structural changes, assessed by median wall:total vessel area ratio (W/TV) and extracellular matrix content, were also assessed. Results AT 1-7 did not induce any significant modification in control, healthy animals, differently AT 1-7 partly reduced the overall increase of leukocyte trafficking and extravasation in a time ranging from 15 to 60 minutes after topical exposure to THR and aTCC, while significantly inhibiting these effects (p<0.01) in rats previously treated with SZ. AT 1-7 also reduced the SZ induced percent increase of W/TV ratio (61±5 vs 87±6 of saline treated, p<0.001), local vascular content (ng/μg prot.) of IL-6 (7±1,2 vs 3±0.8, p<0.01) and MCP-1 (12±4 vs 7±2.5, p<0.05), and the percent IHS of Nitrotyrosine (25.5±6.7 vs 9.5±4, p<001), CTGF (21±4 vs 14.5±2.5, p<0.01) and PCNA (medial layer=8±3.2 vs 2.5±0.15, p<0.01). Gene expression assessments are still under evaluation Conclusions These data suggest that AT 1-7 could play an immune modulating role even in the earlier phases of inflammatory conditions, with prevention of secondary structural tissue alterations. This could be of relevance in the development of arthritis disease, therefore our group has recently been starting new experiments with the aim of demonstrating any AT 1-7 protective effects also in experimental arthritis Disclosure of Interest None declared


: Saliva plays an important role in the functioning of full dentures. A prosthesis does not rest on bare mucous membranes but on an interposed salivary film. This pellicle, mainly consisting of mucin glycoproteins, protects the tissues from injury caused by the denture base. The retention of the complete upper denture, and in a lesser degree of the lower, is also dependent on the salivary layer between the denture base and the oral tissues. A combination of several physical factors results in an adhesion. In order to achieve an optimal effect of these adhesive forces, the manufacturing of the dentures as well as the long term aftercare should meet a number of requirements, described in this article.


Metastatic bladder tumors constitute <5% of all bladder tumors and metastatic malignant melanoma of the urinary bladder is very rare. We present a case report of a metastatic malignant melanoma of the urinary bladder. A 70-year-old woman without any apparent significant clinical history was admitted to the Department of Urology for gross hematuria. Microscopic findings of the transurethral resection specimen revealed fascicles, sheets, and diffuse areas composed of oval and fusiform cells with focal pigmentation. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the tumor cells were positive for human melanoma black-45, Melan-A, and S100, and negative for pancytokeratin. Subsequently, we contacted the patient and learned that she was admitted to the Department of Ophthalmology for painless and progressive visual field loss 15 years ago. She had been diagnosed with a primary ocular (uveal) melanoma. A detailed patient history coupled with histological and immunohistochemical findings were necessary to make the final diagnosis of metastatic melanoma.


A power requirement model was simulated at three factor interaction of process variables in order to select a combination of optimum crop and machine variables (crop moisture content, feed rate, cylinder speed) that will yield minimum grain losses for millet and sorghum threshers. The viability of the model was demonstrated in selecting minimum grain loss for various combinations of process variables and power requirement. Result obtained from the simulations revealed that a minimum grain loss of 0.09% was obtained for millet thresher and 0.35% for the sorghum thresher at 9% grain moisture content, 5m/s cylinder speed, and feed rate of 0.03 kg/s. The power requirements obtained at these levels were 2.5kW and 4.6kW for millet and sorghum threshers respectively. This compares well with actual measurements using the same values of the parameters with a minimum grain loss of 0.10% for millet and 0.46% for sorghum threshers, at 2.45kW and 4.5kW power requirements for millet and sorghum threshers respectively


This work presents the design and the corresponding stability analysis of a model--based, joint position tracking error constrained, adaptive output feedback controller for robot manipulators. Specifically, provided that the initial joint position tracking error starts within a predefined region, the proposed controller algorithm ensures that the joint tracking error remains inside this region and asymptotically approaches zero, despite the lack of joint velocity measurements and uncertainties associated with the system dynamics. The constraint imposed on the position tracking error term ensures predictable overshoot for the overall system and enables a predetermined transient performance. The need for the joint velocity measurements is removed via the use of a surrogate filter formulation in conjunction with the use of desired model compensation. The stability and the convergence of the closed--loop system are proved via a barrier Lyapunov function based argument. Extensive numerical simulations and experimental studies performed on a two-link, direct-drive robotic manipulator are provided to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.


Two groups of 30 women with clinical signs of appendicitis were randomized to immediate appendicectomy or diagnostic laparoscopy. In the latter group, appendicectomy was performed if a diagnosis of acute appendicitis was established or if the appendix could not be visualized. Eleven patients who underwent immediate operation had unnecessary appendicectomy, compared with two who underwent laparoscopy. This difference of 30% (95% confidence interval 11-49%) was significant (p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in postoperative morbidity rate in the two groups. Diagnostic laparoscopy is a useful preliminary investigation in women with clinical signs of acute appendicitis.


The importance of the severe accident mitigation under beyond design-basis events (BDBEs) was realized to achieve the nuclear safety through the Fukushima accident. Failure mode estimation of essential components in nuclear facilities is necessary to take appropriate measures against the severe accident conditions. The failure mode of piping systems exposed to excessive seismic loading was found to be ratchet deformation followed by fatigue failure through many experimental tests in the past, whereas the failure of Test #37 of Pipe-fitting dynamic reliability program (PFDRP) conducted by EPRI was unexpected and its failure mechanism remains unclear, as it was often suspected to have been failed in plastic collapse. In the past research, the constant stress on the structure such as a dead-weight was revealed to significantly affect the failure mode and failure level of structures under seismic excitation. In this study, the constant stress components which can increase due to the ratchet deformation during a seismic excitation is focused and is analytically examined to clarify the effects on the failure mode of structures by using a cantilever structure with various dead-weight conditions and a constant cycles of sinusoidal waves which essentially represents the seismic loading with specific frequency ratios to establish the failure estimation of a structure exposed to seismic loading.


ZA-27 alloys reinforced by Mn-containing intermetallic compounds were prepared and effect of Mn content on impact strength, hardness, tensile strength, volumetric wear rate and surface roughness were examined. By adding Mn, Si, Cu, Mg into ZA-27, experimental alloys were fabricated by gravity die casting. The volume fraction and grain size of the Mn-containing intermetallic compound phases vary with the changing of Mn content. As the percentage of Mn increases the volume fraction and size of the precipitates increased. Volumetric wear rate of the reinforced ZA-27 alloys at room temperature were measured. The results show that the impact strength and hardness values are increased with increase in Mn up to 1%. Ultimate tensile strength and Volumetric wear rate decreased with increase in Mn up to 1 %. But surface roughness is decreases almost with increase in the Mn content. Better tribological properties of these alloys can be achieved at a Mn content of 1 %.


We consider the error exponent of the memoryless multiple-access (MAC) channel. We show that if the MAC channel is modulo-additive, then any error probability, and hence any error exponent, achievable by a linear code for the corresponding single-user channel, is also achievable for the MAC channel. Specifically, for an alphabet of prime cardinality, where linear codes achieve the best known exponents in the single-user setting (and the optimal exponent above the critical rate), this performance carries over to the MAC setting. At least at low rates, where expurgation is needed, our approach strictly improves performance over previous results, where expurgation was used at most for one of the users. Even when the MAC channel is not additive, it may be transformed into such a channel. While the transformation is lossy, we show that the distributed structure gain in some "nearly additive" cases outweighs the loss, and thus we can improve upon the best known exponent for these cases as well. This approach is related to that previously proposed for the Gaussian MAC channel, and is based on "distributed structure".


This paper presents a new version of the camera-space-manipulation method (CSM). The set of nonlinear view parameters of the classic CSM is replaced with a linear model. Simulations and experiments show a similar precision error for the two methods. However, the new approach is simpler to implement and is faster.


this research developed a method using fragile watermarking technique for color images to achieve secure e-government tamper detection with recovery capability. Before performing the watermark insertion process, the RGB image is converted first into YCbCr image. The watermark component is selected from the image feature that approximates the original image, in which the chrominance value features as a watermark component. For a better detection process, 3-tuple watermark, check bits, parity bits, and recovery bits are selected. The average block in each 2 x 2 pixels is selected as 8 restoration bits of each component, the embedding process work on the pixels by modifying the pixels value of three Least Significant Bit (LSB) . The secret key for secure tamper detection and recovery, transmitted along with the watermarked image, and the algorithm mixture is used to extract information at the receiving end. The results show remarkably effective to restore tampered image.


This paper reports on the first (theoretical) stage of a two-part investigation of selected aspects of biophilia theory as applied in the design of furniture, and with particular reference to design criteria that designers may use, including emotional criteria. The second (empirical) part of this investigation will report on the results of surveys based on the findings of the first stage and, while some empirical findings will be previewed in this paper, the main findings will be published in a separate paper. The aims of this paper are twofold: firstly, to investigate the wide-ranging typology of published furniture designs incorporating living organisms (often with few logical explanations apart from anecdotal or implied axiomatic benefits) and, secondly, to identify the criteria designers and users may employ to make design-and-use decisions about such furniture with particular reference to biophilic and emotional design criteria. Biophilia theory proposes that humans have an instinctive and innate need to connect with nature. In general, biophilic design uses biophilic principles in the design process. Interestingly, a review of the literature has found that, although biophilic design has been widely reported in architecture and environmental design circles, few studies address the logical application of these principles in the context of furniture design. Following a critical literature review, this paper proposes a novel typology of furniture designs that incorporate living organisms (such as plants, animals and insects). This typology is based on at least 168 furniture designs classified into 4 main categories and 24 sub-categories. The underlying purpose being to provide a framework from which useful furniture design criteria may be inferred subject to empirical testing. For brevity, a synopsis of this typology is presented in the main body of the paper with the details given in the appendix along with source credits. This is followed by proposing a model of evaluation criteria, a metric which may be used to inform the design of furniture from a user and designer perspective. The paper also presents a brief preview of how these models have been applied in the empirical part of this investigation, along with a summary of findings and conclusions.