Abstract. Pastures continue to provide essential functions for the mixed-farming zone in south-eastern Australia, where crop and livestock production are integral parts of most farms. Establishment of pastures in this zone needs to be low-cost and preferably with minimal risk. Pastures are typically sown either directly or in combination with a cover-crop (also called undersowing; the practice of sowing pasture seed simultaneously with a crop that is intended for grain production in the first year), so that the establishment cost is offset by income from the sale of grain. The purposes of this review are to: (i) draw together the literature on undersowing pastures, including studies conducted since the previous review in 1965; (ii) understand why there is a discrepancy between research results that generally do not support the practice of undersowing pastures, whereas farmer preference appears to establish pastures under a cover-crop; and (iii) identify critical needs for further research to aid in making decisions about pasture establishment on-farm. Published and unpublished data from the Australian wheatbelt on establishing pastures by undersowing was examined from the 1920s to the present and included seven publications for perennial species from 26 different experiments. Eight publications addressing establishment of annual species were available from 30 experiments. Many trials appear to have been conducted without being analysed or published. A further 16 international publications were reviewed. Generally, cover-crops reduced annual pasture seedset and perennial density even though the pastures established under the cover-cropping were commonly deemed 'satisfactory' by the authors. Pasture establishment was improved by reducing the sowing rate of the cover-crop and/or sowing on alternate rows. Technological change during the past 25 years has led to different configurations of seeding machinery, increased use of herbicides and longer cropping phases. Conclusions previously reached may therefore need to be re-assessed. No data published quantified the risks associated with undersowing on a seasonal and regional basis to determine the probability of success, and there are insufficient data to model the complex physiological interactions between crop and pasture, with most experiments focused on basic agronomic parameters. Furthermore, long-term effects of establishment method on total pasture biomass production and subsequent effects on following crops have rarely been demonstrated, because of the short time-frames in which most experiments have been conducted. Farmers in the mixed-farming zone still prefer to establish pastures under a cover-crop because of perceived financial benefit of the practice. This review identifies substantial research gaps to be addressed to improve pasture-establishment decisions.


Humans have the ability to identify each other. Identification of a person by his facial image is known as face recognition. To identify a person by comparing image data or live capture with stored data is the biometric method of face recognition. A set of measureable and unique characteristics of a person can be used to recognize an individual automatically. To recognize a person automatically is one of the challenging problems in computer science. Face Recognition is a technique of biometrics, which operates on image data from the obtained data. Face Recognition is used for security purposes. Physical interaction is not required in case of face recognition on behalf of user. Face Recognition is used for both verification and identification. This paper of face recognition provides a review of various face recognition algorithms based on local feature extraction methods, dimensionality reduction approaches and hybrid methods. It provides a collection of face recognition techniques , critical review and description of major face recognition algorithms. In addition, a classification of face recognition has also been provided. This work would be an attempt to study major methods/techniques involved in the recognition of faces. Keywords : Biometric, face recognition, image processing, pattern recognition Cite this Article Akib Mohi Ud Din Khanday, Aamir Amin, Irfan Manzoor et al. Face Recognition Techniques: A Critical Review. Recent Trends in Programming Languages. 2018; 5(2): 24–30p.


Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has long emerged as a valuable technique for characterizing the molecular structure, conformation, and dynamics of polymer chains in various polymer systems. The principles of the solid-state 13C NMR cross-polarization experiment are described along with corresponding relaxation measurements. The ensuing recent applications of these techniques to different polymer systems are reviewed, with selected examples that have appeared in the recent literature. All of these applications of solid-state NMR to polymers have one feature in common: the interpretation of spectroscopic observations as related to the structural features and physical properties of the polymer.


Abstract. The current mean sea level (MSL) continuous record, essential to understanding the climate evolution, is computed with the altimetric measurements of the TOPEX/Poseidon mission, succeeded by Jason-1 and later Jason-2. The accurate continuity of the record is ensured by the conservation of the "historical" TOPEX orbit as well as by calibration phases between the successive missions which enable a rigorous computation of their relative biases. In order to extend the current MSL record, Jason-3 will be the natural successor of Jason-2: on the same orbit with a calibration phase. Shortly after Jason-3, another altimetric climate-oriented mission, Sentinel-3a, will be launched on a different orbit. In this paper, simulated altimetric sea level data are used to study the sensitivity of the MSL continuous record to the change of the "historical" orbit for the new Sentinel-3a orbit. By estimating the impact of the absence of calibration phase on the MSL continuous record trend accuracy at the global and regional scales and the impact of the orbit change on the long-term continuity of this MSL record, this study shows that linking Sentinel-3a data instead of Jason-3 to the MSL continuous record would not meet climate user requirements regarding the MSL trend accuracy.


People with visual disabilities have difficulties in inputting Chinese into computer via conventional methods. Although some specialized devices and software can help Chinese blind users input Mandarin Braille into computers, translation of Mandarin Braille into Chinese is still a problem. In this paper, a new approach for translation of prevailing Mandarin Braille to Chinese character is proposed. By using characteristics of prevailing Mandarin Braille such as word segmentation-concatenation rule and tone information in the N-gram decoding process, the translating approach is able to achieve higher performance than current methods. Furthermore, under a paragraph and article translation scheme, language model adaptation is adopted by using combination of N-gram language model and cache-based language mode to improve translation performance. Experimental results show that the overall precision for the translation is 94.3%. If proper nouns are not considered, the precision can reach 95.1%.


Introduction: Clinical presentation of haemorrhoids is varied resembling number of anorectal diseases.
Aim: To assess risk factors, clinical profile and management practices of haemorrhoid cases.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective record based study was done at a government and private tertiary care hospital in Mangalore. Data from medical records of 220 haemorrhoid cases, over the past 10 years were collected and analysed. Chi-square test was used to test association.
Results: Out of the 220 cases, 196 (89.1%) were males, 87.3% were unskilled workers and 123 (55.9%) were from urban areas. Among the cases, 96.5% were non-vegetarians, 150 (68.2%) gave history of frequent lifting of heavy weights, 69 (31.4%) had positive history of prolonged standing and 68 (30.9%) had history of constipation. Majority of cases had internal haemorrhoids 177 (80.5%) and were of third degree 92 (41.8%) variety. As many as 99 (45%) presented with haemorrhoids in 3 o' clock position. The most common presentation was rectal bleeding 175 (79.5%) followed by anal pain 55 (25%). Rectal bleeding was present among most cases (80.8%) with internal haemorrhoids while majority of cases (28.2%) with external haemorrhoids complained of anal pain. Proctoscopy was the most common investigative procedure performed in 75% cases. Among conservative procedures, majority of cases 79 (35.9%) received warm sitz bath. Ferguson haemorrhoidectomy (closed haemorrhoidectomy) was the most common surgical procedure done in 83.8% cases. The outcome of management was recovery in 214 (97.3%) cases and recurrence reported in 6 (2.7%) cases.
Conclusion: The high risk groups identified in this study such as non-vegetarians and those with history of frequent lifting of heavy weights need to be made aware of the risk of developing haemorrhoids. Suitable changes in their lifestyles will be useful in prevention of haemorrhoids. Information on its common clinical presentation would be useful in screening activities.


David Kepesh is white-haired and over sixty, an eminent TV culture critic and star lecturer at a New York College, when he meets Consuela Castillo, a decorous, well-mannered student of twentyfour, the daughter of wealthy Cuban exiles, who promptly puts his life into erotic disorder and haunts him for the next eight years. Since the sexual revolution of the 1960s freed him from his wife and child, Kepesh has experimented with living what he calls an 'emancipated manhood' beyond the reach of family or a mate. Over the years, he has refined that exuberant decade of protest and licence into an orderly way of life in which he is both unimpeded in the world of Eros and studiously devoted to his aesthetic pursuits. But the youth and beauty of this 'newly-hatched' woman - 'a masterpiece,' as Kepesh describes Consuela, 'of volupte' - undo him completely. His worldliness, his confidence, his reason desert him, and on the brink of old age, a maddening sexual possessiveness transports him to the depths of deforming jealousy. The light-hearted erotic tale with which he began evolves into a poignant, tragic story of love and loss. The Dying Animal is vintage Roth fiction, a masterpiece of passionate immediacy. It is intellectually bold, forcefully candid, wholly of our time, and utterly without precedent - a story of sexual discovery told about himself by a man of seventy.


We use 23298 Pn arrival-time data from Chinese national and provincial earthquake bulletins to invert fine structure of Pn velocity and anisotropy at the top of the mantle beneath the Sichuan-Yunnan and its adjacent region. The results suggest that the Pn velocity in this region shows significant lateral variation; the Pn velocity varies from 7.7 to 8.3 km/s. The Pn-velocity variation correlates well with the tectonic activity and heat flow of the region. Low Pn velocity is observed in southwest Yunnan, Tengchong volcano area, and the Panxi tectonic area. These areas have very active seismicity and tectonic activity with high surface heat flow. On the other hand, high Pn velocity is observed in some stable regions, such as the central region of the Yangtze Platform; the most pronounced high velocity area is located in the Sichuan Basin, south of Chengdu. Pn anisotropy shows a complex pattern of regional deformation. The Pn fast direction shows a prominent clockwise rotation pattern from east of the Tibetan block to the Sichuan-Yunnan diamond block to southwest Yunnan, which may be related to southeastward escape of the Tibetan Plateau material due to the collision of the Indian Plate to the Eurasia Plate. Thus there appears to be strong correlation between the crustal deformation and the upper mantle structure in the region. The delay times of events and stations show that the crust thickness decreases from the Tibetan Plateau to eastern China, which is consistent with the results from deep seismic sounding.


38 adenomatous polyps, 42 villous polyps with varying degree of proliferation and epithelial dysplasia, 34 polyps with preinvasive cancer components and 44 polyps containing invasive cancer elements were examined microspectrophotometrically. The analysis established an increased level of epithelial cells with ploidy varying 3c-5c to be a characteristic feature of the initial stages of malignant transformation of rectal polyps. The invasive cancer had similar peculiarities.


In the wake of the USA Gymnastics sexual abuse scandal and Women's National Soccer Team's claim for pay equity, members of Congress have proposed legislation that would reform the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) through amendments to its governing statute, the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. While an important step in the right direction, the proposed reforms fail to address deeper, more urgent questions about the USOPC, the sport National Governing Bodies (NGBs) it recognizes, and the meaning of the Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. This Article explores those issues by explaining that the USOPC's quasi-governmental nature means it is an amateur regulator—trusted to act in the public interest, consistent with its statutory purpose, but without the structure, funding, and institutional expertise of a federal agency. Drawing from existing scholarly literature on quasigovernmental entities, this Article explains that the USOPC's status allows it to easily become unmoored from its governing statute's original purposes and intent. This Article asserts that proposed reforms to the Olympic and Amateur Sports Act must take account of this structure and suggests reforms that will create greater accountability to ensure that the USOPC better meets its statutory purposes and serves the national interest.


Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this article is to examine the use of a mobile technology platform, software customization and technical support services by people with disability. The disability experience is framed through the participants' use of the technology, their social participation. Method: A qualitative and interpretive research design was employed using a three-stage process of observation and semi-structured interviews of people with disability, a significant other and their service provider. Transcripts were analyzed to examine the research questions through the theoretical framework of PHAATE – Policy, Human, Activity, Assistance and Technology and Environment. Results: The analysis revealed three emergent themes: 1. Engagement and activity; 2. Training, support and customization; and 3. Enablers, barriers and attitudes. Conclusions: The findings indicate that for the majority of users, the mobile technology increased the participants' communication and social participation. However, this was not true for all members of the pilot with variations due to disability type, support needs and availability of support services. Most participants, significant others and service providers identified improvements in confidence, security, safety and independence of those involved. Yet, the actions and attitudes of some of the significant others and service providers acted as a constraint to the adoption of the technology. Implications for Rehabilitation Customized mobile technology can operate as assistive technology providing a distinct benefit in terms of promoting disability citizenship. Mobile technology used in conjunction with a supportive call centre can lead to improvements in confidence, safety and independence for people experiencing disability. Training and support are critical in increasing independent use of mobile technology for people with disability. The enjoyment, development of skills and empowerment gained through the use of mobile technology facilitate the social inclusion of people with disability.


Concern about algorithmically-curated content and its impact on democracy is reaching a fever pitch worldwide. But relative to the role of social media in electoral processes, the role of search results has received less public attention. We develop a theoretical conceptualization of search results as a form of media-search media-and analyze search media in the context of political partisanship in the six months leading up to the 2018 U.S. midterm elections. Our empirical analyses use a total of over 4 million URLs, scraped daily from Google search queries for all candidates running for federal office in the United States in 2018. In our first set of analyses we characterize the nature of search media from the data collected in terms of the types of URLs present and the stability of search results over time. In our second, we annotate URLs' top-level domains with existing measures of political partisanship, examining trends by incumbency, election outcome, and other election characteristics. Among other findings, we note that partisanship trends in search media are largely similar for content about candidates from the two major political parties, whereas there are substantial differences in search media for incumbent versus challenger candidates. This work suggests that longitudinal, systematic audits of search media can reflect real-world political trends. We conclude with implications for web search designers and consumers of political content online.


Some public display systems provide information that is vital for people in their vicinity (such as departure times at airports and train stations) whereas other screens are more ambient (such as displays providing background information on exhibits in a museum). The question we are discussing in this paper is how to design interaction mechanisms for the latter, in particular how mobile phones can be used to enable opportunistic and leisurely interaction. We present results from an investigation into the use and perception of a public display in a cafe, and we derive some requirements for phone-based interaction with (ambient) public displays. Based on these requirements, we briefly evaluate three different interaction techniques.


College men and women were compared on a number of variables concerned with risky sexual behavior, including gender and attitudes toward casual sex. MANOVA revealed that, when compared to women, men showed significantly: higher frequency of intercourse, more sex partners and higher frequency of condom use. Following a random division of the sample into two groups, a factor analysis was performed. The resulting factor structure consisted of three factors, Potential Negative Consequences, Affective Evaluation of the Environment, and Perception of Safety and Control . Hierarchical multiple regressions showed differential predictions of risky sexual behavior by gender, attitudinal predictors and the interactions of gender and attitudes. Results support and extend previous work in this area and argue for greater attention to issues of gender for interventions with AIDS-risking behavior. Limitations to the study and future directions for research are discussed.


ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels link metabolic state to cell excitability. Here, we examined regulation of KATP channels in substantia nigra dopamine neurons by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which is produced in all cells during aerobic metabolism. Blockade of KATP channels by glibenclamide (100 nm) or depletion of intracellular H2O2 by including catalase, a peroxidase enzyme, in the patch pipette increased the spontaneous firing rate of all dopamine neurons tested in guinea pig midbrain slices. Using fluorescence imaging with dichlorofluorescein to visualize intracellular H2O2, we found that moderate increases in H2O2 during partial inhibition of glutathione (GSH) peroxidase by mercaptosuccinate (0.1-0.3 mm) had no effect on dopamine neuron firing rate. However, with greater GSH inhibition (1 mm mercaptosuccinate) or application of exogenous H2O2, 50% of recorded cells showed KATP channel-dependent hyperpolarization. Responsive cells also hyperpolarized with diazoxide, a selective opener for KATP channels containing sulfonylurea receptor SUR1 subunits, but not with cromakalim, a selective opener for SUR2-based channels, indicating that SUR1-based KATP channels conveyed enhanced sensitivity to elevated H2O2. In contrast, when endogenous H2O2 levels were increased after inhibition of catalase, the predominant peroxidase in the substantia nigra, with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (1 mm), all dopamine neurons responded with glibenclamide-reversible hyperpolarization. Fluorescence imaging of H2O2 indicated that catalase inhibition rapidly amplified intracellular H2O2, whereas inhibition of GSH peroxidase, a predominantly glial enzyme, caused a slower, smaller increase, especially in nonresponsive cells. Thus, endogenous H2O2 modulates neuronal activity via KATP channel opening, thereby enhancing the reciprocal relationship between metabolism and excitability.


Background: Patients with severe mental disorders have increased mortality, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for a large part. Physical inactivity and low aerobic fitness have been recognized as significant risk factors for CVD. In this study, we investigated the differences in aerobic fitness and physical activity between in- and outpatients with severe mental disorders. Method and Subjects: Fifty in- and outpatients from a regional psychiatric department were included. The patients filled in a questionnaire on physical activity and completed a clinical examination. An estimation of aerobic fitness was calculated for each patient, using gender, age, waist circumference, resting heart rate, and physical activity level as variables. Results: Inpatients had lower estimated aerobic fitness than outpatients (VO2peak 42 vs. 50 mL kg−1 min−1, p < 0.001). Compared to population data matched for age and gender, inpatients had lower aerobic fitness, while outpatients were not different from the population average. Conclusion: Inpatients at a psychiatric department had lower estimated aerobic fitness than outpatients, and a lower aerobic fitness compared to the general population. Our findings suggest that inpatients with severe mental disorders should be considered a high risk group for CVD.


In Beyond Eurocentrism and Anarchy: Memories of International Order and Institutions Siba Grovogui begins with a lyrical form of subversion as he speaks to those in International Relations whom he finds participating in moral justifications of a politics of death. Grovogui's assemblage of the colonial archive points to its operation at multiple registers. It is a site of contested possibility and regenerative change and it belongs to the whole world for a world otherwise. As a response to Grovogui's book, this essay argues that open-ended, multiple engagements can disrupt strategies of bifurcation problematizing asymmetrical zonings and scale making, thereby redefining the nature and terms of science (itself a naturalized modern knowledge formation) without fantasizing a greater sense of knowing or transcendence from ontological specificities and multiplicities.


The present article describes a study in which conversation analysis was used to investigate the verbal interactions between carers and profoundly multiply disabled young people. We examine the cognitive processes that come into play in conversations, and describe and analyze the interactional effects of pathologies on the cognitive processes involved in comprehension. We identify the rationality and reasoning processes to which the disabled person is susceptible, that is to say, that person's cognitive efficiency, and the communication strategies employed by the "normal" interlocutor. The corpus, which was gathered at a specialist institute in France, consists of video recordings of interactions between a multiply disabled young person and one or more carers. In total, thirteen conversations involving six different young people were recorded. Analysis of the characteristics of the conversational exchanges revealed that conversational exchanges are based on two very precise modes of interaction that foster the mutual understanding process. Learning outcomes: These two modes of interaction represent exchange structures that favor the emergence of mutual understanding and that reveal the multiply disabled person's cognitive efficiency in the conversation. We highlight the role of repetition as a conversation repair and we discuss the relationship between the carer and the disabled person.


This paper reflects on a number of different ways by which comparative research in technology education has been undertaken across countries. The history of comparative research in technology education demonstrates that it is possible to identify three major periods in the process of its development. When technology education was established a comparison had been made at the level of curriculum documents, syllabi and State Orders. People involved in the development of technology education were looking around the world for ideas. During this first stage, approaches to the analysis were not very systematic. The second stage in the development of comparative research in technology education could be characterised by a great number of published or presented papers that describe the situation in a particular country. Even though comparison, as such, was not used in this research the underlying assumption was that it should inform the research community about different approaches towards technology education and that it would be beneficial for the field. The third stage involved comparison between two or more countries about one or more specific aspects of technology education. These include for example, the meaning of the major concepts, teaching methods, comparison of goals, comparison of the balance between the global trends and local specificities. In this paper it is argued that it is essential to move towards the next stage - a comparison on the basis of two ideological beliefs about the purposes of general education. These beliefs are: whether education is designed to broaden minds and develop all students in the creation of a better society or is it really about training students to live and work in a market-oriented state, to be 'productive' in seizing the opportunities of the market. These two beliefs and the approaches derived from them have been chosen because they summarize an important issue that divides different social theories in their views on the role of education in society. They can provide a useful framework for analysing historical influences, curriculum theories, documents, and school practices in technology education in different countries.


OBJECTIVE
 The aim of this study was to describe an arthroscopic-assisted technique for coxofemoral toggle rod placement, and to report on the feasibility, drill tunnel trajectory and accuracy of tunnel aperture location using this method.

STUDY DESIGN
 Cadaveric pilot study.

SAMPLE POPULATION
 Eight coxofemoral joints.

METHODS
 Craniodorsal coxofemoral joint luxations were artificially created. A simulated open hip reduction and stabilization with a toggle rod were performed through a limited arthrotomy under arthroscopic guidance. Computed tomography scans were performed to evaluate drill hole trajectory across the femoral neck, and joints were disarticulated and photographed. Digital imaging software was used to determine the percent overlap of the drill hole apertures relative to the origin and insertion of the round ligament on the acetabulum and fovea.

RESULTS
 The exit point of the tunnel was entirely within the fovea capitis in five of eight femurs, three of eight femoral drill apertures were only partially within the target area. Of the eight acetabular bone tunnels examined, all were centred occupying the acetabular fossa.

CONCLUSIONS
 Coxofemoral toggle rod placement can be performed under arthroscopic guidance through a limited arthrotomy. Comparable femoral tunnel accuracy with the standard open technique should be achieved with the current method prior to its clinical use.


Objectives: This study sought to assess birth complications control between midwives among women in cross river states-Nigeria. To achieve this purpose, one null hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. Method: The study adopted was survey design. The sample consisted of 360 post-natal women selected from a population of 78,814 through the polio immunization registers of selected health centers. Accidental sampling technique was used to select the respondents. The instrument used for collecting data for the study was a 36-item questionnaire. Independent t-test and contingency chi-square were used in testing the null hypotheses. Results: The result showed that women delivered by traditional midwives have more negative control of delivery pain caused by birth complication than their counterparts who are delivered by western trained midwives; On the basis of finding it implies that western midwives are different from their counterparts. All what the traditional midwives need is workshops, seminars, conferences during ante-natal period to acquaint the traditional midwives with delivery related activities and procedures. It was also recommended that the traditional midwives should be given adequate training so that they can face the society and avoid further complications. Conclusion: Government should also continue to train more midwives to avoid the patronage of traditional birth attendance because hospital is the best place for delivery.


Transcultural flows of capital, culture and communication have created conditions for the widespread movement of people around the globe, leading to increasing diversity in countries of destination. In contexts of global migration lingua franca English is indispensable in initial and survival communication. For migrants to northern European countries where lingua franca English functions as a 'contact language' in 'contact zone encounters', it is of value not only as a communication medium, but also as a resource for learning typologically similar host-country languages. Drawing on the concept of affordances, the purpose of this study is to create an inventory of the ways in which English can facilitate, but also constrain social interaction and the acquisition of Swedish. Interviews conducted with 14 recently arrived migrants with English in their repertoires revealed the presence of enabling and constraining affordances in social, classroom, material and cognitive domains. Discussing the study findings, it is suggested that the ways in which the individual attunes to an affordance associated with English, perceiving it as either enabling or constraining, is dependent on their current motivational and affective state and in-the-moment cognitive processing.


Phase stability of 3Y-TZP was evaluated by acceleration test in water vapor environment and Raman spectroscopy. We found that the phase stability was affected not only by grain size but also by residual stress field, which could be quantitatively measured by Raman piezo-spectroscopy and controlled by sintering temperature. This study shows that Raman spectroscopy is a very useful technique for non-destructive analysis of 3Y-TZP.


Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is one of the most familiar broadband wireless access technologies that support multimedia transmission. IEEE802.16 Medium Access Control (MAC) covers a large area for bandwidth allocation and Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms for various types of applications. Nevertheless, the standard lacks a MAC scheduling algorithm that has a multi-dimensional objective of satisfying QoS requirements of the users, maximizing channel utilization while ensuring fairness among users. So a novel Priority based Scheduling Algorithm using Fuzzy logic that addresses these aspects are proposed. The initial results show that maximum channel utilization is achieved with a negligible increment in processing time while keeping the priority intact. and fairness.


Introduction: Information on epidemiological profile of supratentorial tumors pathology is scant in developing countries like India hence; more institutional data are needed to know the tumor burden in pediatric population, to undertake necessary research and to improve the therapeutic modalities in any given locality.
Aim: To study the distribution of various supratentorial tumors in pediatric age group according to age, sex, anatomical location and histological type and correlate findings from our institute with other institutional studies.
Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study to analyze the data on archived surgical samples of 45 pediatric patients (0-18 years) with supratentorial brain tumors, operated over a period of 10 years (January 2008 to December 2017). Data regarding age, gender, site of the tumor and histopathology were considered for the analysis. The results obtained were compared with the available published literature data matching to our study on Indian population.
Results: The most common pediatric primary brain tumors occupying supratentorial region were astrocytic tumors (33.3%) followed by craniopharyngiomas (20%) and meningiomas (13.4%). The most common astrocytic tumor was pilocytic astrocytoma. Pediatric brain tumors were more common in males (60%) as compared to females (40%) with male to female ratio of 1.5: 1.
Conclusion: Astrocytomas and craniopharyngiomas were observed to be the common supratentorial tumors among pediatric age group at our institute consistent with other multicentric studies conducted in India.

Keywords: Astrocytoma, craniopharyngioma, Pediatric tumors, Supratentorium.


Opaluch and Just reported the top 20 departments in pages per faculty of articles in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics for the five year period 1968–1972. To determine how much has changed and how much has not during the intervening two decades, the analysis was repeated for the five year period 1988–1992. Some things seem not to change. University of California, Berkeley, remains at the pinnacle twenty years later. And 13 of the top 20 departments two decades ago, remain there during the 1988–1992 period. But seven did change, and the most notable aspect is that the number of Northeast departments in the top 20 rose from two to five.


Drought stress can have a major impact upon plant survival and crop productivity. Sorghum bicolor is an important cereal crop grown in the arid and semi-arid regions of >98 different countries. It is well adapted to the harsh drought-prone environments in which it is grown however; relatively few studies have investigated the molecular basis of these adaptations. Breeding programs have lead to the identification of 'stay-green' varieties, so-called due to their ability to maintain green photosynthetic leaf area for longer under drought conditions. However, despite extensive breeding efforts to select for this trait we have very little understanding of the fundamental biological processes that underlie it.

Microarray analysis was used to identify gene expression changes in sorghum following heat stress, drought stress and combined heat and drought stress. These microarrays were additionally used to compare gene expression in stay-green (drought-tolerant) and senescent (drought-sensitive) sorghum lines. Ontological analysis of the genes expressed to higher levels in the stay-green lines identified key processes hypothesised to be associated with the trait. These include genes associated with proline and betaine biosynthesis, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and the regulation of stomatal aperture and density. Both proline levels and GST activity were found to be higher in the stay-green lines thus validating that the changes at the gene expression level result in changes at the protein level. Stay-green lines were also shown to have reduced transpiration and reduced numbers of stomata.

Two signalling genes, DREB1A and SDIR1 were expressed to higher levels in the stay-green varieties. Transgenic lines overexpressing these genes were generated in order to test their function. Based on the gene expression data, putative mechanisms underlying two QTL for the stay-green trait (Stg1 and StgB) were generated. Further validation of these genes and processes could not only improve our understanding of drought tolerance mechanisms in sorghum, but also facilitate the improvement of future sorghum cultivars.


The main objective of this investigation is to explore new similarity algorithms of staff similarity in technology innovation team. First, this paper proposes the knowledge representation model of technology staff based on network, and the cliques after clustering according to network feature expresses the sub-fields. Second, from the view of knowledge contained in technology staff, this paper proposes the similarity algorithm based on VSM and the similarity algorithm based on sub-field. Finally, we use the staff classification of one technology innovation team as case study. The experiment results reveal that the similarity of the new methods is accurate than that of the old method, and the information obtained by the new methods is more than that obtained by the old method.


Mile. Goichon's Lexique on the whole, yet at times he is less precise than is necessary for a correct understanding of Ibn Sina's concepts and ideas. This is evident from a comparison with Rahman and, also unknown to the author, S. van den Bergh's Averroes' Tahafut al-tahafut (London, 1954), n ; e.g. Dr. Chahine renders hads by ' intuition intellectuelle' whereas van den Bergh, equating it with anchinoia, by ' conjecturing power ' (p. 181) and ' intellectual acuteness ' (p. 173); or, Dr. Chahine, following Goichon, renders dahr by ' duree ', but van den Bergh explains it as corresponding to aion and meaning ' timeless eternity ' of God (pp. 54 f., 105).


Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are economic organizations which can contribute to rural development. We propose a first analysis of their main features and suggest a way for analysing them through the lens of organizational economics. SFSCs are based on proximity between consumers and producers, economic added-value, re-distributive principles and sustainability. They mainly rely on informal and socially-embedded governance mechanisms. We derive insights for better link SFSCs and policy design.


Buying or selling assets leads to transaction costs for the investor. On one hand, it is well know to all market practionaires that the transaction costs are positive on average and present therefore systematic loss. On the other hand, for every trade, there is a buy side and a sell side, the total amount of asset and the total amount of cash is conserved. I show, that the apparently paradoxical observation of systematic loss of all participants is intrinsic to the trading process since it corresponds to a correlation of outstanding orders and price changes.


New polymer-bitumen compositions based on thermoplastic polymers and heavy fractions from crude-oil processing have been developed. The parameters for the preparation of homogeneous and stable composites (Table 3) containing particular types of thermoplastic wastes of PE, PP, PS, PC (Table 1) and secondary bitumen oils such as clarified, pirolytic, used engine oils or furfurol extract (Table 2) have also been established. The obtained dual-content compositions underwent comprehensive thermomechanical and rheological tests in order to determine their applicability as binding agents in consumer products (Table 4, Figs. 1, 2). A preparation method developed for application of the new consumer materials for use as the joint sealants, seal mastics, asphalt primer solutions and asphalt-polymer adhesives was established and a full range of tests performed in accordance with current regulations (Tables 5—9, Figs. 3, 4) performed on them. The possibility of utilizing the waste polymers in the secondary bitumen environment in extreme conditions (Table 10, Fig. 5) was evaluated. The obtained thermolysis products can be used in the briquetting of solid fuels, modification of the poperties of petroleum asphalt and the preparation of sealing components for the construction industry.


A tree network consisting of communicating processors is considered. The objective is to minimize the processing time by distributing the processing load to other nodes. The effect of the order of load distribution on the processing time is addressed. An algorithm which optimally determines the order of load distribution is developed. It is shown that the order depends only on the channel capacity between nodes but not on the computing capability of each node.


Antisemitism is a much more complex phenomenon than most scholars in the field and nonexperts might expect or think. Antisemitism is not just a subcategory of hatred, racism, or bigotry. The Shoah was not a genocide "among others," as many scholars in the field of "comparative genocide studies" or "postcolonial studies" insinuate or even proclaim as a truism. Today, antisemitism appears mostly in three forms: (1) "traditional" antisemitism, both religious and racial, including anti-Judaism, blood libels, and conspiracy myths, among countless other tropes; (2) Holocaust denial, distortion and obfuscation, relativization, and universalization; and (3) hatred of Israel or anti-Zionist antisemitism. Post-Holocaust antisemitism is also framed as "secondary antisemitism," insofar as it is related to the time after Auschwitz. Secondary antisemitism is related to the distortion or obfuscation of the Shoah and to project German guilt onto the Allies or the Jews and to minimize or trivialize German guilt. The new Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism ( JCA ) initiated by Academic Studies Press will focus primarily on manifestations of twenty-first-century antisemitism. However, many forms of today's antisemitism are not manifest at all but appear in hidden or coded forms. Of course, the many forms of antisemitism intertwine to make antisemitism not only the "longest hatred" and a "lethal obsession" (Robert S. Wistrich), but also a most flexible ideology. Accusing the Jewish people of both capitalism and communism is a case in point. Antisemitism is a "specific phenomenon," as I have framed it in Antisemitism: A Specific Phenomenon  (2013).


In the last few years, the educational establishment has experienced a groundswell of educational reform driven by the Title II legislation and the agenda set by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF), which consists of improving teaching standards and the professionalization of teaching. This recent movement challenges schools, colleges and departments of education (SCDEs) to elevate the quality of teacher preparation for the largely White, suburban, female and culturally mainstream teaching force-especially given an increasingly culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse urban population of students in the public schools. To meet this challenge, this article presents the community teachers (CT) conceptual framework as a new direction for the preparation of multiculturally proficient teachers. There is no more important responsibility for a school, college department, or faculty of education than to do the best job that it possibly can do to support the learning of teachers throughout their careers. If we are not prepared to take this responsibility more seriously and do all that we can to have the best possible teacher education programs, then we should let someone else do the job. (Zeichner, 1999, p. 13) We live in an era of educational reform dominated by the watchword of "accountability" and driven by educational policy that espouses "raising the bar" under the banners of high standards and professionalization of teaching. At the same time, however, systems of public schooling in American cities continue to severely shortchange children in poverty and children of culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The national response to the crisis has generally been a proliferation of policy that increases high-stakes testing for teachers, as well as students. The logic of the new agenda, proclaimed in the report of the National Commission of Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF), is that the way to improve schools is to raise the standard of quality of teachers and teaching. The central proposition of the agenda, simply stated, is that we will improve education if we ensure that there are caring and competent teachers for every classroom (NCTAF, 1996). The hitch to this proposition is that there is more to the problem of American schools than the abilities (or lack thereof) of its teachers. The systems of practice that prepare, develop, and support instruction are just as critical to the quality of education. Contemporary systems of teacher preparation and development are not yet adequate to meet the challenges posed by the crisis in schooling, in spite of the NCTAF agenda. In spite of this new national agenda, this country has yet to produce a system of teacher education that successfully, and in sufficient numbers, prepares teachers for effective work in diverse urban school settings (Darling-Hammond, 1994; Melnick & Zeichner, 1997; Murrell, 1991,1993, 1998; NCTAF, 1996; Zeichner, 1999). Moreover, the current configurations of teacher education seem unequal to the task of renewing urban education (Comer, 1997; Darling-Hammond & Sykes, 1999; Delpit, 1996; Irvine & Fraser, 1998; Hollins, Hayman, & King, 1997; Murrell, 1998; Myers, 1996; Valli, Cooper, & Frankes, 1997) or increasing the numbers of "multiculturally competent teachers" (Gay, 2000; Nieto, 1999). Educational experts agree that one of the greatest barriers is the difficulty in transforming teacher candidates' attitudes regarding race, class and ethnicity, and critical awareness of structural inequality in America (e.g., Cochran-Smith, 2001). The long-standing lament of teacher education concerns the overwhelmingly White, female, middle-class and culturally mainstream corps of prospective teachers poised to enter the profession at a time when the student population is increasingly ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse. Sleeter (2001) reviewed the literature on the preparation of this population of teachers and concluded that White pre-service teachers still come to teacher preparation with little experience in culturally, linguistically, and racially diverse contexts, with very little understanding of structural inequality and institutional racism, and with serious cultural and racial biases. …


IMPORTANCE
Hematoma expansion is a potentially modifiable predictor of poor outcome following an acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The ability to identify patients with ICH who are likeliest to experience hematoma expansion and therefore likeliest to benefit from expansion-targeted treatments remains an unmet need. Hypodensities within an ICH detected by noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) have been suggested as a predictor of hematoma expansion.

OBJECTIVE
To determine whether hypodense regions, irrespective of their specific patterns, are associated with hematoma expansion in patients with ICH.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
We analyzed a large cohort of 784 patients with ICH (the development cohort; 55.6% female), examined NCCT findings for any hypodensity, and replicated our findings on a different cohort of patients (the replication cohort; 52.7% female). Baseline and follow-up NCCT data from consecutive patients with ICH presenting to a tertiary care hospital between 1994 and 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Data analyses were performed between December 2015 and January 2016.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Hypodensities were analyzed by 2 independent blinded raters. The association between hypodensities and hematoma expansion (>6 cm3 or 33% of baseline volume) was determined by multivariable logistic regression after controlling for other variables associated with hematoma expansion in univariate analyses with P ≤ .10.

RESULTS
A total of 1029 patients were included in the analysis. In the development and replication cohorts, 222 of 784 patients (28.3%) and 99 of 245 patients (40.4%; 321 of 1029 patients [31.2%]), respectively, had NCCT scans that demonstrated hypodensities at baseline (κ = 0.87 for interrater reliability). In univariate analyses, hypodensities were associated with hematoma expansion (86 of 163 patients with hematoma expansion had hypodensities [52.8%], whereas 136 of 621 patients without hematoma expansion had hypodensities [21.9%]; P < .001). The association between hypodensities and hematoma expansion remained significant (odds ratio, 3.42 [95% CI, 2.21-5.31]; P < .001) in a multivariable model; other independent predictors of hematoma expansion were a CT angiography spot sign, a shorter time to CT, warfarin use, and older age. The independent predictive value of hypodensities was again demonstrated in the replication cohort (odds ratio, 4.37 [95% CI, 2.05-9.62]; P < .001).

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE
Hypodensities within an acute ICH detected on an NCCT scan may predict hematoma expansion, independent of other clinical and imaging predictors. This novel marker may help clarify the mechanism of hematoma expansion and serve as a useful addition to clinical algorithms for determining the risk of and treatment stratification for hematoma expansion.


This study aims to investigate the evaluation determinants of online knowledge adoption. Knowledge transfer in online context has been debated by many researchers but mainly addressed the knowledge sharing aspect. Knowledge recipient, however, is also a critical role in knowledge transfer. Thus, dual process theory is rooted as the theoretical foundation to investigate the persuasiveness of knowledge from virtual communities. A theoretical model of knowledge adoption suggests argument quality and source credibility would be moderated by the knowledge seekers' learning orientation. The results of this study will be helpful to understanding the individuals how to evaluate and learn online knowledge. Furthermore, the moderator's effect of the learning orientation may indicate how the personal learning characteristic affects the online learning behavior.


This paper examines the conceptualization and measurement of epistemological and ontological phenomena and makes recommendations for improving the conceptual framework and methodological assessment of these phenomena. I discuss the ways educational researchers have studied beliefs and how this research can be improved through a comprehensive conceptual framework and better measurement. This paper provides definitions of epistemological and ontological beliefs and world views, discusses six complementary strategies for assessing these beliefs, compares the strengths of these strategies, and provides examples of how they have been used in the research literature. This paper discusses challenges related to the development of a comprehensive theoretical framework for beliefs, as well as ways to improve measurement of these beliefs and summarizes six emergent themes.


The intercomparison between different atmospheric monitoring systems is key for instrument calibration and validation. Common cases involve satellites, radiosonde and atmospheric model outputs. Since instruments and/or measures are not perfectly collocated, miss-collocation uncertainty must be considered in related intercomparison uncertainty budgets. This paper is motivated by the comparison of GNSS-RO, the Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation, with ERA5, the version 5 Reanalysis of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts. We consider temperature interpolation observed at GNSS-RO pressure levels to the ERA5 levels. We assess the interpolation uncertainty using as 'truth' high-resolution reference data obtained by GRUAN, the Reference Upper-Air Network of the Global Climate Observing System. In this paper, we propose a mathematical representation of the interpolation problem based on the well-known State-space model and the related Kalman filter and smoother. We show that it performs the same (sometimes better) than linear interpolation and, in addition, provides an estimate of the interpolation uncertainty. Moreover, with both techniques, the interpolation error is not Gaussian distributed, and a scaled Student's t distribution with about 4.3 degrees of freedom is an appropriate approximation for various altitudes, latitudes, seasons and times of day. With our data, interpolation uncertainty results larger at the equator, the Mean Absolute Error being MAE≅0.32 K, and smaller at a high latitude, MAE≅0.21 K at −80° latitude. At lower altitudes, it is close to the measurement uncertainty, with MAE<0.2 K below the tropopause. Around 300 hPa, it starts increasing and reaches about 0.8 K above 100 hPa, except at the equator, where we observed MAE about 1 K.


Even though friction affects everyday life in many ways, it is still one of the biggest mysteries of physics. Friction is a truly multi-scale phenomenon with a large variety of processes acting at various length and time scales. In recent years, much attention was paid to the micro- and nano-scale properties of frictional interfaces in order to uncover the origins of friction. The structural aspects of friction at the meso- to macro-scales have, however, often been neglected. This thesis aims at demonstrating that these aspects are key to the frictional response of macroscopic systems and pursues therefore the objective of improving today's knowledge of the rupture-like propagation of slip fronts at frictional interfaces. The mechanics of frictional interfaces is studied with state-of-the-art dynamic finite-element simulations of systems mimicking experimental set-ups. Two and three-dimensional simulations are conducted according to the nature of the studied phenomena. In addition, theoretical models based on fracture mechanics theory are developed and applied to confirm the numerical observations. These models provide insights on the underlying mechanisms of the slip front propagation and reveal the influence of various system, material, and interface parameters. The results presented in this thesis show that the applied numerical models reproduce quantitatively well experimental observations as reported in literature. The studied aspects of frictional slip include, among others, the propagation speed, the arrest position, and the effect of interface heterogeneity. Beyond confirming experimental observations, the simulations and theoretical models further reveal new features of the propagation and arrest of slip fronts. They show, for instance, that the speed of slip fronts depends on the propagation direction and that the arrest position of slip precursors is predictable with linear elastic fracture mechanics theory. Furthermore, simulations of slip fronts at heterogeneous interfaces uncover an interaction between the length scales of the slip front and the heterogeneous pattern.


: Many have embraced evidence from the mind sciences that our behaviors are often influenced by our implicit biases rather than our conscious beliefs. This is one reason why implicit bias has become a staple in trainings for judges, lawyers, police officers, teachers, and health care providers. While understanding that implicit bias is important, social science research demonstrates that implicit bias alone does not fully account for the racial dynamics that undermine student achievement and trigger disproportionately harsh discipline, diminish the efficacy of health care and affect morbidity and mortality rates, trigger harsher prison sentences, result in child removal, and lead to unnecessary uses of force by police against civilians. Following the "behavioral realist" approach to provide the most empirically accurate understanding of human behavior, in this Essay, we introduce "racial anxiety" as an additional lens for understanding racial disparities of all types. In the social psychological literature, racial anxiety refers to the concerns that often arise both before and during interracial interactions. People of color experience racial anxiety when they worry that they will be subject to discriminatory treatment. White people, on the other hand, experience it when they worry that they will be perceived as racist. Racial anxiety can influence behaviors and judgments in ways that contribute to significant and unwarranted racial disparities even in the absence of both conscious and implicit racial bias. Additionally, in concert with implicit racial bias, racial anxiety can aggravate interracial dynamics in ways that create significant harm. This Essay explores how racial anxiety operates, discusses its probable


The focus of this thesis was to gain in-depth structural information of synthetic polymers by the application of several combined techniques. The second chapter provides an overview about the influence of the polymer architecture on its characterization by mass spectrometry and complementary methods. In the third chapter, we demonstrate the use of MS, more specifically MALDI-ToF MS, which provides molar masses and dispersity values for poly(furfuryl glycidyl ether) (PFGE). The second example is the study of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNiPAm) copolymers with glyco-monomers with specific combinations of matrices and cationization agents. The fourth chapter will combine three different examples regarding linear, star-shaped and hybrid polymers, which were analyzed by advanced techniques. The linear copolymers were analyzed by separating them according to their chemical heterogeneity using liquid absorption chromatography at critical conditions (LACCC) of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx), followed by automated spotting onto a MALDI target, which was subsequently analyzed by MALDI. Secondly, star-shaped polymers: [poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-b-PEtOx]8 were monitored firstly by using LACCC of linear PEO as first separation dimension and furthermore injected onto an SEC column confirming the molar mass. Lastly, a hybrid PEO star-shaped polymer was investigated using MALDI to verify the complete functionality of the core with PEO arms. Finally, the last chapter will focus on the creation of a software to obtain information regarding average composition, overcoming isotopic, overlapping peaks and isobaric species from MS spectra. Moreover, the quantitative studies were carried out by correction of the mass discrimination and isotopic abundance. Consequently, advanced analytical techniques such as different ionization techniques within MS, a range of chromatographic hyphenation and computational methods are implemented for elucidating the complexity of synthetic polymers.


This essay is a chapter in a book entitled "Calling Power to Account," which has been edited by David Dyzenhaus and Mayo Moran and will be published by the University of Toronto Press. The book contains essays written in response to Mack v. Canada, also known as the "Chinese-Canadian Head Tax Case." In Mack, a Chinese-Canadian who immigrated to British Columbia over 70 years ago filed a class action demanding that the Canadian government provide restitution to all Chinese-Canadians who, like him, paid a "tax" to be permitted to enter the country. The case was dismissed. This essay provides a framework against which the Mack case can be compared with similar cases in the United States. I argue that over the past ten years a new form of private law claim has evolved which is a blend between a class action for personal or dignitary tort and a claim for restitution or unjust enrichment. Using the tobacco litigation brought by the states for the restitution of health-care costs and the "Holocaust slavery" litigation brought by persons who were forced to work as slaves for German corporations during the Second World War, I argue that mass restitution is a novel form of private law action designed to use the procedural advantages of doctrines such as tracing and constructive trust to avoid certain doctrines in tort law which would make class action torts for the same wrongs almost impossible. The essay ends with an examination of the potential use of mass restitution by activists who want to private law to get compensation for African-American whose ancestors were enslaved in North America.


Financialization refers to the increasing importance of finance, financial markets, and financial institutions to the workings of the economy. This article reviews evidence on the causes and consequences of financialization in the United States and around the world, with particular attention to the spread of financial markets. Researchers have focused on two broad themes at the level of corporations and broader societies. First, an orientation toward shareholder value has led to substantial changes in corporate strategies and structures that have encouraged outsourcing and corporate disaggregation while increasing compensation at the top. Second, financialization has shaped patterns of inequality, culture, and social change in the broader society. Underlying these changes is a broad shift in how capital is intermediated, from financial institutions to financial markets, through mechanisms such as securitization (turning debts into marketable securities). Enabled by a combination of theory, technology, and...


In this article, the relationship between the development of digital media and memory,community, and urban spaces is discussed. It is based on a project sponsored by the European Commissioni3 and was developed by a consortium of five partners between 1997 and 2000. The project's name is Living Memory (LiMe), which is a communication system prototype. LiMe aims to provide members of a locality with means to capture, share, and explore their collective memory and experiences and is an intelligent network of interfaces embedded within the physical fabric of the local community, supporting the creation and distribution of informal content within that community. LiMe interfaces are in natural meeting and crossing points, such as cafes and bus stops. People do not have to sit behind computers to create and find information but come across local knowledge incidentally and peripherally in everyday locations. LiMe is about discovering, expressing, and getting out in the local physical neighborhood.


This lecture outlines the theological engagement between Anglo-Catholics and the visual arts, music and religious drama in the years either side of the Second World War. Part of a larger ongoing investigation, it identifies a common trajectory of response; a rise and then a fall in the importance of the arts as part of an integrated notion of Christianity and British culture.
Given as a lecture in 2008, it was privately distributed to members of the Anglo-Catholic History Society, but is otherwise unpublished.


To efficiently extract implicit patterns from datasets, data mining methods are beneficial tools for analyzing large and complicated as well as small and scarce data. Despite the great potential of applying data mining methods to complicated data, the appropriate methods remain premature and insufficient. The major aim of this dissertation is to present some data mining methods, along with the real data, as a tool for analyzing the complex behavior of functional data.
In the first part, this dissertation presents a data mining application to: (1) Identify an efficient way to characterize the spatial variations of PM2.5 concentrations based solely upon their temporal patterns, and (2) Analyze the temporal and seasonal patterns of PM2.5 concentrations in spatially homogenous regions. This study used 24-hour average PM2.5 concentrations measured every third day during the period between 2001 and 2005 at 522 monitoring sites in the continental United States. A k-means clustering algorithm using the correlation distance was employed to investigate the similarity in patterns between temporal profiles observed at the monitoring sites. A k-means clustering analysis produced six clusters of sites with distinct temporal patterns which were able to identify and characterize spatially homogeneous regions of the United States. The study also presents a rotated principal component analysis (RPCA) that has been used for characterizing spatial patterns of air pollution and discusses the difference between the clustering algorithm and RPCA.
Data mining application for investigating the behavior of ozone concentration will be presented in the followed chapter. Ozone has been known to be associated with human health. Ozone data are generally collected over a long period of time from interested locations. However, constructing ozone monitoring sites may not possible or cost effective due to some limitations such as hazardous environment or inaccessible area. The objective of this present study is: (1) To interpolate ozone concentrations as a functional response at an unsampled location, and (2) To reduce model complexity by constructing a data compression and reduction model which achieve the highest accuracy as much as possible. This study used daily maximum 8-hour ozone concentrations between 2003 and 2006 at 14 monitoring sites in Dallas-Fort Worth area. Wavelet decomposition broke down the data into multiscale data analysis. Regression Analysis was used as a data compression method. Kriging was applied as a spatial interpolation. In addition, model refining step helped tune the ozone concentration with different variability. This study reveals that our model can achieve up to 6.99 ppb in mean absolute error (MAE) and 9.76 ppb in mean absolute error for high ozone day (MAE75).
Finally, an efficient strategy for classification of prostate cancer in near infrared spectra is illustrated. Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The main purpose of this study is to develop an efficient tool that classifies the near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic data taken from ex vivo human prostate glands as normal or cancer. Our proposed procedure consists of several steps. First, to ensure the comparability between spectra, normalization was done by dividing each spectral point by the area of the total intensity of the spectrum. Second, clustering analysis was performed with these normalized spectra to separate the spectra that represent the normal pattern from a mixed group that contains both normal and tumor spectra. Third, we conducted two-stage classification, the first being an effort to construct a classification model with the labels obtained from the preceding clustering analysis and the second being a classification to focus on the mixed group classified from the first classification model. To increase the accuracy, the second classification model was constructed based on the selected features that capture important characteristics of the spectral data. Our proposed procedure was evaluated by its classification ability in testing samples using a leave-one-out cross validation technique, yielding an accuracy of 90%. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)


Dynamics of cyanide exchange between Tl((CN)-C-13)(4)(-) and (CN-)-C-13 was studied by means Tl-205 and C-13 NMR. The rate law consists of two parts: w = k(CN)[Tl(CN)(4)(-)][CN-] + k(OH)[Tl(CN)(4)(-)][CN-][OH-] with k(CN) = 9.7(+/-0.4) x 10(6) M(-1)s(-1) and k(OH) = 5.4(+/-0.4) x 10(10) M(-2)s(-1). It was shown that the exchange between the two cyano species can be studied, not only by C-13 NMR, but also by Tl-205 NMR using the heteronuclear carbon-thallium scalar coupling as an indicator, despite the fact that only one Tl site is present in the system. The reaction mechanism is discussed in terms of an associative interchange mechanism, I-A. Penetration of the incoming cyanide ion into the coordination sphere of Tl(CN)(4)(-) Tl(CN)(4)(OH)(-) is suggested to be the rate-determining step for the two parallel reactions paths. Possible reasons for the strong labilizing effect of the cyanide ligand is discussed in the light of thermodynamic and structural data. The possibility of detection of an exceptional exchange reaction, namely cyanide exchange between two Tl(CN)(4)(-) entities by a direct encounter was theoretically settled, but found to be too slow to be detected.


EDITOR, - Jonathan P Shepherd and Mark Brickley suggest that the prophylactic removal of third molars should be abandoned.1 In my clinical experience some patients carry their asymptomatic unerupted third molars with them to the grave, as suggested by Shepherd and Brickley, while others present with acute surgical and medical problems at any age up to that event. Unpublished data of the British United Provident Association (BUPA) show that a significant number of patients present in middle age and beyond with acute problems arising from their third molars; at this time not only their bone but also their cardiovascular system is brittle. Their reduced powers of recovery are such that what is an unpleasant experience in the late teens and early 20s can become a major surgical problem with hazards of mandibular fracture, nerve damage, and anaesthetic and medical complications.

Few surgeons will disagree with the statement that the prophylactic removal of third molars should be abandoned, but prophylaxis requires definition. Take, for example, a patient who presents with an acute or chronic peritonitis arising from a non-functional impacted third molar and becomes asymptomatic after antibiotic treatment. Should the tooth be removed before reinfection develops? The patient may be referred to hospital and refuse surgery with local anaesthesia. Should other impacted but asymptomatic third molars be removed under the same general anaesthesia? There is little difference in cost unless admission is required later for their surgical removal, again under general anaesthesia. Social convenience and recuperative powers are usually never better than in a young adult.

Shepherd and Brickley are ideally suited to set up a long term study into the morbidity produced by symptomatic third molars presenting in middle age and later. Postponing the surgical and medical morbidity of impacted teeth until then may be a high price to …


We present a theoretical method for the calculation of the transient nonlinearity in dielec- tric composites doped with metal nanoparticles and demonstrate some applications of this approach. First, we describe the theoretical basis of the linear and nonlinear properties of metal nanoparticles by using the time-domain discrete-dipole approximation. By using the two-temperature model for the description of the electron-electron and electron-lattice interaction, we derive an equation for the transient third-order nonlinear susceptibility. Based on this method and the effective medium approximation, we present numerical results for the nonlinear optical susceptibility for different nanocomposites media consisting of noble metal nanoparticles surrounded by a dielectric host. With increasing pump intensities, the plasmon resonance is shifted which leads to a saturation of the absorption. We present a theory of mode-locking of solid-state and semiconductor disk lasers using metal nanocomposites as saturable absorbers. Finally, we consider a novel slow-light device based on metal nanocomposites.


This paper presents a novel geodesic active contour (GAC) model based on an edge detector for rapid detection of water bodies from spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery with high speckle noise. The original edge indicator function based on gradients is replaced by an edge indicator function based on the ratio of exponentially weighted averages (ROEWA) operator. Thus, the capability of edge detection and the accuracy of locating edges are greatly improved, which makes the model more appropriate for SAR images. In addition, an enhancing term is added to the original model's energy function in order to boost the strength for the contour's evolution. An unconditionally stable additive operator splitting (AOS) scheme and a fast algorithm for re-initialization of the level set function are adopted, which not only enhances the model's stability, but also speeds up the model's convergence remarkably. The experimental results on simulated and real RADARSAT-1/-2 images show its efficiency and accuracy.


The Polycomb-like protein PHF19/PCL3 associates with PRC2 and mediates its recruitment to chromatin in embryonic stem cells. PHF19 is also overexpressed in many cancers. However, neither PHF19 targets nor misregulated pathways involving PHF19 are known. Here, we investigate the role of PHF19 in prostate cancer cells. We find that PHF19 interacts with PRC2 and binds to PRC2 targets on chromatin. PHF19 target genes are involved in proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix organization. Depletion of PHF19 triggers an increase in MTF2/PCL2 chromatin recruitment, with a genome-wide gain in PRC2 occupancy and H3K27me3 deposition. Transcriptome analysis shows that PHF19 loss promotes deregulation of key genes involved in growth, metastasis, invasion, and of factors that stimulate blood vessels formation. Consistent with this, PHF19 silencing reduces cell proliferation, while promotes invasive growth and angiogenesis. Our findings reveal a role for PHF19 in controlling the balance between cell proliferation and invasiveness in prostate cancer.


The article pays attention to the actuality of issue of steady increase of numbers of acute chemical intoxications. The data is presented concerning the characteristics of epidemiology of acute chemical intoxications. The need to develop and enhance the specialized toxicological service is emphasized


Background and purpose: Antibiotics are extensively used in treatment of diseases. Metronidazole is an antimicrobial agent and is a nitroimidazole derivative, which is widely used in treatment of infectious diseases caused by bacteria and protozoa. This compound is irrefrangible, toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and has high solubility in water. Advanced oxidation process is an effective method for removal of metronidazole from aqueous solutions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of advanced oxidation process based on persulfate (UV / Na2S2O8) to remove metronidazole from aqueous solutions. Materials and methods: In this research, the effect of some variables such as pH, persulfate concentration and contact time was studied by a UV-C lamp (16 watts). Also, the remaining concentration of metronidazole was measured by UV-Vis spectrophotometer Cecil model CE7400. Results: The optimum conditions in this study were obtained at pH=9، persulfate concentration of 0.7 mmol/l, and contact time of 30 min. The removal of metronidazole by advanced oxidation process based on persulfate (UV / Na2S2O8) followed the first-order kinetic model. Conclusion: Persulfate-based advanced oxidation process (UV/Na2S2O8) is an effective method for removal of metronidazole from aqueous solution. It is recommended as an effective and efficient process that could be used for purification of aqueous solutions.


Abstract Laboratory experiments with two cyanobacterial strains grown on low-nutrient agar media in the presence of biotite flakes were performed in order to reveal possible mechanisms and rates of cyanobacterial bioweathering. Both cyanobacteria colonized the biotite flakes. Leptolyngbya grew mostly in the biotite interlayers, whereas Hassallia colonized the sides and the topmost surface of the biotite flakes. After a 3-month incubation, rounded features including cyanobacterium-shaped pits were observed on the biotite surface cleared of the organic material. No such features were observed on flakes incubated for 1 month.


A randomized, prospective study was conducted to compare the individual effectiveness of three types of conservative therapy in the treatment of plantar fasciitis. One hundred three subjects were randomly assigned to one of three treatment categories: anti-inflammatory, accommodative, or mechanical. Subjects were treated for 3 months, with follow-up visits at 2, 4, 6, and 12 weeks. For the 85 patients who completed the study, a statistically significant difference was noted between groups, with mechanical treatment with taping and orthoses proving to be more effective than either anti-inflammatory or accommodative modalities.


A constant challenge for any fast paced industry, such as consumer electronics, is the very short technology life span needed to successfully take a product from conception to market while staying competitive with other industry leaders. There are also a wide variety of customers and market segments. Incorporating these factors into a single product design while maintaining a competitive development cycle is both challenging and time consuming. Customer input is gathered through marketing surveys, market research and previous product feedback. Implementing this paper adds to the overall product lead time due to the difficulty of gathering and analyzing the data. This lead time can be reduced by creating a method to process the voice of the customer for direct use in the development cycle. In the consumer electronics industry (similar to other fast paced industries), there are 3 basic types of customers: "early technology adopter", "general consumer", and "last to market" (Rogers, 1962). Currently corporations target either a single customer type with their product family, or choose to make a range of products to meet, hopefully, the needs of each of these types. In a survey of the literature, there are no documented end to- end methods for interpreting and applying marketing survey data (that is generalized and not targeted towards a specific group) and producing product/feature sets that reflect the needs of each customer group that can be input directly into the quality function deployment process. This paper will present an end-to-end process that can take a product concept, gather and analyze customer marketing data, create a product profile/feature set, and use input from the cross functional teams to maximize the end quality, and customer satisfaction. This tool would be extendable to any "fast paced" industry, such as the consumer electronics industry, and reduce development costs lead time, reduce internal decision time, turn qualitative into quantitative reasoning. The following literature review will show the previous research in areas of product development and quality function deployment related to the goal of this paper.


In order to successfully introduce responsibility-sensitivity into theories of justice (distributive and relational) and theories of political morality (broadly conceived) it is not enough to merely draw distinctions between (1) different models of what responsibility-sensitivity requires in itself and (2) different normative grounds of, or justifications for, responsibility-sensitivity. We must also draw distinctions between (3) different roles played by responsibility-sensitivity within our theories; (4) different accounts of the strength of responsibility-sensitivity within theories of justice; (5) different accounts of the strength of responsibility-sensitivity within theories of political morality; and (6) different conceptions of the other requirements also incorporated into theories of justice and theories of political morality. The intended payoff of all this distinction-drawing is twofold: first, a more accurate, comprehensive, and illuminating account of the nature of the position of responsibility-sensitivity within theories of justice and theories of political morality; and, second, paving the way for a more sophisticated and analytically sharp research agenda on the subject of whether or not responsibility-sensitivity should have a position in our theories of normative political concepts in the face of mounting scepticism over its doing so, owing in part to the harshness/abandonment objection and the unfreedom objection.


As photovoltaic(PV) power generation system becomes more common, it will be necessary to investigate islanding detection method for PV systems. Islanding of PV systems can cause a variety of problems and must be prevented. However, if the real and reactive power of the load and PV system are closely matched, islanding detection by Passive methods becomes difficult. Also, most active methods lose effectiveness when there are several PV systems feeding the same island. The active frequency drift positive feedback method(AFDPF) enables islanding detection by forcing the frequency of the voltage in the island to drift up or down. In this paper the research for the minimum value of chopping fraction gain applied digital phase-locked-loop (DPLL) to AFDPF considering output power quality and islanding prevention performance are performed by simulation and experiment according to IEEE Std 929-2000 islanding test.


In the efforts to understand the molecular characteristics responsible for the ability of influenza viruses to cross species, various amino acid host markers in influenza viruses were uncovered. Our previous study identified a collection of novel amino acid host markers in ten proteins of 2009 pandemic H1N1. As an extension of our prior work, the objective of the current study was to employ Random Forests, a robust pattern recognition technique, to discover nucleotide host makers in the ten corresponding genes of 2009 pandemic H1N1, along with those in the genes of avian and swine viruses. Although different, there was an association between the amino acid markers in proteins and the nucleotide markers in the related genes due to codon translations. Moreover, nucleotide host markers have the capability to indicate important positions within a codon for host switches as well as the significance of synonymous mutations on host shifts, all of which amino acid markers could not provide. Our findings highlighted that two or even three nucleotide markers could coexist within a single codon, and the different importance values of these markers could further discri- minate the multiple markers within a codon. The nucleotide markers found in this study rendered a comprehensive genomic view of the complex and systemic nature of host adaptation. They verified and enriched the known amino acid markers and offered a larger set of finer host markers for further experimental confirmation.


Upgrades at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) accelerator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are underway to double its proton beam power from 1.4 to 2.8 MW. About 2MW will go to the current first station while the rest will go to the future Second Target Station. The increase of beam power to the first target station is especially challenging for its mercury target. When the short proton beam hits the target, strong pressure waves are generated, causing cavitation erosion and challenging stresses for the target's weld regions. SNS has successfully operated reliably at 1.4 MW by mitigating the pressure wave with the injection of small Helium bubbles into the mercury. To operate reliably at 2MW, more gas will be injected into mercury to mitigate the pressure wave further. However, the mercury process loop was not originally designed for gas injection, and the accumulation of gas in the pipes is a concern. Due to space constraints, a custom Gas Liquid Separator (GLS) was designed to fit a 90-degree horizontal elbow space in the SNS mercury loop. Simulations and experiments were performed, and a successful design was developed that has the desired efficiency while keeping the pressure losses acceptable.


In this thesis, the development of selective membranes for water treatment facilities to cope with the aforementioned issues is covered. By using hollow fiber membranes, the water purification process can be simplified compared to using spiral wound membranes, a significant advantage for decentralized water treatment plants. The selectivity of ultrafiltration membranes is improved
by coating a dense separation layer on the membrane. For this, the simple and versatile "layer-bylayer" (LbL) technique is used. By exposing a negative substrate to a polycation in an aqueous solution, a thin layer of that polycation is adsorbed on the surface. With the modified substrate, now positively charged, the same process can be done with an aqueous solution of a polyanion.
This process can be repeated over and over again, steadily building a polyelectrolyte multilayer on top of the substrate. If the chosen substrate is a porous support (e.g., an ultrafiltration membrane), the formed polyelectrolyte multilayers can be used as a selective layer in water purification.
The versatility of the LbL technique allows for an easy control over layer properties, such as thickness, density and charge, by varying the coating conditions, the type of polyelectrolytes and the amount of layers. This versatility makes the LbL system well suited for the design of dense
filtration layers.

A key property of all membranes for water treatment purposes is the life time of the membrane. In this thesis we show that an adequate membrane life time can indeed be obtained for polyelectrolyte multilayers modified membranes, if certain criteria are met (Chapter 2). First of all, the presence of ionic groups on the membrane support significantly enhances the adherence of the multilayer on the membrane when high shear forces and reversed flow are applied. Second, the capability to withstand chemical degradation by hypochlorite is superior when quaternary ammonium polycations are used in the layer. We show that when both criteria are met, backwashable hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes can be made with a life time that is comparable to commercial ultrafiltration membranes.


IntroductionCurrently, about 2% of the European working population (~5 million people) are teachers, who are a characterized occupational group with various roles as educators, partners, counselors, social directors, professional managers, and political theorists. Teachers' health has a remarkable effect on teaching quality, and consequently, on the success of students of future generations. Public and occupational health are highly related to lifestyle behaviors (including diet type and PA); however, little is known regarding lifestyle patterns in different groups of teachers, particularly males and females. This study aimed to investigate sex differences in health/lifestyle behaviors of Austrian secondary-level teachers and school principals.
MethodsThis cross-sectional and multidisciplinary study is a part of the bigger Austrian-wide research project From Science 2 School (www.science2.school/en; supported by Federal Ministry of Education, Science, and Research). A sample size of 89,243 teachers and principals from 2,554 secondary schools (level I & II) were invited to participate, and a total number of 1,350 teachers and principals (1.5% of eligible Austrian participants; aged 45.8±11.4; 69.7% females) completed an online survey. In addition to sociodemographic information, a complete profile of lifestyle behaviors (e.g., diet type: omnivorous, vegetarian, vegan; nutritional patterns; exercise and sports activities; smoking habits; and alcohol consumption) was evaluated.
FindingsMale teachers were 2.1 years older than females (p<0.01). While there was no sex difference in leisure-time sports participation (p>0.05), males engaged in club sports more than females (39.1% vs. 24.9%; p<0.01). The frequency of sports/exercise engagement was higher in males compared to females (3.1 ± 1.5 vs. 2.9 ± 1.4; p=0.02). Omnivorous diet was significantly more common in male teachers (93.9% vs. 87.2%; p<0.01), while a vegetarian diet was significantly more prevalent in females compared to male teachers (9.8% vs. 3.4%; p<0.01). There was no significant difference between male and female teachers in the prevalence of vegan diet (p>0.05).
ConclusionDespite some differences in lifestyle components between females and males, teachers in both sexes appeared to have a healthier lifestyle compared to general populations reported by similar investigations. This finding might be associated with the higher educational level of teachers, particularly their improved individual capabilities (including knowledge, skills, competencies, values, and qualifications) and social advantages (e.g., networks, general living conditions) to implement toward scientifically well-accepted healthy behaviors. This study can serve as a starting point for future health-related interventions focusing on sex differences in the dual approach of "healthy eating – active living" considered the practical recommendation to achieve sustainable health.


Linking factor portfolio construction to cross-sectional regressions of security returns on standardized factor exposures leads to a transparent and investable perspective on factor performance. Under capitalization weighting, multivariate regression coefficients translate to portfolio returns that are benchmark relative and cleared of secondary factor exposures. The methodological contributions in this article are illustrated using a 50-year data set of 1,000 large U.S. stocks and five factor exposures: value, momentum, small size, low beta, and profitability. Using two case studies in factor portfolio analysis, the authors focus on cheapness, as measured by earnings yield, and interest rate risk, as measured by sensitivity to the 10-year Treasury bond return.


We assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practices of some aspects of environmental health among residents of Ramallah and Al-Bireh district, Palestine. We found that few residents had attended sessions of awareness in environmental health but 83.6% were willing to participate in such events to raise public awareness. Most residents (91.2%) were aware of the relationship between water and human health, but only 39.7% reported that they or their families cleaned their water tanks more than once a year. Only 76.3% of the respondents reported that they always washed their hands before eating and only 67.0% reported that they checked the safety of food before eating. Only 33.7% felt reassured when they ate in restaurants. This was due to lack of cleanliness of the restaurants, staff and utensils, and the uncertainty regarding the source of the food.


There is a steady stream of environmental issues which have health implications. Asbestos, lead in petrol, uranium, smog, and possible carcinogenic chemicals are some which are currently in the news. The Australian Conservation Foundation is directly concerned with these issues. Founded in 1965, the Foundation has over 7000 members in all States. When it becomes involved in discussion on such issues, the Foundation tries to obtain the latest information available from research. We do have a few members who are expert in particular fields, and who help us enormously. However, we believe that public discussion on these questions would be significantly enhanced if an independent group of medical people was available to provide disinterested, informed input to discussions.


Background The concept of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging muscle is highly controversial. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that reduced muscle oxidative capacity and efficiency underlie the etiology of mobility loss in older adults. Here, we hypothesized that studying well phenotyped older cohorts across a wide range of physical activity would unveil a range of mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle and in turn allow us to more clearly examine the impact of age per se on mitochondrial energetics. This also enabled us to more clearly define the relationships between mitochondrial energetics and muscle lipid content with clinically relevant assessments of muscle and physical function. Methods Thirty-nine volunteers were recruited to the following study groups; Young Active (YA, n=2F/8M, age=31.2±5.4 yrs.). Older Active (OA, n=2F/8M, age=67.5±2.7 yrs.) and Older Sedentary (OS, n=8F/11M, age=70.7±4.7 yrs.). Participants completed a graded exercise test to determine fitness (VO2peak), a submaximal exercise test to determine exercise efficiency, and daily physical activity (PA) was recorded using a tri-axial armband accelerometer. Mitochondrial energetics were determined by 1) 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy and 2) respirometry of fiber bundles from vastus lateralis biopsies. Quadriceps function was assessed by isokinetic dynamometry and physical function by the short physical performance battery (SPPB) and stair climb test. Results Daily PA energy expenditure was significantly lower in OS, compared to YA and OA groups. Despite fitness being higher in YA compared to OA and OS, mitochondrial respiration, ATPMax, P/O ratio and exercise efficiency were similar in YA and OA groups and were significantly lower in OS. P/O ratio was correlated with exercise efficiency. Time to complete the stair climb and repeated chair stand tests was significantly greater for OS. Interestingly, ATPMax was related to muscle contractile performance and physical function. Conclusions Older adults who maintain a high amount of physical activity have better mitochondrial capacity, similar to highly active younger adults, and this is related to their better muscle quality, exercise efficiency and physical performance. This suggests that mitochondria could be an important therapeutic target for sedentary aging associated conditions including sarcopenia, dynapenia and loss of physical function.


Our recent experience with four cases of acute extradural hematoma found in neurologically intact or mildly symptomatic patients is reported. These patients did not require operation; complete resolution of the hematoma was demonstrated within 1 month in three cases and within 4 months in the last case. Although far from being codified, nonsurgical treatment of extradural hematomas in some selected patients seems to be feasible. The computed tomographic findings (size and location of the hematoma, midline shift) in these cases are discussed.


The Ebb and Flow of Global Governance challenges the traditionally dichotomous distinction between international intergovernmental organizations and international nongovernmental organizations. Alexandru Grigorescu argues that international organizations are best understood as falling on an 'intergovernmental-nongovernmental continuum'. The placement of organizations on this continuum is determined by how much government involvement factors into their decision-making, financing, and deliberations. Using this fine-grained conceptualization, Grigorescu uncovers numerous changes in the intergovernmental versus nongovernmental nature of global governance over the past century and a half. These changes are due primarily to ideological and institutional domestic shifts in powerful states. The Ebb and Flow of Global Governance assesses the plausibility of these arguments through archival research on a dozen organizations from the global health, labor, and technical standards realms. Grigorescu concludes that there has been a continuous ebb and flow in world politics, rather than an inexorable movement towards greater roles for nongovernmental actors, as existing literature argues.


The purpose of this study is to examine the social activities in Turkish Education System from the viewpoint of the school administrators. Qualitative method and case study design were conducted in the study. The sample of the study is composed of 10 school administrators, who were selected through convenience sampling and snowball sampling. Data were collected through the semi-structured interview form, observations, and document analysis. Descriptive analysis technique was used to analyze the data. According to the findings of the research, the participants evaluated the social activity as the activities that affect the environment and the students and are desired to affect them and stated that all the stakeholders take on the responsibility for this purpose. The main factor in the quantitative and qualitative differentiation of social activities in schools is the perspective of the school staff who direct and manage these activities. Social activities regulations are generally simple in terms of language and have a structure that facilitates work. Based on the results obtained, it can be suggested to make a regulation that brings a separate lesson time to the club work in the legislation and to carry out the studies that examine the subject from the perspective of the other stakeholders who contribute to education.


In this paper, a novel method combined the linear and nonlinear methods, named as partial transmit sequence followed by clipping (PTS-Clipping), is proposed to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of radio over fiber and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (ROF-OFDM) system. The main technique of this method is clipping the processed signal whose probability of the peak value has been reduced by PTS technique. Then the PAPR value will be further reduced. It will bring in slight change to the BER performance between with and without clipping. We know that both the ROF and OFDM techniques are key issues of the next generation network. Reduce the PAPR of OFDM is a necessary work. The simulation results show the feasibility of this method.


The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in January 2020 resulted in a worldwide public health emergency. While the pediatric age group currently includes no more than 2% of the population diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the clinical manifestations in this cohort can range from upper respiratory tract symptoms to respiratory system and multiorgan failure. Interestingly, most of the pediatric COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic at the time of presentation. As such, the full clinical spectrum of this disease remains unknown. We describe here the case of a previously healthy 16-month-old boy who presented with a three-day history of febrile morbilliform exanthematous rash associated with confirmed COVID-19 infection. This case presentation serves to expand our knowledge base with respect to the diverse presentations of this highly contagious illness, particularly among pediatric patients. We recommend maintaining a high index of suspicion when evaluating children who present with rash and fever during the current pandemic of COVID-19. Int J Clin Pediatr. 2020;9(4):135-137 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/ijcp408