Displaced single-photon entanglement is a simple form of optical entanglement, obtained by sending a photon on a beam splitter and subsequently applying a displacement operation. We show that it can generate, through a momentum transfer in the pulsed regime, an optomechanical entangled state involving macroscopically distinct mechanical components, even if the optomechanical system operates in the single-photon weak coupling regime. We discuss the experimental feasibility of this approach and show that it might open up a way for testing unconventional decoherence models.


Nasal deformity from syphilitic destruction of bone and cartilage is a very frequent result of the tertiary stage of the disease. The disfigurement varies in extent and character, but is always very noticeable because of the importance of the nose in facial contour. The mental distress of the patient is usually acute, because the disfigurement is associated in the public mind with a loathesome and disgraceful disease. The fact that syphilis may be inherited or be acquired in an innocent manner avails little in the public's estimate of a person carrying ever upon his countenance the well-known mark of sexual impurity. Nearly every other lesion of syphilis may be concealed from public observation, or may at least be attributable to diseases of a less dishonorable nature. The patient with the sunken or distorted nose of syphilis has, however, scarcely any shield to protect him from impertinent scrutiny and the innuendo


Background The circadian variation of clinical symptoms and the underlying variation of cytokine and hormone levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are well described and have already led to the successful application of chronotherapy with prednisone (Buttgereit et al., Lancet, 2008). Much less is known about the circadian rhythms of different immune cell populations in RA. Objectives In this pilot study we investigated molecular, cellular and humoral circadian parameters in postmenopausal female RA patients in comparison to healthy control subjects. Methods Blood samples from postmenopausal female patients with active RA (DAS 28 ≥4.2) (n=5) and postmenopausal female healthy controls (n=5) were collected every 2 hours for 24 hours and analysed by flow cytometry and multiplex suspension array of 28 cytokines. Clock gene expression of isolated CD14+ monocytes was analysed by quantitative RT-PCR. Endogenous circadian rhythm dynamics of macrophages were determined by means of a Bmal1-promotor driven luciferase reporter construct. COSINOR analysis was used for statistical analysis of the groups. Results Expression of the clock gene RevErbα in CD14+ monocytes showed a significant circadian expression pattern in both RA patients and healthy controls subjects, whereas the clock genes Per2 and Per3 were not expressed in a circadian manner in RA patients but in healthy controls only. The amplitude of the endogenous circadian rhythm of macrophages tended to be lower in RA patients than in healthy controls, whereas period length was not altered. In flow cytometric analysis of surface marker expression of blood cells we found a significant circadian rhythm in RA patients and healthy subjects for the frequency of CD3-CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells, Interleukin-8 Receptor (IL-8R) expressing CD4+ T helper and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, and CXCR4 expressing CD4+ T helper and CD8+ cytotoxic cells. A significant circadian rhythm was not detectable in RA patients but in healthy controls only for CD3+CD56+ NK T cells. In contrast, a significant circadian expression of IL-8R+ monocytes was found in RA patients only but not in healthy subjects. Of note, CCR7 did not at all show a circadian expression. A significant circadian cytokine expression was detected only for MCP-1 in healthy controls. Conclusions This is the first indication of alterations of clock gene expression and endogenous circadian rhythms in immune cells of RA patients. Traffic of peripheral blood cells shows circadian variation in RA patients and healthy controls with characteristic peak phases, especially in NK cells and chemokine receptor expressing cells. NKT and other cells may lose their normal circadian rhythm in RA, whereas IL-8R expression on monocytes may be established as new "inflammatory" circadian rhythm in RA patients. These findings provide new aspects of RA chronobiology and may have therapeutic implications. Disclosure of Interest C. Spies: None Declared, T. Gaber: None Declared, P. Hoff: None Declared, J. Mazuch: None Declared, B. Maier: None Declared, M. Hahne: None Declared, C. Strehl: None Declared, C. Tran: None Declared, N. Soboleva: None Declared, A. Stoehr: None Declared, M. Wagegg: None Declared, M. Fangradt: None Declared, M. Jakstadt: None Declared, D. Huscher: None Declared, G.-R. Burmester: None Declared, J. Detert: None Declared, A. Kramer: None Declared, F. Buttgereit Grant/Research support from: This study was supported by Horizon Pharma AG, Reinach, Switzerland and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Dr. Buttgereit reports receiving consultancy fees, honoraria and travel expenses from Merck Serono, Horizon Pharma (formerly Nitec Pharma) Mundipharma Int Ltd and grant support from Merck Serono and Horizon Pharma., Consultant for: see above, Speakers Bureau: see above


The mountain areas of Europe have been of vital importance in the system of summer farming whereby the movement of livestock between different altitudinal levels is a key element. However, summer farming has been downscaled considerably during the 20th century. The article describes two areas where summer farming is still practised: Forollhogna in Norway, and Asturias in Spain. The authors document the transhumance system in the two areas, and investigate how farmers view the summer farming system and landscape, how they relate to nature protection, and whether specific value orientations can be detected in their views. The findings show that the logic behind summer farming is the same in both areas: economic motivation and access to grazing grounds. With regard to nature and landscape protection, the opinion that wild nature is given priority and that 'managed nature' of transhumance is overlooked was found in both areas, although it was expressed more strongly in Asturias than in Forollhogna. Opinions and ideals related to 'good farming' were found in both contexts, and were reflected in well-kept fields and productive and healthy livestock.


OBJECTIVES
Chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain (CWP) is a characteristic symptom of fibromyalgia, which has been shown to be associated with an altered gut microbiome. Microbiome studies to date have not examined the milder CWP phenotype specifically nor have they explored the role of raised BMI. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the microbiome is abnormal in CWP.

METHODS
CWP was assessed using a standardized screening questionnaire in female volunteers from the TwinsUK cohort including 113 CWP cases and 1623 controls. The stool microbiome was characterised using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), and associations with CWP examined using linear mixed-effects models adjusting for BMI, age, diet, family relatedness and technical factors.

RESULTS
Alpha diversity was significantly lower in CWP cases than controls (Mann-Whitney test, p-values 2.3e-04 and 1.2e-02, respectively). The species Coprococcus comes was significantly depleted in CWP cases (p.adj = 3.04e-03). A genome-wide association study (GWAS) performed for C. comes in TwinsUK followed by meta-analysis with three Dutch cohorts (total n = 3521) resulted in nine suggestive regions, with the most convincing on chromosome 4 near the TRAM1L1 gene (rs76957229, p= 7.4e-8). A Mendelian randomisation study based on the results of the GWAS did not support a causal role for C. comes on the development of CWP.

CONCLUSIONS
We have demonstrated reduced diversity in the microbiome in CWP, indicating an involvement of the gut microbiota in CWP; prospectively the microbiome may offer therapeutic opportunities for this condition.


Results from previous cytological studies on barley (Hordeum vulgare) infected with brome mosaic virus (BMV) indicated that this virus can infect and accumulate to high levels in mesophyll and other cell types within the leaves. Through immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization, we have determined that BMV infection in barley is restricted predominantly to cells within and associated with vasculature when plants are grown at 24/20°C (day/night). This tissue restriction can be fully overcome by growing infected plants at 34°C for 2 h. Our results also indicate that BMV is likely to start systemic infection of young, uninoculated leaves in barley before spreading into all longitudinal veins in inoculated leaves. Possible barrier(s) to BMV movement between vascular bundle sheath cells and mesophyll cells, and the relationship between virus and photoassimilate transport through longitudinal and transverse veins are discussed.


Superhydrophobic surfaces are of great importance in many industrial applications, especially where components are exposed to wet environments and low temperatures. Texturing of surfaces to reach superhydrophobicity can be achieved by thermal spraying technology, which is an attractive coating method as it is cheap, flexible and can employ a large range of feedstock materials. In this study, ceramic reinforced metal matrix composite (WC-CoCr) powders were sprayed using High Velocity Air Fuel method. They were varied based on their powder parameters such as carbide grain size, binder grain size and powder strength. The purpose was to investigate their hydrophobic characteristics and how these are influenced by different roughness profiles. The wetting properties such as contact angle and contact angle hysteresis were first investigated for the as-sprayed coatings. The roughness properties and Hausdorff Dimension were then related to the wetting properties. Aside from as-sprayed coatings, the effect of roughness and inherent wetting characteristics were studied by investigating the coating surface after grit blasting and polishing. Results show that powder parameters can lead to designing surfaces with higher surface roughnesses and thus having higher contact angles. It was also shown that surface composition of cermets has an impact on wettability, with the binder accounting for wetting characteristics and carbides accounting for roughness.


Information and Communication Technology has revolutionized the whole world in the 21st century. Speed, accuracy, timeliness are the hall marks of ICT. It is the opinion of the professionals that without modern ICT tools and gadgets, it is difficult to provide service and satisfy the growing needs of information user. The rapid growth of mobile computing and wireless network has taken the educational institutions to the forefront. Induction of such technologies is now considered as more essential and inevitable rather than a luxury. This paper presents the state of the art report of the application of IT in the selected College libraries of Mumbai metropolis. The study revealed that the college libraries of Mumbai are making visible progress in developing the integrated information system by accepting and adopting the emerging technologies. It is also observed that the NAAC mandate has greatly influenced the reorganization of college libraries in tune with the changing demands of the users using the appropriate IT tools.


Cross-domain sentiment analysis has received significant attention in recent years, prompted by the need to combat the domain gap between different applications that make use of sentiment analysis. In this paper, we take a novel perspective on this task by exploring the role of external commonsense knowledge. We introduce a new framework, KinGDOM, which utilizes the ConceptNet knowledge graph to enrich the semantics of a document by providing both domain-specific and domain-general background concepts. These concepts are learned by training a graph convolutional autoencoder that leverages inter-domain concepts in a domain-invariant manner. Conditioning a popular domain-adversarial baseline method with these learned concepts helps improve its performance over state-of-the-art approaches, demonstrating the efficacy of our proposed framework.


The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is increasing day by day in the region, including Turkey. The study aimed to examine AIDS-related deaths in Turkey between 2009 and 2018 according to the national death registration system records. In this descriptive study, data on AIDS-related deaths were obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute. The data consist of the cause of death codes, year of death, age and gender. Findings were presented using numbers and percentages. Seven hundred twenty-one AIDS-related deaths were reported in Turkey between 2009 and 2018. AIDS-related deaths in Turkey increased more than twice at the end of 10 years. The male/female death ratio is 4.5. Deaths under the age of 15 were 4.2% in total; however, they were increased to 10.2% in 2018. AIDS-related deaths are decreasing in the world but increasing in Turkey. The data from the Ministry of Health do not match the data of the national death registration system. Establishing a strong and accurate HIV/AIDS reporting system and identifying the causes and risk groups of this increase in AIDS-related deaths are critical.


Importance
The World Health Organization (WHO) 2016-2020 Global Leprosy Strategy aims to reinvigorate efforts to control leprosy and avert leprosy disability to less than 1 per million population.

Objective
To systematically identify clinical factors associated with physical disability in patients with leprosy.

Data Source
Searches were conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases to identify studies published from January 23, 1988, to May 23, 2018, using the keywords leprosy and physical disability and related terms.

Study Selection
Studies that evaluated patients using the WHO leprosy disability grading system and reported the number of patients with and without disability by clinical characteristics were included.

Data Extraction and Synthesis
The odds ratio (OR) was used as a measure of association between the clinical features and physical disability. Summary estimates were calculated using random-effects models.

Main Outcomes and Measures
The primary outcome was physical disability according to the WHO disability classification. The association between clinical features and physical disability was evaluated.

Results
The search identified 2447 reports. After screening titles and abstracts, 177 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and 32 studies were included in the systematic review; 24 of the 32 studies included sex information (39 571 patients), of whom 24 218 (61.2%) were male. Male patients with leprosy were more likely to have physical disability than female patients with leprosy (pooled OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.43-1.93; I2, 81.3%; P < .001). Persons with multibacillary leprosy were 4-fold more likely to have physical disability than those with paucibacillary leprosy (pooled OR, 4.32; 95% CI, 3.37-5.53; I2, 88.9%, P < .001). Patients having leprosy reactions were more likely to have disability (pooled OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.35-4.36; I2, 92.1%; P < .001). Patients with lepromatous leprosy experienced 5- to 12-fold higher odds of disability.

Conclusions and Relevance
This systematic review and meta-analysis confirms the association between the presence of physical disabilities and male sex, multibacillary leprosy, leprosy reactions, and lepromatous presentation. These findings can guide the development of targeted interventions for early identification of individuals at greater risk of developing physical disabilities and education campaigns to promote early consultation to institute treatment for leprosy reactions and prevent physical disability.


This paper presents an abstraction called data relation vectors to improve the data access characteristics and memory layouts in a given regular computation. The key idea is to define a relation between the data elements accessed by close-by iterations and use this relation to guide to a number of optimizations for array-based computations. The specific optimizations studied in this paper include enhancing group-spatial and self-spatial reuses, improving intra-tile and inter-tile reuses, and reducing unnecessary communication on message-passing architectures. In addition, this abstraction works well with other known abstractions such as data reuse vectors. The data relation vector abstraction has been implemented in the SUIF compilation framework and has been tested using a set of twelve benchmarks from image processing and scientific computation domains. Preliminary results on a super-scalar processor show that it is successful in reducing compilation time and outperforms two previously proposed techniques, one that uses only loop transformations and one that uses both loop and data transformations. Our experiments also show that the proposed abstraction helps one to select good data tile shapes which can subsequently be used to determine iteration space tiles.


We demonstrate a three-step sequential solution process to prepare PbI2-free CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite films. In this three-step method, a thermally unstable stoichiometric PbI2·CH3NH3Cl precursor film is first deposited on the mesoporous TiO2 substrate, followed by thermal decomposition to form PbI2, which is finally converted into CH3NH3PbI3 by dipping in a regular isopropanol solution of CH3NH3I at room temperature. In comparison to the two-step approach using similar processing conditions, the three-step method enables the formation of the PbI2 film through the thermal decomposition of the PbI2·CH3NH3Cl precursor film. This facilitates a rapid conversion of PbI2 to CH3NH3PbI3 without any traceable residue PbI2 in the final conversion step, leading to an improved device performance.


A 73-year-old man underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by transhiatal esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction for advanced esophageal cancer with palliative intent. Cervical esophagogastrostomy with circular-stapled end-to-side anastomosis was performed; however, anastomotic fistula developed. Fever, severe pain in the nape of the neck and numbness of the left hand were noted after drainage by wide opening of cervicotomy and the administration of empiric antibiotics. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed high signal intensity between the inferior C5 vertebral body and the intervertebral disc on T2-weighted images, and some areas were contrast-enhanced, suggesting purulent spondylodiscitis. Because methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was detected by bacterial culture from the drained pus, sensitive antibiotics were given, and those symptoms improved rapidly without sequelae.


In the present study, we used an integrative taxonomy approach to redescribe a population of Echiniscus quadrispinosus quadrispinosus Richters, 1902 from the neotype locality in the Taunus Mountain Range (Germany). We found clear differences in the chaetotaxy formula between the life stages of E. q. quadrispinosus. The body appendages B are, in general, absent in juveniles. Moreover, in larvae all body lateral appendages, except for E, are absent. We also obtained DNA sequences of 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS-2, and COI of E. q. quadrispinosus from the neotype locality and three Norwegian populations. Comparison with the sequences available in GenBank showed low genetic differences between the neotypic population and specimens from other localities. Therefore, we decided to establish our specimens from Taunus Mountain Range as neotype and paraneotypes of E. q. quadrispinosus. We also discussed and amended the taxonomic status of three subspecies E. q. brachyspinosus Bartoš, 1934, E. q. cribrosus Murray, 1907 and E. q. fissispinosus Murray, 1907 and established them as junior synonyms of E. q. quadrispinosus. Finally, we also confirmed E. lichenorum Maucci, 1983 as a valid species, clearly different from E. q. quadrispinosus.


Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are made up of small energy-constrained sensor nodes. In our study, the network is sub-divided into groups of sensor nodes called clusters, and the nodes in same cluster send data to its own cluster-head called Gateway. Major issue is raised to be the Gateway unavailability due to energy depletion or hard-failure, because the Sink losses the communication with the whole cluster. This paper presents a novel cluster-head selection approach to extend network lifetime and reliability by taking obstacle-aware criteria into consideration. This approach allows selecting the most appropriate sensor node to become cluster head. Simulation results show significant results by reducing 93% the number of lost packets in the network, hence improving the network throughput up to 53%. Additionally, our solution extends the network lifetime to 11%.


This sequence of papers in two parts investigates the feasibility of damage-mitigating control of a reusable rocket engine similar to the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) where the objective is to increase structural durability without any significant loss of performance. To this effect, a fatigue damage model of the turbine blades has been reported in earlier publications, and a creep damage model of the main thrust chamber coolant channel has been formulated and tested in the first part. This paper, which is the second part, synthesizes an optimal policy for open loop control of up-thrust transients of the rocket engine. Optimization is based on the integrated model of the plant, structural and damage dynamics under the constraints of fatigue and creep damage in the critical components. The results are presented to demonstrate the potential of life extension of reusable rocket engines via damage mitigating control. The concept of damage mitigation, as presented in this paper, is not restricted to control of rocket engines. It can be applied to any system where structural durability is an important issue.


Introduction:
 Students in UK Higher Education are increasingly working together in multicultural group work settings, with many courses entirely or almost entirely featuring international students. Additionally, Master's degree students whose course of study lasts one year are required to adapt to a new educational culture quickly, despite having in some cases little or no prior experience of group work.
However, there is relatively little research into Master's level students' experience of multicultural group work

Aims and objectives:
 This study aimed to answer the following question:
What are the most important challenges, issues, conflicts, tensions and also benefits encountered during multicultural student group work in a UK information school?
In doing this, the following sub-questions were used:
• What are the challenges, issues and benefits in multicultural group work?
• What factors impact upon multicultural group work performance?
• When do challenges and issues occur in multicultural group work?
• How do cultural differences affect group performance?
• How does multicultural group work influence students' experience and satisfaction?
• How does the information science context impact on group work?

This was achieved by:
• Use of the literature to identify challenges, issues and conflicts in student group work
• Conducting case study research approach to investigate student multicultural group work using observation and interview data collection methods
• Investigating students' perception towards multicultural group work
• Identifying the factors affecting multicultural group work and
• Producing model of factor affecting multicultural group work

Methodology:
 The research study adopted a case study approach and the setting was the Information School at the University of Sheffield, UK. Research participants were Master's degree students studying on the MSc in Information Management and MA in Librarianship programmes.
This is a qualitative research study, which adopts an inductive approach. Data collection methods include the observation of students conducting a group work assignment and 26 semi-structured interviews in which participants were questioned regarding their experiences of multicultural group work across several modules. In addition, institutional and module documents were used to provide a comprehensive perspective on each case.
The analysis of the documents and observation data alongside interviews was used to produce the case study reports. Furthermore, the thematic analysis of the interview data was undertaken to identify and conceptualise the themes.

Findings:
 Factors such as the identity of group mates, language, whether the group was self-selected or allocated, assignment design, and support available from tutors and academic staff were all found to strongly influence students' experience of group work.
The MA Librarianship cohort (primarily home students) were found to be reluctant to associate and collaborate with individuals on other courses and encountered difficulties when working with students from other countries and cultures. These international students in turn reported feeling intimidated, stressed or undervalued in such a situation.
A model was developed to show the relationship between the various factors that influenced multicultural group work, using Tuckman & Jensen's (1977) stages of group development as a framework.

 Conclusion:
This research makes a contribution towards understanding the variety of factors that influence multicultural group work, specifically at Master's-level and also a contribution to understanding group formation.
The way students chose their group members is linked with their sense of familiarity and similarity with other students. The majority of participants preferred to work with their friends and students who shared similar academic attitudes with them.
There are various factors which impact on students' group work experience. Some of which are unique to multicultural group work. Factors such as English language skills, student's name, communication style and student understanding of the task are present in multicultural groups. In addition, factors such as assessment and design of group work task had major impact on students' experience and their view towards the group work. Students were less likely to engage in activities, which do not bear any mark, and they aim to achieve higher marks.
The research can be used in the design and management of multicultural group work tasks and activities to achieve a better understanding of group dynamics and improving the student experience.


The formation scenario of brown dwarfs is still unclear because observational studies to investigate its initial condition are quite limited. Our systematic survey of nearby low-mass star-forming regions using the Atacama Compact Array (aka the Morita array) and the IRAM 30-m telescope in 1.2 mm continuum has identified a centrally concentrated starless condensation with a central H2 volume density of ∼106 cm−3, MC5-N, connected to a narrow (width ∼0.03 pc) filamentary cloud in the Taurus L1495 region. The mass of the core is $\sim {0.2\!-\!0.4}\, M_{\odot }$, which is an order of magnitude smaller than typical low-mass pre-stellar cores. Taking into account a typical core to star formation efficiency for pre-stellar cores (∼20%–40%) in nearby molecular clouds, brown dwarf(s) or very low-mass star(s) may be going to be formed in this core. We have found possible substructures at the high-density portion of the core, although much higher angular resolution observation is needed to clearly confirm them. The subsequent N2H+ and N2D+ observations using the Nobeyama 45-m telescope have confirmed the high-deuterium fractionation (∼30%). These dynamically and chemically evolved features indicate that this core is on the verge of proto-brown dwarf or very low-mass star formation and is an ideal source to investigate the initial conditions of such low-mass objects via gravitational collapse and/or fragmentation of the filamentary cloud complex.


BACKGROUND
Prior research has shown that test anxiety is negatively related to academic buoyancy, but it is not known whether test anxiety is an antecedent or outcome of academic buoyancy. Furthermore, it is not known whether academic buoyancy is related to performance on high-stakes examinations.

AIMS
To test a model specifying reciprocal relations between test anxiety and academic buoyancy and to establish whether academic buoyancy is related to examination performance.

SAMPLE
A total of 705 students in their final year of secondary education (Year 11).

METHODS
Self-report data for test anxiety and academic buoyancy were measured in two waves in Year 11. Examination performance was taken from the mean English, mathematics, and science scores from the high-stakes General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations taken at the end of Year 11.

RESULTS
Measurement invariance was demonstrated for test anxiety and academic buoyancy across both waves of measurement. The worry component of test anxiety, but not the tension component, showed reciprocal relations with academic buoyancy. Worry predicted lower mean GCSE score and academic buoyancy predicted a higher mean GCSE score. Tension did not predict mean GCSE score.

CONCLUSION
Academic buoyancy protects against the appraisal of examinations as threatening by influencing self-regulative processes and enables better examination performance. Worry, but not tension, shows a negative feedback loop to academic buoyancy.


A novel design model based on the slant multi-phase filtering model is presented. A magnetic linear encoder with sinusoidal output voltage waveform has been investigated, and the improved sinusoidal output waveform can be easily acquired. A minimum 6% of distortion factor, when the difference of slant phase is 2π/3, is observed. It is found that the Wheatstone bridge type sensor, made of NiFe(450A)/NiO(300A) bilayers deposited on Si (001) substrate, can enhance both output signal and thermal stability, and then can be widely used in the field of magneto-resistive sensor.


Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs) support a hash-table-like lookup interface: given a key, it maps the key onto a node. One of the crucial questions facing DHTs is whether lookups can route correctly in a dynamic environment where the routing state is inconsistent. The routing state may become inconsistent when a node falsely thinks a failed neighbor is up (false negative), when a node falsely removes a neighbor that is up (false positive), when a new node joins but has not been fully incorporated into the routing state (join hole), and when a node leaves and disrupts the routing state (leave recovery). In this paper we analyze the cost of inconsistency i DHTs. Using the example of Chord, we evaluate the cost of each type of inconsistency on lookup performance. We find that the routing invariant has a first order impact on the relative cost of different types of inconsistencies. In additi on, the cost of false negatives is higher than that of false positives, which means it is more important to ensure timely fail ure detection than a low probability of false positives. The cost of join holes and leave recoveries are also higher than that of false positives due to the routing invariant of Chord . We also make conjectures about the cost of inconsistency in other DHTs based on their routing invariants.


As the world faces an increasing threat of natural disasters, temporary housing has become an important transitional space to assist disaster refugees in rebuilding their lives. This study explores how to measure the performance of temporary housing. After the 2009 Typhoon Morakot disaster in Taiwan, a non-profit organization in southern Taiwan constructed two types of single-story temporary houses. The participants were people who resided in these houses. This research first employed a questionnaire survey and participant observations on life satisfaction. Engineering experimental measurements to evaluate and compare the environmental deficiencies identified by the survey follows. The results showed that although most residents were satisfied with the overall environment, poor sound and heat insulation were common problems in temporary houses. Most importantly, fast-build temporary houses that are improperly designed and constructed may not provide a suitable living environment for refugees to begin the recovery process.


Solar prominences are subject to all kinds of perturbations during their lifetime, and frequently demonstrate oscillations. The study of prominence oscillations provides an alternative way to investigate their internal magnetic and thermal structures because the characteristics of the oscillations depend on their interplay with the solar corona. Prominence oscillations can be classified into longitudinal and transverse types. We perform three-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulations of prominence oscillations along a magnetic flux rope, with the aim of comparing the oscillation periods with those predicted by various simplified models and examining the restoring force. We find that the longitudinal oscillation has a period of about 49 minutes, which is in accordance with the pendulum model where the field-aligned component of gravity serves as the restoring force. In contrast, the horizontal transverse oscillation has a period of about 10 minutes and the vertical transverse oscillation has a period of about 14 minutes, and both of them can be nicely fitted with a two-dimensional slab model. We also find that the magnetic tension force dominates most of the time in transverse oscillations, except for the first minute when magnetic pressure overwhelms it.


The present work involves the development of a learning model for the analysis of data from telecommunication and social networks for devices that make voice calls and data sessions, using Business Intelligence concepts and tools. The paper has a multi/interdisciplinary character, calling for e-learning, telecommunication, database, programming, IT applications and social/business networks.
Business Intelligence (BI) refers to those data analysis systems by integrating them into a platform that allows the association of information through data transformation operations. For this analysis to be effective, it is necessary to identify and define the required quality indicators (KPIs: Key Performance Indicators) and the desired associations with them, which can be made in the BI platform. The information extraction operations can be done in the SQL queries area or when data is uploaded to the BI platform, taking into account the following factors: database queries efficiency, transformation efficiency at BI platform level, and available hardware capacity for calculations.
There is a balance between the volume of SQL queries, taking into account the complexity of the queries (number and type of joins) and the size of the files to be imported into the platform. Consideration may also be given to how new data is added to source files for the BI platform.
The applications developed for this purpose allow the analysis of KPIs by applying filters that make easier to understand the general problems of an application and identify network areas where possible degradation or shortcomings are observed.
Developing a solution for analyzing these aspects of radio measurements and comparing operators on various criteria for voice and data and application testing comes as a response to the need to be able to analyze and interpret a huge amount of data accumulated over very long periods (years) and to identify the main elements that can lead to improved network performance.
BI analysis is addressed to business managerial levels for discovery of large deficiencies without analyzing each test, satisfying the need for interaction by allocating a minimum number of parameters associated with KPIs so that analysis and decisions taken consequently have a high impact for a company benefits.
BI analysis is predominantly conducted in the telecommunications field, but the same principles can be used in other areas, and the way of working can be adapted to serve as a strong starting point in any type of analysis for which information is available at the level of a database.
In order to be able to apply the BI analysis tools, databases containing information specific to the 2G, 3G and 4G technologies (GSM, WCDMA and LTE) have been developed. Databases contain tables populated with metrics representing information similar to those collected during telecommunication measurements (data generation is done through popular spreadsheet scripts with Excel support). Multiple SQL queries for denormalizing, aggregating, and transforming data have also been developed for use as a data source in the KPIs analysis, comparison, and interpretation process.
In order to apply these data transformation queries in a format that facilitates further BI analysis, a C# application that exports the new content to a predefined area is made available to the BI environment (in text format).
The new C# content is loaded into the QLIK Sense Desktop platform, a BI development environment where another set of data transformations, (defining legends to create geo-location features for elements) is loaded in this environment. The next step is to develop specific formulas, taking into account the new available structure to obtain KPIs with expected values and views for post-denormalization analysis. Two dashboards were developed for this purpose: voice and data tests.
Configuring the development environment involves setting the connection to the location where the new content is placed, uploading these data, modifying them, creating formulas, identifying causes of value-based telecoms errors, creating a range for radio measurement values, and creating functions for geo-location of data using QLIK script syntax.
It is defined a graphical interface by creating, where necessary, maps of geo-tagged data, filters, graphs, pivot tables, pie-charts, histograms, etc. across multiple display sheets, organized to contain the information specific to a particular analysis, thereby creating an analytical context in which the information required for use in the analysis is arranged adjacent, in the form of filters or graphs, the results being easier to interpret by introducing color coding formulas.
The definition of special formulas and their application uses KPIs, and their development is carried out with a language specific to the development environment: QLIK Sense Desktop.
Part of analyzing data in a BI environment is to interpret data and various configurations. Depending on who accesses such an environment, one can configure (in the web version) different access modes and set up visible information for each user so that a manager can access general performance sheets and an RF engineer can access specific performance sheets, both of which being designed to enhance the ability of each to interpret, decide, and improve the desired performance.
Another important aspect is the low analysis time, due to the fact that the data automatically undergoes a transformation that initially had to be manually adapted. Automatic correlations that may go unnoticed, and there is also the ability to adapt and change over time. Increased efficiency comes from the fact that uncorrelated information in the database becomes correlated.
BI applications refresh after each selected criterion so that the same graph shows different information if a single operator/service is selected. The paper contains detailed BI complex analysis examples for the video player in social networks: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
In the BI environment, possible causes for the effects observed in the operations are performed, resulting in an easier interpretation of the results. This information can be valuable to departments such as Marketing/Sales, Network Operations Center, Optimization/Planning, etc.
Data analysis by using a BI platform is useful when data sources are not directly correlated, allowing optimized visualization and identification of KPIs performance and metrics specifically defined for fast and efficient handling of data specific to mobile telecom operators and social networks or business networks.


Coleophora laricella Hubner, 1817 was introduced in Serbia along with Larix deciduaMiller, 1768 (commonly used in the recultivation processes by reforestation) and as a result of the great adaptive ability, it was well-adapted to the site conditions, which differed greatly from the ones within the limits of its nature spread. It is very obstinate and harmful forest insect. In suitable places it has a permanent fluctuation, and in artificial stands the outbreak can last for as long as 12 years, which was confirmed in the common larch cultures established in 1981 at the waste disposal sites of the waste-rock of energy-industrial complex Kolubara, where it started in 1992 and lasted for 15 years. The chemical aerial suppression was conducted in 1996, and the success was complete, but short-lived. However, in the subsequent years, until 2007, the number of the larch casebearer was still above the critical one. The parasitic complex (10 species) was not sufficient for the significant reduction of the population level of the host. The multi-annual consecutive defoliation caused the significant reduction of the current and total increment of the common larch trees, as well as the increase of the intensity of their desiccation.

 Key words: Coleophora laricella, outbreak, parasites, reductions in larch growth.


Integrated circuit design rules represent a trade-off between the probability that a given die will yield and the physical size of that die. Optimum design rules maximize the average number of good dice on a wafer. The authors present a methodology for calculating design rules that are optimum in this sense. The development involves four points: (1) any design rule can be represented physically by a key-and-target structure; (2) such key-and-target structures lend themselves to suitable mathematical analysis; (3) the average yield of a given ensemble of design rules may be estimated by computer simulation and (4) the most efficient design rules may be estimated by the methods of stochastic optimization.


The Samoan islands have been politically, economically, and culturally influenced by the United States and Western European nations for more than one hundred and fifty years. Divided into two political regions, American Samoa is a protectorate of the United States and Western Samoa is an independent nation. Due to its political status and more direct influence from the United States, American Samoa is, in many aspects, a more modernized region compared to its neighbor Western Samoa. In the past half century, many Samoans have migrated to Hawaii and the west coast of the United States, including a significant population to the State of Utah. Tradition, migration, religion, acculturation, and modernization of Samoans make them a unique immigrant group. This article discusses some traditional aspects of Samoan culture including a short history of European and American influences, migration of Samoans to the United States, and treatment implications for therapists working with Samoan clients.


The current study was conducted to relate ice formation to the pattern and rate of leaf and stem injury of Satsuma mandarins on trifoliate orange rootstock. Potted trees were unacclimated, moderately acclimated or fully acclimated by exposing trees to 32/21°C, 15/7 °C or 10/4 °C, respectively. Freezing treatments consisted of decreasing air temperature at 2 °C.h -1 until ice formed as evidenced by exotherms determined using differential thermal analysis of stems. Air temperature was then decreased, held constant, or increased and held constant to simulate severe, moderate and mild freeze conditions, respectively. All treatment exhibited exotherms at -2 to -4 °C, which were smaller with milder freezing treatments. Only the fully acclimated trees exhibited multiple exotherms. Leaf watersoaking, an indication of ice formation, occurred concurrently with stem exotherms except for fully acclimated trees where there was up to a 30-min delay and which corresponded with the second exotherm. Electrolyte leakage of leaves began to increase near the peak of the stem exotherm, but increased more slowly with milder freezing temperature treatments. In some treatments, electrolyte leakage reached a plateau near 50% but leaves survived. Leaves died when whole-leaf electrolyte leakage exceeded 50%. These data are discussed within the framework of a proposed mechanism of injury of Satsuma mandarin leaves by subfreezing temperatures, especially multiple exotherms of fully acclimated trees, and the plateau of electrolyte leakage of leaves at the critical level for survival.


Recently the global expression of taste 2 receptors (TAS2Rs) on smooth muscle cells in human airways was demonstrated. Here, the effects of agonists of taste receptor, type 2, denatonium and 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil, on smooth-muscle contraction were examined in the rat and mouse. Contractions induced by carbachol (CCh), high K, and sodium fluoride, but not calyculin-A, were inhibited significantly in the presence of a TAS2R agonist in the bronchial smooth muscle of mice. The contraction induced by CCh was inhibited by TAS2R agonists in ileal smooth muscle. Phenylephrine-induced contraction was also inhibited by TAS2R agonists in aortic smooth muscle. Gastrointestinal motility and blood pressure were attenuated by administration of TAS2R agonists in vivo. These findings suggest that TAS2R may be receptor for endogenous biologically active substances as well as for bitter tastes on the tongue. TAS2R signaling could be employed in the development of anti-asthmatic, anti-spasmodic, and anti-hypertensive drugs.


This article addresses and questions the magic-mirror phenomenon, popularised by current smartphone selfie and video capture apps. This phenomenon stimulates the illusion of control over the appearance of the face, either through applying semi-automatic soft filters to highlight the face area, to smooth the skin or correct the posture; or through the use of humorous add-ons or distortions, such as bunny ears or anime features, among others. However these results are short-lived, as their publication in social networks is either ephemeral – as a story – or timed to become invisible or irrelevant – in the timeline stream. Cumulatively they leave little margin (if at all) to stimulate a deeper reflection on the subject of (self) identity, and could thus be reduced to an expression of narcissism and consumption rather than a shared, transformative, meaningful practice. The two generative artworks described in this article, on the other hand, seek to guide the visitor beyond the visual magic-mirror through thought-provoking and reflective processes, where face-based audio-visual trance inducing cycles are used to hint at new identities and possibilities, challenging species, race, gender and age. These artworks seek to immerse the visitor, with narrowed awareness of external surroundings and stimuli, with a deepened focus in a synesthetic experience of flow, aiming at an altered perception of the self. If appearance can act as a tool to communicate one's identity to others, this article ponders the possibility that such a synesthetic environment can be artivistically used to influence the perception of the self.


Author(s): Skendzic, Sandra | Advisor(s): Bowers, John E. | Abstract: Fiber optics has become the preferred technology in communication systems because of what it has to offer: high data transmission rates, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and lightweight, flexible cables. An optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) provides a convenient method of locating and diagnosing faults (e.g. break in a fiber) along a fiber that can obstruct crucial optical pathways. Both the ability to resolve the precise location of the fault and distinguish between two discrete, closely spaced faults are figures of merit. This thesis presents an implementation of a high resolution OTDR through the use of a compact and programmable ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The integration of many essential OTDR functions on a single chip is advantageous over existing commercial instruments because it enables small, lightweight packaging, and offers low power and cost efficiency. Furthermore, its compactness presents the option of placing multiple ASICs in parallel, which can conceivably ease the characterization of densely populated fiber optic networks.The OTDR ASIC consists of a tunable clock, pattern generator, precise timer, electrical receiver, and signal sampling circuit. During OTDR operation, the chip generates narrow electrical pulse, which can then be converted to optical format when coupled with an external laser diode driver. The ASIC also works with an external photodetector to measure the timing and amplitude of optical reflections in a fiber. It has a 1 cm sampling resolution, which allows for a 2 cm spatial resolution. While this OTDR ASIC has been previously demonstrated for multimode fiber fault diagnostics, this thesis focuses on extending its functionality to single mode fiber.To validate this novel approach to OTDR, this thesis is divided into five chapters: (1) introduction, (2) implementation, (3), performance of ASIC-based OTDR, (4) exploration in optical pre-amplification with a semiconductor optical amplifier, and (5) conclusion. Thus, it begins by providing background, basic OTDR operation, overview of ASIC functionality, and past experiments done with the ASIC for multimode fiber. Chapter 2 begins the investigation of a high resolution OTDR for single mode fiber. A though explanation of how the OTDR ASIC operates is presented in this chapter, as well as details on the OTDR scheme that has been implemented. Chapter 3 analyzes the performance of the OTDR. Chapter 4 introduces a hybrid silicon semiconductor optical amplifier and discusses its theoretical implication on the OTDR in terms of improving receiver sensitivity. Lastly, a summary of the findings and discussion of other applications lie in Chapter 5.


Vibrio alginolyticus is an opportunistic pathogen which may affect different aquatic organisms. The aim of this study was to assess the probiotic properties and the protective mode of action of Lactobacillus pentosus H16 against V. alginolyticus 03/8525, through in vitro and in vivo studies using Artemia franciscana (hereafter Artemia). This strain showed antimicrobial activity against V. alginolyticus 03/8525 and Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida ATCC33658 possibly related to lactobacilli organic acid production. It was able to survive at high rainbow trout bile concentrations and showed high selective adhesion to rainbow trout mucus (1.2×10(5)±8.0×10(3) cells cm(-2)). H16 outcompeted V. alginolyticus 03/8525 and A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida ATCC33658, greatly reducing their adherence to rainbow trout mucus (64.8 and 74.1%, respectively). Moreover, H16 produced a cell-bound biosurfactant which caused an important decrease in the surface tension. H16 also protected Artemia nauplii against mortality when it was administered previous to V. alginolyticus 03/8525 inoculation. Furthermore, H16 bioencapsulated in Artemia, suggesting that it is possible to use live carriers in its administration. We conclude that the ability of L. pentosus H16 to selectively adhere to mucosal surfaces and produce cell-bound biosurfactants, displacing pathogenic strains, in addition to its antimicrobial activity, confer H16 competitive advantages against pathogens as demonstrated in in vivo challenge experiments. Thus, L. pentosus H16, a marine bacterium from the intestinal tract of hake, is an interesting probiotic for Artemia culture and also has the potential to prevent vibriosis in other aquaculture activities such as larvae culture and fish farming.


The difficulty of sex determination in most poultry species causes significant financial losses for poultry production as birds cannot be separated at early stages of growth for meat or egg production. Therefore it is important to determine bird's sex with zoometric parameters. This study was carried out to determine the sex of Japanese quails with zoometric measurements, such as live weight, body length, chest depth and chest width. Eighty-eight male and female Japanese quail chicks were used individually for live weight, chest depth (mm), chest width (mm) and body length (mm) with using digital scaled balance and caliper for every week over a period of six weeks. The weekly collected data were applied to t test for estimating the sex discrimination. The Pearson's correlation was applied for examining the interrelationship between sex and biometric traits. The results indicated that there was a significant positive correlation between live weight and body length beginning with the 2nd week. Therefore, zoometric measurement of these body traits is suitable for discriminating the sex of Japanese quails in early phase of life.


Abstract Organoleptic evaluation of centrifugal fractions of unexposed and light-exposed milk indicates that a low density lipid-protein fraction is a principal source of light-induced flavors in milk. The protein portion of the fraction appeared to undergo a partial degradation resulting in losses of tryptophan, tyrosine, lysine, cysteine and methionine. The lipid portion was partially oxidized as indicated by decreased oleic and linoleic acid and production of a series of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine reacting products. The light-induced changes in the lipid portion were different from those induced by addition of copper ions to milk.


Background: There is currently no consensus on the correlations between androgen concentrations in prostate tissue and blood and stage and pathological grade of prostate cancer. In this study, we used a newly-developed ultra-sensitive liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method to measure testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations in blood and needle biopsy prostate specimens from patients with prostate cancer. Methods: We analyzed androgen levels in 196 men diagnosed with prostate cancer. All patients had undergone systematic needle biopsy, and an additional needle biopsy from the peripheral zone was conducted for the simultaneous determination of T and DHT. We analyzed the relationships between T and DHT levels in tissue and blood and Gleason score, clinical stage, and percentage of positive biopsy cores, using multivariate analysis. Results: The median T and DHT levels in blood were 3551.0 pg/mL and 330.5 pg/mL, respectively. There was a strong correlation between serum T and DHT. The median T and DHT levels in prostate tissue were 0.5667 pg/mg and 7.0625 pg/mg, respectively. In multivariate analysis, serum prostate-specific antigen and tissue T levels were significantly associated with poor prognosis; high T levels in prostate tissue were significantly related to high Gleason score (p = 0.041), advanced clinical stage (p = 0.002), and a high percentage of positive biopsy cores (p = 0.001). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that high T levels in prostate tissue are related to high Gleason score, advanced clinical stage, and a high percentage of positive biopsy cores in patients with prostate cancer. T level in needle biopsy specimens may therefore be a useful prognostic factor in prostate cancer patients.


Microstructure evolution and mechanical behavior of alpha/beta Ti-6Al-4V (VT6) and near-beta Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-1Cr-1Fe (VT22) titanium alloys during uniaxial compression at 600°C to a high strain of 70% was studied. The plastic-flow response for both alloys is characterized by successive stages of strain hardening, flow softening, and steady-state flow. During compression the lamellae spheroidized to produce a partially globular microstructure. Globularization in VT6 is associated with the loss of the initial Burgers-type coherency between the alpha and beta phases and the subsequent individual deformation of each phase. The misorientations of boundaries increase to the high-angle range by means of the accumulation of lattice dislocations. In VT22 alloy the alpha phase evolves similar to that in VT6 alloy, while in the beta phase mainly low-angle boundaries are observed even after 70 pct. reduction.


Liquor samples from 159 live subjects with craniocerebral injuries were analyzed. Forty-four patients had brain concussions, 30 light contusions of the brain, 43 medium-severe contusions of the brain, and 42 severe contusions of the brain. Crystallograms were evaluated by 37 signs detected visually and by stereoscopy. The main diagnostic criteria for evaluation of the severity of craniocerebral injury were defined.


Responsible for up to 30,000 deaths annually, leishmaniasis is a complex spectrum of diseases endemic in 97 countries around the globe. Disease control relies heavily on the early diagnosis and treatment of the active cases (relevant for anthroponotic disease), although it is widely accepted that a prophylactic vaccine for human leishmaniasis is the way to achieve the successful elimination of human disease (taking in consideration the vast list of non-human reservoirs that enable the perpetuation of parasites all around the globe). The notion that infection leads to strong and long-lasting immunity against leishmaniasis supports vaccination as an achievable goal. However, and in spite of the different candidates tested along the years, till date, we still do not have an approved vaccine for humans. In this chapter, we will explore the last advances made in the field of vaccines against Leishmania without forgetting the historical perspective, essential to the understanding of the road already undergone. We will then discuss the correlates of disease and protection, still neither consensual nor definitive, as well as the issue of pre-clinical to clinical translation. The complete understanding of these issues will be essential for the approval of a successful vaccine for human leishmaniasis.


The purpose of this text is to present an outline of the dialogical concept of legal interpretation. It involves the need to establish the relationship between the legislature and courts. In the normative dimension, this concept includes an analysis of assumptions about the mutual roles of the legislature and courts in determining the substance of the law. In the descriptive dimension, the authors present tools that enable communication between the legislature and courts in order to improve the interpretation process. The authors describe the requirements for communication between courts and the legislature, and refer to existing solutions in Poland and the United States. In the text the importance of this issue is only signaled, but the authors believe that it is worth further research.


Nuno Moreno José Feijó Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, PT-2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal Abstract. The application of second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy to plant materials has been neglected hitherto even though it would seem to have promise for identification and characterization of biologically and commercially important plant polysaccharides. We find that imaging of cellulose requires rather high laser powers, which are above optimal values for live cell imaging. Starch, however, is easily imaged by the technique at laser fluences compatible with extended cell viability. This also has useful applications in imaging plant-derived starchy food products. Lignin in plant cell walls shows a strong three-photon excited fluorescence, which may be enhanced by resonance effects. © 2005 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [DOI: 10.1117/1.1896005]


--Diazepam, formalin and drink which contain alcohol are substances that can be a toxic if they are accumulated in a body. Drink that contains alcohol can make someone drunk. Diazepam is a medicine that calms and its function is to decrease neuron activity. While formalin which is to used as food preservation causes metabolism disorder. This aim of this research was to investigate and analyze the physiological aspect of M musculus body after it was treated with diazepam, formalin and drink alcoholic. The research used completely Randomize Design. The animal that was in experiment were 16 male M musculus and divided into 4 treatments and 4 replications. The treatments were P0 (Control), P1 (0.04 mg Diazepam), P2 (100 ppm Formalin), P3 (Drink which contains 4,8% alcohol ). Food and drinking water were ad libitum. The treatments were given daily for 30 days. The data were analyzed with anova. The result indicated that were not significant for all parameters. So, it was concluded that 0.04 mg diazepam, 100 ppm formalin and drink which contains 4,8% alcohol didn't change the metabolism of M musculus body.


OBJECTIVE
Although binge eating disorder (BED) is the most prevalent eating disorder, the impact of untreated BED is underappreciated. This review describes the relationship of BED to physical and mental health, quality of life, and functionality.

DATA SOURCES
PubMed searches were conducted on March 21, 2014; searches were limited to English-language research articles, meta-analyses, and reviews published between January 1, 2003 and March 21, 2014. Search terms included (binge eating OR binge-eating OR binge eating disorder) AND (cardiovascular OR metabolic OR metabolic syndrome OR gastrointestinal OR health OR rehabilitation OR recovery OR sleep OR pregnancy OR quality of life OR functional impairment OR activities of daily living OR QoL OR SF-12 OR ED-5D OR SF-36 OR psychosocial OR depressive OR anxiety OR self-esteem OR suicidality OR suicide OR productivity OR family).

STUDY SELECTION/DATA EXTRACTION
Of 326 identified publications, 43 were relevant to the topic and reported on the association of BED with psychiatric and medical comorbidities, quality of life, and functional outcomes.

RESULTS
Individuals diagnosed with BED have increased rates of mental health comorbidities (eg, depression and anxiety) and more pronounced medical impairments (eg, cardiovascular disorders) compared with individuals without BED. BED is also associated with functional impairment and reduced quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS
Binge eating disorder is associated with impairments in physical and mental health, which can decrease quality of life and functionality and lead to increased health care utilization and decreased productivity. However, some caution is warranted in interpreting these findings because it remains unclear whether BED is an antecedent condition, a complication associated with a comorbid psychiatric condition, or an unrelated feature that occurs concurrently with these comorbidities and impairments. Much of the research on BED is based on observational or epidemiologic studies. Controlled studies are needed to clearly define the long-term impairments associated with BED.


Arkansas football is unlike any other program in the country. It's owned by an entire state. What other major-college program has two home stadiums -- 200 miles apart? From the Mississippi River Delta to the Ozark foothills, Arkansas football is the tie that binds: A proud and yet unpretentious populace believes the "fightin' Razorbacks" reflect and project its values. "Hogs!: A History," by George Schroeder, is the story of how -- and why -- a state became so intertwined with its football team that the two are often synonymous. "Hogs!" explores the exhilarating wins -- and devastating losses -- that have shaped Arkansans' collective psyche and reveals the unique personalities who built and were built by a common passion and their defining moments. These moments include: -"The arrival and rise of Frank Broyles, the most influential sports figure in Arkansas history." In 1958, Broyles came to Arkansas after one year as head coach at Missouri. Forty-seven years later, he remains. Broyles elevated the Razorback program to elite status in a nineteen-year career as coach. His career continues as athletic director, the position he still holds. At eighty, he shows no signs of slowing down.-"The Big Shootout." The biggest game ever was the Big Shootout. On December 6, 1969, number-one Texas and number-two Arkansas met at Fayetteville's Razorback Stadium. President Nixon was among those in attendance that day. The result -- Texas 15, Arkansas 14 -- sent Texas on to the national championship. It left the entire Arkansas fan base with a wound that still lingers, almost thirty-six years later.-"The rise and fall of Lou Holtz and Kenny Hatfield." Broyles' successors took the Hogsto great heights, but following Broyles was difficult. In his first season, Holtz took the state by storm and directed the Razorbacks to the 1978 Orange Bowl, where as 18-point underdogs, they upset Oklahoma 31-6. But Holtz's magic eventually faded. Hatfield, a former Hogs hero, took Arkansas back to the Cotton Bowl -- twice -- but developed a reputation for not winning the biggest games and never quite connected with some of the fans.-"Houston Nutt comes to town." After a decade in decline, Arkansas turned to one of its own. A schoolboy phenom as a quarterback at Little Rock's Central High, Houston Nutt turned down Alabama's Bear Bryant for Arkansas, where he played football and basketball. After Broyles' retirement, though he transferred to Oklahoma State, Nutt remained a Hog at heart. And when the Hogs called, looking for a coach, Nutt returned -- and revived the program.Schroeder takes a colorful look at these stories and many more. "Hogs!: A History" is a book that no college football fan can live without.


Germany's large current account surplus has been widely criticized, especially against the backdrop of the role of macroeconomic imbalances in the Eurozone crisis. We argue that Germany's resistance to reduce its massive current account surplus through an expansionary policy at home is rooted in distributive struggles about the design of possible adjustment policies. To explore this argument, we leverage original survey data from 135 German economic interest groups, qualitative interviews with interest group representatives and policymakers, and data from public opinion surveys. We show that while there is general support for internal adjustment among German interest groups, they disagree heavily about which specific policies should be implemented to achieve this goal. Together with a broad public and elite-based consensus to avoid a break-up of the Eurozone, this polarization turns financing into a politically attractive strategy. Rather than being rooted only in German ordoliberal ideas or Germany's export-oriented structure, distributive conflicts contribute significantly to Germany's resistance to reduce its large current-account surplus. Because similar dynamics can be observed in other surplus countries, we argue that distributive struggles within surplus countries played an important role in interstate conflicts about the management of the crisis.


Single-domain magnetic nanoparticles (SDMNP) have recently received a considerable interest, due to their important technological applications and their unique physical and chemical properties that differ from the bulk counterpart. It has great potential impacts in several medical applications such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast enhancers, drug and gene delivery, biomedicine, biosensors, magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia, magnetic separation, coating and ferrofluids. Most of these therapeutic and diagnostic applications require magnetic nanoparticles of size smaller than 20 nm with a narrow size distribution, form a stable suspension, be monodisperse, and biocompatible.
The main objectives of this article are to: (1) provide the physical principles and the underlying phenomena related to SDMNP such as super paramgnetism and magnetoresistance; (2) report some controllable synthesis techniques for nearly producing monodisperse suspensions and core-shell that satisfy the criteria of the medical applications; (3) explore the potential impacts of the SDMNP in several biomedical applications as mentioned above.


Landslides are considered a natural process, with hundreds of events occurring every year in many regions of the world. However, human activities can significantly affect how stable a slope or cliff is, increasing the chances of slope collapses. Moreover, agricultural irrigation has potential to saturate subsurface materials well below ground level and is known to be an important factor that can trigger landslides in many countries. A macroregional literature review of irrigation-induced landslides was developed in this investigation, considering what has been published in Chinese, English, and Spanish. A total of 115 peer-reviewed papers, books and book chapters, graduate and undergraduate theses, and government reports were found, including 82 case studies (23 in Chinese, 26 in English, and 33 in Spanish). Results from this analysis indicate that studies focusing on this important topic have increased exponentially since the 1960s, with most irrigation-induced landslides occurring in dry climates (precipitation less than 600 mm/year), with rainfall concentrated during summer months. The majority of studies have been done in the loess region of China (Asian region), followed by Peru (Latin American region), though cases were found from other macroregions (African, Indian, Russian, Angloamerican, and Indonesian). Based on this global review, new agricultural irrigation projects located in collapsible areas must include a landslide risk analysis. Cultivated areas can follow a series of measures to minimize the chances of triggering a landslide, which would put human lives, ecosystems, food production, and infrastructure at risk.


As the first step of any system analysis, modeling is an important task in scientific studies field. The mathematical modeling has a long research history. However, nonlinear system modeling has still not been well solved. System identification is the theory and methods of establishing mathematical models of systems. In this paper, by using a hybrid technique, a novel identification method for a wide class of static nonlinear system with unknown structure is proposed. The basic idea is as follows. Firstly, the proposed method employs a system model composed with classical models so as to transform the system structure identification problem into a combinatorial optimization problem. Then, the bacterial foraging optimization algorithm is adopted to synchronously implement the identification on the system's structure and parameters. Finally, compared with the existing method in simulation experiments, some examples are given to illustrate the validity of the proposed method.


Villa Isola is one of the heritage buildings with art deco relic of the Dutch East Indies, now became the rectorate of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI). The building was built in October 1932 – March 1933 and changes its function into office in 1954. The changes of the spatial structure from 4 floors into five floors to meet the needs of space, it also changed the interior with a segmented room. Measurement of the globe temperature (Tg); air temperature (Ta) and the surface temperature (Ts) were performed at a point indoor and outdoor with a 15 minutes interval. The phenomenon of heat temperature difference (∆Ts) at 0.50°C indoor, meanwhile the outdoor ∆Ts = 2.2°C. This paper then, will give a description of Villa Isola, its temperature alteration both indoor and outdoor.


The nature of elastic waves emitted near the source of an explosive pressure source, such as dynamite, are difficult to predict due to the non-linear behaviour of the subsurface in the presence of an explosion. This problem is often referred to as the "melting problem" in Geophysics and can cause significant limitations when designing exploration surveys around dynamite. The Sharpe Hollow Cavity Model, derived by Joseph A. Sharpe in 1949, assumes that the non-linear region of the explosion process can can be treated as a hollow spherical region containing an arbitrary pressure pulse acting on its walls. Outside of this spherical region, the subsurface behaves in a linear fashion and thus their he motion of the elastic waves propagating in this region can be predicted using the elastic wave equation. This paper explores this model and some of the theoretical predictions set forth regarding the amount of charge that is used. It was found that the power of an explosion increases in a cubic fashion with the cavity radius and the dominant frequency of the emitted waveform decreases with increased charge size. However, it was also observed that the high frequency content of the explosion is diminished with smaller charge sizes and increased burial depth.


Despite being considered a standard of care, administration of second-line chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer is limited to patients in good performance status (ECOG PS 0-1) and to selected patients with PS 2. Drugs currently approved by FDA in this setting are docetaxel, gefitinib, erlotinib and pemetrexed, while in Europe those registered with this indication are only docetaxel and pemetrexed. This short review will focus on the role of pemetrexed, from the controlled phase II trial, to the development of the vitamin supplementation strategy to decrease toxicity, to the large phase III registration trial undertaken vs. the standard docetaxel. Moreover, the huge patient material collected during this latter trial has lead to further analyses to clarify several aspects of second-line treatment, from toxicity to quality of life assessment, to its role in elderly patients and to the direct translation in terms of costs. Finally, we will give a brief overview on current trials, that mainly explore the possibility to raise pemetrexed dose, and thus to increase its activity while maintaining an acceptable toxicity.


The 'knowledge agenda' has become a central part of development discourse. This paper addresses one aspect of this discourse - the use of policy research in the social sciences - and the dilemmas that have been encountered by both development agencies and researchers in communicating and making use of that research. Development agencies as well as NGOs have initiated work to evaluate and document the effectiveness of research partnerships, knowledge capacity building and (social) science policy impact. As a multilateral initiative, the Global Development Network (GDN), and especially its 'Bridging Research and Policy' project, provides a vehicle to address issues related to research impact. Twelve perspectives on improving research and policy linkages are outlined to reveal that how the problem is defined shapes policy responses. Taken together, these explanations provide a multifaceted picture of the research-policy nexus indicating that there are many possible routes to 'bridging' research and policy. These diverse perspectives will be categorised into three broad categories of explanation: (i) supply-side; (ii) demand-led; and (iii) policy currents. However, knowledge is part of the solution to many development problems but not of itself a panacea.


Green tobacco sickness (GTS) is an illness resulting from dermal exposure to dissolved nicotine from wet tobacco leaves; it is characterized by nausea, vomiting, weakness, and dizziness and sometimes fluctuations in blood pressure or heart rate (1-3). On September 14, 1992, the Occupational Health Nurses in Agricultural Communities (OHNAC) project of Kentucky* received reports of 27 cases of GTS. The cases occurred among tobacco harvesters who had sought treatment in several hospital emergency departments in south-central Kentucky during the preceding 2 weeks. This report summarizes the findings of the investigation of these cases.


This thesis presents work on electrohydrodynamic focusing (EHDF) and photon transmission to aid the development of species preconcentration and identification. EHDF is an equilibrium focusing method, where a target ion becomes stationary under the influence of a hydrodynamic force opposed by an electromigration force. To achieve this one force must have a non-zero gradient. In this research a novel approach of using a 2-dimensional planar microfluidic device is presented with an open 2D-plane space instead of conventional microchannel system. Such devices can allow pre-concentration of large volume of species and are relatively simple to fabricate.
Fluid flow in these systems is often very complex making computer modelling a very useful tool. In this research, results of newly developed simulations using COMSOL Multiphysics® 3.5a are presented. Results from these models were compared to experimental results to validate the determined flow geometries and regions of increased concentration. The developed numerical microfluidic models were compared with previously published experiments and presented high correspondence of the results. Based on these simulations a novel chip shapes were investigated to provide optimal conditions for EHDF. The experimental results using fabricated chip exceeded performance of the model. A novel mode, named lateral EHDF, when test substance was focused perpendicularly to the applied voltage was observed in the fabricated microfluidic chip.
As detection and visualisation is a critical aspect of such species preconcentration and identification systems. Numerical models and experimental validation of light propagation and light intensity distribution in 2D microfluidic systems was examined.
The developed numerical mode of light propagation was used to calculate the actual light path through the system and the light intensity distribution. The model was successfully verified experimentally in both aspects, giving results that are interesting for the optimisation of photopolymerisation as well as for the optical detection systems employing capillaries.


Food security is a daily problem for vulnerable groups of urban citizens in developed countries, who face physical and mental stress and poor health outcomes from limited food choices. They are often unable to change their circumstances through the marginalizing impacts of urban planning policy, regulation, and infrastructure barriers. Local government is often confronted with these impacts and absorbs the responsibility to act "on the ground" in the absence of a coordinated, multilevel institutional response. Health professionals and local government urban planners increasingly collaborate to examine the design of cities and towns to improve food security. Despite increased awareness and the inclusion of food security in some planning strategies, regulation, and decision-making, results are limited in many jurisdictions. This research uses a case study methodology to gain insights into the systemic barriers facing local government planners in the state of Victoria, Australia, in responding to municipal food security challenges. Four food-related themes drawn from the data show that both internal systemic barriers and an external lack of fit with federal and state governments blur the understanding of food security challenges and limit planning solutions. Local government planners need consistent legislative and planning scheme priorities, combined with strengthened regulatory tools, to address food security more effectively. Increased feedback opportunities for local government staff to share their valuable experience and knowledge with higher levels of government would allow for a more coordinated approach to addressing this multijurisdictional problem.


In this globalized world, our citizens gain instantaneous access to statistical information via
various communication technologies. This has heightened a serious call for the
development of statistically literate citizens. Nevertheless, research has highlighted that
our school leavers are not very statistically literate which drew the attention to teachers
and their knowledge in the enhancement of statistical literacy. This paper presents the
analysis of the responses of a case study, named Lina (a pseudonym) related to two tasks
on the idea of mode. Data was collected using clinical interview based on open-ended
questions as instrument. The findings suggest that Lina could relate the idea of mode to
real-life situation. Lina utilised the mode as a form of data representation in certain
situations. However, Lina did not utilise the mode as a quick method to report an average.
In relation to statistical literacy, the understanding of the mode as a form of data
representation can lead to this measure being used as a quick method to report central
tendency or average.


This book explores how the works of William Shakespeare, John Milton, Jonathan Swift, and others were taken up by caricaturists as a means of helping the eighteenth-century British public make sense of political issues, outrages, and personalities. The first in-depth exploration of the relationship between literature and visual satire in this period, the book explores how great texts, seen through the lens of visual parody, shape how we understand the political world. It offers a fascinating, novel approach to literary history.


In stick insects walking forwards or backwards, a treading-on-tarsus (TOT) reflex of the middle leg could be elicited by mechanical stimulation of the ipsilateral front leg tarsus. The probability of eliciting a TOT reflex in the middle leg depended on the phase of the stimulus within the middle leg9s step cycle and on the position of the middle leg relative to its normal anterior and posterior extreme positions. During a TOT reflex the functional swing muscle (protractor coxae in forward walks and retractor coxae in backward walks) was inhibited while the functional stance muscle was activated. This suggests that the step generator of the middle leg contains two hierarchical levels: the higher level would determine the timing of swing and stance independent of walking direction; the lower one would drive the appropriate muscle groups for swing and stance depending on which programme - forward or backward walking - was running. The stimulus information from the front leg necessary to elicit a TOT reflex was observed only the ipsilateral connective. In terms of the model, this information would have to be processed according to the actual state of the higher level of the step generator. Movement and position of the front leg and tarsal contact of the middle leg were not relevant for the TOT reflex of the middle leg. Steps with a TOT reflex were significantly prolonged, and compensation for this disturbance of walking coordination was made within the next step.


Asymmetries in the time-dependent rates of D^{0}→K^{+}K^{-} and D^{0}→π^{+}π^{-} decays are measured in a pp collision data sample collected with the LHCb detector during LHC Run 1, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3  fb^{-1}. The asymmetries in effective decay widths between D^{0} and D[over ¯]^{0} decays, sensitive to indirect CP violation, are measured to be A_{Γ}(K^{+}K^{-})=(-0.30±0.32±0.10)×10^{-3} and A_{Γ}(π^{+}π^{-})=(0.46±0.58±0.12)×10^{-3}, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. These measurements show no evidence for CP violation and improve on the precision of the previous best measurements by nearly a factor of two.


What color is the number seven? What is the street address of the "average American family," which consists of exactly 2.75 people? Each of these is an example of "category mistakes," whereby concepts are sought to be applied in categories to which they do not belong. Category mistakes are logically wrong because when two concepts are in different categories, we cannot measure the second, "target domain," by methods that are appropriate only to the first, "source domain," or vice-versa. The risk of category mistakes is ever-present in law because the same terms often carry dramatically different meanings in different contexts. The "legislative/non-legislative" distinction, used to differentiate legislative governmental conduct from non-legislative governmental conduct, has been particularly prone to category mistakes. Thus, standards used in one setting for distinguishing legislative from non-legislative governmental conduct are uncritically applied in settings in which they do not belong. This results in category mistakes, akin to using colors to measure numbers. This article proposes "category mistake analysis" as a methodology for uncovering category mistakes in law. Category mistake analysis reveals the underlying interests and policies in the source domains, from which the legislative/non-legislative distinctions are derived, in contrast to the underlying interests and policies in the target domains, to which the distinctions have been uncritically applied. Part I describes category mistake analysis by distinguishing it from the more conventional use of metaphors and analogies in legal reasoning. Part II examines the category mistake in the use of the legislative/non-legislative distinction to import the separation of powers concept into the popular democracy referendum setting. Part III considers the category mistake of using the legislative/non-legislative distinction to import the rule-making versus rule-enforcement concept into the exactions setting involving takings of property by the government. Part IV analyzes the category mistake of applying law-enactment concepts to determine whether administrative agency action should be subject to deferential judicial review.


Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its areas, and its working groups. Note that other groups may also distribute working documents as Internet-Drafts. Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to use InternetDrafts as reference material or to cite them other than as "work in progress." The list of current Internet-Drafts can be accessed at http://www.ietf.org/ietf/1id-abstracts.txt The list of Internet-Draft Shadow Directories can be accessed at http://www.ietf.org/shadow.html.


Primary data collected during a research study is increasingly shared and may be re-used for new studies. To assess the extent of data sharing in favourable circumstances and whether such checks can be automated, this article investigates the summary statistics of primary human genome-wide association studies (GWAS). This type of data is highly suitable for sharing because it is a standard research output, is straightforward to use in future studies (e.g., for secondary analysis), and may be already stored in a standard format for internal sharing within multi-site research projects. Manual checks of 1799 articles from 2010 and 2017 matching a simple PubMed query for molecular epidemiology GWAS were used to identify 330 primary human GWAS papers. Of these, only 10.6% reported the location of a complete set of GWAS summary data, increasing from 4.3% in 2010 to 16.8% in 2017. Whilst information about whether data was shared was usually located clearly within a data availability statement, the exact nature of the shared data was usually unspecified. Thus, data sharing is the exception even in suitable research fields with relatively strong norms regarding data sharing. Moreover, the lack of clear data descriptions within data sharing statements greatly complicates the task of automatically characterising shared data sets.


A feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of supplementing the diets of commercial-size rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with red pepper as a natural carotenoid source and synthetic astaxanthin. Diets without carotenoid supplemented (control) and containing 3% or 6% red pepper and 0.05% "Carophyll Pink 8%" were given to groups 1-4, respectively. Rainbow trout, with weight of groups between 470 and 483 g, were fed four different diets for 45 days. At the end of the experiment, the trout showed an average body weight increase of 157.599 g, 110.729 g, 136.641 g and 190.091 g, and feed conversion averaged 2.464, 3.175, 2.661 and 2.055 for groups 1-4, respectively. Steak and fillet color card scores were 0.000 and 10.000 for group I, 0.350 and 10.460 for group 2, 0.580 and 10.865 for group 3, 3.260 and 13.620 for group 4. The flesh reached a level of 0.526, 1.099, 1.457 and 5.568 mg carotenoid/kg for groups 1-4, respectively (initial mean carotenoid concentration of 0.559 mg/kg). Synthetic astaxanthin resulted in significantly higher levels of total carotenoid in the flesh than the red pepper pigment. Red pepper pigment resulted in small, but statistically significant deposits compared with the control group (P


ABSTRACT Dengue fever is gradually getting widespread in India for the past few years. There is no coordinated effort at the government level to educate the general public on the preventive aspects of dengue fever. Housewives in India play a vital role in the health of the family members. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and preventive practices of dengue fever among the housewives of Gokak Taluk, Karnataka, India. It was a one group pre-test post-test study. One hundred and forty housewives have participated from the entire village. The knowledge level of the housewives was assessed using a structured knowledge questionnaire. An observational checklist was used to observe the preventive practices. Though there was a significant gain in knowledge, there was a gap between knowledge and practice. Findings of the research throw light on the inadequate knowledge and unhealthy practices in the community, though the scores of knowledge and some of the practices improved after video education. More consistent efforts from the government and community participation are required to bring about a permanent behaviour change towards preventive practices of dengue fever.


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Summary. In the medical sciences, studies are often designed to assess the agreement between different raters or different instruments. The kappa coefficient is a popular index of agreement for binary and categorical ratings. Here we focus on testing for the equality of two dependent kappa coefficients. We use the weighted least‐squares (WLS) approach of Koch et al. (1977, Biometrics33, 133–158) to take into account the correlation between the estimated kappa statistics. We demonstrate how the SAS PROC CATMOD can be used to test for the equality of dependent Cohen's kappa coefficients and dependent intraclass kappa coefficients with nominal categorical ratings. We also test for the equality of dependent Cohen's kappa and dependent weighted kappa with ordinal ratings. The major advantage of the WLS approach is that it allows the data analyst a way of testing dependent kappa with popular SAS software. The WLS approach can handle any number of categories. Analyses of three biomedical studies are used for illustration.


My dissertation is divided into two blocks. The first block comprises two chapters of the thesis and it addresses the general question of how the employer-employee contracting relationship affects the firm's optimal policies. There are several economic mechanisms through which this contracting tension feedbacks onto the firm's policies. I focus on two: the employer-employee risk-sharing and the role of employees as monitoring over the firm's activities. The second block deals with the stability of a banking system. In this chapter, my co-authors and I analyze how the disclosure of truthful information in a banking system characterized by network frictions (i.e., trading constraints) affects banks' risk-sharing and portfolio riskiness. In the first chapter, I analyze the risk-sharing mechanism by studying the relationship between firms' financing policies and the costs of personal bankruptcy. These costs are borne by those individuals who hold debt in their finances. Firm's leverage decisions affect the probability of default and, hence, impose a cost on their employees who bear a higher firm's risk. I show that firms increase leverage in response to more generous personal bankruptcy exemptions. Higher exemption levels benefit individuals by reducing their financial exposure when filing for personal bankruptcy. Results suggest that firms may be able to use financial leverage to extract the benefits from policies which aim at helping employees. These policies provide an insurance during bad times when hit by a shock, such as unemployment, they may be forced to file for personal bankruptcy. In the second chapter, I provide a novel perspective on the role of a powerful workforce within the firm. I show that firms increase the proportion of long-term debt while keeping the leverage ratio unchanged in response to a more powerful workforce. Empirical evidence is consistent with the idea that firms exploit the positive effect of the active monitoring by stronger employees on the credit markets. The literature extensively studies the negative effects of powerful employees while providing mixed results. The usual argument involves the reduction of the firm's equity value because of higher wage requests and loss of flexibility. One can interpret these as negative shocks to the first moment of the cash flow distribution. However, the literature overlooks the fact that workers' payoff structure makes them averse to equity maximizing policies (i.e., risk-taking behavior). Powerful workers (as much as debtholders) have incentives to oppose risky policies. The negative effect on the first moment may be balanced out by a lower volatility of cash flows. The effects on the first and second moments of the cash flow distribution are opposing and the net effect remains an open empirical question. The maturity decisions are associated with the firm's ability to commit not to shift risk after the debt is in place. The zero effect on the leverage ratio suggests that firms are not strategically using debt to gain bargaining power over workers' wage request. In the third chapter, my co-authors and I theoretically show that the disclosure of truthful information can be detrimental if banks in the system are not perfectly connected to each other and there are limits to risk sharing. This result goes against the common belief that the disclosure of good information in the market is always beneficial. The magnitude of this effect depends on the structure (e.g. density of connections among institutions) of the banking system. Alarmingly, a simulation exercise shows that this negative effect is more pronounced for network systemically important institutions. The economic intuition is that the value of the information is different across banks. Once the information is disclosed, banks that have a greater number of trading opportunities attach more value to the new information. However, banks with fewer opportunities cannot use the information for trading while still internalizing the negative effects from other banks re-adjustments. Our results speak to the recent trends of regulators around to world striving to restore the soundness and safety of financial systems but making balance sheets of financial institutions (such as banks) as transparent as possible. The stress test procedure has been developed as part of this endeavor.


Previous studies have established that cerebral blood vessels possess high capacity to synthesize prostacyclin (PGI2). Substantial evidence indicates that amyloid precursor protein (APP) and soluble APPα (sAPPα) have neurotrophic and nueroprotective properties. We hypothesized that activation of IP-cAMP pathway stimulates non-amyloidogenic processing of APP in cerebral endothelial cells. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression; real time RT-PCR was employed to measure mRNA levels of APP, and a disintegrin and metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10, an α processing enzyme); sAPPα secretion was detected in condition medium derived from culturing human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVECs), by ELISA. After human BMVECs were treated with PGI2 analog iloprost (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, or 0.5 μM) for 3 days, protein levels of ADAM10 (n=7-9, P<0.05) and APP (n=6, P<0.05) were significantly increased in a concentration dependent manner, while β amyloidogenic processing enzyme BACE1, and other α processing enzymes such as ADAM9 and ADAM17 were not changed. mRNA levels of APP (n=7, P<0.05) and ADAM10 (n=4, P<0.05), as well as sAPPα production in human BMVECs (n=6, P<0.05) were also significantly augmented in response to iloprost treatment. Moreover, stimulation of human BMVECs with forskolin (40μM) significantly enhanced APP and ADAM10 protein expression. Most notably, iloprost significantly augmented protein expression of peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor-δ (PPARδ) and SIRT1. We further explored the role of PPARδ in APP processing. ADAM10 expression (n=6, P<0.05), but not APP and BACE1, was significantly increased in human BMVECs treated with PPARδ ligand GW501516 (30 or 100 nM). GW501516 (100 nM) also significantly increase sAPPα production (n=9-10, P<0.05). siRNA against PPARδ significantly suppressed basal levels of ADAM10, and blocked iloprost-induced ADAM10 expression (n=4, P<0.05). These findings suggest that activation of IP-cAMP pathway enhances non-amyloidogenic processing of APP and consequently increases production of neurotrophic molecule sAPPα in human BMVECs. Activation of PPARδ in part mediates iloprost-induced α processing of APP.