Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus are pathogens that parasitise, respectively, human and bovine urogenital tracts causing disease. Using LC-MS, reference metabolomic profiles were obtained for both species and stable isotope labelling with D-[U-13C6] glucose was used to analyse central carbon metabolism. This facilitated a comparison of the metabolic pathways of T. vaginalis and T. foetus, extending earlier targeted biochemical studies. 43 metabolites, whose identities were confirmed by comparison of their retention times with authentic standards, occurred at more than 3-fold difference in peak intensity between T. vaginalis and T. foetus. 18 metabolites that were removed from or released into the medium during growth also showed more than 3-fold difference between the species. Major differences were observed in cysteine and methionine metabolism in which homocysteine, produced as a bi-product of trans-methylation, is catabolised by methionine γ-lyase in T. vaginalis but converted to cystathionine in T. foetus. Both species synthesise methylthioadenosine by an unusual mechanism, but it is not used as a substrate for methionine recycling. T. vaginalis also produces and exports high levels of S-methylcysteine, whereas only negligible levels were found in T. foetus which maintains significantly higher intracellular levels of cysteine. 13C-labeling confirmed that both cysteine and S-methylcysteine are synthesised by T. vaginalis; S-methylcysteine can be generated by recombinant T. vaginalis cysteine synthase using phosphoserine and methanethiol. T. foetus contained higher levels of ornithine and citrulline than T. vaginalis and exported increased levels of putrescine, suggesting greater flux through the arginine dihydrolase pathway. T. vaginalis produced and exported hydroxy acid derivatives of certain amino acids, particularly 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid derived from leucine, whereas negligible levels of these metabolites occurred in T. foetus.


Exudative retinal detachment (ERD) is a rare complication of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy. The pathophysiology is uncertain but it is thought to be due to microvasculopathy involving the choroidal circulation. We report a case of a 36-year-old woman with underlying essential hypertension complicated with impending eclampsia in her third trimester of pregnancy. She developed bilateral bullous ERD at 34 weeks of gestation. Following emergency caesarean section, her blood pressure normalised after 10 days and the ERD partially resolved spontaneously after 30 days. Her best-corrected visual acuity improved from hand movement (HM) in the right eye and counting finger (CF) in the left eye to 6/24 bilaterally after 30 days postpartum. Pre-eclampsia-induced ERD is usually managed conservatively and the prognosis is usually good.


In this paper, a sparse representation method is proposed for magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) quantification. An observed MR spectrum is composed of a set of metabolic spectra of interest, a baseline and a noise. To separate the spectra of interest, the a priori knowledge about these spectra, such as signal models, the peak frequencies, and linewidth ranges of different resonances, is first integrated to construct a dictionary. The separation of the spectra of interest is then performed by using a pursuit algorithm to find their sparse representations with respect to the dictionary. For the challenging baseline problem, a wavelet filter is proposed to filter the smooth and broad components of both the observed spectra and the basis functions in the dictionary. The computation of sparse representation can then be carried out by using the remaining data. Simulation results show the good performance of this wavelet filtering-based strategy in separating the overlapping components between the baselines and the spectra of interest, when no appropriate model function for the baseline is available. Quantifications of in vivo brain MR spectra from tumor patients in different stages of progression demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


In affective Simon studies, participants are to select between a positive and negative response on the basis of a nonaffective stimulus feature (i.e., relevant stimulus feature) while ignoring the valence of the presented stimuli (i.e., irrelevant stimulus feature). De Houwer and Eelen (1998) showed that the time to select the correct response is influenced by the match between the valence of the response and the (irrelevant) valence of the stimulus. In the affective Simon studies that have been reported until now, only words were used as stimuli and the relevant stimulus feature was always the grammatical category of the words. We report four experiments in which we examined the generality of the affective Simon effect. Significant affective Simon effects were found when the semantic category, grammatical category, and letter-case of words was relevant, when the semantic category of photographed objects was relevant, and when participants were asked to give nonverbal approach or avoidance responses on th...


Platinum is a material that finds many applications in the fields of nanoelectronics and catalysis due to its catalytic activity, chemical stability, and high work function. The thin film deposition technique of atomic layer deposition (ALD) is gaining increasing interest for the deposition of Pt ultrathin films and nanoparticles, since it is able to deposit on demanding surfaces such as high-aspect-ratio structures and porous materials. In this dissertation, ALD of Pt was studied, aimed at the development of a novel bottom-up nanopatterning approach. Conventional patterning by lithography involves resist-films and lift-off steps that may yield compatibility issues with the envisioned nanoscale building blocks of future nanodevices, e.g. nanowires, carbon nanotubes, and graphene. The main goal was to develop a nanopatterning approach that enables direct and local fabrication of high-quality nanostructures without the need for additional lithography steps. Since ALD film growth depends critically on the properties of the surface, it is possible to chemically tailor the surface properties to achieve area-selective deposition. For the development of the nanopatterning technique, detailed understanding of the surface reactions of the ALD processes of noble metals turned out to be crucial. The reaction mechanism of Pt ALD was studied by evaluating which surface reactions take place at the catalytically active Pt surface during ALD, based on analogous surface reactions reported in surface science literature. This study led to new insights into the surface reactions that take place during the growth, the saturation of the half-reactions, and the temperature dependence of the process. Inspired by the conclusions drawn from the reaction mechanism study, an approach for plasma-assisted ALD at low substrate temperatures was developed. It was demonstrated that this new process enables the deposition of Pt at temperatures down to room temperature. Consequently, the Pt can be deposited on various temperature sensitive substrates such as polymers, textile and paper, which significantly broadens the possibilities for applications of Pt ALD. Furthermore, the nucleation behavior of Pt ALD was studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmission electron microscopy. It was established that the pressure employed during the O2 half-reaction of the ALD process governs the nucleation behavior, which can be exploited for controlling the nucleation of the Pt. This control enables nanoparticle deposition, thin film deposition with minimal nucleation delay, and areaselective ALD for nanopatterning. The developed nanopatterning approach is based on a combination of ALD with electron beam induced deposition (EBID). EBID is a direct-write patterning technique with nanometer scale resolution but its main drawback is that it gives material of poor quality. The newly developed approach comprises the deposition of a thin seed layer by EBID, followed by area-selective ALD. It was established that this so-called direct-write ALD technique yields high-quality Pt material (~100% pure, 12 µOcm), and an enhanced throughput comparable to that of electron beam lithography (EBL), while it allows for patterning of nanoscale line deposits of only ~10 nm in width. To validate whether direct-write ALD is suitable for contacting applications, it was demonstrated that contacts can be patterned on multi- and single-walled carbon nanotubes. Additionally, it was evaluated whether direct-write ALD is a suitable technique for the fabrication of carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNTFET). CNTFETs were synthesized by patterning of Pt contacts using direct-write ALD on single-walled carbon nanotubes. It was demonstrated by electrical characterization that these devices behave as a p-type transistors. In conclusion, in this work a novel bottom-up nanopatterning approach has been developed that is completely resist-free, and is especially suitable for the patterning of contacts on sensitive nanomaterials. In addition, the reaction mechanisms studies led to atomic level understanding of the surface reactions of Pt ALD, and thereby will contribute to the use of Pt ALD in a wide variety of applications.


To elucidate the histologic features and biologic behavior of malignant blue nevus (MBN), 12 cases were analyzed in which the tumor showed no junctional activity and arose in a blue nevus background. Seven patients were men and five were women; their mean age was 48.8 years. Eight lesions were on the scalp, and no patient had a family history of melanoma. The histologic appearance of most lesions was a nodule or nodules of malignant cells in a blue nevus. Mitoses were present in all lesions with atypical forms in eight; however the mitotic rate exceeded two per ten high-power fields in only one lesion. Four lesions had necrosis, and four had a heavily pigmented malignant component. Four patients had recurrences; ten patients had metastases, and eight died of their disease. Therefore MBN is an aggressive neoplasm.


This paper describes AGSOA, an agile governance for service oriented architectures (SOAs) that is intended to address many of the inherent challenges faced by implementing the DoD's 21s' Century agile net-centric warfare systems using SOAs. The complex interdependencies within SOA-based systems, when combined with DoD's desired agile change capabilities, creates a very complex and open-ended system of systems environment that cannot simply modeled, simulated, verified and/or validated. The AGSOA framework is designed to blend elements of proven agile- style project management methodologies with contemporary SOA governance strategies used in other, less complex industries to yield a more appropriate governance strategy for life- and mission-critical DoD SOA projects.


Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a long-lasting, continuously advancing, and irrevocable interstitial lung disorder with an obscure origin and inadequately comprehended pathological mechanisms. Despite the intricate and uncharted causes and pathways of IPF, the scholarly consensus upholds that the transformation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts—instigated by injury to the alveolar epithelial cells—and the disproportionate accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, such as collagen, are integral to IPF's progression. The introduction of two novel anti-fibrotic medications, pirfenidone and nintedanib, have exhibited efficacy in decelerating the ongoing degradation of lung function, lessening hospitalization risk, and postponing exacerbations among IPF patients. Nonetheless, these pharmacological interventions do not present a definitive solution to IPF, positioning lung transplantation as the solitary potential curative measure in contemporary medical practice. A host of innovative therapeutic strategies are presently under rigorous scrutiny. This comprehensive review encapsulates the recent advancements in IPF research, spanning from diagnosis and etiology to pathological mechanisms, and introduces a discussion on nascent therapeutic methodologies currently in the pipeline.


We report a case of acute renal failure related to rhabdomyolysis in a patient with Sheehan syndrome, while other diseases that could cause rhabdomyolysis were excluded. The patient's kidney function completely recovered with 3 sessions of intermittent hemodialysis. After thyroxine replacement therapy, musculoskeletal symptoms disappeared and creatine kinase concentrations decreased. Steroid replacement therapy was also administered. The present case suggests that rhabdomyolysis could occur in a patient with Sheehan syndrome without other precipitating factors.


Objective: To describe the normal appearance and to study the biometry of the fetal cerebellar vermis (CV) by four-dimensional volume contrast imaging in the coronal plane (VCI-C). Methods: 203 normally developed fetuses were prospectively examined at gestational age between 18 and 33 weeks. At the level of the view used to measure the transverse cerebellar diameter, a transabdominal VCI plane was displayed at the vermis level. The volumes acquired were stored for later review and for measurement of the antero-posterior (AP) and cranio-caudal diameter (CC) of the CV. Each set of data was evaluated by two independent observers. Measurements as a function of gestational age (GA), biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC) and transverse cerebellar diameter (TCD) were expressed by regression equations. Interobserver variability was evaluated. Nomograms were produced. Intraclass correlation was used to evaluate the agreement between 2D and 3D measurements. Results: We were able to measure mid-saggital CC and AP in all fetuses. The examination of the interobserver variability showed no significant differences between the two observers (P > 0.05). CV measurements correlated linearly with GA, BPD, HC and TCD. Cranio-caudal and AP diameter estimated by 2D was significantly correlated with VCI-C measurements (r = 0.96; p < 0.00001 and r = 0.95; p < 0.00001 respectively). Conclusions: VCI-C plane is a valuable tool in the evaluation of the fetal CV. The nomograms developed enable accurate evaluation of the CV. VCI-C allows intrauterine assessment of the normal appearance of the cerebellar vermis.


Author(s): Kim, Hyunchul | Advisor(s): Rosen, Jacob | Abstract: The human arm including the shoulder, elbow, wrist joints and exclusion scapular motion has seven degrees of freedom(DOF) while positioning the wrist in space and orientating the palm is a task that requires six DOF. Given the redundant nature of the arm which has one more DOF than is needed to complete the task, multiple arm configurations can be used to complete a task based on none unique solution for the inverse kinematics. Despite this mathematical difficulty, the human motor control provides an unique solution for the arm redundancy as the arm moves in space. Resolving this redundancy is becoming critical as the human interacts with a wearable robotic system(exoskeleton) which includes the same redundancy as the human arm. Therefore, the inverse kinematics solution resolving the redundancy of these two coupled systems must be identical in order to guarantee a seamless integration. Creating a proper control scheme between a wearable robot and human arm starts from an understanding of the redundant nature of the human arm. The redundancy of the arm can be formulated kinematically by defining the swivel angle - the rotation angle of the plane including the upper and lower arm around a virtual axis connecting the shoulder and wrist joints fixed in space. Then a global exoskeleton robot control scheme targeted for the natural human robot interaction will be achieved by providing a robot with the precise swivel angle estimation for the given kinematic and dynamic states of the human arm. In order for this, we first study human motor control mechanism for the simple reaching and grasping tasks from a kinematic point of view. Analyzing reaching tasks recorded with a motion capture system indicates that the swivel angle, which defines the redundancy of the human arm, is selected such that when the elbow joint is flexed, the palm moves toward the head for any wrist position. Based on these experimental results, a new criterion to resolve the human arm redundancy is formed and this criterion is to maximize the projection of the longest principle axis of the manipulability ellipsoid for the human arm on the vector connecting the wrist and the virtual target on the head region. For more realistic and natural human arm movement, we additionally considered the redundancy based on the dynamic criterion which minimizes the mechanical work done in the joint space for each two consecutive points along the task space trajectory. The the swivel angles from the kinematic and dynamic criteria were linearly combined with different weight factors for the unified the swivel angle. Post processing of experimental data collected with a motion capturing system indicated that by using the proposed synthesis of redundancy resolution criteria, the error between the predicted swivel angle and the actual swivel angle adopted by the motor control system was less then five degrees. This result outperformed the prediction based on a single criteria and showed that the kinematic constraint is dominant in a simple reaching and grasping tasks that frequently occurs in our daily life. In order to define the redundancy resolution mechanism for more generalized human arm movement, the effect of the wrist orientation on the redundancy of the human arm was superimposed onto the wrist position based swivel angle estimation. By applying the above inverse kinematics mechanism mimicking the natural human arm movement to the wearable robot, wearer can expect the synchronized movement with robot for unconstrained natural human arm movements. Finally, to accommodate the unnatural movement pattern such as avoiding obstacle, purely reactive task space admittance control based on multiple force sensors is combined with the above control schemes for a global exoskeleton robot control scheme. Five subjects performed a peg in hole task for three different target locations to verify the performance of the proposed control scheme. The velocities and interaction forces at the upper arm, lower arm, handle and tip were recorded during the experiments. Power exchange between the subject and device was calculated for performance evaluation. Result shows that proposed control scheme outperforms purely reactive task space admittance control with energy exchange lowered by 11.22 %. Based on the proposed exoskeleton control scheme, the exoskeleton robot is applied to the stroke patient rehabilitation research project as a clinical trial. In order for this, 3-D video games directly interacting with the robotic system were designed and the assistive force mechanism for the patients was implemented in the exoskeleton robot. In addition a new metric called instantaneous efficiency(IE) was established to evaluate the therapeutic improvement. This metric is designed to reveal the degree of patient's improvement in terms of natural human arm movements by looking at the joint angle configuration, speed and frequency of using uncomfortable joints comprehensively. As their movements are getting closer to the natural human arm movement of normal people, the IE index increases. Ten subjects participated in this pilot research project either as an unilateral or a bilateral therapy group for six weeks. Results shows that even in a short six weeks rehabilitation program, patients' fugl-meyer scores as well as the efficiency index of the movements were significantly improved.


SUMMARY: Mycelial fungi generate endogenous electrical fields which are associated with polarized tip growth. Here we show that applied electrical fields can dramatically affect the polarity of growth of a variety of filamentous fungi including Neurospora crassa, Aspergillus nidulans, Mucor mucedo, Trichoderma harzianum and Achlya bisexualis. The precise behaviour of each fungus when exposed to an electric field was different; however the sites of germ tube formation and branching, the direction of hyphal extension and the frequency of branching and germination could all be affected. N. crassa and Ach. bisexualis grew and formed branches towards the anode while Asp. nidulans and M. mucedo exhibited tropisms towards the cathode. Galvanotropism of hyphae and branches of T. harzianum was in opposite directions. Germ tube formation from conidia of N. crassa was highly polarized in electrical fields whereas fields of a similar strength had little effect on the polarity of germ tube formation in Asp. nidulans. Hyphae became aligned perpendicularly as they grew longer and as the field strength increased. It is suggested that this perpendicularly orientated extension relieves growth-inhibiting perturbations of the membrane potential in cells which had been aligned parallel to the field. These results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that the polarity of hyphal growth is under electrical control.


By looking through the prism of the West's involvement in the breakup of Yugoslavia, this book presents a new examination of the end of the Cold War in Europe. Incorporating declassified documents from the CIA, the administration of George H.W. Bush, and the British Foreign Office; evidence generated by The Hague Tribunal; and more than forty personal interviews with former diplomats and policy makers, Glaurdic exposes how the realist policies of the Western powers failed to prop up Yugoslavia's continuing existence as intended, and instead encouraged the Yugoslav Army and the Serbian regime of Slobodan Milosevic to pursue violent means. The book also sheds light on the dramatic clash of opinions within the Western alliance regarding how to respond to the crisis. Glaurdic traces the origins of this clash in the Western powers' different preferences regarding the roles of Germany, Eastern Europe, and foreign and security policy in the future of European integration. With subtlety and acute insight, The Hour of Europe provides a fresh understanding of events that continue to influence the shape of the post-Cold War Balkans and the whole of Europe.


This paper analyzes a software market consisting of a freely available open source software (OSS), the commercial version of this OSS (OSS-SS), and the competing commercial proprietary software (PS). We find that in software markets characterized by low direct network benefits, the PS vendor is better off in the presence of competition from OSS-SS. Furthermore, the OSS-SS vendor in these markets is better off by having lower usability than PS. Therefore, the PS vendor has little incentive to improve the usability of their software in these markets. On the other hand, in software markets characterized by high network benefits, a PS vendor is threatened by the presence of OSS-SS and can survive only if the PS is more usable than the competing OSS-SS.


The use of synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) tools such as audio-graphic conferencing to provide tutorial support in Open Distance Learning (ODL) settings brings with it changes in roles and relationships between tutors and students which need to be researched to gain an insight into the learning experience of those teaching and being taught through the medium. In this paper we will report on a study of language tutors new to audio-graphic conferencing after they spent a year providing online tutorial support for a new beginners' Spanish distance learning language course. We will present how the tutors compare the online and face-to-face environments and how they perceive their roles as online tutors. We conclude that the success of tutorials in an audio-graphic environment depends on the individual tutor: their personality, warmth, and ability to communicate and manage learning become more relevant in the new environment; and that therefore training that goes beyond the technical and pedagogical and includes these aspects is required.


Abstract Aims (1) To compare alcohol‐attributed disease burden in four Nordic countries 1990–2013, by overall disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) and separated by premature mortality [years of life lost (YLL)] and health loss to non‐fatal conditions [years lived with disability (YLD)]; (2) to examine whether changes in alcohol consumption informs alcohol‐attributed disease burden; and (3) to compare the distribution of disease burden separated by causes. Design A comparative risk assessment approach. Setting Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. Participants Male and female populations of each country. Measurements Age‐standardized DALYs, YLLs and YLDs per 100 000 with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Findings In Finland, with the highest burden over the study period, overall alcohol‐attributed DALYs were 1616 per 100 000 in 2013, while in Norway, with the lowest burden, corresponding estimates were 634. DALYs in Denmark were 1246 and in Sweden 788. In Denmark and Finland, changes in consumption generally corresponded to changes in disease burden, but not to the same extent in Sweden and Norway. All countries had a similar disease pattern and the majority of DALYs were due to YLLs (62–76%), mainly from alcohol use disorder, cirrhosis, transport injuries, self‐harm and violence. YLDs from alcohol use disorder accounted for 41% and 49% of DALYs in Denmark and Finland compared to 63 and 64% in Norway and Sweden 2013, respectively. Conclusions Finland and Denmark has a higher alcohol‐attributed disease burden than Sweden and Norway in the period 1990–2013. Changes in consumption levels in general corresponded to changes in harm in Finland and Denmark, but not in Sweden and Norway for some years. All countries followed a similar pattern. The majority of disability‐adjusted life years were due to premature mortality. Alcohol use disorder by non‐fatal conditions accounted for a higher proportion of disability‐adjusted life years in Norway and Sweden, compared with Finland and Denmark.


We perform a careful nondimensional analysis of the turbulent boundary layer equations in order to bring out, without assuming any self-similar behaviour, a consistent set of nondimensional parameters characterizing the outer region of turbulent boundary layers with arbitrary pressure gradients. These nondimensional parameters are a pressure gradient parameter, a Reynolds number (different from commonly used ones) and an inertial parameter. They are obtained without assuming a priori the outer length and velocity scales. They represent the ratio of the magnitudes of two types of forces in the outer region, using the Reynolds shear stress gradient (apparent turbulent force) as the reference force: inertia to apparent turbulent forces for the inertial parameter, pressure to apparent turbulent forces for the pressure gradient parameter and apparent turbulent to viscous forces for the Reynolds number. We determine under what conditions they retain their meaning, depending on the outer velocity scale that is considered, with the help of seven boundary layer databases. We find the impressive result that if the Zagarola-Smits velocity is used as the outer velocity scale, the streamwise evolution of the three ratios of forces in the outer region can be accurately followed with these non-dimensional parameters in all these flows — not just the order of magnitude of these ratios. This cannot be achieved with three other outer velocity scales commonly used for pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers. Consequently, the three new nondimensional parameters, when expressed with the Zagarola-Smits velocity, can be used to follow — in a global sense — the streamwise evolution of the stream-wise mean momentum balance in the outer region. This study provides a clear and consistent framework for the analysis of the outer region of adverse-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers.


: Entomological surveys were carried out in the rubber plantation belt of Kerala to record mosquito fauna. Samples were collected from 23 randomly selected localities using standard methods for a period of three years, from Feb- ruary 2008 to January 2011. Thirty-two species belonging to nine genera: Aedes, Anopheles, Armigeres, Coquillettidia, Culex, Heizmannia, Mansonia, Toxorhynchites, and Uranotaenia were recorded. Many of the recorded species were medically im- portant as potential vectors of dengue fever, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, malaria and filariasis.


This article focuses on the theoretical underpinnings and associated practical applications of the individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF) model. This model can help coaches simplify the way they teach athletes to use enhancing emotions, elude impairing emotions, sustain an optimal range of emotional functioning, and achieve elevated performance. The article begins by clearly defining the term emotion (within the context of athletic competition) and introducing the fascinating interplay between emotions and athletic performance. It then provides a brief overview of the IZOF model and the framework upon which it is based. The article concludes by offering some preventive and coping strategies coaches can apply to help athletes control their range of emotions, maximize their performance and more successfully address the emotion-performance equation, particularly in youth sport settings. Emotions are part-and-parcel of the performance process, so a firm grasp of emotion theory and the specific practical applications of the IZOF model can help coaches to play an effective affective game and help athletes perform at their very best, especially when it matters the most.


We examine the interaction of regulatory reforms and changes in monetary policy in the U.S. repo market. Using a proprietary data set of repo transactions, we find that differences in regional implementation of Basel III capital reforms intensified European dealers' window-dressing by 80%. Money funds eligible to use the Fed's reverse repo (RRP) facility cut their private lending almost by half and instead lent to the Fed when European dealers withdraw, contributing to smooth implementation of Basel III. In a difference-in-differences setting, we show that ineligible funds lent 15% less to European dealers as they find their withdrawal for reporting purposes inconvenient. We find that intermediation through the RRP led to quantity and not pricing adjustments in the market, which is consistent with the RRP facility anchoring market rates.


The synthesis and characterization of polystannanes with "push" or "pull" moieties attached to the tin backbone are described. Precursor tetra aryl- (1, 2) stannanes were converted to mono- (3) and dichloro- (4, 5) stannanes by either sequential chlorination or by redistribution reactions with SnCl4. Compounds 4 and 5 were transformed to polymerisable tin dihydride monomers 6 and 7 using a large excess (10×) of NaBH4. Homopolymer 8 with electron donating aryl substituents (p-MeOC6H4-) was synthesized by dehydrogenative polymerization using Wilkinson's catalyst. Attempts to prepare the homopolymer 9 with electron withdrawing aryl substituents (p-CF3C6H4-) from the dehydrocoupling of 7 using similar conditions led only to the formation of low molecular weight oligomeric species. Two alternating polymers, 10 and 11, were synthesized by condensation polymerization of (n-Bu)2Sn(NEt2)2 with monomers 6 or 7. The first was a "push-push" alternating polymer, 10, comprised of a repeating unit consisting of two different electron donating groups (p-MeOC6H4-, n-Bu) at neighboring tin centres. The second was a "push-pull" alternating polymer, 11, bearing both an electron donating group (n-Bu) and a strongly electron withdrawing substituent (p-CF3C6H4-) at neighboring tin atoms. All small molecule stannanes and tin-containing polymers were characterized by NMR (1H, 13C, 119Sn, and where required 19F) spectroscopy, MS or EA. The absolute molecular weights of tin polymers (8, 10, 11) were determined by triple detection GPC and in the range of 1.07 × 104 to 1.95 × 104 Da. Rapid photodegradation of polymers was observed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, with a slower degradation observed for the "push-pull" polymer, 11, compared to the "push-push" polymer, 10.


This paper presents an edge-directed super-resolution algorithm for document images without using any training set. This technique creates an image with smooth regions in both the foreground and the background, while allowing sharp discontinuities across and smoothness along the edges. Our method preserves sharp corners in text images by using the local edge direction, which is computed first by evaluating the gradient field and then taking its tangent. Super-resolution of document images is characterized by bimodality, smoothness along the edges as well as subsampling consistency. These characteristics are enforced in a Markov random field (MRF) framework by defining an appropriate energy function. In our method, subsampling of super-resolution image will return the original low-resolution one, proving the correctness of the method. The super-resolution image, is generated by iteratively reducing this energy function. Experimental results on a variety of input images, demonstrate the effectiveness of our method for document image super-resolution.


Aliskiren is the newest antihypertensive drug and the first orally active direct renin inhibitor to become available for clinical use. Clinical data have substantiated that the antihypertensive effectiveness of aliskiren is similar to that of the other major antihypertensive agents. Furthermore, aliskiren has a similar safety profile to placebo. Combination treatment with aliskiren showed significant blood pressure and proteinuria reductions compared with monotherapy. Aliskiren decreases plasma renin activity in contrast to other renin–angiotensin–aldosterone related drugs. The efficacy of aliskiren in treating major cardiovascular events and the prevention of end-organ damage are being investigated in the ASPIRE HIGHER program. Although the first studies of the ASPIRE HIGHER program such as ALOFT, AVOID, AGELESS showed favorable findings, ASPIRE and AVANT-GARDE studies provided contradictory results. Subsequently, the ALTITUDE study was terminated early because of safety issues and lack of beneficial effects. Most recently, the ASTRONAUT trial showed no reduction in cardiovascular death or heart failure rehospitalization with the addition of aliskiren to standard therapy in patients who were hospitalized for heart failure and with reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction. The results of ongoing studies in other patient groups such as the ATMOSPHERE trial are awaited.


CONTEXT
One key target of the United Nations Millennium Development goals is to reduce the prevalence of underweight among children younger than 5 years by half between 1990 and 2015.

OBJECTIVE
To estimate trends in childhood underweight by geographic regions of the world.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Time series study of prevalence of underweight, defined as weight 2 SDs below the mean weight for age of the National Center for Health Statistics and World Health Organization (WHO) reference population. National prevalence rates derived from the WHO Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition, which includes data on approximately 31 million children younger than 5 years who participated in 419 national nutritional surveys in 139 countries from 1965 through 2002.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Linear mixed-effects modeling was used to estimate prevalence rates and numbers of underweight children by region in 1990 and 2015 and to calculate the changes (ie, increase or decrease) to these values between 1990 and 2015.

RESULTS
Worldwide, underweight prevalence was projected to decline from 26.5% in 1990 to 17.6% in 2015, a change of -34% (95% confidence interval [CI], -43% to -23%). In developed countries, the prevalence was estimated to decrease from 1.6% to 0.9%, a change of -41% (95% CI, -92% to 343%). In developing regions, the prevalence was forecasted to decline from 30.2% to 19.3%, a change of -36% (95% CI, -45% to -26%). In Africa, the prevalence of underweight was forecasted to increase from 24.0% to 26.8%, a change of 12% (95% CI, 8%-16%). In Asia, the prevalence was estimated to decrease from 35.1% to 18.5%, a change of -47% (95% CI, -58% to -34%). Worldwide, the number of underweight children was projected to decline from 163.8 million in 1990 to 113.4 million in 2015, a change of -31% (95% CI, -40% to -20%). Numbers are projected to decrease in all subregions except the subregions of sub-Saharan, Eastern, Middle, and Western Africa, which are expected to experience substantial increases in the number of underweight children.

CONCLUSIONS
An overall improvement in the global situation is anticipated; however, neither the world as a whole, nor the developing regions, are expected to achieve the Millennium Development goals. This is largely due to the deteriorating situation in Africa where all subregions, except Northern Africa, are expected to fail to meet the goal.


Presentation Purpose:To relate structural change to functional change in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a cross-sectional population using fundus imaging and the visual field status. Methods:10 degree standard and SWAP visual fields and other standard functional clinical measures were acquired in 44 eyes of 27 patients at various stages of AMD, as well as fundus photographs. Retro-mode SLO images were captured in a subset of 29 eyes of 19 of the patients. Drusen area, measured by automated drusen segmentation software (Smith et al. 2005) was correlated with visual field data. Visual field defect position was compared to the position of the imaged drusen and deposits using custom software. Results:The effect of AMD stage on drusen area within the 6000µm was significant (One-way ANOVA: F = 17.231, p < 0.001), however the trend was not strong across all stages. There were significant linear relationships between visual field parameters and drusen area. The mean deviation (MD) declined by 3.00dB and 3.92dB for each log % drusen area for standard perimetry and SWAP, respectively. The visual field parameters of focal loss displayed the strongest correlations with drusen area. The number of pattern deviation (PD) defects increased by 9.30 and 9.68 defects per log % drusen area for standard perimetry and SWAP, respectively. Weaker correlations were found between drusen area and visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, colour vision and reading speed. 72.6% of standard PD defects and 65.2% of SWAP PD defects coincided with retinal signs of AMD on fundus photography. 67.5% of standard PD defects and 69.7% of SWAP PD defects coincided with deposits on retro-mode images. Conclusions:Perimetry exhibited a stronger relationship with drusen area than other measures of visual function. The structure-function relationship between visual field parameters and drusen area was linear. Overall the indices of focal loss had a stronger correlation with drusen area in SWAP than in standard perimetry. Visual field defects had a high coincidence proportion with retinal manifestations of AMD.Smith R.T. et al. (2005) Arch Ophthalmol 123:200-206.


The wireless sensor node architecture proposed in this paper is optimized for use in a wireless interactive point, listen and see system. In particular, we focus on developing a wireless sensor node that can be remotely charged by harvesting microwave energy. The current system implementation allows a user to access information from a remote sensor via their mobile computing device. These sensors are limited in complexity due to the limited power available, and are cumbersome since manual intervention is required to replace its batteries. We propose a system where battery powered wireless sensor nodes can be recharged by harvesting energy from a microwave Radio Frequency (RF) signal source. The remote power charging module of the wireless sensor node architecture consisted of an antenna array and a rectification circuit. A prototype of the antenna array and rectification circuit of the remote power charging module for the wireless sensor node was constructed and is presented in this paper.


BIOGRAPHY? Gothic melodrama? Metafiction? Nowhere does Andrew Motion's The Invention of Dr Cake disclose its genre. What is clear, however, is that his latest, slim book is written in the same spirit as his partly fabricated biography of Thomas Griffiths Wainewright, one of the most quicksilver characters in the circle around John Keats. But whereas Wainewright the Poisoner1 capitalised on the currency of biography itself, the obeisance it pays to document and fact, The Invention of Dr Cake fakes it further: it is an elaborate and speculative game in the subjunctive mode. What if the consumptive John Keats hadn't died young in Rome; what if his first poems hadn't been savaged in Blackwood's Magazine; what if he had returned to England and assumed a new identity; what if he had returned to his calling and become a provincial medical practitioner like George Eliot's Lydgate? Motion (who has also written a thoroughly orthodox biography of Keats) writes in the conviction that biography tells us everything except what is really important to know about a life.

Much of the book (of which Motion presents himself as genteel editor) is given over to the memoirs of Dr William Tabor (1802–1850), a Finchley doctor and sometime poet, and his meetings with a kindred spirit, the Dr Cake of the title (1795–1844), who has latterly been in practice in northern Essex and now, desperately ill, is being cared for by his Irish housekeeper, Mrs Reilly. John Cake is in the terminal stages of consumption. Within half an hour of meeting him, Dr Tabor fancies the pale man facing him must be more than a provincial medical practitioner. He notices the Droeshout engraving of Shakespeare, 'the Presider', hanging on the wall, the shelves crammed with books and relics of an earlier life of travel. He mentions the Lakepoets and the Cockney School, and Cake becomes edgy. As he slips into melancholy reminiscence, Cake's retelling of his life makes it seem uncannily similar to that of Keats: born in 1795, studied at Guy's, worked as dresser to the great surgeon Astley Cooper (a common misbelieve tricked into the narrative by Motion to puncture the illusion of editorial omniscience). Soon Tabor is convinced Cake is Keats: 'Such was the doctor's power: to suggest by the merest phrase something magical in the world and in himself.' Cake has a secret, and he wants Tabor to keep it safe.

The book's period style announces a mystery. From the first chapter, when Tabor recollects the circumstances of Cake's funeral, and is startled by the blank nameplate on the coffin, something gothic — a bit of Beddoes — seems in the offing. But this is a buttoned-up book. If it resurrects Keats from the Piazza da Spagna it is only to bury him again: at no point is he anything other than a dying man, and all he can taste of his 'alternative' life are the merest sips. The caged linnet in Cake's house and the several goldfish swimming around in 'dreamy circles' in their bowl might seem further revelations, but they are specks of pure Keatsian sensation. The real mystery concerns the second and lushly derivative book of poems, Hyperion and Other Poems, published by a month before his own death by Tabor, whose papers Motion claims to have discovered in the archives of the Royal College of Surgeons. Is this Cake's work, done after his gift has gone, and published by Tabor who, realising it to be second-rate stuff, has selflessly discredited his own good name? Or is Tabor a poetaster whose taste is overridden by the dream of a talent he has never possessed? Is he, in short, protector or appropriator?

Clearly, The Invention of Dr Cake has offered Motion a liberating way to talk about ambition and fame. Purists will no doubt be offended; those who have read his conventional biography of Keats will be puzzled; and admirers of his poetry will be think it an exercise in a redundant genre —The Invention of Dr Cake is a meditation on the nature of poetry, but written in prose. How is poetic talent related to worldly success, and ought one to live if the talent burns out? Can the poet be 'a humanist, physician to all men', as Keats wrote himself in a famous line, and not just a kind of song-sparrow? — questions that become more intricate when we realise that they are being asked by the current poet laureate, a career-writer whose present job relies, notoriously enough, on commission rather than inspiration.

And if that isn't enough to mull over, John Barnard has pointed out, in an article in the Times Literary Supplement (25 Apr 2003),2 that Dr Cake actually had a real-life doppelganger, not mentioned by Motion: Charles Turner Thackrah (1795–1833), one of the lights of modern medical practice and teaching in Leeds. His short life offers an intriguing and direct commentary on the very questions raised by Motion's fabrication. Ignoring his own penchant for literature and philosophy, Thackrah devoted himself instead to writing about social conditions in England and the need for reform. The age demanded it. Keats believed in progress too. The myth of the genius dying before his time was created by his admirers; he himself died convinced his life had been a failure.


The HSP90 chaperone and immunophilin FKBPL is an estrogen-responsive gene that interacts with estogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and regulates its levels. In this study, we explored the effects of FKBPL on breast cancer proliferation. Breast cancer cells stably overexpressing FKBPL became dependent on estrogen for their growth and were dramatically more sensitive to the antiestrogens tamoxifen and fulvestrant, whereas FKBPL knockdown reverses this phenotype. FKBPL knockdown also decreased the levels of the cell cycle inhibitor p21WAF1 and increased ERalpha phosphorylation on Ser(118) in response to 17beta-estradiol and tamoxifen. In support of the likelihood that these effects explained FKBPL-mediated cell growth inhibition and sensitivity to endocrine therapies, FKBPL expression was correlated with increased overall survival and distant metastasis-free survival in breast cancer patients. Our findings suggest that FKBPL may have prognostic value based on its impact on tumor proliferative capacity and sensitivity to endocrine therapies, which improve outcome.


This essay examines Ezra Pound's mobilizations of the figure of the troubadour poet Arnaut Daniel in the articulation of his own poetics, from The Spirit of Romance of 1910 through the 1930s. Arnaut emerges as a particularly fraught figure in Pound's negotiations with Eliot, but also in relation to his reading of Dante's defense of the vernacular, a question that Pound works through by way of the counterintuitive process of translation, with the goal of defending American usage against the linguistic regulatory norms of England. Through recourse to a lexicon derived from the Scottish poet Gavin Douglas in the later translations of Arnaut, Pound's practice enters into dialogue with broader modernist questions concerning vernacular, regional, or nonstandard usage: what Robert Crawford calls the "provincial" modernist assault on England as cultural and linguistic center of the anglophone world. Pound's concerns in this respect are read in relation to those of the Irish Samuel Beckett and above all the Scottish Hugh MacDiarmid, in their elaborations of a concept of the vernacular that they both deem "synthetic." In all cases, translation or multilingualism becomes a central element in a regionally and socially marked vernacular capable of resisting nostalgic claims to cultural totality and the concomitant policing of authenticity.


Gamification and different exercise applications have become increasingly popular in recent years. The common purpose of gamification is to enhance one's motivation and engagement to certain activities. Gamification has been commonly understood as the use of game elements in non-game context. In this paper, we propose a divide between the process and the experience of gamification. This paper is the first to propose such division and the results demonstrate its necessity. Gamification exists also in many exercise applications. The purpose of this study is to explore how the use of an exercise application affects users' exercise motivation and behaviour by concentrating especially on the role of gamification in terms of these effects. Empirically, the study is based on 11 qualitative interviews. The results show that the use of an exercise application can enhance the awareness of one's physical activity and progress, and in many cases it can also increase one's motivation to be physically active. Gamification is found to have potential impact on exercise motivation, although individual differences occur.


BACKGROUND
There is little experience with the effect of pregnancy on Parkinson disease because the number of women with Parkinson disease who are of childbearing age is small. We report four cases beginning during the postpartum period and discuss the potential contribution of different factors that may influence the occurrence of Parkinson disease in this time period.

CASES
Four women aged 29-35 years developed arm tremor, shoulder pain, dizziness, or decreased dexterity of the hand in the first few days or months after childbirth. They were initially diagnosed with postpartum depression or psychogenic parkinsonism. Finally, dopamine transporter imaging confirmed the diagnosis of young-onset Parkinson disease.

CONCLUSION
Early-onset Parkinson disease may present in postpartum women. In women with atypical motor symptoms in addition to depression, this diagnosis should be considered.


Since several cancers in women are estrogen-dependent due to the presence and overexpression of estrogen receptor (ER), we sought to determine the possibility to use it as a target for chemotherapy and have designed unique molecules capable of doing so. We have recently reported the synthesis of a new family of E2-platinum(II) hybrids. Earlier studies revealed VP-128 hybrid to show high efficiency compared to cisplatin towards breast cancer cells. VP-128 was also selective towards ER+ breast cancer xenografts in nude mice. In the present study, we have investigated, in vitro and in vivo, the antitumor activity of VP-128 using ovarian cancer cell (Ovcar-3, Skov-3, A2780 and A2780CP) and investigated the mode of action of this new hybrid against this type of cancer. We have also developed a new model of study by transfecting A2780 cells with ERα gene to better compare our hybrids with cells having the same genotype excepted for the presence or absence of ERα. MTT assays revealed that VP-128 decreased more efficiently the viability of ovarian cancer cells than cisplatin itself in vitro. Moreover, the expression of ERα sensitized the cells to the growth-suppressive effect of VP-128. Hoechst nuclear staining revealed an improved efficiency of VP-128 compared to cisplatin to induce apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. Western blot analysis revealed that VP-128 induced more caspase-9, caspase-3 and PARP fragments in ovarian cancer cells compared to cisplatin, suggesting that VP-128 is more effective to kill cancer cells. VP-128 decreased the levels of XIAP and phosphorylated/active Akt more than cisplatin in ovarian cancer cells again suggesting that VP-128 has higher biological activity. The activation of caspase-independent apoptosis was observed in A2780 ER- cells, where VP-128 rapidly induced the translocation of AIF to the nucleus, as revealed by Western blot analysis of cytosolic/nuclear cell extracts and immunofluorescence microscopy. Converely, AIF subcellular localization was not modified by VP-128 in Ovcar-3 ER+ cells. Finally, using ovarian cancer cell xenografts in nude mice, we found that VP-128 had improved antitumour activity compared to cisplatin in vivo, and was more specific and selective towards hormone-dependent ER+ than ER- xenografts. Using newly A2780 ERα+ transfected cells, we observed a significant efficiency of the VP-128 hybrid to induce apoptosis compared to A2780 ERα- which further indicate specificity toward the receptor. Altogether these results highlight the therapeutic value of VP-128 for the treatment of hormone-dependent ovarian cancers, and provide preliminary proof-of-concept for efficient targeting of ERα by E2-Pt(II) linked chemotherapeutic hybrids. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2516. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2516


The amount of total acids in must is in most number of cases between 5 and 8 g/dm3 . Wines in general possess a little fewer acids than must, by Regulation the least acidity, expressed as tartaric acid is for all kinds of wine 4.5 g/dm3 , because a part of tartaric acids sediments as salt (tartar) in the process of the alcohol fermentation. For wines that possess less than 4 g/dm3 of total acids there is a doubt are they of natural background. Because of that the aim of this work was determination of total acids in diferent sorts of red wines and to determinate their background using gained data. For determinating total acids in white wine neutralization method was used. As potentiometric titration for pH 7.00 is precise and accurate method and values of content of total acids in wine, exppressed by tartaric acid, are given by these results. The analisys of differential potentiometric curves indicates that these curves can give the answer to the questions: are there inorganic supstances, amino groups and phenols present in analised samples.


Jatropha curcas L. seeds as a raw material for biodiesel production are a rapidly growing interest over the world because of their high oil content, ecological adaptability, and excellent fuel properties. Though there is an increase in productivity of biodiesel, showing solution for future energy insecurity, there still remains some concern for commercialization due to its susceptibility to degradation during long term storage. The aim of this research work is to investigate the effect of temperature and ambient condition on Jatropha biodiesel storage. A study was conducted for a period of 12 months, where Jatropha biodiesel samples were stored at different temperatures (4°C, 25°C, and 35°C) and environmental conditions (darkness, light, and air). At regular intervals, the samples were taken out to analyze acid value, density, kinematic viscosity, and fatty acid profile to monitor the quality of biodiesel. Analysis showed that acid value, density, kinematic viscosity, and fatty acid content increases with the increase in storage time of biodiesel samples. However, Jatropha biodiesel stored at 35°C, in contact with ambient air and light showed highest degradation compared to that which was stored at 25°C and 4°C. Among all the parameters studied, high temperature and air exposure are the two most important parameters which accelerate the degradation process. Light exposure had mild but significant effect on Jatropha biodiesel degradation over a long storage period.,Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers (ZIE)


BACKGROUND
Supplementary feeding is defined as the provision of extra food to poor children or families beyond the normal ration of their home diets. The impact of food supplementation on child growth merits careful evaluation in view of the reliance of many states and NGOs on this intervention to improve child health in developing countries.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effectiveness of community-based supplementary feeding for promoting the physical growth of pre-school children in developing countries.

SEARCH STRATEGY
Searches of CENTRAL 2005 (Issue 2), MEDLINE 1966 to 2005, EMBASE 1980 to 2005, CINAHL 1982 to 2005, LILACS 1982 to 2005, Social Science Citation Index 1956 to 2005, and Dissertation Abstracts International (late 1960s to 2005) were conducted.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials evaluating supplementary feeding in children aged 0-5 years old in developing countries.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Data were extracted and analysed independently by two authors.

MAIN RESULTS
Four trials met the inclusion criteria for this review. No meta-analysis is currently appropriate due to the clinical heterogeneity among the included studies. We group these trials into two categories: a) studies without formally assessment of malnourishment at baseline and, b) studies involving children formally assessed as malnourished.a) A cluster RCT conducted in Indonesia in 1991(20 Day Care Centres, n = 113 children), found no benefit in weight-for-age and height-for-age z-scores of the intervention group compared to the control group after three months of intervention. A study in Guatemala included four villages as unit of analysis (exact sample sizes were not provided). The length of 3-yr-old children was based on a 'before-after comparison' by village size and type of supplement. According to this analysis, the difference in net change in the large villages was 2.55 cm and in the small villages was 2.35 cm. The mean of these differences is 2.45 +- 0.10 cm (mean +- SD).b) A study conducted in Jamaica (n = 65 children) reported a positive effect on length (cm) in the supplemented group compared to controls [WMD 1.3 (0.03 to 2.57)] after 12 months of intervention. A trial from Indonesia (n = 75 children) found no benefit in growth after 12 months of supplementation.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Based on the small number of available trials, no firm conclusions of the effectiveness of supplementary feeding to the growth of pre-school children could be drawn. Issues of research design such as blinding and sample size calculation need to be addressed in future studies.


1. The permeability of perfused intimal sacs to fourteen non-ionic, hydrophilic molecules of graded molecular size was estimated by radioisotope flux.

2. The rectal cuticle acts as a molecular sieve severely restricting the rate of penetration of molecules with increasing hydrated size.

3. The penetration of test molecules was as predicted by the Renkin equation for a uniform population of water-filled pores having radii of 6.5 A.

4. The properties of cuticles from the rectum and the integument are compared and the role of the rectal intima in the excretory process in the desert locust is discussed.

This work was supported by Grants from the National Research Council of Canada.


Volunteered geographic information (VGI) plays an increasing role in current geodata provision. At the same time, due to its lack of structure, it is hard to use as meaningful input in software applications. In this chapter, we embark upon the unstructured character of VGI and on ways to enrich the structure in order to make it suitable for information retrieval. We describe the characteristics of semantic enrichment and explain how folksonomies and ontologies play a role. We believe that they represent different levels of formality in a semantic reference space and determine the richness of the information retrieval.


ABSTRACT DnaA is an AAA+ ATPase and the conserved replication initiator in bacteria. Bacteria control the timing of replication initiation by regulating the activity of DnaA. DnaA binds to multiple sites in the origin of replication (oriC) and is required for recruitment of proteins needed to load the replicative helicase. DnaA also binds to other chromosomal regions and functions as a transcription factor at some of these sites. Bacillus subtilis DnaD is needed during replication initiation for assembly of the replicative helicase at oriC and during replication restart at stalled replication forks. DnaD associates with DnaA at oriC and at other chromosomal regions bound by DnaA. Using purified proteins, we found that DnaD inhibited the ability of DnaA to bind cooperatively to DNA and caused a decrease in the apparent dissociation constant. These effects of DnaD were independent of the ability of DnaA to bind or hydrolyze ATP. Other proteins known to regulate B. subtilis DnaA also affect DNA binding, whereas much of the regulation of Escherichia coli DnaA affects nucleotide hydrolysis or exchange. We found that the rate of nucleotide exchange for B. subtilis DnaA was high and not affected by DnaD. The rapid exchange is similar to that of Staphylococcus aureus DnaA and in contrast to the low exchange rate of Escherichia coli DnaA. We suggest that organisms in which DnaA has a high rate of nucleotide exchange predominantly regulate the DNA binding activity of DnaA and that those with low rates of exchange regulate hydrolysis and exchange.


Deciphering human behaviors to predict their future paths/trajectories and what they would do from videos is important in many applications. Motivated by this idea, this paper studies predicting a pedestrian's future path jointly with future activities. We propose an end-to-end, multi-task learning system utilizing rich visual features about human behavioral information and interaction with their surroundings. To facilitate the training, the network is learned with an auxiliary task of predicting future location in which the activity will happen. Experimental results demonstrate our state-of-the-art performance over two public benchmarks on future trajectory prediction. Moreover, our method is able to produce meaningful future activity prediction in addition to the path. The result provides the first empirical evidence that joint modeling of paths and activities benefits future path prediction.


Light and electron microscopy coupled to a quantitative analysis form a powerful technique for the analysis of cell behaviour in mutant and normal tissues. Using this approach the morphology of the cells and their contacts are examined in the somites of a recessive mouse mutant, amputated, and of its normal littermates. The results of the analysis show that cell density is the same in both mutant and normal sclertome but that mutant cells tend to form small clumps whereas normal cells disperse individually. There is a correspondingly greater area of cell contact per cell in the mutant. Filopodia are equally numerous in the mutant and normal but where in the normal they stretch across wide intercellular spaces to make contact at their tips with other cells, in the mutant they form a tangled web sticking back on to the surface of the cell of origin and adjacent cells. The appearance of mutant and normal sclerotome is compared with presomitic cells and with the cells of other mutants whose abnormal development has been shown to depend on cell contact morphology and behaviour.


Thin tertiary scale layers have been grown on ULC steel specimens under controlled conditions. After heating under a protective atmosphere (nitrogen), the samples have been oxidised in air for various oxidation times at 1050°C. These experiments are considered a quantitatively and qualitatively reasonable simulation of the scale formation and growth occurring before hot rolling. Immediately after controlled oxidation, some of the samples were subjected to plane strain compression, in order to simulate the finishing hot rolling process. This approach provided a better insight into the deformation behaviour of the tertiary oxide layer in the first hot rolling pass. The layers produced were examined under the SEM using the EBSD technique for texture characterisation and phase morphology determination. The texture of the deformed oxide scales, originally grown on ULC steel at 1050°C, was determined in order to achieve a better understanding of their complex deformation behaviour. This paper gives a first approach of the study of deformed oxides by EBSD. Strongly textured wustite grains with a clearly pronounced columnar structure were observed after oxidation at 1050°C. As the substrate deformation probably affects the oxide layer, orientation relationships between scale layer and substrate were observed. The detailed EBSD study reveals that the oxide layer can accommodate a significant amount of deformation. The oxide layers exhibit good adhesion to the substrate and remain homogeneous over the thickness after compression.


During 9–11 November 1998 and 9–10 March 2002, two similar convective lines moved across the central and eastern United States. Both convective lines initiated over the southern plains along strong surfacebased cold fronts in moderately unstable environments. Both lines were initially associated with cloud-toground (CG) lightning, as detected by the National Lightning Detection Network, and both events met the criteria to be classified as derechos, producing swaths of widespread damaging wind. After moving into areas of marginal, if any, instability over the upper Midwest, CG lightning production ceased or nearly ceased, although the damaging winds continued. The 9 March 2002 line experienced a second phase of frequent CG lightning farther east over the mid-Atlantic states. Analysis of these two events shows that the production of CG lightning was sensitive to the occurrence and vertical distribution of instability. Periods with frequent CG lightning were associated with sufficient instability within the lower mixed-phase region of the cloud (i.e., the temperature range approximately between 10° and 20°C), a lifting condensation level warmer than 10°C, and an equilibrium level colder than 20°C. Periods with little or no CG lightning possessed limited, if any, instability in the lower mixed-phase region. The current Storm Prediction Center guidelines for forecasting these convective lines are presented.


A variety of recent 'enactivist' proposals argue that the material basis of conscious experience might extend beyond the boundaries of the brain and nervous system and into the environment. Clark (2009) surveys several such arguments and finds them wanting. Here I respond on behalf of the enactivist. Clarifying the commitments of enactivism at the personal and subpersonal levels and considering how those levels relate lets us see where Clark's analysis of enactivism goes wrong. Clark understands the enactivists as attempting to provide hypotheses about the subpersonal mechanisms underlying experience according to which those mechanisms contingently include portions of the environment. But understanding enactivism instead as involving a relational conception of experience at the personallevel, with apparent implications for the location of the subpersonal mechanisms of experience, allows us to make better sense of the enactivist arguments, and make the case for conscious externalism. Where are the boundaries of the physical states underlying conscious experience? Clark (2009) assesses three attempts to argue that those boundaries do not coincide with those of our neural and nervous systems, and concludes that we have no good reason to accept hypothesis of the Extended Conscious Mind (henceforth ECM): the hypothesis that the physical basis of the conscious mind extends into the environment. The arguments Clark considers are all drawn from 'enactive' views of experience, according to which capacities for perceptual experience are essentially dependent on capacities for embodied agency in an environment. Clark's conclusion is that accepting the good points of these enactivist arguments does not commit us to accepting ECM. In what follows, I argue that this assessment rests on a misinterpretation of the fundamental insight of enactivism. Enactivism is a thesis about experience, a personal-level phenomenon. Enactivists argue for their view of experience both by appeal to subpersonal-level considerations concerning the dynamic nature of information processing and by appeal to personal-level considerations of epistemology and phenomenology. However, these different sources of support are not always clearly distinguished by enactivists, nor is the interplay between the enactivist's claims at the personal and subpersonal levels always made clear. This lack of clarity is what allows Clark to return a negative verdict on the commitment of enactivism to ECM. I do not aim here to show that enactivism or ECM is correct. A precondition of assessing enactivism is gaining a clear view of its theoretical commitments, and that is the goal of this paper. My suggestion will be that Clark is right to note that enactivism, construed as providing hypotheses about the subpersonal bases of experience, does not commit us to accepting ECM. And yet, the uniform acceptance of ECM among enactivists (Noë (2004), Noë and Thompson (2004), Thompson (2007), Hurley (1998, 2008)) is not due simply to confusion on their part. Once we understand the enactivists as urging a specific


Thesis Submitted to the Department of Accounting and Finance of Addis Ababa University in Partial Fulfilments of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Accounting and Finance


On the basis of the Generalized Beam Theory (GBT), this paper presents an elastic analysis of the distortional critical stress of cold-formed thin-walled lipped channels in combined compression and minor axis bending. The results obtained using the exact analysis presented herein have shown excellent agreement with previous available results. And the accuracy, validity and effectiveness of the presented solution were demonstrated. The calculating process was displayed by an example which can give reference to the research and design. This paper will contribute to the understanding of distortional mechanics in thin-walled members.


Purpose of review Work over the past decade has identified the important role of microRNAs (miRNAS) in regulating lipoprotein metabolism and associated disorders including metabolic syndrome, obesity, and atherosclerosis. This review summarizes the most recent findings in the field, highlighting the contribution of miRNAs in controlling LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) metabolism. Recent findings A number of miRNAs have emerged as important regulators of lipid metabolism, including miR-122 and miR-33. Work over the past 2 years has identified additional functions of miR-33 including the regulation of macrophage activation and mitochondrial metabolism. Moreover, it has recently been shown that miR-33 regulates vascular homeostasis and cardiac adaptation in response to pressure overload. In addition to miR-33 and miR-122, recent GWAS have identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the proximity of miRNA genes associated with abnormal levels of circulating lipids in humans. Several of these miRNAs, such as miR-148a and miR-128-1, target important proteins that regulate cellular cholesterol metabolism, including the LDL receptor (LDLR) and the ATP-binding cassette A1 (ABCA1). Summary MicroRNAs have emerged as critical regulators of cholesterol metabolism and promising therapeutic targets for treating cardiometabolic disorders including atherosclerosis. Here, we discuss the recent findings in the field, highlighting the novel mechanisms by which miR-33 controls lipid metabolism and atherogenesis, and the identification of novel miRNAs that regulate LDL metabolism. Finally, we summarize the recent findings that identified miR-33 as an important noncoding RNA that controls cardiovascular homeostasis independent of its role in regulating lipid metabolism.


Assessing the significance of the correlation between the components of a bivariate random field is of great interest in the analysis of spatial data. This problem has been addressed in the literature using suitable hypothesis testing procedures or using coefficients of spatial association between two sequences. In this paper, testing the association between autocorrelated variables is addressed for the components of a bivariate Gaussian random field using the asymptotic distribution of the maximum likelihood estimator of a specific parametric class of bivariate covariance models. Explicit expressions for the Fisher information matrix are given for a separable and a nonseparable version of the parametric class, leading to an asymptotic test. The empirical evidence supports our proposal, and as a result, in most of the cases, the new test performs better than the modified t test even when the bivariate covariance model is misspecified or the distribution of the bivariate random field is not Gaussian. Finally, to illustrate how the proposed test works in practice, we study a real dataset concerning the relationship between arsenic and lead from a contaminated area in Utah, USA. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Rationale: Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ cycling is key to normal excitation–contraction coupling but may also contribute to pathological cardiac alternans and arrhythmia.

Objective: To measure intra-SR free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]SR) changes in intact hearts during alternans and ventricular fibrillation (VF).

Methods and Results: Simultaneous optical mapping of Vm (with RH237) and [Ca2+]SR (with Fluo-5N AM) was performed in Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. Alternans and VF were induced by rapid pacing. SR Ca2+ and action potential duration (APD) alternans occurred in-phase, but SR Ca2+ alternans emerged first as cycle length was progressively reduced (217±10 versus 190±13 ms; P <0.05). Ryanodine receptor (RyR) refractoriness played a key role in the onset of SR Ca2+ alternans, with SR Ca2+ release alternans routinely occurring without changes in diastolic [Ca2+]SR. Sensitizing RyR with caffeine (200 μmol/L) significantly reduced the pacing threshold for both SR Ca2+ and APD alternans (188±15 and 173±12 ms; P <0.05 versus baseline). Caffeine also reduced the magnitude of spatially discordant SR Ca2+ alternans, but not APD alternans, the pacing threshold for discordance, or threshold for VF. During VF, [Ca2+]SR was high, but RyR remained nearly continuously refractory, resulting in minimal SR Ca2+ release throughout VF.

Conclusions: In intact hearts, RyR refractoriness initiates SR Ca2+ release alternans that can be amplified by diastolic [Ca2+]SR alternans and lead to APD alternans. Sensitizing RyR suppresses spatially concordant but not discordant SR Ca2+ and APD alternans. Despite increased [Ca2+]SR during VF, SR Ca2+ release was nearly continuously refractory. This novel method provides insight into SR Ca2+ handling during cardiac alternans and arrhythmia.

# Novelty and Significance {#article-title-40}


Foreland folds, sandwiched between unfolded strata, occur within a 2-m-thick zone in the Middle Ordovician Dolgeville facies, central Mohawk Valley, New York. These folds resulted from compression, believed to have been due to reverse (westward) tilting of the distal continental shelf and proximal slope of the western flank of the Snake Hill Basin and to have been caused by emplacement of gravity-slide blocks into Snake Hill basinal sediment during Orthograptus ruedemanni graptolite time. Supposedly, the added weight of the immense slide blocks depressed the lithosphere sufficiently to produce a rejuvenation of the Adirondack arch in the guise of geologically sudden westerly upthrowing of fault blocks. This produced a reverse tilting of the sea floor west of that arch. Some of the semiconsolidated or unconsolidated Dolgeville lime beds were thrown into serpentinous convolutions owing to this abrupt reversal of dip.


In this paper, we characterize the architecture of digital services that are enabled by embedded technology. Digitalization with embedded technology in physical products has become a common phenomenon. In spite of growing instance of such digitalization, little is known about the architectural characteristics of digital services enabled by embedded technology. Based on a research on vehicular remote diagnostics services, we characterize the architecture of such digital services. Following the framework on layered modular architecture continuum, our findings provide the following architectural characteristics: i) the architecture of the digital services spans along the layered modular architecture continuum, ii) the application program of the digital services is simultaneously de-coupled and partly coupled with the embedded devices, iii) there exist layers within layer of the digital services, iv) application program layer of the digital services is a closed innovation platform.


Abstract. The GPS data provides an effective way to estimate the total electron content (TEC) from the differential time delay of L1 and L2 transmissions from the GPS. The spacing of the constellation of GPS satellites in orbits are such that a minimum of four GPS satellites are observed at any given point in time from any location on the ground. Since these satellites are in different parts of the sky and the electron content in the ionosphere varies both spatially and temporally, the ionospheric pierce point (IPP) altitude or the assumed altitude of the centroid of mass of the ionosphere plays an important role in converting the vertical TEC from the measured slant TEC and vice versa. In this paper efforts are made to examine the validity of the IPP altitude of 350 km in the Indian zone comprising of the ever-changing and dynamic ionosphere from the equator to the ionization anomaly crest region and beyond, using the simultaneous ionosonde data from four different locations in India. From this data it is found that the peak electron density height (hpF2) varies from about 275 to 575 km at the equatorial region, and varies marginally from 300 to 350 km at and beyond the anomaly crest regions. Determination of the effective altitude of the IPP employing the inverse method suggested by Birch et al. (2002) did not yield any consistent altitude in particular for low elevation angles, but varied from a few hundred to one thousand kilometers and beyond in the Indian region. However, the vertical TEC computed from the measured GPS slant TEC for different IPP altitudes ranging from 250 to 750 km in the Indian region has revealed that the TEC does not change significantly with the IPP altitude, as long as the elevation angle of the satellite is greater than 50 degrees. However, in the case of satellites with lower elevation angles (


Abstract A part of the COI mitochondrial barcoding gene was sequenced from seven species of different taxonomical groups: Ambystoma mexicanum (Amphibia, Ambystomatidae), Darevskia lindholmi, Lacerta agilis exigua (Reptilia, Lacertidae), Erinaceus roumanicus (Mammalia, Erinaceidae), Macrobiotus sp. 1 and 2 (Eutardigrada, Macrobiotidae) and Cameraria ohridella (Insecta, Gracillariidae). The sequences were compared with available sequences from databases and positioned on phylogenetic trees when the taxa had not yet been sequenced. The presence of Mexican axolotls in herpetoculture in Ukraine was confirmed. The partial COI genes of the Crimean rock lizard and an eastern sub-species of the sand lizard were sequenced. We demonstrated the presence of two tardigrade mitochondrial lineages of the Macrobiotus hufelandi group in the same sample from the Zeya Natural Reserve in the Far East: one was nearly identical to the Italian M. macrocalix, and the other one is similar to M. persimilis and M. vladimiri. We also confirmed the presence of the invasive haplotype "A" of the horse chestnut leaf miner in Ukraine, in line with the hypothesized route of invasion from Central Europe.


ABSTRACT The main objective of this research was to assess the influence of visual processing on Arabic reading accuracy and fluency of word recognition in a deep (unvowelled) version and a shallow (vowelled) version of the Arabic script on typical and dyslexic readers. We tested three groups, typically reading 6th graders, dyslexic 6th graders, and typically reading 4th graders, who were matched on reading levels with the dyslexic group. In addition to phonological decoding, we tested orthographic and morphological abilities, as well as nonlinguistic visual abilities. The results showed that overall, the Dyslexic group performed worse on the tests of phonology and orthography than both groups of typical readers, but better than the younger readers on the test of morphological sensitivity. The Dyslexics also performed equivalently to the younger readers on the nonlinguistic visual tests, and both were worse than the age matched controls. Regression analyses revealed that although phonological decoding is the best predictor of accuracy in reading both words and nonwords, orthographic abilities also contribute significantly to the variance. In addition, orthographic abilities were the best predictor of the speed of reading words and nonwords for all groups. Vowelled script slowed recognition and lowered accuracy for all groups.


Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex and chronic disease with multiple complications leading to increased mortality and poor quality of life. Current studies have shown that lowering glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) confers protection against microvascular complications. However, with more intensive glucose control to achieve HbA1c of less than 6.5%, there seems to be a significant increased risk of mortality and cardiovascular events. The current recommendation worldwide is for "tailoring" of DM management to risk and also quality of Life (QOL) which is a crucial component in determining the success or failure of DM management. In Asia, DM has become a health crisis but there is a lack of QOL assessment tool that is specific for Asians with wide spectrum of ethnicity, languages, religions and socio-economic differences. In this review, we discuss the evolution of DM management over the decade and the issues pertaining to QOL among people living with diabetes in Asia.


Privacy-preserving deep learning (PPDL), which leverages Homomorphic Encryption (HE), has attracted attention as a promising approach to ensure the privacy of deep learning applications' data. While recent studies have developed and evaluated the HE-based PPDL algorithms, the achieved performances, such as accuracy and latency, need improvement to make the applications practical. This work aims to improve the performance of the image classification of HE-based PPDL by combining two approaches — Channel-wise Homomorphic Encryption (CHE) and Batch Normalization (BN) with coefficient merging. Although these are commonly used schemes, their detailed algorithms and formulations have not been clearly described. The main contribution of the current study is to provide complete and reproducible descriptions of these schemes. We evaluate our CHE and BN implementation by targeting the Cheon-Kim-Kim-Song scheme as an HE scheme and Convolution Neural Network (CNN) as a machine learning scheme while using the MNIST and CIFAR-10 as the datasets. In addition, we compare the results with the five state-of-the-art neural network architectures. Our experiments demonstrate that the CHE can serve as a tool for empirically achieving shorter latency (the shortest 7.76 seconds) and higher accuracy (the highest 99.32%) compared with the previous studies that aimed to establish the classification of the encrypted MNIST data with CNN. Our approach can aid in designing a more robust and flexible PPDL.


A fuzzy neural network (FNN) multi-step prediction model based on singular spectrum analysis (SSA) and mean generating function (MGF) for summer precipitation has been developed in this paper. In the modeling process, the original standardized sample series of summer precipitation was denoised and reconstructed with SSA, the extended matrix of MGF of the reconstructed precipitation series (as the input factor) and the original standardized sample series (as the output factor) were then used to develop a three-layer FNN multi-step prediction model for summer precipitation. Results show that the SSA-MGF FNN model is superior to the other three models in prediction accuracy. This indicates that denoising of SSA and FNN prediction model are relatively effective for raising the accuracy of precipitation prediction, and the SSA-MGF FNN multi-step prediction model proposed in this paper is of application value.


Two-player graph games have found numerous applications, most notably in the synthesis of reactive systems from temporal specifications, but also in verification. The relevance of infinite-state systems in these areas has lead to significant attention towards developing techniques for solving infinite-state games. We propose novel symbolic semi-algorithms for solving infinite-state games with $\omega$-regular winning conditions. The novelty of our approach lies in the introduction of an acceleration technique that enhances fixpoint-based game-solving methods and helps to avoid divergence. Classical fixpoint-based algorithms, when applied to infinite-state games, are bound to diverge in many cases, since they iteratively compute the set of states from which one player has a winning strategy. Our proposed approach can lead to convergence in cases where existing algorithms require an infinite number of iterations. This is achieved by acceleration: computing an infinite set of states from which a simpler sub-strategy can be iterated an unbounded number of times in order to win the game. Ours is the first method for solving infinite-state games to employ acceleration. Thanks to this, it is able to outperform state-of-the-art techniques on a range of benchmarks, as evidenced by our evaluation of a prototype implementation.


The dielectric stacking effects of Al2O3 and HfO2 thin layers in metal-insulator-metal capacitors are investigated for their leakage current, breakdown voltage, and voltage linearity of the dielectrics. The stacked dielectrics over three layers show the enhancement of dielectric permittivity and voltage linearity of quadratic voltage coefficient compared to one-layer dielectrics. Stacking over five layers attributes to improving leakage current density and breakdown voltage characteristics than three layers.


Detecting data races in multithreaded programs is a crucial part of debugging such programs, but traditional data race detectors are too slow to use routinely. This paper shows how to speed up race detection by spreading the work across multiple cores. Our strategy relies on uniparallelism, which executes time intervals of a program (called epochs) in parallel to provide scalability, but executes all threads from a single epoch on a single core to eliminate locking overhead. We use several techniques to make parallelization effective: dividing race detection into three phases, predicting a subset of the analysis state, eliminating sequential work via transitive reduction, and reducing the work needed to maintain multiple versions of analysis via factorization. We demonstrate our strategy by parallelizing a happens-before detector and a lockset-based detector. We find that uniparallelism can significantly speed up data race detection. With 4x the number of cores as the original application, our strategy speeds up the median execution time by 4.4x for a happens-before detector and 3.3x for a lockset race detector. Even on the same number of cores as the conventional detectors, the ability for uniparallelism to elide analysis locks allows it to reduce the median overhead by 13% for a happens-before detector and 8% for a lockset detector.


Report includes specifications for the use and production of instruments used in the navigation and operation of aircraft. Specifications are included for the following instruments: barometer or altimeter, compass, air speed meter, inclinometer, drift meter, tachometer, oil gauge, oil pressure gauge, gasoline gauge, gasoline flow indicator, distance indicator, barograph, angle of attack indicator, radiator temperature indicator, gasoline feed system pressure indicator, sextant, airplane director.


The clinical care of women with epilepsy entails special considerations over the life span. Endogenous depression is more prevalent in persons with epilepsy than in the general population and may be unrecognized. Seizure frequency may be influenced by hormonal fluctuations, as reflected by catamenial patterns in up to 25% of women and by changes at menopause. Fertility is lower in women with epilepsy. These women should be evaluated for anovulatory cycles and particularly for polycystic ovary syndrome, with its attendant health risks. It is important to provide folate supplementation during the childbearing years and to evaluate bone health throughout life, providing calcium and vitamin D supplementation when indicated. Particular consideration is indicated before conception and during pregnancy to minimize both potential teratogenicity secondary to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and the risks that seizures pose to fetus and mother. At delivery, vitamin K is indicated. Some infants may need to be monitored for AED withdrawal, while others may require a perinatal team if malformations are identified in utero. Breast-feeding is possible, with sedation rarely being a problem. Recognition, evaluation, and management of these issues will minimize the negative impact of epilepsy and improve lifelong quality of life.


Abstract:  Using the latest available General Circulation Model (GCM) results we present an assessment of climate change impacts on California hydrology and water resources. The approach considers the output of two GCMs, the PCM and the HadCM3, run under two different greenhouse gas (GHG) emission scenarios: the high emission A1fi and the low emission B1. The GCM output was statistically downscaled and used in the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macroscale distributed hydrologic model to derive inflows to major reservoirs in the California Central Valley. Historical inflows used as inputs to the water resources model CalSim II were modified to represent the climate change perturbed conditions for water supply deliveries, reliability, reservoir storage and changes to variables of environmental concern. Our results show greater negative impacts to California hydrology and water resources than previous assessments of climate change impacts in the region. These impacts, which translate into smaller streamflows, lower reservoir storage and decreased water supply deliveries and reliability, will be especially pronounced later in the 21st Century and south of the San Francisco bay Delta. The importance of considering how climate change impacts vary for different temporal, spatial, and institutional conditions in addition to the average impacts is also demonstrated.


Improving the fracture resistance of inorganic thin films is one of the key challenges in flexible electronic devices. A nonconventional in situ sputtering method is introduced to induce residual compressive stress in ZnO:Al thin films during deposition on a bent polymer substrate. The films grown under a larger prebending strain resulted in a higher fracture resistance to applied strains by exhibiting a ∼ 70% improvement in crack-initiating critical strain compared with the reference sample grown without bending. This significant improvement is attributed to the induced residual stress, which helps to prevent the formation of cracks by counteracting the applied strain.


Abstract. Based on the redefined flow rate and flow pressure, the forward and backward state equations of long-stroke valve-controlled asymmetrical cylinder system are set up, in which the general mistakes in building up the flow rate equation are avoided. Then the simulation model in MATLAB/Simulink is established. Adopting the conditional-executive subsystem blocks, joint simulation with different models at two directions is realized by taking into account the continuity problems in positioning reversal. The subsystem of introduced equivalent volume function helps to show the effects of piston working position to valve-controlled cylinder system. Furthermore, with this simulation model, dynamic performance analysis of long-stroke valve-controlled asymmetrical cylinder system including some nonlinear factors becomes convenient.


Abstract Local Economic Development (LED) planning is a place-based approach to development planning and increasingly significant across much of the global South. One of the key challenges facing LED planning is the necessity to adjust planning in relation to the dynamic nature of both international and national framework conditions. The purpose of this article is to show this challenge by examining the dynamic nature of the national policy environment impacting upon LED planning in South Africa, a country which has a relatively long history of LED planning. Five dimensions of the changing landscape of national economic development planning in South Africa are identified. These relate to (a) LED within the context of new national economic and development plans; (b) initiatives for reindustrialising the South African economy, the associated importance of localisation and promotion of the green economy; (c) changing programmes around small business development; (d) shifts in rural development interventions; and (e) the fluid spatial context within which LED planning as a form of placebased economic development is embedded.


Digital audio in its various appearances is ubiquitous in our everyday life. Searching and sorting of sounds collected in extensive databases e.g. sampling libraries for musical production or seismographical surveys is difficult and often bound to tight restrictions of the used standard human-computer interface technique of keyboard and mouse. Also the common technique of tagging sounds and other media files has the drawback that it needs descriptive words, which is a not to underestimated difficulty for sounds. We therefore created AudioDB, an intuitive human computer interface to interactively explore sound by representing them as physical artifacts (grains) on a tabletop surface. The system is capable for sonic sorting, grouping and selecting of sounds represented as physical artifacts, and can therefore serve as a basis for discussions on audio-related tasks in working teams. AudioDB however is not a special solution for problems appearing in a dedicated field of work, but is moreover designed as an easy-to-use multi purpose tool for audio-based information. As a side-effect, AudioDB can be used for grounding work on how humans handle digital information that is projected onto physical artifacts.


From the past to the present, the Gendarmerie has given special importance to the training of its personnel at all levels. For this purpose, since the establishment of the Gendarmerie Schools in 1904, attention has been paid not only to the military and vocational education of the personnel, but also to their social and cultural development. Apart from vocational training in the gendarmerie, various activities were carried out especially for the private soldiers to ensure their personal development. One of these activities is literacy education. At the beginning of the 20th century, the idea that the gendarmeries, who would serve at different levels, should be literate came to the fore. In this process, it is seen that various activities were carried out for the illiterate gendarmes. Gendarmerie Literacy School, one of the activities carried out, is within the scope of the Turkish Armed Forces and care was taken to act jointly in other activities.
The aim of this study, which was prepared based on the historical method, is to evaluate the literacy activities in the gendarmerie education from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic. In this context, firstly, literacy activities in the gendarmerie during last period of the Ottoman Empire were examined. Then, after the adoption of the new Turkish letters in 1928, the steps taken to teach the new alphabet especially for gendarmerie private soldiers and non-commissioned officers and the work of the Gendarmerie Literacy School which was opened in 1959 were evaluated. In these schools, information was given about how reading and writing was instructed to the privates, the materials used, the assessment and evaluation method, and the teaching staff. With this study, it has been revealed that the gendarmerie in our country does not only provide vocational training for privates in certain periods, but also planned literacy courses for illiterate private soldiers and how these courses were conducted.


The issue of de Sitter invariance for a massless minimally coupled scalar field is examined. Formally, it is possible to construct a de Sitter\char21{}invariant state for this case provided that the zero mode of the field is quantized properly. Here we take the point of view that this state is physically acceptable, in the sense that physical observables can be computed and have a reasonable interpretation. In particular, we use this vacuum to derive a new result: that the squared difference between the field at two points along a geodesic observer's spacetime path grows linearly with the observer's proper time for a quantum state that does not break de Sitter invariance. Also, we use the Hadamard formalism to compute the renormalized expectation value of the energy-momentum tensor, both in the O(4)-invariant states introduced by Allen and Follaci, and in the de Sitter\char21{}invariant vacuum. We find that the vacuum energy density in the O(4)-invariant case is larger than in the de Sitter\char21{}invariant case.