Many problems in RL, such as meta-RL, robust RL, generalization in RL, and temporal credit assignment, can be cast as POMDPs. In theory, simply augmenting model-free RL with memory-based architectures, such as recurrent neural networks, provides a general approach to solving all types of POMDPs. However, prior work has found that such recurrent model-free RL methods tend to perform worse than more specialized algorithms that are designed for specific types of POMDPs. This paper revisits this claim. We find that careful architecture and hyperparameter decisions can often yield a recurrent model-free implementation that performs on par with (and occasionally substantially better than) more sophisticated recent techniques. We compare to 21 environments from 6 prior specialized methods and find that our implementation achieves greater sample efficiency and asymptotic performance than these methods on 18/21 environments. We also release a simple and efficient implementation of recurrent model-free RL for future work to use as a baseline for POMDPs.


We recently proposed a new class of turbo-like codes called parallel data convolutional codes (PDCCs). The distinct characteristics of PDCCs include parallel data input bits and a self-iterative soft-in/soft-out a posteriori probability (APP) decoder. In this paper, we analyse this turbolike code by means of the extrinsic information transfer chart (EXIT chart). Our results show that the threshold Eb/N0 point for a rate 1/2 8-state PDCC is 0.6 dB, which is the same as the threshold point for a punctured rate 1/2 16-state parallel concatenated convolutional code (turbo code).


Children have human rights like any human being. In addition to the general human rights they also have special rights because of their status of mental and psychical development due to age. According to the 1989 convention on the rights of the child, 'in all actions concerning children whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, courts of law, administrative institutions or legislative bodies, the best interest of the child shall be a primary consideration.' Both parents and states party to the convention are responsible for the upbringing and development of the child according to the convention stated above. The upbringing and development requires hygiene, health care, access to edu-cation, environmental sanitation, preservation of accident and others. The convention recognizes to make primary education compulsory and available free to all.  It is not the only CRC but ILO too, which give priority with regards to the protection of child right. It is the state obligation to take appropriate measures for the same. But it is panic on the part of the state when it denies or escape in fulfilling its obligation because of the insufficient resources with it. And no doubt one can observe the same practice in the underdevelopment countries. Child exploitation, either economical or sexual, child abuse, neglect and trafficking are wildly observed in these countries. This might be related to several factors, like poverty, insufficient efforts and commitment from concerned bodies, law rates of reporting child abuse, cultural norms or values and harm full traditional practices or others. Any way these child exploration abuse and neglect highly affect the up bringing and development of the child including education. The same is with one of the underdeveloped country of Africa that is, Ethiopia.

 Key words: Human rights, child rights, child abuse, sexual exploitation, child trafficking, Ethiopia.


It is commonly considered that the character of atomizing gas-flowing field would affect breaking method of molten metal, liquid droplet size and mass distribution. It is one of the important factors which determine the microstructure and metallurgical quality of products. In this paper, three types of atomizers were designed and Pitot tube was used to investigate the steady state gas flow field generated by a close-coupled spray deposition atomizer. Through the study of atomization gas velocity distribution by simulation and experiment, the construction and gas flow dynamical property were introduced in this paper.


This paper describes the solution of power quality problems arising from 12-pulse smelter converters in the ETI Aluminum Works, Seydis$80ehir, Turkey. The design work is based on practical data collected in the field as well as on the results of detailed simulation studies obtained by EMTDC/PSCAD, SPICE, and MATLAB. The main design objective is to meet both present regulations and harmonic standards by using robust, reliable, and cost-effective systems with a long life expectancy. The shunt-connected passive reactive power compensation system is composed of a damped 11th harmonic filter and a make-up filter tuned to the 5th harmonic with optional damping resistor. Such a system exhibits nearly transient-free switching and series-resonance proof characteristics owing to damping resistors. A close correlation has been obtained between theoretical results and field data.


There is an empirical formula describing the relationship between the peak magnetic field and the undulator structure parameters for a uniform-parameter hybrid undulator. In this paper, we investigate the relationship for a linearly tapered undulator through numerical calculation by using the code RADIA, and check it with the empirical formula. The results imply that this empirical formula is also effective for linearly tapered undulators at a big enough scope for the requirements of normal FEL experiments. Therefore, for a linearly tapered undulator, we can use the empirical formula to design the variation of the undulator gap. For the tapering rate demanded by normal FEL experiments, the gap of a linearly tapered undulator increases almost linearly, and the tapering rate will keep constant while adjusting the undulator gap with the same variation for each undulator period.


Abstract : The Department of Defense (DOD) spent about 40 percent of the total defense budget to operate and maintain the nation's military forces in fiscal year 2005. Operation and maintenance (O&M) funding is considered one of the major components of funding for readiness. O&M appropriations fund the training, supply, and equipment maintenance of military units as well as the infrastructure of military bases. Over the past several years, DOD has increasingly used contractors, rather than uniformed or DOD civilian personnel, to provide O&M services in areas such as logistics, base operations support, information technology services, and administrative support. The House Appropriations Committee directed GAO to examine growing O&M costs and support services contracting. This GAO report (1) identifies the trends in O&M costs and services contracts and the reasons for the trends, (2) discusses whether increased services contracting has exacerbated the growth of O&M costs, and (3) provides perspectives on the benefits and concerns associated with increased contracting for support services. GAO analyzed DOD's O&M appropriations, budgets, and services contract costs over a 10-year period and developed case studies of outsourced O&M-related work at three installations. GAO is not making any recommendations. DOD made only technical comments on a draft of this report.


Epidemiological findings support the hypothesis that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA). Moreover, OA cartilage from patients with T2DM exhibits a greater response to inflammatory stress, but the molecular mechanism is unclear. To investigate whether the antioxidant defense system participates in this response, we examined here the expression of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf-2), a master antioxidant transcription factor, and of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), one of its main target genes, in OA cartilage from T2DM and non-T2DM patients as well as in murine chondrocytes exposed to high glucose (HG). Ex vivo experiments indicated that Nrf-2 and HO-1 expression is reduced in T2DM versus non-T2DM OA cartilage (0.57-fold Nrf-2 and 0.34-fold HO-1), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release was increased in samples with low HO-1 expression. HG-exposed, IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes had lower Nrf-2 levels in vitro, particularly in the nuclear fraction, than chondrocytes exposed to normal glucose (NG). Accordingly, HO-1 levels were also decreased (0.49-fold) in these cells. The HO-1 inducer cobalt protoporphyrin IX more efficiently attenuated PGE2 and IL-6 release in HG+IL-1β-treated cells than in NG+IL-1β-treated cells. Greater reductions in HO-1 expression and increase in PGE2/IL-6 production were observed in HG+IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes from Nrf-2−/− mice than in chondrocytes from wild-type mice. We conclude that the Nrf-2/HO-1 axis is a critical pathway in the hyperglucidic-mediated dysregulation of chondrocytes. Impairments in this antioxidant system may explain the greater inflammatory responsiveness of OA cartilage from T2DM patients and may inform treatments of such patients.


The severity and extent of recent fires (1979-1990) were compared with that of presettlement fires (pre-1935) by eight major forest types in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (SBW) in Idaho and Montana. Presettlement fire intervals were determined for estimating area burned. Presettlement annual area burned for the entire SBW was 4,290 ha by stand replacement fire and 4,310 ha by nonlethal understory fire. All recent period fires>4 ha were mapped using a GIS system. Area burned was determined by the fire severity classes: crowning, lethal surface, nonlethal surface, and no burning. Annual area burned averaged 2,780 ha by stand replacement and 2,270 by understory fire. Area burned during presettlement was 1.7 times that during the recent period. During the presettlement period, area burned by stand replacement and nonlethal understory fire was 1.5 and 1.9 times greater respectively than during the recent period.


Visually induced motion sickness, or cybersickness, has been well documented in all kinds of vehicular simulators and in many virtual environments. It probably occurs in all virtual environments. Cybersickness has many known determinants, including (a short list) field-of-view, flicker, transport delays, duration of exposure, gender, and susceptibility to motion sickness. Since many of these determinants can be controlled, a major objective in designing virtual environments is to hold cybersickness below a specified level a specified proportion of the time. More than 20 years ago C. W. Simon presented a research strategy based on fractional factorial experiments that was capable in principle of realizing this objective. With one notable exception, however, this strategy was not adopted by the human factors community. The main reason was that implementing Simon's strategy was a major undertaking, very time-consuming, and very costly. In addition, many investigators were not satisfied that Simon had adequately addressed issues of statistical reliability. The present paper proposes a modified Simonian approach to the same objective (holding cybersickness below specified standards) with some loss in the range of application but a greatly reduced commitment of resources.


Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the most clinically advanced delivery vehicles for RNA and have enabled the development of RNA-based drugs such as the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Functional delivery of mRNA by an LNP greatly depends on the inclusion of an ionizable lipid, and small changes to these lipid structures can significantly improve delivery. However, the structure-function relationships between ionizable lipids and mRNA delivery are poorly understood, especially for LNPs administered intramuscularly. Here, we show that the iterative design of a novel series of ionizable lipids generates key structure-activity relationships and enables the optimization of chemically distinct lipids with efficacy that is on-par with the current state of the art. We find that the combination of ionizable lipids comprising an ethanolamine core and LNPs with an apparent pKa between 6.6 and 6.9 maximizes intramuscular mRNA delivery. Furthermore, we report a nonlinear relationship between the lipid-to-mRNA mass ratio and protein expression, suggesting that a critical mass ratio exists for LNPs and may depend on ionizable lipid structure. Our findings add to the mechanistic understanding of ionizable lipids and demonstrate that hydrogen bonding, ionization behavior, and lipid-to-mRNA mass ratio are key design parameters affecting intramuscular mRNA delivery. We validate these insights by applying them to the rational design of new ionizable lipids. Overall, our iterative design strategy efficiently generates potent ionizable lipids. This hypothesis-driven method reveals structure-activity relationships that lay the foundation for the optimization of ionizable lipids in future LNP-RNA drugs. We foresee that this design strategy can be extended to other optimization parameters beyond intramuscular expression.


One of the major limitations on agricultural development in many countries is the high salinity of the groundwater used in irrigation. Grafted plants may exhibit phenotypic variations from scion and rootstock plants in terms of abiotic stress tolerance, and be a method for improvement of tolerance in agricultural practices. The aim of the present study was to investigate response of Solanum lycopersicum L. ('Elazig') grafted on Nicotiana tabacum L. ('Samsun') and Nicotiana rustica L. ('Hasankeyf'), namely "Tomacco" plant (patent nr TR-2008-05391-B), to 10-d high NaCl irrigation. Physical development, chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll, total carotenoid, and anthocyanin levels were evaluated. Proline, lipid peroxidation, and electrolyte leakage levels were assayed in roots and leaves together with ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT) activities. Considering alterations in chlorophyll contents, proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), and conductivity levels, and antioxidant enzyme activity levels scion and self-grafted plants seem to be more affected by salt treatments than tobacco and rootstock grafted plants. Tobacco roots seem to have better adaptive responses against salt stress in comparison to tomato as supported by changes in proline, APX, and CAT levels. Self-grafting experiments further supported grafting tomato onto tobacco rootstocks enhanced salt tolerance and adaptive response of scions and these changes seem to be dependent on rootstock rather than graft-induced changes. In conclusion, we demonstrated that previously defined graft unions of tomato on tobacco, which have increased fruit yield, had also enhanced tolerance to high salt stress and a promising technique for the cultivation of more salt tolerant varieties.


: The role of the double phase parathyroid scintigraphy with MIBI in the primary hyperparathyroidism has been well studied. The present work analyzes the benefit of this image technique in the diagnosis and therapeutic approach to uremia associated hyperparathyroidism. We studied 18 dialysis patients with clinical and analytical data of hyperparathyroidism. All of them were receiving treatment with i.v. vitamin D. We carried out two scintigraphic studies, the first under basal conditions (without changes in treatment) and the second one, a week later after the stimulation of the parathyroid gland through the cessation of the treatment with vitamin D and phosphorus binders, and the use of a low-calcium dialysate. In the basal study, fourteen patients had a positive uptake test in at least one of the four glands. These patients had significantly higher PTHi levels than those with a negative scintigraphic study. After the stimulation test, we found a statistically significative rise in PHTi (644 vs 979 p < 0.001) and phosphorus levels (5.8 vs 7.3; p < 0.01), a slight fall in calcium levels (p = NS) and a statistically significative increment in the score of scintigraphic captation (5.5 +/- 4.5 vs 6.8 +/- 5; p < 0.05). We found a statistically significative correlation between the PTHi level and the score of scintigraphic uptake, in the basal study (r = 0.6, p < 0.01) and after stimulation (r = 0.6, p < 0.01). The only variable associated with the scintigraphic uptake was PTHi, justifying 31.1% of the variance in the first study and 32.7% in the second. In conclusion, the MIBI scintigraphic is a useful exploration in the uremic patient with hyperparathyroidism, as it predicts the functional state of the parathyroid glands according to uptake intensity. The stimulation test could be useful in planning therapy, but some of its characteristics need to be established, such as the precise time to reach the maximum level of parathyroid stimulation.


Accurately extracting foreground objects is the problem of isolating the foreground in images and video, called image matting which has wide applications in digital photography. This problem is severely ill-posed in the sense that, at each pixel, one must estimate the foreground and background pixels and the so-called alpha value from only pixel information. The most recent work in natural image matting rely on local smoothness assumptions about foreground and background colours on which a cost function has been established. In this paper, we propose an extension to the class of affinity based matting techniques by incorporating local manifold structural information to produce both a smoother matte based on the socalled improved Locally Linear Embedding. We illustrate our new algorithm using the standard benchmark images and very comparable results have been obtained.


Background Domiciliary NIV is being increasingly used to treat chronic ventilatory failure but there is little site-level data available describing the demographics of patients on domiciliary NIV under centres which have developed over the last decade. At our central England teaching hospital, domiciliary NIV is either set up following an acute admission with hypercapnic acidotic respiratory failure through the dedicated 11-bedded ward-based unit or electively, through the surveillance of patients at risk of ventilatory failure. Currently we have 262 patients on domiciliary NIV. We aimed to analyse the primary diagnosis and demographics of patients started on domiciliary NIV in the last 18 months. Abstract P177 Figure 1. Method A retrospective analysis of all patients started on domiciliary NIV at a 1000-bedded central England teaching hospital from 01 Jan 2012 to 30 June 2013. Results A total of 90 patients were analysed and there was a slight male predominance (55.5%). The mean age at initiation of domiciliary NIV was 56.3 years (SD 18.9, median 52.5 years). Primary diagnoses (reason for domiciliary NIV) were 1.neuromuscular disorders (35.5%); 2. obesity-related disorders (33.3%); 3. COPD (13.3%); 4. thoracic cage disease other than obesity (15.6%) and 5. central pathology (2.3%). Of the COPD patients, 7/12 (58.33%) were GOLD class 4, 4/12 (33.33%) were GOLD class 3 and 1/12 (8.33%) were GOLD class 2. The mean domiciliary NIV set-up per month was 4.68 (SD 3.16). There was no clear relationship between number of set-ups per month and corresponding calendar month; 22.2% patients (20/90) had long term oxygen therapy prescribed with their NIV. Discussion The role of domiciliary NIV is expanding with greater numbers of people living with chronic ventilatory failure, and this is set to increase with the rising problem of (a) obesity-related respiratory disorders and (b) improved survival of children with neuromuscular weakness. This study highlights the need for a domiciliary NIV registry for improved resource and workforce planning.


Glaucoma is an eye disease. In glaucoma retinal nerve fiber layers are damaged and if it is not treated earlier then it can cause permanent vision loss. This paper represents algorithm for detection of glaucoma using retinal nerve fiber layers. For this work we have used 2D median filter and HAAR wavelet transform methods. For this work we have also used Drishti-GS dataset which contains 101 glaucomatous images and HRF (High Resolution Fundus image) database. We have extracted the retinal nerve fiber layer Arteries. Then we have calculated its area and diameter. On the normal database we got the 100% result. We got 71.28% accuracy on glaucomatous images and when we have combined the normal and glaucomatous images then we got the 62.06% accuracy.


Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), also known as koi herpesvirus, is the causative agent of the highly contagious koi herpesvirus disease, which is restricted to koi and common carp and causes significant losses in both fish stock. Some experimental investigations have shown that other cyprinid or non-cyprinid species may be asymptomatically susceptible to this virus and might play roles as potential carriers of CyHV-3 or might contribute to persistence of this virus in environment. Therefore, it seems important to verify not only the susceptibility of other cyprinid or non-cyprinid species, but also their ability to transmit CyHV-3 infection to susceptible species. Our previous investigation of the susceptibility of the topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) did not reveal the presence of CyHV-3 DNA in the tissues of this species after cohabitation with infected koi. Consequently, we changed the experimental conditions and applied two stress factors (removal of skin mucus and scaring) which would presumably mimic the stress most commonly encountered in the wild. Both experiments (without and with stress factors) consisted of primary and secondary challenges. In both the no-stress and stress experiments, the first challenge was focused only on testing the susceptibility of the topmouth gudgeon to the virus. With the secondary challenge, we investigated potential viral transmission from the topmouth gudgeon to healthy naive koi after exposure to stress factors. All fish (dead, surviving and sacrificed) were tested for the presence of CyHV-3 DNA using nested PCR (no-stress experiment) and real-time PCR (stress experiment). After the primary challenge of the no-stress experiment, PCR did not reveal the presence of CyHV-3 DNA in any specimen of cohabitated topmouth gudgeon, but all specimens of dead koi were CyHV-3 DNA-positive. PCR of fish tissues subjected to the secondary challenge did not show the transfer of virus to naive fish. After exposure to stress (removal of skin mucus), qPCR revealed four out of five samples (80%) of topmouth gudgeon to be positive for CyHV-3 DNA. Two out of five samples (40%) of topmouth gudgeon treated by scaring were found to be positive for the presence of viral DNA. Real-time PCR after the secondary challenge did not reveal any viral DNA positivity in specimens of topmouth gudgeon from groups previously exposed to stress. The stress experiments show that removal of skin mucus might potentially lead to susceptibility of topmouth gudgeon to CyHV-3 infection, but the transmission of the virus to koi carp was not observed.


Microwave irradiation has become a routine technique in homogeneous and effective heating in organic synthesis. However, its application in enzyme-containing reactions is limited since it can cause denaturation of the enzyme. In this study, we have briefly investigated the effect of microwave heating on the conjugation reaction of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with aldehyde derivative of dextran (D-CHO). The reaction was irradiated by microwave at 50 °C for 5 min. The conjugate was confirmed via GPC, in which the conjugates of HRP and D-CHO coexist with free unbound HRP molecules. Activity studies of HRP revealed that there is a small decrease in conjugate activity relative to the free enzyme after a short bioconjugation reaction with microwave irradiation. In decolorization studies of the textile dye Reactive Blue 19 (RB19), 99% of RB19 was decolorized through the free enzyme at 35 °C while the decolorization of the dye was 96% at 25–35 °C by the conjugate, which is a critical result showing clearly that the HRP conjugated via D-CHO is not denatured and still active after microwave-assisted reaction. This phenomenon is due to the multiple point conjugation of D-CHO on the surface of HRP and locking the 3D structure which may prevent changes in the secondary or tertiary structure of the enzyme. The results reveal that microwave irradiation can be used in production of covalently modified enzymes.


Rethinking the Sylph gathers essays by a premier group of international scholars to illustrate the importance of the romantic ballet within the broad context of western theatrical dancing. The wide variety of perspectives -- from social history to feminism, from psychoanalysis to musicology -- serves to illuminate the modernity of the Romantic ballet in terms of vocabulary, representation of gender, and iconography. The collection highlights previously unexplored aspects of the Romantic ballet, including its internationalism; its reflection of modern ideas of nationalism through the use and creation of national dance forms; its construction of an exotic-erotic hierarchy, and proto-orientalist "other"; its transformation of social relations from clan to class; and the repercussions of its feminization as an art form. This generously illustrated book offers a wealth of rare archival material, including prints, costume designs, music, and period reviews, some translated into English for the first time.


Objectives: We investigated choroid plexus (CP) volume in patients presenting with optic neuritis (ON) as a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), compared to a cohort with established relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and healthy controls (HCs). Methods: Three-dimensional (3D) T1, T2-FLAIR and diffusion-weighted sequences were acquired from 44 ON CIS patients at baseline, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the onset of ON. Fifty RRMS patients and 50 HCs were also included for comparison. Results: CP volumes was larger in both ON CIS and RRMS groups compared to HCs, but not significantly different between ON CIS and RRMS patients (analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for multiple comparisons). Twenty-three ON CIS patients who converted to clinically definite MS (MS) demonstrated CP volume similar to RRMS patients, but significantly larger compared to HCs. In this sub-group, CP volume was not associated with the severity of optic nerve inflammation or long-term axonal loss, not with brain lesion load. A transient increase of CP volume was observed following an occurrence of new MS lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Interpretation: Enlarged CP can be observed very early in a disease. It transiently reacts to acute inflammation, but not associated with the degree of tissue destruction.


Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 3% of new cancer incidence and mortality in the United States. Studies in RCC have predominantly focused on VEGF in promoting tumor-associated angiogenesis. However, other angiogenic factors may contribute to the overall angiogenic milieu of RCC. We hypothesized that the CXCR2/CXCR2 ligand biological axis represents a mechanism by which RCC cells promote angiogenesis and facilitate tumor growth and metastasis. Therefore, we first examined tumor biopsies and plasma of patients with metastatic RCC for levels of CXCR2 ligands, and RCC tumor biopsies for the expression of CXCR2. The proangiogenic CXCR2 ligands CXCL1, CXCL3, CXCL5, and CXCL8, as well as VEGF were elevated in the plasma of these patients and found to be expressed within the tumors. CXCR2 was found to be expressed on endothelial cells within the tumors. To assess the role of ELR (cid:1) CXC chemokines in RCC, we next used a model of syngeneic RCC (i.e., RENCA) in BALB/c mice. CXCR2 ligand and VEGF expression temporally increased in direct correlation with RENCA growth in CXCR2 (cid:1) / (cid:1) mice. However, there was a marked reduction of RENCA tumor growth in CXCR2 (cid:2) / (cid:2) mice, which correlated with decreased angiogenesis and increased tumor necrosis. Furthermore, in the absence of CXCR2, orthotopic RENCA tumors demonstrated a reduced potential to metastasize to the lungs of CXCR2 (cid:2) / (cid:2) mice. These data support the notion that CXCR2/CXCR2 ligand biology is an important component of RCC


Any integer is expressible as a sum of two squares and a cube, mixed signs being allowed. We study the analogous question for a square and two cubes, and obtain an affirmative answer in the range from –4,000,000 to 2,000,000. For two squares and a cube with everything positive, computations support the possibility that there are only finitely many exceptions. However, x 2 + y 2 + z 9 admits infinitely many positive exceptions.


"Schizotypy involves social disinterest (anhedonia) and social anxiety. The first study examined the relationship of these constructs in 364 young adults. As hypothesized, there was a moderate association between them, which diminished after partialing out positive schizotypy. Confirmatory factor analyses found that a three-factor solution with positive schizotypy, negative schizotypy, and social anxiety factors provided the best fit, indicating that social anxiety is more associated with positive than negative schizotypy. The second study employed experience sampling methodology to examine the expression of social anhedonia and anxiety in the daily lives of 245 participants. As hypothesized, social anxiety was associated with increased negative affect, whereas social anhedonia was associated with decreased positive affect. Social anhedonia, but not social anxiety, was associated with less social contact, engagement, and enjoyment. The findings suggest that social anxiety and anhedonia are expressed differently in terms of affective responding and their relationships to the schizotypy dimensions."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.


Pruritus (itch sensation) is the most common side effect associated with spinal administration of morphine given to humans for analgesia. A variety of agents have been proposed as antipruritics with poorly understood mechanisms and they are effective with variable success. κ-Opioid agonists possess several actions that are opposite to μ-opioid agonists. We proposed to investigate the role of κ-opioid receptors (KORs) in morphine-induced scratching and antinociception in monkeys. Scratching responses were counted by observers blinded to treatment. Antinociception was measured by a warm water (50°C) tail-withdrawal assay. Pretreatment with low doses oftrans-(±)-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-[1-pyrrolidinyl]-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide (U-50488H) (0.032–0.18 mg/kg s.c.), a selective KOR agonist, dose dependently suppressed the s.c. morphine dose-effect curve for scratching and potentiated s.c. morphine-induced antinociception. In addition, s.c. U-50488H attenuated i.t. morphine (10 and 32 μg)-induced scratching while maintaining or enhancing i.t. morphine-induced antinociception. The combination of s.c. or i.t. morphine with low doses of U-50488H did not cause sedation. More importantly, pretreatment with 3.2 mg/kg nor-binaltorphimine, a selective KOR antagonist, blocked the effects of s.c. U-50488H on both s.c. and i.t. morphine-induced scratching. These results indicate that activation of KOR attenuates morphine-induced scratching without interfering with antinociception in monkeys. This mechanism-based finding provides functional evidence in support of the clinical potential of KOR agonists as antipruritics in the presence of MOR agonist-induced pruritus.


Genre analysts have conducted contrastive studies on research articles (henceforth RAs) written in different languages giving primary attention to the introduction section. The methods section has not been given similar attention although it is an essential part of empirical RAs. There are no contrastive studies, to the best of my knowledge, which have tackled accounts of methodology of English and Arabic RAs. This dissertation, therefore, aims to identify and discuss the cross-cultural similarities and differences in the rhetorical features (i.e. moves and steps; see Swales 1990) of the accounts of methodology of Educational RAs written in English and Arabic and to compare these articles in terms of the assumed shared knowledge between writers and readers.

In pursuing these aims, two sets of method sections were analysed based on Swales' (1990) move analysis approach and bottom-up processing. One set is written in English and it consists of 36 method sections. The other set is in Arabic and consists of 40 method sections. All sections were selected from RAs published in prestigious English and Arabic journals in the field of Education. In order to identify the assumed shared knowledge, the perspective of tacit knowledge was used.

The findings show that there are similarities at the move level between the English and Arabic RAs and there are some differences at the step level. In some Arabic articles, some steps reoccur in one and in the same RA resulting in repetition while this is found in fewer English articles. The findings also illustrate some cultural differences in identifying the assumed shared knowledge.

The key contribution to knowledge is to provide similarities and differences in the rhetorical features which shape the accounts of methodology of English and Arabic Educational RAs, so information about Arabic academic discourse is given. The results of this dissertation offer insights for enhancing writing textbooks. The results may also help empower beginner academic writers from the two discourse communities. This can be realised by the proposed framework which describes all possible rhetorical features of the accounts of methodology. Beginner academic writers could follow the rhetorical structures in their writing of accounts of methodology. Another contribution is to identify the presuppositions about what readers already know. Identifying the authors' assumptions presents a picture about how the two discourse communities differ and about what it is that readers may need to understand.


The purpose of this paper is to provide an explanation for relative pricing of futures contracts with respect to underlying stocks using a model incorporating short sales constraints and informational lags between the two markets. In this model stocks and futures are perfect substitutes, except for the fact that short sales are only allowed in futures markets. The futures price is more informative than the stock price, because the existence of short sales constraints in the stock market prohibits trading in some states of the world. If an informed trader with no initial endowment in stocks receives negative information about the common future value of stocks and futures, he is only able to sell futures. Uninformed traders also face a similar short sales constraint in the stock market. As a result of the short sales constraint, the stock price is less informative than the futures price even if the informed trader has received positive information. Stocks can be underand overpriced in comparison with futures, provided that market makers in stocks and futures only observe the order flow in the other market with a lag. Our theory implies that: 1) the basis is positively associated with the contemporaneous futures returns; 2) the basis is negatively associated with the contemporaneous stock return; 3) futures returns lead stock returns; 4) stock returns also lead futures returns, but to a lesser extent; and 5) the trading volume in the stock market is positively associated with the contemporaneous stock return. The model is tested using daily data from the Finnish index futures markets. Finland provides a good environment for testing our theory, since short sales were not allowed during the period for which we have data (27 May 1988 – 31 May 1994). We find strong empirical support for the implications of our theory.


Surgical treatment of thoracic spinal cord tumors can be challenging because of the risk of neurological compromise as well as the potential for approach-related morbidity. Anterior approaches may require a thoracotomy and are associated with significant postoperative pain and potential injury to the pleura or thoracic vasculature. Posterior approaches are limited by the midline thoracic spinal cord, which is intolerant of manipulation for the resection of ventral tumors. In addition, the traditional "open" posterolateral approaches may require extensive soft-tissue and bony exposure for surgical access, leading to significant postoperative pain and potential spinal instability. Recently, the modernization of minimally invasive spine techniques has enabled spine surgeons to treat a vast array of spinal disorders through minimal access approaches. Minimally invasive spine approaches may lead to decreased blood loss, improved postoperative pain scores, shorter hospital stays, and preservation of normal anatomic supporting structures. We present a 3-D operative video from a case that demonstrates the benefits of minimally invasive spine (MIS) approaches in spinal tumor resection: A healthy 56-year-old woman presented with several months of mid-thoracic radicular pain, progressive gait difficulty, and clinical signs of myelopathy. She was diagnosed with a large, T4 intradural-extramedullary ventral mass with spinal cord compression, most consistent with ameningioma. She underwent elective resection of this mass through an MIS approach. The procedure was uncomplicated, and the postoperative magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated gross total resection of the lesion. The patient did well postoperatively and was discharged home on postoperative day 2.


This thesis contains three essays exploring the asset pricing implications of asymmetric information and trading constraints.
Chapter 1 studies how short-sale constraints affect the informational efficiency of market
prices and the link between prices and economic activity. I show that under short-sale constraints security prices contain less information. However, short-sale constraints increase the
informativeness of prices to some agents who learn about the quality of an investment opportunity from market prices and have additional private information. This, in turn, can lead
to higher allocative efficiency in the real economy. My result thus implies that the decrease
in average informativeness due to short-sale constraints can be more than compensated by
an increase in informativeness to some agents.
In Chapter 2, I develop an equilibrium model of strategic arbitrage under wealth constraints. Arbitrageurs optimally invest into a fundamentally riskless arbitrage opportunity,
but if their capital does not fully cover losses, they are forced to close their positions. Strategic arbitrageurs with price impact take this constraint into account and try to induce the
fire sales of others by manipulating prices. I show that if traders have similar proportions
of their capital invested in the arbitrage opportunity, they behave cooperatively. However,
if the proportions are very different, the arbitrageur who is less invested predates on the
other. The presence of other traders thus creates predatory risk, and arbitrageurs might be
reluctant to take large positions in the arbitrage opportunity in the first place, leading to an
initially slow convergence of prices.
Chapter 3 (joint with Domotor Palvolgyi) studies the uniqueness of equilibrium in a
textbook noisy rational expectations economy model a la Grossman and Stiglitz (1980). We
provide a very simple proof to show that the unique linear equilibrium of their model is the
unique equilibrium when allowing for any continuous price function, linear or not. We also
provide an algorithm to create a (non-continuous) equilibrium price that is different from the
Grossman-Stiglitz price.


Species introduced through human-related activities beyond their native range, termed alien species, have various impacts worldwide. The IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) is a global standard to assess negative impacts of alien species on native biodiversity. Alien species can also positively affect biodiversity (for instance, through food and habitat provisioning or dispersal facilitation) but there is currently no standardized and evidence-based system to classify positive impacts. We fill this gap by proposing EICAT+, which uses 5 semiquantitative scenarios to categorize the magnitude of positive impacts, and describes underlying mechanisms. EICAT+ can be applied to all alien taxa at different spatial and organizational scales. The application of EICAT+ expands our understanding of the consequences of biological invasions and can inform conservation decisions.


To ensure different priorities of different services, for instance the voice, video and data, EPON dynamic bandwidth allocation algorithm must be able to accurately predict frames between the two authorizations. In respect to this problem,this paper presents a multi-queue scheduling EPON dynamic bandwidth allocation algorithm on the basis of the least mean square prediction and illustrates the specific algorithm as well as the algorithm simulation. Simulation results show that this scheme can predict the frames of high-priority services and reasonably allocates bandwidth based on the predictions. Thus the scheme fundamentally avoids light load penalty and reduces the delay of high priority services.


This article deals with intergovernmental relations in health within the 20 years of implantation of the Unified Health System (SUS), in the light of the historical course of Brazilian federalism and its implications to health. Initially, a theoretical-conceptual review was carried out on the topic of federalism, social welfare and federative coordination of health, considering the international debate and the historical analysis of the Brazilian case. Following, the article analyzes the federal performance in the intergovernmental coordination of national health policy during the period of implantation of SUS, based on a research about the role of the Brazilian Ministry of Health from 1990 to 2002, which involved documental analysis and interviews with federal officers and other players in national politics. It was observed that health policies registered, in the past 20 years, changes in five relevant aspects that characterize federalism: institutional arrangements and rules for decisions in the federal government; the set of players with territorial basis; legal arrangements to define responsibilities among government levels; intergovernmental tax arrangements; informal arrangements among governments - vertically and horizontally.


Three boys with osteosarcoma of tibia or femur were locally irradiated with 97.5-100 Gy. Additionally they got chemotherapy according to T4-protocol. After 14-26 month two of them relapsed within, the third below the radiation field. There were no serious side effects of radiotherapy. In spite of amputation and chemotherapy they all developed metastases of lung within 18, 19 or 81 months. Two of them died and one is living with disease. We were not able to cure our three patients by combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Radiotherapy is to date no adequate alternative to radically surgery. Only extraordinary cases should be treated by irradiation.


This article presents early qualitative data from an ongoing project that includes interviews with members of a Syrian diaspora network engaged in giving and receiving philanthropy. With the onset of the Syrian refugee crisis, the network began to provide education for displaced Syrian children in Lebanon in addition to its other activities. The purpose of the research project is to understand motivations and mechanisms of humanitarian assistance toward a conflict region, and also if and how the practice of philanthropy is tied to peacebuilding on the ground and individuals' sense of political efficacy. This article gives particular attention to the civil society aspects of diasporan assistance, and how those engaged in humanitarian aid conceive of their influence on politics, policy, and peacebuilding. Shawn teReSa flanigan School of public affairS, San DieGo State univerSity moUnah abdel-Samad School of public affairS, San DieGo State univerSity SYRIAN DIASPORANS AS TRANSNATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY ACTORS: PERSPECTIVES FROM A NETWORK FOR REFUGEE ASSISTANCE Corresponding author: Shawn Teresa Flanigan, Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


Pharmacophore searches that include anchors, fragments contributing above average to receptor binding, combined with one‐step syntheses are a powerful approach for the fast discovery of novel bioactive molecules. Here, we are presenting a pipeline for the rapid and efficient discovery of aspartyl protease inhibitors. First, we hypothesized that hydrazine could be a multi‐valent warhead to interact with the active site Asp carboxylic acids. We incorporated the hydrazine anchor in a multicomponent reaction and created a large virtual library of hydrazine derivatives synthetically accessible in one‐step. Next, we performed anchor‐based pharmacophore screening of the libraries and resynthesized top‐ranked compounds. The inhibitory potency of the molecules was finally assessed by an enzyme activity assay and the binding mode confirmed by several soaked crystal structures supporting the validity of the hypothesis and approach. The herein reported pipeline of tools will be of general value for the rapid generation of receptor binders beyond Asp proteases.


I. INTRODUCTION Text, intent, and purpose. Judges rely on one or more of these tools whenever they begin to construe a statute with ambiguous language. (1) But what do judges do when, on occasion, these tools fail to resolve the ambiguity? Judges must of course resort to some method or methods in order to apply the law and decide difficult cases. Although it is typical to start with one of the three interpretive touchstones stated above, the ensuing process and decision can vary greatly from judge to judge and case to case. As Judge Cardozo once said, a judge interpreting a statute is like "a wise pharmacist who from a recipe so general can compound a fitting remedy." (2) This article is an attempt to gauge the method of statutory interpretation employed by Associate Judge Susan P. Read of the New York Court of Appeals. This article will consider--among other subjects--Read's interpretive tendencies, whether she uses a method consistently, and her view on the proper role of the courts with regard to the separation of powers. Why is this subject important? For one thing, New York's high court resolves dozens of questions of statutory and constitutional law every year, and these decisions have a great impact on virtually every aspect of life for New Yorkers. (3) Second, attorneys want to win cases. Understanding how judges reach interpretive decisions is important for any attorney arguing before a court. Finally, Judge Read makes for an interesting study since she herself is a student of statutory interpretation and has in fact written on the subject. (4) Part II of this article summarizes the background surrounding Judge Read's nomination and confirmation to the Court of Appeals. Part III briefly introduces several methods of statutory interpretation that have developed over time. The goal is not to get over-involved in theory, but rather to provide a backdrop before considering some examples of Judge Read's own method of interpretation. Only the more established and recognized theories of construction will be introduced. Part IV of this article examines several of Judge Read's opinions in various areas of law. Included are analyses of cases involving rent regulation, administrative agency action, limited liability companies, criminal procedure, and workers' compensation. Ultimately, through a synthesis of these opinions, Part V strives (1) to develop at least a few common trends in Judge Read's method of interpretation and (2) to determine whether her method fits into one or more of the recognized theories--not for an extensive trek down a path of theoretical analysis, but to provide practitioners and advocates before the Court of Appeals with a better idea of how to win her vote. A foreword should be made about the method of analysis in this article. The focus is on dissenting opinions. Judge Read has sat on the Court of Appeals for approximately seven years and has written many dissents. Among those dissents are several that involve a lengthy discussion of statutory interpretation. For this article, five of Judge Read's more prominent dissents have been selected for study. Lost in majority opinions--of which Judge Read has obviously also written many--is a judge's pure analytical or theoretical viewpoint. This is naturally so because the majority opinion writer must draft it in a way that holds the votes of her colleagues. By contrast, with a dissent--particularly a one-judge dissent--there is no such constraint. This article will show that Judge Read has a well-developed method of statutory interpretation in which she places much confidence and conviction--illustrated by her willingness to write dissenting opinions. II. APPOINTMENT AND CONFIRMATION On January 22, 2003, the New York State Senate confirmed Susan Phillips Read as an associate judge of the New York Court of Appeals. (5) Before her confirmation, Judge Read was a legal adviser to Governor George E. …


Multilocation trials are important for breeding programs to identify high-yielding, adapted lines for a wide range of environments. In this study, we evaluated yield and yield components (fruit weight, fruit length, and fruit width) as well as days to 50% anthesis and fruit maturity of the 10 chili pepper lines in the International Chili Pepper Nursey 15 (ICPN15) distributed by the World Vegetable Center to interested cooperators worldwide. Performance data of the ICPN15 entries were received from collaborators evaluating the set in seven different environments in five countries (Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam). Significant genotype-by-environment (G × E) interactions were detected for all traits evaluated. Additive main effect and multiplicative interaction analyses indicated high environmental influence on yield, days to 50% anthesis, and maturity, whereas genotype was the greatest contributor to variability in the market-driven yield components of fruit length, width, and weight. Four lines (ICPN15-4, -5, -7, and -10) were identified as highly stable and could serve as sources of yield and yield component stability in either short fruit market segments (ICPN15-4) or long fruit market segments (ICPN15-5, -7, and -10). We attempted to used publicly available weather data to help in explaining the source of the environmental variability; however, differences between analyzed and observed weather were too different to be useful. This is evidence that weather data should be collected at each testing environment in future studies. This study provides a basis for future studies in the stability of important horticultural traits in pepper, and highlights the need for further work in this area.


During spatial decision making, the quality of the utilized data is of high importance. During navigation these decisions are crucial for being routed to the desired destination (usually going by the shortest or fastest route). Road networks, the main data source for routing, are prone to changes which can have a big impact on the computed route and therefore on travel time. For instance, routes computed using an outdated street network can result in longer travel times, in longer distance, as well in cases where the desired destination might not be anymore reachable via the computed route. Data from OpenStreetMap with different timestamps allows us to download road network snapshots from different years, i.e., from 2014 to 2020. On each of those datasets the fastest route between 500 randomly chosen point pairs in Vienna, Austria, was computed. These routes were also reconstructed on the most recent dataset for evaluation reasons. The resulting travel times, travel length as well as feasibility of the route were compared with the most recent dataset. The results provide a first assessment of temporal quality based on the currentness of a dataset.


BACKGROUND: The lipoprotein scavenger receptor BI (SCARB1) rs10846744 noncoding variant is significantly associated with atherosclerotic disease independently of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. We identified a potentially novel connection between rs10846744, the immune checkpoint inhibitor lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG3), and atherosclerosis. METHODS: In vitro approaches included flow cytometry, lipid raft isolation, phosphosignaling, cytokine measurements, and overexpressing and silencing LAG3 protein. Fasting plasma LAG3 protein was measured in hyperalphalipoproteinemic (HALP) and Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants. RESULTS: In comparison with rs10846744 reference (GG homozygous) cells, LAG3 protein levels by flow cytometry (P < 0.001), in lipid rafts stimulated and unstimulated (P = 0.03), and phosphosignaling downstream of B cell receptor engagement of CD79A (P = 0.04), CD19 (P = 0.04), and LYN (P = 0.001) were lower in rs10846744 risk (CC homozygous) cells. Overexpressing LAG3 protein in risk cells and silencing LAG3 in reference cells confirmed its importance in phosphosignaling. Secretion of TNF-α was higher (P = 0.04) and IL-10 was lower (P = 0.04) in risk cells. Plasma LAG3 levels were lower in HALP carriers of the CC allele (P < 0.0001) and by race (P = 0.004). In MESA, race (P = 0.0005), age (P = 0.003), lipid medications (P = 0.03), smoking history (P < 0.0001), and rs10846744 genotype (P = 0.002) were independent predictors of plasma LAG3. In multivariable regression models, plasma LAG3 was significantly associated with HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) (P = 0.007), plasma IL-10 (P < 0.0001), and provided additional predictive value above the Framingham risk score (P = 0.04). In MESA, when stratified by high HDL-C, plasma LAG3 was associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) (odds ratio 1.45, P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Plasma LAG3 is a potentially novel independent predictor of HDL-C levels and CHD risk. FUNDING: This work was supported by an NIH RO1 grant (HL075646), the endowed Linda and David Roth Chair for Cardiovascular Research, and the Harold S. Geneen Charitable Trust Coronary Heart Disease Research award to Annabelle Rodriguez. MESA is conducted and supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in collaboration with MESA investigators. Support for MESA is provided by contracts HHSN268201500003I, N01-HC-95159, N01-HC-95160, N01-HC-95161, N01-HC-95162, N01-HC-95163, N01-HC-95164, N01-HC-95165, N01-HC-95166, N01-HC-95167, N01-HC-95168, N01-HC-95169, UL1-TR-001079, UL1-TR-000040, and DK063491. Cardiometabochip genotyping data for the MESA samples was supported in part by grants and contracts R01HL98077, N02-HL-64278, HL071205, UL1TR000124, DK063491, RD831697, and P50 ES015915.


The purpose of this note is to unify the role of the lantern identity in the proof of several finiteness theorems. In particular, we show that for every nonnegative integer m, the vector space (over the rationals) of type m (resp. T-type m) invariants of integral homology 3-spheres are finite dimensional. These results have already been obtained by [Oh] and [GL2] respectively; our derivation however is simpler, conceptual and relates to several other applications of the lantern identity.


Offence history data were requested from Nottinghamshire and Thames Valley Police for 4,639 active road users involved in On The Spot (OTS) investigated collisions. Broadly categorised and anonymised offence data were sourced through Police National Computer (PNC) and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) records. This was linked to OTS data to create a unique dataset at each research centre (Transport Safety Research Centre (TSRC) and Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) which allows links between accident causation and offending to be explored (also taking account of road user characteristics). Police data coders were able to confirm the identity of 4,089 road users, and of these 1,910 had at least one offence identified (47%).


Carbon offset is one type of flexibility mechanism in greenhouse gas emission trading schemes that helps nations meet their emission commitments at lower costs. Carbon offsets take advantage of lower abatement cost opportunities from unregulated sectors and regions, which can be used to offset the emissions from regulated nations and sectors. Carbon offsets can also meet multiple objectives; for example, the Clean Development Mechanism in the Kyoto Protocol encourages Annex I countries to promote low carbon sustainable projects in developing countries in exchange for carbon offsets. Alternatively, the costs under cap-and-trade policies are subjected to uncertainties due to uncertainties about technology, energy markets, and emissions. There are several cost-containment instruments to address cost uncertainties, such as banking, borrowing, safety valve, and allowance reserves. Although carbon offsets are verified to reduce expected compliance costs by providing a surplus of cheap allowances that can be used by Annex I countries to help meet their commitments, they have yet to be studied as a cost-containment instrument. Carbon offsets could potentially be a costcontainment instrument as purchasing carbon offsets during instances of high carbon price volatility could potentially provide some relief from high prices. This paper analyzes the effect of carbon offsets on carbon prices, specifically under carbon price uncertainty. I use carbon offsets from abatement activities that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) as a case study example. My results show that carbon offsets reduce upside costs and thus can be an alternative cost-containment instrument, but cost-effectiveness can be limited by supply uncertainties, offset purchasing restrictions, emission target stringency and competition over demand. Carbon offsets, such as REDD, can serve as a flexibility instrument for developed nations, encourage global participation in reducing GHG emissions, and provide sustainable development support to developing nations. Thesis Supervisor: Mort Webster Assistant Professor, Engineering Systems Division


This paper presents suggested algorithm to draw or generate a 3D virtual poetry image from Arabic poetry text. Bezier curves had been used to generate this image depending on some computed values named appearance rates which is defined and evaluated from the poetry text. Those defined values have a great effect on poetry image generating where those values represent the control points which they are used in Bezier cubic function. Bezier cubic and triangle primitive had been used to implement the poetry image. Many poetry segments written by different poets had been taken as samples to test the suggested algorithm.


I discuss an issue arising in analyzing data from astronomical surveys: accounting for measurement uncertainties in the properties of individual sources detected in a survey when making inferences about the entire population of sources. Source uncertainties require the analyst to introduce unknown "incidental" parameters for each source. The number of parameters thus grows with the size of the sample, and standard theorems guaranteeing asymptotic convergence of maximum likelihood estimates fail in such settings. From the Bayesian point of view, the missing ingredient in such analyses is accounting for the volume in the incidental parameter space via marginalization. I use simple simulations, motivated by modeling the distribution of trans‐Neptunian objects surveyed in the outer solar system, to study the effects of source uncertainties on inferences. The simulations show that current non‐Bayesian methods for handling source uncertainties (ignoring them, or using an ad hoc incidental parameter integration)...


Maps of the body surface in somatosensory cortex have been shown to be highly plastic, altering their configuration in response to changes in use of body parts. The current study investigated alterations in the functional organization of the human somatosensory cortex resulting from massed practice. Over a period of 4 weeks, subjects were given synchronous tactile stimulation of thumb (D1) and little finger (D5) for 1 hr/d. They had to identify the orientation of the stimuli. Neuroelectric source localization based on high-resolution EEG revealed that, when subjects received passive tactile stimulation of D1 or D5, the representations of the fingers in primary somatosensory cortex were closer together after training than before. There was also an apparently correlative tendency to anomalously mislocalize near-threshold tactile stimuli equally to the distant finger costimulated during training rather than preferentially to the finger nearest to the finger stimulated in a post-training test. However, when the stimulus discrimination had to be made, neuroelectric source imaging revealed that the digital representations of D1 and D5 were further apart after training than before. Thus, the same series of prolonged repetitive stimulations produced two different opposite effects on the spatial relationship of the cortical representations of the digits, suggesting that differential activation in the same region of somatosensory cortex is specific to different tasks.


The role of the basal ganglia in syntactic language processing was investigated with event-related brain potentials in fourteen neurologically impaired patients. Seven of these patients had basal ganglia lesions while 7 other patients primarily had lesions of the left temporo–parietal region excluding the basal ganglia. All patients listened to sentences that were either correct or included a verb argument structure violation. In previous experiments this type of violation elicited a biphasic pattern of an N400–P600 complex in young healthy participants. While the N400 may result from incorrect semantic-thematic role assignment, the P600 reflects the fact that verb information does not license the syntactic structure at present. Results of the patient experiment revealed a double dissociation: patients with left temporo–parietal lesions only show a P600, whereas patients with lesions of the basal ganglia showed no P600, but a negativity with extended duration that resembled an N400. The latter pattern not only confirms previous reports that the basal ganglia modulate the P600 but extends these results by showing that the N400 as a late semantic–thematic integration process appears partially modulated by the basal ganglia. (JINS, 2003, 9, 1053–1060.)


Inconsistency Robustness is performance of information systems with pervasively inconsistent information. Inconsistency Robustness of the community of professional mathematicians is their performance repeatedly repairing contradictions over the centuries. In the Inconsistency Robustness paradigm, deriving contradictions have been a progressive development and not "game stoppers." Contradictions can be helpful instead of being something to be "swept under the rug" by denying their existence, which has been repeatedly attempted by Establishment Philosophers (beginning with some Pythagoreans). Such denial has delayed mathematical development. This article reports how considerations of Inconsistency Robustness have recently influenced the foundations of mathematics for Computer Science continuing a tradition developing the sociological basis for foundations.
The current common understanding is that G\"odel proved "Mathematics cannot prove its own consistency, if it is consistent." However, the consistency of mathematics is proved by a simple argument in this article. Consequently, the current common understanding that G\"odel proved "Mathematics cannot prove its own consistency, if it is consistent" is inaccurate.
Wittgenstein long ago showed that contradiction in mathematics results from the kind of "self-referential" sentence that G\"odel used in his argument that mathematics cannot prove its own consistency. However, using a typed grammar for mathematical sentences, it can be proved that the kind "self-referential" sentence that G\"odel used in his argument cannot be constructed because required the fixed point that G\"odel used to the construct the "self-referential" sentence does not exist. In this way, consistency of mathematics is preserved without giving up power.


Abstract The formation of hemoglobin–carcinogen adducts has been detected in carcinogen-treated animals and in human populations. Although polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons are ubiquitous in the human environment and DNA–aromatic hydrocarbon adducts have been detected in human tissue, the occurrence of hemoglobin–polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon adducts in humans has not been thoroughly described. In this study we examined the effects of reaction conditions on the extent of in vitro reaction of human hemoglobin and (+) [ 3 H]benzo[ a ]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (anti)(BPDE), a metabolite thought to be largely responsible for the carcinogenic effect of benzo[a]pyrene. The chromatographic properties of the resulting hemoglobin–BPDE adducts were examined by conventional DEAE-cellulose ion exchange liquid chromatography and by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. Several adducts were formed which were chromatographically resolved from hemoglobin and from the individual globins. Some adducts were basic and some acidic relative to unaltered hemoglobin, suggesting adduct formation by reaction at carboxyl and basic nitrogen groups, respectively. Alteration of the ion - chromatographic properties of the adducts by an ionic sulfhydryl reagent, together with only a moderate effect of pH on the extent of adduct formation, indicated that the adducts were not formed via reaction with the β 93 cysteine sulfhydryl group. The chromatographic techniques employed may be applicable for the characterization and analysis of other hemoglobin–carcinogen adducts.


The authors of a given article analyze the impact of increasing the share of state bank capital on such indicators of economic development and the financial system of the country as: the quality and depth of financial intermediation, the level of confidence in the banking sector, the level of transaction costs, the policy of banks on lending to the private sector of the economy, the level of political engagement of the banking sector, quality of loan portfolios of commercial bankst rate of economic growth of the country and indicators of economic development. Calculations based on the example of Ukraine give grounds to assert that the existing model of functioning of state-owned banks has a negative impact on the development of the banking system and the economy as a whole.


In this study we modified the common healing abutment into a specifically designed drug-delivery abutment (DDA), which is a hollow columnar system with drug-distribution holes in peripheral wall. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of the prevention and treatment of peri-implant diseases with this drug-delivery system. Minocycline hydrochloride was added to DDAs with different hole diameters, and then subjected to bacteria-inhibition tests in vitro with three oral bacterial strains, namely, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. The implants were placed into the mandible of beagle dogs. DDAs with or without minocycline and normal healing abutments were installed. One week after surgery, the plaques on all the abutments were analyzed by plaque stain. Following this, both abutments and adjacent teeth received oral hygiene to maintain a healing environment. Eleven weeks later, the ligature-induced experimental peri-implantitis model was set up for eight weeks. Periapical radiographs and clinical measurements were performed during the process. We found that inhibition zones were observed surrounding all the tested drug-delivery abutments in all three bacterial strains. One week after implant installation, oral plaque formed on the DDAs with minocycline was significantly less than that on normal abutments and DDAs without drugs. DDA with the minocycline group showed a relatively slower rate of deterioration of the mucosal inflammation and probing depth in the experimental peri-implant lesions. We suggest that this drug-delivery abutment could effectively deliver medications into peri-implant tissues to minimize plaque formation and relieve peri-implant inflammation in the experimental peri-implantitis model.


The platform—a business model that creates value by connecting groups of users—is increasingly popular in many industries. Extant papers largely assume that platforms dominate the pricing decision, whereas in practice, prices in business-to-business transactions are often determined by a bargaining process. We study how the relative bargaining power of business partners affects pricing and competition in a two-sided market. We compile a unique and comprehensive dataset using sales data from the US daily deal market and specify a structural model based on Nash bargaining solutions. We find that Groupon, the larger deal platform, has more price-bargaining power than LivingSocial and that larger and chain merchants have more bargaining power than smaller and independent merchants. The difference in bargaining power between different types of merchant, interestingly, is more substantial on LivingSocial than on Groupon. Therefore, the size of a platform has two faces: while a larger customer base helps attract merchants, the platform's bargaining power may motivate some merchants to work with its smaller competitors, over which they have more influence on price setting. Our counterfactual results show that the allocation of price-bargaining power plays an important role in the daily deal markets and that merchants are significantly worse off if platforms have higher price-bargaining power during the negotiation. Furthermore, as it increases the bargaining power, LivingSocial would be able to boost its profits but lose its attraction in acquiring merchants.


With the growth of e-commerce and e-markets, there is an increasing potential for the use of software agents to negotiate business tasks with human negotiators. Guided by design science methodology, this research prescribes and validates a win-win seeking negotiation agent using strategies of "simultaneous-equivalent offers" and "delayed acceptance" and compares their effects against the use of conventional sequential-single offer and immediate acceptance strategies. To evaluate the alternate strategies, a negotiation agent system was implemented and an experiment was conducted in which 110 agent-human dyads negotiated over a four-issue online purchase task. Our results indicate that the proposed agent strategies can enhance the economic performance of the negotiated outcome (counterpart agreement ratio, individual utility, joint utility, and the distance to Pareto-efficient frontier) and maintain the human counterparts' positive perceptions toward the outcome and the agent. The findings confirm the efficacy of the proposed design and showcase an innovative system to facilitate e-commerce transactions.


Chinese and Emirati purchases of US companies have collapsed because of suspicions that their Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) status is a disguise for political ambitions. SWFs have grown in size and number, drawing the attention of many government officials because of their non-transparent nature and expansionary investment policies. Their government-controlled status and non-transparent nature have raised fears among governments of political rather than economic investment motivations. SWFs may use their economic influence to obtain critical information, transfer jobs abroad, or compromise the operation of strategically important companies. Such concerns have led to proposals for national measures to regulate investments of foreign SWFs with a view to controlling their economic and security impact. This article questions whether the existence of SWFs justifies the adoption a particular set of national or international foreign investment regulations. It offers an assessment of competing models from the viewpoint of theory, costs, and implementation. It also examines the alternative model of international self-regulation.


Data privacy concerns often prevent the use of cloud-based machine learning services for sensitive personal data. While homomorphic encryption (HE) offers a potential solution by enabling computations on encrypted data, the challenge is to obtain accurate machine learning models that work within the multiplicative depth constraints of a leveled HE scheme. Existing approaches for encrypted inference either make ad-hoc simplifications to a pre-trained model (e.g., replace hard comparisons in a decision tree with soft comparators) at the cost of accuracy or directly train a new depth-constrained model using the original training set. In this work, we propose a framework to transfer knowledge extracted by complex decision tree ensembles to shallow neural networks (referred to as DTNets) that are highly conducive to encrypted inference. Our approach minimizes the accuracy loss by searching for the best DTNet architecture that operates within the given depth constraints and training this DTNet using only synthetic data sampled from the training data distribution. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets demonstrate that these characteristics are critical in ensuring that DTNet accuracy approaches that of the original tree ensemble. Our system is highly scalable and can perform efficient inference on batched encrypted (134 bits of security) data with amortized time in milliseconds. This is approximately three orders of magnitude faster than the standard approach of applying soft comparison at the internal nodes of the ensemble trees.


ABSTRACT Hakim, W.L.; Achmad, A.R.; Eom, J., and Lee, C.-W., 2020. Land subsidence measurement in Jakarta coastal area using time series interferometry with Sentinel-1 SAR data. In: Jung, H.-S.; Lee, S.; Ryu, J.-H., and Cui, T. (eds.), Advances in Geospatial Research of Coastal Environments. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 102, pp. 75-81. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Jakarta coastal area is a part of North Jakarta which has a boundary to the Java Sea. Coastal flood from the Java Sea was not a new case in North Jakarta, the situations occurred due to sea-level rise. The conditions of coastal flood in Jakarta can be worsening by land subsidence in Jakarta coastal area. The land subsidence in Jakarta coastal area was occurred in many years and detected by geodetic measurement methods such as GPS and leveling surveys. The study about land subsidence in Jakarta coastal area needed to be updated because it could affect the urban development. This study presents the mean vertical deformation map using Stanford Methods for Persistent Scatterer (StaMPS) for time-series analysis on the Sentinel-1 data archives in the period of March 2017 through April 2020 in both ascending and descending track. The comparison of mean vertical deformation map between two tracks shows a good correlation in terms of displacement patterns with slightly different in 4 individual chosen points that show a high deformation at rates between 30 mm/year and 40 mm/year. The area chosen in this study known as a reclaimed area and the subsidence occurred due to young alluvium consolidation that not supported the maximum compression from a lot of buildings. These approach methods in this study that using StaMPS could be used to monitor land subsidence from all-terrain.


Cu2+ salts are presented as an alternative to previously reported pnictogen additives in the self-assembly of 23 different thiacyclophanes. This process allows for further tuning of library equilibrium mixtures: for instance, by altering additive types and concentrations, trimeric macrocycles are amplified. These trimeric disulfides can then be covalently trapped to form 2 novel thioethers, highlighting the facile route to access these new naphthalene-bridged cyclophanes.


With wireless technologies extending to every part of our daily lives, mobile networking applications are becoming increasingly popular for accessing the Internet. In this paper, we propose a peer-to-peer approach, called M-FTP, for mobile FTP services. Unlike traditional approaches, the proposed scheme implements a Collaborative Forwarding algorithm that takes advantage of opportunistic wireless connections, thereby improving network capacity by exploiting the diversity of network mobility. Using simulations as well as real- world network scenarios, we demonstrate that the proposed scheme provides a better mobile FTP service than traditional schemes, and thus facilitates more effective data transfer on the go.


We present an expression for the calculation of microscopic stresses in molecular simulation, which is compatible with the use of electrostatic lattice sums such as the Ewald sum, with the presence of many-body interactions, and which allows local stresses to be calculated on surfaces of arbitrarily complex shape. The ultimate goal of this work is to investigate microscopic stresses on proteins in glassy matrices, which are used in the pharmaceutical industry for the long-term storage and stabilization of labile biomolecules. We demonstrate the formalism's usefulness through selected results on ubiquitin and an α-keratin fragment, in liquid and glassy states. We find that atomic-level normal stresses on hydrophilic side-chains exhibit a similar fingerprint in both proteins, and protein-level normal stresses increase upon vitrification. Both proteins experience compressive stresses of the order of 10(2) bar in the glassy state.


The effect of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and 18 of its metabolites and analogues on the high-affinity uptake of [3H]serotonin into a synaptosome-enriched homogenate of rat forebrain has been determined in vitro. Each of the cannabinoids which inhibited [3H]serotonin accumulation did so in a dose-responsive manner. Although some of these compounds do not possess typical Δ9-THC or marijuana-like effects in laboratory animals or humans, each of the cannabinoids tested, with one exception, inhibited the uptake of serotonin at the concentrations used. A positional activity requirement for the phenolic hydroxyl group was demonstrated by the increased IC50 values for the abnormal analogues of Δ8-THC and cannabidiol relative to their parent compounds. Δ8-THC and cannabinol were slightly more active than Δ9-THC, implying that the orientation of protons at the C-8 position may be important for activity. Pseudoequatorial hydroxylation of C-8 resulted in diminished activity, while pseudoaxial hydroxylation of C-8 resulted in little change. In addition, equatorial hydroxylation of C-9 diminished activity relative to axial hydroxylation of C-9. It was also found that hydroxylation of C-9 increased the IC-50 almost 3-fold relative to the C-9 methylated compound. Finally, it was determined that nonpolar substitution at C-11 diminished the activity only slightly compared to the reduction obtained by hydroxylation of C-11.


Wind energy utilization as a reliable energy source has become a large industry in the last 20 years. Nowadays, wind turbines can generate megawatts of power and have rotor diameters that are on the order of 100 meters in diameter. One of the key components in a wind turbine is the blade which could be damaged by moisture absorption, fatigue, wind gusts or lighting strikes. The wind turbine blades should be routinely monitored to improve safety, minimize downtime, lower the risk of sudden breakdowns and associated huge maintenance and logistics costs, and provide reliable power generation. In this paper, a real-time wind turbine blade monitoring system using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors with the fiber optic rotary joint (FORJ) is proposed, and applied to monitor the structural responses of a 600 W small scale wind turbine. The feasibility and effectiveness of the FORJ is validated by continuously transmitting the optical signals between the FBG interrogator at the stationary side and the FBG sensors on the rotating part. A comparison study between the measured data from the proposed system and those from an IMote2-based wireless strain measurement system is conducted.


In this paper, we present DrawLight, a physically interactive and immersive lighting system aimed at young children, ages two to six, to help them learn colors and immerse themselves into their imaginary colorful environment by creating correspondent ambient lighting through their former paintings and colorful objects combination. As the same time as children are drawing colorful pictures, playing with colorful objects, or hanging painting somewhere inside the space, specially designed ambient lights will change to the correspond color mode. DrawLight invites children to explore the transformation from concrete colorful painting and physical objects into abstract ambient lighting, which gives children an immersive impression about the color effect. General terms: Children, painting, colorful physical objects, color learning, creating interactive and immersive lighting


Seventeen experiments were conducted on farmers' fields to study the effect of native Zn on the fertilizer Zn needs of rice in an extensive soil series (Rarha; Udic Ustochrepts) of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Rice (cv. Saket-4) was grown with four rates of fertilizer Zn (0, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 kg Zn ha-1) in the soils of varying DTPA-Zn status. Application of 5 kg Zn ha-1 resulted in significant increases in the dry matter yield (grain + straw), Zn concentration, and uptake of Zn by the crop in soils having DTPA-Zn less than 0.60 ppm; the magnitude of the response decreased with increasing DTPA-Zn status of the soil. Fertilizer Zn needs for optimum grain yield were 7.10 and 3.73 kg ha-1 in soils of low (<0.60 ppm) and medium (0.61-1.00 ppm) DTPA-Zn status. Recovery of fertilizer Zn was higher in low Zn soils compared to high Zn soils. DTPA-Zn status of the soil and Zn concentration in the third leaf of 45-day-old plants showed a highly significant correlation with percentage grain yield. The critical limits of DTPA-Zn and leaf-Zn for predicting response of rice to fertilizer Zn were 0.80 and 26.5 ppm, respectively.


—The survivable virtual topology routing problem is to route a virtual topology graph on a optical fiber physical topology such that the virtual topology remains connected when failures occur in the physical topology. In this work we study the problem of survivable virtual topology routing under single node/SRLG (Shared Risk Link Group) failure model. We prove that the survivable virtual topology routing problem under node/SRLG failures is NP-complete. We present an improved integer linear programming (ILP) formulation for computing the survivable routing of a virtual topology graph. However, ILP is not scalable when the network size scales more than a few tens of nodes. In this work, we present sub-classes of graphs which more accurately model an actual network and for which a survivable routing can be easily computed solving an ILP. We successfully computed the survivable routing of virtual topologies belonging to these sub-classes against link/SRLG failures for topologies of size up to 24 nodes.


(R,R)-fenoterol (Fen), a β2-adrenoceptor agonist, is under clinical investigation in the treatment of congestive heart disease. The pharmacokinetics and metabolism of the 4-methoxyphenyl derivative of (R,R)-Fen, (R,R)-MFen, have been determined following intravenous and oral administration to the rat and compared with corresponding results obtained with (R,R)-Fen. Results from the study suggest that (R,R)-MFen can offer pharmacokinetic and metabolic advantages in comparison to an earlier (R,R)-Fen. The oral administration revealed that the net exposure of (R,R)-MFen was about three-fold higher than that of (R,R)-Fen (7.2 versus 2.3 min × nmol ml−1), while intravenous administration proved that the clearance was significantly reduced, 48 versus 146 ml min−1 kg−1, the T1/2 was significantly longer, 152.9 versus 108.9 min, and the area under the curve (AUC) was significantly increased, 300 versus 119 min × nmol ml−1. (R,R)-MFen was primarily cleared by glucuronidation associated with significant presystemic glucuronidation of the compound. After intravenous and oral administration of (R,R)-MFen, (R,R)-Fen and (R,R)-Fen-G were detected in the urine samples indicating that (R,R)-MFen was O-demethylated and subsequently conjugated to (R,R)-Fen-G. The total (R,R)-Fen and (R,R)-Fen-G as a percentage of the dose after intravenous administration was 3.6%, while after oral administration was 0.3%, indicating that only a small fraction of the drug escaped presystemic glucuronidation and was available for O-demethylation. The glucuronidation pattern was confirmed by the results from in vitro studies where incubation of (R,R)-MFen with rat hepatocytes produced (R,R)-MFen-G, (R,R)-Fen and (R,R)-Fen-G, while incubation with rat intestinal microsomes only resulted in the formation of (R,R)-MFen-G.


The paper gives recommendations for cardiologists and cardiac surgeons who are engaged in working out indications, choice of the type and mode of cardiac pacing. Based on the understanding of the great importance of nomenclature documents concerning the development of indications for pacemakers implantation, the Working Group of the Expert Committee, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, for implantable antiarrhythmic devices and electrophysiology has developed recommendations on pacemaker implantation in acquired atrioventricular (AV) block, in AV-block after myocardial infarction, chronic bi- and tri-fascicular block, sinoatrial nodal dysfunction, hypersensitive carotid sinus syndrome, neurovascular syndromes, as well as in childhood bradyarrhythmias. In developing the recommendations, the authors have used their own 25-year experience in implanting pacemakers and the recommendations proposed by the Working Group of the American College of Cardiologists and the American Association of Cardiologists in 1984 and 1991 for implanting pacemakers in bradyarrhythmias. The proposed recommendations define indications and contraindications for implantation of up-to-date pacemaker models and determine the behaviour policy of a specialist in selecting patients with bradyarrhythmias for the optimal pacing mode, which suggests a compulsory certification of the centers engaged in implanting pacemakers in bradyarrhythmias.


People with severe motor impairment oftentimes rely on unconventional assistive interfaces to complete daily activities. In this work, we developed a holistic shared control framework to help them achieve fast and accurate indoor navigation using low throughput human machine interfaces. Based off our previously developed shared position control method, we added orientation control, action control, and a state machine architecture to create the new framework Novelti 2.0 . The framework provides generic support for various LTIs. We validated the framework using Emotiv EPOC headset and a single-switch interface. A comprehensive comparative study involving 10 human subjects navigating a wheelchair in a real indoor environment demonstrated that our framework could achieve high navigation accuracy about 0.05 m for position and 5° for orientation. Compared to steering control, our method required half the navigation time and half the number of commands in routes longer than 20 m. The NASA TLX survey results also indicated lower subjective workload with our method. Experimental data is provided for download and future evaluation.


www.PosterPresentations.com Identifying close-knit communities (or "clusters") in graphs is an advanced operation with a broad range of scientific applications. While theoretical formulations of this operation are either intractable or computationally prohibitive, practical algorithmic heuristics exist to efficiently tackle the problem. However, implementing these heuristics to work for large real world graphs still remains a significant challenge, owing to a combination of factors that include magnitude of the data, irregular data access patterns and compute-intensive operations to better the approximation. In this paper, we propose i) a novel MapReducebased [2] algorithm for a well known serial graph clustering heuristic called Shingling [3]; and ii) a novel application of the method to cluster biological graphs built out of proteins and domains. Operating on an input graph that is simply represented as a list of edges, our algorithm uses a combination of shuffling and sorting operations, and pipelined MapReduce stages to implement the various phases of the algorithm. Preliminary results show linear scaling of the time-dominant phase up to 64 cores on a relatively small real world graph containing 8.41M vertices (8,407,839 proteins and 11,823 domains) and 11M edges (protein to domain connections). More importantly, MapReduce parallelization has allowed us to enhance the problem size reach by about two to three orders of magnitude (from 20K to 8M vertices) relative to our previous serial implementation, in roughly the same amount of time.


Models of functional connectivity in cortical cultures on multi-electrodes arrays may aid in understanding how cognitive pathways form and improve techniques that aim to interface with neuronal systems. To enable research on such models, this study uses both data- and model-driven approaches to determine what dependencies are present in and between functional connectivity networks derived from bursts of extracellularly recorded activity. Properties of excitation in bursts were analysed using correlative techniques to assess the degree of linear dependence and then two parallel techniques were used to assess functional connectivity. Three models presenting increasing levels of spatio-temporal dependency were used to capture the dynamics of individual functional connections and their consistencies were verified using surrogate data. By comparing network-wide properties between model generated networks and functional networks from data, complex interdependencies were revealed. This indicates the persistent co-activation of neuronal pathways in spontaneous bursts, as can be found in whole brain structures.


OBJECTIVE To test the ability of a modified pulmonary artery (PA) monitoring catheter to detect distal catheter migration. DESIGN Prospective nonrandomized trial. PATIENTS Surgical ICU patients requiring invasive hemodynamic monitoring. INTERVENTIONS Eight patients received PA catheters modified to include a right ventricular (RV) pressure monitoring port located 7 cm from the tip. Fifteen patients received catheters with an RV port located 10 cm from the tip. Guided by the RV port pressure waveform, catheters were initially positioned so that the RV port was located just proximal to the pulmonic valve. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Pulmonary capillary occlusion pressure (PAOP) could not be obtained in six of the eight patients receiving the 7-cm RV port catheter unless the RV port was advanced into the PA. PAOP was consistently obtained in all 15 patients receiving the 10-cm RV port catheter, with the RV port positioned in the RV. Chest radiographs confirmed a central PA catheter position. In this group, distal migration of the catheter occurred 14 times in eight patients, as detected by appearance of a PA pressure waveform at the RV port. Distal migration was corrected by withdrawal of the catheter until an RV waveform reappeared at the RV port. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that distal catheter migration occurs frequently with PA monitoring catheters, but can be detected at the bedside with a catheter modified to include an RV port 10 cm from the tip. This new catheter may add a margin of safety to PA monitoring and lower its overall cost by eliminating the need for chest radiographs ordered solely to confirm catheter tip location.


To be able to monitor forces acting on objects is important for a lot of dierent applications. In this case the object is a big steel disc and the forces to be monitored are those acting on the rim of the disc. This is done with strain gauges that register changes in the internal strain eld. This is then run through a system model that outputs the equivalent force for that strain eld. The system model is created through a static system identication consisting of a series of test pushes on the rim of the disc. This method of system identication has a series of problem mainly that it is time consuming.The thesis presents a proof-of-concept of a dynamic system identication method. Instead of pressure applied while stationary the pressure is applied by rotating the disc against another smaller steel disc and performing the system identication on this continuous data.An algorithm to use the data is tested in simulation and the results are analyzed and proven successful. Then a experiment is performed, recording data and running the algorithm. The dynamic system identication is shown to give almost equal results to the static one. The dierence can be accounted for as problems with the force measuring or that the dynamic system identication is actually more accurate than the static one.The algorithm is concluded to work and give an advantage over the old algorithm in form of the time it takes to perform it. It has a possibility to be more accurate and also to be able to identify forces in more directions than straight into the disc.


I. INTRODUCTION II. BACKGROUND & DISCUSSION A. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION REGULATION EXPLAINED B. THE ONE-CLICK RULE AND THE ADVENT OF WARNING LETTERS C. GENESIS OF THE ONE-CLICK RULE D. WARNING LETTERS E. FRA's PUBLIC MEETINGS REGARDING INTERNET ADVERTISING F. FDA GUIDANCE ON THE PRESENTATION OF RISK INFORMATION IN DIRECT-TO-CUSTOMER ADVERTISING G. FDA's FIRST SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDANCE III. OTHER HIGHLY-REGULATED INDUSTRY MODELS A. FINANCIAL SERVICES B. INSURANCE C. COMMUNICATIONS CONCLUSION "Our social [media] tools are not an improvement to modern society; they are a challenge to it." (1) I. INTRODUCTION As famously stated in Mark Zuckerberg's 2008 F8 Conference keynote address, and posted on every press release since, "Facebook's mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." (2) It is primarily this interconnectedness and sharing mentality that has taken over the United States and the world. Facebook boasts that over one billion people actively use its social network. (3) Twitter reports 100 million active users. (4) LinkedIn touts 187 million active users, (5) And upstart location-based check-in social network Foursquare announced 25 million active users. (6) The implication of all of this: social media is here to stay. Social media has lasting power not only due to the numbers of large players and upstarts, but also because it has permeated our society and the way we interact with each other. (7) Social communication is part of almost every modern industry, from financial services with Bank of America's "Small Business Community," (8) to telecommunications customer service with "@ComcastCares," (9) to medical services with the advent of a private social network for physicians like Sermo. (10) Companies have rushed into social media to communicate better with consumers. (11) Consumers not only expect companies to operate in social spaces, (12) but according to The Center for Client Retention survey, consumers look more favorably upon those who provide information and respond to social media-based inquiries. (13) This Note will first lay out the history of social media in the highly-regulated pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing industry. This Note will describe the background of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) promised action regarding guidance or regulations associated with social media. This Note will also describe the backlash the industry has received from the FDA by way of stern warning letters requiring strict adherence to outdated regulations rather than innovative use of Internet-based technologies to apprise consumers of the adverse effects of pharmaceutical products. This Note will further describe the FDA's statutory remit, how they have carried it out to date, and will evaluate how other highly-regulated industries regulate social media in terms of information presentation and use of links. Throughout the entirety of this Note, the author will argue that the industry-initiated "One-Click Rule" should be enough to satisfy the FDA's specific statutory fair-balance advertising requirement. Further, this Note will distinguish the Internet from traditional advertising mediums, and advocate for the promulgation of an evolved regulatory scheme as opposed to guidance documents due to the unique character of the Internet. II. BACKGROUND & DISCUSSION Companies in highly-regulated industries have had a particularly difficult time engaging in social media from a legal and compliance perspective. (14) Highly-regulated companies have been more resistant than others to engage in social media as a result of the potential for noncompliance with existing laws and regulations. (15) Some industry regulatory bodies, like the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), have provided guidance to help the industry engage with consumers. …


This paper performs a shape optimization of a grid-connected-to-the-rotor type doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) in which the rotor winding is connected to the grid instead of the stator winding. To analyze the characteristics of a DFIG accurately, a time step 2D-FEA is carried out, which is coupled with Simplorer. To maximize the torque per weight as well as to maintain the efficiency, the Kriging model based on latin hypercube sampling and genetic algorithm are utilized. As an optimal design result, the torque per weight on the optimal model has been increased. Finally, the analysis and the optimal design results are confirmed by the experimental results.