Present review highlights the potential of nasal mucosa as an administration route for targeting the central nervous system, the brain. Targeted drug delivery seeks to concentrate the medication in the tissues of interest while reducing the relative concentration of medication in the remaining tissues. Thus improving efficacy of the drug and reducing side effects. The nasal mucosa when compared to other mucous membranes is easily accessible and provides a practical entrance portal for small and large molecules. Intranasal administration offers rapid onset of action, no first-pass effect, no gastrointestinal degradation or lung toxicity and non-invasiveness application and also improves bioavailability. It is thought that olfactory route of drug transport, by pass the blood-brain barrier and allows the direct transport of drug from the nose to the brain. This review provides an overview of strategies to improve the drug delivery to brain via nasal mucosa and recent advances in this field.


Background: Pain perception of children in dental clinics is difficult to assess. Conventionally, visual analog scale (VAS) and Wong–Baker Faces Pain Scale (WBFPS) are used as self-reporting pain assessment tools in children. Novel animated emoji scale (AES) is recently introduced for pain assessment in pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pain using the novel AES in 3–14-year-old children and to compare it with frequently used VAS and WBFPS. Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited 266 patients in the 3–14-year age group with their first dental visit. Participants were divided into three groups on the basis of age: Group I–3–6 years, Group II–7–10 years, and Group III–11–14 years, and the pain was recorded using self-reporting tools, i.e., VAS, WBFPS, and recently introduced AES after the completion of dental procedure. Data were evaluated using the Pearson correlation test and Chi-square test. Results: A strong positive correlation among VAS, WBFPS, and AES in all the groups was observed (P < 0.05). AES was preferred more over VAS and WBFPS in all the groups for pain assessment (P < 0.001). Conclusions: AES as a self-reporting tool can be used frequently to assess the pain in children. AES was preferred over VAS and WBFPS due to its ease of understanding by children.


An algorithm for discrimination and detection of the two phenomena double talk and abrupt changes in the echo path is proposed for fading channels. Being able to discriminate and detect these two phenomena is crucial since the echo canceler must react differently. The suggested detection scheme is based on a sequential detection approach. The communication channel is modeled as a randomly time-varying linear system. An autoregressive model is used to describe the time evolution of the channel taps. The channel parameters are identified using a Kalman filter coupled with a recursive least squares algorithm, and, based on model assumptions, the maximum a posteriori probabilities corresponding to double talk and abrupt echo path changes are calculated. The proposed scheme is verified experimentally by way of computer simulations.


In this paper we try to check if and how the macroeconomic performances induced by a Taylor's rule based kind of monetary policy are (or not) more efficient than those effectively induced by the most important central bank's monetary policies. In this kind of respect, we use a simple three equations model: a Phillips equation, an aggregate demand equation and a fixing rule for the main interest rate. Based on historical simulation as well as on stochastic simulation, it turns out that macroeconomic performances, in terms of inflation and productivity gap, would be more stable and efficient if the Taylor's rule would be used by a certain central bank in fixing its main interest rate.


An instrument measuring attitudes toward suicide was developed through two postal questionnaire surveys, 1986 and 1996, approaching general population samples of 700 and 1,000 persons, respectively, and with response rates of 75% and 64%. A 10-factor model was obtained and comparisons between waves revealed an overall more permissive and pro-preventional attitude in 1996. The results implied complex relationships at the aggregated level between attitudes and suicidal behavior, depending on type of suicidal behavior, attitude factor, and subgroup. At the individual level, persons answering affirmative on own suicidal behavior, as compared to the nonsuicidal group, held a more permissive and understanding attitude toward suicide.


Controlling the uptake of specific ions in polyelectrolyte multilayers is of interest for various fields of application. Here, we quantify the amount of cation of an ionic liquid, namely 1,3-bis(cyanomethyl)imidazolium chloride, incorporated into polyelectrolyte multilayers upon contact with an ionic liquid solution. The ion partition equilibrium is determined depending on concentration in solution, employing attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy. Generating an excess charge in multilayers by post-preparative manipulation of their charge balance, one can control the incorporated amount. Three multilayer systems are assembled for this purpose, i.e., PSS/PDADMAC, PSS/PAH and PAA/PDADMAC, employing poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC), poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The charge balance of the latter two films is manipulated by an external pH stimulus generating an excess positive or negative internal charge, respectively. The concentration of cations in PEM amounts to 30% to 100% of the bulk concentration and scales as PAA/PDADMAC > PSS/PDADMAC > PSS/PAH. Thus, post-preparative pH treatment may be a future tool to create ion-conductive polymer gel films with a desired concentration of small cations.


Particle mass concentrations and size distributions have been measured upstream and downstream of a ceramic-coated metal fiber filter. The filter has been used to process the exhaust of a 1.5 liter light-duty indirect injection diesel engine. At light filter loadings, the collection efficiency was typically found to range from 50 to 60%. As the trap was loaded, the efficiency slowly increased to a maximum value between 70-80% and then slowly declined. At the same time, the pressure drop across this filter continously increased. The trap was periodically regenerated to prevent excessive pressure drop. When lightly loaded, the trap was found to reduce the particle concentration without having a significant impact on the size distribution. However, a heavily loaded trap significantly shifted the particle size distribution upward. Under some conditions, the trap actually generated coarse, greater than 1.0 ..mu..m, diameter, particles. The trap thus acts as a particle agglomerator. This behavior is explained in terms of collection, surface agglomeration, and subsequent reentrainment of the agglomerated material.


Variable-speed constant-frequency (vscf) generator systems are studied as an extension of well-known vscf motor technology. The vscf generator systems become practical for aircraft main generating systems when the commutator function is performed by semiconductor devices. It is concluded that the best scheme for this application is one using as the main generator a wound rotor induction machine operated above and below synchronous speed, and a slip channel comprised of a semiconductor frequency changer and a synchronous machine driven by the variable-speed shaft.


is a major contributor to the mortality of children under five years of age. VAD can result in visual impairment, diarrhoea and increased risk of severe measles and death. Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), a staple crop biofortified with provitamin A, has the potential to improve vitamin A intake in infants, especially when used as a complementary food. Objective. To assess the acceptance of an OFSP complementary food by infant caregivers. Methods. This study was conducted at the Newtown Community Health Centre, Inanda, in the eThekwini District of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Sixty-three infant caregivers assessed the acceptance of complementary foods made from OFSP and white-fleshed sweet potato (WFSP) (control), using a five-point hedonic rating test. In addition, ten caregivers participated in two focus group discussions, using pre-determined questions. Results. There were no statistically significant differences in the sensory attribute ratings of complementary foods made from WFSP and OFSP. The OFSP complementary food was well-accepted, especially its colour and soft texture. None of the focus group discussion participants had seen or tasted the OFSP before. Caregivers were willing to buy the OFSP, if it were available and cheaper than the WFSP. Conclusion. The complementary food made from the OFSP was highly acceptable to infant caregivers attending the Newtown Community Health Centre in KZN. It has the potential to be used in complementary feeding and to improve the vitamin A status of infants. S Afr J Child Health 2018;12(3):100-104


Aims: Ripening evaluation of two different Pecorino cheese varieties ripened according either to a traditional method in plant and in cave. Different ripening features have been analyzed in order to evaluate the cave as possible ripening environment with the aim of obtaining a peculiar product which could also establish an added value to the cultural heritage of the local place in which it has been originally manufactured.
Methods and Results: Chemical-physical features of Pecorino cheese have been initially analyzed into two different ripening environments and experimentations, among which: pH, weight reduction and subsequent water activity. Furthermore, the microbial composition has been characterized in relationship with the two different ripening environments, undertaking a variety of microbial groups, such as: lactic bacteria, staphylococci, yeasts, lactococci, enterobacteria, enterococci. Besides, an additional analysis for the in-cave adaptability evaluation has been the identification of biogenic amines inside the Pecorino cheese (2-phenilethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, hystidine, tyramine, spermine and spermidine). Further analysis were undertaken in order to track the lipid profile evolution, reporting the concentration of the cheese free fatty acids in object, in relation with ripening time, environment and production.
In order to analyse the flavour compounds present in Pecorino cheese, the SPME-GC-MS technique has been widely employed. As a result, it is confirmed the trend showed by the short-chain free fatty acids, that is to say the fatty acids which are mostly involved in conveying a stronger flavor to the cheese. With the purpose of assessing the protheolytic patterns of the above-mentioned Pecorino cheese in the two different ripening environments and testing methods, the technique SDS-PAGE has been employed into the cheese insoluble fraction, whereas the SDS-PAGE technique has been carried out into the cheese soluble portion. Furthermore, different isolated belonging to various microbial groups have been genotypically characterized though the ITS-PCR technique with the aim to identify the membership species. With reference to lactic bacillus the characterized species are: Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus curvatus and Lactobacillus paraplantarum. With reference to lactococci the predominant species is Lactococcus lactis, coming from the employed starter used in the cheese manufacturing. With reference to enterococcus, the predominant species are Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis. Moreover, Streptococcus termophilus and Streptococcus macedonicus have been identified too. For staphylococci the identified species are Staphyilococcus equorum, Staphylococcus saprophyfiticus and Staphylococcus xylosus.
Finally, a sensorial analysis has been undertaken through on one side a consumer test made by inexperienced consumers, and on the other side through a panel test achieved by expert consumers. From such test Pecorino cheese ripened in cave were found to be more pleasant in comparison with Pecorino cheese ripened in plant.
Conclusions: The proposed approach and the undertaken analysis showed the cave as preferential ripening environment for Pecorino cheese and for the development of a more palatable product and safer for consumers' health.


PURPOSE
The study aims to support decision making on how best to redesign diabetes care by investigating three potential sources of heterogeneity in effectiveness across trials of diabetes care management.

METHODS
Medline, CINAHL and PsycInfo were searched for systematic reviews and empirical studies focusing on: (1) diabetes mellitus; (2) adult patients; and (3) interventions consisting of at least two components of the chronic care model (CCM). Systematic reviews were analysed descriptively; empirical studies were meta-analysed. Pooled effect measures were estimated using a meta-regression model that incorporated study quality, length of follow-up and number of intervention components as potential predictors of heterogeneity in effects.

RESULTS
Overall, reviews (n = 15) of diabetes care programmes report modest improvements in glycaemic control. Empirical studies (n = 61) show wide-ranging results on HbA1c, systolic blood pressure and guideline adherence. Differences between studies in methodological quality cannot explain this heterogeneity in effects. Variety in length of follow-up can explain (part of) the variability, yet not across all outcomes. Diversity in the number of included intervention components can explain 8-12% of the heterogeneity in effects on HbA1c and systolic blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS
The outcomes of chronic care management for diabetes are generally positive, yet differ considerably across trials. The most promising results are attained in studies with limited follow-up (<1 year) and by programmes including more than two CCM components. These factors can, however, explain only part of the heterogeneity in effectiveness between studies. Other potential sources of heterogeneity should be investigated to ensure implementation of evidence-based improvements in diabetes care.


From medieval manuscripts to books created using the hand press method, this introductory research guide unlocks the world of bibliography


: More women will earn social security benefits in their own right in the next 30 years than do so at present; their benefits will not necessarily rise in relation to men's benefits. For this to occur, the ratio of women's earnings to men's would have to rise markedly or young women would have to work most of their lives. The earnings ratio has stayed nearly constant, for 25 years at least. In this article, worklives of younger women are estimated from their own early experience plus the completed careers of women now retired. Though their total labor-force activity before retirement age will be greater than that of these older women, the increase will not be sufficient to compensate for the lengthening benefit-computation period. Benefits earned on their own records therefore will not supplant dependent and survivor benefits.


Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the potential bias of front-of-pack promotions on consumer choice behaviour and judgments. Design: Using a between-subjects design, participants were randomly allocated to one of four conditions: (i) Baseline, (ii) Premium offers, (iii) Celebrity Endorsement, (iv) Nutritional Content Claims. In the three experimental conditions the promoted product was always the objectively unhealthy item compared to the non-promoted alternative (Baseline). In all conditions participants were asked to choose between two items (endorsed vs. non-endorsed), choose if they wanted to see the objective nutritional information of each, estimate the healthiness of the product they choose, as well as the amount they would be willing to pay for it. Setting: Participants were recruited via an online crown sourcing social science platform Prolific Academic. Subjects: Participants were UK nationals living in the UK, with English as their first language, aged between 18-74 years (n 481; 60% female). Results: Compared to the other three conditions, Celebrity endorsement of unhealthy options were selected more often, for which participants were more likely to erroneously judge their choices as healthier than the baseline, and willing to pay more for them, and for Nutritional Content Claims promotions. Conclusion: The present study supports and extends current work by demonstrating that, independent of viewing objective nutritional content, front-of-pack promotions not only strongly influences choice behavior, but also biases judgments of the healthiness of products and how much would be paid for them.


In 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) set a goal to end veteran homelessness by 2015. Since then there has been a 36% reduction in homelessness due, in part, to the VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. These services include the receipt of home-based services to the veterans' home. However, safety concerns and the threat of violence toward health care workers remain problematic in non-institutional care settings. This article discusses the concept of access to care and how safety concerns act as a barrier to services and optimal patient outcomes. Our study provides information on the prevalence of patient violence toward health care workers in the HUD-VASH program in a large veterans' health system. Results suggest 70% of home-based service providers were exposed to violence and aggression. Providing services to veterans outside of institutional care settings, and the goal of eradicating homelessness among veterans, warrants further examination of access barriers.


My purpose in this short note is to describe the unconformity at the base of the Carboniferous Limestone in the region between Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent in its relationship to the broader structures of the older rocks below.

The older rocks of this region are exposed in the bottoms of the valleys of Crummackdale and Ribblesdale and in the valley connecting the two, between Hellwith Bridge and Wharfe, while the high ground is occupied by the Carboniferous rocks. (See Map Fig. 1). For the most part, the older rocks are of Upper Ordovician and Silurian age, with the possible exception of the Ingletonian Series, which has been claimed as pre-Cambrian by Dr. R. H. Rastall.

The Ingletonian rocks, which, whatever their age, are certainly the oldest rocks in the region, are composed of highly cleaved and much contorted slates with thin grit bands. The Upper Ordovician rocks are, for the most part, calcareous mudstones with frequent limestone nodules, but they contain also at least two bands of ash. The mudstones have been cleaved—but not to so marked a degree as the rocks of the Ingletonian Series,—and, with the exception of the ash beds, behave as soft rocks under the action of weathering. The Silurian succession comprises a bed of sandy mudstone about 100 feet thick—the Austwick Flags, followed by a sandstone series—the Austwick Grits, about 700 feet thick, then by about 2000 feet of sandy mudstone—the Horton Flags, and finally by a second sandstone series—the …


We address measurement error bias in propensity score (PS) analysis due to covariates that are latent variables. In the setting where latent covariate X is measured via multiple error-prone items W , PS analysis using several proxies for X—the W items themselves, a summary score (mean/sum of the items), or the conventional factor score (i.e., predicted value of X based on the measurement model)—often results in biased estimation of the causal effect because balancing the proxy (between exposure conditions) does not balance X. We propose an improved proxy: the conditional mean of X given the combination of W , the observed covariates Z, and exposure A, denoted X WZA . The theoretical support is that balancing X WZA (e.g., via weighting or matching) implies balancing the mean of X. For a latent X, we estimate X WZA by the inclusive factor score (iFS)—predicted value of X from a structural equation model that captures the joint distribution of ( X , W , A ) given Z. Simulation shows that PS analysis using the iFS substantially improves balance on the first five moments of X and reduces bias in the estimated causal effect. Hence, within the proxy variables approach, we recommend this proxy over existing ones. We connect this proxy method to known results about valid weighting/matching functions. We illustrate the method in handling latent covariates when estimating the effect of out-of-school suspension on risk of later police arrests using National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health data.


Objective Emotion regulation group therapy (ERGT) has shown promising results in several efficacy trials. However, it has not been evaluated outside a research setting. In order to increase the availability of empirically supported treatments for individuals with borderline personality disorder and deliberate self-harm, an evaluation of ERGT in routine clinical care was conducted with therapists of different professional backgrounds who had received brief intensive training in ERGT prior to trial onset. Design Multi-site evaluation, using an uncontrolled open trial design with assessments at pretreatment, post-treatment and 6-month follow-up. Setting 14 adult outpatient psychiatric clinics across Sweden. Participants Ninety-five women (mean age=25.1 years) with borderline personality disorder (both threshold and subthreshold) and repeated self-harm were enrolled in the study. Ninety-three per cent of participants completed the post-treatment assessment and 88% completed the follow-up assessment. Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcome was self-harm frequency as measured with the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory. Secondary outcomes included self-harm versatility, emotion dysregulation, other self-destructive behaviours, depression, anxiety, stress symptoms and interpersonal and vocational difficulties. Intervention ERGT is an adjunctive, 14-week, acceptance-based behavioural group treatment that directly targets both self-harm and its proposed underlying mechanism of emotion dysregulation. Results At post-treatment, intent-to-treat analyses revealed a significant improvement associated with a moderate effect size on the primary outcome of self-harm frequency (51%, reduction; Cohen's d=0.52, p<0.001) as well as significant improvements in the secondary outcomes of self-harm versatility, emotion dysregulation, other self-destructive behaviours and general psychiatric symptomatology. These results were either maintained or further improved on at 6-month follow-up. Conclusions ERGT appears to be a feasible, transportable and useful treatment for deliberate self-harm and other self-destructive behaviours, emotion dysregulation and psychiatric symptoms when delivered by clinicians in the community. Trial registration number NCT01986257; results.


The following is the author's description of his paper and not the actual abstract: This Article discusses informational regulation and informational standing. It outlines the rise of informational regulation as an alternative to government command-and-control and offers a discussion of why and when information might be a good regulatory tool. It also shows how the grant of legal rights to information raises a host of novel standing issues, testing the notions of injury in fact, redressability, generalized grievances, and "arguably within the zone" of statutorily protected interests. Based on a detailed analysis of Federal Election Commission v. Akins, and lower court cases, it develops guidelines for standing in informational cases, recognizing that Congress can grant informational standing when it chooses, but that the redressability and "zone" limitations call for denials of standing in some contexts.


Phytoplankton functional traits can represent particular environmental conditions in complex aquatic ecosystems. Categorizing phytoplankton species into functional groups is challenging and time- consuming, and requires high- level expertise in species autecology. In this study, we introduced an affinity analysis to aid the identification of candidate associations of phytoplankton from two data sets comprised of phytoplankton and environmental information. In the Huaihe River Basin with a drainage area of 270,000 km 2 in China, samples were collected from 217 selected sites during the low- water period in May 2013; monthly samples were collected during 2006– 2011 in a man- made pond, Dishui Lake. Our results indicated that the affinity analysis can be used to define some meaningful functional groups. The identified phytoplankton associations reflect the ecological preferences of phytoplankton in terms of light and nutrient acquisition. Advantages and disadvantages of applying the affinity analy sis to identify phytoplankton associations are discussed with perspectives on their utility in ecological assessment.


Risk homeostasis theory (RHT) is a behavioural theory of risk taking in road traffic. So far, most of the published papers concerning RHT and long time series are based on econometric methods which are not very well suited for this purpose. We propose here to address the issue using the concept of stationarity instead of the econometric methods. We then test the RHT with German traffic accident data and specifically analyze compulsory traffic safety measures (the penalty for not using seat belts) which are ineffective according to RHT. Our results, found by using several risk measures, show only weak evidence for RHT. We found that, due to these safety regulations, accident risk was displaced from more to less severe accidents, as the number of severe accidents with fatalities and injuries decreased, as did the average severity of accidents with personal damages. Contrary to RHT, we can show that compulsory safety measures combined with penalties had a strict positive effect on the road traffic accident risk. For the covering abstract and the URL of the conference see ITRD E205706. (A)


Four different aquaporins (AQP1, 2, 5 and 9), integral membrane water channels that facilitate rapid passive movement of water, were immuno-localized in the excurrent ducts collected from sexually mature cats during orchiectomy. Aquaporins 1, 2 and 9, were immuno-localized at distinct levels, whereas AQP5 was undetectable all along the feline genital tract. No immunoreactivity was present at the level of the rete testis with any of the antibodies tested. In the efferent ducts, AQP1-immunoreactivity was strongly evidenced at the apical surface of the non-ciliated cells, and AQP9-immunoreactivity was shown at the periphery of both ciliated and non-ciliated cells. Aquaporins 2 was absent in the caput epididymidis, either in the efferent ducts or in the epididymal duct. Otherwise, AQP2 was increasingly localized at the adluminal surface of principal cells from the corpus to the cauda epididymidis and more weakly in the vas deferens epithelium. The supranuclear zone of the epididymal principal cells was AQP9-immunoreactive throughout the duct, with the exclusion of the vacuolated sub-region of the caput and with higher reaction intensity in the cauda region. AQP1 was present in the blood vessels all along the genital tract. AQP1 was expressed also in the smooth muscle layer of the vas deferens. The tested AQP molecules showed a different expression pattern in comparison with laboratory mammals, primates and the dog, unique other carnivore species studied to date. The present information is possibly useful in regard to the regional morphology of the feline epididymis and correlated functions, which are still a matter of debate.


Migrating analog architectures and equipments to network architectures is underway all across the globe. There is no doubt, a modern instrument must fit the network environment or simply will not be procured. Yet, funding constraints temper wholesale changes to net-centric technologies. The last analog stronghold in our data center is the oscillograph. Over 50 Gould TA 6000 Oscillographs reside at White Sands Missile Range. These are digital implementations of analog recorders, hence require analog signaling. Digital telemetry data (most common format) must be converted to analog to drive an oscillograph that converts analog back to digital to plot the data. The oscillograph's interface board may be "hacked" by removing the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) gaining direct access to the digital signal path. This idea was worth attempting as the prospect of replacing that many recorders with the newer network driven oscillographs is costly hence remote. This paper's topic is the conversion of the hardware and a discussion on software issues. Though not pretty, it does preserve the large recorder investment for the time being. Issues with analog signaling, such as noise, drift and ground loops are gone. A commercial ethernet to digital adapter drives the new digital interface and transforms the recorder into an net-centric instrument.


Recent developments in Afghanistan have set off alarm bells in the Indian strategic community and gains achieved over the past 8-9 years are seen at risk. The author in this book does not see the Afghanistan situation in isolation but very correctly sites it within the complexity of equations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. India is an important part of this equation but this is another facet, much more important that many observers and policymakers mostly ignore, and that is the existential threat to itself that Pakistan sees from its western neighbour resulting largely from the unresolved issue of what is crudely referred to as Pashtunistan.


Determination of uric acid concentration in human urine and blood is needed to diagnose several diseases, especially the occurrence of kidney disease in gout patients. Therefore, it is needed to develop a simple and inexpensive method for uric acid detection. The purpose of the research was to observe the use of Indonesian microbe that was immobilized on natural zeolite as a source of uricase for uric acid biosensor. Selection of mediators and determination of optimum condition measurement, the stability and kinetic properties of L. plantarum uricase were performed using carbon paste electrode. Cyclic voltammetry was employed to investigate the catalytic behavior of the biosensor. The result indicated that the best mediator for measurement of L. plantarum uricase activity was Qo (2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,4 benzoquinone). Optimum conditions for immobilization of L. plantarum uricase on zeolite were obtained at pH 7.6, with temperature of 28 degrees C, using uric acid concentration of 0.015 mM and zeolite mass at 135 mg K(M) and V(Max) of L. plantarum uricase obtained from Lineweaver-burk equation for the immobilization uricase on zeolite were 8.6728 x 10(-4) mM and 6.3052 mM, respectively. K(M) value of L. plantarum uricase directly immobilized onto the electrode surface was smaller than K(M) value of L. plantarum uricase immobilized on zeolite. The smaller K(M) value shows the higher affinity toward the substrate. The Electrode when kept at 10 degrees C was stable until 6 days, however the immobilized electrode on zeolite was stable until 18 days. Therefore, Indonesian L. plantarum could be used as a uric acid biosensor.


This paper aims to have a deconstructionist reading of William Blake's "A Poison Tree." Highly associated with the well-known poststructuralist Jacques Derrida in the late 1960s, deconstruction's primary concern is "the otherness" and "indeterminacy" or "instability" of the ultimate meaning of the text. A deconstructionist reader tries to bring out elements of marginality, supplementarity, and "undecidability" in the reading of texts. Involved in reading the text very closely and critically, a typical deconstructionist tries to recognize how the text differs from what it (its writer) tends to express. Accordingly, the present study sets out to read and analyse William Blake's "A Poison Tree" to discover if the poem, as deconstructionists assert, might include inconsistencies and contradictory points making the meaning of the text "undecidable" and beyond reach. Methodologically, the present study makes an attempt to show how the text is undermining its own philosophy and logic – that is – to demonstrate how the text subverts and differs from what it appears to communicate. At the end it might be concluded that language can be used as an effective means by its user(s) (speakers/writers) to get power, and suppress or marginalize others. It is also demonstrated how texts seem to include contradictory elements- that is – they differ from what they intend to express. All these argumentations can bring us to "indeterminacy" and "instability" of meaning within the text.


An analysis of 255 fibreoptic bronchoscopies showed that the major indication for bronchoscopy was suspected bronchial carcinoma (93% of cases). Of the 183 patients finally shown to have bronchial carcinoma 83% had abnormal bronchoscopy findings and 65% had bronchial biopsy specimens diagnostic of malignancy. These figures were superior to those obtainable with rigid bronchoscopy, particularly with upper lobe and peripheral tumours. Brush biopsy and bronchography were useful supplementary techniques. Sputum cytology gave poorer results than fibreoptic bronchoscopy, but enabled diagnosis in some otherwise undiagnosed cases. The complication rate was low and the claim of this new technique to be the investigation of choice in bronchial carcinoma seemed to be justified in clinical practice.


Theoretical and experimental results on birefringent optical fibers embedded in concrete are presented and discussed. We study the effect of strain on the propagation of light in birefringent fibers embedded in a host material loaded under uniform compression. Both longitudinal and transverse deformations are considered in the analysis since the fiber is embedded along a direction perpendicular to the strain load. The effects of the strain on the birefringence of the fiber and the rotation of the optical axis are studied. The theoretical model is used to determine the best polarimetric system configuration to detect strain. Our experimental work was performed by embedding optical fibers in standard concrete cylinders, attaching resistive electric strain gauges on the surface, and testing the specimens under uniform compressive stress. Optical transmission data from the fiber and readings from the electric strain gauges were simultaneously recorded. >


Biofouling causes huge economic loss and a recent global ban on organotin compounds as antifouling agents has increased the need for safe and effective antifouling compounds. Five structurally similar compounds were isolated from the crude extract of a marine Streptomyces strain obtained from deep-sea sediments. Antifouling activities of these five compounds and four other structurally-related compounds isolated from a North Sea Streptomyces strain against major fouling organisms were compared to probe structure–activity relationships of compounds. The functional moiety responsible for antifouling activity lies in the 2-furanone ring and that the lipophilicity of compounds substantially affects their antifouling activities. Based on these findings, a compound with a straight alkyl side-chain was synthesized and proved itself as a very effective non-toxic, anti-larval settlement agent against three major fouling organisms. The strong antifouling activity, relatively low toxicity, and simple structures of these compounds make them promising candidates for new antifouling additives. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


We present two models for content-based automatic image annotation and retrieval in web image repositories, based on the co-occurrence of tags and visual features in the images. In particular, we show how additional measures can be taken to address the noisy and limited tagging problems, in datasets such as Flickr, to improve performance. As in many state-of-the-art works, an image is represented as a bag of visual terms computed using edge and color information. The cooccurrence information of visual terms and tags is used to create models for image annotation and retrieval. The first model begins with a naive Bayes approach and then improves upon it by using image pairs as single documents to significantly reduce the noise and increase annotation performance. The second method models the visual terms and tags as a graph, and uses query expansion techniques to improve the retrieval performance. We evaluate our methods on the commonly used 150 concept Corel dataset, and a much harder 2000 concept Flickr dataset.


The prototype of a charged particle identifier with 1m x 1m acceptance, has been tested at Fermilab using a pion-proton beam at 40 and 100 GeV/c. Its operation is based on the principle of ionization sampling, and the test results indicate that the prototype achieved the 14% FWHM resolution predicted for the distribution of average ionization for 64 samples taken in an 80% Ar -20% CO2 gas mixture. Dependence of the performance on various parameters is discussed.


Experimental and analytical studies were made on the fatigue behavior and life prediction for argon-arc welded titanium alloy joints, TA15. High cycle fatigue tests at two stress ratios, R=0.5 and 0.06, were carried out on smooth specimens with the argon-arc weld joint located at the specimen center section. Through macroscopic observation and SEM fractographic analysis, it was found that most of the cracks were initiated at weld defects such as voids and inclusions at the edge of weld and in the heat affected zone (HAZ). A small crack methodology based on the plasticity-induced crack-closure concept and the effective stress intensity factor range, ΔKeff , was used to predict the total fatigue life of the weld joints. Large crack growth curve for cracks in the HAZ area was employed as the da/dN-ΔKeff base-line of the TA15 alloy. From fractographic measurements, an average defect size of 100 microns was assumed as the initial small crack size in the life predictions. Predicted total fatigue life by solely considering small crack growth stage agreed well with the experimental data.


Purpose: To study the impact of powder flow properties on dosator filling systems, with particular focus on improvements in dose weight accuracy and repeatability.

Method: This study evaluates a range of critical powder flow properties such as: flow function, cohesion, wall friction, adhesion to wall surfaces, density/compressibility data, stress ratio "K" and gas permeability. The characterisations of the powders considered in this study were undertaken using an annular shear cell using a sample size of 0.5 litres. This tester also incorporated the facility to measure bed expansion during shear in addition to contraction under consolidation forces. A modified Jenike type linear wall friction tester was used to develop the failure loci for the powder sample in conjunction with multiple wall samples (representing a variety of material types and surface finishes). Measurements of the ratio of applied normal stress versus lateral stress were determined using a piece of test equipment specifically designed for the purpose.

Results: The correct characterisation of powders and the incorporation of this data into the design of process equipment are recognised as critical for reliable and accurate operation. An example of one aspect of this work is the stress ratio "K". This characteristic is not well understood or correctly interpreted in many cases – despite its importance. Fig 1 [Omitted] (illustrates a sample of test data. The slope of the line gives the stress ratio in a uniaxial compaction system – indicating the behaviour of the material under compaction during dosing processes.

Conclusions: A correct assessment of the bulk powder properties for a given formulation can allow prediction of: cavity filling behaviour (and hence dosage), efficiency of release from dosator, and strength and stability of extruded dose en route to capsule filling Influences over the effectiveness of dosator systems have been shown to be impacted upon by: bed pre-compaction history, gas permeability in the bed (with respect to local density effects), and friction effects for materials of construction for dosators


After six years of careful preparation the editors have released the first volume of the Papers of Benjamin Franklin. Unquestionably the old master printer's shade is delighted with the first fruits of this project, which will necessarily extend over many years and run to a long series. Volume One promises a set of a quality that will not suffer by comparison with the inevitable yardstick, The Jefferson Papers. On the obvious matters of paper, typography, and format the publishers have spared neither expense nor pains, with results that are completely satisfying. It is a pleasure to hold such a volume.


Author(s): Ramachandran, Loganath; Chaiyakul, Viraphol; Gajski, Daniel D. | Abstract: This report provides instructions for installing and using the VHDL Synthesis System (Version 5.0). VSS is a high level synthesis sytem that synthesizes structures from an abstract description, written with VHDL behavioral constructs. The system uses components from a generic component library (GENUS). The output of VSS is in structural VHDL and could be verified using a commercial VHDL simulator. The designer can control the synthesis process by providing different resource constraints to the system. VSS is also capable of producing different architectures which can be selected by the designer.


Remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) are providing fresh perspectives for the remote sensing of fire. One opportunity is mapping tree crown scorch following fires, which can support science and management. This proof-of-concept shows that crown scorch is distinguishable from uninjured canopy in point clouds derived from low-cost RGB and calibrated RGB-NIR cameras at fine resolutions (centimeter level). The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) provided the most discriminatory spectral data, but a low-cost RGB camera provided useful data as well. Scorch heights from the point cloud closely matched field measurements with a mean absolute error of 0.52 m (n = 29). Voxelization of the point cloud, using a simple threshold NDVI classification as an example, provides a suitable dataset worthy of application and further research. Field-measured scorch heights also showed a relationship to RPAS-thermal-camera-derived fire radiative energy density (FRED) estimates with a Spearman rank correlation of 0.43, but there are many issues still to resolve before robust inference is possible. Mapping fine-scale scorch in 3D with RPAS and SfM photogrammetry is a viable, low-cost option that can support related science and management.


This master's thesis concerns the electrical activity and lifetime in compensated multicrystalline silicon wafers used for solar cell production. Resistivity profiles across grain boundaries have been obtained by a Four Point Probe (FPP). Profiles have been investigated in relation to minority carrier lifetime acquired by Microwave Photo Conductance Decay (uW-PCD). It has been found that a two-step process consisting of pre-annealing at either 600C or at 900C followed by phosphorus diffusion (P) gettering will increase the electrical activity of crystalline defects. It has been proposed that a P gettering step should follow directly after annealing for a better dissolution of metallic precipitates. Introduced defects in the material as a consequence of both pre-annealing at 900$^circ$C and of resistivity measurements before gettering, have possibly enhanced the phosphorus diffusion depth in the gettering process. The higher concentration of phosphorus has lead to an augmented lifetime in the material. Metallic impurity precipitation at defects, affecting the electrical activity and the minority carrier recombination rate, has been observed. A good correlation between grain structure, resistivity- and lifetime profiles has thus been established.


A novel high throughput globally asynchronous locally synchronous wrapper is proposed to improve the network interface performance of network on chip. To prevent the occurrence of data sampling error, both the sender and receiver wrapper use the pausable clocking scheme to stop the clock when data come. The VC is based on Muller pipeline and chosen by the VC selector in the circuit. This wrapper can avoid the comparison between read pointer and write pointer in conventional design scheme and can increase the throughput. Simulations were based on SMIC 0.18um CMOS technology, and the sender wrapper and receiver wrapper have the throughput as high as 810Mflit/s and 820Mflit/s respectively.


The last decade has substantially broadened treatment options for patients with thoracic aortic pathology involving the aortic arch. Traditionally, treatment of aortic arch pathology was a domain of open cardiac surgery. The advent of combined vascular and endovascular procedures opened a new field thereby enabling treatment in previously operated and in less fit patients. As a subsequent technological leap, branched arch endografts became available and are currently gaining acceptance in the community. However, current suitability is limited to specific anatomical conditions. When these are respected, early results are very encouraging. Nevertheless, long-term results have to be awaited.


A higher incidence of suicide attempts can be proved in 328 patients over the age of 45 years with endogenous or neurotic-reactive depression if they have experienced loss in childhood through death of or separation from one parent. The increased incidence of suicide attempts can largely be attributed to loss of the father. It is not the experience of loss in itself that predisposes to depressive-suicidal syndromes, rather there are various decisive factors that determine processing of loss experiences and influence the child's further development. The frequency of suicide attempts in the case of loss of the father does not allow any conclusions about immediate causal connections. Loss of the father is to be understood as part of an overall process in which important interpersonal relationships are altered and reconstructed.


Breast cancer is the most common cancer in woman which includes 25% of all cancers in woman.

Biopsy is the gold standard method for diagnosis of breast messes but since about 70% of the breast masses are bengin, non-invasive diagnostic methods including FNA are more useful and important. Here we decide to compare the results of FNA with biopsy of palpable breast masses in patients referred to Imam-Reza hospital , Kermanshah.

Materials & Method: All the selected patients (58 patients) with palpable masses referring with biopsy were selected, and FNA were performed. Then smears were stained with pap and Gaimsa methods and were reviewed by two pathologists, separately.

Results: FNA was done on 58 patients with median age of 40.82±12.8 years .The results of cytologic diagnosis and pathologic study were comparable for the first and second pathologist in 78%(kappa:0.59) and 86%(kappa79%), respectively. Percent of agreement of FNA cytologic diagnosis for two pathologist was 86%.Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value was 77.23, 91.12, 88.64, 83.54 and 85%, respectively.

Conclusion: It appears that FNA is an essential method for diagnosing breast masses and this test is a complementary method. Meanwhile, FNA for diagnosis is more powerful when it is accompanied by radiological and clinical data.


Proclus' commentary on Plato's "Timaeus" is perhaps the most important surviving Neoplatonic commentary. In it Proclus contemplates nature's mysterious origins and at the same time employs the deductive rigour required to address perennial philosophical questions. Nature, for him, is both divine and mathematically transparent. He renders theories of Time, Eternity, Providence, Evil, Soul and Intellect and constructs an elaborate ontology that includes mathematics and astronomy. He gives ample play to pagan theology too, frequently lapsing into the arcane language of the "Chaldaean Oracles". "Ten Gifts of the Demiurge" is an essential companion to this rich but complex and densely wrought text, providing an analysis of its arguments and showing that it, like the cosmos Proclus reveres, is a living coherent whole. The book provides aides to understanding Proclus' work within the complex background of Neoplatonic philosophy, familiarising the reader with the political context of the Athenian school, analysing Proclus' key terminology, and giving background to the philosophical arguments and ancient sciences upon which Proclus draws. Above all, it helps the reader appreciate the varicoloured light that Proclus sheds on the secrets of nature.


We report on pure-quantum-state polariton condensates in optical annular traps. The study of the underlying mechanism reveals that the polariton wave function always coalesces in a single pure quantum state that, counter-intuitively, is always the uppermost confined state with the highest overlap with the exciton reservoir. The tunability of such states combined with the short polariton lifetime allows for ultrafast transitions between coherent mesoscopic wave functions of distinctly different symmetries, rendering optically confined polariton condensates a promising platform for applications such as many-body quantum circuitry and continuous-variable quantum processing.


The complexation of perrhenate (ReO(4)(-)) anions by the uranyl (UO(2)(2+)) cation has been investigated by joint molecular dynamics simulations and spectroscopic (UV-vis, TRLFS, and EXAFS) studies in aqueous solution, acetonitrile, and three ionic liquids (ILs), namely, [Bmi][Tf(2)N], [Me(3)BuN][Tf(2)N], and [Bu(3)MeN][Tf(2)N] that are based on the same Tf(2)N(-) anion (bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) and either Bmi(+) (1-butyl,3-methylimidazolium), Me(3)BuN(+), or Bu(3)MeN(+) cations. They show that ReO(4)(-) behaves as a weak ligand in aqueous solution and as a strong ligand in acetonitrile and in the ILs. According to MD simulations in aqueous solution, the UO(2)(ReO(4))(2) complex quickly dissociates to form UO(2)(H(2)O)(5)(2+), while in acetonitrile, a stable UO(2)(ReO(4))(5)(3-) species forms from dissociated ions. In the ILs, the UO(2)(ReO(4))(n)(2-n) complexes (n = 1 to 5) remained stable along the dynamics, and to assess their relative stabilities, we computed the free energy profiles for stepwise ReO(4)(-) complexation to uranyl. In the two studied ILs, complexation is favored, leading to the UO(2)(ReO(4))(5)(3-) species in [Bmi][Tf(2)N] and to UO(2)(ReO(4))(4)(2-) in [Bu(3)MeN][Tf(2)N]. Furthermore, in both acetonitrile and [Bmi][Tf(2)N] solutions, MD and PMF simulations support the formation of dimeric uranyl complexes [UO(2)(ReO(4))(4)](2)(4-) with two bridging ReO(4)(-) ligands. The simulation results are qualitatively consistent with spectroscopic observations in the different solvents, without firmly concluding, however, on the precise composition and structure of the complexes in the solutions.


Tailoring the physical properties of hybrid lead metal halide APbX3 perovskites by means of compositional engineering is one of the key factors contributing to the development of highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells. While the beneficial effects of partial ionic replacement at the A- and X-sites are largely demonstrated, partial replacement of Pb2+ is less explored. Here, we developed a solution-based procedure to prepare thin films of mixed-metal MAPb1-aMnaI3 perovskites. Although Mn2+ ions have a size that can potentially fit in the B-sites of MAPbI3, using a combination of structural and chemical analysis, we show that only less than 10% of Pb2+ can be replaced by Mn2+. A 3% replacement of Pb2+ by Mn2+ leads to an elongation of the charge carrier lifetimes as concluded from time-resolved PL measurements. However, by analysis of the time-resolved microwave conductance data, we show that the charge carrier mobilities are largely unbalanced, which is in accordance with density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicating that the effective mass of the hole is much higher than that of the electron. Increasing the concentration of Mn2+ in the precursor solution above 10% results in formation of amorphous Mn-rich domains in the film, while the perovskite lattice becomes depleted of Mn2+. These domains negatively affect the charge carrier mobilities and shorten the lifetime of photogenerated carriers. The resulting reduction in charge carrier diffusion lengths will severely limit the photovoltaic properties of solar cells prepared from these mixed metal halide perovskites.


The grey relation analysis is a kind of quantitative analysis method based on factors compared. The information axiom of axiomatic design provides a mean of evaluation by comparing the information content of several alternatives, based on which a new method for multi-attribute decision making is proposed. First, according to decision matrix of all decision making criteria, the ideal alternative composed of the best reference data series among all alternatives is constructed. Then the information content is used to evaluate the relation grade between an individual alternative and the ideal alternative. The fuzzy preferences are utilized to determine the weight of each criterion. The total information content of every alternative is calculated, and arrayed in order, so the optimal alternative can be selected. For requirements of evaluation, the calculation formula of information content is amended. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.


We study the complexity of proving the Pigeon Hole Principle (PHP) in a monotone variant of the Gentzen Calculus, also known as Geometric Logic. We show that the standard encoding of the PHP as a monotone sequent admits quasipolynomial-size proofs in this system. This result is a consequence of deriving the basic properties of certain quasipolynomial-size monotone formulas computing the boolean threshold functions. Since it is known that the shortest proofs of the PHP in systems such as Resolution or Bounded Depth Frege are exponentially long, it follows from our result that these systems are exponentially separated from the monotone Gentzen Calculus. We also consider the monotone sequent (CLIQUE) expressing the clique-coclique principle defined by Bonet, Pitassi and Raz (1997). We show that monotone proofs for this sequent can be easily reduced to monotone proofs of the one-to-one and onto PHP, and so CLIQUE also has quasipolynomial-size monotone proofs. As a consequence, Cutting Planes with polynomially bounded coefficients is also exponentially separated from the monotone Gentzen Calculus. Finally, a simple simulation argument implies that these results extend to the Intuitionistic Gentzen Calculus. Our results partially answer some questions left open by P. Pudlak.


This paper reports a rational strategy using 'supramolecular bimetallogel' as a template to synthesize a series of bimetal (Fe–Co, Fe–Ni or Fe–Mn)/nitrogen co-doped carbon electrocatalysts for ORR with excellent performance. The bimetallogel nanofiber network serves as both bimetal and N sources as well as host matrix for the commercially available carbon. Thermal treatment of the bimetallogels enables homogenous in situ doping of the bimetal and N, affording bimetal/N co-doped carbon catalysts.


These are sumptuously produced, oversized volumes: one pictures them, as I suspect some shrewd accountant at the press did, decorating the shelves of lawyers' offices. Their pages are crammed full of primary texts, two columns on each page, in an alarmingly small but somehow readable typeface. Some texts are bare snippets; others wind on luxuriantly for many pages. The editors have set a cutoff point: no text from after 1835 appears. Like much else about these volumes, that decision reflects a set of theoretical commitments about the Constitution that I want to question. Not that these volumes are explicitly cast as a tract or even an argument of any sort. Quite the contrary: they are cast, unassumingly, as a reference work. After an opening volume canvassing some "major themes," the selections are organized around the text of the Constitution itself. Pretty much one clause at a time, the editors march through the text and present an array of documents designed to shed light on its meaning. So one can look up, say, Article 2, Section 1, Clause 1 ("The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows") and read twenty-three accompanying selections. But even reference works have their theoretical commitments. Included are some all too familiar texts. The great bulk of the Federalist Papers are reprinted somewhere or other. So are lots of the Antifederalist Papers made familiar by Storing's collection: all sixteen of Brutus's papers show up. One can count on finding the relevant discussions from the Records of the Constitutional Convention, and Joseph Story's 1833 Commentaries. Jefferson and Madison rehearse once again their celebrated exchange on rewriting constitutions in light of the liberal maxim that the earth belongs to the living (1:68-71). Abigail Adams once again implores husband John to "Remember the Ladies" and extend them the franchise; John once again produces the routine but incongruous comeback that "in Practice you know We are the subjects" (1:518-19). Indeed some selections appear more than once. This policy is an inexplicable waste of space, and I wish the editors had stuck consistently to their more sensible alternative policy of listing only the title of repeat entries and identifying where the actual text might be found.


The circadian system generates an endogenous oscillatory rhythm that governs the daily activities of organisms in nature. It offers adaptive advantages to organisms through a coordination of their biological functions with the optimal time of day. In this paper, a model of the circadian system in the plant Arabidopsis (species thaliana) is built by using system identification techniques. Prior knowledge about the physical interactions of the genes and the proteins in the plant circadian system is incorporated in the model building exercise. The model is built by using primarily experimentally-verified direct interactions between the genes and the proteins with the available data on mRNA and protein abundances from the circadian system. Our analysis reveals a great performance of the model in predicting the dynamics of the plant circadian system through the effect of diverse internal and external perturbations (gene knockouts and day-length changes). Furthermore, we found that the circadian oscillatory rhythm is robust and does not vary much with the biochemical parameters except those of a light-sensitive protein P and a transcription factor TOC1. In other words, the circadian rhythmic profile is largely a consequence of the network's architecture rather than its particular parameters. Our work suggests that the current experimental knowledge of the gene-to-protein interactions in the plant Arabidopsis, without considering any additional hypothetical interactions, seems to suffice for system-level modeling of the circadian system of this plant and to present an exemplary platform for the control of network dynamics in complex living organisms.


Connection with haunch is a new type of rigid connection. Single and cyclic load test is modeled using the program ANSYS. The result under different axial-compression ratio including hysteretic curve, the energy dissipation coefficient, and the plastic angle on beam ending is ascertained. The hysteretic curve under the ratio 0.3-0.6 is stable, and shows better plastic rotation ability. It exists a limit that axial-compression ratio has an effect on the connection with haunch, the model in this paper is 0.6. With hunch, the node can not only make the relocation of the plastic angle occur, but also increase yield stiffness, ultimate load, energy dissipation coefficient, linear displacement ductility coefficient and the plastic angle of beam end.


Surface plastic deformation form and residual stress distribution of nano-ceramics machined by ordinary grinding and two-dimensional ultrasonic grinding respectively were investigated. The obtained results show that machined surface residual stress in the two grinding modes is extrusion stress, and it decreased with the increasing of grinding depth. But the decrease of residual stress under two-dimensional ultrasonic grinding is less than that under normal grinding. In addition, under the same grinding parameters, the surface residual stress on two-dimensional ultrasonic vibration grinding is larger than that on ordinary grinding, and if other parameters unchanged, it is increased with the increase of wear particle granularity in the two grinding modes. It is produced by the reason that ductile regime of ceramic grinding become larger under ultrasonic grinding, so that material is still removed by plastic form at great depth. Plastic removal mode will produce greater surface extrusion stress, so with the increasing of grinding depth, the decreasing of residual stress under two-dimensional ultrasonic vibration grinding is less than that under the normal grinding. At the same time, the regular separating between wear particle and work piece improves the heat emission condition, which is also one of the reasons that the surface residual stress under two-dimensional ultrasonic grinding is larger than that under ordinary grinding.


: The social behavior, and particularly the spacing patterns, of a marmoset (Saguinus fuscicollis) group in a semi-naturalistic enclosure were observed for 14 months. Data analysis revealed various changes as the group grew in size from four to eventually six members. Weekly mean distances between the adult pair supported a spatial measure for estrus for the female. Group dispersion, mean squared distance between all possible pairs, seemed to vary with the age composition of the group. Factor analysis of location correlation matrices by 4-week blocks resulted in age-related subgroupings. Each of the adult pair formed an independent subgroup except for behavioral estrus and early infant care periods when they formed one subgroup. The offspring, initially attached to the adults, gradually moved into juvenile/subadult subgroups. Increasing spatial independence was shown as an animal approached adulthood at 24 months of age.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Deep learning is a subset of machine learning and artificial intelligence in which algorithms are developed to train machines/computers to detect a specific feature or classify objects. There is limited assessment of this method to identify and classify images in urology. We sought to assess the accuracy of deep learning method to automatically detect stone composition from images of kidney stones. METHODS: Human kidney stones of different compositions were obtained from a stone analysis laboratory including pure (>90%) Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate (COM), Uric Acid (UA), Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate Hexahydrate (MAPH), Calcium Hydrogen Phosphate Dihydrate (CHPD) and Cystine stones. Two images were captured for the majority of stones and images were cropped to remove the background. A deep convolutional neural network was trained with the images to predict the stone composition. The outcome was accuracy of the network in detecting stone composition by cross validation method. RESULTS: A total of 63 stones were used in this study including 21 COM, 17 UA, 7 MAPH, 14 CHPD, and 4 Cystine stones consisting of a total of 128 images. The accuracy of identifying stone composition were as follow: 90% for COM, 94% for UA, 86% for MAPH, 71% for CHPD, and 75% for Cystine stones. Figure 1 depicts samples of the stones before cropping. Figure 2 demonstrates a schematic for the algorithm used in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Deep learning computer vision methods can be used to detect kidney stone composition with high accuracy and has the potential to replace laboratory analysis of stone composition. The accuracy can be improved by increasing the number of stones used for training the network. Future work is needed to see if deep learning can be used for detecting mixed kidney stone composition. Figure. No caption available. Figure. No caption available. Source of Funding: None


General education placements are believed to offer numerous benefits for students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs), yet decisions about including students with HFASDs remain controversial. This article presents data from a qualitative analysis of definitions and decision making considerations for a school district with a rapidly increasing HFASD student population. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with a diverse group of educators from four elementary schools that offered inclusion placement options as part of their continuum of services. Objectives for this study included documenting how educators from different schools and professional disciplines define and make decisions about inclusion for students with HFASDs.


The accommodation of left turns at signalized intersections plays a significant role in the overall operational efficiency of urban traffic networks. Allowing left turns in traditional ways (such as implementing protected, permitted, and protected–permitted phasing schemes) reduces available intersection capacity but provides vehicles the most direct routing options to reach their destinations. Prohibiting left turns allows simpler phasing plans but requires vehicles to travel longer distances. This paper uses macroscopic performance measures to quantify and compare the efficiency of urban grid networks when various left-turn treatments, including left-turn prohibitions, are implemented. The findings reveal that prohibiting left turns generally increases a network's maximum trip completion rate, especially when trips are not very short; however, left-turn prohibitions reduce efficiency in very light or heavy traffic conditions. A dynamic strategy is proposed: left turns are allowed only during light traffic or heavy congestion and are prohibited for moderate congestion levels near capacity. This strategy allows the network to operate at the highest efficiency possible for any traffic accumulation. This strategy is identified and tested with analytical and simulation investigations of idealized grid networks. The results provide insight into how more realistic networks might be managed to maximize efficiency by changing only how left turns are treated at signalized intersections.


A new continuum damage theory (CDT) has been proposed by Lee et al. (1996) based on the SEEP. The CDT has the apparent advantage over the other related theories because the complete constitutive law can be readily derived by simply replacing the virgin elastic stiffness with the effective orthotropic elastic stiffness obtained by using the proposed continuum damage theory. In this paper, the CDT is evaluated by the numerical experiment comparing the mode shapes and natural frequencies of a square plate containing a small line-through crack with those of the same plate with a damaged site replaced with the effective orthotropic elastic stiffness computed by using the CDT.


The premise that analyzing and studying the factors that effect university town ecological physical environment (UTEPE), UTEPE impact factors are the thermal environment, sound environment, light environment, eco-energy saving design. This paper establishes the evaluation method for UTEPE which is based on fuzzy math. We evaluate the quality of UTEPE comprehensively in this way. Renewable energy, nontraditional water source, green construction materials, water-saving appliances, energy-saving lamps, bicycle & public traffic system are very important for creating good quality physical environment in university town. In this paper, according to the impact factors of the UTEPE and using the fuzzy mathematical theory on evaluating the UTEPE comprehensively can reflect the real situation more objectively and accurately. The construction of model is simple and practical. Comprehensive evaluation utilizes the combination of the general public survey and expert evaluation, which benefits to reflect the democratic spirit. It also provides the reference to improve the UTEPE.


The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of appropriately designed multimedia software for both conversational and formal styles with respect to various variables. The model of nonequivalent control group was used in the study. While the group studying with the multimedia material in formal style included 22 students, the other group studying in the conversational style included 23 students. The data collection tools used in the study involved an achievement test, the cognitive load scale for both groups and a questionnaire about the students' views of the style used in the personalized group. As a result, a significant difference was found between the cognitive load scores of the students in the personalized group and those of the students in the non-personalized group. However, no significant difference was found between the background knowledge levels of the personalized and non-personalized groups and their posttest achievement scores. In the study, the learners who were in the personalized group stated that the style used in the software motivated them to study and they felt as if they were talking to a human. Additionally, they stated that they preferred similar multimedia software to be used in their other courses and they demanded the use of such multimedia software in face-to-face education.


In the context of the CO2 challenge, oxy-fuel combustion in internal combustion engines (OFC-ICE) arises as a promising technology for carbon capture and almost zero-NOx solutions. Although the literature shows some experimental and theoretical works on OFC-ICE, there is a lack of systematic studies dealing with dilution strategies or where non-synthetic EGR is used. Using a combination of 0D-1D and CFD modeling and experimental measurements, dilution with oxygen (λ > 1) and real EGR in a single-cylinder spark-ignition OFC-ICE is here assessed, considering thermo-mechanical limitations and knocking. Results show that an EGR strategy is more appropriate than O2 dilution. A slightly poor mixture near stoichiometric conditions, with EGR rates around 70%, reduces NOx more than 99%, and CO and uHC up to 90% with respect to the conventional ICE. It is concluded that OFC-ICE has a lower knocking propensity, thus allowing to increase the compression ratio to partially compensate for the expected efficiency diminution to about 4 percentage points.


Spin relaxation is investigated theoretically in two-dimensional systems. Various semiconductor structures of both n and p types are studied in detail. The most important spin relaxation mechanisms are considered. The spin relaxation times are calculated taking into account the contributions to the spin-orbit interaction due to the bulk inversion asymmetry and to the structure inversion asymmetry. It is shown that in-plane anisotropy of electron spin relaxation appears in III-V asymmetrical heterostructures. This anisotropy may be controlled by external parameters, and the spin relaxation times differ by several orders of magnitude.


In his recent book, Phillip Pettit presents a model of popular control over government, according to which it consists in the government being subject to those policy-making norms that everyone accepts. In this paper, I provide a formal statement of this interpretation of popular control, which illuminates its relationship to other interpretations of the idea with which it is easily conflated, and which gives rise to a theorem, similar to the famous Gibbard-Satterthwaite theorem. The theorem states that if government policy is subject to popular control, as Pettit interprets it, and policy responds positively to changes in citizens' normative attitudes, then there is a single individual whose normative attitudes unilaterally determine policy. I use the model and theorem as an illustrative example to discuss the role of mathematics in normative political theory.


Sunmmiary. Particuilate cell wall polysaccharide synthetase from oat coleoptiles could use either guanosine diphosphate glucose or turidine diphosphate glucose; the latter was a much more effective glucose donor. The neutral polymer derived from uridine diphosphate glu-cose utilization yielded, after cellulase digestion, mostly cellobiose and to a lesser extent a suibstance tentatively identified as a mixed-linkage ,l1,4 = 81,3-trisaccharide; only cellobiose was found after guanosine diphosphate glucose utilization. The uridine diphosphate glucose utilizing system was inactivated by peroxyacetyl nitrate treatment of intact tissue and to a lesser extent by ozone treatment suggesting that this system is a possible site of interfereince with cellulose and non-cellulosic gltucani biosynthesis in vivo. Direct treatment of the enzyme in vitro by peroxyacetyl nitrate, iodoacetamide or p-chloromercuribenzoate also inactivated the enzyme, indicating that the mechanism of inactivation possibly involves reaction with sulfhydryl groups.


The objective of the study was to assess the potential mechanisms by which the microbiome influences immune responses in allergy and asthma, especially during early childhood and to evaluate the evidence of respiratory and gut microbiota dysbiosis. The development and progression of allergy and asthma may depend on individual susceptibility, allergen exposure, infections, and exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution. In recent years there has increasingly been an emphasis on the importance of microbiota in the regulation of immune response and the development of atopic diseases, as well as asthma. Commensal microbes are necessary for the induction of a balanced and tolerogenic immune system especially at an early age. An insufficiency of early life exposure to the environmental microbiota necessary for colonization of the gastrointestinal and/or respiratory tracts results in the development of asthma and allergic diseases. On the other hand, disturbed physiological flora in the digestive and respiratory tract also increase the risk for development and progression of asthma and allergy (allergic march). Microbiota in the gut and lungs may influence both the onset and progression of childhood asthma. These microbiota can be modulated by various environmental factors, including the type of delivery, early-life microbial exposures, diet, antibiotics. Conclusion – Intervention regarding airway microbiome, particularly in early life, might be a strategy  for prevention or treatment of asthma and allergies. Further investigations are needed to improve our understanding of the role of the microbiome in inflammation, and to clarify the effect of the regulation of lung and gut microbiota and its influence on the prevention or treatment of allergic diseases and asthma.


People with ID represent approximately 2% of the population and, as a group, experience poorer health than the general population. This article presents recent conceptualizations that begin to disentangle health from disability, summarizes the literature from 1999 to 2005 in terms of the cascade of disparities, reviews intervention issues and promising practices, and provides recommendations for future action and research. The reconceptualization of health and disability examines health disparity in terms of the determinants of health (genetic, social circumstances, environment, individual behaviors, health care access) and types of health conditions (associated, comorbid, secondary). The literature is summarized in terms of a cascade of disparities experienced by people with ID, including a higher prevalence of adverse conditions, inadequate attention to care needs, inadequate focus on health promotion, and inadequate access to quality health care services. Promising practices are reviewed from the perspective of persons with ID, providers of care and services, and policies that influence systems of care. Recommendations across multiple countries and organizations are synthesized as guidelines to direct future action. They call for promoting principles of early identification, inclusion, and self-determination of people with ID; reducing the occurrence and impact of associated, comorbid, and secondary conditions; empowering caregivers and family members; promoting healthy behaviors in people with ID; and ensuring equitable access to quality health care by people with ID. Their broadscale implementations would begin to reduce the health disparity experienced by people with ID.


The copula-based modeling of multivariate distributions with continuous margins is presented as a succession of rank-based tests: a multivariate test of randomness followed by a test of mutual independence and a series of goodness-of-fit tests. All the tests under consideration are based on the empirical copula, which is a nonparametric rank-based estimator of the true unknown copula. The principles of the tests are recalled and their implementation in the copula R package is briefly described. Their use in the construction of a copula model from data is thoroughly illustrated on real insurance and financial data.


In this study, the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the modulation of the activity of NCX1, NCX2, and NCX3 exchangers was investigated in baby hamster kidney cells singly transfected with each of these isoforms by single-cell Fura-2-microfluorometry and patch clamp. Furthermore, the molecular determinants of NO on each isoform were identified by deletion, site-directed mutagenesis, and chimera strategies. Our data revealed four main findings. First, the NO-donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP; 10 nM) and the NO-precursor l-arginine (10 mM) were both able to increase NCX1 activity in a cGMP-independent way. Moreover, within the amino acid sequence 723 to 734 of the f-loop, Cys730 resulted as the target of NO on NCX1. Second, SNAP and l-arginine were able to increase NCX2 activity, but this effect was prevented by the guanylate cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ). In addition, the membrane-permeable 8-bromoguanosine-cGMP alone was able to mimic the stimulatory effect of the gaseous mediator, suggesting the involvement of a cGMP-dependent mechanism. Within the amino acid sequence 699 to 744 of the f-loop, Ser713 was the NO molecular determinant on the NCX2 protein; Third, NCX3 activity was instead down-regulated by NO in a cGMP-independent manner. This NO-inhibitory action was exerted at the level of Cys156 in the α1-region outside the f-loop. Finally, the activity of the two NCX3 chimeras—obtained by the replacement of the NO-insensitive NCX3 region with the homologous NO-sensitive segments of NCX1 or NCX2—was potentiated by SNAP. Together, the present data demonstrate that NO differently regulates the activity of the three gene products NCX1, NCX2, and NCX3 by modulating specific molecular determinants.


The high prevalence of depression among college students has a strong negative impact on individual physical and mental health, academic development, and interpersonal communication. This paper reviewed the extant literature by identifying nonpathological factors related to college students' depression, investigating the methods of predicting depression, and exploring nonpharmaceutical interventions for college students' depression. The influencing factors of college students' depression mainly fell into four categories: biological factors, personality and psychological state, college experience, and lifestyle. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 has exacerbated the severity of depression among college students worldwide and poses grave challenges to the prevention and treatment of depression, given that the coronavirus has spread quickly with high infection rates, and the pandemic has changed the daily routines of college life. To predict and measure mental health, more advanced methods, such as machine algorithms and artificial intelligence, have emerged in recent years apart from the traditional commonly used psychological scales. Regarding nonpharmaceutical prevention measures, both general measures and professional measures for the prevention and treatment of college students' depression were examined in this study. Students who experience depressive disorders need family support and personalized interventions at college, which should also be supplemented by professional interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and online therapy. Through this literature review, we insist that the technology of identification, prediction, and prevention of depression among college students based on big data platforms will be extensively used in the future. Higher education institutions should understand the potential risk factors related to college students' depression and make more accurate screening and prevention available with the help of advanced technologies.


Electrical excitation of small thoracic vagal branches elicited highly localized responses in the canine heart. Specific pathways to the sinoatrial nodal (SAN) regions were identified from negative chronotropic responses to stimulation (20 Hz, 5.0 ms, 3.0-5.0 V) of these branches. Pathways to the atrioventricular nodal (AVN) region were determined from changes in A-H interval (His bundle electrogram) and incidence of heart block as vagal branches were stimulated during concurrent atrial pacing. A few small branches influenced a single cardiac function (atrial rate, contractile force, or AV conduction). More commonly, activation of such branches elicited simultaneous chronotropic and dromotropic effects. However, many branches failed to elicit any detectable cardiac change. The major outflow from the left vagus to SAN and AVN regions is by way of cardiac branches from the recurrent laryngeal nerve at its reflection around the aorta. Activation of the left recurrent nerve reduced atrial rate by 43% and doubled A-H interval 84 to 167 ms. The right thoracic vagus or its branches induced A-H prolongation from 78 to 131 ms. H-V intervals remained constant at a mean of 35 ms. Outflows from the right thoracic vagus to SAN and/or AVN regions originated just below the middle cervical ganglion and at all levels down to the azygos vein.


The purpose of this theoretical thesis is to research the problem: producing optimized content for handheld real-time CG applications. This thesis is based on existing literature studiesregarding the subject. It will explore the topic on how to deal with draw calls, shaderoptimizations, hard/smooth edges and how engines deal with polygons and textures and howthis correlates with current technical limitations of current game engines for handheld realtime applications such as the iPhone. On these grounds, the thesis will expand on the subject of how those topics affect the hardware; more specifically targeted the GPU and CPU onmobile devices.Today, the hardware used on mobile devices on the market is limited; it is important tounderstand that a lot of factors come in to play and making optimization a part of the design, not a final step regarding the creation of content is vital when creating CG applications formobile devices. A closer look at the available evidences suggests that when dealing with the limited resources available every performance aspect should be closely looked into. It is vital to optimize the content and correlate your game budget accordingly to the marketed device. In the end it will make for a better game. This thesis sheds a light on the development strategiesfor CG applications on handheld devices.


This dissertation with the title "The Valuation of River Ecosystem Services" consists of three papers. It begins with the retrospect of the historical development of cost-benefit analysis and the non-market valuation techniques (Paper 1 and 2). We highlight that the origin of cost-benefit analysis in America rooted in the water resource management, including navigation, flood control, irrigation and water power, which are deemed ecosystem services of rivers today. This means that cost-benefit analysis has dealt with the valuation of ecosystem services from its very beginning. In the long history of cost-benefit analysis from France to America, the concept consumers' surplus was introduced by Dupuit which provided a basis to the later development of non-market valuation methods, and market-based valuation methods were established by the Green Book. When economists took part in the work of cost-benefit analysis in the 1950s, they made great effort to develop a variety of non-market valuation techniques and applied them to value air quality, water quality and recreational activities. These methods, market-based together with non-market, have played and will still play a pivotal role in the current context of the economic valuation of ecosystem services.
Focusing on the regulating services of floodplain ecosystems in Lower Saxony, the principle of cost-benefit analysis and market-based valuation methods are applied in the third paper to search suitable areas for the establishment of riparian forests, which have currently drawn great attention due to their contributions to flood control, nutrient retention, carbon storage, as well as their provisions of habitats and migration corridors for plants and animals. The identification of suitable areas is realized by an ecological-economic selection criterion, which consists of a net present value and a set of ecological factors. To calculate the net present value, the costs for land purchasing and afforestation, the benefits of flood control, nutrient retention, carbon storage and biodiversity are considered. The ecological factors include land use type, part of floodplain, floodplain status, area of land, priority area (e.g. conservation area), flood risk, as well as habitat quality. A data bank created from various data sources by means of ArcGIS shows the spatial position of all potential areas and all the attributes of every area. The areas selected by the ecological factors make clear, how much net benefit a specific area can yield through the establishment of riparian forest. From a methodological point of view this study supplement the traditional cost-benefit analysis by the fact that the method used attempts to define the possible alternatives (suitable areas for floodplain forest establishment) under certain political objectives (improving the floodplains) based on the net monetary benefit and ecological factors. In addition, the set of factors is flexible to change according to different policy requirements.
The final paper turns attention to the cultural ecosystem services of rivers, which is a road less traveled. Through a case study on the Weser River in Germany, this paper aims to answer the questions what the cultural ecosystem services actually are and how these intangible services can be operationally assessed. In the MA framework we identify a set of clearly defined indicators for all categories of cultural services. Since these categories are usually interrelated and overlapping, the advantage of this approach is to avoid double-counting. Coats of arms are chosen as the indicator for the service category sense of place; bridges, ferries, canals, harbours, barrages and dikes for cultural heritage; legends, poems, novels, songs and paintings for the inspirational service; museums for the educational service; observation platforms for the aesthetic service; cycle route, swimming areas, landing stages for boating and shipping, and camping sites for the recreational service. Although the cultural services are assessed in a qualitative way, we hope that our findings will provide insight for the work of economic valuation in the future.


This work describes and empirically evaluates the middleware platform of a new network architecture called the Bio-Networking Architecture. The Bio-Networking Architecture is inspired by the observation that the biological systems (e.g., bee colonies) have already developed mechanisms necessary to achieve future network requirements such as autonomy, scalability, adaptability, and simplicity. In the Bio-Networking Architecture, a network application is implemented as a group of distributed, autonomous and diverse objects called cyber-entities (CEs) (analogous to a bee colony consisting of multiple bees). Each CE implements a functional service related to the application and follows simple behaviors similar to biological entities (e.g., reproduction and migration). In the Bio-Networking Architecture, beneficial application characteristics (e.g., autonomy, scalability, adaptability, and simplicity) arise from the autonomous interaction of CEs. The middleware platform in the Bio-Networking Architecture, the bionet platform, provides reusable software components for developing, deploying, and executing CEs. The components abstract low-level operating and networking details, and implement high-level runtime services that CEs use to perform their services and behaviors. The components in the bionet platform are designed based on several biological concepts (e.g., energy exchange and pheromone emission). This work describes key designs of the bionet platform and empirically demonstrates that the bionet platform is efficient, scalable, reusable, and significantly simplifies development of network applications.


The island of Kauai has always been interpreted as a single shield volcano, but lavas of previously correlated reversed-to-normal magnetic-polarity transitions on opposite sides of the island differ significantly in isotopic composition. Samples from west Kauai have 87Sr/86Sr 18.25; samples from east Kauai have 87Sr/86Sr > 0.7037, ϵNd ≤ 6.14, and 206Pb/204Pb < 18.25. Available data suggest that a younger eastern shield grew on the collapsed flank of an older western one.


We formally investigate the medium-to-long-run dynamics emerging out of a Dutch disease-cum-financialization phenomenon. We take inspiration from the most recent Colombian development pattern. The "pure" Dutch disease first causes deindustrialization by permanently appreciating the economy's exchange rate in the long run. Financialization, i.e. booming capital inflows taking place in a climate of natural resource-led financial over-optimism, causes medium-run exchange rate volatility and macroeconomic instability. This jeopardizes manufacturing development even further by raising macroeconomic uncertainty. We advise the adoption of capital controls and a developmentalist monetary policy to tackle these two distinct but often intertwined phenomena.


Senzit increased volume velocity of the cerebral blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain tissues under normal conditions at the expense of a decrease of the cerebral vessels tone. In transient cerebral ischemia the drug prevents disorders of cerebral circulation and a lowering of oxygen tension in the brain tissue. A prophylactic administration of senzit in carotid arterial occlusion prevents the development of edema and death of animals. Oral senzit produced an increase of blood supply to the brain and hypocoagulation changes in hemostasis system in patients with chronic insufficiency of cerebral circulation.


The go/no-go task is one in which there are two choices, but the subject responds only to one of them, waiting out a time-out for the other choice. The task has a long history in psychology and modern applications in the clinical/neuropsychological domain. In this article, we fit a diffusion model to both experimental and simulated data. The model is the same as the two-choice model and assumes that there are two decision boundaries and termination at one of them produces a response, and at the other, the subject waits out the trial. In prior modeling, both two-choice and go/no-go data were fit simultaneously, and only group data were fit. Here the model is fit to just go/no-go data for individual subjects. This allows analyses of individual differences, which is important for clinical applications. First, we fit the standard two-choice model to two-choice data and fit the go/no-go model to reaction times (RTs) from one of the choices and accuracy from the two-choice data. Parameter values were similar between the models and had high correlations. The go/no-go model was also fit to data from a go/no-go version of the task with the same subjects as the two-choice task. A simulation study with ranges of parameter values that are obtained in practice showed similar parameter recovery between the two-choice and go/no-go models. Results show that a diffusion model with an implicit (no response) boundary can be fit to data with almost the same accuracy as fitting the two-choice model to two-choice data.


In this paper, the method of magnetic poles shifting was combined with optimization method to reduce cogging torque in solid-rotor permanent-magnet synchronous motors. Although the finite-element method (FEM) can calculate the cogging torque accurately, to find the peak value of cogging torque, the cogging torque for different relative positions between permanent magnets and slots must be calculated; thus, the optimization will take a long time. To reduce optimization time, a novel analytical method was proposed to determine the initial value and feasible range of the shifting angles. Then the optimization method and FEM were used to minimize the cogging torque. Two prototype motors were analyzed and optimized, respectively. It was proved that the cogging torque can be greatly reduced by the proposed method.


Neisseria meningitidis strain M986, which possesses a polyanionic sialic acid capsular polysaccharide, was resistant to the bactericidal effects of normal rabbit serum, but sensitive when immune serum and complement were present. An isogenic strain PRM102, deficient in the ability to produce capsular polysaccharide, was sensitive to normal serum. Strain M986, when grown under conditions of low pH or nutrient limitation, synthesized increased levels of capsular polysaccharide. This was accompanied by an increase in cell surface hydrophilicity and virulence for mice. Cells grown in low-pH, iron-limited medium synthesized the highest concentration of polysaccharide and exhibited the highest cell surface hydrophilicity and virulence among the cases examined. The increase in capsular polysaccharide was partly explained by a decrease in the specific activity of a membrane-bound cytidine monophosphate-N acetylneuraminic acid hydrolase. The results suggest that conditions of nutrient limitation and low pH exert profound effects on the physicochemical nature of the meningococcal cell surface which, in turn, cumulate in enhanced virulence of this organism for mice.


The role and scope of the engineering practice is transforming rapidly and academia should change to better prepare graduates. The ASME Vision 2030 Task Force investigated the current state of mechanical engineering education and practice within industry through assessment of recent literature addressing the shape and content of engineering and engineering technology education, through conducting workshops among stakeholders at key conferences and gatherings, and by extensive surveys of industry supervisors and early career engineers. As a result, the Task Force has formally recommended, and begun to advocate for, specific actions to strengthen the following seven aspects of undergraduate mechanical engineering education curricula: creating curricula that inspire innovation and creativity, increasing curricular flexibility, offering more authentic practice-based engineering experiences, developing students' professional skills to a higher standard, attracting a more diverse student body, increased faculty expertise in professional practice, and adapting post-graduate education to support specialization for practicing engineers. Partnership between industry, professional societies, government, and academia is needed to successfully implement these recommendations and help develop the full potential of mechanical engineering graduates. Initial actions have been taken towards implementing several of these recommendations.


Physical and mathematical models of microstructure evolution during the solidification process of die casting AZ91D alloy were investigated in this paper. Coupled with solute concentration, a modified three-dimensional cellular automaton (CA) model was proposed. Considering the solute enrichment and the formation of eutectic microstructure, these models can reproduce the whole microstructure evolution process of Mg alloy, from the formation of primary phase to the eutectic transformation. The microstructure of the AZ91D alloy cylinder head cover die casting was simulated with the proposed models. The simulated results are in agreement with the experimental.


The possibility of error reduction in frequency estimations with a multipoint interpolated discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) for the Hanning window is described. An estimation of the periodic parameter by the interpolation of the DFT gives the same effect as the reduction of spectrum tails. Sidelobe suppression is obtained at the cost of widening the main lobe, and this increases noise contributions. In this paper, we try to show a tradeoff between the reduction in systematic error of the frequency estimation and the uncertainty of the estimated results due to the interpolated algorithm. The number of interpolated points depends on the noise level and on the mutual positions of the frequency components of the signal.