This study investigated the optimum mixture ratio of greenhouse tomato plant residues, wheat straw, and separated dairy manures for composting. Five 127-L laboratory-scale bioreactors were used to investigate the effect of separated dairy manure addition on the composting process of a tomato plant residues-wheat straw mixture. The wastes were mixed at 5 different ratios during the trials and were then placed in the reactor. Whereas the C/N ratios of the material mixtures placed in the reactors were fixed at a level of about 31, the FAS values ranged between 24.56% and 32.64%. Temperature and CO2 measurements were made from the reactors during the trials along with organic matter and moisture content analyses. According to the results, the optimum mixture ratio for composting the experimental materials was found to be 60% tomato waste, 10% wheat straw, and 30% separated manures on a dry basis. The FAS ratio of this mixture was 30.22%.


Electrical breakdown of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) is an issue that has to be carefully addressed when designing systems based on this novel technology. Indeed, in some systems electrical breakdown might have serious consequences, not only in terms of interruption of the desired function but also in terms of safety of the overall system (e.g. overheating and even burning). The risk for electrical breakdown often cannot be completely avoided by simply reducing the driving voltages, either because completely safe voltages might not generate sufficient actuation or because internal or external factors might change some properties of the actuator whilst in operation (for example the aging or fatigue of the material, or an externally imposed deformation decreasing the distance between the compliant electrodes). So, there is the clear need for reliable, simple and cost-effective detection systems that are able to acknowledge the occurrence of a breakdown event, making DEA-based devices able to monitor their status and become safer and "selfaware". Here a simple solution for a portable detection system is reported that is based on a voltage-divider configuration that detects the voltage drop at the DEA terminals and assesses the occurrence of breakdown via a microcontroller (Beaglebone Black single-board computer) combined with a real-time, ultra-low-latency processing unit (Bela cape an open-source embedded platform developed at Queen Mary University of London). The system was used to both generate the control signal that drives the actuator and constantly monitor the functionality of the actuator, detecting any breakdown event and discontinuing the supplied voltage accordingly, so as to obtain a safer controlled actuation. This paper presents preliminary tests of the detection system in different scenarios in order to assess its reliability.


This study reports the application of expanding genetic codes in developing protein cage-based delivery systems. The evolved Methanosarcina mazei pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS)•tRNAPyl pairs derived from directed evolution are examined to probe their recognition for para-substituted phenylalanine analogs. The evolved MmPylRS, AzFRS, harboring a wide range of substrates, is further engineered at the C-terminal region into another variant, AzFRS-MS. AzFRS-MS shows suppression of the elevated sfGFP protein amount up to 10 TAG stop codons when charging p-azido-l-phenylalanine (AzF, 4), which allows the occurrence of click chemistry. Since protein nanocages used as drug delivery systems that encompass multiple drugs through a site-specific loading approach remain largely unexplored, as a proof of concept, the application of AzFRS-MS for the site-specific incorporation of AzF on human heavy chain ferritin (Ftn) is developed. The Ftn-4 conjugate is shown to be able to load multiple fluorescence dyes or a therapeutic agent, doxorubicin (Dox), through the strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) click reaction. Aiming to selectively target Her2+ breast cancer cells, Ftn-4-DOX conjugates fused with a HER2 receptor recognition peptide, anti-Her2/neu peptide (AHNP), is developed and demonstrated to be able to deliver Dox into the cell and to prolong the drug release. This work presents another application of evolved MmPylRS systems, whose potential in developing a variety of protein conjugates is noteworthy.


This study has used total electron content (TEC) values from an extended network of GPS receivers and a highly developed processing to characterize the conjugacy of medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) over the American continent. It was found that midlatitude nighttime MSTIDs, also named electrobuoyancy waves, map into the opposite hemisphere but the amplitude of the TEC disturbance in the Southern Hemisphere is between 8 and 13% of the amplitude in the original hemisphere. The periods of the MSTIDs vary between 50 and 65 min. MSTID dynamics is presented for two days: 20 August 2012 and 17 June 2012. On the first day, MSTIDs entered into the American sector shortly before 4 UT, last for 3 h, drifted at an average speed of 200 m/s, and dissipated in the Caribbean region. In the Northern Hemisphere, the MSTIDs were directed southwestward (SW) and 60° from south. In the Southern Hemisphere, they moved northwestward (NW) or ~60° from north. The MSTID velocity changed through the night from ~300 m/s to ~150 m/s, but the propagation direction did not vary. On 17 June 2012 a series of wide MSTIDs were seen traveling across the Caribbean region that exited through the western coast of Central America. These MSTIDs last for ~5 h. Number density measured with the DMSP‐F15 and DMSP‐F17 satellites confirm the notion that the MSTIDs consist of rising and falling sheets of plasma density driven by electric fields likely set by a Perkins‐type instability. These observations support the notion that gravity waves can seed and boost the growth of the nighttime MSTIDs.


This study is based on semi-structured interviews focusing on staff members' opinions about potential risk factors that could threaten patient safety. The aim was to acquire more in-depth knowledge about the causes of patient injuries. The study, which was conducted at a children's hospital, has a qualitative approach that is influenced by the critical incident technique. A total of 28 persons were interviewed. Analysis of the data resulted in five qualitatively differentiated categories of potential risk factors: a large influx of patients, a lack of professional experience, a lack of inter-professional communication and cooperation, and deficiencies related to work hours and to the physical environment. The results reflect a complex picture where the risks, as described by the informants, can either alone or in concert directly or indirectly affect the individual in the practice of his or her profession or contribute to a mistake.


The aim of the study was evaluation of quality of life of women after radical mastectomy. It was assumed that cancer of the breast, treatment and results could cause the decrease of quality of life. 107 women aged from 40 to 75 years after radical mastectomy were examined. Questionnaire made by G. Hansen at Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education was used in all women. Questionnaire consists of 4 parts and contains 87 questions concerning general and medical data, quality of life and physical activity. Examined women had not any problems in daily activity. Most of them (about 70%) had difficulty in physical effort, particularly using upper extremities. 60% of women did not work, but they had a hobby (about 70%). Housework and daily activity were less efficient in 80% women after radical mastectomy. We observed a change in psychical status of examined women. They had some problems with concentration, irritation, irritability and sleep. These problems did not influence the family relationships and contacts with other people. Instead we noticed change in self-rating of women after radical mastectomy. Removal of breast--attribute of femininity--changed sexuality, consciousness of femininity and appearance of an image. We observed "half woman complex" in examined women. Women evaluated status of their body and quality of life from 3 to 5 in 7-gradual scale.


Background and Aims: Acurate measurements of variables are crucial in epidemiological studies. Therefore, even the best design cannot prevent bugs caused due to the lack of reliability and validity measurement in studies. The aim of this study is to determine the validity of teeth-canal measurement. Materials and Methods: This methodological study used available data of patients referred to dental clinics at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in Hamadan with sample size or 58 cases in 2012. In order to determine the reliability of measuring the length of canals and introduce the most appropriate measure met of the actual data, Bland-Altman plot and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used and finally compared. Results: In this study, the mean ± SD of channel length in the apex locator Root ZX were 21.93 ± 2 . 28 mm and in X-ray PA were 22.4 ± 2.38 mm. ICC between the length of canals by the apex locator and radiographic in all teeth was 0.989. Bland-Altman plot showed that absolute agreement between the two methods of measurement. Conclusion: The findings of this study ensure dental professionals that measuring the length of channels by PA method is more practical and easier and prove different approaches of the reliability and validity. However, we recommend using ICC and Bland Altman methods due to their informative nature and consideration of absolute agreement instead of consistency.


Reported are the results of a harmonic generation experiment in a simple gas (hydrogen) using 1-ps, 1- mu m laser pulses with a range of intensities extending from below to far above the laser ionization saturation threshold. The scaling with intensity above saturation of the third harmonic generated by a single laser-pulse in a filled gas cell is observed not to fit with a simple model that takes into consideration volume ionization effects alone. In another experiment, a pump-probe type, an upper limit on the conversion efficiency of third-harmonic generation in a preformed plasma is determined. It is found to be in agreement with the efficiency predicted by a relativistic harmonic generation theory. >


We describe a case of contact dermatitis to a phone cover, which was compounded by secondary allergic contact dermatitis to topical creams used. The phone cover was advertised as being composed of silicone only. Patch testing with the cover material confirmed the diagnosis. In addition, there were positive patch test reactions to a number of allergens in the plastics and glues series from Chemotechnique Diagnostics (Malmö, Sweden). The increasing use of phone covers and the multiple positive reactions to chemicals used in plastic manufacture seen in this case suggest that similar allergic reactions may occur more frequently in the future and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of facial dermatitis.


Online Traffic Offence System (OnTOS) is more about parking offence on the
campus as well as issuing summon for offender. This web-based system contains
some general information about the Mara University of Technology (UiTM) traffic
offence. The PDA is use as a communication tool between user and the system and
this system can retrieve and display all information about the vehicle. The objectives
for this project are to identify the problem faced by the Security Centre, to design a
model by using the new technology as an alternative way to the traditional PC-based
Web browser for accessing the information and to develop an online system for use at
the Security Centre. There are several crucial steps needed to be addressed to ensure
that the data collection process and measurement systems are stable and reliable.
Incorporating these steps into a data collection plan improved the possibility that the
data can be used to support the ensuing analysis. The old system of collecting data
has not proven effective or efficient for security guards. In the end of research project
period, all the objectives in this research project have been achieved.


Clinical evidence shows vascular factors may co-occur and complicate the expression of Alzheimer's disease (AD); yet, the pathologic mechanisms and involvement of different compartments of the vascular network are not well understood. Diseases such as arteriosclerosis diminish vascular compliance and will lead to arterial stiffness, a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity. Arterial stiffness can be assessed using pulse wave velocity (PWV); however, this is usually done from carotid-to-femoral artery ratios. To probe the brain vasculature, intracranial PWV measures would be ideal. In this study, high temporal resolution 4D flow MRI was used to assess transcranial PWV in 160 subjects including AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), healthy controls, and healthy subjects with apolipoprotein ɛ4 positivity (APOE4+) and parental history of AD dementia (FH+). High temporal resolution imaging was achieved by high temporal binning of retrospectively gated data using a local-low rank approach. Significantly higher transcranial PWV in AD dementia and MCI subjects was found when compared to old-age-matched controls (AD vs. old-age-matched controls: P <0.001, AD vs. MCI: P = 0.029, MCI vs. old-age-matched controls P = 0.013). Furthermore, vascular changes were found in clinically healthy middle-age adults with APOE4+ and FH+ indicating significantly higher transcranial PWV compared to controls (P <0.001).


Large language models (LMs) of code have recently shown tremendous promise in completing code and synthesizing code from natural language descriptions. However, the current state-of-the-art code LMs (e.g., Codex) are not publicly available, leaving many questions about their model and data design decisions. We aim to fill in some of these blanks through a systematic evaluation of the largest existing models: Codex, GPT-J, GPT-Neo, GPT-NeoX-20B, and CodeParrot, across various programming languages. Although Codex itself is not open-source, we find that existing opensource models do achieve close results in some programming languages, although targeted mainly for natural language modeling. We further identify an important missing piece in the form of a large open-source model trained exclusively on a multi-lingual corpus of code. We release a new model, PolyCoder, with 2.7B parameters based on the GPT-2 architecture, that was trained on 249GB of code across 12 programming languages on a single machine. In the C programming language, PolyCoder outperforms all models including Codex. Our trained models are open-source and publicly available at https://github.com/VHellendoorn/Code-LMs, which enables future research and application in this area. We have an online appendix at https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.13169.


Recent developments in photon induced reactions at energies above the Giant Resonance are reviewed. Below the pion production threshold absorption on nucleon pairs is thought to be the dominant mechanism. Detailed analyses of (gamma,pn) experiments have shown that this reaction can be described well in terms of the phenomenological quasideuteron model. The effects of final state interactions do not appear to strongly bias the measured data. The cross section for the (gamma,pp) reaction is an order of magnitude smaller and the evidence available suggests a more complex mechanism with one nucleon being reabsorbed in the residual nucleus. Absorption on 2-nucleon pairs remains important above the pion threshold despite strong competition from quasifree pion production. In addition to 2-nucleon absorption there is some evidence in (gamma,2N) reactions of absorption on 3-nucleon clusters.


Abstract Seafloor mapping is a fast developing multidisciplinary branch of oceanology that combines geophysics, geostatistics, sedimentology and ecology. One of its objectives is to isolate distinct seabed features in a repeatable, fast and objective way, taking into consideration multibeam echosounder (MBES) bathymetry and backscatter data. A large-scale acoustic survey was conducted by the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk in 2010 using Reson 8125 MBES. The dataset covered over 20 km2 of a shallow seabed area (depth of up to 22 m) in the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone within the Southern Baltic. Determination of sediments was possible based on ground-truth grab samples acquired during the MBES survey. Four classes of sediments were recognized as muddy sand, very fine sand, fine sand and clay. The backscatter mosaic created using the Angular Variable Gain (AVG) empirical method was the primary contribution to the image processing method used in this study. The use of the Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) and the Classification and Regression Trees (CART) classifier makes it possible to isolate the backscatter image with 87.5% overall and 81.0% Kappa accuracy. The obtained results confirm the possibility of creating reliable maps of the seafloor based on MBES measurements. Once developed, the OBIA workflow can be applied to other spatial and temporal scenes.


UNLABELLED: 1. COMMON COLD: A rhinovirus, the causal agent usually found in common cold, stimulates the local abundance of polymorphonuclears resulting from IL8 secretion. Enzymes and free radicals released by these polymorphonuclears explain the subsequent inflammation. 2. TREATMENT: Treatment for viral rhinosinusitis in adults is based on vasoconstrictors, often associated with anti-histamine agents with atropinergic action. The possible contribution of pure atropinergic agents is currently under evaluation. Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) appear to have no effect and corticosteroids are not indicated. 3. RHINOSINUSOPHARYNGITIS IN CHILDREN: These childhood diseases, which after adaptation disappear spontaneously around the age of 7 to 8 years, result from viruses, distinct from those observed in adults, which have a more pronounced cytolytic and general effect. Proposed treatments are designed to lower the temperature using physical (warm bath, abundant fluids) and medicinal means. Paracetamol is preferred over aspirin because it has less side effects. NSAID have not been found to provide any efficacy. Decongestants are an ideal indication but their use is limited by age. Antibiotics are not warranted, at least for the non-complicated forms. Familial education is indispensable for proper management without antibiotics. 4. ACUTE BACTERIAL RHINOSINUSITIS: Originating from the relatively constant microbial flora in the nasal cavities, acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in France is basically caused by Haemophilus influenzae, beta hemolytic Streptococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Branhamella catarrhalis. The proportion of Gram negative germs appears to depend on age and rate of recurrence. There is debate about the impact of viral-bacterial interactions; no definite conclusions can be drawn from current knowledge. 5. BACTERIAL INFLAMMATION IN ACUTE RHINOSINUSITIS: Antibiotic therapy is the first intention treatment for bacterial inflammation caused by acute rhinosinusitis. In case of failure, surgery (puncture or microsurgery as needed) may be indicated. 6. NSAID IN BACTERIAL RHINOSINUSITIS: The contribution of NSAID would be limited due to the unfavorable efficacy-adverse effect ratio. Short courses of corticosteroids are commonly used. Two studies conducted with well-designed methodology, have recently proven the efficacy of coticosteroids in reducing the duration and intensity of spontaneous pain in acute maxillary rhinosinusitis in adults. One of these studies demonstrated a reduction in nasal obstruction. These studies confirm the absence of any notable adverse effect in comparison with placebo. 7. ACUTE RHINOSINUSITIS CAUSED BY DENTAL PROBLEMS: Due to the anatomic disposition (sinusal teeth), the rhinosinusitis is generally unilateral, resulting from paradontal or apical infection. Such cases are exceptional (5% to 10% of all cases of acute sinusitis). 8. CONTAMINATING FLORA IN ACUTE RHINOSINUSITIS: Anaerobic and microaerophilic germs predominate, generally coming from the buccal floral or the edodontoid or periodontoid flora. 9. SURGICAL TREATMENT: Associated with dental care, sinus puncture or meatomy may be required for evacuation of the sinus. Antibiotics directed against a wide variety of aerobic germs (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or pristinamycin are generally recommended) should be given before and after surgery. The role of NSAID is evaluated in terms of the benefit (pain relief)/adverse effect ratio, which in the present situation can be considered to favor the antalgesic action during or before dental care. 10. THE QUESTION OF SHORT COURSES OF CORTICOSTEROIDS: The contribution of short courses of corticosteroids is assessed in the same manner as for maxillary sinusitis resulting from the nasal flora.


(1) Background: Cervical vertigo (CV) represents a controversial entity, with a prevalence ranging from reported high frequency to negation of CV existence. (2) Objectives: To assess the prevalence and cause of vertigo in patients with a manifest form of severe cervical spondylosis–degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) with special focus on CV. (3) Methods: The study included 38 DCM patients. The presence and character of vertigo were explored with a dedicated questionnaire. The cervical torsion test was used to verify the role of neck proprioceptors, and ultrasound examinations of vertebral arteries to assess the role of arteriosclerotic stenotic changes as hypothetical mechanisms of CV. All patients with vertigo underwent a detailed diagnostic work-up to investigate the cause of vertigo. (4) Results: Symptoms of vertigo were described by 18 patients (47%). Causes of vertigo included: orthostatic dizziness in eight (22%), hypertension in five (14%), benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in four (11%) and psychogenic dizziness in one patient (3%). No patient responded positively to the cervical torsion test or showed significant stenosis of vertebral arteries. (5) Conclusions: Despite the high prevalence of vertigo in patients with DCM, the aetiology in all cases could be attributed to causes outside cervical spine and related nerve structures, thus confirming the assumption that CV is over-diagnosed.


IntroductionMany reports which use healthcare databases adjust the results for patient comorbidity. Several different indices were developed in the general population to summarize patient comorbidity. How well these indices predict one-year all-cause mortality in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not well known.
Objectives and ApproachWe accrued three groups of patients in Ontario, Canada between the years 2004 and 2014, at the time they first received a kidney transplant, received maintenance dialysis, or were confirmed to have an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 45 mL/min per 1.73 m2. We compared five comorbidity indices: Charlson comorbidity index, end-stage renal disease-modified Charlson comorbidity index, Johns Hopkins' Aggregated Diagnosis Groups score, Elixhauser score, and Wright-Khan index. Each group was randomly divided 100 times into derivation and validation samples. Model discrimination was assessed using median c-statistics from logistic regression models, and calibration was evaluated graphically using calibration plots.
ResultsWe identified 4,111 kidney transplant recipients, 23,897 individuals receiving maintenance dialysis, and 181,425 individuals with moderate CKD. Within one year, 108 (2.6%), 4,179 (17.5%), and 17,898 (9.9%) in each group had died, respectively. In the validation sample, model discrimination was inadequate for all five comorbidity indices, with median c-statistics less than 0.7 for all three groups. Calibration was also poor for all models.
Conclusion/ImplicationsExisting comorbidity indices do not accurately predict one-year mortality in patients with CKD. Current indices could be modified with additional risk factors to improve their performance in CKD, or a new index could be developed for this population.


Robust production forecasting allows for optimal resource recovery through efficient field management strategies. In hydraulically fractured unconventional reservoirs, the physics of fluid flow and transport processes is not well understood and the presence of and transitions between multiple flow regimes further complicate forecasting. An important goal for field operators is to obtain a fast and reliable forecast with minimal historical production data. The abundance of wells drilled in fractured tight formations and continuous data acquisition effort motivate the use of data-driven forecast methods. However, traditional data-driven forecast methods require sufficient training data from an extended period of production for any target well, which may have limited practical use when the effective production life of wells is relatively short.
 In this paper, a deep recurrent neural network (RNN) model is developed for long-term production forecasting in unconventional reservoirs. As input data, the model takes completion parameters, formation and fluid properties, operating controls, and early (i.e., 3–6 months) production response data. The model is trained on a collection of historical production data across multiple flow regimes, control settings, and the corresponding well properties from multiple shale plays. The proposed RNN model can predict oil, water, and gas production as multivariate time series under varying operating controls. Once the forecast model is trained, it can be used to obtain a one-step forecast by feeding the model with input well properties, operating controls, and a short initial production. The long-term forecast is obtained by either recursively feeding the model with forecast results from the preceding timesteps or by training the model for multistep ahead predictions. Unlike other applications of RNN that require a long history of production data for training, our model employs transfer learning by combining early production data from the target well with the long-term dynamics captured from historical production data in other wells. We illustrate our approach using synthetic data sets and a case study from Bakken Play in North Dakota.


AIM
The aim of this paper is to focus on the abilities needed to create the caring relation in palliative home care and to find ways to describe these abilities and skills from an esthetic perspective.

BACKGROUND
Nurses in Palliative home care have to create a functioning relationship between themselves the patient and the patient's next of kin, this puts special demands on the nurse. A number of abilities, such as creativity, intuition, empathy and self-knowledge are mentioned in literature related to the caring relation. Many nursing theorists have referred to the art and esthetic of nursing when trying to describe these abilities.

METHODS
Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with eight expert nurses in palliative home care. The transcribed interviews were analysed using qualitative content analyses.

FINDINGS
Three main categories where found: The will to do good, Knowledge and Perceptiveness. Subcategories that can be seen as abilities where found in the main categories knowledge and perceptiveness.

CONCLUSIONS
The main categories can be seen as expressions for abilities, personal qualities and skills needed to create the caring relation in palliative home care. We found interesting connections between the three main categories and the concepts of esthetics, ethics and science. We also found that nurses develop in a way, i.e. similar to an artist.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
The concepts brought forward in this paper could be used in clinical supervision and education as well as in clinical practice. If nurses think about the three aspects: Knowledge, the will to do good and perceptiveness, the chance for a positive relation between the nurse and the patient, and the patient's next of kin might increase. One could speculate that perceptiveness is a vital ability in order to achieve the expert level of nursing and that this perspective should be taken in consideration when recruiting nurses and in curriculum development.


The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine provides physicians with an opportunity to have conversations with girls about sex and sex-related topics. Current research suggests that these conversations are not happening. This study was designed to assess whether physicians would use the HPV vaccination as an opening to communicate with nine-year-old to 15-year-old female patients about sex using the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework. The study also assessed what sexual health topics physicians were willing to discuss when they vaccinated patients and at what ages they would be willing to discuss each topic. Differences in communication were also examined between older and younger physicians and female and male physicians. A random sample (n = 207) of all family practice and pediatric physicians in a rural, Midwest state in the USA were mailed a survey about the HPV vaccine and their intentions to talk about sex-related topics. Specifically, the survey questions assessed the theoretical constructs: attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behaviour control. The results point to physicians' intentions to talk about sex when they vaccinate. Most physicians intended to talk about sexually transmitted infections when they vaccinate against HPV (90.3%). A multivariate linear regression reveals that physicians' intentions to talk about sex are influenced by attitudes (β = 0.18, p < 0.05), subjective norms (β = 0.53, p < 0.001), and perceived behavioural control (β = 0.15, p < 0.05). Physicians intended to talk about a variety of sex-related topics when they vaccinate nine-year-old to 15-year-old girls against HPV. The research indicated that physicians' intentions were high, but do not indicate how well physicians are prepared for this communication with nine-year-old to 15-year-old girls about sex.


Country rankings based on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) invite politicians and specialists to speculate about the reasons their countries did well or failed to do well. Rarely, however, do we hear from the students on whose performance these rankings are based. This omission is unfortunate for two reasons. First, research suggests that how students explain their academic performance has important consequences for their future achievements. Second, prior studies show that students' attributions of success and failure in education can develop into explanations for social inequalities in adulthood. This article draws on PISA 2012 data on 128,110 secondary school students in 24 countries to explore how educational stratification shapes students' explanations of their academic performance. I find that students in mixed-ability groups tend to attribute their mathematics performance to their teachers and to (bad) luck, whereas vocational- and academic-track students are more likely to blame themselves for not doing well. These differences between mixed-ability group students and tracked students are more pronounced in school systems where tracking is more extensive. I conclude by discussing how these findings speak to the broader impact of educational stratification on students' psychology and cognition and the legitimation of inequalities.


Latin hypercube designs (LHDs) have found wide application in computer experiments. It is known that orthogonal LHDs guarantee the orthogonality between all linear effects, and symmetric LHDs ensure the orthogonality between linear and second-order effects. In this paper, we propose a construction method for orthogonal symmetric LHDs. Most resulting LHDs can accommodate the maximum number of factors, thus can study many more factors than existing ones. Several methods for constructing nearly orthogonal symmetric LHDs are also provided. The constructed orthogonal and nearly orthogonal LHDs can be utilized to generate more nearly orthogonal symmetric LHDs. A detailed comparison with existing designs shows that the resulting designs have more flexible and economical run sizes, and many desirable design properties.


The aim of this study is to determine the rate at which UVB radiation takes effect in order to produce an effective regimen for treatment. Psoriasis, a chronic, proliferative, inflammatory disease that is under genetic and environmental control is the major condition where UVB radiation successfully reduces symptoms. The treatment regimen for at present involves exposure doses that are increased alogarithmically and is based upon previous broadband knowledge. No established protocol for TLOl UVB phototherapy exists. Patients were randomly chosen from Dryburn Hospital Phototherapy Department. Baseline minimal erythemal measurements were calculated (MED(_0)) and random measurements were taken during the course using a single TLOl lamp. Data was collected over a period of 1 year and the effects of photoadaptation were determined. Factors considered include the period of time in between treatments, the number of treatments already attended and cumulative doses. MED ratios were calculated and analysed to produce a skin adaptation model. The majority of patients were phototested 2-6 times during the treatment course, which lasted 6 weeks (mean). Results indicated that missing a treatment session was insignificant to the rate of tolerance. The model for tolerance was calculated to be: T(_n) = 1 + 3 [1 - exp (= 0.03n) ] n = tolerance following n treatments A revised protocol was established and a clinical trial implemented. Protocol results indicated that the new regimen significantly reduced cases of burning and significantly reduced the cumulative doses of radiation. Revised protocol patients (yellow group) received total doses of 12.7 J/cm(^2) (median) and the original regimen provided a total of 16.9 J/cm(^2) (median). There was no significance in the time length of the treatment protocols. The revised protocol is therefore significantly more suitable because it reduces chances of excessive erythema discomfort and by reducing the radiation exposure doses the regimen also reduces the risk of skin malignancies.


A number of heart assist devices including the PediaFlowTM ventricular assist device (VAD), a magnetically levitated mixed flow rotary blood pump, and the Levitronix® PediVAS™, an extracorporeal magnetically levitated centrifugal blood pump are under development to address the urgent need for mechanical circulatory support suitable for children in heart failure. VADs are associated with a host of biological complications including bleeding, thromboembolism, and infection. The biocompatibility of these new devices must be characterized in a preclinical model (juvenile ovines) to ensure their safety and efficacy in children. However, biocompatibility studies in ovines are limited due to a lack of available assays. Flow cytometric assays were developed to detect ovine platelet activation and function. These assays were applied during in vitro assessment of potential biomimetic coatings for the blood contacting surfaces of pediatric VADs. These assays were then applied in vivo in 5 lambs undergoing a VAD sham surgical procedure for 30 days duration, in 20 lambs implanted with the Levitronix PediVAS for 30 days duration, and in 8 lambs implanted with the three design iterations of the PediaFlow VAD ranging from 6 - 72 days duration. The sham surgical procedure enabled characterization of the effects of the implant surgery on platelet activation. Platelet activation was reduced on surfaces that received a biomimetic coating compared to uncoated surfaces which was in agreement with platelet deposition results. Platelet activation levels rose post-operatively in the sham animals and returned to pre-operative levels at approximately two weeks. In PediaFlow and Levitronix implanted animals platelet activation also rose post-operatively and typically returned to baseline levels. In these implants platelet activation consistently rose following pump or animal complications. In a subset of studies platelet activation was elevated for the duration of the study and this high level of activation generally coincided with increased kidney infarcts or thrombus deposition in the cannulae at necropsy. Overall, the blood biocompatibility of the Levitronix PediVAS and the PediaFlow VAD as represented by a low level of platelet activation observed in the majority of studies is encouraging for the potential clinical use of these devices. The ability of the developed platelet activation assays to differentiate between surface coatings, and to discern trends with respect to pump complications and kidney infarcts following VAD implant demonstrate its utility in assessing the blood biocompatibility of pediatric heart assist devices.


The effects of Oligocene paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental events at lower latitudes have not been well defined, and the timing and extent of a proposed warming period in the late Oligocene are not clear. The study of benthic foraminifera from the upper bathyal Fuente Caldera section in southern Spain may help reconstruct the Oligocene paleoenvironmental turnover in the western Tethys. Rupelian and Chattian sediments from Fuente Caldera consist of hemipelagic marls intercalated with turbiditic sandstones. Based on a closely spaced sample collection, we present a quantitative analysis of benthic foraminiferal assemblage changes, and a detailed taxonomic study of 19 of the most abundant and paleoenvironmentally important species, belonging to the asterigerinids, rosaliniids and bolivinids. The Fuente Caldera sediments contain abundant reworked neritic foraminifera (asterigerinids, rosaliniids, Cibicides spp.), including epiphytes and species that commonly bear symbionts or kleptochloroplasts from the photic zone, that may have been transported downslope by turbidity currents or attached to floating plant material. The high relative abundance of bolivinid taxa in the autochthonous assemblages suggests a high food supply, probably at least in part consisting of refractory organic matter supplied by downslope turbidity currents. The benthic foraminifera indicate that water temperatures were several degrees warmer than today, as inferred from the common occurrence of warmwater taxa such as Nodobolivinella jhingrani, Rectobolivina costifera or Tubulogenerina vicksburgensis. Nevertheless, further paleotemperature studies are needed to test our conclusion that warm conditions prevailed in this part of the western Tethys during the Oligocene, even during colder intervals (Oi-events).


Predictive modelling of multivariate data where both the covariates and responses are high-dimensional is becoming an increasingly popular task in many data mining applications. Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression often turns out to be a useful model in these situations since it performs dimensionality reduction by assuming the existence of a small number of latent factors that may explain the linear dependence between input and output. In practice, the number of latent factors to be retained, which controls the complexity of the model and its predictive ability, has to be carefully selected. Typically this is done by cross validating a performance measure, such as the predictive error. Although cross validation works well in many practical settings, it can be computationally expensive. Various extensions to PLS have also been proposed for regularising the PLS solution and performing simultaneous dimensionality reduction and variable selection, but these come at the expense of additional complexity parameters that also need to be tuned by cross-validation. In this paper we derive a computationally efficient alternative to leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV), a predicted sum of squares (PRESS) statistic for two-block PLS. We show that the PRESS is nearly identical to LOOCV but has the computational expense of only a single PLS model fit. Examples of the PRESS for selecting the number of latent factors and regularisation parameters are provided.


STORM project was the best opportunity to cope with the challenge of merging computer and communication technologies with human and cultural oriented practices in conservation and restoration. The result of this powerful synergy between these two approaches (technology and CH needs) in view of mitigating effects on cultural heritage, is expected to enormously increase the mitigation of the damages created by climate change disasters. The main question, coming from the experience gained, is how we can capitalize the acquired expertise in the future. This will probably be done using strategies which could rely on local financial support and the possibility to have advanced regulations provided by local authorities. Communication between different actors will play a major role in the future achievements: the project faced a big challenge in establishing good communication among different competences so to say that now, after a three year project, it should be great to start a new experience counting on the level of friendship and communication achieved during the STORM project. But communication is also the key element of emergency management. The recent event which affected the Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris, 15/04/2019), was a matter of discussion between STORM partners and during those discussion we concluded that probably the proper preparedness was not in place. Preparedness could have dramatically reduced the reaction time and the effectiveness of intervention after a disaster. As a final though we are convinced that new professions could grow from the project experience, starting from cultural heritage experts such as conservators, restorers, archaeologists, architects, art historian involving specific branches of engineering; that could create new job opportunities for all those people provided that they will receive the proper education and practice experience..


As models of neural networks scale in concert with increasing computational performance, gaining insight into their operation becomes increasingly important. This paper proposes an efficient and generalised method to access simulation data via in-system aggregation, providing visualised representation at all layers of the network in real-time. Enabling neural networks for real-time visualisation allows a user to gain insight into the network dynamics of their systems as they operate over time. This visibility also permits users (or a computational agent) to determine whether early intervention is required to adjust parameters, or even to terminate operation of experimental networks that are not operating correctly. Conventionally the determination of correctness would occur post-simulation, so with sufficient `in-flight' insight, a significant advantage may be obtained, and compute time minimised. For this paper we apply the real-time visualisation platform to the SpiNNaker programmable neuromimetic system and a variety of neural network models. The visualisation platform is shown to be capable across a range of diverse simulations, and at supporting differing layers of network abstraction, requiring minimal configuration to represent each model. The resulting general-purpose visualisation platform for neural networks, is effective at presenting data to users in order to aid their comprehension of the network dynamics during operation, and scales from small to biologically-significant network sizes.


At the Shinshu University Faculty of Education, student teachers are required to use ICT equipment in classes during their student teaching practicum. We surveyed and analyzed the change in ICT competency before and after teaching practice. Two abilities were improved dramatically, which were the Ability to Use ICT in Researching, Preparing, and Assessing Teaching Materials and the Ability to Use ICT when Teaching in the Classroom. In particular, the students just before teaching practice did not extend at all to the average value of the Japanese in-service teachers in March 2007. However, after teaching practice, it was higher than the average values of the latest Japanese in-service teachers. We found that teacher students have been able to improve ICT competency by the compulsory ICT use during only one-month student teaching practicum.


Wavelet transforms that have an adaptive low-pass filter are useful in applications that require the signal singularities, sharp transitions, and image edges to be left intact in the low-pass signal. In scalable image coding, the spatial resolution scalability is achieved by reconstructing the low-pass signal subband, which corresponds to the desired resolution level, and discarding other high-frequency wavelet subbands. In such applications, it is vital to have low-pass subbands that are not affected by smoothing artifacts associated with low-pass filtering. We present the mathematical framework for achieving 1-D wavelet transforms that have a spatially adaptive low-pass filter (SALP) using the prediction-first lifting scheme. The adaptivity decisions are computed using the wavelet coefficients, and no bookkeeping is required for the perfect reconstruction. Then, 2-D wavelet transforms that have a spatially adaptive low-pass filter are designed by extending the 1-D SALP framework. Because the 2-D polyphase decompositions are used in this case, the 2-D adaptivity decisions are made nonseparable as opposed to the separable 2-D realization using 1-D transforms. We present examples using the 2-D 5/3 wavelet transform and their lossless image coding and scalable decoding performances in terms of quality and resolution scalability. The proposed 2-D-SALP scheme results in better performance compared to the existing adaptive update lifting schemes.


Specific type regions are needed to adequately define Precambrian time intervals whose limits are established–relative to temporally and stratigraphically ordered sequences of intrusive and stratified rocks–through the use of field relationships, fossil content, paleomagnetic characteristics, and relevant isotopic age determinations. Other Precambrian rocks are then correlated with the standard by establishing the synchroneity of geologic events as recorded by isotopic, paleomagnetic, paleontologic, tectonic, stratigraphic, and lithologic attributes of the rocks. A time-stratigraphic system comparable to that for the Phanerozoic cannot be established for the Precambrian, as individual beds of stratified sequences cannot be correlated with the same precision. The [North American] "Code of Stratigraphic Nomenclature" reflects neither this fundamental difference between Precambrian and Phanerozoic rocks nor the distinction between a general temporal ordering of both intrusive and stratified rocks and a stratigraphic ordering alone. These distinctions are basic to understanding the different requirements for establishing geologic age categories for Precambrian and Phanerozoic rocks and are manifested in the need to redefine time-rock, time-stratigraphic, magnetostratigraphic, and magnetochronologic concepts in the Code.


Soft bendable polymer sensors have been widely used to monitor prosthetics, heartbeat, joint pain, and several other medical conditions because of their flexible nature. Recently, sensors based on piezoelectric inorganic materials, conducting polymers, and commercial Nafion based ionic polymer–metal nanocomposites (IPMNCs), have been extensively studied for sensor applications; however, existing inorganic and polymer materials exhibit low sensing currents due to weak interfacial bonding between the electrode and sensing material. Here, we show that biocompatible IPMNC sensors based on a carboxyl graphene (COG)–acidic ionic liquid (IL) (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium-hydrogen sulfate)–poly(vinylidene fluoride–trifluoroethylene–chlorotrifluoroethylene) [P(VDF–TrFE–CTFE)]–polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)–polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSSA) ionic blend membrane can generate a high sensing current (6 mA cm−2) with a bending strain of 0.009. The ionic exchange capacity (IEC) (1.36 times), proton conductivity (3.4 times), and Young's modulus (176 times) of P(VDF–TrFE–CTFE)/PVP/PSSA/COG ionic blend membranes are enhanced compared to those of P(VDF–TrFE–CTFE)/PVP/PSSA. In comparison to a commercial Nafion membrane, enhanced values of water uptake (WUP) (5.61 times), IEC (3.26 times), and Young's modulus (6 times) were achieved by our P(VDF–TrFE–CTFE)/PVP/PSSA/COG/IL ionic blend membrane. Polymer sensors based on (PVDF–TrFE–CTFE)/PVP/PSSA/COG/IL IPMNC exhibit stable sensing currents in dry conditions for up to 6000 cycles. Our proposed blend fabricated through attaching COG and IL will find applications in several other devices such as supercapacitors due to its high capacitance (3.92 mF).


SUMMARY: A screening method that allows rapid, efficient and reliable detection and selection of hydantoinase-positive micro-organisms was devised. Out of 76 strains selectively isolated from soil, 15 strains possessing hydantoin-hydrolysing activity were selected using a spot-test based on the direct detection in agar of N-carbamyl amino acids. The results obtained were confirmed by quantitative determination of hydantoinase activity in whole cells and crude extracts of positive strains. Inactivity and/or instability of some hydantoin-hydrolysing activity were observed upon preparation of a few crude extracts. Preliminary experiments indicated that some selected strains had an inducible hydantoinase activity. The reliability and the indicative value (presence of hydantoinase) of the spot-test were confirmed by incubating crude extracts in enzyme membrane reactors for up to 112 h. The six strains that were positive with the spot-test and had high hydantoinase activity continuously produced N-carbamylvaline. Following nitrite treatment of N-carbamylvaline, only D-valine could be detected as confirmed by three different methods (enzymic and chromatographic).


Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine whether weight loss, weight status (based on body mass index [BMI] categories), and abdominal obesity (based on waist circumference [WC]) were associated with a 17-year mortality risk in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Participants were 2,017 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or above in the longitudinal Enquête de Santé Psychologique-Risques, Incidence et Traitement study. Self-reported weight loss was collected at baseline during face-to-face interviews. Bodyweight (kg), height (m), and WC (cm) were independently measured at the baseline. BMI was categorized as follows: underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25–29.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥30 kg/m2). Abdominal obesity was defined by a WC of ≥102 cm in men and ≥88 cm in women. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations of weight loss, weight status, and abdominal obesity with all-cause mortality. Results: Over 17 years of follow-up (median 15.5 years), 812 participants died. Abdominal obesity compared to nonabdominal obesity was associated with a 49% increased mortality risk (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22–1.83). However, being overweight (but not obese) was associated with a 20% decreased risk (95% CI: 0.66–0.97) compared to a normal BMI. Gender did not affect these associations. In the whole cohort, self-reported weight loss at baseline was not associated with an increased mortality risk after adjusting for health and lifestyle factors. However, in men, a baseline self-reported recent weight loss of >3 kg was associated with a 52% increase in mortality risk (95% CI: 1.05–2.18) in a fully adjusted model. Conclusion: In community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years, abdominal obesity was strongly associated with increased mortality risk. Being overweight appeared, however, to be protective against mortality. Modest self-reported weight loss was not associated with all-cause mortality in community-dwelling older adults after adjusting for health and lifestyle factors. However, men reporting recent weight loss of more than 3 kg may be at increased risk. The findings of this study support the use of WC, rather than BMI, as a predictor of mortality risk in older adults.


The evaluation of specimen thickness effect of fatigue crack growth life by the simulation of probabilistic fatigue crack growth is presented. In this paper, the material resistance to fatigue crack growth is treated as a spatial stochastic process, which varies randomly on the crack surface. Using the previous experimental data, the non-Gaussian (eventually Weibull, in this report) random fields simulation method is applied. This method is useful to estimate the probability distribution of fatigue crack growth life and the variability due to specimen thickness by simulating material resistance to fatigue crack growth along a crack path.


Abstract. The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology – Gridded Estimates of Areal Rainfall (CEH-GEAR) data set was developed to provide reliable 1 km gridded estimates of daily and monthly rainfall for Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (NI) (together with approximately 3500 km2 of catchment in the Republic of Ireland) from 1890 onwards. The data set was primarily required to support hydrological modelling. The rainfall estimates are derived from the Met Office collated historical weather observations for the UK which include a national database of rain gauge observations. The natural neighbour interpolation methodology, including a normalisation step based on average annual rainfall (AAR), was used to generate the daily and monthly rainfall grids. To derive the monthly estimates, rainfall totals from monthly and daily (when complete month available) rain gauges were used in order to obtain maximum information from the rain gauge network. The daily grids were adjusted so that the monthly grids are fully consistent with the daily grids. The CEH-GEAR data set was developed according to the guidance provided by the British Standards Institution. The CEH-GEAR data set contains 1 km grids of daily and monthly rainfall estimates for GB and NI for the period 1890–2012. For each day and month, CEH-GEAR includes a secondary grid of distance to the nearest operational rain gauge. This may be used as an indicator of the quality of the estimates. When this distance is greater than 100 km, the estimates are not calculated due to high uncertainty. CEH-GEAR is available from doi: 10.5285/5dc179dc-f692-49ba-9326-a6893a503f6e and is free of charge for commercial and non-commercial use subject to licensing terms and conditions.


In this article the familiar functioning of subjects addict to opioids included in a maintenance programme with methadone will be analyzed, trying to identify whether belonging to one type of family (family typology) or another, according to Olson's Familiar Functioning Model, is related to the level of deterioration or severity of addiction of the different areas associated to consumption . The sample is composed by 69 subjects (N=69) users of the Servicio de Atención a las Drogodependencias (SAD) in Centro de Servicios Sociales Comunitarios del Ayuntamiento de Alcalá de Guadaíra (Seville). In order to evaluate the functioning and the family typology of these subjects the Escala de Cohesión y Adaptación Familiar--CAF-1--Spanish version of FACES III was used. In order to evaluate the level of deterioration, the Spanish version of the 5th edition of the personal, clinical semistructured interview Addiction Severity Index--ASI4--was applied. The results indicate that the subjects included in balanced families present more addiction severity in two dimensions of the ASI: Alcohol and Employment/Support and are, moreover, the ones that take greater doses of methadone.


Thermal treatment, autoclaving and their combination yielded 3 samples of chrysotile-asbestos. With these, as compared with parent Type PRZh-1-50 Bazhenov chrysotile, the structure of fibers deteriorated and the number of negative discharges increased in the first two samples; the superficial structure substantially increased and the number of positive centers greatly decreased in the third sample. The ratio of positive to negative centers was less in all treated samples than that in the parent one, it decreased particularly during combined treatment. In this sample, hemolytic and mutagenic activity and cytotoxicity were substantially decreased; carcinogenic activity was greatly decreased (by 4 times) (as shown by the pleural mesothelioma indication test during intrapleural administration to rats). Thermal treatment and autoclaving insignificantly lowered the hemolytic activity and mutagenicity; carcinogenicity of these samples was much less (by 2.3 and 2 times) than that of parent chrysotile.


This study aimed to assess the quality of life of children (3-12 years) diagnosed with Thalassemia in Gaza Strip. A descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional design was used. All children 3-12 years old who were diagnosed with thalassemia and live in GS were included in the study (75 cases) with response rate (81.3%). Participants were interviewed by the researcher and completed the questionnaire which focused on quality of life of chronic diseases and included five domains. These domains are physical health, psychological health, social relationships, environment health and personal safety. Validity and reliability of the instrument were tested and the total instrument reliability test (Cronbach's Alpha) was 0.767. The scores for the study domains ranged between 2.81 for personal security domain and 3.66 for environmental health domain. Moreover, the study domains did not show statistically significant difference when compared by sex, living places, monthly income the relationship between parents and recurrent hospitalization. The findings of this study suggest the need of children diagnosed with thalassemia for support in all study domains. Health professionals need to work to minimize the disease's burdens. The current study calls the attention of health policy makers for new policies and new roles for the community health nurses and social workers. The study also revealed that there is a bad need to pay more attention when caring and dealing with thalassemia patients. Special food supplementation should be available in order to improve their physical health, more psychological support from their families and the society is needed. In addition, there is a need to provide safe environment and to enhance personal safety of these children.


Demilitarization requires the recovery and disposal of obsolete ammunition and explosives. Since open burning/detonation of hazardous waste has caused serious environmental and safety problems, thermal decomposition has emerged as one of the most feasible methods. RDX is widely used as a military explosive due to its high melting temperature and detonation power. In this work, the feasible conditions under which explosives can be safely incinerated have been investigated via a rotary kiln simulation. To solve this problem, phase change along with the reactions of RDX has been incisively analyzed. A global reaction mechanism consisting of condensed phase and gas phase reactions are used in Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation. User Defined Functions in FLUENT is utilized in this study to inculcate the reactions and phase change into the simulation. The results divulge the effect of temperature and the varying amounts of gas produced in the rotary kiln during the thermal decomposition of RDX. The result leads to the prospect of demilitarizing waste explosives to avoid the possibility of detonation.


Most causal inference studies rely on the assumption of overlap to estimate population or sample average causal effects. When data suffer from non-overlap, estimation of these estimands requires reliance on model specifications, due to poor data support. All existing methods to address non-overlap, such as trimming or down-weighting data in regions of poor data support, change the estimand so that inference cannot be made on the sample or the underlying population. In environmental health research settings, where study results are often intended to influence policy, population-level inference may be critical, and changes in the estimand can diminish the impact of the study results, because estimates may not be representative of effects in the population of interest to policymakers. Researchers may be willing to make additional, minimal modeling assumptions in order to preserve the ability to estimate population average causal effects. We seek to make two contributions on this topic. First, we propose a flexible, data-driven definition of propensity score overlap and non-overlap regions. Second, we develop a novel Bayesian framework to estimate population average causal effects with minor model dependence and appropriately large uncertainties in the presence of non-overlap and causal effect heterogeneity. In this approach, the tasks of estimating causal effects in the overlap and non-overlap regions are delegated to two distinct models, suited to the degree of data support in each region. Tree ensembles are used to non-parametrically estimate individual causal effects in the overlap region, where the data can speak for themselves. In the non-overlap region, where insufficient data support means reliance on model specification is necessary, individual causal effects are estimated by extrapolating trends from the overlap region via a spline model. The promising performance of our method is demonstrated in simulations. Finally, we utilize our method to perform a novel investigation of the causal effect of natural gas compressor station exposure on cancer outcomes. Code and data to implement the method and reproduce all simulations and analyses is available on Github (https://github.com/rachelnethery/overlap).


Independent audio routing, or audio breakaway, is a standard aspect of today's TV production workflow and is functionality that will need to be implemented in IP as the industry transitions away from Serial Digital Interface (SDI). Fortunately, the existing AES67 standard for audio over IP meets this objective and eliminates the need for the industry to reinvent the wheel. Not only is there already AES67 equipment deployed in the audio industry, but using this standard also enables significant new workflow opportunities. This paper provides an overview of AES67 and explores how it can be used with SMPTE ST 2022–6, ST 2110, and Video Services Forum (VSF) TR03 uncompressed video to form a complete solution. AES67 uses the IEEE-1588 PTP timing standard and, combining AES67, IEEE-1588, SMPTE ST 2059, and SMPTE ST 2022–6 using the new VSF Technical Recommendation 04 (TR04), provides a solution for maintaining A/V alignment throughout the production workflow.


Software Requirements Engineering addresses specific challenges which exist in the effort to gain an understanding of the nature of the engineering problem arising from user's real-world needs and desires. This research is aimed at helping software analysts meet these challenges. The proposed methodology forms the basis of the automated process designed to capture the high-level system services and actors from the textual user requirements. This model is intended to serve as a basis for software Use-Case Model development, and can be used by analysts in their in-depth study of requirements text. The approach is rooted in the syntactical analysis and formalization of text written in natural language, and it is enriched with domain-related information provided by the Expert Comparable Contextual (ECC) models that are extracted from reusable domain-specific data models. We illustrate the applicability of our methodology on an order invoicing case study and demonstrate it with a prototype tool. The results of the validation of our methodology prove that such a tool for assisting the elicitation of use-case models from textual requirements is feasible.


In recent years, attempts to capture and leverage a firm's knowledge resources have become a primary focus in the pursuit of competitive advantage. Business leaders have increasingly looked to their firms' bases of knowledge on topics such as customers, suppliers, markets, and business practices-as their most critical strategic resource. This trend has led to the widespread adoption of knowledge management initiatives aimed at capturing and leveraging the knowledge of social actors within an organization to advance the economic interests of the firm. Within such an effort, the behavior of knowledge sharing by individual business professionals stands as a necessary first condition for programmatic success. This essay explores the determinants of knowledge sharing by applying Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior to the context of knowledge management. The implications of the model provide support for an emphasis on organizational culture and relationship issues in the development and initiation of a knowledge management program. The model presented incorporates both formal and informal features of organizational contexts that can promote or discourage knowledge sharing behavior. The critical nature of social factors, reflected in the organizational culture of a firm, is strongly supported by the model. In addition, the analysis will illustrate the degree to which technological resources can influence the expected knowledge sharing behavior of business professionals.


The emergence of novel technologies allows researchers to facilitate the comprehensive analyses of genomes, transcriptomes, and proteomes in health and disease. The information that is expected from such technologies may soon exert a dramatic change in the pace of cancer research and impact dramatically on the care of cancer patients. These approaches have already demonstrated the power of molecular medicine in discriminating among disease subtypes that are not recognizable by traditional pathologic criteria and in identifying specific genetic events involved in cancer progression. This review covers a selection of advances in the realm of proteomics and its promise for cancer biomarker discovery. It also addresses issues regarding sample preparation and specificity and discusses current challenges that need to be overcome. Finally, the review touches on the efforts of the Early Detection Research Network at the National Cancer Institute in promoting biomarker discovery for translation at the clinical level.


Epidemiological studies have shown a strong association between sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) and cerebrovascular diseases. A total of 114 male patients, aged 40–65 years, referred to sleep laboratory for the evaluation of snoring and disturbed sleep were studied. Subjects were divided into three groups: habitual snoring, mild–moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), respectively, determined by using three respiratory disturbance index (RDI) cut points (≤5, 5 < RDI < 30 and ≥30). Measurement of intima‐media thickness (IMT) and the presence of plaque were determined by ultrasonographic evaluation. Major vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, hyperlipidemia, and obesity were determined. The OSA groups had significantly higher IMT values compared with the habitual snoring group. Three groups were significantly different with regard to the presence of plaque. Age and body mass index were found to be significantly associated with IMT while age and RDI were found to be most probably predictive for plaque. There were no significant differences amongst the three groups with respect to age, prevalence of hypertension and diabetes, smoking, total cholesterol and total triglyceride levels. These findings suggested that SDB is a predisposing factor for the atherosclerotic process and precipitate plaque particularly when associated with higher RDI.


In the paper an efficient method to find optimal design of reinforced concrete columns of the spring mounted turbine generator foundation, subjected to rotating machinery dynamic loads is presented. According to thorough finite element analysis it is observed that columns can be successfully modeled separately, what approves the application of simplified, analytical column models. The design objective is to avoid resonance of the first two natural frequencies of foundation columns with the first harmonic excitation of the generator, while design variables are dimensions of columns cross section. The results of the analyzed example show that the optimization was successfully performed, since optimized dimensions of columns give natural frequencies out of the critical frequency range.


Photodissociation of 14N2 and 14N15N occurs in interstellar clouds, circumstellar envelopes, protoplanetary discs, and other environments due to UV radiation from stellar sources and the presence of cosmic rays. This source of N atoms initiates the formation of complex N-bearing species and influences their isotopic composition. To study the photodissociation rates of 14N15N by UV continuum radiation and both isotopologues in a field of cosmic ray induced photons. To determine the effect of these on the isotopic composition of more complex molecules. High-resolution photodissociation cross sections of N2 are used from an accurate and comprehensive quantum- mechanical model of the molecule based on laboratory experiments. A similarly high-resolution spectrum of H2 emission following interactions with cosmic rays has been constructed. The spectroscopic data are used to calculate dissociation rates which are input into isotopically differentiated chemical models, describing an interstellar cloud and a protoplanetary disc. The dissociation rate of 14N15N in a Draine field assuming 30K excitation is 1.73x10-10s-1 and the rate due to cosmic rays assuming an H2 ionisation rate of 10-16s-1 is about 10-15s-1, with up to a factor of 10 difference between isotopologues. Shielding functions for 14N15N by 14N2, H2, and H are presented. Incorporating these into an interstellar cloud model, an enhancement of the atomic 15N/14N ratio is obtained due to the self-shielding of external radiation at an extinction of about 1.5 mag. This effect is larger where grain growth has reduced the opacity of dust to ultraviolet radiation. The transfer of photolytic isotopic fractionation N2 to other molecules is significant in a disc model, and is species dependent with 15N enhancement approaching a factor of 10 for HCN.


The set of all possible cone excitation triplets from reflecting surfaces tmder a given illuminant forms a volume in cone excitation space known as the object-co/our solid (OCS). An important task in Color Science is to specify the precise geometry of the OCS as defined by its boundary. Schrodinger claimed that the optimal reflectances that map to the boundary of the OCS take on values of 0 or 1 only, with no more than two wavelength transitions. Although this popularly accepted assertion is, by and large, correct and holds under some restricted conditions (e.g., it holds for the CIE colour matching ftmctions), as far as the number of transitions is concented, it has been shown not to hold in general. As a result , the Schrodinger optimal reflectances provide only an approximation to the true OCS. For the case of dichromatic vision, we compare the true and approximate OCS by computing the set of true optimal reflectances, and find that they differ significantly.


Outlier detection, or detection of exceptional data, is a key element for financial databases, because the necessity of fraud prevention. Here, we propose an efficient method for this task which includes an innovative end-user explanation facility. The best design was based on an unsupervised learning schema, which uses an adaptation of the Artificial Neural Network paradigms and the Expert System shells. In our method, the cluster that contains the smaller number of instances is considered as outlier data. The method provides an explanation to the end user about why this cluster is exceptional with regard to the data universe. The proposed method has been tested and compared successfully using well-known academic data, and a real and very large financial database.


Objective: To test whether statistical models developed to calculate pre-test probability of being a BRCA1/2 carrier can differentiate better between the breast/ovarian families to be referred to the DNA test laboratory. Study design: A retrospective analysis was performed in 109 Spanish breast/ovarian families previously screened for germline mutations in both the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Four easy to use logistic regression models originally developed in Spanish (HCSC model), Dutch (LUMC model), Finnish (HUCH model), and North American (U Penn model) families and one model based on empirical data of Frank 2002 were tested. A risk counsellor was asked to assign a subjective pre-test probability for each family. Sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and areas under receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curves were calculated in each case. Correlation between predicted probability and mutation prevalence was tested. All statistical tests were two sided. Results: Overall, the models performed well, improving the performances of a genetic counsellor. The median ROC curve area was 0.80 (range 0.77-0.82). At 100% sensitivity, the median specificity was 30% (range 25-33%). At 92% sensitivity, the median specificity was 42% (range 33.3-54.2%) and the median negative predictive value was 93% (range 89.7-98%). BRCA1 families tended to score higher risk than BRCA2 families in all models tested. Conclusions: All models increased the discrimination power of an experienced risk counsellor, suggesting that their use is valuable in the context of clinical counselling and genetic testing to optimise selection of patients for screening and allowing for more focused management. Models developed in different ethnic populations performed similarly well in a Spanish series of families, suggesting that models targeted to specific populations may not be necessary in all cases. Carrier probability as predicted by the models is consistent with actual prevalence, although in general models tend to underestimate it. Our study suggests that these models may perform differently in populations with a high prevalence of BRCA2 mutations.


ABSTRACT Polysaccharide (PS)-protein conjugate vaccines, in contrast to purified PS vaccines, recruit CD4+-T-cell help and restore defective PS-specific humoral immunity in the immature host. Surprisingly, in the immunocompromised, aged host, anti-PS responses to conjugate vaccines are typically no better than those elicited by purified PS vaccines. Although aging leads to defects in multiple immune cell types, diminished CD4+-T-cell helper function has recently been shown to play a dominant role. We show that in response to immunization with purified pneumococcal capsular PS serotype 14 (PPS14) in saline, the T-cell-independent immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-PPS14 response in aged mice was comparable to that in young mice. In contrast, the T-cell-dependent IgG anti-PPS14 response to a soluble conjugate of PPS14 and pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) (PPS14-PspA) in saline was markedly defective. This was associated with defective priming of PspA-specific CD4+ T cells. In contrast, immunization of aged mice with PPS14-PspA combined with an unmethylated CpG-containing oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) restored IgG anti-PPS14 responses to young adult levels, which were substantially higher than those observed using purified PPS14. This was associated with enhanced PspA-specific CD4+-T-cell priming. Similarly, intact Streptococcus pneumoniae capsular type 14, which contains Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands, also induced substantial, though modestly reduced, T-cell-dependent (TD) IgG ant-PPS14 responses in aged mice. Spleen and peritoneal cells from aged and young adult mice made comparable levels of proinflammatory cytokines in response to CpG-ODN, although cells from aged mice secreted higher levels of interleukin-10. Collectively, these data suggest that inclusion of a TLR ligand, as an adjuvant, with a conjugate vaccine can correct defective TD IgG anti-PS responses in elderly patients by augmenting CD4+-T-cell help.


Osteocytes are the major type of living cells in bone and are known to be responsible for the biomechanosensory functions within the bone matrix. Osteocytes are activated by mechanical forces and regulates both osteoclasts and osteoblasts for bone resorption/formation. Not all the osteocytes are activated due to the applied mechanical loading because of many factors such as variation in size, position and orientation of them with respect to the loading surface. Strain response of osteocyte to the applied loading is of importance in estimating the bone resorption/formation. Although previously there were many studies that investigated strain responses at the osteocyte lacuna, very few were finite element studies and were limited to 2dimensional models. Here in this study, a finite element model was created using FEBio at the microscale level and osteocyte lacunar and perilacunar responses were calculated based on three studies: 1) variation in lacunar position, 2) variation in lacunar orientation and 3) variation in lacunar size. A parametric study was performed by varying the elastic modulus of the perilacunar matrix which resulted in a decrease of maximum strain in lacuna with an increase in perilacunar modulus from 5GPa to 20GPa. Then, the model was scaled down to nanometer range and the lacunar responses were investigated and the results were compared with a previous study. Finally, a 3-dimensional osteocyte model was developed using MIMICS and 3-Matic softwares using confocal image stack of mouse femurs.


There is no way anyone can meet any situation without expectations. In this article expectations are discussed in relation to different arts-educational contexts and perspectives with an aim to discuss how conscious use of expectations can be an asset in arts education, in relating to the arts and in life. Through the use of the term "possibilism" coined by Arns Næss, the article concludes that an important task in arts education is to help students develop a competence in being open for many possible futures: to play with the arts. The theoretical base in the chapter comes from John Dewey, Arne Næss and Deleuze and Guattari, and the article is a part of an ongoing project of developing an educational theory of aesthetic communication.


Abstract It is widely held, even among nonnaturalists, that the moral supervenes on the natural. This is to say that for any two metaphysically possible worlds w and w′, and for any entities x in w and y in w′, any isomorphism between x and y that preserves the natural properties preserves the moral properties. In this paper, I put forward a conceivability argument against moral supervenience, assuming non-naturalism. First, I argue that though utilitarianism may be true, and the trolley driver is permitted to kill the one to save the five, there is a conceivable scenario that is just like our world in all natural respects, yet at which deontology is true, and the trolly driver is not permitted to kill the one to save the five. I then argue that in the special case of morality, it is possible to infer from the conceivability of such a scenario to its possibility. It follows that supervenience is false.


Background: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is characterized by altered mental status, visual perception abnormalities and seizures. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a rare etiology of PRES and affects less than 1% of SLE patients. We present a unique case of a new-onset SLE patient presenting with borderline cardiac tamponade requiring emergent pericardiocentesis and hospital course complicated by intractable seizures found to have PRES on imaging.Case presentation: A 21-year-old female underwent outpatient evaluation for new-onset SLE presenting to the emergency room with dyspnea. She was found to have a large circumferential pericardial effusion with borderline tamponade features requiring emergent pericardiocentesis. On her fifth hospital day, she developed generalized motor seizure (tonic-clonic) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealing bilateral parieto-occipital edema consistent with a radiographic diagnosis of PRES. Induction therapy with mycophenolate was started and follow-up studies showed improvement in the cortical and subcortical regions on MRI with no evidence of recurrent pericardial effusion.Conclusions: PRES is a rare complication of lupus and has been infrequently described in literature. It is thought that the association is secondary to the effect of SLE on endothelial dysfunction and the effect of cytotoxic medication on the loss of autoregulation of systemic hypertension. It is important to recognize this condition and its significant associations as early detection and intervention often lead to favorable outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of SLE with associations of both PRES and circumferential pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology, both of which are rare in the SLE patient population.


This paper attempts to investigate the migrations of people to Italy from a historical point of view, aiming to approach their origins and features through a comparison of different periods, methodologies and available sources. The main objective is to trace the historical trends of migration to Italy from the early 1960s to the late 1970s, because during this time new, original and significant flows of foreign immigrants could be seen in Italy. In this specific case, the socioeconomic impact and political debate will be highlighted to frame the spreading phenomenon of immigration within the broader picture of the history of the Italian Republic and its political, economic and social framework.


Integrated Leadership Development Programmes (IDLPs) have become increasingly popular in recent years. These programmes combine different elements such as 360° feedback, experiential learning, group coaching, executive coaching and action learning, over extended periods of many months. Very little independent research exists to show how effective they really are and this longitudinal study helps fill that gap in knowledge. Based upon a case study of 530 managers in a UK-wide public sector organisation over four years, the study uses a mixed methods approach. Findings confirm that ILDPs are highly effective and also identify current best practice design. The research also demonstrates that increasing the amount of coaching leads to increased learning transfer and retention.


OBJECTIVES
We examined the roles of teaching hospitals, insurance status, and race/ ethnicity in women's receipt of adjuvant therapy for regional-stage breast cancer.

METHODS
Data were taken from the Florida Cancer Data System for cases diagnosed from July 1997 to December 2000. We evaluated the impact of health insurance status and hospital type on use of adjuvant therapy (after adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, and marital status). Interaction terms for hospital type, insurance status, and race/ethnicity were entered in each model.

RESULTS
Teaching facilities diagnosed 12.5% of the cases; however, they cared for a disproportionate percentage (21.3%) of uninsured and Medicaid-insured women. Among women who received adjuvant chemotherapy only, those diagnosed in teaching hospitals were more likely than those diagnosed in nonteaching hospitals to receive therapy regardless of insurance status or race/ethnicity. Among women who received chemotherapy with or without hormonal therapy, Hispanics were more likely than White non-Hispanic women to receive therapy, whereas women with private insurance or Medicare were less likely than uninsured and Medicaid-insured women to receive this type of therapy.

CONCLUSIONS
Teaching facilities play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of regional-stage breast cancer among Hispanics, uninsured women, and women insured by Medicaid.


The complex constitutional relationship between Greenland and Denmark has had no clearer manifestation than the last decade's juridical and political wranglings over the control for uranium. In the article, we argue that the quarrel between Nuuk and Copenhagen found in their diverging uranium policies can be seen as what we term a 'securitization controversy'. That is, a form of negotiating process which delicately postpones securitization proper due to the entangled role of the uranium issue in the independence debate. Through narrative analysis of contemporary Danish and Greenlandic government policy documents (2008-2016) we thus demonstrate how Greenlandic documents attempt to desecuritize risks pertinent to extraction of uranium and REE while Danish government papers seek to risikfy uranium in order to keep the issue open to future securitization. In the analysis, we further show how certain risks in the policy papers are connected and constitute a narrative conflict involving identity and sovereignty. We argue, that the controversy found at policy level in turn is the result of the underlying 'sovereignty game' in the constitutional relationship between the two countries. The article introduces a methodological framework for studying such securitization controversies drawing on risk analysis and narratology. We argue that in order to account for the entangled and narrative nature of the discursive movements in the policy texts, structural narratology can be a viable methodological alternative to the Copenhagen School's preferred method of discourse analysis.


A fast method for the calculation of residue contributions to protein solvation is presented. The approach uses the exposed polar and apolar surface of protein residues and has been parametrized from the fractional contributions to solvation determined from linear response theory coupled to molecular dynamics simulations. Application of the method to a large subset of proteins taken from the Protein Data Bank allowed us to compute the expected fractional solvation of residues. This information is used to discuss when a residue or a group of residues presents an uncommon solvation profile.


The relative influence of climatic and social factors on sex-specific variation in reproductive behaviour remains poorly understood. Here, we examine the influence of multiple climatic cues in combination with a social cue on the reproductive behaviours of males and females in a terrestrial breeding toadlet (Pseudophryne coriacea). Over a 115-day breeding season, arrival patterns of each sex, and male calling activity, were recorded daily, while climatic variables were logged continuously. Multivariate analysis showed that arrival of males at the breeding site, as well as male nightly calling activity, were most strongly influenced by a climatic variable (rainfall). By contrast, female arrival was strongly correlated with a social variable (male calling activity), with abiotic conditions having no influence, other than a moderate influence of lunar phase (lunar illumination). These results suggest that cues used for breeding are sex specific and provide new evidence that combinations of climatic and social cues can be integrated into breeding decisions.


The dynamics of total N in particle-size and density fractions of six major soils which have been used for cereal cropping for 20-70 years were studied in order to identify the labile organic matter fractions in soil. For virgin soils, no single particle-size was consistently enriched in N as compared with the whole soil. The clay fraction contained the largest proportion (53% overall) of total N. Silt-size and sand-size N fractions accounted for 26% and 21% of total N, respectively. Upon cultivation, the sand-size fraction lost most of its N (as much as 89% in Langlands-Logie soil). However, N losses also occurred from silt-size and clay-size fractions in most soils. Changes in C : N ratios of different particle-size fractions upon cultivation were not consistent in all soils, possibly because of the transfer of organic C and N among these fractions. Therefore, the separation of labile organic matter fractions from the whole soil based upon particle-size may not be successful in all soils. On the other hand, the density fractionation of soil into a light fraction ( 2 Mg m-3) containing less labile organic matter appears to be more successful in most soils. It is suggested that the cultural practices that enhance the amount of light fraction would increase the rate of nutrient cycling through microbial biomass and may increase the overall availability of nutrients in soil.


AIM: In India, RNTCP reports more male tuberculosis patients than female. In this study we aimed to find out the gender differences in clinical presentation and treatment outcome.
METHOD: A record based study was conducted in Bhatar tuberculosis unit of Burdwan district among 758 registered tuberculosis patients of November 2010 to December 2011. Data were analyzed by SPSS software.
RESULT: Male was 76.1%, female was 23.9% with male preponderance in each age group. In category I, majority of the male and female patients were new sputum smear positive. In category II, majority of the male and female patients belonged to relapse (35.8%) and other group (69.2%) respectively. Cure rate and treatment completion rate was more among males and females respectively. In category I, female defaulters were more, while in category II, male defaulter was higher.
CONCLUSION: Integrated research is necessary to find out these differences that will be helpful in improving the efficacy of the programme.


The technique of 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction from two orthogonal images is mainly used in ventricle or vessel reconstruction. In the literature, the 3D object is considered to be a stacked 2-dimensional (2D) slice set and 3D reconstruction can be achieved by constructing a stack of 2D slice reconstructions, by rendering each slice into two 1-dimensional profiles corresponding to a pair of rows obtained from the segmented projections. Previous work has modelled each slice as a 2D Markov-Gibbs random field and simulated annealing approach is used to solve the 2D reconstruction problem based on two infinite-source orthogonal views. The current work applies this approach to 3D space in particular. We find this approach can be applied to more wide application, rather than only in cardiac reconstruction. The results obtained by reconstructing binary and multiple objects of the human voxel phantom from two orthogonal projections, yield low reconstruction errors and the shapes of the reconstructed objects are observed to match the original objects to a high degree.


Objective This study was aimed at investigating whether sevoflurane inhalation induced cognitive impairment in rats with a possible mechanism involved in the event. Methods Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups of normal saline (NS) + O2, NS + sevoflurane (sevo), amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) + O2, and Aβ + sevo. The rats in the four groups received bilateral intrahippocampus injections of NS or Aβ. The treated hippocampus was harvested after inhaling 30% O2 or 2.5% sevoflurane. Evaluation of cognitive function was performed by Morris water maze (MWZ) and an Aβ1–42 level was determined by ELISA. Protein and mRNA expressions were executed by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, Western blotting, and qRT-PCR. Results Compared with the NS-treated group, sevoflurane only caused cognitive impairment and increased the level of Aβ1–42 of the brain in the Aβ-treated group. Sevoflurane inhalation but not O2 significantly increased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule (IBA)1 expression in Aβ-treated hippocampus of rats. Expression levels for Bcl-xL, caspase-9, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were significantly different in quantification of band intensity between the rats that inhaled O2 and sevoflurane in Aβ-treated groups (all P < 0.05). Interleukin- (IL-) 1β, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression increased after the rats inhaled sevoflurane in the Aβ-treated group (both P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the change of GFAP, IBA1, Bcl-xL, caspase-9, RAGE, BDNF, IL-1β, NF-κB, and iNOS in the NS + O2 and NS + sevo group (all P > 0.05). Conclusion Sevoflurane exacerbates cognitive impairment induced by Aβ1–40 in rats through initiating neurotoxicity, neuroinflammation, and neuronal apoptosis in rat hippocampus.


Nowadays, several manufacturing systems are evolving towards a greater collaboration between human and robots. The development of such systems requires integrated design tasks involving many disciplines and domains such as systems engineering, safety analyses and multi-physics. Furthermore, the increasing presence of multiple and structured requirements makes the use of models inevitable during the designing phases and also strongly helpful during other phases of the system life-cycle. Besides, for a better efficiency, there is an increasing demand to have a Digital Twin of the system to be used for different purposes such as design improvements by playing different scenarios, virtual commissioning and controlling maintenance activities. In this paper, we first summarize the research context, the reference methodologies, and the emerging needs for Digital Twin creation. Then, we apply a design approach including Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Model-Based Safety Assessment (MBSA) and multi-physics modeling for the design of a collaborative workplace for the assembly of Electro-Mechanical Actuators on an aircraft wing. An operational flow to integrate MBSE, MBSA and multi-physics modelling activities is provided. Then, after having identified some relevant scientific barriers, we provide a meta-model for system models integration within a digital twin framework.


Radiology uses large images and series of images that can consume large amounts of storage or of communication bandwidth in the utilization of those images. An update to the standard for compressing radiology images is being considered by the medical imaging compression standards committee. A standard for compression of radiology images is proposed for consideration. The proposed standard uses four basic techniques to achieve very high quality reconstructed images: (a) image decomposition into high frequency and low frequency elements, (b) lapped orthogonal discrete cosine transforms, (c) local quantization, and (d) Huffman encoding. Degenerate forms of the standard include the JPEG standard, already included in the DICOM medical image interchange standard. The proposed standard is a departure from the JPEG standard because of the low quality of the baseline JPEG lossy compression. At the same time, much of the hardware and software that have been used for JPEG compression are applicable to the proposed standard technique. A preprocessing step changes the format of the image to a form that can be processed using JPEG compression. A post-processing step after the JPEG restoration will restore the image. The proposed standard does not permit many techniques that have been used in the past. In particular, decomposition by the level of the significant bits is not permitted, the only transform permitted is the lapped orthogonal discrete cosine transform, the block size of the transform is limited to 8 by 8, and only Huffman coding is allowed. There are many variations that can be used in compression. This proposal allows some variations, but restricts many other variations in the interest of simplicity for the standard. The quality of the compression is very good. The extra complexity in the standard to allow more variations is not warranted.


Cardiac Ablation is an effective treatment of arrhythmia in which physicians terminate fast heart rate by transecting abnormal electrical conduction pathways in the heart with RF energy. During the procedure, physicians diagnose the condition of the heart and locate ablation sites by analyzing electrical signals sensed by catheters inserted into the heart. Due to the limited observation of the patient's heart, there may exist multiple heart conditions that can explain historical observations, causing ambiguities in the patient's heart condition. During the procedure, physicians have to visualize and continuously update these suspected heart conditions in their mind, causing heavy mental burden on the physicians. In this paper, cardiac electrophysiology is formalized using a physiological model of the heart, such that the diagnosis problem during cardiac ablation can be formalized as parameter identification and state estimation problems with the heart model. We then propose a model-based clinical assist system which partially solves the diagnosis problem during cardiac ablation. The system enumerates suspected heart conditions by creating "digital twins" of the patient's heart with heart models. The heart models are used to represent and visualize suspected heart conditions, and are systematically updated and removed with new information during the ablation procedure. The system provides more rigorous and intuitive interpretation of current understanding of the patient's heart, and improves the accuracy and efficiency of cardiac ablation procedures by relieving the physicians from demanding low-level reasoning.


This paper examines the notion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the real estate industry in Europe - with specific regard to corporate property management - and its place and importance in the hierarchy of overall corporate strategies. It also assesses the strategic imperative for the implementation of such a concept. Few would disagree that the market for real estate is fragmenting along ethical lines, placing companies who utilise sustainable business practices in a competitive position. Those on the other side of the divide are faced with two choices: to either wait for a statutory framework to be developed, from which company policies can be formed, or become actively engaged in the CSR debate and help shape its agenda.1 Although there is still great uncertainty in this field, is it not better to take precautionary measures than to do nothing and risk incurring greater costs in the long-term? Suffice it to say, a more proactive role may prove more cost-effective for those corporations with a longer-term perspective.