Natural disaster is a multidimensional problem in nature caused by multiple factors yet predominantly coming to happen by the acts of humans. Realizing this leads to an indispensable need for synergy between multiple stakeholders. While Indonesia is taken as a case for it is so vulnerable of disaster occurrence, Padang City becomes the most vulnerable area in the world. This article seeks to explain efforts undertaken by the local government and the support from the community, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and business sector. The research method used in this article in interpretive qualitative method by data collection through observation, interview, and document review. The informants in this study consist of related offices of the municipal government of Padang, community representative, NGOs, and corporations. As for the result of this research, it shows that there is a synergy between the local government and disaster stakeholders that is evident in earthquakeand tsunami risk reduction activities conducted by the municipal government involving the community, NGOs and business world. The activities include the making of fixed procedure of disaster management, disaster evacuation simulation, disaster training at community and school level, and changes of the recent Padang Municipal Spatial Planning.


We decipher the geometry, timing, and kinematics of deformation of a region in the eastern foothills of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia. We assess the influence of inherited structural fabrics, changes in basin geometry, erosional denudation, and the characteristics of the tectonic stress field with respect to the evolution of the structural styles of the deformation front in the Eastern Cordillera. Detailed structural and geomorphic mapping of an area of ∼5000 km 2 , analysis of seismic-reflection profiles, cross-section balancing, tectonic stress-field indicators, and new apatite fission-track data are used to characterize the partitioning of Late Cenozoic deformation in the eastern foothills of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia. During the late Miocene–Pliocene, in the Eastern Cordillera, deformation migrated from inverted master normal faults to low-elevation, low-amplitude structures in the foreland. However, this shift in the locus of deformation was not spatially uniform. The deformation front is wider in a northern sector of the Cordilleran foothills, where sedimentary units are thicker, and shortening is perpendicular to the structures. This shortening direction is identical to the direction of the greatest horizontal stress S Hmax as seen in borehole breakouts. During the late Miocene–Pliocene, basement ranges are passively uplifted by younger, more frontal thrusts. The eastern foothills of the Eastern Cordillera thus reveal a complex combination of factors responsible for the structural styles and partitioning of active deformation in an inversion orogen. Over time, the most important factor changes, from the role of inherited structural fabrics to the geometries of basin fills.


A new polymerizable monomer containing naphthalene ring in the mesogen with an ester linkage and various types of polymerizable monomers consisting of 1,4-disubstituted phenyl cores with a Schiff base and ester linkages have been designed and synthesized. These new Schiff base and ester based monomers were used to synthesize side chain liquid crystalline polymers (SCLCPs) via radical chain polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The chemical structure of monomers and polymers were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and FTIR spectroscopies. The molecular weight and polydispersity of polymers as measured by GPC are in the range of 10,200 to 123,000 g/mol and from 1.16 to 2.79, respectively. The GPC analysis of the polymers also revealed the effects of polymerization method on polydispersity whereby polymers synthesized by ATRP showed narrow polydispersities compared to those synthesized by radical chain polymerization.
Results from POM showed monomer containing naphthalene ring in the mesogen exhibited a nematic phase at 101.9°C and a smectic phase at 83.8°C while DSC suggested presence of a wide mesophase range between 50°C and 104°C. SAXS analysis showed a sharp scattering signal in the low q region (2.2 nm-1) indicating a typical smectic phase texture. Their polymers also exhibited both nematic and smectic phases appearing at 163°C and 149°C respectively as detected by DSC. As for the monomers with a Schiff base and ester linkages, a nematic phase at a temperature range of 40.0°C to 195.7°C was observed under POM which was further supported by DSC results. PXRD analysis also showed a typical nematic characteristic of a broad peak in the region 15-30° with d-spacing of 3-5 A. Their polymers also exhibited nematic mesophase at a temperature range between 128.5°C and 232.0°C.
From TGA analysis, all the resulting polymers were thermally stable below 389°C which is really excellent for the practical processing or for the possible use in devices.
The absorption peaks from UV-Vis spectroscopy of these polymers varied from 300 to 400 nm, while the fluorescence peaks varied from 380 to 560 nm. The absorption maxima of UV-Vis and photoluminescence spectra were influenced by the electron donating substituent located at the side chain of polymers. All polymers have the characteristic of emissive polymers. The obtained HOMO and LUMO values of polymers are around -5.59 and -2.59 respectively which are close to that of the materials currently use in hole-transporting layers. The band gap values of polymers (3.03-3.18 eV) revealed that the newly synthesized SCLCPs could be potential candidate in photovoltaic applications.
The rheological properties of the polymers showed that the dynamic shear moduli in a smectic phase tended to level off in the low frequency region. The steady shear viscosities of the smectic and nematic phase exhibited a shear thinning behavior over the shear rate tested. Meanwhile, a Newtonian behavior at low shear rate, followed by a strain hardening behavior at higher shear rate was observed in the isotropic phase.


Abstract. The Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011 is said to be a once-in-1000-year catastrophic quake. The Tsunami triggered by the earthquake destroyed broad coastal areas in northeast Japan. As recovery from the earthquake proceeds, the demand for new road construction, housing hill development, and residential construction is rapidly increasing. Culture plays a critical role in the district's recovery. For that reason, before development, cultural properties in the corresponding districts must be urgently investigated. This is a must, although balancing cultural recovery with rapid economic recovery is no easy task. With this in mind, we have developed a new system focusing on speedy archaeological investigation and adequate documentation. The authors reexamined the existing investigation process to categorize tasks into two types: those that must be done only at archaeological sites (site A) and ones available at other places (site B). We then formulated a scheme where the tasks on both sites are performed simultaneously in parallel over the network. Experiments are ongoing. This presentation reports the process and issues of our research and development.


In a double-blind crossover study, the effect on postoperative pain of lidocaine plus diflunisal was compared with that of bupivacaine and placebo. Forty-eight patients with bilateral impactions of lower third molars had these removed on two occasions four weeks apart. One pain-control regimen was used on one occasion and the alternate on the second. The pain intensity was indicated on a visual analog scale at 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours postoperatively. The pain values for the first postoperative hours were higher for the lidocaine diflunisal combination, whereas after 5 hours the opposite was true. Significantly more patients preferred the combination of lidocaine and diflunisal. Three patients reported fatigue postoperatively during the day of surgery, which they attributed to the operation and not to the analgesics used.


The study investigates the background, advantages, and difficulties of AI-based testing. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has shown great promise as a means of enhancing software testing procedures. To improve test case generation, bug prediction, and test result analysis, AI-based testing approaches use machine learning, NLP (natural language Processing), GUIs(graphical user interfaces), genetic algorithms, and robotic process automation. We also provide a brief literature review of recent studies in the field, focusing on the various approaches and tools proposed for AI-based software testing. We conclude with a strategy for introducing AI-based testing and a list of possible approaches and resources. Overall, this paper provides a comprehensive survey of AI-based software testing and highlights the potential benefits and challenges of this emerging field.


Tests for transplantation immunity and for the occurrence of virus-neutralizing serum antibodies were performed on mice, inoculated when newborn with the Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV-SR). Mice developing no palpable primary sarcomas showed a clear-cut resistance against the isografting of established specifically antigenic Rous tumors. Transplantation tests performed on primary tumor hosts after extirpation of the tumors revealed neither any clear-cut immunity nor tolerance to the specific transplantation antigen(s). Serial pretreatment of operated primary tumor animals with irradiated autologous or syngeneic tumor cells resulted in a clear-cut transplantation immunity. Virus-neutralizing activity was only found in a few sera from newborn infected mice, and in these cases there was no positive correlation with the transplantation immunity. It seems probable that a successful immunization against the RSV-SR specific transplantation antigen(s) prevents the development of primary tumors. There is no indication of any tolerance to this antigen in connection with the induction of primary tumors.


Part 1: In Russia appears in Blake 51.4 (spring 2018). England welcomed us cordially in 1991. Our concert was a success: my Jacob's Ladder, a musical depiction of William Blake's magnificent Jacob's Dream of almost two hundred years before, came from Moscow to London to be played by the London Sinfonietta under the baton of a Russian conductor. It seemed to me that Londoners appreciated this. The horn concerto by my wife, Elena, was equally well received. After the concert we were invited to the Garrick Club, and together with our small children had a joyful dinner until late at night. The next morning we moved from Kensington's Tara Hotel; our friends took great care of us and took turns in kindly offering us temporary shelter. The newspaper reviews were positive: "Its spiralling motifs and sun-lit instrumental colours [made] a dreamlike counterpart to the visionary William Blake picture which inspired it"; "Inspired by William Blake's drawing of the Biblical story, this beautifully crafted piece is sectional, with contrasted instrumental groupings marking the boundaries. It is also refined, revealing sensitivity for instrumental characteristics and a predilection for lyrical phrases. The ending, when the first violin emerges from a lovely texture of celesta, vibraphone, bells and the higher stringed instruments is a moment of transcendent magic. It also exemplifies the economy of Smirnov's writing: not a note was inessential." Our publishers were pleased and decided to print both our scores.


AIMS
In addition to being produced in ethanol metabolism, acetaldehyde occurs naturally in alcoholic beverages. Limited epidemiological evidence points to acetaldehyde as an independent risk factor for cancer during alcohol consumption, in addition to the effects of ethanol. This study aims to estimate human exposure to acetaldehyde from alcoholic beverages and provide a quantitative risk assessment.

METHODS
The human dietary intake of acetaldehyde via alcoholic beverages was estimated based on World Health Organization (WHO) consumption data and literature on the acetaldehyde contents of different beverage groups (beer, wine, spirits and unrecorded alcohol). The risk assessment was conducted using the European Food Safety Authority's margin of exposure (MOE) approach with benchmark doses obtained from dose-response modelling of animal experiments. Life-time cancer risk was calculated using the T25 dose descriptor.

RESULTS
The average exposure to acetaldehyde from alcoholic beverages was estimated at 0.112 mg/kg body weight/day. The MOE was calculated to be 498, and the life-time cancer risk at 7.6 in 10,000. Higher risk may exist for people exposed to high acetaldehyde contaminations, as we have found in certain unrecorded alcohol beverages in Guatemala and Russia, for which we have demonstrated possible exposure scenarios, with risks in the range of 1 in 1000.

CONCLUSIONS
The life-time cancer risks for acetaldehyde from alcoholic beverages greatly exceed the usual limits for cancer risks from the environment set between 1 : 10,000 and 1 : 1,000,000. Alcohol consumption has thus been identified as a direct source of acetaldehyde exposure, which in conjunction with other sources (food flavourings, tobacco) results in a magnitude of risk requiring intervention. An initial public health measure could be to reduce the acetaldehyde content in alcoholic beverages as low as technologically possible, and to restrict its use as a food flavour additive.


It has been found that NADPH-dependent hydroxylation of dimethylaniline, aniline, p- and o-nitroanisol and lipid peroxidation is inhibited by the tyrosine-copper (II) complex (low molecular weight analog of superoxide dismutase), which is indicative of a possibility of superoxide radicals formation in these reactions. The inhibition of the above-mentioned reactions with Tyr2-Cu2+ is less pronounced or absent, if cumole hydroperoxide is used as cosubstrate instead of NADPH. Differences in the Tyr2-Cu2+ complex effects on the cumule hydroperoxide-dependent xenobiotics hydroxylation and lipid peroxidation catalyzed by various forms of cytochrome P-450, e. g. microsomal, soluble and incorporated into liposomes, have been found. The data obtained suggest that the efficiency of the inhibitory effect of the Tyr2-Cu2+ complex depends on the type of cosubstrates (NADPH, cumole hydroperoxide) and substrates used as well as on the form of cytochrome P-450.


O'Regan and Gratzel conceived a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), which operates as an artificial photosynthetic system converting solar light into electricity. Nevertheless, it is only recently that the scientific community is focusing on truly aqueous DSSCs that use water as electrolyte, thus avoiding any flammable and toxic organic solvents. The most critical aspect of these devices is the photoanode/electrolyte interface. Indeed, it is necessary to select dyes that chemisorb onto the semiconductor layer while allowing the aqueous electrolyte to thoroughly impregnate the mesostructure of the electrode; at the same time, it is necessary to avoid the anchoring unit of the dye to be hydrolyzed by water, thus causing the detachment of the sensitizer from the active material particles. This requires a thorough analysis of the structure-property relationships, in particular the evaluation of the chemical formula, stability, and performances of the dyes on the electrode surface in truly aqueous environment. Herein, we investigate nine different sensitizers, selected based on their different properties in terms of light absorption, chemical structure, and hydrophobic/hydrophilic nature. Wettability, resistance to dye desorption, and spectral variations of sensitized photoanodes, along with the photovoltaic performance of the resulting devices, are systematically investigated to identify some useful guidelines to choose and design suitable dyes of different colors for truly aqueous DSSCs.


This paper describes the benefits of integrating gameplay design in interaction design teaching since this allows students to practice designing for unusual situations, considering ethic and aesthetic issues as well as issues of use and abuse, often all in the same project. Some examples – ranging from a three week group project to a half day exercise – are described, each together with aims and noted learning outcomes related to interaction design, as well as with a general discussion. In addition, a few student projects are described together with learning outcomes. Finally the pros and cons of this approach are discussed, and educators willing to try it, but inexperienced in games, are getting some useful information on what to look into.


This study investigates the relationship between financial development and economic growth of Sri Lanka using time series data from 1960 to 2008. Cointegration and causality tests are conducted to assess the finance-growth link by taking saving, investment, trade and real interest rate into account. The empirical results show that economic growth causes financial development in the long-run and there is no reverse causation. This conclusion of the study goes in line with the views expressed by Demetriades and Hussein (1996), Macri and Sinha (2001) and Abma and Fase (2003) but departs distinctively from the observations made by Ahmed and Ansari (1998), on the finance-growth link in relation to Sri Lanka. The results of this research also show that the investment causes the economic growth which in turn results in demand for financial services to follow the growth in the real sector of the economy. This study has further identified that Sri Lanka's financial system has shown some weaknesses in performing its tasks which would have been instrumental in the determination of causality pattern between financial sector development and economic growth of the country.


Abstract Common beggar's-tick is an annual weed commonly found in citrus groves in Florida. A series of laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the germination response of common beggar's-tick to various environmental factors that influence seed survival, germination, and dormancy. The results suggest that common beggar's-tick germinated over a wide range of temperatures (15 to 40 C) and in both alternating light and dark and dark conditions. New seeds (collected in 2010) germinated better than the old seeds (collected in 2007) at 15/10 C; however, at temperatures above 35 C, the old seeds germinated better. The highest germination was 95% at 25 to 30 C with old seeds compared to 78 to 86% at 20 to 30 C with new seeds. Germination of common beggar's-tick was inhibited at osmotic potential above −0.6 MPa and salt concentrations of 320 mM. Highest germination in common beggar's-tick was found under neutral conditions (pH 7); germination decreased sharply under increasing acidity and alkalinity. Emergence decreased as depth of sowing increased, with greatest germination (89 to 91%) occurring when sown at the surface (0 cm) regardless of seed age. No germination was observed when seeds were buried at 10 cm. Results of this study suggest that favorable temperature and soil pH, and adequate moisture in Florida ensures the germination and continued presence of common beggar's-tick. Nomenclature: Common beggar's-tick, Bidens alba (L.) D.C.


This paper introduces service design as a potential Participatory Design (PD) theme. It proposes that the success of designing good services can be increased by including the perspectives and practices of the future service participants into the design process. Through the description of an action-research project, the paper explores the potentials and limitations of using an ethnographic approach and Activity Theory to frame the service design process and interpret the complexity of services.


By developing a low-temperature (≤300 °C) fabrication process for the gate-stack structure on Ge(111), we study electrical properties of thin film transistors (TFTs) consisting of (111)-oriented pseudo-single-crystalline-germanium (PSC-Ge) channels on glass. Although the Hall mobility ( μHall) of p-type PSC-Ge layers reaches 210 cm2/V s and the gate-stack/Ge interface has low trap density, we observe field-effect-mobility (μFE) fluctuation in the p-channel TFTs from 8.2 to 71 cm2/V s, depending on the thickness of the PSC-Ge layer. Considering the μFE fluctuation and low Ion/Ioff ratio in the p-TFTs, we infer the presence of defective Ge layers near the surface of the glass substrate. This study reveals that it is quite important for the high-performance p-Ge TFTs to improve the quality of the Ge layer near the surface of the glass substrate or to choose other materials with better Ge/substrate interface qualities.


Reliable photomask metrology is required to reduce the risk of yield loss in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Actinic pattern inspection (API) of EUV reticles is a challenging problem to tackle with a conventional approach. For this reason we developed an API platform based on coherent diffraction imaging. Aim: We want to verify the sensitivity of our platform to absorber and phase defects. Approach: We designed and manufactured two EUV mask samples with absorber and phase defects and we inspected them with RESCAN in die-to-database mode. Results: We reconstructed an image of an array of programmed absorber defects and we created a defect map of our sample. We inspected two programmed phase defect samples with buried structures of 3.5 nm and 7.8 nm height. Conclusions: We verified that RESCAN in its current configuration can detect absorber defects in random patterns and buried (phase) defects down to 50 × 50 nm2.


Cement fly-ash gravel (CFG) pile is a widely used ground reinforcement technique. This paper aims to address the mechanical characteristics of CFG composite foundation in consolidating saturated mine tailings (MTs) dam. The field static load tests were employed to explore the bearing capacity of the CFG composite foundation, and finite element (FE) models in three dimensions validated through comparison with experimental results were used to discuss the pile-soil stress distribution and pile-soil stress ratio of the CFG composite foundation. The results indicate that the distribution of earth pressure and pile stress is relatively homogeneous and stable over depth and load, while the development of CFG composite foundation bearing capacity is insufficient, in which the developed bearing capacity of CFG piles is less than 50% of its characteristic value. Additionally, compared with the laboratory model test results, the pile-soil stress ratio decreases with the increasing of the load in FEM results proved to better conform to the actual engineering conditions. Furthermore, the deformation modulus and thickness of cushion exert significant influence on pile-soil stress ratio and integral bearing capacity of CFG composite foundation.


Airfield lighting system is necessary visual aids to ensure the normal movements of aircraft at night or under low visibility conditions. A hybrid network monitoring system based on CAN bus and Ethernet was introduced in the paper according to the actuality of national airfield lighting control system. The AC chop voltage regulating technology was adopted to adjust light level in the Dimmer what is the core of the system, configuration software, hybrid network technology were used to realize the remote monitoring, overall design scheme, the choice of hardware and software platform, and the realization method of network communication were gave out in the paper. Experimental results show that system performance is superior, and be worth promoting.


Fifteen patients with angina pectoris, seventeen with postmyocardial infarction angina and ten with normal coronary arteries were studied with stress TL-201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The sensitivity and specificity of SPECT for diagnosis of coronary heart disease were 91% and 90% respectively. SPECT showed better sensitivity (84%) for detecting diseased vessels. The sensitivity of SPECT for identifying one-vessel, two-vessel and three-vessel disease were 80%, 86% and 60%. The sensitivity and specificity of demonstrating involved coronary arteries by identifying the locations of myocardial perfusion defects were 79% and 92% for left anterior descending artery, 90% and 95% for left circumflex artery and 86% and 96% for right coronary artery. For localization of myocardial infarction in the posterior wall, posterior lateral wall, and posterior septum, SPECT is more accurate then ECG. The sensitivity of SPECT in detecting individual vessel is related to the severity of coronary stenosis. The more severe the coronary stenosis, the higher the sensitivity of SPECT. In conclusion, stress SPECT is a noninvasive, highly sensitive and accurate method for detecting and localizing coronary heart disease.


;-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) functions primarily as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mature central nervous system, and GABA/GABA receptors are also present in nonneural tissues, including cancer, but their precise function in nonneuronal or cancerous cells has thus far been poorly defined. Through the genome-wide cDNA microarray analysis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells as well as subsequent reverse transcription-PCR and Northern blot analyses, we identified the overexpression of GABA receptor P subunit (GABRP) in PDAC cells. We also found the expression of this peripheral type GABAA receptor subunit in few adult human organs. Knockdown of endogenous GABRP expression in PDAC cells by small interfering RNA attenuated PDAC cell growth, suggesting its essential role in PDAC cell viability. Notably, the addition of GABA into the cell culture medium promoted the proliferation of GABRP-expressing PDAC cells, but not GABRP-negative cells, and GABAA receptor antagonists inhibited this growth-promoting effect by GABA. The HEK293 cells constitutively expressing exogenous GABRP revealed the growth-promoting effect of GABA treatment. Furthermore, GABA treatment in GABRP-positive cells increased intracellular Ca 2+ levels and activated the mitogenactivated protein kinase/extracellular signal–regulated kinase (MAPK/Erk) cascade. Clinical PDAC tissues contained a higher level of GABA than normal pancreas tissues due to the upregulation of glutamate decarboxylase 1 expression, suggesting their autocrine/paracrine growth-promoting effect in PDACs. These findings imply that GABA and GABRP could play important roles in PDAC development and progression, and that this pathway can be a promising molecular target for the development of new therapeutic strategies for PDAC. [Cancer Res 2007;67(20):9704–12]


Background: Synchronization in music has been a popular experimental basis for studying social interactions, as musicians are required to synchronize to each other's beats and integrate abstract social information in order to coordinate their actions as part of a non-verbal communication process. A finger-tapping paradigm has been used in studies of sensorimotor synchronization as well as coordination dynamics within and between people (Repp 2005). Recent models of tapping dynamics have included two error-correction mechanisms: phase and period correction (Repp & Keller). They have generally been linear models, which are oversimplifications of these dynamics. Aims: To model the dynamics capturing entrainment between pairs in a finger-tapping paradigm. Method: Pairs of subjects were asked to tap on their respective keyboards following an 8-beat auditory stimulus sent through their headphones. Subjects were instructed to keep the given beat as precisely as possible as well as synchronize with the 'other'. They were in scenarios where they received auditory feedback of themselves tapping, the other, or the computer metronome. Results: A dynamical systems approach was taken to model the tapping dynamics, using a system of two oscillators coupled in both phase and frequency, corresponding to phase and period correction. The model demonstrated that the tapping dynamics depend on the four coupling constants (phase and frequency for each oscillator), and are highly sensitive to noise. Conclusions: Both phase and frequency coupling is required to capture the tapping dynamics of dyads. Coupling constants can be used to capture the degree of interaction.


This essay discusses a deep malaise of contemporary architecture, made more obvious by experiencing COVID-19 lockdowns for several months. Evidence-based arguments urge society to improve human health and well-being by re-considering the design of interior and exterior spaces. So far, predictions of how design will "improve" after COVID-19 just continue business-as-usual, ignoring accumulated evidence. Yet, the negative emotional experience of families cooped up during the pandemic reveals the failure of the standard approach to designing spaces. An architecture that adapts to human biology and psychology starts with the relatively new understanding of people interacting unconsciously with their environment and broadens it. A traditional design toolkit, augmented by the latest technology, can generate healing spaces as judged by their ability to enhance users' subjective well-being. We recommend implementing specific design innovations to achieve this goal—replacing industrial-minimalism with biophilic and neuro-based design and using documented patterns that trigger feelings of happiness in users.


While contractual subrogation is understood as a function of agreement or common intention between the relevant parties to assign rights, justifying non-contractual subrogation has proved more difficult. The dominant view appears to be that subrogation arises as a response to what would otherwise be an unjust enrichment and for which a proprietary remedy is readily available. This article argues that non-contractual subrogation gives rise to a new proprietary right in the claimant which cannot be readily justified on the basis of unjust enrichment nor is it simply the vindication of an existing property right. Instead, consideration of how equity normally recognises property rights shows that the intention or conscience of the defendant owner must be a crucial element of the analysis.


Islamic banking industry in Indonesia has demonstrated positive growth for the last two decades. This paper attempts to investigate the impact of this convincing performance of Islamic bank on two major macroeconomic variables, namely output and inflation, by using VAR/VECM analysis. The research utilizes monthly data of industrial production index, consumer price index, total Islamic deposit and its return, total Islamic financing and its return, money in circulation and Islamic Central Bank Certificate, from January 2004 until December 2009. The findings suggest that all Islamic variables have significant impact on the real sector growth. As for inflation, the study finds that none of the variables affect the inflation. However, the use of interest rate as benchmarking for Islamic deposit and Islamic Central Bank Certificate is not suggested.


We have recently developed fish-based, multimetric indices for assessing and monitoring the health of the nearshore ( 2 m depth) waters of the permanently-open Swan Estuary, Western Australia. Here, we examine index scores calculated from fish community samples collected before, during and after two blooms of the harmful dinoflagellate, Karlodinium veneficum which have occurred in this system in the last decade. The historical (March 2004) and more recent (May 2011) algal blooms differed in their spatial extents, temporal persistence and severity of impact, and thus enabled us to assess the sensitivity of the estuarine health indices to ecological perturbations of differing intensities. The responses of these indices to the algal blooms confirmed that they are sufficiently sensitive to quantify ecological health responses to local-scale environmental perturbations, and to track the subsequent recovery of the system following their removal. In addition, the consistency of nearshore index scores across sampling occasions prior to the May 2011 bloom provides further confirmation that the nearshore health index is consistent and robust (i.e. is not overly sensitive to natural, background variability). Most interestingly, our results elucidate the avoidance movements of certain fish species and the vital role of nearshore habitats in this system as refugia for fish during severe algal bloom events. These indices, which are the first such tools to be developed for Australian estuaries, provide managers with a reliable and cost-effective, quantitative method for assessing and communicating the health of the Swan Estuary, and potentially of other estuaries across south-western Australia.


Wireless local area networks (WLANs) have risen in popularity for in-car networking systems that are designed to make driving safer. Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) are widely deployed to expand the coverage of high-speed WLANs and to support last-mile connectivity for mobile users anytime and anywhere at low cost. Many recent measurement studies have shown that the traffic arrival process in wireless networks exhibits the bursty and correlated nature. A new analytical model is developed in this paper as a cost-effective performance tool to investigate the quality-of-service (QoS) of the WMN that interconnects multiple WLANs in the presence of bursty and correlated traffic. After validating its accuracy via extensive simulation experiments, the analytical model is then used to investigate the performance of the hybrid wireless networks.


A directional implicit unstructured agglomeration multigrid solver is ported to shared and distributed memory massively parallel machines using the explicit domain-decomposition and message-passing approach. Because the algorithm operates on local implicit lines in the unstructured mesh, special care is required in partitioning the problem for parallel computing. A weighted partitioning strategy is described which avoids breaking the implicit lines across processor boundaries, while incurring minimal additional communication overhead. Good scalability is demonstrated on a 128 processor SGI Origin 2000 machine and on a 512 processor CRAY T3E machine for reasonably fine grids. The feasibility of performing large-scale unstructured grid calculations with the parallel multigrid algorithm is demonstrated by computing the flow over a partial-span flap wing high-lift geometry on a highly resolved grid of 13.5 million points in approximately 4 hours of wall clock time on the CRAY T3E.


The implications of loglinear models based on underlying uniform and binomial distribution are assessed with respect to modeling eight distributions. Regarding statistical selection of the loglinear models' parameterizations, results indicate that better fitting models are obtained when the distribution being modeled is dissimilar to the underlying distribution used. For loglinear models with predetermined numbers of parameters, results suggest that better fitting models can be obtained when the distribution being modeled is similar to the underlying distribution.


We propose the name Streptococcus macacae sp. nov. for gram-positive, catalase-negative streptococcal strains that were isolated from the dental plaque of monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). This organism is distinct from other oral streptococci in that it produces acid from mannitol and raffinose but not from inulin or dextrin. It is not able to grow in the presence of bacitracin and does not produce hydrogen peroxide or hydrolyze arginine, but esculin is hydrolyzed, and dextran is produced from sucrose. Streptococcus macacae sp. nov. possesses the serotype c antigen described by Bratthall, as do Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus ferus; however, the protein profiles of whole-cell extracts subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and differences in deoxyribonucleic acid composition demonstrate that the new isolates are distinct from the two other species that possess the serotype c antigen and from other mutans streptococci. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of S. macacae is 35 to 36 mol%. The type strain is strain 25–1 (- NCTC 11558).


We wish to automatically predict the "speediness" of moving objects in videos - whether they move faster, at, or slower than their "natural" speed. The core component in our approach is SpeedNet—a novel deep network trained to detect if a video is playing at normal rate, or if it is sped up. SpeedNet is trained on a large corpus of natural videos in a self-supervised manner, without requiring any manual annotations. We show how this single, binary classification network can be used to detect arbitrary rates of speediness of objects. We demonstrate prediction results by SpeedNet on a wide range of videos containing complex natural motions, and examine the visual cues it utilizes for making those predictions. Importantly, we show that through predicting the speed of videos, the model learns a powerful and meaningful space-time representation that goes beyond simple motion cues. We demonstrate how those learned features can boost the performance of self supervised action recognition, and can be used for video retrieval. Furthermore, we also apply SpeedNet for generating time-varying, adaptive video speedups, which can allow viewers to watch videos faster, but with less of the jittery, unnatural motions typical to videos that are sped up uniformly.


we hypothesize that properly lipid-conjugated amino acids may form micellar or vesicular surface and the functional groups at surface are in close proximity and may establish additional interactions to contribute the catalytic activity of the nanostructure. In addition, bringing two vesicles at close proximity may establish the 3-dimensional structure. To test the hypothesis, in the present report, we synthesized lipidated serine, histidine and aspartic acid having various long chains from C4 (butyl) to C14 (myristoyl). We have determined the critical micellar concentration of lipidated amino acids using pyrene as a fluorophore. Results on the esterase activity suggest that histidine containing surfaces able to hydrolyzing the ester bond whereas the surfaces having serine and aspartate moiety are poorly reactive. We further tested the hydrolyzing ability of mixed surface (surface with two amino acids) and found that surface having the mixture of lipid-conjugated histidine and serine possess most reactivity towards hydrolysis.

From all the results we can conclude that only histidine containing surfaces catalyze the esterase like activity. Lauryl-histidine hydrolyzes the ester more efficiently than octyl, butyl-histidine and only histidine. Hence acyl chain length has some activity. Lauryl-histidine and lauryl-serine together exhibit better ester hydrolyzing ability than any other amphiphile combination. Lauryl-aspartate appears not to play any role in catalyzing the reaction, instead it is inhibiting the reaction.


Objective The gut microbiota is essential for the development of the intestinal immune system. Animal models have suggested that the gut microbiota also acts as a major modulator of systemic innate immunity during sepsis. Microbiota disruption by broad-spectrum antibiotics could thus have adverse effects on cellular responsiveness towards invading pathogens. As such, the use of antibiotics may attribute to immunosuppression as seen in sepsis. We aimed to test whether disruption of the gut microbiota affects systemic innate immune responses during endotoxemia in healthy subjects. Design In this proof-of-principle intervention trial, sixteen healthy young men received either no treatment or broad-spectrum antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, vancomycin and metronidazole) for seven days, after which all were administered lipopolysaccharide intravenously to induce a transient sepsis-like syndrome. At various time points, blood and feces were sampled. Results Gut microbiota diversity was significantly lowered by the antibiotic treatment in all subjects. Clinical parameters, neutrophil influx, cytokine production, coagulation activation and endothelial activation during endotoxemia were not different between antibiotic-pretreated and control individuals. Antibiotic treatment had no impact on blood leukocyte responsiveness to various Toll-like receptor ligands and clinically relevant causative agents of sepsis (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli) during endotoxemia. Conclusion These findings suggest that gut microbiota disruption by broad-spectrum antibiotics does not affect systemic innate immune responses in healthy subjects during endotoxemia in humans, disproving our hypothesis. Further research is needed to test this hypothesis in critically ill patients. These data underline the importance of translating findings in mice to humans. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02127749.


In the paper, the support vector machine (SVM) is utilized to evaluate the earthquake-induced site liquefaction potential, and an optimization algorithm based on cross validation and sequential backward selection(SBS) is proposed to improve the generalization ability of the classifier for seismic liquefaction potential evaluation(SLPE). Usually, the accuracy of SLPE using the SVM varies greatly when the training dataset and test dataset change, so the classifier is not reliable enough in practice. Because cross validation is more convincing for evaluating the classifier performance in machine learning, the algorithm in the paper tries to reduce the maximum error of cross validation through adopting SBS to determine the input variables of the SVM. The performance of the classifier is assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) on the basis of confusion matrix. As shown by data validation, the algorithm can reduce the maximum error of cross validation and the variation of accuracy in SLPE while maintaining good performance of the classifier. In conclusion, a method that can improve the reliability of SVMs for classification in SLPE is put forward in the paper.


The adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) in soybean is a great example of how this technology is essential to guarantee crop sustainability and productivity. In Brazil, up to 1970, soybean was cultivated with the use of pesticides applied without the adoption of any economic threshold to base this decision. As a consequence, a six-insecticide spraying per crop season used to be the average insecticide dosage. With the introduction of Soybean-IPM, the use of pesticides was reduced to approximately two applications per season. Comparing these two contrasting situations, the advantages of using IPM methods cannot be ignored, since they are economically and mostly environmentally feasible. Despite the benefits provided by Soybean-IPM, this program was abandoned in Brazil, and its principles were almost forgotten, and, as a consequence, insecticide use increased. The success and failures of Soybean-IPM in Brazil will be further analyzed in this review in an attempt to point out how safe this technology is and whether there is any risk in fully adopting


Teachers Investigate Their Work introduces the methods and concepts of action research through examples drawn from studies carried out by teachers. The book is arranged as a handbook with numerous sub-headings for easy reference and fourty-one practical methods and strategies to put into action, some of them flagged as suitable `starters'. Throughout the book, the authors draw on their international practical experience of action research, working in close collaboration with teachers.


pates in a realm of Dialectic ("Dialec t ique") , constituting a higher reality of Ideas ("une rgalite' plus haute e t plus cached, qui consti tute, a mon avis, un veritable monde des Ide«s") . The task of mathematical philosophy is to erect the theory of Ideas, by describing the ideal s t ructures incarnated ("incarn^es") in mathematics, establishing a hierarchy of such s tructures , and demonstrating the reasons for their applications to the sensible universe ("les raisons de leurs applications a l 'Univers sensible") . I t is understandable that the comments of the mathematical participants in the discussion show them to be somewhat a t a loss. I doubt, however, tha t their a t t i tude of wondering respect is justified. The metaphysical conclusions presented by Cavailles and Lautman seem to the reviewer to be based upon fragmentary and incomplete evidence and to be expressed in a terminology which can only promote obfuscation. The work' of Godel and Skolem, to which so much weight is at tached in these remarks, by no means shows the impossibility of "reducing" mathematics to logic; nor is i t ever made clear why mathematics should be in the peculiar position of resisting a t t empts a t definition. In the absence of clear understanding of these relatively technical points, i t seems premature to engage in metaphysical speculation about the ontological basis of mathematics. M A X BLACK


We have quantified the adhesion forces between two-photon polymerization direct laser writing (TPP-DLW) microstructures and glass surfaces with and without an adhesion promoter. Glass surfaces treated with an acryloxy-silane agent produce adhesion forces that are almost three times larger than the forces observed with pristine glass surfaces. Determination of the substrates' surface free energies suggests that the observed adhesion enhancement is chemical in its nature, implying that covalent bonds are formed between the polymer and the glass by means of the silane agent. The importance of this finding is demonstrated in the successful production of glassy carbon microstructures using TPP-DLW, followed by pyrolysis.


Preservation of both the spectral distribution and the periodicity of speech signals are essential in speech processing. This paper describes a method of speech coding in a high ambient noise environment and shows that the spectral envelope of speech signal is a most reliable information when the noise reduction method proposed in this paper is used. Also reported in this paper comparisons of several pitch extraction methods with extensive experimental data, based on which a pitch extraction method suited for noisy speech signals is proposed.


There are currently more objects connected to the Internet than people in the world. This gap will continue to grow, as more objects gain the ability to directly interface with the Internet. Providing security in IoT is challenging as the devices are resource constrained, the communication links are lossy, and the devices use a set of novel IoT technologies such as RPL and 6LoWPAN. Due to this it is easy to attack in IoT network. The proposed system is a novel intrusion detection system for the IoT, which is capable of detecting Wormhole attack and attacker. The proposed methods uses the location information of node and neighbor information to identify the Wormhole attack and received signal strength to identify attacker nodes. Design of such system will help in securing the IoT network and may prevents such attacks. This method is very energy efficient and only takes fixed number of UDP packets for attack detection, hence it is beneficial for resource constrained environment.


Recent developments in embedding numerical optimization procedures with linear and nonlinear solvers within a spreadsheet environment have greatly enhanced the use of these tools for teaching chemical process design and process integration. Student skills with respect to these topics are usually gained by complex and expensive modular simulators, e.g. ASPEN Plus or algebraic tools such as GAMS or AMPL. However, modular simulators have a significant learning curve, and algebraic modeling languages are usually ignored once students commence careers. This paper demonstrates how the Solver feature of the Excel spreadsheet is used for the optimization of several chemical engineering systems, including pollution prevention problems and mass-exchange networks. Three nonlinear problems are examined: the (a) recovery of benzene from a gaseous emission; (b) design of a chemical reactor network; and (c) solution of material balances in the production of vinyl chloride from ethylene. Dephenolization of aqueous wastes is presented as a linear case. The ease with which these and similar process problems can be formulated and solved within the Excel environment constitutes a major step towards teaching practical optimization and design concepts for university students.


Simple Summary We identified overexpression of interleukin-2–inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) as a novel biomarker for predicting the prognosis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients with poor outcomes. Oral cancer cell lines overexpressing ITK exhibited significantly increased proliferation in three-dimensional culture assays and murine inoculation models as compared with mock control cells. Phosphorylation proteomics analysis revealed that ITK expression induces the phosphorylation of a novel tyrosine residue of the trifunctional purine biosynthetic protein adenosine-3 (GART), an enzyme in the purine biosynthesis pathway. A significant increase in de novo purine biosynthesis was observed in cells expressing ITK. These results suggest that ITK is involved in enhancing the proliferation of cancer cells in the malignant phenotype by activating de novo purine biosynthesis through phosphorylation of GART. In this study, we report a possible therapeutic strategy involving the purine synthesis pathway regulated by ITK in tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Abstract The epidermal growth factor receptor is the only available tyrosine kinase molecular target for treating oral cancer. To improve the prognosis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) patients, a novel molecular target for tyrosine kinases is thus needed. We examined the expression of interleukin-2–inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) using immunohistochemistry, and the biological function of ITK was investigated using biochemical, phosphoproteomic, and metabolomic analyses. We found that ITK is overexpressed in TSCC patients with poor outcomes. The proliferation of oral cancer cell lines expressing ITK via transfection exhibited significant increases in three-dimensional culture assays and murine inoculation models with athymic male nude mice as compared with mock control cells. Suppressing the kinase activity using chemical inhibitors significantly reduced the increase in cell growth induced by ITK expression. Phosphoproteomic analyses revealed that ITK expression triggered phosphorylation of a novel tyrosine residue in trifunctional purine biosynthetic protein adenosine-3, an enzyme in the purine biosynthesis pathway. A significant increase in de novo biosynthesis of purines was observed in cells expressing ITK, which was abolished by the ITK inhibitor. ITK thus represents a potentially useful target for treating TSCC through modulation of purine biosynthesis.


Oesophagogastric ulcer (OGU) is a common condition in pigs, and may result in reduced production. Complications arising from oesophagogastric ulcer are one of the leading causes of death in post- weaning pigs (1). There are numerous predisposing causes of OGU, but their precise mode of action remains unclear (2).
Recently, Helicobacter pylorus has been shown to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease in humans (3). Over the past few years many studies have attempted to clarify the link between the presence of spiral bacteria in the gastric mucosa and occurrence of OGU in swine (4,5,6). Conflicting results have been obtained.
The objective of this study was to investigate spiral bacteria populations in the gastric mucosa of macroscopically healthy and ulcerated stomachs from Australian pigs.


A two-level hierarchical simulation-based framework is proposed for real-time planning in one of the largest coal mines in the world. At the coal mine, various decisions (e.g. truck locks, hopper-silo connections and silo blend values) have to be made to ship coal to customers via trains. To resolve machinery scheduling and train loading problems in an integrated manner, mathematical formulations are developed and embedded within the proposed hierarchical framework. At the upper level, the coal flow in the simulation model is directly from pits to trains and in the lower level a full simulation model of the coal mine is used for simulating the flow of coal from pits to hoppers via trucks, then from hoppers to silos and silos to loadouts via conveyors. In this work, Arena software is used for the simulation model: it retrieves real-time status and historical performance data from Microsoft SQL Server situated remotely at the coal mine. OptQuest software is used to resolve optimization problems. Finally, two types of experiments are conducted to illustrate the performance of the proposed framework for the actual coal mine. Firstly, the bounds of the constraints in the upper level are varied to study the behavior of the total revenue in shift and revenue by train. Secondly, the effects of increasing variations in truck travel times, loading and dumping rates on machine utilization are studied at the lower level.


In November, we find quite high levels of support for all seven restrictive measures, ranging from lows of 63% of Massachusetts residents supporting closing most businesses and 71% supporting prohibiting in-person teaching in K-12 schools, to highs of 89% and 88% supporting restricting international travel to the US and imposing stay-at-home requirements, respectively (Figure 1). Between the extremes, 76% support restricting domestic US travel, 79% support restricting restaurants to take-out only, and 82% support canceling major sports and entertainment events. These numbers are generally slightly higher than national support for these measures (identical for restricting international travel, and up to six points higher in every other case).1The percentages varied only modestly from October levels, with the largest change being a 3-percentage point decline in support for closing businesses. For all other measures, the difference from October to November is 2 points or less.


In this paper, we propose a new fabrication method of pH-responsive microfluidic valves and suggest the feasibility as a microminiature systems without peripheral devices. Conventionally, in-situ photopolymerization method has been employed to build the micro functional structure inside microfluidic channel. Here, we suggest a new method allowing the mass production of stimuli-responsive microsystem through the use of pre-made microstructure as actuating element like assembly of commercial products in the factory. We have massively fabricated pH-responsive microspheres that act as actuating component through the use of PDMS-based microfluidic apparatus and 'on the fly' photopolymerization method. By the incorporation of this microsphere into the microvalve during the fabrication process, we have produced the pH-responsive microfluidic valve in a simple way. The operation and the function of the fabricated microvalve were evaluated through the diverse experiments. The microvalve was successfully fabricated, and functioned well according to the pH change


Neonatal jaundice is seen in up to 60% of full-term infants and 80% of preterm infants during the first week of life. While it is often considered as a single clinical entity, neonatal jaundice is a physical finding associated with many possible etiologies. Jaundice is observed when the pigment bilirubin accumulates in the skin, sclera and other tissues. The importance of correctly identifying the etiology of neonatal jaundice lies in the necessity of intervening early to avoid the devastating sequelae of prolonged hyperbilirubinemia, namely bilirubin-induced neurological dysfunction (BIND), formerly kernicteruskernicterus. This manuscript provides a framework for thinking about the etiologies of neonatal jaundice with respect to type of hyperbilirubinemia (direct vs. indirect) and age of the newborn.


ABSTRACT The development of reliable assay systems that can measure lymphocyte activation in vitro has been a major goal of immunodiagnostics. Traditionally, tritiated thymidine incorporation has been used to monitor T-cell activation. Other methods include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), enzyme-linked immunospot assay, and colorimetric assays. We have established a lymphocyte activation assay that utilizes fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-streptavidin bound to recombinant biotinylated human interleukin-2 (IL-2). Utilizing recombinant DNA technology, a unique monobiotinylated human IL-2 has been created and isolated using the Promega PinPoint vector system. ELISA has been used to demonstrate streptavidin binding and recognition by a human IL-2-specific antibody. IL-2 function has been demonstrated using a murine IL-2-dependent T-cell line, CTLL-2, responsive to human IL-2. Recombinant biotinylated human IL-2 conjugated to streptavidin-FITC or streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase has been used to monitor T-cell activation in the presence of antigen as well as mitogen. The sensitivity and convenience of this method make this lymphocyte activation assay an attractive alternative to tritiated thymidine incorporation as a method for monitoring T-cell activation. In addition, the availability of a recombinant biotinylated human IL-2 will permit the production of a uniform product suitable for diagnostic and clinical application.


Abstract. The Coastal Transport Information System (Co.Tr.I.S) is a multifunction information system that is developed for the effective design of coastal transportation lines. The system incorporates several subsystems which include the models, tools, and techniques that support the design of improved coastal networks. Co.Tr.I.S main aim is to support any decision making process of the involved players (Ministry, Maritime companies, Local Authorities, Travel Agencies, Passengers, etc) regarding the improvement & the optimal use of a coastal transport network. Co.Tr.I.S data retrieval, analysis, visualization, network design & decision support can accelerate the very slow (currently annual in Aegean) rate of coastal transport network update/upgrade procedures, and, create smarter network implementations that may adapt online on the various demand or requirement changes or updates. Connections, transportation, mobility, as well as port automation are some of the key factors for the "smartification" of entire islands especially in an archipelago like the Aegean Sea. In this work, we present the network design optimization functionality of Co.Tr.I.S, the various optimization stages, the Genetic Algorithm (GA) implementations and its potential to propose a better network design based on each user preferences. A sample case study is given to show its smartness & adaptability to each user needs and, finally, a discussion follows on how it could be complemented by emerging smart technologies for smarter islands.


ABSTRACT In key texts of Australian history, indigenous culture was seen as a device for delineating the boundaries of populations in such a way as to see it depicted as no longer focusing on race or physical difference. Focusing on several key moments in twentieth-century Australian indigenous policy when interventions in indigenous populations were first justified through a move from race to culture, this essay argues first that intervention into culture often retains essentialist assumptions about difference that recapitulate thought previously associated with race and physical difference. The article examines the thought of A.P. Elkin to ask whether the move from racial absorption to cultural assimilation can be characterised as an epistemic break in the Foucaultian sense or whether it contains instances of continuity in mechanisms of power. What happens, the article asks when populations come to be identified as spheres of cultural difference to be governed and intervened into using the techniques of the physical previously associated with race? The answer to this question has implicit consequences not only for the period examined but implicitly for more recent debates in intervention into indigenous lives.


Gleanings: Readings at the Intersection of Culture and Faith Pastoral Resources for the Debate over Darwin Books Discussed: The Hand of God: Thoughts and Images Reflecting the Spirit of the Universe. Edited by Michael Reagan. Introduction by Sharon Begley. Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews McMeel Publishing; Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press, 1999. 160 pp. $24.95 (cloth); $15.95 (paper). Inside the Mind of God: Images and Words of Inner Space. Edited by Michael Reagan. Introduction by Sharon Begley. Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press, 2002. 160 pp. $24.95; $19.95 (paper). Reflections on the Nature of God. Edited by Michael Reagan. Introduction by Martin E. Marty. Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press, 2004. 160 pp. $19.95 (paper). The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime. Compiled by Phyllis Tickle (New York: Doubleday, 2000). xvi + 651 pp. $29.95 (cloth). The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime. Compiled by Phyllis Tickle (New York: Doubleday, 2001). xvi + 671 pp. $29.95 (cloth); $18.95 (paper). The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime. Compiled by Phyllis Tickle (New York: Doubleday, 2000). xv + 647pp. $29.95 (cloth); $18.95 (paper, scheduled release May 2006). Cultural controversy about Darwinian evolution has arisen in part because modern biology contradicts biblical literalism. Darwin elicits the same outrage as Copernicus or Galileo once did, But I suspect there's more to the controversy than that. Our day-to-day vision of reality is based upon a paradigm at whose heart one finds something like a simple metaphor. We have a picture in our heads of how the world works, how we relate to the world, and where God fits in. When scientific discoveries appear to disrupt this paradigm, some believers will refuse point-blank to consider the evidence that is offered-evidence that may, of course, demand more science literacy than they can muster. In this case, the metaphor being disrupted is the simple but profound way in which the beauty and elegance of the natural world appear to the believer as emotionally convincing evidence for the reality of God-never mind the natural savagery of hurricanes or epidemics. I confess that when the magnolia outside my study window blooms each spring, I'm as convinced as if a choir of angels had landed on the roof singing "Alleluia." It affirms my intuition that the cosmos proclaims the glory of God. But that's not a scientific conclusion. They misunderstand both faith and biology who think it should be, or could be, otherwise. Natural beauty illustrates or illuminates my relationship with God but it doesn't prove a thing. Faith is not subject to proof. The Asian tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina alike attest to the fatal flaw of "intelligent design" theories: why build in the potential for such disasters? Why build in the bugs that cause AIDS, plague, Ebola, malaria, meningitis, or influenza? The beauty of my magnolia in bloom offers no answer to the suffering such realities entail. I'm baffled that anyone is drawn to such theories: the theological implications of "intelligent design" are not less appalling than the pseudoscience. But I suspect that "intelligent design" arises more from the culture wars than from either biology or theology. What fuels this particular culture-wars battle is the sad fact that literal-minded believers face grandiose sociobiologists variously proclaiming that science has in effect proved there is no God. Their assertions turn natural theology on its head. In Freedom Evolves (New York: Viking, 2003), for instance-which is in many ways quite a thoughtful and interesting book-Daniel Dennett begins with a sarcastic dismissal that is typical of what one finds on his side of the issue: One widespread tradition has it that we human beings are responsible agents, captains of our fate, because what we really are are souls, immaterial and immortal clumps of Godstuff that inhabit and control our material bodies rather like spectral puppeteers. …


An antibacterial chitosan–cellulose composite membrane, containing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), was fabricated by coagulating a cellulose solution in a chitosan solution, followed by the in situ synthesis of AgNPs on the produced membrane. By adjusting the concentration of chitosan (0–2.5%, w/v) in acetic acid coagulating solution, various cellulose–chitosan membranes with different chitosan contents were produced, which then served as substrates for the in situ synthesis and immobilization of AgNPs via a microwave-assisted approach. The amount of AgNPs deposited on the membrane was measured and found to increase with an increasing in the chitosan content on the membrane. Electron micrographs of the membranes revealed entanglement of chitosan on the membranes structure, whereas AgNPs were deposited on the membrane surfaces. In addition, the surface roughness of the membrane increased as a result of the increase of chitosan and AgNPs on the membrane surfaces. Consequently, the membranes exhibited an improved antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as the AgNPs content increased. In conclusion, this study demonstrated a successful green approach for preparing a nanocomposite membrane of cellulose–chitosan–AgNPs with strong antibacterial activities.


Abstract A generator for ultradense hydrogen H(0) also generates kaons, pions, and muons both spontaneously and after laser-pulse induction. The negative muons formed can be used to generate the well-studied muon-catalyzed nuclear fusion D + D process in deuterium gas D2. Both laser-induced and spontaneous neutron emissions are now observed from the generator by commercial neutron detectors. Thermalization with polyethylene plastic blocks is used for the 6Li thermal neutron detectors (Kromek TN15 and Saint Gobain BC-702), which increases the signal rate; the background in the laboratory increases by a factor of 3. A laser-induced neutron signal is observed with D2 gas at pressure <1 bar. It is attributed to muon-catalyzed fusion by slow muons in the D2 gas at high D2 pressure. The size of the neutron signal is limited by the relatively inefficient moderation of the muons before their decay in the low D2 gas pressure used. With ordinary hydrogen H2 or p2 (protium), no fusion but only a low signal possibly from capture-generated neutrons is observed. This neutron signal in p2 gas is often temporarily depressed by the laser probably due to changes in the p(0) material. The spontaneous signal using p2 in the generator can be due to neutron-ejecting capture processes caused by muons formed spontaneously in the generator, while the spontaneous signal with D2 may be due to muon-catalyzed fusion as well as capture processes.


Plutarch (c.46AD), in his work, Peri Deisidaimon ia (On Superstition) , presents a striking portrayal of superstition in the First Century. The Philosopher who also served for decades as a priest of Apollo portrays the pernicious effects of some supposed religious practices as worse than the outcome of atheism. His position constitutes a forceful explanation to ostensibly controversial socio-religious behaviours. This article discusses some of the priest's concerns as well as his rebuff of religious attitudes that are borne out of what he describes as misrepresentation of the gods or superstition. Plutarch's essay is seen as illustrating a reason for a socio-religious situation in Africa, a continent that shares a similar religious background with the world of the writer. Specifically, with the example of the hard fight against street begging in some parts of Nigeria, the article shows how social reform programmes could fail when effects of traditional African beliefs and cultural practices remain potent.


This study assessed physical performance in women's artistic gymnastics following three variable recovery periods. Participants included fifteen female gymnasts (mean age = 13.5 ± 1.1) who had competed at USA Gymnastics (USAG) levels 7 - 10 within at least one year prior to the study. Each testing session consisted of a warm-up followed by four muscular endurance tests and one explosive maximal test. Assessments included pull-ups, leg lifts, handstand push-ups, vertical jump, and push-ups. After the performance assessments, the participants completed a typical practice session. The performance measures were reassessed at the beginning of each of the recovery periods of 24, 48, and 72 hours in a counterbalanced design. Performance assessments were converted into Z-scores and then averaged for a composite session Z-score. The composite session Z-scores were compared to evaluate the recovery duration. Composite Z's were significantly lower (p=0.000), after the 24 (z=-1.10) and the 48 hour (z=-0.71) recovery periods compared to baseline (z=0.00). However, there was no difference in scores (p=1.00) between the baseline and 72 hours (z=0.004) recovery. Full recovery required 72 hours under the conditions of this study.


Abstract
Taking an intersectional approach, this chapter makes a theoretical and empirical contribution to the study of mothers' movements in the context of social welfare cutbacks in Israel. I argue that the political use of the maternal identity provides an important cultural resource to women's social movements, yet all women cannot access this advantage equally. By adding an intersectional perspective to the literature on women's movements and media debates, this empirical study shows that the ability of different groups of women to politically mobilize their maternal identity in the news is impacted by their class and racial backgrounds. I focus on Israel as an ambiguous case that reflects both the political relevance of maternal identity as mobilized by different political actors, as well as the intersectional dynamics of marginalization of women's movements within contentious media debates about austerity policies. Using critical discourse analysis, I analyzed 268 newspaper articles that discuss the Israeli Single Mothers' Movement, a welfare rights movement of low-income women of color (Mizrahi). I find two competing frames converging across the newspapers analyzed: the first draws on a nationalist discourse of the "mother of the nation" to present a positive image of a heroic "mothers' movement"; the second draws on racist and sexist images to negatively frame activists as a "Mizrahi movement" of undeserving poor mothers. I show how the contested construction of the Single Mothers' Movement in the news media is directly connected to hegemonic Israeli discourse on motherhood and ethnicity, and demonstrate how this shapes the movement's public image and its political and feminist value.


GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT ABSTRACT For the first time, the formation of symmetrical substituted thiourea analogues generated by the self-condensation of trialkylammoniumdithiocarbamates is reported. The reactions occurred under mild conditions. The method allows the use of amines possessing a weak nucleophilic feature in good yields. The highlight of the study is a novel self-condensation mechanism based on dithiocarbamates as a basic compound in organic chemistry.


In order to conserve and culture the cichlid fish Archocentrus nigrofasciatus, more information about its reproductive biology and its larval behavior and morphogenesis is necessary. Currently, temperatures ranging from 21 to 27 °C are used in ornamental aquaculture hatcheries. Lower temperatures are preferred to reduce the costs of water heating, and 23 °C is usually the selected temperature. However, there is limited information on culturing protocols for ornamental species and most of the information generated on this topic remains scarce. Thus, the present study examines the morphological development of Archocentrus nigrofasciatus during the yolk-sac period up to the age of 100 h post-hatching in relation to 2 temperature regimes used in ornamental aquaculture: a temperature of 27 °C (thermal optimum) and a decreased temperature of 23 °C (thermal tolerance). The results of this study suggest that the 27 °C temperature generates intense morphological changes in yolk-sac development in a shorter period. This has advantages as it reduces the time of yolk-sac larval development, and, thus, minimizes the transition phase to exogenous feeding and maximizes the efficiency at which yolk is converted into body tissues. The present paper provides necessary information to produce freshwater ornamental fish with better practices so as to increase larval survival and capitalize on time for growth.


Electrical stimulation of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) increased the rate constant of glucose uptake in rat heart and brown adipose tissue (BAT), as measured in vivo by the 2-deoxy-D-[3H]glucose method. The increase in glucose uptake in BAT was abolished by local sympathetic denervation. To analyze the mechanism of this hypothalamic modulation, the effects of VMH stimulation and insulin treatment on the number and dissociation constant (Kd) of glucose transporters in the plasma and microsomal membranes were examined by means of [3H]cytochalasin B binding. VMH stimulation did not alter either the number or Kd value of glucose transporters in plasma and microsomal membranes prepared from heart and BAT, whereas insulin treatment increased the number of glucose transporters in the plasma membranes and decreased those in the microsomal membranes. D-Glucose transport activity was also measured with the same plasma membrane vesicles. An apparent functional activity of transporters was detected to be increased in the heart and BAT plasma membranes after VMH stimulation but not after insulin treatment. These results suggest that VMH stimulation enhances glucose utilization in heart and BAT via sympathetic innervation and that the mechanism by which VMH stimulation increases tissue glucose uptake is different from that of insulin, possibly causing an activation of glucose transporters present in the plasma membrane.


About 35 percent of the world's food crops depend on pollinators, including managed honey bees, to reproduce. However, pollinators face a number of stressors, such as parasites, poor nutrition, pesticides, and diseases. A literature review indicates that pollinators may benefit from landscapes richer in high-quality forage (pollen and nectar sources) and highlights the different needs of managed honey bees and native (unmanaged)pollinators. This study uses 30 years of data on U.S. land uses to calculate a pollinator forage suitability index. When averaged across the Nation, the forage suitability index increased from 1982 to 2002 and declined slightly from 2002 to 2012—though in important honey bee regions (such as Central North and South Dakota), the decline from 2002 to 2012 is more pronounced. The study also analyzes the economics of providing better pollinator forage, such as assigning property rights for colony placement and voluntary government conservation programs to increase pollinator forage.


Purpose: To compare variability characteristics of four different stimuli for measuring changes in
spatial summation clinically in patients with glaucoma.
Methods: Psychometric functions were measured using the method of constant stimuli for four
stimulus forms in 19 patients with glaucoma (median age, IQR: 69.4, 66.7–72.6 years; median MD,
IQR: -5.7, -8.5–-2.8dB), and 10 age-similar healthy controls (median age, IQR: 66.3, 62.3–72.1 years;
median MD, IQR: +0.4, -0.4-+1.0dB). Achromatic stimuli were presented at 4 diagonal visual field
locations (9.9° eccentricity) on an OLED display (background: 10cd/m2
). Stimuli were: (i) fixed
contrast (0.5, suprathreshold at Ricco's area) varying in area; (ii) fixed area, within Ricco's area
(0.02deg2
), varying in contrast; (iii) area and contrast varying simultaneously, and (iv) fixed area,
equivalent to Goldmann III (0.15deg2
), varying in contrast (control). Energy increments and visibility
were equated across stimulus forms. Threshold (50% seen) and response variability (slope), were
derived from each function. Dependence of response variability on the severity of visual field
damage was investigated with linear regression.
Results: Response variability increased with severity of damage for all stimulus forms. The smallest
increase was found for stimulus (i) (regression line slope: 0.17, p=0.07). The increase in variability
was statistically significant for all other stimuli (mean slope 0.2, all p<0.01).
Conclusions: Stimuli of fixed contrast (suprathreshold at Ricco's area) varying in area offers lowest
dependence of response variability on disease severity. This may offer advantages for more accurate
identification of true changes in visual field damage, particularly in moderate-advanced disease.


Vanadium clusters with a size of several nanometres can be dispersively distributed in ZnO films by using co-deposition. EELS mapping of V-L2,3, HRTEM images, SAD patterns and EELS are a good combination for characterizing nanometre-sized V clusters embedded in a ZnO system. There is no obvious orientation relationship between V and ZnO lattices due to a less good match between ZnO and V atomic planes. The ratio of the vanadium L-white lines of vanadium clusters embedded in ZnO becomes bigger than that of the bulk. The samples were observed in situ from 298 to 923 K with a heating holder so as to study the aggregation process of vanadium clusters in the ZnO crystalline matrix. First, the size of the ZnO crystal grains becomes bigger after the sample is heated at 623 K for an hour; second, the size of ZnO and vanadium particles grows bigger after the sample is heated at 723 K for half an hour, and another orientation relationship between ZnO and vanadium appears; third, after the sample is heated at 873 K for half an hour, the size of vanadium becomes smaller, while V particles and ZnO begin to react and form another phase; finally, Zn2V O7 phase is formed after the sample is heated at 923 K for half an hour.


days may be useful. If the flap necroses it must be removed early as described, but in favourable cases the flap will survive and grafting will be avoided. Spontaneous healing will occur under a Viscopaste bandage with the patient ambulant. I cannot understand why Mr. David uses the medial aspect of the thigh as a donor site. The posterolateral aspect is muwh safer to use, but in the elderly the deltoid region is even better as it allows early ambulation.-I am, etc.,


Cortical focal ischemia in the rat was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) together with permanent occlusion of the ipsilateral common carotid artery (CCAo) and a temporary (1 hr) occlusion of the contralateral CCA. By using a defined cortical tissue sampling procedure at 3, 6, 24, 72, 96, and 120 hr after the MCAo + CCAo, patterns of edema and ion (Na+, K+, and Ca++) changes in a primary and three peri‐ischemic cortical areas are described. Ionic imbalances and edema formation have distinct patterns, are time dependent, and are different when comparing primary and peri‐ischemic areas. Calcium increases to "neurotoxic" levels appear temporally independent of edema formation, reaching magnitudes 20 times greater than basal levels in the pri‐mary infarct area. Na+ increases correlate with increases in water, while K+ losses do not appear to be directly related to edema formation or Na+ and Ca++ increases. K+ losses are only significant in the primary infarct area. Rats treated with GM1 ganglioside (10 mg/kg, i.m.) daily showed significant reductions in edema, Na + and Ca ++ increases. These ganglioside effects were evident as early as 24 hr after the ischemic injury. Ca++ increases, which was maximal at 72 hr after the ischemic injury, was reduced by greater than 50% in GM1‐treated animals. The mechanism by which GM1 is an effective neuroprotective agent may be evidenced by its effects on Ca++ influx/efflux processes in injury.


The accepted wisdom says that the poor need billions of dollars more in donor aid for public education. But this ignores the reality that poor parents are abandoning public schools to send their children to "budget" private schools that charge very low fees, affordable to parents on minimum wages. Recent research has found a large majority of schoolchildren in selected poor urban and periurban areas of India and Sub-Saharan Africa using private schools, while in rural India, half of all schoolchildren are privately enrolled. Even in impoverished rural China large numbers of private schools exist off the official radar. The research showed that private schools for the poor are superior to government schoolteachers are more committed, the provision of important inputs better, and education outcomes better even after controlling for background variables. All this is accomplished for a fraction of the per-pupil teacher cost of government schools. Extending access to private schools through targeted vouchers is one way in which the development community can assist the poor. However, the fact that the budget private schools are businesses, able to return a viable surplus, means they offer a creative new frontier for international and domestic investors because educational entrepreneurs, operating in a competitive market, are eager to invest in school improvements. Three ways for investors to get involved are explored. Budget private school infrastructure could be improved through the provision of microfinance-type loans. Investment in improved curriculum and pedagogy could be undertaken, to find opportunities that can be rolled out on a commercial basis. Finally, investing in a brand of budget private schools, either through a dedicated educational investment fund or through joint ventures with educational entrepreneurs, could provide an innovative way to solve the information problem for poor parents and improve even further the educational opportunities offered to their children. James Tooley is the director of E.G. Centre West. He is also the Head of the Education Section and Associate Director of the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at the University of Newcastle. His works explore the role of the private sector in serving the educational needs of the poor. "EDUCATING AMARETCH: PRIVATE SCHOOLS FOR THE POOR AND THE NEW FRONTIER FOR INVESTORS" 4 FIRST ANNUAL IFC/FT ESSAY COMPETITION JAMES TOOLEY "BUSINESS & DEVELOPMENT: THE PRIVATE PATH TO PROSPERITY" 5 Educating Amaretch: Private Schools for the Poor and the New Frontier for Investors


A basic understanding of the preparation and properties of electronic materials has become vitally important to a growing number of practicing electrical and electronics engineers. Any university that seeks to meet the needs of practitioners in those areas must make electronic materials science a significant part of its continuing education program. The continuing education program at the Institute of Technology of Southern Methodist University consists of more than sixty graduate engineering courses offered each semester to industrial plants within a 60-mile radius of Dallas via a closed-circuit talkback-equipped television network. This paper describes a one-semester televised course in semiconductor materials technology, which emphasizes the preparation, purification, crystal growth, characterization, and processing of materials commonly encountered in semiconductor electronics. The main objective of this course is to provide the practicing engineer in the semiconductor industry and the beginning graduate student in electronic sciences with a sound knowledge of the scientific principles underlying materials technology.


changing pattern of population and of diseases to be able to practise good clinical medicine. Sadly, there is no sign of integration of geriatric medicine into the present curriculum of undergraduate training in most of the universities in this country. So far "geriatric medicine" is being kept outside the main stream of medical specialties, but as the elderly population will increase in the 1980s there will be a need for improving and enlarging the geriatric specialty at a much faster rate than at the present time. The teachers of geriatric medicine should be able to train the present and future generation of medical undergraduates in a right and proper way to help them to become good clinicians who will understand the special problems and needs of the elderly community. Firstly, how can geriatric medicine best be taught? One cannot become a good geriatric clinician by only listening to lectures away from patients. So it seems that the best way to learn the problems and management of elderly patients would be to attend ward clinics and bedside clinical case demonstrations. Secondly, at what level can the student benefit most? This is also controversial, but I do not believe that only senior medical students should be involved in geriatric training programmes. Geriatrics should be considered as similar to any other clinical specialty and students should start learning the skills from their first clinical year. Lastly, there should be more examiners in undergraduate and postgraduate examinations from the geriatric specialty to achieve a balanced training programme for clinical medicine as a whole. B C KUNDU


Thin films of CdTe used in electronic devices often have problems with electrical contacts. This is due to the non-availability of a contacting material with a large work function for proper matching with p-CdTe. Moreover, the method of doping the thin film is the real problem. There are several possible solutions in this connection, one of which is the formation of a p+ layer on the CdTe surface by the reaction or indiffusion of dopant materials. Another approach is to engineer the barrier height prior to the metal contact deposition by depositing a layer of Cu-doped ZnTe onto the CdTe. However, all of the above methods have their own limitations. In this paper a method is presented which can overcome these limitations. Using an autocatalytic reduction process, NbP composite material has been deposited successfully on the p-CdTe surface. On annealing at an optimum temperature of 250 degrees C, the contact resistivity comes down to 0.1-0.08 Omega cm2. XRD and EDAX studies reveal that the lowering of the contact resistance is due to the diffusion of P into the CdTe with the formation of a p+ layer. A model for this has also been presented in the text.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which parents' behaviors influence lead to an adolescent's involvement in the juvenile justice system. Previous research suggests, adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system seem to lack conformity to rules and regulations and avoid responsibility of their actions. This research examined the aspect of parental influence as a variable for continual problem behavior of their child's propensity to recidivate. The research variables of parental influence in this study included: frequency of parental/family visitation, the age of youth, and family characteristic (rigid parenting, smothering parenting, and discipline lacking parenting) as it relates to adolescent involvement in the juvenile justice system. Previous research included parental and family influences on adolescent moral and identity development. However, this study expanded the current research in this area for further development of family programs. Also, this study discusses the impact of the aforementioned variables and recommendations for further research on family factors of adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system. Previous research discussed adolescent moral, behavioral, and male identity development as a pre-curser to adult incarceration. Archival data used in the study was provided by the Texas Department of Youth Services. The researcher analyzed the identified variables to ascertain significance, if any, between the research variables. The researcher determined implications for future family program development for adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system and their parents.


This workshop discusses how interactive, multimodal technology such as virtual agents can be used in social skills training for measuring and training social-affective interactions. Sensing technology now enables analyzing user's behaviors and physiological signals. Various signal processing and machine learning methods can be used for such prediction tasks. Such social signal processing and tools can be applied to measure and reduce social stress in everyday situations, including public speaking at schools and workplaces.


The full-phase infrared light curves of low-eccentricity hot Jupiters show a trend of increasing dayside-to-nightside brightness temperature difference with increasing equilibrium temperature. Here, we present a three-dimensional model that explains this relationship, in order to provide insight into the processes that control heat redistribution in tidally locked planetary atmospheres. This three-dimensional model combines predictive analytic theory for the atmospheric circulation and dayside–nightside temperature differences over a range of equilibrium temperatures, atmospheric compositions, and potential frictional drag strengths with numerical solutions of the circulation that verify this analytic theory. The theory shows that the longitudinal propagation of waves mediates dayside–nightside temperature differences in hot Jupiter atmospheres, analogous to the wave adjustment mechanism that regulates the thermal structure in Earth's tropics. These waves can be damped in hot Jupiter atmospheres by either radiative cooling or potential frictional drag. This frictional drag would likely be caused by Lorentz forces in a partially ionized atmosphere threaded by a background magnetic field, and would increase in strength with increasing temperature. Additionally, the amplitude of radiative heating and cooling increases with increasing temperature, and hence both radiative heating/cooling and frictional drag damp waves more efficiently with increasing equilibrium temperature. Radiative heating and cooling play the largest role in controlling dayside–nightside temperature differences in both our analytic theory and numerical simulations, with frictional drag only being important if it is stronger than the Coriolis force. As a result, dayside–nightside temperature differences in hot Jupiter atmospheres increase with increasing stellar irradiation and decrease with increasing pressure.


Brain Inspired Cognitive Systems - BICS 2010 aims to bring together leading scientists and engineers who use analytic and synthetic methods both to understand the astonishing processing properties of biological systems and specifically of the brain, and to exploit such knowledge to advance engineering methods to build artificial systems with higher levels of cognitive competence. BICS is a meeting point of brain scientists and cognitive systems engineers where cross-domain ideas are fostered in the hope of getting emerging insights on the nature, operation and extractable capabilities of brains. This multiple approach is necessary because the progressively more accurate data about the brain is producing a growing need of a quantitative understanding and an associated capacity to manipulate this data and translate it into engineering applications rooted in sound theories. BICS 2010 is intended for both researchers that aim to build brain inspired systems with higher cognitive competences, and for life scientists who use and develop mathematical and engineering approaches for a better understanding of complex biological systems like the brain. Four major interlaced focal symposia are planned for this conference and these are organized into patterns that encourage cross-fertilization across the symposia topics. This emphasizes the role of BICS as a major meeting point for researchers and practitioners in the areas of biological and artificial cognitive systems. Debates across disciplines will enrich researchers with complementary perspectives from diverse scientific fields. BICS 2010 will take place July 14-16, 2010, in Madrid, Spain.


s International Conference & Exhibition on Asian Emergency Care & Defence Medicine Sill destination or divert the aircraft. The problems of illness on board aircraft and the current state of in-flight medical assistance and where it appears to be heading is reviewed.


(E)-2-((pyren-1-ylmethylene)amino)phenol (3) containing pyrene linked through an imine bond to a phenol unit was synthesized and its Fe-complex 4 was prepared. The complex 4 is characterized by infrared (IR), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Vis spectroscopy techniques. The synthesized complex was used as a sensitizer in a solar cell structure. From the current density (J) - voltage (V) curve obtained, the values of the short-circuit current density (JSC), maximum current density (JM), open-circuit voltage (VOC) and maximum voltage (VM) for the complex 4 were determined as 6.68 mA /cm2, 4.73 mA /cm2, 0.56 V and 0.41 V, respectively. Using these parameters, the fill factor (FF) and power conversion efficiency value (η) of complex 4 were calculated as 0.52 and 1.94, respectively. This value shows that complex 4 can be used as an effective sensitiser in solar cell applications.


Online reviews are now popularly used for judging quality of product or service and influence decision making of users while selecting a product or service. Due to innumerous number of customer reviews on the web, it is difficult to summarize them which require a faster opinion mining system to classify the reviews. Many researchers have explored various supervised and unsupervised machine learning techniques for binary classification of reviews. Compared to these techniques, fuzzy logic can provide a straightforward and comparatively faster way to model the fuzziness existing between the sentiment polarities classes due to the ambiguity present in most of the natural languages. But the fuzzy logic techniques are less explored in this domain. Hence in this paper, a fuzzy logic model based on the most popularly known sentiment based lexicon SentiWordNet has been proposed for fine grained classification of the reviews into weak positive, moderate positive, strong positive, weak negative, moderate negative and strong negative classes. Experiments have been conducted on datasets containing reviews of electronic products namely smart phones, LED TV and laptops and have shown to provide fine grained classification accuracy approximately in the range of 74% to 77%. Keyword- Sentiment analysis, Fine grained Classification, Fuzzy Logic, SentiWordNet, Online reviews


Beams of fast electrons have been generated from the ultra-intense laser interaction with Aluminium foil targets. The dynamics of the fast electrons propagation and the level of induced in-depth heating have been investigated using the optical emission from the foils rear side. Important yields of thermal emission, consequence of high target temperatures, were detected for targets thinner than 50 μm. We precisely characterized the targets in-depth temperature profile in order to reproduce the emission yields. At shallow depth, we show the important heating (estimated to > 100 eV till 15 μm depth) has a resistive origin upon the neutralizing return current. For deeper regions, because of the bulk component divergence, the fast electron energy losses and induced heating are due to collisions. Coupling the model to the experimental measurements, we were able to quantify the bulk of the fast electron population, corresponding to 35% of the laser energy and a 500 keV temperature.


High-resolution and high S/N CCD spectra were analyzed to determine accurate LTE abundances in four lambda Boo stars: pi^1 Ori, 29 Cyg, HR 8203 and 15 And. In general, 14 chemical elements were investigated. The main results are the following: all stars have a strong deficiency of the majority of investigated metals. Oxygen exhibits a moderate deficiency. The carbon abundance is close to the solar one.
The results obtained support an accretion/diffusion model, which is currently adopted for the explanation of the lambda Boo phenomenon.


In this paper we report the effect of solar events (CMEs and solar winds) on foF2 diurnal profiles at Korhogo Station (Long 8.427° W; Lat: 9.336° N; dip: -1.88°) from 1992 to 2002. We reviewed on seasons and all the four geomagnetic activity classes (Quiet activity, recurrent activity, Shock activity, and Fluctuating activity). The results show that (1) Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and high-speed solar winds affect trough around midday on foF2 profiles during winter and spring when fluctuating solar winds have no effect on this characteristic. (2) In autumn, CMEs and solar winds do not affect the nighttime peak, but in winter CMEs, high-stream solar winds and fluctuating solar winds affect this characteristic of foF2 profile. In spring, only storms generated by CMEs and fluctuating solar winds have an effect on the nighttime peak. (3) Most of the time, the ionospheric storms observed at Korhogo station are positive storms and the CMEs always cause stronger positive storms compared to the solar winds effects. We assume that, these storms are mainly related to the combination of the phenomena of rapid penetration eastward electric and equatorward neutral winds during daytime but at nighttime they are mainly related to neutral winds alone.

 Key words: Geomagnetic activity, trough, peak, positive storm, negative storm.