Oil spills constitute a major water pollution problem due to their impact on the environment. Such spills may be controlled through containment and recovery and some commercial systems are available to this end, some of which have been developed using mechanical methods. Some conventional equipment can recover floating oil spills while others can contain them. Recovery and containment equipment need to work in conjunction to recover and contain simultaneously. This would imply that two sets of equipment should operate at the same time. In this study, a description of a floating mechanical device for both the recovery and containment of spilled oil from the sea surface is presented. This device is made up of cylindrical sections that can be connected in series to provide a containment barrier also capable of recovering floating pollutants while the spill is being contained. Identification of the oil spill determines the number of sections required. The device can contain and recover oil spills simultaneously with or without a defined water/oil interface. If the layer of polluting agent lies in calm waters it is decanted by means of interconnected cylindrical recoverers/containers and the polluting agent is then suctioned into each section through a common vacuum line. On the other hand, if the water/oil interface is not defined due to strong waves, the polluting agent adheres to a rotary cylindrical mesh that envelops the device, inducing the flow of the floating pollutants into the recoverers/containers. In contrast to other available devices, it makes use of the suctioned oil/water energy to turn the rotary mesh. The shape and the arrangement of its constituent parts help make the device an ideal piece of light mechanical equipment.


We semiclassicalise the standard notion of differential calculus in noncommutative geometry on algebras and quantum groups. We show in the symplectic case that the infinitesimal data for a differential calculus is a sym-plectic connection, and interpret its curvature as lowest order nonassociativity of the exterior algebra. Semiclassicalisation of the noncommutative torus provides an example with zero curvature. In the Poisson-Lie group case we study left-covariant infinitesimal data in terms of partially defined preconnections. We show that the moduli space of bicovariant infinitesimal data for quasi-triangular Poisson-Lie groups has a canonical reference point which is flat in the triangular case. Using a theorem of Kostant, we completely determine the moduli space when the Lie algebra is simple: the canonical preconnec-tion is the unique point for other than sln, n > 2, when the moduli space is 1-dimensional. We relate the canonical preconnection to Drinfeld twists and thereby quantise it to a super coquasi-Hopf exterior algebra. We also discuss links with Fedosov quantisation.


Abstract : In the testing and evaluation of drift reduction technologies there are different metrics that can be used to determine whether a technology reduces drift relative to a reference system. These metrics can include a reduction in the percentage of fine drops, measured spray drift from a field trial, or computer modeling of spray drift based on the application system and the droplet spectrum resulting from the specified operational conditions. The percentage of the spray volume constituted by droplets with diameters of less than 141 lm provided the most consistent and robust separation of droplet sizes and drift potential across all the nozzle, adjuvant, and active ingredient combinations tested. This study illustrates that adjuvants alter the spray distribution in different ways for different spray nozzles. The oil concentrate in this study uniformly narrowed the entire spray distribution, whereas in contrast the polymers widened the spray distribution because there was a greater increase in the spray volume made up of large droplets and only a modest increase in the spray volume made up of smaller droplets. When evaluating different spray technologies, it is critical that one consider the overall spray distribution and use it as a comparative measure of multiple technologies, particularly with active formulations and spray solution modifiers.


We report an orbital characterization of GJ1108Aab that is a low-mass binary system in the pre-main-sequence phase. Via the combination of astrometry using adaptive optics and radial velocity measurements, an eccentric orbital solution of e = 0.63 is obtained, which might be induced by the Kozai–Lidov mechanism with a widely separated GJ1108B system. Combined with several observed properties, we confirm that the system is indeed young. Columba is the most probable moving group, to which the GJ1108A system belongs, although its membership to the group has not been established. If the age of Columba is assumed for GJ1108A, the dynamical masses of both GJ1108Aa and GJ1108Ab (Mdynamical,GJ1108Aa = 0.72 ± 0.04 M⊙ and Mdynamical,GJ1108Ab = 0.30 ± 0.03 M⊙) are more massive than what an evolutionary model predicts based on the age and luminosities. We consider that the discrepancy in mass comparison can be attributed to an age uncertainty; the system is likely older than stars in Columba, and effects that are not implemented in classical models such as accretion history and magnetic activity are not preferred to explain the mass discrepancy. We also discuss the performance of the evolutionary model by compiling similar low-mass objects in the evolutionary state based on the literature. Consequently, it is suggested that the current model on average reproduces the mass of resolved low-mass binaries without any significant offsets.


Article history: Received 12 December 2014 Received in revised form 26 January 2015 Accepted 23 February 2015 Available online 28 May 2015


You want the alarm to go off in 30 minutes. The best thing is to move the alarm forward by one hour and the time to 15:20, costing a total of three units of effort. Can you now find an elegant, cost-minimizing algorithm for the problem? The alarm clock will still have the pleasure of waking you up, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing the clock will never know what time it really is. All are invited to submit their solutions to firstname.lastname@example.com; solutions to upstarts and discussion will be posted at amount, else advance the alarm by 60 – timeadvance(A, T, m). End of solution. Now imagine you have a 24-hour clock for both alarm and time. You are faced with the same problem. You want the alarm to go off in m minutes, where m can now be any number up to (24 x 60) – 1 minutes. You can move the hour value (between 0 and 23) for both time and alarm separately from the minute value (between 0 and 59). Each move forward by one of any hour or minute counter costs one unit of effort. (Moving the minute value past 59 to 0 does not affect the hour value.) Is it ever an advantage to move both a time value and an alarm value, as opposed to just one? WE BEGIN SIMPLY, with a 60-minute clock that counts only minutes, from 0 to 59. The alarm can also be set from 0 to 59 and will go off when the clock reaches the same value. Say you want the alarm to go off in m (m < 60) minutes , the time value now is x, and the alarm value is y. You want to move the time value or alarm value forward as little as possible so the alarm goes off m minutes from now. Warm-up. The time is at 20 minutes, and the alarm is at 5 minutes. You want the alarm to go off in 35 minutes. One option is to move the alarm forward (the only allowable direction) to 55. Another is to move the time value ahead to 30. The second is less expensive, requiring only 10 pushes, so you prefer that. In general, for this 60-minute clock, if T is the time value and A is the alarm value and you want to wake up in m …


Shape memory alloy (SMA) films enable the development of novel mechanically active microsystems as they provide large force and stroke in restricted space. The performance of SMA film actuators and sensors does not only depend on SMA material properties, but also requires a mechanically and thermally optimized design as well as a suitable fabrication technology being compatible to existing microsystems technologies. The paper gives an overview on the engineering aspects of SMA film actuators and sensors. These aspects are illustrated by selected examples such as bridge microactuators, microvalves and microscanners. The examples demonstrate the ongoing progress in the field, current limitations as well as existing opportunities for emerging new applications.


Background/Aims Voltage-dependent potassium channels (Kv1.3) are predominantly expressed in lymphocyte plasma membranes. These channels are critical for the activation and proliferation of lymphocytes. Since second-generation antihistamines are lipophilic and exert immunomodulatory effects, they are thought to affect the lymphocyte Kv1.3-channel currents. Methods Using the patch-clamp whole-cell recording technique in murine thymocytes, we tested the effects of second-generation antihistamines, such as cetirizine, fexofenadine, azelastine, and terfenadine, on the channel currents and the membrane capacitance. Results These drugs suppressed the peak and the pulse-end currents of the channels, although the effects of azelastine and terfenadine on the peak currents were more marked than those of cetirizine and fexofenadine. Both azelastine and terfenadine significantly lowered the membrane capacitance. Since these drugs did not affect the process of endocytosis in lymphocytes, they were thought to have interacted directly with the plasma membranes. Conclusions Our study revealed for the first time that second-generation antihistamines, including cetirizine, fexofenadine, azelastine, and terfenadine, exert suppressive effects on lymphocyte Kv1.3-channels. The efficacy of these drugs may be related to their immunomodulatory mechanisms that reduce the synthesis of inflammatory cytokine.


The aluminum incorporation efficiencies in nonpolar A-plane and polar C-plane AlGaN films grown by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE) are investigated. It is found that the aluminum content in A-plane AlGaN film is obviously higher than that in the C-plane sample when the growth temperature is above 1070 °C. The high aluminum incorporation efficiency is beneficial to fabricating deep ultraviolet optoelectronic devices. Moreover, the influences of the gas inlet ratio, the V/III ratio, and the chamber pressure on the aluminum content are studied. The results are important for growing the AlGaN films, especially nonpolar AlGaN epilayers.


In this brief, an analog CMOS implementation of a Cellular Neural Network (CNN) is presented, which is based on a combination of MOS transistors operating in different modes: weak and strong-inversion and MOS transistors operated in the lateral bipolar mode. This combination has enabled a VLSI implementation of a simplified version of the original CNN model with the main characteristics of low-power consumption, programmability, and embedded photosensors to process images directly projected on the chip. An 8/spl times/8-cell CNN chip prototype is reported with experimental results for different image processing tasks. A density of 10.7 cells/mm/sup 2/ in a 1.2-/spl mu/m CMOS technology and a power consumption of tens of microwatts per cell are obtained.


It was recently argued that f(T) gravity could inherit "remnant symmetry" from the full Lorentz group, despite the fact that the theory is not locally Lorentz invariant. Confusion has arisen regarding the implication of this result for the previous works, which established that f(T) gravity is pathological due to superluminal propagation, local acausality, and nonunique time evolution. We clarify that the existence of the "remnant group" does not rid the theory of these various problems but, instead, strongly supports it.


The spliceosome is a dynamic macromolecular machine that catalyzes the removal of introns from pre-mRNA, yielding mature message. Schizosaccharomyces pombe Cwf10 (homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Snu114 and human U5-116K), an integral member of the U5 snRNP, is a GTPase that has multiple roles within the splicing cycle. Cwf10/Snu114 family members are highly homologous to eukaryotic translation elongation factor EF2, and they contain a conserved N-terminal extension (NTE) to the EF2-like portion, predicted to be an intrinsically unfolded domain. Using S. pombe as a model system, we show that the NTE is not essential, but cells lacking this domain are defective in pre-mRNA splicing. Genetic interactions between cwf10NTE and other pre-mRNA splicing mutants are consistent with a role for the NTE in spliceosome activation and second-step catalysis. Characterization of Cwf10-NTE by various biophysical techniques shows that in solution the NTE contains regions of both structure and disorder. The first 23 highly conserved amino acids of the NTE are essential for its role in splicing but when overexpressed are not sufficient to restore pre-mRNA splicing to wild-type levels in cwf10NTE cells. When the entire NTE is overexpressed in the cwf10NTE background, it can complement the truncated Cwf10 protein in trans, and it immunoprecipitates a complex similar in composition to the late-stage U5.U2/U6 spliceosome. These data show that the structurally flexible NTE is capable of independently incorporating into the spliceosome and improving splicing function, possibly indicating a role for the NTE in stabilizing conformational rearrangements during a splice cycle.


Plant germplasm collections serve as repositories for important genes. However, insufficient and inaccurate characterization of the genetic diversity in a collection can slow or can prevent full utilization of genetic resources. Bananas and plantains ( Musa spp., Colla) are some of the most important food crops in the world. Germplasm characterization efforts in Musa have focused mostly on agronomic and morphological traits although with the advent of molecular markers genotypic characterization efforts are increasing. Genomic composition in Musa is based on a plant's ploidy level and on whether it is of a hybrid origin. Genomic compositions of Musa spp. have been associated with disease and insect resistance, production and flavor characteristics. The Musa spp. collection of the USDA-ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station consists of 135 accessions, many of which are of unknown genomic composition. In an effort to better characterize the collection, RAPD and PCR-RFLP markers, as well as flow cytometry, were employed to determine genomic composition and ploidy level. Plant accessions maintained in the collection belong to several Musa species and their hybrids with different ploidy levels. In addition, several differences in ploidy as well as genomic composition were identified when comparing findings in this study to those reported in the literature.


Product dissection activities have been very successful used in engineering courses to help anchor the knowledge and practice of engineering in students' minds. Unfortunately, most product dissection activities tend to stress form, functionality, and fabrication, missing opportunities to explore the broader impacts of engineering design decisions. In this paper, we present initial efforts to transform product dissection activities into product archaeology exercises wherein students "dig" to uncover not only the manufacturing (i.e., economic) issues of a product, but also the global and societal context that influenced its development as well as the environmental impact of the product during its life cycle. We introduce two new classes of exercises—competitive "digs" and collaborative "digs"—to engage students in similar, yet different, ways in product archaeology. Competitive "digs" pit teams of students in a time-based competition to unearth the global, societal, economic, and environmental impact of a product while collaborative "digs" allow students to work together to dig more deeply into these issues over an extended period of time. Results from pilot offerings of both of these types of exercises are summarized and discussed along with a preliminary educational assessment of one of the collaborative "digs". Improvements to the exercises and future work to formalize this new paradigm of product archaeology are also discussed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME


Does the cultural context of any criminal justice element, ranging from the crime victim to the forensic science expert, have any impact on the pursuit of justice? Is forensic science completely free of cultural adulteration? Two dimensions of the cultural consideration variable this paper focuses on are (1), what areas of forensic analysis need to be considered to prevent, or at least, diminish cultural offenses in processing crime scenes and forensic evidence, and (2) the need of forensic science professionals and organizations to adopt a consistent scientific culture in processing and analyzing evidence (particularly in DNA analysis). While many empirical sources have addressed individual criminal justice elements in the context of cultural considerations, the writers found an empirical research void that holistically addresses the spectrum of crime scene investigation and the pursuit of justice in terms of cultural considerations in forensic science. The goal of this paper is to provide the reader with an overview of culture, in general, and how culture impacts the pursuit of justice in the context of crime scene investigation and forensic science, both negatively and


Objective: The aim of this research was to identify genes, proteins and processes from the biomedical information published on recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) using network-based foci. Methods: The clinical context was defined using MeSH terms for RAS and biomarkers, combined with words associated with risk. A set of protein coding genes was prioritized using the Genie web server and classified with PANTHER. For defining biologically relevant proteins, protein-protein interaction networks were constructed using Reactome database and Cytoscape. Top 20 proteins were then subjected to functional enrichment using STRING. Results: From 1,075,576 gene-abstract links, 1,491 genes were prioritized. Proteins were related to signaling molecule proteins (n=221), receptor proteins (n=221) and nucleic acid binding proteins (n=169). The network constructed with these proteins included 3,963 nodes and functional analysis showed that main processes involved immune system and zinc ion binding function. Conclusions: For the first time, bioinformatics tools were used for integrating pathways and networks associated with RAS. Molecules and processes associated with immune system recur robustly in all analyzed information. The molecular zinc ion binding function could be an area for exploring more specific and effective therapeutic interventions.


The purpose of this study was to examine Type D personality as an internal factor for injury risk in collegiate track athletes. A survey was administered to 275 track athletes across each of the three NCAA divisions. The survey included general questions about injury history, which included demographic type questions. A Type D Personality Inventory assessment was administered which measured negative affectivity and social inhibition (Blum, 2009). Additionally, the survey included a version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), measuring an athlete's evaluation of situations that invokes a stress response (Cohen et al, 1983). Lastly, the survey included the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI) ((Smith et al, 1994), which measures an athlete's psychological skills. Skills measured in this section included; coping under adversity, coach ability, concentration, confidence, goal setting, peaking under pressure, and freedom from worry. Logistic Regression results revealed that Type D personality is a significant factor for predicting athletic injury in collegiate track athletes. However, a discriminate analysis with the two factors of Type D personality, negative affectivity and social inhibition, revealed that only negative affectivity significantly predicted injury. Coping skills and perceived stress both had significant impacts on negative affectivity. Due to social inhibitions insignificant effect on predicting injury, it was not further looked into. Findings from this study provide essential information to athletic programs, coaches and athletes aiming to reduce injury risk among collegiate track athletes.


The law on the general organization of Health Care Professionals (GOHCP) and the Framework Statute make up a new regulatory framework for the practice of medicine, which is completed with the legal debate on the obligatory association to the medical college, pending in the Constitutional Court based on certain regional legal developments. The GOHCP defines the functions of the different professions according to degree, establishes a public registry of physicians, converts the obligation of practicing according to the state of the art into law and updates the training, introduces the Resident core training program and opens the door to superspecialities. It also regulates the professional career, in order to establish a common body of four grades to which the health services can add a fifth one with previous character. Among the novelties of the Framework Statute, there is extensive updating of the offences and sanctions - that include aspects such as work harassment and adaptation of the workday to the European guidelines, so that the maximum workday is established in 48 hours per week and the complementary (having a voluntary character) cannot exceed 150 hours per year. Lowering retirement age to 65 years foreseen in this guideline will require planning of human resources and has already generated suits in the courts. The obligatory nature of belonging to the medical college has also been modified, this time by some guidelines on the regional level. They would require a decision by the Constitutional Court on whether the college members can be exempted in some cases.


NIOSH evaluated reinforcing ironworkers' (rodbusters) exposures to risk factors for developing low-back and hand disorders when tying together reinforcing steel bars (rebar) on a freeway bridge. Rodbusters used three techniques to tie rebar together—a pliers and a tie wire wheel, a battery operated power tier (PT), and a PT with an extension handle (PTE). NIOSH found that using the PT and PTE reduced the rodbusters' exposures to risk factors for work-related low-back and hand-wrist disorders. In addition, power tying was twice as fast as than pliers tying. Reducing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Rodbusters


BACKGROUND/AIM
Metastasis-associated gene 1 (MTA1) is considered a potential prognostic factor in esophageal cancer. We investigated the clinical relationship between MTA1, LAT1, and tumor metabolism, as evaluated by positron emission tomography (PET) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We analyzed 142 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients who underwent curative resection without preoperative treatment. MTA1 expression was assessed by immuno-zahistochemistry, and tested against standardized uptake values from preoperative PET-CT. The association among MTA1, LAT1, and 18FAMT PET results were analyzed.

RESULTS
MTA1 staining was observed in 82 of 142 cancer tissues. Five-year overall survival was 69.9 % in the absence of MTA1, but 50.7% otherwise (p=0.021), while disease-free survival was 66.5% and 49.0% (p=0.071), respectively. Abnormal 18FAMT accumulation was noted in 13 patients without MTA1 and in 18 patients with MTA1 (p=0.079), with maximum standardized uptake value 1.6±1.6 and 2.7±1.6, respectively (p=0.036). MTA1 expression was positively correlated with LAT1 (p=0.013) and CD34 (p=0.034) expression, but not with Ki-67 (p=0.078).

CONCLUSION
MTA1 shows promise as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in esophageal cancer, and we anticipate that the gene will also prove to be a good therapeutic target.


Abstract Theories of multimedia learning suggest that learners can form better referential connections when verbal and visual materials are presented simultaneously. Furthermore, the addition of auditory input in reading-while-listening conditions benefits performance on a variety of linguistic tasks. However, little research has been conducted on the processing of multimedia input (written text and images) with and without accompanying audio. Eye movements were recorded during young L2 learners' (N = 30) processing of a multimedia story text in reading-only and reading-while-listening conditions to investigate looking patterns and their relationship with comprehension using a multiple-choice comprehension test. Analysis of the eye-movement data showed that the presence of audio in reading-while-listening conditions allowed learners to look at the image more often. Processing time on text was related to lower levels of comprehension, whereas processing time on images was positively related to comprehension.


Soil drainage conditions are important to land use decisions. Traditionally, anaerobic conditions induced by poor drainage have been evaluated by observing soil color related to Fe and Mn oxides, using a, α-dipyridyl dye,measuring dissolved O 2 , and measuring E H . We believe that there is further need for a device that is scientifically sound and easy to use. Therefore, our goals were to develop and test a device that mimics natural soil processes, visually indicates soil reduction, and is robust. Our concept was to coat a rod or tube with a colored soil mineral that dissolves on reduction, insert the device into a soil, remove it after a few weeks or longer, and observe if some of the coating had been lost. If the coating was not dissolved, no reduction occurred, but if it was dissolved, reducing conditions must have prevailed. After trying several kinds of coatings and tubes, we chose ferrihydrite (FH) coating on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe. We call the device an Indicator of Reduction in Soils (IRIS). As the study progressed we added semi-quantitative interpretations by measuring depleted areas using a digital camera and image analysis. We tested IRIS tubes in the lab and in soils in Indiana, Minnesota, and North Dakota, and concluded they performed as expected. Reduction rates increased between February and April and were related to increasing soil temperature, turnover (flux) of soil OC, and content (inventory) of OC. Reduction rates decreased after April, presumably because the nutrient supply for microbes decreased.


The aim of this study is to investigate wear and microstructure properties of CrFeNiMoTi high entropy alloy coating produced by using tungsten inert gas (TIG) process on the medium carbon steel. The coatings have been compared in terms of their phase composition, microstructure, and hardness. Phase compound and microstructure of coating layers have been examined by using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and optical microscope (OM). The images show that the coatings have consisted of the cladding zone, interface zone, and heat affected zone. Also, the microstructure of the coating has been mainly composed of dendrite and discontinuous interdendritic segregation. The surface microhardness of this high entropy alloys up to 450 HV0.3, has been about 2.5 times as the substrate. The wear behaviour of the specimens has been compared through dry sliding wear tests under the same conditions. Average coefficient of friction values of the high entropy alloy (HEA) coating has been obtained at relatively low levels.


BACKGROUND
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by a clonal accumulation of neoplastic lymphocytes, indicating disruption of apoptosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Differential methylation hybridization analysis was performed to identify novel target genes silenced by CpG island methylation in patients with CLL.

RESULTS
Patched (PTCH), a tumor-suppressor gene, was found to be frequently methylated in CLL samples compared to samples derived from healthy individuals. De novo methylation of a CpG island region located upstream of PTCH exon 1 was confirmed by pyrosequencing in 17/37 (46%) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with CLL, but in none isolated from seven healthy individuals. No association was found between PTCH hypermethylation and currently used prognostic CLL factors.

CONCLUSION
Our investigation suggests that epigenetic silencing of PTCH is a mechanism contributing to CLL tumorigenesis.


Dynamic malware analysis executes the program in an isolated environment and monitors its run-time behaviour (e.g. system API calls) for malware detection. This technique has been proven to be effective against various code obfuscation techniques and newly released ("zero-day") malware. However, existing works typically only consider the API name while ignoring the arguments, or require complex feature engineering operations and expert knowledge to process the arguments. In this paper, we propose a novel and low-cost feature extraction approach, and an effective deep neural network architecture for accurate and fast malware detection. Specifically, the feature representation approach utilizes a feature hashing trick to encode the API call arguments associated with the API name. The deep neural network architecture applies multiple Gated-CNNs (convolutional neural networks) to transform the extracted features of each API call. The outputs are further processed through bidirectional LSTM (long-short term memory networks) to learn the sequential correlation among API calls. Experiments show that our solution outperforms baselines significantly on a large real dataset. Valuable insights about feature engineering and architecture design are derived from the ablation study.


INTRODUCTION Two years ago I found two specimens of a curious animal in a sample of coral sand from Curacao. It superficially resembled the larva of priapulids, animals that are restricted to cold water. The condition of the specimens did not permit of a description and I did not succeed in determining the group to which the species could possibly belong. Later I happened to see a paper by Remane (1963) in which he gives a simple figure of "a not yet described animal from the sandy bottom of the Red Sea". I immediately recognized it as a relative of the species from Curacao. Upon request Professor Remane informed me that he had fixed some specimens, but that these were lost. He had not found more material of the species and he had not heard of these animals being found at another locality. In his opinion both his and my material obviously belong to the same genus. Recently I found a number of additional specimens in another sample of coral sand also from Curacao. In the present paper a preliminary description of this material is given. When I had finished my description I found some specimens of a much larger animal that may be the mature form of the described species. A short description of this interesting animal is added. I am indebted to Dr. P. Wagenaar Hummelinck, Utrecht, who kindly put a number of bottom samples from the Piscadera Bay (Curacao) at my disposal. I also wish to thank Prof. Dr. A. Remane, Kiel (Germany), and Prof. Dr. R. P. Higgins, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (U.S.A.), for their information and advice. Tubiluchus corallicola n. gen., n. sp.


&NA; Date Presented 3/31/2017 In the study, sexual activity was found to improve a person's quality of life while lowering stress levels. These findings contribute to the existing knowledge of the physical and mental benefits of the activity of daily living of sexual activity. Primary Author and Speaker: Hunter Kinard Contributing Authors: Karen Sladyk, Beverly St. Pierre


It has been recently shown that the TanDEM-X mission is capable of tracking the plant growth of rice paddies. The precision of the elevation measure depends on the physical interaction between the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) signal and the canopy. In this letter, this interaction is studied by considering the signal polarization. In particular, the vertical and horizontal wave polarizations are compared, and their performance in the temporal mapping of the crop height is analyzed. The temporal elevation difference analysis shows a monotonically increasing trend within the reproductive stage of the canopy, with maximum height discrepancies between polarizations of about 9 cm. From an operational point of view of InSAR-based vegetation height measurements, this letter demonstrates that the oriented structure of the canopy shall be considered not only in polarimetric InSAR studies but also in the interpretation of bistatic spaceborne interferometric elevation models.


Papyrus swamps form ecological buffer zones at the land-water interface, protecting lake shallows from sedimentation and reducing the risk of eutrophication in open water. Many communities living near papyrus swamps, particularly in East Africa, derive socioeconomic benefits from these highly productive ecosystems. Loss of the buffering capacity of papyrus at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, explains much of the observed increase in the lake's trophic state. Multiple authors have called for Naivasha's wetlands to be restored; however, the social and ecological factors that would need to be considered before doing so have received insufficient attention. Case studies of recent restoration programmes at Lake Victoria illustrate the means by which degraded wetlands can be rehabilitated. Analysis of attitudes towards papyrus at Lake Naivasha reveals a general lack of awareness surrounding the benefits of local wetlands, forming a potential barrier to successful restoration there. An assessment of the lake's riparian zone demonstrates that both anthropogenic and natural pressures present significant challenges for the survival of lake-fringing wetlands, highlighting changes that have occurred within the ecosystem over the last few decades. Potential means of addressing both the social and ecological limitations to papyrus restoration are offered, with explicit linkages to the benefits of doing so made clear. Floating islands are shown to be the most appropriate reference for ecological restoration at Lake Naivasha, which can be replicated through artificial technology. The establishment of a consumptive use value for harvested papyrus at Naivasha would help to raise stakeholders' awareness of wetlands; a novel means of producing biomass briquettes was met with positive responses from local residents and may be used to encourage community participation in restoration. A vision for wise use of this internationally renowned Ramsar site is set out, with recommendations made as to how papyrus wetlands could be managed sustainably over the long term.


Oliver's Comment on my recent article challenges my argument that there were two sterling crises in the autumn of 1964. He argues that there was one only and that the Labour government mishandled it. Oliver has, however, reached these conclusions on the basis of a partial reading of the evidence and a failure to grasp how the changing international context imposed constraints on national economic sovereignty.


Predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in creative class cities offer contradictory experiences for Black faculty, who engage in invisible additional labor in response to racial aggressions, termed cultural taxation (CT). With an understanding that equity- minded faculty development is an essential space in which to respond to this reality, our study employed a phenomenological focus group design to investigate how Black faculty at a research-intensive PWI located in a creative class city buffeted by racial tensions navi-gated their service and community experiences. While finding their work meaningful, the participants shared experiences of the multifaceted nature of CT, their stress from teaching about race, and the burdens of providing extra support to the next generation of scholars of color. Participants viewed the campus and community as interconnected and CT as a wage they were willing to pay. At the same time, participants regretted the lack of recognition for this work in the academy. We proffer recommendations for developers and centers for teaching and learning that endeavor to support Black faculty and faculty from other marginalized identities.


Integration between conventional semiconductors and porous materials can enhance electron–hole separation, improving photocatalytic activity. Here, we introduce a heterostructure that was successfully constructed between vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) and mesoporous SBA-15 using inexpensive halloysite clay as the silica–aluminium source. The composite material with 40% doped V2O5 shows excellent catalytic performance in the oxidative desulphurisation of dibenzothiophene (conversion of 99% with only a minor change after four-cycle tests). These results suggest the development of new catalysts made from widely available natural minerals that show high stability and can operate in natural light to produce fuel oils with ultra-low sulphur content.


L-alanine hydroxamate derivatives were obtained by reaction of alkyl/arylsulfonyl halides with L-alanine, followed by treatment with benzyl chloride, and conversion of the COOH moiety to the CONHOH group with hydroxylamine in the presence of carbodiimides. Other derivatives were obtained by reaction of N-benzyl-alanine with aryl isocyanates, arylsulfonyl isocyanates or benzoyl isothiocyanate, followed by a similar conversion of the COOH to the CONHOH moiety. The obtained compounds were assayed as inhibitors of Clostridium histolyticum collagenase, ChC (EC 126.96.36.199), a zinc enzyme which degrades triple helical collagen. The hydroxamate derivatives were generally 100-500 times more active than the corresponding carboxylates. In the series of synthesized derivatives, substitution patterns leading to the most potent ChC inhibitors were those involving perfluoroalkylsulfonyl- and substituted-arylsulfonyl moieties, such as pentafluorophenylsulfonyl, 3- and 4-protected-aminophenylsulfonyl-, 3- and 4-carboxyphenylsulfonyl-, 3-trifluoromethyl-phenylsulfonyl-, or 1- and 2-naphthylsulfonyl among others. Similarly to the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) hydroxamate inhibitors, ChC inhibitors of the type reported here must incorporate hydrophobic moieties at the Pz, and Py sites, in order to achieve tight binding to the enzyme.


During the winter of 2010/2011 the town of Östersund with 60 000 inhabitants was struck by a water crisis. High levels of the parasite Cryptosporidium were discovered in the drinking water. The water delivered by the municipality suddenly constituted a risk for the populations' health. To consume the infected water could lead to long term stomach illness. This article explores sense-making of risk in everyday life during the time of the Cryptosporidium. The field of risk management constitutes a large part of the risk research conducted within the social sciences. Gender analysis in this body of research is often understood as a background variable among other variables. This article contributes to the field by connecting sociological perspectives on risk theory and performative narrative gender analysis. We think that this is important for illuminating and understanding more about how sense-making of risk is articulated as a gendered narrative. Our analysis shows that intertwined in a narrative about water as a new risk in everyday life, storylines constituting femininity were articulated.


The book presents the theory of latticed shells as continual systems and describes its applications. It analyses the problems of statics, stability and dynamics. Generally, a classical rod deformation theory is applied. However, in some instances, more precise theories which particularly consider geometrical and physical nonlinearity are employed. A new effective method for solving general boundary value problems and its application for numerical and analytical solutions of mathematical physics and reticulated shell theory problems is described. A new method of solving the shell theory's nonlinear problems, substantially simplifying the existing algorithms is given. Questions of optimum design are discussed. Some of the findings are generalized and extended to edged and composite systems. The results of the solutions of a wide range of pressing problems are presented.


The paper wasp Polistes atrimandibularis is an obligatory social parasite of another Polistes species, P. biglumis bimaculatus. To control the host nest, the parasite sequentially changes the composition of its chemical signature, the cuticular hydrocarbons, during the colonial cycle. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of the cuticular hydrocarbons at every stage of the cycle showed that the parasite can switch on and off an entire chemical family, namely, the unsaturated hydrocarbons. In this way the parasite can match the host signature at a critical moment of the colonial cycle.


This paper deploys a wavelet based scale-space approach to extract the boundary of the object of interest in medical CT images. The classical approach of the active contour models consists of starting with an initial contour, to deform it under the action of some forces attracting the contour towards the edges by means of a set of forces. The mathematical model involves in the minimisation of an objective function called energy functional, which depends on the geometry of the contour as well as of the image characteristics. Various strategies could be used for the formulation of the energy functional and its optimisation. In this study, a wavelet based scale-space approach has been adopted. The coarsest scale is able to enlarge the capture region surrounding an object and avoids the trapping of contour into weak edges. The finer scales are used to refine the contour as close as possible to the boundary of the object. An adaptive scale coefficient for the balloon energy has been introduced. Four levels of resolution have been applied in order to get reproducibility of the contour despite poor different initialisations. The scheme has been applied to segment the regions of interest in CT lung and colon images. The result has been shown to be accurate and reproducible for the cases containing fat, holes and other small high intensity objects inside lung nodules as well as colon polyps.


The rheological properties of polyimide film surfaces have an important influence on contrast reduction during the in-plane switching mode of liquid crystal displays. To clarify these properties, the slight difference of deviation angles of liquid crystal directors from the rubbing direction were measured during prolonged exposure to alternating electric fields. The results indicate that the data can be well described using the Kelvin-Voigt model. The relation between the in-plane shear modulus G and the strain at the polyimide surface was also investigated based on the torque balance between the energy density of the electric field and the elastic energy density of the polyimide surface. It was found that much smaller G than bulk polyimide materials existed on the polyimide surface in liquid crystal display.


To what extent can a process of collaborative creation unseat Shakespeare as a source of cultural authority?
In February 2016, a group of professional performers gathered in an abandoned shop front in Exeter's city centre to formally begin a devising process with Shakespeare and Middleton's Measure for Measure that had been incubating in my mind for almost a year. Nearly a year later, in January 2017, an unrelated group of secondary school students began a similar process, with the same text.
What began as a persistent sense that these long-dead writers had omitted an important perspective in their play has evolved into Measure (Still) for Measure: a project blending Shakespeare, physical theatre, devising, and intersectional feminism. Its goals are threefold: to reorient the 400-year-old play around its female protagonist, Isabella; to facilitate difficult conversations about consent and rape culture; and to instigate policy change in educational institutions. It is not a coincidence that the school hosting the project's pilot phase recently announced an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against one of its former teachers.
In this article, I attempt to write through the two project phases completed to date and, in the process, demonstrate methods for disrupting Shakespeare's authority.


AIMS
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-angiotensin (1-7) [Ang (1-7)]-Mas constitutes the vasoprotective axis and is demonstrated to antagonize the vascular pathophysiological effects of the classical renin-angiotensin system. We sought to study the hypothesis that upregulation of ACE2-Ang (1-7) signaling protects endothelial function through reducing oxidative stress that would result in beneficial outcome in diabetes.

RESULTS
Ex vivo treatment with Ang (1-7) enhanced endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) in renal arteries from diabetic patients. Both Ang (1-7) infusion via osmotic pump (500 ng/kg/min) for 2 weeks and exogenous ACE2 overexpression mediated by adenoviral ACE2 via tail vein injection (10(9) pfu/mouse) rescued the impaired EDR and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in db/db mice. Diminazene aceturate treatment (15 mg/kg/day) activated ACE2, increased the circulating Ang (1-7) level, and augmented EDR and FMD in db/db mouse arteries. In addition, activation of the ACE2-Ang (1-7) axis reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction determined by dihydroethidium staining, CM-H2DCFDA fluorescence imaging, and chemiluminescence assay in db/db mouse aortas and also in high-glucose-treated endothelial cells. Pharmacological benefits of ACE2-Ang (1-7) upregulation on endothelial function were confirmed in ACE2 knockout (ACE2 KO) mice both ex vivo and in vitro.

INNOVATION
We elucidate that the ACE2-Ang (1-7)-Mas axis serves as an important signal pathway in endothelial cell protection in diabetic mice, especially in diabetic human arteries.

CONCLUSION
Endogenous ACE2-Ang (1-7) activation or ACE2 overexpression preserves endothelial function in diabetic mice through increasing nitric oxide bioavailability and inhibiting oxidative stress, suggesting the therapeutic potential of ACE2-Ang(1-7) axis activation against diabetic vasculopathy. Antioxid.


The growing interests in multi-way data analysis have made the tensor factorization and classification a crucial issue in machine learning for signal processing. Conventional neural network (NN) classifier is estimated from a set of input vectors. The multi-way data are unfolded as high-dimensional vectors for model training. The classification performance is constrained because the neighboring temporal or spatial information in different ways is lost in the trained NN classifier. More parameters are required to learn the complicated data structure. This paper presents a new tensor classification network (TCN) which combines the tensor factorization and the NN classification for multi-way feature extraction and classification. We generalize from NN classifier to TCN where the multi-way information is preserved through projecting the input tensors into latent tensors. The projection over tensor space is efficiently characterized so that a very compact classifier can be achieved. Experimental results on image recognition demonstrate that TCN attains comparable classification performance but with very few parameters (as small as 6.7%) compared with NN classifier.


Textual agency plays a fundamental role with regard to the literary production devoted to catastrophic events and the trauma they entail; it raises questions about the ethics of the disaster, as if to say the legitimacy of the literary works on the theme. The authorial commitment to bear witness to the events often clashes with the unrepresentability of the event itself: silence and discursivity are both misleading choices in the sense that the first is a real blot on History, while the latter implies to domesticate trauma in order to transpose it into literary forms. This article aims to give relevance to the therapeutic agency of the Literature of the catastrophe and in doing so, it contributes to the re-evaluation of the genre as part of the literary canon.


The paper summarizes results of tensile tests in low alloy steel (LAS) specimens (steels 15Kh2MFA and 15Kh2NMFA). Slow Strain Rate Tensile tests (SSRT) were performed in air at temperatures from 22 to 325°C over a wide range of strain rates from 2.5×10-6 to 1.67×10-3 s-1. The possible effect of strain rate and temperature to mechanical properties of tested LAS is searched for. The dynamic strain ageing (DSA) was observed within certain temperature ranges at lower strain rates tested and its hardening effect in terms of the maximum strengthening stress decreased linearly with the increase of log strain rate. It has been found that the occurrence of susceptibility to environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) of tested steels in high temperature water (HTW) is corelated to the DSA behavior. The result suggest that DSA reduces ductility of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steel and its role in enhancing the EAC of RPV steels should not be neglected, in view of the coincidence with susceptibility zones for DSA and EAC in terms of strain rate and temperature. A reasonable coincidence was observed between the susceptibility to DSA exhibited by SSRT in air and with the EAC behavior observed in laboratory experiments.


Introduction: A key challenge in fighting against cancer is cancer recurrence and resistance. Apart from the advances in the field of cancer treatment, the outcome is not still as high as expected. This may be partly due to the poor understanding about the true biology of a tumour. Tumour is a complex tissue and cells in its central parts bear nutrition deficiency and poor angiogenesis. Objective: The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of long-term serum starvation on an in vitro model of human lung adenocarcinoma, A549 cell line. Methods: The cells bore serum starvation for 6 days and at 24-hour intervals, their proliferation, size, mitochondrial function and protein content was studied. Also, at 24-hour intervals and following at least 1 day of starvation, the cells were released in a 10% serum supplemented media and their reactions were studied as above. Results: The results demonstrated that despite the harsh conditions around the starved cells, they still proliferate and show increased mitochondrial function and protein content. Upon re-exposure to favourable conditions, this increase is more obvious. These observations were not recorded in control cells. Conclusion: It was concluded that following a long-term metabolic stress, these cells do not die, but become stronger and that can be a plausible explanation behind the difficulty in treatment of recurrent cancers.


We study the impact of observational learning in large scale congested service systems with servers having heterogenous quality levels and customers that are heterogonously informed about the server quality. Providing congestion information to all customers allows them to avoid congested servers, but, also implies that less informed customers learn about the quality from observing the choices of other customers. Due to an exponentially growing state space in the number of servers, identifying Bayesian equilibria is intractable with a large, discrete number of servers. In this paper, we develop a tractable model with a continuum of servers. We find that the impact of observational learning on the customers' choice behavior may lead to severe "imbalance" of server load in the system, such that a decentralized system significantly under-performs in terms of the social welfare, compared with a centralized system. The decentralized system performs well only when (a) either the congestion costs are high and there are sufficient informed customers, or (b) when the congestion costs are medium or low and the aggregate capacity of high-quality servers matches the aggregate demand of informed customers. We also find situations in which making more customers informed about service quality leads to a decrease in social welfare. Our paper highlights the tension between observational learning and social welfare maximization and thus observational learning in large-scale service systems might require intervention of the platform manager.


Source contributions to ambient PM 10 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm or less) in Beijing, China were determined with positive matrix factorization (PMF) based on ambient PM 10 composition data including concentrations of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), ions and metal elements, which were simultaneously obtained at six sites through January, April, July and October in 2004. Results from PMF indicated that seven major sources of ambient PM 10 were urban fugitive dust, crustal soil, coal combustion, secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate, biomass burning with municipal incineration, and vehicle emission, respectively. In paticular, urban fugitive dust and crustal soil as two types of dust sources with similar chemical characteristics were differentiated by PMF. Urban fugitive dust contributed the most, accounting for 34.4% of total PM 10 mass on an annual basis, with relatively high contributions in all four months, and even covered 50% in April. It also showed higher contributions in southwestern and southeastern areas than in central urban areas. Coal combustion was found to be the primary contributor in January, showing higher contributions in urban areas than in suburban areas with seasonal variation peaking in winter, which accounted for 15.5% of the annual average PM 10 concentration. Secondary sulfate and secondary nitrate combined as the largest contributor to PM 10 in July and October, with strong seasonal variation peaking in summer, accounting for 38.8% and 31.5% of the total PM 10 mass in July and October, respectively. Biomass burning with municipal incineration contributions were found in all four months and accounted for 9.8% of the annual average PM 10 mass concentration, with obviously higher contribution in October than in other months. Incineration sources were probably located in southwestern Beijing. Contribution from vehicle emission accounted for 5.0% and exhibited no significant seasonal variation. In sum, PM 10 source contributions in Beijing showed not only significant seasonal variations but also spatial differences.


In this chapter, we analyze the relationship between creativity issues and design theory. Although these two notions seemingly correspond to different academic fields (psychology, cognitive science and management for creativity; engineering science and logic for design theory), they appear to be deeply related when it comes to design methods and design management. Analyzing three historical moments in design theory-building (the 1850s, with the ratio method for industrial upgrading in Germany; the 20th century with systematic design and the 1920s with the Bauhaus theory), we point to the dialectical interplay that links creativity issues and design theory, structured around the notion of "fixation effect": creativity identifies fixation effects, which become the targets of new design theories; design theories invent models of thought to overcome them; and, in turn, these design theories can also create new fixation effects that will then be designated by creativity studies. This dialectical interplay leads to regular inventions of new ways of managing design, that is, new ways of managing knowledge, processes and organizations for design activities. We use this framework to analyze recent trends in creativity and design theories.


We consider a chiral medium in a bounded domain, enclosed in a perfectly conducting material. We solve the transient Maxwell equations in this domain, when the medium is modeled by the Drude-Born-Fedorov constitutive equations. The input data is located on the boundary, in the form of given surface current and surface charge densities. It is proved that, except for a countable set of chirality admittance values, the problem is mathematically well-posed. This result holds for domains with non-smooth boundaries. © World Scientific Publishing Company.


Purpose: There is a scarcity of research studies on why people remain inactive when encountering and recognising misinformation online. The main aim of this paper is to provide a groundwork for future research into why users do not challenge misinformation on digital platforms by generating hypotheses through a synthesis of pertinent literature, including organisational behaviour, communication, human-computer interaction (HCI), psychology, and education. Design/methodology/approach: Given the lack of directly related literature, this paper synthesised findings from relevant fields where the findings might be relevant, as the tendency to withhold opinions or feedback is a well-documented practice in offline interaction. Findings: Following our analysis of relevant literature, the potential reasons for online silence towards misinformation can be divided into six categories: self-oriented, relationship-oriented, others-oriented, content-oriented, individual characteristics, and technical factors. Originality: Although corrections coming from peers can effectively combat misinformation, several studies showed that people in cyberspace do not take such action. To the best of our knowledge, there has been scarce and virtually non-existent research investigating why people refrain from challenging others who post misinformation online. Thus, this paper attempts to address this gap and identify reasons in adjacent domains. The reasons provide a starting point for researching interventions to reduce reluctance and abstinence regarding the challenge of misinformation. Our findings can be beneficial beyond the area of challenging misinformation and are extensible to other types of content and communication that people are hesitant to discuss and challenge, such as online injustice, prejudice, and hate speech.


A multiblock grid generation has been developed to be reliably used for a Navier-Stokes simulation of the turbomachinery flow-fields A multiblock structure simplifies the creation of structured H-grids about complex turbomachinery geometries and facilitate the creation of a grid in the tip flow region. The numerical algorithm adopts the combination of the algebraic and elliptic method to create the internal grids efficiently and quickly. The grid refinement process is enhanced by developing strategies to utilized Bezier curves and splines along with weighted transfinite interpolation technique and by formulating the grid-imbedding method for the viscous boundary-layer meshes. For purposes of illustration, the grid generator is applied to the high turning turbine rotor blades. Two different types of computational grids are provided to be compared with respect to the grid adaptation to the flow simulations. Extension to three-dimensions was done to show the possibility of its application to the tip-flow simulations. The grid quality of the multiblock structure is good in the passages, with gloval orthogonality and adequate smoothness.


Developing a common European bull list is an objective of the PROTEJE (PROduction Traits European Joint Evaluation) workgroup started in 2001 as an initiative of the European Holstein herdbooks. Six Total Merit Indexes were compared to define a common breeding goal across Europe. A principal component analysis was used to observe the direction of the largest common variation among the studied Total Merit Indexes. Results showed that the considered indexes had a lot in common. The first principal component explained 86% of the total variation. Based on previous researches establishing combined proofs on a European phantom scale for most traits and trait groups and using a multiple regression for this European Total Merit Index, relative emphases on production and functionality of 37% and on conformation of 26% could be established.


This paper looks at the income mechanic of the video game Starcraft II. We look at the optimum number of workers to have mining at one mineral patch at any one time. This optimum number depends on the type of minerals being mined, but is 2.4 for blue mineral patches, and 2.5 for gold mineral patches.


High voltage induction motors at Gladstone Power Station are roughly 30 years old and are a significant asset and critical component to the electricity generation process. Due to the criticality of the high voltage motors in the electricity process, age and environmental conditions the motors are exposed to, how can all the high voltage motors at Gladstone Power Station be maintained and monitored regularly and more effectively particularly between scheduled overhauls is an important issue. This paper outlines the process taken to assess the current condition of the high voltage motors and evaluate the maintenance strategy utilized at Gladstone Power Station. Thermography and thermal imaging was used to assess the current condition of the motors and assess the maintenance strategy utilized. From these result, thermography was recommended to be conducted on a regular basis in coordination with other condition monitoring techniques to monitor and track the condition of the high voltage motors during on-line conditions and in between the four yearly unit overhauls. This will increase proactive and preventative maintenance techniques and ensure Gladstone Power Station are aware of the condition of all of the high voltage motors to further maximize and optimize the stations output and assets.


A prolate-spheroidal reflector antenna focusing subnanosecond pulsed electromagnetic radiation in the near field is studied. This antenna reflector is fed by a pair of balanced, conical-plate transmission lines and the radiated pulse consists of a prepulse, an impulse, and a postpulse. Whereas the prepulse amplitude decreases inversely with distance, the impulse is maximum near the geometric focus, and its power density distribution has a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) width of 32 cm in the axial direction and 10 cm in the lateral direction.


RECENT DECADES have seen a resurgence of critical interest in nineteenth-century women poets, many of whom had been neglected for much of the twentieth century. One of the more idiosyncratic yet accomplished voices to reemerge has been that of Michael Field. There have been very few poets quite like Michael Field, either at the fin de siecle or any other time. This young man (who would publish numerous verse dramas and nine volumes of lyric poetry) (1) was actually, in the words of Stevie Smith, "that odd amalgam of Aunt and Niece" Katharine Harris Bradley (1846-1914) and Edith Emma Cooper (1862-1913). (2) With the publication of the two closet dramas Callirhoe and Fair Rosamund in 1884, Michael Field made an immediate impact upon the literary scene. Every figure of note either wanted to meet "him" pretended to have done so, or at least had some opinion on this new presence. The poet A. Mary F. Robinson wrote flirtatious fan mail: "next Tuesday afternoon you would find me singularly alone as my mother & sister are gone for a few days to Wales; & no callers generally arrive till after four." (3) Even Gerard Manley Hopkins expressed his view, in somewhat cautionary tones, to Robert Bridges when he heard that the latter was to meet Michael Field: "He is a dramatist: nought which concerns the drama concerns not him, he thinks. It might indeed do him good to know that you had never heard of him ... Do be wise." (4) However, the excitement did not last. It would be the aging Robert Browning (a confidant of Bradley and Cooper) who inadvertently revealed the dual, female authorship behind the public facade of Michael Field. Following this, all serious critical assessment of Bradley and Cooper's work evaporated, as Bradley lamented to Browning that "you are robbing us of real criticism, such as man gives man." (5) Initially, while explaining the functions of the Michael Field pseudonym to Browning, Edith Cooper stated, "the happy union of two in work and aspiration is sheltered and expressed by 'Michael Field" Please regard him as the author." To this Bradley added that revealing their dual authorship "would indeed be utter ruin to us; but the report of lady authorship will dwarf and enfeeble our work at every turn"' (6) Clearly, the male pseudonym worked on a number of levels: in one sense it was a mask, a means of evading prejudicial criticism based on gender; at the same time, "Michael Field" was not a mouthpiece but a separate entity in his own right. The act of writing and publishing verse drama and lyric poetry under the name Michael Field was a conceptual experiment, a work of performance art. This idea is borne out when we consider that Bradley and Cooper kept the name long after their enterprise was uncovered. When Michael Field debuted as a lyric poet with Long Ago in 1889, there were few who did not recognize the truth. However, there was one other secret which remained hidden away. Long Ago might have been Michael Field's first collection of lyrics, but it was not Bradley and Cooper's. Michael Field's re-workings of Sappho's fragments is highly polished and uniquely unified in style. Yet such an accomplishment was the product of almost fifteen years' apprenticeship in crafting and publishing lyric poetry. Before Michael Field, Katharine Bradley and Edith Cooper had published under different names. In 1875 Bradley brought out The New Minnesinger as Arran Leigh, and in 1881 the two women together, as collaborators for the first time, had published Bellerophon as Arran and Isla Leigh. (7) This formative stage in the lives and careers of Bradley and Cooper, the production of the Arran and Isla Leigh juvenilia, has so far elicited little commentary. There have been glancing references to the existence of this work in most critical overviews of Michael Field, but no sustained analysis of the poetry and its significance to the later poetic oeuvre of Michael Field. Two of the most eminent of Michael Field's recent critics and editors, Marion Thain and Ana Parejo Vadillo, avoid analysis of this work. …


This book concernsmethods for assessingthe cost effectiveness of psychotherapy services. The con tributors are all from the USA and are from varied professional disciplines including clinical psychology, mental health counselling, psychiatry, neurology, plastic surgery, family medicine, the legal profession, and management consultancy. The Editor discussesthe implications of the cost containment strategies of Health Care Corporations in dealing with the needto maintain profits despite increasedcosts. One of the meansof cost containment espoused in this book is the development of goal orientated, preferably short-term, packages for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of specific conditions. Many different theoreticalapproachesare included: behavioural, humanistic, psychodynamic, and cogni tive. The articles present innovative approaches to the management of chronic pain, chronic low-back pain, agoraphobia and consultation—liaisonin plastic surgery. Although reviewsbasedon the practisingenviron mentin theUSA mayseemstrangeandirrelevantto the UK, this is the strength of the book as new National Health Servicemanagementinitiatives make it necessary to pay attention to alternative treatmentmodalities, keepingin mind thecriterionof valuefor money.


The idea of a 'human right to resist' is not new and indeed has ancient origins. Yet the most recent failure of efforts to codify this right in a United Nations instrument invites skepticism about its viability that demands a reconsideration. This thesis is a study of the 'human right to resist' as a legal concept and the extent of its recognition in contemporary international and constitutional law. It addresses the question of why and how the 'right to resist' can be conceptualized as an enforceable 'human right', and whether as such it can be positivized in law through codification and other recognition. Utilizing comparative analysis it examines theoretical conceptualizations of its nature, function and content, and the extent of its recognition in general and customary international law, the human rights treaties and the more than forty constitutional provisions identified in the Ginsburg et al. dataset (2013).
The study makes a threefold contribution to the existing body of scholarly work. Having identified and synthesized the work of the main contributors to the evolution of the contemporary legal concept, it proposes a consolidated working definition and common analytical framework for comparing elements of the legal provisions and/or theories of the right. Having systematically analyzed the contemporary positive law, it identifies the scope of opportunities for dynamic interpretation within the lex lata, in the absence of codification or where existing provisions remain to be interpretively developed. It also provides a firmer basis for lex ferenda arguments supporting any future codification efforts in the form of soft law instruments or additional protocols. Based on its findings, the study makes the case that sufficient grounds exist not only to re-establish this concept in the human rights lexicon, but also to enhance its recognition in international law.


 In this paper we focus on the design and implementation of adaptive learning environments in Higher Education, accessible by students with disabilities and learning difficulties. Assistive technology, and especially mobile learning, is used for the establishment of the communication between learner and teacher, mainly, in the mainstream class. We discuss the establishment and operation of parallel "assistive"   classes   for   specific   topics   and   specific groups of students and needs. The architecture of Secure Wireless Infrastructures and Personalized Educational Learning Environments (SWI_PELE) is also presented and the collaboration of such environments is discussed. This architecture includes a scheme of servers and incorporates wireless infrastructure, and personalized, multimedia based educational  course  material.  Mobile  devices  and  PDA's are integrated in educational scenarios to support various activities, such as giving lectures in the mainstream class, attending classes, working in the laboratory and participating in assessments and exams. Keywords Adaptive learning, Personalized learning, Architecture for educational technology systems.


Reminiscence programs that stimulate participants' memories through discussion are popular as both enrichment activity and clinical treatment for older adults. Museums in multiple countries are starting to offer reminiscence opportunities on-site and through outreach. This study is an investigation of the qualities of the participant experience in a reminiscence museum outreach program using historical artifacts. The outreach program was implemented at 12 retirement communities around the Boston area. Using participant and staff interviews, audio recordings of conversations during the program, and focused observations, the study shows that the program was characterized by sensory exploration, cognitive and emotional responses, memory-sharing, and socialization. These findings support previous research showing the cognitive and emotional benefits of reminiscence in multi-session programs, and they suggest that single-visit object-based museum outreach may also elicit positive psychosocial outcomes.


Scale is a fundamental geographic concept, and a substantial literature exists discussing the various roles that scale plays in different geographical contexts. Relatively little work exists, though, that provides a means of measuring the geographic scale over which different processes operate. Here we demonstrate how geographically weighted regression (GWR) can be adapted to provide such measures. GWR explores the potential spatial nonstationarity of relationships and provides a measure of the spatial scale at which processes operate through the determination of an optimal bandwidth. Classical GWR assumes that all of the processes being modeled operate at the same spatial scale, however. The work here relaxes this assumption by allowing different processes to operate at different spatial scales. This is achieved by deriving an optimal bandwidth vector in which each element indicates the spatial scale at which a particular process takes place. This new version of GWR is termed multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR), which is similar in intent to Bayesian nonseparable spatially varying coefficients (SVC) models, although potentially providing a more flexible and scalable framework in which to examine multiscale processes. Model calibration and bandwidth vector selection in MGWR are conducted using a back-fitting algorithm. We compare the performance of GWR and MGWR by applying both frameworks to two simulated data sets with known properties and to an empirical data set on Irish famine. Results indicate that MGWR not only is superior in replicating parameter surfaces with different levels of spatial heterogeneity but provides valuable information on the scale at which different processes operate.


Futures practices have always sought to bridge longer term, context uncertainty and today's actions.
Despite the emergence of diverse foresight lineages, methods and tools, the differences between 'better proactive
foresight' and 'better reactive preparedness' remain unclear. This paper focuses on the 2007-2010 financial
crisis in order to clarify misconceptions and confusions concerning 'scenario planning'. We assess why the crisis
is not unique and propose how scenarios might be helpful in overcoming the difficulties of learning from crisis.
We focus on how scenarios were used in the run up to this crisis to clarify the nature, role and effectiveness
of scenario work. We highlight implications for scholarship and practice, including: overcoming simplistic distinctions
of scenarios as products or processes; and as outputs or inputs. We assess the power of scenarios as
frames and their role in re-framing strategic conversation; and contrast the misapplication of probability in
systemic risk analysis with the co-production of plausibility, between builders and users of scenarios. Finally,
we explore why the promises of deploying scenarios to address normal accidents and systemic risks are not yet
fully realised.


Nan McKenzie Laird is the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of Biostatistics
at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. She has made
fundamental contributions to statistical methods for longitudinal data analysis,
missing data and meta-analysis. In addition, she is widely known for
her work in statistical genetics and in statistical methods for psychiatric epidemiology.
Her 1977 paper with Dempster and Rubin on the EM algorithm
is among the top 100 most highly cited papers in science [Nature 524 (2014)
550–553]. Her applied work on medical practice errors is widely cited among
the medical malpractice community.
Nan was born in Gainesville, Florida, in 1943. Shortly thereafter, her parents
Angus McKenzie Laird and Myra Adelia Doyle, moved to Tallahassee,
Florida, with Nan and her sister Victoria Mell. Nan started college at Rice
University in 1961, but then transferred to the University of Georgia where
she received a B.S. in Statistics in 1969 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
After graduation Nan worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Draper Laboratories where she worked on Kalman filtering for the Apollo
Man to the Moon Program. She enrolled in the Statistics Department at Harvard
University in 1971 and received her Ph.D. in 1975. She joined the faculty
of Harvard School of Public Health upon receiving her Ph.D., and remains
there as research professor, after her retirement in 2015.
In the 40 years that Nan M. Laird spent at Harvard she authored or coauthored
over 300 papers and three books, and mentored numerous graduate
students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. According to Google
scholar, her work has been cited over 111,000 times. She has received many
awards for her varied contributions to statistical science. Some highlights include
the Samuel S. Wilks Award, her election as Fellow of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, her election as Fellow of the
American Statistical Association, the Janet Norwood Prize, the F. N. David
Award and, most recently, the Marvin Zelen Leadership Award in Statistical
Science. Professor Laird has served on many panels and editorial boards
including a National Academy of Science Panel on Airliner Cabin Environment,
which led to the elimination of smoking on airplanes. Professor
Laird chaired the Department of Biostatistics at the Harvard School of Public
Health from 1990–1999 where she was the Henry Pickering Walcott Professor
of Biostatistics. In this interview she talks about her career, including her
passion for mentoring students. She offers some helpful advice about balancing
work and family life, acknowledging the powerful encouragement and
support that her own family has given her over the years.


This paper studies and analyses various digital filter and decimation structure. On this basis, by using QUARTUS development system design the decimation device modules, through the waveform simulation validated its correctness. Finally,a program is written into FPGA chip by the hardware platform. In the digital down conversion (DDC), CIC (cascade integral comb) filter plays an important role. It is mainly used for sampling rate, as well as low-pass filter effect. The main characteristics of CIC filter, using only adders, subtractor and register (no multiplier), so fewer resources occupied, implementation is simple and high speed. Based on the analysis of the principle of CIC filter,simulate and synthesize based on the theory of using VHDL language in FPGA. And successful application in the development of DDC chip. Keyword: CIC (cascade integral comb) filter,FPGA,VHDL


Small conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (SK(Ca)) channels comprise an important subclass of K(+) channels. Selective blockade of SK(Ca) channels may find application in the therapy of myotonic muscular dystrophy, gastrointestinal dysmotilities, memory disorders, narcolepsy, and alcohol abuse. In the cyclophanes described herein the two 4-aminoquinolinium groups are joined at the ring N atoms (linker L) and at the exocyclic N atoms (linker A). When both the spacer A and L have only one benzene ring, the blocking potency changes dramatically with simple structural variations in the linkers. One of these smaller cyclophanes having A = benzene-1,4-diylbis(methylene) and L = benzene-1,3-diylbis(methylene) shows activity in the low nanomolar range. Furthermore, the results with the present series add significantly to the structure-activity knowledge in the field, since they incorporate the first example of molecules in which the activity depends critically on the nature of the linkers joining the two quinolinium (Q) groups. Later on, a novel series of bis-quinolinium bis-alkylene cyclophanes was described. The biological results of the present series add support to the suggestion that the linkers of the two Q groups do not form direct interactions with the channel protein but comprise a molecular support for the two Q groups. Two important structural features of the pharmacophore for SK(Ca) channel blockade have been identified. These are (1) an optimum distance of ca. 5.8 A between the centroids of the pyridinium rings of the two quinolinium groups, and (2) a preference for conformations having the Q groups in a synperiplanar orientation.


In this paper, we revisit the issue of the propagation of warps in thin and viscous accretion discs. In this regime, warps are known to propagate diffusively, with a diffusion coefficient approximately inversely proportional to the disc viscosity. Previous numerical investigations of this problem did not find a good agreement between the numerical results and the predictions of the analytic theories of warp propagation, both in the linear and in the non-linear case. Here, we take advantage of a new, low-memory and highly efficient smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code to run a large set of very high-resolution simulations (up to 20 million SPH particles) of warp propagation, implementing an isotropic disc viscosity in different ways, to investigate the origin of the discrepancy between the theory and the numerical results. We identify the cause of the discrepancy in an incorrect calibration of disc viscosity in previous investigations. Our new and improved analysis now shows a remarkable agreement with the analytic theory both in the linear and in the non-linear regime, in terms of warp diffusion coefficient and precession rate. It is worth noting that the resulting diffusion coefficient is inversely proportional to the disc viscosity only for small amplitude warps and small values of the disc α coefficient (α≲ 0.1). For non-linear warps, the diffusion coefficient is a function of both radius and time, and is significantly smaller than the standard value. Warped accretion discs are present in many contexts, from protostellar discs to accretion discs around supermassive black holes. In all such cases, the exact value of the warp diffusion coefficient may strongly affect the evolution of the system and therefore its careful evaluation is critical in order to correctly estimate the system dynamics.


An effect induced by x-ray irradiation on Boron-doped crystalline Si at room temperature was closely investigated in this paper. Irradiation of X-ray energy of 40, 55 and 70keV has been performed on P-N junction diodes fabricated at Thai Microelectronics Center. Minority carrier life time of the device has been calculated before and after irradiation for comparison. The results show no significant change on the value between exposed and unexposed device. Therefore, any permanent lattice modified or any defects caused by X-ray in the device bulk seem to be unconfirmed in this range of energy. However, from this study, X-ray irradiation still effects on electrical characteristics of the diodes. Current-voltage (I-V) measurement has been carried out to study characteristic variation of the device. Biasing of the device was performed from -10 to 1 V and, after the exposure, the leakage current was obviously decreased by 25% and forward current was dramatically increased by 3 order of magnitude related to increment of X-ray energy.


For systematic functional analysis of genes, we attempted the application of the FOX-hunting system to super growing-roots (SR) of legume species Lotus corniculatus which was previously reported by Himuro et al. (2011). In this study, we investigated the functional analysis of FSL#35, which was expressed by the rolB gene derived from the Agrobacterium rhizogenes Ri plasmid. In monoculture roots grown in liquid media, the FSL#35 showed specific phenotypes that increased root length, lateral root number and root surface area compared with SR. These enhanced phenotypes of FSL#35 were caused by cell profile alteration, while increased total root length and increased lateral root number were caused by the expansion of cortex cells and increased pericycle cells, respectively. In addition, the FSL#35 root showed high and specific respiration activity compared with SR. These results suggest that distinct cell profiles of FSL#35 were induced by the alteration of respiration activity in root tissue. The enhanced root growth in the FSL#35 root might be induced by alteration of ROS metabolisms. Investigating the details of the rolB gene function, for example by phytohormone analysis, will elucidate the novel benefits of the rolB gene for agriculture.


In the last decade, a growing number of patients with pneumonia, caused by unusual gram positive rods have been observed. Mostly, the patients had been infected as a consequence of impaired immunity. In some cases, bioterrorist activities may also induce pneumonia by gram positive rods (B. anthracis). In order to bring these organisms to the attention of the medical community, we present three clinical cases and describe six species of gram positive rods, known to provoke this kind of pneumonias. Case 1 was a 84 years old patient with impaired lung function. He was suspicious of tuberculosis (Tbc). Nocardia spec. was isolated. Case 2 was an alcoholic of 46 years with pneumonia. Reactivation of Tbc was suspected. Actinomadura madurae has been isolated. Case 3 was a patient of 58 years with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and pneumonia. N. asteroides was isolated. All patients shared impaired immunity (age, alcoholism, MDS) with impaired lung functions; Tbc had been suspected (Case 1 + 2). Infection by A. madurae was contained by Clindamycin. Therapy of Nocardia with Moxifloxacin (Case 1) or Bactrim (Case 3) was only partly effective. In the appendix, six species of gram positive rods which are known to cause pneumonia, are summarized (Nocardia, Actinomyceta, Actinomadura, Rhodococcus, Corynebacterium and Bacillus).


In this contribution we present new specimens of Litopterna recovered during the last decade in Quebrada Fiera (Mendoza Province, Argentina), whose fossiliferous sediments, currently recognized as the base of Agua de la Piedra Formation, are assignable to Late Oligocene (Deseadan South American Land Mammal Age). Two remains mentioned in the first publication on this locality were neither detailed nor described, and they have not been located in the corresponding repository. The new material consists of postcranial fragmentary remains (astragali, calcaneum, and metapodials) of Macraucheniidae (Cramaucheniinae) and an incomplete upper molar (M3) of Proterotheriidae (Proterotheriinae). These few remains of litopterns contrast with the abundance of notoungulates at Quebrada Fiera. A comparative study was carried out with material from Patagonia (Argentina) and taxa recorded in Bolivia and Peru for the same temporal interval. The specimens of Cramaucheniinae are assigned to Coniopternium andinum and the molar of Proterotheriinae to cf. Lambdaconus suinus. This contribution allows us to extend the geographical range of Coniopternium, filling the gap between the Patagonian and lower latitude localities (Bolivia and Peru) in which this genus was found. The record of L. suinus in Quebrada Fiera expands the geographical range of this species outside from Patagonia.


In this thesis, we established methods that use high-temperature HPLC for the
efficient separation of different groups of pharmaceutical compounds. These groups
are cephalosporins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID), and diuretic drugs.
The effect of changes of the temperature of the column was studied with respect to
various chromatographic parameters: retention factors, thermodynamic properties,
selectivity, efficiency and peak shape.
Three columns (Pathfinder, Xterra RP18, and Selerity's Blaze 200) were examined
for the analysis of cephalosporin drugs under high temperature reversed phase
HPLC. Several proportions of mobile phases were used with these columns. This
study focused on the effect of column temperature on selectivity (α), and efficiency
(N/m), van't Hoff plots. The best conditions for the separation of these drugs were 60 °C with 100% water as eluent and these conditions were the best for quantitative
applications. This condition was validated according to International Conference on
Harmonisation (ICR) with respects of linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of
quantification (LOQ), and precision (tR, relative peak area %, N/m). [Continues.]


The interaction between a molecular cloud and an external agent (e.g., a supernova remnant, plasma jet, radiation, or another cloud) is a common phenomenon throughout the Universe and can significantly change the star formation rate within a galaxy. This process leads to fragmentation of the cloud and to its subsequent compression and can, eventually, initiate the gravitational collapse of a stable molecular cloud. It is, however, difficult to study such systems in detail using conventional techniques (numerical simulations and astronomical observations), since complex interactions of flows occur. In this paper, we experimentally investigate the compression of a foam ball by Taylor–Sedov blast waves, as an analog of supernova remnants interacting with a molecular cloud. The formation of a compression wave is observed in the foam ball, indicating the importance of such experiments for understanding how star formation is triggered by external agents.


This paper discusses the principle and method of Double-Crossed Step-Down-Stress Accelerated Life Testing (DCSDS-ALT) for pneumatic cylinders. As to pneumatic cylinder, the step-down-stress testing failure physics can be described as cumulative degradation model. Temperature and frequency are normally chosen as the test stresses. The failure data obtained under DCSDS-ALT testing steps can be converted to those under constant stress testing. And the reliability specifications can be derived accordingly. To compare Double-stress ALTs with traditional constant stress testing shows Double-stress ALTs can meet the accuracy demand. The 5% of average lifetime estimation error and 1.85% of the characteristic lifetime error are very satisfying for pneumatic industrial lifetime prediction.


Attenuation measurements on an Earth space path are presented using a passive microwave radiometer operating at 19.4 GHz in the emission mode. Attenuation measured under clear weather showed variation between 0.2 to 1.1 dB, whereas for cloud conditions attenuation as high as 1.0 dB have been recorded. Attenuation measurements for rain events have been correlated with rainfall rate using a fast-response 10 seconds opto-electronic rain gauge. The values of attenuation versus rainfall rate varied between A (dB)=0.01+0.18 R(mm/h) at the minimum and A (dB)=0.01+0.25 R(mm/h) at the maximum, showing considerable variability in the values of attenuation from year to year. The attenuation statistics for different seasons have also been computed and they show considerable changes from season to season-the largest attenuation in excess of 10 dB recorded in July-August-September, whereas minimum attenuation in excess of 2 dB recorded in December-March for nearly two years of data. Comparison of measurements made over New Delhi with those reported elsewhere show that for 0.02% of time attenuation values lie between those of Slough, England, and Crawford Hill, NJ. The concept of effective path length has been discussed based on the relationship between effective path length and the rain rate.


A yield function for hexagonal closed packed (hcp) metals was modified with respect to strain rate and temperature and developed to capture the material behaviour during extrusion. Magnesium alloy ZEK100 was extruded indirectly at 300°C into a round bar. Compression tests were carried out at various strain rates, temperatures and sample orientation to characterise the material flow. These data were used as input data for fully thermo-mechanical coupled simulations of indirect extrusion. A successful prediction of the extrusion force and the temperature increase during extrusion is presented.


Abstract. Traditionally, tephra transport and dispersal models have evolved decoupled (offline) from numerical weather prediction models. There is a concern that inconsistencies and shortcomings associated with this coupling strategy might lead to errors in the ash cloud forecast. Despite this concern and the significant progress in improving the accuracy of tephra dispersal models in the aftermath of the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull and 2011 Cordon Caulle eruptions, to date, no operational online dispersal model is available to forecast volcanic ash. Here, we describe and evaluate NMMB-MONARCH-ASH, a new online multi-scale meteorological and transport model that attempts to pioneer the forecast of volcanic aerosols at operational level. The model forecasts volcanic ash cloud trajectories, concentration of ash at relevant flight levels, and the expected deposit thickness for both regional and global configurations. Its online coupling approach improves the current state-of-the-art tephra dispersal models, especially in situations where meteorological conditions are changing rapidly in time, two-way feedbacks are significant, or distal ash cloud dispersal simulations are required. This work presents the model application for the first phases of the 2011 Cordon Caulle and 2001 Mount Etna eruptions. The computational efficiency of NMMB-MONARCH-ASH and its application results compare favorably with other long-range tephra dispersal models, supporting its operational implementation.


A rich but tractable variant of the Burdett-Mortensen model of wage setting behavior is formulated and a dynamic market equilibrium solution to the model is defined and characterized. In the model, firms cannot commit to wage contracts. Instead, the Markov perfect equilibrium to the wage setting game, characterized by Coles (2001), is assumed. In addition, firm recruiting decisions, firm entry and exit, and transitory firm productivity shocks are incorporated into the model. Given that the cost of recruiting workers is proportional to firm employment, we establish the existence of an equilibrium solution to the model in which wages are not contingent on firm size but more productive employers always pay higher wages. Although the state space, the distribution of workers over firms, is large in the general case, it reduces to a scalar that can be interpreted as the unemployment rate in the special case of homogenous firms. Furthermore, the equilibrium is unique. As the dimension of the state space is equal to the number of firms types in general, an (approximate) equilibrium is computable.