In this paper, finite element analysis is conducted to study dynamic responses of a defected drill pipe (DP) under impact loading encountered in working conditions. Longitudinal impact loading such as tensile, eccentric compressive and torsional impact loading and transverse collision loading are considered. A finite element model is firstly developed and validated, and then employed to evaluate the effects of various impact loading on dynamic responses of the defected DP. It is found that the inertial effect due to tensile impact is the most prominent among all the longitudinal impact loadings. In addition, the effect of the transverse collision between the DP and the borehole wall on the driving force of the crack is evaluated. It is concluded that the dynamic effects of the various impact loading frequently exerting on the DP should be taken into consideration for life prediction of DPs. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.mech.24.4.19503


Introduction: The incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) during pregnancy is 6 cases per 100000 births which occur more commonly at third trimester. Its maternal morbidity is 19-37 and fetal mortality is 9-13. Anterior wall is the most common location of myocardial infraction (78). The risk factors for myocardial infarction during pregnancy included: maternal age >35 year, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, preeclampsia, infections, and thrombophilia. On the other hand, pregnancy is a predisposing factor for coronary artery dissection. In this study, a case of myocardial infarction during pregnancy was reported. Case report: The patient was a 37 year old pregnant woman with second pregnancy who was admitted with diagnosis of acute anterior ST elevation Myocardial infarction at 37th weeks of gestation. She had received fibrinolytic agent. After performing angiography in referral center, regarding to that the lesion was thrombotic and with good distal run off, antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents was administrated for her. After 12 hours, active labor started, probably because of retroplacental bleeding, and vaginal delivery was performed. With some days delay, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was done on the dissected lesion of Left anterior descending artery by using of drug-eluting stent (DES). After 50 days, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) was implanted for her because of low left ventricular systolic function. Conclusion: If myocardial infarction occurs in pregnancy, invasive approach (angiography and Coronary stenting and then, continuing the antiplatelet agent is best choice for re-run off. In this patient, according to the angiography result, some thrombosis in LAD artery with good distal run off, antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents were administrated for her and after some days delay, angioplasty was done. If acute myocardial infarction occurs in the center without the procedures of invasive intervention, if the mother's life is threatened, at first, fibrinolytic should be used and then, invasive intervention be performed.


Organizations face increased pressures to continually advance knowledge and new technologies long-term success and prosperity. University research centers offer important interorganizational linkages for industry-university collaboration, conducive for advancing knowledge and new technologies. This study examined industry's strategic objectives for establishing relationships with university research centers. As a result of this multimethod exploratory field study, the authors have identified three clusters of industrial firms with different strategic objectives: collegial players, aggressive players, and targeted players. Collegial players are predominately large firms working with university research centers on topics of interest to the firm which are perceived to have long-term value rather than the promise of immediate commercial opportunities. Aggressive players are a mix of both large and small firms employing relationships with university research center primarily to develop and commercialize a wide range of marketable products and services. Targeted players are often smaller firms largely interested in using their relationships with university research centers to address specific needs central to their business. They conclude this paper by discussing the implications of these findings for both industrial firms and universities.


Memristors enable the computation of matrix-vector multiplications (MVM) in memory and, therefore, show great potential in highly increasing the energy efficiency of deep neural network (DNN) inference accelerators. However, computations in memristors suffer from hardware non-idealities and are subject to different sources of noise that may negatively impact system performance. In this work, we theoretically analyze the mean squared error of DNNs that use memristor crossbars to compute MVM. We take into account both the quantization noise, due to the necessity of reducing the DNN model size, and the programming noise, stemming from the variability during the programming of the memristance value. Simulations on pre-trained DNN models showcase the accuracy of the analytical prediction. Furthermore the proposed method is almost two order of magnitude faster than Monte-Carlo simulation, thus making it possible to optimize the implementation parameters to achieve minimal error for a given power constraint.


In this paper, we tackle the problem of localizing graphical symbols on complex technical document images by using an original approach to solve the subgraph isomorphism problem. In the proposed system, document and symbol images are represented by vector-attributed Region Adjacency Graphs (RAG) which are extracted by a segmentation process and feature extractors. Vertices representing regions are labeled with shape descriptors whereas edges are labeled with feature vector representing topological relations between the regions. Then, in order to search the instances of a model graph describing a particular symbol in a large graph corresponding to a whole document, we model the subgraph isomorphism problem as an Integer Linear Program (ILP) which enables to be error-tolerant on vectorial labels. The problem is then solved using a free efficient solver called SYMPHONY. The whole system is evaluated on a set of synthetic documents.


The authors studied a possibility of simultaneously performing magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of carotid arteries and contrast-enhanced MR tomography of atherosclerotic plaques of carotid arteries. We examined a total of 16 patients presenting with disseminated atherosclerosis and 8 patients of the control group. Quadrature coils for examination of the head were used in order to sequentially perform MR tomography of the brain, MR angiography of carotid arteries and MR tomography of atherosclerotic plaques of carotid arteries with contrasting by 0.5M cyclomang. Angiography was carried out by means of the technique of 3D GR FFE of rapid gradient echo (TR/TE/FA/ST=10 ms/2.7 ms/20°/1.5 mm). MR tomography of the carotid arteries bifurcation was performed in the T1-weighted spin-echo mode: TR=500-900 ms, TE=10 ms, slice sickness 1-3 mm into the matrix 256x256 voxels, with the voxel size measuring 0.2x0.2x2 mm. The average time of passing of the paramagnetic through the blood vessels of the cerebral hemispheres in the control group amounted to 4.23±0.14 s for the left hemisphere and to 4.27±0.15 s for the right one. The mean time of bolus passing in patients with predominantly unilateral stenosis of the internal carotid artery amounted to 4.89±0.23 on the affected side, equalling 4.56±0.19 s on the unaffected side (p>0.05). In bilateral lesions these indices for the left and right hemispheres amounted to 4.98±0.21 s and 5.01±0.16 s (p>0.05), respectively. Contrast-enhanced MR angiography with cyclomang made it possible in all cases to visualize the localization and character of stenosis. The index of stenosis degree calculated for MR-angiogram highly significantly correlated with the indices of the ultrasonographic examination performed according to the ECST technique both for cases of unilateral (r=0.87, p<0.05) and cases of bilateral stenotic lesion (r=0.85, p<0.05). Inhomogeneous soft plaques with high content of lipids had high values of the enhancement index on contrasting--1.26±0.07, whereas hard fibrous avascular plaques--1.09±0.04 (p<0.05). The total time of the examination amounted to 41±5 min while performing time-fly MR-angiography and to 29±5 min without it. A conclusion was made that simultaneous MR angiography and contrast-enhanced (with Mn-paramagnetic) MR tomography of carotid arteries is possible and appropriate within the framework of a single study using quadratic coil for the head.


The way space has been thought by physics remains an obstacle to the coherent integration between its various theories. The Authors seek, with the help of a fundamental analogy, to present a new path for their complete unification.


Multiple lines of evidence suggest that specific subtypes of age-related cataract (ARC) and Alzheimer disease (AD) are related etiologically. To identify shared genetic factors for ARC and AD, we estimated co-heritability of quantitative measures of cataract subtypes with AD-related brain MRI traits among 1,249 members of the Framingham Eye Study who had a brain MRI scan approximately ten years after the eye exam. Cortical cataract (CC) was found to be co-heritable with future development of AD and with several MRI traits, especially temporal horn volume (THV, ρ = 0.24, P<10−4). A genome-wide association study using 187,657 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for the bivariate outcome of CC and THV identified genome-wide significant association with CTNND2 SNPs rs17183619, rs13155993 and rs13170756 (P<2.6×10−7). These SNPs were also significantly associated with bivariate outcomes of CC and scores on several highly heritable neuropsychological tests (5.7×10−9≤P<3.7×10−6). Statistical interaction was demonstrated between rs17183619 and APP SNP rs2096488 on CC (P = 0.0015) and CC-THV (P = 0.038). A rare CTNND2 missense mutation (G810R) 249 base pairs from rs17183619 altered δ-catenin localization and increased secreted amyloid-β1–42 in neuronal cell culture. Immunohistopathological analysis of lens tissue obtained from two autopsy-confirmed AD subjects and two non-AD controls revealed elevated expression of δ-catenin in epithelial and cortical regions of lenses from AD subjects compared to controls. Our findings suggest that genetic variation in delta catenin may underlie both cortical lens opacities in mid-life and subsequent MRI and cognitive changes that presage the development of AD.


Most existing text-video retrieval methods focus on cross-modal matching between the visual content of videos and textual query sentences. However, in real-world scenarios, online videos are often accompanied by relevant text information such as titles, tags, and even subtitles, which can be utilized to match textual queries. This insight has motivated us to propose a novel approach to text-video retrieval, where we directly generate associated captions from videos using zero-shot video captioning with knowledge from web-scale pre-trained models (e.g., CLIP and GPT-2). Given the generated captions, a natural question arises: what benefits do they bring to text-video retrieval? To answer this, we introduce Cap4Video, a new framework that leverages captions in three ways: i) Input data: video-caption pairs can augment the training data. ii) Intermediate feature interaction: we perform cross-modal feature interaction between the video and caption to produce enhanced video representations. iii) Output score: the Query-Caption matching branch can complement the original Query-Video matching branch for text-video retrieval. We conduct comprehensive ablation studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. Without any post-processing, Cap4Video achieves state-of-the-art performance on four standard text-video retrieval benchmarks: MSR-VTT (51.4%), VATEX (66.6%), MSVD (51.8%), and DiDeMo (52.0%). The code is available at https://github.com/whwu95/Cap4Video.


Automatic speech emotion recognition (SER) is a challenging task that plays a crucial role in natural human-computer interaction. One of the main challenges in SER is data scarcity, i.e., insufficient amounts of carefully labeled data to build and fully explore complex deep learning models for emotion classification. This paper aims to address this challenge using a transfer learning strategy combined with spectrogram augmentation. Specifically, we propose a transfer learning approach that leverages a pre-trained residual network (ResNet) model including a statistics pooling layer from speaker recognition trained using large amounts of speaker-labeled data. The statistics pooling layer enables the model to efficiently process variable-length input, thereby eliminating the need for sequence truncation which is commonly used in SER systems. In addition, we adopt a spectrogram augmentation technique to generate additional training data samples by applying random time-frequency masks to log-mel spectrograms to mitigate overfitting and improve the generalization of emotion recognition models. We evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed approach on the interactive emotional dyadic motion capture (IEMOCAP) dataset. Experimental results indicate that the transfer learning and spectrogram augmentation approaches improve the SER performance, and when combined achieve state-of-the-art results.


Abstract : The Department of Defense (DoD) has repeatedly been accused of needlessly holding large inventories. In comparison, the commercial sector has drastically cut its inventories over the last twenty years through such practices as Just-In-Time (JIT) and cycle time compression. Some defense analysts have suggested that training in commercial logistics would change the culture of DoD inventory management and promote similar efficiencies. This thesis examines that idea in the context of inventory management of secondary items in the Navy. It describes Navy inventory structure and it examines the causes of excess inventory. It then discusses current training for Navy and DLA item managers and active duty Navy personnel, and how that training is applied at inventory control points and in the fleet. The thesis then looks at commercial practices and the factors necessary for their implementation. It concludes that training in commercial logistics practices would not improve Navy inventory management for several reasons. First, the causes of excess inventory are unrelated to training. Second, the factors necessary to implement commercial logistics practices are not present in the Navy. Finally, training is not a principal agent in cultural change since it is better suited to conforming personnel to an existing culture. The author recommends increased emphasis on Joint Total Asset Visibility as a foundation for improved DoD inventory management.


A free-air gravity map of the Guiana Basin between 15° N. and 6° S. in the western equatorial Atlantic, using all available shipboard and pendulum data, is presented. The gravity field is interpreted in terms of short wave-length components directly related to topographic features and a long wave-length regional field which is independent of surface or basement relief. The regional field is negative throughout the survey area, varying from −15 to −40 mgal.

The magnetic anomalies over the large equatorial fracture zones indicate that the fracture zone trough is an area of zero or greatly reduced magnetization within a zone in which the magnetization is induced rather than remanent. Only about half of the gravity anomaly over the fracture zone can be assigned to topographic relief implying the presence of excess mass under the fracture zones. The gravity and magnetic evidence together suggest that large fracture zones serve as the site of intrusion of ultrabasic rocks from depth.

The deformation of the lithosphere due to the sediment load of the Amazon cone and the resulting gravity anomalies were computed for various flexural rigidities, using two-dimensional elastic beam theory. The value giving the best fit to the observed gravity anomalies in both wave length and amplitude is 2 × 1023 Newton meters (nt m) (2 × 1030 dyne cm). This implies an effective lithospheric thickness of 30 km. It is suggested that the lithosphere behaves somewhat as a Kelvin (viscoelastic solid) material in its response to imposed long-term loads, approaching a minimum apparent flexural rigidity of 2 × 1030 dyne cm asymptotically in a period of a few million years.


Due to some features of images, traditional encryption algorithms are not suitable for practical image encryption. Considering this problem, a novel feistel network image encryption algorithm is proposed in this paper. Taking advantage of the desirable properties of mixing and sensitivity to initial parameters of chaotic maps, a sub key generator with couple chaotic maps is presented in this scheme. Meanwhile, the encryption algorithm includes a new mixing algorithm which is designed with thirty s-boxes of AES. To enhance the security of the new scheme, the encryption processes were combined in feistel network. The results of analysis and simulation experiments indicate that the scheme is secure and performed well in preventing attacks, such as brute force attack, entropy attack and statistics attack.


We report the final results of the search for gravitationally lensed flat-spectrum radio sources found in the combination of CLASS (Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey) and JVAS (Jodrell Bank VLA Astrometric Survey). VLA (Very Large Array) observations of 16 503 sources have been made, resulting in the largest sample of arcsec-scale lens systems available. Contained within the 16 503 sources is a complete sample of 11 685 sources which have two-point spectral indices between 1.4 and 5 GHz flatter than −0.5, and 5-GHz flux densities 30 mJy. A subset of 8958 sources form a well-defined statistical sample suitable for analysis of the lens statistics. We describe the systematic process by which 149 candidate lensed sources were picked from the statistical sample on the basis of possessing multiple compact components in the 0.2-arcsec resolution VLA maps. Candidates were followed up with 0.05-arcsec resolution MERLIN and 0.003-arcsec VLBA observations at 5 GHz and rejected as lens systems if they failed well-defined surface brightness and/or morphological tests. To illustrate the candidate elimination process, we show examples of sources representative of particular morphologies that have been ruled out by the follow-up observations. 194 additional candidates, not in the well-defined sample, were also followed up. Maps for all the candidates can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/research/gravlens/index.html. We summarize the properties of each of the 22 gravitational lens systems in JVAS/CLASS. 12 are double-image systems, nine are four-image systems and one is a six-image system. 13 constitute a statistically well-defined sample giving a point-source lensing rate of 1:690 ± 190. The interpretation of the results in terms of the properties of the lensing galaxy population and cosmological parameters will be published elsewhere.


Word embeddings are now ubiquitous forms of word representation in natural language processing. There have been applications of word embeddings for monolingual word sense disambiguation (WSD) in English, but few comparisons have been done. This paper attempts to bridge that gap by examining popular embeddings for the task of monolingual English WSD. Our simplified method leads to comparable state-of-the-art performance without expensive retraining. Cross-Lingual WSD – where the word senses of a word in a source language come from a separate target translation language – can also assist in language learning; for example, when providing translations of target vocabulary for learners. Thus we have also applied word embeddings to the novel task of cross-lingual WSD for Chinese and provide a public dataset for further benchmarking. We have also experimented with using word embeddings for LSTM networks and found surprisingly that a basic LSTM network does not work well. We discuss the ramifications of this outcome.


This work aimed to investigate the acute effect of the thyroid hormone 3,5,3'-tri-iodo-L-thyronine (T3) in regulating the hepatic metabolism either directly or by controlling the responsiveness to Ca2+-mobilizing agonists. We did not detect any acute metabolic effect of T3 either in perfused liver or in isolated liver cells. However, T3 exerted a powerful inhibitory effect on the alpha1-adrenoreceptor-mediated responses. The promptness of this T3 effect rules out that it was the result of rate changes in gene(s) transcription. T3 inhibited the alpha1-adrenoreceptor-mediated sustained stimulation of respiration and release of Ca2+ and H+, but not the glycogenolytic or gluconeogenic responses, in perfused liver. In isolated liver cells, T3 enhanced the alpha1-agonist-induced increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ and impeded the intracellular alkalinization. Since T3 also prevented the alpha1-adrenoreceptor-mediated activation of protein kinase C, its effects on pH seem to be the result of a lack of activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger. The failure of T3 to prevent the alpha1-adrenergic stimulation of gluconeogenesis despite the inhibition of protein kinase C activation indicates that the elevation of cytosolic free Ca2+ is a sufficient signal to elicit that response. T3 also impaired some of the angiotensin-II-mediated responses, but did not alter the effects of PMA on hepatic metabolism, indicating, therefore, that some postreceptor event is the target for T3 actions. The differential effect of T3 in enhancing the alpha1-adrenoreceptor-mediated increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ and preventing the activation of protein kinase C, provides a unique tool for further investigating the role of each branch of the signalling pathway in controlling the hepatic functions. Moreover, the low effective concentrations of T3 (<= 10 nM) in perturbing the alpha1-adrenoreceptor-mediated response suggests its physiological significance.


We introduce a new type of doped TiO2 nanostructures, an N-doped mesoporous inverse opal (N-mIO) TiO2 structure as a high-performance visible-light photocatalyst. The mIO TiO2 structure with a 60 nm pore diameter, which possesses a much higher specific area compared with conventional macroporous IO structures, is prepared via a templating approach. The N doping in the mIO TiO2 is achieved via a heat-treatment in the presence of a N-rich precursor. We characterize that the N atom is incorporated in an oxygen-substitution configuration, which effectively narrowed the bandgap of TiO2. We observe that the N doping with a 9.4 wt% doping concentration narrows the bandgap from 3.2 eV to 2.4 eV, which corresponds to light absorption at wavelengths as long as 520 nm. The N doping also changes the surface polarity of TiO2 to a more negative value, which leads to greater adsorption of methylene blue (MB) organic molecules. In the photocatalytic decomposition of MB, the highly N-doped mIO TiO2 exhibits a decomposition rate under visible light exposure that is 4.9 times greater than that of bare IO TiO2. Moreover, compared with the conventional macroporous IO structure, the N-doped mIO exhibits 1.7 times greater activity as a result of its high specific area. We believe this mIO structure can provide a new platform for various electrode applications.


By counting the step command pulses, stepping motors can be straightforwardly used for open loop positioning. However, open-loop control is often insufficient to guarantee accurate and energy efficient movements. More intelligent stepping motor algorithms can meet these concerns, however, this requires position information. The back EMF signal contains useful information on the rotor position. This information can be used to monitor the motor condition and to implement a more advanced position control algorithm. A theoretical analysis gives insight into the back EMF generated in a two-phase hybrid stepping motor. In this paper a, by the authors, patented sampling method is considered to measure the back EMF signal. The opportunities of this method are considered theoretically. Moreover this paper presents extensive measurement results proving the opportunities of the method, to develop more intelligent stepping motor algorithms.


In this paper, we introduce a method to retrieve the optical thickness of tropical cirrus clouds using the isolated visible cirrus reflectance (without atmospheric and surface effects). The isolated cirrus reflectance is inferred from level 1b calibrated 0.66- and 1.375-/spl mu/m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. We created an optical properties database and optical thickness lookup library using previously calculated single-scattering data in conjunction with the discrete ordinates radiative transfer (DISORT) code. An algorithm was constructed based on this lookup library to infer the optical thickness of tropical cirrus clouds for each pixel in a MODIS image. We demonstrate the applicability of this algorithm using several independent MODIS images from the Terra satellite. The present method is complimentary to the MODIS operational cloud retrieval algorithm for the case of cirrus clouds.


ABSTRACT In north-central Arizona, the Moenkopi Formation of Triassic age consists of generally unfossiliferous red mudstones, siltstones, gypsum, and sandstones that contain abundant sedimentary structures such as ripple marks, cross-stratification, ripple laminae, salt crystal casts, mud cracks, sole marks, parting lineation and core-and-shell structures. Three informal members were established for this study: the lower member, the lower massive sandstone, and the upper member. The lower member is interpreted to represent deposition in a tidal-flat environment based upon the following: flaser, wavy and lenticular bedding, bimodal distribution of ripple-laminae dips, parallel ripple marks dominant over cuspate ripple marks, gypsum beds and veins, salt crystal casts, and lack of channel deposits. The very fine grained lower massive sandstone can be divided into four units, which were formed by a transgression-regression of the sea. Wavy and ripple laminated beds in unit one were probably deposited in very shallow marine water. Medium-scale wedge-planar and trough sets of cross strata with mean dip directions to the southeast make up unit 2 and indicate megaripples formed by long-shore drift. Unit 3 consists of lenticular, wavy, podshaped beds that were created in water shallower than for unit 2. Continuous, large-scale, low-angle cross strata of uniform thickness and medium-scale wedge-planar and trough sets of cross strata characterize unit 4 and are typical of beach deposits. The significant sedimentary features in the upper member are unimodal distribution of ripple laminae dips, cuspate ripple marks dominant over parallel ripple marks, channel deposits with shallow-trough cross strata, increase in the number and thickness of sandstone and siltstone beds compared with the lower member; and vertebrate bones, tracks, and plant impressions. This suite of features indicates a flood-plain environment which was a continuation of the regression that started during lower massive time. Early in Moenkopi time, north-central Arizona was a tidal flat and sabkha. The sea to the west fluctuated east and west and finally transgressed over the entire area. As the sea regressed, a beach formed, and rivers flowing from the east deposited sediment on a westward-prograding flood plain. In some portions of the region, sabkhas existed for a short time following the regression. At the end of Moenkopi time, the entire area was a flood plain.


The present study was carried out in a Warao childhood population with extremely high tuberculosis (TB) rate of 3190/100,000 in 0-15 years old children. One hundred seven serum and saliva samples were tested, 32 from patients with active TB (27 positive and 5 negative for the tuberculin skin test, TST) and 75 apparently healthy contact children (45 positive and 30 negative for the TST). The innate, immunoglobulin and cellular responses were studied. The results showed that both, patients and controls, had a high percentage of children with increased levels of complement C3 and C4 components. A high percentage of children with increased total serum IgA and IgG (13.8% and 79.3% respectively) was observed in children with TB in comparison to control children (0% and 69.2%). A high percentage of control children had increased levels of IgM and sIgA (69.2% and 56.16%, respectively) in comparison to patients (48.3% and 31.25%). Both groups showed children with increased levels of IgE. The results concerning to the cellular immune response to PPD and the BCG vaccination status showed that there was a correlation between an increase in PPD reactivity and age. The PPD reactivity in children less than 7 years old was similar and also independent of the BCG vaccination status. A significant number of children without or with scars (46.8% and 27.6%, respectively) showed induration values of 0 mm to tuberculin skin test. The Candida reactivity showed a high percentage of children (80%) with anergy status. In conclusion, an increase in the levels of complement components C3 and C4 and hypergammaglobulinemia was observed in Warao children, and these results were independent from PPD reactivity and BCG vaccination. The isotype results showed that the decrease in sIgA could be and active disease marker, while the increase in IgM levels could represent a marker of recent disease.


Climate change is expected to alter the distribution of ambient ozone levels and temperatures which, in turn, may impact public health. Much research has focused on the effect of short-term ozone exposures on mortality and morbidity while controlling for temperature as a confounder, but less is known about the joint effects of ozone and temperature. The extent of the health effects of changing ozone levels and temperatures will depend on whether these effects are additive or synergistic. In this paper we propose a spatial, semi-parametric model to estimate the joint ozone-temperature risk surfaces in 95 US urban areas. Our methodology restricts the ozone-temperature risk surfaces to be monotone in ozone and allows for both nonadditive and nonlinear effects of ozone and temperature. We use data from the National Mortality and Morbidity Air Pollution Study (NMMAPS) and show that the proposed model fits the data better than additive linear and nonlinear models. We then examine the synergistic effect of ozone and temperature both nationally and locally and find evidence of a nonlinear ozone effect and an ozone-temperature interaction at higher temperatures and ozone concentrations.


Fresh undiluted sewage contains unstable substances which are directly toxic to fish. Sewage which has been kept for 1 or 2 days and stirred in an open tank at 18° C. is more toxic than fresh sewage, possibly owing to the production of other toxic substances. It has also been shown that the biochemical oxygen demand is directly proportional to the "strength" of the sewage which is closely related to toxicity. Consequently a large biochemical oxygen demand of fresh sewage indicates a certain degree of toxicity. It appears that when fresh sewage is discharged into a river in concentrations up to 10 per cent. of the river water, it has no directly toxic effect on fish. A river can purify a certain proportion of sewage effluent without becoming seriously deoxygenated. In one river with which we are acquainted a sewage effluent forms about 3.7 per cent. of the river flow at normal summer levels. The dissolved oxygen content of the river during the period it was under observation never fell below 60 per cent. of the saturation value, and such a mixture of sewage and water would have no directly injurious effect on fish. If, however, the proportion of sewage is increased, then the river will become more deoxygenated and eventually at a certain ratio of sewage to river water the toxicity will become more apparent, partly owing to the oxygen depletion. This condition is of course readily produced in a small river. The final stage will be attained when the quantity of sewage is sufficient to remove all the dissolved oxygen of the water. When there is a belt of deoxygenated water, sewage will decompose under anaerobic conditions and sulphide will be formed. As it has been shown that this substance is directly toxic to trout in small concentrations, 0.3 part per 100,000 being rapidly fatal, the fish are exposed to a definite poison as well as the danger of asphyxiation. In a slow-flowing river below a sewage works, mud is deposited on the river bed. Anaerobic conditions can exist in this mud although the supernatant water is fully oxygenated and any sulphate present may be reduced to sulphide which will be washed downstream when the river is in flood. It may therefore be concluded that in a river where there is a plentiful supply of oxygen, sewage in moderate quantity has no directly harmful effect on fish unless it is in a septic condition and contains sulphide. When sewage is discharged into a slowflowing river, mud banks will be formed which may have the necessary anaerobic conditions for the production of sulphide. These, during floods, may be harmful to fish before they are oxidised. There remains the possibility that, although the fish are not directly affected, their food and spawning grounds may suffer from the pollution. This possibility has not been overlooked, but the data on these points are not yet complete.


Queal, a Dutch company that produces powdered food supplements, was founded by Floris Wolswijk and Onno Smits. Queal's product, a drinkable substitute meal with the right mix of proteins, fats, carbs and vitamins, is based on its American predecessor Soylent. As Soylent did not serve Europe, the two entrepreneurs bootstrapped resources for a homemade laboratory and developed a similar product for the Dutch market. Over time, Queal expanded their product portfolio and quickly internationalized to other European countries. However, the growth of the company also brought forth a major difficulty. Namely, Queal's production capacity was not large enough to cope with the increasing demand. After a failed attempt to outsource production to Rotterdam foods, the founders were left with a dilemma. They either could attempt to outsource their production again, with the risks of another failure, lower profit margins and reduced autonomy. On the other hand, in-house production would require significant capital investments and therewith this option conflicted with Queal's values.


Under the budgetary strain of the economic crisis, many European governments have introduced spending cuts in higher education. As a consequence, universities increasingly have to rely on tuition fees and private sources of funding to sustain themselves. This development fits in with a broader tendency of treating higher education increasingly as an economic resource and commodity, which is fostered by European-level processes such as most notably the Bologna Process and the Lisbon Strategy. Considering the fundamental importance of these issues, touching upon the core of our views on what an equitable and egalitarian society entails, it is imperative that the decisions that are being taken are democratically legitimate and that the policy makers are accountable for the measures they enact. Therefore, it is worrying that many of the most crucial and influential decisions are taken in intergovernmental contexts and implemented by means of soft law - of which the democratic legitimacy is doubtful. The Bologna Process is an intergovernmental policy forum, participation in which is voluntary and whose decisions are non-binding, suffering from all the accountability defects inherent in international policy making - magnified by its soft law character. The Lisbon/Europe 2020 Strategy does take place within the EU's institutional framework, but is an area where the EU's democratic deficit is particularly worrisome. Therefore, as this contribution shall argue, we need to consider a stronger and more democratic basis for these important policies, if we decide to pursue them. That basis is to be found in EU law.


With respect to the human tracking with multi-cameras in the video surveillance system, a human tracking method based on MSER (Maximally Stable Extremal Regions) was established. The approach transforms the human tracking into elliptic region matching. The method does elliptic region fitting to each MSER, and then selects the elliptic regions which meet some constraints. These selected elliptic regions are normalized to unity circular regions. The right matched elliptic regions are gotten by rotational invariant vectors calculation, histogram density estimation and weighted average distance calculation. Experimental results show that the approach can effectively realize the human tracking with multi-cameras.


Languages and Machines: An Introduction to the Theory of Computer Science Third Edition by Thomas A. Sudkamp Addison Wesley This is a textbook that introduces computer science theory, using formal abstract mathematics, for Junior and Senior computer science students. The third edition, to summarize the author, adds examples, expands the selection of topics, and provides more flexibility to the instructor in the design of a course. The book is in five parts: (I) Foundations; (II) Grammars, Automata, and Languages; (III) Computability; (IV) Computational Complexity; and, (V) Deterministic Parsing. Many exercises are provided throughout to assist the student in understanding the material. Chet Langin


I. Opera Role: April 8, 2016, 7:30 p.m., Aycock Auditorium. Madame de Croissy in Dialogues of the Carmelites (Francis Poulenc) II. Solo Recital: November 5, 2016, 7:30 p.m., Recital Hall. "Unbewegte laue Luft," "Es traumte mir" from Acht Lieder und Gesange, op. 57 (Johannes Brahms); "Von ewiger Liebe" from Vier Gesange, op. 43 (Johannes Brahms); From the Diary of Virginia Woolf (Dominick Argento); Trois chansons de Bilitis (Claude Debussy); "Tu n'es pas beau, tu n'es pas riche" from La Perichole (Jacques Offenbach) III. Oratorio Performance: March 4, 2018, 4:00 p.m., Duke University Chapel. Angel I/Alto/Queen in Elijah (Felix Mendelssohn) IV. Solo Recital: October 29, 2018, 5:30 p.m., Recital Hall. "Quae moerebat et dolebat," "Eja mater fons amoris," "Fac ut portem Christi mortem" from Stabat Mater (Giovanni Battista Pergolesi); Sieben fruhe Lieder (Alban Berg); Siete canciones populares espanolas (Manuel de Falla); "Song of Black Max," "At the Last Lousy Moments of Love," "Waitin," "George" from Cabaret Songs (William Bolcom) V. D.M.A. Research Project. PEDAGOGUES' PERCEIVED BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS TO RESOLUTION OF VOCAL HEALTH PROBLEMS IN COLLEGIATE SINGERS. Due to extensive curricular and extracurricular vocal demands, collegiate student singers are at high risk for phonotraumatic injury. Collegiate voice pedagogues have frequent one-on-one interaction with young aspiring performers, may be first to detect a voice problem, and may participate in an injured student's recovery. Pedagogues may encounter common barriers and facilitators to the resolution of student vocal health problems. This qualitative research study aimed to identify these common barriers and facilitators through content analysis of 15 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with collegiate voice pedagogues. Interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations are offered by the author in light of the study findings.


Worlds in Common? examines the newly emerging forms of language used in satellite television programmes, exploring a wide range of genres including twenty-four hour news broadcasting, culture channels, talk shows, local TV and European news. Focusing on the experiences of British and German viewers, the authors discuss these new forms of communication brought about by the technological and economic upheavals in Europe in the late 1990s. This interaction between media theories and media discourses, makes the book highly relevant for researchers in media and cultural studies as well as linguistics, and provides an important and innovatory link between these different approaches.


The paper conceptualises and explores the links between cities, commerce, urbanism and cultural planning by drawing on Temple Bar in Dublin as an example of how, by linking these concepts to practice in real concrete situations urban life or urban culture can be created and/or revitalised. Temple Bar is Dublin's emerging cultural quarter, an experiment in urban revitalisation which is deliberately focused on culture and urbanism as ways of rediscovering the good city. It has attracted considerable interest from across Europe, and has secured EC funding to kick-start the process of renewal. The author was appointed by the Irish Government to prepare the area management and development strategy for Temple Bar in 1990. Wary of the dangers of property led regeneration, of the destructive impacts of sudden or cataclysmic change, the agencies in Temple Bar have deliberately adopted a strategic management approach to the area. This is referred to as 'urban stewardship', a process of looking after and respecting a place, and helping it to help itself. The paper explores whether there is a 'culture of cities' and whether it is possible to recreate an urban culture. Following Raymond Williams, an anthropological definition of culture is employed, "... a particular way of life, which expresses certain meaning and values not only in art and learning but also in institutional and ordinary behaviour". Rather than being simply an add-on to the serious concerns of economic development and the built environment, culture has both helped shape, and continues to develop in, the streets, spaces and buildings of the city.


Isolated perfused rat kidneys were used to investigate the effects of the addition of pure angiotensinogen or renin-free plasma to the perfusate on angiotensin I (ANG I) and angiotensin II (ANG II) generation, renal hemodynamics, and renin release. When no angiotensinogen or plasma is added, a very small amount of angiotensinogen is initially detected in the perfusate. Whereas renin secreted by the kidney accumulates in the perfusate, angiotensinogen disappears during the perfusion and immunoreactive ANG II cannot be detected. The addition of angiotensinogen reactivates the renin-angiotensin system. ANG I, [des-Asp1] ANG I, ANG II, and [des-Asp1] ANG II are progressively generated in the perfusate. At a constant perfusion pressure, as well as at a variable perfusion pressure, a progressive fall in renal perfusate flow is observed that is significantly correlated to the level of immunoreactive ANG II. ANG II significantly blunts the rise in renin, and renin release in the perfusate is negatively correlated to immunoreactive ANG II levels. Comparison of the ANG I and ANG II levels in in vitro incubated perfusates and circulated perfusates shows that in plasma-injected perfusates the level of immunoreactive ANG II is dependent on both the production of ANG I and its conversion to ANG II by renal and perfusate converting-enzyme activity, and on ANG I and ANG II degradation by the kidney and the perfusate.


The human monkeypox has become a public health problem globally. Google Trends Index (GTI) is an indicator of public attention, being potential for infectious disease outbreak surveillance. In this study, we used lag‐correlation analysis to evaluate the spearman correlation coefficients between public attention and monkeypox epidemic by −36 to +36 days‐lag in top 20 countries with most cumulated cases until September 30, 2022, the meta‐analyses were performed to pool the coefficients of countries among all lags. We also constructed vector autoregression model and Granger‐causality test to probe the significance of GTI in monkeypox forecasting. The strongest spearman correlation was found at lag +13 day (r = 0.53, 95% confidence interval: 0.371–0.703, p < 0.05). Meta‐analysis showed significantly positive correlation when the lag was from −12 to +36 day, which was most notable on the third posterior day (lag +3 day). The pooled spearman correlation coefficients were all above 0.200 when the lag ranged from +1 to +20 day, and the causality of GTI for daily case was significant in worldwide and multiple countries. The findings suggested a robust association between 13‐days‐priority GTI and daily cases worldwide. This work introduced a potential monitor indicator on the early warning and surveillance of monkeypox outbreak.


Liver marker enzymes, total protein, amylase and glucose were evaluated in alloxan-induced diabetic wistar rats treated with aqueous extract of Pennisetum purpureum . The liver marker enzymes evaluated were alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Sixteen wistar rats were grouped into four which were administered with alloxan; a toxic glucose analogue that caused a hyperglycaemic state. 12 and 15% aqueous extract of P. purpureum were administered to these rats at a dose of 20mg/kg. The result of this study showed that there was significant elevation ( P <0.05) of glucose, AST, ALT, total protein (TP) and amylase in comparison to groups 1 and 2. The values of AST, ALT and glucose in groups 3 and 4 significantly decreased in comparison to groups 2, while the total protein and amylase showed no significant change. The aqueous extract of P. purpureum significantly lowered the blood glucose, AST and ALT. Total protein and amylase were not significantly lowered when administered with the 12% of extract but were significantly lowered when administered 15% of the extract. This study reveals that the aqueous of P. purpureum significantly lowered the biochemical parameters studied on alloxan-induced diabetic wistar rats by significantly ( P <0.05) lowering blood glucose, AST and ALT and amylase levels and an elevation in the Total protein level, hence pointing in the direction of the use of this plant as an anti-diabetic agent in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Keywords: Toxic glucose analogue, Therapeutic target, Hyperglycaemicstate


A novel transient phenomenon simulation method for PV power generation system under the real field weather condition (SPRW) has been proposed, and the research and development of PV power generation system is expected to be able to analyze easily cheaply under various conditions with considering the sort of cell, the capacity of system and the used converter system. In this paper, a PV array was simulated being connected up to the power converters. The transient change of the output current of PV array under the real field weather condition was described and also the output current of the DC/AC converter flowing to the utility power network was analyzed with the PWM switching width. Moreover, the MPPT control of the PV power generation system was combined to the system on simulation. The outcome of the simulation demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed simulation scheme. The result shows that the cost effectiveness verifying for the efficiency or availability and stability of PV generation systems and the comparison research of various control schemes like MPPT under the same weather conditions are possible.


When transformed procyclic trypanosomes of three stocks of Trypanosoma brucei brucei and one stock of T.b. rhodesiense were grown at 27 degrees C in 25-cm2 flasks containing Anopheles gambiae cells, some of them developed into forms infective for mice. Infectivity titrations on trypanosome suspensions revealed that up to 2.8 X 10(5) metacyclic forms per ml could be produced, and the cultures remained infective for varying periods of up to 72 days when they were terminated. Of the various culture media tested, a mixture of three volumes of trypanosome medium and one volume of Anopheles medium was the most successful. Control cultures of trypanosomes grown in medium without cells were generally not infective, but two of the stocks gave rise to a few sporadic infections. Trypanosome populations could be subpassaged in the Anopheles cell cultures without loss of infectivity. Metacyclic forms separated from infective cultures by DEAE-cellulose columns had a surface coat.


We aimed to assess anxiety of children with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and their primary caregivers at the beginning of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and change in levels of anxiety in first year with prolongation of pandemic. This was a two-step study; first step was questionnaire-based, conducted via teleconference. In first step, 29 patients and 105 healthy children and their mothers were participated; 25 children with PCD and their mothers were in second step. Demographic characteristics, clinical informations were recorded. Children's and mothers' state and trait anxiety levels were assessed and compared. Anxiety levels of mothers of patients were assessed according to clinical characteristics of children. Mothers' knowledge of COVID-19 and effect of teleconference on their anxiety was evaluated. State anxiety levels in the first year of pandemic of children with PCD and their mothers were also compared. Compared to control group, state anxiety of children in 13-18 age group and trait anxiety of their mothers were lower (p<0.05). In both groups, trait and state anxiety of 13-18 years old children and mothers positively correlated. Trait anxiety of mothers of patients negatively correlated with patients' FEV1 and MEF25-75. Patients' mothers reported feeling less anxiety at the end of teleconference. Anxiety of mothers of patients (especially under 9 years old) had increased as pandemic continued. At the beginning of pandemic, children with PCD were less anxious than healthy children, and their mothers had lower trait anxiety than mothers of healthy children. Being followed for chronic disease and obtaining information about COVID-19 may have reduced anxiety of children with PCD and their mothers. However, as pandemic continues, need to protect their children with PCD from infection, especially of mothers with younger children, may have raised their concerns.


Arthrofibrosis is a common complication following total knee arthroplasty caused by pathologic fibroblast activation and excessive collagen deposition around a synovial joint leading to debilitating loss of motion. Treatment options are limited because the pathologic mechanisms remain to be characterized. Dysregulation of the inflammatory cascade may lead to communication between myofibroblasts and immune cells triggering tissue metaplasia, and excessive collagen deposition described clinically as arthrofibrosis. We explored the novel use of celecoxib (selective cyclooxygenase‐2 [COX‐2] inhibitor) to disrupt the downstream effects of the post‐traumatic inflammatory cascade and inhibit scar tissue formation in a validated rabbit model of arthrofibrosis combined with new parameters for quantifying the stiffness of the posterior capsule. Biomechanical and molecular analyses, of contracted rabbit knee posterior capsule tissue after COX‐2 inhibition revealed increased maximal passive extension and down‐regulation of collagen messenger RNA compared with controls. Histopathologic examination suggested a trend of decreased quantities of dense fibrous connective tissue with COX‐2 inhibition. These data may suggest that inhibiting the inflammatory cascade could potentially reduce pathologic myofibroblast activation, thereby reducing scar tissue formation and increasing the range of motion in arthrofibrotic joints. Implementing a multi‐modal pharmacologic approach may simultaneously target numerous cellular components contributing to the complex process of arthrofibrogenesis. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:2609–2620, 2019


The intrinsic plasticity of biological systems provides opportunities for rational design of selective and potent ligands. Increasingly, computational methods are being applied to predict biomolecular flexibility. However, the motions involved in these processes can be large and occur on time scales generally difficult to achieve with standard simulation methods. In order to overcome the intrinsic limitations of classical molecular dynamics, this Ph.D project focuses on the application of advanced sampling computational techniques to capture the plasticity of diverse biological systems. The first of these applications involved the evaluation of the secondary structure of the N-terminal portion of p53 and its inverse, reverse and retro-inverso sequences by using replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations in implicit solvent. In this study, we also evaluated the effects of reversal of sequence and stereochemistry in mimicking an inhibitory pharmacophoric conformation. The results showed how the ability to mimic the parent peptide is severely compromised by backbone orientation (for D-amino acids) and side-chain orientation (for reversed sequences). Moreover, the structural information obtained from simulations showed good agreement with NMR and circular dichroism studies, confirming the validity of the combination of replica exchange molecular dynamics with the ff99SB force field and Generalized Born solvent model for computational modelling of D-peptide conformations.In a second work, we explored conformations of the DFG motif of the p38? mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. To achieve this, we employed an advanced sampling simulation method that has been developed in-house, called swarm-enhanced sampling molecular dynamics (sesMD). In contrast to multiple independent MD simulations, swarm-coupled sesMD trajectories were able to sample a wide range of DFG conformations, some of which map onto existing crystal structures. Simulated structures intermediate between DFG-in and DFG-out conformations were predicted to have druggable pockets of interest for structure-based ligand design. Overall, sesMD shows promise as a useful tool for enhanced sampling of complex conformational landscapes. Finally, we used microsecond MD simulations to evaluate the molecular plasticity of R-spondins, a class of proteins involved in the activation of the Wnt pathway. The unbound R-spondin 1 is characterised by a closed conformation, while, when complexed to proteins LGR and RNF43/ZNRF3, assumes an open and more extended arrangement. This is true also for R-spondin 2, in both its unbound or bound forms. From our simulation, we find that the closed R-spondin 1 conformation is stable, whilst, R-spondin 1 and 2 from their open conformation explore several intermediate structures. In addition, we evaluated the druggability of a potential binding site located at the interface between the second and the third ?-hairpin moiety of the first furin domain. The computational screening with small molecular fragments provided interesting insights about the druggability and the pharmacophoric features of the potential binding pockets identified, outlining promising future perspectives of structure-based design of Wnt pathway inhibitors.


Global seismic hazard and vulnerability to earthquakes are increasing steadily as urbanization and development occupy more areas that are prone to effects of strong earthquakes. The uncontrolled growth of mega cities in highly seismic areas around the world is often associated with the construction of seismically unsafe buildings and infrastructures, and undertaken with an insufficient knowledge of the regional seismicity peculiarities and seismic hazard. The assessment of seismic hazard and generation of earthquake scenarios is the first link in the prevention chain and the first step in the evaluation of seismic risk. The territory of Bulgaria (situated in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula) represents a typical example of high seismic risk area. Over the centuries, Bulgaria has experienced strong earthquakes. The strongest earthquakes reached magnitude 7.8 in southwestern Bulgaria, magnitude 7.5 in northeastern Bulgaria, and magnitude 7.0 in southern Bulgaria. Moreover, the seismicity of the neighboring countries, like Greece, Turkey, former Yugoslavia and Romania (especially Vrancea-Romania intermediate earthquakes), influences the seismic hazard in Bulgaria. In the present study earthquake scenarios for three Bulgarian cities (Sofia, Rousse and Vratsa) are presented. The scenarios were generated using deterministic approach that was applied in the European project Risk-EU (2001-2004). Such scenarios are intended as a basic input for developing detailed earthquake damage scenarios for the cities and can be used in earthquake-safe town and infrastructure planning.


Many real world applications involve not just a single dataset, but a view of multiple datasets. These datasets may be collected from different sources and/or at different time instances. In such scenarios, comparing patterns or features from different datasets and understanding their relationships can be an extremely important part of the KDD process. This paper considers the problem of optimizing a mining task over multiple datasets, when it has been expressed using a highlevel interface. Specifically, we make the following contributions: 1) We present an SQL-based mechanism for querying frequent patterns across multiple datasets, and establish an algebra for these queries. 2) We develop a systematic method for enumerating query plans and present several algorithms for finding optimized query plan which reduce execution costs. 3) We evaluate our algorithms on real and synthetic datasets, and show up to an order of magnitude performance improvement


Numerous societies throughout subSaharan Africa supported strong political systems prior to European colonization. Seldom, however, are the boundaries of large, dominant polities sharply delineated, making it difficult to identify the extent of their influence on neighbouring, peripheral communities. In this report, we present ceramic evidence from the lowland rain forest of southwest Cameroon suggesting macroregional interactions that, during the last millennium, connected later Iron Age polities of Central Africa with Nigeria and Burkina Faso, West Africa. We propose that these rainforest communities were engaging in longdistance regional interaction networks with societies much farther west than previously expected and thus formed the eastern periphery of the Yoruba culture sphere.


Human exposure to Hg through fish consumption from local waterways is an ongoing concern to regulatory decision makers. Previously described population exposure and bioaccumulation models were combined to analyze the impact of potential policies on susceptible populations. The combined model simulated the problem of Hg exposure by examining the system from the point of Hg in the water column to its concentration in population biomarkers. Evaluated policy scenarios included the protectiveness of fish consumption advisories, total maximum daily load changes, and watershed management strategies. Simulations indicated that the characteristics of a basin combined with the unique pattern of intake rates of susceptible populations determine the risk associated with fish consumption from a given waterway. Each population had a unique pattern of biomarker response to changes in fish tissue Hg. Management strategies that lowered bioaccumulation rates also reduced ecosystem services. Reducing fish tissue contamination through reductions in Hg loading to watersheds is a long‐term solution. For the short‐term, fish consumption advisories should be used to protect populations from adverse exposures. The combination of characteristics of the basin and the populations that fish from the waterway should be the determinant for setting advisories. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2013; 9: 124–133. © 2012 SETAC


Approaches systematically characterizing interactions via transcriptomic data usually follow two systems: (1) co-expression network analyses focusing on correlations between genes; (2) linear regressions (usually regularized) to select multiple genes jointly. Both suffer from the problem of stability: a slight change of parameterization or dataset could lead to dramatic alternations of outcomes. Here, we propose Stabilized Core gene and Pathway Election, or SCOPE, a tool integrating bootstrapped LASSO and co-expression analysis, leading to robust outcomes insensitive to variations in data. By applying SCOPE to six cancer expression datasets (BRCA, COAD, KIRC, LUAD, PRAD and THCA) in The Cancer Genome Atlas, we identified core genes capturing interaction effects in crucial pan-cancer pathways related to genome instability and DNA damage response. Moreover, we highlighted the pivotal role of CD63 as an oncogenic driver and a potential therapeutic target in kidney cancer. SCOPE enables stabilized investigations towards complex interactions using transcriptome data. Availability https://github.com/QingrunZhangLab/SCOPE


Although the Second World War ended in 1945, the American presence in West Germany lasted for many decades after the peace signing. Throughout the years 1944 – 1970, American soldiers had to fulfill several roles in Germany, and American soldiers from all walks of life had to be trained, guided and shaped accordingly, without losing sight of what it meant to be an American. To gain a better understanding of this American identity building process, this thesis focuses on how national identity amongst American soldiers in West Germany was constructed and maintained. I have researched the top-down means, methods and message provided to the soldier by the US Department of Defense, which were intended to influence their behavior, mindset and self-image. I conducted a narrative analysis of primary (military) sources, such as books, motion pictures, radio, magazines and pamphlets, and paid special attention to the connection between narration and visual representations in those sources. The thesis is divided into three thematic and chronologic chapters, each with a geopolitical change or shift which highly affected national identity construction amongst the American soldiers. These being, in order, the transition from an conquering force to an occupation force in the 1940s, the shift of enemies and allies in the 1950s, and the shift in how others saw the United States' role in world affairs in the 1960s. Especially the methods othering, reversed othering, targeted legislation and reminding soldiers of unifying cultural traits have been extensively investigated, as were the general messages provided to the soldiers concerning national identity. This thesis aims to contribute to American History writing, as well as to the discourse surrounding Othering and National Identity.


Background

Preconception care is a set of interventions that are to be provided before pregnancy, to promote the health and well-being of women and couples.Methods

A community based cross-sectional study was employed among 669 reproductive aged women from November 2017 to the end of January 2018. The data were collected using pre-tested and structured questionnaire . The collected data were coded and entered into Epi Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS 25 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to determine factors associated with outcome variable .Association presented in Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and significance determined at P-value less than 0.05.Result

A total of 669 participants had participated with response rate of 98.3%. Among them only 179(26.8%) had good PCC knowledge and 97(14.5%) of women of reproductive age group have utilized preconception care. Factors that show significant association with good knowledge of PCC are history of institutional delivery (AOR = 1.43 (95%CI (1.31 -7.33), PNC service utilization, (AOR = 5.02 (95%CI (3.22-7.84), history of using modern contraceptive, (AOR = 1.44 (95%CI (1.37-6.98)) higher educational status (AOR= 4.12 (95%CI (1.22-6.52)and being regularly employed (AOR = 1.8 (95%CI (1.01-3.22). Factors like better family monthly income (AOR = 4.1 (95%CI (1.57-9.35)), history of PNC (AOR = 6.33 (95%CI (3.94-10.17) and good knowledge of PCC (AOR = 4.3 (95%CI (2.67-6.98) had showed positive association towards uptake of PCC.


We consider the following problem: is there a rational or fair price for the reports made by analysts, experts, investor advisers concerning the rate of return (RR) of investments? We define the notion of the value of information included in the family of probability distributions of the RR. Next, we illustrate this notion for a linear-quadratic utility function.


An iminopyridine Fe(II) complex, easily prepared in situ by self-assembly of cheap and commercially available starting materials (2-picolylaldehyde, 2-picolylamine, and Fe(OTf)2 in a 2 : 2 : 1 ratio), is shown to be an effective catalyst for the direct hydroxylation of aromatic rings with H2O2 under mild conditions. This catalyst shows a marked preference for aromatic ring hydroxylation over lateral chain oxidation, both in intramolecular and intermolecular competitions, as long as the arene is not too electron poor. The selectivity pattern of the reaction closely matches that of electrophilic aromatic substitutions, with phenol yields and positions dictated by the nature of the ring substituent (electron-donating or electron-withdrawing, ortho-para or meta-orienting). The oxidation mechanism has been investigated in detail, and the sum of the accumulated pieces of evidence, ranging from KIE to the use of radical scavengers, from substituent effects on intermolecular and intramolecular selectivity to rearrangement experiments, points to the predominance of a metal-based SEAr pathway, without a significant involvement of free diffusing radical pathways.


Quentin Meillassoux has sparked new debates within contemporary philosophy. One of his suggestions is that the principle of sufficient reason leads to an infinite regress, unless the ontological argument uncovers a reason that accounts for everything. Graham Harman has indicated that the infinite regress of sufficient reasons that Meillassoux refers to does not necessarily lead to an absurd. A similar claim has been made by the proponents of infinitism for the infinite regress of propositions. It can be shown that the principle of sufficient reason does not need to be abandoned, and it is not necessary to accept the ontological argument either. Furthermore, the infinite regress of orders of facticity that Meillassoux refers to does not lead to an absurd. Instead, it suggests than facticity is not necessarily absolute. The consequence of this last point is that one does not need to accept the concept of the hyper-Chaos either.


This paper reports a study on the effect of the heat flux, cooling water flow rate, fill ratio and extra volume on the overall performance of a partially vacuumed thermosyphon. A rig was made from a 1 m copper tube with an inner and outer diameter of 17.5 and 19 mm. The heights of the evaporator, the adiabatic section and the condenser are 40, 20 and 40 cm, respectively. The temperatures at different places on the thermosyphon and on the inlet/outlet of the cooling water were measured. It was observed that change in heat flux, fill ratio and employing different extra volumes, has a significant effect on its performance. On the other hand, with changes in the cooling water flow rate the performance of the thermosyphon was altered regarding the trapped air movement. In order to illustrate the effect of the existence of air in deactivating the thermosyphon, the pipe was cooled down by disconnecting the evaporator power input. It was seen that the thermosyphon loses its performance as the trapped gas occupies the whole condenser. The whole study shows that due to the existence of the trapped air, the heat loads can have significant effects on the thermosyphon performance.


Syphilis is a common sexually transmitted disease which, if left untreated, can result in a multiorgan infection. The causative organism is the spirochaete (from the Greek 'spiral hairs') Treponema pallidum. Other subspecies cause similar diseases such as yaws and pinta but these tend to be less severe and do not cause multisystem morbidity. Syphilis is a classic biphasic illness characterised by an initial skin infection which may be followed years later by involvement of the central nervous system (CNS), skeletal and cardiovascular systems with the great vessel the aorta at particular risk. Congenital transmission can occur and a range of clinical features can afflict the baby. Severe deformities, and even intrauterine death, are associated with transmission late in the pregnancy. Early and appropriate antimicrobial treatment of syphilis in all its guises is therefore of critical importance. Newer imaging techniques have become a useful adjunct in aiding diagnosis, which still relies heavily on serological assays and clinical acumen.

Key Concepts:

Enhancement of infectivity of syphilis and of early syphilitic lesions, in patients with concomitant HIV.

The relapsing nature of syphilis, both in early stages and in the late congenital disease, as in interstitial keratitis and Clutton's joints.

Primary form of syphilis is an early localised primary lesion. The secondary phase is manifested by a systemic disease, whereas the later stages are again localised.

Similarly, early congenital lesions tend to be disseminated, whereas late lesions are localised.

Newer imaging techniques are useful both in diagnosis and for monitoring treatment, especially in those patients with brain and cardiovascular syphilis.

Keywords:

clinical syphilis;
HIV;
rash;
syphilis of heart;
syphilis of nervous system;
treatment


Comparison of sedimentation patterns, basement subsidence, and faulting histories in the north and central basins of Lake Baikal aids in developing an interbasinal seismic stratigraphy that reveals the early synrift evolution of the central portion of the Baikal rift, a major continental rift system. Although there is evidence that the central and northern rift basins evolved at approximately the same time, their sedimentation histories are markedly different. Primary sediment sources for the initial rift phase were from the east flank of the rift; two major deltas developed adjacent to the central basin: the Selenga delta at the south end and the Barguzin delta at the north end. The Barguzin River system, located at the accommodation zone between the central and north basins, also fed into the southern part of the north basin and facilitated the stratigraphic linkage of the two basins. A shift in the regional tectonic environment in the mid Pliocene(?) created a second rift phase distinguished by more rapid subsidence and sediment accumulation in the north basin and by increased subsidence and extensive faulting in the central basin. The Barguzin delta ceased formation and parts of the old delta system were isolated within the north basin and on Academic Ridge. These isolated deltaic deposits provide a model for the development of hydrocarbon plays within ancient rift systems. In this second tectonic phase, the dominant sediment fill in the deeper and more rapidly subsiding north basin shifted from the flexural (eastern) margin to axial transport from the Upper Angara River at the north end of the basin.


On the basis of the current anti-doping requirements for the World Cup, major processes and regulations are explained. Over and beyond the area of football, they are highly relevant for physicians responsible for the care and treatment of professional athletes. Apart from a knowledge of the respective current anti-doping list of banned substances, the administrative guidelines for the application to use notifiable substances must be complied with. In order to avoid errors resulting in serious consequences for athletes, the care-providing physician in professional sport must have immediate access to the necessary information on anti-doping regulations, and be familiar with the contact addresses of the respective anti-doping authorities.


: Human perception to near-threshold visual stimuli is not always reliable. To investigate variability of visual perception and its neural mechanism, some researchers focus on the influences of prestimulus ongoing alpha oscillations (8~13 Hz) on visual perception. Recently, studies found that decrease of prestimulus alpha power associated with improvement of observers' detection rate, but no such effect on perception accuracy was found. In addition, phase of prestimulus alpha was reported to predict whether an observer can detect the following visual stimulus or not. Thus, power of prestimulus alpha is considered to reflect the excitability of visual cortex; decrease of alpha power indicates increase of cortical excitability, which results in higher detection rate of near-threshold stimuli. Nevertheless, phase of prestimulus alpha might play a role in regulating the time of excitation and inhibition of the cortex, and the different brain states (excitation or inhibition) at stimulus onset would lead to different perceptions of the stimulus.


We present a computational approach using a multimaterial, arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian code termed ALE3D to model the nanosecond/micrometer dynamics of the launch of 0.5–4.5 km/s laser-driven metal flyer plates and the impact with stationary targets of Pyrex and fused silica glasses, and Lexan and Plexiglas polymers, producing pressures in the target in the range of 5–20 GPa. The simulations are compared to experimental results where the flyer velocity profile and the velocity profile imparted to the target material were measured with high-speed velocimetry. The experimental flyer launch by a high-intensity pulsed laser is modeled by depositing heat into a thin vaporizable layer under the flyer plate. This model produces a flyer plate that has not been exposed to the laser pulse, allowing us to compare the properties of the real flyer to a simulated ideal flyer. The simulations of target impact are generally in good agreement with the experiment except at the highest impact velocities where the shock release process in the experiment is slower than that in the simulation. The cause of this disagreement is attributed to an inadequate description of the shock viscosity during the nanosecond unloading process.


We investigated polarization-sensitive electro-optic (EO) detection of terahertz (THz) waves by using two uniaxial crystals: a c-cut gallium selenide and a c-cut lithium niobate crystals. We formulated a general frequency-domain description of EO detection by in-plane isotropic EO crystals, which holds regardless of the frequency. Based on this description, the polarization of THz waves can be derived by analyzing EO sampling signals measured with two orthogonal configurations of the in-plane isotropic EO crystals as well as typical (111) zinc-blende EO crystals. In addition, we experimentally demonstrated that the frequency-dependent polarization of THz waves can be reproducibly retrieved using three EO crystals with different crystal symmetries and with different phase matching conditions. Our description provides essential information for practical polarization sensing in the THz frequency range as well as in the mid-infrared range.


The objective of the present study was to investigate the antihyperlipidaemic efficacy of Trachyspermum ammi (L) Sprague, seed (Ajowan) powder in albino rabbits. Hyperlipidaemia was induced with butter ad libitum and oral intubation of cholesterol 400 mg/kg body weight. Simvastatin, (Tablet survive ® ) was used as a synthetic cholesterol lowering drug. The results suggest that 2 g/kg T. ammi seed powder produced hypolipidaemic activity, rendering 49%, 53%, 71% and 63% reduction in total lipids, triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, respectively. However, at this dosage level 62% increase in the value of HDL-cholesterol was induced by T. ammi seed powder. Nonetheless, 0.5 g/kg and 1 g/kg T. ammi seed powder did not show antihyperlipidaemic activity. T. ammi seed powder at the rate of 2 g/kg and simvastatin (0.6 mg/kg body weight) were equally effective in treating hyperlipidaemia in albino rabbits. Moreover, this dosage level also significantly reduced the cholesterol content of liver tissue. It can be anticipated that the lipid lowering mechanism may involve enhanced removal or catabolism of lipoproteins, inhibition of HMG COA reductase, and/or inhibition of lysosomal lipid hydrolytic enzymes secreted by the liver.


Crit Care Med 2016 • Volume 44 • Number 12 (Suppl.) bead. The effects of the alginate encapsulation was measured by assessing BBB integrity, by measuring TNF–α and IFN–γ and the number of microglia based on immunohistochemistry. Each treatment group had all microglia (inactive, semi-activated and fully-activated microglia) counted. We used a 20x objective to obtain images from both contralateral and ipsilateral sides of injured and sham animals. Results: The BBB permeability measurements did not result in statistically significant changes. However, there was statistical significance on the ipsilateral side when measuring the number of microglial cells, active, total active and percent active, as compared to control (p<0.05). Statistical analysis was done with ANOVA followed by the Dunnett multivariant test. Conclusions: Our early data shows that MSC + cord blood co-encapsulation provides increased protection against secondary injury, however, further evaluation is necessary. In vivo experiments to assess the mechanism of the inhibition of inflammation are currently being performed. Immune cell activation supports our hypothesis that co-encapsulation reduces inflammatory cytokines involved in inflammation and edema.


Despite the significant natural potential, geothermal energy in Serbia has traditionally been used in balneology and recreation, while its share in the country?s total energy balance is almost negligible (0.05%). The present paper deals with the City Municipality of Vranjska Banja as a pioneer in the territory of Serbia in using geothermal energy for heating. The concept and methodology of the present research are directly related to the utilization of geothermal resources for district heating in the Vranjska Banja area. The presented analysis includes: determining the available amount of energy, identifying the energy needs of selected public facilities, and the estimation of investment necessary for energy utilization. A survey, combined with field research, is focused on four public facilities connected to the heating system relying on geothermal sources, as well as on two facilities that should be connected to the system in the next phases. The results show economic, ecological, and technological advantages of using geothermal heating systems, as well as the acceptable price of equipment maintenance. An economic assessment of the transition of one facility from the existing heating system to a system relying on geothermal energy has also been made. The analysis confirms the cost-effectiveness of using geothermal energy and reveals numerous ecological advantages (safe heating, absence of CO2 emission) over other energy sources.


In vibratory drilling, the chip lengths and working angles alter respectively, and play important part in the process for the quality, efficiency, and chip breakage. The length of the edge movement in real drilling is just the theoretical length of the chip as the distance between the adjacent entering point and detaching point. It is revealed that from the condition of hm=0, the chip breaks automatically in the disjunction vibratory drilling pattern. Change of the dynamic angles was researched and based on the finding that the dynamic angle change undulates cyclically versus vibratory phase angle as well as the axial velocity in magnitude and direction of the drill, generated from the input of vibratory signals, the best performance of the drill in work may be pursued with the optimal working angle and clearance angle obtained by selecting the input vibratory parameters and selecting other drilling parameters in proper order.


Parallel I/O performance depends highly on the interactions among multiple layers of the parallel I/O stack. The most common layers include high-level I/O libraries, MPI-IO middleware, and parallel file system. Each of these layers offers various tunable parameters to control intermediary data transfer points and the final data layout. Due to the interdependencies and the number of combinations of parameters, finding a good set of parameter values for a specific application's I/O pattern is challenging. Recent efforts, such as autotuning with genetic algorithms (GAs) and analytical models, have several limitations. For instance, analytical models fail to capture the dynamic nature of shared supercomputing systems and are application-specific. GA-based tuning requires running many time-consuming experiments for each input size. In this paper, we present a strategy to generate automatically an empirical model for a given application pattern. Using a set of real measurements from running an I/O kernel as training set, we generate a nonlinear regression model. We use this model to predict the top-20 tunable parameter values that give efficient I/O performance and rerun the I/O kernel to select the best set of parameter under the current conditions as tunable parameters for future runs of the same I/O kernel. Using this approach, we demonstrate 6X - 94X speedup over default I/O time for different I/O kernels running on multiple HPC systems. We also evaluate performance by identifying interdependencies among different sets of tunable parameters.


ABSTRACT This paper examines how involvement in wine tourism has affected winery owners' identity processes. Using Breakwell's Identity Process Theory (IPT) as a conceptual framework, we investigate the extent to which place is a part of winery owners' self-identities, thereby giving them senses of belonging, distinctiveness, continuity, and self-esteem. Simultaneously, we find that these senses and feelings influence winery owners' perceptions of the benefits and dis-benefits of wine tourism development in their region. We also discover how personal involvement in tourism can strengthen or threaten winery owners' identities and thereby affect their support or otherwise for wine tourism. Empirical evidence is provided via a sample of twenty-eight winery owners in Langhe, Italy, who have recently engaged in various tourism related-activities due to the continuous development of the local tourism industry. Our research recognises that place is an integral part of the identity process.


Although diabetes mellitus (DM) causes cardiomyopathy and exacerbates heart failure, the underlying molecular mechanisms for diabetic cardiomyopathy/heart failure are poorly understood. Insulin2 mutant (Ins2+/-) Akita is a mouse model of T1DM, which manifests cardiac dysfunction. However, molecular changes at cardiac transcriptome level that lead to cardiomyopathy remain unclear. To understand the molecular changes in the heart of diabetic Akita mice, we profiled cardiac transcriptome of Ins2+/- Akita and Ins2+/+ control mice using next generation sequencing (NGS) and microarray, and determined the implications of differentially expressed genes on various heart failure signaling pathways using Ingenuity pathway (IPA) analysis. First, we validated hyperglycemia, increased cardiac fibrosis, and cardiac dysfunction in twelve-week male diabetic Akita. Then, we analyzed the transcriptome levels in the heart. NGS analyses on Akita heart revealed 137 differentially expressed transcripts, where Bone Morphogenic Protein-10 (BMP10) was the most upregulated and hairy and enhancer of split-related (HELT) was the most downregulated gene. Moreover, twelve long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were upregulated. The microarray analyses on Akita heart showed 351 differentially expressed transcripts, where vomeronasal-1 receptor-180 (Vmn1r180) was the most upregulated and WD Repeat Domain 83 Opposite Strand (WDR83OS) was the most downregulated gene. Further, miR-101c and H19 lncRNA were upregulated but Neat1 lncRNA was downregulated in Akita heart. Eleven common genes were upregulated in Akita heart in both NGS and microarray analyses. IPA analyses revealed the role of these differentially expressed genes in key signaling pathways involved in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Our results provide a platform to initiate focused future studies by targeting these genes and/or non-coding RNAs, which are differentially expressed in Akita hearts and are involved in diabetic cardiomyopathy.


Taking Luzhai Village as a case, this paper discussed social work modes of rural women ability construction using marsh gas project, education project, handicraft project, and healthcare project as operation carrier. It focused on ability restoration and ability improvement to comprehensively respond to women demand and development. In the process of project implementation, it is recommended to avoid gender segregation, pay close attention to women subsistence ethics, properly treat traditional gender mode, and care about girl growth.


The aim of this study was to determine the effects of lactic fermentation of Moringa oleifera leaf powder at young and mature stage of development. This is to improve the organoleptic quality of Moringa oleifera leaf powder. The work was performed in the laboratory of high School of Engineering of La Reunion. The fermentation was performed by Lactobacillus plantarum (DSM 2601) and Weissella cibaria (27A) inoculated at 10 6 CFU / g. The fermentation was performed at 25°C over 5 days. An acidification of fermented products (4 < final pH < 5), a high protein content in mature leaves fermented over 120 hours (T120-Ma), or over 48 h (T48-Ma), by Weissella cibaria, a high protein content in mature leaves fermented over 120 h (T120-Ma) and in young leaves fermented over 120 h (T120-I) by Lactobacillus plantarum was observed. The results of ANOVA on fermentation by Weissella cibaria (27A) and Lactobacillus plantarum (DMS 2601) on the nutritional leaves of Moringa oleifera, showed there was no significant effect on the α=0,05 fermentation times and stage of leaves maturity for contents of reducing sugar and proteins. But there is a significant effect of fermentation and maturation stage leaves on the pH of the product threshold at α=0.05. The fermentation by Lactobacillus plantarum (DMS 2601) showed there was an effect of the fermentation time on the content of phenolic compounds. Principal component Original Research Article Nirina et al.; EJNFS, 7(1): 77-83, 2017; Article no.EJNFS.2017.004 78 analysis (PCA) showed that there is a negative correlation between the protein content and the content of phenolic compounds. By the fermentation process, the organoleptic characteristics of the Moringa oleifera leaves powders whose color is to be improved, which is an asset in the process of incorporation of Moringa oleifera. Lactic fermentation of Moringa oleifera leaves is a method of increasing protein intake of the food and the fight against PEM target populations.


The Sinhalese exorcism rituals are perhaps the most complex and the most magnificent in performance still extant. For this second edition, the author has written a new preface and introduction in which he argues that the techniques of healing in Sri Lanka and the aesthetics of this healing cannot be reduced to Western psychoanalytic or psychotherapeutic terms, and develops new and original approaches to ritual and the aesthetic in general.


Somewhat surprisingly, cross-country empirical evidence (at least in the cross section) does not seem to support the predictions of standard models that economies with stricter regulations on hiring and firing should have a lower pace of job reallocation. One problem in exploring these issues empirically has been the difficulty of comparing countries on the basis of harmonized measures of job reallocation. A related problem is that there may be unobserved measurement errors or other factors accounting for differences in job reallocation across countries. This paper overcomes these challenges by using harmonized measures of job creation and destruction in a sample of 16 industrial and emerging economies, exploiting the country, industry and firm size dimensions. The analysis of variance in the paper shows that firm size effects are a dominant factor in accounting for the variation in the pace of job reallocation across country, industry and size cells. However, even after controlling for industry and size effects there remain significant differences in job flows across countries that could reflect differences in labor market regulations. We use the harmonized data to explore this hypothesis with a difference-in-difference approach. We find strong and robust evidence that stringent hiring and firing regulations tend to reduce the pace of job reallocation.


The importance of mycelial fungi as a source of lipids for development of modern oleo biotechnology is considered. For this purpose the data on fungal lipid composition and the main enzymes of fatty acid synthesis in fungi as compared with procaryotes and higher eucaryotes as well the data on the effect of a number of physicochemical factors on the yield and composition of the lipids of the micromycetes are presented. The information on the fungi producers according to the lipid composition able to substitute the vegetable oil and be the source of linolic, linolenic and arachidonic acids is put forward.


Now a day's treatment modalities regarding dental caries have been changed with aim at maximum conservation of tooth structure and it's an ethical duty of a dentist to provide their patients with minimally invasive treatment. Remineralization therapy is preferred in cases, where there is a chance of gaining success by preventive methods. Many novel caries preventive materials are now available in the market which contains components that have the ability to initiate remineralization.


PURPOSE Binary cardiac response assessment using cardiac biomarkers is prognostic in light chain amyloidosis. Previous studies suggested four-level cardiac responses using N-terminal prohormone of brain natiuretic peptide improves prognostic prediction. This study was designed to validate graded cardiac response criteria using N-terminal prohormone of brain natiuretic peptide/brain natiuretic peptide. PATIENTS AND METHODS This retrospective, multicenter study included patients with light chain amyloidosis who achieved at least a hematologic partial response (PR) and were evaluable for cardiac response. Four response criteria were tested on the basis of natriuretic peptide response depth: cardiac complete response (CarCR), cardiac very good partial response (CarVGPR), cardiac PR (CarPR), and cardiac no response (CarNR). Response was classified as best response and at fixed time points (6, 12, and 24 months from therapy initiation). The study primary outcome was overall survival. RESULTS 651 patients were included. Best CarCR, CarVGPR, CarPR, and CarNR were achieved in 16%, 26.4%, 22.9%, and 34.7% of patients, respectively. Patients in cardiac stage II were more likely to achieve CarCR than patients in cardiac stage IIIA and IIIB (22% v 13.5% v 3.2%; P < .001). A deeper cardiac response was associated with a longer survival (5-year overall survival 93%, 79%, 65%, and 33% for CarCR, CarVGPR, CarPR, and CarNR, respectively; P < .001). Fixed time-point analyses and time-varying covariates Cox regression analysis, to minimize survivorship bias, affirmed the independent survival advantage of deeper cardiac responses. Four-level response performed better than two-level response as early as 12 months from therapy initiation. CONCLUSION Graded cardiac response criteria allow better assessment of cardiac improvement compared with the traditional binary response system. The study re-emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, which increases the likelihood of deep cardiac responses.


Material removal from the front surface of a solid by a high-intensity laser beam is analytically treated. The model used allows for transmission of laser energy past the front surface and for transient phenomena. It is found that for certain laser and material parameters subsurface temperatures will exceed the surface temperature. Under such conditions, explosive removal of material could occur resulting in very rapid and efficient material removal. These predictions are compared to previously published experimental results.


Building services engineering is an important academic and professional subject area in Hong Kong. Basically, all the design, installation, testing, operation and maintenance of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, fire engineering systems, water supply and drainage systems, electrical services and control systems are included. Several degree programmes in building services engineering are offered at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Similar to other engineering disciplines, a certain level of mathematical competency is required in the programme. In this paper, engineering mathematics for satisfying the new requirements of those degree programmes is reviewed. Modified syllabuses to accomplish the use of the latest technology in this discipline are recommended. Further, the philosophy of providing a detailed but explicit guideline on how the teaching of engineering mathematics should be conducted is emphasized. A plan for the future development of a teaching portfolio for engineering mathematics has also been identified and discussed.


This article presents an analysis of a court ruling which aims to: 1) check the textual-discursive signs which enable us to identify a discourse that socially validates the acquittal of the defendant in a case of violence against a woman; 2) identify the linguistic strategies used by the judge as arguments to  procrastinate the judicial decision. The analyses are based on the Sociocognitive Approach to Context postulated by van Dijk (2012, 2014), along with studies carried out by Ducrot (1984) on Language Argumentation and by Kerbrat-Orecchioni (1997) about Language Subjectivitiy in enunciation. The analyses show that the judge, when judging certain cases of violence against women – mainly ones resulting in minor injuries – helps to promote a macho ideology that conceals, rejects or even denies the violence that was perpetrated by the defendant, in favor of a positive picture of the aggressor, thus endorsing his acquittal.


Introduction The epidemic of non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes is attributable in large part to unhealthy eating and physical inactivity. In the fall of 2016, the Québec government launched its first-ever Government Health Prevention Policy (Politique gouvernementale de prévention en santé (PGPS)) to influence factors that lead to improved health status and quality of life as well as reduced social inequalities in health in the population of Québec. NutriQuébec is a web-based prospective open cohort study whose primary aim is to provide essential data for the evaluation of the PGPS on the Québec population's eating and other lifestyle behaviours over time. Methods and analysis Over a first phase of 3 years, NutriQuébec will enrol 20 000 adults living in the province of Québec in Canada through a multimedia campaign designed to reach different segments of the population, including subgroups with lower socioeconomic status. Participants will be invited to complete on a web platform nine core questionnaires on a yearly basis. Questionnaires will assess several dimensions related to lifestyle, including eating and physical activity behaviours, as well as a large number of personal characteristics and global health status. Temporal trends in eating and lifestyle behaviours will be analysed in relation to the implementation of the PGPS to provide essential data for its evaluation at a population level. Data analyses will use sociodemographic weights to adjust responses of participants to achieve, so far as is possible, representativeness of the adult Québec population. Ethics and dissemination Université Laval Research Ethics Board approved the NutriQuébec project. Data analysis, presentations in conferences and publication of manuscripts are scheduled to start in 2020. Trial registration number NCT04140071.


ABSTRACT Populations of Henslow's Sparrows have declined dramatically in recent decades, coinciding with widespread loss of native grassland habitat. Prescribed burning is a primary tool for maintaining grassland patches, but its effects on nest survival of Henslow's Sparrows remains largely unknown, especially in conjunction with other factors. We monitored 135 nests of Henslow's Sparrows at Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge in southern Indiana from 1998–2001 in an effort to understand factors influencing nest survival, including prescribed burning of habitat. We used a mixed-effects implementation of the logistic exposure model to predict daily nest survival in an information theoretic framework. We found that daily survival declined near the onset of hatching and increased with the height of standing dead vegetation, although this relationship was weak. We found only nominal support to suggest that time since burn influenced nest survival. Overall, nest age was the most important factor in estimating daily nest survival rates. Our daily survival estimate from our marginal model (0.937) was similar to that derived from the Mayfield method (0.944) suggesting that our results are comparable to previous studies using the Mayfield approach. Our results indicate that frequent burning to limit woody encroachment into grassland habitats might benefit Henslow's Sparrow, but that a variety of factors ultimately influence daily nest survival. However, we note that burning too frequently can also limit occupancy by Henslow's Sparrows. We suggest that additional research is needed to determine the population-level consequences of habitat alteration and if other extrinsic factors influence demographics of Henslow's Sparrows.