In this article the finite element software was used to analyse the values for compressive strength of X-cor sandwich. During the analysis, the failure criteria and materials stiffness degradation rules of failure mechanisms were proposed. The failure processes and failure modes were also clarified. In the finite element model we used the distributions of failure elements to simulate the failure processes. Meanwhile the failure mechanisms of X-cor sandwich were explained. The finite element analysis indicates that the resin regions of Z-pin tips fail firstly and the Z-pins fail secondly. The dominant failure mode is the Z-pin elastic buckling and the propagation paths of failure elements are dispersive. Through contrast the finite element values and test results are consistent well and the error range is -7.6%~9.5%. Therefore the failure criteria and stiffness degradation rules are reasonable and the model can be used to predict the compressive strength of X-cor sandwich.


The intensive investment in optical microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in the last decade has led to many successful components that satisfy the requirements of lightwave communication networks. In this paper, we review the current state of the art of MEMS devices and subsystems for lightwave communication applications. Depending on the design, these components can either be broadband (wavelength independent) or wavelength selective. Broadband devices include optical switches, crossconnects, optical attenuators, and data modulators, while wavelength-selective components encompass wavelength add/drop multiplexers, wavelength-selective switches and crossconnects, spectral equalizers, dispersion compensators, spectrometers, and tunable lasers. Integration of MEMS and planar lightwave circuits, microresonators, and photonic crystals could lead to further reduction in size and cost


As one of the main direction of developing negative electron affinity (NEA) photocathode with higher response performance, the research work on (Cs,O) activation technique of NEA photocathode has been carried. At present the main adoptive activation technique is the "high-low temperature" two-step activation. Although NEA photocathode with high sensitivity has been already prepared by use of this activation method, the research work of activation technique is still semi-experienced and semi-quantitative and therefore the lack of the theoretic guidance of further optimization of activation technique is existent. It is owing to the lack of effective on-line measurement means, and there is not enough useful information obtained during activation. As a result clear and, reasonable explanations for mechanism of activation technique and the details of NEA formation during activation have been inadequate. In this paper, the on-line measurement technology of spectral response and photocurrent are firstly used to research on the "high-low temperature" two-step (Cs,O) activation process of NEA photocathode. A series of GaAs slices were activated and different activation manners were adopted by changing Cs and O exposure coverage in activation cycles. On-line spectral response curves and the dependent curves of photocurrent with (Cs,O) activation cycles were measured during each different activation process, and the variations of photoemission performance parameters of photocathodes, which include threshold wavelength, peak response, peak wavelength, sensitivity and surface escape probability with (Cs,O) deposition cycles were calculated according to the measured curves. By analysis of the relations between different "high-low temperature" activation technique and sensitivity and stability of NEA photocathode, the optimized (Cs,O) activation technique was obtained and the relations between "high temperature" activation and "low temperature" activation was also discovered in this paper. In view of the interaction of GaAs surface and (Cs,O) overlaying atoms and the surface analysis results of GaAs(Cs,O) surface, the formation of NEA surface during activation and mechanisms "high-low temperature" activation were further explored. It was concluded that the surface of NEA photocathode is composed of GaAs-O interface barrier and Cs-O layer, and the purpose of optimization of activation technique is to make an optimized GaAs-O interface barrier with enough small layer thickness and uniform distribution of GaAs-O bonding, and to make an optimized Cs-O layer with sufficient numbers of Cs-O dipoles at a thinner Cs-O layer. The reasons why higher sensitivity can be achieved by "low-temperature" activation compared to "high-temperature" activation are that optimized GaAs-O interface barrier is obtained by low-temperature heat cleaning and the optimized Cs-O layer is also sequentially obtained at the existence of GaAs-O barrier.


Complexity and rapid development make oral and maxillofacial surgery the most unique specialty. From the perspective of thirty years of private practice, the author reflects on the necessity to blend science, practice, and business to meet patient needs. The special role of pain management is described. The change to oral and maxillofacial surgery that occurred roughly twenty years ago reflects the rapid expansion of knowledge, complexity of cases, and use of technology. Some of the issues that must to addressed in the future of the specialty include managing costs of education and practice with reimbursement trends, defining the scope of practice, and promoting research and technology and incorporating it in practice.


On-line (HPLC-NMR) and off-line (HPLC, NMR and MS) methodologies were used to profile the constituents present in the crude extract of Lasiopetalum macrophyllum. On-flow and stop-flow HPLC-NMR supported the presence of trans-tiliroside and permitted partial identification of cis-tiliroside and 4'-methoxy-trans-tiliroside. Off-line isolation led to the unequivocal identification of four flavanoid glycosides including a new structural derivative, 4'-methoxy-cis-tiliroside. This is the first report of flavonoid glycosides occurring in this plant genus. In addition, a number of structure revisions have been proposed for previously reported flavonoid glycosides that were incorrectly assigned.


In recent years ideas about the influence of psychological status on physical health have been elevated from intuition and clinical lore to a legitimate area of scientific study. Mechanisms of influence are, indubitably, diverse. Some of this influence is indirect, accounted for simply by the instrumental help that social engagement, associated with good mental health, affords people; for example, psychologically "healthy" people are probably more likely to comply with medication regimens and engage in other healthful behaviors to a greater extent than those who are socially withdrawn or psychologically unstable. But recent studies suggest that while the importance of these more obvious factors cannot be denied, the complete picture includes factors that are much more subtle and complex. A body of research is beginning to accumulate that suggests that all three major regulatory systems -- the central nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system -- are affected by cognitions, emotions and behavior. There is no doubt that a relationship between mental and physical health exists, but very little is known about the specific mechanisms by which such influence occurs. At least in part, empirical research in this area has been limited by the inherent need for an interdisciplinary approach and synthesis of collected data. Recently, a few researchers in a number of different disciplines have begun to study directly the linkage between psychological and emotional well being and health."


All vertebrates are endowed with a vestibular efferent system (EVS) consisting of somata within the central nervous system with long axons exiting the brain to innervate the labyrinth. Behaviorally relevant stimuli related to feeding and/or aggressive behaviors and conditions leading to enhanced attentional states or alerting activate the EVS. Increased EVS activity modifies the resting rate and response dynamics to motion of vestibular afferents. This modification is nonuniform across the fiber spectrum of the semicircular canals, for example, affecting the more-sensitive, low-spontaneous-activity cells more profoundly than their less-sensitive counterparts. The cellular bases for EVS effects are excitatory axoaxonic synapses upon primary afferents and axosomatic inhibitory synapses upon hair cells.


Let $G$ be a simple graph with vertex set $V(G)$. A set $S\subseteq V(G)$ is independent if no two vertices from $S$ are adjacent. For $X\subseteq V(G)$, the difference of $X$ is $d(X) = |X|-|N(X)|$ and an independent set $A$ is critical if $d(A) = \max \{d(X): X\subseteq V(G) \text{ is an independent set}\}$ (possibly $A=\emptyset$). Let $\text{nucleus}(G)$ and $\text{diadem}(G)$ be the intersection and union, respectively, of all maximum size critical independent sets in $G$. In this paper, we will give two new characterizations of K\"{o}nig-Egerv\'{a}ry graphs involving $\text{nucleus}(G)$ and $\text{diadem}(G)$. We also prove a related lower bound for the independence number of a graph. This work answers several conjectures posed by Jarden, Levit, and Mandrescu.


TRIP steels are under development for automotive applications that require high strength and simultaneous high formability. This study was undertaken to examine the phase transformations occurring during the processing of a cold-rolled TRIP steel. The TRIP microstructure is comprised of ferrite, bainite and retained austenite. This microstructure is obtained by controlled cooling from the intercritical annealing temperature to the isothermal bainitic holding temperature. The effects of cooling rate from intercritical annealing temperature to isothermal transformation temperature, as well as isothermal transformation time, were studied via optical microscopy, SEM, TEM, XRD, magnetometry, dilatometry and mechanical testing. A CCT curve for one intercritically annealed TRIP steel was produced. Conclusions are drawn regarding the effects of processing parameters on phase balance (ferrite, bainite, austenite, martensite and pearlite) and mechanical properties. Suggestions for future work are also made.


On the base of electroless plating on fabric, the Ni-Co-Fe was plated on the PU membrane of coated polyamide fabric and the respiratory electromagnetic shielding fabric was developed. The functionality and wear-ability of electromagnetic shielding fabric was tested and analyzed. The results showed that it has good electrical conductivity, water vapor permeability, electromagnetic shielding performance and durability and so on. With the weight increasing rate goes up, the shielding effectiveness, vapor permeability and electrical conductivity increases obviously, then prone to slow increment. The plated layer on fabric has an adverse effect on the wear performance and on the premise of meeting respiratory and electromagnetic shielding performance, the thickness of plated layer should be decreased to the least extend.


We consider turbo-structured low-density parity-check (TS-LDPC) codes-structured regular codes whose Tanner graph is composed of two trees connected by an interleaver. TS-LDPC codes with good girth properties are easy to construct: careful design of the interleaver component prevents short cycles of any desired length in its Tanner graph. We present algorithms to construct TS-LDPC codes with arbitrary column weight jges2 and row weight k and arbitrary girth g. We develop a linear complexity encoding algorithm for a type of TS-LDPC codes-encoding friendly TS-LDPC (EFTS-LDPC) codes. Simulation results demonstrate that the bit-error rate (BER) performance at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is competitive with the error performance of random LDPC codes of the same size, with better error floor properties at high SNR


In an approximation where the baryon current conservation is violated, the contribution of the kμkν terms in the vector meson propagator may not vanish. Their effects on the baryon and meson spectral functions and on the consequences of self-consistency are studied in the relativistic self-consistent Hartree-Fock approximation by means of the σ-ω model. Two cases where the kμkν terms are and are not neglected are compared. It is found that there is a marked change in the baryon spectral function which becomes more peaked in the latter case. Such a change remains even by a proper readjustment of parameters. The effects of self-consistency in the σ-ω model are qualitatively the same in both cases, though quantitatively there is some significant difference.


The calicivirus Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is widely used in Australia as a biocontrol agent to manage wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations. However, widespread herd immunity limits the effectiveness of the currently used strain, CAPM V-351. To overcome this, we developed an experimental platform for the selection and characterisation of novel RHDV strains. As RHDV does not replicate in cell culture, variant viruses were selected by serially passaging a highly virulent RHDV field isolate in immunologically naïve laboratory rabbits that were passively immunised 18–24 hours post-challenge with a neutralising monoclonal antibody. After seven passages, two amino acid substitutions in the P2 domain of the capsid protein became fixed within the virus population. Furthermore, a synonymous substitution within the coding sequence of the viral polymerase appeared and was also maintained in all subsequent passages. These findings demonstrate proof-of-concept that RHDV evolution can be experimentally manipulated to select for virus variants with altered phenotypes, in this case partial immune escape.


Intelligent transportation solutions and smart information and communication technologies will be the core of future smart cities. For this purpose, these topics have captivated noteworthy interest in the investigation and construction of cleverer communication protocols or the application of artificial intelligence in the connection of in-vehicle devices by wireless networks, and in in-vehicle services for autonomous driving using high-precision positioning and sensing systems. This special issue has focused on the collection of high-quality papers aimed at solving open technical problems and challenges typical of mobile communications for Intelligent Transportation Systems.


Spherical carbon particles (CPs) with controllable size and surface functionalities were prepared via hydrothermal treatment using sucrose as a precursor and then post modification methods. The CPs were prepared in two steps; firstly, dewatering of sucrose molecules at relatively low temperatures and secondly, carbonization at high temperatures. The micro/nano-sized CPs were functionalized by 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), (3-Acrylamidopropyl)-trimethylammonium chloride (APTMACI), and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) in order to have the corresponding polymers on the surface of CPs. The monomers were polymerized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) by means of grafted initiator onto the CPs surface. Additionally, copolymer of these monomers was synthesized to introduce additional properties. The stability of the functionalized CPs in different solutions, and pH, temperature responsive behaviors of the newly prepared CP-polymers composite were evaluated.


The User Interfaces and Scheduling and Planning (UISP) Workshop had its inaugural meeting at the 2017 International Conference on Automated Scheduling and Planning (ICAPS). The UISP community focuses on bridging the gap between automated planning and scheduling technologies and user interface (UI) technologies. Planning and scheduling systems need UIs, and UIs can be designed and built using planning and scheduling systems. The workshop participants included representatives from government organizations, industry, and academia with various insights and novel challenges. We summarize the discussions from the workshop as well as outline challenges related to this area of research, introducing the now formally established field to the broader user experience and artificial intelligence communities.


According to European Commission (EC) Regulation 1139/98, foods and food ingredients that are to be delivered to the final consumer in which either protein or DNA resulting from genetic modification is present, shall be subject to additional specific labeling requirements. Since 1994, genetically altered tomatoes, squash, potatoes, canola, cotton, and soy have been on the market. Recently, insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant maize varieties have been introduced. Soy and maize are 2 of the most important vegetable crops in the world. During the past 4 years, both protein- and DNA-based methods have been developed and applied for detection of transgenic soy and maize, and their derivatives. For protein-based detection, specific monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies have been developed; for immunochemical detection, Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are the most prominent examples. For detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) at the level of DNA, polymerase chain reaction-based methods are mainly used. For these reactions, highly specific primer sets are needed. This study compares the principally different methods. Specificity of methods and the possible risks of false-positive or false-negative results are considered in relation to sampling, matrix effects, and food processing procedures. In addition, quantitative aspects of protein- and DNA-based GM detection methods are presented and discussed. This is especially relevant as EC regulation 49/2000, which defines a threshold for an unintentional comingling of 1%, came into force on April 10, 2000.


Haemolytic effects of different extracts of five indigenous plant seeds viz. Datura innoxia (Mill) (Shada Dhutra), Clerodendrum viscosum (Vent.) (Vat), Amoora rohituka (Roxb.) Wt. ct. Arnott (Pitraj), Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. Ex. Benth. (Akashmoni) and Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre (Karinja) were studied upon a predatory fish, Singhi, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch) under laboratory conditions. Toxicants inducing effects on the blood parameters included decreased RBC and WBC counts, low haemoglobin percentage and decreased PCV (packed cell volume), MCV (mean corpuscular volume) and MCH (mean corpuscular haemoglobin). Haemolysis action included shrunken or swollen RBCs, granulated nuclei of RBCs and pyknotic nuclei of WBCs, clumping of RBCs and syncitium of RBC matrix. Damage of blood cells with absolute ethyl alcohol extract was most pronounced with all of the seed extracts. The order of toxicity of the five seed extracts on the blood parameters of Singhi was: D. innoxia C. viscosum > P. pinnata > D. innoxia > A. auriculiformis seed extracts. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cujbs.v6i1-2.17078 The Chittagong Univ. J. B. Sci.,Vol. 6(1&2):11-25, 2011


In algebraic statistics, the maximum likelihood degree of a statistical model is the number of complex critical points of its log-likelihood function. A priori knowledge of this number is useful for applying techniques of numerical algebraic geometry to the maximum likelihood estimation problem. We compute the maximum likelihood degree of a generic two-dimensional subspace of the space of $n\times n$ Gaussian covariance matrices. We use the intersection theory of plane curves to show that this number is $2n-3$.


This
study targeted 125 adult job seekers residing in the United States to evaluate
the factor structure and reliability of a perceived control scale used by the
German Institute of Economic Research in the German Socioeconomic Panel Study.
An exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure with factors
reflecting internal control and external control. No items cross loaded at a .4
loading threshold. Of the eight items used in the perceived control scale, only
one, item 4, failed to load on either factor. The seven remaining items
displayed poor average inter-item correlation, r = .17 and a low Cronbach's
alpha, α =.59. Internal and external factors had comparatively higher alphas, α
= .74 and α = .72 respectively. The exploratory factor analysis suggests that
seven of the eight items load on two factors and when used independently are
moderately reliable measures of internal control and external control.


Integrating agronomic and economic models falls within the realm of bioeconomic models whereby biological processes under study are explicitly represented. In the case of agriculture, this approach is based, on the one hand, on an agronomic model specification of production technologies integrated to an economic model – most often of a constrained optimisation type – and on the other hand, on their impacts in terms of yields and environmental externalities. This explicit (primal) representation of technologies is well suited to study the environmental impacts of agricultural policies and represents an interesting alternative to the dual approach that is frequently used in the econometrics. It also enables ones not only to assess the effects of new agricultural policy instruments such as decoupled subsidies and agri-environmental contracts but also to take into account the non-convexities between agriculture and the environment.


Unpaid caregiving has always been widespread in the U.S. and is a growing phenomenon, especially in response to an aging population. Unpaid caregivers can experience adverse labor market outcomes such as less pay, fewer hours at work, and greater job instability. These negative labor market outcomes could translate into lower retirement savings. Our analysis of the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances indicates that unpaid caregivers have lower retirement savings because they are less likely to participate in retirement plans at work and have lower contributions relative to pay. Single women, in particular, see declines in retirement security associated with unpaid caregiving. That is, caregiving further exacerbates an already existing retirement income security gap by gender. The data thus lend support to efforts to increase access to retirement savings plans for people with less job stability and fewer hours and to give more people paid sick leave at their job.


Background and Purpose: Nearly 6,000 veterans are hospitalized annually for an ischemic stroke. The Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) estimates care cost at $111 million for acute inpatient care, $75 million post-acute inpatient care, and $88 million for the first six months post stroke follow-up care. Presently, few national publications are uniquely designed for the veteran population. The primary focus of this initiative was to lead a multidisciplinary team of experts in the development of a veteran specific stroke risk prevention and reduction educational guide.

Methods: A nurse lead multidisciplinary team of experts were assembled to develop a disease and population specific patient educational guide. The VHA educational guidelines, chronic disease self-management, and the Joint Commission Stroke educational core measures were used as the developmental framework. Mort Walker, creator of Beetle Bailey, provided illustrations throughout the guide for key concepts that were veteran specific and culturally-appropriate. The Sergeant Snorkel character emulates an ideal role model for veterans on how to prevent and reduce stroke risks.

Results: A 28 page guide was developed for electronic distribution to healthcare providers across the VHA system. The printed version was designed to be the pivotal organizing resource for veteran and caregiver education during the hospital stay. The incorporation of self-management skills makes this guide uniquely different from other educational manuals. Documentation of self management implementation includes goal setting, action planning, and problem solving. The didactic components addressed are medication management, dietary compliance, smoking cessation, weight loss, increasing physical activity, improving functional status, and self-management skills. Development facilitators will be discussed.

Conclusions: A nurse led multidisciplinary team of experts was assembled to develop a disease and population specific patient education guide for military veterans who have experienced a stroke. Veteran specific artwork seems to lend credibility to the health information for this population. The guide's unique self-management documentation aides ease of use.


This dissertation concerns the strategies of professionalisation that the Teachers' Union pursues in order to upgrade pre-school teachers' work and professional knowledge. Both union actions in general and customary strategies of professionalisation have been criticised for presupposing men as the norm. This is considered to have contributed to obscuring and devaluing work and professional knowledge which are more specific to female-dominated professional groups. Therefore the strategies of the Teachers' Union are studied in the dissertation from a gender perspective. The Union's perceptions of status-raising strategies are compared with those of the strongly female-dominated pre-school teacher corps, and an analysis is made of whether the Union's strategies contribute to maintaining or to changing the value-discrimination that female-dominated professional groups' work and knowledge risk suffering. The dissertation also examines common professionalisation strategies from a gender perspective. The analyses are based upon union documents, interviews with union representatives, a questionnaire investigation among 265 pre-school teachers, the views expressed by such teachers in newspaper letters and articles, research on professions, feminist research, and work-evaluation projects. The results show that a majority of the pre-school teachers in the questionnaire study think that most of the strategies pursued by the Teachers' Union contribute to upgrading their status. At the same time they believe that other factors not emphasised by the Union in its strategies are also important for the profession's status. This has to do with their task of giving children more egalitarian conditions of upbringing, their work with development and care, and their emotional and social competences. These work-tasks and competences are more usual in female-dominated professional groups and have often been subjected to value-discrimination. When the Teachers' Union refrains from emphasising them, it can contribute to maintaining this value-discrimination. Nonetheless, the strategies which the Union chooses to pursue can support the upgrading of pre-school teachers' work and professional knowledge It may, however, be that the union strategies primarily benefit those pre-school teachers who work in a pre-school class and that they thereby enhance differences in status within the pre-school teacher corps.


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Background/Objectives: Cyber incidents collected from security information & event management system are growing rapidly due to expanding malicious code and companies got to collect more data and to use a variety of information with the advent of big data. Methods/Statistical Analysis: It is difficult for cyber incident analysts to extract and classify similar features due to Cyber Attacks. To solve these problems, the analytical classification of cyber incidentis formerly generated for one of the profiles from the features of cyber incidentsand cyber observable, and by evaluating the degree of similarity based on this profile, similar cyber incident is identified. Findings: Analytical classification from big data of cyber incident requires various features of cyber observables that compose the cyber incident. Therefore, it is necessary to improve classification accuracy of the similarity by using multi-profile which is classified asthe same features of cyber observables. When utilizing an ensemble algorithm and grouping similar features, we calculate the similarity, it shows higher accuracy of the classification than it is calculated based on the same criteria. Improvements/Applications: We propose a multiprofile ensemble model performed similarity analysis on cyber incident based on both attack type and cyber observable that can enhance the accuracy of the classification.


Objective: Symptomatic intracranial arterial stenoses have a high rate of recurrent stroke despite medical and endovascular treatments. We present clinical and angiographic quantitative outcomes of indirect revascularization for patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis. Methods: Patients treated for symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis by indirect revascularization were included. Patients had failed maximal medical management and were unsuitable for or had failed endovascular therapy. Patients underwent encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS) with or without burr holes. Preoperative and postoperative angiograms were evaluated for change in caliber of extracranial blood vessels (superficial temporal artery and middle meningeal artery) and for evidence of neovascularity. Results: Thirteen patients underwent EDAS. Ischemic symptoms ceased within 3 weeks of surgery in 92.3% of patients and in all patients by 3 months. During the follow-up period (median follow-up 4.5 years) 85% of patients remained symptom-free, returning in a delayed fashion in only 2 (one at 1 year and one at 4 years). No patients treated with EDAS developed strokes or died. All donor blood vessels increased in size relative to preoperatively (average increase of 52% for proximal STA, p=0.01, 74% for midpoint of STA, p=0.01, and 84% for the MMA, p=0.02). In addition, 8 of 11 (73%) patients demonstrated direct spontaneous anastamoses from extracranial to MCA branches and all patients demonstrated angiographic evidence of vascular blush and/or new branches from the STA and/or MMA. Conclusions: Indirect revascularization appears to be a safe and effective method to reduce TIAs, stroke and death in patients with symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis. Neovascularity and enlargement of the external carotid branches were observed in all patients and correlated with improvement in ischemic symptoms. Indirect revascularization is an option for patients who have failed medical therapy.


Future antenna architectures especially for space applications are becoming more and more complex due to the need of reconfigurability. This reconfigurability is needed in terms of frequency, reliability, radiation pattern and power consumption. In this context, reflectarrays and frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) are particularly the hottest domains of RF design. The accurate analysis of electromagnetic (EM) scattering from such type of complex finite-sized reflectarray antenna structures is of great practical interest. However due to their large electrical size and complex cellular patterns specially when tuning elements such as RF-MEMS are also integrated within the array elements, conventional full-wave EM analysis of such multiscale structures either fail or require enormous amount of computational resources to resolve prohibitively large number of unknowns. Moreover the characterization of large structures would normally require a second step for optimization and fine-tuning of several design parameters, as the initial design procedure assumes several approximations. Therefore a full-wave analysis of the initial design of complete structure is necessary prior to fabrication to ensure that the performance conforms to the design requirements. A modular analysis technique which is capable of incorporating geometrical changes at individual cell-level without the need to rerun the entire simulation is extremely desirable at this stage. An indigenous technique called Scale Changing Technique (SCT) addresses this problem by partitioning the cellular reflectarray geometry in numerous nested domains and subdomains defined at different scale-levels in the array plane. Multi-modal networks, called Scale Changing Networks (SCNs), are then computed to model the electromagnetic interactions between any two successive partitions by method of moments (MoM) based integral equation approach. The cascade of these networks allows the computation of the equivalent surface impedance matrix of the complete array which in turn is utilized to compute far-field radiation patterns. Full-wave analysis of both passive and active (electronically tunable by RF-MEMS) reflectarrays has successfully been performed by the SCT while utilizing very small amount of computational resources as compared to conventional full wave methods. Moreover, to speed up the SCT modeling of the reflectarrays, equivalent electrical circuit models have been extracted and applied for individual design and optimization of the reflectarray phase shifter elements.


A comprehensive investigation of pulsed photothermal deflection spectroscopy in a flowing medium has been carried out. A rigorous solution of the appropriate diffusion equation has been obtained, and experiments have been conducted to verify the theoretical predictions. Absolute measurements of the photothermal deflection were made and no adjustable parameters were used in the theory. Very good agreement between the theory and the experiment was obtained.


Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have long been defined as a cell with the capacity to repopulate the hematopoietic system of a lethally irradiated host. In clinical medicine, this property has been employed to reconstitute an individual's diseased hematopoietic system following ablation with a healthy, normal-functioning hematopoietic system by performing autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantations. However, despite the widespread utilization of these pragmatic procedures for multiple human bone marrow diseases, much about the basic biology of the HSC and related primitive cells, such as the ontogenic origin of the HSC, the identification of the putative hemangioblast, and the potential of the HSC to contribute to alternative tissues, remains elusive. Basic scientists continue to investigate actively the origin of HSCs during mammalian ontogeny, the stimuli that induce HSCs to divide and differentiate normally, the relationship of HSCs to hemangioblasts, and the potential capacity of HSCs to transdifferentiate to other tissues such as endoderm-derived liver cells and ectoderm-derived neurons. This article will summarize the historical salient studies that have characterized the HSC and will review the active research currently being conducted to understand and define further the biologic properties and potential faculties of HSCs. The application of these studies to improved therapies for human disease, from leukemia to myocardial infarction, will be discussed.


Priorities for young adult survivorship care from the survivors' perspective are not well documented. To address this within our patient population, we conducted a multimethod needs assessment of young adult survivors of pediatric, adolescent, and young adult cancer in South Texas to get a better understanding of the ongoing challenges and priorities for their survivorship needs and related services. Participants were 18 to 39 years at the time of the needs assessment and predominately Hispanic. In an online survey, survivors most commonly cited being concerned about their physical and mental health, long-term treatment effects, recurrence, and health insurance issues. Participants stated that they received critical support from family, friends, and medical staff, but they would like to receive additional support from other cancer survivors through peer mentorship opportunities and survivor retreats/social events.


Objectives: Mother's own milk (MM) is the best nutrition for newborn preterm infants, but is often limited in supply just after birth. Pasteurized human donor milk (DM), and especially preterm infant formula (IF) are less optimal diets than MM. We hypothesized that it is feasible to use bovine colostrum (BC), the first milk from cows, as a supplement to MM, during the first weeks after preterm birth. Methods: In an open-label, randomized, controlled pilot safety trial, supplementation of MM with BC was compared with DM supplementation (Danish unit) or IF supplementation (Chinese unit). If MM was limited or lacking, BC, DM or IF were given according to local feeding guidelines during the first 14 days of life. Results: Forty infants were included and randomized in Denmark and in China, with gestational ages 29.9 ± 0.4 and 31.1 ± 0.2 weeks, respectively. Infants supplemented with BC received more enteral protein (P < 0.05) and tended to reach full enteral feeding earlier (China only). Eight infants fed BC showed a temporary elevation in plasma tyrosine on day 7, versus 2 infants in the DM/IF groups. There were no differences between diet groups in feeding intolerance or clinical adverse events. Conclusions: Our results indicate that it is feasible to use BC as a supplement to MM during the first weeks of life to increase enteral protein intake in preterm infants. Plasma tyrosine levels may be a good marker for excessive protein intake. A larger randomized trial is required to test the safety and possible short- and long-term clinical benefits of BC supplementation during the first weeks of life for preterm infants.


There are growing demands for daily gait-monitoring smart insoles which are light, soft, and comfortable both in the general population interested in sports and people with disabilities, such as children with cerebral palsy or Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Currently available technologies are basically battery-powered systems, which are bulky, heavy, and not ideal for in-home and everyday use. This study introduces RFInsole, a battery-less smart insole based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), tracking the sequence of foot pressures within a stance. RFInsole utilizes passive RFID tags and push button switches, so that the foot pressure can activate the tags at each location. Soft, thin, affordable, and simple structure of the device open broad possibilities to implement the same system into lighter and soft applications such as socks or pressure-sensing garments.


Abstract Self-compassion refers to having an accepting and caring orientation towards oneself. Although self-compassion has been studied primarily in healthy populations, one particularly compelling clinical context in which to examine self-compassion is social anxiety disorder (SAD). SAD is characterized by high levels of negative self-criticism as well as an abiding concern about others' evaluation of one's performance. In the present study, we tested the hypotheses that: (1) people with SAD would demonstrate less self-compassion than healthy controls (HCs), (2) self-compassion would relate to severity of social anxiety and fear of evaluation among people with SAD, and (3) age would be negatively correlated with self-compassion for people with SAD, but not for HC. As expected, people with SAD reported less self-compassion than HCs on the Self-Compassion Scale and its subscales. Within the SAD group, lesser self-compassion was not generally associated with severity of social anxiety, but it was associated with greater fear of both negative and positive evaluation. Age was negatively correlated with self-compassion for people with SAD, whereas age was positively correlated with self-compassion for HC. These findings suggest that self-compassion may be a particularly important target for assessment and treatment in persons with SAD.


Philadelphia--The birth rate for all U.S. men increased for fathers aged 30 to 39 years and decreased for fathers aged 20 to 29 years between 1993 and 2002. For fathers aged 40 and above, the rate remained stable, according to a new analysis of the federal National Vital Statistics Report.


We report in this letter the contactless measurement of spatially resolved photocurrent–photovoltage relationship. The method is based on hyperspectral imaging, from which we record cartography of absolute photoluminescence spectra from solar cells. Using the generalized Planck's law, it is therefore possible to derive the quantitative value of the quasi-Fermi levels splitting, related to the voltage over the junction. It allows us to directly extract optoelectronics properties of the device with a solely optical method. As a proof of concept, we derive saturation currents of a GaAs solar cell and find a good agreement with the standard electrical measurements.


This study focuses on the facilitation of activities in other areas than paid work (these activities were gathered under the heading ' life cycle activities') and deals with the question to what extent the current Dutch Unemployment Act (Werkloosheidswet, abbr. WW) can take into account differences in life cycles by financing leave, and how the WW can be modified in order to increase the possibilities for leave. As the potential of the WW to support life cycle activities is low, it was discussed whether four in the past decade presented proposals for the inclusion of a savings element in the WW, which, although meant to reduce the costs of the WW in the first place, also suggest the possibility of leave, bring what they pretend to do, and whether they are in conformity with the points of departure of the WW. The main outcome is that an obligatory savings scheme, on condition that certain requirements are met and that the scheme is not at the expense of the existing social security, would be an interesting option to see to a broader function of social security. With the obligatory savings character the employee would be entitled to a compensation for loss of income in case of leave. If the savings obligation were to be linked to a conditional right to leave, such a right would mean the recognition of the need for leave for life cycle activities. This would mean that not only paid work is to be regarded as socially relevant. With a credit facility in connection with the possibility of acquittal the obligatory savings scheme would also possess an element of solidarity. Such a savings scheme creates security, while it conforms to the legal ground mentioned in 1945 by the Van Rhijn II committee. Here the collective only comes into the picture when the individual has taken his responsibility, but is not able to make it on his own, owing to circumstances. A savings scheme for leave is also in line with the policy of activation and prevention in social security. The activating and preventive element may indeed be contained in the life cycle activities themselves that give rise to the leave. Furthermore, the introduction of an obligatory savings scheme for leave might mean that the paradigm of social law is shifting. The protection of vulnerable groups would be supplemented by the promotion of labour market participation. An obligation to save for leave would offer some scope for the combination of work and other life cycle activities, enabling the individual employee to be responsible for one's own social and economic security. Finally, however, due to insufficient coherence and the presence of an inner contradiction, a savings scheme is not in conformity with the foundations of the WW, and therefore would not fit in with the WW, but would deserve its own regime


Parental care by fathers, although rare among mmmals, can be essential for the survival and normal development of offspring in biparental species. A growing body of research on biparental rodents has identified several developmental and experiential influences on paternal responsiveness. Some of these factors, such as pubertal maturation, interactions with pups, and cues from a pregnant mate, contribute to pronounced changes in paternal responsiveness across the course of the lifetime in individual males. Others, particularly intrauterine position during gestation and parental care received during postnatal development, can have long-term effects on paternal behavior and contribute to stable differences among individuals within a species. Focusing on five well-studied, biparental rodent species, we review the developmental and experiential factors that have been shown to influence paternal responsiveness, and consider their roles in generating both intra- and inter-individual variation. We also review hormones and neuropeptides that have been shown to modulate paternal care and discuss their potential contributions to behavioral differences within and between males. Finally, we discuss the possibility that vasopressinergic and possibly oxytocinergic signaling within the brain, modulated by gonadal steroid hormones, may represent the "final common pathway" mediating effects of developmental and experiential variables on intra- and inter-individual variation in paternal care.


CHARGE syndrome is a complex malformation syndrome affecting several organ
systems like the central nervous system, ear, eye and heart. Heterozygous loss of
function mutations in CHD7, a conserved chromatin remodelling enzyme, are
responsible to cause about two-thirds of CHARGE syndrome cases. CHD7 is present
in large multi-subunit complexes regulating gene transcription in a time and cell type
specific manner.
In this work, it was shown by co-immunoprecipitation and Duolink proximity
ligation assay that CHD7 interacts with the WAR complex members WDR5, ASH2L
and RBBP5. Additional direct yeast two-hybrid experiments revealed that CHD7 is
most likely associated to this complex via its direct interaction partner CHD8.
The WAR complex is one "core" complex of the methyltransferase KMT2D.
Mutations in KMT2D are the main cause of Kabuki syndrome, a developmental
disorder, showing a remarkable phenotypic overlap to features present in CHARGE
syndrome. The results of this work demonstrate a possible link of CHD7 and
KMT2D to the same regulatory process of chromatin remodelling and chromatin
modification, which might explain the phenotypic overlap of CHARGE syndrome
and Kabuki syndrome.
It was proposed that CHARGE syndrome belongs to the neurocristopathies. Recent
studies demonstrated that CHD7 is required for the formation of multipotent neural
crest cells. However, little is known about CHD7 target genes in the process of
neural crest cell development. Within this work a genome-wide microarray analysis
was performed with embryos (wild-type (Chd7+/+), heterozygous (Chd7Whi/+) and
homozygous (Chd7Whi/Whi)) of the Whirligig mouse line which carries a nonsense
mutation in the Chd7 gene. 98 genes were identified to be differentially expressed
comparing homozygous (Chd7Whi/Whi) to wild-type (Chd7+/+) embryos. In fact, many
of these genes are involved in the development of neural crest cells, for example, the
specification of neural crest cells, epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition and guidance
of migrating neural crest cells. In this work it was demonstrated that the regulatory
effect of Chd7 on Sema3a, a secreted signalling molecule known to have
chemorepulsive properties for axons and to guide migrating neural crest cells, is
conserved in mouse and Xenopus laevis. Further, a regulatory effect on neural crest
cell migration in Xenopus laevis was exposed for Sema3a and Sema3d.
In this work three non-synonymous mutations were identified in CHD7 negative
CHARGE patients within the SEMA3A gene and the SEMA3D gene, respectively.
SEMA3A mutations are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of Kallmann
syndrome, a genetic disorder, which represents the mild phenotypic end of CHARGE
syndrome. It is assumed that SEMA3A and SEMA3D act as modifiers contributing
to a more severe phenotype in CHARGE patients if they are mutated. This would
explain the high inter- and intra-familial variability observed in CHARGE syndrome.
In general, the results discovered in this work help to better understand the
pathogenic mechanism behind CHARGE syndrome.


The study aimed to compare differences of physiological acid-base balance (ABB) parameters in follicular fluid (FF) and venous blood (VB) and to evaluate ABB parameters in FF collected from different ovarian follicles in dairy cows and heifers. The ABB parameters (pH, pCO2, pO2, HCO3– and base excess (BE)) in the FF of the preovulatory follicle, of the dominant follicle on the 9th day of the cycle and of the superovulatory estrous follicles were compared to VB. Similarly, the dynamics of the ABB profile in FF and VB were monitored in repeated sampling in a group of heifers stimulated by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Higher values of pH and pO2 and lower values of pCO2, HCO3– and BE were found in FF compared to VB in all experiments. Laterality of ovaries, time of sampling, ovarian activity or stimulation of the follicular development by FSH did not significantly influence ABB parameters. We found higher pH (7.392 ± 0.027 vs. 7.364 ± 0.032) and pO2 (13.83 ± 2.20 kPa vs. 4.50 ± 0.67 kPa), lower pCO2 (5.70 ± 0.39 kPa vs. 6.54 ± 0.61 kPa), HCO3– (25.51 ± 1.52 mmol/l vs. 26.86 ± 2.12 mmol/l) and BE (1.14 ± 1.57 mmol/l vs. 1.95 ± 2.2 mmol/l) in FF compared to VB in all non-stimulated cows. Similar relationships between FF and VB were found in all FSH stimulated cows. The study provides as yet unknown knowledge on the physiology of follicular fluid in cattle.


Studies have shown that PID controllers can be realized by type-1 (conventional) fuzzy logic systems (FLSs). However, the input-output mappings of such fuzzy PID controllers are fixed. The control performance would, therefore, vary if the system parameters are uncertain. This paper aims at developing a type-2 FLS to control a process whose parameters are uncertain. A method for designing type-2 triangular membership functions with the desired generalized centroid is first proposed. By using this type-2 fuzzy set to partition the output domain, a type-2 fuzzy proportional controller is obtained. It is shown that the type-2 fuzzy logic system is equivalent to a proportional controller that may assume a range of gains. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate that the performance of the proposed controller can be maintained even when the system parameters deviate from their nominal values.


This paper argues that the English law of corporate reorganisations has been very significantly changed by the Enterprise Act 2002. The motivation for this change lies in the ways in which administrative receivership - the dominant reorganisation procedure under the old law - was destructive of social value (in terms of unnecessary job losses and other resource misallocations). Three such ways are identified, all linked with the fact that receivership ties the duties of the office-holder in charge of managing the distressed company to the interests of the debtor's main bank. This is undesirable: (a) The bank is usually oversecured and thus has little incentive, once receivership is underway, to ensure that distressed but essentially viable companies would not be wound up or their businesses not liquidated. (b) The bank also has the benefit of directors' guarantees, which weakens its incentives to ensure the maximisation of the value of the company's business even in those cases where its proprietary security over the debtor company's assets is insufficient to cover what it is owed. (c) The bank has little incentive in either of these cases to control the costs of receiver wastefulness or negligence. These problems are compounded by the fact that the market for the supply of banking services to SMEs is significantly monopolistic. The paper explains that in order to remedy these defects, Parliament has imposed upon the administrator the duty to attempt a company or business rescue (as appropriate), if either one is in the interests of the company's creditors as a group. This duty is subject to the rationality test and is objective at its core, requires the administrator to account for his decision about which statutory purpose is to be pursued, and can be expected to be open to fairly intrusive court review. The paper provides an understanding of company rescue consistent with the explicit text and legislative history of the statute, and discusses the importance to the administrator's decision about whether to attempt such a rescue of the quality of the company's pre-distress management. Finally, the mechanisms provided by the statute for an aggrieved party to hold the administrator to account are analysed. The paper highlights the importance of three factors: (a) Most administrators will be appointed by the company's main bank. (b) The Insolvency Practitioners who act as administrators would be the same individuals who have acted in the past as administrative receivers. (c) There has been a paucity of understanding amongst the professionals - lawyers and accountants alike - about the significance of the changes brought about by the Enterprise Act. The administrator's statutory duties to act in the interests of all the creditors as a group and to act with reasonable speed and efficiency are examined in the light of these observations.


Implementation of the Sweep-Spread Carrier (S2C) signal in underwater telemetry provides an opportunity to get rid of the use of equalising filters in the S2C-receiver for elimination of signal distortions. Matched filter is considered to be the simplest and simultaneously the most effective solution for recovery of receiving S2C signals. However, for matched filtering of S2C signals, there is no theory that provide an evaluation of errors, which appear on filter output. The phase (the information parameter) is very sensitive to estimation errors. Thus, before implementation of matched filters, an accurate mathematical justification of the filtering must be carried out. In contrast to frequency-constant carrier, an antiderivative of the frequency-modulated oscillation cannot be described via elementary functions and, correspondingly, an integral of such oscillation function cannot be found in analytical way. In result, the calculation of such an important filter characteristic as the methodical error cannot be carried out analytically. Numerical integration is considered to be useful for evaluation of the error in a particular case only. An accurate error evaluation in general form is possible only if appropriate mathematical expressions are developed. The paper introduces a derivation of mathematical formulas allowing the accurate estimation of a maximum value for the methodical error during matched filtering of a phase manipulated sweep-spread carrier signal.


In the present study we applied the software package "Genome Enhancer" to a data set that contains genomics data. The study is done in the context of Diabetes Mellitus. The goal of this pipeline is to identify potential drug targets in the molecular network that governs the studied pathological process. In the first step of analysis pipeline discovers transcription factors (TFs) that regulate genes activities in the pathological state. The activities of these TFs are controlled by so-called master regulators, which are identified in the second step of analysis. After a subsequent druggability checkup, the most promising master regulators are chosen as potential drug targets for the analyzed pathology. At the end the pipeline comes up with (a) a list of known drugs and (b) investigational active chemical compounds with the potential to interact with selected drug targets. From the data set analyzed in this study, we found the following TFs to be potentially involved in the regulation of the genes carrying sequence variations: NR3C1, RELA and SRF. The subsequent network analysis suggested PP1-alpha Tyk2 IL-2Rbeta UbcH7 as the most promising molecular targets for further research, drug development and drug repurposing initiatives on the basis of identified molecular mechanism of the studied pathology. Having checked the actual druggability potential of the full list of identified targets, both, via information available in medical literature and via cheminformatics analysis of drug compounds, we have identified the following drugs as the most promising treatment candidates for the studied pathology: Insulin Aspart, Prochlorperazine and 1(5-Tert-Butyl-2-P-Tolyl-2h-Pyrazol-3-Yl)-3-[4-(2-Morpholin-4-Yl-Ethoxy)-Naphthalen-1-Yl]-Urea .


Homelessness is associated with significant psychosocial and health disparities. The rate of epilepsy among this cohort is eight times greater than that in the settled population, and the associated morbidity is higher due to lack of integrated care, difficulties with treatment adherence, substance abuse and poor social circumstances. There is a high rate of seizure-related death in homeless patients. Seizures are one of the most common neurological cause for emergency department presentation among this population. The aim of this quality improvement project was to use a multistakeholder co-production approach to design a new pathway of care for homeless patients with epilepsy to improve access to specialist epilepsy care and to strengthen the links between hospital and community teams who manage this population. After several years of observation, stakeholder engagement and numerous tests of change, we have created a new care pathway and developed bespoke tools for primary care providers and for physicians working in the emergency department to enable them to assess and manage patients as they present, as well as provide access to remote epilepsy specialist support.


Companies follow their objectives with some critical success factors (CSF), and they know their bottlenecks and strong points. This provides decision support for them, but this method ignores overall performance and ranking issues. In this study, a comprehensive methodology is recommended to find out an effective solution to the performance evaluation problem for making strategic performance management. Two methods are used from different areas as a framework. To select the higher-performing departments, Data Envelopment Analyses (DEA) is used as a linear programming-based main method. Moreover, a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method is proposed, Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE), to increase the discrimination power of DEA and eliminate undesirable results because of determining weight bounds. These two methods are combined, and a comprehensive solution model is presented in the study. In the end, a case study is given for a real-life example, an integrated DEA-PROMETHEE method is applied to the case. When the case results are examined, the proposed model produces more logical weight values and better results.


: Alimentary B1 avitaminosis was attended by a declining activity of alkaline phosphatase in the brain and spleen of rats. A single administration of oxythiamine to rats in a dose of 400 mg/kg produced during the first hours an increased activity of alkaline phosphatase in the liver, brain and, to a lesser extent, in a number of other organs and reduced the thiamine-diphosphate content in the liver, brain and other tissues. The thiamin-diphosphate level in the brain returned back to normal in 12 hours, and in other tissues-towards the 3--5th day. In 24 hours after introduction of oxythiamine the activity of alkaline phosphatase was up in the liver alone, while in the brain the activity of the enzyme decreased. Thiamine, used in a dose of 400 mg/kg, exerted on the activity of alkaline phosphatase in a number of tissues an action similar to that of oxythiamine. It is suggested that the activation of alkaline phosphatase 3--12 hours following adminstration of a large dose of thiamine or oxythiamine is of a non-specific nature. Subcutaneous introduction of a commercial alkaline phosphatase preparation to rats brought down the thiamine-diphosphate level in all of the tissues under investigation. The presumed mechanisms accounting for the fall of thiamine-diphosphate and the possible part played in this process by alkaline phosphatase are discussed.


The reaction of a series of cis-fused bicyclic β-hydroxytetrahydrofurans with ruthenium tetraoxide, generated in situ from ruthenium trichloride and sodium periodate, afforded 9- and 10-membered keto-lactones in moderate to good yields, in a clean and straightforward fashion. The starting β-hydroxyethers were obtained from the corresponding 3-alkenols by two alternative procedures, depending on their pattern of substitution:  (a) epoxidation by dimethyldioxirane, followed by base-catalyzed cyclization of the resulting epoxyalcohol, and (b) thallium trinitrate-mediated cyclization of the 3-alkenols, a method already described by our group.


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: Trial steering committees (TSCs) steer the conduct of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We examined the gender composition of TSCs in impactful heart failure RCTs and explored whether trial leadership by a woman was independently associated with the inclusion of women in TSCs. Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL for heart failure RCTs published in journals with impact factor ≥10 between January 2000 and May 2019. We used the Jonckheere-Terpstra test to assess temporal trends and multivariable logistic regression to explore trial characteristics associated with TSC inclusion of women. Results: Of 403 RCTs that met inclusion criteria, 127 (31.5%) reported having a TSC but 20 of these (15.7%) did not identify members. Among 107 TSCs that listed members, 56 (52.3%) included women and 6 of these (10.7%) restricted women members to the RCT leaders. Of 1213 TSC members, 11.1% (95% CI, 9.4%–13.0%) were women, with no change in temporal trends (P=0.55). Women had greater odds of TSC inclusion in RCTs led by women (adjusted odds ratio, 2.48 [95% CI, 1.05–8.72], P=0.042); this association was nonsignificant when analysis excluded TSCs that restricted women to the RCT leaders (adjusted odds ratio 1.46 [95% CI, 0.43–4.91], P=0.36). Conclusions: Women were included in 52.3% of TSCs and represented 11.1% of TSC members in 107 heart failure RCTs, with no change in trends since 2000. RCTs led by women had higher adjusted odds of including women in TSCs, partly due to the self-inclusion of RCT leaders in TSCs.


Computer science courses typically incorporate integrated training in software engineering, which includes learning how to reuse existing code libraries in new programs. This commonly presents a need to use the libraries' application programming interfaces (APIs) during project-based learning activities. The students learn these APIs with little support from the instructor. Instead, they primarily learn from whatever code examples they find on the Web-a scattershot approach that is slow, frustrating, and sometimes fruitless. Preliminary work investigated an improved approach that provides students with intelligent API tutors. This interactive educational content walks students through code examples selectively harvested from the Web. This approach increased students' knowledge of API method names, but a key pedagogical challenge remained: Students still lacked an understanding of common problems and surprises that they might encounter when using APIs in practice. Perhaps even more crucially, the prior statistical study provided no information about how students would perceive and accept the intelligent tutor approach, when given a choice. Therefore, this paper presents an enhanced approach that augments intelligent tutors with selected information from online FAQs and online open-source code, thereby providing more explanation and context about how to use APIs in practice. A qualitative study assessed student perceptions of the system's usability as well as suggestions for improvement, revealing that 100% of students considered the approach to be useful. A key implication is that providing information from online FAQs, related articles, and open-source code could facilitate computer science students' learning how to use APIs.


Mass housing projects (MHPs) continue to experience significant communication difficulties among the project teams in their delivery which is largely perceived to be due to the influence of its unique characteristics. However, what is less known is the extent and nature of the communication problems caused by the unique features of MHPs. Through a structured questionnaire survey, empirical data were drawn from mass housing project team leaders of real estate organizations who have been actively involved in the execution of mass housing projects in Ghana. The crux of the survey was to identify the communication ineffectiveness among the project team that are inherent in the unique features of MHPs. Through the use of factors analysis as the analytical approach, three underlying clusters named in order of their significance as component 1: Access to information challenges, component 2: Challenges in flow of information and component 3: Import of information challenges were identified as the main communication ineffectiveness inherent in the unique features of MHPs experienced among the project team. These findings provide the necessary foundation towards planning and formulating communication strategies as well as developing behavioural skills needed to engender communication effectiveness in mass housing delivery. The findings 'misunderstanding' and lack of defined roles' emerging as communication ineffectiveness peculiar to MHPs also reinforce the uniqueness of mass housing projects compared to traditional construction building projects and thus useful for practitioners to gain insight into the project attributes and management intuition on MHPs.


In order to evaluate the toughness of automotive ECU's to electrostatic discharge, a conventional method where electrostatic discharge pulse is applied to connector parts on a printed circuit board is commonly used. But quantitative re-designing principles to improve the static electricity tolerance have not been made clear that completely utilizes the test data shown below till now, because propagation mechanism of static electricity on a circuit board is not clear. This paper describes the ESD current measurement technique which detects the near magnetic field generated by ESD currents. We developed to measure the ESD currents using the new loop antenna on a circuit board. The ESD current, was generated with the static electricity applied to a model circuit pattern in conformity with IEC and ISO standard and measured using the antenna. Also it was able to visualize how static electricity energy would propagate through the circuit board. We concluded that ESD current measurement by near magnetic field using small shielded loop antenna was effective.


Abstract This article examines the impact of three moderating variables ‒ attachment style, family support, and general values ‒ on the wellbeing of Israeli adolescents exposed to various levels of ongoing security threats. Based on a sample of 412 adolescents, it shows that young persons with a secure attachment style, high family support, and formed values have a higher degree of wellbeing. The findings for twelfth graders are of particular concern as their wellbeing was found to be lower than that of ninth and tenth graders. Using the path analysis model, the article explores the practical implications of the results and suggests ways and means for treating adolescents in similar circumstances.


Transforming growth factor β-induced protein (TGFBIp) is an extracellular matrix protein composed of an NH2-terminal cysteine-rich domain (CRD) annotated as an emilin (EMI) domain and four fasciclin-1 (FAS1-1-FAS1-4) domains. Mutations in the gene cause corneal dystrophies, a group of debilitating protein misfolding diseases that lead to severe visual impairment. Previous studies have shown that TGFBIp in the cornea is cross-linked to type XII collagen through a reducible bond. TGFBIp contains 11 cysteine residues and is thus able to form five intramolecule disulfide bonds, leaving a single cysteine residue available for the collagen cross-link. The structures of TGFBIp and its homologues are unknown. We here present the disulfide bridge pattern of TGFBIp, which was determined by generating specific peptides. These were separated by ion exchange followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and analyzed by mass spectrometry and Edman degradation. The NH2-terminal CRD contains six cysteine residues, and one of these (Cys65) was identified as the candidate for the reducible cross-link between TGFBIp and type XII collagen. In addition, the CRD contained two intradomain disulfide bridges (Cys49-Cys85 and Cys84-Cys97) and one interdomain disulfide bridge to FAS1-2 (Cys74-Cys339). Significantly, this arrangement violates the predicted disulfide bridge pattern of an EMI domain. The cysteine residues in FAS1-3 (Cys473 and Cys478) were shown to form an intradomain disulfide bridge. Finally, an interdomain disulfide bridge between FAS1-1 and FAS1-2 (Cys214-Cys317) was identified. The interdomain disulfide bonds indicate that the NH2 terminus of TGFBIp (CRD, FAS1-1, and FAS1-2) adopts a compact globular fold, leaving FAS1-3 and FAS1-4 exposed.


An esterase from Lycoperdon pyriforme was characterized. The enzyme had a maximum activity at pH 8.0 and 40C with p-nitrophenyl acetate as a substrate. Km and Vmax values were calculated as 2.13 mM and 0.65 U/mg protein, respectively. The enzyme activity was conserved more than 90% over a broad range of pH (3.0–9.0) at 4C after 24 h of incubation. The activity increased 37 ± 3.6% after 120 min of incubation at 40C. Li+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ activated the enzyme 12 ± 1.8, 16 ± 2.5 and 15 ± 2.5%, respectively. The esterase was inhibited in different ratios by some detergents such as Triton X-114, Triton X-100, Tween 20 (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, MO) and sodium dodecylsulfate. It retained most of its activity in the presence of methanol and dimethylsulphoxide at the final concentration of 10% (v/v). pH and moderate thermal stability of L. pyriforme esterase and its activity in some organic solvents could make it useful for some industrial purposes such as detergent and paper industry.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Esterases play a major role in the degradation of natural materials and industrial pollutants, viz., cereal wastes, plastics and other toxic chemicals. They are also useful in the synthesis of optically pure compounds, perfumes and antioxidants. Because of these biocatalytic applications, it may be interesting to study novel esterases from different organisms. Therefore, it is important to study esterase activity of Lycoperdon pyriforme. In this way, a new esterase having potential applications can be found.


textabstractFor years sympathetic activity in man and experimental animals has been
assessed by measuring circulating catecholamines. As their plasma
concentration is not only determined by sympathetic activity but also by
spillover and clearance, it is only useful as a screening tool for gross
disturbances in general sympathetic tone. The isotope dilution method uses
tritiated norepinephrine to differentiate between norepinephrine release into
and its removal from the circulation. This technique is not only more precise
but can also be applied for the assessment of regional sympathetic tone.
Alternatively, local sympathetic activity can be monitored by
microneurography, i.e. measuring the electrical activity of postganglionic
sympathetic efferents. However, due to its invasive nature, microneurography
in humans is restricted to monitoring sympathetic control of skin and muscle
vasculature. Microdialysis is a new technique that can monitor local
sympathetic act!Vlty almost continuously by measuring interstitial
norepinephrine concentrations. The technique is based on the diffusion of
norepinephrine from the intercellular space through a semi-permeable
membrane mounted in a small catheter into a suitable perfusion fluid like
Ringer's or Ringer's lactate, which can be collected continuously for later
analysis. In conclusion, none of the mentioned techniques for monitoring
sympathetic activity is superior to another as each has its own strengths and
limitations. The choice for one or more of these methods strongly depends on
the question that has to be answered; a combination of the various techniques
may provide the investigator with a more powerful tool to monitor the
sympathetic nervous system.


A variety of transition metal binary compounds, whose reaction mechanism involves intercalation-initiated conversion, have been extensively studied as anode materials in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Although the introduction of carbonaceous materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, or a carbon layer solved issues arising from the conversion reaction during repetitive cycles, a perfect electrical contact of the carbonaceous material with the discharge products on a few-nanometer scale has been rarely accomplished. Moreover, most of the previous studies have focused on maximizing the electrochemical performance without an in-depth understanding of the fundamental effect of each component in the nanocomposite. Herein, an ordered mesoporous tungsten oxide/carbon composite with ultra-highly dispersed carbon over a few-nanometer scale is prepared by the self-assembly of a block copolymer with inorganic/carbon precursors. The confinement effect of tungsten oxide within the nanowalls (∼10 nm) is comprehensively investigated by electrochemical transient analysis and various ex situ analytic methods including X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The resulting electrode provides an excellent cycle and rate performance owing to the highly conductive and stable matrix that endures repetitive conversion reactions.


The objective of the study was to evaluate treatments for infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), based on a systematic review of the published literature. A search was conducted to identify all manuscripts relating to antibiotic treatment of cattle with IBK. Relevant studies involved naturally occurring IBK and reported the resolution of lesions as a study outcome. Studies which failed to use methods such as blinding, blocking or randomization to minimize bias were excluded from the review. The initial search yielded 196 manuscripts, of which nine described high-quality, randomized clinical trials. These manuscripts reported antibiotic treatment of IBK with florfenicol, ceftiofur, oxytetracycline, procaine penicillin G, procaine penicillin G and dexamethasone, tilmicosin, or benzathine cloxacillin compared to either a placebo control or a non-medicated control. Overall, the studies suggest that antibiotic treatment is successful in reducing healing times of IBK-associated corneal lesions. Very few manuscripts reported a direct comparison of different antibiotic classes, so it was not possible to make comparative evaluations of efficacy. This review demonstrates the need for further randomized controlled trials that evaluate the efficacy of antibiotic treatment for IBK, including direct comparisons of two or more antibiotics.


Issues related to victimhood are central to transitional justice and international criminal justice. However, processes of transitional justice do not usually include victims of drug-related violence, despite the fact that in several Latin American countries deaths caused by cartel violence easily meet criteria of civil war. This article's central argument is that distinctions between victims of war and victims of what is often termed conventional crime are of great importance to notions of legitimate victimhood in transitional contexts. Taking Colombia's Victims' Law (2011) as a case study, we argue that the binary distinction between war and crime fails to address the needs of victims of mass drug violence and creates a hierarchy among victims. This has important symbolic, legal and material implications for those who find themselves in the less favoured category. Victims of drug related violence struggle to access justice and to make their voices heard in public discourses about violence. We argue that the current understanding of mass drug violence as 'conventional crime' represents a Northern perspective on violence, which can be counter-productive when used uncritically in Southern contexts.


Population registries, uncontaminated by the referral bias seen in clinic based case series, show that approximately 5% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases are familial.1 At most, only 30% of these cases are explained by mutations in the small number of currently identified ALS related genes, including SOD1, TDP-43 and FUS.2–4 The era of Mendelian genetics for the common neurodegenerative diseases is fast drawing to a close. There are very few large families left to collect and the sun is setting on linkage studies. It is unlikely that there is another gene which explains as many familial cases as SOD1 (approximately 20%). The potentially numerous and diverse gene defects responsible for the remaining 70% of familial ALS cases will likely be identified in the future by large scale 'deep sequencing' projects, either through targeting genes in specific pathways or by whole genome sequencing.

There is a widespread and entirely reasonable assumption that the remaining 95% of ALS cases, which are classified as 'sporadic', are caused by a mixture of genetic and environmental effects, and that ALS is therefore a 'complex' disease like diabetes and stroke. However, in the case of ALS this is still a hypothesis and the most interesting area of uncertainty is not whether the totality of ALS has a genetic component, which it clearly does because we can identify genetic mutations in patients with familial disease and in a few cases with sporadic disease, but whether there is a subpopulation of sporadic ALS cases in which the genetic contribution is minimal or even …


We compared the effects of in vivo administration of the anti-T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta monoclonal antibody (mAb) (H57-597) to those of the anti-CD3 mAb (145-2C11), with or without anti-NK1.1 mAb (PK136), on xenogeneic skin graft survival in mice. In anti-TCR alpha beta mAb-treated B6 mice, F344 rat skin grafts survived for about 54 days, whereas in anti-CD3 mAb-treated B6 mice with or without anti-NK1.1 mAb treatment grafts survived about 25 days. In anti-TCR alpha beta mAb-treated B6 mice, TCR alpha beta-bearing T-lymphocyte function was completely abrogated, although TCR gamma delta-bearing T-lymphocyte function was still intact on day 9. In the anti-CD3 mAb-treated mice, the functions of both types of T lymphocytes were completely abrogated. On day 32, when most of the skin xenografts had been rejected in the anti-CD3 mAb-treated mice, the functions of both T lymphocytes had recovered considerably, and could actually respond to F344 antigens. In contrast, the function of TCR alpha beta-bearing cells had only partially recovered in the anti-TCR alpha beta mAb-treated mice. Finally, natural killer (NK) activity in the anti-TCR alpha beta mAb-treated mice was intact on day 32, when rat skin grafts still survived. In contrast, NK activity in the anti-CD3 mAb plus anti-NK1.1 mAb-treated mice did not recover on day 32, when skin xenografts had already been rejected. These results suggest that TCR gamma delta-bearing T cells and NK cells by themselves, at least in the absence of TCR alpha beta-bearing T cells, do not mediate xenogeneic skin graft rejection in mouse/rat combinations.


Since 2013–2015, financial inclusion has been considered a determinant of economic and social inclusion. Meanwhile, the impact of financial inclusion on economic development directly depends on financial stability. This paper focuses on the development peculiarities of financial inclusion in relation to ensuring financial stability and provides recommendations to Ukraine. The inclusive development theory and gap theory form the theoretical research base, while generalization, statistical methods, coefficient and graphical analysis, comparison and ranking represent its methodological basis. Financial institution development, financial literacy, income level, cashless economy, and public confidence have been justified as the content-forming factors and impact channels of financial inclusion on financial stability. The development peculiarities of financial inclusion are studied by cross-country analysis considering different financial system models and economic development levels. The weak points of financial inclusion in Ukraine are a sevenfold gap between the banks' assets and non-bank financial institutions and 37% of the unbanked adult population. Moreover, there is a significant gap between the levels of human capital readiness and information security of banks' digitalization compared to EU banks – by 2.5 and 1.3 times, respectively, and a critically high level of distrust in banks (70%) with a reasonably high share of payment applications users (58%).Further developing of financial inclusion and ensuring financial stability in Ukraine requires improving credit cooperation by transforming its structure from multi-institutional to mono-institutional and introducing the developed indicative tools for monitoring potential financial stability threats caused by technological innovations.
AcknowledgmentThe study has been conducted within the framework of Applied Research "Ensuring financial stability of the financial sector of Ukraine's economy on the basis of sustainable development and in the face of the latest epidemiological challenges" with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (state registration number 0121U113271). The authors are also thankful to the editors and anonymous reviewers for their useful suggestions and comments to improve the quality of this paper.


Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) and abdominal adipose tissue (AAT) depots are mobilized during the fresh cow period (FCP) and early lactation period (ELP) to counteract the negative energy balance (NEB). Earlier studies suggested that fat depots contribute differently to lipomobilization and may vary in functionality. Differences between the adipose depots might influence the development of metabolic disorders. Thus, the gain and loss of subcutaneous and abdominal adipose depot masses in Holstein cows with lower and higher body condition (mean body condition scores: 3.48 and 3.87, respectively) were compared in the period from d -42 to d 70 relative to parturition in this study. Animals of the 2 experimental groups represented adequately conditioned and overconditioned cows. Estimated depot mass (eDM) of SCAT, AAT, retroperitoneal, omental, and mesenteric adipose depots of 31 pluriparous German Holstein cows were determined via ultrasonography at d -42, 7, 28, and 70 relative to parturition. The cows were grouped according to the eDM of SCAT on d -42 [low body condition (LBC) group: n = 16, mean eDM 8.6 kg; high body condition (HBC) group: n = 15, mean eDM 15.6 kg]. Average daily change (prepartum gain and postpartum loss) in depot masses during dry period (DP; from d -42 to d 7), FCP (d 7 to d 28), and ELP (d 28 to d 70) were calculated and daily dry matter intake and lactation performance recorded. Cows of this study stored about 2 to 3 times more fat in AAT than in SCAT depots. After parturition, on average more adipose tissue mass was lost from the AAT than the SCAT depot (0.23 kg/d vs. 0.14 kg/d). Cows with high compared with low body condition had similar gains in AAT (0.33 kg/d) and SCAT (0.14 kg/d) masses during the DP but mobilized significantly more adipose tissue mass from both depots after calving (AAT, HBC vs. LBC: 0.30 vs. 0.17 kg/d; SCAT, HBC vs. LBC: 0.19 vs. 0.10 kg/d). Correlation analysis indicated a functional disparity between AAT and SCAT. In the case of AAT (R2 = 0.36), the higher the gain in adipose mass during DP, the higher the loss in FCP, but this was not the case for SCAT. During FCP, a greater NEB resulted in greater loss of mass from SCAT (R2 = 0.18). In turn, greater mobilization of SCAT mass led to a higher calculated feed efficiency (R2 = 0.18). However, AAT showed no such correlations. On the other hand, during ELP, loss of both SCAT and AAT mass correlated positively with feed efficiency (R2 = 0.35 and 0.33, respectively). The results indicate that feed efficiency may not be an adequate criterion for performance evaluation in cows during NEB. Greater knowledge of functional disparities between AAT and SCAT depots may improve our understanding of excessive lipomobilization and its consequences for metabolic health and performance of dairy cows during the transition period.


Bulk metallic glasses are emerging as a new class of materials that can have applications ranging from structural materials to materials for future nanotechnology. However, catastrophic mechanical failure is a serious issue hindering the use of these materials in engineering applications. Here we introduce an approach to understanding and solving the problem of brittleness of metallic glasses. We have shown that even a very brittle metallic glass (La based) can be forced to deform plastically at room temperature if it is made in the form of multilayers involving other metallic glasses, i.e., a two-phase glass. The mechanically soft glassy layer (La based) having a lower critical shear stress acts as a nucleation or an initiation site for shear bands and the mechanically hard glassy layer (Zr based) acts as an obstacle to the propagation of shear bands. This process results in the multiplication of shear bands. Since the shear bands are associated with a local rise in temperature, a large number of shear bands can raise the overall temperature of the soft layer and eventually can drive it to the supercooled liquid state, where deformation of metallic glass is very large and homogeneous. The results reported here not only clarify the mechanism of large plastic deformation in two-phase glassy alloys but also suggest the possibility of a different kind of two-phase bulk glassy alloys exhibiting large plastic deformation at room temperature.


PURPOSE
The Children's Oncology Group (COG) strongly supports the widely recognized principle that research participants should be offered a summary of study results. The mechanism by which to do so in a cooperative research group setting has not been previously described.

METHODS
On the basis of a review of the available empirical and theoretic literature and on iterative, multidisciplinary discussion, a COG Return of Results Task Force (RRTF) offered detailed recommendations for the return of results to research study participants.

RESULTS
The RRTF established guidelines for the notification of research participants and/or their parents/guardians about the availability of research results, a mechanism for and timing of sharing results via registration on the COG public Web site, the scope of the research to be shared, the target audience, and a process for creating and vetting lay summaries of study results. The RRTF recognized the challenges in adequately conveying complex scientific results to audiences with varying levels of health literacy and recommended that particularly sensitive or complex results be returned using direct personal contact. The RRTF also recommended evaluation of the cost, effectiveness, and impact of sharing results.

CONCLUSION
These recommendations provide a framework for the offering and returning of results to participants. They can be used by individual investigators, multi-investigator research collaboratives, and large cooperative groups.


This paper presents techniques which can be viewed as pre-processing step towards diagnosis of faults in a small size multi-cylinder diesel engine. Preliminary analysis of the acoustic emission (AE) signals is outlined, including time-frequency analysis, selection of optimum frequency band. Some results of applying mean field independent component analysis (MFICA) to separate the AE root mean square (RMS) signals are also outlined. The results on separation of RMS signals show this technique has the potential of increasing the probability to successfully identify the AE events associated with the various mechanical events.


The authors have used imidazole carboxamide (DTIC) in vascular isolation and hyperthermic perfusion for melanoma. The regional and systemic toxicity and complications of this procedure were studied in 40 cases with Stage 111 (15) and Stage I (25) melanoma. Technetium 99m‐labelled serum albumin crossover and pharmacokinetic studies were done simultaneously to see if these correlate with toxicity. Local toxicity on muscles, nerves, skin, and arteries was conspicuously absent despite using dosages of 2 g/m2 (40‐45 mg/kg) for the lower extremity and 1.2 g/m2 (24‐28 mg/kg) for the upper extremity. Skin and core temperature were raised to 39°C to 40°C. Deep vein thrombosis was noted in three patients. No death or gangrene of the extremities occurred. Local infection was noted in only one patient. Fourteen patients (35%) manifested bone marrow toxicity (leukocyte count of 4000/mm3 or platelets of 100,000/mm3) in the second or third week after perfusion. Severe hematologic toxicity was seen in two instances. Dosages of DTIC greater than 40 mg/kg were associated with toxicity in 65% of the patients. No bleeding complications occurred in seven patients with thrombocytopenia. Measurement of crossover and recovery of radionuclide were not reliable indicators of subsequent systemic toxicity. Perfusion fluid balance data also were of no predictive value. Forty‐seven percent of the administered DTIC was recovered in washout fluid. Of this, less than 2% was converted to its metabolites, thot is aminoimidazole carboxamide and 2‐azahypoxanthine. Thirty‐five of 40 patients experienced mild nausea and vomiting. Transient and mild hepatotoxicity was noted in seven patients. It appears that DTIC hyperthermic isolation perfusion is a safe procedure, however, the total dosage should be below 40 mg/kg to avoid hematologic toxicity. Cancer 57:1961‐1966, 1986.


A key component in most parametric classifiers is the estimation of an inverse covariance matrix. In hyperspectral images, the number of bands can be in the hundreds, leading to covariance matrices having tens of thousands of elements. Lately, the use of linear regression in estimating the inverse covariance matrix has been introduced in the time-series literature. This paper adopts and expands these ideas to ill-posed hyperspectral image classification problems. The results indicate that at least some of the approaches can give a lower classification error than traditional methods such as the linear discriminant analysis and the regularized discriminant analysis. Furthermore, the results show that, contrary to earlier beliefs, estimating long-range dependencies between bands appears necessary to build an effective hyperspectral classifier and that the high correlations between neighboring bands seem to allow differing sparsity configurations of the inverse covariance matrix to obtain similar classification results.


Germplasm collections are basic tools for conservation, characterization, and efficient use of olive genetic resources. The identification of the olive cultivars maintained in the collections is an important ongoing task which has been performed by both, morphological and molecular markers. In the present study, based on the sequencing results of previous genomic projects, a new set of 1,043 EST-SNP markers has been identified. In order to evaluate its discrimination capacity and utility in diversity studies, this set of markers was used in a representative number of accessions from 20 different olive growing countries and maintained at the World Olive Germplasm Collection of IFAPA Centre 'Alameda del Obispo' (Córdoba, Spain), one of the world's largest olive germplasm bank. Thus, the cultivated material included: cultivars belonging to previously defined core collections by means of SSR markers and agronomical traits, well known homonymy cases, possible redundancies previously identified in the collection, and recently introduced accessions. Marker stability was tested in repeated analyses of a selected number of accessions, as well as in different trees and accessions belonging to the same cultivar. In addition, 15 genotypes from a cross 'Picual' × 'Arbequina' cultivars from the IFAPA olive breeding program and a set of 89 wild genotypes were also included in the study. Our results indicate that, despite their relatively wide variability, the new set of EST-SNPs displayed lower levels of genetic diversity than SSRs in the set of olive core collections tested. However, the EST-SNP markers displayed consistent and reliable results from different plant material sources and plant propagation events. The EST-SNPs revealed a clear cut off between inter- and intra-cultivar variation in olive. Besides, they were able to reliably discriminate among different accessions, to detect possible homonymy cases as well as efficiently ascertain the presence of redundant germplasm in the collection. Additionally, these markers were highly transferable to the wild genotypes. These results, together with the low genotyping error rates and the easy and fully automated procedure used to get the genotyping data, validate the new set of EST-SNPs as possible markers of choice for olive cultivar identification.


For the method calculating the benefits gotten by transferring the wagons at technical stations without sorting operations, two different calculating methods are brought forward at present. This paper firstly calculates the wagon hours consumed both when the basic scheme is applied and the scheme in which the trough wagon flows passing the technical station without shunting operations is applied, and then deduces a formula to calculate the wagon hours saved by through wagon flow passing technical station without sorting operations and analyzes deeply the affecting factors. As a result, it is found that the two calculating methods are the special cases of it. Because in the calculating process the influence of through wagon flow passing the station to the staying time at the station has been taken into account, the method mentioned above is more complete, and could provide a theoretical basis for the calculation.


Original title: De markt voor huishoudelijke hulp.

Since 2007, the market for domestic help has been decentralised to the municipalities. Since then, every municipality can decide how it contracts out this help. The Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) and Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP) investigated the impact of municipal purchasing policy on the market for domestic help and on civilian use of that help. The quality of the help could not be included in the research.


Our recent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies of the NaFe1−xCoxAs phase diagram over a wide range of dopings and temperatures are reviewed. Similar to the high-Tc cuprates, the iron-based superconductors lie in close proximity to a magnetically ordered phase. Therefore, it is widely believed that magnetic interactions or fluctuations play an important role in triggering their Cooper pairings. Among the key issues regarding the electronic phase diagram are the properties of the parent spin density wave (SDW) phase and the superconducting (SC) phase, as well as the interplay between them. The NaFe1−xCoxAs is an ideal system for resolving these issues due to its rich electronic phases and the charge-neutral cleaved surface. In our recent work, we directly observed the SDW gap in the parent state, and it exhibits unconventional features that are incompatible with the simple Fermi surface nesting picture. The optimally doped sample has a single SC gap, but in the underdoped regime we directly viewed the microscopic coexistence of the SDW and SC orders, which compete with each other. In the overdoped regime we observed a novel pseudogap-like feature that coexists with superconductivity in the ground state, persists well into the normal state, and shows great spatial variations. The rich electronic structures across the phase diagram of NaFe1−xCoxAs revealed here shed important new light for defining microscopic models of the iron-based superconductors. In particular, we argue that both the itinerant electrons and local moments should be considered on an equal footing in a realistic model.