The human brain is highly sensitive to social information and so is our language production
system: people adjust not just what they say but also how they say it in response to the social
context. For instance, we are sensitive to the presence of others, and our interactional
expectations and goals affect how we individually choose to talk about and refer to things.
This thesis is an investigation of the social factors that might lead speakers to adapt
linguistically to others. The question of linguistic adaptation is conceived and addressed at
two levels: as lexical convergence (i.e., interlocutors coordinating their lexical choices with
each other), and as spatial perspective taking in language use (i.e., speakers abandoning their
self perspective in favour of another's when verbally locating objects in space).
What motivated my research was two-fold. First, I aimed to contribute to the understanding
of the interplay between the automatic cognitive accounts and the strategic social accounts of
linguistic convergence. At the same time, I wanted to explore new analytical tools for the
investigation of interpersonal coordination in conversation (cross-recurrence quantification
analysis (CRQA)). Second, there are conflicting explanations as to why people often
abandon their self spatial perspective when another person is present in the environment. I
aimed to clarify this by bringing together insights from different research fields: spatial
language production, spatial cognition, joint attention and joint action.
A first set of experiments investigated the effects of speakers' deceptive goals on lexical
convergence. Given the extensive evidence that one interlocutor's choices of words shapes
another's during collaborative interaction, would we still observe this coordination of
linguistic behaviour under conditions of no coordination of intents? In two novel interactive
priming paradigms, half of the participants deceived their naive partner in a detective game
(Experiment 1) or a picture naming/matching task (Experiment 2-3) in order to jeopardise
their partner's performance in resolving the crime or in a related memory task. Crucially,
participants were primed by their partner with suitable-yet-unusual names for objects. I did
not find any consistent evidence that deceiving led to a different degree of lexical
convergence between deceivers and deceived than between truthful interlocutors.
I then explored possibilities and challenges of the use of cross-recurrence quantification
analysis (CRQA) (a new analytical tool borrowed from dynamical systems) for the study of
lexical convergence in conversation. I applied CRQA in Experiment 4, where I focused on
the strategic social accounts of linguistic convergence and investigated whether speakers'
tendency to match their interlocutors' lexical choices depended on the social impression that
they formed of each other in a previous interaction, and whether this tendency was further
modulated by the interactional goal. I developed a novel two-stage paradigm: pairs of
participants first experienced a collectivist or an individualistic co-player in an economic
decision game (in reality, a pre-set computer programme) and then engaged in a discussion
of a survival scenario (this time with the real other) divided in an open-ended vs. joint-goal
driven part. I found no evidence that the social impression of their interlocutor affected
speakers' degree of lexical convergence. Greater convergence was observed in the joint-goal
dialogues, replicating previous findings at syntactic level.
Experiments 5-7 left the interactive framework of the previous two sets of experiments and
explored spatial perspective taking in a non-interactive language task. I investigated why the
presence of a person in the environment can induce speakers to abandon their self
perspective to locate objects: Do speakers adapt their spatial descriptions to the vantage point
of the person out of intentionality-mediated simulation or of general attention-orienting
mechanisms? In an online paradigm, participants located objects in photographs that
sometimes contained a person or a plant in various positions with respect to the to-be-located
object. Findings were consistent with the simulated intentional accounts and linked non-self
spatial perspective in language to the apprehension of another person's visual affordance.
Experiments 8-9 investigated the role of shared experience on perspective taking in spatial
language. Prior to any communicative and interactional demand, do speakers adapt their
spatial descriptions to the presumed perspective of someone who is attending to the same
environment at the same time as them? And is this tendency further affected by the number
of co-attendees? I expanded the previous online paradigm and induced participants into
thinking that someone else was doing the task at the same time as them. I found that shared
experience reinforced self perspective (via shared perspective) rather than reinforcing non-self
perspective (via unshared perspective). I did not find any crowd effect.


IoT is a concept that has emerged in recent years bringing significant changes in technology, social and economic sectors. Daily activities of the population are thus enhanced by the Internet connection and the power of data analysis, elements that will change the way we live, work or act in the future. The projections made by IoT experts especially from economic point of view are impressive. Until 2025, revenues of up to $ 11 trillion and more than 100 billiards of connected devices are expected. For silver population, the impact of the Internet on all Things will be strong especially in Smart Health technologies that will have the role of preventing and treating effectively existing diseases. The economic impact of smart solutions in the health sector has reached European level at about 10% of the Gross Domestic Product, but in the coming years there is a significant increase in revenue in this sector 1 . Also, from the quality of life point of view, smart technologies will significantly improve human activity, but it can be a zero-sum game, and pollution and environmental impact can have harmful effects whose impact cannot yet be measured.


A total of 196 stereotaxic operations were performed on different subcortical structures (ventrooral thalamic nuclei, subthalamic area, Cajal's nucleus) in 152 patients with various forms of extrapyramidal spasmodic torticollis. A classification of the various forms of torticollis is suggested and 4 degrees of severity of the disease are distinguished. Study of the late results showed stable and marked improvement or practical recovery in more than 50 per cent of patients. Bilateral stereotaxic operations produce a good stable effect twice as often as unilateral operations (68% of patients). The choice of the side on which the first operation will be performed should be based on the suggested classification of the forms of the disease with due account for the predominant affection of different groups of muscles on one or both sides.


In this paper, a design strategy using periodic dielectric, metallic, or composite Photonic Band Gap (PBG) structure is proposed for X-band and Ku-band (11.13 GHz to 13.88 GHz). It is observed with the help of simulation results that the bandwidth has improved 22% with return loss -34db. Microstrip PBG structures could suppress the surface wave propagating on substrate and prohibit the formation of substrate modes. Additionally it's low volume, low profile and light weight which can be manufacture easily and used widely in wireless and satellite communication. In integration, it is withal proposed that the comportment of the photonic crystals will lead to a drop in pattern side lobes resulting in amendments in radiation pattern front-to-back ratio and on the whole antenna efficiency. This research is done through systematic simulations using IE3D based on MOM method.


P0 proteins encoded by poleroviruses Brassica yellows virus (BrYV) and Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) are viral suppressors of RNA silencing (VSR) involved in abolishing host RNA silencing to assist viral infection. However, other roles that P0 proteins play in virus infection remain unclear. Here, we found that C-terminal truncation of P0 resulted in compromised systemic infection of BrYV and PLRV. C-terminal truncation affected systemic but not local VSR activities of P0 proteins, but neither transient nor ectopic stably expressed VSR proteins could rescue the systemic infection of BrYV and PLRV mutants. Moreover, BrYV mutant failed to establish systemic infection in DCL2/4 RNAi or RDR6 RNAi plants, indicating that systemic infection might be independent of the VSR activity of P0. Partially rescued infection of BrYV mutant by the co-infected PLRV implied the functional conservation of P0 proteins within genus. However, although C-terminal truncation mutant of BrYV P0 showed weaker interaction with its movement protein (MP) when compared to wild-type P0, wild-type and mutant PLRV P0 showed similar interaction with its MP. In sum, our findings revealed the role of P0 in virus systemic infection and the requirement of P0 carboxyl terminal region for the infection.


Introduction: Fetal and neonatal complications are more common in premature than full term pregnancy. Treatment of preterm labor and postpone delivery increases neonatal survival and better quality of life and reduces health care costs for premature infants. This study aimed to compare the effects of Nifedipine and Magnesium sulfate in arresting preterm labor and to adverse the effects of these drugs. Materials and Methods: This randomized and clinical trial study was performed on 100 pregnant women who were hospitalized for preterm labor pain. The participants were pregnant women with the gestational age of 28 to 34 weeks and with a single pregnancy and symptoms of preterm were studied. They were randomly divided into two equal groups. After not suppressing the pain by fluid therapy, in the first group Magnesium sulfate infused injection (N=50) was performed, while in the second group, oral Nifedipine were given. The research uses SPSS software (version 20) statistical software issue 20 to analyze the result of tests with descriptive statistical methods including independent T test and chi square test. Results: Mean maternal age, gestational age, parity converted Magnesium sulfate and Nifedipine group had no significant difference in statistical analysis. Delivery was delayed more than 48 hours in 48% (24 person) of cases in the Magnesium sulfate group and in 72% (36 person) in Nifedipine group (p=0.03). A statistically significant difference in response to treatment was more in group of Nifedipine. Conclusion: The results showed that Nifedipine is more effective than Magnesium sulfate in postponing delivery (more than 48 hours), producing minimal side effect, having adequate price and applying an easy use method. Therefore, Nifedipine, as a tocolytic, can be a good substitute for Magnesium sulfate in preterm labor treatment.


Terrorism is widely seen as an injustice, naturally enough because it is a blatant violation of human rights. The reaction against actions that are perceived as unjust can be called 'backfire'. The concept of backfire is an extension of Gene Sharp's political jiujitsu concept. The strange thing about terrorism is that it seems designed to backfire. Look in turn at each of the five methods of inhibiting backfire. First is cover-up. Terrorists commonly carry out their actions publicly and announce responsibility for them. They expose their actions rather than covering them up. Second is devaluing the target. Usually terrorists have lower status than their targets, especially when prominent citizens are targeted. The potential for devaluing the targets of terrorism is not great. Third is reinterpreting the action. Terrorists seldom say that there was not really a bombing or that the number of dead is exaggerated or that the attack was a mistake. Fourth is using official processes to give the appearance of justice. Terrorists usually have no access to courts, commissions of inquiry or other official processes for justifying their actions. Fifth is intimidation and bribery. Terrorists can threaten those who criticize them, especially those in their own milieu. But their ability to bribe targets and witnesses is limited. In summary, terrorists have limited capacity to inhibit outrage about their actions. Indeed, they often go out of their way to magnify the sense of outrage, for example by seeking media coverage. Therefore it is predictable that most terrorist actions backfire against the terrorists. This analysis applies only to non-state terrorists, the ones that receive the bulk of attention by governments and the media. The question remains why non-state terrorists often behave in a way that is almost guaranteed to backfire. This chapter will analyze both state and non-state terrorism using backfire analysis and spelling out implications for nonviolent resistance to and prevention of terrorism.


The objective of this essay is to contribute to a new perspective of strategic management by developing a new theory of organizational knowledge. The article focuses on how managers can understand and guide knowledge development processes in organizations. Our epistemology broadens strategic management to also include the advancement activities of the organization. In addition to discussing development of organizational knowledge, the essay also emphasises fundamental consequences for research methodology.


Objective: To determine the frequency of hypo pharyngeal carcinoma in patients presenting with dysphagia.
Material and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted at the department of Ear, Nose, Throat, Head and Neck Surgery, Postgraduate Medical Institute Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar from Jan. 2005 to Dec. 2010. It included 75 cases of hypopharyngeal carcinoma presented with dysphagia. All the patients were thoroughly evaluated in terms of history, examination and investigation. Rigid/ flexible endoscopy was performed and biopsy specimens were examined by same histopathologist and data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. Results: Out of 75 patients 43 were male and 32 were female, with male: female ratio of 1.34: 1.The age of the patients ranged from 34-83 years with mean age of 57.26 + S.D 14.01years. Most of the patients presented in 6th and 7th decade followed by the 5th and 4th decade of life. The main clinical features of these patients were progressive dysphagia (92%) and hoarseness (37.33%). Rigid hypopharyngoscopy was the commonest procedure of diagnosis (70.66%). Squamous cell carcinoma was the commonest (97.33%) tumour in these patients. Pyriform fossa was the commonest site of carcinoma hypopharynx (44%).
Conclusion: We can conclude that squamous cell carcinoma is the commonest tumour of hypopharynx. Pyriform fossa is the commonest site of affection in hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Hypopharyngeal carcinoma should be suspected if a male patients aged between 40 to 60 years presented with dysphagia.


Aircraft flight planning is impacted by weather uncertainties. Existing approaches to flight planning are either deterministic and load additional fuel to account for uncertainty, or probabilistic but have to plan in 4D space. If constraints are imposed on the flight plan these methods provide no formal guarantees that the constraints are actually satisfied. We investigate constrained flight planning under weather uncertainty on discrete airways graphs and model this problem as a Constrained Stochastic Shortest Path (C-SSP) problem. Transitions are generated on-the-fly by the underlying aircraft performance model. As this prevents us from using off-the-shelf C-SSP solvers, we generalise column-generation methods stemming from constrained deterministic path planning to the probabilistic case. This results in a novel method which is complete but computationally expensive. We therefore also discuss deterministic and heuristic approaches which average over weather uncertainty and handle constraints by scalarising a multi-objective cost function. We evaluate and compare these approaches on real flight routes subject to real weather forecast data and a realistic aircraft performance model.


Three new tetrathiafulvalene-substituted 2,2'-bipyridine ligands, cis-bpy-TTF(1), trans-bpy-TTF(1), and cis-bpy-TTF(2) have been prepared and characterized. X-ray analysis of trans-bpy-TTF(1) is also reported. Such ligands have been used to prepare two new trinuclear Ru(II) complexes, namely, [[(bpy)(2)Ru(micro-2,3-dpp)](2)Ru(bpy-TTF(1))](PF(6))(6) (9; bpy=2,2'-bipyridine; 2,3-dpp=2,3-bis(2'-pyridyl)pyrazine) and [[(bpy)(2)Ru(micro-2,3-dpp)](2)Ru(bpy-TTF(2))](PF(6))(6) (10). These compounds can be viewed as coupled antennas and charge-separation systems, in which the multichromophoric trinuclear metal subunits act as light-harvesting antennas and the tetrathiafulvalene electron donors can induce charge separation. The absorption spectra, redox behavior, and luminescence properties (both at room temperature in acetonitrile and at 77 K in a rigid matrix of butyronitrile) of the trinuclear metal complexes have been studied. For the sake of completeness, the mononuclear compounds [(bpy)(2)Ru(bpy-TTF(1))](PF(6))(2) (7) and [(bpy)(2)Ru(bpy-TTF(2))](PF(6))(2) (8) were also synthesized and studied. The properties of the tetrathiafulvalene-containing species were compared to those of the model compounds [Ru(bpy)(2)(4,4'-Mebpy)](2+) (4,4'-Mebpy=4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine) and [[(bpy)(2)Ru(micro-2,3-dpp)](2)Ru(bpy)](6+). The absorption spectra and redox behavior of all the new metal compounds can be interpreted by a multicomponent approach, in which specific absorption features and redox processes can be assigned to specific subunits of the structures. The luminescence properties of the complexes in rigid matrices at 77 K are very similar to those of the corresponding model compounds without TTF moieties, whereas the new species are nonluminescent, or exhibit very weak emissions relative to those of the model compounds in fluid solution at room temperature. Time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy confirmed that the potentially luminescent MLCT states of 7-10 are significantly shorter lived than the corresponding states of the model species. Photoinduced electron-transfer processes from the TTF moieties to the (excited) MLCT chromophore(s) are held responsible for the quenching processes.


The correlation between mechanical stress and magnetic anisotropy of Ni and Fe films on Cu(001) is investigated. The magnetoelastic coupling and the film stress during the growth are measured in situ with a highly sensitive optical bending beam technique. For Ni a dramatically reduced magnetoelastic coupling of B1=3.5 MJ/m3 is found for films thinner than 10 ML, roughly one third of the bulk value of 9.4 MJ/m3. This change is explained by a strain correction to the magnetoelastic coupling. The influence of the interfaces does not significantly contribute to the magnetoelastic coupling. A very small magnetoelastic coupling of 0.4 MJ/m3 for Fe films in the range from 12 ML to 25 nm is attributed mainly to the crystallographic orientation of the bcc–Fe.


We incorporate race into an overlapping-generations spatial-equilibrium model with neighborhood spillovers. Race matters in two ways: (i) the Black-White wage gap and (ii) homophily— the preferences of individuals over the racial composition of their neighborhood. We find that these two forces generate a Black-White college gap of 22 percentage points, explaining about 80% of the college gap in the data for the St. Louis metro area. Counterfactual exercises show that the wage gap and homophily explain 7 and 18 percentage points of the college gap, respectively. A policy of equalizing school funding across neighborhoods reduces the college gap by almost 10 percentage points and generates large welfare gains.


Learning by instruction is one of the most common forms of learning, and a number of research efforts have modeled the cognitive process of instruction following, with many successes. However, most computational models remain brittle with respect to the given instructions, and they lack the ability to adapt dynamically to variants of the instructions. This paper aims to illustrate modeling constructs designed to make instruction following more robust, including (1) more flexible grounding of language to execution, (2) processing of instructions that allows for inference of implicit instruction knowledge, and (3) dynamic, interactive clarification of instructions during both the learning and execution stages. Examples in the context of a paired-associates task and a visual-search task are discussed.


Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the lung airways resulting in episodic airflow obstruction. It is also one of the leading causes of morbidity in children and hospital admissions. Current treatments, although helpful, are still unable to prevent childhood asthma exacerbations completely. Objectives: To study the clinical profile and predisposing factors for acute severe asthma in children. Methods: This prospective study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2015 in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Children between the age group of 5 and 18 years admitted with symptoms and signs of acute severe asthma formed the study group. Detailed history and examination were recorded in a systematically designed pro forma, and these patients were evaluated for the predisposing factors. Results: Out of 100 children with acute severe asthma, the predominant age group was between 5 and 10 years (68%). Boys are more commonly affected than girls in the ratio of 1:1.2. The most common predisposing factors were family history of asthma (60%), atopy (32%), and dermatitis (23%). The common risk factors responsible for acute exacerbations were viral infections (83%), poor drug compliance (68%), and exposure to house dust (61%). 55% of the children had acute exacerbation during the winter season. The common comorbid conditions were rhinosinusitis (35%), obesity (23%), and gastroesophageal reflux (9%). Eosinophilia was seen in 62% of the children with acute severe asthma. Conclusion: In the present study, majority of the asthmatics were males and belonged to urban area. Viral infections were the predominant factor for exacerbations and others like family, and previous history of atopy/allergic rhinitis/dermatitis, food allergy, indoor and outdoor pollution, seasonal variations, and comorbid conditions like obesity and rhinosinusitis were the common predisposing risk factors.


Decision trees excel at interpretability of their prediction results. To achieve required prediction accuracies, however, often large ensembles of decision trees - random forests - are considered, reducing interpretability due to large size. Additionally, their size slows down inference on modern hardware and restricts their applicability in low-memory embedded devices. We introduce Decision Snippet Features, which are obtained from small subtrees that appear frequently in trained random forests. We subsequently show that linear models on top of these features achieve comparable and sometimes even better predictive performance than the original random forest, while reducing the model size by up to two orders of magnitude.


Objective: This study aimed at assessing the relationship between facial morphological patterns (I, II, III, Long Face and Short Face) as well as facial types (brachyfacial, mesofacial and dolichofacial) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients attending a center specialized in sleep disorders. Methods: Frontal, lateral and smile photographs of 252 patients (157 men and 95 women), randomly selected from a polysomnography clinic, with mean age of 40.62 years, were evaluated. In order to obtain diagnosis of facial morphology, the sample was sent to three professors of Orthodontics trained to classify patients' face according to five patterns, as follows: 1) Pattern I; 2) Pattern II; 3) Pattern III; 4) Long facial pattern; 5) Short facial pattern. Intraexaminer agreement was assessed by means of Kappa index. The professors ranked patients' facial type based on a facial index that considers the proportion between facial width and height. Results: The multiple linear regression model evinced that, when compared to Pattern I, Pattern II had the apnea and hypopnea index (AHI) worsened in 6.98 episodes. However, when Pattern II was compared to Pattern III patients, the index for the latter was 11.45 episodes lower. As for the facial type, brachyfacial patients had a mean AHI of 22.34, while dolichofacial patients had a significantly statistical lower index of 10.52. Conclusion: Patients' facial morphology influences OSA. Pattern II and brachyfacial patients had greater AHI, while Pattern III patients showed a lower index.


We introduce an equation named matrix Dirac equation which can be considered as a generalization of Dirac equation for an electron. The liaison between matrix Dirac equation and standard Dirac equation is discussed. We write a lagrangian from which matrix Dirac equation can be derived. This lagrangian is invariant under global unitary transformations of variables. The requirement of a local (gauge) invariance of lagrangian leads us to lagrangian with gauge fields.


ABSTRACT The paper provides a novel perspective for the examination of urban public transport (UPT) systems based on a literature review of new institutional economics (NIE). New institutional economics is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary economic perspective which seeks to explain the role of institutions in the performance of socio-economic systems. It encompasses various economic theories including transaction cost economics, agency theory, contract theory and property rights economics. Although NIE-based approaches have been utilised in different sectors and policy areas, management and organisation of UPT systems is a policy area where the implications of NIE-related theories have not been thoroughly explored. UPT systems are complex and involve a variety of transport actors such as transport authorities, regulators, operators and passengers. These actors interact with each other as embedded in an institutional environment which structures the rules, hence determines the incentives, roles and liabilities for the actors. However, previous studies have generally taken this institutional environment as given and have not problematised it. This paper seeks to provide a concise literature review of UPT through the perspective of NIE to delve into the institutional configuration of UPT systems so that an institutional account of UPT is given. An institutional framework is proposed to help structure the current literature on UPT. To explore the applicability of NIE in conceptualising and problematising the issues concerning the management of UPT, the paper attempts to delineate the institutional landscape of UPT. The informal and formal institutions, governance structures and contractual relationships in UPT are examined through the lens of NIE. These institutional levels constitute the building blocks for the institutional arrangement of the UPT systems, and the proposed institutional framework for the analysis of UPT systems reviews and examines each institutional level in a systematic way. The paper explores the potential added-value that NIE provides, identifies the research gaps in the literature, and finally, shows the future avenues for NIE-inspired UPT studies.


James Boswell, the noted 18th-century writer, was well known to have suffered from bouts of melancholia, as well as episodic drunkenness, sexual excesses, irritability, and euphoric self-absorption. Drawing upon the writings of both Boswell and his biographers, the present work reconsiders Boswell's affective illness in modern psychiatric diagnostic terms. Boswell appears to have suffered from cyclothymic disorder, a highly prevalent disorder in successful 20th-century writers.


It is generally agreed that individual visual cues are fallible and often ambiguous. This has generated a lot of interest in design of integrated vision systems which are expected to give a reliable performance in practical situations. The design of such systems is challenging since each vision module works under a different and possibly conflicting set of assumptions. We have proposed and implemented a multiresolution system which integrates perceptual organization (grouping), segmentation, stereo, shape from shading, and line labeling modules. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach using images of several different realistic scenes. The output of the integrated system is shown to be insensitive to the constraints imposed by the individual modules. The numerical accuracy of the recovered depth is assessed in case of synthetically generated data. Finally, we have qualitatively evaluated our approach by reconstructing geons from the depth data obtained from the integrated system. These results indicate that integrated vision systems are likely to produce better reconstruction of the input scene than the individual modules. >


Financial time series often exhibit high degrees of fluctuation which are considered as noise in time series analysis. To remove noise, several lower bounding the Euclidean distance based dimensionality reduction methods are applied. But, however, these methods do not meet the constraint of financial time series analysis that wants to retain the important points and remove others. Therefore, although a number of methods can retain the important points in the financial time series reduction, but, however, they loss the nature of financial time series which consist of several uptrends, downtrends and sideway trends in different resolutions and in the zigzag directions. In this paper, we propose the Zigzag based Perceptually Important Point Identification method to collect those zigzag movement important points. Further, we propose Zigzag based Multiway Search Tree to index these important points. We evaluate our methods in time series dimensionality reduction. The results show the significant performance comparing to other original method.


The hours worked by Mexican women depend not only on wages and individual characteristics, but also on factors related to household structure, which generate incentives for women to restrict their hours of paid work. This study uses a pseudo-panel containing five million observations from the National Survey on Occupation and Employment, for 2005-2010. Different age cohorts of the female working population are analysed along with a pseudopanel model that measures the sensitivity of women's hours worked to wage variations and factors related to household structure, such as the availability of help in the home and the presence of children. It is found that women's hours worked increase when the household contains another adult woman, but decrease in the presence of children or a male adult.


In a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) broad-cast channel (BC), the difference in spatial transmit correlation matrices of different users is called transmit correlation diversity. Recently, several works have extended this concept beyond its original scope, to include channels whose transmit correlation matrices have non-overlapping eigenspaces. In contrast to earlier analyses of overlapping eigenspaces that were mostly described in terms of degrees-of-freedom, this work presents achievable rate regions. These achievable regions are derived by rate-splitting, product superposition, or a combination thereof. Our rate expressions make explicit the contribution of the common parts and individual (non-overlapping) parts of the correlation eigenspaces toward the achievable rate region. As a by-product, a result of Hassibi and Hochwald on MIMO channel training is extended to channels with spatial correlation.


Steady state kinetics of hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase-catalyzed reactions are studied. The results obtained suggest that IMP, GMP, P-Rib-PP, and pyrophosphate bind to the same enzyme form, while hypoxanthine and guanine bind to a different form. Guanine activates IMP-pyrophosphorolysis. During the reaction guanlne and IMP are consumed with formation of GMP and hypoxanthine (IMP-GMP exchange).


Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) is a constitutively active mutant form of EGFR that is expressed in 40% to 50% of gliomas and several other malignancies. Here, we describe the therapeutic effects of silencing EGFRvIII on glioma cell lines in vitro and in vivo. A small interfering RNA molecule against EGFRvIII was introduced into EGFRvIII-expressing glioma cells (U87Δ) by electroporation resulting in complete inhibition of expression of EGFRvIII as early as 48 h post-treatment. During EGFRvIII silencing, a decrease in the proliferation and invasiveness of U87Δ cells was accompanied by an increase in apoptosis (P < 0.05). Notably, EGFRvIII silencing inhibited the signal transduction machinery downstream of EGFRvIII as evidenced by decreases in the activated levels of Ras and extracellular signal-regulated kinase. A lentivirus capable of expressing anti-EGFRvIII short hairpin RNA was also able to achieve progressive silencing of EGFRvIII in U87Δ cells in addition to inhibiting cell proliferation, invasiveness, and colony formation in a significant manner (P < 0.05). Silencing EGFRvIII in U87Δ cultures with this virus reduced the expression of factors involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition including N-cadherin, β-catenin, Snail, Slug, and paxillin but not E-cadherin. The anti-EGFRvIII lentivirus also affected the cell cycle progression of U87Δ cells with a decrease in G1 and increase in S and G2 fractions. In an in vivo model, tumor growth was completely inhibited in severe combined immunodeficient mice (n = 10) injected s.c. with U87Δ cells treated with the anti-EGFRvIII lentivirus (P = 0.005). We conclude that gene specific silencing of EGFRvIII is a promising strategy for treating cancers that contain this mutated receptor. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(11):3586–97]


The Becker-Kersten treatment of domain boundary movements is widely applicable in the interpretation of magnetization curves, but it does not account satisfactorily for the higher coercivities obtained, for example, in permanent magnet alloys. It is suggested that in many ferromagnetic materials there may occur 'particles' (this term including atomic segregates or 'islands' in alloys), distinct in magnetic character from the general matrix, and below the critical size, depending on shape, for which domain boundary formation is energetically possible. For such single-domain particles, change of magnetization can take place only by rotation of the magnetization vector, IO. As the field changes continuously, the resolved magnetization, IH, may change discontinuously at critical values, HO, of the field. The character of the magnetization curves depends on the degree of magnetic anisotropy of the particle, and on the orientation of 'easy axes' with respect to the field. The magnetic anisotropy may arise from the shape of the particle, from magneto-crystalline effects, and from strain. A detailed quantitative treatment is given of the effect of shape anisotropy when the particles have the form of ellipsoids of revolution (§§ 2, 3, 4), and a less detailed treatment for the general ellipsoidal form (§ 5). For the first it is convenient to use the non-dimensional parameter such that h =H/(| Na- Nb|)IO, Na and Nb being the demagnetization coefficients along the polar and equatorial axes. The results are presented in tables and diagrams giving the variation with h of IH/IO. For the special limiting form of the oblate spheroid there is no hysteresis. For the prolate spheroid, as the orientation angle, θ, varies from 0 to 90°, the cyclic magnetization curves change from a rectangular form with |hO| = 1, to a linear non-hysteretic form, with an interesting sequence of intermediate forms. Exact expressions are obtained for the dependence of hθ on θ, and curves for random distribution are computed. All the numerical results are applicable when the anisotropy is due to longitudinal stress, when h = HI0/3λδ, where λ is the saturation magnetostriction coefficient, and δ the stress. The results also apply to magneto-crystalline anisotropy in the important and representative case in which there is a unique axis of easy magnetization as for hexagonal cobalt. Estimates are made of the magnitude of the effect of the various types of anisotropy. For iron the maximum coercivities, for the most favourable orientation, due to the magneto-crystalline and strain effects are about 400 and 600 respectively. These values are exceeded by those due to the shape effect in prolate spheroids if the dimensional ratio, m, is greater than 1·1; for m = 10, the corresponding value would be about 10,000 (§7). A fairly precise estimate is made of the lower limit for the equatorial diameter of a particle in the form of a prolate spheroid below which boundary formation cannot occur. As m varies from 1 (the sphere) to 10, this varies from 1·5 to 6·1 x 10-6 for iron, and from 6·2 to 25 x 10-6 for nickel (§ 6). A discussion is given (§ 7) of the application of these results to (a) non-ferromagnetic metals and alloys containing ferromagnetic 'impurities', (b) powder magnets, (e) high coeravity alloys of the dispersion hardening type. In connexion with (c) the possible bearing on the effects of cooling in a magnetic field is indicated.


Traitor Tracing Schemes constitute a very useful tool against piracy in the context of digital content broadcast. In such multi-recipient encryption schemes, each decryption key is fingerprinted and when a pirate decoder is discovered, the authorities can trace the identities of the users that contributed in its construction (called traitors). Public-key traitor tracing schemes allow for a multitude of non trusted content providers using the same set of keys, which makes the scheme "server-side scalable." To make such schemes also "client-side scalable," i.e. long lived and usable for a large population of subscribers that changes dynamically over time, it is crucial to implement efficient Add-user and Remove-user operations. Previous work on public-key traitor tracing did not address this dynamic scenario thoroughly, and there is no efficient scalable public key traitor tracing scheme that allows an increasing number of Add-user and Remove-user operations. To address these issues, we introduce the model of Fully Scalable Public-Key Traitor Tracing, and present the first construction of such a scheme. Our model mandates for deterministic traitor tracing and an unlimited number of efficient Add-user operations and Remove-user operations. A fully scalable system achieves an unlimited number of revocations while retaining high level of efficiency by dividing the run-time of the system into periods. Each period has a saturation level for the number of revocations. When a period becomes saturated, an efficient new-period operation is issued by the system server that resets the saturation level. We present a formal adversarial model for our system taking into account its periodic structure, and we prove our construction secure, both against adversaries that attempt to cheat the revocation mechanism as well as against adversaries that attempt to cheat the traitor tracing mechanism.


Evolutionary biologists are largely polarized in their approaches to integrating microevolutionary and macroevolutionary processes. Neo-Darwinians typically seek to identify population-level selective and genetic processes that culminate in macroevolutionary events. Epigeneticists and structuralists, on the other hand, emphasize developmental constraints on the action of natural selection, and highlight the role of epigenetic shifts in producing evolutionary change in morphology. Accordingly, the ways in which these paradigms view and address morphological contrasts between classes of related organisms differ. These paradigms, although seldomly explicitly stated, emerge in paleoanthropology as well. Considerations of postcranial morphological contrasts between archaic and modern humans typically fall into one of two broad interpretive models. The first derives from the neo-Darwinian perspective and holds that evolution in the postcranial skeleton was largely mosaic (operating in a particulate manner), and that temporal change in specific traits informs us about behavioral shifts or genetic evolution affecting isolated anatomical regions (i.e., adaptive behavioral inferences can be made from comparative studies of individual trait complexes). The alternative model follows from the epigeneticist paradigm and sees change in specific postcranial traits as correlated responses to change in overall body form (involving shifts in regulation of skeletal growth, or selective and developmental responses to broad adaptive shifts). By this view, integration of functional systems both constrains and directs evolution of various traits, and morphological contrasts inform us about overall change in body form related to change in such things as overall growth patterns, climatic adaptation, and technological dependency. These models were tested by confirmatory factor analysis using measures of upper body form and upper limb morphological traits in Eurasian Neandertal and early modern fossils and recent human samples. Results indicate (1) a model of morphological integration fits the data better than a model of no integration, but (2) this integration accounts for less than half of the variance in upper limb traits, suggesting a high degree of tolerance for particulate evolution in the context of an integrated upper body plan. Significant relationships were detected between joint shapes and body size, between humeral shaft shape and body size and chest shape, and between measures of biomechanical efficiency and robusticity. The observed morphological differences between late archaic and early modern humans reflect particulate evolution in the context of constraints imposed by genetic and morphological integration. While particulate approaches to interpreting the fossil record appear to be justified, attention must also be paid to delineating the nature and extent of morphological integration and its role in both constraining and producing observed patterns of variation between groups. Confirmatory factor analysis provides a means of examining trait covariance matrices, and serves as a useful method of identifying patterns of integration in morphology.


A six-parameter model by Johnson Lafarge is used to focus the inversion acoustical characterization of porous media. The model is used to describe the viscous and thermal dissipations of acoustic waves in the porous material. The six macroscopic parameters of the model are open porosity, static airflow resistivity, tortuosity, viscous characteristic dimension, thermal characteristic dimension, and static thermal permeability. The material can be modeled as an equivalent fluid under acoustical excitations if the frame of the porous material is assumed motionless. This equivalent fluid is described by its dynamic density and dynamic bulk modulus. Both dynamic properties are related to the macroscopic parameters of the material and depend on the frequency of excitation.


: Purpose: the paper compares the institutional environment of product market competition of 11 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries against 4 Western European models of capitalism (continental, Mediterranean, Scandinavian, and Anglo-Saxon). Design/Methodology/Approach: The analysis covers 24 variables and the 2005-2018 period. The aim is to analyze the robustness of results against a specific Western European country, which is a reference point, and the exact method of calculating the similarity coefficient. The analysis shows that the CEE countries are the most similar to the Mediterranean model of capitalism. The continental model ranks second. Findings: The results are highly robust to the assumptions made. High institutional convergence of the CEE countries was seen in both Spain and Italy. The classification of Western European models of capitalism in terms of proximity to the CEE countries is also robust to the exact method of calculating the similarity coefficient. Practical Implications: The study yields practical implications for policymakers as it indicates the institutional development of given CEE countries against the background of Western Europe. On this basis, policymakers can choose actions according to their peers in the given reference country, which is the most akin. Originality/Value: The originality of the research lies in the assessment of the model of capitalism prevailing in the CEE countries and the way of comparing institutional environment of the two countries based on our original concept of the similarity coefficient, which is constructed according to the mathematical measures of distance between the objects.


This study focuses on the extensive but unacknowledged influence of biblical Hebrew on Western languages, especially English. The critical argument herein is that biblical Hebrew has contributed towards molding the English language, enhancing it with added depth and complexity; it is hoped that this analysis will constitute an important contribution to diachronic linguistics. As a student of Hebrew and the Bible I have sought to detect the more precise and earlier source for words, expressions, and phrases that, rooted in the Bible, encompass inspiring historical, ideological, and philosophical concepts. In order to ensure accuracy and correctness, entries have been researched and substantiated with concordances, lexicons, the Koren Edition of The Jerusalem Bible, classical biblical commentaries and text analyses. Attention is also given to historical factors that have accounted for the influence of Hebrew on the Greek language, on the Latin language of Roman rule and on the languages of lands within the Roman Empire before and after the dispersion of the year 70. Samples of the findings are mostly arranged in categories that span our speech, ranging from the mundane to the sublime. The concluding section browses selected interrelated vocabulary of the Western languages and their corresponding biblical precedents.


Water-distilled essential oils from dried aerial parts of Salvia cryptantha and Salvia heldreichiana (Lamiaceae), endemic in Turkey, were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). Camphor (19.1%), 1,8-cineole (16.4%), borneol (11.9%), viridiflorol (11.5%) and bornyl acetate (2.4%) were found to be the major constituents in the oil of S. cryptantha. The major constituents in the oil of S. heldreichiana were linalool (9.4%), α-pinene (5.6%), 1,8-cineole (5.6%), borneol (5.6%), cryptone (5.3%), linalyl acetate (4.9%), α-terpineol (4.4%), camphor (3.9%), terpinen-4-ol (3.3%), trans-linalool oxide (Furanoid) (2.9%), trans-verbenol (2.2%), geranyl acetate (2.2%) and cis-linalool oxide (Furanoid) (2.1%). Essential oil of S. heldreichiana exhibited antimicrobial activity using the disc diffusion method against Escherichia coli, Sarcinia lutea and Salmonella typhimurium. The oil of S. cryptantha inhibited the growth of S. lutea.


The 3-D moment method is applied to object identification and positioning. A general theory of deriving 3-D moments invariants is proposed. The notion of complex moments is introduced. Complex moments are defined as linear combinations of moments with complex coefficients and are collected into multiplets such that each multiplet transforms irreducibly under 3-D rotations. The application of the 3-D moment method to motion estimation is also discussed. Using group-theoretic techniques, various invariant scalars are extracted from compounds of complex moments via Clebsch-Gordon expansion. Twelve moment invariants consisting of the second-order and third-order moments are explicitly derived. Based on a perturbation formula, it is shown that the second-order moment invariants can be used to predict whether the estimation using noisy data is reliable or not. The new derivation of vector forms also facilities the calculation of motion estimation in a tensor approach. Vectors consisting of the third-order moments can be derived in a similar manner. >


Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels due to defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. With the number of cases expected to increase rapidly in the years to come, diabetes is a growing health challenge worldwide. Of the approximately 16 million diabetics in the United States, about 1.5 million suffer from type 1 diabetes. In this catabolic disorder afflicting predominantly young individuals, blood insulin is almost completely absent, leading to hyperglycemia and alterations in lipid metabolism. Type 1 diabetes is thought to be induced by a toxic or infectious insult that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals. With recent advances in the understanding of the involved immunology and cellular and molecular mechanisms, researchers strive to battle the disease with new preventive and corrective strategies.


Science, a weekly journal, is published each Friday by the American Association for the Advancement of Science at Mt. Royal & Guilford Avenues, Baltimore 2, Maryland. Founded in 1880, it has been since 1900 the official publication of the AAAS. Editorial, Advertising, and Circulation Offices, 1515 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington 5, D. C. Telephone, EXecutive 6060 or 6061. Articles offered for publication should be sent to the Editor, 1515 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington 5, D. C. Membership correspondence for the AAAS should be sent to the Administrative Secretary, 1515 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington 5, D. C. Change of address. Four weeks notice required for change of address. When ordering a change, please furnish an address stencil label from a recent issue. Address changes can be made only if the old as well as the new address is supplied. Annual subscription, $7.50; single copies, $.25; foreign postage (outside the Pan-American Union), $1.00 extra; Canadian postage, 8.50 extra. Remittances and orders for subscriptions and for single copies, notices of changes of address, and claims for missing numbers should be sent to the Circulation Department. Entered as second-class matter July 18, 1923, at the postoffice at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, under the act of March 3, 1879. Re-entered as second-class mailing matter under the act of March 3, 1879, January 17, 1947, at Baltimore, Maryland. Editor: Willard L. Valentine.


Faced with the challenge of multifaceted digital phenomena, researchers in IS and related fields have increasingly adopted qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). However, in the absence of explicit guidelines for how to use QCA for theory development, the popularity and proliferation of QCA possibly amplifies the risk of using QCA in an atheoretical manner, hindering theoretical advancement. In this paper, we offer a conceptual framework and prescriptive guidelines for applying QCA to develop causal recipes that account for complex digital phenomena marked by theoretical and configurational multiplicity. Causal recipes are formal statements explaining how causally relevant elements combine into configurations associated with outcomes of interest. We describe these causal recipes in terms of which causes matter (i.e., factorial logic) and how these causes combine into configurations (i.e., combinatorial logic) to produce target outcomes, and propose an ecology of configurations that elucidates the explanatory power of multiple configurations as well as their explanatory overlap. Further, we offer two illustrative empirical examples to demonstrate the usefulness of our framework and step-by-step guidelines for applying QCA to deductive theory testing as well as inductive theory development on phenomena marked by multiplicity.


Existing series suggest wages in London were higher than in other European cities from 1650 to 1800. This article presents new evidence from the construction sites that supplied the underlying wage data, and uncovers the contractual and organizational context in which they were recorded. Institutional records of wages were profoundly affected by structural changes in the seventeenth century, particularly the emergence of large-scale building contractors. The actual wages paid to London building workers were substantially below current estimates.


This article demonstrates that the usefulness of time-state contingent investment evaluation models need not be constrained by limited time-state contingent markets. Dual solutions to stochastic programs can be used to obtain firm-specific values for risky investments while allowing linear dependence between initial values and later time-state contingent income-technical coefficients. The model could be useful when the exogenous a priori determination of appropriate (and project-specific) risk-adjusted discount rates and/or certainty equivalents is difficult or when the cash equivalents of noncash investment effects are difficult to estimate.


Background Relying solely on altruistic appeals may fail to fulfil the increasing demand for blood supplies. Current research has largely been attempted to determine and understand motives that serve as blood donation drivers. The Trans-Theoretical Model of behaviour change (TTM) can be used to conceptualise the process of intentional blood donation behaviour. Methods A cross sectional survey of Spanish adults was conducted. The final sample consisted of 504 individuals who were administered a self-report questionnaire including the measures of demographic characteristics, Stages of Change, Processes of Change, Self-efficacy and Decisional Balance. Data were analysed by frequency analysis, MANOVA/ANOVA and correlation analysis. Results Findings indicated that most of the behavioural and cognitive processes of change, self-efficacy and physical cons differentiated participants across the stages of change of blood donation. In contrast, eligibility cons and pros were less influential in stage transitions. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between TTM constructs except for the physical cons and the processes of change. Conclusions The present study extensively supports and replicates the applicability of the TTM to blood donation behaviour change and offers important implications for the development of effective stage-matched interventions to increase blood donation.


We tackle the non-convex problem of learning a personalized deep learning model in a decentralized setting. More specifically, we study decentralized federated learning, a peer-to-peer setting where data is distributed among many clients and where there is no central server to orchestrate the training. In real world scenarios, the data distributions are often heterogeneous between clients. Therefore, in this work we study the problem of how to efficiently learn a model in a peer-to-peer system with non-iid client data. We propose a method named Performance-Based Neighbor Selection (PENS) where clients with similar data distributions detect each other and cooperate by evaluating their training losses on each other's data to learn a model suitable for the local data distribution. Our experiments on benchmark datasets show that our proposed method is able to achieve higher accuracies as compared to strong baselines.


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Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA Purpose: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nv-AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in individuals 55 years and older. The advent of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy has greatly altered the visual acuity (VA) prognosis in these patients. While many studies have described treatment outcomes, few have explored the impact of early detection on VA outcomes. Patients and Methods: This retrospective cohort study consisted of treatment-naïve eyes with nv-AMD (ICD9 diagnosis code 362.52) that were treated with bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept by four physician investigators in a large urban tertiary center from March 2008 to October 2015. Eyes were categorized by baseline VA into good (20/50 or better), intermediate (20/50–20/200), and poor (20/200 or worse) initial VA. VA and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings were evaluated throughout the treatment period. Results: 224 eyes were evaluated. Of eyes with good, intermediate, and poor initial VA, 14.1%, 37.2%, and 58.3% showed an increase in 2 or more lines of vision on LogMAR, respectively [p < 0.001], while 71.8%, 40.7%, and 16.7% of eyes had a final VA of 20/50 or better, respectively [p < 0.001]. Average final Snellen VA in eyes with good, intermediate, and poor initial VA was 20/47, 20/96, and 20/277, respectively. Change in VA for good, intermediate, and poor initial VA groups was ΔLogMAR of +0.117, +0.041, and −0.230, respectively. Of eyes with good, intermediate, and poor baseline VA, 42.3%, 20.9%, and 20.0%, respectively, showed resolution of fluid on OCT [p = 0.003]. Conclusion: Patients with good initial VA were more likely to maintain good vision and show resolution of fluid on OCT through follow-up. Patients with poor initial VA tended to gain more vision, however, had poorer final VA. This underscores the importance of early detection and treatment of nv-AMD in maintaining superior outcomes.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Depressed chemotactic activity of polymorphoneutrophil (PMN) and monocyte (MN) appears to be one of the significant risk factors in the development of periodontal disease. Although bacteria are the primary etiologic factor in periodontal disease, the patient's host response is a determinant of disease susceptibility. Depressed chemotaxis of PMN and MN could lead to periodontal destruction by altering the host response i.e. impairment of the normal host response in neutralizing infection and alterations that result in destruction of the surrounding periodontal tissues.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty patients (10 healthy subjects, 10 chronic periodontitis, and 10 with aggressive periodontitis) participated in this study. Clinical parameters like plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depth, and radiographic assessment were done. The peripheral blood PMNs and MNs were isolated from the patient and the chemotactic response was studied. Statistical analysis was performed using post-hoc Newman-Keul range test.

RESULTS
PMN and MN chemotaxis was found to be statistically significant (P<0.05) at baseline and three months after periodontal therapy in chronic and aggressive periodontitis group compared to healthy subjects. However on comparison between chronic and aggressive periodontitis group statistical significance was not found (P>0.05).Comparision between chronic periodontitis, aggressive periodontitis with healthy subjects, PMN and MN chemotaxis showed statistical significance (P<0.05) at baseline and three months after periodontal therapy, Whereas statistically there was no difference when chronic periodontitis was compared with aggressive periodontitis.

INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION
Depressed chemotaxis of PMN and MN results in increased periodontal destruction. In this study, depressed PMN and MN chemotaxis is seen in both aggressive periodontitis group and chronic periodontitis group and the response was altered although to a lesser degree after periodontal therapy in both groups indicating that effect of treatment does exist.


INTRODUCTION
Acquired urachal anomalies are a rare pathology. Gold-standard treatment for this clinical situation remains the resection of the urachus in its entire tract with or without partial resection of the bladder. Our aim is to up-date authors's experience in the minimally invasive surgical treatment of acquired urachal disease.

METHODS
From 2001 to 2007, 14 patients were operated for acquired urachal disease at our institution. A three portal technique previously described by the authors was employed. The diagnosis of acquired uracal disease was confirmed in all cases and the resection of the urachus in its entire tract performed in cephalocaudal direction onto the bladder. Operative and demographic data was prospectively collected and analysis retrospectively performed.

RESULTS
Mean operative time was 63 minutes (45,110), minimal blood loss, and no conversions to open surgery or perioperative complications were verified. The majority of the patients were discharged in the first 24 hours. At a follow-up of 22 months no recurrences of urachal pathology recurrences have been verified.

CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopy plays a significant role in the management of symptomatic urachus anomalies. It allows objective confirmation of clinical diagnosis and adequate resection of the urachus in a safe and efficient fashion, while providing the well-known advantages of minimally acces surgery. Preoperative evaluation work-up has minimal impact of therapeutical decision.


Hand gestures used in conjunction with speech can provide more concrete and accurate information than through speech alone (Wang, Bernas, & Eberhard, 2004). The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of hand gestures on reading comprehension. To examine this hypothesis the researcher designed an eight week study, incorporating the use of hand gestures into the reading lessons and collected data. Eleven second grade students participated in reading lessons which included vocabulary development, a reading strategy focus and practice, and reading of weekly story selection. Data derived from pre and post-reading/comprehension assessments, weekly comprehension tests, and Theme Skills tests showed that the participants' reading comprehension had increased through the use of hand gestures during reading instruction of new vocabulary words and reading strategies.


We use the NIHAO (Numerical Investigation of Hundred Astrophysical Objects) cosmological simulations to investigate the effects of baryonic physics on the time evolution of dark matter central density profiles. The sample is made of ≈70 independent high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation and covers a wide mass range: 1010 ≲ Mhalo/M⊙ ≲ 1012, i.e. from dwarfs to L*. We confirm previous results on the dependence of the inner dark matter density slope, α, on the ratio between stellar-to-halo mass, Mstar/Mhalo. We show that this relation holds approximately at all redshifts (with an intrinsic scatter of ~0.18 in α measured between 1 and 2 per cent of the virial radius). This implies that in practically all haloes the shape of their inner density profile changes quite substantially over cosmic time, as they grow in stellar and total mass. Thus, depending on their final Mstar/Mhalo ratio, haloes can either form and keep a substantial density core (Rcore ~ 1 kpc), or form and then destroy the core and recontract the halo, going back to a cuspy profile, which is even steeper than cold-dark-matter predictions for massive galaxies (1012 M⊙). We show that results from the NIHAO suite are in good agreement with recent observational measurements of α in dwarf galaxies. Overall our results suggest that the notion of a universal density profile for dark matter haloes is no longer valid in the presence of galaxy formation.


An 81-year-old man was admitted in the emergency department approximately four hours after accidental, ingestion of an unknown quantity of herbicide "Galex 500 EC". This product contains 25% of metolachlor and 25% of metobromuron dissolved in xylene. In spite of the fact that the combination of aniline and urea-substituted derivatives is widely used in agriculture as herbicide, there are very few data available about their harmful effects on humans. These agents appear to be mildly toxic, and rarely has a major systemic effect been reported after the poisoning. On admittance, our patient showed remarkable cyanosis and his methaemoglobin level was 38.4% of the total haemoglobin, rising next day to 46.2%. Only mild transient signs of hypoxic effects on central nervous system were observed and the laboratory findings indicated mild haemolysis. Methylene blue was applied intravenously in a dose of 1.5 mg/kg (10 ml, 1% solution) on the second day of admission. Administration of methylene blue was very effective and the patient was discharged from the hospital fully recovered. Language: hr


Objective Knowledge regarding psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) is limited. This study outlines the spectrum and risk of psychiatric disorders in childhood-onset PNES. Methods We performed a nationwide matched cohort study of children and adolescents with PNES 5 to 17 years of age at the time of diagnosis between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2014. Two matched comparison groups were included: children and adolescents with epilepsy (ES) and children and adolescents without PNES or epilepsy, called healthy controls (HC). Outcomes were prevalent psychiatric disorders before index (i.e., date of diagnosis or corresponding date for HC) and incident psychiatric disorders 2 years after index. Relative risks (RRs) were calculated and adjusted for potential confounders. Results We included 384 children and adolescents with validated PNES, 1,152 with ES, and 1,920 HC. Among the cases of PNES, 153 (39.8%) had prevalent psychiatric disorders and 150 (39.1%) had incident psychiatric disorders. Compared to the ES and HC groups, children and adolescents with PNES had elevated risks of both prevalent psychiatric disorders (adjusted RRPNES/ES 1.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.59–2.21, adjusted RRPNES/HC 5.54, 95% CI 4.50–6.81) and incident psychiatric disorders (adjusted RRPNES/ES 2.33, 95% CI 1.92–2.83, adjusted RRPNES/HC 8.37, 95% CI 6.31–11.11). A wide spectrum of specific psychiatric disorders displayed elevated RRs. Conclusions Children and adolescents with PNES are at higher risk of a wide range of psychiatric disorders compared to children and adolescents with ES and HC. A careful psychiatric evaluation is warranted to optimize and individualize treatment.


We conducted a prospective study with the aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of standardized cranberry capsules as prophylaxis in children with recurrent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). Therefore, children and adolescents, aged 2-18 years, with history of recurrent UTIs, were recruited for the study and randomized to receive cranberry in a standardized dose of cranberry extract 125 mg (proanthocyanidins 7.2%), vitamin C 7.5 mg and vitamin E 2.5 mg or not. They were followed for 1 year during which compliance, side-effects and UTI episodes were recorded. Children on cranberry compared to control group presented significantly lower percentage of UTIs, fewer days/year on antibiotic treatment and lower percentage of initiation of antimicrobial prophylaxis (p<0.05) due to UTIs recurrences. In addition, in the subgroup of children with vesicoureteral reflux we observe a significant difference between the cranberry and the controls group in the number of UTIs (p<0.05). No side effects in cranberry group were reported. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Proteus spp. in this order were the predominant species isolated in both groups in the beginning and also in the end of the study. A trend of decrease of E. coli episodes in the cranberry group before and after the treatment was documented (83.3% vs. 66.6%), however, this was not significant (p=0.28). It seems that the use of standardized dose of cranberry seems to be a secure and effective treatment for children with recurrent episodes of UTIs.


Elkind's identity-equivalence paradigm defined the conservation process as two distinct operations. Identity conservation, which occurred first, related to one stimulus before and after it had undergone a transformation. Equivalence conservation, the standard conservation problem, was defined as the comparison between two stimuli before and after transformation of one of the stimuli. The developmental progression of the operations, the age of the child at which they could be observed, and the criteria most likely to identify their existence were unanswered questions which became the focus for this study. Methodology consisted of the administration of one introductory language experience and four conservation tasks, two each on Number and Substance content. One identity task (Papalia & Hooper, 1972) and one equivalence task (Goldschmid & Bentler, 1968) were presented in each content area. Subjects were 60 preschoolers, 20 4-year-olds, 18 5-year-olds, and 22 6-year-olds from a private preschool program. Each of the five tasks was administered for five trials, with the last trial followed by a request for a verbal justification. Passing a task consisted of four out of five correct responses, with or without a verbal justification.


COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
Progress in determining the genome sequences of complex organisms has reinforced the idea that much will become clear (although there still will be much biology to be studied). An idea of what will become possible can be gleaned from studies of the bacteriophage T7, which is known to contain 39,937 bp of DNA, encoding 59 proteins that together serve to hijack Escherichia coli into making more T7 particles.

Endy et al. constructed a simulation of the life cycle of T7 and used this model to compute the synthetic rates of T7 proteins and the overall growth rate (virus.molsci.org/t7). These compared reasonably well with the observed values for wild-type phage and for some, but not all, mutants in which the gene for T7 RNA polymerase had been repositioned. They then randomly permuted the T7 genome and found that less than 5% of these simulated phages displayed a computational growth rate faster than that of the wild type, revealing that this descendant of a laboratory isolate from half a century ago is quite fit indeed.— GJC

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97 , 5379 (2000).


The various therapeutic approaches for reflux oesophagitis are to enhance oesophageal clearance, to coat damaged tissue, to increase the competence of the reflux barrier, to reduce the volume and pH of gastric contents, and to improve gastric emptying and pyloric sphincter competence. Unfortunately, drug therapy of reflux oesophagitis is not yet ideal. Of the prokinetic agents, cisapride is the only drug with proven benefit. Single-agent therapy with the H2-receptor antagonists or sucralfate results in similar degrees of symptom relief and healing. Rapid symptom relief and healing are achieved by omeprazole; however, the significance of sustained achlorhydria remains to be established. Dinnertime dosing of cimetidine appears to be a rational method of suppressing late-evening gastric acidity. Patients with severe or recalcitrant disease should not be treated with conventional therapy alone; the results of controlled studies of combination therapy with the H2-receptor antagonists and sucralfate or cisapride will be viewed with interest.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate in a community sample the association of suicide-related cognitions and behaviors ("thoughts of death", "desire for death", "suicidal thoughts", and "suicidal attempts") with the comorbidity of depressive disorders (major depressive episode or dysthymia) and alcohol or substance use disorders.

METHOD
The sample was 1464 subjects interviewed in their homes using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview to generate DSM-III-R diagnosis. Descriptive statistics depicted the prevalence of suicide-related cognitions and behaviors by socio-demographic variables and diagnoses considered (major depressive episode, dysthymia, alcohol or substance use disorders). We performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to estimate the effect of comorbid major depressive episode/dysthymia and alcohol or substance use disorders on each of the suicide-related cognitions and behaviors.

RESULTS
The presence of major depressive episode and dysthymia was significantly associated with suicide-related cognitions and behaviors. In the regression models, suicide-related cognitions and behaviors were predicted by major depressive episode (OR=range 2.3-9.2) and dysthymia (OR=range 5.1-32.6), even in the presence of alcohol use disorders (OR=range 2.3-4.0) or alcohol or substance use disorders (OR=range 2.7-2.8). The interaction effect was observed between major depressive episode and alcohol use disorders, as well as between dysthymia and gender. Substance use disorders were excluded from most of the models.

CONCLUSION
Presence of major depressive episode and dysthymia influences suicide-related cognitions and behaviors, independently of the presence of alcohol or substance use disorders. However, alcohol use disorders and gender interact with depressive disorders, displaying a differential effect on suicide-related cognitions and behaviors.


PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY SUPERVISORS AND PRACTITIONERS ABOUT SUPERVISION PRACTICES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION OF THE US: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY USING CONCEPT MAPPING by Brandi J. Wells Supervision is essential to the development of school psychologists. Effective supervision cultivates professional competence and objectivity, enhances service delivery, encourages critical thinking and problem solving, and supports school psychologists to engage in continuous professional development activities. Yet, there is little information available about how school psychology practitioners and supervisors view supervision and in what ways actual supervision practices can improve. This study employed concept mapping, which is a structured analytic methodology that allows qualitative and quantitative data to be expressed as visual models to explore practicing school psychologists' and supervisors' perceptions about supervision by: (a) investigating what impediments hindered supervision efforts, (b) identifying what advocacy methods may increase supervision opportunities, and (c) examining whether and how school psychologists and supervisors agree on potential impediments and possible facilitators to improve supervision practices. Overall, participants reported that they provided or received supervision and were generally satisfied with it; however, practitioners received much less than the time recommended by national professional associations. Although, participants were generally pleased with supervision, they also believed that supervision needed more structure, ongoing formal evaluations, setting of goals, and time management. Further, few supervisors follow established models or used clinical techniques during supervision and there was a need for formal training of supervisors. Participants suggested the following to facilitate supervision in authentic school settings: (a) planning and committing to supervision, (b) setting parameters and guidelines, (c) identifying appropriate supervisors, (d) using alternative supervision formats, and (e) seeking guidance and direction from the National Association of School Psychologists. Recommendations for practice and future research are discussed. PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY SUPERVISORS AND PRACTITIONERS ABOUT SUPERVISION PRACTICES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION OF THE US: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY USING CONCEPT MAPPING by Brandi J. Wells


Automatic dialog act recognition is a task that has been widely explored over the years. In recent works, most approaches to the task explored different deep neural network architectures to combine the representations of the words in a segment and generate a segment representation that provides cues for intention. In this study, we explore means to generate more informative segment representations, not only by exploring different network architectures, but also by considering different token representations, not only at the word level, but also at the character and functional levels. At the word level, in addition to the commonly used uncontextualized embeddings, we explore the use of contextualized representations, which are able to provide information concerning word sense and segment structure. Character-level tokenization is important to capture intention-related morphological aspects that cannot be captured at the word level. Finally, the functional level provides an abstraction from words, which shifts the focus to the structure of the segment. Additionally, we explore approaches to enrich the segment representation with context information from the history of the dialog, both in terms of the classifications of the surrounding segments and the turn-taking history. This kind of information has already been proved important for the disambiguation of dialog acts in previous studies. Nevertheless, we are able to capture additional information by considering a summary of the dialog history and a wider turn-taking context. By combining the best approaches at each step, we achieve performance results that surpass the previous state-of-the-art on generic dialog act recognition on both the Switchboard Dialog Act Corpus (SwDA) and the ICSI Meeting Recorder Dialog Act Corpus (MRDA), which are two of the most widely explored corpora for the task. Furthermore, by considering both past and future context, similarly to what happens in an annotation scenario, our approach achieves a performance similar to that of a human annotator on SwDA and surpasses it on MRDA.


1998 was the warmest year since reliable records have been kept, according to studies by both NASA and the World Metereological Association. This marks the 20th consecutive year with an above normal global surface temperature. The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch men with fire; men were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God (Rev. 16.8). 'Nothing is going to happen.' 'I know nothing's going to happen, you know nothing's going to happen. But at some level we ought to think about it anyway, just in case.' I Somehow, amid the warm fuss and bustle of the everyday, I had mislaid the climate crisis. I'm not sure how I lost something so big. Talk about the weather had never quite regained the innocence it lost over a decade ago, when I read Bill McKibbin's The End of Nature, warning in tones of prophetic urgency about the consequences of our denial of the climate change underway. But I had fallen back to safe small-talk kind of weather, its changes day by day, neighborly news: it's the topic we all share, and share willingly, the topos ('place') of all topics. It is the only topic that ever works with the kindly, melancholic doorman. His heavily accented English drops toward sorrow-ing silence on any other subject. But on the vicissitudes of weather—whether we should wear our hats, get home before the storm, walk in the park—he brightens and risks a bit of interchange. Why would I want to burden this delicate zone of human co-creatureliness with warnings about warming?


This study explores the potential role of cinnamaldehyde from cinnamon to elicit immunity against the pathogens of COVID-19. In the culture of traditional and herbal treatments, it was more valuable than gold. It has been observed that coronavirus infects cells of an organism including innate and adaptive immune cells. Cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and other secondary metabolism of cinnamon extract, have a potential role to interact with spike protein of coronavirus. Available literature supports the suitability of cinnamon for acute respiratory infectious disease syndromes. It might be a promising source for the immune system to control viral infections like COVID-19. Preclinical and clinical trials are necessary for the safety and efficacy of the drug.


Behavioral evolution relies on genetic changes, yet few social behaviors can be traced to specific genetic sequences in vertebrates. Here, we show experimental evidence that differentiation of a single gene has contributed to divergent behavioral phenotypes in the white-throated sparrow, a common North American songbird. In this species, one of two alleles of ESR1, encoding estrogen receptor α (ERα), has been captured inside a differentiating supergene that segregates with an aggressive phenotype, such that ESR1 expression predicts aggression. Here, we show that the aggressive phenotype associated with the supergene is prevented by ESR1 knockdown in a single brain region. Next, we show that in a free-living population, aggression is predicted by allelic imbalance favoring the supergene allele. Cis-regulatory variation between the two alleles affects transcription factor binding sites, DNA methylation, and rates of transcription. This work provides a rare illustration of how genotypic divergence has led to behavioral phenotypic divergence in a vertebrate.


Behavioural flexibility allows an animal to adapt its behaviour in response to changes in the environment. Research conducted in primates, rodents and domestic fowl suggests greater behavioural persistence and reduced behavioural flexibility in males. We investigated sex differences in behavioural flexibility in fish by comparing male and female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in a reversal learning task. Fish were first trained on a colour discrimination, which was learned equally rapidly by males and females. However, once the reward contingency was reversed, females were better at inhibiting the previous response and reached criterion twice as fast as males. When reward reversing was repeated, males gradually reduced the number of errors, and the two sexes had a comparable performance after four reversals. We suggest that sex differences in behavioural flexibility in guppies can be explained in terms of the different roles that males and females play in reproduction.


Background: Hemodynamic regulation involves extensive cross-talk between the renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-kinin systems. Results: In vascular smooth muscle, "biased" AT1 agonists inhibit both AT1 and B2 signaling by internalizing AT1-B2 heterodimers. Conclusion: AT1 antagonists and arrestin-selective biased AT1 agonists have opposing effects on B2 signaling. Significance: Negative allosteric modulation of B2 signaling by biased AT1 agonists may impact their clinical utility. The renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-kinin systems are key regulators of vascular tone and inflammation. Angiotensin II, the principal effector of the renin-angiotensin system, promotes vasoconstriction by activating angiotensin AT1 receptors. The opposing effects of the kallikrein-kinin system are mediated by bradykinin acting on B1 and B2 bradykinin receptors. The renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-kinin systems engage in cross-talk at multiple levels, including the formation of AT1-B2 receptor heterodimers. In primary vascular smooth muscle cells, we find that the arrestin pathway-selective AT1 agonist, [Sar1,Ile4,Ile8]-AngII, but not the neutral AT1 antagonist, losartan, inhibits endogenous B2 receptor signaling. In a transfected HEK293 cell model that recapitulates this effect, we find that the actions of [Sar1,Ile4, Ile8]-AngII require the AT1 receptor and result from arrestin-dependent co-internalization of AT1-B2 heterodimers. BRET50 measurements indicate that AT1 and B2 receptors efficiently heterodimerize. In cells expressing both receptors, pretreatment with [Sar1,Ile4,Ile8]-AngII blunts B2 receptor activation of Gq/11-dependent intracellular calcium influx and Gi/o-dependent inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. In contrast, [Sar1,Ile4,Ile8]-AngII has no effect on B2 receptor ligand affinity or bradykinin-induced arrestin3 recruitment. Both radioligand binding assays and quantitative microscopy-based analysis demonstrate that [Sar1,Ile4,Ile8]-AngII promotes internalization of AT1-B2 heterodimers. Thus, [Sar1,Ile4,Ile8]-AngII exerts lateral allosteric modulation of B2 receptor signaling by binding to the orthosteric ligand binding site of the AT1 receptor and promoting co-sequestration of AT1-B2 heterodimers. Given the opposing roles of the renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-kinin systems in vivo, the distinct properties of arrestin pathway-selective and neutral AT1 receptor ligands may translate into different pharmacologic actions.


This paper deals with workforce planning to present a system dynamics model that allows the user to examine the effects of changes in the workforce planning problems associated with staff recruitment, staff shortages and staff surpluses and to study the behavior of the recruitment staff in the process. The work sets out to investigate the effects on the overall system dynamic behavior of recruit staff in process feedback and lead time variation in real time. Simulations results are presented to illustrate how this model may be utilized to select an optimum training rate by devising appropriate training policy parameters with reference to minimizing training time to achieve target levels for an organization. System dynamics models can be used as a flight simulator by the management to optimize organizational learning interventions such as knowledge creation, knowledge erosion recruitment, training, learning, staff hiring and attrition rates. We anticipate that system dynamics modeling would help the decision maker to devise medium to long term efficient workforce planning strategies. The major contribution of this paper is the development of Automated Pipeline Skill pool Model (APSKPM) as a new methodology of looking at system behavior by real time lead-time variation.


As a small economy that has built its future on manufacturing excellence, Taiwan has a big stake in nanotechnology. On the one hand, our manufacturing strength makes nanotechnology a unique opportunity. On the other, it also makes nanotechnology the one R&D battle we can least afford to lose. To come out ahead takes coherent planning and disciplined actions and, above all, the ability to marry nanotechnology's creative power to the dynamics of the marketplace. Such will be the challenges facing Taiwan's National Nanotechnology Program and its central R&D force-ITRI. For us, the future is literally now.


Presents an algorithm for extracting keywords representing the asserted main point in a document, without relying on external devices such as natural-language processing tools or a document corpus. Our algorithm, KeyGraph, is based on the segmentation of a graph, representing the co-occurrence between terms in a document, into clusters. Each cluster corresponds to a concept on which an author's idea is based, and the top-ranked terms are selected as keywords using a statistic based on each term's relationship to these clusters. This strategy comes from considering that a document is constructed like a building for expressing new ideas based on traditional concepts. The experimental results show that the thus-extracted terms match the author's main point quite accurately, even though KeyGraph does not use each term's average frequency in a corpus, i.e. KeyGraph is a content-sensitive, domain-independent indexing device.


Phased-locked arrays of buried-ridge InP/InGaAsP diode lasers, emitting at 1.3 μm, were investigated both theoretically and experimentally. These arrays consist of index-guided buried-ridge lasers which are coupled via their evanescent optical fields. The field patterns and the modal gains of the array supermodes were calculated by using a simple waveguide model. The theoretical results show that buried-ridge arrays can be designed such that only the fundamental supermode is excited. In that case, the array lasers are coupled in-phase, which yields single-lobed, diffraction limited far-field patterns. The buried-ridge InP/InGaAsP arrays were grown by liquid phase epitaxy. These arrays exhibited single-lobed beams less than 4° in width up to more than twice the threshold current. Comparison of the measured field patterns and the calculated ones indicated that these arrays oscillated mainly in the fundamental supermode.


The purpose of this study is to establish the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. Two main dimensions of service quality were taken i.e. reliability and empathy. This is a quantitative analysis and the data was collected in the form of communication-based questionnaires. The sample size was 400 respondents and four main telecom service providers were considered for the study. The results were calculated by analytical software SPSS-20. It was concluded that service reliability and service empathy both have an effect on customer satisfaction. It was also determined that some factors were more satisfactory than the others. The findings of study reveal that percentages of customer satisfaction change with the service quality dimensions of reliability and empathy. Overall, it can be established that there is a significant relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality dimensions of empathy and reliability. Keywords: Service Quality, Empathy, Reliability, Customer satisfaction.


This report presented descriptive results of a novel survey on IT practices in the context of new product development (NPD) in German and Japanese manufacturing SMEs. Based on dedicated questionnaire-based surveys in both countries, the report demonstrated that there are a number of commonalities between German and Japanese SMEs. It is found that German firms are more advanced in use of digital applications, while Japanese firms are more likely to be involved in collaboration for NPD. However, this difference disappears when the business environment faced by both samples is controlled. In terms of business performance impacts of digitalization and NPD process, a complementarity between them regarding specific business partners (supplier or customer firms) is found in Japan, while digital applications with multiple users is positively correlated with business performance in Germany.


Children are increasingly becoming iconic faces associated with wars and the suffering they inflict. This paper examines coverage of the Syrian war, namely the battle of Aleppo, by RT (formerly known as Russia Today) and Al-Jazeera English (AJE). The focus is on child representations in RT and AJE news reports in Syria between 1 August and 31 December 2016. Based on a visual content analysis of 216 and 161 news clips from RT and AJE respectively, this paper identifies and discusses the four main roles that children were shown to play, namely those of "victims", "sources", "décor" and "fighters". The analysis presented here raises urgent ethical questions relating to the ways in which journalists (should) report about children without exposing them to possible harm.


Learning classifiers that are robust to adversarial examples has received a great deal of recent attention. A major drawback of the standard robust learning framework is there is an artificial robustness radius $r$ that applies to all inputs. This ignores the fact that data may be highly heterogeneous, in which case it is plausible that robustness regions should be larger in some regions of data, and smaller in others. In this paper, we address this limitation by proposing a new limit classifier, called the neighborhood optimal classifier, that extends the Bayes optimal classifier outside its support by using the label of the closest in-support point. We then argue that this classifier maximizes the size of its robustness regions subject to the constraint of having accuracy equal to the Bayes optimal. We then present sufficient conditions under which general non-parametric methods that can be represented as weight functions converge towards this limit, and show that both nearest neighbors and kernel classifiers satisfy them under certain conditions.


Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen commonly associated with cattle feces. Diet, including dietary supplements such as β-agonists, may impact fecal shedding of this pathogen. A series of three experiments were conducted to determine if the β-agonists ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) or zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) would impact the level or prevalence of fecal E. coli O157:H7 shedding. In Experiment 1, dietary RAC did not impact fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 based on the level or prevalence, but the addition of dietary soybean meal (SBM) in the study did reduce E. coli O157:H7 shedding. In Experiments 2 and 3, dietary ZH did not affect fecal E. coli O157:H7 shedding as determined by enumeration or prevalence, but in Experiment 2 the addition of 30% (dry matter basis) wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) in the diet tended to increase E. coli O157:H7 shedding. Shade is a potential management tool to reduce heat stress in cattle, and in Experiment 3 the presence of shade over the feedlot pens did not affect E. coli O157:H7 shedding. The use of β-agonists in cattle diets did not significantly affect fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7, and in particular the percentage of animals shedding enumerable levels of the pathogen did not change, indicating that there was not a change in colonization. As has been reported previously and indicated again in this study, the use of WDGS in the diet may increase E. coli O157:H7 shedding. In contrast, the addition of SBM to cattle diets, to increase the dietary crude protein, appeared to reduce E. coli O157:H7 shedding, but this potential dietary intervention needs to be confirmed with additional research.


Bill Morrison's film Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016) is about a famous story among archivists: in 1978, 533 nitrate film reels, mostly from the 1910s, were discovered in what used to be a swimming pool in a remote city in Canada. Many of these films were thought to be completely lost, and the Dawson City Film Find remain the only surviving prints to date. This paper will expose Morrison's work as media archaeology practice, connected to media archaeology's main thematic thread histories of the present. Morrison explores the Dawson City story as motive for a reflection on historical and material time. Erkki Huhtamo's topos approach will be used as the framework for the analysis of Morrison's treatment of history; and Vivian Sobchack's conditions for experiencing the past as "presence" will inform the analysis regarding the importance of the film materiality. Finally, Eelco Runia's thoughts on metonymic and metaphorical devices will inform the connection between history and presence.


A multitude of geophysical processes contribute to and determine variations and changes in the height of the Baltic Sea water surface. These processes act on a broad range of characteristic spatial and timescales ranging from a few seconds to millennia. On very long timescales, the northern parts of the Baltic are uplifting due to the still ongoing visco-elastic response of the Earth to the last deglaciation, and mean sea level is decreasing in these regions. Over centuries, the Baltic Sea responds to changes in global and North Atlantic mean sea level. Processes affecting global mean sea level, such as warming of the world ocean or melting of glaciers and of polar ice sheets, do have an imprint on Baltic Sea levels. Over decades, variations and changes in atmospheric circulation affect transport through the Danish Straits connecting the Baltic and North seas. As a result, the amount of water in the Baltic Sea and the height of the sea level vary. Similarly, atmospheric variability on shorter timescales down to a few days cause shorter period variations of transport through the Danish Straits and Baltic Sea level. On even shorter timescales, the Danish Straits act as a low pass filter, and high frequency variations of the water surface within the Baltic Sea such as storm surges, wind waves, or seiches are solely caused internally. All such processes have undergone considerable variations and changes in the past. Similarly, they are expected to show variations and changes in the future and across a broad range of scales, leaving their imprint on observed and potential future Baltic Sea level and its variability.


Early-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (T1–2a;N0;M0) represents a small proportion of nasopharyngeal tumors. Radiotherapy alone is the current treatment approach for this tumor and the emerging role of new radiotherapy techniques will hopefully further improve the treatment outcome for these patients. The vast majority of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma is diagnosed with locally advanced disease. Concomitant chemoradiotherapy is now acknowledged as being a standard treatment option, even though it induces a considerable incidence of acute mucosal and hematologic toxicity. The issue of adding adjuvant chemotherapy is somewhat more controversial. Similarly, the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy before concomitant chemoradiotherapy is a matter of interest. In patients with recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma the prognosis is generally grim, as platinum-based chemotherapy results in a 50–70% response rate and in a median survival time of 11 months. Several trials have been performed on this subset of patients with both cytotoxic and biologic agents, but the results have not been particularly encouraging thus far. Epstein–Barr virus is associated with the vast majority of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Concentrations of plasma Epstein–Barr virus DNA have been associated with treatment outcome in the clinic. Immunotherapy is generally well tolerated and can sometimes elicit significant immune response, which possibly induces clinical benefit in some patients.


School building architecture has greatly gained in pedagogical significance during the last years. Students of the 21st century have access to increasingly more workspaces customized for various studies, rooms for teamwork and cafeterias. Multi-functional communal spaces, exhibition spaces and sports facilities also play an important role in education if you happen to be hitting the books in a newly built or a recently expanded building. "Schools: Educational Spaces" presents more than 60 international projects which set themselves apart not only with their modern architectural vocabulary, but also with their architects hope of being their contribution to the improvement of educational standards, placed of late under the scrutinizing eye of the media.