This paper describes a demonstration of the product line engineering tool and framework Gears from BigLever software. Gears provides a single feature modeling language, a single variation point mechanism, and a single automated product configurator that are used to configure a product portfolio's shared engineering assets appropriately for each product in the portfolio. The result is an automated production line capability that can quickly produce any product in the portfolio from the same, single set of shared assets.


A port is a facility for receiving ships and transferring cargo. They are usually found at the edge of an ocean, sea, river or lake. In the last few decades, due to huge upshot of globalization, the world economy has experienced rapid growth in shipping industry and international trade. Bangladesh with a population of 150 million has a remarkable volume of international trade of which 80% in sea borne. Although two seaports, namely Chittagong and Mongla, are the gateways, Bangladesh use its largest sea port Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to connect to the whole world. CPA handles nearly 90% of all sea borne trade, highlighting its importance to the economy of Bangladesh in spite of several deficiencies. CPA contributes to 33% of Bangladesh GOVT. revenue. Bangladesh being a global front-runner in the RMG exports has also achieved significant position in some other export items like leather goods, jute, tea and frozen foods. On the other hand, Bangladesh imports electronic and automobiles goods, consumer goods, chemical etc. from china, Japan and India. Due to significant contribution to the total country's revenue and growth, it has become very important to analyze the Efficiency of CPA. This study uses different financial and statistical tools in analyzing the efficacy of CPA. Keywords: Financial performance, operational performance, Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), ratio analysis.


In this paper, a performance analysis on multihop wireless networks based on CSMA/CA for non-saturated environments is presented. Specifically, the model provides an accurate per-flow throughput performance for various types of heterogeneous non-saturated traffic. Simulation results confirm the accuracy of the model which provides deeper insights into the behavior of random access protocols based on CSMA/CA.


We propose a new representation setting for hedonic games, where each agent partitions the set of other agents into friends, enemies, and neutral agents, with friends and enemies being ranked. Under the assumption that preferences are monotonic (respectively, antimonotonic) with respect to the addition of friends (respectively, enemies), we propose a bipolar extension of the responsive extension principle, and use this principle to derive the (partial) preferences of agents over coalitions. Then, for a number of solution concepts, we characterize partitions that necessarily or possibly satisfy them, and we study the related problems in terms of their complexity.


Lettuce dieback disease is widespread in commercially grown romaine and leaf-type lettuces, but not in iceberg-type cultivars. The disease is caused by two closely related Tombusviruses: Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) and Lettuce necrotic stunt virus (LNSV). A single dominant gene (Tvr1) on chromosomal linkage group 2 has been found to be responsible for the resistance observed in modern iceberg lettuces. A population of 192 F 8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed from crosses between the susceptible romaine cultivar 'Valmaine' and the resistant iceberg cultivars 'Salinas 88' and 'Salinas' was used to pinpoint the position of the resistance gene with EST-based molecular markers. Nine markers closely linked to the Tvrl gene were subsequently tested for association with resistance in a set of 68 accessions from all horticultural types of lettuce. Sequencing of the marker that matched precisely with resistance revealed the presence of three haplotypes in L. sativa, two of them associated with resistance. High-resolution DNA melting analysis, which allows detection of all three haplotypes in a single analysis, was successfully applied to study the marker-trait association. Results confirmed the usefulness of the marker for marker-assisted selection in all types of cultivated lettuce.


Transcutaneous wires and pins in wire-tension Ilizarov external fixators provide frame stability, transfix and transport bone segments, produce distraction, and stimulate transosseous osteogenesis. Vascular compromise by the transfixing pins and wires is nevertheless an ongoing possibility. Based on earlier studies of a two-phase method of measuring vascular blood blow, noninvasive vascular monitoring was performed on three patients undergoing Ilizarov method limb lengthening.


REPORT OF A CASE A 65-year-old man was admitted for surgical excision of extensive cutaneous tumors on the lower extremities, the ninth such operation in 10 years. Indications for surgery included local bleeding from minimal trauma, limitation of motion, and cosmetic disfigurement. Recent medical issues had included chronic intermittent crampy abdominal pain, particularly precipitated by alcohol; episodic flushing, warmth, and palpitations; a history of anaphylaxis associated with the ingestion of aspirin; and gradual weight loss of approximately 11.25 kg (25 lbs) over the preceding 10 years. On examination, the patient was an emaciated elderly man in good spirits. Both lower extremities were covered with spongy, friable, purple-red nodules up to 5 cm in diameter, sparing only the patella region and the soles of the feet (Fig 1). The trunk and upper extremities revealed smaller nodules and reddish-brown plaques (Fig 2) as well as areas of macular telangiectasia (Fig 3).


Representational Momentum (RepMo) refers to the phenomenon that the vanishing position of a moving target is perceived as displaced ahead in the direction of movement. Originally taken to reflect a strict internalization of physical momentum, the finding that the target implied mass did not have an effect led to its subsequent reinterpretation as a second-order isomorphism between mental representations and principles of the physical world. However, very few studies have addressed the effects of mass on RepMo, and consistent replications of the null effect are lacking. The extent of motor engagement of the observers in RepMo tasks has, on the other hand, been suggested to determine the occurrence of the phenomenon; however, no systematic investigations were made of the degree to which it might modulate the effect of target mass. In the present work, we use Information Integration Theory to study the joint effects of different motor responses, target velocity and target mass on RepMo, and also of velocity and target mass on rating responses. Outcomes point not only to an effect of mass on RepMo, as to a differential effect of response modality on kinematic (e.g., velocity) and dynamic (e.g., mass) variables. Comparisons of patterns of mislocalisation with phenomenological ratings suggest that simplification of physical principles, rather than strict internalization or isomorphism per se, might underlie RepMo.


The locally focused dissolution of the rock material (e.g., below dolines and dry valleys) in karst systems and in general percolating clusters of fractures in consolidated aquifer systems trigger the development of preferential flow paths in the vadose zone. Rainfall events may initiate rapid mass fluxes via macropores and fractures (e.g., as gravitationally-driven films) that lead to source-responsive water table fluctuations and comparably short residence times within the vadose zone. The degree of partitioning into a slow diffuse infiltration component and a rapid localized part depends, amongst others, on the hydraulic interaction of porous matrix and fracture domain as well as the geometrical characteristics of the fracture systems (e.g., persistence, connectivity) that are often difficult to obtain or unknown under most field conditions. Given their importance in water-resource management, specifically in arid and semi-arid regions (e.g., Mediterranean), it is desirable to recover such infiltration dynamics in porous-fractured systems with physically-based yet not overparameterized models. Here, we simulate water table fluctuations in a karst catchment in southwest Germany (Gallusquelle) using a source-responsive film flow model based on borehole and precipitation data. The model takes into account interfacial connectivity between slow and fast domain as well as phreatic zone discharge via classical recession analysis. This case study shows the potential importance of preferential flows while modeling water table responses in karst systems and recognizes the need for formulations other than those applied for a diffuse bulk fractured domain where infiltration patterns are assumed to be homogeneous without formation of infiltration instabilities along preferential pathways.


Background/Aim: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have dramatically changed the clinical outcomes of advanced tumours. However, biomarkers for monitoring immunological features during immunotherapy remain unclear, especially those in the peripheral blood, which are easily available. This study evaluated the usefulness of nCounter Analysis System in identifying immunological biomarkers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) during ICI therapy. Patients and Methods: PBMCs from two patients who responded well to ICI therapy were used, and the expression levels of immune-related mRNA and extracellular proteins were analyzed. Results: Changes in the expression levels of 55 genes from pre-treatment to on-treatment were bioinformatically similar between the two cases. The expression levels of PD-1 were consistent with those by flow cytometry analysis, a reliable tool for monitoring various markers. Conclusion: The nCounter Analysis System may be a potent tool to simultaneously investigate genes and proteins on PBMCs as biomarkers during immunotherapy using a small amount of sample.


Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso has been developing a National Project named "CompiteMAS". One of the goals of that project is based on creating a set of sustainability indicators for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Chile. Today this platform is being implemented in other countries in the region. At least 30 general indicators for social, environmental and production aspects in companies were created, as well as 30 more indicators regarding specific sustainability features in specific sectors were added. A table of contents has been developed for each indicator, in which formula, periodicity, goals and description are described. Finally, individual data of each company are collected and included in the CompiteMAS platform. That website transforms social, environmental and production data into indicators to analyse the sustainability work for a specific period of time. After that, to establish a benchmark by each production sector, the calculated indicators are chosen by aspect to create a ranking. That matrix gives information to the organizations about their good results at, for example, energy efficiency or social responsibility actions, compared with the remaining companies for the same period and production sector. Thanks to that project, smaller Chilean companies can report their indicators using sustainability reporting as a strategy to enter into new markets, which demands transparency and the companies' information.


This paper introduces a framework for data modeling to support ubiquitous computing based on context-awareness.  Data always grow in term of volume, variety, velocity, and value. The problem arises when it grows exponentially. Consequently, data is anywhere and requirements change in early data definitions then data design become not as the plan.  Therefore, suitable approach with new paradigm and methods of data modeling needs to be enhanced to solve the problems in the real world. Data model must consider the active object that related to each other. Any objects may interact with each other in a ubiquitous way and recorded in digital technology. Sensors, actuator devices, and radio frequency identification technology may support communication between objects through ubiquitous computing. The data model in Ubiquitous Computing needs to restructure to become active and dynamic.  Ubiquitous computing is a model that enable all objects around the people to communicate and invisible. In order to support this paradigm, a new perspective of how data are designed and stored on each object is needed. Furthermore, using ubiquitous computing, the pervasive network can request and response information, which means the devices may communicate and has the initiative to solve a problem without human intervention.  Human wants more intelligence objects. Therefore, more sensors and memory are required. Data structures need to enhance or embedded into any devices that interact with the human.


The process of developing complex systems often involves knowledge of engineers from multiple domains: e.g., to develop a robot one needs to combine expertise about mechanics, electronics, and software. Such domain-specific knowledge is often represented in a form of interdependent models, consequently a change in a model of one domain might impact a model from a different domain. Thus, identifying which models are affected due to a change is an important problem, which is further exacerbated due to heterogeneity of modeling notations used.The aim of this PhD research project is to facilitate model management in a multi-domain setting. In the earlier stage of this study, we investigated the available approaches used to manage models from different domains. We concluded that the available approaches are tool-dependent, and do not fully support co-evolution of the models. Additionally, previous research recommends to explicitly indicate the dependency between models in order to support the co-evolution of models from different domains. Since these models are created using different modeling notations we believe that it is not reasonable to develop a tool to parse every notation. Furthermore, it is possible that the source code of the model is missing, but engineers still have an image of the model. Thus, to ensure the maintenance of multi-domain systems we investigated the suitability of optical character recognition (OCR) as a uniform approach. We observed that even though OCR has shortcomings, it produces satisfactory results, and once the identified shortcomings are addressed, OCR can become a crucial technology to support the evolution of multi-domain systems. To this end we envision the development of an infrastructure where we can use OCR to identify relationships between models from different domains, store them in a structured manner making it easier to maintain the consistency of the entire system.


The excess heat that is generated from PV modules can be removed and converted into useful thermal energy. A photovoltaic/thermal(PVT) module is a combination of photovoltaic module with a solar thermal collector, forming one device that converts solar radiation into electricity and heat simultaneously. In general, two types of PVT can be distinguished: glass-covered PVT module, which produces high-temperature heat but has a slightly lower electrical yield, and uncovered PVT module, which produces relatively low-temperature heat but has a somewhat higher electrical performance. In this paper, the experimental performance of water type unglazed PVT combined module, analyzed. The electrical and thermal performance of the module were measured in outdoor conditions, and the results are analyzed. The results showed that the thermal efficiency of the PVT module was 27.05% average and its PV efficiency was about 11.85% average, both depending on solar radiation, inlet water temperature and ambient temperature.


DSTATCOM used the direct current control method to suppress the voltage flickering which is caused by the undulatory property load, its reactive current tracking performance plays a decisive role for the inhibitory effect of the device.Considered the parameter installation difficulty and electrical network parameter dynamic change characteristic for conventional PI control when designs the controller, fuzzy logic was proposed that used to make the online adjustment for PI controller's parameter, which makes DSTATCOM has strong auto-adapted and robustness character. When the electrical network parameter changed, DSTATCOM still can suppress the voltage flickering very well. The digital simulation result has confirmed the control policy accuracy and validity.


A new tool for analysing antenna radiation patterns is proposed in this article. This tool consists in applying a spherical wavelet transform to the radiation which is assumed to be known on a regular spherical-coordinates grid. This is an alternative solution to usual plane-waves or spherical harmonic expansions. The interest of using wavelets is to obtain a better analysis in terms of localization in position and/or direction. The direct link between spherical wavelets and spherical harmonics is also highlighted. The properties of this tool are illustrated by means of numerical experiments performed on two typical antennas, a canonical aperture and a pyramidal horn.


The notion of sports fandom is generally built on the ways men understand and relate to sport. In this research, we explore how women, who come together in an online place, define and understand sport with the goal of better understanding female fandom. Using Coakley's ((2004) Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies. New York: McGraw-Hill) framework for conceptualizing sport and Lenskyj's ((1994) Women, Sport, and Physical Activity: Selected Research Themes. Gloucester, ON, Canada: Sport Information Resource Centre for Sport Canada) feminist approaches to competition, we analyzed the profiles of women bloggers who write about sports in two online communities, BlogHer and Women Talk Sports, to examine their relationship to sport from a feminist perspective. The analysis suggests that women's interest is predominantly reflected, not through consumption, but through participation. In addition, women in these networks complicated dominant ideologies about the role of sport as many of them considered participation and competition as a site for building connections and empowering other women. Finally, women who wrote about sport fandom engaged in the construction of "woman's perspective" on men's sports and in advocacy of women's sports. We argue that these women bloggers offer an alternative approach and, thus, may challenge the masculine understanding of performance-oriented institutionalized sports.


Motivated by rolling adhesion of white blood cells in the vasculature, we study how cells move in linear shear flow above a wall to which they can adhere via specific receptor-ligand bonds. Our computer simulations are based on a Langevin equation accounting for hydrodynamic interactions, thermal fluctuations, and adhesive interactions. In contrast to earlier approaches, our model not only includes stochastic rules for the formation and rupture of bonds, but also fully resolves both receptor and ligand positions. We identify five different dynamic states of motion in regard to the translational and angular velocities of the cell. The transitions between the different states are mapped out in a dynamic state diagram as a function of the rates for bond formation and rupture. For example, as the cell starts to adhere under the action of bonds, its translational and angular velocities become synchronized and the dynamic state changes from slipping to rolling. We also investigate the effect of nonmolecular parameters. In particular, we find that an increase in viscosity of the medium leads to a characteristic expansion of the region of stable rolling to the expense of the region of firm adhesion, but not to the expense of the regions of free or transient motion. Our results can be used in an inverse approach to determine single bond parameters from flow chamber data on rolling adhesion.


. Analysis of the reinforced concrete chimney geometry changes and their influence on the stresses in the chimney mantle was made. All the changes were introduced to a model chimney and compared. Relations between the stresses in the mantle of the chimney and the deformations determined by the change of the chimney's vertical axis geometry were investigated. The vertical axis of chimney was described by linear function (corresponding to the real rotation of the chimney together with the foundation), and by parabolic function (corresponding to the real dislocation of the chimney under the influence of the horizontal forces - wind). The positive stress pattern in the concrete as well as the negative stress pattern in the reinforcing steel have been presented. The two cases were compared. Analysis of the stress changes in the chimney mantle depending on the modification in the thickness of the mantle (the thickness of the chimney mantle was altered in the linear or the abrupt way) was carried out. The relation between the stresses and the chimney's diameter change from the bottom to the top of the chimney was investigated. All the analyses were conducted by means of a specially developed computer program created in Mathematica environment. The program makes it also possible to control calculations and to visualize the results of the calculations at every stage of the calculation process.


Encoding the state of physical systems, the many-body wavefunction lives in a Hilbert space that conveniently offers a tensor factor to each constituent of the system. Consequentially, the wavefunction inherits structural properties such as entanglement, a new type of quantum correlation across the tensor factors. Entanglement can be quantified by forming polynomials in the wavefunction that remain invariant under local operations, which in turn naturally imply the properties we intuit about entanglement. It follows from the Tarski-Seidenberg theorem that these polynomial entanglement measures must obey polynomial constraints. It is among these constraints that the core features separating quantum correlations from classical correlations are illuminated, such as their monogamous nature. The smallest non-trivial system which exhibits entanglement monogamy tradeoffs governed by polynomial constraints is three qubits, for which we find novel constraints that are stronger than the previously known constraints, and which may as well be a complete description of three-qubit entanglement since the number of degrees of freedom matches the number of entanglement measures. A remarkable redundancy known in three qubits is that any party's total entanglement decomposes exactly into bipartite and tripartite type entanglement; we find that this behavior is merely part of the GHZ family tradition, and that any party within the n-qubit GHZ SLOCC equivalence class also has total entanglement which decomposes exactly into all k-partite type entanglements, thus providing insight into strong versions of monogamy relations. Refocusing back to tripartite systems, we then suppose arbitrarily many degrees of freedom into our subsystems, which appear to refuse all temptations of polygamy. Up to this point we have only been considering idealized isolated systems as it is known that monogamy relations aren't sensitive to the total purity, however we then find entanglement constraints which are violated by globally mixed states, ultimately suggesting that environments can enable entanglement to grow beyond what is otherwise allowed. Finally, we address the dynamical behavior of entanglement under several key interactions, and characterize the couplings according to their ability to generate entanglement.


Although pulmonary segmentectomy for early stage of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been debated regarding its effect on local recurrence and survival, it has several advantages including preservation of pulmonary function and decreased perioperative risk (1). Among anatomical pulmonary segmentectomies, segmentectomy for medial and anterior basal segments of lower lobe is one of the most challenging operations. Hiebinger et al . have performed bisegmentectomy for these segments via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and Li et al . have performed it via robotic surgery (2,3).


The transmission control protocol (TCP) is the major transport protocol in the Internet. TCP and its variants have the drawback of not accurately knowing rate share of flows at bottleneck links. Other protocols proposed to address these drawbacks either are not fair to short flows, which are the majority of the Internet traffic, or result in high queue length and packet drops which translate into a high average flow completion time (AFCT). In this paper we present the design and analysis of a Quick congestion Control Protocol (QCP). QCP can quickly give flows their fair share rates hence allow them to quickly finish. Unlike existing schemes, QCP uses an accurate formula to calculate the number of flows sharing a network link. This enables QCP to get fair share rates to flows without over or under-utilization of bottleneck link capacities. We also present an efficient sharing mechanism which QCP uses to assign capacity which is not used by some flows bottlenecked elsewhere to other flows which need the capacity. We show how QCP can be implemented by extending the emerging OpenFlow architecture. Simulation results confirm the design goals of QCP in achieving reduced AFCT.


: This article has attempted to review evidence which suggests that immune factors may be operative in a small but significant number of infertile men. Although our current understanding of the possible processes by which autosensitization to previously sequestered reproductive antigens occurs is incomplete, there are laboratory assays presently available that indicate, but do not prove, that immune factors may be contributing to the infertile state. Continued research is needed to develop new assays and materials (especially purified sperm antigens) which might enhance our knowledge of the underlying immunoreproductive changes. Until these are available the outline below might be considered when investigating a patient with infertility of suspected immune origin.


: The risk of liquefaction phenomena increases during dynamic loading and can cause the shear failure of soil under foundations. Model tests for a small-scale model under vertical vibration loads are presented. The operating frequency was changed from 1000, 2500 to 3500 revolutions per minute and the amplitude of loading with time was applied as a sine wave. Several parameters were considered, such as the force-time history of the machine foundation, the final settlement of the foundation, the vertical stress inside the soil media, the excess pore water pressure and observed liquefaction phenomena. These observations were compared to the effect of the sub-base layer thickness under the footing and its ability to reduce the liquefaction phenomena. The results showed that the shape of the load–time history coincides with a sine wave and the increase in the operating frequency led to an increase in the measured vibration load. The settlement was observed to increase with increases in the operating frequency. The settlement depended on the state of the soil and the operating frequency applied. Increases in operating frequency of about 3 times led to an increase in the time interval of excess pore pressure and reached a maximum value. The phenomenon of liquefaction appeared clearly when sandy soil was in a loose state. When the soil changes to a medium state, the phenomena of liquefaction respond to the operating frequency more than the operating frequency in a loose state. No liquefaction occurs in a dense state. The use of a subbase layer more than 1.5 times the depth of the footing led to eliminating the liquefaction phenomena.


The Sporadic and Familial Occurrence of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). HLA and SeE Examination HLA and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) has been inves tigated in 17 multiple sclerosis cases and 10 controls. While the HLA showed no differences between familial cases of MS and the control group. in sporadic cases of MS the occurrence of the antigen A3 and B7 have been confirmed. The study showed a significant increase of the SCE-rate in sporadic cases of multiple sclerosis. in the contrary, in those cases with familial occurrence no changes in the SCE-rate could be found. A different etiology for sporadic and familial cases of multiple sclerosis is assumed.


At the time of recurrence, the majority of low-grade cerebral gliomas transform to a higher grade of histologic malignancy. The purpose of this study was to determine the survival outcome for patients whose anaplastic gliomas began as low-grade tumors compared with patients with de novo high-grade gliomas. Seventy-seven (11.5%) of 667 patients with anaplastic gliomas consecutively treated at the University of Alabama at Birmingham had histologically proven prior low-grade tumors. As a group, the patients with prior low-grade tumors would be expected to have a relatively favorable outcome, as they were younger and had a lower proportion of glioblastoma multiforme than the patients with de novo anaplastic gliomas. To provide a valid comparison, we performed a matched case-control study. We matched 68 patients from the prior low-grade group one-to-one with patients from the de novo group for tumor histology, age, Karnofsky performance scores, and type of surgery, without knowledge of outcome. The two groups received comparable radiotherapy and chemotherapy. For the 68 patients with prior low-grade tumor, median actuarial survival from the time of diagnosis of malignant degeneration was 19.7 months and the 5-year survival rate was 22%, compared with 22.0 months and 28% for the 68 matched de novo patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the two groups did not significantly differ (p = 0.24 by logrank test). There were no significant survival differences between the patient subsets of prior low-grade versus de novo with glioblastoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, or anaplastic oligodendroglioma/mixed anaplastic glioma. These data indicate that with currently available treatment options, the survival outlook for patients with anaplastic gliomas, whose tumors arose from transformation of low-grade gliomas, is equivalent to the prognosis for patients with de novo anaplastic gliomas. NEUROLOGY 1996;47: 684-690


This research work presents the fabrication of polyaniline (PANI) and graphene–polyaniline (graphene–PANI) nanocomposite-coated polystyrene (PS) nanofibre mats, as well as their application in flexible and highly sensitive gas sensors. The surface morphology of the flexible films is investigated using a number of techniques. The profilometry studies confirmed that the electrospun fibres are evenly distributed over a large surface area and there was no visible difference between coated and uncoated fibres. The SEM morphology studies revealed that a nanocomposite consisting of 10 nm PANI nanofibres and graphene forms a uniform coating around 3 μm diameter PS fiber. AFM showed differences in the 3D surface topography between plain PS nanofibres and coated ones, which showed an increased roughness. Moreover, conductive AFM has indicated an increase in the electrical current distribution from picoamperes to nanoamperes of the PS samples coated with PANI and graphene–PANI because of the applied voltage to the AFM tip that contacted the sample surface. The chemical properties of all the samples are analysed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), which revealed the presence of chemical interactions between the nanocomposites and the polymeric backbones. The TGA study indicated that graphene–PANI coated fibres have the highest thermal stability compared to the pure fibres. The addition of the nanocomposite layer to the PS fibre significantly increased the electrical conductivity. Therefore, nanocomposite-coated flexible membranes are used to fabricate carbon dioxide gas sensors (sensing range: 20–100 ppm). Due to the higher surface area of the nanocomposite coated fibre the availability of adsorption area is also higher, which leads to an increase in sensitivity to carbon dioxide gas. The sensitivity increases with the increase in gas concentration. The average response time of the sensor is calculated to be 65 seconds, with good and uniform repeatability.


Background: As the effect of biomedical prevention interventions on the natural history of HIV-1 infection in participants who seroconvert is unknown, the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) established a longitudinal study (MTN-015) to monitor virologic, immunological, and clinical outcomes, as well as behavioral changes among women who become HIV-infected during MTN trials. We describe the rationale, study design, implementation, and enrollment of the initial group of participants in the MTN seroconverter cohort. Methods: Initiated in 2008, MTN-015 is an ongoing observational cohort study enrolling participants who acquire HIV-1 infection during effectiveness studies of candidate microbicides. Eligible participants from recently completed and ongoing MTN trials are enrolled after seroconversion and return for regular follow-up visits with clinical and behavioral data collection. Biologic samples including blood and genital fluids are stored for future testing. Results: MTN-015 was implemented initially at six African sites and enrolled 100/139 (72%) of eligible women who seroconverted in HIV Prevention Trials Network protocol 035 (HPTN 035, conducted by the MTN). The median time from seroconversion in HPTN 035 to enrollment in MTN-015 was 18 months. Retention was good with >70% of visits completed. Implementation challenges included regulatory reviews, translation, and testing of questionnaires, and site readiness. Conclusions: Enrollment of HIV-seroconverters into a longitudinal observational follow-up study is feasible and acceptable to participants. Data and samples collected in this protocol will be used to assess safety of investigational HIV microbicides and answer other important public health questions for HIV infected women.


Breast cancer, the second leading cause of female deaths worldwide, is usually treated with cytotoxic drugs, accompanied by adverse side-effects, development of chemoresistance and relapse of disease condition. Survival and proliferation of the cancer cells are greatly empowered by over-expression or over-activation of growth factor receptors and anti-apoptotic factors. Identification of these key players that cross-talk to each other, and subsequently, knockdown with their respective siRNAs in a synchronous manner could be a promising approach to precisely treat the cancer. Since siRNAs demonstrate limited cell permeability and unfavorable pharmacokinetic behaviors, pH-sensitive nanoparticles of carbonate apatite were employed to efficiently carry the siRNAs in vitro and in vivo. By delivering selective siRNAs against the mRNA transcripts of the growth factor receptors, such as ER, ERBB2 (HER2), EGFR and IGFR, and anti-apoptotic protein, such as BCL2 in human (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and murine (4T1) breast cancer cell lines, we found that ESR1 along with BCL-2, or with ERBB2 and EGFR critically contributes to the growth/survival of the cancer cells by activating the MAPK and PI-3 kinase pathways. Furthermore, intravenous delivery of the selected siRNAs aiming to suppress the expression of ER/BCL2 and ER/ERBB2/EGFR groups of proteins led to a significant retardation in tumor growth in a 4T1-induced syngeneic mouse model.


Drugs given to a total artificial heart (TAH) calf isolate their vascular effects independent of the myocardium. During experiments, the TAH maintains full ejection, constant heart rate, and percent systole, and uses no vacuum. Cardiac output (CO) varies solely and directly with preload. Six calves received an infusion of isoproterenol, a beta agonist, and three calves received propranolol, a beta antagonist. The isoproterenol was resumed after beta blockade. Isoproterenol alone caused a significant increase in CO, an effect that was attenuated but not eliminated with beta blockade. Both isoproterenol and propranolol decreased AoP, but only isoproterenol increased preload. Beta receptors play a significant role in decreasing venous capacitance with increased preload and CO, independent of the myocardium.


Background and aims: low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been used in the treatment of burning mouth syndrome (BMS) for recent years and the role of intervention has not proven accurately. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy of low level laser therapy (LLLT) in the treatment of burning mouth syndrome (BMS). Methods: We performed a search on PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science for relevant studies that met our eligibility criteria. English language restriction included and only randomized clinical trials on humans entered to this study. Data extraction: 63 Records identified through database searching and also 1 Additional records identified by hand-searching. After removing duplicates and studies not meeting inclusion criteria like case reports and animal studies, at last 9 Full-text articles assessed for eligibility. Quality assessment of this study was executed by using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). Eventually 7 of these studies were selected for meta-analysis by Comprehensive meta-analysis version 2. Results: From Total of 9 studies 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) studies including BMS patients were selected. Our results shows us LLLT can relieve the sensation of mouth .WMD in visual analog scale (VAS) pain outcome score after treatment was significantly lower in the experimental groups compared with control groups (WMD=−11.42 [95% CI= −16.82, −9.72], I(2) =0%). Conclusion: low level laser therapy is an effective therapeutic intervention in reduction of the symptoms of burning mouth syndrome.


One Eulerian and two Lagrangian tracers' tools are evaluated for studies on atmospheric moisture sources and pathways. The first method has been recently implemented online into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model (Insua-Costa and Miguez-Macho, 2017), while the Lagrangian methods are described here. In these methods, a moisture volume is assigned to each particle which is then advected by the wind flow. Usual Lagrangian methods consider this volume to remain constant and the particle follows exactly the stream lines of the flow (Stohl and James, 2004). On the other hand, the initial moisture volume can be thought to depend on time as the flow is advected due to thermodynamic processes (for example, pressure, and temperature changes). In this case, the drag on the tracer volume must be taken into account. Equations have been implemented and moisture convection (Forster et al., 2007) was taken into account for both Lagrangian models.
We apply these methods to evaluate the intense atmospheric river (AR; i.e., a narrow plume of strong water vapor flux) that devastated the Pacific North Western America with flooding rains and intense winds in early November 2006 (Neiman et al., 2008). We note that the usual Lagrangian method underestimate moisture availability on the continent while the active tracers (both Eulerian and Lagrangian) achieve better results.

Forster, C., Stohl, A. and Seibert, P. J. Applied Meteo. and Climatology. 46, 403 (2007).
Insua-Costa, D. and Miguez-Macho, G. Eath Syst. Dyn. (2017).
Neiman, P.J. et al. Monthly Wea. Rev. 136, 4398 (2008).
Stohl, A. and James, P. J. Hidrometeor. 5, 656 (2004).


Transmission events are the fundamental building blocks of the dynamics of any infectious disease. Much about the epidemiology of a disease can be learned when these individual transmission events are known or can be estimated. Such estimations are difficult and generally feasible only when detailed epidemiological data are available. The genealogy estimated from genetic sequences of sampled pathogens is another rich source of information on transmission history. Optimal inference of transmission events calls for the combination of genetic data and epidemiological data into one joint analysis. A key difficulty is that the transmission tree, which describes the transmission events between infected hosts, differs from the phylogenetic tree, which describes the ancestral relationships between pathogens sampled from these hosts. The trees differ both in timing of the internal nodes and in topology. These differences become more pronounced when a higher fraction of infected hosts is sampled. We show how the phylogenetic tree of sampled pathogens is related to the transmission tree of an outbreak of an infectious disease, by the within-host dynamics of pathogens. We provide a statistical framework to infer key epidemiological and mutational parameters by simultaneously estimating the phylogenetic tree and the transmission tree. We test the approach using simulations and illustrate its use on an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. The approach unifies existing methods in the emerging field of phylodynamics with transmission tree reconstruction methods that are used in infectious disease epidemiology.


The effect of transplacental exposure to N -ethyl- N -nitrosourea (ENU) on body, brain, and cerebellar development was studied in rats. Female Sprague-Dawley albino rats received i.p. injections (15, 60, 100, or 150 mg/kg) of ENU on the 18th day of gestation. Mothers receiving 60 mg/kg or greater had a decreased litter size and offspring with a high incidence of mortality. ENU treatment had a pronounced effect on prenatal development, and alterations in preweaning body and brain growth were also observed. Offspring subjected to injections of ENU (60, 100, and 150 mg/kg, respectively) were the most severely affected, with reductions in body weight (15, 31, and 30%, respectively), brain weight (7, 36, and 29%, respectively), and cerebral width (4, 10, and 11%, respectively) recorded at weaning (Day 21). Neonatal brain:body weight ratios showed that ENU caused greater changes in fetal neuroontogeny than in somatic development; however, ratios were similar for experimental and control pups for the remainder of the preweaning period. Cerebellar weight gain in ENU-treated pups differed from that of controls during postnatal development, but only rats treated at a dose of 60 mg/kg experienced significant cerebellar weight reduction (12%) at Day 21. Measurements of cerebellar width showed differences between control and ENU pups from birth to Day 21, and at weaning offspring treated with 15, 60, 100, and 150 mg/kg, respectively, had deficits of 6, 8, 12, and 14%, respectively. Cerebellar:brain weight ratios indicated that the brain was often more affected by ENU than was the cerebellum. These results suggest that maternal exposure to ENU retards fetal and postnatal somatic growth and affects perinatal brain and cerebellar development.


Strongyle infections and diarrhoea are major problems for the sheep industry, but the nutritional factors determining faecal consistency and susceptibility to enteric diseases are not well understood. Soluble non-starch polysaccharides (sNSP) have been shown to affect the physico-chemical environment of the gut lumen, by increasing viscosity of digesta and affecting microbial fermentation in the large intestine; however, the role of sNSP in sheep has not been studied. sNSP have been shown to increase parasite establishment in the small intestine of mice (3) and decrease parasite establishment in the large intestine of pigs (2). Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) is a non-fermentable viscous-forming agent that is used to study the effect of soluble NSP in increasing digesta viscosity independent of potential effects on fermentation (I). The aims of this study were to investigate whether increasing viscosity of digesta using CMC may affect establishment of Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Telodorsagio (Ostenagia) circumcincta in sheep and whether the type of roughage and CMC may affect faecal consistency in sheep with strongyle infections.


Coal mining is an integrated trade which involves the geology, well ventilated, transportation, electricity and environmental protection and so on. The mining industry has labor intensity, bad work condition, many harm factors. Each kind of virulent noxious gas, coal dust, fire, electromechanical device are all immediate danger to operate personnel's safety and healthy. Well-balanced and suitable ventilation is the postulate to keep the health of underground worker and the safety of the production. We take air quantity of laneway as the research emphasis, considering the release of state regulations on coal min. We figure out the optimum area of air quantity via building the optimization programming model, and realize an actual case study to interpret the process of the probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) with statistic theory. We take the theory to the actual production. We establish a MIS base on the theory. In the process of establishing the system, we use the object-oriented analysis method and the B/S structure, take JAVA as the development kit, and realize the risk analysis system. Then the risk manager can take the corresponding monitoring measure.


Background: TERT encodes the telomerase reverse transcriptase, which is responsible for maintaining telomere ends by addition of (TTAGGG) n nucleotide repeats at the telomere. Recent genome-wide association studies have found common genetic variants at the TERT-CLPTM1L locus (5p15.33) associated with an increased risk of several cancers. Results: Data were acquired for 1627 variants in 1092 unrelated individuals from 14 populations within the 1000 Genomes Project. We assessed the population genetics of the 5p15.33 region, including recombination hotspots, diversity, heterozygosity, differentiation among populations, and potential functional impacts. There were significantly lower polymorphism rates, divergence, and heterozygosity for the coding variants, particularly for non-synonymous sites, compared with non-coding and silent changes. Many of the cancer-associated SNPs had differing genotype frequencies among ancestral groups and were associated with potential regulatory changes. Conclusions: Surrogate SNPs in linkage disequilibrium with the majority of cancer-associated SNPs were functional variants with a likely role in regulation of TERT and/or CLPTM1L. Our findings highlight several SNPs that future studies should prioritize for evaluation of functional consequences.


Four ruminally fistulated, nonpregnant, nonlactating heifers (515 +/- 7.9 kg) were offered chopped (10-cm screen size) prairie hay for ad libitum consumption with 1.8 kg/d of supplements to provide 0, 45, 113, or 181 g/d of magnesium-mica (MM) in a 4 x 4 Latin square design experiment. Heifers were adapted to diets for 7 d in drylot followed by a 19-d confinement period in individual stalls within a metabolism facility. Total feces and urine were collected for 5 d, daily intake and water consumption were monitored for 16 d, and in situ disappearance of fiber (prairie hay) and CP (soybean meal) were determined during the confinement period. Ruminal samples for fermentation product analyses were collected at feeding and every 2 h thereafter for 12 h on d 18, and rumens were evacuated at 1100 on d 19 to determine rumen fill. Cubic responses (P < .05) to MM level were observed for DM, OM, NDF, and ADF digestion and were characterized by a tendency for improved digestion with 45 g/d compared with the control diet, followed by a suppressive effect on digestion with 113 g/d, then little effect with 181 g/d MM. In situ NDF disappearance at 72 and 96 h tended (P < . 10) to be influenced quadratically by level of MM, but MM level had no apparent effect on ruminal fill and passage rate, ciliated protozoa counts, in situ rate of disappearance of fiber or CP, or nitrogen balance. Therefore, feeding MM at low levels to heifers consuming a prairie hay diet with a 20% CP supplement seemed to be beneficial for feed digestion with no measurable negative impact on intake or ruminal protein or fiber digestion.


"Ending impunity" is often heralded as the key mechanism for stopping rape in war. Yet, little systematic evidence or analyses exist of the relationship between impunity (or lack thereof) and sexual violence. We argue that amnesties signal impunity and permissiveness for sexual violence, which can perpetuate and instigate more sexual violence by rebels. Trials, on the other hand, signal a nonzero probability of punishment, which could have a deterrent effect. Studying all intrastate armed conflicts in the period 1989–2011, we find in line with the impunity signal that amnesties are associated with sexual violence by rebels, but we are not able to demonstrate a deterrent effect of trials. While the study prevents us from conclusively saying that ending impunity would be an effective policy tool to stop sexual violence in war, the association between amnesties and subsequent sexual violence is a testament to the perils of impunity.


The effects of halothane on cat papillary muscle were studied in vitro at different pacing rates (60, 75, 100, and 150 beats/min). Simultaneous measurements of transmembrane potentials, intracellular Ca2+ transients, and isometric tension were made before and after introduction of 1 and 2 minimal alveolar concentration halothane. Anesthetic concentrations in the superfusion bath were measured using a gas chromatography procedure. The Ca2+-sensitive photoprotein, aequorin, was microinjected into papillary muscle cells. Aequorin light emission is a function of free intracellular [Ca2+] [( Ca2+]i). The most prominent effects of halothane were a dose-dependent decrease in the contractile force and a decrease in [Ca2+]i, at all pacing rates. The negative inotropic effect of halothane was associated with only small changes in the papillary muscle action potential duration. Increasing the extracellular [Ca2+] produced an increase in [Ca2+]i and counteracted the negative inotropic effects of halothane. Addition of the Ca2+ channel blocker, verapamil, and halothane, produced an additive decrease in [Ca2+]i compared with the control.


Title: ARE IMMIGRANTS CRIME PRONE? A MULTIFACETED INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMMIGRATION AND CRIME IN TWO ERAS Bianca Elizabeth Bersani, Ph.D., 2010 Dissertation directed by: Distinguished University Professor John H. Laub Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Are immigrants crime prone? In America, this question has been posed since the turn of the 20 century and more than 100 years of research has shown that immigration is not linked to increasing crime rates. Nevertheless, as was true more than a century ago, the myth of the criminal immigrant continues to permeate public debate. In part this continued focus on immigrants as crime prone is the result of significant methodological and theoretical gaps in the extant literature. Five key limitations are identified and addressed in this research including: (1) a general reliance on aggregate level analyses, (2) the treatment of immigrants as a homogeneous entity, (3) a general dependence on official data, (4) the utilization of cross-sectional analyses, and (5) nominal theoretical attention. Two broad questions motivate this research. First, how do the patterns of offending over the life course differ across immigrant and native-born groups? Second, what factors explain variation in offending over time for immigrants and does the influence of these predictors vary across immigrant and native-born individuals? These questions are examined using two separate datasets capturing information on immigration and crime during two distinct waves of immigration in the United States. Specifically, I use the Unraveling Juvenile Delinquency data and subsequent follow-ups to capture early 20 century immigration and crime, while contemporary data come from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997. Three particularly salient conclusions are drawn from this research. First, patterns of offending (i.e., prevalence, frequency, persistence and desistance) are remarkably similar for native-born and immigrant individuals. Second, although differences are observed when examining predictors of offending for native-born and immigrant individuals, they tend to be differences in degree rather than kind. That is, immigrants and native-born individuals are influenced similarly by family, peer, and school factors. Finally, these findings are robust and held when taking into account socio-historical context, immigrant generation, immigration nationality group, and crime type. In sum, based on the evidence from this research, the simple answer to the question of whether immigrants are crime prone is no. ARE IMMIGRANTS CRIME PRONE? A MULTIFACETED INVESTIGATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMMIGRATION AND CRIME IN TWO ERAS


The stimulation of user engagement has received significant attention in extant research. However, the theory of antecedents for user engagement with an initial electronic word-of-mouth (eWoM) communication is relatively less developed. In an investigation of 576 unique user postings across independent Facebook (FB) communities for two German firms, we contribute to the extant knowledge on user engagement in two different ways. First, we explicate senders' prior usage experience and the extent of their acquaintance with other community members as the two key drivers of user engagement across a product and a service community. Second, we reveal that these main effects differ according to the type of community. In service communities, experience has a stronger impact on user engagement; whereas, in product communities, acquaintance is more important.


Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common form of anemia worldwide, with highest burden in developing countries. The assays used in detecting iron deficiency comprise of red blood cell indices such as Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin and Mean Corpuscular Volume, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (STfR) and STfRL-index. Each of these assessment tools has its drawback(s). This study was conducted to assess IDA diagnostic inter-rater agreements between red cell indices, serum ferritin, STfR and STfLF-Index. A cross sectional descriptive study using systematic random sampling of eligible secondary school students in Misau LGA, Bauchi State, Nigeria. Complete Blood Count with cellular indices, serum ferritin and STfR assays were conducted. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Proportions were compared using Z-tests of proportions. Cohen's Un-weighted kappa analyses were used to assess pairwise agreements in the ability of STfLF-Index, serum ferritin, STfR and red cell indices to classify participants into IDA and non-IDA. Level of significance was set at P≤0.05. A total of 210 participants were enrolled in the study with females constituting 153 (72.9%). STfLF-Index, STfR, serum ferritin levels and red cell indices revealed that 130/210 (61.9%), 160/210(76.2%), 7/210 (3.3%) and 112/210 (53.3%) respectively had iron deficiency. STfR revealed a significantly higher percentage of students with iron deficiency compared to serum ferritin, STfLF-Index and red cell indices. Assessment of iron deficiency showed concurrence between STfR and STfLF-Index. STfR and STfLF-Index have similar ability in classifying iron status.


The introduction of the antigen detection enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for routine serotyping at the foot-and-mouth disease laboratory, Embakasi, identified the existence of multiple serotype infections in some recent FMD outbreaks in Kenya. The study set out to reserotype using the ELISA some of the isolates from the collection at Embakasi previously serotypes by the complement fixation test (CFT) as single serotype isolates to identify any previous multiple serotype outbreaks in districts most affected by FMD. Seventy five (75%) foot-and-mouth diseases virus (FMDV) isolates stored at the laboratory were reserotyped. The isolates were obtained from the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) eland (Taurotragus orynx), pigs and cattle during the period from 1971- to 2001. Serotypes O, A, SAT1 and SAT2 were identified from the cattle isolates. Serotypes O, SAT1 and SAT2 were found in buffalo isolates but not serotype A. Serotype SAT2 was identified in the eland isolate. The pig isolates were all serotype O. Five isolates (6.7%) had mixed infections of two serotypes each as follows; A and SAT 2(1), O and SAT 2(2) and SAT 1 and SAT2(2). The existence of multiple serotypes in infections among livestock and wildlife in Kenya presents challenges in FMD diagnosis requiring the use of more sensitive techniques. The inability of the CFT to identify the existence of an extra serotype in the sample could have led to ineffective, prolonged and costly control measures to contain the outbreaks. It is therefore desirable that the FMD laboratory at Embakasi applies more sensitive techniques such as ELISA and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for routine diagnosis. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 28 2005: pp. 20-23


Financial institutions play an important role in the development of any country's economy, but there is still an enormous gap between supply and demand of financial services that meet the needs of the poor. Hence, it is important to analyze the role of the traditional financial system in the expansion of proper financial services, and their accessibility to the poor. Within inclusive finance, the most promising topic seems to be branchless banking. One major example of branchless banking is the case of banking correspondents (BC) in Brazil. In order to deepen the comprehension of the subject, this article will present a case of a banking correspondent performance evaluation. This analysis will present results concerning BC sustainability and social welfare impacts of its presence in the community.


Abstract. We developed a stable, reproducible three-dimensional optical phantom for the evaluation of a wide-field endoscopic molecular imaging system. This phantom mimicked a human esophagus structure with flexibility to demonstrate body movements. At the same time, realistic visual appearance and diffuse spectral reflectance properties of the tissue were simulated by a color matching methodology. A photostable dye-in-polymer technology was applied to represent biomarker probed "hot-spot" locations. Furthermore, fluorescent target quantification of the phantom was demonstrated using a 1.2 mm ultrathin scanning fiber endoscope with concurrent fluorescence-reflectance imaging.


OBJECTIVE
To test whether there is an association between hospital operating conditions such as average length of stays (LOS) and staffing ratio, and elderly patients' risk of readmission.

DATA SOURCES
The main data source was a national patient database of admissions to all acute-care Norwegian hospitals during the year of 1996.

STUDY DESIGN
It is a cross-sectional study, where Cox' regression analysis was used to test the factors acting on the probability of early unplanned readmission (within 30 days), and later occuring ones. The principal hospital variables included average hospital LOS and staffing ratio (discharges per man-years of personnel). Adjusting patient variables in the model included age, gender, and cost-weights of the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs).

DATA EXTRACTION METHODS
The selected material included discharges from 59 hospitals, and 113,055 elderly patients (> or = 67 years). Multiple admissions to the same hospital were linked together chronologically, and additional hospital data were matched on. To maximize the association between the index stay and the defined outcome (unplanned readmission), no intervening planned admission was accepted.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Being admitted to a hospital with relatively short average LOS increased the patient's risk of early readmission significantly. In addition it was found that more intensive care (more staff) could have a compensatory effect. Furthermore, the predictive factors were shown to be time dependent, as hospital variables had much less impact on readmissions occurring late (within 90-180 days).

CONCLUSIONS
The results give support to the assumption of a link between hospital operating conditions and patient outcome.


The efficiency of continuously variable transmission for vehicle is an important factor impacting on its performance, many kinds of power loss in process of shifting down and up are analyzed by means of theoretical and experimental ways, it can be seen that the power loss between metal-belt and pulley, which includes three items of loss: the entering and out of pulley; the slip between elements and surface of pulley; the slip of between steel bands and elements, is a major one. The calculating formulas are founded. The comparison of calculating results with experimental results under the different ratio, it is good coherence between them which has a guiding function for the design of TCU.


A projection augmented model (PA model) is a type of haptic augmented reality display. It consists of a real physical model, onto which a computer image is projected to create a realistic looking object. Thus, a PA model creates the illusion of actually being the object that it represents, as opposed to a white model and a projected image. Users can physically touch the surface of a PA model with their bare hands, which has experiential value for the types of applications for which they are being developed. However, the majority of PA models do not provide haptic feedback for material properties such as texture, and hence feel incorrect when they are touched. In addition, most PA models are front-projected which means the projected image appears on the back of the user's hand, and their hand casts a shadow on the display. Previous research has found that touching this type of PA model reduces a user's sense of object presence. The empirical study reported in this paper investigated which of the problems had a greater effect on object presence. It was found that object presence was significantly higher when correct haptic feedback for material properties was provided; however eliminating the visual projection problems rarely affected object presence. These results have implications for the direction in which PA model technology should be developed. They also have implications for theory on how the haptic and visual senses contribute to a person's sense of object presence, and indeed presence.


We propose a novel Tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET) concept called the electron-hole bilayer TFET (EHBTFET). This device exploits the carrier tunneling through a bias-induced electron-hole bilayer in order to achieve improved switching and higher drive currents when compared to a lateral p-i-n junction TFET. The device principle and performances are studied by 2D numerical simulations. Output and transfer characteristics, as well as the impact of back gate bias, silicon thickness and gate length on the device behavior are evaluated. Near ideal average subthreshold slope (SS<inf>AVG</inf> ∼ 12 mV/dec over 6 decades of current) and I<inf>ON</inf>/I<inf>off</inf> > 108 at V<inf>D</inf> = V<inf>G</inf> = 0.5 V figures of merit are obtained, due to the OFF-ON binary transition which leads to the abrupt onset of the band-to-band tunneling inside the silicon channel. Drive current (I<inf>ON</inf>) in the EHBTFET is 3× higher that in traditional all-Si Tunnel FET but below 0.1 μA/μm.


Two big problems with operating systems written in unsafe languages are that they crash too often and that adding features becomes much more difficult over time. One cause of both of these problems is the lack of enforceable memory protection between module boundaries. Clear module boundaries make dependencies explicit, resulting in more reliable and maintainable code. Mondriaan Memory Protection (MMP) is a hardware/software design for fine-grained memory protection that can enforce module boundaries for systems written in unsafe languages. We present the design of an MMP-based modular operating system kernel and show how MMP can be used to provide module isolation while maintaining performance.


In this paper we describe a formal ontological description of the Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN), one of the most popular languages for business process modelling. The proposed ontology (the BPMN Ontology) provides a classification of all the elements of BPMN, together with the formal description of the attributes and conditions describing how the elements can be combined in a BPMN business process description. Using the classes and properties defined in the BPMN Ontology any BPMN diagram can be represented as an A-box (i.e., a set of instances and assertions on them) of the ontology: this allows the exploitation of ontological reasoning services such as consistency checking and query answering to investigate the compliance of a process with the BPMN Specification as well as other structural property of the process. The paper also presents the modelling process followed for the creation of the BPMN Ontology, and describes some application scenarios exploiting the BPMN Ontology.


Paranoia is the exaggerated belief that harm will occur and is intended by others. Although commonly framed in terms of attributing malicious intent to others, recent work has explored how paranoia also affects social decision-making, using economic games. Previous work found that paranoia is associated with decreased cooperation and increased punishment in the Dictator Game (where cooperating and punishing involve paying a cost to respectively increase or decrease a partner's income). These findings suggest that paranoia might be associated with variation in subjective reward from positive and/or negative social decision-making; a possibility we explore using a pre-registered experiment with US-based participants (n=2,004). Paranoia was associated with increased self-reported enjoyment of negative social interactions and decreased self-reported enjoyment of prosocial interactions. More paranoid participants attributed stronger harmful intent to a partner. Harmful intent attributions and the enjoyment of negative social interactions positively predicted the tendency to pay to punish the partner. Cooperation was positively associated with the tendency to enjoy prosocial interactions, and increased with participant age. There was no main effect of paranoia on tendency to cooperate in this setting. We discuss these findings in light of previous research.


Study Design: In this observational study, we compare fluid inclinometer and smartphone measures to analyze active cervical range of motion (ACROM) in healthy individuals. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and the criterion validity of a smartphone application to analyze head movements. Summary of Background Data: Recent studies on the reliability and the validity of customized smartphone applications to measure ACROM show good results for frontal and lateral planes' movement analysis, but poor results for the transverse plane. This can be due to the surrounding magnetic fields that affect the compass application used during head rotation valuation. Methods: Twenty-three individuals were asked to perform neck maximal (end-range) movements (frontal flex-extension and left-right side flexion in the sitting position, left-right rotation in the prone position). Two separate examiners took all ACROM measures and were assigned to each device (iPhone 5c and the inclinometer) contemporary for each individual. Results: All measurements were taken twice to assess the intraobserver reliability. Interobserver and intraobserver reliabilities were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The criterion validity between the 2 instruments was also assessed in terms of the ICC. The procedures used in this investigation for measuring ACROM yielded good validity (Pearson r≥0.99 and ICC≥0.99) between the 2 instruments for all movements. The Bland and Altman's 95% LoA ranged from −1.8 to 1.15 degrees. Percentage error values ranged from 1% to 3%. The intrarater and the interrater reliabilities were good (ICC≥0.9) for both instruments in all movements including the rotation movements (ICC>0.95). The minimal detectable change (MDC95) ranged from 4 to 8 degrees. Conclusions: This study confirms that the tested smartphone is valid and reliable to measure ACROM on the frontal and the sagittal planes; furthermore, it also demonstrates its usefulness for rotation movement analysis, using the inclinometric application.


Using data from the Arab Barometer, we assess the protest participation between 2005-08 in Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, and Yemen. We find protests were common during the years preceding the Arab Spring and the riskier form of protesting (marching in a demonstration) was approximately 1.5 to 2 times as common as the less risky form of protest (signing a petition), despite the dangers of voicing dissent in authoritarian regimes. We propose grievance and opportunity explanations of why people protested. We find support for economic grievance arguments connecting protest to income and corruption, but not to macro-economic policies. We find support for political grievance arguments connecting protest to exclusion from power and desire for democracy. We also find support for the argument that people are most likely to protest when they do not fear government reprisals. None of the arguments, however, have significant explanatory power in more than two of the four countries, suggesting that even in seemingly similar authoritarian regimes, people protest for different reasons. The propensity to seek a single explanation should be resisted.


For the sparse vector model, we consider estimation of the target vector, of its l2-norm and of the noise variance. We construct adaptive estimators and establish the optimal rates of adaptive estimation when adaptation is considered with respect to the triplet "noise level - noise distribution - sparsity". We consider classes of noise distributions with polynomially and exponentially decreasing tails as well as the case of Gaussian noise. The obtained rates turn out to be different from the minimax non-adaptive rates when the triplet is known. A crucial issue is the ignorance of the noise variance. Moreover, knowing or not knowing the noise distribution can also influence the rate. For example, the rates of estimation of the noise variance can differ depending on whether the noise is Gaussian or sub-Gaussian without a precise knowledge of the distribution. Estimation of noise variance in our setting can be viewed as an adaptive variant of robust estimation of scale in the contamination model, where instead of fixing the "nominal" distribution in advance, we assume that it belongs to some class of distributions.


This paper focus on the problem of ensuring Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) synchronization for measurement applications. The goal is to guarantee high accuracy synchronization requirements while maintaining at the same time a long network lifetime. In this view, we propose an approach that enforces synchronization accuracy only when it is needed and only in the sub-network of nodes involved in the actual measurement procedures. In such a scheme, traditional synchronization techniques based on master/slaves approaches are not easily employable. This is mainly due to the complications that arise when such a kind of schemes is used to manage synchronization in networks with a variable number of nodes and subject to time-varying transmission topologies. To avoid such a problem, in this paper we propose the adoption of a completely decentralized synchronization approach based on consensus.


We study the use of binary variables in reformulating general mixed-integer linear programs. We show that binary reformulations result in problems for which almost all the binary variables replacing a general integer variable need to be explored during branching. We also give computational results on the performance of such reformulations in solving the mixed-integer programs, which support our theoretical results.


The European Space Agency (ESA) released a Call for Proposals for the next Earth Explorer Core Mission in March 2005, with the aim to select the 7th Earth Explorer (EE-7) mission for launch in the next decade. Twenty-four proposals were received and subject to scientific and technical assessment. Six candidate missions were selected and further investigated in the preliminary feasibility studies (Phase 0). One of these missions is BIOMASS, which has recently been selected to proceed to Phase-A. BIOMASS is a response to the urgent need for greatly improved mapping of global biomass and the lack of any current space systems capable of addressing this need.


A new counter-example to Kelvin's conjecture on minimal surfaces has been found. The conjecture stated that the minimal surface area partition of space into cells of equal volume was a tiling by truncated octahedra with slightly curved faces (K). Weaire and Phelan found a counter-example whose periodic unit includes two different tiles, a dodecahedron and a polyhedron with 14 faces (WP). Successively, Sullivan showed the existence of an infinite number of partitions by polyhedra having only pentagonal and hexagonal faces that included WP, the so-called tetrahedrally close packed structures (TCP). A part of this domain contains structures with lower surface area than K. Here, we present a new partition with lower surface area than K, the first periodic foam containing in the same structure quadrilateral, pentagonal and hexagonal faces, in ratios that are very close to those experimentally found in real foams by Matzke. This and other new partitions have been generated via topological modifications of the Voronoi diagram of spatially periodic sets of points obtained as local maxima of the stationary solution of the 3D Swift–Hohenberg partial differential equation in a triply periodic boundary, with pseudorandom initial conditions. The motivation for this work is to show the efficacy of the adopted method in producing new counter-examples to Kelvin's conjecture, and ultimately its potential in discovering a periodic partition with lower surface area than the Weaire–Phelan foam. The method seems tailored for the problem examined, especially when compared to methods that imply the minimization of a potential between points, where a criterion for neighboring points needs to be defined. The existence of partitions having a lower surface area than K and an average number of faces greater than the maximum value allowed by the TCP domain of 13.5 suggests the presence of other partitions in this range.


Matrix recovery aims to learn a low-rank structure from high dimensional data, which arises in numerous learning applications. As a popular heuristic to matrix recovery, convex relaxation involves iterative calling of singular value decomposition (SVD). Riemannian optimization based method can alleviate such expensive cost in SVD for improved scalability, which however is usually degraded by the unknown rank. This paper proposes a novel algorithm RIST that exploits the algebraic variety of low-rank manifold for matrix recovery. Particularly, RIST utilizes an efficient scheme that automatically estimate the potential rank on the real algebraic variety and tracks the favorable Riemannian submanifold. Moreover, RIST utilizes the second-order geometric characterization and achieves provable superlinear convergence, which is superior to the linear convergence of most existing methods. Extensive comparison experiments demonstrate the accuracy and ef- ficiency of RIST algorithm.


Revised plate reconstructions and enlarged isotopic age data sets strongly support three mechanisms for controlling the configuration and associated volcanism and tectonism of the Andean subduction zone. These include age of subducted plate, convergence rate, and interaction with hotspot traces. From 50 to 25 Ma, in the Andes, the age of oceanic plate subducted progressively decreased, apparently resulting in a'gradual decrease in subduction angle and consequent eastward shift in the loci of magmatic activity. A major reorganization of plate motions at 25 Ma resulted in an increased convergence rate normal to the Chilean Andes and was accompanied by subsequent broadening of the locus of magmatic activity into adjacent portions of Bolivia and Argentina. Convergence rates changed only slightly across the Peruvian margin and no clear effect on subsequent magmatism is indicated. Interaction of the Andean subduction zone with the Juan Fernandez and Easter-Nazca hotspot traces apparently resulted in lower angle subduction and consequent gaps in magmatic activity as predicted continuations of the traces correspond with regions lacking dated volcanic rocks. The current gaps in igneous activity correspond with contemporary subduction of the two traces, and this association apparently occurred in the past as well.


Abstract Meurigite is a new hydrated potassium iron phosphate related to kidwellite and with structural similarities to other late-stage fibrous ferric phosphate species. It has been found at four localities so far - the Santa Rita mine, New Mexico, U.S.A.; the Hagendorf-Sud pegmatite in Bavaria, Germany; granite pegmatite veins at Wycheproof, Victoria, Australia; and at the Gold Quarry Mine, Nevada, U.S.A. The Santa Rita mine is the designated type locality. Meurigite occurs as tabular, elongated crystals forming spherical and hemispherical clusters and drusy coatings. The colour ranges from creamy white to pale yellow and yellowish brown. At the type locality, the hemispheres may reach 2 mm across, hut the maximum diameter reached in the other occurrences is usually less than 0.5 ram. A wide variety of secondary phosphate minerals accompanies meurigite at each locality, with dufrenite, cyrilovite, beraunite, rockbridgeite and leucophosphite amongst the most common. Vanadates and uranates occur with meurigite at the Gold Quarry mine. Electron microprobe analysis and separate determination of H2O and CO2 on meurigite from the type locality gave a composition for which several empirical formulae could be calculated. The preferred formula, obtained on the basis of 35 oxygen atoms, is (K0.85Na0.03)∑0.88(Fe7.013+Al0.16Cu0.02)∑7.19 (PO4)5.11(CO3)0.20(OH)6.7·7.25H2O, which simplifies to KFe73+(PO4)5(OH)7·8H2O. Qualitative analyses only were obtained for meurigite from the other localities, due to the softness and openness of the aggregates. Because of the fibrous nature of meurigite, it was not possible to determine the crystal structure, hence the exact stoichiometry remains uncertain. The lustre of meurigite varies from vitreous to waxy for the Santa Rita mine mineral, to silky for the more open sprays and internal surfaces elsewhere. The streak is very pale yellow to cream and the estimated Mohs hardness is about 3. Cleavage is perfect on {001 } and fragments from the type material have a mean specific gravity of 2.96. The strongest lines in the X-ray powder pattern for the type material are (dobs,lobs,hkl) 3.216(100)404; 4.84(90)111; 3.116(80)205; 4.32(70)112; 9.41(60)201; 3.470(60)800. The X-ray data were indexed on the basis of a monoclinic unit cell determined from electron diffraction patterns. The cell parameters, refined by least squares methods, are a = 29.52(4), b = 5.249(6), c = 18.26(1) Å, β= 109.27(7) °V = 2672(3) Å3, and Z = 4. The calculated density is 2.89 gcm x−3. The space group is either C2, Cm or C2/m. X-ray powder data for meurigite are closely similar to those for kidwellite and phosphofibrite, but meurigite appears to be characterised by a strong 14 Å reflection. The relationship between these three minerals remains uncertain in the absence of structural data. On the available evidence, meurigite and kidwellite are not the respective K and Na-endmembers of a solid solution series. The meurigite cell parameters suggest it belongs to a structural family of fibrous ferric phosphates, such as rockbridgeite, dufrenite and beraunite, which have a discrete 5 Å fibre axis. Meurigite occurs in widely varying environments, its formation probably favoured by late-stage solutions rich in K rather than Na.


Crowdsourcing is a multidisciplinary research area that represents a rapidly expanding field where new applications are constantly emerging. Research in this area has investigated its use for citizen science in data gathering for research and crowdsourcing for industrial innovation. Previous studies have reviewed and categorized crowdsourcing research using qualitative methods. This has led to the limited coverage of the entire field, using smaller discrete parts of the literature and mostly reviewing the industrial aspects of crowdsourcing. This study uses a scientometric analysis of 7059 publications over the period 2006–2019 to map crowdsourcing research to identify clusters and applications. Our results are the first in the literature to map crowdsourcing research holistically. In this article, we classify its usage in the three domains of innovation, engineering, and science, where 11 categories and 26 subcategories are further developed. The results of this article reveal that the most active scientific clusters where crowdsourcing is used are environmental sciences and ecology. For the engineering domain, it is computer science, telecommunication, and operations research. In innovation, idea crowdsourcing, crowdfunding, and crowd creation are the most frequent areas. The findings of this study map crowdsourcing usage across different fields and illustrate emerging crowdsourcing applications.


Introduction The role of the occlusal quality as a relevant factor for mastication is controversially discussed. This paper aims to determine the role of the occlusion given the influencing factors. The correlation between the subjective evaluation of treatment needs and objective chewing test results are assessed. Methodology 842 participants (female n=460, 54.5%; male n=382, 45.4%) performed a standardized chewing test. The participants' occlusal quality, angle classification, age, gender, treatment needs and intraoral status were recorded. The participants were instructed to break down the standardized chewing tests units. The particles were collected in a sieve and placed on a calibrated acquisition board. Standardized images were analysed, measuring the areas of each particles in mm2 . Null Hypotheses were tested with the Kruskal-Wallis tests and post hoc tests with Bonferroni correction, to be rejected at p≤0.01. Results The occlusion quality has a significant impact on the chewing efficiency (p≤0.001), but angle classification only to some extent. Age (p≤0.001) and gender (p≤0.001) are important intrinsic factors. Fixed prosthodontics do not reach the chewing performance of natural occlusion (p≤0,01). The subjective clinical assessment of treatment needs correlates in categories with strong differentiations (p≤0,001), but not if only minor differences are asserted (p≤0,515). Conclusion The occlusion quality has a significant impact on the chewing efficiency. Masticatory performance is highly dependent on the natural or artificial chewing surface morphology. Age, gender and the intraoral status are important intrinsic factors. The maintenance of a sufficient functional oral status is a crucial task in the care of the aging population.


Modern automotive petrol engine power performance usually refers to output power and torque, and they are significantly affected by the setup of control parameters in the electronic control unit (ECU). ECU calibration is done empirically through tests on the dynamometer (dyno) because no exact mathematical engine model is yet available. With an emerging nonlinear function estimation technique of Least squares support vector machines (LS-SVM), the approximate power performance model of a petrol engine can be determined by training the sample data acquired from the dyno. A novel incremental algorithm based on typical LS-SVM is proposed in this paper, so the power performance models built from the incremental LS-SVM can be updated whenever new training data arrives. With updating the models, the model accuracies can be continuously increased. The predicted results using the estimated models from the incremental LS-SVM are good agreement with the actual test results and with the almost same average accuracy of retraining the models from scratch, but the incremental algorithm can significantly shorten the model construction time when newtraining data arrives.


Purpose
The official earthquake protection instructions for schools and kindergartens in Israel have recently been updated from the traditional "drop, cover and hold on" approach to the "flee outside to an open space" approach. This paper aims to describe the decision-making process, discuss the dilemmas behind it and suggest new insights for challenging current instructions in other countries.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyze human behavior patterns during earthquakes in general, and at schools in particular, while taking into consideration the environment (in terms of applying building codes and the level of earthquake risk in various zones), personal characteristics (age, gender and past experience) and earthquake characteristics (intensity and duration).

Findings
Five aspects should be taken into consideration when changing current earthquake instructions: the general official earthquake protection instructions, the structure and construction of schools and kindergartens, common behavior during emergencies, warning systems and the need to establish standardized protection instructions and guidelines for every school and kindergarten in the country.

Practical implications
Policymakers in other countries should critique current instructions to maximize citizens' chances of survival and mitigate possible earthquake hazards, including by improving risk communication with the public.

Originality/value
The paper describes a national decision-making process which questions current official earthquake instructions at schools and kindergartens, based on evidence gained from current construction conditions, human behavior analysis and other countries' experiences.


abstract:Evaporated: Explorations in Art, Science, and Salt was a collaborative art exhibition that included sculptures, photographs, video, sound, and drawing, integrated with scientific data displays that encouraged the viewer to ponder the complexity of the Bonneville Salt Flats and our relationships to the landscape. This experimental exhibition was one of the outcomes from a five-year collaboration between geoscientist Brenda Bowen and artist Wendy Wischer exploring the rapidly changing Bonneville Salt Flats in northwest Utah through the lenses of both art and science. Evaporated provided an opportunity for both scholars to experiment with different ways of sharing their research, scholarly and creative, in the hopes of promoting understanding of the connections and differences between visual art and geoscience in academic contexts.


This chapter outlines the history and past management of trees within the wood pasture systems of South East England. Changes over time are discussed, and the challenges that the trees now face are outlined along with some potential solutions. Wood pasture was a common and traditional form of management in South East England although the conservation significance of it has only recently been realised. The types of wood pasture included wooded commons, Forests and parks, all of which have quite precise historical meanings. Many trees in wood pastures were managed as pollards, probably mainly for fuel wood, but some were open-grown. The number of trees has declined, and the area of wood pasture has diminished due to development pressure and agricultural intensification. Despite this, the area remains important in a European context for the number of old trees. In addi-tion, lack of traditional management is a threat to tree and wood pasture survival. Restoration of grazing using traditional livestock is an important first step. New skills are required to work on trees that have been left many years out of a regular pollarding cycle, and new uses for the products will be important to help these trees become relevant again.


Higher education is the key point of the promotion in the development of knowledge economy as well as the enhancement of comprehensive strength and competitive power for a country. It is a general trend of the development of contemporary higher education to elevate the quality of university talents cultivation across the globe. This paper dissertate the importance of cultivation of scientific research ability in undergraduate education stage, summarizes the present situation and the features of cultivation of scientific research ability in undergraduate education stage of medical schools, and presents the routes and measurements to enhance the cultivation of scientific research ability of medical undergraduates. The aim of this paper is to give a reference for teaching reform in medical schools.


Metabolic activity is unstable in primary hepatocyte cultures and is influenced by the matrix composition.The effect of incorporating 20% chondroitin-6-sulphate(Ch6SO4), a glycosaminoglycan, into collagen films and gels(0.3%w/v), and crosslinking the films and gels with 1,6-diaminohexane(DAH)on the glucuronidation of kaempferol by primary rat hepatocytes cultured for 48h and 7 days was investigated. Hepatocytes isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats by collagenase perfusion were cultured(3x106/60mm Petri dish)in Chee's medium with 5% v/v foetal calf serum. Cells were incubated with 100mM kaempferol for 1h at 378C and the glucuronides( K1 and K2)were measured by HPLC. Cells cultured on collagen films formed only the K2 metabolite after 48h in culture. The addition of Ch6SO4 or DAH significantly increased the formation of this glucuronide. However, cells seeded on gels showed no metabolism after 48h in culture. By 7 days in culture, both K1 and K2 glucuronides were formed in cells on all the different films and gels. The formation of K1 glucuronide was significantly higher with the addition of Ch6SO4 to the films. K2 glucuronide was significantly higher in all of the crosslinked films compared to the plain films. Modification of collagen based substrates may improve cultured hepatocyte phenotype.


A series of macrocyclic molecules were self-assembled via imine condensation. In order to overcome the insolubility and lability of the amino precursors, amine deprotection and imine condensation are performed in a one-pot manner. Conformation preorganization of the precursors leads to high-yielding self-assembly of the cage products.


Taking the Big Bang as the singular source of universal evolution, gives potent contemporary metaphors for understanding spirituality, life, and death.  We can discover the nature of the Universe as we observe that its evolution is radically indeterminate, but manifests tendencies toward connectivity that manifest in self-organizing wholes.  Like a traditional deity, the singularity that existed in the moment before the Big Bang is eternal and timeless. Everything that exists or comes into being, no matter how creative, is a manifestation of that first moment of creation. That the first moment of creation is always happening; it's happening right now. We (and every other thing) are products of that original creation and our own creativity is an expression of its creativity.  This should comfort us, for it implies that when we lose our personal creativity at the end of our physical lives, we are likely to experience rejoining the original creative force of the Big Bang, just as religious faithful often expect death to reunite them with their creator God.


Information security culture is mainly considered as a set of information security characteristics that the organization values. In this paper, an attempt has been made to assess the information security culture of Hawassa Referral Hospital located in the south central part of Ethiopia. The study aimed at identifying determinant factors or issues impacting the implementation of an effective culture of information security in the hospital with an intention of improving the existing information security practice in the hospital. To that end, an information security culture assessment model and instrument were adopted from previous studies. The instrument (customized for the current study) incorporates statements that assess the knowledge, attitude, belief and actions of health care providers, and medical students in relation to information security culture. The case study indicated that there is a serious problem of information security culture at different levels in the hospital. Accordingly, identifying the current practices regarding information security in the hospital has a practical contribution in that it has direct implications on setting priorities in relation to information security in the hospital and strengthening different efforts on the issue throughout the health sector in the country. Recommendations are also provided as to how the hospital should approach the different factors and issues in order to put in place better and more secure information environments in the hospital.


A text is read, interpreted and comprehended in different ways, depending on for example the perspectives of the reader. As a reader I take an active part in the creation of meaning when I interact with the text and so also, indirectly, with the author(s). In this paper I explore what I call situated readings, using the concept of partial perspectives in reading a text. I will read a text on women and computer science, an article from Communications of the ACM 1997. This article has gained a lot of attention and is still frequently cited within the community of computer scientists. This reading exercise reflects my own development, in that I explicitly try to make use of my background and experiences. I am a lecturer in computer science, and for a number of years I have been interested in questions and issues surrounding the under-representation of women within computer science and in the various different attempts to define, describe and suggest solutions to this 'problem'. I have gone from taking part in, and actively leading, projects targeting women within CS, to an interest in trying to gain a complex understanding of this issue and challenging existing frameworks and explanations. The reading will reflect how my questions mainly concerning the low number of women in CS have evolved, as a result of experience and later from feminist studies, into other questions, approaching "the science question" (Harding 1986).


Douglas Coupland is one of Canada's most successful novelists, and he is also an important cultural critic and visual artist. In this, Coupland's first academic interview in a prolific twenty-year career, the artist offers his unique perspective on everything from the broad cultural significance of the A&E television series Hoarders to the inclusion of Generation X in the CBC's Canada Reads competition. Coupland candidly discusses his ambivalent relationship with Canadian literature, eventually touching on his biography of Marshall McLuhan and on being considered for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. He explains the centrality of death in his work and his belief in the idea that anything can be made into art. As he contemplates questions of audience, irony, and influence, he looks back on an accomplished career and on the way technology and history – both his own personal history and North American history – has shaped his body of work thus far.


When a fault occurs, coherently swinging generators form one group and the remaining ones form another. If the fault is severe, loss of synchronism may take place between groups after single or multiple swings. This paper proposes a new method for detecting loss of synchronism. With this method, power and current are measured at regular intervals on a tie-line linking sub-networks to which groups of generators belong. Changes in power and current are calculated during the interval, the location and direction of the operating point of the power system moving on the curve of power versus phase angle is estimated and the loss of synchronism is detected. The validity of the method is shown by simulations using model networks.


SUMMARY For natural selection to take place several conditions must be met, including consistent variation among individuals. Although this assumption is increasingly being explored in vertebrates, it has rarely been investigated for insect physiological traits, although variation in these traits is usually assumed to be adaptive. We investigated repeatability (r) of metabolic rate and gas exchange characteristics in a highly variable Perisphaeria cockroach species. Although this species shows four distinct gas exchange patterns at rest, metabolic rate (r=0.51) and the bulk of the gas exchange characteristics (r=0.08–0.91, median=0.42) showed high and significant repeatabilities. Repeatabilities were generally lower in those cases where the effects of body size were removed prior to estimation of r. However, we argue that because selection is likely to act on the trait of an animal of a given size, rather than on the residual variation of that trait once size has been accounted for, size correction is inappropriate. Our results provide support for consistency of variation among individuals, which is one of the prerequisites of natural selection that is infrequently tested in insects.