The purpose of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicities of fish oil fatty acid capsules containing omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters. Twenty-two patients with neoplastic disease not amenable to curative therapy who had lost 2% of body weight over a previous 1 month time period were given an escalating dose of fish oil fatty acids. The maximum tolerated dose was found to be 0.3 g/kg per day of this preparation. This means that a 70-kg patient can generally tolerate up to 21 1-g capsules/day containing 13.1 g of eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid, the two major omega-3 fatty acids. Dose-limiting toxicity was gastrointestinal, mainly diarrhea, and a poorly described toxicity designated as "unable to tolerate in esophagus or stomach." A patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia taking the fish oil provided an unusual opportunity to perform a detailed biochemical study of the effect of fish oil capsules on the lipids of malignant cells at several sequential time points in treatment. Studies of the malignant lymphocytes, serum, and whole blood of this one patient revealed an increase in eicosapentaenoic acid, the major component of the fish oil capsules, during fish oil capsule treatment. This study provides a scientific basis for the selection of omega-3 fatty acid doses for future studies in cancer. The maximum tolerated dose found is considerably higher than anticipated from published studies of many human diseases. The observation of a modification of the lipids of leukemic cells, serum, and blood in a patient with chronic leukemia provides a biochemical basis for a possible effect of fish oil supplements on cancer cachexia and tumor growth.


We introduce Plushie, an interactive system that allows nonprofessional users to design their own original plush toys. To design a plush toy, one needs to construct an appropriate two-dimensional (2D) pattern. However, it is difficult for non-professional users to appropriately design a 2D pattern. Some recent systems automatically generate a 2D pattern for a given three-dimensional (3D) model, but constructing a 3D model is itself a challenge. Furthermore, an arbitrary 3D model cannot necessarily be realized as a real plush toy, and the final sewn result can be very different from the original 3D model. We avoid this mismatch by constructing appropriate 2D patterns and applying simple physical simulation to it on the fly during 3D modeling. In this way, the model on the screen is always a good approximation of the final sewn result, which makes the design process much more efficient. We use a sketching interface for 3D modeling and also provide various editing operations tailored for plush toy design. Internally, the system constructs a 2D cloth pattern in such a way that the simulation result matches the user's input stroke. Our goal is to show that relatively simple algorithms can provide fast, satisfactory results to the user whereas the pursuit of optimal layout and simulation accuracy lies outside this paper's scope. We successfully demonstrated that non-professional users could design plush toys or balloon easily using Plushie.


In the stable marriage problem (SM), a mechanism that always outputs a stable matching is called a stable mechanism. One of the well-known stable mechanisms is the man-oriented Gale-Shapley algorithm (MGS). MGS has a good property that it is strategy-proof to the men's side, i.e., no man can obtain a better outcome by falsifying a preference list. We call such a mechanism a man-strategy-proof mechanism. Unfortunately, MGS is not a woman-strategy-proof mechanism. Roth has shown that there is no stable mechanism that is simultaneously man-strategy-proof and woman-strategy-proof, which is known as Roth's impossibility theorem.
In this paper, we extend these results to the stable marriage problem with ties and incomplete lists (SMTI). Since SMTI is an extension of SM, Roth's impossibility theorem takes over to SMTI. Therefore, we focus on the one-sided-strategy-proofness. In SMTI, one instance can have stable matchings of different sizes, and it is natural to consider the problem of finding a largest stable matching, known as MAX SMTI. Thus we incorporate the notion of approximation ratio used in the theory of approximation algorithms. We say that a stable-mechanism is $c$-approximate-stable mechanism if it always returns a stable matching of size at least $1/c$ of a largest one. We also consider a restricted variant of MAX SMTI, which we call MAX SMTI-1TM, where only men's lists can contain ties.
Our results are summarized as follows: (i) MAX SMTI admits both a man-strategy-proof 2-approximate-stable mechanism and a woman-strategy-proof 2-approximate-stable mechanism. (ii) MAX SMTI-1TM admits a woman-strategy-proof 2-approximate-stable mechanism. (iii) MAX SMTI-1TM admits a man-strategy-proof 1.5-approximate-stable mechanism. All these results are tight in terms of approximation ratios. Also, all these strategy-proofness results apply for strategy-proofness against coalitions.


A theoretical model of stress and athletic injury is presented. The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for the prediction and prevention of stress-related injuries that includes cognitive, physiological, attentional, behavioral, intrapersonal, social, and stress history variables. Development of the model grew from a synthesis of the stress-illness, stress-accident, and stress-injury literatures. The model and its resulting hypotheses offer a framework for many avenues of research into the nature of injury and reduction of injury risk. Other advantages of the model are that it addresses possible mechanisms behind the stress-injury relationship and suggests several specific interventions that may help diminish the likelihood of injury. The model also has the potential of being applied to the investigation of injury and accident occurrence in general.


This thesis focused on defining the urinary reference values and investigating the urinary proteome and metabolome of captive giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) by using a non-invasive sampling method. Urine samples were collected with a syringe from the ground, immediately after spontaneous voiding, by aspirating the upper part of samples, to avoid them to come into contact with the soil contaminants as much as possible.
To prove the sampling's reliability, cow urines were used and the results of both types of samples (those collected in sterile urine cups and those collected from the ground with a syringe) were compared. This experiment revealed no statistical differences in the variables investigated (urine total protein, uTP; urine creatinine, uCrea; urine protein:creatinine ratio, UPC; number of protein bands and band protein quantification detected by 1D-electrophoresis-SDS-PAGE), which proved the reliability of this sampling technique.
By establishing the urinary reference values as well as by identifying the urinary proteome, it was possible to obtain information about the renal function in giraffes for the first time. Just like other ruminants, urine of giraffes contains low quantity of proteins, the majority of which shows low molecular mass (MM). The proteins identified in their urines might act as a defence against microbes and play a role in the ability of giraffes to concentrate urine.
A first insight into the urinary metabolome allowed to identify and quantify 39 molecules; this provided some information on some physiological adaptations of giraffes and were influenced by sex and age.


Background Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is an established treatment for acetabular dysplasia in the skeletally mature individual. Fluoroscopy is used intraoperatively for osteotomy completion and to judge fragment correction. However, a comprehensive study validating fluoroscopy to judge anterior, lateral, and posterior coverage in PAO has not been reported. Questions/purposes (1) Are radiographic and fluoroscopic measures of anterior, lateral, and posterior acetabular coverage reliable? (2) Do fluoroscopic measures of fragment correction accurately measure anterior, lateral, and posterior coverage when compared with postoperative radiographs? Methods We performed a retrospective study of patients undergoing PAO with a primary diagnosis of acetabular dysplasia. Between 2012 and 2014 two surgeons performed 287 PAOs with fluoroscopy. To be included in this retrospective study, patients had to be younger than 35 years old, have a primary diagnosis of dysplasia (not retroversion, Perthes, or skeletal dysplasia), have adequate radiographic and fluoroscopic imaging, be a primary PAO (not revision), and in the case of bilateral patients, only the first hip operated on in the study period was included. Based on these criteria, 46% of the PAOs performed were included here (133 of 287). A total of 109 (82%) of the patients were females (109 of 133), and the mean age of the patients represented was 24 years (SD, 7 years). Pre- and postoperative standing radiographs as well as intraoperative fluoroscopic images were reviewed and lateral center-edge angle (LCEA), Tönnis angle (TA), anterior center-edge angle (ACEA), anterior wall index (AWI), and posterior wall index (PWI) were measured. Two fellowship-trained hip preservation surgeons completed all measurements with one reader performing a randomized sample of 49 repeat measurements 4 weeks after the initial reading for purposes of calculating intraobserver reliability. Intra- and interrater reliability was assessed using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) model. Agreement between intraoperative fluoroscopic and postoperative radiographic measures was determined by estimating the ICC with 95% confidence intervals and by Bland-Altman analysis. Results Intrarater reliability was excellent (ICC > 0.75) for all measures and good for postoperative AWI (ICC = 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-0.85). Interrater reliability was excellent (ICC > 0.75) for all measures except intraoperative TA (ICC = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.48-0.84). Accuracy of fluoroscopy was good (0.60 < ICC < 0.75) for LCEA (ICC = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.55-0.83), TA (ICC = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.41-0.79), AWI (ICC = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.48-0.74), and PWI (ICC = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.35-0.85) and excellent (ICC > 0.75) for ACEA (ICC = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.71-0.86). Bland-Altman analysis for systematic bias in the comparison between intraoperative fluoroscopy and postoperative radiography found the effect of such bias to be negligible (mean difference: LCEA 2°, TA 2°, ACEA 1°, AWI 0.02, PWI 0.11). Conclusions Fluoroscopy is accurate in measuring correction in PAO. However, surgeons should take care not to undercorrect the posterior wall. Based on our study, intraoperative fluoroscopy may be used as an alternative to an intraoperative AP pelvis radiograph to judge final acetabular fragment correction with an experienced surgeon. However, more studies are needed including a properly powered direct comparative study of intraoperative fluoroscopy and intraoperative radiographs. Moreover, the impact of radiographic correction achieved during surgery should be studied to determine the implications for patient-reported outcomes and long-term survival of the hip. Level of Evidence Level IV, diagnostic study.


Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the GaInNAs/GaAs single quantum well (SQW) with different N compositions are carefully studied in a range of temperatures and excitation power densities. The anomalous S-shape temperature dependence of the PL peak is analysed based on the competition and switching-over between the peaks related to N-induced localized states and the peak related to interband excitonic recombination. It is found that with increasing N composition, the localized energy increases and the turning point of the S-shape temperature dependence occurs at higher temperature, where the localized carriers in the band tail states obtain enough thermal activation energy to be dissociated and delocalized. The rapid thermal annealing (RTA) effectively reduces the localized energy and causes a decrease of the switching-over temperature.


The Fortran subroutine NLPQLP solves smooth nonlinear programming problems and is an extension of the code NLPQL. The new version is specifically tuned to run under distributed systems. A new input parameter l is introduced for the number of parallel machines, that is the number of function calls to be executed simultaneously. In case of l = 1, NLPQLP is identical to NLPQL. Otherwise the line search procedure is modified to allow parallel function calls, which can also be applied for approximating gradients by difference formulae. The mathematical background is outlined, in particular the modification of the line search algorithm to retain convergence under parallel systems. Numerical results show the sensitivity of the new version with respect to the number of parallel machines, and the influence of different gradient approximations under uncertainty. The performance evaluation is obtained by more than 300 standard test problems.


In this work we study current-voltage characteristics in transport molecular junctions with a 1,4-benzene dithiol molecule as a bridge by using different ab initio electron propagator methods such as OVGF and P3 which are both programs in a Gaussian software package. The current-voltage characteristics are calculated for different values of Fermi energy in various basis sets such as 6-311++G(p,d) and cc-pVDZ and are compared with the experimental data. A good agreement is found in almost the entire voltage range. In addition, the results of our calculations indicate that the accuracy of ab initio electron propagator methods is in the range of 0.2-0.3 eV. Since the computational methods are truly ab initio, implying no adjustable parameters, functions, or functionals, the theoretical predictions can be improved only by changing the model of a transport device. The current-voltage characteristics predict peaks, i.e., negative differential resistances, for the various values of Fermi energy. As shown, the origin of the negative differential resistances is related to the voltage dependences of overlap integrals for the active terminal orbitals, expansion coefficients of partial atomic wavefunctions in Dyson orbitals, and the voltage dependences of Dyson poles (ionization potentials). We find that two peak behavior in the current-voltage characteristics can be explained by the anharmonicity of potential energy surfaces. As a result of our studies, we predict that negative differential resistances can be experimentally found by changing a position of Fermi level, i.e., by using different metal electrodes coated by a gold atomic monolayer.


Intra-articular ligamentous injuries are typically unrepairable and have limited outcomes after graft reconstruction. A combination of porous polycaprolactone fumarate (PCLF) scaffolds with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sutures was developed with the goal of regenerating intra-articular ligaments. Scaffolds were fabricated by injecting PCLF over three-dimensional-printed molds containing two strands of PET suture down its central pore followed by cross-linking. Scaffolds were seeded with human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from adipose tissue. To demonstrate cell attachment and proliferation in culture, we performed live/dead staining and cell proliferation assays. These experiments showed that MSCs remain viable and continue to proliferate on the scaffolds in culture for at least 2 weeks. Bare scaffolds were then used to reconstruct the rabbit anterior-cruciate ligament (ACL), while control rabbits underwent semitendinosus autograft reconstruction. The specimens underwent micro-computed tomography (CT) imaging, histological examination, and biomechanical testing at 8 weeks. The ultimate pull-out strength of the PCLF-PET scaffolds and tendon autografts was initially 72 ± 30 N and to 45 ± 10 N, respectively (p < 0.06). On inspection after 8 weeks in vivo, the intra-articular portion of the PCLF-PET scaffolds was fragmented while the tendon autografts remained intact. Cross-sectional areas of bone tunnels in the PCLF-PET scaffolds (11.3 ± 1 mm2) were enlarged compared to tendon autografts (3.8 ± 0.5 mm2) (p < 0.004) as measured by micro-CT. These studies show that PET-reinforced PCLF scaffolds are capable of initial ACL reconstruction and supports stem cell growth. The intra-articular portion of the scaffold may need to be re-engineered to support their use in ligament regeneration.


This article discusses a holistic approach to the revitalisation of river valleys in urbanized areas. Research on the process of riverside urban space revitalisation in Polish towns and cities was conducted by the author within the framework of the European project REURIS and aimed to indicate multifunctional solutions and models of complex nature-urban revitalisation of river valleys. From among 43 cities in northern Poland, which met the basic criteria, 25 projects were selected and subjected to the evaluation process using WIQUS methodology. The analysis and evaluation allowed to identify the best practices as well as the most important barriers and key factors of success of river valley regeneration projects in Polish towns. The significance of the research follows from opportunities of gaining measurable implementation benefits in the integrated spatial planning process of urbanised areas as well as in creating riverscapes both in anthropogenic and biocoenotic aspects. The author describes the scope of the research, its main results, and conclusions in order to present the advantages and benefits of nature-urban revitalisation pro-jects for the citizens as well as water and water-dependent ecosystems of river valleys. The implementation of multifunctional riverside buffer parks (RBPs) appears to be the most effective and sustainable way of devel-opment of river valleys in urban environment. The paper deals with the rules of spatial arrangement of particular zones of buffer parks considering social, ecological and hydrological requirements. The implementation of buffer parks in the riparian urban areas makes it possible to significantly reduce storm water runoff and flood risk, while the multifunctional development of the parks allows to achieve a synergy effect in appealing public spaces. Finally the author presents the application of the RBP idea in spatial arrangement of flood plains in the area of the Warta Valley in Poznan along the 'Warta' Campus of Poznan University of Technology. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sace.4.5.4709


Childhood sexual abuse (CSA), which is disproportionately common among homeless youth, is associated with adverse sexual health outcomes. However, there is a lack of data as to how CSA is related to adverse sexual health outcomes among homeless youth. The current study examined motivations for sex as mediators in the relationships between CSA and 1)sexual risk behaviours and 2)sexual functioning among homeless youth. 179 youth (ages 16-21) completed measures examining CSA, motivations for sex, and sexual health outcomes. CSA was associated with earlier age of first intercourse among females and involvement in sex trading among males. CSA was also associated with motivations to have sex for partner approval and coping. Sex for partner approval mediated the relationship between CSA and age of first intercourse among females. This study highlights the importance of targeting motivations in the reduction of adverse sexual health outcomes among homeless youth in Canada.


This document provides an overview of models for MANET and NEMO. It
descibes the MANET and the NEMO characteristics. It also also lists
problems using the MANET and NEMO technology, when problems are not
described in other documents. It is claimed that MANET suits small
mobile network topologies, providing optimal paths for communication
within a MANET cloud and towards the outside. It is also claimed that
NEMO suits small mobile subnets, providing sub-optimal paths for to
Internet connected nodes. This document is used for evaluating a need
for a MANET for NEMO, called MANEMO.


Study Design. A retrospective review. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess correction of pelvic obliquity in children with cerebral palsy (CP) scoliosis postoperatively and 5 years after posterior spinal fusion with pelvic fixation using unit rods, sacral-alar-iliac (SAI) screws, or iliac screws. Summary of Background Data. There are multiple options for pelvic fixation in children with scoliosis secondary to CP. The long-term differences in outcomes between these fixation methods are still unclear. Methods. A multicenter review identified records of 70 children with CP who underwent posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis using unit rods (n = 9), SAI screws (n = 19), or iliac screws (n = 42). Patients younger than 18 years with 5-year follow-up were included. Pelvic obliquity and major coronal curve measurements were compared using preoperative, (first erect) postoperative, and 5-year follow-up radiographs. Implant-related complications were noted. Alpha = 0.05. Results. For all groups, there was a significant difference between preoperative and postoperative pelvic obliquity that was maintained at 5 years. At 5-year follow-up, pelvic obliquity was significantly higher in the IS group (12°) compared with the unit rod group (4°, P = 0.001) and SAI screw group (6°) (P = 0.006). Implant-related complications were as follows: unit rod group, one patient (reoperation); SAI screw group, none; iliac screw group, six patients, including three cases of loss of connection between the rod and the iliac screw, two prominent screws, and one loose screw. Conclusion. Correction of pelvic obliquity for children with CP-related scoliosis was achieved postoperatively using unit rods, SAI screws, and iliac screws. Implant-related complications and reoperations were most common in the iliac screw group. At 5-year follow-up, the iliac screw group had loss of major curve correction and less correction of pelvic obliquity than the unit rod and SAI screw groups. Level of Evidence: 3


ABSTRACT. The fate of the [methyl‐14C] group of S‐adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) in bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei, was studied. Trypanosomes were incubated with either [methyl‐14C]methionine, [U‐14C]methionine, S‐[methyl‐14C]AdoMet or [35S]methionine and incorporation into the total TCA precipitable fractions was followed. Incorporation of label into protein through methylation was estimated by comparing molar incorporation of [methyl‐14C] and [U‐14C]methionine to [35S]methionine. After 4‐h incubation with [U‐14C]methionine, [methyl‐14C]methionine or [35S]methionine, cells incorporated label at mean rates of 2,880 pmol, 1,305 pmol and 296 pmol per mg total cellular protein, respectively. Cells incubated with [U‐14C] or [methyl‐14C]methionine in the presence of cycloheximide (50 μg/ml) for four hours incorporated label eight‐ and twofold more rapidly, respectively, than cells incubated with [35S]methionine and cycloheximide. [Methyl‐14C] and [U‐14C]methionine incorporation were > 85% decreased by co‐incubation with unlabeled AdoMet (1 mM). The level of protein methylation remaining after 4‐h treatment with cycloheximide was also inhibited with unlabeled AdoMet. The acid precipitable label from [U‐14C]methionine incorporation was not appreciably hydrolyzed by DNAse or RNAse treatment but was 95% solubilized by proteinase K. [U‐14C]methionine incorporated into the TCA precipitable fraction was susceptible to alkaline borate treatment, indicating that much of this label (55%) was incorporated as carboxymethyl groups. The rate of total lipid methylation was found to be 1.5 times that of protein methylation by incubating cells with [U‐14C]methionine for six hours and differential extraction of the TCA lysate. These studies show T. b. brucei maintains rapid lipid and protein methylation, confirming previous studies demonstrating rapid conversion of methionine to AdoMet and subsequent production of post‐methylation products of AdoMet in African trypanosomes.


While documented risk factors (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, etc.) for atherosclerosis are systemic in nature, atherosclerotic plaques appear in a heterogeneous distribution in the vasculature. This heterogeneity is thought to be related in part to the fact that the plaques tend to develop in areas of disturbed blood flow such as bifurcations and curvatures. Moreover, the coronary arteries, which also experience the added mechanical deformations of cyclic flexing, stretching, and twisting due to their tethering to a beating heart, are particularly susceptible to atherogenesis. This suggests that both fluid-induced (shear) and deformation-induced (mural) stress contribute to location specific susceptibility or protection from disease. We hypothesized that local variations in shear and mural stress associated with dynamic motion of arterial segments influence the distribution of early markers of atherogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we utilized our unique, well-established, and validated ex vivo vascular perfusion system in a combined experimental / computational study. Pairs of freshly-harvested porcine arterial segments were perfused ex vivo under normal hemodynamic conditions. One of the paired segments was exposed to coronary levels of either cyclic axial stretching, flexure, or twist. Post-perfusion tissue processing provided the extent and spatial distribution of early markers of atherogenesis, including endothelial permeability, apoptosis, and proliferation. Finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics techniques were used to estimate the mural and shear stress distributions, respectively, for reconstructed models of each experimentally perfused segment. Quantitative correlations between biological marker and mechanical stress distributions were determined using multiple linear regression analysis. Vessel segments exposed to cyclic axial stretch and flexure showed significant increases in both permeability and apoptosis. In addition, we demonstrated that all three deformations generated complex, non-uniform distributions of both biologic endpoints and mechanical stresses. These distributions displayed a high degree of specimen-to-specimen variability which was attributed to the highly variable vessel geometries. Several specific mechanical stress measures, both mural and shear, were shown to be associated with cellular atherogenic marker distribution. Future work should be aimed at more fully elucidating the molecular mechanism linking mechanical stress in the tissue to these cellular based responses.


Abstract Objectives: To investigate the effect of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection on future development of ischaemic heart disease and mortality. Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Setting: Caerphilly, South Wales. Subjects: Plasma specimens were collected during 1979-83 from 1773 men aged 45-59 years. These were tested for IgG and IgA antibodies to C pneumoniae (TW183) by microimmunofluorescence. Outcome measures: 13 year mortality and incident ischaemic heart disease events were ascertained from death certificates, hospital records, and electrocardiographic changes at follow up every 4 to 5 years. Results: 642 men (36.2%) had IgG antibodies at a titre of <=1 in 16, of whom 362 (20.4% of all men) also had detectable IgA antibodies. The prevalence of ischaemic heart disease (a history of past or current disease) at entry was similar at all IgG antibody titres but was positively related to IgA antibody titre. IgAantibody titre was positively correlated with plasma viscosity but not with other cardiovascular risk factors. Incidence of ischaemic heart disease was not associated with either IgG antibody titre or IgAantibody titre, but there were stronger and significant relations ofIgA antibodies with all cause mortality and fatal ischaemic heart disease, which persisted after adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors. The odds ratios associated with detectableIgA antibodies were 1.07 (95% confidence interval 0.75 to 1.53) for all incident ischaemic heart disease, 1.83 (1.17 to 2.85) for fatal ischaemic heart disease, and 1.50 (1.10 to 2.04) for all cause mortality. Conclusion: This is the first prospective demonstration of an association between IgA antibodies to C pneumoniae, a putative marker of chronic infection, and subsequent risk of death from ischaemic heart disease. In contrast to earlier case-control studies, IgG antibodies were not associated with either prevalent or incident ischaemic heart disease.


OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of cilostazol on the progression and regression of symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. DATA RETRIVAL: We searched the main databases for eligible trials including Medline (from 1966 to June 2014), Embase (from 1980 to June 2014), Cochrane Library (Issue 6, 2014), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (from 1995 to June 2014), Current Controlled Trials (http://controlled-trials.com), Clinical Trials.gov (http://clinicaltrials.gov), and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org). All studies regarding prevention and treatment of symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis by cilostazol were collected. The Mesh or text keywords were the English words: "cilostazol, phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor, atherosclerosis, and ischemic stroke." No restrictions were put on publications or publication language. SELECTION CRITERIA: Grade A or B randomized controlled trials were selected according to the quality of evaluation criteria from the Cochrane Collaboration, in which cilostazol and aspirin were used to evaluate the effects of cilostazol in the treatment of patients with symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. The quality of study methodology was evaluated based on criteria described in Cochrane Reviewer′s Handbook 5.0.1. RevMan 5.2 software was used for data analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical efficacy and safety of cilostazol in stopping progression and promoting regression of symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis were measured by magnetic resonance angiography and transcranial Doppler. RESULTS: Two randomized controlled trials with a total of 203 patients were included in this study. The results showed that while cilostazol was associated with a significantly reduced progression of intracranial artery stenosis (OR = 0.21, 95%CI: 0.09-0.47, P < 0.01), it had no beneficial effect on symptom regression (OR = 1.42, 95%CI: 0.80-2.51, P = 0.24). During the follow-up period, although some adverse effects developed, including headache, gastrointestinal disturbance, and dizziness, incidences of bleeding were lower than in aspirin-treated patients. CONCLUSION: Cilostazol may prevent the progression of symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis, which could reduce the incidence of ischemic stroke.


Synthesis and characterization of functional nanoparticles and their applications for smart window are reviewed. Various kinds of nanomaterials and their composites are successfully synthesized by solvothermal process. Thin films on glass substrate can be fabricated by doctor blade method using nanoparticles as starting materials. The mixed valence state tungsten-based homogeneous nanomaterials possess excellent infrared (IR) light shielding properties, implying their potential applications for the heat ray shielding and indoor energy saving effect in summer. On the other hand, VO2 monoclinic-based nanoparticles possess smart and excellent thermochromic properties, show excellent heat ray shielding effect in summer and heating effect of winter indoors. Also, multifunctionality of thin films can be realized by fabricating the composites with various functional components, implying their potential applications for IR shielding, photocatalysis and self-cleaning at the same time. The design of composites and structure of thin films might result in the enhancement or properties of practice applications on window materials.


The author recommends mastering the methods of capsular and intracapsular microsurgery for cataracts on cadaver eyes. He advises to remove the cornea and the iris to have a better view of the technique. As the physician masters the technique, he screens the lens sac equatorial area by keeping the iris and later the cornea (to make the conditions as close to clinical surgery as possible) and then removes the iris and the cornea for controlling the quality of the capsular pocket preparation. Artificial lenses similar in shape to B. N. Alexeev's design may be implanted in the prepared lens sac; then the anterior capsule of the lower capsular pocket in the central area is removed. The training may be completed by removal of the anterior capsule alone, i.e. by extracapsular extraction. The described methodology helps more rapidly master the techniques of capsular and intracapsular microsurgery and intracapsular implantation of artificial lenses and thus promotes a wide practical employment of these microsurgical techniques.


Recent attempts to develop an embodied understanding of ethics in organizations have tended to mobilize a Levinasian and 'im/possible' ethics of recognition, which separates ethics and embodiment from politics and organization. We argue that this separation is unrealistic, unsustainable, and an unhelpful starting point for an embodied ethics of organizations. Instead of rescuing and modifying the ethics of recognition, we propose an embodied ethics of organizational life through Spinoza's affective ethics. Neither a moral rule system nor an infinite duty to recognize the other, Spinoza offers a theory of the good, powerful and joyful life by asking what bodies can do. Rather than an unrestrained, irresponsible and individualistic quest for power and freedom, this suggests that we enhance our capacities to affect and be affected by relating to a variety of different bodies. We first scrutinize recent attempts to develop an ethics of recognition and embodiment in organization studies. We then explore key concepts and central arguments of Spinozian ethics. Finally, we discuss what a Spinozian ethics means for the theory and practice of embodied ethics in organizational life.


Objectives: Study on the engineering properties of fiber reinforced polymer cement mortar with incremental replacement of cement by silica fume, Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) and Metakaoline (MK). Methods/Statistical Analysis: Cement is replaced by the additives as 5, 10 and 15 percent by weight. Polymer content (SBR) was varied as 5, 10, 15 and 20 percent by weight of water to be added. The FRP fiber addition is optimized to one percent by weight of cement in all the specimens. The intention was to study the variation in engineering properties of fiber reinforced polymer with additive replacement of binder with the additives and water with polymer. Findings: It is concluded from the test results that the compressive and flexural strength of modified mortar were improved markedly with increasing polymer binder ratio and also additive replacement of binder weight by silica fume, GGBS and Metakaoline. The results obtained has given much higher values when compared to individual addition of additives or polymer. The consistency in values of both compressive and flexural strength marks the much higher efficiency of the mortar even in lower percentage of addition of additive or polymer when added individually. Supplementary Cementing Materials (SCM) have growing importance in the construction industry, as it upgrades the economic and engineering efficiency of cement compositions. The replacement of water with polymer reduces the water binder ratio, driving to high strength and durable repair mortars. The polyester fibers addition resulted in the improvement of the mechanical properties of the composition. Applications/Improvements: Thus the fiber reinforced mortar combination is a mark in structural sustainability of not only modern but also for structural rehabilitation of historic monuments, where it can replace the ancient lime mortars with high strength and durability hand in hand.


The development of technology in fabrication and manufacturing systems is increasing nowadays. The use of robots as mediators to assemble all kinds of product has become a new challenge in this era, and robotic welding technology is now the choice for certain automotive industries to produce their vehicle products. This research will develop an artificial robot welder with a type of gantry robot as a training prototype to gain more in-depth knowledge of industrial robots. The purpose of the paper is to develop an initial welding robot system, focusing on evaluation of the 2-axis movement of X and Y. The robot's movement will be controlled by a microcontroller, and its level of accuracy and repeatability will be measured a by Faro Arm Portable Coordinate Measuring Machine (PCMM) with an error of around 0.02 mm. This measurement method will consist of five speed characteristics, which make the robot move for a constant distance of 125 mm. The results show that the best level of accuracy is 0.83%, at 2.5 mm/s of velocity. The X and Y axes produce movement with the best repeatability of 96 μm and 108 μm, respectively. Based on the results, the gantry robot displays good performance in repeatability and accuracy, proving it can work effectively.


Increasing evidence supports a low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss and improvement in traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) markers. Effects on novel CVD markers remain unclear. We examined the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet (<40 g/day; n = 75) versus a low-fat diet (<30% kcal/day from total fat, <7% saturated fat; n = 73) on biomarkers representing inflammation, adipocyte dysfunction, and endothelial dysfunction in a 12 month clinical trial among 148 obese adults free of diabetes and CVD. Participants met with a study dietitian on a periodic basis and each diet group received the same behavioral curriculum which included dietary instruction and supportive counseling. Eighty percent of participants completed the intervention. At 12 months, participants on the low-carbohydrate diet had significantly greater increases in adiponectin (mean difference in change, 1336 ng/mL (95% CI, 342 to 2330 ng/mL); p = 0.009) and greater decreases in intercellular adhesion molecule-1 concentrations (−16.8 ng/mL (−32.0 to −1.6 ng/mL); p = 0.031) than those on the low-fat diet. Changes in other novel CVD markers were not significantly different between groups. In conclusion, despite the differences in weight changes on diets, a low-carbohydrate diet resulted in similar or greater improvement in inflammation, adipocyte dysfunction, and endothelial dysfunction than a standard low-fat diet among obese persons.


We have developed interferometric systems to measure nanosize structures and freeze their motion in time. Researchers have also suggested a method to extract both phase and amplitude information for crystallography.


A narrowing tree for a constructor term rewriting system and a pair of terms is a finite representation for the space of all possible innermost-narrowing derivations that start with the pair and end with non-narrowable terms. Narrowing trees have grammar representations that can be considered regular tree grammars. Innermost narrowing is a counterpart of constructor-based rewriting, and thus, narrowing trees can be used in analyzing constructor-based rewriting to normal forms. In this paper, using grammar representations, we extend narrowing trees to syntactically deterministic conditional term rewriting systems that are constructor systems. We show that narrowing trees are useful to prove two properties of a normal conditional term rewriting system: one is infeasibility of conditional critical pairs and the other is quasi-reducibility. 2012 ACM Subject Classification Theory of computation → Rewrite systems


"Traitor!" I said, "You're a traitor!" I showed him a clipping from a Cuban daily paper: there he was, in a pitcher's uniform, playing baseball. I remember that he laughed; we both laughed. I don't remember whether he said anything. The conversation then bounced like a ping-pong ball from one subject to another, one country to another, one nostalgic reminiscence to another; there was talk of his experiences in the revolution, and there were jokes: "What do you suppose is wrong with my hand?" he asked. "It's under a curse," I said. "Under a curse? Why do you say that?" "It's obvious. You shook hands with Frondizi and Frondizi fell; you shook hands with Janio Quadros and he fell. I'm lucky that I have no place to fall from," I said, feigning worry. And he laughed, knitting his eyebrows.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


Corporate Social Responsibility in the football industry is an important part of each club's agenda, while being more than a business trend. The way its activities are communicated, however, has not attracted, thus far, enough academic interest. This study aims at filling this literature gap by providing not only a presentation of the ways and methods in which CSR is promoted, but also a critical examination of their efficiency. This examination can only take place after the academic literature available on CSR promotion is scrutinized and the sample of the research is clarified. The FA Premier League clubs, the sample of this study, have then been carefully inspected with the help of insiders' interviews, providing details of their current practice in CSR promotion methods, as well as a critical review of their effectiveness. Finally, the question of abundance of CSR promotion in football is being answered taking into consideration both the insiders' and the public opinion.


Regions of the rat growth hormone gene (rGH) upstream of the transcription initiation site were cloned upstream of the firefly luciferase reporter gene to study promoter activity in GH3 rat pituitary cells during lag, logarithmic and plateau phase cell growth. The region -1751bp to -1329 activated gene expression in lag phase cells, but was neutral during logarithmic and plateau phase cell growth. Sequences between -1329bp and -553 were inhibitory during lag and plateau phase growth, but activated promoter activity when introduced into cells during logarithmic growth. We conclude that the rGH 5' flanking DNA provides an interesting model to study DNA sequences involved in growth-related changes in promoter activity.


Abstract Multiphase chemical reactors with characteristic multiscale structures are intrinsically discrete at the elemental scale. However, due to the lack of multiscale models and the limitation of computational capability, such reactors are traditionally treated as continua through straightforward averaging in engineering simulations or as completely discrete systems in theoretical studies. The continuum approach is advantageous in terms of the scale and speed of computation but does not always give good predictions, which is, in many cases, the strength of the discrete approach. On the other hand, however, the discrete approach is too computationally expensive for engineering applications. Developments in computing science and technologies and encouraging progress in multiscale modeling have enabled discrete simulations to be extended to engineering systems and represent a promising approach to virtual process engineering (VPE, or virtual reality in process engineering). In this review, we analyze this emerging trend and emphasize that multiscale discrete simulations (MSDS), that is, considering multiscale structures in discrete simulation through rational coarse-graining and coupling between discrete and continuum methods with the effect of mesoscale structures accounted in both cases, is an effective way forward, which can be complementary to the continuum approach that is being improved by multiscale modeling also. For this purpose, our review is not meant to be a complete summary to the literature on discrete simulation, but rather a demonstration of its feasibility for engineering applications. We therefore discuss the enabling methods and technologies for MSDS, taking granular and particle-fluid flows as typical examples in chemical engineering. We cover the spectrum of modeling, numerical methods, algorithms, software implementation and even hardware-software codesign. The structural consistency among these aspects is shown to be the pivot for the success of MSDS. We conclude that with these developments, MSDS could soon become, among others, a mainstream simulation approach in chemical engineering which enables VPE.


The title "Elevated Highways – A Solution to Brisbane's Traffic Congestion?" initially outlines the probable contents of the upcoming dissertation.

Many cities around the world are experiencing worsening traffic chaos especially in peak hour travelling times. The construction of road tunnels, elevated highways, freeways and interchanges, bus ways, transit lanes, tollways and automated traffic systems are some of the methods that planners, engineers and governments have utilized to try to increase the capacity of the road infrastructure network to
alleviate the congestion in peak hour traffic.

Thus, the much debated topic of what infrastructure or road systems to construct in order to overcome the dreaded "peak hour rush" for any city reaching the capacity of their current road and transport network, is a never ending question and topic for today's transport engineers, planners, governments, environmentalists and public to agree upon.

I believe the answer lies within the creativity of the design engineers to conjure up new designs of infrastructure, with new materials, creativity and form that are environmentally acceptable and at a viable cost.

Today's transport planners and governments need to also implement acceptable systems of control to allow the traffic to flow as well as increase the capacity and
use of public transportation systems.

My aim for the upcoming thesis was to highlight another type of road infrastructure solution that is affordable and could be designed to alleviate the traffic congestion
that is now evident on our roads in Brisbane, primarily in the peak travel times.

Thus, my infrastructure solution of elevated roadways/highways strategically placed throughout Brisbane within existing railway corridors or over existing
freeways/motorways to increase the existing capacity had primarily been my predominant solution for the ease of the traffic congestion in Brisbane.

Elevated roadways / motorways could be established within existing railway corridors and over existing freeways to minimise the traffic congestion on South East Queensland's infrastructure as the population grows.


A review of the current state of the issue of describing the deformation of columns confined by CFRP jackets under of dynamic loading is carried out. The insufficiency of the study of elements under the influence of axial dynamic load is indicated. The dynamic increase factors (DIF) for concrete and CFRP, which are obtained by the results of existing experiments, are substantiated. Using the principle of the invariance of the potential energy of deformation of concrete at the time of its destruction under regime loading, a formula is obtained for determining DIF for ultimate relative strain of unconfined concrete. Based on the assumption of the same law of concrete deformation under static and dynamic loading, was obtained a diagram of concrete dynamic deformation confined by CFRP jackets. The diagram is valid in the range of strain rates 10−3-102 s−1. A comparison is made between a static diagram and a dynamic diagram derived from it. The characteristic of the main sections of the diagram is given. An increase in the strength and ductility of confined concrete at the initial stage of loading is obtained. At stresses equal to the tensile strength of limited concrete, its ductility is somewhat reduced. It was revealed that a significant increase in the bearing capacity of confined concrete begins at strain rates of 10 s−1 or more.


Background: Hallux valgus is a common condition characterized by lateral deviation of the large toe and medial deviation of the first metatarsal. While some gait analyses of patients with hallux valgus have been performed using plantar pressures, very little is known about the kinematics of gait in this population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate triplanar kinematics in patients with hallux valgus using a multisegmental foot model. Materials and Methods: A 15-camera Vicon Motion Analysis System was used to evaluate the gait of 38 feet in 33 patients with mild to severe hallux valgus. The Milwaukee foot model was used to characterize dynamic foot and ankle kinematics and temporal-spatial parameters. Values were compared with normal subjects. Outcomes were evaluated using the SF-36 assessment tool. Results: Patients with hallux valgus showed significantly decreased velocity and stride length and prolonged stance. Significant alterations in gait kinematics were observed in various planes in all segments (hallux, forefoot, hindfoot, and tibia) of the foot and ankle, particularly in the ranges of motion of the hallux and the forefoot. Conclusion: The results demonstrate significantly altered kinematic and temporal-spatial parameters reflective of reduced ambulatory function in patients with hallux valgus. As reports describing multisegmental foot and ankle kinematics in this population are limited, this study is valuable in characterizing gait in patients with hallux valgus. Clinical Relevance: A better understanding of altered gait dynamics of the multisegmental foot in patients with hallux valgus provides valuable insight on how distal pathology affects proximal segments.


A heuristic predictive optimization scheme for gridreactive heat pump operation is introduced in this paper. It is based on thermal demand predictions (domestic hot water, heating demand) and does not require any numerical optimization which makes it easy to implement on real hardware. It follows the idea to use the heat pump to overheat the existing hot water storage in times of cheap electrical energy (oversupply). This way, converting electrical into thermal energy allows to economically shift electrical loads and hence to react at grid needs. The proposed optimization scheme is evaluated in a simulation study based on the simulation platform TRNSYS. A detailed evaluation of the algorithm in different application scenarios has been conducted by using a comprehensive system model of the investigated solar heat pump system. The evaluation presents the impact of different characteristics of the incentivizing price signal as well as prediction errors onto the load shifting and cost saving potential.


Abstract EDITOR'S NOTE: The paper from which this abstract has been made appears in full in Geophysics, Vol. XXI, No. 2, April, 1956, page 261. Dr. Woods' talk was based on this paper. It discusses in full the operation of the acoustic model and the results. Series of reflections are shown to illustrate different conditions within the apparatus. When one thick seismic layer lies over another there is an isolated seismic interface which will cause a single seismic reflection. However, if there are many thin layers of sand and shale, there will be reflections from the sand-shale interfaces; these reflections will overlap and interfere with each other, and each line-up on the seismic record will be the sum of several such reflections. The reflection seismograph makes use of a seismic pulse about 300 feet long; however, where thin layers are present there are many reflections which cannot appear separately on the seismic record, but rather must appear as a composite of such reflections. The thin layers may have generally parallel interfaces, but they may also be present as wedges, pinch-outs, or lenses such as sand bars. Often such interfaces will generate two pulses which will interfere. A seismic record is usually complex and difficult or impossible to use for demonstration of this phenomenon, and some sort of model must be used to illustrate what happens. For this purpose an acoustic model or sound tube has been constructed. It is a steel pipe three hundred feet long and two inches in diameter. At one end of this pipe an electric pulse in a speaker produces a sharp click which is transmitted by way of the pipe to a microphone, corresponding to a geophone. The microphone is connected to a standard set of seismic reflection instruments. In a one trace record taken with this arrangement the click is shown to create a deflection as it reaches the microphone from the speaker; this is the explosion, or time break. A second deflection of the trace is caused by sound which travels the length of the pipe and is reflected from the closed end of the pipe back to the microphone. This is not a seismic model, since the system is one dimensional sound with no shear waves, surface waves or divergence of energy. The attenuation of the sound waves differs from the attenuation of seismic waves in the earth, and the process of reflection differs from the process of reflection of seismic waves in the earth. To create additional reflections in the sound tube a stick two inches wide, one inch thick and twenty feet long is placed in the pipe. Such a stick reduces the area within the pipe available for the transmission of sound and changes the acoustic impedance of the pipe. Because of this, when sound travels down the pipe a reflection will occur when the sound comes to the top of the stick, and a second reflection will occur when the sound comes to the bottom of the stick. As stated, these reflections in the sound tube arise from changes in area within the tube, or the reciprocal area. By comparison, reflections in the earth arise from changes in seismic velocity. However, the sound tube is regarded as an analog of the earth, and for this purpose quantities which belong to the earth are associated with the sound tube. In the construction of diagrams from the reflections in the sound tube certain changes are made in the sound tube constants. 1. Distances are scaled up thirty times. 2. Velocity is scaled up ten times. 3. Frequency is scaled down three times. 4. Time is scaled up three times. 5. Reflection coefficients remain the same. Different combinations of wooden sticks are used to create different conditions giving rise to different types of records. These conditions represent wedges, pinch-outs, sections containing varying numbers and thicknesses of thin layers, and multiple reflections, the latter being created not only by adjustments of the stick in the sound tube but by moving the speaker so as to bring about a double impulse, one from a reflection from the bottom of the pipe and one from a reflection from the top of the pipe. An attempt is also made to cause variable results by cutting one of the sticks to scaled thicknesses from a resistivity log, in place of a velocity log, in order to bring about changes in the space within the pipe and thereby a succession of reflections of different amplitude. The results of this study emphasize the argument that each reflection on a seismic record is nearly always a composite of several reflections. A constant source of error in the interpretation of seismic records is the idea that each line-up on the record represents a single interface, to be plotted on a cross-section at a definite depth. There is a companion idea that individual line-ups should be correlated with some single sharp kick on the resistivity log. The records from the acoustic model present in a simple way the argument that reflections from closely spaced interfaces will interfere with each other to give a composite reflection, often to the confusion of the map maker and the map user.


Using a difference-in-differences approach and relying on confidential supervisory data and an unique proprietary data set available at the European Central Bank related to the 2016 EU-wide stress test, this paper presents novel empirical evidence that supervisory scrutiny associated to stress testing has a disciplining effect on bank risk. We find that banks that participated in the 2016 EU-wide stress test subsequently reduced their credit risk relative to banks that were not part of this exercise. Relying on new metrics for supervisory scrutiny that measure the quantity, potential impact, and duration of interactions between banks and supervisors during the stress test, we find that the disciplining effect is stronger for banks subject to more intrusive supervisory scrutiny during the exercise. JEL Classification: G11, G21, G28


Population scale sweeps of viral pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, require high intensity testing for effective management. This protocol describes the "Systematic Parallel Analysis of RNA coupled to Sequencing for Covid-19 screening" (C19-SPAR-Seq), a multiplexed, scalable, readily automated platform for SARS-CoV-2 detection that is capable of analyzing tens of thousands of patient samples in a single run. To address strict requirements for control of assay parameters and output demanded by clinical diagnostics, we employed a control-based Precision-Recall and Receiver Operator Characteristics (coPR) analysis to assign run-specific quality control metrics. C19-SPAR-Seq coupled to coPR on a trial cohort of several hundred patients performed with a specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 91% on samples with low viral loads, and a sensitivity of > 95% on high viral loads associated with disease onset and peak transmissibility. This study establishes the feasibility of employing C19-SPAR-Seq for the large-scale monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens.


The final results of a survey on welfare of dairy cows in 7 Italian Regions are presented. The study has been performed on 943 farms in southern and central Italy to highlight critical and strong points concerning animal welfare in dairy systems, by using direct and indirect criteria. To assess animal welfare, a checklist based on 303 parameters has been used; indirect criteria have been organised in 5 general areas concerning Farm management, Farming and housing systems, Environment, Feeding, Health and hygiene; other resource-based criteria were considered in 5 specific areas for the different productive categories (lactating cows, dry cows, pregnant heifers, cows comeback, calves up to 8 weeks and calves between 8 weeks and 6 months); finally, an Indicators section focused on animal based criteria. Parameters have been valued as conforming or not conforming on the basis of the current lesgislation on animal welfare, and in the other cases by the use of a semi-quantitative scale such as poor, satisfactory, good or very good referring to scientific literature and reports by the Animal Health and Animal Welfare panel of the European Food Safety Authority. Among the 249 examined parameters (54 criteria have been valued as descriptive), 15 showed a failure prevalence inferior to 1%; for the remaining parameters, the overall non-compliance prevalence on the whole sample ranged from a maximum of 67% to a minimum of 2%, showing an inverse proportionality correlation with the herd size. One hundred and ten parameters were judged as poor (96) or not in compliance with the rules in force (14) in more than 10% of the examined herds. The most common non-compliance aspects detected in the different areas concern calves management, staff training and prophylaxis programmes; staff training levels were inversely related to failure prevalences in almost all areas. The combination of direct and indirect criteria has allowed to fully embrace recommendations on the use of animal based measures for the assessment of animal welfare, as accepted into the strategic Plan for the EU animal welfare for 2012-2015.


1. Davis RE. Folate supplementation [letter]. Med J Aust 1992; 157: 425. 2. van der Put NMJ, Steegers-Theunissen RPM, Frosst P, et al. Mutated methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase as a risk factor for spina bifida. Lancet1995; 346: 1070-1071. 3. MRCVitaminStudy ResearchGroup. Preventionof neural-tube defects: results of the Medical ResearchCouncil vitamin study. Lancet1991; 338: 131-137. 0 It is possible to measure the urinary excretion of homocysteine, but at present this test probably lacks the required sensitivity. It should be remembered that women with this abnormal reductase tend to have a serum folate concentration at the lower end of the reference range. The abnormality can be determined at any time with this screening procedure and this will enable those at risk to take pharmacological doses of folate before conception.


Purpose

The research described here presents an approach to gamification for the classroom. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether students would perceive the gamification activities in a positive light. Previous research has contended that students need a positive mental attitude for effective learning. The core question was to examine student attitudes to gamification, not the success of the gamification itself.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a survey of the gamification literature, and particularly drawing on the work of Groh (2012), this system is designed with three key principles in mind: relatedness, competence and autonomy. Classroom activities and associated software were designed and implemented. Almost 200 students were surveyed to determine their attitude to the gamification. The survey included both Likert-scale and qualitative responses.

Findings

A majority of the students reported that they found the gamification useful and enjoyable, only a minority of students (around 15 per cent) disagreeing with such statements. However, only a minority of students perceived a relationship between the gamification activities and games. The authors conclude that well-designed gamification systems can be well-received by students and suggest that the success of gamification projects may not lie in their ability to recreate the experience of a video game, but in the strength of the relatedness, competence and autonomy of the student experience.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited by the nature of the participants, who were drawn from videogame and media units and who may be predisposed to game-like activities.

Originality/value

This research demonstrates that students are able to perceive value in gamification in the classroom.


This EPA STRIVE research fellowship report presents
a literature review and fieldwork data for a project that
investigated how the topic of nanotechnology can be
engaged with by both experts on the topic and nonexperts.
The first objective was to map out what can be said about
knowledge of nanotechnology in contemporary Ireland.
All perspectives on nanotechnology were taken on
board, analysed and synthesised, including deviations
from the accepted truths about nanotechnology. While
perspectives on environmental and health implications
were of particular interest, they were not the primary
focus in discussions, unless raised by participants and
commentators. Methods used for this study included an
awareness survey and media and document analyses.
The second objective was to pilot a series of
nanotechnology communication events, which
would provide the basis of a future communications/
consultation strategy for policy-makers. The types of
activities used in these events included focus groups,
a 'citizens' jury', online forums and an installation in the
Science Gallery in Dublin. The contributions from these
activities also added to the first objective of addressing
nanotechnology knowledge.
The third and final objective was to report to the EPA, in
order to aid future environmental research associated
with public communication and wider science
communication and technology assessment policy by
the Irish government.
The following was concluded from this project:
• Scientists were the most prominent voices in public
discourse about nanotechnology, but mostly in the
context of commercial exploitation and innovation.
• Environment and health risks and benefits were tied
to social and ethical considerations very closely and
participants in public engagement activities were at
least as concerned about governance and equity
issues (in terms of how nanotechnology is controlled)
as they were about the environmental and health
implication
• Scientists were the most prominent voices in public
discourse about nanotechnology, but mostly in the
context of commercial exploitation and innovation.
• Environment and health risks and benefits were tied
to social and ethical considerations very closely and
participants in public engagement activities were at
least as concerned about governance and equity
issues (in terms of how nanotechnology is controlled)
as they were about the environmental and health
implication
• Where nanotechnology was described in the media,
it tended to be either framed in commercial terms,
or in basic, scientific, didactic terms for education
and outreach, for example, 'nanotechnology
is …' Both representations reduce the chances
for nanotechnology risks, of any kind, to be
discussed, and are at odds with policy measures
of nanotechnology public engagement in other
countries.
• Dialogicality (expressing multiple voices and views
on a topic) was weak in many official nanotechnology
texts, new media approaches provided more
opportunities for dialogue.
• The concept of nanotechnology as an 'entity' was
important – for young participants in particular.
• Levels of attendance at public engagement events
were low for the open-invitation focus group and the
citizens' jury pilot especially.
The following recommendations are made:
• Establish a Convergence Technologies Forum;
• Ensure that dialogue initiatives are included for future
nanotechnology;
• Use all communication channels, including new Web
2.0 media;
• Learn from the public engagement mistakes of other
emerging technology debates, such as genetically
modified organisms (GMOs);
• Link to global networks already involved in
nanotechnology and emerging technology public
engagement;
• Include social sustainability as a criterion in
future EPA- and exchequer-funded research and
technology assessment.
Even though there is little media or public interest,
Nano-Innovation discourses are growing. In any future
campaign for nanotechnology, media exposure and
public relations require considerable investment. In
other countries, dialogue is considered as important
as promoting the technology itself. This report offers a
'menu' of dialogue models for policy-makers to address
the many objectives of nanotechnology strategy, from
less dialogic information transfer to public-led dialogue
and the public imagining of a future with nanotechnology.
If only some of the predictions are accurate,
nanotechnology will have many social implications.
Much work is necessary to ensure nanotechnology
public engagement is taken seriously in Ireland if the
technology is an economic priority, or indeed if it has
some bearing on progress in health, environment and technology. This report confirms what is found in
international studies of science and society – public
engagement needs to be about what can be accepted,
not what can be sold. This report recommends that, for a
more inclusive approach to nanotechnology knowledge
– and to avoid another 'GM scenario' – dialogue must
form the basis of the communication strategy with
embedded 'triple bottom line' values, that is, where
society and environment are given the same level of
importance currently granted to the economy.


We construct and analyze a new family of quadrangular (in two dimensions) or cubic (in three dimensions) mixed finite elements for the approximation of elastic wave equations. Our elements lead to explicit schemes (via mass lumping), after time discretization, including in the case of anisotropic media. Error estimates are given for these new elements.


With the miniaturization of products to the levels of micrometers and the recent developments in microsystem fabrication technologies, there arises a great need for an assembly process for the formation of complex hybrid microsystems. Integration of microcomponents, manufactured from different materials using different micro fabrication techniques, is still a primary challenge since some of the fundamental problems originating from the small size of parts to be manipulated, high precision necessity and the physics of the micro world are still not fully investigated. In this book, design and development of an open-architecture and modular microassembly workstation for efficient and reliable assembly of micromachined parts is presented through detailed inspection of the necessities for design and problems which arise as a result of the nature of the microworld. The analysis of the design process will be useful for the investigation of the inevitable technology of near future, microassembly, with the increasing trend towards miniaturization in every aspect of our lives and will be especially helpful to professionals in Microsystems Technologies.


Was Jesus a prophet of the eschatological Kingdom or a teacher of wisdom? These two characterizations of Jesus appear to be incompatible and, since the last century, the former has dominated our understanding of the Gospels at the expense of the latter. Proverbial sayings in the Synoptics have either been pressed into the service of eschatology-and have thus lost their character as wisdom-or have been disregarded as 'inauthentic', representing a later stage in the tradition. This book offers a critique of the method of historical reconstruction which leads to such conclusions. It also suggests an approach to the rhetoric or function of proverbial sayings, based on pragmatics, which develops the distinction between sense and force and offers some account of the rhetorical strategies involved in the use of proverbs in speech. A final chapter attempts to show how proverbial sayings might be given more significance in our understanding of Jesus' message through a reconsideration of the relationship between wisdom, eschatology and the Kingdom of God.


Online learning has become an important component of the higher education landscape in the United States. However, faculty are often either ill-prepared in using cutting-edge educational technologies in the classroom or have reservations about online teaching. Mishra and Koehler's (2006) Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) model, often used in K-12 settings to describe the role of technology in the pedagogical process, can be adapted to meet the professional development needs of faculty. The model we propose, TPACK-ConK, adds another layer of knowledge, context knowledge, to the model in order to account for the specific professional development needs of faculty in higher education. TPACK-ConK can be used by Centers for Teaching and Learning to better construct professional development for faculty engaged in online teaching.


The thermal conductivity of five predominately pearlitic grades of lamellar, compacted and spheroidal graphite iron have been modelled by means of existing models based on average field approximations. The model is based on the area fraction of different constituents and the width to length ratio of the graphite. The thermal conductivity of graphite in cast iron is derived by inverse modelling. These data are used in combination with experimental thermal conductivity values for a pearlitic matrix in order to model the thermal conductivity of various cast iron grades with good agreement. The calculations are executed for cast iron from room temperature up to 500°C.


Apple orchards planted in late sixties in Himanchal Pradesh and North Western Himalayan region have shown symptoms of declining productivity as these plants have completed their economic life span. Due to limited land and choice of crops for smaller micro climatic niches and incomparable economic equivalence of other fruits with apple, orchardists are compelled to replant old apple orchard sites. There has been substantial increase in the proportion of declining orchards which need to be changed. Therefore, standardization of suitable agro-techniques to combat replant problem in apple for better field survival rate and productivity under replant conditions for sustainability of apple industry in the state. In present study there were 20 treatments comprising of four apple rootstocks i.e. Seedling, M.793, MM.111 and M.7 and five different treatments i.e. control, soil fumigation, PGPR, biocontrol and combined (Soil fumigation + PGPR + Biocontrol) with three replications. The pooled data over the years 2015 and 2016 reveled that M.793 rootstock had significantly maximum plant growth and vigour parameters, soil enzymatic activities and microbial counts. Among the treatments, highest growth and vigour parameters, soil enzymatic activities and microbial counts were recorded maximum in combined treatment. The interaction between rootstocks and treatments revealed that combinations of M.793 × combined treatment recorded maximum growth and vigour traits dehydrogenase activity, urease activity, phosphatase activity, phytase activity, bacterial counts, fungal counts and actinomycetes counts compared to other rootstocks and treatment combinations under replant situations, which can be exploited for the management of replant problem in apple.


Organic agriculture is a holistic production management which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It emphasis the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account conditions requiring locally adapted systems. Organic agriculture is not only a specific agricultural production system, it is also a systematic and encompassing approach to sustainable livelihoods in general, where due account is given to relevant factors of influence for sustainable development and vulnerability, be this on physical, economic or socio-cultural levels. Organic agriculture has a long tradition as a farming system and it has been adapted for many climatic zones and local conditions. Again, it is a recognized potential as a development strategy for rural communities. It reduces the vulnerability of the farmers to climate change and variability. Organic agriculture comprises highly diverse farming systems and this increases the diversity of income sources and the flexibility to cope with adverse effects of climate change and variability such as changed rainfall patterns. This lead to higher economic and ecological stability through optimized ecological balance and risk-spreading. Organic agriculture is an adaptation strategy that can be targeted at improving the livelihoods of rural populations and those parts of communities that are vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change and variability.


Abstract This essay examines a six-year campaign against the radical faith healer John Alexander Dowie mounted in the 1890s by Chicago doctors, public health officials, and their "respectable" middle-class allies. The incident demonstrates the important role of religion in the process of medical professionalization. Medical professionals established cultural authority by aligning themselves with a broader discourse of "orthodoxy"—an ill-defined set of beliefs and practices thought necessary to maintain social order. Protestants used this discourse both to exclude outsiders and unite elites across denominational lines. An initial attempt to prosecute Dowie based on legalistic claims of practicing medicine without a license led to a backlash against medical professionals by middle-class Protestants who believed it compromised the integrity of religious liberty. This suggests that the growing efficacy of medical advances was an insufficient basis of social authority. Only when medical professionals self-consciously aligned themselves with the Protestant establishment and portrayed themselves as defenders of the social order (focused especially on the integrity of the family) were they able to rally the middle classes to their cause. This shift in rhetoric was an important step in the process of creating a discourse of "orthodox" medicine. It helped grant medical professionals the right to oversee the public body just as elite Protestants superintended its soul.


This report is a comprehensive document reviewing current training programmes for various cadres of service providers who provide (or could provide) care for people with mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) disorders in South Africa. The review used national mental health and disability policies to develop a vision of contextually-appropriate services using a task-shifting disability-inclusive approach as a framework for the review. The report consists of the following sections: • An introductory section including the executive summary, background to, and methodology of the study. • The body of the report consists of separate chapters for each category of service provider, with a detailed examination of current curricula measured against the core competencies identified by the researchers. Key findings are highlighted at the start of each chapter, as well in the concluding section of the report. • The concluding section of the report summarises key findings, discusses limitations of the study and makes recommendations regarding the use of the report as well as for further research.


In 2004, we created HIVCorps, an international volunteer program to involve pre-medical, medical, and public health students in the scale-up of HIV care and prevention services in Zambia. In our first year, we used 27 American and Zambian volunteers to assist with the administrative and logistical aspects of program implementation. Ten volunteers were based in the capital Lusaka; the remaining 17 were stationed across five rural districts. Supervision was provided by local health care providers, district officials, and hospital administrators. In our setting, the use of volunteers has proven feasible and effective for program support. Depending on a program's immediate needs, use of many basic field personnel may be more beneficial than employment of one to two trained clinicians. Formal volunteer programs like HIVCorps should be developed alongside initiatives focused on deploying more specialized, experienced healthcare workers aboard.


Wood knot image obtained by X-ray was done gray transformation. The contrast of the image after gray transformation can be enhanced obviously and the position of knot can be highlighted. Binary processing was adopted for the image after gray transformation. The defects areas of the binary images are filled. Then, invert the best binary image of wood defect, and then adduct the obtained image. The result of wood defect image plus is that defects regions take apart completely with their background, which means the image segmentation is completed. Wood utilization is improved. The experiment results show that this method is feasible and effective.


A new process technique that TiN permeation layer consisted of diffusion and deposition layer was synthesized on the surface of mild carbon steel has been firstly introduced, mainly according to plasma point discharge, hollow cathode effect and reactive vapor deposition technique. The surface appearance of this layer formed was uniform, compact and fine TiN cellular structure, a diffusion transitional region existing between the deposition layer and substrate. The surface texture was TiN deposition layer + TiN + Ti solid solution diffusion layer. From surface to inner Ti and N elements appeared graded distribution. This paper also mainly investigated the electrochemical corrosion behaviors of this multilayer. The polarization curves of specimens in 10% H2SO4 corrosive media were measured. The eroded surface morphologies were also surveyed by SEM. The results indicated that the erosion resistance of multi-permeation layer was increased many times than PVDTiN and a mild steel substrate, and almost equaled to that of compound process TiN layers.


Insulin resistance is at the core of the well recognised metabolic syndrome and possibly many other ailments commonly seen in the modern society. While the quantification of insulin resistance remains a difficult task, the problems associated with it are increasing in epidemic proportions. Need of the hour therefore is to develop concise dietary and pharmacotherapeutic guidelines for prevention and management of insulin resistance


Since the 1990s, Mexican police organizations made it evident that they were incapable of handling public security and had unprecedented levels of corruption and police-related crimes. To face these cases of police incompetence and misconduct, reforms to the law enforcement system were designed and implemented. However, twenty years have passed since these reforms were implemented and high levels of police misconduct are still noticeable. This study answers the question "why have police reforms failed to end police misconduct?" To do so, we analyse the implementation of cleansing and professionalization policies and programs in the police corporation of Guadalajara. We also analyse internal and external controls for police behaviour that were formally established since the 1990s for said organization. Government authorities and police chiefs have found it easier to attribute the lack of success of such reforms to police officers acting alone, or as a group, who are reluctant to change. Other studies regarding police behaviour explain police misconduct with the persistence of informal practices among chiefs and police officers who look for illegal profits for both parties. In this study, we consider that it is not individual responsibility or informal practices arising from wanting illegal profit what explains persistent police misconduct. What makes it difficult to show some continuity in terms of policies, reforms, and control programs are some elements of the political environment, such as public security being so closely linked to politics, where political scandals are to be avoided; the protection of political loyalties, which limits authorities and police chiefs' supervision; and a constant change of government authorities and police chiefs. The internal control of the hierarchical chain has been rarely analysed in studies about the police in Mexico. When they are mentioned, it is usually to emphasize complicity relations among chiefs and subordinates, derived from informal practices or police subculture or, ultimately, due to corruption profit sharing purposes. However, in this study supervision deficiencies from chiefs over subordinates do not derive from these factors but from the fact that such deficiencies take place because no authority is certain about their position and hierarchy, in a context where authority changes happen for political reasons. This means that no one can be certain if the person under them will become their chief in the future, to whom they will owe obedience and who will possibly take revenge or oppose to personal plans and projects. From this point of view, for head police officers who must supervise subordinates, the best strategy to preserve their position is to carry out a friendly and loose supervision of subordinates. In this regard, this study considers that there are plenty of police officers who join the ruling political party or keep close connections to people with political influence as a way of receiving legal and illegal benefits, or as means of protection from a superior who is closely monitoring behaviour.


Abstract The Conductance model is a simple mechanistic model used to predict the growth of species in monoculture or mixtures from parameter values derived from plants grown in isolation. In contrast to many mechanistic models that require extensive parameterization, the Conductance model is able to capture the growth of a broad range of species using a few simplified assumptions regarding plant growth and easily derived species-specific parameter values. We examine the assumptions within the Conductance model that total leaf area per plant is proportional to total plant weight, and that an isolated plant has a projected crown zone area that is proportional to the 2/3 power of its weight. Power rather than linear relations were found between weight and leaf area for Brassica oleracea , Daucus carota , Matricaria inodora , Solanum nigrum , Stellaria media , Trifolium repens and Veronica persica . For all seven species, the value of the power was less than unity. All species also exhibited a power relation between crown zone area and weight, with the slope of this relation being less than 2/3 for B. oleracea , D. carota and S. media . Although morphology type accounted for some of the variation in the parameter values relating to light interception, there were considerable differences between species within upright or prostrate foliage species groups. The Conductance model was used to predict yields of B. oleracea , S. nigrum and V. persica grown in both monoculture and binary weed-crop mixtures over a range of temporal and spatial scales. After calibrating the model to non-competing plants, the model was used to predict growth of the weed and crop species in contrasting densities and stand types. In some crop-weed combinations, predicted crop and weed weights were within 17% of observed values, with no systematic deviations. In others, systematic and large deviations occurred.


The Harm Reduction Unit (HRU) in Santo Andre (Sao Paulo State) was created to improve the health of people who either live or work on the streets: drug users, commercial sex workers (male and female), men who have sex with men, sexually exploited adolescents, transsexuals, transvestites, lesbians, and women working in brothels. This project was undertaken to evaluate the HRU from the perspective of its users. A semi-structured interview was administered to nineteen users from different segments of the populations served by the unit. The major weaknesses of the HRU were felt to be its inconsistent presence in some areas and the absence of psychologists to provide follow-up care. The unit was seen as promoting better health, increased use of condoms, reduction in drug usage, increased access and use of health care services, and less sharing of equipment used in drug consumption. Users see the HRU as a sympathetic presence whose ongoing work provides them with a sense of security and protection. The impact of the HRU went beyond harm reduction; users reported transformative changes such as increased awareness of their social rights and knowledge about how those rights can be demanded. Users

 had been given new tools to face their problems and seek access to education, work, and housing.

Key words: harm reduction, illegal drugs, health service evaluation, social problems


The epithelial tight junction regulates barrier function and is responsive to extracellular stimuli. Here we demonstrated that contact of synthetic surfaces with defined nanotopography at the apical surface of epithelial monolayers increased paracellular permeability of macromolecules. To monitor changes in tight junction morphology in live cells, we fluorescently tagged the scaffold protein zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) through CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing. Contact between cells and nanostructured surfaces destabilized junction-associated ZO-1 and promoted its arrangement into highly dynamic non-junctional cytosolic complexes that averaged ∼2 μm in diameter. Junction-associated ZO-1 rapidly remodeled, and we also observed the direct transformation of cytosolic complexes into junction-like structures. Claudin-family tight junction transmembrane proteins and F-actin also were associated with these ZO-1 containing cytosolic complexes. These data suggest that the cytosolic structures are novel intermediates formed in response to nanotopographic cues that facilitate rapid tight junction remodeling in order to regulate paracellular permeability.


In the West, where volcanic materials are abundantly distributed among the rocks of the geologic column, the importance of sedimentary processes in the formation of high-alumina clays has not been fully appreciated. At Ione, Calif., Castle Rock, Wash., Whiteware, Mont., Hobart Butte and Mollala, Oreg., where the Geological Survey has been investigating clays jointly with the Bureau of Mines, U. S. Department of the Interior, high-alumina clays formed by sedimentary processes are more important than those formed by all phases of volcanic activity. Clays derived directly from volcanic materials are composed dominantly of montmorillonite; but these clays, with the exception of the beidellite-nontronite varieties, have relatively low percentages of available alumina. In contrast, clays derived by thorough leaching of various aluminous rocks under conditions favoring thorough drainage are composed dominantly of kaolinite and when sorted by sedimentary processes form high-grade deposits; furthermore, the depositional structures of these sedimentary clays have favored the derivation of gibbsite through weathering, resulting in an increase in the alumina content of the clays. Kaolinite, gibbsite, and dickite all have relatively high percentages of available alumina.


We develop the method for the determination of dynamics of the dissipative quantum systems in the limit of large number of quanta N , based on the 1/N-expansion of Heidmann et al. [ Opt. Commun. 54, 189 (1985) ] and the quantum-classical correspondence. Using this method, we find analytically the dynamics of nonclassical states generation in the higher-order anharmonic dissipative oscillators for an arbitrary temperature of a reservoir. We show that the quantum correction to the classical motion increases with time quadratically up to some maximal value, which is dependent on a degree of nonlinearity and a damping constant, and then it decreases. Similarities and differences with the corresponding behavior of the quantum corrections to the classical motion in the Hamiltonian chaotic systems are discussed. We also compare our results obtained for some limiting cases with the results obtained by using other semiclassical tools and discuss the conditions for validity of our approach.


Defense mechanisms against network-level attacks are commonly based on the use of cryptographic techniques, such as lengthy message authentication codes (MAC) that provide data integrity guarantees. However, such mechanisms require significant resources (both computational and network bandwidth), which prevents their continuous use in resource-constrained cyber-physical systems (CPS). Recently, it was shown how physical properties of controlled systems can be exploited to relax these stringent requirements for systems where sensor measurements and actuator commands are transmitted over a potentially compromised network; specifically, that merely intermittent use of data authentication (i.e., at occasional time points during system execution), can still provide strong Quality-of-Control (QoC) guarantees even in the presence of false-data injection attacks, such as Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks. Consequently, in this work, we focus on integrating security into existing resource-constrained CPS, in order to protect against MitM attacks on a system where a set of control tasks communicates over a real-time network with system sensors and actuators. We introduce a design-time methodology that incorporates requirements for QoC in the presence of attacks into end-to-end timing constraints for real-time control transactions, which include data acquisition and authentication, real-time network messages, and control tasks. This allows us to formulate a mixed integer linear programming-based method for direct synthesis of schedulable tasks and message parameters (i.e., deadlines and offsets) that do not violate timing requirements for the already deployed controllers, while adding a sufficient level of protection against network-based attacks; specifically, the synthesis method also provides suitable intermittent authentication policies that ensure the desired QoC levels under attack. To additionally reduce the security-related bandwidth overhead, we propose the use of cumulative message authentication at time instances when the integrity of messages from subsets of sensors should be ensured. Furthermore, we introduce a method for the opportunistic use of the remaining resources to further improve the overall QoC guarantees while ensuring system (i.e., task and message) schedulability. Finally, we demonstrate applicability and scalability of our methodology on synthetic automotive systems as well as a real-world automotive case-study.


In the iron manufacturing industry, it is unavoidable to produce large volumes of blast furnace slag (BFS) as a mineral residue from the preparation of pig iron in blast furnaces as well as to discharge a high volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas as a result of the consumption of coke. These byproducts potentially lead to environmental problems such as ground pollution and global warming unless they are treated. BFS is a complex oxide mainly composed of CaO, MgO, SiO2 and Al2O3. The former two have the ability to react with CO2, and SiO2 is a major component of mesoporous silica (MS). Herein, we report a direct route to convert BFS into a mesoporous silica-calcium oxide composite (slagCaO-MS) possessing high CO2 adsorption performance. A composite composed of SBA-15-like mesoporous silica with a pore diameter of 12.3 nm and crystalline CaO particles (mean surface area = 128 m2 g−1) was synthesized from BFS via a facile dissolution-hydrothermal process using formic acid as a dissolving agent, while the use of mineral acids (HNO3 and HCl) resulted in the formation of ill-defined low-surface-area materials with less CO2 adsorption capacities. The composite synthesized under optimum conditions was found to have a CO2 uptake value of 18.8 wt% per mass of adsorbent, and could be regenerated for at least 10 cycles. The green and low-cost adsorbent originating from BFS with high CO2 adsorption ability and reusability is advantageous for mitigating CO2 emissions discharged from the iron manufacturing industry, and will surely contribute to the sustainable development of the iron manufacturing industry.


With increasing levels of congestion at the major cargo hubs and further restrictions on noise and night‐time flying, freighter operators' airport choice is a complex and important issue. The aim is to identify the factors that affect the airport choice of freighter operators through a review of the published literature. The literature reviewed includes work relating to passenger hub location, airport quality and airline network configuration, and other works relating to airport choice to paint a full picture of the current research in this area. The literature shows that freighter operators initially choose a shortlist of possible airports based on geography and then investigate any restrictions in place, such as capacity caps or noise limits that might block operations from that airport. Only when these hurdles have been cleared do freighter operators consider attributes of airport quality such as charges and terminal facilities, as well as other influences such as freight forwarder presence and airport marketing. Of particular prominence is the impact of legislation on airport choice.


It is assumed that special structures in aerial roots of leafless orchids, aeration units, are involved in gas exchange regulation. In this study, the structure of aeration units in three leafless taxa (Microcoelia exilis, M. aphylla, Dendrophylax funalis) and a leaf-bearing species (Campylocentrum micranthum) are investigated to obtain more evidence of a possible mechanism for gas exchange control in aerial orchid roots. Extensive analyses of the anatomy of the velamen radicum, exodermis and cortex were performed using light and electron microscopy and µCT. In all considered leafless taxa, the aeration unit consists of pneumathodes (non-wettable regions in the velamen radicum), an exodermal aeration cell (EAC) with a thin cell wall (often equipped with a special internal layer showing a fluffy structure) and specialized cortical cells (SCC). The SCC provide gaps for gas exchange, show differentially thickened cell walls and are arranged in a staggered manner. Based on the 3D structure of the aeration unit, we suggest the possibility of dehydration-triggered gap closure (driven by root shrinkage), in the process of which first the SCC are pushed against each other and second the EAC are squeezed shut by the exodermis.


Robustness is an important issue in automatic speech recognition systems. When the testing conditions do not match the training condition or when there is insufficient training data, the performance of a system trained by maximum likelihood criterion may degrade significantly. Different robust algorithms were proposed especially for cases in which the mismatch condition is known or can be estimated from the test data. In many practical cases, however, the mismatch information may not be available. In this paper, we propose a robust training algorithm that does not make any assumption about the mismatch condition. Instead, it is based on a neighborhood concept that appropriately broaden the model distributions to increase the model robustness. The proposed algorithm is evaluated in the Aurora3 tasks which shows that the neighborhood approach can reduce the degradation in mismatch conditions.


Abstract A partial skeleton of a short-necked plesiosaur excavated from the Upper Cenomanian of the Middle Yezo Group of Hokkaido, Japan, includes disarticulated vertebrae, the right half of the pectoral girdle, fragments of the pelvic girdle, ribs, gastralia, and gastroliths. Gastroliths are unusual in short-necked plesiosaurs. Skeletal characters indicate that the specimen belongs to the Family Polycotylidae, well known from North America, the former Soviet Republics, and possibly from New Zealand. They are rare in East Asia and hitherto unknown from Japan. Extensive ossification indicates that this specimen is an adult individual, yet it is smaller than the adult specimens of other known polycotylids. The elongated epipodial bones are a unique character of the specimen but are probably plesiomorphic. The fossil is evidence of biogeographical diversification of the family at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous.